Thank Goodness For CO2

I love Carbon Dioxide. I love how it's so cheap to use. I love how there's no need to regulate it. I love to watch it shoot ice out of the barrel on a chilly morning and how it smells when you shoot. I even love how inconsistent it is as it adds some surprise and variability to the game. CO2 is a great. The only (small) issue that I have is when it makes your gun so cold that you can't fire or you freeze and crack your o-rings. Other than that, it's a great, great gas to use to play paintball.

It's been quite a few years since I made the "switch" from CO2 to compressed air as my gas of choice, but now I'm somewhat going back on that decision. While I love the consistency and reliability of compressed air and still use it whenever I shoot an electropneumatic or play in a competitive game, it's almost too good for a simple day in the woods with friends. The more I get back to playing with blowbacks and pumps, the more I find I can leave my compressed air tanks at home and forget about regulators and PSI. While I haven't gone back to using just 12 gram tanks, I would seriously consider it if they weren't so expensive.

There's something so rewarding about heading to the paintball field with just a hopper, a pump gun, a mask and a 9oz CO2 tank and not a single battery, motor or circuit board. Paintball simplicity at its best.