Many players unfamiliar with the sport often ask, “Are paintball guns dangerous?”
They may be aware of the dangers of BB gun rounds and standard bullets, but they should know about concussions, eye damage, shock, and environmental hazards of paintball pellets as well.
We’ll discuss some of the most common risks and dangers of paintball in this article.
Concussions
If you’re a regular paintball player, you’ve probably heard that it can potentially cause a concussion if you’re hit in the right spot on an unprotected head.
That’s partially true, but it can also cause other injuries. Paintball injuries can be more serious than a concussion, and can include broken ribs and collapsed lungs.
More seriously, players can experience eye socket bleeding, and even suffer a collapsed lung.
Paintball gun injuries are often the result of the high velocity of the projectile. Although the damage isn’t severe, a concussion can still cause significant mental and physical impairment.
Fortunately, most paintball injuries can be prevented by wearing appropriate safety gear and following rules.
Paintball is a fun activity for many people, it’s also important to take it seriously.
Eye damage
Paintball guns are notorious for their potential for damaging eyes.
Thankfully, professional paintball organizers have a policy requiring their participants to wear eye protection.
It is important for both players and spectators to wear eye protection to prevent injury.
A single paintball taken to an unprotected eye can cause serious damage, and potentially permanent vision loss.
Shock
The shock of paintball guns is similar to that of a wet hand towel when it strikes a human body. A normal 68 caliber paintball is equivalent to a hand towel.
Spring-loaded paintball guns fire at a much slower speed. However, a paintball that hits bare skin can cause great pain and draw blood.
Paintballs that bounce off the human body hurt more than those that break.
When one is hit with a paintball, the victim will experience a bloody halo, a dark red ring with white center.
Environmental Hazards
Paintballs can also be harmful to the environment, and pose a danger to animals that may ingest them or get hit by them.
Paintballs, when they burst or break, can release toxic chemicals such as lead, methylene chloride, or acetone into the air depending on their composition.
They can also stain clothes, pavement, and other surfaces.
Death
While paintball is a generally safe sport, there have been some cases of death from the sport.
In a recent incident, a 19-year-old man was shot dead while playing paintball. The incident took place in Greensboro, NC, and was part of an ongoing campaign to reduce gun violence.
While the man was covered in paintballs, it later came to light that he was actually killed by a real bullet.
While paintball guns are not intended to kill, a few accidents do happen and the gun used is often a rogue piece.
Although these deaths have been anecdotal, these incidents are related to a paintball player’s negligence or an in-game error.
This is a particularly worrying development because many of these incidents were prevented with proper safety precautions. In the meantime, paintball players need to take care to avoid potential accidents and prevent death.