Apex barrel FAQ

Courtesy of KRA Sharpshooter .. A5og.bet

F.A.Q.
Q: What is an Apex Barrel, and what does it do?
A: The Apex Barrel consists of two distinct pieces; the barrel and the Apex “Tip”. The Apex tip is what imparts spin on the paintball. You can select the type of spin that you would like to put on the ball; Topspin for dive bomb shots, Backspin for flatter and longer shots, & Sidespin for trick shots around bunkers. You can also select the “level” or “power” of spin that is imparted on the ball by moving the “ramp slider” to any of 8 different positions. Level 0 is all the way back, while level 8 is all the way forward. Levels 1-3 put minimal spin on the ball, 4 & 5 acts like the Flatline when imparting Backspin, & 6-8 put the maximum amount of spin on the ball.

Q: How do I adjust the Apex to put different spin on the paintballs?
A: There's a rubber ramp inside the Apex. For each click you slide the adjustment forward that rubber ramp is pushed a little farther in front of the barrel so it gives the ball a little more spin with each click. All the way back is "off" and all the way forward is maximum spin. The Apex collar also rotates. It has a sight on top of it so you'll know which side is up. With the sight straight up it spins the ball backwards which gives you distance. With the sight pointing straight down it gives the ball forward spin which gives you the dive bomb shot. Pointing the sight to the right gives you a right curve and pointing it to the left gives you a left curve. I usually leave mine straight up and set to about the 4th or 5th click. That gives you good range and that great flat trajectory with decent accuracy. When using the dive bomb shot I will usually set mine for MAX spin to make the ball curve really sharp to get behind bunkers or into trenches. The left and right curve shots aren't as useful but still come in handy every now and then. You will get spoiled on the flat trajectory. - Original Post by DVLCHLD

Q: Which is better the Apex or the Flatline?
A: Most players who have used both the Apex and the Flatline will agree that the Apex is better for the following reasons:

The Apex is far cheaper than the Flatline.
The Apex tip can be attached to different barrels.
The Apex will shoot farther than the Flatline.
The Apex is more accurate than the Flatline at distances.
The Apex tolerates paint much better than the Flatline.
The amount of spin put on the ball can be adjusted with the Apex
The Apex can be turned off so that you can retain the full accuracy of the barrel it is attached to.
The Apex can perform trick shots and dive bomb shots.
The Apex can easily be switched out, unlike the Flatline.


Q: Why are my paintballs bouncing off my target at 200+ feet?
A: The reason the paintball is bouncing is because the Apex barrel has increased your range, but it hasn't increased your effective range. Meaning that as the paintball travels through the air it is meeting resistance from the air that is causing it to slow down. As the paintball gets further and further away it slows down more and more. When the ball travels too slowly it won't have enough impact against a person's soft (and absorbing) skin, causing the paintball to bounce. Sometimes the paintballs won't even break when they hit a hard object such as a mask at such extreme ranges.

Q: Why is the Apex barrel inaccurate at long range?
A: It's not the Apex barrel is inaccurate, but it's a combination of separate elements that cause your shots to be inaccurate. To start off you must realize that when you shoot your paintballs your paintballs have a group size; a pretty much circular area that your paintballs will land in at different ranges. The further away your target is the larger your group size is going to be. You also have to take into account that paintballs are light, rubbery, liquid filled projectiles, which are undergoing immense pressure when they are subjected to the backspin that the Apex applies to them. Because they are liquid filled they tend to be a tad unstable, they are also very light-weight which causes them to be effected by the slightest amount of wind. All of these elements combined together tend to create a very wide group pattern at extended ranges.

Q: Why does my rubber pad that applies the backspin have cuts and nicks in it?
A: Only a few players have had this problem, and they admit that they where sustaining high rates of fire when this happened. It was concluded that when shooting at high rates of fire and a paintball broke in the barrel that the broken balls where cutting into the rubber ramp. It would be best to use more caution when sustaining high rates of fire. If you notice that you have broken a ball in the Apex tip, it would be best to remove the tip to ensure that no further damage is applied to the ramp. The nicks on the pad haven't effected the performance of the Apex tip in all the players tips, but if you think you need to replace your ramp you can contact BT's Customer Support and they should send you a new pad. You can also buy the ramps HERE.

Q: Can I buy just the Apex tip?
A: Yes, you can buy the Apex Tips without the barrel. Here it is for a great price from a reputable company: LINK

Q: Can I put the Apex Tip on a more accurate barrel, and how do I do it?
A: Yes you can place the Apex Tip on any barrel, as long as it does not have a tapered tip, and the outer diameter of the barrel is LESS than 0.875 (7/8"). To attach the tip to a barrel that is not Apex Ready*, you will need to use either a Manufactured Adapter or one of the Tape Mods that are linked to below.

*An Apex ready barrel is a barrel that already has an “Apex Adapter” machined into the barrel. There are links to many Apex Ready barrels at the bottom of this post.

Q: Should I get an Apex Adapter or use a Tape Mod?
A: That really depends on what barrel you are trying to attach it to, how much money you want to spend, and what your personal style is. If you’re trying to attach an Apex Tip to a J&J Ceramic barrel or one like it, I would recommend the use of a Tape Mod because I don't think you need to spend $15 on the J&J adapter. If you are attaching the Apex to a barrel like the C-Series or RAP4 Recon barrel, one that has threads to screw it into, I would recommend getting the appropriate Adapter because it will screw onto the front of the barrel and give you a much more solid platform. If you are attaching the tip to a barrel kit, then you should definitely go with a Manufactured Adapter.

Q: What fps does the Apex perform the best at?
A: Most Apex users tend to shoot at around 280fps with the best results, although you can use the Apex at almost any fps with fine results.

Q: How much extra length does the Apex tip add to a barrel?
A: About 3 inches, but some adapters will add more length than others.

Q: What length of barrel is best to use with the Apex?
A: As long as there is room for an adapter you can place the Apex on any size barrel. I find that a 10-14 inch barrel is ideal for me, but go with whatever suites your style of play. Just remember that the Apex tip will add about 3" to the end of your barrel.

Q: Can I squeegee through my barrel with the Apex tip on it?
A: Yes you can, but if you have a ball break in you Apex tip, a swab works better than a squeegee to clean it out.

Q: Do you have to use high quality paint with the Apex like you do for the Flatline?
A: Nope. Just about any paint will work unless it's some of that really bad dimpled stuff that's been sitting in your closet for the whole winter. Most people use medium grade and higher paint to achieve better accuracy.

Q: Will a standard barrel bag work with the Apex?
A: Yes, almost all barrel bags are made to fit over the Flatline, and that is actually larger than the Apex. If you by the actual Apex Barrel instead of just buying the Tip, you should receive a barrel bag with your barrel.

Q: What o-rings does the Apex Tip use?
A: The Apex uses two o-rings to allow the Tip to rotate smoothly. Specs; Inner Diameter: 20.6mm, Outer Diameter: 23.8mm, Cross Section: 1.6mm.

Apex Barrels/Tips
BT PAINTBALL
Apex Barrel System
BT-M16 Apex Barrel Kit

Tippmann Pros
Apex Tip

Lapco
Apex Tip

RAP4
APEX Thread-on Barrel

DIY Apex Adapters:
Apex Tape Mod (DVLCHLD)
Apex "Tape Adapter" (Compulsion)

Manufactured Apex Adapters
J&J PERFORMANCE
Apex Adapter

LAPCO
STR8 SHOT Apex Ready Tip

PALMERS PURSUIT SHOP
Apex to 13/16 or Palmer Adapter

RAP4
Apex Barrel Adapter for Raptor Barrels

SPECIAL OPS
C-Series Apex Adapter

UNDERGROUND MOD SHOP (UMS)
UMS Apex Adapter Sleeve

Apex Ready Barrels
LAPCO
Apex Ready Barrels & Apex Ready Barrels + Tips

SMART PARTS
6" Apex Ready All American Front 10" Apex Ready All American Front

Wow
That is one long write up.

........CONCLUSION..............

Apex tips, ROCK!

Gotta love the "silencer look" of the Apex2 aswell.

Your link isn't there.

but the stock barrel of the apex sucks

Yes it does!

I need to get myself a J&J, but need pod pouches n that first.
Hopefully I'll be going PB-ing for my B-Day, but need a few more bits for my loadout first.
Hopefully I wont get too many barrel breaks.

Dunk, did you shoot Black Beauty yet?

About 30 pb's since I rebuilt it.
Haven't tried it over any distance though.
Didn't get any breaks, so everythings running sweet & groupings are nice n tight.
I'm itching to go for my B-day.
But i'll have to use crappy CO2 when I go.
Cos they only allow there tanks and there CO2.
No HPA, but they've got a crono so I'll post up my fps results too, when I go.

Alright cool! Can't wait to hear about it (And see some pics maybe?)

I'm going with my bro, so I'll give him the camera.
He's always out before me anyways...lol
Want him to get some action shots of me .....
"Opening a gigantic can of ball curving whupp a$$" on everyone. 8)
Been quite a few times with my own mask n that, just never with my own marker n vest.
It's gonna be biblical.

Haha can't wait to see some of those action shots, I don't have anybody that can take action shots of me . And by bro do you mean brother or friend haha?

You wrote the following:

The Apex will shoot farther than the Flatline.
The Apex is more accurate than the Flatline at distances.
The Apex tolerates paint much better than the Flatline.

How are each of these true? Are you using the different bore sizes usable with apex tips to justify accuracy? I've heard that it tolerates paint much the same way that the flatline does, and I've seen about the same performance range wise.

"Courtesy of KRA Sharpshooter .. A5og.net"

my selling point was the bank shots and drop shot.

I got mine because you guys said it was good....that's pretty much it. I did a little research on it and loved it haha.

I can't use it on my current barrel though (Too wide for tape mod, need to mod the barrel itself if possible . )

u could have it milled... but then u gotta find a place to do it.

My step father is a machinist, he actually milled down my AB to a nice smooth shine on the top after cutting off the handle. And I wouldn't want it milled down smooth and then have to tape mod it. I have a J&J barrel adapter (No J&J barrel, long story) that I can try to fit on the barrel after getting it milled down a bit. Then just JB weld, then put JB weld on the seam, sand down, and paint. Would that work?