Paintball

[DeTrevni]

So, I'm a newbie when it comes to pistols, and I don't know what all's out there. I'd love to rock a pistol, even as a main (I know this is a major step to be taking, but I think it would be fun [after all, paintball is fun ]). To be honest, I'd like to dual-wield for both firepower and cool-factor (), so the world's most expensive PPS pistol probably won't be for me. Heh.

So here's a rundown of what I want "my" pistol to be:

- Affordable (so I can dual-wield)
- Semi-automatic (hard to dual a pump )
- Reliable (probably be my main)
- Easy to change 12g's and paint
- Upgradable (I love customizing and configuring)
- Holsterable

I'm looking at the Tiberious-9, but there a few reasons I'm turned off on it.

- Affordability ($240 for the Tib-8, and $300 for a stock Tib-9...), so dualing it will be a long-term thing.
- $40 magazines that won't even let me change air easily unless I hook it up to constant air, or buy a butt-load of mags.
- ^^^ I can't even do that unless I run hopper. I'd like to run 10-shot (though the Tibs are 8) and constant air.

But there are reasons I like it too.

- The Tib-9 can be hooked up to CA and a hopper and used as a "full-fledged" marker
- Basically every other thing on "my" list aside from affordability. Even though the mags are 'spensive, they are simple and quick to change.

So what are you guy's thoughts on this? Thanks!

[French t0ast]

I had 2 tac8s at 1 time before... its hard enough to play with 1.
When the mags are not releasing the balls in your pouch they are leting them loose early and the you bust 8balls in your gun... gah.

[Mayvik]

Since you're not too keen on the Tiberius (which I would recommend in a blink), or pricier options like Palmers or Sydarms, the PMI USP is my vote. Not the greatest, but they're common, cheap as hell (<$100 on eBay) so you can get 2 without breaking the bank, reasonably light, and take Piranha and some Spyder parts. You're not going to be changing air super fast with them though, and they're a fixed spring-fed mag (which is good or bad depending on your opinion).

Check out some of agentsmith's stuff, he's done a lot with the Zeus/G2 style pistols. I haven't used one myself (find them to be too bulky), but he seems to use them to great effect.

[DeTrevni]

Hm. I'm looking at the Ariakon Combat Pistol 2.0 or Overlord RX. Thoughts?

[Frontier_Bill]

They are unwieldly large. They can hardly be called a pistol as they are just a STBB with a shorter bolt and barrel.

[P4p3Rc1iP]

I don't like the Tib 8/Tac 8/Tib 9/Tac 9/whatever a lot either. The mags are a pain and unreliable. Plus you need a lot of them, and they're pretty heavy!
I played a few games with one, and I count myself quite conservative when it comes to paint, but really 5 mags weigh quite a bit, and run out very quickly! I'd much rather take 20 tubes and 10 or so 12g's on my belt than 25 mags... And you can't really refill them in game either...

The only good use for one in my eyes is as a backup for when you're running around with a bolt action gun and need some quick close quarter firepower. (Hmm, this might actually be a lot of fun...!)

I've now got a Palmerized PGP which I like quite a lot. It's not perfect though. Loading paint is not quite as easy as my Phantom (though I probably just need some more practice) and it's actually almost too small to pump comfortably. So, Palmer is building me a Pug, which is a bit longer and hopefully just a tad nicer to use!

Oh, and if that's not enough, I also joined in on the mass Squall order!

As for dual wielding... I don't know... Though it looks cool, I don't think I'd do it. It's hard enough to aim a pistol with 2 hands already...

[Mayvik]

Originally Posted by P4p3Rc1iP

I played a few games with one, and I count myself quite conservative when it comes to paint, but really 5 mags weigh quite a bit, and run out very quickly! I'd much rather take 20 tubes and 10 or so 12g's on my belt than 25 mags... And you can't really refill them in game either...

So it's not easy to change 12grams in a T8 mag on the field..but do you really need to!? Mags are good for ~24 useful shots each, and if you've got 5 of them, you're talking 120 balls. That should be WAY more than you need. When I've run with a T8 as a primary with 5 mags, I would reload maybe 3 mags, one time each, in a 15-20 minute game. That was when I was shooting a lot. Most games I'd shoot through maybe 3 mags without reloading. I'd say if you're shooting much more than that you're doing something wrong, or you're in a big/long game and should probably choose something other than just a pistol.

One thing you'll need to remember with pistol play (especially dual) is you can't go out there expecting to John Woo your way to victory. It just isn't going to work. You might rarely get a chance to do that on a run-through, but most of the time you're going to be relying on sneaky bastard tactics and your mobility advantage to get your eliminations. Depending on field layout, many games you might not be shooting much at all, and acting more as a "forward scout" by calling out positions for people with more firepower and moving to block positions from the other team. I often find I've gotten so close behind/beside people that it's a toss-up between a barrel tag and a shot to the pack; many times you'll have to take the shot because it will be 2 or 3 people you sneak up on. Trying to duke it out with full size markers is going to end badly for you.

[chplnstone]

i'd say the same as mayvik, stay cheap or borrow if you're not sure, i'd put the pmi usp and the overlord in the same class, though the overlord is a bit oversized (i have one, but i have short fingers and the grip is HUGE!)...years ago i ran paired eagle 68's as backup for my vm (like it needed it) and now paired 3357's fit my hands nicely, still feel you're pretty brave to try the gramaton cleric thing...

[Marauder_Pilot]

Zeus G2+ Or ACP 2.0 are your best. Functionally, they're identical. The ACP 2.0 looks cooler, but has a proprietary puncture pin (Which makes repairing it if needed a little bit of a pain), but at ~$80-$100 for used ones with extra mags the price is great and they're still good and accurate. They won't hold up to a Squall but, at the price, you could run with a brace of them for the same cost.

[Frink]

I'd say try to borrow and dual wield before you buy anything.

My left arm is primarily for decoration and symmetry.