History of Paintball

Steffen Leinsvang asked:


The History Of Paintball

In this article i’m mainly going to show you some markers that have left their trace in the history of paintball. But first: A small introduction.

The first actual game of paintball took place in 1981, between 12 players using the Nelspot 007. The first game was a capture the flag scenario game. Trough the 80’s the sport of paintball started spreading . First it spread to England, Australia and South Africa. Some years later it reached Europe. In 1992 the NPPL was founded and the year after there was played 4 tournaments around the country. In 1996 the World Championships Of Paintball was produced and aired by ESPN.

The first company that made a marker was Nelson Paint Company, the marker was called the Nelspot 007 and was originally used to mark trees in the forestry business.The Nelspot 007 was a bolt action or pump action pistol powered by 12 gram Co2 cartridges. The gun could also be set up with a ASA to accept HPA or Co2.

The Splatmaster was a very economic choice because it only costed around 80$. It’s internals was pretty similar to the 007 but the body was made out of solid plastic (The 007 was all steel). It held 10 round tubes of 0.68 cal. ammunition.

The Tippmann 68 Special hit the market around 1990 and it was a big hit!

This is what Tippmann wrote about it: “We took our finest gun and put it on steriods. The result is the 68 special. A new hybrid weapon with proven Tippmann quality and reliability. It combines the ruggedness of the SL-68, the most durable gun we’ve ever built, and the speed of the SMG-60, the only full automatic CO2 paintball gun.

The 68 Special is a true semi-automatic, not a double action with a new gravity feed system that eliminates ball breakage and double feeding. A 1/8″ light trigger movment lets you shoot as fast as you can squeeze off rounds. And a new liquid CO2 system that will shoot up to 200 rapid shots without loss of velocity. “

 

Now, things have changed and there are electric markers that shoot 20 balls per second. In USA alone, the number of paintball players is almost 10 millions. And the sport is still growing!

If you want to know more about older guns and the history of paintball check out this site:

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, check out this vid from the paintball marshalls paintball museum: Caffeinated Content

Paintball – Cover Me, I Lost My Guppy!

Philip Schilling asked:


Backers, breaks and bunkers, oh my! Because of the distinct characteristics of paintball, enthusiasts across the globe have developed a very unique language that you will find only in the extreme sport of paintball. With the invention of paintball guns in the 1970’s as a tool for marking trees and livestock, this practice opened the door for gamers to create one of the most exciting, most popular of group extreme sports. Low and behold, in 1981, 12 friends got together and played the first officially recorded game of paintball on a 100-acre stretch of field. And they played without the use of any safety equipment whatsoever!

Today, the concept is the same, but the game is played quite differently with the use of advanced equipment. Tournaments are held throughout the world, with the first professional tournament held in 1983. Gaining recognition with the formation of the NPPL in 1992, the popularity of paintball has made leaps and bounds as an extreme sport with the progress of technology in the realm of paintball equipment such as guns, masks, suits, magazines, paintballs and pods. Advancements have been swiftly made in the area of paintball fields as well with the design of various props and layouts.

Once the referee yells, “Go, go, go!” to begin the game, the field is transformed into a battleground of strategy and warfare. A number of ways to play the game have been introduced, but the basic concept is to eliminate the opposing team by “killing” your enemy or capturing their flag. Avoid a direct hit from enemy forces and maneuver your way around the battlefield to victory. All you need is a marker, or paintball gun, plenty of ammunition, safety equipment to avoid serious injury, a battlefield and a good strategy. The sport of paintball can be as simple or as complex as you make it.

You don’t necessarily have to learn the jargon of paintball to play the sport. You don’t even have to purchase expensive equipment if you don’t want to. Many places offer rental equipment and although safety equipment is required, you can rent as many or as few accessories as you wish. The basic paintball gun is an air compressed or CO2 powered gun and you can upgrade with faster loaders, extra tanks, and an additional guppy (which is a pod to hold your extra ammo, by the way), depending on the rules of the game agreed upon between you and your opponent.

There are no particular special skills required to participate in the game of paintball, only a strategic mind and the bravery to be pummeled by balls sometimes sailing at you at speeds in excess of 200 mph. Ouch! That’s where that good safety equipment really comes in handy. Paintball courses can be found in many places all over the world. There is likely one in your area that caters to varying levels of play from the beginner to the expert. So, grab a fully and a guppy, hug a dorito, and Go, Go, Go!



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