Editing Sheridan (section)

== History ==

=== Origins ===

Sheridan Products Inc. was established in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1945 by E. H. Wackerhagen and Robert Kraus.

The company began manufacturing pneumatic air rifles in 1947 and developed a reputation for its metal-bodied, precision-manufactured airguns.

In 1977, Sheridan was acquired by the Benjamin Air Rifle Company. The combined business subsequently operated under the Benjamin Sheridan name.[4][6]

Its experience manufacturing compressed-gas-powered airguns provided the engineering and production capabilities needed to develop equipment for the emerging sport of paintball.

=== Partnership with Pursuit Marketing Inc. ===

Sheridan entered the paintball industry through a partnership with Pursuit Marketing Inc., established by [[Jeff Perlmutter]] and David Freeman in 1982.

PMI sought an alternative to the Nelson marking pistols then used by players and commercial paintball fields.

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

According to Perlmutter's later account, the parties developed two prototype pistols: a top-loading design and a side-loading design.

The top-loading version was selected for commercial production.

The resulting marker was designated '''PG''', an abbreviation of Paint Gun.[1]

PMI entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Sheridan and marketed the resulting products to independent paintball field operators and retailers.

The relationship established Sheridan as an important equipment manufacturer during the early development of commercial paintball.[1]

=== Development of the PGP ===

The original PG was a bolt-action paintball pistol using a tubular magazine.

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

Sheridan introduced a factory pump-action version, known as the '''PGP''' or Paint Gun Pump.

The PGP incorporated a sliding pump handle and retained the compact construction and internal magazine of the original pistol.

It operated using disposable 12-gram CO₂ cartridges and became a widely recognised marker in stock-class paintball.[1][2]

Sheridan subsequently developed rifle-style markers using related operating mechanisms.

These included the PMI-1 and PMI-2, along with the KP-series rifles and later P68 variants.

=== Expansion during the late 1980s ===

Sheridan continued manufacturing markers for PMI during the late 1980s.

Its product range expanded beyond stock-class pistols and rifles to include equipment designed for larger paintball supplies and constant-air systems.

The company's stacked-tube construction, incorporating a separate barrel and lower valve assembly, provided a mechanical arrangement subsequently adapted by other paintball manufacturers.

The [[WGP Sniper]] pump marker and its semiautomatic successor, the [[Autococker]], incorporated elements derived from the Sheridan valve and hammer system.[2][3]

=== Semiautomatic markers ===

Sheridan and PMI subsequently developed semiautomatic paintball equipment.

One of the most widely documented examples was the '''PMI-3''', also marketed as the '''VM-68'''.

The VM-68 was a .68-calibre, open-bolt blowback marker using a CO₂-powered semiautomatic mechanism.

It was marketed as an alternative to other early semiautomatic markers, including the Tippmann 68 Special.

Contemporary equipment references described the VM-68 as a heavy but durable marker, with extensive aftermarket modification options.[2][3]

Sheridan also produced the '''Equalizer''', a semiautomatic marker identified in historical equipment records as the SPG-1000.

The Equalizer was documented in 1993 and used a different internal operating system from the VM-68.[7]

=== Acquisition by Crosman ===

In 1992, Crosman Corporation acquired Benjamin Sheridan, including its paintball manufacturing operations and associated designs.

The acquisition brought Sheridan's established paintball products under Crosman's ownership.[5]

In 1994, Crosman consolidated Benjamin Sheridan's manufacturing operations from Racine, Wisconsin, into its facilities at East Bloomfield, New York.[4]

The Sheridan name continued to be associated with paintball markers following the acquisition.

In 1998, Crosman established a dedicated '''Sheridan Paintball''' division as part of an expansion of its paintball equipment business.[4]

During the early 2000s, Crosman also developed and distributed paintball equipment through the '''Game Face''' brand.

The company's later corporate history identified Sheridan Paintball and Game Face as successive stages in its involvement with the paintball industry.[4][8]