Elite Paintball Guns

I’m not too familiar with the White Wolf Airsmithing Justice Barrel, but of what I hear it is an excellent alternative to the Smart Parts barrels when using freak inserts. You know what the deal with the inserts is – you get great versatility when it comes to bore sizes. What’s great about this barrel is that it is one piece. Usually with two piece barrels, when you’re unscrewing them the front will come unscrewed from the back and then you’ll be stuck with the back still on the marker. That’s obviously not a problem when you have a one piece barrel. Or there are players that just don’t like two piece barrels, that’s when this one comes in handy, too. The thing is just as accurate as a Smart Parts barrel, only it comes at nearly half their price. It is pretty light and quiet too and I think you’re gonna like it. Here’s the given information about it:

“One piece barrel that accepts Freak inserts. Threaded for Autococker and Spyders.”

On the downside – it’s a one piece barrel and you don’t have the option to change lengths. Also, if a break happen, this barrel is kinda hard to clean. Somehow the paint gets stuck in it and is hard to take out. Strangely this doesn’t affect the curacy too much. Just keep shooting. It’s a good barrel and for the price of only about $45 I think it’s a pretty good deal too. If you can’t afford any of the more expensive barrels go for this one. You won’t regret it.

Whoever owns this barrel kit will tell you that it’s nothing but great. For those of you who don’t like one piece barrel – this is not the kit for you, but for those on the opposite opinion – keep reading. What you’ll get if you choose this kit are 3 one piece barrels with the most common bore sizes. Some players complain that 3 bore sizes are not enough, but trust me it’s plenty. The barrels are extremely accurate, extremely light and quiet. And on top of that they look awesome. I won’t talk about breaking paint because it’s a barrel kit after all. If you’re breaking paint you’re not using the right bore. Anyway just for the sake of mentioning this is one of the easiest barrels to clean – just shoot through the break couple of times and you’ll be fine. The porting is slightly angled so it also cleans pretty easy after a break. Here’s some info and we’ll move on:

“The Lucky 15 Barrel Kit features three featherlight, one piece aluminum barrels; a .685 for small bore paint, .689 for medium bore paint, and .693 for large bore paint, at one affordable price.

Each barrel is 15 inches long, the perfect length for any player at any position. The barrels come in a stylish case, embossed with the Dark Series logo on the hard molded -plastic outer shell, which zips closed. Inside the case is a soft, cloth lining and three slots to hold each barrel.
Available in a wide variety of thread styles.”

All 3 barrels come in the same length – 15in. It’s somewhat unusual length, but in my opinion it’s just perfect. No more hesitation whether to get the 14in or 16 in – get the one in the middle. And for easy carrying you get a case that is just as good. Barrel kits are usually pricy, but this one comes at some very reasonable price – according to me anyway. You can find it for about $120, which for the quality you’re getting, is a pretty good deal. In the end it’s up to you, but I don’t think you’ll regret if you decide to buy this product.

I’m not too fond of the Viewloader VL Barrel. It has some qualities worth mentioning, but overall I suggest you look for something else. It somewhat nice looking, but of course that’s a matter of personal taste. Some people hate the shiny silver part as it gives out your position easily. The performance level is just ok – to be honest I’ve seen better performance from some of the cheaper barrels. It shoots straight and has pretty good range, but expect curves and drops from time to time. It’s pretty light, but not one of the quietest barrels out there. It tends to break paint a lot even if you match bore to paint correctly and once you break a ball be ready to squeegee or your next 10 shots will be just waste of paint. Here’s some info about it:

12″ Fluted And Ported Barrel Custom Clear Coated Anodized Aluminum The VL Barrel fits the VL Genesis, Brass Eagle Avenger, and Spyder Paintball Markers

Another thing we can put as a downside is the limitation of the length choice. You can get the thing in only 12in which for some is ok, but many people find it too short. Also it’s not the most durable barrel out there. It dents and scratches easily and you have to be extra careful with it to keep it in good condition. Prices vary. You can find the VL barrel in the range of $20 to $50. In my opinion – even $20 is too much for it. There’s so much choice out there – don’t waste money on this one.

The UPZ Gladius is one of the cheaper barrels on the barrel market. It costs only about $20, but is actually pretty good when it comes to performing. Sure, there are way better barrels out there, but for a price like that you can’t really expect the best. Let’s start with the looks – in my opinion it is one pretty good looking barrel. As far as I know you can get it in 12in and 14in and in over 20 different colors and designs. This is probably the biggest color choice you’ll ever get when looking for a barrel. As far as the performance go – it’s pretty accurate too. Also fairly quiet and pretty light. It’s not really paint picky, as long as you match bore to paint right. It’s a mid range bore so you won’t have problems finding paint for it. here’s some info about it and we’ll move on:

“This barrel is professionally designed & manufactured using only top quality machining techniques. Utilizing ultra light weight aluminum & an accuracy improving upgrade over your stock barrel.

These barrels come in over 20 different colors incljuding the Tribal design, two tone, and single color. The threads are available for Ion, Autococker, and Spyder Threaded Guns”

As I said you can’t really expect miracles from a $20 barrel, so don’t get frustrated if a ball breaks from time to time. Or some strange curves happen – it’s normal. And don’t expect to shoot through breaks – carry a squeegee by all means. Overall I can say this is one ok barrel. if you can spend more money on something better – do it. If you can’t, the Gladius is a pretty good choice.

Most of the same priced barrel systems I’ve reviewed so far have been very similar to each other – having pretty much the same advantages and disadvantages. Now it’s time for something different – the Longbow. What makes it different from the others is the so called Hardbore finish. All the other barrels on the market today are micro-horned (which is like sanding the inside of the barrel) this process leave small imperfections in the metal that eventually produce friction and hold paint so the barrel gets extremely hard to shoot completely clean. The Hardbore process leaves absolutely no imperfections in the metal. It also makes the bore stronger and resistant to scratches and wearing out, prolonging its life. So if until now we’ve talked about “accuracy” the Longbow takes that word to the next level. The barrel also self cleans extremely easy – you just shoot a couple of times through the break and it is back to being perfect. It’s also light and quiet – absolutely anything you’ll expect from a high end barrel. What follows is some information about the Longbow and I advise you go through it:

“The Longbow is a two piece interchangeable barrel system that has patent pending Hardbore Finish, the smoothest, hardest barrel finish available. Bases are made out of Titanium,Stainless Steel, And Aluminum, and currently come in .684, .687 & .690 bore sizes. Tips are 10″, 12″, 14″ & 16″ and come in a variety of colors.
•    Hardbore Finishing, a patent pending technology developed by Q&L Engineering, enables the Longbow to outperform other barrels. The Hardbore finishing technique leaves the bore up to 6 times smoother and 30% harder than even the best micro honed barrels.
•    A smoother finish allows more consistent velocity, better accuracy, less ball breakage and the ability to shoot clean significantly faster than other barrels.
•    The Hardbore finish leaves the metal case hardened so unlike plated or Teflon treated barrels the finish will never flake, chip, or wear off. It is the most durable bore of any barrel, resisting the fine scratches that accumulate over time and rob a barrel of performance.
•    The control bore is made of titanium. It is stronger than steel but nearly half the weight, making it an ideal material for use in the Longbow barrel.

The only downside of this barrel is its price. The entire system can get up to $240, which makes it one of the priciest barrels systems on the market for now. You can of course get one complete barrel for $80 and with the time get the rest of the backs, but the price will be just as high. If you can afford it though – this is as good as it gets in the world of barrels – go for it without any hesitation.

For the Tippmann owners that can’t afford any of the Flatline systems, or just don’ like their looks, Tippmann made the Werks. The Works is a normal barrel system coming at a medium price and performing pretty well for the money. The barrel shoots accurate, it’s fairly light and although it’s not the quietest out there it significantly reduces the noise in comparison with a stock barrel. It’s one piece barrel and you get the most popular 12in, 14in and 16in and a single bore size. If you match the paint to bore right you won’t have problems with breaks. The barrel is not paint picky, but the quality paint will shoot better. Here’s some basic info bout it:

Solid one piece aluminum construction
Machined from 1” barrel stock
Honed & polished to perfection
Large multi holed muzzle break to reduce noise & increase accuracy
The only barrel created exclusively for the needs of Tippmann markers
Each barrel is hand checked for quality & fit.
Each barrel is individually pack to insure against shipping damage

I don’t know of any major problems that this barrel may cause. It’s even easy to clean. It won’t shoot through breaks, but the squeegee will do just fine. The only thing you may not like is the shiny finish. You don’t have a choice for colors or anything so if you worry that the chrome may give out your position you better look for something else. About the price – you can get the barrel for about $50 which is not bad at all in my opinion. You get good performance for good amount of money. Consider the pros and cons and decide for yourself.

The Tippmann Sniper Barrel – I can’t really call it a sniper barrel since it is only 12in long, but hey that’s its name. It’s one of the cheaper Tippmann products, but as usual cheaper means not very good. I’m really not impresses with this thing. You’ll read all kind of praises about it, but it’s really not too much different from an ordinary $35 barrel – it shoots accurate, but that’s pretty much it. It’s not very quiet; it’s relatively hard to clean; you get one length and one bore size and that’s it. I don’t know why people put it over some of the other similarly prices barrels – it’s just the same. The only reason to buy it is if you can’t afford to get something pricier and better. Even then I don’t recommend it over the others. It’s a matter of personal preference whether you’ll get the Tippmann Sniper or any other $35 barrel. If you like it – go for it, just don’t expect it to be brilliant or better than the others, you’ll be disappointed. in the end here’s the manufacturer’s description about it for those who are interested:

“The GTA 12″ sniper barrel is shorter for those who like to keep their gun length shorter. It is used for extreme accuracy, and is honed smooth to ensure effortless ball travel and increase consistancy between shots.”

The advantages of the Flatline System for the M98 Custom will far outweigh the disadvantages for most recreational players. We already went through the things you get from a Flatline barrel in comparison to a normal barrel, but for those who haven’t read the previous review here they are again. First of you get more distance because of the back spin the Flatline is designed put on the paintball, then you get amazing accuracy partly because of the flat trajectory, but also because that’s what the barrel’s designed for. The thing is also pretty efficient. Here’s some info about it:

“The Flatline Barrel System is the first barrel to put back spin on paintballs. It not only increases accuracy and distance, but it also has a flat trajectory.”

And again the things half the people claim as downsides: you need to get used to the barrel – it’s different, it’s heavier so it will take some time to get used to that, it’s louder than most of the barrels out there. It’s hard to install on the gun and then it takes a lot of tweaking to adjust the settings. It’s kinda paint picky – it likes high quality paint and really hates the low quality one. It’s kinda of a pain to clean because of the rough inside finish – regular squeegees won’t do. On top of that it’s pricy – it costs about $120, but trust me it’s absolutely worthy. Theirs is a reason for it to be one of the highly appreciated barrels out there. If you’re scared from all the “downsides” find a way to test it first and then decide whether to get it or not.

Tippmann reviews are gonna be a challenge for me, because I’m not a big fan, but I’ll try and stay as objective as I can. I’ll start with the A-5 Flatline which is one of the most popular barrels out there. It’s also pretty controversial, having plenty of ups and downs, but overall people like it and I’ll try to help you figure out why. The biggest advantage of this barrel over the others is the back spin that it puts on the paintballs. The backspin gives you some extra distance, for those who wonder what it does. It also affects the accuracy and the Flatline will probably be one of the most accurate barrels you’ll ever shoot. The flat trajectory is also something that differs this barrel from all the others out there – it takes some getting used to, but it’s really great – you just aim and the ball goes exactly where you want it to. The thing is very efficient due to its short length (about 10in) and lack of porting. Here’s the manufacturer’s description about it:

“The Flatline Barrel System is the first barrel to put back spin on paintballs. It not only increases accuracy and distance, but it also has a flat trajectory.”

Don’t think there are no downsides though – some may not seem so important, but they’re definitely worth mentioning. For starters – the barrel is loud. And I mean that – so take it under consideration before getting it. It’s also pretty hard to clean. To create a greater backspin the A-5 Flatline is rougher on the inside, so you will need a swab squeegee to do a quick field clean, others will simply not work. The barrel is pretty paint picky – even if you match the paint to the bore right you can get breaks. Try as much paint as you can and find the one that works best with you barrel. Another something that’s very important for not breaking paint is the speed that you set the Flatline to – it’s individual for every gun and barrel, so do some testing and find the one your barrel likes. That’s pretty much everything there is to be said. The barrel is priced for about $100, which is not a small price to pay. Getting the A-5 Flitline is very personal choice. Many people won’t like it, because of all the downsides mentioned, but in my opinion they’re pretty well compensated of the extra distance, the accuracy and the flat trajectory you’re getting out of it. I’m really not a Tippmann fan, but I can’t deny the qualities of the Flatline. I think it’s worth the money asked for it, but again it’s you who’s making the purchase.

Yet another barrel I’m not too familiar with, but let’s give it a chance shall we. The thing goes at a price in the low end of the chart and unfortunately I can’t say its performance level is any higher. To make that clearer – the barrel costs $35 and performs just like a barrel for $35. It’s kinda dull looking (in my opinion anyway), no porting, single length (12in), single bore size (.689) – nothing too charming about it. It shoots fairly accurate, but the lack of porting and its short length make it pretty air efficient. It is not paint picky, but you have to match the paint to the bore right. It cleans well after you squeegee it (won’t self clean). It’s pretty light and balances well on the gun. Here’s some manufacturer’s info about it:

“The Stryker 12in carbon fiber is ideal for both tournament and scenario players alike. This barrel features an ultra light carbon fiber matte finish and provides increased accuracy without the added weight. It is designed to fit most markers in the industry today and includes a 2in adaptor to make it even more universal.”

On the other side – the thing is kinda loud, which is understandable again because of the lack of porting. It really isn’t the most accurate barrel out there. Also add some of the things I mentioned above, so I won’t have to repeat myself and you get a normal $35 barrel. The only reason to like it is the price. Still, even for that money you can get something better, trust me. There’s so much barrel choice out there it will make your head spin. Do some more searching and I’m sure you’ll find something better. It’s a nice try for Stryker, but there’s definitely room for improvement.