Selecting the Best Paintball Guns for Beginners
The options of paintball guns for beginners are numerous. If you’re new to the sport of paintball, you’re probably overwhelmed by all the options. As the oldest paintball field in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, we know plenty about paintball gear. Nearly every brand of paintball gun has come through our field and our paintball pro shops in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Here are our choices of paintball guns for beginners.
Tippmann Paintball
When it comes to paintball guns for beginners, nobody builds a better paintball marker for the money than Tippmann Paintball. Tippmann was one of the early companies in paintball and their markers can be found in paintball field rental fleets all over the world.
Tippmann FT-12 Paintball Gun
An evolution of the Tippmann 98, the Tippmann FT-12 is a great paintball gun for beginners. The rugged marker is built around the durable 98 valve and bolt design for flawless operation. Preventive maintenance is as simple as a couple drops of oil. Perhaps the best feature of the FT-12 is that it can be disassembled without tools. The flip-top design is a great improvement over the 98’s clam-shell design, making reassembly a breeze. The FT-12 is the marker we use in our standard rental packages.
Tippmann A5 Paintball Gun
The next step up from the FT-12 is the Tippmann A5. The cyclone feed system eliminates the need for a motorized hopper, as the feed system utilizes exhaust gases to agitate the hopper and cycle paintballs into the gun. The A5 main components of the marker can be accessed without tools. The A5 also has a wide variety of accessories for customization.
Tippmann Crossover Paintball Gun
If you prefer an electronic paintball gun, the Tippmann Crossover is a marker worth checking out. The Crossover was Tippmann’s first attempt at a paintball marker which would appeal to new tournament players, but still be durable enough for paintball in the woods. The Crossover is uses FlexValve Technology for an operational pressure below 300 PSI. It also features a center-feed system, electronic anti-chop eye, and six modes of fire.
Planet Eclipse
When it comes to high-end gear, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a product line better than Planet Eclipse. They’ve been building some of the best tournament markers for well over a decade. Eventually they expanded their offerings into the mid-priced market. Their mid-level markers come packed with many of the same features you’d find in high-end tournament markers.
Etek 5 Paintball Gun
If you don’t mind spending a bit more for your first paintball gun, check out Planet Eclipse’s Etek 5. This electro-pneumatic marker is just as comfortable in the woods as it is on the tournament field. It’s a great all-around marker that will give you the performance needed to try all types of paintball. The Etek line of markers are what we use as our premium rental marker.