One of the thing suggested by many paintball experts is after the purchase of your marker, take the time to take it apart and become knowledgeable about the construction, design and operation of the entire unit. It will make future upgrades easier to do yourself, and it gives you a better idea of what upgrades you would like on your marker and ones that are better left to others.
We'll highlight some of the more common alterations that can be made on markers and tanks, giving you an overview of the change so you can decide if it is something you want to take on yourself. We will also provide an idea of many of the other less-common upgrades and what they will offer the average paintball player.
Barrel upgrade
Most of the lower to medium end markers will benefit the most from replacing the barrel of the gun. Stock barrels are usually not very high quality. One of the main reasons is because when you fire your gun, it is very loud. Once we get into the strategy aspect of the book, you will understand that subtle sound and movements are crucial to being a successful paintballer. Others simply change the barrel to match the rest of their marker, the color of their equipment, or as a showpiece.
When considering the barrel change you have to take into consideration some personal preferences. You can choose based on the look of the barrel or even the size of pellet you shoot. It is very important you choose a barrel that is bored in correspondence with the size of pellet you prefer to shoot. Most barrels come in a small, medium or large size. Small barrels accommodate pellet up to .688", medium between .689" and .691" and large is .692" and larger.
Another thing to look at when you want to change the barrel of your marker is the length of the barrel. A short barrel will get the pellet out quicker, therefore reducing the potential for a ball breaking inside. With longer barrels, any movement made to aim at an opponent is greatly exaggerated, causing inaccuracy in shooting.
It is always best to test a barrel on your weapon to see if it is exactly what you want for your marker. Ask around to other players who compete with the same marker you do to see what worked well for them.
In the end, the choice of barrels will end up being a personal choice. What works for someone else, may not be exactly what you are looking for.
Another type of barrel you can get is the ported barrel. This shaft has holes in it to allow the air to be flushed out the sides instead of making a pop and the end when the pellet is expelled. It makes firing your gun more discreet. You can either make this yourself or you can buy one aftermarket. One thing to keep in mind with a ported barrel is there will be excess waste of air because it will inevitably be lost through the holes in the barrel.
Replacement of the barrel is easy on most markers, but it varies with the marker you choose.
Anti-siphon tube / Expansion Chamber
Briefly explained in the section on tanks, the anti-siphon tube and expansion chamber will assist those with CO2 cartridges to reduce the problems associated with the temperature of the liquid to air transition.
The anti-siphon tube will help prevent the liquid from being expelled, instead of the gas required to propel the pellet. In installing the anti-siphon tube, the tank valve must be removed. You must attach the tube to the pin-valve on the cartridge and it has to be lined up so when the tank is reattached to the marker, the tube is pointed upward, drawing the lighter gas into the marker, rather than allowing the heavier liquid into the chamber.
You will need a heat gun or torch
7/8" or 15/16" wrench or adjustable wrench
Vice
A rubber strip, old leather belt, or a loop wrench
Blue or red Lock-tite
Anti-siphon tube
You must find the top of the tank when it is screwed completely into the marker valve (ASA), as not all anti-siphon tanks have similar 'up' positions. If you over tighten or under tighten the tank, it could explode off the end and have disastrous consequences. When you find the 'top' of the tank, it is best to mark it to make sure when you put it back on you don't over or under tighten.
The expansion chamber allows an extra area for the carbon dioxide to warm, or expand from a liquid form into the propellant gas. The four-chamber expansion chamber is the most common, but you can also get the six-chamber variety. The six-chamber for some players also acts as a front handgrip.
The expansion chamber is made up of four (or more) airtight 'cones' that are sealed with o-rings.
Each chamber offers an area for the liquid carbon dioxide to expand into a gas, therefore giving you the proper propellant. In many of the expansion chamber attachments, the paintballers who have experience can configure the cones to achieve their desired results.
The time it takes to replace the expansion chamber has been documented as low as 15 to 20 minutes for an experienced do-it-yourselfer, to 4 hours for a newbie. In most cases, for the relative low cost of the upgrade, it might be best to get this one done at your local paintball retailer.
Those are the most common upgrades done immediately after a player purchases a new marker. Some new markers come with the upgrades already, but most markers, especially those with CO2 propellant can benefit greatly from the above upgrades. Players have said that there has been a very noticeable difference in the playability of their marker, whether it be increased number of shots, greater efficiency, or less maintenance with damaged parts from the liquid carbon dioxide being released into the integral parts of the weapon.
Other common upgrades
E-hopper: This is an electronic hopper. It feeds pellets into the chamber through an agitation system. It can hold over 180 paintballs (typically). It improves rate of fire for automatic weapons, enabling the weapon to fire up to 19 BPS. It only weighs 16oz including the batteries. If there is a jam or a dead battery, you could be in trouble. There are electronic hoppers out there that are still gravity fed, avoiding that problem. An example would be the Ricochet Apache electronic hopper.
Agitator: An agitator aligns the balls into the feed by spinning the balls and keeping them moving in the hopper. The agitator feeds balls much faster than a stock hopper can.
Sight rail: This is the rail a scope would typically slide on to, but many players only play with the rail as an aiming aid.
Handgrip: This is something that is typically personal preference based on the comfort of the player. Some will add a front handgrip to help steady the weapon during aiming and firing.
Regulator: Stabilizes the pressure in a carbon dioxide tank, making the gun more accurate. It controls the pressure released from the tank with a valve that closes off air from the tank when a certain level of pressure has been reached. This upgrade enables the marker to maintain an equal level of expelled pressure on each shot.
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