Tippmann A5 or Spyder MR4

[Reviled]

Hey guys

Am tossing up between the above two markers, but wondering what your thoughts are on the two?

What would you reccommend and why?

I must say im leaning a bit more towards the Tippmann, as it seems to have more upgrade potential and everyone ive talked to says that Tippmann is 'the brand' for paintball markers.

Cheers

[Vijil]

Tippmanns are good, but aren't all they're cracked up to be. A very strong brand image isn't really backed up by the tank like indestructability they used to have.

Spyders likewise aren't as bad as they're cracked up to be. A5s however are very common and so you'll have to trouble finding parts of people who know how to fix them.

Still, have you been to a club yet? Don't buy anything til you've tried out some markers.

[Jamie Innes]

A5. More modular. More common. Parts easier to get.

[Reviled]

Still, have you been to a club yet? Don't buy anything til you've tried out some markers.

Yeah I went and played out at Whitford on Sunday, used a couple of different markers. A sierra one and a cheaper speedball type gun, def preferred the sierra one and I like the look of it, but I think im after something a touch lighter.

Went to the paintball shop on my lunch break and had a hold of both of them - A5 is quite a bit lighter, but I guess thats without the stock and barrel add ons - Guy seemed to think Tippmann was the way to go but thats probably cos its more expensive haha - Some of the edge parts you can get for them are pretty cool tho!

[Vijil]

A5 is definitely a good option, and you can put a magfed kit on it too if you want to play milsim (once they're out in a few months). If I were getting a semi woodsball marker now I'd probably go for a TM15 but that's a different price range.

Honestly that paintball shop keep very quiet - I had no idea they existed til just now. Maybe they need a little more marketing :)

[staticman]

A good hint. Marker accessories other than the ones that improve the performance of a marker (better bolt, better barrel, better internals etc) are a waste of money and time imo. They just add weight and get in the way. Better to keep it light simple and easy to maintain.

[Reviled]

Cheers staticman, thats pretty good advice. I found when I was using the Sierra one on the weekend I kept folding the stock away - but hey, I cant argue that it didnt look cool ;) lol

I have another question - Im looking at the 'packs' that the paintball shop does, but they all come with Co2 - All the guys at Whitford seemed pretty anti Co2 and were all using Air. I would have though you could fill the Co2 tanks with compressed air or is that not ok for some reason?

And Vigil, they do alot of advertising on Trademe, but I believe they have only just opened up their Albany store, it was pretty casual when I went and checked it out (boxes everywhere, container full of markers etc)

[staticman]

Never fill a Co2 bottle with HPA.
there are pros and cons to both HPA and Co2.
Co2 is cheep and normally available at most rental style clubs and fields. Down side it is very inconstant for velocity. Regs can freeze up in cold weather and the shot count per fill is not fantastic.
HPA is far more constant for velocity, easy to access if you hire a dive tank for a club day (a dive tank will do 1-2 players for a day of rec play), better for markers (higher end markers will not run on Co2), and you get a better shot count per fill (depending on marker).
Down sides, HPA bottles are more expensive to buy than Co2 bottles.

[Reviled]

Hmm, interesting - cheers mate.

[Reviled]

Im a bit confused, it seems wierd that a Co2 tank won't take HPA??

I own a Co2 tank which I use for carbonating and serving beer, and I am able to get it filled with either Co2 Nitrogen or Air - So why is it different for the smaller tanks?

Would I be able to use my Co2 tank to fill my own bottles? As its cheap as, $10 for 3.5kg is quite appealing!

[staticman]

its not about weather the Co2 bottle can hold air or not its about regulations. HPA air bottles in NZ need to be certed, tested and LABed to be legal to fill with hpa (size dependant etc). the eaisest and safest way to go with HPA is with a proper HPA bottle instead of cross filling. You can pick up a NZ legal HPA alloy bottle (3000psi max) for about $175 or go fibre wrap HPA (4500psi max) for about $375. Alowing most scuba fills are 3k-3.2k the alloy bottles are a good cheaper option for rec play.

[Reviled]

Ah, it all makes sense now, cheers mate!

[staticman]

I will recommend HPA. its so much nicer to work with and is way better on gear

[EmeryZ]

Get the A5. my friends newer model ones, for some reason they seem like they are more consistent on the velocity (maybe tippmann changed some springs in the valves etc)

And yeah get HPA. Maybe NZHPA tank than a ninja tank from paintballshop unless you get a cover... the paint chips way too easy, serious just a little tap with something metal will take the paint away :/

[Mr Vengeance]

Hi mate , Find a club you fit in with people wise and it will all fit together from there. Any regular player will have spare guns, gas tanks are a
given at any field, but why reinvent the wheel, just start playing and go with the flow. There is tonnes of good equipment around that isn't being used. The trick is finding games you can play. Not buying fancy shite to collect dust under your bed. I have a Fill station that will fit on food grade liquid C02 bulk bottles that will fill the cheap unregulated paintball tanks that screw into the ASA on any paintball gun. Filling them with air or nitrogen only gives you a few shots. It can be done but it is a dark art only known to a select few. co2 is ok if you know what you are doing and use fire control. HP air is better and easier if your club uses it. Don't worry about it, find a club/game first

[Armagedonmad]

I would take the spyder mr4 over the a5
I had an MR1 a few years back and you could not kill that thing and so much easy to maintain now I would say the MR4 is along the same lines but you can get over 1800 shots out of a tank instead of the usual 800 or 900.

as for upgrades there are heaps of upgrades that you can get for the spyder have a look at the rap4 website

anyway I found the syders much easier to pull apart and maintain than any tippmann or BT and I have owned all 3

but I will say this the best woods ball or bush ball what ever you want to call it marker is the smart parts SP1 by a long shot.

pity smarts parts went out of business though....but there is another company making them now so check out this website

http://www.ansgear.com/GoG_G1_Paintball_Gun_p/gogpaintballgung1.htm

by the way go for air....co2 is absolutely shite....get an airtank and the sp1 you won't regret it.

[Unforgiven]

Ive used both MR1 and MR4.
I think the MR1 is a far better gun, lighter, felt less 'plastic' pretty sure they are cheaper too.

[Reviled]

Well, i've done it, gone and got an A5 with a Flatline barrel, a thermal lense mask and tank to go with it, sadly Co2 at this stage as thats all my budget allowed.

The guy did mention I could get something like a bravo or sierra with HPA in my budget, but after having another go with them and trying the A5 out, the A5 just felt a shit load smoother, and a fair bit lighter as well! At least I can upgrade to HPA at a later date.

Would highly reccommend The Paintball shop in Albany, dude there was super helpful, gave me plenty of choices and cut me a pretty sweet deal at the end of it! Cheers to everyone here who commented also, it was a great help!

[Vijil]

Good choice really, though both were pretty good choices.

Cool thing is, now you can get one of these kits when they're out in a few months:

http://www.rap4.com/store/paintball/tacamo-magazine-conversion-kit-for-tippmann-a-5

[Reviled]

Ooooh that looks interesting!!

Yeah overall im happy with the decision I made, only thing that disappointed me was that I couldnt afford HPA, but like I say I'll get there eventually..

Now im wondering if, in the mean time, I can somehow hook my 3.5kg Co2 bottle and beer regulator up to fill the 12oz tank, but I think I would need a seperate fill station? - The Paintball shop only had the dive tank fill stations - do these work on a Co2 tank as well?

Also - Nitrogen - Does anyone in NZ use this or is it legal?

[Unforgiven]

Just make sure the tank you get has a LAB number or its just a very expensive paperweight.

[Vijil]

Nobody uses nitrogen. HPA is 78% nitrogen anyway (as is the air we breathe) so it's no real difference. May as well just use HPA. A legal 47ci bottle isn't that expensive these days so it shouldn't be long before you can upgrade anyways.

In terms of messing with filling different gases from different bottles etc. - this is the single most dangerous part of paintball and personally I'd go by the book. Perhaps consider talking to a field op or someone who fills HPA bottles all the time. I know there are a few on here... Also fyi the Waiuku guys normally seem to provide Co2 fills at their events.

[Reviled]

Yeah I wasnt suggesting filling different gas from different bottles - more just filling my small paintball Co2 cylinder from my big 3.5kg Co2 cylinder - surely that would be ok as its effectively what the shop dide - both cylinders are legal so I assume this would be ok?

I just need some way of regulating it, the regulator I have only has a barb on the end for small hoses - But surely I can just buy an adapter or something? Ill have a chat to my gas guy next time I get a fill and see what he thinks - I go to Pressure check cylinder testing out in Grey Lynn - The dude is really helpful and gave me my first few fills of Co2 for free!!

[dannefaerd]

A co2 bottle rated to 1800psi (or there abouts) I think ... HPA is higher, and not designed for it. NEVER put HPA in a Co2 bottle (or vice versa)

[Mr Vengeance]

You probably have the wrong sort of CO2. It has to be liquid. Then it is filled by weight. Best go to a field and learn. Lots of ways to get seriously injured with gas. See todays herald, and that was 100psi a fraction of the pressures used in paintball. All the gear you need is at a field
safe as if it's done properly. Why spend hundreds of dollars and risk death to find out that it's easier and cheaper to get your bottles filled at the field. If you really want I can sell you a fill station and scales second hand and show you how to use it. But a 3.5 kg is tiny 2 fills so don't bother.

[staticman]

Best option, get the alloy HPA bottle as soon as. will make life so much easier and your marker shoot so mush nicer. Then its off to the dive shop to hire a scuba bottle for the weekend at $20 max and you fill it your self at the field. HPA fill stations are like $35. Clean, no fuss, easy.

[EmeryZ]

I believe you would've had velocity issues too with the bravo/sierra on HPA if you had bought one of those.