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paintballimpact.com / FAQ / Barrel Length
How Does Barrel Length Affect My Marker?
There continues to be debate in the sport of paintball over the optimum length of a paintball barrel and how barrel length affects the accuracy of a marker. Generally, most industry experts agree that up to a certain point, longer barrels produce a more accurate and straight shot out of the barrel. Some players and researchers say that the length of the barrel can improve performance up to 8 inches, and some sources put the length all the way up to 14 inches. Some people even say that lengthening the barrel beyond 12 inches can even decrease performance. In this article, we will try to answer the question of "how does barrel length affect my marker?"
Most experts agree that barrel length does affect the performance of your marker. The elongated barrel is one of the main reasons why a semi-automatic marker has such a greater range than a paintball pistol. Some paintball pistols include the T68 Pistol from Real Action Paintball and the P6P2 from Sheridan.
Barrel length does affect the gun's performance. The increased barrel length allows the paintball to accelerate from standing still to speeds of up to 350 feet per second. Up to a certain length, the barrel does increase the speed and straightness of the paintball's flight out of the marker. Most experts agree that increasing barrel length increase's the marker's performance up to the first 8-10 inches. Other experts think that increasing barrel length will increase accuracy and velocity all the way up to 14 inches. Most experts agree that after 14 inches, the benefit from increasing the length of the barrel will be negligible, in there is any. Some excellent barrels that should improve the performance of your marker include the Lucky Paintball S6 Barrel, Palmers Pursuit Shop's Nickel Plated Brass Barrels, and Powerlyte's Aluminum Speedline Barrel.
Many experts say that after 12-14 inches, increasing barrel length any further actually decreases the performance of the paintball gun. After about 12 inches, the pressure drops and any extra inches just create friction on the paintball. Barrels of 8 inches or less have less range and accuracy than semi-automatic markers with longer barrels such as the Bob Long Alias Intimidator. On the other hand, barrels longer than 14 inches just require more gas. There are several barrels and barrel systems that operate efficiently, such as Empire Twister Barrel and the Equation Design Covert Barrels. The Covert Barrels are available exclusively in 12" barrel lengths and they are known for their accuracy and noise reducing properties.
Generally, players tend to go with barrels between 8 and 14 inches in length. Many players own several barrels with different lengths, and may choose a particular one depending on certain game conditions. If a player is going for stealth, he will probably pick the longer barrel. Longer barrels are quieter than short barrels, especially when then have posting. Longer barrels perform better in colder weather conditions because the gas needs more time to expand when it's cold out.
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