Paintball

[NoForts4Me]

Well, as the happy new owner of a 2k Blazer, I thought I'd ask my first PPS newbie question in the MCB Palmer section (already newbed POG).

How much of a difference in sound signature is there between the ported and non-ported barrel, for those who have shot both. Most talk about how quiet the ported barrels are, but the standard 10.5" barrel I received with my gun is pretty darn quiet shooting paint. Maybe I'm not used to quiet guns, but is it worth the extra $40+ over the non-ported barrels? Or in my case, worth $80 for a new barrel.

I plan on buying the 45deg blade trigger, and am debating picking up a ported barrel at the same time. Now, brass or black powder coat...

[ringer706]

Eh, I would just stick with what you have. I agree blazers are quiet shooting as it is, save your money. I have a 8" unported and had a guy guess where I was when I shot 10yrds away.

[Robertsr]

I say forgo the porting. Don't bother.

I've had both. The sound signiture is certainly different, but I don't think it's significant enough to really matter. If I'm that damn close to someone, They'll probably see me before they hear me.

[NoForts4Me]

Originally Posted by Robertsr

I've had both. The sound signiture is certainly different, but I don't think it's significant enough to really matter. If I'm that damn close to someone, They'll probably see me before they hear me.

Good point! I'm sure I sound like an elephant crashing through the woods anyway...

[af895]

Originally Posted by NoForts4Me

Well, as the happy new owner of a 2k Blazer, I thought I'd ask my first PPS newbie question in the MCB Palmer section (already newbed POG).

How much of a difference in sound signature is there between the ported and non-ported barrel, for those who have shot both. Most talk about how quiet the ported barrels are, but the standard 10.5" barrel I received with my gun is pretty darn quiet shooting paint. Maybe I'm not used to quiet guns, but is it worth the extra $40+ over the non-ported barrels? Or in my case, worth $80 for a new barrel.

I plan on buying the 45deg blade trigger, and am debating picking up a ported barrel at the same time. Now, brass or black powder coat...

I've only shot an unported 14" on an Ion/SP-8 and, while not noisy, it was somewhat louder than the double-ported 12" on my Blazer. Heck with it - go double-venting. Don't go unported or single-venting... you may as well see just how quiet quiet is for yourself.

On my Blazer, BZ2581, that double ported 12" makes the marker stupid quiet. I can be 10' from a teammate, firing, and have them completely confused as to where I am. It's that good.
Bear in mind: I haven't shot a Blazer with an unported barrel so I'm not sure if they're quiet in that config; I just know mine is quietest marker I've shot.

[fossilhead]

And double porting looks cool

[Wycke]

I've been confounded by the inexplicable desire for "quiet" paintball guns for years. I mean, you could have the quietest gun on the field, but once you shoot, people will know where you are. To me, effective camouflage and good movement skills are far more useful. If you can get one shot off, then quickly & quietly move to another good firing position without being noticed, the noise made by your marker is irrelevant. Admittedly, I can't do this. I'm just too damn clumsy. I've made spectacular one-shot eliminations with my Phantom (using a 11" nickeled CCI barrel which makes it utterly silent and deadly accurate) then gotten lit up trying to run/dive the 10' to the next decent cover.

To me, the major pain of cleaning out those porting holes is not worth the few dB decrease in the sound signature. My current Blazer (bought used) came with a 12" ported, matched barrel, while my first one had an unported, unmatched 8" barrel. The few times I shot them side by side, I noticed very little difference in the sound. However, every time I chop a ball with the ported barrel (which is, unfortunately, more often than I'd like, usually because I forget to replace the battery in my hopper) it shoots like crap, even after a squeegie-ing because of the paint stuck in the ports. Sometimes, clearing the chamber, holding it upside-down and firing air with the front of the barrel covered will blow out most of the gunk, but that only helps so much. It doesn't really shoot well until the whole thing has been thoroughly cleaned & dried.

[af895]

Originally Posted by Wycke

...you could have the quietest gun on the field, but once you shoot, people will know where you are....It doesn't really shoot well until the whole thing has been thoroughly cleaned & dried.

My experience doesn't support the first of those statements.

Most of my games are played at a small, dimly lit indoor field.
Here's a photo from the 2nd level on one side facing North:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1..._ref_tower.jpg

On more occasions than I can count, I've been well concealed in a tunnel and have REMAINED undetected as I placed single shots, one after the other, spaced several seconds apart, onto opposing team members.

During one game, I took out 7 (SEVEN) members of the other team without being detected and without moving more than a few feet for a new angle. If I were shooting louder marker, that wouldn't have been possible.

*** *** ***

As to the second of the above quoted points, I agree the barrel needs to be perfectly clean and dry to shoot well.

This 32-Degrees deluxe swab:


...does the trick for my Blazer with double-vented barrel. I pull the bolt out, push the wire down the barrel, tug it out the other end and get the whole barrel as clean as I would off-field by the most extreme means. If there's any paint left in the vents, I can either dry fire while covering the muzzle or just ignore it.

[ringer706]

Alright, this is a little off topic, but DANG, sweet indoor place.

[NoForts4Me]

Originally Posted by Wycke

I've been confounded by the inexplicable desire for "quiet" paintball guns for years. I mean, you could have the quietest gun on the field, but once you shoot, people will know where you are. To me, effective camouflage and good movement skills are far more useful.

That's been my experience, too, for the most part. The effective range of paintball guns make it so you are usually pretty close to the target when you shoot. Now, playing on heavily wooded fields, which I sometimes do, quiet guns can have an advantage, depending on the situation. There's also just a cool factor, I think, that some people relate to a quiet gun.

Myself, I've never had a gun that is as quiet as this Blazer is in its current setup. Heck, my first semi was a 68 Special, and that sounded like a nail gun. The sound signature of a gun has never really been a factor for me. So I guess I'm just curious how much more quiet the gun would be, and if it would be worth it for porting. Now, the shiny brass may put me at a disadvantage for concealment, but I can take care of that a number of different ways.

The point on cleaning is very good. Paint is a pain to clean out of tiny holes. I'm hoping when I go to Oklahoma D-Day someone will have a Blazer, and I can compare in person. Until then, I'll probably stick with what I have.

And yes, af895, nice field. Man, I wish there was something like that around here.