After a month of searching, I finally ordered my new marker today! Thanks for all the input, advice, and education! When I first began this search to replace my old F2, I started with Minimags, which soon expanded to RT's, RT Pro's, Emags, and their different flavors in ULE and Deadlywind bodies. My original price range of about $200 shot throught the roof, so the 03 Shocker, which is what I really wanted, was also in the running. The problem was that paying that much for a marker didn't feel right, mainly because my level of play was not at a level that would fully appreciate the capabilities of a high-end tournament level marker.
So, I went to my local shop where they had this neat looking Dragun TES sitting on the counter. I've never shot an electro marker before, and the trigger play was quite delightful. (I now know why Emags can have 20K+ on the counter but less than a case through the barrel.) After more research, I found the TES regulators and ASA have metric fittings, and the drops are too far forward and "small" to fit most tanks. It would cost about $100-150 more to upgrade the so-so reg, drop, ASA, macro lines, and fittings.
By now, this research has taught me a lot about the technical aspects: valves, electo-mechanical, electro-pneumatic, dynamics of chopping, etc. Now that I'm in the $400 range and still looking at new markers, this understanding had steered me to the B2K4 and Evil Omen. They both propel paintballs through different methods but have similar efficiencies, are priced the same, and perform the same in the real world. I doubt the average rec baller, including me, will need 15bps. If they do, then it's not an average rec ball game. Anyway, these two seem to have a reputation of consistency and reliability, but I ordered the Omen because it was slightly lighter, I liked its looks better, and there were few if any complaints about its feed system.
Thanks again everyone's help! I credit No Skills for pointing out the vast number of choices in the "mid range" category and for suggesting the BKO. I'll post a review of the Omen once I play with it.
So, I went to my local shop where they had this neat looking Dragun TES sitting on the counter. I've never shot an electro marker before, and the trigger play was quite delightful. (I now know why Emags can have 20K+ on the counter but less than a case through the barrel.) After more research, I found the TES regulators and ASA have metric fittings, and the drops are too far forward and "small" to fit most tanks. It would cost about $100-150 more to upgrade the so-so reg, drop, ASA, macro lines, and fittings.
By now, this research has taught me a lot about the technical aspects: valves, electo-mechanical, electro-pneumatic, dynamics of chopping, etc. Now that I'm in the $400 range and still looking at new markers, this understanding had steered me to the B2K4 and Evil Omen. They both propel paintballs through different methods but have similar efficiencies, are priced the same, and perform the same in the real world. I doubt the average rec baller, including me, will need 15bps. If they do, then it's not an average rec ball game. Anyway, these two seem to have a reputation of consistency and reliability, but I ordered the Omen because it was slightly lighter, I liked its looks better, and there were few if any complaints about its feed system.
Thanks again everyone's help! I credit No Skills for pointing out the vast number of choices in the "mid range" category and for suggesting the BKO. I'll post a review of the Omen once I play with it.
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