Which Is Better For The Mag? co2 or Air?

[Smudger]

For the operating, o-rings, general running of the marker.

So which is the better "gas" for the marker?

I don't mean which is better for it to be consistent over the chrono, but for its general "well being".

Is co2 dryer than air?

Probably been asked before, but just checking to see which is better and will either stick or swap over.

Cheers

[Laku]

Air, hands down. Co2 can eat o-rings

[vintage]

Co2 is dirty due to the liquid being stored in steel canisters and minute particles can make their way into the valve.

[blackdeath1k]

CO2 is a liquid that gasses off. Can it work? Yes in a classic mag it can work. The cooler it is out. The more issues it would have. I've never messed with any marker that didn't work cleaner and smoother on comp air. Even the tippman guns that can run on liquid. Air is just flat hands down better all the way around.

[Smudger]

Thanks

Now to research converting over to air.

Cheers

[Dayspring]

Buy a tank - not much needed to "convert."

CO2 outputs at ~800-850 PSI. Normal "high pressure" compressed air tank regulators output at the same PSI. Find a screw in tank that is in your price range, gas it and go!

[Smudger]

Reading this:

this is from http://www.airgun.com/faq.shtml#nitrogen

I'm going to start using Nitrogen with my AUTOMAG instead of CO2. Do I need to change anything on my AUTOMAG?
You might need to purchase a new Regulator Piston Assembly and, if your Automag has a serial number lower than 28500, you might also need to purchase a new Spring Pack. Call our Tech Support department at (847) 520-7225 if you'd like more information about this.

And mine is below that number, if I do need a new Regulator Piston Assembly and Spring Pack, then it's a case of importing from USA.

Cheers

[athomas]

Air offers more pressure stability at our range of operating temperatures than CO2.

At any single temperature point, CO2 turns to gas at a very precise pressure and negates the need for a regulator on a bottle. Compressed air always drops in pressure as you use it. Even if you regulate the bottle, there will be a tiny amount of pressure drop at the regulator output as the pressure in the tank drops.

The problem lies when you pass CO2 through passages that cause compression and expansion. It causes pressure changes and results in temperature variations that can cause condensation, which in turn affects the end value of the pressure and makes it unpredictable when used in paintball guns, especially when fired in an erratic manner. The condensation also affects how the orings work. The temperature change during the day or a game also causes a change in the pressure value where the CO2 turns to a gas. This is where air has a distinct advantage of stability. The range of temperature change the air goes through when flowing through a valve or while sitting in the sun doesn't have much of an effect on the pressure. It will affect it some, but not to the same effect as with CO2, plus the dew point for CO2 can be reached easily where as for air it cannot.

[athomas]

Compressed air in paintball is often referred to as nitrogen.

You don't need to change anything on your mag to use compressed air.

[MAGgot]

I use co2 on my classic mags. Love it! I get more shots from my 20oz tank than I would a compressed air tank - less trips to the fill station. The shot to shot consistency is the same as compressed air as long as you don't get liquid into the valve (see below).

Using co2 requires taking a couple of precautions:
Use a foregrip or expansion chamber to give any liquid that enters the gun time to convert from liquid to gas.
Use an angled bottomline to minimize the amount of liquid that enters the gun in the first place.
For the best results, use a remote.

There is some black oily substance (comes from old dirty co2 fill tanks) that will build up on the air passages after lots of use. Rinse it off if you'd like but it doesn't hurt anything. Co2 does not "eat o-rings" like people will tell you, as long as you don't allow the freezing co2 liquid into the gun (see above)(it's not like there's a lot of o-rings to replace anyways, the powertube o-ring is pretty much the only one you'll need to replace with any frequency regardless of the air source you use).

[blackdeath1k]

MAGgot. Out of curiosity what state are you in? Here in southern IL there were only about 3 months a year I could use a on gun co2 setup without issues in my classic 68automag back in the mid 90s. And I did have an expansion chamber. Angled bottom line. And anti siphon tube in a marked tank with the tube positioned in the highest point of the tank when on my automag. It actually got to a point with me that I used an electric heated sock on my 20 oz tank to try and keep it warm. But the distance between the tank and the valve would still freeze.

Also I thought 1000 plus shots with a 68 ci tank was fairly close to the same amount of shots with said 20 oz. But its been to long since I used co2 to really remember that one.

[MAGgot]

I'm in St. Louis MO, so pretty much right where you are. I use co2 on Mags year round, although on the rare occasion I play when it's below freezing I'll use HPA. No anti-siphon.

I suspect your anti siphon was somehow doing exactly what it was intended not to do.

[athomas]

The 20oz does get more shots, but is heavier too, because of the liquid. I used to get over 1800 shots off a 20oz using a level 7 mag. I only get about 1400 shots off a 68ci-4500psi using the same gun setup.

I could easily ice up my classic valve using CO2 (even using antisiphon and expansion) which is why I loved it when air became available. Air is much less expensive to operate. Even if you don't have air available at the field, scuba tanks make it way less expensive than CO2 if you shoot a lot.

[blackdeath1k]

I'm in St. Louis MO, so pretty much right where you are. I use co2 on Mags year round, although on the rare occasion I play when it's below freezing I'll use HPA. No anti-siphon.

I suspect your anti siphon was somehow doing exactly what it was intended not to do.

Well at least Athomas has had the same experience as me with co2. I bought a scuba back in the day and never looked back at co2. Oh and I had the same issue using a vertical tank in winter on the marker. So it wasn't my anti siphon tube. But yes. That is a thought.

If your in stl do you happen to know Marven Crawford I think is his last name. Tall skinny black guy that has a blue uniform. Goes by the name blue man? Great guy. Really great guy. Can't remember the team he plays for though.

[MAGgot]

Nope, don't think I've met him before. The only tournaments I play in are the pump tourneys, and I haven't done one of those in a couple years.

[blackdeath1k]

Nope, don't think I've met him before. The only tournaments I play in are the pump tourneys, and I haven't done one of those in a couple years.

Haha. Him and Doc both love pump. Doc plays scenario mainly. Lives in stl also and plays for the outdoorsment. Marven plays a lot of scenario also. But yes. Saint Louis is a large area. Can't expect you to know everyone.