Paintball Buyer’s Blog

We’ve really stepped up the selection on BT paintball markers these days. From very humble beginnings they have grown into a powerhouse company and this year’s line up has something for every recreational, woods and scenario paintball player.

What’s awesome about BT markers is their modular design. The BT-4 Combat…

is the base model featuring a main body with two long tactical rails, a righthand feed that slides forward for easy on-field breech cleaning, foregrip and accepts the popular A5 barrel thread. Maintanence is minimal and the reliability and build is awesome. Based on this simple design they also offer the CQB (Close Quarter Battle) style of the BT-4 SWAT, the AK look of the BT-4 Banshee, the M16 feel of the BT-4 Assault or the fully loaded BT-4 Ironhorse featuring an M16 Apex Barrel.

All these models are also available in a full ACU Digital Camo finish and the Banshee can be had with a sweet woodgrain look stock!

Of course, there are tons of accessories that let you build your BT-4 a la carte. One of the most common upgrades is the Electronic Gripframe for speeding up the rate of fire and burst/ full auto options. For those playing with CO2 they offer two expansion chambers to improve the gas efficiency and consistency, the standard model and one styled after an M16 magazine. If you don’t need an expansion chamber but still like the look of a magazine they’ve got you covered as well with the BT-4 M16 Clip that simply bolts onto the tac rail in front.

The popular collapsible CAR stock is available in composite or aluminum but the one I’m really diggin’ is the F.E. model. Its lightweight and with a rubber buttplate for comfort and grip against your shoulder. There’s a little storage compartment as well for those little itty bitty things you might lose on the field or for secret mission items during a scenario game.

We now have all models of the Apex Barrel in standard, M16 and AK…

but one product I’m really excited to have now is the BT-4 Bipod. These will mount through any m16/ m4 style barrels foregrip to steady your aim for those one ball sniper shots or when laying down a barrage at range. Two spring loaded legs with rubber feet fold up under the barrel when not in use. If you don’t have an M16 barrel on your marker you need not worry, as BT also made a Bipod Barrel Adapter to let you mount it to virtually any paintball barrel out there.

Wow… I actually didn’t realize just how much BT stuff we have now. I would run out of the space they let me post at one time. Go check out our website and type “BT” in the search bar on the homepage. Its an impressive line up of hardcore woodsball, recreational and scenario paintball gear. Every time I think BT can’t be any more creative they wow me with something new.

Viewloader has just announced it is discontinuing the venerable 12vt Revolution, the classic electric loader. While still a great loader, it was starting to show its age in today’s world of faster and faster rates of fire. However, Viewloader have a new contender stepping into the ring.

The Revolution Force and Eye-Force, priced $29.99-74.99, will be the new generation of Viewloader feeding markers in the entry to midlevel range. The new shell shape will be much easier to wipe clean between games and moves the paintballs down to a carousel much like their high end Vlocity loaders. The Force is a continous feed (turn it on and it stays running) with a flexible paddle pushing paint down the feedneck. The Eye-Force utilizes a breakbeam eye system to engage the motor and features a three bladed spring loaded catchcup (again, similar to the high end Vlocity). This pushes the paintballs forward to the breech and keeps them under tension for fast smooth operation.

The Force and Eye-Force will be shipping soon, and deserves a good look from budget-minded players who need a lot of speed for not a lot of money.

Added 6/14/2007…. see my post on 6/12/2007 for an update!

2007 is gearing up to be the Year of the Mid Priced Paintball Marker with the Smart Parts Epiphany, Proto Matrix Rail and Invert Mini battling for the $400 price range. The Smart Parts Ion proved that high performance at a lower cost was possible but the marker does have its limitations out of the box. These three manufacturers are gunning for the player who wants high performance on a budget but doesn’t want “just another Ion”. Which is the best choice? Well, depends on what you’re looking for…

The Smart Parts Epiphany ($399.95) is based off the proven Ion platform, with many of the accessories for Ions also working on it. That right there scores big in my book, I own an Ion and absolutely love its performance and simplicity. Combine that with familiar maintanence and the Epiphany is the logical choice for an Ion owner looking to upgrade. The body, gripframe and reg cover are machined from magnesium alloy for weight and polished to a mirror finish. The Firebolt, on/off ASA and new style Freak Jr. Barrel come standard. The firing can has been upgraded as well. Sleeve inserts for the can are included so the player can tweak the volume of air and find their favorite setting for gas efficiency and recharge rate. I think its cosmetically the best looking of the three.

The Proto Matrix Rail ($399.95) is one of the lightest markers you’ll find. The big buzz about this one is that it has a polymer frame but don’t worry… this is the good plastic, the kind that is incredibly tough and doesn’t look out of place. The LPR (Low Pressure Reg) has been removed and replaced with cleverly designed internals that is still gentle on paint with less recoil. I expect to see some of these design changes worked into the PM and DM series markers next year. What you get is incredibly fast rates of fire, easy tuning (just one allen wrench to adjust the inline regulator for velocity) and the easiest maintanence of all three contenders. Proto already offer aluminum upgrades if the plastic parts are not to your taste including the Utralite Frame ($199.95) which is probably the most comfortable gripframe you’ll ever feel!

Last is the Invert Mini ($399.95), one of the most sought after markers on the planet at this time. The operating system places the pneumatics in the gripframe and the battery and board in the foregrip. The entire package is lightweight and TINY! I test shot one at World Cup and couldn’t believe the amount of paint that can come out such a small package. The ASA houses the inline regulator and feeds the air into the grip so there are no exposed airlines outside the body. The downside to this totally new design is a lack of accessories like different ASAs or grips but word is Custom Products, Hybrid and other aftermarket companies already have options in the works. Gas efficiency is the best of the three, providing about 1400-1500 shots from a 68/4500psi tank. While the Epiphany features a standard feedneck and Rail a screw clamping model, the Mini comes standard with the gotta-have lever feedneck.

All three paintball markers do what they were designed to do… throw paint like the big boys at half the cost. Which one is best? Each has its strengths and the winner will emerge when the dust clears. These are the three markers I’m keeping an eye on this year!

John

If you’re reading this, then you’re probably a paintball player. So am I, going on 20 years now. Ever since my first game in 1987 I have been involved in this crazy sport of ours as a player, marker tech, player, referee, player, salesperson, player, store manager, player, buyer for Paintball-Online.com and a player. Why do I mention being a player so many times? Because thats what makes me qualified for the job that I do in choosing the products that we sell. I love my job and get to see and test and experience all the cool new toys, trends and changes. This column will give the readers a view into the huge crazy world that is paintball in all its forms.

Paintball has changed a lot since 1987. My first game was at a tiny indoor field called Cops and Robbers in Campbell, CA. Crosman .50cal revolvers (yes, revolvers!) pistols and shop goggles with no face protection that fogged instantly when you put them on. Primitive and very unsafe by modern standards but unfotunately the sport was new and that was all there was to be had. Go to an outdoor field and everyone wore facepaint and camo. You could tell the “pros” by who had the most homemade mods slapped on their marker by hose clamps and electrical tape. Paintballs were anywhere from $1 to $3 per tube of ten. A full case was $215  and probably 9 months old as well. Ah, the the good ol’ days…

Nowadays, high quality fresh paintballs can be bought for as low as $40 or less, goggle systems protect more with less fog and the markers are more reliable at a lower cost. You don’t need to make your own accessories, everything you can imagine is widely available. It is the best time ever to enjoy paintball!

Check back in as I post on what’s new, what’s hot and whats going on behind the scenes.

John