Hitting the Target - Defining barrel Characteristics
by Tony Sasso, Columnist
It seems that as soon as you get a marker all you want to do is upgrade
it. One of the first things people want to upgrade is the barrel, but what
to choose? What is the difference between a 12" or an 14" barrel? Is spiral
porting different then riffling? Why would you want a ceramic coating?
What is bore size and why are there different ones? Well sit down and hold
on because it is time to dish out a hot plate of barrel info.
Length
So why do barrels come in different lengths? What does it do for you? This
is pretty simple. When it comes to barrels and length there is really one
major rule; a longer barrel will have greater accuracy yet less distance,
a shorter barrel will have greater distance yet less accuracy. Simply put
if you play frontman and need overwhelming accuracy then a 16", 18", or
even 20" will be right up your alley. If you tend to sit in the back or
on a tape and long ball then a 12" or 10" barrel might do you some good.
You can go overboard though. Such things as a custom 3" barrel, (which
I admit I have made and own), are a little extreme. Even though you can
get up to 200 yards out of it balls will only break at about 10 yards and
you couldn't hit a cow standing still. On the other hand the 32 degrees
20" Stone Cold II will hit anything you want, as long as it isn't more
than 20 yards out. So what is the happy medium? If you need accuracy and
distance then a 14" barrel is what
Riffling vs. Spiral Porting
What is riffling? What is spiral porting? What is the difference between
the two? Riffling is exactly like that of a real firearm. On the inside
of the barrel there is a series of lans and groves. These lans and groves
spiral inside the barrel. This intern is designed to give the paintball
spin to make it more accurate and have more distance. Spiral porting is
simply that. Originally designed by Smart Parts spiral porting incorporates
a full length porting system in a spiral pattern. The ports decrease turbulence
on the ball by allowing the air in front of the ball to escape through
the ports. This also creates a spiral spin effect on the ball and allows
the ball to fly farther and be more accurate. So which system works better?
Overall spiral porting proves to be a better system for paintball. A paintball
is less like a bullet or BB and more like a water balloon. The groves and
lans of riffling force a paintball to warp and become less spherical. Spiral
porting lessens turbulence and warping of the ball, thus increasing the
overall performance of the marker.
Internal and External Coating
What is the difference between coatings? What is the best coating for a
barrel? Coatings fall into two categories, internal and external. Internal
coatings are designed to improve barrel performance by creating a slick
surface for the paintball to travel over. Some internal coatings are designed
to also protect the inside of the barrel from scratches. A good example
is the Smart Parts Smart Tuff coating. This internal coating incorporates
teflon and ceramic to create a hard and very slick surface. All barrels
should be mirror/micro polished internally to say the least. External coatings
are designed to protect the outside of your barrel and to enhance it's
appearance. For instance one of the most common external coatings is anodizing.
This process is used on aluminum to give it a different color or even a
splash pattern. This coating will protect the metal underneath from the
elements and from scratches. Another common external coating is ceramic.
This coating is very practical because ceramic is very hard. This means
that it will be much more difficult to scratch than anodizing or straight
aluminum.
Bore Sizes
What is bore size? Why are there different bore sizes? Bore size is the
internal diameter of the barrel. This size is measured in a caliber rating
just like a paintball. For example a standard medium bore barrel will have
a bore size of about .685. So wait a sec aren't paintballs .68? So why
do you have different sizes like .685. Well paintballs aren't an exact
science. Some paint is smaller than others and some is larger. This is
why you have different bore sizes. Paint such as RPS All Star is a small
paint with a diameter of .683. Such a paint will require a tight bore barrel
preferably with a bore size of .683. This does not mean that you can't
shoot Big Ball (.688) out of a tight bore barrel, or that you can't shoot
All Star out of a large bore barrel. It is a good idea to have a barrel
that has a bore size close to the paint you will shoot. Some times if you
shoot a small paint in a large bore barrel, (i.e. All Star .683 in a Lapco
Big Shot Barrel .689) the paint won't stay in the breach and will role
out of the barrel. Intern if you shoot a large paint out of tight barrel,
(i.e. RPS Big Ball .688 out of a J&J Ceramic .683) you might have a
lot of paint breaks. A bore size that is more fitted to the paint you are
using will increase your overall performance.
It is always nice to have a good barrel for your marker. It is also
nice to have multiple barrels to choose from to optimize your performance.
From length to bore size a barrel can really make or break you marker.
Have fun and keep the game alive.
Tony Sasso
MPN Columnist
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