Popular Paintball Accessories. Improving the Game With Paintball Gun Accessories.
Drop Forward - The drop forward is used to improve comfort and to balance the paintball gun better by changing the position of the air canister. Tanks can be mounted in just about any position desired depending on the personal preference of the paintball gun operator. Most players use a drop forward for balance and to improve maneuverability by cutting down on the overall length of the marker.Remote Line - It is often more convenient to store the tank in a pouch or on a pod belt. This is possible with a remote line which is a hose that connects the paintball gun to the "remote" tank. Using a remote line decreases the length and weight of the gun, thereby improving maneuverability. However, there is a downside. A remote line can get caught in the trees or bushes and hinder the player.
Pod - A pod is simply a plastic tube for carrying paintballs. Alternative names are guppy or tube. The typical pod holds 140 paintballs. However, pods can come in various sizes. Rental sites use pods with a capacity of 100 paintballs, while small pods that only carry only 10 paintballs are best for small paintball pistols. Pods usually come with a spring-loaded top so they can be opened quickly with one hand.
Harness - A Harness is used to carry pods of paintballs, and the gas tank if it is being used remotely. Harnesses are sometimes referred to as packs. Paintball gun hoppers typically hold 200 paintballs which can be emptied very quickly with rapid firing. If a player is going to be tied up in a game and away from a supply of ammunition for a while, then a harness with pods of paintballs is a must.
Squeegee - A squeegee is used to clean out broken paintballs and other debris from the barrel and breach. A squeegee is typically a long plastic rod to which is attached a hinged rubber disk (or washer). The rubber washer is pushed side-on into the barrel so it can pass the debris. Once at the bottom it is rotated 90 degrees to fill the barrel, then pulled out, scraping the paint as it is removed.
Barrel plugs/covers - At the end of play the barrel is "plugged" to prevent an accidental discharge of a paintball from causing injury. This reduces the possibility of someone nearby being injured from an errant shot. A particular vulnerability is eye injury since most players will have removed their protective masks at the end of the game.
Barrel condoms/socks - Barrel plugs have shortcomings. They are attached by friction and can be easily "shot" off the equipment, especially when a short volley of shots is involved. A barrel sock (also referred to as condom or sleeve) in contrast is attached to the paintball gun with elastic preventing the sock from separating from the gun when it is fired. An errant paintball shot from the gun is captured by the sock, the elastic extends and the sock absorbs the momentum of the paintball. The sock then springs back and is in position to arrest further errant shots. Repeated firings simply fill the sock as it bounces back and forth absorbing the energy from the high velocity paintballs.
