Marker - UK Regulations? , Just paintball? Where can i play speedball?

[Fragon]

Hi my names Michael and I'm also new to the sport I'm a uni student based in High Wycombe.

Few Basic Questions guys:

What Marker?: I'm purely interested in speedball, not so much woodsball so i need a marker purely for that. I've read somewhere that we have some tough regulations on paintball markers here in uk, apparently they can't be as powerful as the ones they use in US. I got the mask i wanted already, purchased from just ptbl and i was thinking about geting the marker from that same site. Now, do all those markers displayed there meet uk standards and regulations and if so... What are the regulations like in france. I'm asking because 2011 world cup is happening there and other major events, is marker legal in UK as good as markers they use there? And what are these UK regulations exactly at the moment?

Where can i play? I know its a mistake to post this before investigating my local "Skirmish" site in wycombe but my guess is that they don't have a proper speedball field there. I am guessing that the only way for me to play speedball in this country is to join a team and play on practice sessions right? Where would u recommend i go first once i have my marcer and gear ready? I don't want to book a scenario day and just show up with my tournament marker and spend 100 pound or more on paint alone (which brings me to my last question)

Paint at sites is expensive! With a 'proper' marker i you are likely to use say... 500 paintballs a match? They charge 7 pounds for each 100... that's definitely not for a poor students pocket is there a way around that? i know some sites have open days where u can bring your own paint but where can i play Speedball regularly and not spend a fortune on my paint?

i know its a lot to just reed let alone respond to but i will very much appreciate your help.

 

[Dark Warrior]

Some one is mis-informing you
Rules are very much similar around the world - there are slight variations but nothing too significant
Markers are built for global distribution so can be used anywhere where paintball is legal

To make things easier for you

Give Yorkie a ring @ BricketWood - 0844 745 5000 - 07968 120 424

Site is only 35 minutes away from you - loads of Tournie teams there and you can get to look at guns the lads use, if you ask nicely.

 

[uk2008]

dont quite get what you mean by as powerfull markers as in the u.s
the main rules in britian to do with markers concern the fireing types and pressure the gun is operating at,

we aren't allowed to use fully auto or psp (3 shot burst) in this country due to the pressures that occur within the gun,
also as long as you dont exceed 300 fps for shooting (this is normally only allowed at tornaments) your own site may have differnt rules, (mine they want it to around 270ish)
err a good youtube channel to look up is techpb its american based but he has done great reviews and realy helps you know what to get to get into the sport,
err marker wise i have used a etek 3 LT, have a look around on forums and see what people say too,
buying 2nd hand is probably the way to go if your on a budget you could probably pick up a 07 ego now for around £250 and ego's are high end tornament markers but also reliable you can throw them in your kit bag after play take it out weeks later and it will still work normally,

as i said though go to http://www.youtube.com/user/paintballtechpb
budget baller show, shows how to get into paintball especially if your on a budget- (being in uni myself i know you probably are )

 

[uk2008]

oh and the tech p.b forums ---- www.techpb.com

some guns dont ship over here, azodine and tanks like ninja

but you should be able to get a good idea of what to get

 

[Exile]

dont quite get what you mean by as powerfull markers as in the u.s
the main rules in britian to do with markers concern the fireing types and pressure the gun is operating at,

we aren't allowed to use fully auto or psp (3 shot burst) in this country due to the pressures that occur within the gun,

I'm going to have to stop you there, firing modes like the ones you describe are not used in the UK due to insurance coverage. Nothing to do with "pressures" what so ever.

err a good youtube channel to look up is techpb its american based but he has done great reviews and realy helps you know what to get to get into the sport,
err marker wise i have used a etek 3 LT, have a look around on forums and see what people say too,
buying 2nd hand is probably the way to go if your on a budget you could probably pick up a 07 ego now for around £250 and ego's are high end tornament markers but also reliable you can throw them in your kit bag after play take it out weeks later and it will still work normally,

as i said though go to http://www.youtube.com/user/paintballtechpb
budget baller show, shows how to get into paintball especially if your on a budget- (being in uni myself i know you probably are )

Personally I find the sycophantic rabble at techpb to be unreliable, and Mike himself to be agenda-ridden and biased.

I would suggest the OP ask questions on this extremely knowledgeable and for the most part unbiased forum and read up the myriad of information etc. already available before subjecting himself to the horrors of a techpb youtube video and it's comments...

also don't forget to check with the site sponsors - companies like LiPS, BZ etc. have well deserved reputations for clear, honest advice and great service.

 

[uk2008]

allthough some rabble it helped me get into the sport and there is a lot of info there

 

[onasilverbike]

As Exile has pointed out, fire modes are restricted (as are rates of fire) by the sites and/or organisers due to insurance rather than regulation. FPS (Feet Per Second), the velocity that the paintball leaves the barrel of the marker (also known as 'muzzle velocity') is also restricted, legally to 300 fps, often by sites/organisers to 280 fps, occasionally a little lower.

Often the fill pressure of air systems is restricted to 3000 psi, though many are designed for 4,500 psi fills, again due to safety/insurance rather than regulation.

None of this makes them less "powerfull" than those in the US or, any where else.

If you want a look at various kit; and get good solid advice. the best (only) walk-in shop in the area to go to would LiPS, click in the icon on the left-hand-side at the top of the page for contact details.

As Eric has pointed out, Bricketwood, near St Albans in Herts is your closest full-on tournament training site, look for the beginner threads started by Yorkie Man on these forums.

Your local site in Wycombe is a very good one, it would be worth getting in touch with them. The 'Topcats' tournament team is based out of there. I haven't been there in a while, but from memory, they don't have an inflatable 'SupAir' field, but do have a good selection of natural woodland and man-made fields. They also hold a monthly 'walkon' for 'own-gunners' wher you can turn up with your 'tournament' marker and not be out of place, also, you will be able to purchase paint by the case of 2000 for much less than the usual site prices, they also have rental equipment for a nominal fee, if you haven't quite got all your own.

Paintball sites generally make no money from game fees, therefore, the only thing they can make money on is paint sales, hence there is a significant mark-up on the price of paint so they can cover their operating costs. As an own gunner you should see a significant saving here.

There is a wealth of advice available on these forums, mostly good, some bad/misinformed, if you want to endure the inane ramblings of a self-opinionated, throbby-veined, shouty-man, then by all means watch the techpb youtube piffle.

I would always advise that a new player buy new kit from a UK retail outlet, then there will be no 'previous user' issues, and it will be covered by a warranty, plus you have the shop to refer back to if you have any set-up issues. As I suggested above, give Jon or Chris a call at LiPS, tell them what you want to play, your budget etc. and they will offer you good advice on the kit options.

Hope that helps, me, I'm off out to the garage to load my fully automatic, high pressure paintball gun and shoot myself in the hand for agreeing with Exile, again!

 

[Fragon]

Thank you all very much e i know what to do now. I will look for you on the field