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Fix And Clean Your Paintball GunThe Easy Way
You need to ensure that your gear and equipment are in top notch condition before you start to play paintball. So I’m going to go over some common problems you will encounter with your paintball gun and how to fix them, and then go over some basic cleaning and maintenance procedures. You may have the best paintball gun in the world, but that won’t matter unless you know how to fix, clean and maintain it.
Common Problems With Your Paintball Gun
These are some of the common problems that can be rectified by even the amateur paintballer. Here are a few examples:
Bolt Jam occurs when a paintball breaks in the breech. The shell then wedges the bolt in place.
All you have to do is disconnect the gas source and de-gas the paintball gun. The next step is to take off all the major parts like the hopper, the barrel, the bolt cap and the velocity adjuster. Now you should hold the paintball gun upside down and run some water into it. This will soften the shell that is wedged in place. The trick to prevent this from happening again is to keep all the internals well lubricated.
Paintballs Chopping In The Barrel
This can be one of the most common and most irritating problems when playing paintball. There are several reasons why this can happen...
- The paint is too old
- The ball detent may be dysfunctional
- Very low air pressure in your tank
- Your velocity could be set to high
- You could have dirt or debris inside the barrel
Keep your paintball gun barrel clean and clear of debris, and make sure you're using fresh paintballs as much as possible. You will also want to invest your money in a squeegee. A squeegee enables you to clean your paintball gun barrel on or off the field. To use a squeegee, just thread it through your barrel, and pull from the other end, voila! the barrel is clear of paint, and bits of shells.
Air leaks
Air can escape from the side of the tank valve, the Vertical Adapter, the ASA (air source adapter), the fore grip, the expansion chamber, and the regulator. You need to check and properly maintain your paintball gun to prevent them by checking o-rings, and tightening the appropriate screws.
Bolt Refusing To Re-cock
This is another common problem with most paintball guns, and there can be a variety of different reasons for this. It can happen due to the pressure in the tank being low, and it can also happen due to any air leaks. You should check out all your internals for wear and tear, including the springs. Try lubricating all parts, and maybe consider replacing your o-rings.
Cleaning And Maintaining Your Paintball Gun
There are certain tips and tricks that you can use to make the cleaning process smooth and efficient.
- Disconnect the air source. This is as important as anything you can ever imagine. Never even attempt to dismantle or even inspect the interiors of your paintball gun without disconnecting the air source.
- Follow the instructions in the manual. This is very important as the cleaning procedure might be different for different brands of paintball guns and you do not want to do something that is not meant for your paintball gun.
- Have all the necessary parts, kits and cleaning gear in hand before you start. It will always reduce hassles and time if you can start and end the work from one place rather than having to get up several times during the course of the entire cleaning process.
The schematic is another very important aspect of the cleaning process. If you do not have the paintball gun schematic take a look online. Believe me, you will go through hell while trying to reassemble the parts, especially if you are new to it. So never start before you have the paintball gun schematic in your hands. If you still can't find the schematic, then you can make a diagram or sketch of the internal parts of the paintball gun. This is just to ensure that you do not get confused when you try to reassemble the parts of the gun.
- A pull through squeegee is a very important tool and is a must have in any cleaning process. You need to run one through the interior of the barrel. Now, you can wipe it with some warm water and a paper towel.
- Now you need to clean the interior of the paintball gun with anything that can reach those hard to reach places. It can be tissues, toothbrushes, feather brushes, cotton, q-tips etc. Obviously make sure nothing sharp is used when cleaning your paintball gun, as this can scratch or potentially ruin the internal moving parts.
- Check the o-rings very carefully. If the o-rings look worn out, dry or cracked, you should replace them immediately. O-rings are very important, if they don't fit properly you will have air leaks.
- Use good quality paint gun oil to lubricate all the interiors, paying special attention to the moving parts. Stay away from cheap, low quality oil.
Now that your gun is fully clean and lubricated, use the schematic or your self made diagram and reassemble the paintball gun. Try and maintain your paintball gun as much as possible. When you're done a game of paintball, make an effort to clean your marker right after the game. Take care of your paintball gun, and it will take care of you, feels good doesn't it?
Happy Hunting!
About The Author
Niko Brain is a freelance writer and offers sound advice on the sport of Paintball. He runs his own personal paintball site and enjoys writing reviews on Paintball Guns and Paintball Gear. He's your "average Joe" paintball player and is an up and coming industry resource that loves to help newcomers to the sport.