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paintballimpact.com / Barrels / Barrel Blocking Devices
Barrel Blocking Devices
Barrel Blocking Devices are among the most important pieces of equipment that you will need when you play paintball. Barrel blocking devices may look different or come under a variety of names, but they all serve the function of keeping the marker from accidentally firing paintballs. Barrel blocking devices have a variety of names: barrel plugs, barrel condoms, barrel socks, barrel covers, barrel muzzle, and the barrel sleeve. All of these barrel blocking devices cover the open end of the paintball gun barrel in case it fires when it is not supposed to. A paint gun firing when it is not supposed to is a major safety hazard, players not have any eye or face protection on. The worst case scenario for all people involved would be for a player to take his goggles off once outside in the field arena, and think that he's safe until he gets hit by another player that did not put his barrel plug over the marker barrel. In this article, we will look at several barrel blocking devices, and discuss some of their strengths and weaknesses.
One well-liked blocker is the Barrel Plug from 32 Degrees. This barrel plug is cheap and usually retails for about two dollars. This 32 Degrees barrel plug is ideal for guns that fire low to medium velocities. If you are using a marker that fires velocities faster than 275 fps, you might want to consider upgrading to a barrel condom like the Flurry Barrel Condom from Flurry Industries. While some barrel blocking devices come loose with paintball velocities over 250 fps, the Flurry Barrel Condom is on solid, and does not come off so easily. This Blocker from Flurry is made with a durable nylon construction with a reinforced reservoir tip. The barrel condom is the ideal barrel blocking device for a couple of reasons. First, many fields require you to have one. Second, the barrel condom stays secure over the barrel even when 4-5 shots have been fired. Other devices may break off or pop out after a few accidental shots have been fired. The Flurry Barrel Condom is bright orange, and will make an eliminated player easy to be seen when he is announcing himself tagged out of the game.
Other barrel blocking devices include the barrel sleeve. Some manufacturers of the barrel sleeve include PMI and JT USA. The JT USA Barrel Sleeve will reliably stop any misfired paintballs in their tracks, and will keep non-competing players and fans safe. The design of this barrel sleeve is a bag with a string. The bas is tough but flimsy and light, and can be folded up and put into your pocket easily. Hard plastic devices such as the Viewloader Barrel Plug are hard and inflexible, and may fall out of your pocket during a game.
The next type of device might be the barrel muzzle. The barrel muzzle has a drawstring like a barrel sock, but the end that goes over the marker is hard and ribbed. The Rufus Dawg barrel muzzle has strong, flexible internal ribs that gives it the ability to mold to almost any marker and barrel. The materials that these barrel blocking devices are made with keep it from breaking even if several misfired paintballs are deployed.
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