Last updated on October 15th, 2023
If you’re like most paintball players, you want to be as quiet as possible when playing. This is especially important in close-quarters scenarios, where the sound of your gun can give away your position. There are many techniques spreading over the internet that just don’t work anymore or are mere myths for how to make your paintball quieter.
Similarly There are many articles on the internet recommending using a Silencer. Little do people know that using a non removable silencer is illegal in the United states. Even for building a custom silencer you need to pay a fee to ATF and they will review your design for approval.
In this blog post, we will discuss some tips that we have been using for some time to make our paintball marker quieter.
Tip 1: Choose the Right Gun
The first tip to making your paintball gun quieter is to choose the right gun. Not all paintball guns are created equal, and some are louder than others. So firstly, research the manufacturer of the paintball gun that you have shortlisted, because each paintball marker has different operating systems. Those guns that have an internal system where every moving part strikes each other are usually louder.
On the other hand, some manufacturers make quieter guns where the controlled burst of air moves the ball forward and there are no such parts inside that would hit each other on shooting. Such guns are much quieter.
Some paintball players believe that paintball guns that fire paintballs using CO₂ are typically quieter than those using compressed air or nitrogen. Upon testing we found out that does make a very tiny difference of few decibel, but a human ear couldn’t notice any difference.
Tip 2: Choose a Quieter Barrel
Barrels play a vital role in silencing your marker. The best barrels for silencing are those that have heavy porting. You can even look for an aftermarket barrel that is heavily ported and fluted which enables the dispersal of sound more efficiently.
Some paintball players also prefer long barrel guns. Although the long barrel doesn’t significantly reduce the sound, it does help a little. But Remember, the longer barrel may come at the cost of reduced efficiency.
To find a paintball barrel that is quiet, look for one that is made from lightweight materials, has heavy porting and has been precision-machined to reduce vibration.
Myth Busted: Don’t fall for the trap that the carbon barrel sounds lower than others. In our experience, that’s just a myth. We have used some of the best markers with low sounds that were made of aluminium and other materials.
Tip 3: Use a Barrel Shroud
Another way to make your paintball gun quieter is to use a barrel shroud. A barrel shroud is a cover that wraps around the outside of the paintball barrel. Don’t confuse it with suppressors or silencers that need a proper licence. Make sure to check your country’s laws about using a shroud. Usually a barrel shroud doesn’t require any licensing and is legal.
Many of our fellow paintball players found that using a barrel shroud could make their paintball marker sound lower, without sacrificing accuracy or range.
Tip 4: Keep Your Barrel Clean
This is obvious one, yet very important. A dirty paintball barrel can cause a buildup of debris that will affect how well your paintballs fly through the air hence, increase noise levels when firing them off at high velocities. To keep your paintball barrel clean, remove any paint or debris that has built up inside of it with a paintball squeegee. It’s a good practice to clean your barrel after your come back home from the battlefield. Check out our guide on How to clean your paintball
Should we use silencers for paintball markers?
How could you not mention using a silencer in tips of lowering paintball sound. Unluckily, in USA especially, using a non-removable silencer isn’t legal. However, there are still many pro paintballers out there, that are ready to deal with the ATF paperwork and full of hassle stuff for getting the silencer license. If you’re a thinking about making your own customised silencer design, the bad news is you will have to present a it’s blueprint, the flow diagram and every detail and a price of around $250 (or more at the time of reading).
We do not recommended to make your custom silencer or suppressor by yourself. This can be seriously dangerous and may cause an accident like your marker coming apart, or something breaking apart or flying off your gun and striking your fellow players on the field resulting in serious injury.
Still have thoughts about making/using a silencer, you could read nitty-gritty details from the FTA’s website.
