thinking of getting a stock class marker...

[bojangles1983]

so over the past few days I have been thinking of selling my minimag setup and trying out a stock class marker. I still have an automag RT with all the goodies but I want something lightweight so I can move a lot easier. Also I play a lot of night games, and I find myself wasting lots of paint and getting very sore after an hour or 2 of crawling around with 8-9 lbs of marker and 5-6 tubes strapped to my back. Seems like a good pump would be a good way for me to game some skill. Anyways, is a phantom the way to go? should I go stock class or what?? thanks guys!

[player4]

Buy a phantom.

For many reasons it would be the best one to buy in your situtation (one being that phantoms are insanely light).

I could go on and on but go here: http://whitewolfairsmithing.com/phantom.htm

[b&r automag]

I would sell your minimag and invest in a phantom. The biggest advantage obviously is how free you are to move about. You will find yourself doing some moves you never thought possible.........I'm overexaggerating, but you will see how much faster you can move, you can run the field better (see/play all the lanes), you will start diving more, able to snap shoot faster/better (improve on your aiming), and learn how to hug tighter behind bunkers. The biggest and number #1 reason for playing pump is "you save a whole wad load of MONEY!"
The best part of learning how to play with a pump is you can finally play the 50. It really is a different game when you play stock class. When you go back to your RT, you'll see how much better your aiming has gotton. The only draw back now is how heavy it will feel. The reason I say you should play the 50 is because you have to be a aggressor. There is no way you can play defense. "It's always better to be the first man out, off of the jump, than facing three semi's and your the last player left who is stuck with a pump. :( "When your playing mixed with semi's, you would think they would not bother with you and leave you for last, but where I play they always gun for you first. I guess you can see how people like to pick on the weak! I admit I get shot up a lot (light up most of the time), but it's worth it when you get to kill the same guy in a later game. I never did play night games so I don't know how that goes.
So to make a long story short.....buy a stock class marker (phantom), because not only will it help to improve your game but you will save a whole lot of MONEY as well (save it up for another marker).

[VFX_Fenix]

About the only other thing you can really buy that isn't a phantom is some flavor of Sheridan which will be heavier and older or if you go with PPS, more expensive and still heavier.

If you want to enjoy a little taste of the "old school" without actually parting too far from your MiniMag you can always get rid of what ever hopper you have on in and go to a 50 round pocket hopper. You'll probably want to carry 10 rnd tubes with you to reload but that's life unless you want to tinker around with making your own 50 rnd. tubes. That stacked with a small CO2 cylinder, like a 4 oz. or something and you'll be all set. Grab a TASO T-Stock and you'll be rollin'. All said and done if you walk on with 100 rnds you'll be about in the same boat as if you were playing stock-class as far as paint and air carried.

It isn't a question of how much you shoot, it's simply how you choose to shoot it. Even if you were to take your RT out on the field and laod up with only half a hopper, that's still limiting the ammount of paint you have and limiting the number of shots you can take. Some of the most fun games I've ever played have been when I've walked on the field carrying just my E-Mag with 30-40 rounds in the hopper. It's amazing how long you can make them last when you realise that's all you've got, but it takes something of a paradigm shift to make it happen and the first few times you do it, you'll most likely end up getting shot out without any paint in your hopper.

[Maggot6]

I too am thinking of getting a stock class marker, for the same reasons as you. Instead of using $300 to get a good phantom, I thought I'd spend about $120 in an upgraded Pre 2001 PGP. But, if you just want to use all the money from your minimag, the phantom is definetly an amazing pump.

[chairman_mao]

I just picked up a VSC Phantom and I am truely awed by it. I have pretty much shot mags exclusivly since I started playing and I'd like to play more so I got a pump to restrict paint usage. The phantom is light smooth and shoots like a dream. You will not be disappointed.

[FSU_Paintball]

I bought a Phantom a year ago, and managed to find a 16" AA barrel. Leetness. You won't be disappointed, Phantoms rock and aren't very expensive as nice pumps go.

[TheDuelist]

The other thing about Phantoms are their diversity. There are so many ways you can set them up. They have a very smooth action and are easy to maintain. If you can check one out before buying I would recommend it.

There are other options as well and not everyone likes the feel of the Phantom so I would try to shop around. Whatever way you decide to go i'm sure your going to enjoy it. I traded a RT Pro for a VSC Phantom a few months ago and I love it. It takes me back to the origins of the game where the skill base is more on the shooter and less on the trigger. Hope this helps and happy hunting.

for more info...
http://www.stockclasspaintball.com/index.shtml

http://www.whitewolfairsmithing.com/cci%20parts.htm

[yakitori]

if you havent played pump, then I suggest you get a cheap old rental and try it out before you buy. You can even ask for a pump to rent next time you go to the field. If you dont like it, then dont bother buying. I just got into it myself, and I bought a used rental Tippmann SL-68 II. I got the gun for 49+ shipping, slapped a barrel on it, painted it, bought a small tank for 20 bucks, and made a stock class feed tube out of copper pipe. It was cheap and simple. Heres a link to my thread w/ before and after pics. It shoots great after I cleaned up the internals and lubed them down good.

Great gun IMO. Small, light, accurate, built like a friggen tank.

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1929257#post1929257

[bojangles1983]

yakitori, i read your thread a couple days ago, gun looks good with the new paint job! Question... I use a 18" titanium boomstick with my minimag and RT, am I going to get the same "shoot through a hole the size of a CD at 60' " accuracy that my mag has?

[yakitori]

well, accuracy depends on paint and barrel match and paint quality. I dont see why it would be any different w/ a pump. It will be as accurate as you can shoot it. The SL has decent accuracy, and its cheap. Those are good qualities. Look at maverics, hornets, tracers, etc. See if you like it before you actually go out and buy a phantom or spend a lot of money on a pump. I got into pump to polish some skills like snapshooting, making better moves, making your shots count, help w/ my accuracy. Those are the reasons that I got into, as well as save a bit of money. Thats a huge bonus.

[sbpyro]

Managed to pick up some razorbacks from a local field for $25 each included a tank and all.
So I'd suggest try finding something other than a phantom first time around see if you can play with a pump first.

[StuDawggie]

When your playing mixed with semi's, you would think they would not bother with you and leave you for last, but where I play they always gun for you first. I guess you can see how people like to pick on the weak!

I don't know how the play is at your field when you play mixed, but I know when I'm shooting w/ a semi at a guy who has a pump, it's because I know that he can "one ball" me with a good shot, and in my eyes that player is much more dangerous than the guy in the back with a timmy or an e-mag who's playing spray and pray. So for me it's not preying on the weak, it's taking out who I feel is the most dangerous shooter.

Also, when I play pump (tippy sl-68II), I know people are looking to take me out fast, because with I can't lay ropes of paint so I have to pick my shots carefully, and know when to take them. Therefore making more "dangerous" to the other team.

Sorry if it seems like I'm ranting, but when people say that pump players are "weak" it makes me crazy and I just have to go and prove them wrong on the field.

[ojhspyro89]

Yeah im havin some money issues in my case lol. Im looking to buy a tracer or something cheap. I dont have enough money for a phantom or anything right now so something like this will have to do. I also wanted this so if i ever needed to play with some friends behind my house i could without running out of air in 10 minutes. Also it saves tons of paint, i cant wait lol.

[peewee]

Mavericks run about $70 new on ebay. decent little pumps.