Perentie Paintball
Perentie Paintball was an Australian paintball marker manufacturer established by Bruce Roberts and Darren Hayes in Seville, Victoria, in 1993. The company developed and manufactured the Badger, one of the earliest Australian-produced semi-automatic paintball markers, together with low-pressure, rental and customised versions of the design.[1]
Perentie was created during a period in which Australian restrictions on the importation of semi-automatic firearms also affected the importation of paintball markers. Roberts and Hayes responded by developing a locally manufactured semi-automatic marker for Australian fields and players.[1]
History
[edit]Establishment and prototypes
[edit]Bruce Roberts and Darren Hayes established Perentie Paintball in early 1993. Development and assembly initially took place in a workshop in the back of Roberts's home in Seville, east of Melbourne.[1]
Their first prototype used a blowback action but did not progress beyond its initial development. A second prototype used a blow-forward system and became the basis of the Badger.[1]
Although the Badger operated on the same general blow-forward principle as the Automag, the design was developed independently. According to a retrospective account by paintball writer Mike Wallis, Roberts had not examined an Automag when the Badger prototype was developed.[1]
The early Badger mechanism had three principal moving parts: the bolt, trigger and the pin in the on/off valve assembly. The earliest versions operated at full bottle pressure and did not incorporate a separate regulator. Production markers used a hydraulic cup seal around the bolt pin rather than an O-ring.[1]
Initial production
[edit]The first large commercial order was for 100 Badgers supplied to Skirmish Adventures at Helensburgh, New South Wales, in 1994. These field markers received a distinctive red powder-coated finish. Contemporary photographs show relatives and friends assisting with the assembly of the order at Roberts's home before the markers were transported to New South Wales.[1]
Other early Badgers were generally finished in matt black. Both rental and customised player versions were produced, with custom markers receiving alternative feed arrangements, stocks, grips, barrels and external regulators.[1]
Approximately 300 Badgers were reportedly manufactured in Australia during Perentie's period of operation.[1]
Low-pressure Badger
[edit]The first LP Badger models appeared in late 1994. The low-pressure version used an enlarged bolt pin and power chamber, allowing a greater volume of gas to operate the marker at a lower pressure.[1]
The grip frame was also changed from a sand-cast component to a stronger die-cast design. The change followed breakages of some early frames during rental-field use.[1]
1995 revisions
[edit]Perentie introduced further revisions during 1995. These included a larger and stronger grip frame, a venturi-drilled bolt and a gunmetal-grey powder-coated finish in place of the earlier matt black.[2][3]
The 1995 range included the Rental Badger and RB Badger. Stocks were available, and Perentie offered custom work for individual players. Advertised standard features for the 1995 models included the revised handle, venturi bolt and charcoal-grey finish.[3]
Hayes left Perentie during 1995 to pursue a different career direction. He subsequently worked for the engineering company which manufactured Perentie's components, while Roberts continued the development and marketing of the Badger.[1][2]
Products
[edit]| Product | Introduced | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Badger | 1993 | Australian-manufactured semi-automatic marker using a blow-forward operating system.[1] |
| LP Badger | Late 1994 | Low-pressure Badger with an enlarged bolt pin and power chamber.[1] |
| Rental Badger | 1994 | Field-use version of the Badger. A batch of 100 was supplied to Skirmish Adventures in 1994.[1] |
| RB Badger | 1995 | Player-oriented Badger advertised alongside the revised rental model.[3] |
| Perentie Viper | 1995 | One-off double-barrelled marker constructed from two Badger actions.[4][5] |
Custom and experimental markers
[edit]Perentie produced a number of customised Badgers in addition to its standard rental and player models. Surviving examples include markers with vertical feeds, alternative barrels, wooden or leather grips, stocks, external regulators and lightened frames.[1]
Viper
[edit]The Perentie Viper, also known as the double-barrelled Badger, was a one-off experimental marker developed by Roberts and Mike Wallis in 1995. It placed two Badger actions side by side and used a single trigger to operate both.[4][5]
The two actions were turned towards each other. Delrin rollers attached to the sears were moved by a pyramid-shaped cam on the trigger. The timing was adjusted so that one barrel fired before the other, making it possible to discharge either one or two shots during a trigger pull.[4]
The completed marker used two 16-inch barrels, dual loaders, a remote air system, handmade mahogany grips, a bipod and a custom stock. Its high gas consumption made compressed air more suitable than carbon dioxide. The Viper was intended for occasional scenario and big-game use and was not placed into commercial production.[4]
Borg marker
[edit]Roberts also adapted a Badger action for a costume used at a Borg-themed scenario game. The marker was installed upside down in the arm of the costume and connected by a remote line to a 20-ounce gas bottle carried on the body. Roberts reported firing approximately 1,200 paintballs through the system during the event without a breakage.[2][6]
Other experimental Perentie equipment included a dual-marker helmet arrangement and customised tournament Badgers.[4][6]
Use in Australian paintball
[edit]Badgers were used as rental markers and by Australian tournament players during the mid-1990s. The marker was promoted as a locally manufactured alternative to imported semi-automatic designs, and Perentie sponsored Australian tournaments and supplied markers as prizes.[7]
The Badger's field use contributed to continuing revisions of the grip frame, operating pressure and internal components. Contemporary coverage acknowledged that the marker experienced development and reliability issues but also reported favourable performance from properly maintained examples.[8]
End of production
[edit]Bruce Roberts died on 26 March 1996. Contemporary coverage described him as strongly committed to Australian paintball and credited him with investing substantial time and money in the development of a domestically manufactured marker.[8]
Roberts's death brought Perentie's documented period of marker production to an end. The Badger and its derivatives remain notable examples of Australian paintball marker design and small-scale domestic manufacture during the 1990s.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- Perentie Badger Overview, Paint.
- Bruce Roberts, “Perentie has a handle on Aussie paintball”, Australian Paintballer, June–July 1995, p. 13.
- Perentie Paintball, “The '95 Perentie Badger grows a new handle”, advertisement, Australian Paintballer, June–July 1995, p. 23.
- Mike Wallis, “Double Trouble: The double barrel Badger from Perentie”, Australian Paintballer, December 1995–February 1996, p. 20.
- Perentie Viper Double (1995), Paint.
- Perentie Borg, Paint.
- Heartbreak Ridge, “1996 Australian Champion of Champions Tournament”, advertisement, Australian Paintballer, December 1995–February 1996, p. 9.
- “Bruce Roberts”, Australian Paintballer, April–June 1996, p. 15.
- VintageRex — Perentie Paintball marker catalogue.