Piranha STS G3


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The Piranha BL VF G3 is part of the G3 (Generation 3) line of markers from PMI. So what does BL VF mean anyhow? Simple, BL = Bottom Line and VF = Vertical Feed. The Piranha BL is at the base of the Piranha gun line, but that doesnt mean that it can not perform on the field. The Piranha BL was designed to fit the needs of the entry level paintball player. If you are looking for a gun to get you into the sport, the Piranha BL is an excellent choice. In fact, when you consider the economy price level, around $120, you are definitely getting your moneys worth. Included with the gun is a set of o-rings, two allen wrenches, a spare hammer spring, and a barrel plug. The gun also comes with a one year warranty from PMI.

First Glance: The Piranha BL is available in 3 different color schemes: black, blue, and red. We recommend the black finish since it serves as better camouflage in the woods. If you have your heart set on the blue or red paint job, expect to pay about another $10 for the gun. Honestly, nobody is going to look at your Piranha BL and say Radical! or Tubular Man!, unless of course you decide to spray paint it gold and insist that you had it gold plated. Just remember, its the player that wins the game, not the gun.
Features: The Piranha BL is basically the center stone of all the other Piranha G3 paintball guns. The Piranha BL is essentially the stripped down version of many of Piranhas high end guns. No fancy upgrades like expansion chambers, low pressure chambers, or regulators... just the basics. When you consider that you wont pay over $130 for the gun, it really shapes up to be a good deal. The Piranha BL VF features include; a ported barrel, vertical ball feed, sight rail, bottom line adapter, double trigger, and a .45 frame. All the features add up to a very well rounded, entry level paintball gun.
Feature: Trigger and Trigger Frame One great feature on the Piranha BL is the light weight trigger pull. The trigger is smooth and light, and with the help of the double finger trigger, it is possible to shoot about 7 balls per second. The trigger frame is constructed from lightweight plastic that keeps the gun light and easy to maneuver. The only downside to the trigger frame is that it has plastic grips are a bit slippery unless you are wearing gloves, which we recommend to all players.
Feature: Vertical Feed: The Piranha BL VF comes with a vertical ball feed. A vertical feed allows balls to feed faster into the gun, making it harder to chop balls when rapid firing. Having a vertical feed can be either a good feature or a bad feature depending on your style of play. A vertical feed protrudes straight up from the body of the marker, and makes it impossible to aim by looking down the top of the barrel. Instead of being able to look straight down the barrel, you must aim by looking along side the barrel. However, after using the vertical feed for a couple of games, you will become used to aiming by looking down the side of the barrel. Most pro paintball players prefer vertical feeds since they offer the much needed advantage of faster shooting with less chance of chopping a paintball. The vertical feed is a very nice feature, especially if you intend to be shooting your gun rapidly.

Accuracy Testing Ah, the test that you really want to see right? The Piranha BL performed better then we expected in the accuracy testing. We used PMI Premium paintballs and ran our tests at 80 degrees. We secured the Piranha BL into a clamp on our sturdy test bench to ensure that the gun could not move between shots. We shot 10 paintballs at each target from four different ranges: 45, 65, 85, and 105 feet. The pictures of our tests and our conclusions are posted below so you can check out the results. The only problem that we noticed in the accuracy was at the ranges of 85 and 105 feet. At those two ranges we noticed that the shot pattern was getting very tall. Why... ? Well, without upgrades like expansion chambers and regulators, the Piranha BL doesnt hold its velocity between shoots consistently, making it difficult to have tight shot groupings. We did feel that at 45 and 65 feet, the Piranha BL performed as most every other paintball gun, but at 85 feet and more, the accuracy just wasnt good enough to compete with most all of the $150+ paintball guns. But, then again, you get what you pay for. Dont forget that you can always upgrade the Piranha BL by putting on regulators, expansion chambers, drop forwards, new barrels, etc.
Velocity Consistency To test the velocity consistency of the Piranha BL, we mounted it securely on our test bench and chronographed the guns speed to about 275 feet per second. We ran this test running CO2 at a temperature of 80 degrees under cloudy skies. The graph on the left shows the velocity for each shot taken in each of the two ten shot series. The second series was fired 10 minutes after we completed the first series of shots. Neither the first or second string showed excellent consistency, but neither string was out of control. Without any means of CO2 regulation, other then the actual valve operation, it was hard to expect anything too great about the guns consistency. But when you consider that the gun was designed as an entry level gun, and compared to other similar prices guns, the Piranha BL performed well.
Field Stripping & Maintenance The Piranha BL is very easy to clean and maintain. The Piranha BL has a field strip pin that can be easily removed to allow quick access to both the bolt and the striker. Removal is easy, as the bolt and striker are interconnected by a connecting pin. From there each part can be disassembled and cleaned. It takes a grand total of about 20 seconds to remove the entire bolt / striker assembly. Reinserting the bolt / striker assembly is more complicated. Since the bolt and striker are attached to the hammer spring, it can be difficult to hold the assembly together while inserting it back into the gun. PMI made it easier to reassemble the Piranha BL by adding a button on the grip that will release the trigger sear to allow the bolt / striker assembly to freely slide over the trigger frame and into place. After cleaning the gun a few times, disassembling and reassembling the Piranha BL becomes second nature. Out of all the paintball guns we have used, this gun is probably the easiest paintball gun to clean and maintain.
Balance and Field Performance We headed straight down to the field after we finished our performance tests. It was time to see just what we could do with this entry level gun. Out on the field we were very quick to notice that the Piranha BL is well worth the money you put into it. Small, compact, quick, light, easy to maneuver.... that about sums up the field performance of the Piranha BL. This gun is very easy to handle out on the paintball field. It has a nice, light trigger that makes it a breeze to play with. The only small complaint that we had is that the front of the gun is a little bit hard to get a grip on if you have large hands. Since the gun has no fore grip, we had to grab onto the bottom line to stabilize the gun. It is not a major problem, but if you have large hands, you may want to consider a gun like the STS Core since it comes equipped with a gas through fore grip. Other then the minor front grip issue, the gun performed great. No ball chops or paintball breaks, a very good performance.

The truth and nothing but the truth: The Piranha BL is an excellent entry level paintball gun. If you are just getting into the sport and dont want to make a huge investment on your first paintball gun, the Piranha BL is definitely one of our top picks. The accuracy of the gun was good, although we did have a few minor concerns about the accuracy beyond 80 feet. Velocity consistency was also good, and even a little better then expected for a $120 gun. The real fun part about the Piranha BL comes when you get it out on the field. It is a great gun for maneuvering around on the paintball course. Quick, light, and easy to maneuver. We really liked testing the Piranha BL and think that it is a real winner in its price bracket.