an advertisement . please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view . may 2011 learn how and when to remove this template message tippmann sports llc type llc industry paintball pneumatic sewing machines industrial founded fort wayne indiana early 1980s headquarters fort wayne indiana united states key people dennis tippmann jr. products alpha black bravo one model 98 98 custom custom pro a 5 c 3 x 7 and x7 phenom triumph series flatline barrel system response trigger system tippmann tpx revenue n a usd 2005 operating income n a usd 2005 net income n a usd 2005 number of employees 120 2005 website www.tippmann.com tippmann is a manufacturer of paintball markers and paintball equipment including military simulation milsim kits . a related company tippmann industrial products manufactures manual and pneumatic heavy duty sewing machines primarily used for leather other leather related equipment and some industrial products . originally a family owned business run from fort wayne indiana in 2004 dennis tippmann sr. sold a majority ownership stake to summit partners a private equity firm . tippmann designed the first automatic marker the use of refillable air systems in place of 12 gram cartridges the cyclone feed system the flatline barrel and the tippmann c 3 the first propane powered marker . contents 1 history 2 current paintball markers 2.1 cronus 2.2 crossover 2.3 ft 12 2.4 98 custom platinum 2.5 gryphon 2.6 a 5 2.7 x7 phenom 2.8 tpx tipx 2.8.1 u.s. army line 2.9 alpha black elite 2.10 project salvo 2.11 carver one 3 additional equipment and technologies 3.1 a.c.t. 3.2 cyclone feed system 3.3 response trigger system 3.4 e grip 3.5 flatline barrel system 3.6 paint grenades 4 previous and discontinued products 4.1 alpha black 4.2 custom pro 4.3 x 7 4.4 c 3 4.5 smg 4.6 sl 68 4.7 68 special 4.8 sl 68 ii 4.9 pro am 4.10 pro lite mini lite 4.11 factory f a 4.12 pro carbine and .68 carbine 4.13 model 98 4.14 triumph 5 references 6 external links history edit the tippmann family headed by dennis tippmann senior originally manufactured collectible half scale replica machine guns . however a change in gun laws led to entry into the paintball market in 1986 ; forming the tippmann pneumatics incorporated company . 1 the company attempted to make high performance durable and affordable products with the company claiming to have built the first semi automatic and full automatic paintball markers in the world . 2 in june 2004 tippmann announced that the company had completed a financial recapitalization with private equity and venture capital firm summit partners . howard kosick joined tippmann as its president and ceo with both dennis tippman senior and dennis tippmann junior remaining on the company s board of directors as consultants ; the latter continuing with the management team in product development . 2 shortly afterward in 2005 the company announced a record year for increased sales of paint marker units . 3 the company has been credited with the development of several technologies including the introduction of c3 with pep technology propane markers in 2005 4 and improved anti chop technology in 2006 to combat paintball breakages inside the marker . 5 in 2010 tippmann sports acquired nxe a manufacturer of soft goods for the paintball industry . the acquisition combined the industry s leading paintball marker brand with the leading soft goods brand . a full line of paintball harnesses protective gear tank covers apparel bags pods and other miscellaneous accessories were immediately integrated into tippmann s existing product offering . 6 on december 20 2013 the acquisition of tippman was announced by g.i. sportz chairman and ceo richmond italia 7 7 current paintball markers edit cronus edit the cronus was released by tippmann in december 2013 . it comes in a basic version which includes just the marker and simple barrel . it also comes in a tactical version with a more m16 like appearance . the tactical version features a 6 position adjustable stock barrel shroud forward grip and a removable carry handle similar to that seen on the alpha black elite . it comes in a desert tan or olive green finish . crossover edit debuting in 2012 the crossover is aimed at both speedball and recreational play . the crossover utilizes the latest version of the flexvalve allowing it to fire in both electronic and mechanical modes . other advancements and features include integrated break beam anti chop eyes low pressure operation under 300 psi allowing users to use lpa tanks and a magnetic hall effect trigger . the upper body is a solid machined piece of aluminum and has a centered adjusting feedneck to allow use of any hopper . being a hybrid marker the crossover board comes with pre installed tournament modes for semi pro and professional speedball play . the board features multiple adjustable firing modes including standard semi auto auto response 3 shot burst psp nppl and millennium modes . it also has a bottom regulator with the ability to convert to a front regulator so players can easily run their own regulator . as an added bonus of having a bottom regulator the crossover has the ability to utilize an internal gasline to keep the marker cleaner looking on the outside . ft 12 edit the ft 12 is one of tippmann s newest paintball markers . debuting in 2012 the ft 12 is aimed at rental and beginner use . the ft 12 uses a new body design never seen before in a tippmann using die cast receivers . splitting along the sides to open at the top the ft 12 gives users a top down view at the internals . the new body design can allow field owners to easily and quickly maintain their markers with a savings of 75 % in work time . the entire marker can be disassembled and reassembled in seconds with everything coming right out the top . the ft 12 also utilizes an internal gasline which prevents damage and leaks . the ft 12 also uses a closed bolt cocking system similar to the a5 keeping dirt and debris from entering the marker through the cocking arm opening . the ft 12 comes stock with a vertical foregrip that can be removed . the ft 12 shares a thread similar to the 98 custom quick thread design allowing the use of 98 custom barrels . no other upgrades are available or compatible . the ft 12 comes in 2 versions a bright yellow framed rental version with rental labels riveted to the sides and a black public version . both generally sell for the same amount . 98 custom platinum edit main article tippmann 98 custom the tippmann 98 custom has undergone many body and internal changes but has remained almost the same over the years since being released in 1998 . tippmanns most recent 98 model the 98 custom platinum has many of tippmann s most recent technology changes while keeping the 98 custom a very reliable basic and upgradeable marker . the 98 custom utilizes the clamshell body design with a split receiver for even easier access to the internals . the powertube and valve were also redesigned with a self sealing locking gasline to allow easier removal . the marker is flat topped and unlike earlier 98 customs comes pre grooved to allow the use of all picatinny accessories like sights scopes and handles right out of the box . the marker features a new finish and a textured vertical foregrip with internal locking pins to provide extra stability . other advancements include an integrated front sight spring and a solid rear sight to make service easier . they also started making the stock endcap with a sling mount . act anti chop technology is featured in current versions of the 98 custom . tippmann also produces upgrades for the 98 custom including the response trigger egrip and cyclone feed system . the 98 custom utilizes a quick thread design that allows for quick and painless installation removal and can take all 98 custom threaded barrels and flatline systems . gryphon edit the gryphon is essentially the same in line blowback internals as the 98 custom in a low cost speedball esque style body . it has an internal gas line fixed center feed neck a top cocking knob and a 2 finger blade trigger . sharing the same threads as the a5 and x7 phenom any a5 x7 barrel can be used . it was designed to give entry level players on a budget an easy to maintain effective and reliable marker for the lowest price possible . its price is comparable to many of the no name guns found in department stores however the common parts and proven design make it far more reliable and repairable allowing for years of use . the primary drawback of the marker is its limited upgrade options although some internal upgrades may be interchangeable with the 98c us army lineups . a 5 edit main article tippmann a 5 in appearance the a 5 was modeled after the h & k mp5k but can be modified to look like a number of different real world firearms . it is one of the most customizable markers on the market with many different cosmetic and performance parts . the tippmann a5 could easily accept standard asa expansion chambers and regulators allowing easier performance upgrades unlike the later x 7 . departing from previous tippmann bodies the a 5s hammer is completely enclosed within the clam shell using a separate overhead cocking mechanism . the body also incorporates a removable barrel thread adapter allowing the marker to change its barrel threads to any major type spyder and autococker being the most common . the a 5 is a semi automatic paintball marker . it utilizes an atypical pneumatic loader called the cyclone feed similar to the tippmann f as force feed . this enables the marker to have a higher rate of fire than a gravity feed without the addition of a battery operated loader at the cost of air efficiency . it uses a larger surface area and a series of rotating arms in a star shaped pattern . five balls are held between the paddles as they rotate paintballs into the firing chamber moving 1 5 of a revolution per trigger pull . theoretically this system eliminates chops by positively feeding a paintball into the chamber before each shot . the stock cyclone is rated for a maximum of 15 balls per second . while higher rates of fire are possible the stock mechanics are not designed to deal with the stresses this will place on them . this limitation was addressed during the creation of the x 7 . in addition to the stock semi automatic function the a 5 can be easily upgraded with either the response trigger or an electronic trigger by swapping out the lower grip frame a feature introduced on the a 5 . x7 phenom edit the x7 phenom is almost identical to the x7 with a few superficial differences and an important internal difference . the x7 phenom is 3 inches shorter than its x7 counterpart but still utilizes the same clamshell design . it also comes stock with a top picatinny rail allowing the use of sights scopes and handles and a hand guard with top and bottom picatinny rails . the x7 phenom can use almost all x7 accessories and still uses the cyclone feed system . x7 grips however can not work on the x7 phenom . the x7 supports full auto firing with compatible e grips . 8 internally the x7 phenom is pioneered with tippmann s new flex valve technology allowing the marker to fire with under 300 psi making it