|
|
pbReview.com / Underground Mod Shop Apex Adapter Sleeve / Underground Mod Shop Apex Adapter Sleeve / Underground Mod Shop Apex Adapter Sleeve / Underground Mod Shop Apex Adapter Sleeve / Underground Mod Shop Apex Adapter Sleeve
Underground Mod Shop Apex Adapter Sleeve Reviews
|
|
|
|
Number of Reviews: |
5 |
|
Average Rating: |
6.0 / 10 |
|
Manufacturer Website: |
Click here |
|
Suggested Retail Price: |
$25 |
|
|
|
The UMS Apex Adapter is a precision made Delrin® adapter that allows the Apex Barrel to be installed on nearly any barrel.
Will fit any 7/8" OD Barrel with at least 1" of flat surface at the tip.
Installation is simple:
Unscrew the Apex adapter from the Apex barrel and remove.
Install the Apex adapter on your regular barrel over the UMS adapter sleeves.
See example of application in picture. |
|
| Product Availability | |
|
| The Underground Mod Shop Apex Adapter Sleeve is older, so while it may be available used and in a few cases new, it is not commonly available anymore. |
|
| Places to Buy | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The accuracy of this review is disputed. Please see discussion on the comments page.
|
Period of
Product Use: |
| 3 months | 7 of 10 people found this review helpful.
|
|
|
Paintball
Experience: |
1 year |
|
Similar
Products Used: |
None like it |
|
| Marker Setup: |
A-5, Lapco BigShot 8", E-Grip, OPSGEAR UMP kit |
|
|
|
|
| Strengths: |
Allows you to attach an Apex to a wide variety of barrels |
|
| Weaknesses: |
PRICE, basically a 1" section of plastic tubing cut in half. |
|
| Review: |
The UMS apex adapter was purchased for use on a 12" J&J Ceramic.
First the good news. The product works as advertised and allows you to secure, for the most part confidently, an Apex unit on your barrel. Once tightened, the Apex could be rotated (but you might as well just leave it set to flatline) and also pulled off of the barrel if enough force was exerted. The adapter does allow the Apex to be lined up with the donor barrel pretty much right on center. However, I am convinced that if you are intent on putting an Apex tip on another barrel, you sould try a cheaper way of centering the Apex.
Let me explain a little about how this kit works, and what exactly you get with it (since UMS' shop provides no pictures of the actual product - because if you saw what you were buying for 25 dollars, you would surely run to the hardware store to DIY). First off, the sleeve is actually 2 halves of a 1" OD (outside diameter) / .875" ID (Inside Diameter) plastic tube section. I didn't measure length of the tube, but I approximate each half to be 1" tall. The two halves "wrap around" the end of your barrel, creating a slightly wider tip of the barrel. The new wider section is approx. 1" long (the height of the sleeve) and fits inside a recessed section on the inside of the Apex unit. You basically disassemble the Apex and re-assemble it on your barrel over the UMS sleeve. Because your barrel will not be notched at the tip to prevent the Apex from moving up and down the barrel, care must be taken when adjusting the spin so that the unit is not pulled off of the barrel.
Now, I can understand that this is a specialized product, and as a result will carry a higher price tag, but I was shocked to find upon opening the package that $25 + s/h gets you nothing more than 2 halves of a 1" long section of a 1" OD plastic tube.
There are other ways to attach the Apex tip to a new barrel. For starters, you can find black o-rings at the hardware store that accomplish the same thing as this UMS adapter sleeve. You would only need 2 or 3 of the right sized o-rings to center the Apex over your existing barrel, and those 3 o-rings would only cost you a few cents and some gasoline. I can't stress this enough, if you would like to put the Apex on your barrel but don't want to spend an unjustified $25 (UMS has to be making almost nothing but profit on this thing) on the sleeve, use o-rings or some type of thin-walled 1" tube cut into a 1" length. |
|
| Conclusion: |
The product works as advertised....but is an incredible rip-off in my opinion. For FAR less money and a little bit of DIY skill, you can achieve the same results with items found at the hardware store. If you are planning on putting an Apex on your non-Apex barrel, you don't NEED this adapter but admitedly it does make the process very easy. Still, the price of $25 is unjustifiable. 5 out of 10 |
|
| Rating: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period of
Product Use: |
| Less than a month | 4 of 6 people found this review helpful.
|
|
|
Paintball
Experience: |
4 years |
|
Similar
Products Used: |
none. |
|
| Marker Setup: |
a-5, r/t, x-7 hopper, lapco foregrip, UMS riser, 30mm horton red dot sight, 32* remote, female stab, apex tip, UMS adapter, stubby barrel. |
|
|
|
|
| Strengths: |
It lets you lose the stock apex barrel, which is inaccurate, needlessly thick and heavy. |
|
| Weaknesses: |
It's not entirely secure when the apex tip is loose enough to be turned. |
|
| Review: |
First off, the price has been lowered to $15, not 25 as pbreview states at the time of this writing. Also, it's $5 extra to make it custom for a non-7/8" outer diameter (OD) barrel.
It's true, it doesn't look like you're getting much when you pull it out of the box. Bear in mind, however, that it's delrin, which is slick enough that the tip can still be rotated for different effects, and soft enough that your barrel won't be damaged. Delrin is also fairly expensive.
You're also paying for quality machining. The UMS adapters are machined to within hundredths of an inch to fit your barrel.
Britt, the owner of the Underground Mod Shop, is active on paintball forums under the name "Flatline's Up!" He's very (sometimes overly) defensive of his adapter. For his explanation, go here:
undergroundmodshop.com/forums/vBulletin/archive/index.php/t-
3892.html
If marking or gunking your barrel isn't a concern for you, mod away in my opinion. If you're not satisfied with your results, then invest in this adapter. An interesting way to make your own (so I've read, don't take my word for it) is to get a "1 inch Paintball Barrel Adapter Sleeve" from opsgear, and remove the lip. It will be shorter than the optimum length for an adapter, so you might want to get two and cut or sand one down to size. They're only $1 apiece. They will, however, mark your barrel, and will only work on 7/8" OD barrels.
-----------ACTUAL REVIEW STARTS HERE (Who knew a little piece of delrin could be so controversial?)-----------
The adapter is very easy to put into place. Once there, however, it's a little tricky to set up properly. You can use the two screws on the apex tip by the adapter to either tighten or loosen the tip around it. Too tight makes it difficult to rotate the tip, too loose means it's easy for the whole tip to slip off. I find that when it's loose enough to rotate, it's also loose enough to pull off. I'm sure fastening it to the barrel with double-sided tape would help. I'll probably try that (at the expense of gunking up the barrel).
The apex tip performs as well adapted onto other barrels as it does on the stock barrel. It performs no better on a more accurate barrel. Don't expect a more accurate host barrel to improve the accuracy of your shots with the tip turned on. All it can do for you is change the length or weight of your barrel, and improve the accuracy of your shots with the apex tip turned OFF.
UPDATE: After using the adapter for a while, everything I've written still holds true, but during firing, the apex tip gradually comes off the barrel as balls hit the tongue and push it forward. It took mine about 150 rounds to go from secure on the barrel to on the ground. Again, some tape would fix that, but nullify the non-gunking attribute of the adapter. |
|
| Conclusion: |
If the $15 price tag and looseness is worth the ability to put your apex tip on a different barrel, go for it. It was well worth it for me. I hope my review, and my pictures that will show up eventually, helped you to better understand this adapter. |
|
| Rating: |
| 7 out of 10 | Last edited on Tuesday, June 5th, 2007 at 10:26 am PST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
byob |
|
Monday, September 18th, 2006 |
|
Period of
Product Use: |
| 6 months | 3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
|
|
|
Paintball
Experience: |
2 years |
|
Similar
Products Used: |
None |
|
| Marker Setup: |
A-5, E-grip, Palmers QEV kit, UMS short striker rail |
|
|
|
|
| Strengths: |
Use of other barrels, does not scratch |
|
| Weaknesses: |
It only works on 1" diameter barrels
Price |
|
| Review: |
I had tried electrical tape and pvc before purchasing this. The electrical tape made a mess when you didn't want the Apex on the barrel and the PVC was too thick. When I finally was able to grind enough PVC off to get the right shape it scratched the barrel when rotated. Also, it wasn't centered on the barrel properly (due to my non-precise grinding). After tiring of messing with my home brew jobs I bought the UMS adapter. It works just as intended. It bolted right on and was centered perfectly on the barrel. I was able to take the Apex on and off with very little hassle since all you have to do is slightly loosen the screws. It can come off if you pull on it hard enough but I have never had it come off while shooting with it. |
|
| Conclusion: |
I highly recommend this item. It beats having to screw with unconventional methods of putting the Apex on other barrels. |
|
| Rating: |
| 9 out of 10 | Last edited on Monday, September 18th, 2006 at 4:38 pm PST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
jimy |
|
Friday, September 28th, 2007 |
|
Period of
Product Use: |
| Only tested | 2 of 5 people found this review helpful.
|
|
|
Paintball
Experience: |
More than 5 years |
|
| Marker Setup: |
A5 E-trigger with ape, palmer brass barrel. special ops stock
invert mini LE Olive
Olive PM5 virute lucky barrel |
|
|
|
|
| Strengths: |
none. I don't recommend buying it, |
|
| Weaknesses: |
Everything about it is weak. Its a piece of plastic. |
|
| Review: |
I first looked at the barrel of the apex and it looks like it may need some work to get it on. Then when I received my adapter from UMS. It was a piece of plastic. $20 and a week of waiting to get a piece of plastic. A piece of plastic that doesn't even fit on my palmer brass. What a bunch of bull. I can make you one and sell it for less. |
|
| Conclusion: |
This thing is not worth getting. |
|
| Rating: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Period of
Product Use: |
| Less than a month | 0 of 2 people found this review helpful.
|
|
|
Paintball
Experience: |
3 years |
|
Similar
Products Used: |
None |
|
| Marker Setup: |
a-5 , j and j, gas throu stock, e grip |
|
|
|
|
| Strengths: |
U can put the apex end on other barrels |
|
| Weaknesses: |
Doesnt work on all barrels
U can pull the apex off the barrel |
|
| Review: |
I purchased this product from hotshot paintball.com. They didn't have any pics but i now realize that u could probably make one of these from PVC piping. Its a simple product and it does what it says it will but u can pull the apex end off of the barrel u put it on ( i put it on my 14inch j and j). One thing everyone should know is that it makes your barrel longer so just put it on a shorter barrel unless u like 20 inch barrels. This conversion doesn't work on all barrels. U have to put it on a flat surface like a j and j. It does what it set out to do. |
|
| Conclusion: |
Buy it if u want a easy way to convert your barrels but it can be done with pvc and some elbow grease. |
|
| Rating: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Places to Buy | |
|
|
|
|
|
