Paintball x3

Having evolved from the “shoeboxes” of old through the SFT to the current Shocker model, the NXT, Smart Parts has learned how to extract high-end performance from a paintball gun that now costs a great deal less than others at the top end of the performance spectrum. Constructed from aluminum and cut, carved and anodized to a very attractive finish, the Shocker NXT weighs less than three pounds and features all the necessities for pounding paint at high rates of fire. A vertical feed is standard on the Shocker, along with a wide, smooth double trigger and simple in-line regulator that doubles as a vertical fore-grip. An on/off bottle adapter sends air to the regulator while a Smart Parts-threaded All American two-piece ported barrel is standard, along with anti-chop eyes and a “snatch” grip at the rear of the .45 grip frame. The latest NXT Shockers are delivered with thin, comfortable Smart Parts wrap-around grips. Until making the switch to the Luxe in late 2008, both the two-time NXL World Champion Philadelphia Americans and the most successful team of all time, Dynasty, used Shockers. The Naughty Dogs continue to use a mixture of Shockers and Luxe markers.

The Shocker NXT utilizes the tried-and-true spool valve operating system to send paintballs down its barrel, and operates electronically via a nine-volt battery installed in the grip frame. A single, illuminated button at the rear of the grip frame switches both the gun and its anti-chop eye system on and off, while a combination of trigger pulls and the use of the on button also serve to program the electronic operation of the gun such as its firing mode and dwell. By tuning the Shocker’s rebound settings, players can adjust the rate of fire of which the gun is capable, from basic semiautomatic mode to fast ramping producing rates of fire in excess of anything currently legal in any paintball league.

On the field, with a tank and hopper attached, the Shocker NXT performed well. The low-rise feed neck, though unfortunately not a clamping model, fits most hoppers well. The on/off bottle adapter makes the use of even a screw-in air bottle simple and convenient and the single on/off button is easy to find and use even with gloved fingers. One frustration is the inline regulator, as its velocity adjusting nut uses an included wrench rather than Allen keys. While the regulator itself performs well and delivers consistent velocity with fluctuations well within eight feet per second, many Shocker users elect to replace the stock inline regulator with an aftermarket model in order to improve consistency and enable velocity adjustment with an Allen key.

Accuracy and performance at high rates of fire are excellent with the Shocker NXT. At no time during testing did the NXT break or chop paintballs and the standard All American barrel delivers quiet accuracy. The NXT’s trigger is smooth and has no side-to-side play or slop, making even semiautomatic use simple and high rates of fire possible. The slim wrap-around grips standard on newer NXT models made carrying and shooting the marker simple and comfortable even for players with smaller hands, and the included snatch grip makes walking around with the NXT all day comfortable. Efficiency numbers aren’t as high as many other guns especially stacked tube models, but with shorter games now becoming the norm and air readily available, even 1,000 shots from a 68 cubic inch bottle isn’t a set-back.

After years selling at a higher price, the Smart Parts Shocker NXT can now be had easily for five hundred dollars. The performance provided by this marker at this price is outstanding, considering it has won numerous tournaments at the highest levels in the hands of one of the best teams in the world. Players in search of a simple, reliable, light and accurate marker at an excellent price need look no further than the NXT.

Manufactured by Smart Parts

Website: www.SmartParts.com