Editing Pinokio Hoppers (section)

== History ==

=== Origins and early development ===

According to a company history published in 2010, Estrate developed the Pinokio concept after playing paintball with his son and identifying a demand for greater hopper capacity.[1]

A United States patent application filed by Evan A. Estrate on 16 May 2007 described high-capacity reservoirs that could be attached to paintball feeders. The application used the Pinokio name for the proposed family of hopper and loader designs.[3]

The original Pinokio loader was introduced in 2007. Its distinctive feature was an extended front section that increased the amount of paint it could carry. This projecting nose gave the product its name.[4]

By January 2009, Estrate was identified as president of Pinokio Hoppers in an announcement of the company's sponsorship of the University of South Florida Bulls paintball team.[5]

=== Development of the Speed ===

Pinokio subsequently developed the '''Speed''', a smaller loader that dispensed with the original model's long capacity extension. The Speed was receiving industry coverage by the end of 2013, including a review in the December issue of ''PaintballX3''.[6][7]

The two products served different preferences: the original loader offered an enlarged paint reservoir, while the Speed provided a more compact option for pump, mechanical and tournament players.[7]

=== Original loader close-out ===

In February 2017, ''Paintball Media'' reported that company owner Evan Estrate had announced plans to close out the original Pinokio model with a final production order. The proposal was accompanied by a promotional preorder campaign.[7]

=== Acquisition by HK Army ===

HK Army acquired Pinokio Hoppers in 2018. It retained the Speed design and sold it under the HK Army name, alongside its other loader products. A 2019 review also documented the Speed's use by [[San Diego Dynasty]].[2]

HK Army reintroduced the original Pinokio loader in 2020.[4]

The later '''HK Army Sonic''' was described in 2023 industry coverage as a follow-up to the Speed, continuing the use of a sensor in the feed path with a redesigned shell.[8]