The VS1 might be the little kid of the VS line but as many are finding out during the current Spyder Cup series, this little blighter can pack a mean punch...
Is the stacked tube blowback design the gift that keeps on giving, or what? I mean come on, how many different stacked tube, blowback style, paintguns have clattered across paintball store counters or been carried through the doors of big-box retailers since the Promaster, F-1 and VM-68 came out? The folks at Spyder rode their particular horse into paintball in the mid-nineties and continue to roll with it today, continuously tweaking and changing the design as the sport evolves around them, keeping it competitive in a world of companies trying to re-invent the wheel once a year. The newest in the long, long line of Spyders is the final chapter in the VS trilogy, the VS1.
The concept of a Spyder that wouldn't work on CO2 was a confusing one for me to stomach, no matter how hard the company tries to make a mid-level, tournament style paintgun. Maybe I'm just too used to the Spyder being many players' first gun, or maybe I think someone who is paying for a Spyder shouldn't have to spend an equal amount on a compressed air bottle in order to go play. Either way, the VS markers, until now only the VS2 and 3 models, have sold well and shoot great, better than any other Spyder, but CO2 users weren't invited to the party. The slightly more basic, (and less expensive) VS1 aims to change all that, as it will function on either CO2 or compressed air.
Like every other Spyder and all the other markers of their type in the world, the VS1 utilizes a stacked tube operating system, in which a bolt rides in the top tube of the receiver, connected with a pin to a hammer riding parallel, underneath. When the trigger is pulled, the electronic solenoid trips the sear holding the hammer and bolt back under spring tension, and the hammer and bolt ride forward together. The bolt pushes a paintball into the barrel while the hammer strikes the valve, opening it and allowing a burst of air to rush up through the bolt, shooting the paintball downrange. This burst of air also serves to re-cock the VS1, readying it to be fired again. Simple and robust, this operating system requires only regular cleaning and some oil in order to function well, and makes for a paintgun that is very easy to dismantle for repair or cleaning.
The VS1 is available in a nice matte olive or purpley-blue color, with black accessories. Either color work well in both speedball or woodsball environments and the basic machine cuts on the aluminum receiver are easy on the eyes. Unlike its big brothers the VS2 and 3, the VS1 uses a composite grip frame rather than an aluminum model, ostensibly as a manner of lowering manufacturing costs and allowing Spyder to sell the VS1 at a lower price. The grip frame still feels beefy and sturdy in the hand, and shows no propensity to easily crack or break during aggressive play, though over-tightening of grip frame screws isn't recommended. A basic bottle adapter accepts CO2 or compressed air bottles at the bottom of the grip frame, and is not equipped with an on/off of any kind. Steel braided hose sends air through a rudimentary expansion chamber that also acts as a fore grip, and then into the valve.
Most important among the features standard on the VS1 is its break-beam anti-chop eye system, covered on either side of the receiver by composite plates that also hold ball detents. These anti-chop eyes will go a long way towards preventing chopped paintballs, an undertaking also assisted by the simple vertical feed tube. An old standby plastic vertical “elbow” rears its ugly head with the VS1 again, yet again forcing me to say that this is the weak link of the entire gun. Over-tightening the metal screws holding the hopper into the elbow and the elbow onto the feed neck will easily crack it, and aggressive play like diving will also easily snap the elbow, so players should always keep extras around, or, if they plan on hanging onto their VS1, spend the thirty bucks on a clamping feed neck. The eyes function in semi-automatic mode, while the VS1 also features a three-round burst mode.
Strapping a charged Spyder 9.6 volt battery into the grip frame, adding a DXS compressed air bottle and Spyder Fasta hopper got the VS1 ready to go. With two hundred or so DXS paintballs in the hopper, on top of the clear plastic elbow made the VS1 noticeably tall, and any tournament-grade hopper, be it a Fasta, HALO or VLocity, adds a lot of weight to the top of the gun, all the more reason to invest in the aforementioned aftermarket feed neck. The VS1 is by no means a heavy gun, comparable to most in its price range, but with a large compressed air bottle and full hopper, it's a tad hefty.
Once the shooting started the VS1 performed well. From the factory, the double trigger was very loose, with a lot of excess motion. However, the microswitch clicked audibly and tangibly, so cranking off semiautomatic strings was relatively simple. The VS1's anti chop eyes worked well, giving trouble free motoring. Where accuracy is concerned, the new line of Spyders is very impressive, and the VS1 is no exception. Though the barrel is only a 10-inch model with a little bit of porting at the muzzle, the internal finish is excellent. While at long ranges the barrel does allow shot groups to open up a bit, at closer ranges accuracy is comparable to just about anything around. On CO2, players can expect between eight hundred and one thousand shots per twenty ounce bottle, while with compressed air, over a thousand shots should easily be delivered from a 68ci 4,500 bottle.
While Spyder recommends a retail price of two hundred dollars for a VS1, most retailers are letting them go for less than $150. For that price, the VS1 is a lot of gun. Anti-chop eyes, a Delrin bolt, electronic double trigger, vertical feed and decent barrel make this a great choice for any player starting out in electronic paintguns, and I'm relatively certain Spyder will sell them by the truckload. Me, I'm putting a clamping feed neck on mine.
A great entry level gun offering solid performance
It is: Great value, CO2 friendly, able to handle itself.
It isn't: short, colorful, expensive
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$199
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