Review: There isn't much I can say that has not already been said about the 98 Custom. Just for the h*** of it, I'll still tell you why I love this marker. They are an excellent choice for a starter gun. If you are looking for something that is low maintenance, durable, and dependable, look no further. I actually planned on having my wife use this marker to get her started and into the sport, but ended up using it a lot myself. It may not be the sexiest thing in the world, but I personally could care less. Mine is painted in digital camo, and I think it looks fine. I think most of you have seen the pic.
Durability/Reliability - There is no reason this marker should ever break on you. You'd have to actually try pretty hard to break it. It's not going to fail you if you take decent care of it. There's a reason so many places rent these out.
Maintenance - I've never needed to field strip mine. It's not difficult to take apart. I clean mine every other outing. I'd never recommend this, but I've talked to people who never have even taken theirs apart to clean it after years of use, and it still works fine.
Upgrades - It seems like there are a ton of upgrades for this, and there are, but how many really make it perform any better? I'd say very few. Just my opinion. If you like the way something looks/feels, then by all means go for it. It's your marker.
Recommended Upgrades - I have a 12 inch J&J ceramic barrel and a cyclone feed. Other than that, I'd say maybe an expansion chamber.
Overall I'd say the 98 Custom is a good buy, and not just for people new to the sport. I've been playing on and off for around 15 years, and it's just nice to have something you always know is going to work. Nothing has really changed since it's come out, but then again, nothing really needs to. It's a pretty slow marker, but I'd never use it for speedball anyway. If you're not super serious, and just like to go out in the woods and have a good time, I'd say the 98 Custom is the way to go.
