So what’s the new barrel meta?

[FightingFish]

Hi folks. Once again, old guy getting back in.

When I last left off, barrel kits were just coming to the forefront. People were obsessing over bore matching their paint and using insert kits. Is that still the thing now, or is there something new/better?

[Glovebox Operator]

They're still around, and the bore-matching debate is still going.. PWR is becoming the new standard insert style. I use them sometimes, the old Freak style sometimes, barrel detents sometimes, and just a regular barrel too. They all work just fine.

[Jonnydread]

In terms of everyone have anecdotal opinions on barrels, nothing has changed. Everything is still a thing, but it's hotly contested on whether it matters or not. There are a few schools of thought:

• Overbore whenever possible to allow shitty paint to shoot better and without breaks (at the sacrifice of efficiency)
• Bore match or slightly underbore for better performance or accuracy.
• Tube is tube
• Parabolas make barrels magical, now give me your money.
• Underbore everything because rollouts make people cry
• Inserts are butts, single bore is better.

I tend to fall more into the tube-is-tube group. I have some barrels I prefer over others, but in my experience good paint will shoot better out of a cheap barrel than bad paint out of a fancy barrel. If we could consistently get good paint it would be one thing, but that is not often the case.

[iamthelazerviking]

Quality paintballs will always be the most important thing, but that is much harder to find.

[thrasher_565]

the theory was older barrels were better made atlest for inserts like og freak and like old sceptre think the idea was they slightly thicker so less chance to warping

other debate was rifled vs no rifled too

but i think the take way was good paint to barrel match and older markers a detent using the barrel

about at lest 12inch to 14ich longer if your speed ball to push in to the bunker

lighter like carbon fiber at lest its something

good paint clean even ball match

basically a barrel is a barrel end of the day

paint has gotten smaller so the need for smaller inserts

freak have xl that are 12ich control bore vs 8 inch also debatable

first strike will win the accuracy not debatable with rifled barrel

[Trbo323]

Bore match -ish and you will get results good enough that anything better would require hours of testing and a few hundred in paint being shot to actually prove it makes a difference.

Then your field will change paint supplier and you'll have to do the testing all over again

Sent from my motorola edge 2024 using Tapatalk

[Cyberpyr8]

I run a 691 or 689 on everything and with good paint, I shoot as straight or straighter than guys out there sizing down. I am using either PWR inserts or the acculock kits on all of mine. I find just overboring everything reduces breaks and honestly, shoots just as well. I run a CP one piece on the EMF100 but it's 689.

[Calvin]

14" to 16" one piece barrels in the .685 -.689 range have been my best performers over the last year for all paint and platforms.

[Drcemento]

Agreed! my CP 14" 685 with a Lapco .678 bore sizer is the shizzy bizzy on my sniper and cocker.

[Drcemento]

unless the paint is great, I find a much better solution is an overbore barrel with a short Bore sizer, wedgits or rubber detents to hold the ball in front of the bolt. All modern guns solved this with detents.The Lapco bore sizers (hard to find) are perfect for autocockers. This stops roll outs and the overbore barrel keeps the lopsided, egg shaped modern paint on a much better trajectory than a tight bore match would. holding the ball in a centered position right in front of the bolt ensures more consistent velocity. don't waste your time with the longer inserts, unless you can regularly get your hands on fresh tourney grade paint on the regular.

[Cdn_Cuda]

This has been my finding as well. Oval paint has more chance of getting jammed in a longer insert. A nice short insert holds the ball to prevent rollouts.

[Cunha]

Lapco has their bore sizers in stock. a month ago.

https://www.lapcopaintball.com/produ...-breech-sizers

Yeah the smallest one with whatever barrel.

Or detent fingers and a smallish bore just for velocity.

[Drcemento]

I snagged 2 more .678 immediately when i first saw they were back! good on Lapco for doing another run. they could even go a little smaller.

[The Jayster]

Used to be a fan of slightly underboring when paint was consistent, now I'm definitely in the "Overbore whenever possible to allow shitty paint to shoot better and without breaks (at the sacrifice of efficiency)" camp. I definitely shake my head when a newbie's all happy showing me his $300 barrel kit. Gotta burst the poor fella's bubble. "Dude, out of those 8 inserts you'll probably ever need one or two".

[warbosschoppa]

Its a flow chart, are you using a closed bolt marker yes or no.

Yes, use inserts or a barrel kit to match paint so you dont get roll outs

No, tube is tube fuck it just make sure you aren't shoving a golf ball down a garden hose.

[The Last Snood]

As others have stated, it's better to overbore to avoid breakage at this point. Unless you are using a cocker or pump.

My pumps I'm usually using .680 or .682. My PWR barrel kit has .676 (if I need to test with reballs) .678, .680, .682, .684, and .688.

I don't even know why I have the .684, I never use it as with my open bolt/Emek I just throw on the .688 and shoot with no worries about breakage really. I could probably get away with just .680, .682, and .688. But I keep the slightly smaller insert just in case for the certain times.

[JeeperCreeper]

Smooth bore brass, .680 preferred but I can make it work with .686 and a good detent.

[Chuck E Ducky]

Overbore anything with functional detents.

I pretty much shoot one piece .681 barrel all the time with few exceptions on my pump. I run Redleader barrel detent rings and it Shoots shit paint flawlessly.

What are you shooting first of all?

There is no “best barrel” most markers today come with great barrels out of the box.

[FightingFish]

I’m going to be shooting some form of classic automag…at least that’s the plan, anyway. I’m just coming back to the game, and I always wanted one but couldn’t afford one way back when.

[Myrkul]

Make sure to get a docs adapter for that mag if it's still using twist locks. It'll let run cocker barrels, but more importantly it's dual detented so you don't get double feeds.

Beardedworks makes an upgraded detent for twistlock barrels too that works well. Biggest thing is that the stock AGD detents just flat out don't work with most modern paint anymore.

[Chuck E Ducky]

Agreed find a barrel that works good with your setup. Before you choose a barrel first choose a marker. Before you choose a marker choose a good Mask.