Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment

SABRE members invest in their kit to provide superior player comfort, effectiveness and maintain safety standards whilst engaging in bushball.  Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are the essential items that you will need to tick off to feel both comfortable and safe.

Paintball Mask

The single most important piece of safety equipment when playing paintball is your mask.  It protects your eyes, ears, teeth and face against high velocity paintball impact.  It is a safety policy of SABRE that all members and guests are to wear a paintball mask when out on a live paintball field, regardless of proximity to any actual games being played.  Members and Guests may rent masks from the host paintball field as required.

Head Gear

Increasingly members are using helmets in addition to their paintball masks to provide protection from headshots, scrapes or scratches from busting through brush and scrub.  If a helmet isn't your style, we recommend that you look at covering your head with something like a shemagh, bandanna or even a simple cap, if only to protect you from sunburn in the warmer months.  Members and Guests can usually borrow hats from the host paintball field as required.

Camouflage Clothing

Concealment and comfort is an important part of playing bushball.  Our members choose their own style of pants and shirts to accomodate their personal preference and often to best suit the environmental conditions.  Wearing compression under-clothing like Skins can help reduce lactic acid in the muscles and significantly reduce bruising from paintball impacts.  Members and Guests may rent camouflage overalls from the host paintball field as required.

Gloves 

Gloves are used by many players both for protection against the elements and as additional layer of camouflage.  As we play in a bush environment, it is good to know that you have an added protective layer between you and the dirt.  Members and Guests can usually borrow light gloves from the host paintball field as required. 

Pads

Though not essential, some players choose to wear knee pads and even elbow pads to provide comfort when kneeling or going prone.  Pads do allow a player to remain in position for extended periods of time, even on rocky or uneven terrain, but can be uncomfortable when on the move.  Pads are not usually available to borrow or rent from the host paintball field.

Boots

Most if not all of our members invest in a pair of lightweight, tactical boots.  These are usually found in 6" and 8" ankle heights and provide support to the ankle and offer protection from the elements and the wildlife.  In addition to a set of sturdy boots, a good pair of socks goes a long way to adding comfort and reducing fatigue on your feet.  Guests are encouraged to select comfortable and sturdy closed shoes or boots to play in.

Load Bearing Equipment

Load Bearing Equipment (LBE) or platforms are used to carry your essential gear like paint, water and radio communications out on the field.  Here are some keywords for you to search out.

Harness

A harness usually involves suspender style straps over the shoulders that support your gear around your waist and/or on your back.  These are relatively simple to find and easy to use.

Vest

As the name suggests, a vest is worn over the torso, zipping up at the front and usually allows the player to attach their preferred pouches in the preferred location on the vest.

Chest Rig 

A chest rig sits across a players chest allowing them to place all their gear on the front of the torso.  Chest rigs are usually very light and easy to use, though they are limited to the amount of gear a player can place on their person.

Plate Carrier

A plate carrier is used to provide superior protection and load bearing capability.  While low profile plate carriers have only a front and back panel, their larger counterparts include side panels which can be used to carry even more gear.

Pouches

Almost universally LBE will feature an attachment system called MOLLE that allows you to purchase MOLLE pouches separately (and specifically) to attach your gear to your platform.  This is the current standard solution and is highly recommended. 

High Pressure Air

High Pressure Air (HPA) tanks or bottles are used to power paintball markers and launch the paintballs down the barrel and on to the target.  In essence the tanks and bottles are mini scuba tanks that contain compressed air, and they are the most reliable method of delivering pressure to a paintball gun.  At SABRE club days, players can fill their bottles directly from SABRE supplied scuba tanks.  

SABRE will provide safe work instruction on how to transfer HPA from the scuba tank to your peronal HPA bottle at the club day.

Common to all HPA bottles including scuba tanks is the hydro testing date and certification which is clearly displayed on the side of the tank.  This indicates whether or not the tank has been tested and certified for safe use, and is current for up to 5 years from the date of the stamp, provided that the tank has not been damaged in any way.

It is club policy that all HPA bottles and scuba tanks be inspected on demand for currency in test certification.  HPA tanks can be tested and certified as required by your local scuba diving shop.  DO NOT attempt to self service.  DO NOT apply any lubricants to your HPA bottle.

Steel HPA bottles

Steel bottles have a maximum pressure of 3000psi, and come in a variety sizes.  Caution must be exercised when filling from a scuba tank or air supply system that has the capacity to deliver pressures higher than 3000psi.  It is a good idea to purchase a neoprene air tank cover for your tank to reduce the impact from bumps and drops.

Carbon fibre HPA bottles

Carbon fibre bottles are lighter than steel bottles, have a maximum pressure of 4500psi and also come in a variety sizes.  It is essential to purchase a neoprene air tank cover for your carbon fibre tank to reduce the impact from bumps and drops, as carbon fibre tanks are more easily damaged than their steel counterparts.

CO2 bottles

The alternative method for powering a paintball marker is using CO2, which is the standard for rental markers at a paintball field.  Players who run their own paintball gun will usually move to HPA as it has a more consistent output.

Be aware that while all paintball markers will run on HPA, some markers will not run on CO2 and will be damaged by using this method.

Remote airlines

While it is possible to connect your air tank directly to the marker, some players will choose to attach their HPA bottle to their platform using a pouch, and connect the air system to their marker via a remote line.  Remote airlines are NOT compatible with CO2 systems. 

Markers

Paintball guns (markers) are classified as firearms under South Australian law, and require a license and registration to own one.  It is a club policy that all members and guests who own or operate paintball markers comply with South Australian Firearms laws at all times whilst engaged in SABRE activities.

Paintball markers are generally catagorised into one of two groups - mechanical and electronic.

Mechanical markers

Mechanical markers rely on many moving parts to operate and are generally cheaper to purchase.  They are usually easy to spot, as they will generally have mechanical safety switches and a regular looking trigger system.  Most mechanical markers that you see on a club day will be semi-automatic, though some members will choose to play with pump action single shot markers.  Fully automatic firearms of any kind are prohibited under Australian Law. Members and Guests may rent mechanical markers from the host paintball field as required.

Electronic markers

Electronic markers (or 'electros') also have moving parts, but are fired using an electronic circuit that requires a battery to operate.  Like mechanical markers, electros are also semi-automatic, but due to their characteristic double trigger and light trigger action, a player is able to 'walk' their first and middle finger over the double trigger to dramatically increase their rate of fire.  

Hoppers

A hopper is the container that sits on top of the marker and feeds the paintballs into the chamber of the gun.  Hoppers come in varying capacities usually 50 or 200 rounds and can be gravity driven, or powered using batteries to force feed the paintballs into the chamber allowing higher rates of fire.  

Some markers will have unique feed systems like the Tippmann A5 which can be fitted with a Tac-Cap, allowing for capacities of 30 to 60 rounds.  In South Australia, we are permitted to use magazine fed systems that sit under the marker, generally with a capacity of 20 rounds per magazine. 

Barrels

Stock barrels that come with the marker are usually pretty good, though usually only provide the player with one bore size.  Third party barrel kits can be readily purchased that have a variety of barrel bore size adapters that the player can choose from.  This allows the bore size to be matched to the size of the paintballs on the day, dramatically improving air consumption. 

It is club policy that the average muzzle velocity of a paintball be no higher than 285 feet per second at SABRE club days. SABRE will conduct a velocity check of each marker using a chronograph prior to undertaking any gameplay, and on demand as required.

Shrouds

Many paintball markers including some electros have the option to purchase and install a shroud over the main body (reciever) of the marker.  The purpose of the shroud is to provide a standard Picatinny rail system so that accessories may be easily added to the marker to provide the player with increased ergonomics.

Accessories

Accessories for paintball markers are many and varied and include iron sights, red dots, scopes, fore-grips, strap adapters and more.  Some shrouds will even allow for the addition of a stock, though most mechanical markers will have this ability off-the-shelf.