Empire Axe Black (Black #27)
Vlocity w/ Dynasty Chip
Empire 48/4500 Tank
Recommended Upgrades:
Stock Barrel - 12in - is okay for awhile, but some may feel the need to get a 14in.
When purchasing an air tank, try it on the gun and see how it feels. The ASA on the axe is not adjustable, therefore the tank will determine the length of the gun and how it feels.
-Non-adjustable ASA
-Stock Barrel (for some)
-Mine came with 2 scratches
Review:
The empire axe is a great marker for $460 dollars and shoots amazing. I purchased the axe after hearing some great things about and I haven't regreted my decision. Here is my analysis:
Ergonomics:
The marker feels great in the hands and the stretched out feel of the gun makes it perfect for running and gunning.The Axe felt better than the mini, when in my hands, and the extra room in the grip allows a person to hold it in different ways (I'm 5' 8'' - 150 pounds - XL glove size). Also, having an internal gas line makes changing hands really easy. There is no hose that can get caught on branches and leak. *NOTE* Although I am right handed, I find the axe feels better in my left hand. This leads me to play on my left side more and kind of throws people off when they see me play. Just thought this note was interesting because sometimes a marker feels great in one hand, but doesn't feels as good in the other. The Axe feels good in both hands, but a bit better in my left. *NOTE*
Trigger:
The roller bearings, magnet return, and micro-switch make the Axe's trigger feel amazing. It is very smooth and there is no side to side movement in the trigger. With a few minutes of adjustment, a person can easily get 12+ bps.
Consistency:
Out of the box the Axe chronoed 268, 274, 274, 270. The field limit was 275. So I was good to go without having to touch anything. I have played with the marker 3 times and chronoing the gun is very easy. Just leave the regulator at 200 and adjust with the back adjustment screw. I used the Axe with the stock barrel each time and found the consistency to have a range of 8 between the lowest number and the highest (plus/minus 4). That is pretty good considering the marker hasn't broken in yet.
Disassembly:
Very easy to break the marker down and clean it. Use the lube that came with the gun and you should be fine. I have never had to take apart the marker on the field, but I can see the benefit of having the quick release bolt.
Shot Quality:
If you have ever shot an automag, the Axe shoots very similar. The Axe is quieter and smoother than the Classic automag. The weight of the Axe works to its advantage and helps to bring down the recoil. Having shot a Macdev Clone, the Axe is not as smooth as a spool, but its pretty close. Just make sure you lube the orings that are in contact with the bolt and the bolt seat. On one of my outings, I didn't lube this area enough and found the Axe to have more recoil than usually and more air was being stored. This lead to a rise in regulator pressure (10 psi), but the marker kept working despite this fact.
Durability/Reliability:
My Axe at the time of writing has had 4 cases of paint through it. It was never failed to work and has seen quite a bit of mud and dirt. These past weeks have been pretty wet and that makes the dirt stick to everything on a gun. Having an enclosed setup, helped the Axe stand up to the weather. The location of the board was also very good. When shot in the trigger I didn't have to worry about paint being on the board or the microswitch. The board is in the foregrip and the microswitch is located just above the trigger. Thus, paint never got to them and I didn't have to clean the trigger till I got home.
In addition, the Axe has never chopped a ball. The eyes work great and the bolt is gentle on paint. I did have a barrel break once, but that was because an opposing player hit inside the barrel (very rare that every happens, but it did). The stock barrel doesn't clean very well, btw.
I will not rate accuracy because that is based on paint and barrel type. Consistency is also based on this, but for the numbers above I was using the stock barrel with toxic, evil, and sc paint. Each paint had different bore sizes, but the chrono would always show a range of 8 fps between the highest and lowest readings.
Conclusion:
I would definitely buy the Axe again if I could. It shoots great and its reliable. It is a great gun for the price and can measure up the other markers in the price range (such as the etek 3, proto reflex 2011, and dangerous power fx). I have looked at the other 3 and decided to give the Axe a try and never looked back. I have to admit that I bought the Axe because XSV and other pro teams were shooting it, but everything they say about the marker is true.
The Axe is very smooth, soft on paint, reliable, and easy to maintenance. Give the Axe a try and I can almost promise you, that you will like it. Its a solid gun and I'm proud to own one. Good job Empire.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Sunday, April 17th, 2011 at 2:59 am PST
