The accuracy of this review is disputed. Please see discussion on the comments page.
Period of Product Use:
1 year
Paintball Experience:
More than 5 years
Similar Products Used:
Kingman Hammer
Aerostar Assassinator
Marker Setup:
CCI Phantom
11" Nickel Barrel
Recommended Upgrades:
Ghost Ring if stock class
Detent Rings
Nickel Barrel
Strengths:
Simple, Elegant, Light
Weaknesses:
No glaring Weaknesses
Review:
So I was introduced to Phantoms last year about this time, when a buddy of mine was looking to sell his and was in a bind. So, for 100 bucks I bought my CCI Phantom. I had heard alot of hype over how smooth these pumps were compared to the nelson-based pumps I was used to....after using my Phantom, I'd never willingly go back to any Nelson-based pump. Sure, my Hammer's a good backup, but there's nothing more accurate than a Phantom with a Nickel barrel....of the last 10 people I've tagged out, all 10 were goog shots from my Phantom.
Conclusion:
Buy this pump if you're into that scene like me....heck, even if you aren't buy it and hone your skills!!
Brass eagle talon is the only other pump marker I have used
Marker Setup:
CCI Phantom
Bottomline, 45 grip
Recommended Upgrades:
None are really needed except a ball detent
and maybe if you want, a trigger shoe.
Strengths:
pump.
Affordable
Very light
Accurate (excellent barrel)
Consistent, reliable and durable.
Looks nice.
Weaknesses:
Obviously has a slow rate of fire.
Doesn't come with ball detents.
Review:
I began playing paintball with a semi. Never ever liked electronic guns, I don't understand why computer chips were introduced into paintball. But anyhow, playing semi was fine with my tippmann 98c. After playing many games with it, I began to fall in love with pump guns. The thought of playing more strategy based was appealing. A semi will perform much the same as a pump, however a pump effects your mentality. I had played with a phantom owner previously, I didn't really take to much notice to him until he goggle shot me with one ball from an unknown location. So enough rambling.. I'v used my phantom twice now and I have to say, I am very very impressed. When I picked it up I firstly noticed how incredibly light it was. Then I instinctively began to strip it. My god is this thing simplistic, the design is flawless. There's nothing there that doesn't need to be. So shortly after, I take it out into the boonies for some test firing. I put about 150 rounds of RPS Big Ball through it. No breaks of course. But what was impressive was the accuracy. This is hands down the most accurate paintball marker I have shot. Although, its still a paintball gun so don't expect to turn into some sort of sniper. At 50 feet its ball on top of ball. If you can get the angle right I found it possible to hit specific trees from over 100 yards away with less then 10 shots. The first time I played with it, I played a 2v2 in a wooded area with some friends. I found It slightly difficult to adjust at first, but by the time we were done I felt like a "pump player". The games played through much the same as if I were using any other gun. But I played differently, not only did I save a lot of money but I found myself actually hitting people whilst using less then 5 shots. My most notable moment was a 2 shots 2 kills : ) . I got lucky yes, but I would have never had placed my shots quite the same with a semi-automatic. The phantom in my opinion is one of the best pump markers ever made, if not one of the best markers ever made.
Conclusion:
If you want to get into pump or are just looking for a new pump, definitely consider a phantom.
Phantom
M16 Grip
Bottom Line
16'' Nickel w/ Muzzle
12 Oz CO2
Recommended Upgrades:
Nothing
Strengths:
Accuracy
Range
Consistency
Economical
Weaknesses:
Chopping due to shooter's fault
Rate of fire
Adjusting FPS
Review:
It's a very good gun for "sniping" or picking people off at far distances.
It's economical because it uses less paint and gas.
It's dependable and relies on the ability of the shooter. (In other words, if you can't meet the strategy and motions of a pump, you should not buy one.)
It gets attention on the field (everyone admires the guy with the pump)
It does lack in ability to rush or fight at close range(slow rate of fire), but you should not allow the other team to get that close to begin with.
My only real complaint that is not a game issue is that chronoing in the gun takes several minutes as you adjust the fps directly through the bore (the business end of the gun).
Also, it's very easy to take apart (contains few parts) and has a simple/bulletproof design.
Conclusion:
This is the ultimate sniper rifle, but it sacrifices close combat for it.
If you dream of taking out people at long range with an "old school" pump, then this is definitely the gun for you.
Ion (Serial#3448)
All-American
'04 Gladiator
Uni-Mount
Q-Lock
Firebolt
QEV
T-Board
Recommended Upgrades:
Maybe a bottom line if you bought it without one, besides that the Phantom does not need anything to shoot amazing.
Strengths:
Check the Review.
Weaknesses:
Check the Review.
Review:
The Phantom is one of the best markers I have ever used. It's key strengths have to be how light and accurate it is stock. The Phantom is very easy to maintain and clean. I have used this marker almost every game since I have had it. It may be a pump, but if you know what your doing on the paintball field, it doesn't really matter. All you have to do is throw a 40 round hopper and a small tank on this baby and you have a very light, compact marker that makes it easy to get around the field. You aim at someone and you will hit them 9 times out of 10. I wouldn't trade the Phantom for any other pump on the market.
Conclusion:
If your not sure if you want a phantom or another pump. Get the Phantom. You can have it set up for open class pump play, or stock class. The upgrades to stock class do not cost alot of money, so you should be able to set it up for both. If you do decide to get this marker, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Brass eagle sabre ( phantom eats it and spits it back out )
Marker Setup:
(now) Phantom gravity , red dot, 200 rnd hopper, 14 inch stock barrel, 7 oz co2
(2nd) Ion 12 blue progressive, imp blue feed neck, rake silver trigger, black heart board, cp reg blue, black pmi flame drop.
Recommended Upgrades:
Mabey a stock but if you have a co2 tank it acts as a stock. I just ended up making my own stock out of wood its very easy and lets you be creative.
Strengths:
Accurate even with crappy paint
Looks nice in black
Smooth pump
Well built
Weaknesses:
I cant find a darn thing wrong with it i love them
Review:
Over all this marker is amazing I have only shot one 12 gram out of it and i got 35 consistant shots out of it and ive shot a good ammount of rec paint out of it and it preforms very well its going to take practice but its well worth it. It dosent need very many ups i find i needed a 200 rnd hopper and an elbow more an elbow than anything because with none and a brass eagle pocket hopper the squareish kind it wouldnt feed very well but once a elbow is on it your good to go also mabey a red dot sight i find it helps a ton when used but thats personal preferance. It comes ready out of the box the pumping is smooth and good for stealth meaning people can be right beside you and you could pump it and they wouldnt know (if done slowly haha) . I have the m 16 grip and it still fits very nicley into my hands if your going for the more sniper type look and feel get the m 16 style but in the end its up to your self prefrence.
Conclusion:
If you are thinking of getting a pump then I would highly suggest getting a phantom of any kind they are well worth the money and the lower your paintball cost a ton if you just come out of playing tourney ball which I did gives you a new look at the game.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Monday, October 16th, 2006 at 12:57 pm PST
Red Dot scope, 14in stock barrel, Silver body, Brass eagle 50 round hopper, common elbow
Recommended Upgrades:
Red dot scopes are fun :P, and maybe a L stock
Strengths:
ACCURACY, Lightness, Just the amount of respect you get while using it
Weaknesses:
Its a pump, not very sturdy i mean not bad
Review:
Well i have always been the kind of person 2 get a exotic thing my friends got dogs, I got a Chinchilla, they ordered pizza, i got a taco, they get a semi or auto paintball gun, I get a pump the list goes on :P
but i was very happy with my pump despite a few things at first because this is a back bottle it scares you theres a hole (pressure relief) and when you unscrew it it sometimes kills your o ring :( but thats not to bad but this thing if anything is accurate i got a guy 100 feet away in the mask through a one by one box very nice and everyone on my team always was asking me is that a pump? they even started calling me sniper :P it was lame but you know nice that they did, a good thing is that you'll never pay for more than a 100 balls per day very cheap and very efficient C02 wise :-) even in speedsball i got a few kills and its very easy to get used to the aiming system very far shooting the only thing is if your running with it its hard to get a good grip completely on it i sudgest if you have the money to buy a stock, and the last bad thing is (this happened to me) if your going a 1 on five and you have a pump on a speedsball field... you WILL die its just a matter of time even a 1 on 1 is hard with a pump you just have to learn to be calm while shooting and not freak out and its a tough learning thing pump and all but if you master it nothing will stand in your way :-)
BUY IT
Conclusion:
Accurate, Fun, Respected, Not 2 expensive, and you'll pay for your gun in about a month with money you would normally pay on Paintballs and C02 :-)
You dont need any, but i guess if you were to get one, get a new barrel
Strengths:
Extremely light, most accuarate gun i've ever shot, and powerful
Weaknesses:
The aiming, you may want to buy a sight for it
Review:
I just got mine today, and i cant even begin to tell you how happy I am with it.
when i fired it, it was either on target every time or at least very very close to it
The barrel looks custom and performs perfectly already, i see no need to replace it
Maintenance is easy, as is adjusting the velocity with the barrel accessory
It looks sleek, and feels like a rifle when holding it
Conclusion:
This is by far the best pump for the money out there, i couldnt believe how powerful and accurate this thing was, and I'm very h appy with it. I give it a 9 because of the aiming, go get a sight for it
A red dot sight if your playing woodsball as a sniper or go to stock class and vertical air if playing stockclass or speedball.
Strengths:
Accurate, quiet, durable, built like a tank and maximum performance.
Weaknesses:
None besides that velocity is a litle trouble to change but thats not too bad.
Review:
Where do I start, the phantom is in my opinion the best paintball pump on the market today. The phantom is dead accurate and durable. If you compare the price to other good higher class pump markers, the phantom is cheaper. The WGP snipers go for about $385 and an all decked out, stock class, vertical feed phantom costs about $280 to about $300 max. The basic Phantom I own only costs a mere $190! If your looking for a great pump that can set the standards for a fair price compared to other higher class pump markers, i suggest the phantom. All phantoms also have the ability to make it use 12 grams if you get the 12 gram changer with it ( all stock class phantoms have the 12 gram changer ). A good temperated day can get you around 40-45 shots max on your 12 gram. Im not sure if that shot count is completely correct because i don't run my phantom on 12's, but 40-45 shots i heard is about right if its a good temperature day. The phantom after you "break it in" will have a super smooth and silky pump stroke. You will be racking those paintballs in and shooting them very quickly. The phantom is also good for saving money on paint and air ( or c02 ). You can screw in a 9 oz. tank and be set for the whole day and then some. There is only one essential upgrade needed for your phantom and that is some detent rings. Read a review on CCI's detent rings for more information on the rings and what they do. I can only see one bad thing on the phantom. That is your velocity. To change it you must put this metal rod down the barrel and turn it. Once you have your phantom dialed in at your velocity its not much of a problem.
Conclusion:
If you are looking to save $$ on paint or just want to show the semi's that the gun or the speed of the gun doesnt make the player, grab a phantom.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Saturday, June 17th, 2006 at 8:59 am PST
Phantom
clear pump arm
black trigger cushion
evolution II hopper
Recommended Upgrades:
This gun is fine as is but if you have some money and are bored you can get a trigger cushion or a T-stock if you do not have the bottom line system on it
Strengths:
Very accurate
Very quiet
Light weight
Only need a 9oz. tank
Weaknesses:
Slow rate of fire (obveusoly cause its a pump)
Review:
This was the first gun i had ever purchased. At the time i didnt no much about paintball but this is not the hardest gun to master. The only thing you need to practice is the pumping that you will have to do every time you want to fire a ball. A cool feature this gun has is called the auto trigger. This means all you have to do is hold down the trigger and pump. As you pump the balls will keep coming out ass fast as you can move your arm. Its good for when ur in building or close range because the movment of your arm shakes the gun around making it unacurate.
Conclusion:
This is a great gun. After using a Spyder E-99 Avant this gun has got to be the most accurate gun on the planet. I would definetly recomend it for you snipers out there.
