Combat Connection
Combat Connection was a paintball equipment manufacturer and customisation business active during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was associated with the development of pump-action paintball markers and conversion kits based on Sheridan and Pursuit Marketing Inc. (PMI) equipment.[1]
Its documented products included the Enforcer, Enforcer II, Enforcer III and Swarm Gun. The Enforcer was designed by Kent Carroll, a player associated with Swarm, using components and design features developed by Gramps and Grizzly.[2]
History
[edit]Early development
[edit]Combat Connection was active by the late 1980s, developing aftermarket modifications for existing pump-action paintball markers.
One of its earliest documented products was the Swarm Gun, which VintageRex dates to 1988.[3]
The Swarm Gun was a conversion incorporating an extended barrel, custom pump arm and replacement bolt fitted to an existing Sheridan marker.
Combat Connection subsequently developed the Enforcer, which VintageRex dates to 1989.[1]
Enforcer development
[edit]The original Enforcer was designed by Kent Carroll, identified in contemporary advertising as a member of Swarm.
The design incorporated the side-tap constant-air arrangement developed by Gramps & Grizzly.
An original advertisement preserved by VintageRex describes the Enforcer as a conversion kit for existing Sheridan PGP and PMI paintball markers.[2]
The conversion could be installed without drilling or cutting the original marker. Its components included a replacement barrel assembly, oversized pump handle, gravity-feed system and constant-air connection.
The manufacturer also promoted the conversion's simplified maintenance, describing a quick-release bolt arrangement that allowed access to internal components without specialised tools.[2]
Enforcer II
[edit]Combat Connection subsequently introduced the Enforcer II, which VintageRex dates to 1990.
The revised design eliminated the separate magazine block used on the original Enforcer and incorporated a built-in direct-feed arrangement.
The Enforcer II also used the Gramps & Grizzly side-tap air system and was commonly configured with a CO₂ tank mounted beneath the stock.
VintageRex records the marker as having been used by Swarm and subsequently as rental equipment at Fox River Games.[4]
The archive reproduces an estimate attributed to Lou, known as Gramps, that as many as 2,000 Enforcer II markers may have been produced. The account does not establish whether that figure includes all manufacturers and versions.
Enforcer III
[edit]The Enforcer III followed in 1991, according to VintageRex.
Its principal documented change was the introduction of a removable barrel, replacing the fixed-barrel arrangement of the earlier models.
The Enforcer III was also available with accessories including a sight rail, auto-trigger, shoulder stock and alternative barrel lengths.
VintageRex records an estimated production quantity of 150 to 200 examples, attributed to Lou of Gramps & Grizzly. This figure has not been independently confirmed.[5]
The same historical account suggests that Combat Connection ceased operating around the period of the Enforcer III. The exact date and circumstances of its closure have not been established.
Paintball markers
[edit]VintageRex documents four entries under Combat Connection.[1]
| Marker | Catalogue year | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swarm Gun | 1988 | Pump-action conversion | Sheridan-based conversion with extended barrel, custom pump arm and Cooper-T bolt. |
| Enforcer | 1989 | Pump-action conversion | Conversion kit for Sheridan PGP and PMI markers using a Gramps & Grizzly side-tap air system. |
| Enforcer II | 1990 | Pump-action | Revised Enforcer incorporating an integrated direct-feed system and fixed barrel. |
| Enforcer III | 1991 | Pump-action | Later Enforcer featuring a removable barrel and optional accessories. |
All four entries are recorded as .68-calibre designs using Sheridan-style valve systems. The dates above are those given by VintageRex and should not necessarily be interpreted as independently confirmed introduction dates.
Swarm Gun
[edit]The Swarm Gun was an aftermarket conversion for an existing Sheridan paintball marker.
VintageRex describes the conversion as incorporating a barrel approximately 16 to 18 inches long, a custom pump arm and a Cooper-T bolt.
It retained the Sheridan-style valve system and could operate using 12-gram CO₂ cartridges or constant air.[3]
The archive does not establish the number of conversions produced.
Enforcer
[edit]The Enforcer was originally marketed as a conversion kit rather than a wholly new marker.
The manufacturer's advertisement described a design that could be fitted to Sheridan PGP and PMI markers without modifying the existing receiver through drilling or cutting.[2]
The conversion incorporated an oversized pump handle, direct gravity feed and a rear constant-air connection.
The quick-release bolt system allowed the user to remove the bolt for cleaning and maintenance.
The advertisement also promoted the marker's accuracy, although these performance claims have not been independently verified.
Enforcer II
[edit]The Enforcer II was a revised .68-calibre pump-action design incorporating an integrated direct-feed system.
Its documented specifications included:
- Sheridan-style valve system.
- Fixed barrel.
- Direct-feed arrangement.
- Constant-air operation.
- Optional sight rail.
- Optional muzzle brake.
- Optional shoulder stock.
- Optional auto-trigger.
The Enforcer II was commonly configured with a CO₂ tank positioned beneath the stock, an arrangement described in the historical catalogue as California Style.[4]
Enforcer III
[edit]The Enforcer III was the final documented model in the Enforcer series.
Its principal difference from the Enforcer II was a removable barrel.
VintageRex identifies the barrel threading as unknown.
The marker retained the Sheridan-style valve system, direct-feed arrangement and constant-air operation.
Optional equipment included sight rails, shoulder stocks, auto-triggers, muzzle brakes and alternative barrel lengths.[5]
Relationship with Gramps & Grizzly
[edit]Combat Connection's Enforcer designs incorporated technology associated with Gramps and Grizzly, another early paintball equipment manufacturer.
The original Enforcer advertisement explicitly credited the Gramps & Grizzly side-tap air design, while the later Enforcer II and III were associated with components and manufacturing work undertaken by the same business.[2][4][5]
The available records demonstrate a manufacturing and design relationship but do not establish common ownership between the businesses.
See also
[edit]- Gramps and Grizzly
- Sheridan
- Pursuit Marketing Inc.
- Sheridan PGP
- Cooper-T
- Swarm
- List of vintage paintball markers and equipment
References
[edit]- VintageRex, "Combat Connection", historical manufacturer catalogue.
- Combat Connection, "The Enforcer", original advertisement identifying Kent Carroll and the Gramps & Grizzly design, preserved by VintageRex.
- VintageRex, "Swarm Gun", historical marker record.
- VintageRex, "Enforcer II", historical marker record and manufacturing recollections.
- VintageRex, "Enforcer III", historical marker record and estimated production figures.
