Todd Ferrante's paintball gun

Todd Ferrante's First Paintball Gun

I started playing paintball in 1999. After a bit of looking, the first paintball gun I chose to purchase was the PMI Piranha STS. My Setup...

Todd's Piranha

PMI Piranha STS paintball gun (1999) $160

Missing turbo valve supplied by PMI $0

Replaced venturi bolt with stock bolt from second Piranha $0

20 oz CO2 tank $24

Viewloader VL200 hopper w/ elbow $5

Adco Sure Shot red dot sight $30

Ferrante designed and mfgd drop forward $30

macro line kit (2 elbows and hose) $15

Houge fingered, rubber, wrap-around, 45 grip $15

Diamond Labs expansion chamber $25

Air America Vigilante Regulator $48

female ASA to male NPT thread adaptor $15

total $367

Prices for the parts I made myself are estimates of value based on commercial equivalents or materials to make another.

**Todd's Piranha**
PMI Piranha STS paintball gun (1999)	$160
Missing turbo valve supplied by PMI	$0
Replaced venturi bolt with stock bolt from second Piranha	$0
20 oz CO2 tank	$24
Viewloader VL200 hopper w/ elbow	$5
Adco Sure Shot red dot sight	$30
Ferrante designed and mfgd drop forward	$30
macro line kit (2 elbows and hose)	$15
Houge fingered, rubber, wrap-around, 45 grip	$15
Diamond Labs expansion chamber	$25
Air America Vigilante Regulator	$48
female ASA to male NPT thread adaptor	$15
total	$367

I took a break from paintball for a few years when the two fields I played at in Columbus, OH closed. The remaining field was too expensive. After a relocation for work, I have begun playing again in the Hampton Roads, VA area. I am still using my same gun setup. To see how it evolved, check this page.

My current paintball gun setup

The latest picture of my Piranha on my nifty new gun rack. This is the configuration I have used the most in the past. The low pressure mods I have made practically eliminate kickback, so balls tend to jam in the gravity feed hopper. In the future I'll probably use the Ricochet AK hopper I bought for my 2nd gun. I'll probably also move the red dot sight over to the other gun as well.
11/16/2004

Missing is the ADCO red dot sight. The mount cracked and I'm awaiting a replacement from ADCO. Notice the red section on the Vigilante regulator. That part was defective when I bought it, and Air America didn't have any black replacements. There is a slideing on/off valve at the expansion chamber input so I can depower the gun without removing the tank. This saves on tank o-rings.
11/7/2003

The CO2 goes from the bottle to the expansion chamber, through the low pressure regulator, to the PMI turbo valve. Switching to low pressure made the gun much quieter and more gas efficient. It also reduced the blow back kick, so my hopper sometimes has trouble feeding. I sewed the hopper cover and tank cover myself. I generally don't wrap the rest of the gun, as it is a lot of trouble.
11/7/2003

I made the drop forward myself on a milling machine. That let me put the bottle right where I wanted it to be. (If you want to make your own, here are some files that detail my design: side view; shaded 3D view; dfx drawing file; dwg drawing file.) The gage on the right side of the gun is the bottle gas pressure. It goes up and down with the outside air temperature. When it really drops quickly I know the bottle is almost empty.
11/7/2003

I drilled and tapped the vertical ASA adapter on the left side for a gage to display the air pressure after the regulator. The gun now operates on 350 psi. I can usually play three days on two 20oz tanks of CO2. I'd guess that's about 1500 shots per tank.
11/7/2003

I transport my gun and spare parts in a custom built carrying case made for me by my friend Steve Burkey, who owns Cabbage Cases.

I used hot glue to add foam pieces to cradle my stuff. I can transport my gun by removing only the hopper. It also holds a barrel plug, a spare 20oz CO2 tank, two spare parts cases, and a water spray bottle for cleanup.

Here is the case closed up and ready to go. The rest of my gear goes in a large duffle bag. I can carry everything from the truck to the field with one two handed trip.

The latest picture of my Piranha on my nifty new gun rack. This is the configuration I have used the most in the past. The low pressure mods I have made practically eliminate kickback, so balls tend to jam in the gravity feed hopper. In the future I'll probably use the Ricochet AK hopper I bought for my 2nd gun. I'll probably also move the red dot sight over to the other gun as well. 11/16/2004
Missing is the ADCO red dot sight. The mount cracked and I'm awaiting a replacement from ADCO. Notice the red section on the Vigilante regulator. That part was defective when I bought it, and Air America didn't have any black replacements. There is a slideing on/off valve at the expansion chamber input so I can depower the gun without removing the tank. This saves on tank o-rings. 11/7/2003
The CO2 goes from the bottle to the expansion chamber, through the low pressure regulator, to the PMI turbo valve. Switching to low pressure made the gun much quieter and more gas efficient. It also reduced the blow back kick, so my hopper sometimes has trouble feeding. I sewed the hopper cover and tank cover myself. I generally don't wrap the rest of the gun, as it is a lot of trouble. 11/7/2003
I made the drop forward myself on a milling machine. That let me put the bottle right where I wanted it to be. (If you want to make your own, here are some files that detail my design: side view; shaded 3D view; dfx drawing file; dwg drawing file.) The gage on the right side of the gun is the bottle gas pressure. It goes up and down with the outside air temperature. When it really drops quickly I know the bottle is almost empty. 11/7/2003
I drilled and tapped the vertical ASA adapter on the left side for a gage to display the air pressure after the regulator. The gun now operates on 350 psi. I can usually play three days on two 20oz tanks of CO2. I'd guess that's about 1500 shots per tank. 11/7/2003
I transport my gun and spare parts in a custom built carrying case made for me by my friend Steve Burkey, who owns Cabbage Cases.
I used hot glue to add foam pieces to cradle my stuff. I can transport my gun by removing only the hopper. It also holds a barrel plug, a spare 20oz CO2 tank, two spare parts cases, and a water spray bottle for cleanup.
Here is the case closed up and ready to go. The rest of my gear goes in a large duffle bag. I can carry everything from the truck to the field with one two handed trip.