Xshot Skins Pro Barrel Break Review

The Barrel Break (formerly the Spinshot, and named that long enough for it to say that on my packaging) is Xshot’s answer to the Dart Zone Mas Oiutlaw. It works slightly different, with a priming handle under the grip, but it still features a six dart cylinder. It also has fun with a break-action reloading mechanism. It’s the cool new thing, and it’s worth grabbing off the shelf!

BIG IRON

There’s a certain amount of chunk you need for pro-level revolvers, especially when the plunger tube is inside the handle. That being said, the Spinshot fits grown up hands quite nicely. It’s relatively trivial to manipulate the safety, and to reach the hammer with your thumb to open the blaster. Yep, that’s right, the hammer is just for loading darts! This blaster primes from the bottom. It’s a somewhat stiff prime; the first part of the pulling motion operates the rotation mechanism, and the entire motion compresses the plunger spring.

The blaster only comes with one cylinder, and you cannot rotate it by hand. You can, however, load it from the rear when you break open the blaster. You can also replace the cylinder, if you happen to have any spares on you from buying multiple blasters. There are already some 3D printed versions available…but we’ll get to that in a bit.

The blaster includes a BCAR to help with accuracy. Interestingly, the “barrel” section isn’t actually barrel; it’s wider than the darts you’re firing. So the only real “barrel” is the cylinder itself, with the BCAR being spaced somewhat far ahead of that “barrel”.

The Spinshot comes with basic iron sights, with a removable front sight. Picatinny rails are on the top and the underbody of the blaster.

Performance

The Spinshot, due to its method of operation, has a low rate of fire. You’re only getting one dart per second out of this blaster. Those darts, however, come out at a decent clip. I averaged 112fps with the included Xshot half-length darts.

The Spinshot performs well, and (thanks to the Skins paintjob matching the rest of the line) looks good doing it.

Internals and Thoughts

The internals are interesting, but the first thing on everyone’s mind is going to be “Can I get more cylinders?” Yes, yes you can.

Whereas the Dart Zone Max Outlaw pressed a barrel into the cylinder to make a seal before firing, the Spinshot is sealed by default. The barrel and plunger tube seals are designed to “lift” out of the way when priming the blaster, to allow rotation. The system works fine with the stock dart cylinder. With printed cylinders, however, there can be a tolerance issue. If the front barrel assembly doesn’t drop into the hole on the rotation, you can overrotate by a tiny bit, and the misalignment will cause a misfire. I’m not sure if the issue is with the files, or with my print settings….although I’m leaning towards the latter. You mileage may vary.

Of course, you can do other things with the blaster, once you swap barrels or springs…

Last Thoughts

There’s lots of potential in the Spinshot, especially considering its $15 price tag. It’ll be a worthy addition to the collection; just keep in mind that if you’re getting more capacity through printed barrels, you’re likely to need some trial and error before making a ton of them!