Chris Schneck

c02 is not at all a stable propellant, your 20oz c02 tank can have a theoretical output of anywhere from 0psi to 3000psi. 0psi being empty and 3000psi being the limit of the burst disk on the valve of your c02 tank. c02 in its liquid form can escape from the tank and make its way into your marker causing velocity spikes, catastrophic valve or oring damage and internal freezing & binding of moving parts. Ambient temperature can also increase ( hot weather ) or reduce ( cold weather ) the output pressure of your c02 source.

Also read : Anti-Syphon Tubes and c02

So if c02 is so temperamental why do so many people use it?

It’s cheap and easily available. Every paintball store carries and fills c02 tanks, all paintball fields offer c02 fills and smaller sized c02 tanks have an infinite working life. For the volume or size you can expect to get far more shots from a c02 tank then a HPA tank of comparable physical size.

Also read : How many shots will I get out of my tank?

I’ve never noticed a problem with my paintball marker before, can I really improve any aspect of my paintball markers performance or reliability?

Absolutely, as long as you stick to the smart upgrades and not something that just looks good. Which brings me to the massive and very essential difference between regulators & expansion chambers and pressure & volume.

A regulators primary function is to regulate pressure. I personally run a Palmers Pursuit stabilizer on my Tippmann A5 and with the turn of an allen key I can increase or decrease the pressure I want to operate my paintball marker at to anywhere from 0psi - 900psi. The normal operating pressure of a Tippmann A5 is approximately 800psi, but with lots of love and care ( and upgrades ) I can run at 400psi.

Why is a consistent pressure desirable?

The velocity at which the paintball leaves your marker will be more consistent. How the paintball travels down the barrel of your marker and travels in flight will also be more consistent. I didn’t say accurate there, because accuracy is a combination of mechanics and skill, consistency is purely mechanical.

Why is a lower pressure desirable?

Lower operating pressure :

• will reduces the kick back of your marker, making it easier to place paint on paint
• is more gentle on the orings, springs and other internals of your marker. Elongating the life of your marker and its precious internals
• in some cases can reduces the audible report of your marker

Are there any drawbacks to a lower operating pressure?

Not really, but you have to consider that you still need to apply the same amount of force to a paintball to get it to travel at an optimal 300fps. So when you reduce the pressure of the propellant you have to increase the volume of the propellant. This now will introduce you to a new term known as dwell. Dwell is the length of time your markers valve will stay open, an open valve releases a volume of air. On lower end mechanical markers, like Tippmann and BT markers, there is no way to adjust the dwell without buying aftermarket parts or manually modifying the rear hammer spring. Tweaking your operating pressure in conjunction with your dwell will produce the highest efficiency possible.

An expansion chambers primary function is to provide liquid c02 with extra space in which to expand into a gas state. Expansion chambers are especially useful in colder climates or on c02 powered markers that need to sustain a higher rate of fire.

Also read : Winter performance with c02 powered markers

Unfortunately although expansion chambers will provide a high volume of propellant, they have no form of regulating your operating pressure, you will still be at the mercy of c02’s temperamental nature.

A syphon tube is designed to draw out the liquid contents of a container or reservoir. Commercial c02 tanks designed for filling the smaller 3.50z to 24oz c02 tanks that we use on our paintball markers will have a syphon tube installed, becuase its the liquid c02 that we want to fill our tanks with.

An anti-syphon tube is obviously designed to do the opposite. We dont want the liquid form of c02 entering our markers, so an anti-syphon tube can be installed to specifically draw out the endorthermically expanded gas form of c02 instead of the liquid. Anti-syphon tubes must be custom installed for your marker, the tube must always face an upward direction to draw gas only and function optimally. Buying a c02 tank with a pre installed anti-syphon tube from someone else will do you no good if the tube faces into the liquid when fully screwed into your ASA.Anti-syphon tubes are ideal for people who use their c02 tanks attached directly to their ASA. If you have a horizontal tank holder on your tactical vest, like I do, the anti-syphon tube will have to be custom installed to suit your remote line and vest alignment. If you use a vertical pod pack, for example the popular NXE 4+1, it might not be necessary to install an anti-syphon tube as the gas will always be at the top of your tank near the valve.

Unless you are a proficient airsmith, please take your tank to a pro shop to have an anti-syphon installed as a mistake here can be fatal.

It is apparently acceptable to spell it both ways, syphon or siphon. I chose syphon becuase it looks cooler

A remote line is really just a hose that allows you to attach your paintball marker to your propellant source without having to have the propellant directly attached to your paintball marker. The advantages of a remte line have a greater impact on those of us who play woodsball then our speedball playing counterparts.

The design of a speedball marker normally factors in having your tank always attached to your paintball marker, so ergonomically it will feel more natural to not use a remote line. That’s not to say you can’t use a remote line when playing speedball, it’s just not very common to do so.

Milsim and aftermarket customized woodsball markers, like the Tippmann A5, can benefit greatly from the implementation of a remote line system.

• The weight of your paintball marker will be reduced, making it easier to carry the marker in a ‘ready to fire’ position for longer periods of time
• When in a prone or crouching position, the lack of a tank on your ASA will allow you to reduce your paintball markers overall visible profile and allow you to get closer to the ground
• Having no tank on your ASA will interfere less with having a stock, which is more common on paintball markers designed for realism
• A remote line will act somewhat as an expansion chamber allowing more room for c02 to turn from a liquid into a gas

There’s really not a lot you need to know about actually using a remote line, they’re very simple. There are 2 physical parts to a remote line, the smaller threaded piece with a nipple on it, the actual coiled hose where on one end your tank will screw into and on the other end there will be a quick disconnect which is the female end that you attach to the the nipple on the smaller threaded piece. Optionally, near the quick disconnect, there may be what is called a slide check. A slide check will allow you to de-pressurize your marker with potentially less stress on your o-rings.

The PMI coiled remote line I own has a rating of 3000psi painted right onto the hose, now I’m not foolish enough to test this limit out myself but I will believe it. My remote line sometimes does snag or get entangled on brush and other woodland entities, but I’ve never had it pulled on so hard that it disconnects from the paintball marker. I’ve done no testing as to a remote lines effectiveness as a source of expansion for c02, but I’ve no doubt it does contribute in that manner.

When purchasing a remote line, there are a few things to consider. I highly recommend a slide check, this will make depressurizing your paintball marker infinitely easier. The hose should be rated to a certain PSI, unless the manufacturer puts this right on the remote line itself you can’t be sure what you’re getting. The part that you screw your tank into should be sturdy and if screwed out all the way, shouldn’t come apart. I’ve seen cheap remote lines where this essential piece comes apart when screwed out, or doesn’t function when screwed all the way in.

Bottom line is, you get what you pay for, I paid over $60 Canadian a couple years ago. That price may have come down slightly, but if your thinking of cheaping out just remember that if you customize your setup to run using a remote line, your day will be cut short without a working one.