The Smart Parts SP-8
by Joshua D. Silverman

Smart Parts has been making paintball gear for years and fielding winning teams on the tournament scene for just as long. Their Freak barrel was a revolution and the Shocker is now one of the most popular and winningest tournament paintguns of all time. When the Pennsylvania-based company released the Ion last year, the world's first quality, bargain-electro sold so fast it stunned the paintball world. Now that Smart Parts has caughty up on Ion backorders, they have released their first serious entrance into the scenario paintgun world, the ultra-realistic, feature-packed SP-8.

The SP-8 is built on a Smart Parts Ion, and is in essence a mean-looking body kit for their wildly successful electronic paintgun. This is certainly not a bad thing, however, as all the great features of the Ion are therefore standard on the SP-8, including low pressure operation, a Max-Flow inline regulator cleverly housed within the "magazine" and breakbeam eyes to prevent chopped paintballs. Operated by a nine-volt battery and electronic board housed within the .45 style grip frame, standard firing modes include semiautomatic, three-shot burst, fully automatic and rebound settings like the Shocker or Nerve. The vertical feed that was standard on regular Ions is replaced on the large SP-8 body by a direct feed protruding from the right side of the receiver, allowing for scopes or sights to be mounted and used effectively. Colors available for the SP-8 include black, tan, grey and olive green.

Upgrades available for the SP-8 are available, if not overly plentiful. However, not many upgrades are actually required for such an impressive paintball gun. Already available are an extended, quieter barrel, shoulder stock, Blackheart electronic board and more any barrel with an Impulse / Ion thread.

In practical use on the field the SP-8 shoots like the Ion. Which is to say, fast and straight. Consistency is solid and accuracy with the stock barrel is acceptable over all ranges, if not remarkable. The blade trigger of the SP-8 is actually an improvement over the standard double trigger on the regular Ion. Adding a compressed air bottle and motorized hopper to the SP-8 (don't even think about a standard hopper or CO2, this gun is just too fast) add weight, height and length, but nothing worse than most recreational paintguns except in length, where the standard "duckbill" bottle adapter adds a great deal when a anything but a "stubby" compressed air bottle is used. Most users will prefer to swap the duckbill for a rail or small drop forward for improved handling.

Realistic and detailed, no player will want to be caught out in public with an SP-8, especially the black model. For safety, a brightly colored barrel plug or cover should be used at all times, or the SP-8 should be kept in a bag or cover to prevent a bystander or law enforcement official from mistaking it for something dangerous. On and off the field, safety is the name of the game.

The SP-8 is the first electropneumatic, production paintball gun targeting the scenario market. As such, whether it is a widespread success or not, it is groundbreaking. A much better choice than the many overpriced, dressed-up, stacked-tube blowbacks often masquerading as high-end tactical paintball guns on the market, for any player who enjoys tactical or scenario play and wants something more than the basic brands, the SP-8 is a must-shoot.