The Bob Long Defiant 2 paintball marker is the little brother of the Bob Long Intimidator, a professional-grade paintball team marker. The Defiant 2 offered some significant upgrades from the first generation Defiant, but it never really gained widespread popularity in the hands of paintball players. The marker entered the market at a time when other manufacturers were building comparable electronic paintball markers that retailed for much less.
Board Design
The Defiant 2 solved a major problem that hindered the original Defiant. The circuit board in the Defiant 2 was redesigned and made interchangeable with that of the Intimidator 2k5 marker. However, the board was a lower quality, with less programming options than the boards in the Intimidator markers. The owner also had to disassemble the marker's grip frame to program the board by flipping dipswitches. This complicated the marker, and as a result, the marker was often passed over for others that were easier to program, adjust and use.
Firing Engine
One of the most important parts of an electronic paintball marker is the firing engine, in particular the weight of the internal ram. This part slides back and forth during the firing cycle. Larger rams are heavier, which causes increased vibration and recoil in the marker. The Defiant 2 featured a ram that was more than twice the weight of the Intimidator and other electronic markers. As a result, the Defiant 2 was just a little slower and less precise than competitive markers.
Market Placement
The Bob Long Defiant 2 was introduced in 2005, the same year Bob Long introduced the 2k5 Alias Intimidator. The marker was priced $100.00 to $125.00 less than its bigger brother was, but at the same time, a company called Smart Parts was gaining market share with its electro-pneumatic Ion paintball maker. The 2K5 Alias Intimidator retailed in the neighborhood of $550 and the Defiant 2 was around $120 less. However, the Ion from Smart Parts retailed for $325. This different in price put the Defiant 2 at a marketing disadvantage. Players wanting to save money purchased the Ion, and those sold on the Bob Long gun design and reputation were willing to pay a bit more for the tournament quality Alias.
Limited Options
One of the signatures of the Bob Long 2K5 Alias Intimidator line was the number of colors and body styles available. Within a year, the 2K5 Alias platform marker evolved into the Ripper, the Dragon and professional team versions for the Russian Legion and Naughty Dogs. All of these markers had interchangeable parts, custom colors, upgradeable boards and high performance firing engines. Like NASCAR drivers who love their favorite driver, or football fans that live for their teams, paintball players who were willing to pay in the neighborhood of $500 for a paintball marker wanted the gun that their favorite team used, or wanted to be able to upgrade the marker to meet their personal specifications. The Defiant 2 offered neither of these options.
Performance
Designed by Bob Long, the Defiant 2 marker was and still is a reliable paintball marker. The equipment is solid, and performs well under normal conditions. Bob Long began designing paintball markers when the industry was young, introducing the first Intimidator markers in 2000 as electronic markers first made their introduction into the sport. The Defiant 2 markers does not have any significant performance issues. The problems that limited its success in the market revolve around market placement, price and customization options.
Tags: Long Defiant, paintball marker, Alias Intimidator, Defiant offered, electronic markers
