Paintball – Background Of The Game And The Gun

The GAME - The game of Paintball - how many of us really know the humble beginnings of this sport? It is indeed one of the famous games of today, but to ask where and when it actually started; only enthusiasts might only have the idea.

It started just way back in the 80's, as it was first used, not for the game, but for long range marking of trees. It was then during that time they had realized that it could also be fun if they would fire it also on to themselves. And there came to birth the first gamers: Bob Gumsey, Hayes Noel, Charles Gaine, and Ritchie White on 1981. According to dated records, it was then Ritchie White who won the game of "capture the flag", collecting all the flag without shooting a fire.

From then on the game of paintball had started to move. It was no longer than a year that Charles Gaine and a man named Caleb Strong initiated to open an outdoor field for the game in Rochester, New York year 1982. Shortly after that an indoor field was also made and numerous tournaments were created for the said sport ("DC CUP", NPPL - National Professional Paintball League Pro-Am Tournament, etc). Indeed paintball had risen to popularity, that it had been recorded in 1993 as the world's third extreme sports played over in 60 countries.

The GUN - The gun, together with the game undoubtedly evolved through time. From the most primitive guns used not for the game of paintball itself but to its early use as markers of trees, to the professional guns sophisticatedly developed today for the professional use of the game of paintball. Several guns have been made and customized for the benefit of the game. From pump paintball guns to stock-paintball guns, semi-automatic guns, and electric paintball guns.

The first marker however for the game is the pump paintball gun. Of which it only releases single shots per pumping and triggering. Pump paintball guns are manually tilted and only holds a capacity of 10 rounds. It is a simple yet good for "combat" type of gun that was used in the early times of the game. But unlike the pump paintball gun, the most recent developed marker today is highly polished; the electric paintball guns or the "e-gun". It is different with the pump paintball gun not only because is can handle more than 10 ammos but it is also automatically cocked and electrically controlled. Moreover, this type of gun is also programmable.

From old school pump paintball guns to the modernly developed "e-guns", we won't be surprised to say that it doesn't stop there. For with the continuous patronage of the sport, thus the continuous improvement of these markers goes on.

Don is a paintball enthusiast who gives teaches about pump paintball gun hopper and about pump paintball sniper markers.