Adventure Game Supplies

Adventure Game Supplies (AGS) was an American paintball equipment supplier and marker brand active during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Based in Southern California, the business marketed pump-action paintball markers, conversion kits and accessories under the AGS and Team AGS names.

Its documented marker range included the AGS Bore Drop, AGS Bore Drop II, AGS Comp, Alligator, Bloodsucker, Devastator and Landshark.[1]

Adventure Game Supplies was associated with paintball equipment developers Matt Brown and David Craig, who were subsequently connected with TASO.[2]

History

Adventure Game Supplies operated in Southern California during the rapid expansion of commercial paintball equipment in the late 1980s.

Matt Brown and David Craig were involved with the business during this period. Craig experimented with the development of pneumatically operated semi-automatic paintball markers, including a modified Sheridan rifle.

In an interview published by WARPIG, paintball manufacturer Glenn Palmer recalled encountering Craig's experimental marker at a tournament in New York. The prototype used an industrial pneumatic regulator, a two-way valve and a spring-return pneumatic cylinder to automate the marker's operation.

Palmer credited the encounter with influencing his subsequent development of pneumatic semi-automatic markers, including his early Camille design. He also described Adventure Game Supplies as the business that later became associated with TASO.[2]

The precise commercial relationship between AGS and TASO during their overlapping operations has not been fully established.

Commercial operations

Adventure Game Supplies advertised and sold paintball equipment during the late 1980s.

A historical review of the NSG Rapide documents AGS offering the marker for approximately US$95 in October 1989, making it one of several retailers selling the inexpensive double-action marker.[3]

AGS also marketed its own pump-action products under the Team AGS name.

An original advertisement for the Team AGS Bloodsucker, preserved by VintageRex, promoted the marker at US$189.95 and listed several optional upgrades.[4]

Adventure Game Supplies continued operating into the early 1990s. The June 1992 issue of The Paintball Trader identified Jo-Ann E. David as manager of the company's Reseda, California, location. The business was advertising paintball markers, camouflage clothing, goggles and accessories.[5]

The company's precise founding date and the eventual disposition of its business operations have not been established.

Paintball markers

VintageRex records seven marker entries under Adventure Game Supply. Most were .68-calibre pump-action designs using Nelson-style valve systems. The Alligator was separately catalogued as a double-action product.[1]

Marker	Documented year	Action	Description
AGS Bore Drop	Not established	Pump-action	Nelson-style pump marker with direct feed, fixed barrel and 12-gram CO₂ operation.
AGS Bore Drop II	Not established	Pump-action	Nelson-style pump marker supporting both 12-gram CO₂ cartridges and constant air.
AGS Comp	Not established	Pump-action	Direct-feed Nelson-style marker with a removable barrel and compatibility with 12-gram CO₂ or constant air.
Alligator	1989	Double-action	Product using a Splatmaster-style valve system and supporting both 12-gram CO₂ and constant air.
Bloodsucker	1990	Pump-action	Team AGS Nelson-style marker featuring bore-drop feeding and a dual-arm pump mechanism.
Devastator	1988	Pump-action	Direct-feed Nelson-style marker with a fixed barrel and 12-gram CO₂ operation.
Landshark	1990	Pump-action	Nelson-style marker with direct feed, a fixed barrel and compatibility with 12-gram CO₂ or constant air.

The years shown are those recorded by VintageRex and should not necessarily be interpreted as independently confirmed introduction dates.[1]

Bloodsucker

The Bloodsucker was a .68-calibre pump-action marker advertised under the Team AGS name.

The manufacturer's original advertisement listed the following features:

Bore-drop paintball feeding system
Weldless nipple construction
Dual-arm aluminium or Delrin pump
Team AGS quick-change CO₂ system
Field-strippable screws
Micro-honed 11-inch barrel
Stainless-steel internal components

Optional equipment included an M16-style automatic trigger frame, 14-inch micro-honed barrel, anti-kink system, adjustable velocity system and interchangeable barrel system.

The marker was advertised at US$189.95 and carried a one-year guarantee on parts.[4]

Devastator

The Devastator was a .68-calibre pump-action marker listed by VintageRex as a 1988 model.

It used a Nelson-style valve, fixed barrel, direct-feed system and 12-gram CO₂ cartridges.[6]

The marker also appears in historical recollections of California paintball during the late 1980s. Former California Bushwackers player John Coleman recalled purchasing an AGS Devastator from the company's Southern California shop before becoming involved with the team.[7]

Alligator and Comp

Adventure Game Supplies also produced conversion equipment for the NSG Rapide, a double-action paintball marker introduced in 1988.

Historical research published by Paintball History identifies AGS Alligator and Comp conversion kits among the aftermarket products offered for the Rapide. These modifications could incorporate direct-feed equipment, longer barrels and constant-air adaptors.[3]

VintageRex separately identifies an Alligator double-action marker and an AGS Comp pump-action marker. The relationship between the catalogue entries and Rapide conversion packages requires further documentation before they can be treated as identical products.[1]

Other equipment

Adventure Game Supplies marketed paintball accessories, conversion components and feeding equipment alongside its marker range.

The VintageRex Other Exhibits collection documents a Team AGS Oil Can Loader, dated 1990. The surviving example is fitted with a PMI flip-top lid.[8]

The company also sold equipment manufactured by other paintball businesses, including markers and accessories distributed through its retail operations.[3][5]

References

External links