2003 AKA Viking, Palmer Stabilizer as bottom-line, Stainless braided lines, mother of pearl 1911 grips, VL Revvy w/ X-board, stock barrel, 20 oz. CO2 w/ anti-siphon.
Recommended Upgrades:
Maybe a new barrel, though stock one works fine. Compressed air tank.
Strengths:
Reliable, simple, fast.
Weaknesses:
Not machined for eyes, no longer in production.
Review:
I have owned this marker for quite some time. I haven't used it a lot, as I got it after I had mostly quit playing paintball, but I brought it out for the occasional game of recreational play and recently got invited to a local team. I've been practicing with them for a few weeks now.
I have to say, having left the game when angels and shockers were brand new and people were still using mechanical sytems (I had a palmer typhoon at the time), this was a new experience for me. Sure, I've handled the odd electro-pneumatic wonder-gun, but I hadn't really played with them much. Heck, I still have my VM-68 sitting in this room with me, and I still regret selling that Typhoon.
The best thing about the Viking, in my opinion, is that its easy to use and get going. I haven't spent a lot of time maintaining it or taking it apart or generally fiddling with it at all while I've owned it. When I bring it out, I just put a drop or two of AKA's oil in the ASA, and a drop or two on the bolt, and then I go play. I'm still using CO2 w/ the anti-siphon bottle. Of course, dual regulators help with that as well. I shoot more with that one bottle than anyone does with their compressed air, and I haven't had any issues with velocity. Then again, I'm used to CO2, so I don't leave it out in the sun, and I let it thaw out after getting it filled before I screw it onto the gun. No complaints so far, and I have maybe 12 cases through the thing.
Its accurate as needed, and once I figured out how to work one of these new-fangled clicky triggers (yeah, that's a technical term!), I ripped 'em out of there plenty fast to keep up with all the e-teks, impulses, and whatever other fancy guns were out there with me. Several of the guys actually commented quite a bit about it, since they hadn't expected that rate of fire from me. Then again, I didn't have a problem with that when I had the typhooon, either, but that's memories versus the last few weeks, and I am getting a bit old and nostalgic.
I didn't experience any drop-off or inconsistencies, it chrono'd just fine, and I pretty much haven't messed with the settings since I got it. I sit around while everyone else re-tunes their stuff and tries to figure out why they're leaking, why their gun won't work, or they clean out the breaks or jams and fine-tune their stuff. I'm not personally really into messing with all that if I don't have to. An occasional turn or two once in a while to adjust for the environment of the day to get myself dialed in and that's it. I just have to buy all the paint so I can keep playing and pop some tylenol when the joints start hurting.
Its not in production anymore, and I've seen them go from $350 on ebay to $1400 on some websites. In the end, there's not a lot you have to do it to play, and there's still plenty of stuff out there for those who need to upgrade the thing. Its plenty fast, and easily faster with a Pandora/WAS/Tadao board with some eyes. Everything else is just preference. Compared to my old markers, its pretty lightweight, though, so its fine for me. Not so sure about this vertical feed stuff, but it seems to work.
Conclusion:
Good marker for the money. Shouldn't cost you more than $500 to get one, and its just reliable and maintenance free. Get the newer 2004+ ones if you can, just because its already set up for eyes and all that other fancy stuff. If you need to have all the newest gadgets, its probably easier to just get something currently in production. With just a hundred bucks or so, it can be upgraded to be as good as anything out there as far as I can tell, so that it has all that fancy ramping/full-auto/programmable/laser eye/blade/jingly-ball-catastrophe-makers you kids like these days. =)
Blk/Blu/Clr Fade 04 Streamline Excalibur
Clamping Feedneck
14" Ultralite Barrel and Freak Barrel Kit
68/4500 MacDev Conquest Tank
Recommended Upgrades:
A Good Barrel Kit
Blade trigger
25gr Trigger Switch
Pandora Board flashed with the rMod code
Strengths:
Built like a tank
Quality Craftsmanship
Low Maintenance
Reliable
Weaknesses:
Heavier than mostt.
Can't buy them new anymore.
Review:
I'll try and make this as concise and to the point as I can (I gotta go to bed and get some sleep).
I sold my Gunmetal Streamline Excal (see the pics) back in Oct'06 and regretted it ever since. Why did I sell in the first place you may ask ? I needed rent money ...... such is life. Anyway, after looking for almost 18 months I found another one up for sale and had no hesitation getting my credit card out to make the purchase. So what makes a man yearn for a gun for so long ? The smile that cracks upon your face the moment you pull the trigger.
This gun, along with my Nexus DC2, puts a smile on my face everytime I shoot them. So here is the break down.
Quality-
AKA markers are built with the tightest of tolerances out of any company producing paintball markers today. Unfortunately with the SP lawsuits, AKA refused to give in to their bullying demands and were forced to stop producing both the Viking and Excalibur markers. The guns are heavy (unless you buy one milled) but are built tough and can survive anything you can throw at them. The annodizing is military grade Type3 and it shows with a smooth flat finish.
Speed-
Although they are not as fast as todays electros, the Excals have no problems running in the 15-21 bps range. Don't qoute me on the numbers as the Humphry and Mac noids produce differant results. In any regard, it is fast enough for todays games where the ramping is capped at 15 bps anyway. I would however highly recommend adding the Pandora board to the gun and flashing it with the rMod. I have it in my Viking and its god awefully-insanely fast !
Maintanence-
Simply the easiest gun for taking care of. Put a drop of oil in the ASA, cycle about 30 shots with the barrel off, and away you go. Done.
Accuracy-
Now I know we hear the debate, and I don't want people PM'ng me about the physics involved etc etc, but I'm going to state what I SEE with MY VISUAL PERCEPTION.
First off with it being a closed bolt gun, you need a tight paint to barrel match. You will notice a fluctuaion with chrono readings moreso than with an open bolt marker because of the variances in bore matching. That being said, I have to say that the trajectory seems to be very similar to a cocker, but not as flat as a Matrix. Distance wise, its close to both the trix and cocker. I was nailing tacks with the gun all day last weekend. It was fantastic !
Feeling-
I personally prefer the feeling of a spool valve marker shooting. It feels very 'soft' without the hammer and ram slamming against the valve. However I do have to say that the Excal feels and shoots smoother than any other ram driven marker out there. You will hear AKA'rs taking about the smoothness, and it is very noticable when you fire the gun. I have to say that it just a tad bit smoother than my DC2 (and that thing is like butter !!!)
For recball I really like taking out my differant guns and it's hard to choose.If I want the best overall setup in my collection, I take my Quest. If I want that giddy feeling and the feelling that I have a 'weapon' in my hand, I'll take out the Excal, Nexus, or Viking.
Conclusion:
If you are in love with closed bolt markers but don't want the 'hassles' of the autocker, then I would highly recommend the AKA Excalibur. It will shoot smoother than the best cocker ever produced (the Nexus DC2 IMHO) and will last you years over the competition.
I am still partial to the Quest because of ....well everything (check my review), but there's a reason why , out of the 12 guns in my collection, that the Excal gets to see the feild more often than the others.
Vikings, Intimidators, Ego's, etc. - The comparison is completely different since this is a closed bolt marker operating with dual solenoids, so the cycling action is smooth and distinct. Very different from an open bolt marker.
Marker Setup:
I shoot a 2K5'd GZ, Excalibur, Viking, Texas Storm, Ripper, Ripper 2 and Ripper 3 Intimidators. I run a Halo or an Empire with a PMI Pure Energy Tank.
Recommended Upgrades:
I recommend a WAS 1.6 board over the nelson or pandora boards. I also recommend a clamping feedneck and eyes to maximize the potential of the marker. If you have an 02 or earlier model you may want to consider getting the LED installed or having the marker milled to reduce it's weight.
Strengths:
Closed bolt operation, smooth feel with the dual noids. Highly accurate.
Weaknesses:
The weight of the marker, difficulty in getting service/work done due to age.
Review:
Excals are no longer the en vogue markers that they used to be but they're incredibly efficient and smooth markers. They operate in a true closed bolt manner and that operation is controlled by dual solenoids (either MAC or Humphreys depending on the age). Several of my friends and I have picked them up recently and with the latest board technologies and increases in cycling speeds, we've been very impressed with their performance.
Like their brother marker the Viking, they come stock with a Sidewinder regulator and are incredibly efficient on air (less so due to the dual noid set up). They have a smoother feel than a cocker or omen that often feels bouncy due to the mechanical movement. They're easily upgradable with new triggers and can be adjusted for a faster or slower speed. There are a good amount of upgrades still available however, fewer than in years past since the Excals are no longer being made.
If the weight is an issue for you, you can have DC (soon!) mill them as well as several other companies. There are also milled versions (featherlight and highlander) available used. With the used market dropping, Excals can be found relatively cheap.
Conclusion:
A fantastic closed bolt marker whose performance is untouched in the industry. It comes stock with a fantastic reg and is a great marker for woodsball or a great backup marker to have around.
Long range
Accuracy
Speed-w/ eye's
low upkeep
built like a tank
Weaknesses:
Weight
They don't make them anymore!
Review:
Well what can I say....this gun is the best gun I have ever had! I have had zero problems since I got it! It shoots as fast as anything out there (with eye's) and has a long flat tragectory! I love taking guy's out with three shots to the face! It only requires you to put a few drops of oil in the gun after a day of play, for upkeep. It also has no problem shooting the crappiest paint you can find. AKA makes amazing markers so go out and get one!
Conclusion:
Other than being on the heavy side, the Excalibur is flawless. It is built like a tank and shoots like a gatling gun! It has a very smooth operation and is easy to keep on target. You can get a really good deal on them used and it will be better than most if not all newer guns. I have yet to use a gun that comes as close to purfection as the EXCALIBUR!
Green Acid Wash Excalibur (unkown year)
SideWinder Reg
Stock LPR
Stock Board
Freak Barrel Kit (10" & 14" Tips)
eVolution II
Dye Stickys, DOP Big Drop, CCM No-Rise
Recommended Upgrades:
Barrel Kit, or System
Trigger
Cosmetics
Board
Strengths:
Efficiency
Consistent = Accuracy
Low Kick
Weaknesses:
Heavy
Review:
I looked into this marker for a while before I was able to aquire one. I heard about their great efficiency and great reliability and all the glamour and chrome. Well when I got mine, I was all excited and buzzed.
All that adrenaline was wasted in the couple first shots of my new gun. My hopes and dreams were shattered. The gun was horribly inconsistant and was breaking and chopping paint like a wheat thrasher on harvest day. After trying to tweak the SideWinder, it broke. But alas, I scrutinized the manual, and found that the battery could be dead. I replaced it, and to my amazement, it worked... and was shooting mildly consistant, varying -/+ 10fps, most likely due to the paint/barrel match. It shot just as fast as I could pull the trigger. This was a great gun.
After about three months of owning this gun now, I am very satisfied with my purchase, even without the upgraded board and eyes. I am mostly a woodsballer but like to mix it up on the speed courses, and my gun hasn't failed me on either. I like the trigger on it already, it isn't too loose or free, nor is it too tight or snappy. The heaviness of it has its offset, as its not too easy to move around when firing, though you can't swing it at will either.
I recently bought a 88/5k Scion for the most shots I can get on a fill, and easily got over a case of paint on little over 3400 PSI (4k fill). I changed out the barrel, though the Javelin wasn't bad. It was a kind of an odd barrel, having a snap sound to it that I didn't like much. I added a Freak Barrel to it, and on a windy day I can still get a 80% grouping of 8" at 85 ft, on 295 fps.
Conclusion:
I can't really compare this marker to anything of its level as it is my first high end gun, but so far I have been impressed. I originally bought this marker to replace my forever problem stricken E99 that I have seemed to mess up some how, but I think this will not only take its place, but I have a feeling it will stay there for a long time. I assume I will get the upgraded board and eyes, but I'm still trying to see if there is a need for them, as this thing will pinch paint all day, old or fresh. I say that, but I think if it's on the seams, it doesn't do as well.
Accurate
Well Balanced
Finely Crafted
Low Kick
Easy to maintain
!Superb Quality!
Weaknesses:
Heavy-Same as gen-e matrix
Expensive
2 solenoids= bad on batteries
Review:
I have not owned this gun for long but I am very impressed.
I bought a used excalibur and couldn't be happier. I have used this marker full time and lent it out for heavy use. It has shot approximately 8000 balls without a break.
Although the gun is heavy it is very well balanced and not at all difficult to hold and use.
Although the maximum rate of fire is less than other guns I have never shot faster. All those who have used it agree it is very easy to maintain a high rate of fire with this gun.
It may be expensive but it's quality is amazing. The bolt has o-rings but doesn't really need them as the bolt fits the breach perfectly.
I bought this gun without having tried an excalibur and I am glad I took the risk. I had used other aka guns and been impressed but I believe this is my favorite marker of all markers. I am a habitual trader/seller but this gun makes me want to stop trading.
2010 update: Sold all my excals gun, using Vikings and CCM pumps these days. Still like Excals a lot. Everything I said before holds true.
Conclusion:
Aka had a great product in the excalibur. It is expensive but compared to other guns in the price range it is far superior. I have taken the excalibur over, aliases, dm5's, karnivor's, freestyles, mq'ed orracles, and all others.
I have never been more impressed with a gun and as long as you are strong enough to handle a gun I recommend the excalibur.
The quality of this gun is outstanding and I wish they were still in production today. I feel like this gun will be working years from now just as well as it does today.
It does not feel like a toy, it feels like a weapon. Solid. It comes with a lifetime warranty for a good reason.
Edit: I have long since sold the excal I reviewed here. But now own two more of them. They are still excellent although I use a viking for tournament play. The only reason for this is that I don't like matching paint on a tournament morning, only to have to rematch it as the day warms up. Excaliburs still feel like a solid weapon to me, and they are great fun to play with.
Rating:
10 out of 10
Last edited on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010 at 7:50 pm PST
WDP 2K3 Angel LCD LE (louder, less accurate, less reliable, faster)
Vapor B2K (louder, less reliable, less accurate, allegedly faster)
Kingman Spyder Shutter (no comparison in any category)
AKA Viking - lighter, slightly better efficiency, good shooting platform
WGP Karnivor with E2 - lighter, better efficiency, faster, more accurate
Various Mechanical Markers - only high-end mechanicals come close; mostly 'cockers
Evil Omen - louder, less reliable, equally consistent, less accurate
AGD Emag - louder, less reliable, faster
Marker Setup:
2003 AKA Excalibur w/ Humphrey 'noids, WAS, WAS eyes, stock trigger, stock Sidewinder reg, stock Tornado valve and stock Tornado bolt.
Recommended Upgrades:
Clamping feed neck
Trigger (to your taste)
Strengths:
Accurate shooting platform
Highly efficient
Highly consistent
Extremely reliable
Fast enough
Weaknesses:
Not exceptionally fast
Not exceptionally sexy
Few upgrades
Review:
I traded an aftermarket 2K3 Crusader Viking for my Excal, and have no regrets. The Excal is quieter and a better shooting platform due to less recoil. The Excal is very similar to its sister marker, the Viking, with a few significant differences. Because of this similarity, I will copy much of this review from my Viking review, noting differences where necessary.
I will address each strength/weakness in turn:
STRENGTHS:
1. Accurate shooting platform
This marker is very consistent with very little blowback, and with a good barrel/paint match, it is very easy to put your shots where you want them, and to do it repeatedly. It has less blowback than a Viking, and indeed has less than most any other marker except the old Shoebox Shockers. It is almost as easy to be accurate with this marker as my 'cocker and my Shoebox Shocker. Although not as fast as a Viking, I found that with a three-finger walk, it was easier to keep on target at high ROF than my Viking. This is more a factor of my skill with the markers than the markers themselves. This may vary by individual user.
2. Exceptionally efficient
AKA actually underreports the efficiency of the Excal; I believe they claim 1700 balls per 68/4500 fill; I get nearly 2k with the Javelin barrel on. That 's a case per fill, people! 'Nuff said.
3. Consistent
+/- 2 over the Chron; VERY consistent; more so than the Viking. See Accuracy, above. It comes with the Sidwinder reg, one of the most consistent regs on the market. The regs when new need breaking in, but there are few, if any, Excals left that have not had their regs broken in. There are a few markers that are about as consistent as an Excal, but none that are MORE consistent. This is another factor contributing to the Excal's status as one of the best shooting platforms in paintball.
4. Fast Enough
I don't have a good trigger finger, but with a three-finger walk, I can get the Excal ripping as fast as I can get my Viking to go, about 14bps. I don't believe you can get that kind of speed out of older Excals with Nelson boards or Mac 'noids. While the Viking is supposed to be able to go faster, I don't have the fingers to get it there - just like most recballers. Most recballers won't notice the speed difference between the two, even though the Viking can go faster in the hands of a pro.
With the eyes in, the marker never chops, even at the unlimited speed the WAS board offers. I had a Wicked switch installed, but that led to ungovernable bounce; it was impossible to stop without lowering the ROF to 4 or 5 bps. I put the stock switch back in and had no problems getting high speeds with no bounce. This problem was similar to one I had with my Viking. Others may find lighter switches to their taste, but I expect that bounce will be a problem for them.
I have, however, been able to get 17+ out of my E2'd Karni without bounce; I don't believe I can reach those speeds on the Excal. I also don't see that a couple extra BPS would do much for my game, tournament OR recball.
5. Quiet
The stock Javelin barrel is good, but has very little porting, making it louder than heavily ported barrels (i.e. Freak, Boomy). The Excal is very quiet with the Javelin on; but with a Freak on, it has a low, bass sound signature that is hard to zero in on in a woods setting. It is not as quiet as my Shoebox Shocker, but close. I like a quiet marker, so this is good in my book.
6. Very little maintenance needed
After a day of play, all you have to do is wipe it down, oil it up and put it away. They say this about Angels and some other markers, but I've found that not to be true. This marker? It's true. I have verified my experience with it by reviewing a LOT of posts from owners in various forums.
I will say that there is some initial maintenance; you have to go through about 10 cases before the LPR settles in, and then send it back to AKA to be reset. Normally, I like a marker I can tweak myself, but I kind of like AKA's approach - if I can't tweak it, I can't break it. It does show that AKA is committed to providing excellent customer service. Because nearly ALL of the Excals out there are used (AKA is no longer making them), this should already have been accomplished on any Excal you buy. There are a number of shops with an online presence that have AKA-qualified techs to work on AKA markers, as well.
7. Customer Service
AKA seems committed to customer service; I've never needed any work on this marker, so I am reporting the experiences of others,here. AKA has had a recent breakup of its owners, but there have been no reported problems with service that I've seen. Furthermore, the owner that left appears to have added to the service arena by creating his own shop. There are many AKA-certified techs out there, so service is likely to be increasingly easy to get now than ever. Furthermore, there is a mature, educated and hospitable AKA community out there, with its own forum on PBNation, that can provide significant help to those with problems or questions. Don't let the PBNation location fool you - these are good people with a great depth of experience. No 'leet' or 'agg' kiddiez on the AKA boards.
8. Documentation
The Excal comes with a great, detailed manual with thorough timing instructions, several exploded parts diagrams, troubleshooting analyses, and detailed maintenance schedules. Not the best on the market, but one of the best, and more than adequate for the owner's needs.
WEAKNESSES
1. Appearance
The stock Excal is somewhat bland; doesn't compete with Angels or tricked-out 'cockers. However, the after-market Excals have some beautiful millwork on them; check out the Immortal, Highlander and Featherlight. Mean-lookin' critters, if I do say so myself. If you can get your hands on a Stormtrooper Destructive Customs Excal, you can die happy - and leave it to me in your will, mmkay?
2. Speed
This is a weakness only for the pros; otherwise, it has more than enough speed for the rest of us. Comparing the Excal to cars, if pros use Formula 1 markers, the Excal is an Aston Martin DB7 - excellent workmaship and pedigree, and although it's not as fast as a Formula 1, it can go faster than any non-pro will go.
3. Few Upgrades
There isn't much you can do to an Excal; feed neck, switch, new board, trigger, SCM, Mitey Max, snatch grip. Therefore, they are hard to customize. Not a huge issue, but one that some players may consider. Factory and some aftermarket Excals come with Type II annodizing, which can be stripped for re-anodizing in the scheme of your choice. This allows you to get a stock Excal, strip it, mill it for a one-of-a-kind marker, and re-anno it.
Conclusion:
Conclusion: There is no real down side to this marker. It's accurate, fast, efficient, quiet, consistent and low-maintenance, and backed by a great company. The ONLY possible down sides are that you have to send it back once to get the LPR reset, and that people who base their self-worth on how cool their marker looks won't get the stock Excals. This is a great marker if you play both woods and tourney; it's a quiet sniping marker with speed abilities in the woods, and it has low weight, great speed and consistency for tourney play. If you only want to have one or two markers, and play many types of paintball, the Excal is the best marker for you. One note; although the manual states that you can use CO2, I would avoid CO2 as it creates a higher risk of 'noid damage during use. As the Excal is highly efficient, there is no need for CO2.
Rating:
9 out of 10
Last edited on Sunday, April 17th, 2005 at 7:28 am PST
bore sizing barrel, that's about it. If you don't already have the eyes, get em. With the WAS board you'll be way faster
Strengths:
So damn air effeceint, fast as all get out. This marker really jams.
Weaknesses:
With my steel 68/3k tank, slightly heavy
Review:
Right out off the box (generally speaking. Had to put the drop and all on) this marker is ready to jam. With the WAS board and no eyes it'll only pump 10 bps but with the eyes is easily capable of 20+bps. Simple operation (one switch). It feels super nice during play. It handles exceptionally. Everyone that I've let jam on it are impressed. It's so smooth and has almost no recoil. All that and once you've made it through the break in period (10,000) cycles you can drop the pressure even more and make this thing really scream.
Conclusion:
All in all this is definately one of the highest quality markers that can be owned. If you're really concerned about the weight then get a highlander from Action Pursuit Paintball or try and find a featherlite.
2K4 Black Alien Species
70/4500 crossfire
AKA 2 liter reg and soda can mod
Evil pipe
egg2 w/z board
RMR Ramrod
Recommended Upgrades:
The new 2 liter reg
Strengths:
Fast, accurate, feels great tucked in, quiet
Weaknesses:
A little heavey but thats ok
Review:
I got to use this gun at DDay 2004 in Oklahoma. One of my teammate's gun was dead so the awesome people at AKA let us borrow a Excalibur for the week. I was only able to play with it twice but it was awesome! It is really easy to take out the bolt for cleaning. The gun was dead on accurate and boy is it quiet. You would have thought we had a silencer on it. This gun shows how good AKA's products and owners are.
Conclusion:
Using this gun was awesome! I loved it so much I would buy it but my teammate won't let me. We have a thing on how each person has their unique gun. But oh well i'll just use his.
Nothing really besides weight but if its to heavy work out
Review:
ok where do i start. this gun is amazing. Fast, Efficent, fast, sexy accurate very easy to maintain very reliable, just real quality. the gun could ne lighter but its not a problem. if u really want it to be lighter but a featherlight excal from www.jmjconcepts.com or a DC one from destructive customs. umm i get a lot of comments from my friends who use guns such as dm4s or shockers or angels. nest gun out there for the money
Conclusion:
All in all best gun ive ever shot. only reason id sell is to get a viking or another excal go buy this gun its worth the money
