Paintball grenades are exciting equipment to add a thrilling flavor to the game. Whoever holds them gets some unfair advantage in attack and defense techniques. A paint grenade comes in handy and is useful for an overwhelming attack or in a penned situation.
But how do paintball grenades work? Well, paintball grenades are designed to explode upon impact and then splatter paint or smoke. Like a real grenade, you have to pull the pin and throw it at your enemy position. Your opponent shall get roughly three to five seconds before the grenade explodes.
However, the mechanism of a paint grenade is complex and it needs some extra elaboration. Let’s find out how does a paintball grenade work?
How do grenades work in Paintball?
Paintball pyrotechnics and grenades are real gems in a competitive paintball game. Paint grenades typically come under three main category and their working mechanisms are different from one another. Let’s start explaining with explosive grenades.
Explosive Grenades
You have seen combat grenades in movies, right? Explosive paint grenades look alike and they work in a quite similar fashion. The paints are kept in a small plastic bag and then wrapped with a banger. The banger, in turn, is connected to a fuse. Some grenade makers use black powder explosives instead of bangers.
The fuse is tied with a pin. When the pin is pulled, it ignites the fuse. The fuse explores the banger and the baggie of paint. Explosive paint grenades have a pyrotechnic charge and it makes a realistic grenade-like sound. This charge makes a massive splatter of exploding paint. Using explosive paintball grenades can eliminate enemy paintball players outta nowhere. So you need to use them effectively.
Non-Explosive Grenades
If you ask anyone what’s the simplest of all paintball grenades? Everyone will answer that it’s non-explosive paint grenades. This paintball gear works more like water balloons than actual grenades. Making paint grenades of these types are easy DIY job.
A sac of pressurized paint is attached to a rubber tube. The tube is attached to an arming pin at the other end. If you pull the pin and throw the grenade, the filled paint will splatter into the target and release around 100ml-150ml of red or yellow color substance. Non-explosive grenades are less effective and have a limited success rate. Yet, these grenades effectively will outwit your opponent if you can aim better.
Smoke Grenades
Smoke grenades are awesome paintball gears to hide your movement, confuse your enemy, or get out of a penned-in situation. The inside of a smoke grenade is consist of flammable substances that can produce various colors of smoke upon release. There is a safety cap that needs to be removed first before the grenade is thrown.
In these grenades, the igniting fuse is connected to a ring. If you pull the ring, the fuse will burn for three to five seconds before the explosion. So, you need to pull the pin and lob the paintball grenade within a few seconds. You should remember that these grenades generally produce a huge chunk of the smoke cloud for 30-90 seconds. You must act before the smoke disappears.
How to use Paintball grenades?
Paintball grenades can be used in defending your position, retreating from the battlefield, and launching a surprise attack on your enemy. But how to use these grenades effectively? There are several things you have to note.
First, throwing a paintball grenade requires accurate aiming on your part. Before launching a paintball grenade, you have to grip the paint grenade properly. You need to hold the grenade upright with your right hand. The thumb and index finger should have the total grip.
Then you need to pull the pin with the non-throwing hand. Now raise the grenade to the shoulder height position and throw it with your right hand. If you are a lefty, use your left hand for a left-handed throw. Before throwing, however, you cannot hold the grenade for two or three seconds, as shown in action movies. Cooking a grenade can backfire, causing the grenade to explode on you.
While throwing a grenade toward your opponent, make sure you do it with secrecy and surprise. Keep your paintball gun ready so that if your enemy tries to escape, you can pin them down. Don’t randomly throw any grenade as you will run out of supply. Never launch paintball grenades with both hands either.
Now, if you want to retreat or cover your position, smoke grenades come in handy. Throw them in front of you and discreetly leave the bunker. Be agile here and don’t give your enemy the time to react. Remember one last paintball grenade safety measure. Don’t use your teeth to cap and pull the pin. The paint grenade might malfunction and explode there.
Pro Tip: Keep your Grenade Dry. Long exposure to moisture will simply negate its exploding power.
Are Paintball Grenades allowed in Paintball?
No, paintball grenades are not allowed in most tournaments because of the risk it possesses. However, if you are playing woodsball, airsoft, and other recreational play, you can set the rule as allowed.
Can paintball grenades hurt?
Explosive paint grenades are quite loud and can be harmful to your ear. Most grenades won’t cause you any harm because they are filled with paint and nothing serious. They are designed to spray paint on you and eliminate you from the game.
However, a direct hit of a paintball grenade might hurt you. The explosion releases a good chunk of force. But even if you are hit, it won’t be anything fatal. You will get the feeling of getting shots with paintball markers.
Bottom Line
There is always fun to have some extra weapons in your arsenal. If your nearby field allows using them, I would suggest you use them next time. The thrill would be tenfold, I promise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you reuse a paintball grenade?
To be frank, most paintball grenades are not reusable. If you are extremely lucky to find the pin and the empty grenade intact, you can refill and use it.
