Rifling entered the scene in the mid-1800’s as a way to improve the firing capabilities of cannons. Cannon balls were not perfect spheres. It was believed that the natural spinning of the balls as they were fired from the cannon decreased the accuracy of the shot. Linear grooves were milled into the inside of the cannon. These grooves reduced spin and greatly increased the accuracy of cannons. It wasn’t long before the concept of rifling was incorporated into other areas of ballistics.
Today, rifling is used widely in many industries. Many guns use a helix-shaped pattern cut into the interior bore of the barrel. The pattern twists at a certain rate down the barrel length controlling not only spin but also the rate of spin. The spin causes a gyroscopic effect on the projectile which aids in stabilizing and controlling the flight path. The debate of rifling in paintball is a heated one. Some say it does not work while others will not use anything other than a rifled barrel. There are really three schools of thought at work when is comes to paintball barrel design.
Polished Barrels – The first concept involves the inner polished barrel in which no rifling is present. These barrels are believed to create a smooth surface which reduces drag on the paintball. This is believed to reduce ball breaks and help to maintain longer distances. Most of the barrels in paintball are nonrifled. They are micro-honed and polished to a mirror like appearance. Polished barrels are typically cheaper in price with some exceptions.
No Spin Rifling – The second concept involves rifling in such a way that spin is minimized. Much like the cannon ball, linear grooves are cut down the inner bore of the barrel. The linear grooves grab the ball and restrict spin. Manufactures that use linear rifling do so based on the fact that paintballs are not perfect spheres. Also, the inside of a paintball is never completely filled with paint; therefore spin could create a very sporadic flight pattern.
Spin Rifling – This concept uses helical grooves that twist down the length of the barrel. But unlike the linear grooves, helical grooves create and control rates of spin. The spin is believed to aid in controlling the flight pattern and help resist outside factors that may disrupt or alter the flight path.
So does rifling to stop or create spin work well in paintball? The reality is all barrel designs have produced models that are extremely accurate reaching long distances. One common element in all barrels’ success is paint size and quality. Purchase the highest quality paintballs that you can afford. Better quality paint is more consistent in size. Quality control also extends to the roundness of the balls. Paintballs that are matched to fit barrel bore size is also key to success. Matching them correctly yields a more accurate, consistent shot.
