Your views on the Ion

[Suns]

Since I like a good debate I thought I would find out people's opinion about this gun. Im sure this may have been discussed once or twice in the past. Not sure if this thread will do well, but lets see.....

The question:

Is the bog standard SmartParts Ion a good starter gun for someone who is just entering the tournament paintball world?

My view:

As I previously mentioned in another thread, which has led me to creating this thread, I personally don't think so. When I first came to tourny paintball I was told about the Ion, so I got one.

From the start I had nothing but troubles with the gun. Air leaks, reg problems, upgrades.... I just never had one good day with the gun.

You take it out the box and the first thing you do is stick a Q-lock, drop forward, and new trigger. Not really what I wanted to do but had to be done.

It is supposedly easy to take apart, but when I was new and I took it apart I was scared to touch anything. I didnt want to break it, bcs I didnt really have the money to keep fixing things.

With all the upgrades needed to actually bring the gun up to the level of all the high end markers (ego's, DM's, angels, etc) I dont believe its a nice starter marker for people just entering the sport.

Although for the price of the gun, and the cost of upgrades, its certainly does still keep up with high end markers. I know ive been shot out by some Ion's.

The Epiphany (although ive not used one) does look a lot better.

Lets see what everyone else thinks....

 

[NSKlad]

pros: fairly easy to take apart and clean.
fairly lightweight.
shoots fast enough for tourneys such as the UK Masters and NPPL.
cheap as chips to buy.
countless upgrades available.
it has eyes.

cons: you have to take the whole damn thing apart to reach the bolt.
it breaks easily if you aren't careful.
the stock asa is horrible (duckbill).
the feedneck is relatively awkward imo.
the stock barrel is cack.
some people dont like the stock trigger, but i was vaguely fond of it.
its awkward to turn on.
ive never actually used one at a tourney but apparently they bounce alot?

basically, buy a new asa, feedneck and barrel and you are fine. further ups can include a nice aftermarket board, and a bodykit which allows you to remove the bolt straight out of the back. but there are a million and one things you can do with an ion tbh...

suitable for a tourney = yes.

 

[Friswell_69]

i think that they are ine to much around with shoot ur mates paint ur the house next door pink, but as a tounrnament marker no,
they just dont cut it i got one when i started as they wer suggested to me and troubles from when it came air leaks not working i onli actualli used it like once so sold the little **** ,
then baught my self an ego6, so if any one is considering an ion just think what you want it for if its for mucking aroud with entering the od tourney every couple of months then it will be okay but if you want to use it regulary then just step in at the deap end and buy you self a top end marker (ego dm shocker etc) and then you wont have to upgrade it constantly or buy new parts for when your ion breaks AGAIN so in the long run it will be ceaper to buy a good marker then you can use he money you save on not buying upgrades spares on training and get better as well so its alll goood

 

[Suns]

Friswell, sounds like u had exactly same problem as me.

NSKlad.... you think its suitable for tournament after all them upgrades? or straight out the box?

 

[oobermybeer]

the ion is sweet, i havnt got much time as my gf is comming over, it is the perfect starter marker, gets you used to taking a marker apart, got good eyes, its cheap and fully upgradeable and customisable,

the feed neck, the duck bill, and button all suck, but you can get 10 different upgrades for each part, and upgrade the performance to an equiv of a £800 marker with £200 of upgrades, i love em, and they the softer sup air vertion of the 98. but soooo much faster, buy one, i know of pros that have thier lovely egos and blah blah blah, but thier old marker and back up markers are ion, you can gett better but not for that price,

any thing you dont like on them you can change..... and you can get them for £80 on here so they are SOOO worth the money

 

[Friswell_69]

yep i did indeed, got it off here slightly upped and it just never worked well, always somthing wrong with it first time it was an air leak then next time was it not firing, but from what iv heard of people they either work well or you get loads o problems ,
EGO FTW

 

[Suns]

This is a point brought up quite a lot BUT no one actually saying it.... out the box sucks?

You can pick them up cheap, and there's so many upgrades that its worth just getting one then upgrading it. Even with the upgrades its still cheap and makes a good back up marker.

But lets look at my original question and the points NSKlad has made.....

The question:

Is the bog standard SmartParts Ion a good starter gun for someone who is just entering the tournament paintball world?

"cons: you have to take the whole damn thing apart to reach the bolt.
it breaks easily if you aren't careful.
the stock asa is horrible (duckbill).
the feedneck is relatively awkward imo.
the stock barrel is cack.
some people dont like the stock trigger, but i was vaguely fond of it.
its awkward to turn on.
ive never actually used one at a tourney but apparently they bounce alot?"

With all the upgrades you have to put on it.... im guessing the answer is no.

Someone who has just entered the paintball world doesnt know about these upgrades. Im sure with some research and a fair amount of time spent they can find out.... but look at it this way....

You've just bought your first paintball marker.... your all excited and really want to play.... then you have to spend countless hours fixing minor problems, upgrading and learning to take it apart and put these new parts on... first impression is not gonna be good.

 

[oobermybeer]

i had no problems out of the box at all, mine was sweet, i only had a problem when i took a dremmel to it, haha

 

[JoeJr]

yes

 

[NSKlad]

Friswell, sounds like u had exactly same problem as me.

NSKlad.... you think its suitable for tournament after all them upgrades? or straight out the box?

you could play a tourney with one straight out of the box, but i would wrap a load of tape the feedneck of the gun and hopper, i dont trust that horrible lump of plastic.

You've just bought your first paintball marker.... your all excited and really want to play.... then you have to spend countless hours fixing minor problems, upgrading and learning to take it apart and put these new parts on... first impression is not gonna be good.

i can understand how you feel, especially about the leaks, the ion was my first marker too. The ups, you also have a fair point. But to be very blunt, if you view taking apart an ion as countless hours, then you are in the wrong sport mate. Ions are one of the easiest gats to take apart, and after two or three goes, it becomes a slice of pie.

in comparison to other guns, timmies for example, the ion is piss easy to take apart/maintain.