A Brief History Of Paintball Guns
By John Brock

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 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 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 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 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

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patent became the Nelson formula for paintballs, as they were the perfect mix for the sport.

The very first outdoor playing field opened in Rochester, New York in 1982. Very soon after, 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 Players Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the safety, education and growth of the entire industry. The NPPL (National Professional 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 clothing and gear, with lots of the newest, latest inventions adding to the family –the Bodybag to organize and carry all of your gear in one handy carrier.

By: John Brock

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John Brock recommends that you visit www.paintballemporium.com for more information on Guns.