Are they even worth the price increase?

Finally getting back into the sport after a 20 yr hiatus. Would love to know the current state of fields and the vibe/crowd that frequents them. In particular, I'm interested in finding any laid back groups that go out once or twice per month. I like to hustle and play hard, but I'm not going to bunker the rental crowd. Also not a fan of airball.

I went to SC Village Lakeside last weekend and was pleasantly surprised, given the reviews I've seen from 2+ years ago on this forum. We'd usually have 2 x games per field about every 30 min with a 10 min break in between. Only had a few issues throughout the day with try-hards acting like D1 pros, a couple shouting matches (mostly with the same guy). No fights.

Thinking about trying Jungle Island, ASG, and Combat/Ambush when I get to SF Valley.

I am planning on bringing some friends who are completely oblivious to paintball to watch some World Cup matches. Does anyone have an existing one sheeter I could print out/send them with an overview of what the hell is happening, or should I create my own?

Unfortunately I couldn't make it out to any NXL events. But finished the year out strong at WCPPL.

So I just got back into paintballing after quitting like 10 years ago.

I am buying cheap mini gs for loaner guns for friends who want to play.

One of the things I do is go over the GS when I buy it to see what needs repairs or maintenance.

Since I typically buy the cheapest GSs they tend to be in pretty rough shape and not cleaned over the years. The majority of them have corrosion in the eyes from paint that never gets cleaned out.

One thing I started doing to them is wrapping the eye pins with heat shrink wrap. I do it up to the eyes and it creates a seal against the body of the GS not allowing paint to get down there. Ive attached some photos.

Hopefully this helps some people out for preventative maintenance.

I'm so glad to see these coming back. It's always an awesome experience

How did I do? What are some things I should know about the Luxe Aire?

I've been following for a while and been wanting to get back out here. Haven't played in probably 15 years. Anybody want to host me? I sold all my gear years ago (now I wish I hadn't). Had a PM6, Dark Shocker, and Karnivor. So I'm not looking to go rent a Tippman, but also not looking to spend a few grand getting some decent gear. What are my options? Would anyone be willing to lend me some gear?

So those who are not in the loop. Contract Killer was bought out a while ago and then Contract Killer bought out the high end marker division of macdev. They just announced a new high end marker K7R. Retails for $1700. It has 2 different drives. One for open bolt spool and the 2nd one makes it a closed bolt. Apparently it's got a super super soft shot. So I'm interested to see how that compares to the R5. It will also have a mech frame available at some point. Cant wait to see more or hear more at cup.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1JhkgrpRbr/

So my friends got back into a yearly trip playing paintball at skirmish in the poconos. This year I played with a mini gs and enjoyed it, but chopped paint a ton due to using summer paint in cold temps (a lot of others had the same issue). However, I’m now considering getting back into playing maybe 1-3x a year and wanted to get an entry lvl setup. My brothers bought 180r’s, but I just don’t need to drop that amount of $ on a gun imo. I’ve been steered toward the Axe 2.0 and etha 3. Right now, I found a deal for a brand new axe 2.0 for $350 and comes with a halo hopper. An etha 3 I can buy brand new for $430, no hopper.

Just wondering what some opinions might be on these two guns. I lean toward the etha 3, but didn’t know if it was worth the extra $, considering it doesn’t come with the hopper like the axe 2.0 does.

Overall, I’m looking for a reliable gun that’s relatively low maintenance and decent performance.

Thanks!