Paintball markers can be an expensive investment, especially if you go for the high-end models with extra features. For these reasons, you want to preserve them for the long-haul and protect them from environmental damage by storing them in a safe place.
Your paintball marker has several mechanical and moving parts to it, and simply leaving it out in the open is a reckless thing to do. Your first order of business is simple: don’t leave your paintball marker lying around in the open because it may cause injury to anyone who uses the paintball marker.
No two paintball markers are the same and, depending on the manufacturer, may require specific methods or supplies for effective storage and maintenance. Always read your paintball marker’s instruction manual thoroughly before using it.
The safest way to store your paintball marker at home is to keep it in a lockbox, marker safe, or trunk. Some homeowners also use PVC or vinyl wrap for added protection. It is very tempting to set aside your paintball marker with the intent of storing it at a later time. Procrastination has a way of turning ‘later’ into days and weeks, which then allows fouling and moisture to relentlessly damage your marker.
Since it will probably be a long time before you retrieve your marker from storage, it in your best interest to properly prepare the marker for storage. This way, your marker will be bright and shiny and ready for gaming the next time you visit. Let’s discuss how to prepare the marker for storage.
Always prioritize safety when dealing with potentially harmful paintball markers. This means removing the air or CO2 tank. The compressed gas or CO2 tank can fly off with enough force to cause some serious damage and injury to you and the people around you. Use the de-gas function if it is available.
You may need to go back to your marker’s schematics to correctly disassemble everything, including the bolt, hopper, and grip frame. A cautionary thing you can do to put everything back together is to organize the parts neatly for easy reassembly later.
You can use a paper towel to polish the hammer rand bolt and then air-dry it carefully. Now would be a good time to see if the O-rings are showing signs of wear and tear. You can prevent wear and tear through regular maintenance. If you see heavy damage, you may want to change the components.
You can use a Q-tip or a similar tool to clean any remaining debris from the grip frame. Don’t separate the trigger assembly because it’s not easy putting it back together. You could easily end up breaking or worsening the performance of your marker if you tamper with the trigger assembly.
Once the grip frame is cleaned, dry it carefully. Set it aside.
Start by checking the barrel out for any obvious debris. Buy a separate barrel swab to clean the barrel and remove all tiny dust particles that are lodged inside the barrel. If you still find hints or traces of contaminants on the barrel, use a squeegee.
Simply attach one end of it to the barrel - like a makeshift hook - and pull at it. This should clear you of any leftover debris in the barrel. Position the barrel sideways for storage later.
Consult your marker’s instruction manual to see if you can use a cloth for cleaning. To reach smaller nooks and crannies in your marker, you can use a toothbrush or Q-tip to scrub away the contaminants. This way, you can carefully clean the marker and prevent it from jamming later.
Now that you have thoroughly cleaned the marker, it is time to lubricate it. Try to buy lubrication designed specifically for the paintball marker or you may end up damaging it. Consider using your manufacturer’s manual to see what kind of oil to choose. Make sure the O-rings are thoroughly covered in oil or lubricant for optimum performance.
Now that you have oiled and scrubbed your marker, it is time to reassemble it in an organized fashion. Go through the guidelines if you’re not sure how to assemble it back together. Take your time with the assembly because one mistake can worsen the performance of your marker.
If your paintball marker is not properly stored, it will become vulnerable to the elements outside. Here is a brief marker storage checklist.
Don’t lubricate your paintball marker if you are not planning on using it for long-term storage. Just apply a tiny coat of lubricant to the exterior. This is because, over time, the lubrication oils have will creep into parts where they are not supposed to be, especially if you live in an area with temperatures that are always in a state of flux. For example, if you applied the lube to the barrel of your paintball marker, it may find its way to the stock.
You owe it to your paintball marker to invest in a proper marker safe intended for actual firearms. Not only will this safe provide reasonable protection from marker theft, but also keeps it out of reach of any curious young hands (or pets) and provides a ventilated environment for your marker to breathe.
A neat trick to save you the headache of frequent maintenance is to buy an electric heating element or even a bulb. The heating element will keep the marker safe warm and facilitate the movement of dry air around the paintball marker. If you intend to store your paintball marker in a closed-door marker safe, then make sure to provide a heat source to your marker.
Storing your paintball marker in a safe place is the easiest way to extend long term usage. If you own several paintball markers, you should choose a separate place to store all these markers for easy access. This way you avoid getting confused which marker is where and can concentrate on implementing safety measure to keep the environment safe.
Separately storing your marker will help you minimize any extra humidity in the air from damaging your marker. The less moisture there is, the better it is for your marker. An important thing to keep in mind is the air or CO2 tank. Always store your marker away from direct sunlight because CO2 is susceptible to hot weather. This minimizes the risk of the safety burst disk from blowing.
Granted your paintball marker is not an actual firearm, but it can shoot paintball pellets (and even marbles) at dangerously high velocities. Paintball markers are powerful tools that should be treated with respect; in fact, anything that shoots stuff at you with speeds of up to 200 fps should be properly taken care of. You could be legally liable should someone get injured by mishandling your marker.
It makes sense to invest a marker safe for your paintball for everyone’s safety. The actual marker safe you buy depends on the size and model of your paintball marker. If there is enough room, you can also store other valuables inside the marker safe. Here are 8 types of marker safes for your paintball marker.
As the name suggests, these are ‘in-wall marker safes,’ which means they are installed directly onto the wall. These safes are not portable and remain stationary. This is a great way to keep your marker safe while preventing young children from accessing it. The safe won’t be moving any time soon.
There are various lock options to choose from, including electric keypads, fingerprints, and regular locks. In-wall marker safes are sold in a variety of sizes, so if you plan on investing in one, make sure they are compatible with your paintball marker.
They are called ‘hidden’ because their purpose is not painfully obvious to the outsider. For all they know, the safe could be just part of the decor. These safes are usually camouflaged with the common areas of the house that won’t attract attention such as picture frames, shelves, or mirrors. Hidden marker safes allow you to keep your paintball marker hidden in plain sight.
These safes act like a sliding drawer to hold your paintball marker underneath your bed. If you’re the kind of person who plays paintball every other day, then you may want to store it here. The biggest advantage with these containers is that you can roll out of your bed, reach underneath, unlock these safe, and reach for the marker.
When you attack the term ‘heavy’ with a safe, you know things are turned up a notch. Heavy-duty safes are monstrous cabinets usually weighing over 1000 pounds. Try as you may, these safes won’t even budge. This makes them perfect for storing your paintball marker without a hassle.
The only bad thing is that once you order one of them, they will stay in that one spot. What seals the deal is the fact that the door is bolted with solid steel bolts for added strength and protection against brute force methods that include prying, drilling, and punching attacks. The only problem is that they will easily cost you over $2000.
These marker safes are regular but designed to sit in the corner of your room. Many people prefer installing these safes if they don’t have the extra room needed to install a normal-sized wall safe. These safes snugly fit in tight corners and stay there. High-end models tend to have a minimal footprint to not stand out from the interior décor.
Just make sure to buy a case with enough space for the size of your paintball marker. You won’t have a hard time buying a corner marker safe because they have practically flooded the market. Our advice is to buy a model constructed with heavy-duty solid steel so it could hold its own against potential break-ins and withstand the test of time. These safes should be able to keep moisture at bay.
Biometric safes are safe for obvious reasons: no two fingerprints are alike. Simply place your hand on the scanner and the door opens up without a hitch. This is provided of course, that you are the authorized owner. These marker safes are bolted shut and won’t open unless you hit them with a tank shell. The probability of someone else coming along with similar prints is next to zero!
Wheel and pin safes have stood the test of time and no one can open them unless they have access to the right combination. High-end models are resistant to fire, gunshot, explosions, and other natural disasters. If you end up forgetting the safe, you may well have to buy another paintball marker.
You can buy low-cost marker lockboxes to store your paintball marker. These gun boxes are typically made of steel and utilize powerful padlocks integrated into the box. There are high-end versions of these lockboxes as well that utilize biometric technology to provide easy access to your paintball marker and can store multiple fingerprints for other people if that’s your preference.
If the above advice sounds too costly for a paintball marker, you can still find affordable and cost-effective ways to store your marker for a long time. The easiest of these is using a PVC pipe to store them. You can use any unused PVC at your home, so long as it has a diameter between 4 inches to 6 inches. Use PVC caps to isolate the marker from the outside environment.
If you’ve got a lot of possessions and are running out of storage space for your paintball marker, then you can cut down on the household clutter by renting out a self-storage unit. These things will cost you money, but they will provide you the extra space needed to safely store your paintball marker. Most self-storage units provide the ideal environment for paintball markers, unlike cold and camp cupboards or storing sheds.
Self-storage units also provide several layers of protection, form CCTV cameras to security personnel who monitor the area round the clock. Self-storage units are a cost-effective and flexible way to store all your paintball gear.
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