HPA-powered airsoft guns are experiencing a revival, and it's now a homegrown business in the USA. HPA-powered airsoft guns are early generation airsoft guns and if you are familiar with classic airsoft guns, you'll know that these were mainly HPA-powered until Tokyo Marui did away with reliance on tethered airsoft guns with the introduction of the AEG and established the standard for airsoft AEG gearboxes.

Now those standards for developing airsoft gearboxes have become the basis of revival of HPA-powered airsoft guns. Started by PolarStar Airsoft's Fusion Engine, drop-in HPA engine kits that were designed to quickly convert version 2 , version 3, and now M249 AEGs into HPA-powered airsoft guns, are now getting increasing acceptance. Whilst Springs, AEGs and Gas Blowbacks dominate the market, HPA has established a foothold again and might just expand further on.

With the introduction of the Wolverine Airsoft Single Moving Part (SMP) HPA engine earlier this year, and now the Valken V12, now there's competition to PolarStar Airsoft. What makes these HPA systems for airsoft different from the Classic Airsoft HPA System, apart from their compatibility with the AEG airsoft guns, is that they are programmable, allowing you to configure the muzzle velocity and cyclic rate separately with the use of the Electronic Control Units (ECU). The PolarStar Airsoft Fusion Engine and the Valken V12 are almost similar in build and installation methods; the Wolverine SMP allows existing gearbox shells to be converted into HPA engines which makes installation a bit longer than both the Fusion Engine and V12.

Furthermore, PolarStar Airsoft have partnered with VFC for their EPAR Series which are complete PolarStar HPA airsoft guns; and Valken have partnered with G&G with their Combat Machine series having V12 versions. Only Wolverine Airsoft seemed to have not partnered with an airsoft manufacturer to come out with complete SMP airsoft guns.

The first question that comes to mind with airsoft players wanting to try their hands on the HPA powered airsoft guns is: What's the difference amongst these HPA systems besides price and configuration?

That's where Bingo Airsoftworks comes in as they have established themselves as the authority of new generation HPA Systems. Well-known for their custom PolarStar Airsoft projects, they also accept Wolverine SMP and Valken V12 custom projects. With this three-part review of these HPA systems, Rudy gives us an HPA-101 --- understanding how these work, their advantages and disadvantages. He explains these systems in clear terms that after going through the videos, you will come out with an appreciation on HPA systems, which revolutionised airsoft prior to the introduction of the AEG and how the new generation systems are making them even better and configurable.

And if you’re looking into getting an HPA System, then this review will be a definitive guide too. Enjoy the review and it's best to send your questions to Bingo Airsoftworks if you want to learn further.

Even if we think of Japan as a highly developed economy, being the third largest economy in the world right behind the USA and China, it is a country with economic ills ever since the Japanese price bubble collapse in 1991. For two decades, the Japanese economy was in doldrums, which many would call the "Lost Decades" and is still being felt today, an example of the "Liquidity Trap" where nominal interest rates cannot be lowered furthered as these already are close to zero.

If you have heard about Abenomics, then you might realise that it is a Japanese approach to stimulate growth in the economy, named after the Japanese Prime Minister who is bent in expanding government spending to spur private investment, arrest the appreciation of the Japanese Yen, and implement negative interest. Overall, it is has "three arrows" which is comprised of fiscal stimulus, structural reforms, and monetary easing (quantitative easing). It is still subject to debates amongst economists, and so far the results are still mixed with some saying that it's bound to failure.

Whilst the search for another Japanese Economic Miracle goes on, a thesis written by Reece Scott for Akibahara News,  makes an interesting reading. Since many of you have been wondering why Popular Airsoft is spouting some economic mumbo-jumbo (I'll never be an authority in economics), it is because of this posting on Akibahara news.

Forwarded by one of our Japanese readers, Rento, last Sunday, Scott's proposal is that the Japanese government should take inspiration from the Japanese Airsoft Community, which locally is known as the Survival Games Subculture (which we'll call also as Japanese Airsoft Subculture, which some airsoft players would read as "Sabage Games" being a crude translation into English). Scott holds a B.A. in Japanese from Georgetown University, and a Master’s in Modern Japanese Studies from the University of Oxford.

Whilst Abenomics has the "Three Arrows" as mentioned above, Scott mentions three features in the Japanese airsoft subculture that Japanese government and society should look into and adopt if ever they want another period of prosperity in Japan. These three features, which Scott calls as "Three Bullets" (though we could have called it as "Three BBs"  but won't be as catchy), can also serve as inspiration to governments and corporations outside of Japan. These "Three Bullets" are honesty, effective decision making, and more participation of women.

You might think it's a long shot but it is really more about common sense and universal values that Scott is tapping on. So let's go into these "Three Bullets" as based on my understanding:

BULLET 1: Honesty

Airsoft is about honesty where players acknowledge their hits through the honour system. Japanese organisations can sometimes be opaque that it they can be subject to corruption, whether in government or in corporations.  This doesn’t cost much or entail a lot of training.

With Japan also known as a society that highly values honour, honesty should be inherent in its public and private institutions.

BULLET 2: Effective Decision Making

Most East Asian Cultures, especially the Japanese culture, rely heavily in consensus building. But sometimes effective decision making is really needed from the bottom up to the top. In a very fluid economic and business environment, consensus building tend to be slow and even stifling. There are proper situations where consensus building will be effective, but in a highly competitive environment, to think and act fast can lead to survival. Airsoft is such an example and quick, effective decision making happens all the time in survival games.

Japan doesn’t need to look outside of its shores for an example apart from the airsoft subculture. Toyota, the largest automobile manufacturer in the world in 2012, and the 14th largest company in the world, is a good example, with its "The Toyota Way" being studied and even implemented in other organisations.

BULLET 3: Encourage Women To Participate

Japan is one of the most male-dominated cultures in the world and this perhaps is one of the tougher things to implement. Even airsoft is heavily male-dominated, but amongst countries around the world where airsoft has taken root, Japan has actually more female players as compared to Western countries in which female participation in their societies are higher than Japan. Airsoft event organisers are going out of their way to involve women in airsoft.
One of the components of sustained economic growth is female participation in the workplace and decision making processes. With women having more economic power, they can also leverage this to spend more and help spur economic growth.

It doesn’t actually take an understanding of rocket science to appreciate what Scott is proposing. It is really more about a formula that is done in some of the most highly successful organisations, companies, and countries.

Although these "Three Bullets" are not enough as there are structural reforms that will need to be implemented in order to spur economic growth, hey can be the foundations on which reforms will be based on.

The political and business leaders in Japan may squabble on what's the best route to take for Japan to prosper once again, the Japanese Survival Game/Airsoft Subculture will persist. On the outside, it doesn't look like that it has something to share to the overall debate on economic growth, which it does through the "Three Bullets", it's time for Japanese airsoft players to share what they value to the general Japanese society.

It's going to be a long shot, but at least the airsoft community is there to help show the way.

The U.S. Marines are going to have a new toy according to the Marine Corps Times. But instead of having the bestest weapon to blast the enemies to kingdom come, what they are going to get is a laser dazzler, which will be a part of their non-lethal kit that will be issued out. It is designed to warn or hail people in a controlled area.

It is what the USMC calls the Ocular Interruption System (OIS) which is:

…employed by our forces across the ROMO to provide a visual warning to personnel approaching lethal force authorized zones. The OIS will allow Marines engaged in combat, stability and security, and force protection operations to employ an intense visual cueing device to hail and warn personnel and vehicle operators at safe standoff distances.

The effective range of the OIS and its ability to automatically regulate dazzling laser energy to keep it below hazardous levels will allow us to challenge potential threats at greater distances than currently available while minimizing fatalities and limiting collateral damage.

So why would the USMC resort to a laser dazzler?  The U.S. Military encountered problems in manning checkpoints during their occupation of Iraq, perhaps due to language and cultural differences, the Iraqis didn't slow down and even warning shots were insufficient to make them stop that there were incidents of unarmed locals being shot by U.S. soldiers for failing to stop at checkpoints. In 2006, they resorted to using green laser dazzlers mounted on M4 rifles that would cause temporary blindness when shone on those approaching checkpoints who initially failed to follow verbal commands to stop. That temporary blindness would surely make anyone stop.

The 5-year, US$49 million contract was awarded to Alfalight Inc., and B.E. Meyer & Co., Inc. with the device that will be produced and issued to the Marines will be the Glare Recoil which B.E. Meyer says is the "most advanced weapon-mounted hail and warning laser system available." It also has an auto-power limiting system that would prevent causing any injury to the eye.

The OIS will be part of the Escalation of Force Mission Module Kits that will be issued to the Marines. The rest of the kit are all non-lethal devices for crowd control and safety ranging from riot control kit, a translation device, restraints, speakers, metal detectors, and forensic tools. The first OIS Dazzlers are expected to be delivered by October.

We've watched all those epic gun fights on YouTube from the likes of Freddie Wong and Beat Down Boogie. All of these were done with airsoft guns as they are safer to use and with software video effects, one could readily add muzzle flash, shell ejection, gun smoke, plus all those exploding heads and bodies for any action packed YouTube short film. Airsoft has been such a boon to film makers, professional and amateurs alike all over the world.

Unless one is in Australia where they have one of the strictest gun regulations in the world.

For professional film makers gun props can be arranged within their industry at a cost. But for amateurs, that presents a dilemma given that they have no access to gun props given their budgets. They also have no access to airsoft guns since airsoft is prohibited in Australia. That job falls unto the Australian Airsoft Council (AAC) who are doing their darned best to have airsoft legalized in the Land Down Under.

But rather than stop them, some Australian YouTube channels resort to being creative. An example is the RackaRacka YouTube Channel which is maintained by directors and twin brothers, Danny & Michael Philippou. Not having access to airsoft and real gun props didn’t stop them to create an epic gun fight that has gone viral on YouTube as they went for the next best thing and nope, it's not Paintball --- Nerf Guns.

The result is the "Most Epic Nerf War In History" which will remain epic until the "Mostest Epic Nerf War In History" gets produced. According to New York Daily News, the brothers got obsessed with Nerf Battles at the end of high school which they do mainly at home. Which of course led to this viral YouTube video of friends horsing around with Nerf guns until it went out of control and became an epic Nerf War.

The good thing about Nerf Guns is that they're safe to use even with projectiles inside the house as compared to airsoft guns for such video production where they need to be unloaded and rely of software-rendered effects to product the gunfire and gun sound.

The Philippou brothers are talented and we wonder what they would do if they get access to airsoft guns when it becomes legal in Australia which we hope to be not in the too distant future. But for now they have to settle with Nerf Guns so let's watch the Most Epic Nerf War in History:

When you think injured soldiers have no more battles to fight apart from overcoming their injuries, think again. The challenge to do even greater things are just beginning. Following in the footsteps of the highly successful 2012 Paralympic Games in London, over 400 wounded soldiers battle for country, glory, and gold at the ongoing Invictus Games 2014 in the country where the Paralympic Games was born.

Opened last Wednesday, 10 September 2014  at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Invictus Games 2014 is the brainchild of Prince Harry who issued the challenge to wounded veterans of various wars in to compete at one place in various sports disciplines. He got his inspiration in watching the Warrior Games of the USA last year (2014 edition will take place later this month in Colorado Springs). In less than a year, they were able to put together the plans and announced the Invictus Games last March 2014. "Invictus" means "Unconquered" and is the Title of a poem from British Poet, William Ernest Henley.

For its 1st year, 14 countries are participating in this event, including Iraq and Afghanistan with participants being wounded veterans and active servicemen and women. As to the number of sports events, there are 7 prepared for this year: Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Ruby, Sitting Volleyball, Archery, Powerlifting, Swimming, Indoor Rowing, and Road Cycling. The British contingent fielded a 131-strong team whilst the United States sent a 97-strong team.

The Opening Ceremony was more a military-themed affair with the games anthem penned by Chris Martin of Cold Play. We tried getting some tickets to the Closing Concert Event on Sunday but it was already sold out. This is more celebrity studded with the line-up led by the Foo Fighters with the Kaiser Chiefs, Ellie Goulding, Ryan Adams, The Vamps, Rizzle Kicks, James Blunt, Diversity and Military Wives Choirs.

The Invictus Games 2014 is presented by Jaguar Land Rover and supported by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and the Ministry of Defence.

The members of the California airsoft community are working hard to convince Governor Brown not to sign SB 199 which he has until the end of September to sign it or let it lapse to become a law; or veto it and send it back to the California State Assembly where they need a two-thirds majority vote to override the veto.

Whether SB 199 becomes a law or not, it is already an exercise in futility where its backers, primarily State Senator Kevin De León just wasted taxpayers' money for a proposed law that is already a failure even before it reached the Governor's office.

So why is it already failure? It's already a failure due to the reasons already stated by the people and organizations who opposed the bill --- real steel guns are being painted in bright colors making them indistinguishable from toy guns either as a matter of taste or by criminals who think they can get away with guns painted to look like toys or airsoft guns. Whether De León's motives are truly real, that is the protection and safety of individuals or more of an agenda of protecting the business interests of the paintball industry, what he worked on is just utterly useless.

Even before SB 199 and the other proposed legislation by De León were debated on, there is already the Federal mandate that airsoft guns need to have their muzzles painted bright orange to distinguish them from real guns and therefore can be treated differently by law enforcers. Even with the Federal mandate, criminals have already been painting their guns with bright orange at the muzzle area. This already produces a dangerous situation in which responding policemen might hesitate since they will think it's a harmless airsoft gun giving precious time for the criminal to fire at the police and make a quick getaway.

In a recent case, San Leandro Police confiscated partially assembled real steel AK-47s with orange tips in a raid where they also found more weapons and an illegal marijuana grow house. Just imagine the 7.62mm bullets flying around in a residential area if those orange-tipped AK-47s were in the hands of hardened criminals guarding their illegal operation.

Apart from that, this statement from the San Leandro Police Lieutenant Robert MacManus also makes it useless that having a replica with an orange tip or a colored toy gun would make someone safe from being shot by the police according to Guns.com:

“The officer is going to be forced to shoot to protect their own life or to protect someone else, regardless if it has the plastic tip on it,” McManus said, implying his department treats all potential firearms as guns no matter how they are painted.

That statement alone has rendered SB 199 an unnecessary and useless bill.

With more colored real steel firearms in the market and criminals painting their guns like toys, the police will now treat firearm-shaped objectives as guns, brightly colored or not, SB 199 notwithstanding. So why author a Bill that does not serve a purpose at all but rather just score political points based on emotions brought about by the shooting of a young man carrying an airsoft gun by the Police in Sta. Rosa, California last year?

Thus, the California airsoft community will not be protected by SB 199's provisions if they follow it faithfully when it becomes a law (still a big "if") since things will remain the same. Carry a device that looks like a firearm in public, even if it's colored according to the provisions of SB 199, you will still get a police response. I dare one to try it, as I wouldn't, SB 199 or not.

The problem is actually very easy to solve --- it's via education through sellers of airsoft guns and toys whether at specialty stores or big box stores and airsoft game sites where airsoft players are subject to house rules written for their own safety. Common sense dictates that customers will have to be admonished on what the dire implications are for carrying replica firearms in public. They should not carry their airsoft guns in public at all and keep them in bags while in transport. Most airsoft players know that and only the foolish ones tend to put the hobby in a bad light.

SB 199 will just give a false sense of security to owners of replica firearms and law enforcers, it will never resolve the problem and would put both in danger. Tell Governor Brown to veto SB 199.

Nothing groundbreaking on the airsoft front this weekend that would make us all amazed and start throwing our money at computer screens. The Airsoft season is now winding down, with just some of the final big events just about to be done and over with for this month of September and most them are trade shows.

So to start the week, let’s talk about military hardware, as in really big hardware --- tanks.

We all think of tanks as big armoured chunks of metal with a big bad tube on it and as petrol-hungry behemoths on and off the road these days. Now, DARPA would like to change on how we think of tanks. Rather than big, lumnbering metal, the skunkworks of the U.S. Miitary want very agile, nimble, and fast machines.

With their Ground X-Vehicle Technology (GXV-T) project, DARPA wants to create armoured vehicles which are light and fast. The prevailing philosophy in tank design is mainly about armour and creating anti-armour weapons that will protect them. The results are costlier and heavier tanks that may just be too much on today's roads and bridges, and are also logistical headaches when transporting them from hotspot to another. Also, it's a race between tank designers and weapons designers who always think of ways to pop some tanks and blow their turrets sky high.

The GXV-T concept of DARPA aims to have lighter armored vehicles that can traverse 95% of terrain, ability to survive in the battlefield by being agile, semi-autonomous, and stealthy. While armor is still part of the design, it is just but one of the tricks up the sleeve of the future tank. It's speed and agility will help it survive, by being able to dodge tank fire and anti-armour weapons such as  RPGs. It can duck, change direction, or make a quick dash in order to avoid hits with the armor being deployed as the last line of defense.

How will the GXV-T Tanks be able to do these? By being light and nimble enough to change profile and direction when its sensors detect and incoming projectile. It has also anti-armor weapons too, but if these fail, they have movable armor that are quickly deployed to the area of the vehicle where the projectile is predicted to impact.

With such a design, the costs and weight are reduced, and allow for the production of more of these types of vehicles that can be carried via airlifts which will be the fastest mode of bringing these to the battlefield. So far, the initial designs do away with tank tracks and will be using large wheels which we presume are puncture-proof. Making these vehicles semi-autonomous would also reduce the number of crew members as some of threats may just require quick decision making that human reflexes might just be too slow. Perhaps when damaged, the semi-autonomous system might take over driving the vehicle and without human guidance, can return to base to bring casualties or for repairs.

DARPA are still refining the concept and requirements for the GXV-T as they expect awarding the contract in 2015 to develop the technologies for the next 24 months. We may expect some initial vehicle designs by 2017.

I already forgot how many stories we have written about the Tracking Point System which is getting many hits, literally and figuratively. What we know about this system is that it can turn a novice shooter into a accurate shooter, and a trained shooter, well, into the most dangerous animal in the world. That is, if you believe what the company claims and the reports of this who have already tried it.

Tracking Point Precision Guided Firearm (PGF) is weapons system which uses the Xact System. The Xact System  calculates all the variables required to accurately fire a weapon: a shooter needs to "tag" the target seen through the XACT System by pressing the trigger. The weapon does not fire at the instance of trigger pull and will only fire when its calculations indicate an accurate shot.

It is an awesome system as it takes the calculation work from the shooter and with the shooter mainly designating the targets. It promised 5 times more first-shot success rate at ranges up to 1,200 yards.

For one to who hasn’t tried the system yet, it is hard to believe that such a precision weapon is in existence. But if you read the WeaponsMan Blog, you will as the owner of the Blog "is a former Special Forces weapons man (MOS 18B, before the 18 series, 11B with Skill Qualification Indicator of S)." In short, the blogger knows his weapons, no question about it.

According to him, some former servicemen and a gun dealer tried a new TrackingPoint .300WM Rifle which is similar to that shown in the photo below. This is not a sample sent by Tracking Point for the review (and no TP representatives at the range) and they find it as the "best packaged gun any of them had ever seen." 

The group are highly experienced shooters, with Special Forces or Navy SEAL qualifications (the gun dealer is the civilian in this group) and they discovered that "a novice can be made very effective, very fast, at ranges outside of the engagement norm, with this system"with the novice shooter hitting moving targets at 850 meters.

The previous paragraph is the eye opener. With the Tracking Point PGF, anybody can be a sharp shooter, including your grandma as long as she still has a clear vision even with spectacles. It is a really dangerous weapon that you hope it won't fall into hands of a bad guy and ruin any SWAT team's day if he is strategically positioned. So far, this is a very expensive system that not anybody can just buy from any gun store and there are export restrictions. I suspect that Tracking Point would be very much diligent in keeping records of those who own a PGF with the Xact System.

With other accessories such as Smartphone/Tablet connection with the mobile App it makes it even easier to use the system. How we wish we can have one for airsoft, but it will be such an expensive thing to use. While it can turn the novice shooter a deadly shooter in no time, we still recommend having the basic shooting skills honed first. You may never know that such skills might come very handy when there is no Tracking Point PGF available.

Click here to read more about what WeaponsMan says about Tracking Point.

That’s what a team  from the University of Virginia (U.Va.) did, creating the 3D Printed UAV called the Razor. With a lot of things now being printed out using 3D printers such as spare products, figurines, food, and with plans to event print out human tissue and organs, we weren't surprised to read news that someone printed out a military-grade drone.

The Razor UAV is a project led by Professor David Sheffler after they were asked by Mitre Corporation to make one after he previously built a jet-engine using 3D printing. The challenge for Sheffler and his team was to create a drone that has the same capabilities as some of those in service with the U.S. Military that can be built with a 3D printer using existing technologies using commercial off the shell products (COTS).

Such approach would allow any military unit to put together a UAV in no time by using what is available in the market rather than depending on proprietary technologies which is predominant in the defence sector, leading to more expensive systems. The components used in the RAZOR UAV, which is a flying wing design, are cheap enough --- they use the Google Nexus LTE Smartphone as the central processer (any Android device with the latest firmware can be used too), and other components that may have been purchased from the nearest Radio Shack store.

They can build the UAV in just about over 24 hours and can be adjusted in size to take on a larger payload such as larger sensor and camera package. Even better it can take in larger battery packs for longer flight times. But 3D printing will never replace mass production facilities where more UAVs can be churned out faster. In this case, 3D printing is more for rapid prototyping or on a per need basis.

Speaking on a per need basis, the U.S. military are planning to equip units with 3D printers when they are deployed. This allows the support people to repair equipment by printing out the parts on the spot rather than wait for the next resupply and even food that will be needed for particular mission requirements. The 3D printers can also help them do improvisation by printing out solutions to help soldiers in a particular solution right there and then. If successful such designs can be digitally transmitted to HQ for further improvement and mass production.

Unfortunately, the U.Va Razor UAV 3D designs is not available to download by anyone. But we foresee in the future that such designs similar to the Razor will be available as 3D printers become more widespread. An example of this is the 3D Printed Gun which was controversial project as its design was released in the spirit of open source.

We actually are looking forward to see some drone hobbyists who do some 3D printing design to release such files to the public in an open source repository. This way, airsoft players who want to put together their own drone with a mounted camera to record the airsoft action, can create several, rather than use some of the more expensive commercial drones out there. Apart from that 3D printers can help you manufacture those hard to find airsoft spare parts, making your investment in one worthwhile.

If you want to take a break from all those gunfights and noobs throwing obscenities at each other in online FPS multiplayer games, but still want a tough and challenging video game, then you may have already lined-up to purchase the Alien: Isolation video game. A total opposite of the first person shooter game, Alien: Isolation is a horror survival game. It is really a challenging game, and best of all, it's scary.

In this video game, which is about Amanda investigating the disappearance of Ripley, her mother, instead of you being the hunter, you are hunted by the Alien using sight, sound and smell. There will be many frustrating situations and it will take a lot of intelligence and cunning to survive in the game. The Alien is an intelligent creature and will be always be learning so one has to be a step ahead to avoid seeing the tail the alien going through your stomach or the head darting at you.

You can use weapons, but these will be effective only against  humans going against you and the working droids. The Alien cannot be killed by the weapons, it can only be scared with weapons and then will come back to resume the hunt. If you are expecting a heads up display showing information in order to survive like in other video games, you're in a for a disappointment. There's no HUD for you to use and you have to collect information through the inventor accumulated. The most important device that you will have on you will be the Motion Tracker so always keep it up.

So what does have a player have to do in order to survive this game? It is really a thrilling and scary cat and mouse game as one has to hide, duck, crouch, peek and sprint in order to avoid the Alien (there is only one Alien in the game). The more vigorous movements a player does moving from one objective to another, the more noise is generated and the likelihood of the Alien hot on the trail.

Alien: Isolation is a Single Player game, but for those who want to pit their scores in challenges against other players, there will be a "Survival Mode"  that will pit your time, skills and show who are at the top of Leaderboard.

Alien: Isolation is slated to be released on the 7th of October 2014. It can be played on Windows PCs and consoles such as the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4,  Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

The airsoft hobby has just been given a big black eye by two men in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Last Wednesday evening, Ryan Lee Kooima, 20, and Taylor Alexander Ingram, 19, who are not residents of the Grand Rapids, turned themselves in after the Grand Rapids Police Department identified them as suspects and issued warrants for their arrests last September 9 according to Mlive.com.

Police received up to 6 complaints of people shot randomly with airsoft guns last September 7 and 8 by two men in their twenties riding a black sport utility vehicle (SUV). While both Kooima and Ingram are suspects in the case, they are still presumed innocent until proven guilty. Luckily none of the victims in these airsoft drive-by shootings were seriously injured.

A check of Kooima's Facebook page shows no photos of him being an airsoft player nor holding an airsoft gun. As for Ingram, Facebook returned with no results of him having an account.

As to the charges that will be brought to these two men, it will be three counts of assault and battery. Both of the suspects were released from custody yesterday with no indication of a bond having been paid. In Michigan, if proven guilty, assault and battery with intent to cause great bodily harm can result into 10 years in prison or a US$5,000 fine or both. A judge may allow an offender to serve a portion or the whole sentence on probation.

Suspects Ryan Kooima (left) and Taylor Ingram (right). Photos from Kent County Jail.

These guys were lucky to have not been caught in the act by the local police. Displaying an airsoft gun in public may just result into dire consequences and it is always mainly fatal to the person holding the airsoft gun. Police will always draw their weapons when they see something that resembles a firearm.

These incidents can always be pounced on by politicians and concerned citizens to ban or strictly regulate airsoft guns. The California SB 199 which will require airsoft guns with some coloration beyond the Federal mandate of orange tips,  and the California State Assembly was the result of a young man shot by the Sta. Rosa police for carrying an airsoft gun in public who have mistook it for a real AK-47. SB 199 is awaiting the signature of Governor Brown as of this writing.

Airsoft sellers and airsoft site owners may have to brush up on their knowledge on state laws such as assault and battery. From there they can explain to airsoft players and customers wanting to buy airsoft guns of the implications when they are up to no good with airsoft guns. Perhaps a little more education on laws apart from the usual safety briefs is in order for airsoft.

Jetpacks are looking to be a mandatory feature for some first person shooter video games. We've seen it fully utilised by Titan pilots in Titanfall where they can do boost jumps to quickly scale walls or go over obstacles to outflank the enemy. It will also be a feature for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare which allows a player do some cool reverse boost jumps to get right behind a pursuing player, turning the tables in which the prey quickly becomes the predator.

Those video games show jetpacks far, far, far into the future but what do you know? It might just become a reality in our lifetime if the researchers from the Arizona State University (ASU) can help it. They're right now developing a jetpack for the U.S. Military in cooperation with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

For now, the jetpack is not about giving soldiers the super human ability to jump over obstacles or scale walls. As part of DARPA's efforts to develop devices to enhance the capabilities of soldiers, such as exoskeletons,  the jetpack project is called the 4MM Project (4-Minute Mile). It is the holy grail for middle-distance runners which was achieved by a handful of runners in recent history since Sir Roger Bannister achieved that in 1954. I can only manage to do that in 10 minutes.

But not every soldier is a fast runner no matter how fit he or she is; and couple that with all the gear and weapons a warfighter has to carry, that goal is not achievable with just a pair of healthy legs and combat boots. Something is needed to boost the speed and exoskeletons are more about strength than speed. Thus, the ASU DARPA 4MM Jetpack Project.

Athletes at ASU have been shaving seconds off their best times whilst testing the Jetpacks though none have achieved the 4 minute mile goal yet. It is understandable for now as the Jetpacks weigh 11 pounds (4.98kg) so that's still extra weight to carry as compared to those who achieved the mark with just their running clothes and shoes. Slowly, they are getting to the objective as they make tweaks to the jet engine and design around the human body.

Once the athletes achieve that, more adjustments will need to be made to the design of the Jetpacks and power of the engines.  Soldiers carry at least a 50-pound load and sometimes even more thus, more power will be needed once soldiers will be testing these. Most probably these jetpacks will be paired with the exoskeletons being developed leading to super human soldiers.

Will we be seeing such Jetpacks give soldiers and perhaps first responders the ability of pilots of Titanfall or operators in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare? We sure hope so and perhaps we might want a commercialised version of theses allowing us lowly joggers to have more power to cover longer distances at shorter times.

The first Airsoft Expo held in the UK was held over the weekend. For those who have been used to attending the Airsoft Arms Fair, the Airsoft Expo is a different trade fair, as it is held at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre in Leamington Spa and organised by a different group. It was a fully indoor event with around 24,500 square feet of exhibit space available for any interested airsoft business or organisation.

I got to the Airsoft Expo on the second and final day, almost not being able to make it due to personal commitments. We actually have assigned a pair to cover the event, but just a few days before the Expo, something important came up at the work place which needed their full attention, since they work for the NHS. This meant that I will have to do this myself and cancelled my Sunday affair.

As posted by the organisers of the Expo, Meridienne Exhibitions, there were exhibitors which backed out at the last minute, leaving the Expo with around 10 exhibitors. This also made some airsoft players who planned on making the trip to see airsoft guns and gear in one area to cancel their trips, disappointed that a few airsoft vendors showed up.

Nevertheless, the exhibitors and visitors who were on the first day told me that there was a good number of visitors to check out the different exhibitors such as Airsoft International Magazine, JD Airsoft, SOCOM Tactical, Enola Gaye, Airsoft Assault, Component Shop, Cloud 9 Combat, Incentive Designs, Badger Tac 2, and Infiltration Airsoft.

Of the exhibitors, two are new blips in our UK airsoft radar --- Airsoft Assault and Infiltration Airsoft. Airsoft Assault is a free airsoft ads/classifieds site which allows anyone looking for or trying to sell a product or even barter to freely post their ads. It provides a more organised way for smaller sellers, such as individual airsoft players wanting to unload unused or unneeded airsoft guns or gear, as compared to the buy and sell sections of airsoft forums. Infiltration Airsoft organises "airsoft experiences" and their events are not the usual weekend skirmishes or milsim events as we know it. Their stories are more elaborate with players needing to join factions and from there they will battle it out at different airsoft site and given different missions. Players who sign up are given a pack that will get them started includes a RFID member wristband that holds information about the member.

Gunman Airsoft also had their scenario area called “Flying Lead, Walking Dead” where visitors got to play with airsoft revolvers and shoot it out in a Wild, Wild West-setup in a town called "Redemption" (which reminds of the Red Dead Redemption video game). I was just poor in timing to take photos of them in action, so no in-game photos at Last Chance Saloon.

The second day saw lesser visitors than the first day, which also gave me more time to talk to more of the exhibitors with the Monafs who were manning the Airsoft International Magazine booth and are always a constant presence at airsoft exhibits and trade events. At the Enola Gaye booth was Jim Rose where he was busy with the constant enquiries from visitors and I just helped myself taking photos of their booth which is always an interesting setup. Their new MK5 Thunderflash was on display as well.

Badger Tac 2 was manned by younger guys who were also busy as visitors checked their guns and gear. Too bad the Kombat Fleece on display and being sold at 25 quid didn't have any small size left remaining or else I could have got one for myself.

The busiest amongst the airsoft guns retailer was JD Airsoft, which had a well-stocked booth and players were able to check out some of the latest airsoft guns such as the ASG CZ EVO 3 A1 and nicely done custom Honey Badger with a Systema PTW as base gun.  I asked Dave Manning on the sales they had for two days and he was definitely satisfied. They even had 5.11 Tactical apparel at 50% which unfortunately, they seemed to not have some TDU trousers available. Component Shop also had a lot of batteries and components for powering up your AEG including balancers and chargers on display and airsoft players found the connectors and batteries that they needed for their AEGs.

As mentioned above, there were lesser visitors on the second day and by 1400H there were no more visitors arriving. The exhibitors decided to pack-up their displays as some of them still had  long drives to do just to get home. The last booth I visited was Incentive Designs which just overwhelmed the exhibit hall with the sound coming from their S.M.G Rattle which was already loud enough to hear from a distance outdoors, just imagine it indoors. I had a long talk over coffee with one of their designers, Kevin Jay, at the cafeteria about the designs they are doing; and Jason and Andrew showed me the Tracer Magazine they are intent on releasing which they claim is much better than the tracer magazines from other airsoft manufacturers.

By 1315H the Exhibition Centre was almost empty and with the guys of Whiskey Delta from Ireland we waited for the taxi that I called that will bring us to the train station. Discussions about the Airsoft Expo with its low participation rate became more of an academic thing, looking at it objectively.

My experiences attending and reporting about airsoft trade fairs around the world is that a dedicated Airsoft trade fair would only generate only few exhibitors, which also will mean fewer visitors as they only have a small variety of airsoft vendors to find products they want and also meet with the owners and staff which they usually correspond with online. The big "airsoft events" such as the SHOT Show, IWA & Outdoor Classics, or the British Shooting/Airsoft Show, airsoft is just part of a larger event, and thus have can have more foot traffic from curious visitors of these trade fairs. The level of participation of the airsoft vendors and players at the Airsoft Expo was not surprising to me at all.

There are ways to increase visitors for an airsoft show such as adding related industries and services given that the airsoft industry is not as massive as other industries. More efforts will have to be made to invite outdoor vendors as they also have something to offer to airsoft players. There is also a larger number of tactical gear vendors so why not invite them too? It can be combined with an outdoor component which the Airsoft Arms Fair did before and a bigger example was the War and Peace Show which have the reenactment series that the general public can watch.

Moreso, there are always two major stakeholders in such an event such as the Airsoft Expo apart from the organisers --- the business side and the customer side and they have to be engaged thoroughly. However, both should realise that without their wholehearted support to this event would also show that there's not much solidarity to help promote airsoft to the larger public. It is still the first year for the Airsoft Expo and whatever are the results as based on the evaluation from the organisers will affect their decision to hold or not to hold another one (with profitability and attendance being the main considerations for them). For both the vendors and the airsoft players, the chance to see more of both in a single location in more occasions than one may be harder to come by.

Still, kudos for Meridienne Exhibitions for organising the Airsoft Expo and trying to bring both airsoft vendors and players under one roof where the Airsoft Arms Fair have left off.  We don't know if they are now in the planning stages for a 2015 edition as it's too early to say. If the UK Airsoft Community want them to hold another one, the time to reach out to  them to level-off expectations is now so each can do their part to come out with an even bigger and more well-attended one.  The airsoft community needs a really good trade event it can call its own, rather than piggybacking the other trade shows.

More photos of the Airsoft Expo at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page.

As of this writing, we haven't got word that the SB 199 was  vetoed or signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. By no means that this is good news for the airsoft community in California and other groups that will be affected by it. There is a very high possibility that SB 199 will become law in a week's time. Even if Governor Brown doesn't sign SB 199, his inaction will cause for SB 199 to be automatically become law after the 30th of September has passed.

What is very important for the airsoft players in California who are of voting age is to appeal to Governor Brown to veto the bill. This way, SB 199 doesn't become law and it might be too late for the California State Assembly to override the veto as they are now in recess in preparation for the General Election on November 4. Even if they try to convene in an emergency session just for SB 199, which we doubt they will, it will be hard for the bill's sponsors, in particular State Senator Kevin De León, to muster enough votes to get a two-thirds majority.

It looks like there are more urgent bills that require the attention of Governor Brown such as economic issues, and the biggest problem of all - drought. California is parch dry these days as water supplies are dwindling. However, I will have to stress that the keyword here is VETO. Signature or no signature, SB 199 will become a law without the veto of Governor Brown.

With just a week or even less to go before SB 199 becomes law, there should be no let up in the California Airsoft Community to lobby Governor Brown to veto the bill. Let your voice be heard, especially with the upcoming General Election, a concerned voter's concern bears more importance these days so make sure you voice is heard.

Tell Governor Brown to veto SB 199.

(Warning! Spoilers ahead.) If you are hooked with the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Television Series,  then it's time to follow the episodes of Season 2 as it premiered last night, 23 September 2014. If you remember what happened to S.H.I.E.L.D. near the end of the first season, it turned out it was highly infiltrated by members of Hydra and it was totally destroyed. Directory Fury, who survived, have tasked Agent Coulson to put the organisation back again.

Lucy Lawless joins the cast as Agent Isabelle Hartley as Agent Coulson becomes Director Coulson. With the rest of survivors in Coulson's team, they are joined by Kyle MacLachlan, Brian Patrick Wade, and Adrianne Palicki, as they embark on a new adventure in Season 2.  Their biggest problem is that Hydra is back and whilst putting the organisation together again, they will have to work hard to ensure that each new individual is not a agent working for Hydra and avoiding the mistakes of the past.

Full synopsis of the premiere episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 as released by ABC right below the videos:

Marvel’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ returns for a dynamic, action-packed second season, with newly appointed Director Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) – now the keeper of the secrets — charged with rebuilding and restoring government and public trust in S.H.I.E.L.D. in the wake of the events of Marvel’s ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’, where it was revealed evil Hydra agents had infiltrated the organization. Ever since the existence of super heroes and aliens became public knowledge after the Battle of New York, the world has been trying to come to grips with this new reality. Agent Phil Coulson, who had died at the hands of Loki during the battle, was resuscitated and brought back into action, assembling a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division). S.H.I.E.L.D.’s mission: to protect those who cannot protect themselves from threats they cannot conceive.

But the biggest threat was growing from within, as S.H.I.E.L.D.’s old enemy, Hydra – a dangerous extremist group Captain America fought against in World War II – had secretly infiltrated and infected the organization at the highest levels. Once revealed to the public, S.H.I.E.L.D., including Coulson and his team, was discredited and made to look like the enemy. The world now views S.H.I.E.L.D. as untrustworthy, and it’s Coulson’s job to change that opinion.

Agents-of-SHIELD-Season-1-Finale-Coulson-Writing-on-WallAfter helping to thwart Hydra, Coulson was appointed as Director and tasked with rebuilding the agency. This won’t be an easy job to accomplish with the majority of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents either killed, secretly working for Hydra or free agents. Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), expert pilot, martial artist and longtime friend, will continue to look after Coulson in the wake of the mysterious etchings he’s been carving into walls. What do these etchings mean, and can Coulson be trusted? Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage, was found to be a Hydra mole and a traitor to S.H.I.E.L.D. and locked up away from the world and his former teammates. But this isn’t the last we’ve seen of him… After being left to die in the middle of the ocean by Ward, Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), brilliant engineer, and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), genius bio-chemist, found a way to escape their watery grave. But all did not go well for Fitz, who was left in a coma and may never regain his full cognitive functions; a devastating blow to Simmons. And computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet), now a full-fledged S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, discovered her origins as a 0-8-4 — an object of unknown origin – and that her parents were considered “monsters.” Could Skye have darkness lying dormant inside of her? Also joining Coulson’s core team is Lance Hunter (Nick Blood), a dashing mercenary sharp shooter with a quick wit. Since he didn’t rise up through the ranks, does he have an ulterior motive for helping out the team?

Who can Coulson trust?

When we first wrote about Contour being raised from the dead after a year-long hiatus and with fresh investors, they promised that they will release new models soon. From that announcement until this month, most of the products from Contour are basically the old models as they moved to their new location in Provost, Utah. Well, at least there are some ROAM action cams that can be ordered whilst other competitors are releasing new models.

Now they released  the Contour ROAM 3 Action Cam, which is waterproof up to 30 feet so no need to get that waterproof carry case for it when you do some water action as long as you don't go scuba diving. Will that feature, coupled with a locking instant record switch and price of US$200.00 be enough to convince us to fork out the money?

It is indeed an affordable action camera but in order for Contour to arrive at this, they had to remove the following features: external microphone jack, GPS video mapping, mobile connectivity, and live streaming which Contour ROAM 2+ has and was such a hit. They are still stuck with 1080p at 30fps and 720p at 60fps. The GoPro Hero 3 plus offers 4k video recording and 1080fps at 60fps which allows one to do slo-mo when editing footages.

Overall, we find it to be an underwhelming action camera, if we base it on the specifications. The waterproof feature is nice, but with the fusion of action shooting with mobile connectivity to harness the power of smartphones, ROAM 3 maybe more of a miss than a hit.  But if you’re on a budget and content with the basic features that most action cameras in the market now have as standard, then this is for you given that Contour already has a good record in the action camera market.

Contour ROAM HD action cams are popular amongst airsoft players as they are sleek and can blend nicely with the loadout as compared to the boxy GoPro series and we love its form factor. We don’t know if airsoft players, who like the bells and whistles in airsoft, would welcome the introduction of ROAM 3 when GoPro and similar offerings from Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Casio, and now Ricoh, can provide more features and options in recording the airsoft action than ROAM 3.

So far, there's no compelling reason to upgrade from ROAM 2+ and getting ROAM 3 is more of a downgrade rather than a real upgrade. If you have the ROAM 2+ then stick with it for the meantime until Contour would perhaps release a ROAM 3+ that has all the features or ROAM 2+ and ROAM 3 plus a bit more of the stuff that other competitors are offering.

The action camera market just has gotten tough, Contour needs to put out a real winner quickly in order to be considered a serious contender as it was once.

With the 54th All Japan Model & Hobby Show now ongoing (industry visitors today, open to the public on Saturday and Sunday). Many airsoft players are looking forward to the new products that Tokyo Marui will be putting on display apart from the already announced products. Suffice to say, there has been enough product announcements from the company this year, but we all know that there is one AEG that many of our readers want to know about: the Tokyo Marui HK417 Early Variant New Generation AEG. They won't be disappointed as we got more details now.

What we know is that the USP Compact and the HK417 will be released earlier than expect, which is good news to those who want to order these.

We still don't have photos of what's happening on the floor at the event, but rest assured that we'll follow up soon as we get them from our "boots on the ground" so to speak. But for now, here are now the specs of the new and upcoming products from Tokyo Marui.

MODEL: TOKYO MARUI HK417 EARLY VARIANT
SERIES:    Next Generation AEG
PRICE: Undetermined
ON-SALE: Undetermined
Target Age: Over 18 years old

Features:

• 921mm Length. 16 inch Barrel. Long Rail equipped. Early Variant model.
• Measured from real gun of HK417 to reproduce it faithfully. (*Some parts were changed the shapes and sizes according to inner structure.)
• Main Parts (Rail hand guard, Receiver, Buffer tube etc) are made from Aluminum.
• 4,500g weight, high rigidity body.
• Ambidextrous selector.
• Flash hider attachable to 14mm Left-hand screw. Optional parts can be installed on 20mm width Rail hand guard and Upper rail.
• Enable to adjust Slide Stock length (4-phased). Large concave butt plate provides for stable shooting.
• “Shoot & recoil engine” and “Empty magazine bolt lock release function” are equipped. To adjust Hop-Up, need to pull charging handle and to open ejection port like HK416D. 
• Enable to store SOPMOD battery inside of stock. 
• 70 Rounds see-though type magazine. Dummy cartridge is installed.

Product Specifications:

• Length: 921 mm（Stock retracted / Undetermined）
• Inner Barrel Length: 300 mm （Undetermined）
• Weight: 4,500 g （Undetermined）
• Magazine Size: 70Rounds
• Bullet: 6mm BB
• Power Source: 8.4V 1,300mAh Ni-MH SOPMOD Battery

MODEL: TOKYO MARUI H&K USP COMPACT
SERIES: Gas Blowback
Price: Undetermined
ON-SALE: Undetermined
Target Age: Over 18 years old

Features:

• USP Compact Gas blow back series will be released. V1(variant1) Model (Control Lever is equipped on left)
• The function of the control lever is reproduced. The safety will be on by lifting the lever regardless of the position of the hammer. And decocking by lowering the lever.
• Measured from real gun of USP Compact to produce product faithfully.
• 3-white-dot sight
• Ambidextrous magazine release lever.
• Cylinder with a diameter of 15mm.
• Prevent scrapping Slide Stop Notch when its opening.
• Variable Hop-up system.

Product Specifications:

• Length: 173mm （Undetermined）
• Inner Barrel Length: 75mm （Undetermined）
• Weight: 681g （Undetermined）
• Magazine Size: 23 + 1Rounds
• Bullet: 6mm BB
• Power Source: HFC134aGas

MODEL: TOKYO MARUI Hi-CAPA E
SERIES: Automatic Electric Pistol
PRICE: Undetermined
On SALE: Undetermined
Target Age: Over 18 years old

Features:

• Full and semi-automatic selective fire. The hammer works as the switch.
• Some Safety is equipped. No Grip Safety.
• Accessories as flash lights are mountable to the 20mm-wide under rail.
• The thumb safety and hummer and other parts are made of metal. Finishing is profound.
• Outer Barrel is made from metal for body balance.
• A compact cartridge type battery fits under the barrel. Needless to connect to connector. Easy to change batteries. Slide is detachable when releasing of Slide lock button at the rear.
• Variable Hop-up system.
• Slim and portable diecast magazine.
• Long size magazine (100 rounds) and Mount rail will be released. Accessories as Optic Site and Silencer are mountable on Mount rail.

Product Specifications:

• Length: 218mm
• Inner Barrel Length: 122 mm
• Weight: 807g
• Magazine Size: 30 rounds
• Bullet: 6mm BB
• Power Source: 7.2V500mAh Micro 500 Battery

MODEL:  MODEL: TOKYO MARUI AEG LIGHT PRO M4CQB TAN COLOR

Released last year were the Tokyo Marui Light Pro Series. These are entry level offerings comprised of the M4 CQB, MPA5 RAS, G36C, and the AK74U. These are not the BOYS Series as these are 1:1 scale models. These are budget airsoft guns which run on 5 alkaline batteries and if you run out of batteries, you can just cock it by pulling the charging handle and fire single BBs at a time. The tan colour for the Light Pro Series is initially with the M4CQB.

You can see more full enlarged photos of these products at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page. More reports on the 54th All Japan Model & Hobby Show will follow.

It is the first time for me to learn about an airsoft international event held in Hungary, and it's a welcome thing for me to receive a report from the organizers however brief it is. Unfortunately I wasn't able to join the Bomb Patrol: Resurrection which was held on the same day as the Autumn Harvest 4 at Lenti. The airsoft event from the 12th to the 14th of September and I hope I'll be able to go on the next one.

Bomb Patrol: Resurrection was a LARP-style event that was held in Hungary and its theme was Afghanistan. As far as I know, this was the first event of this size in Hungary, with over 500 players participating and playing roles as Taliban, ISAF, Afghan Militia, and Civilians. This number is not that bad considering it was only promoted inside Hungary with word getting around the neighboring countries. Word goes fast out in landlocked countries in Europe, especially if it's an airsoft event with lots of role playing.

Money was printed out to be used during the game and nearly 16 million "Afghanis" changed hands during the game. The Talibs and the militia made alliance several times in order to beat the ISAF forces but despite that the ISAF forces made tons of money, found the gold and the hidden "Sacred Books" as well.

A lot of Hungarians live outside the Hungarian borders and in the neighboring countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania) and mostly they were the "international" players for this event but the organizers told me they had players from Romania, Germany and one guy from Russia as well.

On the first night the organizers presented a concert and the second day belly dancers entertained the crowd. Since this game went without hiccups and feedback was very positive the organizers, are planning to accept more players next year from other countries as well. Their website doesn't have an English language version yet, but this will change before the next event and we will report any further development especially that we're looking forward to attending this event next year, fingers crossed.

Theyy have a Facebook page where you can check out some nice photos but also here is a short drone footage so you can see how the terrain looks like.

All I know that next year's game has the same theme but I am not sure about the location. Keep up the good work and see you at the next Bomb Patrol.

Yes, you have been warned! Don't read on further this story whilst you're are at the office, in school, or riding public transport. Don't blame us if you'll get dirty or nasty looks from other people when reading this. If you still don't have a clue what the photos in the story look to you, then don't read on further and be innocent about it.

We're not the first ones to write about this as some sites and forums have been poking fun at this product from the WE Airsoft in the weeks it was released to airsoft retailers. The first thing that came to our mind when we learned about this product is, "Why WE? WHHHYYYY?!!!" We just don’t know what their product designers were smoking when they were at the drawing board, and we don't know what their management people ate when they approved this for production. Is this an honest mistake or have they intentionally created a product to generate controversy or amusement?

Just look at the photo below (this one's from JK Army and they have it in stock). You will wonder if WE have created a pleasure department as it looks like a gadget designed to pleasure humans (I'm still trying hard to avoid calling it by its known names).

Before we make further jokes let's take consider the design inspiration. The product in question is called the WE Eagle 280-Round BB Loader which costs around US$9.00 in Hong Kong. If you look at the packaging (further shown below), it seems the concept was to make a BB loader design based on the American Bald Eagle.  But what WE came up with is what many would call a toy phallus. If they were making some design choices, this is probably what you would consider to be an epic fail.

Should we tell you not to buy this? Well, it’s really up to you but just consider all the questions when you pull it out and if you want to a butt of jokes, then feel free to get one.  As one airsoft player commented in a Facebook group, "Don't get caught holding one inside the men's locker room."

Surely, WE just made one of the cheapest pleasure toys out there as long as it doesn't break into pieces due to constant use.

Thanks to Michael Ng of Temple City, California for the photos.

Checking the recent batch of Bills signed into law for Governor Jerry Brown, SB 199 was nowhere to be seen as the focus of the bills were on the homeless children, adults, and foster youth, plus those related to State Services, Education and Health. Today is the 30th Day of September, the last day for Governor to sign or veto bills that were approved by the State Assembly before the 1st of September and in the Governor's office on and after the 1st of September.

As I have mentioned before, if SB 199 doesn’t get vetoed, it will become law and slated to commence on the 1st of January 2016. Even if Governor Brown doesn’t sign the Bill, it will still automatically become law. SB 199 has to be vetoed and sent back to the State Senate/Assembly.

It will be cutting close, but we assume that the gun-related Bills (SB 808, AB 1014, and AB 1609) will be up for signing today together with SB 199 as the approach of the Office of Governor Jerry Brown is to go over related bills for review before signing or returning them to the State Assembly. With gun-related bills generating more controversy in California, the bills passed will take more time as they will scrutinized closely.

Which also means there is still enough time for the airsoft community in California, where members of voting age can call or email the Governor's Office to state their opposition to SB 199. As long as they state their case in a strong but polite manner, their opposition will be put into consideration.

Will Governor Brown veto the Bill? We can never tell, but if the California Airsoft Community will make themselves heard, then there is a chance he will.