Paintball

[Painthappy]

Have you guys noticed the prices lately on ebay? I'm watching STOCK ions sell new in the box for $150.00 on ebay now.

Crazy.

I'm thinking of picking one up now just to tool around with.

Whatcha think?

Or should I hold out and go for an upgraded version with a clamping feedneck etc?

[op4_camper]

What I think of ions and the likes I touched on in this thread.

thread

Im a machinist by trade and I get tired of products not made to last.
Or maybe Im just starting to show my age.

[simmy952]

Ions are cheap but they are fun to mod. Put a sp firebolt and a T-board in and you have a nice little ripper. They are also easy to drop in a wood stock or other stock because of their configuration. And if you screw something up, the replacement parts are cheap. They are like any other low end marker, with a little work they can be made into a decent marker.

[sdawg]

A more fun project would be to build your own uber-ion out of aftermarket parts. That way, you wouldn't have to deal with any any anti-SP feelings you may have (at least not directly).

[op4_camper]

why do or would people have anti-smart parts feeling?

[wolf13]

now thats a can of worms. Usually it boils down to two reasons:

1. SP has been involved in a number of lawsuits using quastionable, if not outright illegal patents. they single handidly have driven a few companies out of buisness and shut down a number of other guns lines due to having more money and lawyers then the companies they target. Many older players are firmly convinced SP has had a severly detrimental effect on paintball. besides their lack of scruples in the buisness world, the owners are considered by a lot of older players to have been of extremly poor charachter on the field as well.

2. A number of people have experianced shoddy, poorly built equipment from them; and then were blown off by their customer service. In general, many people feel that SP products sacrifice quality and cut every corner possible.

//and for the rcord, I started with number 2, and #1 is just pure icing

[Slowcode]

I LOVE my two Ions. Do not worry about the feedneck. Most body kits come with a new clamping one or have one integrated into the body. They are light, quiet, very air efficient, very accurate, have break beam eyes and programable ROF. $150 is a steal for these. I have one I use and one I loan. Neither have ever had issues. Hate to say it but I like them more then my ubber expensive Shocker.

I am middle aged and do not understand the who SP bashing in the first place. It has never been a factor as a consumer.

I am in the process of making a long barrel, wood stocked ion. The body lends to modding VERY easlily.

Go ahead and get one.

[Chemical-X]

Wolf stated the majority of my beef with #2.

I have not bought guns from them but a few parts regs, on offs and never have I had a good working item out of the box. Since I couldnt get my money back on the max flo I bought I was given replacements. I had a total of five max-flos that all shreded orings right of the box, on top of that SP used a "specialty" rings so you had to buy their outragously priced rings.

The on/off I had would stick, and or blow out its seal.

After I had put he money into two failed products I have sworn them of as a good company.

Now that being said I had received a ION in a trade package it was nice, accurate, compact, fast and pretty quiet with the J&J barrel that came with it. I would pickup another used ION for a stock project.

As a side note the ION I had would get 25 good shots on a 12 gram. The macro had a decent air leak so I am sure it could get a few more good shots. Plus with the modded body it could fit my AM stick feed on it.

[big jim]

Wolf pretty much nailed the feelings. #1 Is more prevalent with players that have been around longest.
As far as #2, I had a pair of team-mates who bought shockers when they first came out. When the bolt comes out the barrel there is some suspision of shoddy workmanship. When you have to send the marker back several times to get it to work (one never did again) then there is some guestion about their customer service.

That said, I did sell the heck out of their modified PMI 3s when they first came out.

[B]

The gun cost less than 30 to make it is a cash cow for SP unlike the Nerve, and Epiphany which have made extreme fiscal difficulties to SP. Just look at the deals they are offering on these guns to make them enticing. I here some some serious rumors about their venerability fiscally. A buy out of the company by one of the two big boys is the key topic in the industry now.