Welcome back.
I was gone 20 years; came back in 2020. Despite being a dyed in the wool Automag guy since I first got one in 1995, my EMEK has become my most used marker over the last year. It just works, and it works so damned well. Light, fast, responsive, relatively quiet, the thing is a beast in a humble, unassuming package. The build-a-gun business model is no longer dominant in the industry. Most markers come out of the box as good as they're ever going to be (and that's usually pretty good, across the board, actually). The EMEK is one of the few newer designs that is upgradeable and customizable in more of the old school way. The stock EMEK is a good, reliable marker. But an EMEK with an upgraded valve, adjustable trigger, better barrel, etc. is a hell of a machine. And if you don't want to fuss with upgrading one yourself, the new Etha 3M is simply an EMEK with the typical upgrades preinstalled from the factory.
If you have any desire to play magfed, the EMF100 seems to be the marker to have. And yes, it's a magfed EMEK, which is also convertable to hopper fed.
The big brother to the EMEK and EMF100 is the Gtek M170R, the mech variant of the 170R. They all share the Gamma Core bolt engine and use similar multi-way valves. If you look around at the mid tier and top of the line spoolies today, the majority of them either use the Gamma Core or a design derived from it. The GC is efficient, gentle on paint, has an ultra fast recharge rate, and has proven very reliable. The new CS3 uses the OP Core, a next generation Gamma derivative.
If you want to stick with cockers, you should be spoilt for choice. No one is currently making bad cockers (or cheap ones either, from what I can tell).
Look for videos of ICPL events online. International Classic Paintball League, the NXL spinoff that caters to mech paintball. GoSports.com has some full event videos from a few years back, though paywalled on their site. You might find free excerpts on their YouTube channel. You'll notice nearly everyone shooting 1) high end 'cockers, 2) mid and top tier spoolies with mech frames, or 3) EMEKs. And of course the occasional player of exquisite taste with an X-valve Automag.
I was gone 20 years; came back in 2020. Despite being a dyed in the wool Automag guy since I first got one in 1995, my EMEK has become my most used marker over the last year. It just works, and it works so damned well. Light, fast, responsive, relatively quiet, the thing is a beast in a humble, unassuming package. The build-a-gun business model is no longer dominant in the industry. Most markers come out of the box as good as they're ever going to be (and that's usually pretty good, across the board, actually). The EMEK is one of the few newer designs that is upgradeable and customizable in more of the old school way. The stock EMEK is a good, reliable marker. But an EMEK with an upgraded valve, adjustable trigger, better barrel, etc. is a hell of a machine. And if you don't want to fuss with upgrading one yourself, the new Etha 3M is simply an EMEK with the typical upgrades preinstalled from the factory.
If you have any desire to play magfed, the EMF100 seems to be the marker to have. And yes, it's a magfed EMEK, which is also convertable to hopper fed.
The big brother to the EMEK and EMF100 is the Gtek M170R, the mech variant of the 170R. They all share the Gamma Core bolt engine and use similar multi-way valves. If you look around at the mid tier and top of the line spoolies today, the majority of them either use the Gamma Core or a design derived from it. The GC is efficient, gentle on paint, has an ultra fast recharge rate, and has proven very reliable. The new CS3 uses the OP Core, a next generation Gamma derivative.
If you want to stick with cockers, you should be spoilt for choice. No one is currently making bad cockers (or cheap ones either, from what I can tell).
Look for videos of ICPL events online. International Classic Paintball League, the NXL spinoff that caters to mech paintball. GoSports.com has some full event videos from a few years back, though paywalled on their site. You might find free excerpts on their YouTube channel. You'll notice nearly everyone shooting 1) high end 'cockers, 2) mid and top tier spoolies with mech frames, or 3) EMEKs. And of course the occasional player of exquisite taste with an X-valve Automag.
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