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It’s The 2nd Week Of Nominations! Submit Your Nominees Now!

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7 APCA Nominations 2nd Week

We were actually surprised that the first week of the Nomination Period of the 7th Airsoft Players’ Choice Awards saw a massive number of Popular Airsoft readers submitting their nominees. Almost 10,000 readers have already submitted their favourites hoping that they make it to the top 5 nominees for the categories of the biggest online event in airsoft.

Submitting your nominees is just the first step in the process that your favourites get the coveted award. There will be other airsoft readers who think differently and have their own list of favourites and will work that their lists would get into the Voting/Finals period that will take place in January next year. Thus, there is still much work ahead for you and even for your nominees if they truly want to be on the top of the category they are nominated in.

But first, if you have not submitted then, you can click the button below to start immediately:

Going back to helping your favourites is always a numbers game. All you and your nominees need to do is get as many nominations as possible. You can use your contacts on your email client, invite your airsoft team mates, and share the nomination page to your friends on social media such as Facebook.

Also remember, nominating and voting at the 7th Airsoft Players’ Choice Awards entitles you be entered twice in the raffle draw, giving you two chances of winning a raffle prize. If you only nominate or only vote, your name will only be entered twice.

So get out, get online and share the nominations page. The more readers and friends of yours nominate your favourites, their chances of moving to the Voting/Finals Period gets even better!

Don't forget to visit the sponsors of the awards who have made it possible to make this more exciting, with their contributions and raffle prizes:

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Positive Updates For Airsoft On The UK Policing And Crime Bill

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Big Ben Westminster

Editor’s Note: UKAPU and UKARA have been working hard to ensure that airsoft players get the exemption from the Policing and Crime Bill that is they need to continue playing the sport/hobby without worrying of running afoul of the law. So far the update sent in by UKAPU Chairman Matt Furey-King has been encouraging so far and the amendments will include 8mm BBs.

The bill itself is in the Report Stage in the House of Lords, just three steps away from Royal Assent  in which it will become formally a law.

Below is the full press release from UKAPU:

Huge UK Airsoft Law News
UKAPU and UKARA bring about positive changes to Policing and Crime Bill

We finally are able to tell you some good news about the draft UK law affecting airsoft.

At the start of the year the government released the Policing and Crime Bill (PCB), which included a clause to set the lethal threshold at 1 Joule of muzzle energy. This would mean that a barrelled device would be essentially regarded as an air gun if it had muzzle energy of over 1J. In 2015 the law commission suggested (based on input from UKARA and UKAPU) that airsoft replicas should be allowed an exemption from the 1J lethal threshold, as 1J would be far too low for our needs. The government accepted this and wrote it into the PCB.

The first draft of the airsoft exemption was not that great. 8mm airsoft would not count and, arguably no airsoft device would have been able to use the proposed exemption because they are capable of firing non plastic BBs. The airsoft associations were invited to discuss the exemption with the Home Office firearms department in March, and the results of that meeting, plus 8 months of lobbying behind the scenes, have finally paid off.

Trying to get exemption through at all was a feat. Though the government supported the exemption it came under attack from a Labour MP and then later from a Conservative Lord. The anti-gun groups and even part of the gun lobby objected to it.

But through a combined effort from UKARA and UKAPU we’ve managed to not only get the exemption for airsoft through, but also convince the government to make some small changes to it, which have just been submitted in the form of amendments (these are yet to be voted on at time of writing but should be integrated during the Lords report stage). When the Bill is enacted in early 2017 we’ll have clear power limits for airsoft and a better definition of what an airsoft gun is. Not only will those limits reflect the realistic power output of airsoft replicas, but they will also not interfere with the normal power limits that we use for gaming. So instead of being limited to 1J, we’ll be able to play on mostly as normal.

The lion’s share of the Home Office lobbying work was done by Frank, John and Adrian at UKARA. Without some shrewd tactics and persistent lobbying from them we’d never have got the amendment on the table. UKAPU spent a lot of time rallying airsofters and lobbying MPs without them there may have been more objections from MPs and Lords. Though we’ve not been able to talk about it till now, it’s taken a constant barrage of letters, calls and meetings throughout 2016 to get to where we are. The guys from UKARA also commissioned expensive laboratory testing of the penetrative properties of 8mm BBs, so we could ask the Home Office to extend the exemption to 8mm airsoft replicas as well as 6mm. UKARA have spent close to £10000 fighting for the airsoft industry.

The Home Office also deserve thanks. Some people imagine they are anti-airsoft, but in reality the civil servants have invited the airsoft associations to comment on the bill and have taken those comments on board even though this created more work. They have done their utmost to ensure that the airsoft game and industry isn’t compromised by the new law. Government Ministers such as Mike Penning MP have spoken in defence of our right to play airsoft and supported us throughout.

The elephant in the room is, still, fully automatic replicas over 1.3J. If it is capable of more than 1.3J then your replica may be regarded as a section 5 firearm. This could mean that GBB and HPA replicas are prohibited weapons, and it could mean you might land a 5 year prison sentence for importing an AEG which is more powerful than advertised. We also need to ensure that airsoft replicas aren’t regarded as ‘readily convertible’ to firearms, as they can all be converted to exceed the new thresholds. UKARA and UKAPU have been raising this issue with the government for the last year, and it seems they have now taken it on board. We are due to see them early next year to discuss a solution, separate to the PCB.

For your convenience the amended clause 111 is below.

The status quo has been more or less maintained but only through a mammoth effort behind the scenes. Please spread the word, people need to understand that airsoft needs constant protection, and the only way we’ve achieved this win is by working together under the umbrella of airsoft associations.

Matt Furey-King Chair UKAPU and Frank Bothamley Chair UKARA

Policing and Crime Bill- http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/policingandcrime.html

Latest amendments- http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2016-2017/0072/17072(e).pdf

Amended clause 111 of the Policing and Crime Bill 2015-16

(5) After section 57 insert—

“57A Exception for airsoft guns

(1) An “airsoft gun” is not to be regarded as a firearm for the purposes of this Act.
(2) An “airsoft gun” is a barrelled weapon of any description which—

(a) Is designed to discharge only a small plastic missile (whether or not it is also capable of discharging any other kind of missile),
and
(b) is not capable of discharging a missile (of any kind) with kinetic energy at the muzzle of the weapon that exceeds the permitted level.

(3) “Small plastic missile” means a missile that—

(a) is made wholly or partly from plastics, and

(aa) is spherical, and

(b) does not exceed 8 millimetres in diameter.

(4) The permitted kinetic energy level is—

(a) in the case of a weapon “is capable of discharging two or more missiles without repeated pressure on the trigger, 1.3 joules;
(b) in any other case, 2.5 joules.”

About UKAPU: UKAPU is an unincorporated non-profit association formed by a dedicated group of Airsoft skirmishers to help protect and strengthen our hobby. By providing a united and official organisation that represents players, we can far more effectively engage in discussion with the government, other organisations, and the press when skirmishing comes under threat.

PogoCam Is A Tiny Camera That Can Work With Almost Any Type Of Eyewear

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PogoCam

The quest for the ultimate wearable camera that anyone would love to wear anytime, anywhere continues. We have seen the demise of Google Glass followed by similar projects and then we see life blogging tools which are still having a hard time in taking off. Action cameras such as the GoPro are the most successful of the lot, but they are mainly used for sports and outdoor activities and not exactly everyday cameras that you wear going to the office or on the high street without people thinking that the wearer is some sort of a pervert.

If you want to wear the Spectacles that is being developed by Snapchat, then go for that, but you will come out weird looking with its two rounded camera lenses on each side. While many say it doesn’t look creepy like Google Glass, I still beg to disagree.

Now, another company aims to take a stab at this wearable camera and what they will fully unveil come January 17 is what can be the world’s wearable camera. PogoTec will show the world their PogoCam wearable camera at the CES in Las Vegas next year and it is an interesting camera that it can be attached to almost any eyewear when needed and thus, it can be something to be used in airsoft as it can be attached to protective eyewear.

It measures 10.9 x 12.5 x 42.8 millimeters, and the company says it weighs less than two dimes, and can capture both video and still images. For still images it can capture at 5MP with a maximum of 100 images and for recording video you can record for 2 minutes continuously or you can set it take 12 ten second video clip with the resolution being 720p and frame rate of 30fps. You might think of such as a letdown as video is only such a short duration but with the a small form factor and perhaps a small battery to fit it inside, then you might start to understand its limitations. Unless there is a higher capacity battery that can be fitted inside, then for now it is what limits it. The battery can be recharged in 30 minutes.

With the exception of the battery life and 720p resolution, when action cameras are already getting in 4k, we do like what PogoTec are trying to achieve, a small enough wearable camera that can be used everyday and won’t be noticed by people that you are wearing one.

If they can improve on it further in terms of recording duration and resolution, then we might really consider having one. It would be nice that your wearable camera can be used on and off the airsoft field by attaching it to any eyewear frame, from our ballistic eyerwear to our everyday sunglasses.

Latest Site Maintenance Advisory: We’re Cleaning Up The Site

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Humvee Cleaning

It’s that time again when we need to do some fixing and cleaning up of the Popular Airsoft website to ensure that we are able to deliver the relevant news and information to our readers worldwide. It’s hard to maintain a website that has almost 10 year’s worth of content and sometimes things just break, just like what happened last weekend.

Whilst news posting will be regular today, Thursday, 08 December 2016, we will be working behind the scenes to look into some site issues that we are encountering. For 09 December, we won’t be posting any news on the first part of the day but by late afternoon or early evening (GMT) we shall be resuming regular reporting.

As for the 7th Airsoft Players’ Choice Awards, the website is running normally so readers can submit the list of their nominees.

Thank you for your patience.

Top Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathanael Miller.

The U.S. Army Patents Its Blast Pelvic Protector Design

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U.S. Army Blast Debris Protective Harness

U.S. Army soldiers can look forward to a new garment protection that will help lessen damage to their groin area in case of an explosion nearby. What’s more, the U.S. Army has patented the design which probably will be licensed to those interested in mass producing the design for the military or as commercial-off-the-shelf-solution (COTS).

Designed by a team from the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center, the blast pelvic protector is aimed to avoid multiple surgeries to remove the debris in the groin area of the soldier caused by a blast such as by an IED according to the news post at the U.S. Army website.

The wound is said to be painful as well as health and hygiene issues, especially infections:

"The protection that existed before was letting debris in because it wasn't fitted close enough to the body," said Cara Tuttle, an NSRDEC clothing designer and design lead, in the U.S. Army website report. "Soldiers weren't wearing it often enough, and it didn't come down inside of the leg to protect the femoral artery."

There were various designs proposed but they decided to settle harness design using multiple layers of Kevlar that overlap:

"A layer overlaps in one direction, then the next layer overlaps in the opposite direction, and it keeps alternating," Tuttle said. "This creates a better barrier for small [debris fragments], which would have to zig zag through all these layers to get through."

While initially designed for use by the warfighter, eventually they are looking into having these used by other professions such as first responders who can also be exposed to risks that soldiers face. As for the soldiers, they now have something to protect them in that sensitive area when they go on patrols or missions.

The Dutch Open 2016 Int'l. Airsoft Practical Videos Are Now Online

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Dutch Open 2016 Video

As promised in our after action report of the Dutch Open 2016 International Practical Shooting event, we are posting all the videos taken of the shooters during this big and memorable event in the world of airsoft practical shooting. For those who are not familiar with such growing discipline in airsoft, this is where they see airsoft practical shooters competing at their very best.

The Dutch Open 2016 International Practical Shooting took place at the National Sports Centre in Papendal, The Netherlands last 12-13 November 2016, seeing over 100 shooters from several countries in Europe competing again for the second time. One of the best organised airsoft practical shooting events, I highly recommend the Dutch Open, which is organised by the IAPS group of the NABV, for any serious airsoft practical shooter who is seeking a higher level of airsoft competitive shooting.

The videos show the shooters in action doing their very best to put out the best times and best scores in their categories. As I always mention, the videos will always serve a double purpose: for the Popular Airsoft readers to able to understand what this discipline is all about; and for the shooters themselves to do self-criticism of their actions and improve on their skills to avoid the weaknesses in their styles to be ready for the next event.

Enjoy the videos. You will have your hands full this weekend watching exactly 158 videos so be sure you have some popcorn with you before you click on the play button.

Click here to go the Popular Airsoft YouTube Channel to watch them.

We’re On The 3rd Week Of Nominations! Better Submit Your Nominees Soon!

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7APCA Nominations 3rd Week Reminder

The 2nd Week sends even more nominees submitted to the 7th Airsoft Players’ Choice Awards website and we are expecting even more as we hit the halfway mark of the Nominations Period. Now on its third week, we expect more nominees to be submitted as our readers are getting up to speed.

As we always say, the Airsoft Players’ Choice Awards is a numbers games which translates the voice of Popular Airsoft readers into recognizing the companies and people that are making the hobby go to even greater heights as they matter in the first place. Thus, we expect the nominees and fans to go all out and get the endorsements of airsoft players from all over.

Being highly visible and active in the airsoft scene count a lot as recognition and respect by airsoft players will eventually be converted into actual support for the nominees. Harnessing this support for the awards process will be greatly helpful in ensuring that the nominees get a higher chance of winning in their categories.

With that, we say good luck again to the nominees and may we have an interesting 7th Airsoft Players’ Choice Awards.

Don't forget to visit the sponsors of the awards who have made it possible to make this more exciting, with their contributions and raffle prizes:

MAIN PRESENTER

GOLD SPONSORS

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Nanotech Breakthrough Could Lead To Lighter Night Vision Devices

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Night Vision Goggles (Wikimedia)

Whilst night vision devices are deemed essential tools for the 21st Century warfighter, they still are cumbersome tools to use. Even the most advanced NVGs, such as the L-3 Ground Panoramic Night Vision System, the ones used in the Bin Laden raid and made famous by the Zero Dark Thirty movie, they are heavy to use and require an external power source to use them.

But that is about to change if the scientists from the Australian National University (ANU) get their technology across and be applied to night vision technology that can lead to lighter night vision devices that are the size and weight of today’s sunglasses according to a report at Defenseone.com.

Present night vision devices are like binoculars or monoculars as they use vacuum tubes that have “objective lens” that are located in the front with the purpose of collecting light and near infrared light with the photons then converted into electrodes by a photocathode. The night vision goggles require thousands of volts of electricity to release other electrons through the vacuum sealed tubes in a chain reaction in the same pattern as the original photon , and then will hit a phosphorescent plate to form the green-tinted imagery that everyone associates with night vision devices.

The team from ANU uses aluminium gallium arsenide nanostructures to achieve the same process without the need for the vacuum tubes. These are “nano-antennas” that are 500 times narrower than human hair and they pick up photons in the infrared range and work together with other photons in a method that increase frequency and divide the wavelength.

“We managed to fabricate very teeny, tiny structures. Those magic structures are capable [of] changing the intensity of the light, change the shape of the light, and, at the same time, change the color of the light,” Mohsen Rahmani explained excitedly, in a video put out by ANU. “Our eyes are capable only of seeing light in the visible spectrum. If we can fabricate an area of nanostructures on flat surfaces like glass, at the end of the day we will be able to convert invisible light in the nighttime or dark areas into visible light.”

This process will still require an external power source, but will need less power that is a fraction of what existing NVGs need. This is further translated into a lighter battery pack to power any future NVG device that will use the technology.

The ANU team have submitted a proposal to the U.S. military’s DARPA agency for further research so that it can be made to fit in glass frames, in this case ballistic glasses that can be used by soldiers in the field. There is no confirmation from DARPA on having agreed to further look into it though in September 2014, they put out a call for proposals for a compact, lightweight, heads-up, broad-band night vision display system.

 

Top photo source: Wikimedia Commons.


The A&K KRISS Vector AEG Is Set For A January 2017 Release

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JD Airsoft A&K KRISS Vector AEG Pre-Order

It looks like that airsoft players will be able to get their KRISS Vector AEG in January next year if everything goes according to plan. But this is not Krytac, the airsoft brand of KRISS Arms that I am writing about. Instead it is about A&K Airsoft which we are surprised that the China-based airsoft manufacturer is pushing ahead with its released of their version of the KRISS Vector AEG despite Krytac/KRISS Arms set to block unauthorized sales of the KRISS Vector AEG.

The information about the pending release can be easily found on Facebook where UK-based airsoft retailer, JD Airsoft, have announced that they are now taking pre-orders of the A&K KRISS Vector AEG. As for the retail price, it is a hefty £349.00 for an unlicensed AEG, but for those who can’t wait for an AEG version of the KRISS Vector, then they will be willing to place their orders, authorized by Krytac or not.

JD Airsoft have 1 sample unit available at their store that anyone can try if they visit them. So far, they claim that “everyone who has tried it, loved it” and they got a video to prove that the AEG is real with a three-round burst mode as well as using an 11.1v Lipoly battery:

So far, no samples of the A&K KRISS Vector AEG are available in the U.S.A. that airsoft retailers can demo to interested buyers and KRISS USA may have stronger legal grounds to block the sales of the product there or else we’ll find a recognized airsoft retailer there that will be showing a pre-release product. But in Europe, it can be another story and is dependent on how KRISS Arms have protected their intellectual property.

As for the official KRISS Vector AEG from Krytac, there are no updates on its progress so far. But definitely they are working on it and may just release it next year too. We’ll try to get information from Krytac if they have something to impart to their customers waiting for the official version.

Will you get the A&K version or the official Krytac version? We do not know what’s on your mind and you are probably weighing the pros and cons of getting which version. What we know is that Krytac provide warranty and support for their products and as for the A&K version, well, we know that support for any China-made airsoft product is much to be desired with airsoft retailers bearing the brunt of the support if there are problems with the product.

The next move now is up to KRISS Arms and its Krytac brand.

Navy SEAL Drama “SIX” Premieres On The 18th Of January 2017

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History Channel "SIX"

There will be a new TV series of elite operators that airsoft players around the world will need to mark on their cable TV channels next year. If you are missing “The Unit”, the show about Delta Force operators that got cancelled in 2009, then “SIX” will be something to look forward to.

Set to premiere on the History Channel on January 18, 2017, the title of the series is something that many in airsoft would be familiar with as it is about the legendary Team SEAL Six. It was originally set to be released last 18 July 2016 but they had to move the premiere as they needed to reshoot scenes involving Joe Manganiello (True Blood, Magic Mike) who had to withdraw due to health concerns with Walton Goggins replacing him.

The series start with Team SEAL Six leader Richard “Rip” Taggart, who is played by Goggins making a questionable decision while the team was on a mission in Afghanistan against the Taliban. The mission went haywire when they uncover a U.S. citizen who was working for the notorious terrorist group. Two years later, Rip gets captured by Boko Haram, Nigeria’s militant Islamist group, and his former Team SEAL Six brothers will have to decided to set aside their differences and rescue their once team leader.

The series is a straight-up 8-episode show as ordered by the History Channel, though there is no news if another season has been ordered by the company perhaps they will need to ratings to come in before they decide to green light another season.

As for the geardos and airsoft players, it is another 8 episodes of nitpicking the loadout and equipment that will be used in the various missions as the series go along once they start to be shown on cable TV. Better check with your local cable TV provider if they have History Channel available if you do not have it in your monthly subscription.

 

Top Photo: Jaylen Moore, Kyle Schmid, Barry Sloane, Walton Goggins, Juan Pablo Raba, Edwin Hodge, Donny Boaz (Credit: History)

U.S. Army Shows The Lighter And More Maneuverable Ballistic Combat Shirt

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Army.mil NSRDEC Robert DiLalla And the Ballistic Combat Shirt

The quest for a lighter protective gear for the American warfighter continues as reduced weight means speed and less load stress on the soldier where being able to move and maneuver quickly can mean life and death. Body armor is always much desired but existing protection is heavy and cutting weight without compromising the protective features is always a goal.

In this area, the U.S. Army has been hard at work, showing off the award winning Ballistic Combat Shirt on YouTube and other social media recently. Already revealed early this year, the Ballistic Combat Shirt has already earned the inaugural Maj. Gen. Harold “Harry” J. Greene Award for Innovation.

The Ballistic Combat Shirt was invented by Robert DiLalla, a civilian supervisory engineer at the NSRDEC and leads the Infantry Combat Equipment team. Developed with the Protect the Force, Llc, the shirt is an integrated armored shirt that protects the soldier in the chest, neck and upper arm areas. This can replace the present Army Combat Shirt (ACS) and since it is worn just like any normal combat shirt but providing ballistic protection it is lightweight and provides more mobility than the combined ACS and Interceptor Body Armor.

Protective gear used by U.S. military soldiers have grown and expanded during the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. The NSREDEC is on a mission to revolutionize protective gear, DiLalla and his team was supported by the PEO Soldier since 2014 to develop the Ballistic Combat Shirt where they integrated high performance materials that were developed by the athletic clothing manufacturers and the U.S. army.

According to NCOsupport.com the Ballistic Combat Shirt will be part of the U.S. Army’s Extremities Protection System which is slated to be fielded in 2019.

 

Top Photo:  Robert DiLalla with the Ballistic Combat Shirt (Source: Army.mil)

Crew Served Weapons Will Soon Be Equipped With Wireless Thermal Sights

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U.S. Army .50 Cal

Wireless targeting technology will soon be used on crew-served weapons in the U.S. Army if everything goes according to plan. This will allow the gunner to be able to provide effective and accurate support fire in under any environment.

According to BAE Systems , existing crew-served weapons lack the rapid acquisition and firing accuracy. But with their wireless weapons sight technology, what is seen from the actual weapon sight will be transmitted to a helmet mounted display wirelessly in real time. This way, the gunner does not need to actually look down the sights of the support weapon.

BAE Systems got awarded a contract by the U.S. Army in a deal that can be worth up to US$384 million to develop the Family of Weapons Sights – Crew Served (FWS-CS). This will be designed for the existing support weapons such as the .50 Caliber, M249 and the Mk19 Grenade Launcher. The imagery sent from the weapon system to the heads up display will be using a 12 micron sensor, giving a clearer image of the target even under adverse conditions.

The components of the FWS-CS are a high resolution camera and laser range finder that are in located in the weapon sight then the wireless heads up display. Scout Warrior mentions that this will give the correct range reticle and the gunner will be able to engage targets and lowers the risk of soldiers being exposed to enemy fire. The initial development will cost US$108 million will be developed alongside with the Family of Weapons Sights – Individual (FWS-I) which will be for individual soldier weapons such as the M4 assault rifle.

For the FWS-I soldiers do not need to shoulder their weapon all the time to get an accurate shot and they can fire their weapons without being exposed much while avoiding blind firing is wasteful and inaccurate.  This is seen to be operational in 2018.

It’s The 4th Week Of Nominations, Keep On Submitting Your Nominees!

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7APCA Nominations 4th Week Reminder

It’s hot (even if the weather is cold) as the Nominations Period of the 7th Airsoft Players’ Choice Awards is seeing a really big number of readers and airsoft players submitting their nominees. Keep on nominating and invite other airsoft players to nominate too will help your favourites get a place for the Voting/Finals Period next year.

Like a broken record, we’ll keep on repeating the same thing: the more nominations your favourite receives the greater the chances of them being in the voting round. So if you have not nominated yet, better click on the button below to start nominating:

We are seeing more groups, companies and individuals campaigning hard to have themselves nominated and that is how anyone who wants to be part of the awards should do. Maximise your social media presence and mobilise your friends and fans. With just less than two weeks to go before the Nominations Period closes, you better start upping up the ante of your campaign.

Make videos, digital banners and flyers to get their attention right now. Good luck!

Don't forget to visit the sponsors of the awards who have made it possible to make this more exciting, with their contributions and raffle prizes:

MAIN PRESENTER

GOLD SPONSORS

GENERAL SPONSORS


The U.S. Marine Corps Authorizes The Use Of The Magpul PMAG Gen M3

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Magpul PMAG Gen M3

Soldier Systems broke the story yesterday about the U.S. Marine Corps authorizing the use of the Magpul PMAG Gen M3 Magazine using funds for use by the Marine combat units. While it is a positive development for Magpul, does it mean that the PMAG is officially adopted for use by the whole Marine Corps?

But first, here is the official message as reported by Soldier Systems:

GENTEXT/RMKS/1. PURPOSE. THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES UPDATED GUIDANCE REGARDING THE USE OF MAGAZINES FOR THE M4/M16 SERIES AND M27 INFANTRY AUTOMATIC RIFLE (IAR). 2. BACKGROUND. MARINE CORPS UNITS WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE THE LEGACY MAGAZINE WHEN ORDERING NATIONAL STOCK NUMBER (NSN) 1005-01-561-7200; THIS NSN WILL DEFAULT TO THE U.S. ARMY ENHANCED PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE (EPM), NSN 1005-01- 630-9508. AUTHORIZATION TO USE THE EPM FOR TRAINING USE ONLY WITH THE M4, M4A1, M16A4, AND M27 REMAINS THE SAME. 3. ACTION 3.A. PM IWS AUTHORIZES UNITS TO USE THE FOLLOWING POLYMER MAGAZINES WITH THE M4, M4A1, M16A4, M27, AND M249: NSN 1005-01-615-5169 (BLACK) AND NSN 1005-01-659-7086 (COYOTE TAN). UNITS ARE AUTHORIZED TO REQUISITION THESE MAGAZINES WITH UNIT FUNDS. 3.B. PM IWS WILL UPDATE SL-3S FOR THE M4, M4A1, M16A4, AND M27 TO LIST THE ABOVE POLYMER MAGAZINE NSNS. NO OTHER POLYMER MAGAZINES ARE AUTHORIZED FOR USE. 4. IOT PROVIDE IMMEDIATE AND SUSTAINING ACCESS TO ALL USERS, A PUBLICATION CONTROL NUMBER (PCN) WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THIS MESSAGE FOR ACCESS VIA THE WEAPONS SYSTEM ID NUMBER SEARCH IN SL-1-2.//

Magpul also released a statement on Facebook about this but it is rather premature to say that the Corps has adopted the magazine which The Firearm Blog observes as rather “a somewhat less well supported statement”:

The Firearm Blog further speculates that the use of the PMAG Gen M3 is an interim replacement for the legacy magazines that are worn out or destroyed. While the U.S. Army’s Enhanced Performance Magazine (EPM) will be used for training to check out if it will work well with the Corps’ M4, M16, and M27 IAR, and if it proves to be very much compatible will be adopted for use by the whole Corps and probably will stop the procurement of the PMAG.

The story continues…

 

Top photo: Magpul PMAG Gen M3

Ryan Gosling Joins Harrison Ford In The Blade Runner Sequel

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Blade Runner 2049 Announcement

Fans are divided whether the Blade Runner, a sci-fi film starring Harrison Ford released in 1982 that has a cult following, should have a sequel or not. As for me, I am all for a sequel so we get to see how this movie takes off from the 1982 movie, called Blade Runner 2049.

Set in a dystopian Los Angeles, the Blade Runner is considered to be one of the best science fiction movies of all time, a treasured film for sci-fi fans, and a movie that I consider to be one of the most beautifully crafted that watching it again in the 21st Century, the movie still looks fresh as if it was just released recently. Director Ridley Scott considers it his most complete and personal film.

For the sequel, the setting is in the year 2049, where a new Blade Runner called Agent K and played by Ryan Gosling discovers a long hidden secret that may just further spiral society into crisis. As he investigates, he was determined to find Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, who has been missing for thirty years.

The fans who would welcome a sequel are set to find out how the Tyrell Corporation moved on after the death of its founder at the hands of a replicant that Decard was tasked to go after. We were wondering how Deckard also went into hiding with Rachell, the replicant assistant of the founder of Tyrell Corporation who thinks of herself as a real human after finally eliminating the replicants that came back to earth to extend their lives (they had 4-year lifespans).

Denis Villenueve, the director of “Arrival” will be the director for the sequel with Ridley Scott having a producer’s role. Other actors and actresses selected for the movie are Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, and Jared Leto.

Blade Runner 2049 is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on 6 October 2017.  As for those looking for an model of the LAPD 2019 Blaster that Deckard used in the original film, Craft Apple Works (CAW) has the TAKAGI Type M2019 Blaster Model Gun that airsofters want to collect and it costs around US$700 if one can find it in stock at any reputable airsoft retailer.


Admit It Geardos! This Is What You Really Want For Christmas

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Heckler & Koch Galac-Tac Armour

Honestly, we are always getting lazy to write feature stories in the 3 days before Christmas as our minds are already set in celebrating the Holiday Season with family and friends. Apart from that, our minds are also occupied thinking what our Christmas money can buy for us our airsoft addiction.

And what we are thinking to get Christmas, thanks to the Star Wars releasing the Rogue One for the season, is what any shooter or airsofter would like to wear --- the Galac-Tac body armour designed by Ryan B. Flowers.  This is based on the Mandalorian armour that the famous bounty hunter in Star Wars, Boba Fett wore in the Star Wars movies he appeared in.

The Galac-Tac armour was initially designed for cosplay user but it attracted so much attention that there was a demand that a real ballistic armour version was asked for. Soon enough, Flowers collaborated with Heckler & Koch for the project and this was supported by SOG Knives & Tools, AR500 Armor, Armasight, Inc., Leupold Optics, Blue Force Gear, Inc. ,T3 Gear, TEA Headsets, Team Wendy, Raven Concealment Systems, Wilcox Industries Corp., and  SureFire, LLC. This version was revealed last January 2016.

For the Holiday, Heckler & Koch tease us with another video of the Galac-Tac armour that they posted on Facebook a week ago, making geardos from all over go wild again:

Will it be possible to own one for Christmas for one that you can use for airsoft? You can contact Ryan B. Flowers if he can make you one, or you can go through via the Airsoft GI online store where you will see an eye-popping price of US$19,999.95 though by going to the Galac-Tac online store you can get the dummy body armour for US$325 and the dummy helmet for the same price too.

If you still got some cash to burn after finishing all those Christmas shopping spree, feel free to click the “add to cart” button to get the set and have a Merry Christmas in a galaxy far, far, far away.

We’re Taking A Break For The Holiday Season! Happy Holidays!

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Santa Tank (Army.mil)

(Advisory: As we take a break to be with our families and friends for the holidays, there will be no news posts and stories on Popular Airsoft from the 24th to the 26th of December. Regular publication will resume on the 27th of December.)

We are wishing our readers a warm holiday season, as we are about to celebrate Christmas and after that new year. We wish that things could have been better for the world, but for now we will just count the blessings that we got for this year.

In Airsoft, it is a good one, even if there were dramas. But we see the airsoft market is growing as brought about by new companies jumping in with their offerings and giving the big players some serious thoughts and not being complacent as the new and small ones bring with them new ideas.

Anyway, we know you don’t want to read a long rambling of thoughts about Christmas, airsoft, and world peace, so we’ll let you go about with your preparations for the weekend. If you have not done your shopping yet, better do so now before it’s too late to get gifts for the important people in your lives.

Don’t forget to nominate for the 7th Airsoft Players’ Choice Awards when you find time to from all the merry making this weekend.

Happy holidays and see you all next week!

Just Three Days Left Before The Nomination Period Ends! Nominate Now!

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7APCA Nominations Final Week Reminder

Still rubbing that happy tummy for that Christmas feast you had? Well, if you are resting from all the food gorged on Christmas day, you are probably online for airsoft news and updates and of course, that social media thingy where your airsoft team mates are also members of.

If you are, please do take your time to go to the 7th Airsoft Players’ Choice Awards website and submit your nominees for the biggest online airsoft event where tens of thousands of airsoft players submit the list of their favourites in the hopes that they get recognition for all the efforts they put in promoting and protecting the hobby. If you have not nominated yet, then you got three days left to nominate:

Invite your team mates as well and tell them to invite even more. There are raffle prizes waiting for the lucky winners at the end of the awards process.

Just remember the last day for nominations is on the 30th of December 2016.

Don't forget to visit the sponsors of the awards who have made it possible to make this more exciting, with their contributions and raffle prizes:

MAIN PRESENTER

GOLD SPONSORS

GENERAL SPONSORS


UK Government Mulling To Require Drone Pilots To Pass A Theory Test

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DJI Mavic Pro Drone

If you are based in the UK and planning to fly drones for fun or for a living (such as covering airsoft events), then you may need to take a test if the British government pushes through its plans to require drone pilots to pass the test before they are given permits to fly their drones.

Similar to the Theory Test for drivers, the drone pilots will have to undergo a "knowledge or situational awareness test" and with the growing concerns of drones posing a threat to flying passenger planes and to people on the ground, the government wants to regulate the flying of drones as well as anyone who wants to fly certain types of drones that can be potentially dangerous when flown by an untrained or untested pilot.

Last year, there were more than 50 reports of near misses of drones flying close to commercial planes.

As part of the proposal, drone pilots are required to register their drones if they weigh more than 250 grams. In this case, if you own the latest the DJI Mavic Pro, shown in the photo above, you will need to register it as it weighs around 740 grams.

Getting tougher on careless flying of drones, the lawmakers are proposing for stiffer penalties for owners of drones who fly them to restricted zones such as airports, prisons, and other government facilities.  One way is to increase the fines from its present fine of £2,500.

The document is still in the proposal stages and the government will be inviting industry experts and drone associations to give their inputs to firm into a document that will be proposed to become a law.  If it happens, then we hope such a laws still allows for the growth of the drone industry as well as result into safer skies for drones, planes, and people.

U.S. Marines Will Use Samsung Mobile Devices For Fire Missions

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U.S. Marines with Tablets

Reading the title should surely result into making jokes about Samsung now being part of the U.S. Marines’ ordnance by using the exploding Samsung Note 7 for fire missions. Seriously though, the Marine Corps decided to use Samsung tablets for fire missions as part of their efforts to use commercial-off-the-shelf products that have utility in the battlefield.

As part of an upgrade of the U.S. Marines’ Target Handoff System (THS) which will be operational in 2017, the system will be loaded into Samsung tablets, reducing the weight by more than half as well as having big cost reductions according to the report at Kit-Up! of Military.com:

“Our current THS, though capable, needed to be smaller and lighter to better support dismounted operations,” Hume said in a statement. “With the new version, Marines will obtain a lightweight device equipped to provide immediate situational awareness on where friendly and enemy locations are, and the ability to hand off target data to fire support to get quick effects on the battlefield.”

Photo By: Lance Cpl. David Staten, USMC

As for the specific device that the THS will work on, it is the 8-inch Samsung Tab 2 tablet that will be distributed to joint fires observers, joint terminal attack controllers, forward air controllers, and air officers of all ground units. There are already existing tactical gear designed to protect such mobile devices that can be attached to MOLLE-equipped vests.

The THS allows the Marines to quickly point the location of a target and send the data to supporting units available, whether naval supporting fire, air support, or artillery support. The application made for the tablet receives the coordinates of the target automatically generated by the system, minimizing error that happens using the manual way, with the digitized information then sent to the fire support coordination center to determine the best way to provide support or attack the target.

As for the Note 7, rest assured that it was not selected by the Marines for this purpose.

 

Top photo: Taken by Lance Cpl. David Staten, USMC

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