General

[PhantomXJ]

Originally Posted by ThePixelGuru

Sorry to tell you, but the police released the video.
Man injured at Pinckney paintball site describes explosion - Latest from the Ann Arbor News - MLive.com

Mmm, being considerate of the victims...
I'll admit I watched it, but is there any reason that needed to be released?

EDIT: Now that I've watched it, why did they approach it? Seemed to be working fine as he approached it, then it got louder and exploded half a second later. I mean, clearly if they're going to be confident enough to allow it on the field, they should be confident enough to stand near it, but I thought there was a report that a malfunction of the device caused them to approach it. If there was in fact that little warning, that makes this event even more frightening.

I believe the reason they approached it was to check if the shell was hot, since they technically have to be coldburning to be allowed on the field.

[10-shot kid]

It was bound to happen sooner or latter and I wouldn't be suprised if it's happened before and no one reported it. We play with a lot of dangerous poop like our high pressure airtanks that we attach horrid chinese made regulators and such to. Does this mean smoke shouldn't be allowed at games? I think not, if we where to start banning things over incidents like this we'd have to ditch a lot.

On the other hand I do hope that this is a wake up call similar to the Co2 tank that killed a mom a while back. We need to realize that explosives arn't exactly something we should be buying at discount so that we can pick up another bag of paint. With all the "professional" homemade companies little kids are starting to run now a days we're simply seeing the same issues we did back when it was cool for retards to be an airsmith.

Just because someone knows how to make a nifty web site and print out a couple labels that are ghetto looking doesn't mean they're selling safe stuff.

[HP_Lovecraft]

Originally Posted by 10-shot kid

It was bound to happen sooner or latter and I wouldn't be suprised if it's happened before and no one reported it.

I've used many, many smoke bombs, and have never seen one blow. Though I've seen many people burned. Even those cold burning ones will burn you.

So I was surprised when I looked up smokers on wikipedia, and it stated that smokers will in fact explode under certain conditions. Either from the gas getting trapped, or from a full-blown deflagration (which seems to be one happened above).

I was surprised to read that, though when you think about it, Smokers, and black powder have basically the same ingredients (Oxidizer, fuel, moderator)

[Schmitti]

Correcto-mundo on both counts. Cold burning smokes, still burn, so they are HOT! They might burn at a lower temp than what is needed to ignite leaves (don't quote me on this) but they are far from COLD.

And yeah... fire + chemical fuels + chemical oxidizers = violent reaction!

E

[HP_Lovecraft]

Originally Posted by 10-shot kid

I think not, if we where to start banning things over incidents like this we'd have to ditch a lot.

When I think about my 20+ years of paintball, I have to admit- I've seen MANY accidents.

A few 7oz "rockets"
Endless 12gram rockets
Couple blown Smart Remotes
Hundreds blown macrolines
USI Eliminators
Many shattered masks.
MANY people hit without masks.

All sports, and hobbies have some degree of danger, especially technology-based activities like Paintball. The thing that concerns me most is the average player is younger and younger.

When I worked at AGNH, I would see parents drop there kids off, sign the waiver, then leave. I knew I would spent the day screaming for them to keep there masks and/or plugs in.

Plus, with paintball largely owned by conglomerates now, everything is made cheaper, and cheaper. The margin for error is shrinking to the point where things might be dangerous when they leave the factory.

But... Accidents are still rare. The only injuries I've SEEN have been typical sports stuff- ie sprained ankles, heat stroke, etc. As long as strong safety protocols are followed, paintball is extremely safe.

[10-shot kid]

right smoke grenades have inheriently dangerous parts. I thought that was an obvious fact to everyone. Anything that chemically reacts to catch on fire and create a mass of smoke is going to be. The problem here is not that ALL smoke grenades are dangerous though.

If you get a nade from an established company I highly highly doubt that it will do the same thing the one in the instant case has. When you buy "super awesome smoke grenade of massive proportions" from some po dunk company though don't expect it to be safe. Paintballers again and again fail to realize the potentially lethal potential of the implements they use.

Recently I saw on specops some kid got hit in the face by an expansion chamber that popped out of it's plastic "clip" after he degassed the gun. Where was the part from? Some no name company. We attach anything to high pressured air tanks that have the capacity to kill due to the massive amount of power they contain. Look at the continual reports of "I almost killed myself with my pvc pipe bazooka" we get every year.

Again we're seeing (and I'm assuming this with the facts given) this happen except with something new. Someone bought a smoke nade from some website that properlly was ghetto as hell, thinking that as long as someone slapped a label on, it must be safe to use. We fail continously to go "hey, I wonder what the hell is in this thing" and then react with suprise when it's products simlar to high octane explosives.

Before I buy anything I think "would I buy a parachute under these same circumstances to jump with?" and often times, unless it's a nonpaintball specific product, I think no. Self regulation is great, look at the USPA, but we need to have some friggen common sense.

There was no puplic outcry when long ago facefull puplished that "throw smoke nades in buildings and at tanks" article except the thread I made. At ION a little while latter look at what happened, a person with asthma almost kicked it when someone tossed a hot burning nade into the tank she was maning the turret on. Was it so long ago we all cried out against at home unqualified airsmiths and now this. Well it's not a paintgun so it's diffrent right? bah.

What's next? With the increasing amount of homemade mortars and cannons I'm seeing hooked up to 20oz Co2 tanks I'll bet you five bucks someone is going to get killed from one of those. Sort of like the last time someone died from paintball doing home made modifications to an air delevery system. We dick around with high pressures that can send a tank through a couple houses. Ask scuba divers how awesome of an idea our little forays are.

People are going to get messed up and personally, I'm fine with that as long as it's not me. People have the right to take risks without fully educating themselves, it's a purely American ideal. As long as all the participants involved know what is going on, albeit not nessecarily the risk involved with that, go for it.

I personally hope field owners and producers take note of this and begin to mandate what smoke nades from what companies can be used. Dangerous? Absolutly, but with the rising number of garage shops dealing with deadly **** I'm all for it.

[10-shot kid]

And the company who made it was

www.flamelesssmokegrenades.com

go me