Paintball Idea

[Avale187]

I noticed the discussion on the Spin Physics of a paintball, then I thought why not just change the ball?

Currently our paintballs are a gelatin shell around a mixture of liquid. Much like say, a harder water balloon. So, what happens when you push on the back of a water balloon? It changes shape, and expands. This then seals the barrel and causes the ball to be pushed out. Hence the paint to barrel match, you don't want the ball to have to change shape much.

So, that being said. What if a paintball was made that wasn't filled to the brim with this liquid, instead a half fill of liquid, and the other half being helium. Also, the shell would have to be more flexable. So now when pressure is applied to the ball, the liquid will naturally attempt to move out of the way of the incoming air, the helium being lighter, and containing less mass should be displaced to the center of the ball and be pushed out first. I believe this would cause the paintball to actually form a cone shape in the barrel, and hence improve the flight characteristics of the "ball". Has this been attempted? Am I a crazy man?

[Sumthinwicked]

i see crack is free where your from welcome to the forum and wow is all i have to say

[jhart]

lol

[LorneCash]

i see crack is free where you're from

I think what he means is why would the ball/cone keep the cone shape? and if it was that flexable how do you get it to break on a target?

[MedicDVG]

I am sure there are tons of ways to make "better" paintballs. I don't know the physics of what you propose, but I do know the marketing. It may work incredible, but you are trying to introduce a perishable idea with incredibly difficult manufacturing to achieve at best a negligible return..

In other words -- no one is going to pay $400 for a case of uber helium paint.

Find a way to produce the product inexpensively and show a dramatic improvement over current ball performance, then you you may have something.

For now, it is an semi-interesting point of discussion, nothing more.

[Avale187]

Meh, it was just a random thought I had. Helium isn't expensive, and you could just add it to the fill process. As for it keeping it's cone shape, I'm not sure. I think it may, or it may turn into a floppy bag of goo in mid air....which would suck. :)

[secretweaponevan]

Same size but less mass should make the ball fly much less further in my mind.

It is a sleepy mind at the moment however.

[MANN]

So, what happens when you push on the back of a water balloon? It changes shape, and expands. This then seals the barrel and causes the ball to be pushed out. Hence the paint to barrel match, you don't want the ball to have to change shape much.

They do not change shape. paintballs are harder than latex waterballons.

/end thread

[athomas]

If you produce a paintball that is flexible in the barrel, it will expand outward when the air hits it. That will create additional friction on the sides of the barrel, but may provide a good seal for the ball being pushed along the barrel. The problem is when the expanded, no longer round ball exits the barrel and is now an out of round half filled bag of paint. The ball may regain it round shape due to the pressure of the gas in it, but have you ever tossed a beach ball that is half filled with water. The accuracy would be horrible. Also, a lighter ball would be more subject to forces of nature. Wind, friction, spin, would all have a greater affect on a lighter ball. The only thing you gain by using a lighter ball is that it takes less energy to get it up to velocity. It also takes less energy to change its velocity or alter its course in the air.

[Spider-TW]

How about a one-shot shell? Have you seen those hand warmers that are a clear gel (some sort of acetate I think) with a snap disk inside? You snap the disk and it sets off a crystalizing, exothermic reaction. If you had a shell like that, the impact from the marker would set it off and it would have to set up in about 30 ms.

Hopefully it would become brittle, not rock hard.

Bird guano at 80 yds. The sniper guys might buy that for $400 a case.

[Sumthinwicked]

How about a one-shot shell? Have you seen those hand warmers that are a clear gel (some sort of acetate I think) with a snap disk inside? You snap the disk and it sets off a crystalizing, exothermic reaction. If you had a shell like that, the impact from the marker would set it off and it would have to set up in about 30 ms.

Hopefully it would become brittle, not rock hard.

Bird guano at 80 yds. The sniper guys might buy that for $400 a case.

i see you also have crack around your home for free :)

[Spider-TW]

i see you also have crack around your home for free :)

You have to wait until the shooting stops.

[Sumthinwicked]

lol good comeback////

[paintballwannab]

Ahhh just use marbles....then you know they won't change shape at all.




Interesting idea but it is entirely too late for me to consider thinking so I'm going to stick to making smart comments

[wetwrks]

They have tried oval paintballs, they have tried paintballs with a tail and fins. Yet here we are with the original design. Maby feeding was an issue for the odd shapes but it seems that the original shape works best.

Now the fill, wouldn't having a solid and gas fill result in an inbalance that would put a wobble on the flight?