Feed Stack
Overview
The feed stack is the column of paintballs resting inside the marker’s feedneck and breech area, forming the queue of balls that feed into the chamber during firing.
Key Points
- Consists of the paintballs lined vertically inside the feedneck and breech.
- Stability of the stack affects feed reliability at high rates of fire.
- Influenced by loader force, detents, and paint size consistency.
- A disrupted feed stack can cause misfeeds, chops, or dry-fires.
- Modern force-feed loaders create consistent stack pressure.
- Stack height and tension vary by loader design and marker geometry.
Details
The feed stack refers to the column of paintballs held in the feedneck and entering the breech of a paintball marker. This stack acts as the immediate reserve of paint that feeds each shot. Its behavior directly impacts reliability, especially during strings of rapid firing.
Force-feed loaders maintain constant downward pressure on the stack using internal drive mechanisms. This prevents gaps, maintains a consistent feed rate, and reduces the likelihood of partial feeds that can cause chops. Gravity-fed hoppers, by contrast, rely on natural fall and agitation, producing a less stable feed stack.
Paint size consistency plays a major role. Oversized or irregular paint may jam or wedge in the feed stack, while undersized paint may rattle, leading to inconsistent positioning in the breech.
Detents small components that prevent double-feeding also help regulate stack behavior by controlling how balls enter the chamber. Worn or damaged detents may allow multiple balls into the breech or create uneven stack pressure.
Understanding feed stack mechanics helps players diagnose issues such as misfeeds, double-feeds, and breech chops.
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