You've been asked to start a paintball company. What are your first 5 products?

[vijil]

You've been given a decent investment to start a paintball company. What are your first 5 products?

Rules:

• try to make money. But if you can't, meh, the investor really just wants some cool products to grow paintball
• choose a max of five starting products
• don't be ridiculous. The products have to be at least somewhat realistic. 250 cal is banned, k?
• I'm not in the industry. No, this isn't real. I won't steal your ideas or finance you. Maybe someone else will though

I'll go first

• A 68 cal revolver that's actually good. Velocity adjustment, doesn't blend, toolless maintenance, options for different air sources.
• A 50 cal pistol that's also actually good.
• An electronic loading thing that instantly fills CF20 magazines. Jam the mag in, *brrr*, done. Also a version that orients and does the same for FS if you just pile them in.
• An electro magfed, like the DAM, but low profile and non-milsim. Eyes positioned either mid or upper breech so it can handle box mags without the issues DAMs had.
• Longer term, a marker that uses a linear faraday generator built into the bolt so it can get by without batteries. If that works and generates enough juice, a hopper that draws power from the marker instead of needing batteries.

[iamthelazerviking]

Round paintballs with a clean seam, thick/even fill, quality shell, consistently sized around .687-.690. That's all.

[jonesey9041]

This is a great answer

[JohnB]

Soft goods first, pod packs, electric pump (cause why not), mask.

marker dev would eat up budget and suck for a while, as we see so many companies trying that and dying.

[vijil]

Yah, that's the HK army model, inception etc. They whitelabel or make mods for guns rather than making their own. It's a good idea if the market is there.

If you're going to make a gun as a new brand it needs to be genuinely innovative. A new drivetrain or smoother action doesn't cut it unless you're getting like 20% efficiency gains over the competition.

Electric pump... like with eyes and the pump arm and trigger are drive by wire? I'm trying to imagine how that works. Could run NXL ramp? haha xD

[Fossilhead]

I'd make stuff I want. If I sell any, neat.
1-a reg extender that can rotate.
2-a small inline reg female to male. One that can use co2.
3-an aluminum emek frame (it's time).
4-longer, thinner tanks instead of short and fat. (Looking at you (alpha air)
5-some kind of on board chrono for a marker.

If any of these exist. Or you have a reg I should look at lmk.

[jokers]

So my age might be showing but didn't someone integrate a chrono into a hopper?

They did it was called the Pulse RDR and it was made by GI sportz.

It can also be had for the low low price of 330 dollars :|

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126424087182?itmmeta=01HXFZ17RKRY5N97AES9ECVARZ&hash=item1d6f767a8e:g:bzIAAOSw6yxmFyLH&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwFQ9Z9shCBtbohLw8je2Le1jjbE%2FHBKXegKgg1%2FP8WYI8rLEeOLY7ZXVPl65CvTRtJg8fYPr%2BvATdTzHyFZ3XOYtUhyfWPZScZj0ZPnHMzKNaMB80L8KFX9UgG5TvxiXHUOwvXA1RT%2BRQe1ogIeNX5CkKlfbVEnKB49DwFcjHZ7K6JZwfvaHWsd6wfVWHv1i2r%2F57t8O7ZNVv1Ch3GQJskvHXXeEQa3iTTnPfw5lOS1NCgC5k53qWOHijpQdcdhj2Q%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR678hP_rYw

[vijil]

"4-longer, thinner tanks instead of short and fat. (Looking at you (alpha air)"

Yes please.

Also super small CF tanks while you're at it. Small enough to mount on a pistol without being too bulky or heavy.

[martix_agent]

Round paintballs with a clean seam, thick/even fill, quality shell, consistently sized around .687-.690. That's all.

Wasn't this what the hydro tech ball was supposed to be?

[iamthelazerviking]

I've heard about that but I just want good normal paint

[TF_Aloha]

>Does anyone remember if the main issues were performance of the ball (too light), manufacturing issues, or something else like finances?

Literally all of the above and more.

The ball was too light, so it was highly inaccurate, had a shorter range, and had trouble breaking.

The manufacturing process was slow, low volume, and labor intensive.

There was no price point where they worked. They couldn't get as cheap as bad paint due to their manufacturing process and they couldn't justify the cost of premium paint due to the poor performance.

Also, since their shell wasn't water soluble, they sat around forever on fields. Their fill washed away more easily than traditional fill, but the shells and intact balls lasted far longer on the ground than traditional gelatin.

[vijil]

Thanks @tf_aloha

Yeah, that all makes sense.

See my last post. I think a super premium ball could still work, but hydrotec clearly aint it.

[warbosschoppa]

1. A Cocker with breach detents and pneumatic frame
2. A modular mask similar to the OG Proflex that encourages customization
3. Waterproof ankle supported footwear rugged enough for the woods and cleated options for the grass/turf (Something like what Oboz make)
4. Something along the lines of a 6pack with the ACI quick change for pump players
5. Affordable modernized props for fields for scenario games or just in rec (props that interact with the environment when entering a defined zone go off, slap sticks that glow/make noise, bomb defusal, flag pole stations, ect)

[martix_agent]

Redfeather did re-create this. Then the sherwood forest field claimed he stole their IP, even though it was developed separately,(and was not under copywright) and "banned" him from their field, even got a new promoter to replace him for his events.

I'm very interested in playing redfeather games to see how it all works. He's also a great guy and his games are top notch, i've just never used this new stuff he has yet.

[Daniel Tiger]

Not exactly the shoe you wanted but close. https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/p...ml#color=43177

[Magmoormaster]

Re: point #1, the mask you’re looking for is the Virtue VIO.

[Ecapnation]

Good paint
Better paint
Larger paint
Consistent paint
Quality paint

I don't care about anything else. 95% of every issue I have with guns now is paint related.

[Siress]

Trying to make money?

- paintball themed food truck
- paintball themed porn site
- paintball themed physical fitness training
- paintball themed cryptocurrency
- paintball themed loans

[RAZRBAKK]

Splatcoin pump and dump!

[The Hobbit]

Couple paintball “athletic” coaches on instagram.

[RAZRBAKK]

At this point it's all been done. Aftermarket has dried up. Hell, even CP is phasing stuff out.

Like Ecap said, most of the issues these days are paint related.

I'd like to see a mask that isn't $150+. Would love to get something like the profiler but a bit lighter.

[vijil]

Nah. People just got jaded and ran out of imagination.

Paint quality will naturally drop as demand decreases, especially when the market gets too small to support the economies required to create multiple differentiated grades of paint.

[Lane]

I would target a lower cost pump marker. Maybe a nelson style valve train, aluminum body with cocker threads, injection molded frame and undercocking pump. Think an undercocking nelson designed to be built for mass production. Easy to maintenance, reliable and affordable ($150 - $200) price range maybe less. Try and expand the market by focusing on cheaper and more approachable play kind of like when paintball first started.

[drewkroeker]

This is similar to some vague notions rolling around in my brain. I'm constantly checking the BSTs for lower-priced pumps, and I'm thinking if I scoop enough of them I could outfit a beginner group. Pumps with 50 round hoppers would lower the cost to play and dial back the fire rate. The snags are:

1) I'm not really down for buying azodin kp3's, which are the main low-end entry level pump available now. They just don't inspire confidence for me. Phantom could fit your description except for the price.

2) if my group wants to mix with the equipment owners they are going to be at a severe disadvantage. I played pump last weekend using my x1-p. I made 3 hits the whole afternoon. Tried my best to push up to my opponents and got shot out from fairly close a few times. To me this is great fun but for a new player I can see it being very frustrating. I also had a couple double feeds from running and not keeping my hand on the pump handle.

What I might end up doing is buy a bunch of 50 round hoppers and have some limited paint games, if I can get the speedballers on board.

[Lane]

@drewkroeker

I really enjoy the simplicity of phantoms and other nelson based markers. Don't play much anymore but when I do even if they've been sitting for years it's usually no more than a few minutes to get them up and running.

Only disadvantage I see is maybe the higher pressure they run off of and today's more brittle and inconsistent paint, also velocity adjustments are kind of a pain compared to let's say a tippmann 98. I think having the following features would be a good start.

- Bore drop, cocker threads, detent, factory undercocking (easy to upgrade barrels), swappable between hopper or tube feed, autotrigger and if it's based on a nelson design maybe a back bottle ASA valve since the skinnier HPA tanks kind of work as shoulder stocks then.

[flyweightnate]

I think a trailer-able, rapid setup paintball field is the way to go. An inflatable dome structure to support the net and whatever bunkers are fastest and take the least space. Maybe those inflatable snowmen from Home Depot would be a fun spin on it.

Pulling up to a soccer field, setting up with a bunch of pumps, nice masks, and a quick field, then packing it away 5 hours later would reduce the real estate cost, allow for quick events in the middle of urban or suburban areas, and get a ton of new players in. Especially if there's a site with good bleachers.

Then, a paint that doesn't leave a mess, so the field isn't ruined. Powder or something watery, and shells that a leaf blower would collect.

Those two products would be a fun attempt at a different business model.

[Lane]

That would be neat, there's a few companies that make portable backstop nets for things like sports and industrial use. I think a lot of them use take down aluminum post similar to tent poles you see on the bigger event style tents.

[Number six]

I've been trying to get my first product off the ground for years. That said, a solid stationary chrono, a ball hauler with a tap on the bottom, a neoprene neck guard bridge for larger necks, regional leagues, and my own, of course. Anything else I can think of is just creative application of something already out there.

[chops]

A box mag. The Dye one exists but it’s $400. The MCS one seems janky and not worth $189. Feels like there’s opportunity to better serve the growing magfed market.

[DocsMachine]

You've been given a decent investment to start a paintball company. What are your first 5 products?

try to make money. But if you can't, meh, the investor really just wants some cool products to grow paintball.

-I'm sorry, but products can't, and won't, "grow paintball".

As already noted, the one product that can help the sport the most, is better quality paint. But no product- no marker, no barrel, no tank, no loader, no mask, will draw in new players.

If your investor wants to 'grow the sport', he or she needs to spend it on advertising (this sport does basically zero outside-the-industry advertising) promotionals (paying for free game days, sponsoring a local radio station game, holding things like charity events, etc.) and/or maybe things like donating new masks or goggles, to local fields.

If they want to make money, my advice is... well, invest in something other than paintball. There's no money in this sport anymore. Somebody with the right connections and equipment can certainly make a run of markers, or loaders or tanks- people are doing it every day. But it's worth pointing out that very few new companies are doing so, and even the ones that are doing well, aren't exactly "printing money" these days.

It's kind of a chicken-and-the-egg situation. You want better paint and cheaper? You need to sell more, make it profitable to manufacture a 'premium' brand. In order to sell more, you need to have more players. In order to get more players, you need to draw first-timers in- and keep them.

Figure out that last part, and the world, as they used to say, will beat a path to your door.

Doc.

[JeeperCreeper]

1. Sheridan mods
2. Brass barrel inserts
3. Phantom pump shims
4. ?
5. ?

I do "make money" but it all goes right back into paintball. Its more of a hobby thay pays for my hobby, but I make enough through Paypall to have to do my taxes on it. If I had a nice investment, I'd have more products to sell. But I don't have an investor, so I have to do it the old fashioned way.