Paintball

[Listessa]

Out of curiousity, what draws you AKA guys so much to their guns?

This isn't ment as any sort of bashing thread on Vikings and Excals, I'm honestly curious about them. For some reason (maybe seeing a certian person's Viking family photos so oftin) they're really piquing my interest.

So what do you like best about your gun? Why?

What should someone who is an entire beginner to these start learning?

What do you think a good price range is to start keeping my eyes open for one?

Thanks guys!

[doc Zox]

350 is the good deal price for a Viking or Excal

AKA is a precision metal shop that uses very tight tolerances and time to make their stuff precise

[himurax13]

Originally Posted by Listessa

Out of curiousity, what draws you AKA guys so much to their guns?

This isn't ment as any sort of bashing thread on Vikings and Excals, I'm honestly curious about them. For some reason (maybe seeing a certian person's Viking family photos so oftin) they're really piquing my interest.

So what do you like best about your gun? Why?

What should someone who is an entire beginner to these start learning?

What do you think a good price range is to start keeping my eyes open for one?

Thanks guys!

1. No one really has them. They seem to be more rare than Palmer markers for some reason. I love the WTF did he just shoot me with factor.

2. I like the stock ones because I can literally club someone to death with them. Upgrades are usually are done for aesthetic or ergonomic reasons because there really is no need for them. They are also cocker threaded and have the strongest feedneck threads in the business. All of my have Vikings never gone down, they are super efficient, excellent shot to shot consistency, and are easier to shoot faster than most markers that have been made in the last 8 years. The markers that have been made over the last few years are either lagging or they have just caught up in terms of true non-cheating performance, but they usually still lack reliability and durability. My Excals, although quirky and temperamental at times, are as smooth as my Blazer but shoot much faster. Their efficiency is almost on par with the Vikings.

3. Once your marker has been set up properly, you should never strip your marker down. You should wipe off the outside, feed it oil every case or so, and give it a steady regiment of good batteries and paint. Those of you who don't heed this advice deserved to get laughed at for messing up your gun and then posting a thread on how to fix it.

4.
Stock 03 Vikings $250 to $350
Stock 04 Vikings $350 to $450
Stock 03 Excals $400 to $500
Stock 04 Excals $700 to $900

If it is a nicely done custom, add anywhere from $300 to $600.

5. As far as Viking Family photos is concerned, ol Wiz is a ham aint he?


Look at this picture, what is this guy thinking?


Look at this nutjob, he has a walking cast and a loundener for goodness sakes.

[MrJR]

The loudener, I presume, to make it audible?

[Listessa]

Thanks guys!
So, out of the two, which do you prefer Vikings or Excals?

I like the durability you described that the Vikings have, Himurax. I do admit it's all of your super spiffy red and black gun pictures you posted that keep catching my attention too.

What are some of the most noticable performance differences between an 03 and an 04 Viking? (Milling/asthetics seem to get changed so frequently on these guys as I see many custom ones appear that I'm not even really bothering with that.)

[scorpion_rider]

here is is a highly modded 04 viking. this particular gun is 1 of only 2 like it. sooo prettttty!. shoots so fast you can walk on the stream of paint, and highly accurate. i prefer vikings over excals (no particular reason, just do), but i love them both.

If it was made by AKA you cant go wrong.

[AngelChaser]

I prefer Excals, but Vike's are just as nice really. I just have an unhealthy fixation with closed bolt markers. I'll shoot you a PM with a pic of mine Lis, I thinks you would like it.

And in no way was that meant to sound as perverse as it probably does... I hate the lack of tone and inflection on the internet.

[himurax13]

Originally Posted by Listessa

What are some of the most noticable performance differences between an 03 and an 04 Viking? (Milling/asthetics seem to get changed so frequently on these guys as I see many custom ones appear that I'm not even really bothering with that.)

03 Vikings are cheaper, 3/4 of an inch longer, a little heavier, uses mismatching eye covers, uses wire detents, and usually come with internal LPR's when compared to the 04's. Many of the earlier versions did not have eye hole milling, eye covers, or eyes. Some of the earlier models also came with Mac Noids instead of Humphrey Noids. The Mac noids were deemed smoother but the Humphrey noids have a higher rate of fire and are more air efficient. The 03 models were associated with total reliability and almost never, ever, chopped paint. The micro switch was usually mounted like this []/

04 Vikings are a little more expensive, are 3/4 of an inch shorter, a little lighter, uses matching eye covers, uses dual delrin detents, and comes with externals LPR's(the SCM Mod). They also came standard with the eye hole milling. Some did not come with eye covers or eyes. The bolts were also a hair shorter and some say that this may cause chopping with small bore paint. The easy fix for this was adding a # 11 o-ring to the ram. All 04 Vikings also came exclusively with the Humphrey noid. The The micro switch was always mounted like this. []\

[sdlm]

Well, the Viking and Excal are great guns, and they have a large following in my area, they are actually a fair bit more popular than Palmers markers locally.

Here is my critique, with the good and the bad:

The Viking has many things going for it, among them good efficiency, fast rate of fire, high weight to kick ratio (low felt kick, at least with stock milling). Great tolerances, and a great company behind it don't hurt either.

The Viking has a few flaws in my view, it isn't the easiest marker to take apart you will need to invest in a tool kit to completely disassemble and reassemble it, at least easily. Also there is a variety of factory equipment making it difficult to just assume what parts are in it stock (i.e. WAS, Nelson, and Pandora boards were all stock at some point). Sometimes the ram sticks, I have never had this problem but others locally have.

The Excal shares all of these things except that it is certainly slower, though I have seen them hit 15bps and when do you ever need more? It also seems smoother while the Viking seems kinda snappy when it shoots.

Now, I love my Viking, but I still play with my Mag, Angel, and Shocker plenty.

[PsychoBaller]

I honestly wasn't a fan of either, until I saw the 04' DC milled Viking (in sig), that I just picked up start o this year. Could be just the Orange Ano (fav color), but the standard DC milling just hit me funny, in the "need to own it" braincell... . With all the hidden milling including the weight savers, she's down at around 2.2 lbs (marker alone), fast enough to keep up with todays high-ends, EFFICIENT EFFICIENT EFFICIENT (1600-2000 off a 68/45 Tank), hold most of their value over time, and their just plain sweet

After using her for the first time, I fell in love, so much so, that I've been looking for another stock 04'. Gonna send that off to Jared at Destructive Customs (DC), whenever I pick one up again, and have the same Milling done, but different color Ano.

-baller