Automatic Paintball Guns You Should Buy in 2023 – Full Review

Paintballing is an extremely popular sport across the United States. Any paintball player knows that one of the most important pieces of paintballing equipment is the paintball gun. If you’ve been playing paintball for a while, it may be time to invest in your own paintball gun!

Before you invest in an automatic gun, you need to make sure the brand and model you’re buying are worth the cost. To help with that, we’ve compiled this list of the 7 best automatic paintball guns you can buy:

1. Tippmann Cronus Paintball Gun
2. Azodin Blitz 3 Paintball Gun
3. Spyder MR100 Pro Paintball Marker
4. Empire Paintball Mini GS Marker
5. Tippmann x7 Phenom
6. Empire Axe 2.0
7. Milsig M17

I have spent dozens of hours researching, comparing, and also testing different paintball guns. I came up with a list of full-auto paintball guns that are a combination of the best traits that a paintball gun should have. Durability, price/performance, user reviews, customer satisfaction, how accurate they are, and a bunch of other things.

This guide explores the ins and outs of these guns and explains why they’re the best options on the market. We’ll also look at the advantages and disadvantages of each gun. To learn more, read on.

Please note that some of the guns I reviewed aren’t currently available on Amazon due to a lack of production materials.

If you are on a budget, I have a great alternative article: Best Paintball Guns Under $300.

I have just released a great article on the most accurate paintball guns available (buyer’s guide); you can check it on this link.

If you are interested in a different type of paintball play, check my recent review of the best paintball pistols.

Tippmann Cronus Paintball Gun

Tippmann is one of the best paintball gun manufacturers in the market. The Tippmann Cronus Paintball Gun (available on Amazon) is one of their most popular editions.

This gun is perfect for beginners and intermediate players, as it’s affordable and upgradable. 

Here are some of the most important features of the Tippman Cronus Paintball Gun: 

• The gun weighs 3.7 pounds 
• It needs paintballs of a .68 caliber
• It can be loaded with both carbon dioxide and High-Pressure Air (HPA)
• It comes with a nine-inch stock barrel 
• It has a hopper which can carry up to 200 paintballs. The gun can fire eight balls per second. 
• It has a gravity-fed ammunition tank 
• The speed of your shot can be 250-325 FPS

This gun is available only in one color; tan and black. 

When buying a Tippman gun, you can take advantage of Tippman’s Bundle and Package offers. If you choose the Package, for a little extra, you’ll get an anti-fog mask and an air tank. If you choose the Bundle, you’ll get a mask, air tanks, gloves, and ammunition. 

Tippman offers a one-year limited warranty on its guns. It also has a dedicated customer care service that you can call if you need help with the gun. 

The advantages 

Here are some of the advantages of the Tippman Cronus: 

• It’s customizable. Tippman is known for its customizable guns. This gun can be upgraded by adding on rails that can improve both your accuracy and the speed of your shots. You can also swap out the barrel for one with more threads. If you want to go all out, you can swap out your Tippman Cronus with the Tippman Cronus tactical gun, which has some of the upgrades already installed. 
• It’s affordable. This gun is ideal for beginners because it allows you to get a decent gun at a fairly low cost. 
• It’s easily detachable. When you are cleaning your gun, it will be easy to disassemble all the parts and put the gun back together again. Because the gun is easier to maintain, you will find that it performs better. 

The disadvantages 

Most users think that this gun has only one major disadvantage; it’s relatively heavier than all the other guns in this category. This may affect how fast you can move while you’re playing. 

Azodin Blitz 3 Paintball Gun

The Azodin Blitz 3 Paintball Gun (available on Amazon) is one of the most popular paintball guns on the market. It’s lightweight, affordable, and durable. It has a streamlined design that makes it extremely user-friendly. 

Here are some of the main features you need to know about the paintball gun:

• It has a trigger frame made with nylon and glass fiber 
• It weighs 2.03 pounds and is 18.9 inches long 
• It has an interchangeable barrel thread 
• It comes with a 12-inch detachable barrel 
• The gun has a gravity-fed hopper attached to it. However, you can choose to upgrade the hopper for a faster paintball reload. 
• It fires paintballs with a .68 caliber
• It comes in several colors, including black and gold, blue, green, orange, purple, and yellow. 
• This paintball gun operates using 9-volt batteries. Batteries do not come with the gun purchase. 
• Azodin offers a one year warranty on this gun. 

The advantages

Since it’s been launched, the Azodin Blitz Paintball 3 Gun has received positive reviews from a collection of users. Some of the advantages of this model include the following: 

• It’s affordable. This paintball gun is great for beginners who enjoy paintball but don’t want to invest too much in equipment. 
• It’s lightweight. If you’re playing longer tournaments or playing paintball in uneven terrains, this gun is great, because you don’t waste too much energy carrying it. 
• It’s upgradable. This gun doesn’t have too many advanced features. However, if you do want to upgrade it, it is compatible with a variety of accessories available on the market. 

The disadvantages

However, this gun does have a couple of drawbacks. These include: 

• Noise. Compared to other guns in this range, users have found that the Azodin Blitz 3 is fairly noisy. If you are relying on stealth attacks, you may find this gun unsuitable. 
• Trigger frame. Some users have complained that this gun has a faulty trigger, which gets jammed when you pull it. However, if you register a complaint with Azodin, they will send you a replacement gun for free. 

 

Spyder MR100 Pro Paintball Marker

Like Tippmann, Sypder is a well-known name in the paintball industry. It is known for making cheap, but reliable paintball guns. 

This Spyder MR100 Paintball Marker (available on ANS Gear) is an affordable paintball gun for beginners. Here are some of its main features: 

• It has a two-finger, aluminum trigger frame 
• It takes paintballs with a .68 caliber 
• It can fire a maximum of 1000 shots using one cylinder 
• It can only be operated with carbon dioxide (HPA) will not work 
• It comes with an attached barrel 

This gun can be bought with a starter kit that includes a fog proof mask, a carbon dioxide tank, a paintball harness, and a set of paintballs. 

Sypder offers a warranty of one year for this gun. However, the warranty is only available for original customers; if you have bought your gun secondhand, you may not be eligible for the warranty. 

The advantages 

Here are some of the advantages that the Spyder MR100 Pro Paintball Marker offers: 

• It’s accurate and smooth. Users have applauded this gun for firing extremely accurate shots. The gun very rarely has a recoil. 
• It’s lightweight. This gun is comparatively light and will be easy to carry when you’re out in the paintball field. 
• It’s easy to use. This gun is ideal for beginners as it needs no complicated techniques to use it. It’s easy to disassemble for cleaning. 

The disadvantages

While the gun shoots accurately, some users have complained that the shots are very slow. This may impact whether you can hit others in the field. 

Empire Paintball Mini GS Marker

The Empire Paintball Mini GS Marker (available on Amazon) is a compact, affordable gun. It is smaller than other guns in a similar range and is ideal for children. However, adults can also use this gun. It’s best for beginners and intermediate players. 

When the Empire Paintball Mini GS was first released, it received a lot of negative reviews and attention. However, Empire took all the feedback and used it to create a better paintball gun that is now a popular option on the market. 

Features that the gun boasts include: 

• A weight of just 2.95 pounds
• The option to switch between semi-automatic and fully automatic 
• It can fire between 275-293 frames per second
• It comes with a stock barrel that can be changed
• It has a 45/4500 HPA tank, which can store 100,000 paintballs before you need a refill. 
• It has a venting, on and off Air Source Adaptor (ASA) which allows you to use both carbon dioxide and HPA
• It has a micro switch trigger, which makes a clicking noise when you touch the trigger. This allows you to recognize the exact moment you take your shot, which will help with your accuracy. 

The gun needs one nine-volt battery to function. 

The advantages 

There are several reasons that the Empire Paintball Mini GS is popular: 

• The ASA. Very few paintball guns have on and off ASAs. This feature allows you to quickly replace your tank of gas, which can be very useful in tournaments.
• It’s easy to use and accurate. Many guns have a ‘breaking in’ period and take some time to get used to. This gun, however, is easy to use from the start. It is also known for helping users make extremely accurate shots. 

The disadvantages 

Here are some of the reported disadvantages of the Empire Paintball Mini GS: 

• It’s hard to maintain. Compared to other beginner and intermediate paintball guns, this one is more complex to disassemble. It has a variety of parts, nuts, and bolts that need to be cleaned and then reassembled. Be sure to follow the manual carefully the first few times you clean your gun. Or, bring it in for a professional to help you. 
• It’s quiet. Even when it is operating at its highest level, this gun is fairly stealthy. It’s perfect for sneak attacks! 

Best automatic paintball guns for serious paintball players 

If you’ve been playing paintball for a while and want to invest in a more professional gun, there are some great options for automatic paintball guns on the market. 

Tippmann x7 phenom

The Tippmann x7 Phenom (available on Amazon) is a premium military-style gun. It offers a serious paintball player serious value for money as it can be played on five different modes. 

Features of the gun include: 

• The ability to play on five firing modes – Safety Full-Auto, NPPL, PSP, Response, and Semi-Auto.
• A selector switch that you can toggle between mechanical and electric operations. 
• A weight of 5.6 pounds 
• Can use both HPA and carbon dioxide 
• It comes with a 9.5″ high-performance barrel  
• Comes with rails that can be used to add accessories 
• It has a Cyclone Feed System which can fire 15 balls per second without batteries 

Tippman offers a two-year warranty on this product. It also comes with an operations manual that has instructions about servicing, maintaining, and cleaning the gun. 

The advantages

Some of the advantages of the gun include the following: 

• It can operate without batteries. Thanks to the gun’s cyclone feed system, even if your battery runs out mid-game, you don’t have to stop playing. 
• It is easily upgradeable. Thanks to the rails that can be attached to the gun, you can add more accessories that will improve its performance. However, the barrel is not upgradeable. 

The disadvantages 

Here are some of the drawbacks: 

• Leaks in the gas line. Some users have reported that they have found leaks in the gas line. If this happens, you can get the gun replaced when it’s under warranty. 
• It’s a little heavy. This may make it harder to move fast while carrying the gun. 

Empire Axe 2.0

While the Empire Paintball Mini GS is great for amateurs and intermediate paintball players, professionals can look at the Empire Axe 2.0 (available on Amazon). Here are some of its features: 

• It weighs six pounds
• It has a two-piece detachable barrel
• It has a shockwave board that offers multiple firing modes, including fully automatic, semi-automatic, ramp, and burst mode. 
• It has an option to switch the ASA on and off. 

The advantages

Here are some of the advantages of the Empire Axe 2.0: 

• It’s quiet. This gun fires shots extremely quietly and is great for stealth attacks. 
• It has a good range and is accurate. 
• It’s easy to maintain. This gun can be disassembled and reassembled quickly, unlike other professional gun counterparts. 
• It’s durable. This gun is built to last; with proper care and maintenance, it can last you years! 

The disadvantages 

Here are some of the drawbacks of this model: 

• The barrel that is provided with the gun isn’t as powerful as other gun models in a similar range. 
• Faulty equipment. Some users have reported that some of the parts on the gun malfunction. The gas, for instance, can leak due to a faulty regulator. If this happens, contact the Empire customer care for a replacement. 
• The ASA cannot be adjusted. 

Milsig M17

Since its launch in 2014, the Milsig M17 (available on MCSUS.com) has become the weapon of choice for intermediate and experienced paintball players. Depending on your own unique needs, you can select one of the sub-models of the Milsig M17: 

• The M17 CQC. This is the cheapest of the three models because it comes with very few accessories and additional features. It’s a great option if you already have several paintball accessories from earlier guns. 
• The M17 XDC. This comes with a few accessories including a metal magazine, and a rifled barrel. It is fairly heavy. 
• The M17 DMR. This is a premium gun which is a favorite amongst experienced paintball players. It’s particularly great for sniper shooting! 

The advantages 

Aside from their unique features, the MI17 guns have a collection of advantages in common. These include:

• Durability. Because all three of these models are on the premium end of the market, they have been built with the highest quality materials. They are made to last and are extremely durable, even if you use them regularly.
• They’re affordable. For the features they offer, these paintball guns are on the more affordable side as compared to their premium counterparts. 
• They don’t need batteries. You’ll never have to worry about your paintball guns running out of charge! These can go into fully automatic mode without batteries. 

The disadvantages 

The only thing that users have been dissatisfied with is the stock barrel that the guns come with. Some users have reported that they don’t work well with .68 caliber paintballs. 

However, these barrels are detachable, and you can replace them if you are finding them difficult to work with. 

Conclusion 

Choosing an automatic paintball gun to buy can be confusing. However, based on user feedback and by looking at the features that each gun offers, you can make an informed decision. 

The best automatic paintball guns for beginners and intermediate players are the Tippmann Cronus Paintball Gun, the Azodin Blitz 3, the Spyder MR100 Pro, and the Empire Paintball Mini GS. 

The best paintball guns for professional or serious players are the Tippmann x7 phenom, the Empire Axe 2.0, and the Milsig M17. 

If you are planning on buying a paintball gun, try to test out a few variants at a sports store, or your local paintball field. This will help you understand which guns you feel most comfortable with. You can also ask the staff at shops and paintball fields for advice. Or, head online; there are plenty of forums that will help you choose a paintball gun. 

Use this guide as a starting point to make an informed decision. Happy playing! 

Useful Links

• Amazon: Tippmann Cronus Paintball Marker
• Amazon: Azodin Blitz 3
• ANS Gear: Spyder M100 Paintball Gun
• Amazon: Empire Paintball Mini GS Marker 
• Milsig: A2 Paintball Gun 
• Amazon: Tippman Phenomen
• Amazon: Empire Axe