What Is A Paintball ASA?
ASA is short for Air Source Adapter. This is the threaded
port on a paintball marker where you screw the CO2 or compressed air tank into.
It is usually located at the bottom of the grip frame (known as a bottom line
set-up) , though it can be in other locations depending on your marker’s style.
The ASA has a post in the base. As you screw in your air tank this post pushes
on the depressing pin of the valve, opening it to allow pressure into your
paintball marker. The tank o-ring on the lip of valve forms a seal to prevent
air from escaping the ASA.
The simplest Air Source Adapters are one piece. Care must be
taken when removing the air tank from the ASA to avoid cutting or blowing out
the o-ring. See below for instructions on this procedure. This is why a popular
paintball gun upgrade is an On/ Off ASA. These Air Source Adapters feature a
thumbwheel, push button, or lever design that extends and retracts the
depressing pin post. You can shut the tank’s valve off, dryfire to
depressurize, and then take the tank off smoothly. Some On-Off ASAs have a ‘purge’
or a ‘bleed’ feature. When you turn off the pressure it also vents the pressure
in the airline between the ASA and the marker. This makes degassing and taking
your tank off the marker much more convenient.
What Is A Paintball Drop Forward?
The ASA is usually mounted directly to the bottom of the grip
frame or attached to it via a dovetail or T-rail that gives some options for
length. This is the preferred method for tight and compact set-up as seen in
use by tournament players. However, sometimes this configuration does not fit
youth players or those smaller in stature with shorter arms. This is where a
Paintball Tank Drop Forward comes in handy. Drop Forwards are a bracket or arm
that positions your air tank down and forward of the grip frame. They were
originally designed when compressed air tanks were only 3000 psi and very large
in size. It helped balance a loaded marker and shorten it at the expense of
making it rather tall and cumbersome. As HPA tanks got smaller so did drop
forwards, until they became unnecessary for most players. Regardless of what ‘pro’
players tell you, if you need to shorten your marker’s length then consider a
drop forward!
How To Properly Remove A Paintball Tank From Your Paintball
Marker
Keep your goggles on. Be sure to clear all
paintballs from the marker including the breech! Put your barrel cover on.
With the cover on and barrel pointed up and away
from others, slowly untwist the air tank from the marker while dry firing
(pulling the trigger to only fire air) as fast as you can.
When you hear the shots getting quieter, stop
twisting and keep dry firing until all air is expended and marker no longer
cycles.
It is now
safe to remove the tank the rest of the way.
If you have an On/Off ASA with a purge/ bleed
you can simply turn off the tank and remove.
