[MaDuce]

After two years of trolling and spam I thought I might as well contribute something to this forum. I've decided to review all of my gear, starting with my barrel. So without further ado....

I've owned my Tippmann A-5 for about a year and a half and I've only bought one mod for the marker--an aftermarket barrel.






Overview
The Lapco Bigshot is a one-piece barrel that comes in either a polished black anodized finish or a bead-blasted finish. It it available in 8", 12" and 14". Bores range from .687, .689, .690 and .693. The Bigshot is available in A-5/BT/X7, 98c, Autococker, ION, Shocker, and Spyder threads. As you can see, the barrel is ported with "muzzle break" at the end to reduce your sound signature. According to Lapco, the Bigshot is gun-drilled from a solid piece of military-grade aluminum, and is precisely bored with a "smoother than mirror" finish. This finish, according to Lapco, gives the barrel "self-cleaning properties." UPDATE: I forgot to mention, the Bigshot is also available Apex-ready, so you can easily add the Apex head if you wish.

My Thoughts
I chose a bead-blasted, 12" Bigshot in .689 bore. The bead-blast finish matches the rough matte finish of my A-5 nicely. Since the trend for paint sizes is to grow from .689 and up, I decided to compremise with .689 so I wouldn't be massively overbored if I had to shoot smaller paint. So far, .689 has worked very well for me, as I've never come across anything too big for that barrel. If you're shooting less than 15 bps and up, I would suggest you go with a smaller bore, preferably, .687, so you have a tighter, and therefore more accurate, paint-to-bore match. The Bigshot has given me superb performence, unfortunately, even with HPA, my A-5 is wildly inconsistant so it's a bit difficult to get ball-on-ball accuracy. However with a more consistant marker like a 'Mag or a mid to high end electro, ball-on-ball accuracy would be a cinch to lock in. I've only broken 2 balls in this barrel using old, cheap paint but I was able to shoot through them.

However...
Since the A-5 is such a long marker a 12" barrel is a little too long. The gun's rather clumsy length means the barrel can snag when running through brush. In retrospect, 8" would have been a better choice. But that's the marker's fault not the barrel's.

The Bigshot sells at $47 at ActionVillage.com and ZepherPaintball.com (my favorite online retailers) and $57 at Lapco.net. A little steep perhaps, but the quality of the manufactureing is well worth it for this superb barrel rivaling Palmer's Brass.

Thanks for reading. I hope people find this helpfull and informative. If you have any questions, comments or disputes please post them below.

This post has been edited by MaDuce: 15 July 2008 - 11:02 AM

[I.K.E.]

Well written. A+

[MaDuce]

Thanks IKE. Not to sound like a e-stalker or anything, but I took a look at your recent topics and noticed you seemed interested in some Palmer's Brass, what other barrels are you looking at?

[I.K.E.]

MaDuce, on Jun 10 2008, 04:18 PM, said:

Thanks IKE. Not to sound like a e-stalker or anything, but I took a look at your recent topics and noticed you seemed interested in some Palmer's Brass, what other barrels are you looking at?

Honestly, I'm looking at Lapco, and I like the lightness of the Stiffi. I am very underinformed about paintball equipment. I think I want to go with the Palmers because it is a heavier barrel. Yeah, I like a light barrel. But for my Spyder project, I need something to offset the weight of the wooden stock.

[MaDuce]

Well if you have a wooden stock I would go with a Palmer's.

As far as carbon fiber barrels, I've never been impressed. You have to be very careful when cleaning them so you don't scratch the surface and you can only use certain swabs to clean them. They're overpriced too, in my opionion. As far as weight, I actually would want something heavier to offset the weight of my tank.

Some nice aluminum is the best balance between weight and user friendly-ness.

[I.K.E.]

Thanks so much for the info. It is really a help. Between you and Z3RO I am thinking about a Lapco for my 98.

[MaDuce]

No problem, you won't reget it.

If anyone else has other questions, comments or flames, please feel free to post.

[WardenWolf]

I can tell you there is a huge difference between a Tippmann with the same barrel and an Automag or other high-end marker. I was using a Lapco Snapshot for the tests. I used a steel pole in my backyard for consistency tests. With a Tippmann, I was able to hit the pole about 7/10 times from 30 feet. With an Automag, 9/10 times. The Bigshot is an excellent barrel, and for a single piece it's an excellent choice. Since it IS a single piece barrel, however, you probably want to go with a 14" length. This is the ideal length for a single piece barrel for accuracy and gas efficiency. It may be a bit more unwieldy on a longer gun, but you can adapt.

[MaDuce]

WardenWolf, on Jun 10 2008, 05:06 PM, said:

I can tell you there is a huge difference between a Tippmann with the same barrel and an Automag or other high-end marker. I was using a Lapco Snapshot for the tests. I used a steel pole in my backyard for consistency tests. With a Tippmann, I was able to hit the pole about 7/10 times from 30 feet. With an Automag, 9/10 times. The Bigshot is an excellent barrel, and for a single piece it's an excellent choice. Since it IS a single piece barrel, however, you probably want to go with a 14" length. This is the ideal length for a single piece barrel for accuracy and gas efficiency. It may be a bit more unwieldy on a longer gun, but you can adapt.

Well, I'm glad I was right about the different-marker-same-barrel issue. I don't really want to mess with two-piece barrels and barrel kits, because there is just too many variations in bore size in a box of paintballs your insert may only work for half the paintballs. I'd just as soon get an overbored barrel and be done with it, although I understand the arguements of those who buy and use several Freak tips.

When/if AGD gets some Pro-Classics back in stock I plan to pick one up, add a lvl 10 bolt and a ULE body and slap a 14" Bigshot. Since 'Mags in generall are lighter and smaller than Tippmanns a 14 incher won't be a problem. I'll update when/if I can finish that project.

Thanks for your insight, Warden.

[WardenWolf]

They still have Minimags, which tells me that AGD is only out of the mainbodies for the Pro Classic. My advice to you is to give them a call. It's only an extra $55 when ordering to switch to a ULE mainbody (versus $145 later), and if all they're out of is the mainbody they'll still be able to build you a Pro Classic with a ULE body. Truth be told, a Classic Mag isn't much lighter than a Tippmann unless you put a ULE body on it. You have to factor in, aside from the rail (aluminum) and grip (carbon fiber), they're solid stainless steel. They are, however, much more compact and carry their weight better.

This post has been edited by WardenWolf: 10 June 2008 - 05:50 PM

[Varnel]

I run an 8 Inch Lapco Apex Ready Bigshot on my X7 and I love it. Best bang for the buck by far!

[lardlad]

So basically, a Lapco Bigshot that is 8 inches long is as good or better than a 16 inch J&J Ceramic?