JK's tech page
BT Apex Barrel Review
JK with his new BT Apex barrel
It was with much excitement and anticipation that I unpacked my new BT Apex barrel when it arrived mail-order from my supplier in Port Elizabeth.
The barrel as you can see from the picture above is a bit different from most other barrels out there in that it has a nobby bit on the end (almost like a short silencer we so often see in spy movies). This is the real business part of the barrel, the rest being like any other barrel.
The BT Apex Barrel is a flatline barrel. This is a barrel originally only available for the Tippmann markers (e.g. the Tippmann A5 flatline barrel or Custom 98 flatline barrel) that increases range and accuracy by adding spin to the paintball as it leaves the barrel. The BT Apex has some advantages over the normal flatline barrels in that firstly it is available with threads for many of the common paintball markers, and secondly it has adjustable flatline range and can be adjusted to curve and dive-bomb the ball.
Operation of the barrel is simple - screw it onto your marker and start shooting. The barrel has a slide on the front with 8 positions. Zero is no flatline and the barrel behaves normally and 8 is maximum flatline with maximum range.
It takes a bit of getting used to because the flight-path of the paintball is highly modified. As it leaves the barrel it initially drops and then rises again and just keeps flying along, almost as if its floating. This means that it is very accurate at extended range. By experimenting with the range slider you can vary this effect, and exploit the altered flight path to your advantage.
Twisting the end of the barrel allows you to "curve" the paintball. what you are effectively doing is rotating this altered flight path around an imaginary axis around the center of the barrel. The effect is that the paintball can be made to curve around to the right or the left - perfect for shooting people behind obstacles, or to dive-bomb over objects. This feature takes some getting used, but its more a mental shift than anything else. If you can "see" in your mind's eye the flight path, the aiming is easy. I was a bit skeptical about the feature initially, but after some shots I was able to hit players behind trees at about 80 meters!
The barrel as you can see from the picture above is a bit different from most other barrels out there in that it has a nobby bit on the end (almost like a short silencer we so often see in spy movies). This is the real business part of the barrel, the rest being like any other barrel.
The BT Apex Barrel is a flatline barrel. This is a barrel originally only available for the Tippmann markers (e.g. the Tippmann A5 flatline barrel or Custom 98 flatline barrel) that increases range and accuracy by adding spin to the paintball as it leaves the barrel. The BT Apex has some advantages over the normal flatline barrels in that firstly it is available with threads for many of the common paintball markers, and secondly it has adjustable flatline range and can be adjusted to curve and dive-bomb the ball.
Operation of the barrel is simple - screw it onto your marker and start shooting. The barrel has a slide on the front with 8 positions. Zero is no flatline and the barrel behaves normally and 8 is maximum flatline with maximum range.
It takes a bit of getting used to because the flight-path of the paintball is highly modified. As it leaves the barrel it initially drops and then rises again and just keeps flying along, almost as if its floating. This means that it is very accurate at extended range. By experimenting with the range slider you can vary this effect, and exploit the altered flight path to your advantage.
Twisting the end of the barrel allows you to "curve" the paintball. what you are effectively doing is rotating this altered flight path around an imaginary axis around the center of the barrel. The effect is that the paintball can be made to curve around to the right or the left - perfect for shooting people behind obstacles, or to dive-bomb over objects. This feature takes some getting used, but its more a mental shift than anything else. If you can "see" in your mind's eye the flight path, the aiming is easy. I was a bit skeptical about the feature initially, but after some shots I was able to hit players behind trees at about 80 meters!
Close up of the BT Apex
Tech Page
A BT-Apex Barrel dismantled
A BT-Apex Barrel partially assembled
The design of this barrel is very simply, yet very effective. The business-end of the barrel is sealed with four screws. By undoing them, the front part splits in two halves. The one half has several plastic ridges (on the right in the image above). The other half contains the slide mechanism, which adjust a rubber baffle. The rubber baffle creates drag on the paintball, and generates the spin.
So what is my verdict? A great barrel to have in your arsenal and a great answer to my opponents that have Tippmanns with Flatlines. I think this barrel has a time and a place for use, but is very well suited to games in bush ranges and out in the open.
If you're interested in buying yourself the BT-apex barrel, please visit the The Paintball Shop. JK.
P.S: We've received numerous requests for some video footage of the baby in action. We've tried to shoot video with a small digital camera, but due to the speed of the paintballs, they are indistinct. We're working on a more professional attempt, and will upload them soon!
So what is my verdict? A great barrel to have in your arsenal and a great answer to my opponents that have Tippmanns with Flatlines. I think this barrel has a time and a place for use, but is very well suited to games in bush ranges and out in the open.
If you're interested in buying yourself the BT-apex barrel, please visit the The Paintball Shop. JK.
P.S: We've received numerous requests for some video footage of the baby in action. We've tried to shoot video with a small digital camera, but due to the speed of the paintballs, they are indistinct. We're working on a more professional attempt, and will upload them soon!
