Since all the rage right now in airsoft is about sporting rifles, SBRs and AR Pistols, it would be nice to have a new one added to the mix. Whilst airsoft manufacturers are releasing SBRs and AR Pistols that use the 9mm-style magazines, such as Classic Army and G&G, we would welcome any airsoft manufacturer which decides to make an airsoft versions of the CMMG MK57 AR Pistol and SBR Series.

Announced last week, the MK57 series may look like the 9mm and 5.56. SBRs in the market, but if you look closely, it has something in common with two unique firearms made by FN Herstal --- the FN P90 and the FN FiveSeven pistol. The MK57 series use the FN 5.7x28mm.

In a press release from CMMG, CEO Chris Reinkemeyer said, “The 5.7 is an intriguing round that is perhaps best known for its relatively lightweight bullet design and impressive velocities. From an engineering perspective, we were excited to pair the 5.7 with our Radial Delayed Blowback system.  I think it’s safe to say that this combination makes the Mk57 one of the lightest recoiling pistol caliber carbines on the market.”

The FN 5.7X28mm round was designed to replace the 9mm round used in the military and law enforcement organisations.

CMMG’s Radial Delayed Blowback operating system is the heart of the Mk57 that is designed to minimize felt recoil.  It features rotating bolt that requires the recoil impulse of a round being fired in order to unlock. When a round is fired, a portion of the rearward force is exhausted in unlocking this bolt prior to driving the carrier rearward and cycling the action.  With less rearward force to compensate for, the company is able to utilise a lighter carrier and buffer, reducing the overall reciprocating mass.

The models that are available at the CMMG website are the Banshee MK57 in both AR Pistol and SBR configurations, MK47 PSB and Pistols. The Banshee comes with CMMG RipStock, a revolutionary, retractable buttstock that the company say is engineered for lightning-fast deployment based on the personal setting of the shooter. With the Fastback Technology, one has to simply pull straight back to extend the stock with No locking tabs to bind. The P3 Technology (Personal Position Preset) allows users to adjust the indexing screw and to set your own preset.

Now, if there is an airsoft manufacturer’s representative reading this, they can find a market of airsoft players who prefer other types of magazines apart from the usual ARs, 9mm, ACP, and AK magazines. The more choices in SBRs and AR pistols, the better, airsoft players love variety.

Are your creative juices flowing? Yes? Cameras ready? Already have an idea on how to get that decisive moment? If you do and you are a bonafide airsoft player who also wants to shoot other airsoft players with cameras rather than airsoft guns, then you might want to enter in either the photo or video contest of G&G Armament this year. But if you are up to it, why not both contests and show how it is done in taking photo stills and action videos?

Both the G&G Show Yourself Photo and Your Greatest Glory Video Contests are annual events from the big airsoft manufacturer in Taiwan. They are also contests which offer some of nice prizes and for the Greatest Glory Video Contest, the biggest prize cash that can be won in airsoft as the grand prize is 10,000 U.S. Dollars plus free travel and accommodations to Nuremberg, Germany to claim the prize at the IWA Outdoor Classics.

So, ready to join? Always make sure you read the guidelines of both contests so you can submit your entries without any issues with them as G&G also want to avoid copyright issues in case a contestant submits and entry that is not really his/her creation.

G&G Show Yourself Photo Contest 2018

Dear Airsofters, The annual G&G Photo Contest "Show Yourself" is back again! Bring your camera and shoot your favorite G&G product. The winners not only win new and exciting prizes, but also get the chance to be shown on G&G product catalogs for 2019 and other promotions!

For the photo contest, there will be two types of judging. The internal judging will be done by authorized G&G personnel and will select the top three places. For the special award, it will be done through online public voting via the G&G official website, photos that will be uploaded for online voting will be selected by G&G first. The contest has already started the deadline for submissions will be on the 7th of October 2018. The application form needs to be downloaded for individuals and groups that want to join the contest and upon accomplishing them, should be emailed back to G&G.

G&G Greatest Glory Video Contest 2018

Dear all G&G brand lovers and Airsoft enthusiasts! Thank you for entering our 2018 “G&G Your Greatest Glory” international video contest. Do you want to express how much you love G&G and Airsoft? Do you want to show how creative you are? Do you want to be well-known to the world? Would you like to take home a cash prize? Now is your greatest chance to show the world what you can do! Any short film/video about G&G and Airsoft skirmishing is welcome. This is a great opportunity to express your creative talent. Total prizes are worth up to $30,000 and a unique chance to win a trip to Germany. Top prize will be presented at the G&G booth at the IWA Outdoor Classics show in Germany 2019. Make your Greatest Glory with G&G! SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS NOW & DO NOT MISS IT!!!

For the video contest, videos that have a duration of 30 seconds to 5 minutes can be submitted by uploading them to YouTube and informing G&G about it via the application form that will be emailed to them. Just like the photo contest, the top three places are selected by internal voting by authorized G&G personnel, plus G&G distributors, and internationally known media specialists. For the special award, this will be done by online voting. Deadline for submission of entries is on the 13th of November 2018.

Both contests require participants to use G&G Armament products as they will be used in promotion materials and catalog of the company once selected.

Better get going now and plan on your most creative entries for G&G to consider. Goodluck!

Moviegoers who are looking for the next big military movie that would rival all the explosions of a Michael Bay movie should look forward to the release of “Hunter Killer.” Directed by Donovan Marsh, this stars Gerard Butler of “300” and “Olympus Has Fallen” and Academy Award Winner Gary Oldman.

Watching the 2-minute trailer of “Hunter Killer” I can’t be help but notice the appearance of the TrackingPoint Smart Rifle or Precision Guided Firearm (PGF) in which it makes even a lightly trained shooter make accurate shots in which the rifle, once the trigger is squeezed, only shoots once the pip of the TrackingPoints XACT System is aligned with the crosshair which means a high probability of a hit. This means it is hard to miss with the TrackingPoint.

The TrackingPoint PGF is used in the movie by the SEAL Team tasked to rescue the Russian President. Does this mean that the rifle is in use by the real Navy SEALS since movie directors always want accuracy of details these days and usually hire former SEALs as consultants to help them in the SEAL scenes. Who knows? “Hunter Killer” is military fiction, so it might not be true.

Now what is “Hunter Killer” all about? The movie is based on the book “Firing Point” written by George Wallace and Don Keith in which a state of the art U.S. submarine was sent to answer a distress call from another U.S. submarine in the Arctic Ocean. But then the sub commander Joe Glass, played by Butler was ordered to go on a mission to rescue the Russian president as there is a coup that is brewing in that country that may just plunge the world into World War III.

If you miss the military thrillers of  the Tom Clancy kind, such as the “Hunt for Red October” then just hope “Hunter Killer” would be in that league. The movie will be released on the 26th of October 2018.

The internet lit-up when Paramount Pictures released a first look photo for the another “Terminator” movie. What everyone is excited about is that the photo includes Linda Hamilton, the original Sarah Connor and one of the two real badass female action stars that I know of, the other being Sigourney Weaver of Aliens.

The other two actresses in the photo are Mackenzie Davis ("Blade Runner 2049"), and Colombian Natalia Reyes ("Birds of Passage").

Linda Hamilton appeared in the first two movies in the movie franchise, “Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” while she did voice only in “Terminator: Salvation.” This will be the third time for her to appear in the in this latest “Terminator” which remains untitled and is colloquially called “Terminator 6.”

Production was supposed to have started in March 2018 but due to casting issues, it was delayed and actual production started in June 2018.

In the photo, Hamilton still looks fit just like in the iconic image of her in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” albeit older this time.

Photo:Linda Hamilton in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)

Whilst the story line is still hazy this time, it seems another young person needs protection this time. Davis is said to be playing the character tasked to protecting a teenage girl which is played by Reyes with Hamilton playing her role again as Sarah Connor.  And yes, the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger will be playing his role again and has started filming in Budapest last 30 July. Other actors in the cast are Diego Boneta ("Rock of Ages"), and Gabriel Luna ("Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.").

James Cameron who will regain the rights to the Terminator series in 2019 will be producing the film. “Deadpool” director Timothy Miller will be directing the film this time. If all goes according to plan the movie will be released on the 22nd of November 2019 by Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox.

The History Channel’s History Con 2018 Manila in the Philippines is fast approaching, and many are looking forward to an event that is full of activities. It is not only about History Channel’s own celebrities who are coming to meet their fans, but also for their fans to converge in various shows and gimmicks that the organizers have come up with.

Airsoft, surprisingly, has a big presence in History Con Manila. With the SIX series, History Con organizers had the airsoft community in the Philippines to participate in the event, offering to host an airsoft tournament in 2017. It was a resounding success that for this year, they decided to expand the airsoft tournaments into Milsim, Speedball, and Practical Shooting giving airsofters more choices which airsoft event to participate in.

Apart from the tournaments, two Taiwan-based companies that are supporting History Con 2018, Bolt Airsoft will be present and Xcortech will be having their own shooting competition at their booth for those who want try their products such as chromos, tracer units, and electronic shooting targets. If this continues, more airsoft companies might want to set up shop. Even the real steel community will be there with Association of Firearms & Ammunition Dealers of the Philippines (AFAD) will be there as well.

As for celebrities, appearing at the History Con 2018 Manila Diego Loyzaga and Xian Lim of "Celebrity Car Wars", Jaime Dempsey of "Ride N'Seek", Giorgio Tsoukalos of "Ancient Aliens", Katheryn Winnick of "Vikings", Simon Yin of "The History Hustle", and Mong Chin of "Who Runs The World."

The History Con 2018 in Manila will be on the 10th to the 12th of August 2018 at the World Trade Center Manila. For airsoft teams and airsoft practical shooters interested in joining the tournaments, they can visit the History Con 2018 SIX Airsoft Tournament Facebook Page for more information.

Even with the SIX TV Series has finished its run, it will be alive in the History Con’s SIX Airsoft Tournament.

Whoever said the airsoft players are such whiners? If they are not video gamers, then they are in for a surprise. Video gamers are some of the nosiest bunch when it comes to complaining about a issues and features in a video game. The historical list of complaints is long but here is one of the latest ones, coming right after the complaints of the powerful Compact SMG in the Fortnite Battle Royale Game.

Now, it’s another upcoming Battle Royale Game from one of the biggest shooter game titles, Call of Duty. Ditching the single player campaign and opting for a Battle Royale mode, ActiVision intends to release the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 with is said will set itself apart from the present crop of Battle Royale games.

With the release of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 for the Playstation 4, (for PC owners, it will be on the 11th of August), whilst it is expected that there will be issues during Beta period, players using the Sony game console are up in arms with a particular feature. The body armour, which is one of the upgrades in the game when a player achieves a certain level, has the players complaining that it offers too much protection.

Players say, that if they encounter a player with the body armour, they’d rather run away from it than confront it. This reminds us of the Juggernaut in the COD Modern Warfare multiplayer. It is tough to beat a player doing a Juggernaut and everyone in the opposing team will either avoid it or try to focus their firepower whilst praying that they won’t get mowed down first.

There are options to counter someone with body armour. Go for a headshot which is easier said than done, or some armour piercing rounds with the latter said to be ineffective and can only be used in certain guns. Well, if there are bigger and more explosive weapons to use, then better put those to full bear on the player with the body armour.

So, are Treyarch, the development studio for Black Ops 4, listening to the complaints? They are but their response on the Reddit /r/Blackops4 may just disappoint the players in the Beta period as it seems there are no plans for now. As it is the Beta period, they want how players will be able to cope with features such a defeating body armour when they get to unlock more gear and weapons. In short, watch and observe before they decide on removing the body armour feature or make adjustments to it before the game gets officially released. Here is what they said:

We hear what you’re saying about Armor. We want to proceed thoughtfully and carefully here. We’re less than 24 hours into the Beta at this point, and not all content has been earned or had enough time to settle into the meta of the game. We know that the Gear category is new and has a lot of content that sits above the normal power band of Perks. Because of that, it’s really important that we see the full range of Create-a-Class content in play with a lot of data about player performance with this content before we rush into any changes with it. From our stats so far, other pieces of Gear are showing up as more effective than Armor. That said, we know that it can feel frustrating to fight against, and that feel is where we want to start. But let’s give this one a few more days to breathe.

PC owners raring to get into the Black Ops 4 Beta action and have pre-ordered can start playing by the 10th of August, Pacific Time. The rest of PC owners can join in the action if they have pre-ordered after the 10th of August the next day.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be released on the 12th of October 2018 and will be available Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 4, and the Xbox One.

If everything goes according to plan, an upgrade for the M4A1 in use  the US Special Operations Forces will make them more stealthy as it involves the use of integrated suppressors for their weapon. Last 27 July SIG Sauer was awarded a contract for the M4A1 Suppressed Upper Receiver Groups (SURG) as announced by Defense.gov:

Sig Sauer Inc., Newington, New Hampshire, was awarded a $48,000,000 five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for the acquisition of the Suppressed Upper Receiver Group (SURG).  The SURG weapon is an upgrade of the M4A1 lower receiver group in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Procurement Division.  Fiscal 2018 procurement funds in the amount of $24,620 are being obligated at the time of award.  The majority of the work will be performed in Newington, New Hampshire, and is expected to be completed by July 2023.  This contract was awarded through full and open competition.  USSOCOM headquarters, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (H92430-18-D-0005).

Previously, SIG Sauer won a contract for the MCX Rattler PDW for close quarters combat for use by the USSOCOM.  Whilst the MCX Rattler PDW uses the .300 Blackout round, it can be readily converted to fire the 5.56mm round.

The SURG program was first identified in 2015 but was abandoned in 2016 and was later restarted. The requirements of the USSOCOM are a 5.56 NATO upper receiver group with an integrated suppressor rather than having a separate suppressor. According to Soldier Systems, which also revealed a photo giving us a first look of the SURG, it should be able use M855A1 and the MK318 MOD0 / MOD1 cartridges and be able to fire at least 1,200 rounds without lubrication.

First Look: SURG mounted to a regular M4 lower (Source: Soldier Systems)

Further information from Soldier Systems indicate a requirement for a more compact SURG, preferring  a full length of 21 inches but could go not more than 25.5 inches with the barrel being 11.5 inches in length. Ideal weight is 4.5lbs but not more than 7lbs. Color should be Coyote 498.

One thing which I think is a very much thoughtful add-on to the requirements apart from the all important sound suppression, is that the SURG should be able to prevent sustained burns due to contact between the suppressor and operator through 1 layer of clothing. Cans go hot due to sustained firing and preventing burns is one thing that is to be considered when designing the front end of a weapon.

The U.S. Marines and the Army are also looking into expanded use suppressors realizing the benefits of investing in suppressors such as minimize hearing loss and long term hearing damage apart from the tactical benefits in terms of better communications, muzzle flash suppression and lower sound signature makes them harder to spot.

Top photo:U.S. Soldier from 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) with suppressed M4 in Germany (Source: DVIDSHub.net)

An unfortunate incident happened in Stockholm, Sweden when police responding to calls shot dead a man with Down syndrome who was carrying a plastic replica gun in the Vaastra district of Sweden’s capital. The incident happened in the morning of Thursday, the 2nd of August 2018.

In a report from the Expressen tabloid, the man, identified as 20 year old Eric Torrell, left his home carrying a toy gun which was taken from a pile of toys. He is said to be showing to his neighbours who have mistakenly thought that it was a real gun and called the police.

Upon arriving at the scene, the police repeatedly called out Torrell to put the purported weapon down. They then deemed the situation to be “threatening” before three police officers opened fire and hitting Torrell in stomach. He was brought to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

His mother, Katarina Söderberg, said her son is “loving” and the “world’s kindest person.” She added that Torrell had Down syndrome and also suffered from autism, having the mental age of a three-year old. He was mainly able non-verbal and usually able to say the word “mum” with his limited vocabulary.

His family is furious, accusing the police of lying as how can a man with a mental age of a very young child be threatening. They claim that they are in a state of shock after the incident.

Whilst none of the police officers have been suspected of a crime, the special prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation for possible misconduct. The police spokesperson said this is usually standard procedure when someone in the police force discharges a firearm.

There is no confirmation if the replica toy gun is a an airsoft gun, since airsoft is legal in Sweden. It could be just a gun-shaped toy that may have just looked like a real gun to the police. But it is always a stark reminder to everyone, especially to airsoft players, to be careful about carrying replica guns in public.

Top photo: Swedish Police vehicles at Stockholm Central Station (Source: Wikimedia)

Remember that Coolbox Smart Toolbox? We featured it here over three years ago and we highly recommend it to airsoft gun techs who want a smart portable toolbox that can help them in their airsoft gun repairs and designing airsoft guns or products. IIt looks like the same makers, have decided to party and came up with an entertainment version that retains some of the features of the Smart Toolbox.

What is called? Well, it’s called Coolbox™: The Entertainment Cooler™ and it is designed to keep you entertained, charged, and your drinks cold whilst in the outdoors or at the beach. Bring it with you for an outdoor party and if you are an airsofter or milsimer, then this is a very handy cooler to bring with you to the game field.

Firstly, this new Coolbox is a cooler. Secondly, it is a boom box. Thirdly, it is a charger. It can cool drinks and when out on the field (for five days!), and in between games or in the safe zone, it can blare out loud music by a Bluetooth connected smartphone or tablet and there is a stand for the devices. It can charge mobile devices, and has an LED clock display for keeping track of time.

The speakers are Marine grade ones, so they are durable for any climate. It can be carried with the carry handle or dragged with the telescopic handle and heavy duty wheels. Another small but important feature which makes it true cooler is a bottle opener since what else is the use of bringing cold bottled drinks when you don’t have anything to open them with?

Another nice touch is a small storage compartment to store your keys and other belongings when you’re out there swimming by the lake.

If interested in one, you can get a Coolbox Special when you pledge US$169. As of this writing, the Coolbox has already raised US$38,123 with a US$50,000 goal and 30 days to go. As always, you have to evaluate for yourself if it is a project that is worth supporting given than some crowdfunding projects, even if they get fully funded, fail to deliver or are heavily delayed in delivering what they promised.

But if you feel underwhelmed by the features of the Coolbox, there is always the Coolest Cooler that comes with even more features.

The makers of Avatar Grenade are expanding their product development. The company, which is based in France, are taking a very much radical approach to the airsoft market, releasing their own designs rather than taking inspiration from existing real world weapons. Their third product after the Avatar Grenade and Hornet M-25 Kit for the G17/G18 GBB and AEPs, the Hydra-8 is what we think to be their most interesting product to date.

Just like the Avatar-Grenade and the Hornet M-25, the Avatar Hydra-8 Airsoft Shotgun is an in-house design. It is a compact shell ejecting airsoft shotgun that can fire off 8 shells in quick succession. The design will remind you of guns from a video game and can fire more shotgun shells than the Crye Precision SIX12, which is limited to 6 rounds. Both can outgun any shotgun, with the exception of the AA-12 auto shotgun.

The Hydra-8 is of Nylon Fibre construction and uses the M-Lok rail system to open design system from Magpul. To attach weapons accessories, especially weaponlights, it has an integrated under rail. Internally, the parts are CNC-machined steel.

As previously mentioned, it can be loaded up to 8-shells and each shell can be filled with 6 6mm BBs. As for propellant, it uses CO2 or Green Gas and each shell, which look like it is a 12-gauge style and is to be filled up with gas, similar to how the APS CAM870 shells are loaded though the valve are on the side rather than at the bottom as shown in the photos.

It is very much a compact airsoft shotgun, it is a very handy backup especially for CQB games and we can call it to be a “Room Sweeper” since it is very much manoeuvrable to bring to bear in any room. We wonder if a holster can be made for it since its compact enough or perhaps a special clip to a battle belt or MOLLE vest for easy draw when needed in room sweeping.

Avatar Universe are already taking pre-orders and for those interested, be ready to shell out €170.00 for a special price and limited stock release. It will be available in Obsidian Black giving it a more metallic look. It is not mentioned if it will be coming with 8 shells or if you have to buy them separately.

They are looking into an October 2018 release, which hopefully they can fulfill given that release schedules in airsoft are rarely followed with the exception of Tokyo Marui which is really specific in release dates.

As part of Tokyo Marui’s cooperation with other companies and individuals outside of the airsoft industry, they have one of their products featured in an art exhibit that showcases the work of Hiroto Ikeuchi. Called “Ready Made”, his work combines with models and gadgets that are available off the shelf into works of art.

In this case, a custom Tokyo Marui L96 AWS Airsoft Sniper Rifle is part of the art work installed for “Ready Made.” Mr. Ikeuchi is a 17th Japan Media Arts Festival Entertainment Division Excellence Award Winner.

You may say that his work reminds you of Cyberpunk and indeed they are Cyberpunk-style art. But each art work, combining plastic, circuits, and the like are actually functional. Cyberpunk is in Japanese culture and he himself has been influenced by “Blade Runner.”

In the photos below, you will notice that Mr. Ikeuchi also has a Tokyo Marui MP5 Kurz that he has customised just like his other works. However, it is not part of the official display according to Tokyo Marui and he brought it along for the photo session for Tokyo Marui.

Curious about his other works in “Ready Made”? The exhibit has been ongoing since the 1st of August and will end on the 19th of August 2018. You can visit the 8th floor of Seibu Shibuya in 21-1 Udagawa cho Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.

You can also learn more by visiting Hiroto Ikeuchi on Tumbler.

All photos are taken by Tokyo Marui.

One of the first two women who graduated from the Marines’ Infantry Officer Course, again has made history in the Marine Corps, becoming a Platoon Leader. According to the New York Times, First Lieutenant Marina Hierl, became the first woman to lead a Marine infantry platoon.

The U.S. Marines is a very much a male-dominated organization, and the most opposed to having women perform combat roles. This development means the Marines are now adjusting to changes that that were announced by the Defense Secretary Leon Panetta during President Obama’s time, when they opened more roles in the military for women to take, including combat roles.

Her platoon belongs to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines' Echo Company which is currently in training in Australia.

The Infantry Office Course that she went through in Quantico is a grueling course as officer candidates went through 13 weeks of evaluation and long hikes that require carrying heavy loads. There were 37 women who applied for the course, and tw, including Hierl, made it through. The other female graduate was slated for intelligence school.

Hierl grew up in Bethlehem, Pa. where she worked on a horse farm while in high school.  She decided on joining the Marines upon meeting a recruiter, but her recruiter advised her to go to college which will make her a good candidate as an officer in the Marine Corps. She said she wanted to lead a platoon all this time.

Women are making strides in the various branches of the U.S. Military. There are already female graduates of the Ranger School, and the first female infantry officer. There are already female pilots in the Army and Air Force.

As for airsoft, we are seeing more participation of women. We just hope there will be more of them taking even more active roles in promoting the hobby and that these women in combat roles in the military should inspire them more.

All photos in this story by Sgt. Gregory Boyd, USMC.

Almost a year ago, Dark Horse Comics announced that they are going to release a new art book collection of the Metal Gear Solid Series. Initially expected for a May 2018 release but was delayed for unknown reasons, The Art of Metal Gear Solid I-IV was  finally released last week and can be ordered at major book sellers including Amazon.com and initial copies have been quickly snapped up.

The Art Book is a collection of Japanese artist Yoji Shinkawa who made a lot of contributions to the characters in the video game series, one of the most successful video game franchises and created by Hideo Kojima for Konami Computer Entertainment. Whilst the art work has been available in previous releases, this is the first time that the collection is made available in English as other early editions were in Japanese. The Japanese handwriting on the art works were left intact making the collection more special.

For avid fans of the Metal Gear Solid series, which counts Popular Airsoft’s OptimusPrime who played the game upon its release for the Sony Playstation in 1998, this a must have collection. Even for airsoft gamers who want to put together loadouts of the various Metal Gear Solid characters, specially Snake.

This is a two-part book collection with a total of 800 pages and covers I-IV: Metal Gear Solid, MGS2: Sons of Liberty, MGS3: Snake Eater, MGS4: Guns of the Patriots, and MGS: Peace Walker. The collection is 20 years in the making and if you are asking why MGS5 is not covered, there is already a separate Art Book already available in English to complete the collection.

Whilst Shinkawa-san is known for his work on the Metal Gear Solid, he is very much involved in the gaming industry, where his works include the Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Zombies Chronicles and Left Alive. He also designed the Pacific Rim poster for the film’s Japanese release and Godzilla: The Final Wars.

The Art of Metal Gear Solid I-IV is available in Hardcover for US$79.99 on Amazon.com and Barnes amd Noble.

This summer season is really scorching. Many parts in the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing high temperatures that are at record levels. Even playing airsoft this season we are advised to exercise extreme care and avoid heat exhaustion. Sometimes we remind ourself that would rather shoot each other with water guns than airsoft guns since at least you help get someone cool down after getting hit by a blast of water in a skirmish.

So why not put some water fun after a serious airsoft game this summer? But as airsofters, we want some serious firepower errr… water power to do some serious water fights.

The makers of the Spyra One Water Gun think they have just the type of water gun that you can bring to bear once a water fight breaks out. They want a more serious water gun to bring water fights to a whole new level as they are disappointed with water guns that are available in the market these days.

The Spyra One Water Gun has an effective range of 7.5 metres showing the water bullet make its mark on the target’s clothing and it has a maximum range of 12 metres. It’s safe to use as it uses low water pressure to achieve its effective and maximum ranges and thus, no protection necessary. But you may just want to wear eye pro in a serious water fight to ensure you get better sight of targets as you can just wipe away the water from the lens.

It is battery operated and shoots out 25 “water bullets” with a full tank. Each “water bullet” is 30ml which is equivalent to a shot glass. There is a battery indicator showing the battery level and the ammo level. To fill the water tank, it has an automatic water pump that will fill the tank in 14 seconds, no need for longer and tiring hand pumping to fill the tank.

The battery that comes with the Spyra one is good for 1,125 shot and refill cycles which should be good for hours of water fights.

Convinced that this the water gun you need? Honestly, I need a more subdued colour like OD, Black, or Grey to make it look more tactical. But if you are convinced, the Kickstarter price for this makes it an expensive water gun as it costs €115. It’s already fully funded so expect a more expensive price if it goes into retail.

You might have to wait for a year as deliveries are expected in August 2019 so expect the water fights to take place near the end of the summer season of that year. For now, if will have to settle bringing along some super soaker to start a water fight at the safe zone at your friendly airsoft field.

Three years ago, we featured here a very unusual slingshot design. The Pocket Shot is a very accurate slingshot and allows for faster shooting. Recommended for hunters and slingshot enthusiasts, it can also be used in airsoft as it can be used to shoot the spherical plastic BBs used in the game.

When it was first introduced, it was available in Black and Orange colors. Now, it is available in Mossy Oak which hunters will welcome. The color scheme can also be welcomed by airsoft players as it is a camo pattern so it can be at home with camo gear that they bring along for any weekend airsoft game.

Its patented circular design can allow users to load and shoot The Pocket Shot at three times the rate of a regular slingshot. It is durable and can last long. What is nice about the look of the Pocket Shot is that it looks like a harmless rubber funnel or bladder that can be stuffed in a bag or part of an EDC pack.

But the Pocket Shot packs a punch. It can fire steel ball bearings or marbles and with the adapter attached it can also be used to shoot arrows so it is also a weapon that can be used for hunting and combat. For leisure or sports, it can be used to shoot paintballs or airsoft BBs. BB metal pellets are not recommend as their unusual shape will cause damage to the Pocket Shot.

If allowed in the airsoft field, the Pocket Shot is a good backup for an airsofter when batteries have been drained or the gas has been used up. As long as there are airsoft BBs to use, the player can shoot as long as he can with the Pocket Shoot until all the plastic BBs are gone.

The Pocket Shot Mossy Oak is now available at the Pocket Shot store for US$25.00. If you want a more traditional slingshot feel when using the Pocket Shot, there is the Pocket Hammer Mossy Oak Edition and it comes with the Pocket Hammer Handle.

It’s also Battle Royale for one of the hottest FPS game franchise for over a decade now. EA’s Battlefiled V Battle Royale Mode was announced in June and in preparation for GamesCom 2018 in Cologne, Germany next week, they released a new trailer that gives a teaser of the Battle Royale.

This trailer, called the “The Devastation of Rotterdam”, soldiers from the opposing sides battle each other with the “House of the Rising Sun” as the background music.  More tanks are in shown as well as airplanes that players can use in multiplayer which means more air combat in propeller driven aircraft.

2-minutes long, there is a lot of things going on in occupied Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands, as battles in World War II take place in the Low Countries. No showing of the female character which in the first trailer, became the subject of “historical inaccuracy” by those unable to accept that women were actually in combat in the last World War.

If you watch near the end of the trailer, you get a glimpse of a ring of fire slowly eating the map. In Battle Royale Mode, the game zone gets smaller and smaller those caught at the edges are usually taken out of the game.

We are curious how the Battle Royale modes of both Battlefield V and its main rival, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be implemented. With more FPS games announcing their own Battle Royale modes, they will need to distinguish themselves in order to get more players and maintain them. We’ll know more when EA reveals more of Battlfield V during GamesCom which will take place from the 21st to the 25th of August 2018.

Battlefield V is set to be released on 19 October and will be playable on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Gun and gun parts retailers such as Spike’s Tactical are protesting the new Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) put into place by Shopify as it will affect the businesses that use the Canadian company’s platform. Shopify is e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems.

Shopify has over 600,000 retailers using the platform with a total gross merchandise volume that exceeds $63 billion. Shopify helps small to medium companies to launch their online e-commerce websites quicky without worrying much about the backend systems such as payment facilities and shopping carts and focus on their sales and inventory.

This makes Shopify an important online service for online retailers so they can devote more attention on selling their products with the platform taking care of security, website hosting, updates, and other important e-commerce tools.

The new AUP covers restricted items. In this case, it is about firearms:

Certain Firearms

• an automatic firearm that has not been rendered inoperable
• a semi-automatic firearm that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine, with one or more of the following items:
  • magazine capable of accepting more than 10 rounds
  • bump stock
  • rapid fire trigger activator or trigger crank
  • barrel shroud
  • thumbhole stock
  • threaded barrel capable of accepting a flash suppressor, sound suppressor or silencer
  • grenade or rocket launcher
  • flash suppressor, sound suppressor or silencer
  • pistol grip (or in the case of a pistol, a second pistol grip)
  • forward pistol grip
• a semi-automatic firearm that has a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds
• firearms without serial numbers
• ghost guns and 3D printed guns, including blueprints for such guns
• any part, component or kit for any firearm or gun listed above

Certain Firearm Parts

• 80% or unfinished lower receivers
• magazine capable of accepting more than 10 rounds
• bump stock
• grenade or rocket launcher
• pistol grip (or in the case of a pistol, a second pistol grip)
• forward pistol grip
• barrel shroud*
• thumbhole stock*
• threaded barrel capable of accepting a flash suppressor, sound suppressor or silencer
• flash suppressor, sound suppressor or silencer*
• rapid fire trigger activator or trigger crank
• any part, component or kit for a firearm part or including a firearm part listed above

*only if for use with a semi-automatic firearm

“This decision will have significant ramifications to our business and should concern every online retailer and Second Amendment supporter,” said Cole Leleux, general manager of Spike’s Tactical in a press release. “We have invested more than $100,000 in the development of our Shopify store, which will disappear once these policies go into effect.”

Usually, proprietary systems makes it hard for one business to transfer from one service to another. Shopify is an example of this systems and thus, the information stored on their platform cannot be easily transferred to another online platform. That’s the worry of the online retailers that will be affected by the new AUP.

Spike's Tactical On Shopify

According to Spike’s Tactical, another company feels the pain of Shopify’s new AUP is Rare Breed Arms which just launched their new Spartan Lower Receiver and will be offered via the Shopify e-commerce platform. The president of Rare Breed Arms, Lawrence DeMonico, said that, “We have spent the last three years developing the Rare Breed brand and more than $40,000 developing our Shopify site. Depending on how this policy is rolled out, this is a move that could put companies like ours out of business, and we will undoubtedly be looking to pursue legal options.”

As to when the new AUP will go into effect, there is no information. Spike’s Tactical tried to reach out Shopify and they got referred to the company’s Legal Department which have not replied yet to their queries.

Will this affect airsoft retailers that use Shopify? So far, there is no information on this as the AUP is more specific to real steel firearms. But sometimes parts and accessories used in airsoft can be mistaken as compatible with real steel guns and they may just get affected. If you are an airsoft retailer using the service, it is best now to contact them to clarify if they are able to distinguish what is airsoft and what is for real steel rather than wait for algorithm to mess things up. Or just tell them to lay off on firearms retailers who are just making an honest business online.

Spreading like wildfire on social media is a video being shared by airsofters about an upcoming crowdfunding project that will be launched on Kickstarter to raise funds for its production. Called the HoverGlide, it is a floating backpack that has been designed that promises to reduce impact to up to 86% of the bearer’s body.

For those who always use packs, such as backpackers, photographers, first responders, and military personnel, having a backpack that reduces the stress on parts of our body when carrying a load is something that they should welcome.

So what does the HoverGlide as a floating backpack do? Watching the video, the crude analogy is like a car’s suspension, the Suspended Load Technology (SLT) of the HoverGlide acts like a shock absorber, giving the smooth run or walk for the person whilst wearing a heavy load. Reducing the stress on the shoulders, ankles, back, and knees also translates into longer distances that can be covered with the HoverGlide.

Designed by Lightning Packs LLC which designs and produce electricity generating and ergonomic backpacks for the military, first responders, and hikers, the SLT is a patented double-frame and pulley system design have been field-tested and are currently undergoing operational testing by the US Army and the US Marine Corps.

With the SLT, the pack moves up down the frame when the bearer is on the move but looks like it is staying in place. This means that movement of the pack is lessen the vertical force on the body allowing one to carry more and still be able to move quickly. If there is a need to quicken the pace whilst on a hike or a forced march, then the HoverGlide should make it easier and helps lessen injuries that can be causes by carrying heavy loads.

Lightning Packs plan on releasing four versions of the backpack: the Trekker which is a 24-inch frame and a 55-pound capacity; the Hiker that has a 20-inch frame; the Commuter which is also is a 20-inch frame but is designed for urban worker and student and has compartments for laptops, books, etc.; and Tactical is what airsofters would be more interested. Made with 1000D Cordura,  has a 20-inch frame with enough space for gear. It is MOLLE compatible and has space 2 liters for hydration.

If you want to back this project it will be up on Kickstarter in around two weeks’ time. If you sign-up for a launch invite you get to save 53% off their planned suggested retail price when it goes into production.

It is official now, the L86A2 LSW and the L110A3 support weapons are removed from the fire team level by the British Army.  As reported by Soldier Magazine, these weapons together with the M6-640 60mm mortar, will be phased out from the service by April 2019.

The news did not come as a surprise, as the British Army have been planning to remove the support weapons with confirmation of the L110A3 or the FN Para Mini was set to be dropped during the 2018 Future Soldier Technology Conference that was held in March. The talk about dropping the squad support weapon started in the 2016 with the effort to “fight light” which of course, means that weight reduction is seen as an objective for infantry units. The LSW offers few benefits over the standard model.

On the L110A3, Major John Anthistle of the Equipment Directorate said “despite the popular view, it is far heavier but less lethal and effective.” Studies show that it does not offer any significant advantage over the SA80 and Anthistle added that it, “is rarely employed in favour of the 7.62mm equivalent.”

The L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) which is the 7.62mm FN MAG, will still be used at the platoon level.

Moving away from belt-fed support weapons is nothing new. The U.S. Marine Corps decided to use the M27 IAR more for support purposes as well than rely on the M249. With the M27 IAR now getting to be standard infantry weapon for the Marines, the firepower that that M249 can provide will be rarely missed.

The gap that will be left by the withdrawal of both support weapons will be filled in by the 7.62mm L129A1 Sharpshooter. The rifle has been introduced into service with then British Ministry of Defence (MOD), contracted the Lewis Machine & Tools Co. (LMT) to supply the British Army in 2009 for use in Afghanistan. There are over 3,000 L129A1 rifles in the British Army as of 2014 and they have an effective range of 800 metres and a maximum range of 1000 metres, a range that soldiers want as they are being outranged by insurgents using the 7.62mm round.

British soldier with the L129A1 Sharspshooter in Tapa, Estonia 2017 (Photo by Arno Mikkor, via Wikimedia)

As for the M6-640mm mortar, it will be removed from service as it heavy weight and relative inaccuracy led to its lack of use in the Army. As for its replacement, various options are still being evaluated.

Top photo: British soldier with the L129A1 (Photo by MOD/British Army. Crown Copyright 2018)

Yes, you read that right. The Evil Geniuses just achieved world domination, an achievement that will surely make other evil geniuses turn green in envy. Ask Dr. Evil whose ambitions for world domination have been thwarted by Austin Powers. For this group of Evil Geniuses, they achieved this feat by beating Team Kaliber in the Call of Duty World (CWL) Championships 2018 last 19 August.

They won US$600,000 in cash money in what is a “record-setting” setting season as the total prize money is US$4.2 million, the biggest in the league since it was launched in 2016. U$1.5 million of that was devoted to the Championship phase.

What the Evil Geniuses did was an upset. Team Kaliber were the Stage 2 champions and the favorite to win in the finals.

Rob Kostich, executive vice president and general manager, Call of Duty congratulated the winners of the CWL, “Congratulations to Evil Geniuses on capturing the ultimate goal in Call of Duty esports, the CWL Championship.” Adding further that, “This was an incredible season for the CWL – a huge thanks to our community of players and fans. From start to finish, the matches were amazing with some of the best gameplay we’ve ever seen in the CWL leading up to last night, and throughout it all, viewership was stronger than ever, which reflects the passion and engagement of fans worldwide.”

For CWL 2018, the teams played using Call of Duty: World War II.  Adam “Assault” Garcia is the leagues MVP and is the main AR player on the Call of Duty roster of the Evil Geniuses.

Founded in 1999, the Evil Geniuses is a premier professional gaming team with fans world wide. They have team rosters to compete in various eSports leagues such as Rainbow Six: Siege, PUBG, Street Fighter and Dota.

With the prize money growing in eSports, they are turning video gaming as a lucrative career for gamers allowing them to do gaming full time in order to win bigger prizes. Something for airsoft players can only dream of.

Top photo:Evil Geniuses 2018 Call of Duty World League Champions (Source: Call of Duty Facebook Page)