Light entry level gun for 11 year old

[Wilfortina]

The title pretty much says it all.
my kiddo is turning 11 this spring and wants to get into it! I was thinking about getting him a stormer, but he likes the look of the vantage and mainly he likes the fact that it’s a little lighter than the stormer.

any other ideas for an entry-level light semi?

[JohnB]

Emek all day every day - best starter gun for the money hands down

[Pumps4ever]

EMEK!

[Trbo323]

If your budget allows I agree with the emek.

If the budget does not allow, spyder. Shorter and typically lighter than tippmann and there's a lot more features on average

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[Wilfortina]

I’ve heard spyders are not as good as they used to be? I always liked spyders more than the tippmann

[river031403]

Emek

[timetopat]

If the budget allows i feel like the emek. I have seen 11-13 year olds use them in rec ball and have no issues with them. They are super easy to take care of and dont need much maintenance.

[JohnB]

If you get an emek you have a marker with some resale value if he doesn’t like it. You also have a marker you can use your playable career most likely. The experience is going to be much better than the markers mentioned. If you get those or a spyder, they will be okay and work kinda but if you stick with it you will want to upgrade quick and if you quit those aren’t really worth anything. YMMV

[Wilfortina]

I know everything says an Emek is a starter gun, but it’s sure not priced like one 😂
It would also be better than anything I’ve got short of my etha2…
So are those the options? Tippmann or spyder?

[TF_Aloha]

Emek is the gun that you wish you had bought first after a couple months with your starter gun. People who save money with a blowback and end up liking paintball often end up spending more than the price difference trying to upgrade their Emek before they finally break down and buy the Emek.

[evilfishsticks]

I grabbed my son a used Gog eNmey for 60 bucks several years ago, served him well until he got a Mini. Something like that shouldnt be too hard to find under 100 bucks.

[Wilfortina]

That one sounds like a really good option at a good price point. I mean, at $60 that’s a fantastic option lol

[Wilfortina]

Those are used prices I assume? I’m seeing $200 online

[JohnB]

Yeah used, check here and eBay

[Chuck E Ducky]

Emek and an HK 36ci tank.

[Wilfortina]

Ok I took him to the sporting good store that actually has paintball gear (!) and he likes the tippmann vantage. (On clearance for $75) Does anyone have a comparison between that and the xtra? If I get him the xtra, he can turn it into a spump if he outgrows it and gets something else

[Trbo323]

Ok I took him to the sporting good store that actually has paintball gear (!) and he likes the tippmann vantage. (On clearance for $75) Does anyone have a comparison between that and the xtra? If I get him the xtra, he can turn it into a spump if he outgrows it and gets something else

Xtra will be shorter, mostly made of aluminum and much easier to work on

If you guys want stuff in that range shoot me a PM, I sell entry level setups. It's all used but has full rebuilds and is tested. I have a handful of e spyders right now

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[nak81783]

Not trying to undercut Trbo323, but I should be getting some used blowbacks shortly from a friend. I fixed them up for his kids a few years back, but apparently they’re done with them. He just wants me to give them to someone to get started. You’re welcome to one of them after I make sure they’re still working. Just pay shipping, and I’d hope you’d use the remaining funds to get him a decent entry level thermal mask if he doesn’t already have one.

As already mentioned, in-line blowbacks are longer than stacked tube blowbacks. I’d avoid the Vantage, with it being an in-line blowback. It’s also time-consuming to clean and maintain. It basically has two clamshells, and the outer one is relatively fragile.

Edit: One more comment on in-line blowbacks. When my boys, 10 and 12 at the time, were playing .50 cal, I upgraded from the small .50 cal Valken Cobra (scaled down STBBs that are actually sized for kids) to .50 cal Valken Blackhawks (full sized Tippmann 98 clones). I loved the size of the Cobras, but they were harder to keep running, especially in colder weather. All 4 I had would occasionally fail to recock (or skip the sear perhaps), which occasionally led to chops. We agreed if that happened, we'd stop the game, until I could swab it out and get it running again, so the boys didn't get shot without means to defend themself. Anyway, the Blackhawks ran much better (as Tippmann 98s do), but they are bigger and heavier. The only way I made it work was to install drop forwards and have the boys use 13ci tanks. They'd maybe get 2 games out of the 13ci tanks, so I had two tanks for each of them. I bought everything used, except the Blackhawks but got a good deal buying 4 at a time. The shop just wanted to get rid of them, since they'd been on the wall for a couple years.

[Pewpewpew]

Gtek used and emek frame. Two excellent markers in one. No upgrading markers from a “starter”, electric or mechanical, oled board, valve, trigger upgrades. Resale value, and just works. A Shocker RSX/CVO is also an excellent choice IMO.

[JohnB]

Gmek frame *

[Pewpewpew]

Thanks John B, that’s what smart me meant to say, stupid me usually speaks.

[FredMnkyDad10]

Ion. Can pick them up super cheap, light, fast, quiet.

[evilfishsticks]

I've bought 6 or 7 from my local store for 15 bucks a piece in various stages of upgrades and working order. I've been meching them, nice and small guns for kids.

[Trbo323]

Not trying to undercut Trbo323, but I should be getting some used blowbacks shortly from a friend. I fixed them up for his kids a few years back, but apparently they're done with them. He just wants me to give them to someone to get started. You're welcome to one of them after I make sure they're still working. Just pay shipping, and I'd hope you'd use the remaining funds to get him a decent entry level thermal mask if he doesn't already have one.

As already mentioned, in-line blowbacks are longer than stacked tube blowbacks. I'd avoid the Vantage, with it being an in-line blowback. It's also time-consuming to clean and maintain. It basically has two clamshells, and the outer one is relatively fragile.

Go with nak here if you want something from one of us. I won't lie to you, I'm selling stuff to make profit, that's how I can afford to play paintball, if he will sell you something similar just for shipping go for it. I generally try to price my stuff under market value but I do need to make my money back for whatever I bought it for

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