Surface The inside surface of the barrel is really what matters. It has to be smooth and polished. The material it is made of does not matter, whether it is brass (cheapest), aluminum (more expensive), ceramic (pretty expensive), or stainless steel (most expensive). Of course price really depends on the manufacturer and type of barrel.

What you really need is a barrel that is smooth and reliable. Brass barrels scratch and chip and can prove to be unreliable. Some think that brass is best because it provides the least friction for the paintballs, but this myth has been disproven, because today's barrels are so polished and smooth that it is amazing how much friction has been reduced. Brass can be polished to the degree where it looks like gold. Aluminum barrels are usually coated (anodized) with a nice paint finish, this finish can chip, and does. Stainless steel barrels can be polished to a high degree, however they are heavier, so there is a drawback. Choose a barrel that fits your budget, many people are happy with their brass barrels. But in the end remember that no matter what you do, paintball guns will still be inaccurate. So you may just end up doing nothing. Accuracy can be improved, albeit not very noticebly to the human eye.

Length of Barrel The length of the barrel is said to be directly proportional to distance and accuracy range. The longer the barrel, the more accurate over longer distances. The argument is that the ball stays in the barrel longer and is guided on it's straight path longer. However, the longer the ball is in the barrel, the more friction will be on the ball (from the inside surface of the barrel and from the air it has to push out) and the air pressure it will take to send it off. It is a tradeoff of sorts. Porting may affect this reduced air friction (see below), however one should choose a medium length barrel. 9 inches is considered short and 16 inches is pretty long. A medium length barrel would be between 12-13 inches.

Porting Porting and riffling opinions vary greatly. It is not fair to discuss this issue without factual information. So many tests have been done in the past and a lot of theories have been proven, disproven, and then proven again. Some claim that the porting helps increase this or that and companies claim that their porting is the best, while others feel that their porting may be superior. Some manufacturers claim that porting reduces friction by allowing the air in front of the ball to escape, thus giving the ball a smoother ride. Some companies claim that it's spiral porting will put a spin on the ball to get more accuracy and range. They do have evidence and tests that back up their claims. They feel that a little spin will help make the barrel and paintball shoot more accurately. The best way to find out is to shoot the barrel with your faborite paint and see how it works out for you.

Some barrels have a small band near the end with ports in it (some Dyes, all Lapcos, crownpoint designs, etc) which has been pretty effective. This band of holes near the end of the barrel actually lets the air escape. Also this band acts as a muzzle brake. If there were no ports, the paintball would "pop" out of the barrel, but this alleviates that loud problem. This comes in handy on the field. but some of the barrels are still loud, despite their porting.

Riffling Riffling describes the inside surface, shape, and design of a barrel. Some barrel's riffling is just a smooth mirror-polished surface. Others have grooves, spiral riffling, and all sorts of odd interiors.

Does the riffling really spin a paintball? We have seen some spinning and slightly bending trajectories, but more testing will need to be done in order to make more conclusive statements. One of the latestest barrels to try the spinning technique is the Tippmann Flatline barrel. It was originally developed for the Model 98, but is now available for a few more markers.

Some paintball articles argue that paintballs are objects with viscous liquids in them. Hence, they do not spin well and will wobble instead. We have seen these posts in newsgroups, chat rooms, and discussion baords. They ask, "Ever try to spin a water filled top?" And then go on to explain that paint is more viscous than water and will provide an opposite force on the inside walls of a paintball, friction. The ball will wobble and you will no longer have a straight trajectory. However, paintballs are no longer believed to have this physical phenomenon affect them, especially since paint is so thick. It usually acts as one with the paintballs.

In fact, we have been shooting paintballs for years now, and we have seen them spin and curve. Many companies have done extensive technical studies and have found that paintballs can spin. We used to feel that it was impossible to spin a paintball, falling for the hype, but have since realized that they do spin. Some studies even show that a slight rotation does help keep the paintball on a straighter trajectory. The Tippmann Flatline barrel is just the latest barrel to spin a paintball, and yes as you know, it puts as much spin on a paintball as a golfer does on an iron shot.

Bore Size Bore size describes the inner radius of the barrel. Some are tight, some are loose, some are medium. A tight barrel is very close to the size of the paintball and will just barely allow it to pass through. A loose barrel is wider and allows the paintball to pass quite easily. See our technical section to find out what size your barrel is.

Paint obviously comes in all shapes and sizes. There are small paintballs, and bigger paintballs. In winter paintballs often shrink (contract) so a tighter barrel may be used. In summer the heat may cause a little expansion. But in the end make sure that your barrel closely matches your paintballs, or just slightly bigger. If you can blow your paintball through the barrel with your mouth, that is usuallya good fit. Friction is obviously a consideration. If the barrel is really tight, the ball will rub against it and may even break in the barrel. Also you will need more force to push the ball out. If the barrel is too loose the air can escape around the ball and you loose air for no reason. A medium bore barrel is ideal. Just try them out and see what you like best. There is not one single answer.

Some barrels have a bore that varies, starts tight, loose around the middle, and then tightens up again. You'll find so many variations. And recently Smart Parts and Custom Products have created barrels that work with all types of paint, by using

interchangeable parts or sleeves. Conclusion A lot of what people say is just hype. Get a barrel you like and use it. Separate facts from myths. No paintball gun will ever shoot exactly straight everytime, sorry.

A LAPCO Bigshot stainless steel barrel has a bore starts off very tight at the breech and flares out to .690". The last 1.25" of the barrel features a unique step honed design which produces a "laminar flow chamber" at the muzzle, plus a special muzzle break. According to Lapco this is supposed to yield a great "long ball". Some like this barrel because it is self-cleaning due to how tight it is and prevents double feeds.