Talking about Tippmann

I did a lot of research before biting the bullet and purchasing my first marker. The name Tippmann was hammered into my brain over and over.

There are numerous reasons why Tree went with a Tippmann (whoa, speaking of myself in third-person…I might be on to something here.)

First: I wanted a marker that was forgiving. I’m the sort of guy who, as a kid, took apart way too many appliances, etc. and always ended up having “spare” parts left over after I’d put ‘em back together. I’m fascinated by how things work, but rarely get it all right the first time. From alarm clocks to server software, I have the Midas Touch…but I always manage to get ‘em fixed and working. By the time I’m finished, I know the darned thing inside and out. With this in mind, getting a marker that wasn’t too finicky about its internals was a priority.

Second: I remember my days of playing “Capture the Flag” in my Boy Scout days with very fond memories. Woodsball is where it’s at for me. Matching my environmental needs with a marker renowned for durability was key.

Third: I am the sort of person that picks an interest and is willing to sink a lot of money into making sure I enjoy it. Paintballs aren’t exactly cheap, but they’re an expenditure that cannot be helped.
A marker on the other hand, can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. I wanted a marker that could grow with me. With the Tippy A-5, there are more customizeable upgrades out there than I’ve ever cared to count. I can (and have) gone at my own pace when upgrading my marker and there always seems to be something else to add to my “Ooooh…shiny…” list of things to buy.

With these key elements in mind, I sunk my initial investment into the A-5 package that includes the flatline barrel, E-Grip, Remote Line, and CAR stock.

My only regret in my customization was with this initial package. Two main items of contention here:

1. I despise my E-Grip. I have never used any firing mode other than Semi, nor do I ever intend to. In hindsight, I could have saved a chunk of change by going with the stock grip frame and be perfectly happy. I’ve had batteries go out on me in the middle of a match, I’ve had the darned sear/rear bolt pooch on me halfway through a scenario weekend (See my first scenario game writeup in the AAR section), and after some initial problems with the cyclone chewing up paintballs before they entered the breech, I have never since attempted to use the burst fire modes.

2. The CAR stock does very little for me. It does not take into account the fact that every paintballer wears a mask. My particular mask has zero give to it, and so trying to sight down the barrel is impossible. Second, I’m a tall, lanky guy with long arms and neck. I have so far been unable to find a length that allows anything resembling comfort when attempting to sight through my offset Red Dot sight. I keep the stock as collapsed as possible and rarely if ever find the extra bracing to be of any help.

As of this writeup, I have a SpecOps Commando Air-through stock and grip on the way to replace this cursed piece of obstruction.

In closing:

If by some off the wall chance you read this before making a marker purchase, go with the plain-jane A-5 and upgrade slowly. By the time I’m finished customizing my A-5, I have a feeling that the vast majority of the “customizations” I bought in my initial purchase of a package deal will be in my “Stuff to sell” pile.