Realistic Paintball Guns

As the demand for realistic paintball conditions continues to rise, so too does the demand for authentic-looking guns or markers. In the earliest days of paintball, the sport hadn't yet become interactive. That is, paint was fired from pump-action guns in order to mark trees that were ready to be felled. That system was the forerunner of the sport that's evolved today.

Once props such as planes, bunkers, old Jeeps, and warehouses were added to the terrain, the game began to resemble authentic combat. Soldiers were no longer content with single-action rifles and began to innovate more high-tech weapons, many of which were semi-automatic. In spite of this, their capabilities were limited by the fact that CO2 cartridges required constant replacement.

Modern Warfare

Nowadays, paintball guns still require re-loading, only their cartridges are a lot more powerful. A single 12-gram cartridge can power over 100 different shots, so players spend less time re-loading and more time scampering from tree to tree and ducking fire. Of course, re-loading is very much a part of real combat, which means it's unlikely that "purists" will ever complain about it. They'll simply devise new ways of carrying more and more ammunition.

While the capabilites of paintball guns have evolved, so too have their aesthetics. Hard-core paintball enthusiasts aren't opposed to dropping 700, 800, or 900 dollars on a state-of-the-art weapon such as a RAP4 with Phantom Barrel, flak jacket, and refill cartridges. Many such packages also come with goggles, gloves, and other commando paraphernalia as well, all of which is meant to lend an air of realism to the sport.