We may be a little biased but we definitely think the Gladiatair range of Paintball cylinders are the best range of air tanks available in New Zealand.
Gladiatair are sponsoring the Expendables Paintball team, Wellington Rebels, and Ballistics Unit.
Gladiatair have an extensive range of paintball cylinders and it can be pretty hard to choose which one is right for you if you haven't had much paintball experience or are buying a gift. Hopefully this blog post will point you in the right direction.
First consideration is are you going to use compressed air or carbon dioxide as marker fuel. The deciding factor is usually determined by what is available at your local field. There are still lots of paintball fields in New Zealand running Liquid Carbon Dioxide and some of them may not have a compressor to fill an air paintball cylinder. If both options are available, in my personal opinion, compressed air provides better performance and is the safer option. Now if you are going for a compressed air cylinder, you also need to consider whether you can get it filled to 3000 PSI or 4500 PSI. Most paintball fields use aluminium paintball cylinders with a service pressure of 3000 PSI, so they don't need a compressor to go any higher. However if they hold tournaments, the Pro players playing in the tournaments will insist on High Pressure Air (HPA - 4500 PSI). The carbon fibre paintball cylinders have a service pressure of 4500 PSI. So once you have considered what gas and pressure will fill the cylinder, you can review the following options.
Carbon Dioxide Paintball Cylinders
There are two cylinder options for filling with Carbon Dioxide in the Gladiatair Paintball Cylinder range, the L12 and L20. The "L" in the product name is to symbolise that it is a liquid fill and the numbers are the weight of the fill in ounces. They are both made from aluminium and not expensive. The main considerations here are size and weight, both options hold enough Co2 to have a good days paintball.
Compressed Air Aluminium Paintball Cylinders
Aluminium paintball cylinders are typically about a third to a quarter of the price of a carbon fibre paintball cylinder and are the most sturdy and robust option. This is why most paintball field rental markers have aluminium paintball cylinders. There is a misconception in the paintball world that these cylinders are "Steelies" because even though they are high performance aluminium alloy, they still seem as heavy as steel cylinders after a days play.
The Gladiatair Paintball cylinder range has four aluminium cylinders; A13, A26, A48 and A62. The "A" in the product name refers to the aluminium that the tank is made from, and the number is the amount of compressed air in cubic inches.
The A13 was designed specifically to use in mag feed paintball markers and is usually considered too small for other applications. The A26 is small and light making it perfect for a junior player just starting out, a snake player or an airsoft player. 26ci will provide enough air for a beginner in a short game of about 15 minutes, providing you don't fire too many shots. The A48 is the standard option most fields choose as a rental as it normally provides enough air for two 15 minute games. If you are not used to playing paintball, you will be aware of the weight by the end of a good day of paintball. All paintball days are good :) The A62 is for the "John Wicks" of the world that just love shooting more paint than everyone else! It is a little heavier but the extra air capacity enables you to play longer games and reduce the number of air refills.
Compressed Air Carbon Fibre Paintball Cylinders
Carbon fibre paintball cylinders provide the perfect performance with more air, higher pressure and lighter weight. There are two range of Gladiatair carbon fibre paintball cylinders and seven sizes. C68, C68D, U48, U68, U88, U98 and U122 The "C" series is standard carbon fibre and the "U" series is ultralite carbon fibre. The number is the air capacity in cubic inches.
68ci is the most popular capacity of carbon fibre paintball cylinder in New Zealand. The C68 is longer, slimmer and lighter than the C68D. Many people ask why we have two tanks with the same capacity? Catering to players of different sizes and positions is the answer. Bigger players, players with longer arms and back row players often feel more comfortable with a longer tank and consider the C68 or U88. Smaller players or snake players usually prefer the C68D, U48 or U68. Players who play bushball or long scenario games choose the U98 or U122 and are usually setup with remote air lines and cylinders in a backpack or webbing.
Compressed Air for Paintball Cylinders
Serious paintball players that want to practice outside of paintball fields may want to purchase a scuba tank and scuba tank fill station to fill their paintball cylinders from home.
