Reliability of Vikings

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I plan on getting back into the sport this summer, but haven't even come close to deciding what I'll be shooting.

I'm leaning towards an EGO or a DM5 with a Dm4 for a backup - possibly 2 Dm4's (Nobody realizes the crappy luck with guns I have on tourney days)

But, just recently, I started looking at vikings.

The owner of the nearest paintball shop and captain of an incredible team tells me that they're good guns....when they work; which, he said, is a rare occasion.

So, I ask you, current and previous viking owners, are they as unreliable as he says?
What good or bad things can you say about these guns?
If they are great guns, which viking would you recommend?

[mobsterboy]

keep them clean and well lubed and they will not let you down. Also, its a sin not to use a sidewinder on a viking

[yakitori]

they are reliable. About like an angel I suppose. I think they are more reliable than an angel though. Keep it oiled and it will sing for you every time. Ive only had one leak that I fixed myself in about 5-10 minutes. It was a small leak, but my ram oring started leaking. Had to take the ram apart. You will also need a toolkit separately.

They are okay guns I guess, although they arent bulletproof. Why not get something smaller and lighter though. Vikings arent getting any younger.

Get a cyborg or something, since you think protos are hideous.

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they are reliable. About like an angel I suppose. I think they are more reliable than an angel though. Keep it oiled and it will sing for you every time. Ive only had one leak that I fixed myself in about 5-10 minutes. It was a small leak, but my ram oring started leaking. Had to take the ram apart. You will also need a toolkit separately.

They are okay guns I guess, although they arent bulletproof. Why not get something smaller and lighter though. Vikings arent getting any younger.

Get a cyborg or something, since you think protos are hideous.

Thanks to both.

If I did end up with a viking, it would probably be a back-up.

But, uhhh....'06 Protos aren't as hideous

[atm743]

dude all i can say is

GO OUT AND BUY A VIKING NOW

they get a case of paint off a 68 4500 tank

never had a problem with mine.

if you get a viking GET TADAO if you can find it

only downfall that you may come by with a viking is how they are a bit heavy. really to me they are light but if your the guy that has to have a gun weight like a ego then you wont like a viking.

[CoolHand]

Well, I've owned just about every high end marker to come along in the last four or five years.

Had a Proto, had a DM4, an Alias, a 2k2 Timmy, three (3) Ebladed cockers, an '03 Viking, had a GenE Matrix, Shocker SFT, Nerve, Impulse, etc, etc, etc, etc, and so on and so forth.

The only one that is left now?

That '03 Viking HalfMill.

It's a little heavier than other markers, but the milled versions are pretty damned light (the equal of any other marker out there right now).

They are hella efficient (which may or may not make you any difference).

They are so smooth. Fast and basically zero barrel rise, though not as limp feeling as a spooler.

Basically bullet proof.

In the two years I've had mine, I've literally only put lube down the ASA and checked the LPR pressure on ocassion (just to be sure). It has never let me down, not once.

At the last tournament I was at, I had a guy with an Ego put his marker down and cream his sliders when I let him shoot it.

They just feel solid. They are very well built.

And even though AKA the company has gone to hell, there is a large enough dealer's network to keep your marker singing for many years to come.

PLUS, with the way resale has been going, you can pick one up for about $550.

Now THAT is value.

[FSU_Paintball]

Vikings are heralded for their reliability, among other things. They are rock solid, super efficient, super fast, and super consistent. In fact, the only thing wrong with them is they're kinda big and heavy.

[rkjunior303]

HA!

"when they work"

That honestly made me chuckle out loud. Vikings almost #1 selling point was the reliabilty, next to the efficiency... A stock 04 is a great deal right now.. Milled, they are as light as everything.

Check out the AKA forum @ PBN or www.akaowners.org, you'll find lots of information over there.

[GT]

The owner of the nearest paintball shop and captain of an incredible team tells me that they're good guns....when they work; which, he said, is a rare occasion.

Your bud is completly clueless. Vikings are one of the best electros on the palnet.

[SCpoloRicker]

The owner of the nearest paintball shop and captain of an incredible team tells me that they're good guns....when they work; which, he said, is a rare occasion.

O RLY?

/which team?

[dahoeb]

O RLY?

/which team?

the incredible one.....jk

i used to own a viking. even to this day, its probably my favorite electro, very straight to the point. as far as reliability goes, rock solid.

[Steelrat]

Pros of the viking
-VERY reliable. I've owned 7 vikings and 5 excals, the viking's big brother, and I only had one problem, related to a new detent design. None of them ever went down on me, ever.
-FAST. As fast as anything out there with the right board and settings. Theres a video of a stock 04 viking I had doing 31 bps (yes, bps) with no noticeable shootdown.
-SOLID. They are built like tanks. Seriously.
-EFFICIENT. Try around 2000 shots off a 68/4500.
-CHEAP. You can get amazing deals on vikings now. I've seen beautiful 04 customs going for under $900, thats just amazing.

Cons
-Can be heavy in stock 03 versions. Stock 04s are lighter, and custom milled ones can be very light, around 2 lbs for some of them.
-AKA is going through a bit of turmoil, but there still seems to be great support in the service network
-Must use a toolkit to work on it, and you must use AKA lube or a high-quality synthetic.


Overall, the guy who mentioned they go down a lot doens't know what he is talking about. The vikings and excals are the proverbial "take it out of the bag and play" kind of guns. Mine were so reliable they made mags look downright tempermental.

As for a recommendation, I'd say an 04 featherlight, DC, or streamline with a tadao board.

[MicroMiniMe]

/Enter all the AKA fanbois

Both my Vikings and Excalibur were/are never a problem. The only thing thats fussy on them is you absolutely need a fresh stockpile of 9V batteries. If anything ever develops, put in a new battery. And just to make sure, you try a different batch for a new battery if the first doesn't solve it.
Part of the reason Vikings are so reliable is its cartridge based design. It makes it difficult to tinker with without the special toolkit. So the reliability reputation comes from well made markers with good tolerances and diminished user created error. Just dont adjust the LPR on them like other markers.
They are solid feeling shooters, and the milled ones can be downright light and still have the solid feel. The trigger setup and settings stock you'll probably want to change up a bit, but otherwise there isn't much to get for upgrades. The most popular has been going from an unmilled stock to a milled custom/aftermarker voyage.

/Enter Magman007 and the Matrix pitch

[68magOwner]

meh, ive had mine for roughly a year, no leaks, no nothing, ever, Had it go down once, and, really, i was still able to play, just ripped up an eye wire out of the connector when i took the frame off, so, no eyes for the rest of the day. All i do is drop some oil in the asa and dryfire ~20 times every other time i play, other than that, i broke down the marker and cleaned up all the regs/orings once, ever, and it probably didnt even need that. Overall, thing has been rock solid, and my favorite marker to date.

[Spartan X]

meh, ive had mine for roughly a year, no leaks, no nothing, ever, Had it go down once, and, really, i was still able to play, just ripped up an eye wire out of the connector when i took the frame off, so, no eyes for the rest of the day. All i do is drop some oil in the asa and dryfire ~20 times every other time i play, other than that, i broke down the marker and cleaned up all the regs/orings once, ever, and it probably didnt even need that. Overall, thing has been rock solid, and my favorite marker to date.

And the Custom ones can be really beautiful and light....