Barrels - How short can they be without losing accuracy?

[Liam Porter]

Just wondering, as I have spare outer barrel and hop unit for my L96, so thought I may as well put them to some form of use and make a short barrelled sniper rifle.

The stock length is 500mm inner barrel, so 363 isn't much off.

What's the shortest barrel length I can get without accuracy suffering too much? I still want this to be, and shoot like, a sniper rifle.

I was thinking maybe 200mm, but that still makes the rifle quite long because of how far forward the hop unit sits.

I've used 650, 509 and 393mm barrels in it before, all with no noticeable difference (all MadBull 6.03 TTBs).

Thanks.

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

A lot of people seem to maintain that barrel length isn't something that makes any difference at all.

My brother's M4 has a 255mm barrel and it's dead accurate, one of the most accurate guns I've had and it's not even a tightbore. My MP5 barrel is even shorter, though I don't know the exact length, but that's extremely accurate as well.

It's hard to say. People might be right. I imagine you only need enough of a barrel for the air to properly channel a BB in a specific direction. But you have to take into account the fact that fps and hop will need tuning differently depending on barrel length and additionally, if you really want accuracy, then there's that whole deal about barrel and cylinder cubic capacity.

If the cylinder holds more air than the barrel can contain, then once the BB leaves the barrel, the air behind it will push past and around it, which can effect accuracy and make the BB unstable. Though probably not enough to really bother anyone unless your name is Accuracy Anal McAnally.

But the shorter the barrel is, the less air it will hold, potentially increasing the negative effects of the above brought on by the capacity of the cylinder being far greater than that of the barrel.

As with anything, it's just going to be a process of elimination with multiple combinations of parts.

 

[joshcowin]

its all about hop,i know a guy who has a g&P cracker and their about 220mm and its goes about 65-70 metres and is a straight as a laser,the r hop are supposed to be the best at the moment

 

[Liam Porter]

I know hops will need tuning differently for difference barrel lengths, which is why I have two full spare sets. Infact, I have enough parts to make almost 3 rifles, so enough to mess about with if I have any problems with cylinder.

Think I may get a 200mm barrel and see the results.

May have to try a few different lengths of stock barrels, then get a TBB in the length I like best.

About the R-Hop, Josh, I've tried that. Bought a pack of 3 patches - one to test with, then one in my M16 and one in my L96. Didn't notice at first, but they were all different dimensions, so only one was any good - which has a split in it now, making BBs veer to the right.

Going to order some more, and get a better nub for my L96 (flattest and softest nub I can find - maybe even Nerf dart foam).

Either way, determined to get two variations of this gun, both shooting well by November.

 

[Alexb111]

If you try it please post info and results because It would be interesting to have a better understanding - or at least find out what happened in your case.

 

[Liam Porter]

I've tried 363mm, 509mm and 650mm in my L96 before. That was literally the only change, range and accuracy weren't noticeably different. The only difference noticeable is a very slight FPS drop in the shorter barrels, but only by about 5 or so.

I'm just wanting to make the shortest L96 I can, without suffering accuracy.

Would a 150mm barrel be too short? Or even a 100mm barrel?

 

[Saltyyy]

Barrel lengths do matter in a sense, a cylinder of a certain volume will perform best with a certain barrel length, not that all important but something to think about.

 

[Liam Porter]

Does it matter if the cylinder volume is too big for the barrel (cylinder is volume is for 495mm barrel, I intend on using a 200mm or so)? Bear in mind it's a BASR not an AEG.

 

[Saltyyy]

It doesn't make much difference, but is just optimised to certain levels, so one will work best with another, you should be okay but the barrel length vs cylinder is not going to be running at it's best.

 

[Liam Porter]

I suppose I could modify the cylinder somehow, I have enough to mess a couple up.

 

[Alexb111]

Something like this:

From this forum if anyone cares btw:

http://www.airsoftsniperforum.com/showthread.php?t=881

Some pretty awesome pics on there actually

 

[Liam Porter]

I was hoping to get shorter, I've seen that thread.

Hoping to get just 2 or 3 inches longer than the body of the gun. One thing I hadn't thought about is the balancing..

 

[Saltyyy]

*sigh* Short Barrelled L96's make baby Jesus cry

 

[Liam Porter]

I know, but now I have a spare outer barrel, I thought I may as well do it just for the sake of it. Could also be hepful at urban..

 

[Techno]

I bet that would be quite nice actually

 

[Finius]

I've heard that anything above the barrel length of a 1911 will only incrementally increase accuracy from pretty much EVERYONE involved in AIPSC. But don't quote me, I'm still a long barrel fan...

My advice, lop it as short as you want, purely for the cool points.

 

[Liam Porter]

Would be nice to be able to make the cylinder shorter and move everything back, and then have the barrel end where the front of the main body of the gun ends, but that requires far too much work and modification, which I can't do.

Pistol-length barrel is probably what I'll get, will then see how it shoots .