Paintball

[podup365.com]

Originally Posted by Quacker

The fact that you can convert between so many different configurations is also a major selling point to me, and the customer service CANNOT be beat. Mike is the king.

I'll ditto that ^one^.

Having the company that makes the product still be in business for all of these years is an accomplishment. It doesn't look like he's going to close the doors anytime soon, either. Plus that means the accessories are still available and will remain available for many years to come.

Out of the several pumps in my collection: PPS Super Stocker, CCM SS-25, PMI-1SC, P68SC, KP-2, PGP, Sniper II-G, etc. The one I reach for most often is my VSC Phantom.

Versatility is the key. It's like having 6 markers in one.

I can run it on 12 grams with a 10 round tube in the feed port or use the 15 round stick feed. I can exchange the 12 gram changer for a 4 oz tank (or eventually get a 13 ci compressed air tank).

I can use a CCI telescoping T-stock or use it as a pistol. I could attached the Micro 6" barrel and smaller pump to play tighter in the bunkers. It makes a great "sidearm" that way for scenario games.

If the game calls for more paintballs than VSC can keep up with, I can add the direct feed body (mine is on the right) and toss on a 20 round gravity stick feed, a 40 round W.G.P. hopper, a 100 round Sportshot, a 200 round VL200, or even a motorized hopper. I can wear my Unique stock class harness or a shotgun belt full of 10 round tubes or a belt full of pods with a larger hopper.

With a drop forward and some hose or the back bottle adapter on either body, I can use a 16 oz CO2 tank, any compressed air tank, or go back to 12 grams with an ACI Powerstock. I could also put it on a remote hose.

I can use the stock barrel, the micro barrel, a J&J Ceramic, or a J&J Edge Kit.

If I decide to use it, the auto-trigger is at my disposal.

Cleanup is easy once the games are over and it all packs down into a single marker bag for easy transport.

I think the price is right whether you find a good deal or buy it brand new. The customer service and "stand by the product" attitude from Mike can not be overlooked, either. Plus, Mike doesn't just build Phantoms because it's a job to do that pays the bills. He actually loves the sport of paintball and more specifically, pump paintball.

[SN toter]

I love Nelson based pumps, I have a nice collection of em I'd have to say the best ones though are the Phantoms. They have the smoothest pump and are the lightest of all my pumps. Next to my phantom the smoothest pump is my Razorback, but that doesn't even have a removable barrel ;(

Theres just just so many options and they have such an ease of maintenance...everything I'm saying has already been mentioned so I'll leave it at this. If you get it, you WILL NOT be dissapointed...and then you can sell me your hammer, I don't have one yet

[russc]

Nothing outsmooths a Line SI!

[SpinDoctor15]

One thing I hadn't seen mentioned much is the quietness and accuracy that the Phantom excels in, oh so well! I absolutely love my Phantom (#4). It's my favorite marker, hands down. Next time I go to the field I'll snap a video or two of it shooting, just to prove how much I love it! I can peg a 2" diam. circle 14 out of 15 times from about 30 feet away, it's unbelievable how well these things shoot! And the report is nothing short of a little puff, it's very quiet. I use a 16" Boomstick and I run a VSC configuration with a 4 oz. Brass Eagle CO2 tank.

Most other pumps and clones I've used have not lived up to the standard that I hold my Phantom to. For the money, Phantoms are an incredible value, I can't say enough about them!





This finish is so cool, it's like a 4-color blue/black/purple/teal spongy wash anno. Pictures don't do it justice:


Here's a quick at-home video I took. You can see how quiet it is, even without paint. Compare it to my Sniper I video (can you say... LOUD?!):

Phantom:


Sniper I:

[PBChappy]

i had a phantom was nice and light, but i did not like the pump stoke on it, phantom barrels are kind of hit or miss and at 800 psi everyone on the field can hear it. I perfer a nice sniper II with a ccm pump kit, sly barrel and about 350-400psi. If CCI started making low presure, cocker threaded phantoms I might pick one up again

[Chemical-X]

In reguards to the previous statements the nelson valve train does not work well with 400 PSI.

And FWIW.

I know the phantom does have a bit of a muzzle sound especially when I use my 6" on the duck slide. But I accomodate for it with my playing style. I do not play from the back I prefer to be upfront getting my elims. I have though been told that the barrel is quiet, I suppose that in the woods or on a speedball field when there are guns handing out a barrage of paint a simple little pop isnt going to be heard by many at all.

Also phantoms come with perhaps the industry's best barrel. and there are many manufactureres out there making kits if you must get one. Heck if you want to keep the stock look you can have the CCI barrel bored for freak inserts.

I want to mention that last weekend I had a 100 plus foot shot that I nailed as a goof. I saw him in the woods on our flank trying to come up behind us. I took aim gave it a slight elevation and pulled the trigger. about 2 seconds later I saw hands go up and my team was suprized as no one even saw him until then. I did that with a stock barrel and marbs while running on 12 grams and a blue detent ring.

As mentioned previously in the thread phantoms are

dependable
accurate
lightweight
customizable
efficient

All of that though depends on the user setup and maintenence(which the phantom requires almost none of).

Mike has though just like every shop turned out a bad part or two in the past, The biggest difference and what really sets him apart is how he remedies this error.
Upon receival of a new phantom I did a full inspection of the parts to make sure it was alright. I found a gouge in the barrel so the same day I sent mike an email to let him know, I was in turn given a new barrel and it arrived in just under a week after I had alerted him. I had to pay no extra fees or jump through any hoops.

I give that a big thumbs up.

I am still impressed that since he has begun his business, it is still his and he is still producing fundamentally the same exact product with the same service and support. To be able to do that means you have a hell of a product and a hell of a following.

This post has stretched well beyond my intended post of "mike rox".

Mike has earned me as a customer with his awesome support and great products.

Cheers
Ben

[Azzy]

I will agree, Mike at CCI cant be beat for customer care and service.

[Diomedes]

Originally Posted by Chemical-X

Heck if you want to keep the stock look you can have the CCI barrel bored for freak inserts.

That solves what seems to be the biggest problem: rollouts, without having to mess with the detent rings, which are kind of small (I lost my silver one last time out, musta fallen out when I removed the barrel...).

But besides that, I can't say enough about mine. It's rare that I play a day and don't use it. I love the lightness and versatility. Offset stock class feed is a plus as well; I love mine, and you don't see many of them around.

[Cunha]

You can keep your CCM business.

Phantoms are freaking quiet, i dont know what anyone is talking about that says otherwise, with a short barrel they have a nice pop but the TPC really reduces the noise factor significantly, for a basically unported barrel they are very quiet.

Phantom barrels are hit and miss depending on how well you aim, they are strait and smooth, not as perfect as a lapco barrel for the phantom but they arent bad at all.

Dye never made 15 inch barrels but with a 14 or 16 inch dye barrel on your phantom you would be extremely quiet with that amount of porting.

If you think a phantom is the smoothest then you havent got your hands on a good carter or lapco but my phantom is pretty darned good.

There are plenty of barrels for the phantom now, they dont need cocker threads. You can get lapco barrels <the only barrels anyone needs, Jesus himself personally used lapco barrels when he played paintball a couple thousand years ago (he invented paintball, used grapes that were perfectly .688 every time)

There are dye barrels floating around, JJ barrels floating around, plenty of freak bored barrels out there. Not much more you can ask.

You also cant skip the fact that there are alot of fun accessories for these guns.

This auto triggering CCM sniper fad is kind of making me dislike pump, and it makes it easier for me to support the phantom even more.

The real reason the CCI phantom is such a huge success is that it is ACTUALLY STILL IN PRODUCTION. All other guns went out, the phantom was the ONLY one left. I think they might have restarted making mavericks even though the old stock of them just ran out like a week ago..and lapco is supposedly putting out some new ghosts. For a while the phantom was the only nelson gun available.

Carter also never went away completely but his are more of a custom gun.

[WSCopic]

Originally Posted by Cunha

You can keep your CCM business.
This auto triggering CCM sniper fad is kind of making me dislike pump, and it makes it easier for me to support the phantom even more.

I guess I don't get this part of your post.

I have a Phantom...2 actually, and love them, but I just picked up a CCM Series 5 R/F and love it as well. Auto trigger? How many Nelson based pumps DON'T have auto trigger?

Actually, the only 2 pumps I own that don't have auto trigger are an old Sniper 2 and a Palmer Houndstooth. Sterling and Phantom both have AT.

(shrug)