So, you've decided to take up the exciting sport of paintball. Good choice. Paintball is one of the most enjoyable sports out there, but it is quite gear intensive. To get going, you'll need many things, including clothes, goggles, tanks, and much, much more. For this article, we will talk about buying a gun.

It used to be that buying a marker as a beginner was simple If you were a beginner, you got yourself a basic gas blowback gun like a Tippmann or something. If you were feeling fancy, you might have sprung for something like an WGP Autococker. This can still work, but the technology of recent years has changed many things. High end, high rate of fire electronic guns are now coming down in price. Back in the old days, a fast electronic gun like an WDP Angel would have cost you dearly. These days, there are great, affordable electropnuematic guns that make it easy to get into a high performance marker right away.

However, just because you have the power doesn't mean you should use it. Basic blow back style paintball guns are very reliable, and a snap to repair if they happen to break. Not so with the cheaper electro-pnuematics. Also, to really get the most out of an electric marker, you'll need to get some sort of compressed air system. This costs more than the basic CO2 tanks that you can use easily with a gas blowbkack marker.

Of course, this decision really depends on your style of play. If you're doing a lot of woodsball/scenario type games, symplicity and reliability are paramount. However, if you're playing speedball games, having a nice, fast marker can be invaluable. You need to understand your playing style so you can make the right decision. No single marker is right for everyone, but with the proper research, you can find something that works for you. Now, go out there and play some paintball!