Why 40 Rounds? A Lesson From the BAR

More ammo isn't always about carrying as much as physically possible.

During World War II, the Browning Automatic Rifle filled an important role in the American infantry squad. The BAR wasn't belt-fed and it didn't carry hundreds of rounds ready to fire. It used a 20-round detachable magazine.

The M1 Garand carried by most American riflemen held eight rounds.

On paper, 20 rounds doesn't sound like an enormous amount of ammunition. But the BAR wasn't trying to replace a belt-fed machine gun. It gave the squad something between the ordinary infantry rifle and a dedicated machine gun: a weapon capable of putting down more fire when it was needed.

That basic idea is part of what we like about a 40-round paintball drum.

Why Not Just Use a Box Mag?

If capacity is the only thing that matters, box mags win.

Current paintball box mags can carry considerably more paint than the VENOM's 40 rounds. For a roundball support build where maximum capacity is the goal, that's a real advantage.

But there's a tradeoff.

Current box mag options are built around roundball. If you're running First Strike Rounds, your high-capacity options become much more limited.

That's where we wanted the VENOM to fit.

20 Rounds vs. 40 Rounds

A 20-round magazine is already plenty for normal magfed play. They're compact, proven and easy to carry.

The VENOM doesn't exist because 20-round magazines don't work.

It exists because sometimes having another magazine's worth of ammunition already on the marker is useful.

Forty rounds isn't trying to turn a magfed marker into a 150-round box-fed setup. It gives you twice the capacity of a typical 20-round magazine without going all the way to a large box mag.

For a support-style build, that means more time shooting and less time changing magazines.

And unlike current box mags, you can do it with First Strike Rounds or roundball.

The Middle Ground

That's really what the VENOM MK-1is.

It's not supposed to replace every magazine or compete with a box mag on raw capacity.

It's a 40-round paintball drum magazine for players who want more capacity than a standard magazine while retaining FSR capability.

The VENOM is mechanical, requires no batteries, and uses interchangeable feed towers, adjustable spring tension and adjustable stack height to work across different builds.

Sometimes you don't need 150 rounds.

Sometimes you just need 40 ready to go.