A day on CO2

[punkncat]

Our local field has not stopped using or having CO2 available. There was a short while that HPA was the standard for rentals, but the upkeep on the tanks ended up being more than the upkeep on the 98C rental fleet using CO2 instead. The main compressor at the field had an issue a while back and was repaired with a sub standard and only available part. It failed as you would expect. Since there is no 'SCUBA' industry to speak of left in GA and (apparently) little going by way of the related paintball HPA pumps, finding a specialist has been difficult. Repair is still several weeks away. In the meantime he is using a 3K pump to fill bulk tanks and a very limited supply of low fill HPA is available...BUT, HAHAHA, there is LOADS of CO2.

Since I made my swap back to mags a while back I had the idea and intention to keep one available to use that gas. I had been using it during the summer for casual open play days during warm weather for the past several years, and also did the last several scenario events (Fulda, Supergame, etc.) using CO2 as well, bringing my own tanks since they don't fill any longer. Anywho....today was the first time in years I have played with CO2 in cool-ish weather. Ambient probably around 45-50 even after warming some in the evening it never went above 55-ish so far as it felt.

I had forgotten about the charge shot. After letting the marker sit for a bit and warm that first shot can be a beast. Then the walking back of your shots as you shoot a string. Have to remember to shoot slow and steady. Shoot a "fast" (revi) burst and have that good old frosty shot or two....lol. It was a BLAST. Had one of the most amazing days of paintball I have played in a while now.

Hope that compressor fix takes another moment.

[Meleager7]

Our local field has not stopped using or having CO2 available. There was a short while that HPA was the standard for rentals, but the upkeep on the tanks ended up being more than the upkeep on the 98C rental fleet using CO2 instead. The main compressor at the field had an issue a while back and was repaired with a sub standard and only available part. It failed as you would expect. Since there is no 'SCUBA' industry to speak of left in GA and (apparently) little going by way of the related paintball HPA pumps, finding a specialist has been difficult. Repair is still several weeks away. In the meantime he is using a 3K pump to fill bulk tanks and a very limited supply of low fill HPA is available...BUT, HAHAHA, there is LOADS of CO2.

Since I made my swap back to mags a while back I had the idea and intention to keep one available to use that gas. I had been using it during the summer for casual open play days during warm weather for the past several years, and also did the last several scenario events (Fulda, Supergame, etc.) using CO2 as well, bringing my own tanks since they don't fill any longer. Anywho....today was the first time in years I have played with CO2 in cool-ish weather. Ambient probably around 45-50 even after warming some in the evening it never went above 55-ish so far as it felt.

I had forgotten about the charge shot. After letting the marker sit for a bit and warm that first shot can be a beast. Then the walking back of your shots as you shoot a string. Have to remember to shoot slow and steady. Shoot a "fast" (revi) burst and have that good old frosty shot or two....lol. It was a BLAST. Had one of the most amazing days of paintball I have played in a while now.

Hope that compressor fix takes another moment.

How have you setup your co2 friendly mag , giant ex chamber installed?

No co2 at any of the fields near me, which is a shame as i have been collecting some co2 friendly guns, just to scratch that itch! Have me a Tippmann 68 Special, Tippmann Mini-Lite, Tippmann SL68II pump, Montneel z1 and an Air Power Apex Elite pump. Since I'll have to bring my own tanks prefilled I'm looking into maybe doing my own fills (get a fill station, rent a scuba tank) . Or I also contemplated the Palmers Soda Stream adapter, as sodastream canister exchange is at a few places near me. That would look pretty unique , rolling onto the field with an old TIppmanm, with a soda stream slapped on the end of it!

[punkncat]

How have you setup your co2 friendly mag , giant ex chamber installed?

I use an old fashioned angled AGD (PMI) style ASA hooked to the full foregrip setup. Use a 20 oz tank about half full where applicable. I have a remote setup and t stock as well but haven't really used it in a game any time recently.

[SignOfZeta]

I’ll switch to HPA when it’s absolutely necessary...but no sooner. Until then it’s CO2 only. All my guns run perfectly on it, I see no reason to change.

[Menso]

I wish I even had the option for CO2. I loved playing with a 3.5oz on my Phantom and now the option is gone forever

[OpusX]

Every now and then it is nice to run something on CO2. Nothing beats those clouds of frost and the smell of it. I have a cocker set up and a spyder just for this (both work very well on compressed air as well).

[JonM]

I wish I even had the option for CO2. I loved playing with a 3.5oz on my Phantom and now the option is gone forever

I still have a 3.5 oz. tank for my Phantom. Since it's a small bottle, filling it from home isn't difficult if you have access to dry ice (if you don't have a bulk tank that is). I'll just remove the valve, zero out the bottle on a scale, and start funneling crushed dry ice into it until the scale reads 3.5 oz. Reinstall the valve and let the dry ice sublimate overnight. You now have a perfect CO2 fill.

[russc]

This is BRILLIANT

[Brokeass_baller]

This is one of the single most brilliant things I've ever heard of in my life.

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

I still have a 3.5 oz. tank for my Phantom. Since it's a small bottle, filling it from home isn't difficult if you have access to dry ice (if you don't have a bulk tank that is). I'll just remove the valve, zero out the bottle on a scale, and start funneling crushed dry ice into it until the scale reads 3.5 oz. Reinstall the valve and let the dry ice sublimate overnight. You now have a prefect CO2 fill.

Very interesting...

[BenoitOWN]

I like co2 as well but they can’t fill my 3.5 correctly. Anyone still do 7oz or 9oz tank?

[Jonnydread]

One of my preferred local fields still fills CO2 and they actually do a decent job of it. HPA is great, it's consistent, less affected by temperature and easily accessible, but I only use it when I absolutely have to. I like the more gentle sound signature and efficiency of CO2 and when you don't shoot that fast it runs fine in the winter. I grabbed a Sheridan CO2 reg from maggy a bit ago and I gotta say it makes a big difference with the weird spikes you can get.

[maggot]

I still have a 3.5 oz. tank for my Phantom. Since it's a small bottle, filling it from home isn't difficult if you have access to dry ice (if you don't have a bulk tank that is). I'll just remove the valve, zero out the bottle on a scale, and start funneling crushed dry ice into it until the scale reads 3.5 oz. Reinstall the valve and let the dry ice sublimate overnight. You now have a prefect CO2 fill.

In all my years, I've never heard of such a thing.

[JonM]

I started doing it when I'd get things like Omaha steaks or specialty ice cream sent to me. I figured there was no sense letting it go to waste. I'd get several tanks filled this way from one shipment. The last time I did it, I got two 9 oz. tanks and my 3.5 oz. tank filled this way.

[Chuck E Ducky]

That’s a cool idea! You just fill it by weight?

[flyweightnate]

Awesome. I guess an ounce is an ounce. Troy or avoirdupois?

[punkncat]

For a long time we used a big CO2 extinguisher to fill from. It had the right threads and was easy to turn over and fill from, easy to get filled. Later on we were using a bulk tank without the dip tube as they were basically free from work. In retrospect it was incredibly dangerous to be hanging those bottles upside down that way...

[lew]

I haven't used CO2 in twenty years and don't miss it.

Never had more than petty inconveniences, but HPA is so easy and straightforward to deal with. That said, I wish local fields would have it because I do want to run my Pro Lite on it for nostalgia's sake.

[Cunha]

I'm a nostalgic dum dum with c02 too. I love the smell but more importantly I love that a 20oz has about a zillion shots in it and is smaller than almost any HPA tank.

Its just way better for kids, a 12oz tank weighs very little and has a ton of shots, and isn't too bulky. 14 year old kids on 47/3k tanks that are good for 1 game plus 1/2 game before the thing starts jack hammering kinda sucks.

[Hp_lovecraft]

For a long time we used a big CO2 extinguisher to fill from. It had the right threads and was easy to turn over and fill from, easy to get filled. Later on we were using a bulk tank without the dip tube as they were basically free from work. In retrospect it was incredibly dangerous to be hanging those bottles upside down that way...

I've been to many fields that hung 100lb tanks upside to fill co2. Dangerous, just to save a penny, but not that uncommon.
The most "well known" field that did it was "Boston Paintball" in the early/mid 90s. They actually had a cradle to secure the tanks upside down. Not a bad as hanging with chains, but it still made me nervous.

But. Long gone are the days when I could think of 3-4 places locally that would fill a co2 tank for me. ie sporting goods stores, army surplus, police supply, etc. Heck, I could have tanks field at the mall, and the local "sports arena"!
Lots of places will fill bulk tanks, since every bar and restaurant needs bulk co2, but unless you have your own bulk tank, thats not as helpful since they are not setup to fill small co2 tanks, and usually have a large minimum order.

Though one new option you might not expect: weed growing stores. Weed is not my thing, but oddly, places that specialize in growing such items sell co2 tanks, and refill a variety of co2 tanks.