HPA, from the the POV of a convert.

[Madrigal]

Lets talk about HPA!



When I first started airsoft, I considered HPA to be the bane of the sport, and too similar to paintball. P* speedsofters were the cancer on the fields, and bringing heat down on the HPA system
.
Now, after 4 years of playing and almost a year of running a Tippmann Arms Airsoft M4, I can say my views have certainly changed. I consider the Tippmann M4 to be the absolute best gun on the market in terms of realism, reliability and innovation. HPA has proven to be infinitely easier to maintain and use, and gives an unparalleled ability to change settings as needed. I will never go back to AEG.

That being said, there is still an issue with other HPA systems capable of ludicrous ROF. Not so much here in Canada, but it is painfully evident in the states. Plenty of HPA users give the system a bad name with overshooting and FPS tweaking, and I agree with most of the new rules that are being put in place precisely for HPA guns. All guns in airsoft, but especially HPA, should have a realistic ROF cap and be required to have a tournament lock. Due to the air volume the system puts out, fields should start chrono'ing HPA guns in joules instead of FPS. P*s and other units with swapable nozzles should also have to register which colour they are using at the chrono station.

HPA is in all fairness likely the future of airsoft. I use the Tippmann for the kick, sound and unstoppable reliability. I also plan to build a P* or SMP DMR. My only regret in terms of HPA, is not switching over years ago. But as much as I love the system, it needs more rules specifically put in place to limit the possible danger.

But that's just my opinion. I'd love to read the input of others.

[Wilkie]

I'm not touching this with a ten foot hose

[Ricochet]

Originally Posted by Wilkie

I'm not touching this with a ten foot hose

I'm not touching any hose, I'm an airsofter. lol, couldn't help myself, but I'm certain this thread will tank.

[EastCoastShooter]

Originally Posted by Ricochet

I'm not touching any hose, I'm an airsofter. lol, couldn't help myself, but I'm certain this thread will tank.

I'm sure it won't tank if we could just regulate-our selves

I'll see myself out....

[Ricochet]

Originally Posted by EastCoastShooter

I'm sure it won't tank if we could just regulate-our selves

I'll see myself out....

That joke was a jewel ...creep!

[EastCoastShooter]

Originally Posted by Ricochet

That joke was a jewel ...creep!

That was just the tipp mann

[daishi]

The only gun I can ever see being HPA'd is a machine gun, and only with a daytona kit not a polar star.

Which is exactly what I did.

What I find on the field is "Oh fuck that kid has a Polar star, ughhh" when little Timmy comes on the field with a hose sticking out of his m4.

On the other hand with my m249, as soon as it starts firing, I quote verbatim "I wanna give you gun a handjob" from a dead enemy player waiting for a medic. I've never had anyone bitch or moan about my Daytona gun m249, but that is probably because it only fires at about 12 RPS, not some ridiculous 30+ and it sounds like a mean son of a bitch.

It will be the only gun I ever HPA, everything else I run propane, or bolt action.

[BioRage]

I started off with the Daytona Gun M4 (G&P WOC), and went over the Polar Star (VFC SR635), and ended with the Tippmann during their initial release.

In the end I reverted back to GBBR

Simply cannot bother with re-filling, and carrying around the hose and tank X_X; the idea and concept is cool and fun, but there's a reason why I quit paintball in 2005.

If I ever went HPA again I would only consider:

1) P* with HPA stock
2) Daytona Gun LMG (M60)

Don't get me wrong, they are cool, but for indoors I find the hose to snag on the ply wood, and annoying to alter left and right hand when shouldering... rather just be free and deal with propane.

[Ricochet]

As a long time player (well over a decade) I typically put performance over everything and yes that includes looking cool, or realism. I fully appreciate the polarstar or similar, abilities to enhance trigger response and give consistent fire, in that regard they are one of the top systems, but the hose and tank, as well as the joule creep issues really ruin it for me. That's like designing a really nice sports car, that can go with the best of them, but it runs on children's blood. Personally I don't care about its FPS and ROF capabilities, it isn't the only platform that can have these switched easily, albeit it may be the easiest overall. Field rules should take care of this and it's all of our responsibility to catch cheaters and play with sportsmanship, also the fields for rule enforcement, which is a different issue. One of the reasons polarstar a seem to perform so well is joule-creep, which is the main reason they are being banned all over, because it's easier to do that than spend the time learning and enforcing new rules. It's the owners responsibility to have your gun within joule limits all day, no matter how hot it is or what weight you're using. My gun, like most, chronos under in the morning, only changes 1-3 FPS all day because of heat, and at any time can run any BB weight and be under. As long as your polarstar, or whatever, can be chrono'd with any weight and come in within the limits, then go nuts, but to get that snap and performance, you don't need a polarstar.

If a polarstar on the field is running ridiculously well compared to every gun on the field, get it chrono'd on different weights to make sure it isn't running a creep over the joule limit at all. Some polarstars actually go up in FPS as weight goes up. The guy running it should be able to borrow mags or ammo from his teammate on the fly without the risk of going over the limits before that gun can be fielded. Same goes for all platforms.

At the end of the day, some guns/setups will perform better than others, but all guns must be held to the same safety and sportsmanship standards. That's the only way to do it.

Although I'm sure we'll see a bump in polarstar style guns being used, a hose and tank setup will never be the future of airsoft, because for most, that's anti-thewholepoint.

[lurkingknight]

batteries are getting smaller, more dense with higher mah storage. Aegs will be around in the future.

My point of view is that a good portion of P*s and hpa are owned by people who can't figure out how to build a reliable aeg or those who can't find a reliable, competent tech to build them that aeg.

vehicle mounted hpa makes a lot of sense, but people who complain that aegs have little to no player feedback experience have obviously not tried smps or p*s. The zerp zerp of aegs is just a very lackluster bloop bloop, outside of a daytona or tippman setup that is.

[BloodSport]

Airsoft start off as HPA/CO2 systems, then TM invented the AEG to fix the player bases concerns about the noise levels (as back in the 80's/early 90's) air based guns were noisy as all fuck, plus tanks were small and stealth was what people were looking for.

So basically the entire sport "converted" to AEG platforms. HPA is not new technology or a bane of anything, but as with everything since they first started out advancements have been made to make them quiet and more efficient. Along with this more efficiency a side effect is that those players who will, have abused some of the functions and either gone into total asshat mode with high fps and rates of fire, that take away from the base fun of this sport.

Those who still honour the base rules, and do not attempt to exceed the "limits" set in place, and go for the efficiency and accuracy show that the new HPA systems are quite nice and fun to play with. But it is always the asshats who ruin it for everyone, and they breed like jackrabbits.

[Ricochet]

Yeah, that and fields either allow them or don't and players are willing to run them or not.

Still, what I can do with a few small lipos (long endurance event), I'd like to see done with a tank or cans of gas. Especially where one firefight can expel thousands of rounds.

[hollywood...]

Originally Posted by EastCoastShooter

That was just the tipp mann

LOL - Brilliant

[Dynamo]

internal combustion. figure that out, and you just won over the world of airsoft.

[Ricochet]

Originally Posted by Dynamo

internal combustion. figure that out, and you just won over the world of airsoft.

Tank, problem solved.