Reddit reviews Empire Paintball Barrel Kit

Basically there are two parts to a Freak barrel kit system: A barrel and an insert. Sometimes the barrel is broken into a front and a back, but generally it's the barrel and insert.

The size you're seeing when you order is just one insert, included with the barrel. The kit itself would be the barrel combined with a variety of inserts. Any barrel bored for Freak inserts, such as the Deadly Winds Carbon Fiber, a very popular choice, is considered compatible.

Without an insert, a Freak-bored barrel is not functional.

So why use a barrel-sizing system? A Freak insert allows you to make a barrel match the size of the paintball you are using that day. If the ball just fits in the insert so that you can blow it out with a light puff of air from your mouth, it ensures that air hits each similar paintball in exactly the same way every time you fire. This improves the straightness of your shot. Plus, it keeps the ball from tumbling around the barrel and coming out randomly.

There are a lot of other variables that affect straightness of shot, including roundness of the ball, wind, and consistency of your marker, but sizing your paint goes a long way.

There are other barrel kit systems, too, like the Empire Barrel Kit or even [the TechT] (http://www.hustlepaintball.com/TechT-Paintball-iFIT-Universal-Barrel-Sizer-Kit-9-Piece-Kit). But Freaks are the most common.