[jonnyinthehau5]

I was wondering which gun I should get for my first REAL paintball gun. I've heard terrific things about the Tippmann A5 and it seems pretty reliable. I want something with the full auto option for those long days. The Bt4 seems to look similar to the a5 but I haven't heard too many reviews? What do you guys think? Also, customization is a must for me. I play with 2 totally different groups of friends and I tend to snipe more for one. Having options is always nice. Thanks.

[slinkyaroo]

A5 with APE board is the better choice IMO. The technology is the same but the A5 is easier to take apart. Also there are better selections for the A5 stock. Both use the A5 barrel. As long as shooting 15 bps or less is ok then look at the A5.

[kaosukoden]

tippmann just came out with thier remodeled a5. i haven't seen it, but if it's anything like what they say, it should be a good choice. Tippmann is a reliable gun.

[jonnyinthehau5]

slinkyaroo, on 04 January 2011 - 09:21 AM, said:

A5 with APE board is the better choice IMO. The technology is the same but the A5 is easier to take apart. Also there are better selections for the A5 stock. Both use the A5 barrel. As long as shooting 15 bps or less is ok then look at the A5.

Under 15 bps? I thought that it was guaranteed at least? O.o
Oh well, i'm cool with it either way.
I've just seen all these people on YouTube with the "24 bps" vids.

Oh btw do you know what feeder system the bt4 uses?

[Benaiah]

The BT-4 uses any hopper system. You seem to be set on the A5 or the BT-4. I have an A5, and i got my little brother a BT-4 for christmas. They are both very reliable markers and a virtually indestructible. However, as a blowback marker (the type of mechanism that makes the marker semi auto), they will never be as consistent, and thus accurate, as an electro.

If youre looking for something that can really throw paint that still has a mil-sim look, feel, and reliability, i would recommend looking into either the BT TM-7 or TM-15. They are an inline poppet, very similar to the Invert Mini. This style of gun has proven to be very reliable, and as the air is through grip, there is no macro-line to get in the way. The TM-7 is more SMG looking, while the TM-15 is more carbine style. Both will perform the same, but the TM-15 has a longer barrel stock. One guy i saw was using a stock TM-15, and he sniped like no one's business. Both markers, as electros, will have a select fire option that will allow you to shoot full auto. They both come with stocks and foregrips. Both wil require the purchase of a hopper, your best bet would be a force-fed.

You said this would be your first REAL paintball marker, so i would make the investment into an electro like one of the TMs. It may cost more money now, but the satisfaction later will be worth it. A good hopper would be the Invert Halo Too, a Halo B (on sale at ansgear.com, i recommend this), or an empire manga. Compressed air would also be your best bet (you might even be required to use compressed air for the TMs), and a 4500 psi carbon fiber tank would be a good investment, but is not necessary. a 3000 psi will give you less shots per fill, but will be cheaper up front. Since they both have stocks, a remote line might be a good idea as well.

[jonnyinthehau5]

Benaiah, on 04 January 2011 - 05:30 PM, said:

The BT-4 uses any hopper system. You seem to be set on the A5 or the BT-4. I have an A5, and i got my little brother a BT-4 for christmas. They are both very reliable markers and a virtually indestructible. However, as a blowback marker (the type of mechanism that makes the marker semi auto), they will never be as consistent, and thus accurate, as an electro.

If youre looking for something that can really throw paint that still has a mil-sim look, feel, and reliability, i would recommend looking into either the BT TM-7 or TM-15. They are an inline poppet, very similar to the Invert Mini. This style of gun has proven to be very reliable, and as the air is through grip, there is no macro-line to get in the way. The TM-7 is more SMG looking, while the TM-15 is more carbine style. Both will perform the same, but the TM-15 has a longer barrel stock. One guy i saw was using a stock TM-15, and he sniped like no one's business. Both markers, as electros, will have a select fire option that will allow you to shoot full auto. They both come with stocks and foregrips. Both wil require the purchase of a hopper, your best bet would be a force-fed.

You said this would be your first REAL paintball marker, so i would make the investment into an electro like one of the TMs. It may cost more money now, but the satisfaction later will be worth it. A good hopper would be the Invert Halo Too, a Halo B (on sale at ansgear.com, i recommend this), or an empire manga. Compressed air would also be your best bet (you might even be required to use compressed air for the TMs), and a 4500 psi carbon fiber tank would be a good investment, but is not necessary. a 3000 psi will give you less shots per fill, but will be cheaper up front. Since they both have stocks, a remote line might be a good idea as well.

Yeah, I looked into those but they're out of my price range.
Thanks for the advice though. I'm definitely buying a few air tanks. I don't have an air compressor but I'm lucky to have a scuba store nearby. Thanks for all the info and help.

[cdrinkh20]

jonnyinthehau5, on 04 January 2011 - 03:08 PM, said:

slinkyaroo, on 04 January 2011 - 09:21 AM, said:

A5 with APE board is the better choice IMO. The technology is the same but the A5 is easier to take apart. Also there are better selections for the A5 stock. Both use the A5 barrel. As long as shooting 15 bps or less is ok then look at the A5.

Under 15 bps? I thought that it was guaranteed at least? O.o
Oh well, i'm cool with it either way.
I've just seen all these people on YouTube with the "24 bps" vids.

Oh btw do you know what feeder system the bt4 uses?

People showing it at higher BPS have modified their markers - often with lighter hammers, more resilient powertubes, etc... and often upgraded cyclones (ie. squishy paddles) because the cyclone becomes a blender at high speeds without some upgrades.

[Benaiah]

jonnyinthehau5, on 04 January 2011 - 07:48 PM, said:

Yeah, I looked into those but they're out of my price range.
Thanks for the advice though. I'm definitely buying a few air tanks. I don't have an air compressor but I'm lucky to have a scuba store nearby. Thanks for all the info and help.

Like i said, ive owned an A5 and while it is a decent marker, i wish i would have went with a TM-7. But if money is an issue, the BT4 and the A5 will perform the same, so the BT4 is cheaper. But getting an air tank, preferably one with a good regulator on it, would be the best upgrade you can do.

[sousey]

You might want to search around this and other forums, this conversion has happen several times already.

I hear allot of people have issues with the A5 eGrip, if stored near any dampness (basement/garage, forget about playing in the rain or snow) you may be out 80 buck, i have not had any issues with my BT (I hope i did not jinks myself).

then there is the ball feeding...the RipClip is way better (IMO) and does not turn into a blender in the winter.

[jonnyinthehau5]

sousey, on 04 January 2011 - 08:55 PM, said:

You might want to search around this and other forums, this conversion has happen several times already.

I hear allot of people have issues with the A5 eGrip, if stored near any dampness (basement/garage, forget about playing in the rain or snow) you may be out 80 buck, i have not had any issues with my BT (I hope i did not jinks myself).

then there is the ball feeding...the RipClip is way better (IMO) and does not turn into a blender in the winter.

Yeah durability in the outdoors in the winter is a major concern. I usually play outside in Chicago or Northern Ontario during the winter. I've heard that the RipClip is better than the cyclone feeder but I've never heard any real reasons why,

[ger]

I've not heard the same things sousey has... I've never had an issue in cold (4* windchill) or wet (torrential downpour) weather w/ my e-gripped A-5 - it is the original board, pre-was. My cousin has used the newer APE board in his A-5 & it's reportedly even better in adverse weather.

The Cyclone is finicky, no doubt, but even in the cold I've only had one break in the hopper & the only "upgrade" I have is squishy paddles. Truthfully, you are better off putting your money into a quality force feed hopper rather than the RipClip if you go the BT route.

If you really like the Milsim look then maybe try an e-gripped Carver One, at least that would give you the option - like w/ a BT-4 - of purchasing a good force feed hopper instead of using a Cyclone. Or you may even want to look at finding a used SP-1 (I know, Smart Parts is out-of-business, don't buy an SP-1, it's the end of the world *panic ensues*... jk ).

Either way, good luck w/ the search. From my own experience & many more on here, whatever you choose likely won't be your only marker purchase if you stay in the sport. I've moved on from my A-5 & now have two Automags w/ an electro in my near future... my A-5 is now a backups backup. That's just part of the game, you have to play w/ a setup until you realize you would rather have a different setup, and so on .

[kaosukoden]

ger, on 05 January 2011 - 11:53 AM, said:

Either way, good luck w/ the search. From my own experience & many more on here, whatever you choose likely won't be your only marker purchase if you stay in the sport. I've moved on from my A-5 & now have two Automags w/ an electro in my near future... my A-5 is now a backups backup. That's just part of the game, you have to play w/ a setup until you realize you would rather have a different setup, and so on .

This is the ultimate statement when purchasing a paintball gun. If you play the sport for more than a few games here and there, you're going to want to have options. You will get preferences. You will love to experiment. As you can probably see, alot of people start out with a tippmann, they're cheap, very reliable, easily customizable, and can grow with you. But you'll also see that most people move away from tippmann as thier love for the sport grows. Not saying that the more experienced don't like tippmann, they're just willing to put more money into a sport that they play. I have an a5 for my close quarters, and I have my highly customized 98 custom i use for my ambush/sniper. I play sim, and have my a5 decked out like an UMP and my 98 is decked out like a rifle. But I am going to probably sell my a5 and my old spyder (for what i can get for it ) so I can purchase a Tiberius T9.1.

[Thumper113]

Spend a little bit more money and get a Phenom.

its lighter, smaller then the original X7

its regulated, works even if the battery is dead (no firing modes thou) its easier to change the battery as well.

if you cant afford the $400

a5 is just fine..

This post has been edited by Thumper113: 07 January 2011 - 01:16 AM

[Helmi_17]

I recommend one of two things, and one is going to be in the ordinary and one in the "sorta not".

Recommendation one: Buy an A-5. Seriously, do it. It's slow, inefficient, inconsistent, and it's heavy... But guess what? It works. I have had my A-5 since release year. To date (playing every year, heavily, mind you) I have performed the following repairs: Replace Tombstone O-Ring, Replace cocking knob, Disassemble clean and re-assemble Cyclone feed. That's it. One O-Ring, one plastic piece (that I fell on) and a cleaning... In all those years, I think I bought it in 02, IIRC.

Recommendation two: Buy a classic Automag in powerfeed left or right, used, on the fourms. Here, M. Carter Brown, or Automags.Org are all fine. You should be able to pick one up for less than $100. There are some caveats here, however. Right off the bat, I recommend buying an HPA tank, an agitated hopper (doesn't have to be super fast), a CP rail, and a CP on/off. If it doesn't come with a good barrel or you don't like the one that comes with it, go to docsmachine.com and buy a twistlock to autococker adapter so you can use autococker barrels (twistlocks are hard to find and kinda tricky to use). I also would recommend going to www.airgundesignsusa.com and buying a classic valve parts kit, just in case (it is used, after all).

Recommendation two takes a bit more finding, and initial investment... But you will have a marker that (in my opinion) shoots rings around the A-5 in every way. You don't need 15 bps, I promise. The mag will be quieter, and WAY more consistent, which will allow you to pull those sneaky moves, and that coveted "ball on ball" accuracy. Also, you will have mad old school cred on any field as well as the "what -IS- that?" from the newbsauce.

Either way, you're going to be happy. I strongly recommend avoiding electronics in your first marker, at all costs (minus the hopper, of course). You want to be able to just pull your marker out of the gearbag and go, when you're new... You don't want to have to be fixing your marker constantly. I've had my classic mags for several years now... All I do is oil, chrono, and go to town with them while everyone else is busy trying to figure out what rate of fire they're set to, I'm mowing muppets.

[yaunovich11]

Tippmann A5 all the way. The reliability of it, The aftermarket barrels and paddle options make the A5 so much more efficient with your air source.