Smart Parts

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Smart Parts (founded 1989) is a manufacturer of paintball markers and accessories based in Latrobe, PA. Their popular line of markers include the Shocker, Impulse, Nerve, and the Ion. They also recently released the SP-8, a scenario marker based on the Ion. The re-designed Shocker has become very popular and is used by many professional paintball teams. A second-generation Ion called the Epiphany is their newest marker. There are many different versions of Smart Parts markers that are customized with different features.

The Freak Barrel Kit is one of Smart Parts' most popular products. The Freak Kit is a three piece barrel with a back either in Aluminum or Stainless steel, a tip, and an insert or sleeve. The sleeve allows players to match the correct bore size with their paint. It comes in a large selection of front colors from black to yellow and lengths from 10" to 18". Though the Freak Kit is one of the most used barrel systems, Smart Parts has recently created The Freak Jr. They also produce the Progressive, Teardrop, and Linear Barrels, and the All-American Barrel system.

In addition to equipment, Smart Parts manufactures different kinds of apparel, such as jerseys and pants, designed specifically for playing paintball. They also make clothing for casual, everyday wear.

Smart Parts developed a regulator called the "Max-Flo" that also acts as an A.S.A. (Air Source Adapter) that is attached to the bottom of the grip frame of the gun. They have recently developed a newer, smaller version called the "Max-Flo Micro".

Smart Part's most popular gun is the Ion. The Ion is an electronic marker designed for fast firing and relatively good accuracy. It is their cheapest marker, and easy to upgrade, making it popular for new players. It is easily upgraded to more expensive and higher-performance versions, such as the Dynasty Ion and the Naughty Dogs Ion, which can soar into the $500 range and are less popular for new players but are upgraded to perform better than the original.

The Ion shook up the paintball market when Smart Parts forced all its distributors to sell it at a flat $200 price point. Its internal operation was similar to that of higher-end markers and the combination of performance and features at a very low introductory price gave new paintball players access to near-tournament-level markers. This forced other paintball companies to redesign or reprice markers that until then had fewer features but sold for a higher price, beginning a trend of similar inexpensive markers throughout the rest of the industry.

[edit] Patent Controversy

Smart Parts has been criticized as being a greedy company. They have sued several smaller paintball companies, such as AKA, for infringement of patents that include "the use of electronics inside a paintball marker." Others claim that Smart Parts has produced genuinely revoultionary designs and is simply working (perhaps too aggressively) to protect their intellectual property.

[edit] External links


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