Best Paintball Guns on Amazon: Empire Axe 2.0 Paintball Gun

Empire produces some of the most widely used paintball guns in America. They have proven themselves as a model manufacturer of paintball markers and equipment, consistently producing markers that perform exceedingly well for their price range. This is no different for the Empire Axe 2.0 which is an improved version of the original Axe.

Empire Axe 2.0 Paintball Gun Key Features

• Shockwave board allows for multiple firing modes
• Eyes can be cleaned externally
• Internal gas line
• Improved relay ASA with on/off lever

A Closer Look at the Empire Axe 2.0 Paintball Marker

If you are looking for a high-performance marker that is easy to maintain, a pleasure to shoot and won’t require you to sell your kidneys on the black market then you certainly could do worse than choosing the Empire Axe 2.0.

The original Axe was already a beast of a baller, boasting a premium Shockwave board that allows you to make use of multiple firing modes, including semi, ramp, burst and full auto.

For this marker to be tournament legal, it comes with a tournament lock which can be toggled using the dip switch 1. To find it look towards the bottom of the circuit board in the foregrip. ‘But Dave, what the heck is a tournament lock anyway?’, you might ask.

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A tournament lock is a feature that prevents your marker from entering the settings mode while in the field.

This is a mandatory feature when playing in tournaments as it prevents players from pulling fast ones by changing to illegal firing modes mid-tourney.

To truly get the most out of any paintball marker, it is imperative that you read the manual. It may not be the most exciting read out there, but it will allow you to gain a much better understanding of the paintball gun (or in my case, paintball guns) that you own. Just take a copy to the bog next time you go and flip through fifty shades of marker. I promise you will learn something new about your marker.

With that rant out of the way, back to the Empire Axe 2.0. The aluminium body on this marker means that it is durable and can take manhandling without weighing too much. The Empire Axe 2.0 is 10% lighter than the original Axe marker.

The marker is comfortable to hold, with there being considerably more space between the handle and the foregrip than the Empire Mini GS Paintball Gun. This is one of the reasons why players who have larger hands or tend to use bulky gloves prefer the Axe over the Mini. It gives you more wiggle room.

Since the gas line is housed internally, you don’t need to worry about accidentally yanking it and eventually damaging it- something I’ve done more times than I’m willing to admit.

Using the Empire Axe 2.0

I have to say outright that I love this paintball gun. While Empire’s lacklustre quality control standards have been a pain point throughout the Axe series, it is important to remember that receiving a defective marker is the exception, not the rule.

Nevertheless, as soon as you receive your paintball gun, make sure to give it a good look over and try it out so that you can request a replacement if anything is wrong with it.

That being said, the Axe 2.0 is an excellent paintball marker. If you are an intermediate player looking for a lightweight paintball gun that is easy to paint and versatile then this is the paintball marker for you.

While this marker would be perfect for someone playing in a forward position who needs to cover ground fast and take on a more aggressive play style, the 12” barrel makes it ideal for those who prefer to play a support role, sniping opponents from a distance.

The new ASA regulator is smaller and better quality than the one that was originally shipped with the Axe, and the on/off lever makes it easy to quickly and safely swap out tanks in the field.

The wrap-around rubber grips ensure that you can operate your marker in a stable and secure position even if your gloves are caked with mud and paint.

While it may not sound ground-breaking to the uninitiated, long-time Empire users will be pleased to know that you no longer need to completely dismantle the marker just to clean the eyes. With the release of the Empire Axe 2.0, you can easily service the eyes externally.

Should You Buy the Empire Axe 2.0 Paintball Maker?

All in all, the Empire Axe 2.0 is a solid marker. It performs extremely well and can hold its own even against much more expensive markers.

You need to inspect the marker carefully when you first receive it to ensure that there are no defects (keep an eye out for gas leaks), but other than that you will find this marker a pleasure to use.