| If you are just getting started with paintball guns, it is a | | | | your paintball to your target. Therefore it is an essential |
| bit interesting to learn how they work as well as what | | | | element in the decision of which paintball gun to |
| they are. You may be planning on spending some of | | | | purchase. |
| your time on the field playing the game that you love, | | | | Most tanks are filled with liquid CO2. They can also |
| but this information can help you to make the right | | | | have compressed air in them. HPA is a term you may |
| decision when you decide to purchase your own gun. | | | | here. It stands for High Pressure Air or you may know |
| A paintball gun is, as you may know, the tool that you | | | | it as nitro, as nitrogen is one of the main gases in air. |
| will use to mark your fellow player in a game of | | | | The most standardized paintball guns will come with |
| paintball. A paintball will come flying out of the chamber | | | | HPA or nitro tanks. Unless you are an occasional |
| when you trigger it to. Most paintball guns work similar | | | | player with limited resources, you are probably going to |
| to a standard gun, but the details are much different. | | | | want to use these choices. |
| Here are some bits of important information you | | | | You will also need to consider what kind of barrel to |
| should know about the paintball gun. | | | | use. You can select from sizes ranging from 12 inches, |
| - Paintball guns use rapidly expanding gas. Usually it is | | | | 14 inches, 16 inches, 18 inches or 20 inches. You can |
| CO2 or air. This gas will push the paintball out of the | | | | have them custom made, if you are really looking for |
| barrel. | | | | something specific. When you do this, you can have |
| - Most paintball guns range in velocity but the most | | | | them as long as 48 inches. Most paintball enthusiasts |
| common are those that have a muzzle velocity of | | | | will tell you that beyond 11 inches, you do not get a |
| about 300 feet per second. | | | | better efficiency from the barrel to warrant the larger |
| - This amount of force is enough to break open the | | | | size. Some feel the additional size adds to the sighting |
| paintball when it hits its target. Yet, it is not hard enough | | | | on the barrel. In addition, longer barrels are less noisy |
| to break the skin, rather only sufficient at doing some | | | | but longer than 16 inches offers no additional benefit |
| mild bruising at most. | | | | here either. If you have a longer barrel, you will need |
| - If you plan to play on a standard, commercial field, | | | | more propellant. |
| you will probably be restricted to a paintball gun that is | | | | You are likely to see manufacturers claiming about |
| at most the 300 feet per second type. | | | | porting. Some claim that you will have less turbulence |
| - One of the most significant and painful injuries that a | | | | as well as increased accuracy with porting. |
| paintball gun can cause is eye injury. Therefore, when | | | | Unfortunately, there does not seem to be much truth |
| playing you should always have on protective gear. | | | | to these claims. In addition, the more porting that you |
| The fact is that there are plenty of players that did not | | | | have, the less efficient your paintball guns gas will be |
| and now have blindness in that eye. Most paintball | | | | as your propellant is easily escaping. |
| fields require it. | | | | Another aspect to take into consideration is the bore. |
| Many details needed to be looked at and understood | | | | This is the interior diameter of the barrel of your |
| when using and purchasing a paintball gun. You do not | | | | paintball gun. If you have a barrel that has two to three |
| want to spend several hundred dollars on a gun that | | | | pieces, you will find that the barrel bore is more |
| will not shoot straight. | | | | matched to the paintball diameter. When this is the |
| There are several different variations of paintball gun | | | | case, the paintball will not roll out of the barrel if you |
| hoppers. Most of the time, you will have a gun that is | | | | have a larger barrel. This is important if you have an |
| feed based on agitating, force feed or those that work | | | | auto-cocker as well. |
| with gravity. These methods are all unique. If you have | | | | Finally, you need to take into consideration the |
| an agitating or a force feed hopper you may find that | | | | threading of the paintball gun. You need to insure that |
| your gun does not give you the security you need. | | | | the barrel threading matches the paintball gun |
| These often fail in the worst of times. Most of the time | | | | specifically. Some of the common types of threads |
| this is caused by your paintball guns battery getting | | | | include autocockers, angels, shockers, sphyder, |
| wet, which stops everything in its tracks. Yet, the good | | | | Tippmann, and Inpulse or Ion. |
| thing about these types of hoppers is that they offer | | | | Which ever style or type of paintball gun you choose, |
| the highest rate of fire possible, perhaps making up for | | | | please remember that safety should always come |
| their failings here. | | | | first. So always make sure you wear the proper |
| Another thing that you need to take into consideration | | | | protective clothing to deter injury. It is nothing but fun |
| is your guns tank. The tank is the area of the gun that | | | | until someone looses an eye. |
| holds the compressed air that will eventually propel | | | | |