CO2 vs. Nitro - We've had a lot of questions lately regarding the differences between CO2 and Nitrogen when used in paintball. We thought a blog post was in order to cover some of the basic differences, including the good and bad, between the two.
CO2 Tanks - First, CO2 is the most commonly used propellant in paintball. CO2 tanks come in varying sizes and can be filled by just about any store or field the sells paintball equipment. CO2 that fills a tank is in the form of a liquid, therefore the tank's size is deemed as a liquid volume such as a 20 oz. tank. CO2 can be a dirty gas. The liquid form of CO2 in your tank is not what powers the marker. Liquid CO2 must be turned into a gas to pressure the paintball gun. Thermal energy or heat is needed for this conversion. This is the reason for the coldness experienced when shooting a CO2 powered gun. Not only can the marker get cold but internals such as o-rings can freeze. This may jam the gun causing it to shoot erratically. At very high rates of fire, CO2 can cause something called drop-off. This is when shot velocity is inconsistent and balls do not travel as far as the previous shoot. Basically the liquid CO2 is not converting fast enough to supply enough pressure to maintain velocity inside the paintball gun. This is further exaggerated in extremely cold temperatures.
'Compressed Air' aka. 'Nitrogen' Tanks - Sort of a breath of fresh air. Literally! Compressed air tanks are also called Nitro tanks because the air we breathe is composed mostly of Nitrogen. Nitro tanks are considered high pressure air because internal pressures can be as high as 3000 psi in some models and 4500 psi in others. They all use a regulator installed on the tank to bring the internal pressure down to a pressure that is usable by the paintball gun. Most nitro tanks outbound pressure is at about 800 psi. Some lower pressure models can regulate the air pressure down to about 400 psi for guns that operate on a lower pressure. You will not get the coldness or freeze-up like CO2 when using compressed air. Actually, nitro tanks will tend to get a little warm when in use. Also, you will not get 'drop-off' like you do with CO2. If drop-off is occurring in a gun using nitrogen, then the problem may be the filling rate of the regulator attached to the gun (that's another post altogether). Nitrogen is therefore easier on a gun's internals for reasons explained above. Due to the high pressure a compressed air tank holds, the price is considerably higher than CO2. Tanks need to be composed of special materials which cost more money. The other cost is associated with the regulator. Compressed air is the way to go if you are concerned with increasing a paintball gun's performance as long as you can afford it and your local field or store has the equipment to fill the tank for you. Compressed air is a must for those that play in a predominantly cold environment.
How do you calculate shots per fill for a Nitro tank? - Don't be fooled, shots will vary every time you get your tank filled. A good rule of thumb is to take the cubic inch size and times it by either 10 or 15 depending on whether you have a 3000 psi or 4500 psi tank. Therefore to calculate a 68ci/4500psi tank's estimated shot capacity, you would take 68 x 15 =1020 shots per fill.
thanks so much for this !!!!!! we tried to play today in the freezing weather and had no clue what was happening to our guns. thanks!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have played in -5 degree weather with CO2 without problem many times, but you have to be consious of pointing your barrel up when not firing to keep liquid CO2 out of your marker. But this nitro thing sounds cool. When playing in the cold your gun is very cold, outside temp x CO2 = really cold gun.(By the way it hurts really bad to be shot when its this cold outside). BUT STILL FUN!
ReplyDeleteIve played in rain snow and sleet. I love my nitro tank. It may be more money but it is worth it
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