Barrels and Porting

[Jasonl619]

Does it really matter if the barrel you use is ported or not? Has anybody ever tested this with two barrels of the same length on the same gun with a ported and non ported barrel of the same bore size? I would appreciate any feedback if possible.

[shartley]

Yes it matters, but probably not how you think. Porting reduces report (sound). It also makes you use more gas to propel the ball at the same speed as an unported barrel of the same length. But two barrels of the same length and bore size will have the same accuracy and distance given the balls leave the barrel at the same speed. It just takes more gas to do so with a ported/more ported barrel.

[tae]

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[hardr0ck68]

another thing to note, common 2 peice barrels also consume more gas as the second half is generally an increased bore size (generally along the lines of .69 or larger) which allows more air to blow past the ball. I have never understood why highly ported 2 peice barrels are all the rage, even among the efficency crowd.

For me, im thinkin Lapco from now on.

[slateman]

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[Jasonl619]

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I need to start looking there first when I have a question.

Thanks for the replies.

[ThePixelGuru]

I've heard some suggestions that porting helps because the air in front of the ball has more ways to exit, therefore there's less air to push down the barrel ahead of the ball than there would be without porting... Not sure how accurate that is, though. Seems to me if you just hacked off the ported part of the barrel, the air that occupies that space in front of the marker has lots of places to go...

There are a couple problems with not porting a barrel, though. First and foremost, noise. Since all the air is coming out the front of the barrel and the ball is "popping" out of there without any porting/venting before that, it makes a lot more noise than if the air could escape gradually over a greater area. The other problem related to this is that some people suspect that "pop" might screw with the path of the ball, causing it to go in a direction that's not quite right. This was the theory behind AGD's crown point barrels, which had triangular holes in them to, in theory, ease the ball in trasition from the moving air in the barrel to the stagnant air outside.

Of course, this stuff's all a ***** to measure, so it's all theory and going with what seems to work. Personally I use a J&J 14" Ceramic. About 4" of it are ported, which leaves 10" effective length and helps ease the ball into the air. I think. Shoots pretty well, though.

[tae]

I need to start looking there first when I have a question.

I think that asking is always good, its gets answers faster. You can search all you want for info want and still not get what you need to know. I put that up there as a starting point for any more info you want to ask about. That whole "no stupid questions, just stupid answers" thing.

Im just glad I could help someone nice

[Jaan]

...The other problem related to this is that some people suspect that "pop" might screw with the path of the ball, causing it to go in a direction that's not quite right. This was the theory behind AGD's crown point barrels, which had triangular holes in them to, in theory, ease the ball in trasition from the moving air in the barrel to the stagnant air outside.

I've actually turned up the velocity so high that the balls burst as they were leaving the end of the barrel and hitting the air mass. Sometimes they would make it two or three inches before disintegrating (c:

[siloseven]

I know barrels are freaky!

Tom's tech tips are good things to know, but I don't think they are 100% correct. look at HammerHead barrels, I have one and they shoot the best I have ever seen, but according to TomsTech, that shouldn't happen.

and I have a barrel from years past. I baught it 7 years ago for my tippmann prolite which needless to say couldn't shoot straight to save its life, I had a guy try and sell me a $120 dye barrel and it shot ,ok at best, i put this opne cheap 12in heavy barrel on it and it shot better then anything I have seen... EVER!

and the porting isn't that much, maybe 3 sets of 8 holes 3 times and pretty small at thet. I have a dye, has the biggere hols and supposed to be the best according to everyone that has them, compared to my boblong assassens barrel it blows monkey! the boblong out shoots it on every marker I have has less and smaller porting, and is about the same reporeand cost half as much. and the bobnlong out shoots the SP progressive I have as well on every marker I have.

I herd that porting also helps ballance the air infront of and behind the ball for an even spred of the perssure.

best thing is to try before oyu buy and use what works.

[UTDragun]

I know barrels are freaky!

Tom's tech tips are good things to know, but I don't think they are 100% correct. look at HammerHead barrels, I have one and they shoot the best I have ever seen, but according to TomsTech, that shouldn't happen.

I believe that Tom just proved that it doesnt spin enough to make it similiar to real guns. IIRC Hammerhead says that the rifling stabilizes ball and equalizes the force behind it. Not to sure on this, but there has been a thread or two where Hammerhead got shot down.

and I have a barrel from years past. I baught it 7 years ago for my tippmann prolite which needless to say couldn't shoot straight to save it s life, I had a guy try and sell me a $120 dye barrel and it shot ,ok at best, i put this opne cheap 12in heavy barrel on it and it shot better then anything I have seen... EVER!

and the porting isn't that much, maybe 3 sets of 8 holes 3 times and pretty small at thet. I have a dye, has the biggere hols and supposed to be the best according to everyone that has them, compared to my boblong assassens barrel it blows monkey! the boblong out shoots it on every marker I have has less and smaller porting, and is about the same reporeand cost half as much. and the bobnlong out shoots the SP progressive I have as well on every marker I have.

First, what?
Second, how do you mean it out shoots another?


I herd that porting also helps ballance the air infront of and behind the ball for an even spred of the perssure.

best thing is to try before oyu buy and use what works.

[ThePixelGuru]

I herd that porting also helps ballance the air infront of and behind the ball for an even spred of the perssure.

If that was true, the ball wouldn't move.