On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 23:46:57 -0400, ChoongJung@webtv.net (unforgiven
33) wrote:

>i've been drooling over the tippman A-5 in the shop where i buy my
>paint. it is set up really nice (stock, scope, sling, flatline,
>etc....). looks so cool. well, sunday the owner allowed me to use it to
>play for the day. i was thrilled. i walked out onto the field feeling
>like rambo or something. beleiving that this gun was gona kick butt. to
>be honest it was super cool. the responce trigger and shoulder stock
>made it feel like an assualt weapon. the big let down for me was the
>barrel. it did make the ball travel alot further and i was able to cover
>my guys as they moved up to their objectives but... i couldn't hit a
>damn thing. the all was flying far but it sure didn't fly very straight.
>i saw that once the ball reached about the same distance as a "regular"
>barrel would go, it just floated to where ever it wanted to. i still had
>alot of fun and i still liked the feel of the A-5 but i was disappointed
>by it too.

Below is a good clip from a newsgroup about the Flatline Barrel. If
you could not tell I like them very much but there is a learning curve
on the use of it as it does not like cheap/bad paint. Below my
signature is a ling to a generic website that displays my A-5 setup.
************************************************** ***

Flatline: Recipe for Success (Must Read!)
________________________________________
Original Post by Timberwolf

There have a been a lot of posts in this and other forums regarding
issues with the Flatline. Most of these issues can be corrected by
following the procedures outlined here.
This thread is a result of myself and several other forum users
getting together and hammering out the fine details. Thanks to all of
you, especially AlabamaMan, Mrguru, Archellion, Daewoo, and Doom!
First, there are two EXCEPTIONAL threads you should read:
This one by Kreeper-X explains a LOT of info about the Flatline in
general.
http://www.a5ownersgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=168
This one is an excellent resource for understanding paint-to-barrel
matchups by InvestorGuy and has some helpful Flatline tips:
http://www.a5ownersgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27
With that information under your belt, understand that if your
Flatline isn't shooting the way you think it should or as good as it
used to, it is more than likely because of one OR MORE of the
following reasons:

1) incorrect paint (bad quality or wrong cal)

2) barrel not internally aligned properly

3) not at proper fps

4) if XX2, not regulated

5) gun is tilted

6) barrel is not clean or not cleaned properly

7) weather is too wet and/or humid or cold

8) you have fired close to 250,000 balls and it may be time for a
reblast

For your absolute best results, you must meet ALL of the above
conditions.

For your convenience, we have explained each of them in detail below:

1) incorrect paint (bad quality or wrong cal)
The standard "blow" test won't work. The ball needs to be able to
freely backspin in the barrel in order to work. Just go with good
quality, small bore paint. Werks, Marbs, Evil, Allstars, El Tigre', or
possibly Premiums.
Also, be sure to read InvestorGuy's thread mentioned above about
paint-to-barrel match and the Kreepe-X thread addresses this in
detail.

2) barrel not internally aligned properly
Since cant (lack of) is very important for proper functionality, it is
important that the barrel be properly aligned inside the shroud. If
it's off even a small margin, your shots will curve left or right
(depending on the cant).

3) not at proper fps
The proper fps with your Flatline barrel on should be from 250fps to
270fps. Be sure to experiment some to get the ideal range for yours.

4) if XX2, not regulated
Since the proper fps has such a dramatic effect on the accuracy, you
would be well advised to install a regulator if you're shooting with
XX2.

5) gun is tilted
Be sure there is no right/left tilt on the marker as you are shooting
it. Leaning it, even a small amount, to the left or right will cause
the ball to curve. Naturally, this could also be used to your
advantage. Take a case of paint and just go out somewhere to practice
and get a feel for this effect.

6) barrel is not clean or not cleaned properly
This one is a bit tricky as there are several different methods.
Unfortunately, there is nothing said about this in the owners manual.
One method is the "water/soap/rinse/squeegy method" (hopefully
self-explanatory). Others report that an Armson Barrel brush and pro
wash foam/soap also works. The bottom line here is that the inside of
the barrel gets clean and there is no gelatin or gelatin-like residue.
Don't use anything too harsh or abrasive.

7) weather is too wet and/or humid or cold
Weather can have a dramatic effect on your Flatline. Moisture from
humid weather can get inside the barrel (not good), or on a really hot
day, the paintballs may swell, causing breakage. Since the paintball
takes a small bump to create the spin, cold, brittle paintballs may
also break inside the barrel.

8)you have fired close to 250,000 balls and it may be time for a
reblast. After so many shots (per Daewoo, Tippmann says 250,000), the
roughness inside the Flatline may begin to smooth out, negating the
backspin principal. In this case, call Tippmann support and arrange
for them to "reblast" your barrel.

Obviously, the Flatline barrel system isn't just something you screw
into your marker and forget about. It requires additional practice and
care to maintain effectiveness. However, when it is performing as it
should, there is nothing like it, so follow the above procedures and
KEEP it shooting good!



Hardtime

http://geocities.com/arcticjohn88/arcticjohn88