The trophies have been delivered to RedWolf Airsoft UK, way ahead of time and waiting for the winners who will bring them home. The biggest airsoft practical shooting event in Europe, the Airsoft Surgeon European Practical Pistol Championship will be on its 5th year and will take place on the 5th to 6th of August 2017 at the StrikeForce CQB in Gloucester.

Last year, we saw over 150 shooters from Europe and Asia converge in Gloucester to compete in what is to become a battle of skills and agility as they go through the various shooting stages. For this year, the shooters will be competing in Level 1 Match as the United Kingdom Practical Shooting Association (UKPSA) gave its official support. This also means it is an official Action Air competition in accordance to IPSC rules.

For the first time, a team from Brazil will be coming in to compete with 5 times Brazilian Champion Mr. Guga Riba to be competing as well as his company being a sponsor of the event. Guga Riba provides holsters, gears and accessories.

The organisers are expecting shooters from at least 14 countries to compete and this number might increase as the tournament day nears. A total of 20 stages are being prepared for this year with the following Divisions and Categories:

DIVISIONS:

• Open (Max 28 rounds BB in each magazine)
• Standard (Max 18 rounds BB in each magazine)
• Classic (Max 10 rounds BB in each magazine) (single stack only)
• Production (Max 15 rounds BB in each magazine) (Pistols currently approved on Production Division List)

CATEGORIES:

• Male
• Lady
• Junior (17 years old & under)
• Senior
• Super Senior

Airsoft Action Magazine are sponsoring a “Fun Stage” in which money raised for this stage will go to Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre in Cheltenham. A special trophy will be prepared by Airsoft Action for this stage.

As always, we’ll be there to cover the action, as we have been doing since it started in 2013. If you intend to shoot in this tournament, better do so and book your slot. See you shooters!

What has been played by many PC gamers is now on the console. America’s Army: Proving Grounds is now on open beta on the Sony Playstation 4 which should increase the reach of this play-for-free game. While Proving Grounds was released in October 2015, the game itself has been available for PC gamers to download for years now, having been first released on the 4th of July 2002.

Using the Unreal game engine, this game is funded by the U.S. Army, America’s Army was designed to allow the gamers to explore the U.S. Army and determine if they want to join the Army. In short, it is also a recruitment tool for an all volunteer army with a twist of fun it is an FPS video game. Airsoft players we know of appreciate this free to download video game and it has been positively received by the gaming media, though others call it to be another propaganda tool by the U.S.A.

Here is the full press release by America’s Army as posted on Gamasutra:

America’s Army: Proving Grounds Now on PS4

Huntsville, AL (June 27, 2017) --cThe U.S. Army today announced it has entered Open Beta the FREE America’s Army: Proving Grounds (AA:PG) game on the Playstation 4. The game, which was released on PC in beta in August 2013, has more than 1.3 million player accounts and 935 years of play time.

“July 4th, 2017 is the 15th anniversary of the America’s Army game.  We’re excited to bring the latest version of the game to modern consoles.” said Daniel Kolenich, Executive Producer for America’s Army .

Bringing together the best of previous America’s Army games, AA:PG stresses small unit tactical maneuvers and training that emulates real-world Army training. America’s Army: Proving Grounds showcases the Army by emphasizing Army Values, teamwork, training and completing the objectives through gameplay that reflects the Soldier’s Creed

The America’s Army game features:

• Several training exercises designed to sharpen small unit maneuver skills. Exercises are small engagements of 8 players vs. 8 players. These fast-paced maps focus on teaching players how to work as a team and learn basic skills and maneuvers.
• Realistic equipment and military hardware such as such as the M9A1 & M1911 Pistol, 870 MCS shotgun, M14EBR-RI sniper rifle, M24 sniper rifle, M4A1 and the M249 Saw.Players can also use the M67 fragmentation grenade, M106 Fast Obscurant Grenade and the M84 Stun Grenade as well as optics that include the M68 Close Combat Optic, M553 Holographic Weapon Sight, M150 ACOG 4x Optic, Elcan M145 and Ghost Ring Sight.
• Players have the ability to apply medical aid to stop their own bleeding which allows them to maintain their health and stay in the game for completion of the mission. Players can also assist downed squad mates to bring them back into the fight.
• Integrated Voice Over IP for efficient team communication.
• Customization including the camo pattern of their team, the gear load-out of their Soldier and the ability to unlock weapon skins on their weapons and to obtain new optics.

According to Playstation, you deploy an 8-man squad for a wide variety of missions such as rescuing a VIP, destroy military assets, intel gathering, and holding important military territory. Weapons in use by the U.S. Army are available in the video game gameplay will be conducted in new and classic America’s Army maps.

If you have your Playstation 4 console, you can down America’s Army: Proving Groundshere.

Drones fitted with weapons are not exactly a new thing. In the War on Terror we have seen footages of terrorists vehicles being hit by missiles fired from high flying drones. But everybody is predicting that soon drones will be able to do tasks that will be risky for infantry soldiers by having smaller weapons mounted on them such as automatic weapons, machine guns, and grenade launchers.

We have watched some videos done by some YouTubers in which they mounted weapons on their drones. But now one company is producing weapon drones and has a big client to supply --- the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) and they have a drone that is stable enough to mount weapons and thus can be used to shoot at targets more accurately.

Duke Robotics are supplying the IDF with the Tikad Drone according to Defense One. The Florida-based company has developed a way for a drone to be stable enough with a mechanism that is able to compensate for recoil when a mounted weapon is fired. And as seen in camera drones, the mechanism can also easily swivel and acquire targets easily.

According to Defense One, the company is founded by former IDF soldiers one of which is Lt. Col. Raziel “Razi” Atuar, a 20-year veteran of the Israeli military. Still a reservist in the Israeli Special Forces, he says he is tired of watching his comrades in street battles and in putting up Duke Robotics, they want to develop and remote controlled weapons platform that can clear high risk areas without the operator exposing himself/herself. More and more militaries and law enforcement organisations are relying on drones for reconnaissance and it is just inevitable that they will clamor for a weaponised drone.

In the case for the Tikad Drone, it is able to take any weapon under 22lbs. In the same Defense One story, the IDF were able to take out a target with a sniper rifle mounted on a drone that was supplied by Duke Robotics. In urban combat having an aerial drone with a weapon can easily go up in the air to hunt for snipers who are usually perched in elevated positions or smoke out the enemy hiding in buildings ready to rain down bullets on a hapless unit on the ground. Since the Tikad Drone is already armed with a video camera as well, it can be used for reconnaissance as well.

Now, we want to see an airsoft armed drone in the field. We saw some YouTube videos showing such contraptions, but we still need to get a fully mature airsoft drone that can be used on regular games. Game marshals and organizers may need to devise new rules on this, especially on how players can take down an airsoft drone without actually destroying it.

Photos by Duke Robotics.

If you are enjoying visiting airsoft forums, sharing updates on social media, doing airsoft shopping online, or just plain keeping in touch with family and friends wherever they are, you have the openness of the internet to thank for. Big or small, rich or poor, anyone who has internet connection has access to all the information at the tip of his/her finger tips or be able to put out his/her message that two or two billion internet users may read.

But if such access can become problematic for internet users in the U.S.A. if the Federal Communications Commission pushes to gut Net Neutrality that was put into place in 2015 to prevent Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as cable companies and telecommunications from deciding which websites their subscribers can access or slow down the loading of web pages for websites that do not pay a fee for faster data delivery. This means that those websites with more money can have their content delivered faster than smaller websites, such as blogs, small online stores, and websites such as Popular Airsoft.

Those who are pushing for Net Neutrality to be “neutralized” are the companies such as Comcast, Verizon, Charter, Cox, and CenturyLink. All of these are ISPs and they can also be content providers since they own some of the biggest sites such as Yahoo which is now owned by Yahoo. If Net Neutrality is overturned by the FCC, they can prioritise their own online properties over other content providers. Members of the /r/airsoft forum in Reddit might not be able to access it or find it slowed down if Reddit does not pay up for its content to be delivered if Comcast decides that it should pay up to access its subscribers.

Thus, the internet will have two lanes if this happens: 1) an express lane for those who can pay the toll fee imposed by ISPs; and 2) a slow lane for those small websites such as small business sites, blogs, community sites, and non-profit organisations.

According to these ISPs, such regulations on net neutrality will stifle innovation and investment in infrastructure. We can argue for net neutrality that the openness of the internet itself brought unprecedented levels of innovation, development of content and introduction of new services never seen before that to harness and even broaden such many companies have been investing in infrastructure.

Whilst it does not affect internet users outside the U.S., such as those in the E.U. which has strict net neutrality rules, the U.S.A. is still has one of the biggest online populations in the world. For us at Popular Airsoft, we worry that if Net Neutrality gets gutted and if we cannot pay the fee demanded by a U.S. ISP so we can be accessed faster by its subscribers, then it will affect us big time as nearly 40% of our online readership come from the U.S.A. That will cause a big drop in web traffic to us, further affecting revenues through advertising and sponsorships. That will hobble us to continue running the website which is always on a shoe-string budget and might as well shut down since it will be useless to continue.

Thus, even if we are not exactly a content provider based in the U.S.A. (Popular Airsoft is hosted in the U.S.), we are very much in support of the efforts of over 200 internet companies and content providers such as Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Twitter, Mozilla, Airbnb, etc. in their fight to save Net Neutrality. Coordinated by the Battle for the Net, today, the 12th of July, is the day of action:

“Websites, Internet users, and online communities will come together to sound the alarm about the FCC’s attack on net neutrality. We'll provide tools for everyone to make it super easy for your followers / visitors to take action. From the SOPA blackout to the Internet Slowdown, we've shown time and time again that when the Internet comes together, we can stop censorship and corruption. Now, we have to do it again!”

If you want to support the action, do your bit now. You can visit the Battle for the Net website where you can download materials such as banner ads, social media icons, and code to add to your website to have your visitors send a letter to the FCC showing support for Net Neutrality.

The deadline for first comments to the FCC ends on the 17th of July, which is five days from now. Better get those keyboards clacking and the mice clicking to help rally more internet users to send comments and save the internet as an open and free space for everyone.

Almost three years ago, I wrote about the Beartooth, a case that turns your smartphone into a squad radio and at the same time also acts as an extra battery to power your smartphone over longer periods. It was and still is a unique concept that allows airsofters to lessen their devices for communications as there is no need to purchase a spare radio for squad communications during airsoft games. With the Beartooth, your smartphone is your small unit radio with no need for cellular or wifi connection to use it.

However, the limitation of that Beartooth radio case is that it can accommodate few smartphone models --- mainly the latest high-end iPhone and Samsung Galaxy models. Thus, it is not a one-size fits all device in which you can use any android or iPhone model with it.

Old Beartooth Design (2014)

Now that has changed with the new Beartooth design.

New Beartooth Design (2016)

In order to accommodate more iPhone and Android devices, the new Beartooth is now a separate device rather than as smartphone case design. The Beartooth, which is on pre-order now, is purchased as a pair so you can have the other to be used with another smartphone so you can start working with it quickly with a friend. You download the Beartooth app then pair the Beartooth to your iOS or Android smartphone and you’re ready to use your smartphone to do the following:

• Voice - Push-to-talk means quick communication between you and your crew up to 5 miles away.
• Text - One-on-one or group texts to any Beartooth users up to 10 miles away over 900mh ISM band.
• Maps - The topographic Beartooth maps are made for the explorer.
• Charging - Enough to fully charge an iPhone 7 1.5 times as it has a 3000 mah lithium ion battery.

You can put the Beartooth in your pocket or pouch and just forget each there when you’re on the move as long as it stays paired to your mobile phone.

If you want to use Beartooth Radio in your travels, better check the local laws of the country you’re visiting if they allow use 902Mhz to 928Mhz for license free amateur communications. How the problem with this frequency range is that it can be for amateur use in Region 2 of ITU, and that covers Americas including Greenland and some of Eastern Pacific Islands.  So if you are in the ITU Region 1 or Region 3, you might not be allowed to use Beartooth.

For squad text communications in milsim events and airsoft events, Beartooth uses 256-bit AES symmetric key encryption to keep messaging secure. With the maps and location, you can leave breadcrumbs and able to keep track of your teammates (all should be using Beartooth) so you can coordinate movements to an objective.

That sounds good isn’t it? Now for the price, you will to shell out US$249 for a pair of Beartooths and that is introductory pre-order price and it will go up once it starts shipping. If you want order for your squad, contact them if they allow for squad discounts.

The first thing on my mind after hearing the news that the RedWolf Airsoft UK warehouse in Tewkesbury was hit by fire was to call up Chris Kong to ask him and the rest of this crew how they are doing. He said that all staff members have been accounted for and that is the most important thing for him.

The first thing that they needed to do is to find temporary offices to run the operations of RedWolf Airsoft UK whilst fire investigators sort out what caused the fire at their warehouse which is in the Northway Trading Estate. Until then, operations of the company will remain sluggish until they get up to speed. That includes the online orders in which RedWolf Airsoft HK, the HQ, will take up the slack of processing the orders. No walk-in sales for now and they hope their business customers as well as individual customers bear with them. The airsoft community in the UK has rallied to their support and understanding.

Tewkesbury fire: All we know so far about blaze at wargame factory #Gloucesterhttps://t.co/H8DiwSWpyB

— The Maisemore Horse (@MaisemoreHorse) July 13, 2017

One of the things that I and Chris talked about is the status of the Airsoft Surgeon European Championship 2017, which is set to be held on the 5th to 6th of August 2017 at the StrikeForce CQB at the Morelands Trading Estate in Gloucester, 25 minutes away from the damaged RedWolf Airsoft UK warehouse.

He mentioned that all paraphernalia such as trophies, banners, giveaways, prizes, and other materials that were being prepared for the event were all lost in the fire. The event, going on its 5th year, is the largest airsoft competition in Europe, with almost 200 airsoft practical shooters from Europe, Asia, and South America coming over the UKPSA-sanctioned Level I Action Air Event.

Photo:Trophies for the Airsot Surgeon European Championship 2017 that were lost in the fire.

Still, Chris said that the event will go ahead, there is no turning back. With just three weeks left for them to prepare for the event, perhaps the UK airsoft practical shooting community and other well meaning individuals can be called upon to help as Chris and the rest of the RedWolf Airsoft UK crew have their hands full in restarting business operations. If interested, individuals can drop a message either at the RedWolf Airsoft UK or Airsoft Surgeon European Championship Facebook Page and ask what help is needed.

As posted by Chris at the Airsoft Surgeon European Championship Facebook Page, “’The show must go on’ Shooters, I hope you are ready.”

Indeed, the show must go on.

Neill Blomkamp is busy with this experimental studio these days. At Oats Studio, he’s back with what he does best, conceptualizing movies that combines sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. His previous Oats Studio shorts were Rakka, in which a militia fights against an alien species which has invaded and terraforming the planet, and a cooking TV show gone awry called Cooking with Bill, he follows these up with another sci-fi horror called Firebase and it is set during the Vietnam War.

The film is about a mysterious thing happening to the U.S. soldiers deployed in Vietnam in the 1970 where they encountered deformed bodies and military vehicles disintegrating in the air. The CIA has been tasked to investigate this mystery and the lead investigator sees it to be being done by River God who can become invisible and has telekinetic powers to destroy anyone and anything in his path. But one thing that he can do is also to revive the dead soldiers, turning them into zombie-like creatures. A MACV SOG member, Sergeant Hines, knows how to kill these creatures and is dead set in hunting down the river god.

The CIA agent, Jacob Palmer, finds Hines after the latter came out of what looks like to be a lonewolf mission and brought him back to a secret base. There they questioned a survivor of Firebase Tarheel who recalls having seen the River God and in that moment, experienced a dream-like experience where he was transported back to Charleston Air Base in South Carolina where they were under attack by the Soviet aircraft never seen before and these aircraft were can land vertically and spew flames at everything, destroying the base. Agent Palmer said it did not happen though he did not sound convincing.

Palmer then briefs Hines about an impending plan to kill the River God. He also explained that according to witnesses, Hines seems to be being protected by the environment, as he does not get hit by bullets and shrapnel, an invincible soldier. He also said that the River God was an ordinary villager who developed his special powers due to sheer grief when his family died and his village burned to the grown. The local villages started calling him the River God as he leaves a trail of destruction and starts tampering with the space-time fabric.

The short film leaves off where Hines was given a special suit and equipment that will protect him from the breakdown of space time as they hunt the River God. His weapon was an electric-magnetic coil gun. Hines wears the suit as they prepare for the showdown with the River God and his minions of undead.

Will there be another episode that will be released by Oats Studio that will bring this story to conclusion? We are not sure, and in an interview by the Verge with Blomkamp, he said that they have several paths to take Firebase to, but did not reveal if they are going to shoot any of these. But for those who buy the short from Steam, they can download source materials to give their own take on the short, just like others did to Rakka.

A few years back, Juggernaut Defense released their Juggernaut cases for smartphones so they can be used in tactical situations. As apps that can be used for operations such being released for smartphones, it allows military and law enforcement organisations to use commercial off the shelf products, in this case, existing smartphones, which also translate into lower costs in acquiring equipment needed on the field.

Whilst the Juggernaut cases are useful for the organisations that can afford it, including the accessories for attaching them to comms and MOLLE vests, they can be expensive for milsim and airsoft players. A basic Juggernaut Case will set you back US$275.00, regardless of the phone model you want. But when you start adding up the accessorie such as vehicle mount, rail mount, PALS armour mount, then the money you’ll need to shell out will start up piling up.

But airsofters and milsimers eyeing to get one of the Juggernaut cases can rest easy, a bit. The company just launched a new website and they announced two affordable cases --- the SLEEV and BUMPR. Both are available for the year old high end Samsung and Apple mobile phones, the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6. No versions for the S8 and iPhone 7 yet but the good news is these are expected to be released in late Summer 2017.

The SLEEV is similar to the Juggernaut case and at first glance you will not notice any difference. To shave some costs and make it affordable, the the glass screen protector is omitted and it uses a foam gasket to seal to the touchscreen, rating this case IP-6X meaning it is dust tight. The original Juggernaut case is IP67 rated, meaning that is fully protected from dust and can also withstand being submerged in 1 metre. The SLEEV will set you back US$150.00, as compared to the US$275.00 Juggernaut.

Now for the really budget conscious, there is the BUMPR case. This is more a new version of the Juggernaut.case further trimmed to save on costs. What is removed is the glass screen protector and it is simply snapped or screws together for a smaller form-factor case design. Since the Samsung and iPhone models compatible with are mainly IP68 rated (well, mainly the Samsung as the iPhone 6 is IP67 rated) which means they are water resistant, with the Samsung S7 can be dropped up to 1.3 metres for 30 minutes before it is rendered useless. As for the price, each phone version can be purchased for US$60.00 so that should within reach by a good number of airsoft players and they can just add a bit more for the mounts to fully use the BUMPR.

As for the mounting accessories to use these new cases, airsoft players can select amongst the following: a belt mount, rail mount, PALS mount, or the forearm mount and these are what we can recommend as others may not exactly be needed such as the vehicle mount or the accessories for doing HAHO jumps.

Both the SLEEV and BUMPR cases are available right now at the Juggernaut cases. Now, we’ll just to find out which mobile apps  are available for these smartphones that airsoft players will find useful for the game.

The world of entertainment just lost another “father”. George A. Romero, known as  the “Father of Zombie Film” passed away at the age of 77 after a short bout with lung cancer. Tributes far and wide have been given, with horror-thriller directors mentioning him that he was their inspiration. Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Write wrote, “It’s fair to say that without George A. Romero, I would not have the career I have now.”

If you are an avid fan of zombie films, then you will know that Romero is the most influential pioneer of this horror film genre, starting with the Night of the Living Dead, released in 1968 and is considered to be the origin of the zombie as known in popular culture these days. All zombie movies since then, the influence of George Romero is there, including the massive popular TV series, The Walking Dead.

It is not also in film and TV that his influence is felt, video games, horror books, and even in airsoft it can be seen. It cannot be denied that airsoft events with zombie or post-apocalyptic themes are based on the zombies that Romero has created for his films. Thus, it is appropriate that we in airsoft pay tribute to this man who has indirectly, helped spiced-up airsoft events.

When I first watched my first zombie movie made by Romero, the Dawn of the Dead with my brother, it was one of the most shocking movies I ever watched. But from there, I have been following zombie movies, as compared to other horror movies, and now zombies have proven to be a proven formula in making a movie.

In these days where a good number of the population are fearing an post-apocalyptic world that gave rise to the prepper movement, the zombie movies have a big influence that we see these anti-zombie weapons and bunkers being marketed by companies. In the firearms and airsoft industries, we see the same, and zombie targets are popular at ranges or themed-events.

For Romero, zombies are used as characters for satire or political statements, but laments it is lacking in The Waking Dead or World War Z in a story at Uproxx, a heads-up for budding filmmakers wanting to follow in his footsteps.

According MSN.com, Romero died while listening to the score of The Quiet Man,  romantic comedy-drama film directed by John Ford released in 1952 starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. At his side were his wife, Suzanne Desrocher Romero, and daughter, Tina Romero.

Top photo:George A. Romero speaking at the 2016 Mad Monster Arizona (Photo by Gage Skidmore, Some rights reserved)

As the development of new technologies to create the future’s super soldiers, the U.S. Army is now testing the Warrior Web Exosuit at the Aberdeen at the Soldier Performance and Equipment Advanced Research (SPEAR) facility at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. Funded by DARPA with Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

First announced in 2014, the research collaboration is aimed at creating a “soft” exosuit as compared to their exoskeleton projects in which the prototypes look like robotic legs and not more humanlike. Exoskeletons are seen as important equipment for special operations as they will allow soldiers to carry far more than what their bodies can and avoid injuries that carrying head loads can cause. Exoskeletons can help avoid fatigue and soldiers to travel longer distances.

The Warrior Web Exosuit is more similar to a wet suit of a diver with no pieces of metal jutting out and every is in the garment. According to DARPA, the “suit will ultimately employ a system of closed-loop controlled actuation, transmission, and functional structures that protect injury prone areas, focusing on the soft tissues that connect and interface with the skeletal system.”

In a report posted at ShadowSpear, Maj. Christopher Orlowski, DARPA’s Warrior Web program manager said that, “In the longer term, the systems have benefits to be integrated into larger Soldier systems and can be integrated with other capabilities to provide a marked advantage for our Soldiers and our warfighters in the future.” He further adds that, “I think it will take at least another five to 10 years to be ready for the infantry Soldier.”

The most recent prototype is more user-friendly and includes more functional apparel which is connected to the series of compact actuators with control systems that adapt to the individual. What the Wyss Institute has been developing the soft exosuit as set of smart clothing that can be used with the soldier’s gear. Thus, a more human-like soldier with an exosuit is seen, though many would find a rather more robotic looking soldier in an exoskeleton as seen in movies would look more fearsome.

The researchers have tested and gathered massive amounts of data when they tested these with a group soldiers last April and June though we don’t yet when such results are published.

Got an airsoft team ready to do battle with veteran and new airsoft teams and willing to travel to Manila, Philippines? If you are, then better make sure your team meets the team number requirements for the SIX Airsoft Tournament at the History Con Philippines 2017.

Billed as the biggest entertainment of the year in Manila, over 300 exhibitors and celebrities will be attending event, including Histoy Channels own celebrities Rick Harrison (Pawn Stars), "Horny" Mike Henry (Counting Cars), Danielle Colby (The Pickers), and Zack Giffin & John Weisbarth (Tiny House Nation). Other special guests include Takeru Kobayashi, Jordan Kilganon and renowned Philippine historian Dr. Ambeth Ocampo.

The SIX Airsoft Tournament gets its name from History Channel’s “SIX” military combat drama series. The series is about the U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six which in the first season was sent on a mission to hunt down a Taliban leader in Afghanistan but the mission went bad when they uncovered an American citizen working with the terrorists. It is a MOUT-CQB setup with teams advancing through mission based scenarios and earning points. There is no mention of the prizes but registration is open until the 23rd of July. Interested airsoft teams, local and international, can contact the organizers via sixairsoftwargames@gmail.com.

Apart from the SIX Airsoft tournament, some of the highlights of the History Con 2017 are:

• The largest Cars & Bikes rally
• Bike Build-Off
• HISTORY Maker Awards
• Toys and Superheroes exhibit
• Retro Basketball 3 On 3
• Making History with World Records attempts
• Outdoor Activities such as Shooting Range, Medieval Battle, Motorcades, ATV rides & more
• FYI Food Fair & Tutorials
• Immersive Tiny House Nation experience
• Engaging HISTORY & FYI workshops
• Chance to win merchandise

That’s a lot of activities to do in between the missions during the tournament. But to attend this History Con 2017, you will also need to purchase tickets. We are not sure if tournament participants will need to purchase tickets so they better contact the organizers on this.

We’ll post an after action report of the event which will either be furnished by the organizers or correspondents of Popular Airsoft.

It was The Firearm Blog that first caught the scent that website of Heckler & Koch as been updated with new weapons. Whilst they are the first to actually report this as far as Google search reveals, they have no idea when the new information about the HK233 and HK233K rifles have been uploaded.

But anyway, the first thing that you will react upon seeing the initial photos of the HK233 and HK233K (K for “Kurz”) is that they are the latest reincarnation of the G36 series. Indeed, as the product page admits, these are rifles based on the G36 with increased performance.

According to The Firearm Blog, they are similar to Sporter Basic Variant of the HK243 S SAR which is a semi rifle available to the civilian market. So there is a death of information and we most of us can work on are on the information provided by the product pages so here they are:

HK233

The HK233 is a modular and compact assault rifle in cal. 5.56 mm x 45 NATO with increased performance on the basis of the worldwide proven G36.

Features

• Fully ambidextrous weapon operation for both right-handed and left-handed shooters
• Slim Line handguard and upper receiver with STANAG 4694 profile at 12 o’clock position. MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail on 6 o’clock position
• Foldable, retractable buttstock with height-adjustable cheek rest. Weapon can also be used with the buttstock in the folded-in position
• Tool-free assembly/disassembly of the main assemblies
• Wide variety of accessories available, such as training bolt group, bayonet, suppressor, drum magazine, brass catcher, blank firing attachment, forward grip, bipod and more
• Mounting of optical sights (3x) and reflex sights (1x) on sight rail possible

HK233 Technical Data (Subject To Modification)

HK233 – CAL. 5.56 MM X 45 NATO

General

• Calibre: 5.56 mm x 45
• Operating principle: Gas-operated
• Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
• Modes of fire: 0-1-D
• Rate of fire: approx. 750/min
• Sights: M, O
• Buttstock: R, FO

Dimensions

• Length min./max.: approx. 755/975 mm
• Width: approx. 64.0 mm
• Height: approx. 261.0 mm
• Barrel length: approx. 480 mm
• Weight:
  • Weapon: approx. 3,880 g
  • Magazine: approx. 140 g

HK233K

The HK233K is a modular and compact assault rifle in cal. 5.56 mm x 45 NATO with increased performance on the basis of the worldwide proven G36.

Features

• Fully ambidextrous weapon operation for both right-handed and left-handed shooters
• Slim Line handguard and upper receiver with STANAG 4694 profile at 12 o’clock position. MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail on 6 o’clock position
• Foldable, retractable buttstock with height-adjustable cheek rest. Weapon can also be used with the buttstock in the folded-in position
• Tool-free assembly/disassembly of the main assemblies
• Wide variety of accessories available, such as training bolt group, bayonet, suppressor, drum magazine, brass catcher, blank firing attachment, forward grip, bipod and more
• Mounting of optical sights (3x) and reflex sights (1x) on sight rail possible

HK233K Technical Data (Subject To Modification)

HK233K – CAL. 5.56 MM X 45 NATO

General

• Calibre: 5.56 mm x 45
• Operating principle: Gas-operated
• Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
• Modes of fire: 0-1-D
• Rate of fire: approx. 750/min
• Sights: M, O
• Buttstock: R, FO

Dimensions

• Length min./max.: approx. 593/813 mm
• Width: approx. 64.0 mm
• Height: approx. 261.0 mm
• Barrel length: approx. 318 mm
• Weight:
  • Weapon: approx. 3,600 g
  • Magazine: approx. 140 g

Another weapon that has its product page online at the H&K website is the HK337. For those who want a compact version of the HK416a5, the HK337 is based on it and uses the .300 Blackout/Whisper.

HK337 Technical Data

General

• Calibre: .300 Blackout/Whisper
• Operating principle: Gas-operated
• Magazine capacity: 10/20/30 rounds
• Modes of fire: 0-1-D
• Rate of fire: approx. 850/min

Dimensions

• Length min./max.: approx. 668/764 mm
• Width: approx. 74.0 mm
• Height: approx. 240.0 mm
• Barrel length: approx. 228 mm
• Weight
• Weapon: approx. 3,000 g

We'll post more information as soon as we get more. Stay tuned.

Last week, things got a bit crazy in the airsoft world as airsofters have started showing their love for the “fully licensed” Glock airsoft pistol. Wondering if there is a licensed Glock for use in airsoft, well, there is a licence that Cybergun got to produce airsoft Glock pistols for military training announced in 2015 in order for the company to bag a contract from the French Interior Ministry for training weapons.

As to a fully licensed airsoft Glock that airsofters can buy, that’s another story. On social media however, there is a proliferation of photos showing “fully licensed” Glock airsoft pistols so airsoft players can swoon over these “real” Glock airsoft pistols, with some even customized with loving care. Marck West of RedWolf Airsoft posted his photo of his airsoft Glock and it just exploded as others started posting photos of theirs:

WOW!! GUYS ITS HERE!!! THE FULLY LICENSED GLOCK!!! ITS THE MOST ACCURATE REPLICA OF THE PISTOL WE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!!! THE LEGENDS ARE TRUE!!! I PRESENT TO YOU THE AIRSOFT GLOCK!! #redwolftv #redwolf #airsoftgun #airsoft #airsoftglock

WOW!! GUYS ITS HERE!!! THE FULLY LICENSED GLOCK!!! ITS THE MOST ACCURATE REPLICA OF THE PISTOL WE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!!! THE LEGENDS ARE TRUE!!! I PRESENT TO YOU THE AIRSOFT GLOCK!! #redwolftv #redwolf #airsoftgun #airsoft #airsoftglock

A post shared by Marck Redwolf West (@rwmarck) on Jul 18, 2017 at 12:50am PDT

If you don't see these embedded Facebook posts because of your browser (they don't show up on Mozilla Firefox but will work in other browsers), click here and scroll down the page of Marck to see these.

If you have your own “fully licensed” Glock airsoft pistol, send us the link or post on our Facebook Page so everyone can see. We don’t care if it is Gas Blowback, HPA-powered, an AEP, and even a Springer as long as you claim it to be “fully licensed.” Next time, we’ll try to organise a “Fully Licensed Glock Airsoft Pistol” CQB game so you can bring yours to the party.

Show your love for the airsoft Glock, show us your photo!

For airsoft players and hobby drone enthusiasts in the United Kingdom, they will have to check their drones if they fall within the criteria set out by the authorities. If they do, then they should register their drones at the Department of Transport Civil Aviation Authority and take a safety awareness test once the guidelines are out.

One of the main issues with regards to unregulated drone use is the rising incidents of near misses with drones near UK airports. Another is the result of safety research that drones could indeed damage the windscreens of helicopters. Either way, it is about the dangers that drones post when they are unregulated as they can cause accidents on the air and on the ground if they are not carefully flown.

Once the guidelines are out on registration and safety awareness test are out, owners of drones weighing 250 grams and over can register online or via apps. We don’t know if the apps are pertaining to the apps that drone manufacturers release for owners to download and install on their mobile devices to pilot the drones as well as configure their settings.

In a news post at Gov.uk, Aviation Minister Lord Callanan said:

The UK is at the forefront of an exciting and fast growing drones market and it is important we make the most of this emerging global sector.

Our measures prioritise protecting the public while maximising the full potential of drones. Increasingly, drones are proving vital for inspecting transport infrastructure for repair or aiding police and fire services in search and rescue operations, even helping to save lives.

But like all technology, drones too can be misused. By registering drones, introducing safety awareness tests to educate users we can reduce the inadvertent breaching of airspace restrictions to protect the public.

The government also intends to expand the geo-fencing technology so “no-fly-areas” such as airports, sensitive installations, prisons, and other government infrastructure are included in the geo-fencing features of the apps released by drone manufacturers. DJI, the leading company in hobby and commercial drones, already includes geo-fencing in its apps and constantly updates this.

Two years ago, the UK government released a Drone Code which is comprised of 6 principles for drone owners to keep in mind and follow:
always keep your drone in sight

• always keep your drone in sight
• stay below 400 feet (120 metres) to comply with the drone code
• every time you fly your drone you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions
• keep the right distance from people and property
• you are responsible for each flight
• stay well away from aircraft, airports and airfields

Airport operators welcome the plans of the government but indicate that for it to be effective, there should be enforcement and geo-fencing mandatory.  This will mean that drone manufacturers will all introduce this feature to all their drone piloting software whether these are in mobile apps or their own remote controls.

No definite date when the guidelines will be has been announced.

We are always fascinated with developments in exoskeletons as resources are being devoted by militaries around the world to develop this technology to allow soldiers to carry loads at great distances without causing too much fatigue and muscles stress. This in turn can give great advantages to the military that is equipped with this as their soldiers can fight better as they are not burdened much by the weight of their warfighting gear.

The problem that some of the prototypes being developed is that they require power, which would add to the growing power requirements for soldiers in the battlefield to as they carry electronic devices to fight effectively and this means another space in their gear that is occupied by a battery. However, one Canadian company is hard at work in developing an exoskeleton that does not require any batteries for it to be powered at all.

Soldier Systems posted on their blog about the Ultra-light Passive Ruggedized Integrated Soldier Exoskeleton (UPRISE) that is being developed by Montreal-based Mawashi Science and Technology. The mere name itself of the company is a dead giveaway that UPRISE has a Japanese inspiration. Mawashi is the loin cloth that is worn by the Sumo wrestler. As for the full description of UPRISE, here is what the company says at their website:

The UPRISE™ Tactical Exoskeleton is a complex structure made of high strength titanium that is perfectly adapted to the human body. Through its innovative and ultralight design, this exoskeleton achieve an unparalleled level of freedom of movement. In fact, with less than 1% of resistance to movement, the UPRISE™ tactical exoskeleton allows for all the movements involved during tactical maneuvers as well as other tasks required by dismounted soldiers and SOF operators. Its ruggedized and unique frame transfers from 50% to 80% of the load carried by warfighter's shoulders down to the ground.

The UPRISE™ tactical exoskeleton consists of:

• Flexible spine based on human body
•  Sliding belt for waist rotational degree of freedom 
• Fully articulated and ergonomic legs 
• Atlas system for helmet support

UPRISE has a titanium support frame and is battery free, and for soldiers wearing this, it will be relief that they do not have to worry about losing power on their way to a mission objective. According to National Defense, the researchers have studied obese men and women of around 300 to 700 pounds around the world. They focused on the sumo wrestlers and how they are able to carry their weight. What research points is the way weight is distributed.

The UPRISE is thus designed to mimic the human body in how it naturally carries loads. It uses mechanical levers do not require a power source and help balance the weight. It can be adjusted to fit the wearer by turning the Boa dials located at several points at the leg area.

For now the Mawashi UPRISE exoskeleton is developed to support the load bearing structures of the back and legs but plan to develop attachments for the arm in the future. The arm attachment is important as it will help lessen fatigue to the arms when carrying loads such as heavier weapons.

Call of Duty fans who latched on to the rumour that the Call of Duty: WWII won’t be having the Zombie Mode can now rejoice. Last week, Sledgehammer Games released the trailer of Call of Duty: WWII Nazi Zombies during the Comic-Con and oh boy it’s horrifyingly fun, if you want to call it that way.

The setting for this Zombie mode is the Bavarian town in Mittelburg, Germany where players are supposed to be send to retrieve priceless artwork stolen by the Nazis from the occupied countries during World War II. However, they what stumbled into is a lab of human experiments to create an invincible army of Nazi zombies:

Players will embark on a chilling, dark and mysterious journey through a snowy Bavarian village in Mittelburg, Germany, as they attempt to recover priceless works of art stolen by the Axis powers in World War II. This village holds a shadowy secret key to an unimaginable and monstrous power. Beware of the twisted fate and dire consequences from the occult horrors awaiting any visitors.

Just like in the previous Call of Duty releases, the Zombie mode is a cooperative game though it is said that this more focused on horrifying the player rather than overwhelm with wave after wave of zombie hordes. Watching the trailer, you could just imagine how frightening it would be if you played this mode in 360-degree VR that will give you nightmares after playing it.

What’s even more enticing to play this mode is that star-studded cast that the developers have in this game to with well known artists lending their voice: Dr. Who’s David Tennant, Marvel’s Daredevil’s Electra Elodie Yung, Katheryn Winnick of Bones, Blade’s Udo Kier, and Vhing Rhames of Mission Impossible.

Call of Duty: WWII is set to be released on the 3rd of November 2017 for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

I don’t know if many of Popular Airsoft readers can still recall what a typewriter is. Probably a dinosaur now since the advent of personal computing and the rise of the internet, there are still millions out there gathering dust or already taken out for scrap. The typewriter has served its purpose really good, allowing us to churn out clearly written words in neat paragraphs without the need for electricity. Perhaps parents of many our readers can still recall the days where they need to get a batch of typewriter ribbons which nowadays can be akin to your computer ink cartridges (if you still use a computer printer) just to finish a report.

Many a novelist will owe his/her career to the typewriter. Some of the best novels were written on it and we do not know if best-selling books written using a computer have already surpassed those done on typewriters. We don’t yet, but of course it is inevitable.

But for one Quebecois artist, Eric Nado, his source of inspiration for typewriters is not about words to turn into novels, but rather turn them into beautiful looking works of gun art.  In story at Creators on Vice, Eric Nado said he used to play the typewriter of his mother when he was young.  Now as an artist, he wondered if he can turn typewriters into representations of a gun arsenal.

Of course, these are non-functioning guns, as these are rather works of art that take their inspiration from the design and shapes of firearms. Coincidentally, some typewriter brands share the same name as some famous gun manufacturers such as Remington and Rheinmetall

There is of course a link between typewriters and guns in terms of power to effect change. Typewriters can turn ideas into words that will inspire people to control their future and guns can forcefully effect that change. One can be said to peaceful tool, the other can be said to tool for violence. But with these tools, destinies are fulfilled, lives saved or destroyed, and people empowered or subjugated.

Nado’s effort turn them into a melded them into single works of art show the beauty in such designs that remind us of their power together or separately at the same time.

You can check the various typewriter guns at Eric Nado’s website.

Already missing your favourite Cyborg after watching the last of movie, Terminator Gensys in which the original Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger made another appearance? It looks like your wish will be fulfilled if James Cameron, one of the creators of this hit move franchise, decides to push ahead with his plans.

What he is mulling is to reinvent the movie franchise with another trilogy in a report at News.com.au. Whilst the last two films, Gensys and Salvation were supposed to jump off points to a new series, they were disappointing enough that the plans were stillborn. James Cameron realizes that and if he gets his way, he would rather “reinvent” the series by launching a new trilogy.

In his opinion, the world is already turning into reality what were supposed to be science fiction when The Terminator was first launched: big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and robots in the form of unmanned drones (plus emerging self driving cars) leading him to question if the Terminator is still relevant these days.

James Cameron (Wikimedia)

With rights in the U.S. market for the Terminator going to revert back to Cameron in a year and half, he is in discussion with David Ellison, who has the global rights to the franchise on what they can do. He says that they are both leaning toward another trilogy and reinventing the franchise.

But with the start of filming for Avatar 2, which will be the first of four sequels of the blockbuster film, will he ever find time to go back to the drawing board for a reboot of the Terminator franchise? And if he does, will he further go back into past, showing the origins of the Terminator and create questions on AI, which is right now subject to a big debate (Terminator has an influence in the AI debate) or will the new trilogy push further into the future, beyond the story of the Connors (Sarah and John)?

With the track record of James Cameron as a director, being one of the highest grossing directors with US$6.139 billion worldwide box office receipts under his belt, his going back to the helm of his creation is something that makes me excited in looking forward to the new Terminator series.

Owning a full auto weapon in the U.S. is an expensive proposition. An application has to pay a US$200 tax stamp then wait for months before the permit comes in which sometimes can take a year and then spend thousands and thousands of dollars just to purchase a full auto gun. Just for the application, a lot of requirements will be asked for such as photo, fingerprints, and pages and pages of forms to submit to the ATF that one may just settle for a semi-auto weapon to make it easier to own a gun.

Now, semi-auto gun owners may get to experience the fun of firing at full auto without breaking the law. Presently, shooters resort to the Bump Fire technique that uses the recoil of a semi-auto gun to shoot rapidly to simulate full auto fire. A company called AutoGlove USA has announced that they are taking orders or their AutoGlove that allows a shooter to simulate full auto firing with semi-auto weapons without doing Bump Fire.

Even better, it does not violate any law such as modifying a gun to shoot full auto or put an attachment to it do make it shoot in full auto. It is an actual glove that comes either as Tactical Glove or a Sporting Glove and uses a patented Trigger Assist Design (TAD) to simulate full auto shooting with a semi automatic.  It is designed to work with many semi-automatic guns rather than tied to a specific weapon line.

According to the company: “The trigger assist device enables a person to pull the trigger at a faster, controllable, and predetermined rate of fire, even if the person has a disability that may otherwise prevent them engaging the trigger.”

They are now accepting orders for the AutoGlove MagDump configuration which costs US$299.00 for early birds. They will be doing the first batch of production in September and the price will be at US$349.00 after the early bird sale.

Future versions of the AutoGlove will be the Multi-Function which will have Double Tap, 3-Round Burst, & Mag Dump Selections which the owner will have to configure and the 3-Round Burst Configuration which is being tested as of this writing.

Will airsofters have use for this? Well, we have not tried this out to be honest, but it is interesting to own the Multi-Function over the AutoGlove if it ever gets releases. Airsoft Gas Blowback owners can configure their shooting modes without doing anything to their airsoft guns.

Running a YouTube Channel is always a money intensive exercise. Even if you can use your smartphone camera to record yourself and what you do to initially get some viewers, you might want to get serious into grabbing more eyeballs, such as wanting to be the most viewed airsoft channel on YouTube. Then some money will be required such as action cameras, mounts, microphones editing software, and transportation. It will get even more taxing when you get more viewers as you need to give fresh content as often as you can to maintain and increase your viewership.

From there, you start thinking of monetizing your channel. YouTube got revenue sharing plans in place for YouTubers and some are getting big bucks out of it. We do not know how much Novritsch, DesertFox Airsoft, Airsoftology, Scoutthedoggie, and other airsoft YouTube celebrities earn from their YouTube videos, but they sure are earning from them.

Perhaps YouTube ad revenue sharing may not be enough and you want to add more revenue streams so you do not need to rely on just YouTube revenue sharing. That is valid point to consider so that you can wring more revenues, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We all need to eat and profit from what we do so we can improve our video content.

Now, you can start charging for product placements or when reviewing products on your YouTube viewers. You will need to think about this thoroughly as an issue for those influencers on social media is that they are failing to disclose this properly. In a story on Engadget says:

Your favorite YouTubers are covering smartphones, makeup, clothing, sneakers, video games and other consumer goods. But how do you know if they're doing it because they simply love something or if it's a brand endorsement? There's nothing wrong with the latter, though it does turn problematic if they're not telling you about it. And as the influence of YouTube personalities grows, particularly among millennials, more and more companies are looking to those personalities to promote their products.

You will need to consult the YouTube guidelines as failure to disclose acceptance of monetary payments for such endorsements or product placements may result into having that content removed. Your country’s laws is also something that you will have to consider when accepting paid promotions, such as the FTC in the USA which explicitly says that any paid promotion should be labeled as an “advertisement” or  “sponsorship” or else face legal action that can amount into crippling fines as well as lawyer fees.

Airsoft YouTubers are sometimes sent products to review by vendors. It is always recommended that they explicitly state in their videos that this x product was sent to them by this x company provided that they are to review as they see it rather than as what the company expects them to say. What is even more commended is that they reveal that they are paid for when endorsing a product. We do not know if airsoft YouTube celebrities are doing this, or revealing if they are being paid for any endorsement.

As in the Endgadget story, YouTubers should be more upfront, honest, and transparent to their viewers and that the latter will appreciate such.  So if you are accepting payment to do a favourable review of a product, then be honest about it and say it is a “sponsored” review and your viewers will evaluate on their own if you are giving them bullshit or appreciate the content.

Keep that mind and good luck in becoming the next big airsoft channel on YouTube.