Tippman A5
Special Ops SD Shroud
Special Ops MP Mag to Remote
Special Ops Flattop Rail
Ricochet R5 / Proteam Tac Cap (depending on circumstance)
Bushnell Trophy Red Dot Sight
Opsgear G36C Stock (for now)
Pure Energy Remote
Strengths:
Looks
Shape
Warranty
Weaknesses:
A bit noisy
Cap feels a bit brittle (although mine hasn't broken)
Review:
We've all seen it. After a couple of games, you inevitably see some poor casualty walking off the field with the front of his stock A5 hopper dripping with paint.
In military parlance, it's called a 'shell trap'. A surface that gives a projectile a 'biting angle' and allows the object to penetrate (or in the case of a paintball, bursts). A paintball hitting a surface at a perpendicular angle will burst every time. The Ricochet R5 gives you an edge against hopper shots.
I spotted an R5 in a display case at my local paintball, and picked it up because I had had some extra cash bouncing around in my pocket. I play a mix of mil-sim and casual woodsball, so usually I use a Proteam Tac Cap, but decided it would be nice to be able to load up on paint when I'm just playing casually.
After a couple of games, I noticed that I'd get just about as many hits on my hopper with the R5 as I would with my low profile Tac Cap. Considering the R5 must have at least 3-4 times the surface area as a Tac Cap, the deflection angle works.
Conclusion:
Even if you don't often get hopper hit, the possibility of the ball deflecting means more playing time, and if you spend more time playing, this hopper pays for itself.
For the noise, get the "stealth" (also called the sniper) version, mentioned in the review below. One of the sites that advertises here on pbreview carrys them. It has a "dampening" coating inside that makes it less loud. Also, I believe these hoppers hold more paint than the stock ones. That is another plus. Good review, well thought out.
