A close look at the new Crossover

 Something nice and shiny arrived on my doorstep today. I know a few of you have been interested in the new Crossover from Tippmann, and since I'm our resident tech geek I figured I'd...Well, take it apart.



 Here's the completely assembled gun sitting next to a Halo for size reference. I would say it feels a bit like an Ion, but with a milled aluminum body. A pretty nice trigger, could use a slightly softer spring. Interestingly the trigger seems to have a rest position set screw, although you need to remove the gripframe to get at it.

 It uses the same rotating safety/selector as the X7 Phenom. Although they did size the lever down a bit, it's a bit ouchy on the fingers to move. But it probably just needs a shot of lube on the position detent.

 The foregrip is interesting. When you remove it you notice it's a fully formed ASA adapter on the end, complete with o-ring. The reason for this is the gun has internal air channels, so the front ASA is ready to go with any regulator laying around.

 The feedneck is a clamp style, and I do believe this marks Tippmann's first ever production center-feed gun.

 Good barrel, definately not the basic "ring of holes in the middle" stock Tippmann barrel we all know. Carbine/A5 threaded.

 I'd also give them an A on the body. The milling is basic, but I've never much cared for over-the-top gaudiness. No roughness or machine marks. Good black dust anodizing as well.

 That said, let's take it apart, eh?



 The whole gun broken down into its basic parts. Removing the gripframe is no longer necessary to access the flex valve. On the Phenom the gas line mated with the valve directly, so you had to pull it off. What Tippmann did here is pretty clever: Removing the gripframe bolts and the safety lets the grip come off, but the trigger stays with the reciever. The trigger, the "sear" for the electronic fire, and the teeny pilot valve that fires the flex valve are all in one milled out block of aluminum, which bolts to the reciever.



 Here's a closeup of the trigger group. The small brass circle at the base of the aluminum housing is the pilot valve that actually fires the gun. In the X7 flex valve this was built directly into the bottom of the main valve. One of the more irritating maintenance procedures on the original flex valve was trying to replace an o-ring in this trigger valve. This should be much easier now.

 The L-shaped piece of aluminum to the right of the brass valve cap is the sear for the electronic fire. The solenoid in the grip pushes it, the L pivots and hits the trigger valve.

 In manual mode, the trigger itself pushes down on this L-shaped sear and fires the gun. Pretty much the same as in the Phenom, just made a great deal more compact.



 A closeup of the underside of the body. Note the 3 really tiny o-rings. Those go between the body and the trigger assembly to carry air to the trigger valve, as well as the source air from the bottomline.

 The ribbon cable running along there is going to the anti-chop eyes at the chamber. The flash washed out the connector, it's a basic spring connector that the top of the gripframe connects with.



 Here's the actual flex valve completely dissasembled. Definately a change from the Phenom version, which was basically a solid tube. The rear regulator has been removed, and is now on the bottomline. Where the regulator used to be (Far right) it looks like they've enlarged the dump chamber.

 The small silvery bit just to the left of the endcap is the balanced spool valve. It sits between the air in the dump chamber and the powertube, only moving when the trigger valve is activated.

 Left of that is the housing for the spool valve, then the powertube, and finally the Automag-style bolt.

 I've never owned a paintgun I didn't mod, but I might just leave this bone stock. It's gorgeous.

Oh so now we can post geek pr0n?

I just ordered a old school air through t stock for it. I just don't like the feel of tank on shoulder. But it's definatly like no other Tippmann. I was hoping to get mine in by sunday's game I'm generaling guess I'll have to use it on the 5vs5 woodsball tourney next month.

That looks great, very interesting!

Hopefully this version of Vave as well as the gas through, are ore reliable than on the Phenom.
I had 3 phenoms, and had problems with every one of them.
Sold them all, and got Automags.

I used to LOVE my phenom. Never had anything but good luck with it. No mechanical problems and it always came through for me on the field.

Oh, and since switching to mags about 6 months ago, I ave not chopped a single all, thanks to the level 10 bolt.
I've gone through tens of thousands of balls

Balls chopping.
Leaking internal brass
Leaking Valves.
Which would be ok if it was easy to fix.
I can get to any o-ring on my x-valve within a minute, without any special tools whatsoever.