Apex barrel for the 98 PS
Printed From: Tippmann Paintball
Category: Paintball Equipment
Forum Name: Upgrades and Customizing
Forum Description: Trick it out!
URL: http://www.tippmannsports.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=185794
Printed Date: 18 June 2026 at 8:41am
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Topic: Apex barrel for the 98 PS
Posted By: JohnnyBee
Subject: Apex barrel for the 98 PS
Date Posted: 03 June 2010 at 1:26pm
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Hey all Im looking to buy an Apex barrel but don't know how or where to go about getting one. I don't even know who is the true maker of the Apex barrel and I want to make sure i don't accidently buy a nock off brand of the apex. Can anyone please let me know who makes the Apex barrel and where is a good reliable place to buy a tippmann 98 PS Apex ready barrel combo? Also, for the 98, can I buy any barrel and put the apex tip on it? or do I have to buy a barrel and tip combo together? For example: I was looking into buying the Tippmann 98 Straightline barrel kit from there site. Would I be able to put the Apex tip on that? or on any hammerhead barrel I might buy? Thanks for any help. It is much appreciated. Johnny
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Replies:
Posted By: Magoo
Date Posted: 03 June 2010 at 2:04pm
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Rifling + Apex = bad idea... The Apex works by using a friction ramp on the muzzle of the barrel. Imagine what would happen if the paintball was already spinning when it hit said ramp... Anyways, BT makes the Apex, and no one else does. There are no knock-offs. http://www.lapcopaintball.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=1_31_49&products_id=340 - Here's what I suggest. Lapco makes a good barrel, and you get one Apex ready from the factory. The one I linked includes the Apex tip as well. |
Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 03 June 2010 at 2:31pm
| Thanks for the advice. |
Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 03 June 2010 at 2:41pm
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Are there any other barrels brands aside from the lapco that come Apex ready? I was hoping that hammerhead made one so that I could have an Apex ready barrel and an interchangeable fin set. But apex doesn't work with rifling? which is what hammerhead makes. thanks again johnny
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Posted By: elky jason
Date Posted: 03 June 2010 at 4:42pm
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I bought the apex tip, then got a CP tactical barrel which has a threaded tip. On the LAPCO website they sell a threaded apex tip adaptor and wala! put the 3 together and it is awesome. When I don't want to have the apex I just unscrew it and put the other tip on it! It looks cool with or with out it too! The CP barrel is very accurate as well with or with out the apex. BT is Ben Tippmann just so you know. Good luck!
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Posted By: Ceesman762
Date Posted: 03 June 2010 at 4:58pm
Battle Tested ------------- Innocence proves nothing FUAC!!!!! |
elky jason wrote:Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 03 June 2010 at 6:11pm
| To answer your question about Hammerheads, yes, they can be used if you add the adapter over the end threads and then add the Apex. The same as Lapco barrels ,CP etc. J&J makes an adapter for their barrels as well that is not threaded but uses set screws. You can also use the tape mod over the end of an existing barrel that many ballers find completely satisfactory. Also, the spin from a Hammerhed is not so dramatic that is affects the use of the Apex. I look to try a combination of the Hammerhead Widowmaker and the Apex myself just to see what happens. I have my Apex on a Smart Parts All American tip that screws into the freak back. It does a fine job. |
Posted By: Magoo
Date Posted: 03 June 2010 at 7:54pm
| I will be honest, I'm going off of speculation. I haven't had a chance to test the Apex and HH barrels. However, if the rifling isn't dramatic enough to affect the flight of the ball when it hits the Apex, then why get a HH kit, if the main reason to buy one becomes useless (i.e. the rifling). There are cheaper barrel kits out there that are just as effective with an Apex. |
Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 1:58am
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JohnnyBee asked the question about the Apex in relation to HHead and Straightline barrels. I own the HHead and answered his question. The spiralling in the HHead barrel is not so dramatic that it creates a gyroscopic effect on the ball. It is not the same as the dramatic affect on a metal bullet that actually acquires its own rifling while travelling down a rifled barrel. Indeed, the HHead is a high quality highly polished barrel with multple backs for proper boring. This is what sets up the ball, stabilizes it as best possible for a paintball and then directs it thru the Apex. You use a 275 to 285 fps speed which is preferred by the HHead and the Apex and you use quality smaller paint. This is the formula for really good HHead/Apex shots. The Apex gives the additional distance and the HHead gives increased accuracy. And plus if you turn the Apex off, you still have a really good HHead barrel to do some good accurate work for you.
I have a very similar set up with a Freak back (with all the bore sizes) and a spiral ported All American front with the Apex adapter and the Apex. The spiral porting is there to help stabilize the ball, reduce the noise signature, and put the ball in great shape as it enters the Apex. The Apex is what puts the dramatic back spin on the ball.
I have used this set up and formula on both high and low pressure markers with excellent results..
This can be done with almost any barrel or barrel kit as I pointed out in my earlier post as long as the barrel tip is squared off and not tapered to a point. This was, also, pointed out by Ceesman with the use of the CP Tactical barrel, another high quality highly polished barrel.
You are the first to bring up price, I assume when JohnnyBee said he was looking at Straightline barrels he was aware of the cost.
J&J, CP, Lapco, Smart Parts, Proto all have classic one piece barrels that lend themselves to the addition of the Apex with little modification. These are great values and all work very well with the Apex if the rest of the formula is applied ie, 280 fps, smaller quality paintballs. And practice, practice, practice. You can now add a TechT IFit (Python) set of bore backs to match the barrel and paint as well if wanted by the shooter.
The originator of this post asked specifically about the HHeads (Straightlines)/Apex Combo and that is what I answered for him.
If you have the opportunity in the near future, look down the barrel of a HHead and notice not only the 'extended' rifling but the extremely high, jewel-like internal polish. Just look at the barrel and hold it in your hands. It is a barrel to appreciate within itself....and they are expensive. But then I have seen some really good HHead purchases on Ebay in the last 6 months.
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Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 10:37am
| Thanks for all the input everyone. I appreciate it. And as long as I'm understanding correctly then the Apex should work fine with a HHead barrel that has rifling. And the rifling actually increases accuracy with the Apex? cool. Thanks again. |
Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 3:53pm
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hey guys, I've been doing more research and I've narrowed it down to these brands of barrels to match with the apex tip that i want to get: Lapco Hammerhead CP Tactical Now by what i can tell and what I've read, all these brands seem to have barrels that are apex ready with threading at the front tip of the barrel. All i need to know now is what everyone suggests to be the optimal choice out of the three brands? Do any of these give me more options in terms of accessories or bore fins? Also if there are any other good brands that anyone can suggest. Please let me know. As of right now I'm looking at the CP tactical barrel with the apex ready tip but not positive. Thanks for any help johnny
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Posted By: Ceesman762
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 3:55pm
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My son has the CP tactical on his 98 and loves it.
------------- Innocence proves nothing FUAC!!!!! |
Posted By: elky jason
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 5:37pm
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I previously had the LAPCO apex ready barrel and now I have the CP tactical with the apex added on like I mentioned earlier and I prefer the CP by far!! Good Luck!! Jason
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Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 05 June 2010 at 3:37am
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Before you make a decision, I remembered a barrel kit that I think you should look at. Go to http://www.flascpaintball.com - www.flascpaintball.com and ck out the barrel bore kit that sells for $119.00 with the Apex adapter as a removable tip plus $20 for the Apex. Seems you get 5 9" bores (barrels), 2 extentions of 3 and 5 inches and you can choose your own type of porting. You will have barrels of 9, 12, 14, and 17 inches and the ability to add more tips as wanted. The reviews on this are excellent. It ismade in Canada and may take 2 weeks to arrive but it seems you get a lot for your money. Otherwise I would go with a Hammerhead Bangstixx with 3 or 5 fins plus the adapter and the Apex. Rockstar Paintball and Shop4Paiintball have the screw-on adapters for about $19 and the Apex for $30
I think it is important to have some type of bore sizing to give you the best ball going into the Apex whether it be a TechT IFit Kit or the matching bores with the barrel. And the Ifit Kit can always be a welcome addition at a later date.
Hope this helps,.
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Posted By: Goodwrench
Date Posted: 05 June 2010 at 9:57am
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Barrels are one of the most important upgrades to your marker you can make but the first thing to consider is the type of paint you use and the type of paint your field uses.some of the fields i go to don't use paint that is not consistently round and using Hammer Head barrel kit with fin backs becomes tricky to size for paint to bore match because when to football shape ball blows up in the barrel it will need to be squeegeed the riffling holds paint that will attach to the next ball and cause a hook so there goes accuracy.now a smooth bore barrel like a j@j ceramic will self clean after a few shoots enough that in a fire fight can make difference between getting shot shooting or cleaning your barrel. As far as a Apex tip i can attach one to just a bout any barrel with two 10 cent orings. I have shot with the tip on HH battle stix ,16 inch J@J ceramic and stock phenom barrel and planet eclipse Ego 07 barrel i am all around happy with the performance ,I also have done comparison with the flat line barrel and I feel the apex holds a pattern tighter at long distance shoots. Once you decide on a barrel system and apex .take the time to play with all the settings on the apex to learn how it controls the ball at different setting and distance. Goodwrench Tippmann x7 Phenom Hammer Head Battle stix 16 inch J@J ceramic Flatline Barrel Apex Barrel TPX Pistol Hammer Head barrel Planet Eclipse Ego |
Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 05 June 2010 at 11:43am
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Yes, quality paint is a primary requirement of using an Apex on any barrel. Even with the self cleaning properties of a J&J, if a ball breaks in the barrel, the Apex remains a mess. If you are in a battle and need to recover some accuracy to defend yourself, one must turn the Apex off and defend himself with the remaining barrel no matter what it is, If your field has only lower grade paint and you have this problem, choose another barrel or turn the Apex off before you start. It is just not a good combination. If not, you will be cleaning barrels all day. It will be one football after another.
I love J&J, have them and use them often but I still encourage JohhnyBee to look carefully at the FLASC barrel kit and he seems to appreciate the importance of having various bores available for the quality smaller paintballs needed for the Apex.
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Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 05 June 2010 at 7:22pm
| Sorry for the late response everyone. Was out of town. As always thanks to everyone for the very helpful information. I have bit of research ahead of me now. I really like the CP tactical but I think Im definitely gonna want to go with a apex ready barrel kit. The Hammerhead is looking promising and I'll look into the FLASC as well. It seems awesome. Also Im not positive, but I think I saw somewhere that I can attach bore fins to the CP tactical as well? Thanks again everyone. Feel free to leave more suggestion. Its much appreciated. |
Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 8:31am
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Hey all, Upon my endless research, I have another question, What barrel LENGTH should I be using in combination with the Apex? I know that I in general I should not go any longer than 16" and no shorter than 12" but, are there any Range and Accuracy differences between 12", 14", 16" ? Or is it just length feel and look to be gained form the different barrels sizes? Im looking for range and accuracy boost so if I gain the most with a 16" then I'll go 16" but if I don't gain any difference from a 16" over the 12 than I'll go 12" because I want to keep my gun as compact as possible to move quicker. Reason is, I played with a 14" on my 98 recently and that was pushing it due to it making my 98 with buttstock a very long gun and it was hard to get around bushes without making wide turns. Then on top of that ill be putting a 3" apex on the end. Ouch, that would be even longer. So that being said, Im looking for accuracy and range boost aside form the obvious bore sizing. Just need to know what length is optimal for range/acc and apex. If its 16" then so be it. Ill sacrifice comfort for range/acc. As always thanks and any help is appreciated. Johnny
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Posted By: Goodwrench
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 9:36am
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For barrel length 8 to 14 inch is more then sufficient,general rule of thumb he longer the barrel the higher your velocity will need to be turned up .because what a one of the jobs a barrel does is stabilize the ball after the trigger is pulled it needs abut 5-8 inchs do to this,after that the ball is being slowed down by the friction of the barrel so to maintain 275 fps you would need to turn up the velocity screw in turn using more air .the apex allows you to use a short barrel and give you a longer distance shot .what it comes down to is how much barrel you want on the end of your marker. Goodwrench |
Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 1:32pm
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Another good reason to consider the FLASC system. You can choose from a variety of lengths. The Apex will just screw on the 9" bore barrel, or the 12" or the 14" or the 17". The Apex itself will add 2 or 3 inches to the barrel.
Also, If you are shooting the Custom 98, you are shooting an unregulated air marker.(Unless you have a regulator installed). The adjustment screw only interrupts the pulse of air coming into the marker. The pulse is always the same amount of air. If you need to increase your FPS, you are just interupting less of that pulse to go down the barrel. Because of this, the increased barrrel lengths will not alter your efficiency. The barrel friction on the highly polished barrels considered here will change your fps only 2 or 3 fps, 5 max.
From the way you describe your style of play, seems the 9" FLASC plus the Apex or the 12" plus the Apex will give you an ideal set up. You will be controlling your bore and length with the Apex as a bonus.
Using the smaller quality balls, a 275 fps speed setting and with some practice to familiarize yourself with the set up, you will be a terror on the field.
Play hard, play safe, and have fun,
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Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 3:57pm
| So by what I can tell its between the Hhead and the FLASC. Aside from the price difference, they both seem to have bore fins and threaded tips. So why choose one over the other? just the price? Also does CP have the same option of bore fitting? I know that they have threaded tips but are the bore sizes interchangeable? |
Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 07 June 2010 at 12:10am
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Only the FLASC offers you multiple bores, multiple lengths, varios porting patterns, and among the various tips you receive, you get the Apex thread adapter plus the Apex. It is a handsome quality barrel and I have yet to find one negative review about it other than it might take 2 weeks for it to arrive at your door.
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Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 07 June 2010 at 7:49am
| What do you mean by FLASC is the only one that offers multiple bores? I thought HHead did too? |
Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 07 June 2010 at 12:15pm
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HHead does offer multiple bores, but FLASC is the only one that offers the muliple lengths as well. They offer all the things in one kit and at a very reasonalbe price. If you go with the HHeads you will have to purchase all the adapters separately and the Apex and If you want multiple barrel lengths you will need the 'link' plus the additional barrels. There is no choice for porting..
HHeads are my favorite barrels esp the MoFo, the carbon fiber scenario barrel, and the new little WidowMaker. I use three tips; the Magnesium tip, the snaggle tooth, and the M-50S which looks like a silencer. I have an Apex and all I need to get is the adapter for the barrel tip threading to receive the APEX. or use the tape mod. But, in my case, I already have the APEX set up on a Smart Parts AA tip with Freak backs so I have no real need to put it on the HHeads as well.
But in your case, you are starting out fresh and you can get a lot more in one purchase than I did or could at the time. I really like the fact that you have so many choices with the FLASC. It is a beautiful system.
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Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 07 June 2010 at 3:11pm
| Thanks SmakDaddy. I agree with you, the FLASC seems down right amazing and they give you a lot in the kit for the price. I guess the last factor is quality difference between Hhead and FLASC as well as the performance between the two. How do they compare in performance? Thanks for all the help SmakDaddy. |
Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 08 June 2010 at 2:16am
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Wow, what a choice !!! Both quality barrels with accuracy and consistency being their claims to fame. ..........I am going to choose the FLASC with the Apex. It just offers too many options for a great price. In order to use the APEX, you will need quality paint and a lower fps set than you would for normal play. In the case that you do not have quality paintballs available, I think the FLASC will be more forgiving of the paint and easier to clean if breaks occur. Be sure to have a spray bottle of alcohol and water with you and a good squeegee just in case, mainly for the APEX. Avoiding breakage is really important And if the Apex is not needed you can chg to any length or tip that is applicable to your situation. I would really like to have the opportunity to spend a day just trying out all the variations this barrel has to offer. Can't help but imagine the 9" bore plus the APEX and then the 9" plus the 3" ported, plus the APEX.
If you choose this barrel, be sure to let me know how it shoots
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Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 08 June 2010 at 10:11am
| Its down to the wire! I cant choose lol. Im definitely leaning towards the FLASC but i guess im just scheptical about it because I dont hear much about them in my searches. I just hear HHead, J&J, and Lapco all the time. FLASC looks like an amazing kit though at a very good price. smackdaddy, you mentioned that it would be easier to clean breaks with the FLASC over the HHead. Why is that? cuz of the Hhead's rifling? Also has anyone seen both of these kits in action that can tell me how they compare in accuracy/range performance? And lastly, the FLASC kit gives me the option of non porting, standard porting, and double porting and I can mix and match for the different barrel extensions. What is the difference between standard porting and double porting and why whould I choose one over the other? Thanks again |
Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 08 June 2010 at 4:17pm
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You are looking at two very high quality barrels that are as close to being hand made as possible. Both being from smaller companies you have a lot of important. caring, personal input into each. The accuracy of each should be equal. The cleaning of the FLASC in a game situation shouuld be easier than the HHead because of the rifling, however I always carrry a short, larger bore back-up barrel for such situations as I find it easier and quicker to just chg the barrel than try to swab out one in the field. Of course if the break is in the breech I am just shoooting spray until I can get it cleaned. A good 10 or 12 inch J&J is excellent for this type of back up. Now when I do clean a barrel, I try to do a thorough job with a spray bottle of alcohol and water (1/3 alcohol), a straight shot squeegee and a barrel buffer to dry. This usually has to be done in the staging area. Therefore, I make a serious effort to avoid breaks in the first place. During a day of battle, I take every occassion to 'buff'' my barrel after every gaame if possible to remove even the colorless gel that occurs in the barrel after every paintball fired. They look like skid marks in the barrel and as they dry and get harder they can play games with your accuracy.
I have not seen a comparison of the HHead and the FlASC myself. There are many HHeads around me but no FLASC. After doing this research, hopefully I will be in a position to do that test by this fall. I have seen a video by a Canadian MilSim team player that became a big supporter of the FLASC system after using it. That video may be on the FLASC site or on YouTube. He seems honest and sincere.
The standard porting seems adequate as far as the paintball is concerned and the double porting is offered to help reduce the sound signature so that is just a personal choice. With the two extensions, you could have one of each. This would be a question prob best answered by the guys at FLASC.
There is a really good picture of the FLASC on http://www.pbreview.com - www.pbreview.com if you want to see some detail.
With the FLASC system, I think you have an opportunity to become a trend setter. Most people have not done the research or asked the questions that you have. Prepare to have them ask you many questions and want to borrow your barrel. I know this happened with Hhead when they first came out.
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Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 09 June 2010 at 6:58am
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Can anyone please go into more detail about "standard porting" and "double porting" and the pros/cons maybe. Thanks. Im ready to place an order on the FLASC but am stuck on what porting to get since I really don't know the difference between the two. I just don't want to order either or and then realize I should have gone with the other. For example: I order standard porting on the 3" barrel and double porting on the 5" but after playing with them realize I should have gone standard on the 5" and double on the 3". This is assuming that the porting is on the actual barrel which is likely since at the site they ask what porting you want for each barrel. Thanks again for all the help. Johnny
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Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 10 June 2010 at 1:06am
| Go to the FLASC website and from the home page click 'articles'. This discusses the different portings and tells what each does. Testing results are offered as well for your own perusal. |
Posted By: Mack
Date Posted: 10 June 2010 at 2:30am
As swapping barrels on the field can result in unchronoed velocity changes; it is not a good idea. ------------- 
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Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 10 June 2010 at 2:51am
| Barrels and markers are chron'd pre-game to ck for FPS issues. Shooting in the 275-285 range helps any differences. Being rechrono'd on the field has proven this to be fine. It is not to be done without preparation however. If a ball breaks in a 14" HammerHead (J&J , CP, Lapco,etc) and you have a 12" HammerHead with you and the opposing team is coming down on you, would you feel safe in chging it if you had prepared pregame? Or would you prefer to shoot wingers and spray and be of no good use to defend yourself or help your team? I guess some people just call themselves out......I prefer to stay competitive....safe and with in the rules, but competitive. |
Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 10 June 2010 at 9:06am
| hmm. not sure if im just blind but i cant seem to find the Articles on porting at the flasc website. Im so ready to put in my order too but cant till I make sure which porting I want. lol |
Posted By: Mack
Date Posted: 10 June 2010 at 11:08am
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Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 10 June 2010 at 11:55am
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JohnnyBee,
Use http://www.flasc.com - www.flasc.com instead of the flascpaintball.com address. Seems they have updated the site address. 'Articles' will be just below the FLASC title. Let me know if this does not work, I think it will answer all the questions. But you might drop them an email as well, I am sure they will respond quicckly to you.
Smak
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Posted By: JohnnyBee
Date Posted: 10 June 2010 at 11:57am
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Ok so I figured out the difference between Standard Porting and Double Porting. I emailed FLASC and asked them straight up and they replied very fast with very good support. Now I apologize if this is common knowledge but I did not know. Flasc said that standard porting has 4 rows of porting and double has 8 rows. They told me that the only difference was that Double porting = a quieter shot but more air use per shot and Standard porting = a louder shot but less air use per shot. I then asked if their was a difference in accuracy between the two and they said no. So that answered everything I needed to know and I will be placing my order for the FLASC barrel kit soon. Thanks for all the help everyone and Thanks again SmakDaddy. Johnny
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Posted By: SmakDaddy
Date Posted: 10 June 2010 at 4:55pm
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You are most welcome. Be sure to IM me and let me know what you think of the barrel and how it shoots. It sounds like a real winner. Talk to you again soon.
Smak
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