Paintball enthusiasts probably know that, in addition to sports and entertainment, there is also a tactical aspect. And the training direction of tactical paintball is used as an educational tool for conducting tactical and fire training classes in power and security structures. Among the first countries to use paintball equipment to improve the skills of special forces fighters were the United States and Israel. Later this experience was adopted by Germany and Great Britain. In the Russian Federation, such equipment has also been used since the end of the 90s, and among the first were the soldiers of the special forces "Alpha", "Vympel" and "Lynx".
Paintball guns. It is called "marker", from the English mark - to mark, mark, mark. The main parts of a paintball marker are the barrel, compressed gas cylinder, ammunition container, feeding and loading mechanisms.
Paintball ammunition. Paintballs are called. The shell of the balls is made on the basis of gelatin, and contains paint as a filler. Particularly popular are ball markers with a caliber of 0.68 (17, 27 mm).
The first paintball game. Or rather, a one-on-one duel. Held in June 1981 between a stock trader named Hayes Noel and his friend, a writer named Charles Gaines. This happened in the United States, in the suburbs of Sutton (New Hampshire). The impetus for the duel was the writer's journey to Africa and the vivid impressions left from the buffalo hunt. Sipping gin, Charles Gaines shared his African impressions with a friend and suddenly said that he wanted to feel once again an adrenaline rush. After discussing the book "The Most Dangerous Game" by the writer Richard Connell, they had read, the friends decided to come up with a game in which they would hunt down and hunt each other. Well, the grown-up guys wanted to play war, to feel like soldiers or hunters. To develop the instincts of a hunter, a pathfinder and a survivalist, atrophied by civilization, to escape from the bustle of the world.
The conversation took place in the spring of 1977. For some time, friends returned to him, discussed the rules of the future game, equipment and weapons. Bob Guernsey, the owner of a local winter sports store, helped them with the selection of equipment. He also helped develop the rules for the first competition. Their other friend, George Butler, helped them with the choice of weapons. He brought the agricultural catalog to the future duelists. And in that catalog - a marker called Nel-Spot 007. The marker was made in the form of a pistol. He shot balls filled with oil paints. The marker was tested on a volunteer: the son of the writer Charles Gaines named Shelby volunteered to become it. After the impromptu execution, Shelby said it hurt, but bearable. As a result, the Nel-Spot 007 was deemed suitable, and it was put into service. Thanks to the enthusiasm of these people, the first paintball game with just two players took place.
The game captivated friends and attracted more and more fans. At first they started talking about her in the district, and then the news spread throughout the state. Over time, among the fans there were those who wanted to play war. Several people from each side began to take part in the game. I had to develop rules for team play. In May 1981, Haynes, Bob, and Charles announced that they were accepting applications for the team game. Everyone was handed out the rules to study and informed that the game would take place on a commercial basis. Each participant contributes USD 175. The collected money will go towards the purchase of markers, equipment, food and drinks. The challenge of 3 organizers was accepted by 9 people, and the total number was 12 players.
A month later (in May 1981), the world's first team game with the participation of 12 players took place. The prize in the game was a box of beer, which was received by the winning team. Team games have occurred in the past, but this game is significant in that it was the first time it was carried out on a commercial basis. The action took place on rough terrain with an area of 80 acres (32 hectares) in a "capture the flag" scenario. There were 4 stations with flags, each with 12 flags of the same color: one for each player. At each station there was a referee with a whistle, who constantly blew his whistles at intervals of 15 minutes. Sound signals were given for those players who did not have the skills to handle topographic maps. Who won, you ask? Richie White, New Hampshire Forester! During the entire game, no one saw Richie and he did not fire a single shot. But he sneaked up to each station and collected flags as easily as a schoolgirl picks flowers. Compared to the previous ones, this game was less impressive. But the game itself and the team spirit did their job. The game began to gain popularity.
After that game, one of the participants (writer Bob Jones) wrote an article for the sports weekly Sports Illustrated. In it, the writer described in paints a wonderful team game that took place in the state of New Hampshire. Didn't forget to mention the incredible adrenaline rush during the flag hunt. The journal published the article on October 19, 1981. The article has been reprinted in Sports Afield, a hunting and adventure magazine, and even in the prestigious TIME. Each time after the publication of an article in a particular magazine, readers began bombarding the organizers with letters asking them to send the rules of the game. They began to sell the player's starter kit to those who wished, which consisted of a marker, goggles, a compass and a set of rules. Since the game did not yet have a name, the organizers christened it National Survival Game (NSG) and registered the company of the same name in New London, New Hampshire.
In October 1981, the second official game was organized. It took place in Alabama. According to NSG's Bob Guernsey, it was the first game for the general public. It was much larger and the number of participants tripled.
A few months later (in March 1982), Bob Guernsey opened the world's first commercial paintball field in New Hampshire. But then it was also called National Survival Game or simply The Survival Game: "Survival game". By that time, NSG had entered into an exclusive agreement with Nelson to distribute the markers throughout the United States. Almost immediately, the guys from NSG developed the franchise. The franchise for the sale of markers, balls and goggles was sold not only in the United States, but also in other states. As a result, paintball equipment monopolies began to receive excess profits within 6 months.
Things went so well and on such a scale that one of the first 12 players (Lionel Atwill) set to work putting together a survival game textbook. The first edition of the manual was released in June 1983.
The first marker model for forestry and animal husbandry. The Nel-Spot 007 was marketed under the brand name Nelson Paint Company. This company was founded in 1940 by members of the Nelson family: Charles and Evan.
Nelson specialized in forestry and logging solutions. She designed and manufactured paints in various colors and tools for applying paint to trees. They marked trees for felling and marked lumber of different quality. It is worth noting that Charles Nelson patented a number of products with which foresters, forestry and logging workers marked trees and lumber. One such product was a paint spray gun. But the paint spray gun was not very convenient and effective. The problem was that foresters had to survey large areas every day. And it was long and ineffective to come close to each tree selected for cutting and mark it with paint. Foresters had the hardest time if the desired tree was located on the opposite side of the stream or among thickets of dense bushes. Do not jump over streams all day long back and forth! And every time to wade through the bush? What then will the performance be?
Since Nelson was a recognized leader in this area, the US Forest Service commissioned the company to develop a device that would be able to mark trees at a distance. This happened in the mid-1960s. After some reflection on the task, the inventor and co-owner of the company, Charles Nelson, decided that it should be a pneumatic weapon. And it should shoot with balls filled with the world's best oil paint from the native company Nelson.
There is a story that a trial batch of balls was made by Charles Nelson himself. As the basis for the future ammunition, Mr. Nelson chose round gelatin capsules with a diameter of 0.68 inches (17.27 mm). These capsules have been used in veterinary medicine. And to be precise, until then, these capsules contained medicine for the treatment of horses. And Mr. Nelson decided to fill the soft gelatin balls with different colors of oil paint. These were the first balls for the first marker: based on horse pills!
From Wikipedia, I know that according to the method of application, the capsules are of the oral, vaginal and anal types. The method of using the capsules in the treatment of horses is unknown to me. For details, please contact the former Minister of Defense of the Republic of Moldova Anatol (Anatoly) Salar. By a lucky coincidence, this statesman is a veterinarian by training. Therefore, he must be in the subject.
After the projectile with paint was developed, and the general concept of the future device matured in the head of Mr. Nelson, he turned to the Crosman company, which specialized in the production of pneumatic weapons. As a result of cooperation at the Krosman firm, they developed a pneumatic pistol for Nelson's ammunition. By mutual agreement, the rights to the weapon remained with its manufacturer, the Krosman company. This was true, since, between us, the Krosman company adapted one of its pistols for shooting Mr. Nelson's "balls". We are talking about the Crosman 150 Pellgun pistol, which was produced from 1954 to 1967. It was a single-shot air pistol firing 5.5 mm lead bullets (.22 cal). For throwing bullets, carbon dioxide (CO2) was used in 12-gram cylinders.
Mass production of "coloring capsules" was established at the facilities of the pharmaceutical company R. P. Scherer GmbH with branches in Germany and the USA. It was this company that owned the rights to the labeling method. The method was based on the use of a shell in the form of a capsule made of a soft plasticized mixture of gelatin, glycerin and sorbitol (prosthetic gelatin). The capsule contained a dye mixture. The inventor was Norman Granger. Secured by a British patent (priority date April 25, 1968) and an American patent (pending January 27, 1972).
I believe that the credit goes to Charles Nelson for his organizational skills. In the absence of modern means of access to information and communication, he was aware of everything that was advanced at that time. Having received an order from the US Forest Service, he discovered the hidden potential in the Crosman 150 pistol. Knowing about the British marking method, he suggested that the copyright holder fill the gelatinous ones with “his own paint”. I agreed with everyone and coordinated the launch of mass production of the product and consumables for it.
With the light hand of Nelson, the projectile received the winged name “Ball”, and the weapon that shoots it - the no less winged name “Marker”. Since the concept of the product belonged to Nelson's company, which specialized in painting materials (Paint - paint, paint), the ball soon received another name: Paintball (paint ball).
At various times, the world's first paintball marker, developed for the Nelson Paint Company, was called by different names. I have come across three names: Crosman 707, later Nelson 707 and then Nel-Spot 707. The third name comes from the abbreviation Nelson and the word Spot (spot, drop). The marker differed from its donor (Crosman 150) by a longer barrel adapted for paintballs. The new sample received a container for balls and a corresponding locking mechanism. The pistol was reloaded manually, using a small lever (rammer). The movement was very similar to the work of a window bolt.
On one of the forums, I found several photos of the Nel-Spot 707 marker. In addition, its current owner, in addition to the photo, offered a short history of this marker. The first owner of this marker was a large livestock trader from Winona, Minnesota. He bought it in the mid-60s and has been using it for over 20 years. He used a marker to mark the cattle that he was looking after for the purchase. It is not known what the merchant's son was doing, but the marker was inherited by his grandson. The grandson was doing something more intellectual than the livestock trade, and used the marker just for fun to: either shoot targets in the backyard, or scare a rabbit in the garden. In the end, the merchant's grandson sold the heirloom to the person who posted the photos below.
A tube with holes, attached parallel to the barrel, is a container for balls. A handful of balls (6 pcs.) Are poured into it and a threaded cap is screwed on. In the wall of the container for balls, which is adjacent to the barrel, there is a hole through which the balls are rolled into the barrel bore one by one. In the breech there is a locking mechanism that prevents the balls from rolling or rolling out of the bore at will.
On the pistol frame, under the barrel, there is a channel for a gas cylinder. It is inserted from the muzzle end and the screw cap is also screwed on. Gas from one cylinder is enough for about 25-35 shots, but do not forget that after each shot, the pressure in it drops.
Shooting with the Nel-Spot 707 is a chore and requires some skill. In order to prepare the Nel-Spot 707 for shooting, a lot of manipulations are required. At the same time, you should unlock and lock the shutter carefully so as not to flatten the ball rolling into the table. I tried to describe the reloading process, but it came out half a page. So I better post the video.
After the first press of the trigger, nothing happens (parking position). After the second press, the ball will fly out at 190 FPS, and after the third - at 290 FPS.
The Nel-Spot 707 marker was not very popular. The main reason was the complexity of its application. Sales were not going shaky or fast. After 3 years of meager sales, the gentlemen from the Krosman firm decided that it was not profitable for them to produce a revolutionary marker, which few people appreciated. The marker is discontinued. For some time they sold off the remnants and no longer resumed its production. Despite the small batch, even 40 years later, there are well-preserved and working copies.
Second marker model for forestry and animal husbandry. After his failure with the 707 Nel-Spot marker, Charles Nelson did not abandon his concept. Since the rights to the Nel-Spot 707 remained with Crosman, Mr. Nelson contacted Daisy air rifles (a Winchester partner). Daisy was asked to develop a new marker based on the bitter experience of the 707 model. The proposal was accepted, and the work started. The development was entrusted to a specialist named James Hale of Victor Comptometer Corp. (Victor Comptometer is the parent company that founded Daisy.) The parent company has been producing, since 1918, adding machines and eventually cash registers, electronic calculators, dot matrix printers, and even Victor / Sirius 9000 personal computers. Working for parent Victor Corp., James Hale invented a gas pistol with a striker uncoupler for the Daisy subsidiary. The patent application was filed on June 19, 1972. The inventor was named James Hale, but the patent holder was Victor Corp.
In the same 1972, the first batch of a marker was released, which was initially called Daisy Model 8007, then it bore the name Daisy Splotchmarker (splotch - to spray, marker - marker). Later, the same model was called Quick Splotch (quick - fast, splotch - to spray). But it became known under the name Nel-Spot 007. It was this marker that was chosen as the weapon for the first paintball game.
As you can see from the drawing and photo, the new marker is more ergonomic. Unlike the previous model, the gas cylinder was placed in the marker grip, and the balloon container was located above the barrel. The first batch of Nel-Spot 007 markers contained 6 balls, so it was significantly shorter than the barrel.
Later, the capacity was increased to 10 balls, and the length of the container for the balls was equal to the length of the barrel. For the convenience of loading, a speedloader was provided.: It was made in the form of a test tube (at first metal, later - plastic). For the safety of handling, the marker was equipped with a fuse. The safety button was located on the handle, behind the trigger.
Since paintball has spread very quickly throughout the world, this game has not bypassed Germany. The Germans began to play for survival en masse. Sensing a new sales market, the German company Umarex started importing the Nel-Spot 007 marker and consumables for them. According to other sources, Umarex produced these markers under license in Germany.
The first paintball marker. In 1984, The Survival Game conquered Australia. There she received a new name - Skirmish Games. In the same year, NSG launched the first marker specially designed for the game on the world market. The model was named SplatMaster. And before that, companies and individuals tried to offer users their alterations or developments. But among them, only the SplatMaster marker gained popularity and received recognition from the players.
The first paintball marker model received a plastic barrel and barrel. Therefore, it was lightweight and did not corrode. The marker consisted of a minimal number of parts, so it was easy to maintain.
For shooting, balls of the same diameter in plastic speedloader tubes and the same gas cylinders were used. The “bolt” scheme was abandoned in favor of a push mechanism. The charging mechanism was triggered when the support part of the palm pressed against the part in the back of the marker. The inventor is Robert Shepherd, as evidenced by US4531503 A. Claimed February 21, 1984, published July 30, 1985.
Looking for additional pictures on the topic, I found a photo of a SplatMaster marker with the ICON trademark. According to unconfirmed reports, the ICON brand was also owned by National Survival Games (NSG) as was SplatMaster. Under the ICON brand, NSG is said to have sold markers for training police and security personnel.
Please note: the ICON trademark is indicated on the case
The original source says that the ICON SplatMaster marker was sold for 3 years (1985-1988) only by LEO (Law Enforcement Officer). Perhaps Bob Guernsey made a knight's marketing ploy and registered a new brand in order to separate sports and entertainment paintball from tactical. The same source says that there was also a version of the SplatMaster “Gurn-Z” in caliber 0.55 (14 mm). The smaller ball model was offered as a less traumatic alternative to the base model.
Paint for paintball balls. At the same time, work was underway on a new composition of dyeing liquid for paintballs. Developed by George Skogg of Nelson Paint, a manufacturer of forestry markers. Finally, the goal was achieved and the application was filed on October 09, 1985, and patent US4634606 A was published on January 06, 1987. The patent states: Projectiles made from soft gelatin capsules containing such a washable marking fluid have ideal rheological properties of the desired uniformity and stability in flight. The liquid in soft gelatin capsules makes the shells more accurate and stable. In addition, the liquid produces bright, highly visible stains that can be easily washed off with water and / or detergent. Thus, it is ideal for use in sports games.
This, or nearly so, was the story of the origin of paintball. I hope you learned something new and interesting from my article. I do not claim to be complete. This article does not contain data on other markers that competitors began to produce. Nor did I mention the parallel movements that were founded shortly after the whole world became interested in paintball. But I also set myself a more modest task: to collect and publish little-known facts from the history of paintball. Maybe this information will never be useful, or maybe just the opposite. For example, you will entertain a bored company or impress your potential paintball employer.
Good luck and thanks for your attention!
