Paintball Inc. GTV1, 32 Degrees Expansion Chamber, bottomline, VL200 hopper, and 20oz. CO2 tank
Recommended Upgrades:
Longer Barrel, I hear a Taso Winforce is the best compromise between price and quality. It's usually about $35 dollars. Maybe a 12 volt Revy, & a bolt/beavertail kit. These are all on my Christmas wish list.
Strengths:
First, the product support for this gun is great! Check out www.gt-2000.com to find the e-mail address for the designer of this gun. His name is Doug and has patiently answered several questions in a very short turn around time. Also, you can go to paintballinc.com and order almost every part online for the GT-2000, which has all of the same internals.
Second, the gun is a great price. I got mine from thepaintballstore.com for about $58. They were willing to beat the a competitor's lowest price by 10%%. I also added a 32 Degrees expansion chamber and a bottomline setup for $42. So, I have a great starter gun for $100.
Third, the performance and functionality is very comparable to more expensive guns. It is consistent and fairly accurate, even with the short barrel. (Good for short to medium range) It rarely chops balls, even with a non-motorized hopper. I think the vertical powerfeed has a lot to do with this advantage. There is a stack of 6-7 balls waiting to feed into your gun at all times. So a couple of quick, 3 shot bursts is totally doable. I like the trigger, but it's not quite as fast as a comparable Piranha. It is comfortable though. Also, being able to sight down the top of the barrel for aiming is so nice! How many other guns can brag about this?
Fourth, adjustment, maintenance, and upgradability is very easy. The internals of the gun are very simple. (It takes spyder bolts, barrels, & grip frames) Field stripping requires you to take out two bolts. I could field strip, clean, & lube the gun in under 5 minutes.
Weaknesses:
To start with, the gun is heavy when you add everything to it. No if's, and's, or but's about it. (But it feels like it will last forever!) I don't really notice it though.
Next, it's loud, but a better barrel should fix that. Also, the barrel is way short (under 10") compared to most stock barrels.
Also, there are a lot of sharp corners and no beavertail (watch your lenses!), quick strip pin, or thumb velocity adjuster. Doug says that there should be a kit available around Christmas that will include an improved bolt, field strip screws, beavertail, and a thumb velocity adjuster. I can't wait to get mine!
Lastly, I had problems with the bolt depth of the grip for the bottom line setup I added. Maybe I had unusually long bolts, but I had to add some rubber spacers to get the BL to attach securely. No biggy though.
Conclusion:
All in all, I have been totally happy with my purchase so far. Besides some practice shooting in my backyard, I've had it for out for one session of woods ball. I was very impressed and so were the people I was playing with. It is really accurate from short to medium ranges with the stock barrel. It was very consistent from shot to shot. I played against Piranha STS G3's and Spyder TL's. I was very much competitive with them. I would totally recommend this gun to anyone looking for their first gun. I think it is probably one of the best under $100 guns out there. So, go out and get yourself one! (P.S. I plan on reviewing this marker again in a few months to give you an update! Maybe then I can give it a 10?)
I use the gtv1 with a true flight barrel{great barrel}, 20oz tank, hopper, red spring.
Recommended Upgrades:
new barrel. elc hopper, that is about it. bottom line if you want to.
Strengths:
cheep verry cheep. ok starting gun.
Weaknesses:
cant put a good electro trigger . dosent take spyder parts. the stock barrel
Review:
ok gun. ok price, ok quilty. get it if you want to be differnt and dont have the money for a high end gun. i dont rill have that much to say about this gun. i sold it and got a cocker. much better. man ho wmuch do you have to write to enter the decription
Conclusion:
they are only like $75. so get one if you want, or savfe up and get a cocker
Rating:
7 out of 10
Last edited on Saturday, November 22nd, 2003 at 6:24 pm PST
Tippman Pro-lite: surprisingly, not as accurate as the GTV1.
Marker Setup:
GTV1, bought as part of a kit from Denny Bicycles in Ukiah. We've added a CO2 adapter to bring the bottle to the rear.
Recommended Upgrades:
My brother wants to try out a new barrel, possibly the Spyder brand. We are definitely going to convert it to compressed air. A sight is planned, but not sure which one yet.
Strengths:
Very accurate for an inexpensive marker. All-aluminum, light body, is very upgradable. Fuel flexibility is nice. My somewhat vertically-challenged 13 year-old brother could handle this gun easily- unlike some of the heavier markers other folks were using.
Weaknesses:
Well, it crunched a ball under the hopper, but 1 time in a thousand is not so bad! I wish it had a direct load instead of side, but it IS easy to clean. Otherwise, the only complaint is the threads under the grip- one seems to have been poorly machined- I've stripped two screws trying to get a decent fit for the CO2 adapter.
Conclusion:
Definitely proof that you can get a quality product without spending too much. I used to swear by the Pro-Lite (I like keeping it simple). Now I am convinced this is the best beginner marker I've seen.
The last paintball marker I used was a rental gun back in the early 90's!!! It was a simple pump pistol. I don't recall the name. It was VERY basic!
Marker Setup:
I'm now the proud owner of a GTV-1!!! I have a green GTV-1 with a bottom line installed, 6 stage expansion chamber, Winforce 16" barrel & an Adco IMP red dot sight.
Recommended Upgrades:
I would recommend ANY or the upgrades I added to my marker. They ALL benefit the gun! A bottom line installed, 6 stage expansion chamber, Winforce 16" barrel & an Adco IMP red dot sight.
Strengths:
EVERYTHING!!! I truly mean that. This gun ROCKS! It's TOUGH, RELIABLE & CHEAP!!! It is a good marker right out of the box (stock parts). But when you add upgrades... LOOK OUT! You've got a real contender to several other markers that cost a LOT more!
The main body of the GTV-1 is made of one solid piece of aluminum! It's pretty light & has a good feel of balance in your hand. It has a nice grip, decent stock barrel & pretty cool over all look. I'm sure this gun could take a beating on the paintball field.
The GTV-1 is SUPER EASY to operate. Even for a beginner paintballer. It doesn't have a bunch of fancy electronics & such. Actually I would say that it is a rather simple setup mechanics wise. The simplicity of the GTV-1 adds to it's awesome RELIABILITY! I shot over 500 rounds threw it the first day I got it & NEVER broke or chopped 1 ball! This gun will keep you on the field & NOT on the workbench!!! I've played with several guys with "tricked out" high dollar markers & they ALWAYS seem to be working on them. NOT ME! I wanted a gun that I could shoot a lot. Not work on a lot! And that's just what you'll get with the GTV-1! The GTV-1 is also a breeze to dismantle for cleaning after a long day of playing paintball. Just loosen 2 screws & you can totally field strip the GTV-1 for cleaning.
I also wanted to say that I purchased my GTV-1 for WISHMASTERS paintball store in Celina, Ohio. Terry (the owner) REALLY knows his stuff!!! he was kind enough to answer ALL my questions when I was looking to get a new marker. I told him what I was looking for & how much I wanted to spend & he gave me several options. He DIDN'T try to sell me something I didn't need! I decided on the GTV-1 & couldn't be happier!!! For anyone reading this... if you're looking for a paintball marker or anything else paintball related and live in the Celina, Ohio area. GO TO WISHMASTERS PAINTBALL!!!
Weaknesses:
I can honestly say that after having the GTV-1 for just under a month, I can't find ANYTHING I don't like about this gun. That's the TRUTH! It's been a great gun for me. I also get a kick out of getting in an extra game while some of the other guys with their $300, $400, $500 or even MORE markers are sidelined with a breakdown!!! While me & my $75 dollar gun are laying down some serious paint!
Conclusion:
I think I've just about said everything I can. If you're looking for a TOUGH, RELIABLE & best of all CHEAP paintball gun. Go out and pick yourself up a GTV-1. You WILL NOT regret it.
Loose trigger, Can be easily upgraded, Theres only one o-ring inside the gun so If your having a leaking problem than it shouldn't be too hard to fix, Easy to take apart
Weaknesses:
I think the gun could look better, but other than that...nothing really
Conclusion:
If you're new to the sport and you are looking to buy a gun, but you dont have that much money then I suggest buying this gun
GTV 1, GT Foregrip, Bottomline, Force II Cyclone bolt with Beavertail, Dye sticky grips, Smart Parts Boss progressive barrel, Adco Champ red dot sight.
Easy to use, easily upgraded. Field strips quickly( if used with the Force II cyclone bolt and thumb screws). Aim down the barrel, no need for an elbow due to the verticle powerfeed. All o-rings are standard sized. Can run on CO2 or Air. Takes Spyder barrels and internals.
Ideal starter marker for the budget conscious. Great aftermarket service, you can email the designer with any problems: doug@gt-2000.com
or check the homepage http://www.gt-2000.com/
Weaknesses:
Loud and inaccurate with the stock barrel. An aftermarket Spyder barrel is a must. Slightly heavy.
Conclusion:
Great low cost starter marker which can easily be upgraded.
