cmi 21" barrel

[sniperghost]

Hi everyone. Im new to the forum. I recently bought a cmi tru-flight pe qb 21" barrel over ebay. Im very new to paintball. anyway, im scared out of my wits because ive searched this forum for it and the closest thing ive found was a 21" "thunder pig" which is a new term for me. it looks exactly the same though so maybe they are one and the same. So now im very confused as to what i just ordered. Im also really scared because it had some really sucky reviews. Im a sniper so I though id go for the longest barrel and now apparently that was a bad thing because i wont get any distance! and apparently it has horrible finish. I dont know, has anybody out there used this thing barrel? also it's going on a brand new spyder tl-r. Which ive also heared is bad. because people say its made for the 98 custom. however the one i got was made for sypder threads. ANY information would be helpful. thanks guys.

[TimberGhost0417]

No No and No on you're 21" barrel.
You're barrel is a CMI Thunder Pig

Hey there, since you're new to paintballing and you purchased a 21" barrel I just wanted to give you some info that will definately surprise you.

A 14" barrel will shoot 4 inches farther then a 10" barrel but that's about it. Once it leaves the barrel it will shoot the same distance because the paintball travels at the same speed as it leaves both barrels.

A paintball accellerates in the barrel for the first 6-8 inches, and only the first 8 inches.

Based on you're own preference, don't get a barrel over 14 inches.
10", 12", 14" all work great.

Best bang for your $$$ is a Custom Products barrel.
A good barrel is one that's accurate and shoots through breaks.
With you're CMI, once you get paint in the barrel due to a chopped paintball or barrel break, you have to squeegee the sucker.

With a good barrel self cleans. If you get paint in the barrel, take 2-5 shots and you'll get 90% accuracy again, keeping you in the game without cleaning you're barrel.

With the 21", you might screw up you're striker and sear, and also you'll use alot more gas then necessary.

[soccerjacks12]

And you cant dent it on something, bend it, stick it into the ground. And worst of all...poke someone's eye out:cyclops:

[TheSpy11]

Unfortunately that barrel wasn't a good decision. It is too long and inaccurate compared to other barrels. I suggest that you sell or get rid of that barrel as soon as possible and buy a 12/14" CP 1-piece or J&J Ceramic. Those are two great barrels at $30-40.

[wise690]

I made the same mistake when I bought my Opsgear 18" barrel. It's not really that bad at shootdown, but the balls do arc down a little bit quicker than other barrels. I know there is no such thing as a sniper, and I agree with the statement, just thought the barrel was cool. I would reccomend what TheSpy said, "a J&J ceramic". Look for a 14" barrel. It is about the average length, not to short, but not to long either. You won't experience shootdown, and it is still somewhat long enough to give decent accuracy depending on your bore-paint match.

[babustos]

If you have any objections to the statement "There is no such thing as a sniper", then read the sniper sticky in the strategies and tactics forums.

But yeah I would get rid of your CMI, and go for a J&J or CP barrel.

[Skunk300]

Read the stickies on the barrels, it will explain everything! Like the others have said....14 inch max... and I agree with Custom Products as a barrel. My CP shoots as accurate as my Boomstick which is a $100 barrel. The CP is a $40 barrel. Get a CP and you will not regret it. IMO best barrel made in the lower price range.

[soccerjacks12]

CP:tup:
However, if you primarily play speedball, I'm assuming you don't cuz you boght a Pig, a 16" is nice for pushing bunkers. I like my 14" CP though.

[Meekrobe]

How do you even walk with a 21" barrel?. I would break mine off against a tree trunk the first game.

[palidon11]

i dug my 16" in the dirt all the time..i cnat imagine a 21.

[Spinal]

this sniper thing has to stop...
do you see the sniper in this scenerio?
http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/american_west/images/Glen%20Canyon%20Dam%20sunset%202.jpg
or this one
http://www.hawcc.hawaii.edu/laurab/generalbotany/images/maile%20in%20the%20forest.jpg
unless you play paintball like that you are a sniper wannabe or really lonley in the game. by the way if you can't see the sniper, thats the whole point! a sniper doesn't mean you have a gun with a long *** barrel, scope/sight, and look like some ninja, it means you can't be seen when you shoot.

[trophyman582]

It also means that there no one in either of those pictures. GG.

[DarkeWolf]

There is so such a thing as a sniper in paintball. It's called the Sniper2 pump by WGP :P
ok anyway, enough fooling around.

The barrel will work with a spyder, as long as thats the threading on the barrel. The only barrels that are REALLY made only for the tippmanns is the Flatline barrels...which is also made by tippmann.
But yeah...I dont think that you are really gonna be happy with that barrel. As was mentioned before, its too long. It will decrease your distance, decrease your velocity, make you increase your pressure, and well...get in the way.
there's nothing wrong with your spyder. spyders are good markers. especially for woodsball, recball, and scenario.
some really good barrel choices are the cp 1 piece, the J&J Ceramic or S2, (dont get a progressive or teardrop...you'll spend too much time cleaning it, and the porting is inefficient) the Evil Driver. If you want to get a kit to help improve your accuracy with a better bore to paint match, the cp 2 piece, the J&J edge kit, the Evil Pipe kit, the Empire 7 piece, are all good choices.

[sniperghost]

I wish i came here earlier! this sucks. apparently i got one long piece of crap! anybody want to buy it from me? lol. anyway, im not made of cash and i cant spend anymore on accessories. I dont know how to get rid of this thing either. i guess i could try ebay. Oh and to answer a few of your questions. I didnt COMPLETELY have my head up my %#$ when i bought that thing! First off, i live in the middle of nowhere, so i just play with my friends. also, i planned on going into the game with my regular barrel on and the "thunder pig" attached to my leg in a tube. where i play, there is no rush, and i have time to sit there and screw it on if i had too. I did figure that it was really long and that it would lower the distance but i had no idea that it would do some of the other stuff eveyone said. thanks for all the info guys. i will come back when i have a few more questions. OH and what scope should i get, 4x or 7x magnification. im thinking 4x because im not going to ever be that far away....and those sniper pics were hilarious! thats what im aiming for!

[soccerjacks12]

Skip the scope and get a new Rail or feedneck. Scopes are kinda useless cuz you have to adjust them alot.

[DarkeWolf]

hey man, don't cut yourself down. This is a sport where it's REAL easy to make mistakes.
One of the best pieces of advice is to research before you buy.

Like with a scope for instance. With a spyder, you're not gonna get more than about 200 feet for range, if you are using a safe ball speed of around 290 fps. (only barrel that can really get further than that is the tippmann flatline (which you cant use) and the Apex barrel (which is not accurate).
So magnification isn't really necessary, unless you are trying to see where people are.
Also, even with the best paint, and the most accurate barrel, its still not accurate enough for a scope. Paint doesnt fly straight enough or evenly enough on a ball per ball basis to hit where the crosshairs are even 75% of the time.
This same factor makes trying to zero in a scope on a paintball gun a MAJOR chore.

I really cant recommend it if you want to spend your money on a scope for a paintball gun.

[sniperghost]

what is a feedneck? also, my hopper is vertical so its in my way for any type of rail or scope. i guess i could get an offset rail but like darkewolfe said, its not going to matter much anyway. apparently there is no REAL gear (other than camo) that i can get for sniping. thanks all for the info, this is really helpful.

[babustos]

The only reason why one should get a scope, is to see long distances, but not shoot. And even if you did get a scope, it would be hard to see through it while looking through your mask.

[DarkeWolf]

good point babustos. ;)
hahaha I Never even thought about trying to look thru a scope thru a mask lense before!

sniperghost- there are two feednecks. there is the feedneck on your gun, that the hopper fits into. there is also the feedneck of the hopper that the balls go through. The feedneck of the hopper fits into the feedneck of the marker.
a feedneck for your gun is soccerjacks was talking about. ;) Clamping feednecks are adjustable, so most any feedneck from a hopper will fit into one. then just tighten it down, and it stays put. just loosen it up, and the hopper comes out. Very convenient to have :)

Well....here's a couple of things that people get seen by most when playing woodsball. Their mask, and their gun/hopper. You can get the camo netting to help camoflage both. They have the hood type mesh that you can put on over your head. And you can also use that just wrapping it around your marker to help camo your gun.

I take it that you are playing woods, right? I havent played a whole lot of woodsball, but if you want, drop me a pm and I'll fill you in on a few tactics, and some of the mistakes that I and some of the peeps that I was playing with, made. That might help you out some :)

[soccerjacks12]

You can buy Goggle Skinz to camo your lenses but I wouldn't recommend them. They impair your vision too much.

[inuyasharox4776]

sorry for hijacking your thread,but, i saw early on the thread dont get anything above a 14" barrel. I justr ghot a Stiffi 16" Mamba (i was looking for a 14", but I forgot to look as I was looking at the bore size) is that size ok?

[thesniper4u]

You can buy Goggle Skinz to camo your lenses but I wouldn't recommend them. They impair your vision too much.
i have one on my JT, and it doesn't impair vision more than making things slightly darker. you see right through it.

sniperghost:
When i bought my little bros marker it came with a 21" CMI, its kinda a novelty between us now. lol As you play more you'll pick up on things and try new and different stuff. Go to Walmart and get some camo cloth/netting and floss. i made a gun sock for my 98 out of it with some velcro to hold it on. cant' get pics as i'm in the process of finding a new apartment for the summer. use the search up top to find quick answers but if not we're all here to help, just drop by and ask. :D

inuyasharox4776:
HIJACKER!! lol j/k 16" is the max size you should buy, it is reserved mostly for back players who like to push into the bunkers for a lower profile.

[sniperghost]

I live in the panhandle of texas, so it wouldnt be right calling it "woodsball" I live in more of a desert terrain but there is a lot of "desert brush". You know, tall 2-3' tan grass. a lot of cactus, etc,etc. Anyway. what does everyone think if the J&J Timmy 16" ceramic barrel? If i can find some sucker to buy this pig from me, then i might be able to get the funds for the J&J. Also, does ceramic ACTUALLY work better than aluminum? I mean, when i think ceramic, i think about space shuttles shattering. Also, they say it has some sort of superslick surface...is this really true? Because apparently ive been screwed over once and i dont want to take it up the tailpipe again. thanks for the info guys.

[trophyman582]

I actually have a scope on my airsoft rifle. Its not accurate to any degree, but its a fun little toy that can come in handy seeing a good distance. I guess it could have this same effect in paintball, but binoculars would be a little more appropriate.

[soccerjacks12]

I find that my CP onepiece cleans better than my friends J&J Ceramic. The teflon coated makes it "slippery" it's not actually slippery inside. IT is the same as microhoning. It choice chip easier but for the most part it is a great barrel.

[DarkeWolf]

sorry for hijacking your thread,but, i saw early on the thread dont get anything above a 14" barrel. I justr ghot a Stiffi 16" Mamba (i was looking for a 14", but I forgot to look as I was looking at the bore size) is that size ok?
Yeah, a 16 is about the longest that you will want to go. You might have to make a few adjustments to how you play to accomodate for the extra length. such as not hugging a bunker as close, holding the marker a bit higher when you carry it, and turning the velocity up just a tad bit more maybe.

I live in the panhandle of texas, so it wouldnt be right calling it "woodsball" I live in more of a desert terrain but there is a lot of "desert brush". You know, tall 2-3' tan grass. a lot of cactus, etc,etc. Anyway. what does everyone think if the J&J Timmy 16" ceramic barrel? If i can find some sucker to buy this pig from me, then i might be able to get the funds for the J&J. Also, does ceramic ACTUALLY work better than aluminum? I mean, when i think ceramic, i think about space shuttles shattering. Also, they say it has some sort of superslick surface...is this really true? Because apparently ive been screwed over once and i dont want to take it up the tailpipe again. thanks for the info guys.
Aw man, I'm sorry dude. I've been to the texas panhandle. Didnt much care for it. But then...I'm used to hills, trees, and grass...and peeps that didnt talk so wierd, hahaha. No sorry, I'm just joking around.

Ok, this NEEDS to be mentioned, since you mentioned a timmy barrel. What they are talking about there, is the barrel THREADING. A Timmy barrel will NOT fit on your spyder, because it has a different (Intimidator) barrel threading pattern. You've got to get one that has spyder threads, for it to fit.
Only the inside of the barrel on a J&J is ceramic and teflon lined. And that is a very thin layer. The rest of the barrel is aluminum, the same as most other barrels. And to be honest, you really have to abuse a J&J to damage it, unless its just the usual scratches to the outside.
As far as it being "super slick" that, I cant really say. To the touch it feels the same as any other well honed barrel. However, teflon IS a friction-reduction agent, so there very well could be some fact to that advertisement.
But unless you get a defective barrel...you won't get screwed in the hoop by a J&J, except with some really crappy paint.

[Spinal]

It also means that there no one in either of those pictures. GG.
you cant prove that:D

[Skunk300]

I live in the panhandle of texas, so it wouldnt be right calling it "woodsball" I live in more of a desert terrain but there is a lot of "desert brush". You know, tall 2-3' tan grass. a lot of cactus, etc,etc. Anyway. what does everyone think if the J&J Timmy 16" ceramic barrel? If i can find some sucker to buy this pig from me, then i might be able to get the funds for the J&J. Also, does ceramic ACTUALLY work better than aluminum? I mean, when i think ceramic, i think about space shuttles shattering. Also, they say it has some sort of superslick surface...is this really true? Because apparently ive been screwed over once and i dont want to take it up the tailpipe again. thanks for the info guys.
No, the ceramic barrel dosent work any better than an aluminum, and the J+J barrel is all hype. I have one and it cant compare to a CP barrel. Dont waste you money on a J+J. As for a slick surface Stainless steel is the slickest surface you can get. Thats why the better barrels use a SS back. ;)

[mugenXP]

Im a sniper

first of all.. theres no such thing as a sniper in paintball.

and your spyder tl-r is not bad, dont listen to what people say, if you barely started paintball, the spyder tl-r was a good choice.