Tippman M4 HPA - how much for full set up and is it worth it

[Skippy77]

I chatted to a follower airsofter about his Gas Gun I think it was a Tippman M4, and it sounded very good from the description, less moving parts, no battery to fail on you, recoil, you can easily control the fps etc..

he said his setup cost him £450. I've seen the gun for sale at patrolbase for £395, how much is it for the HPA gas, regulator etc, what is needed.

I did see a post about this from 2014, but wanted a fresh take on this topic.

 

[proffrink]

Obligatory comment about still not having an HPA sub-forum.

HPA is 'high pressure air' - some scuba shops will charge you £15 for a fill, others just £3. Either way it's pretty cheap and you can buy a pump and do it yourself if you'd like. Another option is to buy a fully-blown scuba tank and then use a fill-station to syphon off air to your 'game tank' at home.

I'd buy a decent regulator because those things will stay with you until you sell them - the Redline Firebase or SFR (SFR if you can) are excellent regulators. The Ninja LPR is just a clone of the Firebase - I'd avoid simply because I know the Redline customer support to be absolutely stellar. Cost is up to £125 for an SFR with line. Tippmann is internally regulated, but I'm an idiot and forget this all the goddamn time.

As for a tank: Buy as good as you can afford because, as above, these things will go for 20 years (provided you get them tested every 5) and having extra volume is good on something like the Tippmann that eats more air than a solenoid-based engine like Polarstar, Wolverine etc. If you can find one, decent sized (40-60ci/cubic inch) 4500psi tanks can be found for under £80. If not, go for a 3000psi tank (again around 50-60ci is where you want to be for something like a Tippmann). Usually these run between £40 to £60.

Some shops do 'kits' for the Tippmann M4 that include everything to get you started, but I've found these to include cheap tanks with cheap tank regulators (the 'top' of the bottle) and also cheap regulators themselves (if those are included). I would again really encourage buying the best you can as far as a tank and regulator is concerned as this will hold their value well and can be swapped between many different set ups.

The main issue with HPA is the user: It's something you should make yourself familiar with over time. I know far too many people running HPA setups who don't even know how to properly lube the seals on their regulator, or that you can't use certain LPR regulators on certain tanks etc. - you need to properly maintain your Tippmann too. It's a budget system for entry-level pneumatic blow-back, and whilst it works pretty well there are a plethora of issues that you can have if you don't properly take care of it. Do not just take what you'll get from this thread as all the information you'll need - I would recommend some Facebook pages, but most have been shut down. The Tippmann group is still alive and kicking though.

 

[sp00n]

local airsoft shop sold me mine, gun, tank, line £430

you will need the either the 3d printed nub or to do the TDC mod (see facebook group) £15 approx

also recommended mod it to change the stock barrel, there not that good tbh

are they worth it ... hoooo boy they are! nice kick and (if you using HPA) they take standarg AEG m4 mags!

 

[sp00n]

I'd buy a decent regulator because those things will stay with you until you sell them - the Redline Firebase or SFR (SFR if you can) are excellent regulators. The Ninja LPR is just a clone of the Firebase - I'd avoid simply because I know the Redline customer support to be absolutely stellar. Cost is up to £125 for an SFR with line.

tippmans dont use an external regulator mate There air line is 800psi (low flow)

 

[proffrink]

That's the second time I've said that here too despite full-well knowing it. Wtf am I smoking.

 

[sp00n]

That's the second time I've said that here too despite full-well knowing it. Wtf am I smoking.

dunno but can i have some please :lol: :lol:

 

[callumbagshaw]

Obligatory comment about still not having an HPA sub-forum.

HPA is 'high pressure air' - some scuba shops will charge you £15 for a fill, others just £3. Either way it's pretty cheap and you can buy a pump and do it yourself if you'd like. Another option is to buy a fully-blown scuba tank and then use a fill-station to syphon off air to your 'game tank' at home.

I'd buy a decent regulator because those things will stay with you until you sell them - the Redline Firebase or SFR (SFR if you can) are excellent regulators. The Ninja LPR is just a clone of the Firebase - I'd avoid simply because I know the Redline customer support to be absolutely stellar. Cost is up to £125 for an SFR with line. Tippmann is internally regulated, but I'm an idiot and forget this all the goddamn time.

As for a tank: Buy as good as you can afford because, as above, these things will go for 20 years (provided you get them tested every 5) and having extra volume is good on something like the Tippmann that eats more air than a solenoid-based engine like Polarstar, Wolverine etc. If you can find one, decent sized (40-60ci/cubic inch) 4500psi tanks can be found for under £80. If not, go for a 3000psi tank (again around 50-60ci is where you want to be for something like a Tippmann). Usually these run between £40 to £60.

Some shops do 'kits' for the Tippmann M4 that include everything to get you started, but I've found these to include cheap tanks with cheap tank regulators (the 'top' of the bottle) and also cheap regulators themselves. I would again really encourage buying the best you can as far as a tank and regulator is concerned as this will hold their value well and can be swapped between many different set ups.

The main issue with HPA is the user: It's something you should make yourself familiar with over time. I know far too many people running HPA setups who don't even know how to properly lube the seals on their regulator, or that you can't use certain LPR regulators on certain tanks etc. - you need to properly maintain your Tippmann too. It's a budget system for entry-level pneumatic blow-back, and whilst it works pretty well there are a plethora of issues that you can have if you don't properly take care of it. Do not just take what you'll get from this thread as all the information you'll need - I would recommend some Facebook pages, but most have been shut down. The Tippmann group is still alive and kicking though.

The guys who sold me my HPA setup (Has a Y-connector and two lines for dual-wielded pistols) said that lubing the seals on the reg is a bad idea - and that at most just put a bit of spit on it if you're finding it difficult getting on and off (although i actually leave my reg on all the time I just turn it down to 0 PSI and clear it at the end of the day).

...Mixed messages >.<

 

[Sacarathe]

The guys who sold me my HPA setup (Has a Y-connector and two lines for dual-wielded pistols) said that lubing the seals on the reg is a bad idea - and that at most just put a bit of spit on it if you're finding it difficult getting on and off (although i actually leave my reg on all the time I just turn it down to 0 PSI and clear it at the end of the day).

...Mixed messages >.<

Explode, don't explode.

 

[proffrink]

The guys who sold me my HPA setup (Has a Y-connector and two lines for dual-wielded pistols) said that lubing the seals on the reg is a bad idea - and that at most just put a bit of spit on it if you're finding it difficult getting on and off (although i actually leave my reg on all the time I just turn it down to 0 PSI and clear it at the end of the day).

...Mixed messages >.<

Lube the reg internally. You're correct to never lube the tank or ever use petroleum based lubricants anywhere near HPA, but the reg itself is not getting an input pressure high enough to combust petroleum-based products. Remember the tank reg steps it down to 800psi max in most cases (generally a lot lower), not the 3000+ in your tank.

Any reg worth its salt needs disassembling and lubricating from time to time. For example, perhaps arguably the most popular high-end reg out there in recent times - the Redline Firebase: http://www.redlineairsoft.com/index.php/air-systems-accessories/product/download/file_id-58 and the updated Redline SFR: http://www.redlineairsoft.com/index.php/air-systems-accessories/product/download/file_id-213 - both advise use of some sort of non-petroleum lube and a clean 'twice a season' (though that sounds a bit excessive to me).

The problem is people getting lubricant or dirt on their fill valve on the tank (then blow the lube inside when they go to fill it), which is why you should 100% invest in some 50p nipple covers (ooo-err) and not be a dingus with lubing the tank reg itself, but you should lubricate your regulator - it still has seals that need to be kept moist and still has moving parts that need to be kept low-friction. It also picks up dirt from your tank too and will need to be cleaned very occasionally.

Goes without saying, but never use petroleum-based cleaners or lubricants anywhere near your tank (or reg, for safe measure). Like Sacarathe says: It might well explode.

I do slightly question a shop that thinks 'a bit of spit' is going to be the optimum lubricant for anything outside of the bedroom, but hey. Wouldn't be the first time we'd heard something maybe not the whole truth from a retailer!

 

[callumbagshaw]

Thanks guys, learnt a lot from you Prof. appreciate the advice.

I've only had my setup about 3 months now- it's probably seen 4 or 5 full game days and my tank has been refilled about 4 times. I keep it in a backpack on my back, not one of these fancy pouches - so it doesn't see too much dirt or anything so I guess I'll give it a clean down (or take it to ASPUK who are just down my road) in a few more months.

Got my eye on a KJW KC-02 now I have the tank, lines and reg - I hear they're the tits.