Co2 Tanks becoming rockets

I was at our local field on July 30th. They Recently came out with a new policy about removing tanks. Now only a Ref can remove your tank. The Reason Why, They said that two people were killed when people were removing there own tanks (In california). They said that when you went to remove the tank, the Tank would screw out the valve on cheaper, not well made tanks. Thus, the tank would launch off the back of the gun and fire off like a rocket. Something they suggested was take white out and place it in a straight line from the valve to the neck of the tank. If you go to remove the tank and notice the line breaks, stop and take a wrench and remove the tank from the valve. Im not sure if this is true or not but thought it was worth posting.

painting a line on your valve is a good idea. this thread is in upgrades and customizing check it out

http://www.tippmann.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=886 03&PN=1

People are making this a lot more complicated than they really should. The threaded part of the valve that goes into the tank is like an inch long. Just be aware of what you are doing when you are taking your tank off. If you notice that your burst disk isn't turning, then something is not going quite right.

I'm not saying that it is a bad idea to put lines on your tanks/valves, but there are many solutions. One is just paying attention. A second is just how easy it is to turn. If you take your tank off properly, it should turn effortlessly. When you unscrew it 3/4 of a turn and shoot out the CO2 in the gun (or turn off the on/off and shoot) there is no resistance to turning your tank.

And if either of those ideas aren't good enough, check these out. I just saw one for the first time today.

http://www.countypaintball.com/product_description.asp?item= 1071

jus unscrew it with it aiming down or in a safe direction

Yeah, what i ment was take a wrench to the burst disk to get it out of the ASA. I was quite sleepy when i wrote the post to begin with so, when im refering to valve, i mean the burst disk. My Bad.

Absolutly wrong guys. Take no chances, if the tank begins unscrewing. Immediatly drain your tank.


It needs to be emptied to be worked on anyway. Either remove your burst disc, or press forward on your bolt to open the gun valve.

A burst disc is about as wide as a screw, if you're holding it with vise grips it won't fly away.

Okay, just so people have this clear, this is the way the tanks are built, and how they should be.

1. You have the ASA (that is the part of your gun that the steel braided line goes into, and that the valve of the tank screws into.

2. The metal bit which is referred to as the "valve", "nozzle" etc. (usually a different color from the tank) is screwed onto the tank at the factory, you should never remove this peice, unless you are a licensed airsmith.

3. The burst disc(s) are the little bolt looking thing(s) with 6 sides sticking out of the valve, this is a safety measure put on tanks so they will not explode if over filled. When a burst disc blows out (it has a resistance of 3000 psi, I believe, on Co2 tanks) it means the contents of the tank were at an unsafe pressure, and if the Co2 was not heated in any way, you need to make sure you are getting your tanks filled right.

4. Lastly, you have the tank, it is really just a metal bottle where the gas is actually stored.

Theguy sometimes i just dont understand you. You can be smart, and then post crazy stuff like that.

Obviously the full pressure of the tank is behind the burst disc. Thats the point.

Its simple to drain a tank. Spare ASA, screw it on the valve, enjoy the show. I wouldnt **edited** around with removing the burst disc assembly from a pressurized tank, thats flat out STUPID.

You use a socket set when you do it. That way the burst disc just goes inside the socket when it pops loose.


Edited by The Guy

The burst disk CAN and WILL fly off in a potential unsafe manner if you unscrew it from a pressurized tank.

If you notice your tank coming unscrewed from the valve, screw it back on. Use a wrench to remove the bottle/valve from the ASA. If you don't have a wrench handy, take the whole setup to an airsmith and explain the problem to have it removed properly. The tank should then be drained (we have tools for draining a tank safely). The valve should be removed, loctite applied to the threads, then properly replaced OR if the valve is damaged, it should be discarded and replaced with a good one. Same for the canister. If the threading is no longer in good shape, it should be discarded.

Always better to be safe than sorry.