Originally Posted by
Tiberius Arms
To all of our valued customers,
Like us, many field operators, promoters, and mag-fed paintball players were taken by surprise this week when an announcement was made that some insurers no longer cover the use of First Strike projectiles.
Knowing the internet has the strange, unexplainable power to create “facts” we felt it important to provide some background information.
First Strike has been in use since 2009, with thousands of players and events safely using the product to add a new level of enjoyment to the sport of paintball. Like any manufacturer, the safety of our products is of primary importance and despite statements to the contrary, First Strike has been subject to a multitude of performance and safety tests.
In order to put this in context, it is important to first understand what the ASTM is and how their system works.
First, ASTM standards are created after products are developed and brought to market, not before. Case in point, the sport of paintball was created in 1982 with the first ASTM standard related to an actual paintball not publishing until 1999…over 17 years later.
Second, the ASTM is not a regulatory agency, and does not offer testing or certification services. More simply, they establish uniform guidelines and testing procedures that manufacturers can use to help create a product that is viewed as generally acceptable (as defined by the peer group assigned to a given product committee).
Third, despite statements to the contrary, Tiberius Arms has been in contact with the ASTM regarding First Strike since before the product was ever launched (2009). In fact, standards that changed shortly after the product release would have allowed us to bring the product to market about a year sooner! Further, we worked hard to maintain established ASTM standards during our design and consider that effort very successful. In the end, the only First Strike specification that didn’t conform to the ASTM standards was the shape, which is obviously necessary to achieve the performance advantages First Strike provides.
Fourth, our CEO George Eurick is, and has been an active member of the ASTM paintball committee.
Finally, like any product that breaks the mold of existing standards it takes time for new standards to be created. In light of the 17 years it took to establish a standard for paintballs it is obviously not a quick process. In truth, for some time now the ASTM has had an active work item on their docket to establish a standard for First Strike and similar future products. This work item was based largely on our request, and the testing data we have supplied.
Since their inception First Strike have spurred product line growth and innovation in an industry where it is desperately needed.
KEE, DYE, Tippmann, Kingman, Carmatech, Lapco, Hammerhead, Milsig, and many others I am probably forgetting have released products that feature First Strike. Countless teams, leagues and field owners have based new and exciting games around them.
It is regrettable that instead of acknowledging the contribution our Company has made to the industry people have chosen to make false and baseless claims that testing hasn’t been performed, or the ASTM has been ignored in an effort to save money or hide something.
We look forward to the ASTM work item hitting the ballot this summer and putting to rest the significant misinformation that has been exaggerated by so many self-interested parties. In the meantime we stand by our product, player’s, and fields and will make certain First Strike continues to lead the mag-fed paintball revolution!
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