Newbie mag questions

[belligerentruth]

I'm getting involved in paintball and want to ensure I make the right decisions out of the gate, especially considering the initial investment is fairly considerable.

I know I want a mag but I am confused by what the advantages of the tac-one, to RT, to E-mag are. I am drawn to the Tac-one but I'd appreciate some insight as to what makes one superior to the other.

I also admit that I am intriqued by the asthetic appearance of the Q-bow/longbow. That being said I realize that there is no range/accuracy advantage to this setup and I am willing to sacrifice only so much functionality for asthetics. I also don't like how the shroud negates all those cool rails on the tac. Is there a better air-through stock option available that would have the gun looking as cool (or cooler) while leaving the rails available?

We do a little speedball but honestly I am much more interested in the woodsball/scenario aspect of the game. Thanks for any advice you can offer!

Mike

[questionful]

Well congratulations for going with a mag! You won't regret it!

There are two categories of mags, because there are two kinds of mag valves.Classic mags have classic valves, and RT mags have RT valves. But when you talk about a mag, you don't name it just by the valve. There are many aspects of a mag, and you can include them in the name if you want to be specific. So if you change the body to a ULE body, you could call it an "RT ULE mag". Or if you change the frame to a pneumatic frame, it could be called a "Pneumag" or "RT pneumag", etc. An E-mag is just an RT mag with the AGD E-frame, called "E-mag lowers". All they do is replace the frame and foregrip with the E-frame and battery pack. There are other forms of electric mags that aren't called E-mags, including Hypermags (equipped with Centerflag's Hyperframe), and custom jobs that adapt other marker's frames to mags, such as spydermags, and e-pneumags (e-pneu's use frames from electropneumatic markers).

So. . .
When you buy a mag and you want to make it just how you like it, you choose the parts individually. The Tac-one is just a mag with a different body. The ONLY thing different about it is the body, so you can have all sorts of Tac-ones. You can have an E-tac, which is an E-mag with a Tac-one body. E-mags use RT valves, so an E-tac kind of blends all your choices into one. And if you want an air-thru stock, try [url=http://www.actioncenterpaintball.com/paintball/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=294&IDCategory=2an adjustable-length, unobtrusive, light, and air-thru T-stock.[/url]

E-mag lowers are expensive though, more than $300 I think. And you have to buy them on forums, they are not made anymore. If you just want speed, not modes, consider a pneuframe. You'll have to do a little research, but they are fast and more affordable than an E-mag.

I hope that helps, I remember how confusing mags were to me when I started to learn about them.

And stare at this a while:

http://www.zdspb.com/media/tech/animations/rtemag2_6fps.gif

[Quip]

I think it kind of depends on what your cost limits are. I personally favor the Classic Mag because I like the look and because it's pretty cheap. When you buy a Tac-One, you not only have to buy the gun but you also have to buy an air tank, since it doesn't take CO2. Since Mags are air hogs (I get about 1.5 hoppers out of a 48/3000 tank), a good tank may cost $200 or more.
Classic Mags run on CO2, and the largest size of CO2 tank is usually about $35-$40. CO2 also last longer and you don't have to get it filled as much.
The choice is yours. Do whatever you want and can afford.

~Quip~