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When a paintball player brings and uses a pump on the field, many semi-automatic fancy electronic marker players scratch their head. "Why would anyone want to play with a pump?", is the question many ask themselves.

A pump paintball gun presents a big disadvantage in terms of BPS (balls per second). Many electronic guns can shoot 15+ BPS. With a pump and shoot marker you aren't going to be able to shoot anywhere even remotely close to that. Going up against electronic markers, pump players have a serious disadvantage. So why would anyone want to play with one? Below are a few reasons.

First off, playing with a pump is a huge money saver. It is no secret that paintball is expensive. It is extremely expensive if you play regularly and have the latest and greatest gear. If you don't want to go the route of chasing the newest upgrades, and the latest fastest marker, getting a pump is a much cheaper option. CCI, Tippmann, and Arrow Precision make durable and dependable pump guns. They are much cheaper than a brand new high-end electronic gun too. Besides saving money on gear, you also will will drastically save money on paint because you can't shoot 15+ balls in a second. With all the money you'll save, you'll be able to play more frequently, and longer.

It goes without saying that playing with the disadvantage of such a low BPS rate isn't for many players out there today. For some reason or another, there are people out there that, if they come to a fork in the road, they will choose the road that looks the hardest, just because they want a challenge. These kinds of people are drawn to pump play because it is a challenge.

Besides the challenge that pump play offers, it also helps train you to become a better paintballer. Some people debate this, but I see no debate. It is quite simple really. Without the ability to spray paintballs and hope that it may hit someone you are forced to move and find better angles where you can hit someone. You are also forced to make your shots count. This means you train yourself to take better shots. With an electronic marker it is easy to sit in the back and unload, while with a pump, not so much, because with your inferior fire power, you will get destroyed. You have to compensate for your slower rate of fire by playing smarter and more effectively, which in time will make you a better paintball player.

There are other reasons why someone would want to play this way, but these are the big ones. Playing with a pump really helps you build up your skills because if you want to win, it forces you to move more, find better angles, and make each of your shots count. You'll improve your accuracy, and start to think about strategy instead of sitting in the back and machine gunning paint, at the expense of your wallet, and the game of paintball. What started as a fun, simple sport, has turned into a sport where what you shoot and wear is more important than how you play. Pump paintball represents the sport as it started.