The Flatline Barrel just flat out sucks!

[Greedy]

Ok the title, I'll admit, was just to get you guys in here. Whether the Flatline Barrel sucks or not is a matter of opinion BUT some of it could be true and some it if might not be. Some is a matter of preference, and furthermore, opinion and guess what? Everyone is going to get to share theirs!

Here's what I'm doing. I am going to try and do a little experimentation to help either prove or disprove some alleged negative traits about the Flatine Barrel System.

I am going to be doing this experimentation with the Tippmann A-5 Flatline barrel so if one of the traits you've heard is "They're to align" that won't apply to this flatline barrel system.

So these are the alleged negative traits I will NOT be able to (dis)prove:
-Alignment
-Cleaning (lets be reasonable, how can I prove that?)
-Installation speed
Mainly because they don't apply and/or without a video it's tough to do either prove or disprove them.

If you've heard any other alleged negative traits about the flatline please list them in your post.

Alot of people are against the flatline and some aren't to happy with it. But this is where I'm going to see if they're true or not. Don't get defensive all you Flatline lovers, I like it too, BUT I want to do my best to seperate facts from fiction. My results will be posted in here when my experiment is complete.

THIS IS NOT A FLAME THREAD!!!!
Don't come in here to debate whether a claim is true or not, that's my job in this instance. You can also do your own experiment too but keep in mind all of these have alot of variables, of which, I have already taken into consideration and figured out ways to eliminate them.

Lets all do this in a mature manner such as:
"At 200ft it won't break on anything"
NOT:
"I can catch a ball from the flatline becuase it sucks so bad"

Alright, I think that's it. If this turns into a flame thread I'll just ask for this to get deleted flat out, so your opinions will be deleted and no one will get to read it.

Once again
THIS IS NOT A FLAME THREAD!!!!
Thank you and lets keep it mature please.

[Empyreal Rogue]

The predominant purpose of the Flatline is to simply give you the ability to shoot long distances. What marker can shoot 200 feet with MODERATE accuracy? None. I'd admit it's not the best barrel but certainly not the worst.

I'd be willing to say if we asked Tippmann they'd say the Flatline is a "cover fire" barrel. Every time I have seen a Flatline user they basically just use its distance to their advantage. Veteran players I play with will agree, a Flatline does scare them. I'll admit, a Flatline against me is just as scary as an Angel. Whenever I play at my local field range is KEY. Check the link in my signature and take a look at the woodsball fields, they're huge!

I'm trying to stay within the guidelines of Greedy's request, I guess I'll be one of the people that support the flatline. I know it's not accurate, I know ball breaks are common and a hassle to clean but it gets the job done. That job is to lay down cover fire for front players. However, if that's the case a Flatline for speedball is just plain and flat out worthless!

[Greedy]

I'm more looking for flatline "haters" rather than supports but it works. Thank you for the reply :)

Flatline for speedball worthless, hmmm. I'm not exactly sure how I could prove/disprove that.

Any ideas other than playing with it? Even then the result is highly dependant on the player and the player's opponents, along with size of arena, bunker types, etc.

Let's get some "haters" in here, shall we?

[PWalk]

I sat here trying to come up with a negative or 2 for the flatline and I'm having a hard time. But since you asked for it I'll give it a shot.


I'm an A-5 owner. One of the things that first attracted me to the marker was the Flatline barrell system promising to improve my range to 200-250 ft. WOW! So I ran out and purchased my A-5 and figured I'd play with the stock barrel until I had a chance to mess around with the Flatline.

Well luckily for me a buddy of mine went right ahead and picked up a Flatline about the same time. He loved it initially. People were coming up and asking him all sorts of questions about it. He raved and raved. On our team we figured he should be support so as the rest of us could advance under the heavy, awe-inspiring fire he and his Flatlined A-5 were laying down for us. It worked! We started winning more games and we were happy as pigs in slop, so much so that 2 more guys ran out and grabbed Flatlines for their 98 and A-5 respectively.

Me? Well I decided I'd hold off. It seemed more and more the people who were outfitted with the Flatline were becoming extremely lazy aka hanging back the entire time. There would be numerous occasions where me and my front line compadres would on the other side of the field wondering where our support was? They were back at our start point playing sniper.:rolleyes:

So whats my negative on the Flatline? It makes people lazy! As soon as someone puts it on the start to think their going to be able to sit back and tag anything that moves. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. As soon as the other team spots the flatliner he's a paint can. Thats how I play it now. I spot the guy who has a flat line and put him opposite of me because I know he won't be moving the entire game.

Also it's not the most accurate of barrels either, but who really has the eyesight to spot a guy from 200 ft and be able to accurately goggle em'? Hell for even 100 ft I'm a crackshot at best.

Do I hate the Flatline? Hell no.
Would I recommend it? Yeah if thats your style of game. Otherwise grab a Lapco 7.5 Big Shot and go to town.

Cheers,
PWalk

[Greedy]

Sounds good, thank you for posting. So we have accuracy significantly lowers at the Flatine Barrels effective range (the additional 100ft).

I can test that out. Alright, we got 1 I can test.

Any more?

[chinesebugrepel]

Well, to prove that flatline is effetive for speedball you can try testing the bunker-curve thingy. I've seen a few guys use this techniques very well and it made them some of the most successful mid-back players that I've ever seen (in recball). You might test how to get the greatest curve without sacrificing the "flat-line" effect.

As for me, I'm not a fan of flatline simply because it's not a front player's barrel and that's all I do. I guess that can be argued, but the distance and ability to angle shots doesnt really work to your advantage in the front. And I guess I agree that at close range it's not as accurate as a bigshot or cp.
If you like the style of play necessary for flatline then it's great.

[PWalk]

Originally posted by chinesebugrepel
.

As for me, I'm not a fan of flatline simply because it's not a front player's barrel and that's all I do.

My point exactly. If your the type of player who's always up front the Flatline is not your friend.

[Greedy]

Okay two more additions. So we have:
-Accuracy, as opposed to a bore-barrel match, is lower at closer range (within 50ft)
-Curvature usage

I'll have to think more on the curvature usage in speedball and whether it's enough to be useful. Other than observation that'll be tough to do. You'd have to rely on my word for it (and we all know what the old "I heard from . . . that . . . " causes) instead of numbers.

The close range accuracy I CAN test though.

Keep 'em coming and I just want to say thank you to everyone for keeping it mature and not turning this into a flame war.

[Erik3032]

I for one am for the flatline. It's not that accurate sure, but it gives you range yes. But if you rush and stuff it's accurate enough that you'll hit plenty of people. The curve thing is also a great plus too as that other guy said. It works! Some bad things about it is it's a hassle to squeegie. When I first got it i had some breaks at the begining but then when i started to use it more i don't get breaks often at all. It's pretty loud, it could be a good thing or a bad thing i guess. Your enemies can quickly notice you're firing at them but if you're playing woods or something it might confuse your enemy with such a loud noise. There are ways around the flatline's disabilities like lpk hpa etc. I also had this idea where instead of putting the flatline on the correct way you put it on upside down. I accidently did it and fired and the ball went and then just suddenly shot down. It could be kind of effective if you wanna shoot your enemy while they are behind a bunker like the curve shot.

[Greedy]

Thanx Erik for the post, too many supporters lol. Maybe I should post this in another forum :\, any idea's which? Maybe you can move this Turambar?

Any "haters" out there?

[E r y k]

well... which flatline are you mainly talking about? the a-5 or the m98?

i take it that its the a-5 flatline since thats what you have, theres really nothing bad about it, it has been hugely improved from the m98 flatline.

anyhow, you could probably test efficiencY?

[CnCmaster4life]

hey I'm not really a hater but I wouldn't really recomend them. can you test how bad(if the results are bad at all) the ball breakage problem compared to a regular staight barrel.......preferably somthing thats no on the lower end of the aftermarket barrel ladder. And I might borrow my friend's model 98 flatline and run some of these tests my self for the model 98's flatline and see the difference in the results ^^

[Slayer-LongShot]

flatline good:
long distance, further than normal guns can shoot back at.

can make tricky shots.

Flatline bad:

many people have had to send them back due to improper sandblasting, they have smooth spots inside that cause them to function improperly.

very hard to instal correctly the first time, unless it is the a5 which is idiot proof.

must have a small bore paint marbs seem to be the universal best.

pricey for a bent barrel.

overall:

i had one, but not for very long it ticked me off, but now i hav more self control and i wish i still had it, i'm going to get an a5 rather than 98, they do work but it takes love and respect and maybe some shop tools

[Greedy]

Alright, so we have:
-Efficiency
-Ball Breaks (I'm assuming at HOF)
-Lacks Paintball bore variety

I can test Ball Breaks but that is going to be EXTREMELY dependant on the type of paint being used. Nonetheless I will do my best to test it.

Efficiency, which I'm assuming by that E R Y K, as opposed to a standard barrel. This I can test out on the field next time I play. With the flatline on I"m able to get 1 240 round hopper and 3 150 round pods before I have to refill. I will do this with a standard barrel to see if there is any difference.

Paintball bore variety is lacking I assume is what you mean Slayer-LongShot becuase small bore paint is highly recommended or else the flatline won't work like it should. I'll use a large bore and small bore paint and take into account any differences in distance and accuracy from various distances.

"very hard to instal correctly the first time, unless it is the a5 which is idiot proof." (Slayer-LongShot)
I agree with this completely, I had to put this potential negative trait of the flatline barrel off limits because it didn't apply. I think I mentioned this in the original post but if not I apologize.

We have a great list going, thank you everyone for all the assistance, any other ones?

[benhmn]

I have a flatiline for my A5, but haven't had a chance to use it yet, so I can't be pro or con. I was thinking of doing the same thing, some sort of experiment to test the negatives & posititves vs. other barrels, prove/disprove theories, etc. I might actually try and tape it, so people can see for themselves. But definately go for it, Greedy. If I do one, it won't be for a couple more weeks.

And good attention getter, sneaky *******...;)

[Greedy]

I do my best to be sneaky, it worked didn't it :)?

[Slayer-LongShot]

benhm, check out paintballzone.com and http://squeegie.proboards21.com/

one of our members did a test on a flatline and a stock 98 barrel, i didn't look at the readouts but you could ask him.

[Tippmann Owns]

Well, i to was wondering about the flatline. I bummed my friends of him and used it for a day of woodsball. Heres what i got.

Good:
unbelievable range, puts autocockers to shame
perfect accuracy (if yo use it right)
can curve around objects
just looks dead sexy

bad:
if yo uuse it wrong you get horrible accuracy
pain to clean if you break a ball
on the heavy side
cant bunker anyone or mak effective shots on the move(more on this later)

The accuracy of the flatline is actually comparable to a medium range BB gun if you use it right. The secret is to keep the barrel perfectly level. My friend had a great solution to this dilema, he put a mini-level on the botton of his left reciever. If you have to tiem look down and make sure the guns level, you can pop off a perfect shot.

My friend and his autococker and i got enganged in a ranged war. He was using his gun like a mortar cannnon and still not hitting me, i brought the flatline down level and hit him in 15 shots.

i actualy got the curve to work for me, it goes around trees with ease if you angle the gun, much like a curve or sinker in baseball

who can say it doesnt look purty?

since you have to have the barrel level for a good shot, bunkering is impossible if you on the move and at a distance. its no comparison to my UL for consistency

mount a mini-level on ur left reciever and get a sighted in red dot scope and you will own the woodsball field

[E r y k]

Originally posted by Tippmann Owns
Well, i to was wondering about the flatline. I bummed my friends of him and used it for a day of woodsball. Heres what i got.

Good:
unbelievable range, puts autocockers to shame
another noob misconception, cockers do not shoot any futher than other guns.
perfect accuracy (if yo use it right)
as is any other barrel with correct paint match
can curve around objects
just looks dead sexy
beauty is in the eye of the beholder

bad:
if yo uuse it wrong you get horrible accuracy
how does one use a barrel wrong/use it right? explain
pain to clean if you break a ball
on the heavy side
cant bunker anyone or mak effective shots on the move(more on this later)

The accuracy of the flatline is actually comparable to a medium range BB gun if you use it right. The secret is to keep the barrel perfectly level. My friend had a great solution to this dilema, he put a mini-level on the botton of his left reciever. If you have to tiem look down and make sure the guns level, you can pop off a perfect shot.

My friend and his autococker and i got enganged in a ranged war. He was using his gun like a mortar cannnon and still not hitting me, i brought the flatline down level and hit him in 15 shots.

i actualy got the curve to work for me, it goes around trees with ease if you angle the gun, much like a curve or sinker in baseball

who can say it doesnt look purty?

since you have to have the barrel level for a good shot, bunkering is impossible if you on the move and at a distance. its no comparison to my UL for consistency

mount a mini-level on ur left reciever and get a sighted in red dot scope and you will own the woodsball field

you gotta remember the a-5 flatline will be tested.

also, you gotta stop the thing w/ the cockers having more range... its not true.

[Slayer-LongShot]

the flatline can be used incorrectly, if you have any cant to the weapon (tilt off the x axis) means turning the da*n thing sideways.

it will cause that curve ad very wild inaccuracy, most flatliners will use a scope so that they know that they have the gun level createing more accuracy by useing the horizontal scope recticle so they know it is parallel with the surface of the earth

[Cx Threepio]

Im nuetral on the flatline. A good friend of mine has one on his 98c. I have noticed that like anyother barrel the balls will curve or fly straight depending on the size of the paint.
I have also noticed that whenever his paintballs hit me, they don't break. This could either have been his velocity or the flatline itself. Nearly every time a ball hits me the it just bounces off.

[Slayer-LongShot]

true, flatl8ine balls don't break at extreme distances due to the fact that they work best at 280 fps.

they shoot at a lower velocity than most markers, they float more than shoot form the brute strength of co2.

as well as their rolling, imagine being hit directly by a punch, rather than haveing it hit you and roll at the same time, it causes the force of impact to be spread out like a bullet proof vest would, so the impact is absorbed and lessened because of the roll, and in turn it won't break.

lol too much info.

it will shoot at logn distances but that dosen't mean it shoudl be used that far, and it is realatively inaccurate unless the gun is held level, and the barrel is properly installed.

marbs are the best paint, it is big bore, but it needs small paint, so that it can start spinning before leaving the barrel.

[Tippmann Owns]

im stating my opinion, so ofcourse beauty is in the eye of the beholder, me being the beholder

Actually eryk, autocockers and most other high end closed bolts get 15-20 more feet in there effective range. blowbacks just cant match them. Have you ever even used one?

its true that if you use a barrel right you can get near perfect accuracy, but can yo uget near perfect accuracy at upto 200 ft wih any other blowback? if you can i would like to know

and im pretty sure i explain how i found was the best way to use the barrel a couple sentances later... its right in the quote... lol, did you read the quote or just pop it up there?

and i never said that other barrels dont have great accuracy with correct bore match, you assumed something that i never even hinted at.
what does it matter in this thread if other barrels have similar close to mid range accuracy with good paint? were talkin about the flatline, arent we?

[Slayer-LongShot]

i think sum1 pist in his cheery-O's and he wanted to flame someone i thought it was a totaly logical post to anyone that knows half way what their talking about, he should be able to understand it without trying to be a .......

if your not then you have an odd personality dude

[chinesebugrepel]

No flatline debate here...
And no, cockers don't get more range. I know where that info came from...

"My friend told me so"

[Greedy]

Please no debates. It's not going to solve anything.

I have indeed completed the experiment. I will put up the results as soon as I upload the pictures and take the time to type it all out.

But, just for the record, no gun shoots further than another unless the velocity is higher or lower on one of the two. There is no magic force that allows it to shoot further. If you want to debate that issue (which has already been done) don't do it in this thread please.

Thank you everyone, the results should be up soon!

[Slayer-LongShot]

not even talking about the flatline, i hated mine but i know it works. was refeering to the useless posts of another member downing another persons pure opinion.

[E r y k]

tippmann owns, if u want to debate about how a cocker shoots futher. pm me.

[Slayer-LongShot]

i've actually never heard of cockers having a longer range, or a cocker v/s tippmann thing. i have a closed bolt and due to velocity issues it has never compared to a tippmann though i don't tyhink there is a real diffrence besides the spring and air pressure.

[smplbz]

I was there when Greedy did his test and man did the flatline fall on its face. At 200 feet it only got 1/10 hits target, at 150 it got like 3/10 it was horrible.

[Turambar]

Closed at Greedy's request.