ChoicePaintballGuns

One of the downsides of paintballing is that it can be a very messy sport. Clothes, paintball helmets and other gear become stained with brightly colored paint, and the area in which you play or practice also becomes covered in paint. This can be a fun way to see who shot who, using different colored paintballs for each player, but the colored balls aren’t for everyone. People who use paintball guns for military and law enforcement training really can’t afford to get messy while in uniform

Clear paintballs are the solution to this problem. Rather than being filled with colored gelatin mix, these paintballs are filled with a completely clear gelatin formula that won’t soil or stain clothing. They only leave wet splats easily wiped off with warm water. They are perfect for law enforcement and military officers to practice their marksmanship under duress without leaving colored stains on their clothing, training gear and ranges.

Many disapproving parents and naysayers may be surprised to learn that paintball is statistically one of the safest sports to participate in, with only an estimated 4.5 injuries per 10,000 participants per year. Even these injuries tend to be along the lines of tripping and other accidents. However, paintball has been vilified for eye injuries, and an international study shows that among modern sports, paintball is responsible for about 20% of eye injuries. A one-year study by a Boston eye emergency center showed that most sports eye injuries are actually caused by basketball, baseball, hockey and racquetball.

However, eye injuries can occur more frequently if protective gear is not used while paintballing. You should always wear paintball goggles and masks to be safe. A study showed the most paintball-related eye injuries occurred in settings where eye protective equipment was not required or when protective equipment was removed due to fogging. These injuries can be devastating, even causing blindness. What’s more, most regulated paintball fields strictly enforce that all players wear masks or goggles, and players who do not comply will be ejected. Always follow the rules and stay safe while having fun!

Tippmann paintball guns have been a known, popular and reliable brand for a long time.  They produce an entire line of paintball gear but are most known for their tactical paintball markers.  These include the Custom 98, Tippmann A5, X7 and recently released X7 Phenom.  This company is also the makers of the US Army Series that include the Tippmann Alpha Black, Project Salvo and currently, the Carver One.  They also have a fantastic .68 caliber paintball pistol called the TPX.

As you can see, a decision about which of these guns are best can be difficult because there’s so much variety.  While Tippmann makes the base marker, several other companys (like RAP4) produce and sell many accessories like barrels, different handguards & buttstocks (to name a few) that you can purchase already installed on the gun you want.  You can buy a gun package like this much cheaper than if you bought the base marker and individual parts separately.  This way, you can buy a Tippmann 98 Sniper paintball gun instead of having to piece it together bit by bit and end up paying more in the long run.

Overall, you really can’t go wrong with any of the Tippmann guns, whether you bought a Tippmann X7 AK47 already put together or built it yourself little by little.  It’s hard to go wrong with a Tippmann because all the important factors that make up a quality paintball marker are there…. durable, sturdy and reliable, good warranty/service, easy to maintain, take apart and clean and tons of available parts, accessories and upgrades.  The best thing about Tippmann paintball guns is they are affordable for just about any budget.  These markers are perfect for any type of woodsball match and great for beginners or advanced players.

When I started playing paintball, my friends and I would assemble in the same stand of woods on an island just outside the city limits. This remote location ensured that our games would go largely undisturbed. I became so familiar with the lay of the land that I found all sorts of tactical advantages. For instance, I knew all the best locations for scouting opponents from a distance. I also knew just where to hide if I suddenly came under attack.

Unfortunately, playing so much paintball in one place made me a bit overconfident. When I joined in a game of speedball - which features man-made obstacles that are equal on both sides of the playing field - I was totally out of my element. I ended up running around with my Tippmann paintball guns blazing; I had no plan, and it wasn’t long before some experienced speedballers wasted me. It just goes to show that you should familiarize yourself with the field of play well in advance.

The recent trend in tactical paintball has produced the market to bear some different fruit!  There has been a recent trend in magazine-fed paintball markers.  Since their beginning, paintball markers have always been fed their ammo by a container that sits on top of the gun called a ‘hopper’.  Recently, however there are now several paintball gun companies who are producing military style markers that are fed by magazines – just like real rifles!  These guns are all the current rage on the scenario/tactical paintball field; there is even a big scenario game now that will allow only magazine fed markers during play (Operation End War, put on by RAP4, October 2-3, 2010.

Not only do magazines give your paintball marker a more realistic look, but it also allows for a more low-profile play.  “Low-Profile” means stealthy and subtle styles of movement during the game, consisting of sometimes a complete non-exposure of the player and his/her gun and position on the field.  Hoppers stick out from the top of the gun and often give the paintball player’s position away while running sneaky takedowns or flanking maneuvers.  The magazines on paintball markers are tucked away underneath the gun, located anterior to the trigger (exactly similar to real rifles that use magazines).  This also allows for players to slyly peak over or beside their bunkers and shoot without a big, bulky piece of hopper plastic sticking out, waiting to be seen and shot by an opposing player.

Magazine fed paintball markers available now are RAP4’s .43 caliber METS series and their ever popular T68, MilSig markers and Tiberius Arms.  Real Action Marker also produces magazine fed .43 caliber rifles and the most realistic tactical paintball pistols (also magazine fed). 

            There are many modifications that are available for all marker models in paintball.  Many of these modifications will improve the performance of your gun, while some are simply for cosmetic purposes.  There are some pieces that play the role of both and one of these in particular are buttstocks.  There are many reasons why players equip their markers with buttstocks.  The primary reason is functional; these parts can help bring more balance to the weight of the gun, not to mention significantly increasing accuracy by offering a place to stabilize against your shoulder or cheek while shooting.  Although this enhances the gun’s accuracy, it also adds a bit more weight to the gun, which is why most speedballers do not use buttstocks.  Buttstocks are best used on tactical paintball rifles in scenario games.  Don’t forget about looks though!  Buttstocks come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes and can add a fierce tactical look to any paintball marker, whether it’s a Tippmann A5 or Spyder Pilot; adding to the physical image of your gun is always a blast.

My nephew is turning 12 this week and I still don’t know what I am going to get him as a gift. I considered a baseball bat and glove, but now I am thinking that’s too juvenile. He already has almost everything a kid could want, so this gift shopping for him is no easy task.

My friend has a son about the same age and he gave me a few recommendations. He told me I should get my nephew some paintball supplies so that he can go with his friends. I have heard them talking about how they are going to start playing regularly during the summer, so this sounds like the perfect gift idea.

The expenses of paintball can add up quickly!  Constantly re-filling air tanks, paintballs, paintball field/park fees make regular paintballing a bit expensive at times.  CO2 tank O-rings are an essential piece of gear; without them, there is no seal between your tank and paintball gun and air will leak from your tank.  If you aren’t careful, you can go through o-rings like candy and this can add up expenses over time.  O-rings are generally not expensive but if you have to go through a lot of them, it can add up to a lot of money if you play a lot.

The most common cause of damaged CO2 tank o-rings occurs when the CO2 tank is removed from the user’s paintball marker.  Most paintball players simply unscrew the CO2 tank from the paintball gun, allowing all the air in the paintball gun to spill out and freeze the tank o-ring causing it to swell.  The tank adaptor’s threads often cut the swollen o-ring as the tank is unscrewed, ruining the o-ring and preventing that tank’s use until you can replace with a new o-ring.  The way to avoid this is… once you’ve unloaded all the ammo from your gun, fire your marker slowly but continuously while you’re unscrewing the tank.  This will slowly release air from the gun through the barrel rather than rushing out at the tank connection.

Don’t approach buying your paintball gun lightly.  There are many factors that you must consider before investing in a paintball marker that you will be satisfied with and will last.  First of all, determine how seriously you take the sport.  If you’re a casual player who only plays every now and then, consider starting off with something cheap, but of course reliable.  If you’re on the other end of the spectrum and take the sport like it’s a real war (but without the casualties), then a realistic military replica tactical paintball marker is for you.  Perhaps you’re somewhere in-between?  

When starting out, a low end paintball marker will suit your purposes.  Most brand name paintball guns have starter models that are relatively cheap.  If you’re not sure whether or not you will even like to play, you don’t want to spend a lot of money.  If you’re really unsure, it’s best to go to a commercial paintball field where you can rent equipment; this is the lowest committment.  However, if you’re a full on paintball warrior, nothing but the best will suit you.  These players end up using top of the line paintball gun packages - decked out with all the trimmings.  Perhaps a sniper rifle with a precision scope and bipod or realistic M4 carbine with an electronic trigger will suit your appetite. 

If you’re in the middle, just make sure you get something sturdy, good quality, has a warranty that won’t break your bank.  Tippmann is a great company and has several different models to choose from.  Their basic model guns are geared toward a younger player and thus are perfect for someone who is not looking for something that is packed with features.  They’re also the most customizable markers on the market, so many players keep their Tippmann’s and upgrade them with accessories as their skill levels increase.

The problem with CO2 is it can convert from gas to liquid and visa versa very easily; this is a problem for paintball players and their equipment.  CO2 is very sensitive to temperature changes.  When rapid shooting, it’s common for CO2 tanks to ‘freeze up’.  Next you will notice the velocity of your shots drop off and starts becoming inconsistent.  When you rapid fire your paintball gun you are use a large amount of C02 very quickly.  Your tank gets cold because the liquid C02 inside is changing into gas to replace the C02 used during rapid firing.  This change from liquid to gas is called a ‘phase change’.  When you fire your gun (with a chilled tank), you are releasing less C02 than if the tank was warm. 

There are also problems if your CO2 tank gets too hot; if you left your gun and tank in the sun for example.  If your tank approaches 89 degrees (F) all of the liquid in the tank will expand and the gas has nowhere to go.  Hopefully you have the right rupture disk in your tank because at this point only two things can happen.  Either your tank’s rupture disk will burst preventing your tank from rupturing or your velocity will rise to very dangerous levels.  Moral of the story…. consider an hpa tank or keep your CO2 tank a constant temperature.