The Best Rec-Ball Paintball Gun?

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First I will save some of you some time. I'm talking about the best "rec" ball gun. And let me repeat - this discussion revolves around my humble opinion; an opinion I have come by after 16 years in the paintball business.

Drum roll, please... Of course it is the Tippmann Custom Model 98. I remember seeing this gun for the first time when it was introduced at the International Amateur Open tournament at Three Rivers Paintball (I'll be darned if I can remember the year but I'll try to figure it out and edit this). Edit: 1989

It looked plain odd!

But it was being manufactured and distributed by Tippmann, a marker maker that already had a great reputation. It burst upon the scene and was an instant hit, though not without a few problems.

On some of the first models the barrel pointed left and right and everywhere but straight. It was discovered that when making the two body halves in big batches it was hard to find a left and right that matched (because of metal cooling times). As a result the barrel threads in the body would vary and the barrel would screw on at odd angles.

The problem was solved by tightening quality control and producing the two halves together as a pair. There was also some trouble with the finish pealing off.

Never the less sales were good and the Tippmann Model 98 became a favorite. Over time, with improvements, it was soon recognized as the best bang for your buck.

The "Custom" 98 was the first major improvement over the original design. It was designed to take the double trigger, RT trigger and electronic modification with just a few twists of a hex wrench.

Later the Flatline barrel was introduced and set barrel manufacturers on their ear. Here was a relatively simple design that added a hundred feet or more of range to the 98

Today the Custom 98 is being replaced by the Custom 98 "Platinum Series" model. It has all the improvements of the Custom plus it is much easier to take apart for internal maintenance and modification.

Something else to keep in mind - some models come with ACT (anti-chop-technology) and some don't. I don't care for it much but if it is important to you then ask before you buy.

Why is it the best?

It's solid, nearly indestructible, reliable, can be modified and is easily maintained. It's a paintball gun I can sell in my pro shop with confidence as long as I can convince players not to take it apart. Just keep the barrel clean, wipe it down and drop some oil in the ASA before you screw the CO2 on and it will last forever.

And if by some off chance you do have a problem Tippmann service is great.

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