Upgrade or Snake Oil? Actual testing with a tippmann A5

[AnarchicArctic]

This thread aims to provide insights into the tippmann A5 and its available upgrades. My aim is to transcend the anecdotal opinions, hype, and bias, and provide real, observable data.
I will attempt to cover the various iterations of “upgrade” as I can acquire them. Should anyone have any they are willing to donate to the cause, pm me. Myself and science thank you!

Experiment #1
Rt vs Super Rt

this one is a common claim around the web. “Hey if you want that rt to rip, you gotta get the bigger low pressure hose kit!” More hose, means more air, means more rip! Sounds great, but is it true or is it snake oil?

For this test I used an A5 fresh out of the eBay box. No cleaning or teching of any kind, other than a drop of gold cup into the asa. My chrono protests working conditions below 50°, so I set up a simple experiment.

•Record myself shooting an A5 with the stock rt.
•Swap in the super rt kit leaving everything else the same. •Record the super rt shooting
•Cut the shot strings down to one second clips
•Slow the clip speed to count the shots
•compare

Results

The super rt outshot the stock rt by 71%. While it was faster, it was also tougher on paint. With several broken balls vs zero breaks with the stock rt. Future trials will be performed after polishing the shells, lubricating the ratchets, filling tanks, etc.

[Trbo323]

Were you just aiming for max BPS? How did you determine where to set the adjustment screw? 7bps feels really slow for the stock setup.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[AnarchicArctic]

I set each to the apparent sweet spot. I agree the numbers seem low.i wasn’t looking for max bps, just wanted to see if the super hose performs better than the stock. As mentioned this particular a5 was straight out of the box. I just cracked into it for basic maintenance. There’s overspray in the shells, the ratchet was unlubricated and the rt piston was nearly dry. Replace some orings, polish and lube, I’d wager both numbers increase.

[BrickHaus]

What was your gas source in this video? I didn't spot the tank. But on co2, you will notice little difference. With hpa, I have expierenced feed and or response issues with the skinny hoses. In some cases the air just isn't dense enough to do it all. For me, with the thick rt lines, and hopefully no cyclone at all. The feedback to the finger is visceral. It almost hurts how much it'll shock your finger.

[AnarchicArctic]

I was using hpa. Planning on co2 tests when the weather warms. The finger slam is real!

[JeeperCreeper]

Dont worry, the chrono is staying warm 😆

[AnarchicArctic]

You musta fed it cause it never seems to leave haha

[markdem]

I like this! Legit tests under legit conditions! Love how you did the alternating shooting clips - makes it easy to see the difference

[AnarchicArctic]

Thanks Mark!

[Fubarius]

Back in the day when I was making super RT kits myself (off shoot of my own LP work with A5's, never really pleased with the LP results, but the more responsive RT was a happy surprise), we had the best results not on the A5, but with the Model98. Not having to deal with the cyclone made the RT even more finger bruising, and we were able to keep of the paint feeding by using a Halo hopper on it. These days there are plenty of quality high rate of fire force feed hoppers that could keep up with it. Our record was getting the big red chrono to read 24bps for a short burst.

[AnarchicArctic]

That’s a solid output for an rt! It makes sense that it would perform better with the cyclone out of the picture. I’m curious to test the maximum rof for the rt and cyclone individually.

[BrickHaus]

Alright man. I'm going to get My a5 pieced together this winter now.. you have spurred me.

Just paid 60 frigging dollars for the python helix feedneck I've told myself I wouldn't pay 60 dollars for over 10 times..

I want a super rt, direct feed, with a5 a2 grip with a hole blown in the bottom. Then i want a ptp intruder grip with the tank at a 45 handing off of the tombstone asa for weight balance. Then I might run rva, but I have a dog leg, and commando stock in the pile....edit, and a jcs voodoo..

[AnarchicArctic]

Hahahah right on! Dig it up and pimp it out. Nothing wrong with a little chrome on a pinto!

[RhoXi]

Alright, some actual data! The ball breakage with the super rt is interesting. Do you suppose the higher air flow is causing the cyclone to turn with more force and cracking the balls before they get into the breach? That was my first thought at least.

I am excited to see the results of future testing.

[AnarchicArctic]

I believe some of the balls were breaking on the sharp edges of the loading finger because I had paint in the cyclone as well as the barrel. I was using “premium” paint, so it's possible the increased cyclone speed was too rough on the thin shells. I will round off and polish the finger edges before further testing.

[jokers]

I believe some of the balls were breaking on the sharp edges of the loading finger because I had paint in the cyclone as well as the barrel. I was using “premium” paint, so it's possible the increased cyclone speed was too rough on the thin shells. I will round off and polish the finger edges before further testing.

I do not suppose the softer paddles would help with that something like the Techt paddles or something similar?

[AnarchicArctic]

These are the new gen tippmann paddles. Middle of the road on hardness I think. I have some old hard paddles I want to test and hoping to get some of the various branded soft paddles for testing as well

[Drunkscriblerian]

oooh! As an A-5 owner who dumped a bit of scratch into upgrading, will be following this thread!

(mine has an RTS, a TechT fang trigger, metal Cyclone internals, squishy paddles and a QEPH piston housing.)

I'm particularly curious about the QEPH and whether or not it has any benefit. The rest of the mods I did notice some difference (particularly the fang trigger, its much nicer IMO than the stock one), but the QEPH...not so much. Wondering if it is in fact snake oil.

[Trbo323]

Alright man. I'm going to get My a5 pieced together this winter now.. you have spurred me.

Just paid 60 frigging dollars for the python helix feedneck I've told myself I wouldn't pay 60 dollars for over 10 times..

I want a super rt, direct feed, with a5 a2 grip with a hole blown in the bottom. Then i want a ptp intruder grip with the tank at a 45 handing off of the tombstone asa for weight balance. Then I might run rva, but I have a dog leg, and commando stock in the pile....edit, and a jcs voodoo..

Asking this because I'm legit curious not trying to judge your choices .

Why do this with an A5 when you could get the same or better results with an automag RT?

Like I get customizing and what not, but to me the A5 will always have the real possibility of not working. A lot of what you described is parts that are solving problems. With the amount of money it's going to take I imagine you will be in the ballpark of a mag RT anyway.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[BrickHaus]

Asking this because I'm legit curious not trying to judge your choices .

Why do this with an A5 when you could get the same or better results with an automag RT?

Like I get customizing and what not, but to me the A5 will always have the real possibility of not working. A lot of what you described is parts that are solving problems. With the amount of money it's going to take I imagine you will be in the ballpark of a mag RT anyway.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

Because short of the feedneck I just over paid for, I have all of it.

I've also had countless mags. And one on the wall. The rt on a mag just isn't the same

[AnarchicArctic]

I’m looking forward to seeing it after you get it built

[BrickHaus]

AnarchicArctic It needs some more of the finer details, but I threw the major sum of parts together.

https://youtube.com/shorts/XkYiUDreUCA

[AnarchicArctic]

Look at that finger bounce! That’s the good stuff

[AnarchicArctic]

A bit of testing today. Nothing video worthy. I took the clam shells apart, polished the over spray and lubricated. With the same velocity screw and rt piston settings as before, the stock 1/16” rt hose performance jumped from 7 to 12bps. Plenty of ball breakage as before with the same rof on the super hose. I swapped to a fresh detent hoping that was the cause of the breakages, but it didn’t fix the soup. I’ll order some of the different paddle grades to try, as well as harder shelled paint.