Tippmann X7
by Bill Mills - Photos by Dawn Mills - Nov 2007

Features HowItWorks Disassembly Adjustment Testing Data

Testing of the X7 was performed for both general operation, in which no unexpected problems came to light, and objective testing was done to determine velocity consistency, and compare shot grouping size with the stock barrel to that with a standardized test barrel.

All testing was performed with compressed air as the power source, delivered via a Crossfire 800 psi output compressed air system, and utilizing DraXxus Hellfire paintballs. Objective test firing was performed with the X7 secured to a hard mounted Custom Cylinders markers stand, with an electropneumatic trigger actuator activated at precise firing rates under control of a custom programmed microprocessor.

To test for velocity consistency and shoot-down, the X7 was adjusted to fire at approximately 258 feet per second, then 30 shot strings were fired over a recording chronograph at rates of both 1bps and 12 bps.

At a steady 1 bps, the X7 had an average velocity of 284.6 feet per second with a standard deviation of 4.6. The 95% figure – a quantification based on throwing out 5% of the data which is the least consistent (this allows for odd, inconsistent paint to be discounted) was at ±2.0.

When the rate of fire increased, for a 30 shot string at 12 bps, the average velocity dropped only slightly to 283.6. While the extreme spread (difference between the slowest and fastest shots) jumped to 25 fps, pushing the standard deviation up to 5.8, the 95% figure, rated the velocities at ±2.0 – meaning that aside from a couple of oddballs, consistency was comparable whether shooting slow or fast.

Twenty-shot strings were fired at paper targets at a distance of 75 feet, at a microprocessor controlled rate of one ball per second. One grouping was fired with the stock X7 barrel, and the other with the standardized barrel used in WARPIG Ballistic Labs testing, a Smart Parts All-American front and .687 insert matched to the paint, and a Freak A5 back. This setup allows for the same barrel to be moved from marker to marker, regardless of thread type, for a baseline comparison. Grouping size with both barrels was somewhat similar. Individual target photos are available here.

With the X7, Tippmann has taken the reliable and easy to maintain A5 platform, and teamed up with Special Ops Paintball to extend it with a more modular structure, that can be configured literally thousands of ways. Since its initial release, Tippmann has also begin marketing specific versions of the X7, configured to resemble some of today's most popular small arms.