WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CO2, NITROGEN AND HPA?
There are two main power sources used to propel a paintball out of a paintball gun – Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen/High Pressure Air (N2/HPA). Both are very common and each has its pros and cons. Carbon Dioxide, more commonly know as CO2, is the most commonly used propellant due mainly to the fact it is fairly inexpensive and has been around since the beginning of the sport. Its main disadvantage is its sensitivity to temperature. As a CO2 tank warms up or cools down the available pressure either rises or falls. For a paint gun, differences in pressure mean inconsistent velocities. This sensitivity to temperature is due to the fact that CO2 is stored as a liquid. The gaseous form of CO2 used by the paint gun is formed when some it “boils off”. The tank containing the gas is a fixed volume. Since there is a direct relationship between temperature and pressure, an increase in temperature causes a corresponding increase in pressure: The pressure increases because no more liquid can tu
