Editing Sheridan PGP (section)

== History ==

=== Development ===

The PGP originated from a manufacturing and distribution relationship between Sheridan and Pursuit Marketing Inc., established by [[Jeffrey Perlmutter]] and [[David Freeman]] in 1982.

PMI approached Ray Katt, president of Benjamin Sheridan, about adapting the company's existing CO₂-powered airgun designs to fire .68-calibre paintballs.

Sheridan developed two prototype marking pistols, one using a top-mounted ammunition tube and another using a side-mounted feed.

The top-loading design was selected for production and became known as the '''PG''', an abbreviation of Paint Gun.[1]

The original PG used a manually operated bolt.

Players and aftermarket manufacturers subsequently developed pump-action conversions to simplify loading and recocking.

Sheridan introduced a factory pump-action version designated '''PGP''', meaning Paint Gun Pump.[1]

The precise date of the PGP's first commercial introduction has not been conclusively established.

=== Early production ===

The original PGP incorporated three brass tubes arranged vertically.

The upper tube housed the paintball magazine, the middle tube formed the barrel, and the lower tube contained the hammer, valve and CO₂ cartridge assembly.

The marker used a manually operated pump handle and an internal magazine holding approximately ten paintballs.

Its compact construction made it suitable for stock-class games, in which ammunition capacity and propellant supply were restricted.[2][4]

The PGP was distributed through PMI and became one of Sheridan's established paintball products during the 1980s and 1990s.

=== Development of later Sheridan markers ===

The PGP's mechanical arrangement provided a basis for other Sheridan pump-action markers.

Related products included the PMI-1, PMI-2, KP-series rifles and P68 variants.

These markers incorporated different barrel lengths, ammunition-feeding arrangements and gas systems while retaining elements of Sheridan's valve and hammer design.[2]

The stacked-tube operating system also influenced the development of the WGP Sniper.

Bud Orr subsequently developed the semiautomatic Autococker from the Sniper platform.[3]

=== Updated PGP (2001) ===

Sheridan introduced a revised PGP around 2001.

The updated model incorporated several changes from the earlier design, including:

* A longer barrel.
* An adjustable velocity system.
* Revised bolt construction.
* A quick-change CO₂ mechanism.
* Updated sights.
* A speed-loading arrangement.

The revised model retained the PGP's brass construction, pump-action operation and internal ammunition magazine.[5]

A contemporary comparison published by the Stock-Class Paintball Network on 2 April 2002 examined the differences between the original and updated PGP models.[4]