and here are the pics. The guy I traded with said it was beat up...what a liar! This marker looks almost NIB! He cleaned it up and out...took it apart, the whole 9...so I now have what appears to be a LNIB 98, stock 8 1/2" barrell, 14" SP Progressive, macroline and QLoader. The S/S hose is here too. I took oil and added it to the asa, removed the barrell and fired it 10 times. Degassed it, oiled the O-rings and sanded the inner bolt chamber. That's oiled too. This thing blows alot of snow...is that normal?

ninety8freak wrote: nice, finally decided to try a tippmann.

No, not 'finally'...this is my 3rd attempt at a tippman. After my last (2nd) time using a Tippman, I went on a rampage that included me complaining on this forum board...was (for the second time,) a horrible experience. People on this forum were able to convince me that I was probably the victim of a second "lightening strike" of bad or abused products and I said I would give it one more go. I hope that "third time's the charm" is the case.

As far as "how much" snow...I can't quite formulate the proper method of providing an example...but I held the muzzle against a towell to muffle the sound and fired 5 shots, there was an ice patch there about 1mm thick and the barrel was ice cold. All my tanks are antisiphonned and line up properly and I installed the tank directly into the asa. I guess since the tank is so close to the valve...that's going to happen...I just never saw that much with my Spyders of Ion so I guess it must be normal. I refuse to use a remote (can't with antisiphon) si I guess I'll have to install an expansion chamber or regulator.

tigman250 wrote: tanks were anti siphoned for the spyder does the tube face upward on the tippy too?? if it dosen't it will be doing more harm than good (sucking straight liquid)

yes. The tank sets in exactly the same position for all 3 markers...Esprit, Ion and now the 98...the tube end is "up"...in the position it's supposed to be in.

I think I figured it out though...I took the marker apart again and discovered that when I oiled the O-rings, the oil didn't quite coat the rings all the way around and totally missed the one on the sliding thing on the power tube...so I removed them all, oiled them again and reassembled the marker. Now it seems to be just the gas (no snow...or it's not noticable)...perhaps it was the rings, perhaps I didn't have it together right (to begin with) but it seems to have worked itself out. I won't get a chance to try it with paint or chrono it until saturday though.

my 98 shot snow for a while, but i bought an expansion chamber and that helped alot

=Seipher=

paintbusta wrote: that  s cool wut u goin to do wit it

Many years ago, I played with pumps...after that it was mech markers. All things considered, I play in all weather in all seasons. When I purchased my first E-Gripped marker I fried the board when water (snow, actually) got in the grip panels. This is when I first bought a used 98 (the one with the rear cocking knob). This 98 was my first and it was horrible. I sold it for parts and with the Money i bought a mech frame for the Spyder. When it was nasty outside, I took the E-Frame off and put on the mech frame and I was happy with this. Recently, (as in about 2 months ago) we played where we used someone else's marker...and I drew the Tippmann. It was a 98(Custom I think) that was a full dresser...M16 front end, flashlight, laser, scope, stock, picitinny rails for this, that and everything you could put on a marker...and shouldn't. Then I shot it....and it was as horrible as the one I owned...hook shots, drop-off's and lousy accuracy, even for a paintball marker. This is why I went on my tirade a few weeks ago...but...there are some people on here with patience and wisdom and convinced me I could be wrong...that the markers I used were probably "duds" or were abused or were malfunctioning in some way. So, I bought this one for a "last-chance at redemption" scenario. Now, to answer the question, I plan on using it for woodsball and in yukky weather. I will probably mod it some (definately LP kit it for performance), maybe Paint it or something but this will be my 'utilitarian' marker.

cdacda13 wrote: DONT POINT THE GUN DOWN AND SHOOT. since the CO2 tank is pointing downwards, liquid is being sucked in by the reg and sent into the gun. Thus, you be shooting snow. Its nice, now start to mill the hell out of it.

As I said earlier, all my tanks are antisiphonned. This would not apply.

Thanks...I may end up doing that.

evillepaintball wrote: did you fell the snow or ice patch after it melted? you could have been shooting frozen oil out of the barrel if you used a lot.  I had this happen to me with punisher i was working on, btw, anybody know how to stop a massive leak on a punisher pistol? anyways, ruined a nice white shirt with that stuff.

No...the snow I've been shooting is out of the marker I got yesterday. It wasn't frozen oil that I was shooting...it was purely ice on the towel-when it melted, it was just wet. I just tried it again (muffled in a towell) and no ice. So...I think the 'snow' was caused by my failure at properly lubing the O-rings or an improper reassembly by me. Regardless, it seems to be working OK now. Saturday I will get paint and chrono it and check the accuracy of both barrels.