Tippmann
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{{Infobox_Company
| company_name = Tippmann Sports LLC
| company_logo = Image:Tippmann logo.jpg
| company_type = LLC
| foundation = Fort Wayne, Indiana (Early 1980s)
| location = Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
| key_people = Jimmy Tippmann Jr.
| industry = Paintball
Pneumatic Sewing Machines
Industrial
| products = Model 98
98 Custom
Custom Pro
A-5
C-3
Flatline Barrel System
Response Trigger System
| revenue = Image:Green up.png N/A USD (2005)
| operating_income = Image:Green up.png N/A USD (2005)
| net_income = Image:Green up.png N/A USD (2005)
| num_employees = 120 (2005)
| homepage = www.tippmann.com
}}
Tippmann Sports is primarily a manufacturer of paintball markers and accessories. Tippmann also manufactures pneumatic sewing machines and some industrial products under the name of Tippmann Pneumatics. It is a family owned business run from Fort Wayne Indiana.
Contents |
History
In the 1980's Tippmann was known as Tippmann Arms Company. As an Arms Company, Tippmann produced scaled down .22 cal replicas of military machine guns. In 1986 gun laws changed, and the owner of Tippmann Arms Company, Dennis Tippmann, was looking for new business. Dennis noticed the growing popularity of paintball and started to develop paintball markers with his knowledge from developing machine guns.
First Markers
The first Tippmann paintball marker on the market was the SMG60. The SMG60 fired .62 cal as a full automatic. The SMG60 used a side feed system using a stripper clip and a screw on constant air (CA) tank now known as a threaded CO2 tank. It was also the first production paintball marker ever to reach the shelves. As paintball calibers became standardized, Tippmann developed the SMG68 which used .68 cal paintballs and only produced a few of them. The SMG68 is now worth more then $800 USD. The next Tippmann marker was the, Tippmann 68-Special, which was semi-automatic and used a hopper, then called the Ammo Box, that could contain up to 40 paintballs. Tippmann also released a product which converted the SMG68 into the 68-Special. Tippmann went on to produce other notable paintguns, such as the Pro-Am which used a solid machined aluminum receiver, the Factory F/A which used the first force-feed system and a fire rate limiter to shoot semi and full automatic, and the Model 98 which used a cast aluminum design to retain quality but lower prices
Current Paintball Markers
Pro/Carbine
The Pro/Carbine is a popular rental gun for paintball fields. It is semi-automatic and is known for its durability and reliable function, just like all Tippmann guns. The Pro/Carbine is also known for its "rifle-like" forearm grip. This gives the gun an appearance that is similar to that of a real-life rifle or shotgun. It is a popular woodsball/scenario marker, but is less popular in speedball or Tourney games due to its handling and slower rate of fire. The Pro/Carbine is also notorious for being hard to upgrade. Nevertheless, it remains revered by many paintball players.
Model 98
The Tippmann model 98 is the original version of the 98 custom. one of the dependable workhorses of the tippmann line, now a cheaper and less customizable alternative to the improved versions the 98 custom and the custom pro. It is a well built marker.
98 Custom
The 98 Custom is known for its ease of use, durability, reliability, and wide range of upgrades, making it a popular choice for players new to the sport. The simple design allows players to focus on the game, rather than constantly monitoring their equipment. Of course, as a player finds his/her niche on the field, aftermarket upgrades and modifications allow a 98 Custom owner to tailor their marker to their playing style, rather than investing in a new gun. Like all Tippmann markers, the 98 Custom sports an iron-sight system commonly found on firearms, making accurate first shots a very real possibility, rather than wasting valuable paint "walking" shots into a target. By depressing the front sight, the player can unhinge the feedneck, allowing for easy access to the firing chamber, thus allowing for fast in-game cleaning. Overall, an adaptable woodsball marker, excellent for entry to mid-level players as well as those who like to modify their guns.
Custom Pro
The Tippmann Custom Pro is an upgraded version of the 98 Custom, coming out of the box it includes a double trigger (two-finger trigger), a drop-forward which moves the tank down and forward, changing the center of gravity making the paintball gun balanced and an 11-inch high-performance stone-honed barrel. The paint on the Custom Pro is also scratch resistant. Although it is approximately $30 USD more than the 98 Custom, all these accessories separately would cost a recreational player about $75 USD.
A-5
The A-5 is a semi-automatic paintball marker. It utilizes a revolutionary new loading concept called the "Cyclone Feed." This enables the gun to have a high rate of fire without the addition of aftermarket loaders. It uses a larger surface area and a series of rotating arms to move paintballs into the firing chamber of the gun. The faster that a user squeezes the trigger, the faster that the cyclone arms will turn and feed balls into the feed neck.
It resembles the H&K MP5K in appearance. It is one of the most upgradeable markers on the market, and with the right upgrades, can shoot 15-17bps
C-3
The C-3 is a pump-action marker that runs on propane rather than the normal carbon dioxide. It gets about 50,000 shots per 16oz. tank. When the trigger is pulled a spark plug is activated and ignites the propane. The propane then expands as it combusts, this brings air from outside the marker into the receiver pushing the paintball out.
Additional equipment
Response Trigger System
The Response Trigger System is a firing system available for some of Tippmann's paintball guns. The system uses a series of parts that are added to the gun to greatly increases firing rate for the marker. The system uses excess carbon dioxide or compressed air from the firing process to reset the trigger and sear with a pneumatic cylinder. The system can reset the trigger, even with moderate pressure on the trigger. When this happens, the pressure of the finger immediately pulls the trigger back again, to fire again. This effectively gives the shooter the ability to fire fully automatic. As such, it has been banned at some commercial paintball fields.
The Response Trigger System is available on the 98 Custom, Custom Pro, and A-5 markers.
Flatline Barrel System
The Flatline barrel is the first curved paintball barrel. The slight curvature creates backspin on the ball, which increases its range by 100-150 feet. It is not quite as accurate as many other paintball barrels, but it makes up for this with its added range. Another disadvantage is its tendency to break paintballs more easily. This can be remedied with higher quality paint, however.
The Flatline barrel, both on the 98 Custom and the A5, has a somewhat "intimidating" look to it. The shroud for the barrel looks somewhat like that of a rifle or shotgun, and allows one to hold it as such.
MILSIM
Tippman's are among the most popular paintball markers to transform into a "MILSIM" model. MILSIM stands for Military Simulation, something extremely popular in scenario paintball. MILSIM markers generally are upgraded with the purpose of looking like a real gun, to make the battles played in some scenarios seem more war-like. There are a variety of websites specializing in "spec-ops" gear that is used for the MILSIM look.