Paintball is an intense and competitive sport that offers a wide variety of playing fields. It consists of fast-paced strategies and tactics that can temporarily turn your closest friends into your focused enemy. But when was paintball invented?

It has become a popular game played on outdoor and indoor fields around the world. The sport reflects the unbelievable adrenaline rush that accompanies the hunt of each game.

So how did it all come to be?

The concept of the paintball marker was invented back during the mid-60s by a man named Charles Nelson. However, the sport of paintball is still relatively young, with the first paintball game played in May of 1981.

So now you know: When was paintball invented? But what happened between those years that transformed paintball into the popular game we love today?

To answer this, we have to dive deeper into some exciting paintball history.

History of the marker

When asking when was paintball invented, we must take a look back to the mid-60s.

During this time, Charles Nelson of the Nelson Paint Company was asked to create a device to assist foresters.

What he invented was the paintball marker.

The notion was to shoot a projectile of paint from the marker to mark trees or livestock. The device would save foresters and ranchers time by giving them the ability to mark from a distance.

Nelson approached the Crosman company to produce a marker gun that would shoot the paintballs. So the company developed the Crosman 707. However, after a few years of poor sales, Crosman halted production as a financial loss.

If only they knew how mistaken they were.

The Nel-Spot 007

Years later, Nelson decided that he might have more success if he sold his paintball marker as a toy. With BB guns so popular, he contacted an airsoft company, known as Daisy, to construct the first paintball marker.

In 1972, the Daisy Manufacturing Company patented and manufactured the "Splotchmarker," which Nelson marketed as the famous Nel-Spot 007. This marker became a milestone in paintball history for use in the first ever game of the sport.

The Nel-Spot 007 was a bolt action or pump action marker in the shape of a pistol. Its robust design, reliability, and simplicity still place it in the gear bags of many players today.

The first paintball game occurred on June 7, 1981, in the New Hampshire woods. However, the game didn't happen overnight. In fact, the discussion took place for the first time in 1977, between two friends, over drinks.

Years later, after seeing the Nel-Spot 007 in a catalog, the two friends set out to settle an ongoing argument — could a novice survive in combat against a trained hunter?

When looking into history to see when was paintball invented, you'll see it was nothing but a simple concept.

Testing their theory, Hayes Noel and Charles Gaines invited 12 friends to compete in a game of capture the flag. There were 4 flag stations, each with 12 flags matching each of the 12 people playing. The rules were simple: The first to capture all the flags without getting shot wins.

Half of the players comprised experienced avid hunters and the other half consisted of untrained city men.

Game-day took place on June 27, 1981. They armed 12 players with the Nel-Spot 007 paintball markers and set out into an 80-acre cross-country playing field.

Incidentally, the winner, Ritchie White, didn’t fire a single shot. Instead, he used strategic stealth tactics to collect all the flags, outsmarting his friends to win.

As the first 12 players stalked each other for eliminations and flags, they were not aware of the impact this simple experiment would have on extreme sports in the years to come.

Rise of the paintball industry

Shortly after the first game, one of the participants, Bob Jones, decided to write an article about the experience for Sports Illustrated Magazine. This instantly made the game of paintball famous and brought the sport to a whole new generation of players.

His article resulted in the unexpected flow of letters from people with requests asking how they could play the game.

The sudden popularity in the game proved to be a great business opportunity for the principal creators. Gurnsey, Gaines, and Noel started selling starter kits for what they called the National Survival Game (NSG).

The kit included a Nel-Spot marker, along with some paintballs and safety goggles. They also added an official rulebook for the game and a bonus compass as used by the first players.

Bob Gurnsey opened the world's first commercial paintball field in New Hampshire in March 1982. And as we learn more about when was paintball invented, this was only the beginning.

Gurnsey began licensing out the NSG franchise to others who wanted to start their own fields. The sport transitioned from NSG to the name of paintball and began to make its way overseas in 1994.

With all these new burgeoning industries, paintball was standardized and more streamlined for consumer play.

Speedball and the rise of the semi-automatic marker

While learning when was paintball invented, it's also good to know how it advanced over the years.

In 1988, a new variation to the game called "arena ball" made its debut at a paintball field in California. Also known as speedball, it was a revolutionary addition to the world of paintball and an instant success.

This type of game was extremely fast-paced and usually lasted only three to four minutes at a time. The game required higher speed, and because of this, the 1990s soon saw a rise in demand for semi-automatic markers.

It was Tippman Pneumatics to release the first fully-automatic paintball gun: the Tippman SMG-60. Tippman remains among the most respected and well-distributed companies in the world today.

Accurate and fast to operate, these semi-automatic markers could generate very high rates of fire. However, semi-automatic electronic markers were heavy to carry. They were also considerably more expensive, making them not readily available to most players at the time.

Originally part of Kingman, Spyder Paintball made a name for itself by introducing a more affordable semi-automatic to the public. Known as the Kingman Spyder marker, an aluminum body made it much lighter than other semi-auto markers on the market.

Famous for their reliability, simple design, and ease of maintenance, these mechanical markers had high performance at a low cost. By doing this, Spyder significantly evened the playing field for those players on a tight budget.

Over time, the markers became more affordable and available on the market. Other brands started to manufacture them, and today there are several great speedball markers from which to choose.

As the passion for paintball began the spread, it started to gain a more positive and safe reputation. More companies began to appear and take the opportunity in the sport, offering cheaper markers or specialized parts and gear.

While looking into the question of when was paintball invented, another milestone hit with the entry of electro-pneumatically operated markers.

Unlike pump markers, a circuit board controls power to electronic or electro-pneumatic markers with a 9-volt battery. The consistency is more accurate with a faster firing ratio due to the electric components.

In 2003, a company known as Smart Parts got a patent for paintball markers using an electro-pneumatic valve. Unfortunately, this also initiated a series of lawsuits regarding markers built during the pending patent period.

It also created a massive backlash against Smart Parts by many players of the game.

The event sent a shockwave through the industry, and several smaller manufacturers immediately ceased production of electronic markers.

Most high-end companies were less affected

However, for those companies that continued to make the electronic markers, the competition would only rise. Some of the remaining top-quality companies included Luxe Paintball, Planet Express, DYE, and many others.

Founded in 1994, DYE is one of the oldest companies in the sport. It manufactures a wide range of paintball equipment, as well as the popular Dye Rize line of markers. The goal of the company was to deliver reliable and dependable paintball guns and gear to all players.

A small England-originated company known as Planet Express became popular after creating what they called the Eblade board. This was a complete chip kit with the ability to convert any typical auto-cocker marker into an electronic one.

Today the company is now a leading manufacturer in electronic paintball markers such as the CS2 and the Etha 2.

DLX Technologies, also known as Luxe Paintball, amazed the world with its exclusive Luxe ICE, one of the best high-end paintball markers on the market. DLX designed its marker to be as customizable as possible and continuously updates to meet the demands of the players.

So now that we've answered your question of "When was paintball invented," let's go over the facts one last time before you head out into the field!

The very first game of paintball occurred in 1981.

When the game was first played, it was merely 12 friends trying to test who had the best survival skills only to become a world-known official sport in a matter of 2 years later.

Paintball has grown over the years, from outdoor and indoor fields to elaborate obstacles including custom scenarios and tactical gameplay. It has evolved into a highly competitive sport that comes in many different forms, ranging from small groups of friends to professional tournaments.

The game is now getting the attention it deserves and is a favorite recreational past-time for many people.

Did you enjoy learning about the history of this exciting, adrenaline-driven sport? Please let us know what you think in the comments below!

Featured Image via Pixabay

Featured Image Source: Pixabay

You've heard all about how exciting paintball can be. It's great exercise, a way to have fun with your friends, and an excellent sport for anyone who has a competitive spirit. Before you get to enjoy it to the fullest, however, you should learn how to use a paintball gun.

Paintball guns aren't overly complicated, but they're not as simple as you might think, either. You can't just grab any random paintball gun and expect to be able to play -- not if you want to have a chance at winning, anyway. You should know the basics of how these guns operate.

It would definitely help to learn some tips when it comes to how to use a paintball gun. This will help you get into the game with the confidence that you know what you're doing. That way, you can enjoy it as much as possible!

How Does a Paintball Gun Work?

If you have an interest in learning how to use a paintball gun, the first thing you should do is learn how one of these works. Of course, paintball guns fire paintballs. But exactly how does this happen?

Depending on the type of gun you have, there is a canister full of some sort of gas. Usually, it's carbon dioxide, but it could be nitrogen or even run-of-the-mill air. A short and controlled burst of this gas causes a paintball to come barreling out.

The gun also contains a hopper, which puts the paintball at the head of the line into its appropriate spot in the firing assembly. There is a single paintball that is in place that is prepared to go out the next time you pull the trigger.

The hopper moves the paintball that is first in line directly in front of a piston, which will propel it out when you shoot the gun.

Types of Paintball Guns

When you're on your quest to learn how to use a paintball gun, you should also learn about the different types of paintball guns. That's right, not all paintball guns are created the same.

Different types operate using different mechanisms, which will affect the specific directions when it comes to how to use a paintball gun for you.

There are hybrids of these three types, as well as other types that are on the market. However, the three main types are pump, mechanical, and electronic paintball guns.

10 Rapid Tips on How to Use a Paintball Gun for the Very First Time

When you're learning how to play paintball, a big part of succeeding is learning how to use a paintball gun properly. It might seem very simple, but the truth is that there are a few things that you should do in order to ensure that your gun functions optimally.

There are also certain tactics that you should employ while you're actually playing; that is, if you're interested in winning.

1. HPA tanks beat out CO2

When you're playing paintball, it's no secret that accuracy is essential. One way that you can make your paintball gun more accurate when you fire is to change the type of air you use. Instead of carbon dioxide, you can upgrade to HPA or High-Pressure Air.

First of all, you should make sure that your gun can operate using HPA. It works for most of the newer paintball guns, but you shouldn't assume it'll work for yours. Don't start using it without making sure your gun can handle it.

Carbon dioxide gas is very sensitive to temperature. If you're a science buff, you know that temperature and pressure have a direct relationship with one another. So, if CO2 is sensitive to temperature, the pressure can go all over the place with changing temperatures.

And this will make it very hard for you. Think about it -- if the pressure in your gun isn't consistent, your accuracy likely won't be either. HPA is much less sensitive to temperature and will be much more consistent for you.

2. Wash your gun, not just your uniform!

You can't expect your gun to be clean at all times when you're playing paintball. It's inevitably going to get muddy. However, you should also keep in mind that playing paintball with a dirty gun is one of the leading causes of inaccurate shots.

You should, of course, run a squeegee through the barrel. And you should make sure that the squeegee is clean. However, you need to clean and inspect the entire gun, not just the barrel.

You should make it a habit to check your paintball gun pretty regularly, especially after really messy matches. Make sure to check the raceway inside your motor, the detents, the eyes, the body, and the bolt and hammer, along with the barrel. It's almost a given that the accuracy of your game will be better for it.

3. Lube: a Goldilocks situation

Lube is very useful, a fact you should know while learning how to use a paintball gun. You need to keep certain parts of the gun coated with lube for optimal performance and maintenance. However, if you use too much lube, it can travel into places that could interfere with the performance of your gun.

If you use too much lube, it'll usually end up in the barrel. That could mess up the accuracy of your shots.

In other words, you don't want to use too much lube or too little lube. You want the amount of lube you use to be just right. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to figure this out by trial-and-error because no set amount works for every gun.

4. Paintballs should be subject to scrutiny

It can take a while to inspect your paintballs, which is why a lot of players don't do it. Especially since most reputable paintball distributors will produce high-quality paintballs. However, you need to keep in mind that you're never guaranteed perfect paintballs.

Even tiny imperfections on a paintball can significantly affect its trajectory in the air. Also, you should keep in mind that if one bad paintball ends up breaking inside your gun, it can mess up your entire game.

It would be a good idea for you to take a few minutes to inspect your paintballs before any game.

5. Don't get too attached to specific parts of your gun

Make sure that you check the parts of your gun on a regular basis. One example, which we have already mentioned, is the gas tanks and switching from CO2 to HPA. Also, you should make sure that your regulator is in top form.

It's possible that your regulator could have flaws from the very beginning. Or, after you've been using it for a long time, it could end up with wear and tear that could affect your game.

What you should do is test your regulator fairly regularly. If you see that it's not operating well, you should be prepared to either repair or replace it. You should make sure that it delivers consistent operating pressure.

6. Hoppers must be proper

Of course, it's essential to make sure your gun is clean on the outside. You should inspect several parts on the outside, as well as the barrel. However, it doesn't end here -- you need to check the hopper as well.

Keeping your hopper clean is just as important as keeping your barrel clean. Keep in mind that all of the paintballs that start out in the hopper will end up in the barrel anyway.

If you have oil, dirt, or the residue from a broken paintball in your hopper, it's eventually going to end up in your barrel and mess up your game.

7. It should fit like a glove

You need to make sure that your paintballs are the right size for the barrel of your gun. That is an important part of how to use a paintball gun.

If your paintballs are too small, they'll bounce around as they're leaving the barrel. That means they're not going to have a smooth flow, compromising your accuracy.

If the paintballs are too big, there will be friction between the barrel and paintball as they flow towards the exit location. As a result, the paintballs could break in the barrel. Alternatively, there will be so much drag that they'll go out at a slow velocity.

In order to make sure you're using the right-sized paintballs, there is a test that you can do. Unscrew the barrel from your gun and drop a paintball down the barrel.

If it drops straight through, it's too small, and if it gets stuck, you should blow on it with a small burst of air. If it's still stuck, it's too big, but if it exits the barrel with the short burst of air, it's the perfect size.

8. Reduce, reuse, recycle -- NOT!

In the second grade, they always told you that recycling is a good thing. And this might be true when it comes to paper, cans, and bottles. It is not, however, true when it comes to paintballs.

When you're in the middle of a game, it might be tempting to reuse paint pellets that have been dropped on the ground or have been fired already and still appear intact. After all, they're free pellets, right? They might seem free, but the truth is that your decision to use them will probably cost you by jamming your gun.

Paintball pellets have gelatine shells, which will absorb water very quickly. The pellets will become soft and swell up, to the point where they may not fit into the gun barrel or might not go through the hopper.

If you happen to drop a few pellets while you're loading your gun, you can use them, but only as long as they are still clean and dry. If you drop them in mud or a puddle of water, you're better off just leaving them.

9. Running on empty is never a good idea

The gas in a paintball gun isn't the same as the gas in your car. After all, cars operate using liquid gasoline, and paintball guns operate using literal gases. However, in both cases, you really shouldn't run on empty.

A part of learning how to use a paintball gun is learning that paintball guns have gas tanks that will generally give you a certain number of shots. Usually, you'll get several hundred shots before you have to replace the gas tank.

When you're starting to run low on gas, your pellets will start to lose velocity, which can definitely impact your game. If you think you might be running low, you should ask a marshal to check the gun and possibly fit it with a new gas tank.

Also keep in mind that the number of shots that deplete the gas tank applies to every time you pull the trigger, not just every pellet that you fire. Many people will dry fire their guns just for kicks, and this costs gas.

10. Aim before you fire!

This may seem like it goes without saying, but you'd be surprised how many paintball players fire first and aim afterward.

Basically, what they're trying to do is adjust their shot as they are firing it, so eventually, they end up hitting their opponent. However, it's often counterproductive.

Once you've fired your first shot, your opponent knows that he or she is a target and is much more likely to move and minimize your chances of making your shot.

Learning how to use a paintball gun isn't just about the maintenance of the gun itself, but also utilizing it in the proper way during a game. It's always best to be as covert as possible when you're playing paintball. Hide, aim, and then fire!

Ready, Aim, Fire That Paint!

Now that you're familiar with paintball guns and some tips on how to use a paintball gun, aren't you excited about trying out your new knowledge in a game?

Like any other game or sport, it'll take some getting used to. You're probably not going to be a champion paintball player your first time. But like anything else, practice makes perfect.

As long as you utilize all of the knowledge you have about how paintball guns work and how to use one properly within a game, you stand the best possible chance of becoming an excellent paintball player.

Just go out there and have fun, while also remembering that knowledge and strategy are your friends.

What do you think of everything we've just told you about how to use a paintball gun? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Featured Image by John Miller from Pixabay

There's a lot to love about paintball -- it's an enjoyable, action-packed game, not to mention great exercise. Getting to fire a paintball gun is a lot of fun as well. But have you ever wondered how a paintball gun works?

Paintball guns don't work the same way real guns do. Of course, considering that you're probably shooting paintball guns at your friends, this is a good thing. It's also a different mechanism that's quite fun to learn about.

Nothing's better than that great, tired feeling you have after a long, fun day of playing paintball. It might be even better, though, if you get to shoot that gun knowing how a paintball gun works.

Originally developed for recreation, paintball has evolved into a formal sports competition, which involves tournaments and teams comprised of professional players.

Military forces and law enforcement use paintball as part of their training. Participants can play indoor or outdoor fields of varying sizes. Some of the games include elimination, capture the flag, defending/attacking a particular area, or capturing objects hidden in the playing area.

One of the best things about paintball is that you can be of any age or level to play. All you need is a team, gear, and a field.

Playing on an interesting terrain makes paintball even more fun. Some of the most interesting paintball courses are in forests, dusty terrains, and artificial war areas. Challenging obstacles and an interesting atmosphere are some of the components that make a paintball course interesting.

We wanted to find out which terrains were the most interesting, so we scoured the globe for the coolest paintball courses.

Skirmish

When you enter Skirmish’s website home page, you get sucked into the world of paintball. The home page provides a bird’s eye view and a first-person point of view of the course.

Located in Albrightsville, USA, Skirmish is home to more than 50 paintball maps in the world. The entire course spans over 750 acres of the Pocono Mountain real estate. (1)

Paintballers who want a variety of courses will find Skirmish to be a delight, as it offers dense woods, open fields, swamps, bridges, creeks, two castles, cargo containers, airplanes, and inflatable bunkers. Talk about a variety.

Players don’t have to have paintball experience, and the staff offer tips and answer questions. Skirmish provides paintball equipment.

They provide numerous packages, depending on your needs and organize events that allow specials for students and benefits for other groups.

The company is based around the world in countries such as the UK, Ireland, Australia, and America. Skirmish USA hosts one of the most popular scenario games called the Invasion of Normandy. 

The event attracts almost 4,000 attendees every July. (2)

Gotchaspielfeld Nord

Situated in Poland, Gotchaspielfeld Nord is Europe’s biggest paintball field. The facility, which opened in 2008 after a year of preparation, is located an hour and a half from Berlin and at the German border in Forst.

Aside from the usual amenities, the park offers a sleeping facility with 150 beds, a restaurant with a beer garden, an open-air cinema, and a disco.

Those who are more interested in the paintball aspect of the park have the option of choosing from 20 fields spread over 81 acres. One of the most popular scenarios at Gotchaspielfeld Nord is the Big Game. More than 1,000 players from German and the rest of Europe gather to compete in the legendary event. 

The other park’s offerings include a tour of the Secret Bunker Forest and a tank ride on one of the three original armored vehicles. (6)

Some of the themed fields that the park offers are the Black Hawk Down, Rocket SILO, Green Zone, Slim City and House of Paint.

One of the benefits of making a full-day booking is free lunch at the park’s restaurant, Kantina.

Hollywood Sports Paintball & Airsoft Park

It seems that everything in Hollywood is about glitz and glamor. That seems to be the case even for their paintball courses.

One of the most interesting paintball courses is the Hollywood Sports course, based in Bellflower, USA.

Only Hollywood’s arts and culture can transport you to a battlefield, and the infamous park doesn’t fail to do that. This place has it all.

The venue is a million-dollar outdoor facility and spread over 28 acres. Situated to Los Angeles County in the city of Bellflower, Hollywood Sports Paintball offers various themed courses to create a memorable experience. (3) 

Some of the courses available are the giant tactical stadium, forbidden city, lunar wars, mad max, apocalypse, escape LA, combat center, and raccoon city. The park also offers a BMX course, volley court and two-story buildings. If that wasn’t enough, the park also has a MOUT training course, movie sets from Saving Private Ryan and Godzilla. (2)

The park also has a banquet center for bachelor or bachelorette parties, film showings, weddings, and family gatherings. 

Many people regard the park as the most themed paintball park in the world.

Hot Shots Paintball Adventure Park

If you’re in Melbourne, Australia and want to experience one of the best paintball courses in the world, then the Hot Shots is the place to be.

It was voted as the fourth best paintball course in the world and Australia’s number 1 Most Awesome Paintball Skirmish Adventure Park. The only downside of the park is that it allows players of 16 years or older to play paintball. The park offers a mini-course for players ten years or older, as well as laser games.

Players will never run out of entertainment at Hot Shots since it offers 11 fields that combine a natural bush setting with fascinating themes such as Wild West town, Egyptian Village, Battleforce Pacific and more. (4)

To make the park more entertaining, the organizers also have special effects, explosions, and sound effects. The park spans over 50 acres and has free BBQ facilities and also offers conference venues for corporate events, bachelor parties, and social gatherings.

The park compares its offerings to Hollywood style designed explosions and special effects. Other courses provided include the Mission Impossible, The Gauntlet, and Assasin.

Asylum Paintball

This place is one of the most exciting paintball courses not only in the world but also in New Zealand. Situated in Auckland, Asylum Paintball offers a unique experience.

Instead of designing an artificial course, the owners decided to convert a former Kingseat psychiatric hospital, which was in operation from 1932-1999, into a paintball course. The designers didn’t disappoint. (2)

Besides offering packages for just about all ages, Asylum Paintball also offers night games, as well as indoor and outdoor courses. Some of the indoor venues are splat arena, doom arena, and the outdoor arenas are the wrecking yard, tire mania, drums of war and urban assault.

What makes it is that the venue used to be an asylum, so the organizers used the venue’s history to theme the park. 

The park also offers BBQ facilities, catering and party rooms, as well as lockers.

One of the most popular events that the park hosts it a realistic experience is the Asylum Night Terror. The event is a 10-hour Airsoft scavenger-battle through the haunted, former Mental Asylum. (5)

Last Stand

Paintball is a sport that people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy. One of the perks of paintball is that it allows you to bond with your friends or colleagues while getting a workout and learning military strategies.

The aspect that makes paintball really fun is the course. Playing on themed courses and having various options available is what makes the game more exciting. Our listings reveal that regardless of where you are in the world, you can experience state-of-the-art courses.

One of the favorite past-times amongst many people is paintball. Some have taken it to the next level and made it a sport. 

The popularity of paintball has spread across the world so much that some organizations have established several national and regional leagues. 

What evolved from being a concept to use a marker for trees has evolved out of the woods and made a home on playing grounds. 

The popularity of paintball has established an industry of more than 10 million participants and dubbed the second biggest Extreme Sport - skateboarding being the first. (1)

The three forms of paintball are woodsball, speedball, and scenario paintball. To ensure optimal fun and safety, the right gear is essential for paintballers to participate. Our list contains the essential items to play paintball.

Paintball Marker

Commonly referred to as a paintball gun, the marker propels the paintballs toward the target. One of the key features of a paintball marker is the compressed air tank. Some markers have a Co2 tank. 

Without the compressed air or Co2 tank, the bolt will not cycle, making the marker useless.

High-quality markers can propel paintballs at 300 feet per second, though the paintball cannot retain that speed for a long period. (1)

Most marker manufacturers make the bodies from aluminum to reduce the gun’s weight and feature custom milling and color anodizing. The most common markers feature a body, compressed air tank, barrel, and hopper. (2)

The three types of markers that exist are pump, mechanically operated, and electro-pneumatic. (2)

Mask

Unless you want a paintball to splatter in your eyes, then you should wear a mask while playing.

Paintball masks protect your face. A paintball hitting your body might cause a bruise, but hitting your eyes can blind you. Numerous paintball masks exist on the market, but paintballers need to ensure that theirs contains a few essential features.

Although masks are meant to protect your face, it’s also supposed to provide you with good vision. Ensure that your mask comes with an anti-fog feature, as well as thermal design lenses. 

Some masks cover only your face, and others cover your entire head. Being able to hear is essential while playing paintball, so make sure that you can hear properly since different models provide different hearing levels. One of the things that affect the player’s hearing is the extra padding near the ear on the mask to protect it from injury by the paintball. (3)

Most masks contain foam padding to increase the player’s comfort on their face and helps with protection from the paintball. Some masks allow you to replace the foam since it gets blighted and disfigures due to constant absorption of sweat.

Visors on a mask are an additional feature but help to keep the sun out of your eyes, as well as prevent rain from dripping into the vents of the mask. 

Other features that paintballers should look at to optimize their experience are scratch resistance, sturdiness and fog resistance.

Clothing

Although a paintballer can play in a t-shirt and shorts, getting the proper attire to play is essential for several reasons.

The most recommended attire for paintball is to wear a camouflage jumpsuit. Since most paintball terrains are dusty and situated in forests, a paintballer will benefit the most from a suit that blends into the environment.

Apart from enabling the paintballer to disguise him or herself, high-quality overalls provide layers of protection. The overall contains padding that alleviates the impact when the paintballs hit the player. 

A proper overall covers the entire body of the player but is also big enough for the player to wear their regular clothing as the first layer. 

Besides protecting your body, a good overall is also easy to wash. Having a paintball splatter on your regular clothes might be difficult to clean with some fabrics, whereas a paintball overall is much easier to clean when stained.

Paintballs

After you’ve selected a proper marker, mask, and overalls, the crucial ingredient that remains is the paintballs. Players have a choice between various ammo, allowing the player to select the quality and size. Choosing the wrong ammo could lead to players losing the game.

Each marker is best suited with unique paintballs. Getting the optimal experience from the ammo means choosing the ones that are best suited to the type of game that you’re going to play. 

A paintball’s gelatin shell should break upon impact, though ricochet may occur. 

Most regular competitors will settle for standard ammo, but professionals will consider the cost, durability, caliber, quality, color, and efficiency.

High-quality paintballs cost more than regular ones. The standard caliber of a paintball is 0.63 while others are 0.43 and 0.71. (4) The durability of the paintball is important since the outer shell should be thick and tough to ensure that it doesn’t break on the impact of the bolt. 

The type of game that you play will determine the color of the paintball. Playing woodsball amongst green trees would require bright neon shades of paint. The efficiency determines how far the paintball can go and its accuracy.

Some of the best paintballs are Valkan Infinity, Vasken, RPS Empire Marbalizer, May Vary, and JT GI Splatmaster. (4)

Additional Gear

One of the final components is the vest. Mostly, professionals make use of a vest. A paintball vest provides the player with additional padding and enables convenient storage of ammo and other items such as radios and maps.

Players who choose to wear vests should ensure that they can easily breathe with it on, that it has adjustable shoulders and side straps, a mesh hydration bladder pouch, and several pockets.

Without the essential gear mentioned above, paintball won’t be a fun experience and could result in injury. Rather be safe than sorry by ensuring that you have all the necessary gear. After all, paintball is supposed to be a fun experience, not a risky task.

The better you’re prepared, the more fun you’ll have.

If you’re searching for a Piranha paintball gun review, it’s probably because you’re looking for a good paintball gun for beginners. Maybe you’d like to give paintball a try, but you don’t quite feel ready for a Tippman just yet.

Piranha is known for making paintball guns that are quite a bit cheaper than some of the higher-end brands on the market.

But of course, we all know you get what you pay for. Can Piranha stand toe to toe with some of the bigger paintball brands? Or do they fail to meet expectations? And who exactly is Piranha as a brand anyway?

If you are new to the world of paintball, you may have heard that you'll need a paintball marker. But what is a paintball marker and why do you need it?

Like all sports, players have to wear protective gear and use the right equipment to play. Players use various equipment in a paintball game. And each piece of gear is necessary, but the essential part of this equipment will be your paintball marker.

What Is a Paintball Marker?

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To put it simply, a paintball marker is the gun you use in the game of paintball. The terms “paintball gun” and “paintball marker” are interchangeable.

So now you know: What is a paintball marker? But why is a paintball gun called a paintball marker? If you find yourself asking this question, then you've come to the right place!

There's a reason behind the name.

The Difference Between a Gun and a Marker

When asking what is a paintball marker, we look to the mid-sixties. In that time, a man named Charles Nelson was asked to design a device that would help foresters. What he invented was the paintball marker.

The original design of the paintball marker was initially used to mark trees or livestock rather than people. It would save foresters and ranchers time by giving them the ability to mark from a distance.

Years later, Nelson decided that he might have more success if he sold his paintball marker as a toy. At the time, BB guns were popular, so he contacted the air-soft company, Daisy, to construct the first paintball marker.

After seeing the paintball marker in a catalog, a man named Bob Gurnsey and his friends set out to settle an arguement — could a novice survive in combat against a trained hunter?

Testing their theory, they invited six woodsmen to compete in a game of capture the flag against six untrained players. All players were equipped with maps, whistles, and paintball markers.

The first paintball game occurred on June 7, 1981, in the New Hampshire woods. Incidentally, the winner of this first-ever game didn't fire a single shot. Instead, he stealthily collected all the flags to win.

One of the other participants wrote an article about the experience for Sports Illustrated. This instantly made the game famous and brought paintball to a whole new generation of players, and they subsequently shaped the sport into the paintball we know and play today.

What is a paintball marker? It's the beginning of the paintball game itself.

Understanding the Main Types of Paintball Markers

Now that we've answered your question of "What is a paintball marker?" let's learn about the different types.

Paintball markers come in many styles, and the type of gun can influence your game. Whether you are buying your gun or renting one from the field, there are a few things to consider.

The first and most important thing for you to know is what type of marker to use.

With so many options on the market, there is a paintball gun for every type of gameplay and skill level. However, every kind of marker comes with its unique pros and cons.

Even though there are dozens of models, paintball markers can be broken down into three defining types.

Choosing the Best Paintball Marker for Your Game

Now that we've gone over "What is a paintball marker?" and the different types of markers available, what paintball is right for you?

Your choice of paintball marker can make or break your game.

First, you must choose which type of game you want to play. Like your equipment, there are many different paintball fields, and there is a marker best suited for each game. So you will want to choose a marker that complements your skills and helps your gameplay.

All paintball games are categorized into two unique styles: woodsball and speedball.

Woodsball

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Woodsball is the original form of the sport and is usually played outdoors. These games depend on the terrain, and the pace of the game is moderately slow. They can last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes to hours, to even days, depending on the style of game.

There is a wide range of playing styles in woodsball, which allows you room to choose and customize your marker. You can play aggressively, or you may find that you prefer the more tactical way to defeat your opponents more appealing.

Either way, you want to focus on choosing a marker that can fire long distances. The wooded fields are large, and players get spaced out, so you are typically far from your target. Accuracy is also essential in this style due to all the trees, bunkers, and brush you have to shoot around.

And what is a paintball marker good for if it can't hit your mark?

The most common markers for woodsball are typically the semi-automatic mechanical or the classic pump-action guns. Both of these markers have a long firing range and excellent accuracy.

Speedball

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As the name suggests, speedball is all about speed. Unlike woodsball, this type of game is extremely fast-paced and usually lasts around three to four minutes at a time.

Yes, it's that fast!

In speedball, you'll have to move very quickly to get the perfect angle on your opponents as they take cover behind specially designed bunkers. The fields are usually smaller, and the play style more aggressive.

If you plan on playing speedball, you must have a gun that will respond quickly. Electronic markers are for speed. They are efficient and much faster than mechanical or pump-action guns.

Therefore, electronic markers are an excellent choice and best suited in games of speedball.

Every Game of Paintball Begins with Your Paintball Marker

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Your first paintball marker is a significant investment. And while these devices are all paintball guns, the term paintball marker comes from the early history of paintball. Additionally, the term "marker" might be less controversial than saying "gun" when describing the game of paintball to those who don't play.

So the next time someone asks the question: "What is a paintball marker," you can tell them it's the most essential piece of equipment in the game.

Which term do you prefer using when referring to paintball? Please let us know by leaving a comment below!