 | Paintball Goggles
If you are getting into paintball then one of the first purchases you need to make is a good quality set of paintball goggles. The rule of thumb is to buy the best quality you can afford and try to do away with having to rely on rental goggles which on some fields can be quite scratched, smelly and prone to steaming up.
There are two types of lenses. The first is the single pane lens which will almost certainly be treated on the inside with an anti-fog coating. This coating will wear off eventually and you will be back to suffering from some degree of steaming, The single pane lens style goggles tend to be more affordable and usually you have the option to buy an upgraded 'thermal' lens at a later date which will help prevent steaming up.
Thermal lens paintball goggles are goggles that are fitted with a dual pane lens. Between this dual pane system is a vacuum which acts rather like the double glazing in your house. As you get hot inside your goggles and temperature becomes higher that than on the outside, the vacuum filled gap helps prevent heat exchange which reduces the chance of moisture condensing on the inside.
On a thermal lens, usually there is a black band around the outside edge of the two lenses which is the 'spacer' that keeps the two panes apart. Single lenses generally have no black band.
There are lots of styles of goggle ranging from arouns £20.00 up to £110.00. Some cater for Airball and some for Scenario and some cross over both. |
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| Paintball guns as they are most commonly known are referred to within the sport as paintball markers and the section that covers them is below. Paintball guns do not currently require a license but you must be over 18 to purchase one on-line or in our store. It is against the law to display or fire a paintball marker in a public place. Paintball guns should only be used on a designated and fully organised paintball field with trained safety staff in attendance. |
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Paintball Markers
There are so many paintball markers available that it will make your head spin. At LiPS Paintball we tend to stock the more reliable markers ( or paintball guns ) because that's good for us and good for you. You don't want to buy a marker that is going to let you down and we don't want to have to keep fixing it for you. Lips Paintball sells all the leading brands of marker and we provide a good back up service for them all.
Before you buy your first marker you need to consider a couple of key points:
1. Does your local field allow you to take your own marker?
2. If they do, do they have any restrictions relating to the markers that they allow you to use?
3. If they don't, how far are you going to have to travel to get a game with your new marker?
Best thing to do is to call up your favourite local field and ask them what their company policy is.
Some fields have restrictions relating to the type of gas that they can provide on site so that's another thing to check out first. Most entry level or starter markers will run on Co2 or Compressed Air but the more expensive electronic markers usually only run on Compressed Air. There's a section blow to explain some of the differences between the two gasses.
Remember also that some paintball markers are simple and some are quite complicated. It's a good idea to remember that you should not take your marker apart or modify it unless you are qualified to do so. Incorrect re-assembly could lead to damaging your marker or injury to yourself or others. When in doubt, consult an expert.
Checkout the marker sections in LiPS Airball and LiPS Scenario.
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 | Paintball Air Systems
Your next important choice is your choice of propellant gas.
You need to consider carefully your choice of paintball air system. Entry level or starter markers can usually run on Co2 (carbon dioxide) or Compressed Air. Co2 used for paintball is just a concentrated form of the air that we breathe out and compressed air is literally a large amount of the air around us compressed into a small tank.
The two gasses are quite different and you should refer to you marker manual and check what type of propellant gas can be used on your paintball marker. You may have heard that some markers require low pressure output or high pressure output air systems, your manual should also tell you which. If you are in any doubt you can call LiPS Paintball and we will try to advise you on exactly what you need.
It is very important that you never attempt to put Co2 into a Compressed Air tank or Compressed Air into a Co2 tank. The gasses have very different properties and operate at different pressures within their correct tanks so it is dangerous to try and mix the two together. Likewise, Co2 valves are not compatable with Compressed Air tanks and Air regulators must not be fitted to Co2 tanks. If you are in any doubt always consult a qualified airsmith or contact LiPS Paintball for free advice.
It's a good idea to again consider which type of propellant gas your local paintball field provides. There is no point in buying a top quality Compressed Air system only to find that all the local fields in your area only provide Co2!
There will be a capacity specification relating to your paintball air system. Compressed Air is generally measured in cubic units (cu), the higher the number of units the higher the capacity of your Compressed Air system. Co2 system size is generally measured in weight i.e. 7oz, 12oz and 20oz. The higher the number of ounces the higher the capacity of your Co2 tank. |
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Paintballs
There are only really two classifications of paintballs and they both relate to calibre.
The vast majority of paintballs that are sold are .68 calibre and these are the size of paintball that are most often sold at your local site. The second size is the .50 calibre which is now growing in popularity on rental fields and used for games involving younger players as they create less impact and cause less of a sting.
Colours and manufacturers vary widely and LiPS Paintball stock all of the leading brands such as GI Sportz, DXS, RP Scherer and Dark Sports.
Often, some of the more expensive paintballs can be more fragile as they are designed for competative paintball so if your marker is a little hard on paint then consider a mid priced ball. If you are in any doubt which paintballs to select just give LiPS Paintball a call and we'll talk you through your choices.
Most paintballs usually perform very well in the warmer months of the Spring, Summer and Autumn but it is advaisable to consider a dedicated winter ball when the temperature gets below 10 or 12 degrees celcius.
The accuracy of paintballs is a bit of a science relating to roundness, the seam, barrels, bore size and a bucket load of other variables. Working it all out is part of the game. |  |
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 | Paintball Loaders
Your choice of paintball loader or hopper really depends on the speed that your marker can fire. The most basic or 'gravity' fed loaders will usually feed at between 6 and 12 balls per second depending on their design and will be perfectly suited to the cheaper entry level markers.
As your choice of marker progresses to 12 balls per second plus then you are going to have to give gravity a little help and move up to an electronic loader.
Electronic loaders either force or assist the balls down into the marker at a faster rate than just allowing them to drop in. Ball breakages can be a problem when the marker is demanding balls at 15 balls per second (bps) and they are only being fed in at 7 or 8 bps.
Your choice of paintball loader or hopper is going to have to relate to your budget and the requirements of your marker. Some of the more expensive loaders are not necessarily the most complicated. Often the top loaders are based on a tool-less disassembly design and the inner workings can be accessed in seconds.
Your marker manual should tell you it's capabilities and achievable rates of fire so check up what you need before you buy. As always, if you are in any doubt just pick up the phone and call LiPS Paintball and we'll discuss what you need.
Electronic paintball loaders usually run on AA Batteries or the square shaped 9v variety. |
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