Chris Schneck

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.