the truth about bolts

[amzng_spyderman]

there are way too many people that are misinformed about the purpose of a bolt and the myths behind it. time for some re-education.

what does a bolt do?

the bolt of a pb marker has two functions; moving the paintball into the barrel and directing air flow to fire the paintball. that's all.

what doesn't a bolt do?

a bolt does NOT directly affect accuracy or range like so many people think. anybody that says otherwise is lying or ignorant.

what makes a good bolt?

a good bolt will be lightweight to reduce kick. in a way, this can increase accuracy. but a light bolt alone will not reduce kick to a very noticable point. delrin bolts are the lightest. also, a good bolt must be high flowing. this means none of those stupid venturi bolts. open face is the way to go. venturis just restrict air flow. buying an open face bolt can increase efficiency.

bolts with special features

there are a few bolts that offer a little something extra to increase performance. namely, the anti-chop bolts. not all markers have these, though. the mag has the level 10, cockers have the JAM, and spyders have their own (not sure of the name). other little things can be added, such as timing slots for autocockers.

is a new bolt worth crapping my pants over?

psh, no. unless you have chopping problems and are going to get an anti-chop bolt, your money is better spent elsewhere. the bolt will not make a noticable difference in performance, so buy something else. got nothing else to buy? fine, get a bolt. don't expect any miracles from it, though.

delrin or aluminum?

pretty much all delrin bolts are better than aluminum ones. companies have put more effort into making quality delrin bolts and have moved away from aluminum because consumers like the idea of a lubeless, self sealing bolt that doesn't require o-rings. delrin's smoother and lighter, and sometimes doesn't need o-rings to prevent blowback (but not always. bolts can be too small for the diameter of the breech).

can i lube a delrin bolt, or will it swell?

only crappy bolts made out of crappy delrin will swell a lot. the evil bolt is made of such delrin, and will swell when oiled. virtually all other bolts are quality enough to oil without fear.

i probably missed some things. let me know and i'll fix them.

mods, you may want to link this to your ultimate stickies. i'm sure you get as many bolt questions as i do.

[PeYToN-SS]

This should definately be sticked, especially in the Kingman forum. Theres at least 3 "Which Bolt Should I Get"" threads a day in there.

[HurleyHero67]

I disagree about the bolt not being an important upgrade, but only specifically for mags. Ever since I bought my LvL 10, it has been by far the most useful and effective upgrade for me. Just a thought, I'm sure the opposite is true for many other markers, however.

[PeYToN-SS]

The lvl 10 acts as an Anti-chop bolt basically. The lvl 10 is worth the money, but most other bolts add no improvements.

[amzng_spyderman]

i meant the basic bolts are pointless, not the anti-chop ones. it's obvious that those can be of great help.

[Stanman]

hey you can't forget those $15 apm bolts made of nylatron... well worth the money as it does all the things that you listed for delrun bolts, but they do have better wear characteristics as they do NOT wear out...

[SpUnKy-BoLtOn]

I wasnt aware that delrin wore out...

[chibissj]

Yes derlin wears out, it is a "soft" material and when it rubs on the inside of the bolt tube it creates friction so slowly over time it will rub off and scratch it. Just like a normal metal bolt only a metal only scratches.

[malcontent]

what IS delrin? never understood its charicteristics or even what it is?

would be nice to clarify things like this so people can do more research.

[chibissj]

It's not quite plastic, but it's close. And it's nearly "frictionless" so it slides way easier than a metal on metal bolt would.

[malcontent]

so its kinda like fiberglass? just no fiber?

[amzng_spyderman]

not even close to fiberglass. it's plastic. chibs is the first person that i know of to say that it isn't plastic. i even got 4 feet of it from a plastics supplier.

[wanabe TOSA]

well i for one DO think that vanturi bolts help accruacy because when the air meets the ball it puts a even spin/pressure on all areas of the ball unlike those bolts with nothin that puts wild spins on the ball so its screwed even before its in the barrel......

-peace-

[SpUnKy-BoLtOn]

Obviously the bolt is gonna scratch, but Ive never heard of anyones bolt being worn down so much that they cant play with it.

[amzng_spyderman]

Originally posted by wanabe TOSA
well i for one DO think that vanturi bolts help accruacy because when the air meets the ball it puts a even spin/pressure on all areas of the ball unlike those bolts with nothin that puts wild spins on the ball so its screwed even before its in the barrel......

-peace-

then the manufacturers of venturi bolts are happy people like you are around, but it's just not true. venturi is NOT more accurate than open face.

[PMI_Guy]

I <3 my Level 10.

[LAMANTEthePBguy]

Take a venturi, and blow some air through it with a ball on top.
Take an open faced bolt and blow some air through it with a ball on top.
They are the exact same, but the open will be higher flowing.

And I thought venturis were just meant to reduce ball breaks?

[nahthan]

Originally posted by LAMANTEthePBguy
And I thought venturis were just meant to reduce ball breaks?

me too

[wanabe TOSA]

Originally posted by amzng_spyderman

then the manufacturers of venturi bolts are happy people like you are around, but it's just not true. venturi is NOT more accurate than open face.

got any proof?

[amzng_spyderman]

Originally posted by wanabe TOSA


got any proof?

do you?