Battle of the Paintball Guns

It has been an interesting couple of years for Tippmann and BT. Some would say they have been battling to control the woodsball market. For every new marker that each company releases, the other releases their alternative. Tippmann of course, has been dominating the budget woodsball scene with the Alpha Black since 2008 and has now been completely dominating this scene with the release of the Project Salvo. Finally, in response BT is going to release the BT OMEGA with a very affordable price to compete directly with the Alpha Black and Project Salvo. It will be a tough challenge to compete against two very affordable, and reliable markers with just one, but I am interested in seeing how it will do.

The Tippmann TPX has been in the spotlight for most of this year and has set the standard for BT to contend with. Of course BT would not sit by without a fight, their answer to the TPX is the BT SA-17, where in my opinion was a very weak response (in looks), but it does have some extra functions that may test true in time.

Next we have BT's TM7 which has been dominating the woodsball market with it's savy electropneumatic features, and then stack the release of the TM15 on top of that and they had raised the bar. But Tippmann had something up their sleeve for some time now, they seemed to wait just until BT thought they had won and then they shot them down with their new revolutionary X7 Phenom. The Phenom can operate in a way that no other paintball gun can, it can operate electronically with several different firing modes, or if the battery dies, it can still fire in mechanical mode thanks to it's patented Flex Valve. Can the Phenom overcome the TM duo? Only time will tell, but it looks like it has a great chance.

Let's take advantage of this situation as it helps to create affordable prices the more these guys battle it out. Be sure to visit Red Dot Paintball to purchase or pre-order these markers as they become available!

This blog is courtesy of our guest blogger Red Commander.

Ego Paintball Guns

Here is a video on Ego paintball guns. This was the trailer from Planet Eclipse produced about a year ago.

You can see or post videos like this directly to PaintballGuns.MEspace. Join the site, and start posting paintball videos.

Tacamo - Another Paintball Industry Casualty

Today is another sad day in paintball. The Tacamo Paintball
Guns and all parts and accessories are obsolete and discontinued. If you need parts or accessories, I encourage players to stock up now. We do not have one item left or in stock and all pages will come down before the weekend. Please do not order anything from the Red Dot Paintball site because we will only have to refund your order.

How could this happen, well it is another casualty in the paintball industry. Many of you may remember that Archon was purchased by Procaps (Draxxus). As I posted before many of the lines of paint that were produced by Archon (Zap, Spank, Chronic) have slowly been disappearing. Well, the disappearance trick was performed again as Procaps/Draxxus continues to redefine itself. The latest is they want to mainly focus on stores and fields for mainly paint and goggles. Very little else from what I am hearing. It will be interesting to see if Tippmann continues to use them as a distributor that is not stocking their items? Who knows...what we do know is that there are less and less options for paintball supplies. It seems that nearly every month another loss is encountered.

Rap 4 T68 UDSF Sniper Paintball Gun

Have a look at one of Rap4's newest paintball guns. This new Sniper Rifle comes loaded right out of the box. There are several add on options for a slick air system. It can be magazine fed which is great for snipers, not exposed air tanks, exposed loaders. We would love to hear what you think so please post your comments here. Click through the picture to view a new video showcasing this paintball gun.

Smart Parts Paintball Guns Lov'em or Hat'em?

I would love to know what everyone thinks of Smart Parts paintball guns. Recently, sales have been really slow for their guns. I am not sure why. My son uses an Ion and it is very easy to maintain. The Vibe and SP1 are cheap inexpensive but good markers to use with CO2.

For awhile, a lot of people were buying SP8's. But, recently there are not many people even searching for them. Does anyone out there use an SP8? Are they good or ? What seems to be the problem?

It has been awhile since Smart Parts introduced anything new and maybe that is it? Spyder has just released the KT Chaser Pistols and Tippmann their new TPX. Could it be just no hype? It is a bit of a mystery to me so curious to know what you think?

Kingman Training Pistols and Handguns

Here is the video and press release for the new Kingman Training Pistols. We want to hear about your thoughts? Will this pistol rival Tippmann's new TPX release? More shots per 12 G CO2 is definitely a plus. These paintball guns feel good. They are a little more compact and should be a lot of fun to use. There are a lot of planned accessories and the kit comes with CO2 cartridges, some .43 caliber paintballs and one magazine. For those of you in Canada, unfortunately, .43 caliber paintball guns are not allowed in Canada due to current firearms regulations. To see the specifications of these guns, Click Here!




Kingman Group Date: April 7, 2009 Contact: +1 626-430-2300 Los Angeles, CA, USA KINGMAN TRAINING TAKES TO THE BEACH Target Shoot, KT Girls, SWAT Demo and a Pro Exhibition Match! The Kingman Training staff stayed busy all weekend at the USPL event in Huntington Beach showing off the latest KT Eraser™ and KT Chaser™ 11mm (.43 Cal) paintball markers. The KT Booth included a fully enclosed target shoot where people crowded all weekend to experience the accuracy and fun these brand new markers offer. Kingman Training presented exhibition matches on center court which included a SWAT vs Street Villain scenario, two recreational paintball matches, and one Pro Paintball Player matchup. The Pro match featured Alex Fraige and Ryan Greenspan from Dynasty going against B-Real and Rojo from the Stoned Assassins. The two-on-two Pro match was the highlight of the weekend with B-Real pulling out a hidden second KT Eraser™ marker putting the boys from Dynasty to rest. These Pro paintball players along with Chris Lasoya, Nicky Cuba, Mike Paxton, and Matty Marshall all picked up a brand new KT Eraser™ over the weekend. "We were stoked to see Alex and Ryan from Dynasty out playing one-on-one with the new KT markers" adds Jason Donaldson, VP of Marketing from Kingman Training. "It was great to see the markers on center court in such exciting formats. From SWAT scenario, guy vs girl one-on-one, to the Pro matchup... it seemed that everyone had a blast." KT Target Shoot SWAT with KT Models Dynasty KT Pro Matchup KT Target Shoot SWAT guys with KT models Dynasty Alex Fraige/Ryan Greenspan Pro Matchup Rojo, B-Real, Greenspan, Fraige The brand new Kingman Training product line features the KT Eraser™ (All Aluminum) and KT Chaser™ (Aluminum + High Impact Polymer) 11mm paintball markers along with 11mm paintballs, CO2 cartridges, accessories, and gear. Exhibition Game play rules can be found on the "About KT" page at our website www.kingmantraining.com. These markers can be used for recreational & tournament paintball play, scenario play, or SWAT/Tactical training. For more information including specs, videos and photos visit www.kingmantraining.com. The Kingman Training 11mm paintball markers are now available to the public.

Tippmann TPX Pistol Update Part 2

Tippmann has updated their site and we can now offer the latest information on specifications. The all new Tippmann TPX Pistol description and specifications as released by Tippmann are:

The new TPX .68 Caliber Paintball Pistol boasts an innovative, compact design, specially engineered to be lightweight, easy to maintain, customizable, and best of all, dependable. Check out more exciting features listed below or click on the pistol features above and watch for the official launch planned for mid-April.

• Metal Trigger Punctures C02 On First Pull
• Self-Locking 8-Ball Magazine Clip
• Quick Release Magazine Feed System
• Under Barrel 12 Gram C02 Air System
• Easy To Load 1/4 Turn C02 Cap
• External Velocity Adjuster
• Internal Regulator
• Ability to Add Remote Line
• Ergonomically Designed Grip
• Covered Ammo Windows
• Removable Barrel with X7 Threads
• Maintenance kit is included
• Deluxe carrying case is included
• Coming Mid-April!

Specifications:
Caliber: 68 Action: Semi-automatic
Power: CO2 Hopper Capacity:
CO2 Capacity: 12g Feed rate: 8bps
Firing rate: 8bps Trigger: Standard
Barrel length: 6 1/4" Length: 10 7/8" long
Weight: 1lb 11oz Effective Range: 150+ ft

JT USA Discontinues Camo Flex 8 Full Coverage Goggle

JT USA has announced that its popular Flex 8 Full Coverage Camo Goggle will be discontinued in the coming months. There are still a few available, but not many. Personally, I cannot understand this decision. Almost all companies have discontinued their camo versions of masks and it seems to me that keeping theirs would be a good seller. I have a set of these that I use myself. The goggles are very comfortable and are great in Woodsball. Along with my Tippmann 98 Custom Pro Camo Paintball Gun, I have a perfect combination in the bush.

Tippmann X7 Paintball Gun Promotion Announced

Hi everyone! Tippmann has announced an incredible sale that is supposed to start on March 1, 2009. Red Dot Paintball has secured permission with Tippmann to offer this sale starting Saturday February 15, 2009. Check out this incredible savings:


"Tippmann is excited to officially announce a new Value Added Program for the X7 Marker which offers your consumer a FREE Flatline or Response Trigger. The rebate officially begins March 1st and ends March 31st. To help your sales in February, and to jump start this promotion, we will accept redemptions for any sales that begin this weekend."

Tippmann Alpha Black Tactical Camo

Here is a brand new announcement from Tippmann. We are placing an order for a special allotment of Tippmann Alpha Black Tactical Version in Camo. The popular camo Paintball Guns are back from Tippmann and this one has a lighter color than the digi camo Tippmann 98's. The order we place tomorrow will be for the first allotment of the basic version. The E-grip, flatline barrel and Cyclone Feeder modifications will all work. We do not know if they will release an egrip model later on, but you can be one of the first to own this brand new Tippmann release.

Email us instantly if you want one of these new guns on the first shipment that will be here next week at the very latest. We do not know how long it will be until the second shipment will be available for us so first come first serve! Combined with our coupon offer below, we will be the cheapest available!

Tippmann Pistol Update

Here is the latest information we received from Tippmann. It is not much but gives us a little more information than last time.

"Tippmann’s new Pistol is on track for a fall delivery with a design that is lightweight, compact, 68 caliber and features Tippmann’s durability and reliability.

There has been a lot of speculation about the design but here is what we can tell you. The pistol is an original Tippmann design using proprietary technology. It will be magazine fed, have a tight grip and a lightweight trigger pull. Please watch your email for more news later this fall."

We will keep you posted as soon as we here any additional information.

Egrip and Etrigger Kit for Tippmann Alpha Black

The two most popular upgrades are here and ready to ship. The Tippmann Alpha Black E-grip or E-trigger upgrade kit is shipping this Friday September 5, 2008 from our store. The E-Trigger™ Electronic Upgrade Kit includes four firing modes (semi-auto, 2 x full-auto, 3-shot safety burst) that can be changed in seconds for rapid (up to 15 balls per second) firing. At first Tippmann told us they would not release an E-trigger and hoping that customers would just sell their non-etrigger models and upgrade to the fully installed E-grip model of US Army Alpha Black paintball guns. They surprised us all and the electronic trigger upgrade kit is now here.

They also announced the release of the Cyclone Feeder that has been fully modified out of the box. You no longer need to do anything to your Alpha Black to get the Cyclone Feed to fit. Please make sure you are ordering from someone that is offering the new model of Cyclone feeder for the 98. It is not clearly marked on the boxes (especially the early release) but rest assured the Cyclone Feed will fit your Alpha Black and will work out of the box without gun modification.

Canadian or foreign models of the Tippmann Bravo can also use these upgrades. The Bravo is a copy of the Alpha Black and the upgrades will fit the Bravo models. We can ship the upgrades to Canada and internationally.

Tadao Upgrade Board for Smart Parts Paintball Guns

One of the most popular after market circuit board technologies has created the Tadao Dynasty Upgrade Board. Now you can upgrade your Ion, Ion XE, SP8, EOS or Epiphany direct from Red Dot Paintball. As the winners of five consecutive NPPL series chamionships, there is no question that San Diego Dynasty is at the top of their game. Their Shocker and EOS markers are powered by Tadao Dynasty boards and now our customers can get this competitive edge too. The Tadao Dynasty Shocker board is compatible with the Shocker NXT, SFT and Nerve.

Tiberius Arms Paintball Guns

We have updated our Tiberius Paintball guns and will be adding all accessories within this week.

Offering Unique Customization, Tiberius Paintball Pistols & Guns Are Like No Other

Looking for a paintball marker with a true military feel? Tiberius paintball guns make a great choice.  

Tiberius Arms takes pride in creating the most versatile paintball marker on the market. With Tiberius paintball guns, you can get a hopper paintball marker, a rifle or pistol paintball marker, and a magazine fed paintball marker all in one. 

Tiberius paintball guns are available in two different series: Tag 8 and T-9. The T-9 series consists of rifles, while the Tag 8 series consists of the Tiberius paintball pistols. Tiberius paintball pistols offer: 

• Custom designs


• Internal magazines capable of holding eight paintballs


• CO2 cartridge powerful enough to fire three magazine rounds


• Metal construction

The various accessories available make it possible to completely customize Tiberius paintball pistols. These include a variety of different magazine clips, air adapters, tactical rails, extended barrels, silencers, laser lights, scopes, flashlights, and more.  

Better yet, many of these accessories can be used for both the Tag 8 and T-9 series, providing the highest level of versatility no matter which type of Tiberius paintball marker you purchase. 

Viewloader by JT Sports Brings Back Vlocity XSV

This loader has a story that you should read. The XSV was released last year. The all in one kit with so many features seemed to be an exciting new product. I had purchased one personally and was very happy with it. Then, after a very short amount of use.....the clock spring failed. I did some searching online and learned that others were having the same problem. A call to our JT sales representative and he told me that they had a problem and were going to pull them from the market. Buyer beware, the XSV's in stock from last winter will all have this problem. There is an easy fix and all you need to do is contact JT Sports and they will send you a new clock spring. Since that time, they pulled the product and now are re-releasing these with the upgraded clock spring included. We have not had any problem since then and love the loader. We have not purchased any of the old stock and so ordering from our site, you can be sure you are getting the updated model. Please follow this link to the newly released Viewloader XSV Vlocity Loader. Your paintball guns will have a hard time keeping up with this loader.

Spyder Paintball Guns

New and exciting Kingmann paintball markers, which are more commonly known as Spyder paintball guns, are continually being enhanced and re-introduced to the paintball market. One of the most recent additions to the family of Kingmann paintball markers is the Spyder VS1.  

These Spyder paintball guns were released in June of ’07 and are likely to prove to be top sellers among paintball enthusiasts. 

This new paintball gun will be part of the VS series of Spyder paintball guns, which means it will offer the same electronic break-beam eyes and semi-auto / burst-firing modes found on other VS Kingmann paintball markers. In addition, this new paintball gun will offer: 

• The ability to operate at a full 20bps firing capacity with either CO2 or N2 compressed air


• The flexibility to compete in national tournaments or in backyard games with the same gun


•  Light weight, making it easy to unleash havoc upon other players with superior firepower

Spyder paintball guns have long been a favorite brand for those that are just getting into the sport, as well as for those that have been playing for years. The variety of models coupled with the high-quality and relatively low price when compared to competitors has made it a top brand. 

At RedDotPaintball.com, you’ll find this hot new gun, as well as many others at great online pricing. Take a moment to browse through our many available Kingmann paintball markers.  

This is the first in a series of posts for Spyder paintball guns. We are updating all of Spyder's paintball marker offerings and will comment on the models as they are updated on the site. 

Tippmann Paintball Gun Barrels

Today we received a new product announcement from Tippmann. They are releasing a Straight Line Barrel that fits the A5 and X7 models. The barrel is to be released on June 20, 2008. Here is the information received from Tippmann today regarding this new product.

"Tippmann Sports is excited to launch a new, special edition StraightLine barrel for woodsball that was designed to complement the look of Tippmann X7 and A-5 markers. The new, 16” barrel was created through a partnership with HammerHead®, a longtime leader in paintball barrel design, and offers unmatched quality and performance characteristics.



The special edition StraightLine barrel will be sold in a complete kit featuring three sizers, a carrying case and lithium grease. It will be available in mid-June 2008 at a retail price of $149. This new barrel is set to debut at Oklahoma D-Day, where The Hellions from CPX and the SPC team from Glasgow Scotland are scheduled use the new barrel in play. We have a limited allocation for the first run of these barrels and we are now accepting orders for shipments to begin on June 20th."

We will update our Tippmann paintball gun upgrades page on the website. We are interested in what comments you can post on this new barrel for the Tippmann X7 and Tippmann A5 paintball guns.

Paintball Air Tanks, CO2, HPA, LPA

Paintball can be confusing and so is true for the paintball air tanks. Which tank and what does it all mean? Why a CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) tank or HPA (High Pressure Air)tank? Well it depends and we cannot stress the importance of knowing what your gun is recommended to run on? Please always check with the manufacturer for their recommendations.

We know from experience it can be misleading. For example, the Smart Parts Ion XE paintball gun, is an excellent marker and does state that it can run on CO2. However, the gun performs best on HPA.

What tanks do you use? Why? Which is best for which models of paintball guns or paintball markers? What about sizes? Who uses what size and why? Some look for light weights while others look for more capacity. Please share your comments.

Tippmann Pistol

On Friday we learned that Tippmann will be launching a Tippmann Pistol model. Here is the release quote.

"In addition to the new Straightline Barrel launched yesterday, Tippmann is also announcing at D-Day the launch of a new Pistol to the paintball industry. Because our dealers and core players have been asking for a premium pistol, we feel the opportunity exists for Tippmann to launch a better pistol, using brand new technology that will quickly make it the most sought after pistol on the market. Unfortunately at this time we cannot elaborate much beyond the fact that it will be .68 caliber, lightweight, compact, modifiable and have the Tippmann reliability our customers have come to expect.



At D-Day we will also be giving players an opportunity to sign up for a Sneak Peek email but of course as a Tippmann Dealer you will automatically be updated on a regular basis during the summer months. Although this pistol will not be available until the fall, we are launching at D-Day because we feel we are far enough along with this new technology and that the timing is right to announce an exciting new product to our core group of scenario players.



Tippmann is extremely excited with the initial response of our new products launched this year. The new U.S Army Alpha Black, the updated 98 Custom Platinum Series have surpassed our initial expectations by providing exceptional value to your customers and we feel our entry into this new category will further fuel the growth of paintball with the avid player."

We will keep you updated on this announcement. Do you feel Tippmann will get it right the first time and be able to compete with Tiberius Arms Pistol? (shown below)

Paintball Gun Warranties

Today in our paintball blog we will discuss warranties and online paintball stores. Many people like to compare retail to online and discuss whether one is better than the other. For those of you that are unsure here is a brief explanation. The basic argument is that if you shop retail and buy your paintball guns at the local paintball store you can get service if the paintball gun does not work. If you buy your paintball marker at an online paintball store, you are stuck dealing with the manufacturer for warranty.


Dangerous Power Threshold

There is absolutely no difference between buying your paintball gun at any of the big retail stores like Walmart, Joes Sports, Target, Sports Authority, Canadian Tire or any other large retailer. They will just charge more money than what you can buy your paintball gun for online(in most cases). At Red Dot Paintball, you will be guided to resolve your problem with the manufacturer. When a problem arises, we always point the consumer back to the manufacturer. We are selling paintball equipment nationwide and around the world. The consumer is always best to check with the manufacturer if the marker is not working because they can often guide you over the phone, point you to relevant manuals on their websites or give you a return authorization number for repair.

Tippmann's answers the phone quickly, gives you no hassle repairs and offers 24 hour turnaround on their repairs. They just began their 2 year warranty program this year.


We have used Tippmann's warranty for replacing some e-grips and the process was simple and fast. We called in, received the support we needed, sent in our old part and received a new one quickly. On the other hand, we have had some less than perfect service from an unnamed manufacturer. We are looking forward to hearing about your experiences with warranty work as well.

In addition to warranty work, you should be using your manufacturer for other questions you may have. Like where to find the manual online. Be sure to check with them for other questions like the proper use of paintball air tanks (high pressure air or low pressure air)? Is your paintball gun/marker recommended to run on CO2? What kind of lubricant should you use? By following the manufacturers recommendations, you should be able to avoid having warranty work done in the first place.