The Parts Of A Paintball Gun

Chris Abro asked:


It is important to know the different parts involved in the makeup of a paintball gun. The different elements are crucial to the successful working of your marker, and beginners will often be confused when receiving instructions because of their lack of knowledge of what the basic parts are. Knowing the parts of your paintball gun will also help you have a better idea of what you should be looking at when it is time to clean or upgrade your marker.

The body of the marker is the largest part of the gun. The body refers to the area of the gun that incorporates the trigger frame, the valve, and the bolt. All of these pieces can be detached from each other in order to incorporate new equipment, but only experts on their guns should attempt this. Makers of paintball guns have a fairly standard approach when it comes to the body of the gun, with the main difference being in the placement of the trigger and the barrel. Pushing the trigger frame forward shifts the balance of the gun and thus makes it easier to handle with one hand. It will also cause the body to have a lower profile, which is crucial when players are involved in games where hopper hits count towards elimination. The difference is plain when newbies and pros are present in the field, as the rental guns provided by most outfits have huge and bulky bodies that present a lot of hit potential.

The hopper is the part of the gun that holds the rounds of paint. No matter how high end, manufacturers have not perfected a hopper which prevents balls from breaking in containment. These breaks will often lead to jams of the feeding mechanisms and the gun itself, which in turn may cause more balls to break. Gravity-feed hoppers are especially prone to ball breakage while still in the hopper because of their jamming problems. Aside from gravity-feed, there are also agitation hoppers, force feed hoppers, and stick feed hoppers.

The tank is the part of the gun which contains the type of gas that propels the ball forward down and out of the gun’s barrel. Markers use either CO2 gas or high pressure air as propulsion material. The CO2 gas is the original, but HPA is preferred as it is more reliable than CO2 and does not require an evaporation system in order to fire.

Finally, the barrel of the marker is what the ball travels down when the trigger is compressed. The barrel is responsible for the speed and the accuracy, as well as the distance, at which a ball travels, and is thus arguably the single most important component of the gun. Longer barrels will fire quieter than shorter models, but a marker owner should remember that no matter what length of barrel, the paintball can only travel a set distance in order to break. While really long barrels may look intimidating and offer better accuracy, they also are prone to be ineffective since they require a larger burst of air to propel the ball faster to make up the distance within the barrel itself.



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The Main Paintball Gun Parts: Know Your Weapon

kevin asked:


The Main Paintball Gun Parts: Know Your Weapon

If you are involved in the sport it is important to know about the main paintball gun parts. You need to understand the components of your marker to ensure its successful working and to facilitate its cleaning and upgrading. Beginners can be over whelmed by terms such as: bottom line adaptors, quick disconnect feed necks, CP micro drops and magic regulators. Essentially, most paintball gun parts will fall into one of the following main categories; body; hopper; tank or barrel.

The largest of the paintball gun parts is the main body of the marker. This comprises the bolt and the trigger frame. Bolts help to reduce the ammo breakage caused by a slow feed. The body parts can be detached from one another to incorporate upgrades and accessories. Best not to attempt this until you have become familiar with your weapon.

The body of the gun is fairly standard across the models. The main difference is in the placement of the trigger. The further forward the trigger is placed, the easier the marker is to handle with one hand and the lower the profile of the body. Guns with lower profiles are more successful in the field; markers with large bodies provide a bigger target.

The next of the main paintball gun parts is the hopper. The hopper, or loader on a marker stores and loads the ammo. Between 40 to 300 paintballs can be held by different hoppers. The speed, weight and reliability of the gun are greatly affected by the hopper type.

Stick feeds are generally used on pump action markers. They are the least sophisticated and reliable of the hopper types.

Gravity feeds are also a simple and cheap option. However, they are prone to jamming problems causing ball breakage or blockage in the hopper.

Agitating hoppers have a propeller inside the container which prevents the paintballs from jamming. They have a quicker firing pace than the previous loaders.

Force feed hoppers are used by professionals or tournament playing paintballers because they can keep up with the required loading speed. The device is spring loaded, or powered by a belt system. It captures the paintballs and forces them into the marker. They are the most sophisticated, reliable and expensive of the hopper types.

Another of the main paintball gun parts is the tank. Paintballs can be propelled in different ways and the tank contains the propellant. Markers typically use CO2 gas or high pressure air (HPA). The terms “nitrogen tank” and “HPA” tank mean the same thing.

CO2 gas was the original propulsion material. Early guns were powered by small CO2 cylinders which were good for about 15 shots. These evolved to 12 ounce CO2 tanks with a 200 shot capacity.

HPA tanks can be either high or low pressure. The regulator on the tank controls the output pressure. Some tanks have preset pressure outputs, others are adjustable. HPA is generally more reliable than CO2 and does not need an evaporation system in order to fire.

The last of the main paintball gun parts is the barrel. As the barrel determines the speed, distance and accuracy of the paintball, it is a crucial part of the marker. Barrels come in a variety of types distinguished by their length, bore and texture. Generally, the longer the barrel, the more accurate the shot as the paintball has more space to stabilize before leaving the barrel. Longer barrels will fire more quietly than shorter models, but they need a larger burst of air to propel the ball.

There are different barrels for different types of game scenarios. The sniper paintball gun is an example. It can be fitted with a scope to put the target in a clearer line of sight and a red dot laser light to add realism. Some guns allow you to change the barrels to change the whole make up of the gun.

The instruction booklet accompanying your gun will show you the different paintball gun parts and how to change and maintain them. Although paintball guns are durable, small working parts will have to be replaced occasionally. Paintball guns are designed to be upgraded so they can evolve with the abilities of the players using them. This saves the player having to buy a completely new gun as they become more accomplished. Paintball gun packages will include all of the essential paintball gun parts and accessory kits are also useful.

 



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Paintball Guns

Jason Smith asked:


Paintball guns are the primary equipment in paintball game. This is also called paintball marker and they generally use compressed air or carbon dioxide to release paintballs through the barrel. Most of the paintball guns have 4 main parts that includes the body, gas system, hopper and barrel. All these come in a package, you may also buy separate. Paintball guns are usually known as paintball marker as people often think it as a deadly sport.

Description of the Paintball guns:

Most of the paintball guns have a body made of aluminum as this metal significantly lowers the weight of the marker. The body comprises of all the main parts essential for firing, like trigger frame, loaders, valve and bolt.

Trigger frames – are an integral feature of these paintball guns. One can achieve high firing rates depending on the force required to fire from the marker and also the space the trigger moves before the action takes place. Electronic trigger frames are expensive and have different advantages like sensing abilities. It affects the rate of firing and records a very high rate. There are also non-electric guns that use mechanical trigger frame and uses a number of levers and springs.

Valve and bolt – this combination assists to fire the gun or marker. The valve and the bolt control firing and direct airflow allowing the paintballs enter the chamber.

Hoppers or loaders:

These are responsible to hold paintballs before they are fired from the gun. These are several types – force feed, agitating, gravity speed and stick feed. The first three are quite popular and stick feeds are generally used for pump paintball guns. Gravity feed is cheaper and also simpler form of hopper. Agitating feeds use propeller that spins inside the container and agitate the paintballs. Stick feeds are positioned parallel to the barrel and in order to load the next paintball, the marker ahs to be tipped.

Propellers:

The tank consists of carbon dioxide or compressed gas that dismisses the paintballs through the barrel. Carbon dioxide is mostly used in cheap paintball guns. Whereas, compressed air is stored in tanks under high pressure, so it is suitable for expensive markers.

Barrels:

Barrels control the airflow and direct the paintballs out of it. These are generally in three types of configuration – one-piece, two-piece, and three- piece. Barrels are mostly 21 inches long but you can also get custom made barrels of 48 inches as well. These longer barrels are quieter than the shorter ones as they let extra gas pass out slowly. The interior diameter of the barrel is called a bore and it should match the paint otherwise it will give incorrect results.

Trigger mode:

There are different types of triggering modes available, some are pump action markers and some fully automatic. Pump paintball guns are like pump action shotguns that need to be manually re-cocked after every shot. This is a slower version among all the paintball guns and often players choose it for effective shots. It can fire in extremely steady rate if adapted properly. Semi-automatic trigger versions are also equally common for different purposes.



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Buying Your First Paintball Gun

Chris Abro asked:


Paintball is a great sport that is still growing in popularity among all demographics across the world. It is a good way to keep in shape, and if we are being honest most people will say that there is nothing quite like being able to go out and play war without the risk of serious injury. Most of us are also pretty intense when it comes to paintball competitions, so if you are one of the people who is thinking about taking up paintball full time you will want to choose your first gun carefully.

Many people get into paintball by accident, going out to a field with a group for a bachelor party, a staff outing, or just at the invitation of a friend. Everyone quickly realizes how addicting the sport can be, and most will be chomping at the bit to get back out there. These first outings can be a great way to get an idea of the type of gun that you want to purchase. Most outfitters will rent out standard, cheap-yet-durable pump model guns. These guns are designed with a pump action which is pulled backwards to drop a ball in front of the bolt and then pushed forward to place the paintball in front of the bolt in firing position. Right off, you will realize that in the excitement of paintball war, pump model guns get jammed up as you forget if you have put a ball in the chamber or not. Players are especially prone to this in high-intensity situations where they are firing for their life (and they usually end up getting shot out sometime during the frenzy).

Pump guns can be great for beginners, but it is likely that on your first few outings you will be impressed by the types of guns other players bring to the field. I remember the second time I went out. We were a team of pump-armed teenagers and the other team had a guy with a semi-automatic. We were mowed down time and time again, because of high firing speed and the lack of confusion on the part of the other gunner. If you are planning on becoming involved in high-intensity games, then a semi might be the best model for you. Just remember that as semi automatics are becoming more prevalent, many field operators are aware of the damage to business; if paintball becomes a sport of professionals only, then the market for beginners will dry up. Many paintball fields cater to amateurs and thus will only allow pumps on their ranges unless they are hosting a special tournament. Pump guns are still a great way to demonstrate mastery in the game as they require real skill to manage.

Your first gun will also be determined by whether or not you plan to join a paintball team. Often, team hobbyists will have several roles for individuals to play, and the type of gun will depend on the role that you are playing. Full automatics are good for holding positions and laying down covering fire, pumps are used by snipers and the real skilled players on the team, and ramping modes shoot huge bursts per second and are a good counter to automatics.

The decision about what type of gun you use will be based on a lot of factors. Many enthusiasts will use several types of gun depending on what type of event they are participating. Your first gun is special, though, as it will determine the direction you will take with your new hobby. Choose wisely, and have fun!



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