| It is important to know the different parts involved in | | | | not perfected a hopper which prevents balls from |
| the makeup of a paintball gun. The different elements | | | | breaking in containment. These breaks will often lead |
| are crucial to the successful working of your marker, | | | | to jams of the feeding mechanisms and the gun itself, |
| and beginners will often be confused when receiving | | | | which in turn may cause more balls to break. |
| instructions because of their lack of knowledge of | | | | Gravity-feed hoppers are especially prone to ball |
| what the basic parts are. Knowing the parts of your | | | | breakage while still in the hopper because of their |
| paintball gun will also help you have a better idea of | | | | jamming problems. Aside from gravity-feed, there are |
| what you should be looking at when it is time to clean | | | | also agitation hoppers, force feed hoppers, and stick |
| or upgrade your marker. | | | | feed hoppers. |
| The body of the marker is the largest part of the gun. | | | | The tank is the part of the gun which contains the |
| The body refers to the area of the gun that | | | | type of gas that propels the ball forward down and |
| incorporates the trigger frame, the valve, and the bolt. | | | | out of the gun's barrel. Markers use either CO2 gas or |
| All of these pieces can be detached from each other | | | | high pressure air as propulsion material. The CO2 gas |
| in order to incorporate new equipment, but only | | | | is the original, but HPA is preferred as it is more reliable |
| experts on their guns should attempt this. Makers of | | | | than CO2 and does not require an evaporation |
| paintball guns have a fairly standard approach when it | | | | system in order to fire. |
| comes to the body of the gun, with the main | | | | Finally, the barrel of the marker is what the ball travels |
| difference being in the placement of the trigger and | | | | down when the trigger is compressed. The barrel is |
| the barrel. Pushing the trigger frame forward shifts the | | | | responsible for the speed and the accuracy, as well as |
| balance of the gun and thus makes it easier to handle | | | | the distance, at which a ball travels, and is thus |
| with one hand. It will also cause the body to have a | | | | arguably the single most important component of the |
| lower profile, which is crucial when players are involved | | | | gun. Longer barrels will fire quieter than shorter models, |
| in games where hopper hits count towards elimination. | | | | but a marker owner should remember that no matter |
| The difference is plain when newbies and pros are | | | | what length of barrel, the paintball can only travel a set |
| present in the field, as the rental guns provided by | | | | distance in order to break. While really long barrels |
| most outfits have huge and bulky bodies that present | | | | may look intimidating and offer better accuracy, they |
| a lot of hit potential. | | | | also are prone to be ineffective since they require a |
| The hopper is the part of the gun that holds the rounds | | | | larger burst of air to propel the ball faster to make up |
| of paint. No matter how high end, manufacturers have | | | | the distance within the barrel itself. |