First off I have read every thread here on the Apex and the Palmers brass and the flatline and not found an answer to my question. Now, I have a flatline and get great range. However the accuracy is a joke. I know I can spend some time (a lot) and try to dial it in. However this is the only barrel I have now, so I would like to go a different route. Can someone please help me with a few questions?

I like the Palmers non ported 12" brass in black, it looks to be immediately available for about $55 + SH. PBReview is somewhat mixed and a friend has a CP barrel he swears by. A few $ less, and well vented ( a $35 option on palmers ), and great reviews with high #s.

1. is the CP a similar quality barrel with a quieter report than the palmers? My friends CP is stupid accurate and relatively quiet.
2. Before I get my head ripped off. I read a ton of positive about Palmers brass barrel ( and regs etc ) and not 1 single negative. Is there a likelihood of bias toward Palmers on this group? I only ask because elsewhere the reviews are mixed or non-existent, and like I said not 1 single negative posting anywhere here?
3. Ultimately I would like to know if a ported CP is a better buy than a non ported palmers?

Regardless of what barrel I get I have a few questions as well. I like the idea of the Apex for the longer shots, but hear the barrel is so-so. Do they sell just the tip? Or do you need to buy the whole package. I know UMS makes a great adapter, I just don't want to waste money on a barrel I wont use.

Common sense says that the more accurate the barrel is at a distance, the more accurate it will be closer, assuming consistent velocity and wind the path theoretically will remain the same. This is why I am interested in the Palmers and the CP. I have read nothing but good about one, and seen nothing but good from the other. Hopefully you more experienced players and barrel changers can help me out. I am very disappointed in my FL as I expected great things. I would like to avoid this with my next barrel

Thanks for helping.....Be gentle

I've never tried a CP barrel, so I can't really compare it to my Palmer. Here's the deal with the Palmer though... if you're using field paint, old paint, varying sizes of paint etc. then the Palmer is the way to go because it will shoot anything accurately (no joke, I tried it out with a hopper of old mixed, dented paint and it all shot accurately with no breaks). However, if you always use the same paint and you like your friend's CP barrel, then it sounds like a pretty good deal... I've had other CP products and they seem to be good quality.

I'd guess that the reason you're not seeing a whole lot of reviews for Palmer's stuff other than here is that they're really not all that widely spread. Nine times out of ten you won't walk into your local paintball store and see a bunch of Palmer's gear sitting on the shelf. Also, I think a lot of people here don't hang out at other sites like PBReview or PBNation because of the childishness on the forums, and therefore the word doesn't get out to other people.

I can tell you from experience that the stock Apex barrel is not very good. Unfortunately you can't buy the tip seperately, but you should be able to pick up the standard Apex (without the fancy M16 or AK barrel) for about $75. Then at least you have a spare barrel kicking around that you can cut down or give to a friend or something. One thing you have to remember with the Apex though, is that it will negatively affect accuracy unless you have it turned off (at least that is an option, unlike the Flatline). I was able to consistently break balls today on a barrel sized target with my Apex and Palmer Brass in high winds from about 200ft. I figure that's pretty decent.

Anyway, the bottom line is, the Palmer barrel is very accurate and will shoot any paint. I would recommend it for that alone... to me it is worth paying $20 extra for that option because you never know when you'll get stuck with a case that sat in the shop too long.

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Shhhh! You got shot by a GIRL!
TEAM VEGAS FIRE SQUAD

i'm going to try and be short with this, it never works out that way...

the CP barrel is a good barrel. you speak of its accuracy, which ANY barrel can be given the right size and good quality paint is used with it. Also, what air course and marker is this CP barrel on? if we have a nice effecient and consistant marker using HPA, its not that hard to have great days on the field.

I will take a Palmer barrel over any other barrel or barrel kit. there are many threads and post here made by myself and numerious others who preach their success with the Palmer over everything else they have tried.

the key behind the palmer brass is that you can use a much wider range of paint with it and still maintian a high level of accuracy. this is something no other strait barrel can boast and no kit can do without having to set up the proper insert and hope your paint doesn't change sizes. tha palmer is like a barrel kit, in just one barrel.

I would not listed to the reviews on pbreview, espically when dealing with a relatively unknown product to the mainstream paintball world. i try to read any review there and look for consistant negatives about a product that users find and report over and over. a single bad review could have been caused by something else.

I just did a quick read through the PPS non vented barrel reviews on pbreview.com and most con's were that users thought it was heavy and loud.

well, its made of brass and that the key, yes its heavier than normal barrel, but its not a anchor. I believe the Flatline to be louder than this barrel. its not really that bad.

Thats its, the cons were not actually defects or reasons for major concern. they are personal preference problems. weight and noise. some people like heavier and louder markers, some do not.

I would listen to the almost 100 people on this forum who swear to the ability of the Brass. there have been many people weary to try it out, but put on in their hands and mostly all of them have gotten converted.

I still don't know why in the world i tell you guys this stuff. the day i see a PPS barrel shooting back at me, i'm shutting my mouth from there on out

( i knew it would end up long)

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Thanks for the lengthy reply. I was hoping the tone wasn't such that I got a 4+3 word answer. I had to put my flatline in a bag today and use an adapter and a stock 98 barrel, and that out shot the flatline 2:1. I plan to call Palmers tomorrow about the ported Vs non ported and the 8" vs 10". I would prefer 8" as I like the MP5 look. However if ported is the way to go I'll save 50% and look around I think. The CP's are rather long for an A-5 though

The CP was on 2 MR2's using CO2 by the way, and there were a few brakes in the day, and as stated above, it may look rather long on an A-5. I will say that my A-5 is the loudest I have ever heard. To the point I consulted Tippmann regarding it. As time goes on and i see people cower when I pull the trigger, I like it! Providing that at a distance they don't hit the dirt before the ball reaches them of course.

Does anyone know of a barrel shroud for a 8" or 10" barrel that will yield a suppressor type look similar to the flatline?

even palmer will have a different opinion on their own barrels, depending on who you talk to.

one of the onwers won't play without a vented barrel, the other goes non vented...who know?

The difference is not much in accuracy, your eye will never be able to tell the difference. the main difference will be noise. you are already used to a louder barrel with the flatline. plus, who cares if they hear it shoot, they will probably already be dead

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i have no experience with the palmers brass, but the ported brass will be quieter than the non ported brass. thats why your friends cp is quieter than your flatline. but personally, i wouldnt trade my j&j ceramic for anything. its very accurate, and quiet (at least its quiet for an a5) and i have only had one ball break since i installed it, and shot a little over a case through it. the best part is that it self cleans when a ball does break. and btw, if you get an apex, you can put the tip on most barrels

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Tippmann A-5 "Tweek"; 14" J&J Ceramic, polished internals.

As far as the silencer look you can build your own with a piece of PVC pipe, two reducers, and a set screw or two. And it's cheap.


Here's a picture of my friends.






My team member is a bit of a gun *****. Now he has gotten into mods. He has done a few nice shrouds. This is the a5 he is selling.

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JesterTLS


"I find your lack of faith disturbing."

I have the Palmers Brass in 12" ported.
I can't say enough about it's accuracy that hasn't already been said, It's great... and the ability to shoot almost any brand or age of paint is amazing.

Only thing I've ever worried about is that its Brass...
It will get dented easly if your not careful.
Mine slipped from my hands while cleaning, doing my best to catch it... I missed but did slow it down. It landed on the breach end and put a small sized dent. I used a steel Plumb Bob inserted in the breach and very lightly tapped it to straighten it out... it worked.
Palmers said I could return it to them, but decided to do it myself... saved days in shipping and fees.. and had it straight in about 2 seconds...
Excelent barrel, I plan on another real soon for my spare.
If your worried about the noise get the ported, it's a bit quieter but not much. Also the ported is a bit more accurate because of the pressure release behind the ball as it exits...

go with the Palmers, you won't be disapointed
a little more expensive... well worth every penny.