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Frequently Asked Question About Paintballs

What is inside a paintball?

Paintballs are not made of paint. They are soft gelatin capsules (the same gelatin as in Jell-O) containing a mixture of vegetable oil and food color (pigments), the same as those in orange soda, candies, ice cream, bubblegum, mints, etc. The liquid fill in a paintball is non-toxic and non-caustic, water-soluble and made of biodegradable or naturally occurring ingredients. When a paintball hits a target, the thin gelatin skin splits open as it is designed to do, and the liquid inside makes a "paint" mark on the target. Paintballs are encapsulated by the same machines that make bath beads and vitamin capsules.

What is the best way to store paintballs?

Store paintballs between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, in not more that 50 percent relative humidity. Humidity and moisture make paintballs "swell up." Both the gelatin shell and the paintball's fill are moisture-sensitive. They will absorb moisture and begin to swell. Once they swell, they'll never be the same again. Since you cannot take the moisture back out, it is very important to keep paintballs in moisture-barrier bags of containers. You can use the thick plastic bags in which the paintballs came in, or a plastic bag that is four mils or more thick, like a moisture-barrier freezer bag. Paintballs can be stored in tubes or pods that have snug fitting caps. Keep the containers closed as much as you can, at home, during transport and at the field. The more humid it is, the more important it is to protect your paint from the humidity. DO NOT store paint in the refrigerator.

What can happen to paintballs in very hot or cold weather?

Paintballs work well in hotter or colder weather, but they should be kept well protected from any temperature extremes. Keep them out of the heat and sun, or the raw cold. At the field, keep them sealed, shaded from the sun and protected from the cold. Too much heat can cause the gelatin shell of a paintball to soften, meaning the paintball might deform, bounce more or stop feeding into the paint gun. Never leave your paint in the direct sun. Do not buy paintballs and then leave them in your hot trunk. In colder weather, when on the field, try to keep paintballs at 60 to 70 degrees. Paintballs that get too cold will eventually become deformed, and you cannot make them back into round paintballs.

What's the most common complaint about paintballs?

That they don't fit in someone's "gun". What you usually will find, especially in humid climates, is that the person did not take care of the paint. When you see bags or boxes of paint left open, or left outside when it's hot or cold, don't be surprised to hear complaints about the paint.

1. Cleaning results are most successful when performed immediately. As with every spill, the sooner it is removed, the better the expected results.
2. Plain water works in most circumstances, on most fabrics and materials.
3. Ordinary laundry detergent per the detergent manufacturer's recommendations will aid in tougher cases.
4. For more stubborn cases, you may consider using cold-water bleach, while diligently following the bleach manufacturer’s guidance and instructions including testing to avoid discolorations.

What is an expansion chamber?

It’s a unit that attaches between your tank or gas supply and your paintball gun, to help change liquid CO₂ to a more consistent expanded gas. CO₂ (carbon dioxide), like water, can take the form of a liquid, a solid (dry ice) or, when it boils, a gas. As liquid CO₂ comes from the tank, it expands inside the chamber, but should be prevented from entering the paintball gun. If CO₂ enters the paintball gun as liquid, it will tend to freeze internal parts and may stop some paint guns from working. Also, the expansion of liquid CO₂ is very erratic and can make a paint gun that was shooting safely at 280 FPS suddenly shoot up to 350 FPS or more. This is normally known as "spiking." At these higher speeds, the integrity of safety equipment can be compromised, and damage to internal gun parts may occur.

How does an expansion chamber work?

Two functions must be incorporated into the design of an expansion chamber when CO₂ is used to propel a paintball. One, sufficient surface area is needed to bring ambient temperature to the liquid CO₂ so it changes from a liquid to a more stable expanded gas. Since CO₂ is stored under pressure, the instant the pressure is reduced, as it exits the tank, the liquid CO₂ boils, like water going from a liquid to a vapor. Boiling CO₂ absorbs heat for vaporization from its surroundings. At this point, if sufficient heat is not available, the CO₂ will freeze anything around it. So by adding fins to the body of an expansion chamber, there is more ambient heat to reduce or eliminate freezing. If you take a piece of aluminum that is one inch long by one inch wide, you have the equivalent of one square inch of surface area. Now if you have the same one square inch with eight fins and eight spaces, .200 inch high, your surface will be around 300% greater. This greater surface area will provide more ambient heat to the expansion chamber to prevent it from freezing or allowing liquid CO₂ to pass. As can be seen, an expansion chamber without fins is not efficient.

Two, sufficient space must be provided for the CO₂ gas to expand and supply the volume of gas needed to maintain the rate of fire and speed you want. For example, a pump gun will use about .033 cubic inches of gas per shot, depending upon weather conditions. Some semi-automatics can use .881 cubic inches or more of gas per shot. When the semi-automatic gun is designed as a high-volume low-pressure gun, the consumption can be 26 times more gas than the amount utilized by a pump gun. As the CO₂ gas has been aided to change to a more constant expansion of volume, shooting will use less gas.

When do you need to use an expansion chamber?

If you use CO₂ as a source to shoot paintballs, you should use an expansion chamber. You will have more speed control and accuracy by eliminating "spikes." In cold weather, you really should use an expansion chamber, especially if your paintgun’s performance suffers in cold weather. Nitrogen and high-pressure air normally don’t need an expansion chamber.

Does the size of an expansion chamber matter?

Yes, the size and capacity to provide ambient heat does matter. The colder the ambient temperature, the more heat exchange area is needed to vaporize the CO₂. An expansion chamber that provides large surface area in the form of fins can be very compact and still do a good job.

How is the speed of a paintball affected by using an expansion chamber?

When the CO₂ has expanded in the expansion chamber to a more uniform volume and temperature, the pressure that pushes the paintball will be more stable. Therefore, the speed of the paintball will be more constant. Don’t forget, CO₂ is affected by temperature, humidity, altitude, etc. So as conditions change, so will the behavior of the gas.

Is an expansion chamber a regulator?