It's Been a While...So Here's Something Cool

Sorry that it's been so long since I've updated, but we all know how life can be sometimes. But enough apologies. I have something cool for you all to see.

Anyone who has been halfway serious about airsoft for any length of time is familiar with Travis Haley, of the Magpul training videos fame (he's not the one with the beard, that's Chris Costa). In this video, Travis tells of the benefits of training for using airsoft in lieu of real steel. It's really informative and may give you some ammunition for those doubters and haters that says airsoft and real steel is all apples and oranges comparisons. There are some apples to apples benefits. Sorry paintball, you still don't rate.

The Review is in!

My last post I commented that I was going to test out 2 items during Operation Vigilance VI, those being the King Arms M4A1 MOE and the King Arms ODA Hook Sling. So here we go.

First the KA M4A1 MOE. I was initially impressed by how it looks. It's a high quality build, with the receivers having great coloring, full metal with excellent engraved trades. The Magpul PTS hardware is some of the most durable and sexy hardware available, IMO. I initially used a 9.6v 1600mah mini battery and it was a tight fit in the forward handguard. Rate of fire was respectable and it chrono'd with .20s at 347fps with the hop fully turned off. The range was respectable, with some long range kills made, until the hop adjustment dial creeped. Several times during the day I had to readjust it back into range. I will be adding a locking washer to the dial to keep it from creeping in the future. The hop unit itself is a high quality one piece metal that fits perfectly, providing a great air seal. Compression couldn't be better.

In the near future I will probably add a tighter barrel and play with the hop bucking and spacer to find what works best. This is in addition to the modification to the hop mentioned above. But all in all, out of the box this is a fantastic weapon, that if properly cared for should provide a lot of reliable service.

Next is the KA ODA Hook Sling. I'm always looking for a  new sling. The requirements I am always looking for is comfort, the ability to change shoulders easily, not have the sling get fouled in my other equipment, yet be out of the way when performing tasks or using my sidearm. This sling fits those requirements perfectly. In addition gone are the days of having the sling bite and chafe my neck all day.

I can't say enough good things about this sling. Granted, it may not be for everyone, but for us gear whores, it's a must buy. We're gonna try and procure some of these and get them into the store. They come in OD, Black and Tan.

Testing, Testing...

Happy Labor Day Weekend! I hope that all of you airsofters are spending quality time with family and friends, and hopefully able to trade some plastic this weekend. I know I have been fortunate to have an awesome wife that helps me make this a reality this weekend. With that out of the way, This weekend I'm going to test out some things, supplied by the Toy Box of Wisconsin.

First up will be a new King Arms M4A1 MOE. This beauty has the external and internal quality that King Arms is known for. In addition, the external hardware is authentic Magpul PTS. It's damn sexy and I'm going to really put it in through it's paces and report on the findings after the weekend is over. No, I haven't given up on the Magpul Masada, it's still my airsoft love, but I feel I owe it to people to use some other weapons from time to time.

Also, I will be testing out the King Arms ODA Hook Sling. This tasty piece of gear is just what I have been looking for. Light, functional and no neck rub. Fitting on my web gear, it keeps the weapon at the ready but out of the way. Playing with it a little after attaching, I think this is gonna be a winner, but it has to be really tested for sure. I'll also follow up after the weekend on this.

Until next time, play safe, enjoy being with family and friends, and don't forget that Labor Day celebrates the American worker, and all that they have given to help make us a great country. Workers made America, not banks and financiers.

If It Ain't Broke...FOLLOWUP

A buddy of mine posed a question about this previous post, wondering if it was about him, since he asked me to do some work on a couple of fuckered up gear boxes.  This post did not apply to you. But it is based on a real event. Bear with me a little bit, and you'll see why.

A man bought a new airsoft gun, and hadn't put more than 100 rounds through it and decided he wanted some upgrades. It was taken to another gunsmith, who talked him into a bunch of upgrades, that in my opinion weren't needed. The parts never worked together and after a couple of months, the gun was returned to the man, disassembled, and looking like a mechanical puzzle. At this point, the gun was brought to me, with two different stories and a lot of extra parts and ripped wiring.

Easy, breezy, I thought. Man, was I wrong. Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong, Old Murphy was having a field day with the generous application of his law. I don't normally believe in curses or anything else this crazy, but I honestly believe this gun needed to be exorcised by a priest. Eventually, through a whole shitload of work that would have been unnecessary had he not wanted unneeded upgrades. The gun now works perfectly, but it was not without a lot of cussing and popping of Tylenol.

I refuse to work on that accursed piece ever. I don't care if I see it or it's owner again.

Not the gun in question, but this one was a pain in the ass due to no fault of it's owner.

Why I Love Airsoft

Back in the day (yes, I'm old enough to say it and not mean last year), the late '80s and early '90s to be exact, I was a paintball player. But it wasn't the game as it is known to be today. It was far more mil-sim. Tactical. Fun. I don't find speedball to be fun. But that's just me.

I eventually found airsoft and it was perfect for me, and I hadn't even played my first game yet. The guns, the gear, everything was perfect for me. But that first game, man, I was hooked forever. It's been a few years now and I have no regrets. Just like when I was a kid with my brothers and we had the bb gun battles. Safety was unheard of then, and I'm really surprised no one was seriously injured. But now, run around in the woods, have bb gun battles and do so safely. What more could one ask for.

So what else do I love about airsoft?

1. The people. They are the greatest. Some of the most honorable and fun people I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Many are some of the funniest people I know. And they play for the love of the game, not to stroke their ego or act superior to someone else.
2. Nature. Yep, if you take the time, you get to be outside, get some sun, or rain. Sometimes catch a little wildlife, and hopefully appreciate the up-close view of nature that we sometimes forget about.
3. Exercise. Yep, I'm a fat guy, so exercise, good.
4. Really sweet airsoft replicas. So badass they are nearly indistinguishable from real steel.
5. Equality. On the field, and in the staging areas, everyone is equals. We are all brothers and sisters. Regardless of our backgrounds, jobs, race, education, socioeconomic level, religion or sexual orientation, we are equal. We are all there for the same reasons, primarily to have fun and hang out with others that love what we do.
6. You can shoot people and not go to jail. This is one of my personal favorites. 
7. Did I mention the people? They're great. They are some of the most helpful and compassionate people I know.

These are just some of my own personal reasons. You may have more of your own. Feel free to add them. It's a game, meant to be fun, and who you are having fun with is a big component. So harken back to your youth, shoot your brother in the ass, and know that it's being done safely.

The Wisconsin Asshats - Operation Plague 2010. Voted best Zombie Killer Loadout.

If It Ain't Broke...

I know that you know how to finish the title, but if not, it goes like this: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Rarely is this more true than in airsoft. For the most part, an airsoft gun is pretty finely tuned. Alll the internal parts are made to mesh together and work in harmony.

Many newer players fall under the spell of higher FPS and they want to increase the FPS with a spring change before they ever fire their first round through their new acquisition. Now there isn't anything inherently wrong with this, but once that gearbox is opened, any warranty is voided. In addition, once any part is changed internally, you run the risk of other parts not being compatible, increasing expense and frustration.

Personally, I would take an increase in accuracy and an increase in rate of fire over an increase in FPS. Accuracy for obvious reasons, no matter how fast the bbs are traveling, if they don't hit the target, it don't mean shit. ROF is pretty obvious too. More rounds equate to higher chances of hitting your target. ROF coupled with accuracy = WIN!

Some problems with the FPS allure:

• Heavier ammo needs to be used to stabilize the flight characteristics. Heavier ammo costs more and is slightly more difficult to obtain than .20 or .25 ammo.
• The most common way of increasing FPS is with a spring change. In most airsoft guns, you need to open the gearbox to do this, thereby voiding any warranty.
• Stronger springs will decrease the life of your internals and play hell with a gearbox. If the gearbox itself gets cracked, your repair prices begin to skyrocket.
• Your motor may not have the juice to pull your spring. Can you afford to have to buy a $100 motor, just to pull that $13 spring? If so, hats off to you. If not, well, you know.

Accuracy can be achieved with an inner barrel swap. This is an easy change most of the time and often times you can do it yourself. Just remember, the tighter the bore of the barrel, the more important it is to keep it clean. Just remember that inner barrels are not rifled like real steel barrels, so you can only do so much about accuracy. A tight barrel, tuned with the proper FPS and ammo weight combination can increase your chances of hitting your target.

Rate of fire can be increased most easily by using a battery with a higher discharge rate. A 9.6 or 10.8 can give you a much greater ROF than a stock 8.4. Lipos are a whole other subject I will more deeply address another time. Suffice it to say, they will beat the shit out of your gearbox internals, but ROF can be ridiculous.

In summation, enjoy your stock gun for a while, chances are it will do you good if you bought a high quality airsoft gun. Only then, after you learn the characteristics of your particular piece, should you look for upgrades. But if you don't know what you're doing, leave it the fuck alone. There's nothing like putting together and tuning a jigsaw puzzle that used to be a decent gun.

Parents, Kids and Safety

I thoroughly enjoy when young prospective airsofters come into the store and look and oogle the selection of 6mm spitters on the wall. They are the future of the sport, whether us that are long in the tooth want to admit it or not.

There is an interesting contrast between genders when the youngster is looking for his or her first airsoft gun. The mothers, while focused on the safety and cost to benefit ratios, allows the child to choose their own airsoft gun. The fathers tend to choose for the youngster, picking what he likes as opposed to what the child likes. When the kid is allowed to choose, the new airsoft gun does not get returned for not being liked. The gun that the father picks out many times gets returned and possibly exchanged, with the new airsofter being accompanied by the mother.

Another interesting contrast is the approach to safety by the parents. Mothers tend to be very focused on the safety aspects, injuries, force of impact, risk and how to play safely and avoid adverse outcomes. Fathers tend to ignore these aspects, one even stating that he knows all about guns and that he can teach his kid, arrogantly not realizing that some safety aspects are different between airsoft guns and real steel.

These are just a few observations and are in no way meant to disparage any gender, just putting out what I see on a continuous basis. With this in mind I have a few suggestions when easing the young'uns into the sport.

• Allow the child to choose the style of gun, with guidance and suggestions from the store staff.
• Make sure that adequate eye and face protection is provided for the child. If you want to be cheap with the gun, that's fine. Don't be cheap with your child's vision or teeth. That's just being a selfish dick.
• Ask plenty of questions of the salesperson. They will tell you everything you want to know, including local laws.
• Lastly, remember that an airsoft gun is not a toy. Even though sporting goods stores and big box stores market them as such, don't look at them in this way. There could be dire consequences. Treat them as you would a real firearm. Your child's health and safety depend upon it.
• Read the damn manual that comes with your new purchase. It will tell you all the basics of operation of the new airsoft gun. You would be surprised at what new questions can be answered just by reading.
• Treat any airsoft gun gently. It may feel heavy and badass, but they can be somewhat delicate. 

If we want the future of the sport to grow and grow safely, we should remember that it's about the kids, not the parents, but the parents have the responsibility to guide the child and help them become responsible and safe airsofters. Better yet, parents should become truly involved and play airsoft with the child. You will be surprised at how much fun it really is.

Bubba (left) and El Phantasamo at Operation Vigilance 5.