Planet Eclipse has a massive reputation as one of the greatest paintball marker manufacturers of all time, and their newest marker just adds to that legacy. The Planet Eclipse GEO R5 is here and we got to check out what's new, how it shoots, and got some feedback from players about it feels when they played points with it! With that said, we're going to take a look at the brand new GEO R5 paintball gun from Planet Eclipse.
Wait wait...what's all the hype about?
Okay, before we dive into the marker, a little history first! The IV Core that is commonly found in the Geo 3 line and Geo 4's has this shot quality and reliability to them that simply isn't found in other paintball guns. Those Geo's were quiet, smooth, efficient, and were workhorse markers for the tournament grinders. You can still find some players out there using these markers to this day, and they're hitting anywhere from 5-10+ years old! Luckily, the GEO R5 is here with massive updates to that IV Core.
Okay, that sounds impressive. So what about the GEO R5?
The GEO R5 is packed with lots of improvements over previous models. Some of these are big changes, others are more minimal, but they add to the overall experience. The fore grip itself is much larger than previous Eclipse markers, and extend over where the eye covers would be. Increased surface area on this rubber fore grip gives the user more grip and textured feel, which is just better for ergonomics. When the grip is removed, it reveals the battery housing, and small eye plates that you'd traditionally find on the outside of the marker. Making the eye covers this way means that if a paintball hits the marker, there's far less mess that can work its way into the eyes themselves. To add to that protective element, where the frame connects to the body of the GEO R5 is a small board located in between. This area is completely sealed off, making it extremely difficult for any dirt or debris to make its way in between these parts. The solenoid has also been moved into the grip frame, which is awesome since these were originally above the trigger. This helps save some space and makes the marker look way more sleek.
Moving on to the new GR Drivetrain, this is the newest evolution of that IV Core design. With an operating pressure of 95-105psi, elongated prop shaft, and a longer prop shaft spring, the GEO R5's cycle has more control over its predecessors. Combining this new bolt cycle with the SFR (Solenoid Flow Restrictor) in the grip frame, you have some ability to tune the shot of the GEO R5. You can open the SFR up to speed up the bolt cycle for snappier shots, close it off to make it ultra silky smooth, or keep it in the center for the best of both worlds. When it comes to velocity consistency, the GEO R5 is simply perfect in this regard. With good paint that's properly bore matched, you're going to achieve the performance that you'd expect from a tournament grade paintball gun.
That is impressive! Does this have any similarity to the CS3?
Between the hardshell case, rear grip, and S63 barrel system, the simple answer is no. Comparing the Planet Eclipse CS3 to the GEO R5 is the same as comparing apples to oranges. Sure, they're both fruit, but they're also completely different! If you're having a tough time choosing between the two, the best thing to do is get a feel for both of them and see which one you like more.
Closing Remarks
With the massive improvement from the IV Core to the new GR Drivetrain, Planet Eclipse has absolutely knocked it out of the park. Hell, I'd even say they knocked it out of this world. The GEO R5 brings a new standard to the spool valve engines that a lot of closed bolt markers use, and it does so with authority. I don't think there's another paintball gun that shoots as smooth, soft, quiet, consistent, or as efficiently as the GEO R5 does. Normally, you would only check off a couple of these features from platform to platform, but the GEO R5 has ultimately shattered my expectations. For anyone out there that's a tournament grinder, this is a MUST HAVE paintball marker.
Check out our collection of Planet Eclipse GEO R5 paintball guns HERE!
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