The Empire SYX is a high-quality tournament marker that will hold its own against the top-level paintball guns available in the market. With its streamlined design and dependable performance, it is just what you need to get back at the competition.
Empire SYX Review
The Empire SYX paintball gun is the latest release from Empire’s AXE series of markers. This 6th generation entrant is based on the AXE platform, although it comes with a newly redesigned and streamlined look that will take your game to the next level.
The fresh and sleek design is as graceful as it is comfortable, with wrap around rubber grips to give you total control to go with a high-performance and ergonomics. Other big changes include the bolt, regulator, as well as the board navigation.
Rounding out the high performance is a 2-piece aluminum barrel system with a 7.5” control bore for top accuracy. It offers a lot of improved features that any avid paintballer will need to get ready for battle.
Overall, the Empire SXY ticks all the boxes as far as balance, beauty, and performance are concerned. All these great features work seamlessly together, making it a valuable option for advanced paintball players looking for a fresh high-end option.
Let us take a closer look at the specifications and see what makes this marker one of the best paintball markers for advanced players.
KEY FEATURES
High Performance
The SYX comes with a revised bolt system that helps to boost its performance, and users should notice a quieter and smoother shot than what they got from the previous releases in the Axe platform. Although the bolt system still maintains that familiar Axe makeup with a spring and bolt guide, the poppet has been redesigned.
This is a significant change that Empire made considering that it was one of the major concerns on the Mini and Axe. Sometimes, the face would not seal very well in these markers. However, this new version doesn’t use a proprietary seal, rather opting for a 108/70 standard O-ring for better performance.
The length of the new bolt system has also been slightly increased to add volume and lower the pressure from 200PSI to 165PSI. Naturally, you’d assume that the lowered pressure will reduce the kick but it actually doesn’t make much of a difference.
Nevertheless, the added volume should reduce velocity drop off, as well as increase shooting consistency. It also helps to make the gun less prone to cold weather and other issues that may affect the velocity and consistency.
Another factor that helps to maintain velocity consistency is the redesigned regulator that Empire improved from the Mini and Axe. Finally, to offer players an out-of-the-box accuracy, the SYX is equipped with a micro-honed barrel system. This two-piece comes with a 7.5-inch control to ensure peak accuracy.
Ergonomics
This marker’s body has clean and graceful lines with comfortable rubber grips all round. It looks great and will remain in your control throughout the paintball game, even when your palms get sweaty and slippery. Just like its older siblings, the SYX has a hose-free design; and the regulator and air passages rest safely in the grip frame.
In the hands, the new trigger frame on the SYX feels quite great. The fresh grips and regulator have a noticeable difference from the previous AXE models. They are visibly thinner, and despite the regulator being in the frame, the grips are still slim.
Since the grips wrap around the whole frame and there is no screen or bottom at the back, the marker fits comfortably in the hands and feels just right. The trigger is no different from the other Axes; it might not be the lightest or the most adjustable, but it still gets the job done.
The foregrip is slightly crooked, which is unlike most markers that have become accustomed to straight foregrips. I thought this was unnecessary and didn’t see the value it adds; even though I’m not complaining!
Smooth Shooting
So how does the Empire SYX shoot? Well, if you’ve ever used the Axe, the shooting performance is pretty much the same. This is not to say there is no improvement; I don’t feel like they needed to since the Empire Axe already shoots quietly and smoothly and has a very reliable bolt system.
If you ask me, it works great and didn’t necessitate any change! You won’t have trouble hitting the target on the paintball field and the low sound profile allows you to sneak up on the enemy without alarming them.
Easy Maintenance
This gun is super easy to service, which ensures that it will keep on performing at a top-level without malfunctioning every other time. It has a tool-less bolt removal, battery door, as well as standard O-rings for easier maintenance.
One of the underwhelming features of the Axe and Mini was the location of the relay regulator at the bottom of the foregrip frame. Empire made the change on the SYX by placing it in the frame so that it is not easy to interfere with.
Generally, it’s not common for the regulator to develop issues. However, when it does, the results can be catastrophic. Luckily, the regulator on the SYX can easily be serviced to ensure that you don’t have to deal with such an unwanted situation.
The best part is that you don’t have to take your gun to professional or GI services. If you have an idea of how to go about the servicing, all you need is an Allen wrench and a wrench to access the regulator.
Simply remove the pair of screws at the bottom of the ASA/On/Off and it will slide out without any fuss. If you know how the previous relay regulator on the Axe was, you might notice that there has been a significant change.
Anyway, for routine maintenance of the marker, all you need is an Allen wrench, which should save you the trouble and cost of taking the gun to a professional for servicing. The bolt system on the SYX also has a safety piston that prevents its removal when the gun has air running through it.
Finally, the Standard O-rings complete the list of features that make this paintball gun one of the simplest models to maintain.
Conclusion
Technically, the SYX belongs to the AXE family, even though Empire doesn’t want to refer to it as an “AXE”. More importantly, it is a refined and refurbished version that provides you with the best AXE model you’ll find in the market today.
Most of the issues that troubled users on the previous models have been improved. The bolt system is better and the regulator offers a boost in performance. I would say the only thing that does not work for me is the shape of the foregrip and the on/off lever.
It does not affect the level of performance the marker offers, so I don’t see why the manufacturer had to make that change. Aside from that minor issue, the Empire SYX is the latest addition to the list of best paintball markers that will restore your competitiveness on the paintball field.
Last update on 2022-12-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
