I recently bought a Smart Parts vibe due to the fact that i wanted a better gun than my 98. Naturally, i chose the vibe, because it is about the same price yet has a LOT better performance than a 98
First take:
When i first opened the box i thought the gun looked nice, but heavy, but when i picked it up, i was amazed at just how light it was, even with a tank and barrel on it. It also felt nice and well balanced in the hands.
Looks:
The vibe is a very nice looking gun IMO. The look is reminiscent of a (please dont flame me) shocker/DM8....just with much more plastic. The gun has aluminum internals that, in some areas, peeks out from under a layer of matte plastic, or what SP calls it, "Glass Fiber Reinforced Nylon." It basically means harder and more durable than normal plastic. The grips feel very nice, also reminiscent of a shocker, but will probably be replaced by many, including me. The clamping feedneck is a nice addition but it leaves the hopper a bit too high for my tastes.
Performance:
For a gun a purchased for 149.99, this gun performs like a DREAM...yes, i said it. The gun itself is extremely quiet, especially when compared to other guns in this price range. Despite the fact that the gun itself does not have eyes, i only chopped ONCE on 2 cases of paint, and that was when i was TRYING to chop a ball (i.e. full auto with a gravity fed hopper). The accuracy of the stock barrel is decent, partially due to the fact that the barrel is about .693 i believe, so most paint is overbored. Stock barrels are usually crap anyway, especially on a $150 marker. The trigger was meh...sure its adjustable but its plastic and the trigger stop does not extend out far enough and when screwed in too much, it eventually falls out, making it a ***** to find. The one major gripe i have about this gun is the stock board
. Sure it has select fire, but 11BPS!? I guess im not the only one whos gonna get a new board, most likely a universal T-board. The ASA is a minor annoyance as well, making u screw a tank in slowly so the reg can adapt to the pressure
On the field:
This gun shines on the field. its lightweight and small, giving the shooter a lot of maneuverability. IT also rarely chops and is very quiet, allowing for stealthy attacks. It also has very little kick, allowing accuracy to increase. The gun is fairly scratch proof, but dont expect to rub it against a large rock and walk away unscathed. It performs well in speedball and in woodsball, making it the ultimate back up marker.
Efficiency:
Probably the main reason i bought this gun was because it is an electropneumatic marker that can run on CO2, a feature many woodsballers and beginners will appreciate. The gun runs very well on CO2, venting liquid CO2 whenever i rapid fired whilst pointing downward. I also tested this gun with HPA and it performed as expected. I got about Half a case off of CO2 and about 500-600 shots off of a 68/3000 steely. Overall this gun performed pretty well.
Reliability:
Very reliable so far. Its been shot up in a couple games but was cleaned easily, thank God for the Bolt out back design.
Value:
Cannot be beat for the price. $150 used to get you a generally P.O.S. marker, but in my mind the vibe changed that. You can now get a gun with fairly amazing performance, CO2 and HPA compatability, and an amazing Anti-chop system, all for $150
Pros:
Bolt out back design, Easy to clean, low-force bolt, lightweight, small, inexpensive, electropneumatic, QUIET, very little kick
Cons:
Trigger, stock board, ASA
Recommended Upgrades:
New board (Universal T-board, Blackheart, when it comes out)
New trigger
low profile clamping feed neck
barrel
ASA
Overall...Great marker for the price!
Smart Parts Vibe review
