Inner Barrels and Accuracy
 

A quick question to those with experience:

I have a CQB version of an M4, 11.5 inch inner barrel length. I've been thinking of upgrading to a different barrel, and have been considering upping the length while I'm at it (14.5 inches).

So, the question. In your experience, would there be any appreciable difference in accuracy with a barrel that is 3 inches longer? Or would a tightbore of the same length I have now (11.5 inches) be a more worthwhile?

Really, I'm trying to decide if it's worth the cost or not. If I can pick up a tightbore of a shorter length that will do the same job as [an identical tightbore] of a longer length, I'll take that route rather than buying the longer one AND having to purchase a longer outer barrel while I'm at it. (Because trying to find G&P compatible outer barrels for an M4 is giving me a headache.)

And yes, I could get a silencer to hide the longer barrel at a lower cost, but I dislike how it looks, personally.

Opinions?

IIRC, accuracy is more dependent on hop up and inner barrel quality, so get good ones. Someone can correct me on that.

hop up and quality are a factor, however tightbore and barrel length will both help accuracy, a tightbore longer barrel will vastly improve accuacy but it will however increase fps

#1 Hop up rubber
#2 Hop up unit
#3 Inner barrel
*Also the general rigidness/consistency of the build

#1 has the most effect on accuracy and consistency, however, if any of these points are compromised, it can lead to severely hindered accuracy.

Tightbore by itself won't lead to dream accuracy, but a badly made one will kill any hopes of achieving it.

There's an entire thread on airsoft mechanics about how barrel length doesn't seem to affect accuracy at all. The consensus seems to be hopup quality (Skladfin's list above pretty much) and barrel bore being the big ones.

I ran a prometheus 6.03 in my 10.5" custom build and I could reach much farther than a lot of 14" rifles.

I'm just gonna repeat what everyone else have said; it will help, but everything to do with compression and air seal is what makes it.

Alright. Thank you for all the feedback, guys.

I've actually already upgraded the hop up since buying the gun and my accuracy thus far has been very respectable. I've just heard mixed opinions about barrel length while digging around here, so I thought I'd ask the question before going out and buying something on impulse and half-formed theory.

Thanks again!

Holy shit it a forum first!

I recently got a Modify Accurate Hop Up, ARS rubber and madbull tightbore for my PDW and absolutely love it.

I'm told that between 300mm and 363mm there's no noticeable difference really. However between say a 229mm and a 509mm TBB there supposedly is.

If you want to try it see if you can get your hands on a SCS hop up spacer Beware that it's not really a direct "drop in" upgrade as people say there is a bit of work involved but it should be nothing if you've worked on AEG's before and know the system and how everything works.

I installed a custom cut (by me) 330mm inner barrel into my TM MP5-SD (used to have a 229mm as stock) and saw my velocity jump by 30fps. Accuracy stayed the same as usual, very accurate, and my other MP5 would get man sized groupings at 200ft using 0.28g BBs with the stock barrel, and fps at 360.

Just saying.......

Had one of those spacers installed by AMOS at the same time as the new hop up. Considering his track record, I can only assume he did the job right.