Empire has incorporated a unique, patented valve and flow technology design into this high performance tournament-grade marker. The single tube poppet system is innovative, and delivers incredible velocity, consistency and accuracy. The Mini is small, but ergonomically designed to fit right and exceed your expectations.
Empire Mini(Price was a package including a PE 3000 psi composite tank and eVo 3 loader.)
I haven't seen alot of posts talking about their mini working great from the start in the forums. I assume that is...
(Price was a package including a PE 3000 psi composite tank and eVo 3 loader.)
I haven't seen alot of posts talking about their mini working great from the start in the forums. I assume that is because those owners are too busy playing!
Anyhow, I got to take my mini out this weekend with some friends. They were using field guns and I had my shiny new mini and a new PE tank (yeah, I'm a jerk). This is my first electronic marker and only my second new gun purchase. My first was my beloved 1994 ProLite. Rex used that one and looooves it. I think it scares some of the kiddies.
I nervously put the tank on fearing something horrible might happen after the stuff I have read online. No problem. It was set to a clean 200 PSI. Next, I hooked up the hopper and went over to the chrono. It was shooting about 285ish, over the field limit. So I turned it down. Except I am a ******* and turned it the wrong way a quarter turn. At this point I was still in awe over the trigger. I was afraid the slight side-to-side wiggle would be an issue. It wasn't. In fact, the trigger was so sensitive it kind of freaked me out. Coming from a spring sear trigger it seemed like I just barely touched the trigger and it fired. No pull necessary. Just the most infinitesimally small contact.
A few quick turns later and it was chronoing extremely tight, like +-3 fps over 4 balls. Yup. I was amazed, to say the least. After chronoing the ProLite in (actually I left Rex to do it and it took a *bit* longer than usual because I hadn't closed down the front velocity valve after my last full dissassembly cleaning- oops.) we were ready to go.
We started on the back fields, which were dark (indoor field, semi auto only). But the LEDs make it easy to see the mini's status. So we played, and the gun scared me a little bit. Seriously, it spat paint so easily it was unreal. But it was also accurate- I could pop off single longballs and sting a hopper crossfield. I was just a bit nervous that before the game my finger would tap the trigger and paint the ground! Ah, e-gun noobery.....
It quickly became apparent that this was seriously mismatched against the field guns with gravity hoppers, so being the fair guy I am, I switched to a gravity hopper (also, the field refs threatened to pull me out of the newb crew if I didn't ). That was fun- that mini could pop out about 3 balls at a time before I had to shake. So I developed a nice pop-pop-pop-shake-pop-pop-pop firing pattern. The mini didn't seem to mind, though and spat just as happily with gravity as the e-loader.
The mini continued to perform and about 4 hours in I decided to chrono and see how I was doing. +-2 fps over 3 shot batches impressed the refs greatly. (I believe the exact quote was,"Freaking sweet!") I was giggling like a schoolgirl (in my head, of course ).
Over the course of about 7 hours, I went through a case. Performance was great. Air consumption was a non-issue (unlimited air), but was minimal with the gravity hopper and only minor with the egg on (maybe 200 psi per game).
Comfort was about the only issue I had, I am so used to a single finger trigger, I kept putting my other three below the trigger guard. This lead to some uncomfortable rubbing (not noticeable in game, but I noticed the tender area the next day). Fortunately, I adapted and started holding it right eventually. Needless to say, this greatly increased ROF and paint consumption with the electric hopper on. I can't really say this is a problem with the mini as the trigger is obviously a two finger design and great when held properly. In fact, after "getting it", I found I could quickly snapshoot and run and gun the marker like a pistol- it was light enough that the forward stabilization of my left hand wasn't necessary, though it would, of course, increase accuracy. This was a nifty perk though when someone appeared on the side at fairly close range.
Late in the day we played 2 man teams with advanced players. The mini with egg had no problem hanging with any gun (even as a relative newb facing a tricked out Ego I was doing just fine and we went about 50/50). I bet it will work even better with the Vlocity Jr (lower profile, easier to reload in a game, higher feed rate).
At the end of the day, I wiped down the gun and removed any visible paint residue. 0 ball breaks meant the inside was clean. At home, I washed the barrel. Tonight I plan to check and lube the bolt. (I have some lurker on the way, I hear it is some solid lube, but will use the stock lube for now).
All in all I loved playing with the gun and definitely am glad I picked it up. Next time, I will let Rex try it out and see if I can go back to the PLite.
Update: I lubed the bolt and found it very easy to do. One screw is all that had to be removed and the bolt slides right out the back. I did have an issue with it sticking a bit, but using an open palm to strike the opposite side of the frame was all it took to get it out. After lubing the O-rings, make sure you line it up properly and it pops right into place. After lubing, I didn't have the problem with the bolt sticking in, so I assume that the factory lube job was probably a bit thin was all. A visual inspection of the bolt showed that the front bolt O-rings were sufficiently lubed from the factory and I saw no indication of wearing or scoring. Always a good thing.
Some of the body does conduct paint into grooves which require some attention to clean (around the reg, etc.), but a cotton swab is all you really need. I didn't find any need to remove anything other than the barrel to fully clean any splatter or paint. Since the mini is compact, the surface area cleans quickly. I wiped mine down between games and that was sufficient. At home I removed any remaining residue on the marker exterior in less than 10 minutes.
This review has been rated:
Currently 4/5 stars.
Empire MiniI bought my mini off of my friend for $50! He sold it to me so cheap because apparently it was "broken". All I had to do was to replace the bolt alignment screw and I was good to go. So pretty much I...
I bought my mini off of my friend for $50! He sold it to me so cheap because apparently it was "broken". All I had to do was to replace the bolt alignment screw and I was good to go. So pretty much I got a brand new mini for $90.
The mini shoots amazing, I use it as my main marker so I use it in woodsball, airball, or just messing around in the back yard.
Long story short, I RECOMMEND THIS MARKER. And Empire came out with new colors, check out AnsGear.com they have lots of cool stuff and lots on Minis
happy shooting!
This review has been rated:
Currently 4/5 stars.
Empire MiniPros:
Very small- (Get a 20$ bill, and line it up with the body. That is how big the body is).
Very easy to maintain- (There is one screw on the back of the gun under the bolt guide. Unscrew it,...
Pros:
Very small- (Get a 20$ bill, and line it up with the body. That is how big the body is).
Very easy to maintain- (There is one screw on the back of the gun under the bolt guide. Unscrew it, the bolt comes out. You wipe the bolt off with a cloth, relube it, and your done.)
Quiet- (Once you have the right settings, the gun is just as loud as the solenoid click. Well, maybe not THAT quiet, but you get the point. )
Not much kick- (Like I said above, if you have the right settings, this gun will have very little kick.)
KEE Action sports customer service- (If your Mini breaks down for some reason, call KEE at 1800-220-3222 and they will help you out. They have GREAT customer service.)
No macroline - (There is no macroline on the Mini. The air goes through the grip frame.)
VERY efficient- (The Mini is AMAZING, in how efficient it is. Stock, I would say about 1400-1500 shots with the right settings. However, if you get an aftermarket bolt, and maybe a spring kit, *Cough* NDZ V2 bolt and spring kit *Cough* and you have the right settings, you can get a box of paint off a tank.
Fast- (Even though the stock board is capped at 20, with an aftermarket board, and the right settings, you can reach up to 28 bps.)
Consistent- (I get about +-2 on the chrono.)
Stock barrel- (The Mini stock barrel is an amazing one. Of course its not better the most aftermarket barrels such as Stiffis, Dye ULs and such, but if your low on funds, the stock barrel is perfect for you.)
Cons:
Trigger- (Some say the trigger is sloppy, and that it has too much side to side movement. That can be fixed by getting an aftermarket trigger. However, with the right adjusting, I think that the trigger is perfect.
Trigger Magnet glue- (I think the glue keeping the magnet on top of the trigger is weak. I have not had a problem with it coming off, but other people have. If it comes off, just superglue it back on.)
No on/off ASA- (There currently is no on/off asa for the Mini. Some people may think that this is very annoying. However, there are two on/off adapters that you can buy, and it will work the same as an on/off. Its called the NDZ thread saver, and the Smartparts on/off adapter.)
Conclusion:
Okay. I got the Invert Mini on 6/12/07, for 300$ Brand new. In my opinion, this gun is the best bang for the buck that you can buy. You may have heard that it chops alot from other people, but that is because they arent up to date, and dont know that the poppet problems KEE (Invert) USED to have are fixed. Its a great gun, and if you get one, im sure you will be very happy with it. I know I am.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.9/5 stars.
Empire MiniCleaning and maitenence is very simple with the Mini. All the tools, O-rings, misc screws and lubricant to keep you marker running at optimal performance are included with the Mini, as well as the...
Cleaning and maitenence is very simple with the Mini. All the tools, O-rings, misc screws and lubricant to keep you marker running at optimal performance are included with the Mini, as well as the Mini tags, a 12" auto cocker threaded stock barrel ( wich is one of the best stock barrels i have ever used), barrel plug and a easy to follow manual.
Removal of the rear grip frame screw alows you to remove the bolt guide, bolt and spring for fast on the spot cleaning and lubrication. Removal of the back cap/velocity adjuster gives you acces to the pessure controlled popet for lubrication.
The Mini has no external macro line (air transfer hose), the ASA (air source adapter) and pressure guage are mounted on the bottom of the grip frame and suply air to the Mini via the air tranfer tube inside of the grip frame wich also houses the solonoid.
The foregrip houses the control board and the 9v battery, I recomend using a Duracell to power the Mini. the Minis features include, capped max rate of fire of 20 BPS (balls per second) Semi, PSP ramping, NXL full auto and Milennium ramping fire modes. Changing the max ROF (rate of fire) and ramping points are easy to do and are clearly spelled out in the Mini manual.
The Minis operating pressure is under 200 psi and a HPA tank with a low pressure regulator is highly recomended but not nececery.
Do not use Co2 with this marker!
Weighing in at just under 2 lbs the Mini is one of the lightest markers on the market today. Out of the box the Mini requires no upgrades to be able to compete with any high end marker, however there are several aftermarket upgrades for the mini that are available now for purchase.
This is a multi use marker for speedball tourneys, recball and woodsball play. The Mini boast some of the most advanced tecnology on the market. Dollar for dollar the Mini is unbeatable in quality and value.
Easy maitenence, no plastic parts, and reliable performance.
As for Customer service or trubble shooting if you should have a problem, Kee, the Invert forums Mega sticky, and the majority of the people in the Invert fourum will provide you with any other information you will ever need on the Mini.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.8/5 stars.
Empire MiniI love my Mini. Its a great marker for someone that doesn't want to spend the cash on a super high end marker but wants something more reliable then the low end markers.
The mini is very small. It...
I love my Mini. Its a great marker for someone that doesn't want to spend the cash on a super high end marker but wants something more reliable then the low end markers.
The mini is very small. It is also very comfortable to hold. I am a bigger guy about 5' 11" and 200 pounds and i love the way it feels also my girlfriend 5' 6" and 120 pounds said that its the most comfortable marker she has used. She doesn't play regularly so she uses my equipment and has used my shockers, etek ego and my low ends when we play in the woods(tippman, spyder, ect). So big or small its a great feeling marker.
Only downfall i would say is that it is spring return. I just like having an LPR or having an air return because I feel it alows me to fine tune the marker a little better and reduce the kick.
Great marker and would suggest this to any player that wants a reliable easy to work with marker.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.8/5 stars.
Empire MiniOk I'm going to make this short and sweet.
When I first got the gun, I noticed that it was light, small, and looked very nice. They also gave me some lube for the bolt that I...
When I first got the gun, I noticed that it was light, small, and looked very nice. They also gave me some lube for the bolt that I use.
Performance
-When I aired it up, I had no problems what-so-ever. Stock barrel was alright, in fact, it was really good for a stock barrel. Then I bought a stiffi so I could make the gun even more lighter, and it was great. This gun just shoots very well. I also have to mention that the Mini is very quiet, almost no kick, and a little adjusting to the trigger and this will shoot awesome for you.
Maintenance
-Easy. Simple as that. You unscrew one screw, twist out the back cap, lube the orings and bam your done. It takes me about 2-4 minutes to clean it.
Electronics
-This part of the gun is very simple as well. With videos on Youtube, and the manual, changing settings is very simple. You can change modes, ROF, Dwell, and Tourny caps. All you have to do is press two buttons, the power button for down, and the little button for up.
Appearance
-I rated this 4 out of 5 because we all know, that the Mini looks kind of dull. Maybe if they put some extra cool milling it would look nicer. Still, that's preference.
Value
-You can find the Minis now for 325$ new almost anywhere. And some sites even have discounts.
Reliability
-I have owned a mini for a descent amount of time and have yet to have a problem. Usually the only problems I see are people with low battery or if they have the first generation Mini.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.6/5 stars.
Empire MiniWel i have used my Invert a few times and it is very very fast shooting, considering i only use semi. i have never chopped a ball with it and have shot about three cases out of it.I bet the main...
no macro line,very light,very small,great out of box
Cons:
no on/off ASA
Wel i have used my Invert a few times and it is very very fast shooting, considering i only use semi. i have never chopped a ball with it and have shot about three cases out of it.I bet the main reason you are looking at this is because you cant decide between Dangerous Power G3, PMR, or Invert Mini.Well i have shot al of them and the mini is the smoothest shooting. If you do get a Mini you really dont need to get any upgrades,except maybe a new barrel. CONCLUSION invert mini is the best spent 300 dollars i have ever done.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.6/5 stars.
Empire MiniI have loved the mini since I bought it. Overal, it is the best marker I have ever had. I only had one problem with the trigger magnet, which was an easy fix.
I have loved the mini since I bought it. Overal, it is the best marker I have ever had. I only had one problem with the trigger magnet, which was an easy fix.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.5/5 stars.
Empire MiniThe Invert Mini is a great gun after I messed with the settings for a while. It would go through tournaments without chopping once but at random times it would chop like crazy. I first thought it was...
The Invert Mini is a great gun after I messed with the settings for a while. It would go through tournaments without chopping once but at random times it would chop like crazy. I first thought it was the bolt so i bought an orange bolt.
NEVER BUY AN ORANGE BOLT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The orange bolt was the worst buy of my life. The gun would chop more and stop working. After that i put the stock bolt back in and changed the eye setting to delay the shots a little bit and it was perfect!
Everything else about it is perfect. Shoots great, light weight, really really good price. All in all the Invert Mini is a great buy.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.4/5 stars.
Empire MiniThe mini is an amazing gun
This gun is perfect right out of the box, my boss is good friends with the designer of the gun and he was talking about how it's designed to not need anything to make it...
This gun is perfect right out of the box, my boss is good friends with the designer of the gun and he was talking about how it's designed to not need anything to make it compete with other high end guns.
Great stock barrel, great board, very simple and easy to do maintenance on.
I got a stiffi switch kit and a tadao board and this thing is amazing. extremely consistent on the chrono. I don't even notice a kick, very accurate with my stiffi. It's extremely light as well, and THE quiestest gun I've seen at our field (with my stiffi on) It's also very small but not so small it's awkward or uncomfortable. It eliminated many normal problem areas( like putting the reg in the handle so no more leaking macro lines)
With the tadao board I have a million different mode combinations (so many I will never need but just cool to have!) This gun rips hardcore.
Some people complain about the looks but I like the gun, it's nice and simple, not too stupid futuristic looking but also doesn't look so real like a BT or something. A nice anno would really make this gun look amazing.
Kee has great service, my button got stuck on the tadao board with the body, it just needed a little fixing but Kee replaced the whole body (it had a little scratch on it) and they replaced the trigger to match the gun. (silver)
Overall This gun is amazing for such a low price tag, add a barrel, board, bolt and maybe trigger and it'll be untouchable, This can easily run with those high end guns (DM's, PMs, egos) but if you're stuck on having an insanely expensive gun do yourself a favor and get a mini for a backup-it won't ever let you down!
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