DYE Ultralight

[*KOMA*]

What is the realistic difference in performance between the 10' in, 12' in and 14'in barrels?

[xmetal2001]

Accuracy: None
Efficiency: longer is more efficent
Noise: Longer is quieter

[*KOMA*]

Ok, accuracy is VERY important for me {for everyone I'm sure}. Now {prepare for a stupid question} what exactly do you mean by "efficiency"?

[jdhogg]

Efficiency: longer is more efficent

are you sure about that? i thought since the ball has less friction exiting a shorter barrel, it woudlnt need as much power to shoot the ball at the same velocity as opposed to a longer barrel. therefore requiring less air pressure. so wouldnt a shorter barrel be more efficient?

[Dirge]

In theory (for pnumatics) a ball is constantly accelerating down the tube. A short tube = more gas needed to have the same velocity as a longer tube. It works this way with firearms and I can't see a big difference. The thing I don't know is how long can one go before it becomes useless ( a .22 only needs about 9". At 20" it starts to decelerate).

Sorry, new to air tech, old to gun tech.

[BlackVCG]

8.5" to 10" is the required length for optimal acceleration for paintball flight. Longer length is needed if you're running a lower ball pressure than the Mag. The Mag is ~60psi behind the ball.

The 2-piece barrels like the Ultralite have a 6" control bore. This means you're wasting a bit more gas to accelerate the ball to 300fps. The different lengths of the Ultralite really only affect the sound and give you a bit longer length for wrapping up against air bunkers.

In theory (for pnumatics) a ball is constantly accelerating down the tube. A short tube = more gas needed to have the same velocity as a longer tube. It works this way with firearms and I can't see a big difference. The thing I don't know is how long can one go before it becomes useless ( a .22 only needs about 9". At 20" it starts to decelerate).

Sorry, new to air tech, old to gun tech.

[Blazestorm]

btw I weighed my friend's UL Today.

UL - 4.5 OZ, 130 Grams
Kaner - 5 OZ, 145 Grams

Both 14"

[jwalker87]

it takes 8-10 inches for the ball to accellerate, and then between 2-4 inches to act as a guide for the paintball (accuracy). Therefore, you want a barrel between 10 and 14 inches. I have a 14" because it's about the same length as my qloader, so it doesn't stick out unneccesarily. I think between 10 and 14", it's all personal preference.

[*KOMA*]

Perfect, I just ordered one from paintballgear.com. They have a 10'in on clearnce for $36. I'm currently using an Armson, back in 93 when I started playing, Armson was the funk. But, atleat now, it's really underperforms.

[AGDlover]

ya it takes 8inches to fully pick up speed then the rest is keepin it quiet and i have a UL and i hope ya like it i love mine

[dawump]

Important note. When discussion efficiency, the effective length of the barrel is the lenght NOT including porting. We could go into another long discussion about what porting does.. but amoung the things it's said to do are:

- make the marker more quiet
- soften the pressure difference between the paintball in the barrel and out of the barrel

Keith

[AGDlover]

really what a longer barrel does is increace accuracy over a longer distance

[dawump]

really what a longer barrel does is increace accuracy over a longer distance

Really? Must be by magic then, 'cause it's not by physics.

Keith

[jwalker87]

over a longer distance? what? The benefit of a longer barrel is simply that there is more of a guide for the paintball. It gives the paintball more time to stabilize out, so that when it exits the barrel it will go in a straight line (or a parabola, for all you physics freaks).

[dawump]

over a longer distance? what? The benefit of a longer barrel is simply that there is more of a guide for the paintball. It gives the paintball more time to stabilize out, so that when it exits the barrel it will go in a straight line (or a parabola, for all you physics freaks).

.. right, but the trouble is that people therefore think that a 16" barrel is better than a 14" barrel but both are way beyond the point at which a barrel affects accuracy.

I think a famous person ( could it have been Tom Kaye? ) that as far as accuracy goes, a paintball gets all the balance it needs in 8 inches.

Keith