Yes, you can shoot a paintball gun without CO2. Because a paintball gun needs fuel for the balls to travel properly and CO2 is not only the fuel for a paintball. You can also shoot a paintball gun by using hpa tank or other fuel options.
Those days are gone when liquid CO2 was the only feasible option for paintball guns. Nowadays markets are full of new electronic or mecha-electronic air guns, and the pathway to use different pressure sources has opened up.
Let’s know how can you shoot a paintball gun without CO2, what are the alternatives, and which one is the best option along with some more related information that may help you.
Can I Use Compressed Air In a Paintball Gun?
Can you use compressed air in a paintball gun or not depending on which type of gun you are using? As we know there are three different types of paintballs gun available, plastic, mechanical, and electronic. If you are using a plastic paintball gun, it will run only using CO2, you can’t use compressed air in that paintball. But if it’s an electronic or mechanical paintball gun you can use compressed air and it’s the best option.
Using CO2 on an electronic paintball gun can freeze its electronic components and also damage the marker. So, if you own an electronic market it’s better to avoid CO2. however, mechanical guns can run on CO2 cartridges without any risk. But if you want you can switch to hpa paintball tank too.
Is Compressed Air Or CO2 Better For Paintball?
In terms of performance, compressed air is definitely better than CO2 for professional Paintball players. Co2 airguns offer a more accurate shot and habe zero weather-based performance issues.
Unlike CO2 cartridge, HPA is less affected by wind velocity, drops, and temperature. But remember HPA is costlier and quite hard to get by. You won’t get it available without a pro shop.
So if you are a veteran player who likes to stick to the norms and doesn’t fancy modern technology too much, CO2 is best despite certain drawbacks. Plus it’s easy to get in most local shops and affordable too.
Do Paintball Guns Need Gas?
A paintball gun fires by forcing pressurized gas out of the gun to fire the projectile. You fire the gun, releasing the hammer, which strikes a valve, allowing a fixed amount of gas to be released. Then the projectile is propelled down and out of the barrel by forcing gas through the transfer port. So, yes, paintball guns need gas to work with; either liquid CO2 or HPA. Without any gas, the gun would not be able to fire. Different types of paintball guns require different sources of gas, and some may even go with multiple kinds of gas depending on their design and function. For example, plastic markers typically use CO2 as their propellant, while spring-loaded electronic markers usually use a compressed air tank and CO2 is not recommended for them. And mechanical marker can run with any of the CO2 or HPA compressed gas.
Can You Shoot A Paintball Gun With Propane?
Technically speaking, yes, you can shoot a Paintball gun with propane. But that does not mean that you should do it.
Propane is petroleum gas in liquid form. Propane tanks were brought up as the new revolutionary pressure source for Paintball guns. But they were soon discontinued due to safety hazard concerns.
During transport and play in the paintball field, propane generates wasted heat that creates a major heating problem. Aside from the heating issues, using propane led to tremendously powerful shots with concerning velocity. Due to its extremely high velocity and risk of injury, the US federal law enforcement has considered paintball gun as a weapon like bb gun, pellet gun, real gun/real firearm, and banned the use of propane on a air pistol. As a result, it cannot be used in any Paintball event, whether casual or competitive.
The risks are far too significant with these non powder guns fueled by propen, thus safety and efficiency problems arise. So even if you could use propane to fire a Paintball marker, it is not permitted or suggested by the law.
Can You Convert A CO2 Paintball Gun To Air?
Yes, you can convert a CO2 paintball gun to an airsoft gun. All you need to do is a remote setup to connect your paintball gun to the air compressor. Buy an air source to the paintball adapter, screw it into the gun, and then connect the other side to the air tank. That’s all your CO2 gun has now turned into a airsoft gun.
Can you Fill A CO2 Paintball Tank With Compressed Air?
Yes, you can fill a CO2 tank with compressed air, but you should not try to do this if you are not an expert in it. Cross-filling tanks can not only affect your gaming performance but also cause explosions and serious bodily injuries. CO2 paintball tanks are designed to hold CO2, not high-pressure compressed air.
Conclusion
After reading, you might have realized that you can shoot a paintball marker without CO2 too with other fuel like compressed air or propane. But don’t forget, if you have a typical old-model paintball gun, it might be incompatible with other fuels like a compressed air tank. Only modern electronic or mechanical markers are designed to work with compressed air or propane. In that case, you can’t shoot a paintball gun without CO2.
