Does the front matter?

[Cambria]

I asked this over on PBnation but didn't get too many intelligent replies...

When you are using a kit, does the front/tip really matter? What I mean is the front ID has to be at least as big as the largest back. So when you are using a small ID back does the ball even touch the walls of the front? If it does, why don't you get a lot of hooking like when you shoot small paint out of a big ID barrel? It would seem that the only use for the front is to reduce sound with porting and maybe a little help with your effieciency because the ball is still getting some push from the air, though less than in the back. So, if you take the front off and only play with the back, does your accuracy change at all?

[Emmit]

the theory is that the ball only accelerates for the first x number of inches. Some say it's 6 some say 8 and some even say 10....so theoretically you'd need a back that was long enough to accomodate the entire acceleration of the paintball. Once the paintball has reached it's peak velocity it begins to slow down, so it doesn't matter about the rest of the barrel, go with something bigger to avoid restricting the ball any. After it has reached it's peak velociity the ball should be flying straight......as for playing without a front piece on a barrel kit you're asking for trouble...the front piece often helps to hold the insert in place (in insert type of systems) if you start shooting the marker without the front half in place you're going to shoot your insert right out....on sometimes like a JT or a Boomstick which are 2 piece barrels you can take the front off and not worry about anything except lots of noise and poor efficiency.

[acoenfam1]

The other thing a longer front does is aid in natural "point shooting". The idea is that the longer tip provides a longer sight radius making corrections in aim point more percise.

[C.Carles-AOG]

According to physics it's 8. This was verified by Bud Orr and Tom Kaye in independent tests performed by each a while ago.

[127.0.0.1]

on sometimes like a JT or a Boomstick which are 2 piece barrels you can take the front off and not worry about anything except lots of noise and poor efficiency.

BUT remember that there's a thread UNCOVERED by the front (the one that the front normally screws to).