Paintball Guns made to look like M16, M4s etc

[Gretik]

My Say.

I don't know if anyone else feels like this but, these sorts of guns have their uses, military training and such and to an extent scenario games. These things shouldn't be brought onto concept fields in my view, also I can guess that importing them to the UK would be a customs and exices field day, and nighmare for the importer, i guess. Isn't paintballl trying to move away from the realms of real guns?

 

[Darkwerks]

[The fact is that paintball is split into two societies right now, the army wannabes, and the tourney lovers. Niether has the right to look down on the other.....]

Calling guys who prefer recreational paintball "army wannabes" is looking down on them. I enjoy rec-ball . I've been in the army, and I definitely don't want to go back. The two aren't related.

We are in the same sport, we compete against opponents and we all take it as seriously.

More to the point of the thread, use of realistic looking markers enhances scenario type games for some players, and why not?Sure, we need to protect paintaball's image, but in the minds of most non-paintballers, theres no difference between a AT-85 and an Autococker. We should concentrate on improving the standerds of play and safety and educate the public.

 

[crom-dubh]

The problem comes down to protecting the image of paintball. OK joe average may not tell the difference between a AT-85 and an autococker., but will also not be able to tell the difference between a realistic looking rifle and the real mcoy. A paintball marker would be hard to mistake from a real gun so is reasonably safe. Its classed as sports equipment. Airsoft guns have been a problem to the police because of how real they look but again can be justified because they are classed as toys. Paintball markers are not. Under the law they come under "airguns" and as such are governed by the firearms laws. We now call them "markers" to distance ourselves from the fact that we are really using airguns but want to portray them as sports equipment. As soon as paintball markers start showing up looking like M16's and MP5's the sport of paintball looses all of its credability as a sport.

 

[Chris - Nexus Eclipse]

and loosing what credability we have would be a killer. the soft air gun legislation does effect paintball as select fire circuit or turbo boards are tecnicaly banned.......which means angles, etc.

 

[Chris - Nexus Eclipse]

Also, many articles i have read by true rec-ballers have said they get pissed off when the tourny ballers say how bad they are and their equipment sucks. but if they are going down the m16 and mp5 route then i think it is a valid comment. Anybody who was at the last planet walk on would have seen the guy in black with the helmet and the gun cover......real storm trooper look alike. everybody there was realy a team player or true walk on guy so we had no problem, but i just wonder what it would look like to joe bloggs on the street?????

 

[Emerson]

I'd have to agree with Sid and the rest, the image of Paintball should try to move as far away from the "gun toting army wannabe" image. Though some people *cough* brian *cough* might disagree with me here, I feel that Paintball should be viewed as a "game" and not even remotely military-like. I like the way it's moving now, with bright colored jerseys (instead of camo), masks and markers. Some people like my dad and some of my friends parents wouldn't let us play if the paintball guns looked like M16's or other similar guns. Especially my mom...

Too bad I still need to have my parents sign the waiver to let me play.

 

[SPARKLIE CHICK]

I also think this would be bad for the public image of paintball as a whole.

I have had very little to do with air soft but my limited contact showed the guys involved had an awful lot of hassle form the police acr searches ect.

Air soft guns have been used in criminal activetys so I would say
no I think they are more unexplored avenues to enhance our markers rather than try to be some thing they are not.

only my opinion silly early in the morning.

 

[Brokemelon]

If you want to play with military equipment, join the military. An M16 is a weopon, and just its shape alone represents something meant to mame and take the lives of people, be it justly or otherwise. This is exactly what paintball is NOT about. That why we don't say we got out there and killed three newbies and a walk-on, we say we lit them up or marked them. The coolest part of the game is the fact that when you "die", you get to come back. It just wouldn't feel quite as fun to me if someone was pointing a replica assault rifle at me. I'm sure there is a demand and it'd probably make a profit if it was a decent piece of equipment, but that doesn't neccessarily mean it's the right thing to do. I just dont think it's the image paintball needs. I play in the states and i wear camo gear, and I'm not an army wannabe. ****, I wouldn't even join if I was drafted. That's just my opinion, but I'm sure there are others who feel the same way.

Later, thanks for listening.

 

[Tony@maxem]

Missing the point !!

Thanks for all the comments,
As I said to start with....Punters want this sort of thing..we do not intend to intruduce these to Tourney paintballers etc...
They are for sites and as you all know 80% of them DONT come across to tourney Paintball they enjoy the excitement of punter sites...... So to all think about it we are aiming at sites for punters ..NOT tourney sites and shop sales etc.....

Thanks again tho

Tony

 

[Chris - Nexus Eclipse]

but 99.99995763768236%.......well a huge amout of tourny players start at base rec level, i know i did.