Hi there guys. I am wondering about the accuracy from barrels of different lengths.
I currently own a Tokyo Marui SG551 which has a barrel lenght of 363mm, and a Tokyo Marui MP SD5 at 229mm.
I have thought about getting one of the m4/16 variants which have barrel lengths up to 500mm.
Now I know that there isnt much in the way of real accuracy when you are working with airsoft guns. I just wondering how they would preform up to 40~50 meters. I know the guns I own arent that great. Would the 500mm barrel greatly increase the accuracy. Whould there be better options instead of going for a longer barrel?
Also, how much to the tightbore barrels help out with accuracy? ARe they worth the investment?
Thanks in advance!
Michael
From what I have read there seems to be 2 fields of thought on this...
Some feel that the tight bore will allow for less variation (bouncing around) of the BB in the barrel so a tighter bore will improve accuracy and fps as there is a build up of pressure to propel the BB. A longer barrel will also increase the fps under certain conditions because there is a longer period of time for the air pressure to build.
The other field of thought is that a larger bore barrel is better for accuracy because the BB gets carried in an air stream and allows it to fly truer.
PDI (X-Fire) has a little bit about it on their homepage. I think there were some test done on Arnies airsoft so maybe do a search there as well.
Here is the link.
http://www.x-fire.org/etop/08.html
we used to consider tight bores a luxury in the upgrade process, but having tested them with so many different guns now they honesty do improve accuracy and are now my teams first part they upgrade.
Based on experience, tightbores are more of a replacement than an upgrade. If your barrel is straight and clean, hop up is clean and oil free, and your BB is of high quality, you won't need to replace your barrel. Tightbores can increase muzzle velocity since there is less air leaking past BB. Prometheus barrels are good in the sense that they are hard (don't bend easily) and they don't scratch easily too. They are tighter than stock at 6.03 mm.
Accuracy is debatable. In my opinion, as we are all using 6 mm BBs, and in a country with a legal limit for muzzle velocity, the advantage of a longer barrel is that the BB is accelerating longer than in a shorter barrel, assuming optimal air volume. This means that less power is required to make a BB reach velocity X for a longer barrel than the same velocity in a shorter barrel. Another advantage of a longer barrel is, it is generally closer to your target than a shorter barrel.
dstole, Thanks for the link. I looked around some more. There seems to be 2 fields of thought on. Like Goon said, as long as there is consistency you are doing well. I have seen some people shooting some very tight groups with their rifles. When ever I ask how they have done it they inevitably say that it is their secret. Rude eh!
Well, I think I will just try to keep the barrel clean and keep the hop up oil free.
I have heard of some people using different hop up rubbers. Is there a great difference the aftermarket rubber?
Guys thanks for your replies. I think I will stick with my stock barrel for now.
Michael
Tokyo Marui hop-up rubbers work very well actually. You'll need to replace them once in a while when it becomes impossible to adjust hop-up. They're cheap at 300 Yen a piece in Frontier. A good hop-up upgrade will be to use H-Hops, either the Chinese kind or the one by Big-Out. These improve accuracy as they will prevent the BB from flying off-center in the barrel.
second that on the material used in barrel construction. V important. Which is why i like the pdi products. They do a 6.05 for those wanting to upgrade but with out going too tight. I know in japan the trend is for longer barrels but they just dont work like a real gun barrel. The hop is what imparts the spin, one could argue the longer its in the barrel the more chance it has to alter the spin imparted on it by the hop. Truth is its all guess work no one knows... Some simple made a product and got different results one day and put a label on it.
Thanks guys. I am thinking to upgrade the mechbox. While I am at it I guess I will put in one of those H-Hops that Hazard mentioned.