Rental vs private markers

[Diggie]

Okay, now I'd like to know for real, because I'm not much of a rocket scientist when it comes to paintball:

There isn't a newbie in the world that won't complain about the superiority of privately owned markers when we're on the field.
I have noticed that the general attitude laid down upon the newbie is: "every marker essentially shoots the same", but I think that's just a load of the ol' mutt's nuts.

While we're out there having the time of our lives on the field, my newbie friends are throwing paint around much like a newborn trying to throw a football. They do not have the same range as us, shoot way lower velocities than us, and their lack of experience combined with a broken slingshot excuse for a gun basically takes away every chance they have at getting competent before they even own their own markers.

But still, people say "don't worry about it, it's all in your head because you're easily intimidated".
I don't buy that for a split second. Rental guns are either crap or they're locked at Grampa Marathon velocities.

Someone debunk this myth for me please.

 

[Gee - Team No Hope]

The general attitude should really be "every well maintained marker essentially shoots the same".

The difference between own guns and rental is that the typical rental gets a load of paint shot through it on the weekend and then cleaned by dropping in a bucket of water then wiped with a rag. Whereas the typical own gun is loveingly cleaned and oiled etc. by an owner.

 

[Liz]

A lot of it is down to the barrel. A site marker has to have a largeish bore barrel so it can shoot whatever paint the site owner has in that weekend, which means that most of the time it's far too large for the paint.

I used to work at a site near where I live & still visit occasionally, they check & clean (if necessary) the markers after every game, then they are all cleaned properly, broken down and packed into their original boxes at the end of the day before the marshalls go home. I mean, these markers are better loked after than some tourney markers I've seen! It's still assumed however that own guns are somehow much better, & there would be screams from the rental customers if I took my ancient 68 Mag out against their year-old site Impulses.

 

[Diggie]

Whoa, site Impulse guns?!
So money!

Thanks for the comments all. Keep 'em coming.

 

[Buddha 3]

There are indeed a number of fields that chrono their markers in the 220 to 250 ranges, to prevent the squeemish from crying and to prevent the Rambo wannabees from going home as one big welt. So that is the first advantage for the owners.
Also, a lot of fields use standard blowback affairs as rentals, the barrel of which is basically just a piece of metal with a hole through it. Our barrels are lovingly mirror honed and more techno blah blah. Another advantage.
It's easy to keep going on for a while like this. Also, most people that own a marker have at least some working knowledge of the game, and often know the field they are playing on pretty well. More advantages!

Diggie, what are you doing playing against rentals anyway?

 

[Diggie]

Originally posted by Buddha 3
Diggie, what are you doing playing against rentals anyway?

Trying to make myself feel (& look) better I guess.

 

[Brown]

my brother had the pleasure of using his own mag and a site gun at sundays ote walk on (his kept drawing liquid I think and freezing the trigger) and used a rental for most of the day he noticed a drop in range and accuracy he was`nt bothered though he still had a great day and also my mate chrono`d his site gun and got a reading of 331 he did`nt use it ,
also the rate of fire from the top end markers compared to rentals is phenonemol (spelling ) i saw this first hand siunday and now i want one

LOSING..When it comes I wont even notice...I`ll be too busy looking good

 

[darm]

Ok people, so when you actually play against these customers with your angels, shockers, impulses, etc., how often do you get shot by these so called crappy site markers.

I am not saying that the site guns are better than our guns, but I've been out there against our site infernos, 2 infernos against 2 eclipse angels yes we lost against the infernos and it hurt. The guys using the infernos were part of Team Snatch but they still beat us with these site guns they chronographed at 260fps while the angels were around the 290 mark.

I guess it comes down to maintenance. Each of the site guns at Survival Barnstable is cleaned after each game and thoroughly cleaned and oiled after each day even if there have been a hundred odd guns out that day.
Each gun is chronographed at the beginning of each day and sometimes throughout the day as well.

Darm

 

[Diggie]

Originally posted by darm
Ok people, so when you actually play against these customers with your angels, shockers, impulses, etc., how often do you get shot by these so called crappy site markers.

To be honest, they aren't so called crappy site markers, they are crappy site markers, and they're not serviced as well as you just stated.

Last sunday none of the rental guns touched me. Just my own buddies.

And to be honest in a redux kind of fashion, I don't give a flying rat's ass if a newbie with a rental shoots me, even if I did have an Angel. At that moment, he/she played better than I did, so I should rightfully be punished for that. We're all playing the same game, rental or not.

Don't divide, just hug a lot.

 

[darm]

I think that each site has different standards, yes its a pain in the butt cleaning a hundred odd guns at the end of a days marshalling, but in the long run its worth it for the site owner. And I've helped to clean them along with the rest of the marshals.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that the site guns get looked after better than our own beloved guns as we don't tend to wrap them around trees, etc.

But as you said Diggie when we get shot by a customer then they were the better player at the time, that doesn't necessarily mean they are a better player than you all the time.

I think that sites should look after their markers and regular stripping (of the guns LOL) and cleaning will add years to their life and would in the long run work out cheaper as less parts wear, and they tend to go down less during the day than if they were not looked after.

I guess you could say that in general customers tend not to look after the kit very well just look at some of the states they get the kit into, mud, leaves, brambles...scratches, tears, etc.

Thought for the day...

If the customer cant shoot straight due to lack of maintenance, see out his/her goggles, how do you ever expect them to play ever again or want to progress onto rec/tourny ball, when they think that paint just wont fly straight out of their markers or you can never see out your goggles?

Darm