The new TPX™ .68 Caliber Paintball Pistol boasts an innovative, compact design, specially engineered to be lightweight, easy to maintain, customizable, and best of all, dependable. Check out more exciting features below, or click on the pistol features above and watch for the official launch planned in mid-April.
• Metal Trigger Punctures C02 On First Pull
• 2 Self-Locking 8-Ball Magazine Clips
• Quick Release Magazine Feed System
• Under Barrel 12 Gram C02 Air System
• Easy To Load 1/4 Turn C02 Cap
• External Velocity Adjuster
• Internal Regulator
• Ability to Add Remote Line
• Ergonomically Designed Grip
• Covered Ammo Windows
• Removable Barrel with X7 Threads
• Maintenance kit is included
• Deluxe carrying case is included
Product Availability
The Tippmann TPX is newer, so it should be commonly available, both new and used. Check out the Places to Buy links below for places to purchase it new.
Extremely Light
Easy to hold
Dead Accurate
Easy to reload both Mags and 12grams
Weaknesses:
Needs good paint (if you call that a weakness)
kinda loud
Review:
-First a side story-
While playing paintball at my local field, my SP-8 stopped working during a game. I called up at the pro-shop and asked if they would take a look at it. Turns out the board was fried but the owner asked if i wanted to play for the rest of the day. He pulled out the TPX and said "we just got this in yesterday and we need someone to field test it.. you want to?" Needless to say, i said yes.
So, for the rest of the day i main'd the TPX with only two mags but i couldnt have been happier. The pistol is extremely well made and dead accurate. I had a blast using it in both 'city ball' and woods ball.
Strengths
The main thing i was worried about with the TPX was how accurate was it going to be. I was impressed. The first mag I put in it didnt have the greatest of paint in it but the first three shots were right on top of each other. However, you need good paint to put in it to keep it consistent. If you have good paint, where ever you aim, the paint is going straight there.
The magazines are easy to load and release from the marker. When you push the mag release, the magazine pops out just like the Tac-8 and your ready to pop another one in. Nice and Quick. The magazine itself doesnt feel flimsy or could break easy. They're not as solid as the pistol, but i had no worries that they were going to break if i dropped them.
You can get about 25-30 shots off one 12gram Co2, depending on the velocity. I was having no problems putting three mags through before changing the Co2. Changing the Co2 isnt hard or time consuming at all. The 1/4 screw is easy to do, just push down on the cap and twist and it pops off and then you pull the 12gram out, pop another one in, put the cap back on and ready to go. The first trigger pull punctures the Co2 (which you can actually kinda feel it do) and the next pull you sending paint down the field. Beautiful system. Quick and Easy to do.
One of the cool features of this gun that i used a lot more than i thought i would was the little "ammo windows". There are three on the side and one on top. I used the top one most often because i only fire one ball at a time usually. It was just really helpful just to look down and see a ball in the chamber.
The pistol itself is a well made and solid peace of engineering. I was impressed with it. From just holding it to using it in the field it felt and performed great. After the first game i felt like i knew the gun back and forth and have been playing with it for months. I was automatically popping on the safety after the game was over, loading the mags, and putting new 12grams in. Just a well made gun overall.
The case is nice too. Just like the Tac-8's, it is a hard plastic black case with padding in it. Basic maintenance tools, extra mag, and instruction booklet.
Weaknesses
If you want nice consistently accurate shots, you need good paint in this marker. The first magazine had decent paint in it but was 'winging' paint every other shot. The second magazine had a lot better paint in it and all 8 shots were right on top of each other. This may or may not be a weakness but you need good paint.
The pistol is a LOT louder than i expected. Its not much louder than a Tac-8 but you can easily tell the difference. Im not for sure if the hammerhead barrel will make any difference, but when i get mine, ill come edit this and give you an update.
---
To finish up my story. At the end of the day, I brought it back and and pre-ordered one with 4 extra mags and the hammerhead barrel.
Conclusion:
This is a Great paintball pistol. All my worries about this marker have vanished and cant wait to get mine when the pro-shop gets them in. If you want a great pistol to main or have a really good side arm. The TPX is for you. Its extremely well crafted and dead accurate pistol.
Im giving it a 9(.3) because no marker is perfect so i wont give it a 10 but its close. I knocked off a tad bit because of how loud it was. Everything else about this marker is solid. From how accurate it is to how well it was crafted. I am extremely impressed with this marker and it has surpassed my expectations. If you are wanting a pistol, the TPX is one of the top paintball pistols out (or coming out) right now. You wont be disappointed.
Pistol: TPX pistol, 5 mags, remote line adapter(not on yet), tippmann sniper barrel
Rifle: Tippmann a5, Full freak kit with All American Apex tip, car stock, 3-point-sling, ricochet hopper, a few homemade mods, remote line, Lapco 45 degree offset sight rail with a dye izon sight, green laser attachment, and a HPA tank
Recommended Upgrades:
Definitely a barrel, the [OLD] tippmann sniper barrels work amazing, haven't tried the new model yet.
A few extra mags too so you don't have to reload them during a game.
Must use marbalizer or equivalent paint (read below)
Strengths:
Small
Lightweight
Easy to Hold
Feels durable
3 Solid Magazines before shots start to drop
Weaknesses:
Puncturing sometimes
inaccurate stock barrel
NEED to use hard shell paint
Review:
Okay, so I'm gonna try to talk about a lot of issues everyone else seems to have and how to correct them but first a general review.
**Durability 10 out of 10
As with all Tippmann products you can expect the TPX to be just as durable as any of the other markers. The frame is plastic, but I trust that Tippmann used a very durable type.
The magazine aren't as strong a material as the pistol itself but at the same time, those are generally in the gun or in a pouch so I don't see any need to make those out of titanium. Plus they are very inexpensive and if it breaks tippmann is good about replacing parts free of charge. For the games I've used it for which have incorporated a lot of diving and rolling the TPX holds up great.
**Functionality 9 out of 10
The quick turn cap for the c02 is amazing, it is very easy to replace the cartridge when you need to. And the spring loaded magazine eject is amazing. The magazines literally shoots out from the bottom making it very easy to quickly change out mags. Loading the mags is fairly easy. However, you have to make sure that the balls sit offset left then right the entire way up the magazine and the ball at the bottom needs to be at the lowest point in the magazine. If you don't load them properly you may have the balls jam in the magazine causing breaks in the chamber and on the mag itself. I give functionality a 9 out of 10 just because you have to be conscious of how the balls load into the mags.
**Style 10 out of 10
Just look at a picture of the pistol. Enough said.
**Skill building 10 out of 10
This pistol really forces you to work on being a better and more aggressive player. Since you don't have many rounds per mag, you will have to make more runs on people hiding behind cover to get them out and you will have to learn how to conserve your rounds and take only the shots that count. Plus it makes you feel like a hero when you come around a bunker and get all three guys hiding behind it with your pistol.
**Rate of fire: 10 out of 10
As fast as you can pull the trigger (with good paint, [read below])
**Accuracy: 7 out of 10.
You can't expect much from a 6 inch barrel. So for 6 inches I guess its good. I HIGHLY recommend getting an upgraded barrel. However, I have a gut feeling against the tpx hammerhead simply because it is still a very short barrel. I believe you need at least 8 to 12 inches of barrel to get maximum range, but I'm not positive. If you happen to know the exact lengths leave a comment of the length needed. I haven't used the hammerhead though, just a personal thing. And I do understand that it is a pistol, not meant for long ranges, but I've played over 15 games with the pistol and have needed the extra range that I couldn't get with the stock barrel more often than I thought I would.
**Cleaning: 4 out of 10.
Best bet would probably be to stick a squeegee through the grip and pull it out the barrel to make sure nothing gets in the grip, or worse, on the rest of the internals. I'd highly recommend taking it apart if you have a break in the chamber and cleaning it after the game even if you have to sit one out to do it. The reason for this is so that you don't accidentally get some paint on the next magazine. This will cause the balls not to load fully into the chamber then get chopped making your problems worse. If it just breaks in the barrel though, just take it off, clean it, put it back on and you are good to go.
**Upgradeability: Hoping for 10 out of 10
I'm sure Tippmann has a few things coming that are gonna be pretty awesome, hopefully a rifle conversion like the T9.
Fact or Fiction?
*The TPX breaks almost every ball it fires*
-BOTH Fact and Fiction.
It all comes down to paint. One of the cons of this pistol is that you MUST and I repeat MUST use paint with a hard shell in order for the magazines to load the gun properly. Which is evident because almost every negative review you see has to do with balls breaking and jamming. I used to think the same way till I tried a different type of paint. In my experience the best paint was Marbalizer. It has a hard shell and its a smaller ball so it fits better in the magazine with minimal pressure on the other balls. If you want to know WHY you need a harder shell, read on, if not, skip to the next paragraph.
So the purpose to the hard shell is this, when you put the 8 balls in the magazine they press up close against each other and can put dimples on the paintballs. If the balls "dimple" too much, it may cause them to not feed all the way into the chamber before firing. This will cause the bolt to hit just the top half of the ball causing a break. You'll know that this happened if you take out your magazine after a break and there is paint and shell covering the top of the magazine.
Another very important thing to keep in mind is temperature. You MUST keep your spare magazines in a place where they will not heat up too much, and that includes the time between games when you have your equipment sitting on the table. Make sure the extra mags are in the shade. The reason for this is that as the paintballs heat up they become sticky and more malleable (they squish into different shapes easier) So, when the magazine spring engages you don't just get dimples, you get very warped, sticky paintballs. This will stop the ball from loading fully into the chamber and you'll get paint all over the magazine just like before. If for some reason you're still not sure why this happens or what I mean, the next hot day take a few paintballs and put them out in the sun for a few minutes. Then press them together and watch how they stick together. Now imagine that happening inside your magazine; There is no way those balls are going to feed into the chamber sticking like that.
My advice, spend the extra cash and get the marbalizers. If you are using them in just your pistol, 500 rounds will last a long time.
*There are defective internals. ie: the oring on the bolt keeps breaking, the co2 doesnt always puncture, various orings are breaking*
-Fact
It's true, SOMETIMES there are defective parts inside the TPX. However, just call Tppmann and tell them what your problem is, they will send you whatever part needs to be replaced for no charge. I know this first hand. After about 7 years my a-5 finally needed a new linkage arm. I called tippmann and they sent one free of charge. I did the same with a TPX magazine and a few o-rings for the TPX. They are very hospitable at Tippmann and stand behind their products 100% Treat them well on the phone and they'll treat you better.
On some specifics now, the first thing is be honest with yourself. Is there a possibility that you might be putting something in wrong, did you change anything or scrape anything on accident? Even if you did, Tippmann will help you out.
As for the co2 not puncturing, I've experienced this a few times and realized that the reason was because the tank was being punctured off to the side for some reason. To fix this either, try pulling the trigger very hard once (if you can), or take the co2 out and rotate it about 90 degrees, reinsert and try again, or lastly, there is a mod you can do by simply placing a piece of tinfoil or some other material behind the piece that engages the co2. For more detailed instruction on that just google it and you are bound to find it.
I personally haven't experienced the bolt breaking the o-ring, but just make sure that when you put the pistol back together that the oring sits in the pocket made for it on the back of the silver piece where the balls load into. If that doesn't work, call the friendly people at Tippmann and they'll definitely help you out.
Lastly, I want to start a running tally of paint that works great in the TPX so just add a comment when you find one that works great for your TPX and we'll just keep it going.
STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS
-Get a better and longer barrel
-MUST have Marbalizer or equivalently hard shelled paint
-Keep your spare magazines somewhere cool. NOT in your front or back pockets or anything that will keep the magazine close to your own body heat. At least try a cargo pocket if you must. Once those paintballs get too warm you wont be able to use the magazine. Period. I keep mine in a mod I made in my pod pack. So I just wear that with no pods, just the magazines.
-When loading the magazines, make sure that the bottom ball sits as far to the bottom as possible, then each ball after needs to be offset from the previous. So left, right, left, right all the way up or vice versa depending on how you are holding the mag.
Conclusion:
If you want the challenge of using a pistol as your main, or want a fun sidearm and have the cash, this pistol is great. I've had a ton of fun with it, especially with the upgraded barrel. My recommendation is get this pistol and a better barrel to go with it, preferably a longer barrel (longer than 8 inches) and MAKE SURE you get marbalizer or equivalent paintballs to use or you won't be happy. I give the TPX a 9 out of 10 because an upgraded barrel and marbalizer or equivalent paint are a must. Other than that, I love using this pistol.
And one more thing, if you disagree with something in this review, don't dispute it, just leave a comment on what needs to be fixed and I'll fix it. Thanks and I hope this helped you guys. If anyone wants me to add anything just comment and I'll do my best.
Rating:
9 out of 10
Last edited on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 4:56 pm PST
Overlord- which also is a great gun
-less moving parts
-accurate
cons-
-heavy
-its a bigger handgun
-sight rail catches holster on quick draw
Marker Setup:
-TPX w/ Hammerhead Barrel
Recommended Upgrades:
-Hammerhead barrel
-Dont know about the rest yet,
I assume the springs would be a nice upgrade
Strengths:
Look in Review body
Weaknesses:
Co2 cap freezes
This is the ONLY TRUE problem
SEE REVIEW BODY
Review:
-Accurate
-Paintball view window is great
-Light weight
-Co2 in the barrel
-Handle fed clip
-Looks great
-Feels great
-Easy take apartand put back together(inbetween games)
I love this gun
-The problems i listed are NOT problems with the gun with the exception of the Co2 Cap freezing but..., come on, when i play with it im shootin rounds off fast so its expected to have some freezing issues
-I would like to see Tippmann make some sort of insulated Co2 Cap to keep the
pins in the cap from freezing so i can get the cap off when I need to change Co2
in the middle of a fire fight
BULLETS AND BARRELS 101
-THE BULLET SHOULD ALWAYS BE BIGGER THEN THE BARREL ITS
BEING SHOT FROM.
-LOOK IT UP
- For everybody that is having problems with the paintballs breaking,
its cause youre using low end or old paint
- I have the hammerhead barrel,
1.Take your barrel off the gun
2.Drop a paintball down the barrel,
-If the paintball drops all the way through, then the paintball isnt going to work.
-If tthe paintball gets stuck then you have some good paintballs
3. The rifling does no good if the paintball is not a tight fit
-The shot will be wild because the paintball is bouncing around in the barrel
*************HINCE WHY THE PAINTBALLS ARE BREAKING IN THE BARREL**********
- I believe its the same if you have the stock barrel.
********X-Ball paintballs seem to do well****************
- And finally it seems the BIGGEST PROBLEM people are having is the Co2 is not puncturing.
**************PEOPLE PLEASE OIL YOUR GUN**************************************
- The oil lubricates your guns working parts and PUNCTURING PIN
-Its easy drop 2-3 drops of oil on the puncturing pin before you put a Co2 in
-You will need to do this about every 6 clips to keep your
puncturing pin working properly.
-This means you need to carry oil out on the field with you. You
should put the oil in a ziplock bag so it won't leak on you.
-As long as your gun is oiled well you can pop off as many rounds as fast as you
want with NO PROBLEMS.
- The rest of the gun will oil its self as you shoot
************************NOTE******************************** *************
-Dont put any object into the Co2 compartment to get a better puncture,
it has nothing to do with it, Tippmann knows what they are doing , theyre not going to make a mistake that big. Doing this could cause damage to your gun, which could in return HURT YOU. We are dealing with compressed gas, which is nothing you want to get on you. So dont put things in your TPX's Co2 chamber to try and get a better puncture.
AND if your not oiling your main gun then you need to
-Just drop acouple of drops in where you attach your air supply
Conclusion:
I hope i helped a few of you out with the problems that youre having with this great gun. If you are haveing problems with your TPX that I didn't help you with then please call Tippmann's tech dept. They've always been very helpful to me.
I love this gun.
The hand gun makes the head shot all that much better.
all of the problems ive had and heard about are human error
oil your gun and get good paint
this gun was everything i was hoping it would be
its fun playin woods ball with nothing but duel TPX's, alot of extra mags, and some grenades.
tpx is a great buy
i honestly give it a 10
See ya on the field
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 at 2:55 pm PST
The accuracy of this review is disputed. Please see discussion on the comments page.
Period of Product Use:
Less than a month
13 of 24 people found this review helpful.
Paintball Experience:
3 years
Similar Products Used:
Other Tippmanns
PCS USP
Sheridan PGP
Sheridan PGP 2K
T68
Marker Setup:
Golden Tippmann X7 AK47 RT Red Dot Sight
Ghillie
Pump Traccer with Silencer
Recommended Upgrades:
Worry about getting it working before upgrading. Tippmann has no right to release aftermarkets until they make the pistol work.
Strengths:
Uh.. looks
magazines
???
Weaknesses:
Jams
Breaks
Squeaks loud
breaks orings
cant puncture the co2
trigger problems.
RECALLS!
Review:
The accuracy of this review is not bias, and shall not be disputed.
I have owned my X7 and loved it for years. I have owned a pcs pistol and a pgp and pgp2k for just as long.
I have never been so disappointed with a tippmann, or any marker for that fact. So Im going to get straight to why this is.
*A month ago* I got this tpx. Awesome. I take it outside, air it up, but wait, I pulled the trigger and nothing happened, so maybe its the cartridge, Ill try a new one. NOPE. This thing had trouble puncturing cartidges, so when the slight chance it did happened, I would pull the trigger and nothing happened. WTF? so I take it apart and nothing seems wrong. Sometimes when I fired it would, and other times it wouldnt. The trigger was having problems reseting.
So I went about all the forums as to why this was happening. So there is a mod where you take a little foil and put it under the cap where the trigger moves the peircing pin. So I did that and now it punctured the co2 better. KEY WORD BETTER! So now, it keeps breaking the oring on the bolt! so whats up with that. (on a side note, I origanally planned to get the holster with it, but couldnt because my store sent them back because they were recalled.)
So I changed this oring on the bolt and when i fired it, it still broke, shattered and flew out the barrel. And top it off it made this horrible squeak when I released the trigger, as loud as the shot was. mmmmmmmmeeeeeeeep. a loud as squeak, that doesnt sound good.
so because of all this I took it back to the store, and here it is.
ME: I bought this a few days ago and have had nothing but problems. it sqeuaks real loud, it keeps breaking the bolt oring
CASHIER: alright, these are pretty new and we havent even taken one apart yet, so im just gonna give you a new one.
He opens a tpx box and says "Ill put a cartridge in to make sure it works." Puts a cartridge in , pulls the trigger, nothing. "Maybe its the cartridge." Gets another 12 gram. still nothing. now he goes to his coworker in back "hey, any tricks for the tpx to puncture cartridges?" so he goes and opens another new tpx. puts air in and it finally fires"ther we go"
and I get a new tpx and leave.
So i dont touch it at all because I know im gonna use it paintballing (which was 2 days ago) So Im with friends at the field and start using it. I noticed during games that when I pulled the trigger sometimes it was delayed, or did not fire until I released the trigger, or after the trigger had been released from the initial pull. So whats up with that. 2 days later. (today) I used it alot at the field. So The first mag I put in, i pulled the trigger, and nothing came out. I dropped the mag and noticed all the balled were stuck and/or jammed together in the zig zag pattern that they are in the magazine. I also expereinced the same trigger problems and puncturing problems.
AND...jamming. a ball breaks and the bolt jams foreward. the bolt stays there until you can pop it back with a squegee.
Because of the small puncture in cartridge, when you try to fire fast, your velocity drops until more air can enter through the regulator.
I truly do not know what to do with this thing. I emailed tippmann when I had the first one, and they told me to send that one in because there was a recall and theywere replacing all the puncture pins with longer ones. Maybe this might solve the problems.
so how about the pros! Yaaaaaah. It looks cool....
it uses magazines...
as for acuracy and shots per 12 gram....
I am not impressed at all. accuracy is not any better than ant other piistol, so whats the hype about that?. and for gas consumption, I only get about 18 shots. 2 times less than a pgp(obviously) but it is still less than my usp which uses a cocking bolt.(I can get 25)
Truthfully this pistol doesnt perform much better than any other. until tippmann fixes these flukes, itll stay that way. I know I am not alone with these problems either. Much talk on the internet about the cartridge thing. along with the squeaking.
UPDATE AUG 9 09
I sent in my tpx on july 27 and it was signed at the factory on the 28. i live near chicago and the factory is in fort wayne in. Its aug 8th and I havent recieved it back...
Update aug 22 09
I recieved my TPX back 2 weeks after it was recieved by tippmann. It came back with a new adjustable co2 cap. It still squeaks loud, and i was told this would go awa with normal use. We'll see. I only put 2 cartridges through it, and most of the stuff was solved, except for the squeaking and it wanted to break a lot of paint.
Conclusion:
Im sorry. This doesnt perform better than any other pistol. Accuracy, 12 gram capacity, and reliability have all been taken into account. I much earned 3. And I understand how some of you are thinking :"well you cnt judge the many TPXs by the one bad one you had" well, it wasnt one it was 2 .
Rating:
3 out of 10
Last edited on Saturday, August 22nd, 2009 at 9:31 am PST
Ok, so i purchased this gun despite some bad reviews from other users. Before i started i called and asked Tippmann if there is anything special i should know with using this gun.
Their responce was - Make sure your using good paint. Also make sure the paint is not sitting out in the heat for extentend periods of time. I asked about the co2 cartridges and they said the only brand they have seen an issue with is Copper head.
So i did what they said, i got draxxus blaze paint, used a diffrent brand of cartridge than copper head. The gun shot Amazing i had no issues with it at all. it shot better than any other pistol i have ever used. This gun is accuarte. Still a little loud, but nothing to be alarmed about.
I will mention this and i had this issue with both my T8 and T9 and i tested it out on the Tpx. If you leave paint sitting in your clips for a period of time when its very humid, the paint gets rubbery and wont feed. So i only took out as much paint as i knew i was going to use.
Conclusion:
Great Gun, Shoots awsome, Weight , Look, Feel, A+. I will say if your using any pistol you need to have good paint and know that if the humitiy out side is too high the paint will swell and wont shoot threw any Pistol
i would like to see more accesories for this gun, so i am giving it a 9 out of 10 because of that.
- Some seams don't meet up tightly
- Reg wobbles a bit
- Sometimes jams
Review:
I got my tpx last week after waiting on it since it's release date. I only waited so long because of a screw up on the part of Action Village and one of my friends who I ordered it through. I still figure I have gotten it much faster than most others in the Toronto Area as I've only seen one other person with a tpx other than my friend.
Here through Badlands (ughhhh) it is being sold for 284$ CDN which is about 320$ with tax (280 USD as of today). They are selling single mags to my understanding for about 40$. Their prices are a bit high, hence why I bough from the states. Enough about Badlands and on to the product!
I payed roughly 300$ US for the tpx, a extra mag (so I have three total) and the leg holster form Tippmann. That stuff here would have easily cost me 370$ here (the states is wicked for buying cheaper stuff compared to buying in Canada).
So without babbling on anymore lets get to the review.
The tpx is a well balanced (although slightly front heavy) marker with a very very nice feel to it. It's grip is small compared to the grip of a Tac-8 and fits very comfortably in your hand. The trigger has a very good build quality to it and looks fantastic being made of milled aluminum.
Although the two receiver half's are made of a plastic, it is very durable and tough. It is what allows this pistol to have a comfortable weight to it (pick up the knew Kingman .43 caliber pistol and it weighs a ton more). The only metal portion showing other than the trigger is the barrel housing (where the words tpx are on) which is a solid block of aluminum. The only issue I have with the exterior construction of the tpx is that where the two receiver half's meet in some places the edges are roughish, and bellow where you make regulator adjustments the two half's do not meet up 100%. The regulator also jiggles around but not by much.
Other than minor things, the tpx inspires confidence in it's exterior design and I think most will agree, it looks bad ass. I have no doubt in the strength of the plastics used by Tippmann to build this pistol.
The interior is another strong point, being very simple and straight forward. It's operation is not complex and is easy to understand. It is easy to assemble and dis-assemble without having to resort to the manual (at least in my case). Just don't loose the mag eject spring located in the grip under the trigger. The interior is highly compartmentalized, allowing for the gun to be easily repaired if needed.
Tippmann made a very wise choice in using A-5/X-7 threading for the tpx. This is a strong point as there are many barrels that will work with the gun, they just need to be "thin" barrels to fit in the barrel housing of the tpx. Tippmann milled the end of the stock barrel to give your fingers some grip while unscrewing the barrel; it also adds to it's appearance somewhat.
As for the performance of the tpx, I'm very happy. Accuracy wise it performs much like a tac 8 (also having a similar sound profile), but a aftermarket barrel would add to the tpx's abilities. The consistency I can not complain about, being a +/- 5 fps on the first mag and most of the second. As the CO2 runs low, consistency decreases but its not visually noticeable until the last few rounds of the 4th mag.
The efficiency of this gun is nothing to complain about, getting 40 shots (maybe a couple more) to one 12 gram when it is about 75-85F out. As the temperature is lower the number of shots will decrease. If the temperature rises the number of shots will increase. This is the nature of CO2 and has nothing to do with the gun. It can not be avoided.
One of the biggest strengths of this marker is that the mags are cost effective. I've seen two mags on sale for 30$ in the states online, and that price undercuts the price of just one mag for a tac 8. I think in my opinion cost effectiveness in the initial purchase and the cost of mags is the biggest advantage of the tpx over the tac 8. The mags are also easy to clean as you can just run them in water. The mag eject is spring loaded and is very smooth. The Co2 cartridges are easy to insert, and remove (unlike the ones in tac 8's)
I see in the future extended mags coming that are able to hold more that just 8 rounds.
The tpx doesn't seem to friendly to some paint although in MY case Formula 13 works well (although my friends tpx chewed it up). I'd recommend a thicker shell paint to be used with the tpx. Pistols can not shoot tournament paint very well if at all.
Another huge benefit of the tpx is it has a built in remote line adapter. I'll never use the feature but for the tac 8 I know you need to buy a adapter. For some this may be a feature that will be the deciding factor in buying this pistol.
The case the gun comes in is typical, being a hard plastic with foam padding inside. It comes with everything you will need for general maintenance and most repairs. You also get a typical Tippmann manual shoved full of information. I like the fact tippmann included the serial number on the case, a nice touch to a already great package.
The only problem I've had with my tpx seems to related to the magazines. I've noted that some paints that have a thin shell with more give, will jam up (maybe even break) while being fed into the gun; typically the top 3 paintballs in the mag is where the problem is. This is a paint issue I think and also a heat issue as the warmer it is, the more "mushy" paint will become.
The other problem is that the seams below the reg do not meet up and leave a small gap. This allows the reg to jiggle a bit. I put a tank o-ring on the reg to create a snug fit that stops the reg from wobbling but it has increased the gab between the receiver halfs slightly. Its not much of a concern but is annoying.
I'll be updating this review in the future as I use my tpx more and more. For anyone who is interested, my tpx's serial number is 001857. I will be posting a cost comparison between the tpx and the tac 8 in the near future. The tpx certainly has the cost advantage over the tac 8 though.
Conclusion:
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a pistol. It is for sure worth a look and imo is the best pistol money can buy out there right now.
It has a lot going for it, and I see a lot of after market stuff coming out for it in the future. It is a very good product.
Primary Marker: Tippmann 98 Custom, Pro Team Commando F/X kit (14 inch barrel, adjustable stock), Dark Horizon Titanium Lite Hammer, custom trigger sear spring, Cyclone Feed hopper, BossMan M16 mag kit - I've never had a ball chop in my Tippy.
Strengths:
Well built, easy to use, adjustable velocity, light weight, .68 cal ammunition, MADE IN USA!
Weaknesses:
So far, only noticed that its slightly nose (tip) heavy, due to 12g chamber
Review:
After my lousy experience with the RAP P99 .43 pistol, I was very leery of buying another pistol of any brand. The desire still lingered however and when I saw the TPX reveal - I knew I had to give it a try. I've had nothing but great experiences with my Tippys in the past and had confidence they would make a great pistol.
After waiting for the preorders to fill, my TPX arrived today (6/1/09). Easy load, easy gas-up with the 12 grams, easy operation. I had not even fired a round and I was impressed.
I set up a paper target in front of a sheet of plywood in my garage. At about 35 feet, one round at a time, while aiming careful...it was very accurate. I watched at least two rounds go through holes made in the paper target from the proceeding round. Granted you could call that luck, but I was attempting to aim as accurate as possible, not rapid fire.
Under rapid fire use, the grouping at 35 feet is excellent. I plan to do more in depth testing this coming weekend, at targets greater than 35 feet. But I already suspect that the results will be good. I will post updates as I test it in greater depth. Keep in mind however, that a pistol will never have the range and accuracy of a well set up traditional marker. Simple physics (length of barrel) will determine that. Don't take a pistol, compare its accuracy to that of a traditional marker, and expect them both to perform the same.
Using cheap Walmart Copperhead 12 grams, I was able to consistently empty three clips. The fourth clip would get off anywhere from 2-5 more rounds before giving out. I had hoped for a little better performance than that. But I'm not giving the TPX any poor marks for it.
The TPX has a pressure valve designed to bleed off any excess pressure. I noticed that the marker did just that. Its good to know it does what its designed to. Pressure spikes can damage internals and cause chopping. Kudos to Tippmann for that thoughtful feature. I did notice velocity changes when firing rapid VS slower one-at-a-time. After a three shot burst, velocity dropped. I waited a moment for the liquid CO2 to warm up and expand, and velocity was back up again. Nothing new to most users of CO2.
I doubt paint quality will make all THAT much difference in accuracy, simply because it IS a pistol. But always recommend a good paint if only to reduce the chance of chopping.
Conclusion:
I am VERY glad I bought it, can't wait to try it in woodsball scenario play! I highly recommend this marker. It is cheaper in cost than some of its competition, but not in its quality and performance. The TPX is better served as a back up marker, or for those who prefer to move light and stealthy and go for the one shot kill method. I feel confidant that I could use the TPX as my primary marker in a game and perform quite well.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 6:05 pm PST
Light
Comes with two mags
Grip fits hand a little better than other pistols
Weaknesses:
Hard to take C02 out
Cleaning
Mags
Review:
One of my buddies bought this pistol as soon as they came out. At first glance they look very nice. I like the look and the weight of the pistol. I am usually more of a fan of metal paintball markers, but for a side arms I don't mind. The TPX is as accurate as any other pistol I have used. These are made for close-range shooting, so as long as you shoot up close you'll hit whatever you aim at. This comes with two mags which is awesome, however, they aren't metal so you need to be careful with them while playing. If you drop one on the ground make sure you don't accidentally step on it, they look like they might break easy. I watched a review on you tube about these guns and I heard that the mags don't release balls if you remove the mag with paint still in the mag. If you don't shoot any paintballs the mag comes out with paint intact, but say if you shoot a couple of rounds and then you want to take the mag out, be prepared for a couple of balls to drop out. Having the C02 in the front of the gun does make the grip more comfortable, I like this, but it is a pain to take the C02 out of the gun. You have to shoot ALL the C02 out before you can easily replace a new cartridge. Sometimes my buddy had to shoot the pistol until there was no more pressure left, then wait for 5 seconds, and shoot again because there's still pressure inside the pistol building up inside. It's time consuming, especially while playing in a game or during a battle. If you are a player that plays with C02's a lot with your markers, you know that it's wise to replace the C02 after 25 shots or so because anything after that the FPS will begin to drop. So if you try to replace the C02 on this pistol early be prepared to fight with it. If you break a ball inside be prepared strip the gun apart to clean it out all the way. The barrel doesn't take very long to clean (unscrew the barrel), but if you are like me and take great care of your gear and clean everything inside and out, you'll be cleaning for awhile.
Conclusion:
Cool pistol. It has it's pluses and minuses. If you were to compare all the pistols and choose which one is the best, it all depends on the user. All of the older pistols work fine, but they aren't mag fed. The TPX and Tac 8 are the best overall, but they both have issues. Do your research and find out which issues you don't mind on both pistols. I give this rating an 8 mostly because of the C02 replacement issues. All of the other issues to this pistol would give it a 9, but the C02 issue tops it off. Perhaps all of your TPX's have no issues with replacing the C02's, good for you, but for me being a player that uses C02's all the time with my pump it's a big deal.
Rating:
8 out of 10
Last edited on Monday, June 15th, 2009 at 9:20 am PST
Lapco's Front Block with Picatinny rail
A new barrel, something like the BigShot or Hammerhead
Holster could be useful, especially in mil-sim or woodsball. I like to have 2 hands to climb and crawl so it could be beneficial.
Strengths:
Light
Accurate
Consistent
Ease of use
Very solid
Weaknesses:
Harsh on paint (need to buy paint with strong shells)
Review:
Alright...
Durability: 10/10
Tippmanns are always renowned for their great durability and the TPX is no exception. I don't think I can say much in this section other than repeating it's a solid gun and that's that. 600 shots through and still have yet to find breaks.
Accuracy: 8/10
The accuracy on this thing amazed me. Didn't ever think it would be so accurate. Using the stock barrel only, I managed to get very tight groupings from a distance of about 20-25 meters (65-80ft)as I mostly play on an indoor field where engagements are CQC oriented. Out of every 21 shots, about 4 are outside the grouping, but that could vary with the paint and/or velocity.
Consistency/Efficiency: 8/10
When I first got this in the mail, I popped in a CO2, loaded up my six mags and went into the backyard for some tests. Out of the box, I could easily shoot 2.5 mags before needing to change out the CO2. After fiddling with the velocity adjuster, I got it to easily shoot close to 4 mags. As the norm for CO2, letting the liquid warm up and expand after every burst is ideal to get range and accuracy.
Customization: 7/10
There isn't too much out yet, but barrels are a good upgrade to this outstanding gun.
Putting on a flashlight/laser/fore grip really enhances the appearance of the gun. I have a NCstar flashlight on the TPX and it looks and performs great when I'm inside unlit buildings.
Another upgrade that is worth checking out is Lapco's Front Block with Picatinny Rail. This allows you to place sights such as red dots, reflexes, and even scopes if you so desire. The Front Block enhances the look of the gun and with a sight, it outperforms the plain iron sights on the gun.
The Remote Line for the TPX is a nice touch for those that don't want to use 12g CO2 cartidges(they're bloody expensive @ $.75/piece at the rate I usually buy em at.)
Using air is the way to go with all guns and having a remote line and an air tank lets you carry more 10 round tubes instead of a mix of CO2 and 10 round tubes, thus more paint you can throw at your enemies with consistent shots.
Other stuff... : ?/?
It is quite loud, not that I care anyways, just don't shoot it around your house without ear protection.(Yes I shoot inside my room for tests when the weather outside is carp)
So far, I have not have any pierce troubles so that probably means Tippmann is using a new adjustable CO2 cap.
For internal maintenance, be careful when pulling the halves apart, the spring will cause parts to fly at you. Also, be weary of the tiny o-rings that are loaded in the gun, always grease them when pulling pieces apart, they will get eaten. I've destroyed 2 o-rings already trying to place the regulator and air valve together.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Tippmann TPX is a very solid gun. There are always pros and cons in any marker and the pros of this pistol outweigh the cons by a large margin. WIth cheap magazines, easy maintenance, and being a very cool gun, what more could you want?
Some things to note; Use strong shelled paint (ie XO's Camotac) and give it some tlc and it won't disappoint.
I highly recommend the TPX for those that want to use a pistol as their primary.
Rating:
8 out of 10
Last edited on Thursday, December 9th, 2010 at 11:57 pm PST
This pistol has proven to be a key asset to WOODSBALL. it's durable, fast, and accurate. it is magazine operated and runs on a 12g co2 cartridge. but this gun can operate with aIr hoses. it's metal trigger punctures Co2 with the first pull, so you have air when you need it.
this gun weighs, with the Co2, clip, and barrel, about 3 pounds. it comes with a padded carrying case, 2 8 round magazines, 5 12g Co2 cartriges, and 75 .50 training rounds.
Conclusion:
Over all, paying 250$ for this gun was the best descision i have ever made in paintball. i recommend this only for woodsball.
