[crPaliza]

Introduction
Ever since the Proto Rail dropped in price to $250, there has been a ton of debate on whether the Rail is better than the GoG eXTCy. While in the end it is up to you to decide which marker you like best, I will be comparing the components of each marker piece by piece. This way you the consumer can hopefully decide for yourself which marker you like best by reading this comparative review.


Out of Box
The GoG eXTCy marker comes in a sturdy hard case with a handle which you may use to carry your marker and its contents on and off the field. Inside the hard case you will find the marker itself, a 1-piece 13" barrel, a barrel sock, a CD with the marker's manual, and a set of hex keys plus spare parts each stored on separate zip-lock bags.

The Rail on the other hand comes in a nicely packaged cardboard box. Inside the Rail's box you will first see the marker itself, its color printed manual, and a printed warranty card you may fill out to mail to Dye Paintball. Below the marker you will find a 1-piece 11" barrel, a barrel sock, Dye slick lube, color coded o-rings with a size and quantity sheet inside a zip-lock bag, a bag with your hex keys, and a 9V battery.

Both of these markers function best using HPA and are also capable of handling CO2. I strongly recommend using HPA in general and any decent paintball player will tell you the same. However, if for some reason you are stuck using CO2 I would suggest consulting your manual first to obtain the most performance out of your marker.


Barrel
The GoG eXTCy comes with a 13" Ion threaded barrel while the Rail comes with a 11" Autococker threaded barrel.

The advantage of having an Autococker threaded barrel is that it is the industry standard. Therefore, if you already have an aftermarket barrel or are planning to purchase one, then chances are they will be compatible with most of the markers that are currently available on the market including your Rail.

On the other hand, the advantage of an Ion threaded barrel is that it is faster to screw in and out. However, this is where the advantage of having an Ion threaded barrel ends. Ion threads are only seen on Smart Parts and GoG markers. If you plan on using your aftermarket barrel, then chances are you might need an adapter for it to fit the eXTCy.


Weight
The Rail weighs in at 1.9lb while the eXTCy weighs in at 2.4lb. If you hold both guns on each hand you will definitely notice that the Rail is lighter than the eXTCy.


Grips
On the eXTCy the grips feel firm and tacky while on the Rail the grips feel smooth and soft. Whether you favor one or the other is more personal preference than anything. Personally, I actually like the feel of the eXTCy's grips better.

One interesting thing to note is that the eXTCy's grips are held by 2-screws. On the other hand, the Rail's grips are held by 3 screws. This means that it is a little faster to access the board and battery on the eXTCy.


Trigger
Both markers carry 2-point adjustable triggers. The Rail carries a more straight style trigger while the eXTCy a more scythe-like trigger. Both of each marker's trigger work well and it is really personal preference whether you favor one over the other.


ASA
The eXTCy carries an On/Off ASA connected by a steel-braided hose to the side. An on/off switch will allow you to gas or de-gas your marker easier than one without one. Another advantage to an On/Off ASA is the ability to screw your tank in and out of your marker more seamlessly. The objective of this is to help protect your tank and ASA threads. One flaw in GoG's ASA is that it will bit your o-ring if you screw it in all the way in. When gasing your tank just make sure you screw the knob in carefully until you hear your marker gas to protect your o-ring.

On the other hand, the Rail comes with a straight-fitted standard ASA connected by a steel-braided hose. While it does not have an on/off switch, the steel-braided hose is connected directly straight to the ASA and not from the side. This design will make it easier for you to switch hands when on the field because there is nothing protruding from the side of the marker. Just be careful when screwing your tank in and out to protect your threads.


Feedneck
The GoG eXTCy's clamping feedneck is made of aluminum alloy while the Proto Rail's clamp is made of plastic. Aluminum alloy is a much stronger material than plastic. Therefore, the clamp on the eXTCy is more durable.


Eyes & Detents
The Rail comes with an eye-pipe which doubles as your eyes and detents. To service your eye-pipe you stick your finger on the Rail's breech and then just pull the eye-pipe out. The eXTCy has separate eyes and detents which you have to access via the eye/detent covers with a hex key for servicing.

The bottomline: the Rail's eye pipe is easier and faster to service.


Board
The eXTCy is available stock with the Blackheart Board. The Blackheart Board allows you to configure your marker to shoot in many ways such as semi auto, full auto, 3 shot burst, billy ball, tournament modes, and others. One remarkable feature that I enjoy is the "Forced Delay Vision" setting. Forced Delay Vision allows you to fire your marker when you breech is empty by holding the trigger for 1-second to facilitate de-gassing. There's a ton of features you can play with on the eXTCy.

The Rail's board consists of basic features such as semi-auto and tournament modes. To adjust the Rail's board you are required to remove 3 grip screws and then toggle the DIP switch to configuration mode. On the blackheart board, this extra step is not necessary unless you have tournament lock on. On the bright side, the Rail's board is easier to access since it is right on the grip frame while the blackheart board requires you to take apart the body. If you are considering upgrading the Rail's board, it will be a simple task to change.

One important thing to note as well is that the blackheart board is waterproof. The GoG eXTCy is capable of taking a swim meaning it will perform reliably even on rainy/humid climates. The Rail's board is not waterproof and Dye will not cover damages to the board caused by water on its warranty.


Regulator
The Proto Rail uses the Hyper 3 regulator while the GoG eXTCy uses the Max-Flo R Vertical regulator. Both regulators are proven designs featured on high-end markers which allow the most consistent shooting possible. Whether you like one or the other is personal preference.


Bolt Assembly
Both markers shoot using a low-force ion style bolt. However, the assembly of both markers is designed differently. On the eXTCy, the entire bolt-can is attached to the back-cap facilitating the removal of the marker's entire bolt system. You basically just unscrew the bolt-cap, pull out the bolt-cap, and then pull out the firing bolt and rubber bolt stop.

The Rail on the other hand only has a portion of the bolt-can attached to the back-cap. What this means is it takes extra steps to service the Rail's bolt system. The bolt-can is separated in two pieces and just lingers inside the Rail's breech. The recommended step to take after removing the bolt cap is to use a swab to pull out the bolt-system but sometimes your back-cap is still stuck lingering in the breech. This makes it slightly inconvenient to service the Rail's bolt system.

In conclusion, it takes a step or two to service the Rail's bolt-system over the Extcy's. Furthermore, the Rail's bolt system contains five more o-rings needed for maintenance. On a positive note however, the Proto Rail's bolt system uses color coded o-rings which makes sizing and replacing them easier than on the GoG eXTCy.


Body Shroud
One neat thing about the eXTCy is the body shroud that covers its main body. The body shroud and grips may be fitted to a different color via GoG's available color kits for an additional price. However, dust and paint may get stuck inside the body shroud during play which means cleaning the latter will require taking it apart.


Shot Quality
The shot quality on the Rail is smoother than on the eXTCy as well as quieter. The Rail makes more of a swoosh sound when compared to the eXTCy. This may be explained due to the Rail's factory dwell of 40ms versus the eXTCy's recommended dwell of 27ms for HPA use.


Efficiency
The efficiency on the Rail (taken from TechpbMike's Review) is 7 pods. You can expect the eXTCy to perform more efficiently by about maybe a 1/2 pod (pending efficiency test...) more depending on conditions. Again, this is probably related to the high dwell on the Rail and the low dwell of the eXTCy.


Reliability
The eXTCy will perform more reliably because of two reasons. One, it has a waterproof board so it can withstand wet conditions. Two, its aluminum structure is built thick protected by a exchangable body shroud over the breech. This marker is built to withstand a beating. However, this does not mean the Rail is not a reliable marker. The Rail is plenty reliable and is extremely well built.

Both markers are backed by great companies who strongly support their products. Therefore, any practical issues you have with either the Rail or eXTCy can be easily solved with Dye or GoG's customer service department. Finally, both markers will perform extremely well on the field and even keep up with high-end markers.


Conclusion
The Dye 2011 Proto Rail is lighter, feels a little better, shoots a little smoother, and is a little quieter. The GoG eXTCy is more reliable, has more features, and is a little more efficient.

I have attempted to highlight everything good and bad about both markers. For $250USD, the GoG eXTCy and Proto Rail are the two best markers for the budget baller. Whether you like one more over the other is in the end personal preference. As always, holding and shooting both markers is recommended for you to decide which marker you like best.

If there is anything else that needs to be mentioned or is not covered and is worth adding feel free to comment.


Notes:
¿? = If you see this somewhere it means there is a fact that needs to be verified on that specified section.

Updates:
August 10, 2012
- Corrected the actual weight of the Proto Rail to the one seen on TechPB Mike's Review (Jump to 05:21). Thanks Cookybiscuit.
- GoG eXTCy's weight needs to be verified since the one I took was from the manual and I doubt it included the barrel and battery.
- Research required to determine if the feedneck collar of the Rail is plastic or composite. As mentioned by Redcobra.
- Added the fact that both markers are CO2 capable. Thanks Redcobra.
- Added ¿? to areas where facts need verification.
- Added confirmation that the Rail is just as reliable as the eXTCy and backed by great companies. Thanks Woodyballer29.
- Added weight of the eXTCy's marker as per Hillcow's specification. Thanks Hillcow.
- Corrected "color coated" to "color coded" o-rings as per Jimbob23929's logic. Thanks Jimbob23929.
- Minor spelling corrections and adjustments added.
- After reviewing again the Rail's feed collar, I can confirm that it is plastic and not composite.
- Minor corrections added.

August 12, 2012
- Fixed sizes of barrels and easy board access of Rail. Thanks Hillcow.
- Added information about the eXTCy's body shroud.
- Added point about cleaning eXTCy's 2-piece body. Thanks Hitman2513.
- Added the fact that the eXTCy's ASA knob should be screwed in carefully. Thanks Hitman2513 & Hillcow.

This post has been edited by crPaliza: 12 August 2012 - 01:22 AM

[REDCOBRA]

just 2 things

the body and feedneck ( i believe) are both made out of composite/ABS, the same thing real steel weapons are made out of, so the " metal vs plastic" debate isn't really applicable here . its composite/ABS ; not plastic theres a difference

The blackheart board has more modes , but with both i doubt you will be using anything other than semi ~10 - ~14 bps , or psp ramp.

Edit : also the rail has anti bolt stick and both markers can run on CO2

Good job on the write up . It wasn't biased and anything that was based on an opinion had a good explanation. I know this will help someone make their decision on their next marker. This deserves a sticky

This post has been edited by REDCOBRA: 10 August 2012 - 04:44 AM

[FyReFiGhT]

Great comparison, also the bold words make it a lot nicer to read.

[Cookybiscuit]

The Rail isn't 1.14lbs, it would float away if it was.

[epic woodsballer]

No there are a lot lighter guns.

[crPaliza]

REDCOBRA, on 10 August 2012 - 04:37 AM, said:

just 2 things

the body and feedneck ( i believe) are both made out of composite/ABS, the same thing real steel weapons are made out of, so the " metal vs plastic" debate isn't really applicable here . its composite/ABS ; not plastic theres a difference
- According to Mike's video (jump to 09:40), he mentions that the Rail's collar is plastic unless he missed something as well. I am unsure if this applies also but the material definitely does not feel the same as the composite on my Etha. Either way, I'll get further confirmation on this.

The blackheart board has more modes , but with both i doubt you will be using anything other than semi ~10 - ~14 bps , or psp ramp.
- I doubt I will use all the modes on the eXTCy either or my ex-girlfriend for that matter but I feel that it is still worth mentioning.

Edit : also the rail has anti bolt stick and both markers can run on CO2.
- They both have anti bolt stick compensation. The eXTCy has its FSDO implemented on the board and is adjustable.
- I will be sure to add the CO2 note.

Good job on the write up . It wasn't biased and anything that was based on an opinion had a good explanation. I know this will help someone make their decision on their next marker. This deserves a sticky
- Thanks a bunch!

FyReFiGhT, on 10 August 2012 - 06:49 AM, said:

Great comparison, also the bold words make it a lot nicer to read.

Thanks! That was my intention.

Cookybiscuit, on 10 August 2012 - 07:58 AM, said:

The Rail isn't 1.14lbs, it would float away if it was.

Updated the weight. Thanks.

This post has been edited by crPaliza: 10 August 2012 - 07:35 PM

[pb=life]

great write up. I'd like to see this stickied in the ultimate $300 gun section. Very well done. No bias, just straight facts.

[Woodyballer29]

pb=life, on 10 August 2012 - 05:09 PM, said:

great write up. I'd like to see this stickied in the ultimate $300 gun section. Very well done. No bias, just straight facts.

Same here. Like you said the Extcy might be more reliable than the Rail because of the waterproof board and the shroud encasing the body, but I think both guns are extremely reliable.

[crPaliza]

pb=life, on 10 August 2012 - 05:09 PM, said:

great write up. I'd like to see this stickied in the ultimate $300 gun section. Very well done. No bias, just straight facts.

Thanks!

Woodyballer29, on 10 August 2012 - 05:29 PM, said:

Same here. Like you said the Extcy might be more reliable than the Rail because of the waterproof board and the shroud encasing the body, but I think both guns are extremely reliable.

Updated the write-up to reflect your point. Thanks.

[jimbob23929]

*color coded as in a code of colors that corresponds to the o-ring size

[G4paintballer]

I don't always thumb up a comparison thread, but when I do, the OP did a damn good job.

[hillcow]

The Extcy weighs in at 2.4 lbs with barrel and battery.

This post has been edited by hillcow: 10 August 2012 - 10:33 PM

[CPS]

very good job.

[crPaliza]

jimbob23929, on 10 August 2012 - 07:54 PM, said:

*color coded as in a code of colors that corresponds to the o-ring size

I was a little bit confused whether to type color coated or color coded. You clarified it for me. Thanks.

G4paintballer, on 10 August 2012 - 08:29 PM, said:

I don't always thumb up a comparison thread, but when I do, the OP did a damn good job.

Thanks.

hillcow, on 10 August 2012 - 10:17 PM, said:

The Extcy weighs in at 2.4 lbs with barrel and battery.

fixed, thanks.

Herbert, on 10 August 2012 - 10:31 PM, said:

very good job.

Thanks.

[Hitman2513]

Wow I'm amazed
Throw in these few things
- eXTCy has a low force bolt
- extcy's body is two pieces so dirt gets between them and makes it look ugly
- eXTCy asa shreds o rings if screwed in too much.

[Woodyballer29]

Hitman2513, on 11 August 2012 - 04:19 AM, said:

Wow I'm amazed
Throw in these few things
- eXTCy has a low force bolt
- extcy's body is two pieces so dirt gets between them and makes it look ugly
- eXTCy asa shreds o rings if screwed in too much.

He said, "Both markers shoot using a low-force ion style bolt."

[Woodyballer29]

crPaliza, on 10 August 2012 - 07:32 PM, said:

Woodyballer29, on 10 August 2012 - 05:29 PM, said:

Same here. Like you said the Extcy might be more reliable than the Rail because of the waterproof board and the shroud encasing the body, but I think both guns are extremely reliable.

Updated the write-up to reflect your point. Thanks.

Oh ahaha, I wasn't even hinting at that when I wrote it lol. This deserves a sticky,

[hillcow]

Hitman2513, on 11 August 2012 - 04:19 AM, said:

Wow I'm amazed
Throw in these few things
- eXTCy has a low force bolt
- extcy's body is two pieces so dirt gets between them and makes it look ugly
- eXTCy asa shreds o rings if screwed in too much.

The two-piece body is a good point. I dread getting shot in that part of the gun because it will take removing the body from the cover to clean.

Definitely add the point about the ASA. Screwing the knob in slowly and adding a quarter turn after it airs up will save a lot of headaches.

A couple of other points to add:

-The Rail's board is probably easier to get to due to the fact it is in the grip frame. The Extcy's board is between the body and the grip frame.

-The Rail's barrel is advertised as 11". The Extcy's barrel is an even 13" (measured it myself).

I'm loving the civility in this thread.

[crPaliza]

Changes added... Thanks peeps!

[Space-Invader]

Very nice comparison, I know this has helped me tremendously on my decision with a gun in this price range, I had, at one point, considered the azodin zenith but it just seems to be an upd version of the blitz.
I never was particularly fond of the looks of the proto rail but the gog never really did it for me either so it's just a preformace thing for me and I think I'm going to go with the rail.

Thanks a TON dude this was VERY helpful!!!!