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)Every year, players look to buy new paintball equipment on e-bay. It's a good place to go, it's often cheaper than your local store and the diversity is great. However, a lot of people don't know what they want, and are unhappy with what they purchase online because they get what they think is great. So with that in mind, I want to offer a very brief guide to helping you find your best starting paintball marker.
First of all, go play paintball. Most insured fields will have full rental gear, so you won't need to make a purchase right away. Find out if you even like paintball before you dive headlong into buying gear. It also helps to find out what kind of player you tend to be. Are you super aggressive, or do you prefer to hang back? But I'll get into that in a moment. Go play first, and see if you really want to sink a lot of money into your own gear.
Second, understand that there is no "perfect paintball marker" for everyone. If there was, we'd all use it. Also understand that you can do some modifications to make your paintgun perfect. There are so many accessories that you can change the feel, weight, and style of your paintgun to match what you want. So if you can't find the "perfect" marker, you can in fact build it with only a little technical knowhow.
Third, determine what you need, and then look to fill that need. As I said before, when you play the first few times you won't have a clue what kind of player you are. It takes 2-3 outings before you really begin to find your niche in the game. Some players prefer to get up close and personal to the opposing team, others prefer to hang back. Some guys like a light and small marker, others want something a little beefier. On your first few outings, think about what you don't like about your rental marker. How is it holding you back? Now that you're looking to buy your own, keep that in mind.
Also, keep your physical size and shape in mind. I can't tell you how many kids I've seen holding a paintgun that's WAY too large for them, and I think they're going to topple over and be crushed by it. If you can't physically hold a paintgun all day, you shouldn't be using it. Alternatively, if you're getting muscle cramps curling your arms in on themselves to hold that tiny little paintgun, you're not going to be happy with that either. Find a middle ground, and you'll be happy.
Fourth, never under or over-buy. Have a budget of $300 - $400 slated for your first paintgun. A lot of players will buy something cheap (the "S-Mart Special") and be so unhappy they'll go buy another gun almost immediately. And other players go out and get the most expensive paintgun they can, thinking they're getting the best on the market. In reality, since they don't know what they're looking at, they end up very unhappy with what they got. You really want to buy something that will last you 1-2 years, but won't be so costly you can't afford to play with it. A few years in, if you stick with paintball, you'll have an idea what's out there, and you'll be ready to buy your second or third paintgun.
Do your homework. Do a little research on the internet and find out what other people say about the paintgun you're looking at. Mind you, free advice is worth every penny you spend on it, so get more than one opinion from more than one source. Spending $250 or more shouldn't be taken lightly, so an hour doing some basic research is more than worth the time. You'll get an idea of what's currently the best "bang for the buck", and you can spend accordingly.
Fifth, you need to buy accessories! A paintball marker is just that, the marker. You're also going to need full goggles and face mask, a barrel blocking device, a hopper and an air tank. You can't get away from needing those, and even if you go low end you're still investing another $100 or so. After that, the rest isn't mandatory but it's nice to have. Squeegees, gloves, knee and elbow pads, a hat or some head covering, some clothing to play in, a pod belt and pods, allen wrenches, a small tool / repair kit, and other small stuff like that. So just purchasing a paintball marker is the beginning, you're going to easily spend another $100 - $200 on the other stuff you need.
It's my opinion that you should buy your goggles FIRST, then your marker. I would rather rent a paintgun for a year and have my own goggles. And before you ask, I've seen people with brand new markers using nasty, stinky, sweaty old rental goggles. Spend money to protect your eyes, and you won't regret it. Many markers are sold as a package deal, with the goggles / BBD / hopper and air tank included. Do some searching, find a bargain!
Sixth, don't get bogged in technogadgetry. We all love the shiny toys, admit it. Don't buy anything you don't easily understand. Nothing will frustrate you more than a paintgun you can't turn on. If you're looking at the marker description and you can't tell what something is, you probably shouldn't get it until you know what you're getting. Also, don't buy paintguns that have a lot of small technical doo-dads on them as your first purchase. Something will go loose, the marker will stop working, you won't be happy. Simple is better for your first paintgun, unless you're one of those guys who can solve rubic's cube blindfolded.
Also, if you buy accessories (upgrades, ups, mods, whatever you want to call them) know how they affect your performance. If you just throw a lot of random parts onto a paintgun, you can actually hinder it's performance with so-called "upgrades". The best bet is to get your marker, play with it for a day, figure out what you don't like, then buy parts to fix / replace the parts you don't like.
So what are my recommendations? After playing a few times, you'll have an idea of what kind of player you are. You'll also have exposure to a lot of paintball markers that are on the market. Paintball technology changes year to year, and sometimes month to month, so if I tell you "go get this" in a few months "this" may not be the best available for your needs.
However, some guidelines. If you prefer to play in the front, choose a smaller, lighter weight paintgun. Since most of your work will be done under heavy fire, and with you moving at the fastest you can, you need to shave weight and size where you can. You may also want a smaller tank for both reduced weight and size. You can make a gun "tighter" by adding a drop-forward for the air system (ASA). You may want a shorter barrel, somewhere in the 9-12 inch category. Also, try to choose a paintgun that can take the abuse of being landed on, because playing the front sometimes you have to dive for cover at a full sprint.
If you like hanging back, I'd recommend something a little larger. Not for the size, but stability. Playing in the backfield means you're going to be shooting long distances (longballing), and the best way to do that is with a stable paintball marker. Get a larger air tank, as you'll be shooting more paint than the front guy. A lighter paintgun isn't bad, because you'll be holding it up a lot. Some guys like to go with longer barrels for more "accuracy". This isn't the case, accuracy is a skill and not something you can buy. However, a longer barrel can give a little more control on the ball than a shorter one. Still, 12" - 14" is good. You also want to look for a paintgun that you can shoot a LOT of paint from, as this is what you'll be doing a lot of.
The third is a mid position, where you swing back and forth from front to back depending on what's happening in the game. In this case, you want to find the best middle ground you can between the first two. A mid-size paintgun and tank is a good start. You want to find a paintgun that you can shoot if you need to but is light enough to let you haul from place to place. Something that feels comfortable, and gives you the confidence to fill any role on the field.
Most new players want to have someone tell them "You should buy this paintgun", but the truth is that it's not that simple. If you want to be happy with your purchase, you need to get something that's matched up to your style of play. This requires you do a little homework, talk to some people and match something to your style of play. Don't impulse buy that "cool paintgun", it may not be the best thing you can get for how you play.
The best thing to do is budget out your money, figure out how much the accessories will cost that you need (goggles/mask, barrel blocker, etc.), then find something that's in your budget that fills your needs. Even if it's taking "Paintball Marker A" out of the box and adding a bunch of accessories to it, that's fine to do. Just don't let yourself go overboard.
First of all, go play paintball. Most insured fields will have full rental gear, so you won't need to make a purchase right away. Find out if you even like paintball before you dive headlong into buying gear. It also helps to find out what kind of player you tend to be. Are you super aggressive, or do you prefer to hang back? But I'll get into that in a moment. Go play first, and see if you really want to sink a lot of money into your own gear.
Second, understand that there is no "perfect paintball marker" for everyone. If there was, we'd all use it. Also understand that you can do some modifications to make your paintgun perfect. There are so many accessories that you can change the feel, weight, and style of your paintgun to match what you want. So if you can't find the "perfect" marker, you can in fact build it with only a little technical knowhow.
Third, determine what you need, and then look to fill that need. As I said before, when you play the first few times you won't have a clue what kind of player you are. It takes 2-3 outings before you really begin to find your niche in the game. Some players prefer to get up close and personal to the opposing team, others prefer to hang back. Some guys like a light and small marker, others want something a little beefier. On your first few outings, think about what you don't like about your rental marker. How is it holding you back? Now that you're looking to buy your own, keep that in mind.
Also, keep your physical size and shape in mind. I can't tell you how many kids I've seen holding a paintgun that's WAY too large for them, and I think they're going to topple over and be crushed by it. If you can't physically hold a paintgun all day, you shouldn't be using it. Alternatively, if you're getting muscle cramps curling your arms in on themselves to hold that tiny little paintgun, you're not going to be happy with that either. Find a middle ground, and you'll be happy.
Fourth, never under or over-buy. Have a budget of $300 - $400 slated for your first paintgun. A lot of players will buy something cheap (the "S-Mart Special") and be so unhappy they'll go buy another gun almost immediately. And other players go out and get the most expensive paintgun they can, thinking they're getting the best on the market. In reality, since they don't know what they're looking at, they end up very unhappy with what they got. You really want to buy something that will last you 1-2 years, but won't be so costly you can't afford to play with it. A few years in, if you stick with paintball, you'll have an idea what's out there, and you'll be ready to buy your second or third paintgun.
Do your homework. Do a little research on the internet and find out what other people say about the paintgun you're looking at. Mind you, free advice is worth every penny you spend on it, so get more than one opinion from more than one source. Spending $250 or more shouldn't be taken lightly, so an hour doing some basic research is more than worth the time. You'll get an idea of what's currently the best "bang for the buck", and you can spend accordingly.
Fifth, you need to buy accessories! A paintball marker is just that, the marker. You're also going to need full goggles and face mask, a barrel blocking device, a hopper and an air tank. You can't get away from needing those, and even if you go low end you're still investing another $100 or so. After that, the rest isn't mandatory but it's nice to have. Squeegees, gloves, knee and elbow pads, a hat or some head covering, some clothing to play in, a pod belt and pods, allen wrenches, a small tool / repair kit, and other small stuff like that. So just purchasing a paintball marker is the beginning, you're going to easily spend another $100 - $200 on the other stuff you need.
It's my opinion that you should buy your goggles FIRST, then your marker. I would rather rent a paintgun for a year and have my own goggles. And before you ask, I've seen people with brand new markers using nasty, stinky, sweaty old rental goggles. Spend money to protect your eyes, and you won't regret it. Many markers are sold as a package deal, with the goggles / BBD / hopper and air tank included. Do some searching, find a bargain!
Sixth, don't get bogged in technogadgetry. We all love the shiny toys, admit it. Don't buy anything you don't easily understand. Nothing will frustrate you more than a paintgun you can't turn on. If you're looking at the marker description and you can't tell what something is, you probably shouldn't get it until you know what you're getting. Also, don't buy paintguns that have a lot of small technical doo-dads on them as your first purchase. Something will go loose, the marker will stop working, you won't be happy. Simple is better for your first paintgun, unless you're one of those guys who can solve rubic's cube blindfolded.
Also, if you buy accessories (upgrades, ups, mods, whatever you want to call them) know how they affect your performance. If you just throw a lot of random parts onto a paintgun, you can actually hinder it's performance with so-called "upgrades". The best bet is to get your marker, play with it for a day, figure out what you don't like, then buy parts to fix / replace the parts you don't like.
So what are my recommendations? After playing a few times, you'll have an idea of what kind of player you are. You'll also have exposure to a lot of paintball markers that are on the market. Paintball technology changes year to year, and sometimes month to month, so if I tell you "go get this" in a few months "this" may not be the best available for your needs.
However, some guidelines. If you prefer to play in the front, choose a smaller, lighter weight paintgun. Since most of your work will be done under heavy fire, and with you moving at the fastest you can, you need to shave weight and size where you can. You may also want a smaller tank for both reduced weight and size. You can make a gun "tighter" by adding a drop-forward for the air system (ASA). You may want a shorter barrel, somewhere in the 9-12 inch category. Also, try to choose a paintgun that can take the abuse of being landed on, because playing the front sometimes you have to dive for cover at a full sprint.
If you like hanging back, I'd recommend something a little larger. Not for the size, but stability. Playing in the backfield means you're going to be shooting long distances (longballing), and the best way to do that is with a stable paintball marker. Get a larger air tank, as you'll be shooting more paint than the front guy. A lighter paintgun isn't bad, because you'll be holding it up a lot. Some guys like to go with longer barrels for more "accuracy". This isn't the case, accuracy is a skill and not something you can buy. However, a longer barrel can give a little more control on the ball than a shorter one. Still, 12" - 14" is good. You also want to look for a paintgun that you can shoot a LOT of paint from, as this is what you'll be doing a lot of.
The third is a mid position, where you swing back and forth from front to back depending on what's happening in the game. In this case, you want to find the best middle ground you can between the first two. A mid-size paintgun and tank is a good start. You want to find a paintgun that you can shoot if you need to but is light enough to let you haul from place to place. Something that feels comfortable, and gives you the confidence to fill any role on the field.
Most new players want to have someone tell them "You should buy this paintgun", but the truth is that it's not that simple. If you want to be happy with your purchase, you need to get something that's matched up to your style of play. This requires you do a little homework, talk to some people and match something to your style of play. Don't impulse buy that "cool paintgun", it may not be the best thing you can get for how you play.
The best thing to do is budget out your money, figure out how much the accessories will cost that you need (goggles/mask, barrel blocker, etc.), then find something that's in your budget that fills your needs. Even if it's taking "Paintball Marker A" out of the box and adding a bunch of accessories to it, that's fine to do. Just don't let yourself go overboard.
Guide created: 07/16/07 (updated 06/05/08)
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