Mechanical vs Electronic paintball gun which is best? How many types are paintball guns? In this blog, we will cover almost every type of paintball gun.
Before buying them for gaming, every paintball lover should know the basic differences between Mechanical and Electronic Paintball guns.
By learning the differences and advantages of each type of paintball gun, you can easily choose the right option marker for you.
Basics of Paintball Gun:
Before knowing the types of paintball guns, every passionate paintball gamer should also know about the basics of paintball guns.
- Paintball guns containing an air tank filled with CO2 or HPA are designed to shoot paintballs at a very high speed.
- When a paintball gun is fired with the help of a trigger, a small bolt pushes a force toward the ball into the paintball barrel.
- Compressed gas CO2 is released through the valve which expands in the barrel, forcing the ball out the end.
Mechanical Paintball Guns:
This is the most common type of paintball gun you will have to face on the field while playing a game.
- Mechanical paintball guns use springs, triggers, arming levers, pump levers, and valves to launch each paintball at the desired target.
- When we pull the trigger in most mechanical paintball guns, it releases a bolt which then creates a force in the forward direction with the help of a spring to push the ball into the barrel.
- When the ball enters the barrel, the screw hits the pin, which opens the valve and allows air to flow into the barrel. The expansion of the air causes the bolt to return to its original position, hence the name “blowback,” from the fact that the air returns the bolt to its original position.
- Mechanical Paintball guns should be cleaned and lubricated with oil regularly. The O-rings should be properly oiled and replaced with new ones if necessary, to sustain the efficiency of the gun.
Advantages:
- Very easy to operate.
- Less expensive than an electronic one.
- Readily available in the market.
- Replacement parts are easily available if necessary.
- No battery is required (neither replacement nor recharging)
Disadvantages:
- Mechanical paintball guns are usually louder than electronic guns.
- Low accuracy and consistency
- Firing speeds can vary a bit from shot to shot
- Must be cocked before being fired
- Usually need a higher air pressure in your tank to fire, this means that you get fewer shots per tank of air.
Popular Mechanical Paintball Guns:
- Tippmann A-5
- Spyder Victor
- Walken SW1
- Kingman Spyder
- Piranha GTI
- Brass Eagle Striker
Electronic Paintball Guns:
- Electronic paintball guns are more complicated than mechanical ones.
- Electronic guns or electro-pneumatic guns use battery-powered circuit boards that activate solenoids to fire paintballs at the desired target.
- When the trigger pulls, it transmits signals to the circuit board which then activates the gun to fire.
- Circuit boards are programmable, so you can change the firing modes according to your requirement.
- For consisting firing, electronic guns rely on regulators.
- Electronic markers are typically more difficult to dismantle.
- Basic cleaning and lubricating either with grease or oil is necessary for regular maintenance of the gun.
Advantages:
- Electronic paintball guns are more compatible, accurate, and can fire faster.
- Easy to pull the trigger to activate the circuit.
- Require lower pressure than mechanical guns
- Get more shots per tank.
- Increased firing speed
- Usually smaller and lighter
- The trigger is much lighter and requires less force to release.
Disadvantages:
- Very expensive the mechanical one
- Are not readily available in market
- Usually require compressed air
- Expensive parts and batteries
- Much more difficult to repair
- Usually require HPA (High-Pressure Air)
- Require a power source
Popular Electronic Paintball Guns:
- Planet Eclipse Etek 4
- Smart Parts Ion
- WDP Angel
- Planet Eclipse Ego
- Empire Battle Tested BT-4
- Proto Matrix Rail
- Planet Eclipse Etha 2
Electro-Mechanical Paintball Guns:
- Paintball weapons that use an electronic trigger to electronically release the bolt to fire are typically mechanical paintball guns.
- It has an electronic circuit board that allows for fully automatic firing, three-round bursts, and other firing modes.
- Make sure to regularly clean the parts of the gun and lubricate them with oil or grease if necessary to increase the efficiency of the gun
Advantages:
- More reliable and simple to use with automatic and increased firing speed
- Less expensive than Electronic Paintball Gun
- Replacement parts are easily available
- Easy to repair than electronic one easy to repair.
- Either use CO2 or HPA.
Disadvantages:
- Not as accurate or consistent as most electronic guns.
- Louder than mechanical guns.
- Require a higher air pressure than electronic guns.
Examples of Electro-Mechanical Paintball Guns:
- Spyder VS3
- Evil Omen
- Spyder Pilot
- Tippmann X-7 Electronic
Other Types of Paintball Guns:
Pump Paintball Guns:
- Pump paintball guns are often the most accurate guns available and alternative to semi-automatic play.
- Pump the gun by sliding the handle forward and then backward between each shot you fired at your target.
- The rate of fire is low compared to other guns.
Autococker Paintball Guns:
- Autocockers are essentially self-loading pump-action shotguns. They are not as rapid-firing as electric pistols.
- Its maintenance cost is very high as it has very fragile parts compared to other guns.
- The gun must be constantly adjusted and tuned to work optimally.
Automag Paintball Guns:
- Automags are mechanical paintball guns just like mechanical paintball guns, but they shoot the paintballs forward instead of backward.
- They require high pressure of around 800 psi. They can handle a high rate of fire as compared to a mechanical one.
Key Differences between Electronic and Mechanical Paintball Guns:
- Electronic paintball guns generally are more expensive than mechanical ones. The circuit board and electronic components are more expensive to produce. The price tag may vary between $200 to $500.
- Electronic paintball guns need to be recharged as compared to mechanical paintball guns which have no powered mechanism.
- Electronic paintball guns have far more firing modes which means that you can fire a burst of five shots with a one-pull trigger.
- Some electronic paintball guns have a smooth mechanism with no blowback. This will increase the efficiency of the gun.
Final Verdict:
In this blog, we tried our best to differentiate the mechanical paintball gun and the electronic one with an easy step-by-step guide. We also cover almost every type of Paintball gun that is readily available in the market and used by passionate game lovers. I hope it will add some information to your knowledge to better understand purchasing.
Thanks for reading!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the main difference between a mechanical and an electronic paintball gun?
Electronic paintball guns employ battery-powered circuit boards to regulate the shooting mechanism as opposed to mechanical paintball guns, which use mechanical springs and triggers.
Which type of paintball gun is better for beginners?
For beginners, a mechanical paintball gun is typically recommended because they are generally less expensive and easier to maintain.
Are electronic paintball guns more accurate than mechanical ones?
Both types of guns can be accurate, but electronic guns often have features like adjustable firing modes and electronic trigger pulls that can improve accuracy.
Do electronic paintball guns require more maintenance than mechanical ones?
Electronic guns may require more maintenance because they have more complex internals, but they also often have self-cleaning features that can make maintenance easier.
Are electronic paintball guns allowed in all paintball fields?
While most paintball fields allow electronic guns, some fields may have restrictions on firing modes or maximum firing rates to ensure player safety. It’s important to check the field’s regulations before using an electronic gun.
