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

The Proto SLG has recently dropped in price from $249.95 to $199.95. The good thing about this is that it increases its competition with the Smart Parts Ion, its biggest rival. I personally own the SLG (two of them actually), and they shoot with very little "kick" and with great overall accuracy. On top of this, Dye Precision (Proto's parent company) designed the gun to use its air intake as efficiently as possible.

Q: What does the SLG stand for?
A: Super Light Gun.

The Proto SLG comes stock with Dye's patented Hyper 3 regulator. Dye claims that their new Hyper3 gives its shooters a velocity consistency of +/- 3 fps (quite amazing). This will in turn give you even better air efficiency, and ultimately give you more shots per air fill.

So if you're in the market for a new paintball gun at a relatively cheap price, or you're just sick of your Ion, go with the Proto SLG.

Xtremez is now offering the Smart Parts Ion for only $164.95, the lowest price on the web so far. If you've been on the moon the last few years, the Smart Parts Ion has been praised as one of the best low-end paintball guns on the market today. Its functionality and performance can be compared to the Tippmann 98 Custom.

Deals like these should be sprouting up all over the web these next few days for the holidays. Xtremez (and most other online paintball stores) is also offering guaranteed delivery by Christmas as long as your order is placed before the 14th to the 20th (depending on where you live). Keep in mind this 45% off the MSRP and wouldn't be a bad gift to get for your family or friends (or yourself )

Smart Parts released a few more paintball guns into their 2008 product line. The Ion XE, EOS, Vibe, and SP-1 are all now part of the Smart Parts family. I put together a small Smart Parts paintball gun comparison table with information pulled from SmartParts.com. The table depicts the differences in specifications between the markers, from weight to operating pressure. I figure it will help some people out in deciding which Smart Parts paintball gun is right for them.
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Some people just don't understand the potential the internet has to offer you . I won't go into too much detail here; just read the tutorial on How to Get Free Paintball Stuff. I found a way where anybody can get either 2 cases of Proto Paintballs, a Smart Parts Ion, Proto Rail, Dye C7 pants, DXS nitrogen tank, or a $250 gift certificate to ActionVillage - Absolutely FREE.