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The best paintball pistols are small enough to be stored as a sidearm but powerful enough to eliminate enemy players. While not the main dish at paintball dinner they are more like a napkin, they are there if things get messy, and rest assured things will get messy. Even though paintball pistols are not meant to be used as frequently as your main paintball gun, you want to be sure you are getting the best that money can buy. The worst thing that can happen is for your paintball to bounce off your enemy because of a bad pistol. Even worse is when buyers intend to use a pistol for security reasons. You will want the best paintball pistol for self-defense. The last thing you want is your gun to fail when you need it the most.
These paintball pistols make some great beginner markers as well. Most of them are easy to use and maintain. So the learning curve is rather low. The problem is the pistol category in the paintball world has a lot of trash, and sometimes sifting through it can become a mess. Some are easy to dismiss as well. One might assume since a pistol is plastic and see-through that it will not be any good. And they could not be more wrong. Most paintball reviews do not do these paintball pistols justice. Suffice it say, finding a quality pistol can take some time and research.
Lucky for you we have compiled a list of the five best paintball pistols for sale right now.
Paintball Pistol Reviews
1. Tippmann TPX Paintball Pistol – Lightweight and Compact
The Tippmann TPX is one of the best paintball pistols on the market. And with the Tippmann name backing it up you know you are getting a quality product.
The TPX fires a standard .68 caliber paintball at an effective range of about 50+ yards. It is powered by a 12-gram CO2 cartridge that is placed under the barrel. The cartridge itself will not be punctured until the first trigger pull then the pistol is charged. This package comes with two eight-round magazines that are loaded into the pistol grip. Each magazine has a low tension spring so the paintballs do not become stressed and warped over time. When the magazine is released it will shoot out into your hand. This is because the magazines are spring-loaded so when you press the mag release it pops out. This makes for quick re-load times when it counts most.
If you want to upgrade the barrel it is removable. So upgrading to a longer ported version is possible. Although you will be limited by the shape of the barrel opening due to its tight squeeze. On the bottom of the barrel housing, there is a small Picatinny rail so you can mount your favorite laser or flashlight.
The body of the TPX is a mix of composite plastic and aluminum. The barrel, shroud, and trigger are aluminum. While the rest of the body is composite plastic. That being said the TPX is built to be sturdy and smacked around a bit. After all, it will most likely be strapped to your hip or abdomen banging against everything you use for cover, so it needs to be durable.
The rear of the gun has a velocity adjuster so you can change the speed when your paintball is fired. This can be adjusted with a basic allen key that comes with the added tool kit. And lastly, there is a remote CO2 plugin so you can opt not to use the 12-gram cartridges.
The Tippmann TPX is one of the best paintball pistols available right now. Click here to see the best price.
- Made from durable composite plastic and aluminum
- Can use both 12-gram CO2 and remote CO2 tanks
- Magazines are light so you can carry more of them
- 12-gram CO2 cartridges will leak over time once punctured
- Does not have three-round burst option
2. JT ER2 Pump Pistol Paintball Kit – Basic Plastic Build and Design
The ER2 is not going to take your team to the next NXT final. What the ER2 is great for is beginners wanting to break into the sport of paintball. Why is that? To start is its ease of use.
With an all-plastic plastic body and simple design mastering, the ER2 should only take a couple of hours. The old school pump-action design resembles some of the first paintball guns. With each pump, you chamber one round then pull the trigger — easy enough. This is also one of the few tube-fed guns still available. Each tube holds up to 10 rounds and feeds in vertically. You can use a full-sized hopper so you can keep on shooting to your heart’s content.
12-gram CO2 cartridges power the ER2. Each cartridge will net you up 60 shots or more. Although if you puncture one it is best to use it in one sitting because it will leak slowly over time.
The ER2 comes as a kit, with it you get five 12-gram CO2 cartridges, a barrel plug and 50 paintballs in five 10-round tubes.
Anyone looking to get into the sport of paintball should consider the JT ER2. Its reasonable price mixed with its simple design makes it a great entry-level paintball pistol. Click here to see the best price.
- Affordable price
- Ease of use
- Can be used competently in a game of paintball
- Can only use 12-gram CO2 cartridges
- Have to buy hopper separately
3. Tippmann TPX Paintball Pistol Starter Kit – Solid Design and Build
This Tippmann pistol has already made our list once. With this package, you get the same great paintball handgun with some added perks.
To start you get the standard Tippmann TPX paintball pistol. With a larger frame than other paintball handguns, the TPX feels sturdy in the hand. With a mix of composite and aluminum build the TPX can take a beating. The barrel can be removed and replaced with a longer or ported version. Keeping with the trend of customizability, users can choose between 12-gram CO2 cartridges or a remote CO2 tank. This paintball pistol is magazine fed with an 8 round capacity per mag. The grip has a nice rubber grip with three portholes to see how many paintballs are left in the magazine. The Picatinny rail can fit a small flashlight or red dot as well.
What is cool is with this package you get some extra goodies along with the TPX pistol. You will get three magazines to make sure you are locked and loaded for any scenario. The coolest addition has to be the Tippmann Tpx leg holster. TPX’s leg holster is ambidextrous, it is interchangeable from the left to the right. It comes with adjustable leg straps to get the perfect fit. This holster offers up quick accessibility to your sidearm when it matters the most. It is great to pop out in close quarters in a game. The TPX is the best paintball pistol for self-defense. When you add in the leg holster for accessibility, this is one great package. Click here to see the best price.
- Not as heavy as it looks
- Very accurate for a pistol
- Has lots of power
- Some people report the CO2 seal leaks
- The holster it comes with isn’t great
4. T4E Walther PPQ M2 .43 Caliber Paintball Pistol – Realistic Look and Operation
The Walther PPQ paintball pistol is the most unique gun to make our list. The design was licensed to T4E by Walther Arms, because of that, this is the most realistic looking paintball handgun we could find.
With a metal slide and polymer frame, it not only looks like the real thing this paintball pistol feels like it too. One neat feature is the PPQ’s blowback action. So lick the real gun for every trigger pull the slide on the top of the gun blows back. There is no real practical use for this on a paintball pistol, it just looks really cool. On the slide, there are front and rear sights. The rear sight can be adjusted to your liking. There is also a slide catch release so you can clear up any jams without having to hold open the slide yourself. Moving down to the grip, its coated in a satisfying rubber that almost sticks to your hand. The mag release button is located on the left side of the pistol. When pressed the full metal clip springs out in a satisfyingly realistic manner. The magazine holds up to nine shots and also houses the 12-gram CO2 cartridge. You will need an allen key to remove and install future CO2 tanks. The key has a convenient compartment on the back of the pistol grip that pops out. It is a cool little compartment that keeps your tool exactly where you need it.
There is a small Picatinny rail at the bottom of the barrel housing for whatever small attachments you might want to add. And to keep you and those around you safe there is a functioning trigger safety.
Like most paintball handguns the PPQ fires .43 caliber rounds. On fresh CO2 this gun can fire up to 385 feet per second but averages out around 290.
The Walther PPQ by Umarex is a great pistol for recreation and protection. Just pick up some pepper balls and you are good to go. Click here to see the best price.
- Solid and exceptionally durable
- Realistic slide blowback gives it the look and
- feel of the real thing making it great for firearms training
- Functional front and rear sights
- A lot of moving parts may be prone to jams
- CO2 is screwed into the magazine making it heavy
5. JT splat master Z100 Paintball Pistol – Simple Yet Reliable Build
The JT Splatmaster is designed for kids. With an all-plastic design, this gun is easy to clean and maintain. The Z100 uses a spring-loaded system.
Users will pull the slide on the top of the gun back to chamber a paintball. Each pull of the slide loads on paintball. Very little strength to pull back, making it great for kids. The slide on this gun takes Without using gas to propel the paintballs owners will have to spend very little money over the lifetime of the Z100.
This paintball gun uses a magazine-fed system. The magazines hold seven rounds of .50 caliber paintballs. With .50 paintballs and a spring-loaded system, the velocity is greatly reduced for the paintball pistol. There will still be a light sting comparable to a pinch when a player gets hit, but the pain is nothing compared to the bee sting pain of a normal paintball.
This kit comes with several accessories to help keep the Z100 performing smoothly each time you use it. For safety, it comes with a yellow barrel plug that is inserted in the front of the barrel blocking any projectiles from leaving due to an accidental discharge. A barrel squeegee is also provided to clear out any breaks or jams within the barrel. And lastly, a small handle that can be attached to the slide to assist younger kids who may not have the strength to fully cock the Z100 without assistance.
The Z100 is one of the best paintball pistols for beginners and kids alike. Its simplicity makes it fun and easy to use. The low velocity is a less painful way to get introduced to the sport of paintball. So if you have kids that want a paintball gun or you are looking for something simple for yourself to use the Z100 is a great introduction. Click here to see the best price.
- The low price point makes this pistol very affordable
- Easy to use and maintain
- Less pain makes it more viable for children to use
- Can’t really be used at a paintball field
How To Choose The Best Paintball Pistol
Depending on what you will be using your paintball pistol for choosing the right is critical.
If you plan on using a paintball pistol for sport a lot of what will go into your decision will be personal preference. If you are a beginner you will want something simple to use. If you will be using a paintball pistol for home defense you will want something highly reliable.
Paintball Pistols for Sport
The best paintball pistols to use in the competition will need to be reliable and comfortable to strap to your body. For the most part, the pistol will serve as a sidearm. If you so choose you can walk out into a battle with a paintball pistol only, but you better move quick and stay unnoticed. Either way, you will want a paintball gun that performs at its best 100 percent of the time. A paintball pistol like the Tippmann TPX starter kit is a great gun to use in a competition. With the Tippmann name behind it, you know the TPX will work when you need it to. It comes with additional magazines to keep you locked and loaded throughout a match. The leg holster, also, made by Tippmann will keep the gun tight and secure to your body keeping the TPX within arm’s reach at all times.
A great pistol for competition play will also be somewhat customizable being able to choose between CO2 cartridges or remote CO2 will give you the flexibility to fit the needs you require.
Paintball Pistols for Beginners
Newcomers to the sport of paintball will require something that is easy to use and functional. A great introduction to the world of paintball is something like the splat master Z100. The Z100 is an inexpensive entry-level paintball pistol. Its simplistic design is extremely low maintenance and with it being a spring-loaded pistol, no CO2 is needed.
The last thing you want is to scare off newcomers by blasting them with .68 caliber paintballs flying at 280 feet per second. With the Z100 new users can get a taste of what it feels like to be shot at and struck by a paintball without experiencing extreme pain. The larger .50 paintballs are also less painful making it a great first paintball pistol for kids. You will not be breaking the bank with this pistol. The only thing you will need to spend additional money on is paintballs. Although paintballs can be bought in bulk for cheap.
Paintball Pistols for Self-defense
Using a paintball gun for self-defense is becoming more and more popular and practical by the day. Paintball pistol is the best option for home defense for a couple of reasons. The first is its size. Being much small than a typical paintball gun is a huge advantage. Pulling out a bulky Tippmann A-5 will be clunky and slow compared to pulling out a small and sleek pistol like the Walther PPQ by Umarex.
With the rights to use the same design as an actual Walther PPQ, the version by Umarex has the same small and compact design. This can be helpful for a couple of reasons. To start the PPQ looks like the real deal. If you point this pistol at a home intruder they will not second guess if the weapon is loaded with lethal ammunition. The look and style give this pistol an intimidation factor that is lacking with other paintball pistols. Also, its small design makes it easy to store in a drawer or under your mattress ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Another aspect to consider is the pistol’s reliability. If you are using the paintball pistol protection you want it to work every single time you pull the trigger. The PPQ by Umarex is built with composite plastic and high-quality metals and springs to ensure the gun will not jam up on you.
Most importantly for self-defense, the PPQ uses a .43 caliber paintball. Luckily police departments and security companies alike use this caliber regularly. So finding pepper balls to incapacitate an intruder are easy to find and purchase.
Types of Paintball Pistols
There are many different models of paintball pistols but many of them operate very similarly. Major differences will depend on how the paintballs are propelled and loaded.
The most common form of propulsion is CO2. This works by storing liquid CO2 in 12-gram tanks all the way up to five pounds or more. When the tank is installed or inserted CO2 is charged in the paintball gun. When the user pulls the trigger the liquid CO2 rapidly expands. When this rapid expansion occurs anything in its way will be violently pushed out if its way. In our case, a paintball is then forced out of the barrel at upwards of 280 feet per second. CO2 can be a bit volatile if a pistol is fired too rapid. The colder it gets the herder O-rings can become sometimes causing them to fail. Which can then lead to a rapid release of CO2 out of your weapon.
The second type of paintball pistols is spring-loaded. These are typically designed for beginners and kids. With a spring-loaded system, when a user cocks the weapon to pulls a spring and a plunger back with it. The plunger traps air s it is being pulled back. When the user pulls the trigger the spring rapidly pushes the plunger forward forcing air out of the barrel. Again anything between the air and the end of the barrel will be forced out. The velocity of being loaded pistols is much slower than CO2 powered types. And with .50 being common in spring-loaded pistols the velocity is lessened even more.
CO2 and spring-loaded paintball pistol you will find on the market. What works best for you will depend on what you will be using it for.
Semi-Automatic Vs. Three Shot Burst
Most paintball pistols will be semi-automatic. Semi-automatic mean with every pull of the trigger one paintball is fired out. There is no manual cocking done except for when you first chamber the gun.
There are other firing modes available such as a three-round burst. It is not quite fully-automatic or semi-automatic. With each trigger pull, three rounds will be fired from your pistol. This option is usually only on more expensive electronic pistols.
Of course, there is the old school pump-action models that are still available on the market. With each pull of the action, a paintball is chambered and ready to fire. This type of gun is tried and true. These types of paintball pistols are highly reliable.
Best Selling Paintball Pistols
- 0.68 caliber paintball pistol
- 2 12gram CO2 Cartridges
- Caliber .43cal (11.1 mm) Paintball/Rubberball/Powder Balls
- System: Co2 Hard Kick Blow Back - Safe/Semi Auto
- Caliber .43cal (11.1 mm) Paintball/Rubberball
- System: Co2 Hard Kick Blow Back - Safe/Semi Auto
- The T4E Training for Engagement paintball pistols allow you to train for less than 9 cents a round; Highly realistic size, weight, and controls provides highly realistic, cost-effective training
- Powered by economical CO2 (CO2 NOT included); 8-round drop free magazine with realistic mag release
- The T4E Training for Engagement paintball pistols allow you to train for less than 9 cents a round; Highly realistic size, weight, and controls provides highly realistic, cost-effective training
- Powered by economical CO2 (CO2 NOT included); 8-round drop free magazine with realistic mag release
