How to Make a Paintball Gun

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 6, 2022 References

Paintballs guns create endless hours of fun! Try making your own to recreate the paintball experience at home. This gun is quick and easy to make, and only requires basic materials. Whilst paintball guns provide plenty of entertainment, they have the potential to be dangerous. Always fire your paintball gun under adult supervision and never aim it at people or animals to help avoid accidents.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making the Gun

1
Choose a plastic bottle that has a lid or cap. Heavy plastic drink bottles work best for this activity, as they provide a thicker barrier to contain the explosion. For best results, use a 750 mL (25 fl oz) reusable plastic bottle. However, any size will work.^{[1]
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2
Drill a 2 cm (0.79 in) hole in the bottom of the bottle. Use a 2 cm (0.79 in) drill bit to drill a hole into the bottom of the bottle. Try to position the hole in the centre of the bottom end of the bottle. This helps to make the paintball gun balanced.^{[2]
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- Always wear safety glasses when using a drill and ask an adult to help you make the hole.
- A power drill or hand drill will work for this activity.
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3
Use a drill to make a 1 cm (0.39 in) hole below the larger hole. Drill the smaller hole 1 cm (0.39 in) under the larger hole. Avoid making the hole right next to the original hole, as this can cause the plastic to crack.^{[3]
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- Hold the bottle tightly while you drill the hole to stop it from spinning.
4
Push a 2 cm (0.79 in) wide metal pipe through the larger hole. Push a piece of metal pipe that is approximately 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long into the widest hole in the bottom of the bottle. Position the pipe so that about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) of the pipe is inside the bottle. This pipe acts as the barrel of the gun.^{[4]
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- Don’t worry if your pipe is slightly shorter or longer than 15 centimetres (5.9 in).
- Purchase a metal pipe from a hardware store. Any type and width of metal will work for this project.
5
Place the neck of a bendy lighter in the small hole. For this activity you will need a lighter that has an extended bendy neck that is about 8 centimetres (3.1 in) long. Push the tip of the lighter about 2 centimetres (0.79 in) into the bottle via the small hole that you drilled. The flames from the lighter will cause an explosion in the bottle and propel the paintball pellet into the air.^{[5]
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6
Glue the body of the lighter to the side of the bottle. Hold the bottle on its side with the lighter on the bottom of the bottle. Then, pull the body of lighter back so that it lies flat on the side of the body while keeping the bendy neck inside the hole. Place a strip of hot glue onto the side of the bottle and then place the body of the lighter over it.^{[6]
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- If you don’t have a hot glue gun or you are using a thin plastic bottle, use super glue instead.
- Hot glue normally takes about 5 minutes to dry.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Using Your Paintball Gun

1
Place a paintball pellet into the metal pipe. Push the pellet about 1 cm (0.39 in) into the pipe. If the pellet is too small to fit firmly in the pipe, wrap it in a piece of scrap paper so that it stays in place.^{[7]
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- Purchase paintball pellets online or from a paintball centre.
2
Spray an aerosol deodorant into the bottle. Take the cap off the bottle and point the nozzle of your aerosol deodorant into the bottle. Hold down the aerosol spray button for about 5 seconds to fill the chamber of the gun with gas.^{[8]
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- If you don’t have aerosol deodorant, use aerosol hair spray instead.^{[9]
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- Always use aerosols in a ventilated environment to avoid inhaling them.
3
Screw the lid of the bottle on tightly. Quickly place the cap back on the bottle and screw it on as tightly as you can. This is important, as it helps to ensure that the cap doesn’t fly off unexpectedly and injure you.^{[10]
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- Ask an adult to double-check that the lid is on as tight as possible.
4
Press the trigger on the lighter to fire the paintball. Press the button on the lighter to produce a flame. This flame reacts with the aerosol in the chamber of the gun and the force of the explosion pushes the paintball pellet out the barrel of the gun.^{[11]
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- Always shoot the gun outside and away from people to help prevent accidents.
- Make sure your pets are locked safely inside before you fire the gun.
- Use the gun under adult supervision to help prevent injuries.

Community Q&A

Question

How many times do I pump it?

Community Answer

Around six pumps should work.
Question

What is the rate of fire?

Community Answer

One shot.
Question

What Paintball size dose this take?

Emma Hall1

Community Answer

Paintball pellets that are about 2 cm (0.8 in) work best for this gun, as they will fit easily inside the barrel of the gun.

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Warnings

This activity has the potential to be dangerous. Always use aerosols and lighters under the close supervision of adults to help prevent unwanted fires and explosions.

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Never shoot the paintball gun at people or animals, as the force of the pellets can cause serious injuries.

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Call the emergency services immediately if a fire or injury occurs.

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