Smart Parts ION Paintball Gun Review! See Pictures, Videos, Pros, Cons & More!
You know those times when you're in the bush, and
it's been a long day and you're just hating your 5lbs+
marker? Well the smart parts ION is only 2.2lbs
and shoots at 17 balls per second (on
semi-auto, 10bs at full) - a good combo when you're on
the move and tired from a hard day of Rambo!
The Ion is like all those real pro markers with the
crazy electronics - just made simpler and a lot cheaper. Most people can't believe what they're
getting for the price on this marker ($169). But what else does
it have you say? Well, let's take a closer look into the
ION...
The Smart Parts Ion
The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving.
Oliver H.
Here I will go through the features, pros,
cons, upgrades - in a language you can
understand. Then at the end of the review sit back and
watch some sweet videos of the ION in
action. Enjoy!
Noobie Note: Extra bits of information are added for those of you that would like to pretend you understand, but really in fact have a lot of questions. No need to feel embarrassed, we all have to start somewhere!
See videos and Pictures at the end of the review!
Smart Parts Ion - A Deeper Look...
17 balls per second semi-auto rate of fire with 3 shot burst, 10 bps full auto and our Rebound firing mode.
Break-beam Vision Anti-Chop System Reliable and durable, the eyes are mounted on a separate board for perfect alignment and not affected by paint or body color. Just clean and replace (in minutes).
A Featherweight Prizefighter At 2.2 pounds, the Ion is among the lightest high-end markers made, and it's tube design imparts an ultra low profile.
Reliability The Ion was engineered to stand up to the demands of professional players. It will outlast what used to be considered high-end and won't break down the minute you get it home.
Improved Ball Detents Approximately 10 times the service life of current detents.
Great Efficiency Expect a reliable 1000-1400 shots from a 68ci, 4500psi bottle without any modifications.
Accuracy & Range The trademarks you expect from Smart Parts.
Body Kits A first for paintball. High-quality aluminum internals are protected by composite shells, allowing you to instantly change the color or look of your body. Tired of blue? Switch to red. Or black. Or yellow. And there are more body styles in the works...
Feed Tube with O-Ring Seals Fits a wider range of hoppers than most guns in this price range.
Tools 1/8" Allen wrench is all you need for primary disassembly--and it's included, along with trigger and velocity adjustment wrenches and a handy parts kit.
Impulse Threads Take advantage of the barrels and feed tubes you may already have.
Very Light - Only 2.2 lbs makes it easier to pack
around
Accuracy - This marker shoots paint on paint
Speed (fast) - Shoots 17 balls per second (on semi-auto) and 10bps on fully automatic.
The Eye - works well, it didn't allow me to chop any paintballs
Price - under $200
Stock barrel
Manual
The Not-So-Goods
Disassembly - can be tricky for a newcomer, make sure to go through the manual or if you can get some help - but trying to figure things out on your own will be more rewarding and help you get better.
Trigger/Magnet - Plastic and magnet is pretty strong,
making it harder to pull the trigger fast. You might want to get an aftermarket.
Feed Neck - (where your hopper attaches to) - This is an obvious weakness for this marker. You're definitely going to need get a clamping feed neck to fix this.
Regulator - This regulates the amount of air that goes
into your marker, as to conserve your tank. An inconsistent regulator means that
some of your balls will come out fast, others will be slower or medium - etc.
This is frustrating when this happens. A lot of people complain that the ION comes
with a bad regulator - make sure when you get it you turn the regulator down a few notches
before you attach any air to the marker - it could blow the solenoid.
The Smart Parts Ion XE
Ooooo what's this? Video below
Rating/Recommendations
This is the ultimate speedball paintball gun. I rate the Smart Parts Ion 4.9 out of 5, docking 0.1 points because nothing can be perfect
right? At 17 bps the Ion shoots super fast and is deadly accurate, and
boasting 1400 shots is a great incentive to get your hands on this beauty.
The Smart Parts Ion is very popular on the tournament scene, and is starting
to catch on in the woodsball arena as well.
Upgrades/Kits
Clamping Feed Neck - Will hold your hopper in place.
Electronic Hopper - Faster then gravity loaders
Barrel - Even more accuracy!
Body Kits - A variety of different colors if your
friends start making fun of your pink body kit.
