Fire in the Hole: Paintball Gun Air Valves
The sport of paintball, while exciting and intense, is the subject of much debate and social stigma. A violent, paramilitary game of warfare, paintball employs air-powered guns to shoot opponents with small, paint-filled balls. While paintball guns are often referred to as paintball markers so to combat the public perception that the sport involves weapons, the sport is still dangerous; with paintballs approaching 300 feet per second, it is hard to argue that paintball is a non-violent, pacifist activity.
Paintball guns are the heart and soul of the sport, using compressed air to compel the paintballs toward their intended targets. Most guns have four main components: a barrel, an air tank, the body and a hopper. However, the mechanisms are far more complicated, and the numerous parts and pieces make proper care of the guns a kind of science. Some of the smallest, yet most important, parts of markers are paintball gun air valves. Often combined with bolts, paintball gun air valves are integral assemblies; without them, paintball markers would be mere useless toys.
The Science of Violence
Paintball gun air valves, combined with bolts, are the very mechanisms that power paintball markers. A valve is essentially a switch with an on and an off position. It controls whether or not the gun is firing or resting; while the bolt directs air flow and controls the paintballs in the chamber, the valve is the source of the airflow. Without paintball gun air valves, compressed air would never reach the paintballs. Usually, the valve and bolt are separate components working together, but sometimes, they can be one unit, inseparable and replaced as a whole.
The majority of paintball markers are mechanical and utilize a simple poppet, or pin valve. These paintball gun air valves are simple to understand. A pin valve opens when it is struck by a hammer, and a hammer, propelled by a spring, is connected to the trigger. In other words, when the player pulls the trigger on the gun, the valve is pounded open by the hammer, releasing air. The air is funneled up the chamber by the bolt to fire a paintball, and is then funneled back down to push the hammer back in place, ready for another trigger.
These types of paintball gun air valves are easy to replace and easy to maintain. One of the original firing systems, pin valves are a little rough on the user; the recoil, or force of firing, is extensive, and less accurate than many modern, more complicated firing systems. Still, these paintball gun air valves will satisfy the needs of most players; those who desire a little more intricacy and a little more technology can choose from numerous other paintball gun air valves.
