(quoted from post at 13:30:41 01/11/12) Well I can say that a tippmann 98 custom is probably the most used
paintball gun available today. There are HUGE amounts of
aftermarket parts including a "sniper barrel". They are probably the
lowest priced paintball gun that is worth anything. Those cheap
walmart guns are just junk, most times the ball breaks before it
leaves the chamber.
Here
Used to play a lot and was involved in other aspects of it as well, kinda got out of it a couple of years ago. Tippmanns were the most popular rental marker for a long time because they were near bullet proof. there biggest weakness was always the barrel.
Words of warning! I know you are in Germany, so a lot of care is required. unless the law has changed very recently, Germany is one of the strictest countries in the world next to Japan on the import, possession and use of paintball markers. Markers that are allowed to be owned and used in Germany must meet strict guidelines, must have gone through testing with a precise configuartion and pressure, and must have that configuration and pressure recorded and the gun F stamped. Possession of a non F stamped gun can have serious legal reprecussions, up to being classifed as an illegal arms dealer facing jail time and fines(there was a famous case in the paintball world around 2001 where this happened, most of the charges were eventually dropped but it was very tough on him for a few years) . Before proceeding too to far I would do some in country research on what is legal. It will also affect what is available locally on the used market if you went that route. Here in the states, theres a lot of VERY good older markers for sale for dirt cheap, while new high end kit can run into the four digits.
onto more paintball details then you probably want to ever know.
Paintball guns aren't like regular firearms, so some of the things that apply to a firearm don't really apply to paintball. Accuracy is mostly determined by three factors: consistancy, barrel quality and flight charachteristics.
Consistancy on a tippmann is a big issue, they are a mass market gun, not a high end, so if you want best shot to shot accuracy, compressed air (typically a 4500psi bottle) works best, but avalability will be an issue. CO2 isn't as popular as it used to be but is still used at the low end. So whatever you can get a fill for, but if using CO2 and willign to spend the extra money, a regulator to keep a constant shot to shot pressure will help. Tippmanns (and most low market guns) tend to come with a low grade barrel. Aftermarket companies have been making barrels for decades, and many are very good. All you really need is a very smooth tube with a little porting (air holes at the end), actual grooved rifleing in paintball is a joke. Not sure what companies are still in buisness there, haven't kept up well but a decent barrel of 14 - 16 inches will make the biggest differnce. Anything longer wastes gas, anything shorter then 12 requires extra gas to get up the velocity.
Decent paint is must, walmart special paint is like most things wallmart, crap. good round paint will break and fly substantiall better. This is part of flight charachteristics I mentioned. Forget spin, rotation etc, its a fluid filled capsul, not a bullet, and it behaves like it. Resist the temptation to crank velocity and air pressure up. Paintballs perform best around 300fps, though legal restrictions may apply (for anyone reading, never shoot at people above 300 fps for safety reasons and never shoot at anyone not wearing paintball approved goggles, shop glasses = shrapnel in eyes). pushing the velocity too high actually will actually degrade accuracy, so in non sport context like this, you would be able to bump a little, but not much. Serious players often have an entire set of barrels tryign to match the paint to the bore size for a little extra accuracy, but its not treally needed.
100 to 150 ft is fair for accuracy, at longer ranges it tends to become accuracy by volume by walking your shots in but you can get out around 175ft with a good setup and paint and a big arc.
