AKA Viking

The AKA Viking, an open bolt, pneumatic electro. That basically describes the Viking and to be honest almost every other electro on the market. In this world of dozens of high class electros each marker tries to differentiate themselves with some attribute or some selling point above the others, the matrix and it’s low recoil low pressure spooling design. The Angel with simply put class and breed. Impulse and its attractive price. Then the Viking comes along, and it doesn’t show its nature very easily until you hold one and look at one. Then it becomes perfectly clear what this marker sells, simplicity and design.

Simplicity

There are no LCD, LED Displays, buzzers or any other gadgetry. At most there are some eye options. One switch at the back turns it on or off, an LED in the back lets you know the condition and that is about it. Dwell and other adjustments can be done through the trigger or simpler and easier through a Data Link cable. After a 5-10 second load up time your marker is ready to fire and that and the other points lead to a design goal of simplicity, sure it may not have everything you want but it has everything you need.

Design

Pick up a Viking next time you see the AKA booth or borrow a friends, this is just one thing that pictures will not and cannot do justice. The Viking feels like it would last a lifetime. With clean crisp lines and a small height and of course the Type 3 hard anno you have the feeling you are holding something of military make. Like most electros it operates via Sheridan style valve (Spyder Dimensions if memory serves me) with a pneumatic ram controlled by a humphrey solenoid that strikes the valve, moving the bolt at the same time via linked pin. Simple effective design that as been in use since ‘97.

Cosmetics

The Viking is sturdy, well-built and looks like it could last till rapture but let us not fool ourselves, the Viking in stock configuration is pretty plain. Dull colors and non existent milling make the viking seem very very plain. I actually like the lines of the stately Viking but many are turned off by the stark exterior. Fans of curvaceous milling and wonderful colors are probably going to turn to the Angel Speed or nice Imps and Bushmasters, although a healthy amount of Vikings are coming out that are wonderful to behold, they come in few colors stock, and cannot quite match up to the curves of the newest electros. But cosmetics don’t win games but then again for a marker that if you add all the features can be a grand you should expect a certain amount of…curves for those who want it, me I like the tank look. I do wish that the Sidewinder had the same charcoal look instead of the gloss.

The Trigger

Standard 3 point adjustment, very little slop and very very easy to pull if set right, right along with any high end marker the trigger works fine and can be set to almost any setup desired.

Efficiency

I don’t have any exact numbers due to my fields inability to get a full field and I have not thrown enough paint to tell exactly but I can give a good estimate, any larger than a 68/45 is not needed for even the most healthy paint throwers. I run a 68/3k tank and get an easy 1200 shots off of a full tank, efficiency was one of my major points since my local field only fills to 2k - 1.5k, an hour away are the good fills, so I need a fill to last me a little while and the Viking delivers.

Electronics

Increasingly nowadays more and more focus is being put upon the electronics, the brain that controls the firing of the marker and one of the names on the forefront is WickedAirSportz (WAS), the now standard WAS board is much like the Intimidators board same basic settings and the cables are usable on either. The one thing that is the most “controversial” is the debounce setting, this is both a good thing and bad thing. Setting it to 1 makes an almost automatic marker, setting it at a decent normal level allows a more “responsive” trigger. The problem lies in the ability to make it full auto, any person at any field who sees a WAS equipped board should be doubly careful in making sure it cannot enter program mode and that it is legal. Other than that it is a fine product. With the ability to interface with a Warp Feed or Motorized Hopper it gives the user more and more ability to customize their setup. Although with any high end electro you need an Egg or Halo to get maximum usage.

Options

I got the EQ Datalink, JmJ Eye Covers, Wicked Eyes, and of course a CCM Clamp Feed Neck, from WAS themselves and Dbnpaintball.com. Received them within the week, excellent service from both places. Now here is one of the gripes with AKA, the eyes, or more specifically how the eyes get into the tray, ie notching the tray. I only spent 30 or so minutes from start to finish but I would much prefer something like the plastic plugs they used for the eye holes, would just give it a slightly more refined package. Also the eye covers are of slightly different anno color, more dark and less charcoal. Once the eyes were set, notches made and EQ board loaded it performed admirably.

The CCM Feedneck is perhaps the most useful feedneck ever made, works wonderfully and every marker I plan on owning will be sure to have one.

ENDO Cradle

This is a cradle made by JAM Enterprises it sets the cradle at an angle up and behind the marker. I have not gotten a chance to play with it yet but just from fiddling with it I can tell you it the single most comfortable easy shooting setup I have EVER had this includes, rails, drops and everything in between..Tomorrow we shall see how it performs.

How it performed on field

09/07/03

I got a full air fill at Etown, 68 3k. Played some 40 acre ball, 14 vs 14 turned into a great day and best of all I got 1200 shots out of my 3k, I was very pleased with the efficiency. The kick was very little but some pet peeves are starting to come up, like the clamp feedneck is going to have to be blue loctited in , it keeps spinning in the middle of the day…The Viking shot streams ALL day.

08/31/03

Again only one weekend of light use but so far it has slightly more kick than my cocker and as the accuracy and trajectory of a cocker…and an angel…and an impulse (exempting FSDO) it shoots as far and as well as any high end marker with good paint and a good paint to barrel match.

No problem ripping long strings of paint and since it is a decently small profile it is suited for both front, mid, back and in the woods with camo players, will be updated as I play with it.