Paintball is one of the most expensive sports out there, so paintballers are always looking for the most bang for their buck.  Whether it's markers, accessories, paint or whatever, the less money a player has to spend to enjoy playing, the happier he is.  There's a thin line however, between being thrifty and smart, and being just plain cheap.  This article will try and clear the air a bit about what upgrades are needed, and those that are more 'wants' than 'needs'.

We'll assume for a moment that you have the marker of your dreams, or at least the one that you can afford right now, and that it's in good working order.  It's always a good idea to budget some money into maintaining your marker properly, having spares, etc.  That new accessory that makes your marker the most agg on the planet is useless if the marker it's hanging from doesn't work.

Maintenance items:

Before we get into accessorizing your marker for maximum performance on minimum budget, let's lay out the basics that every player should have to keep the stock marker running properly:  Items like an o-ring kit for the marker, grease or oil (depending on what your marker requires, batteries (either for the marker or your hopper, depending on what you have) and other knick-knacks like spare ball detents and the like.  Basic items like this will keep your death cannon running in its' stock form, and we all know a working stock marker is better than the decked out one that doesn't work.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's take a look at upgrades that will maximize your marker's performance without putting you in debtor's prison:

Barrels:

The barrel is almost always the first thing replaced on today's markers.  In the past this was a necessity because stock barrels sucked!  As the market matures and grows, manufacturers are beginning to realize that there's a reason the barrel market is so huge.  Even so, it's normally wise to buy an aftermarket barrel for your marker to maximize the accuracy and efficiency of your marker by tailoring the barrel bore size to the paint you most often shoot. 

Barrels come in a wide variety of styles, lengths, and colors.  Finding what's right for you is largely a matter of taste, but for the budget-conscious, there are some general guidelines to go by when looking to upgrade your barrel:

a. One-Piece barrels are your friend.  Generally speaking, a Two-Piece barrel won't offer significant performance advantages over a properly constructed one-piece barrel.

b. Stick with good 'ol aluminum.  Yes, exotic materials like carbon fiber have their advantages, but they come at a price. 
 

c. Unless you're shooting a wide variety of paint on a consistent basis, you can hold off on buying a barrel kit with multiple bore sizes.

In a nutshell, stick with what's known to work and you'll be fine.

Loaders:

The best advice for dealing with loaders on a budget is to buy as much loader as you can afford.  Spending money now on a good fast loader will pay off in the long run as you progress through the sport and look to upgrade your marker for something faster.  If buying a new loader is out of the question, it's worth your time to make the effort to peruse the forums, eBay, and etc. for a good used high-end loader versus 'settling' for a brand new loader that you'll outgrow quickly.

ASA's/Drops/Feednecks:

ASA's (Air Source Adapter, where your bottle screws in) and drop forwards are related to the marker's ergonomics.  If a stock setup is too long for you to shoot comfortably and accurately, then it’s time to take a look at shortening your setup.  Generally speaking, a drop forward can be bought from a 'low end' company and still work just as well as the $60 piece of art you buy from a 'top' company.  You do want to make sure not to buy the lowest end ASA, since tolerances and specs are interpreted a bit more loosely at the low end of the scale, which can create problems for you with cross threading and other damage that can be inflicted upon your CO2 bottle or Air System threads, which can be expensive and potentially deadly. 

Feednecks on today's stock markers are generally a type that can accommodate different sizes of loader feednecks, but some aren't as easy to live with as a clamping style of feedneck.  A lever clamping feedneck is generally easier to get decent longevity and performance out of at the low end of the price scale than the types that use a band around the collet of the feedneck and clamp down using a hex key to tighten it.  All too often in a lower end, less expensive brand it's possible to snap the band squeezing the collet because the materials aren't the strong (more expensive) alloys of aluminum and SS.  While it's not mandatory that you get a clamping feedneck of some type right off the bat with today's markers, if you end up buying one that isn't adjustable in stock form, then you’re faced with the choice of either finding a loader that fits perfectly or with a little electrical tape added, or sanding down the feedneck on your hopper, which has the potential to damage an expensive shell and take you out of action until you replace it.

What it all means:

At the end of the day, if you're still playing while everyone else is benched because of mechanical problems, then you've come out ahead.  For the budget minded out there, form is definitely more important than function.  If you’re still out playing with your non-Agg marker while all the Agg guys are stuck in the staging area trying to get their markers to work, you're ahead of the game.

© Copyright 1999 - 2007, 68Caliber.Com

Top of Page