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A paintball marker or paintball gun is the primary device used in the game of paintball to mark an opposing player with paint. It uses a rapidly expanding gas (usually CO2 or Air) to force a paintball through a barrel with a muzzle velocity of approximately 300 ft/s (100 m/s). This velocity is sufficient for most paintballs to break upon impact, but not fast enough to cause tissue damage beyond mild bruising. Nearly every commercial field has, and strictly enforces, a rule limiting the muzzle velocity of a paintball to 300 ft/s or less. Because being hit in an eye by a paintball can result in permanent blindness or visual impairment, it is important that players always wear proper eye and face protection when around a paintball marker and nearly every commercial paintball field has, and strictly enforces, a rule requiring certified eye and face protection while on the field.

A marker consists of four main components. These are:

The vast majority of modern paintball markers have the previous components. There is, however, a strong following of stock-class players who use markers with a purposely low rate of fire and ammo capacity. Stock-class guns are usually pump-action paintball guns powered by either 12-gram CO2 cartridges or small CO2 tanks. Also note the trend in using the term "marker" instead of "gun." This term came from the markers original use, which was to mark trees and wandering cattle. Some hardcore woodsballers, however, scoff at the term "marker". Markers were designed so that farmers and foresters could more convienently mark trees and cattle, such as from moving vehicles and across rivers.

=Hopper= Hoppers, also known as loaders, hold paintballs for the marker to fire. There are many different variations, but the primary feed methods are gravity, agitating, and force-feed. While agitating and force-feed hoppers result in a higher possible rate of fire, they may fail. The most common causes of malfunction are dead batteries and contact with moisture. The form of hoppers seen in the tippman A-5's is the cyclone feed, which does not require batteries as it just uses the CO2 or nitrogen from the tank. When the trigger is pulled the feeder rotates internally and loads a ball into the breech as soon as the bolt clears. The design is surprisingly efficient; the marker is more efficient than many electronic markers that do not utilize blowback valves or pneumatic loaders. The cyclone is now available as an upgrade from Tippmann 98 Customs as well.

Subcategory: feed tube or stick feed. Primarily used on pump and stock class paintball markers but may be used on others as well; these tubes usually hold 10-20 paintballs but may hold more or less. Usually a stick feed is parallel to the barrel and requires the user to tip or rock the marker forward OR backwards, depending on the configuration, to load the next paintaball. A stick feed MAY be vertical or on an incline relative to the barrel to facilitate gravity feeding the paintballs but this contravenes accepted stock- class guidelines.

Gravity loaders are basic hoppers located on the middle end of the marker. They are composed of a 90 degree angle feed that flows perpendicular to the marker. The tippmann marker is composed of a 45 degree angle feed resulting in many less shots per second fired.

Agitating

Agitating hoppers use a propeller to encourage, or agitate the paintballs into loading. This helps increase the rate of fire.

NOTE: The Tippmann A-5 does not necessarily use an agitating hopper. It uses a hybrid system consisting of a set of star shaped paddles as part of a force feed system built into the gun, which runs off of the excess gas from each shot, driving the paddles and force feeding the next round into the breech in sync with the bolt to virtually eliminate the problem of chopped or misloaded paintballs. The upper part of the hopper gravity feeds into an extra wide housing which holds the paddles. The gravity feed into the paddle/loading area is the reason it is a hybrid loading system. This form of inserting a paintball into the chamber is extremely effective, and Tippman has used it to make the best woodsball paintgun in the world, arguably.

Force-feed

Force-feed hoppers can use a propeller, spring, or belt loaded system to force balls at an accelerated rate into a marker. Two very popular force-fed hoppers are the Odyssey HALO and Viewloader EVLution II. Force-fed loaders are used when a high rate-of-fire is required, such as in speedball competition. This type of loader is used by many professional teams and can reach speeds over 20 balls-per-second.

Some also include other features, which may include information about how many balls are remaining in your hopper, or how many balls per second you can shoot. There are also clips similar to ones used on guns; these are more expensive, gun specific, and may hold fewer balls.

Another type of force-feed hopper is called the q-loader. This 'clip style' loader can hold up to one hundred rounds at a time and can unload them very quickly, allowing thirty-five balls per second. As a forced hopper, it allows the player to shoot with the marker upside down, sideways or from any other position. Unlike many other clip-based hoppers, it is not marker-specific.

=Tank= The tank holds a compressed gas used to accelerate the paintballs through the marker barrel. The tank is usually filled with liquid CO2 or compressed air. High Pressure Air (HPA) is also known as nitro, because nitrogen is the main component of air. HPA or nitro tanks are now the standard for almost all but occasional players.

A CO2 tank stores the gas in the tank as a liquid and when it is released must boil into a gas before it can be used. This process leads to some commonly known problems such as inconsistent velocity and freezing. It especially has problems in cold weather which makes the boiling process slow down and increases the chance for liquid CO2 to get inside the marker and damage some part of it. CO2 tanks are measured in terms of the amount of liquid it can store (in Ounces). High Pressure Air (HPA) is stored in the tank as a gas, so the problems of CO2 needing to boil are not an issue. HPA uses a regulator to control the pressure that is released resulting in a consistent velocity. HPA tanks have two measurements: PSI and In3.

Stock Class paintball markers must be fed using 12g CO2 cartridges.

HPA tanks are more expensive, but the reason that they are so widely used is that air is very consistent, is very easy on the gun itself, and air is more reliable. For any serious paintballer air is practically a necessity.

=Barrels=

Specifications

Length

Generally barrels are twelve, fourteen, sixteen, eighteen, or twenty inches. Some people have had custom barrels made which may reach up to forty-eight inches. There is no accuracy nor efficiency benefit for barrels beyond eleven inches long; however, longer barrels generally make less noise than shorter barrels by allowing excess gas to escape more slowly. Longer barrels cause players to "sight in" faster than they would with shorter barrels and thus give the perception that longer barrels are more accurate. Barrel lengths that exceed sixteen inches have no further reduction in sound nor any gain in accuracy. Barrels longer than this also require more propellant to keep the paintball at speed while traveling the length of the barrel after the initial acceleration, and can produce a noticeable decrease in gas efficiency.

Porting

Most barrels are ported (or vented), which means that holes are drilled into the front of the barrel allowing the propellant to dissipate, decreasing the sound signature of the marker. There has been a considerable amount of marketing hype surrounding barrel porting, but there appears to be no basis for claims of the benefits of porting (such as that it decreases "turbulence", increasing accuracy), other than the decrease in sound signature. The best way to decrease the sound signature is to find a quiet paintgun and then buy a carbon-fiber barrel, which are generally extremely light and quiet, the disadvantage of one of these barrels are that they aren't as durable as other barrels.

It should be noted that excess porting can vastly decrease a marker's gas efficiency since the porting will allow the propellant to escape easily, and thus porting in a barrel reduces its effective length to the section without ports. For example, if a 16 inch barrel has porting that starts 6 inches past the threads then it has an effective barrel length of 6 inches. At that point, the ball has to travel the other 10 inches on its own momentum. As the friction within the barrel is not insignificant, overcoming this necessitates releasing a larger burst of gas, decreasing efficiency.

Threading

Most modern paintball markers have barrels that screw into the front receiver, and some older types of guns do not have threading at all, but have the barrel slide right on, and screwed in place. Barrel threading must be matched to that of the marker. Common threads are Angel, Autococker, Impulse/Ion, Shocker, Spyder, Tippmann A-5 and 98.

Bore

The Bore is the interior diameter of the barrel. Two and three-piece barrels allow the barrel bore to be matched to the paint diameter. Paint to barrel matching is especially important in certain closed-bolt markers, especially autocockers, because small paint in a large barrel can roll out the front of barrel.

Construction

Barrels are manufactured in three types: one piece, two piece, and three piece. The type of barrel is usually irrelevant because the quality of the barrel has a much greater impact on accuracy.

One piece

One piece barrels are machined from a single piece of material, usually aluminum. The standard paintball size is .68, although poor quality paint can range from .669 to .69caliber and these barrels are honed to have an inner diameter anywhere from .68 caliber to .69 caliber. Most one piece barrels have a stepped bore after 8 inches that increases to around .70 caliber.

Two piece

Two piece barrels, made from two pieces of machined material, consist of a "front" and "back". The back attaches to the marker and is machined with a pre-specified bore between .682 and .695 caliber. These barrels are machined with varying dimensions to better match the size of the barrel to the size of the paint being put through it. The front is usually has the same bore as the largest back the manufacturer offers.

Three piece

Three-piece barrels, instead of having multiple backs each with a different bore, have only a single back. A series of inserts, or sleeves, with differing bores are inserted into the back. The front is then screwed on to keep the sleeve in place. Sleeves are generally offered in either aluminum or stainless steel. This type offers the most flexibility in that the user needs only one set of sleeves and a rear for each marker they own. They can also select front sections to make the barrel length they prefer. This type also generally offers the widest selection of barrel diameters, usually .680, .681, .682, .683, .684, and so on up to .696 caliber.

Other

The Flatline barrel, manufactured by Tippmann Sports is designed to decrease the parabolic travel of fired paint. The barrel is curved such that accelerating paint contacts the top of the barrel, imparting backspin. This backspin generates lift (known as the "Magnus Effect"), resulting in a flatter arc. This is especially beneficial in woodsball or scenario paintball where overhanging branches limit the range of traditional barrels. It is available for the Tippmann Model 98 and A-5. There are conversion kits to allow the use of the flatline barrels on some other markers, as well.

The Apex barrel, manufactured by Ben Tippmann Paintball Design also imparts spin to the ball. Unlike the flatline barrel, however, the Apex can impart spin at any degree and at several magnitudes. It's possible to impart back, top, or sidespin. This allows balls to arc around some obstacles, or have them drop over bunkers. The magnitude of spin can also be varied, allowing for a gentle curve or a sudden hook. It is available with threads for most markers.

Another Exotic barrel is the all Carbon fiber barrel by Stiffi. The specially molded carbon fiber barrel has the advantage over standard barrels in that it does not expand or contract with temperature changes, it has a much quieter sound signature than metal barrels, and the inner surface is, for the most part, superior in consistency and smoothness, thereby cutting down on barrel breaks, gas inefficiency, and wild shots

=Firing Modes=

Pump Action

Early paintball markers were pump action. After each shot, the bolt must be manually pulled back, allowing a paintball to fall in front of it, and then manually pushed forward, bringing the paintball into the firing position. This manual action is usually slower than other configurations but is preferred by many people over semi-automatic markers as a challenge to themselves to learn how to play with more skill and less fire-power.

Semi-Auto

Semi-auto markers use a variety of designs so that the bolt moves, and loads a new paintball into the chamber, automatically with each trigger pull. This frees the player from manually pumping the marker, increasing both rate of fire and accuracy.

Full-Auto

The Tippmann SMG 60 was the first fully-automatic paintball marker. As the name indicates, the marker will continue to fire automatically so long as the trigger is held down.

Ramping modes

Since the advent of semi-automatic markers in the early 90's, both insurance and competitive rules have specified that markers used in paintball must be semi-auto only; specifically, that only one paintball may be fired per trigger pull. While this was a perfectly clear definition when markers were all based on mechanical/pneumatic designs, the introduction of electronically controlled markers in the late 90's brought technology beyond the rule. Electronic markers are often controlled by a programmable microcontroller, on which any software might be installed, including software that may add more than one shot per trigger pull in various ways. This effect is generally referred to as "shot ramping" (as opposed to velocity ramping). Ramping refers to any electronic firing mode, other than full auto, where more than one shot is fired per pull of the trigger.

While against competition rules, ramping can be difficult to detect, both because it may not be consistent, or easily observable by a human. Ramping modes can also be hidden in the software, such that a marker will fire in legal semi-auto mode when being tested, but in an illegal ramping mode by the player. To counter the problems with enforcing semi-auto rules, some leagues have begun allowing a specific ramping mode. The rule specifies a minimum time between shots of 66 milliseconds (approx. 15 shots per second), and that no more than one shot may be fired for the first three trigger pulls. The rate of fire is enforced using a device called a PACT Timer, a standard firearms timing device that measures the time between shots.

=Stock Class= Stock Class is a set of commonly agreed upon but unofficial rules for paintball markers. The marker must have a horizontal paintball feed, which means that the marker must be tilted (rocked) forward or backward to feed the next shot. The marker may not be semi-automatic, which means that it requires pumping or cocking prior to each shot being fired (in other words "rock and cock"). The marker must be powered by a single 12 gram powerlet, which limits the amount of shots to 15-30 depending on the efficiency of the marker. The marker may only hold a maximum of 20 paintballs in it. The marker may not have porting on the barrel (porting is putting holes in the end of the barrel for decreasing the sound of firing). Auto-trigger markers are also not acceptable (able to shoot paintballs by holding trigger down and only actuating the pump). This rule is often overlooked as auto-triggering is almost impossible with a horizontal feed tube. The marker must also not be in a configuration that allows paintballs to be stacked over the bolt within the feedtube, necessitating the need to "rock & cock" to load the next paintball.

Very few fields or tournaments require full stock class compliance and instead use what is commonly called "Modified Stock Class" rules. These rules usually allow constant air (CO2 or high pressure air) instead of 12 grams, feed tubes that hold more than 20 paintballs (horizontal or inclined) or even hoppers, and allow porting on the barrel since porting was found to have a positive effect on the accuracy of the paintball. Different fields can allow or not allow rules as they see fit.

Arguably the most popular stock class marker is the Phantom made by CCI, and can been seen here.

Why stock class?

Stock class aims to retain the way paintball was at its birth, before electronic markers, high rates of fire, and overshooting. Players play stock class for different reasons: some grew up playing paintball this way and don't like the direction the industry has taken the sport, some play this way to save money, some simply enjoy the challenge of not being able to rely on a fast marker to get eliminations.

Fringe or Mainstream?

Stock class was the way paintball started, and as the technology evolved, so did the players. As stock class faded from memories, players joining the sport knew that a fast marker was the only way to compete. But as time drew on, stock class players could be found playing speedball against the high-end markers. This brought stock class back into the minds of the older players and introduced it to a new generation of players. The popularity of stock class play has been steadily increasing for the past few years, as seen in increased demand in sales and trades on popular forums.

=See also=

=External links=

Paintball

Маркер (в пейнтболе)

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Paintball marker".

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