Snip...
California airsmith Glenn Palmer, owner of Palmer’s Pursuit shop had the opportunity to investigate the tank and valve from the Placerville accident. As the equipment was subject to an ongoing government investigation, he was not allowed to touch the equipment, or remove the valve from the paintgun’s bottom-line air system adapter to determine how tightly it was stuck, or why.
According to Palmer the tank had been modified from its originally manufactured state. An anti-siphon tube had been added to the valve so that it would draw gaseous CO2 instead of liquid when the tank was screwed all the way in to the paintgun’s ASA. Local law enforcement told Palmer that their investigation had not identified the person responsible for the modification, as the tank and paintgun were purchased used through an Internet auction.
Palmer noted that the threads on the valve neck and tank appeared to be mechanically sound. He also spotted no signs of thread locking compound on the valve neck. Palmer states that historically the Department of Transportation specifications for valve installation have not required thread locking compound, but specify higher torque ratings for “dry” valve installation. It is common practice in the paintball industry to use a thread-locking compound when installing CO2 tank valves. This is also true for screw-in style compressed air systems, though some cradle mounted HPA systems are set up with user-removable tanks without thread locker. These types of air systems are not unscrewed from a paintgun in normal use under pressure, greatly decreasing the risk of accidental separation.
Not when playing against normal folks, but watching tournaments, I've seen 15 year old kids throw their $1,500 electronic guns, as if it were to blame for them getting shot by an old man with a $100.00 Tippman, cringing the whole time.
A fresh 20 ounce tank registers close to 3,000 PSI. Paintball guns ain't toys.
I'd bet money Mr. Palmer the airsmith is dead on.
Palmer is dead on. He is the premier airsmith in the sport, and a straight-shooter, pun intended! A tank 'mo-duuuuuh-fyed' by some shmendrick along the line of ownership weakened the connection between the tank and the male Constant Air adapter. (The screw-in part, for those of you in Rio Linda)
There are millions of people who play paintball, and many of them have no idea how to do the slightest bit of service/maintenence to these increasingly complex devices.
Tank hydro testing must be aggressively self-regulated by fields, and players must learn common sense and basic pneumatics, or the hysterical media will be all over every mishap. Then the nanny-state will jackboot their way into the sport, ruining it through overregulation. In fact, they are just wringing their slimy hands, waiting for one or two more instances like these to occur...
THEORETICALLY, there is enough pressure to launch a "fill tank" rated at 4500psi more than a mile, from what I hear.
(www.palmer-pursuit.com)