Best Paintball Gun Reviews & Buying Guide – Top 10 Paintball Guns

Are you new to the action-packed world of paintball and looking for the best beginner paintball gun? Maybe you’re a seasoned player but want to upgrade your arsenal with the best paintball gun around. Either way, your mind is probably filled with questions. With so many options and choices out there, how could it not be?

That’s why (insert site name here) was created; to help answer those questions and provide you with an unbiased, in-depth look at the top ten paintball guns on the market today. From high end paintball guns like paintball sniper rifles to more beginner-friendly models, the paintball gun reviews below will point you in the right direction and help you pick out the perfect paintball gun for you. Enjoy!

What is a Paintball Gun?

If you’re new to paintball and find yourself asking what is a paintball gun or what is a paintball marker, I’ll keep this short and sweet. A paintball gun is simply a mechanical device used to shoot out ball of paint. That’s all there is to it.

However, not all paintball guns are the same. In the early days, the only options to choose from were pump paintball guns. They required players to manually pump the gun for each shot that they took, resulting in extremely slow firing rates.

Next came mechanical paintball guns, which put the sport of paintball on the map and are still the most popular and loved type of paintball gun today. Considered the best paintball markers for several years and widely recommended in several paintball gun reviews to this day, mechanical paintball guns utilize compressed air to shoot out paintballs at their targets.

Recently, electronic paintball guns have begun taking over the market. Thanks to advances in technology, electronic paintball guns have multiple firing rates and many even offer full auto capabilities. If you’re a serious player and looking for pro paintball guns, speedball paintball guns, or a full auto paintball gun, an electronic model is definitely what you’re after. Keep reading to learn more about paintball guns and the various types available for today’s players.

Choosing a Paintball Gun For Your Play Style

Are you a serious competition player or a casual weekender? Do you like speedball, woodsball, or a combination of both? Determining your playing style is crucial when it comes to picking out the best paintball gun for you.

As you’ll see in the paintball gun reviews below, there are paintball guns that cater to the needs of a variety of players and styles. From tactical paintball guns to pistol paintball guns and everything in between, there are endless options to choose from. So, before you even begin learning about today’s top 10 paintball guns, you need to decide on the right type of gun for your style of play.

Answering the following questions will help you do just that:

Your answers to these questions will help determine the right type of gun for you. For instance, if you like to play stealthily and take out targets from long range, a sniper rifle paintball gun would be your best bet. If you’re into CQB and urban warfare, you may be better off going with a more versatile tactical weapon. If you’re a beginner, you’ll want the best beginner gun, and so on.

Regardless of your playing style, one of the top 10 paintball guns in this guide is sure to be a great fit for you.

Types of Paintball Guns

There are literally hundreds of different paintball guns out there to choose from, but when it comes to discussing the actual types of paintball guns available, there are only two real options. Let’s take a look at each:

Mechanical Paintball Guns

Mechanical paintball guns are by far the most popular type of guns on the market. Used around the world, these paintball guns are semi-automatic, which means they fire one shot each time the trigger is pulled. Therefore, they’re generally more accurate and easier to use, making them ideal beginner paintball guns.

Mechanical paintball guns utilize compressed air, CO2, HPA, or another propellant to fire paintballs at their targets. The propellant is stored in a tank that attaches to the gun.

Many mechanical paintball guns also use a blow-back operating system, which releases a spring-loaded hammer when the trigger is pulled. The hammer strikes a valve, allowing the propellant to escape and fire the paintball. The pressure then blows the hammer back and returns it to its firing position after the paintball has been released.

If you’re not interested full auto and want the most accurate paintball gun, chances are mechanical paintball gun is the best option for you.

Electronic Paintball Guns

Electronic paintball guns have created a new breed of paintball in which players can run around popping off rounds in full auto! When these paintball guns first hit the market, they were quite pricey and widely considered professional paintball guns for serious competitors only. Today, however, you can purchase an electric paintball gun for much less, making them a popular option for players of all skill levels.

Electronic paintball guns use solenoids controlled by circuit boards to fire. Most are powered by a 9-volt battery and provide multiple firing rates, including full-auto and three-round bursts. Many also use a spool valve, eliminating the need for extra moving parts and making them much easier to repair.

If you’re interested in the fastest paintball gun or want a fully automatic paintball gun for serious competition and fun, an electronic model is definitely the way to go.

Propellant Systems Overview

Today’s top rated paintball guns essential use two different types of propellants: CO2 and HPA. Both types are popularly used and have devoted followings, so no one propellant is necessarily better than the other. Let’s learn a little about both propellants take a look at the pros and cons of each:

CO2

CO2 is the most common propellant and is used in paint ball guns around the globe. It’s also cheaper than HPA. In fact, it only costs $5 or $6 to refill a standard 20-ounce tank and around $23 for a brand new one. This allows players to get a lot of playing time without breaking the bank, which is a nice plus after ponying up for other essential paintball equipment.

Another great thing about CO2 is the fact that it’s designed to be used by a wide-variety of paintball gun brands and models. From sniper paintball guns and military paintball guns to basic paintball rifles, if you can name it, chances are it’s designed to use CO2.

However, there are some disadvantages of using CO2. For instance, it’s a cold gas. So, if you release it too fast, it can cause your tank and your gun to freeze up. In the heat of battle, a freeze up can be a paintball player’s worst fear come true. It can even damage a gun to the point of no return.

HPA

HPA is an acronym for High Pressure Air. Unlike CO2, HPA is very stable when pressurized, providing paintball players with more consistency and accuracy on their shots. There is also no need to worry much about freeze ups with HPA, as there is no liquid involved unlike CO2.

The only real drawback to using HPA is its cost. At most paintball shops, HPA costs around $1 for every 1,000 PSI. This means a new 3,000 PSI HPA tank will cost you $60 or more. Since its performance speaks for itself and the best paintball brands now make cool paintball guns compatible with both types of propellants, this is a major reason why some players still shy away from HPA. However, the money you’ll save from not having to replace guns after freeze ups makes HPA well worth the added cost.

Whether you’re looking for a quality paintball handgun or the most expensive paintball gun ever made, chances are it’s made to utilize HPA. Nonetheless, you should consider the type of propellant a gun is compatible with prior to pulling the trigger on a purchase.

Best Paintball Gun Reviews

1. Tippmann Cronus Paintball Marker Gun Player Package

Tippmann is one of the best gun brands, and the Tippmann Cronus is a great example of the top-quality paint ball gun models the brand has become synonymous for. Known for its performance and durability, the Cronus is an awesome Tippmann paintball gun in every way.

Whether you’re a regular player in paintball gun games or new to the game and simply want a quality gun for the paintball shooting range, the Tippmann Cronus has you covered. As one of the most popular Tippmann paintball guns, the Cronus is .68 caliber and features a reliable in-line bolt system, durable metal stock body, internal gas line, and a CO2 bottle, allowing it to launch paintballs up to 300 FPS.

With a rock-solid design, hundreds of positive paintball gun reviews, and a reputation for being one of the top paintball gun options around, it’s hard to go wrong with the Tippmann Cronus. When you factor in the included GXG XVSN Anti-Fog Mask, 200-round Tippmann Spyder hopper, GXG 6+1 Horizontal Harness Pack, and variety of other great goodies, this package is hard to resist!

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2. Spyder MR100 Pro Paintball Marker Gun 3Skull Mega Set

If you have your mind made up on a Spyder and find yourself on the hunt for an entry-level Spyder paintball gun for sale, the Spyder MR100 Pro Paintball Gun is one of the best choices you could make. This mechanical paintball gun is similar to the Cronus in a number of ways and just as inexpensive, putting it in the running as the best paintball gun for the money on the market today.

Although it lags behind the Cronus in the popularity department, the Spyder MR100 has plenty of good features that make it one of the best paintball marker options around. For instance, it has a patent pending Eko Valve System that allows it to shoot up to 1,500 paintball rounds from a single 20-ounce CO2 tank.

With a reinforced polymer clamping feed neck, lightweight aluminum picatinny multi-rail mounting system, dual-finger trigger, aluminum trigger frame, quick disconnect pin, steel braided hose line, and much, much more, the Spyder mr1 paintball gun provides a lot bang for the buck.

It’s not the most expensive gun and won’t make a first impression like a paintball shotgun, but if you’re strapped for cash and sick of settling for good paintball guns, this Spyder is the one to get.

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3. Tippmann U.S. Army Project Salvo Paintball Gun Package

Designed for players whose idea of the top paintball gun is one that’s tough and looks even tougher, the Tippmann U.S. Army Project Salvo Paintball Gun is accurate and built like a tank. In addition to being made by arguably the best paintball gun brand responsibly for great guns like the Tippmann Phenom and Cronus, this high velocity paintball gun features menacing AR-15 styling, excellent accuracy, and a reliable Project Salvo paintball gun platform for consistent performance match after match.

While the Tippmann Project Salvo doesn’t have a ton of paintball gun reviews, this underrated beast of a paintball gun is definitely one of the top paintball guns available and deserves its spot on this top ten guns list.

Not only does it look downright cool, but it features an all-aluminum construction, six-position collapsible stock, AR-15 shroud, high-performance quick-thread barrel, stainless steel gas line, proven in-line bolt system, four picatinny rails, adjustable and removable front and rear sights, and many other top-notch design details not found on other top gun paintball options.

Whether you’re into woodsball paintball guns or are simply looking for the best possible paintball guns at the best gun prices, the Tippmann U.S. Army Project Salvo Paintball Gun is tough to beat. It may not be a paintball sniper rifle, but its accuracy is first-class and will definitely increase your hit percentage.

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4. Tippmann 98 Custom Platinum Series Paintball Gun

If you like the nonsense performance and durability of the Tippmann Project Salvo but want a more compact pistol paintball gun, the Tippmann 98 Custom Platinum Series Paintball Gun may be right up your alley. Featuring an all-aluminum die cast receiver, stainless steel gas line, and a matte black finish, it’s the ultimate paintball weapon for months if not years of CQB paintball madness.

As if that weren’t impressive enough given its size and low price tag, the Tippmann 98 Custom Platinum Series also features a proven in-line bolt system, new and improved power tube, easy access split-receiver design, anti-chop technology, trigger pins, front sight spring, and more.

When you add it all up, the Tippmann 98 is one of the best paintball pistol options on the market today. In fact, you could even make a strong case for it being the best paintball gun under 300. If you’re not looking for longer barreled paintball guns sniper and simply want a compact, tried and true paintball marker, pull out your paintball accessories and click the buy button on this well-crafted little gem of a gun. You’ll be glad you did!

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5. Empire Axe Paintball Marker

Great paintball pistols are hard to come by, but the Empire Axe Paintball Marker is one of the best. Like other Empire paintball guns, the Axe is designed for experienced players who know what they’re doing. However, thanks to its push-button bolt removal system and relay regulator with on/off switch, it’s surprisingly easy to assemble, disassemble, and maintain.

The goodies don’t stop there either as this little Empire sniper has a lot to offer in the performance arena as well. With multiple firing modes, an extremely lightweight barrel, integrated break beam, magnetic bearing trigger, and a ton of other top-rate design details, the Axe is arguably the top paintball gun money can buy. A proven winner in tournament fields and in the woods, it’s received a ton of glowing paintball gun reviews and earned a loyal following amongst pros and casual players alike.

If you’re into old-school pump paintball guns or realistic paintball guns like some of the Tippmanns on this list, than the Axe isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you like speedball guns and want to dominate the paintball world, this cutting-edge gun has your name all over it.

Empire is one of today’s best brands of guns, and the Axe is its best offering to date. Enough said.

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6. Spyder Fenix Electronic Paintball Marker

The Spyder Fenix Electronic Paintball Marker is a solid mid-range option for anyone interested in automatic paintball guns or even mag fed paintballs guns capable of doing some serious damage in a short amount of time. With an electro-pneumatic firing system, three firing modes, a LEAP II circuit board, 11-inch micro ported valve, EKO Valve System, break beam, anti-chop, and more, it’s a fearsome competitor and one of the best paintballs guns for the money, period.

Another aspect of the Spyder Fenix that helps it stand out is how easy it is to add upgrades. Spyder paintball parts are relatively easy to come by, so many players make cool updates on them and turn them into custom paintball guns. Although it’s not a premium sniper paintball gun and won’t turn you into Mark Wahlberg in “Shooter” overnight, it’s nearly as compact as paintball handguns and packs some serious rapid-fire heat.

Best of all, it’s user-friendly. Seriously, if you were learning how to make a paintball gun, this Spyder paintball rifle would be the first example you’d study from. It’s that solid.

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7. Tippmann A-5 .68 Caliber Paintball Marker

If you’re looking for the best woodsball gun, you’ve found it in the Tippmann A-5. Arguably the most popular paintball gun of all-time, the Tippmann A-5 .68 Caliber Paintball Marker provides professional performance at a modest price. That’s right; no shoveling the most expensive paintball guns down your throat here. I believe in only recommending the best regardless of price. While affordable, the Tippmann A-5 definitely gets my endorsement.

What makes it so special? Well, for one it’s made of lightweight aluminum and utilizes a cyclone speed system, making it super maneuverable and capable of shooting up to 15 paintballs per second. Show me a similarly priced woodsball or speedball gun that can do that.

Like most of today’s awesome paintball guns, the Tippmann A-5 is also fully customizable. It also comes with a two-year warranty, which many new paintball guns don’t even come close to offering. When you consider the fact that Tippmann a5 barrels provide some of the best accuracy in the business, you’ll never be left wondering what is the top paintball gun ever again!

In all seriousness, the Tippmann A-5 has too many features to list and remains one of the best paintball guns for beginners and serious players alike.

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8. Dye Precision Proto Rize Marker Paintball Gun

Dye paintball guns are known for their quality and performance, and the Dye Precision Proto Rize Marker Paintball Gun is no exception. With nothing but positive paintball gun reviews from paintball snipers and speedball players, it’s without a doubt one of the best all-around PB markers on the market.

That being said, it’s not the best paintball gun ever made. For the money, however, they simply don’t get any better.

Featuring a precision honed barrel, patented Rize Fusion bolt for lightning-fast firing, lightweight aluminum and composite 45 frame, Hyper3 in-line regulator, LED display, and a number of other state-of-the-art design details, the Proto Rail is far from being any old paintball revolver like a replica er2 paintball gun.

If you want to shred up the competition with a first-rate paintball guns pistol and enjoy a professional quality autococker paintball gun at a reasonable price, the Dye Precision Proto Rize Marker Paintball Gun is definitely worth considering. As far as paintballguns go, it’s one of the best around. Just ask the pros.

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9. Proto Rail MaXXed Paintball Gun

If you like the design and performance of the Dye Proto Rail Paintball Gun, you’re going to love the Proto Rail MaXXed!

Considered by many as one of if not the best paintball gun being made today, the Proto Rail MaXXed is designed for those ready to throw on their tactical paintball gear and hit their marks on a moment’s notice.

There are a variety of features that make the Proto rail MaXXed so special. First, there’s the barrel. Unlike all of the other boring ol’ paintball barrels out there, the Proto Rail MaXXed provides players with a premium 14-inch Proto 2-Piece Barrel. With Rise Fuse Bolt Technology, clamping feed neck, quick-release macro line hose, Ultralight airport switch, autococker barrel threads, bright LED display, and many other premium features, there’s no denying it’s one of the best painballs guns there is.

You could pinch your pennies and go for some cheap option like a genesis paintball gun, but if you want to dominate your local “Planet Paintball” or any other field of play, the Proto Rail MaXXed Paintball Gun won’t let you down. This professional-quality paintball gun pistol is worth the money and simply rocks.

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10. GoG eNMEy Paintball Gun

Milsim paintball guns can be pretty cool, and running around with an m16 paintball gun will certainly let you live out your black ops fantasies. However, with similar menacing looks and noticeably better performance, the GoG eNMEy Paintball Gun is a much better choice. Sure, you could feed your “Rambo” ambitions and purchase a jt tactical paintball gun or alpha black paintball gun, but a month later you’ll find yourself searching for a more practical shooter just like this Envy.

Why choose the GoG eNMEy? Well, for starters it comes equipped with a two-point adjustable trigger, Max-Flo vertical regulator, anti-chop technology, clamping feed neck, and other top-quality design details. It’s also highly customizable, and when outfitted with the right paintball kits and aftermarket parts, it’s capable of firing at 25 bps.

While it may not be the best choice for a paintball gun sniper or have a ton of paintball gun reviews, the GoG eNMEy is right up there with the top paintball guns in the business.

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Where to Buy the Best Paintball Gun

Paintball has become a HUGE sport, so you can find a quality paintball gun at a multitude of places both online and offline. Whether you’re hunting for the best cheap paintball gun, used paintball guns, or don’t mind spending a little more for the best paintball gear for sale, there’s a store out there with the right gun for you.

If you’re new to paintball and can’t tell the difference between cheap paintball guns and quality models worth spending more for, you can always go to your local paintball or sporting goods store to actually get a feel for the various models and pick the clerk’s brain. However, with awesome guides like ours and excellent options available online with the click of a button, there’s really no need.

If you do the smart thing and do decide to shop online, Amazon is the absolute best place for cheap paintball gear. On Amazon, you can take advantage of deep discounts on hundreds of paintball guns and gear. If you want quality paintball gear at cheap paintball gear prices, it’s definitely the place to go.

That being said, manufacturer websites are another great place to shop and find cheap paintballs, masks, guns, and other gear. In the end, the world is your oyster, and there are a variety of places to buy a great gun and get into the game.

Making the Decision

Whether you buckled yourself in, grabbed a cup of coffee, or stood up and ran in place for a while to make it here to the end of this guide, let me give you a BIG congratulations!

Paintball is a blast to play, but only if you have the right gun and gear. Lucky for you, you now know more about paintball guns than most pros and have all the knowledge you need to pick the very best paintball gun for you.

In fact, all you have to do now is make up your kind and pick one out. So, consider your budget, the type of paintball your like to play, where you play, and all of the other factors we discussed above to choose the perfect paintball gun for you today!

If you’re still unsure, read the paintball gun reviews above one more time and click the buy button on the one you like best. Hurry up though, because the competition is probably doing the same!