Newbie Looking for Some Help with A5
Printed From: Tippmann Paintball
Category: Tippmann Paintball
Forum Name: New Player Forum
Forum Description: New to the sport? Get Professional Advice Here!
URL: http://www.tippmannsports.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=190232
Printed Date: 23 April 2026 at 10:42pm
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Topic: Newbie Looking for Some Help with A5
Posted By: oe2220
Subject: Newbie Looking for Some Help with A5
Date Posted: 13 May 2012 at 1:23pm
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Hi Everyone, So im looking to buy my first paintball gun, i have plaid paintball for years but always rented or borrowed guns from friends. Ive been looking around for a while and so far ive got the basic setup that i want down. I will mainly be using the gun for friendly games of woodsball. I was looking online and i found alot of people selling the new model of the a5 with the accessories i wanted for alot less then the website, so my question is - Is it safe to purchase used equipment online off of ebay? - Also, is any of the equipment i have listed below too complicated for a newbie or simply not good parts? The equipment I definitely want is ______________________________________________________________ - A5 with Response Trigger, cant use HPA or NO2 with the RT - 20 oz CO2 - 200 round cyclone hopper. - A5 Flatline barrel with foregrip - A helmet, not sure where to buy from. ________________________________________________________________ Also I am planning on buying some other stuff, possibly at a later date. _________________________________________________________________ - A5 flatline battleshroud for accessories - Tippmann Fill Station/Line for filling my own CO2 _________________________________________________________________ Thanks for all your help! |
Replies:
Posted By: oldpbnoob
Date Posted: 14 May 2012 at 9:15am
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Buying used can save you a substantial amount of money over buying new. My main concern with newer players buying used is that they may have a difficult time teching a used marker that they get if it doesnt operate properly. Tippmann markers are pretty basic and straight forward, so there shouldnt be as much concern with that. Most probabems can be fixed with a good cleaning, oring change and some oil. The set up you show above it fine. A couple of things though.
1. HPA can be used for RT Tippmanns. Some say they tend to not be as reactive, but this is debateable.
2. I would consider playing for a little with either a stock barrel or lower priced aftermarket barrel such as a Lapco Bigshot or J&J ceramic. Flatlines can be a a PITA to dial in and it helps to have some use experience with the marker before charging in with this.
3. Try to buy a nice thermal lense mask. They are a little more money, but worth it. Buying the cheapest mask available will usually result is some pretty bad fogging.
Any of these items can be purchased used. However, I would be very careful when buying HPA/Co2 tanks used. These have hydro dates on them and once they are expired, they are worthless. Getting them rehydroed costs more than you can buy them new, at least its the case for CO2. Carbon fiber wrapped HPA tanks can be rehydroed, but you have to be careful that they are in good shape or they can be rejected and destroyed.
Also, be careful in buying used masks. Lenses can be pretty easily scratched and replacing them can often be as expensive as buying them used. So the $30 used mask isnt such a good deal if you have to buy a $30 lense for it. ------------- "When I grow up I want to marry a rich man and live in a condor next to the beach" -- My 7yr old daughter. |
Posted By: oe2220
Date Posted: 14 May 2012 at 10:20am
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Thank you very much, if i have any problems i cant figure out i will send in the gun or ask a friend for help. Either way im still saving $200+ on the original equipment. Also the reason i want the flatline barrel is because my friend has one and i simply love it, i will ask him for help if i cant get it to work properly or take it to a local pro shop. Lastly, is just a facemask enough or should i get a full helmet? Can you recomend any full helmets with thermal masks? |
Posted By: oldpbnoob
Date Posted: 14 May 2012 at 11:57am
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Im not a fan of full helmets TBH, someone else would have to comment on those. Most times I have seen them on people they don't fit properly and I watch the guys lean their heads back to be able to see or constantly pushing it up. Also, full helmets tend to be hot and increase the risk of fogging.Getting hit in the head kind of sucks, but i find it much worse not being able to see because your mask is fogged up or getting popped in the next because you have your head craned back trying to see out of the bottom of your helmet.
If you have someone local that can help you dial in the flatline, than ball all means. I have had them on a couple of markers and know from experience that they are not necessarily a "plug and play" barrel. Unless it is properly aligned, you can hurt accuracy quite a bit and make them ineffective. It helps if you have somewhere that you can install it, test fire and be able to adjust it after shots to get the best results. Once you have it dialed in properly, you can mark it somehow to insure that when you take it apart and reinstall it, you have it realigned. ------------- "When I grow up I want to marry a rich man and live in a condor next to the beach" -- My 7yr old daughter. |
Posted By: Evil Elvis
Date Posted: 14 May 2012 at 2:56pm
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A mask is the most important piece of equipment you have. Because no matter how upgraded your gun is it won't matter if you can't see you can't shoot. Make sure your mask has dual pane thermal lens. I use a fan kit and unless I'm Un a downpour I don't fog. I agree with oldpbnoob on getting a new gun. Get a basic a5 and get out and play. ------------- 
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Posted By: oe2220
Date Posted: 14 May 2012 at 8:48pm
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thanks for all the help, i thought id also point out that the package im buying on ebay also includes the stock barrel. So if i do have any problems i can always just use that. |
Posted By: oldpbnoob
Date Posted: 14 May 2012 at 9:01pm
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To clarify, I think buying used markers is a great way to save money. For newer players that do not have the resources to have the marker repaired locally if they cannot do it themselve, I would steer clear of buying used. I would also think twice before buying a used electronic marker or more complicated marker used if I was a new player. I feel that Tippmann are pretty basic and as mentioned easy to fix. I feel they are actually an ok marker to buy used, even for newer players. The decision on whether to buy new should be based on your knowledge and mechanical/teching skills. If you aren't capable of changing your own oil or putting air in your tires, teching a marker probably isnt for you. If you can take apart a small black V8 and put it back together or build an RC car from a zippo lighter and two boxes of crayons, you should have no problem fixing a Tippmann marker. They really are pretty darn simple. The biggest issue with used/older Tippmanns is getting one that has been abused to the point where connections are stripped or the valve has gotten wet and corroded to the point of having to be replaced. These types of issues can become expensive quickly, at least expensive when compared to the savings of buying new vs. used.
Another thing to keep in mind is that "upgrades" such as stocks, shrouds, etc. do not have very good resale and those can often be had for dramatically less than new. ------------- "When I grow up I want to marry a rich man and live in a condor next to the beach" -- My 7yr old daughter. |
Posted By: FreeEnterprise
Date Posted: 17 May 2012 at 8:33am
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The new fore grip A-5 flatline is awesome. It doesn't have any adjustments, you just twist it on and you are done. The new 2011 A-5 stock barrel is very nice as well, a huge improvement from the original stock A-5 barrel... When on sale, you can often get the A-5 for a very good price. I've seen them as low as $169 in my area. I've not seen any 2011 a-5's used around here, but if you look for a while, you can often get a older A-5 for around $100. But, if it is used a ton, you might have cyclone issues, as the internals do wear out and need to be replaced after a while. You can look at it, and tell if it has been used a lot or just sat in a closet. I don't recommend response or e-triggers (although I recently got an e-trigger myself) as you tend to learn paint wasting habits using those "upgrades", you are better off learning to shoot fast with regular semi auto. It will put enough paint down range that you can save some money on paint and air. But, it depends on where you play, if everyone is shooting full auto... Then you are going to spend a ton on paint to "keep up" with the jones's. I'd rather learn to hit my targets in as few shots as possible. I wear a JT flex 8 full helmet in camo and love it. It has a thermal lens and works really well. Once the lens starts fogging up it is time to replace the lens. They usually last a few seasons of play... ------------- They tremble at my name... 
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