Review: Tippmann Crossover

Went to the field last weekend and took the Crossover.  Used the standard field paint and a 68/4500 air tank attached to the marker along with the hopper that shipped with it.  Left the hopper on the default settings, kept the stock barrel in place and selected auto-response as the electronic firing mode.

Overview:  This is just a fun marker to shoot.  It is way too easy to go through a lot of paint, even in mechanical semi-auto mode.

Ergonomics:  Lightweight with an easy to operate trigger.  The clamping feedneck worked perfectly.  It could be adjusted so the hopper was secure, yet easy to remove when so desired.  The marker was fairly well balanced between a full-hopper and the tank I selected.  It did become a bit heavy towards the back as the hopper neared empty but nothing really bad.  This isn't a marker I would put a metal tank on as it would seriously throw off the balance.  (Tested this with an old 68/3000.)  The only handling problem I had with the marker was an operator-related issue as opposed to really being an issue with the marker.  Being used to much heavier markers I noticed a tendency to shoot over opponents when first bringing the marker to bear on them.  It wasn't a problem when I had time to aim so much as when I was forced to point and shoot.

Operation:  Easy to operate.  While I know some aren't that fond of the selector switch positioning I thought the positioning was fine.  The one thing that was a challenge for me is that the last thing I handled that shot and had a real selector switch (not a push button safety) was an M4.  Because of this, I kept wanting to push the selector in the wrong direction when taking it off of safe.  Programming the firing mode for the electronic setting was easy once I fully read the instructions.  The programming button does take a lot of force to activate but that is a good thing as you don't want to accidentally enter that mode while on the field.

Shooting:  Of course, once I had it chronoed, I had to waste some paint on our field's range.  Speaking of chronoing, I had some initial fluctuations with the velocity of around +- 5 fps.  I kept chronoing between games and by the end of the day it was pretty much setting on 279 with every shot fired.  On the range, I shot at smaller (Direct TV sized) satellite dishes at approximately 80 feet.  Where the paint hit was very consistent both on semi and auto-response.  Once I was on target I could fire a stream and hear the individual rounds break in succession on the target moments later.  I could also, consistently hit a mask sized target at approximately 50 feet consistently once I was on target. 

Barrel:  I see no reason to put an after-market barrel on this marker.  The stock barrel is definitely not the Tippmann stock barrel of old.  The internal finish is what I would consider near the quality of either a J&J or Lapco.  I broke paint on the field and it shot fine after a single pass of a pull-through squeegee.  I then played the rest of the day with the barrel and let it set for 4 days before doing anything else with it.  Running some water through it and following with a single pass through of a swab was all it took to restore the mirror finish.  It is ported with multiple straight lines of small ports along approximately the last 5 inches of the barrel.  An old school player would consider this pattern as designed for quieting the sound of firing.  Whether this was the intent or not, this is a very quiet marker in stock configuration.  (Disclaimer:  I tend to use older mechanical markers, so "quiet" may be a matter of personal interpretation.)  However, if my E-cocker with a carbon fiber Stiffi tip on a Freak back was one end of the sound scale and my 98 with J&J was on the other, the Crossover is definitely much closer to the Cocker when a comparison is made. 

On the field:  I should start by noting that I was definitely not playing at what I consider my normal skill level the day I tested the Crossover.  However, I think I still had a chance to make a fair evaluation over 5 games.  The lighter weight, compared to what I usually carry, was definitely a plus.  This is a marker you can carry all day without regretting your choice as you start to wear out towards the end of the day.  On the subject of weight, I have other light markers and the difference with the Crossover from some of the others is that it is lightweight without feeling flimsy unlike one or two of my other markers.  Except for trying to push the selector switch the wrong way, I had no trouble switching between firing modes as needed on the field.  Semi was great for aimed shots and on auto-response I could provide more than enough accurate covering fire for team members making moves.  I got a couple of eliminations at major lobbing range and was quite pleased with the accuracy in these situations.  (Three rounds launched at about a 30 degree angle and three breaks on target.)

Other:  Having everyone ask what kind of marker it was and seeing their responses as I explained was enjoyable.  There was drooling, fondling and touching.  (And then they checked out the marker.  )  I still bemoan the lack of a sight rail (because I'm used to having sights) but I understand that putting one on the Crossover would have gone outside the design/target parameters Tippmann had in mind when envisioning this marker.  It also seemed to use more air than I expected, but that could be due to the fact that pulling the trigger was so much fun that I went through a lot more paint than I usually do.  (Even so, for the amount of paint fired in certain games it seemed the tank went down quick . . . I will probably use a different tank next time to see if this was a tank-related issue.)

I will leave the technical stuff to people that are better at teching the electronic/newer stuff than I and close by saying that this marker should be a definite win for Tippmann and anyone who gets one will be quite satisfied with it.


Edited by Mack - 20 October 2012 at 7:02pm

The theory behind changing the firing modes is easy.  Alas, following the directions, at least for me, was a bit more difficult.  I did finally master it . . . I just had to read the directions carefully and make sure I was following them step-by-step. Additionally, I had trouble depressing the button for this, but, as I have hand issues from breaking a lot of bones in my primary hand back in the stone knives and bear skins days, I am probably not the best person to make judgements on the operation of the button.

#BroTip getting rid of the trigger spring like in the Hustle Paintball video makes the trigger Easier to walk.

WELL PLAYED WITH MY NEW CROSSOVER TODAY AT PICASSO LAKE  IN NJ AND I MUST SAY IT WAS SO MUCH FUN SHOOTING MY GUN IT SHOT ROPES ALL DAY AND I CANT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THING ABOUT IT TRIGGER WAS LIKE BUTTER JUST A GREAT GUN THANKS TIPPMANN