ChoicePaintballGuns

Tippmann paintball guns have been a known, popular and reliable brand for a long time.  They produce an entire line of paintball gear but are most known for their tactical paintball markers.  These include the Custom 98, Tippmann A5, X7 and recently released X7 Phenom.  This company is also the makers of the US Army Series that include the Tippmann Alpha Black, Project Salvo and currently, the Carver One.  They also have a fantastic .68 caliber paintball pistol called the TPX.

As you can see, a decision about which of these guns are best can be difficult because there’s so much variety.  While Tippmann makes the base marker, several other companys (like RAP4) produce and sell many accessories like barrels, different handguards & buttstocks (to name a few) that you can purchase already installed on the gun you want.  You can buy a gun package like this much cheaper than if you bought the base marker and individual parts separately.  This way, you can buy a Tippmann 98 Sniper paintball gun instead of having to piece it together bit by bit and end up paying more in the long run.

Overall, you really can’t go wrong with any of the Tippmann guns, whether you bought a Tippmann X7 AK47 already put together or built it yourself little by little.  It’s hard to go wrong with a Tippmann because all the important factors that make up a quality paintball marker are there…. durable, sturdy and reliable, good warranty/service, easy to maintain, take apart and clean and tons of available parts, accessories and upgrades.  The best thing about Tippmann paintball guns is they are affordable for just about any budget.  These markers are perfect for any type of woodsball match and great for beginners or advanced players.

What’s the difference between the Apex Barrel and the Flatline Barrel?

Both the Apex and Flatline barrel are upgraded barrels for your paintball marker. The Apex is an interesting little attachment; it has a switch on the side that will allow you to curve your shot one way or another. It’s supposed to also increase the distance of your shot somewhat. It has to be used on a rifled barrel though for it to work best. The barrels that come standard on most paintball markers aren’t rifled, so you will first need to upgrade to a rifled barrel before adding the Apex. The Flatline will not curve your shot but compared to the Apex, it should shoot farther and straighter. Whereas there’s more tricks you can do with the Apex, the flatline seems to have a larger ground swelling of testimonials behind it saying it’s the best. The Flatline barrel, however is made specifically for Tippmann paintball guns and may not fit on any others.  Between the two, if you already have a rifled barrel on your gun, you may want to see what the Apex can do.  If you have a Tippmann paintball gun and you’re just looking for more distance and a straighter/more accurate trajectory, try the flatline.  Tippmann markers can use either barrel (the Apex dependant on having a rifled barrel to attach to first of course).

After watching and being involved in paintball for over 7 years, I’ve watched the sport grow and advance.  I guess you could say I’m a purist and I dream of advancing paintball technology so the game becomes as close to real war as possible.  Imagine how real the game will be when everyone on the field is using military replica tactical paintball guns fueled by a hidden air tank and loaded through magazines.  Actually, with paintball guns from RAP4 and MilSig, I’ve found out that this is not that far from reality.  In fact the T68 gen6 by rap4 is so close to the real thing it’s scary.  These guns are not only magazine fed, but the flexi-air systems are ultra cool - this is what allows you to hide your air tank inside the buttstock -  it’s by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.   It’s also amazing how many different options there are to choose regarding what type of weapon you want…. There are multiple snipers, CQB, AK47 and carbine combination packages available; seriously there’s like 60+ different customized T68 guns to choose from.  If you want to take your tactical game to the next level of realism, get a T68 and I’ll meet you on the battlefield!  This gun is transforming the sport of paintball!  
Matt Kresch,  Team Trinity

What should I look for in a paintball starter package for my two grandsons?  What should it include?  They are 12 and 8 respectively.  Since they are new to the game, what would be best suited for that age bracket and their skill level?

We are excited about the upcoming release of the X7 Phenom, a next-generation .68 caliber paintball marker that’s truly in a class of its own. This gun will be released for sale on ChoicePaintballGuns.com by mid-November. The unmatched benefits of this new electro pneumatic marker include improved air efficiency, superior accuracy, manual or electronic firing and the flexibility to use either CO2 or compressed air. The heart of the Phenom is Tippmann’s patented FlexValve™ Technology, a brand new technology that is not available on any other paintball marker. The FlexValve operates below 300 PSI for improved air efficiency, giving players more than 1,400 shots from a single 68 cubic-inch, 4500 PSI tank. Also, with its Spool Valve Design, recoil is virtually eliminated for significantly-enhanced accuracy. The design of the Phenom also incorporates fewer wear parts, making maintenance easier than ever and breakdown rare. Even though the Phenom is three inches shorter than the standard X7, it will still accept more than 20 current X7 mods and upgrades, including the popular Flatline Barrel. 

Other features of the X7 Phenom include:
·         New compact and lightweight aluminum body
·         Streamlined design with internal gasline and no cocking handle
·         Pushpin construction for easy field stripping
·         All-metal trigger for enhanced stability
·         Magnetically activated hall effect electronics
·         Redesigned Cyclone Feed System paddles that feed up to 20 balls-per-      second without batteries
·         Picatinny top rail to easily add new sights and handles
·         Air-thru stock compatibility
·         Internal regulator with new external-velocity adjustment
·         9.5” high performance stone-honed barrel
·         Removable rear and front sights
·         2-Year Warranty
·         Made in the U.S.A.

Airbrushed artwork for state of the art paintball masks… A company called ‘Save Phace’ has developed a new, incredibly sleek design line of protective face equipment for your paintball game.  The lenses also have a military grade anti-fog, anti-scratch, UV coating that’s retained even after extended water emersion or repeated cleaning.  They also have an interchangable foam inside and some models come with a soft protective bag to protect the mask’s lenses.  Most of the Save Phace Masks are airbrushed by hand and are painted to look like awesome skulls, faces and different camouflage patterns.  These masks are also the first to offer a customized paint job; for an extra charge, you can have your mask painted with any logo or picture you can find.  The prices of these unique, hi-tech paintball goggles are also surprisingly affordable.  Of course custom work can get pricy depending on what you want done, but even the lower end Save Phace Masks are nice looking and have sweet graphics.

Why do I choose to get my equipment from ChoicePaintballGuns.com? I’ll tell you exactly why. This website has a little bit of everything…. From masks, to Jerseys, to apparel. They have an extremely large variety of markers from competition guns, such as Smart Parts, Dye, Proto, Spyder, and Invert minis, to tactical markers, like Tippmann, Rap4, Tiberius, and U.S Army. The selection is unbeatable, and the prices are amazing. So whether your a new player, or a very experienced player, you can count on ChoicePaintballGuns to provide the best gear, for great deals and low prices. The shipping service is great also, it gets to you very quickly, and it is always in perfect condition. 
Matt Kresch, Team Trinity

When I’m on the field, I want max performance out of my paintball marker.  Part of this though depends on what type of hopper you’re using.  If you’ve got a super fast Planet Eclipse Ego 09 paintball marker, it would be ridiculous to load your paintballs with a simple gravity fed 200 round hopper.  That would be like putting average, low-end tires on a race car; you would find out soon enough the cheap tires are holding you back.  So with my paintball gun, I prefer the Halo B electronic hopper.  This is a great, fast and super reliable hopper.  I have had no problems at all with it so far.  It feeds the balls into my gun as fast as I can pull the trigger. All you have to do is put 6 AA batteries into it, hit the on button and you’re ready to go.  It’s very easy to open and reload and it never pops open on it’s own.  I’ve used it throughout many rounds and competitions and have never had one problem.  This hopper is also by far one of the most durable loaders I have ever used; I will use it for a very long time.  If you’re looking for a quick, reliable hopper, try the Halo B electronic hopper; you can order one for a great low price at choicepaintballguns.com!
Mike Morton, Team Trinity

 A lot of paintball players like to upgrade their guns to automatic triggers so that they can become almost unstoppable on the field.  Electronic triggers allow your paintball gun to be fully automatic allowing it’s users to put out an extremely consistent stream of paintballs. But I like to think that it only takes 1 shot to get a player out.  My dad used to play on a semi-pro team, and he always told me to choose accuracy over volume on the paintball field.  While players spray at you with their automatics, all you have to do is find good cover and wait for that one perfect shot to eliminate them.  You don’t need a good automatic paintball gun to be a good player.  Sometimes fully auto guns sure help a lot, but remember one main thing about paintball - ”Its not about how good the marker is, its about how good the player is”.
Mike Morton, Team Trinity  

Over the past few months, feedback regarding the new TPX Pistol has been overwhelmingly positive.  This new .68 caliber paintball pistol has generated a tremendous amount of interest and excitement among paintballers around the globe.  However, a recent issue regarding the pistol has surfaced….

It appears the dimensions for disposable 12g CO2 cartridges vary far beyond Tippmann’s initial testing and have resulted in some cartridges not puncturing.  Although they tested numerous brands, they have discovered that certain types of cartridges may not puncture on the first pull.  If you have noticed this issue with your TPX Pistol, please call Tippmann at 1-800-533-4831 or visit www.tippmann.com (click on the CO2 Upgrade Kit link and simply complete the appropriate TPX form with your serial number.  Tippmann will send you a free CO2 Upgrade Kit including a new cap with an adjustable set screw that adjusts for various CO2 cartridge sizes, as well as a new, easy-to-install pin assembly.

If you have experienced any other issues, whether it’s velocity, efficiency, or paint breakage related, we encourage you to visit Tippmann’s new TPX Tech Support program on their website to learn more about troubleshooting, installation and maintenance of your TPX pistol.  There are also some helpful tips on how to correctly pick paint and properly load a magazine.  And if you can’t find what you’re looking for in the videos, you may always contact their Tech Service Team at 1-800-533-4831, or 1-260-749-6022.