| Do you hate your first paintball gun? Oh dear, where | | | | As far as the rules go, the mask is the crucial bit of |
| did it all go so wrong? Well here are a few possibilities, | | | | paintball equipment, since without it you cannot enter |
| and all of them are avoidable. | | | | the field of play. However, many first time buyers |
| Rushing to purchase after too little time on the field | | | | forget to buy a mask, or to budget for one. As a |
| Too many first time buyers of cheap paintball guns | | | | result, they end up with a cheap mask, one which fogs |
| rush into buying a paintball gun without having spent | | | | up and is really uncomfortable. Keep in mind that you |
| enough time playing the game to know how to judge a | | | | are going to be wearing this thing all day. If you have |
| paintball gun. Further, they don't really know what sort | | | | to keep taking it off every 20 minutes to adjust it for |
| of player they are, or what sort of game they like to | | | | comfort you will be risking your eyesight from a |
| play. Only once you have been playing a while, will you | | | | paintball. If a referee sees you he/she might send you |
| know how to spot a good gun, and what sort of gun | | | | out of the games for good. So budget for a good |
| will suit your game. Crucially, you will also have had | | | | comfortable mask that will not fog up. |
| some experience of bad rental guns, perhaps even | | | | Yeah I upgraded the barrel! 21 inches! |
| terrible rental guns, but the up-side is that you won't | | | | It's a well known that replacing the barrel that comes |
| own any of them! | | | | with your average cheap paintball gun (known as the |
| The rental equipment at the field of play is universally | | | | stock barrel) will improve its performance. Knowing this, |
| poor, but it is what you should be using the first few | | | | many first time buyers mistakenly go for length when |
| times you play. Don't focus on the gun; focus on the | | | | they buy a new barrel (known as an aftermarket |
| basic tactics of the game. Then once you have played | | | | barrel). '21 inches, yeah that must be a good one. Size |
| a few times, borrow a cheap paintball gun from a | | | | matters, doesn't it?' Well yes it does, but in this case |
| friend for a game. How is it better? Why is it better? | | | | small is beautiful. Don't go above 14 inches, any longer |
| What do you really like about it? What don't you like | | | | and performance will suffer. |
| about it? | | | | Buying a high maintenance gun |
| Not doing sufficient (any) research | | | | As a new player, the last thing you need is a gun that |
| By borrowing a friend's gun and taking it for a field test | | | | needs constant oiling, or tweaking with tools in the field. |
| you are performing the most important part of | | | | You need a gun that will just work consistently, no frills, |
| research. You are learning what a cheap paintball gun | | | | no fuss, leaving you free to concentrate on learning |
| can do in your hands and you are assessing it. But so | | | | the game. Good cheap paintball guns will just get on |
| many first time buyers of cheap paintball guns just | | | | with the job, and adjustment of them in the field, for |
| rush out and buy without doing any research at all. | | | | example changing velocity, will be easy. Similarly, a |
| Within as short a time as a week they can be | | | | good cheap paintball gun will be easy and quick to |
| regretting their haste. | | | | clean. |
| Only then does the first time buyer get on the internet | | | | I'm new here, so I figured I'd get the best gun available |
| to read up on their subject. They visit content websites | | | | For better or for worse, paintball has got a bit of |
| devoted to paintball guns, they read reviews, visit | | | | attitude. There are few things that irk experienced |
| paintball forums and within as little as a few hours on | | | | players more than the sight of a clueless new payer |
| the right sites they know where they went wrong, and | | | | ambling around the field carrying state of the art, top |
| what they should have done. They learn that there are | | | | of the range hardware. Yeah I know, they are only |
| so many cheap paintball guns out there, and only some | | | | jealous, and they probably dream about owning your |
| of them are good guns. They learn that paintball guns | | | | gun. |
| are technical products, with a fair bit of variation and | | | | But there is also a serious point to make here about |
| range. Unfortunately, for many the knowledge comes | | | | maintenance. A good cheap paintball gun will have the |
| too late. They are out of pocket, and out on the field | | | | performance and durability advantages of an |
| of play carrying a blunderbuss when they should be | | | | expensive gun but none of the advanced |
| carrying an assault rifle. | | | | features--which only an experience player will be able |
| Yeah, but it looks great | | | | to really take advantage of. A good cheap paintball |
| It's bright metallic blue, or red, or yellow, or orange or | | | | gun will also be very easy to take apart, clean, and |
| any other colour that gives your position away in a | | | | reassemble. Contrast this with many expensive guns |
| wood as easily as if you had lit a fire. Choosing your | | | | which can be a real maintenance headache for |
| paintball gun solely or primarily on the basis of looks is | | | | someone unfamiliar with paintball guns. Taking it apart is |
| a very bad idea. Never judge a gun buy its looks. | | | | easy, putting it back together is the hard part, and |
| Some nice looking guns are rubbish. Buy the gun | | | | expensive paintball guns tend to come with big but not |
| because it is a good gun when judged against a | | | | necessarily clear manuals. You could be looking at |
| reasoned criteria: because it will last, will help you win | | | | highly complex schematics wondering how life got so |
| games, be reliable etc. If it looks good, great, but keep | | | | complicated. |
| in mind that if you want to stay hidden, 'black and matt | | | | So keep things simple. Buy a good cheap paintball gun, |
| is where it's at'. The gun should blend into the | | | | and then concentrate on the playing. Learn the tactics, |
| surroundings, and not give your position away. | | | | and learn about yourself as a player. Meanwhile, you'll |
| Really? So where do I get the mask from? | | | | be cleaning your basic gun in no time at all. |