Posted by: Dale "Head_Hunters" DuPont on October 26, 2003 at 08:25:02

Nitrogen is a compressed gas. Nitrogen or just plain compressed air like a scuba tank. (They use scuba air compressors.) Since it is stored at 3,000 psi or higher, it has a regulator built into the bottle neck. This accounts for a large part of the expense of a Nitro tank. Steps it down to a specified pressure that your marker can use safely. The benefit is: EVERY SHOT IS DONE USING THE SAME OPERATING PRESSURE and THUS AT THE SAME VELOCITY. That is NOT the case with CO2. It is an unregulated pressure air supply. The pressure varies constantly and so does your velocity. Ususally DOWN to the point you can't get a break on an opponent at a decent range. If you ever wondered why that guy with the $1500 paintball marker can zing balls at you from 35 yards away while you are lobbing mortar rounds at him that won't break..... it ISN'T the $1500 marker with all those super duper upgrades on it.. It is the $90 Nitro bottle hooked onto the back of it.... Your 10 year old, $30, E bay spyder classic will do the SAME THING if you put a Nitro bottle on it. I have one....... CO2 is liquid inside your bottle. It literally has to boil into a gas before your marker can use it. It takes energy to convert a liquid into a gas. Just like boiling water on the stove, you have to put heat/energy into the liquid before it can boil... That is why your CO2 bottle gets COLD when you shoot it. The HEAT/ENERGY in the steel wall of your tank is used to boil the CO2. So as energy is taken away, it measures a colder temperature. The liquid CO2 had energy in it to. It was a nice 80 degrees before the game started. So it get cold too. The temperature of the liquid CO2 drops as well. They used CO2 originally back in the GOOD OLD DAYS (when I could run FAST and the markers fired SLOW) they used relatively SLOW Firing rates of fire with the PUMP markers. It was cheap and worked just fine. Still does too, if you don't mind firing 10 rounds per MINUTE instead of 10 rounds per second these days.... Then it gets technical but your Wonderful WARPIG site had a contributor that explains all this at: http://www.warpig.com/paintball/technical/gasses/co2dynamics.shtml Click on the orange button in the lower right hand corner to make the below diagram larger so it is easier to read. http://www.warpig.com/paintball/technical/gasses/co2pv.gif Now people will respond here that all you need is to put a regulator on your marker and just use co2 bottle. Then you have a regulated pressure supply just like a Nitro bottle. Well, they are right, SORT OF. But you can BUY a Nitro bottle for the SAME price of a regulator. About $80. So as long has your have Nitro fills avaiable in your area, one has to think about the advantages of having TWO tanks instead of ONE for the SAME money. I carry a 12 oz CO2 in my 8 + 1 Pod carrier at scenerio games. It is a LONG walk to the fill station and a little air (CO2 or Nitro) is a lot better than NO AIR..... Now, THE SORT OF part. You HAVE to read the Phase Chart INFO before this will sink in well. So go read it and then come back here. If you put an aftermarket regulator on your marker and continue to use CO2, you will be setting the pressure setting of the regulator to the minimum pressure that will produce a muzzle velocity up to your local field's chrono speed limit AND still allow your marker to FUNCTION PROPERLY. If you have a blow back marker like a tippman or spyder (You ARE on the cocker forum), they will NOT recock when the operating pressure drops below the 500-600 psi mark. So the regulator will be set in that range and if you look at the table on the upper right hand corner of the phase chart, that pressure is all that is generated by the CO2 when it reaches an internal temperature of 40-50 degrees. Now, that isn't too many rounds in a good firefight before your bottle chills that much. If you want to play on a 40 degree winter's day, that is what pressure you have BEFORE you START the game. So what happens inside your regulator you just spent $75 on? Well, it is WIDE OPEN trying to 'catch up' with the air supply pressure that is not there. So functionally, you have a UNREGULATED AIR SUPPLY again. Just an $80 open pipe..... Ditto, the Autococker. The stock regulator runs in the 450 psi range. It won't take long to get below 450 psi. You can adjust it lower some. Lower still if you install a LP valve, spring set and get it in the 250 psi range. Now you can play in 30 degree weather all winter long if you don't get too trigger happy. BUT EVERY SHOT from a Nitro preset at 850 psi will be at 850 psi until you tank supply pressure drops below 850 just before it runs out. You can play in sub 50 degree weather and you will STILL have the same pressure input and velocity.... So basically, the benefit of buying a regulator for CO2 is limited. Especially if you have a blow back marker. CO2 was great in the old days that had slow rates of fire but is largely out moded with todays fast firing markers. Notice I said "LARGELY" ? Want to sell me your OLD CO2 tank? They make great air supplys for RPGs and Laws. They have to have a regulator too keep the valves and PVC pipe from blowing your head off. They are regulated down to run at 80-150 psi.....

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Ususally DOWN to the point you can't get a break on an opponent at a decent range. : If you ever wondered why that guy with the $1500 paintball marker can zing balls at you from 35 yards away while you are lobbing mortar rounds at him that won't break..... it ISN'T the $1500 marker with all those super duper upgrades on it.. It is the $90 Nitro bottle hooked onto the back of it.... Your 10 year old, $30, E bay spyder classic will do the SAME THING if you put a Nitro bottle on it. I have one....... : CO2 is liquid inside your bottle. It literally has to boil into a gas before your marker can use it. It takes energy to convert a liquid into a gas. Just like boiling water on the stove, you have to put heat/energy into the liquid before it can boil... : That is why your CO2 bottle gets COLD when you shoot it. The HEAT/ENERGY in the steel wall of your tank is used to boil the CO2. So as energy is taken away, it measures a colder temperature. : The liquid CO2 had energy in it to. It was a nice 80 degrees before the game started. So it get cold too. The temperature of the liquid CO2 drops as well. : They used CO2 originally back in the GOOD OLD DAYS (when I could run FAST and the markers fired SLOW) they used relatively SLOW Firing rates of fire with the PUMP markers. It was cheap and worked just fine. Still does too, if you don't mind firing 10 rounds per MINUTE instead of 10 rounds per second these days.... : Then it gets technical but your Wonderful WARPIG site had a contributor that explains all this at: : http://www.warpig.com/paintball/technical/gasses/co2dynamics.shtml : Click on the orange button in the lower right hand corner to make the below diagram larger so it is easier to read. : http://www.warpig.com/paintball/technical/gasses/co2pv.gif : Now people will respond here that all you need is to put a regulator on your marker and just use co2 bottle. Then you have a regulated pressure supply just like a Nitro bottle. Well, they are right, SORT OF. : But you can BUY a Nitro bottle for the SAME price of a regulator. About $80. So as long has your have Nitro fills avaiable in your area, one has to think about the advantages of having TWO tanks instead of ONE for the SAME money. I carry a 12 oz CO2 in my 8 + 1 Pod carrier at scenerio games. It is a LONG walk to the fill station and a little air (CO2 or Nitro) is a lot better than NO AIR..... : Now, THE SORT OF part. You HAVE to read the Phase Chart INFO before this will sink in well. So go read it and then come back here. : If you put an aftermarket regulator on your marker and continue to use CO2, you will be setting the pressure setting of the regulator to the minimum pressure that will produce a muzzle velocity up to your local field's chrono speed limit AND still allow your marker to FUNCTION PROPERLY. : If you have a blow back marker like a tippman or spyder (You ARE on the cocker forum), they will NOT recock when the operating pressure drops below the 500-600 psi mark. So the regulator will be set in that range and if you look at the table on the upper right hand corner of the phase chart, that pressure is all that is generated by the CO2 when it reaches an internal temperature of 40-50 degrees. Now, that isn't too many rounds in a good firefight before your bottle chills that much. If you want to play on a 40 degree winter's day, that is what pressure you have BEFORE you START the game. : So what happens inside your regulator you just spent $75 on? Well, it is WIDE OPEN trying to 'catch up' with the air supply pressure that is not there. So functionally, you have a UNREGULATED AIR SUPPLY again. Just an $80 open pipe..... : Ditto, the Autococker. The stock regulator runs in the 450 psi range. It won't take long to get below 450 psi. You can adjust it lower some. : Lower still if you install a LP valve, spring set and get it in the 250 psi range. Now you can play in 30 degree weather all winter long if you don't get too trigger happy. : BUT EVERY SHOT from a Nitro preset at 850 psi will be at 850 psi until you tank supply pressure drops below 850 just before it runs out. You can play in sub 50 degree weather and you will STILL have the same pressure input and velocity.... : So basically, the benefit of buying a regulator for CO2 is limited. Especially if you have a blow back marker. : CO2 was great in the old days that had slow rates of fire but is largely out moded with todays fast firing markers. : Notice I said "LARGELY" ? : Want to sell me your OLD CO2 tank? : They make great air supplys for RPGs and Laws. : They have to have a regulator too keep the valves and PVC pipe from blowing your head off. They are regulated down to run at 80-150 psi..... [ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ WARPIG Tech Talk - Autococker / Minicocker ]