|
A paintball marker, also known as a paintball gun, is the main piece of equipment in the sport of paintball. Markers use an expanding gas, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or compressed air, to propel paintballs through the barrel. The term "marker" is derived from its original use as a means for forestry personnel to mark trees and ranchers to mark wandering cattle.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=FAQ ; Frequently Asked Questions )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=SPLAT! ; South Sound Plays Host to Some of the Best in the World of Paintball )〕 The muzzle velocity of paintball markers is approximately . While greater muzzle velocity is possible, it has been ruled unsafe for use on most commercial paintball fields. When paintballs hit an object at high speed they have potential to cause damage; a paintball colliding with human skin may cause bruising or further tissue damage. However, the damage depends on the paintball's velocity, its impact angle, and which part of the body it hits. Because of the potential for soft tissue damage, players must wear masks to protect the eyes, mouth, and ears when barrel blocking devices are not in place. Most paintball markers have four main components: the ''body'', ''hopper'', ''gas system'' (or ''air tank''), and ''barrel''. ==Marker types== Paintball markers fall into two main categories in terms of mechanism - mechanical and electropneumatic. Mechanically Operated Paintball Markers Mechanically operated paintball markers operate using solely mechanical means, and as such do not use electro-pneumatic solenoids controlled by an electronic board to fire. There five main methods of mechanical operation: Pump or Bolt Action: the mechanism of the marker must be manually reset in between each shot, similar to pump action shotguns and bolt action rifles. Markers of this type are the oldest used in the sport as the first ever game of paintball was played using the bolt-action Nelspot pistol.〔http://www.catshackreports.com/2010/12/paintballs-creator-mr-bob-gurnsey/〕 There are two main patterns of internals upon which most pump and bolt action markers operate: * Sheridan Valve: Named after the Sheridan series of markers which first employed this design, markers which employ this mechanism have the bolt which loads the paintball is located in a separate tube from the hammer and valve. To cock the mechanism, the bolt is pulled backwards thus opening the breach and loading a paintball. Doing so also pulls the hammer backwards against the main spring, which is then held back by a sear connected to the trigger. The bolt is then pushed forward, which loads the paintball into the barrel and the marker is ready to fire. Pulling the trigger releases the hammer which is propelled forward by the main spring, hitting the valve pin and opening the valve which allows compressed gas to flow from the valve chamber into the barrel chamber thus propelling the loaded paintball forward and out of the barrel. The valve spring then closes the valve with the hammer still resting on the valve pin, after which this cycle must be repeared in order to fire another paintball. Notable examples of markers which operate in this way include the Sheridan K2, the Worr Games Products Sniper and the Chipley Custom Machine S6. * Nelson Valve: Named after the Nelson Paint Company who's marker, the Nelspot 007, first employed this mechanism. In such markers the bolt, hammer and valve are all located in the same tube. To cock the mechanism, the bolt is pulled back against the main spring to allow a paintball to fall into the breach, at which point the sear latches the hammer to the bolt with the compressed main spring in between them. The bolt and attached hammer are then pushed forward to close the breach and load the paintball into the barrel, at which point the sear can be engaged by the trigger and the marker is ready to fire. Pulling the trigger dissengages the sear from the bolt, allowing the main spring to propel the hammer rearwards onto the powertube, thus opening the valve and allowing compressed gases to flow from the valve chamber to the barrel through the powertube and bolt which propel the loaded paintball forward. The valve is then closed by the valve spring and the marker is ready to be re-cocked for the next shot. Notable examples of markers which employ this mechanism are the Nelson Nelspot 007, the CCI Phantom and the Redux. * Sterling "Hybrid" Valve: A variation or bybrid of these two methods of operation has been employed in the design of the Arrow Precision Sterling, wherein the bolt is located in a separate tube, as in a Sheridan valved marker, the hammer latches to a carrier similar to how it would to the bolt in a Nelson valve design, and when release it hits a Sheridan styled pin valve. There is significant debate as to what type of operations the Sterling employs, as some consider it to be a hybrid between the two main designs, and others simply consider it to be a stacked-tube Nelson.〔http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/sterling/194056-new-sterlings-several-questions.html〕 Double Action: the trigger mechanism of the marker both fires and resets the firing mechanism, similar to the way a double-action revolver operates. Examples include the Line SI Advantage, the NSG Splatmaster Rapide and the Brass Eagle Barracuda. Blowback Semi-Auto: The mechanism of the marker is cycled using gasses released by the valve which reset the firing mechanism between each shot, similar to the way some semi-automatic rifles such as the AK-47 operates. The internals of blowback operated markers can be either inline, with the bolt, valve and hammer all aligned along the same axis such as the Tippman 98, or stacked tube with the bolt in a separate tube from the hammer and valve such as the Kingman Spyder. Blow Forward Semi-Auto: The firing mechanism of the marker operates using the gases stored in the valve to cycle the bolt and fire the paintball, after which a spring resets the mechanism for the next shot. Notables examples include the Airgun Designs Automag, Tippmann X-7 Phenom and the Tiberius Arms T8. Pneumatically Operated Semi-Auto: a low pressure pneumatic piston controlled by a four-way valve connected to the trigger resets the firing mechanism in between shots, and can be thought of as semi-auto conversions of markers which would otherwise be pump or bolt action. Notable examples include the WGP Autococker, the Palmers Pursuit Shop Blazer and Typhoon. Electropneumatically Operated Paintball Markers In electropneumatic designs, the trigger, instead of being mechanically linked to the action of the marker, simply activates an electronic microswitch (or more recently, a magnetic or optical sensor). That information is passed through control circuitry to a computer-controlled solenoid valve which can open and close very quickly and precisely, allowing gas to move into or out of various pressure chambers in the marker to move the bolt and fire the paintball. This disconnect of the trigger from the action allows electronic trigger pulls to be very short in length and very lightweight (similar to a mouse click; the mechanisms are virtually identical), which dramatically increases rate-of-fire over a fully mechanical design. Solenoid-controlled gas valve designs also allow for reduced weight of internal parts, which both lightens overall weight and reduces the time it takes for the marker to cycle through firing a single paintball. Paintball markers are also categorised to a lesser extent by which play style of paintball in which they are intended for use - sporting paintball such as Speedball and Stock Class Paintball, or Military Simulation style games such as Woodsball. Each branch favours a different aesthetic and values different aspects of marker design. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Paintball marker」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|