Comments
It has just been suggested that I have a look at this thread. (To date I have only read the first page Sorry!!!!)
Personally I can not see a problem ---------- O dear !!! – I will explain
My first point -- It is simple there is a limit placed on a paintball marker to prevent it been classed as anything other than an air weapon. Simple !!! So if you want to fire a plastic ball then you have to work the weight out and then do the maths and you then get a limit. Now one of the reason paintball is seen in a good light by authorities is the "frangible" nature of the paintball. To the less well informed --- it bursts --- so if you want to put a hard ball into a marker that does not burst you might have a problem. Hence the Hatts points about Scotland -- they used a ball bearing and then banned paintball.
Second Point - I have seen the two types of ball mentioned, the velcro type and the plastic type. The velcro type and the marker designed to fire this type fires at about 100-150fps and is inaccurate. The plastic ball fired in a normal marker will fire at what ever velocity you want. (Incidentally they were around about 5/6 years ago they are not new). If we "banned" this item what would we achieve -- nothing, it is not the sensible paintballer using the plastic balls who will create a problem it is the idiots and they would probably use ball bearings and we can't ban them!!
Third point- The reusable paintballs have been used for at least two years at an indoor site in the North West, their markers fire at a lot lower velocity than a tournie marker to try to prevent bruises, they also wear padded vests that detect the hits. Even at a lower velocity bruises occur. They work well in an indoor venue as they can be swept up washed and reused.
Fourth point-- Tournie players will use them (training) BUT remember at 300fps you will get SERIOUS bruises. Any player knows that the balls that bounce quiet often cause the bigger bruises. Reusable - maybe - but outside on a muddy training day shooting 5,000 paintballs who is going to go round bending down to collect 5,000 paintballs. I am not suggesting for one minute that players cheat but as one who has watched 1000's of games I can't see players walking out of a game without a nice splat on their body!!! Airsofters operate differently from paintball they walk for what players would call a bouncer - paintballers don’t call themselves out without a splat.
Fifth point - As a site operator (outdoor) they will not catch on (remind me of this post when I buy 10 boxes). We make money out of customers firing paintballs, it is a pain when they pick up old balls and use them again, jamming markers etc... Imagine 1000’s of these spread over 10-20 acres of a site. Customers would buy the first 100 and then pick up the next 500 from the floor --- commercial suicide so I cant see them catching on in the woods.
Final point. Taking all into consideration I can't see them catching on (except indoor venues) Now the crunch point, if you want a sure fire way of getting paintball banned fire a product in the woods that is not BIODEGRADABLE. If we fired 50,000 plastic balls in the woods and the local environmental experts saw them on the ground and they did not dissolve in 7/10 days they would have a field day. The cry would go out to “Ban paintball it is having an adverse effect on the environment”. This lobby is more powerful than you think. So I can't see reusable paintballs working in an outdoor site situation.
Sorry one more -- If a team used reusable paintballs on my site I would make sure they picked all of them up at the end of the days, and I am sure the vast majority of site owners would agree with me. Paintballs have never been so cheap as they are at present, so I think I would rather leave 10,000 paintballs on the grounds than spend several hours picked them up.
Only my comments not an official UKPSF line.
Steve
