Angel Custom has released their Generation 2 Ultra Grade Tight Bore Inner Barrels. Like their predecessor, the G2's have a 6.01 internal diameter, the tightest available in mass produced tight bores. We tested the 230mm length for P90's and G36Cs provided by Evike.com.

PACKAGING
The Gen 2 barrels come in well protected packaging. A thick, large diameter clear acrylic tube offers ample protective buffer space for the barrel, with large silicone end caps. Inside, the tube itself has individual silicone plugs on each end.

PRODUCT  DETAILS
Unlike the earlier Gen 1 alloy barrels, the Gen 2 barrels are made of 100% SUS 304 stainless steel. SUS 304 is the grade of steel used in cutlery, kitchen equipment and medical implants for its durability and rust resistance. This steel gives the G2's a solid feel and make it heavier than JB and Madbull barrels.

The barrels look well made are highly polished. Each is conveniently imprinted with the barrel type, length and barrel diameter. This is really handy when you have more than one barrel in your spare parts box or when trying to differentiate two similar barrels.

The barrel lip has a nice taper crown which supposedly reduces turbulence as the BB exits the barrel. I'm rather skeptical of that claim. Regardless, it's a nice aesthetic touch.

The tube has two sets of locking notches for standard and non-standard hop-up units. The hop-up window has a subtle angle cut (less pronounced than on the G1s) to reduce wear on your bucking. Overall the tube was smooth and without blemish or rough edges.

The inner surface appears smooth, clean and without debris. Even though it looked clean, after running a cleaning rod through we found some traces of polishing residue on the cloth. For a high end barrel, it would have been nice if Angel Custom did a more thorough cleaning job during their manufacture process.

PERFORMANCE

Test gun platform: JG G36C with 230mm barrel

Stock barrel (6.04mm):  ~337fps 

Gen 2 barrel (6.01mm): ~348fps

In our 40ft, shoulder fired, indoor test, the Gen 2 barrel had a 3 inch grouping vs the stock barrel's 3.5 inch grouping. While this may not seem mind blowing, it is shows a practical improvement. Bear in mind long range accuracy is largely determined by hop-up consistency, BB weight, and cross winds, and less by the tightness of your barrel.

CONCLUSIONS
Adding a 6.01mm tight bore barrel gives you a significant performance increase without changing your gearbox internals, motor or adding stress to your parts. In terms of performance vs. price, adding this tight bore is by far the best upgrade you can make to a stock AEG. The G2's surgical grade stainless steel and high quality packaging makes this tight bore barrel definitely worth getting.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Moondog is the founder of Moondog Industries and New York's definitive guide to airsoft: NYCAirsoft.