"Larry Karson" <larrykarson@cheshire.net> writes:

Hello, I hope that you can help me, I live in rural New Hampshire and my only source of power for my mag is co2 and I'm inquiring as to if I was to purchase an external regulator like the ANS generation X regulator would that device absolutly keep liquid out of my gun. I'm currently using an expansion chamber and that works okay when it isn't cold but this time of year it isn't cutting it. I have tried using my remote in the cold and unfortunatly I couldn't get enough pressure with a full 20 oz tank to run the gun. I need a solution that will work 98% of the time because there are no dive shops around that would help me go to CA. Please respond as soon as possible

thank you
Larry

Dear Larry,

Sorry to hear that you are having so many problems with C02.  Let me break down the parts to help familiarize you with the part and what its function on the paintball gun is:

Anti-Siphon Bottle - hose which is installed into the bottle, which is used to help prevent the feeding of solid C02 into the gun.
Expansion Chamber - consists of a device with many chambers.  Used to help expand solid C02 into gas before it enters the gun, to help prevent "freezing up" parts in the gun.
Regulator - used to adjust the physical pressure going from the gas source to the gun.

        You should be using an antisiphon bottle with the expansion chamber.  An expansion chamber is not quite as effective (if effective at all) when you are feeding solid C02.  Both of these options together should be a maximum precaution to help prevent C02 from flowing into the gun as a solid.
        The one question that I need to ask you is how cold is it in your area?  You have to understand that the teperature (you are playing in) has to be warmer than your C02 for it to be useable when playing.  A regulator merely controls the pressure going into the gun.  It can help stop some of the solid C02 going into your gun, but not all of it.
        A few regs that I personally use with C02 and have not had any problems would be the Palmer Stabalizer and the Budd Orr Reg.  The Palmer's run about $140 msrp, and the Budd Orr Regs about $70.  Both work well at keeping the C02 out of the gun, but would still recommend using them with an Anti-siphon bottle.
        Should you decide to goto HPA, you don't necessarily need to have a Dive shop near you.  You can order the Scuba tanks and the valves separately.  There are paintball stores who now have the capability to fill with compressors (just air not nitro).

Hope this helps you.

Sean Takeda
MPN Columnist