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Paintball
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All About Paintballs
Author: Tim Bach

Paintballs are gelatin capsules filled with a water-soluble marking dye. The dye inside is non-toxic, meaning that if you swallow it, it will not hurt you. However, the taste is not very pleasant.

Paintballs are manufactured by many different companies. As with most things, paintballs can be either low quality, or high quality. Of course, paintballs also come in a variety of colors. Paintballs can also be bought in many different quantities, with just as many variations of prices.

Most paintball fields require you to purchase and use their paint. This is how they make their money. Therefore, in most cases, brand and quality of the paint will not be deciding factors.

The best way to determine which brand/quantity/quality of paintballs you should buy is to know how you will be using those paintballs. If you are using the paintballs for practice, you naturally will want to go with the cheapest paintballs. Quality will not matter much in this instance.

If you will be using the paintballs for rec-ball, again, quality is not quite as important, and you may want to go with the cheapest price. However, if you will be using the paintballs for tournament play, quality matters a great deal. You want paintballs that will not break easily inside your gun or in transit. At the same time, you do want paintballs that will break easily when they hit an opponent. Many tournaments will require you to use the paint that they are selling. Tournament grade balls tend to be resistant to "wiping", meaning that the paint is harder to wipe off. This discourages cheating.

You must also purchase the right size paintballs for your gun. Paintballs sizes are measured in calibers. The most common caliber of the barrel on a paint gun is .68. However, it is important that you check the documentation that comes with your gun to make sure you know the correct caliber of your gun's barrel, therefore enabling you to purchase the correct caliber paintballs.

Both paintballs and paint ball gun barrels range in sizes from .67 to .71 calibers. Just because your gun requires a .68 caliber paintball, does not necessarily mean that this is the best caliber for your gun. Paintballs are not perfectly round. You will need to experiment with different sizes, close to the caliber your gun calls for. It may be that a .67 caliber paintball works best in your gun, even if your barrel bore is .68. An easy test to see if a paintball will work in your gun is to put the ball in one end of the barrel. If it rolls out on its own, it is too small. It is a good fit if you can easily blow it out of the barrel. If you cannot easily blow it out, it is too big.

When choosing the color of your paintballs, it is necessary to consider the playing environment. If you are playing in the woods, bright colors may be preferred, as it is easier to see the paint. Some paintballs glow in the dark. If you are playing at night, this may be what you want.

A few brands of paintballs that are made for cold weather playing. They are designed for better performance during the winter months.

Occasionally, paintballs will break inside the barrel of your gun. If this is happening on a regular basis, there may be a problem. It could be the gun. You may have your velocity set to high. The ideal setting for your guns velocity is about 280. You may also bust balls in the barrel if you do not keep it clean. Having too much oil or not enough oil in the barrel can also cause the paintballs to break. Often, too much air pressure, or uneven air pressure, can cause the paintballs to break.

If the problem is not the gun, it is the paintballs. The most common problem will be the size of the paintballs you are using. Try using a smaller size. Dirty paintballs can also cause them to break. If your paintball hits the ground, do not use it in your gun. Take the loss.

Cheaper paint breaks more often than quality paint. Old paint breaks more often than new paint. Extreme temperatures also have an effect on your paint. Unless your paint is especially made for cold temperatures, avoid using it or storing it in such conditions. High humidity can also cause problems, by weakening and warping the paintballs. You should throw out paintballs that you have had for three or more months. Paint may also break if you are shooting the gun faster than what your hopper can manage. This is called over shooting the feed.

When storing your paintballs, keep this in mind. Higher quality paintballs last longer than low quality when kept in storage. You will need to store your paintballs in a dry area where the temperature does not vary too much. Store paintballs in a sealed container or bag to keep dust and dirt out.

It is a good idea to purchase low quantities of different quality/brand/priced paintballs and try them out to see which one works best for you and your paintball gun.

http://www.paintball-gun-tips.com " http://www.paintball-gun-tips.com

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paintball-5

Paintball
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Is Paintball the Safest Game in Town?
Author: Andrea Wilson
5 Ways To Prevent Serious Injury When Playing Paintball

The chance of getting seriously injured while playing paintball
is on a par with getting seriously injured while bowling! Bicycle
riding and golf both have higher incidents of serious injury. And
if you play lacrosse, your chance of being seriously injured is
more than 700 times what it is if you play paintball. You can get
all the statistics here: http://www.f4og.com/safe.html.

1. Insurance and Waiver Forms

Regardless of the above, paintball fields will still require you
to sign a waiver for insurance purposes. You can find an example
of a waiver here: http://www.paintballtogo.com/waiver.htm.

If you're a player or the parent of a player and you're concerned
about personal injury insurance, contact your insurance agent. If
you're a paintball field owner concerned about insurance, you can
check out this Web site:
http://www.nsera.com/paintball/index.htm.

2. Eye Injury

Your required equipment includes a mask with built-in goggles.
You need a mask for playing on any field or arena where you pay
to play. This mask will include coverage of your full head and
your eyes (goggles). You can't wear shop glasses, or other types
of safety glasses, as the force of the paintball may crack the
lens and send glass or plastic fragments into your eye.

Masks are not often found in exact sizes. However, you can wear a
knit hat or baseball cap under a mask to keep it from sliding
around if it's too big. A backwards baseball cap also gives the
back of your neck some protection from paint as many masks lack
adequate neck coverage.

When do you have to wear your mask? You need a mask as soon you
enter the playing field, when you're waiting for another game to
be finished and when you're in the staging area. Masks must be
worn throughout the entire game, no matter what. You can't lift
or take off your mask, or the referee will take you out of the
game.

If you're having problems with your goggles fogging or something
obstructing your vision, call for a referee. Do not remove your
mask! The one way you can get seriously injured in paintball is
by getting shot in the eye. If this happens, immediately call for
emergency medical attention. Do not try to treat the injury
yourself!

Washable field paint is essentially non-irritating to eyes.
However, if you do get paint splashed into your eye, flush your
eye thoroughly with water for fifteen minutes. To be safe, you
should also call for medical attention or travel to the nearest
medical center, clinic or hospital emergency room.

3. Knee and Ankle Injury

Many paintball sources recommend sneakers, tennis shoes, running
shoes or other soft footwear to ensure you can move around as
quietly as possible. However, if your ankles are weak, you're
playing in really rough terrain, or there are a lot of hills on
the field, wear hiking boots!

I've seen a player wreck his knee from running uphill in
sneakers. After seeing how much pain he was in, I now recommend
choosing safety over stealth every time. After all, it's just a
game! And, hey, don't the military wear combat boots?

Fogged-up goggles or glasses can be a safety hazard in paintball.
Tripping and falling hard on your knees can cause serious injury.
Get goggles that have thermal lenses or a built-in fan to keep
them from fogging up.

If you wear glasses, use anti-fog spray on them. Your goggles may
have an anti-fog coating, but your glasses don't! You can also
buy special inserts made using your glasses prescription that fit
inside your goggles. Then you don't have to wear your glasses at
all.

4. Sunburn

Remember to wear the strongest sunscreen you can find to the
game. A bad sunburn can totally ruin a wonderful day! Even if the
day starts out looking cloudy, put on sunscreen. If the weather
changes, you're already protected and it's one less thing to
think about while you're on the field. You never know when the
sun will come out. And in case you didn't know, you can get
burned even on an overcast day.

At the least, take a container of the spray-on kind of sunscreen
to the game. It's easy to apply so you'll be less likely to "not
bother."

If you forgot your sunscreen and you do get burned, apply aloe
vera gel to your sunburn as soon as you get home. You'll be glad
you did in the morning.

5. Welts

The game of paint ball is quite physical. It's definitely not a
game for young children, as paint balls sting when they hit an
exposed spot and sometimes leave welts that don't heal for days.

You should wear clothing that covers your legs and arms
completely, such as jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt or jersey.
Wrap any exposed areas of skin in strips of cloth and wear gloves
that at the least protect your hands, if not your fingers. As I
mentioned before, a backwards baseball cap gives the back of your
neck some protection if your mask lacks adequate neck coverage.

A few welts are an inevitable part of playing any paintball game.
Most don't hurt much, but some can feel quite tender after the
game. During the game you'll be too busy and distracted to
notice! (If you can't handle a little pain, don't play
paintball!)

If you do get a few welts, take a hot bath or shower when you get
home and apply a soothing gel like aloe vera. Afterwards you'll
feel a lot better.

Is Paintball the Safest Game Around?

While there is a slim chance of getting seriously injured playing
paintball, it has proven to be one of the safest sports and
recreational activities that youths and adults alike can enjoy.
Be sensible, follow the rules, buy ASTM F1776 certified equipment
and play at fields that follow ASTM F1776 standards. Your chances
of having an enjoyable day in the outdoors are better than with
virtually any other sport or activity, including walking around
the block!

About the Author

Andrea Wilson is a writer and mother of a teenage paintball
fanatic! To learn more about paintball, she recommends the
following Web sites: http://www.PaintballPicks.com and
http://www.PaintballHeroes.com.

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paintball-4

Paintball
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What Do I Wear To Play Paintball?
Author: Andrea Wilson
Paintball clothing is as varied as the players themselves, but
some recommendations and rules apply at most commercial fields.
After that, no two players will dress alike. You'll see the
weekend recball players in long sleeved t-shirts, jeans and
baseball caps, sporting rented markers. Then you'll see the pros
and die-hards in full camouflage gear, sporting the fanciest
sniper rifles on the market.

1. Ghillie Suits and Sniper Suits

Ghillie suits and sniper suits are similar. They are both
camouflage suits that consist of headgear, jacket (or poncho) and
pants covered with simulated vegetation made from jute or other
similar material. Basically, you look like a walking heap of
forest growth.

Ghillie-type headgear is especially useful in that it breaks up
the outline of the human head. The shape of the human head is not
found anywhere else in nature so it is easily recognized by an
opposing paintball player... or by a wary deer, for that matter.

Since ghillie suits are used by hunters, as well as paintball
players, you might try your local sporting goods store. Sniper
suits can often be found in military supply stores.

There are several online stores that sell ghillie suits. The only
problem with buying online is that you can't try on the suit to
see how it fits or to see how you like one particular style
versus another. So, make sure any online store has a good return
policy. You can get a lot of tactical gear, including ghillie
pants, jacket and poncho, here: http://www.ablewebs.com/rap4.htm.

2. Headgear

Headgear other than goggles and masks consists of ghillie hoods,
veils, headwraps, baseball caps and knit caps. Ghillie hoods and
veils are used for camouflage to disguise the shape of the human
head. Baseball caps, knit caps and head wraps are used to keep
the paint out of the player's hair. Baseball caps worn backwards
are also useful to cover the back of the neck.

3. Regular Clothing

Paintball requires a lot of physical energy so players tend to
get quite warm when playing. Although sufficient layers of
clothing are needed to prevent paintballs from leaving welts, too
much clothing can cause overheating of the body. Therefore, a
heavy winter jacket should not be worn.

As well, most fields won't allow a heavy jacket because it
prevents the player from feeling the impact of the paintball when
they are hit.

The rule for clothing is to wear loose-fitting long pants (not
fitted jeans) and a long-sleeved shirt or jersey over a t-shirt,
with an added light jacket in cool weather. Although some fields
allow t- shirts and short pants to be worn during play, this
leaves the skin exposed... and since you WILL get hit... ouch!
Not recommended!

Wear clothing that is earth-toned or olive green in color. Do not
wear white unless playing in the snow. Avoid the colors referees
and judges wear (usually red or orange) and avoid bright colors
that you wouldn't find in nature, like bright yellow, lime green,
shocking pink, etc.

4. Footwear

There are a lot of recommendations about various kinds of
footwear for paintball. Most players wear running shoes, sturdy
work shoes, hiking boots or combat-style boots. Cleated paintball
shoes are available in some paintball stores.

5. Gloves

Gloves come in various styles: full finger, half finger, and
fingerless. Full fingered gloves give the best protection against
impact. Fingerless gloves obviously provide the most control for
rapid fire techniques like walking the trigger, etc. Try on
several pair before buying as a good fit is very important. Ill-
fitting gloves will certainly interfere with your ability to fire
rapidly and accurately.

6. Goggle Systems

Goggle systems are getting more and more sophisticated every day.
Some goggle systems have built in fans to prevent fogging. Some
even have built in communication systems! These are especially
useful for recball and scenario games.

The most important thing to remember when buying goggles is that
they must meet or exceed ASTM standards. This is for your safety
and should never be compromised. If you have to spend a few more
dollars to get ASTM certified goggles, it will be money well
spent!

Another important thing to remember when buying goggles is to be
sure they fit well and feel comfortable. Your goggles have to
become part of you because you CANNOT take them off or even lift
them even for a second during a game. You have to WANT to wear
your goggles.

Never make any modifications to the factory specifications of
your goggle system. The mask and goggles must be made to work
together. Do not try to combine parts from different systems!

7. Vests

Vests are generally only used for scenario paintball games where
they're used to carry a pistol, grenades, tubes (to carry extra
paintballs), etc. They come in many colors and patterns, and are
often theme-based in style, including police, CIA, military,
offbeat, etc. You can even get one custom made! You can find some
here: http://www.ablewebs.com/rap4.htm ,
http://www.cops911.com/category.asp?id=114.

8. Patches

Police and S.W.A.T. patches are popular with paintball players.
These are patches you iron on to your combat or police-style
jacket or vest. You can find some here:
http://www.ablewebs.com/rap4.htm

9. Tattoos

While not technically considered clothing, tattoos among
paintball players are quite popular. The rule is: If you see a
tattoo you like, wait 12 months before you get it. If you still
like it and still like the idea of getting a tattoo after the
year is up, then go for it... always assuming your family is
supportive, of course!

Most paintball players don't have tattoos specific to paintball,
but some do, of course.You can do a search in Google or Yahoo for
"paintball tatoos" to see if you can find some examples of
paintball tattos you might like. Or, get an artist friend of
yours to design one for you.

By the way, as we mentioned in the article on paintball safety,
paintball sometimes hurts. And so does getting tattooed. Neither
are for the faint of heart!

Develop Your Own Style... Within the Rules of Paintball

What you wear to play paintball doesn't matter once you've
followed the basic rules and recommendations. Just develop your
own style over time as you observe others and shop around to add
to your paintball wardrobe. Don't forget to shop online, too.
There are enough paintball supply stores online to keep you busy
for quite awhile. You can start here:
http://www.ablewebs.com/rap4.htm.

About the Author

Andrea Wilson is a writer and the mother of a teenage paintball
fanatic. To learn more about paintball, she recommends you take a
look at http://www.PaintballHeroes.com and
http://www.PaintballPicks.com.

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paintball-32

Paintball
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Paintball guns go high-tech
Author: Shelley Borle
SITE Manufacturing (Redding, Calif.) has taken information attained during more than 23 years of fabricating hi-tech carbon composite components, such as telescope housings and applied it to the sport of paintball. "One year around Christmas, we decided we wanted to do something else," said SITE plant manager Dave Weir. " We spent the next three months scheming and developing an all-carbon-fiber composite paintball gun barrel." The product was the ST!FFI, a tournament-quality barrel with a stepped bore (0.002 larger at 5 inches) available in one of a selection of bore sizes in 10-, 12-, 14- or 16-inch (254 mm, 305 mm, 356 mm or 406 mm) lengths or as part of a ST!FFI SW!TCH kit (with nylon carrying case) containing a 0.695-inch bore barrel with four exchangeable sizing breeches (0.685 to 0.691 inch, in 0.002-inch intervals) used to adjust the barrel to minor variations in available paintball ammo.
Barrels were designed with the help of SolidWorks 3-D design software from SolidWorks Corp. (Concord, Mass.), utilizing woven carbon prepreg permeated with a resistant hi-tech polymer epoxy resin, supplied by Bryte Technologies (Morgan Hill, Calif.) with fiber-to-resin ratio controlled to within ±3 percent resin content. Plies of prepreg are meticulously cut to within ±.005 inch (±0.127 mm) on a programmable computer-controlled cutting table from Eastman Machine (Buffalo, N.Y.), then table-rolled onto a tubular polished metal mandrel (precision ground to within ±.0005 inch) and vacuum bagged. SITE declares that barrels are moulded to a tight ±.0005-inch tolerance on the bore size.

About the Author

About The Author: Shelley Borle is a Virtual Assistant, Writer & Expert On Boys. Visit Her Country Variety Lifestyle Magazine http://www.countryvariety.com/CVL.htm as well as her CountryVariety.com Professional Virtual Services site http://www.countryvariety.com Email shelley@countryvariety.com

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