Tippman paintball guns are some of the most reliable on the market. They are durable, and they don't break paint. I've shot at least 10,000 rounds through my A-5 in the last 4 months, and I've have had only 2 break in the barrel. A-5's are cheap compared to a lot of guns, and for the quality of the gun it is a steal. You can also easily get upgrades for the A-5. The A-5 stock barrel is not very good, so I use a J+J Ceramic barrel. For newbies, make sure you buy good paint. The cheap stuff will not shoot straight. It is worth it to pay $10 more and actually hit someone.If you are just starting to play paintball, the A-5 or Tippman custom 98 would be excellent choices for a marker. 5 stars

this gun it just plain awsome i bought one a year ago and its just great.
The good.
every thing about it. it has a 1/4 inch trigger pull, it has never broken/cliped a single ball!!!, dead on acurate (after i got a new barrel), if you turn the volosity up it can take bark off trees :) fun, modeled after an mp5k, feals like a real gun not a piece of sporting goods.
The bad.
Stock barrel is nothing more than a piece of crap(the gun makes it usable). its long so don't get it for spead ball... thats all i can think of.
sum it up
5.5 stars i love this gun and would recomend it for any 1. 5 stars

This gun is truely amazing. This gun is easy to field strip and clean, rugged and tough, dependable, and upgradable.

I recommend this gun for beginners and pros alike. Depending on your play style, you can customize and/or upgrade this gun to your hearts desire and paintball needs. Speedball? Get an E-Grip and big Shot barrel. Woodsball? Get a Flatline barrel and a stock. This gun will grow with you.

The cycolne feed is perfect. I have not seen a ball break with it yet. It is capable of putting 15 paintballs per second into the chamber. (You would need a response trigger or E-grip to do that)

This gun is the last one I will need to buy for several years. 5 stars

After doing much research on a site like www.pbreview.com this gun got rave reviews and they definitely are correct. I am just using the stock a-5 (no modifications i.e flatline barrel)and pmi premium paintballs. This gun is accurate, has it's unique chambering system, and hasn't broken one ball yet inside the barrel. 5 stars

Great gun...i love it. The only complait i really have is that is a gas hog. Like i have a 20oz tank and i get like 800 shots from it. My friend has a 98 custom and with the same tank get like 1300 shots. In the wiinter i am lucky if i get 600...lol. But being such a great gun, its worth the extra gas! Nevere evr chops paint either. 5 stars