[jfreak]

I would go with the M98. Out of the box it is a great little gun, just needs a barrel and a good drop forward. They are easy to maintain and easy to upgrade(even more so with the 98 custom) Besides they have one of the best standard valves when it comes to consistency on co2, and liquid co2 tolerance. The gun doesn't much care what kind of gas you are using in it, or even if you have an expansion chamber, anti siphon valve, or remote if using co2.

[pistoleer]

id go with a carbine. altho not too many a upgrades it doesnt need them, and it is as durable as an m98 and easier to clean. only draw back is you cant get a flatline for it. but you cant get one for a spyder either.

[UrbanAssault]

M98: It's durability, and easy to maintain

Spyder/Pirahna: These are good guns, and can become even better with a few upgrades. A newbie can start with this gun and slowly upgrade it to be good.

[UrbanAssault]

An autococker, or an automag wouldn't confuse you.

[frog]

I am against the whole newbie pump idea. People entering the sport especially kids, want a sense of security. For example... a kid buys a pump, goes to the field and plays. He doesn't do very good at all 'blames it on the gun' which is a pump, and decides to get a semi. To avoid this problem I would recommend buying a semi from the start.

[Magnifyer]

If I had it all to do again, I'd start reading forums before I bought a 'gun. Just to see what was working for people. That would have taken enough time to allow me to save the extra $100 to buy a complete, used Automag on eBay and have a nice easy, reliable, compact marker right from the get-go.

[SpyderShudder]

I'd reccomend a Spyder, ive been playing 3 years and im using an upgraded shutter, and its not holding me back. I have no problem playing against the high end markers. Just this weekend i eliminated a fair share of people with angels and shockers. Go with a spyder then upgrade it as you get better. Theyre easy to maintain also. you can get a Shutter for $213 at paintballgear.com.

[Pointed Stick]

Originally posted by frog
I am against the whole newbie pump idea. People entering the sport especially kids, want a sense of security. For example... a kid buys a pump, goes to the field and plays. He doesn't do very good at all 'blames it on the gun' which is a pump, and decides to get a semi. To avoid this problem I would recommend buying a semi from the start.

I have to agree with Frog. I’ve always thought this was a pretty crackbrain idea. Admittedly it dose make some sense in theory, but it sucks in application. First, most people don’t have that much money to spend on a sport they are just getting into and a pump gun isn’t that much cheaper then a semi. The idea that someone is going to be able to play for a few months with a pump and then run out and buy another gun is presumptuous. This person probably threw down $75 for their gun and another $20 for a CO2 tank. Add in $50 for a mask and another $30 for misc crap and that’s quite a bit of money, especially for a kid in school. Better I think to just go ahead and spend the extra $50 up front and get the semi.

Also, I’m skeptical about how much someone learns playing with a pump against people with semiautomatic markers. Most people struggle to begin with. I think it’s best not to handicap them further. Besides, the skills learned using a pump can still be learned with a semi. Just teach the newbies to AIM! =) If they are interested in learning, they’ll pay attention to you.

Cheers!

[automag#98]

spyders and m98s are good if you have the money i would get a shutter or tl though that is what all my friends have that just play rec-ball

[PharmaceuticalCowboy]

Well I would have to say that if you want to upgrade get a spyder and if you wanna just get one gun and play contious rec ball with it get a M98 (although i personally hate them) because you can just treat them like crap.

[TiGs]

I will also say a Spyder of some sort. Easy to maintain and lots of upgrades for future growth. Like Hyper-Frame for example.

[GattoDiavolo]

I'll have to be different and say either an F4 or a 2000 Autococker would be a good start.

F4: Durable, well made, and affordable. Shoots like a champ and accepts a fairly wide variety of upgrades (excepting electro frames, but I won't go into the sheer worthlessness of those). Its easy to field strip and maintain, and doesn't look particularly "base model" oout of the box.

2k A/C: Extremely upgradeable...buy it once and customize it to your tastes over the years. Extremely popular, with a wide knowledge base on any given field you'll play at. The newest 'cockers perform great straight out of the box, requiring little more than a barrel upgrade...no complex pneu's or valve work needed to improve it, saving newbies the trouble of having to time their gun. The downside is that at $360+, its less affordable for most newbies out there.

[Tapion]

If you are of the type that doesn't like to spend too much money on the sport and won't be upgrading much or nothing at all I'd go with an M98. They are a pain in the butt if they break up because of the clamshell design but rarely break. They don't have many upgrades but the ones that are present are good.

If you're the type that likes spending lots of money upgrading and take good care of your things I'd go with a Spyder C2K or a TL+. Even though they need to be well mantained of they are really great markers and lots of modifications in the market for them.


PeaCe
Tapion

[MThouny]

I started off with a Spyder but nowadays, Autocockers and Automags are becoming cheap and reliable enough so that a beginner to the sport can afford to purchase them

[fightinomish16]

I would have to say you should start with something decent like a compact that a lot of people could help you with, and a semi will give you a stronger start and maybe boost your confidence. I think all experienced players should take a day to play with a pump though. The other day my gun wasnt working so a friend let me use his maverick, let me say it teaches you to take the right shots. then i got surrounded on a 1 on3 and got shot 8x in the head/back/chest.....

[rulngc]

definiteley the m98 or for a little more u can get a 98 custom.

hey i started out with a tigershark and a 20 oz it made my semi game so much better it was unbelievable. i go againt a kid who started out w a 98 and wip their ***

[fogbow]

I'd have to say the M98 and F4 are the two best starting markers out there.

[hothead2]

i would recomend an angel or other high quality electro. bcuz in reality there the 'perfect' newbie gun. high rate of fire with little to no ability. but in reality this will never happen.

so i would say m98 or spyder...

but before u all go about bashing me just think about it and ull see what i mean...

[bacon182]

IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY GO GET A MAG, THEIR EASY TO CLEAN AND PUT DOWN ENOUGH PAINT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY TO BE HAPPY!!!

DONT GET A SPYDER OR 98 YOU WILL JUST END UP UPGRADING TO A MAG OR COCKER ANYWAYS

[RamboPreacher]

I have been watching htis thread since I started here at PBN (very recently). I can't believe some of the answers that are given. You should get this gun ot that electro-gizmo or the best one is this or that - evena few cocker vs mag posts.

I think the question is what is the best starting paintball marker, or at least something close to that.

Anyway. There are many factors in choosing the "best" marker. The first is budget. contrary to some, there are many "kids" (heck, your all kids to me - ehheheheheee) now a days that their folks will buy them whatever they want (this is another subject), but that does not mean that they should get a fully tricked Angel with an AIR system. It just means that the options are more open to them and the choice could be a bit more difficult.

Personally, I don't think any nu-bee (defined as a player that has never played or has played only a few times and has decided to get into it more) should have an electro-anything. My reason is that habbits are learned early on and relying on volume is not necessarily a good thing. Making a gun easy to shoot isn't necessarily the best thing for the player, especially a new player.

Although I am a "disgruntled zealot" and a member of the Jig-Pig I do NOT think that making a nubee start with a pumper is necessarily the best thing for them either.

Several variables come in to play. What field(s) are available (or not, in the case of wanting to play outlaw/renegade), what do the frineds have, what is available at the local pro-shops (if available) as far as repair techs. Does the local store service what they sell?

my personal and average suggestion for a nubee is to get something that they will be comfortable with, something that they percieve that they will be satisfied with and something that is reliable as possible. Typically this means that the m98 is the first choice. The spyder would come in a second, but because of the hot velocity problems that spyders have, this could be a negative issue.

I recently had a discussion with a father that wanted to buy his son something, and was asking my advice. He said that his son wanted a spyder because that is what all his friends had. My suggestion to him was that he should seriously consider the m98, but that if the boy was heart-set on a spyder, then that would be the best option. In this case, peer pressure was a major factor. NO matter how good anything else was, he had to have a spyder because that is what his friends had - period.

My first gun purchase was a mag, but I had been renting and borrowing pumpers and pre-pumpers for years. This was not only my first purchase, but my first semi. I would not suggest a mag or a cocker to a nubee, unless they were already aexposed to that kind of marker and at least had access to someone that could work on their marker when necessary.

reliability, maintenance, familiarity, comfort, peer pressure, budget, available fields, and even time of year and season make differences in the judgement call.