Empire Mini GS Paintball Gun

About the Invert Mini / Empire Mini GS

The Mini GS is our favorite electronic paintball gun under $500. This is the most popular paintball gun for players looking to upgrade from their Spyder and Azodin paintball guns.

Below we dive into details as to why we strongly recommend and stand behind this brand and model of paintball gun for those looking to upgrade without spending a thousand dollars.  

The Mini GS is in the top 5  longest running paintball guns that has slowly been improved on through each new model over the last 10 years. This shows just how well designed this platform has been for so many consecutive years.  

The Mini GS was originally called the Invert Mini and was a very basic form of what is the current Mini GS.

If you are shopping for your next upgraded paintball gun and are currently using a Spyder, Azodin or Tippmann gun, the Mini GS will be a huge improvement in many ways for your paintball experience.

The feel, performance,  weight and overall experience will be a night and day difference.

Below we break down each aspect of the Empire Mini GS paintball gun and explain why we believe in the Mini GS so strongly.  

If you have any questions about making your decision please use our Live Chat feature , find us on Social Media or give us a call anytime! Our staff is very experienced and can help find the best paintball gun for your budget, style and preferences.

Mini GS Electronic Mode Options

No matter if your are a beginner paintball player or someone looking to lightly compete in some local paintball competitions, the Mini GS comes standard with the firing modes you will need to keep up with anyone and everyone at the local paint all field.

To begin, the Mini comes with the most popular modes such as Semi Automatic and NXL mode. These two modes are the most widely used and accepted at the best paintball fields in the world.

Semi Automatic means that for each time you pull the trigger the gun will only fire one time.

This is perfect for beginners and for your local recreational playing.

NXL mode is what is used in the local 3 on 3 and 5 on 5 beginner tournaments all the way up to the professional paintball competitions around the world.

NXL mode is a form of “ramping” which means the gun will start out at a low rate of fire but once you reach a pre set rate of fire the rate will then suddenly spike due to the electronic settings you have set.

This may sound complicated but to sum it up, this mode allows all players to easily reach the same higher rate of fire making it a more even playing field.

These modes can easily be changed once you become more familiar with the changing the Mini GS mode design.

Shooting the Empire Mini GS 

There isn’t any way to describe how much smoother and more solid the shot of the Mini feels over a Spyder or Azodin gun. The technology inside of the Gs design is 100 times more advanced than the most popular starter paintball guns currently available.

We get asked all of the time, “ Is the Mini GS worth the money?” The simple answer to that question is, Yes absolutely.

Our store has been open for over 10 years the Mini platform has been there every year as the best electronic paintball gun for the price. Each year the design gets better and better while increasing the features that come stock.

As you read more below you will see why we have stood behind this paintball gun for years.

Empire Mini GS Shooting Video

The Empire Mini GS Shooting

Mini Spare Parts Kit

The Mini GS along with all other Empire guns come with a basic parts and tool kit when you buy the gun new.

If the new gun you are considering to buy does not come with a parts kit included, we usually recommend to stay away!

The Mini parts kit includes the allen keys, Mini lube , spare orings and any spare screws you could need in the future to keep your Mini GS up and running correctly.

Cleaning The Empire Mini GS

Simple One Way Bolt Design

Most players aren’t technical or consider themselves paintball gun mechanics. One of our favorite features of the Empire Mini is the fact that nearly anyone can quickly learn how to maintenance their new gun while at the field after just a little practice.

The way the bolt system aka the engine of the gun is designed is extremely simple and can only be put back together one way. This feature makes it near impossible to make a mistake when you are at the paintball field and need to clean your gun out quickly.

There are only a total of 3 parts inside the engine of the Mini and those parts include the Mini Bolt Spring, the Mini GS Bolt and the Mini GS Bolt Guide.

The three parts to the bolt system of the GS easily slide together without the need of anything more than one allen key that comes in your original parts kit included with your new Mini GS.

Adjustable Trigger

As you become more experienced you will learn to fine tune your new paintball gun. The trigger is one of the most adjusted parts on the Mini because it has the ability to change the feel and change how the gun shoots.

The Mini GS has a trigger with multiple adjustment points that allows you to fine tune how sensitive the trigger is. This feature will help you increase the rate of fire you are able to reach when playing and that could help you win more games if done right!

Light Weight and Compact

This paintball marker is one of the lightest and most compact markers available. If you are hoping to find a light weight paintball gun because you are a smaller or younger person the Mini GS is the lightest electronic paintball gun that we highly recommend.

The compact design allows shorter players who naturally have shorter arms the ability to easily hold, run around and handle it without much work. Other paintball guns are large and bulky which makes the Mini GS the best light weight gun in our opinion.

Redesigned Rubber Grips

The original Invert Mini did not come standard with a front rubber grip. The current Mini GS has a very nice and non slip designed front and rear grip. These grips are very durable and are easy to clean with an old tooth brush if you really want to get every spec of paint of your new Mini.

Besides changing the battery or just basic maintenance there really isn’t a reason to remove the rubber grips off your gun.

The molded grips on the Mini make it very comfortable and easily handled during game play.

Easy To Change Battery

In the case you need to change your battery in your Mini the process is very simple. The front grips on the front of your gun contains a single 9 volt battery, this is the rectangle shaped batteries that are available at most corner stores, Walmart’s and online.

The front grip contains 4 silver screws, 2 on each side of the gun. Inside your parts kit will be the correct tool size to unscrew the screws on the left side of your Mini, this is where the battery is held. Match up the positive and negative terminals of the battery correctly and reinstall the screws and you are all set!

We highly recommend to use name brand batteries only. Most knock off, no name brand batteries won’t last nearly as long or provide a sufficient power supply to your Mini. This can cause the fun to suddenly turn off mid game or cause additional stress on the electronics of your gun, wearing out the parts quicker than it should.

Changing the Battery of the Mini GS

Mini GS Lever Air On/Off

One of our favorite Mini GS upgrades is the lever on/off Asa that comes standard with the current Mini. The original Invert Mini did not include this upgrade unfortunately.

The lever on/off Asa allows you to turn the air source on or off very easily between games or while storing your paintball gun at home. We do not recommend leaving your gun aired up overnight for any reason.

This lever on off helps prevent any unnecessary wear and tear on the threads of your Empire compressed air tank or whichever brand you decide to use on your Mini.  

How to Adjust the Mini GS Velocity

When you buy your Mini in store from us we always test the gun before it leaves our store. We also test the velocity of your gun to ensure that the speed of the paintballs are around 280 FPS. At most paintball fields the maximum speed a gun can shoot is limited to 280 to 300 FPS which is roughly 200 mph.

If you need to adjust your gun in the future here is how to adjust the velocity on your Empire Mini GS.

With the marker turned off but aired up and paintballs loaded, you want to find the correct allen wrench size for the chronograph adjustment screw.

This adjustment screw can be found on the back of your Mini, this is the end of the gun that will be closest to your face if you are shooting it down range. On the velocity adjustment screw guy will see a + and a - sign.

Once you have determined if you need to turn your guns velocity up or down you will want to turn the adjustment screw 1/4th turn in the correct direction. You will then want to shoot 2-3 shots to find out what the new velocity your gun is shooting. Never adjust your velocity more than 1/4th to 1/2 turn at a time to prevent  damaging your gun.

Is the Empire Mini GS Tournament Ready?

The Mini GS has become one of the most popular tournament level paintball guns on the market. With the easily adjustable firing modes this electronic paintball gun is easily switched from recreational semi automatic mode to NXL mode for your local or national tournaments.

The high performance level of the Empire Mini and reliability gives the Mini and upper hand on other paintball guns under $500. If you are looking to start your own paintball team or considering playing paintball tournaments in the near future, from our experience the Mini is our go to paintball gun to give you everything you will need.

Empire Mini GS Overview

As you can tell the Mini GS is one of the best paintball guns and not just in our opinion, but proven with years of proof. If this design wasn’t worth the money it would have been replaced by something new.

If the Mini GS still isn’t what you’re looking for, the big brother of the Mini is the Empire Axe 2.0

The Empire Axe offers a larger and more efficient design that is even better built for a higher level of play.

The Axe has always offered a tool-less design to clean the bolt system, a lever action air on/off along with a much larger grip design for larger hands. The Empire Axe also has the ability to shoot better quality paintballs than the Mini GS.  

Check out the Empire Axe section of our website for even more Axe information.

While you’re shopping around, be sure to reach out to us anytime you need answers.

Thank you for shopping Pro Edge Paintball!