The T68 Paintball Pistol

After extensive testing, I've decided to throw up a review of the Real Action Paintball T68 Gen3 Pistol.

First impression when I took it out of the box is "This sidearm is going to last me." The construction of the marker is solid, doesn't feel like it'll break when you pull it out of your holster. In the box was the marker, one magazine, a barrel sock, and a baggie with an allen key, many o-rings, a bolt bumper, a CO2 seal, and a Rear Velocity Adjuster. The sock actually fits very nicely, it covers the entire front of the pistol and the little rubber patches are a nice touch. RAP4 seems to take pride in what they make.

I immediately took it out and ran 500 rounds of crappy paint through it, and here's where I stand. The manual states that you need to have the marker cocked to put a 12 gram into it, however I had zero difficulty with the marker either cocked or not. I read a bunch of reviews, and it seems the most common problem is the CO2 12g seal goes south. To resolve this, I applied a drop of marker oil to the top of every 2-3 CO2 cartridges I used, and I haven't had the seal fail. Nonetheless, RAP4 supplied a replacement with the marker, just in case.

I don't own a chronograph, but I'm guessing I was averaging 250-275 fps out of the box. Gas efficiency isn't the greatest, I got around 20 shots per 12g. As a sidearm, this doesn't concern me, as you'll (hopefully) need less than 10 rounds if you have to pull it out. Scenario guys might want to fiddle around with it. I ordered another magazine, since 20 rounds is about 1 CO2, I could probably get by with speed loading the 2 mags while changing the gas. Longer games could benefit from having 4+ mags, since you can swap 12 grams in about 3 seconds. The quick change system is ingenious, however it depends on the maker of the cartridges.

Magazine loading is very easy, and speedloading from a 10 round tube is even easier. Often times, however, I found that if the magazine spring is already released after loading 10 rounds, the first round won't drop into the chamber. I would recommend that you carry the mags with the spring locked back until you have the mag on the marker and twist the endcap first. The magazines are made of aluminum, however they still feel fragile. Swapping mags takes some getting used to, however it can be done in a firefight rather quickly. The good news is that you can cram 12 shots with the first magazine, and by the end of the 2nd magazine (22 shots) the 12 gram is spent.

ROF wasn't too bad, either. Trigger pull feels great, its not on edge like the Model 98 but I don't have to stand on it like a Pro/Carbine either. Sighting is difficult with the mag, but since most players sight down the side it was a natural reaction to do the same here. Of 500 rounds, I didn't chop a single ball. The layout of the barrel is a little worrisome, since the threads are right after the barrel ends..if you have low pressure or badly dimpled paint, you might have an issue. However, if you do manage to chop a ball, a straight shot is about the only thing you'll have time for.

Disassembly is very straightforward, and the variety of fasteners is unique to me. Cotter pins, allen screws, and a large slotted screw hold everything together. Internals are very simple, and RAP4 supplied everything I would need to get the marker back into play should an oring bust or even the cup seal crack. The first failure on my marker was the bolt's o-ring got chewed up by the sear, however they supply 4 such rings.

The only real issues I've discovered with around 5000 rounds of paint is the bolt tends to wear groves into itself from the rear body guides. It seems this could have been done differently, as all I can see is required is the sharp corners could be milled to a 45 degree angle or similar to help avoid the excessive wear. The second is for people like myself who change grip frames often; the forward allen screw likes to grab the valve set screw and back it out when you change grips. So far it hasn't stripped, but some threadlock or a shorter screw would be nice.

For a stacked blowback pistol, you can't go wrong with the T68. I understand pretty much every other stacked blowback is going to be the same, the Delta 68, Overlord, etc..but there's something about the T68 that stands out above the others. Since RAP4 keeps dropping prices, and adding new packages, I couldn't resist buying a T68. And, since they offer such a wide variety of accessories, it is possible to have the T68 pistol as a primary marker. For speedball, I can't see a reason to carry a backup to the field, but rec ball and woodsball players (in addition to scenario, obviously) could pack one in their gear bag and not have to worry about a failing marker at the field.