ARS Airsmithing: Tinkering with Tipmans

General

One of my past times is playing field ball. And as with the full ARS facilities at my disposal, I have to mess around with the markers. I've used many brands but decided on Tippman A-5s for myself. While not the most sophisticated markers, they are like the AK-47 in durability and reliability. Playing in the scrub desert washes around my house has been brutal on the markers, but they keep on working. Most of the modifications I've come up with are minor ergonomic and cosmetic changes. There are no prices here because I havn't decided what modifications will sell well (and this is a business - the purpose is to sell services). If you have ideas to discuss or comments, please send me an e-mail.

Refinishing.

Technical aspects of refinishing are described in detail on the METACOL Finishes section of this website. Most finishes are available for Tippmans.

Tippman Options
	A5 in green. I wasn't sure if the hopper and pistol grip could handle the curing temperatures when I coated this one (they can) so I left them black. The lip in the front is derived from short-barreled machineguns to keep the operators hand from slipping in front of the muzzle. As it is extraneous on the A5 and somewhat blocky in contour, I reduced it by about half and rounded the edges.
	Cutting down the front sight obscures less of the target
	Machining the optics rail to accept standard military optics (M1913 Picatinny Style).
	HK Drum rear sight installed in place of the original. Unfortunately, the sights are not useale with the TAPCO AR-15 collapsing stock.
	Texturing the grip. While I could texture the entire grip, there are some areas that are more comfortable smooth. The TAPCO front pistol grip sheared off. I havn't determined yet whether it was a fluke, inappropriate material, or if the thermal curing weakened the plastic.
	Another A5 in METACOL III Woodland Camouflage. I was still testing the e-trigger, so opted not to paint it.
	My daughter's A5.
	I knurled the flatline barrel sleeve for cosmetics. It isn't thick enough for the raised knurling I'd use on a real silencer.
	Another view of the modified front sight
	Another machined optics rail.
	Standard trigger with textured finger grooves.
	Due to the oily resin and flexible material in the masks, paint doesn't stick well. These are coated with rattle-can Krylon Ultra Flat military colors - 30% green, 30% brown, and 30% tan for the Arizona scrub desert where we play.