Review: Rap4 Tippmann X7 Flexi Air system

First off I would like to state, this Stock was sent to me by rap4 for review purposes. I do not work for rap4, and I am not sponsored by rap4. I am 100% Independent and I will review this product with NO bias.

Secondly I would like to state I owned the previous generation of Flexi air stock (this one being the newest version as of 2009), and was not at all impressed by the first ones performance. That being said through the course of this review I will point out to improvements/fails this time around and do allot of comparing between the two generations of stocks.

My main objective is to give the reader the best understanding of this product when considering purchasing this upgrade for their marker.


Video Section




Pictures







LOOKS & COSMETICS


Does the Flexi air stock look pretty?
The previous generation, albeit all of its flaws, had a smaller more cosmetic adapter, that could be flipped upside down to lower the stock on the marker. This generation does not have that ability, and the rear adapter is overly bulky, but it now has a port to accept airtank-in-stock mounting brackets for people using one of the wide variety of compact cylinders out there. And though the bulk is not pretty, it also puts the fill nipple on the remote line adapter a few inches further back raking it out of your wrist (this bugged me allot on the previous flexi air stock) should you chose to run a remote line on it.


To counter its bulk it features NO external hoses, which in my opinion is a fair trade off cosmetically.

The stock comes standard with the M4 style carbine stock. This stock is so common it sickens me, so I attempted to put my knockoff HK 416 stock on it. Unfortunately the flexi air adaptor tube is not standard stock tube size, and cracked my cheap (but pretty) airsoft stock. After a bit of sanding and wedging I was able to attach the stock to my marker, but a standard size adapter would have been great.


FEATURES / SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES

As I said, the new flexi air stock has ditched the external macro line, and has replaced it with an inner copper tubing. This ability to accept internal air lines is one of the key differences between the A5 and X7, and rap4 takes full advantage of this feature.

The copper line plugs into orings at each end of the adapter to reduce the chance of a leak, and extra orings are included with the stock should they ever dry out or crack. Out of the box mine had a small leak, after applying a small amount of marker oil the leak stopped.

The only thing i would have added to the housing itself would be a gauge port. The horizontal Style ASA does give you the option of using the Rap4 AG1 regulator, which is equipped with a gauge and still lets you use a tank. Though, I find it does not handle high rates of fire (15 bps) well.



SHOOTING AND AIR

The flexi air stock has a double function as both an expansion chamber and volumizer. If you use co2, liquid co2 will have a greater chance of warming and becoming a gas giving you better efficiency and consistency. When using air at high rates of fire, say with an Egrip, the same chamber makes it almost impossible to starve the marker of air.

The stock itself made shooting my large rifle style X7 much more comfortable to shoot, and allot lighter without a tank. This resulted in comfortable, accurate shooting as seen in the video section.
Remote lines are not for everyone, but if you are a believer in remote lines this is defiantly a stylish alternative to a macro line and asa setup.

DURABILITY AND MAINTENANCE

Unlike the first run of flexi air stocks, this one does not rely on 4 set screws to keep it stable. It goes on the gun with no modification and is solid and does not wiggle in the x7’s frame.

Everything is solid, and the quality has risen quite a bit since the recall of the first runs. people should not let this recall denture them from this product.


Conclusion:

In closing this is a very sturdy, versatile stock system. If I would chose to use an air through stock this would likely be my choice. Having the ability to keep an air tank in your stock is great for military simulation/training. Biggest turn off is that it cannot easily accept other stock options because the tube is not standard sized.


Durability: 4/5 The air tubeing is copper, so it is much more durable than macroline, and everything is metal except the stock housing.
Reliability: 5/5 No leaks, Stock housing intended for use with it moves back and farward easily, and does not collapse against your weight.
Ease of maintenance: 3/10 (If it wasn’t for the two main springs this would be much higher)
Upgradeability: 4/5 Not standard tube size, however the ability to use tank-in-stock, remote line, and horizontal tanks counters this.
Value: 3/5 at $98 American it is reasonable value (compared to some other air though stocks) with the features it has.
Lasting Appeal: 2/5 not standard tube size so it can’t fit a variety of air soft/real stocks


Over all = 4/5

PBR rating 7/10

If you have any questions / Comments / Concerns about my review, or if you are a dealer / manufacturer of a paintball related good and like to see it get a fair, unbiased independent review like the one you have seen here, please email me at:
Stan_the_hit_man@hotmail.com


Thanks for reading

- Stan


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