ChoicePaintballGuns

There’s no doubt about it team players get more kills,
get killed less and hang more flags.  Always.  Here’s how coordinated teams spank walk-on players:
-Tight tactics such as suppressive fire, flanking and leap-frogging.
-Constant communication and leadership that laser-focuses the team’s striking power.
-Slick game plans that provide each player a clear objective.
-Specialized paintball positions with specialized objectives.
Ah, but here’s the rub. Paintball players are maniac individualists and they don’t do well in a structured environment. Many players would rather just run around doing their own thing than play a team game (and they don’t usually notice that all that individuality and self-expression is getting them seriously beat up.)

Here’s a secret, though: playing team ball ends up being tons more fun. Hanging out with the dudes is one of the best parts of paintball. And, if you’re going to hang out with the dudes, then you might as well kick ass on the field.

If you’re bummed because your awesome paintball machine gun is jammed, don’t freak!  Check the following things…..

If you have a magazine fed paintball gun (like a RAP4 or T68), these guns are very realistic and the trigger will lock up if the magazine runs empty - just like a real gun!  So first check your magazine, you may just be out of ammo.  If this doesn’t work, check your CO2.  You’re not running low on power are you?  Many paintball guns will lock up if they start running too low on air; perhaps another CO2 cartridge/cylinder is due.  If these things are OK, maybe your gun really is jammed.  Next, check to see if the chamber is clear.  On RAP4 METS guns, sometimes the ejector arm will hit and cause the metal to create a tiny ‘bur’ that may block anything from coming through.  If this is the case, try to file it down or chip it off.  Finally, if the ejector arm or ejector spring is broken, you will need a new one but this is another reason why your paintball machine gun would jam.  If you need a new one, these are easy to find; you can get one for about $6 at www.choicepaintballguns.com.

If you’ve ever tried it then you know: playing paintball with a full-auto paintball machine gun kicks butt. With full-auto, a relatively inexpensive paintball gun can match the fastest tourney guns on the market. But, the world of full-auto paintball is complicated. If you buy yourself a paintball machine gun, you may be disappointed to find that your local field won’t allow it. And, yet, there are many full-auto options that most fields DO accept.

If you have a Tippmann, the response trigger will allow you to come very close to full-auto and still be field legal.  You can also get a double trigger for most guns that will allow you to ‘fan’ the trigger and get a very fast ‘full-auto-like’ action with your rate of fire.  Most of the time, the paintball machine gun you buy will come standard semi-automatic and you will have to purchase an upgrade to make it fully auto anyway.

As with some of the fastest electros, a full-auto woodsball paintball marker can put a lot of paint in the air at once. There is risk of “lighting up” another player by shooting them multiple times in one stream of shots. There is even a slight danger of multiple shots pushing a player’s paintball mask off their face. While we’ve never heard of a full-auto related injury, safety is worth mentioning. If you’re going to play full-auto, we recommend setting your rate of fire below twelve balls per second. Also, we suggest firing in short bursts. By taking it easy, you ensure that other player’s fun isn’t ruined by your heavy firepower. Don’t forget, you’ve got to carry and pay for all that paint you’ll be shooting. Go easy and it’ll be better for everyone.

Many paintball guns offer upgrades to their triggers.  If you buy a Tippmann paintball gun, you can get a double trigger, response trigger or an e-grip….. what’s the difference?

The double trigger is seen pictured here.  It’s a common practice among Tourney players to “fan” the trigger to get close to full-auto performance out of their paintball gun. You can’t really fan a trigger without a double, so Tippmann offers this fan-able trigger group if you’re going for Tourney-style rapid fire.

While some fields will not allow fully-auto guns, you can usually get away with a response trigger.  By siphoning off a tiny amount of air pressure, the reactive trigger provides bounce-ability that can give you field-legal full-auto when you need it. By applying the perfect amount of pressure to the trigger, the trigger begins to bounce between the piston and the shooter’s finger, sending your paintball marker into a sort of full-auto mode. Most fields allow the Response Trigger, but you should still check before buying.

Finally there’s the e-grip.  If you’re looking for varying modes of fire, the Tippmann E-Grip gives you full auto, three-shot burst, reactive trigger and single-shot. The electronic trigger pops onto the Tippmann paintball gun body in seconds and runs off a 9-volt battery stored in the grip.  If you’re looking for full-auto, though, you should make sure that your local field allows it.  Most don’t.

Other than a great sniper paintball rifle with a good paintball scope, snipers don’t require massive amounts of specialized paintball gear, just a good sense of where to hide and when to shoot.  The paintball sniper is a player who is willing to be patient, play alone and is confident in his own abilities.  There a lot of great sniper paintball rifles out there to choose from but not one in particular that will outperform any of the others.  There’s also not some magical cammouflage that will keep you absolutely hidden; however some good strategy, smart thinking and a little bit of luck can help you become a true paintball sniper.

Sniper play has a different rhythm than typical paintball play.  A sniper who moves is usually a sniper whose cover is blown.  This means that the true sniper’s place is on the ground, silent and still.  Playing sniper requires patience and a willingness to sit quietly, perhaps never seeing another player for the entire game.  Boredom gets the best of most paintball sniper hopefuls.  However if you have a zen disposition, you can rack up some unbelievable eliminations as the other guys fall into your carefully laid trap.

Technically you don’t need special clothing to play paintball but some types of clothing will give you a distinct advantage over other players and you may want to add them to your paintball gear.  Camouflage or “camo” pants and jackets offer protection from paintballs and will decrease your opponent’s ability to see you in a wooded area.  If you don’t have camouflage clothing, pick earth tones, browns, dark greens, and blacks.  Paintballs will wash out but stains are possible so wear clothes that you don’t mind getting grubby.  Paintball involves a lot of motion so don’t wear anything too tight.  Keep it loose and comfortable.  Wear layers instead of a heavy jacket. As you warm up, you can remove layers as needed.  Wear long sleeves.  Head coverings are optional but can offer some protection.  Covering your head will hold heat in and may cause your paintball mask to fog up.Additional protective gear can make your game more comfortable.  Gloves will protect your hands from paintballs and the occasional thorn.  A neck protector will keep sensitive skin covered and safe.  If you don’t have a neck protector, wear a turtle neck or tie a bandana around your neck.  Many players wear a protective cup for added groin protection. “Slider shorts” made specifically for paintball are also excellent and are padded in just the right areas.  Crawling is common in paintball so consider wearing extra padding. These additions are not required, though.  When you go out to play for the first time, if you just wear grubby clothes and a long-sleeve shirt, you’ll be just fine.  Don’t forget your paintball goggles though; these are a must for eye protection.

The addition of different type of barrels to your paintball gun can greatly add to the performance of your gun.  For example, the ‘tactical rifled barrel’ is great for your tactical paintball marker or your competition speedball paintball gun.  The inside of the tactical rifled barrel consists of many fine ‘cuts’ and grooves that extend the full length of the barrel.  The purpose of the groove pattern is to ‘guide & glide’ the paintball down the bore, as well as provide a spin-free projection to stabilize the ball in flight.  These barrels will make your ball fly straighter and farther by reducing drag.  The tactical rfled barrel is scaled from military specs (making your marker a more realistic military paintball gun) and takes most attachments without any modifications.  The barrel can accomodate rails, mounts, paintball laser sights and paintball grenade launchers without making any changes to the marker or the barrel.

How do you play paintball?  Most paintball games last from five to forty minutes. The objective of most paintball games is either “Capture the flag” or “Elimination”.  In Capture The Flag, a flag is placed on either end of the field and each team tries to grab it and return it to their base.  A variation of Capture The Flag called “Center Flag” where a single flag is placed in the center of the field and each team must capture it and take it to the enemy base.  Elimination is simple: shoot or “mark” every player on the opposing team to win.  Other variations include “Attack and Defend” where only one flag is in play and “Mutant” where a small group of “mutants” are chased by “hunters”.  Whenever a mutant is shot, he is eliminated from the game.  However, when a mutant shoots a hunter, the hunter becomes a mutant and switches sides.  The type of paintball gun you use is not important but most tactical players want military paintball guns.

Unlike the game of “cops and robbers” you played when you were a kid, in paintball there is no question about who shot whom. Anytime a player is hit by a paintball and the ball breaks on the player’s clothing, skin, or gun, the player is “out”. Paintball is at its core a game of honor and integrity.  A player who has been shot is required to call himself “out” by raising his paintball marker in the air and loudly calling “Out!” or “Hit!”.  Once out, a player must immediately leave the field and head to a safe area sometimes called the “dead box”. Eliminated players are not allowed to communicate with their teammates who are still in the game.  Often a paintball will strike a player but not break. This is called a “bounce”. Generally, a bounce is not considered a hit and the player is allowed to remain in the game.  It’s always good sportsmanship to let your opposing player know a shot has bounced.  You can do this by yelling out “Bounce!” or tell him after the game.

Paintball games become monotonous when you use the same plan on the same field over and over again. By using exotic weaponry such as paintball landmines, you can really shake things up.  The biggest question about paintball landmines isn’t how to place them, but when.  During a walk-on, weekend game, when do you put your mines in play? One possibility is to place the mines deep in your own team’s territory and then leave them in place for when the teams switch sides.  However, you never know if the teams will remain the same and without you close by, it’s very possible that anyone tripping your mine will just pretend it never happened.  Another tactic is to mine all approaches to the flag station.  Using paintball landmines in tight defense gives you plenty of time to place the mines, but if the enemy never makes it that far before the whistle blows, you may have set up your minefield for nothing. Still, if you’re leaving a very weak side, mining and defending your flag station can buy your offensive squad a lot of time to overrun the enemy flag.  Once the opposition realizes that you’re setting paintball landmines, the mines become wickedly effective “area denial” devices that slow the enemy’s progress everywhere on the field.

In 1989, Tippmann patented a paintball hand grenade that would be standard issue for more than a decade. The “Squadbuster” paintball grenade uses a doubled-over piece of surgical rubber tubing, filled to bursting with paint, as the primary grenade body. When a pin is pulled, two loose ends of the tubing spring open and the Squadbuster paintball grenade is ready to toss. Once you yank the pin, the only thing keeping the paint from spurting out are two plastic balls wedged in the throat of the tubing. When the grenade strikes terra firma at the business end of your toss, the balls pop out of the tubing and paint blasts everywhere.  Hypothetically, that is……

Tippmann Squadblasters are plagued with several problems. The main cause of paintball grenade failure is that the grenade often lands too softly, either because the thrower doesn’t give the grenade enough loft or because the grenade hits branches, leaves and other squishy material before coming to rest. If the Squadbuster grenade doesn’t hit hard ground, it will often fail to pop its BBs and then become a weapon in the hands of your opponent. When Squadbuster paintball grenades have had time to “set up” (the paint separates and congeals over time,) they fail half the time or more.

The SpecialOps line of paintball hand grenades works much, much better than the paintball grenades of the past, it’s still a good idea to maneuver yourself into a good throwing position before launching a paintball hand grenade. It’s often worth it to fall back a little to gain a better view and a better throw.