Tippmann A-5 vs Tippmann 98 Series:

The Tippmann A-5 is the next generation of markers after the Tippmann 98 with a few major differences.

A-5’s have a Cyclone Feed that virtually eliminates jams.  Due to the large opening of the Cyclone, it eliminates jams in the feedneck that can happen on the 98 Custom and any other small feed neck gun.

 

Tippmann has also made the gun more accessible by including pushpins for commonly removed items.  Rather than completely disassembling the marker like on the 98’s, you can now remove pushpins to access your internals to lubricate or fix a problem, or change stocks and grips.

 

The internals of the A-5 gun are very similar to the 98 Custom with the exception of the A-5 Tombstone.  This is a piece that lets air in to the valve body.  The Tombstone on the A-5 allows for easier disassembly and gives you more upgrade options.

 

The A-5 now has completely enclosed internals.  The 98 Custom had its cocking handle connected to the hammer, which exposed your internals to dirt, paint, and other debris.

 

The gradual threading of the A-5 barrels requires more turning to remove the barrel.  This creates a tighter fit and it is much less likely to unscrew.

 

Lastly, there are many more upgrade options when you choose the A-5 and many of them are easy to install with the quick release pins. 

 

For the little extra money, the A-5 is big step up from the 98 and is well worth price.  See a complete comparison on our TippmannParts.com blog.

More info soon.

Both of these guns are great for starters but they have major differences that need to be considered.

 

The Tippmann A-5 is a mechanical marker while the Smart Parts Ion is an electronic marker requiring batteries.  The A-5 can shoot as long as you have air and because there are no electronics, it can operate in the rain.

 

The Ion can operate more efficiently due to the lack of a blowback re-cocking system, which uses up more gas, but it cannot operate well with CO2, which the A-5 can.  High pressure air (HPA) is not available everywhere and many players will use CO2 due to the lower prices and availability.

 

The Ion has a higher rate of fire unless you upgrade the Tippmann.  You have the option of upgrading to a Response Trigger or E-grip to achieve the same rate of fire.

 

The A-5 uses a lower profile hopper while the Ion uses a regular style vertical hopper.  The A-5 comes stock with the Cyclone feed system and doesn’t require any upgrades.  The Smart Parts Ion does not come with a hopper and needs a force feed hopper upgrade to keep up with its higher rate of fire.

 

The A-5 is made of thick aluminum and will withstand whatever you can throw at.  The Ion’s plastic body is thinner and lighter but much less durable.

 

For cleaning, the Ion requires a full marker disassembly and parts need to be carefully handled.  The A-5 can be taken apart and cleaned with the removal of a few pins, no tools.

 

Due to the way the gun was designed, the A-5 has many more accessories available to it

 

Each gun is better suited for different styles of play but the Tippmann A-5 advantages above make it a better value than the Smart Parts Ion.

The first thing to remember is that all A-5's start with the same gun.  The differences from model to model are the color, accessories, and type of trigger / grip frame that are on the gun.  The gun itself doesn't change.

The basic A-5 comes in black or camouflage.  Like all other A-5 it includes a hopper that fits on it's Cyclone Feed System.  The A-5 basic trigger is a mechanical semi-auto trigger.  The gun will fire as fast as you can pull the trigger.  You do not have to recock or pump the gun each time.  While the gun can shoot as fast as you can pull the trigger, most people can realistically shoot between 3 and 9 balls per second.  You might personally do better or worse but that's what practice is for.  The single finger trigger has a nice clean and light trigger pull.

The A-5 RT comes just in black but includes an RT kit also called a Response or Reactive trigger.  A Response trigger is still a mechanical, semi-auto trigger that will shoot as fast as you can pull it.  But you're going to get some assistance to pull the trigger faster.  Some of the air from each shot is re-directed to a small piston behind the trigger shoe.  This piston kicks the trigger back in to a ready firing position after each shot.  What this does is it resets the trigger for the next trigger pull even before you've let your finger off trigger from firing your last shot.  Now follow this . . . If the trigger returns to a ready firing position before you've let off the trigger, so you're still pulling on the trigger, then won't you shoot again?  YES!  There is a sweet spot in the Response triggers.   When you pull at a consistent pressure that is strong enough to fire the gun and weak enough not to keep the RT from kicking the trigger back to ready then you'll effectively be able to shoot in bursts and full auto even with a mechanical semi-auto gun.  Now this does take practice but it's not hard to figure out.  After times out with your gun you'll get the hang of it and easily be shooting 5 to 15 balls per second.

E stands for Electronic.  The E-grips use an electronic micro switch solenoid to fire the gun instead of a mechanical trigger.  This gives you very short, smooth, and light trigger pull making the A-5E very easy to shoot quickly.  The standard E-Grip also has these great features:

• Ergonomic grip, with comfortable finger grooves styled after the famous HK line of firearms.
• Safety is a simple cross-bolt style and is quiet and super smooth.
• Five firing modes with up to 17 ball-per-second capability.
• Upgradeable to the popular APE board for increased performance and customized firing modes.
• Compatible with all brands of gas-thru mag kits.
• Uses commonly found 9-volt batteries.

‘HE’ stands for Hall Effect and describes the unique magnetic function of the trigger, resulting in an even smoother pull.  The E-Grip also has these great features:

• Selector switch allows you to change firing modes on the fly . . . anytime, anywhere.
• Weather-proof body housing helps protect your valuable electronics.
• Easy external access battery panel makes changing batteries a snap. No removal of the grip necessary.
• Five firing modes with up to 20 balls-per-second capability.
• Upgradeable to the popular APE board for increased performance and customized firing modes.
• Uses commonly found 9-volt batteries.