Magazine Adapter for a Paintball Gun

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a paintball gun. The paintball gun is configured to be attached to a feed elbow at a first location on the paintball gun. The illustrative system also includes a paintball magazine. The illustrative system further includes a converter. The converter is configured to be attached with the paintball magazine. The converter is also configured to be attached with the paintball gun at the first location. When the converter is attached with the paintball gun at the first location, the paintball magazine is attached with the converter, and the paintball gun is operational, the paintball magazine is at least substantially parallel with a barrel of the paintball gun.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of converting a hopper-fed paintball gun into a magazine-fed paintball gun, comprising:
 detaching a hopper and a feed elbow from an opening of a paintball gun;   attaching a converter to the opening of the paintball gun; and   inserting at least part of a paintball magazine into a receptacle of the converter.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the converter is configured to receive paintballs from the paintball magazine and deliver the paintballs to the paintball gun via the opening when the paintball magazine is at least partially inserted into the receptacle of the converter and the converter is attached to the paintball gun. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the paintball magazine is at least substantially parallel with a barrel of the paintball gun when the paintball magazine is at least partially inserted into the receptacle of the converter and the converter is attached to the paintball gun. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the paintball gun is less than three inches wider when the converter is attached to the paintball gun than when the hopper is attached to the paintball gun via the feed elbow. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the paintball gun is shorter when the converter is attached with the paintball gun than when the hopper is attached to the paintball gun. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a first distance measured from a bottom of a trigger of the paintball gun to a top of the paintball magazine is less than two inches different than a second distance measured between the bottom of the trigger of the paintball gun to a top of a barrel of the paintball gun when the paintball magazine is at least partially inserted into the receptacle of the converter and the converter is attached to the paintball gun. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a first vertical plane corresponding to a barrel of the paintball gun does not intersect with a second vertical plane corresponding to the paintball magazine when the paintball magazine is at least partially inserted into the receptacle of the converter and the converter is attached to the paintball gun. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the converter is angled within twenty-five degrees relative to a barrel of the paintball gun when the converter is attached to the opening of the paintball gun. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an interior wall of the receptacle of the converter comprises a protrusion configured to hold the paintball magazine in place when the paintball magazine is at least partially inserted into the receptacle of the converter. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the converter comprises a latch and at least two pins, and wherein attaching the converter to the opening of the paintball gun comprises:
 connecting the latch and the at least two pins with the paintball gun such that the opening of the paintball gun aligns with a second opening in the converter.   
     
     
         11 . A converter for converting a hopper-fed paintball gun into a magazine-fed paintball gun, comprising:
 a component configured to attach to a compatible paintball gun at a location corresponding to where a hopper is normally attached to the compatible paintball gun; and   a receptacle configured to receive at least part of a compatible paintball magazine; and   a chamber configured to receive a plurality of paintballs in succession from the compatible paintball magazine and deliver the plurality of paintballs in succession to the compatible paintball gun when the compatible paintball magazine is at least partially inserted into the receptacle and the component is attached to the compatible paintball gun at the location.   
     
     
         12 . The converter of  claim 11 , wherein the location corresponds to where a feed elbow normally attaches the hopper to the compatible paintball gun. 
     
     
         13 . The converter of  claim 11 , wherein the component comprises at least one of a bolt or a screw configured to attach the converter to the compatible paintball gun at the location. 
     
     
         14 . The converter of  claim 11 , wherein the component comprises a latch configured to attach the converter to the compatible paintball gun at the location. 
     
     
         15 . The converter of  claim 14 , wherein the component further comprises at least one pin configured to attach the converter to the compatible paintball gun at the location. 
     
     
         16 . The converter of  claim 14 , wherein the component, the receptacle, and the chamber are configured such that the compatible paintball magazine is at least substantially parallel with a barrel of the compatible paintball gun when the compatible paintball magazine is at least partially inserted into the receptacle and the component is attached to the compatible paintball gun. 
     
     
         17 . The converter of  claim 11 , wherein the receptacle comprises an internal width of less than two inches and an internal height of less than three inches. 
     
     
         18 . The converter of  claim 11 , wherein the receptacle comprises a plurality of rounded corners. 
     
     
         19 . The converter of  claim 11 , wherein at least one interior wall of the receptacle comprises a protrusion approximately 0.1 mm thick. 
     
     
         20 . The converter of  claim 11 , further comprising an overall width of approximately two inches, an overall height of approximately two inches, and an overall depth of approximately three inches. 
     
     
         21 . The converter of  claim 11 , wherein the chamber is configured to gravity feed at least one of the plurality of paintballs from the compatible paintball magazine to the compatible paintball gun. 
     
     
         22 . The converter of  claim 11 , wherein the chamber is configured to spring feed at least one of the plurality of paintballs from the compatible paintball magazine to the compatible paintball gun using a spring in the compatible paintball magazine.