What Barrel is This?

[The Dawg]

I walked into a gun store this morning and there was a discount table-o-crap at the front of the store. I gave it a quick once over, as is tradition, and found a twist lock barrel for $1! It looks to be in really good shape, only two minor scratches. The bore has lines in it. I tried to take a picture, but its not amazing. It could possibly be rifling, but it does not rotate like on an actual rifle. What did I buy?

[SummaryJudgement]

I believe they were called "Straight-shots", but can't think of manufacturers name.

[Nobody]

I think it was thunderpig made them.

[BigEvil]

I think it was thunderpig made them.

Yup. They were/are all over ebay.

[Cyco-Dude]

nods...aci trueflight straight-rifled barrel. if you needed a twistlock barrel, i guess you can't complain for $1!

[The Dawg]

Reminds me of super smash tv. Anyways why advantage could straight rifling possibly have? Besides wasting air at an unadulterated speed?

[Nobody]

Its the same reasoning on Hammerhead barrels, or Armson spiral rifling, or even SP's spiral porting to give it that twist. The only thing i can think of is that you are trying to stabilize the ball so that its not bouncing around in the bore, with old or even varying sized paint. Don't know, but for $1, you can send it to someone who pays shipping and still make money.

[Frizzle Fry]

CMI Thunderpig. Used to use them on VMs all the time.

[The Dawg]

I went out and test fired it with some old paint. It was actually shooting lasers. Well the single trigger classic valve equivalent of lasers, but you know what I mean.

[athomas]

Theory would indicate that the straight rifling would hold the ball in place while keeping the surface area of the ball from making full contact with the sides of the barrel. That would keep the ball from getting induced spin and allow it to fly straighter.

[Cyco-Dude]

Theory would indicate that the straight rifling would hold the ball in place while keeping the surface area of the ball from making full contact with the sides of the barrel. That would keep the ball from getting induced spin and allow it to fly straighter.

or, it would just allow more air to bypass the ball thus reducing efficiency, and allowing paint a place to collect in the event of a barrel break lol.

[brokeass_baller]

I wouldn't exactly call it rifling. They don't really seem to hold the paintball the same way rifling should. Plus they're pretty small bore barrels.

But anyway, I bought one of these for a Spyder WAY back in the day for like $10. I loved it. I loved it so much in fact, that I bought one for my first Mag when I eventually upgraded gear. Only stopped using it because I eventually bought a Freak kit. They're fantastic little barrels. Definitely better than people give them credit for.

[athomas]

or, it would just allow more air to bypass the ball thus reducing efficiency, and allowing paint a place to collect in the event of a barrel break lol.

Yeah, all valid points. But if you look at the ideal barrel id, it is only touching on two points opposite each other which would cause the same inefficiency. One could argue that the reduction in contact surface area and resulting reduction in friction offsets some of the inefficiencies. Paint goo in the barrel due to a barrel break increases the friction and causes spinning of the ball. So, theoretically, the ridges would prevent some of that as well which would result in straighter shots in all conditions.

[ghost flanker]

Um, I'm gonna go with either useless gimmick or unfounded cash-grab.

[athomas]

Um, I'm gonna go with either useless gimmick or unfounded cash-grab.

Actually, these have some merit, unlike the spiral rifling we've seen in the past. I'd actually like to see a real controlled test on these barrels. It would be interesting to see the results.