Planning to return

[iamthelazerviking]

Also in my 30s here, have been in and out of paintball since 2001ish but never fully "quit". Like mentioned above, paint has shrunk and finding a quality batch is like playing the lottery. Also mech is big again, Autocockers are popular as well as the Eclipse markers which I will say I am huge fan of and love the Emek. After using many different markers, the Emek is my number one true love. Newer/younger folk are more into the fast-paced HK Army-esque air ball/tournament scene, but the majority are more recreational/mech/pump minded. If you want similar setups to what you used in the past, this is a good place to search for the markers and gear. Warp Feeds pop up once in a while but are generally unpopular. AKA markers certainly do have a following still and I think prices have dropped on those used ones. I love old school stuff and the classics, I totally get it, but modern markers (Emek) are just such a joy to shoot. You may also love it, or you may think "there is no soul" but honestly the smooth shot, low pressure, and the fact they just WORK is the "soul" in my opinion. Or get a nice 'cocker since parts are plenty or full builds are readily available. Welcome back either way. Paintball isn't quite what it used to be, but it's still here and we have to keep the spirit alive.

Palmers is still around but from what it sounds like the quality control isn't what it used to be and many have complaints. You may also have to wait a long while if you ordered something new from them.

[Shaftski]

Woodsball/mech marker play is making a comeback now. Seeing a good mix of older and younger players, I'm 48 and there is usually a few people older than me at every event/field I go to. A lot more women and minorities playing now than 20 years ago which is great for the sport.

Paint now is god awful, you just have to get used to it. Field paint can be a real crapshoot and just about all fields are field paint only now. It shoots WAY smaller than in years past, so having small bore capability like a freak kit with inserts is vital.

If getting a marker, I'd look for something that is running at less than 200psi operating pressure. To avoid shredding above mentioned crap paint. Other than that pure preference. Emeks are some of the best bang for the buck out there, if you can find a new one since Eclipse is having supply issues. I prefer Mini GS if you want an electro for short money, they are out there in massive quantities and can be found cheap.

If you are only playing rec right now, rate of fire may be locked at most fields for electronic markers. Sometimes as low as 5.5bps. Mechs won't be restricted. I have a mini and never use it, always using a pump or mech. Not playing tournaments.

The big company in paintball is now Kore Outdoor (formerly GI). They bought out most of the companies you probably remember. So you are giving money to Eclipse, Dye, Kore (Richmond Italia), or the Gardner brothers these days. Seems like no matter what, even if you try, Kore is getting some of your money at some point.

[ford]

Howdy, welcome back. I also am in my 30's with limited ME time. I also played in the early 2000's and left b/c of kids/work. I came back about 5 years ago... The scene is different, but the same. Some players are cool, some are lame. I think PE makes the best quality gear out there. If you want to spend all of your time playing and the least time tinkering with your marker pick up an Emek, Etha2 or 170r. They all use the gamma core and don't need a lot of maintenance compared to the old guard.

That gear is also much more air efficient than your E-mag/shocker were.

I think you can still find some Warped Feed parts from https://www.airgundesigns.com, but not much. They're not really a thing any more though still cool to see in the wild. I believe one or two companies make metal elbows, but most everything is center feed these days.

[Euphie]

So, here I am a 35 year old woman feeling that something is missing from life. I used to play between 2001-2009ish but kids, careers, etc just made me stop. I think I lost all of my equipment in a move, I had a Viking, an angel, a shocker 4x4, and an E-mag. Sucks that I lost them, but I looked and they just don't seem to be here anymore.

How has the culture of the game changed, like is it still mostly young people or are alot of 30+ people playing? Quickly looking at Youtube, it seems woods stuff is more popular now than it was in the early 2000s or am I reading too much into the results? I briefly looked at the stores, and I got the impression everything now is smart parts (how many companies do they need?), Dye, and Eclipse now. I was really hoping to see AKA making Excaliburs still, but I remember they had lawsuits but I still had hope. I suppose this also means I will be needing all new equipment.

Related to that new equipment, I have a preference for how I set my equipment up and I was wondering if I can still do this:
For some of my old guns (Viking) I ran a warp feed, do they still make them? I didn't see them in online stores.
For other guns, I ran a hopper off of an elbow right (shocker) or left (emag), do they make high quality metal elbows I didn't see any when I looked.
For all of my guns I used a gas thru T stock that was adjustable, and a 114/45 in my pack, along with a on/off/bleed ASA with a 42" braided steel hose.
When I looked it didn't seem any of this was available but, I didn't look too well. I probably won't need a 114/45 if I am not using the Shocker anyway.

I see at least the website for Palmers is still up, and there seems to be an option to buy a blazer. That was the gun I wanted, but never could afford to buy new and they never came up used, so I have more money now and I figure I might as well buy one now. Has anyone ever bought one off of the website? It lists the options I want blade trigger- right feed- female stabilizer (never liked grabbing the hose out of the normal one). It can't be that easy though right?

Will I get laughed off of the speedball field with a Blazer? I do like to play both woods and speedball, I used to use an autococker in both in before 2003, and I remember back then there being a certain amount of pressure to switch to an electronic marker from the team I used to play on (we switched to Angels and I resisted a bit).

And finally are there any friendly paintball fields in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle, Tacoma, or Olympia?