Listen, Can I be totally honest with you?
Many first time paintball gun purchases are a mistake.
Either the gun is poorly machined and manufactured, breaking easily, requiring repairs and downtime or the marker is the wrong type of gun for the players position, level of experience and field type, and thereby does not meet the players needs.
This guide will show you why paintballers who play with pump guns are uncommon, why they prefer the pump marker, what you should look for when choosing a pump marker and finally, we will review 5 paintball markers we like.
Do you want to learn how to choose the right and best pump paintball gun for you?
This guide is meant to help you do just that.
This is a guide for beginners who want to foray into the realm of the pump gun elite.
Why do I say elite?
The elite are a select group, the elect. A pump gun takes skill, talent, precision, knowledge, and a quality gun to be ‘done’ right.
Pump guns are nothing like the point and spray your guts out, hope to hit something, semi auto electric guns they rent on the field.
Pump guns, good pump guns, are designed well, have huge power, are accurate, and take skill to use. What they don’t do is spray a days wage worth of paintballs in 10 minutes, making skill irrelevant.
With the pump gun, you shoot one paintball at a time, and every shot counts.
You are in a never ending battle.
With every shot you risk giving up your position and exposing yourself to being shot, so if you want to use a pump gun, start first with the highest quality gun you can afford, and become a master at shooting it.
Accuracy is your best advantage, so choose carefully.
What you gain by using the best pump paintball gun is speed, accuracy, power, skill and enlistment into the ranks of the most talented players.
I am sure by now you realize….
Even when you have the best pump paintball gun you will be challenged, but in the words of the UFC Champion Connor McGregor:
Losers stop when they fail, Winners fail till they succeed.
Playing with a pump paintball gun is like rewiring your mind. It forces you to get better, and if you keep at it, you will improve your game.
Strategy, Accuracy, Skill
While pump players are few and far between, most will say than playing with a pump gun is the most fun they have had playing paintball. It is the difference between playing checkers vs chess.
The harder the game, the more satisfying the hit.
You will need to strategize. When playing with a semi-automatic weapon, you can rely on the sheer volume of shots to cover your butt if you make a mistake.
This is not so with a pump gun, where you must use battle tactics and plan EACH shot. Pump ball is paint ball on the next level.
The ‘One Baller’ Advantage
One shot, one kill…And let’s not forget the satisfaction you will feel when you take out some dweeb who is firing 15 shots a second, with just one shot. There is just no feeling like it.
Am I right??
Savings
You will save soooo much money on paint. Even playing every weekend you might use 3 or 4 cases of paint, whereas a semi-auto player can use a case per game.
Per game!
If they can afford it. A pump gun player on a budget can play for a longer period of time than a semi-auto player with the same budget, simply because they use less paint.
So, Let’s Fire away.
The mechanics and characteristics you should consider before choosing the best pump paintball gun:
Weight, Size and Ergonomics
Weight, size and ergonomics are all very personal preferences. The best thing you can do is demo the gun at a paintball shop, field, or if you have a friend who owns the gun you are considering ask to take it for a test run.
At a bare minimum, try and find a shop that has the marker so you can hold it in your hands to feel the weight and balance. Most pump guns are lighter that fully equipped guns simply because they carry less paint and other equipment that semi-autos need.
This is one huge bonus of pump style paintball markers.
The bottom line?
Choose a marker that feels good in your hands and is comfortable to shoot. This will be different for each player, so testing the gun is essential.
Speed, Accuracy and Shot Quality
A high pressure pump action marker will offer more distance and faster speed, while a lower pressure gun is quieter, and allows for more stealth.
If you need to be sneaky, you may want a lower pressure gun, but if you are shooting long range, opt for higher pressure.
Accuracy is often one of the most compelling reasons to use a pump action marker, so research your desired gun’s accuracy before you pull the trigger, so to speak.
A barrel kit can go a long way in improving accuracy, so if you find a gun that includes one, all the better.
When you are playing with a pump gun, accuracy is crucial. Your advantage as a pump player is stealth and being ignored by the opposing team. If you need to make multiple shots due to an inaccurate gun, you are more likely to give yourself away and gather unwanted attention.
Make sure the pump slides smoothly and the trigger is not too stiff, which can be tiring for your fingers.
Maintenance, Reliability and Design quality
Make no mistake about it…
Maintenance, design and reliability are what set apart the best pump action paintball guns from the standard or crappy, cheap pump paintball guns.
Check the reviews and do your homework here.
The barrel kit should be precision machines to match the bore, so you are not chopping balls and breaking paint.
Markers that you can disassemble without tools or simple tools are ideal. Pumps are known to be reliable and easy to maintain as a class of guns, so that is another benefit of having one.
You can put it away for a week or month, take it back out and maybe oil it and it is ready to play.
How is the gun fed? Open or Stock class
Stock class guns use 12 gram CO2 air cartridges and feed the paint which lays in a horizontal position. You must rock the gun to load the paint, which is why some folks call the stock class ‘Rock and cock”.
The maximum number of paintballs may also be limited to 20 for some games, to be considered stock class.
One variation is the vertical stock class, where the CO2 cartridge (NOT the paintballs) is installed vertically.
Open Class markers use hoppers and tanks to feed paintballs, they may also have auto triggers and rotors, but must have a manual pump to be considered a pump gun.
What is an Autotrigger?
An auto trigger allows you to hold the trigger down indefinitely. This way, each time you pump, the gun will shoot. You can use a lot more paint this way and may be less accurate due to the movement of pumping occurs at the same moment you take the shot.
Paint
Play with good paint. Crappy brittle paint will cause breakage in your barrel, which takes time to clean and since your shots are limited and the shot you just took may have caught the opponents attention, a chopped ball is a risk you don’t want.
Best Pump Paintball Gun Reviews
Best pump action paintball gun Overall
Empire Paintball Sniper Pump Marker
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Review
This is the gold standard mid range, pump action marker among paintball enthusiasts. It features quiet, low pressure operation. It is in the mid-range budget, making it a great bang for the buck.
It has an auto trigger, fires rapidly and is smooth.
Pros
- Comes with a barrel kit, the hitman mod, and auto trigger, right out of the box.
Cons
- The handle is smallish and may be awkward for some.
Conclusion
This pump action paintball marker is a staple among ballers, you will not be disappointed.
Azodin KP3 Kaos Pump 3 Paintball Marker
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Review
This Azodin KP3 Kaos has a smooth shot and cycle action. The handle is ergonomically correct, and you won’t tire your hands with the easy trigger.
This marker shoots consistently and chronos tight.
It has a high quality stock barrel and at the budget, it is an awesome deal.
Pros
- Lightweight aluminum body which has great balance.
- Smooth easy trigger.
- Dual cocking rods make for a secure and smooth pump, a must for a high quality pump gun.
- Features a quick release bolt.
Cons
- The trigger has a bit too much ‘play’ for some folks preference.
Conclusion
A great quality, popular and affordable paintball marker in the mid range.
Best pump paintball marker kit
Action Village Azodin Epic Paintball Gun Package Kit
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Review
This gun comes in a kit with a mask, tank, harness and more. The Azodin Kaos pump action paintball marker is a low to mid level pump action paintball marker is reliable and well designed.
The marker fires quietly, and the pump is smooth. The gun feels like a much more expensive gun, and indeed, is one of the best in its budget.
Pros
- Great pump action, comparable to much more expensive guns.
- This kit comes with a CO2 tank, paintball harness, 140 round paintball pod, a mask and squeegee, tool kit and spare parts.
- The marker is easy to take apart and maintain.
Cons
- The gun is louder than some other pump action paintball guns.
Conclusion
If you don’t wan to spend a small fortune on a paintball gun, but still want high quality, this Azodin paintball gun package has everything you need.
Best cheap pump paintball guns
JT SplatMaster Z200 Shotgun
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Review
This budget paintball gun uses no batteries not C02, making it great for an absolute beginner or occasional player.
Likely the best cheap pump paintball guns you can buy.
Pros
- Shoots 15 rounds of ammo before reloading.
- Is accurate to 50 ft, can shoot to 100 feet.
- They do not shoot too hard, so they are good for younger players.
Cons
- Not very accurate past 50 feet.
Conclusion
The perfect gun for young players and backyard games or casual play.
We hope you find the pump action paintball gun that is right for you, and we wish you the rush and satisfaction of hitting an opponent with just one shot.
Last update on 2024-10-23 at 03:40 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API