These guns feel nothing alike

[Euphie]

This is the sort of thing I really enjoy about teching my own guns. So these are both Shockers, but my “woodsball” setup and my “speedball” setup feel almost nothing alike to actually use. This is the part that makes me kinda meh on modern guns with only one place to put the tank, only 45 style frames, only center feed, etc. I think this has also been a bit behind the popularity of Autocockers in that you can vary your setup very dramatically. Just to make something your own and not stock really appeals to me.

I do really wonder if actual customization is just going to go away for paintball, as that seems to be the trend. I see more mask customization than anything these days.

[JeeperCreeper]

For the most part I feel like you are right. Most people just buy stuff off the shelf and run with it.

Not me though. Like many other MCB'ers, I love having custom setups. I love to tinker. I enjoy having things that make newer players wonder "what the heck is that?" But most of all, I love having stuff that works the way I want it to. I customize everything though, my Jeep, my cars, even my lawn mower has some custom mods to make it work better for me. I'm not a stock kind of guy.

[Euphie]

That is like me! I just don't feel comfortable with something that I haven't changed to suit me better. My cameras all have custom menu setups and the buttons all changed around, My PC is all parts built and setup with the only keyboard format that is acceptable which is the big ass enter key and even then my Steelseries 7G has custom doubleshot PBT keycaps for this layout. My crown vic has new instrumentation I added as I like to see my MPG, it has Apple Carplay, custom drink holders, I have a sewing machine and I have customized quite a few of my clothes as well. It just seems weird to me that people get something and think it is just fine the way it is, few things in my experience are totally fine the way they come.

[Jordan]

I agree, on the topic of modern stuff with fixed ASA/gas-thru positions.


Ironically, I try to get everything to feel like my Mini, which has a drop-back and gas-thru setup. 😁

EDIT:

To clarify:

The only gun I truly feel comfortable with is my Mini - I suspect that's why its the only thing I can tag people with. So I try to make everything I own feel like it, in terms of positioning - hands, arms, where I sight down the side, etc.

If I can't get comfortable with something, I sell it, usually after spending too much money on trying to adapt it to me. 🙂

I have a couple notable exceptions - my Hurc and KP. They "feel" different on purpose.

[Chrisrook1]

Customization seems to be dropping all around in a lot of different hobbies it seems. Less people seem to be modding cars as well since manufacturers have been selling more that already meet what people are looking for. But, then there’s always people like us who appreciate the tinkering and custom feel.

[glaman5266]

I do really wonder if actual customization is just going to go away for paintball, as that seems to be the trend. I see more mask customization than anything these days.

This isn't really new. Customization/the aftermarket has been going away since the economy bottomed out in '08. Paintgun makers had to get us to buy new stuff, so they started making them great fresh out the box. Is it catering to the lowest common denominator? Yes, but that's what the majority of the paintball market is. The folks who want custom stuff or a huge aftermarket is absolutely dwarfed by the masses who just want something that works. It sucks, but that's how it is.

And this is why I like how 3D printing has taken off. This is filling a good niche in paintball and many other industries. While I myself don't design & print anything, I find it fascinating how we now have custom made parts that we can just make on our own. It's a beautiful thing IMO.

Other than that, whether it’s been a mag, cocker, phantom, impulse RSX, or giant rainmaker .. I just don’t notice a difference in holding. I feel like people are being dramatic when you talk about it.

I disagree. It really depends on how often you use your paintgun, how you practice, etc. For example, if you played airball with nothing but your Shocker/CS2/DSR/whatever for team practice 1-2x a week for a few months, and you pick up that heavy Rainmaker or 4x4 Shocker you WILL notice the difference. Guaranteed. You don't notice it because you're a gun whore & prolly don't care about weight/form. I was too for many years, so I see your point, but this is not always applicable. Similar to what I stated above, I don't think we here at MCB represent the majority of the market.

[glaman5266]

Riot Yeah, it's just something you get super used to if you play with nothing but that one paintgun & play all the time. I can play all day with cockers & other stacked-tube setups without really noticing differences, but put a Phantom/Trracer or a DM6+ or Shocker SFT/NXT in my hands & I don't feel right. Something is just off.

I might also notice it more 'cuz I'm super skinny, lol.

[Dusty Bottoms]

This isn't really new. Customization/the aftermarket has been going away since the economy bottomed out in '08. Paintgun makers had to get us to buy new stuff, so they started making them great fresh out the box. Is it catering to the lowest common denominator? Yes, but that's what the majority of the paintball market is. The folks who want custom stuff or a huge aftermarket is absolutely dwarfed by the masses who just want something that works. It sucks, but that's how it is.

This all day. I don't think alot of us realize that we are total outliers for the industry. Paintball has largely become a novelty, "experience" type activity for renters to get away for 2-3 hours and do something different and fun. This is coupled with the fact that technology has evolved to the point were things work really well, and the 'optimal' marker layout has been decided now for over ten years. There's no real reason for an aftermarket now, as we knew it, since there's no real money with it.

I have seven mags, of different models, that are all configured a little differently, so they feel different when I shoot them. The one I use the most feels 'right', and the others take a little adjusting too. However, it's NOTHING compared to when I use my Emek the same day. That's a very real adjustment, and I actually have trouble hitting people as well because I don't put the same time in with it. I love the layout, performance, and light weight, but it doesn't point the same for me even though it's single stack. The body slopes down at an angle that's different than the barrel and it throws me off alot, especially snap shooting. The mag body is just a tube, totally in line with the barrel so it points very naturally. So even small differences can make a big difference for the end user. However, by and large the end user is a renter and doesn't really care one way or the other.

[glaman5266]

3-D print a straight tube body for the Emek? There has to be someone here that could do it for you.