Accessories

A Brief History of Paintball Guns

Back in 1970, a gentleman by the name of James C. Hale, an employee of Daisy Manufacturing, designed and patented a device to be used by the forestry and farming industries to mark trees, trails and livestock. This mechanism was to become the very first paintball gun the Nelspot 007, and was manufactured by the Nelson Paint Company.

Charles and Evan Nelson founded the Nelson Paint Company in 1940, as the forest and farming industries needed a way to mark hard to reach places. Charles is credited with the creation of pellets filled with paint that could be shot out of a regular type of gun to complete this difficult task.

The first game-style milestone in paintball history came in 1981 New Hampshire when 3 friends (Bob Gurnsey, a sporting goods retailer, Hayes Noel, a stockbroker and Charles Gaines, a writer) planned to play the organized game “Capture the Flag” with 9 others. On June 27, 1981, the game was played using the original Nelspot 007 paintball gun. The winning team never even fired a single shot. The twelve friends had such a good time, they decided to buy into the Nelson Paint Company, and began marketing their newfound fun as a recreational sport.

The paintball guns themselves had to evolve along with this newfound recreational activity, as alternations to make the paint pellets fire softer so they wouldn’t hurt their human target. George A. Skogg, employee of the Nelson Paint Company, invented a “washable marking fluid” formula for soft gelatin capsules, which were more accurate and bright easy-to-see marks that would wash away easily with water and/or detergent. This patent became the Nelson formula for paintballs, as they were the perfect mix for the sport.

The very first paintball outdoor playing field opened in Rochester, New York in 1982. Very soon after, paintball originator Charles Gaines began marketing it as the National Survival Game (NSG), and the following year saw the first NSG championship complete with a $14,000 cash purse for the triumphant party. Upcoming years saw the first indoor playing field in Buffalo, NY, as well as recognition and outdoor fields in Canada, Australia and England.

1988 brought with it the IPPA- the International Paintball Players Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the safety, education and growth of the entire paintball industry. The NPPL (National Professional Paintball League) was founded in 1992, which then started the NPPL Pro-Am series that are found all over the U.S.

Paintball has evolved into quite the lucrative business, boasting quite an array of products for its trade. The accessory trade has grown to include barrels and sites for the guns and sport-specific paintball clothing and gear, with lots of the newest, latest inventions adding to the paintball family the Paintball Bodybag to organize and carry all of your gear in one handy carrier.

About the Author

John Brock recommends that you visit http://www.paintballemporium.com for more information on Paintball Guns.

MILSIG Paintball Canada’s 2010 Line, Military Special Interest Group

Radians SVO Universal Size Mesh Safety Vest, Orange $1.95 Radians Radwear safety vest Hi-Viz orange Lightweight polyester mesh Hook-and-loop adjustable front close Elastic side straps Washable Does not meet ANSI/ISEA standards…

IZH 46M Seal & O-Ring Replacements $24.99 IZH 46/46M seals & o-rings Includes 2 breech seals, 2 o-rings & a pump-head seal…

UTG ELS268 Tactical 5-function Handheld LED Flashlight $50.70 Leapers UTG ELS268 Tactical 5-function Handheld LED Flashlight, Black – LT-ELS268…

1 Foot of Macroline – Blue 1 foot of macroline. This macroline works with all standard 1/8 pipe fittings….

ZANheadgear Skull Neoprene Face Mask …

Mothers 05147 PowerBall 4Paint Kit $17.99 Mothers PowerBall 4Paint makes short work of polishing and waxing large surfaces, contoured edges and difficult, hard-to-reach areas. Simply attach it to your drill, apply polish or wax, and give any painted finish that showroom quality shine, especially clearcoats. Mothers Power For Paint is simply amazing! Hundreds of gentle foam fingers work efficiently to give you unmatched coverage with ease….

Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth Action Camera with HD Recording, 4x Digital Zoom and 1.5-Inch LCD Screen (Black) $249.00 Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth Action Camera with HD Recording, 4x Digital Zoom and 1.5-Inch LCD Screen (Black)…

Shooting Chrony USB to RS232 Serial Adapter with detachable USB cable $31.99 Serial Communication Parameters Detachable 10cm USB cable RxD, TxD LEDs for monitoring port status & easy diagnostics COM Port Number can be changed to COM1 to COM4 to support HyperTerminal, or any other COM port number required Industry Standard FTDI chip set & drivers for maximum compatibility Supports Windows Vista, XP, 2003, 2000, ME, 98, Linux, MAC-OS8, 9,X Full RS-232 modem control sign…

Air Arms PCP Adapter, 1/8 BSPP Male to DIN Female $25.00 PCP adapter 1/8 BSPP male to DIN female For PCP guns that need a DIN connection to 1/8 BSPP hoses for pump or scuba tank adapters 300 bar max rating…

HDE® Dual 1 Laser Mount $9.95 Trying to mount two laser devices but do not have the proper equipment to do so, well this item is for you. This Dual 1″ Laser Mount will fit your needs and can securely hold your equipment for whatever task you are performing….