Proto Paintball is DYE’s sister company, making products that are lower in price, but still meet DYE’s demanding quality standards. They make clothing, masks, and other gear, including their own line of markers. As with DYE markers, all of Proto’s markers are designed around their patented spool valve technology.

Joining the PMR at the lower end of the price scale, the SLG is an entry-level spool valve marker. The latest version, the UL model is fitted with a polymer version of the Ultralight frame, which maximizes comfort and controllability of the marker. What sets the SLG apart from the PMR is the unique “sear-tripper” mode of operation.

The SLG is a spool valved marker, but rather than using a pneumatic solenoid to control the bolt’s cycle, it uses a hardened steel ring on the spool in conjunction with a mechanical solenoid to fire the marker. The SLG UL is a small marker, weighing in at 2.2 pounds. The board has Semi-Automatic, Millenium Series (2008), PSP and NXL modes on board. The SLG UL comes equipped with break-beam eyes to handle the paint detection duties. The inline regulator is DYE’s Hyper 3 Regulator. We did note that the Hyper 3 isn’t threaded for standard ASA threading, instead using a smaller thread, which appeared to be thicker and stronger than standard ASA threading.

Also housed in the polymer gripframe is a metal UL trigger that has adjustments for travel and spring tension. The stock barrel, while shorter than the norm, looks to be well made, which is a departure for most stock barrels in general. While the feed neck isn’t a lever locking type, it looks to be well made as well.

Out of the box, the clear anodized SLG UL comes with a no-rise feedneck, an 11″ Proto barrel, and a Proto ASA. All that’s required to get up and running is to attach the air system and a hopper of your choice. For this review we used a DYE Rotor hopper and a Custom Products 68/4500 air system. A combination of DXS Bronze and Rec-Sport paint was used during the course of the test.

We followed the well written and illustrated owner’s manual to set the marker to PSP Mode and set the trigger to our preferences. During the process of setting the marker up, we dry fired the marker a bit to get a feel for how the mechanical solenoid would feel. Like any other mechanical solenoid in a sear tripping marker, the solenoid was noticeably louder than a pneumatic solenoid.

On the field, the tiny SLG UL is easy to move with, and during the course of a long day at the field the marker’s light weight won’t be an issue. We were pleasantly surprised with the marker’s accuracy using the stock barrel, and the mechanical solenoid’s noise wasn’t noticeable in the slightest. Like most spool valved markers, the SLG UL is quiet.

Helping the SLG keep the noise down vs. earlier SLG’s is an integrated silencer in the bolt assembly. While the SLG doesn’t have the soft ‘thoop’ of a fully pneumatic spool valved marker, it’s an extremely quiet marker, especially when we used the 14″ St!ffi barrel on it.

The feedneck was a bit of a pain to screw down onto the Rotor hopper, and we felt that the commendable accuracy of the stock barrel could be improved on with an aftermarket barrel. Adding a 14″ St!ffi barrel gave an immediate and noticeable jump in perceived accuracy, and a slight improvement in efficiency, which Proto claims the SLG UL gives around 1500 shots per 4500 psi fill. Adding an aftermarket clamping feedneck to the SLG as well as investing in an aftermarket barrel would make the SLG a formidable marker for the vast majority of players.

Maintaining the SLG UL is a snap as well. The bolt system unscrews from the back of the marker, and unlike the PMR, the back cap is made of aluminum rather than polymer, so there aren’t concerns about stripping out the hex opening during the course of regular maintenance. Once the bolt system is removed, lubricating the bolt’s o-rings is a simple affair with the included DYE lube.

Priced at an MSRP of $299, the SLG UL offers a lot of bang for the buck, and is a viable alternative in the entry level market. For more information, check out www.protopaintball.com