hehe which gun is better A-5 or 98c
Printed From: Tippmann Paintball
Category: Paintball Equipment
Forum Name: Which Gun is Best
Forum Description: Need Advice? Ask the pros.
URL: http://www.tippmannsports.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=122055
Printed Date: 06 February 2026 at 1:38am
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Topic: hehe which gun is better A-5 or 98c
Posted By: dirtycanadian89
Subject: hehe which gun is better A-5 or 98c
Date Posted: 23 December 2004 at 3:19pm
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ok lets have us a little contest which gun is better A-5 or 98c , i personally own a A-5 with 88/4500, 16inch all american, male palmer, RVA, dbl trig, and i love my A-5 now each gun has its ups and downs and i want to see waht yall have to say and which gun is better ------------- A-5 Pure energy 88/4500 nitro Smart parts all american 16 inch Dead ON RVA Dbl trig MALE PALMER STABILIZER Bob long mini gauge pure energy and dye stickers 3x scope for woods |
Replies:
Posted By: pballa818
Date Posted: 23 December 2004 at 3:51pm
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98c hands down
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Posted By: ztbisme
Date Posted: 23 December 2004 at 4:42pm
| They are almost the same. The A5 has a cyclone feed system, is closed bolt, and is easier to fieldstrip. Performance wise they are almost identical. |
Posted By: A5player
Date Posted: 23 December 2004 at 5:27pm
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Give 1 reason why the 98 is better beside it being cheaper.People on the other threads( which are the same as this one) say the 98c is so much better, but they never give a reason. All i can figure is that you people who say the 98c is a better gun have no clue what you're talking about and have probably never shot one. The A-5 is the better gun, and dont even try to argue that the stock 98c is better than the stock A-5. Also, please no more of these threads, theres been like 10 of these exact same ones in the past month |
pballa818 wrote:Posted By: MoNTYandTIMMoN
Date Posted: 24 December 2004 at 10:01am
the only reason the 98c is better is because it can use a halo or sumthin faster than a cyclone. Otherwise they r basically the same. And its easier for a 98c to chop since the cyclone prevents it a lil, but if u have a halo then i doubt ull chop with a 98c either. ------------- 
Do not tempt the lord! MoNTYtheLoRD |
Posted By: jacob_100
Date Posted: 24 December 2004 at 7:14pm
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the 98. ive had my 98 for about 2 years.compared to the a-5 stock,how can u say that there even close.it might sound newbeish,but the 98 is longer range,and to me feels more comfortable.easyer to keep clean and to control. ------------- Alot of people these days play speed-ball and have superspeed gun.If you are one of the few pump players left,put this as ur sig. -Phantom 45* grip t-stock 20 round center feed 12 gram changer |
Posted By: pballa818
Date Posted: 24 December 2004 at 7:56pm
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the reason is simple...cost... the a5 is not worth 100 more....98c + Revvy is better than a a5.... with they cyclone, you can get shot easier...have you seen a pic of an a5 from the front? Have you seen how wide it is? its like 5 98c's next to each other... ANOTHER EXAMPLE
BOB gets an a5 = 230ROB gets a 98c+ revvy = 160 ROB SAVES 70 here NEXT MONTH
BOB DECIDES TO GET A NEW GUN (ex..spyder Imagine) =120 + revvy =165ROB GETS A NEW GUN (SPYDER IMAGINE) = 120, plus the revvy he had= 120 (try taking off the cyclone feed from the A5  )ROB just saved 40 bux here The 70 + this 40 = 110 saved by getting 98c Plus less chance of getting shot = more playing time= getting better in a shorter amount of time... lol sorry if the BOB and ROB sound ghey...lol I hope this helps some of u decide between the 98c and A-5..... -------------
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Posted By: eaglesin05
Date Posted: 24 December 2004 at 10:20pm
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that was a truley compelling story
------------- Camo'd 98C Remote Polished internals Dbl trigger 14" J&J Ceramic Barrel Rocket Cock 2 Trigger Slop Mod 12V Revvy 03' Dye stikies R/T Drop Forward |
Posted By: A5player
Date Posted: 24 December 2004 at 11:46pm
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[QUOTE=pballa818]the reason is simple...cost... the a5 is not worth 100 more....98c + Revvy is better than a a5....
your an idiot, i own an a-5 and the cyclone is less than the size of half a pop can, it's not easier to get shot because of that, plus the hopper is lower than one on a vert feed gun. The 98c stock at most can shoot 12. The A-5 can shoot 15. The A-5 is easier to maintain, shoots faster, just as long, and is in most if not all ways a better gun. Thats why it costs more. Every time someone says the A-5 sucks and the 98c is better is a complete newb, and have never shot an A-5 before or else they'd be praising it, not trashing it. So please dont talk **edited** if you dont know what your talking about. |
Posted By: jacob_100
Date Posted: 25 December 2004 at 11:35am
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what r u talkin about easyer to maintain?when u take the 98c apart,u can c all of the parts,internals,ext.but with a a-5 ,sorry u cant do that.BIM ------------- Alot of people these days play speed-ball and have superspeed gun.If you are one of the few pump players left,put this as ur sig. -Phantom 45* grip t-stock 20 round center feed 12 gram changer |
Posted By: †Sniper†
Date Posted: 25 December 2004 at 11:51am
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jacob_100, you know nothing, stop posting. I've owned both, the 98c is smaller and marginally lighter, the A-5 is easier to strip, and the cyclone is excellent. The cyclone is not "huge" it just appears that way because instead of a feedneck being 1 inch wide its "feedneck" is a bit more than 2 inches wide. I've never even been shot in the cyclone. Personally, I prefer the 98c. |
Posted By: A5player
Date Posted: 25 December 2004 at 12:46pm
you've obviously never taken apart an A-5 or you'd know how easy is is to maintain. Everything is right in front of you just like it is in the 98. So you dont seem to know what your talking about. |
Posted By: pballa818
Date Posted: 25 December 2004 at 4:05pm
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Posted By: A-5 bunkerking
Date Posted: 25 December 2004 at 4:15pm
you criticized(sp) him on how he sais the 98c is better then doesnt give a reason. their is no better marker between the two, whoever sais the a-5 or 98c is better is just ignorent and only sais the gun they own is best... |
Posted By: n00bPber16
Date Posted: 26 December 2004 at 12:36am
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^^Listen to the man, he is obviously very smart in the ways of 98s and A-5s, but one thing bunkerking how is the e-system better on the 98? ------------- 
Remember your roots(woodsball) |
Posted By: BenderA-5
Date Posted: 26 December 2004 at 2:55am
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hi ------------- Good stuff is good, but bad stuff is bad.... exactly... |
Posted By: A-5 bunkerking
Date Posted: 26 December 2004 at 12:38pm
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the 98s e-system is more expensive, but it turns the marker into a true electro pneumatic gun... ie, it uses a ram to return the bolt with an a-5's egrip, electronics are used to opperate the trigger, not make the gun fire. you pull the trigger which hits a microswitch, then trips a sear. therefor, its still a sear tripper. so its not fully electronic. also, the bsi ebolt is capped around 30 bps, the a-5s egrip is capped around 15. |
Posted By: Jonner
Date Posted: 26 December 2004 at 7:37pm
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the A-5 is closed bolt?! thats news to me....i say 98c though ------------- 
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Posted By: tippman984life
Date Posted: 27 December 2004 at 12:57am
| i own both and i say that the guns are very nice and that they are very equal except in the fact that the 98 custom can be upgraded alot faster and easier and the a-5 just dosent have those qualities yet the a-5 looks way more intimidating it is still not the better choice.....thats my opinon and i think most of you will agree. |
Posted By: Tippmenn9804
Date Posted: 27 December 2004 at 10:34am
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i think they the 98c is a better gun because .........
...................... just because ------------- Tippmann 98 custom Dye Ultralite barrel love **edited**gers (& nbsp; so far) P.S. just got it |
Posted By: jacob_100
Date Posted: 27 December 2004 at 7:06pm
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what do u mean bye not not knowin nothin.i have takin an a-5 apart,many times and i find the 98c much easlyer to clean and maintain.i do know what im talking about.ounce u felid strip the marker,u can see the parts.but what im saying is that u cant just take off one of the sidesand see where all the parts go very easly.with the a-5 its a bit mor hard. ------------- Alot of people these days play speed-ball and have superspeed gun.If you are one of the few pump players left,put this as ur sig. -Phantom 45* grip t-stock 20 round center feed 12 gram changer |
Posted By: f@ll3n 5nip3r
Date Posted: 27 December 2004 at 11:11pm
------------- anti: flatline egg 2 fender guitars cyclone xbox live gamertag:fall3n 5nip3r steam tag:fallen sniper ADD ME!!! "SO I bought an Angel, How the hell do I shoot it.." -jmac3 |
Posted By: oakley8
Date Posted: 28 December 2004 at 1:13am
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Hey, anybody who is looking at this to decide which gun to buy. Find a store that has both of the guns and hold both and find which one you like more. Thats all there is to it, whichever one you like more is the one you should get. I own the A-5 but tons of my friends have 98 customs. I'm just one of the guys who likes the A-5 more. They like the 98 more. So they have 98's and I have an A-5.
If you want to get baisic upgrades for playing woods/rec ball then the A-5 is just as easy to upgrade as the 98. But if you want to play rec/speedball then the 98 is probably going to be a little easier. And guys don't listen to them when they try and say which one is better because of its rate of fire. Who needs to shoot over 15 bps anyways. Besides if you want a gun that can shoot fast to play rec/speedball with then why the heck are you buying a tippmann? If rec/speedball is what you want to play then look into autocockers or impulses.
------------- Tippmann A-5 Lapco Big Shot 14" Dead On Pro Style Drop Remember, VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR |
Posted By: xXxsniperxXx
Date Posted: 28 December 2004 at 10:39am
------------- soon to get An Autococker |
Posted By: strata4511
Date Posted: 10 January 2005 at 6:46pm
| Ok i used to own a 98c, and it was a very good gun upgraded i must say, but i dont know it wasent my style, i tricked the **edited** out of it and it was really good. but i have to say that the a-5 is better with the right stuff put on it. The flatline system and e-grip system are much easier to maintain and take on and off the gun as opposed to the 98c. but as far as opinion goes i think the a-5 is overall better, and i like it much better that the 98c i used to have. and i definately think it is well worth the money-we are all entitled to our own opinions, but when i play woodsball with all my friends who have 98c as opposed to my a-5 with a flatline and response trigger there is no competition. |
Posted By: snowman
Date Posted: 11 January 2005 at 4:55am
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I've used both the 98c and the A-5. Though I've never stripped a 98c, I have to say the A-5 is extremely easy to break down and clean up, almost like breaking down an M-16 (except for splitting halves). The flatline barrel system for the A-5 is also about 4 inches shorter than the 98C which makes it easier to duck behind bunkers and not expose yourself, but the wide cyclone loader ruins that advantage (I've been hit 2 times in two different games last weekend, getting me out which I thought was crap). As for the BPS, personally I really can't see why anyone would even want to go past 15bps. Tippmann doesn't make autocockers, they're making guns that can perform like them, but at a more cost-effective price range. They also assume that people buying at cost-effective price ranges don't spend that much money on paint. Another point that I have, is that you don't need to spray that fast in the first place. It's nice for some situations, but you can play the whole game with single shots. I've personally taken out people with autocockers going full auto on my ass, I peak out, take one quick shot with the flatline, and they're done. The A-5 is not a tourny gun. Don't even try to make an argument about that. They just don't cut it. Very fun recball, but other than that, really nothing more. (Coming from someone who doesn't like tourny, because they aren't fun. No one is smiling while they play. Next time you go, watch the players. It's pretty depressing.) So, out of the box, I choose A-5. Upgrades-wise, the A-5 has a better flatline system. One more thing I'd like to point out: almost every single field I go to, and every time I go, someone always notices the A-5 with the flatline. They always make a comment about the looks and how it performs, and there are people with angels etc. standing next to me, and no one says a damn word to them. Makes me feel proud to be an A-5 owner. One thing I must concede to 98C though, is barrel cleaning. Nothing is easier than screwing off a barrel rather than having to take out two hex screws. Although, on my gun the paint around the flatline barrel where it connects has worn off, so I can just twist it off faster than anyone on the field. Down side is that I have to twist it back tight every so often, but surprisingly it doesn't throw off my aim much. Looks-wise, the Tippmann 98C looks like a pseudo tommy-gun, while the A-5 looks exactly like an H&K MP5K.
PS. I didn't see anyone posting a video on how to take down an A-5. I might post one later on, showing step-by-step how to clean it up. Also, on a side note about the flatline: if you chop paint, you might as well call yourself out. Your accuracy goes down the tubes if you break paint on either gun with flatline. |
Posted By: BalduranCheat
Date Posted: 11 January 2005 at 5:52am
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The one thing I dislike about the A-5 is that when you are low on CO2, the cyclone feed system doesn't work. This is not a problem with the 98C. Also, I have a 98C and it is very quiet and light, while my brother's A-5 with a flatline, stock, and double trigger is loud and heavy, and they both have about the same accuracy (His accuracy sucks, though, perhaps something to do with the weight of the gun?). But for beginners, I would definetly recommend the 98C over the A-5. ------------- You got pwned! Tippman 98 Custom 14" All American That's all I've got, what should I add next? |
Posted By: weltsare4wimps
Date Posted: 11 January 2005 at 1:05pm
I personally have used both and perfer the A-5. But besides a few things they are both pretty much the same. You pay a bit more for the A-5 but you get a better gun. If you play a lot of woodsball, get the A-5, if you dont play alot(come on be honest ) Then get a 98c. Also if a flatline is in the near future, the A-5 flatline works better, b/c the 98 FL jams alot since it was made after the 98, the A-5 was made with the FL
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Posted By: mod98commando
Date Posted: 11 January 2005 at 3:20pm
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Wow. I was going to give my traditional novel-like response to this but
after reading through the first page and most of the second, I realized
that half of you are too immature to handle an argument and I'd be
wasting my time. If you're in favor of the 98c for any reason other
than personal preference then do a search for one of my other posts
comparing the two and you'll find plenty of reasons why the A5 is a
better choice. I have owned the 98c and A5 for quite some time now and
the A5 is my favorite by far and I don't regret paying more than the
price of a 98c to get it.
------------- oreomann33: Everybody invades Poland Rofl_Mao: And everyone eats turkey Me: But only if they're hungary Mack: Yeah but hungary people go russian through their food and end up with greece on everyth |
Posted By: P!NK panther
Date Posted: 11 January 2005 at 6:03pm
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98C= more of speed type A-5= more of woods type
easy as that ------------- http://www.theimagehosting.com"> 
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Posted By: Stone
Date Posted: 12 January 2005 at 8:44pm
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QUOTE:
PS. I didn't see anyone posting a video on how to take down an A-5. I might post one later on, showing step-by-step how to clean it up.
yes please do that. It would actully help me out a lot. |
Posted By: A5player
Date Posted: 12 January 2005 at 8:49pm
wow.....please dont ever say that again, seriously. |
Posted By: paintball_idiot
Date Posted: 13 January 2005 at 12:06am
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honestly it comes down to opinion and use. I know a guy who runs a field and uses M98customs as rentals but shoots an A-5 himself. And doesn't the Cyclone feed run mechanically off Co2 so therefore can go beyond 15 bps? if it is not capped by a board(most loaders are) it should be able to go at whatever speed is dictated by the triiger pull.granted it does not go over by much by much, but I've seen it happen and the A-5 is open bolt in evey essence of the gun. when you cock it back, the sear catches the rear bolt holds spring tension on the rear spring to push the bolt/bolts forward into the valve and barrel to fire the paintball. it saddens me that I have had my A-5 for a month an I know better than people that have owned tippmanns for longer than i have. I prefer the A-5, but they are both great guns and I like not having to worry aout breaking a motorized hopper, plus I think the A-5 is plenty easy to disassemble and put back together. I did it just for fun so that I could learn more about my gun. One of the reasons I like the A-5 better is there is no visible bolt movement and everything is enclosed. I got really sick of taking one right in the cock slot on my old 98(it wasn't a custom) and having to clean it out. now I can take one in the slot and not have to clean it out until i get home because it does not adversely affect performance. Anyway, just my opinion... take it or leave it this is a free country so I am entitled to it. ------------- shootin' a stock A-5
*insert witty catchphrase* Boycott Smart Parts!! 
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Posted By: A5player
Date Posted: 15 January 2005 at 2:51pm
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Posted By: glooey
Date Posted: 16 January 2005 at 1:01am
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^^ agreed they are both great guns it is solely a matter of oppinion...in my oppinion ------------- USMA |
Posted By: SPGgeek90
Date Posted: 16 January 2005 at 9:29pm
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This thread is so sad its funny The A5 CAN go over 15 bps, ive done it before and the chrono/bps counter doesn't lie. As to which one's better, it is all a matter of opinion, the A5 is faster, no automatic loader required, and is easier to clean as all you have to do is take the trigger off to reveal all the parts, plus if you have a little time, you can take the halves of the frame apart, the 98c is cheaper, and you can do more to personally modify the look, as the A5 comes looking like the MP5K already. Upgrades, this is where the A5 rules. 98c, Ebolt- $300, RT- $90, effective motorized hopper- $55 Total- $445; A5, Egrip- $115, RT- $80, Hopper- $0 Total- $95 (Ive seen guys with both RTs and Egrips for the same gun, so I had to include both) And my final question: If Tippmann had the better gun in the 98c, why spend the money to come out with the A5? ------------- Tippmann A5 Freak barell kit Egrip trigger Comp-air LPR System X 68/4500 nitro tank |
Posted By: Halo
Date Posted: 18 January 2005 at 6:04am
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Dude, there is way to much bickering on this site. But seeing as I dont mind jumping in the middle of a fight, here goes...
A5 is a great gun. I got one. I will use the heck out of it for Scenario play. But I am buying a 98C for the purpose of modding it into a major paint slinger. I have used both, and I like both. You can do so many custom mods to the 98, yourself to make it a really kick butt marker. Then again, the A5 is pretty sweet stock. Add a barrel kit, stock, expansion chamber or reg, and you are good to go. Or toss on a scenario kit. The 98C you can mod the heck out of it, and make it into a really fast, and reliable marker. I mean the ones that have some real mods done to them are kick butt. So in closing, for stock or nearly scotk (common mods) A5 hands down. If you are going to mod this thing to the max, then 98C. ------------- Halo CDPaintbal.com One of the oldest running scenario fields in the southeast. |
Posted By: B_Wet A-5
Date Posted: 18 January 2005 at 10:57am
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i prefer an a5 ------------- I need smallers sigs. AVIATOR GANG 
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Posted By: RC Paintballer
Date Posted: 18 January 2005 at 2:44pm
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Why do we need to go threw this again? ------------- Simply better then all the rest... |
Posted By: RC Paintballer
Date Posted: 18 January 2005 at 2:47pm
------------- Simply better then all the rest... |
Posted By: a5stealth
Date Posted: 03 March 2005 at 1:39am
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u people are idiots. anyone who think the 98c is as good a gun as a a5 out of the box should be thrown off a cliff. think about it. 98c shoots 13bps/a5 shoots 15bs a5 can be maintained much easier say you want to go electonic. 98c 250$/a5 115$ say u have a flatline and want to switch back 98c25 min/ a5 5min most people don't go here but my a5 stock will outshoot any stock 98c the cyclone feed is like 5 98c's next to eachother? i just measured it. just a hair under 2 1/2". the 98c has an open bolt allowing lots of harmful yuckys in.hmmmmmdoes the a5 have that? nope its closed how long does it take to totally take apart the 98c compared to the a5? obviously we are dealing with a bunch of moron 98c owners who have prolly never seen nor shot an a5 but were to cheap to get one in the first place ------------- Nick Jr. |
Posted By: Skaar
Date Posted: 09 April 2005 at 1:46pm
| it is all in the player has nothing to do with the gun |
Posted By: _Madman_
Date Posted: 10 April 2005 at 12:10pm
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How does the A-5 really stack up against the Model 98 Custom? By Kreeper-X Updated 04-04-2003 Overall: 9 out of 10 I've discovered, since the release of Tippmanns' latest marker, that there are a lot of misconceptions about the A-5. One of the first things people said, before ever even seeing one in person was that the Cyclone feeder was far too large and made for a "huge" target on the right hand side of the marker. As you will read later on in this article, that's not true at all. The prevailing "wisdom" among those who don't own the A-5 is that it's nothing more than a "rehash of the Model 98 Custom with a fancy hopper" and that there are few, if any, improvements to the overall performance of what's looked at by many in the paintball community as "just another Tippmann blow back semi." It is for these people that I write this article. The Similarities Looking strictly at the design of the marker, the A-5 is what Tippmann has perfected and does best, an open-bolt blow-back semi-automatic paintball marker utilizing Tippmanns' extremely versatile CVX valve. The design is simple and extremely durable, so much so that Tippmann has changed very little in the valve and bolt system design since the 68 Carbine was released some time ago. Like all modern Tippmann markers, the A-5 utilizes a rear bolt that is driven forward by a drive spring and returned to the ready position by blow-back gasses. The front bolt which opens and closes the breech and releases gas into the barrel is connected to the rear bolt by a linkage arm. As the rear bolt comes forward to strike the valve pin and release the gas, the front bolt forces the paintball into the breech and seals off the barrel before releasing a burst of gas into the barrel, launching the paintball. The A-5 also uses Tippmanns' old velocity adjustment screw which works not by changing the gas output of the valve, but creating turbulence in the power tube, slowing the air down. This system wastes some gas and a good Rear Velocity Adjuster will fix this. The Look Once you get past the basic operation of the A-5, the similarities with the Model 98 begin to end the differences become apparent. The very first thing that anyone notices about the new Tippmann A-5 is the look of the marker. The M98 and M98c really didn't look all that great in my opinion but they were far from ugly (except those darned gills on the M98). The A-5 has a decidedly "real world" look to it without a hopper and tank on it, resembling an H&K MP5 right down the foregrip, cocking knob and trigger grip frame. Players need not worry about being arrested though, as the A-5 with the Cyclone and a hopper and a tank looks less like a real firearm and more like a paintball marker. Also noticeable is the MP5 style trigger grip frame which is made primarily for right handed players. Some people prefer 45 style grips so Tippmann made the grip frame removable to accommodate 45 grips or aftermarket Lefty grip frames. J&J performance is working on an aluminum 45 style grip, and Tippmann has recently released an electronic sear tripping E-Grip. The stock A-5 grip frame is made of a plastic polymer to reduce weight, but it's not just cheap plastic, it's ballistics quality stuff and can take a serious amount of abuse. In fact, a lot of the A-5 is "plastic" instead of aluminum both because of cost and weight. The grip frame and foregrip as well as the main cyclone body and cocking knob are plastic. This reduces weight, so it's not a bad thing, though some people are scared to death of plastic. Tippmann made this marker to last and you need not worry, it's not a Brass Eagle marker after all, it's a Tippmann Marker and we all know how Tippmann stand behind the products they make. The overall size of the A-5 is a little longer than the M98c and a bit heaver, but this is because the M98c is weighed without a revy hopper and the A-5 has the Cyclone built in. However, due to the low profile and the fact that the hopper and Cyclone feeder fit so close to the marker, the A-5 has a better overall balance to it than the M98c. The Cyclone Feed System The second thing that they notice is the Cyclone Feed System, which looks like about half of a soda can with a five arm "star" agitator inside it. The Cyclone Feed System resembles the Star Feed System on the old Tippmann Factory F/A markers from the mid nineties. In fact the Cyclone is the next generation of the same feed system. The Factory F/A was a fully mechanical Full-Auto paintball marker that, for the most part, wasn't allowed on most fields or in tourneys, and Tippmann needed a reliable and fast feed system to keep up with the F/A, and they came up with the Star Feed system. The Star Feed system came only on the Tippmann Factory F/A markers and used spring tension to load paintballs into the breech each time the bolt opened when a shot was fired. The paintballs rest in the gap of the star arm and as the bolt opens, the feeder turns one stepand loads a paintball into the breech. The main problems were that the F/A had some timing issues with the delay sears and shocks so the marker could fall out of time and become a blender and everytime you filled the hopper, you had to turn a crank on the bottom of the Star Feed that wound the pring so the marker could fire another 150 rounds before doing it all over again. These problems were solved by Tippmann by linking the Star Feed to a gas powered piston and thus the Cyclone Feed System was born. The cyclone Feed System works by directing a small portion of the excess blowback gas released by the CVX valve into a piston which forces the cyclone to turn one step. So each time you pull the trigger a paintball is force fed into the chamber and ready for firing again. No matter how fast you shoot, the cyclone loads the next ball just as fast. A common misconception about the Cyclone is that it sucks up extra gas, this is not true, the Cyclone requires a small amount of gas that is normally wasted in the normal operation of a Tippmann blow back. The Cyclone main body is connected to the marker by a single bolt on the left and two guide pins on the right side and connected to the CVX valve via a valve tap and banjo fitting. There is also a cylinder that houses both the air piston that works the Cyclone and a manual feed knob that you use to force the first paintball into the breach at the beginning of a game. As paintballs fall into the main feed body, they fall into one of five "star slots" that effectively pre-load the next five shots and keeps them in stand-bye to be fired, just like a gumball machine. As the trigger is pulled, the cyclone advances the "star" one step, forcing the next paintball into the chamber. The Cyclone acts as a force-feed system, not just an agitating hopper and was factory tested to 16bps and it can handle every bit of that and then some, though you will have to get the Tippmann Reactive Trigger Kit or E-Grip as well as a good flowing High Pressure Air (HPA) tank to realize that potential. To see the A-5 RT w/HPA in action, CLICK HERE and then download the video. Some of the earlier Cyclone Feed Systems could malfunction when used with HPA or in markers that cycled a ton of paint on a consistant basis, so Tippmann released a Cyclone Upgrade that fixes these problems and will install it free of charge if you send the marker to them or they'll send you the parts if you feel secure enough to install them yourself. The hopper for the A-5 is a little different looking and has an odd flat face, but it functions just as well as any other hopper. There were reports of Early A-5s having hopper that would break if they took a direct hit from a paintball. These hoppers will be replaced by Tippmann for free if you do break one, and Tippmann has replaced the old plastic hopper with a stronger hopper made with thicker plastic on all new A-5s leaving the factory. Now a lot of people have been yelling about the size of the cyclone system and how much larger it is that a "normal" hopper such as a Revolution or Evolution. But the facts are that the hopper has a lower profile and is tighter to the marker than any other marker on the market. The Hopper sits a full two inches lower on the A-5 than on a Model 98 with a Revolution on it. the hopper itself is smaller than a revy, only holding slightly more than 160 rounds, but the size difference is really telling. Check out the Cyclone Size Review, also on this reviews page, to see the pictures for yourself. The Bolt System and Rate of Fire At first glance, the A-5 seems to utilize the same bolt system as the M98 and M98c but that is far from the truth, A quick look at the rear bolt reveals that it's hollowed out and isn't the same as the rear bolt on the m98. The Rear bolt is just as strong as the m98 bolt, but it's slightly heavier. This heavier bolt is intended to stop the run-away trigger that the M98 had with the RT installed, but the rate of fire isn't effected. IN fact the A-5 can fire faster than the m98 because of the trigger system and the stream-lined design. The recoil is only slightly heavier than that of the M98c and is barely noticeable for those used to non-electronic markers, however, the rate of fire is radically different. Tippmann Factory Tested the M98 to 9bps and when they released the 98C, they addressed the complaints of M98 owners about how difficult it was to upgrade the marker and tweaked 11bps out of the 98C. With the A-5, the designers went all out and came up with a marker that can actually fling 15bps mechanically. They lightened the trigger pull and reduced the play in the A-5 trigger and that, combined with the re-designed bolt system, boosted the rate of fire into "high-end" territory. Now, the average human finger can't pull the trigger 9 times a second, let alone 15, but the potential is there and can be fully recognized with an RT or E-Grip and other upgrades. Field Stripping the A-5 One of the biggest gripes everyone had with the M98 and 98C series markers was how hard it was to strip down and clean. Even the precursor of the M98, the Pro Series markers, were easier to field strip and clean. The M98 cleaning process was a comlicated and tedious process, involving springs that liked to fly off in different directions and pins that liked to fall out. The Pro Series markers had a rear sight that held the linkage arm down on both the front and rear bolt. You simply had to remove the rear sight, pop the linkage arm out, take the barrel off and remove the end cap and the rear bolt would come out and the front bolt would come out and you would clean the marker out. The A-5 is like a mix of the two concepts, allowing you to strip the marker down in less than 60 seconds. Standard cleaning and maintenance can be done by turning the velocity screw all the way in and then pulling out four quick-pull pins, removing the grip and ASA adapter and pulling the entire valve system out of the marker. Though the A-5 is still a clam-shell design like the M98 and 98C, it can be stripped down and cleaned without completely disassembling the marker. Everything in the A-5 is very modular in design. This becomes evident when fully disassembling the marker. We find that the entire trigger and sear system is a single self-contained part. No more springs flying everywhere when you strip the marker like there was with the M98 and 98C. The one-piece trigger assembly can be broken down easily for installation of a double-trigger or for maintenance sake. You'll also notice that the A-5 utilizes a completely enclosed bolt system, meaning that there are no openings to the outside anywhere on this marker except the barrel and the breech. This improves on the design of all previous Tippmann markers which have a big hole in the rear-bolt area that allowed paint and dirt and other outside contaminants into the bolt system and that could result in wear and malfunction. The A-5 is completely closed off to the outside, making it harder for anything to get inside causing problems. Upgrade Options Out of the box, the A-5 features more upgrade options for the player than any previous Tippmann marker. Built into the valve system is a vertical Tombstone adapter which will accept any regulator or expansion chamber with standard threads. This eliminates the need to upgrade the M98 and 98C to accomplish the same thing. The A-5 also features a completely removable grip frame so switching to the E-grip of new J&J Performance 45 Style Grip frame is easy as pulling two pins and changing the bottomline ASA out. The fore-grip can be moved about an inch forward or back or can be completely replaced with any number of aftermarket front grips, including an adapter by Lapco that allows you to mount the front grip at a 90 degree angle similar to the old British Sten Guns or, in paintball, the old SMG-60 and SMG-68s that Tippmann first made back at the very beginning. The front grip can also be completely removed if you so desire, quite unlike the foregrip on the M98 and M98c which is a part of the receiver body. The ASA can be removed altogether and you can run vertical if you desire or you can get the Lapco universal adapter and use ANY drop forward you want. Also worth mentioning is that the barrel threads of the A-5 are removable and exchangeable. The A-5 is shipped with a Pro-Carb barrel thread adapter which accepts almost all Pro-series barrels and well as most F-4 barrels, but if you want, you can get a series of aftermarket adapters that allow you to use spyder, m98 and other style barrels on your A-5. Overall, the A-5 was built to be even easier to upgrade than the 98C which was released primarily due to demand for a easier-to-upgrade Tippmann marker than the M98. The kits that were supposedly "drop in" for the M98 and 98C are truly drop in kits for the A-5. The RT drops into the A-5 in less than 15 minutes if you are familiar with the marker and requires very little alteration to the grip in the removing of a single tab. The E-Grip can be installed in less than a minute. The A-5 Flatline comes as a one piece modular barrel system which twists on with a quarter turn and aligns itself to the marker easier than the old style M98 or 98C Flatline. You can do just about anything to the A-5 that you can do to an M98 or 98C unless the product hasn't been released yet. The upgrades are coming out all the time so just be patient and you'll have everything you could possibly want to add to your A-5 Conclusion In conclusion, the A-5 is the next evolution in the Tippmann line of markers. It corrects the majority of complaints players had with the M98 and 98C series markers, improves on the design and performance, and and does this without sacrificing any of the Tippmann reputation for building the most reliable and durable markers on the planet. If you do find that you have a problem, Tippmann has the best customer service on the planet and you can count on them to solve it for you, often free of charge and often for the life of the marker. In fact, Take a SMG-60 to a Tippmann Trailer at a big game than they'll do everything that they can to make sure it works like new for you. The A-5 out performs the M98c in every way and holds it's own against markers twice it's price. Oh yes, the price. People are always griping about the price. Well, since it's release, the A-5 has gone from $350+ down to $225 for a stock A-5. They argue that the "A-5 is basically an M98" and "any M98 can be modified to function just like an A-5." Let's face facts here. If you buy a Model 98 Custom ($125), a vertical adapter ($25), 12 volt Evo2 hopper ($85), a quick strip thumb screw set ($15), and a FullBoar rear cocking knob ($30), you're going to have spent $280+ and guess what, you still have the same bolt system and are still only going to get 9 to 11bps without further upgrades. You might as well save the extra $30 and get an A-5 which not only looks better, but also performs better and is easier to maintain. And even A-5s with RTs are selling for around $269 now, so the price is coming down. Remember, everything new is more expensive than it should be and once they age a little the price drop inline. The A-5 is a great High-mid-level marker that can grow with you as you grow as a player. It can hang with the "big dogs" out of the box, but with a little work, you can put together a truly awesome marker. I hope this helps clear up some misconceptions about the A-5. ------------- A-5 14" Stiffi Tapco CAR Stock Shocktech A-5 Drop Maddman Spring Kit R-5 Stealth Hopper A5-A2 Front Grip Palmer Stab E-Grip Lapco Double Trigger HPA - and a license to kick butt |