1994 Australian Huntsman & Redback paintball Markers

[mikew]

I posted this on my Facebook page and thought that it may be of interest here.

During the semi auto import ban in the nineties there were several other attempts at producing a paintball marker in Australia besides the Badger. One of these was called the Huntsman and was developed on the Gold Coast in Queensland by Paintball Australia in 1994. The Huntsman was a closed bolt design but there are few details on its method of operation. However if you look closely the marker looks very much like a Hammer II with a ram fitted under the barrel in place of the pump. Since Paintball Australia also imported and sold the Hammer II this is a distinct possibility. This article was originally printed in the Oct. 1994 issue of the Australian Paintballer Magazine.



But this wasn't their only foray into paintball marker production. Paintball Australia also promoted a second semi auto paintball marker in their advertisements in 1994. This one was called the Redback and was a blow back design. Very little is known about this marker either but it looks suspiciously like an F1 Illustrator.



Needless to say few if any were made of either type.

[The Inflicted]

The guy in the first picture- is that a raccoon tail hanging off the back of his JT X-Fires or some kind of ring-tailed Australian possum?

[mikew]

I think it's a racoon tail and a fake one at that. I don't know of any possums with tails like that over here and they are a protected species anyway.

[Axel]

Yessir, we do love these bits of arcania from the obscure corners of paintball history over here on MCB. Thanks for posting

[Jonnydread]

Hobbes A Hammer II!!!

[Hobbes]

I found one for sale in Germany but someone else got to it first :-0

[Ecapnation]

Indigenous equipment always fascinated me....

How things evolved parallel to everything.

Now to not be tempted to copy this with my hammer 2 lol

[DocsMachine]

Is it just me, or does that silver gun also have a remote LPR line?

Doc.

[mikew]

I think you are right Doc. That certainly looks like a LPR line on the side. I didn't notice that until you pointed it out.

[The Inflicted]

Am I going crazy or was there another semi-automatic Hammer II that was either marketed in small numbers or showcased as a prototype?

I'm not thinking of the Hammer III- that was their weird inline blowback.

...and no, I'm not thinking about the Sovereign either.

[flyweightnate]

There was a custom made one somewhere on here