Ideally, paintballs should function similar to M&M's. They should break on your target, not in your marker. Indeed, few things can ruin a day on the field like paint and shell fragments gumming up what otherwise should be a sophisticated pneumatic device. So, let's explore some of the more common problems related to breaking, chopping, and blending paint and the solutions thereof.


Break, Chop, or Blend?
I differentiate between the terms because breaking paintballs in a marker is most often caused in very distinct ways. You may use different terminology and it's not like you have to adopt mine, but here's some explanations so you can better understand the rest of this guide.

So technically, anytime you have paint inside the marker it's breaking. However "breaking" paint is usually the term used to say you're breaking it in your barrel or breach. This comes about because the paint is under too much stress for the shell to handle. The most common causes for this is a too small bore, excess air pressure, or just brittle paint. Obstructions in the breach area can also lead to breaking paint. Paint in the marker isn't the only sign of this, it has a lot to do with where the paint is. If you're breaking paint, you'll likely see paint only in the barrel and breach area. Rapid fire can make a little paint spatter into the hopper and/or feed tube/neck, but no shell fragments should get there.

Chopping paint happens as the paintball is being loaded from the hopper into the breach. Most often it happens from misfeeding that leaves half the paintball in the feed port, half in the breach. When the bolt moves forward to seal the breach the paintball gets chopped in half. This is most common during rapid firing or with closed bolt markers ( like Autocockers and pumps. ) The biggest sign that you're chopping paint and not just breaking it is the presence of shell fragments in you hopper and/or feed tube/neck.

Blending paint mainly occurs in the cyclone feed of the A-5 and X7, though it would be possible with other agitated hoppers. Like the term implies, it happens when the paddles start shredding paintballs instead of lightly shuffling them around. Blending paint can also contribute to chopping since the paint buildup in the loader can lead to misfeeds into the breach. In the cyclone this happens most often when foreign objects ( most notably the assembly screws poking through the housing bottom, ) get in the housing. In rare cases the paddles themselves or the feed port hook may have some rough edges. As the paddles sweep the balls around they get shredded. Detecting a blender looks like a chopping problem ( paint and shell fragments in the loader, ) except on a much bigger scale. It's not uncommon to see paintball soup if you've got a blending problem.


Solutions
Now that you've identified the problem, how do you fix it? Well that depends on the symptoms:

Breaking - First, check your paint. If you're shooting old, brittle paint, that's likely your culprit. Even new paint can become brittle when exposed to cold temperatures. Also some paint, like tourney style paint, is designed with a thin shell so it breaks on nearly anything. High pressure markers, like the A-5 and X7, are none too gentle on paint, so using thin shells is not recommended. Flatline and Apex barrels also add some extra stress to paintballs so use caution when buying paint for their use. If the paint is fine check for foreign objects in the breach of the marker. Is the detent installed correctly? Is there any edge a paintball can hook on inside? What about the bore size? Many players try to match paint too tightly with their barrels. It should juuuuuussst touch the inside walls. Finally, what pressure is your marker operating on? If you can lower it a bit, the marker will be that much gentler on the paint as it's fired.

Chopping - Here you need to check for problems that would cause a misfeed. With a cyclone, check to see that the paddles are free to spin. Check the center screw that it's not too tight. Cycle the system with the manual piston and check that it's not overly difficult ( or that it cycles at all. ) Are there any internal obstructions in the gas lines to the cyclone piston? Do you have enough gas pressure to operate the cyclone? Also, as the cyclone is one of the most popular places to mod, have you recently added any upgrades? Things like a quick exhaust valve / quick exhaust piston housing ( QEV/QEPH, ) Vortex, Jet Click, or Lightening Rod, if not properly installed, can hinder the cyclone's cycle rate. Make sure the ratchet is thoroughly lubed with quality lithium grease ( not just oil, ) check the bushings on the Lightening Rod so that it slides freely. If you're using an electronic trigger system, check that the firing rate isn't outstripping the cyclone's maximum rate. If nothing else, start taking the mods off one by one until the chopping stops and the culprit is identified. For markers without a cyclone, check that your firing rate isn't faster than the hopper can feed. If you have feed eyes, are they functioning correctly? You may have a special anti-chop bolt ( like an AGD Level 10, ) so make sure that's tuned correctly.

Blending - Checking for foreign objects in the hopper is the first step. Also, check for any damage that may have resulted in jagged edges. If you have a cyclone, make sure the assembly screws aren't poking through the bottom after being over tightened. Also check that the paddles and feed port hook to see if they have any excessively rough edges. It may not be a bad idea to shave and smooth them down.


Anything Else?
This guide isn't fully comprehensive so if you have any other tips, tricks, suggestions, or solutions, please share. You can leave a post or PM me directly and I'd be happy to add them.

__________________
You can't wipe a welt
-J

Paintball FAQ's | Asking yourself "What should I get next?" | Paint & Barrel Facts | Fixing the Chop
HPA vs. CO2 | Regulator FAQ's | To Remote or Not To Remote | Slide Checks 101 | LPK FAQ's
Complete A-5 Maintenance | Complete T-8 Maintenance | Which Vest is for Me? | Secondary Sights | Rails, Sights, & Targeting
Sale - Custom Vests, MOLLE Gear, Dogleg Stock, & More

again Jaron another well written and informative thread.
ps I think you have to much time on your hands.

__________________


a bad day paintballing is beter than a good day at work!!!!

:rep4you:

My trick. Remove the barrel... I narrows it down to chopping or blending... If you are still getting breaks take off the hopper and load the sprockets with 2 layers of paint. so ones in the tray and one is right above that. shoot off a string. If it breaks... then your gun is chopping. If not... your prob blending!

__________________

That does seem to be a recurring theme . . .

__________________
You can't wipe a welt
-J

Paintball FAQ's | Asking yourself "What should I get next?" | Paint & Barrel Facts | Fixing the Chop
HPA vs. CO2 | Regulator FAQ's | To Remote or Not To Remote | Slide Checks 101 | LPK FAQ's
Complete A-5 Maintenance | Complete T-8 Maintenance | Which Vest is for Me? | Secondary Sights | Rails, Sights, & Targeting
Sale - Custom Vests, MOLLE Gear, Dogleg Stock, & More

I recently added the egrip to my A5. I eagerly got out and tested it and ,to my dismay, i shredded a bunch of balls as well as experienced uncontrolled full auto. I'm gonna play with the cyclone but I'm a bit annoyed by sporadic rapid fire. Got any tips?

Everytime I get on here, it seems as if you bless the site with your knowledge more and more.

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Sporadic rapid fire....
add a stiffer spring to the Trigger Sear.
to keep the Sear engaged with the rear bolt.

I'm not terribly experienced with electronic trigger systems so any help I can give is limited. What kind of board is in it? ( WAS or APE most likely ) Have you changed any settings on it? Check the things listed above, where is the paint breaking?


Rise my son, your turn shall come. Er, that is to say . . . Most of these "divine" threads are just a compilation of what I've learned over the years ( usually from people like you on forums, ) and so credit really should go to the many people who have contributed to discussions about said topic in the past.

__________________
You can't wipe a welt
-J

Paintball FAQ's | Asking yourself "What should I get next?" | Paint & Barrel Facts | Fixing the Chop
HPA vs. CO2 | Regulator FAQ's | To Remote or Not To Remote | Slide Checks 101 | LPK FAQ's
Complete A-5 Maintenance | Complete T-8 Maintenance | Which Vest is for Me? | Secondary Sights | Rails, Sights, & Targeting
Sale - Custom Vests, MOLLE Gear, Dogleg Stock, & More

Hi Bender I am no professional when it comes to the A5, however, I had similar problem to yourself. Make sure the little magnet is still in your egrip, the magnet under the solenoid.

Thanks guys. I'm heading out to the field in a bit and hopefully I'll work out the glitch there. Most likely I'll end up missing a couple of games and curse the heavens(shaking fist optional). Wish me luck.