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Smart Parts Freak XL Carbon Fiber Barrel

Curated from 65 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: November 22, 2024

Smart Parts Freak XL Carbon Fiber Barrel

Brand: Smart Parts

Price: $136

Snoop Score:

5.3

Sentiment

3.3

Popularity

3.8

Technical

6.7

Buy on Amazon for $136 See All Barrels Reviews

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Snoop's Take

The Smart Parts Freak XL Carbon Fiber One Piece Barrel is designed for paintball enthusiasts looking for enhanced performance and accuracy. Featuring a lightweight carbon fiber construction, this barrel is compatible with various Freak inserts to match your paintball for optimal precision. Consumer sentiment reflects a mix of satisfaction and frustration; users appreciate the lightweight design and accuracy that comes with the Freak system inserts, with one user noting that the "new Freak inserts are aluminum where back in the day they were all stainless steel." However, challenges with maintenance and part availability for the Ion marker have surfaced, leading some to suggest that there are better options available for the price, stating that "you could get better for the price." Overall, while the Smart Parts Freak XL Carbon Fiber Barrel offers notable advantages in weight and accuracy, potential buyers should consider the maintenance challenges and weigh them against other available options in the market. It is recommended for those prioritizing performance in a lightweight barrel but may not be the best choice for beginners or those seeking a hassle-free experience.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Barrels

Smart parts sp8 leaking heavy down the barrel.
Positive Feedback

disassembling them for maintenance is kind of nightmarish and parts aren't getting any easier to find.
Negative Feedback

5.3

Smart Parts Freak XL Carbon Fiber Barrel

Buy on Amazon for $136

Beginner Players

1 / 10

Competitive Tournaments

10 / 10

Stealth or Woodsball

3 / 10

Lightweight Speedball

10 / 10

See how this compares to all Barrels

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.

Lightweight and efficient design

“Smart parts sp8 leaking heavy down the barrel.”➕

High accuracy with Freak system inserts

“The new Freak inserts are aluminum where back in the day they were all stainless steel.”➕

Quality of carbon fiber material

“Barrel kits - good and bad experiences Hey all - just getting back in the game, and I'm stoked that almost everything has 'cocker threads these days.”➕

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.

Difficult maintenance and part availability for Ion

“disassembling them for maintenance is kind of nightmarish and parts aren't getting any easier to find.”➕

“Ions need a bit more attention than most guns to keep them leak-free and working properly. Not that you wouldn't be capable of that, but it's a pain in the ass.”➕

“My issue with barrel kits is paying for what you probably won't use. Even when bore-matching for pump/closed-bolt, i only use maybe 2 bores.”➕

Overall performance underwhelming compared to new markers

“If you're looking to just get into paintball for about $200 there are more reliable options out there for not much more that will do you much better.”➕

“There are far better markers you guy buy at around the same price point today (new) that outclass the Ion by a few orders of magnitude.”➕

You could get better for the price

“you could get better for the price, and the trigger appears to be damaged”➕

Trigger appears to be damaged

“You'll need a new trigger. I don't know how this guy managed to snap this one.”➕

No significant upgrade options available

“Most guns use cocker threading at this point.”➕

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Product Name	Price	Score	See Details	Buy Now
CRBN Paintball SB Barrel Black	$59	8.4	Details	Buy
TRINITY SUPPLY Trinity Replacement Barrel 16 in for Tippmann Alpha Black Elite	$44	5.6	Details	Buy
Empire Mini GS Paintball Gun	$316	5.6	Details	Buy
Smart Parts Freak XL Carbon Fiber Barrel	$136	5.3	Details	Buy
TRINITY SUPPLY Trinity Replacement Barrel 16 in	$44	5.0	Details	Buy
Tippmann A-5 Barrel 16"	$54	4.8	Details	Buy
Smart Parts GOG Paintball Barrel Freak Back A5 Thread	$59	2.0	Details	Buy

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.

Discussion on the legacy of Smart Parts Ion and its successors

“Is a smart parts ion still a thing? Used to play a long time ago and used a smart parts ion. Was a great gun. Still have it.”➕

“Smart Parts no longer exists, technically. But it has three successor entities: GoG, Shocker Paintball, and DLX (Luxe).”➕

“DLX was a shoot off, but they’re one big cluster of smart parts now.”➕

“$260-$275. Around that area if I’m not mistaken.”➕

Discussion about Smart Parts' bankruptcy and brand transition

“Freak barrels are great, the new-er freak XL kit is more efficient, inserts are longer, and the components between generations are not compatible.”➕

Discussion about the old school All-American barrel design

“Does this barrel come apart?”➕

“That looks like an OLD school All-american barrel, like the kind they were still drilling with a drill press.”➕

“I'm definitely thinking you're right about it being a real old AA barrel.”➕

“The back half doesn’t seem any heavier than the front. I believe it’s all aluminum.”➕

Discussion on Smart Parts' impact on the industry and patents

“Sorry if this is totally known in the paintball community.”➕

“every company making electros today pays a small portion of each sold to the Gardner Bros... except Dye I think...”➕

“The Gardner Brothers, owners of Smart Parts (now technically defunct) and now GoG, Shocker Paintball (the new SP), and DLX, are greedy, underhanded bastards.”➕

“I worked in product development for Smart Parts for several years back in the mid 90s and played for the All Americans on and off throughout the mid to late 90s as well.”➕

Debate on barrel effectiveness and upgrades

“The only upside to getting getting a barrel would be to get barrel inserts to size your paintballs, the mini gs doesn’t have inserts to change between.”➕

“Some swear by it... Some say it's a waste of money... If you do decide to go for a freak I would buy a single barrel with the 687 included... Then buy 2 or 3 sizes lower... 685, 682, 679... Those are the 4 most usable sizes... Should be a bit cheaper that route”➕

“Otherwise, it’s more aesthetics and sound signature than giving you the competitive edge on the field.”➕

Discussion on the effectiveness of barrel kits

“Despite using the stock barrel, I won the tournament and was finals MVP! So, am I officially a “Toob is Toob” guy now? Yes.”➕

“toob is toob is not about "you should never buy a barrel kit" it's about "stop lying and overexaggerating about the benefits of barrel kits to sell $200 aluminum tube sets to people who don't know better."”➕

“Paint being undersized doesn’t seem to have that issue with breaks.”➕

“The face that a tighter bore match noticeably increases velocity is just scientific fact.”➕

Discussion on barrel thread identification

“They look really similar, but they must be something else, Spyder maybe?”➕

“The early Shockers had their own weird threads, before Smart Parts settled on the thread pattern made famous by the Impulse and later the Ion.”➕

“Objectively speaking, Impulse/Ion threads are probably the best-designed threads in paintball.”➕

“Tempting to just buy a cheap Spyder on eBay to test fit, then maybe keep it as a loaner setup or try and resell the whole mess for what I paid.”➕

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’

Discussion about O-ring maintenance

“Any ideas? I ordered a kit to replace all the orings anyways but any other thoughts as to what it could be?”➕

“Replace the rear breach oring 017/70 the bolt sail oring 2mm X 16mm and the inner bolt stop oring 014/70.”➕

“Alright just o rings then. I’m gonna replace all of them”➕

“If it bubbles, try lubing the bolt, if nothing, change the oring.”➕

Availability of parts for older Smart Parts markers

“You can find parts here and there for an ion to rebuild or fix it pretty easily.”➕

Ion is a good starter electro

“Ion's make alright starter electros and a rotor is one of the 3 top hoppers on the market currently.”➕

General discussion about paint and barrel matching

““I Chrono and rebuild rental guns three days a week. They do have this issue. Some won't Chrono abov”➕

“You can pick up a .681 HK Army one piece barrel for $45.”➕

“Holy shit you can! That's going on my autococker.”➕

“Wow i actually didn’t know this was a thing. I might just buy a .681 & .689 at that price and put it in the gear bag as a kit.”➕

Debate on the necessity of buying expensive barrel kits

“To be fair, the stock Geo 4 barrel is pretty good.”➕

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.

General praise for Smart Parts Ion

“Worked great last used around 2 years ago.”➕

“Nice lookin ion”➕

“This has set to see the field.”➕

Return of old players to paintball

“Come on back. You'll find lots of returned players like yourself.”➕

General troubleshooting for SP8 leaks

“Change the oring at the rear of the breach and the internal donut (bolt stop) oring.”➕

“Much appreciated. I'm pulling it apart in a few”➕

Discussion on Smart Parts' legacy and products

“The smart parts tear drop brings me back to my first barrel purchase for my spider e99 in the early 2002s.”➕

Mention of competitors and their products

“They're fantastic barrels.”➕

“Great barrel even better company.”➕

Dye Rotor is a top-tier hopper

“Rotors are awesome.”➕

“Dye Rotors are some of the top of the line hoppers.”➕