Many people want to buy a paintball gun but are unsure how it works. Before purchasing a paintball gun, you must know How Does A Paintball Gun Work? and all about the paintball gun mechanism. No complex motor is used in the guns so that you can understand all the processes. A paint gun possesses an air compressor for pressure and a paintball feeder.
There are two significant types of paintball guns; mechanical and electronic. Both of these provide the same job but with different mechanisms. Anyhow, sometimes choosing one among both of these is tricky. To ease your mind, I will explain how does a paintball gun work. Let’s start with mechanical guns.
How Does A Paintball Gun Work?
Both electronic and mechanical paintball guns shoot paintballs by using CO2 or air. When you pull the trigger, the small bolt at the back of the gun pushes a ball into the barrel and seals it. Then a valve releases compressed gas and expands it to force the paintball to come out of the barrel.
Most paintball guns operate similarly, but differ based on speed, barrel seals, air pressure, and reload methods. You can also upgrade your gun by using the latest barrels. Make sure you buy an upgradeable gun to add new parts, like a giant air compressor or intelligent trigger.
1. Mechanical Paintball Guns
The Nelson paint company invented the first paintball gun in 1960. That gun was entirely mechanical and made for loggers and cattlemen. But over time, paintball guns were upgraded and made suitable for laymen. Automatic paintball guns are the most common guns people use. These guns are price friendly and come with durable parts. Moreover, these guns are easy to use, and you can open and clean them.
Anyhow, when you open the fire, the gun pushes a paintball into the barrel. The hammer strikes a pin to open the valve and releases air into the barrel. After that, a bolt expands the air in the barrel and forces the paintball to get out of the gun. It also produces sound, and the ball comes out of the barrel with maximum velocity.
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Types of Mechanical Guns
The price and performance of a mechanical paintball gun depending on the gun type. Different types of paintball guns are available on the market, like plastic or metal guns. You can buy a pricey paintball gun with super performance and long service life or purchase a standard-class gun for gifting your best friend.
1. Aluminum Paintball Guns
These guns have 15 years of service life, and the body is made of aluminum. The guns require monthly maintenance, and paintball cylinders are changed every five years. The speed of the weapon is about 300 feet per second. You can use optics and scopes to enhance accuracy.
2. Hard Plastic Guns
The hard plastic is also used in manufacturing paintball guns. These guns are extremely lightweight and provide 250 feet per second speed. These guns are affordable but not as durable as aluminum paintball guns. The service life of a hard plastic paintball gun is about 7 to 9 years if you take proper care of the gun.
Maintenance Of The Guns
The automatic paintball guns require maintenance every month, even in case of no use. You must clean and apply oil to the gun. If you use a weapon daily or weekly, you must clean it afterward. Some firearms come with multiple barrels because such guns are required to change a barrel every six months. Anyhow, you must read the weapon’s manual before starting the maintenance process.
Advantages
These guns are made of aluminum or hard plastic. So mechanical guns are easy to use and inexpensive compared to other guns. The guns run on CO2 or air so that you can upgrade the compressed gas bag. You can use simple tools and oils to clean the gun. Assembly of the parts is also super easy, and you can open parts of the gun within minutes. Most mechanical guns are made of similar parts, so you can find the parts of a gun in a local store or order them online. Plus, these guns provide 10 to 15 years of service life.
Disadvantages
Paintball guns do not provide accuracy and are not as fast as other types of guns. You must require an optic or scope for perfect targeting to shoot the target. The mechanical guns are louder than the other guns, and they must be prepared first to decrease the noise ratio. You can reduce the sound but not vanish it after preparing the gun.
These guns are not fast; you cannot shoot consistently because you must reload for the next shoot. On the other hand, other types of paintball guns, like electric guns, can shoot consistently. A mechanical gun needs 600 psi for a shoot, but an electric gun needs 200 psi. In simple words, you get fewer shots per gas tank than electric guns.
2. Electronic Paintball Guns
These guns are operated on the basis of an electric circuit. These guns are expensive compared to mechanical guns; some electronic firearms do not need maintenance. You can change the battery of the gun, upgrade it and use optics or other assisting features. The electric guns are advanced and provide perfect speed with high accuracy.
Angel Paintball Sports made the first electronic paintball gun in 1997. When you pull the trigger, the battery or circuit activates the gun to open fire. The electronic paintball guns do not need an air compressor for pressure because they regulate the battery, but some guns come with air tanks. Some corded paintball guns, but most people prefer cordless electronic paintball guns because of their mobility features.
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Types of Electronic Guns
Here is a list of various electronic guns. There are cost, frame, brand, material, size, velocity, and type differences. But all of the electronic guns are operated on battery or electric power. The battery duration of an electronic paintball gun is about 12 to 15 hours. Let’s discuss a few types of electronic guns.
1. Aluminum Gun
Aluminum paintball guns are a little heavier as compared to hard plastic guns. But these guns provide 15 to 17 years of service life. You can upgrade different parts of the gun, such as the barrel or battery. But aluminum guns are more expensive than plastic guns. Other metals like iron and steel also use in the formation of guns.
2. Plastic Guns
Plastic electronic guns are inexpensive and the most reliable guns. These guns provide 13 to 15 years of service life, and if you take proper care of the weapon, it can work for 20 years, but it also depends on the brand. The parts of this gun are available in local stores. If you are assuming a fragile plastic gun, you should know that these guns are made of top-quality plastic. Plus, you can upgrade guns over time.
Maintenance Of The Gun
Electronic paintball guns are hard to disassemble because of their complex machinery. That is why these guns come with a lengthy manual. If you successfully open parts of the electronic gun, use oil or grace for cleaning. The process of opening takes time, but you can disassemble different parts with suitable tools.
Make sure how does a paintball gun work, you tighten all the nuts of the gun; otherwise, it can hurt you. If you are unable to assemble the parts of the gun, then visit professionals. Do not try to fix complicated problems at home because you may end up ruining the gun, or a little mistake can hurt you. Read the manual before you start the lubricating gun.
Advantages
Electronic paintball guns are more accurate, faster, and consistent than mechanical guns. These guns possess a machine that helps to provide perfect targeting. These guns are smaller in size and lighter as compared to mechanical guns. You can also upgrade the battery, optics, and other parts of the gun. Electronic guns produce less noise as opposed to mechanical guns. Some guns make zero noise. These guns are reliable and more durable than mechanical ones and are easy to use. You can also set a limit on the fires or velocity of the shoots.
Disadvantages
Electronic guns cost you more as compared to mechanical guns. These guns come with lithium-ion batteries, which are expensive. The maintenance of the gun is very difficult. Once you open all the parts, it takes an hour or more to assemble them again. Plus, some electronic guns work on special oil. Their parts are rare; you cannot find a quality battery or barrel of an electronic gun in a nearby store.
Mechanical Vs Electronic Paintball Guns
People often confuse when it comes to a comparison between mechanical and electronic paintball guns. Both of these paintball guns provide the same job, but their mechanism is a little different. The mechanical paintball guns work on the bases of compressed air or CO2. When you pull the trigger, the balls come into the barrel. The bolt of the gun opens the valve by striking the pin within seconds. In this way, air releases with pressure and forces the ball in the barrel to get out of the gun quickly.
This mechanism is a little old but still in use because of its reliable performance. Before paintballs get out of the barrel, guns produce sound. On the other hand, the electronic gun has a regulator for producing high psi. When you pull the trigger, the circuit activates solenoids, a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical form.
The electronic paintball guns are programmable so that you can set the limits of fire, and some advanced guns offer a velocity customization feature. There are also different fire modes, such as three-round bursts. Some electronic paintball guns also come with compressed gas features. Plus, these guns need battery charge, so you cannot use them in case of low battery.
Which Is The Best Paintball Gun, Electronic Or Mechanical?
Both of these guns offer different features. There are pros and cons to both mechanical and electronic guns. But it is hard to determine the winner. If you closely observe the features of both guns, you will understand that each one of them is versatile in its way. Anyhow, mechanical guns are inexpensive compared to electronic guns because of their frame and performance. A machine gun is a great option if you are looking for a cheap one.
There is no doubt that electronic guns are better in performance than mechanical guns. These guns provide better aim, accuracy, and fast. These guns work on an electric circuit that produces high psi to force balls to come out of the barrel in a position. Plus, electronic guns are less noisy as opposed to mechanical guns.
Moreover, mechanical guns need 600 to 800 psi, but the solenoid produces 200 psi in the electronic gun. That is why mechanical guns require more CO2 or air for a shoot. While electronic guns can shoot multiple times, and you can set a limit on the fire. As well as you can also select different modes like a single-round burst.
But mechanical guns can work without batteries, and their maintenance process is more straightforward than electronic guns. You can lubricate and put together parts of a machine gun within 30 minutes, but an electronic gun takes an hour or more. Additionally, electronic guns are expensive and rare parts that are hard to find.
Conclusion – How Does A Paintball Gun Work
Paintball guns are not lethal, but you should not use them before wearing jackets, face masks, and head covers. If you want to know how does a paintball gun work, the answer is very clear the fire will not kill you but can cause significant injury. Do not use high-profile paintball guns at home, nor allow your kids to play with them. If you want to increase the life of a paintball gun, clean it weekly and after use. After tightening all nuts of the gun, check them because a loose part of the gun can hurt you badly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, there is a paintball machine gun with an electronic regulator. The machine gun is more than 30 pounds and 8mm. It has burst mode and also full automatic mode.
Paintball is not lethal, but it can cause injury. According to the statistics, paintball never caused a fatality. But wear helmets, jackets, and masks on the face before you use them.
Yes, CO2 and compressed air are used in paintball air compressors because these two are high-pressure gases.
In his impressive career, John M. Anderson has played alongside the best players in the world and earned the respect of many top competitors. His skill, versatility, and timing have helped him become one of the top players in the paintball world. He is a true pro who will likely be remembered as one of the greatest players in the game’s history. His impact goes beyond the field as well. He has become a spokesperson for the sport, sharing interesting stories and facts from the past, and he also regularly contributes to this blog to help and guide new players in the world of paintball.