Normally when people get an A5 they look online and through all the major magazine and publications searching for the top performance upgrades and bolt-on accessories. What they find is a sea of parts promising to take your Tippmann A5 to the next level. What exactly should you focus on as a new A5 owner? We’ll take a closer look at three areas that will allow you to get the most for your money performance-wise.
A5 Trigger Mods – Modifying the trigger is really two categories in one. Normally when you refer to a paintball gun’s trigger, you are also referring to firepower. The A5 is offered in three versions: basic semi-auto, response trigger and the e-grip. Both the semi-auto and response triggers are essentially mechanical, one mode firing triggers. The A5 E-Grip allows you to adjust not only the rate of fire but also the mode at which the gun will fire like semi-auto, 3 burst shot and full-auto. In terms of performance on the field, the e-grip reins supreme. The boards are waterproof and the settings offer you an endless combination of adjustments to completely tweak the trigger to your liking.
The other trigger category refers to the trigger itself. There are many aftermarket options for replacing the stock trigger in the A5. There are double trigger kits (longer triggers with room for two fingers), complete trigger assemblies and trigger replacements made to work specifically with the A5 e-grip. This is really a personal preference area but metal replacement triggers seem to offer the best choice in feel, adjustment and fit. The problem with plastic double triggers is the side to side play or slop that makes the trigger feel unstable.
A5 Cyclone Feed System – If you increase your firing rate, the next step would be to upgrade the loading system. You want the loading rate to stay on par with the firing capabilities of the gun. Products from companies such as TechT Paintball, Jet City Specialties and Lapco make internal performance upgrade parts for the Cyclone Feed System. These upgrades increase durability and cycling rate, they also decrease the operating pressure of the cyclone. This all equates to better performance and more reliable functioning.
Paintball Barrel – Although the stock barrel is a decent performer, a quality aftermarket barrel replacement can increase distance and accuracy greatly. This goes for just about any paintball gun out of the box. The A5 uses a thread specific to the A5. If you happen to have another model paintball gun with a few aftermarket barrels specific for that gun, look into getting a barrel adapter. You can usually convert the threads for one gun into the threads of another using an adapter. It’s an economic way to get the most out of the barrels you already have.
There are a ton of barrels on the market today. Read the reviews online and ask your dealer questions. Barrels vary in size, bore, material and appearance. Some barrels are rifled, while others have a polished internal surface. Choose a barrel size that will allow you the flexibility of adding accessories in the future. If you plan on adding a tactical shroud, hand guard or even a bipod, a 16″ barrel may be the ticket. After finding a quality barrel, the most important factor to remember is paint-to-barrel matching. Make sure that the paint you use is a good match to the inner bore of the barrel. Paint that is too large or small will cause inconsistent firing. Test, test and retest. Many times trial and error leads to discovering the best results.
