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Sometimes things don't go the way we would like them to. In an ideal world, I could walk onto
the paintball field on any given weekend and find enough players playing pump that we could get together
some really fun games. Sad fact is there probably aren't enough pump players left in this state to get
together a decent game. Semi-autos are all the craze, with bigger faster and more being the norm.
This past weekend at the field I played with and against players from all skill levels from first timers
to tournament veterans. Each of them equipped with nothing less than a top-notch semi-auto. Many were
shooting $$$ tournament grade Auto-cockers or RT Mags running HPA. Here I am with a pump-gun.
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My paintball guns were nearly as old as some of the players. I carried a Line SI Bushmaster
that must be nearing 12 years old and a WGP Sniper that is probably 8. Most of these kids could not
even believe that these were pump-guns, they had never seen the like before. Many mistook the Sniper
for an Autococker.
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We learn from experience. We should, throughout our lives examine each significant occurance
in enough detail to discover what lessons can be learned from it. During this game I learned many things,
some good, some bad. First off, I learned that my skills are not lacking. Despite that fact that I
am no spring chicken anymore I can still play a first rate game. Second I learned that a pump-gun could
indeed hold it's own on a speedball field. But that knowlege was tempered by the discovery of several
glaring shortcomings in my equipment.
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A pump-gun for speedball should have several important characteristics. I will outline these
characteristics here, and explain each in detail later in this article.
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First of all, compactness. My first mistake of the day was walking onto the field with an
eighteen inch barrel on the Bushmaster. Not sure what the heck I was thinking, maybe I was trying a
bit too hard to impress someone. For speedball a pump-gun needs to be maneuverable.
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Second. Accuracy. Often, one shot is all you will get. You must make it count. Your pump-gun
must be able to consistantly place its shots. As the shooter, you must know where your marker will place
it's shots. After three outings now I can give example after example of the number of times frayed nerves and poor accuracy cost me an elimination.
Full exposure shots at 20-25 feet. The type of shot a stock class 'woods' player dreams of getting. They are routine for a speedball player. Speedball barricades typically offer cover from only
one direction. If your opponent is intent on shooting someone else he will likely give you at least one clear shot at him before he scrambles out of your line of fire. With a pump-gun you will not get
a chance at a follow-up shot. If you miss, the opportunity is lost. The target will move before you can even recock your marker.
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Reliability. Pump-guns are more reliable than semi-autos naturally due to their simple mechanisms.
Still, any failure is likely to put you out of the game. I recommend taking every measure to improve
the reliability of your pump-gun.
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Ergonomics. What? You've never thought about the ergonomics of your paintgun? You should.
I quickly discovered that the .45 grip frame of my Bushmaster was at an awkward angle that made holding
the marker uncomfortable. It also caused a loss of snap-shot accuracy because I had to hold the Bushmaster
at an odd angle to point it straight. The second thing to come off of the Bushmaster, right after that
eighteen inch barrel, was it's .45 grip frame. Much of the shooting you will do with a pump-gun on
the speedball field will be snap shots. You must achieve the maximum accuracy when taking snap-shots.
This can only be done by tailoring the fit of your marker. A second ergonomic consideration is how
well does the marker fit you overall? Do you have to stretch to reach the pump or is the shoulder stock
too long preventing its use when you are huddled behind a barricade? Examine each of these points.
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