The Tippmann SO X7 is a collaboration between marker giant Tippmann Sports and Special Ops Paintball, an accessory manufacturer that has come on the scene in the past couple of years.  Special Ops has grown into a major force in the industry, giving voice to the millions of woods ball players that form the very core of the sport of paintball.

In the X7, Special Ops and Tippmann worked together to give players the ultimate woods ball marker, combining purposeful looks, Tippmann-level reliability, and the ability to accessorize the marker to the players’ tastes and budget.   Kits are available to make the X7 look like anything from an AK-47 to the H&K G36, with several options in between, like the classic M-16 and H&K MP5.  Performance options are available as well, including an RT option, which gives the marker a reactive trigger, and an e-grip, which makes the marker into a multi-mode electronic marker.

The review marker arrived in stock form, with no options on it.  Even as a stock marker, the X7 has plenty of features to keep even experienced woods ball players happy while they decide how/if to upgrade the marker.  At first glance, we were concerned that the X7 would be overly heavy, but upon picking it up out of the box, we were thrilled to note that the marker is quite manageable weight-wise.  This is due to the marker's magnesium construction.  Magnesium is widely used in the aerospace and automotive industries ('mag' wheels on your brothers' super-hot rod) and is prized for its' light weight and strength.  If the marker were made out of the standard cast aluminum alloys commonly used in the sport of paintball, it would be significantly heavier, to the point where carrying it on field all day would become a chore. 

From a design standpoint, the X7 is a refinement of the Tippmann A-5, with improvements internally and to the marker's pneumatically powered cyclone feed, which on the X7 is rated to feed at 20 balls per second.  The hopper feeding the cyclone is considerably sleeker than on the A-5, and improvements to increase reliability of the feed itself were incorporated as well.  The marker still cocks on the upper left hand side, bringing to mind military firearms produced by H&K.  The front shroud pins on to the marker and features multiple picatinny rails to allow easy mounting of whatever accessories the player wants.  The stock barrel is a short, unported affair, which gives the X7 a characteristic Tippmann bark. 

The marker was tested over the course of a weekend at NOCER Productions' "38th Parallel:  The Korean Line" in Ocklawaha, Florida.  The marker got no rest during the course of the weekend, with hardcore woods ball players Don "Highlander" Clark of team Ghost Corps, Craig Grindle of Daytona Posse, and Andy Graham and Allen Smith of Team Rabid Woodpeckers all putting the marker through its paces.  The stock barrel was used to shoot the event paint, in this case DraXxus Recsport.  All of the players noted that the marker was surprisingly accurate with the low-end paint and stock barrel, and all commented on the smoothness of the firing cycle.  The only real downside to the marker noted was the stock trigger, but even that was noted to be better than average for a blowback marker.  In every case the players said one of the first things to be upgraded on the X7 would be the trigger, either to the RT or E-Grip. 

Different characteristics of the marker appealed to different players who assisted in this review.  Grindle really enjoyed the marker's low profile, especially in one incident where he had to pretty much bury himself and fire the marker almost completely sideways.  Graham and Smith liked the marker's light weight despite its chunky appearance. 

All agreed that Tippmann and Special Ops had a winner on their hands, and starting out with an MSRP of $329, the Tippmann SO X7 is a reasonably priced, highly upgradeable marker for the dedicated woods ball player.

www.tippmann.com

www.specialopspaintball.com

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