I have just recently purchased a RAP4 paintball gun after finding out about this new style of paintball. Apparently unlike the paintball guns that teenagers run around with that look all space age like, these paintball guns are exact replicas of original firearms and even function in the exact same manner such as loading, cocking, rate of fire, discharging of spent shells after each round is fired. The paintballs are not .68 cal but rather .40 cal for improved accuracy ( typical RAP gun can shoot 100 yards accurately unlike the regular 68 cal wich youd be lucky to get 100 feet ACCURATELY ). These RAP's have a muzzle velocity of 280 fps to 350fps ( adjustable ) as well as a adjustable rate of fire ( for full auto models ) and are hands down much better quality markers even over competition 68 cal markers. Typically the felt " pain " from being hit is no more or less then that of the .68 cal but as allways the use of eye goggles should most definately be used. The best site to find one of these markers ( offering the best costumer service and warranty ) is RAP4.COM, theres other sites that offer these as well but RAP4.COM simply can offer the best service after the sale is done. Theres another site that offers a more higher end of a different nature, while RAP4.COM offers m-16 style, mp5 style, and glock styled markers, theres also rusty'spaintballgear.com wich offers everything from m-16's, ak-47's, H+K MP5'S, H+K G3's, Thompson's, to more extravegant such as Mines, Mortars, Launchers, and Artillery. For The firearms I would say RAPS are the best choice, for more seriouse firepower go rusty's. I will post a few pics here for you guys so you know exactly what I am talking about when I say realistic firepower.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Pirahna/TippmanM2000PaintballHowitzer.bmp
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Pirahna/Browning30calPiantballMarker.bmp
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Pirahna/M72lawpaintballlauncher.bmp
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Pirahna/M60RainmakerPaintballMarker.bmp
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Pirahna/33cd0a80.bmp ( RAP4.COM )
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Pirahna/RAP17PaintballMarker.bmp
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Pirahna/RAP5PaintballMarker.bmp

I told you guys that these are not like your typical paintball guns that teenagers run around with, an neither is the gamethat Real Action Paintball Players paly either, thay get as much into the Real Action with full military gear an clothing as you can get with out actually getting into the armed services including military manuvers as well. Hell, the RAPS were originally designed for the US military for war simulation lol

So what you're saying, is that paintball is the new airsoft?

Great.

Yeah I guess that one can say that, I just love these replicant paintball markers an love my RAP4 just as much as any one of my real firearms. Perhaps even more, with these I can actually light someone up like the 4th of july

Quoted: So what you're saying, is that paintball is the new airsoft? Great.

Airsoft + Paintball = RAP

Interesting way to actually shoot live targets, but the rifles/etc are close to the cost of real guns...

just noticed an error on my own post an want to fix it now. The ordinance and launchers are not 40 cal or even 68 cal, the LAW launcher for example is 54mm (  just smaller then a baseball ) and the artillery is 68mm ( just smaller then a softball ).  
These markers are intended for use on make shift tanks an hardened objects such us structures that house combatants. Tanks typically are max 6 wheel drive ATV's, Quads and or Oddeseys with thin steel plating with machine guns such as rainmaker M-60's, Browning machine guns or even gatling guns and tyipcally the max6 ATV's have the 54mm or 68mm tank paintball cannon wich has its own compressor on board the vehicle.
Best I have seen is the max6 ATV wich had the 64mm tank cannon mounted on the roll cage with a swiveling plate that swiveled 180 degrees from left to right and was hydraulically raised an lowered for elevation.  In the passengers seat was a Browning machine gun mounted on a swivel for 180 degrees left an right and on a pin allowing elevation. This was also fed by the max6's on board compressor.  The unit its self didnt look like a real tank with its boxy shape as it was almost completely enclosed with thin metal sheeting but definately spit out some seriouse firepower.
According to the rules of the game, small arm fire couldnt stop it seeing as it was a " tank " but getting hit by either a LAW round, ordance such as mortars or the artillery shell, and any one of the landmines would deam the tank useless an it combatants would abandon the vehicle until the end of the game.
You wouldnt believe how real life the game seams when playing it, I am hoping to make it to one of the big outting hosted outwest where players from around the country show up for an entire weekend.   Teams are designated before attending an begins typically friday afternoon where both teams get dropped off in thier designated area, pitch camps an secure the perimiter with sentries an landmines and from the minute they are dropped off to late sunday evening its fair game, you can recon the field and engage the enemy at any time of day or night, so be sure to post 24/7 sentries as from what I hear the fighting can be just as fierce at night as it can be durring the day lol. Any device used by the goverment such as night vision, listyening devices an the such are permitted as long as there is no chance of the object being used for actually hurting individuals... IE flashbangs

holy shit I want a paintball LAW! that would rock.

Quoted: holy shit I want a paintball LAW! that would rock.

The LAW paintball rocket launcher starts at $300 + S/H wich is basic with no decals and does not retract like the original but still made from the original LAW rocket launcher tube. The deluxe model runs $380 + S/H  wich is still the original LAW rocket launcher tube but has the original LAW decals as the original does as well as extends an retracts. There is a non retracting model with decals that runs for about $325 an of course is made from an original LAW rocket launcher tube.

If you are in fact cinsidering purchasing the LAW paintball launcher please bear in mind that it is not intended to be used as a marker on people but rather structures and or mobile units as I am sure that it would seriousely hurt someone if they would be hit by the heavey 54mm paintball that can be launched 100 yards accurately. LOL would probably bowl the person over backwards an cuase some seriouse bruising if it didnt break bones lol

It would be great if scenario paintball places allowed for these, but I'd doubt it...

The small arms are permitted on some paintball fields around my area ( check your local area for availability). The guns are operated basically the same as its Co2 powered to send a paintball down a barrel at an intended target.  The Real Action Markers dont require the brass ( an alloy shell or biodegradable plastic shell as an option) to fire the paintballs but its more for authentic replication durring game play.  Besides, while you would have the advantage over the other paintballers with regular paintball guns ( even competition ) with being to shoot 3x farther more accurately, you would also be at a disadvantage seing as you only have 20 paintballs per clip for the small arm rifles and might only have 5-6 clips on you. Clips are loaded in the same manner as a real clip with pushing one ball at a time into the clip so you can see where the disadvantage would be to say a 250 ball hopper lol   How ever, If you were to say have one of the browning machine guns with a large tank an set up stationary.... you could dump through thousands of balls before that tank went empty as the way the browning operates is the ammo can on the side holds the balls an is fed from the bottom up to the reciever.... just keep dumping bags of balls in the ammo can
Could probably paint an entire side of a house in seconds with that

This is actually pretty cool.

Here's what you really need.

Minigun

Quoted: Here's what you really need. Minigun

I have seen that pic before but wasnt on ebay though ( trying to recall where I saw that lol ) But yes as I had said prior in this subject mini's do exist and have actually shot one. Wasnt that exact same model as it seems a little wider then the one I shot, particulary around the machine part of the gun... but oh man did that thing dump some seriouse paint out fast. Imagine it could get expensive fast especially if you were to go for a weekend outing. My next purchase is probably going to be the LAW launcher... getting tired of getting pinned down from mobile tanks and or stationary structers with full auto machine guns ( the browning machine gun and the mini  will lay down some seriouse supressive firepower when the individuals turn it into a stationary weopen with a much larger tank for thier air supply ESPECIALLY when deployed in a building or bunker )  usually you cant get close enough to them to toss a paint gernade with out getting sprayed.

I know your all goin to say flank em an get in closer, we do try that but there flanks is where they deploy thier mines and typically have covered with one or two small arm gunners for those flanking lol mines are easy to aviod as long as your not being shot at... one or the other will get you and just seems a LAW launcher would be the best answer with minimal loss of soldiers.

Remember, typically the age group for this type of game is from 20 - 40 and some of these guys are either currently employed by local authorities of some branch or ex military. They make the game that much more interesting I tell you when they bring in thier expreience making you have to play on a much higher playing level then you would if you were playing regular paintball. I swear that Real Action Paintball is about as close to real war as one can get with out actualy worrying about coming home in a body bag lol

I am curious. How exactly are the paintballs able to over 100 yards acurately as compared to a standard .68cal paintball pushed at the same velocity?

Quoted: I am curious. How exactly are the paintballs able to over 100 yards acurately as compared to a standard .68cal paintball pushed at the same velocity?

Well First off the paintballs are of smaller diameter ( .40 cal ) and so being propelled with the same force as a conventional  paintball gun the marker is able to achieve greater velocities and have less drag on the projectile being shot out of the barrel. I am not going to say that you'll drill sub 1" MOA groups at 100 yards with these paintball markers but you will be putting your shots in the kill zone at the 100 yard mark.  Also the barrels on these RAP4's ( cant vouge for anything other then RAP4 and RAP5 )  have better barrels then thier paintball cousins with a longer barrel to assist in tighter groups... A typical paintball marker would have a 12" barrel while these RAP4's have 18" or more to them ( believe my barrel is 20" )

Quoted: So what you're saying, is that paintball is the new airsoft? Great.

No not really it;s better than that, these guns are used the same as simunition guns are in some places for training force on force. Sure you still have the same problems, what is cover to a PB is not going to be cover against a .223 or 309 or the like. But they guns operate the same as the real guns, so you have to change mags pull the charging ahndle and all that shit. It's a more realistic aproach to force on force and if used right can be a good training aid.

Quoted: holy shit I want a paintball LAW! that would rock.

the mini gun is better.....

Quoted: Quoted: I am curious. How exactly are the paintballs able to over 100 yards acurately as compared to a standard .68cal paintball pushed at the same velocity? Well First off the paintballs are of smaller diameter ( .40 cal ) and so being propelled with the same force as a conventional  paintball gun the marker is able to achieve greater velocities and have less drag on the projectile being shot out of the barrel. I am not going to say that you'll drill sub 1" MOA groups at 100 yards with these paintball markers but you will be putting your shots in the kill zone at the 100 yard mark.  Also the barrels on these RAP4's ( cant vouge for anything other then RAP4 and RAP5 )  have better barrels then thier paintball cousins with a longer barrel to assist in tighter groups... A typical paintball marker would have a 12" barrel while these RAP4's have 18" or more to them ( believe my barrel is 20" )

Maybe being smaller in diameter the ball has less drag in flight, due to it's smaller size. You say the velocity is between 280-350fps. You can make a .68 cal  ball go 350+fps, but anything above 300 is considered dangerous. IE a .68cal paintball traveling over 300fps can break small bones in your hand.
It should also be said that barrel length in paintball beyond 8" has little to no bearing on range or accuracy. A paintball acheives maximum velocity in the first 8' of travel in the bore. Any more barrel length and it is creating an adverse affect on the balls velocity. Increased pressure behind the ball is the solution to overcoming drag caused by overly long barrel lengths. Thus causing undue stresses on the ball as it exits the muzzle.  Most tournament and high end markers have a 8" back that is threaded directly to the marker and a front that varies in length and has a larger bore diameter because the front does not contact the ball.
I am still curious on the type of finish of these barrels. Most higher end paintball berrels are finished to a mirror like sheen and are arbor honed to precise tolerances within .0001" or better. Porting also reduces the on front of the ball as it exits the barrel.  Some of the barrel systems can range anywhere from about $90 to about $250.
Are ther interchangable barrels, so that you can match paint better? Probably the single most important thing that determins a paintballs flight path is proper paint to barrel match. All paintballs are not created equal. Even tournament grade paint will vary in size as much as .004" due to date of manufacture, stoarge quality, temperature at the time of play, humidity at the time of play. .003" differance in size between a paintball and a bore diameter, can mean the difference between a ball flying straight to a ball curving 20 yards after it exits the marker.

Who makes the paint and where can you get it from. How much does it cost?