By Billy Goodman
What it is
To me, one of the interesting
aspects of scenario gaming is the expanded use of alternative devices such
as cannons, grenades, etc. Although grenades have been around for
years, their use tends to be infrequent during walk-on recreational games,
and they are pretty much non-existent in tournament paintball. However,
the very nature of scenario games where structures have to be occupied,
taken or destroyed, and instances where a large number of players lead
to densely populated areas have made the use of such devices more prevalent.
On fields where scenario games are often played, it’s not uncommon to find
grenades remnants lying around. That's because until recently, they
were a one-time use weapon. LCT Paintball’s kit aims to change that.
The
Physical Stuff
The starter kit comes packaged
in a nice plastic box with not only everything you need to refill grenades
like Tippmann Squadbusters or Bouncing Bettys, but in fact everything you
need to build 5 of your own from scratch, and refill them 5 more times.
It includes a Paint Pump, a nylon clamp, a hemostat, fifty chromed paint
stoppers, and five grenade bladders, pins, rings, caps, and flexible covers.
The starter kit also includes several detailed and illustrated pages of
instructions. LCT Paintball also sells Venom Paint Grenade Mix, which
comes in powder form and mixes up to make 30 to 40 ounces of washable paint.
How it works
The
key component to the kit is the pneumatic pump. The cylindrical pump resembles
the type used for basketballs, footballs, etc., except it includes a clear
plastic hose which transfers the fill fluid from a reservoir you provide
(I recommend a tall cup), to the grenade bladder. The creation of a grenade
is basically a matter of clamping off the bladder and using the pump to
fill both sides, then sealing off the ends as instructed. Filling the bladder
is a matter of putting it under pressure and the safety precautions detailed
in the instructions should be followed..
Performance
The instructions are very
detailed and should be read prior to refilling your first grenade. There
is a suggestion in the instructions to use water during your first attempt,
which I strongly recommend. If something goes wrong, all you'll loose is
water, and cleanup is much easier than it would have been with paint. On
my first attempt, I failed to adequately tighten the clamp which holds
the bladder to the pump, and upon pumping several times the bladder shot
off spraying water everywhere. No big deal - I simply tightened the clamp
more securely and went at it again. Despite that minor set-back, it still
took me less than ten minutes to create my first grenade - and that included
stopping to re-check the instructions as I went. Although the provided
hemostat works well, someone who plans to build a lot of grenades could
make things a little easier on themselves by obtaining a second pair with
which to hold the other end of the bladder (which is also suggested in
the instructions).
Opinions
For $39.95 the LCT Paintball
Grenade Refill Starter Kit is complete and easy to use. The included paint
pump has a lifetime warranty. If you run out of grenade parts, LCT also
sells a bladder kit with enough pieces to make 5 more grenades and refill
them 5 times for less than half the cost of the starter kit.
LCT Paintball's kit is unique
among paintball products, targeting a relatively small niche of players.
However, the product itself could help that niche grow. Most of the time
grenades are saved for special instances, partly due to the cost and one-time
use factor. I wouldn't be surprised to see grenades used more often, especially
in scenario games, as people find out about this kit and how easy it is
to do their own re-fills.