Paintball Trends: Carbon Dioxide is History

Since 1981, paintball players have been shooting each other with marble-sized pellets of paint using a special gun called a marker. Players launch their paint pellets by pressing a trigger that releases compressed air or gas to propel the paintball out of the marker towards the target. New paintball players unfamiliar with their equipment have always had questions about whether compressed air offers an advantage over carbon dioxide (CO2). Is compressed air really better than carbon dioxide? To put it simply, YES!

Inside your paintball tank, carbon dioxide is primarily in liquid form. As the carbon dioxide expands, the liquid turns into gas. In its expanded gas state, carbon dioxide can serve as a stable pressure that will enable your gun to propel paintballs. Liquid carbon dioxide, however, can have a devastating effect on your gun