Editing Daystate (section)

== History ==

=== Early paintball manufacturing ===

Daystate Limited was established in England on 23 October 1978 and specialised in precharged pneumatic airguns.[3]

During the 1980s, the company became involved in manufacturing paintball equipment for the developing British recreational paintball market.

Early Daystate paintball markers were designed around compressed-air reservoirs rather than conventional 12-gram CO₂ cartridges.

This arrangement reflected the equipment and regulatory circumstances of British paintball during the period, when CO₂-powered markers faced restrictions in some areas.[1]

Daystate manufactured several generations of manually operated markers, subsequently identified as the Mark I, Mark II and Mark III.

The markers were used at commercial paintball sites, including those operated by the Skirmish network.

=== Skirmish and compressed-air markers ===

A September 1991 article in ''Paintball Sports International'', reproduced by paintball historian [[Daniel Bacci]], documented Skirmish operating 36 locations across the United Kingdom and Europe.

The article described Skirmish's use of .62-calibre Daystate markers with integral compressed-air reservoirs and stated that the equipment was not sold to the public.[1]

These early markers were manufactured using steel and aluminium components and incorporated compressed-air reservoirs that could be filled before play.

British paintball writer Olly Bell, who used Daystate equipment during the period, recalled three principal generations:

* '''Mark I:''' Bolt-action marker with a side-mounted ammunition tube.
* '''Mark II:''' Pump-action marker incorporating direct feed.
* '''Mark III:''' Larger pump-action marker with increased ammunition capacity and a longer barrel.

Bell recalled that the markers operated using compressed air at approximately 2,000 psi, with some configurations providing between 30 and 60 shots per fill.[1]

These descriptions are historical recollections and should not be treated as independently verified specifications for every surviving example.

=== Ultimarc Mark III ===

A Daystate '''Mark III Ultimarc''' was documented in the January 1990 issue of ''Paintball Monthly''.

A photograph accompanying Tony Moore's coverage of the 1989 Tasco ProPoint Open tournament identified players using the marker.[1]

A surviving example examined by Daniel Bacci was a .68-calibre pump-action marker incorporating an air reservoir beneath the barrel.

Its construction included a manually operated bolt, pump linkage, mechanical ball detent and a compressed-air filling connection.

The .68-calibre example differs from accounts describing earlier Skirmish equipment as .62 calibre, indicating that the available historical records do not establish a single calibre for every Daystate pump marker.

=== SAM Patriot ===

During the early 1990s, Daystate introduced the '''SAM Patriot''', a mechanical semi-automatic marker.

VintageRex dates the marker to 1993 and records production through 1997.[4]

The SAM Patriot used an open-bolt blowback system related to designs developed by the American manufacturer [[Montneel Designs]].

It was manufactured in England and distributed in the United States by Pro Star Sports of Littleton, Colorado.[5]

Original promotional material described the SAM Patriot as England's first semi-automatic paintball marker. This was a manufacturer's advertising claim rather than an independently established historical first.

The Patriot featured an elongated cylindrical receiver, power-feed arrangement, removable barrel and integrated pistol grip.

Its mechanical design incorporated improvements to the Montneel-style operating system, including modified bolt components and larger fasteners.[6]

=== TFX-2000 ===

In 1997, Daystate introduced the '''TFX-2000''', a lower-cost semi-automatic marker intended to replace the Patriot.

VintageRex records production from 1997 to 1999 and identifies [[Powergames]] as its British distributor.[7]

The TFX-2000 retained a Montneel-derived firing system but incorporated a redesigned receiver and internal cocking arrangement.

The model was distinguished by its square body, left-side cocking mechanism and integrated grip and bottom-line air connection.

According to VintageRex, the TFX-2000 was not commercially imported into the United States.[7]

=== Phoenix and Venom ===

The '''Phoenix''' followed the TFX-2000 in approximately 2000.

It retained the general mechanical operating system but incorporated a centre-feed arrangement and revised external construction.

VintageRex documents the following naming progression:

* Phoenix.
* Phoenix V-1.
* Phoenix Venom.
* Venom.

The archive records manufacture between 2000 and 2003.[8]

VintageRex attributes the end of this production period to competition from lower-priced imported markers. The explanation is a historical account rather than a confirmed statement from Daystate.

Daystate subsequently continued its activities as an airgun manufacturer, rather than remaining an established supplier of paintball markers.