What I've noticed about barrel Buying.

[battlegroup]

Sorry this is so long.

I Pre-ordered an X-mag a while ago and I have been looking for barrels ever since. I have used BOA's, Dye's, and Taso Barrels before, and started looking hard into the new sets. I have just recently purchased a Titanium Paintball 3 bore set and I haven't tested it yet but in doing my research I found something interesting:

People will spend $1500+ on their marker and run around with the cheapest barrel they can find and won't spend the money on a set or multiple barrels with different bores.

I'm not saying one set is better than another But I do think a set with different bores is better than having only one barrel. There has been much debate on this site about Open/Closed bolt operation and everyone says the marker has little to do with Accuracy/Distance given the same paint in the same barrel at the same speed. So when you spend that $1500+ on a marker you are getting basically 5 things

1 A trigger feel
2 ROF
3 Consitency
4 Reliability/customer service/ease of maintenance
5 How cool it looks

Most of us here shoot mags here so #4 is the same for all of us. We can eliminate Looks when we talk about performance. Are the other three worth $1500+, and Accuracy worth only $50-$100? I will even say that a barrel/paint match can help with consistency too. The paintball doesn't care how the trigger feels, how the gun looks, What the customer service is like, or what the ROF is. It's affected by the guns consistency and a good barrel to paint match.

It also doesn't matter how fast you can shot if you break a ball and are squeegeing your barrel because it won't shoot through.

I want to know why people are afraid to go out and get a barrel set or try different barrels. I know cost is a factor, But I would rather hit what I'm aiming at with a reliable gun with a good barrel using 5 rounds at 10 bps, than miss with 10 shots out of an awesome gun capable of 30bps.

That's why I chose the Longbow set. Yes, it is expensive, but not as much as 3 titanium Dye's. I read as many reviews as I could and talked to many people about their barrels and I decided to go out on a limb. Who knows if it will be the best but I will be trying other peoples barrels at the field to see if I can find anything better, and let them use mine to see if they like it. And if I do find one better, then I will get it.

Give me your .02 cents!

[digitard]

I think whats even more amusing, is people will spend 1500 on a new gun, 300 on body improvements to make it more flashy, etc ... but they've still got the 8" stock barrel and complain on barrel prices ..lol... but dude, ya just spent 300 EXTRA on an already amazing looking mag when ya could of gotten a new barrel and kept the trigger ...lol

The 2nd thing I bought when upgrading my mag (1st was HPA) was a new DYE Boomstick barrel because out of the barrels I was looking at I enjoyed that one the most, but it was just a personal decision.

Sincerely,
Dave K

[Load SM5]

Well it depends on your paint options. I have 2 boomeys of different sizes and a 3 bore J&J edge kit. But it turns out I shoot the same paint almost exclusivelly (Stars or Premiums) and almost always use the same pewter fade boomy that came with my SFL. The others are nice to have for away tourneys where my paint may be limited but for those who use the same field and have the paint of their choice evry weekend one barrel might be just fine.

[battlegroup]

I agree with you LOAD, but you took the time to find out which one worked the best for the paint you use. Most people I have seen buy one barrel and use it exclusively never trying something else that may work better.

I also agree with DIGITARD. Peple buy a gun and the first thing they do is buy new grips, or a trigger frame, or color matched halo and never look into a better barrel. I want to know why they spend so much on the gun when the paintball is affected as much by Paint/bore match as it is the consistency of the gun. If you have a barrel that makes you more accurate then you spend less on paint and you can afford the other upgrades.

[shartley]

I agree with both sides. I know that my stock barrel shoots the paint that I buy like darts. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. There is NOTHING wrong with a stock barrel…. And those who think otherwise are fooling themselves. The important thing is paint to barrel match, not whether that match is made with a stock barrel or an expensive after market barrel.

The idea that stock barrels are crap seems to be prevalent, and just not true. It is no more crap than an after market barrel that is not matched to the paint.

If you shoot various sizes of paint, yes, several barrels, or a barrel kit will be useful. But if you don’t, you are just spending money on something that you will never use.

As for the other after market things that don’t add performance but help add a personal touch, personal statement, etc. I say go for it. And I don’t think it is a bad investment if you like how it makes your marker look. We see this with cars, homes, etc. why not Paintball Equipment? Individuality is the spice of life and we often times say as much about ourselves with out Toys as we do by opening our mouths. ;)

[digitard]

I'm not saying that stock is crap, cause I know thats far from the truth. But when spending 1500 on a marker you'd probably wanna have the best performance you can.... getting the right aftermarket barrel can add to that high end performance from the marker you just spend a months pay on ..lol.. Thats all I'm saying, if your gonna spend all the money get the best functionality/performance first, then customize it to your "look"

Sincerely,
Dave

[shartley]

Originally posted by digitard
I'm not saying that stock is crap, cause I know thats far from the truth. But when spending 1500 on a marker you'd probably wanna have the best performance you can.... getting the right aftermarket barrel can add to that high end performance from the marker you just spend a months pay on ..lol.. Thats all I'm saying, if your gonna spend all the money get the best functionality/performance first, then customize it to your "look"

Sincerely,
Dave
I would agree with this but for one thing…. What if the best performance you will get, for the paint you always shoot, IS the stock barrel? ;) While you keep saying that stock barrels are not crap, you also keep insinuating that to get optimal performance you need to get an after market barrel. And that is not true.

Heck, I will even break it down another way…. With Mags, the barrels that come stock tend to shoot as good if not better than after market barrels of the SAME size, shooting the same size paintballs. But for the sake of argument, I will say that what you are constantly insinuating is correct….. why would AGD put an inferior barrel on a superior marker? ;)

I say only if you have problems with paint to barrel match should you even consider buying another barrel…. UNLESS you do so for cosmetic reasons. Because buying the same size barrel will give you the same results. And thus, you would be buying a new barrel for the same reasons you purchase new grips, a new paint job, custom milling, etc. ;)

[digitard]

My after lunch thought process has been proven wrong ... DAMN YOU LUNCH FOR MAKING ME STUPID AND SLEEPY... :)

Point taken, good point!

Sincerely,
Dave K

[battlegroup]

I agree that stock is not crap, however There may be barrels out there that are better. What I see is people who have only one barrel that never even try to find out. Why spend $1500 on a gun and use the stock barrel if the paint you use isn't the best for that barrel? I have seen too many people say "I have a Brand-x and it's the best" and I ask them if they tried any others and they say "no".

I just feel there is too much emphasis on the "Volumizer", and the "30bps grip frame", and the "Whozawhatsit", when you see little to no performance increase. Who can shoot over 16 bps with their finger anyway? (I mean real aimed balls in a game)When for the same money you could get a couple of different size barrels and shoot any kind of paint. Or any paint in any condition and do so with accuracy and few to no barrels breaks. As we all know paint changes sizes with temperature and humidity.

[Kevmaster]

i personally like the Lapco barrel the best of ALL barrels. i owned a Freak. i owned a Dye. i owned a CP Kit. I shoot a Autospirit. best damn barrel ive ever owned....couldnt be happier with it.

cost: $50. best $50 ive spent on paintballl.....

[deathstalker]

Originally posted by kevmaster
i personally like the Lapco barrel the best of ALL barrels. i owned a Freak. i owned a Dye. i owned a CP Kit. I shoot a Autospirit. best damn barrel ive ever owned....couldnt be happier with it.

cost: $50. best $50 ive spent on paintballl.....
Amen.

The only time I had a problem with paint/barrel matches was at the Shatner game. The JT paint was absolutely huge, but it still shot straight from my BigShot. I've got BigShots and AutoSpirits for all my markers except my new Mag, but I can guarantee that they will be the only barrels I purchase.

[demonguy8]

I THINK it was TK who said it best when he said that paintball is dominated by "accuracy by volume"

***little note: I'm going to butcher the quote here cuz I couldnt find (ok was too lazy to find)the origional post but Ill nail the meaning. and if it wasnt tk that said it my apologies, but I am 99% sure that it was him

*** other note: its sad when your explanation of your post is longer than your actuall post by more than double :rolleyes:

[dcmander]

Originally posted by kevmaster
i personally like the Lapco barrel the best of ALL barrels. i owned a Freak. i owned a Dye. i owned a CP Kit. I shoot a Autospirit. best damn barrel ive ever owned....couldnt be happier with it.

cost: $50. best $50 ive spent on paintballl.....

$50? I got one brand new from you for 40$ :D :D

I also use the Autospirit and Bigshot... These 2 bore sizes cover the paints I use.

[toymyster]

The Lapco Big shot is one of the best single barrels money can buy!! However, the advantage of the multiple barrels/ inserts sets are only apparent when you only buy cheap paint or play turnouments, where you have to shoot whatever crap paint they shove down your throat!!! Otherwise, if you are always shooting one type of paint, all you really need is one or two barrels, or one barrel with 3 inserts to compensate for small fluctuations due to temprature/ humidity!!!!!

[Kevmaster]

so i have cocker threaded autospirits on clearance...im down to 35 now each **conclude shameless plug**

[xmetal2001]

To tell you the truth, I stopped reading this thread a quarter of the way down:o , but in my opinion:

Stick with the stock barrel unless you are going to purchase some sort of barrel "kit" that allows you to adjust for different bore sizes. Paint to barrel bore match is where you get your accuracy from, not how shiny or expensive your barrel is.

The only reason I dont shoot a stock barrel on my Matrix is because it was 14", and thats waaay to long. So I traded with somebody for a 10":D

[dcmander]

Pshhht.... 14" is a great length! I had a 14" CP 2piece on my sonic bushy (its actually the stock barrel on the macdev sonic bushys) and it was perfect.

I've always liked 14" the best, then 16", then 12" I guess... I don't like 10"s..too hard to aim down the barrel for me. But I have to admit..I'm really likin' the 11.5" Lapcos on my mag! Maybe its just the mag! ;)

[hardr0ck68]

if your playin tournys a barrel kit is very handy.
1st you never know what the size or condition of the paint is gonna be
2nd if you have LX and are playin at low velocities its a handy to adjust your velocity without changing springs
3rd position on the feild, in back i perfer something i can sight with, up front something i can snap with
4th type of feild, if you on hyperball feilds, a 12-14 is nice to work those groves, on soft nylon sup air a 16-18 to push the bunker around..and so on


these are all just handy options of a versitale barrel kit, in the case of a freak with only one front it wouldent make much difference. I dunno, there nice but not the only way to get things done, i have a large bore AA, med bore J and J 2 peice with different length tips, and a small bore dte alum...there all i really need.

[xen_100]

another thing you have to consider. If you buy one barrel(or use the stock one) and use the same paint every week.........that paint will not be the same size every time. different batches vary in size slightly, humidity and temp will effect the ball size. if you have more than one barrel size(or a barrel kit IE: freak)you will always have the perfect match and more acuracy.

[dre1919]

When I ordered my RT a couple years ago, I ordered a new barrel right along with it. I did this because I wanted something nicer than the stock, although I had no real problems with the stock per se. I understand the technology of how barrels are made and what the porting done to barrels does for your performance, and since that wasn't present on the stock RT barrel, I got a different one. I agree however, if you don't have a good paint to barrel size match it's mostly moot anyway.

I ordered a DYE black aluminum 10" and have been extremely happy with it. It has a beautiful finish on the inside and has been a very accurate barrel for me. I would have to say if there were times I would see some shots get inaccruate, it was my paint match. Mine is a middle of the road bore size, but I bought this before the whole revolution of bore sizes and barrel kits to increase accuracy. I'd love to have a Freak Kit or something like that, but then I'd love to have a lot of things. :)

[hitech]

I use the stock emag barrel on my classic. I like the way it looks and it has dual nubbins (good when you have a warp). It shoots every paint I have tried as well as any other barrel. I'll keep using it until I find it does not perform. :D