Paintball guns can kill players, and the injuries that cause death are not uncommon. In fact, many paintball accidents are caused by the paintball gun and it’s important to understand why.
Paintball guns are designed to fire paintballs at speeds in excess of 200-300 feet per second (fps). The speed at which a paintball travels depends on how it is fired. A player can control the speed of their paintball gun by choosing from different velocities: Low Velocity to High Velocity.
The faster the velocity, the more energy is released upon impact with the target. However, this also means that more stress is placed on the barrel of the gun, which can result in damage to internal components which could become the reason for many injuries.
Reasons for Deaths Caused by Gun Injuries
If you have ever experienced an incident where someone was injured due to a paintball gun malfunctioning or breaking, you may have heard that they were killed as well – but did they really die? Let’s take a closer look at these cases and try to find out what really happened.
The most common causes of death from paintball gun injuries are:
👉 Stroke
There are many reported incidents alone in the US when a paintball gun fire caused a stroke that couldn’t be treated in time and caused the death of the person.
For example, a man in Florida named Joe, 37 was hit on his behind-the-ear area by a close-range paintball grenade, and that caused an immediate stroke. The man died of the same incident after three days after the injury.
👉 Brain injuries
Unintended heavy firing or close-range shots in the head causes potential brain injuries. Many players use fashionable face masks and goggles that don’t provide enough protection to the head. Some of the masks are so low in quality and performance that they can’t stand a powerful shot. Fetal head injuries have reduced with the usage of modern safety gear but still, these are the reality and can happen to anyone who is not using proper safety equipment.
👉 Heart attack
There are many cases when players were hit in the chest and died of a heart attack shortly after the game. The heart is quite a sensitive part of the body and the sudden high impact of high-speed paintballs can cause a heart seizure or heart attack, especially for players with a previous history of heart-related issues. Though fetal heart injuries or on-field attacks are not common but, it does happen.
👉 Accidental discharges
The most common and frequently happening incidents are accidental discharges from paintball guns often due to barrel breakage or during quick hopper or tank changes.
Accidental discharges result in fetal injuries after games while cleaning the equipment too. One such incident was reported recently in New Jersey when a 15-year-old boy was unassembling his gun for cleaning purposes. While he was doing so without any safety precautions or wearing protective equipment gunshot the whole hopper due to a malfunctioning CO2 tank that was shot directly below the chin under the face at a very close distance. The paintballs broke with a high impact at the same part and the kid lost consciousness and stayed in a coma for two weeks. He died eventually at the hands of this same incident and fetal injury. There are numerous other incidents of the same nature which happened either due to his handling of equipment after games or during changing CO2 tanks on the field.
How risky are Paintball Guns?
The most serious risk of paintball guns is that they can injure and consequently kill people. Paintball guns are not toys, and they are not meant to be used in a manner that results in injury or death. If you play with a paintball gun, it’s important that you understand the risks involved.
The most common cause of injury is by firing a paintball at someone or something unintended, such as another player or even some objects around the field.
The second most common cause of injury is by firing a paintball close enough to an eye that it causes blindness. In addition to these major injuries, there are many others that can occur when playing with a paintball gun.
What are common Paintball Gun Injuries?
Paintball gun injuries can range from minor ones such as scrapes and bruises to more serious ones such as broken bones or head injuries. Most paintball gun injuries occur on the face and head area, especially if the player is hit directly in this area by a round. The face is an especially sensitive part of the body due to its location and anatomy; therefore, any type of impact causes damage to this area.
Some players have also been known to experience hearing loss after being struck by a paintball pellet during play. This occurs because there are no ear protection systems available that protect against these types of injuries. The only way to prevent hearing loss after being struck is by wearing protective ear gear while playing.
In fact, the use of modern safety equipment has reduced the risk of being shot in sensitive areas or other fetal injuries. Protective goggles, masks, paintball vests, slider shots, and other safety wear are all very important and worth the investment. Whether you are a novice or an avid paintball player, buying and updating safety gear is equally important for everyone.
Final Verdict – Can paintball guns kill?
Paintball guns don’t kill directly but the injuries due to guns sometimes cause deaths. There are many reported cases of such deaths and killings by paintball guns. So it’s crucial to handle and clean these paintball markers and guys with care by taking all the safety measures. Safety equipment is also mandatory to use at any given time while using these guns. This is the only way we can minimize the risks and hazards involved with this sport.
