| Nitrogen, or High Pressure
Air (HPA), is more effective at powering paintball
guns than sometimes-erratic carbon dioxide (CO2).
While carbon dioxide is less expensive than HPA,
it is often used in the liquid state, then warmed
up to a gas. It's in the process of changing from
a very cold liquid to a warm gas that problems may
occur. For one thing, liquid CO2 may enter your
gun, causing it to freeze for 15 seconds or so,
particularly during sustained rapid fire. Worse,
it may eat the internal components of your gun,
especially the delicate O-rings. The carbon dioxide
expands quickly as it warms up, too, and without
a regulator to address this, may cause inconsistencies
in your shooting speed, trajectory, and therefore,
your accuracy.
Because it remains in the gaseous state, HPA
never causes the freezing up problems that CO2 does.
When used with a regulator valve, HPA offers consistent
and uniform air pressure, so your paintball gun
can work at its best. For these reasons, compressed
air is the favored technique for more experienced
paintballers, as it makes for more consistent shooting
and better overall play.
However, the cost and availability of nitrogen
make it impractical for many low- and mid-level
players. In fact, only some paintball fields and
scuba shops have powerful enough air compressors
to fill nitrogen tanks to the proper pressure, which
is about 800 pounds per square inch (psi). Also,
the cost of a carbon dioxide system is much less
than an HPA system, another consideration for weekend
players. When you're ready though, HPA is the way
to go.
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