Microline (5/32” & 4mm) and microline fittings… Why are none rated for high pressure?

[pneumagger]

Micro line was kind of popular in the 90s but fell out of favor as high rates of fire were choked… But it remained popular for pump players a little while longer because ROF didn’t really matter. Now, I don’t think any paintball companies are still selling new microline stuff aside from secondhand and retro.

However the point I want to bring up is, having interest and possibly doing a project involving microline, I was shopping around for fittings and looking in all of the usual OEM supplier suspects catalogs (Beswick, Camozzi, Legris, McMaster, etc…) none of them are rated anywhere near 800 psi. Most push to connect fittings with plastic collars are generally rated 150-200 psi but I have yet to see even all brass or stainless push to connect fittings rated higher than 250-350 psi. Straight, swivel, doesn’t matter…

Yeah, you can get the extra high-pressure microline for HP paintball gunsfrom places like air soldier… But I literally cannot find any fittings remotely close to 800 psi

And much more alarmingly, because it is still popular and in common use, (although unrelated to my project) I don’t even think I found any standard 1/4” macroline fittings rated for more than 350 PSI… although in all fairness I haven’t dedicated much time too specifically shop for OEM for macroline fittings.

What gives… Has it always been this way?

Were we running around the 90s pumping 800+ psi through 300 psi fittings?!?

Does my Google and product search skills just suck?

it has me rethinking my whole project

[The Hobbit]

“Were we running around the 90s pumping 800+ psi through 300 psi fittings?!?”

Well regarding 1/4 standard push to connect fittings. I know from experience that if you put ~800psi to them, they launch the collar across the room. So I’d say no people weren’t getting lucky in the expanded capability region of low pressure fittings.

[pneumagger]

“Were we running around the 90s pumping 800+ psi through 300 psi fittings?!?”

Well regarding 1/4 standard push to connect fittings. I know from experience that if you put ~800psi to them, they launch the collar across the room. So I’d say no people weren’t getting lucky in the expanded capability region of low pressure fittings.

Well yeah, a lot of times at fields especially on hot days you would hear people popping macro line using HP tanks tanks.

But 1/4” macroline is still quite popular to day as is 800 psi tanks. I personally used quite a few combinations over many years and never had the actual fitting break – it’s always been the hose popping in the middle

[Grendel]

Paintball was using fittings not rated for the pressures to which they were exposed all along.

[pneumagger]

Paintball was using fittings not rated for the pressures to which they were exposed all along.

It just seems wild to me that in this litigious day and age I can go on a paintball website and buy fittings fully intended to be used on 400 500 or 800 psi tanks and those fittings are rated nowhere near that. Or even whole guns in a bundled kit that come set up with macroline on the high pressure. There’s not even any warnings or liability statements, like “hey don’t use this on pressure exceeding 250 psi (wink wink)”

[Grendel]

Overall, the leading suppliers don't really care for the long view, then and now. It is all about getting the most $$$ out of the market before it collapses on itself. Funny thing is, it is easier to find higher-pressure-rated parts for "micro" line parts than for "macro" line parts. While I will occasionally use Macroline, I generally I still use steel braided or hardline on my markers. Hell, the Brass Hardline I just did for my Pyre is technically rated for over 10 K psi of operating pressure. Not because I think it needs it, I just happened to have enough on hand, and it bends great.

[Trbo323]

Paintball was using fittings not rated for the pressures to which they were exposed all along.

This

Have you ever looked for the pressure ratings on standard macro fittings? They are not rated for what we put through them either.

Doesn't mean they can't do it obviously, they are just not rated for it

Sent from my motorola edge 2024 using Tapatalk

[StaticShocked]

I do remember being a teenager and not realizing what pressures CO2 tanks used until i tried to use standard industrial pneumatic push-to-connect tube from work... found out REAL quick they were not rated for the pressure. After the ringing in my ears stopped i bought the thick-walled tube for high pressures. lol.

[Hp_lovecraft]

What gives… Has it always been this way?

Were we running around the 90s pumping 800+ psi through 300 psi fittings?!?

Yes,

When macroline first started getting used, it was on HPA systems that were outputing low pressures, like for the original shocker. But people really, really liked the convenience, and it started to appear on more and more guns.

I would get frustrated because people would sell the stuff and instead of using the PSI working pressure rating, they would use nonsense numbers like PSI tensile rating, etc. Like macrolineguy. Now, the burst rating for macro is typically around 1000psi, which is doesnt burst automatically, even though the working pressur rating is 300-500psi. But for co2, which can easily get 1500psi on a hot day? they burst all the time.

For the original post, highpressure microline is pretty easy to find, just not pushpull fittings. In the old days, we would use proper compression fittings.