Cal Ordnance

Cal Ordnance (also identified as Cal Ordnance Design and listed by VintageRex as Cal Ordinance) was a paintball equipment brand documented during the late 1980s. Its products included the Mercenary conversion kit for Sheridan-based pump-action paintball markers.[1][2]

The brand is also associated with early paintball barrel accessories described in historical collector accounts.[3]

History

Cal Ordnance marketed aftermarket components for paintball markers during the late 1980s.

Its best-documented product was the Mercenary Conversion Barrel, designed to replace the body and barrel assembly of existing Sheridan and Pursuit Marketing Inc. (PMI) pump-action markers.

An original advertisement preserved by VintageRex identifies the product under the Cal Ordnance Design name and lists a retail price of US$225, with an advertised selling price of US$199.95.[2]

VintageRex dates the Mercenary to 1989.[1]

The company's ownership, location, founding date and subsequent operating history have not been established from the available records.

Paintball equipment

Mercenary

The Mercenary was an aftermarket conversion kit for Sheridan-based pump-action paintball markers.

Rather than being supplied as a complete marker, the kit replaced the original body and barrel assembly while retaining components from the donor marker, including its trigger frame and valve assembly.[1][2]

The original advertisement described the following components and features:

16-inch micro-honed removable barrel.
Field-strippable centre-feed bolt.
5-inch Delrin pump handle.
Side-tapped constant-air connection.
Grooved scope rail.
High-gloss black finish.

The kit was marketed for compatibility with Sheridan-valve markers, including the PGP, PMI-I, PMI-II and 68 Magnum.[2]

The advertisement stated that installation required the transfer of the original Sheridan valve assembly and some mechanical knowledge.

VintageRex records the resulting configuration as a .68-calibre pump-action marker with a Sheridan-style valve, direct feed and removable barrel, compatible with 12-gram CO₂ cartridges or constant-air systems.[1]

Other accessories

Historical collector accounts also identify Cal Ordnance with barrel accessories described as silencers or rain covers.

In an interview reproduced by Paintball History, collector Tosh Tanaka recalled purchasing a Cal Ordnance accessory from I&I Sports in Los Angeles around 1987.[3]

The account provides evidence of the brand's association with aftermarket paintball accessories, although the product's exact specifications and production history have not been independently established.

References

External links