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Gun Techs

Zorg

Platinum Member
Dec 21, 2007
148
1
28
38
Staffordshire, England
www.void-online.net
This is basically a thread for anyone who would describe themselves as a paintball marker technician. I consider myself a computer technician, I'm employed as a network administrator and run various websites. So naturally when I took up paintball and got myself a DM5, the first thing I wanted to do was take it apart and see how it all worked.

I've fixed numerous problems with my DM5, upgraded parts of it. I read the manual a few times and versed myself with every bit of information about how Dye Matrixes work that I could find on paintball forums. I've stripped the marker, taken apart everything that comes apart on it and put it back together successfully. Now I've purchased a DM6 as well and started doing the same to that.

I understand the risks of this method of learning, but its a risk I accept. I'm just curious where I go from here?

Did you learn to be a technician by buying and selling guns and doing this to them, did you learn purley based on reading and theory or did you just go around and do this to other peoples guns? I really have nobody locally willing to teach me about guns, and the only courses that teach this sort of thing seem to be in the US. Could be an expensive learning curve if I have to buy every type of marker and learn about each.

At what point did you decide to call yourself a technician, after you ran out of markers to learn about, did you go on a course, did you get employed by a paintball company?
 

arg1271

All the gear, no idea
Apr 6, 2006
1,113
4
63
Mooching round the 50, with the flag
many of the marker manufacturers run tech courses in the UK.

Depends on what you mean by Gun tech?

I'd consider myself pretty good with an Ion after having had two of them, and much in the same way you've done with your DM5 took it to bits, upgraded stuff and learned that way about how it works, but I wouldn't say I'm a gun tech.

Then there's the manufacturer trained and 'certified' people.

It's a bit like knowing a lot about PC's or being an MCP/MCSE
 
G

Gassy

Guest
Smartparts have just run a 2 day day tech course covering all their markers and I have been on the Dye one about 6 months ago.

Dye are running another one shortly.

Planet do them on a regular basis.

Get intouch with the revelvant manufacturers and findout when they are going to put the next ones on.

It is nice to have a certificate to say you are a gun tech from a certain manufacturer but if you know the basics you will find they apply to most markers.
 

Marcus Geezer

Platinum Member
Commercial Application

If your looking to sell yourself as a gun-tech and ask people to pay for your services, I suppose it would be best to follow Gassy's post and get yourself certified.

If your just the sort of guy who is freindly and helpful and supports your team and people around you then it is up to you as to what you call yourself and how far you take your 'self certification'.
 

balf

Mr Fantastico
May 20, 2006
1,911
4
63
Stealing Al's PC parts
Me Me Me Me.

Gutted I couldn't get a spot/have the cash for the Dye course

Did the SP course last month, good p!ss up that was.

Before I did the course I just claimed to be a self proclaimed God, much to the amusement of poppacap(sp?)
 
You can tell if someone is a tech when you give them a busted marker and it comes back fixed.

Likewise you know someone is a jockey when you send them a busted marker and it comes back more busted.

Owning a marker and leaning about it as you go seems to work for me. As previously mentioned there are only a few basic component layouts that each manufacturer sticks to with small tweaks to distinguish between them.
 

Scars

Retired tattooed lout!
a Gun tech should be like a driving license as far as im concerned..

I can move a car from A to B.... i dont have i driving license. it doesnt make me a driver

Tom Allen is a Gun Tech, Rob Peel was a Gun tech, they have done courses and have certificates to prove it. your mate that has broken so many ions he knows them from the back of his hand isnt NOT a gun tech.

2Ps worth