JT Tac-5

by Joshua D. Silverman
Exclusively for ScenarioSource.com

JT is practically responsible for dragging paintball kicking and screaming out of camouflage in the first place, and now here they are diving right back in again with a new paintball gun. While paintball spent over ten years fighting the "war game" image by taking off camo and donning brightly colored clothing while playing in parking lots, many companies lost sight of the fact that over ninety percent of the paintball playing public stayed under the shade of the trees even as major industry companies tried to move into cleared land. The attempt at deforestation of paintball failed and now the big companies are heading back to the roots of the sport, back to the woods the GAME of paintball never left, and attempting to recapture a chunk of their lost market. JT's latest attempt in this direction is an in-line, budget blowback available in black or camouflage called the Tac-5.

Available by itself for under $100 at the local big-box retailer or paintball store, the affordability of the Tac-5 belies its quality. Picking up one of these budget bangers will quickly inform any player that this is no cheap plastic plinker, as the Tac-5 is a hefty metal beast. Standard with a double trigger, vertical feed that can be adjusted to right or left feed to accomodate scopes, a plastic add-on carrying handle, Picatinny sight rails, rear cocking system, bottom line bottle adapter with steel braided hose and an adjustable vertical foregrip, the Tac-5 offers a solid list of features. Spyder barrel threads mean plenty of aftermarket barrels are already available for this paintgun, which comes with a short, matching aluminum barrel that is acceptable, but very loud. A longer, ported model from various companies will offer much better accuracy over all ranges, but increase the length of this in-line design a great deal, to something more akin to "musket" than "submachine gun" as was clearly intended by the designers.

Through its design and the accessories available from JT to upgrade the Tac-5, it's clear that JT had Tippmann in mind when they designed and built their newest paintball gun, but as Tippmann is synonymous for "quality" and "durability" in the sport of paintball, this is not a bad thing. Using CO2 as a propellant, players will find the Tac-5 susceptible to winter freeze-ups and summer supercharges as the pressure of their air source fluxuates with every temperature change and angle at which the gun is held. However, for a paintball gun available at under one hundred dollars, overall shooting performance is more than acceptable, with no chops with a motorized hopper and a comfortable grip frame. A small nub built into the bottom of the trigger guard can pinch meaty fingers between it and the trigger as the Tac-5 is fired. As it is mechanical with a long, stiff trigger pull, players should not expect ridiculous rates of fire, rather something close to five or six paintballs per second. While a HALO or Pulse loader aren't exactly called for, a basic motorized hopper like a Revolution is helpful in preventing chops, jams and the requirement to frequently "shake and bake."

Relatively accurate, reliable, simple and fun to look at, the Tac-5 is an excellent bargain for back yard players or those just taking their first steps into the world of scenario / tactical paintball. There may not be electronic grip frames, RT trigger kits, Flatline barrels or Cyclone feeds available for it, but then again, just how much Tippmann can JT emulate before lawyers get involved? Overall, the Tac-5 is a fun, simple paintgun more than worthy of its asking price, and a welcome return to the woods for one of paintball's most influential and storied companies.