Realistic looking markers, are we going to far?

[Buddha 3]

So what have we learned? Do not get within arm's reach of your target when threatening somebody with a pistol.

seriously, I see no problem with the replicas. Sure, they can be used to rob a bank or threaten the pants off of somebody. But given the cost of a gun like that, well, let's just say I can get you a real gun for less. So anybody wanting to get a fake in order to use it for bad things, would be a lot better of getting something cheap from Toys-r-us or one of them starter guns if he needs it to bang.

 

[Jakey01]

this is where gun licences come into it, do you think it needs to happen for paintball?

i hope not, that would make less people play.

 

[Furious1337]

I think its better there getting more realistic, if they rob a shop dont they go for a pistol or sawn-off shotgun type thing?

 

[Basik]

The 'realistic' looking markers are usually used in woodsball/scenario, and in my opinion scenario and woodsball is meant to be as if you are in an 'army'. Therefore, the guns look realistic like the type of guns used in the army?

 

[stongle]

I got mugged in Dixie Fried Chicken once (1994 Snoop and Dre concert, Brixton Academy) by some yardies with umbrella's. I tried to "ninja" assess the situation too, but little did I realise it was one of those spring loaded commuter jobbies. Nearly took an eye out, nasty.


Anyway are we going too far, nope. It's like a Darwinian test. Anybody actually smart enough to blag a post office is probably going to know where to get a real shooter from. Anyone dumb enough to use a paintball marker is a frikkin clown.

 

[nhbc]

Its sad to see how litle time it takes for a thread raising an interseting point descends into utter gibberish! Makes me realise why these forums have become a place to avoid.

I agree somewhat NHBC so in an effort to keep this thread interesting and worthy of a neb I have cut all the crap out ..keep it on topic please..TFP Dskize

Having been playing from before the dawn of time and seen the struggle to move away from this type of "ooh, look at them playing soldiers" type of rubbish its sad to see it sliding back that way. There is no need for a marker to look like a real weapon, its just to satisfy the american market and in true fashion where america starts, we follow. No aspect of paintball needs markers to look like guns, they look close enough as it is. theres enough footage about on tv of riot police using tippmans for people to know a marker can be dangerous.
It would be interesting to see the response it gets when some idiot leaves one of these on display in their car.

 

[Andygoth]

The problem with realistic markers is that they come under different legislation than a normal paintball gun.

Paintball gun dressed up to look like real guns, i.e. the mp5 and m16 body kitted gun now come under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act and Violent Crime Reduction Bill. It doesn't matter that they are paintball guns just what they look like, don't use one of those anywhere but a site and don't carry it without a case or cover off site.

As for the need for realistic looking markers, Paintball started in Woodland, with guys in camo and there was tactics and shooting people and everything. Standing behind a bouncy castle throwing the equivalent of a pot of dulux at someone behind another bouncey castle is fine if you like that sort of thing but its not the whole paintball scene.

Many years ago I was stood in the carpark of an M6 service station explaining to a policeman what a Phantom and Bud Orr Sniper was as he had spotted the gun case on the back seat. It turns out that for the policeman the biggest visual problem with a paintball gun was the pistol grip and trigger, so your gun may be an interesting colour and look a little weird but it still looks like a gun.

 

[Rider]

It turns out that for the policeman the biggest visual problem with a paintball gun was the pistol grip and trigger, so your gun may be an interesting colour and look a little weird but it still looks like a gun.

so could we get rd of one element of realism by doing away with the trigger and replacing with a touch sensitive pad....?

i have no problem with "realistic" markers (for obvious reasons) but at the end of the day it is personal choice. some people like it - it does it for them. i don't think there's a "need" for them, but there is the "demand" - and that puts money in the pockets of the manufacturers which keeps paintabll going....

but "right tool for the right job" springs to mind. running my fully-tricked sp8 round the woods on remote is great - but i wouldn't do the same with a tippy X7 or shrouded A5. not due to sponsorship i'll add but due to weight. would i do the same with a non-"realistic" marker? yes. why don't i? choice. and i like the abuse the sp8 can take - it is a plastic case, but that's the point. if it gets bashed up being dropped down some stairs it is cheap enough to replace the bits. drop my (insert name) aluminium alloy bodied "tourney" marker down said stairs and i'd be going to cry in a corner....

i wouldn't take the sp8 anywhere near the sup'air field - i have other markers for that - "right tool for the job".

 

[nhbc]

I can understand the point about the right tool for job but I still dont't see the need for a marker that imitates a real gun to the Nth degree. Surely the Ion on which the SP8 is based would be just as much the right tool (plastic etc) without the need for the mock bullpup designer case?

 

[OddJob]

I think they have no place in paintball ..I hate Milsim bollocks ,If you want to play soldier join the army or take up airsoft where these things are (now) regulated, and BTW please don't get milsim confused with woodsball, different entity.I have watched people practicing drawing and firing there 'sidearm' dressed as Russian special forces and I find it sad as fook.

Some people might think spending thousands a year running around and shooting bath balls of paint similarly sad. Everyone is a geek in something, some is merely more socially acceptible but then it seems you realise this contradiction already.

Not so worried about armed robbery, they can have what I've got on me if they've got the guts, won't amount to much financially for them. What I'm more bothered by is the alcohol fuled muppets out there who want to 'ruck' every Fri/Sat night just for looking in their general direction. That's everyday stuff, armed robbery is much more rare and therefore less attention should be given to it.