| Re: Barrel Shroud opinion
In reading this post, don't think I'm trying to kill all your modification ideas, I'm just presenting my own views that you may or may not feel are useful.
Overall, keeping your marker light and tight will make it easier to haul around the field and quicker to snap on target. Personally, I go for ergonomics over looks any day. I don't like shrouds because they add weight and often extra length without granting any benefits other than barrel protection. If someone's worried about scratching a barrel, why are they bushwhacking through the woods? I don't find the extra rails on a shroud very useful except for flashlights, which only come in handy at night. Any sight attached that far forward can't be used effectively other than iron sight risers ( and I use a red dot. ) I don't like bi-pods because of the extra weight and time it takes to open and close them, not to mention getting them snagged in the brush. Almost anytime I'm low enough to the ground to use a bi-pod, I can likely rest the marker on something else if I even need to. You can't reliably hit anything past 80' so I feel the small extra stability isn't worth it. Finally, I don't use mags because they add too much height to the marker for my taste. If I'm going prone I want to get as close to the ground as possible and that means resting my grip on the ground. Now, I realize some people just love having that look to a marker. Hey, I understand that and I've done a few things that aren't all performance based, it's personal preference.
Stocks and sights are a different matter. I don't consider them cosmetic at all. Stocks can add extra stability to your shooting platform by giving you a third anchor point to your body. As I grew up with real firearms, stocks feel natural to me and thus I can shoot quicker and more naturally with them. Whether you get a fixed, folding, or sliding is up to your own preference and feel.
Sights are a controversial topic. Some people like them, some feel they're pointless for something as inherently inaccurate as a paintball marker. However, real accuracy comes from consistency. While wearing a mask you won't be able to look down the sights ( if that marker even has them ) with the vast majority of stocks. Even if you can, unless you're within 30' you have to aim above the target to compensate for the natural arc of the shot. So to me, iron sights are near worthless. So to consistently aim your marker the same way every time you fire, you need a constant point of reference, something you won't get from aiming down the barrel. A good sight will help you get that first shot either on or very close to the target so you don't have to walk your shots so much.
Check the links in my sig for lots of other general info on markers and modding them. |