Editing Alien


'''Alien Paintball''' was an American [[paintball equipment]] manufacturer founded by [[Jack Rice]]. The company developed electronically operated tournament [[paintball marker]]s, including the [[Alien Interceptor]], [[Alien Remains]], [[Alien Independence]], [[Alien Invasion]] and [[Alien Deception]].

Alien was known for developing unconventional pneumatic operating systems, including its Sweep Bolt and Sweep Valve arrangements and the later Morph Valve. Its earliest project, the [[Alien Revelation]], was an experimental boltless marker developed during the early 2000s.[1][2]

== History ==

=== Origins and Revelation ===

Jack Rice began developing the company's first marker, originally known as the A1 or Alien 1, around 2002.

The project subsequently became known as the Revelation. It featured an unconventional boltless design using a mechanically operated breech door to load paintballs into the firing chamber.

Rice worked with machinist Duane Parsons, who contributed computer-aided design and machining work to the project.[1]

The Revelation was publicly exhibited at the [[International Amateur Open]] in July 2003.

Contemporary reporting by [[WARPIG]] documented Rice demonstrating the marker at the event's industry conference, where it was presented as a new electronic design featuring a compact body and unusual feeding system.[3]

Development continued following its public demonstration.

Although approximately 100 Revelation bodies were manufactured, problems with the revised breech mechanism prevented the design from entering normal commercial distribution.

Rice and Parsons subsequently abandoned the boltless configuration in favour of a more conventional stacked-tube electronic marker.[1]

=== Interceptor ===

The resulting [[Alien Interceptor]] was introduced in 2005.

The Interceptor incorporated an electronically controlled pneumatic ram, a conventional moving bolt and Alien's proprietary Sweep Air System.

The system was designed to direct compressed air around and beneath the paintball during firing, with the manufacturer's literature claiming improvements in consistency and trajectory.[1][4]

The Interceptor was used in professional paintball during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

Players associated with [[Miami Effect]] and [[New England Hurricanes]] were among those documented using or testing Alien equipment during this period.[1][5]

=== Remains and Independence ===

Alien expanded its marker range with the [[Alien Remains]] in 2006.

The Remains retained the company's electronically controlled, open-bolt operating arrangement, including an integrated ram and solenoid assembly.

The design placed the ram assembly outside the main marker body, allowing a compact receiver configuration.[5]

Alien subsequently developed the [[Alien Independence]], which was publicly demonstrated in 2006 and 2007 before the introduction of the 2008 model.

The Independence featured a revised body, integrated feed neck, redesigned ram assembly and other improvements.

VintageRex catalogues both the 2008 and 2009 versions of the Independence.[6]

The company continued developing and marketing the Independence through 2010.

In February 2010, Alien announced a sponsorship agreement with professional team [[Sacramento XSV]], whose players were to use the 2010 Independence during the tournament season.

The announcement also identified [[Kee Action Sports]] as a distributor of Alien markers.[7]

=== Invasion ===

The [[Alien Invasion]] followed in 2011.

It replaced the Independence as the company's principal marker design and incorporated a hoseless air system, eliminating the external air line connecting the regulator and air-source adaptor.

The Invasion retained a pneumatic operating arrangement related to the earlier Independence platform.

VintageRex records the marker with either Virtue or Hater electronic control boards.[6]

Contemporary marketing during 2012 advertised the Invasion at approximately US$599, positioning it below the company's earlier high-end electronic models.[8]

=== Deception ===

Alien subsequently developed the [[Alien Deception]], a redesigned electronic marker introduced during the mid-2010s.

The Deception incorporated the company's new Morph Valve, which combined characteristics of conventional poppet and spool-valve systems.

Unlike a conventional poppet valve requiring the hammer to overcome pressure holding a valve face closed, the Morph Valve used a balanced sliding spool arrangement.

This reduced the force required to open the firing valve and allowed a lighter pneumatic ram.[9]

The Deception was exhibited at Paintball Extravaganza in 2014 and reviewed by ''Paintball Magazine'' in June 2015.[9]

The manufacturer's operating manual documented its electronic firing system, Morph Valve and Sweep Bolt technology.[10]

== Paintball markers ==

Alien produced several electronic paintball markers between the early 2000s and mid-2010s.

The following list includes the principal documented models and variants.

{| class="wikitable"
! Marker
! Documented year
! Description
|-
| [[Alien Revelation]]
| 2003
| Experimental boltless electronic marker using a breech door mechanism. Did not enter normal commercial distribution.
|-
| [[Alien Interceptor]]
| 2005
| Electronic stacked-tube marker incorporating the Sweep Air System.
|-
| [[Alien Remains]]
| 2006
| Electronic marker featuring an externally mounted integrated ram and solenoid assembly.
|-
| [[Alien Independence]]
| 2008
| Revised electronic marker developed from the Interceptor and Remains platforms.
|-
| [[Alien Independence|Independence 09]]
| 2009
| Updated version of the Independence.
|-
| [[Alien Invasion]]
| 2011
| Electronic marker featuring a hoseless air system.
|-
| [[Alien Deception]]
| 2014
| Electronic marker incorporating the Morph Valve and Sweep Bolt.
|}

VintageRex lists the Independence, Independence 08, Independence 09, Interceptor, Invasion and Remains. The Revelation and Deception are documented in other contemporary and historical sources.[1][6][9]

== Technology ==

=== Sweep Air System ===

Alien developed a firing system incorporating a specially designed bolt and valve intended to control the movement of compressed air around the paintball.

The system was marketed as the Sweep Air System and incorporated components referred to as the Sweep Valve and Sweep Bolt.

The manufacturer claimed that the arrangement reduced turbulence and improved paintball trajectory.

These performance claims were part of Alien's marketing and should not be treated as independently demonstrated improvements over competing equipment.[4]

=== Independent ram design ===

The Interceptor, Remains and Independence used variations of an electronically controlled pneumatic ram arrangement.

The design separated the ram assembly from the main firing valve and positioned the ram and solenoid together in a compact module.

Jack Rice received United States patents relating to structurally independent pneumatic ram assemblies and high-efficiency airflow systems.

Patent 7,258,114 was issued on 21 August 2007, followed by Patent 7,490,598 on 17 February 2009.[11]

=== Morph Valve ===

The Morph Valve was introduced with the Deception.

It used an impacted, balanced spool arrangement in place of a conventional poppet valve.

The design reduced the opening force required from the pneumatic ram and incorporated a sliding O-ring seal.

Alien promoted the system as a means of producing a quieter, smoother firing cycle while maintaining gas efficiency.[9][10]

== Tournament involvement ==

Alien supplied equipment to professional and amateur tournament teams during the 2000s and early 2010s.

The Interceptor and Remains were used by players associated with professional teams during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

In 2010, the company announced that [[Sacramento XSV]], captained by [[Rich Telford]], would compete using the Independence.

The agreement included participation in the [[Paintball Sports Promotions]] and [[National Professional Paintball League]] tournament circuits.[7]

== See also ==

* [[Alien Revelation]]
* [[Alien Interceptor]]
* [[Alien Remains]]
* [[Alien Independence]]
* [[Alien Invasion]]
* [[Alien Deception]]
* [[Sacramento XSV]]
* [[List of vintage paintball markers and equipment]]
* [[History of paintball equipment]]

== References ==

# [https://paintballhistory.com/lapco/ Paintball History, "Production Alien Revelation 002", 11 July 2017. Historical research incorporating interviews with Duane Parsons and original development records].
# [https://www.peculiarpaintball.com/manufacturers/alien/revelation/ Peculiar Paintball, "Alien Revelation", historical technical description].
# [https://warpig.com/paintball/tournament/iao/2003/industryconf/index.shtml WARPIG, "2003 International Amateur Open Industry Conference", July 2003].
# [https://patents.justia.com/patent/7258114 United States Patent 7,258,114, "Paintball marker featuring a structurally independent ram", issued 21 August 2007].
# [https://pbhub.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16355 68Caliber.com, "The Alien Remains", contemporary 2006 review reproduced in a Paintball Hub discussion].
# [https://www.vintagerex.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=viewdb&man=Alien VintageRex, "Alien", historical manufacturer and marker catalogue].
# [https://paintballheadlines.com/2010/02/09/xsv-to-shoot-with-alien/ Paintball Headlines, "XSV to Shoot with Alien", manufacturer announcement, 9 February 2010].
# [https://primepaintball.blogspot.com/2012/ PRIME Paintball, contemporary advertising and promotion of the Alien Invasion, January 2012].
# [https://viewer.joomag.com/paintball-magazine-june-2015-issue/0642606001433073982/p118 Paintball Magazine, "The New Alien Deception", June 2015, pp. 118–119].
# [https://www.orings-online.net/documents/manuals/alien/Deception_Manual.pdf Alien Paintball, "Deception Owner's Manual", technical description of the Morph Valve and operating system].
# [https://patents.justia.com/inventor/jack-v-rice Justia Patents, "Jack V. Rice", United States patent records for paintball marker technology].

== External links ==

* [https://www.vintagerex.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=viewdb&man=Alien Alien at VintageRex]
* [https://www.peculiarpaintball.com/manufacturers/alien/ Alien manufacturer archive at Peculiar Paintball]
* [https://www.peculiarpaintball.com/manufacturers/alien/revelation/ Alien Revelation technical archive]
* [https://paintballheadlines.com/category/markers/alien/ Alien Paintball historical news coverage]

[[Category:Paintball manufacturers]]
[[Category:American paintball companies]]
[[Category:Paintball equipment manufacturers]]