I'm reviewing paintball guns for a living, so I speak from experience when I say that these pistols are incredibly realistic. They offer value for money and are perfect for training.
FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. T4E S&W M&P M2.0 .43 Caliber Paintball Marker
Highlight: Made to work just like the M7P 2.0 firearm.
Helpful review: I had an armed guard company contact me to help them review some paintball pistols, train some force-on-force, and build clearing drills. The great part about most well-made paintball pistols is that they feel and operate like the real thing. Most of the high-quality paintball pistols will even have attachment points the same so lasers, flashlights, and all the rest will fit and help the learners practice as close to live guns as possible.
The T4E Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 clone is on the money for a great training gun. It comes in 43 caliber-size paintballs. We used chalk because it was easy to clean up afterward. The training would only occur across the room, so the distance to which the COP2 can launch its ammo is not an issue. The weight of the T4E is close to the real thing if the real M&P is unloaded. If the M&P inserts a full magazine, the weight will be different. The sight picture and proper safe handling are still the same, and that is what they were looking for.
Training with the paintball gun was a tremendous amount of fun, more fun than I was being contracted and paid for; I must admit I would have done this for free. The magazine holds eight paintball drops free and reloads just like the real thing; only the M&P holds more ammo; the need to reload and behind the cover is still the same. The slide and barrel are metal, and the frame is polymer, just like the real gun, so everything looks and feels the same.
The slide will even hold open on the last round like the real gun. For officers who are used to shooting high-capacity magazines at the range, a slide that holds back at eight rounds did cause a minor panic during training. For those who like to carry and shoot the 1911 pistols, this is old-school ammo tracking and a great eye-opener for some younger folks.
Umarex USA manufactures the T4E, which includes one magazine. More can be purchased separately, loaded into magazine carriers, and used like the reloading drill.
One thing to ensure is to keep the CO2 O-rings lubed (get a spray bottle of Prolix) so they don't dry out and leak air. The paintball gun only shoots at 355 fps, so losing air pressure will lead to a losing fight in a hurry. Only 355 fps feels like much faster when that chalk round hits a guy that was not paying attention, due to forces beyond my control, not due to me just screwing around and not paying attention, as many folks said when I started cussing. — Cody Bur
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2. Umarex TR50 .50 Caliber Paintball Revolver
Highlight: 50 caliber revolver paintball revolvers.
Helpful review: I have seen a lot of action around the new Byna pepper ball launcher as a personal protection option. I am going to Yellowstone in a few weeks for vacation and thought about something like this for that trip. I would not carry a revolver-looking thing in the national park as that would bring more attention and hassle than it's worth; I will get a couple of cans of bear spray, so everything in half an acre gets some spicy attention.
I have been exposed to OC a few times for work in the police and security world, and I do not look forward to sending it to anything that does not need it. But a grizzly bear that wants to eat me for supper will deserve it, especially since everyone can outrun me, so I will lose that race.
The Umarex TR50 revolver shoots 50-caliber paintballs or paper balls. I have read that some folks use rubber balls and other stuff to recover from shooting again. This gun looks like something right out of a Hell Boy movie. A rubber ball used for fun in the backyard for target practice and some tin can shooting range setup may be a good option.
The one thing about this paintball gun is how much power it sends downrange; make sure nothing weak is downrange or used as a backstop. The gun uses a standard CO2 cartridge, and it is a pain in the butt to load, make sure a table or something like that knocks the cartridge and gets it punctured. A regular CO2 will last about five or so calendars, so maybe 30 rounds, most likely less at full power. The smooth operation of this gun will not get a high rating for me; it feels like some of the internals may be rough and need a deburring or a lack of bearing surfaces. It just works on polymer on polymer, which makes friction.
Suppose I get to bear country outside of Yellowstone or other National Parks. In that case, I will take the 10mm that shoots real live lead bullets and leave the bear spray for the worthless pigeons that think they own my roof and even on my house. — Alex Nelson
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3. T4E Walther PPQ M2 .43 Caliber Paintball Marker
Highlight: The best grip on the market.
Helpful review: T4E actually stands for Train for Engagement. This line of pistols is designed to be as realistic as a real firearm so shooters and learners can safely learn and practice operating the gun and operating with it. I don't know an agency that uses the Walther PPQ or can afford that pistol. That is not to say it does not exist; I have not heard of any.
I have one of these paintball pistols to show CCW students the difference between pistol grips. Most lady shooters who try on this grip love it; it seems to fit more than it does not. The significant part of using the paintball gun is the similarity to the real thing. The slide and the barrel are made of steel. The slide will have a simulated blowback when the trigger is pulled. The gun will release air from the chamber when the trigger is pulled, regardless of the slide position or magazine. Draining the load from the CO2 cartridge is very easy when the shooter is not paying attention to compressed air conservation.
The magazine holds eight rounds (paintballs) and will drop free of the gun, just like the real thing, even using the same magazine release. The CO2 cartridge is easy to pierce with the Walther PPQ-style pistol. The standard picatinny rail under the barrel is the same, so accessories like lights or lasers will fit and be used and practiced for muscle memory use when using the real thing. The gun will fit in a standard Walther and a custom holster to fit a PPQ with a big wow Wizbang light and laser combo.
The paintball pistol comes in a multi-color option and is all black, so this gun will be the same as the firearm. This is designed to make a training tool. The gun shoots a 43-caliber paintball, so the barrel will look very much like the real thing if the shooter uses a 45 or 40-caliber PPQ. And, of course, an authentic magazine will not fit in the gun; if it did due to pushing hard, it would not load a round from the magazine.
Let's say, for argument's sake, one round stripped for the magazine, and all the rest, the T4E does not have a firing pin; this cannot be a safer option to use for training. — Adam A. Morgan
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4. T4E Glock 17 Gen 5 .43 Caliber Paintball Marker
Highlight: Full-size Glock 17 trainer.
Helpful review: This option from T4E used to come with a bag of ammo (43 caliber powerballs) and CO2 cartridges, ready to go outside and shoot in the backyard. But it no longer does. You just get the gun now. However, this is the best paintball marker I have ever owned. No kidding. If you shoot this in the backyard, ensure your backstop is up to the challenge. This paintball pistol uses all the power it can make and will shoot right out of the back of a cardboard backstop.
I used a heavy wool blanket, folded it, and placed it in a cardboard box. My wool blanket did suffer some damage from the event. What I could do with my 3-dollar backstop is reuse the ammo it came with.
This Glock simulation fits my custom-made holster with the OLight green laser and light combo mounted to the lower rail. I want to mount a red dot on this gun to see if I want to practice with it and mill out the slide on my range gun. The rear sights will come off and leave a dovetail, so I could get a mount that is made to push into the dovetail and then drill some holes into the slide. I am not sure if that much effort is worth it on a paintball pistol unless I can use it to sell the mount and gunsmith fees at the show… a thing to think about. It is a full-on simulator, not only for training; I will use it for sales if I can.
The T4E line is all made with the same materials as the real gun; The slide is metal, and the barrel is metal as well. The frame is polymer, and all the levers and buttons are like a Glock pistol. The only true difference is the magazine, for apparent reasons.
The weight is the same as an unloaded Glock 17; a full magazine would weigh more than you would expect. Many folks will talk about using one of these or one like it as a non-lethal weapon. I don't understand the need or thinking to put a nonlethal object in the same space and situation as a real gun that can deliver 9mm rounds over an OC pepper ball. If it is not legal for you to carry a gun where you live or due to your history, get one of the new purpose-designed non-lethal weapons.
Anyway, this marker will carry, draw and present exactly like the firearm it is designed after. For the force-on-force type of training, it can't be beaten. For nervous shooters over the first minutes of handling a gun, this is a great option. Bringing a simulated gun into the training room is a great idea and should be considered by all trainers. And by trainers, I am talking about the ones paid for training and those who take non-shooter friends and family to the range and show them the ropes. — Michael J. Walsh
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