Freak all that bad?

[BajaBoy]

ok guys.. are freaks all that bad? i just ordered a New SS freak with 14" AA front (whoel kit) for 195. im using a powereed Rt (halo hopper i it maters all that much) and cant forget lvlten.

i thought this barrel would be great

can i return it to paintball gear?

(i would get the J&J edge)

[warpfeedmod]

I've had my freak kit for the mag/cocker and havn't had a problem in over the year and a half that ive used it.

I got the complete freak with all the inserts.

[FalconGuy016]

I thought it was the best barrel for a long time...

[minimag187]

Ive had mine for more than a year and its perfect 4 me.

[Tack]

I have a freak for my Emag, Retro Mag, Angel, Black Dragon, and am planning on getting a back for my Illusion pump and perhaps for my M-98. I love the freak system.

[Jack & Coke]

I have the Freak system with backs for my Retromag, GZ Timmy, and M98RT. After 1 year with the freak, I've been very happy. It performs very well! I have nothing but good things to say so far.

All my inserts are in fine condition. If they're not in the barrel, they're in the case. I chuckle when people rag on the freak inserts and say things like, "...it's flimsy aluminum, if you step on it, it will break... ...I throw my inserts in the tool box so it might get smashed..." WELL DUH! You just spent $190 on a barrel system, TAKE CARE OF IT YOU DUMMY!

I think the top barrel systems (i.e. Freak, Sceptor, equation, CP kit, JT kit, etc.) are ALL VERY GOOD. All of them will perform very well. The differences in performance between them is very minor and imperceptible.

If you don't get caught up in the hype, you'll realize that comparing most anything in aftermarket high end paintball is subjective anyways (i.e. looks, sound signature, popularity):rolleyes:. The biggest difference is still the quality of your paint (roundness and consistancy) and how well it matches the bore of your barrel.

[Smoken]

Freak--bad?
Absolutely not. But, I believe there are better systems on the market with fewer tolerance issues and such. You are getting a very good barrel with the freak, just not what I would consider "the best". I personally payed $200 and waited a month to get an equation set because to me it was worth it to get what I feel is the best. Is it much better than the freak? Probably not. Is it better? I believe so, from the freaks I've seen and shot compared to the equation set that I currently use.

[TNS2k2]

I have used my freak Barrel on My Imp, and Cockers, now i am gonna use it on a Mag, Mind you it still uses cocker threads, but I bet it will still work well on a normal mag, just check to see that the insert sits straigt in the back, because i have heard of a bad batch, in which SP will replace it. PS I love my freak, and i am using it until i quit.

[Xerces]

the nice thing about freak kits is that the only part you will need to replace if you get a new gun is the back. and if one of the inserts gets damaged youre going to only have to pay about 20 for a new one.

[Puddleglum]

Well mine's on the way. I sure hope I like it as much as people say I should. But I really want to try the Titanium Longbow barrel.

[oldsoldier]

You'll be fine. Like Jack said, at the higher end, most of it is subjective. you'll love it. Besides, it'll be an improvement over owning just ONE barrel right?

[FatMan]

I've shot a Freak on my ReTro Mag for a couple years now. Love it. At one point the SS backs had a structural problem, but I don't know if that's still and issue - I have the AL.

I've never seen anyone say anything bad about 'em. The only thing is there are many similar sets out now, some cheaper, some say better. I have no reason to switch.

I don't think you've mad a bad choice.

FatMan

[BajaBoy]

wow thanx everyone u made me feal 100% better about my choise. I almost canceled it today, glad i didnt. I got it from gear and i asked them if they had the New SS backs, they were like hold ill unpack out new shipment. So i got the kit, new SS amag back and 14" all amercan.

[Kevmaster]

good luck :rolleyes:

I personally hated mine....and SP's customer service leaves something(ok,a lotta somethings) to be desired

[cphilip]

I like mine and have moved it into several different markers with changes in backs. A cocker back and a center feed mag back too. Thats one thing I do like about it. Plenty of different ones now and some are real nice too. I have no problems with it at all. Shoots real nice and has come in very handy when presented with varying paint sizes. It saved the day on that a few times with some unexpectedly huge paint.

[Jack & Coke]

Originally posted by cphilip
...and a center feed mag back too...

Cool!

Did you have to special order that???

I don't see "center feed mag backs" for sale too often.

Also, I just got my "Boomstick" style Freak Front in the mail... (http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=556391#post556391)

[TNS2k2]

I wanted one of those fronts.

[toymyster]

I'm in the same boat as Kev, I despised mine!! My old school crown point shot better than my whole set, and I had the nice stainless back and everything!! I could not stand the thin aluminum tubes they called inserts, they just seemed so flimsy to me. And once I broke a ball in the barrel, that was the end of it, untill I took the whole thing apart and cleaned everything!! That turned me off to the whole insert idea untill I had a nice lenghty talk with the Equation guys, everything I hated about the Freak they seemed to have corrected on their set, and I am loving my Equation set!!

[FatMan]

Originally posted by toymyster
I'm in the same boat as Kev, I despised mine!! My old school crown point shot better than my whole set, and I had the nice stainless back and everything!! I could not stand the thin aluminum tubes they called inserts, they just seemed so flimsy to me. And once I broke a ball in the barrel, that was the end of it, untill I took the whole thing apart and cleaned everything!! That turned me off to the whole insert idea untill I had a nice lenghty talk with the Equation guys, everything I hated about the Freak they seemed to have corrected on their set, and I am loving my Equation set!!

Hmmmm, I wonder what went wrong. So, the only thing REALLY wrong with it was you had to take it apart to clean it? I guess I'm not clear on that. Do you mean than somehow when you broke a ball it got up between the insert and the back and you couldn't get it shooting again until you cleaned it?

I find with mine that after a hard day's play there may be a little paint seepage into the back area. That has never affected the barrel's performance - its just been a cleaning issue (I have to make sure to clean it and reapply a little oil).

With yours, was the paint at the breech end or down at the middle of the barrel that it got in there? Was there a lot?

As for the issue of "flimsyness," that really is a subjective issue, and while it may have turned YOU off, it isn't really cause for dissing the product. I thought that the first time I saw one too, but I have since found its not an issue - at least not for me.

I'd be interested to hear more about your experience - I'm curious if it iwas a flawed unit, had a problem like a missing or damaged o-ring, user error, or what.

FatMan

[Jack & Coke]

The Freak has been out for how many years?

How many people have them? My guess is... a lot!

If the Freak's design is indeed flawed and all of the negative comments toymyster mentioned were prevalent, why hasn't this come up more often before? Especially when other insert systems did not exist...

Funny how when a new barrel copy-cat system comes out, all of the sudden the Freak "doesn't work" or is "flawed" or is "flimsy"...:rolleyes:

As I said before (in case you did not read): All of the top end barrel systems are very good (i.e. Freak, Equation, Sceptor, CP Kit, etc.)

The topic of this thread is NOT:

"Hey I bought an Equation, my barrel system is better than yours"

it is

"Freak all that bad?"

...and the answer is (IMHO): No, it is NOT ALL THAT BAD.

In a few weeks (after the holidays), I plan on bench testing out some equipment and documenting my comparisons... it should be fun!

[rdb123]

Originally posted by BajaBoy
ok guys.. are freaks all that bad? i just ordered a New SS freak with 14" AA front (whoel kit) for 195. im using a powereed Rt (halo hopper i it maters all that much) and cant forget lvlten.

i thought this barrel would be great

can i return it to paintball gear?

(i would get the J&J edge)

Why? What's wrong with it?

-Ron

[BajaBoy]

rdb, i was readin yesterday that the mag freak cut alot of paint. (where the insert/breech was).. gotta lil scared.

anyway im 100% happy with the freak now thank u all.

(i know between this freak thred and the halo thred i sound like a annoying noobie, sry i just didnt wanna get screwed over with the 300$ i spent)

[toymyster]

Fatman, the only problem was not that I had to take everything apart and clean it; the main problem was that I found the barrel system extremely inaccurate!! As I said before, my shot groups, even off of the bench, were pathetic!! I have used and tested many barrels, and accuracy wise, the Freak ranks in the bottom 5 barrels I have ever shot!!
And Jack & Coke, I never said mine is better than yours, I just said that my Equation set performes much better than my Freak set did!! Since I owned both and tested both off of the bench!!
I have not shot the J&J kit yet, but I am hearing good things about it, and would like to try it and see how it compares!!