Markeris Dye NT black

The Dye NT 11 paintball gun is Dye’s updated 2011 model of the original NT.   The 2011 NT’s design is fairly similar to the previous model  and is a spool valve, but it does have some significant changes.  The NT name comes from dye branding this paintball marker as „New Technology” (NT).

This is a very high quality marker from Dye Precision and is really impressive.  The NT11 has a very small profile, is extremely air efficient and shoots very smooth.  It is actually one of the most air efficient paintball guns available and can be customized with bolt inserts to change its performance.  The NT11 is available in a wide variety of color options.

Dye NT11 Specifications

• Weight:  1.6 lb
• Operating Pressure:  110 – 125 psi
• Air Efficiency:  1400-1500 shots from a 68/4500
• One 9V Battery ~ 40,000 shots

The Dye NT11 comes with many of the standard features of Dye’s other markers such as the Hyper-3 Regulator, Reach trigger, Ultralight Frame and Barrel and Airport ASA.  What makes the design of the NT11 paintball gun unique is the internals and single tube body design.

Compared to the Dye DM12 Paintball Gun, the NT11’s body is much smaller.  This is because it does not use the stacked tube design.  Unlike the DM12, the NT doesn’t have a Low Pressure Regulator (LPR).  The Bolt system named the Boost Bolt design is also different.

Dye NT11 Features

• Boost Bolt System
• Changeable Volume and Bolt Inserts
• Hyper 3 Regulator
• Eye Pipe
• Ultralite Frame
• 14 inch Ultralite Barrel
• Screw-less Sticky Grips
• Airport ASA, Lockdown Feedneck, Reach Trigger and more

The Dye NT11 Boost Bolt Design

The bolt assembly of the NT11 can be broken down into 5 components.

1. Cylinder
2. Soft-tip Bolt Assembly
3. Plunger
4. Spool
5. Backcap & Purge Assembly

All of the components are put together and make up one solid assembly that can be removed through the back of the marker.  The bolt system has a variety of color coded o-rings.  This makes replacing them easy and simple, and eliminates the chance of using the wrong size and having problems.   The NT11 Paintball Gun also comes with a really nice spare parts kit with extra sets of o-rings.  Some of the o-ring colors include green, blue, brown and orange.

The design of the bolt cycle on the Dye NT11 is also interesting.  Branded as Boost Forward Technology, it controls the speed of the bolt through the cycle.  This creates less initial acceleration on the paintball from the bolt tip to minimizes ball breaks and help with brittle paint.

The Boost bolt also has an Automatic Valve Shutoff which closes the shot chamber as soon as enough air is released.  This helps maximize air efficiency.

Bolt & Spacer Inserts

The Dye NT11 comes with 6 color coded inserts that can be used to customize and fine tune the performance of the marker.  These inserts include 3 bolt tip inserts and 3 spacer inserts.  Using the inserts you can maximize the guns air efficiency, or be quiet, easy on paint and have little kick.  The inserts can also be used to customize the bolt and pressure so it’s performance is somewhere in between the to extremes.

Bolt Tip Inserts

The bolt tip spacers determine how much air is used out of the shot chamber on each shot.  The larger the insert and its inner diameter, the more air will be let out before the valve is closed.  With a larger insert, operating pressure, loudness and kick are reduced quite a bit.  Using a smaller tip insert will increase all of these but will also increase the air efficiency of the NT11.

Here are the sizes, colors and inner diameters of the 3 bolt tip inserts.

• Largest – Green 0.34 inches (factory installed tip)
• Middle – Blue 0.3 inches
• Smallest – Red 0.275 inches

Spacer Inserts

The NT11 also comes with 3 spacer inserts that will affect the guns performance.  These are used to take up additional space in the volume chamber of the bolt assembly.

The greater air efficiency you want, the more space you will want to take up.  For the best air efficiency you will want to use the red insert to take up the most space.  If you really want a smooth, quiet marker with little kick and low operating pressure, no insert is needed.

Here are the spacer insert sizes.

• Red – Largest Insert, Least Volume
• Yellow – Middle Insert, Medium Volume
• Green – Smaller Insert, Bigger Volume
• No Insert Needed-  No Spacer ,Most Volume

To maximize the Dye NT11’s air efficiency, use the red bolt tip and red spacer inserts.  To make the paintball gun the quietest, have the least kick and operate at a lower pressure use the green bolt tip and no spacer.  The latter is the stock factory settings of the NT11.

By combining variations of bolt tip and spacer inserts, players can really customize the performance and feel of their marker.  Personally I would recommend going for the smoother settings and sacrifice a little bit of air efficiency (green tip, no spacer).

The Eye Pipe

This paintball gun also comes with Dye’s Eye Pipe.  The Eye Pipe is a clear plastic insert that includes the ball detents and fits into the breech of NT11.  This actually covers and protects the anti-chop eyes from dirt and debris.  Additionally if a paintball is broken in the breech of the gun, the bolt acts as a squeegee to clear out the chopped paint and clean the plastic Eye Pipe.  The Eye Pipe is also easy to remove and clean when the Ultralite Barrel taken off.

Changes and Improvements in the 2011 Dye NT

Here are some changes that were made to the NT11 from the original NT.

• Redesigned Solenoid  –  Consistent Airflow
• Improved Rear Spool Bumper
• Changed Bolt Kit Component Sizes
• New Bolt & Spacer Inserts – Simplified & Color Coded

Here’s a video with Billy Wing going over the Dye NT11 improvements and some features on the NT11.  He does a good job explaining the improvements in depth,  and describes how to use the spacer inserts as well as shows him shooting the paintball gun.

Other Features

The Dye NT11 also comes with the second generation version of the Ultralite Frame.  The grip frame feels really comfortable and lightweight.  The trigger guard is pretty spacious with plenty of room for your fingers.  The color LED display is also rear facing so you don’t have to turn the gun sideways to see the lights.

Dye’s Reach trigger feels really crisp, responsive and smooth.  It is easily adjustable and the trigger guard doesn’t get in the way of changing the settings.  The frame also comes with screw-less sticky grips.  This is an interesting design because taking off grips are usually a big hassle to change the battery or board settings when the tournament lock is on.

Conclusion

The Dye NT11 is one of the best paintball guns available right now.  Dye Precision has been improving their high end paintball markers for many years, and have continued to release new designs and innovative technology.  If you’re in the market for a high end paintball marker and have the money, you can’t go wrong with the NT11.  For those that like having an LPR on their paintball guns, you may like the DM12 or older Dye Matrix markers better.  However even without an LPR, players can still adjust the operating pressure with the inserts.

The NT11 is extremely accurate, air efficient and smooth.  Players can also customize the internals of their bolt kit simply using a mix of bolt tip and spacer inserts.  The bolt kit itself is very easy to take apart and maintain.  Combined with the Hyper-3 Regulator, eye and Eye Piece system and the Ultralite frame & barrel, the Dye NT11 is a really impressive paintball gun.