Experience the thrill of starring in your very own action movie. Picture yourself amid a shootout, hunting down the most dangerous villains with a weapon in hand. Now, the enemy's in your sights – it's the gang leader! Focus, aim, and fire... a paintball!
Paintball lets you live out a full-blown Hollywood adventure in any purpose-built arena. Your most crucial tool is the marker, as it enables the entire activity. It resembles a real firearm, but instead of bullets, its chamber holds multi-coloured paintballs you'll use to tag opponents.
Want to know more? Read: The benefits of paintball
What types of markers exist?
The market offers markers from various manufacturers like Tippmann, Lon, Spyder or Ego, among others. Our most fundamental advice? Research the available weapon types thoroughly to make an informed purchase.
You can always choose the marker type that best suits your needs, as most companies specialising in this activity provide them. Here's how to distinguish between the main categories:
- Pump-action: Between each shot, the player must manually pump the marker
- Semi-automatic: The easiest to use and typically the standard model at most paintball venues – simply pull the trigger to fire.
- Burst-fire: Like taking rapid photos, pulling the trigger releases multiple paintballs in quick succession.
- Electronic: These markers can switch between all the aforementioned firing modes
- Mag-fed: These markers closely resemble real firearms, adding realism to gameplay, though they're less common for casual games among friends.
After acquiring one of paintball's most important tools (alongside your mask), proper maintenance becomes crucial.
First time handling a paintball marker?
- Learn its components: Body, feed system (in the stock, front or grip base), "bottom line" or "remote" (lets you carry the air tank on your back via hose connection), hopper compartment, and barrel where paintballs exit.
- Select your marker type: Depends on factors like preferred playing environment and commitment level...
- Maintenance: Loading procedures, cleaning methods, frequency, potential upgrades...
Prepare to join one of the biggest phenomena in adventure sports. We've given you the fundamentals – the rest is up to you!
