Here we will take a brief look at some of the entry level paintball guns or ‘markers’ that are currently on the market, from top of the range light weight electros to classic blow back mechs, this is not a definitive guide, there are many other quality products on the market and as always we recommend visiting your local shop or an event vendor to see what fits your playing style and your budget. This guide is designed for those on a budget that just want to get some trigger time, decide how they want to play and save up some money before investing heavily in kit.
Spyder victor
Spyders are one of the original semi auto markers, cheap to buy and easy to maintain. Were pretty sure most people have owned or shot one over the years.
Pros – Cheap and easy to repair
Cons – You will soon want to upgrade
£65
Valken Blackhawk
Simple and effective blow back marker, parts are plentiful and the tried and tested format is solid.
Pros – Low cost option and can put up with a lot of abuse.
Cons – Heavy and a bit of a gas guzzler
£67
Tippmann Cronus
Light weight with a tactical look and an internal gas line, Ideal first marker for anyone who is starting out in paintball.
Pros – Loads of rails for tac-lights, scopes etc and lighter than its counterparts.
Cons – Not much apart from the itch to upgrade the barrel.
£85 – £90
Tippmann A5
The workhorse of the scenario scene, tried and tested over the years and still a good solid option for those that want hassle free pick up and play, offers some customisability for looks.
Pros – Reliable and indestructible, includes cyclone system, this gun will keep going.
Cons – Heavy weight, won’t be forgiving on fragile paint.
£210
Tippmann TMC
Affordable Mag-fed play with the option to go hopper fed. If you are not sure what style of play you want but are interested in the scenario milsim then this will give you a solid marker to start with.
Pros – Cheap entry to the mag-fed world, solid and reliable.
Cons – disassembly is not for beginners, not FS ready out the box
£175
Milsig M17 PMC A2
One of the most popular Mag-fed guns available. Reliable, versatile, and easy to maintain
Pros – Good build quality, can shoot FS out the box.
Cons – Standard barrel isn’t great
£202.95
12 Gog Emney
How GOG manage to produce such a neat little bulletproof non electro gun for this price bracket is mind boggling.
Pros – Low operating PSI, reliable and great for the money
Cons – Nothing! Only niggle is the stock feedneck could be better
£140
Tippmann Stryker
Tippmanns scenario / milsim elcetro offering, keeps up with the best of them. If you liked the ION and SP8 of yesteryear, then this won’t disappoint.
Pros – Ion-esque inside a good scenario electro.
Cons – Offset hopper is a niggle for some.
£263 – 270
Valken Code
The Valken Code may not have the history and back catalogue of the others on this list, but it packs a lot into a budget price and punches way above its price point.
Pros – You get loads of features for the money and shoots nicely
Cons – The trigger isn’t the best
£238
Proto Rize Maxxed
With its big brother DYE looking on all proud, the Proto Rise Maxxed really does give you top end performance on a budget.
Pros – You are getting a lot of gun for very little money, Proto has a great pedigree.
Cons – Some say the batteries won’t last long.
£315 (£220 on sale)
Empire Mini GS
One of the mainstays of the entry level electros, everyone should own a Mini at some point. Compact, easy to maintain and fairly reliable.
Pros – Small, Lightweight and affordable
Cons – Not much negative to say, it may just be too small for some
£350
Etha 2
Planet Eclipse Etha2 is the most expensive on our list and probably our top pick if we had to choose. If this is your first gun then you are a very lucky paintballer.
Pros – Everything about the Etha2 is great.
Cons – Nothing apart from not coming in pink.
£390
This guide takes new prices from shops at time of printing, we have complied it with new players in mind who don’t know what type of paintball they will really decide on, rather than and established paintballer who only plays a certain aspect of our sport. Think about what sort of paintball you will be playing, If you plan on playing mainly tournament then a speedball gun will be more your style with a different board settings, colour options etc, if playing scenario you may want to have more customisability over the looks for a more milsim feel? We have included your basic blow backs at the very entry level, then some scenario style markers and some entry level tournament markers, to round off the list we also included a couple of options for mag fed play. As we always say, talk to players, take a look at kit before buying, talk to vendors they may be able to offer some advice if you are still unsure, it could mean the difference in parting with £100 over £500.