Empire 20 Ounce CO2 Tank Review

Empire 20 oz CO2 Tank

The Empire CO2 tank is, like their HPA tanks, simply a Pure Energy tank with an Empire logo. A prospective buyer should know that all CO2 tanks run generally in the $10-$20 range and perform just about identically. They all have the same two-way valve design, one burst disc and are unregulated. I have had two Empire CO2 tanks and used each around twice. One continues to work perfectly but the second tank sprang a leak due to a faulty valve the second time I used it.

The problem with CO2 is that it is highly inconsistent especially in low temperatures and freezes the internals of a marker. How CO2 works is that it becomes a liquid at high pressures meaning that it is stored as a liquid in the tank. Some of the liquid becomes a gas and is used to shoot a marker. Every time a shot is fired, the pressure in the tank lowers allowing more liquid to evaporate and pressurize the tank. CO2 is therefore inherently bad for use in cooler temperatures when warm ambient temperature is not available to facilitate evaporation and when multiple shots are being fired rapidly as the first shot will be fired at full pressure but each shot afterwards will have significantly less pressure.

Being stored as a liquid means that the tank can be much thinner and constructed to much less stringent regulations as HPA tanks making it cheaper. While it may seem worth the price, the $15 spent on a CO2 tank is best saved and spent on at least a steel HPA tank.

JT Spectra Flex 8 Paintball Mask Goggles Review

The JT Spectra Flex 8 is a fantastic buy. At its price of around $40-$50 it is an incredible bargain for the price. Of course it won’t compare in terms of visibility weight and size to the masks costing $100 dollars and up but its level of comfort and breathability is phenomenal. This mask also has a thermal lens so fogging won’t be an issue.

The only issue I found with this mask was that it is difficult to clean on the field. Of course no mask is going to wipe off perfectly but a solid hit on the lenses could bother you for some time if not thoroughly cleaned.

This mask also comes with a “helmet” option that places a covering over the top of the head for serious protection.  A friend of mine has this and it adds about $10 to the price of the mask. In my opinion it is unnecessary, but if you are just a casual player who is worried about face/head hits it might be something you want to look into.

John Wellers, Inner Circle Paintball Team

Tippmann SL-68 II Pump Marker Review

For the SL-68 there really isn’t much to the gun. A two piece bolt with a
spring in between. This is held in place when cocked by a latch like mechanism
that also works as the firing mechanism. The grip is attached by a bar to the
front part of the bolt. To chrono the gun you look in through the hole on the
side and on the bolt there is an adjustable hex screw that changes the velocity.
This can only be adjusted so far before the screw will be raised up too high for
the bolt to move freely.
This review was submitted by Joseph “JoePa” Pasquence of Team Spectre.

V-Tac Sierra Pants Review

The V-Tac Sierra pants have been awesome for the games that I have used them.
Rugged and very durable, I took these pants through all sorts of pricker bushes
and unlike the pants I got from Angel these didn’t let anything through. Even
though I have only used these for one game I am very confident that they will
last me quite some time. My favorite part about these pants is the amount of
pocket space. Both cargo pockets have a slot for a squeegee which is nice for
left or right handed preference. Overall these are great pants and I
would recommend them to anyone looking for a good pair of scenario pants. The
only downside I could think of is that the pants could get really hot during
summer weather because of the lack of vented areas.

 

This review was submitted by Joe “JoePa” Pasquence of Team Spectre.

Autococker “Sniper” Pump Conversion

I recently acquired a Psychoballistics Lightning 2k+ Centerfeed Autococker body that I soon transformed into a Sniper-2 pump. I took off the front pneumatics and replaced it with a CCM pump kit, replaced the regulator with a CP reg, added a WGP hinge frame, a Check-It on/off and rail, and a J&J elite barrel kit sized from .685 to .691 backs and an 8″ tip. A very accurate marker when paired up with the correct paint and barrel back.

This review was donated by Steven “Shredder” Fraleigh of team Spectre.

Added by DASH:
Pump play is a returning trend in paintball. Many speedball and professional players use pumps to hone their skills. When paintball first started, it was called Survival, and it was played with pump guns only. Pump markers are far more accurate and consistent when compared to other markers because they fire from a closed bolt position, like a sniper rifle, so that the bolt is not moving/engaging/deforming the ball as it is being fired. Pumps can therefore be run at a high operating pressure for better efficiency even with fragile paint. I have hit a running player at 170 yards with 1 ball with my ‘cocker pump conversion. I have a 2003 Black Magic with CCM Pump Kit and Angel regulator. Stop by the shop to check her out, along with our other great pump selections.

Pump markers also promote good paint conservation and better communication and tactics, as you cannot depend on firepower. We also promote use of pumps for friendly games, so nobody gets “lit up”.

Tippmann A5 Review

The Tippmann A5 is a nice upgrade from the Model 98 Custom. Still as durable as the 98C but adds a pneumatic-assisted loader that uses a small amount of your air to cycle the feeder, called the Cyclone. This system ensures a ball in the chamber every time you pull the trigger, as long as there is paint in the hopper and enough pressure left in your air tank, the loading system will keep up as fast as you can shoot the marker. As with my 98C, I upgraded to a 14″ J&J ceramic barrel (please not barrel threads are different between 98C and A5), response trigger (and later an electronic trigger), an air-thru stock and fore grip. This was my main marker setup for a good portion of my paintball career, and I have had no major malfunctions with it during that time.

This review was donated by Steven “Shredder” Fraleigh of Team Spectre.

Added by DASH:
The New A5 has many special features not available on the model A5 Steve used. For more information give us a call, we are a certified Tippmann dealer.

Tippmann Model 98 Custom Review

You can’t go wrong with a Tippmann. It stands up to all kinds of abuse and keeps on shooting. My first marker ever, and she’s still shoots like the day it came out of the packaging! A little more kick than some markers, but well worth that legendary Tippmann reliability. I’ve made some cosmetic and performance upgrades to the marker which include a 14″ J&J ceramic barrel, adjustable stock, and response trigger. I suggest the first thing to upgrade when it comes to a Tippmann is a longer barrel, but nothing over 14″ since any longer barrel will just put unnecessary friction on the paint and use extra air with no real change on the trajectory of the paint.

This review was donated by Steven “Shredder” Fraleigh of Team Spectre.

Added by DASH:
Tippmanns are the most popular paintball marker, and still the choice of many experienced scenario/milsim/big game players. the newer ones can be upgraded with low pressure kits, flatline barrel (backspin), response triggers and e-grips, as well as all the milsim shoulder stocks, scopes, barrels.