The very idea sounds downright dangerous, but The Fort Wayne Gazette ran a news item that paintball guns could get a new propellant, possibly something such as propane or butane, mixed with air.
Tippmann Sports LLC, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is one of the leaders in the paintball industry – making some of the most popular “markers” (as the guns are often called). The guns are typically powered using carbon dioxide or compressed air – and it is almost strange that the eco-movement hasn’t targeted this game for the use of the former. But CO2 has another problem, namely that it runs out during play and as the liquid gets cold the guns don’t fire as well.
The solution, which is U.S. Patent No. 7.770,504 – invented by Dennis J. Tippmann Sr. and Dennis J. Tippmann Jr. – is to use a combustible propellant. The key here is that less propellant would be used. Of course this is potentially good for business too, since it means paintball guns that would include a new combustion chamber, new valve and igniter. The system would actually ignite the gas and propel the paintball. It also means that all those old “classic” paintball guns would be incompatible with the new ones.
[Via The Fort Wayne Gazette: Paintball guns may get new propellant]
Playing army wasn’t this cool when I was kid, and while this reporter has had a range of paintball accessories, the new RAP4 Tactical MOLLE Vest almost makes me want to get back in the game. This one is designed for use in paintball, Airsoft and even tactical training. It can be customized and configured to meet a user’s requirements and hold paintball pods, CO2 cylinders and air tanks, while the interchangeable pouches can even hold standard AR or MP5 magazines.