| Like many sports Paintball has terminology all of its | | | | standard compressed air. To figure out the capacity of |
| own. When around your avid paintballer you'll hear a | | | | the tank you'll need to consider 2 terms. Each |
| multitude of phrases and terms used. CIs, PSI, OZs, | | | | compressed air tank is listed by CI or Cubic Inches |
| C02, Burst Disc, Regulator, Tank, Nitrogen, | | | | which refers to the internal volume of the cylinder and |
| Compressed Air, Nitro, and the list goes on. These are | | | | PSI or Pounds per Square Inch which refers to how |
| all common (and confusing!) terms used to describe | | | | much pressure the cylinder can hold. In paintball |
| the many attributes of a Paintball Marker's power | | | | common tank sizes include 45ci, 68ci, and 88ci. By |
| source; the Air System. | | | | comparison a 45ci tank might be a little bit larger than a |
| To understand Paintball's power sources we'll first | | | | softball and an 88ci tank would be a little larger than an |
| identify the 2 major sources paintballers use to push a | | | | NFL football. For internal pressure 3000psi and 4500psi |
| paintball out the barrel of their marker. C02 and | | | | are the most common. Typically 3000psi tanks are |
| Compressed Air are used almost exclusively in the | | | | made out of aluminum (much like a scuba tank) and |
| Paintball. C02 is the same gas that we exhale when | | | | 4500psi tanks are made from a fiber wrapped |
| we breathe. It is also what trees and plants use to | | | | aluminum bottle. The fiber wrap provides additional |
| produce oxygen. Because C02 starves a fire of | | | | durability and safety. When purchasing a compressed |
| oxygen it is also used in fire extinguishers. The other | | | | air tank you will often find it describer first by its CI |
| gas used is Compressed Air. Compressed Air is just | | | | capacity and second by its PSI rating. |
| what the name implies; air that is compressed. | | | | For example; a 68 / 45 refers to a tank that has a 68 |
| Compressed Air is commonly used in the scuba | | | | cubic inch bottle and is rated to 4500psi. Compressed |
| industry and is filled with a special multi stage air | | | | air is also significantly cleaner and more stable than |
| compressor. To further distinguish the two we'll | | | | c02. Because of this it makes for more consistent and |
| compare and contrast the similarities and differences | | | | reliable operation of your marker and a better choice in |
| of the two gases. | | | | cold whether. The major disadvantage is that although |
| C02 is inherently less stable than compressed air | | | | fills are often free at fields, the cost of the tanks |
| when it comes to paintball air systems. When a c02 | | | | themselves are anywhere from $80 to $250 for just |
| tank is filled it is actually filled with liquid C02. When you | | | | one tank. This puts them at a price far more than that |
| purchase a 20oz C02 tank, the 20ozs refers to the | | | | of normal c02. For tournament play, however, it is has |
| capacity of the tank. The 20oz doesn't refer to the | | | | become the only real choice and something players |
| weight of the actual tank, but rather the amount of | | | | simply must pay for. |
| liquid c02 the tank can contain. So a 20oz c02 tank will | | | | When using either power source, it is important to |
| hold 20oz of liquid c02. A portion of the liquid c02 in the | | | | remember that players are literally carrying a small |
| tank is able to expand into a gas. This gas typically has | | | | bomb under their arm. 4500 pounds of air is nothing to |
| a pressure of approximately 1800psi. As you begin to | | | | take lightly and air systems that have come loose |
| empty the tank (by firing your marker) the liquid c02 in | | | | from their regulators have been known to become |
| the tank continues to convert into a gas. When you | | | | rockets. There have been several paintball related |
| rapid fire with C02 it is not uncommon to see a white | | | | fatalities associated with this. Fortunately, there are a |
| cloud come of the barrel of the marker. This is actually | | | | number of safety devices in place which are |
| liquid c02 that did not have time to expand to a gas | | | | monitored by the US Department of Transportation. |
| before being expelled. The pros of c02 are that it is | | | | Some common safety devices include burst discs and |
| typically inexpensive to fill and inexpensive to purchase | | | | grooved regulator threads. A burst disc is usually a |
| tanks. An average fill is about $5 and will get you a full | | | | small piece of metal that is designed to break and |
| day's play. You can also purchase 20oz C02 tanks | | | | release the contents of the bottle in a controlled and |
| (the most common size) for anywhere from $20 to | | | | safe manner when the pressure inside the tank |
| $30. The big downsides are that c02 is usually dirty | | | | exceeds the rating of the bottle. Tank manufacturers |
| and inconsistent. C02 does not work well in the winter | | | | are also now starting to put grooves in the regulators |
| either. It is sensitive to pressure differences and does | | | | so that if a player accidentally unscrews the bottle |
| not convert well into a gas at temperatures | | | | from the regulator, it will release the contents of the |
| approaching freezing. It also will typically void a | | | | bottle long before the regulator separates from the |
| warranty on more expensive markers that contain | | | | bottle and becomes a missile. These 2 key safety |
| sensitive electronic solenoids. | | | | components have helped to ensure that Paintball is |
| Compressed Air is the other major type of air used in | | | | one of the safest sports being played. In fact, |
| paintball. Its pseudo names include Nitrogen and Nitro. It | | | | according to insurance statistics, Paintball is safer than |
| is also often abbreviated as CA (for Compressed Air). | | | | Golf or Bowling. |
| Many players think there is a difference in Nitrogen | | | | So the next time a player mentions that he needs to fill |
| tanks and Compressed Air tanks. In fact, they are the | | | | his 20oz tank; you'll know that he means fill his tank |
| same. What most people don't realize is that the air | | | | with 20ozs of C02. Or that if a player says he has a |
| we breathe is over 70% nitrogen. So calling a | | | | 45 / 45 you'll know that he means he has a 45 cubic |
| compressed air tank a "nitrogen" tank isn't far from the | | | | inch bottle that is rated to 4500 pounds. So now that |
| truth. Although some fields really do fill customer tanks | | | | those mysteries are solved, you'll still need to figure out |
| with Nitrogen; you'll usually find that the fields are | | | | what "shooting a lane" means! |
| actually using a scuba compressor that is filling | | | | |