Best Starter gun

[jas142]

Obviously all of us on this forum have played paintball, most of us have owned several guns and played for awhile, but what do you guys think is the best starter gun? (We can link this poll to any new players who ask that question)

[emaggot4life]

Spyder SE.. Played with mine for over 4 years and never had a big problem (just had to slow down when it was cold out because of the CO2). I don't know if it qualifies as a "beginer" marker but it was the first one I ever bought.

[Webmaster]

Id say the Piranha...for the money its the best quality for a $100 gun...

[Thordic]

I have to go with the Spyder. My apologies to Tippman, but I will explain.

I have had my Spyder for a while now, and it's been a fairly reliable gun. Only once did I gas it up and not have it work. I took it apart, replaced all the orings, oiled it up, and then it worked fine. This took almost no time at all. A Spyder's internals are simple, and it is easy to field strip and work on. I have heard tons of people complain about the paintshell-chips-jamming-the-bolt problem, which DOES exist. It happens time to time if you chop. Since most new players aren't going to buy a revvy and are going to want to shoot fast, they will chop. The solution to this is VERY simple, though. Go to Sports Authority, and for $20 you can buy an imitation Leatherman with a belt holder. If the bolt hangs up, whip out the pliars on the leatherman-wannabe, and pop the bolt loose. Then you can keep playing. Elapsed time: 20 seconds.

WIth a Tippman, say you have a problem. Now what? Split the body in half... Oh, don't forget to watch out for the parts with springs on them. Oops, the trigger just flew into the mud. (This happened to someone I know, he was very pissed). The problem is IF a TIppman screws up, a beginner is going to have more problems fixing that at the field than a newbie with a Spyder would.

[zvanut]

mag, they r easy to take care of, etc. only other think may be a m98, cuz they r indestructable.

[a person]

I have to agree with Webmaster and say Piranha. I still have my G2, good gun. Then my second choice would be a 98, too long and not field stripable. Most importantly both are made in the good ole USA.

[DarkPhoenix]

I would have to say the tippmann, even though I own both the spyder and the M98. The Tippmann has a very simple design, though not as simple as the spyder. The design for the tippmann is also a high performance and very durable design for, what I would classify as, due to price, a beginners marker. I do not know how many times I have leant my M98 out to by cousin, he's going on 11, I tell you he beats the heck out of it. A little water and some oil, it is almost as good as new, sporting a new scuff. It is not for everyone, it is not very flashy, but a M98 custom can be upgraded to a very formidable marker. I like it because of all these things.

[fenris69]

i had to differ im afraid. I'm all for pumps in your "formative years" besides...it builds character :) but if you HAD to go with a semi you cant go wrong with an m98 those things are like the pro-lite, bricks.

[TylerDurden]

I'd have to say a tippmann 98. I've had one for a little over a year now and it's still going strong even through all the abuse i've put it through, but i like my minimag more.

[deweasel697]

I own both a tippman and a spyder, the spyder was my first gun and I loved it, the tippman is built like a rock isn't a bad gun except for the barrel. My sole reason for picking the model 98 as the best beginer gun is because I let my friend borrow it and he dropped into three feet of water(a sand wash) and got it clogged with sand. I simply field stripped it and washed out the sand (which was in large quantities) and it works as good as new.

[Whisper]

I must agree with Fenris69. If you are just starting out, playing rec ball or small games, a pump is ideal. They are cheap, the model of simplicity, very consistent, very economical on paint, and in most cases, very accurate. You don't need to upgrade them because they run perfectly on co2 in any weather (in my experience). Also, if you are a newbie, you are going to be worried about getting shot, moving around, what's going on; you don't need to worry about breaking a ball in your gun, which I have also found nearly impossible in my tigershark. Perhaps the best thing is that it teaches the new player how to play smart. When you can't fall back on your trigger, you have to get creative. Hopefully, a new player will develop good skills with a pump, and then be able to transfer those skills (and the money they saved) over to a quality marker. Can anyonehere tell that I started out playing pump?

[joeyjoe367]

Pirhanna.

I've owned and played with a spyder/millenium for the past 2 years, and I'll have to say that the little "quirks" that are in either of the 'guns are fixed by PMI in their pirhannas.

Rear-cockins is standard. Just the way that the thing is set up, no dirt can get inside the gun, besides through the breech.

Also, No STEEEEEENKIN' Offset bottomline holes! Just about every part that you would possibly want to replace on a spyder is compatable with the pirhanna, except gripframes, that is... but the Pirhanna pro's come with sweet aluminum frames anyway :)

They come in cool splash and other annos, not to mention vert feeds too.

I can't say much for tippmans, I simply haven't used them much... Tho my first game EVER was with a prolite. Memories ... :)

[FeelTheRT]

I say an Automag is the best entry level marker.they are very durable and just about nothing can go wrong with them.

[PAINTBALLA01]

i think either the automag or the tippmann 98 b/c they are both very simple guns and they never break