Tippmann A5 Review: The Best All Round Marker?
Anyone looking for a serious paintball marker could do well to look into the Tippmann A5. You can consider this an upgraded 98 Custom on steroids. It’s perfect for both casual beginners and intermediate players who are looking for a leg up on the competition. An extremely durable paintball gun, the Tippmann A5 is a great choice for anyone looking to invest in their paintball gun for a long time, due to the wide range of upgrades and mods that the A5 supports. This is usually the next step for anyone considering upgrading from their trusty Tippmann 98 Custom, or serious beginners who have fallen in love with the sport.
Right out of the box it comes with Tippmann’s patented cyclone feed system, an awesome air powered hopper system that does not rely on batteries. It uses the same air that fires the gun and the performance is amazing, with the ability to shoot 15 balls per second. When you combine this with an upgraded E trigger system this means full auto rapid firing, with zero broken balls. It is nice having a high performance feed system out of the box without the need for any expensive upgrades.
Superior Durability
Like the 98 Custom, the Tippmann A5 is built to last. This paintball gun is constructed with a super durable metal frame and the other parts are made of high density plastic. While this makes the A5 slightly heavier than the average paintball marker, personally I found the weight to be an awesome realistic touch, and a sign of quality. Anyone into hardcore Mil-sim gameplay will dig the feel of the realistic weight when combined with a replica body kit. As mentioned before, the cyclone hopper system practically guarantees balls will not become chopped or jammed within the internal systems.
On the off chance a ball does break inside, you can field strip the Tippmann A5 in under 2 minutes without using tools. Once you have done this a couple times it is extremely fast and easy to disassemble and clean. The Tippmann A5 is like the Ak-47 of the paintball gun world. While there might be faster, lighter, more advanced makers on the market, none of them have the durability, reliablility and customization options of the A5. You can use this marker for years without the need to upgrade, and there are tons of easily replaceable parts available should something wear out. which means you can get a parts A5 parts replacement kit for $10 instead of having to replace then entire paintball marker.
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How does the Tippmann A5 shoot?
The base model comes with a semi automatic fire mode, and is able to lay down a fire rate of 9-15 balls per second, depending on how fast you can pull the trigger. This is an excellent rate of fire for woodsball and scenario players, but many A5 owners add the highly praised E grip or response trigger systems. The E Trigger allows for single shot or full auto firing modes and can make this marker more suitable for speedball players, or close quarters tactical combat.
The Tippmann A5 comes equipped with a standard 8.5 inch barrel that offers and effective range of about 150 ft. Not too bad at all, and infact many players attach an A5 barrel to their 98 Custom for added range and accuracy as a quick upgrade. If you are going to be duking it out over longer ranges, you will probably want to add an extended 14″ barrel for additional range and accuracy. The Apex 14″ extended barrel is a popular choice among serious players due to its wide range of spin, drop and curve options you can adjust to perfect your shooting style. As you can see the Tippmann A5 is a great gun even in its vanilla form, and easily up-gradable for more serious players requiring extreme precision. The front foregrip adds some very nice stability along with the extra weight of the metal frame.
Tippmann A5 Custom Mods
Like most Tippmann paintball guns, the A5 allows for TONS of mods and upgrades via a wide range of accessories. While the base level gun is a fantastic mid-high end paintball marker, more serious players tend to upgrade their kit over time and fine tune their Tippmann A5 to suit their preffered game type and play style. There are many body kits availiable for the A5 that allow it to take the appearance of any of your favorite real world guns, like the iconic AK-47, a covert ops MP-5 SD or assault carbines like the M4A1. The ever popular Tippman A5 E Grip is always selling out, having the ability to switch between single shot and full auto on the field is a great advantage for cover fire situations and close quarters tactical combat. With the awesome built in cyclone feed system there is little need to add an electronic hopper feed. With the Tippmann A5, the main areas you will probably be upgrading will be: The barell, the E trigger and body kits, as well as optics.
Most Popular Tippmann 98 Custom Accessories:
- BT Apex 14″ extended barrel
- Tippmann A5 E Grip (allows full auto)
- Tippmann A5 Flatline Barrel
- Tippmann A5 Response Trigger
- 21″ Sniper barrel for Tippmann A5 (amazing for snipers/support players)
Final Thoughts On The Tippmann A5 Paintball Gun
This is one of the best mid range paintball guns you can find on the market today. Extremely sturdy and durable, and with so many upgrade options the Tippmann A5 is a marker that should last you for YEARS. Perfect for intermediate players who want a marker that will cover them for a wide variety of playstyles as well as enthusiastic beginners who really want to invest long term in their gear. Many players are still using their A5’s in professional games several years after getting into the sport. A fan favorite that wont break your bank account. There are several bundles and packages for the A5 availiable online you can find that come with all the essential gear at a fantastic discount, an added bonus for those who need to grab a mask and airtank as well. If you are contemplating if the Tippmann A5 is the right paintball gun for you, our recommendation would be yes. Next time you are at the field, there will almost certainly be someone there with one, ask them what they think of it and chances are they will let you test it out and throw their support behind it!