CO2 Vs. Compressed Air Paintball Guns

by Hades

Thought this was an expert? Co2 is a liquid based gas and so the moisture gets shot out with each paintball you shoot, leaving a coat of liquid in your barrel that throws of the next shot. Fields don't give you Compressed Air (CA) with rental equipment because CA tanks cost anywhere from $95 - $200 as opposed to $20 for a 20oz. Co2 tank that you can purchase at Walmart. Temperature also greatly affects Co2 and NOT CA. CA tanks come in 3,000 and 4,500 PSI tanks, with cubic inches varying greatly. A common size is a 4,500 PSI / 68 Cubic Inch tank, referred to by knowledgeable players as a 45/68. That tank costs the same as Co2 to fill and will give you anywhere from 700-1,200 shots, depending on the amount of pressure your marker operates at. For example, a Smart Parts Ion will be anywhere between 150-175 operating pressure while a Tippmann A-5 operates at 400, therefore the Tippmann would consume all the air in the same tank used on the Ion with fewer shots. CA is better than Co2 not only for accuracy but for consistancy as well. If your tank bleeds and it's due to a ripped, scratched, or broken O-Ring it's because you're playing with Co2! Co2 freezes as it purges when you remove the tank from your marker, hence the loud hissing sound as you unscrew it. Now, feel the tank... it's cold! The Co2 that was being purged is even colder and it freezes the O-ring at the end of your tank. That makes for very quick breaks in O-rings. Hope that helps.