Paintball

[Mann]

Alright so I am tired of always hearing that barrel X is better than Y. I have decided to try to test out most of the top barrels against each other to see if there is a difference, and try to determine what barrel is "The Best"

So far I have aquired ~ 30 different barrel kits/barrels. Ill include a list later, but here is a pic of some of them.



The gun will be setup in a vice. It will be shot ~60 ft (I havent decided a firm distance and am open to suggestions)

The shots will hit a piece of paper ~ 36" X 24-30" Ideally the paintball will go through the paper without breaking, and hit a sheet which will catch unbroken paintballs for later practices (the paint will not be used twice). Each shot will be measured on an x y axis to the nearest 1/4".

Each barrel/insert will have ~ 20 shots of 5 different types of paint. The types of paint will be PMI Stinger, DXS Rec Sport, Xball Gold, Diablo Heat, and Reballs (the real ones), and RPS Marbs (A HUGE THANKS TO p_aint_fun on AO for donating 2 cases)

For each shot the velocity will be recorded with 2 chronographs, and a radar gun (the red chrono was calibrated within the last year, and I have tuning forks to tune the radar gun with) the yellow cheap chrono is just that. I want to see how far off of what I call correct it is. The marker will be reset to 280 fps with each barrel. The velocity will be adjusted in accordance to AGD specs.

The maximum sound level of each shot will also be recorded for each shot (just because im intersted to see what barrel is quieter than another.) The results for this will be the percent of noise reduction. A baseline for each barrel will be determined by dry firing.

I am also taking the internal diameter of each barrel/insert to also see how close of tolerances each companies hold their products to. The actual/specified diameters, and the weight of each barrel will be recorded. some of them are What little experience I have in manufacturing/process the percent error just would not fly.

all measurements will be recorded with calibrated equipment. All barrel dimensions/weights will measured with nist calibrated calipers/ scales

I know that paint is not perfectly spherical that is the reason that paintballs do not go straight. It will be very hard to determine if the barrel is causing the inaccuracy or if the paint is causing it (the majority will probally be the paint). I am going to do my best to get a range of paint therfore eliminating that problem.

I have seen barrel companies state that our barrel is better than theirs because here is our shot pattern and here is the competion's shot pattern; and ours is a tighter pattern therefore a more accurate barrel. For anyone that is looking to purchase a paintball barrel that is smart enough to research their purchase i would like to provide data/reason to purchase one barrel over another. I have no ties with any barrel company, and would consider this a blind test.

I know that probally over of 50% of players will still go get a 24" barrel thinking that it will be a sniper. This test is not for those players. At the least this will let me know personally which barrel is best for me. My personal oppinion is that the gun/barrel is alot less the problem as it is the person.

Another difference in different barrel kits is the tolerance levels that the company holds. If I buy a kit with X number of inserts that are a certain size I expect the inserts to be exactly what is listed on them. I dont want a kit that jumps around. If thats the case there is no point of owning a barrel kit we should all just buy a piece of .75" of pipe, and tape it to our guns.
/end sarcasim

Given Diameters/ Actual Diameters/ Difference between given and actual
Stainless steel Freak inserts 0.682 0.6820 0.0000
~5" control bore 0.6840 0.6850 0.0010
0.687 0.6870 0.0000
0.689 0.6900 0.0010
0.691 0.6915 0.0005
0.693 0.6935 0.0005
0.695 0.6960 0.0010
0.697 0.6980 0.0010
0.697 0.6975 0.0005
Aluminum Freak inserts 0.679 0.6795 0.0005
~5" control bore 0.679 0.6800 0.0010
0.682 0.6835 0.0015
0.684 0.6850 0.0010
0.687 0.6895 0.0025
0.689 0.6915 0.0025
0.691 0.6915 0.0005
0.693 0.6965 0.0035
0.695 0.6965 0.0015
Fronts 10" Black Freak 0.7015 N/A
12" Black Freak 0.7025 N/A
14" Black Freak 0.7020 N/A
11" Purple AA 0.7035 N/A
16" Purple Freak 0.7030 N/A
---------------
Redz Pepperstick 0.687 0.6885 0.0015
~6.5" control bore 0.689 0.6890 0.0000
0.691 0.6915 0.0005
0.693 0.6920 0.0010
Fronts 14" Black Redz 0.7100 N/A
16" Black Redz 0.7100 N/A
---------------
Evil Pipe 0.683 0.6830 0.0000
~6" control bore 0.686 0.6855 0.0005
0.689 0.6890 0.0000
0.692 0.6925 0.0005
0.695 0.6950 0.0000
Fronts 14" Black Evil 0.7055 N/A
14" Black Evil 0.7065 N/A
---------------
Empire Revolver Aluminum inserts 0.684 0.6865 0.6860 0.0025
~4" control bore 0.688 0.6935 0.6900 0.0055
back of insert / front of insert 0.690 0.6920 0.6900 0.0020
0.692 0.6940 0.6935 0.0020
0.696 0.6985 0.6960 0.0025
Fronts 14" Black Empire 0.7050 N/A
---------------
BT Apex 10" one piece 0.7005 N/A
---------------
Empire 7 pc set 0.681 0.6845 0.0035
~6" control bore 0.684 0.6850 0.0010
All have tapered back 0.687 0.6895 0.0025
0.690 0.6915 0.0015
0.693 0.6930 0.0000
0.696 0.6965 0.0005
Fronts 14" Black Empire 0.7040 N/A
---------------
Mcdev Matchstik 0.685 0.6870 0.0020
~5.5" control bore 0.689 0.6905 0.0015
0.693 0.6955 0.0025
Fronts 12" Black Matchstik 0.6950 N/A
14" Black Matchstik 0.6950 N/A
---------------
CCM 0.681 0.6810 0.0000
~1.25 control bore 0.684 0.6850 0.0010
0.687 0.6875 0.0005
0.690 0.6915 0.0015
0.693 0.6940 0.0010
Fronts 14" CF CCM (tapered) 0.6960 - .7100 N/A
---------------
Stiffi Switch 0.685 0.6855 0.0005
~1.25" control bore 0.687 0.6885 0.0015
0.689 0.6910 0.0020
0.691 0.6915 0.0005
Fronts 12" CF Switch (tapered) 0.6950 - .7010 N/A
---------------
Hammerhead 0.688 0.6890 0.0010
~1.25 control bore 0.690 0.6910 0.0010
0.693 0.6935 0.0005
Front 14" Black Hammerhead N/A N/A
12" Black Hammerhead N/A N/A
---------------
J&J Edge Dust Black 0.682 0.6835 0.0015
~4" control bore 0.685 0.6860 0.0010
0.688 0.6890 0.0010
0.691 0.6910 0.0000
0.693 0.6940 0.0010
Front 10" Dust Black Edge 0.7090 N/A
12" Dust Black Edge 0.7090 N/A
14" Dust Black Edge 0.7060 N/A
---------------
Custom Products 5 piece 0.682 (tapered back) 0.6810 N/A
~5" control bore 0.685 0.6850 0.0000
0.689 0.6885 0.0005
0.693 0.6955 0.0025
0.696 0.6970 0.0010
Front 14" Red CP 0.7005 N/A
---------------
Powerlite Scepter (tapered insert) 0.684 0.6850 0.0010
~6" control bore 0.686 0.6865 0.0005
0.688 0.6870 0.0010
0.690 0.6910 0.0010
0.692 0.6940 0.0020
Front 14" Black PL 0.6990 N/A
---------------
Powerlite Scepter (revolver insert) 0.684 0.6850 0.0010
~6" control bore 0.686 0.6870 0.0010
0.688 0.6900 0.0020
0.690 0.6925 0.0025
0.692 0.6950 0.0030
Front 12" Black PL 0.7000 N/A
---------------
J&J Edge Gloss Black 0.685 0.6860 0.0010
~4" control bore 0.688 0.6900 0.0020
0.691 0.6920 0.0010
0.693 0.6945 0.0015
Front 12" Gloss Edge 0.7055 N/A
---------------
WGP Kaner 0.682 0.6830 0.0010
~6.5" control bore 0.684 0.6850 0.0010
0.687 0.6880 0.0010
0.689 0.6895 0.0005
0.691 0.6915 0.0005
12" Pweter Kaner 0.7005 N/A
14" Pweter Kaner 0.7030 N/A
16" Pweter Kaner 0.7005 N/A
---------------
Dye Ultralite White (?.689) 0.6925 N/A
~6" control bore Yellow (?.689) 0.6925 N/A
Red (?.685) 0.6895 N/A
0.692 Blue 0.6950 N/A
Fronts 12" dust black proto 0.7020 N/A
14" Blue UL 0.7010 N/A
14" dust black UL 0.7010 N/A
---------------
SM Race ~5.5" control bore 0.686 0.6860 0.0000
Front 14" blue Race 0.7015 N/A
---------------
Lucky Un1tec 14" bore 0.685 0.6850 0.0000
0.693 0.6930 0.0000
0.696 0.6960 0.0000
---------------
Dye Xcel 12" one piece 0.6910 N/A
---------------
Xmag stock 12" one piece 0.6920 N/A
---------------
WGP Trilogy stock 14" one piece 0.6890 N/A
---------------
Tear Drop 14" one piece 0.6890 N/A
---------------
Misc 11" one piece 0.6885 N/A
---------------
Stock RT Pro J&J Dust Black ~5.5" control bore 0.6935 N/A
Front 12" Dust Black ?? 0.7150 N/A

[Z50]

Awesome, I assume that these are all going on the same gun?

Please take the time to post your raw data (Excel spread sheet?).

[two_four_878]

I've been wondering when someone would do this...

Good luck and can't wait to see your results. Hopefully some pictures of you setup will be included

[Frontier_Bill]

Holy barrels Batman!!

Well... I might take you more seriously if I didn't see a Miller Lite (Blech..) can in the picture.

Lookin' forward to the results!

[Brewtt]

Great idea, can't wait... (but glaringly incomplete without Lapco one-piece barrels and Palmer's brass).

[PJ]

Yikes! I like the caption - "but here is a pic of some of them". Hmmm, I foresee a large barrel sale in the near future....

[Allfat]

I am curious as to what gun you will be using to do these tests.

[Surestick]

The velocity will be adjusted in accordance to AGD specs

I assume they are all cocker-threaded barrels to be tested on a mag.
Have you thought of trying a few different markers to see if there is a better barrel for a specific marker/valve style? Mag and Cocker should give you spool & poppet valve but any other cocker threaded markers you can get your hands on would be good too.

Another thing that might be worth keeping track of is efficiency. See how much the velocity increases or decreases with the same paint & a fixed velocity setting for each barrel.
If you are testing different markers it might be interesting to see if a specific unported length gives a better efficiency w/one valve style vs. another.

[woodwalker]

wow, epic, lol

[Al Ray]

Your going to want to be shure your gun is regulated. Also you should get yourself a larg nitrogen tank(20 lbs or so) and run the gun off that. Nitrogen is the most stable gas known to man, using nitrogen will eliminate any problem associated with compressed air or co2