A Zurie and The 4 Horsemen

Agitator: An agitator is a device that has been incorporated into a paintball hopper, which helps paintballs drop into the feed tube more steadily. This is accomplished by a small LED sensor, which will detect the absence of balls in the feed tube. This sensor then activates a small servomotor, which agitates (moves and shakes) the balls in the hopper.

Airsmith: A person trained in airsmithing. A certified airsmith has been trained to work with high-pressure gasses and everything relating to them (hoses, valves, etc.). They understand how markers work, and know how to work on them safely and keep them safe for the customer. Most markers and their warranties require work done by certified airsmiths, if not warranties may be voided.

ASA (Air System Adaptor): The ASA is the threaded adaptor on a marker into which the constant air tank (bottle) is screwed.

Auto Trigger: A device incorporated into many pump guns (and all new ones as far as I know), which allows the user to fire the gun with each pump of the gun. In a non-equipped gun, the user must pump the gun, then pull the trigger, but with the auto-trigger installed, the trigger is held in the firing position, and the action of the pumping fires the gun. This greatly increases the speed in which a pump gun may be fired.

Back Bottle: A CA setup in which the ASA is located at the back of the gun. The bottle is then screwed into the gun and (usually) a butt plate is placed on the bottom of the tank, providing a (somewhat crude) shoulder stock for the gun.

Barrel Plug: A device that fits into the barrel of a paintball gun that adds to the safety of the gun. Should be in place at all times when not in play.

Barrel break: When a paintball breaks in the barrel causing the inside of the barrel to be coated with paint. Creates in-accurate shots and more broken paint.

Blowback: Blowback is the CO2 that is deflected off the paintball after the gun is fired.

Bolt: The part of the gun that pushes the paintball out of the gun. It may or may not be exposed to air. (See open or closed bolt)

Bottom Line: The part of the gun that is attached to the bottom of the grip of a paintgun. This method is similar to the back bottle setup, but is usually superior when used in the same fashioned, because it makes sighting down the barrel easier (less neck stretching).

Breech: A port in a paintball gun by which paintballs are loaded into the firing chamber of a paintball gun.

Bring your own paint (BYOP): Means that at that field or game or tournament, you are allowed to bring and use your own paint, as opposed to FPO (see below).

Burn: "Burn that bunker while I move." To lay large amounts of paint on a bunker in order to keep the player's head down so he can't see or shoot.

Bunker: (Noun) Any object used for cover. (Verb) "Did you see me bunker that guy?" To make an aggressive move on an opposing player and eliminate him at close range while he is hiding behind his bunker.

Butt Pack: A device, which holds paintball loaders and attaches to a belt. Usually positioned above ones backside during play.

Center-flag: A type of game in which one flag is positioned in the middle of the field. Both teams try to get that flag and hang it on the other team's flag station. This is the standard format used in 5-man tournaments.

Closed-bolt design: Refers to a type of markering, which the bolt lies closed (forward) between firing cycles. Pump guns, Autocockers and Shockers are this way.

Constant Air (CA): Refillable CO2 cylinder that is attached to a paintball gun. These cylinders provide the power to propel the balls through the gun. These cylinders (or bottles) are made of aluminum or steel, and come in different sizes. (3.5, 7, 12, 16 and 20 oz for aluminum and 4,9,15 oz in steel). CA systems have all but replaced the older 12-gram cylinders that used to power paintball guns.

Chrony: "Go chrony your gun." Short for Chronograph- a device used to measure the speed the paintball is traveling as it leaves the barrel. You can adjust this on most modern paintball guns. The industry "speed limit" is 300 feet per second (fps). Many tournaments and commercial fields use a limit of 285 for added safety.

Chrony station: "Where is the chrony station?" At fields and tournaments, this it the place where players go to chronograph their guns.

CO2: Carbon Dioxide. The most common propellant used in the paintball industry.

Deadbox: "You are eliminated, go to the deadbox." At a tournament, eliminated players go immediately to a sectioned-off area next to the field called the deadbox where they remain until the game is over.

Drilled Barrel: A barrel (usually aftermarket), that has relief ports drilled into it to help the barrel to shoot farther and more accurately.

Drop-forward/cradle: A device used to attach your tank to your gun which positions the tank more down and forward to give the 'gun a better balance and feel, and to make the setup more compact.

Dual-flag: A type of game in which there are two flags- one hung at each team's starting point. The object is then to capture the opponent's flag and return it to your starting flag station. Most 7 and 10 man tournaments use this format, as well as most rec. games.

Electropneumatic: Refers to a type of marker designed with electronic trigger operation and electronically controlled valve operation. Angels, Shockers, bushmasters, Rainmakers and the Spyder EM1 are this way.

Expansion chamber: Part of a paintgun. CO2 works much better if the gas is allowed to expand before the gun is fired. On a cold day or during rapid fire, the gun may "go liquid." An expansion chamber allows the gas to expand before entering the paint gun’s valve. Expansion chambers serve no purpose on a gun running HP air.

Elbow: A plastic or metal accessory that allows a hopper to be attached to a paintball gun.

Field Paint Only (FPO): Means that at that field, game, tournament you may only use paint bought at the game site the day of the tournament.

Fill Station: Equipment used to fill CA tanks, usually consisting of a digital scale, valve and hoses to attach the CA tank to the bulk tank.

Flag station: In a capture-the-flag game, the flag station is the spot where the flag was originally placed by the referee at the beginning of the game. In a center-flag game, it may also refer to the starting point of each team- the spot where the flag must be hung to win the game.

Full Auto: Machine style paintball marker. Usually not allowed during open session games. Not a very sportsman likes way to play. Spray and pray tactics. They usually run out of paint before the End of the game.

Going liquid: Means the CO2 entered your valve in a liquid state affecting performance. You may see ice chunks flying out of your barrel, your gun may freeze (literally), and your gun may ramfire. Usually happens on colder days.

FPS: Feet per second. How fast the paintball is traveling. ASTM regulations require less than 300 FPS and the safety equipment must be tested to this limit.

Goggles: Eye protection. Consists of a heavy-duty frame with polycarbonate or lexan lenses. Required for paintball. Must be ASTM approved.

Grenades: A paint filled balloon type device used to lob at opponents or obstacles and take out multiple players in a single use. Effectiveness can vary.

Harness: A harness is used to carry extra paintballs and/or CO2 tanks onto the playing field. Usually used in conjunction with a Remote setup. 

HPA: High pressure Air could be breathable air or Nitrogen gas 3000-6000psi.

Hot: "That bunker is hot." Means an opposing player is in that bunker. "You gun is shooting hot." Means the paint coming out of your gun exceeds the velocity limit of that particular field or event.

ID: "My barrel has a .689 ID." Means Inner Diameter- referring to the inside of the barrel. Paint comes in slightly different sizes. For best accuracy, your paint and barrel should have a good fit. Generally speaking, .687 and below are small-bore barrels, .691 and larger are bigbore barrels and anything in between is midbore.

Liquid: CO2 in a liquid form (as opposed to gas). Almost always a bad think. ("Going liquid" usually means that liquid CO2 has entered the paintball gun and the gun is performing erratically.)

Loader: A plastic or cardboard tube used to hold extra paintballs. Loaders are usually carried in a harness or buttback during play.

Low pressure: A term used to describe guns that are engineered to propel the paintball with a lower pressure, higher volume burst of air. Though the statement is controversial, is often claimed that this increases the effective range of a paintball gun.

Marker: "Make sure your marker is on safety." A euphemistic term for a paintgun. The first paintgun were manufactured to mark trees and cattle- now they're used to mark people. People feel the term "marker" is less offensive, and maybe more accurate, than "gun."

Mines: A device designed to spray an opponent with paint when they trip or step on a trigger.

Muzzle Break: Relief Port at the end of a marker barrel which increases accuracy. Can be added on with an aftermarket part or purchased as in integral part of a barrel.

Neck Protector: Device designed to reduce the impact on a paintball hit in the neck area.

Newbie: A new paintball player. Everybody is a newbie at least once.

Night Paintball: Paintball games, supplies and equipment specially designed to play at night.

Nitro/compressed air/HP: When the paintball industry started looking for a propellant other than CO2, Nitrogen was first used because it was more readily available than high-pressure (HP) air in many areas. Since then, HP has become much more affordable and Nitrogen is rarely used. Still, Nitro is a common (though inaccurate) term to describe a high-pressure air system on a marker.

One for one: The ref pulled a one for one." A type of penalty used in tournament paintball. Means a player was pulled for cheating and so was his closest teammate. Usually happens when a player plays on or talks after he is eliminated.

Open-bolt design: Refers to a type of marker in which the bolt lies open (back) between firing cycles. Egos, Angels and most other 'guns are this way.

Open Session: A scheduled paintball field event in which the public is to play.

Outlaw paintball: Refers to just getting together with friends and playing on public or private land somewhere (like the woods behind your house), as opposed to playing at a commercial field or in a tournament. A non-supervised form of paintball. Sometimes referred to as renegade paintball.

Paintballs: .68 caliber gelatin capsules filled with a colored glycol based fluid designed to break and mark an Object. Qualities, sizes, colors and uses, vary greatly.

Paintcheck: "Ref, can I get a Paintcheck!?" Means a player needs a ref or another player to check him to see if he's marked or not. Usually used when the hit took place on a part of the body the player can't see at that moment.

Playing on: A form of cheating. Means a player took an obvious hit, the hit broke and the player continues to play. Usually in tournaments there are stiff penalties for playing on.

Playing "tight": "OK everybody, play tight." Refers to playing in such a way as to not give your opponents much to shoot at. Not making careless errors, sticking out too far or too long when shooting, etc. Requires good technique.

Pods: Small plastic containers used to store paint and/or carry paint onto the field. Pods are usually carried in a pack or harness. They normally hold 100-150 rounds and are designed to be sturdy enough to keep the paint inside from being broken by an outside force.

Point Sight: A sight (non-magnifying), which usually uses a reflective LED to aid in aiming a paintball gun.

Power Feed: A device that uses CO2 blowback to increase the rate which paintballs is loaded into the gun. This device can also be purchased as an aftermarket part.

Private game: Exclusive field rights to customers for paintball games of their choice.

PSI: Pounds per Square Inch.

Pump: A paintball gun that requires cocking to load each paintball into the gun. Similar to appearance and action to a pump shotgun.

Quick Change: A quick change is used to remove and/or replace a 12-gram CO2 cartridge into the paintgun.

Quick Disconnect: A brass fitting that allows remote users to quickly disconnect the airsource from the paintgun.

Ramfire: "Why is my 'gun ramfiring?" On a blowback semi, for whatever reason the hammer is not being "blown" back far enough to catch the trigger sear. This results in a very rapid "full auto" type effect. No, this does not make your Spyder full-auto, it just results in chopping paintballs, a big mess and a useless 'gun. Usually the result of low pressure in the CO2 tank.

Rattle: "That guy can really rattle that Angel." Means to fire very rapidly.

Rec ball: "Let's go play some recball this weekend." Short for recreational paintball. Anything non-tournament is usually referred to as recball, from scenario games, to commercial field play, to playing in the woods behind your house.

Registration: Usually a designated safe zone area setup to go through the administration functions of Signing waivers, issuing rentals, and other Paintball related activities done prior to playing.

Regulator: A device, which controls the pressure of CO2 before it, enters into the paintball gun. Usually allows the paintball gun to operate at a lower pressure, which reduces ball breakage increases the number of shots available from a CO2 source, and reduces variation in CO2 pressure to paintball gun.

Remote: A remote setup is a CA tank that is connected to the paintball gun via a high-pressure airline. The CA tank is usually carried in a harness on your back.

Rentals: Term used to describe equipment available for rent at a paintball facility. Markers, goggles, tanks, Safety equipment, coveralls are common rental equipment. Quality, prices and packages vary.

Rifled Barrel: A barrel that has internal groves or holes, either in a straight or spiraled pattern, that helps a paintball gun shoot more accurately.

RT: Response trigger. A cheap way to get a full auto capability. Basically a powered trigger.

Scenario game: An organized game with a theme- such as WWII or Star Wars or some fantasy world. Scenario games usually last all day (some are 24 hours) and have special rules, story lines, etc.

Scuba Fills: Refers to HPA source for filling HPA tanks remotely using a scuba tank.

Season Pass or memberships: A plan in which the paintball field gives special pricing to customers for playing more paintball.

Semi-auto: Refers to the action of the paintball marker. One pull of the trigger fires the paintball and as Part of the action loads the next paintball to be shot.

Speedball: Refers to the size of the playing field. In the "old days" paintball was always played on huge fields with natural cover (trees, rocks, logs, etc.). In the late 80s, the idea came up to play on smaller "arena" type fields with manmade bunkers. The game was much quicker and was therefore dubbed speedball. Nowadays, speedball refers to a small field filled mostly with manmade bunkers. There's much more emphasis on good technique, fast shooting and aggressive play. It's also more spectators friendly than large forested fields.

Squeegee: A device used to quick clean a barrel of a paintball gun. Usually constructed of either a flexible fleece head or of rigid rubber washers, or both. Any object used to clean the barrel after a barrel break.

Staging area: "Head back to the staging area." The base of operations for a paintball game. It's where everything starts. Usually paint is sold there, fills are made, cars are parked, etc.

Stock-gun: A type of paintball gun that is powered by 12gram CO2 containers is pump action and has a horizontal feed holding no more that 15 rounds.

Straight-shot: A type of squeegee with a long, straight handle designed to be used without having to take the barrel off.

Stock: A device that attaches to a paintball gun that allows shouldering of the gun and helps steady the gun for a more accurate shot.

"Stock Class": A game of paintball consisting of pump type paintball guns powered by 12 gram cartridges which must pass through a threaded opening (no cut outs). Auto-triggers and bulk loaders/hoppers are not allowed, the paintball magazine must be parallel to the barrel, and are limited to 20 shots.

Sweetspotting: "I'm going to sweetspot the back left bunker." To fill a running lane with paint assuming somebody will try to move through it and hopefully through your paint stream. Usually used off the break to keep someone from getting to a key bunker and to get a quick elimination. Usually used on smaller speedball type fields.

Tapeline: Got a guy on the left tape!!" The field boundary is known as the tapeline. Sometimes a side boundary is called "the wire."

Tapping: "That guy was tapping on me all game." When a player continually hits another players bunker with paint in order to keep that player down and out of the game for an extended period of time.

Tying up the guns: "I'm going to move to there and tie up the guns while you go for the flag." To make a move designed to attract attention from other teammates and cause them to shoot at you. This is a diversionary tactic to get the opposing p team's guns pointed away from one of your teammates so he can make a key move.

The break: "I'm running to that bunker off the break." The first few moments after the game starts when players are running to their initial bunkers.

The Fifty: "We got a guy at the fifty!" Means halfway between the two flag stations. As in the fifty-yard line on a football field.

The lull: "Move to that second bunker in the lull." A point in the game just after the break when players are settling into their bunkers. It's a brief period of low activity, and a good time to make a move.

The monkey: "Find the monkey!!" When the opposing team is down to one player left and you don't know where he is, he is the monkey.

Thermal Lens: Goggle lens that has two panes with a thin gasket between them, which allows air to flow between the lenses, and decreases 'Fogging' of the lenses. Never touch or spray anything on the inside of the thermal lens with anything other than approved lens cloth. Ask you paintball dealer for more info.

Tool: Usually an Allen or hex wrench used to adjust the velocity of a paintball gun.

Twelve Gram: A small disposable CO2 cartridge (12gm) used to power a marker.

Unified Rupture Disk: A safety device installed on a CO2 tank as a small disk used to vent over pressure CO2 bottles.

Vertical: A setup, which positions the bottle vertically (perpendicular to the barrel) on the paintball gun. Helps in avoiding liquid CO2 from entering the gun.

Waivers: Legal documents protecting the landowners, field operators and players from unnecessary litigation.

Woodsball: A generic term used to describe playing paintball in the woods, field or remote locations.

Zoning: To determine in advance which part of the field a player is responsible for watching and covering. It's a way to make sure nothing happens on the field that your team doesn't see.