A full-Auto dinasour
The cheapest Full-auto gun out there... Tom.
We loved the Piranha Pro TS G3 when we first tested it a year ago, we rated it 5 stars. Now with the electronic Mako Storm frame, this gun straight up rocks the house! Honestly, we would take the Pro TS w/ Storm over any stock automag or autococker. The Pro TS w/ Storm is a "hybrid electronic marker", meaning that it takes advantage of a customizable electronic trigger frame installed on a normally semi-auto marker. The Storm frame gives the Pro TS the ability to shoot in 4 different firing modes; semi-auto, burst, full-auto, and reactive. The Pro TS w/ Storm meets the needs of the player looking to get into a performance oriented electronic gun without making the $500 commitment to the upper level guns like the Impulse and Bushmaster. Our testing proved to us that the Pro TS w/ Storm is able to compete with many of the more expensive electronic guns on the market without breaking the bank. This is a great gun… sweet trigger, easy to maintain, high rate of sustainable fire, and very consistent.
So you tell us how this gun looks and we’ll post it on our web-site you you can also tell the U.S. how you fell about it. Contact us with your thoughts.
Also this week on Westminster Paintball we wanna know what kind of paintball gun you have and your comments about it and we will also be glad to post that.
"A pritty cool gun, cheap to!!"
Introduction-
I've always been a fan of M3's products. Not only are they competitively priced, slick looking, and well-equipped, but they just plain shoot great. So, when I was given the opportunity to review the new Black Dragun LCD, I jumped on it. After reading up on some issues that customers have had with the quality of M3 markers, however, I was disheartened. I had never had any problems with any M3 guns I had ever used. However, quite a few people in various web forums (http://www.paintballforum.com) have complained about buying defective markers, so I looked into it.
I came to this simple statement after looking through many of the problems associated with M3 guns… "M3 guns require upkeep." This means that if the customer who buys the marker doesn't learn how to keep it in shape, there's a possibility that there could be problems. Apparently to keep your M3 in tip-top condition you have to clean the gun and oil the o-rings on occasion… can you imagine that? Yeah…that means actually having to clean a gun after using it. Okay, I hope you realize there is some sarcasm in there. Although you do have to perform it, maintenance is extremely simple: four to five drops of oil in the air source adapter (ASA), gas it up without the barrel, paint, or hopper, and fire about thirty shots to fully coat all the internal moving components with lubricant. Also, you'll want to replace the o-rings in the marker every time one breaks, or every eight to ten days of play. As for all those "defective guns" many people complain about… I suspect a little regular care and maintenance is all their guns really needed.
Features-
I have to say, I was fairly impressed with the features on the Black Dragun LCD. Not only does the chrome and blue color scheme look sharp, but the stock barrel is a very nice two piece model that is well honed. Some details:
- Quality two piece barrel
-M3 LCD electronic trigger frame featuring an electronic safety, battery level indicator, four firing modes (semi-auto, turbo, nitro, and auto), game timer, shot counter, and up to 20 BPS actuation capability
- Externally Adjustable Solenoid and Sear
- Regulator
- Inline gas-thru grip
- Double Trigger
- Drop Forward
- Vertical Feed
- Pressure Gauge
- Quick Field Strip Pin
To be honest, I didn't find a thing wrong with any of the features of the Black Dragun LCD performance-wise. I did, however, think that the bottomline regulator has too much of a bloated, submarine look to it. It does of course still do its job well by helping to keep shot velocities consistent. Additionally, the trigger has a lot of unnecessary slack in it, although once you get a feel for the trigger you'll be able to work around the slack without a problem.
Appearance-
While the Dragun doesn't have the most intricate cuts or fancy anodizing, it does look clean and not at all flashy, even with the chrome accents. If you truly wanted everything to look as good as possible, you might consider getting a matching tank cover and hopper. But realistically, there's not much that can be done to improve the Dragun's appearance…not that it really needs it anyways. It looks a lot like your typical high end Spyder or Piranha gun. They look nice alright, but they aren't going to catch anyone's attention at the field if the Angel and Impulses are out.
Balance-
This marker is very comfortable for most people to hold; not only is the foregrip close to the grip frame, but also the small drop forward is helpful for those who have larger tanks. Personally, I do not use any kind of drop forward, but many people use them to keep the marker setup tighter. While in my opinion drop forwards and cradles actually hurt your game for the most part, it is indeed preference, so make sure that, if possible, you try out the setups that you might be interested in before completely setting your sights on a particular style just because some tough guy on the internet told you to (that's me!).
Performance-
For the review, I used a 12oz CO2 tank and a Viewloader 12 volt Revolution with X-Board for one simple reason: it most replicates what the average Black Dragun owner will be using. Please note that the ideal setup for any marker is a quality HPA system and a good hopper as well, but like I said… your not going to buy an M3 for $200 and then go out and spend $300 for a tank and loader… you would buy a smart parts impulse instead… I hope. I did not encounter any skips with the 12v Revy, but if you are interested in achieving the high rates of fire possible on this marker, you might consider purchasing an Evolution II or HALO B, as these are the fastest hoppers on the market. Again, these upgrades are not necessary, but if you do lay down the cash on them you'll have what's essential to operate most high end markers correctly now, instead of having to buy it later. The marker shot at anywhere from 8-10 BPS on a consistent basis without walking the trigger, and approximately 12 BPS with. The vertical feed helped ease blowback problems and in nearly a case of paintballs, only one chop was encountered because of a jam in the hopper. This was partially the marker's fault, as it tends to have fairly high blowback. However, this isn't out of the norm; it is, remember, classified as a blowback marker. While recoil was fairly high because of this, the marker was still very accurate. See below for more information.
Accuracy-
Out on the field and in the shooting range, the stock marker did remarkably well. I was extremely impressed with how the stock barrel handled larger bore paint (RPS Big Ball), since it is only a .688 bore and the paint was .690 and slightly lopsided. What especially impressed me was the fact that I was using a siphoned tank, and it was still allowing some liquid into the marker, and yet it was perfectly consistent throughout the entire test. Below is a diagram of how the marker did on the bench mount. Keep in mind that the shot spread refers to the distance from the center of the target to where the paintball hit, and "NE", "NW", etc., are referring to the direction in relation to the center of the target to where the paintball hit. "NE", for example, means "Northeast."
20 Feet
-Shot #1 -4.0in.NW
-Shot #2 -4.25in.N
-Shot #3 -3.25in.S
-Shot #4 -1in.SE
-Shot #5 -2.5in.NW
40 Feet
-Shot #1 -7.0in.N
-Shot #2 -7.5in.NE
-Shot #3 -4.0in.SE
-Shot #4 -6.0in.S
-Shot #5 -7.5in.MW
While this isn't anything incredible, it is definitely better than most stock, low-end, unregulated markers; especially those running on CO2 with the stock barrel.
Consistency-
The results of the FPS readings after ten shots using a 12oz Pure Energy CO2 tank are shown below.
FPS Readings
Shot #1 -280
Shot #2 -277
Shot #3 -285
Shot #4 -283
Shot #5 -281
Shot #6 -286
Shot #7 -289
Shot #8 -281
Shot #9 -282
Shot #10-275
Again; not the most awe-inspiring numbers, but very good indeed. Note that consistency is related to accuracy; so if you wish to close up the gaps between the numbers consider buying an inline regulator, HPA tank, and/or even a new high-flow valve.
Upgrades-
In all honesty, the Black Dragun LCD really needs nothing beyond perhaps a new barrel if the stock does not match your most-used paint. Therefore, the only thing I suggest is a new drop forward and ASA setup and barrel if you so desire. However, no matter how you look at it, if you want to avoid chops, you're going to need to purchase a motorized hopper of some sort.
Beyond that it is mostly personal preference and aesthetics. Try as many upgrades as possible out and decide what you want through your experiences, not through what others say. If you're interested in purchasing a hopper other than a Revolution (as these tend to fit the best in the feed necks), you might consider an adjustable or clamping feed neck so that your hopper doesn't slip and slide. Perhaps you plan on keeping your Black Dragun for a little while; in this case, think about purchasing a nice valve and bolt (AKA for both is the way to go in my book for both consistency and efficiency) and maybe a new trigger if you want a slightly tighter pull with less front to back play in it.
Conclusion-
Just as I suspected: this marker is not only worth the price of around $200 retail, but also performs better than some mid to high end markers when stock. If you're looking to pick up a "low-end" marker with high-end performance, the Black Dragun is a great choice. Again, there were some quality issues with regards to M3's manufacturing processes, but I am fairly confident that most every issue was a result of poor maintenance rather than poor design. I was very happy with the 2003 M3 Black Dragun LCD and would recommend it to new and intermediate recreational level players. It is very comparable to a Piranha Pro TS with Storm frame, however I prefer the M3 LCD.
Pro's-
- Being a Spyder "clone," it accepts all aftermarket parts for the Spyder line, and is therefore very upgradeable.
- Very consistent out of box.
- Flexible---one can use HPA or Co2, and, with the proper precautions, experience no detrimental effects to the life of the marker.
- Remarkably accurate, even while bone-stock and using CO2 for a power source. This if most likely a consequence of a high quality stock 2 piece barrel.
- Chops will be fairly rare if one uses a hopper that can keep up.
- Well balanced for two main reasons: it is light, and the gas-thru grip is close to the grip frame. - Looks great with the chrome and cleanly anodized body.
Con's-
- M3 customer service is less than amazing. Piranha's tech support is far better in my opinion.
- This marker is fairly quick and will require a hopper that keeps up with it. A 12v Revolution will suffice, but an Evolution II would be even better, for not too much more. Beware that you will need to sand its neck for it to fit.
- Trigger has a lot of front to back play, but an impressively low amount of side to side that almost makes up for it. You won't notice it in a game, but as said above, if you intend to keep the marker for a while, you might consider a new trigger.
A stellar marker for an awesome price---does it get any better than this? Well yeah, but not until you hit the $350 - $400 mark.
Tom
August 29, 2003
A full-Auto dinasour