Just a quick post to let you all know, nothing is safe any longer! Our prototype airsoft claymores in three styles are complete and are in testing. Yep, they throw a handful of bbs, beans or what have you, are trip wire activated and all the usual stuff. However...
Ours are a little different. In coming posts in a few weeks we will show you what we are up to, and give you a preview of what sorts of horrible things are in the works. We will probably also post a basic "how to" article. We will of course leave out some of our tricks for the time being, until a number of people have been the unfortunate field testers. Hehehe! Watch out for these at Op: Fueling the Fire at Splatmandu in Three Rivers Michigan, 30 April 2011. Link is here. They will also see some extensive testing on our local fields.
More soon, over and out!
The Roadcrew is an airsoft group based in West Michigan. We are a casual group who also play with other local groups as time permits. This review is intended for new and intermediate players, to give them another perspective along with a good dose of weird humor on airsoft gear and tactics.
30 January 2011
Bishop's camo manifesto
Camouflage is a big deal in airsoft. and for good reason. camo breaks up your outline so you harder to spot, or at least pin down. it help identify friend from foe, to reduce friendly fire (on the same note, it can keep you from getting gacked while wondering if the guy in your sights is on your team)
MILSIMs take camo very seriously. usually you get a list of what camo's are acceptable to any given event. BDU, Marpat, jungle vs. 3 color desert, 6 color desert and ACU is not an unusual breakdown. usually a game comes down to green vs. tan. here is my suggestion.
Cut the Crap! just make it Green Vs. Tan! I feel that the airsoft world should adopt a 4-5 color team system. green, tan, black, gray, blue. none of these colors stands out in the usual airsoft environment, and they are easy enough to tell apart (black and blue might be difficult).
Why does this make sense?
it's much easier to set up teams this way, and much easier to identify teams this way. ACU, ACU comes in colors that range from green, to...shit, is that blue? I don't know, to tan. it becomes easy to confuse. But, you can look at a given camo shirt and easily decide what color it is. and POOF! confusion eliminated.
this setup, makes camo much less expensive. anyone can get a t-shirt and pants in green, tan, black, grey, or blue about $20. most people already have them. this lowers the start up cost of getting into the sport (i never would have started airsoft if told i had to drop $100 on military camo i may very well use on that day, and that day only).it broadens the audience, which is good for the sport at large.
this would also force the airsoft power's that be to remove the stick from their ass about civilian camouflage. seeing as many players and potential players already have it, and the patterns are designed for the U.S.. (realtree is made for use in Michigan) i know that milsims are supposed to be for realism, but anyone who wants to tell me that civilian camo and green/tan t-shirts cheapen and take away from the game, must first drop and give me 50, use only real-cap magazines, whether the game is real-cap only or not, eat only MRE's on game days (and only the horrible ones, cuz you gotta get that real soldier feeling...and diarrhea)don't shower the week before the game, punch yourself in the taint every time you re-spawn... and donate $2500 to help equip other players to your standards. then you can come talk to me about it...just shower beforehand.
my reccomendations for players
be ready to play multiple sides, and be ready for multiple situations. i remember a guy whining on an airsoft forum that he only had ACU. he had six ACU load outs and nothing else. and he was arguing that he had to play on the hand-picked ACU team.
why have six variations of the same loadout? all you really need is two (green and tan. for players starting out just get shirts and pants in the right color (cargo pants are good for holding gear and can be found many colors) your tee shirt (long or short sleeve) can, with minimal skill and a sewing machine, be modified into a tactical shirt
(we're gonna have an article on that) sew a team patch onto it(why not) or just wear it as is.
when (if) you advance to full camo prepare for multiple sides and take your gear into effect. if you run and m4 and an mp5. you may want to focus your loadouts tward m4 in green, mp5 in tan. backup weapon in both (pistol, spring shotgun, what have you.
more to come, need a break...
MILSIMs take camo very seriously. usually you get a list of what camo's are acceptable to any given event. BDU, Marpat, jungle vs. 3 color desert, 6 color desert and ACU is not an unusual breakdown. usually a game comes down to green vs. tan. here is my suggestion.
Cut the Crap! just make it Green Vs. Tan! I feel that the airsoft world should adopt a 4-5 color team system. green, tan, black, gray, blue. none of these colors stands out in the usual airsoft environment, and they are easy enough to tell apart (black and blue might be difficult).
Why does this make sense?
it's much easier to set up teams this way, and much easier to identify teams this way. ACU, ACU comes in colors that range from green, to...shit, is that blue? I don't know, to tan. it becomes easy to confuse. But, you can look at a given camo shirt and easily decide what color it is. and POOF! confusion eliminated.
this setup, makes camo much less expensive. anyone can get a t-shirt and pants in green, tan, black, grey, or blue about $20. most people already have them. this lowers the start up cost of getting into the sport (i never would have started airsoft if told i had to drop $100 on military camo i may very well use on that day, and that day only).it broadens the audience, which is good for the sport at large.
this would also force the airsoft power's that be to remove the stick from their ass about civilian camouflage. seeing as many players and potential players already have it, and the patterns are designed for the U.S.. (realtree is made for use in Michigan) i know that milsims are supposed to be for realism, but anyone who wants to tell me that civilian camo and green/tan t-shirts cheapen and take away from the game, must first drop and give me 50, use only real-cap magazines, whether the game is real-cap only or not, eat only MRE's on game days (and only the horrible ones, cuz you gotta get that real soldier feeling...and diarrhea)don't shower the week before the game, punch yourself in the taint every time you re-spawn... and donate $2500 to help equip other players to your standards. then you can come talk to me about it...just shower beforehand.
my reccomendations for players
be ready to play multiple sides, and be ready for multiple situations. i remember a guy whining on an airsoft forum that he only had ACU. he had six ACU load outs and nothing else. and he was arguing that he had to play on the hand-picked ACU team.
why have six variations of the same loadout? all you really need is two (green and tan. for players starting out just get shirts and pants in the right color (cargo pants are good for holding gear and can be found many colors) your tee shirt (long or short sleeve) can, with minimal skill and a sewing machine, be modified into a tactical shirt
(we're gonna have an article on that) sew a team patch onto it(why not) or just wear it as is.
when (if) you advance to full camo prepare for multiple sides and take your gear into effect. if you run and m4 and an mp5. you may want to focus your loadouts tward m4 in green, mp5 in tan. backup weapon in both (pistol, spring shotgun, what have you.
more to come, need a break...
29 January 2011
How a cheap airsoft spring pistol works
Hey all, we have all seen these, and a lot of us may have started out in airsoft with an inexpensive to cheap spring pistol. And by cheap, we mean those ones you sometimes get for a buck at flea markets. Often you are pretty sure you can throw the bbs by hand further, but hey, at least you got out there and had fun and got into playing airsoft, right?
Ok, lets look at the internals on a dirt cheap, very low power springer. This bit of information can give you a pretty good idea how better spring pistols work as well, and if you jump to the end of the article, you might just find a use for some of these lower power springers you probably have laying around somewhere in the bottom of your airsoft bag.
First, lets have a look at our springer broken down. In our image, the parts of the pistol are as follows:
A – molded plastic pistol body
B – magazine
C – slide
D – power spring
E – piston
F – cylinder with integral nozzle/clip stripper
G – bucking/airseal
H – barrel (orange plastic, 6.09 mm here)
I – return spring
Most spring pistols are built very much like this one, with some changes in the barrel, hop up/bucking, nozzle and cylinder/piston size.
Let's go over these parts, one by one and comment on noteworthy things about them.
The pistol body (A) is cast of plastic (some are clear), and has the trigger assembly, the magazine catch, the bb loading ramp and several other parts molded into it. In most springers, this is cast in two parts and is either held together with screws or glued together. The magazine (B) slides up into the pistol body (A) and is locked in with the mag catch (not shown). This magazine has a slider pushed upwards by a spring to help feed the bbs in the magazine up into the feed ramp. A necked in area at the top of the magazine keeps all the bbs from spraying out at once when the spring is pushing upwards. A gap between these necked in areas is where the clip stripper passes through on each cocking to push a bb up the ramp in the body, into place against the airseal (G), then the nozzle on the front of the cylinder (F) pushes it tight making the pistol ready to fire.
Moving up to the upper half of the pistol, the power spring (D) is nested inside the middle of the piston (E) which slides inside the cylinder (F). This entire assembly is put into the top of the pistol body, and covered by the slide when the replica is assembled. When the slide is pulled back, a set of connections inside the slide pull the piston back, compressing the power spring. Once the slide is pulled fully back, the sear in the trigger assembly catches the bottom of the piston and holds it in place until the trigger is pulled. As the slide moves forward, the clip stripper on the bottom of the cylinder catches a bb from the top of the magazine, and pushes it up the loading ramp and against the airseal (G). Here the nozzle seats tightly against the back of the bb, and the pistol is ready to fire. When the trigger is pulled, the power spring pushes the piston forward inside the cylinder, compressing all the air inside and directing it through the nozzle to push the bb through the flexible rubber airseal and down the barrel (H). In our cheap springer, the barrel is bright orange molded plastic, and projects outside the tip of the slide acting as the safety tip required on all airsoft guns sold in the US. The return spring is compressed as the slide is in its resting position, helping to keep the slide assembly locked tightly against the bb to help keep the airseal tight.
In our cheap springer, the volume of air inside the cylinder is fairly small, while on some springers this volume can be quite large. The more air the power spring can compress, the faster and harder the replica will throw a bb of a given weight.
Essentially, all airsoft replicas work on this compressed air system of some sort, with the more powerful spring rifles using a larger cylinder volume and a stronger spring to push more air down the barrel faster. An AEG (automatic electric gun) adds a battery driven motor and gear system to pull back the piston instead of using your hand to cock the replica for each shot, and these more complex replicas will be covered in another article here on the roadcrew review!
So that about covers how these cheap springers work, lets see what else you can do with them instead of just using them as a standard low powered airsoft pistol replica.
If you cock the pistol, and pour a couple extra bbs down the barrel then pull the trigger, you will get a shower of bbs over a small area. None of them will go anywhere near as far as a single bb, since there is no extra power pushing more mass down the barrel. However... here is where it gets fun. You can tie one of these pistols to a sapling with zip ties, run a trip wire back from the trigger and around a branch, then across the trail and make an effective short range “trap”. These mini-shotgun traps are good if located in an area where someone will likely go down a trail or narrow area, and there is a lot of brush on either side to help hide the ziptied pistol. You might even want to camo paint a few of your cheap springers for just this use!
You can also use these as back up replicas, for when your main replica runs out of ammo or your battery fails. They don't have a lot of range, so you better be close! Or, depending on how your games run, you might be able to carry one of these as a hidden back up for when you are captured. (Some games don't allow this – check with your refs!).
You can also leave a cheap springer laying out in front of your position, hoping one of the players on the other team will stop to pick it up (ie, bait). Granted, if you find someone elses' gear on the field, you should carry it back to the muster point for lost n found, so this might be a move you may not want to use.
So there are a couple uses of a cheap springer, and now you know how they work so feel free to misuse this information and pass it along!
Ok, lets look at the internals on a dirt cheap, very low power springer. This bit of information can give you a pretty good idea how better spring pistols work as well, and if you jump to the end of the article, you might just find a use for some of these lower power springers you probably have laying around somewhere in the bottom of your airsoft bag.
First, lets have a look at our springer broken down. In our image, the parts of the pistol are as follows:
A – molded plastic pistol body
B – magazine
C – slide
D – power spring
E – piston
F – cylinder with integral nozzle/clip stripper
G – bucking/airseal
H – barrel (orange plastic, 6.09 mm here)
I – return spring
Most spring pistols are built very much like this one, with some changes in the barrel, hop up/bucking, nozzle and cylinder/piston size.
Let's go over these parts, one by one and comment on noteworthy things about them.
The pistol body (A) is cast of plastic (some are clear), and has the trigger assembly, the magazine catch, the bb loading ramp and several other parts molded into it. In most springers, this is cast in two parts and is either held together with screws or glued together. The magazine (B) slides up into the pistol body (A) and is locked in with the mag catch (not shown). This magazine has a slider pushed upwards by a spring to help feed the bbs in the magazine up into the feed ramp. A necked in area at the top of the magazine keeps all the bbs from spraying out at once when the spring is pushing upwards. A gap between these necked in areas is where the clip stripper passes through on each cocking to push a bb up the ramp in the body, into place against the airseal (G), then the nozzle on the front of the cylinder (F) pushes it tight making the pistol ready to fire.
Moving up to the upper half of the pistol, the power spring (D) is nested inside the middle of the piston (E) which slides inside the cylinder (F). This entire assembly is put into the top of the pistol body, and covered by the slide when the replica is assembled. When the slide is pulled back, a set of connections inside the slide pull the piston back, compressing the power spring. Once the slide is pulled fully back, the sear in the trigger assembly catches the bottom of the piston and holds it in place until the trigger is pulled. As the slide moves forward, the clip stripper on the bottom of the cylinder catches a bb from the top of the magazine, and pushes it up the loading ramp and against the airseal (G). Here the nozzle seats tightly against the back of the bb, and the pistol is ready to fire. When the trigger is pulled, the power spring pushes the piston forward inside the cylinder, compressing all the air inside and directing it through the nozzle to push the bb through the flexible rubber airseal and down the barrel (H). In our cheap springer, the barrel is bright orange molded plastic, and projects outside the tip of the slide acting as the safety tip required on all airsoft guns sold in the US. The return spring is compressed as the slide is in its resting position, helping to keep the slide assembly locked tightly against the bb to help keep the airseal tight.
In our cheap springer, the volume of air inside the cylinder is fairly small, while on some springers this volume can be quite large. The more air the power spring can compress, the faster and harder the replica will throw a bb of a given weight.
Essentially, all airsoft replicas work on this compressed air system of some sort, with the more powerful spring rifles using a larger cylinder volume and a stronger spring to push more air down the barrel faster. An AEG (automatic electric gun) adds a battery driven motor and gear system to pull back the piston instead of using your hand to cock the replica for each shot, and these more complex replicas will be covered in another article here on the roadcrew review!
So that about covers how these cheap springers work, lets see what else you can do with them instead of just using them as a standard low powered airsoft pistol replica.
If you cock the pistol, and pour a couple extra bbs down the barrel then pull the trigger, you will get a shower of bbs over a small area. None of them will go anywhere near as far as a single bb, since there is no extra power pushing more mass down the barrel. However... here is where it gets fun. You can tie one of these pistols to a sapling with zip ties, run a trip wire back from the trigger and around a branch, then across the trail and make an effective short range “trap”. These mini-shotgun traps are good if located in an area where someone will likely go down a trail or narrow area, and there is a lot of brush on either side to help hide the ziptied pistol. You might even want to camo paint a few of your cheap springers for just this use!
You can also use these as back up replicas, for when your main replica runs out of ammo or your battery fails. They don't have a lot of range, so you better be close! Or, depending on how your games run, you might be able to carry one of these as a hidden back up for when you are captured. (Some games don't allow this – check with your refs!).
You can also leave a cheap springer laying out in front of your position, hoping one of the players on the other team will stop to pick it up (ie, bait). Granted, if you find someone elses' gear on the field, you should carry it back to the muster point for lost n found, so this might be a move you may not want to use.
So there are a couple uses of a cheap springer, and now you know how they work so feel free to misuse this information and pass it along!
Airsoft guns don't belong at school. Period.
Ok, all, I've seen this happen far too often. Someone takes their way cool airsoft replica to show a friend and gets in trouble. We just had another incident in West Michigan this week. A link to the news article is below.
Don't do this ok? It is not just the possibility that you could be accidentally shot, its a much larger issue beyond that statistically small chance. And that is this:
If airsoft equipment causes enough false alerts, cities and states will eventually ban realistic replicas.
It's that simple, really. If there are enough complaints, eventually, some lawmaker will come up with the brilliant idea that all airsoft replicas should be bright orange and shaped like a giant foam W or some other silly shape. Don't think it will happen? Have you looked at kids squirt guns lately?
Brandishing your replica in many areas is treated as if you had a live round weapon, and you could get jail time. Keep your replicas in cases and transport them in the trunk of your car on your way to and from airsoft fields. Don't wave them around, or just throw your springer up on the dashboard of your car on the way over to a buddies house. It could get you shot sure, but it will more likely get you an expensive ticket and could get the sport all of us enjoy banned.
And when you are reading the following article, notice the comments. Many people in the public are not at all informed of our sport, and there is a lot of misinformation out there. Don't get mad at the responses, read them and try to better understand them and how to reply to them in a logical, rational manner that would make the person you were talking to see our sport in a positive light. Heck, you might even find some new people to play with or places to play.
A link to the story is here: http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/education/4th-grader-suspended-for-airsoft-gun
In closing, this was just a quick post so I didn't loose the link. Most likely I will come back in a few days and rewrite it more succinctly and give more examples.
Don't do this ok? It is not just the possibility that you could be accidentally shot, its a much larger issue beyond that statistically small chance. And that is this:
If airsoft equipment causes enough false alerts, cities and states will eventually ban realistic replicas.
It's that simple, really. If there are enough complaints, eventually, some lawmaker will come up with the brilliant idea that all airsoft replicas should be bright orange and shaped like a giant foam W or some other silly shape. Don't think it will happen? Have you looked at kids squirt guns lately?
Brandishing your replica in many areas is treated as if you had a live round weapon, and you could get jail time. Keep your replicas in cases and transport them in the trunk of your car on your way to and from airsoft fields. Don't wave them around, or just throw your springer up on the dashboard of your car on the way over to a buddies house. It could get you shot sure, but it will more likely get you an expensive ticket and could get the sport all of us enjoy banned.
And when you are reading the following article, notice the comments. Many people in the public are not at all informed of our sport, and there is a lot of misinformation out there. Don't get mad at the responses, read them and try to better understand them and how to reply to them in a logical, rational manner that would make the person you were talking to see our sport in a positive light. Heck, you might even find some new people to play with or places to play.
A link to the story is here: http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/education/4th-grader-suspended-for-airsoft-gun
In closing, this was just a quick post so I didn't loose the link. Most likely I will come back in a few days and rewrite it more succinctly and give more examples.
24 January 2011
Tino's story from Nine Hammers
Hey all, I just got off the phone with Tino of Kzoo Air and he has graciously allowed me to repost his story from Nine Hammers 2010. Here's Tino, in his own words:
So Munster and I met Jedi Andrew at the Lowell field on Sunday the 12th.
We were invited to be the "hand picked" Special Forces group for his operation.
ACU was the camo requirement and I did ask everyone who had ACU to attend. However, with such short notice not many Crew were able to attend.
Now time for the story:
We arrive at the field a little early so we can meet our teammates and be briefed accordingly. After arriving I didn't see too many people in ACU, but I wasn't worried about it. As they started briefing the teams Kustom (event host) called me, as well as the other two Commanding Officers (C.O.) to the front. He made sure to let everyone know to gun for me/us.
When the event started we had ten members on our team against two teams that had 40+ each.
1st half:
We successfully completed one mission and captured 22 prisoners including the Green team's C.O. twice and the Tan team's C.O. once. It was quite epic as well...right before the first half ended we were preparing an ambush by one team flanking left while the other team drew fire from the enemy. We didn't get that far because Munster radio's me informing me that they had captured the Green C.O. (again) and asked for further instructions. I informed him to return our enemy to our base. Towards the end of the first half the Tan team had completed an objective where they downed a pilot through a S.A.M.
We left the field to break for lunch pretty confident that we were winning the event. When I arrived at the barn (staging area) T.J. from Young's in GR said, "Man, what are you guys doing out there? You can't be killing everyone like that!" That made me feel quite good at the time.
While we were eating our food (ask Munster about the gasoline flavored lemon cake) Kustom says, "I want to make things a little more challenging!" "More challenging? Okay!" I said. Then he went on to tell me that he was placing us in the woods around our downed pilot (Jedi). Basically what he told me is that we would be defending Jedi against both teams...yes 82 v 8.
Second half:
So we set out to defend our downed pilot. We set up a 360 degree perimeter around the pilot...the game starts! It took the approaching enemies a good five minutes to locate us. As soon as they did though they were coming in waves. One after another were getting mowed down. We are holding them off for the next twenty minutes. All of a sudden I receive a radio transmission...it's Munster, "We need you to flank, otherwise we're not going to make it out of here!!!" I complied. As I started to flank I noticed enemies approaching at my 3:00. I silently waited for my prey, slung some plastic there way then proceeded to my flanking procedure. I eliminated a total of 13 enemies during the flank. I was 50-60 feet away from the downed pilot when I myself was finally eliminated. Immediately after I was shot here comes (you already know who) Munster charging like a suicidal maniac to eliminate all hostiles in the area. Then...the whistle blows. WE DID IT! ~82 v 8!
The last battle was nothing special so I won't talk about it plus you're probably getting tired by now! ;) I'm sure Munster will finish the story here!
but there is one last thing that I will mention...when we arrived back at the barn and they were announcing the winner, "Tan team ALMOST won, but the winners are..."
ACU
And we celebrated!
True Story!!!
Read more: here and poke around while you are there... LOTS of good stuff on the boards!
Ok, Angel here again. Being on the receiving end of ACU/Kzoo air I can tell you this. They were effective! This was a great example of training and discipline put to use in the field. Kzoo air rocks the field each and every time, but they also train hard and often, and it shows! Huge props to the guys, and huge thanks to Tino for letting me repost this story!
As a side note, in the downed pilot scenario, I was lucky enough to low crawl up under one of the ACU's lines of fire, hidden by a low brush wall. I was waiting to pop up and take a shot when I got taken out by friendly fire. Bummer! Likely, I would have gotten hosed hard when I stood to take a shot, so the guy that popped me may have saved me a painful lesson on when to take a shot, but friendly fire still sucks!
Kzoo air at proboards
airsoft of michigan check out the links here for upcoming events!
So Munster and I met Jedi Andrew at the Lowell field on Sunday the 12th.
We were invited to be the "hand picked" Special Forces group for his operation.
ACU was the camo requirement and I did ask everyone who had ACU to attend. However, with such short notice not many Crew were able to attend.
Now time for the story:
We arrive at the field a little early so we can meet our teammates and be briefed accordingly. After arriving I didn't see too many people in ACU, but I wasn't worried about it. As they started briefing the teams Kustom (event host) called me, as well as the other two Commanding Officers (C.O.) to the front. He made sure to let everyone know to gun for me/us.
When the event started we had ten members on our team against two teams that had 40+ each.
1st half:
We successfully completed one mission and captured 22 prisoners including the Green team's C.O. twice and the Tan team's C.O. once. It was quite epic as well...right before the first half ended we were preparing an ambush by one team flanking left while the other team drew fire from the enemy. We didn't get that far because Munster radio's me informing me that they had captured the Green C.O. (again) and asked for further instructions. I informed him to return our enemy to our base. Towards the end of the first half the Tan team had completed an objective where they downed a pilot through a S.A.M.
We left the field to break for lunch pretty confident that we were winning the event. When I arrived at the barn (staging area) T.J. from Young's in GR said, "Man, what are you guys doing out there? You can't be killing everyone like that!" That made me feel quite good at the time.
While we were eating our food (ask Munster about the gasoline flavored lemon cake) Kustom says, "I want to make things a little more challenging!" "More challenging? Okay!" I said. Then he went on to tell me that he was placing us in the woods around our downed pilot (Jedi). Basically what he told me is that we would be defending Jedi against both teams...yes 82 v 8.
Second half:
So we set out to defend our downed pilot. We set up a 360 degree perimeter around the pilot...the game starts! It took the approaching enemies a good five minutes to locate us. As soon as they did though they were coming in waves. One after another were getting mowed down. We are holding them off for the next twenty minutes. All of a sudden I receive a radio transmission...it's Munster, "We need you to flank, otherwise we're not going to make it out of here!!!" I complied. As I started to flank I noticed enemies approaching at my 3:00. I silently waited for my prey, slung some plastic there way then proceeded to my flanking procedure. I eliminated a total of 13 enemies during the flank. I was 50-60 feet away from the downed pilot when I myself was finally eliminated. Immediately after I was shot here comes (you already know who) Munster charging like a suicidal maniac to eliminate all hostiles in the area. Then...the whistle blows. WE DID IT! ~82 v 8!
The last battle was nothing special so I won't talk about it plus you're probably getting tired by now! ;) I'm sure Munster will finish the story here!
but there is one last thing that I will mention...when we arrived back at the barn and they were announcing the winner, "Tan team ALMOST won, but the winners are..."
ACU
And we celebrated!
True Story!!!
Read more: here and poke around while you are there... LOTS of good stuff on the boards!
Ok, Angel here again. Being on the receiving end of ACU/Kzoo air I can tell you this. They were effective! This was a great example of training and discipline put to use in the field. Kzoo air rocks the field each and every time, but they also train hard and often, and it shows! Huge props to the guys, and huge thanks to Tino for letting me repost this story!
As a side note, in the downed pilot scenario, I was lucky enough to low crawl up under one of the ACU's lines of fire, hidden by a low brush wall. I was waiting to pop up and take a shot when I got taken out by friendly fire. Bummer! Likely, I would have gotten hosed hard when I stood to take a shot, so the guy that popped me may have saved me a painful lesson on when to take a shot, but friendly fire still sucks!
Kzoo air at proboards
airsoft of michigan check out the links here for upcoming events!
21 January 2011
Review for the JG AK47S AEG airsoft replica
This is a partial review, the full review will be updated here in a few weeks.
This review is for the JG AK47S (folding stock, full length frame) AK47 Automatic Electric Gun replica. It is a tactical model, with top and bottom RIS (rifle integration system) rails to allow you to attach components like laser sights, flashlights and more. One accessory that it comes with is a folding foregrip, which slides on the RIS rail and is held in place with a pair of hex screws (tightening key included as well).
Our test model came from eVike.com, and was ordered just before Black Friday 2010. As we do not yet have our chronograph in hand, we have to go on their numbers. Their sight says 350 to 380 fps, and it definitely is shooting at least 350 when compared to other guns we have on hand with known fps. More than likely, it is shooting closer to 400 than 350, as the JG replica easily out reaches other AEG's we have on hand with the same bbs (.20 gram matrix). We put an 8.4 volt stick battery in after fully charging and went out to play.
The first thing we noticed was with the stock folded, it was rather hard to get to the firing/safe selector. Also, the folding stock had to be popped over the bottom ridge on the RIS rail for the latch to engage. The replica certainly handled well with the stock folded, making sneaking about in the brush very easy. The replica, stock folded, is about the same length as one of the MP5's, but with a slightly longer barrel seemed to be more accurate at ranges beyond 100 feet. The gun's maximum reach of around 200 feet was impressive, and the grouping on full auto was still presentable, though the bbs have lost most of their energy at this distance, and it would be hard to feel a hit that far out.
A more extensive review is in the works, we need to spend some more time out in the woods in deep snow with it to really run it through the paces.
At this point, 3.5 out of 5 round burst.
Pros:
Long reach, good accuracy, easy to sneak with when the stock is folded. Good looking if you like the tactical look.
Cons:
Stock folded gets in the way of the fire selector (-1 right there), stock wobbles when extended (minor, but still -0.5).
This review is for the JG AK47S (folding stock, full length frame) AK47 Automatic Electric Gun replica. It is a tactical model, with top and bottom RIS (rifle integration system) rails to allow you to attach components like laser sights, flashlights and more. One accessory that it comes with is a folding foregrip, which slides on the RIS rail and is held in place with a pair of hex screws (tightening key included as well).
Our test model came from eVike.com, and was ordered just before Black Friday 2010. As we do not yet have our chronograph in hand, we have to go on their numbers. Their sight says 350 to 380 fps, and it definitely is shooting at least 350 when compared to other guns we have on hand with known fps. More than likely, it is shooting closer to 400 than 350, as the JG replica easily out reaches other AEG's we have on hand with the same bbs (.20 gram matrix). We put an 8.4 volt stick battery in after fully charging and went out to play.
The first thing we noticed was with the stock folded, it was rather hard to get to the firing/safe selector. Also, the folding stock had to be popped over the bottom ridge on the RIS rail for the latch to engage. The replica certainly handled well with the stock folded, making sneaking about in the brush very easy. The replica, stock folded, is about the same length as one of the MP5's, but with a slightly longer barrel seemed to be more accurate at ranges beyond 100 feet. The gun's maximum reach of around 200 feet was impressive, and the grouping on full auto was still presentable, though the bbs have lost most of their energy at this distance, and it would be hard to feel a hit that far out.
A more extensive review is in the works, we need to spend some more time out in the woods in deep snow with it to really run it through the paces.
At this point, 3.5 out of 5 round burst.
Pros:
Long reach, good accuracy, easy to sneak with when the stock is folded. Good looking if you like the tactical look.
Cons:
Stock folded gets in the way of the fire selector (-1 right there), stock wobbles when extended (minor, but still -0.5).
Spring Shotgun Review (smith and wesson m3000, mossburg 500, UTG 870 others)
Ok all, time for some more springers. This time it's the ubiquitous spring shotgun. There are several companies that make these and brand them as their own, including branded Mossburg, Smith and Wesson M3000, UTG 870, Remington and others, along with unbranded or "house brand" logos. As far as we can tell, they are all coming from the same molds with different logo plates inserted, as we have several on hand and they are all pretty much identical in feel, look and behavior. It is worth noting that there are two tiers of these springers; the plastic/abs body shotties and the cast metal body shotties. They look very similar, and their behavior isn't hugely different, though the metal bodies cost a bit more (sometimes) and seem to have just a little more oomph in their springs (most of the time).
Our test replicas came from Dicks Sporting Goods (on sale), MC Sports (on sale) and one unknown online source. The magazines/clips are fully interchangeable, and seem identical. We have noticed that many places that carry these replicas do not carry extra magazines, so if you see some that fit (and make sure they do), grab em!
The magazines are our first bitch with these; the clips are a pain to use in the field at times.
The magazines have a reservoir that holds a pretty decent number of bbs, but there is a spring slider on the side of the clip. You slide the spring down and rock the magazine forward and back to fill the bb channel, then release the spring to push the bbs up the feed tube. If you can get them all in there, the mag holds 15 rounds, but often you only get 10 to 12 in. When you rack the pump on the shotgun, the spring in the magazine pushes a bb up into the firing chamber. Until the last 3... The design of the feed tube doesn't allow the spring to push the last three bbs up into the receiver, so you have to pump the shotgun upside down to get those last three to feed, or they just drop out when you remove the mag to reload it. An internal follower that stood up and pushed the bbs would fix this, but it would be impossible to add yourself due to the way the bbs feed from the bottom of the mag into the spring feed column. We also noticed that the large, projecting magazine release can sometimes drop your mag in the field if it is bumped.
The pump on the plastic body guns is serviceable, and on the metal body replicas actually feels pretty solid. If you really cram it back, it is probably possible to break the pump, though we have yet to have any problems. The trigger on all models is abs plastic, and may be the long run weak link in these replicas. Also note that you can "slam fire" all of these; hold the trigger as you pump and the replica will fire at the back of the pump slide every pump, making it close to semi auto in rate of fire until you run out of bbs.
FPS is touted as 300 or 350 (depending on packaging) but reading the fine print you find that is with .12 gram bbs. Chronoed with .20 gram bbs brings these guns in down around 250 to 285 (each of our test guns was a little different, and multiple shots were not always completely consistent - this could have been the chrono acting up as the batteries were getting low, however). 250 with .20s is still reasonable, and the shottie is inexpensive enough to use as a loaner or back up (we got a couple of these for 20 bucks each on sale, full retail price can be much higher... watch for sales! These are not really 50 dollar replicas!).
Please note, these fire a single bb on each shot, not a cluster of bbs like a true shotgun would, or a multishot replica. Effectively, they are a pump action rifle, not a shotgun, they just happen to look like a shotgun frame.
These spring shotties can be found with a full stock or a pistol grip stock. We find the pistol grip stock easier to move through brush with, and not difficult to aim in use. Some people have reported that the stocks on the full stock models do not survive well without cracking in use, your mileage may vary.
Also, none of these shotties have any sort of sights; instead they all have a tactical weaver rail on top. In practice, you do not really need sights on these, simply aim down the top of the barrel between the sides of the rail and throw some plastic out there. You can however add red dot sights, lasers or what have you if you like. Just be aware that these add ons will probably cost more than the shotgun replica!
Range is decent, and can reach out fairly well with the adjustable hop up engaged (a simple slider on the side of the barrel where the ejection port would be on a real shotgun). Our test guns all can reach 100 feet with enough accuracy to hit a 1 foot square 7 out of 10 times. At 50 feet, you should be able to consistently hit a soda can after a little practice.
Another small drawback is that there are no mounts for a sling or other means to transport this except in your hands. You can tie a bit of rope around the pistol grip and use it as a sling, but this looks bad and is not that effective, and that makes this a hard choice as a backup unless you had some kind of back scabbard.
Overall:
Pros - inexpensive, easily found at chain sporting goods stores, good starter or back up replica. Good loaner for friends wanting to try out airsoft. Decent range, though not great. Fairly easy to sneak with. Fairly left handed friendly except for the safety.
Cons - magazine does not feed fully, and is somewhat hard to use at times. No sling mounts.
-1.5 for magazine issues; non feeding, hard to reload in a rush, easy to drop in field.
-.5 for no sling mounts
3 shots out of 5.
Our test replicas came from Dicks Sporting Goods (on sale), MC Sports (on sale) and one unknown online source. The magazines/clips are fully interchangeable, and seem identical. We have noticed that many places that carry these replicas do not carry extra magazines, so if you see some that fit (and make sure they do), grab em!
The magazines are our first bitch with these; the clips are a pain to use in the field at times.
The magazines have a reservoir that holds a pretty decent number of bbs, but there is a spring slider on the side of the clip. You slide the spring down and rock the magazine forward and back to fill the bb channel, then release the spring to push the bbs up the feed tube. If you can get them all in there, the mag holds 15 rounds, but often you only get 10 to 12 in. When you rack the pump on the shotgun, the spring in the magazine pushes a bb up into the firing chamber. Until the last 3... The design of the feed tube doesn't allow the spring to push the last three bbs up into the receiver, so you have to pump the shotgun upside down to get those last three to feed, or they just drop out when you remove the mag to reload it. An internal follower that stood up and pushed the bbs would fix this, but it would be impossible to add yourself due to the way the bbs feed from the bottom of the mag into the spring feed column. We also noticed that the large, projecting magazine release can sometimes drop your mag in the field if it is bumped.
The pump on the plastic body guns is serviceable, and on the metal body replicas actually feels pretty solid. If you really cram it back, it is probably possible to break the pump, though we have yet to have any problems. The trigger on all models is abs plastic, and may be the long run weak link in these replicas. Also note that you can "slam fire" all of these; hold the trigger as you pump and the replica will fire at the back of the pump slide every pump, making it close to semi auto in rate of fire until you run out of bbs.
FPS is touted as 300 or 350 (depending on packaging) but reading the fine print you find that is with .12 gram bbs. Chronoed with .20 gram bbs brings these guns in down around 250 to 285 (each of our test guns was a little different, and multiple shots were not always completely consistent - this could have been the chrono acting up as the batteries were getting low, however). 250 with .20s is still reasonable, and the shottie is inexpensive enough to use as a loaner or back up (we got a couple of these for 20 bucks each on sale, full retail price can be much higher... watch for sales! These are not really 50 dollar replicas!).
Please note, these fire a single bb on each shot, not a cluster of bbs like a true shotgun would, or a multishot replica. Effectively, they are a pump action rifle, not a shotgun, they just happen to look like a shotgun frame.
These spring shotties can be found with a full stock or a pistol grip stock. We find the pistol grip stock easier to move through brush with, and not difficult to aim in use. Some people have reported that the stocks on the full stock models do not survive well without cracking in use, your mileage may vary.
Also, none of these shotties have any sort of sights; instead they all have a tactical weaver rail on top. In practice, you do not really need sights on these, simply aim down the top of the barrel between the sides of the rail and throw some plastic out there. You can however add red dot sights, lasers or what have you if you like. Just be aware that these add ons will probably cost more than the shotgun replica!
Range is decent, and can reach out fairly well with the adjustable hop up engaged (a simple slider on the side of the barrel where the ejection port would be on a real shotgun). Our test guns all can reach 100 feet with enough accuracy to hit a 1 foot square 7 out of 10 times. At 50 feet, you should be able to consistently hit a soda can after a little practice.
Another small drawback is that there are no mounts for a sling or other means to transport this except in your hands. You can tie a bit of rope around the pistol grip and use it as a sling, but this looks bad and is not that effective, and that makes this a hard choice as a backup unless you had some kind of back scabbard.
Overall:
Pros - inexpensive, easily found at chain sporting goods stores, good starter or back up replica. Good loaner for friends wanting to try out airsoft. Decent range, though not great. Fairly easy to sneak with. Fairly left handed friendly except for the safety.
Cons - magazine does not feed fully, and is somewhat hard to use at times. No sling mounts.
-1.5 for magazine issues; non feeding, hard to reload in a rush, easy to drop in field.
-.5 for no sling mounts
3 shots out of 5.
New Camo idea
Hey all, I'm not sure how long this will be up in it's current form, but check out our new background image (on some screen settings the image won't show, just so you know). It's an idea for dragon camouflage that we had rolling around. At this point, it might be too sharp and high contrast to actually work in the field, but hey... it's a test.
Also, this won't be an official version, it's just a quick test run. Some of the silhouette images may not have been open source/public domain (we are still checking into that). If they are not, we will definitely change out the pattern somewhat to use only public domain images along with some of our own original art.
Let us know!
If you can't see it, or want to see the whole image, try this link:
Dragon Camo
Also, this won't be an official version, it's just a quick test run. Some of the silhouette images may not have been open source/public domain (we are still checking into that). If they are not, we will definitely change out the pattern somewhat to use only public domain images along with some of our own original art.
Let us know!
If you can't see it, or want to see the whole image, try this link:
Dragon Camo
20 January 2011
Crosman P36 "Stinger" spring pistol
Ok, so spring pistols aren't really all that glorious or sexy, but they are cheap, easy to find and a lot of fun.
This is a quick review for the Crosman P36 Stinger spring powered pistol. It is readily available at many retailers that don't carry higher end AEG's and better quality spring rifles like Wal Mart, Target and others. For less than 20 bucks, you can get a serviceable spring pistol. Granted, it's clear plastic and only shoots about 145 fps with .20 gram bbs (a lot of low end springers are rated with .12 gram bbs, most intermediate and advanced airsoft players prefer higher quality .20 gram bbs as the quality control is much higher than any known .12 gram bb maker). Maximum range is probably less than 100 feet, but out to 50 feet it is decently accurate.
This is an ok springer to go out in the back yard with a few friends, chase each other around and have a blast. It works as a back up to a higher end AEG, just in case your battery runs out or you have to shoot someone close up and your AEG is shooting too hot for that range (you really shouldn't shoot someone close up with a 350+ fps airsoft replica). Someone who is really sneaky might be able to go out in a larger skirmish and be fairly effective, as this is pretty quiet on firing and very easy to move through brush with. The clip holds about 14 rounds, so you can get in, throw some plastic and get out to reload. If you had a couple extra mags and were sneaky, you might be able to be fairly effective, even against AEGs, but it will take a really effective player (check some of our "training" links to help out there!).
The big negative to this pistol, other than it being a springer, is the size of the grip. It is fairly thick and can be hard to hold for someone with smaller hands. The magazine release is also sensitive, and it is easy to dump (and loose) a magazine out in the field.
For those who may not know, a spring powered airsoft replica must be cocked by hand before each shot. In this pistol's case, you grab the top of the slide, pull it back and release it to cock the pistol. This pulls the spring back and loads a bb into the barrel. And yeah, it takes both hands, so dual wielding spring pistols only works for one shot each, then its reload time.
Overall:
Range - poor (typical for a spring pistol, about 50 feet for decent accuracy)
Cool Factor - poor (most of the body is clear plastic)
Pros - inexpensive (under 20 bucks), easy to find, will shoot cheaper, lower quality .12 gram ammo (though not as accurately as better quality .20 gram bbs).
Cons - clear plastic body (doesn't look all that real), short range, twitchy mag release, large pistol grip.
-1 for grip size
-1 for low power/short range
-.5 for being made of clear plastic (in some cases this is actually a plus though - clear plastic is much safer if you are in your back yard and someone sees you running around with a gun!)
-.5 for how easily the magazine will drop out
2 out of 5 (3 out of 5 if you need the clear plastic for safety)
This is a quick review for the Crosman P36 Stinger spring powered pistol. It is readily available at many retailers that don't carry higher end AEG's and better quality spring rifles like Wal Mart, Target and others. For less than 20 bucks, you can get a serviceable spring pistol. Granted, it's clear plastic and only shoots about 145 fps with .20 gram bbs (a lot of low end springers are rated with .12 gram bbs, most intermediate and advanced airsoft players prefer higher quality .20 gram bbs as the quality control is much higher than any known .12 gram bb maker). Maximum range is probably less than 100 feet, but out to 50 feet it is decently accurate.
This is an ok springer to go out in the back yard with a few friends, chase each other around and have a blast. It works as a back up to a higher end AEG, just in case your battery runs out or you have to shoot someone close up and your AEG is shooting too hot for that range (you really shouldn't shoot someone close up with a 350+ fps airsoft replica). Someone who is really sneaky might be able to go out in a larger skirmish and be fairly effective, as this is pretty quiet on firing and very easy to move through brush with. The clip holds about 14 rounds, so you can get in, throw some plastic and get out to reload. If you had a couple extra mags and were sneaky, you might be able to be fairly effective, even against AEGs, but it will take a really effective player (check some of our "training" links to help out there!).
The big negative to this pistol, other than it being a springer, is the size of the grip. It is fairly thick and can be hard to hold for someone with smaller hands. The magazine release is also sensitive, and it is easy to dump (and loose) a magazine out in the field.
For those who may not know, a spring powered airsoft replica must be cocked by hand before each shot. In this pistol's case, you grab the top of the slide, pull it back and release it to cock the pistol. This pulls the spring back and loads a bb into the barrel. And yeah, it takes both hands, so dual wielding spring pistols only works for one shot each, then its reload time.
Overall:
Range - poor (typical for a spring pistol, about 50 feet for decent accuracy)
Cool Factor - poor (most of the body is clear plastic)
Pros - inexpensive (under 20 bucks), easy to find, will shoot cheaper, lower quality .12 gram ammo (though not as accurately as better quality .20 gram bbs).
Cons - clear plastic body (doesn't look all that real), short range, twitchy mag release, large pistol grip.
-1 for grip size
-1 for low power/short range
-.5 for being made of clear plastic (in some cases this is actually a plus though - clear plastic is much safer if you are in your back yard and someone sees you running around with a gun!)
-.5 for how easily the magazine will drop out
2 out of 5 (3 out of 5 if you need the clear plastic for safety)
18 January 2011
We are The Roadcrew - Angel
Aloha all, IronAngel here.
This is the first in a series of posts to let you know who we are. I am IronAngel ("Angel" for short). I am the main web guy, mostly because I type the fastest.
The roadcrew is a loose group, based in West Michigan, and I am located along the shoreline in the tiny, sleepy town of Hart. It's a lot like living in the 1950s here at times, but hey, everybody has to live somewhere.
My background is a little odd; I've been a professional blacksmith for a hell of a lot of years (*coughcough29cough*). I've also had a few weird jobs at the same time I was making weird things out of hot metal, and got hauled into being a glassblower for a while. In my past I've done a lot of work in metals, wood, leather, and glass that ranged from beds and railings to stage props for rock bands and movie props. Doing living history re-enactments since the 1980's gave me a good background in researching the use, design and creation of historical armaments and armor, along with all manner of camp and household gear. Hell, I have even build a few cannon and blackpowder guns over the years.
I have been aware of airsoft for a number of years, but I had been a paintball player longer, on and off since the early 1990's. I finally jumped in whole hog after not having a running paint marker for a while (I kept modding them and selling them, whups). Norse/Bjorn came over one day with one of his AEG's, he slapped it in my hands and I was pretty much hooked. It felt so much more natural than any paint marker I had ever handled, it looked good and it had good reach. So in short order I started doing a lot of research. As a blacksmith, you do that anyway... lots of research on new projects and replicating old pieces, so it comes naturally. Once I had seen the inside of a mechbox, I knew I was in with both feet.
Now, as time allows, I am in the process of building custom guns and other airsoft equipment. And by custom, I don't mean I buy parts and slap them into a frame, I mean ground up, you can't get one of those from anywhere else custom guns. Sure, I still use TM compatible mechboxes and pistons, but the shells (the body of the replica) are completely hand made one offs.
One of the projects is a lewis light machine gun, as seen in pretty much every biplane dogfight movie ever (think of the machine gun on the back of the plane in The Mummy 2 as an example). Some other, even more horrible/fantastic things are also in the works, but we will leave those for another post.
With my background in designing and building machines and props, doing things like steampunk AEG's, weird props like surface to air missiles and airsoft RPG7's comes naturally and easily. So hopefully, down the road I will get some pics up to give you all ideas on your own projects along with extensive how to articles to get new players up to speed on some handy and useful stuff they can make for themselves.
That about covers the basic intro, more intel as it becomes needed.
Over and out.
This is the first in a series of posts to let you know who we are. I am IronAngel ("Angel" for short). I am the main web guy, mostly because I type the fastest.
The roadcrew is a loose group, based in West Michigan, and I am located along the shoreline in the tiny, sleepy town of Hart. It's a lot like living in the 1950s here at times, but hey, everybody has to live somewhere.
My background is a little odd; I've been a professional blacksmith for a hell of a lot of years (*coughcough29cough*). I've also had a few weird jobs at the same time I was making weird things out of hot metal, and got hauled into being a glassblower for a while. In my past I've done a lot of work in metals, wood, leather, and glass that ranged from beds and railings to stage props for rock bands and movie props. Doing living history re-enactments since the 1980's gave me a good background in researching the use, design and creation of historical armaments and armor, along with all manner of camp and household gear. Hell, I have even build a few cannon and blackpowder guns over the years.
I have been aware of airsoft for a number of years, but I had been a paintball player longer, on and off since the early 1990's. I finally jumped in whole hog after not having a running paint marker for a while (I kept modding them and selling them, whups). Norse/Bjorn came over one day with one of his AEG's, he slapped it in my hands and I was pretty much hooked. It felt so much more natural than any paint marker I had ever handled, it looked good and it had good reach. So in short order I started doing a lot of research. As a blacksmith, you do that anyway... lots of research on new projects and replicating old pieces, so it comes naturally. Once I had seen the inside of a mechbox, I knew I was in with both feet.
Now, as time allows, I am in the process of building custom guns and other airsoft equipment. And by custom, I don't mean I buy parts and slap them into a frame, I mean ground up, you can't get one of those from anywhere else custom guns. Sure, I still use TM compatible mechboxes and pistons, but the shells (the body of the replica) are completely hand made one offs.
One of the projects is a lewis light machine gun, as seen in pretty much every biplane dogfight movie ever (think of the machine gun on the back of the plane in The Mummy 2 as an example). Some other, even more horrible/fantastic things are also in the works, but we will leave those for another post.
With my background in designing and building machines and props, doing things like steampunk AEG's, weird props like surface to air missiles and airsoft RPG7's comes naturally and easily. So hopefully, down the road I will get some pics up to give you all ideas on your own projects along with extensive how to articles to get new players up to speed on some handy and useful stuff they can make for themselves.
That about covers the basic intro, more intel as it becomes needed.
Over and out.
War Story from Nine Hammers!
Bishop here, still snowed in, so i'll tell you a story.
Operation Nine hammers was my first barbecue. Three way dog fight. (marines have gone rogue in Afghanistan, army rangers are there to retrieve them, local resistance is there to cause problems).
We were the resistance. most of our team mates arrived in desert camo to run and gun... not us. We showed up in full desert garb, prop I.E.D.s, and attitude... needless to say, we we're something else...
Many things worthy of story happened that day... but I'm here to talk about Hobbit, my girlfriend.
I didn't think she would have any interest in this. She's clumsy and has no interest in related fields. Needless to say i was surprised when the obligatory "do you want to come too"? Got such and emphatic response. I was much more surprised at her performance.
The game began! All teams rushed to take the city, we got there first. The good news is we held the city... the not so good news is that i was "killed" in the process. I went to re-spawn (because war has re-spawn points) and found my beloved there also fallen in defense of her "homeland". Time came to get back in.
We left with 12+ other team mates... 45 minutes later I turn to hobbit, motion to the last three alive, and say "lets ditch these guys". Yes...the last three! Here we are. Two newbies in bright white shirts alongside all these "experienced ass-kickers" (direct quote) in camo, i'm 6'3", 300 ibs. and spent must of the day functionally blind and we out survived them.
We head to regroup. she was three steps ahead of me. Two bb's move past my face, and one hits me in the elbow... I am dead. I call my hit, then sit waiting for Hobbit to go down. She turns, pops three semi-automatic shots and I hear two voices call out HIT!! And she takes a knee. I'm relatively stunned. All I could do was say "I love you" and wait to finish bleeding out. I did so, and walked to respawn... I didn't see her again til lunch...
The moral of this story; shoot Bishop all you want, but be warned. A cute girl may come through the woods and take revenge on your ass.
Operation Nine hammers was my first barbecue. Three way dog fight. (marines have gone rogue in Afghanistan, army rangers are there to retrieve them, local resistance is there to cause problems).
We were the resistance. most of our team mates arrived in desert camo to run and gun... not us. We showed up in full desert garb, prop I.E.D.s, and attitude... needless to say, we we're something else...
Many things worthy of story happened that day... but I'm here to talk about Hobbit, my girlfriend.
I didn't think she would have any interest in this. She's clumsy and has no interest in related fields. Needless to say i was surprised when the obligatory "do you want to come too"? Got such and emphatic response. I was much more surprised at her performance.
The game began! All teams rushed to take the city, we got there first. The good news is we held the city... the not so good news is that i was "killed" in the process. I went to re-spawn (because war has re-spawn points) and found my beloved there also fallen in defense of her "homeland". Time came to get back in.
We left with 12+ other team mates... 45 minutes later I turn to hobbit, motion to the last three alive, and say "lets ditch these guys". Yes...the last three! Here we are. Two newbies in bright white shirts alongside all these "experienced ass-kickers" (direct quote) in camo, i'm 6'3", 300 ibs. and spent must of the day functionally blind and we out survived them.
We head to regroup. she was three steps ahead of me. Two bb's move past my face, and one hits me in the elbow... I am dead. I call my hit, then sit waiting for Hobbit to go down. She turns, pops three semi-automatic shots and I hear two voices call out HIT!! And she takes a knee. I'm relatively stunned. All I could do was say "I love you" and wait to finish bleeding out. I did so, and walked to respawn... I didn't see her again til lunch...
The moral of this story; shoot Bishop all you want, but be warned. A cute girl may come through the woods and take revenge on your ass.
Bishop Has Hijacked The review.
Hello out there, Bishop here.
I'm snowed in this morning and can't get to work.so I thought I'd ramble in your general direction for a while (like a homeless man screaming about baby Cuthulu's tearing at his groin while too stoned to realize he has crabs...except, not that... at all.)
I'd like to start by answering a question that might be on your mind (it isn't, but I'll answer it anyway);
"I understand that this site is just starting out, but why so many AK reviews?"
Great question, Straw Man! (it's a philosophy joke (look at me, I can pull all of this sophisticated humor at 7 in the morning)) anyway, we've reviewed ak's, because we own ak's. We bought three. One for Angel, one for me, one for my girlfriend, Hobbit (dibs). Angel owns an SKS and had owned civilian AKs, so he is familiar with the setup of it. I'm left handed and prefer the right side fire selector. Hobbit just liked the Ak, and wanted one she could go sneaking with. And if we all have AK's we have interchangeable mags and accessories. The other thing, the other grand reason to run ak's, YOU CAN LITERALLY BE IN ANY ARMY ON EARTH CARRYING ONE! The ak even sees use in the u.s. armed forces. With an ak you are always set to play in a milsim. and that's why we recommend it for a first airsoft gun.
Anything else? Just some... previews... I guess (things i'm looking at buying for an upcoming event); non blow back (NBB) m9, NBB colt .25 (my girlfriend likes to sneak) hk mp7 aeg (it's cute, and i need to free up my hands) grenade launchers! D.I.Y. grenade launchers! mp5. and we'll review it all!
Until next time,
Bishop out
I'm snowed in this morning and can't get to work.so I thought I'd ramble in your general direction for a while (like a homeless man screaming about baby Cuthulu's tearing at his groin while too stoned to realize he has crabs...except, not that... at all.)
I'd like to start by answering a question that might be on your mind (it isn't, but I'll answer it anyway);
"I understand that this site is just starting out, but why so many AK reviews?"
Great question, Straw Man! (it's a philosophy joke (look at me, I can pull all of this sophisticated humor at 7 in the morning)) anyway, we've reviewed ak's, because we own ak's. We bought three. One for Angel, one for me, one for my girlfriend, Hobbit (dibs). Angel owns an SKS and had owned civilian AKs, so he is familiar with the setup of it. I'm left handed and prefer the right side fire selector. Hobbit just liked the Ak, and wanted one she could go sneaking with. And if we all have AK's we have interchangeable mags and accessories. The other thing, the other grand reason to run ak's, YOU CAN LITERALLY BE IN ANY ARMY ON EARTH CARRYING ONE! The ak even sees use in the u.s. armed forces. With an ak you are always set to play in a milsim. and that's why we recommend it for a first airsoft gun.
Anything else? Just some... previews... I guess (things i'm looking at buying for an upcoming event); non blow back (NBB) m9, NBB colt .25 (my girlfriend likes to sneak) hk mp7 aeg (it's cute, and i need to free up my hands) grenade launchers! D.I.Y. grenade launchers! mp5. and we'll review it all!
Until next time,
Bishop out
17 January 2011
Building “traps” for airsoft, introduction
A lot of milsim airsoft players would love to have a few airsoft claymore mines, but can't justify the cost of the commercially available replica claymores. Granted, they look quite real, and are effective and versatile. But the cost of two mines is a nice new AEG! Heck, a lot of backyard players would love to have a few claymores for that matter! There is nothing quite like a tiny box hucking 200 bbs at your opponents while you sit back and watch, waiting to mop up the remaining confused survivors!
This has led a lot of folks to come up with a number of reasonably simple versions of the commercial airsoft claymore mine, and some other variants. A quick internet search will reveal a bunch of methods and types. We will detail the ones we build here, and point out a few tricks and differences that make our versions unusual.
First, you will need some method to toss bbs at people. Most people use rat traps. Yep, you read that right. A pair of rat traps are put into a box with a sling between the metal trap bars to act as a catapult to throw bbs out away from the “mine”. However, you can also get decent results from mouse traps if you can't easily find rat traps in your area. And mouse traps are usually a lot cheaper too, so you could make more and just cover an area with a half dozen as opposed to only having one mine in the area. This would allow you to catch a few opponents as opposed to only one or two and possibly turn the tide of the game to your side.
Other than claymore type devices, there are also several other types we will cover in future articles including tube mines, disguised mines and others.
Upcoming parts will be completed soon, we need to take pics and create drawings to fully explain the mechanisms and methods involved. Until then, keep sharp. Over and out!
This has led a lot of folks to come up with a number of reasonably simple versions of the commercial airsoft claymore mine, and some other variants. A quick internet search will reveal a bunch of methods and types. We will detail the ones we build here, and point out a few tricks and differences that make our versions unusual.
First, you will need some method to toss bbs at people. Most people use rat traps. Yep, you read that right. A pair of rat traps are put into a box with a sling between the metal trap bars to act as a catapult to throw bbs out away from the “mine”. However, you can also get decent results from mouse traps if you can't easily find rat traps in your area. And mouse traps are usually a lot cheaper too, so you could make more and just cover an area with a half dozen as opposed to only having one mine in the area. This would allow you to catch a few opponents as opposed to only one or two and possibly turn the tide of the game to your side.
Other than claymore type devices, there are also several other types we will cover in future articles including tube mines, disguised mines and others.
Upcoming parts will be completed soon, we need to take pics and create drawings to fully explain the mechanisms and methods involved. Until then, keep sharp. Over and out!
15 January 2011
AGM MP001 bolt action spring airsoft sniper rifle (VSR10 clone)
This review is for the AGM MP001 bolt action spring sniper airsoft rifle, which is a clone of the TM VSR10. This review is for the imitation wood grain model, purchased from Evike.
Tech specs
frame type (ie, AK, MP5, M4 ect) bolt action sniper rifle
overall length 42.3” - 1075mm
weight (no magazine) 4.2lbs
barrel length 16.9” - 430mm
gearbox type None, bolt action spring replica
battery type and location None, bolt action spring replica
rated FPS from various sites ~400 to ~450 FPS (0.20g bb)
our tested model FPS not tested yet
accuracy of our test model excellent – 3” group at 100 feet
other accessories/features magazine, hex key
First impressions: Opening the box, this replica is a pretty impressive sight. The imitation wood grain is very realistic, and the bluing on the barrel assembly is well done and even. It comes shipped in a standard molded Styrofoam container, with the barrel assembly and stock separate. A hex key is included to join the two halves, and it is easy to assemble and get it locked up tightly. The included magazine holds 30 6mm bbs, but if you like you can chamber a round and put another back in the magazine for 31. This is not recommended, as the rifle will be charged and ready to fire at this point, and even on safe this is not encouraged practice.
Once we had it mated together, the magazine loaded with a speed loader and a few targets set up we started to play. The first shot hit the 2 liter bottle dead center with no difficulty, and knocked it over.
Ok... dang! Each successive shot was nearly in the same spot on the bottom of the overturned bottle. Now at this point we need to discuss the sights (or rather lack there of). The top of the receiver on the replica has a scope rail to accept scope rings or any number of other optical systems. It does not, however, have any form of iron sights at all. But it is easy to simply sight between the heels of the rails over the top of the barrel. Accuracy with this system was a nice 3” group at 100 feet, with a practiced shooter. If you haven't shot a lot, yours may be less. If you have a well sighted scope, yours may actually be better.
The bolt pulls back surprisingly easily considering the power of the spring in this replica. It slides back into the locked position smoothly and easily and locks down cleanly. The safety is easy to get to, and with a little practice can be reached and operated without looking.
The hop up is located a distance down the left side of the barrel, and here is the only complaint. Ours seems to stick and is hard to move compared to other hop up systems in other bolt action spring replicas. However, at most ranges we didn't even use the hop up. Shooting 0.25 gram bbs, the MP001 carries in a gentle arc out to 200 feet, and is flat to 50 feet. We didn't have any heavier bbs on hand for our early tests, but considering our other experiences we would expect 0.40 gram bbs to be nearly flat to almost 100 feet. A note here, heavier bbs won't go any further (in fact, they likely do not go as far) but they are less affected by cross winds and light leaf cover. The bb will not carry as fast, but will carry more energy to a given distance. The choice is up to the shooter and you will probably want to test out a number of different weights. We plan to shoot 0.28 gram bbs mostly as a compromise weight mostly in this replica.
Closing shots:
Pros: Light weight, very accurate, good price point (roughly 75 to 100 dollars), very good range, good looks.
Cons: Long length makes moving into position and retreating through brush in a hurry more difficult. No iron sights (-0.5), our hop up was sticky.
Sneakiness: If you are holding a position and well camouflaged, very good. Moving into position, poor (the length makes it hard to move with). Firing, good (the replica is fairly quiet firing).
Left-handedness: Poor. The bolt is on the right side of the gun, and is harder for a leftie to use.
Respect: Good. The replica looks good, and has long, accurate reach.
Overall: Above average 4.5 out of 5. A good all around airsoft sniper replica with good looks, very good accuracy and light weight.
Tech specs
frame type (ie, AK, MP5, M4 ect) bolt action sniper rifle
overall length 42.3” - 1075mm
weight (no magazine) 4.2lbs
barrel length 16.9” - 430mm
gearbox type None, bolt action spring replica
battery type and location None, bolt action spring replica
rated FPS from various sites ~400 to ~450 FPS (0.20g bb)
our tested model FPS not tested yet
accuracy of our test model excellent – 3” group at 100 feet
other accessories/features magazine, hex key
First impressions: Opening the box, this replica is a pretty impressive sight. The imitation wood grain is very realistic, and the bluing on the barrel assembly is well done and even. It comes shipped in a standard molded Styrofoam container, with the barrel assembly and stock separate. A hex key is included to join the two halves, and it is easy to assemble and get it locked up tightly. The included magazine holds 30 6mm bbs, but if you like you can chamber a round and put another back in the magazine for 31. This is not recommended, as the rifle will be charged and ready to fire at this point, and even on safe this is not encouraged practice.
Once we had it mated together, the magazine loaded with a speed loader and a few targets set up we started to play. The first shot hit the 2 liter bottle dead center with no difficulty, and knocked it over.
Ok... dang! Each successive shot was nearly in the same spot on the bottom of the overturned bottle. Now at this point we need to discuss the sights (or rather lack there of). The top of the receiver on the replica has a scope rail to accept scope rings or any number of other optical systems. It does not, however, have any form of iron sights at all. But it is easy to simply sight between the heels of the rails over the top of the barrel. Accuracy with this system was a nice 3” group at 100 feet, with a practiced shooter. If you haven't shot a lot, yours may be less. If you have a well sighted scope, yours may actually be better.
The bolt pulls back surprisingly easily considering the power of the spring in this replica. It slides back into the locked position smoothly and easily and locks down cleanly. The safety is easy to get to, and with a little practice can be reached and operated without looking.
The hop up is located a distance down the left side of the barrel, and here is the only complaint. Ours seems to stick and is hard to move compared to other hop up systems in other bolt action spring replicas. However, at most ranges we didn't even use the hop up. Shooting 0.25 gram bbs, the MP001 carries in a gentle arc out to 200 feet, and is flat to 50 feet. We didn't have any heavier bbs on hand for our early tests, but considering our other experiences we would expect 0.40 gram bbs to be nearly flat to almost 100 feet. A note here, heavier bbs won't go any further (in fact, they likely do not go as far) but they are less affected by cross winds and light leaf cover. The bb will not carry as fast, but will carry more energy to a given distance. The choice is up to the shooter and you will probably want to test out a number of different weights. We plan to shoot 0.28 gram bbs mostly as a compromise weight mostly in this replica.
Closing shots:
Pros: Light weight, very accurate, good price point (roughly 75 to 100 dollars), very good range, good looks.
Cons: Long length makes moving into position and retreating through brush in a hurry more difficult. No iron sights (-0.5), our hop up was sticky.
Sneakiness: If you are holding a position and well camouflaged, very good. Moving into position, poor (the length makes it hard to move with). Firing, good (the replica is fairly quiet firing).
Left-handedness: Poor. The bolt is on the right side of the gun, and is harder for a leftie to use.
Respect: Good. The replica looks good, and has long, accurate reach.
Overall: Above average 4.5 out of 5. A good all around airsoft sniper replica with good looks, very good accuracy and light weight.
JG AK47M tactical model AEG review
Review coming soon! We are playing with this one at the moment. A lot. This is a placeholder page, and will be updated in the near future.
Review for the Cmya cm-028 AK47 airsoft replica
This is a partial review. This review will be update in a few weeks once we have completed our testing process and gotten the replica chronographed.
The 028 seems to be the first AEG in the cmyk series that was really favorably reviewed by most users as I started looking for entry level replicas that didn't suck. And they were all right... this AEG is pretty damn good for around 100 bucks!
Tech specs
frame type (ie, AK, MP5, M4 ect) AK-47, standard stock
overall length 34 1/2” long, 7” tall
weight (no magazine) 6.6 lbs (with standard battery)
barrel length unknown
gearbox type Type 3 gearbox
battery type and location large type, in buttstock
rated FPS from various sites unknown
our tested model FPS not tested yet
accuracy of our test model not tested yet
other accessories/features battery, hi-cap mag, cleaning rod, sight key, olive drab green nylon sling and a wall charger.
First impressions: The airsoft replica comes in a pretty standard box (36 1/2” x 9 1/4” by 3 1/4” deep). The replica is laid into molded Styrofoam so it is fairly well protected in transit. The cardboard box cover is reasonably rugged, and the box can be used for transport until a more suitable case is acquired to transport the replica.
Opening the box, the replica looks quite good to the eye. The molded plastic stock and hand grips look a lot like real wood, and the grain in the molding is quite well done. There is a lot of metal on this replica as well. The upper receiver cover, the trigger and housing (which includes the magazine catch), the fire selector lever, the sights, the front gas tube and outer barrel are all metal.
The barrel machining is quite authentic, and the stamped steel upper receiver is also close the the real rifle this replica is modeled on. The cast aluminum bolt cover pulls back on a decent spring to reveal a slide type hop up adjuster and closes with a nice metallic “chunk” though not as forcefully at the actual weapon.
Of note with many AK replicas, the selector lever will scratch the face of the receiver as it is moved up and down. Also, the selector lever screw can be loose when you get the replica, ours was. It is a simple fix though; just pry off the plastic cap over the screw and tighten the screw a quarter turn or so with a philips head screwdriver, then snap the plastic cap back into place. This is such a minor issue it doesn't get any demerit points, as many lower end replicas have many more screws loose than this one did.
We took the replica out of the box, handled it a bit and noted that the sling that comes with the AEG is functional, but not overly great. It will work, and can be mounted in a number of ways, but you will likely want to replace this later on.
The battery comes uncharged, and here most sites warn not to follow the instructions on charging. If you charge the battery as long as the instructions tell you, the battery will likely overheat and possibly fail on this first charge. For the first charge, try 4 hours. Make sure you check the battery every half hour to see if the battery is getting hot. If it is, unplug it and let it cool before charging further. Most batteries will get warm as they charge, but hot is not good. As the battery gets warmer it charges faster, and it can get into a runaway charging cycle that can easily destroy the battery if it isn't allowed to cool.
Once our battery was charged, we loaded the included metal high capacity magazine with a couple good sized hand-fulls of .20 gram 6mm bbs and headed outside to play with our new AEG.
The magazine locked up cleanly with minimal wobble, and a few turns of the wheel on the mag brought bb's up to the mag well and ready to fire. For those who have not used a high capacity magazine, a wheel on the bottom of the magazine winds up an internal spring that feeds bbs up out of the magazine into the AEG's hop up chamber, so you do have to wind them from time to time.
I took aim on a large standing weed we often use as a target, which is located out about 90 to 100 feet using the built in iron sights. The bb passed within a half inch of the pencil thin plant stem, and the third one hit it. Accuracy is damn good for a totally stock AEG. At this distance, the hop up has not taken effect yet, so the bb's trajectory is still reasonably straight. At about 130 feet the back spin from the hop up started to take effect and the bb began to climb in flight. Opening the bolt cover on the side of the receiver, it was simple to move the slider to adjust the hop up so that the hop up backspin took effect later in the bb's flight.
With some slight elevation of the muzzle, we were able to almost reach the far edge of the field where the tree line starts. This is about 210 feet from our shooting position, so the maximum range on the AEG is pretty decent (roughly 180 feet). Accuracy at this range is not expected, but even on full auto, the bbs were all falling within a 2 foot wide by 2 foot tall window, so it is reasonable to expect to hit a person sized target out near the maximum range. Aiming is more difficult of course, and we had the sight set at the lowest position on the rail, so it wasn't set for long range. Note that on the lowest position, the replica seems to be close to on target at about 50 feet. We will do further accuracy testing with a bench later in the review.
Battery life for a stock el cheapo battery isn't bad at all. Many 600 round hi-cap mags later the motor was still turning over at about the same speed as when we started. We probably emptied 5 or 6 hi-caps just goofing around. The battery that comes with the gun is a NiCad, which is not as good as a NiHd battery, but it works for target shooting, light skirmishing and as a back up after you get a better battery later on. We had no trouble putting the battery in the flask of the stock (at the back end), though some online reviews from other people did indicate they did. The butt plate slides off and lifts away, revealing an ample battery compartment. A larger battery with more cells may not fit however, unless you are willing to disassemble the stock and remove a plastic rib inside the stock. Which voids any warranty. The battery fits fairly tight, but if you shake the gun hard, you can get it to rattle a little. A few turns of tape may fix this problem, but its not really needed. If you are moving that hard on the field, your body and other equipment will be making as much or more noise as that moving battery.
More soon! The snow is finally deep enough to get out and really run this replica through it's paces!
The 028 seems to be the first AEG in the cmyk series that was really favorably reviewed by most users as I started looking for entry level replicas that didn't suck. And they were all right... this AEG is pretty damn good for around 100 bucks!
Tech specs
frame type (ie, AK, MP5, M4 ect) AK-47, standard stock
overall length 34 1/2” long, 7” tall
weight (no magazine) 6.6 lbs (with standard battery)
barrel length unknown
gearbox type Type 3 gearbox
battery type and location large type, in buttstock
rated FPS from various sites unknown
our tested model FPS not tested yet
accuracy of our test model not tested yet
other accessories/features battery, hi-cap mag, cleaning rod, sight key, olive drab green nylon sling and a wall charger.
First impressions: The airsoft replica comes in a pretty standard box (36 1/2” x 9 1/4” by 3 1/4” deep). The replica is laid into molded Styrofoam so it is fairly well protected in transit. The cardboard box cover is reasonably rugged, and the box can be used for transport until a more suitable case is acquired to transport the replica.
Opening the box, the replica looks quite good to the eye. The molded plastic stock and hand grips look a lot like real wood, and the grain in the molding is quite well done. There is a lot of metal on this replica as well. The upper receiver cover, the trigger and housing (which includes the magazine catch), the fire selector lever, the sights, the front gas tube and outer barrel are all metal.
The barrel machining is quite authentic, and the stamped steel upper receiver is also close the the real rifle this replica is modeled on. The cast aluminum bolt cover pulls back on a decent spring to reveal a slide type hop up adjuster and closes with a nice metallic “chunk” though not as forcefully at the actual weapon.
Of note with many AK replicas, the selector lever will scratch the face of the receiver as it is moved up and down. Also, the selector lever screw can be loose when you get the replica, ours was. It is a simple fix though; just pry off the plastic cap over the screw and tighten the screw a quarter turn or so with a philips head screwdriver, then snap the plastic cap back into place. This is such a minor issue it doesn't get any demerit points, as many lower end replicas have many more screws loose than this one did.
We took the replica out of the box, handled it a bit and noted that the sling that comes with the AEG is functional, but not overly great. It will work, and can be mounted in a number of ways, but you will likely want to replace this later on.
The battery comes uncharged, and here most sites warn not to follow the instructions on charging. If you charge the battery as long as the instructions tell you, the battery will likely overheat and possibly fail on this first charge. For the first charge, try 4 hours. Make sure you check the battery every half hour to see if the battery is getting hot. If it is, unplug it and let it cool before charging further. Most batteries will get warm as they charge, but hot is not good. As the battery gets warmer it charges faster, and it can get into a runaway charging cycle that can easily destroy the battery if it isn't allowed to cool.
Once our battery was charged, we loaded the included metal high capacity magazine with a couple good sized hand-fulls of .20 gram 6mm bbs and headed outside to play with our new AEG.
The magazine locked up cleanly with minimal wobble, and a few turns of the wheel on the mag brought bb's up to the mag well and ready to fire. For those who have not used a high capacity magazine, a wheel on the bottom of the magazine winds up an internal spring that feeds bbs up out of the magazine into the AEG's hop up chamber, so you do have to wind them from time to time.
I took aim on a large standing weed we often use as a target, which is located out about 90 to 100 feet using the built in iron sights. The bb passed within a half inch of the pencil thin plant stem, and the third one hit it. Accuracy is damn good for a totally stock AEG. At this distance, the hop up has not taken effect yet, so the bb's trajectory is still reasonably straight. At about 130 feet the back spin from the hop up started to take effect and the bb began to climb in flight. Opening the bolt cover on the side of the receiver, it was simple to move the slider to adjust the hop up so that the hop up backspin took effect later in the bb's flight.
With some slight elevation of the muzzle, we were able to almost reach the far edge of the field where the tree line starts. This is about 210 feet from our shooting position, so the maximum range on the AEG is pretty decent (roughly 180 feet). Accuracy at this range is not expected, but even on full auto, the bbs were all falling within a 2 foot wide by 2 foot tall window, so it is reasonable to expect to hit a person sized target out near the maximum range. Aiming is more difficult of course, and we had the sight set at the lowest position on the rail, so it wasn't set for long range. Note that on the lowest position, the replica seems to be close to on target at about 50 feet. We will do further accuracy testing with a bench later in the review.
Battery life for a stock el cheapo battery isn't bad at all. Many 600 round hi-cap mags later the motor was still turning over at about the same speed as when we started. We probably emptied 5 or 6 hi-caps just goofing around. The battery that comes with the gun is a NiCad, which is not as good as a NiHd battery, but it works for target shooting, light skirmishing and as a back up after you get a better battery later on. We had no trouble putting the battery in the flask of the stock (at the back end), though some online reviews from other people did indicate they did. The butt plate slides off and lifts away, revealing an ample battery compartment. A larger battery with more cells may not fit however, unless you are willing to disassemble the stock and remove a plastic rib inside the stock. Which voids any warranty. The battery fits fairly tight, but if you shake the gun hard, you can get it to rattle a little. A few turns of tape may fix this problem, but its not really needed. If you are moving that hard on the field, your body and other equipment will be making as much or more noise as that moving battery.
More soon! The snow is finally deep enough to get out and really run this replica through it's paces!
Review for the JG AK47S AEG airsoft replica
This review is for the JG AK47S (folding stock, full length frame) AK47 Automatic Electric Gun replica. It is a tactical model, with top and bottom RIS (rifle integration system) rails to allow you to attach components like laser sights, flashlights and more. One accessory that it comes with is a folding foregrip, which slides on the RIS rail and is held in place with a pair of hex screws (tightening key included as well).
Our test model came from Evike.com, and was ordered just before Black Friday 2010. Our test gun could be a freak, so remember this review is on this specific gun and others of it's exact make may or may not be quite the same (see notes about this further down in the review, just before the closing shots section).
As we do not yet have our chronograph in hand, we have to go on their numbers. Their site says 350 to 380 fps, and it definitely is shooting at least 350 when compared to other guns we have on hand with known fps. More than likely, it is shooting closer to 400 than 350, as the JG replica easily out reaches other AEG's we have on hand with the same bbs (.20 gram matrix). We put an 8.4 volt stick battery in after fully charging and went out to play. If you want a higher rate of fire, a 9.6 volt battery would be a better choice.
The first thing we noticed was with the stock folded, it was rather hard to get to the firing/safe selector. This is a known issue with the actual rifle that this AEG is a replica of as well. Also, the folding stock had to be popped over the bottom ridge on the RIS rail for the latch to engage. The replica certainly handled well with the stock folded, making sneaking about in the brush very easy. The replica, stock folded, is about the same length as one of the MP5's, but with a slightly longer barrel seemed to be more accurate at ranges beyond 100 feet. The gun's maximum reach of around 200 feet was impressive, and the grouping on full auto was still presentable, though the bbs have lost most of their energy at this distance, and it would be hard to feel a hit that far out.
With the stock extended, it had a bit of wobble, but if you don't mind that it is plenty strong enough for most players. The wire style stock is made out of metal, likely some kind of aluminum alloy. The lock mechanism has a push button on the left side of the gun that allows the stock to be opened and closed, and it is smooth enough. We eventually took the folding stock off to give the sneaker a more comfortable, quiet tool for her job.
The front grip, rear grip and RIS rails are all made out of a matte black polymer, which feels good in the hand and seems to hold up to rough handling well enough. We wouldn't suggest dragging it down the road behind a car, but then again, we wouldn't suggest that for pretty much any airsoft replica either. The tactical look and feel does make it a sexy looking AEG, and with the stock folded or removed it is even more so.
A note about this specific gun and it's history along with Evike: As noted, this gun might be a freak. When it was ordered from Evike, it was a second choice, as the first choice had sold out. Evike customer service was quite good, and even called to check after the initial order was placed to make sure someone had not stolen our credit card and placed an order. Their CSRs were all quite helpful on the phone. This gun was shipped separate of the rest of the order, and arrived a couple of days after the main order.
That's where things got weird. Upon opening the box, we noted that the rear release button on the receiver cover already showed some wear. Upon close inspection, we did find a couple other small marks in the paint on the replica, and noted that the fire selector lever had left a scratch in the paint (this is very common to AK-47s). The receiver latch in particular made us think this may have been a return. The wear definitely looked like it was more than just a bit of a scuff from having it on display in the store, or something like that. Now, that said, everything was going out of stock at this time (black friday) on most sites, so we were hesitant to send it back and possibly not be able to get another AEG until the new year (ok, we will admit it, it was a birthday present, and that day was coming up way fast). So we put a battery in it and tested it.
It out shot our expectations. It out-shot another AEG by the same maker, which was essentially the exact same model with a non folding stock. Using the exact same battery. So, the question here is this: Is this particular replica a good representative of this model? Has this AEG been upgraded at some point in it's life? If so, what parts (just the spring, or more)? Is this review valid?
In the end we decided to review this gun, as is. That is what we do with everything; the review is on the exact model we have in hand, with notes like this to let the reader educate themselves and see what conclusion they come to.
Closing shots:
Pros - Long reach, good accuracy, easy to sneak with when the stock is folded. Good looking if you like the tactical look.
Cons - Stock folded gets in the way of the fire selector (-1 right there), stock wobbles when extended (minor, but still -0.5).
Sneakiness – better than average. The stock folded or removed allows the AEG to be held close to the body when moving through heavy brush. Reasonably low handling noise (less so with a high capacity magazine, as with any gun). Normal firing noise. All black, so it will tend to stand out in silhouette against almost all backgrounds.
Left handedness – so so. The firing selector on the right side of the body is nice, but it can be hard to engage with the thumb due to placement and length of throw required.
Respect – average to above. JG is building respectable entry level guns that in good hands can hold their own with much more expensive guns in less effective hands easily. You might get props for paying less than some other makes and getting an AEG that is about their equal.
Overall – average to above average. 3.5 shot burst out of 5. This is a sexy looking, easy to sneak with, basic AEG airsoft replica for an entry level to intermediate level airsoft player. Even a seasoned player may want this as a back up for their main gun or a loaner.
Our test model came from Evike.com, and was ordered just before Black Friday 2010. Our test gun could be a freak, so remember this review is on this specific gun and others of it's exact make may or may not be quite the same (see notes about this further down in the review, just before the closing shots section).
As we do not yet have our chronograph in hand, we have to go on their numbers. Their site says 350 to 380 fps, and it definitely is shooting at least 350 when compared to other guns we have on hand with known fps. More than likely, it is shooting closer to 400 than 350, as the JG replica easily out reaches other AEG's we have on hand with the same bbs (.20 gram matrix). We put an 8.4 volt stick battery in after fully charging and went out to play. If you want a higher rate of fire, a 9.6 volt battery would be a better choice.
The first thing we noticed was with the stock folded, it was rather hard to get to the firing/safe selector. This is a known issue with the actual rifle that this AEG is a replica of as well. Also, the folding stock had to be popped over the bottom ridge on the RIS rail for the latch to engage. The replica certainly handled well with the stock folded, making sneaking about in the brush very easy. The replica, stock folded, is about the same length as one of the MP5's, but with a slightly longer barrel seemed to be more accurate at ranges beyond 100 feet. The gun's maximum reach of around 200 feet was impressive, and the grouping on full auto was still presentable, though the bbs have lost most of their energy at this distance, and it would be hard to feel a hit that far out.
With the stock extended, it had a bit of wobble, but if you don't mind that it is plenty strong enough for most players. The wire style stock is made out of metal, likely some kind of aluminum alloy. The lock mechanism has a push button on the left side of the gun that allows the stock to be opened and closed, and it is smooth enough. We eventually took the folding stock off to give the sneaker a more comfortable, quiet tool for her job.
The front grip, rear grip and RIS rails are all made out of a matte black polymer, which feels good in the hand and seems to hold up to rough handling well enough. We wouldn't suggest dragging it down the road behind a car, but then again, we wouldn't suggest that for pretty much any airsoft replica either. The tactical look and feel does make it a sexy looking AEG, and with the stock folded or removed it is even more so.
A note about this specific gun and it's history along with Evike: As noted, this gun might be a freak. When it was ordered from Evike, it was a second choice, as the first choice had sold out. Evike customer service was quite good, and even called to check after the initial order was placed to make sure someone had not stolen our credit card and placed an order. Their CSRs were all quite helpful on the phone. This gun was shipped separate of the rest of the order, and arrived a couple of days after the main order.
That's where things got weird. Upon opening the box, we noted that the rear release button on the receiver cover already showed some wear. Upon close inspection, we did find a couple other small marks in the paint on the replica, and noted that the fire selector lever had left a scratch in the paint (this is very common to AK-47s). The receiver latch in particular made us think this may have been a return. The wear definitely looked like it was more than just a bit of a scuff from having it on display in the store, or something like that. Now, that said, everything was going out of stock at this time (black friday) on most sites, so we were hesitant to send it back and possibly not be able to get another AEG until the new year (ok, we will admit it, it was a birthday present, and that day was coming up way fast). So we put a battery in it and tested it.
It out shot our expectations. It out-shot another AEG by the same maker, which was essentially the exact same model with a non folding stock. Using the exact same battery. So, the question here is this: Is this particular replica a good representative of this model? Has this AEG been upgraded at some point in it's life? If so, what parts (just the spring, or more)? Is this review valid?
In the end we decided to review this gun, as is. That is what we do with everything; the review is on the exact model we have in hand, with notes like this to let the reader educate themselves and see what conclusion they come to.
Closing shots:
Pros - Long reach, good accuracy, easy to sneak with when the stock is folded. Good looking if you like the tactical look.
Cons - Stock folded gets in the way of the fire selector (-1 right there), stock wobbles when extended (minor, but still -0.5).
Sneakiness – better than average. The stock folded or removed allows the AEG to be held close to the body when moving through heavy brush. Reasonably low handling noise (less so with a high capacity magazine, as with any gun). Normal firing noise. All black, so it will tend to stand out in silhouette against almost all backgrounds.
Left handedness – so so. The firing selector on the right side of the body is nice, but it can be hard to engage with the thumb due to placement and length of throw required.
Respect – average to above. JG is building respectable entry level guns that in good hands can hold their own with much more expensive guns in less effective hands easily. You might get props for paying less than some other makes and getting an AEG that is about their equal.
Overall – average to above average. 3.5 shot burst out of 5. This is a sexy looking, easy to sneak with, basic AEG airsoft replica for an entry level to intermediate level airsoft player. Even a seasoned player may want this as a back up for their main gun or a loaner.
10 January 2011
Adventures in finding springs, part 1.5
Thanks to TJ at Young's Army Surplus in Grand Rapids Michigan for trading us some AEG's springs! These will work great! 6" long, decently stiff and about 5/8" in diameter. Our quest for a common, easy source of springs for our readers continues though, and once we find a suitable one, we will post here. If you have an airsoft retailer near you, you might try asking if you can purchase their old springs taken out of replicas that have been upgraded. Until then, we will keep looking for other sources!
Over.
Over.
05 January 2011
Adventures in finding springs, part 1
Four of the Roadcrew guys loaded into our car and headed out to find some nice compression springs to build some fun new airsoft mines we had come up with. A variant on the simple tube mine you see on youtube and at countless airsoft fields.
How you might ask is this an adventure worth chronicling? Well, long story short, no where near here carries them. The springs we found ranged from pitifully small and weak to "three men and an orangutan" to compress. With nothing reasonable in between. Oh, we saw a few springs that would work nicely, but they were built into several items too expensive to justify buying and tearing down just for their squishy goodness.
So we returned home to regroup and do some more research. It's a good lesson for airsoft; sometimes you have to pull back from your objective to win the battle.
We will update and give you links to get springs (along with an article on how to make these simple tube mines) in an upcoming post. Once we finally find a suitable one. At this point, AEG springs are looking like one of the best bets that will be commonly available, but if we can find a hardware store version for a reasonable price, it will be posted here for all of you to get your grubby hands on as well.
Over and out.
How you might ask is this an adventure worth chronicling? Well, long story short, no where near here carries them. The springs we found ranged from pitifully small and weak to "three men and an orangutan" to compress. With nothing reasonable in between. Oh, we saw a few springs that would work nicely, but they were built into several items too expensive to justify buying and tearing down just for their squishy goodness.
So we returned home to regroup and do some more research. It's a good lesson for airsoft; sometimes you have to pull back from your objective to win the battle.
We will update and give you links to get springs (along with an article on how to make these simple tube mines) in an upcoming post. Once we finally find a suitable one. At this point, AEG springs are looking like one of the best bets that will be commonly available, but if we can find a hardware store version for a reasonable price, it will be posted here for all of you to get your grubby hands on as well.
Over and out.
03 January 2011
Winter Game Afteraction report
Hey all, we had a short game with the LMAG guys over the weekend, out in the open woods. The snow had all melted, and a light dusting had not penetrated into the forrest we were playing in, so it was bare ground in most places, save some left over hard pack snow in a few open spots. Granted, it was cold at about 25 degrees, but not horrible at all.
As we have discussed in a few other posts, electric replicas and some gas guns are less happy in the cold. We had a few battery failures, and one of the gas guns was just burping more than throwing plastic, but all in all we had most of our gear function as expected.
Three games were played, and it was a snipers holiday! The guys with the sniper replicas did exceptionally well in two of the three games and held their own in the third. The only real issues were communication based, and I know we hammer on this a lot on the blog, but it is worth saying again. We forgot one of our own rules.. on the second game of 7 on 3, we forgot to set pass phrases (aka challenges). At one point two of us were on patrol searching for the infiltration team, and we came upon a second team. They were equipped with similar gear to the known infiltration team, and were in deep cover. I called out "friendly?", and because of the wind and extra cold weather gear they were not able to make out the call. Had we used a pass phrase, I would have called whatever our challenge phrase was as I approached, waiting for a response. Sadly, this ended badly... friendly fire isn't. The other fire team noticed our approach, and since we were staying low and in soft cover, they could make out movement and not exactly who was in the brush. This is another point we hammer on, but it merits repeating... know what you are shooting at! A few shots later, two of the four of us were out when we finally realized both sides were friendly, and we had done a lot of the infiltration teams work for them. Needless to say, I felt dumb as a brick for forgetting to set a challenge phrase, and in the end it cost our team dearly. Everybody makes mistakes, definitely learn from them!!!
Also in these games, Bishop had problem with his glasses fogging under the mask, and had two separate chances for a called kill (aka sniper kill, mercy kill, bang kill, ect). In both cases, he took the high road, and didn't take the kill, as he was concerned it was his own team and ended up out from it. This is something we will cover in a future post; testing methods to prevent fogging on lenses and ways for airsoft players who wear glasses to keep their fogging down to a minimum. We are experimenting with a lot of different solutions and we will let you know what works for us. Obviously, method one didn't work.
A few other things that we tried on this event you may want to try in your games:
We played a game of "your team". Captains are chosen (in this case the two most effective snipers of the earlier games) and they choose team members for the other team, alternating back and forth. Ie, you are trying to choose the least effective team for your opponent. Either by gear for the situation, experience or who is having a good day vs who is having an off day. Your Team is a game we play often in social situations as a lark; same rules when you are out at a restaurant, in a sort of fantasy football like game. In airsoft, it makes for some challenges, as you may end up with players on your team that have not played your field before, may not have optimal equipment for the situation or that you have never met and played with before today. It is a great way of learning to adapt to new situations and working with people you have not met before, and makes you a better player in large mil sim games.
So that's the quick version of our first winter game of the season, and we will fill in more details as other games get played to give new players some first hand accounts of what to expect in winter games.
Over and out!
As we have discussed in a few other posts, electric replicas and some gas guns are less happy in the cold. We had a few battery failures, and one of the gas guns was just burping more than throwing plastic, but all in all we had most of our gear function as expected.
Three games were played, and it was a snipers holiday! The guys with the sniper replicas did exceptionally well in two of the three games and held their own in the third. The only real issues were communication based, and I know we hammer on this a lot on the blog, but it is worth saying again. We forgot one of our own rules.. on the second game of 7 on 3, we forgot to set pass phrases (aka challenges). At one point two of us were on patrol searching for the infiltration team, and we came upon a second team. They were equipped with similar gear to the known infiltration team, and were in deep cover. I called out "friendly?", and because of the wind and extra cold weather gear they were not able to make out the call. Had we used a pass phrase, I would have called whatever our challenge phrase was as I approached, waiting for a response. Sadly, this ended badly... friendly fire isn't. The other fire team noticed our approach, and since we were staying low and in soft cover, they could make out movement and not exactly who was in the brush. This is another point we hammer on, but it merits repeating... know what you are shooting at! A few shots later, two of the four of us were out when we finally realized both sides were friendly, and we had done a lot of the infiltration teams work for them. Needless to say, I felt dumb as a brick for forgetting to set a challenge phrase, and in the end it cost our team dearly. Everybody makes mistakes, definitely learn from them!!!
Also in these games, Bishop had problem with his glasses fogging under the mask, and had two separate chances for a called kill (aka sniper kill, mercy kill, bang kill, ect). In both cases, he took the high road, and didn't take the kill, as he was concerned it was his own team and ended up out from it. This is something we will cover in a future post; testing methods to prevent fogging on lenses and ways for airsoft players who wear glasses to keep their fogging down to a minimum. We are experimenting with a lot of different solutions and we will let you know what works for us. Obviously, method one didn't work.
A few other things that we tried on this event you may want to try in your games:
We played a game of "your team". Captains are chosen (in this case the two most effective snipers of the earlier games) and they choose team members for the other team, alternating back and forth. Ie, you are trying to choose the least effective team for your opponent. Either by gear for the situation, experience or who is having a good day vs who is having an off day. Your Team is a game we play often in social situations as a lark; same rules when you are out at a restaurant, in a sort of fantasy football like game. In airsoft, it makes for some challenges, as you may end up with players on your team that have not played your field before, may not have optimal equipment for the situation or that you have never met and played with before today. It is a great way of learning to adapt to new situations and working with people you have not met before, and makes you a better player in large mil sim games.
So that's the quick version of our first winter game of the season, and we will fill in more details as other games get played to give new players some first hand accounts of what to expect in winter games.
Over and out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)