Daystate
Daystate is a British airgun manufacturer that formerly produced paintball markers, including compressed-air pump markers used in the United Kingdom during the 1980s and mechanical semi-automatic markers manufactured during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Its paintball products included the Ultimarc pump marker series, SAM Patriot, TFX-2000 and Phoenix. Daystate's early compressed-air equipment was used by the British Skirmish paintball network, while its later semi-automatic markers were distributed in Britain and overseas.[1][2]
History
[edit]Early paintball manufacturing
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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.
Paintball markers
[edit]The VintageRex database identifies five distinct Daystate marker models.[2]
| Marker | Documented period | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot | Catalogue year 1992 | Listed as pump-action | Montneel-style .68-calibre marker; the precise identity of the separately catalogued pump model remains uncertain. |
| SAM Patriot | 1993–1997 | Mechanical semi-automatic | Open-bolt blowback marker derived from Montneel designs. |
| Elite | Unknown | Mechanical semi-automatic | .68-calibre marker documented with a Montneel-style valve system. |
| TFX-2000 | 1997–1999 | Mechanical semi-automatic | Revised Patriot-style marker with square receiver and distinctive internal cocking arrangement. |
| Phoenix | 2000–2003 | Mechanical semi-automatic | Successor to the TFX-2000, subsequently marketed under the Venom name. |
The earlier Mark I, Mark II and Ultimarc Mark III pump markers are documented separately in historical British paintball publications and equipment research.[1]
Patriot catalogue discrepancy
[edit]VintageRex contains separate entries for the Patriot and SAM Patriot.
The Patriot entry is dated to 1992 and describes a pump-action marker, while the SAM Patriot entry is dated to 1993 and describes a semi-automatic marker.[2][4]
However, the original advertisement attached to the Patriot record identifies the illustrated equipment as the SAM Patriot ATP and explicitly describes it as semi-automatic.[5]
The available evidence therefore does not establish that the advertised Patriot was a separate pump-action product.
The distinction between these catalogue entries requires further documentation.
SAM Patriot specifications
[edit]An original manufacturer advertisement provides the following specifications for the SAM Patriot ATP.[5]
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Daystate Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Calibre | .68 |
| Action | Open-bolt mechanical semi-automatic |
| Operating system | Blowback |
| Barrel length | 9½ inches |
| Overall length | 19¼ inches |
| Weight | 2 lb 7 oz |
| Feed arrangement | Power feed |
| Barrel construction | Brass-lined |
| Original advertised price | US$255 without case; US$275 with case |
The advertisement also documented a modular valve assembly, quick-release barrel arrangement and an 18-month manufacturer's warranty.
It identified the manufacturer at Newcastle Street, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 8JU, England, and Pro Star Sports as the exclusive American distributor.[5]
Elite
[edit]The Elite is listed in VintageRex as a .68-calibre mechanical semi-automatic marker using a Montneel-style valve system.
The catalogue records direct feed, a removable barrel and constant-air operation.[9]
However, its production date, original price and relationship to the Patriot series have not been established.
TFX-2000
[edit]The TFX-2000 was a .68-calibre mechanical semi-automatic marker.
VintageRex describes its valve system as Montneel-derived and identifies an unusual internal cocking mechanism in which the bolt linkage passed through the centre of the valve.[7]
The TFX-2000 was offered in several finishes, including:
- Black.
- Silver.
- Green and gold splash.
- Purple and gold splash.
The marker used a removable barrel and constant-air supply.
Phoenix
[edit]The Phoenix was a later development of the TFX-2000.
Its documented differences included a centre-feed arrangement replacing the earlier power feed, revised body machining and alternative mounting positions for external air connections.[8]
The Phoenix also omitted the distinctive side milling found on the TFX-2000.
Later versions were marketed as the Phoenix V-1, Phoenix Venom and Venom.
Relationship with Montneel Designs
[edit]Daystate's later semi-automatic markers were influenced by the American Montneel Designs marker platform.
VintageRex's historical account of Montneel identifies the Daystate Patriot as an English-manufactured derivative of the original Montneel system.[6]
The account describes improvements to the bolt arrangement and fasteners.
The TFX-2000 and Phoenix retained elements of the same operating system while introducing changes to the receiver and cocking mechanism.
These mechanical similarities establish a design relationship but do not independently establish a licensing or corporate relationship between Daystate and Montneel Designs.
Historical documentation
[edit]Daystate's involvement in British paintball is documented through contemporary magazines, manufacturer advertising and surviving equipment.
The earliest markers are particularly notable for their use of integral compressed-air reservoirs before modern regulated high-pressure air systems became common in paintball.
In 2012, Daniel Bacci published a detailed examination of surviving early Daystate equipment, incorporating photographs, contemporary magazine material and interviews with former players and equipment specialists.[1]
The research also investigated similarities between Daystate markers and equipment marketed under the Splatoon name by License to Thrill.
Although the equipment shared mechanical features, the precise manufacturing relationship has not been conclusively established.
The later Patriot, TFX-2000 and Phoenix markers are documented in VintageRex and surviving manufacturer promotional material.
See also
[edit]- Montneel Designs
- Skirmish
- Pump paintball
- Compressed air in paintball
- Paintball in the United Kingdom
- List of vintage paintball markers and equipment
References
[edit]- Daniel Bacci, "Daystate UK's Pumps (c. 1985–1991?)", Paintball History, 8 September 2012. Includes contemporary Paintball Monthly and Paintball Sports International material and interviews with Olly Bell.
- VintageRex, "Daystate", historical manufacturer catalogue.
- Companies House, "Daystate Limited", company number 01395286, incorporated 23 October 1978.
- VintageRex, "Sam Patriot", historical marker record.
- Daystate Ltd, "SAM Patriot ATP", original manufacturer advertisement and specifications, preserved by VintageRex.
- VintageRex, "Montneel Designs", manufacturer history discussing the Daystate Patriot and its relationship to the Montneel platform.
- VintageRex, "TFX-2000", historical marker record.
- VintageRex, "Phoenix", historical marker record.
- VintageRex, "Elite", historical marker record.
