DYE Paintball has been around for two decades (or more) and has had their fair share of paintball markers hit the high end market. From the DM4, to the M2 and DSR, and finally to the new MXR, DYE has been held in high regard for their paintball products. With all of that said, I think it's time to take a peek at the MXR paintball gun.
But...I really like my M3+ and/or DSR+
Oh trust me, I know you do, but that's the beauty of the MXR! This marker is brand new with literally EVERYTHING being new to the platform. To put it bluntly, the MXR uses the Arc X bolt system, and it's a beautiful combination of the M3+ core and the DSR+ core. It literally takes the best parts of these engines and just mashes them together to create an even better version of both of them! But we will get to that shortly.
Alright, well, let's see what the MXR is about
First up is going to be what you get in the box. Aside from the MXR itself, you're also going to get a UL-I Barrel system with three inserts (.688, .684, and .680), three hex keys needed for the MXR, barrel sleeve, USB-C Flash drive with the full user manual (you also use this drive to update the marker), a Dye Multi-Tool, spare parts kit, and an additional 'S' shaped trigger. The trigger pull right out of the box is effortless and silky smooth. To be quite honest, this is a hell of a package as in the current market, there aren't many paintball guns that will come with three inserts or an extra trigger.
The ergonomics and marker's feel when it's in your hands is extremely similar to how a GEO R5 feels in your hand. It's really unfair to compare the two markers, but they're nearly identical in length and grip spacing. This isn't a bad thing, I'm just not a fan of comparing two paintball guns against each other. With that said, the MXR feels great in the hands. Both the rear and front grip have a textured feel, so sweat, dirt, debris or moisture won't affect your grip.
The MXR's operation is quite simple as well. When I mentioned that it's the best parts of the M3+ and the DSR+, I wasn't kidding. The back cap uses the same as the DSR, using a button to remove the bolt system. It also uses a very similar board and operation system like the DSR's did, and it's nice to step back from the giant screen on the side of the marker. Simple and functional is the best way to describe it. The fore grip is also another external feature they brought over, except there isn't a locking switch. The fore grip just slides off, and the marker runs off of two AA batteries. The ASA is their new SLAPS2 ASA, which is an updated version of the one you'd find on the M3+. This design is sweet, as you know when your air is engaged, and it looks flush as well. The eye pipe makes its return, but it's been completely redesigned. You're now going to have an o-ring that is locked in place to act as the ball detent, in a milled aluminum eye pipe! No more cracked eye pipes, no more breaking them, and no more pesky detents. You simply use an o-ring, and slide the eye pipe right into the breech. It's also held in place magnetically, and allows you to dry fire the marker without needing a barrel to lock it in place.
A metal eye pipe? About time! How about the core?
The Arc X bolt system is a beautifully crafted engine that takes the smooth shot of the DSR+ and combines it with the efficiency and features of the M3+ core. When you remove this bolt, you see the parts that are influenced by the DSR, and the parts that are influenced by the M3+, and it just feels familiar. Whatever maintenance you would do on your older Dye paintball guns, you simply repeat this process! But in combining these two things, you're getting a hyper-efficient, smooth and quiet shooting paintball gun. The MXR just simply does everything well. It's smooth, quiet, has a little bit of feedback so you feel it working, has exceptionally little barrel rise, and can get damn near a case of paint off of a 77ci air system. It checks every box that players want to see in a high end, tournament grade paintball gun.
Closing Remarks
Before I end this, we gotta talk about it: the price point.
The Dye MXR is $1499.95 for basic colors, and $1649.95 for PGA finishes and Fades.
This is arguably one of the most aggressively well-priced high end paintball markers to be created, and the fact that you get three barrel inserts and an extra trigger is impressive. With other high end guns, you're simply not getting everything in one package, at least not like this. The shot quality is everything the players wanted. Incredible efficiency, smooth and quiet, soft on paint, and a low operating pressure (120psi). Simply put, the MXR knew the assignment, and aced it. I'd even go as far to say that this is the best paintball gun to be released in the past year....maybe even the past five years.
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