The Longbow of Paintball: The Tippmann Flatline Author: Mister.44 Client: Paintball Magazine Publish Date: April, 2000 NOTE: This is the original copy submitted and does not reflect any editorial changes. © 2000 Steve Novak
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The power of the archer was greatly increase with the invention of the long bow. This huge bow, as tall as a man, could launch arrows at even greater ranges, causing even more enemy casualties. Like the longbow of yesteryear, we are at dawn of a similar invention for modern paintball. It is the Tippmann Flatline Barrel System.

Meet the Flatline

The Flatline was developed by Tippmann Pneumatics Inc. Under a shroud of secrecy, it was unveiled at the 1999 Zap Amateur Open. Tippmann had created quite a media stir with a promise of a revolutionary advance in paintball technology. And they delivered. Tippmann set up a shooting range that was enclosed in netting on the sides and, most importantly, at the top. This illustrated the power of the Flatline. People with the most expensive ‘Cockers and Angles couldn’t touch the targets at the end of the range. The Flatline stepped up and seem to float balls to the steel targets. Conventional wisdom was that, other than raising the velocity, it was impossible for one gun to out range another. With this, the paradigm wasn’t shifted; it was knocked on its ass.

How Does it Work

What makes the Flatline do what no other gun has managed in the history of paintball? The answer is not only simple – but down right funny. Tippmann developed a way to create strong and consistent backspin on a paintball through the use of a BENT barrel.

Backspin has long been known to give a paintball some extra range. There has been a handful of products to utilize backspin for range, but all have been met with limited success. The Flatline is the first product to utilize backspin for a dramatic effect. The origin for this idea for Tippmann originates 12 years ago when Dennis Tippmann Sr. was shooting an SMG-60. For those that don't remember the SMG, it was Tippmann's first paintgun - a 62-caliber select fire model, and the first paintgun to feature a CO2 tank that screwed into the paintgun. A ball broke in the barrel. Each shot after that hooked off to the left or right, except for one that flew straight and true. It didn't follow the arched path a paintball usually takes. He reasoned that because of the paint in the barrel the balls were picking up a spin that generated lift, and when it was aligned properly, it counter-acted gravity, allowing a straight line shot. From that day until today, Tippmann Pneumatics has been looking for a way to duplicate the flat shot.

After much testing, Tippmann found that a barrel with an 11-degree curve upward provides the flattest trajectory. The reason for the curve is to fire the ball upward into the barrel. The barrel itself is a large bore design. As the barrel re-directs the ball's path centrifugal force makes the ball roll along the topside of the bore. It is this rolling that imparts a consistent spin on each ball.

Isn’t science great?

Assembly & Features

The Flatline is designed to attach to any standard Tippmann Model 98 paintgun. In fact, upon close examination, one suspects that some features were implemented on the Model 98 specifically for the Flatline. With this kind of foresight, assembly is a snap.

First one must remove the existing barrel. Next, one must screw in the barrel adapter. The barrel adapter has threads on one end, and smooth on the other to receive the barrel. Here is where the advantage of cast molding for the gun design is obvious. With cast threads, the barrel adapter will fit the same on any Model 98. Now one must remove the rear sight snap ring and unscrew the sight from the adjusting bolt.

Once this is done, the Model 98 is ready to receive the Flatline barrel and shroud. First slide the rear portion of the new grip/shroud over the sight brackets. Place the new rear sight in the slot provided and insert the rear screw and nut and tighten it. Next slide the barrel through the front grip in to the adapter while aligning the barrel straight up and down. Using a rubber mallet, tap the front of the new barrel to make sure it slides all the way into the adapter. Finally tighten the bolt on the barrel adapter to secure the barrel in place.

With the Flatline assembled, one notices that a dramatic cosmetic change has taken place. The Model 98 looks much sleeker in appearance, emulating an F-2 Illustrator. At the Zap Amateur Open, there were a handful of teams sponsored by Tippmann that played with these Flatline barrels. Some of the players opted to not use the plastic shroud – just the barrel and adapter. While the shroud is not a necessity, it does improve the looks and will help keep the barrel properly orientated. The shroud also has some handy features like built in grooves for mounting a scope or red dot sight. It also features a silver button near the feed adapter that depresses the latch allowing the feed adapter to swivel open for cleaning or maintenance.

Range Testing

With the Flatline fully assembled, it was taking to Krazy Kris Paintball in Manhattan, Kansas for testing. It was just about the most perfect day one would find for paintball in November. The high of the day was 75F with little to no wind. The Model 98 used in testing was outfitted with a Revolution agitated loader and a PMI Crossfire 68 cui nitrogen system. No other modifications were made. The paint of the day was Pro-Ball and Pro-Ball Platinum, both fresh. A custom Autococker and an Angel LE were also taken to the range to compare. All guns were set at 280 fps.

The first target shot at was a 4’ x 4’ plywood board at about 180’. Here it was very evident that the Flatline got unbelievable range. The Flatline effortlessly shot to the board and indeed past it into the trees. The ‘Cocker and Angel could shoot to the board, but were forced to be arched. If the guns were held at the same level, the Flatline easily made it to the board while the other two sent balls into the dirt. Cris Backman, owner of Krazy Kris Paintball since 1991, and a player since 1987 was astounded. "Almost unbelievable! I own a tricked out Sniper and an Angel LE and I will have to have a Model 98 with a Flatline barrel. This is just too cool." All present were astounded at how the balls seem to just float out into the great wide open. However, there were concerns about its accuracy, as the Flatline was unable to get a decent grouping at that range. But, to be fair, neither the ‘Cocker nor Angel did either.

The second target was a tier of railroad ties measuring about 5’ x 5’ at about 100ft. Here the flight of the ball was easier to see. Again, the Flatline traveled straight to its target. The ‘Cocker and Angel again could also hit the target, but again they had to be arched. However, again, there were some concerns about accuracy, or more specifically, consistency of accuracy. The ‘Cocker was able to easily get a good group of 2’ with few strays. The Flatline had more of a 3’ pattern. Oddly, 2 or 3 balls would fall right on top of one another, like Robin Hood splitting arrows in the bull's eye. Other time’s balls would curve right or left and hit 1 or 2 feet off mark.

The third target was a white barrel on its side. It measured about 3’ x 2’ and about 60’ away. Here, at least in the open, the Flatline was on a more level playing field. Again it shot straight and flat, but the ‘Cocker and Angel could both hit the target with minimal arching of the gun needed. However, if one were shooting through a hole in the brush at this distance, the Flatline would have a large advantage. Again, the ‘Cocker had better accuracy than the Flatline, but the Flatline tightened its group up to about 1 ½’ with a few strays in a 2’ pattern.

Reactions all around were that the range on this barrel was unreal. All were satisfied with the look and feel of the gun. The barrel, while not as quiet as some ported barrels, was not loud either. Brad Sinn, current owner of a Model 98, remarked, "It was an awesome thing. I love the way it shoots flat and long. I just wish it was a bit more accurate."

Experimentation was also done in seeing how adjusting the velocity would effect the flight path. 260-280 fps seemed to be the sweet spot. At this velocity it got consistent range and seemed to be the most consistent accuracy wise. Turning the velocity to 240-250 fps didn’t help accuracy and hurt the range a bit. Cranking it up to 300 fps caused the flight path to be erratic.

A test was also performed on different types of paint. Normally there is a better selection of paint available, but due to a late shipment only Pro-Ball and Pro-Ball Platinum was extensively tested. A grab bag of "chrono paint" was used to see how not-so-good paint would fair. It still achieved the distance, but accuracy was effected. A small bag of Marbelizer was shot too. It seemed to be a bit more accurate, but unfortunately there was not enough of it to form a definite opinion. Tippmann recommends good, round paint. The tests performed concurred.

One last test performed at the end of the day was what would happen with a broken ball in the barrel. It was expected that this question would be answered during field-testing. In fact several people felt that the curved barrel design would be more likely to bust paint. But even with players fanning the trigger, it refused to break a ball. In all, over a case was shot and not one ball break. So the test was performed by breaking three balls and inserting them into the breech by hand. The result was paint flying wildly and a gloppy barrel. After 30 rounds it was still a mess. Unlike other barrels that can "shoot clean" by emptying some paint through the barrel, the Flatline requires a squeegee. The good news is that the semi-ridge straight shot is flexible enough to clean it very well.

Field Testing

With the range testing done, more paint and air was loaded as the first game of the day was getting ready to be under way. Several games were played, both in the woods and on large speedball course. The woods is where the Flatline really shines. The ability to shoot without arching the ball is a great asset in the woods. Several eliminations were made that would be deemed near impossible with any other marker due to the fact that there was only a limited area in the woods the ball could travel. Also, due to the increased range, there were times when an opponent was in the open and not realized that he was being shot at so he didn’t take cover. The shear ability to shoot at someone while his or her balls are unable to even touch you is quite a feeling.

With speedball the Flatline lost some of its edge. As mentioned before, it does not seem to have the accuracy needed for snapshooting. Nor does the length of the gun lend itself to being tucked into a small bunker. However, if one played the back line of the speedball field, one could shoot to the other end with ease while the opponents paint was dropping at ones feet.

Halfway through the day the Flatline was loaned out to some of the other players to try out. Adam Athavichitchanyaraks (yes that IS his real name), local regular and normally a ‘Mag shooter, was impressed. "It shoots really far with decent accuracy. This gun really works best when shot at closer ranges where the ball will travel like a dart."

Indeed, that was the consensus of the day. At medium ranges it was most effective. It could easily be used to maneuver through small holes in the brush to hit an otherwise unattainable target. At long range it acted as a great cover gun. Unfortunately, at such great ranges a player behind decent cover is well protect. It is not accurate enough to pick off a hopper consistently. But to be fair, no other gun can do that at long range, and indeed no gun can even obtain the range of the Flatline. If there is a larger target, like a player exposed thinking he is out of range, the Flatline is capable of eliminating him. It will also keep the head down of a player in a bunker. It has been said that one could tilt the gun on its side and get it to shoot around bunkers. Unfortunately no one was able to replicate this. However, this should be chalked up to user error, as there is no reason that one with the proper practice couldn’t shoot around bunkers. People commented that it was a little odd to shoot so flat, but it was easy to adapt to as they just sighted down the top of the gun like a real rifle.

Is it Right for You?

With the advent of the Tippmann Flatline, paintball once again changes. Ranges that used to be safe will now send players scurrying. Will the Flatline be the perfect barrel for everyone? Probably not. But for many players it will be a very valuable tool. People in the military or that have real firearm experience will love the solid real rifle feel and the fact that it shoots flat like a real rifle. Players who play in the woods will love the ability to shoot through holes in the trees and brush. People that play big games involving forts will find this useful as a true artillery cannon. Imagine 10 guys toting Flatlines on top of a high tower. They would be able to lay an impressive hail of paint and not be touched by the opposition. People that play the back position on modern courses (speedball, hyperball, etc.) will be able to utilize the range to reach all ends of the course.

As with all paintball products, there is never the "perfect" item. With all things there are tradeoffs. In the tests performed, the tradeoff for the Flatline was accuracy. While the accuracy was by no means horrid, it was not as consistent as many of the high-end barrels on the market today. However, the range and ability to shoot flat cancels that out soundly. In testing it was found that while it might not be one shot, one kill, a volley of 5 rounds or so would end up in a painted target. To be fair, availability and a tight deadline led to only one line of paint being tested thoroughly (Pro-Ball). It is possible that a different paint would dramatically increase accuracy. But let the point be stressed, that while the groups were not as tight as the ‘Cocker and Angel, they were still acceptable and were achieved with out arching the ball.

Conclusion

The Flatline does what it claims – deliver unbelievable range. For the right player this will be the end all accessory for their gun. With the range and flat trajectory, formally safe distances and positions will now become vulnerable. The one point for improvement would be to increase the accuracy. But, overall Tippmann has done what it has always done – delivered a quality product that performs.
Special thanks to Bill Mills for access and use of technical information found at www.warpig.com. And to Krazy Kris Paintball for the paint used for testing and for assistance in testing.