[gab927]

I just got into paintballing last week and I was planning to buy the Tippmann a5 along with a better barrel. I just read from some other thread that it is not worth upgrading any tippmanns since they don't have consistency. Is the a5 different? If so, which barrel should I get? Please help me!!1

[Burgballer]

You might want to ask this in the Tippmann forum. They have a stickied page all about barrels.

Most people will suggest a flatline barrel which are very good for increasing your range but they also have some negatives too. Extreme long shots have good chances of bouncing unless you are using ultra brittle paint.

You could also just buy a good, cheap accurate one piece barrel like a custom products, lapco, or j&j. There are others that are good too but these seem to get recomended a lot. There are also mil-sim barrels out there but usually their performance isn't the greatest compared to others.

[p8ntballr68059]

the a5 flat line is a pretty nice barrel i have see many kits over the year but i always seem to go back to the freak kit.. also how much are you looking to spend on this barrel that will greatly effect your decision

[tgs-killer]

That's great to hear! I just got my A5 literally last week and I have to say that I'm happy with what I have. As far as regarding the Tippmanns not being consistent. I would have to agree; however, that goes with any marker. It depends on a number of things: paint, the airsystem being used, the upgrades as well as the cleanliness of the marker and proper maintaining of it. So that being said, any marker can be inconsistent from a various number of things. Aside from that, I have seen that my A5 was a bit inconsistent due to using CO2 and the paint I had at the time. After upgrading to better paint and using a high pressure N2 tank I have definitely seen better consistency.

Now moving onto your barrel. Basically you'd want to stay with anything that's under 16" in length. A 16" is good for poking through brush and pushing against bunkers. While 14" and below are good for compactness and ease of portability within your gear bag as well as cleaning if you don't have a big enough squeegee. Now those are just broad generalities. Going onto which barrel. That's up to you on how much you're willing to spend. Definitely don't go with a barrel kit because to me that's a waste of money. Just do what the pro's do and overbore. Ex. paint size is .689 and below these days -- get a .689-.691 barrel. You will be set for a long time not having to worry on which paint to get and worry about getting barrel breaks. Some individuals, like me, for instance get the Flatline barrel. Reason why? It's exclusively for Tippmanns. So basically, in a sense, getting a Tippmann for the sole reason of the Flatline makes perfect sense. Because it's one of the few barrels that actually make the paintball travel farther. That to me is why I will only have a Flatline on my A5. If you absolutely need a suggestion for a barrel then a good inexpensive one would be the Proto 1-piece. Some others include Smart-Parts 1-piece barrels and Custom Products. There are many others but I'll save that for other users to prey upon

Anyway I hope this helps,

-Jarred

[iiEpiC_FaiL]

Dont let people tell you tippmanns arent worth upgrading...anything is worth upgrading as long as your have the money to do it..and your happy with the end result.


Most people are just biased and are douchebags most of the time....thats why they tell you bad stuff about certian guns...

Tippmanns are great markers...some of the best out..other then the fact they are "low-end". If i had to shoot one i wouldnt hesitate the least bit.

Like stated above..the Flatline barrel is good...dont waste your money on a barrel kit like th freak unless your plannin on keeping the A-5 for a while.

J&J barrels are good..Lapco, Proto, Custom Products....just look around. Ask people at a local field what they think..or your pro shop.

Running your A-5 of HPA is a super good idea..as Co2 is inconsistant as a 3 legged dog trying to catch an invisible frisbee...

just my 2 cents.

[thedaltonator4]

Don't worry on the tippmann not being worth it. The A-5 is a great marker. it will never chop paint and it's fairly light for a tippmann. For a barrel i would suggest the CP one piece. Best Barrel on the market for 30 bucks and from the #1 aftermarket producer.

[Deckrat]

I have a J&J 2-piece ceramic (14") for my A-5, but I never cared for it much. It shot great on my old 68 Carbine, but not so well on the A-5. I have also used an old 14" 1-piece SP All-American on it, and that one shoots pretty good. Another is a homemade snubby barrel I made from the stock one. (I cut it off 1" past the vents in the barrel) and believe it or not, that one shoots as well as any other. I currently have a FlatLine on it, and I haven't used it much, but I can tell you that a Flatline needs good round paint. But I guess that holds true for ANY barrel.

Stick with HPA whenever possible, and just keep her lubed up properly, and that A-5 will last forever. I bought mine in 2001 I think, and I have never had to replace a single O-ring in it.

[Biscuit451]

however much everybody here is telling you "upgrade it and don't worry" I gotta disagree. The money you will put into it could get you a MUCH nicer gun. Also, instead of getting the a-5 look into an slg. You will be alot happier with its performance. It will shoot better in every way I can think of.

[kilerclax7]

I think the other posters pretty much covered your barrel options. If you want your a5 to be consistent than using hpa could help compared to using co2 just make sure it's a high pressure tank if you get one. Definitly go read the stickied barrel thread in the tippmann forum, it can help you out with deciding. It's really up to you and how much you want to spend on it. I bought a new linear barrel off of eBay for $15 and it's good enough for me.

[kilerclax7]

Originally Posted by Biscuit451

however much everybody here is telling you "upgrade it and don't worry" I gotta disagree. The money you will put into it could get you a MUCH nicer gun. Also, instead of getting the a-5 look into an slg. You will be alot happier with its performance. It will shoot better in every way I can think of.

Well I gotta disagree with this post. By no means is the slg a "better" gun. It has the advantage when it comes to speedball but can the slg run flawlessly on co2? Unless proto changed something with the design when they released the new player pack or whatever with the co2 tank in it than no it can't. He may not have hpa as an option. If he is going to play woodsball than I would recomend the a-5 with a flatline which can be both picked up used for much less than a new slg and maybe about the same or less as a used slg. No other upgrade is necessary but you do have the option if you want. Comparing the two is like comparing two different things it's just depends on what you play.

[tgs-killer]

I think I'd like to add another thing to this "discussion"; buying another marker over the one you currently own (A5). It's like why spend the extra cash on another marker when you can upgrade your existing one (A5)? Also when buying a new marker, you'll inevitably get all caught up in upgrading that one -- then another Joe-Shmoe will come up to you and say, "don't both upgrading that marker, just get a better one like this ------". It's a never ending process. Same thing here: You wouldn't be willing to spend $400 on let's say an Ego. You buy an autococker instead for $250 and slowly upgrade it and wait a minute....you've just spent $200+ on upgrades, what gives! Reason why? We're not up to spending a lot of money at one setting; but we most likely and unknowingly spend that same amount or higher in small increments for mods and or aftermarket parts...anodizing, etc...it's a weird process but we all go through it. Ultimately, it's up to the person whether or not to proceed. So it's gab927's choice from here on. We'll just see what he does

Also as kilerclax7 is correct in his assertion in using a "high pressure" N2/compressed air tank with the A5 if you're either planning or own one already. All other upgrades may be just a waste of money like mods, body kits and aesthetics. I've kept my A5 stock for the most part, and it's decently light as well as well as maintaining a simple/clean look. I'm quite happy with that

Good luck in your endeavors,

-Jarred

[KMAC1178]

I bought an A5 last year after being out of the sport for a while and I am incredibly happy with it! I have yet to break a ball in the Cyclone feed system and the marker is incredibly reliable.

I bought the APEX flatline and the Hammerhead Bang Stixx 16" barrel with 5 sizers and I have not had a problem yet!!!

[ferg man 5000]

I would have to say stay away from the flatline in my experience. If you have one paintball break inside the barrel, your accruacy goes way down. You couldn't hit the broadside of a barn from 5 feet.

[Willtgm]

H

[moreys]

My favorite barrel is the deadly winds barrel with a freak kit but kinda pricey. They make a converter so you can use AC threaded barrel which gives you more option. The flatline barrel is great for woodsball gives you a longer shot.

[Danny96211]

necroposts.... ^ This thread was started in 2010.... Im pretty sure this guy has found a barrel by now.