Imagine you are trying hard to aim and shoot the enemies in the paintball field, but your barrel doesn’t let you shoot accurately! How frustrating can that be? Each of the components of a paintball gun needs to be accurate to ensure your victory in the field. The paintball barrel is no exception, plays a vital role in winning the game.
Getting the best paintball barrel is not that simple as there’s a lot of options to choose from. Only the best barrel provides accuracy, consistency, and silent shooting experience. That is why finding the best paintball gun barrel is essential.
This article comes with aid to assist you in choosing the best paintball barrel available in the market. It also will provide additional guidelines to find the finest one that delivers you clear lead in the field.
Best Paintball Barrel: Editor’s Recommendation
Take a look at our top recommendation at glance:
- Editor’s Pick: Smart Parts Freak XL Barrel
- Runner’s up: DeadlyWind Null
- High Accuracy: Tippmann Sniper
Top 7 Best Paintball Barrels Review In 2021
1. DeadlyWind Null
Key Features:
- Lightweight and noise-free
- Made and assembled in the USA
- Three-layer carbon fiber construction
- Smooth interior finish
DeadlyWind is widely famous for producing the best quality of paintball barrels. The DeadlyWind Null Carbon Fiber one Piece Paintball Gun Barrel is no exception, one of the best in the business.
The Null Carbon Fiber one Piece Barrel is quite similar to our best overall and its cousin, the Fibur-X, with the only difference of missing the interchangeable inserts. You will get only bore size with the barrel, which is optimized for it.
The paintball pipe is constructed with carbon fiber making it sturdy to last longer. Also, the fiber body construction is lightweight and guaranteed to be highly accurate and quiet. Don’t be confused with its lightweight that it might not be strong enough or durable. The manufacturer tests its durability and strength by rolling a truck over the pipe.
The Null carbon fiber barrel comes with unique three-layer construction that enhances its functionality and durability. The high-quality barrel is made in the US, including porting and gathering. Most importantly, the DeadlyWind barrel perfectly matches its value.
- Very light in weight and durable
- Provides precise shots
- Value for money
- Doesn’t offer interchangeable inserts
- Not customizable compared to other high-end barrels
The Smart Parts Freak XL Barrel Kit is widely popular for providing the things exactly what you need from a barrel. The kit comes with eight-piece color-coded Freak XL inserts (.679, .682, .684,. 687, .689, .691, .693, and .695) and an autococker back. It also includes a soft barrel case that helps in storing and carrying the kit from one place to another. The 14 inches gun pipe is designed to house several bore sizes that allow you to choose from multiple options in various situations. The interchangeable inserts are made of aluminum with a very well polished finish that ensures the paint doesn’t face any friction while passing through the barrel. The whole kits are also tested in an environment that helps produce the best quality barrel with less noise, recoil, and air impact on the paint, maintaining maximum accuracy. However, the information of the gear’s models is well-matched to isn’t provided in the manual. But once it supports your maker, you can aim for longer ranges. Key Features: If you want a paintball tube that provides better accuracy than most of the standard barrels, then we bring Tippmann 14″ Sniper Barrel for you. It’s recommended for the players who like to shoot from large distances and use sniper-like tactics. The snipper barrel fits Tippmann 98 Custom as well as Custom Pro paintball markers. Many experts find the pipe as the best Tippman 98 barrel. The tube features a smooth exterior designed to hide and snipe from a distance with almost zero noise. The manufacturer claims that the barrel is micro-honed and polished inside and out for precision accuracy. The 0.98 barrel is designed for the Tippman makers but works perfectly for others of the same size. The 14″ Sniper Barrel is easy to clean and maintain. However, the barrel’s only drawback is its low range compared to other barrels of the same size. So, it isn’t recommended for large paintball fields. Key Features: If you are looking for extremely lightweight, accurate and professional paintball barrels, then Deadlywind Fibur-X Carbon Fiber tube is as frightening as its name. Constructed of carbon fiber, the super-durable pipe is an entirely top-notch piece you can get for a paintball game. The barrel comes with a three parts construction where the most important part is the inner one. The first part is the thread adapter, which is designed to match with the makers perfectly. The next one is the main barrel made of carbon fiber. The last part is the freak insert intended to adjust the barrel’s bore easily. The adapter and freak insert are replaceable that allow you to adjust them with your gun. The Fibur-X Carbon Fiber barrel is so rigid that it is claimed to withstand even if a car drives over the pipe. It also features a smooth interior finish for easy clean-up and accurate shots. The pipes weigh approximately 64 grams (77 grams with insert), making it 2x to 4x lighter than other replaceable insert barrels. The Fibur-X barrel has uni-directional fiber layers that are laid up in a strong multi-vector pattern. CNC align-bored segment for the insert area, CNC-ported with three rows of straight ports, and then hand-assembled and quality is checked to ensure top-class accuracy. However, being so lightweight and accurate, the Fibur-X barrels come with a great price tag. You should buy one only if you are determined to use them for long. The Eclipse Shaft FR Back Kit stays on our list because of its excellent performance, reliability, and compatibility with freak inserts. Apart from complementing the actual Eclipse Pro Barrel Tip design, it guarantees to optimize bore selection. Its unique back design helps to guide to the insert through a rear tapered opening. The joiner section is designed to hold the insert in the right place. The threads are designed to assemble and disassemble in a quick time. Basically, the attaching and removing of the barrel from the maker are faster than most other pipes using standard threads. However, the Eclipse Shaft barrels are found tighter than usual, causing trouble while changing pipes in the field. If you are considerate about this, you will have fun using the paintball tube with amazing precise shots. Key Features: We have listed DYE Precision GF Boomstick Paintball Barrel because of its extreme durability and advanced two-piece structure for optimal performance. The Precision GF Boomstick barrel is constructed with stainless steel, making the gun pipe so durable and resistant to corrosion, scratch, or any other external factors. DYE’s signature muzzle port design is another key feature that gives the barrel unparalleled accuracy and a low sound signature at the time of the shooting. Its stable precision allows you to shoot at the target effortlessly. The barrel is composed of carbon fiber (GF) and glass fiber (GF) where at the heart of the GF, there is a gun drilled, surgical grade, and 303 stainless steel insert. The stainless steel has an extremely low coefficient of friction and hence delivers ultimate durability. The steel construction also offers you the smoothest and straightest surface finish. 303 Stainless steel is exceptionally high-quality material corrosion and scratch-resistant, resulting in unequaled longevity. The advanced two-piece construction of the DYE barrel makes it lightweight and very much precise in performance. The model comes with a length of 15 inches with a suitable bore size of .684 or .688. You have the opportunity to complete color customize for the high-quality barrel. However, the advanced technology used in the gun tube holds it in the high price category barrels. But, with all the fantastic features it brings, the price is really worth it. Key Features: If you are a beginner in the paintball field, the Freak GOG Barrel Kit can be the perfect choice for you with its simple and easy to use mechanism. Nevertheless, it still provides you consistent and accurate shots. The GOG barrel kit comes with various inserts. It allows you to choose a perfect match for your paintball and bore size to ensure a high level of precision. The kit comes with almost everything you need to use it for a long time. The Freak GOG gun tube features a freak barrel back, 14-inch tip, and eight standard bore diameter inserts. It also includes a straight ported front. Both the inserts and tips are interchangeable with the backs without depending on the thread used in the barrel. An autococker thread is used, which is the most commonly used thread at the barrel’s end. The kit is also one of the most affordable options to start with plenty of opportunities to customize. So, undoubtedly the Freak GOG barrel kit is the best paintball gun barrel for beginners. Whether you are a beginner or an expert in playing paintball games, you should be aware of some of the critical factors before buying a paintball barrel that may influence your gameplay. Here, we bring some of the factors to check before buying a paintball barrel. Bore size refers to the size of the inner diameter of the barrel. It is also an essential factor to consider while searching for the best paintball barrel. After all, matching the bore size with the paintball diameter is necessary to get consistent and accurate shots. The most common paintball barrel bore size is 0.68. You can determine whether the paintballs you possess match the barrel’s bore or not by merely dropping one down to the barrel vertically. If the ball goes down straight through the tub, it indicates that the bore size is way bigger than the ball. If the ball gets stuck within the barrel and you face difficulty blowing it out of the tub, then the barrel is too small for it. However, you will know the ball finds its perfect bore when it gets stuck within the tub, but you can bring that out with a light blow of air produced from your mouth. The best paintball barrel bore size helps maintain contact with the ball with the tub in the whole shooting process. But the ball may vary a little bit in size considering its weather dependence. Some of the manufacturers nowadays produce barrels with interchangeable bore inserts. They allow you to use a barrel with various bore inserts for different paint guns. Even though the process is economical, not every bore size isn’t going to work efficiently with the main barrel itself. Choosing the right material is crucial as it reflects the quality of the barrel. The material has an influence on weight and hence, impacts on accuracy. Also, some materials are sturdier than the others resulting in a longer lifespan in rough use. Here we shall discuss some of the most commonly used materials for paintball tub. Aluminum: Aluminum excels being lightweight, durable, and low-priced, which makes it one of the most common materials for paintball barrels. If you are on a budget, you can definitely get an aluminum barrel for you. Because of its lightweight, it is easy to move with and reduces kickback while firing, which lets you aim precisely and continuously. Carbon fiber: Carbon fiber is widely recognized for its strength and lightweight. The carbon fiber barrels can withstand the most challenging situation and stay rigid for a long time. Most of the professionals prefer carbon fiber barrels for their outstanding lightweight characteristics. No friction in the interior of the barrel makes sure you can shoot at maximum distance. The only drawback is that the gun will kick while shooting, which is absent in aluminum and stainless steel. The fiber tubs are also expensive than the rest of the others. Stainless steel: Stainless steel is quite similar to aluminum that is durable to last long. However, the steel barrels are heavyweight than the others on the list. So, it is less friendly to maneuver with having almost 2 pounds of more weight than aluminum barrels. Ceramic: Ceramic barrels are also as like the aluminum ones but less durable. They might break easily if roughly used. People sometimes prefer ceramic tubs because of their self-cleaning compatibility. Well, not all the paintball barrels are made from an entirely single material. Some are made of a combination of two or more for better strength and lifespan. You can choose the best one from all of the above, depending on your need. The length of the barrel is so crucial for your shot’s accuracy and consistency that you need to pay a lot of attention here while buying one. The range usually varies from 8-20 inches, but according to experts, 12-16 inches barrels are ideal as they offer the optimal accuracy to the shooter. Many people believe that longer barrels help them to shoot further. But, in reality, it isn’t an absolute fact. The accuracy up to some extent depends on the length of the barrels, but it predominantly relies on the quality of the paintballs. The paintball must cross an extra distance in order to fly within longer barrels, which can produce added strain within the barrel. Thus, the gas efficiency decreases for longer length barrels, whereas shorter barrels are more gas-efficient, requiring less gas to shoot the balls. However, you can still go for much shorter or longer length barrels depending upon your comfort and playing tactics. For example, if you are playing in a crowded or tight place, a short barrel should help maneuver from place to place. It is also perfect for those who do a lot of jumping, running, or crawling while playing in the field. Longer barrels are for those who don’t play in the front line. They are easier to aim with, but you have to sacrifice speed for better accuracy if using longer barrels. You can use the barrels if you play hiding behind the bushes or branches. Different factors can distinguish the barrels available in the market, and one of them is whether they are one-piece or two-piece barrels. One-piece: Back to the time when the paintball game was first invented, one-piece barrels were the only kind used for the makers. With the advancement of the technologies, two-piece barrels took over of one-pieces. One-piece tubs are simple to use, which are preferred for beginners. Also, they are cheaper compared to the other kind. Two-piece: Two-piece barrels comprise of a front and a back piece that are independent of each other. The back piece is attached to the guns. Different guns support balls of varying sizes, so the width of the shaft needs to match that. Here is the main benefit of the two-piece barrels that the front pieces are available in different lengths allowing you to switch them without changing the beck-piece. The ability to customize makes the kind of barrels so popular that it is widely used for paintballs nowadays. The small holes on the pipe are known as vents. They are used to remove extra pressure created in the tube. The closer the vents are to the gun, the noiseless the shot will be. But, for quieter shots, you may need to sacrifice the paint’s speed, sometimes with vents closed to the makers. On the contrary, vents at the longest distance from the makers do the opposite. The barrel produces louder and super-fast shots. You can’t have both quiet and powerful shots from the same barrel. That’s why it is recommended to use multiple pipes so that you can choose exactly the one you need for a particular day based on your game plan. The barrel’s interior finish needs to be smoother to get high speed and range. Because the interior isn’t soft enough, the paintball will experience friction, causing low range or speed, even sometimes breaking the ball inside the tube. The smoothness of the interior also influences the cleaning process. You will have tough times if the interior isn’t smooth enough. The trouble turns devastating if you need to clean in the middle of the match. Paintball barrels are very easy to install. You literary need a few minutes to assemble everything and get ready for the match. You should follow the manufacturers’ manuals, or there are many sources available on the internet for a better understanding. Just make sure the barrel you buy is compatible with the maker you use. The barrels that are too short are difficult to aim with. They offer less accuracy but better speed. On the other hand, longer tubes produce noise and provide accurate but comparatively slow shots. Taking all considerations, the best barrel length range for paintball is from 12 to 16 inches. Ironically, many people believe that accuracy is increased with longer barrels. Yes, sometimes longer barrels help in shooting precisely but up to some extent. Basically, a barrel longer than 12 to 14 inches face difficulty with its efficiency. The longer the ball travels through the pipe, the more its trajectory straightens out. More air is required for longer tubes to shoot the ball, making it less efficient. So, longer barrels offer better accuracy than shorter ones, but the length should be within the limit. No, paintballs aren’t projected at that high speed or aren’t that heavy to hit a person too hard. There’s no such record that anyone had fatal injuries after getting hit by paintballs. You should instead look out while running or jumping in the field. Falling in a bad way may hurt you more than a paintball. If you have come up to this long, we hope you now know the factors that make a paintball barrel stand out. A paintball tube is judged based on its accuracy, consistency, range, noise, building material, and many more. We tried to bring the best quality barrels for you through our detailed research process. We really hope after reading our article, you will be able to choose the best paintball barrel for your maker. Without getting the best gun pipe, you can not survive for long on the battlefield. Thus, getting the best one is so important, and we hope our article helps.2. Smart Parts Freak XL Barrel
3. Tippmann Sniper Barrel
4. Deadlywind Fibur-X Carbon Fiber
5. Eclipse Shaft FR Back Kits
6. DYE Precision GF Boomstick Barrel
7. GOG Freak Boremaster Insert Kit
What to Consider Before Buying A Paintball Barrel
Barrel Bore size:
Barrel material:
Barrel length:
One-piece or two-piece:
Vents:
Proper Barrel Porting:
What’s The Best Barrel Kit?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it difficult to install a paintball barrel?
What is the best paintball barrel length?
Does a longer barrel increase accuracy?
Can paintball kill you?
The Verdict