I always enjoy seeing the connections between various companies / manufacturers and finding links between companies that might explain why two parts share a similar style. Or finding out that a well known company made certain parts for another company (both happens frequently in paintball).
And here is one example, pictured top is a Circle Autococker thread Paintball barrel which Paul Schreck of Circle Paintball gave me a few months back. He told me they didn’t get too many made and that Brahim Estephan (of OTP) made them.
Bottom is one of Brahim’s OTP barrels in the same style but with different cuts.
I had been meaning to post photos of this Circle Autococker barrel since Paul gave it to me a while back, it’s a neat barrel in a flat black with Paul’s Circle logo engraved. Of course I procrastinated though…
My procrastinating paid off, since last month, as Benji Silverstein was showing me a load of random gear he picked up, I noticed an OTP barrel close to the same style as the Circle barrel I received from Paul.
Paul barrel is a flat black. The OTP barrel is a gloss black.
The Logos are roughly the same size. Paul’s circle barrel is brand new though and the OTP barrel shows a little use. Both backs are cocker threaded. Circle made a variety of Autococker accessories so it would make sense they had some barrels made but I don’t know if backs were made for any other threads.
At around the time this kit was made, Circle was sponsoring the Bushwackers who were shooting Autocockers as a WGP sponsored team. It’s possible the Bushwackers were using these on their Karnivours.
This was also part of the reason that Circle ended up making Neoprene Shrouds and neoprene vert feedneck covers. Ron Kilbourne, captain of the ‘Wackers, and Paul envisioned these items for the Karnivours and with Paul’s help it was made possible.
I believe OTP also made the barrels (and some of the parts) for system X Autocockers and Hybrid Autocockers.