| Performance and consistency | | | | weekend and given it a really good pounding will you |
| The only real way to properly test consistency and | | | | know. Even then it may be holding back some |
| performance is out in the field. If you get a chance to | | | | surprises for you. It is therefore essential that you seek |
| test a paintball gun in open play then keep these | | | | comments from other players about the gun's |
| factors in mind and make mental notes as you go | | | | durability. Do a search in Google for 'paintball |
| along. | | | | forums'--with the internet you can speak to paintballers |
| Rate of fire: how quickly does the paintball gun fire and | | | | all over the world. |
| reload? | | | | Having said this, there are things you can pick up on in |
| Precision: to what extent does the paintball gun | | | | the paintball gun shop. A good cheap paintball gun will |
| consistently hit a target when under a steady aim at | | | | have a good sturdy feel. It will be made of durable |
| that target? | | | | materials and will be well put together (build quality). As |
| Range: how far can the paintball gun shoot a paintball? | | | | a quick guide to build quality, give it a really good shake. |
| Does the range fluctuate? If it does, this suggests that | | | | If it rattles, take a pass. |
| the barrel velocity (the chrono speed) is not consistent. | | | | When buying a cheap paintball gun its best to avoid |
| Reliability: will the paintball gun perform well all the time, | | | | guns with a plastic body and grip, unless the plastic is |
| or is it one of those infuriating cheap paintball guns that | | | | of the exceptionally tuff polymer type. If you are |
| only work well on some days, or with a certain brand | | | | offered plastic find out what type it is. Good cheap |
| of paint? Try the paintball gun out will different types of | | | | paintball guns generally have a metal body and grip. |
| paint and see if it has a prejudice. | | | | However, it is not unknown for bolts to come lose |
| Noise: how noisy is the paintball gun in operation? Is the | | | | from metal bodies, or for metal body paintball guns to |
| noise so distinctive as to easily give away your | | | | suffer from poor build quality. Again, the shake test will |
| position? | | | | tell you something. |
| You must also ask other players for their opinion on | | | | A one year warranty is the industry standard for |
| the performance and reliability of a particular paintball | | | | paintball guns. You should also check out the |
| gun. You'll find that real problems surface time and time | | | | manufacturer's website and see what the after sales |
| again, so ask as many players as you can. | | | | service is like. Is there a number you can call for |
| Durability and construction | | | | product advice? How quickly can spare parts be |
| Cheap paintball guns get as much abuse in the field as | | | | delivered? |
| do expensive ones, but the expensive ones are | | | | In summary, consistency, performance, construction |
| generally built to last longer. Even so, a good cheap | | | | and durability are crucial qualities that all good cheap |
| paintball gun will have to stand up to some serious | | | | paintball guns will possess. It is possible for you to |
| paintballing action. Again, a field test is the only way | | | | assess these but you will need the experience of |
| you can really assess durability. Only after you have | | | | others to make you assessment. Always try to test a |
| dropped it, rolled over with it, got it dirty, played all | | | | paintball gun in the field before you buy. |