Paintball equipment is a very specialized type of sports equipment that should be carefully stored when not being used. This will prevent premature wear and tear and help ensure no accidents occur should a child or person inexperienced with paintball come into contact with the equipment.
Paintball guns should never be stored with air still in the paintball gun – this not only prematurely degrades o-rings and seals, but also makes a paintball gun “live” and ready to fire while stored and this is no way to store anything that can shoot. Whether CO2 or compressed air, remove all air sources from the paintball gun before storing it and ensure all air is purged from the paintball gun, as some paintball guns can “store” enough air for a shot or two even after the air is turned off.
Remove the paintballs from a paintball hopper and then remove the hopper from the paintball gun, ensuring no paintballs remain in the paintball gun’s breech, held in place by its ball detent. This will help prevent an accidental shot from being fired the next time an air bottle is attached to the gun. Keep a barrel plug or barrel cover over the barrel while the paintball gun is not being used or remove the barrel entirely if this helps store the gun more safely.
If your paintball gun is electronic, be sure the electronics are switched off to keep from draining the battery.
As a paintball gun can sometimes resemble a firearm, it is best to store a paintball gun in a gun bag or case to keep it out of sight, especially while transporting it to and from the paintball field. If you children might be around, it’s not a bad idea to lock the case or bag as an extra form of security.