Tagline Paintball

Tagline Paintball, originally Tagline Incorporated, was an American paintball marker manufacturer established in 1994. The company was best known for the Tagline TS-1, a mechanically operated, magazine-fed paintball marker designed by Brian Sullivan. Tagline was acquired in 1997 and renamed Advanced Tactical Systems (ATS), which continued developing the technology for recreational paintball and military and law-enforcement training.[1][2]

History

Establishment

Tagline Incorporated was established in 1994. Its principal product was the TS-1, designed by Brian Sullivan as an alternative to conventional hopper-fed paintball markers.[1]

The TS-1 used a detachable magazine and a mechanically driven feed system, allowing paintballs to be loaded without a hopper mounted above the marker.

Its rifle-style appearance and magazine feeding arrangement distinguished it from most contemporary recreational paintball markers.[1][3]

Tournament presence

By October 1996, Tagline was exhibiting the TS-1 at the NPPL World Cup in Orlando, Florida.

Contemporary WARPIG reporting documented the marker's selectable firing modes and its use in semi-automatic configuration for tournament play.

At the event, Tagline introduced a flip-top foregrip loader with a capacity of approximately 200 paintballs, addressing the limited capacity of its original magazine system. The company also exhibited integrated bottom-line air configurations and camouflage finishes.[3]

At the 1997 Zap International Amateur Open, Tagline exhibited an experimental shortened TS-1 developed by company representative Paul Sedler. The company also demonstrated a modified loading system incorporating ViewLoader components.[4]

Acquisition by Advanced Tactical Systems

In 1997, Maureen Steinwall acquired Tagline Incorporated and renamed the business Advanced Tactical Systems (ATS).[1]

Under ATS ownership, the original marker technology was developed into additional models for military and law-enforcement training, as well as recreational paintball.

The ATS range included the AT-85, a magazine-fed marker derived from the earlier TS-1 design.[1][5]

The Tagline name subsequently disappeared as the principal identity of the manufacturer.

Tagline TS-1

The TS-1 was a gas-operated, semi-automatic paintball marker incorporating a detachable magazine and a mechanically driven paintball feeding system.

Its magazine used a revolving conveyor mechanism that advanced paintballs into the breech as the marker cycled.

Unlike conventional gravity-fed markers, the TS-1 did not require a top-mounted hopper for its standard configuration.[6]

The marker also incorporated a pneumatic recocking system and a selectable firing mechanism.

Brian Sullivan's related United States patent 5,771,875, filed on 28 April 1995 and granted on 30 June 1998, documented the gas-powered repeating mechanism and conveyor-based projectile feeding arrangement.[6]

Later development

The TS-1 design became the basis for subsequent Advanced Tactical Systems markers.

Historical examples of the Tagline TS-1 and ATS AT-85 have been preserved by paintball collectors and museums, including the German Paintball Museum.[5]

The original Tagline business is distinct from the subsequent ATS product range, although the two share a common design history.

References