Paintball equipment

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article makes heavy usage of paintball terms that may be impossible to understand by those who are not familiar with paintball. Please use the Glossary of paintball terms as a reference.

Paintball is a very equipment-oriented sport. Although good equipment by no means guarantees a good player, a good player's ability can be seriously hampered by poor-quality equipment. The minimum equipment required to safely conduct a game of paintball consists of (per player) a marker to fire the paint and a propellant to power it, a mask to protect the eyes and face from flying paintballs, paintballs themselves and a loader to contain them. A paintball game cannot be conducted effectively or safely without all of the above. For additional safety off the playing field, a barrel sock or plug is also considered compulsory.

Common additional equipment, depending on type of play, often includes:

• Gloves, elbow pads and knee pads
• A pack designed to comfortably carry pods containing extra paintballs
• Squeegee or swab for cleaning out the barrel in case a paintball breaks.
• Chest protector
• Throat protector

Contents 1 Types of equipment 1.1 Markers 2 Propellants 2.1 Carbon dioxide 2.2 High pressure air or N2 2.3 Comparison 3 Masks 4 Hoppers/Loaders 5 Paintballs 6 Clothing 7 Common accessories 7.1 Drop forward 7.2 Remote line 7.3 Pod 7.4 Harness 7.5 Squeegee 7.6 Barrel covers/condoms/socks 8 Other equipment 8.1 Paint grenades 8.2 Paint mines 8.3 Smoke Grenades 8.4 Slingshots 9 Equipment maintenance 9.1 Marker maintenance 9.2 Mask maintenance 9.3 Paint to barrel matching 10 See also 11 References

[edit] Types of equipment

[edit] Markers

Main article: Paintball marker

A paintball marker, also commonly called a paintball gun, is the primary device used in the game of paintball to mark an opposing player. An expanding gas (usually carbon dioxide or high-pressure air) forces a paintball through a barrel at a muzzle velocity of approximately 300ft/s (91m/s). This velocity is sufficient for most paintballs to break upon impact at a distance, 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 at or below 300ft/s. Being hit in an eye by a paintball can result in permanent blindness or vision impairment, thus the universal rule that paintball participants must wear a protective goggle system designed specifically for paintball use.

The majority of modern paintball markers are semi-automatic, falling under the classification of either "open" or "closed" bolt firing positions, relying on one of four major design structures:

• The first is a gas blowback design (either inline or stacked) whereby the trigger releases a striker which sends the bolt forward and knocks open a valve, releasing gas to fire the paintball and recock the marker.
• Autococking markers use a more complicated gas pneumatic system to automatically perform the function of a pump-action marker without using a pump arm.
• The third is the blow-forward design, such as that used in Airgun Designs' markers. There is no striker: the bolt seals the air chamber until the sear is released, which then allows the bolt to move forward, chamber a paintball, and vent the gas behind it.
• The fourth and most advanced type of semi-auto paintball marker is the electropneumatic. Here, the trigger trips an electronic microswitch (or more recently, a magnetic or optical sensor) and information is passed to a computer-controlled solenoid which releases the propellant to drive the bolt forward and fire the paintball, similar to the blow-forward design. This microcontroller operation makes the marker operate very quickly, and allows for extreme rates of fire. These markers are the most expensive (usually) of the four types and are generally used for tournament play where rates of fire can reach and exceed 30 balls per second.

There is also a strong following of stock-class and "pump" players who use markers with a purposefully low rate of fire and ammo capacity. Pump guns use a mostly self explanatory format, forcing the player to slide a pump back and forth to load each shot before firing. Stock-class guns are essentially the same, with a few extra restrictions. They are exclusively pump-action paintball guns powered by 12-gram CO₂ cartridges. Also, stock class markers have only a 10 to 20 round ammo tube that is not spring loaded and must be fixed to the marker, parallel to the barrel. This leads to what is known as the "Rock and Cock" action, because a player needs to rock the marker back for a ball to drop into the chamber before recocking the marker.

The last type of marker is a sidearm, usually a pistol, that uses a CO₂ cartridge to power it. These are usually either pump or semi-automatic but have an 8-12 round magazine attached somewhere on the gun. The usage of paintball sidearms is a popular topic among paintballers. Some argue that the usage of a sidearm in paintball is pointless saying it's "a $100 pod". Others argue that it is priceless on the battlefield as your main marker can jam or run out of CO₂.

Some markers are designed to look like real guns, such as the Tippmann A-5 and X7 or the Smart Parts SP8, based upon the American Protoype XM8 as well as much of the Armotech product line, and as such are called mil-sim, short for military simulation. These are used almost exclusively in woodsball and military scenario games. The more expensive mil-sim markers tend to be considerably more reliable and more rugged than most high-end speedball markers, but are heavier and tend to operate at slower, more realistic rates of fire. Most are also painted camo or black in order to blend in with foliage or shadow better than a flashy marker, since stealth and flanking tactics are of more value in the woodsball environment than that of the much smaller speedball arena. Some mil-sim markers use hoppers, though some use magazines similar to real-life automatic weapons. Many come with a shoulder stock and use a coiled remote line connected to a tank of propellant usually carried on the players back, in order to follow the mil-sim look and to lighten the marker up and make it more maneuverable.

An excellent resource on marker operation including animations of marker operation is http://www.zdspb.com/tech/misc/animations.html

[edit] Propellants

[edit] Carbon dioxide

Because CO₂ becomes a liquid when compressed, it must expand to a gas in order to be used by the paintball marker. This expansion is not adiabatic and requires energy, causing the tank to cool as heat is used to expand the liquid CO₂ into gas. Eventually, under sustained fire, and especially in cold weather, the tank can become so cold that ice crystals form on it. If the CO₂ bottle does not have an anti-siphon tube fitted, or is shaken while firing, the liquid CO₂ may enter the marker. The liquid CO₂ then passes through the marker instead of the tank, evaporating and causing the marker to freeze. This results in large clouds of CO₂ vapor ejected from the marker upon firing, caused by the liquid CO₂ evaporating in/around the barrel. This is known as "drawing liquid". This can and will cause damage to internal seals and O-Rings, which will put the marker out of commission for some time while it warms back up. Never leave a CO₂ container in sunlight, as the heat will cause the gas to expand to a dangerous level. The tanks include safety valves in their construction, but there is no need to use them or take unnecessary risks.

With normal back-bottle setups (or, air systems utilizing a horizontal air source adapter, more commonly called an ASA), the less dense gaseous CO₂ will rise to the top half of the tank. Normally, ASA's are angled with very slight angles so the gaseous CO₂ is always available at the valve of the tank. Special devices known as anti-siphon tubes extend the mouth of the valve, and provide only CO₂ from the top part of the tank.

During rapid successions of shots, gaseous CO₂ is used up. Liquid CO₂ will take some time to evaporate and rebuild the internal pressure. This process causes potentially large changes in velocity and therefore, in accuracy and range.

[edit] High pressure air or N₂

When nitrogen or HPA (High Pressure Air) is compressed, it remains a gas. When it expands, it also cools the tank, due to the Joule-Thomson effect, but at a far lower rate than liquid CO₂ because it does not have to change from liquid to gas. The lack of this transition reduces the variation in pressure associated with rapid successions of firing cycles, improving accuracy. Therefore it is viewed as a superior source of propulsion.

However, because these propellants are stored at higher pressures (up to 5000 lbf/in² or 34 MPa) while liquid CO₂ is stored at around 1200 lbf/in² (8 MPa), tanks for nitrogen and HPA are more expensive and heavier. Modern designs are usually wrapped in carbon fiber or other composite materials, to allow for thinner walls (thus, lighter weights) while withstanding the greater pressure. Average pressure for HPA tanks used in paintballing is 31 MPa (4,500 lbf/in² or 310 bar). The tanks themselves can either be filled with pure N₂ or compressed air, which is 79% N₂. These air sources have traditionally been used primarily by people who play often and have tournament-grade markers; however, they are becoming more popular among casual players.

Tank capacity ranges from 48 to 114 in³ (0.8 to 2 L). The 68 in³ (1.1 L) size is considered average. Smaller tanks may not last heated matches, while larger tanks are cumbersome and require mounting options that create a larger gun profile. Thus, large tanks are usually only seen in speedball back players, who do little movement but fire thousands of rounds in a game. Scenario players that fire a similar volume of paint will also utilize a large tank. 48 ci tanks are rarely seen, as a 68 is only slightly larger in form but offers a far longer play time.

HPA is also known as nitrogen, nitro, or N₂. The reason for the varying name difference is because in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tom Kaye and Team Nitro used large 114 cubic inch tanks on their back. This was the first team to use nitrogen in a paintball setting. The gas they used was 100% nitrogen, which is very rare today. The reason for this is that air compressors capable of filling tanks to the required 3000+ psi (21 MPa) are more common. HPA tanks can be filled with nitrogen or compressed air, but can NOT be filled with CO₂. It is also a common misconception that paintball markers use nitrous oxide (N₂O,"Nitrous", "NOS"), or NO₂. Neither of these are used in paintball pneumatic systems.

HPA is also preferred because it makes it easy for frequent players to fill the air system from a conventional scuba tank. Also, many players believe that using N₂ instead of HPA reduces the corrosion caused to the marker by oxidation from the oxygen in the HPA.

[edit] Comparison

Nitrogen is generally preferred over carbon dioxide for a few reasons. Nitrogen will not liquefy and leak into the marker, while if the CO₂ tank doesn't have an anti-siphon tube installed, liquid CO₂ can leak into the marker, causing damage to O-rings. The solenoids on electronic markers are particularly sensitive to this, and thus many manufacturers will specify to use only nitrogen or HPA with their electronic markers. Nitrogen generally has a more consistent shot than CO₂. This is because when the playing area is warm, the CO₂ will expand more rapidly from the liquid form, causing the marker to fire at a higher velocity. But when the temperature is lower, the expansion occurs more slowly, causing a decrease in the velocity of the shot. This is especially apparent during rapid firing while using CO₂. The rapid discharge of CO₂ causes the temperature of the liquid CO₂ to drop dramatically, resulting in a significant loss in pressure. The effect of temperature on HPA or nitrogen, on the other hand, is negligible. However, CO₂ tanks are significantly cheaper than nitrogen tanks. The nitrogen tanks traditionally cost slightly less to be filled than the CO₂ tanks at approximately three to five US dollars. Also, many fields offer better rates for HPA fills due to their lower shots per fill (more apparent in smaller HPA systems, such as a 3000psi, 48ci tank) than CO₂; the most common being 25 cents per ounce for CO₂ and $5 for all-day HPA fills. From this, it can be seen that for the cost of refilling a single 20 oz. CO₂ tank, a player can refill any size HPA tank all day.

[edit] Masks

Sometimes called "goggles", masks are safety devices that players are required to wear. These completely cover not only the eyes, but also the mouth, ears and nostrils of a person. Some masks even feature throat guards. The lenses are designed to stop paintballs traveling around or under 300ft/s (~90m/s). It should be noted, however, that the lenses are not designed to withstand impacts of paintballs traveling at vastly greater speeds.

Double-layered or "thermal" lenses are also available. These lenses are much less prone to fogging. These work by separating an inside and an outside lens with an air chamber, that allows for the difference in temperature between the inside and the outside of the mask without forming condensation. However, if any moisture whatsoever somehow gets in between the two lenses, the inner faces of both lenses will fog, and it will take a very long time to dry out, if it does at all.

Fogging masks can be a significant hazard while playing. Besides the lost vision, players may be tempted to remove their mask and expose themselves to serious eye injuries. To reduce fogging of lenses while playing, some masks include electric fans that remove humidity and dry the lens. This is especially useful for situations that require wearing the mask for extended periods of time, such as wood play, large games, or being a referee. Finally, there are many anti-fog topical solutions that players can apply .

The exterior of the thermal lenses (or the lenses, in non-thermal masks) is usually made of Polycarbonate. This material provides excellent impact resistance. Because polycarbonate is soft, these lenses are manufactured with anti-scratch coatings. But great care must be taken to keep proper care of the lenses. Many vendors recommend the immediate replacement of very scratched lenses, or lenses subjected to very strong impacts.

Generally, more expensive masks tend to be smaller (which in turn makes the player a smaller target), more comfortable, and have more interchangeable parts.

It should be noted, that while playing paintball, even just shooting at the ground or trees, wearing proper paintballing masks are mandatory for safety. Some paintballs can be very thick and can bounce off the ground, and other objects, and hit people.

[edit] Hoppers/Loaders

Hoppers are the means by which a paintball player keeps their gun fed with ammunition, much as magazines are to a regular rifle. With few exceptions, hoppers are all mounted above the gun, and most use gravity as the ultimate force to get the balls in the gun. That is to say, if most hoppers are turned upside down, the gun will not be fed with balls. There are two main types: non-powered and powered. Non-powered hoppers often get jammed up with balls at the feed neck, which can result in a gun 'dry firing' (firing without paint) or chopping balls due to the timing of the ball entering the gun. This is detrimental to the performance of the gun and speed of shooting. Powered hoppers, sometimes generically known as revies, improve on this method of feeding the gun. Though a few actually force the balls down the tube when needed, most simply use some method, from agitation to revolution of a wheel inside the hopper, to shake up the balls and send them down the tube. Using various methods, hoppers have been able to achieve rates of feed 18 balls per second and above. There is some confusion about the term 'loaders.' Though a loader can often refer to a powered hopper, the term is also used for unpowered hoppers, and some people use the word to refer to guppies/pods used simply to carry extra paintballs.

[edit] Paintballs

Paintballs, also simply called "paint", are spherical gelatin capsules containing primarily polyethylene glycol, other non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and dye. Early paintballs were made of glass ^[1] and filled with indelible oil-based paint, since they were made for marking trees and cattle, but modern paintballs should easily wash out of most clothing. The color of the shell does not necessarily indicate the color of the fill.

Most common paintballs and paintball markers are described as .68 caliber, but many factors affect the exact dimensions. Paintballs and barrels vary in size from .67 caliber to .71 caliber. On most paintball markers, the barrel must be slightly larger than the paintball for correct operation.^{[citation needed]} In addition, paintballs are seldom perfectly round and are very sensitive to heat and moisture. A hot or humid day may result in paint swelling or becoming misshapen. Care should be taken to keep paintballs out of the sun and away from moisture. An insulated cooler works well for this on the field.

Generally speaking, paintballs of greater price are subjected to more stringent manufacturing processes, quality checks, and standards, making their size and shape more consistent. This is very important for accuracy. Costlier paintballs also tend to have higher quality fills and thinner shells to improve the frequency of breaking on impact rather than bouncing, and thus raise the percentage of "eliminations."

SWAT teams often use paintballs filled with a pepper substance (known as a pepper ball) as a non-lethal incapacitation method.

[edit] Clothing

Paintball is a very active sport, involving a lot of running, diving, crawling and sliding. Accordingly, the clothing worn for paintball must be extremely hard-wearing and durable. For woodsball, camouflage is also extremely useful, so it is not uncommon to see players wearing army surplus miliary fatigues, particularly DPM styles. For speedball, however, the small field and artificial obstacles make camouflage ineffective. Speedball players therefore wear clothing which forms a uniform amongst the players, usually in threatening colors or styles (flames, for instance, are particularly popular). For scenario games, players will tend to dress themselves in a style appropriate to the character or force they are representing.

Clothing worn for tournament paintballing is also constrained by the tournament rules, which expressly prohibit thick padded materials which are likely to adversely affect the chance of paint breaking on the target^[2]. Combined with the need to allow adequate padding to protect the elbows and knees during slides on hard ground, tournament paintball gear can take on a rather unusual appearance. Often, in an attempt at gamesmanship, players will wear the baggiest clothing they can reasonably get away with, as this also makes paint more likely to 'bounce'.

Footware varies enormously between Speedball and Woodsball/scenario games. In woodsball, the rough terrain and uneven, often muddy ground makes footware with good grip and plenty of ankle support a necessity. This lends itself to boots, either military style or walking/hiking boots. In speedball, however, the added weight of thick boots is a distinct disadvantage, as is the reduction in mobility. Speedball players therefore tend to wear sneakers or cleats.

[edit] Common accessories

[edit] Drop forward

A drop forward is a marker add-on which is used to reposition the air canister to a more comfortable position, or one which improves the balance of the gun. They usually tilt the canister onto a slight angle and move it forward of its original position. They do come in all shapes and sizes however so it is a personal preference which direction the tank is "dropped" - it is possible to mount the tank vertically, reversed or almost any other conceivable position. Most players use it to assist with balancing the marker, or to reduce its total length to make it more maneuverable (particularly if it has an extremely long barrel). Some marker designs do not permit the installation of a stock if the air cylinder is left in its standard location, necessitating a drop-forward if the player wishes to install a stock to improve accuracy.

There is a dispute among many players, however, that a drop forward will make the player's profile unecessarily tall and wide, as the tank pushes the loader higher up above the head and may cause the player to hold his/her arms out wider in play to make up for the unnatural angle the drop will put on a grip.

[edit] Remote line

A remote line is a hose (a gas line) run down from the marker to the tank, which allows the user more freedom of movement while handling the marker. Their utility lies in decreasing the weight and length of the marker, making it more maneuverable. However, they may get caught in trees and shrub, and if the tank is hit it still counts as a kill, even though it is on the player's back. Remote lines are not frequently used by tournament players, as it adds unnecessary weight (and the presence of the gas tank is factored into the design of tournament markers, making them extremely unbalanced if the tank is removed).

[edit] Pod

Pods, also known as guppies and simply tubes, are simply rigid tubular plastic containers which hold paintballs. The most common pod size holds about 140 paintballs; however, other sizes are available, and 100 paintball pods are common at rental sites, while there are also pods for smaller paintball pistols which only have the capacity of 10 paintballs (such pods are usually called tubes). Standard pods use a spring-loaded plastic top to enable them to be opened quickly and single-handedly. There are variations - for example, Dye Lock Lid pods which use a simple locking mechanism to ensure they won't open accidentally, or Syn Shockpods, which are engineered to be able to be shaken vigorously without the paint inside breaking.

[edit] Harness

Harnesses, or packs, hold pods full of paintballs, and the player's gas tank if using a remote line. Most hoppers hold about 200 paintballs and some markers can empty them in 10 seconds of sustained fire. In woodsball, and especially in scenario paintball, a player may be away from their reloading supplies for an extended period of time. A harness with pods allows a player to have a portable supply of paint, without weighing down their marker with an enormous hopper. Harnesses capable of carrying a tank in addition to pods are usually labeled with a +1 (e.g. A harness capable of carrying four pods and a tank would be labeled 4+1).

Harnesses for Speedball or Tourney ball tend to consist of a bellyband with hoops in the back for the pods. Harnesses for Woodsball may follow a more military look with pockets for maps, radios, and hydration pouches.

[edit] Squeegee

Squeegees are used to clean out debris from the barrel and breach, usually consisting of broken paintballs. Most squeegees use a hinge-mounted rubber disc on the end of a plastic rod of sufficient length to reach the full length of the barrel. The rubber washer end is inserted sideways into the barrel, pushed to the bottom and subsequently withdrawn with the rubber disc rotated ninety degrees (so that the disc now touches the inner circumference of the barrel and scrapes the paint out).

For paintball markers with an open breech or removable bolt, a "cable squeegee" may be used - a cable squeegee is a rubber disc mounted perpendicularly on the end of the cable. The non-rubber-disc end (the "pull end") is inserted through the breech (or through the back once the bolt is removed, whichever is appropriate) and pushed fully in such that the pull end extends out the front of the barrel. The squeegee is then drawn through the gun by pulling on the pull end.

A "Battle Swab" is used commonly in speedball for extremely quick cleaning; a double ended stick with soft absorbent fur is shoved down the length of the barrel to remove any performance hindering paint or shell. The swab often has a bendable rubber section in the middle so that it can be folded over and stored in a pocket.

Regardless of the design, as the squeegee is withdrawn, the barrel is perfunctorily cleaned to allow continued use of the marker. This allows the player to reduce the amount of paint or other debris in the marker, which can severely reduce accuracy, without having to remove themselves from play. A more thorough cleaning is recommended once time allows.

[edit] Barrel covers/condoms/socks

A safety device comprised of a cloth or neoprene pouch placed over the opening of the barrel and attached to the marker via a cord. These are usually required by commercial fields, to be used whenever the player is not on a field. They prevent an accidentally discharged paintball from leaving the barrel and causing injury. Forgetting to replace it after leaving a game and entering a safe zone will usually earn a warning. Repeated infractions will often result in ejecection from the site. This is done for liability reasons and to lower possibility of unexpected injury to anyone around, especially important when involving eye safety.

Barrel socks are now preferred over barrel plugs because of the reduced possibility of discharging the safety equipment from the marker. When using a barrel plug, the first accidentally fired shot will shatter inside the barrel against the plug, pushing it at least partly out of the barrel. The second or third shot will likely dislodge the plug completely, meaning further shots pose a danger to surrounding players. With modern markers easily capable of firing five or more shots in a fraction of a second, barrel plugs simply do not provide an adequate guarrantee of protection. Furthermore, a discharging plug is a hazard in itself, as it can be fired with some speed out of the end of the barrel.

A barrel sock, by contrast, does not adhere rigidly to the end of the barrel but is instead attached with elastic. If a paintball is accidentally fired, it passes out the end of the barrel and is caught by the barrel sock. The momentum of the paintball is absorbed by the elastic, which then springs back into position, pushing the paintball harmlessly out the bottom of the sock. Repetitive firings therefore pose no threat to safety, and the paintball does not make a mess of the inside of the barrel.

[edit] Other equipment

[edit] Paint grenades

Although not legal in tournament play, paint grenades may be found in recreational and scenario play. Grenades do not usually contain explosive charges, and are generally closer to water balloons in function. One common grenade design consists of a rubber tube sealed securely at one end and more loosely at the other, with an arming pin which, when pulled, loosens that end. The tube is filled with paint under pressure, usually from a syringe. When the grenade is thrown against a hard surface, the loose end of the tube is unsealed, and the paint is sprayed over a wide area, potentially marking players. This paint is normally a different color to the fill of the normal paintballs used on that field, as spray from a grenade (by definition) must count as a kill. Another common design consists of a small compressed CO2 tank surrounded by a container of paint.

Under most rules, any mark from a paint grenade is sufficient to count as an elimination.

[edit] Paint mines

Paint mines are simulated land mines for use in Paintball. Several devices have been designed to spray paint over an area when triggered by passing players. Precise methods of spraying paint or triggering the mine vary; however, due to insurance reasons, no paint mines use any sort of explosive.

[edit] Smoke Grenades

Although again illegal in tournament play, smoke grenades are also used in scenario play. These create a screen of smoke which can obscure the movement of players and make it more difficult for the opposition to hit them. Some large-scale scenarios use military-issue smoke grenades, but for recreational use, smaller commercial 'smokes' from companies such as EnolaGaye are preferred (due mainly to cost and convenience).

[edit] Slingshots

A variation of paintball uses slingshots instead of markers to propel the paintballs. Because slingshots may shoot faster than 300 fps, most paintball fields don’t allow them. A normal game usually requires all players to use slingshots, but some games may allow certain players to use pump action markers vs. slingshots, such as Cowboys and Indians. For more info see Slingshot paintball

[edit] Equipment maintenance

[edit] Marker maintenance

A well-maintained paintball marker will last longer and be more reliable. A paintball marker should be disassembled and checked for problems routinely. For example, it is not uncommon for the O-Ring to break, or for paintballs to break inside the barrel. The latter problem can be solved temporarily when the player is "in the field" by using a pipe-cleaner-like tool referred to as a squeegee. However, it is important to disassemble the marker after the game and properly clean out any affected parts with the marker company's recommended material/solvent (such as a special cloth, or lubricant) and a paper towel. After cleaning, the marker should be lubricated with commercially available paintball lubricant. Firearm oils or lubes should not be used near internal seals or O-rings, as these are petroleum-based and will dissolve the rubber or silicone fittings. The player should then ensure that the marker is unloaded before firing several shots to blow out any remaining paint and dry out the interior. Replacements for broken parts should only be sourced from the manufacturer of the marker.

[edit] Mask maintenance

If a shot to the mask leaves the lens covered in paint, it is important not to simply wipe the paint off, because doing so may cause debris to scratch the lens. The player should leave the field (as he has been eliminated anyway) and clean off the lens using water and a towel or a piece of cloth.

When thermal lenses are used, water or anti-fog treatment should be applied only to the outer lens, as moisture of any kind between the 2 lenses will ruin the lens system. The interior portion of a thermal lens is also quite soft and should only be wiped clean with a microfiber lens cloth designed specifically for cleaning glasses or goggles without scratching. Products such as Windex or other glass and spectacle cleaners should never be used, as they are designed to used on glass rather than polycarbonate. Doing so could damage the anti-fog treatments, or compromise the integrity of the lens, putting the player at risk of serious injury.

A convenient method is to use a cheap small spray bottle to spray water onto the lens rather than pouring it on. Another good lens cleaning agent is a 50-50 mixture of rubbing alcohol and water. After it is mixed it should be put into a spray bottle for use. Use only a clean cloth on the mask; paper towels will scratch the lenses. Anti-fog spray is also available, which coats the lens in a temporary fog-resistant film. Some new lenses will come "pre-treated" by anti-fog, or the lens will say "fog-resistant", with these lenses, it is advised that anti-fog chemicals are never used as the chemicals can damage the lens beyond further use.

Lenses should be replaced once a year as their strength is adversely affected by exposure to sunlight. If a player is hit in the mask the lens ideally should not be used again until it has been checked for damage, especially if the shot was from less than ten meters.

[edit] Paint to barrel matching

Paintballs generally change shape or size due to differing temperature or humidity. If a paintball is larger than the barrel, it may break inside the barrel and cause horrible inaccuracy until it is cleaned. If the paintball is too small for the barrel, air will escape around the paintball when firing causing a drop in velocity and accuracy. Correcting for this by adjusting the velocity adjuster on the gun could cause a lack of air efficiency.

To check for a good paint-to-barrel match, remove the barrel from the gun and insert a paintball into the barrel. If the paintball simply rolls through the barrel, then the paintball is too small for that barrel. If the paintball does not roll out, then attempt to blow the paintball out of the barrel using your mouth. Ideally, you should be able to easily blow the paintball out, however, if this is not possible and the paintball becomes stuck, then the paintball is too large for the barrel.

Because of the varying sizes of paintballs and barrels, many people opt for an adjustable bore barrel, commonly called a barrel system, or barrel kit. These barrels allow for the user to adjust the internal bore of the barrel to allow for a perfect match for the paint being used. The kits may use pieces called "backs" to adjust bore size, or inserts, which is used in the Scepter barrel kit. Such examples of an adjustable bore barrel are the Sly Dualcarbon barrel system, Powerlyte Scepter, MacDev Matchstick, Smart Parts Freak Barrel, and the Stiffi Switch Kit.

[edit] See also

• Paintball
• Woodsball
• Speedball
• Scenario paintball

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.area51pball.com/index.html
2. ^ http://www.nppl.tv/2005-Rules-final-3-1-05.pdf page 10