Guns and Ammo Magazine...and me (long, but eye opening))

[Paintballer86]

Paintball is not number 4 anymore, it is number 3. I dont know what the site is, but I read it somewhere that it was.

EDIT- Here we go.

http://www.warpig.com/paintball/articles/news/080302_SGMApb3.shtml

[DarkRipper]

Originally posted by aaron_mag
Very interesting post. It is hypocritical. I met a Vietnam veteran in a paintball shop once. He had been adamantly against paintball and had constantly lectured his stepson about how it promoted violence. He had also explained that once you have been in combat you would never find a game that "simulates war" fun.

He of course eventually tried it once and was hooked!!! (He was laughing at himself the entire time he told me the story) I think many avid outdoorsman would feel the same way if they gave it a try (at a field that enforced the proper safety rules).

My dad says the same thing (vietnam vet) even though his son (me) is a combat vet as well, and is quite into the sport.

Ah well.

DR

[Doc Nickel]

Yo Army, point us to that thread, would you?

And what you found is precisely why G&A needs a paintball article.

Too many hunters and regular gun owners have far too many misconceptions- as made painfully obvious by the board replies you pointed out- that, if for no other reason than to dispel a few myths, an article would be very worthwhile, even if- and especially if- it's somewhat controversial.

The first I ever heard of paintball was a 1984 Guns Magazine yearbook. In '91 or so, G&A even had a "new products review" of a Tippmann 68 Special and a VM-68.

The article that needs to be in G&A needs to bascially say, here's what paintball is, here's what paintball isn't. Here's some safety stats (with verifiable origins) and here's who plays. Here's how it's played, and here's the safety regulations. Then have a couple of paragraphs about the markers themselves- without too much hype and hyperbole, such as stressing possible ROF, and you'd definitely want to conveniently omit the fact that some are capable of full-auto- and close with some really brief comparisons between gun-owners and paintball players (similar requirements for "gun safety", kids who already know how to work a paintball gun have a step up on learning to safely handle a firearm, etc) and wrap up with a little "jab" like you already mentioned: How those who dislike the sport without knowing anything about it aren't all that much different than anti-gun people being opposed to handguns without knowing anything about them.

The sport's not going away. Gun owners can alienate seven million paintball players at a stroke, or they can accept it, even if only to a small degree, and just maybe introduce some of those kids to the enjoyment of "real" firearms sports. Their choice.

Hell, I'll write the article, if they'll publish it. I wrote four articles (or was it five?) for Paintball Magazine so I have some minor credentials.

Doc.

[Wheelman]

Army, great response. Being an avid competition shooter and paintballer I think it would be kinda touch and go putting anything paintball in a gun magazine. We have fought so hard to educate people on the paintball industry trying to get away from the "angry gun toting criminal" mentality and refering to them as "markers" (once again getting away from the gun thing). What I could go for is, like you said, something on technological advancments but also, education.


And another little titbit of useful information for ya, Did you know that the polymer frame for the Glock pistols came about when designers saw the original splatmaster marker. The liked the durablity of the polymer body of it so much they used the same material in there frames. So now you know that without paintball inovations you wouldn't have "combat tupperware" and the guys at Glock probably wouldn't be where they are today. Neat huh? Throw that one at 'em Army.

[oldsoldier]

[i]

army im sorry if this sounds offensive, i love america, but i often times disagree with the choices of many of her leaders and their policies both home and abroad. this is in no way meant to bash those who proudly serve our country, on the contrary i hold those who serve on a seperate level, this is just my opinion on poloticians who were elected just because we hated the other guy more. [/B]

Hey man, thats why we serve. Freedom of choice. You choose your opinions. We dont have to agree (although I do).
Army, from a political standpoint; NRA is a powerful lobby in DC. IF, and thats huge, we allied w/them, it MAY help us in the long run. But, I think that may be a ways away...most shooters,at least around here, are old timers, and very stuck in their ways. Maybe research into how paintball innovations has tied into firearms...oh, i dont know, like Tom's less than lethal develpoments? Or, like someone else said, polymers used in firearms.
Anyway, Army, I think you may be ahead of your time. It is a great idea, but I can see all the hurdles you may face. Best of luck on this endeavor, and please keep us all posted.

[rx2]

Now that I think about it, G&A did feature a tidbit on the VM-68 Magnum, back in 93, I think. It was in the new gear section, along with other non-firearms.

[Rooster]

a non-leathal artical would be great, pepper balls and stuff like that

[dio91]

That was real good Army, not only the beneficial parts, but in saying that paintball does not promote in teenage pregnacy. haha......Is bowling that dangerous???


dio

[psycoclown414]

good stuff

army.. always reading the best from you. you always are clear on your points. and i did read countless times in other mags like APG and paintball 2Xtreme that paintball was indeed safer then softball.. go figure.

[EnderWigginPballin]

I love shooting at those big macho man hunters on the field. they think they've got it made because they can hit a deer with a 12 gauge, (while sitting in a tree with something to brace said shotgun and it's 10x scope against of course)......

I usually manage to yell a few sarcastic comments about having targets that can shoot back for once.

I enjoy shooting. But why should I ever own a handgun, or go hunting. There's too many redneck paranoid gun owners out there. They talk about gun safety and leave all their guns in an unlocked cabinet. With the ammunition in the same unlocked cabinet.....

[Army]

Ender, that's just the ignorance I'm trying to end. Your post said everything bad about YOU. You are not a hunter, so you spout the same "Rosie O'Donell" rhetoric about hunters in general. Lame.

The near total majority of Paintballers have never, nor would ever, use their Pball guns in an illegal or unsafe manner. The same can be said of hunters and firearms owners.

Banning of paintball is easy, there is no constitutional amendment to protect them. If you keep thinking the way you do about hunters, then you are no different than those who wish to end our sport.

[mike e]

i hunt and play paintball, dont trash one because if you do your no better then those you ridicule. dont be a hipocrite(SP?)

"blaming guns for murder is like blaming spoons for rosie o donnel being fat"

[EnderWigginPballin]

hey, I have no problem with hunting or hunters. It takes skill to hunt. Animals have excellent senses of smell and hearing, and it takes a skilful person to deceive that animal that is already really skittish. Also, animal populations need to be controlled. We need hunters to some extent, we don't need macho man rednecks with mullets and 12 gauges with obscenely sized scopes.

Some of my best friends hunt, and other friends of mine have never fired a gun once in their lives.

I find it funny that some people think that because they are a hunter they will automatically be good at paintball.
yelling at them is just my personality, I like being sarcastic, even if I'm the only one who thinks it's funny. Also yelling at them distracts them so my teammates can move around.

I also said that I Like to shoot. There's nothing more relaxing sometimes than shooting. Whether it's a paintball gun, pellet/BB gun, or a real firearm. Don't confuse me not being a hunter with me believing that guns should be illegal

[aaron_mag]

I have yet to see a hunter that automatically thinks they will be good at paintball and you probably are the only one on the field that finds it funny. I'm not trying to bash you. I'm just saying you might want to think about what your image is like on the field. You don't want all your buddies to go to the field and "forget" to invite you do you?

[mike e]

i agree some people with mullets and shotguns should not be allowed any where near public areas and should be sterlized to prevent further procreation and contamination of our fair planet