RTP history info?

[BrickHaus]

In my love for sheridan based shooters and old guns, Ive developed a fondness for old airsmith work. I now have collected two RTP Vipers of different configurations, but I honestly know very little of the history of RTP.

Bacci's Paintball history talks briefly about Paintball Pro Shop. RTP, team Viper, and other bits, but Im still not entirely sure about the history of the brand.

Does anyone have some knowledge they would be willing to drop on us about these beauties?

How many may have been made? How long did they produce markers? When was the first RTP viper or intimidator created? How many vipers exist? How many teams shot RTP guns? Is Rick still with us today? Was Rick really a prick? ECT..

Anything you can divulge on the topic, Id love to read. These seem to be a really obscure and rare marker. Even the picture thread is a short list of photos, and Bacci talks very little of the history on his website. I assume this was all published on MCB 1.0 or 2.0, but is now into the wind.

bacci has many videos about Mac-1 as he had a nice sit down session with Tim McMurry, but only a few posts on RTP. so it only makes this topic more intriguing.

thanks for your time.

[jacob0]

I used to visit the shop as a teenager starting around '89 or so. I played at Weekend Warriors east of San Diego, which was Team Viper's home field. For years I was amazed at the long distance hits I would take from these guns. I couldn't afford a Viper as a teenager, and years later when I could afford it I had one built around '95 or so. When mine was built you practically had to pull their arm to get one, and it was around that time or shortly after that they stopped building the guns. If I remember correctly, my viper was in the 500 or 600 serial number range, so that is about how many total vipers they had built. At the time I had never seen anything more accurate. They were also tinkering with autococking versions towards the end, and I'm guessing they never really got all the kinks out. I remember Rick having some health issues long ago, so I would guess that he might not still be with us. I was fortunate to personally know Colin Thompson as well, and had one of his prototype AutoSpirits that I begged him for until he agreed to make me one, which was my all time favorite gun. Colin is the one who got me into paintball. The only thing he liked more than paintball was his computers and cats.

[BrickHaus]

Thanks for the input!! Bacci and he said he had been meaning to sit down with Rick and interview him much like he did Tim McMurry. So I take that notion that Rick is still with us today. I have been waiting with baited breath for the RTP interviews.

[scottieb]

OP, posts such as yours are my favorite kind of posts. Thank you for sharing.

[scottieb]

1 Viper and 1 autococking Viper were up for sale on the prior version of MCB. The tread showed them for sale up until the crash. If they are still around I'd love to get them.

[Team Caution]

Hey Brickhaus

My name is Scott I was the Captain of Team Caution out of San Diego CA
we played tournament paintball all over the west coast back in the mid 90s

while everyone else were using Autocockers or Angels my entire team would use Vipers
we actually did pretty well and took home many trophy’s

we would train at Weekend Warriors which was Team Vipers home field
we learned a lot from them and even beat them in tournament play a time or two

i I have a nice collection of Viper and Intimidators built by Rick the Prick
and yes he could be a prick! (He was a real old school baller and cool as hell)

I have many stories and a lot of fading memories from that time
Ive been to the old shop in La Mesa where Rick and Icecream would sell the Vipers, even got to visit Rick’s shop at his house once

I ordered my Viper custom built to my Specs and Rick delivered
in my opinion these guns are still the best paintball guns ever made
I have made some incredible shots with them over the years, if I told you about some of these shots you probably wouldn’t believe me 😂

anyways we would play 5 man for the most part, 3 standard Vipers, a Viper Rifle and an Autoviper was our usual line up
people would laugh at us before the game as we came in carrying our old pump guns and as they all got shot off the field we gained some serious respect

if you have any questions about any Viper related stuff I might be able to provide info I still talk to one of my old teammates and he still lives down in San Diego

also I know Rossco personally although it’s been almost 30 years since I’ve seen him, played ball with him many times

If you are interested I’ll l take my guns out of the safe and send you some pics sometime

[BrickHaus]

Scott! I can't thank you enough for the reply! If not for me please do dig out your old vipers and get pictures in to the picture thread for all to enjoy!

I have to agree that vipers are one of the nicest shooting markers I've held. I'm up to three now. I have a 13" standard viper I got from Mike Stapelton from Damage Inc. I've known Mike for many years from playing at Splat Tag, and always admired that shooter. One day he told me I could buy it as he has a wall of guns, and he's getting too old to enjoy them all. Only stipulation was that if I sold it it goes to Damage Inc. That marker pumps super smooth, and shoots 300 fps very consistently. I've had many amazing shots with it.

I snagged a 9.5" viper with a dropout, and rear asa from gubster, a member on the forum. It was his old tourney gun from the stories he told me. He had it set up comp class with an on off co2 bottle, stock, and 12ies. I've tried to make it 12ie ready, but I've not gotten that one on the field. It has had come chrono issues I believe I may have figured out, but I haven't had a chance to play since.

Lastly, I have a project rifle. 22" barrel, side tube feed gun body with a brass bead rail. This one needs a ton of work including a new bolt to be fabricated, and the solder joint from the barrel to the feed tube to be mended. Then of course, a stock of some type to be made up.

All in all, I love the obscure history on these markers, and like you mention the memories are fading fast which is why telling your stories is worth the time.


Thanks for making my morning Scott!!

[Riot]

It would appear based on the picture thread Rossco is already here with us on the forums. Definitely post up pictures of the collection, if you can!

[Chuck E Ducky]

I would love to see your collection and hear how and why you had them built the way you did.

[Riot]

I have never even heard of these markers and now I am so intrigued…

[Grendel]

There goes some more WTB threads from Riot

[Team Caution]

I’ll break my guns out and post some pictures
has anyone heard anything from Gumbster? Looks like he hasn’t posted in quite a while I was looking to see if he had anymore Vipers on the board for sale
after stumbling on this site and seeing Brickhaus’s Viper pics I suddenly have an urge to find a few more to add to my collection

so, I’m looking for parts, junk guns, anything RTP related in case anyone knows anything

Brickhaus, I’ll see if I can find a stock for that rifle of yours, a basic Sheridan pump rifle stock should work,
also Palmers Pursuit shop in Sacramento has been known to work on Vipers and they could probably resurrect that rifle for you

[Chuck E Ducky]

Palmers is no more

[Team Caution]

Brickhaus

this is currently for sale on EBay

[BrickHaus]

Das a spendy chunk of wood though. Especially for the grain the production level kps have.

[Team Caution]

That’s a damn shame about Palmers, they were the only OG shop that did anything even close to what RTP was doing

[Chuck E Ducky]

Yeah it sucks about Palmers however,

Stick around check out the Sheridan section and custom brass build's. MCB has great Air-smiths you won’t find on BookFace. Guys here are building some really interesting unique pieces.

[Team Caution]

Thanks Chuck E
I’ll check it out
I’m definitely looking for a good airsmith and parts

[Team Caution]

This was my Tournament rig
left hand feed set up for right hand use as I always played right wire, it made my profile much smaller as the hopper was on the left side
my buddy Hydorn would play right hand feed set up for left hand use and he would play left wire

notice this gun is unmarked, no RTP no Viper on the sight rail as this gun was built for Team Viper
this gun shoots better than any marker I have ever used very accurate even at long range

[Chuck E Ducky]

So they made their own bolts cool I’m assuming they were center fire bolts made out if Delrin?

[Team Caution]

Simplest bolt design ever
Hollow piece of Delrin with a bottom facing air port
Metal pin in the bottom to catch the trigger sear

[BrickHaus]

The highlight of the bolt is the aluminum plate that attaches it to the pump rod imo. Loosen that rear thumb screw. Swivel the plate, and pull your bolt.

I also believe that the center tapped screw pulls straight back on the bolt versus the offset point created in a traditional sheridan. I feel this attributes to the smooth pump action.

[Team Caution]

This is a RTP CUSTOM, pretty rare as it’s all brass Rick would usually use stainless barrels
marked RTP CUSTOM not a Viper, not an Intimidator
stock Sheridan bolt instead of Delrin
great shooter

[Chuck E Ducky]

Looks like a speed demon bolt. I like the barrel porting looks cool.

[Team Caution]

This is a RTP CUSTOM INTIMIDATOR rifle
stainless barrel Delrin bolt Viper internals
very quiet very accurate a lot of fun to play with

[Team Caution]

These are a few more guns that are not RTP products
stock Sheridan 12G rock and cock with Viper internals
my Autococker which is the only gun I’ve ever used in Tournament that wasn’t an RTP product
also a nice Palmers nickel plated rifle semi auto

Im kicking myself because I had a couple more Vipers that I sold off years ago, never should have done it

[Chuck E Ducky]

Do you remember what was different about the Viper internals? Any chance you could take a picture of them?

what were the benefit of the viper valves?

[Team Caution]

They had some titanium valve parts if I’m not mistaken
Custom trigger sears etc.
The valves were custom very lightweight and the springs were very lightweight
A Viper spring could never open a Sheridan valve, you had to have Viper valve Viper spring
The Sheridan stuff was much heavier and the springs were much stiffer
Also they had aluminum adjustment blocks instead of steel

If I get to tearing these down I will provide pics

[Team Caution]

Also, I have one of the secret trigger sears, although I never installed it as it was technically illegal for Tournament play
It was a double set sear, which means on the first detent you could shot at 270 FPS but if you pulled back hard on the pump you would hit the second detent and it would provide 30 FPS additional
So you could make longer range shots on the second detent

Top Secret stuff, but it’s been 30 years so I think I can declassify

At any rate, if your Viper was in good shape it would shoot 270 every single shot, absolutely no variation in chrono speed, so every shot would give you the same range and relative accuracy, although because they manufactured the barrels so tight you could only use certain brands of paint or else you would break balls

BTW they never sold the double set trigger or outfitted the retail guns with them, it was an inside thing

[Chuck E Ducky]

Interesting I would love to see a picture of that sear sounds cool!