Paintball Barrels Review helps you choose your paintball barrel. We give you a short list to make selecting your paintball barrel easy.

Most markers come with a junk stock barrel. The most important upgrade you can make is to upgrade your barrel.

With a new barrel you can expect improved accuracy and quietness. Some barrels are lighter than others, and some are self cleaning, which means that if a ball breaks in the barrel, you can fire through it to clear the paint.

A barrel kit will come with several size bores to allow you to match the size of your paint.

Paintball tips for buying a barrel

• A 14" barrel may be the best overall length for a barrel. A longer barrel is unwieldy, and more friction may cause less accuracy; but it may be suitable for back-line use. A shorter barrel is useful for fast movement.

• A barrel kit, while more expensive, will allow you to match your barrel to your paint.

• Paint to bore match is critical for good performance. Be sure you get paint that matches the size of your barrel's bore.

Note: "Self cleaning" means if a paintball breaks in your barrel, you can shoot through it to restore accuracy.

Suggested Barrels
(Click on the picture to read the review)

Low-Cost Barrels, $45 - $70	Mid-Range Barrels, $71 to $99	High-End Barrels, $100+
J&J Ceramic Spyders, Tippmann A5 Street price: $45 Quiet, accurate, light weight, self cleaning, easy to clean, compares to a Dye Boomstick Read Review	Powerlyte Stainless Barrel Spyders, Cocker, Impulse, Shocker, Model 98, A5, B2K Street price: $90 Unsurpassed accuracy, very quiet, amazing consistency, self cleaning, easy to clean, doesn't break paintballs, highest praised barrel on this site yields amazing performance. Read Review	Dye Boomstick Spyders, 98, A5, Autococker, Angel Street price: $155 Fairly quiet, extremely accurate tournament grade, controversial self cleaning Read Review
J&J Edge Barrel Kit (5-piece, not 4 as shown) Spyders, Impulse, Model 98, WGP Street price: $70 Very accurate, quiet, light, doesn't break paintballs, self cleaning, easy to clean, matches several sizes of paint. Has ceramic bore; performs like J&J Ceramic. Read Review	Powerlyte Aluminum Barrel Spyders, Cocker, Impulse, Shocker, Model 98, A5, B2K Street price: $85 Very accurate, very consistent, very quiet, doesn't break paintballs, self cleaning. Compare with Powerlyte Stainless. Read Review	Smart Parts Freak Kit Spyders, Shocker, Model 98, Impulse, Indian Creek, Angel, Automag, Autococker Street price: $240 Accurate, quiet, self cleaning, matches all sizes of paint Read Review
32 Degrees Terminator Spyder, Model 98, A5, Maverick, Autococker, Raptor Street price: $50 Accurate, light, self cleaning, doesn't break paintballs, no real weaknesses. Compare with J&J Ceramic. Read Review	32 Degrees Precision Barrel Spyders, Autococker, Automag, Model 98 Street price: $90 Quiet, accurate, doesn't break paint, self cleaning Read Review	Tippmann Flatline for A5 Tippmann A5 Street price: $105 A specialty barrel, add 100 feet to your shot using backspin. Accurate, consistent, gas efficient, doesn't break paintballs, not self cleaning Read Review
32 Degrees Ice Cold Spyders, Autococker, Automag, Model 98, Raptor, and Pro-Carbine Street price: $60 Very accurate, very quiet, self-cleaning, easy to clean, doesn't break paintballs, shoots far. Chrome is easy to see in woodsball, smudges easily. Read Review	Dye Ultralite Spyders, Autococker, Angel, Impulse, Model 98, A-5, Shocker Street price: $90 Extremely accurate, light, doesn't break paint, self cleaning, easy to clean. Players liked this barrel. Read Review	Dye Stainless Steel Most Guns Street price: $90 - 110 Quiet, very accurate, doesn't break paintballs, self cleaning, easy to clean, durable, heavy. Read Review
J&J Pro 1 Spyders, Model 98 Street price: $60 Extremely accurate, very quiet, light weight, uncertain self cleaning and ease to clean. Good as a Dye Boomstick at half the price. Read Review	Psycho Ballistics Aradus Spyders, Autococker, Angel, Carbine, Impulse, Model 98, A-5 Street price: $99 A specialty barrel with adjustable bore matches paint with twist of the barrel, very accurate, fairly quiet, self cleaning, hard to clean, gas hog Read Review	JT USA Two Piece Spyders, Rebels, Angel, Autococker, Model 98 Street price: $100+ Very accurate, consistent, very quiet, self-cleaning, doesn't break paintballs, uncertain ease to clean. Boomstick performance, players liked this barrel. Read Review

All the products reviewed on this site are available from one or more of the following:

 Online Sports
The oldest and largest sports catalog on the internet, a large selection to choose from. Use their search box; enter "paintball gun", "paintball hopper", or whatever you are looking for.

• Paintball Guns at Amazon.com
Find a large selection to choose from at Amazon.com.

 

32 Degrees Carbon Fiber Barrel  (Spyders, Autococker, Automag, Angel, Prolite; $100)
     Accurate and pretty quiet, most players were happy with the self-cleaning properties.
32 Degrees Ice Cold Barrel  (Spyders, Autococker, Automag, Model 98, Raptor, and Pro-Carbine; $60)
     Very accurate, very quiet, self-cleaning, easy to clean, doesn't break paintballs, and shoots far. Chrome is easy to see in woodsball, smudges easily.
32 Degrees Nyte Stikk Barrel  (Spyders, Autococker, Automag, Model 98, A5, Pro-Carbine, Raptor; 50)
     Accurate, very quiet, doesn't break paintballs, self cleaning, uncertain ease to clean. A good barrel.
32 Degrees Precision Barrel  (Spyders, Model 98, Autococker, Automag; $90)
     Accurate, quiet, does not break paintballs, self cleaning. Almost as good as the Dye Boomstick but at less cost.
32 Degrees Quiet Riot Barrel  (Spyders, Model 98, Autococker, Automag; $40)
     Not that quiet or accurate, a passable upgrade from stock.
32 Degrees Terminator  (Spyder, Tippmann models, Maverick, Autococker, Raptor; $50)
     Accurate, light, self cleaning, doesn't break paintballs, compare to the Dye Boomstick, no real weaknesses.
32 Degrees Whisper Barrel  (Spyders, Model 98, A5, Autococker, Angel; $40)
     A passable upgrade from a stock barrel. More quiet and accurate than stock.

Armson Pro-Series Barrel  (Automag, Puma, Shocker, VM68, WGP, others?; $50)
     Accurate due to rifling, durable, good range, doesn't break paint. Loud, not self cleaning, Uncertain ease of cleaning.
Armson Stealth Barrel  (Spyders, Autococker, Angel, Model 98, Pro-Lite, Raptor, Shocker; $80 - 100)
     Very accurate due to rifling, quiet, and consistent, but not self cleaning. Uncertain ease of cleaning.

Dye Aluminum Barrel  (Most guns; $90)
     Accurate, very quiet, doesn't break paintballs, light, durable, not self-cleaning, uncertain ease to clean. A good barrel, but not recommended.
Dye Boomstick Barrel  (Spyders, Model 98, A5, Autococker, Angel; $155)
      Tournament grade, extremely accurate, fairly quiet, rugged, but disagreement over self-cleaning ability.
Dye Excel ("Xcel") Barrel  (Spyders, Model 98, A5; $50)
     A passable upgrade from a stock barrel. Accurate and quiet, but hard to clean, and not self cleaning.
Dye Stainless Steel Barrel  (For most guns; $90 - 110 depending on gun)
     Very accurate, doesn't break paintballs, self cleaning, easy to clean, quiet. Stainless steel is heavy but also very durable.
Dye Ultralite Barrel  (Spyders, Autococker, Angel, Impulse, Model 98, A-5, Shocker; $90)
     Extremely accurate, light, doesn't break paint, self cleaning, easy to clean. Players liked this barrel.

Empire 4 Piece Barrel Kit  (Spyder, Model 98, A5, Autococker, Automag, Impulse; $100)
     Quiet, accurate, lightweight, and shoots well. Matches most types of paint.
Empire Twister Barrel  (Spyder, Autococker, Model 98 and A5, Angel; $70)
     Very quiet, extremely accurate, not self cleaning and hard to clean.

J&J Ceramic Barrel  (Spyder, Model 98; $45)
     Quite, accurate, lightweight, self-cleaning, easy to clean, an excellent barrel that rivals more expensive ones.
J&J Edge Barrel Kit  (Spyders, Impulse, Model 98, and WGP; $70)
     Very accurate, quiet, light, doesn't break paintballs, self cleaning, easy to clean.
J&J Pro 1 Barrel  (Spyders, Model 98; $60)
     Extremely accurate, very quiet, light, performs like a Boomstick at half the cost. Uncertain self-cleaning and ease of cleaning. Highly recommended.

JT USA Two Piece Barrel  (Spyders, Rebels, Angel, Autococker, Model 98; $100+)
     Very accurate, consistent, very quiet, self-cleaning, doesn't break paintballs, uncertain ease to clean. Boomstick performance, players liked this barrel.

PMI Razzor Barrel  (Spyder, Piranha, Model 98; $25)
     A lot better than stock, but not as accurate or quiet as others.

Powerlyte Aluminum Barrel  (Spyders, Autococker, Impulse, Shocker, Model 98, A5, B2K; $85)
     Very accurate, very consistent, very quiet, doesn't break paintballs, self cleaning.
Powerlyte Stainless Barrel  (Spyders, Autococker, Impulse, Shocker, Model 98, A5, B2K; $90)
     Unsurpassed accuracy, very quiet, amazing consistency, self cleaning, easy to clean, doesn't break paintballs, highest praised barrel yields amazing performance.

Psycho Ballistics Aradus Barrel   (Spyders, Autococker, Angel, Carbine, Impulse, Model 98, A-5; $99)
     Adjustable bore matches paint with a twist of the barrel. Very accurate, quiet, doesn't break paintballs, self-cleaning, hard to clean, a gas hog.

Smart Parts Freak Barrel Kit  (Spyder, Shocker, Model 98, Impulse, Indian Creek, Angel, Automag, Autococker; $240)
     Accurate, quiet, self-cleaning, 8-inserts plus front and back are available individually to match paint to bore.
Smart Parts Teardrop Barrel  (Virtually all makes; $50)
     Very accurate, quiet, light, doesn't break paintballs, but not self cleaning. A great barrel if your gun doesn't chop paint.

Tippmann Flatline Barrel for A5  (Tippmann A5; $105)
     Adds 100 feet to your shot by using backspin. Accurate, consistent, gas efficient, doesn't break paintballs, not self-cleaning.