CO2 Power

A CO2 cartridge is pierced inside the magazine or grip and delivers a fixed, high pressure that barely varies with temperature, unlike green gas. That consistency is why CO2 pistols and revolvers hit noticeably harder and more repeatably shot to shot than gas equivalents.

The trade-off is cost per game: each cartridge is single-use and typically good for one to two magazines' worth of shots, so a CO2 shooter carries spare cartridges the way others carry spare magazines. It's the preferred choice for cold-weather skirmishes and for revolvers, where green gas's lower pressure often can't reliably cycle the cylinder.

Temperature still matters even with CO2: a cartridge pulled straight from a cold pocket delivers noticeably less punch than one warmed in a hand first, which experienced shooters do as a matter of habit before loading.