Paintball Guns – A Paintball Gun Blog

You’ve been playing paintball for awhile now and have finally had the “tournament bug” creep up on you. I remember that feeling when I first started tournament play—the extra excitement, organizing strategy with your team . . . the glory!

There’s only one problem though . . . you just can’t afford that high end tourney paintball marker. More often then not, this seems to be the problem for many young players. But wait! You don’t always need that expensive droid or ego8 to roll with the big dawgs. That’s right; enter the all new Proto SLG (Super Light Gun).

At an MSRP of $200, tournament play is finally within the reach of you casuals out there. So, get out there and start mowing lawns this summer so you can pick up this baby! The Proto SLG is small, super tight and light, and did I mention the price? Hang around here pal and I’ll show you why this paintball gun will have even you giving Ollie Lang a run for his money.

Proto SLG’s Features And Specifications

• No-Rise Pressure Feed-Neck
• Super Light Gun – 2lbs 2oz!
• Single Piece Proto Barrel – 11″
• Anti-chop Break Beam Eyes
• Comfy 45-Grip Frame
• New Rotating Sear Greatly Reduces Wear And Tear
• Brand New Self-Closing Valve
• Two Piece Bolt
• Proto Bottom-Line
• Multifunction Self-Lubricating Force Button
• Adjustable Reinforced Polymer Trigger
• Super Low 145psi Operating Pressure
• New Hyper3™ In-line Air Regulator
• Proto Sticky Grip
• Four Tournament Firing Modes

What’s All The Fuss About? Inside the Proto SLG

Alright, for starters you absolutely can’t beat the price. At $200 and tournament ready, the SLG is going to take a chunk of the market and probably outshine the PMR in a popularity contest. One of the first things that hits you when you pull the SLG out of the box is the size. This marker is small! I mean, it fits so comfortably in your hands you’d think it was your girlfriend you were holding. Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but you get the point.

Dressed To Impress

The Proto SLG is simply stunning. The milling and aesthetics are right up there with any high-end marker. Proto and Dye have a proven track record on producing some of the finest looking paintball guns around. To prove this all you have to do is check out the DM8!

The Nitty Gritty

The Proto SLG uses Spool Valve Technology. The great thing about spool valves is that they allow the marker to operate at very low pressures while still maintaining great consistency. People have reported getting over 1500 shots from a 68/45 air tank. 1500 shots, think about what kind of damage you can do!

The all new “Multifunction Self-Lubricating Force Button” is a welcome new addition. This enables the user to clean the two piece bolt without any tools, bonus! Also, just like the DM8, the SLG sports the all new Hyper3 regulator. The Hyper3 regulator is more consistent on a shot per shot basis, and allows the user easy access to finer pressure adjustments.

Proto says they can muster 20 bps on this baby. Take your wallet into account as you spray paint that quickly (tip: mow more lawns!). Also standard on the SLG is the anti-chop break beam eyes, which will reduce chopping in the breech. The single piece barrel shoots nice and looks good, and it easily competes with some of the higher end barrels. Also standard on the SLG is the .45 grip frame and Proto bottom-line with dovetail.

When you open the box, you have all the things you need: Proto barrel, o-rings, Allen Keys, batteries, lube, and more lube. Apparently the bolt needs more lube then most other bolts, but then again there’s no harm in lubing your bolt…

Pros And Cons Of The SLG

Pros:

• Very Light – For the wimps out there…you know who you are
• Company integrity – Proto/Dye
• Affordable – unless you get an allowance
• Consistent Shooting
• Hyper3 Regulator
• Accurate – Right out of the box
• Durable
• Reliable – unlike your buddies
• Light Kick
• Did I mention that it’s a super light gun?

Cons:

• Feed-Neck – you can upgrade to a clamping feedneck
• ASA
• Stock Trigger
• Nothing more to see here…

What is the Proto SLG Made Of?

• Aluminum Body
• Steel Sear
• Aluminum Bolt
• Polymer Frame And Trigger

The SLG is very durable and can take whatever beating you throw at it (just don’t throw it under a car smart guy).

Summary & Final Thoughts

The Proto SLG is one of Proto’s finer products that even a pro player would be proud to have in their arsenal. With its cheap entry level price and lightweight frame, this marker is made for speedball. Quick for snap shooting or running and gunning, the Proto SLG is sure to not disappoint. I give the Proto SLG 4.7 out of 5, and I have a couple of reasons why. Some players have complained severely about the feed-neck, and my answer to that is . . . what else do you expect for $200 bucks? Slap a new feed-neck on it! A couple of other complaints were voiced about the stiff trigger, but Proto has already dealt with this in the new batches that went out.

The SLG is super tight, super light, and very user friendly. At 20 bps you can’t complain about speed either. But the question remains, will you be looking down the barrel or into it?

Check out the latest Proto SLG prices here, or read a review of the Proto 8.

About The Author

Niko Brain is a freelance writer and offers sound advice on the sport of Paintball. He runs his own personal paintball site and enjoys writing reviews on Paintball Markers and Paintball Supplies and different brands of Paintballs. He’s your “average Joe” paintball player and is an up and coming industry resource that loves to help newcomers to the sport.