Making Your Own Homemade Paintball Gun

John Grant asked:


Even for those who do not have any inkling to the sport of paintball, it is very much self-explanatory that the paintball gun is the main paraphernalia for those who are engaging in the said activity. Paintball guns work their magic by utilizing the laws of physics, particularly the inherent property of gases like carbon dioxide to expand which makes the paintball lodged in the gun’s barrel to be thrust in great speed and hit the players of the opposing side.

Though initially used as an efficient means to mark trees and livestock, the paintball gun has now become the heart of a sport that is taking the world by storm. Thanks to the simplicity of the paintball gun’s mechanism, one can now join the craze by building one at home with items that can be readily found on one’s garage or the neighborhood hardware store.

To start building one’s own homemade paintball gun, one must have the following materials: glue, some cement, tire replacement valve, plumber’s tape, primer, a length of 1″ PVC (6 feet would be enough), an equal length of ¾” PVC barrel, two 1″ PVC elbows, 1″ PVC end cap, two 1″ PVC tees labeled ‘A’ and ‘B’ with their straight ends identified as ‘Ax’ and ‘Ay’, ‘Bx’ and ‘By’ respectively. The perpendicular ends, meanwhile, should be labeled correspondingly as ‘Az’ and ‘Bz’. Finally, one should have ¾” of the following: PVC nipple, PVC ball valve, and PVC reducer. For the tools to build these materials into a DIY paintball gun, all that one must have is a plumber’s saw and a nail driller.

It is also important to note that the PVC that one is about to use materials in the making of the paintball gun should be pressure tested since they will be exposed to a lot of rupturing.
To start building, one will have to cut the 1″ PVC into segments. It is advised that one cuts them into equal lengths so as to make their assembly later easier. After cutting them, ensure that the ends will be insulated by covering them with plumber’s tape. To assemble the main structure, take one of the segments that one has just cut and attach to its two ends the two PVC elbows using the primer and the cement and making sure that the ends of the elbows face in the same direction.

Next, take the other segment and attach to its one end the ‘Az’ end of the PVC tee labeled as ‘A’ while the ‘Bx’ end of the PVC tee labeled as ‘B’ should be attached to its other end. After this, one can now connect the two pieces of PVC with primer and cement to form a shape resembling a box.

To construct the outer details, fasten the PVC ****** on the ‘By’ end of the PVC tee. The ****** will then be the part that will be bolted with the ball valve, which is in turn the part where the barrel will be fastened. Connect the tire valve by drilling an adequate hole in the end cap which is to be cemented with a 1″ PVC that is to be attached to the ‘Ay’ end of one of the PVC tees. After all of these and a day to let it dry, the paintball gun is done and is ready for any paintball match up that one would engage in.

Manufacturing one’s own paintball gun is pretty easy to accomplish, given that one has the materials needed and the necessary know-how for the project.



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10 Things You Should Have In Your Paintball Kit

Lee Dobbins asked:


All set and ready to go? Got your gun, balls and hoppers with you? Then you are ready to play…But wait, you are going to a fight and you do not go out there without the necessary precautions and tools. You don’t want to be caught in a war zone with your pants down, do you?

So here are 10 things you should go without when playing paintball:

1. Paintball mask

Not safety goggles, sun glasses or shooting glasses, you need a paintball mask. You just can’t play without this safety gear. A thermal mask is recommended but it you want to save some money get the single lens with an anti-fog coating.

Make sure the mask fits perfectly on your face and that you are comfortable wearing them on. Remember that you will be running and shooting with the mask on so make sure it does not get in the way. A mask that covers your ears is also a good idea, but make sure that your hearing is not impaired by the ear flaps.

2. Barrel cover

Sometimes called as barrel plug or barrel sock, this is simply a blocking device that prevents a misfire from your gun. Remember injuries can result from accidents such as a misfire. No organized field will let you play without one.

3. Spare tank

Your gun is powered by carbon dioxide or nitrogen. For pumps and pistols, a 12 gram cartridge is used. This is good for 15 to30 shots. So it is a good idea to have a spare tank with you just in case you run out of air. A 20oz cylinder or tank is usually good for 1000 shots or more. Get a refillable tank to save money.

4. Squeegee

A barrel break can ruin your momentum and your game. Make sure you are prepared and have a squeegee in hand to clean your gun barrel to get yourself back in the game. It is also a good idea to have a spare squeegee with you on the field.

5. Gun oil

Not just any gun oil, but a paintball gun oil. Before buying one consult your gun’s manual and see if it requires a specific kind of oil. Remember that your gun’s performance depends on its parts. Put a few drops of gun oil in the o-rings and other parts of the gun as recommended in the manual to keep your gun in good running condition.

6. O-rings and cup seals

These tiny parts are crucial to your gun’s performance, but they tend to break easily. Have a few spares in your kit just in case they give in during the game. You will find that most gun problems can be solved by simply replacing these small parts.

7. Safety equipment (neck and shin, elbow and knee pads, gloves)

Remember that Paintball is an aggressive game. You need to be constantly on the move when you are in the field. Safety precautions like neck and shin guards protect your body from unnecessary injuries. Make sure that they are lightweight and anatomical tailored for comfort.

8. Batteries

If your gun or hopper runs on batteries, make sure you have spare ones when you are on the field. You don’t want to be left in a situation where your gun is dead and you have no where to hide. Not a pretty picture.

9. Miscellaneous tools

These tools can simplify your life in and out of the field. Allen wrenches, tweezers, ***** drivers even Teflon and cotton swabs can be useful things in your kit. These are your gun’s first aid tools. Remember, this is a game and usually the winners are those who often come prepared.

10. First aid kit

Although relatively safer than golf, tennis, jogging or swimming (according to insurance statistics), paintball is still an active game. Have a first aid kit in your gear, it pays to be ready in unexpected circumstances.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert on the field, your success will greatly depend on the kind of gears you have and how equipped you are from unexpected situations like mechanical glitches in your gun or some paint on your face. Be prepared so you can enjoy your game to the fullest.



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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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What You Need to Know About Paintball Guns

Michael Contaro asked:


Paintball is becoming one of the most loved hobbies today. With exciting game play and awesome equipment options, paintball sure is a hobby that should be explored.

The heart of a paintball game is the paintball gun. Without the gun, the game play of paintball would be rather boring. Paintball guns are filled with paint (what else) and uses a gas which expands rapidly (like carbon dioxide) to propel the paint balls into the target. The air can propel a ball through the air at approximately 300 feet per second. This is the appropriate speed for a paint ball so as to make it break when it comes in contact with a target and to avoid tissue damage upon contact.

There are several components that comprise the paintball gun. These are:

a) Body b) Barrel c) hopper d) tank

There are many different customizations that one can do with his paintball gun. A person can choose from a variety of guns with different specifications and features. There are paintball guns out there that have a firing system which is electro-pneumatic, which means that the firing system is electronically controlled. There are also sear trippers which utilizes a hammer which slams into the valve containing the bullet which propels it into target. There are also paint guns out there which utilize the power of the gas to propel the ball into the air.

When it comes to the barrels of paintball guns, they usually come in 12, 16, 18 or 20 inches. There are also people out there who were able to order customized paintball gun barrels which can reach up to 40 inches! People opt to have longer barrels because these barrels make less noise than the shorter ones because they limit the escape of excess gas.

However, there’s no difference in terms of accuracy or noise reduction qualities when it comes to comparing a 16-inch barrel to a 40-inch barrel. The problem with very long barrels is that it can slow a player down quite significantly.

Paintball guns also come in different firing modes. Some paintball guns have pump action, but this type of gun is not for the player who seeks speed because it requires manual cocking. However, it is a good gun have when learning the basics of paintball because it focuses on skills and not on fire power. There are also semi-automatic paintball guns in the market. It reloads a new paintball whenever the trigger is pulled. The fully automatic paintball guns give a lot of fire power. These guns will reload and fire automatic rounds as long as the trigger is pulled.

Here are some tips on how to choose a paintball gun:

1. Know your budget

As with any other hobby, one must define his budget for buying a paintball gun. The guns in the market can cost from a hundred dollars to less than a thousand. Guns which are semi-automatic and fully automatic ones use more gas than the manually reloaded ones. These factors should all be considered when defining one’s budget.

2. Be practical

If it’s possible for a player to play with a borrowed gun, he might as well do that and rethink about buying a brand new one.

3. Shop for second-hand guns

Another option is to buy a second-hand paintball gun. These guns are usually good enough to play decently without digging a deep hole in one’s pockets.

4. Ask the best buy

If one is too enthusiastic about getting a brand new gun, he should consult his buddies regarding what gun gives quality performance at a reasonable price.

These are some simple tips which can be overlooked sometimes. Remember that paintball is just a hobby, a great one if I may say but it’s not something that should waste one’s money away. Be wise and have fun.



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The New Age Sport of Paintball

Kevin J Smith asked:


 

One of the most cherished and an admired sport in the world today is paintball. Its popularity is only going to increase as more and more people take it up. The best thing about paintball is that it can be played by people of different age groups and belonging to different professions. Children, teenagers, as well as adults equally enjoy playing this sport. Different companies encourage their employees to take up this sport as it strengthens team spirit and other qualities that exemplify human spirit.

In paintballing members of the opposing teams try to eliminate each other by hitting them with balls that contain paint like substance. A gun that is powered by carbon dioxide or some other compressed gas is used to fire the pellets. It is considered to be one of the safest sports as compared with other contemporary sports. Even the speed of the paintball that is fired is monitored using a chronograph. There are certain minimum standards of the velocity that are to be adhered to.

Paintball Games can be played indoors as well as outdoors. There are many different variations of the sport depending upon the objective to be achieved. Some of the common forms of paintball are hunt the ham, team death match, king of the hill, scenario and capture the flag. Generally, two opposing teams are involved in the game who tries to eliminate the members of the opposite team by hitting them with pellets. The rules of the game vary and are formulated while keeping in mind the safety of the participants. The gear required for paint balling varies depending upon the style of the game as well as the skill level of the player. Some gear like a mask, paintballs, as well as a complete paintball marker are however mandatory. Commercial locations as well as private lands are available for the games. One big difference between the two being that safety levels are higher and well monitored in commercial locations.

 

 



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How to Buy and Select Cheap Paintball Guns

matt q may, Sr. asked:


While one should never sacrifice value over the quality of paintball safety equipment, paintball guns are available today at reasonable prices and with a wide variety of interesting features.

When deciding which the best paintball gun is for you, be realistic and determine your “skill level”. When just beginning, and do not know the frequency of your play, begin with an inexpensive gun.

To decide which features you need in a paintball gun, you can borrow markers from your friends and try them on different paintball fields. After you have decided on the features you want then start shopping for your gun.

When playing for recreation, there is really no need to spend a great deal of money as there are many recreational guns of good quality that are not expensive. Note that there are also several poor quality markers on the market so you need to your research before you buy to make certain that the marker that you purchase is dependable and can be upgraded.

When you are making plans to play in tournaments, determine what type of tournament that you will be entering. If you are going to play in small tournaments you may use a less expensive marker or upgrade your old one.

However, in the larger tournaments, you will need an “electro-pneumatic” or a “blow-forward” gun, which costs a minimum of $350.

The cost of markers depends primarily on the gun’s pressure system as well as its accessories. The most popular system today is the “carbon dioxide pressure system” normally used in the less expensive markers.

The primary disadvantage is that usually the carbon dioxide’s performance is influenced by the temperature outside, and changes from its gas state to liquid resulting in velocity instability that affects its shooting accuracy.

Serious paintball players use the “high-pressure air and nitrogen system” markers that are much more accurate because the nitrogen will never liquefy. Having this characteristic, these markers are more expensive.

Extra accessories also increase the cost of your marker. A loader or hopper is a very popular accessory. It is a container that feeds paintballs into the gun. Hoppers are available in many varieties – some are powered and automated. Fast and lightweight hoppers are more expensive.

Just keep in mind that the any marker that you purchase will not be perfect and will ultimately have flaws. So when purchasing your marker, always double check the choices offered and purchase a gun only if you know what you really want.



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