MacDev Droid
You may have heard of MacDev before. They’re the guys that make the Cyborg, one of the top markers used by pro players. The Cyborg swept the tournament scene, and for the first time, the pros had a marker that they could use right out of the box. Recently, they’ve decided to try their hand at revamping the spool-valve marker, a design often criticized for its inefficiency. For the average manufacturer, this initial handicap would be too much to overcome… Thankfully, Macdev is far beyond average. Enter the Droid!
A Look Into The MacDev Droid – Ooh-Rah!
Specs:
- Feed tube: threaded, cam lock
- Barrel threads: Autococker
- Barrel: 2pc MatchStik
- Electronics: MacDev Militia Soft V5
- Fire modes: 12
- Eye: visible break beam
- Indication: Chameleon LED
- Detent: Spring ball
- Inline regulator: Gladiator
- Efficiency: 1700+ (68/4500psi)
- Operating Pressure: 100psi
The Droid initially sounds like an upgrade to the Cyborg due to the futuristic naming convention, however, it’s actually intended as a totally separate offering. It’s an excellent alternate choice for people who prefer a high-end single tube gun. The Droid is a beautiful marker, featuring a lightweight aluminum body with slick, sinuous milling. It comes standard with a short threaded cam lock feed neck, the highly reliable and devastatingly fast Gladiator regulator, and MacDev’s patented adjustable bore MatchStik barrel. Seriously, this thing is plain out awesome.
The marker fits very nicely in the hands, although the large grips are definitely geared more towards players with larger hands. For those with smaller mitts, just pop them out and replace them with the aftermarket grips of your choice, problem solved. The Droid is equipped with the same two-finger trigger as the Cyborg, so if you can walk it on the ‘borg, you can walk it on the Droid. For those who haven’t had the pleasure of firing a MacDev marker before, it’s smooth as butter and has a nice solid return. Once you get a feel for it, you’ll probably have a hard time going back to a “lesser” gun.
So it’s light, it’s comfortable, and it’s got the kind of construction we’d expect from a marker at this price point, but can it put paint on target? At risk of receiving the “Understatement of the Year” award, yes, it can. Let’s take that a bit farther and actually attempt to do this gun justice; If you can hold steady and walk the trigger, you can empty your hopper several times over without having more than a 1.5 inch spread on a target. Ya, believe it. As if that isn’t enough, the Droid is also one of the quietest shots I’ve ever fired, and the amount of kickback is negligible. The air efficiency is just icing on the cake, allowing for upwards of 1600 shots on a 68/4500! There is very, very little to dislike about this marker. If you think otherwise, well, I’ll see you on the field with my Droid and we’ll see who’s the boss there soldier!
High Points
- Pinpoint accuracy means you’ll put paint on target as often as you deserve to.
- More reliable than your friends, this marker won’t leave you hanging when you need it the most.
- Lightning speed allows you to shoot ropes of paint non-stop.
- As softly spoken as a mute mime, you won’t give away your position every time you pull the trigger.
- Lack of kickback means no need for compensation when it’s time to unload.
Cons
- Pinpoint accuracy means you’ll put paint on target as often as you deserve to. (It’s a double-edged sword… if you can’t aim then it’s time to practice up there big guy)
- The grip might be a bit much for people with tiny elf hands, so you might need to invest in an aftermarket replacement.
Usually a marker review has equal pros and cons, but finally you can meet a marker that just simply works the way it’s supposed to.
Final Thoughts/Summary
Considering that this marker has made as much of an impact on the tournament scene as the Cyborg did when it was first released, it’s pretty clear that this is a quality gun. MacDev’s website is brimming with teams worldwide who have chosen the Droid as their primary marker, with HK Army and Miami Rage on this side of the pond and Breakout, Brussels Crossfire, and Vienna United on the other side being some of the more recent converts to the MacDev School of Ownage. I’d personally recommend this gun to anyone who is interested in making a serious commitment to paintball. Once you’ve got a marker like this, the only barrier left is personal skill, and any dedicated player is going to want to eliminate any extraneous factors that stand in the way of improving his game. For anyone with tournament aspirations, or if you just want to get to the top of your game ASAP, the MacDev Droid should be number one on your gear wishlist. It’s a lot better to be looking down the barrel than into it, got it soldier?
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 Equipment. He’s your “average Joe” paintball player and is an up and coming industry resource that loves to help newcomers to the sport.