The Proto Matrix 8

The Dye Matrix was one of the longest lines of markers in paintball history, but there was a time that it nearly cannibalize itself. Dye purchased the design and began releasing their own version with a major revision coming in 2004. The DM4 was a premium gun at a premium price but with the release of lower cost options like the Smart Parts Shocker SFT, Dye had to make a play for the mid range market and started the Proto line with the Proto Matrix 5. It was chunky and tall with more simple milling and finish along with a shorter stock barrel and odd looking rubber eye covers, but it is what’s inside that counts. Inside was a proper Fuse bolt system, though running at a higher pressure.

Not a prototype

As the Proto line evolved the rumor was that the line was where Dye was prototyping new features and concepts. This was not the case as for the most part the Proto line was intended to stop the bleeding that the Smart Parts Ion caused to the lower end landscape. Releases like the Proto Rail, which essentially had the same bolt engine as the Ion, and the odd sear tripping SLG were both aimed to compete in the new market. The myth did become prophecy with the release of the Proto Matrix 8, usually referred to as the PM8.

The PM8 was, and still is, a beast of a marker. Inside is a true balanced Fuse bolt like its bigger brother the DM8, but running at a higher pressure. Later models of the Dye Matrix series would adopt this higher pressure as the most popular mod for them was the “top hat mod”, where users would add material (usually electrical tape), to reduce the volume of air in the bolt system giving them better efficiency. It shipped with the Dye Ultralite frame, which was likely the main reason it ate so many of the DM8 sales. With a two piece barrel, on off ASA, and adjustable feedneck there was little to hold the PM8 back from being a top tier contender for its day.

The PM8 kept the same small form factor as previous Proto offerings but without as much additional height. Some of the space saving came from the Proto line having their low pressure regulator in a different location than its big brothers, something that Dye would copy on their later DM line. With a full feature set, the same smooth shot, and ergonomics as Dyes top end offerings the writing was on the wall for the Proto Matrix line and this was the last year for the line. Proto would continue with the Rail line, including the well loved Reflex line, but it would never have another offering quite like the PM8.

Still going strong

From a modern perspective the PM8 holds up very well. It is not as long and a bit tall compared to modern markers. Parts, both stock and aftermarket, are readily available to keep them going for another decade. It unfortunately uses a short lived first generation of the Dye eye pipe but Dye is still selling them and 3D printed options are out there if they ever do stop stocking them. They do take more maintenance than most players will be used to these days but on the field mine has been very reliable. Despite its age the stock board has a ramp setting that you can drop to 10bps for use in a modern game without the need to go hunting for an aftermarket board. It does show its age compared to markers like the Empire Axe that were early adopters of a hoseless design, but Dye continued to use macroline long after the PM8.

Overall, I love my PM8 and would recommend it for anyone who wants to a hint of nostalgia while still being viable in the modern game. It’s comfortable, reliable, and ready to rip.