The Spyder is a very nice marker right out of the box. And, it can be upgraded in every which way possible with the many available aftermarket parts available. Many of the Spyders come with upgrades already on them that I may mention below. Just skip over them. This F.A.Q. is geared to the upgrading the entire Spyder line (from the Compact 2000 to the E-99) except for the EM1 and other electros. For upgrades for these, visit the main Spyder page.

I have been seeing posts in the many forums I visit (and get a lot of emails) about what to upgrade first. So, I thought I would write something up. I tried to place those items in a certain order of acquisition that will slowly improve the performance of your Spyder. This doesn't mean that it must be acquired in that order that I list. I will also suggest some name brand items, but I am not saying that these are THE must have equipment. My likes are different than your likes. You also may want something else before another item. We all have different opinions.

Remove all air and paint prior to maintaining your marker. Make sure you have an understanding on what is involved in doing and what is needed for the maintenance and troubleshooting. If you attempt to do any of the home modifications and suggestions listed on this site, I am not responsible for any damage done to, or from, modifying your marker. Also, by doing any of these modifications, you will void warranty of the marker. Kingman does not support the home modifications that I share.

I have put these upgrades into the following categories.

• Basic Upgrades
• Advanced Upgrades
• Cosmetic Upgrades

There are a lot of products to choose from and new ones coming out every month. I do not expect you to go out and add $450 of upgrades on your $90 Spyder 2000 in one night. Ease into it. You may want a better trigger pull rather than having your air regulated. By doing the upgrades in small increments, you will get to know your marker better and get an understanding how things work. Also, if paintball is not appealing or you want a different marker, you have not invested a lot of money into your Spyder. This article will help enhance not only the mechanical Spyder series of markers, but also the e-markers like the AMG and Flash. These are basically Spyders with e-frames mounted on them.

Also, look at the Spyder Diagram to get a basic understanding on how your mechanical Spyder operates.

If you're ready, here we go! Please take note of the first three upgrades listed below. In my opinion, these are the most important ones.

Basic Upgrades

1. New Barrel - Refer to my Barrel - F.A.Q. for tips on choosing a new barrel. This should be the first thing to get before anything else. The stock Spyder barrel is fine, but could be better. There is no ONE barrel that is more accurate than another barrel. I cringe when I see that statement that "XYZ" barrel is the very best. That is false! The best way to have accuracy is to make sure you match the paint you use often with a barrel of matching bore size. I have compiled pretty accurate charts for paints and barrels. A good paint to barrel match will help give you accuracy and cuts down on wasting air. A new barrel will be quieter than the stock in most cases. Sometimes, breaking paint is an issue that I cover in my Trouble Shooting - F.A.Q.. A new barrel will help in this. And get a barrel between 8-14". Actual studies on paintball have shown that it takes a minimum 8" for a paintball to get up to speed. Another 2-4" is a guide for the paintball. The remaining barrel is just friction on the ball, causing you to use more gas. Good companies to look at are CP, Dye, J&J, Lapco, and Smart Parts. You can get quality barrels for under $60.

2. Agitating Ball Hopper - Breaking paintballs? It may not be the bolt, as many manufacturers will claim. It very well can be the speed of the balls feeding into you marker. In a non-agitating hopper, the balls tend to get stuck before entering the hopper neck. When they do find there way down the neck, it could be the same time that the bolt is traveling forward. You have the Brass Eagle eVolution, and the 9v and 12v Revi's, Halo, and many many other hoppers currently out in the market to choose from. Another hopper is the Ricochet. They perform pretty well. The Halo is probably the fastest loader available. It is also quite expensive. These special hoppers will increase the feed by agitating the paintballs in the hopper with rotating paddles. Keeping the balls moving will help prevent the bottleneck that happens with non-agitating hoppers. There is also the AGD Warp Feed. This requires a Revi along with the Warp Feed. So, why get the Warp Feed when I also need a Revi for it. A good reason is that the hopper is moved from the top of your marker to the side. This is a much lower profile, enables you to shoot your marker sideways, and increases the feed into your marker. To see your viewpoint, click here. The only draw back is the feed is dictated by how the Revi feeds it. Sideways shooting, your probably good for 15 to 20 shots. Then you need to right side it up to refill the Warp. See my review on the Warp Feed.

For those markers with vertical feeds, you can get a high rise neck made for Angels. This has a positive and negative effect. The positive is that it increases a stack of paintballs on top of each other. This enables a faster feeding. The downside is that it increases your profile. Your hopper may be sticking over the bunker just enough to be a target.

3. Regulator - A good addition. Will make your marker more consistent which will give your marker potentially better accuracy. Be sure to get the right regulator for the gas your using. For CO2 - Palmers Stabilizer and Bob Long is a great choice. Also, the WGP regulator for the AutoCocker and the PMI are not bad with CO2 and can screw into the Spyder. For Nitro/HPA - Vigilante are good. Or any of the CO2 regulators mentioned above. And if you do get a regulator while using CO2 and switch to Nitro, no problem using the same regulator. To add a regulator to the Spyder 2000 and Spyder Classics, you will need to get a vertical adapter. Lapco makes one for the full size Spyder body. For all the Spyders (including the Spyder 2000 and Spyder Classics), you may need to invest in a new ASA (that thingy that you screw the tank to), elbows, and braided hose or macro-line. It is possible to use the existing air lines with the use of a Metric to US thread adapter. Adding an anti-siphon tube to the CO2 tank will help keep liquid CO2 out of the marker.

Don't bother with an expansion chamber or even a gas through grip. Expansion chambers will give the CO2 time to expand. But it will still give you velocity spikes that can add 20, even 30 fps. See not so great upgrades below for better explanation as well as setup suggestions.

4. Velocity Wheel - Not all of the Spyders has this. This is a direct replacement for the velocity adjusters that are just a hex head screw. As you play, the velocity may decrease (or increase). This addition will let you set the velocity and lock it in place. It may be listed as a "Thumb Wheel" or "Velocity Adjuster". If you can lock the velocity in place, no need to get a new one. The wheel adjuster in some form is not common.

5. Spring Kit - An excellent way to fine tuning the velocity. Especially in really cold or hot weather when the velocity cannot adjust to where you need it. 32 Degrees and Maddman kits are popular. Also, while getting the springs, stock up on o-rings and get a Lapco cup seal. O-rings tend to break often. Especially when using CO2. The Lapco cup seal is made of softer material and doesn't scratch easily. This gives you a better seal than the stock one. Look over upkeep suggestions at my Upkeep - F.A.Q.. I go over tools to have on hand, o-ring sizes, and other tips. Another small price item is a thread protecter. This is a cap that screws onto the air bottles threads and proctects them from getting banged up. For you nitro tank users, I also suggest a fill nipple cap to keep dirt out.

6. Nitro/HPA Tank - This will level out any severe spikes that you often get with CO2. Even with a regulator. Your shots will be very consistent because it is simply air that we breath that is used. Much more stable than CO2. Check out my CO2 and Nitro/HPA - F.A.Q. for a further explanation between the 2 gases and there associated tanks.

7. Trigger Job or Electronic Trigger Frame - There are many home modification instructions available online to reduce trigger pull on several sites. I also offer several versions on my site. www.Spyder-Club.org and www.Spyder-faq-center.com has articles as well. If you're not too sure of yourself about doing your own modification, go to Polecat Paintball and for $20 (at the time of this writing), you get a pretty nice one. Getting a new trigger frame may be an option. There are many to choose from. Some you may need to transfer your existing trigger internals to the new frame. If you do that, might as well do a trigger mod. Dye, Bob Long, 32 Degrees are good trigger frames. The e-frames are nice. Check out my reviews of the eLCD/Mako, the HyperFrame, or the Kingman ESP frames. Also, depending of the trigger frame, the holes that you have for the bottom line may change. Kingman stock frames have off-center holes. Some aftermarket frames have in-line holes. If this is the case, a bottom line adapter is needed, or get a new bottom line accordingly that will fit the Spyder grip.

For those that have a Kingman e-frame (ESP and Sprint), there are currently two drop in boards available that offer eyes to help prevent chops. These are the IS Board and the T-Board. I have both and will be doing a review of each of these.

8. Drop Forward or Bottomline - While you are getting a regulator, look into getting a drop forward or a bottomline. Stock, the Spyders will use metric threads. Including the hoses. Adding US threaded pieces will make adding aftermarket items easier. Drop forwards come in all shapes and sizes. Get one you like. Drop forwards with an on/off feature on the ASA are nice. No more gas escaping from your tank while you unscrew the tank. Just turn off the air, shoot the maker (without paint) until it no longer re-cocks. Also, look under your grip. Are the holes staggered? More than likely they are. You need to purchase an adapter that switches your staggered, off-center holes on the bottom of the grip to in-line holes. These can be found at G3 Paintball and Polecat Paintball. Expect to pay around $10 to $15. And don't forget about new fittings and air lines. For air lines, I suggest either SS braid or Macroline. Microline are too restrictive. Braided hose lasts longer, but comes in certain sizes. Macroline can be cut to fit and easy to replace, but tends to crack and leak easily. You can use the stock air lines. However, a Metric to US thread adapter is needed. If you do get new air fittings, get ones that are inexpensive. They are all the same. See my setup suggestions article for the different ways to supply your marker with air.

9. Polish Internals - Polishing your internals will ease the friction of your parts in the marker. This is not really a purchase item like the list above, but certainly a performance enhancing upgrade. Use 800-1,000 grit sand papers. Go in a circular motion to prevent flat surfaces. Never use coarse sandpaper and do not create any flat spots. Clean off the dust and use a nice metal wax, like Mothers Mag. You need to polish the bolt, sear, valve pin, and the inside of the body where the bolt assembly moves. But do not sand the internal receiver. Just polish it. I have instructions here... Polishing internals.

10. Trigger Frame - There really is no need to change the stock trigger frame. However, some have had trouble with the composite grips breaking. If you have one, you may consider changing the grip. Especially if you use a 20oz CO2 tank or a nitro tank larger than 88cu.. When looking for a new frame, some will come with the mechanism and some do not. The ones that do not, you simply have to transfer the existing internals to the new frame. Another warning is the holes on the bottom. If you still use the stock bottomline/drop forward, you will need to purchase a converter block. These will be described as a block that converts the off-center holes to inline. This is the same block to use, just flip it over. Though, if you have an aftermarket bottomline or drop forward, they may already have the in-line screw holes.

11. Sight Rail - Some like to have a sight on their marker. I will admit, they can be useful at times. The down side is the power feed gets in the way. There are companies that have made raised site rails that can replace the existing sight rail.

12. Polecat Paintball straight feed - This is a new feed that replaces the power feed setup and switches the ball entry from the left to the right. It also enables you to sight over the marker without the power feed in your way. Something to look into if you can't use your sight on your sight rail.

13. Gun Case - Invest in a sturdy case. This will help carry your marker and protect it from being scratched up. There are several routes that you can take that range from inexpensive to expensive. Visit a Wal-Mart or Target and get a large duffel bag. Either one that can carry all of your gear, or just your tank. Next, I have heard people visiting a hardware store and get an aluminum case used for tools. Some are big enough to carry your tank and marker in a padded area. The last thing I suggest is an actual gun case. They come in a large variety of sizes and price ranges. The latter two try and get one that can have a pad lock added. That extra security is worth it.

Advanced Upgrades

* The following items are not really needed for a great shooting marker. If you have done all of the above, you have invested a lot of time and money into your marker. The next step into transforming your Spyder into a slick marker is to make it LP (or Low Pressure). You're more than halfway there if you have done all of the above upgrades. The next few steps are either purchased products and/or home modifications that you can do. Just what is LP? Check out my Low Pressure - F.A.Q. to get those answers and what is involved with this modification. I have covered the next few items in general below in this F.A.Q.. You can do some of these modifications and not go LP to increase the performance of your marker.

14. Bolt - Modify the stock bolt to make it better flowing. The venturi (that silver star thingy in the bolt) restricts the airflow, causing you to use more PSI to fire the marker. I do not like the venturi for either LP or regular pressure markers. The venturi was a new thing the paintball manufacturers tried to push back in the early 90's. But there is no proof to the pros that the venturi provides. Like less ball breaks, longer range or better accuracy. There is a dedicated LP bolt made by AKA called Lightening Bolt. This is a bolt that is manufactured in such a way to direct the flow of air to the ball. It also has no venturi. For an inexpensive way to increase airflow with your stock bolt, follow the directions to modifying it.

15. Valve - The stock valve is all right for normal use, but there is a better valve available for LP. It is from AKA called the Tornado valve. Diamond Labs made one before their demise that worked great. But the DL valves are extremely hard to find. You could use any of the turbo valves such as the Venom, 32degrees MagnaPort, or the one from Taso with close to equal results. Be warned - I have not been able to verify, but there are some Spyders with the thin striker that cannot use the AKA valve. It is a 90% chance that it may not work. I have yet to experience it in any of the Spyders. If you feel lucky, get the specialized AKA valve. The AKA is well worth the money. If not, then get a turbo valve.

16. Low Pressure Chamber (LPC) - For those that do not have one, it is good to get one. This will help store regulated gas, ready to fire. This replaces the valve cap in the front of the full size Spyder under the barrel. For those that have one, no need to get a new one. They're all the same. Just the outer looks are different. Getting one that 'looks' nice is purely cosmetic. I have seen different lengths. The AKA is short, while the Bob Long and Shocktech are average sizes. I think Shocktech makes/made an 8" long one. Whether the longer one of the shorter one, no performance increase.

17. Miscellaneous Modifications - There are other things to do for an LP setup. Try different spring combinations for the main and valve. You may find that a strong valve and a weak main will give you the lowest psi at the desired velocity. Adding a gauge is also nice. They are not accurate. They may be off by 25psi. But it will give you a rough estimate on what pressure you are at. Some regulators do not allow you to mount gauges on. So, you need to mount them on the ASA or the Spyder body itself if it is important to you to have a gauge.

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I added the remaining items, as these are not important upgrades. Some not really performance-enhancing stuff but will give your Spyder a new look.

a) Rear Cocking. If your marker doesn't have it, you could add it. This enables you to cock your marker from the rear instead of the side. This will eliminate that side-cocking knob from unscrewing and getting lost. There are commercial brands of rear cocking bolts available. Get a cheap one, as all bolts are the same. Or, you could add a rear cocking rod yourself. Also, some fields require a beaver tail for safety. Add that into the price. There are also stock bolts that are also rear cocking. There fine too. Just don't pay a lot of money.

b) Anodizing and Powdercoat. Sick of the color that your Spyder has? Get it anodized to a color or design that you want. Anodizing works great on aluminum. For steel, you may need to paint.

c) Quick strip pin. Not all Spyders have this feature (mine didn't; used 3 screws in the back). I installed one using a drill and a cotter pin I got from Home Depot. For those that do, you can get the AutoCocker strip pin as a replacement if you loose it. They are nice and help greatly when needing to gut your marker quickly.

d) .45 grip. There are some Spyders that use the M-16 grip. This is preference, but look into the .45 frames with Hogue grips. It may feel nicer to you. G3 Paintball has just the grip with in-line holes for $10 that can replace the M-16 grip only. No need to replace the entire trigger frame for the .45 feel unless you want to.

e) Low Pressure Chamber (LPC). I added this again because some people just don't like the looks of the stock one. Remember, there all the same. Get one the looks nice with your marker.

f) Polecat Paintball straight feed. I added this again since it is more of a cosmetic upgrade than performance in my opinion. This is a new feed that replaces the power feed setup and switches the ball entry from the left to the right. It also enables you to sight over the marker without a feed in your way. Something to look into if you can't use your sight on your sight rail. Something to look into for a different look.

g) Electronic frame. I added this again because for some, this is a gimmick. For some, they prefer the ol'standard mechanical operating trigger. And others, they want a taste of an E-Marker. E-frames worth looking at are made for Spyders are the eLCD/Mako, the HyperFrame, and the Kingman ESP frames.

h) Dye Stickies. Not performance additions, but will snazzy up your marker. These fit trigger frames with a .45 style grip. Unlike the name of the grip, it really is not sticky. No griping difference between this and the Hogue grip that can be found at gun shops.

i) Sight. Many will ask why I do not have a sight on any of my markers. I say I know where the paintballs are going with my Spyder. But, for the first few times I played with the Spyder, I used one. Paintballs are not accurate. Even with a regulator and the proper paint to bore match. A sight is only as accurate as a paintball. Use one until you get used to the characteristics of your marker and the paintballs. Or, sight down the side of the marker.

j) Remote. Some like to have a really light gun. A gun with a tank mounted on it is bulky and heavy. And a drop forward doesn't appeal to you. The use of a remote will lighten your gun by moving your tank to a butt pack. These packs, depending on what you get, will carry a gas bottle and extra paintballs.

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Not so great upgrades

The following list is items not needed. Basically, in my opinion, a waste of money as far as performance is what one wants out of their marker. I suggest saving up for something more worthwhile like what is mentioned above....

a) Valves - For general use, the stock valve is good. Unless you are going LP, you are fine with the stock.

b) Bolts - The stock bolt is also good for general use. I have purchased other aftermarket bolts. I have not experienced any changes. I have never liked the venturi, LP setup or not. If you desire, take it out. You may experience an increase in FPS. Just reduce the velocity or change springs to bring it down to the right velocity. There is NO magical bolt that will increase distance and accuracy that many manufacturers advertise.

c) Trigger Frame - The Kingman trigger frames are good. But for outer appearance, an aftermarket is all right too. A new trigger frame is just for looks. Also, the DYE stickies are not impressive. Go with the Hogue grips. They feel the same and may be cheaper.

d) Remote. This is preference. But, the loose hose from the marker to your tank on your back can get tangled up and slow you down. A drop forward is best to have a well-balanced marker with a tank.

e) Expansion Chamber. They work, don't get me wrong. But having an anti-siphon tube installed will be so much more for consistency. Let say that are playing in 75* weather. Excellent for those using CO2. Or is it? As you shoot your marker, the tank will get cold. The more you shoot, the colder it gets. CO2 doesn't like the cold. As it gets cold, there is less pressure that evaporates into a gas. So, your tank pressure can be 800-900psi when you first start out. As you shoot, this pressure will reduce. Could reduce to 500psi. As you shoot the liquid will be pulled out of the tank and into the marker causing velocity spikes and/or quick freeze your o-rings and break. Having an anti-siphon tube will only (if installed correctly) pull the gas out. Only in extreme cold climates will I ever suggest an x-chamber. I would actually tell you to use a remote line and carry your tank on your hip before switching to an x-chamber.

f) Shim Kit. These work. But if given a choice between this and a spring kit, I will take the spring kit. All that the Shim kit will effect is the force the striker hits the valve (increase in velocity). Typically with Spyders, the velocity is too high and requires snipping the main spring (another no-no). The 32degree kit comes with various valve and main springs to cover all velocity problems that come up. And, the spring kit averages $10 compared to the Shim kit average price of $20.

I did not cover ALL the things that you can do to your Spyder. I just wanted to cover the more common upgrades. I do hope this helps some.

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