Posted May 30, 2000: Howdy, Look, this is mostly for Ponytail but also for anyone else whose noseblowing ability has not been hindered by the distance their cranium has been kicked up the buttockular region. Sorry bout that 'burst there, but I have been trying really hard to get an UN, and i repeat UNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUN!!!!!!!!bias report on the Flatline. I can only get two versions: one states i should burn the Bible and worship this barrel as my supreme being, the other gives me the impression i should light the Flatline's engineer on fire and run around the charred remains screamning "I am Rumplestiltskin" for the rest of my life. Really. So please, someone, somewhere, wherever you are, can you give me a report on this barrel and what it can and can't do (range, accuracy, and can it really walk my dog for me?)? Will it break balls at long range? What paint does it like? ... "I am Rumplestiltskin!"
Posted on May 30 2000, 1:12 PM Next post. Posted June 26, 2000: Howdy all, I posted a bit back about the Flatline, wanting to know about it. Well, a friend recently got one, and after I did some minor gun work for him, he asked if I would like to shoot his M98 with the Flatline. I did. At first I was very impressed, it shot level for about, say, 75 yards at a pleasing velocity. Then it started to curve balls everywhere (and this is holding it perfectly level, horizon and verticle wise) past the 75 yards. I kinda shrugged, figuring that its advantages pretty much evened out with its disadvantages and compensated for the range. Over the next few weekends, this friend played every game with the Flatline. In a 2 on 4 game, my friend (not the friend with the Flatline) and i being the 2, we were making our way up a hill towards the others, and kinda forgot that there was a Flatline (other friend) up there. Some shots bounced around us, and one plinked onto my friends leg. No break. This is at 70 yards. We worked behind a bunker, and to our amazement, balls from the Flatline were BOUNCING off a wooden wall of the bunker. Getting curious, I layed my gun down and stood outside the bunker. He hit me twice and nothing broke. As we advanced further, we saw that none of the rounds he fired were breaking anywhere outside the effective range of the rest of our non-backspin barrels. It sure gives range, but what good is it if the rounds just float and don't break? My friend and I won (just thought I'd add that, heheheh) and at the end of the game we asked to test the Flatline. So we cranked the velocity up to Godawful numbers, and shot some bunkers. We could only get breaks past 60 yards with the paint going too fast to see. Plus, with those velocities, accuracy went all to the birds and back. Now, it did seem to have advantages. Without needing arch on the ball at closer ranges, he could shoot under low overhangs pretty nicely, which did kill a couple people through the day. But I'm not paying the price of a new Spyder Compact to shoot under a few weeping willows... Well, I just wanted to offer my thoughts on the Flatline. I'm not impressed. Please RE with your own thoughts everyone, I would like to see what the rest of you think. - SpyderMonkee "I am Rumplestiltskin!"
One more gripe, before we leave, is the shroud. It's useless. It does no good. It adds another minute to disassembly time, and will kill you if you break any rounds in the field. Do you honestly think you'll be able to take off the shroud to squeegy the barrel in a game? I recommend you don't use the shroud, the barrel functions completely independant of it, and it only hurts you.
In short, Tippmann has harnessed a truly workable concept. And a truly monopolizing patent (heheh, just joking, I love Tippy's). I believe in five years we will have seen serious refinement of the Flatline concept by Tippmann, and that this barrel may lead the way to a true rifle like trajectory on a paintball, leading to even more realism in our game. For now, I will not be purchasing a Flatline, unless I happen to find one for a reasonable price, that is, the price of a standard barrel. A word to Tippmann, I believe they would sell more barrels and make a higher profit if the price came down to most mortal men's budgets... I know I'd buy one for fifty bucks... And by now, everyone knows it's just a bent barrel, lose the shroud, that can help kill ten bucks on the cost too I bet.
...still archin' em...
-Captain Clay
