ANS X5E Autococker Review
Bu Andrew C. Syren
When I heard that ANS had put together yet another amazing version of the Autococker, I just had to see it for myself. ANS has been known for some years now as one of the market’s best in producing aftermarket cockers and using only the best upgrades. With tight tolerances and high end quality products, ANS has brought to the public many awesome cockers that did nothing shy of mowing down the competition. Seeing their newest addition to the market, the ANS X5E in person ,I can honestly say that they have pushed their reputation into the future even more and they have done so with style.
When I received the ANS X5E in the mail, I immediately ripped into the package. I have been a cocker fan ever since I saw my first one several years back and even today I get giddy like a little school boy when I have a chance to own another piece of this legendary paintball marker. In opening the box sent to by ANS, I was happy to discover a shiny brand new and amazing looking cocker. The marker was wrapped in die cut foam and was presented with a full set of o-rings and manuals for both the cocker and the Eclipse E2 trigger frame along with a barrel sock. Once I was through wiping the tears of joy from my eyes, I grabbed the marker and went to work.
I thoroughly enjoy reviewing autocockers, but I enjoyed this one even more than usual. Most people understand what the Eclipse E2 trigger frame can do for any cocker, so you can understand why I was so excited. The cocker comes with the latest software and all the ramping and tourney legal options you would expect from a company as awesome as Eclipse. Let’s examine the basics; the marker, the standard extras and the overall quality. With any cocker, it is no secret that the E2 turns it into a nightmare for the opposition and the ANS X5 along with the E2 is no exception to the rule. So with that, expect not only an amazingly fast marker when purchasing this baby but expect it to sling paint faster than a monkey slinging poo on opening day at the zoo.
I wasn’t surprised by the quality of anodizing and how well put together the cocker was. It was of the same quality you would come to expect from ANS. They had a rough start years ago with leaky and unforgiving cockers, but since then have nailed down all quality defects and have made awesome products ever since. The anodizing of the marker was beautiful. The black was rich with color and had a beautiful matte finish. The milling on the body was fantastic and it weighs only 8 ounces. Fully assembled, the gun was super light and made for the lightest cocker outside of being half-blocked and converted to a mini cocker. For a full body cocker this baby was awesome.
The front pneumatics were top of the line and consisted of the ANS Jackhammer LPR and their ram with QEV’s. Of course, with the E2 equipment there was no three-way but in place was the solenoid encased in the latest cover by Eclipse. The front assembly made for a sleek look and was very well put together. All the hoses were as short as they could get without crimping and made for a very professional look. No loose ends to speak of and the look of it all was eye catching.
Some of the other standard features of the new ANS X5E are the clamping feed, delrin bolt with delrin pull pin, front block gauge, newly designed in-line regulator, fully adjustable drop forward with air source adapter (ASA), macro-line and fittings, two piece barrel anodized to match the body, matching beaver tail and a 15 degree inline regulator air source adapter for greater comfort. Out of the box, the ANS X5E comes standard with upgrades that would have added nearly 300 dollars plus to any stock setup and that is not including the Eclipse E2 with ramping software!
One of the most amazing features is that the ANS X5E is pre-drilled for beam break eyes and can be outfitted for them by upgrading your new E2 by adding the Eclipse Ego. With simple installation and ease of setup, the ANS X5E can be set to Beam Break Eyes by even the most amateur of users. A great feature not introduced by any other out of the box standard production cocker.
For the money, there is no cocker out there that will top what ANS has to offer here. With absolutly no need for any upgrades, the X5E is the fastest, cleanest and best bargain cocker on the market today. The X5E is also available from ANS with the mechanical trigger frame and for hundreds less. If you are not up for slinging paint at insane rates and yet want a solid marker that will perform spectacular right out of the box, then you can pick up the X5 standard version. The X5E is worth every penny and considering the cocker owners out there, they too will see that there is no better deal for out of the box upgrades and performance than seen here.
