Upgrade 98 Custom ACT

Hey guys,

I got my 98 custom ACT for last Christmas as a present. I went out and have used it stock 2 times now. It works awesome I think, i just want to upgrade it. I've looked at "Tippmannpros.com" (my fav. site so far, tell me if there's a better Tippmann site to buy stuff/look at stuff from.)

     I've found these things: Flatline Barrel, Double Trigger, Cyclone Feed, Weaver Mounted Foregrip Bipod, and Offset hopper adapter.

    I then looked at "Pbreview.com" for reviews on these products. I then concocted some questions. 1. Can I use the Flatline Barrel with the Cyclone Feed? Some people have said you have to cut the Flatline Barrel to get it to fit? If you have to cut it does it still work? 2. I buy cheap paintballs, will they not work with the Flatline Barrel?

Thank you very much for looking/posting on my first topic.

EDIT: Please post pros/cons of the upgrades that I have selected

Flatline Barrel: Pro. Added range Con. reduced accuarcy at the extra range, along with the loss of velocity at that range resulting in a low chance of the ball breaking if it does hit its target. Cheap paint will likely break in the barrel.

Double Trigger: Pro. Easy fix to increase ROF. Comfortable. Con. None that I can honestly think of.

Cyclone Feed: Pro. Combined with already having the ACT, the likelyness of chopping paint drops even further. IMO they are better then most of the motorized hoppers out there. Con. The rare chop that does occur can be a pain to clean up. You need to keep your tank pretty full to keep it running. For some reason they don't seem to like HPA too much either, so CO2 will have to remain your main source or power.

Weaver Mounted Foregrip Bipod: Pro. Some added stability in a game of woodball. Big with Milsim players. Con. No actual benefit that I can think of. Useless during a game of x-ball, and during a woodball game you should be able to get the same effect by bracing the gun by hand. Only a real firearm usually benefits from mounts.

Offset hopper adapter: Pro. added capacity to your hopper. Con. Kind of funny looking, and can cause your hopper to stand out more then you might want it to. If you really needed to move your hopper over an inch or two to mount a sight or something then I guess this would be helpful.

Laramie911 wrote: I've found these things: Flatline Barrel, Double Trigger, Cyclone Feed, Weaver Mounted Foregrip Bipod, and Offset hopper adapter.

• Flatline (F/L) Barrel--I never recommend this as a first after-market barrel.  (Note:  I like the F/L, I just think new players should avoid it due to its quirks.)
  
• Pros:
• Additional range.
• Horizontal trajectory which allows target engagement in areas where a lobbed trajectory is not feasible.
• Cons:
• Picky on paint.
• Small bore paint is a necessity .
  
• Thinner (speedball) shelled paint is to be avoided.
• The accuracy decreasing effects of out of round, dimpled, or wet paint is magnified by the mechanics of the F/L.
  
• Weather sensitive.
• Humidity which swells the paint affects performance.
• Wind interferes with the spin on the ball and affects performance.
• Performance starts to decrease at approximately 60 degrees F due to the stresses the barrel places on the paintballs when they first enter it.
• The paintball is simultaneously accelerated to around 275 fps, hits a metal surface which changes its direction of travel by around 30 degrees and has a backspin put on it by a rough friction surface within a small fraction of a second.
• Combining all this with colder weather can make for some serious barrel breakage issues.
• The F/L loses all accuracy when there is paint in the barrel.  (
• Much worse than standard barrels.
• The friction surface makes cleaning breads slightly more challenging.
• The nature of the barrel decreases air efficiency.
• The friction surface on the interior adds drag that must be overcome.
• The requirement to use small bore paint wastes air by allowing it to "blow by" the ball as it travels through the barrel.  (If the F/L is used by itself, this is not usually a serious issue; it can become so when other accessories are added that also increase air usage.)
  
• Proper installation of the 98 F/L can be challenging.
  
• Other
• The F/L is not a sniper barrel; it does not have one shot-one kill accuracy.  (This is not a problem with the barrel, it just reflects upon the inadequacies inherent to the projectile.)
• It is an outstanding specialty tool for fire suppression at ranges where return fire can usually be ignored.
• It is very handy in thick brush where the surroundings interfere with lobbed shots.
• It works quite well as a general purpose barrel in most situations.  (Straight barrels may have some accuracy advantages due to the spin placed on the ball interacting with the environment, but this is usually not significant.)
• Proper installation and use is vital to performance.  (Impatient people should not bother getting a F/L; it is not a "plug-and-play" modification.)
• Double trigger: (Note:  I am not a fan of these and am basing my advice on the fact that your original post contained no reference to firepower upgrades.)
• Pros:
• With practice can allow increased rate of fire with electronic firing upgrades.
• Cons:
• Many double triggers make optimum Response Trigger (R/T) performance more challenging because they allow more leverage to be placed on the trigger.
• Other:
• I really don't see the point in getting a double trigger if you don't have an E-Trigger on your marker.
• Cyclone Feed:
• Pros:
• Air powered--no worry about dead batteries.
• Timed to the bolt which helps minimize chops.
• Reliable.
• Cons:
• Can be harder on paint than most electronic hoppers. (This can be mitigated by some of the modifications/upgrades available for the Cyclone.)
• Breaks become more frequent in near empty Cyclone feeders because the balls can be bounced around more by the paddle actions.
• When used with other modifications that increase air usage, such as the R/T or F/L, air starvation can occur.  This can result in failure to recock, Cyclone misfeeding or low velocity issues.
• Bipod:  (Note: Not a fan of these either.)
• Pros:
• Added stability when firing from prone position.
• Cons:
• Additional weight.
• Additional protuberances that can get caught when moving through thick cover.
• Other:
  
• Most masks tend to make the prone position uncomfortable/difficult, thus negating the need for a bipod.
• I have played woodsball on and off for 23 years and have never found myself in a situation where I said "I wish I had a bipod."
• Offset hopper adapter:
• Pros:
  
• Clears the sightline down the top of the marker.
• Allows for some addition rounds in hopper.
• Cons:
• Off-centers the weight of the hopper/paint even further than it normally is.
• Other:
• Unless you are using a sight rail, the Cyclone hopper allows the use of the stock sights without this additional part being necessary.
  

Quick question about your gear. What size tank do you have? What type/brand of mask do you have? If you are running CO2, you will most likely want to get a bigger tank. You will also want a good mask. Fogging sucks. As for barrels, the consesus seems to be J&J or Lapco bigshot 12-14". Read the sticky "uber upgrades", there is a lot of info. To be quite honest, if you don't have an R/T or E-trigger, there really isnt much need for a faster hopper. Put the extra money aside, play for awhile and figure out what items you think would help you in your style of play. Don't waste your money on upgrades you later find out you don't want/need.

If you like your mask, just be sure to go to the local paintball shop and order a "Thermal Lens", they will help prevent fogging, also you could try spitting in the inside of your mask and wiping it around.(I know this sounds kinda gross) I always do it because your salavia has somekind of chemical in it that will help prevent fogging, I learned this by being on a swimteam for 4 consecutive years and it works perfectly with goggles and my paintball mask.. just be sure to wipe it off inside with a paper towel or something.

May I suggest the Lapco bigshot 14" barrel? I have it on my A-5 and probably am going to get it for my 98 custom also. A good price for it is at www.countysports.com , unless you find a cheaper place, then let me know!

- On a side note, you can pour Rain-x down that lapco bigshot so that when a ball breaks, all you have to do is hold your marker upside down and shoot out air and the stuff that is inside your barrel will come out, and No it does not affect accuarcy at all.. Trust me!

Good luck
- Seal