Kinds of Paintball Grenades

Paintball is a recreational sport that emulates armed combat by using CO2 powered guns that fire balls with paint that break upon contact and on impact, marking any players struck. Usually, any player that is marked with paint is considered dead or eliminated from that round and must sit out for the next round.

The most common types of paintball games include Capture the Flag, where two teams attempt to capture a particular marker and bring it back to the starting point; and Team Deathmatch, where the two opposing teams try to mark the players of the other team without being marked themselves. Because a lot of people found playing paintball really fun, the game evolved using more powerful rifles and weapons that better stimulate true combat. Other equipments such as paintball grenades – hand-thrown objects that copies the effect of real hand grenades by spraying paint around a particular area. In games where players use paint grenades, being marked by the paint grenade on any part of the body will count as being killed for that round.

There are two types of paintball grenades – explosive and non-explosive. Non-explosive paint grenades are similar in theory with water balloons in such a way that they both involve a flexible container (often made of rubber tubing), which is sealed tightly on one end and a little lose at the other end. After the pin is pulled and the grenade is thrown, the end opens as it strikes the ground. It spins because of the release of the pressurized paint inside, splattering the paint around its radius. Although not that perfect as far as the distribution of paint is concerned, most modern grenades make a fairly uniform splattering of paint, which will most likely mark any unprotected player close to the grenade.

Explosive paint grenades on the other hand are more similar to the real hand grenades in a sense that it uses a fuse and a little amount of explosive black powder in order to spread the paint. A lump of black powder with a fuse is placed inside a pouch of paint, which is then placed inside an outer casing. A fuse is topped with a certain friction ignition material and extends from the top of the grenade and is lit by striking it like a match. When the explosive paint grenade is thrown, the fuse burns down. The black powder then explodes, spreading the paint around the targeted area.

Non-explosive paint grenades are more commonly used by most teams and players, since they do not produce a loud bang (which can be sometimes strategically disadvantageous). Non-explosive grenades are also more preferred because they are a lot easier to make compared to the explosive ones.