Tippmann SMG60
The Tippmann SMG60 is an iconic .62 cal paintball marker. Released in 1987 it was the world’s first full auto paintball marker in an era of pumps and bolt action markers. The unique feature of the SMG is its side mounted magazine that takes 3 x 5 round clips. Whilst 15 rounds may not seem a lot, back in 1987 it was comparable to the markers of the day. However being full auto you went through those rounds very very quickly.
The SMG60 (semi auto version) was a popular rental marker in Melbourne Australia in the late 1980s and I used one on many occasions. I found it frustrating to use and it wasn’t very reliable on the field which was probably due to poor maintenance. You also spent far too much time worrying about where the empty clips went because of the deposit you paid on each one.
One other issue with the SMG60 was the calibre. The SMG60 was in .62 which was losing market share to .68 calibre at the time. Tippmann did release the SMG68 to address this but the writing was on the wall for the SMG, larger gravity feed magazines had arrived.
Tippmanns next model was the 68 Special which was a gravity feed version of the SMG. In fact it was possible to convert SMGs to 68 Specials with a bit of machining and many rental fleets were converted this way.
Today the SMG60 is seen as a bit of a curiosity but it is an important part of paintball history. The SMG60 I have is an ex rental and fully functional but has been repainted at some point in its life.