You've did it! You have made the decision to purchase a paintball gun. One of the first questions that may stem to mind is "how much is a paintball gun?" How far back will this set you? Just like most sporting equipment, there are different brands of paintball guns as well as different types and quality levels. We at Punisher's PB are here to try and help you determine how much a paintball gun will cost you and make a better decision on which one will be the right one for you!
Beginner paintball guns:
Starting at the low side of paintball guns, your basic paintball guns can be found for actually less than $100. Beginner brands such as Spyder and Azodin offer a budget friendly marker for those who are strictly trying to save financially. The Spyder Victor retails for a price point of $79.95. The EKO valve doubler of the Spyder Victor makes it efficient for a beginner gun and the Victor is very simple in its complexity of parts.
This allows players to get into the sport along with a paintball tank and hopper for right around $100. Azodin also offers the Kaos 3 paintball gun which comes in at a price of $164.95 which is more expensive than the Spyder Victor. Your options with beginner paintball guns definitely open up more as you increase the price over $100. Other notable paintball guns in the $100-200 price range include the Tippmann 98, Tippmann Stormer series (Stormer basic, Stormer Tactical, and Stormer Elite), GoG eNMEy, Valken Blackhawk, Tippmann Cronus, and more. Almost all paintball markers under $200 are mechanical with the exception of the Spyder Fenix. Once again, the Spyder brand of paintball guns are the most budget friendly including for those that are looking for a cheap electronic paintball gun.
Cheap paintball guns are not going to offer you the same level of performance as other paintball guns we will discuss. However, it will give players the chance to own their own equipment without making a large investment of over $500-1000. Beginner paintball guns are mechanical, meaning that there are no electronics within the gun. This makes maintenance of these markers simple as you can literally run them under hot water and soap to clean off old paintball hits. Also, these guns are usually controlled with a valve which releases air when a hammer is released by the trigger. For this reason, running oil through the gun via the ASA makes it very easy to keep the gun o-rings lubed with oil.
Electronic Paintball Guns:
Electronic paintball guns are usually more expensive than the beginner mechanical guns. These guns have a circuit board that is triggered to fire which sends an impulse to the solenoid to let air flow through the bolt system. Electronic paintball guns have a very wide array of prices ranging from $150 to nearly $2000! There are beginner electronic guns which range from $150-500. Some featured markers in this range include the Empire Mini GS, Empire Axe 2.0, Planet Eclipse Etha 2. These guns feature a reliable marker that can shoot more brittle paintballs at a higher rate of fire than a mechanical gun.
Empire Mini GS:
Premier Paintball Guns:
Premier paintball guns, also known as "high-end" paintball guns are those that have the best quality shot profile, efficiency, accuracy, and with the best features. In the early 2000's, these guns were known to shoot at extremely high rates of fire, also known as BPS (balls per second). As time has progressed, the firing mode has become more standard with NXL ramping while the features of these makers have progressively gotten better. High end paintball markers now offer features like toolless battery exchange toolless eye cover removal, full barrel kits, toolless trigger frame removal, wireless charging, and more! All of these extreme features come at a high price point. These markers range from $1300 with the Planet Eclipse Geo 4 all the way to roughly $2000 for private label markers like the HK Army Invader CS2 Pro.
How much should I spend on a paintball gun?
We at Punisher's PB like to look at your paintball gun purchase as an investment. You are INVESTING into your gear. With the investment, a large part of that will be what you get out of it. How often will you be playing paintball? If you have never played and only plan on playing occasionally, then we recommend only purchasing a beginner paintball gun. However, maybe you already have played once or twice and want to get a decent marker. Then in that case, you may want to look at a beginner level electric paintball gun like the Empire Mini GS. As time moves on and you consider your level of involvement with the sport, then maybe you may consider making a larger investment in your experience by purchasing a high end marker like the Luxe TM40, Planet Eclipse CS2 Pro, or Dye M3+. These high end paintball guns are going to enhance your overall paintball experience by offering cool features that make it easier to maintenance the marker.
Overall, paintball can be a relatively expensive sport due to the extent of gear needed to play. Paintball guns are the most expensive part of this paintball setup, but rest assured that the investment is worth it the more that you play (just like a good set of golf clubs, ice skates, etc.).
