1983
Indiana
- 1983 Tippmann Arms Company started Dennis Tippmann and his brother Martin Tippmann
– Tippmann Arms Company - Dennis Tippmann manufactured half-scale machine guns
– June 27, 1984 the original semiautomatic-only Tippmann was approved by BATF
– 1919 and the 1917 models - January 1985 appeared on the cover of Guns & Ammo
- 1986 change in gun laws led to entry into the paintball market
- June 24, 1987 Tippmann Arms Company was purchased by F.J. Vollmer and Company of Plainfield, IL
- September 13, 2001 Eric Graetz of Lakeside Machine in Pound Wisconsin purchased Tippmann Arms from F.J. Vollmer and Company
- 2015 started as Tippmann Armory
https://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=164
Tippmann
2955 Adams Center Road
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46803
1-800-533-4831
About Tippmann Arms Company
Tippmann Arms Company was founded in 1983 by Dennis Tippmann and his brother Martin to build working half-scale replicas of Browning machine guns. The first models were the Model 1917 and Model 1919, chambered in .22 Long Rifle so they were cheap and easy to shoot. ATF approved the semi-automatic-only design on June 27, 1984. In January 1985 the company added a half-scale M2HB “.50 caliber” model in .22 Magnum. The line also offered tripods and belt-loading machines.
Tippmann built both semi-automatic and fully automatic versions. Before the 1986 Firearm Owners Protection Act closed the machine gun registry to new civilian guns, the company made 123 full-auto Model 1919s and about 42 to 44 full-auto .50-caliber models. Those transferable miniatures are now prized collector pieces. With the full-auto market closed, Dennis Tippmann moved into paintball, which is where the Tippmann name is best known today. F.J. Vollmer and Company of Plainfield, Illinois bought Tippmann Arms on June 24, 1987. Eric Graetz of Lakeside Machine bought it on September 13, 2001 and kept making semi-automatic miniatures and parts.
Key Facts
- 1983: Founded by Dennis and Martin Tippmann
- June 27, 1984: ATF approved the semi-automatic half-scale design
- January 1985: Half-scale M2HB model added
- 1986: Machine gun registry closed to new civilian guns; full-auto production ended
- June 24, 1987: Purchased by F.J. Vollmer and Company
- September 13, 2001: Purchased by Eric Graetz of Lakeside Machine
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Sources
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