Patent ID: 7617820

Claim:
A pneumatic paintball gun, comprising: a bolt slidably mounted in a cylinder, said bolt having one or more first surface areas and one or more second surface areas, said bolt further comprising a bolt port configured to communicate compressed gas to a forward end of the bolt for launching a paintball; a sealing member positioned in a fixed relationship with respect to the cylinder and arranged in communication with an outer surface of the bolt, wherein the sealing member is configured to prevent compressed gas from a compressed gas storage area from entering the bolt port when the bolt is in an open position and to permit compressed gas to be released into the bolt port when the bolt is in a closed position; a supply port arranged to supply-compressed gas to the compressed gas storage area, wherein compressed gas from the compressed gas storage area supplies a forward force on one or more of the second surface areas of the bolt to urge the bolt towards the closed position when the compressed gas storage area is pressurized; a solenoid valve arranged to supply compressed gas to one or more of the first surface areas, wherein compressed gas acting on the one or more first surface areas provides a rearward force greater than the forward force acting on the one or more second surface areas to hold the bolt in an open position; and wherein the solenoid valve is configured to selectively vent compressed gas from one or more of the first surface areas to allow the bolt to move forward using the forward force supplied to the bolt.