Special Ops Paintball Action II Ghillie Reviews

The Special Ops Action Ghillie II (Complete) is a lightweight, durable, and comfortable ghillie suit that is specifically designed for today's paintball sniper. Unlike heavier, less effective ghillie suits, the Action Ghillie II is cool to wear and does not adversely hinder your mobility. The Action Ghillie II utilizes military-spec, die-cut vinyl leaf that is lightweight, tough and flexible, so it holds up to the rough demands of woodsball and makes no more noise when you're crawling through the bush than that of regular cammies. The vinyl leafs have proven to be an extremely effective 3D camouflage system, allowing you to gain much closer access to your unfortunate target.

The military-standard leaf vinyl provides a natural profile in the woods, casting shadows and highlights where they tend to fool the eye. The texture of camo leaf blends very well in the forest, brush and desert. Over 100-square feet of leaf material is provided with the Action Ghillie II, which is also fire retardant, so you don't have to worry about spraying or applying noxious chemicals to your suit. The Action Ghillie leaf only comes in All-Season, but you can purchase density upgrades to customize the color so it best matches your woodsball environment. The base material of the Action Ghillie pants and shirt consists of a super-strong, breathable mesh fabric that allows the breeze to blow through so you keep cool and comfortable. The collars and cuffs are wide, knit fabric for maximum comfort and even the pant material is camouflage, and also includes a comfy draw-band waist.  You ll have no problem jumping up and running if/when an ambush goes south - or charging for the flag if you feel so inclined!

Special Ops Paintball Brigade

You’re a committed paintballer. You’ve invested a lot of time in becoming a half-decent player. You’ve spent a lot of money gearing up to a respectable level. You’ve read a lot to learn the ins and outs of the sport. But, none of that matters when you walk onto a new field. Nobody knows you or your skills. For all they know, you’re another newbie who’s gone out and bought a marker. Somebody should be paying attention to the hard work you’ve put into becoming a great paintball player. Somebody should be keeping track of your successes and achievements as you become an advanced woodsballer. And, it probably wouldn’t be too much to ask for someone to cut you a break on gear prices and throw in a couple of freebies as you prove that you’re seriously committed to the sport. A great way to get the street cred you deserve is to join the Special Ops Brigade. It’s free, it’s got more uses than a Swiss Army knife and it’ll give you the props (and the free stuff) you’ve earned. The Special Ops Brigade is an informal association of woodsball and scenarioball players in the U.S. and Canada and it’s backed up by the hottest woodsball company in paintball today.

Here’s how it works:

• Sign up for the Brigade online, for free, and automatically get your own, personal paintball website. Your website allows you to track your play, upload photos and list your gear.
• On your website, the Play Log is an easy way to keep a journal of each time you hit the field. You log your "kills" and the number of times you’ve been eliminated yourself. This "kill ratio" is a really good indicator of how you’re doing as a paintballer. If you’re taking out more guys than the number of times you’re being eliminated, than your skills are above average. Track your play and watch yourself improve over time.
• But, watching your skills increase isn’t the best reason to track your play. Each time you play, you’re awarded 25 Brigade points. The more points you earn the higher your rank in the Brigade. The higher your rank, the more free stuff, discounts and special privileges you earn.
• And, logging play isn’t the only way to earn Brigade points. When you shop at SpecialOpsPaintball.com, you get one point per dollar spent. As you build the ultimate woodsball arsenal, you earn props for putting your cash into the game.
• The Brigade doesn’t just talk paintball, it plays too. The Game Locator (for Brigade Members only) is the biggest thing to hit woodsball™ since the semi-auto. Brigade members are treated to the first online paintball game clearinghouse. If you’ve got a good game going on this weekend, whether it’s at a commercial field or in the woods outside of town, you can blast an announcement to every Brigade member within a hundred miles – all with the click of a button. Also, if you’re looking for a game, as a Brigade member, you’ll get an email call-to-action every time someone starts a game in your area. The Game Locator is the key to bigger games with better players.
• As a Brigade member, you develop rank and you establish experience in one or more of the standard field positions. As you gain experience, you’ll pick up the Brigade patches to match. Now, when you show up at an unknown field or scenario event, other Brigade members will know your skill-level, your experience and your specialties-just by looking at your patches.
• Special Ops Paintball also offers the most complete library of woodsball™ strategies, tactics, gear info and general information found anywhere. Gain access to killer info, cool photos and brilliant strategy animations. And, if you’re looking for the most up-to-date information, check out the hugely popular forum. The best and brightest of woodsball™ call it home.
• And, once you climb the ranks of the Brigade, you’ll be invited to participate in the creation of the woodsball™ gear of your dreams. The Special Ops Design Room is available only to officers and allows you to suggest and comment on gear designs – in every area of paintball product: clothes, vests, gun mods, internals, etc.
• Special Ops Paintball attends many large scenario events across the country each year. And, the Special Ops Team travels with the Razorback-the baddest paintball tank around and winner of the 2004 Oklahoma D-day Tank-on-Tank Battle. The Razorback runs tours-of-duty throughout each day of scenario play and Brigade members are invited to enter their names in a drawing to man the tank. If you win a chance to get behind the big guns, Special Ops Paintball will also throw in a case of tank paint.

Special Ops Elite Brigade Weekend

The event was the brainchild of Jayson Orvis and was produced by quite literally everyone at Special Ops Paintball. The concept was simple. Players would come in from all over the place for a chance to learn recreational paintball skills, play with toys they never would otherwise, and enjoy a mind-blowing event. Half the players paid admission to be there; the other half won as part of the Special Ops Brigade. And when I say that everyone at Special Ops had a hand in the event, I mean it. From constructing props to assembling player packs to getting the gear together, everyone had a hand in things. Friday began with the players getting to the Spec Ops factory and receiving a free Tippmann X-7 customized with what they wanted. Dennis Tippmann Jr. was on hand with Eric Garbers to help the players with their new X-7s. Players also received their free customized "Special Ops" vest and exclusive "Elite pattern" camouflage from SpecOps and V-Force camouflage goggles. They also received a guided tour of the facility and paintball marker museum that's hosted at the Special Ops factory. Hundreds of paintball guns are on display in an almost complete history of the sport. Friday night featured player clinics, with instructors like Greg "Red" Hastings, yours truly Rob "Tyger" Rubin, Aaron “Crazy8” Kirk and “8-Ball” Mentz, Douglas “Montydoom” Montgomery, "Danger" Dan Saunders, and Jayson Orvis. Players received instruction and played with critiques from the instructors, with all the paint provided by Craig Miller and ProCaps. Then their newfound knowledge was put to the test when they played in a 30-on-30 SPPL game featuring captains Hastings and Tony "Pogo" Grable. The game was decided by 10 points, almost unheard of in SPPL terms, by Hasting's team.

As Hastings set up the PS2s for some outdoor video games, Duane “Kahuna” Bell from Atomic Ordnance set players up with night-vision sights and much night-game action was had. The opposing team for the weekend was "Desert Edge," a local group of talented players who gave the Elite players a run for their money all weekend long. Desert Edge also provided referees, as did team Bad Karma. Matty Poole from Hoffman Paintball Apparel supplied the referee jerseys for them, and was on hand for the event as well. Saturday brought a rotation of six events to test the players' abilities and teach them some skills. Everything from learning GPS to hand signals to the basics of sniper play were covered in the playing stations. Naomi and Dave Tirado from Stiffi gave custom engraved 20-inch carbon-fiber barrels to the best "sniper" team. Players also ran an obstacle course and got to shoot machine guns and real .50 caliber sniper rifles on a private shooting range. Tyler Tiberius ran a pistol shoot competition, and several of the players won limited edition "Tac-8" pistols. The night was wrapped up with a player party at Jayson's house and some well-earned rest. Sunday brought the big game. By normal standards, four hours seems like a short event. However, once you throw in the tanks, the special weapons and the real helicopter flying around and doing player drop-offs, it became a much more intricate affair. Eric Engler of Engler Custom Paintball Guns built a replica .30 caliber machine gun that was mounted in the helicopter, and it was doing strafing runs all day across the field. The game was generaled by Toby "Pogo" Grable and Dennis Tippmann Jr, and both sides fought off the mercenaries, the altitude and each other. "Pogo" emerged victorious, but as he put it, "Everyone here is the real winner." The true measure of the event was the players themselves. Players showed unparalleled sportsmanship the entire weekend, and everyone who attended said they want to come back for the next event. Before I left, I heard rumors that they want to make this an annual event, but as of this moment there's nothing solidly planned. If it does become an annual event, it's definitely going to be one not to miss.

Slingshot Paintball

Slingshot paintball is a growing alternative among many recreational paintball players because of the low cost of play and the variation of strategy involved in the game. Players attempt to shoot opponents with paintballs that are fired from slingshots rather than standard paintball markers. Although manufactured slingshots do not shoot faster than 300 feet per second (90 m/s), most paintball fields don’t allow them. A normal game usually requires all players to use slingshots, but some games may allow certain players to use pump action markers vs. slingshots, such as Cowboys and Indians.

Contents History Equipment Advantages/Disadvantages References External links

History

Slingshot paintball was first played in the 1990s by a group of friends in Mountain Home, Idaho. The game was promoted by inventor and author Ron M. Smith [1] after discovering the benefits of using slingshots instead of paintball guns. The game quickly spread throughout Idaho, Utah, and other states, and fans had their own website by 2005.

Equipment

The basic gear required to play slingshot paintball consists of a slingshot, a paintball mask, and a pocket (or pouch) to carry the paintballs in. Players normally prefer to wear fingerless gloves for protection. Each player carries a designated number of paintballs, anywhere from three to fifty, depending on the game that is being played.

Advantages/Disadvantages

The main disadvantage of slingshot paintball is the rate of fire of a slingshot is far less than that of a paintball gun. However, since all players are equipped with a slingshot in a normal game, the skill of the player is the determining factor. The main advantage of slingshot paintball is that the cost of a slingshot is much less than that of a paintball marker and, on average, a game of slingshot paintball requires about 10 paintballs to play, as compared to standard paintball, which often exceeds 200 or even 2000 paintballs. Another difference of using a slingshot is its ability to shoot almost silently. This enables players to eliminate opponents without revealing their location. The primary benefit of slingshot paintball is strategy.

Planet Eclipse Ego

Operation

The Ego utilizes poppet valve technology like the Bob Long Intimidator, Indian Creek Designs Promaster, and WDP Angel. Compared to spool valve markers like the Smart Parts Shocker and the Dye Matrix, the Ego typically is louder and has more perceived recoil, but the marker boasts better gas efficiency (manifested as more “shots” per air tank fill). Fewer internal moving parts also make the Ego simpler and easier to maintain than many of its competitors.

Variations

A speedball player shooting an Ego7.

Stock models

2005 Ego

Built around an adapted E-blade electropneumatic frame, first developed by Planet Eclipse. The gun was also Planet Eclipse’s first poppet valve marker. This gun runs at 95psi from the Low pressure regulator (LPR). It also runs at 180 psi from the high Pressure regulator (HPR).

2006 Ego: Newer shorter stock bolt. The gun runs at the same pressures as the 05. lowering recoil. Longer regulator allows lower operating pressure and better air efficiency. Improved electronics internal board.

Ego7 (2007)

Renamed the Ego7, this model featured extensive milling to reduce weight. Almost all of the internal components were replaced and upgraded compared with the 2006 model. Key improvements included an integrated FRM and rammer body, a new board with both a micro and optical switch, standard cure bolt, and T-slot style rail mounting. None of the parts, save for the barrel, detents, bolt, regulator, and break beam eyes, are interchangeable with previous models.

Ego8 (2008)

While the Ego7 was a revolutionary improvement over the 2006 Ego, the Ego8 is more of an evolutionary improvement over its predecessor. Key improvements include more milling to reduce weight, a built-in Zero-Kick (“Zick”) kit, and dual QEVs built into a QEV block. A new LCD on the 4.0 version board features black-on-white text that is very easy to read in the sunlight. Some claim that the Ego8 is just an SL74 at a lower price. Although there are some similarities between the Ego8 and the SL74 (among them being an SL-style regulator, SL-style trigger, the Zick kit, and SL74 milling), there are quite a few differences. The 2008 Ego is heavier than the SL74 (by 50g), does not have laser eyes

Ego9 (2009)

Unlike the Ego8 the Ego9 doesn’t have QEV’s(quick exhaust valve) which inhibits a more consistent, reliable marker. The trigger guard has been enlarged allowing the player to walk the trigger easier and more comfortably than the ego8′s trigger guard. New this year is the built in speaker which allows you to know when it turns on and off. Like the Ego8 the Ego9 has the cure2 and zick kit as stock parts. This year they put the rammer at a 3-4 degree incline to allow your hand to be closer to the line of fire to give it a small size and allow the player to feel more comfortable when shooting. Like the Ego8 the Ego9 comes in a white plastic clamshell case.

Ego Ten (2010)

The Ego Ten’s main selling point is a longer cycle. This reduces potential rate of fire, although it is still capable of 28+ balls per second. The advantage is that it allows more consistency from shot to shot, and can be used with more fragile paint. It comes with a Zick 2 Rammer and Cure 3+ bolt stock, as well as an improved solenoid.

Geo

Geo (2009)

Unlike all the Egos, which are poppit style markers,The Geo is a spool valve marker. Planet eclipse designed the Geo to be the counterpart of the Ego, making it almost identical in weight, size, feel, with almost exactly the same parts you would find on an Ego9. The Geo uses the same solenoid, LCD board, regulator, feedneck, trigger, barrel, ASA, detents, eyes, and trigger guard as the Ego9. The geo uses a “SC” (Spool Cure) bolt, the bolt itself is the only moving part. The Geo does not include the same grip frame as the Ego9, The Geo uses the Ego7/8 style grip frame. The geo can be serviced as easy as the Ego, it incorporates a tool-less back cap, but also gives you the option of using an allen wrench to tighten it down. The Geo has been designed to have all of the benefits of a spool valve with none of the drawbacks.

ETek: Introduced in 2006, the ETek was priced much lower than standard Egos as a mid-range alternative to Planet Eclipse’s flagship Ego. It was lighter than the stock 2006 and 2005 versions and featured different milling and simplified features. The LCD screen was replaced with 3 LED buttons, the QEVs were removed, and it featured a microswitch in place of the optical switch on the electronics board. Made as the Proto Matrix Rail’s competition.

ETek2: Announced in November 2007 and available soon thereafter, the ETek2 is the second generation ETek. Improvements over the original ETek include a lighter weight, new circuit board, redesigned trigger frame, new on/off air system, new inline regulator, new low pressure regulator, and standard 2-piece Shaft barrel. Some have commented that these upgrades make the ETek2 effectively an SL66.

ETek3: The ETek 3 was released in November of 2009. There are 2 versions available: The LT (Nylon Glass Reinforced Composite), and the AM, (All Metal). The only major differences between the two is the composite frame, eye covers, and feedneck. The Etek 3 LT can later be upgraded to the “All Metal” Parts. Internally and externally, the Etek 3 is almost identical to the EGO 7 and 8, if the Etek 3 is compared with the EGO8, the main differences are the solenoid, the regulator, the barrel, and the board. The Etek 3 includes a Shaft III barrel, with minimal porting and less milling, it includes a “S3″ regulator with a self purging feature The S3 is also included in the EGO9 and EGO10. The solenoid on the Etek 3 is the same solenoid that has been used in the past Etek Markers, but the solenoid has now been modified to be a manifold that sits directly underneath the rammer housing, therefore speeding up recharge rates and eliminating the need of QEVs. The Etek 3 has an LED board similar to the Etek 2 board, but it now has more adjustability.

Special editions
Along with their yearly modifications, Planet Eclipse produces several in-house custom, as well as “private label” markers, based on the custom-tuned versions they issue to professional teams they sponsor.
SL66 XSV Ego
SL74 Ego
SL66: Also appearing in 2006, the SL66 was a more expensive “pro” edition of the Ego 06. It featured extensive milling, new board features, and a new bolt system. Interestingly, the SL66 reverted back to a traditional spring system instead of a magnetic system for the trigger return.

The SL74 replaced the SL66.
SL74: The 2nd special edition Ego. Based on the 07 platform, the SL74 is an even bigger jump in improvement than the SL66. Weighing 1.89 pounds, it is the lightest aluminum electropneumatic paintball marker. The marker incorporates a new inline regulator, a redesigned trigger, dual QEVs, laser eyes, the new Zick (zero-kick) kit, and comes standard with the Eclipse Shaft barrel kit.

SL8R: Released in 2008, the SL8R has a different, more stylish milling. The bolt can cycle at speeds of 55 balls per second and the Break-Beam-Sensor-System (BBSS) can perform at rates over 35 balls per second.

SL94: The SL version of the Ego9. Lighter, and more extensive milling than the Ego9. It features the newly released cure3 bolt, which better reduces chopping in comparison to the cure2 and original cure bolt. The marker also has the zick2 ram, designed to minimalize recoil. Like the Ego9 there are no QEV’s(qev = quick exhaust valve), making a more reliable and consistent marker. The marker comes with two triggers: the normal Ego8/Ego9 sling trigger and a sling/sweep trigger. The SL94 comes with Planet Eclipse’s new S3 barrel kit with 14″ and 16″ barrel tips and .685, .689, .693 barrel backs.

SL91 (Geo): The SL version of the Geo, only 10 were made. Includes everything that the SL94 offers except for the valve chambers. Word is said that the reason the SL91 was not released, was because they wouldnt have much to upgrade for next year, and the standard Geo was a good enough gun for the 2009 season

SLS: The SL version of the Ego Ten. close in design to the SL94, but includes more features. The SLS has almost no differences to the SL94, the main differences are the solenoid, it has a slower bolt (Like Ego Ten), and some bolt inserts. It has not yet been released.

Tiberius Arms Tiberius 8 / 8.1 Pistol Paintball Gun Review

In 2011, Tiberius Arms introduced the first-ever magazine-fed paintball pistol. Paintball media and woodsball enthusiasts alike went crazy for this new concept. Not only was the idea of a magazine-fed pistol cool and convenient, but the paintball gun worked exactly as advertised. The pistol turned out to be one of the most well made products on the market, combining accuracy, durability and reliability with a realistic look and feel. Reviewers compare it to a Desert Eagle 50 caliber “real steel” pistol. A few years later, the manufacturer introduced the Tiberius 8.1. The T8.1 includes a few enhancements over the original, including an undermount tac rail, an optional remote air adapter permitting players to run the pistol on constant air rather than CO2 cartridges, and a low-profile, tool-less CO2 quick-puncture mechanism should you choose to use 12-gram cartridges.

Players can shoot about 24 balls, or 3 magazines, off one 12-gram. While other paintball pistols, most notably the Zeus G2 and Tippmann’s new TPX pistol, come close to the Tiberius 8, it remains the leader in the category. If reviewers had any complaint about this pistol, it is the size and weight. I’ve had personal review experience with the original Tiberius 8 and the T8.1 and, as a female player who stands only 5’3” and weighs about 120, I didn’t have any problems carrying either paintball gun on the field. I’ve also seen kids use the gun in games, squeezing into tight quarters or making a run for the flag. The T8 and T8.1 are both extremely well-balanced and just a lot of fun to shoot. In terms of its durability, during one test for Paintball Sports Magazine, we submerged the T8 in a bucket of water, pulled it out and fired, hitting our target with 6 out of 8 balls. (The missed shots were only slightly off-target and simply due to bad aim.)

Our Sources

1. PBReview.com

Aside from print magazine articles written over the years, PBReview.com offered the most comprehensive reviews of the Tiberius 8, with customers giving it an average rating of 9.2 out of 10. By comparison, the Tippmann TPX pistol received an average rating of 7.9. Various versions of the Zeus G2 received ratings from 8.5 to 9.4, but the Zeus G2 is no longer available in stores since the manufacturer is out of business, making customer service and availability an issue.

2. Amazon.com

Amazon.com offered 2 reviews of the Tiberius 8. One player gave it five stars, commenting, “This gun is perfect. It has amazing range small and very nice and light.” The other reviewer gave it one star, but his comments showed he clearly doesn’t understand the point of pistol play in paintball games. A pistol is not designed as “a back-up to a primary gun,” but to introduce an entirely different style of play. Players who use pistols as “back-up guns” understand their mindset must change when the pistol comes out of the holster – the objective becomes stealth and survival, not firepower.

3. Special Ops Paintball Forum

SpecialOpsPaintball.com – The Special Ops Paintball forum also offered several reviews of the Tiberius 8. One player noted, “WOW! What an incredible piece of engineering. I put about 30 clips through it so far and it is very accurate…able to maintain a 4” group at 30 yards. I would recommend this paintball marker to anyone interested in carrying a sidearm.”

Recon Goes Online

In paintball today, the cutting edge is producing equipment which is faster, cheaper and lighter. As we've seen by the new releases of markers at the recent PSP World Cup, the newest products from Tippmann and TechT, Dye and Planet Eclipse, are all huge steps forward in these realms. Certainly, light and fast aren't always ideal qualities. I'm a huge fan of gorgeous brass sheridan-valved pump markers. But when you are looking to squeeze every bit of performance out of what you've got, lighter and faster is the way to go.

Unfortunately, the changing times have hit the paintball industry hard, and RECON has not been immune to this. RECON has always been a labor of love, not a money-maker, and as such, the "ship of state" has finally scraped up against financial shoals, far sooner than we had hoped. Due to these financial difficulties, RECON will soon be moving to a free, all-online format, to be called RECON Online. We'll continue providing informative and useful articles, and great paintball photos, now at the touch of your keyboard (how's that for fast?). Obviously, this was a hard move to make. It's tough to beat the feel of a great woodsball picture in a glossy magazine. However, this is the manner in which we at RECON feel we can best serve you. Of course, we won't leave subscribers hanging out to dry. Our close friends at Special Ops Paintball have very generously agreed to issue to each subscriber a gift certificate of greater value than the currently remaining balance on your subscription. Details for these will follow. Thank you all again for your support of RECON magazine, and we look forward to continuing to serve the woodsball community in our new online venue!