Freak Knockoffs - Why no competition after patent expiration?

[The Great Equalizer]

As far as I can tell the patent for Freak barrels ran out in 2020 I know some airsmiths make custom brass or stainless freak inserts, but why haven't we seen someone make competing aluminum barrels and inserts?

I also realized after looking up the patent that it was sold to Kore in 2022. Does that mean I no longer have to feel the same type of guilt if I want to buy some freak inserts to update a BE Tiger Shark because I'm not sending money to GOG/The gardeners, and now I can feel a different kind of guilt because I'm sending money to the perhaps equally bad monopoly that controls the whole sport now?

[Ecapnation]

What guilt buy used. What ever.

Everyone is so hung up on the "smart parts evil for suing xxx" thing they didn't realize nps started buying everything up and evolved into Kore.

[Jordan]

There are. PWR barrels. Not exact knockoffs but the idea is the same.

Look, paint is so terrible at this point that inserts are almost entirely meaningless, much like a boycott of a company that died nearly 20 years ago. 🤷♂️ Don't take this the wrong way - if you or anyone else feel that passionately about the topic that a boycott is meaningful, go for it - I just don't feel it's worth another moment of consideration at this point.

[Ecapnation]

I hear you with the paint being terrible, I honestly have stopped accurately bore sizing a long time ago.

I've not seen round paint long before 2020

[Painthappy]

Well, no one is stopping you! I prefer sized barrels and thought lapco was onto something long long ago, but inserts are just cheaper

[Pumps4ever]

If I did not use inserts all my balls would be rolling on the floor... I have Freak OG, Freak XL, and PWR... I love them all for different barrels for different markers during different game styles.
Buy used and call it a day!

[The Great Equalizer]

Me too. I've got a bunch of them because I have freak bored barrels for Sl-68 II's, Phantoms, Tiger Sharks etc.

[Siress]

I agree with Jordan 100%, and will add that there's also the matter of the Freak design not being optimal. There are many other designs out there that replicate the intended design goal that work better. e.g. Planet Eclipse S63 barrel system. Personally, I will never let go of my SS freak inserts because my phantom is customized specifically for them. Until paint quality improves, I'd be happier using something like the 3d printed detent fingers to stop roll-outs with the stock barrel.

[Booska]

Are people allowed to make barrels and advertise them as "works with Freak inserts"? Or does that create legal trouble?

[Siress]

Absolutely fine. e.g. https://www.deadlywind.com/fibur-x8-cf-barrel

[Psycho91]

If there was legal trouble behind it I'm sure these fabricators wouldn't be boring other brand barrels for freak inserts

[Trbo323]

Does that mean I no longer have to feel the same type of guilt if I want to buy some freak inserts to update a BE Tiger Shark because I'm not sending money to GOG/The gardeners, and now I can feel a different kind of guilt because I'm sending money to the perhaps equally bad monopoly that controls the whole sport now?

If you buy gog branded ones the money still goes to them. Just because the patent expires doesn't mean they don't get money from people buying them. Legos patent expired, they still get lots and lots of money.

Empire made a run of "super freak" barrel/inserts back right around 2020. Im guessing they didn't sell as well as empire wanted though because they were a flash in the pan

Gog already has the manufacturing set up, it would cost anyone else a whole heap of money to produce the same thing and for what benefit? The handful of people like you and me and don't feel comfortable giving the G boys money? Large investment, minimal return at best

Are people allowed to make barrels and advertise them as "works with Freak inserts"? Or does that create legal trouble?

The freak name is trade marked so you would either need permission to use it or find a way to describe it without using the freak name

Sent from my motorola edge 2024 using Tapatalk

[Frmrspec]

Empire made a run of "super freak" barrel/inserts back right around 2020. Im guessing they didn't sell as well as empire wanted though because they were a flash in the pan

the superfreak kits were being produced a lot earlier than 2020.. empire started producing them back in 2012 when they bought a lot of the IP from the Smart Parts bankruptcy sales.. that’s also how they got the shocker/luxe/ion rights that allowed them to produce the Vanquish, and the tippmann Stryker series markers.

[DocsMachine]

It's worth noting that, just from a manufacturing standpoint, it's not easy to make a very thinwall tube like a Freak insert, to a precision dimension. It can be done, obviously, but it takes specialized tooling, an accurate (as in $$$) machine and a good operator. I'd bet a paycheck that at least one or two other shops tried making inserts, realized it was trickier than it looked to "get right"- cheaply and reliably- and dropped the idea.

And considering that in a lot of cases, a Freak insert is often the only way to get a bore smaller than about .679, they're still pretty popular.

Doc.