So, You're going to buy your first marker. Here's some quick tips.

First off, Buy a good mask. Once again, buy a Good Mask before you buy your gun. Not only are they required safety gear, but it's important that your mask will not fog up, fall off, or break while you are playing. Now with that out of the way, on to the marker guide lines.

Paintball Markers (guns) come in several basic types. They are:

Pumps - The marker has an action that must be worked (pumped) by hand between shots. The paintball is fired by compressed CO2 gas or Nitrogen. Pump guns tend to be quieter firing then automatics. Also most are more gas efficient then automatics. A form of paintball known as "Stock Class" requires the use of a pump marker, and to make it an even greater challenge the marker can only hold 10 paintballs at a time, and must be powered by small 12-gram CO2 cartridges. Some players use a pump marker to build their skills, since if they can't compete in firepower they will have no choice but to develop other skills like accuracy and speed.

Semi-Auto (Mechanical) - The semi auto marker fires one ball each time the trigger is pulled. There is no need to pump the gun or work the bolt between shots. The gun uses a traditional trigger and valves to fire a paintball. Pulling the trigger releases the bolt, which strikes a valve, releasing a burst of air that fires the paintball. The gas used for firing also resets the bolt, loading the next ball into the chamber. These guns tend to be very durable and fairly reliable. Most entry level markers are mechanical.

Semi-Auto (Electric) - Don't be fooled, the  electric name comes from trigger mechanism, these markers still use CO2 to fire paint. The advantage of electric or 'E-Markers' is that the trigger is a switch-- it has no draw weight. This allows for a faster rate of fire, and some cool features such as 3 round bursts with a single trigger pull. These guns tend to be fairly reliable, although they are more complex then a "classic" marker. A downside to these markers is that they rely on their batteries. If the battery is dead, you can not fire the gun until it is recharged or a new battery is installed. As a side note, almost all high-level guns are electric.

So what is right for you? That greatly depends on your budget and style of play. As for style of play, you develop that through experience, so playing with a barrowed or rented gun for a few games can be advantageous.

Almost all paintball guns are .68 caliber.

Although some pump guns work fine on 12gram CO2 cartridges, a semi-auto marker should be supplied with a 9 Ounce or larger CO2 cylinder.

Make sure your marker of choice has a velocity adjustment. External is recommended, as there are no dial rods to lose.

Look for a marker that you can afford, and one that can be upgraded as you progress and become more experienced.

Ask friends, Club members, teammates, or other players what markers they have used, what's good and what to stay away from.

Ask if you can fire someone's marker a few times to see if you like its accuracy, speed, and feel.

If you see someone with a setup or marker you like, ask them questions. Almost all players will be eager to share their opinions with you.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that they are sharing opinions. Not actual facts. Take their advice with a grain of salt and everything should be fine.

Keep in mind that you will have to disassemble your marker, clean it, and oil it. Or have someone you know that will do it for you. Most markers are fairly easy to clean and maintain.

On this note, if you are someone who enjoys working with mechanical things, you may be attracted to a marker that is seen as high maintenance by some players.

No matter what marker you decide on, as long as it is cared for it will work for many games. Follow the care instructions that come with the marker and you should have no problems.

Sometimes a store or company will offer a deal where you can buy a Marker Package. This will normally include a marker, a CO2 cylinder, hopper, a mask, and a pod or two.

Also, keep in mind that any deal too good to be true probably is. A 50$ marker will throw paint, but it's probably not a worthwhile investment.

Remember, no one watches the Indy 500 and decides to buy a race car the next day. Shop around before you buy and you won't end up with a gun you don't like.

Other Equipment to keep in mind:

Hopper - Attaches to the top of the marker and holds a supply of 140 or more paintballs.

Pods/Harness - Pods are designed to carry paintballs and quickly reload your marker. A harness is the device that is worn by the player. The harness has pouches to securely carry pods and keep them closed.. A lot of harnesses have pockets to carry other gear as well.

Oil - Used after the marker is cleaned to lubricate moving parts and the rubber sealing rings (O-Rings) inside the marker. Special marker oil is recommended by some companies, others will tell you that common Gun Oil is fine. Check the guide that came with your marker.

Squeegees - "Chopping or Breaking a ball" means that a paintball broke inside a marker's barrel or breech area. This can happen for a few reasons. Regardless of the reason it happened, the paint needs cleaned out of the barrel before you can hope to make an accurate shot. A squeegee is a device that is designed to wipe the inside of the barrel clean. There are several types. A Jerk Squeegee is generally used after the barrel has been removed from the marker. There are other types that can be used without removing the barrel. *Some barrels can be "shot clean", where the barrel will become clean if you just continue shooting. If you have such a barrel, you should still have a good squeegee to clean between and after games.

Cylinders (Tanks) - Are filled with compressed CO2 to power your marker. Tank size is determined by the weight of the CO2 it can be filled with in Ounces. The common sizes are 9 oz, 12 oz, 20 oz, 24 oz. A 9 oz tank can usually provide 200 shots or more, depending on temperature and the marker it is used on. 200 may seem like a large number, but it goes by fast. Having more than one tank is recommended.

HPA Tanks, or Nitro tanks are filled with compressed air. Using this form of gas with a marker provides for more consistent shots, which can lead to better accuracy. It is also not effected by temperature like CO2 is, making it a better choice for winter games.

Butt Plates - A butt plate is a plastic plate designed to fit on the end of a CO2 cylinder, making it function like a stock of a rifle. This can make your marker more comfortable to hold.

There is much more equipment than is listed here. Look around on other sites. Some of the pages on the links section are a good place to start.

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