Please don't make threads asking what gun to buy. We call these vs threads because people usually compare one gun with another. Because everyone has their own personal preferences, this decision is taken very seriously and tends to shift from discussions to arguments. To avoid these issues, we have gathered a helpful set of tools to make this decision easier for you.
1. Check out
reviews on markers in your price range. These will provide you with opinions and common problems associated with each product. They will also show you an overall average rating.
2. Visit our
marker specific forums for detailed information on a particular brand. At the top of the page in each marker-specific forum, you will find a sticky containing tons of technical information on a product. Maintenance guides, solving leaks, upgrades, differences between each year's model, and much much more can be found here. This is the best way to learn about a marker you're interested in. If you want to read more about common problems and how to fix them, you can also browse through threads in a marker specific forum. People come here to get answers and advice.
3. Explore the manufacturer's website. One resource you can find on any given manufacturer's website is a free manual download. Although many people tend to ignore the manual, the manual contains maintenance instructions, air tank output requirements, and many other important pointers that are commonly overlooked. You can find a link to the manufacturer's website in the sticky of each marker specific forum, or you can just google it by typing in the brand name and "paintball" if you don't get paintball specific results.
4. If you're still caught between a few different markers, post up in our
endall best marker sticky. This is one of the areas of PbNation that welcomes you to ask what gun to buy. This is where you can get opinions on which of the options you provide are better for you. Make sure you include information about yourself in your post here - mention your preferred game type (woodsball, speedball, etc), your budget, your experience, and what you want to get out of a new marker. The more you tell us, the better the advice we can give you.
5. Once you have narrowed down your choices, visit your local proshop and/or field to try them out. If you aren't sure where to go, feel free to use our
field/store listings to find out what's near you. Call ahead to make sure they're open when you want to stop by. Many paintball players are happy to let you see their gun and answer questions you have about it, such as maintenance or any problems they have with it.
6. Once you know what you want to buy, visit our
buy/sell/trade section at the bottom of the home page. Here you can look for previous listings to see what the average sale price is on the gun you want to buy. Most guns on the market today have been sold here, be it new or used, so you can see a fair price for either condition.
7. Time to visit your local field/proshop. Talk to them about buying the marker you want. Even if the price may be a little higher than online, ask them what they have to offer you. Ask about service plans, maintenance work, and why you should buy from them. Most proshops have deal-matching programs in place to compete with online stores, or will work with you to reach a fair price.
Please be sure to read the
rules in the New Players section. This is the easiest way to get along with everyone here.
