Our most affordable marker ever. We're proud to have produced a paintball marker like no other. The Ion was built to be the marker for anyone who loves the game: simple to maintain, easy to use, designed for winning. It takes abuse like a rental gun, but throws paint with the best of them. You'll get the accuracy, range and rate of fire the Pro's enjoy for just a little more money than an entry level marker. The days of having to spend tons of cash to get what you want are over.
Our Features Presentation
� 17 balls per second semi-auto rate of fire with 3 shot burst, 10 bps full auto and our Rebound firing mode.
� Break-beam Vision Anti-Chop System Reliable and durable, the eyes are mounted on a separate board for perfect alignment and not affected by paint or body color. Just clean and replace (in minutes).
� A Featherweight Prizefighter At 2.2 pounds, the Ion is among the lightest high-end markers made, and it�s tube design imparts an ultra low profile.
� Reliability The Ion was engineered to stand up to the demands of professional players. It will outlast what used to be considered high-end and won't break down the minute you get it home.
� Improved Ball Detents Approximately 10 times the service life of current detents.
� Great Efficiency Expect a reliable 1000-1400 shots from a 68ci, 4500psi bottle without any modifications.
� Accuracy & Range The trademarks you expect from Smart Parts.
� Body Kits A first for paintball. High-quality aluminum internals are protected by composite shells, allowing you to instantly change the color or look of your body. Tired of blue? Switch to red. Or black. Or yellow. And there are more body styles in the works...
� Feed Tube with O-Ring Seals Fits a wider range of hoppers than most guns in this price range.
� Tools 1/8" Allen wrench is all you need for primary disassembly--and it�s included, along with trigger and velocity adjustment wrenches and a handy parts kit.
� Impulse Threads Take advantage of the barrels and feed tubes you may already have.
Product Availability
The Smart Parts Ion is newer, so it should be commonly available, both new and used. Check out the Places to Buy links below for places to purchase it new.
smartparts ion, trinity t-lock feedneck, cp reg, cp sling blade trigger, 2 piece cp barrel, 45/45 comp air tank, and an evolution II hopper.
Recommended Upgrades:
New feedneck, reg, barrel.
Strengths:
Very Cheap, really fast, dependable, user freindly.
Weaknesses:
Feed neck isn't adjustable.
Review:
I luv this marker it is fast, worth the money, dependable, user frienldy, easily customizable. I recomend putting an adjustable feedneck on it because when i got this my evolution II hopper wouldn't fit on it. I would also recomend a new barrel because this barrel is very big bored at 693. I put a new trigger on it to make it easier to walk it. I also put an on/off on it. This is the best $300 investment you'll ever make if you luv paintball.
Conclusion:
I would recomend this gun for anyone who wants a good gun and doesn't want to pay a lot.
So i went to my local field (www.airassaultpaintball.com) and i decided to rent an Ion, when i got to the table my friends and i were at, i was about to load it, but i had to go get my rental pods and when i came back my dumb@$$ friend had loaded it, but he had more experience with ions. so i got on the field, and shot the gun, it fired well and was really quite, but then the game started, and it wouldnt shoot, so i called the reff (it was a rental so i had no idea what to do) and he said it should b fine but as i was talking to him, i got hit like 5 times so, i went in the dead box and i examined the gun, my dumb@$$ friend had overloaded the hopper....but the rest of the day, it worked fine, it is a great gun, the only problum i had was the on/off button, it is really hard to use........
Conclusion:
This is a great gun! But get a decent drop forward or u will have a lot of trouble manuvering
FEEDNECK IS #1 then the rest is to ur prefrence probably a new tirgger and regulator
Strengths:
Great gun for the price
Weaknesses:
Really bad feedneck
Review:
this gun is perfect for those looking for a cheap tournament/rec level tournament marker. its fast, accurate and decent on effecincy. the feedneck is probably the worst one ive seen in a long time. i have a halo that i use for my proto and when i tried to put it in the ion it went in crooked and would not come out. wen i got it in it sat higher than a lcd 2k2 high rise. so get the gun a FEEDNECK. then start adding all the goodies.
Smart Parts Ion
CP Rail & On/Off
CP Roller Trigger
eVLution II
Crossfire 70/4500 stubby
Recommended Upgrades:
Everything Can be upgraded, Heres a few recomended:
ASA
Trigger
Feedneck
After that its preference (barrel, board, body etc)
Strengths:
Eyes
17 bps
Weight
Price!!
Weaknesses:
ASA
Feedneck
Trigger (preference)
Not field strippable.
Review:
Where to begin. The Ion is a great marker for its price. It may not compete with timmys and matrices out of the box, but when you add some ups, this thing it can be an excellent marker.
The ion has very good break beam eyes, i have had no breaks, and almost never see any in other peoples. The consistency is actually decent with stock regulator, so its not a problem. Some people complain about the body being plastic/composite, well, prove that plastic covering is making your gun perform worse, i dont mind it one bit.
This makrer can shoot up to 17 bps stock. I dont really know why you'd need more speed, i think 17 is pretty damn fast, besides PSP rules is 15 bps. You can upgrade to one of the new boards, like the blackheart, or predator, or T-Board, and be able to shoot uncapped, - there is a video of 26 bps now.
Most people, including myself, find that the stock feedneck is useless. With orings, hoppers wont fit in, without orings hoppers are very looses. Id recommend getting a new one, like a Q-Lock, or no-rise. The stock ASA is a duckbill, and makes your airtank
stick out.
I
Conclusion:
Basically, the ion is the best in its price range, being fully EP, eyes and speed. If you like tourny play, and cant afford that timmy/matrix AND entry fees, go with this. You wont be disappointed
Rating:
9 out of 10
Last edited on Thursday, January 5th, 2006 at 3:45 pm PST
MacDev 06 Cyborg
Smart Parts Ion
Empire Reloader B
Macdev LegionAir 45/45
Recommended Upgrades:
Trigger
Barrel
Strengths:
Performance for price.
Easy on paint.
Weaknesses:
See review body.
Review:
Some people make the mistake of thinking the Ion EXCEEDS a true highend marker -- I don't believe it does, but it certainly does compete. It keeps up and puts you on the same playing field as those with highend markers, but, I like to think of the Ion as a "rough" highend marker, it has features that allow you to compete but they're not as refined.
The first area I feel the Ion falls short in is the trigger. It's very walkable, but it's not fast or consistent. The operation of it just isn't smooth enough.
The stock barrel is pretty good. It's not ball on ball, but it's pretty acceptable.
Stock feedneck is fine for my Reloader B (not sanded). I just removed the top two o-rings and put some Dow 33 around the remaining o-ring and it fits pretty snug and it's not any trouble to get out. It may sit a little high for some though.
Stock duckbill is alright because I have long arms. You can achieve a better weight balance with a dovetail setup, but it's not essential.
Maintenance is simple. It's a little fiddly first time though; just be gentle. http://zdspb.com has some good guides for Ion maintenance.
Stock regulator is a pain to take apart. You need a 9/16" deep well socket, and even then you can expect trouble. It performs so-so, I'm getting +/- 12ish.
Conclusion:
Overall, the Ion is a rough highend marker lacking some of the refined features of a true highend. Don't expect ball on ball accuracy, a butter smooth trigger or perfect consistency -- what you get though is acceptable performance. It does compete with highend markers, but only compete. That's all you can ask for the price.
I'm giving the marker a 10 because this is value for money.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Friday, February 10th, 2006 at 5:35 pm PST
Right now I use an Intimidator Alias w/frenzy 127.4 and reloader b w/b2 upgrade software.
Recommended Upgrades:
Drop or on/off, qev valve, barrel kit, upgraded trigger.
Strengths:
It is light, Quiet, almost no recoil, ramping comes stock.
Weaknesses:
Only accurate when rapid firing, ain't really air efficient, stock barrel stinks.
Review:
The ion is a great marker for beginners who need a dependible marker.The ion is great if you play where ramping is alowed because it comes stock with ramping. It would be a better marker if it could fire more than 17bps. I play with alot of guys who shoot Intimidators and Shockers that ramp at 20bps and I had no chance with the Ion. I mean it is a great gun but it depends on what you compare it with. I personally would rather use a Wrath or ProMaster. The owners manuel claims it can get 1200 shots with a 68/4500 psi tank, that is what I use and I counted only 975 shots before the velocity died off with rapid fire. Although I have never had any technical or electronic problems. I've probably put at least 35 cases of paint through it and broke maybe 5 balls, but I live in NewYork and it is winter time so the paint is a little brittle.
Conclusion:
The ion is a good marker, I would suggest buying a Wrath and upgrade it with the T-Board. But if you like Smart Parts products, the Ion is the way to go.
Rating:
8 out of 10
Last edited on Monday, April 30th, 2007 at 10:43 am PST
The accuracy of this review is disputed. Please see discussion on the comments page.
Period of Product Use:
2 years
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Paintball Experience:
More than 5 years
Similar Products Used:
...lets not go there...
Marker Setup:
Electro-
Alien Intimidator
Dye Throttle Adjustable Air System
Empire 7 piece barrel kit
Reloader B
back up-
Kingman Spyder Electra ACS '05
Replaced the alumionum ACS with Derlin
Eggy
Mech
Nasty Typhoon
Two Revys
back up/ senario
Ariakon SIM-4
Q loader
Sidearm
Overlord
Stock Class Phantom
Side arm
Recommended Upgrades:
barrel
N2
Strengths:
Fast
Cheap
eyes
light
small
Weaknesses:
Everyone has one
mine died... :(
unbaleced
body thingy
Review:
I loved my ion... and i love my best friends ion. But i also disliek ions for a number of reasons. First people have come under the impression that they dominate all other guns in the price range. This is simpley not true, its a nice gun but there are others that match it for the price. But screw the ion obsessers and onto the gun. I had a bad experiance, after two years of use i was in a game and took 3 shots to the gun. First shot broke the body and did a little internal damage, secend took off the bottem line and third hit me right in the nuts after skimming the barrel. My ion was then dead, the internal damade and body where too much to repair. But i still ise my friends and never became bias. Its not at all balenced, cus its small you throw a full empire on it and its hard to aim.
Conclusion:
Good gun, worth getting, but not as a first cus its a bit more complex to clean and theres more to break, if ur starting get a stacked tube blow back.
ion all stock except for trinity feed neck and cp roller trigger
Recommended Upgrades:
new trigger feedneck barrel freak or freak jr kit
Strengths:
Fast for a 300$ gun, accurate, smartparts=reliable company, light, small
Weaknesses:
Shoot down and regulator adjustments
Review:
Okay, I went to my local paintball shop, after looking for a good gun, I bought the ion. First the regulator had to be adjusted but now big deal. So when I got home i screwed in the tank nad i heard a leak, so i took it in and again a regulator adjustment.(I think it was because i screwed around with it). After that, no more adjustments. So when i took it to the paintball course, it had good speed and accuracy. The next time i went i had my stupid velocity at like 350 so it leaked by the solenoid. I was mad about it, I thought i blew the solenoid, that day my ion did not work to well. The next time I took it paintballing it worked as good as new. So no major problems.
Conclusion:
Buy it if you want a cheap good gun. And Im not just saying that. The people who right the bad reviews are the ones who take the gun apart themselves. Have someone who knows how to take it apart properly do it. Final suggestion, leave it stock your gonna blow solenoids and crap with a new board.
*hybrid clamping feed neck
*trinity roller trigger
*trinity 06 aluminum body kit
*trinity QEV banjo fitting
*check it uni-mount drop forward on/off
*evolution II hopper
*worr gas air system 50ci/3000psi with empire tank cover and bob long gauge
*evil pipe kit barrel
Recommended Upgrades:
i'll suggest clamping feed neck, barrel and trigger.
Strengths:
Superb
Weaknesses:
Like i said you need a barrel, clamping feed neck and trigger.
Review:
First i didn't wanna buy this gun, i was gonna buy spyder electra. Thank goodness my friend from canadianpaintball.com help me which one to get. He compared the guns with advantages and disadvantages to be honest i didnt like the style, but when i got and tried it i was like WOW!!! this gun is amazing. I cannot believe how accurate it is and then i start modifiying my gun. Now i get compliments because its nice looking gun with ups.
Conclusion:
I'll say this is one of the best gun on the market and its affordable.
I hope this short message of mine will help those who wants to buy an ION.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Wednesday, December 21st, 2005 at 3:47 pm PST
black sp ion
black heart board
full freak kit
hybrid grips
clamping feedneck
shocktech drop foward
cp trigger
Recommended Upgrades:
drop foward
feedneck
trigger
board
fast hopper ( halo b w/ rip
Strengths:
Fast
accurate
light
ramping
smart parts quality
Weaknesses:
Pain to clean
gas hog
Review:
I currently bought a black ion. I was so excited when it came, which took forever. Upon receiving it, I took it to my local paintball field, riptide paintball. I let Daren take a look at it to see if everything was working; unfortunately there was a leak. After about two days of wondering what was wrong we finally found out that it was the board that was messed up. Supposively on the stock boards there is plastic piece holding it to something. Well, the guy who had it before me had his pressure too high, causing the plastic piece to break. So now I had a delima. I had to buy a new board. I could go with the same board, just replaced for 80 dollars. Or I could opt to the black heart board which is 100 dollars. Needless to say I went for the black heart being only a 20 dollar difference, and thank goodness I picked that one. But anyways back to the review. The first time I took it onto the field, I was as happy as a school girl. The game started, and I was flinging paint everywhere. I surprised myself when I saw it shoot with the new board. I was ripping ropes of paint with no effort at all ( I now love ramping!!!) My friend ,Brownjbob, was watching from the sideline with his ion. After our first time of watching the black heart board in action, he decided that the black heart had to be in his gun. So he will be ordering one not far in the future. So anyways, this gun is awesomeness. It's fast, accurate ( especially with freak), light weight, and just down right sexy : ) The only thing I would change about this gun is the cleaning process and gas efficiency. It is a major pain in the behind to have to take this thing apart and lube the bolt. After a great day of play, you don't want to go home for two reasons: 1. You don't want to have to go home and take this thing apart 2. You don't want to stop seeing all the kids that you shot five times walk to the dead box. Its second weakness of being a gas hog is a pain too. After about one and a half games I am running on almost 0 psi. This could be a major pain if you have to pay for all of your fills. Luckily our field gets unlimited air.
Conclusion:
I love this thing and have found a new respect for smart parts. The only thing it is lacking, is ease of maintenance, and it is a major gas hog. So for that I deduct two points.
