*Update 9/20/08
The DM9 is now available for purchase!

Dye has released a Youtube video preview of the new DM9 paintball gun. The Dye DM9 is now the lightest gun in the Dye Matrix family. Hyper 3 regulator, new trigger design, new milling, new eye technology and more. The Dye DM9 has been announced for release at the World Cup in October. Watch the vid and don't covet too much.

You can almost see the brilliance coming from the DLX Luxe, Smart Parts newly manufactured high end paintball gun. The DLX Luxe (pronounced "Lukes") has already debuted at the NPPL Huntington Beach event in March, catching the attention of most of the paintball industry. Other than its shilling beauty, the Luxe is loaded with all of today's fancy technology, putting it ABOVE the "high-end" gun class and into its own luxury brand. Sure there might be a lot of "hype" built around this gun right now, but you must admit that it's p.i.m.p. The Luxe was designed to perform for tournament play, keeping in mind every player's need for general maintenance, cleaning, and configuration while under little to no time.

How much?
$1500.

Under the leadership of the DLX Technology group (owned by Smart Parts), the combined efforts of designers, pneumatic, mechanical, manufacturing and software engineers, multimedia developers, linguistic specialists, professional paintball players and leading paintball field and store operators have culminated in the development of the ultimate luxury paintball marker – a synchronization of style, raw performance and unparalleled customer support.

DLX Luxe features:
- Audible voice is used to denote marker status, adjustment mode, etc
- Tool-less field strip for the firing assembly and eye/detent covers.
- Optional grip-routed air supply through the frame (LE only) using the special Luxe foregrip regulator, no macroline.
- Compatible with a standard vertical regulator and screw-in ASA combo if needed (uses macroline).
- Beam-break anti-chop eyes.
- Integrated piston detents.
- Cam-lock feedneck.
- Five available languages (English, French, German, Russian, and Spanish).
- Multiple adjustment settings, and a variety of base firing modes (semi, PSP, NXL, fullyauto, etcetc).
- Rechargeable Lithium-polymer power source, yields approximately 25,000 shots per full charge.
- Battery charger and one spare battery included.
- Smart Parts barrel thread (fits Ion/XE/SP1/SP8/Vibe, Nerve, Shocker NXT, Impulse).
- Freak barrel included.
- Fully adjustable trigger (post travel, pre travel, firing point, retention weight)
- Indirect-acting solenoid (Parker model, low power use, easy serviceability).
- Weight is 27.3 ounces, or 774 grams.
- Carrying case and spares kit included.

DLX Luxe Website: LuxePaintball.com

If you've played paintball in the last year or two, and you're fairly observant to other player's gear, you have probably seen a good amount of people use what's called a "Speed Feed" on their hoppers while playing. A Speed Feed is a very simple product for your hopper/loader that attaches at the top, replacing your lid. The obvious reason for using a Speed Feed is to load and HOLD paintballs in your hopper without having to open/close the lid during games. Virtue just released their version of the Speed Feed, cleverly called the Crown, at this summer's 2008 Chicago PSP Open.

If you run out of paint during a game, it isn't exactly convenient for you to open your lid and pour a pod of paintballs in your hopper then close it. Today, paintball is getting so aggressive that (good) players specifically look for the exact moment where you retract into your bunker to refill paint so they can move up the field (or worse, bunker you). The Virtue Crown also keeps your paintballs from flying out of your hopper, for those "extraordinary" situations (see video below). The innovation behind the Virtue Crown has been widely accepted by most paintballers today because they're relatively cheap ($20 retail), and can ultimately help you win a few more games with your team.

Key Features for the Virtue Crown

* Ultra Fast Lid-Less Feed
* No Rise Low Profile Option
* Secure Locking Ring w/ Thumbscrew
* Durable, Memory Resistant Elastomer Will Not Crack or Get Brittle
* Available in Ultra-Soft or Standard Elasticity Versions.
* Extra Paint Capacity (with optional, including, extension collar) - HALO only
* Compatible with HALO, Magna, Revolution, Force, Eye Force (Vlocity versions coming soon)

In just under 24 hours the Bolingbrook Aquatic Center will be swarming with paintball enthusiasts and sounds of buzzers and flying paintballs. The 2008 Chicago Open is a national paintball tournament hosted by the PSP, and will take place June 25th-29th. Last year the Chicago PSP event consisted of over 2,400 players in the tournament, and this year is expected to be even bigger. The Chicago PSP event has historically been considered one of the bigger tournaments of the year, so you should expect to see some real competition on the field. Dynasty, Ironmen, X-Factor, Red Legion, and all the other big team names will be playing at the event among the rest of the lower divisions.

The Chicago event is ironically located in Bolingbrook, IL, a close suburb of Chicago. Its location is perfect for anybody of any age to come and watch the games for FREE. Personally, I was first introduced to the sport of paintball by simply watching the tournaments at events like these. It's truly something you need to experience in the first person, especially while it's summer.

For the people curious as to what the teams are playing for, here is a list of the prizes for each division:
Read the rest of this entry »

On May 15, 2008 Kingman will be introducing their new 2008 Spyder Electra paintball gun into the market. MSRP'd at $249.99 and retailing for only $199.99, the 2008 Electra is already grabbing the attention from Ion and SLG users. The Spyder Electra is part of Kingman's Classic Series gun line. The Spyder Electra use to be such a primitive electronic paintball gun way back in 2004. Things have changed since then and now Kingman is in a constant running race, along with Smart Parts and Dye, to create an affordable and reliable electronic paintball gun. Right now the battle is between the Smart Parts Ion, Proto SLG, and the 2008 Spyder Electra. Of course there are others, but these are the main players in the market today.

If you had $250 to spend on just a gun (stock, no upgrades), which one would you most likely buy?

Here's Kingman's sales pitch:

The all new generation Spyder Electra with Eye is back with a vengeance. The new design concept features a reduced overall profile (25% weight & 15% length). The Electra with Eye comes standard equipped with the LEAP™ circuit board developed by Tadao® Technologies providing unsurpassed speed and reliability. Outfitted with Spyder's "Synergy Engineered Technology" the Electra with Eye operates on dual air sources (CO2 & Compressed Air) at 300PSI low operational pressure. This all aluminum constructed powerhouse will out perform every other marker in its class.

Performance Features
+ LEAP™ Circuit Board with Rear Facing Color Access Mode Display (CAMD) Developed by Tadao® Technologies
+ "Synergy Engineering" Low Pressure Dual Air Source System
+ Break Beam Eye (Anti-Chop System)
+ Aluminum Eye Covers
+ 3 Modes of Operation (Semi-Auto, Ramp PSP, & Ramp Millennium)
+ Fast Charge Inline Regulator
+ Vented Pressure Relief On/Off CA Adapter
+ Reduced Overall Profile (25% Lighter and 15% Shorter)
+ Up to 25 BPS Rate of Fire
+ Steel Braided Hose Line
+ Quick Release Delrin Bolt
+ 12" Two Piece Micro Ported Barrel
+ Twist Lock Clamping Feedneck
+ 3-Way Adjustable Magnetic Response "Saber" Trigger
+ All Aluminum Constructed Body
+ Recessed Dual Texture Grip Panels
+ All Aluminum Trigger Frame with Integrated Dove Tail
+ Standard CA Thread Vertical Adapter
+ Compatible with a Spyder 9.6v Rechargeable Battery or a Premium 9v Alkaline Battery
+ External Velocity Adjuster
+ 300 PSI Operational Pressure
+ Operates on CO2 or Compressed Air