#1: Newbie Tip--Storing Paintballs

Paintballs are very sensitive to heat, sunlight, humidity, moisture, dirt, etc. It’s recommended that you store your paint in temperatures of 55 - 75 degrees, and in low humidity (50% humidity or less). If you're at the field you don't have that luxury. In the hot summer months, keeping your paint in a cooler is ideal. You don't want the paint cold, just kept away from the heat and humidity. While playing in the winter, keep your paint in the car. It is important not to leave the paint in the cold for any extended period of time. Always keep your paint in sealed bags or containers. Rotate paint boxes from time to time if you are storing cases for a longer period of time.

#2: Marker Speci-Fix--Tippmann 98 Custom Air Leak Fix

If your Tippmann 98 Custom is leaking are down the barrel check the o-rings on both the front and rear bolts. Check the o-ring on the valve as well. If any of those o-rings are damaged replace as necessary. If they look okay, check out the front end of the valve. Are there any small burs or nicks? If so you may need to polish them out carefully with fine emery cloth. If you don't feel confident doing this, bring your gun to a qualified airsmith.

#3: Advanced Knowl-Edge--Does a 14 Inch Barrel Shoot Further Than a 10 inch Barrel?

Long barrels do not shoot further than short barrels. Don’t even try to argue. Unless you alter the spin on a paintball, like the Tippmann Flatline barrel does, distance is a product of your muzzle velocity only if all other things are equal (wind, temperature, barrel elevation, etc.). Some barrels do require more gas than others, meaning your efficiency can change, but they don’t shoot with more distance. Got it?

#4: Air Apparent--Why Your C02 Chills

Have you ever wondered why your C02 tank chills when you rapid fire your gun? When you fire your marker quickly you are using a large amount of C02 in a short amount of time. Your tank gets cold because the liquid C02 inside is changing into gas to replace the C02 used during rapid firing. This change from liquid to gas is called a change of phase. When you fire your gun (with a chilled tank), you are releasing less C02 than if the tank was warm. So here’s your tip: Use compressed air.

#5: Color This--Preparing Parts for Anodizing

Anodizing is an electro-chemical metal finishing process that can only be done using aluminum, titanium and a few other metals. The components are anodized by placing them in an acid, applying electrical current and artificially growing their own oxide to an even and controlled thickness and color. The process of anodizing does not simply add a layer of color, but actually embeds the color into the aluminum. If you are having your marker or other piece of gear anodized you need to remove all non aluminum or titanium components. Leaving them attached will result in burned or damaged parts—and that’s not good.