This is a refrain of the nagging problem in airsoft --- careless people carrying airsoft guns off the airsoft field and in full view of the public. No matter how the airsoft community explains to players and other people who want to own airsoft guns that is strong not recommended to display airsoft guns in public whilst in transit or worse, play airsoft in public areas.

The first thing that they will encounter is an armed response from the police once they are called to the scene by a concerned member of society. We cannot blame the police for bringing more firepower when they are responding to reports of guns in public.  In the U.S., sometimes this can result into injury or death to the one holding the airsoft gun. Most often, it is usually young people who lose their lives when they do not know how to respond the police when they are told to yield their weapons.

Tamir Rice, Andy Lopez, Lionel Gibson, Paul Gaston… the list is just getting longer.

But in this case of the police responding to a call from a member of the public of adults with “firearms and hiding behind trash cans” in the City of Republic, Missouri, the adults apprehended were lucky that they exercised restraint. This resulted into a peaceful resolution of the problem and without the names of these arrested adults, whose names were not mentioned when the incident was posted by the Republic Police on their Facebook Page, being added to the list of fatalities for carrying airsoft guns in public. This incident took place last 17 August 2017:

Police will respond to reports of airsoft guns with real guns, and the one who loses the most is the person with the airsoft gun. We will always remind our readers of the dangers of airsoft guns in public and we will never tire of reporting about such incidents to keep the spotlight on such careless on the part of those who carry airsoft guns in places where people will get alarmed.

Thanks to Thumpy for sharing this on Facebook.

Top photo from City of Republic, Missouri Police Department Facebook Page.

The worst thing that can hit any business apart from filing bankruptcy or closing down is being hit my natural disasters and accidents. In this case, fire is the problem that airsoft businesses had to contend to in the past weeks. RedWolf Airsoft UK got hit by fire in July are slowly putting the business back to normal. And just last week, the Bulgarian airsoft company, Airsoft Systems, got hit also by fire.

According to the company, an explosion at a nearby warehouse caused a fire that destroyed their factory. It destroyed a complete batch of ASAR-15 AEGs that were ready to be shipped as well as their latest generation ASCU units which are like MOSFETs that are in use in many AEGs this year.

Just like RedWolf Airsoft UK, Airsoft Systems are also insured, but of course it will take a bit while to recover as investigations by fire investigators and filing insurance claims will take time. Distributors, partners, and resellers of the company will have to wait further for their supplies as well as inform their customers of the delay in the shipment of the Airsoft Systems products.

This also serves as a reminder for airsoft businesses to look into their safety systems to avoid or minimize lost property in case of fire. There are products used in airsoft that can be accelerants in case of fire from as gas used in gas blowbacks as well as pyros so proper storing of these products should follow the fire and building codes imposed by the authorities.

Here is the screengrab of the post by Airsoft Systems on Facebook regarding the incident:

Thanks to Matt Furey-King of Claymore Airsoft TV for the link.

If ever you tire of playing Pokémon Go on your mobile when you are out and about, here is something that you might want to have installed on your mobile phone if you are an airsofter --- an Augmented Reality (AR) – based mobile game that carries the name of biggest TV series about zombies, The Walking Dead.

AMC, the company behind The Walking Dead series, and Finnish game developer Next Games have announced they will soon be releasing a location based AR mobile game. Called The Walking Dead: Our World, players get to play alongside their favorite Walking Dead characters, especially Rick, Daryl and Michone. The characters are placed digitally into the AR game and you’ll be able to battle zombies wherever you are, on the streets or in the comfort of your home.

While the series and the comic book that series is based have their character stories, the mobile game looks like is plainly more like zombie killing. There are still a lot of questions about the game such as how weapons and ammo will be acquired; and if you are used to Pokémon Go, how you get to detect zombies around your vicinity as well as how you can move from one level to another.

Pokémon Go player base has dwindled down since its launch last year, but it has made a big impact on how games on mobile phones using AR are developed. The game has health benefits if players continue playing beyond the initial enthusiasm as they walk to different landmarks to catch rare Pokémons as well sa get items from Pokéstops.  Will The Walking Dead: Our World be going this same route or will it be more of just randomly dropping in zombies wherever a gamer is?

Personally, I am curious about the weapons list of this mobile game, just like any airsoft player. I just hope that it allows you to get weapons and ammo for free rather than charge you for it.  I would not mind if there are few ads to see or watch in between waves of walkers.

The U.S. Air Force follows in the footsteps of the U.S. Marine Corps in adopting the polymer magazine from Magpul Industries. Last July 2017, they put out a guideline that all magazines for the M16 and M14 rifles, including the Enhanced Perfomance Magazine  (EPM) from the U.S. Army, will be replaced by the Magpul PMAG.

Soldier Systems have provided a link where to find the document, but took a screenshot regarding the replacement of the magazines as shown in the image below so you don’t have to scroll down looking for the entry:

They also got a statement from Magpul on this development:

“We are certainly pleased that another major service component has taken their own look at the test data and come to the same conclusion as the Marine Corps and USSOCOM. Given the body of existing data, the extensive fielding history since 2013, and the current experiences of the USMC after their adoption, we hope that Army leadership can put aside their concerns over the viability of their own magazine program and give soldiers the reliability advantage that is enjoyed by the USMC, USSOCOM, and now, the USAF, with the GEN M3 PMAG.”

According to The Firearm Blog, the Gen M3 PMAG beat the Army’s EPM in a weapon reliability test conducted by the USMC in a leaked report. The U.S. Marines have already authorized the use of PMAG for the M27 IAR as well as the M4 and M16 rifles in use in the Corps.

While the major branches of the U.S. military are slow to adopt the PMAG, the U.S. Special Operations community has been using the PMAGs ten years ago. But of course, the acquisition process for the bigger branches grinds slowly as compared to the SOCOM.

The next question is, when will the U.S. Army follow suit, officially?

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” is the quote that many companies protective of their intellectual property hate. Especially if that imitation is not a licensed one, the company owning the design or invention tend to lose money in terms of royalties.

Unfortunately, such form of flattery is very much rampant in airsoft. From weapon designs to tactical gear, the airsoft market is awash in products that are not licensed. Thus, it is not unusual to hear news about this company suing that company for intellectual property violations. As for the airsoft players, they are ambivalent about it as long as they get the airsoft gun they want based on the gun design they admire, or be able to own an airsoft gun or gear at a lower price.

The latest airsoft manufacturer to get the ire of a firearms company is E&L Airsoft. E&L Airsoft, also known as a EMEI-Landarms, a business which is based in Mainland China, has been producing much admired AK AEGs as they of high quality and durability. Apart from that, they are quite affordable. They have a good list of AK AEGs that are in high demand and one of this is the E&L ELAK 710 SBR Gen.2 AEG.

Unfortunately, U.S.-based Rifle Dynamics say that the E&L ELAK 710 SBR Gen. 2 is based on their RD 710 SBR, copying the externals with the exception of their logo.

Whilst they admit that they don’t make much on royalties licensing name logo to Echo1 USA, they respect the company for having approached them to license the name. The comments on the Facebook post can also give us an insight about licensing by firearms manufacturers to airsoft manufacturers, which are well kept secrets especially in terms of royalty payments.

It’s hard to deny for E&L Airsoft that it is not copying as the name of the E&L version of the RD710 also takes the 710 SBR name. One thing that that we notice here is the in the U.S., the distributor of E&L Airsoft products is JAG Precision, which carries the Echo1 airsoft products. But there is no Echo1 RD710 SBR airsoft rifle yet, just the AK700 (based on the RD701) and HMG. No news if they will be releasing a fully licensed RD710 airsoft rifle.

It would have been all right if all airsoft manufacturers would come to their senses and realise that taking a license on whatever product that is already owned by somebody else would make the world of airsoft a better place. So far, that is not going to happen yet, until the customer base start taking their money and buying from companies that are ethical.

We have been reading up on the new Gen 5 Pistols from Glock --- the Glock 17 and Glock 19 Gen 5s in the past days though we cannot find official information until yesterday. They are finally here, the Gen 5 Series from one of the most successful handgun makers in the workd.

The company announces that these fifth generation pistols feature 20 design changes to distinguish them from the fourth generation pistols and they are a variation of the M pistols in use by the FBI. According to Glock there are five distinctions to make these the pistols desirable in the civilian market:

NDLC FINISH

The GLOCK 17 Gen5 and GLOCK 19 Gen5 feature the proprietary GLOCK nDLC finish. The ion-bonded finish reduces corrosion and scratching and improves performance in adverse or de-greased conditions.

GLOCK MARKSMAN BARREL (GMB)

The GLOCK 17 Gen5 and GLOCK 19 Gen5 feature the GLOCK Marksman Barrel. The barrel’s new rifling and crown deliver improved accuracy for both the beginner and the seasoned gun owner.

NO FINGER GROOVES

The GLOCK 17 Gen5 and GLOCK 19 Gen5 have no finger grooves on the grip. Removing the finger grooves improves the ergonomics of the grip, delivering consistent comfort and improved control to a wider range of consumers, regardless of hand size.

FLARED MAGAZINE WELL

The GLOCK 17 Gen5 and GLOCK 19 Gen5 feature a flared mag-well. The larger opening found in the mag-well of GLOCK Gen5 pistols makes quicker and easier magazine changes possible, particularly in high-stress situations where fractions of a second matter.

AMBIDEXTROUS SLIDE STOP

The GLOCK 17 Gen5 and GLOCK 19 Gen5 feature ambidextrous slide stop levers. Now it is easier than ever for both left-handed and right-handed gun owners to quickly, comfortably, and safely manipulate the slide.

These developments show a leap in the evolution of Glock pistols but without making drastic design changes. These still carry the traditional Glock frame that made it an iconic firearm.

Now, the big question amongst airsoft players is that will these Gen 5 pistols have airsoft version given that Cybergun has the airsoft license from Glock? So far, the only authorized airsoft Glock released for the civilian airsoft players is the Inokatsu Glock 17 3rd Gen and it is a only a limited run of 100 units. Most probably unlicensed airsoft replicas of these Gen 5 pistols will be produced ahead before licensed versions will  be released.

Press release from Glock below:

GLOCK Introduces the Long-Awaited 5th Generation of Perfection

 SMYRNA, GA. – Aug 30, 2017 GLOCK, Inc., introduced a new generation of confidence today with the launch of the G19 Gen5 and G17 Gen5 pistols. The Gen5 pistols feature over twenty design changes which distinguish them from their Gen4 predecessors.

“The development of our Gen5 pistols was the result of the constant pursuit of perfection and a desire to meet the requests of the consumer market,” said GLOCK, Inc. VP Josh Dorsey. “We have combined the standards of high- level performance and reliability with distinctive design enhancements to improve durability, accuracy, and performance. The benefits enhance the shooter experience at the range and in high-stress situations where fractions of a second matter.”

The Gen5 pistols are a variation of the M pistol used by the FBI. Through rigorous testing and development, GLOCK has combined the historical reliability and trust in the brand with precisely engineered design changes to meet the demand of consumers world-wide.

Among the design changes are five key features. The GLOCK Marksman Barrel (GMB) utilizes new barrel rifling to deliver improved accuracy. The removal of the finger grooves and an added ambidextrous slide stop delivers improved control and flexibility. The nDLC finish is a tougher and more durable finish that is exclusive to the GLOCK manufacturing process. Introduction of a flared mag-well increases performance by making it easier to funnel the magazine into the mag-well, particularly in high-stress situations.

The roots of the Gen5 pistols lie in a request by Federal Law Enforcement for a new service pistol. “Our goal was to meet the demanding needs of law enforcement agencies while maintaining our standard of perfection,” said VP Josh Dorsey. “Once the pistols we submitted proved themselves in testing and were adopted, consumers began asking for those pistols. The Gen5 pistols we are introducing today meet that demand.”

For more information about the new generation of GLOCK pistols, contact GLOCK, Inc., or go to us.glock.com/Gen5. About GLOCK, Inc.

GLOCK is a leading global manufacturer of firearms. The simple, safe design of GLOCK’s polymer-based pistols revolutionized the firearms industry and made GLOCK pistols a favorite among military and law enforcement agencies worldwide and among pistol owners. In 2017, GLOCK celebrated its 31st Anniversary in the United States. Renowned for featuring three safeties, GLOCK pistols offer users of every lifestyle confidence they can rely on. GLOCK, Inc. is based in Smyrna, Georgia. For more information, please visit http://us.GLOCK.com/.

I was busy working on some online stuff around 1000H of the 25th of August when I got a text from Master Chief that he intended to leave his place early and pick me up. I planned on leaving around 1400H for Ground Zero Woodland in Ringwood as I had to do some work in the morning. But he told me that traffic was going to be horrendous for the rest of the day and we should be on the road as early as possible or else we’ll be at Ground Zero.

Indeed, the traffic was the worst for all these years we have been going to the Ground Zero Weekender, which has now settled to its name as the “National Airsoft Festival”, which we do agree is the best name for this event. With people making the most of the last Bank Holiday before Christmas and major London train stations closed for engineering work, thus rail companies suspending travel for many of the busiest routes, this meant that more cars will be out to clog up roads and motorways.

As expected, it took us longer to arrive at Ground Zero Woodland, but still early enough that we can pitch our tent without worrying that darkness will arrive. We arrived with “H”, the overall in command of the National Airsoft Festival, busy with all the various concerns at running an organization with a main task of keeping 2,500 airsoft players as well as other visitors and sponsors, happy for four days and four nights (some arrived the day before). So far so good, the organisation looked like a well-oiled machine save for that really long queue at the Chrono station, which was set inside the Salon. The chrono test was taking up more marshals than usual as players brought more than one primary airsoft gun for the chrono according to H. I saw one carrying around 4 airsoft guns for the chrono. This was the first time that Ground Zero made a mandatory chrono for airsoft guns whereas before it was more spot checking suspected hot guns.

At the registration area, we got our players tags and documents about the game for the next two days. We also saw Kelly of Femme Fatale Airsoft and Airsoft Action Magazine there as well who dropped by to have a short chat with us. We roamed around the marquee tent areas talking to familiar faces such as Viper Tactical’s Gavin and Paul Wignell of Action Sport Games (ASG) who was busy talking to airsoft players checking out the products on display as well as the ICS airsoft guns as ASG is now the official distributor of ICS Airsoft in Europe.

Going inside the Zero One shop, it was well stocked with products that any airsoft players will need for the weekend, from airsoft guns from the well-known airsoft brands, to tactical gear, as well as accessories to get kitted out fully for the next day’s battles.

Usually, the first day of National Airsoft Festival is more of socials with a pistol and shotgun game for those with itchy trigger fingers but had no bearing o the game for the main event. But for this year, the groups, Bravo, Delta, and The Others, get the chance to draw first blood for their groups not on the skirmish field but on digital tablets. The Forces of Freedom mobile game, which was first introduced here last year, was back with a mini-eSports tournament wherein the winning group can get special missions to earn more points for their groups in the next day.

The Forces of Freedom game kicked off around 2000H, starting first with warm-up games for the players to settle down before the online battles took place. The first match was between Delta and Bravo in which Delta won. This was followed by The Others taking on Bravo and win as well, paving the way for a finals showdown with Delta.

The final battle of the Forces of Freedom was an exciting one as it was a see-saw fight between Delta and The Others. Delta won the first round in a best of seven final but The Others took the next two rounds. Delta then took the fourth round, tying the game at 2-2.  The Others then won the 5th round, leading at 2-3 but it was tied again by Delta to 3-3 bringing the game right down to the wire.  After a few tense minutes, Delta emerged victorious, accomplishing the first objective for their group.

It was already 2200H when the Forces of Freedom showdown wrapped up and we eventually got to grab our pints of beer at the beer tent. Whilst many of the players were down at their camps and tents having their drinking bouts and telling war stories of past Ground Zero events, Master Chief and I spent our time at the beer tent on what we had to do for the next two days. We got interrupted time and again as familiar faces, people whom we have met over the years at the Weekender showed up and said hi to us as they made their way to the bar to chug down a pint or two before heading back to their tents.

By 2330, we decided to call it a night as we had a long day. Good thing it was just a short walk to our tent as we were just near the marquee. It will be a longer day tomorrow, when hostilities start and find out who will win the war at the National Festival 2017.

More photos at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page.

I woke up around 0600H, still quiet in the whole National Airsoft Festival 2017 camp, though some were already stirring up with a few early risers already at the burger fan to get some “light infantry breakfast”. For me, it was coffee first, breakfast second. So after getting a cup from the burger van, I went back to the tent to get my laptop and did some work like putting some updates to the Popular Airsoft website as content should always be fresh and Popular Airsoft is always hungry for fresh content for almost 365 days a year.

I was just finished with site updates when Master Chief woke up at 0730H and back to the burger van for us to grab breakfast. We were joined by Gavin of Viper Tactical who looked so fresh as he had a shower set up behind his van. Good for him. We’re not stinking yet, but after breakfast it’s time to do the hygiene part and of course, gear up with stuff to shoot the players for most of the day --- our cameras.

By 0900H the marquee tent area was already teeming with players, all excited to head into battle. But first things first, a briefing from H was a must before everything starts. Without any go signal from H, no game will take place. It’s more of house rules and players conduct which everyone needed to be reminded of. H went up to his perch that overlooked the whole area at 1000H to say what the players needed to hear and finally gave his blessing to let the games commence. The groups split up to go to their staging areas, and since we have been playing with The Others since we started covering the event, we joined them at Firebase Charlie, our staging for the first day of battles of the National Airsoft Event and it was Woody who was back in command of our group.

Woody definitely knew how to inspire the troops as The Others were raring to go into action with Woody just holding the leash. But before he let go, we had to wait for the grand blast, a series of explosions that signal the start of hostilities. For this year, the bangs were really loud, almost artillery barrage loud, though you may think that I am exaggerating.  With the explosions over, the players started running in different directions to start capturing objectives and pick up stuff such as drugs, gold and uranium rods for points. For me and Master Chief, it was time to start shooting the players in action for posterity with our cameras.

As always, there are certain locations that draw the most number of players, and those are where the action took place for the next two days and these are right smack in the middle of the staging areas: The Prison Camp, The Fort, The Village, The Trenches, The Nest, and The Church. That’s where we went to immediately, and the action was already hotting up when we arrived. A big bulk of Delta players was sandwiched by The Others from the North and Bravo from the South as they quickly occupied The Chapel and The Trenches. By around 1130H Delta were entrenched firmly in these areas as they were able to swat away a determined offensive by Bravo. For The Others, it was The Prison Camp with their snipers perched on the rooftop to get a better view and better shots at hapless players from Delta and Bravo. As for Bravo, they were able to have a good grip on The Village and The Fort.

By 1230H, the groups have settled in further solidifying their hold on these and waited for orders from their commanders if they needed to abandon these objectives for newer ones and more points. For us, it was back to the safe zone for lunch and change our shooting gear to airsoft guns. We usually play in the afternoon of Saturday so we can have trigger time too.

Now armed at 1330H, we followed some The Other players from Belgium and The Netherlands who were surrounding The Fort. The place is hard to capture as the approaches are narrow and any attacking party will suffer a good number of players getting hit. We just arrived at The Fort already I got hit without me firing a single shot. Master Chief got hit as well so off to the nearest respawn point for us. Respawning is 5 minutes for this year and after 5 minutes we went to Firebase Charlie and we were ordered towards The Fort again. We peeled away from the group moving towards The Fort and we checked The Prison Camp which was abandoned. We decided to move to the perimeter of the Prison Camp and as The Other players who were with us moved to other areas, Master Chief and I were left only to spot a heavy number of Delta players. We decided to allow the main bulk go on their way (no sense taking them all) and took out Delta players who were trying trying to catch up until our area went eerily quiet and that meant we were able to rid the area of Delta players.

We moved forward to see Delta players with their backs behind us defending The Trenches. We were stealthily making our way towards The Trenches when a lone The Other player decided to join us and started shooting at The Trenches even if it was still out of range. That alerted some Delta players approaching from our six unaware of our presence and one of them got us. Back to the Respawn area and to Firebase Charlie.

By 1500H we were ordered to hold The Prison Camp as a special mission. We were successful fending off attacks from Bravo and Delta until 1530H where were then ordered try and retrieve crates of gold at the Fuel Dump and The Nest and Laptop at The Fort and The Compound. We were hit on the way to The Fort so back to respawn. After respawning, it was already 1630H and the task for all groups is to try and hold The Village by 1700H. We were in a small group making our way to the Village that was already held and tenaciously being defended by Bravo when a large number of Delta players coming from the direction of The Prison Camp started making a big push toward the village, allowing us to put up a hasty ambush position on their flank. It was a turkey shoot as the Delta players were unaware of our positions to pick them one by one on their way to the Village. We remained there until there was 15 minutes remaining for us to take The Village. We broke up the ambush and we made our way to The Village with Woody exhorting all The Others to push harder to take the village. We obliged and were able to make a foothold, occupying some  of the huts in the periphery though I was hit when we made our push further in to the objective. I went out and just watched those who have not been hit make their way until the clock hit 1700H and back to the safe zone for us. The first day of hostilities has officially ended with Bravo holding The Village.

Tossing our gear and putting back our airsoft guns back into their cases, we rested our feet until 1815H when we changed into more comfortable clothing and picked up the cameras again. We milled around taking photos of happy faces of people talking about their experiences and missions on the first day of battles. Some were already queuing up at the various dinner vans already hungry after a long day of airsoft action.

At 1900H, H went up his perch to inform the players that he won’t be handling the raffle draw as he had to attend to an urgent matter of electric power in the camp. He told them that his second in command, Rich, will be handling the raffle draw session for this year and promised players that that he won’t disappoint. So up went Rich and I joined him there to take photos of him and the crowd below.

Indeed, Rich did not disappoint and held what was one of the funniest raffle draws ever held at the National Airsoft Festival. Lots of prizes were given away, from gear to airsoft guns. Rich even tossed in some prizes that he personally guaranteed, a free entry to next year’s National Airsoft Festival was one and another was 3 pints of free beer to the lucky winner after the raffle draw. Once we get to upload the videos at the Popular Airsoft YouTube Channel, you will get to see how Rich handled the raffle draw.

After the raffle, it was dinner for the whole Festival camp, with long queues to the food vans which luckily offer a variety of food, from the usual British fare to pizzas, German sausages, French crepes, and Greek wraps. Hopefully, next year they add more such as Chinese as well. For us, it was the pizza and we were joined by Filipino airsoft players from the various groups for beer at the bar and inside were all sorts of people from the usual players in their tactical clothing, to a group of blokes dressed up like whatever characters from Disney and Borat that they looked like having a stag night.

The Filipinos decided to end the night and we joined the group of Brent Cooper of 1066 Airsoft outside of the bar and until we called it a night at around 0030H, had some nice chat and friendly banter. It was already getting chilly by midnight decided to call it night as we were all knackered by now and we might as well rest our backs.

As always, we slept like logs inside our tents on the second night of the National Airsoft Festival.

More Day 2 photos at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page.

Read the Day 1 report here.

It was a good night’s sleep for us on the second night at the National Airsoft Festival 2017.  I didn’t drink much at the bar after the raffle though I was sure many had more than their usual fill. There was a beer festival in the Somerley Estate that night and players who still had some energy went to partake in the festivities. Perhaps we’ll try the beer fest next year if we’re up to it after a long day of airsoft battles.

Breakfast was the first thing we had in mind when Master Chief woke up at 0730H though I was up first and had my initial cup of coffee from the burger van.  After breakfast, I went around the stalls of those who were already up such as Paul of ASG. Most of the conversation was about the Mayweather – MacGregor which took place early in the morning UK time. I was not surprised with the result even if I wanted Mayweather to lose. Nevertheless, everybody agreed it was a big payday for MacGregor.

By 0830H we started packing up so we can be ready to go back home by 1330H as we still had commitments to attend to for the long weekend. But for the rest of the camp, it’s back to gearing up again as hostilities will resume at 1100H. For me, it was still day of covering the action, and take whatever photos and videos I can before we conclude our time at the National Airsoft Festival.

For Sunday, Delta started at The Landing Zone whilst The Others were at The Burrow and Bravo at Firebase Charlie. Going to The Trenches, The Others were already in the thick of the fight against Delta, who were trying to expand the areas they occupied as they already had The Nest and Heartbreak Ridge. The firefight was intense as Delta try to outflank The Others, but so far the latter were holding up.  Though by now, players will just shoot at anything that moves in front of them, including me in my orange hi-viz. Even in that hi-viz, I still got more hits than when I was in actually playing.

Anyway, moving on, the Delta were also approaching areas taken over by The Bravo who have already taken over The Prison Camp. The Bravos at The Prison Camp were busy fending off attacks from Delta and the occasional groups of The Others brave enough to try and take the camp. The Bravos were in big numbers there and they easily repelled various waves from the two groups.  Deltas were actually surrounding them as they already occupied The Village and The Fort, two easily defendable locations. Some players from Bravo were going for The Village by flanking from the North which put them in the middle of two Delta positions: The Village and The Fort and they got slammed from the rear by Deltas from The Fort.

Near The Fort, I saw Brent Cooper of 1066 Airsoft getting into the action holding a hamburger. Breakfast might not have been enough for him. I made my way back to the Safe Zone by 1230H to see a big group of Deltas making their way towards Firebase Charlie from The Fort with a blocking force of Bravo players waiting for them at the bottom of the hill.

At the Safe Zone, I looked for Master Chief and found him inside the G&G MET CQB Shooting facility. For players who want to be a part of the G&G World Cup CQB Shooting Competition in Taiwan, this where they need to start. The duo with the fastest time posted for the UK selection gets selected and an all expenses paid trip to compete in the World Cup. Master Chief found a partner and they had a go at the shooting course. We cannot provide you any photo or video of the facility as it was not allowed. Whoever won this UK selection, goodluck in Taiwan next year.

We finally packed up the tent which was the last taken down and managed to put everything in the small car of Master Chief. But the day was not over as we usually make long goodbyes and saying thanks; going around and had some small chit-chat to the people who have become regulars at The National Airsoft Festival through the years. That also included the companies which have been very supportive of events such as this but most of all to the team that organised the National Airsoft Festival which I can definitely say with conviction that is the largest airsoft party in the world.

The venue remains the same over the years, with incremental changes in game scenarios, but the formula that H and the crew use works --- airsoft players keep on coming back for all these years, as this event has been held yearly for 11 years running. Perhaps that is the secret, not to make any drastic changes and ensure that players had fun on and off the dead zone. As the regulars of the event say, it is 60% party and 40% airsoft and for this year, that tradition continues and with even better organisation and facilities.

Congratulations to Bravo for winning this year’s Festival with Delta second and our group, The Others last. We don’t mind losing at all as having a party with 2,500 airsoft players is worth more than winning in the actual battles.  Yes, that’s us, The Others, the party people.

Photos of the third day at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page.

Read the 1st day report here.
Read the 2nd day report here.

Originally slated for a Spring 2017 release, the Resident Evil 7: Biohazard “Not A Hero” DLC will be finally released in December 2017.  Even with a troublesome release early this year, the game is considered to be one of the best video games for 2017. What made Resident Evil 7 become one of the most exciting games released is the decision to go back to its roots, more horrific and even more sinister.

To top off what is a good year for CAPCOM’s Resident Evil Series, they will be releasing Resident Evil 7: Gold Edition on December 12. This includes the Season Pass and two of the final DLCs will be dropped on this month too. One is the End Of Zoe, which is the third and will join the Banned Footages, is a story about what happens to the central Character, Zoe Baker, who actually survived when everyone thought nobody survived in the Baker property. She will be the main protagonist in the End of Zoe which will be about after the Resident Evil 7 events, and also in the other DLC, “Not A Hero” in which Chris Redfield will be back.

What interests us, airsoft-speaking, is the “Not A Hero” DLC will be showing a weapon that has been designed and actually developed into an airsoft gun by Tokyo Marui.“Thor’s Hammer” or the Albert .W. Model 02 is based on the Tokyo Marui SGR-12 Automatic Electric Shotgun which is the second shotgun in the AES series of Tokyo Marui, following the AA-12 AES. The “Thor’s Hammer” is a limited release and it is bigger than the SGR-12. The other minor differences are the Handguard and Buttstock plate which are different from SGR-12. Both use the AA-12 AES technology, which is a three-barreled  airsoft automatic shotgun with each inner barrel having its own hop-up.

The SGR-12 AES has already been released an available at retailers who are stockists of Tokyo Marui products. The SGR-12 also uses the same magazines, the standard and the drum magazine. This also goes the same for the “Thor’s Hammer” which is scheduled to be release this Fall.

The AES is a menace in the field with its full auto three-barrel feature that it gives three times the impact as compared to an AEG or airsoft shotgun. What we like about the SGR-12 and would also probably go with the “Thor’s Hammer”  is the ergonomics of an AR in a shotgun concept.

The “Thor’s Hammer” has no pricing information yet, but definitely it will be bit more expensive than the SGR-12 given that it is a limited release.

The “Not A Hero” DLC will need the Resident Evil 7 base game in order it to be played and it will be included in Resident Evil 7: Gold Edition with the other DLCs for release in December and can be played on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Another exciting event in airsoft practical shooting is soon to take place again late this year. The Dutch Open 2017 will take place on the 11th to the 12th of November at the NABV National Airsoft Centre in Geldermalsen. The competition will finally take place at the home of Dutch airsoft, moving from the Papendal National Sports Centrum in Arnhem where it was held in the past two years.

One of the bigger airsoft practical shooting events in Europe, the Dutch Open will be on its third year offering 24 stages in 4 zones comprised of 12 short stages, 8 medium and 4 long stages.

As the event is fast approaching so interested shooters must now register at the Shoot `n Score It website. The match will have a maximum of 120 shooters for them main match and with just a few slots remaining. A pre-match will have 24 shooters, mainly Range Officers who will be officiating the match for the next two days.

Looking at the list of shooters who have already registered, they represent countries from Belgium, Poland, Germany, Great Britain, Slovakia, and Spain. Of course, the Dutch are very much well represented in this event as they will comprise the main bulk of shooters.

According to the organizers, shooters who live outside of the Netherlands will need to get the exemption form that they will need to fill up in accordance with Article 17e of Dutch Gun Regulations. This will allow them to be able to play airsoft in the Netherlands in the days mentioned and that they should carry the exemption papers at all times whilst in the country, especially when they are transporting airsoft guns.

As always, ever since it the Dutch Open staeted, we will be covering the event.

One of the best things in life is when you are able to make a living with the thing you love to do most. It is usually a hobby for most of us and having a hobby is an expense that does not always give your investment back and the return is usually not measured materially but in terms of satisfaction and well-being.

But then there are those who get to turn their hobby into an occupation and be able to live on and they are the lucky ones. The luckiest ones are those who get celebrity status such as those YouTube celebrities or those able to create products when indulging in their hobby and sell these to fellow hobbyists.

If you do not have the capital to turn your hobby into a business, don’t worry. With the internet, having just the basic tools, know-how to use these tools and knowledge of your target audience (or market if you call it that way) can let you start on the road to personal freedom which earning on your time can give. With social media and other free online tools as your immediate platform, you just need to start on creating content to generate an audience.

Sounds easy? Not quite. Having an audience big enough to attract advertisers and sponsors does not exactly happen overnight unless you get lucky to have a rather unique content and word spread out by some massive social influencers. It takes a lot of time, commitment, and faith in yourself (a bit more money for operations won’t hurt though).

Once you get to know what your audience wants, airsoft audience or otherwise, you will want to know how to generate revenues. I have to admit that online advertising revenues do not go a long way these days as most online advertisers want more for a smaller rate. That means then that you have to diversify you revenue streams, not just relying on income from advertising.

That’s where Femme Fatale Airsoft comes in.

She reveals the secret on how to make money from your passion showing you how to have multiple revenue streams. She presented this during the Void Gaming Festival last month, and Popular Airsoft was there to film her presentation. It’s best to watch the presentation in the video below as these are the best practices of those who are making a living on their hobby such as Novritsch, DesertFox Airsoft, Airsoftology, and other airsoft bloggers and YouTubers out there.

Apologies are in order first. I thought the sound system was in use inside the hall during the presentation so I did bother to bring an external microphone. Since it was not, the audio capture is a bit poor so in this case you better turn up the volume of your YouTube player to listen what she has to say. You can also follow the slide presentation and make notes.

If you think the information she provides should help you get set in starting your new airsoft career online, then good luck! If you’ve got some other pretty neat ideas to share to even improve revenues, then we’re all ears.

At the end of August 2017, Sony announce the RX0, a camera with good specifications that is in the form factor of an action camera.  Whilst many of us would want the Sony RX0 an action camera, Sony would rather call it “a new type of camera” with “entirely new imaging possibilities.”

Indeed, the pricing for the RX0 also puts out of the usual action camera price range. At 850 Euros, it is already priced at the same level as some mid-priced DSLR cameras and already some highly capable consumer camcorders. So what does the RX0 offer at that price at such a small package?

The RX0 has an 1.0-type Exmor RS CMOS 15mp sensor and wide-angle f/4 24mm ZEISS lens. The sensor itself already sets it apart from the action cameras, which usually have smaller sensors. It is not exactly a 4K camera, as it shoots 1080p full HD internally but it has a Clean 4K HDMI output when paired with an external camera. At 1080p you can edit slow motion footages of 250fps and for super slow motion, it can go for 960fps at lower resolutions.
Sony is marketing this for videographers who require multiple cameras that that can be triggered to work simultaneously, taking footages at different angles at the same time. With the Sony FA-WRC1M remote, up to 15 RX0s can be triggered simultaneously and with the Sony mobile app, 5 RX0s can be triggered at the same time.

As for stills, this can take photos  in RAW format at shutter speeds of up to 1/32,000 sec and at up to 16 frames per second. Just like other action cameras, this is a fixed lens system so zooming is done using your feet.

Can this recommend to the airsoft player who uses action cameras to record gameplay footage? Well, not really as existing GoPros and other similar action cameras are more than enough to take footage that can be used for online viewing, which most airsoft videos end up. Even the accessories such as the cage for it can already get you the latest action camera for use in airsoft. Furthermore, the camera is expensive and the action cameras they already use can already give their money’s worth and more. But perhaps this is more for the more serious Airsoft videographer who is dead set in creating high quality video footages that can rival professionally done videos.

The Sony RX0 is already available at reputable camera stores in Europe.

This decade has been good to airsoft shotguns. Always an afterthought in the purchasing decisions of airsoft players, airsoft shotguns were mainly more of a novelty rather than something serious for airsoft players to use in the field in the past. But this decade, we have seen the airsoft shotgun from the lowly springer airsoft gun into something that can bring serious firepower into any airsoft gun. Thanks to two companies that have led the charge into improving airsoft shotguns.

One is APS, with its CAM870 CO2 powered airsoft shotgun. Introduced in 2014, it is the most realistic operation airsoft shotgun and is preferred by 3-Gun Nation airsoft shooters. The other is of course, Tokyo Marui. When they released their new Gas Shotgun tech in the form of the M870 Tactical, it was an amazing performer, with a selection of 3 to 6 shots when firing it, and the range is of course like having an airsoft sniper rifle. This is available into the Marui M870 Gas Series as well as the KSG Gas Shotgun. The same tech is now being replicated into other airsoft manufacturer’s airsoft shotguns.

But one big development in airsoft shotguns is that we finally get to have an electric powered airsoft shotgun, the Automatic Electric Shotgun (AES). Developed by Tokyo Marui, it was first put into the AA-12 AES then followed up by the newly released SGR-12 AES (similar to the soon to be released Resident Evil Thor’s Hammer also made by Tokyo Marui). With three barrels and fire in full auto, the AES is a menace in the field. Now, if we have more real world shotguns that can also use the AES when they get replicated in airsoft, then more choices in airsoft shotguns. I have to admit, the Remington M870 airsoft shotguns are getting boring.

Perhaps the SKO 12-gauge Semi-Automatic Shotgun from Standard Manufacturing Co. LLC. can be a candidate for the AES.

It is a new release from Standard Manufacturing, known for their DP-12 shotgun double barrel pump shotgun series. It is a rather a very unique looking shotgun and at first glance your first impression is that it s the G36 of shotguns.

The SKO accepts 2 ¾” and 3” shells and can be fed with magazines up with capacities of up to 10 shells and a 25-shell drum magazine.  In short, it has features seen in the AA-12 which is also magazine fed. The AES technology of Tokyo Marui was developed for magazine fed shotgun designs.

What we like is the build material of the SKO as the upper receiver from a machined 7075 aircraft grade aluminum billet; with the lowere receiver machined from a forging of 7075. We do not know if say, Tokyo Marui, if it would they would the SKO design, would also resort to using the 7075 as material for the airsoft version. The long protruding tube is the 18 7/8-inch barrel and it also has a 22-inch rail mount for weapons accessories such as optics, lasers, and weapon lights. As for the rear part it has a 6-position adjustable stock.

The SKO is on a limited production for now Standard Manufacturing is selling it for US$1,100 as the retail price.

Now, let’s see if Tokyo Marui would want to put their AES tech on an airsoft version of the SKO.

In an actual exchange of shots by those with airsoft guns against those with real guns, it will always be a lopsided battle. The ones with real guns win, all the time. Everybody knows that. We always say in the airsoft community that it is absolutely no use intimidating anyone in public with an airsoft gun, or even just displaying airsoft guns in full public view as it can lead to serious injuries and deaths when police are called to the scene.

What’s even worse than carrying an airsoft gun in public? Carrying an airsoft gun under the influence of drugs.

According to CBS Los Angeles, LA County Sheriff deputies were called to West Valinda as a man was causing a disturbance. It was believed that the man’s family reported to the County Sheriff that the man was under the influence of drugs.

When the deputies arrived, the man then locked himself into one of their home’s bedrooms. He then climbed out of the window to get into the backyard where the deputies found him.

However, the man was carrying two firearms with him and according to the LA Times, a rifle and a pistol. He fired at the deputies with the pistol causing them to immediately return fire, hitting him several times and he died at the scene. A neighbor said he heard about 9 shots fired by the deputies.

When the deputies inspected the guns, they then did find out that they were airsoft guns.

You probably would wonder if the drugs have made him think that the airsoft guns were real firearms. It has not been established if he actually owned the airsoft guns or he just found them in the bedroom here he locked himself up, thinking they are real. The shooting incident is still being investigated as of this writing.

Real guns still win against airsoft guns, all the time.

Top photo: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (Source: Wikipedia)

War Zone is probably the largest international airsoft milsim event in Southeastern Europe and takes place on the island of Crete, Greece. On the 12th to the 14th of May of this year, more than 250 airsoft players gathered in Crete to feel the unique emotions that War Zone 5 “The Green Zone” produced nonstop for 3 days. An event full of action which focused on milsim engagements combined with lots of LARP!

SCENARIO

The conflict takes place at “Atlantis”, a small but rich country. Two main armies exist in this country and they are about to collide: The GRC (Guard Regiment Command), formed by ex-military personnel of the Atlantis army; and the Government army led by the Octapus organization. The United Nations rushed to form a special mechanized platoon in order to protect civil population of the country from the atrocities of the war. Also, foreign forces participate in the conflict and these wanted to take advantage of the country’s wealth and its land resources. The USA sent an Army Ranger platoon so Russia reacted without delay and deployed the 25th Spetsnaz unit.

In War Zone 5 ,the Unite Nations forces had to keep safe the villages in the conflict area, enforcing a safe “Green Zone” for Atlantis people.  At the same moment, the villages were the main objectives for the two large armies (GRC and Octapus) gold mines where situated close to these villages.  The Ranger and Spetsnaz units were trying to form alliances and earn as much gold as they could from special missions as assigned by their allies. If we take into account that all factions have as main objective to gather the largest amount of gold, we understand that alliances in this event did not last long.

OVERALL

In War Zone 5, the organizers try to get the most of every participant. Their aim is to form strong and capable HQs so all players get to know what they are up to. From special operations using squads-sized units up to full company-size assaults, using mechanized units and long range bombardments!  Also, the  organizers know that in order to create the right game atmosphere you have to establish a unique LARP environment. Allies, traitors and spies exist among your comrades!

This takes into account that War Zone is not a “come all” event as it focuses on the right airsoft attitude and the correct participants’ mentality. Therefore heavy filtering of registered players was applied. This is to ensure that the right people gather together to have fun and of course to take on the scenarios designed as “not easy to tackle” missions.

War Zone as it seems “is not just an airsoft event”, or tries hard not to be, to say the least.

Enjoy some photos and check on the upcoming War Zone 6 which will be held in May 2018. Again, organized on the sunny island of Crete and this will be announced in October 2017.

More photos at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page.

The airsoft community is one base that the video gaming industry can always rely on, especially for shooter games. The biggest video game titles apart from Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda have always been shooter games such as Call of Duty and Battlefield, and in these game franchises, they can count on many airsoft players help improve their sales.

But sometimes though, the love is a not two-way street. We rarely see cooperation between the game publishers and the airsoft community when in fact they can have something in common. We do not see Call of Duty or Battlefield marketers making an effort to reach out to the airsoft community to do joint promotions or show their appreciation when this community take a lot of time, effort and money to show up in gear seen in video game characters, helping further promote the game.

Then there are those video game companies that make a conscious effort to do so. One is CAPCOM and their continued cooperation with Tokyo Marui for their Resident Evil/Biohazard series. This is seen in the airsoft guns made by Tokyo Marui as based the game and this recently went to new heights with the introduction of the Thor’s Hammer in the upcoming Resident Evil 7 “Not A Hero” DLC which is based on the SGR-12 AES, an airsoft shotgun that is totally designed an airsoft company and not based on a real world firearm design.

Another company is Bravo Company Ltd. (formerly known as Koyoki Ltd.), the company behind the video game “Forces of Freedom” are making  a conscious effort an involving airsoft players in the improvement of their video game made for mobile devices. We first encountered them at the National Airsoft Festival 2016 where they invited airsoft players to test the video game.

Now with over 5 million installs for their Early Access edition, they go back once again to the National Airsoft Festival 2017 to have a mini eSports for “Forces of Freedom”. Not as glamourous as the eSports of Call of Duty or DOTA where big money awaits the winner, but it is something for airsoft players to notice, a video game company that takes time to involved the airsoft community in their video games.

The Forces of Freedom tournament took place on the first day of the National Airsoft Festival 2017 last month. Just like the National Airsoft Festival, the “Forces of Freedom” had the main factions: Bravo, Delta, and The Others battle it. As written in my AAR last week, Delta players took the prize and were given special missions to gather more points for their group during the actual days of skirmishes.

We had ring side seats to this event, so to speak. Thus, we have the full video coverage of the event though we’ll mainly show you the meaty parts of this event. Not exactly as high tech as watching an eSports game in Twitch but I hope this will do for you.

Watch how the tournament unfolded and if you want to play the Forces of Freedom on your mobile, you can download it right now for early access from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Now, have a nice weekend playing the video game on your smartphone of tablet.

EA are having a field day with their Battlefield 1 game and with the upcoming release of the Call of Duty: WW2, some Battlefield fans are looking to a Battlefield World War 2 theme too. But so far, there is no news of a Battlefield World War 2 theme even if the video game franchise started as PC and OS X game in 2002 with Battlefield 1942, which of course is a World War 2 based video game. It was developed by Digital Illusions Created Entertainment and released in 2002 initially for the Microsoft Windows with the Apple OS X version in 2004.

It looks like that one fan cannot wait for the a new Battlefield World War 2 game and decided to take it upon himself to do something --- a Battlefield 1942 playable in High Definition, and in this case making it scalable to 4K. According to Kotaku, ScureHD, the modder behind the Battlefield 1942 Remaster Project says  the first version in early November. Probably to rain on the Call of Duty: WW2 parade? Maybe, but then it would be nice to have WW2-themed video games available in November.

ScureHD says that the game has the following mods as posted on Mod DB:

New particle effects (dust, smoke, explosion, etc)
New water effects
New higher resolution reflections on some objects.
Higher quality LOD
New skybox (upscaled for now + minor tweaks)

New, more detailed shadows on most objects.
Advanced shaders thanks to ReShade.

Here is a video showing some of the remaster project:

Why has EA not doing any remaster project, when the other big name studios such as Blizzard Entertainment (Starcraft Remastered), Activision (Modern Warfare Remastered) are doing so. According to International Business Times, in an interview with EA Executive Vice President Patrick Soderlund, in which they brought up the topic remasters, if there is a demand by fans, they might just work on one.

The final release of the Battlefield 1942 Remaster Project is expected to be in early 2018. We assume that this will only for Windows PC and no versions for consoles such as Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

With the conclusion of the DSEI 2017 at the Excel in London, one firearm has gotten our attention --- the F90MBR Bullpup Rifle. Announced by Thales during the show, this is an update of the F90 bullpup rifle, which is the export version of the Australian EF88 Rifle made by Lithgow Arms, whose parent company is Thales Australia. The EF88 Austeyr rifle itself is a licensed version of the Steyr Aug made by Steyr Mannlicher of Austria (at least I got the countries right as other people usually interchange these countries) though it has a lot of distinct upgrades.

It is a light bullpup rifle, weighing 3.25kg. In terms of operation, with fully ambidextrous -forward bolt and magazine release controls. With the rifle’s open architecture it incorporates a NATO tri-rail system and magazine compatibility to so it will be interoperable with existing NATO weapons.

It will be available in multiple barrel lengths, and a “drop free’ magazine release function that regardless of the dominant hand of the shooter, it will facilitate faster magazine changes. Its case deflector can be easily reconfigured by the shooter without the need for tools, so it can be placed either for left or right handed ejection. Depending on the mission requirements, the shooter can reconfigure the rifle with the Grab Case --- change the barrel and attach compatible weapon accessories.

It can be used by amphibious forces with its ‘Over the Beach’ capability with soldiers able to fire the weapon upon emerging from the water surface after a swim. And they can shoot accurately with it up 600 meters.

“The F90MBR is the result of our ambition to support soldiers on operations – we’ve made long term investment in an advanced weapons manufacturing capability in Australia, and this is reinforced by over 100 years of weapons engineering and leading design expertise, at our facility in Lithgow, Australia,” said Chris Jenkens, the CEO of Thales Australia in the Thales press release.

He further adds that, “The F90MBR is a weapon ideally suited to the modern integrated solider. Light, compact and adaptable, its compatibility with existing NATO weapons and ammunition offers a cost-effective upgrade with a substantial degree of future-proofing.  The new generation weapon is evolved from a reliable, battle-proven platform in the F90 Assault Rifle, unsurpassed for its high levels of accuracy and reliability.”

Now, if we get another bullpup airsoft rifle in the market, as there is a dearth of new bullpup airsoft rifles for airsoft players to choose from. The F90MBR or even its older F90 sibling, are good candidates for airsoft.

There you go, another warning about playing with toy guns that fire projectiles. Doctors are warning Nerf gun users better take precautions in protecting their eyes when playing which looks like a tame game. Doctors from Moorfields Eye Hospital in London are calling for the use of eye protection. In the BMJ Case reports, the doctors treated three people from unrelated incidents in which they suffered internal bleeding around the eye, blurred vision, and pain when they were shot at by children.

They also recommend that the age limit for the safe use of Nerf guns by children should be reviewed.

Nerf is owned by Hasbro, which is one of the biggest names in toys. According Webmd,  spokesman from the company said, "Product safety is of utmost concern at Hasbro. Nerf products are designed based on years of consumer insights and research and undergo rigorous reviews and testing to assure that they are safe and fun to play with and meet or exceed global standards and regulations.

"Nerf foam darts and foam rounds are not hazardous when used properly. Consumers must never aim Nerf blasters at a person's eyes or face, should only use the foam darts and foam rounds designed for specific Nerf blasters and never modify darts or blasters."

Photo:A Nerf war where players wear eye protection. (Source: Wikimedia)

Whilst the company also produces the Nerf darts, players can also buy cheaper and unauthorized version from other vendors online and they are usually not the same as the Hasbro specs. The doctors say they can be harder and can cause more damage. They also mentioned that a patient told them there are videos on how to modify Nerf guns to shoot faster, harder, and at a longer range.

There is always one thing that we should always remember: if we play or work with anything that has projectiles, or can produce parts that can just blow up, wear eye protection. Even if Nerf darts look harmless, we’d rather recommend wearing eye protection. Just like in airsoft, Hasbro recommends not to aim at the eye or head so not to accidentally hit the eye. But do not take chances as accidents happen.

Whether you buy Nerf for office warfare or for playing with the kids in background, it’s best to bring eye protection. Basic eye protection is very much affordable and it will save the money to go to the doctor.

Top photo: USAF Airmen in Nerf battle at Shaw Air Force Base in November 2014. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Jensen Stidham)