Biggest paintball gimmick of all time

[Warwitch]

I was recently browsing some old threads and came across one involving the (im)famous Smartmag. A pretty epic gimmic by industry standards. And it got me wondering what you guys think the biggest PB gimmick of all time is. :confused:

[Toll]

Easily longer barrel = More range/more accuracy

Carbon fiber takes second place imo

[going_home]

Biggest paintball urban legend ?
That brass barrels are somehow better/more accurate than anodized aluminum .
Can you tell I'm not a PPS fan lol ?
One thing is for sure, brass barrels are most certainly HEAVIER and make better billy clubs .

:rofl:

[drg]

Well, the mass of the barrel is a significant property of it and does greatly affect the feel of the marker. Aesthetics are also different, so in a way, neither carbon fiber nor brass is a gimmick. Not a gimmick of the magnitude of, say, barrel rifling.

[magmonkey]

top 3 in my book

the all american barrel "out distancing any other barrel by at least 20 yds" (quote directly from the mouth of the gardner bros)

the crossfire ramrod barrel

and the old chestnut from Bud Orr... closed bolt shoots further

[Hilltop Customs]

drg we meet again!

Ive heard some gimmicks about carbon fiber barrels.....specifically they are more consistent because their thermal expansion is less that aluminum.....(please dont make me explain that the variation in ball size is huge compared to the variation in barrel size due to temp change)

(I think your thinking of complete gimmick products, not just gimmick claims about a product)



Biggest gimmick ever? THE LONG BALL (excluding products like the z-body, and flatline barrel, because either worked or made an attempt)

[TeamJackal37]

drg we meet again!

Ive heard some gimmicks about carbon fiber barrels.....specifically they are more consistent because their thermal expansion is less that aluminum.....(please dont make me explain that the variation in ball size is huge compared to the variation in barrel size due to temp change)

(I think your thinking of complete gimmick products, not just gimmick claims about a product)



Biggest gimmick ever? THE LONG BALL (excluding products like the z-body, and flatline barrel, because either worked or made an attempt)

Zbody are not gimmick, They do work

[Hilltop Customs]

Biggest gimmick ever? THE LONG BALL (excluding products like the z-body, and flatline barrel, because either worked or made an attempt)

the zbodies worked sometimes....I had one for awhile and it never worked consistently, no matter what paint I tried I had balls that had good spin and ones that just seemed to drop off.

[fire1811]

Low pressure guns are better........

[Warwitch]

Yeah I was refering mainly to actual products more than the cockamamy theories they are based on (but product materials are definitely a large part of the hype).

Or more specifically, what products do nothing more than make your wallet lighter? Like "limited edition" goggle straps for $100. :tard:

[mr doo doo]

the 1 of 1 SL74 that sold on the PBN yesterday for $4100 :eek:. they say there was a story (history) behind it though...

[Jaan]

Venturi bolts.

[Warwitch]

the 1 of 1 SL74 that sold on the PBN yesterday for $4100 :eek:. they say there was a story (history) behind it though...


Unless the story is 'it shoots lasers' somebody got took.

[mr doo doo]

Unless the story is 'it shoots lasers' somebody got took.

ah, well, it was just a normal SL74 with custom graphics on it. it did "make the buyer's wallet lighter" though.

[drg]

(I think your thinking of complete gimmick products, not just gimmick claims about a product)

I think that's required if it is to be the 'biggest paintball gimmick of all time' ... many of the products mentioned may not have lived up to their claims but there are reasons to use them.

[fire1811]

Yeah I was refering mainly to actual products more than the cockamamy theories they are based on (but product materials are definitely a large part of the hype).

Or more specifically, what products do nothing more than make your wallet lighter? Like "limited edition" goggle straps for $100. :tard:

Yes but think of all the worthless products that have been spawned from this myth.

[Toll]

"C'mon now, what's smoother. Me hitting you with my car or you sitting inside my car while I accelerate" - Or some nonsense about LP > HP

[Spider-TW]

My favorite old one is barrel hones.

[punkncat]

Low pressure guns are better........


There are gimmick aspects to this, yes. But I must say that one thing I appreciate about them is being able to shoot lower in my tank.

Sure would kick butt if a mag could use that last 1K(or so) PSI....

[B-Pow]

One of the better ones I've heard of is "barrel dougnuts"

lightly weighted doughnuts that slide over the barrel in an attempt to eliminate vibration and make the marker more accurate...

The short bus called they want their window licker back.

[Pneumagger]

My favorite old one is barrel hones.
How is a smoother surface finish not conducive to better performance. :confused:


The biggest PB gimmick idea of all time: Closed Bolt Accuracy
The biggest gimmick product: "Bulletproof" Paintball goggles. :rolleyes:

[tech-chan]

Shockers shoot farther.

[Spider-TW]

How is a smoother surface finish not conducive to better performance. :confused:

I don't mean the hone itself, I prefer shiny smooth machines and hones are just a tool.

For a while they tried to sell them to everyone when brass was big, regardless of the condition of your barrel. Even if you had a smooth barrel, you could use the hone to make a profile in the bore that could increase accuracy/efficiency/paint breakage or shoot further. You could get a better barrel to paint match (until the paint changed). Buy a honed sheridan and you didn't know what you would get.

It isn't the fact that they sold you dirt, it's what they sold it for (maybe I wanted dirt). ;)

We could do some ratings for best gimmick; number in production, service length, price, FEAR FACTOR. [Look out! He's got an autococker!]

[dcent]

closed bolt vs open bolt.

trying to find the article from apg published in the 90's at some point.

there was a company producing football shaped paintballs that were supposed to give you better accuracy etc. because of their shape. cant remember the company name or anything, just remember the add. you had to use a clip to load them that looked kindof like the thin long clip you can get for tippmans now. I think it held 30 or 50 or something like that.



best free easy old school mod.

filling down your sear so that your gun would shoot with safety on. did that to my puma and got occasional double shots per trigger pull.

edit:

as far as fear factor goes, when I was 15 or 16, shooting pumas, bobcats, and VM's and someone stepped on the field with a mag or a cocker I **** my pants every time! :wow:

[warpfeedmod]

The Magic box for the automag?

[Spider-TW]

edit:

as far as fear factor goes, when I was 15 or 16, shooting pumas, bobcats, and VM's and someone stepped on the field with a mag or a cocker I **** my pants every time! :wow:
I think double barreled 'whatevers' are classic for fear factor. A5 double's are good because of the noise. I remember the first Palmers autococking double barreled rifle I saw. The recent 'double troubles' are good too. I guess they are a gimmick, but they are not usually marketed beyond being able to throw twice the paint.

Have to add some other ratings; INNOVATION, SHORT BUS FACTOR, ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR.

The magic box is way up there as a gimmick. The extra volume may have had an effect, but the MARKETING and PACKAGING were more impressive.

[Destructo6]

90% of paintball marketing is gimmickry.

eg:

The new ______ can shoot at 1 million BPS!

Ultra low-pressure electronic ______

The Venturi barrel will do magic stuff for you
The list is actually quite endless.

[Spider-TW]

90% of paintball marketing is gimmickry.
Possibly, but which is the "best"?

If Audrey was still around, would she be eligible?

Where do ACS 'anti-chop' bolts go?

The AO gimmick of the year award is coming...

[ThePixelGuru]

Tough to say, but I'd have to go with anything "low pressure" because it's so all-encompassing. Low pressure whatevers are more accurate, shoot farther, groom your dog, and are just plain better. :rolleyes:

Other gimmicks like longer barrels, rifled barrels and closed bolt markers are believed to do just some of what low pressure is believed to do. Also, the immense success of low pressure makes it the most widely-used gimmick - that combined with the fantastic claims of whatever it's supposed to do have got to make it the "biggest" gimmick of all time.

[Warwitch]

The Magic box for the automag?


Thats what spurred me to pose this question. Pretty sure it still tops the list.

[Hilltop Customs]

how about any of the old 3rd party aftermarket parts for the automag? (on/off tops, bolts, replacement regs)

[hostiletek]

Smart parts legal powers :D

[drg]

Tough to say, but I'd have to go with anything "low pressure" because it's so all-encompassing. Low pressure whatevers are more accurate, shoot farther, groom your dog, and are just plain better. :rolleyes:

Other gimmicks like longer barrels, rifled barrels and closed bolt markers are believed to do just some of what low pressure is believed to do. Also, the immense success of low pressure makes it the most widely-used gimmick - that combined with the fantastic claims of whatever it's supposed to do have got to make it the "biggest" gimmick of all time.

Again, I think the biggest gimmick of all time truly must have no value, since there have been many products that fall into this category. Simply not living up to claims is not enough, if the product has legitimate uses. Low pressure can quiet and change the feel of a marker, plus allow deeper shooting into the tank. It also helps CO2 operate at high ROF/temperature extremes (the real original purpose of LP).

Longer barrels allow bunker manipulation and closed bolt markers are the predominate form of pump marker.

[Oregon_pb_]

i think you guys are overstating some of those.


For bolts: I have two for my nerve, one hole and another with 3 holes. There is a direct 20-30 FPS difference. Name it venturi if you want.

Barrels: Some of my guns work stellar on 14 + 16" lengths and get higher FPS than when I use 10 or 12". Call if what you will, i'm not selling anything I just know that I did my own testing with same paint/barrel back/tip (just diff length) and the I got 10-15 fps higher on the longer, I actually use the 16" on that gun bc of it. Now on my other guns I saw no difference or even negative FPS. Don't ask me why. I only shot each length with 20 pballs each, could be that. As I said I'm trying to prove anything here.


other stuff is gimmicks, but probably over 90% of all sales are gimmicks. For one reason or another they "work" better than something else.

The smart mag plus Open Vs closed bolt would be high on the list i think. Though I do like having open and closed bolt guns, plus mechanical and electro guns. That is NOT a gimmick, that is my shooting preference and how I enjoy shooting many different feeling/shooting markers. Saying one is better is the issue.

[ThePixelGuru]

Again, I think the biggest gimmick of all time truly must have no value, since there have been many products that fall into this category. Simply not living up to claims is not enough, if the product has legitimate uses. Low pressure can quiet and change the feel of a marker, plus allow deeper shooting into the tank. It also helps CO2 operate at high ROF/temperature extremes (the real original purpose of LP).

Longer barrels allow bunker manipulation and closed bolt markers are the predominate form of pump marker.
Just because it has another use doesn't mean it's not a gimmick. If someone bought a low pressure marker because they thought it was going to be more accurate or shoot farther, it's a gimmick. Also consider "low pressure" mods that don't do anything at all, like the Magic Box. Well, I suppose you could argue it's useful if you want to get fewer shots out of each tank...

[Scott Hudnall]

I'm shocked that no one has mentioned the early to mid 90's "Paintball with fins" gimmick!!! I'm impressed with the above post about the football shaped paintballs, which were really supposed to be more oblonged. Yes it was supposed to be clip fed, but never got into production despite the ads and promotion, at least that is what I remember.

The paintball with fins is my favorite, with the requisite to have to muzzle load the paintball down the barrel, for a single shot. What a gimmick.

The smart parts magic box did lower the operating pressure, no doubt. Also, I think that PCRI did a fairly indepth review on it's performance back in probably 1995 or 1996.

and so now....someone will be asking "what the heck is PCRI?"

:cheers:

[cockerpunk]

the indisputable top of the paintball gimmicks list - PAINTBALL SPECIFIC LUBE

guess what, its all exactly the same. companies simply buy off the shelf mineral oil and mineral grease, and then add a thinkening powder, and then sell it to you for a 500% mark up.

and to this day, people will defend being ripped off so they can get "the best" lube out there.

[Avianrave]

Site is not up anymore, any anyone remembers crazy Dave's bargain paintball?

The expansion chamber on the guns he sold blew up. Apparently in the same exact place every time. He sold a 22" "Doomstick", and compared it to a Boomstick. There was a lot of other products that made me :tard: , like Spyder barrel extenders.

[pmstc]

The crown point barrel. :D

[Spider-TW]

the indisputable top of the paintball gimmicks list - PAINTBALL SPECIFIC LUBE

guess what, its all exactly the same. companies simply buy off the shelf mineral oil and mineral grease, and then add a thinkening powder, and then sell it to you for a 500% mark up.

and to this day, people will defend being ripped off so they can get "the best" lube out there.
I know it is a typo, but "thinkening powder" is excellent. :rofl: It is truly a magical additive, that's what the markup is for.

Sounds like a Bushism.

[Dawg047]

I think aftermarket boards are a gimmick to a degree. I mean come on, "Upgrade to the new ***** 10bps board now!" Ha, yeah right. Why shoot electro if you can only shoot 10bps and why by an aftermarket board for a louzy 10bps. If your $500 electro marker can't shoot 10bps stock, you have problems. Grab a Mag and be done with yourself fool!!!!! Am I the only person that finds this to be very odd?

[drewkroeker]

the indisputable top of the paintball gimmicks list - PAINTBALL SPECIFIC LUBE

guess what, its all exactly the same. companies simply buy off the shelf mineral oil and mineral grease, and then add a thinkening powder, and then sell it to you for a 500% mark up.

and to this day, people will defend being ripped off so they can get "the best" lube out there.

Do you think this extends to AKA? They do not recommend other lubes simply because they don't know what's in them. Hype or not, I am not putting anything in a viking or excal except AKA lube.

[punkncat]

Do you think this extends to AKA? They do not recommend other lubes simply because they don't know what's in them. Hype or not, I am not putting anything in a viking or excal except AKA lube.


I am far from an expert on lubrication, but I tend to agree with what cockerpunk says about it.

Basically you are talking petroleum, or mineral based lubricant, and high or low quality. By now we all "know" it is (supposedly) better to use mineral based oils so it doesn't "eat our orings"....Buy a quality air tool oil and it is pretty much the same thing. And as far as grease goes, I almost exclusively use Dow33, which is just a silicone base.

Years ago Tippmann used to recommend and include a small amount of Hoppes (petroleum) based oil with thier markers. I have to be honest, that I used that oil for a long period of time in every marker I had that required oil and NEVER had a failure that I could attribute to the petroleum based lube "eating" the oring. Most anything that moved needed replacement or repair from different things long before that. Such as a hammer oring, etc...Am I saying the petroleum had no effect? NO, you could see the damage done to static orings over the course of a long period of time, but well longer than most would have went ahead, serviced and replaced them.

Not that I would suggest throwing Hoppes in a Vike, but I REALLY don't think that you are going to hurt anything with a high quality mineral based air tool oil that you can buy a pint of at a local hardware cheaper than the shipping on something that is "for" a paintball marker.

I can not confirm it, but I have long suspected that WDP's "love juice" was in fact transmission fluid for a long period of time, bottled up, and sold as a special composition "only for Angels".

[cockerpunk]

Do you think this extends to AKA? They do not recommend other lubes simply because they don't know what's in them. Hype or not, I am not putting anything in a viking or excal except AKA lube.

AKA lube and AGD lube are both just synthetic pneumatic tool oil. i bought a pint of it 3 years ago at the hardware store for 7.50, and havn't bothered with anything else since.

[MoeMag]

I'm shocked that no one has mentioned the early to mid 90's "Paintball with fins" gimmick!!! I'm impressed with the above post about the football shaped paintballs, which were really supposed to be more oblonged. Yes it was supposed to be clip fed, but never got into production despite the ads and promotion, at least that is what I remember.

The paintball with fins is my favorite, with the requisite to have to muzzle load the paintball down the barrel, for a single shot. What a gimmick.

:cheers:

Spoke too soon?

[hulk]

Well I did an experiment with o-rings and petroleum firearm oil. The oil was almost 100% petroleum and I left an o-ring sit in it. Nothing happened! Now I also work in a machine shop and you have to ware oil resistant steel toe boots/shoes because the cutting lubricant will eat the sols right out in a week. Now cutting lubricant is made allot different then firearm lubricant they are 2 different fluids that do 2 different things. Im not sure what they put in cutting lubricant that is different from the firearm lube. what ever gets put in cutting lube to make it kill rubber could certainly be in other brands of gun lube. Best bet just take an o-ring slap it in the oil u wana use and wait maybe a week to see what it does.

[hulk]

AKA lube and AGD lube are both just synthetic pneumatic tool oil. i bought a pint of it 3 years ago at the hardware store for 7.50, and havn't bothered with anything else since.
true dat AKA and AGD don’t have a lube lab making there own special formula lube they buy it like everyone else from a big lube manufacture and slap there sticker on it

[Watcher]

I wonder about the low pressure guns. You can breath deep into the tank, sure... but lower pressure needs a higher volume of air, so are you really gaining any shots?

And pressure on the ball? If my tippmann and 'mags don't explode paintballs when the air releases then nothing will.

Only thing I think you gain is sound signature. LP guns tend to be much quieter.
That and I guess there is less wear and tear on the seals.



I'd put almost anything SP high on the list, especially the Magic Box.

Consider the ION. Sure it is a cheap gun and good for the beginner, but add a better feedneck and barrel, upgrade the broken trigger, change the ASA, swap the reg out, change the bolt, and get better software with some nice modes you can use and you've spent as much as a decent Proto would have cost and came with good things stock...


IMO, SP is a gimmik company. I don't see how they are "good" guns or a "good" manufacturer, but people still buy them...
Why? Because Dynasty shoots them? I'll never know.



Another is marketing porting patterns. Porting is function without form, not form with function.

Rifled barrels are pretty up there on the gimmik factor.

I'll have to give it to Tippmann on the Flatline and APEX, they do what they are marketed for...


Open bolt vs Closed bolt is an age old gimmik that I still see in use. I like to debunk it in public and at stores whenever I hear someone say it or use the term "closed bolt accuracy".


Anything marked "Agg" is totally a gimmik IMO.


A lot of the new loaders are total gimmiks. If the ROF limit is 15 why do I want to feed 50?


But as mentioned before, most of the paintball market is gimmiks...

[michbich]

talking markers.

[REDRT]

rifled barrels

[secretweaponevan]

http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/images/smilies/oldfogey.gif Semi-auto. http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/images/smilies/oldfogey.gif

Just kidding. The Ramrod barrel.
http://cdn-www.pbreview.com/pics/product3.jpg

[SnatchForFree]

Magic box!

[ElPanda]

dlx fraudrey

[Coralis]

most sights for paintball guns

[MANN]

dlx fraudrey

she is/was real. she just wasnt a she.

[Lohman446]

Fair, competent, impartial reffing and fair play....

[Bagheera]

I'd have to say, anything that comes out of a Gardner's mouth, bar none. Moronic head-wagging from a Gardner is a close runner-up.

[cyrus-the-virus]

top 3 in my book

the all american barrel "out distancing any other barrel by at least 20 yds" (quote directly from the mouth of the gardner bros)

the crossfire ramrod barrel

and the old chestnut from Bud Orr... closed bolt shoots further

I still want one of those.... anyone who has a ramrod barrel they want to sell PM me... I want it.

[deathbypaint1213]

Backspin bolts

[russc]

she is/was real. she just wasnt a she.

Wait, Audrey wasn't actually a girl? I thought she was actually a she, just not the she she claimed to be?

[cockerpunk]

DLX Audrey was Rebeca from Smart Parts.

not half bad looking either, even though she got pissed when i said so on PBN. after i said that she started calling me "cockpunk" and i think even just called me "cock" once. anyway, if her goal was to only get the 14 year olds hearts (and other things) pumping, she could easily just posted pics of herself.

but she and her plan was a bit more sinister, to try to distance Smart Parts from DLX like the original claim that DLX and SP were not the same company. notice, now no one makes that claim, and even goes far enough to say it was never true.

Smart Parts and there antics will never change.

[SSP-SheiK]

DLX Audrey was Rebeca from Smart Parts.

not half bad looking either, even though she got pissed when i said so on PBN. after i said that she started calling me "cockpunk" and i think even just called me "cock" once. anyway, if her goal was to only get the 14 year olds hearts (and other things) pumping, she could easily just posted pics of herself.

but she and her plan was a bit more sinister, to try to distance Smart Parts from DLX like the original claim that DLX and SP were not the same company. notice, now no one makes that claim, and even goes far enough to say it was never true.

Smart Parts and there antics will never change.

amen brother


i didnt read every post so forgive me if this has been stated...



Flatlines/Apex barrels = accuracy @ range


depending on who you ask...

the Q-loader


oh and one more i think will be shot down before even getting a prototype...

http://www.medusapaintball.com/MZ1%20electric%20xs.jpg

[kwood]

i will second the crossfire ramrod
i remember the promos for it and barrel was all covered in sludge and grass
"You can even shoot through this!!!!" :shooting:

[MK3]

J & J Ceramic Barrels are self cleaning

[Watcher]

J & J Ceramic Barrels are self cleaning

They aren't self cleaning, but the teflon impregnation DOES help them shoot through breaks.

I used one on my 98 for the longest time before I got my Lapco. Did shoot very well, though I didn't care for the porting distribution and finish.


So, not really a gimmic since it does do it's job, IMO...

[CatoRockwell]

The biggest gimmick of all time?

Easy to answer, buy anything from SPECIAL OPS PAINTBALL

They are the only company aside from Smart Parts (pardon my french) that assume they are somehow the kings of paintball. Heck they tried to copyright the word: Woodsball

If you buy any of their overpriced :cuss: you will quickly find that it does not stand up to expectations:

Their clothing wears out quickly. Aside from the fusion pants.
Their air through stocks are notorious for leakage issues.
The list goes on and on

Aside from all this, the reason they are the biggest gimmick is that the lure new paintballers into believing that they somehow aren't true woodsball/scenario players unless every damn piece of equipment was bought through them.

They attempt to look like the rebel company from all the speedballers, but all they've accomplished is turning woodsball into speedball. Maybe this isn't the case in other areas of the country, out in the fields I play however, speedballers are known for a few simple beliefs:

wiping is only cheating if your caught
My guns shoots faster = I'm a better player
If I don't win then :cuss: you
The more money I spend on gear the better player I am
etc...

Anyway, SO has managed to market woodsball in such a way that now all those ******** are now into woodsball. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I still remember the good old days when woodsball was about having a good time regardless of equipment or who won.

[stoffa15]

The biggest gimmick of all time?

Easy to answer, buy anything from SPECIAL OPS PAINTBALL

They are the only company aside from Smart Parts (pardon my french) that assume they are somehow the kings of paintball. Heck they tried to copyright the word: Woodsball

If you buy any of their overpriced :cuss: you will quickly find that it does not stand up to expectations:

Their clothing wears out quickly. Aside from the fusion pants.
Their air through stocks are notorious for leakage issues.
The list goes on and on

Aside from all this, the reason they are the biggest gimmick is that the lure new paintballers into believing that they somehow aren't true woodsball/scenario players unless every damn piece of equipment was bought through them.

They attempt to look like the rebel company from all the speedballers, but all they've accomplished is turning woodsball into speedball. Maybe this isn't the case in other areas of the country, out in the fields I play however, speedballers are known for a few simple beliefs:

wiping is only cheating if your caught
My guns shoots faster = I'm a better player
If I don't win then :cuss: you
The more money I spend on gear the better player I am
etc...

Anyway, SO has managed to market woodsball in such a way that now all those ******** are now into woodsball. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I still remember the good old days when woodsball was about having a good time regardless of equipment or who won.


don't forget if you have a different marker from me, I'm going to pwn you!!!!!

but the biggest gimmick in paintball right now is Mike from Techpb. Sorry Cockerpunk but I have seen you contradict what he's said in his earlier videos."go out and get a .693 barrel its what i use" its so much more consistent then any other bore size. "I always overbore, less barrel breaks" Now Cockerpunk has tested all these myths that Mike from techpb gas claimed and his results has been totally different.overboring does not cause less barrel breaks+ its less efficient.

Here Mike test my $1300 Lux. it shoots in all the modes like every other marker,it has eyes,it field strips and finally it talks to you.So why buy a supergun???? so you can be cool like everyone in my vids.let me give you an example of what I'm taiking about. Last year Mike said either get yourself a Halo or a velocity, jr. This year Get yourself a DYE Rotor, Prophecy or a pinokio. now what do I do when you tld me to buy a velocity Jr. last year Mike???? Does windows do the job as vista??????

Idk if you guys here on AO have watched his vids on youtube. I honestly think that he's part of the problem in paintball these days.Instead of focussing on the skills in paintball 75% of his vids are about products.Now he wasn't always like this Idk know if you've been following his rise in the paintball world but once he started making it big its been all about the money.Where is Tyger when you need him???????Please Mr. Rubin get well soon so I don't have to tune in to here some kid ask what hopper should I get or what gun is the best. Cocker Punk I really respect YOUR work that you doing with paintballkeep the vids coming.


so yeh biggest gimmick in paintball Mike from techpb and hispaintball caddy... wtf, why do you need a paintball caddy??? I put paint from the bag to a container to put in a pod???? Are you serious????


My final thought here guys,Last year at Cousins Big game in long island I saw the weirdest thing.It was an eggy with a dye lock lid attached to the front of it. I asked the guy using it and he told me that it was a prototype of a hopper coming out very soon.I put two and two together when I went to Stalingrad at Skirmish. I met the owner of pinokio and really got a good look at the loader.and its the evolution 3 with a different body. I won't say everything but I really had time to take in what this guy was telling me and came to a conclusion. In paintball,if you don't use what I'm using,and what the best players are using,you can't be on my level. Oh the Pinokio weighs 1.8 ounces lmao!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanx Mike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shooting:

[cockerpunk]

heres the deal with mike -

hes not doing videos for you or me. we have been around long enough to be able to judge for ourselves what is going on with new products and such.

hes doing the videos to spread the knowledge that people like us have learned over our many years of playing to the new generation of players. they are educational and give out the different tips and tricks us older guys already knew. and lets face it, alot of those tips and tricks are technical things.

so of course alot of us are like - whatever, and dont get it. but there are alot of us who see what mike is doing and while me might know as much, or do things differently then him, hes helping get new players up to speed. as long as he is promoting paintball for fun, playing clean and not cheating, and people listen, im a fan.


so you see, mike as a rule of thumb guy likes to give out hard and fast rules. thats fine, as long as you know that is just one way that works. as players mature however, they try new things, and can judge them for themselves.



now, you have seen how technically me and mike disagree alot.

thats fine. i have talked with him many times about why he disagrees, and even though all of this he gives us a place to host our testing, our videos, and is currently fund raising to give us a high speed video camera. he has said many times, that even if he disagrees with our tests, he wont censor us. if we offend a company in one of our tests, he wont censor us.

now, if you even watched a single one of my videos i am the exact opposite of the hard and fast rule guy. if you want ideal performance, your gonna have to work for it. we might give out recommendations, but im not going to say something like ".679 barrels are the best" cause in some cases they wont be. as a scientist thats dishonest, as an educator thats giving your students some place that you know works so they can have a good time.

[dark blade]

I agree with the fact that Mike is the biggest hoax/gimmick of all time. He makes videos on products but reviews very few ranges of products. With his reviews he reviews HIS favorites... not the BEST out there. Just one example is his review on packs. He did a review about NXE packs and CP packs, he completely left out other big names like invert, empire, proto, and dye. He did a review on markers and says they are extremely consistant when they fire at +/- 11. He says that his barrels he uses are the best because they are a 14 or 16 inch barrel and are overbored when you yourself (cockerpunk) have done scientific tests proving this wrong and there were scientific tests proving that anywhere between 10 and 14 inches length is optimal for efficiency and anything over 14 is actually bad.

I too am a scientist, i am a forensic scientist student and after taking many physics, chemistry, and (not relevant) biology courses, i am very logical in my thinking. I cannot stand mike when it comes to anything relevant to science or the physics of paintball. He is a complete hoax in this sense.

The only time i will listen to him is if he shows a review of a marker because then i (being a logical thinker) can actually take it for what i want and can see the facts. But, seeing as the paintball community is getting younger and are very impressionable and do not think scientifically, anything Mike says will be taken as a message from a god. He took a review of a tank and made it seem better than any other tank and made the blacked out parts and small size seem amazing. I have used a myth tank and have seen the smaller lighter blacked out tanks and they are only $10 more... i would never use a ninja tank because of the fact that they made regs for almost every other company out there which means they are essentially the exact same regs as all of the others out there.



Sorry mike, but you need to stop making videos, go play some with a pump... A LOT... and stop going through 22 cases of paint every week and making kids think its the only way to go. YOU ARE THE OFFICIAL GIMMICK... GOODBYE

[snoopay700]

i think you guys are overstating some of those.


For bolts: I have two for my nerve, one hole and another with 3 holes. There is a direct 20-30 FPS difference. Name it venturi if you want.

Barrels: Some of my guns work stellar on 14 + 16" lengths and get higher FPS than when I use 10 or 12". Call if what you will, i'm not selling anything I just know that I did my own testing with same paint/barrel back/tip (just diff length) and the I got 10-15 fps higher on the longer, I actually use the 16" on that gun bc of it. Now on my other guns I saw no difference or even negative FPS. Don't ask me why. I only shot each length with 20 pballs each, could be that. As I said I'm trying to prove anything here.


other stuff is gimmicks, but probably over 90% of all sales are gimmicks. For one reason or another they "work" better than something else.

The smart mag plus Open Vs closed bolt would be high on the list i think. Though I do like having open and closed bolt guns, plus mechanical and electro guns. That is NOT a gimmick, that is my shooting preference and how I enjoy shooting many different feeling/shooting markers. Saying one is better is the issue.
Venturis aren't as free flowing so of course they're gonna fluctuate the velocity, more open is better for efficiency too.

Longer barrels, without changing the pressure, will of course yield a higher velocity since it's being pushed for a longer time by the air.

However, these fluctuations in velocity mean nothing, because you still have to play at 280-300 fps, so in the end they really do nothing as far as that.

Now the magic box would really be coupled with low pressure i would think. That is by far the most widely used one, yeah it can have good aspects, but it's still a gimmick.

The most ridiculous gimmick i've seen? A bottle opener on the marker.

DLX Audrey still is a gimmick to a point, as someone is still posting under that name and posing as if audrey were real.

Oh and PMSTC, you said this a while back,, but watch what you say about the crown point! Haha, yeah, it's a gimmick but they look good, my favorite mag barrel because of that.

Closed bolt accuracy, undershot bolts or whatever, venturi bolts, the list of gimmicks goes on, but i have to agree that low pressure is probably the biggest one.

Oh yeah, and what the hell is that medusa thing, another electric self compressing marker?

EDIT: Oh yeah someone said something about HP and LP guns and if there's a difference in the air used, there shouldn't be with the same length barrel, they theoretically use the same number of moles of gas.

[Tao]

Biggest gimmick is 00, 01, 02, 03 markers. Markers somehow new and improved each year. Actually the customer is getting no value since they already know how much weight they can reduce etc, they just spread it out over several years...

[Tao]

Venturis aren't as free flowing so of course they're gonna fluctuate the velocity, more open is better for efficiency too.

Longer barrels, without changing the pressure, will of course yield a higher velocity since it's being pushed for a longer time by the air.

However, these fluctuations in velocity mean nothing, because you still have to play at 280-300 fps, so in the end they really do nothing as far as that.

Now the magic box would really be coupled with low pressure i would think. That is by far the most widely used one, yeah it can have good aspects, but it's still a gimmick.

The most ridiculous gimmick i've seen? A bottle opener on the marker.

DLX Audrey still is a gimmick to a point, as someone is still posting under that name and posing as if audrey were real.

Oh and PMSTC, you said this a while back,, but watch what you say about the crown point! Haha, yeah, it's a gimmick but they look good, my favorite mag barrel because of that.

Closed bolt accuracy, undershot bolts or whatever, venturi bolts, the list of gimmicks goes on, but i have to agree that low pressure is probably the biggest one.

Oh yeah, and what the hell is that medusa thing, another electric self compressing marker?

EDIT: Oh yeah someone said something about HP and LP guns and if there's a difference in the air used, there shouldn't be with the same length barrel, they theoretically use the same number of moles of gas.



longer barrels can slow down the ball once the gas expands to a certain point.

Also you will use less gas with less pressure. I can use more air from any paintball marker air chamber from my lungs and not get nearly the speed from it. Think about wind blowing on a ball too, not the same speed. Basically there is more energy contain in high pressure gas for the same molarity.

[Madmox]

Venturis aren't as free flowing so of course they're gonna fluctuate the velocity, more open is better for efficiency too.

Longer barrels, without changing the pressure, will of course yield a higher velocity since it's being pushed for a longer time by the air.

However, these fluctuations in velocity mean nothing, because you still have to play at 280-300 fps, so in the end they really do nothing as far as that.

Now the magic box would really be coupled with low pressure i would think. That is by far the most widely used one, yeah it can have good aspects, but it's still a gimmick.

The most ridiculous gimmick i've seen? A bottle opener on the marker.

DLX Audrey still is a gimmick to a point, as someone is still posting under that name and posing as if audrey were real.

Oh and PMSTC, you said this a while back,, but watch what you say about the crown point! Haha, yeah, it's a gimmick but they look good, my favorite mag barrel because of that.

Closed bolt accuracy, undershot bolts or whatever, venturi bolts, the list of gimmicks goes on, but i have to agree that low pressure is probably the biggest one.

Oh yeah, and what the hell is that medusa thing, another electric self compressing marker?

EDIT: Oh yeah someone said something about HP and LP guns and if there's a difference in the air used, there shouldn't be with the same length barrel, they theoretically use the same number of moles of gas.

"The most ridiculous gimmick i've seen? A bottle opener on the marker."
You say gimmick i say genius! LMAO!

[mr.mag218]

how is tech pb a gimmick? now im not defending tech pb but i don't see him as selling the product to the people so much as reviewing it and telling you what he thinks of said product. its my observation that when he says "i use this product" that all the kiddies want to go out and buy it. thats my interpretation of it anyway. because he says "i use this bore size because it works best" does not mean he's saying buy this size barrel because it is proven to be the best. he simply reviews it and says this is what he thinks of it.

i also like the fact that he goes out and tests the markers thoroughly before making a video review, as well as giving you the tank temp, hopper used, number of rounds per xxxx amount of psi. he only reviews products that the company will send him (from my understanding of the videos he always says "so and so won't send me a gun so no review on that", i don't believe he goes out and buys all of these guns or gear, beats the crap out of them then sells them on his site. that being said i think it corners what he reviews by a large margin because its simply marketing on the company's part to send him a marker, knowing thousands of kids watch his review. and if he's making money doing such a thing, good on him. i wish i could get paid to do something i love but hey not all of us strike gold on youtube.

the fact is he got lucky, made a few reviews and struck it big because people bought into what he was saying. MOST of which i have agreed with given that he is trying to make paintball a fun game to play again by welcoming newcomers instead of flaming them or supporting the agg concept of shooting them til they go home and sell all their gear.

scientifically i could care less about how the paintball exits the barrel. all i know is when i go out and pull the trigger, a paintball should soon ensue otherwise something is broke and i am unhappy. how much science goes into dodgeball? i understand the need for knowledge but bottom line is this is a game more than it is a science project.

that being said i have also watched him flame pbn, mcarterbrown, and other paintball sites/company's while preaching the fact that tech pb is not one of those community's and this has skewed my view a bit. i appreciate someone going out and testing products as well as promoting the sport and i can understand the aggravation of being flamed for doing something you love, but practice what you preach and be the bigger man. if someone wants to make a remark, dont tell them to "stfu, i can beat you at paintball, lets play for markers" be the bigger man and deal with the fact that the internet is a gateway for turds to run their mouths.

also, he only reviews products that the company will send him, i don't believe he goes out and buys all of these guns, beats the crap out of them then sends them back

[SOUP]

I wouldn't go as far to say that Mike is a Gimmick... He tests products and gives his opinion on them. If anything we need more people like him in our sport. I just don't see how you can call someone a gimmick for reviewing paintball stuff. Imo, If you don't like his reviews than do it yourself. Go spend thousands of dollars on gear, spend weeks testing the products, and give your opinion on it... sounds easy enough, right? no.

Mike helped get my younger brothers and their friends into paintball. His reviews led them into making some good choices gear wise.

I think the biggest gimmick in paintball was Smart parts in general.

[mr.mag218]

I wouldn't go as far to say that Mike is a Gimmick... He tests products and gives his opinion on them. If anything we need more people like him in our sport. I just don't see how you can call someone a gimmick for reviewing paintball stuff. Imo, If you don't like his reviews than do it yourself. Go spend thousands of dollars on gear, spend weeks testing the products, and give your opinion on it... sounds easy enough, right? no.

Mike helped get my younger brothers and their friends into paintball. His reviews led them into making some good choices gear wise.

I think the biggest gimmick in paintball was Smart parts in general.

that alone should be enough for people to support mike. bringing new players into the game is something we need.

+1 for mike for each player brought into the wide world of paintball through his videos or his site.

[Newt]

Holy necropost, Batman!

Meh, I'll bite. How about First Strike rounds? :tard:
TechPB a gimmick? I don't see that. There's plenty of legit advice to be had from him. I sure wish I'd have followed some of it from the beginning. Mask -> loader -> hopper -> gun? That would have saved me some cash and a lot of frustration early on. Some of us tend to do everything backwards. :D

[CatoRockwell]

Mike's a nice guy and his vids are definitely helpful especially to new players. No complaints from me.

[druid]

I wonder about the low pressure guns. You can breath deep into the tank, sure... but lower pressure needs a higher volume of air, so are you really gaining any shots?
Well, I can tell you that a modestly upgraded Ion [bolt and reg] will gain you more shots than a comparably priced marker.
And pressure on the ball? If my tippmann and 'mags don't explode paintballs when the air releases then nothing will.

Only thing I think you gain is sound signature. LP guns tend to be much quieter.
That and I guess there is less wear and tear on the seals.



I'd put almost anything SP high on the list, especially the Magic Box.

Consider the ION. Sure it is a cheap gun and good for the beginner, but add a better feedneck and barrel, upgrade the broken trigger, change the ASA, swap the reg out, change the bolt, and get better software with some nice modes you can use and you've spent as much as a decent Proto would have cost and came with good things stock...
Except that the Ion isn't a Proto. Remember...it was marketed as a cheaper alternative to high end markers, given that all other things were the same [bps, fps, etc]. The only reason to HAVE to 'upgrade' anything was user preference. Want lighter 'recoil' [another argument but one nonetheless] then change the bolt. Wanter a better 'feeling' trigger, get an aluminum one. Want better board management, get another type.

You would think that with all the business OTHER companies [meaning non Smart Parts] made off the Ion, people would be happier that SP built it at all. All those bolts, body kits, triggers and styles, feednecks, barrels, boards and detents....that SP never stopped/halted or disuaded in any manner [outside the threat of "warranty voiding" threats]. To that I say "big whoop" because it doesn't matter WHAT marker a person buys, be it SP, Bud Orr, 'Mag, Angel or Viking...SOMEONE is always thinking of upgrading it SOMEHOW.

IMO, SP is a gimmik company. I don't see how they are "good" guns or a "good" manufacturer, but people still buy them...
Why? Because Dynasty shoots them? I'll never know.

How about personal customization or simply customizability??

Another is marketing porting patterns. Porting is function without form, not form with function.

Rifled barrels are pretty up there on the gimmik factor.

I'll have to give it to Tippmann on the Flatline and APEX, they do what they are marketed for...
to a point but then again, the JFK bullet was wonderously programmable too...

Open bolt vs Closed bolt is an age old gimmik that I still see in use. I like to debunk it in public and at stores whenever I hear someone say it or use the term "closed bolt accuracy".


Anything marked "Agg" is totally a gimmik IMO.


A lot of the new loaders are total gimmiks. If the ROF limit is 15 why do I want to feed 50?


But as mentioned before, most of the paintball market is gimmiks...

My favorite gimmick of all time..........

Hand thrown paint grenades. You have to throw them from the top floor of the Empire State building to even HOPE they go off...

[druid]

don't forget if you have a different marker from me, I'm going to pwn you!!!!!

but the biggest gimmick in paintball right now is Mike from Techpb. !! :shooting:

You sir, are my new best friend. :headbang:

Mike = :cry: and I loathe him.

[druid]

I wouldn't go as far to say that Mike is a Gimmick... He tests products and gives his opinion on them. If anything we need more people like him in our sport. I just don't see how you can call someone a gimmick for reviewing paintball stuff. Imo, If you don't like his reviews than do it yourself. Go spend thousands of dollars on gear, spend weeks testing the products, and give your opinion on it... sounds easy enough, right? no.

Mike helped get my younger brothers and their friends into paintball. His reviews led them into making some good choices gear wise.



My question is...why did you let Mike tell them what YOU should have told them instead? I've seen you around enough to know that you are well versed enough in the game to have a very credible opinion...one that I would trust over the DB Mike...

[CatoRockwell]

I'll admit that Mike can be a bit abraisive at times, but just out of curiousity, why do people hold such disregard for him?

[Frizzle Fry]

I'll admit that Mike can be a bit abraisive at times, but just out of curiousity, why do people hold such disregard for him?

Probably for that abrasiveness.

I don't love or hate the guy, but I could see people being frustrated by his approach to things he doesn't understand... For example, the "tossed Angel" a few months back, and the following assertion that Angels are hard to work on. Everybody (including an Angel MT) popped up and tried to explain why he was getting bolt stick - but his mind was already set and he just wouldn't take the advice. What basically amounted to a 10 minute $5 fix was overlooked in favor of a strong opinion and an Angel slam.

Having an ignorant opinion and being obstinate isn't a crime, but when you broadcast that opinion to a bunch of impressionable kids it can cause people to become a bit frustrated with you... I fellow AOer and I play with Angels every weekend, which used to get us a lot of "Oh cool, an Angel" but over the course of the TechPB Angel debacle earned us a lot of comments like "Mike from TechPB says Angels suck (so they must suck)" or "Mike said it's really hard to work on Angels". He's effectively convinced a large group of young players not to buy from Angel Paintball Sports because he was too proud (or too busy) to re-glue, or worst case scenario, replace a small soft part on one of his markers.

Again, I don't hate the guy for that. He has a right to his opinion and clearly Angels aren't for him. Mike has a big personality and that's what attracts some people to him - that said, it drives other people away from him. I give the guy credit, really. He has a short fuse and he knows it, but he makes a good effort to keep himself in line, trying not to fly off the handle and keeping his comments for the most part civil. If he could shut Cockerpunk up (again, permanently, whatever), I'd probably like him a lot more, but in the mean time, I respect the fact that he has a good knowledge of the sport and doesn't claim to be all-knowing (like some of his moderators).

[SOUP]

My question is...why did you let Mike tell them what YOU should have told them instead? I've seen you around enough to know that you are well versed enough in the game to have a very credible opinion...one that I would trust over the DB Mike...

Trust me, I help them as much as I possibly can. I practically gave away half my gear to my brothers just to get them interested in the sport. My youngest brother (12 years old) played his first real game of paintball about a month ago at his friends birthday party. My brother was using alot of my high end gear, and his friends were all using spyders, tippmanns, and rental equipment.

Afterwards some of them came to our house and asked me questions about paintball lol. I happily answered most of their questions and told them what they should invest in next, What gear is more important to own, and what brands they should look into, how much money they should spend, etc.

knowing I wouldn't be able to help his friends all the time, I pointed them in Mike's direction as a good source of information. I showed them his youtube channel and showed them some good reviews Mike had done.

Its only been about a month sense then, but some of his friends have already bought new masks, and one of his friends who has been watching mike's vids recently purchased an azodin blitz, which imo is a way better choice than the spyder victor he was going to buy.

When he got the blitz he brought it over for me to look at and I gave him one of my steel hpa tanks... I told him he would need it for that marker lol.

Between myself and Mike they have all made good choices.

[Drix]

My god! We're on a mag forum and have not mentioned low pressure air reduces chops? Fail!

[druid]

What Fizzle said AND [from my own perspective]


I'm an officer in a Prison [which most people here know] and I see in him, what I see in 85% of the inmates.

He's a rude, abrasive, ignorant, megalomaniac and simply put, tries to exhibit a "Cool replacement for dad" demeanor when it's obvious that he is simply a DB. He echoes in the shadows of greats [Tyger] who have already established what he's trying to drum up for himself. A name.

His videos are littered with swearing and an "I don't give a _ _ _ _ attitude" in an attempt to seem "cool" with the aggletts and at ~32 years old, it's a bit strange [to me] to be catering to people under the age of 17 like this. As a father of 3, I wouldn't trust ANY of my kids around him...including my 21 year old [who coincidentally could knock him out].

His forum is nothing more than Nation II, ironically though, his forum name is banned from Nation itself.



When he can't win a ::urinating:: match that HE STARTED with you, he simply bans you as an undesirable so you can't subvert the BS he spreads. It's like, "he who shouts the loudest, wins the argument" - which we all know is simply untrue.

I've said it before, where if his mindless drones thought by ANY stretch of the imagination, he buys everything he "tests" [like he says he does], they are sorely mistaken and that's proven by "they won't send me ___ so I can't review it" admittedly from his own "fan boy" lips.

There was only two instances where I actually agreed with him and it was on two separate videos; One where he dug out his Mag and Cocker and spoke to old gear respect - and the other on 'old player respect' [or something to that nature].

So...in two separate videos [provided] he speaks to showing respect and gratitude.

And yet - He boasts at having started playing at the age of 12 [which puts that about 1990] when people have been doing this way longer than him [myself @ 40 and started in 1986, so I was 16] and there are other [better] players in this longer than me. Why then the contradictory attitudes?

In the second video link below, he speaks to "respect" - yet exhibits none by himself and especially when he's spouting the words "I don't give a ::crap:: on the videos he's trying to pander to the masses.


Hey Mike, you have to give respect to get some...


http://www.youtube.com/user/paintballtechpb#p/u/176/zqMW2OBVZq4

and

http://www.youtube.com/user/paintballtechpb#p/u/665/h1WGuw56fFw

He's all about the money. He's all about fame and glory. He's all about a fanboi following because it's pretty clear to me that he can't [or won't] make adult friends [his own age].

His actions and words on tape detail - nay - prove it. Hell, he's probably looking for a full time job from DXS or some other conglomerate because maybe his unemployment or disability was/is running out.

He's also a huge fan of Smart Parts which for me, is no big deal but for you guys...is all the more reason why you SHOULD loathe him as I do.

[cockerpunk]

He's also a huge fan of Smart Parts which for me, is no big deal but for you guys...is all the more reason why you SHOULD loathe him as I do.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

thats a good one.

[druid]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

thats a good one.

Well, it's also true...lol. he just "luvz himself hiz SP1" and has said it on numerous occasions.

[shooter311]

Back to gimmicks, anyone shoot those golf ball paintballs? The most inaccurate thing I have ever shot from my marker.

[druid]

Back to gimmicks, anyone shoot those golf ball paintballs? The most inaccurate thing I have ever shot from my marker.

Shot something close to them...

was a bag of paint that I forgot to rotate. Looked exactly the same and turned themselves into the JFK Magic Bullets :D




the ultimate gimmick of all time right here:

...ahem.........




















"The .50 paintball is better than the .68 and will save paintball from extinction."
---paraphrased and condensed from Richmond Italia's fear-mongering drivel

In fact, the .50 sucks. Has in the past, will in the future...and no amount of marketing can change the physics.

Richmond/GI Milsim + Kingman International have already invested way too much to let it go morons. They don't care about your game, they care about selling all new gear.

[cfos00]

The closed bolt being more accurate thing actually came from a bit of truth in the mid-90's, but not for the reason that you may think. At the time, no one really thought/cared/knew about bore size and accuracy. The gear and sport just wasn't to the point where we really got why everything worked the way it did. The reason that closed bolt was more accurate was an accident. Closed bolt guns needed a good paint-barrel match because otherwise the ball would role out of the barrel. It wasn't a problem on mags/spyders/tippmans (the other popular guns at the time, but really any other open bolt like an illustrator or scorpion or piranha) had because they have ball detents. It was an accident, but many were more accurate because of that. Around the late-90's/2000's we got testing that showed why guns were actually accurate, and people realized that the firing mechanism itself had nothing to do with it.

I'd say ramrod, the magic box, and the market for low pressure chambers in the late 90's that sparked ridiculous claims of further shots and more accuracy.

[Newt]

Monsterball. Save $5 now, and you too can welt all your friends and their friends out of the sport on their first game!

[factoid]

Paintball is a dying sport. Can't tell you how often I hear that and how sad it is that so many veterans believe it.

[Target Practice]

My posting.

[dre1919]

I would say my list would be:

1. Venturi Bolts.
2. Angel Volumizers.
3. Long barrel = better range / accuracy.

[Mindflux]

Paintball is a dying sport. Can't tell you how often I hear that and how sad it is that so many veterans believe it.

I'll never believe it's a "sport" to begin with.

There's near zero athleticism needed.

If Paintball is a "sport", so is playing pinball.

[CatoRockwell]

I don't know who you are playing paintball with, but athleticism plays a big role in our games. Additionally it's a different set of skills. Like target shooting a recognized olympic sport.

[SOUP]

I'll never believe it's a "sport" to begin with.

There's near zero athleticism needed.

If Paintball is a "sport", so is playing pinball.

Have you ever played in any leagues? Divisional paintball takes a whole lot more athleticism than your everyday walk on experience. Playing psp events for example, your constantly on the move, sliding, snap shooting, running, diving, communicating, and etc. What happens when the game ends? You turn around and do it all over again... Its exhausting.

If it wasn't a sport we wouldn't have devisions with higher skill levels.

Just my $0.02

[caylegeorge]

If Paintball is a "sport", so is playing pinball.

Pinball is indeed, to some, a sport:

http://tiltwarning.com/blog/2010/08/world-pinball-championships-final-and-deciding-game/

:dance:

[Ando]

Nascar is considered a sport and all they do is sit on their 6 :p

[Flatliner333]

50 Cal

[Magmoormaster]

Closed bolt guns being more accurate, followed by bore-matching for making a gun more accurate. Both have been proven false.

[factoid]

Nascar is considered a sport and all they do is sit on their 6 :p

I'm not a nascar fan, but i will say those guys are generally in very good shape and they take a lot of abuse on the track.

Taking a turn at 150+mph causes some pretty intense g-forces, plus those cars have minimal thermal protection between the engines and the cabin, so it's like a furnace in there. At the accelerator pedal it's so hot they have to wear thick fireproof boots otherwise their shoes would melt off.

Apparently a pretty common off-track training exercise for drivers is to wear a helmet with huge weights strapped to it, so they can strengthen their neck muscles to counter the g-forces on the turns.

I don't care for the sport from a spectator's point of view, but when I learned what those guys go through in the car I developed a newfound respect.

Not to mention the whole drive 200mph with 40 other guys in a close pack. Lose concentration at the wrong time and you can die.

[paintballbudd]

electronic paintball guns.

-buddo

[Frizzle Fry]

"Fast" hoppers (i.e. Rotor, Halo, Prophecy, etc)...

Functional? Yes. Necessary? No.

Most tournaments, leagues and fields don't allow an ROF higher than the feed rate offered by a $20 VL Revvy... If you absolutely "need" something force-fed, you can get a VL Force for $30, or a Velocity JR. or Warpfeed for about $60. Why in gods name does every kid with a <$300 marker think he needs a $125+ loader?


That said I love my Halos and my Pinokio, but I've got a pile 'o markers and I certainly didn't pay full price for any of my loaders.

[MAGpie]

Rifled PB barrels.

[hill160881]

50 Cal

I second that.




As for an athletic sport, well as is with all activities, it is as athletic as you are.

[CatoRockwell]

electronic paintball guns.

-buddo

Would you mind expanding on this? I don't see how they are a "gimmick"

[gmiller0]

Would you mind expanding on this? I don't see how they are a "gimmick"

I bet they were joking!!! LOL :dance:

[mpsd]

This:

http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=3514117

[Frizzle Fry]

This:

http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=3514117

...my vote is still "not right for most, but VERY right for some" - not too pricey either


Ideas:

Standard barrel for paintballs / Rifled barrel for First Strike (yes, self rifling, but try an Armson)

Standard barrel for paintballs / Secondary barrel pre-loaded with a First Strike round

Standard barrel / Apex barrel

Barrel for long scenario game / Backup "clean" barrel for long scenario game

Standard bore (good) for good paint / Large bore (beater) for dropped, borrowed or bad paint

Ported barrel for regular play / Unported barrel in case of rain, snow and sleet




Definitely not something everyone needs but certainly not a gimmick... I don't consider 5+3 packs a gimmick just because I prefer a 4 pod pack. I don't like stocks or shrouds either, but I appreciate that they match some peoples play style. This would definitely be a good accessory for "outlaw" players, scenario players, "big games" and recreational woodsballers looking for an edge or to solve a problem.

[sjrtk]

...my vote is still "not right for most, but VERY right for some" - not too pricey either.


Agreed. I have no use for it but i have seen them work pretty good at long games. Best way to deal with a barrel break.