The Tippmann X7
Text and Photography by Joshua D. Silverman
Printed Paintball Games International Magazine Issue 218

It's a fascinating situation when you really look at it historically. Seriously, look at it from my perspective (for anyone over six feet that will require squatting down -Ed). While most of the manufacturers of top level tournament paintball guns continue to change and reinvent their particular wheels, be them spool valves or stacked tubes, in order to obtain the very best performance they can engineer, the operating systems of the two most popular paintball guns in the world have remained relatively unchanged for nearly a decade. One of these, the in-line, single-tube system powering Tippmanns since the early days of the semiautomatic that company created, is at the heart of Tippmann Sports' newest creation, the X7.

I've been a sucker for anything Tippmann since my first 68 Special back in the early nineties, so when the company bigwigs fed me some catered potato salad and some soda in a plastic cup at a press conference announcing their newest model, I paid particular attention. I'm pleased to report the potato salad was first rate, the soda was nice and fizzy with plenty of ice, and the newest Tippmann paintgun on the market is pretty sharp too.

Looking at the Tippmann X7 for the first time says it loud and says it proud; Tippmann is focusing one hundred percent of its attention on the woodsball and scenario marketplace now, rather than simply making an indestructible paintball gun and letting its abilities appeal to players interested in speedball, woodsball or whatever they may wish to play. Rather, the company corporate has clearly looked within itself, done some market research and come away with the understanding that when it comes to playing paintball in the trees, the word “Tippmann” is a household name. Available only in basic, subdued black and voted “most likely to get you shot at if a policeman sees this in your back seat” by its high school year book, the Tippmann X7 targets the hard-core, tactical scenario player like a laser guided smart bomb.

To reduce weight and increase strength, the X7's receiver is constructed from a magnesium allow rather than aluminum. For its newest model, Tippmann again clearly drew inspiration from modern firearms, as an assault rifle magazine protrudes from the bottom of the receiver. The clip is removable and breaks open to allow players to carry oil and Allen wrenches with them wherever they go, for disassembly or for cranking up their velocity once deep into the woods, whichever their conscience allows. The steel braided air line also enters the receiver by way of the magazine well. A bottom line air adapter is standard.

Internally, the X7 is in many ways an upgraded and heavily accessorized A5. The Cyclone Feed System is back with improvements to improve rates of fire and a lower profile hopper that sits lower and to the right, allowing players to sight down the top of the body without interruption or the need for an adapter. The entire gun disassembles with the removal of push pins similar to those found on the A5, and the X7 and A5 accept the same barrels. In addition, the enclosed, spring-loaded cocking system of the A5 is present on the X7.

A sight rail extends down the top of the X7, with more present on the horizontal fore grip, allowing for the mounting of numerous scopes, sights, lasers or anything else with a dovetail. The X7's safety is clearly inspired by those of firearm manufacturer H&K, as the ubiquitous push-button has been replaced with a large selector switch above the single trigger. An adjustable rear sight is included, along with a simple, hooded blade front sight. The short, basic Tippmann stock barrel, with its half-decent internal finish and single circle of ports halfway down the bore makes yet another appearance.

Though its suggested retail is over three hundred dollars in its stock form, the X7 is clearly not intended to remain stock for very long. Teaming up with Special Ops, a premier woodsball product company, Tippmann has released a plethora of factory upgrades and accessories able to transform the gun into a true scenario weapon like nothing paintball has ever seen. Designed to be upgraded to fit the precise mission parameters or personal tastes of any serious scenario player, parts and pieces are available to transform a stock X7 into an M-16/M4, AK-47, G-36 or MP5 look-a-like. Barrel shrouds, front and rear sights, different magazines and even various models of shoulder stock are all interchangeable, allowing each X7 owner to create their own, personalized and customized machine gun. Performance upgrades, such as double triggers, Flatline barrels and both electronic and response trigger kits, are also available.

While literally hundreds of dollars' worth of upgrades are available for the X7, it was in its stock form that I took the gun out to the field. The moment I took it out of the trunk, the X7 became the talk of the staging area, with numerous players looking and the braver ones coming up to look at it like Stevie Wonder would look at it. Though big and a bit bulky with a bottle screwed in and the hopper filled, everyone, including myself, was impressed that the X7 was as light as it ended up. Over a Paintball Radarchron chronograph the gun delivered solid shot-to-shot numbers never deviating more than five or six feet per second. Though velocity adjustment wasn't necessary, keeping the X7 below 300 is achieved in a similar fashion to other Tippmanns, via a screw through the side of the receiver into the valve.

Once the “go, go, go” was given, the X7 proved a handy machine, though larger and less maneuverable than its A5 and 98 Custom brothers. The single trigger is light and even with one finger I was able to crank paint at bad guys at decent rates of fire, and thanks to the Cyclone system no paintballs were chopped at any time during firing, fast or slow. The Cyclone feeder will also save players money in the long run, as there is no need to purchase a motorized hopper down the road. As the X7 does run at a relatively high pressure and it was chilly, I did blow several paintballs up in the barrel, frustrating my efforts to hit anything with the already unremarkable stock barrel. The first and most important upgrade any player will make to their X7 is a longer, quieter and significantly more accurate aftermarket barrel, as the stock model is acceptable only at extremely short ranges. Overall, the X7 performed well out of the box, though a better barrel would have made my day a brighter one.

As it says “Tippmann” on its side, the X7 is certain to perform well in any weather conditions, on any field, for as long as a player calls upon it. Though it is clearly intended for massive upgrades and targeted to a very specific audience, the stock X7 is a solid, well-built gun constructed on a proven platform. Simple to clean, easy to maintain and supported by one of the most legendary names in paintball's history, the X7 is another excellent model in a long line of great paintball guns.