Editing Paintball compressed-gas cylinder failures (section)

== Documented cylinder test failures ==

=== Crossfire hydrostatic testing, 2006 ===

In July 2006, [[WARPIG]] published an article by Bill Mills documenting hydrostatic testing and cylinder refurbishment carried out by [[Crossfire Air Systems]].[1]

Crossfire president Chris Havlock demonstrated the company's resurfacing process using a condemned paintball cylinder that had previously failed hydrostatic testing.

The cylinder was deliberately scratched to demonstrate the distinction between cosmetic damage to its protective coating and structural damage to the composite wrapping.

The report confirmed that the cylinder had failed hydrostatic requalification and been removed from service.

It did not provide the exact reason for the failure.[1]

The cylinder was an illustrative example from an established testing programme, not evidence that hydrostatic-test failures were exceptional.

=== Internal corrosion, 2018 ===

On 14 November 2018, specialist service Paintball Hydro-Testing published an account of a fibre-wrapped paintball cylinder rejected because of internal corrosion.[14]

The cylinder was approximately eight years old.

Corrosion had produced pitting inside its pressure-containing wall, including damage sufficient to create a pinhole leak.

The testing service identified contaminated compressed air as a possible contributing factor, although the precise cause was not established.

The report did not establish whether the cylinder's hydrostatic certification had expired.

The case demonstrates that internal structural damage may be discovered through inspection even when the cylinder's exterior appears serviceable.