ATS AT-85 Paintball Marker
by Dave Goodin on May 15, 2007
Having recently joined a scenario paintball team, I was looking for ways to add more realism to my style of play. I had my trusty Tippmann A-5 with a few upgrades, my Zeus G2+ pistol and holster, a tactical vest, and a whole lot of desire to make a difference on the field with my newfound teammates.
During our first team practice, we split up into our respective squads and began running through our maneuvers. After a short time, my squad made contact with the opposing force. I heard the distinctive sounds of the ol’ reliable A-5’s firing, the soft burps of the few ‘Cockers and Spyders of other teammates, and then I heard something else
“Crack, crackcrackcrack.”
I looked at my squad mate questioningly. He just smiled and said, “It’s an ATS.”
Now, I wouldn’t buy a paintball gun just because of the way it sounds; there has to be performance involved in the equation, but the AT’s have a very cool, distinctive sound when they fire. After practice, I inquired about who owned the ATS. My teammate walked over and handed me his AT-4, and let me walk back to the range to squeeze a few rounds off. I was sold right there.
I ended up buying the AT-85 because I liked the option of having the forward loaders, and not having to carry so much paint. Both the magazine (20 round capacity) and the forward loader (AT-85 only, 50 round capacity) are interchangeable, which enables me to add more realism by switching the mag or loader out during firefights. Being magazine fed, the ATS paintball guns are like pump paintball guns, in that they make you think about taking shots and making them count, instead of just ‘spraying and praying’.
Another bonus is the way the paintball gun looks. I wouldn’t suggest sitting out on your patio and cleaning it while the neighbors are having a barbeque next door – you might get a visit from the authorities. But you’ll never get tired of the looks and questions you’ll get at the field. This paintball gun just screams intimidation!
The performance of the AT-85, as well as the other AT models, is second to none. They’ll fire up to 720 rounds per minute, and groupings of 4 to 6 inches are not uncommon at distances of 75 feet plus. Another very cool part of the AT series of paintball guns is the Unisizer. The Unisizer acts like a ball detent of sorts, and it screws on to the end of the barrel on the breech end. It allows you to use just about any size paintball that is small to medium-large bore. This means that you don’t have to worry about being real brand specific when it comes to paint, and most good field paint works well with it.
Get Real Paintball offers several upgrades for their products, including stocks, Weaver rails, bipods, hand guards, trigger modifications, sights, carry handles, and much more.
However, all this performance comes at a bit of a price. The learning curve for this paintball gun is rather steep, and I wouldn’t recommend younger users disassembling the product without parental or professional supervision. Several steps must be followed when gassing the gun up or you can damage certain internal parts like the guide plate, the cog in the mag, and the indexing in the mag. There are a lot of small parts in this gun as well, and new owners should watch the videotape provided in the starter kit by Get Real Paintball. If you’re comfortable stripping your other guns, you’ll have an easier time with the ATS products, but you should still be very careful the first few times you clean it.
Owners also need to take good care of the mags. If you allow the chain to bind, or the ‘paddles’ on the chain to become misaligned, the gun will stall, and performance will take a nosedive.
This paintball gun will take as good of care of you as you do of it. Follow the maintenance schedule, and everything should be ok.