Flatline Barrel

The goal of this post is, for you the reader, to better understand the Flatline barrel System and how to make it work. The primary purpose of the Flatline design is to eliminate the “arcing” of shots you get with the standard or “traditional” type barrels. For those of you who currently own a Flatline barrel, or are looking into the barrel, you will want to pay extra attention to this thread.

The Flatline (if properly tuned) will be more accurate within the standard barrel range than most traditional barrels. If you take the time and patience to really fine tune these things and can keep your velocity very consistent (by means of a regulator), you will be able to maintain that "traditional barrel" accuracy beyond the standard barrel range. This simply takes time, and know-how to get the Flatline to perform as it was intended to.

*NOTE: If you are not prepared to adjust and learn to use this barrel, or even spend the amount on paint for the barrel, then it is best you start to look at other barrel options now...

Cleaning the Flatline after a break;

The 98 Flatline’s design does not allow the quick removal that the A5 Flatline has. Cleaning a ball break in the 98 Flatline is not too bad for most; however, it can be a pain for some users. Since the barrel can not be removed in the field without any tools (As of writing this I am not familiar with any “field-strip” modifications). If you suffer a break in the Flatline the most common and probably the easiest way to clean a break will be to insert a squeegee in the feed neck. The bolt should be in the cocked position and the safety on so it does not close on the squeegee. Simply insert the head of the squeegee all the way to the end of the barrel and pull it through. This may take more than 1-2 times to clean the barrel after a break.

The A5 Flatline was designed to be quickly removable in field for cleaning. The way the barrel adapter is designed you can twist the barrel 90* on the A5 and pull the barrel out of the receiver. If you cannot twist out the Flatline without loosening the front two screws, then either back one, or both of them out a bit to the point where the barrel is somewhat tight in the receiver, yet lose enough for you to quickly remove it with a twist. Another option for the above method is to purchase a "quick change kit." Basically nothing less than a couple of thumb screws that replaces the two front receiver screws, and the cyclone screw. These can be tightened and loosened in field to clean the barrel. Once you have removed the barrel from the A5 receiver you can run a squeegee through the barrel a lot easier than trying to feed it through the cyclone. This is not to say that you cannot feed it through the cyclone to clean the barrel, but it is not the easiest way to be done.

Cleaning the Flatline Barrel;

For both of these barrels after a day of use you should boil the barrel in hot water, yes that’s right, cook it. Just leave the barrel soak in the boiling water for about 5-10 minutes and this will clean out any dried, or paint residue left inside the barrel. This will guarantee you a “spotless” type clean on the barrel’s inner surface. Nothing is worse then going out to play with a dirty Flatline. I have always boiled my Flatline barrel after a day of play, even if I do not break a ball this still ensures a clean barrel for my next use. If you cannot boil the barrel then simply run some hot water from the faucet through the barrel for a good 5 minutes, be sure to switch ends.

**WARNING: Barrel will be hot so use caution when removing it from the boiling water process!


Setting up the Flatline;
Now this part is where a lot of people “skim” over, or they just do not read the full details. I cannot stress enough how important this next chunk of the thread is to your enjoyment and success with this barrel is.

Alignment-
For both the 98 and A5 the barrels will have something called “alignment marks” on the barrel. This is simply a line etched into the barrel and either the clamp (98) or the barrel adapter (A5). If you have purchased a new Flatline barrel and your shots do not seem to go straight, check the alignment of the barrel. The same can be said for a used Flatline barrel as some users simply never think to check this. The markings must be lined up or your shots will obviously veer either left or right from where you are aiming. After the cleaning stage you will most likely need to re-align the barrel, this is a good thing as it will ensure you the user, that your barrel is now properly aligned.
*NOTE: There have been some users that the Alignment marks are not correct, be sure to keep that in mind in this step!

Paint-
When it comes to paint I have never experienced a pickier barrel than that of the Flatline. The reason for this is because of the barrel’s curve design and inner surface. Since the barrel surface is rough and not smooth like most traditional barrels you can have problems breaking paint that is thin shelled, or has a noticeable seem on the ball. Now a traditional barrel is simply straight, with little to no surface resistance, the way the Flatline was designed it depends on the resistance to generate the Magnus Effect which gives the ball that “flat lined” trajectory.

Now the bore size of the Flatline barrel is significantly larger than any other barrel on the market. The approximate, if not exact, bore size for the Flatline is .700”; a common barrel bore size is approximately .689”. The Smaller the paintball you use in the Flatline barrel the better results you will receive. The key for the Flatline to work is the small bore paint with a thick shell. Thin shell paints may work in the Flatline barrel for some users, but the majority will suffer from massive amounts of paint breaks.

The other issue I addressed was something called the “seem” of the ball, or where the two halves of the ball are joined in the manufacturing process. A paintball with a noticeable seem will also be susceptible to breaks, or inaccurate shots. The less noticeable seem your paint has the better your shots will be, and also the paint will be less likely to break in the barrel. Remember, the paint must still be of a thick shell to work properly.

In conclusion with paint you want to find a brand that has both a thick shell and little to no seem on the ball. A good rule of thumb for paint is "Smaller is better", unlike most barrels the Flatline will respond better to small sized paints. Such paints that have these characteristics are, in order from best performing (Based on my previous results);

PMI/RPS - Marbalizers
PMI/RPS - Premium
PMI/RPS – Evil

*NOTE: There are other paints out there that could work, but from my past experience with the Flatline barrel I have found these three to be the best.

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