Paintball guns have been powered by various air sources over the years, with CO2 in small cartridges and larger bottles helping the game grow, and compressed air picking up the torch offering improved performance as paintball has entered the modern era.
The term HPA is often used in both paintball and airsoft to refer to an air source. Strictly defined, “HPA” means High Pressure Air. This is simply compressed breathing air or nitrogen used to fill regulated compressed air bottles and tanks used by most modern paintball guns to propel paintballs and re-cock semi-automatic paintguns. Paintball air tanks are available in 3,000psi or 4,500psi pressure, in various sizes, and are regulated to ensure safety.
Compressed air has, in many areas, taken the place of CO2 as the preferred power source for paintball because it is not susceptible to pressure changes caused by fast firing or extremely hot or cold environments like hot summer days or chilly winter mornings. HPA has proven itself to be a completely safe and extremely efficient, clean source of air power for paintball guns at every level of the game!