You’re thinking about buying a paintball gun but are unsure whether to buy a mechanical or an electronic one. While both varieties are capable of shooting paintballs, they do it in different manners.
Before selecting paintball gun types, you’ll need to determine your budget, whether you want a woodball or speedball marker, mechanical or electronic, and if you want CO2 or HPA. A mechanical marker is likely to be your best gun to learn the game; a pump action is ideal for the shooter’s job, while an electronic one is for the seriously committed players.
Understanding each type’s differences and advantages will help you select the right gun for your needs.
paintball gun types
There are wide varieties of paintball guns, but we’ve broken them into three basic categories, and each has different fire rates and prices.
1. Pump Paintball Guns
The pump paintball gun is one of the oldest types of paintball guns still available. They must be operated manually and act like you are pumping a pump to release the next paintball into the weapon. There are many good things about pump guns, but the most important ones are that they are accurate and reliable. Still, as more sophisticated firearms make their way onto the market, pump guns gradually lose their favor.
Pump-action paintball guns are ideal for beginners because they provide high precision at short distances and lower recoil levels (meaning you are less likely to be blown up as you shoot). These markers provide the reliability of traditional bolt-action guns without requiring pumping or constant battery power. Pump-action paintball guns are an older marker style and have seen a revival in recent years. This type of marker is the oldest used in the paintball sport, as the very first game of paintball was played using the bolt-action Nelspot pistol.
Initially, paintball markers used a pump trigger pull, which was later replaced by mechanical and electronic devices. Pump guns have a one-shot mechanism that requires a pump between shots. Despite their reliability and accuracy, mechanical markers can frustrate new players.
2. Mechanical Paintball Guns
Automatic paintball guns are probably the most common, mainly used for fun. Because they are semi-automatic and straightforward to handle and use, novices often opt for these models. The operation of these firearms requires CO2 or another type of compressed air, and each pull of the trigger only allows one shot to be fired. Automatic weapons come in many different styles, so it’s essential to look at the product’s features before buying them.
Mechanical paintball markers are not very expensive; you don,t have to pay for the batteries. Many players use the electronic hopper on it, but if you don’t want to spend the extra money on HPA ( I would highly suggest that you do), but you don’t have to.
If you want to play serious scenarios with paintballs, the best marker option is a reliable, mechanically operated one. You will want to have a facemask to fit the pump-action paintball guns, and you want to have top-of-the-line gear to avoid getting snubbed by younger competitors who have the latest equipment.
- Mechanical markers are way cheaper than the electronic guns.
- You can operate them on CO2 or Compressed air.
- Easy to Setup and doesn’t require more maintenance.
- You can easily get the Replacements part from the market.
- They are the most durable gun available.
- The firing rate is a little slow as compared to Electronic guns.
- They are less accurate than Electronic guns.
- You will feel that they are usually louder as compared to electronic guns.
- You will get fewer shots per tank of air because they typically require higher air pressure.
3. Electronic Paintball Guns
If you want to bump up to the next level, Electronic paintball markers are definitely the best choice. Electric paintball guns are the most expensive type because they have an electronic firing mechanism, making them extremely fast and accurate over long distances. They have the most cutting-edge alternative among the three available choices. These were incredibly pricey in the past, but they are gradually becoming more accessible to the general people.
Electronic paintball guns are also known as Electro-Pneumatic Paintball Guns. As the name suggests, these electric guns can be fueled by either a standard 9-volt battery or a battery that can be recharged. These types of paintball markers use an electrical solenoid to shoot a ball. If divided into various parts, the electric paintball marker is composed of the electrical solenoid, a pneumatic poppet valve, and the ball-spinning spool.
Mechanically operated paintball markers function using only mechanical means and therefore do not employ an electro-pneumatic solenoid controlled by an electronic circuit to trigger the firing. Because pulling the trigger is as simple as pressing a mouse button, users can accomplish highly rapid rates of fire. Additionally, most electric weapons allow you to select from various fire modes, such as burst, full auto, and ramping so that you can personalize them to your preference. Ensure that your batteries are fully charged before playing.
- This is mostly used paintball guns in the tournaments.
- One of the latest paintball guns on the market.
- They are powered by batteries (standard 9-volt).
- They are fully programmable, precise and effective.
- The trigger pull can be very light.
- You can easily choose from the different firing modes.
- These guns are usually lighter, quieter, and run at much lower operating pressures (more shots per tank)
- They are perfect because they have high fire rates and quick reload times to make it even quicker.
- They cost considerably high than mechanical markers.
- They are very difficult to set up, repair and upgrade.
- Mostly you will not see an option for using CO2.
- You have to always make sure that your batteries are fully charged before step into game.
Getting yourself into electronic paintball is going to be costly. But at the end of the day, you’re going to thank yourself.
Use of Paint Ball Guns
Even though paintball is a fun game, and there isn’t much chance of getting hurt, players still need to follow safety rules and stay within the game’s laws. You first need to wear a unique mask created especially for your game. Wear goggles in addition to your mask if it does not already come with them. Under no circumstances should you remove the mask from your face while participating in the game until you have reached the secure area. Wearing a mask and goggles will shield your face and eyes from paintballs.
