12 Gram - What is a paintball 12 gram? A 12 gram refers to a 12 gram CO2 cartridge, a steel cylinder filler with liquid CO2. The first paintball guns operated on 12 grams, and they are still used in stock class guns and paintball pistols.
300 FPS - What is 300 FPS in paintball? 300 FPS refers to 300 Feet Per Second, which is the industry standard for the maximum allowable velocity a paintball can be fired on the field. See chronograph.
Air Source Adapter - What does a paintball Air Source Adapter do? Known as an ASA for short, the Air Source Adapter is a threaded port that the CO2 or Compressed Air tank screws into.
Airball Field - What is a paintball airball field? An airball field is a paintball course that is comprised mostly or solely of inflated bunkers.
Anodizing - What is paintball anodizing? Anodizing, also known as ano, is a process in which a durable colored finish or pattern is applied to a paintball gun or other equipment. Anodizing may be in a shiny gloss finish or a "dust" matte finish.
Anti-Chop Bolt - What does a paintball anti-chop bolt do? An anti-chop bolt is either a spring-loaded or pressure bleed system that stops the marker's bolt on a ball rather than chopping it.
Anti-Chop Eyes - What do paintball anti-chop eyes do? Anti-chop eyes are a sensor built into the marker's breech. They detect when the ball is fully loaded into the breech to prevent bolt chop.
Anti-Siphon Tube - What does a paintball anti-siphon do? An anti-siphon tube is a curved metal tube professionally installed inside a CO2 tank. It prevents liquid CO2 from entering the marker's valve for increased consistency and protect certain marker's internals from freezing CO2.
ASA - What does a paintball ASA do? ASA is short for Air Source Adapter. It is a threaded port that the CO2 or Compressed Air tank screws into.
Ball Detent - What is a paintball ball detent? A ball detent is a component that prevents a paintball from rolling out of the breech. Detents are typically made of nylon, rubber, or stainless steel ball bearings, and are one piece or spring-tensioned.
Barrel - What is a paintball barrel? The paintball barrel is the tube that the paintball travels through when fired. A paintball barrel can be fixed/ integral to the marker's body, or threaded to be interchangeable. Paintball barrels are commonly made from aluminum, stainless steel, brass, titanium, or carbon fiber.
Barrel Break - What is a paintball barrel break? When a paintball is breaking only in the barrel and not the breech, that is known as a paintball barrel break. See our article, Why Are Paintballs Breaking In My Marker?
Barrel Cover - What is a paintball barrel cover? Also known as a barrel condom, a barrel cover is a device that slips over the muzzle end of the barrel, usually with an elastic strap to go around the loader or back of the marker. They are considered safer than the older barrel plugs.
Barrel Insert - What is a paintball barrel insert? An insert is a tube with a specific inner diameter that slips inside a paintball barrel. This allows the player to match their particular paintballs to the optimum inner barrel diameter for best performance.
Barrel Plug - What is a paintball barrel plug? A barrel plug is a device that is inserted into the muzzle end of the barrel.
Barrel Porting - What is paintball barrel porting? Barrel porting is a series of holes drilled into a paintball barrel. They help reduce the sound of the marker when fired.
Barrel Threading - What is paintball barrel threading? Paintball markers use various thread patterns or slip-fit designs to screw in or attach the barrel to the marker's body. See our Paintball Barrel Thread Guide for more information.
Bolt - What does a paintball bolt do? The bolt is the part of the marker that opens and closes to chamber a paintball, and channels pressure to the paintball to fire it.
Bounce - What is paintball bounce? When a paintball hits you but does not break, that is known as a bounce. If a ball bounces you are typically still in the game. clothing padded for protection will help a paintball bounce, but tournaments and commercial fields will not let you wear too much padding.
Blowback - What is blowback in a paintball marker? Blowback also known as blow by, is when pressure from firing a paintball rushes past the bolt and up the feed tube. Severe blowback can slow down the feed of paintballs and causes bolt chops.
Blowback Marker - How does a blowback paintball marker work? Blowback operation uses pressure from the marker's valve to blow back the striker, recocking and chambering the next paintball.
BPS - What is BPS in paintball? BPS stands for Balls Per Second. This is the rate at which a paintball gun or a particular mode can fire.
Breech - What is a paintball marker breech? The breech is the area in a marker's body where a paintball loads into, and sits before being fired.
Bunker - What is a paintball bunker? A bunker is anything on a paintball field that was specifically built or placed to take cover behind. A bunker can be made from natural materials, tires, barrels, inflatables, etc.
Burst Disk - What is a paintball burst disk? A burst disc is a safety device found on paintball tanks, valves and regulators. The burst disk is a rated diaphragm that will rupture in the event of over-pressurization. CO2 tanks have one burst disk; HPA tanks have two or more.
Burst Mode - What is paintball burst mode? This mode fires a set amount of shots per trigger pull, typically three shots.
California Style - What is California Style in paintball? California Style is an old term from the early days of the sport. It originated on the West Coast of the USA, from attaching your CO2 tank under an L or T-shaped shoulder stock and running a hose from the tank's valve to the marker.
Check Valve - What is a paintball check valve? A check valve allows air pressure to flow in one direction, but not the other. Check valves are common components of inline paintball regulators.
Chop - What is a paintball chop? When the bolt is clipping or cutting the paintball as it enters the breech, that is known as a paintball chop or breech break. It is identified by shell and paint in the breech and on the bolt of the marker. See our article on Why Are Paintball Breaking In My Marker?
Chronograph - What is a paintball chronograph? A chronograph is an electronic device that measures the velocity of a paintball when fired. They are required for safe play.
Clamping Feed Neck - What is a paintball clamping feed neck? A clamping feed neck attaches a hopper/ loader to a marker with a screw or lever camming action to hold it in place.
Closed Bolt - What is a closed bolt marker? A closed bolt marker such as the classic Autococker and pump guns holds the bolt forward, closing the breech with the paintball loaded. The bolt passes air to the ball, brings the bolt back, chambers the next ball, and then returns to closed.
CO2 - What is paintball CO2? In paintball, CO2 is liquid carbon dioxide that pressurizes a paintball marker. See our Info Center article on CO2 vs. Compressed Air for more info.
Compressed Air Tank - What is a paintball compressed air tank? A compresses air tank, also known as an HPA, N2, Nitro, or Nitrous tank, uses compressed air delivered through a regulator to pressurize the paintball marker. See our Info Center article on CO2 vs. Compressed Air for more info.
Constant Air - What is constant air in paintball? Constant Air is an old name for CO2 tanks.
Cycling Pressure - What is paintball cycling pressure? The cycling pressure, sometime confusingly referred to as the operating pressure by some manufacturers, is the pressure required to make the internals of an electro-pneumatic marker function. This is typically lower than the firing pressure.
Debounce - What is paintball debounce? A paintball circuit board can sometimes pick up electronic "noise" that it interprets as a signal to fire. The debounce setting helps the board filter the noise to only read actual trigger pulls.
Delrin - What is delrin in paintball? Delrin is a synthetic material that is very lightweight and strong. Its durable and machine shape-able characteristics make it ideal for bolts, bushings and other components.
Drop Forward - What is a drop forward in paintball? A drop forward is a piece that moves the ASA of a paintball gun down and towards the front. They help to balance marker set-ups with large tanks, or to shorten the length for smaller players.
Dual Pane Lens - What is a paintball dual pane lens? A paintball mask dual panel lens, also known as a thermal lens, utilizes two lens panes separated by foam. The inner lens is insulated from the outer lens, making it resist fogging much better than a standard single lens.
Elbow - What is a paintball elbow? An elbow is a device used to attach a hopper/ loader to a marker's feed port. Elbows are typically vertical oriented or 45 degrees, depending on the marker.
Electronic Marker - What is an electronic paintball gun? How does an electronic paintball gun work? An electronic, or "electro" marker, uses a battery powered solenoid to fire the paintball. An "electronic sear tripper" marker uses the solenoid to trip the sear for blowback operation. An "electropneumatic" marker uses a solenoid to direct air to a spool valve bolt or pneumatic ram for the marker's operation.
Electronic Hopper - What is an electronic paintball hopper? An electronic hopper uses a battery powered motor to agitate or force feed paintballs to the breech for faster feeding.
Electronic Loader - What is an electronic paintball loader? See electronic paintball hopper.
Expansion Chamber - What is a paintball expansion chamber? An expansion chamber is a device that provides an are for liquid CO2 to "boil off" and expand. It improves consistency and prevents liquid CO2 from entering the marker's valve.
Feed Neck - What is a paintball feed neck? A feed neck is where a hopper/ loader connects to the marker.
Firing Modes - What are paintball firing modes? Most electronic paintball guns are capable of shooting different firing modes with different Balls Per Second per trigger pull. The most common firing modes are Semi Auto, Burst, Ramping, and Full Auto. Many include specific, competition-legal modes that are allowed in popular tournament series such as PSP and Millenium.
FPS - What is FPS in paintball? FPS is short for Feet Per Second. This is the unit of measure for the speed at which a paintball leaves the muzzle of the barrel. 300 FPS is the max velocity for safe outdoor play.
Full Auto - What is paintball full auto? Full Automatic is a firing mode that continues to fire as long as the trigger is held down.
Glass-Filled Nylon - What is glass-filled nylon in paintball? Many paintball components and even marker bodies are made of glass-filled nylon. This synthetic material is easy to mold and incredibly tough despite its light weight.
Going Liquid - What does "going liquid" in paintball mean? When using CO2, your paintball gun "goes liquid" when the liquid CO2 from the bottle enters the valve. Your marker's velocity and cycling becomes erratic, and huge clouds of vapor and "snow" (dry ice) come from the muzzle.
Gun - What is a paintball gun? What is the difference between a paintball gun and a paintball marker? A gun is a paintball marker. The two names are interchangeable.
Hall Effect Trigger - What is a Hall Effect paintball gun trigger? A Hall Effect trigger uses a set of magnets to activate the marker's circuit board to fire. A Hall Effect trigger has very little felt resistance.
Harness - What is paintball harness? A paintball harness, also known as a pod pack or a ball hauler, is a piece of equipment that is worn on a belt or around the waist. It carries pods of paintballs, an air tank for a remote system, and other small gear.
Hopper - What does a paintball hopper do? A hopper, sometimes called a loader, is where paintballs are loaded into. A hopper typically is attached over the breech by a feed neck.
HPA - What is a paintball HPA tank? HPA is short for High Pressure Air, also known as a compressed air, N2, Nitro, or Nitrous tank. It uses compressed air delivered through a regulator to pressurize the paintball marker. See our Info Center article on CO2 vs. Compressed Air for more info.
Hydro Date - What is a hydro date in paintball? A hydrostatic date is the date on which an air cylinder was hydro tested for safety. All compressed cylinders have a hydro date stamped or affixed to the bottle when manufactured. All tanks must be re-hydro tested based on their type (typically 5 years). A tank out of hydro date compliance cannot be filled.
Inline Regulator - What is a paintball inline regulator? An inline reg takes the pressure coming from an air tank and regulates it to the proper pressure before entering the marker. An inline regulator typically doubles as a foregrip.
Loader - What does a paintball loader do? A paintball loader, also known as a hopper, is where paintballs are loaded into. A loader typically is attached over the breech by a feed neck.
Macroline - What is paintball macroline? This is a type of nylon air pressure hose that quickly and easily connects/ disconnects into its fittings. Macroline has better flow rates than microline.
Mag Fed - What is Mag Fed Paintball? Mag Fed Paintball is a challenging style of play using markers loaded with magazines or clips of paintballs.
Magnetic Trigger Activation - What is magnetic trigger activation in paintball? A magnetic activated paintball gun trigger uses a set of magnets to signal the circuit board to fire. Magnetic trigger activation has very little felt resistance. See also Hall Effect Trigger.
Marker - What is a paintball marker? What is the difference between a paintball marker and a paintball gun? A marker is a paintball gun. The two names are interchangeable.
Mechanical Marker - What is a mechanical paintball gun? A mechanical or "mech" paintball gun fires the paintball without any electronic operation to activate the marker.
Microline - What is paintball microline? This is a nylon air pressure hose that easily connects/ disconnects into its fittings. The flow rate of microline is not as good as macoline.
Milling - What is paintball milling? Milling refers to machine cuts that are "milled" into metal as opposed to molded. 3-D Milling refers to cosmetic cuts made to a marker's exterior.
Milsim - What is Milsim Paintball? Short for MILitary SIMulation, milsim paintball is a style of paintball play using markers and gear modeled on actual military weapons and equipment.
Open Bolt - What is an open bolt paintball marker? An open bolt paintball marker design holds the bolt back, keeping the paintball in the breech. The bolt closes, fires the paintball, and then returns to the open position.
Operating Pressure - What is paintball operating pressure? The operating pressure of a paintball marker is the amount of pressure required to fire the paintball. this is sometimes known as the firing pressure.
Overboring - What is paintball overboring? Some players prefer to overbore by choosing a barrel diameter larger than the paintball, typically one that lets the paintball roll through freely. While you lose gas efficiency and accuracy, there are much less barrel breaks when using fragile paintballs.
Pods - What is a paintball pod? A paintball pod, also known as a paibntball tube or a paintball pot, is a container with an easy-open lid for carrying extra paintballs onto the fields.
PSI - What is PSI in paintball? PSI is short for Pounds per Square Inch. It is the unit of measure for pressure in air tanks and components.
Pump - What is a pump paintball gun? The first paintball guns were pump action. The bolt had to be manipulated with a sliding bolt or pump handle to cock and load the next shot. Pump markers are still popular for players wanting a challenge.
Quick Disconnect - What is a paintball quick disconnect? This type of fitting allows the user to quickly and easily disconnect and reconnect an air hose. They are typically found on remote lines.
Ram - What is a paintball ram? A ram is a pneumatic-driven plunger that strikes the valve in certain electronic paintball guns. Also known as a rammer.
Ramping - What is ramping in paintball? Ramping, also known as turbo mode, is a setting in an electronic marker that adds extra shots after a certain number of trigger pulls. For example, a ramping mode that does 1.33 shots per trigger pull will fire 4 shots with only three pulls. Ramping is prohibited in many tournaments and commercial fields.
Recoil - What is paintball recoil? The felt "kick" of a marker. The heavier the recoil, the less accurate a marker's follow-up shots can be.
Remote - What is a paintball remote? A remote line is a hose that runs to your marker from an air tank carried on your back. Remote lines are often flexible coils for ease of use. Remote lines are popular in woodsball, big games, and scenario games for using huge air tanks without adding weight to the marker.
Response Trigger - What is a response trigger in paintball? A response trigger, also known as RT, is a trigger design with a piston located behind the trigger. It returns the trigger with more force than required to pull it. By depressing and holding a response trigger you can achieve full auto rates of fire. RTs are usually associated with Tippmanns and RT Automags.
Reticle - What is a paintball reticle? A reticle is the lines of dot that you use as an aiming point in a scope or sight.
ROF - What is paintball ROF? The Rate Of Fire is the speed at which a paintball marker can shoot. It typically is measured in Balls Per Second.
Scenario - What is scenario paintball? Scenario games have a story line, players in character, and multiple objectives for points. Scenario games are usually won by skillful strategy and role play as opposed to outshooting the other team.
Sear - What does a paintball sear do? The sear is the part of a blowback marker that holds the bolt in position. The trigger or a solenoid trips the sear to release the bolt.
Sear Tripper - What is an electronic sear tripper paintball gun? An electronic sear tripper is a marker that uses an electronic solenoid to activate the sear in a blowback marker.
Semi Auto - What is paintball semi auto? Semi Automatic is a marker or firing mode that fires one shot per trigger pull, with the action of the marker recocking and loading the next ball between shots.
Shooting Hot - What is "shooting hot" in paintball? "Shooting Hot", also known as having a hot gun, is when a marker is firing over the maximum allowable velocity at a particular field or event.
Slide Check - What is a paintball slide check? A slide check is used on a remote line to cut off the air pressure to the marker and instantly bleed the airline. This makes it faster and easier to disconnect the marker without blowing the o-rings.
Speedball - What is speedball paintball? Speedball is a generic name for playing paintball on concept fields like inflated air bunker or other non-woods/ tactical fields. The name comes from one of the first concept fields built at SC Village in the early 1990s.
Spool Valve - What is a spool valve paintball gun? Spool valve operation is a system in which a pressure chamber behind the bolt moves the bolt into the closed position and fires the paintball. There is no striker, rammer, or linkage pin as in stacked tube markers. Spool valve designs typically shoot smoother and quieter with less 'kick', but are not as gas efficient as stacked tubes. Classic spool valve markers include the Smart Parts Ion, Dangerous Power G5, and Planet Eclipse Geo.
Stacked Tube - What is a stacked tube paintball gun? Stacked tube operation uses a striker or pneumatic ram connected to the bolt via a vertical linkage pin. The bolt moves with the striker or ram as it hits and opens the valve to fire the paintball. A stacked tube paintball marker can be mechanical, sear tripper, or full electropneumatic. Classic stacked tube designs include Spyders, Azodin Blitz, and the Planet Eclipse Ego.
Stock Class - What is Stock Class paintball? Stock Class refers to a style of paintball play that tries to emulate the early days of paintball. Stock class paintball guns must be pump action, powered by a 12 gram CO2 cartridge, and hold no more than 15 rounds in a feed tube horizontal to the barrel. the marker must be tilted to allow a paintball to feed properly.
Striker - What is a paintball gun striker? Also known as a hammer, lower bolt or reap bolt, the striker in a paintball gun is the component in a blowback that strikes the valve to fire the ball.
Squeegee - What does a paintball sgueegee do? A paintball squeegee is a device used to clean broken paintballs from the marker's barrel. See our article on squeegees for more information.
Tank Regulator - What is a paintball tank regulator? The reg on your tank takes the pressure from the air tank's bottle and regulates it to the proper output pressure to the marker. A paintball tank regulator can be fixed or adjustable pressure.
Thermal Lens - What is a paintball thermal lens? A paintball mask thermal lens, also known as a dual pane lens, utilizes two lens panes separated by foam. The inner lens is insulated from the outer lens, making it resist fogging much better than a standard single lens.
Timmy - What is a Timmy in paintball? A "Timmy" is a slang name for the Bob Long Intimidator series of markers.
Wiping - What is wiping in paintball? Wiping is cheating done by a "wiper", who wipes a clean hit off and keeps playing. Don't do it!