Barrels???

[MrSnugglebumz]

Looking for a new barrel kit. So... Freak Kit... vs Empire Pipe barrel Kit???

OR.. what are you all using to fit barrels to paint that shoots darts?

Thanks all.

[MadPSIence]

Empire doesn't make the Pipe. Evil does, and it's fragile. If you want an extremely functional and well made kit I suggest an Empire 7/11 piece, Warped Sports Lucky 15 kit or a J&J Edge Kit. If you can't settle for function and need something fashionable or "agg" I suggest the Pipe kit, a freak kit, or blow a ton of money on Dye UL/Titanium backs and get a tip.

I use an Empire 7-piece kit myself and it's perfect in every way.

If you want something really light, Stiffi Switch. Great barrels made from CF.

[Automaggot68]

I use a CP one peice, and a Seven peice MacDev Matchstik kit.
They both shoot the same.
I pretty much use the MacDev kit so I can change barrel lengths on the fly.
I like both.
The matchstik looks cooler so I use it.

[chairman_mao]

IMHO kits are USELESS (save for those who play many event paint only events). I had a kit for about a year and I used the same back 97.4% of the time. Buy a nice single bore barrel that fits the paint you use or buy the barrel and fint paint you like. I use a DYE SS on my mag and I couldn't imagine any other barrel working as well.

I have heard great things about CP one pieces and J&J barrels.

I had a DYE UL when I had my newer mag and I HATED it. That's just my opinion

[68magOwner]

Im shooting the new J&J kit (the edge allstar or something), same great edge backs, but, new attractive front. It looks really nice, shoots great, was very cheap, is quiet, just, a great kit. Super durable as well, all of my equipment takes beatings, have dove on this thing and put it into the ground (only once, but still). Have never had any problems, works great, is sexy, and cheap, what more could you ask for.

[athomas]

Buy a large bore barrel in your favorite style or brand and you'll be good to shoot anything.

[BD_Paintball]

both are great. i got a pipe and like it. they are NOT fragile tips, just dont hold the end when u tighten it and u wont have any problems. the freak is also good if you like the look of the fream

[stop whining buy a mag]

The tip of the Pipe Kit is waffer thin (unless you get the Ultra Tip) but the quality and accuracy is unmatched. IMO they look pretty cool too. Unfortunately I sold both of mine. Still somewhat regret it.

The Freak has it's advantages. Once you get a kit, all you have to do is buy new backs if you get a new gun. Lots of options available and they are made with with good quality (SP and Quality in the same sentence?!?). The only complaint I've heard from people is the inserts bend (aluminum ones), but they must treat their gear pretty rough because I have two kits and no damaged inserts. If you're that afraid of destroying an insert than just buy SS inserts.

I've never shot a J&J Kit myself but a few guys at my home field have them and claim them to be the best bang for your buck. But, you really get what you pay for. They are a little cheaper than some of the other kits but most people say quality is excellent. I think this is more of a baller-on-a-budget kind of kit. IMO they don't look that great (tehy iss nott agg!), but aren't hideous.

The Stiffi Kit is debatable. I have one also and they are very quiet but have their disadvantages. You can only run a rubber squeegee through them and the backs are so short they can get stuck in gun bodies. I'm still not able to comprehend how a 1" bored back and 11" larger bored front can be as accurate as any other kit. IMO, they don't seem to be. Longer shots seem to drift off at longer distances.

I've heard mixed reviews about the Empire Kit. Quality seems to be a problem with some of them. A few people have complained of getting badly bored and threaded barrels while others have loved theirs. The only reason I mention these is because they are pretty cheap even for a 7 piece kit.

One piece barrels are generally junk, but the J&J one piec enad CP one piece have gotten good reviews.

Two piece barrels are probably your best bet if you have a budget to work with. You can get something like an SP All-American barrel and buy a Freak back later or you can get an Ultralite and eventually get a different sized back. I have a .688 Ultralite on my DM4 and I'm content with it. I generally shoot Blaze (~.687) but occasionally I have old paint left from FPO events ect that fit well inside my Ultralite too.

It just all comes down to how and what you play. If you play rec ball and buy Whitebox (or some other .689 paint) then you really only need a one piece barrel. If you tend to change paint brands (due to money reasons, what the store carries, or just preference) then get a two piece and grab another back later. If you play lots of Speedball (and maybe some tournies) then you'd probably want to grab a kit.

[duby]

if you are going to go with just one barrel, go with the Lapco Bigshot. i have on on my old M98, and whenever i shoot it i use it over the freak kit (which i use on the rest of my markers). Lapco makes a kit too, but buying a bigshot for bigger paint, and an autospirit for smaller paint would probably be cheaper. I think the freak kit is the best bet if you have multiple markers with different threads, its only like 25 for a used back on any of the BST's.

[warbeak2099]

As long as the back peice or insert is smooth and the bore is pretty accurate (.689 means .689, not .68991001106...), then one kit will shoot just as well as the other. I'm looking at either a J&J Edge or a Macdev Matchstick because they are both made by pretty reliable companies and they're inexpensive. I'm also looking a Powerlyte Scepter 3 bore kit since I found one for like $110.

[TheTramp]

My two picks for kits are the Freak and the Sanchez Machine SM1 kit.

Stop Whining basicly said all there needs to be said about the Freak. I agree with him completely.

If you don't think you'll ever need a different barrel thread then I suggest the SM1

http://www.sm1paintballbarrel.com/products/ViewItem.aspx?ItemID=1000

I don't have a million reasons why it's "better" than other kits, I just prefer it. It's strong, looks good, and has the same quality as the many other "good" kits.

[Death of Rats]

I have used both the freak and the stiffi kits and so far I like the freak more. I haven't done any in depth accuracy testing between the two so that hasn't been taken to far into consideration by me. What I do Know is my Stiffi back gets stuck almost every other time I use it. This has started to seriously get on my nerves so I have started moving over to the freak. I am constantly worried I am going to bend the backs when I use the little holes to get enough force to pull it off with the Stiffi.

Another thing, the freak feels like a stronger barrel when you see it and play with it but that is just personal opinion.

Freak inserts fit WWA phantom barrels as well.

So i choose freak.



On a lighter not all barrel threads should be Autococker threads. I know this will very likely never happen due to the drop in the barrel market but it really would make me a happier paintballer. I shoot 4 markers with autococker threads.