The Tippmann flatline barrel is used to increase the distance a ball travels by putting backspin on it. In doing so it also sacrifices accuracy and is tough on paint. It is a good tool to have for a mid to long range woods player who uses medium or low quality paint. For tournament, "sniper" and close play it is fairly useless, however.
The best barrels are any two piece barrels that fit your paint the way you want (over or under-bore) and come with kits and interchangeable bore sizes like the Sly and freak kits.
Yes. a shroud is just a plastic piece that goes over the barrel.
No it will not.
Yes, the 98 threaded Flatline Barrel will fit the Alpha black.
All you must do is purchase an A5/X7 threaded flatline barrel and screw it in, becasue they have the same barrel threading. 98 threaded barrels will not work.
no
yes
They are nearly equal in ability. The Flatline puts a more consistent spin on the ball, but is always on and only does a backspin. The Apex still does a good spin, but can be turned off and adjusted while playing without needing to take the barrel off.
I'm assuming you already bought the Flatline barrel. That is bad news, since there are Flatline barrels with Picatinny rails mounted on them. Unfortunately, there aren't many ways to mount a bipod if you can't put a picatinny rail on it somewhere.
it really depends what your using it for.
Tippmann 98 custom, only 100-150 bucks. What makes it the best is the flatline barrel you can buy, so much pwnage
It will fit both of them.
i'd have to say the flatline barrel but it is your money so what ever you want if you want to shoot faster than go with a respons trigger and double trigger if you want to be fore shore that every time you pule the trigger that a paintball is going to come out get a cyclone feed or if you want to shoot farther and more acurat go with the flatline barrel go with the quick thread if you do