When you think of paintball guns (or markers, as they’re so daintily referred to by the cognescenti), they’re not the first things you’d want to grab if you have to defend your home and hearth against insensate evil. Hell, even Ralphie’s Red Ryder was a better choice. Then again, he didn’t live in New Jersey. No, paintball guns are only a notch or two above running with scissors on the danger scale. But don’t tell that to Elvis Alexander, whose blooming welts are a living testament to the power of those speedy little spheres . . .

Alexander wasn’t exactly aiming high when he broke into a home in his own Galveston neighborhood Friday morning, no doubt expecting it to be empty. All he managed to grab were a few coins and some ramen noodles before the owner mounted a fierce counter-attack.

Carrie King, 34, called police about 10:30 a.m., saying she was hiding from an intruder inside her home in the 1100 block of 36th Street, (Lt. Michael) Gray said. An officer arrived, heard yelling and went inside.

“He heard her firing the paintball gun and the sound of the impacts of the paint balls,” Gray said.

The responding officer found Alexander inside King’s home covered in yellow paint, pretty much red yellow handed. Elvis left the building under police escort and is now facing a charge of burglary of a habitation with intent to commit theft. We’d suggest a home defense weapon with a little more oomph, but we’re glad Carrie successfully repelled the intruder and came through this one unharmed. Color us impressed.

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22 COMMENTS

  1. I’d rate it above a big stick, but below a tazer. Of course, I’m sure the un-special ones don’t get those either in the Garden State.

      • But aren’t the FN303 markers more powerful than your run of the mill paintball guns such like Tippmans?
        Quick question and sorry if this sounds stupid, but can one get a paintball gun and bring it to say, NYC where registering a gun is extremely expensive and load it with pepperballs?

        • Pepper balls are one alternative,
          Some years back there were companies
          making .69 caliber blowguns.
          Muzzleloading a .69 caliber dart might work,
          or you could always make your own.

          I wonder what effect freezing a paintball might have.
          Thwack ?

        • Mogg to answer your question, frozen paintballs can break ribs at 300fps or higher. You can also load marbles into the gun, they will also break ribs and cause damage.

  2. There are millions of people in this country that would find purchasing/possession/permits etc of firearms a problematic issue. Various reasons can be finance, may issue states or locale, even fear of killing someone with a firearm, etc. I have long been an advocate of those folks looking seriously at alternatives. A full auto airsoft gun or paintball gun could be a lifesaver. Just search on youtube to see what 5000 pellets from a airsoft gun can do to various targets. Like the classic argument about .22LR vs. .50AE as a defensive gun, there will be folks that absolutely reject the idea. I’ve thought about it, and IMHO nobody likes getting sliced up with a .22LR and nobody is going to like, or stay around for 1 or 2 minutes as their face is torn apart by a full auto airsoft gun. There are many non-firearm weapons that are available today. Its worth at least investigating.

    • I suppose an Airsoft gun could work but I sure as hell would not rely on it at all if I had any other alternative. I think It could fool a home invader into thinking you have a real gun but once you start shooting him with little plastic pellets your just going to make him mad. I’ve probably been shot severely hundered times by Airsoft bbs and paintballs and can say they pack almost no punch. That is of course unless you freeze your paintballs or modify it to shoot marbles.

  3. Its about mindset and not hardware.Good job on the lady in repulsing her attacker.

    Remember that in NJ they have a vague “direct from home to range without deviation” law on the books;so going to the range -and stopping for coffee,picking up a pal, or getting gas-can be considered an arrestable offense. I can’t blame someone for deciding the real McCoy is just too much hassle under those circumstances, especially if just driving to the range carries the risk of arrest and an expensive legal battle.

  4. Good for Ms. King. If your going to use a gun to defend yourself. You don’t pull it unless your going to fire it. If you shoot you shoot to kill. Many people have been killed or wounded, or sued from wounded bad guys. Better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6.

  5. You may not want to mess with Texas, but’s just a matter of time before paint ball guns become illegal in New Jersey, the England of America. If Galveston was located in the Garden State, Ms. King would be in jail and Elvis Alexander would be getting a check to compensate him for his workplace injuries. Chris Christie is the ultimate RINO.

  7. You got that right Ralph old buddy. He’s such a RINO he should be on the endangered species list.

  11. yeah, paintballs hurt. frozen paintballs even more so. I guarantee you Elvis has a hunka-hunka of burnin’ welts.

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