US Army Project Salvo Upgrades

How awesome is the Project Salvo paintball gun? It's another easy to afford dedicated scenario gun that has serious players all over the world buzzing. The Tippmann/US Army line of guns is growing stronger every year and the Salvo certainly made a huge contribution to that. Now that it has had time to circulate into the paintball world its time to make some hardcore upgrades to this baby!

One of the great things about Project Salvo Upgrades, is that the gun comes stock with a ton of tactical rail space. This not only allows you to add all the goodies that you could possibly dream up, but you can create things - that nobody else has - to add onto the marker.

See all the US Army Project Salvo Upgrades

One of the great things about Project Salvo Upgrades is
that the gun comes stock with a ton of tactical rail space.

Barrels
No doubt the paintball barrel is one of the first things most people normally look for when upgrading their gun. The stock barrel on the Project Salvo isn't too bad, it shoots fairly straight and keeps your shots somewhat quiet(ish).

With the huge opportunities available to you, due to the tons of barrels that you could add, it's maybe not so strange for a person to replace the stock barrel early-on. Depending on your needs and desired playing position, you can find barrels that range from a 3 inch room clearing stubby, to a full on 22 inch - reach out and tap them on the forehead if you are out of paint - sniper barrel. There are ported barrels, rifled barrels and thick silencer look alike barrels that can take the guns looks to an entirely new level of bad-ass.

If you are happy with the stock barrel or already have one picked out, then take a look at the barrel accessories. Shrouds, hand guards and muzzle breaks are easy to install and can add a milsim look for the finishing touch that most other people overlook. An air cooled barrel shroud can give you that "heavy gunner" look, or a strong muzzle break can make the gun look like a sniper/anti-tank gun from hell.

Shop for Barrels or Barrel Accessories

Bipods
With the inventiveness of newer bipods, most people are coming around to having one on their gun. The newer designs are very easy to fold away and super convenient to have. As a matter of fact, there are systems that allow you to quickly remove or install the bipod for a - use on demand - type upgrade.

Some Bipods now come in a design that works as a fore grip. The bipod is hidden inside the fore grip until you release it for use and push it back up when done.

Shop for Bipods

Buttstocks
Although the adjustable Carbine buttstock seems to be the most popular, there are several other options that can serve the purpose well. Folding stocks can make a room clearing gun more versatile and a ton more mobile. The Skeleton style is ultra light weight and a unique choice that most people overlook. The SAW buttstock works well with the "heavy gunner" look and is quite functional.

If you are building an AK47 look alike, there is a real wood match stock for you. That marker build is a popular one and a true milsim weapon. There are more paintball manufacturers creating parts for an AK build-up. I don't know if the Project Salvo is the perfect gun for that, but it is up to you.

Shop for Buttstocks

Carrying Handles
Another often overlooked accessory that can be applied to US Army Project Salvo Upgrades is a good carry handle. These usually contain your rear sight, and several of the stronger built handles will have sights adjustable for windage and elevation. These type of sights can be easier to adjust than scopes or red-dots and are typically faster to acquire a target due to it's open design.

Carrying Handles are also a great way to ease the load of your gun when moving to an insertion point. Some people attach their marker to a load bearing vest, but holding the gun by the carry handle provides a higher level of readiness if you get into a firefight on the way.

Shop for Carrying Handles

Feed Neck
Some of you may want to upgrade the Project Salvo's feed neck to an offset clamping style. Doing so can not only provide you with more room for a scope or other top rail accessory, but also give you a feed neck that will better hold your expensive loader. Most aftermarket models are made from metal to increase strength in this vulnerable area.

If you are going with the Cyclone upgrade, you can buy offset adapters and low profile hoppers to fit your needs. There are also a ton of upgrades that are available for the Cyclone itself, like squishy paddles and light weight internals to keep the system moving efficiently.

Shop for Feed Necks

Flash Lights
With all the tactical rail space that the Project Salvo provides, it would be a shame not to put a flash light on there some where. Flash lights are extremely handy for room clearing, night time play, or when you get into those dark unexpected areas that some paintball fields can spring on you.

Several of the lights include a fore grip on/off switch and an easy tactical rail mount system. Others require you to provide the rail mount and may only have an on/off directly mounted. The better lights will cost you, but they provide a much more durable build. We would highly recommend a LED bulb.

Shop for Tactical Mount Flash Lights

Lasers/Lazers
Lasers can be added to the front tactical rails for function and tactical appearance. The price difference between a highly functional laser vs a laser that's more for show is drastic. There are several lasers you can buy and mount for $30 or less, but these won't throw the beam very far, especially in daytime light. Much more expensive lasers can be purchased that will function well in any ambient light situation. These will probably cost you in excess of $100. We'd highly recommend a green beam if you're going with the more expensive laser.

See the Laser Sights

Scopes:
Scopes cover a huge variety of sights. It could be a magnified scope to help you pick off opponents while playing the ultra stealth paintball sniper, or it could be a quick acquisition sight such as a red dot or target point type of site.

Your typical magnified scope presents many problems in this sport. Paintball projectiles don't typically fly in a flat path. Even First Strike rounds and the Flatline barrel aren't without problems when using a scope designed for a more predictable projectile. A standard scope could be used more for spotting and viewing paintball strikes.

Another issue these scopes may present is being limited to their field of view. You can quickly lose close range situational awareness if your concentration is focused through the scope. A red dot, holographic sight, or other type of quick acquisition site can help prevent this, and with a little practice are typically more functional for paintball.

See the Scopes & Red Dot Sights

Nightvision:
Nightvision on a Tippmann Project Salvo paintball gun would be awesome for nighttime or low light scenario games. The biggest problem with night vision is of course the cost. You could easily spend upward of $1000 on functional night vision. There are definitely some more cost effective options, but when it comes to night vision, you get what you pay for. Keep in mind, as long as your paintball sights are proudly mounted on your markers tactical rails, they will be subject to paintball strikes and whatever abuse goes along with your style of play.

If you're accumulating several sights, you may want to mount some on a side/bottom rail or even employ and offset rail mount to keep things out of the way of the main line of sight down your barrel. All these sites will also have to work well while you're wearing a paintball mask. It's often difficult to overcome an uncomfortable position with your mask pushing against your marker's stock instead of the clearance when it's just your bare cheek to the stock.

See the available Night Vision Sights

Grenade Launcher
Want to add realism to your scenario paintball gun? Try adding a grenade launcher and watch all of the long looks that you will get from other players. It's a fun piece of equipment to have on a tricked out milsim weapon and an all around favorite upgrade for your US Army gun.

RAP4 makes a grenade launcher that uses their cool M203 shell system and allows you to pepper your opponents, tank or bunker with a huge splatter of paintballs. The system is totally reusable and pretty affordable.

Metadyne has a bottom mount system or a stand alone grenade launcher that can fire foam rockets at a tank or bunker, or it can be loaded with a device that allows it to shoot a fury of paintballs.

Shop for Grenade Launchers

Tactical Fore Grip
A front grip mounted to a rail can help add maneuverability to your Project Salvo. It's a great piece to add when you need a spot for a on/off switch for your laser or flash light too.

Many of the fore grip designs allow you to fold up the grip when not in use. This can be a great option when using a stand alone bipod or when moving through brush and using the carry handle.

Shop for Tactical Fore Grips

Project Salvo Body Kits
When you want your marker to have a more unique look, adding a body kit or some different form factors to your gun can really make it stand out in a crowd. Besides adding function, many of these kits represent an appearance of a certain military replica.

Buying a kit will combine several of the components that you maybe would have purchased separate and therefore saves you money. Some of these kits include a barrel or shroud, carry handle, a butt stock and a magazine. It's a great way to drastically change the looks of your Project Salvo from stock to full on milsim.

Shop for Project Salvo Body Kits

Offset Mounts
Sometimes it's necessary to offset mount an accessory. Some of the larger scopes, including night vision scopes, can require more clearance than provided even with an offset feed neck or hopper. Most of these offset mounts install easily and some provide a 45 degree offset or a dual rail mounting system.

Another common reason you may benefit from an offset mounted rail is that it's a lot more versatile for mask clearance. If you are straining to get your line of sight through your markers scope or open sights, this may help you to optimize your mask over gun ability.

Shop for Offset Mounts

Rear Sights
If the stock sights seem unusable and you don't have a carry handle with a rear sight, you can add an adjustable rear sight. We've seen several carry handles that simply provide an additional top rail to mount another sight on. Having a separate rear sight that is adjustable can really improve your sniper abilities.

Shop for Rear Sights

Grips and Triggers
If you bought your Project Salvo with a stock semi-auto grip, you may want to upgrade to a e-trigger or a reactive trigger. Increasing your fire power with one of these other options makes for a lot of fun. Being able to lay down some extra fire power when needed can make your marker feel a lot more powerful.

The electronic trigger can be switched between full auto, semi-auto and 3 round burst. The reactive trigger operates using the Project Salvo's spent gasses and has an adjustable rate of fire. The reactive trigger may have a slight learning curve before you learn how to dial it into your liking.

Shop for Grips and Triggers

Putting it all Together
Project Salvo upgrades are a perfect opportunity to let your mind run free and create yourself the dream milsim weapon to show off at scenario events. Certainly, the looks of your marker can really show people your dedication to building an effective paintball gun.

There are several paintball manufacturers that are building upgrades for all of the US Army and Tippmann markers. If you don't find what you want here, you can look around the internet and probably find what you want. If you still don't find it, try going to one of the Tippmann or US Army operator groups and ask for it. Several people in those forums create their own upgrades.

See all of the Project Salvo Upgrades NOW!

Posted by Redwood on 05/28/2010(last updated 03/07/2013)

Also see:
Tippmann Project Salvo Paintball Gun
US Army Project Salvo Paintball Guns
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