Tippmann 98 Custom Starter Package

You may notice that everywhere throughout Maine these handy starter packages line the walls. They on average cost from around 150 to 160, and include a 9 ounce tank and a cheap mask, along with the gun. The gun comes with the stock elbow, hopper, and 8 inch barrel. But in reality, are they worth it? To the new players starting out, who have not yet found the world of craigslist, pbnation, and mcarter, yes. To the experienced player who can find a used one for 60, and then spend that other 100 on a 48/3000 steel tank, decent mask, pod pack and pods, and maybe a jersey, no. But I was one of those new players, and I found it invaluable. I rode home with it, drinking in the labels. Anyways, two years down the road. Here is my review.

Gun and Upgrades: Tippmann 98 Custom w/ J&J 14 Inch Barrel, and custom work.
Pro's : Reliability, decent accuracy , O.K dissasembly, and the sheer workhorse power of a tank.
Con's : Weight, length, and laughs (that end soon if your crazy like me). Noise also, but that can be a pro and a con.
Reccomended Upgrades: A barrel is all it really needs, but upgrades can increase the performance if done carefully.

Review: The 98 out of the box worked great. The very first week I had it I played my first game in pouring rain, and I even hid in a puddle with just the barrel sticking out at an upward angle, to help prevent clogging it with watter. I nailed two guys walking up that way . Throughout the first three months I never noticed that little thing called oil. When I finally sat down to clean it, it was because I had trouble pulling the bolt back. It took all my strength to pull it back, but once it was back it was back to stay. I could not believe the inside. Since then, I've cleaned it, and done some custom modding with files and a dremel. Ive dabbled with a response trigger and cyclone but eventually sold them. But throughout it all it has remained a reliable marker, if plain. It has no special features unless you get ACT which is o.k..... but its just that. A invaluable gun thats too valuable to sell, as it remains dear to your heart, yet is commonly out done by other markers in the same price range such as a ion. One game I cut my 8 inch barrel in half at the ports, making it 4 inches, and the effect with a response trigger is like bird shot through a shotgun. Its neither great, dissasembly is time consuming, as is putting it back together, but it remains one of the new players most common markers. Would I say its worth it know? Probably yes. It has remained in my gear bag, which is now filling an entire foot locker!!! 1 through 10 though, I would give it a 7. 1 being a Brass Eagle Talon (cough cough found one at goodwill of all places, just goes to show its value) and 10 being an Airgun Designs RT ULE Pro or Palmers Blazer (Dont have either!!!). I used these guns as example because it is a mechanical marker and the examples are either some of the best or worst. Though many might sale a brass Eagle Talon is a 3 because it is so funy.

These markers remain everywhere, you simply cant get away from them, and they are as much a part of paintball as paintballs. Ive seen everything done to them, and have done many things to them as well. See my SIG, thats a bad example. They can be as cool as a ego, no joke, as a shitty as a brass eagle. Ive seen ones turned into "snipers", heavy machine guns, speedball killing machines, everything. Mine I wish I had put a little more effort into because it looks bad for some of the 98's Ive seen. I have plans however, that to my knowledge have never been done to a 98, and I hope that in the end, it will work.

Also, if any of you guys want info on milling guides and whatnot, I can either help you or direct you to the to the real pro's on model98.