Paintball guns come in a variety of shapes and styles. They may be powered by carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2) or compressed breathable air.

Many have power systems that use large refillable cylinders called "tanks" or "bottles" that give hundreds of shots before needing to be refilled. Some use small 12 gram CO2 powerlets as their power source, each powerlet being good for 15 to 30 shots.

With pump-action paintmarkers, each time you want to shoot a paintball you first cock the paintmarker by pulling the front handle back then foward (like a shotgun), then you squeeze the trigger to shoot the paintball; you must re-cock the paint-marker before you can shoot again.

With semi-automatic paintmarkers, the first time you want to shoot you must cock the paintmarker (usually by pulling back a cocking knob or handle), but after you shoot the first paintball the paintmarker's action will re-cock the paintmarker for you; you simply squeeze the trigger each time you want to shoot a paintball.

Paintmarkers range from simple to sophisticated, but what they all share in common is a limitation on their power and range. The international safety limit on the speed (measured in feet per second, "FPS") at which a paintmarker shoots a paintball is 300 fps. (340 Kilometers per hour).

We set ours at 270-280 FPS.

A chronograph is used to test for speed limits, and all paintmarkers can be adjusted to shoot under the speed limit.

Our markers are tested extensively before the day's games commence.