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Paintball guns or markers use a burst of compressed air or gas to create the propulsion used to shoot paintballs. A pressurized valve plunger controls the release of this gas. Paintball guns can be either mechanical or electropneumatic, depending on whether the valve is opened by mechanical force or a change in air pressure. Pressure-controlled poppet guns, along with spool valve and poppet valve guns are electropneumatic guns.

A spool valve gun has a combined bolt and valve, allowing for a more compact design. The valve is operated by changing the surrounding air pressure. Spool valve guns are less efficient than poppet guns in terms of the amount of gas that is used up when firing. They produce weak recoils and fire quietly.

A poppet gun uses a pneumatic ram, connected to the bolt, to strike the valve open. This is similar to the way a mechanical marker uses a spring and hammer to strike the valve, and poppet guns are subject to the same weaknesses as mechanical markers. Both have moving parts on the outside of the gun, are loud to fire, and produce strong recoils.

A pressure-controlled poppet gun uses a change in air pressure to open the valve. There are three types, each operating force upon the poppet in a slightly different way.

The first type of pressure-controlled poppet gun works by increasing the force or pressure of gas around the poppet. This burst of increased force pushes the valve open, causing the paintball to be fired. There are a range of different pressure-controlled poppet markers that function in this way. The Legion Shocker and Nova guns require a build up of pressure at the rear of the poppet in order to fire, while the BL Onyx and Shocker Sport markers work by building up a force on one side of the poppet, rather than behind it.

The second type of pressure-controlled poppet works by reducing the amount of pressure around the poppet, rather than by increasing it. This reduction in pressure causes the valve to open and the paintball to be fired. The mQ, Aedes and WM Assault-80 are pressure-controlled poppet guns that work by reducing pressure.

The third type of pressure-controlled popper marker combines qualities of the first two types, functioning by both reducing and increasing pressure around the poppet. They can be considered to be hybrids of the guns that work by just increasing or just reducing pressure. The King Cobra and Invert Mini are pressure-controlled popper guns with hybrid qualities. They are fired when pressure behind the poppet is decreased at the same time as there is an increase of pressure ahead of the poppet. This combination of pressure changes moves the poppet and fires the gun, as the pressure from behind the poppet is released, moving the bolt forwards.

Pressure-controlled poppet markers are considered to be some of the most advanced paintball guns on the market. They are easier to handle than other types, because they produce weaker recoils.