The Smart Parts Nerve is now discontinued, but is still very popular among paintball players around the world. If you are looking for a cheap, durable, fast marker, then the nerve is for you.
Smart Parts NerveWhen I first got into high end guns, I was getting into upped Impulses. I just loved the way they felt. When the Nerve came out, and I heard it was basically a super impulse, I had to get one....
When I first got into high end guns, I was getting into upped Impulses. I just loved the way they felt. When the Nerve came out, and I heard it was basically a super impulse, I had to get one.
However, because of production delays, getting these out became an issue, and their value was seriously undermined.
Performance (5)
From the get go I could tell that this was a great gun. It shot amazing, a great level of adjustability, a great reg, everything about it, right out of the box, was just right! At the time, you couldn't ask for anything more from a poppet gun.
Appearance (5)
This gun looks amazing. Curves flow throughout the gun, and even give it a feminine look. This is one of the few guns where the word "sexy" really did fit.
Size/Weight (5)
For it's time, the size and weight were perfect. Lightweight, compact, and very inviting.
Parts (5)
The Nerve came with all of Smart Parts' top of the light parts. Max Flow reg, freak barrel, q-lock feed neck, on/off asa, cricket board, so on and so forth. While today break beam eyes are standard, back then many guns only had bounce beam eyes, including the nerve.
Reliability (5)
It was a fairly simple gun, and because of this, it was very reliable. Not much on this gun could go wrong, and thus not much did go wrong.
Upgrades (4)
The second, downfall to this gun was the upgrades that were available to it. Part of this was due to the release issues, another part was the fact that this gun didn't need any upgrades.
Price (5)
Eventually, the Nerve dropped down to $450. When it hit rock bottom is when I finally picked one up for myself. At this price, these guns were a STEAL!
Overall (34/35)
This review has been rated:
Currently 5/5 stars.
Smart Parts NerveMy setup:
Blue Nerve
TonTon frame
NDZ trigger
NDZ asa
SS Freak
NDZ/Qlock Feedneck
and a bunch of different tanks
General
My setup:
Blue Nerve
TonTon frame
NDZ trigger
NDZ asa
SS Freak
NDZ/Qlock Feedneck
and a bunch of different tanks
General
I got this gun a while ago from my cousin when he quit paintball. He always told me stories of how he shot tons of paint on a single fill and how it seemed to have untraceable bounce if you knew how to shoot it. To be honest i didnt believe him one bit. But, he had the thing teched by professional technicians and kept it in great condition so, i couldnt pass up the deal. It had not been used in a long time so i had to take it apart and lube everything and change some settings to get it running smooth. I was imediatelly turned off by the kick and the height of the guns body, (as stated in other reviews it is a mix between the shocker and the impulse) well, it has the speed and accuracy of the shocker but the size and crapy bounce beam eyes of the Impulse. But, despite all that it seemed that my cousins stories were proving true. I was able to get nearly 2500 rounds off with an 88/4500 tank, and it seemed to addd alot of extra shots. I had it checked for bounce by a bot but it claimed the gun was shooting legal. I've been using it ever since.
Pros
-Shoots VERY fast.
-Quick strip bolt for easy field cleaning.
-Easy to maintain (not many complex parts).
-Efficient (if you adjust your settings just right).
-Not many people have them so you dont have to worry about someone else having your gun.
-Interchangeable parts with the Shocker suck as the trigger, frame, feedneck, and board.
-Same barrel threads as Impulse/Ion/NXT.
Cons
-Bulky (larger than the newer generation of guns like the egos and matrixes).
-Not may upgrades when it was new, making the upgrades even harder to come across now.
-Shoots so fast that if the eyes arent on the thing blends paint.
-Bounce beam eye system (you figure it would have the latest technology that the shocker had at the time of the nerve's relese but smart parts somehow screwed that up)
-SS Freak barrel is much heavier than other barrels.
-Resale is really low (around $200) compared to the original price of over $1000 when it first came out.
Conclusion
Smart Parts had a great gun on their hands, but a few design weaknesses, strong favor of the shocker, and the growing market of smaller and lighter markers destroyed its sale upon its arrival. It did not catch the attention of the mass majority of the paintball masses. So, an excellent marker slipped under the radar. The avid smart parts fans, the true gun whores, and the sponsored teams were the main crowds that tried it out. Those who gave a little extra time to tweaking the board and finding the scarce upgrades floating around, and those who knew a good gun when they saw it were the only ones who didn't get rid of them. All in all its a great gun that doesnt get the recognition it deserves.
I would recomend this gun to anyone in the sport, new or old.
This review has been rated:
Currently 4.2/5 stars.
Smart Parts Nervei just recently bought my second nerve for only $100. i'm so impressed by their performance and the dirt cheap prices you can find them for. you can't even buy a new plain model 98 at walmart for...
i just recently bought my second nerve for only $100. i'm so impressed by their performance and the dirt cheap prices you can find them for. you can't even buy a new plain model 98 at walmart for that price. and there's really no need to add anything to them, as they rip just how they come.
one bad thing i can say about the nerve is it is slightly taller than many newer guns. they are still, however, very light (except for the steel freak back) and very sexy to go w/ it. i love the easy access bolt, even though i haven't had any reason to use it yet b/c of the dependable vision system. a lot of newer high end guns aren't even this easy to field strip.
some people claim to get poor air efficiency, but i'm not sure if they have their settings balanced properly. i've tweaked mine to get as high as almost 2000 rounds off of a 68/45 (i do have the ndz bolt so that may make a small difference). maintenance is pretty simple and not needed but every so often just as w/ most other guns.
i really don't see much of a reason to pay so much more for a newer model gun as the nerve keeps w/ the times and shoots w/ the best of them. this gun was designed to be better than sft shockers, and it is just that in my opinion. same frame, basically the same electronics/solenoid, only the nerve gets way better efficiency and the shocker has a lower profile. if you're really turned off the by only having ramping and semi w/ the stock board, you can just do like i did and ape it out w/ the rampage for a very decent price. i'm somewhat disappointed the nerve is discontinued, but i'm sure that's one reason i've found mine so cheap. so if you get the chance, grab one and you won't be disappointed.
My setup:
-Blue Nerve
-NDZ Detents
-NDZ Equalizer Bolt
-APE Rampage Board
-07 Protouch Grips
-CP On/Off
-NDZ Roller Trigger
-Halo B V35
-Crossfire 68/45 LP
-and a stock Black Nerve
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.7/5 stars.
Smart Parts NerveI got My nerve a year ago in a trade. Since then it has performed flawlessly other than for a few problems due to user error. It can keep up with most any other guns on the market. It is a bit heany...
I got My nerve a year ago in a trade. Since then it has performed flawlessly other than for a few problems due to user error. It can keep up with most any other guns on the market. It is a bit heany when compared to the new markers but not outragously so. It shares several upgrades with the shocker marker such as trigger, Frames, and Boards. Unlike egos and DMs you will not pay a fortune for a nerve which shoots just as nicely as them. Also if it is a pretty uncommon marker to see at the field if you like having somthing not many others have.
NERVE SUPREMACY
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.5/5 stars.
Smart Parts NerveThe gun:
---------------
Gloss Gold SP Nerve
-Freak Barrel
-Nasty X regulator
The gun:
---------------
Gloss Gold SP Nerve
-Freak Barrel
-Nasty X regulator
Description:
This was the first SP gun i owned, and i was impressed with it. It was a great shooting gun. I liked the nerve more than a SFT, but both are great guns. The nerve came stock with some pretty good upgrades. The nerve board was great, the freak barrel, and the quick release bolt was very helpful (i wish they would incorporate this into the shockers). I actually liked the body of the nerve more than a shocker, and it seemed a little smaller when comparing the two side by side. For about $200-$300 on nation, the nerve is a great buy, rather than buying an ion or mini IMO. Especially if the nerve was released as a $1000 gun a few years back.
Pros:
-Price: Like stated above, i would buy a nerve again for $200 bucks, it is worth it to own one at this price. Since they were a grand in 05, the value plummitting like it did means there will probably be no more nerves, but it is worth having a great gun for as cheap as a NIB ion.
-Look and Feel: The Nerve looks great, and feels very similar to a shocker. It also is fairly light.
-Good parts: Freak Barrel, easy release bolt, and the nerve board made the nerve great, maybe not for a grand, but for the price they are going for now.
Cons:
-Air Efficiency: I could never seem to get my nerve to be decent on air. Of course i owned one almost 2 years ago, and really didn't know much about setting dwell and such, so i couldn't pin my lack of knowledge on the gun.
-Value: You can buy one for $200-$300 here on nation, but for those who have owned one from the beginning know that the value has plummitted, which means reselling the nerve wouldn't be worth it unless you are tight on cash or looking for a little extra to buy a new gat.
I would love to own another Nerve in the future, they were a really solid gun and performed quite well.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.5/5 stars.
Smart Parts NerveThe nerve to me represented a kind of cross between the shocker and the impulse. It looked good, felt good, was easy to work on and performed decently. The gun had too much kick IMO though and it...
The nerve to me represented a kind of cross between the shocker and the impulse. It looked good, felt good, was easy to work on and performed decently. The gun had too much kick IMO though and it kind of ruined it. If it had shot a little smoother I would have kept mine. The board isn't very nice, and the manual for the nerve was VERY POORLY WRITTEN! It upset me as a tinkerer to not be able to check the manual for everything I needed to know. The SP forums helped me out quite a bit though. The stock barrel is extremely accurate but kind of heavy. The inserts I had for it gave me good matches with my paint. If you're looking at Nerve for around $150 I say go for it, its a somewhat underrated marker
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.5/5 stars.
Smart Parts NerveI am not going to write a full review on this marker, since I would just be repeating everything everyone on here says.
Mine is a simple nerve with upgraded bolt and 45 degree hpr adjuster and...
I am not going to write a full review on this marker, since I would just be repeating everything everyone on here says.
Mine is a simple nerve with upgraded bolt and 45 degree hpr adjuster and otherwise 100% stock. I own alot of markers and no, it's not as light as my PM8, but I use it none the less. I wish that it came with breakbeam eyes and better eye logic, but that's really about it. (and a smaller LPR would be nice)
If you are looking at one of these, for the price they cannot be beat.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.3/5 stars.
Smart Parts NerveI bought this gun over a year ago and at the time the price was just right. I own many paintball markers but still had no high end marker. My LPR would allways mess up on me so I got a bob long reg....
I bought this gun over a year ago and at the time the price was just right. I own many paintball markers but still had no high end marker. My LPR would allways mess up on me so I got a bob long reg. from another marker.And let me tell you that thing works flawlessly. I'm very pleased with my purchus.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3/5 stars.
Smart Parts NerveThis was a great gun even when it was retailing for over $1000. Comes stock with arguably the best barrel system on the market, a great reg (although a little heavy), Locking feedneck, pro-touch...
This was a great gun even when it was retailing for over $1000. Comes stock with arguably the best barrel system on the market, a great reg (although a little heavy), Locking feedneck, pro-touch grips, ramping board, on/off bottomine. There are few upgrades available however they aren't required. Most of the upgrades I have on my setup are more about appearance or personal preferance. The only true weakness I see in this marker is the SP on/off bottomline. I felt it somewhat restricts airflow and is unreliable. This however is an easy fix, given the number of other top options available on the market. The other upgrade i felt was a must was a new board. It has several different modes but lacks the adjustability tinkerers love. All in all it has been a top performer for me. The only platform i like more than the Nerve is a Tmmy, though they have their flaws as well. The Nerve is a great deal worth picking up if the opportunity presents itself.
My setup
NDZ slik trigger, backplate, manifold, ram, lpr tester.
Virtue Board
Hybrid Vert adapter 15*-still brand new-pictured w/ NDZ
Hybrid 06 grips
CP reg
Dark Shocker Frame
CP Direct Mount
This review has been rated:
Currently 3/5 stars.
Smart Parts NerveIt shoots great and requires little maintenance. It's also fast and accurate. There isn't much to upgrade because you don't need it. It's just too bad SP stopped producing the Nerve. I have...
It shoots great and requires little maintenance. It's also fast and accurate. There isn't much to upgrade because you don't need it. It's just too bad SP stopped producing the Nerve. I have everything fully upgraded and I don't see much performance difference. SP did their homework on this gun.
Pros
-Easy to clean
-Fast
-Efficient
-No need for upgrades
-Reliable
Cons
-Reflective eyes not break-beam
-Stock board has little adjustments
Upgrades
-Virtue board
-NDZ Detents
-NDZ Manifold
-NDZ EQ Bolt
-NDZ Slik trigger
-Shocktech ASA
-Dark Seoul clear grips
-LPR upgrade from SP
