Loud.
Heavy.
Complexity / Poor Fit.
Poor Construction.
No Manual.
Can not be Retrofitted with Apex.
Review:
The barrel's displays average accuracy, really no better than the stock barrel which is unfortunate, especially considering the price of the barrel.
Additionally, the barrel is far too complex to ship without having a manual. It needs 3 different sized allen wrenches to disassemble and absolutely must be disassembled to fit the marker.
Also, one would expect the pieces making up the shroud of the barrel to be constructed of higher quality plastic. The central retaining ring for the barrel snapped in half with barely thumb tight pressure on the allen screw to lock it down. Also the fit and finish are pretty sub par as well. Pieces rattle and clatter when the barrel is moved around.
Conclusion:
The look of the barrel is quite nice, but the performance, durability and price leave a lot to be desired. If you like the look of the barrel, buy it, along with a better performing 16 Inch barrel and just move the plastic pieces onto the better barrel.
But standing alone, considering the price of the barrel, it's accuracy, durability, packaging and construction leave an awful lot to be desired.
The fact that it looks so damn good is the only reason I'd rate it higher than a 3. If there were better alternatives, I would rate this as low as a 2. If the price dropped to a reasonable 60-70 dollars, I'd up the rating by two points.
Rating:
4 out of 10
Last edited on Tuesday, August 1st, 2006 at 9:03 am PST
This is a spot on review. I like the looks but was let down on the quality. And it needs to come with a manual, even if just on safety. I have one with the Apex what a pain in the @$$! But it looks good on a PCS US*5.
