Editing Front Line (paintball magazine) (section)

== Editorial coverage ==

=== Fields and regional paintball ===

''Front Line'' devoted considerable space to Southern California playing fields and their local communities. The September 1987 issue contained reports or advertising relating to fields including Sat Cong Village, Southern Comfort, Field Games, Flag Pursuit, Conquest and Skirmish.[3]

The magazine's regular game-results section preserved the names of recreational and tournament teams that received little coverage elsewhere. These reports documented local challenges, field leagues, team captains and match results.

Although its original emphasis was Southern California, the October 1987 issue stated that the magazine was being sent monthly to readers in 37 states and six countries. This was a publisher claim rather than independently audited circulation information.[4]

=== Tournament reporting ===

The magazine covered both regional competitions and major North American tournaments.

Its September 1987 issue published an extensive report on the first [[1987 International Air Pistol Open|International Air Pistol Open]], held at National Survival Game–New York in Newburgh on 18–19 July 1987. The report documented the tournament format, scoring system, equipment restrictions, preliminary groups and final placings.[3]

The same issue contained “On the Road with Navarone”, an account of [[Navarone]]'s journey from California and its Armageddon squad's victory at the tournament.[3]

Other competitions documented in the surviving issues included:

* The 1987 Sat Cong Village Challenge Cup, won by Wolf Pack.[4][5]
* The second Mohican Outdoor Adventure Paintball Championship in Ohio, won by the HeadHunters of Cleves.[4]
* The 1987 Midwest Cup, won by Allied Forces.[5]
* The fifth annual [[National Survival Game]] North American Championship, won by the Wild Geese of New Hampshire.[5]

The North American Championship report recorded 33 participating teams and a US$40,000 prize fund. [[Navarone]]–Apocalypse placed second, followed by Direct Hit, Land Sharks and separate California and Texas Bushwackers teams.[5]

=== Equipment coverage ===

Equipment development formed another important part of the magazine's editorial content.

The November 1987 issue published “The Avenger Story” by Tim McMurray and Dennis O'Flaherty. The article presented a first-person history of McMurray & Son's work on Sheridan-based paintball markers, including the development of the anti-blowback pump, positive-feed systems, the Annihilator and the Avenger.[5]

The same issue featured the USA Crossfire Equalizer, a proposed .68-calibre semiautomatic marker developed by John McLeod and Brian Sullivan. The article described a prototype and plans for commercial production, but does not by itself establish the extent to which those plans were completed.[5]

Later equipment documented by the magazine included the PMI .68 Magnum and National Survival Game Rapide.[1][7]

=== Safety and playing advice ===

''Front Line'' published tactical columns, introductory advice and equipment-safety information.

Contemporary advertisements and notices included guidance from [[JT Racing]] concerning the care of polycarbonate goggle lenses. In 1987, JT also offered to replace or modify certain lenses fitted with tear-off pins following reports that pins could be dislodged by impacts from markers operating at excessive velocities.[4][5]

Technical information published in the magazine was accompanied by a disclaimer stating that it reflected the experiences of individual contributors and had not necessarily been independently tested by the publisher.[3][4][5]