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Thursday, 31 May 2007 04:00 |
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Since 1981, paintball players have been shooting each other with
marble-sized pellets of paint using a special gun called a
marker. Players launch their paint pellets by pressing a trigger
that releases compressed air or gas to propel the paintball out
of the marker towards the target. New paintball players
unfamiliar with their equipment have always had questions about
whether compressed air offers an advantage over carbon dioxide
(CO2). Is compressed air really better than carbon dioxide? To
put it simply, YES!
Inside your paintball tank, carbon dioxide is primarily in
liquid form. As the carbon dioxide expands, the liquid turns
into gas. In its expanded gas state, carbon dioxide can serve as
a stable pressure that will enable your gun to propel
paintballs. Liquid carbon dioxide, however, can have a
devastating effect on your gun’s performance. The presence of
liquid carbon dioxide inside a paintball marker can freeze the
gun’s inner seals and cause cracks and leaking. Carbon dioxide
is unreliable because it’s sensitive to outside temperatures and
the velocity with which you shoot. The faster you shoot, the
colder your tank will get, decreasing the likelihood of carbon
dioxide converting from liquid to gas, and thus increasing the
chance of liquid CO2 entering your marker.
Compressed air, on the other hand, is a much more stable
propellant source for a paintball marker. While temperature
changes can alter the pressure inside a carbon dioxide tank and
drastically impact the performance of a marker, external
temperatures do not affect compressed air tanks. The performance
of compressed air tanks and their ability to produce a
consistent stable pressure is consistent in any climate. It’s
also cleaner than carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide can contain
dust and dirt that will clog air paths and valves in your
marker. Compressed air is typically very clean. Most compressors
used to fill compressed air tanks are “S.C.U.B.A.” compressors
with air filters that produce grade E breathing air. If it’s
safe enough to breathe, it’s safe enough for your paintball gun!
In addition to its stability, compressed air is cheaper than
carbon dioxide, and the price continues to fall. Many paintball
facilities are moving exclusively to compressed air rental
equipment, and carbon dioxide paintball products will eventually
be obsolete. Given the performance differences between carbon
dioxide and compressed air markers, the industry is clearly
heading in the direction of compressed air. You can no longer
afford to use carbon dioxide equipment—switch to compressed air
now!
GA-0010708
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