NationStates Jolt Archive

This probably isn't the optimal place to ask, but since I know there are a few paintballers here, I'm kind of hoping you might be able to give some help on this.

I have a second hand Tippman A-5, with a standard length ported barrel on a remote line and it's giving me some really weird flight ballistics. I usually use targets at 20-30 meters out for calibration, and more than a few times, the paintball would suddenly veer off course more than halfway down the range. I'm not talking about gradual curved shots caused by crosswind or gravity, but extreme changes in direction. Out of 100 shots, I've had about 15 of them veer off by as much as 90 degrees suddenly in mid-flight before curving forward.

I've made sure the barrel and chamber are clean, and adjusted the velocity screw each time ranging from low to high pressure, and it's always the same. I'd get a few straight shots, a few with increasingly weird curves, and some going on absolutely random flight paths. I've spaced out the shots in case the HPA was overcooling the barrel, but that made no difference insofar as I can tell.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say I bought LG's old marker.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix this?

buy a newpaint ball gun

check your ammunition?

buy a newpaint ball gun

Mmm, no. As tempting as a T-9 would be. No.

check your ammunition?

Did that. It's a basic grade paintball, but there's no dirt or dust or anything like that. A few did explode in the chamber, but I've always cleaned out the whole thing after each misfire.

Assuming that the breech and bore are clean (no broken paint), or that paint's not splitting after it leaves the barrel, I'm not sure what it could be. Maybe you should ask at the Tinker's Guild here:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/9013/

There's some industry people that hang out there, and other smart people, too.

The most likely culprit is spin. There are several things that can cause it:

broken paint or other obstacle in the breech and bore, deformed paintballs(dimples, etc), excessive pressure(not likely, but it can deform paintballs as they are fired) or poltergeists.

Tippman actually used to make a barrel designed to take advantage of spin; the controversial Flatline barrel with generally speaking, trades accuracy for range.

Edit: Also, you'll know if it used to be my marker if your shots veer inexplicably toward your target's crotch. *nod*

Can't be contaminants in the breech or bore. I keep those clean at the start and clean them again if any paintballs explode in the breech. Deformed paintballs is possible. Mine were basic grade paintballs so QC might have dropped the ball on that. Pressure, I don't think so, because I tried various pressure levels, and still kept getting those weird angle shots.

This one is a standard ported barrel though, not a Flatline.

And where would your shots go if the target didn't have a crotch hmm LG?

I used to have the same problem, no matter how clean I kept things. I haven't played in years, but the odd ball going off in some crazy direction is sort of the price of doing business, by my memory.

The really odd thing is that I've tested a similar number of shots on a different make of model, a Tiberius T-9, and that one had absolutely no issues with funny flight ballistics, even on a HPA tank. But then again, the A-5 doesn't have a built in regulator like the T-9.

Can't be contaminants in the breech or bore. I keep those clean at the start and clean them again if any paintballs explode in the breech. Deformed paintballs is possible. Mine were basic grade paintballs so QC might have dropped the ball on that. Pressure, I don't think so, because I tried various pressure levels, and still kept getting those weird angle shots.

This one is a standard ported barrel though, not a Flatline.

And where would your shots go if the target didn't have a crotch hmm LG?

Probably an innocent bystander's crotch. *nod*

Probably a mistake when the paint ball was formed.

Mmm, no. As tempting as a T-9 would be. No.



Did that. It's a basic grade paintball, but there's no dirt or dust or anything like that. A few did explode in the chamber, but I've always cleaned out the whole thing after each misfire.

If you have not swapped brand I would recommend trying that some are pretty regularly warped that are hard to detect ...

The most likely culprit is spin. There are several things that can cause it:

broken paint or other obstacle in the breech and bore, deformed paintballs(dimples, etc), excessive pressure(not likely, but it can deform paintballs as they are fired) or poltergeists.

Tippman actually used to make a barrel designed to take advantage of spin; the controversial Flatline barrel with generally speaking, trades accuracy for range.

Edit: Also, you'll know if it used to be my marker if your shots veer inexplicably toward your target's crotch. *nod*

YEah have used the flatlines before ... I tend to lean twords a log teardrop instead for regular use

If you have not swapped brand I would recommend trying that some are pretty regularly warped that are hard to detect ...

What brand would you recommend?