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Airsoft Gun History
Powerstrike is the brand name used by the company. Other manufacturers are following in Daisys footsteps and a host of different models have entered the United States airsoft gun market.
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The history of "airsoft" originated in Japan during the mid-1970s, mainly because it was illegal to own firearms by private individuals. The first airsoft guns available were spring-powered replicas of firearms that fired 6mm, plastic pellets or BBs. The gun then spread to China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines and became very popular chiefly because of firearm restrictions in these countries.
The first airsoft guns were those air driven pellet guns, cap-type guns and spring driven pellet guns. The early Japanese air driven pellet guns were based on semi-automatic pistols. They were spring powered. The plastic pellet was propelled by air when the spring piston was released. In the cap-type guns, powerful an explosive cap was used to make the sound of gunfire and to eject the spent cartridge. In spring driven pellet guns, a spring was used to propel the pellet held between two small locks and released when the gun was fired.
Mattel, the famous American toy company had already marketed a product called "Shootin Shells" way back in the 1950s. These guns were identical to the spring driven pellet guns and had Stik-M-Caps that explode to emulate the sound of gunfire. In the 1980s, Daisy BB Gun Company manufactured spring gun models called Replisoft and Soft Air shot at each other by opposing players.
The popularity of airsoft guns in the United States and Europe began in the mid-1990s. There is continued growing interest in the west. In 2003, Daisy started manufacturing and marketing airsoft guns once again in the United States. "Powerstrike" is the brand name used by the company. Other manufacturers are following in Daisy's footsteps and a host of different models have entered the United States airsoft gun market.
A Colorful History of Paintball
Paintball has its origins in the 1970s, when two friends wanted to decide who was more equipped to deal with outdoor survival.
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About Paintball | Origin, History, Statistics, Intro video.
Paintball equipment started with a gas operated marker to mark trees and cattle 60's. The first game was was created and played in the late 70's.
paintball-command.com
History Of Paintball...
Paintballs came from oil-based paint pellets and a innovative gun invented in the 1960s by Nelson to help foresters, loggers, and woodsmen mark hard-to-reach trees and other objects. ...
The Nelson Paintball Company made a gas operated marker and paint-filled pellets to mark trees for the forestry and ranching industries so that from a distance they could mark trees and cows leaving a temporary mark on the desired object. Paintball play started in the late 1970’s. Two friends came up with the idea that it would be fun to shoot the marking guns at one another, In 1981 Charles Gaines and Bob Gurnsey got a group of 12 friends and played the first game of paintball on a field that was over one-hundred acres, (with no mask or safety equipment) but before they played the game, they came up with rules for the game making it more of a survival game. As the legend goes, one gentleman won the game without ever firing a shot. Shortly after playing the first game, they called it the “National Survival Game” and this game was mostly every man for himself. Sometimes they organized into teams and over the years it grew in popularity as more and more people wanted to play. Eventually using teams became the standard with the most popular games being “Capture the Flag” and other offensive/defensive game scenarios. As paintball developed into a growing commercial industry, the first outdoor commercial paintball field opened up in 1982 and the first indoor field followed in 1984. This kind of paintball field allowed large groups of people to meet in one place to play paintball. These paintball field owners also kept coming up with new ways to keep the games fun and exciting, thus further expanding the sport to what it is now.
For an interesting glimpse into the early days of paintball, check out the video below featuring Bob Gurnsey and a few friends playing a game of woodsball.
It doesn’t matter whether you are young or old, all players share a common love for the sport of paintball. The game of paintball is generally played in the form of “capture the flag”, "attack and defend", or elimination. The format is usually 2 teams of one to two, five or seven or ten, or even over 1,000 players on a side depending on the size of the field (usually more in scenario games). Paintball is a sport that is played by people of all different professions and lifestyles. It is a sport where people of all ages and sexes can compete equally. Paintball is a game of strategy, very much like Chess. Being able to think quickly and decisively will help with your ability to play the game. Some key success in the sport of paintball are intelligence and determination, not merely strength, speed or agility. It is a character-building sport and will help people to learn about teamwork, gain self esteem and also develop leadership abilities while being able to have a great time with friends and family and relieve stress.
Paintball is very safe as long as you follow the rules and use common sense. As a whole, paintball is very safe, and when played properly does not lead to major injuries. In fact, based on severe sport-related injuries that lead to emergency room visits,paintball is safer than bowling.
Meet Colin Guinn: The Creator of Top Toy Gel Blaster SURGE
Outdoor play for children is good for physical health, self-confidence, and overall development. It ...
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Outdoor play for children is good for physical health, self-confidence, and overall development. It helps kids interact and bond with others and acquire skills that will help them later in life. However, today’s kids are slowly swapping outdoor play for a more sedentary lifestyle. Nowadays, most children spend their playtime hooked to screens, which is one of the reasons that pushed Colin Guinn to launch the Gel Blaster.
In his words, “I wanted to get children away from screen time and playing outdoors again.” He explains that even though both are important, many have substituted playtime with video games and TV programs, and children barely have time to go out and bond with others.
As someone who really loves adventure, he has made it his mission to bring back backyard fun through his toy gun, the Gel Blaster. The Gel Blaster contains revolutionary eco-friendly, water infused ammo, which burst on contact and immediately begin to evaporate, causing minimal mess.
According to Colin, while developing Gel Blaster, his aim was to create something that accommodates everyone and doesn’t require much preparation time. “Children tend to lose interest very fast,” says Colin. Therefore, the more time you spend during setup and planning, the less likely they’ll want to join in.
He adds that as he’s someone who has a busy work schedule, sometimes it can be challenging and time-consuming to plan the whole thing. This often ends up with you not taking part in the activity as you are tired or still working, which can affect your child’s development.
Gel Blaster’s setup is quite fast, allowing every family member to jump in, creating timeless memories. Growing up, Colin was active in a number of outdoor activities. At one time, he recalls he and his dad sailed from Corpus Christi to the Caribbean, an experience that helped him bond with his father. Colin is also the winner of The Amazing Race season 31. Together with his life partner Christie Woods, they were contestants on The Amazing Race, coming second in season five and first place in season 31.
When he had his two boys, he wanted to share and create beautiful memories with his family, and although it was not easy getting here, they now have a sport in common as a family. He says before launching the Gel Blaster, he struggled to find a favorable solution for the entire family. With his sons being a few years apart, his younger son is still not ready for the sting of the beefier weapons, and their best option is foam dart toys. However, the older son is too cool for foam darts, making it challenging during playtime. Gel Blaster provided the middle ground, making outdoor play comfortable and enjoyable for all.
Looking into the future, Colin wants to provide more solutions and create more kid toys that will encourage children to play outdoors. He says in the coming years, his dream is to completely redefine fun, developing many more games that will allow the whole family to run into the backyard and play together.
Our Story | Our Journey - Nerf
nerf.hasbro.com
1969
THE "WORLD'S FIRST OFFICIAL INDOOR BALL"
The NERF ball was introduced as the "world's first official indoor ball." It was marketed with the messaging "Throw it indoors; you can't damage lamps or break windows. You can't hurt babies or old people." By the year's end, millions of NERF balls had been sold.
1972
NERF SPORTS SEGMENT BEGINS
A basketball game called "NERFoop" and the NERF football officially joined the family, starting the Nerf Sports segment.
1983
LIVING ROOM BASEBALL
NERF Baseball was released, allowing living room baseball for the first time.
1989
THE SOAKING BEGINS
The Soaking Begins: The introduction of the Power Drencher (the original name for SUPER SOAKER) revolutionized the world of water blasters. Invented by Lonnie Johnson, an aerospace engineer from Atlanta, Georgia, this blaster, later named the SUPER SOAKER 50, used patented air pressure technology resulting in the ability to shoot large quantities of water further and faster than any other product on the market. Entering the 90’s, the name was changed to the SUPER SOAKER brand, and in 2010 the brand joined the NERF family.
NERF BLAST-A-BALL
The Blast-a-Ball utilized ballistic balls and was packaged with two blasters, encouraging fans to play together.
1991
HASBRO BUYS NERF
Tonka Corporation (including Kenner Products and Parker Brothers) is purchased by Hasbro, Inc. and NERF becomes a Hasbro brand. NERF introduces its first bow and arrow.
1992
THE DAYS OF THE DART BEGIN
The NERF Sharpshooter was the very first NERF dart blaster.
2004
THE N-STRIKE MOVEMENT BEGINS
The N-Strike movement begins: The NERF N-STRIKE blaster featured the unique, Unity Power System that included three blasters that could be fired simultaneously or taken apart and fired individually. The Unity Power System introduced the tactical rail to NERF and with it, the idea of interchangeable parts and multiple arrangements for maximum play action.
2008
THE VULCAN ARRIVES
The NERF Vulcan blaster was introduced to the N-STRIKE line and remains as one of the biggest and baddest blasters to date.
2011
NERF VORTEX
NERF introduces the NERF VORTEX line of disc launching blaster in September, 2011. A completely new NERF blaster experience, the VORTEX line offered fans the latest in blaster technology and performance period
2012
FIREVISION LINE
NERF Sports get an upgrade with the innovative new FIREVISION line that allowed the game to continue even as the sun went down. Using reflective FIREVISION technology and Fire Frames eyewear, players could see the ball with or without the lights on.
2013
CENTURION BLASTER
The NERF brand continues to rise to fans’ wildest expectations and introduces the CENTURION blaster. The CENTURION is the first NERF blaster to use oversized MEGA whistler darts.
2014
45th ANNIVERSARY
NERF celebrated its 45th anniversary with expanded brand lines, improved blaster distances and performance, and design developments including the first built-in blaster camera and free-play styled Bash Ball.
2015
NERF MODULUS AND RIVAL
The NERF brand continues to expand to meet consumer demand and exceed expectations, introducing both the N-STRIKE MODULUS segment, which lets fans customize their blasters, and the NERF RIVAL line for players 14 and up, each designed with NERF fans in mind.
2016
TERRASCOUT
NERF epically develops its first remote controlled blaster drone, the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE TERRASCOUT RC drone. With a live video and camera feature, 18-dart clip for remote bombardment, and ability to function in and outdoors, NERF continues to build upon its superior blaster technology.
2010 - 2016 Story Detail
2017
ACCUSTRIKE
The NERF N-STRIKE ELITE line continues to improve with the ACCUSTRIKE line. With the most accurate NERF dart to date, the N-STRIKE ELITE ACCUSTRIKE series offers fans the ultimate in accuracy, performance, and blaster innovation.
2010 - 2017 Story Detail
2019
NERF X FORTNITE
NERF introduces a line of officially licensed Fortnite blasters that allow fans to experience Battle Royale through the active and adventurous fun of NERF.
2010 - 2019 Story Detail
ULTRA ARRIVES
NERF Ultra arrives in October of 2019. This line is all about distance! The innovative dart design makes NERF Ultra the farthest flying NERF dart ever.
2010 - 2019 Story Detail
2020s
2021
NERF HYPER
Nerf introduces the revolutionary Nerf Hyper system – featuring Nerf Hyper rounds with an innovative design and material for unparalleled performance to maximize capacity and speed
A Brief History of Nerf (or Nothin')
Everyone's favorite toy-gun brand has its own humble beginnings.
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The Nerf brand has been bringing kids foamy fun for over four decades now, but the company’s history might not be as familiar to you as the perfect technique for a crushing Nerfoop dunk. Let’s take a look at the Nerf nitty gritty.
It Was Supposed to Be a Volleyball Game
Although Nerf has become the leading name in spongy backyard warfare, its roots were decidedly less violent.
Inventor Reyn Guyer had enjoyed early success by creating the game Twister, and in 1968 he started Winsor Concepts to dream up new toy and game ideas. While working on a caveman-themed game, one of Guyer’s team members began bouncing one of the game’s foam “rocks” over a net. The designers realized that they were onto something and began developing a whole line of games based on foam balls.
Guyer initially took the game ideas to Milton Bradley, the company that had found a hit with his Twister invention. The game giant passed on Guyer’s creation, though. Undeterred, Guyer then pitched the foam games to Parker Brothers.
Mike Mozart, Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Parker Brothers wasn’t crazy about the actual games, but they loved the idea of a foam ball that kids could safely play with indoors. The company decided to market just the ball as its own toy. In 1969 Nerf made its debut in the form of the four-inch polyurethane foam Nerf Ball, which Parker Brothers dubbed “the world’s first indoor ball.” After the plain old Nerf ball became a runaway hit, Parker Brothers contracted with Guyer to make the wider array of foam games that he had originally envisioned.
The most memorable of these line extensions was surely the Nerf football, which bounced onto the scene in 1972. The Nerf football actually represented a bit of a technical change for the product line. Parker Brothers made the original Nerf balls by spinning foam on a lathe and cutting it with a piece of hot wire. Making the football, on the other hand, entailed pouring liquid foam into a mold. The resulting ball had a thick outer covering that helped it behave like an ordinary football.
Some of the other Nerf spinoffs failed to achieve the notoriety of the Nerf football. By the time the 80s rolled around, Parker Brothers had started making things like Nerf Pool, Nerf Ping Pong, and, of course, Nerf Table Hockey. The company even started a line of Nerful action figures that looked like anthropomorphic Nerf balls.
The Nerf brand has changed hands several times over the years. In 1987 Tonka purchased Kenner Parker Toys, the then-owner of the Parker Brothers brand, and in 1991 the brand moved again when Hasbro acquired Tonka. Hasbro has held onto the brand and helped it flourish; a 2010 Business Week report pegs the Nerf division’s annual revenues at $150 million.
“It’s Nerf or Nothin’!”
Nerf’s major coup for a whole generation of kids, though, was its introduction of foam weaponry. Sure, tossing a Nerf football around was fun, but shooting your buddies with soft foam balls? That’s real entertainment!
Jack Taylor / Getty Images
In 1989 Nerf debuted the Blast A Ball, small pinkish cannons that fired golfball-sized foam projectiles, but the 1991 introduction of the Nerf Bow and Arrow cemented the brand’s reputation as the armorer of kids everywhere. The 90s saw Nerf further expand its array of blasters into guns that fired missiles, balls, and suction-cup darts.
The blaster line is still buoying the brand’s sales; in 2009 Nerf even reintroduced the familiar old ad slogan “It’s Nerf or Nothin’!” The weapons are more technologically advanced now, though. The Raider Rapid Fire CS 35 has a capacity of 35 suction darts; the newer Nerf Stampede ECS is a fully automatic blaster that cranks out three darts per second. These toys sound a bit more sophisticated than the old Blast A Ball. (Although my brother and I can attest that the Blast A Ball was great for whacking each other even once its ammunition had been lost.)
All of this extra firepower has come at a price, though. In 2008 Nerf had to recall its N-Strike Recon Blaster after at least 46 reports of kids sustaining injuries while firing the gun. The blaster’s plunger firing mechanism had a nasty tendency of catching users’ skin as it flew forward, which let to welts and bruises on kids’ faces, necks, and chests. [Taylor Lautner image credit: © RAY STUBBLEBINE/Reuters/Corbis]
What does "Nerf" mean?
Some sources claim that “NERF” is an acronym for “Non-Expanding Recreational Foam,” but that story seems too good to be true. Reyn Guyer’s personal website explains that Parker Brothers named the balls after the foam that off-road drivers use to wrap their rollbars.
And while we’re asking questions, what happened to the original prototype Nerf ball? Tim Walsh had the answer in his terrific book, Timeless Toys: Reyn Guyer held onto it. Each year his family uses it as an ornament on their Christmas tree.