Paintball requires special equipment divided into offensive gear (guns, paintballs, air tanks, etc.), worn equipment (masks, pads, tubes, etc.), and field equipment (flags, inflatables). Safety is important, and veteran players may use additional gear to increase their chances of winning.
Paintball is an intense sport that can be practiced both as an individual activity and as a team. However, like most sports, paintball requires special equipment to play. Paintball equipment can be divided into three basic categories: offensive equipment, worn equipment, and field equipment. Each of these categories and their content will be explained in more detail below.
Offensive gear is the category of paintball gear that players usually spend the most money on. This category includes paintball guns, paintballs, air tanks and gun accessories. Some of these in more detail include:
Paintball Gun: The most important piece of offensive equipment. There are many different types of paintball guns to choose from. Some models can be highly modified with accessories, while others cannot. Paintball guns can be rented at most paintball facilities and specialty paintball shops.
Paintball: the heart of the game. Paintballs come in many different sizes and colors and can have different shell thicknesses depending on the style and manufacturer. Veteran paintball players usually match the size of their paintballs to the diameter of their barrel. Most general purpose paintballs, however, can be used in standard guns.
Barrel Blocking Device (BBD): Safety is extremely important when playing paintball. When a paintball gun is not being actively used in a game, a BBD should be placed on it. BBDs prevent paintballs from being fired accidentally and injuring an unprotected person. They include keg lids, keg stoppers, and keg socks.
Barrel: Barrels of different lengths and diameters can be attached to some paintball guns to improve accuracy.
Hopper: The balls of paint fired from a paintball gun are usually stored in a curved container attached to the gun. This container is called a hopper. Hoppers come in different sizes and can accept accessories.
Magazine: Magazines are hoppers that have been modified to more efficiently feed paintballs into the gun’s firing chamber. Most chargers use batteries. Magazines are often needed to take advantage of improved triggers.
Triggers: Paintball guns can have improved triggers to increase performance. Trigger types include automatic triggers, hand cranks, double triggers, electronic triggers, and rocking triggers.
Scope or Scope: Scopes and sights can be added to paintball guns to improve their accuracy. Scopes zoom in on a specific area while crosshairs try to pinpoint where the paintball will go.
Air Tank: Most paintballs are launched using air to propel them. Air is usually stored in reservoirs either attached directly to the gun or worn on a player and connected to the gun by hose. The guns must be designed to draw in compressed air or carbon dioxide (CO2). Not all pistols can take both gases.
Grenade: Paint grenades expose a large radius to paint shortly after the pin is pulled and the grenade is (hopefully) thrown. Paint grenades are expensive and may be illegal on some paintball courses.
Gear worn is the paintball equipment that the player wears. For almost everyone, this will include the protective face mask; veteran players, however, often wear additional items to increase their chances of winning. Equipment worn includes:
Full Mask: A full mask refers to three pieces of equipment worn as one: the hard mask that protects the face, mouth, and cheeks; goggles that protect the eyes; and the visor that protects and keeps glare out of the eyes. Full masks are required in nearly all paintball facilities when playing.
Chest Protector: Paintballs can hurt when they hit. A chest protector provides plates or pads that cushion and distribute the force of a paintball impact. Chest protectors are not required, but are recommended for players closing in on their opponents.
Neck Protection: A paintball to the throat is extremely rare, but can cause serious injury. You can wear neck protectors to reduce the danger.
Pads: Elbow pads, crotch (cup) and knee pads can be worn to protect joints and sensitive areas from damage.
Gloves – fingers can be rubbed by pressing a trigger; paintballs can get under your fingernails and cause a lot of discomfort. Gloves are highly recommended.
Tubes: Tubes are simple containers that hold extra balls of paint. They are designed to easily fill paintball hoppers in the field. Most veteran paintball players carry tubes with them.
Harness: Harnesses clip onto players and hold extra tubes.
Tactical Vest: Contains pockets and tube holders.
Field equipment is paintball equipment that can be used by anyone who plays. It is usually provided by the paintball facility and can include the following:
Flag: A colored piece of cloth that can be attached to a pole. Flags are often used for games like capture the flag, base commanding, and kill the runner.
Inflatables: These include inflatable boxes, bunkers and cannons. They are usually found on indoor paintball fields and are sometimes referred to generically as bunkers.
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