Put on some camo and get ready to dive into the mud. The growing popularity of multi-day Mil-Sim events like Oklahoma’s D-Day and Fulda Gap has united speedballers and scenario players. And, playing on big fields with different terrain forces players to think outside of their usual roles as a snake or back line player. The big focus with scenario games is realism. If you want to fit in, leave your flashy markers at home.
Get Real!
 A majority of scenario players choose markers that come as close as possible to something you’d see on a real battlefield. Some fields like Command Decisions Wargames Center, host of the Fulda Gap games, are begging to hold events that push the reality envelope by hosting magazine-only events.
Real Action Paintball (RAP) has taken the love of realism and run with it. Its T68 SplitFire marker is designed to replicate the M4 carbine in dimension and balance. With ergonomics and controls nearly identical to M4, the T68 was designed for military and law enforcement training.
The most ingenious feature of the T68 is its’ dual source ammunition feeding system. It draws paint from either a hopper or an 18-round magazine. A dial at the base of the barrel allows you to switch between the two quickly and easily. I was skeptical about the functionality of this feature, but found it to be virtually idiot proof. Load the hopper, the magazine and take a spare mag and you’re set on ammo for a while. Or, take just a couple of magazines for the true-to-life experience.
The obvious advantage during a game is that if you run out of paint in your hopper you can switch to the magazine for a few extra shots before reaching for a pod. If the game you’re playing calls for specific color paint for snipers, special ops or general kills, you can have regular field paint in your hopper and switch over to mission specific paint when the time is right.
For law enforcement purposes this can come in handy, offering choices that increase operator safety and effectiveness. Kinetic rounds can be loaded into the hopper and chemical rounds into the magazine.
Options, Options, Options
The T68 has a seemingly endless amount of accessories and setups available including conversion kits that will turn it into an AK or SMG replica. It features a removable carrying handle with standard iron sights that are adjustable for elevation and wind changes. With the handle removed, it’s compatible with standard scopes, sights or mounts on the flattop rail.
A number of air options are available. The base model comes without a tank or stock, but it was sent to me with a five-ounce CO2 tank that fit inside of a movable stock. They also offer an option where you get the 5 ounce tank and a pad that goes on the back so it’ll act like a stock. Both these setups will give you a little more than 200 shots.
While it looks cool and is great for the realism factor, this setup isn’t ideal for extended play. The good news is an adaptor is available for a remote line so you can run the five-ounce tank in the stock and switch over to the line or go with the remote only setup where the stock has no tank in it. HPA setups offer similar options and you can also run without a stock and attach your existing tank directly to the back of the marker.
Overall, the T68 was pretty accurate and I liked its rugged design. Some scenario players swear by other brands, but RAP offers some cool features too. Scan marker blogs, ask other players and try one out. The T68 just might be right for you.
SIDEBAR
Hot Shot!
Warning! Direct CO2 setup can make this marker shoot hot. I attached a 12 ounce tank directly and couldn’t get the marker to fire less than 350 fps.
The story: It was a cold morning and I knew that was part of the problem, but I decided to call RAP’s tech support to see what they recommended. John from RAP had this advice: “Out of the box the T68 will fire between 270 and 300 fps and you should be able to adjust it. One solution is to clip one or two coils off the velocity spring. But if it’s cold your CO2 will spike and make it shoot hot. Also, if you just filled it up, the first 50 rounds or so could be hot.”
The moral: When using the T68 go with air. “We always recommend HPA as it’s more consistent and doesn’t damage the o-rings”, explained John.
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