Finding myself a hobby

[Desmanthus]

Hey guys and gals, Im getting back into paintball after being away for a bit. I used to play in 2009 when I just became a teenager. I remember bothering my parents and saving for months on end for a Proto SLG, got a used Halo and finally a white Empire E-vent mask cause I just thought they were cool as hell. I could hardly afford paint but of course chased some desirable gear.

I was one of those annoying little speedball kids that hardly knew how my gun worked (still kinda learning), but I took care of it to the best of my ability. I dont think I would gave given up the sport but I ended up moving and not knowing where to play. When I did show up to play speedball at the one spot they thought I was too young or not experienced enough, I can kind of understand I guess. But from the vibe around here it seems that this community would have given me more of a chance.

Now that I'm older I feel I understand how things work a lot better, and am constantly moving from hobby to hobby taking a bit of knowledge as I go. But I'm always applying it to my work, so I want this to be more for me. Recently I've gotten into pneumatics for work and I purchased a Ninja 90/4500 to run some air tools off of on a portable system and decided to take a look at markers again cause why not? Couldnt help myself after seeing a half blocked cocker on instagram months ago and remembering the awe of the moving parts as a kid (its still there who am I kidding).

So now I'm trying to gather what I can to build some sort of marker from all the wonderful people who are willing to share their knowledge here. I'm not set on a cocker anymore after learning so much about automags, pumps, just anything mech. I'd also like to try to machine some of my own stuff, which obviously is not unheard of in this community. Hopefully I can make a positive contribution to this community cause it's a pretty sweet place ya got here.

[autococker04]

Sounds like a cocker would be a good match for you. Plenty to tinker with, and bodies are readily available enough that you could get into milling.

[Cdn_Cuda]

Pump based cockers are a good place to start as well. And easy enough to add the pneumatics to switch it over to a cocker. Lots of tinkering options if you’re not afraid to mess with the bodies, lots of parts options (Autocockerparts.com) exist and you’ll find all the help you could need, likely no matter how wild your ideas get. Enjoy, have fun and ask a ton of questions!

[Desmanthus]

I definitely want a autococker at some point, building it up from a pump sounds great as a starting point, it sounds less intimidating for sure. I really like the older plain Sniper style bodies, along with some sweet brass. I'm not really interested in changing an existing body with milling, moreso just machining my own body, maybe not an autococker but just something that can shoot paint.

[Chuck E Ducky]

Sounds cool welcome back to the sport, and welcome to MCB!

[Trbo323]

Yeah start with a cocker.

As for machining, pick up a couple of spyders and half block them. They have a lot in common with cockers so they will give you some good practice but if you screw something up you are out like $60 instead of $300.

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[Desmanthus]

Great info to know, didnt know which marker was closest and I remember there being some spyders that looked similar to me as a kid.

[Jonnydread]

Also check out Mark’s Sheridan build thread:

https://www.mcarterbrown.com/forum/custom/custom-projects-custom-questions/383748-diy-sheridan#post386229

[un2xs]

To piggy back on another thread... you could start with a poo-build if its officially announced. Keep your eyes open for one.

Hoping I didnt jump the gun on this one. (Uhm... no pun intended.)

[Desmanthus]

I had no idea what that was so I searched....so we all start with the same marker essentially? Sounds pretty cool, I would definitely be interested if thats an option!

I actually just purchased a fairly cheap Spyder marker online, well loved, my local classifieds seem pretty dry as they are for most things in Eastern Canada. I also still need a mask and a hopper to be able to even play but in the meantime, fixing up another marker and trying to keep up with you guys would be cool and challenging. Getting a second setup to bring someone to the field with me sounds like a good idea if that worked out too

[Cdn_Cuda]

Last poo build you could use any marker you wanted and there were cost limits.

[Brokeass_baller]

I'm going to be that guy. If you want to dive in and start playing immediately, pick up a used Gmek or Emek. Gmek's are all aluminum and have that nice Autococker-like sliding trigger. Emeks are high strength glass reinforced nylon, with aluminum at the important parts. Then get a cheap used Rotor or SpireIR, or even a Revy, and go play. Both of these guns use the same engine, and parts are mostly interchangable. They're rock solid, efficient, and RARELY go down.

THEN I would recommend an Autococker. They aren't difficult to figure out, but if that's your only gun and you haven't quite gotten it figured out yet, it's going to make for a frustrating day at the field. That's why I recommend the other two first. If you have a bad Autococker day, you can still have a good paintball day.

I have a LOT of love for both of these platforms.

[Jonnydread]

+1. GMEK master race

[Brokeass_baller]

With the Bang Switch, it's so crisp and snappy.

[FredMnkyDad10]

Welcome back to the sport and MCB. Your wallet is going to be crying

[daneferrari]

Hi all! recently went to a friend's birthday party where one of the activities was a game of paintball. It's been a long time since I've had that much excitement, so I decided to dive into it in more detail. Any tips for a beginner from the start?

[Chuck E Ducky]

Get a good mask with a dual pain lens that fits you good. Very few places have good rental masks. Lots of great starter markers out there. Find one that works for you in your budget. But spend the money on a good mask first being able to see good and don’t fog on you when you play is key. You don’t have to spend a lot but make sure it’s a dual pain lens ( thermal layer on the inside, and protective lens on the outside with air between the two) this prevents fogging and will make your day that much more enjoyable. Be careful what products you use on the lens. Good visibility is really important. More important than what marker to get. Get a bag of microfibers to keep your mask clean.

[Trbo323]

Hi all! recently went to a friend's birthday party where one of the activities was a game of paintball. It's been a long time since I've had that much excitement, so I decided to dive into it in more detail. Any tips for a beginner from the start?

You just opened a can of worms with that question

Mask, get a good mask first

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[Jonnydread]

Best advice ever. This has been true for the entirety of paintball. There are ways around a crappy/malfunctioning gun, no way around a poopoo mask.