| PCRI Tech
Tips
Welcome to "Tips from the Workbench." This month I will be discussing the
Tippmann 68 Carbine. First let me answer some questions I've gotten lately
regarding the Carbine.
Tippmann 68 Carbine Q & A
Are 68 Carbine barrels interchangeable with Prolite barrels? Yes they are.
I've also figured out recently that F4 Illustrator barrels will work on Prolites
and Carbines.
Will 45-grips from other guns work with the 68 Carbine? Yes. There
are many manufacturers of 45-grips and all of them that I have seen will
work with the 68 Carbine.
Can I use a siphon tank with my 68 Carbine? You really shouldn't because
the self-compensating valve would not work properly if you're feeding liquid
C02 into the gun.
Can I set my Carbine up for vertical-bottle C02, and if I did how would
it help the gun's performance? It's fairly easy and inexpensive to set
your 68 Carbine up for vertical C02. Tippmann manufacturers a kit that
retails for around $40 that will allow you to do this yourself if you are
at all handy.
As far as benefits--vertical C02 helps prevent liquid from getting into the
gun. The liquid in the bottom of the tank doesn't pour into the valve as
it does with bottom-line or back-bottle C02. Also vertical C02 makes you
gun smaller (shorter) but more difficult to shoot while laying down or crawling.
Maintaining the 68 Carbine
You've heard it here for months now, keeping your gun clean and lubed is
the only way you'll get decent performance. If you've got broken paint or
dirt in your barrel you'll lose all of your accuracy until it is cleaned
out. Break the gun down after each use (or two) and clean the bolts (front
and rear) with warm water. Lightly lube the bolt o-rings and place one drop
of oil on the linkage arm (after you reassemble the gun). Remove the feeder
adapter and clean it internally. If you're not familiar with disassembling
the 68 Carbine, here's a look at how to do it.
Disassembly: First remove the four allen screws in the 45-grip frame
(lower receiver). Be careful not to lose the allen screw sleeve. This will
allow you to separate the upper and lower receivers; be careful not to twist
the gas line. Next unscrew the gas line nut using a half-inch box wrench
or adjustable wrench. Loosen the barrel pinch bolt and unscrew the barrel.
At this point you should have four pieces; the barrel, upper receiver, 45-grip
frame, and barrel/foregrip. Remove the rear sight. Unscrew the end cap but
be careful because it is under pressure from the main spring. Slide the spring
and guide out (be careful not to lose the end cap buffer). Using a pick,
pop the linkage arm out and slide the front bolt out of the front of the
receiver (When you assemble the gun, the front bolt should be reinserted
o-ring end in last.). Pull the cocking knob (bolt handle) out and the rear
bolt should slide right out of the back of the receiver. At this point the
gun is broken down far enough to give it a good cleaning. If you need
to remove the power tube, unscrew the velocity adjusting screw and it should
slide right out.
Upgrades for the 68 Carbine...
As I discussed earlier, upgrading to vertical C02 is an easy, inexpensive
way to change the look and feel of your Carbine, and improve the performance
as well. There are many excellent barrels available for the Carbine--Smart
Parts, Armson, DYE, J & J, and B.O.A. all make great barrels for the
68 Carbine and other paintguns. Other upgrades to consider for the 68 Carbine
are 45-grips (look at Smart Parts' wood 45-grips), VL-2000 (electronic feeder),
and red dot sights from ADCO and Daisy. That's my space for this month, I'll
see you in November.
(About the author -- Rick Muncy is an Airgun Designs certified technician
and works as an airsmith at Pev's Paintball Pro-Shop in Woodbridge, Virginia.)
Fax your questions to Rick at (703) 491-6391.
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