Operation Airsoft

Received this today in my email from Popular Airsoft Magazine: First off I’m extremely excited to see how this goes and would love to make my way down to participate watch. 

It’s all systems go for us for the first World Airsoft Tournament and Asia’s International Airsoft Event Gathering. Rapier 01: World Airsoft Challenge and the Kami Wars: Conflict Begins have been given permission to start preparations for two of the biggest airsoft events this year. The events shall be held at the Clark Freeport Zone in the Philippines from the 27th until the 30th of November 2009.

There is high anticipation for these events in the Philippines since it will be the first time for the country to hold international events for airsoft ever since Airsoft has been given legal credence through the IRR issued by the Philippine National Police.

Now, it’s time for them to show what the country has in store for players from around the world. RAPIER 01: WORLD AIRSOFT CHALLENGE

There are already initial countries with teams, such as those from the United Kingdom, United States, and the Philippines already preparing for the first World Airsoft Tournament. These teams have gone through a selection process through the Thunderstrike (UK), Enduro Challenge US, and Ratratan (PH). Other tournament organisers and teams from around the world are also invited to send their representatives which are limited to three (3) teams from each country.

The challenges for these teams are combination of force-on-force and combat missions for two days. Only one team shall emerge the world champion. We are expecting teams from South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. Countries from Europe and South East Asia will also be sending their own teams too.

KAMI WARS: CONFLICT BEGINS With a compelling story based on myths and actual historical events, Kami Wars: Conflict Begins is an international milsim event that will happen for the first time in Asia. The event shall be hold at multiple places with the Clark Free Port Zone being the focal point. Over 1,000 players are expected to participate in this event.

Airsoft players from around the world are invited to participate in this event. Rapier 01 Teams are also participating in this event.

PHILIPPINES: A PERFECT HOST The Philippines has a very competitive airsoft community with airsoft tournaments and events happening all over the archipelago. Coupled with the “Fiesta” mentality of Filipinos, airsoft events have always been lively and colourful. Raffle prizes, an all night party, and lots of activities await players of all sizes and loadouts.

WHERE TO GET INFORMATION All interested individuals, teams, companies, and organisations can point their browsers to http://events.popularairsoft.com to update themselves on information with regards to these two events. FAQs, travel guidance, and forum has now been put into place at the website. You need to register first in order to book yourself a slot for the Kami Wars and participate in the discussions in the forums.

If you need to ask some questions, just send us an email at events@popularairsoft.com.

See you in the Philippines in November!

Rapier 01 Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2Vd5Gkv5_c

I’ll be ordering a bag of these bad boys for testing and post the results ASAP! Should be definately interesting!

Well folks, I apologize for not being able to post the last couple of days. It seems the wonderful weather decided to change. 

Below zero temps tend to mess with satellite Internet. BUT the point of this blog is, lets talk about Airsoft and Cold weather. 

Something I’ve always faced in playing Airsoft is weather. Being in Wyoming the weather can change on a dime here. So we are always prepared, and some of the best skirmishes I’ve ever played in where in the pouring rain, snow, high winds etc. Most of you are saying “That’s Crazy!” but in reality its good training and alots of fun if your prepared for the weather. 

A Few precautions we take for weather. 

1. Every one of us typically carry some type of rain gear. Most of use have the Military Issue Gortex Jackets, we keep them in our vehicle or a “Jump Pack”, they are a bit pricey but if you cant afford a Gortex Jacket, get a poncho. I carry both actually typically my poncho is on my vest in case I cant get to my vehicle before the weather gets nasty. 

a Desert Gortex Jacket with night camoflauge on the reverse side.

Military Poncho, easily carried in a cargo pocket

These two pieces of gear can increase your playability and just over all feeling of security. They are light weight easy to carry and very effective against most types of weather. As well as come in a variety of patterns and designs. 

2. Water. People underestimate this item all to often. Almost every one of the guys I skirmish with carry a 1 quart canteen on there gear. Yes.. I know “What about a camelback!” Well you have to remember.. Water freezes at 35 degree’s and below. Camelbacks arent designed for that low of temperature. Most Military Canteens can withstand 35 to 20 degree weather before the water is completely frozen. Hydration in all weather types are important. 

3. Gloves. Keeping your hands warm and dry is one of the most important aspects of skirmishing. Not only does a good pair of gloves give you protection from bb’s but they offer grip and flexibility. 

4. Dry Socks. Feet are the cadillac’s of the Infantryman. If your not keeping them dry and warm. you may as well go home. Carry an extra pair of socks in your gear. 

5. WaterProof Boots. Boots these days are made to be waterproof, water resistant, water repellent. etc. Get a pair of good fitting boots, broken in. Try to get a pair that are Gortex Rated. Bates have Infantry Combat Boots out that are very good in the field. 

Bates Gortex Rated Infantry Combat Boots

Make sure your gear is rated for the weather you may be facing. If your cold wet and miserable your fun will be drastically decreased. 

If your weapon siezes to fire.. well that ends that. So what can you do to increase your weapons ability to operate in Cold Weather? 

Remember Water Freezes at 32 to 35 Degree’s F (0 degree’s C). That same can be said about your Grease and moving parts in your AEG/AEP/GBB/NBB. 

Grease can freeze just the same as other materials. So prolonged exposure to cold temperature can cause the grease to thicken, as it thickens it causes your motor to work harder, as your motor works harder the grease causes the gears in your gear box to stiffen causing an battery drain. Over all effect? You can burn out your motor, break your gears/piston, weaken your spring, freeze up your gbb/nbb magazine. 

With this said, it is possible to play in cold weather but the best suggestion is use stock weapons. Upgraded weapons have more stress on their motors and gears. When your done playing in cold weather warm the weapons slowly and regrease them if you are comfortable with that. If not have  proffesional Airsmith do it for you. 

Over all it can be a great time of skirmishing if your prepared for any type of weather. I sit right now looking out my window at over 1 foot of snow and plan on going out to skirmish soon! 

See you on the field.

Yesterday I had the joy of actually getting out and getting some trigger time. I figured I’d share some of those images from our small training/skirmish time with you all. 

Scanning for targets.

Engaging an on coming assault force.

Laying down some surpressing fire with the SAW

Just a few of the shots from our 8 hours of training/skirmishing.  A lot of fun, and great shots where taken both with a camera and with our weapons. 

We where also able to test out a few new pistols and I’ll be posting up some reviews shortly. One of the most impressive though was the Tanaka S&W M500. or as my team dubed it “The Dirty Harry” 

Everytime we get together and go out we always have a great time. And to us thats whats Airsoft is all about. Fun Safety and Honor. 

S/F and Carry on!

So doing a little looking around and I found something interesting. 

There are a lot of terms used in Airsoft that a lot of people have no idea what they mean. 

So with out further adieu.

I present +Clayton+ from ASF.com Glossary of Airsoft Terms. 

==========
Basic Terms 
==========
AEG – (Directly from Wikipedia) Electric-powered airsoft guns typically use a rechargeable battery to drive an electric motor, which cycles an internal piston/spring assembly in order to launch pellets. Automatic and semi-automatic operation is possible which gives these guns the popular name “automatic electric guns” or AEGs. These guns often attain muzzle velocities between 150 and 500 ft/s (60 to 150 m/s) and rates of fire of between 100 and 2000 rounds per minute. They are the most commonly used and widely available type of airsoft gun.

AEP – (Directly from Wikipedia) Automatic Electric Pistols, abbreviated AEPs, was first introduced by Tokyo Marui in 2005 with their Glock 18C (followed later by a Beretta 93R model). They were the first handguns to incorporate an electric powered system that is capable of fully-automatic operation.

In cold weather, AEPs are often considered as a better sidearm than a gas powered pistol, because batteries are not as badly affected by frigid weather. Gases like CO2 and green gas are stored in liquid form and require heat in order to vaporize. A gas pistol at 10 °F will usually only get one to two usable shots from a full magazine and these will be at reduced power because of the lowered pressure of the gas.

CQB – Close quarters combat. Found in indoor environments such as old warehouses, specified playing fields, training facilities, etc. The weapons are usually in their carbine, or smaller, form to remain maneuverable in tight-quarters environments such as a staircase or hallway.

GBB – Gas blow back. Usually in the form of handguns, gas blowback guns are powered by Co2 or Propane. These airsoft replicas are named due to their unique effect of realistic recoil, using the power of gasses.

MOUT – (Directly from Wikipedia) The United States military term for urban warfare is UO an abbreviation for Urban Operations (MOUT, an abbreviation for Military Operations in Urban Terrain has been replaced by UO although the term MOUT Site is still in use).

NBB – Non-blowback. Usually in the form of handguns, non-blowback guns are normally run by Co2 capsules, and are very gas efficient. These models do not normally have a realistic recoil effect, but they can save money, by using less gas.

Operation – Usually a very large event consisting of 30 or more people with a planned scenario and occurrence of events. These can cost from a basic operation of $25 or a large military simulation operation costing about $230.

Skirmish – A small airsoft event usually with a small entrance fee of $20 or less. People in attendance usually range from 4 to 20 people total for skirmishes or pickup games.

==========
Gear Terms 
==========

BDU – Battle dress uniform. Often referred to as “BDUs”, “Camouflage”, “Cammies”, etc. Basically the clothing that you wear to designate your nationality, country that you are representing, or team color.

High Capacity Magazine (Hi-Cap) – A “Hi-Cap” is a magazine with a wheel on the bottom that can hold about 400-600 rounds and when the wheel is spun, more BBs can be loaded into the magazine. Usually not intended for Mil-Sim events and they are normally not allowed.

Low-Capacity Magazine (Low-Cap/Real-Cap) – “Low-Caps” or “Real-Caps” usually only hold the same amount of ammunition as a real firearm. These are most commonly used in high-profile airsoft events where military simulation is at the top of their lists of priorities.

Magazine – The magazine commonly referred to as a “mag”. A magazine is an often metal, sometimes plastic, device that holds the BBs needed to fire the airsoft replica.

Mid-Capacity Magazine (Mid-Cap) – A “Mid-Cap” Magazine can normally hold from 70-150 BBs, and must be loaded with a speed loader, or specialized loading rod. These magazines are most commonly used, as they are allowed at most large airsoft events and operations, and provide a slight more realistic experience than high capacity magazines.
Mil-Sim – Military simulation. A style of airsoft where the simulation of the military simulation aspect of the recreational sport is highly demanded of you, with the proper attire, weapon setup, and gear.

==========
Manufacturer Terms
==========

A&K – Aftermath & Kirenex 
AE – Airsoft Elite
AGM – Airsoft Gun Manufacturer 
BE – Both Elephant
CA – Classic Army
CYMA -
D-Boys – D-Boys
DE – Double Eagle 
Echo 1 – Re-brander of many different brands. A good brand for beginning airsofter
G&G – Guay and Guay
ICS – I Chih Shivan
KA – King Arms
KSC -
KWA - 
PTW – Systema PTW (Professional Training Weapon)
STAR -
TM – Tokyo Marui
TSD – Team Specialized Distribution 
UHC – Unicorn Hobby Co.
UTG – Under the Gun.
VFC – Vega Force Company.

A&K - 
AGM – Airsoft Gun Manufacturer 
D-boys- Doesn’t stand for anything
TSD – Team Specialized Distribution 
ICS – I Chih Shivan
UHC – Unicorn Hobby Co.

BE – Both Elephant

Just read this on my RSS feed, for those of you looking to get into an airsoft website check out 

Defconairsoft

Seems the current editor/owner is selling it off.

I remember when I started in Airsoft. I was handed this cheap Glock Blow back pistol at the Police Department. It had semi auto and full auto, and shot all off about ten feet. It was our training weapons we used for learning Room Clearing. And I thought it was the coolest thing known to man! 

And that was my kick off. I sold all my Paintball gear and purchased my First Airsoft Weapon. I still have it today, a Tokyo Mauri M4A1 starter kit from Redwolf Airsoft for 350 dollars. It came with everything I needed to start playing that day. Just charge up the battery and away we go. 

Well I got looking at it before I purchased it and not sure what I was doing I ordered the Upgrade put in that brought it from 200 FPS to 375 FPS. Now that was a sure bit of luck on my part. Over all its been a steady companion on my Airsoft adventures. 

But not every one can afford 350 dollars right out of the gate on something they arent sure they will enjoy. So today Class we are going to look at some Common Weapons systems commonly referred to as the “Starter Setup”. 

With the every growing amount of “Chinese Clone’s ” on the market we’ve seen an over abudance of “Starter” systems crop up. Now with this little bit of information I’m going to put this in here.

“These weapons and companies I talk about are ones I’ve had personal experience with. Not all will work as well for others as they have for me. Much of this information is my opinion and it is to be considered as such. As with all things in Airsoft you have to go with what your comfortable, and there are always risks in purchasing a weapon. Investigate, search, and read as much as possible before purchasing your first weapon system.” 

Echo 1

There has always been contriversy surrounding Echo 1. “Is it a Chinese Company? Do they rebrand other companies weapons. ” Frankly WHO CARES! 

Echo 1 has provided a very stable and cost effective weapon system for many new members to the Airsoft Community. Most of Echo 1’s weapon systems are under the 150 Price range. Shooting at or around 350 FPS right out of the box. This translates to little money spent on a skirmish effective weapon system. In the US Echo 1 provides a very good Warranty with their weapons. Which many other companies do not offer. 

Echo 1’s line up has everything from the New E90 

Which one of my teammates has and uses profusely and swears by this little weapon system against all others. 

To a variety of M4 series,  AK47/74 series, 614 Series, M14 Series, Mp5 Series etc. Echo 1 probably has what your exactly looking for. Another good point on Echo 1 systems are that most of them are compatible with external and internal upgrades with most Major Airsoft Manufacturers. 

Most Echo 1 weapons systems have Metal Gear box’s and a very good build as far as body stability and fit. 

JG (Jin Gong) 

Again this is another company that is right up there with Echo 1 in controversy and Conspiracy. yet again.. WHO CARES! 

JG has and does provide some very capable Airsoft Skirmishing weapon systems. Much like Echo 1. the Major difference is JG doesnt provide as good as warranty with their weapon systems as Echo 1 does. JG’s variety mirrors that of Echo 1. 

Most JG weapons out of the box shoot 350 FPS. Providing a stable and excellent skirmish weapon. Their builds are to par with many of the major airsoft brands. Metal Gear box’s, ABS Bodies with little to no shake in the barrel and stock area’s. 

As I previously noted these are two starter weapon system companies that provide skirmish worthy weapons at relatively excellent prices. And ladies and gents they come with everything you need to go out and skirmish! No need to purchase a battery, charger, magazines, etc.

As in all things you want to do a bit of research when you go to purchase your first weapon system. Not every one will be able to use a M16 Full size, and not every one is meant to use a M4 system. Its all about personal choice. But here are a few pointers when picking your first weapon.

1. Your Physical Size. a M4 is a light weight compact weapon system that is usuable just about by any and every one. One thing that throws many people off who are taller in stature is that its a small weapon. Even with the adjustable stock it can still be slightly uncomfortable for those of a taller frame to shoot and use.

2. Play Style. Do you like to assault? are you a defender? Sometimes you wont know these things until you play your first couple of skirmishes.  But think this out in advance as much as possible. Many new airsofters have picked up a weapon on the “cool looks” factor alone then ended up shelving it for something else. 

3. Looks. Do you like how it looks? This is a big factor its like purchasing a new car. If its not pleasing to the eye, then you are less likely to enjoy using it. This should not by your most deciding factor in picking a weapon system. 

4. Age. Age actually plays a factor in purchasing an airsoft weapon. between weight, length, usuablity. You want to pick a weapon that fits your age group. 

Lets look at that last one a moment. Age can factor greatly in how you use your weapon system and whats comfortable for you.

Here’s a little cheat sheet to use when considering purchasing a weapon compared to Age  

12-16 = M4, AK47 With Folding Stock, Mp5, Smaller Compact rifle systems. 

17-20= M4 Ak47 standard, Mp5, M16, L96, Larger Framed Weapons 

21-30+ = M249, M4, M16, AK47, Larger Heavier framed weapons. 

You’ll also notice that with age goes responsibilty. Some weapons need to be run by a more responsible oeprator due to Fire power and maintenance requirments. 

But as with everything this is a suggestion and guide. Pick whats comfortable to you, whats pleasing and what you want to use! 

Keep that finger straight and off the trigger until your ready to send bb’s down range! 

Until then S/F And Carry on!