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If .50 calibre takes off....

Gadget

Platinum Member
Jul 16, 2002
1,759
619
148
Essex, UK
Given the frequency with which paintball companies embroider the truth in order to part us from our money, I'm not going to be satisfied on the viability of .50 until I get the opportunity to test it myself. After all, they promised that rifled barrels enhanced accuracy and range and that closed bolt and low pressure markers did the same. Let's not even mention the Magic Box :(

Although I realise that any change over would be a gradual process - you'd have to feel sorry for any teams with a large stock of Reballs if .50 does become the defacto standard. Kerching!
 

AsylumDave

Styling THE CLAW 2010
Mar 9, 2009
356
2
0
I'm not sure if this is all still a big unknown or not but will us tourni ballers benefit in any way in terms of the cost of balling? Will we now be able to afford more paintballs or will manufacturers/suppliers be keeping the prices per however many rounds?
 

NitroBall

SandStorm
Feb 20, 2006
2,890
581
148
103
Derby
The .50 calibre ball is fired at exactly the same velocity as .68, the fact it has less kinetic energy (by virtue of a reduced mass) is a bonus when it comes to legislation in certain countries.
Is this one of the main reason .50 cal being introduced again ?
From reading the above, im assuming paintball is prohibited in other countries due to the size/mass and the energy a .68 cal produces.
 

Robbo

Owner of this website
Jul 5, 2001
13,114
2,157
448
London
www.p8ntballer.com
Is this one of the main reason .50 cal being introduced again ?
From reading the above, im assuming paintball is prohibited in other countries due to the size/mass and the energy a .68 cal produces.
This is not the reason no but it is one of the benefits.
The industry needed refinancing and the way things were going, waiting for things to start picking up again was a forlorn hope.
And even then, if the green shoots of recovery had been seen somewhere (which for the most, there hadn't) then the process would have been extended and weak.

If we assume .50 cal reaches critical mass (which in my humble opinion will take about 2 to 3 years) then the associated growth curves will be a lot steeper and therefore healthier.

Why should I care how the industry does?
I would hope that is self-evident but we do need a healthy industry for soo many reasons, I agree we don't need a greedy industry who rip the ass out of our wallets every time we buy something but we do need a competitive, healthy industry.

The good thing about 50 cal in my opinion is, it gives an opportunity for other companies to jump on board as they all manufacture their different brand of marker and equipment as before, but this time, 50 cal'd up to the eyeballs.

One sure thing is, the way things are going now, it don't look good without 50 cal with the number of big companies bound to contract.

Richmond developed this product because, like his other endeavors, he saw an opening and developed it as no other could.
I've got little doubt he will make it successful but like every other one of his paintball ideas, it's not so much Richmond who makes it successful but the product itself, he's merely the creator.