There are so many paintball guns for sale these days, it can be hard knowing just what sort of marker to buy. You want a decent gun for your money, but do you really need to spend a fortune on the latest technology to survive out on the paintballing field? When it comes to buying any kind of paintball gear, speaking to experienced players is a great way to get info on where to buy the best paintball stuff. The following information should also help you make the decision.

When paintball games first took off, players had to make do with basic guns that could only shoot a single shot each time they were cocked. Then technology advanced to pumps, where you could feed paintballs into the breach by rocking your gun forward. Paint tubes came next, which allowed paintballers to fire many times. After that, hoppers were introduced, which were thought to be a fantastic advance for the sport as they could hold all the paint you’d need for the game.

Semi automatic guns then appeared on the scene, which fired balls much faster. Motorized loaders were added and Autocockers became all the rage, especially among paintballers who played in tournaments. Now a range of electronic guns are available, that can be programmed to do whatever you want. Full autos can carry on firing as long as the trigger is down, and offer a selection of firing modes and adjustable rates of fire. Because they can shoot so fast, many recreational paintball fields require players to put a tournament lock on their gun before they play so as not to have an unfair advantage over their opponents.

Which type of marker you buy depends on your level of ability and how often you want to play. For beginners, many stores offer special paintball gun packages, which include all the basic equipment such as masks, air tanks and hoppers. These starter kits can be good value. Good entry level brands that are reasonably priced include Kingman Spyder, Tippmann and Piranha guns. Look for guns that allow upgrades, so you can build your own gun by trying different barrels and triggers, as your skills progress. For more advanced paintballers, quality markers include Smart Parts and Angle electronic guns.

A combination of tactical skills, team strategy and a reliable gun are key. Good paintball markers should be light enough to easily maneuver, while being robust enough to stand up to the fast paced action. There are some fantastic online paintball stores that sell a range of guns and paintball supplies at affordable prices, so you should be able to find a gun that’s right for you and your budget!

By: Caroline Smith

About the Author:
Caroline Smith is a successful freelance writer and regular contributor to paintball-gear-guns.com – Your one stop source for the best deals on all paintball guns, paintball markers, and paintball gear.

Paintball is like many sports out there today. It is hard to compete at the same level as others unless you have the right equipment in your gear bag. Here we’ll focus on a few of the ‘must have’ items in paintball and explain why it’s important to spend the extra buck on them.

Paintball Goggle System – Many times paintball goggles are your only line of defense against an oncoming paintball. Paintball masks are specially designed for use in paintball. They are tested and must comply with certain safety standards required for use in paintball. They use special lenses and certain grades of plastic to ensure that the face and ears are properly protected. Using anything other than a ‘paintball’ designed mask is just asking for trouble. There are different pricing levels of goggles on the market. Buying a paintball mask with a thermal lens is money well spent. Thermal lenses will reduce the chances of fogging when things get hot inside the mask or when temperatures are very cold outside. They perform much better than standard ‘anti-fog’ coated single lenses. Although buying a thermal goggle system is a little more money, ask anyone who’s experienced a day when his or her goggles would not stop fogging. It’s one of the most frustrating and dangerous things in paintball.

Paintball Gun – It goes without saying that you get what you pay for. The more a paintball gun costs, the more features it will likely have. Buy a gun on the top end of your budget. Electronic guns are more affordable than every before. Purchasing an electronic gun will allow you to achieve different firing modes as well as higher rates of fire due to the electronic trigger frame. Most electronic guns will prevent ball breaks as well. Some paintball guns contain a device called an ‘eye’. It will disable the trigger if a ball is not in the receiver, this is especially important with balls that are partially loaded. Disabling the trigger prevents the gun from firing thereby preventing a ball to be broken inside the gun.

Air System – Most paintball players use CO2 as their primary air source. CO2 tanks are reusable, very affordable and can be filled just about anywhere. There is a better alternative to CO2. Compressed air paintball tanks (otherwise known as Nitro Tanks) use compressed air as the propellant. Using compressed air eliminates some of the annoying characteristics of CO2 such as gun freeze-up and extreme changes in ball velocity. Compressed Air does not have to convert into a gas to power the marker. This allows the compressed air tank to deliver a constant pressure to the marker producing more consistent, accurate shooting. A compressed air paintball tank is the tank of choice for competition level players. Most guns on the market are designed to accept either CO2 or Compressed Air with no modification at all.

Loader – Your paintball gun will only shoot as fast as your hopper will load regardless of the gun’s firing capacity. Standard hoppers are nothing more than storage bins that hold paintballs and allow them to fall into the receiver via gravity. An electronic loader or a force-feed mechanic loader will shuttle balls into the gun quicker, allowing for faster loading and more consistent high-rate firing. Finding the perfect gun-to-loader match is easy. Choose a loader with a loading capacity that will meet or exceed the high-end bps (balls per second) rating of your marker.

Paintballs – We can’t stress this enough: don’t buy cheap paintballs. Lousy paintballs can turn even a thousand dollar marker into a paint sprayer. Better paintballs have a better shell, a more consistent size and higher quality fill. To a varying degree, high-end paintballs are made to resist some of the factors that affect quality like moisture and temperature. The difference between good paint and cheap paint will weigh heavily on your level of enjoyment during a day in the field.

By: Daniel Klaas

About the Author:
Daniel Klaas – Owner of http://www.rockstartactical.com.

Looking for more expect advice and information? Checkout our website’s Paintball Buyers’ Guide for more information on how to select the best paintball items to maximize your game.