STBB Revelation

[autococker04]

About a year ago a member posed up a green Spyder Aggressor XT for $25. This was the exact gun that I bought at a Dunham’s as my first bit of paintball gear so I picked it up for nostalgia sake.

It hung on my wall, existed in boxes and drawers, and never saw the field until yesterday. I moved and the new place I’ve been playing at is pretty laid back and good about dividing teams so I figured what the hell, let’s kick it like it’s 2006 and let this unregulated beast shake itself to death.

I got to the field, no leaks, adjusted velocity in under a minute, and had just as much fun getting just as many kills as I would have using any other gun that I have.

this puts me at a bit of a crossroad, because why pay $500 for what $25 can do?

it kind of reminds me of that paintball comic where the beginner and the old timer are using the same gear.

I’ll have to give it another shot to make sure I like it next week as much as I did yesterday, but as it stands I might have to dive down the blowback rabbit hole.

Basically, I can see why so many of you guys like them.

[pghp8ntballer]

I've played with everything from angels and cockers, to spyders and stingrays, to phantoms and nelspots.

My most memorable eliminations and moments are with nelspots. I have a ton of fun playing with spyders and stingrays. I don't feel like I should be better because I use a new or old "high end" marker like a cocker, angel, or mag. I just go and play to have fun. I've amazed kids using a stingray; wondering what on earth it was because it looked cool (Stingray 1 with full barrel shroud for reference). Then you tell them it's the Walmart special from 20 years ago and it blows their minds.

It's just fun to go out and play for fun. When you have to win to have fun, you have already lost.

[Brokeass_baller]

I have a Stingray 1 that I bought AT LEAST 20 years ago. I played with it a bit back in the day, but once I moved up to Spyders, then Automags, I haven't really touched it since.

Sometime last year during the lockdown, I found the thing in an old box. There was some rust on the hammer showing through the slot, but it manually cocked and fired ok. So I thought "what the hell?" and dropped some oil into the ASA, dropped a little bit on that rust patch for good measure, and gassed it up.

Wouldn't you know it? The thing actually held air! And even better, IT FIRED. CONSISTENTLY. No motorboating, not a single hang-up. I was completely shocked.

[glaman5266]

There's a bunch of factors- weight, kick, how easy it is on paint, clamping feednecks, hoseless, the list goes on. People are willing to pay for that stuff and really appreciate the advancements in paintguns over recent years, not to mention it makes it easier for new players & the conveniences may help retain them. If I gave a new player an A-5 and then an Emek I'd bet he/she would be happier with the Emek.

To me personally, it boils down to what features I want & what I'm willing to put up with. Can I get it aftermarket or am I better off getting something with these things built in? Or not at all & just put up with it?

If you feel like going with something like the Aggressor then by all means go for it. You do you will enjoy the most. I enjoy my Trilogy cocker, despite some of the hate they used to get from traditional cocker users. You do you.

[MAr]

it's funny: I pay more money so my gun can do less... Semi Auto? Nope, don't want that (upgrades to pump $$$) Feedneck? You mean for a hopper? Nope! (upgrades to side tube $$$) Wait, this gun pumps? Thats too much ROF! (upgrades to bolt action $$$$) SIDE TUBES? Why not just put each ball in a hole, like you're feeding Riley Reid? (upgrades to single shot)

[Jonnydread]

Over my paintball career I have figured out that I tend to have the most fun playing with the jankiest, least reliable, most inconvenient guns.The joy I get from getting one kill from a Tigershark is greater than getting three kills with a Gmek or ten kills with an electro.

I think the longer you're on the field the less you worry about the number of eliminations and the more you worry about the quality of those eliminations. Hell I don't even really care about winning anymore. I'd rather have an intense shootout and get my ass handed to me than slaughter a phalanx of rentals and do a victory lap. Some of my favorite memories are making epic runs during Slim's and similar games and getting nailed by a gorgeous shot from an unseen opponent. Nothing feels quite like high-fiving the person who shoots you out because you know full well it was a goddamn good shot.

What OP is describing is why I call a lot of newer guns boring. It's not that they're BAD, quite the opposite. They're so GOOD that it takes some of the character out of the game for me.

Jank FTW.

[Interl0per]

Just wait til you try an old Tippmann

[Pyrate Jim]

Experience benefits ability. The more you play, the better you get. Eventually you reach a point where "the bells & whistles" make it too easy.
So to continue to make it a challenge, you have to handicap yourself. The bigger the handicap, the bigger the challenge.
The more you reduce the capability of the equipment, the greater the skill needed of the player.

Two things I've learned;
"The best players use the least paint"
And,
"There's always someone better than you"

[Trbo323]

In the words of one of the shows I watch, "it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than drive a fast car fast"

I need to do a spyder project for myself

Maybe we should all start a spyder project this next off season. We can call it "the web of wonders"

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

[Grendel]

For me it is not about the tool, I will play with anything that works, works consistently and makes me smile. I currently tend to prefer pump play but that is mostly just a playing style I like but I have nothing against any play style or tool. One of my favorite paintball guns through my playing history is an F1 Illustrator for the the original STBB the Spyder came later. I have been toying with the idea of buying and restoring one to use for Rec Play. To get to my ultimate point play with what makes you the happiest.

I broke down and bought an electronic semi (Axe 2.0)a couple years ago and I have used it a few times and while it works every time it just does not make me smile. Maybe it is too refined?

[kevin qmto]

Yep I enjoy using a nice mech STBB so much I hosted a whole tournament for them at my expense lol! It was worth it, at least once.

[Cunha]

They are great. They are not the most consistent and the kinda jerky firing cycle doesn't make them great for streams of paintballs but they shoot when you pull the trigger and thats kinda what matters.

If paintball never got past blowbacks, we would all have just as much fun.

[Spider!]

My one complaint on blowbacks was getting a piece of paintball shell hung in the bolt. I haven't had that kind of crappy paint in several years though.

[Tinybear]

In the late 90s I bought my first real paintball gun the newly released Tippmann Pro/Carbine. I shot that exclusively for a year then upgraded to an AGD Automag. But despite the better gun I still pulled out that pro/carbine regularly.

20+ years later. I Still love dragging that little carbine out to the field and spending a day with it’s 9lbs trigger pull. It’s fun, full of character and the sound signature is so unique I love it. Regardless I seem to do just as poorly on the field shooting any of my nice stuff as I do with the carbine.

This year I have made a point to run JUST blow backs and pumps. Picked up a Azodin KDII to mess around with if the carbine seems to harsh on paint that day and I don’t feel like playing pump.

I going step further and selling a couple of my bigger air tanks as I find I enjoy game more when I limit how much I shoot. I decided to run small tanks (which in Canada don’t need hydro tests) or even 3000psi tanks (Life time bottles too). Likely going to sell Tippmann XVR that I really do enjoy because it’s just overkill. And truth be told, despite it being a awesome shooter and better in every way. At the end of the day I still prefer shooting my good old Pro/Carbine and my 68 Automag. May as well sell what I don’t need and afford to play a bit more.

[kevin qmto]

Here's some of my favorite STBB's.

[kevin qmto]

But here's the real question, is the Brass Eagle Samurai an inline, or stacked tube blowback? Sure the lowers look like your standard inline design, similar to the Stingray, but then there's a change in the plumbing and now you've got two tubes!