what gas do you use/prefer in your A-5
Printed From: Tippmann Paintball
Category: Paintball Equipment
Forum Name: Gun Maintenace and Repair
Forum Description: Important info for keeping your marker in top shape
URL: http://www.tippmannsports.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=154147
Printed Date: 27 July 2026 at 12:42pm Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: what gas do you use/prefer in your A-5
Posted By: moondo
Subject: what gas do you use/prefer in your A-5
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 9:27pm
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Go ahead and give an explanation if you would like.
I really just want to know what's best to use with my new A-5, and I'm sure it will healp others
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Replies:
Posted By: Balor
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 9:34pm
Cheap, cheap, inexpensive, cheap. Other than that it doesn't require the little additions that CO2 does and I have no experience with N2.
------------- A-5
E-Grip w/ WAS board
JCS Jet Click Ratchet
CAR Stock
12" Palmer Brass Barrel
Remote
68/4500 Crossfire HPA
Polished Internals
Maddmann Spring Kit
http://www.a5og.net/ - http://www.a5og.net/
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Posted By: iceman1186
Date Posted: 30 April 2006 at 9:45pm
HPA
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Posted By: TJ-AmbushSniper
Date Posted: 31 December 2007 at 12:39pm
HPA for sure. It holds pressure longer, the fill cost is about the same, its more stable, temp doesnt bother it much, i can use as well in 30 degree weather as in 90 degree weather. Tanks are about double the cost of CO2 but it is worth it. Someone told me you could use N2/Nitrogen in a HPA tank but that is unconfirmed by me yet. I have a 48ci Draxxus air tank that is aluminum and works well, if you have the money, i guess a carbon fiber tank would be lighter but i think the aluminum ones are fine, i got my 48ci 3000psi tank for about 65 bucks so its not too bad.
------------- -Tippmann A-5
Double Trigger
X7 Hopper to replace A5
-Draxxus 48ci 3000psi HPA
-Proto Switch EL Camo
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Posted By: Lost Kaim
Date Posted: 05 January 2008 at 6:35pm
I use Co2 for now simply because I don't really have the money to buy a good HPA Tank just yet but sooner or later I will get around to it.
------------- Tippmann A-5
14" Lapco Bigshot
Opsgear G36 Stock
32 Degrees Coiled Remote with Slide Check
JT 3-point Tactical Sling
Co2 Tank - 20oz
GXG Tactical Vest
VForce Profiler
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Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 05 January 2008 at 7:27pm
/Facepalm
Alright, here's the low down:
For all intents and purposes, HPA and N2 act exactly the same. They're interchangeable in the tanks and have no real advantage over one another. The only reason N2 was even used (and it's very rare to find an N2 fill these days) is that N2 is inert while the oxygen and other components in the air we breath aren't. In a atmosphere of pure Nitrogen, it is impossible to make something catch fire. The concerns with early HPA systems and lack of knowledge on the end-user part prompted the industry to initially use N2 to keep any accidents from occurring should someone accidentally put oil into their tank one way or another. With N2, the oil wouldn't do anything under pressure. With HPA, it acts like diesel fuel under pressure and ignites which can cause damage to the tank.
That said, HPA has the advantage over CO2 of not reacting adversely in cold weather. The drop in temperature needed to form liquid N2 or to make some of the gases in HPA liquefy, you'd need immense pressure and temperatures that would freeze you solid almost instantly. This means that you have a constant pressure per volume unit of output. CO2, on the other hand, can be tricky as it takes longer for it to "boil off" when it is cold out, so it can cause issues with poorly engineered markers and wreak havoc on your consistency and velocity. Per volume unit of measure, you get more shots per tank of CO2.
They both have their pluses. They both have their minuses. Just depends on the needs of you and your marker.
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Posted By: Ilford Rule
Date Posted: 05 January 2008 at 10:09pm
HPA, just because it's more consistent and less weather dependent. However, Tippmanns run perfectly fine with CO2, so it's entirely up to you. If you run CO2 with a Palmers Stabilizer (or other CO2 compatible reg), you can get comparable consistency to HPA.
------------- CPro (w/ polished internals)
14" Bigshot
BT SBS
Various Rails
NcSTAR D4B
Macro
AA 68/45
CCI Phantom
45 Grips
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Posted By: aceoverdrive
Date Posted: 15 January 2008 at 5:33pm
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defintely hpa because the a-5s are gas hoggers and with co2 u dont last nearly as long as u do with hpa
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Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 15 January 2008 at 6:16pm
aceoverdrive wrote:
defintely hpa because the a-5s are gas hoggers and with co2 u dont last nearly as long as u do with hpa |
And again....
HPA has less energy per unit than CO2. A 68ci/4500psi tank will only get you around 600 shots through an A-5. A 20oz CO2 tank will get you almost as many shots with half the needed volume. This is due to the fact that CO2 can be compressed to a liquid far more readily than HPA (which would precipitate out over a range due to it's multi-elemental makeup).
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Posted By: Ilford Rule
Date Posted: 15 January 2008 at 6:37pm
600? That doesn't sound right... My CPro gets over 1000 easy from a 68/45... are the A5s really that different? I was under the impression the gas efficiency was about the same. Though your right about the CO2/HPA comparison bit.
EDIT: 1000 posts . Didn't notice until I saw 2 stars in my post... 
------------- CPro (w/ polished internals)
14" Bigshot
BT SBS
Various Rails
NcSTAR D4B
Macro
AA 68/45
CCI Phantom
45 Grips
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Posted By: thejudge
Date Posted: 15 January 2008 at 6:41pm
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No A5's arent as bad on CO2 and HPA as many people believe it would be. These guys did some testing and said it finished dead middle which would still give you at least 1000 shots.
http://www.scubatoys.com/paintball/paintballshots.asp - http://www.scubatoys.com/paintball/paintballshots.asp
------------- Stay low, run fast, and hope that paintball doesn't hit your...
http://www.deltasquad.info/">
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Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 15 January 2008 at 7:14pm
I was basing the figure off of the standard CVX valve performance at 70*F and no regulation (850psi input or higher).
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Posted By: ShortyBP
Date Posted: 15 January 2008 at 7:35pm
I, personally, prefer CO2 with all my Tippmanns.
For whatever reason, I get better performance with CO2. I definitely get more shots per tank with CO2.
From a logical perspective, HPA/N2 would be the better choice. Not affected by weather, faster recharge rate given it's already in gaseous form, etc. But despite that, I use CO2... and leave my HPA tanks for the Timmy.
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Posted By: Ilford Rule
Date Posted: 15 January 2008 at 7:49pm
tallen702 wrote:
I was basing the figure off of the standard CVX valve performance at 70*F and no regulation (850psi input or higher). |
I'm using the standard valve with no post-tank downstream regulation... 850 PSI labeled output of the tank...

------------- CPro (w/ polished internals)
14" Bigshot
BT SBS
Various Rails
NcSTAR D4B
Macro
AA 68/45
CCI Phantom
45 Grips
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Posted By: Tang
Date Posted: 16 January 2008 at 11:37am
think tallen702 is realy talking aboot a 68/3000 tank...
------------- smg-60
sl-68
68 special
A-5
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Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 16 January 2008 at 12:15pm
Tang wrote:
think tallen702 is realy talking aboot a 68/3000 tank...
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yeah.... I put 68/4500 didn't I? Anyway, it still stands.
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Posted By: Mack
Date Posted: 16 January 2008 at 1:24pm
ShortyBP wrote:
I, personally, prefer CO2 with all my Tippmanns.
For whatever reason, I get better performance with CO2. |
Same here. Since I only play in warm weather, CO2 works fine for me. Plus I have an older A5 (SN 372) that really hates compressed air.
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Posted By: Ilford Rule
Date Posted: 16 January 2008 at 7:56pm
tallen702 wrote:
Tang wrote:
think tallen702 is realy talking aboot a 68/3000 tank...
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yeah.... I put 68/4500 didn't I? Anyway, it still stands. |
OK, now I'm not confused 
------------- CPro (w/ polished internals)
14" Bigshot
BT SBS
Various Rails
NcSTAR D4B
Macro
AA 68/45
CCI Phantom
45 Grips
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Posted By: Stormy Knight
Date Posted: 22 January 2008 at 4:58am
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I've always had good results with C02 on my A-5. I can get a little over half a case of paint on a 20oz bottle. I switched over to HPA because I tend to play early and late in the season where I don't get as good performance on C02.
------------- A-5
Armson DOT Sight
Armson Raised Sightrail
DOP Bullet Drop
DOP RVA
DOP X-Core
DOP Vertical Adapter
E-Grip(APE)
Flatline Barrel
HPA
JCS Duel Trigger
Lightening Bolt
QEPH
Vortex Mod
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Posted By: Ace_Of_Spades
Date Posted: 22 January 2008 at 12:27pm
compressed air will ALWAYS do better than CO2, you can get them for really cheap on Ebay when people are just trying to get rid of thier guns and throw thier tanks in for "free"
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J. Thompson #5150- http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=2945831 - Happiness Is A Tupperware Fed Weapon
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Posted By: Ilford Rule
Date Posted: 22 January 2008 at 6:07pm
Ace_Of_Spades wrote:
compressed air will ALWAYS do better than CO2, you can get them for really cheap on Ebay when people are just trying to get rid of thier guns and throw thier tanks in for "free" |
No, they won't. Tippmanns run, in many cases, equally well on CO2 as on compressed air. The cold is an exception to this. However, in general, Tippmanns run very well on CO2.
------------- CPro (w/ polished internals)
14" Bigshot
BT SBS
Various Rails
NcSTAR D4B
Macro
AA 68/45
CCI Phantom
45 Grips
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Posted By: Ace_Of_Spades
Date Posted: 25 January 2008 at 3:28pm
not my 98...i switched to HPA and a whole new doorway of accuracy was opened to me, i play in both cold and hot weather...dont you just love Texas
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J. Thompson #5150- http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=2945831 - Happiness Is A Tupperware Fed Weapon
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Posted By: Ilford Rule
Date Posted: 25 January 2008 at 10:53pm
Fair enough, my CPro is actually the same way (it hated CO2... HPA fixed more problems then I care to count. It chopped like mad with CO2 for some still-unknown reason). But to say HPA is universally better is incorrect. Just for some of us.
------------- CPro (w/ polished internals)
14" Bigshot
BT SBS
Various Rails
NcSTAR D4B
Macro
AA 68/45
CCI Phantom
45 Grips
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Posted By: thejudge
Date Posted: 26 January 2008 at 12:42am
Texas lol. try playing with the CO2 in Ohio or further north in the winter. its not pretty. I switched to HPA just because of that.
------------- Stay low, run fast, and hope that paintball doesn't hit your...
http://www.deltasquad.info/">
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Posted By: Ilford Rule
Date Posted: 27 January 2008 at 2:05pm
thejudge wrote:
Texas lol. try playing with the CO2 in Ohio or further north in the winter. its not pretty. I switched to HPA just because of that. |
Canada FTW . Last time I played (a couple of weeks ago) it was about -12*C. Some water had melted and then partially refrozen over the trails, because they are slightly lower than the rest of the field. I fell through a few times. My feet... numb after 2 hours.
------------- CPro (w/ polished internals)
14" Bigshot
BT SBS
Various Rails
NcSTAR D4B
Macro
AA 68/45
CCI Phantom
45 Grips
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Posted By: thejudge
Date Posted: 27 January 2008 at 3:11pm
thats how to play. gotta love winter ball!
------------- Stay low, run fast, and hope that paintball doesn't hit your...
http://www.deltasquad.info/">
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