Paintball

[PJ]

So far I like the Freak system on my Phantom, but I wish I had the stainless steel inserts instead of the aluminum ones. I can see the aluminum ones getting dinged up easily if one's not careful with them.

Finding paint to fit the existing barrel on this gun will be tough, unless I let the paint get wet and expand (bore is about 0.691-0.694 ID, just guessing). Even if I could match the paint to this bore, I tend to bring many different guns to use at scenarios, meaning I would have to buy many different brands of paint for all my guns. I'd rather get one paint that fits several of my guns and use inserts or detents on the ones that the paint is too small for. It's cheaper in the long run (as long as I don't buy many more new-to-me guns!).

[3022]

Originally Posted by PJ

Finding paint to fit the existing barrel on this gun will be tough, unless I let the paint get wet and expand (bore is about 0.691-0.694 ID, just guessing). Even if I could match the paint to this bore, I tend to bring many different guns to use at scenarios, meaning I would have to buy many different brands of paint for all my guns. I'd rather get one paint that fits several of my guns and use inserts or detents on the ones that the paint is too small for. It's cheaper in the long run (as long as I don't buy many more new-to-me guns!).

I think that it is not so complycated. Most of cheap onepiece aftermarket barrels have medium internal diameter (.689") what is good for a large number of good-class paint brands (RPS Marbalizers, Zap Chronics, Draxxus Hellfire, Severe Cyclone) and in reallity, they are very good. Many peoples are well-content with his Smartparts Teardrops or J&J Ceramics and they are manufactured for many markers. And especially when you have many guns it is imho a lot better to buy for them "only" decent onepiece barrels for 35$.

By the way, I own now 17 or 19 markers and Barrel kit or Freak I don't have on single and for all I use RPS Marbalizers or Zap Chronics 420 Gold preferably.

[PJ]

I typically use RPS Marbs myself, but with the new gun (#17), the bore is SO huge they roll out (as reported in post #1 of this thread). Usually Marbs are a good bet for me, overall, but I do have rollouts some of the older guns (depending on the weather). I only have a few guns with removable barrels (or barrels where they still have replacements out on the market) and I'd like to keep the number of barrels down to a minimium. However, I may have to go with a few barrels for some of the guns.

[3022]

To be honest, ten from my guns has integral barrels :-) PGPs/ZGPs/P68/3357.

[Gabe]

Originally Posted by 3022

I do not like Freak. To expensive, to complycated. Silly, weak, tiny inserts. To many places for dirt or inaccuracies. Imho is a lot better to have two or three good inepiece barrels with different internal diametres, or something like Empire barrel kit with full-sized barrel backs.

But If you can choose your own paint (FPO limits), there is no need of these toys. Simply get one good barrel with medium bore diameter and good paint for it.

Have you ever actually owned a Freak set? I've got one, and all of the points you bring up are not problems at all.

If you have the case that comes with the set,and you don't leave the inserts laying around then you are fine as far as dented/bent inserts go. As for too complicated, it hardly is. How can 2 large and one small aluminum piece threaded together be complicated? It's really hard to call a barrel complicated when it sits on top of a 'cocker. The gas efficiency, even with the short inserts is the same as any other one-piece barrel I've got on my other guns. The advantage to having the Freak is that you don't have to monkey with different one-piece barrels. You just buy a $20 back for each gun you have and you're set.

I've had my set for two years and havent had a single problem whatsoever. I highly recommend the Freak.

[3022]

Originally Posted by Gabe

If you have the case that comes with the set,and you don't leave the inserts laying around then you are fine as far as dented/bent inserts go. As for too complicated, it hardly is. How can 2 large and one small aluminum piece threaded together be complicated? It's really hard to call a barrel complicated when it sits on top of a 'cocker.

Im design engineer by profesion, so I like the things simple. The entire basic idea or Freak is simply to complycated and dumb for me - why at all have some dumb tiny inserts? Why do not have the entire onepiece, full-sitzed barrel backs with other diametres???????????????? The only reason can be the manufacturing price, but in reality, the difference will be not big here (if you will not have 10 different diametres, what is useless idiocy in paintball real world) and finally, the entire Freak sets are comonly even so expensive as many "full" barrel kits... or even more (at least in my country).

I have seen Freak and that has been enough for me. No, thank you.

But if you have other feeling, it is no problem for me. Everybody has right on your own option.

[3022]

And by the way, the efficiency of Freak can be not equal as in case of good onepiece barrel, because he has 6" (I think) effective barrel lenght. When you have good paint to barrel match, the 9" onepiece barrel will be more efficient, for most of markers, that is as plain as a day.

[Brewtt]

Originally Posted by 3022

And by the way, the efficiency of Freak can be not equal as in case of good onepiece barrel, because he has 6" (I think) effective barrel lenght. When you have good paint to barrel match, the 9" onepiece barrel will be more efficient, for most of markers, that is as plain as a day.

I'd have to agree... Lapco one-piece "gun drilled" barrels FTW!

Info on Lapco's barrel making process.

http://www.lapco.us/faq/make_barrels.html

[DarkNinja]

Quoted from Lapco

"So next time
one of your friends asks you why you don't have fruity colorful pipe on the end your gun you can tell them 'I want to hit what I'm
aiming at, every time.' "

Lol!

Personaly i had really good luck with an older glued 16" SP AA on my spyder but thats going to be an as-is/used thing now and you never know what your getting. I like the freak i have on my cocker but the fact that the inserts slide out while i squege is iritating. If you already have the inserts i vote to just get the back.

[SpinDoctor15]

My vote goes to the one-piece Dye Boomstick (no one's mentioned it yet?). I always have a supply of these puppies for different markers, and it's the one barrel I can count on working ALL the time. The older, glued one-piece ones are the only ones I've owned, and they've never let me down. I have had extremely good success with it on an Autococker, Intimidator, Viking, Impulse, Phantom, and my Bob Long Millennium (Spyder clone). All worked with extremely accuracy and they look great too! Don't go for the knock-off boomsticks (3A paintball, JT, etc.), get the real deal used on PBNation, should be able to find one for $30-40, much cheaper than their $110 retail! 14" is a good length, although most of the ones I buy tend to be 14"-18." Length doesn't matter much past 10", it just looks really intimidating!