Freak sets , bolt upgrades and so on ,what does it mean.

[Bertz]

So I always see listing for freak sets , upgraded bolts and so on, so to someone starting out in paintball what does this mean,

Are freak sets compatible to all types of markers , or do you need to get a certain one for say a high end tourney marker ?
Do you take the set along with your marker to a walk on and then Do you have to size the freak to the size of the ball ? Not even sure this is correct

Bolt wise , do they improve the efficiency more and so on ? Worth the uprgrade .

Barrel backs ? Unsure what these do and also do you need certain ones to fit certain markers

Sorry if these questions are way of but hope you get my point .
Thanks guys

 

[Liam92]

Freak are a brand of barrel kit, and you can use a barrel kit on any gun so long as you have the right thread (most guns nowadays use autococker threads, but you still get tippmanns and such which have their own). You use barrel kits to improve air efficiency and to achieve a more consistent velocity. The best choice is a barrel size just a little smaller than the paintballs you are using on any given day, that gives the best mix of efficiency and consistency.

Bolt upgrades are generally no longer a big deal. It used to be a nice thing to get because stock bolts were often hard hitting on paint, chopped the next ball in the stack etc. However most guns nowadays no longer have these problems so buying upgraded bolts isn't really a big thing now. At most you may get a little noise reduction but I'd hardly say its worth the money in most cases.
Only recent exception is the 'IV Core' from planet eclipse, but that is actually upgrading the full system and not just the bolt.

barrel backs are just the same thing as barrel kits/freak inserts. You buy a particular brand of 'back' in whatever size you want, and then screw it on to the generic 'tip' which makes up the rest of the barrel. Obviously you can buy different size 'backs' and use it as a barrel kit as i described above.

 

[Bertz]

Thanks mate for answering all my questions , much appreciated.
Defiantly helps for the future

 

[Kevin Winter]

Can't add much to the above...I would just add that I find barrel kits a bit of a waste of money TBH. I use a .689 barrel for everything and have had almost no problems with accuracy.
I do have upgraded bolts on some of my markers, but that's only because they are older ones, newer markers come with excellent bolts and very few modern markers will benefit from any upgrading whatsoever. Except a sexy custom anno. Obviously, a sexy custom anno WILL make you a far better player

 

[Bolter]

Thanks mate for answering all my questions , much appreciated.
Defiantly helps for the future

As long as you are aware that any new part for a gun is referred to as an "upgrade" even if it makes your marker not work quite right again.