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Spyder Xtra with a few upgrades/mods, but hardly 'similar'
Marker Setup:
Stock series 5, blue anno
CP 12"
Bullet drop, mid size
Empire Reloader
Pure Energy 68/4500
Recommended Upgrades:
Eblade later maybe? At this point, I'm thinking it may not be an actual upgrade. The trigger is *that* nice.
Strengths:
Solidly made, very smooth action, easy to work on. Very high quality piece of workmanship.
Weaknesses:
Plain milling, regulator hose position is awkward. Not weaknesses though.
Review:
This review will be updated periodically the more I use it. Right now, after having my Spyder Xtra for a few weeks, this thing is butter. Smooth, very quiet, comfortable to shoot. I was the only one not chopping balls in the cold.
The marker is actually user-friendly. The velocity adjuster is easy to use. I can't believe how easy it is to clean...just pull the bolt, that's it. I haven't tinkered with the pneumatics yet...and don't plan to anytime soon.
The Series 5 now comes in blue, red, green or black if you buy them at a designated CCM retailer. Only the flat powdercoated black is offered from the factory (EDIT: now comes in anno'ed black). Also they ARE drilled for the 'eye' now if you get the '04 model. Delrin/aluminum bolt too. The feed neck is fantastic. The '04 markers come with a proprietary CCM barrel instead of the Progressive.
*One thing though, if you get one be sure to inspect the barrel carefully. Mine had some deep gouges inside making it horribly inaccurate. I sent it back to CCM for analysis, and it seems some debris got lodged in the polisher, causing the scratches. The new one they sent back doesn't have that and works good. My cup seal had to be replaced too, but I think some teflon tape got sucked into the internals somehow.
Update: I'm enjoying this marker more every time I use it. After 2 months I still haven't chopped a ball yet...using very cheap paint. In cold weather I purposely tried to chop by short stroking, couldn't do it. Very, very reliable. Also, my stock barrel came back in from CCM today, so I got to compare it to the CP 12" on there. The stock barrel is a little less accurate, but that's to be expected. I like the CCM barrel's looks better though. Beautiful milling and anno job is superb.
Update II: Several months later and STILL no problems. No chops, breakdowns or anything for that matter. I haven't touched the marker save for oiling the ram and ASA. Another thing that suprises me is the 'CCM' factor...as in, "oh, thats a Series 5...cool".
Conclusion:
Can't beat the quality for $475. (EDIT: Now they are less than $400 and come in anno black instead of flat). I realized upgrading the Spyder to a reliable marker would cost me more in the long run than simply getting the CCM as-is. Now that they drill for the eye, it's an even better deal. One more thing I just found out, it comes with Hogue Colt 1911 grips. Nothing fancy, but they are well known for making very good rifle/handgun grips. They're very comfortable if simple.
What an amazing piece of machinery.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Saturday, September 4th, 2004 at 6:33 pm PST
Hi, I'm interested in buying this gun and have a few questions I hope you would be able to answer for me:
> Where is an authorized dealer for this gun that sells the gun in different colors?
> Someone told me that this gun doesn't have a ball detent, what prevents the ball from rolling forward into the barrel?
> Can this gun also take CO2?
If you could answer any of my questions, that would be great, thanks!!
