Tippman C3 Propane Tank Explosion

[The Hero]

You know that propane powered Tippman C3? Is it possible for it's propane tank to explode if something goes wrong? How big is the tank?

[bigguy]

go to

http://forum.specialopspaintball.com

then use the search for tippman c3....there should be some links about it

as far as i know....it is just as safe as a co2 bottle

[The Hero]

I've seen CO2 tanks burst before...

[Coenen]

Why does everybody think this?!?

Do you honestly think that in today's lawsuit-happy world and large company would produce and mass distribute a product that was so unsafe?

The tank is 16oz. It is roughly the equivalent of the 16oz. Catalina style CO2.

If ANY of the compressed gas cylinders used in paintball were to suffer a catastophic failure of the type you are considering the result would be the saem regardless of the nature of the gas.

EDIT: I doubt you've seen the tank literally fail. Maybe the burst disk blew and vented the gas, but I seriously doubt that the tank simply exploded of it's own volition.

[rawker]

what would you rather have, what heats at least 50% of the world, and also cooks and heats water for alot of it, or a dangerous fiber tank that can explode if a fiber is fractured? the c3 is just as safe or safer than HPA or Co2

[BLIX666]

You know that propane powered Tippman C3? Is it possible for it's propane tank to explode if something goes wrong? How big is the tank?

well, if by "if something goes wrong?" you mean like if you accidentally run into a fire with your gun...or accidentally throw the gun into fire...then yes, it could explode. :crazy:

[TheSpy11]

I had a valve malfuction recently in a propane campstove. It's connected to a propane tank, leaked, and caused a small fire, but it didn't go "BOOM".

In other words, the C3 is perfectly safe to use.

[robspar1]

How many of these C3-go-boom threads have we had? This is a little rediculous.

[The Hero]

So what if one of the hoses that feeds the propane into the Gun were to get cut or something and propane leaked everywhere, and some guy happened to be smoking a cigarette or something?

[BLIX666]

So what if one of the hoses that feeds the propane into the Gun were to get cut or something and propane leaked everywhere, and some guy happened to be smoking a cigarette or something?

BOOM!

[no_pain_no fun]

if it ignites it you will have a steel braided flame thrower

very unlikely tho

[pbfreak8675309]

why would u cut a steal braided host?

[robspar1]

Cause we all cut stainless steel braided hoses accidentally all the time :rolleyes:

In all seriousness, were taking this a bit too far... your line of reasoning has about the same sense as "If I jump off a 5 story building and land on a knitting needle, that makes it a deadly weapon"

If ya think these are dangerous, then perhaps you shouldn't be allowed to touch things capable of propelling small objects at relatively high speeds...

[Cpt. Morgan]

You can fire BULLETS (No HE rounds) at a propane tank and it will not go off. Unless you heat the actual tank to extreme temperatures it will NOT explode. Also if even getting close to exploding the burst disk would go off first.:)

[robspar1]

Yup... If you think these propane tanks are more dangerous than say, an HPA tank, then I got some beachfront property in Kansas that might interest you.

[Monkeyeez]

I'm just sorry I had to read all that. "Yes it's just as safe.":rolleyes:

[Cpt. Morgan]

Beachfront property in Kansas... only after the inter-planetary conflicts of 2011... THESE TANKS ARE SAFE... lol

[E r y k]

im gunna get my tank from my bbq, and strap it on my back... then run a line from that into the c3 and go play some speedball. -.-

[GT_Hawk]

Ok the thing usess the same propane tanks your local hardware store has been selling since before I was born. the tanks well no explose unless you do somthing major to them, like tossing them in a fire (DO NOT TRY THIS). They are ment to take impacts and be work safe. If they can be used on construction sites, then they are fine for your marker. Also note the idea of the c3 has existed in tools liek the passlode fraiming nailer for MANY years. Using a gas, igniting it to drive nails in. I have worked witht hese thjings for 7 years, and NEVEr heard of a explosion once. The c3 is SAFE, get over it.

[Zikan]

If you know the answer to this question, don't waste your time posting!

NO THE PORPANE TANK WILL NOT EXPLODE UNLESS YOU LEAVE IT IN A FIRE! UNDER NO OTHER CIRCUMSTACES! NONE!

[Govinda_T]

I'd also like to note that the Propane tanks are under like 1/4 to 1/2 or less the pressure of CO2. (which is between about 800-900 PSI) HPA tanks are subjected to over 4 times that, (3000-5000 PSI, depending on the tank) as well as the fact that they're much more fragile. I don't know about you, but I much rather have ~300 PSi go off next to my face, with a miniscule possibility of it spitting flames (NOT EXPLODING, and only if you give it a reason to, like, for example an ignition source such as a Big Ol' Cuban Cigar at a Cuban Missile Crisis Scenario, lol) than having a 4500 tank going nuclear all up in my grille.
It will only blow up if you have an ungodly lack of common (we're talking complete imbecile level) and you get the bright idea to (heaven forbid) throw it into your fireplace.
As much as I hate fools like that, I hope that no one ever does that, not because I care, but because the media (being the geniuses that they are :rolleyes:) will blame it on paintball in general, and it will ruin our sports image, and possibly get paintball banned/shunned. All because a a trio of drunk (or otherwise) yahoos decided to play "The Three Stooges" and came with the brilliant idea to blow themselves up. (And we blowed up! We blowed up REAL GOOD! :dodgy:)

[robspar1]

I believe the propane is stored in the tank at 80 psi (Less than 2% the pressure of a 4,500 psi tank)...

If ya do make it explode, I will enjoy reading your story in the next year's Darwin Awards (http://www.darwinawards.com/).

[Cheese Overlord]

Propane is incredibly safe. You don't even realize how much we use it in life. Most peoples' houses are heated by propane, and their homes don't explode. All of the combustion occurs inside the body of the gun, which is completly fire resistant. The only way it would explode is if you tossed it into a fire. It is just as safe as CO2. And to answer how big the tank is, it's 16 ounces.

[NoelyD]

beachfront in kansas???? i always wanted to have a house on the kansas beach.... using my c3 to heat my food.....

[IronCorps]

If the valve that lets in the squirt of gas into the internal combustion chamber was somehow jammed open, the igniter stuck on 'on', and the valve between the ICC and where the paintball sat got stuck open, then in that sense, there could be a shot of flame out the barrel, but no explosions probobly. You'd have to have a large series of bad things and broken pieces inside the gun in order for that to happend, and since its a tippmann... hopefully it wont go final destination on you lol.

[chrissmartguy01]

here's what they look like
http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/prodimg/thumbnails/0_50_DEC-485-839.jpg
not like
http://k41.pbase.com/v3/16/522216/2/46541436.PropaneTank.jpg
you can get tham at walmart

[robspar1]

Eh, if the valve stuck, and the combustion chamber flooded with propane, it would richen the fuel/air mixture and probably not ignite...

IIRC, there is a "regulator" on there already that controls the mixture, and if its set to either extreme, it will fail to ignite.

[IronCorps]

Well if air from the atmosphere got in there, it would likely only help it ignite, since oxygen is so ungodly combustable. Nitrogen i'm not sure of, but i dont think it would react nearly as fast as the o2/ propane gas mix.

[StrikerMuncher]

I know when you use co2, it 'snows' out your gun because you are shooting liquid co2. Would this also happen with the c3? Because if someone could just hold a zippo to the barrel and have a flamethrower like that, I think someone would.
Just curious!

[robspar1]

No, the combustion of the propane takes place in a chamber below the barrel...

It would just snuff the flame of your zippo.

[Trulyoldnavy]

im gunna get my tank from my bbq, and strap it on my back... then run a line from that into the c3 and go play some speedball. -.-


Doing the math.... 16 oz tank provides 50,000 shots..... times a 20lb grill tank. One million shots, give or take a few thousand. Thats about 500 cases of paint. Lets say $45 a case makes it $22,500 in paint. Not bad for $20 in gas.

[StrikerMuncher]

Imagine the pods...

This needs to be made into a semi so we can make it a mini-gun that just doesn't stop firing !!! :crazy:

[The Hero]

I saw a propane tank blow up in final destination 2

[StrikerMuncher]

I saw the world blow up in Doctor Who.