Chopping Paint

Chopping paint describes a break that happens inside the breech of a marker rather than inside the barrel. This typically occurs when the marker fires before the paintball has fully seated in the chamber. The bolt moves forward and impacts the ball, cutting or crushing it against the breech walls.

Common causes include mismatched loader speeds, inconsistent feeding, worn detents, brittle or overly fragile paint, and mechanical timing issues. Electronic markers firing at high rates of fire are especially sensitive to feeding synchronization. If a loader cannot keep up, partial feeds become more likely.

When a chop occurs, paint fills the breech, bolt, feedneck, and sometimes the beginning of the barrel. This leads to a cascade of performance issues including misfeeds, velocity irregularities, and significant accuracy loss.

Modern markers incorporate anti-chop systems designed to prevent this. Examples include optical or mechanical eyes that detect paint, force-delay mechanisms, soft-tip bolts, and low-force bolt designs. These systems help ensure the marker only fires once a ball is fully seated.

Preventing chops involves maintaining loader performance, using fresh and properly stored paint, checking detent health, and keeping marker internals clean. Matching firing mode and rate of fire to loader capability is also important.

If a chop occurs, the player should clean the breech, bolt, and barrel to restore proper function.