Have It The Way YOU Want It: Custom Paint Ball Guns
As is true in most other sports, as one gains familiarity in the sport of paintball, standard equipment -- especially markers (guns) -- with standard features may no longer adequately meet your needs as a player. That entry-level marker that you purchased many years ago doesn't have the features that you are looking for now, or perhaps even a level of performance that you now require. If that's the case then you need to do some shopping for a good-quality custom paintball gun.
Custom paintball guns are paintball guns that have special modifications -- either modifications that you your self have made, or modifications that a paintball gun expert has made for you.
One area commonly modified in custom paintball guns, is that of the trigger and or trigger frame. The ideal trigger on custom paintball guns will have a very light "touch" as well as a very short trigger pull. In the judgment of many experts, what you need to look for in custom paintball guns when it comes to triggers is a trigger with a very short throw, but can also be adjusted whenever necessary.
Another it important area of custom paintball guns design is that of the overall body of the marker. Custom paintball guns have a well-designed, lightweight frame, with a streamlined appearance. Why do you need a streamlined appearance in custom paintball guns? For the most part this is necessary so as not to present too big a target to your opponents. Custom paintball guns presenting too large of a gun profile can become an easy target for your opponent. In most games of paintball, a paintball hit on your gun itself will cause you to be eliminated from play -- so make sure any custom paintball guns you are considering for purchase do not have too large of a profile. Another very important area of gun modification in custom paintball guns deals with the hopper. The hopper or loader is simply the container that is attached to your gun which holds paintballs. It is equivalent to an ammunition magazine on a bullet-firing weapon. One of the most common modifications made to custom paintball guns is to upgrade the hopper feeding system. One reason for choosing a better quality hopper feed system is to reduce the possibility of paintballs breaking while they are still loaded in the hopper. Paintballs are made out of gelatin, which dissolves in the presence of liquid. Custom paintball guns attempt to minimize the possibility of paintball leakage, because the dye contained inside the paintball is a water soluble dye -- so if the dye leaks out of one paintball, the liquid can cause other paintballs in the hopper to disintegrate. If this happens you will have a real mess on your hands! Another very important modification made on custom paintball guns is a change in the type of propellant used to shoot the paintball out of the gun. Basic, entry-level paintball guns are usually powered by CO2 (carbon dioxide) -- whereas custom paintball guns usually use a high pressure air (HPA) system in order to provide more consistent and more accurate firing of the marker. A final major area where custom paintball guns are modified to suit the needs of the owner has to do with the barrel. You can purchase different types of barrels such as one piece, two peace or even three-piece barrels -- and these are offered in various lengths and styles. Of course when purchasing barrels for your custom paintball guns, you will need to match the bore of your barrel to match the caliber (diameter) of the paintball that you are using -- anywhere from .669 to .695 caliber. Today, most paintball gun barrels are stocked in lengths from 3-4 inches up to 21 inches in length. It is possible for some custom paintball guns to have barrels up to 40 inches or more in length. Custom paintball guns with longer barrels tend to shoot quieter; however the longer barrel adds to the overall weight, and does not necessarily guarantee greater accuracy (although some paintballers feel that it does).
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