A paintball marker, also known as a paintball gun, is the main piece of equipment in the sport of paintball. Markers use an expanding gas, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or compressed air, to propel paintballs through the barrel. The term marker is derived from its original use as a means for forestry personnel to mark trees and ranchers to mark wandering cattle. Paintball markers fall into two main categories in terms of mechanism - mechanical and electropneumatic. The mechanism of the marker is cycled using gasses released by the valve which reset the firing mechanism between each shot, similar to the way some semi-automatic rifles such as the AK-47 operates. The firing mechanism of the marker operates using the gases stored in the valve to cycle the bolt and fire the paintball, after which a spring resets the mechanism for the next shot.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 23:50:25 +0000