true. So when going for a marker you have the following to consider;
Sound; the noise the barrel and bolt makes can have an effect when playing woodsball and scenario games. This only effects playing style since long range players or close range players dont need a quiet marker, only those that are more likely to hide from the opposing team. As speedball is close and often very quick, the sound of the marker often has no effect and is only down to your personal choice.
Durability; some markers are not very durable and will break quickly, so always check to see how durable the brand is, tippmann and bt are often highly durable due to having a single frame (i.e. two halves which join). Going for a more durable marker is a must in woodsball because of diving for cover, risk of tripping etc.
Efficiency; Most markers have different effeciency due to operating pressures. Speedball markers often have better efficiency due to having extra regulators which cause very low pressure usage meaning less air is used. This is only the case for air as Co2 is not regulated. In many cases when you need high shot counts go for the largest bottle you can. often the money saved on a cheaper less efficient marker can be the price of a large air bottle so efficiency is all down to what you want or prefer
Weight; speedball markers are often much lighter then woodsball, the more you spend on a speedball marker the more durable yet lighter material you get (i.e. carbon fibre). woodsball markers are often heavy and designed to be close weight to the real gun or just heavy for the cosmetic look, this is all dead weight so heavier markers dont mean better parts! Due to the weight of woodsball markers you will often want a remote line to save the weight of the bottle, this should be considered before buying as they can be expensive and require a belt or pack to hold them on your waist or back.
Speed; woodsball is a close game so players need to be able to put down a large number of shots whilst running in order to stay in the game. Speedball markers are often supplied with e-triggers which allow for firing modes such as 3 round burst, or full automatic. woodsball markers can be upgraded to take e-triggers and only more expensive woodsball markers come with them as standard. These often contain eyes which detect when a paintball is in the breach and ready to be shot to prevent popping paintballs in the barrel. These are not seen in woodsball markers or are very rarely with modifications
Barrels; lighter barrels are often much more expensive then heavier ones due to the material they are made of, some barrels can be well over £100 yet only as good as a cheaper barrel. over a 14" is not recommended due to it just adding more weight and lowering efficiency so smaller barels are often prefered and add extra manuverability. Barrel length does not effect accuracy or range in any way so dont be convinced into buying a 21" barrel thinking its better then a 14". Stock barrels can often be cheaply made compared to after market barrels. the only difference between the two is that some may be machined with a smoother barrel causing less friction. Others have vents at the end which is used to allow the air or Co2 to escape, these can allow more consistency, and prevent an un-wanted spin being added to the paintball as it leaves the marker. These are also able to reduce the sound due to splitting the released air
Air source; Co2 or Air? Co2 is often more volatile to weather due to expanding, this can cause pressure spikes (causing velocity changes) however provides more shots for the money. if you value consistency however avoid Co2, consistency can be helped by buying a expansion chamber which allows the Co2 to expand more before being fired. Air operates at either high or low pressure, the output pressure is controlled by a regulator, often cheaper markers operate with only high pressure however some operate under low pressure. many speedball markers with internal regulators will accept both high or low pressures. As a regulator is used, air is released consistently at that pressure allowing more consistent shots, in tern allowing consistent velocity causing paintballs landing in the same or roughly the same area.
Loader style; loaders can be gravity fed or force loaders. Gravity fed often have poor ball rates, and often causes miss-fires due to no paintball in the breach. Other markers such as some tippmann's have a built in force loader which is not very quick however offers less miss-fires due to balls being forced into the breach. Other markers such as most seen have a feed neck, this will take both gravity fed loaders and force feed loaders. Force feed loaders of this sort can be chosen with a wide range of balls per second, again some are faster then others and some offer much better durability so make sure you do your research! Faster force feed loaders run on batteries or can run off a direct air line such as the tippmann style, fast balls per second is only often needed when using e-triggers as semi-automatic markers are unable to keep up with quick loaders (some reaching 50+ balls per second)
Maintenance; some markers offer easier maintenance then others. Maintenance is very important for a marker as poor maintenance will cause wear to the marker and can cause poor accuracy and velocity fluctuations. Speedball markers often offer easier maintenance however most need extra maintenance due to e-triggers (parts can become over used and stop working after time). Good maintenance makes a good markers! some markers are more prone to trouble then others so this should be researched also
Feel; before buying a marker go to a local paintball shop or site and see if you can hold some markers. Speedball and woodsball markers are very different in size so you may prefer one or the other. many players are going more towards speedball markers now due to them being good for both sports however some find that they are too small or too light
Field requirements; depending on the paintball field you want to play at, some only allow single shot semi-automatic and using anything else can get you kicked off site. Many offer specific days for people with their own markers however these are not often but allow for a full range of firing modes to be used. therefore if you are going to switch between speedball and woodsball, and have a field requirement, ensure that your marker has a semi-automatic mode (only applies to markers with e-triggers)
Mechanical or electric; many markers offer either one or the other, however this can be an issue as when using electronic, if the battery runs out mid game your out the game all together where as mechanical markers are still in the running. Some markers are now offer both ways, with semi-automatic mode being mechanical and others being electronic allowing you to remain in the game even if the battery fails or dies. These markers are often much more expensive however good if you go between sports or as said above, have a requirement set by the playing field. Many players are against electronic and so are many fields purely due to the possibility of batteries running out so be aware of this before deciding!
is there anything i have missed? if so please let me know, hopefully that will be a full guide to new players looking to buy their first marker and to existing players such as myself who didnt understand fully the way paintball works.
