Here are a few outdated mod and gear pics from the last few months:
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M4 Pro-Carbine - %90 Complete
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Click here for more pics...
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My gear back in November...click here for pics
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Our 3rd annual family paintball game at Thanks Giving went well this year. Sadly one of our group wasn't able to join us because he was recovering from brain surgery. Not to worry, he's doing great though he missed a good game.
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I sold\traded my Tac-8 and Palmer for a Q-Loader Kit, Sith Tactical Ion, new 98C stock, and cash. The plan was to get more xmas cash but the trade offers were too good to pass up. I'll load the stock a Q-loader on the Ion for now. I think this will go well with a TM G36C body I have lying around at some point. My only regret is not holding onto the extra Tac-8 mags since it's only a matter of time before I pick up a T9. The new Tippmann X7 is looking very tempting as well.
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Wow, I can't believe that it's been several months since my last post. I'm still heavy into paintball but most of my current projects have been put on hold. My wife is almost 5 months pregnant with our second son. She's having a rough pregnancy and can't leave the house on her own so I'm spending most of my free time shopping and helping around the house. I did get out to a few walk on games over the last few months but nothing worth mentioning.
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I've been on what seems like a small spending spree. I picked up a Tippmann eXt, US-5 Electro, Palmer Typhoon, another Pro-Carbine, and two Sidekick Pump pistols. I'm 95% complete with a new M4 conversion and I'm assembling parts for a Tactical Remington 870 shotgun conversion with an internal 20 round clip. I may be selling my Tac-8 setup, Typhoon, and eXt in the near future to fund some home repairs.
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Anyway, here are a few reviews from the last few months:
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Challenge Park eXtreme (CPX), Joliet, IL - I've been to this filed on several times. The facilities and rentals are great. The refs are usually inexperienced an a little young. The scenarios are decent. The issue I have is that they now sell paint in their pro shop rather than at the rental desk. There is usually only one sales person in the store and it can make for long confusing lines. They are now all Marbalizers and Tippmann 98 rentals. They also have a tendency to overbook private parties resulting in limited play and frustration for walk on players. I give it a 5 out of 10 and have decided not to return to CPX unless there is a special event or scenario. It just isn't worth the frustration for walk on play.
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Tippmann eXt - I actually like the feel of the XT series guns. They're light compared to an A5. The universal cons are the model label and serial number are painted onto the gun. These are sure to wear off. The grip can't be upgraded as far as I know. The barrel has 98 threads but due to the gun design many 98 barrel may not fit the gun. The plastic feed neck may be a breaking point on heavily used XT's. Despite these flaws the gun handles well. I don't recommend this gun to experiences players. It may be a good entry level gun but why not get a 98C instead for about the same price?
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I do want to state that I don't recommend the eXt marker to anyone! The internal board has exposed wire connections to the solenoid and flimsy wires that could easily be damaged over time. Why they didn't create a separate battery compartment to protect the board wiring is beyond me. It doesn't make sense for an entry level marker and there is no fail back to mechanical firing if the board fails. My eXt quit firing after about 500 rounds and seems to be a battery hog. I suspect Tippmann placed the outdated and problematic pre-APE boards in these markers to get rid of them. Even with a fully charged battery the gun can't consistently trip the sear. I understand that this might be an isolated or correctable issue but the overall design is flawed. I'm very disappointed considering the quality of many other Tippmann products.
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Palmer Typhoon - All I can say is thumbs up for reputation, unique operation, and feel. I have only fired my used Typhoon at a target range but the sound of the gun operation is way cool and totally unique. I was less impressed with the trigger pull that requires a full pull and release to prevent "short stroking" and the standard angled feed neck. As a long time Tippmann user I just can't get over the feed neck and will pass the marker on to someone else for this reason alone. My only other gripe would be the fixed barrel but overall an impressive marker.
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PMI US-5 - Super cool points for an external selector switch on the electronic grip!! No other marker on the market has this capability, yet. They also kicked Tippmann's rear with a swappable grip frame to quickly go from electro to mechanical. The electrical frame also has a tournament lock. They also made the Tippmann grip look like child's play with an included rechargeable battery, changer, and get this…no exposed wires or boards!! Swapping the battery on this sucker is a breeze! Despite my love for the grip frame I'm having difficulty getting the gun to shoot an an acceptable velocity. This can be corrected easily enough. I'm having difficulty with the 98C style feed neck being kind of wobbly due to the drop away design. The gun has the feel of the A5 but is noticeably heavier. I think the receivers are made of a heavier material. Also, the barrel threads don't work with the A5 barrels but I'm sure someone will release an adapter at some point. I give the base marker a 6 out of 10 but the grip frames is a solid 10! Tippmann needs to return the favor and steel some of PMI's designs.
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98 Pro E\Cyclone - I must say I was never a big fan of the 98C design. I got a great deal on a 98 Pro E with a pre-installed cyclone. This gun has performed flawlessly. The APE board rocks! Three days of paintball on the same batteries…4500 rounds at least! It can't even be compared to the eXt or an A5 with the original eGrip. This is the first Tippmann electro configuration that I haven't had any problems with so far. I'm hoping the X7 board will perform as well!
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Well that’s all folks. It may be a while before I have anything new to post. The pod launcher project is definitely on hold, maybe indefinitely. I'm still perusing the possibilities of a Sidekick Semi revival by my own hand or others. My target date on the 870 shotgun is next spring. I'll have updated pictures of my M4 conversion and family paintball game in Tennessee at some point. Time permitting I might start working on a site redesign. I have thousands of new pictures to add to the marker gallery and the guestbook was corrupted by spammers. Thanks for stopping bye!
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Later, Crew