I know that it is nearly impossible for anybody to think that Paintball guns come in a single type. Then, why am I writing this blog? Many people know that there are different types of Paintball guns available in the market but they lack detailed knowledge about these markers.
Normally, paintball players categorize paintball guns as Electronic Paintball Guns and Mechanical Paintball Guns. However, if we dig a little deep, we will find out that there is much more to this basic categorization.
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How to choose a Paintball Gun?
Which Paintball gun do you need for yourself? This is a million-dollar question that needs an absolute answer before you reach any conclusion. There are various factors that will govern your selection of Paintball marker but the most important of those are your pocket and your game type.
A specific type of play requires a specific type of marker but if you are a multi-dimensional player then you need a gun that can perform well in various situations.
Therefore, we will guide you about these factors in detail so that you can have a learned and wise decision for you. Only then, you can choose the Best Paintball Gun for yourself.
Types of Paintball Guns
Based on the mechanism used, we can define the Paintball Guns into various categories. Mainly, there are 3 types of Paintball guns that everybody knows but with few differences, we can sub-categorize them into a total of 6 types.
- Electronic Paintball Gun
- Mechanical Paintball Guns
- Electro-Mechanical paintball Gun
- Pump Action Paintball Guns
- Auto Cocker Pump-action paintball guns
- Auto Magazine Paintball Guns
We will discuss various features of these paintball guns like Firing Rate, cost, player’s level, etc.
1. Electronic Paintball Guns
First of all, I will discuss Electronic Paintball Guns, the most sophisticated and expensive of all.
As the name suggests, these guns mainly use Electronic circuits for their basic operation. Other important parts are Solenoid valves, bolts, batteries, and regulators. Due to the complexity involved, you need to be extremely cautious while assembling/ disassembling these guns. However, they are highly robust during the operation. So, you can play without any fear of breakage. But at the same time, regular maintenance is pretty tricky, especially for newbies.
Mostly, these guns are expensive in nature due to the combination of high-end technology and lightweight material. Both these features allow you extreme freedom of operation during your play. Furthermore, these Electronic Paintball Guns are easily programmable. Therefore, you can select the program depending upon the nature of your play and can focus on the game. However, these features make them an expensive choice for you.
You do not need physical movement for any part of the gun. Moreover, the trigger is electronically connected to the firing mechanism so you do not need to actually press the trigger with force. Therefore they offer a High Firing Rate even up to 30 balls per second.
Electronic Paintball Guns are most preferred by pro-level players, especially in Speedball.
If you want to play at a pro-level and want to get a High-level Paintball Gun then you should definitely get an Electronic Paintball gun.
2. Mechanical Paintball Guns
If you wanna talk about the meat of the matter, you need redundant, robust, and long-lasting markers. If these are your preferences then your only go-to is Mechanical Paintball Guns.
These are purely mechanical in nature. You will have physical movement of parts inside to shoot the paintballs out of the barrel. The trigger is mechanically linked to the Firing Pin. Once you press the trigger, Paintball moves into the barrel due to the movement of a bolt. Now, the firing pin will come into action for shooting the ball and the bolt is moved back to its original position due to the gas expansion.
There are mechanical parts so assembly/disassembly is comparatively easy. You just need to take care of the O-rings so that you should not lose them during the process. Moreover, you should oil them regularly, especially after the game for efficient performance. Mainly, routine maintenance is very easy.
As these markers are widely used by the players therefore their parts are easily available in the market. Moreover, the price for these spares is comparatively low so you are easy on to your pocket. Overall, they are Budget Friendly options.
As I have told you that shooting is done mechanically so you can imagine the firing rate. Despite being robust, they compromise on the Firing Rate which is normally up to 12 balls per second.
If we talk about the firing pressure of the guns, Mechanical Paintball guns are at a little disadvantage over Electronic Paintball Guns. Electronic Paintball Guns are very air efficient as compared to the Mechanical ones. Moreover, Mechanical Paintball guns are a little louder than Electronic ones.
It is an easy choice for most players as it can be easily used in all types of Paintball.
Mechanical Paintball Guns should be your preferred choice if you love to play all styles of Paintball. Moreover, they will inflict fewer burdens on your pocket.
3. Electro-Mechanical Paintball Guns
Let us enter a world where technology meets the brutal force and as a result, you get Electro-mechanical Paintball markers.
Electronic markers outshine the Mechanical markers in their sophistication and Firing rate. However, Mechanical markers enjoy the edge in terms of reliability and price. But In these Electro-Mechanical markers, you will get the best of both Electronic and Mechanical Paintball guns.
Their Firing mechanism is mechanical however the trigger is attached to an Electronic board. Therefore, you will have a good Firing rate.
On the contrary, you have a lot of mechanical parts so this means that it is gonna be a relatively less budget product.
If we talk about General maintenance and replaceable parts, generally those are easily available in the market and easy for self-maintenance. However, you should exercise caution for the Electronic part.
Electro-mechanical Paintball Guns are a very happy compromise. If you wanna enjoy High-End Paintball at a lesser price, then get one of these.
Now, we have discussed 3 main types of paintball guns. However, there are 3 more types but I place them in the Mechanical category because of their Basic Firing mechanism.
4. Pump Action Paintball Gun
These are the old-school kind of guns where players need to manually pump the gun. It reminds me of old Hollywood movies where Hero used to pump the gun single-handed and create havoc all around. However, in actual cases, you are at a true disadvantage in front of Electronic or Mechanical Paintball Guns.
These can be used mainly for fun or showmanship. These can never match the Firing rate of other types so these are never my preferred option. Also, their blast radius is much bigger so you don’t need a specific aim point. You have to just point in one direction and press the trigger. It takes the fun out of pointing, aiming, and shooting the target.
Also, there is a great hassle after every shot. You need to manually pump the gun so your main focus is on the gun instead of the game itself.
5. Auto-cocker Pump Paintball Gun
A modern variant of the Pump Paintball gun that is made to address the flaws of the existing Pump Action Paintball gun is the Auto-cocker Paintball gun.
The basic phenomenon remains the same the gun has to be pumped but it is automatic in nature, you don’t need to do it manually.
We have already seen that Electro-mechanical guns are an amalgamation of existing technology. Now, we see the same drill being repeated here.
These are very reliable and considerably accurate markers. So, they can be a preferred choice by paintball players.
6. Mag fed Paintball Guns
These Paintball guns use magazines instead of Hoppers. Moreover, if we compare them with the Pump Action guns, we will notice that they blow forward while firing.
They are accurate and reliable but a little loud.
7. Sniper paintball guns
Anything that distinguishes these guns from the rest is their accuracy and long-range. These are preferred in Woodsball and MilSim. They allow you to maintain your distance and still accurately shoot the target.
Mostly, these are very high-end markers that can be both Electronic as well as Mechanical.
Final Words
I hope that you have found out what you were looking for in this blog. I am pretty sure that I have explained to you the basic types of paintball guns and it will help you choose a better marker for your future games.
I wish you the best of luck with your Paintball.
