FAQ
Q: How much farther do CP3 markers shoot compared to other markers?
A: This is the most commonly asked question. Basically, our markers shoot the exact same distance as any other marker would at a given velocity setting. Paint leaving the barrel at 280 FPS (feet per second) will fly the same distance on any marker, unless you are using a barrel that applies backspin, which is also the only legal means of increasing your range. All fields have a velocity limit, so increasing the velocity is both dangerous and illegal.
Q: I see some other markers on eBay that seem to be cheaper, such as ones made by Ariakon. Why is that?
A: We do not like being compared to them. It's really not even a fair comparison as we have different objectives. They are a big company that sells nice looking markers, but look at the upgrades you can get for them. You can't get anything to improve performance or accuracy. Instead, what you can get are "upgrades" like 20" barrels, which in fact decrease accuracy. CP3 Paintball is a small business because our products are assembled and tested by hand. Our stocks and foregrips are completely hand-built using the finest materials you can use. For parts we can't build ourselves, we use truly trusted third party products. We don't sell anything that we wouldn't use in our own games. Each gun is built with the idea that form should merely follow function CP3 Paintball markers look amazing, but at the same time you have a marker that is fully upgradable and versatile.
Q: Why don't you sell longer barrels? My marker would look a lot better with a 20" barrel.
A: Long barrels hurt performance. Paintball markers are not guns; the same principles don't apply. Guns shoot slick metal bullets at high speeds, while paintballs are made of soft, liquid-filled shells and are fired at relatively low speeds. Adding a longer barrel just causes more friction (so you need to hit the ball harder) and can cause rattling or spinning, greatly affecting accuracy. Even 16" is a little too long for optimum performance but you can get away with it - 14" is about ideal. We will never sell anything longer than 16". You can change the barrel yourself to whatever you like since most barrels will fit, but we chose the J&J ceramic as it is a good all around barrel at a reasonable price. Most customers are satisfied with its performance. We use it as our main primary barrel for our own personal guns.
Q: I can't afford one of these. Can you tell me how you made it?
A: Unless you have a metal lathe and mill, polyurethane casting station and epoxy dipping capabilities, it is unlikely that this can be made by the average individual. The polyurethane we use is incredibly expensive as well due to its strength and other properties. If you don't have the money, by all means try to make your own marker - thats how we got started. If you like the general design, feel free to make your marker as similar as you want for personal use - although our exact methods are very difficult to copy. We don't prosecute creative individuals who want to make something with their own hands. As a reference, our original marker took about a month of casual development and about another 7 months of general tweaking and well over $1000 in parts. The commercial paragon marker took a year to develop to the production model.
Q: Will rear cocking bolts work?
A: Unfortunately when designing the marker, there was no way to drill the stock deep enough to allow for this. It's more of an aesthetic perk, but our current model doesn't allow for this. Although some people prefer this for speedball, most people don't mind, so we didn't put much emphasis on this.
Q: Can I take the (bipod/scope/sling/foregrip/stock) off?
A: Yes, you can customize your marker to whatever type of play you like.
Q: What type of gun are these replicas of?
A: None. The intention wasn't to make a replica gun. We just wanted a nice simple design that is comfortable, can be assembled easily and has no small parts that can be easily broken off. Paintball is rough - we wanted the markers to be light enough that its not a burden, but durable enough to take a lot of punishment. Replicating guns just didn't make much sense. Not only is it illegal in some areas, but it also takes away from the design. It would be impossible to tailor the marker to the parts on the original model while retaining proper function. Our intention was to form-fit our own parts to the marker to make them versatile, strong and upgradeable. It is much better to begin with goals and features in mind and create a design based on function rather than form. With our markers, form always follows function.
Q: Are the stocks and foregrips solid?
A: Yes, unlike many of our other competitors, everything is built to last. In fact, our hand-built components are probably the toughest you'll find in the market.