Barrels ... pros and cons

[X Assassin]

I have an Inferno Terminator t3.. which comes with a 9" or 10" barrel. However my dad bought a 14" barrel for his and it shoots a lot further and more accurate. I was wonderin whether there was any negative side to having a longer barrel. The only thing i could think of is if there was a higher ball break % because theres more distance for the ball to travel down the gun.....


thx a lot


X-Assasin

 

[spyderflashlcd23]

a lot depends on bore size for accuracy, this is the end of the barrel, to get better accuracy you should have a better bore to paint match, this is why many people buy diffenent barrels and even a freak barrel set, you can look at the freak set at www.smartpartseurope.co.uk

 

[Beaker]

There will be no difference at all in range between a 14" and a 10" barrel.

As was said, accuracy is principly governed by how well the paint matches the barrels bore size (which is the internal diameter of the it).

Also - many after market barrels are just machined and finished to a higher standard so they help that way too.

 

[Jones the Paint Magnet]

Another thing to bear in mind is porting - if you have a 10 inch barrel with porting on the last 4 inches, then in effect you only have a 6 inch barrel, which isn't quite long enough for the paintball to get up to maximum acceleration - about seven inches unported length is the minimum.

Check out Tom's tech tips at Automags.org for some good research into barrels

 

[Billy No Mates]

i know what people say about barrel lengths not mattering as long as the paint match is good,
but regarless of the theory i think that my little 10" boomy, whilst accurate as hell for about 2 thirds of the distance 14 inch version of the same barrel with the same bore, with the same paint (same day).
it is only that, 2 thirds as accurate! beyond that its a wish and a prayer. and its not just me thats said it.

im like my physics, and i like my little boomy (barrel, your dirty minded ballers) but the fact is,
i still use my dye boomy, just cos it works for me.
But im also buying a Powerlyte Sceptor 14" to make tourney ball easier for myself.

 

[nandakjohwah]

longer barrels of course have more accuracy because the length guides the ball in that direction so it continues in the same directionf or some time when it leaves the barrel

usually you will see the best range/accuracy at 14" to 16"
most people use 10-12" just for mobility and the accuracy/range isnt too bad on 12"

14" is usually what most players buy

 

[TonyF]

Length sorta matters

A paintball needs 8-10" to reach the desired velocity. It then needs a further 2-4" for guidance, any longer will cause extra friction and therefore mean you r marker will be less efficient! You will need a to use more air to achieve the same velocity.
The best way to improve accuracy is a good paint to bore match.
Barrels longer than 14" only have one advantage, they are easier to aim, giving the illusion of more accuracy.
A good site to view on paintballs and barrels is http://www.ottersccustoms.com/basics.html
Hope that helps.

 

[nandakjohwah]

i cant find the interview with one of the head designers from dye, i believe it was at www.paintball.com

i think that the best material you can get for a barrel is titanium because its almost impossible to scratch the inside of the barrel. the machining of the barrel should make it extremely slick and accurate for your ball to travel.

 

[Dark Warrior]

So my 21" Sniper Barrel is a total waste then

 

[nandakjohwah]

18-21" will make a small difference in accuracy.. but ONLY if you have something to rest it on such as top of a bunker or bipod

otherwise it's goinna be horrible when it comes to stability