Tips On Paintball Safety

Paintball is a fun game to play, but safety is always the more important than having fun. Properly adjusted paintball markers shoot less than 300 feet per second. There is enough energy expended by the marker to cause a serious injury. Always, treat a paintball marker as if it were loaded. Never assume that a paintball marker is empty. Accidents will happen when people ignore this very imperative rule. Again, as far as you are concerned, all paintball markers are loaded, especially when a CO2 tank is attached.

Safely handling a paintball marker is essentially exactly the same as handling a firearm. Always go through the owner’s manual before attempting to use the marker on a paintball field. With a new paintball marker, spend some time handling it without the CO2 tank attached. While handling it, practice working the loading and safety mechanisms. This is a great opportunity to practice attaching and removing the paintball ammo box.

When picking up a paintball marker, or being handed a paintball marker by another person: (1) Keep the marker pointed in a safe direction away from any people. (2) Visually check for a barrel safety condom, sleeve or plug. (3) Check so see that the trigger safety is engaged. Do this both visually and physically push the safety to “safe” (4) Check the chamber; the specific method will vary between different manufactures of paintball markers. There will be a way to open the chamber and visually inspect the chamber. This only takes a couple seconds. It can save a couple hours at the local hospital’s emergency room.

It’s also important to be careful with your CO2 air-tanks. After a tank is attached to a marker, it pressurized the system. A reminder, it’s never a good idea to try to look down the barrel from the muzzle, especially after the air tank has been attached. If you have owned a tank for over a year, check the rehydrotest date. Depending on the type of tank, steel or aluminum, it has to be tested either every 3 or five years. Because of the safety markings on the air tanks, don’t paint or place any permanent stickers over the tank. You can always purchase a fabric cover over the tank if you want to camouflage it as well. Remember to use a tank that is in good condition, and don’t overfill it. Be careful when removing a tank from a marker.

At the end of the day, it’s time to disassemble and unload the paintball marker. Practice safety basics, keep the marker pointed in a safe direction and check the trigger safety. Follow the manufacturers directions for safely unloading you marker. Generally it involves unloading the paintballs from the hopper/ammo box, clearing the action, and removing the air tank. Don’t clean the marker until you finished this process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•Always be careful when unscrewing a tank from a gun. If the brass fitting isn’t moving, stop.

 

 

 

 

 

•Never try to take a tank apart to try an repair it. Take it to someone who is qualified to do it.

 

 

•Keep markers and tanks out of direct sunlight when not playing.

 

 

 

•Make sure any tank you use is up to date.(hydro date)

 

 

•Never shoot someone with the barrel directly touching their body.

 

 

•Never use a damaged CO2 or HPA tank.

 

 

•Never alter your equipment unless you are 100% sure know what you are doing.

 

 

•Never over fill a tank.

 

 

Mitchell Perry regularly writes for ProlificPaintball.com, they carry paintball gear such as a paintball gun, as well as many other paintball accessories 1arg3 from a variety of well known manufacturers.