Paintball x3

The A5

Manufactured by Tippmann

Rather than enjoy the success of their Model 98 and rest on their laurels, Tippmann continued to innovate and released another paintball gun, the higher-performance A5. Easier to care for and packed with features that make the gun a great value, the A5 has earned, in the years since its release, a reputation for quality and performance at a price practically any paintball player can afford.

The Tippmann A5 resembles an MP5K submachine gun built by Heckler & Koch thanks to its vertical fore grip, hooded front sight, enclosed front cocking handle and almost identical grip frame. Built with a die-cast aluminum receiver, the A5 is very rugged and features a completely enclosed body to prevent dirt or paint from getting in where it might cause problems. Dismantling the A5 is extremely easy, especially in comparison to another Tippmann model, the 98, as breaking the A5 down requires only the removal of a few retaining pins to pull the internals out and the grip frame off. Most important among the features of the A5 is its proprietary Cyclone Feed system, which uses air from the firing of the gun to rotate a cylinder and sling paintballs into the breech for firing as fast as the trigger can be pulled, drastically increasing possible rates of fire and equally decreasing the possibility of chopped paintballs. Another bonus of coming standard with the Cyclone Feed system is that this eliminates the need for a player to purchase an aftermarket hopper for their A5.

The Tippmann A5 handles very well on the field due to its reasonably small size, relatively light weight and good ergonomics. While the stock barrel does not deliver what one might call top-notch accuracy, it does the job well enough for a new owner and aftermarket barrels are readily available in every price range that will dramatically improve the gun’s performance. The Cyclone Feed system performs well and keeps up with players using the stock, single trigger without any problems. Even with double triggers or a response trigger kit added, the Cyclone Feed handles its job well. Able to use liquid or gas CO2 or compressed air, the A5 is practically impervious to changes in weather, though in colder climates users will find lower efficiency numbers when using CO2. In addition, players using the A5 in colder weather must be sure to use top quality, recreational-grade paintballs to ensure that chopped or broken paintballs are kept to a minimum.

With almost countless aftermarket upgrades available both from Tippmann itself and various other companies and a rugged, reliable and user-friendly design, the A5 is an outstanding paintball gun. Available in either a basic, matte black or an attractive and well-applied digital camouflage pattern certain to excite serious scenario or tactical players, the A5 is affordable enough to be well within the reach of any paintball player yet delivers a level of durability and ease-of-maintenance far superior to most paintball guns in any price class.