Unimpressed with the Freak system

[Bulldog]

Well for Christmas, my wife got me a full Freak sytem with the AA tip. The inserts seem to be out of alignment. Some of them it seems I can push into place so they look aligned more or less, but this isn't good for accuracy, which I must say, has been poor. I've heard of others with this problem.

Another thing I'm kind of annoyed by is the finish in the inside of the AA tip. It was like a mirror when first opened it, and now there's all these circular swirl marks down the inside length after one day of play. Anyway to remove these? Or is it just a poor finish?

So tell me AO, am I expecting too much for my 180 some odd dollars? Anyone else have similar dificulties? What did you do?

[cphilip]

Well first of all yes there has been some reports of miss aligned ones. Only thing to do is contact Smart Parts and get them to replace the back. That seemed to be the place it was.

Second I do not see swirl marks on mine but only after I clean it with a mixture of 50% Isoprop Alcohol and water. I do see it, or something like you describe, after play on EVERY barrel and its always been waxy mineral oily build up in my case. Either that miture of Alcohol and water of warm soapy water seems to be the only thing I can do to get that stuff out of mine.

But I have had four backs now and we have seveal in the club who have them and they do not have this either. No alignment problems in 8 sets we have seen here. But I have seen pictures of them. So I know they exist. If you can see a lip at all where the insert meets the base it is wrongly milled. A good one you can almost not see it at all. You should have to strain to see where the two meet and hold it just right in the right back light and then all you should see is the color change. A lip of any kind is not right.

I would give SP a call and tell em your problem. They have replaced the ones I have heard of.

[Bulldog]

Thanks for the quick an informative reply. I'll see about those marks now, and give Smart Parts a call tommorrow, hopefully their customer service has changed since the last time I called them. Though if they're replacing these for free, it probably has.

[ICOM]

get a sceptor :)

[Bulldog]

The thought has certainly crossed my mind.;)

[Kevmaster]

I had one on my Micro EMag year ago and it chopped paint like no other. tried 2 ss and 1 alum back, every insert and 3 tips. It just wouldnt stop chopping. I sent it to SP and they had it fora month and then sent it back saying its the gun's problem(even though in my letter to them, i told them if i put a SPAA single or Lapco on there I couldnt get thegun to chop). I called thme and they didnt take any responsibility. I then sold the thing and made most of my money back. stuck with my Lapco barrel and ive been happy ever since

[ghideon]

Personally, I think the Freak is overrated. I've borrwed a friend's set and wasn't impressed (there was nothing jaw dropping about it for $200). I've got a Lapco Bigshot, an older All-American and an Autospirit on the way. Wouldn't even have the AA if it wasn't given to me. I'm a recball player, so I get to match my paint beforehand. The two Lapcos are all I ever plan on buying. For about $50 a pop they cannot be beat. I just don't see what the hype is all about on barrel sets.

[Aiki]

I like my freak a lot. But I play at a ton feilds up and down the east coast. It is nice to be able to have the differant insterts to try to macth up the paint bore sizes.
Worr is coming out with a insert system for the cocker that looks like it would be nice. I think that they are haveing an insert that is even smaller than the freaks smallest insert.

It has been a great system for me. I also bought it used so it was only $75 with 2 backs and tips

[IcantBelieveit]

I have a freak and have had no problems what so ever. Of course i have not actually played with it. I only have shot a few hundres round through it

[tr0n]

My neighbor wants to get the freak for his Black Dragun Compact... I told him it's a waste of cash and to get a new gun first but he won't listen to me... The Spyder I own right now I have $300 into the gun (including a 14" CP) and I'm sure its about as accurate as you can get any low-end semi like this. You guys see what I'm saying, right? That these guns can only get so accurate before you over-do it with no performance improvement...

Another note is that we all use Super-Swirl when we cant go to the local field and get Steel Ball... And both of the paints are the same bore and perform almost exactly the same, and those are the ONLY two paints we all use, so I don't really see the need for a Freak kit anyway... Do you?

[IcantBelieveit]

well when you don't have enough cash to use the high end stuff at the field you have to use the freak so you can buy different types, of paint

[Aiki]

If you play with the same type of paint all of the time then the freak is not a as important. If you have "low-end marker" they have come out with a freak Jr. it is the same setup but with out all of the inserts. Like I said earlier I paly at so many differant fields with so many differant types of paints it a most valuable tool for me.

Like IcantBelieveit said if you can't afford the good paint you have the option of useing Econo paint. The only issue with that is that Econo paint in the box is never the same bore size so. To me always comes back to you shot what you like and stick with it.

[hitech]

Originally posted by tr0n
...I'm sure its about as accurate as you can get any low-end semi like this.

It is as accurate as any high-end semi also. Don't believe me? Think I'm crazy? Everyone knows that's not true?

Go to this link and read about vortex shedding (toward the end of the thread). Vortex shedding is the great equalizer when it comes to accuracy in paintball markers.

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=633436#post633436