Tippmann Custom 98 Flatline Barrel Reviews

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Number of Reviews: 762 Average Rating: 8.2 / 10 Manufacturer Website: Click here Suggested Retail Price: $150

Manufacturer Description Subscribe to Reviews on this Product - Edit this Product Listing The Flatline Barrel System is the first barrel to put back spin on paintballs. It not only increases accuracy and distance, but it also has a flat trajectory. Product Availability   The Tippmann Custom 98 Flatline Barrel is newer, so it should be commonly available, both new and used. Check out the Places to Buy links below for places to purchase it new. Places to Buy TippmannParts.com

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mallen7818 Monday, April 21st, 2003 Period of Product Use: Less than a month 620 of 637 people found this review helpful. Paintball Experience: 6 months Similar Products Used: 14 Inch Smart Parts Barrel - Increased accuracy over the stock barrel, but not in the same category as the Flatline. Marker Setup: Tippmann 98 Custom with Response Trigger and Folding Stock Tippman Flatline Barrel System Tippmann Expansion Chamber Drop Forward Anti-Siphon System Recommended Paintballs: Best - RPS Marbs, RPS Premium or RPS Big Ball Good - Diablo Dusk Fair - I-Balz, Zap Sport Poor - Brass Eagle Strengths: Accuracy, Distance, Zone Control and Intimidation Weaknesses: Installation, Price and Paint Requirements Review: The Flatline System for the M98 Custom is a personal choice for most players. The advantages will far outweigh the disadvantages for most recreational players. I would recommend this system for any player that has prior military experience or training as a MUST have upgrade. The difference between a regular barrel (excluding the stock barrel because it's useless) and the Flatline is the difference between shooting a 9MM and an M-16 when playing paintball. The Flatline gives you a MUCH better chance to "reach out and touch someone" than you get with a non-Flatline system on your M-98. For younger players, I would recommend that you borrow a M-98 with the Flatline before you go and purchase it. It improves the balance of the marker by giving you a forward position to place your hand, but it may be too "long" for younger players or players with short arms. Fact - Better Distance/Accuracy The Flatline offers users the opportunity to reach targets at a greater distance than is possible with conventional technology. While I have yet to experience the "awesome" range increase that some users claim, I am easily able to shoot an offhand 12 inch group at 135 feet (yes we measured) placing 24 out of 25 balls (RPS Marbs) within a 12 inch grouping at that distance. Fiction - Eats Paintballs The Flatline doesn't "chop" any more balls than any other barrel if you use the correct paint. I enjoy testing things and on our most recent country outing, I fired 6000 paintballs to test various paint in the barrel (having read so many reviews about what a vegi-matic this system was.) 1000 RPS Marbs 500 Single Shot (Zero Breaks) 500 3-5 Round Burst (1 Break) 1000 RPS Premium 500 Single Shot (Zero Breaks) 500 3-5 Round Burst (Zero Breaks) 1000 RPS Big Ball 500 Single Shot (1 Break) 500 3-5 Round Burst (2 Breaks) 1000 Diablo Dusk 500 Single Shot (3 Breaks) 500 3-5 Round Burst (Zero Breaks) As you can see in the decent to premium paint range the Flatline broke 7 out of 4000 paintballs. I didn't sort the bags or look for mishapen rounds, I just dumped them in and fired away. 1000 View Loader I-Balz 500 Single Shot (1 Break) 500 3-5 Round Burst (5 Breaks) 500 Zap Sport 250 Single Shot (Zero Breaks) 250 3-5 Round Burst (7 Breaks) The lesser quality paint was much more prone to breakage when firing rapidly . A friend of mine had box of Brass Eagle Ammo that he wanted to get rid of, so I bought it from him for a few dollars. When trying to use BE ammo, the breakage was unbelievably bad. When you break a ball in the barrel, it does affect the accuracy of the marker. I was unable to to consistantly hit anything past 70 feet after breaking a ball in the barrel, but cleaning the barrel with the supplied tool takes less than 20 seconds. Fiction - The Balls "Float" I have a friend that can dispell this myth in a hurry. I've read that the balls appear to be moving slower because of the lack of arc. I can't attest to that, must have lost my physics degree somewhere, but I can tell you that my friend said the balls coming from my gun towards him looked "slow and lazy" so he decided to catch one. He was off the field icing his hand shortly after that, he also said the next round that I shot (the one that hit his mask) hurt quite a bit. Some people say the balls from the Flatline travel so slowly that they can be dodged. At 280 FPS the ball leaves the barrel approaching 190 MPH, a human being standing 60 feet away has 0.20 seconds from the time the ball is fired until impact. How far can you move in 0.20 seconds? Your mind can't even register that the trigger was pulled in that amount of time, so I'm dubious about claims that people "dodge" paintballs. If you're shooting a longer distance, the ball actually gets there first. At 80 feet my friend with a M-98 has to aim slightly high to make sure the ball reaches the target. We stood an equal distance from a target as someone counted down and pulled the trigger at the same time. His ball had to arch through the air (thus traveling farther) while mine went straight downrange. My ball hit the plywood noticiably before his. Fact - At Extreme Range Balls from a Flatline May Not Break This seems like a no brainer to me, but a big deal to some people. Yes, if you're shooting at something 175 feet away (even something hard) the ball from the Flatline may not break (I'd say one out of two do though.) But since you CAN'T hit something that far away without the Flatline a 50% chance of breaking on the target seems like a huge improvement over a 0% chance. Fiction - Maintenance is a Problem If you have the wit to work on/clean a real firearm, the M-98 with a Flatline presents about as much challenge to maintain as pumping gas. I'm no mechanical genius, but I can break down the whole system in under two minutes. Fact - Installation Takes Care and Concentration To install the system correctly, you need to take your time and follow the directions. The only problem I had was the spring clip that provides tension to the front sight (and the bar that allows you to swing the feed arm down) kept popping out of place. Poor design on Tippmann's part, really ZERO to do with the Flatline because it's part of the stock M-98 marker. Fiction - The Barrel Uses more CO2. I won't even dignify that complaint with a response. Fiction - The System Makes the Gun Too "Big/Heavy" This is likely true for players of short stature, I'm 5'9" and it's not a problem for me. As for it keeping you from "taking corners" here's some advice. Most paintballers I've seen move around the corner and follow with the marker. The head/shoulder of the player comes around the corner and then the marker is aligned for the shot. In the Army we used to call that "dumb." Point your marker down (not up) and move it around the corner first, as you bring your leg around snap the gun up into firing position as your shoulder clears the obstacle and bring your head around and crouch. If it's clear proceed, if not, from the crouch you can make the decision to engage (your marker is up and ready to fire) or retreat behind cover. Crouching lowers your profile. If you watched any of the Iraqi war coverage, you saw how the soldiers moved around corners. Weapon first, snap it up, bend slightly, look, fire/retreat/advance. I know for a fact that an M-16 or even a cut down M-4 is longer than a Tippmann with a Flatline. As to it being to heavy, maybe if your 10 or really weak it is, for me nope and I doubt it is for most players either. Conclusion: This system allows "Zone Control" on an unheard of level in the arena of paintball. Since adding this to my M-98C, I have the ability to control everything within 75 feet of my position. I mean CONTROL. Nobody gets within that arc unless I let them or I don't see them. I can shoot through a fork in a tree at 75 feet, first time every time, if you're within 75 feet and in the open, you might as well save yourself the bruise and call yourself out because you're going to get painted, period. If you're farther away than that, I can still pin you down and paint you if I throw enough balls your direction. The system takes experience to use properly. It takes patience to find the right velocity setting to propel the balls at 280 to 300 FPS. The system requires a higher grade of paint and is thus more expensive to operate. I am no longer allowed to play on defense when we play capture the flag because I could sit back nice and safe and pop anyone that gets close to the flag, so I'm relegated to offense only. I would not say this system is for everyone, but it's made me a more capable player and it intimidates the other team more than you can imagine to know that they still have 20 to 50 feet to cover before they can get an accurate shot at me even though my balls are breaking around them. Recommend for Adults with Military Training, Hunting Experience or individuals that are more comfortable with a marker that fires/feels closer to a real weapon than a shiny ray gun. Not Recommended for Children, Individuals under 5'6" or people that like to spray and pray. I'm giving this product a 9 because it does have its flaws, but the good truly outweighs the bad. Matched with a R/T it's almost an unfair advantage. Rating: 9 out of 10 I found this review   126 Comments - Add Comment

Stan_the_HitMan Saturday, June 12th, 2004 Period of Product Use: 3 years 180 of 188 people found this review helpful. Paintball Experience: More than 5 years Similar Products Used: A5 Flatline Apex Recommended Paintballs: small-Medium Bore, Thick shelled Strengths: Longest range looks the coolest (in about 3000 peoples opinions) perfect for scenario play Weaknesses: Expensive Inexperienced players buy it and try to install it themselves Review: I looked at the reviews on this site from worst to best and i was appalled. SO many of the reviews at the back were from 1-4 out of ten, then i realized someone taught the newbies how to wright, who'ed of thunk? Some said it chopped paint. First off, barrels don't chop paint, your bolt does, read a book! Some people said it Broke paint, let me show you my findings to theirs: i used: 500 evil paint, 3 breaks Brass eagle (i wish i hadn't) (200) 5 breaks zap premium (1600): 3 breaks draxxus (1000) 2 breaks marbleizes (500) 0 breaks View loader i-balz (200) 2 Breaks Diablo dusk (500), 1 break 32 degrees competition (1000), 3 breaks Big ball (1000) 1 break Stinger (1000) 0 breaks I had another brand that came in a box with no name or brand, they had a white fill and were very crappy (I'm not even sure they were paintballs) the broke when you touched them, and they were all stuck together and broke when you tried to separate them. i sold the box to a newbie with a talon for 50 bucks, may god have mercy on his soul because i didn't want them near my tippmann, or any other gun that didn't come from walmart. Along the lines of paint the flatline was designed with Marbs in mind, the rules of physics (i cant remember the name) says smaller, rounder paint will travel further with more accuracy. With the copping out of the way some people said it had horrible range and accuracy i have used a total of 6 different flat lines in my life. one did this, and it was installed by a newb with a rich dad. i took it apart and put it back together right. Then problem never emerged again until he took it apart and put it back together. so i had to fix it once more, this time i told him to not even think about taking it apart ever again. **if flatline is not installed wright it will not do what it is supposed to** i am unable to stress that enough, the flatline will not work wright if you don't install it wright and straight. if you don't put it in or screw it in all the way you get inaccurate paint, if you put it in at an angle you will have a side shooter. My Friend's Cousin got one off of Ebay and it, well looked not right. it wasn't a GTA (Genuine Tippmann Accessory) the plastic Frame was...rounded and smooth (questionable) and even the barrel looked...strange. It didn't shoot strait no matter how it was installed. the problem was it wasn't GTA avoid cheep reproductions, only get GTA. Other people say that it does not break paint balls when it hits people. well I'm glade your able to hit people now, so i guess you went back to default setting CYNICISM. at 200 feet do you really expect to hit any one? sure the ball travels that far but i doubt any of these newbies are the snipers they all think they are when they see a gun behind glass at walmart. i don't try to be mean to players that are just starting out but the stereo typical newbie thinks they will shoot pro's with their brass eagle gun, thinks they will make shots in a 1 foot pattern at 70 feet and thinks they can dodge paintballs like a young pody trained neo. The truth is if flatline is installed right you should be able to shoot at a target (with good paint) at 50 feet, and shoot again and hit within a foot of your last shot. one comment that really bugged me was people saying it cant be squeegeed. step 1: buy cord squeegee step 2: press quick release hopper button step 3: run cord through barrel step 4: yank cord through barrel 3 times VOA la' you have just squeegeed a flatline. Some people said it takes up more co2 I have one question; how does a piece of piping with no moving pieces in it many inches away from any valve of any kind waste gas? let me know if you ever figure that one out. Somebody in the online forums argued this point with me: [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by flyboy22 [/i] [B]That was a great flatline review, hitman. But I you said you didn't understand how the flatline is a gas hog. Well technically it can be. Here's why: The backspin induced on the ball sucks up some energy. So lets say we had a regular barrel vs. a flatline both chronoed at 270fps. (I think thats max. for the flatty). Holding both guns level and straight of course the flatty will go farther. The energy in the form of backspin induced lift that allowed the ball to do this sucked up some energy. This means you'll have to turn the velocity screw higher to match the velocity of other regular barrel. If you put the regular barrel on the gun with the flatline the ball would go much faster (but not as far as the flatline). But I'd hazard a guess that you'd waste alot more gas cranking up the velocity and pointing skyward with a regular barrel to even try to reach 200+ feet. So yes, the flatline does waste gas comparitivly at any distance the regular barrel can reach whilst being held paralell to the ground. But once the regular barrel has to be pointed up,and wasting distance/energy in arch height, the flatline should actually be slightly more efficient. [/B][/QUOTE] well flyboy, thank you for a mature intelligant argument, most people just jump out of the woods and yell "FLATLINES SUCK" (Personally when i hear somebody say a flaltine sucks it is a direct reflection of their own ignorance and impatience.) so anyways here is what i said to flyboy22: [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Stan the HitMan [/i] [B]Flatline is about 16" long. the roughness of the inside will cause a bit more friction, but not anything noticeable for shot count as the same velocity (280's is optimal) would have been used with a normal 16". you will never see a dramatic change as mentioned in other reviews (which was my initial point) i do admire the thought you put into your post though, flyboy22 and of course from the stock barrel there will be a difference, as with another barrel of the same length. the stock barrel is almost half the size. giving you about 20-30 shots per tank more, but i was comparing to barrels of the same length. [/B][/QUOTE] My point stands. **NOTE** the inside of the flatline barrel is rough, because it is sand blasted, some people see this (i wont mention names) and think it is a defect and try to polish it out. DON'T!!! this will ruin the flatline, this slight friction and the curve of the barrel gives the back spin. in the event you do polish it you can send it to Tippmann tech and have them re-sandblast it, but be aware it is sand blasted to a certain bore diameter so it will never be the same if you polish it...it would be strange and wonderful for some if this polishing an re-sand blasting would make it a boar that was good for rec paint instead of expensive, if the player in theory is a small timer and is never going to play tourney's, maybe this mod will be available on model 98 net someday, just a wild unperforated idea for the player on a budget. Although, when you are low on gas it will shoot with less strength and be less likely to break. I sat down and thought for many hours and came up with a solution....fill your darn tank up you lazy person! if you cant do this i feel sorry for you. and by the way this power decrease effect happens to every barrel in existence, people just like complain and use it against the flatline thinking no one will notice. I am very aggravated from people taking weaknesses that every barrel has and exploiting it on the flatline, aren't you? do all of us legit players a favor and go threw the crappy reviews and rate them inappropriate or not helpful. Other people said the flatline shoots slower, actually that is because it goes on a flat trajectory, the reason you think you balls from any other barrel goes faster is because you have to lob it, when you lob a ball your brain takes in more action because the ball goes up then down making it appear faster, a flatline shoots straight with less movement making it appear to go slower. IT was said that flatline + RT = tequila. this is true to an extent, if you do not have an electronic hopper and compressed air, and or a stabilizer or regulator this will happen, stock gravity fed and anti siphon or x-chamber just doesn't cut it. this is why i got a Ricochet Ak. once you have a descent electronic hopper or Spring loaded hopper suck as the Q loader this problem is pretty well fixed. **UPDATE** i put 1000 discount rec paint through my flatline with an Rt in the 10-16 bps ranges and not one chop. I heard a rumor that you shouldn't play with the plastic frame. personally i think this is a disadvantage because the frame helps hold the flatline in place, but each do his own, live and let live. However if you purchased a Rt or E-bolt you probably wanted it for speed ball, in witch case get a different barrel, the flatline is for long range, a speed ball Field is pretty much point blank, so get a regular barrel like a boomstick. You can uninstall the flatline in less then a minute. (installation takes longer.) Sometimes i wonder why if you say anything in the forums here about flatlines you get attacked and flamed about how inaccurate it is, my conclusion is not many people take the time to learn how to collaborate it wright. my suggestion : TAKE THE TIME For people who want to learn how to install the flatline correctly check out my walk through (your computer will require a flash player) at this link: http://www.thegreedy.com/videos/Flatlineinstalation.swf it has helped countless people and is posted as a sticky here in the tippmann forums. ... In the forest even the mightiest high end electro markers fall pray to the flatline. "Don't venture out there boys, this snipers got some talent" -form saving privet Ryan. "Here, there be tigers." -from the Skeleton crew. "Mess with the best, DIE LIKE THE REST!" -from Delta Force. Conclusion: (My review may have sounded negative to new players and flatline haters, but thats what they are!) (No offense to new players, what goes around comes around, im probably going to get fragged by some 12 year old kid with a talon ghost next time i take a step on a Field :D) and i like so few other people don't throw a hissy fit and make a string of excuses when hit by a new player, anyone can hit anyone given the right conditions. This barrel dwarfs any barrel in woods and scenario play. for speed ball you may want a stubby barrel for snap shooting and being in a tight space, this you do not want a flatline for, for this you need a boomstick or a stub nose barrel. probably in 10" and less. the flatline adds character to your gun, i recommend getting a stock with it for more stable shots. 10/10 because it the **BEST AT WHAT IT DOES** And what it does is dump paint darn further than any other barrel! the only other barrel that does this is the Hop-Up, and it does this with internal groves in the barrel, if you chop or break with a hop up cleaning will be a nightmare without a swab, the flatline is much essayer to clean with the 98's quick release mechanism. Have you ever been playing woods and seen someone walking along a path and wish you had just 20 more feet of range? The flatline eliminates that range hurting. Case closed. Rating: 10 out of 10 Last edited on Thursday, May 24th, 2007 at 9:07 pm PST I found this review   19 Comments - Add Comment

Dark007 Wednesday, January 15th, 2003 The accuracy of this review is disputed. Please see discussion on the comments page. Period of Product Use: 6 months 50 of 59 people found this review helpful. Paintball Experience: 2 years Similar Products Used: There are no other barrels on the market similer to the Flatline. I guess if you run a piece of masking tape along the top inside edge of the stock barrel, you could cause enough friction to give the ball backspin. : ) Marker Setup: Tippmann 98 Custom Flatline Various other accessories. Recommended Paintballs: Blaze paintballs never gave me a problem. I also liked TC Venum, but that paint was SO hard that it didnt break on targets far away. I have used the cheapo $32 a crate practice paint without MANY problems (Obviously, had some breaks). Try to go with a good ball though. I used 32 Degrees Team Color and RPS BIg Ball. They worked fine. Strengths: --Looks - The least important feature in the long run. Either way, it adds great looks to your gun. --Distance - Unsurpassed distance can be achieved. Perfect for supprising people on the other side of the field with shots that actually hit them. >---Great for Speedball or Sceanario matches. --Accurate - We arnt looking for PINPOINT accuracy here. But once you get the barrel adjusted (if you even need to) , you can have Great shots, even from 100 feet. Just be sure to adjust your back sight. --Powerful - Some say the power created by the backspin slows the ball down too much. Well id does slow it down, but that is only with LONG shots. I have not noticed any power problem if you dont try for those "150 ft+" shots. --Did I forget to mension??? - The balls travel in a flatline for average shots - no gravity arch right away!!! The best part of this gun! Weaknesses: --Loud - Bad if you are a Sniper on a scenario match. --Must keep it clean - Any paint, dirt, or gun oil can throw off your shot. (A good way to clean it without taking it all apart - put a wire squeegie through the ball feed and work it through and out the muzzle)(Some people I know never thought of that! LOL) --Bad on windy days - Any good wind can throw off your shot more-so than a regular barrel due to its backspin. --Expencive - $109 by itself. I got mine in a package, which made it seem much better. If you look around at starter Flatline packages, and be sure you know the quality of everything else, you can get them much cheaper. I paid about $60. --Hard to initially install - Took me forever to realize you have to take off the whole reciever to get the adapter in. That limits you to only using the flatline untill you disassemble your gun again. Conclusion: There are other expensive, technological barrels out there, but none of them do what the Flatline does. It is a one of a kind. All of the good things about it sort of cancel out anything bad I found about it. Once you overcome the price barriar and learn how to care for and use the Flatline, you will love it. I think it is one of the most unique and best barrels out. Now I just want that Autococker with the Flatline to Upgrade from my Tippmann! : ) (Got nothing against Tippmann - I love my Tippy!) Rating: 10 out of 10 I found this review   14 Comments - Add Comment

jl1052 Sunday, December 22nd, 2002 Period of Product Use: Less than a month 34 of 46 people found this review helpful. Paintball Experience: 6 months Similar Products Used: none, 1st upgrade from stock barrel Marker Setup: 98 custom, flatline, richochet ak hopper, pro teams collapsible stock Recommended Paintballs: PMI Strengths: Performed even better then I anticipated. Accuracy was not perfect, but still very good. Much easier to aim as paintballs now travel in straight line much like a rifle, rather then having to lob. I am getting AT LEAST 100 feet more accurate distance then my stock barrel and was able to easily nail the kids with the expensive setups before they could touch me. I nailed 4 mask shots in my first game after installation. I was using PMI's during the games and had no breaks through approx 600-700 balls. During practice, no breaks using cheap wal-mart viewloader balls ($3 for 100?), after going through a whole 100 round tube. Fairly easy to install, took 15 minutes tops. I really recomend this barrel! I have not yet practiced with it enough but look forward to learning how to shoot around obstacles. The good of this barrel far outweighs the bad! Weaknesses: 1 out of approx 7-10 would sail on me, but this was well worth it. Not to mention I was running Co2 a cold slightly windy day. The field was muudy and twice I fell on my face causing 2" of mud to go up the barrel. I was able to shoot it out by disconneting my hopper and shooting it out with air, but my accuracy was so bad afterwords I was basically out of the game. Took 10 minutes to take it apart and clean it out. Found I had to give it a good scrubbing with water even after using a squeegee or the accuracy was still suffering. After the scrubbing I was back in business. It is a pain to make sure the barrel is straight during initial installation and future cleanings. Conclusion: Again , I really like this barrel. I think the pros of using this barrel far outweigh the bad, and highly recomend it (as long as you are not playing against me). You will get much greater distance, with straight "rope" shots. I found the accuracy to be very good. You wil have to take a little more time to clean and maintain it but it is worth the extra trouble. Installation isnt as bad as they say. It also looks more like a rifle with the shroud setup, and my stock. Buy it if you want to shoot farther then anyone else on the field with accuracy! Rating: 9 out of 10 I found this review   3 Comments - Add Comment

silverblade Sunday, March 9th, 2003 Period of Product Use: 3 months 31 of 37 people found this review helpful. Paintball Experience: 4 years Similar Products Used: Smart Parts Big Daddy 12" Smart Parts All American 14" J&J Ceramic 14" Marker Setup: 98C/Flatline Recommended Paintballs: Diablo Dusk Strengths: Extreme distance tight grouping on shots same length as my 14" AA Looks good Weaknesses: It cost $100. But that is no more than the other "hyped" barrels out there. Conclusion: This barrel rocks! I installed it in under 10 minutes and it was shooting straight as an arrow. If you can use a screwdriver and read, then the installation will be no problem for you. As for the balls going slower. Wrong! I am painting players using Boomsticks whose balls are bouncing 20 yards in front of me. Because the ball has a flat trajectory it is hard for the human eye to judge the speed of it. Whereas the average barrel shoots balls in an arching pattern, making it easier for the human eye to see the ball "moving." After buying this I have yet to use any of my other barrels. Rating: 10 out of 10 I found this review   2 Comments - Add Comment

Tipp The Scales Monday, July 26th, 2004 Period of Product Use: 4 years 29 of 29 people found this review helpful. Paintball Experience: More than 5 years Similar Products Used: The stock barrel... do I really need to comment? Recommended Paintballs: Uhhh... I have not run into any problems with paint, and I have used Brass Eagle, Midnight, PMI Team, and many others. Strengths: Distance. Accuracy. NEVER chops paint. Weaknesses: Odd balance for stock users. Review: Don't hold me to those timelines... I can't really remember when I got the barrel and gun. First things first, any of y'all that think this barrel is too heavy, GO LIFT SOME WEIGHTS! You should have to be incapable of walking before this should be considered "heavy." Sure, after using stock forever, the balance is a bit off, but after a year of using it I can hit a speed limit sign at 40 feet shooting one handed from the hip. Yes, the barrel certainly is longer, but it is not a pain... that is what makes it so accurate. Any one who thinks this barrel slows the paint has never been shot at... I've gotten five shots off before they could realize they were being shot, and all five went within 2.5 feet of each other. He was out long before he had time to react. My only complaint would be the balls have a tendency to dip at the very begining of the shot, so shooting on the ground is not as simple... but I may have been holding the gun slightly downward. I have seen several complaints that the barrel is too noisy, but I did not notice any increase in sound. Besides, if they are out, who cares who heard you? This barrel has gotten me out of many 4-on-1 crossfires. Also, the distance allows you to stand at the back of a field, get comfortable, and rain pain on the enemy at distances well over three blocks. (Where I live, that's about a football field + endzones... 120 yards.) I gave my entire team enough time to get cover within 50 feet of the opposition, and then joined in the fighting about 20 feet behind them. I took out at least 3, not including the artillery shots i was taking before the real fighting began. O... and for you that think it is too hard to break down, all you have to do is loosen the front bolt of your gun and it comes right out. I can break down the enitire gun in less than 2 minutes, provided i have the right tools. I know that I really shouldn't put this in here, but the Tippmann 98 Custom is an excellent gun. Even with the stock barrel, I never chopped paint, and I have only cleaned my gun once in... 4 or 5 years. It kept right on pumping out that paint, even though it has been dropped, thrown, landed on, hit against a tree, scraped, had paint blown all over it (damn those automatics) been soaked in water and left to dry. It still works like the day it came out of it's box. Conclusion: The barrel is DEFINITELY worth the money. It will increase your skill dramatically. Not recommended for whiney S.O.B.'s or newb's too stupid to know a good thing when it bites them in the butt. 10 out of 10 EDIT: I was searching through the pages, and reading from Lowest First, all the 1 of 10 ratings ended on page 3. Reading from Highest First, it ended on page 54 or 55. Need I say more? Rating: 10 out of 10 Last edited on Monday, August 22nd, 2005 at 3:59 pm PST I found this review   4 Comments - Add Comment

aovboy Saturday, June 12th, 2004 Period of Product Use: 3 months 24 of 25 people found this review helpful. Paintball Experience: 6 months Similar Products Used: Only normal barrels Marker Setup: Tippmann 98 Custom Flatline Barrel System PMI Pure Energy Coiled Remote Co2 Recommended Paintballs: High quality, small bore size paint I use Draxxus, myself Strengths: Range Looks Feel Control Flat Trajectory Weaknesses: Price Upkeep Fluctuation in shots Review: First, I have only used the Flatline for 2 months, not 3, but there was no "2 months" to select from. Don't judge on that, though...I've used it plenty of times within those two months. Allow me to start with some strengths: Range: It shoots far. Like, really far. Well, what more did you expect? It claims to do it, and it does. The balls are capable of going over 200 feet, easy, and can travel much farther. Looks/Feel: It looks cool, no doubt. Some don't like the shroud, but I think it adds a nice extra place to hold the gun if need be, and makes it much more realistic looking. It is a bit heavy, but not to the degree it will affect your game. Trajectory: You see this a lot, too. It shoots in a line, with no noticeable dip in the shot. This is great for long shots, and shooting in brush. Thusly why this is a superb woodsball tool. It fires much more like a real firearm than a paintball marker. Control: Zone control, that is. This thing is a great addition to a back player, or someone who like to keep people down behind their bunkers. The paint will be whizzing past them, and they are unable to return fire, or even move. Some random stuff: Installation: You don't have to be an airsmith to get this thing on your Tippmann. Follow the instructions, and you'll be fine. Don't let people put you down because you own a Flatline. It is more than capable of eliminating players and doing something for the team in woodsball. Recoil: It adds a bit, nothing to worry about, it won't affect your game...it actually feels good, like shooting a real weapon. Busts: People often say that the Flatline doesn't always bust balls when it hits, which is true. Then again, balls don't bust all the time anyways. But, Flatline owners often counter by saying "Well, a chance of hitting is better than not, with or without bust", which is again, true. Point is, yeah, the balls don't bust all the time, but when you lob paint with a normal barrel, it doesn't have good chances of breaking, either. Now, some bad: Price: $120, roughly...that's a lot of money. If you are hardcore about paintball, it might not be, but it is for casual players, like myself. There are many barrels for cheaper which can improve your gun...while I'm on the topic, I suggest buying/keeping another aftermarket barrel. You may want to switch in between games, it isn't hard to get the Flatline off of your gun. Upkeep: Well, you know have to take out an extra bolt when stripping your gun...whoo. But, the barrel is picky. Dry firing to get out paint and dirt is ineffective, due to the rough surface and curved shape. Solution? Carry a wire squeegee. Duck down, press the hopper release button, and swab through the barrel a few times. When a ball does break in there, and you can't get a squeegee, you are in trouble. The extra paint and bits off shell cause your shots to go all over. So can a lot of wind, so this is again best used in the woods. Fluctuation: The thing isn't as accurate as people say it is. At close range, yeah, but what happens when you are shooting in excess of 150'? The balls are round, liquid filled projectiles that are SPINNING. Chances are, it may take an odd twist or turn. Also, if you are not holding the gun fairly straight, the balls can curve in odd directions. Some say you can use this to shoot around corners; I've yet to be able to hit someone like this. I suggest doing something about Co2...whether it be an anti-siphon, remote line, expansion chamber, regulator, using HPA/Nitrogen, whatever. Co2 is inconsistent, and can make the velocity fluctuate on your marker. With the Flatline, this is bad. It happens to have a "sweet spot" over the chronograph, and can have some pretty inaccurate shots if you don't shoot in this "sweet spot". Make sure to test your marker over the day, for both safety and your Flatline. You can't fire as fast while using a Flatline. The balls will chop while they are in your barrel, due to the curve. This, again, is bad. I've been able to turn out some decent BPS, but it breaks balls, every now and then. Not all the time, you can spray, and it may not break, but chances are, it will. You might get into situations where you have to spray, and this is where the Flatline falters. It is not good for close snapshooting, fast shooting, excessive movement, or anything like this. It will shoot under these conditions, and it may hit, but there will be...complications. Conclusion: Don't get me wrong, this review might seem negative and everything, but I love my Flatline. Care for yours, and it will care for you. Disregard the simple, common rules for it everyone sets down, and you might as well be shooting a stock Stingray. Hope you enjoy your Flatline as much as I do...nothings better than marking people right at the break. As for the rating, I don't think anything deserves a 10, and the Flatline has several problems, but so long as you use it right, it scores an easy 9. Rating: 9 out of 10 Last edited on Saturday, June 12th, 2004 at 2:03 pm PST I found this review   3 Comments - Add Comment

Lancer Saturday, September 13th, 2003 Period of Product Use: Less than a month 22 of 25 people found this review helpful. Paintball Experience: 3 years Similar Products Used: Most Rebels out there Every Tippmann out there Kingman Spyder E-99 ATS AT-85 Marker Setup: Tippmann 98 Custom - only a flatnine barrel now... Recommended Paintballs: I recommend Big Bore balls (such as Proball or Big Ball) Strengths: Range Accuracy Gives a "Rifle-Like" feel to the gun Weaknesses: Gives a "Rifle-Like" feel to the gun Takes time to set up right Review: The first thing that I need to say about this gun, is that not everyone will like it. The players that will like this gun the most are either scenario players or woodsball players. Speedball players do not even need this (since I can easily throw a ball the length of the field) and will probably not enjoy it. It is all a matter of personal opinion when it comes to this barrel. *The Good* Range - Not many people can argue with this point, but the barrel will do what it is supposed to do, which is to fling the ball farther than any other paintball gun out there. This barrel is the only type of barrel that I know of that can actually pull this off well. Accuracy - The gun is made more accurate by this barrel. There is no question in the barrel's accuracy, but the fact that the barrel system must be set up correctly to have this confuses most players. You need to tinker with the system to get the full potential of this marker barrel. Some players eye-ball how the barrel is screwed in, then keep it at position, and play away. Then they get very angry when the accuracy is very poor, and their paint seems the curve in the air. The system must be installed correctly and tinkered with to work. I will go into this more later. Gives the Gun a "Rifle-Like" feel - Some players will like this fact, others will not. This point is all a matter of opinion though... *Bad* Gives the Gun a "Rifle-Like" feel - Some players will like this fact, others will not. This point is all a matter of opinion though... Takes time to set up - This is where most people give up and say the barrel is worthless. It takes time to get the systtem installed the first time, and after that you must screw the barrel from side to side, turning it depending on how the balls curve in the air. When it is moving forward striaght, then you must adjust the velocity level. Some players will enjoy the tinkering, others will hate it and sell the barrel. Again, all opinion. Conclusion: Ok, well..... The barrel does what it claims to do, and adds accuracy and definate range to the gun. But it also adds length and takes time to set up and get used to firing. This is all a matter of opinion. I cannot honestly say that everyone should go out and but this barrel and will love it, because that is not true, this barrel is not for everyone. Not everyone will like this barrel, but some will love the fact that it gives them a "sniper-like" ability. I highly stess that before you buy this barrel, that you test fire it at least once. If possible, try to play with it a gmae or two, and see how you like it. This will probably be the best possible way to decide on a purchase of any paintball product. Ok, to wrap this up I will score the product. This is not a fact, but merely my opinion, which is all I can give to people about this barrel. Good luck, if you buy this barrel, and I hope that this review has been helpful. I'm giving it a 9 because even though it has some bad points, the good truly outweighs the bad. I believe that this barrel has made me a more capable player as well. Rating: 9 out of 10 I found this review   0 Comments - Add Comment

kruelness Saturday, November 20th, 2004 Period of Product Use: Only tested 16 of 18 people found this review helpful. Paintball Experience: 3 years Similar Products Used: None Marker Setup: Tippmann 98 Custom Silver (M-4 Mock up to be) -Collapsible Stock -GTA Double Trigger -3pt. tactical sling -Vl Revi -DOP Rocket Cock II -GTA expansion chamber -Response trigger -J&J performance Ceramic -J&J 14" Performance Ceramic -32 Degrees * Remote * 4+1 Belt * Gloves -JT Masks *2 -VL elbow and hoppers *2 Recommended Paintballs: High Grade Strengths: Bush Ball Distance Accuracy Weaknesses: Inconsistency Price for some Review: Tippmann Flatline Barrel System By Billy Goodman What it is The Flatline barrel system manufactured for the Tippmann Pneumatics Model 98 is designed to produce a backspin on the paintball, which in theory produces lift, giving the ball a flatter trajectory. Since it's introduction, the system has been the subject of controversy, with some people calling it a revolution, and others writing it off as a gimmick. From my personal experience, I'd say it is none of the above. The kit comes with a curved aluminum barrel and adapter, a plastic barrel shroud, several screws, a squeegee and a barrel plug. Installation is fairly straightforward and only takes a few minutes if you follow the included instructions. Operation of the gun remains the same after installing the kit. Physically, the gun is both longer and taller than it's original form, although not substantially heavier, in part due to the fact that the largest piece is made of plastic. Performance Upon shooting the Flatline for the first time, you'll notice the almost eerie floating effect of the balls. At a given velocity, the balls do fly with a flatter overall trajectory, as opposed to the pronounced "dropping arc" seen from standard barrels. This translates into a greater range without drop, and without the need to aim high and "lob" the ball for long shots. Aiming the Flatline is an odd experience for anyone used to a regular paintball gun. At first you may find yourself habitually aiming high for long range targets, but with the Flatline, things are much more "line of sight". The downfall to this greater range is that the ball slows substantially as it heads beyond "normal" paintball ranges, which could lessen the chance of a break on a soft target. Accuracy of the Flatline system is overall better than the stock Model 98 barrel. However, that isn't saying much since my experience with the stock barrel has been somewhat less than amazing (see the accuracy test in the Comparo article). Accuracy at "normal" ranges falls short of other well-set-up guns as far as consistency is concerned. Although relatively tight groups of 3 or 4 consecutive shots can be attained, the Flatline produces an unusually high number of "zingers" which fly well off the intended target. At longer ranges it's difficult to compare the Flatline to other guns, since other guns simply cannot reach those ranges without aiming high above the target. A few notes about using the gun; 1) It is fairly dependent on using good paintballs - the more consistent the paintballs are from a physical standpoint, the better the gun shoots. 2) The Flatline does not shoot well above 300 fps. If for some reason your Flatline is shooting "hot", you will know it, because it tends to produce a number of balls that will actually climb as they sail to their target, making aiming very difficult. Flatline users have no incentive to "cheat the chrono". We have recently found the best results actually come when using the gun in the 260 to 270