Python Paintball was a company that designed the ‘Compression Kit’. This kit allowed the user to added a bore system to all the same threaded barrels in his/her bag. Now now you could achieve bore-match capablities to your stock barrel or any of your favorite barrels that wasn’t offered in ‘barrel kit’ form by the manufacturer. Not only is it convenient but also an economical way of gaining accuracy and performance across the boards. Python sold a lot of their quality kits but the name and product was more grass-roots only known in inner paintball circles and between members of certain chat and paintball forums. TechT Paintball realized the genius behind the product and adopted the concept, redeveloping the concept in conjuction with Python, and releasing their own version called the TechT iFIT Bore Kit.

TechT Paintball has a huge following of customers stemming from woodsball to tournament play. Their parts not only work but truly upgrade performance and people have taking notice over the years. It’s that exact reason why TechT can bring this technology to the forefront of paintball, tapping into their existing customer base to help spread the word.

TechT’s barrel system is offered in both 6 and 9 piece iFIT insert kits. Each kit includes a barrel adapter specifically threaded to work with your gun. The iFIT adapter is threaded inside to accept the specific barrel thread and also externally to screw into the marker. The iFIT kits come in just about every barrel thread on the market today include A5 (X7), Autococker, Spyder, 98, Ion/Impulse and also some of the unique thread patterns used on barrel fronts by manufacturers such as Hammerhead. Determine which insert will match the paintball that you’ll be firing.  Add the insert to the adapter and screw it to the end of the barrel.  Screw the entire unit to the paintball markerand fire away.  It’s as easy as that!

Testing not only shows better accuracy, but better air efficiency. These results are crucial for snipers especially as manufacturers are pumping out smaller and smaller paintballs. To read more about this new product, visit the TechT iFIT Boring Kit page.   Also visit TechT’s YouTube channel for future videos on the iFIT Precision Bore Kit and other great products from TechT Paintball.  The iFIT kits are also available through authorized TechT dealers such as ROCKSTAR Tactical.

Added features include a built-in foregrip, inline sights and slings mounts.  Gotta love it when they add factory sling mounts!  Rail space is plentiful as well.  The top receiver rail is 7/8 military standard picatinny which means all your weaver mount scopes and sights will work.   The foregrip features 3 separate rails.  Add a laser or tactical flashlight to either of the side 7/8″ rails and an RIS style grip to the bottom rail.  As you know, optional rail space means unlimited potential.  The available rail space on the Carver One will allow for you to customize the marker with the exact accessories you’ll need on the field.

The US ARMY Carver One will be offered in three separate versions: Carver One Basic (T106400), Carver One Egrip (T106401) and the Carver One Power Pack (T106402) for those looking for a complete kit.  Release date is scheduled for early March 2010 so look for it from your favorite Tippmann Dealer very soon.

Picatinny rail covers do a few things.  They first and foremost protect the rail from damage.  Damaged teeth on a rail may not allow a scope, grip, bipod of laser to properly seat.  This is a major headache and can be a serious drawback in the field.  Also, dirt and mudd can clog the spaces between the teeth also preventing a proper install of accessories.  Covers also protect the operator from the sharp edges of the rail.  A covered rail is more comfortable for the ungloved hand.  Most rail covers are textured which also allows for a more secure grip on the front of the gun.

Install is very easy.  Rail covers are basically made of either thick rubber or flexible plastic.  Either way, install requires that you start the cover on one side of the rail snapping it over the edge of the other side.  That’s it!  If you have a front grip or bipod, you can easily cut a rail cover for a custom fit covering all the rail space that’s not occupied by a tactical accessory or some type of optics.

Again all you paintball players… think outside the box.  The mil-spec rails that are attached to your barrel shroud are probably the same style and width used by the military which means you can use rail covers that are sold for real guns.  Grab a set online, at a gun show or even out of a supply catalog.  Most of the picatinny rails covers available on paintball websites are basically version of covers made for the real deal just offered in the paintball market.

There are a few items available that can help those whose marker does not include a sling or a slot for a 1, 2 or 3 point sling attachment.  1 point paintball slings are by far the most popular models used by the woodsball crowd.  Most attach to a rear stock or even the side of the gun offering occasional gun support.  We will focus on the 1 point sling in reference to the add-on attachment options available for paintball slings.

A weaver rail sling adapter is a quick and easy way to acquire a mounting point for a paintball sling.  Anyone with available picatinny or weaver rail space can attach a sling rail adapter in seconds.  The RAP4 Weaver Sling Adapter is one such option.  Simply loosen the side thumbscrew, slide the adapter onto the rail and retighten the thumbscrew.  Most paintball barrel shrouds offer quadrails on the top, sides and bottom of the shroud.  You don’t need to dedicate a 6″ rail to the adapter either.  Most adapters are only about 1-2″ in length.  They can slide in nicely behind your laser sight, a mounted flashlight or even a front grip or bipod.

The BT Sling Adapter Set is another picatinny/weaver rail option.  This kit attaches in the same manner as the RAP Ring but also offers a few key features.  First, the kit includes two adapters.  Use one for 1 pt slings, heck split the cost with a fellow player if you’re both running 1 pt slings.  Mount both rings in the kit for 2 and 3 point applications.  Both adapters in the BT kit offer round rings that also pivot in a circle.  This allows the sling to adjust to just about any moment or angle you might get yourself into during a game.  The sling is therefore more fluid and less likely to affect your shot.  When you have 360 degrees of movement, you hardly know the sling is attached.   It’s a nice improvement over a one way moving sling ring.

So you don’t have a sling ring, available picatinny rail or stock that you can use as a paintball sling attachment point?  We’ve seen some pretty creative solutions out there for players who fall into this category.  You can add a rail, riser or offset rail to the top of just about any paintball gun receiver on the market today.  You just need to know what rail your receiver will accept.  Add a rail, riser or offset rail that provides a 7/8″ or picatinny rail base and you have yourself an attachment point for the items described above.

Other products on the market are typically model specific.  The Alternative Feed X7 Sling Adapter is a creative product that replaces one of the Tippmann X7′s receiver pins with a pin/ring for easy sling attachment.  It installs in seconds with no permanent modification at all.  Don’t forget to search through army surplus and real gun magazines as well.  Because many of the rails and accessories are universal in nature, most will easily attach to your paintball gun.  Finding tactical accessories outside the realm of those offered by paintball specific manufacturers is a great way to create a custom look that will have a ton of people asking, “hey, where did you get that?”

Hardcore electro-pneumatic technology has always been commonplace in tournament speedball-style paintball. $1000+ guns with insane 30bps rates of fire have been the ‘norm’ for xball play for some time. Over the years, woodsballer and scenario players have pride themselves on simplier designed mechanical markers.  Preferring paintball guns that offer a military look and feel over the space age technology of highend speedball markers common is other sectors of the sport.

BT Paintball was really the first to bring high-end, speedball type technology into the woods. The BT TM7 borrows most of its guts from the Invert Mini. No external airlines, wicked fast firing all wrapped in a truly tactical shell were concepts never seen before in the woods at weekend recball games. Tippmann seems to be following suit with the release of the X7 Phenom. No longer will woodsball players have to comb the internet looking for milsim style parts for their high-end speedball marker. The two worlds are finally being merged via the production of military style paintball guns with highend, technologically advanced, efficient internals.

The core of the Phenom is Tippmann’s new FlexValve technology. Tippmann abandoned the standard powertube valve design seen in nearly all their paintball guns over the past 10 years when they designed the Phenom. This new design allows the X7 Phenom to operate on a much lower pressure of 300 psi. This means better efficiency and more shots per fill than your typcial high pressure marker. Also the internal design uses a forward moving bolt, not the typical blowback. This means less kick or recoil. That normally will allow you to steady the marker better during higher rates of fire therefore improving accuracy. The electro-pneumatic technology found in the Phenom also allows you to shoot the gun with or without battery power. If your battery is dead you can simply fire in mechanical semi-auto mode. This could be a life-saving feature for anyone playing long games or weekend events where backup supplies like batteries are limited.

Other features of the Tippmann X7 Phenom are obvious. The receiver incorporates a new milled design, no external airlines yield a cleaner look and a shorter front shroud gives the Phenom a tighter feel. The cyclone feed received a revamp as well. Now capable of 20 bps straight out of the box, this updated cyclone feed system should be the ticket for keeping up with the smooth, rapid firing action of the Phenom’s electro-pneumatic engine.

Tippmann kept most of the factory X7 Upgrades compatible with the new X7 Phenom. They didn’t say which upgrades would not work but from the looks of it, the molded magwell on the Phenom may pose a problem for adding older X7 mag kits. We will see if Tippmann produces an adapter or solution for players who need to change that mag kit to achieve the look and feel of a certain style gun.

All in all we’re anxious to get our hands on the new X7 Phenom. We think it is a positive move forward for woodsball technology. Although priced higher than most woodsball markers, the Phenom will likely save you money by limiting the number of aftermarket parts needed for maximum performance. Only time will tell if the changes seen on the Phenom have any affect on the other paintball guns in Tippmann’s lineup or on rest of the paintball industry at large.

The T4 First Strike is built from the platform of Tiberius’ less lethal line of guns.  These guns are used by police and military forces.  They shoot less lethal projectiles such as pepper-spray balls.  Using this framework, the gun was modified to accept the First Strike Sniper Rounds.  They will also shoot standard .68 caliber paintballs, in fact Tiberius includes an adapter to mount a hopper on top of the gun. 

The Tiberius T-4 is straight tactical.  The receiver and barrel shroud are one piece milled from aluminum and anodized black.  The shroud features a quad rail design.  The standard weaver style rails will accept any weaver-based accessory like a  front grip, laser sight, bipod or tactical flashlight.  Tiberius includes a sniper style scope (4×32 scope w/riser), bipod, rear buttstock, rail guards and 2 – 14rd magazine kits.   The trigger frame is a standard 45 style grip unlike the other T8 and T9 guns.  It is straight semi-auto with an external switch that can select between ‘S’ for safe and ‘F’ for fire.  The magazines are made from composite plastic.  They are light but durable.  They feature an air-thru adapter that allows you to connect a quick disconnect from a remote line for constant air usage.

Since the gun is all aluminum it is a little on the heavy side, but you can’t deny the real look and feel of the T4 when in your hands.  It will definitely take your scenario or woodsball experience to new heights of enjoyment and realism.  The Tiberius T4 is offered by select dealers on the internet.  Street price for the T4 is $899.00.  Not the cheapest gun out there, but properly the most realistic, accurate and furthest distance shooting paintball gun on the market today thanks to the First Strike Rounds.  Reports have shown that the First Strike Sniper Rounds are approximately 25x more accurate than the average paintball, carrying 2x the distance as well.  They are pricey little buggers, but we’re confident that Tiberius will find a way to get the price down on them especially in light of their popularity.

You non-Tiberius Arms owners looking to use the First Strike Rounds are out of luck at this time.  There are no conversion kits on the market for the Sniper Rounds other than the current kits available for the Tiberius T8 and T9.   If you’re looking at purchasing a First Strike Marker and don’t want to shell out the bucks for the T4, look into the T9 Ranger ST and purchase the separate T9 conversion kit.  You can always break the T9 down into a pistol for sidearm use.  Tiberius Arms now offers First Strike Spare Mags as well.

The BT TM-15 is similar in its internal design as the widely popular TM-7.  Both guns are based on the technology that made the Invert Mini revolutionary.  All feature electropneumatic firing coming from a tournament level board that’s been tried and true.  Like the TM-7, external select firing allows for quick firing mode changes.  No more tools and on-field shuttling between settings.  One of the unique designs of this series of guns is the fact that there are no external airlines.  All lines run inside the gun which provides for a cleaner look and added protection.   The BT TM-15 includes the added benefit of being easier to access the internals with bolt access through the rear of the gun.  This will make cleaning and general maintenance much easier than the other Mini-based models.  It features a similar operating pressure at the Mini and TM-7  at 200 psi.  Those guns have virtually no kick which makes firing smooth and accuracy more consistent.

The obvious feature on the TM-15 that really makes this gun stand out is the tactical body.  This body is made from magnesium, offering superior durability.  The body houses lots of rail space.  We love the fact that the top receiver rail is picatinny in nature.  It just allows for a much wider range of scope and rail options than 3/8″ or dovetail receivers allow for.  The body and barrel shroud are one piece which offer a few advantages.  The gun feels more solid without having a heavy shroud bolted to your barrel via set screws.  Also, the barrel is free floating inside the shroud meaning it screws directly into the gun’s breach.  Again, no hassle with set screws that could scratch or ding your precious, expensive upgrade barrel.   Speaking of barrel, the gun comes standard with a 14″ autococker barrel featuring porting and a muzzle break.   We love the ‘cocker threading because just about anyone making a quality barrel is offering an autococker model.  BT also states in product info that the depth of the one piece shroud also aids in silencing some of the report from shots fired.  This may help in quieting the overall functioning of the gun.

Given the amount of tactical rails that the BT TM-15 sports, you should be able to customize the look and function with extreme ease.   Because the rails are standard military width (7/8″), any weaver or picatinny based accessory should work.  This not only extends to paintball but accessories like grips, bipods, lasers, flashlights and sights found in the real world of firearms.  Are you salivating yet???

The stock is made from high impact, composite plastic similar to real world military material.  The stock is adjustable for both close quarter battle and open field shooting.  It also features a number of slots for sling attachment.  The mag is unique in that it houses the battery and provides for storage space for tools and spare parts.

We’re very anxious to test out the BT TM-15 Paintball Gun.  We’ll keep you posted on any findings or industry news regarding the marker.   Feel free to share any comments regarding your experience with the gun or news you’ve read or heard.

The new Tiberius FirstStrike Sniper Round will be different than any paintball you’ve ever seen before.  First, the most impressive feature is its accuracy: reports are stating that the new sniper rounds are 25 times more accurate than nomal paintballs.  The design of the round itself is revolutionary.  Each rounds resembles what might appear as a normal paintball with a pleated skirt attached.  The skirt-like attachment is actually a fin mechanism that imparts spin allowing the round to achieve a truer flight path and therefore better accuracy.  Does it really work?  Watch the videos for yourself and decide!

Just not any paintball gun will be able to shoot the new sniper rounds.  Tiberius plans to release a T8 and T9 First Strike Conversion Kit that allows Tiberius owners to convert to a compatible pistol or rifle.  The release is scheduled at the same time the new Sniper Rounds will hit the market.  No word has yet been released if other marker conversion kits are planned or if they are even possible.

This could represent something very big for the sport of paintball.  May people have speculated that paintball will not see much more technological advancement as gun performance tips the 30 bps.  These same people believe that most of the releases in the market in the upcoming years would reflect nothing more than cosmetic changes only.  That’s not hard to believe.  After all, how much faster than 30 bps can you load and shoot a paintball?  Would the cost of even achieving higher levels even be worth it?  

In closing, we’re hopeful that paintball will continue to progress.  This requires companies like Tiberius Arms to think outside the box, pulling apart all of the elements of the game to design products that make the entire process more enjoyable and statisfying for players old and new.   Tiberius Arms First Strike Sniper rounds are due for a release in April 2009.

Screw-on Paintball Suppressors – Some barrels are ‘double threaded’. This just means that they are threaded on one end to attach to a paintball gun and threaded on the opposite end to attach a muzzle break or suppressor. Unfortunately, the thread pattern used on the end of the double threaded barrels is not universal just like the thread the meets the gun body. Most manufacturers use their own thread pattern with some exceptions. Hammerhead Paintball has released their latest version of there rifled barrels. The Battlestickz and Bangstickz have a threaded end that accepts Hammerheads many muzzle breaks and newly redesigned silencer tip. RAP4 also makes a double threaded barrel that accepts one of their many mock silencers. Their paintball silencers are interchangeable on their barrels and barrel kits. Trinity also offers an M16 barrel kit. The barrel kit has a removable 2” muzzle break. This barrel kit will accept the RAP4 silencers. It looks like both companies use identical barrels.

Slide-On Paintball Suppressors – The slide-on units are by far the most popular style mock silencers used in paintball. They are popular because they can be used on just about any paintball barrel. They slide over the end of the barrel the length of the suppressor or cover part of the end of the barrel. Either way they use small set screws to stay attached to the barrel end. The Lapco Mock Suppressor is one of the most popular units in the market. They utilize an aluminum ring that goes over the barrel. The ring is held on by set screws and threaded. Once on the barrel, the suppressor shroud is slid down and threaded onto the ring. Lapco includes a set of sizing collars to take up gap between the metal ring and the barrel. Ops Gear also makes a paintball silencer with a little twist. One end of the suppressor will accept a 7/8″ outer diameter barrel. Flip the Ops Gear unit around and it will accept 1″ outer diameter barrel. Again the suppressor is held on by set screws.

Quick Tip:  In a previous post, we discussed choosing the right paintball barrel length to fit your needs.  This is a concern when adding a suppressor to your paintball barrel.  Make sure you calculate the length of the barrel that a slide-on paintball silencer will require for attachment.  Also consider the length when you are running a body shroud on the gun or if your specific marker requires the barrel to recess into the receiver a few inches before threading to the gun.  Get a measuring tape out, know the length of the accessories and do the math.   It’s best to give yourself at least a spare inch for incorrect length sizes listed by manufacturers or on retail websites.

Paintball Barrels:  This is a no brainer. Most aftermarket barrels are better than the stock barrel included in the original A5 kit.  Your choice is going to weight heavily on budget since barrel prices swing majorly in the market.  If you are looking for a mid range barrel around $30-50, take a look at the Palmer Brass, CP One-Piece, JJ Ceramic or Tippmann Werks or Pathfinder barrels.  Average length is 14″.  If you are planning to add a few accessories to your barrel like a handguard, suppressor or front site, look into a slightly longer barrel.  It all depends on the length required of the accesories and the space required to screw the barrel down into the gun through a receiver shroud.  Also consider where your playing.  18″ is a long barrel!  Especially when you’re playing in an open field and have to clear a tight building as part of a scenario event.  Give it some thought before purchasing and get the barrel that will accomodate your future plans and playing style.

Air Tank:  If you are using CO2, you are aware of the downfalls and problems associated with its use.  CO2 is actually in liquid form when your tank is filled.  The liquid converts to a gas to power your marker using thermal energy.  When no heat is available to convert the liquid to the gas, your marker freezes, velocity is inconsistent and dropoff ensues.  ’When’ this happens and ‘how often’ depends on your rate of fire.  So if your planning on increasing your BPS (balls per second), you have to go Compressed Air.  If you don’t, the drawbacks of CO2 will only impede your performance and ultimately drive you crazy thinking you wasted your money on an Egrip or Response Trigger System.  Nitro tanks such as a 48/3000 HPA tank, usually run about $55-70. 

Trigger Upgrade:  The easiest way to fire more rounds per second is to get a little help.   An electronic or air-assisted trigger will give your A5 a significantly BPS bump.  There are a few options here.   The non-electric Response Trigger is an air assisted trigger kit that comes as a drop in unit from Tippmann.  Basically it’s a small selonoid that runs behind the trigger.  Exhaust air from the previous shot runs back to the selonoid to reset the trigger.  You can adjust the air pressure running back to the trigger resetting mechanism.  The RT will allow you to shoot full auto also.  The other option for an A5 Trigger is an Electronic Trigger.  At this time, two options are available both from Tippmann.  Egrips allow you to adjust the rate of fire as well as the firing mode.  The difference between the RT and Egrip is the concept that you can program the mode at which the gun fires: semi-auto, 3 burst shot, full-auto ect.  The Tippmann WAS Egrip is available pre-installed on a new A5 or as an upgrade kit for basic A5 models.  It runs on a 9volt battery and requires the user to program the board inside trigger frame.  Programming the board is a little outside the purpose of this post,  The Egrip manual does a great of explaining step-by-step how to accomplish this to your personal liking.  The latest electronic upgrade for the A5 is the Tippmann A5 HE Selector Switch Egrip.  The technology for the selector switch is borrowed from the same grip scene on the Tippmann X7.  The difference between the HE board and WAS board lies in two main areas.  First the HE Selector Switch used what is called a Hall Effect trigger to activate the solenoid for firing.  This is essentially a magnetic system.  It runs smoother and more efficient than the WAS Board.  Also, as the name entails, the HE board features an external selector switch mechanism.  This allow you to switch because safety, semi-auto and another firing mode that you custom program for the remaining spot.   This feature allows you to switch modes on the fly.  This is a super feature because different modes are required in different situations on the field.  You have to go through the tedious motions of changing a setting during the heat of battle.  An RT click will run you about $59.  The WAS Egrip and HE Selector Switch Egrip run $99 and $129 respectfully.

Cyclone Feed Upgrades:  This is the last of the upgrades that are really worth the cash.  But let us clarify, if you don’t upgrade the trigger with either an RT or Egrip kit, upgrading the cyclone is not that important.  With one exception that is.  We are huge fans of the guys at TechT Paintball.  It’s not because they drink a lot of beer, but because their parts truly work.  It’s frustrating when an upgrade part does not increase performance or live up to the manufacturer’s hype.  These test their parts through beta releases.  The Techt cyclone parts do what they claim they do.  The cyclone specific parts made by Techt Paintball include:  the Vortex, Quick Exhaust Piston Housing, Lightning Rod and Squishy Paddles.  If you do not upgrade your marker’s trigger as described above, purchasing the Vortex is still a wise decision.  The cyclone’s ratchet is a weak part.  Eventually it will crack or break, leaving your loading system completely non-functioning.  As we all know, this usually happens at the worst possible time.  Using all the Techt Paintball upgrades will allow your cyclone feed to cycle faster, experience more reliable operation, breathe easier and reduce ball chops.  Techt Paintball parts start at about $20, complete kits run $105.