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paintballimpact.com / Glossary / Muzzle Velocity
Muzzle Velocity
Muzzle Velocity refers to the speed in feet per second, that a paintball comes out of a paintball gun. The muzzle on a marker is the fore end at a marker barrel out of which the paintball is propelled. The muzzle velocity is the speed a ball is traveling when it leaves the marker's muzzle. All licensed rec fields and amateur and professional tournaments have rules and regulations concerning muzzle velocity. In general most paintball fields and tournaments require a marker to have a muzzle velocity that is not faster than 275 feet per second. Some fields and tournaments allow max speeds at 300 feet per second, and fields rarely allow muzzle velocities over 300 fps. Paintballs traveling faster than this speed will hurt at the very least, and sting at the very worst. Muzzle velocity is the speed the paintball is traveling right when it leaves the gun. The further the projectile gets from the marker, the slower its velocity will become.
The velocity of a paintball is at its greatest when it leaves the muzzle. After it leaves the muzzle, it will encounter air resistance, wind, rain, and any other objects that are in its way. In general, heavier objects will lose velocity at a slower rate than lighter projectiles. The length of the marker barrel may sometimes slow the rate of velocity decrease. In general, the longer the marker barrel, the faster the muzzle velocity will be.
The muzzle velocity of your paintball gun is measured with a chronograph. The chronograph measures muzzle velocity in FPS, or feet per second. A chronograph is sometimes referred to as a chrono. When the muzzle velocity exceeds a field or tournament speed limit, this is referred to as hot, or shooting hot. A "hot" marker could cause injury to the player.
While paintballs do travel fast, the risk of injury to a player is minimal, especially when players check the speed of their gun, and a good head protection system is used. IN Canada, the justice Department and Canadian Firearm Center (CFC) states that a shot, bullet or other projectile must not exceed a muzzle velocity of 154.41 meters per second or at a muzzle energy exceeding 5.7 joules. There aren't only markers on the market with velocities that exceed these speeds or 5.7 joules of energy. The Canadian Fire Arms Act also says that no other barreled weapon that is not designed or adapted to discharge is permitted for sale in Canada. The sport of paintball has a bright future in Canada as a paintball's muzzle velocity does not travel anywhere near illegal speeds.
There are many great paintball gun barrels in the industry. Some players use the barrel that came with their marker, while other but barrels as upgrades, or aftermarket items. The Ice Cold Barrel from 32 Degrees www.32ice.com is composed of high grade polished aluminum with a nickel plated outer surface. The Ice Cold Barrel is vented, with vent holes that run in a spiral towards the muzzle end of the barrel. The Ice Cold Barrel works well with Tippman, Spyder, and Model 98 markers. The Hittmann Barrel from Allen Paintball Products is constructed from Black Anodized Aluminum.
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