The Airsoft Handbook Issue #1

TEAM P.R.A.T

Event Ideas - Reviews - Tech Corner - Photos - Interviews

NEW TECH -AEG Burst Wizard Review

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Editor’s CornEr - 3suCCEssion stylE EvEnt - 4viEws From thE Front - 12starting your own tEam - 14tECh CornEr - 17aEg wizard - 20tEam P.r.a.t - 26QuiCk snaP rEviEw - 29sniPEr PErCh - 31usE oF mEsh gogglEs - 34rEtailEr sPotlight - 44intErviEw with CooP - 49

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Before we get started I want to say thanks to all of those who have taken

the time to read my little magazine. Being as this is the first issues I’m sure that

there are mistakes and it isn’t the best in the world, but heck rednecks never

were any good at writing.

I got started on this little project out of happen stance when I went and

made a simple handbook for my team. I got tired of multiple pages of FAQ’s and

other information and wanted to gather it all in one place. Well one thing led to

another and here we are. The first few issues will not only have new information

but will also gather some of the best reviews, tech tips, and general information

that I have found useful over the years that not everyone may have seen before.

I don’t know if this will be a regular thing or not my hope is to put out 3 to

6 a year, but there are a lot of factors involved in something like this. I need help

in the way of articles, pictures, reviews, and (I won’t lie) money. My plan is to

make something new each issue with information to help grow the airsoft com-

munity. Which I feel has been in decline due to several factors over the last year.

For now this will be geared toward the pacific northwest, but if I get enough in-

terest I will be more than happy to expand it to include pretty much anywhere.

I do not plan on this being tied to any one organization or store front

either, in that I want all the reviews to be as truthful as possible and not glossed

over just to promote a product we carry. So vendors please be aware that if you

want something reviewed we aren’t going to pull punches. We feel that our

readers deserve that much and as a vendor I would want to have an honest

review, over a shiny pile any day.

On a final note please remember one of the best things you as a local air-

softer can do to help keep our sport alive is to buy local and support local fields

in your area. Get out volunteer to help clean up a field or buy that bag of bb’s

from a local vendor instead of ordering it on the net even if the drive is a little

far.

3Send a letter to the editor [email protected]

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The Succession Style Event

suc·ces·sion [ sek sésh’n ] (plural suc·ces·sions)

Noun Definition: 1. Series in time: a sequence of people or things coming one after the other in time-A succession of smaller events in a set time frame-A succession of games

2. Following: the following of one thing after another-Games played one after another

The succession style event is just what it sounds like a series of smaller events wrapped up in a larger theme. We have found this style of event to be a great style for smaller fields and smaller levels of operators. When you don’t have a lot of room to play or have less than 50 operators one of the biggest jobs of an event holder is to keep things flowing at a rate that keeps people wanting more and the intensity level up. This event style of event can be held by just one event planner with 2 or less staff and can be used even on larger events and fields but will take more planning and event staff to make work.

The principle is simple take a larger story and break it down into chapters eachbuilding upon the results of the game before. Game times can be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the field and how quickly the objective for each game round is completed. The nicest thing about this style is that there are breaks that allow for some down time to reload and reset the field for the next round. Now add a scoringsystem into that and the stakes go up because the opposing teams can see how they aredoing though out the day.

What this style of event does is allow you as an event planner to overcome problems because of the smaller sized field or lower number of operators that maybe present, but give you that big game feel. Two major problems arise in smaller events in that contact is either immediate on smaller fields or people start losing interest in the game because they keep having to go back a respawn and it gets rather boring doing the same thing over and over.

Let’s take a simple concept that is popular today and turn it into a succession event to be played in a 6 hour time frame, but that will be simple to execute even on a small field without a lot of areas to utilize or props needed to make it work.

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The Succession Style Event The Biological attack:

You will need for this game:

- 3 Simulated biological bombs- 2 flags of different colors- Enough ribbon in 2 colors to designate teams - A way of keeping score (a dry erase board works well)- Some strips of white cloth 15 per side- Stop watch- Poker chips or playing cards to pick teams

Now where and how you setup your field is going to be dependent upon it’s layout, but you want one base and one respawn area for each team. Make sure the respawns are far enough away from the base that they can not come out gunning to

A simple way if you have a smaller field is to setup a neutral respawn away from both bases that the players from both teams go to. Once those locations have been determined you will need to find a center point between the bases. You will need to find a way for the flags to be held upright in each of the bases and the center location.

Now that you have that setup you need to get the teams ready to go. I like to usepoker chips in 2 colors drawn out of a hat to keep it random and prevent stacking of sides which will lead to mumbling about how unfair your game was or how crappy an eventplanner you are. Now once those are drawn have one team place their chips back in the hat and remove one chip and place a white one in place of that. Now have them draw again the person who draws the white chip will have a special role that will be explained later, repeat with the other team. Get the ribbons tied on the player to designate teams and do yoursafety briefing and let’s get the game rolling.

Our fictional game is going to start at 11:00 am with an end time of 5:00pm with 30 minute rounds due to the small size of the field. We also have 30 fictional operators at our game but the number really doesn’t make a difference.

So first off you need a story line to tell the players here is one we used at one of our events. Keep in mind we have a slightly warped sense of humor and find that being tooserious is really no fun for anyone...

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Oct. 9th, 2010Seabeck, Washington

It was confirmed today that the kidnapping of the areas best known biological scien-tist is true. Doctor Mangeyone was kidnapped by a left wing tree loving terrorist group known as the Saviors of the Temporal Union for Peace and Intelligent Design or commonly known as S.T.U.P.I.D.. The terrorist have forced the good doctor to make 3 very deadly and terrible bombs and they plan to set them off unless their demands for a public reading of theirManifesto on national T.V. and 30 hot dog lunches are met by 5 PM.

In response local military bases around the area have sent in a team of operatives along with their best biological engineer to destroy the terrorist and defuse the bombs. Sadly since most of the good operatives are overseas at the moment so the people they sent are the okay ones. Capt. Middlefinger has been quoted as saying that even though these are just the okayoperatives they will die trying or we will succeed. It is rumored that he was heardmuttering under his breath that there was no way he was going to hang around and find out though since these boys were likely to screw it up and set off the bombs killing everyone in a 100 mile radius.

So what is it going to be a S.T.U.P.I.D. day or are you going to give them the Middlefinger?

So now we have the story let’s roll..........

Game 1: First ContactTime 30 Minutes start 11:00am2 respawns 1 minute time limit

This is the warm up game and is a standard force on force both teams start at their respective bases. Do I really need to explain more than I already have?

Scoring:Most kills at the end of the time limit 5ptsTie 0pts

Break 11:30 - 11:45

Game 2: The Scientist in TroubleTime 30 Minutes 11:45 - 12:152 Respawns 1 minute time limit1 White strip of cloth randomly given to a player on the defending team

The team with the most kills in the previous game is the attacker, if it was a draw randomly choose using any means you want. The defender must move their scientist from their base to the opposing base without losing the scientist in the process. There are a few hiccups here so read carefully. The defender’s scientist is the player with the white chip and is armed with only a pistol and one clip (no more than 15 rounds). The scientist can only move if he is in

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physical contact with one of his fellow players, if contact is lost he must stop where he is and stay put until he is back in physical contact again. The scientist can be captured if anattacking player can reach him and escort him back to their base. The Scientist can also be wounded and if shot he can no longer move until he is bandaged he may only be bandaged once after that he is dead. If the player with the bandage is out of the game at the point where the scientist needs bandaging then the scientist can not be healed.

Scoring:Attacker:Scientist captured 5 ptsScientist wounded 0 ptsScientist killed -3 pts

Defender:Scientist moved to base 5 ptsScientist wounded but still in defenders control 3 ptsScientist killed 0 pts

Break 12:15 - 12:30

Game 3: Desperate TimesGame 30 minutes 12:30 - 1:001 medic per sideMedic has the same number of respawns that he has bandages2 Flags

A: If a side has lost a scientist then their objective is to kill or capture the remainingscientist.

B: If both scientist are in play the objective is to capture the enemy base (simple capture the flag scenario)

Both sides has a medic and enough bandages to heal the players on his side once. A player once hit must remain in place until bandaged by a medic, next hit eliminates him from the game. A wounded player may call out that he is covered and under fire but may not tell where or how many may have him covered. This is to represent that the player is wounded but still has enough wits about him to call out his location and status but can’t giveexact locations of the enemy. This will hopefully help his teammates to rescue him and get the medic to him.

Scoring:Scientist Killed/Flag Captured 5pts

Break 1:00 - 1:30 Lunch

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Game 4: Bombs are in playGame time 30 minutes 1:30 - 2:003 BombsInfinite respawns 2 minute wait time

(Event holder will need to hide the 3 bombs on the field during the lunch break)

Both sides will need to pick one bomb tech for their side. The bomb tech will be the only one allowed to move the bombs from their location. The teams must locate the bombs and hold them for 5 minutes before the bomb tech can move the bomb back to their base. If the bomb tech is hit while carrying a bomb then he must drop it and return to respawn before he can come back and try to retrieve it.

Scoring:Each bomb is worth 2pts

Break 2:00 - 2:15

Game 5: Control of the areaGame time 30 minutes 2:15 - 2:452 Flags1 Engineer1 Medic15 Bandages per sideMedic infinite respawnsEngineer infinite respawns

Each team will need have a flag in their base and the goal is to get it to the center point of the field post it and defended it. Only the Engineer can move the flag no one else is allowed to move the flag. The engineer must get the flag to the center of the field and put up. Once the flag is up only the opposing engineer can take it down. If the engineer has the flag and is shot before posting it he must return to respawn with the flag. There will be standard medic rules in place so a player can only be bandaged once and is then eliminated on the second hit.

Scoring:Flag up for the longest time during the game 5ptsFlag up at the end of the game 10pts

Break 2:45 - 3:00

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Game 6: Force the IssueGame time 30 minutes 3:00 - 3:301 Flag3 Respawns 2 minute wait time

The team that did not have their flag up at the end of game 5 is now on the defensive and must defend their base at all cost. They will have a flag that is set in their base and the attacking team must capture it and return it to their base. If a player is shot while carrying the flag he must drop it and it can be recovered and moved by any player on the field.

Scoring:Flag Defended 5 ptsFlag Lost but not in either base 3pts each sideFlag captured and returned to attacker base 5pts attacker

Break 3:30 - 3:45

Game 7: Final PushGame time 30 minute 3:45 - 4:153 BombsInfinite respawn 2 minute wait1 Bomber

Now the press is on the clock is running out.

If the team that lost game 6 is the same team that lost game 5 they are the side with the bomber. If the games were split then S.T.U.P.I.D is automatically the side with the bomber. Send the team out that does not have the bomber a few minutes early to their base. Now the team with the bomber needs to pick their suicide bomber and he needs to hide the bombs on his person where they can not be seen.

Now the tricky part...

If a player can make a touch kill then the player tagged switches sides for the remainder of the game except for the bomber. If the bomber is tagged then he can still make his way to the opposing side base and blow himself up (acting like a friendly of course). So when a team tags a player if they do not have a bomber they need to search him or it is their loss. If they do find the bomber then they can take the bombs and now try to place them in the enemy base. All 3 bombs must remain together at all times.

So basically stop that bomber....

Scoring:Base blown up 10 pts

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Break 4:15 - 4:30

Game 8: The End has ComeGame time 30 minutes 4:30 - 5:00

This is a simple single elimination type game last team standing wins the day.

Scoring:Team with most kills 10 ptsTie 5 pts each

So there you have it a simple but exciting way to run an event with limited field space or operators. We have started to use this style of event as a basis for all the events we run to real positive feedback from those that have played.

Keep a couple of other games in your back pocket in case one or 2 don’t go the full time limit and remember above all have fun and enjoy the day.

Got a great idea for an event or maybe you have run one in the past you really like. Well drop us a line and tell us about it. Maybe we will feature it in the magazine for others to try and enjoy. Or if you run this style of event let

us know what you [email protected]

View’s from the Front

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View’s from the Front

Have a great action shot of yourself or one you took send it to us at [email protected] and maybe you will be famous

So you noticed that all the cool kids are on teams. You’ve noticed that you can do a ton more damage as a team. You have two options now, join an existing team or start one of your own. For whatever reason you don’t want to join an existing team.

Here’s what you need to know to try to start a successful team.

-Don’t bother if there is only you. You need a core of founding members to start a suc-cessful team because no other operator is going to want to throw their hat in with a one man team. You and 4+ friends who are on the same page about what you want out of airsoft and want to work together is a great starting core for a team.

-Get uniforms. You don’t have to buy all new expensive uber-cam uniforms with awesome gear. Just make sure everyone on your team is going to wear the same camo. This makes you identifiable on the field and makes it easier to integrate in games.

-Don’t worry too much about gear. Until you’re established its best to keep gear require-ments simple and cost effective. AEG, Mags, Web gear, boots, uniform, eye protection.

-Don’t worry about your name. Everyone wants to be uber-leet delta black ops sniper rangers, but advertising it just makes you sound like some dork that spends too much time playing FPS games. Once again, keep it simple and easily remembered. Also keep in mind whether your Acronym is already used for something else.

-Recruiting on AP and other forums is great and all, but it doesn’t give you the same kind of visibility as being present at games and meeting people. If you meet a player that works well with you, don’t hesitate to ask him if he is interested in joining. Meeting and recruiting players at games also helps you find players that are active in the same area of the community as you and your team.

-Team themes. If you play too many video games and watch too many movies you might have this awesome idea for a bad bunch of mofos. Then when you put it into airsoft you end up looking like every mismatched newb out on the field. Since this is milsim, consider who you are simulating. If you’re simulating a military force, try to be as uniform as pos-sible. If you’re simulating a rebel force, insurgent force, paramilitary, etc, try to look the part of whatever group it is. The same goes for any pretend private military (although keep in mind the actual real life role of these forces. Hint: it isn’t like it is in the movies). Learn how to search militaryphotos.net for inspiration and as reference.

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-Write a charter. Yeah it sounds like work, but just do it. It doesn’t have to be super com-plex, just state who you are, what membership means, what airsoft means to you, and any team rules you have. This will help you focus exactly what you’re trying to do.

-Web sites, logos, patches, etc. Keep it simple. Try to get your team up and going before you worry too much about ordering your patches and other crap. A private free forum is useful for organizing stuff with your teammates.

-Announcing your team. Assuming you have all this stuff figured out and you’re ready to announce the formation of Team Awesome Cougars on airsoft forums, remember to in-clude the following crap in your intro/recruiting post: --Name --Current members and or current member count --Team uniform, gear requirements --A link to your charter, if you choose to share it --Web site, if you have one --Personal requirements to join, and WHY people should want to join you --Mention what events you’ve been to and what kind of events you will be at in the future

-If you have access to a field, have some practices. KISS. Shoot at imaginary enemies and practice moving as a group. It helps, really.

Hopefully now you can count the costs of starting a team, and avoid some internet ridi-cule for being a Newb. Good luck!

Fix your WE Hicapa

or 1911Josh Beran

In the last few weeks, I’ve been learning a lot about the WE Hicapa and 1911 pistols. Among other things that I plan to share soon is a great little fix that improves the performance of the blowback mechanism, and helps a great deal with gas consump-tion.

Tired of your single-stack WE 1911 running out of gas after 5-10 shots? Here is your answer. I learned this trick from Jesse (shogun), the tech at Airsoft Outlet NW.

What you’ll need:

Your single-stack WE 1911 pistol. 1. Small phillips head screwdriver 2. Small flathead screwdriver 3. 5/32 hex/allen wrench. (Its probably a metric size, but I couldn’t find my metric tools, and the 5/32 worked.)

You will also need:Two small #4 lock washers (the screw is the piston head screw... its just there for size compari-son, you’ll see it later). I like the spring style lock washers, as they are less likely to work loose.

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Step #1

I’m assuming you already know how to field strip the pistol, so there are no detailed photos of it. Remove the mag-azine, pull the slide stop out the side, remove the slide. Set the frame, magazine and slide stop aside.

Remove the barrel bushing, spring plug/recoil spring/guide rod, and barrel. Set them aside

Step #2

Step #3

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Remove the small flathead screw on the rear sight (only on the 1911s with target/tactical sights, the government style 1911s only have the rear hex screw).

Then the “5/32” hex screw from the rear of the slide. Drop the blowback chamber out the bot-tom of the slide, being careful not to lose the long spring that goes along the side of it. You should have a collection of parts that looks something like this:

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Remember not to lose/forget that spring. It’s important. Pull the nozzle/cylinder for-ward, and then angle it up as shown to remove it from the chamber. Once you flip the chamber upside-down, it will look like this:

Step #4

See how wobbly your piston head (the silver plug with the black O-ring around it) is? It shouldn’t be that loose, and that’s the root of your problem. Remove that little phillips screw from the front of the piston head. Hey! Its our old friend the piston head screw! We remem-ber him from earlier, don’t we?

Put your two washers around the screw, and then put the screw back into the piston head and reattach it to the piston (there’s a depression in the piston head that they should fit into with no problem). It’s impor-tant that the spacers (washers) are BETWEEN the head of the screw and the piston. Adding them to the back will move the piston head forward, and reduce the size of your gas chamber.

Step #6

STEP #7 Reassemble your pistol. Just do it all in reverse, more or less. I didn’t take pictures for this because you should be able to figure it out.

I’ve done this or had Jesse do this on five of my pistols now. All of them have shown dramatic improvements in blowback and gas consumption. It works on both 1911s and Hicapas, but I have seen some Hicapas with a nylon spacer already installed. Give it a try and let us all know if it works for you.

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You have seen the ad above maybe even seen the hype on some of the forums and you have wondered does it really work?

Yes it really does.

Now before we get to deep into this there are a few things you will need to understand. There are some claims that the maker states that put simply, I have no way of testing so I can not dispute nor prove them so I will not cover them and leave that for others that have the equipment to do those test. This is a simple overview of how I found the product worked for me in the field.

I could strip down my gear box and install quantum phased bilinear gears and rewire the gun to take a pulse modulated lipo battery with a multi-phase MOSFET fire control system, but I have no desire to do it since all I want to do is play. Second is the fact that if you hap-pen to be a gear head and get into all the tech stuff that can be done with wiring then the AEG Wizard is not a device that you would have a lot of interest in anyway. You would prob-ably be able to write a multi page post on a forum about all the flaws and things you per-sonally don’t like about it with all the proper technical mumbo jumbo to go with it. Then this article is also probably not a good read for you either... Now if you are a player that doesn’t want to crack a gear box to rewire your gun to make coffee or have a DMR that you don’t want to have to internally make semi only then this is the device for you.

The folks at AEG Wizard were kind enough to send me a sample of the latest version called the AEG Wizard LV. The new version has a couple of features one of which made me giggle like a school girl that are not present on the version II. I will get into those in a mo-ment, but first let’s go over all the basics of the device. The makers claims will be in yellow and what I found and could test in the field under that.

www.aegwizard.com

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The AEG Wizard is a small compact device that can fit into most battery compartments with no problem. Measuring only 2.25” L x 0.6” W x 0.4” H it fit easily into the hand guard of my King Arms FAL Para Carbine that I used for a test bed. The FAL has one of the tightest battery compartments I have seen and can only use one or two styles of battery packsbecause of the small space. So for those of you using M4 style guns with a small hand guard this little device should still fit inside easily. It comes with two MINI Tamiya connectors but with simple tools and a little knowledge can be changed out with no problems.

The wizard is protected with a heavy duty shrink wrap and is open at one end that willallow you to get to the small phillips adjustment screw at one end. The wires attached are long enough that you should be able to fit it just about anywhere in the battery compartment and still get it connected without any difficulty.

So let’s move on to the features and look at each one. Now up-front I will let you know I wasn’t able to test the LIPO functions since I’m not a fan of LIPO’s and don’t have any on my guns.

Microprocessor controlled MOSFET switch system that allows special burst mode firing. User selectable from 1 to 5 shots or more. The Burst Wizard has a timing resolution of 2 milli seconds. For a gun firing 25 RPS or (40 millisec per shot), you can tune the firing cycle time with 1/20th of 1 shot accuracy to achieve dead on shot count and most relaxed spring position.

This is one of the features that really drew me to this little device. I didn’t want to have to install a fancy MOSFET that required major rewiring on the gun to have a 3 round burst. I’m a big fan of semi and small burst type firing and using full auto mode gave me varying rounds down field when trying to burst fire. If you run mid or low cap mags this is a real plus for you on the ammo conservation front because when you pull the trigger in full auto mode it will only spit out the set number of rounds and no more.

Another use for this is two fold in that fields with full auto limits or in training it is set and forget fire control. One of the things I like to teach my younger and older players is trigger control. The spray and pray type mental attitude is brought into check and makes my players have to think about what they are doing because they can no longer dump a hundred rounds on an entrenched enemy position hoping for a hit.

Setting the device to do a 3 round burst is simple hook the device between your battery and the gun wires and wait about 10 seconds before pulling the trigger (don’t want to lock out full auto which we will discuss more later). Now put the gun in full auto with a loaded mag, don’t want to dry fire it, and fire of a round. Count the number of rounds that were fired or if the gun stopped at all. Now on mine I had to adjust it to the left and fire again. I was down to 5 rounds, a little more adjustment and bang dead on 3 rounds.

Keep in mind if you pull the trigger and fire your burst and then continue to hold the trigger down it will kick into full auto mode after one second.

AEG WizArd

www.aegwizard.com

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No modification to your Airsoft Electric Gun is required. No void of gun warranty is-sues. It is just in-line between your battery to motor connectors connection. Use it with all your gun collections. NOT JUST ONE

Simple just like it states you can change out the connectors to any type that you use and it is a true plug and play module. If all the connectors on you guns are the same you can swap it between guns and make a small adjustment to the rate of fire if needed all in a matter of minutes. Now if you do change out the connectors on your gun you have already probably voided the warranty so the burst wizard won’t save you there...

Extend the usage time of a trigger switch by preventing large current from the bat-tery to go through it until the contacts have time to engage first (reducing arcing).

This is one of the most contested points of this little device. There are some of those out there in the world that will argue that this is not a MOSFET in such that it stops all a arcing so really does nothing for you. Well I will give you my view and my train of thought if you agree or not is up to you.

When you pull the trigger this little device pauses for a micro second before allowing power to flow down the wires thus preventing arcing of the trigger switch. The trigger switch is given time to make contact before the current is sent thus no arc. Now if you hold thetrigger down for the full length of the burst it cuts power and when you let go it againprevent arcing. Now if you are one of those super humans that can time a micro second and feel the difference then you probably need to look at installing a trans warp de arcing device with a transmuted trigger system in your gun, but that is for another article. Also if you let go before the burst is complete then arcing may occur so just make sure the burst is finished before letting go.

What I noticed is no loss of trigger response at all and I like the fact that it helps prevent arcing of the switch thus prolonging the life. So as a safety device and protection for your gun I give it 3 thumbs up. (Side effect of working with a trans muting MOSFET on one of my other guns). I can not verify the 2x trigger response because the FAL was lighting quick to begin with and micro seconds are beyond my ability to measure.

Work with LIPO, NIMH and NICD batteries at voltages from 7.2VDC up to 16VDC and up to 80A. Enforce LIPO battery low voltage protection. Prior to disabling the firing function though, the gun will shake when the trigger is pulled to inform the shooter to change battery. The gun will stop firing when the battery reaches its critical voltage.

Can’t verify the claims on the LIPO but can say that it worked flawlessly on the 8.4 and 9.6 volt battery NIMH battery packs that I used while testing the gun.

User settable sniper mode for 1 second dead zone after each firing. This feature enhances the fairness and competitiveness of the game! The shooter has to aim the target much more accurately before pulling the trigger; otherwise the target may disappear before the gun can be fired again.

AEG WizArd

www.aegwizard.com

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This is a cool little feature that can really boost the experience for those that like to play the sniper or DMR role on the field. It makes you take your time and think about your shots. I use it as a training tool for some of my least experienced players to practice aiming and to make them learn to make their shots count.

Resume continuously firing mode if the trigger is pulled for more than 1 sec. after last burst mode firing. (LV version allows option to lockout this feature)

LV Model Feature: Full Auto Lock Out

This is a rules changer for us in that it allows you to lock out full auto on hot guns. We plan on picking up a few of these and making adapters so that if we have someone arrive with a hot gun we can lock out their full auto function and give them a minimum engage-ment distance to allow them to still play that day instead of just packing up and going home. You can also set the burst rate and not have it kick into full auto. So you can have a three burst when in full auto mode and have to release the trigger for the next burst.

With the makers of replicas boosting the FPS of guns to where they are shooting 400+ right out of the box this is going to be a growing problem for newer inexperienced players. One of the worst things is to go and spend money on a gun to go out and play only to find that you can’t because it is hot and to get turned away from your first event. That can be a real downer and also discourages future involvement in the sport for that player.

Now that we have a way to make sure they are only able to fire semi and a 5 minute training course on distance they can still play and after the game return their gun to it’s stock configuration. Combine that with suggestions on bringing their guns into line before the next event and places or people to contact that can help them gives them a positive and enjoyable experience that will keep them coming back time and time again.

For those of us that want to build a DMR and field rules require it to be locked out of full auto mode this little device is a god send. No longer do I have to go into the gear box and disable the gun’s auto mode. This allows me to switch springs to change the role of the gun from DMR to Light Machine gun without major work in the gear box.

Burst Wizard II/LV Feature: Burst then Full Auto

Now in those rare cases when you need to hold someone down with a stream of BB’s this feature is nice. Basically aim your gun pull the trigger and let your burst fly. Now keep your gun on target trigger held down and after a second full auto will kick in. This is also a neat little trick I have used on a few unlucky souls because they know I regularly fire a 3 round burst so they wait for it to fly by pop out to make their shot only to be lit up like a Christmas tree by the following full auto burst. This is one of the cases that will cause arcing so I do not recommend it become a regular tactic.

AEG WizArd

www.aegwizard.com

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Soft starting of the motor every time the triggered is pulled. This feature extends the life of the gearbox and the motor by not driving them too hard but you won’t feel any sluggishness at all.

I like this less wear and tear on my gearboxes means less repairs and less money out of my pocket.

Active braking after firing (Burst mode only) to extend the life of the gearbox be-cause of less wear and tear. This feature also ensures that the shot count be very accurate during the whole discharge time of the battery.

I found this to be true in that all shots in the burst had the same range and the count was dead on every time. Plus the added life and less wear on the gearbox is again a money saver.

Rate Of Fire (ROF) adjustment when the AEG Wizard is used in MOSFET switch mode settable at power up. This allows you to set your gun to fire at a rate that you like or for safety reasons.

Another real plus is if you play CQB setting the burst rate lower will stop the tendency to get lit up from 10 ft away by 30 rounds from a nervous noob or an uncaring experienced player who believes that the longer you hold the trigger down the more of a man you are. If I were running a CQB field or event I would make sure that these were installed on all guns for safety reasons.

Installation is quick and easy and setting the burst rate takes only a few minutes so as an event organizer or owner of the field I could install these at check in without much difficulty and know that my field or event was safe. The cost of these little wonders is not much and who knows you may even get lower insurance rates if these are installed.

The AEG Wizard consumes very little power and will not drain your LIPO battery, which is bad, even if you leave it connected a week before a big game! As a mat-ter of fact, it will take 120 days for the AEG Wizard alone to drain down a 2000mA hour battery! The normal leakage power just from the battery itself is more than the AEG Wizard.

I can say that I noticed no shortening of my battery life with the Wizard installed, but I have not left it connected to see if the battery drains any quicker between games. Since I run NIMH batteries and not LIPO’s that is something you will have to test yourself.

Announce the battery voltage so you know your battery is fully charged or 80% or 50% ...at the start of your game. Accuracy is +/- 0.1V (LV only)

Be real honest both may batteries were fully charged when I tested the device so I can’t re-ally comment on how well it works, but it did tell me that they were charged and ready to go.

AEG WizArd

www.aegwizard.com

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Conclusion:

Now I know I didn’t go into how to make all of the adjustments to the device, because quite frankly those are rather boring for me to read and write out. The fact that the folks at AEG Wizard send a wonderful instruction sheet along kind of makes them pointless to cover and keeps the article shorter and on point. My 6 year old was reading them to me and he can even set the device himself now so just know that you will have no problems getting it setup and working in no time.

This device is a must have for those of us that do not want to rip into a gear box to rewire a gun but want some of the cool features of an advanced MOSFET. The money it can save you on wear and tear will far out weigh the cost of the Wizard itself and the fact that it can be swapped between guns is just another added bonus to a wonderful product.

Yes this product does have a few small flaws but they are by far out weighed by the ben-efits and if you just keep a few simple things in mind like making sure you fire the full burst before letting go of the trigger then those are eliminated. I plan on buying one for every gun I own since I like having it preset to each gun and not having to adjust it since it remembers it’s settings in most cases. I’m also putting in a request to my team that we makes these part of the standard requirements because of the flexible nature and amazing things the Wiz-ard can do. With this little device my players can switch roles on the field from assault gun-ner to sniper all with the simple adjustment of a the Wizard and it can even be done in the field behind cover of course if needed.

This device is worth $80+ in my mind so the $35 dollar cost almost makes me feel like I’m ripping off the folks at AEG Wizard, but don’t tell them that.

There are a few things I would like to see in future production runs like a full auto lock out after a burst so that the gun would do 3 rounds and never kick into full auto. I would love it to fire a 3 round burst pause for a fraction of a second then fire another 3 round burst all with one trigger pull. I would also like to see a enemy GPS locator that would beep when an opposing force operative was within range but I maybe dreaming on that one.

So go get yours and let them know that you read about the AEG Burst Wizard in The Air-soft Handbook.

- William “Sounguru”Burt

AEG WizArd

www.aegwizard.com

Q - When, Where, and How did P.R.A.T get started?I don’t know when they started but I do know they have been around since I started in October of 2008. They started at our old field in Sea Tac Washington. I believe they started as a group of friends that always airsofted together and just formed a team and went from there.

Q- So is your team a strictly Mil-Sim or more of a recreational team?As far as I have seen and experienced we are a recreational team with plans for hosting big scenarios for our airsoft community

Q- What are the requirements for becoming a P.R.A.T member?We would like all of our new members to be at least 21 years old, have a good participation rate with us, be a honest and respectful player, and have some experience playing airsoft with our team prior to invite.

Q- How many members do you currently have?Approximately 40 players to this day.

Q- I know you have a home field in Maple Valley tell me a little about it and your weekly games.Our field in Maple Valley is a nice long strip of wooded areas, on level terrain, with several trails that provide lots of cover and concealment. I have played at 9 different locations to this day and by far this is one of my favorite fields to play at. We start to gather every Sun-day at 10am and start playing around 11 am. We usually play until 4 PM and welcome any-one to come play at our field with us.

Q- Do you guys travel to any other events? If so how often?Yes, We love attending all of the 1st Sword events no matter were the location is at. 1st Sword usually hosts events every other month. We have also traveled to Oregon for large events that are hosted down there.

P.R.A.T is a team based out of Maple Valley in Wash-ington state is one of the most active in the region. Not only that but off the field they are a hoot to hang around with.

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Private ReconAssault Team

Q- Do you have regular practices?Yes, aside from our weekly Sunday games we have training, and drills in the Summer time were we can camp and have a good time aside from practice.

Q- If you do practice what are some of the things you work on to improve the team?

We train on working together as a team and communication. We move as a team and work as a team. I do not want to go into details about our trainings, but that is an idea of what we do.

Q- Describe your view of the airsoft scene in Wash-ington.I love it out here. Its not too cold and not too hot. There is lots of mountains, trees, rivers, and scenery. The only thing we lack out here is buildings to airsoft in like abandoned warehouses, facto-ries, houses, or villages.

Q- Do you all have any rank structure that you fol-low?Yes, we follow the Army’s ranking system.

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Q- Describe the last big event you attended and your views on it.The last event that I attended was the 1rst Sword’s Zombie hunter game and by far was on of my favorite games they have hosted. It was a nice change of pace and the role playing was awesome. I cant wait for the next zombie shoot.

Q- So do you all have any closing words of wisdom?Airsoft isn’t just another sport for me, its my way of life. Airsoft first, family second.

Thanks Coop for all the information and if you want to chat or are interested in learning more about P.R.A.T you can find them on the web at

http://www.meetup.com/seattleairsoft/

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TSD Tactical WEHi-Capa 5.1 Dragon Gas

Blow Back Pistol

When I first received my gun I was amazed the build quality is very nice. The only flaw I could find is the front portion of the slide where it doesn’t move has a tendency to come loose after use. I got the gun with two gas mags and like every other good airsofter I cleaned the gun and rushed outside to test it out.

The gun has a very nice weight to it and the blowback is just hard enough to really give you a feel for what a real .45 is like. The gun is well balanced and every part of it is easy to reach with one hand. The three different safeties really give you a comfortable feeling that the gun will not go off half cocked when you are running around on the field.

Everything was fine for the first five loads thru the gun or so then it all went south. The gun started shooting erratically or not even making it through half a mag before seeming to be empty. My first thought was the gun had gotten to cold, so after letting it warm back up I loaded a mag up and went to give it an-other try. But to no avail still the same issues of either firing only 10 feet or so or not event enough pressure to get the bb out of the gun.

After several different tries with different bb’s and different quantities of gas to make sure I wasn’t overloading the gun I had determined there was a fault in the gun. So off to the net I went to see what the maker had to say. Sadly they never responded back to any of my calls or e-mails, so for customer service they receive zero stars in my book.

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Now I was in luck and came across someone who had some of the same problems and he told me a few tricks to try. First was to take a small piece of plastic and put it in the mag catch on the mag and file it to where it just clicks in and holds the mag tight. This holds the mag up tighter into the gun allow-ing it to be more gas efficient.

To test this theory I went and made the mod to one mag and not the other. Sure enough the modded mag was better but did not fully solve theissue. So the next step was to do the modification that you saw earlier in the magazine, it too made a little difference. Now the problem is not anywhere near being solved so I can not honestly recommend this gun unless you are willing to tinker with it to get it to work properly.

I’m placing an order for two CO2 mags and see if they have the sameissue as the green gas mags do. If that doesn’t solve the problem I’m sure I’m in for a complete rebuild, which thank god the parts are easy to find.

I love the looks and exterior build quality except for the font slide por-tion I mentioned earlier, but once the gun is rebuilt I think I have a fix for that too.

PROS:Not a common gun so you don’t see it everydayVery well weightedNice Blowback30 round magCan take CO2 mags

CONS:Will need work right out of the boxFront Slide area comes looseTSD/WE/Caspian customer service leaves a lot to be desired

Conclusion: Not worth the headaches look for a TM or a KSW or get a large bottle of Tylenol for the headaches this gun will cause.

I will write another article on the rebuild once it is done for others that have fallen for the pretty outer shell like I did.

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Sniper’sPerch

WILL: So Fish what got you into airsoft?

FISH: Truthfully my younger brother was into Airsoft pretty heavily a few years back, and was getting out of it. He called me up one night, and asked if I wanted to buy any of his stuff of him. Course up until this point, I had only heard of “paintball”.. Which didn’t really interest me much. I had asked him what kind of things he had for sale, and he mentioned a ghillie suit, and some of the adventures he’s had wearing it. So from that point on I was sold on it!! I bought that ghillie from him, and the sniper he had used (UTG L96)

WILL: How many teams have you been on and why have you settled with the 1st-sword?

FISH: Prior to becoming a member of 1st Sword; I played with a team based out of the north Puget Sound area. After attending a few 1st Sword events throughout the year; I quickly realized that this is where I belonged. The foundation that 1st Sword was built on and the reputation they have gained here in the airsoft community definitely drove mydesires to become a member.

WILL: So when did your love of the bolt action start and why?

FISH: As I mentioned above – it started because of the ghillie. I have always loved sniper movies/ games.. And of course when I played my first few airsoft games with the ghillie on, I knew that this was the role for me! Nothing is more synonymous than a ghillie suit, and a good bolt action sniper rifle.

Well this is a real treat for me I get the chance to grill one of the best snipers and event holders in the N.W.. Steve Fisher or Fish as we all know him. He has sworn to put a round in my back side which keeps me on my toes at every event I attend where he is on the field, even if he is on the same team. Steve is a personal friend and someone that hasreally been an inspiration to me.

Personal Interview with Steve “Fish” Fisher a sniper with the 1st-Sword and Founder of the 6mm Hunters in Sno-homish County.

WILL: So what is your weapon of choice and what modifications have you done to it? FISH: Without a doubt – It’s my Tokyo Mauri VSR10. I have owned & mastered this gun to almost its fullest potential. There is very little that I don’t know about this rifle. The only stock parts currently on my VSR10; are the stock, and the mag catch; outside of that everything else has been upgraded.

All of my internals are Laylax – these consist of the following:Zero TriggerCylinder & HeadOrange PistonHop Up systemMadbull 650mm 6.03 inner barrelNine ball bucking

Externally I have upgraded the following:Outer Barrel – 700 mm lengthScope - Leapers 4X16X50

Course I have done some other “do it yourself modifications” that I will keep a secret for now.

WILL: Do you have any other bolts or AEG’s that you use?

FISH: I have the following weapons:Maruzen L96 fully upgraded –BOLT ACTIONUTG L96 minor upgrades – BOLT ACTIONA&K Dragunov minor upgrades – BOLT ACTIONKWA SR12 fully upgraded – AEG SEMI AUTO DMREcho 1 Vector Arms MP5 – AEG KWA KP45 – GAS Pistol

WILL: I know that you don’t carry a sidearm is there a reason for this?

FISH: I’ve tried carrying my MP5 (on a sling), but found it to be cumbersome to carry. I did recently purchase my KP45 to use as my backup. Honestly I would rather lie down in my ghillie suit (and disappear) – wait for the tango to walk by, and shoot them with my BASR (course at the safe engagement distances).

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WILL: When it comes to a ghillie what do you recom-mend?

FISH: Honestly – I’m not sure that I could recommend a ghillie to anyone. The ghillie suit is a personal prefer-ence in my opinion. There are so many different makes and models out on the market; each has their pro’s and con’s. My biggest recommendation to anyone would be to figure out what type of ghillie you’d like (i.e. Poncho, two piece. Stalker, etc.)

WILL: When you are on the field what do you do that sets you apart from everyone else and makes you soeffective?

FISH: HA – Not sure that I do anything that separates me from anyone else; I think its more luck than any-thing else. Course it could be age too – my desires/youthfulness to get up and run-n-gun are over. It’s a lot easier to lay there and let your prey come to you vs. going to find it.

I will say that I’m probably a lot more patient than others, and playing the “sniper” role…. You definitely have to have patience to play this role or position. MOST (and I use this word loose-ly) players want to run out onto the field, and just lay down some serious bb’s in hopes to get large amount of kills throughout the day. I’m okay with getting just those one or two “good” shots. Its quality; not quantity… any true “sniper” is going to tell you that.

WILL: Any words of wisdom for someone who wants to give sniping on the airsoft field a try?FISH: Just like anything in life – try it out first. It can become a VERY expensive role (especially if you go full throttle into it – with all the upgrades, gear, etc.). There are so many different types of sniper rifles out there too (AEG, GAS, SPRING) – figure out what platform you want to run (or should I say hide) with…

The biggest thing is don’t let anyone talk you out of the role (it’s not a very popular position amongst the average player). If you join a forum as a “noob” (new player), and announce that your new, and you’re thinking about playing the sniper role.. you’re not going to get a lot of positive feedback. It’s definitely not for everyone, but you definitely want to make sure that it’s the spot for you.

WILL: So any last words?FISH: Thanks Will – this has been fun!

As far as “last” words – Just play safe, and play with honor – NO EXCEPTIONS! This is a great sport; show it respect and you’ll get respect. Have fun with it!

Thanks heaps Fish and hope to see you down range before you see me ....

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I still hear a lot of people saying that Bio’s will shatter and go through mesh gog-gles. This is an older report that was done by Jawz back in 2008, but I still think is current. I will agree it needs to be updated with newer brands but it still makes it’s point.

A. PurposeConcerns have been raised that the use of biodegradable Bb’s is not recommended in conjunction with mesh goggles. Cases have been reported where bio Bb’s have hit mesh goggles and have shattered in many fragments penetrating the mesh sur-face and potentially injuring the operator.

In all those reported cases, though, it was never detailed what brand of bio Bb’s were used because it is obvious that different manufacturers use different mixtures and ingredients to fabricate their Bb’s. Patents have even been submitted to pro-tect the company’s secret “concoction” (see links in the reference section).

This report will compare the impact characteristics of conventional and biodegrad-able Bb’s on a piece of stamped steel mesh used for goggles. More Bb’s will be listed as they become available for testing.

B. Methodology

B.1. GunFor this test, an upgraded ICS M4 gun will be used to fire point blank at zero dis-tance to the steel mesh as measured from the muzzle.

The key configuration of the gun is listed to ensure maximum repeatability in case another party wishes to conduct a similar test:

- ICS M120 spring- ICS ball bearing metal spring guide- G&P polyacetal piston- Guarder polycarbonate ball bearing piston head- ICS hop up with Sytema rubber sleeve- Systema 363mm tightbore barrel- AEG Computer with integrated MOSFET and active braking

Use of BB’s with Mesh Goggles

By Jawz

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The gun is chronoed at ~400 FPS (0.2g TSD Bb’s) with hop up slightly engaged to simulate real-life shooting. At this point, it is not clear though, whether any rotation induced by the hop up would change the impact characteristics of the Bb’s. It is im-portant to mention that the AEG Computer has an active braking component, which ensures that the cycling process of the mechbox gears is nearly perfectly repeat-able!

This is especially crucial since normal AEGs tend to engage the piston even when a shooting cycle in semi-auto mode is completed. The reason for this is the stored ro-tational energy in the motor or “spinning momentum,” which needs to dissipate by spinning down against the resistance of the gears and its own internal magnet.

Here is a video that compares non-active versus active braking:http://extreme-fire.com/Background/SW-SvsSW-AB.avi

B.2. Steel MeshThe steel mesh for this test is the same that is used for mesh goggles produced by “Bitter End.” He provided this sample for me a while ago specifically for ballistic tests

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B.3. SetupA metal tray covered with a black fabric will be used, on which the mesh sits. The tray will collect all scattering fragments, and the black fabric will make the BB debris more visible for photography.

Bb’s are loaded into a MAG mid-cap magazine. The gun will then be blank fired to make sure that Bb’s are loaded in the hop up chamber and gears are properly cycled. The gun is then placed directly onto the steel mesh and then fired again.

B.4. ResultsThe following Bb’s are listed in alphabetical order of their brand name and separated in regular and biodegradable Bb’s.

B.5. Regular Bb’s• AirSplat GID 0.2g:

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=> Several tiny fragments are visible.

• ECOBB 0.2g:

=> These Bb’s have NOT been tested because they pulverize on impact even after a distance of 60 feet!

• Golden Ball 0.25g:

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=> Although these are cheap Chinese made Bb’s, they barely shatter in small pieces and are therefore pretty safe!

• KSC Perfect BB 0.2g:

• TSD 0.2g:

=> Regarded as one of the best Bb’s on the market with an extremely slick and soapy-like surface, they appear to be pretty soft and shatter in a lot of pieces!

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=> These are very safe Bb’s and simply split in half; you can even see the imprint of the mesh in the BB!

• TSD 0.28g:

=> There are more smaller fragments than with its little 0.2gbrother

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B.6. Biodegradable Bb’s• Airsplat Bio 0.2g:

=> Simply amazing impact characteristic for a bio BB!

• TSD Bio 180 0.2g

=> Only a few small fragments present

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B.7. DiscussionIn this test, only one round was fired, although one would argue that it would make more sense to fire more rounds and then average the results. There are two reasons why I did not pursue this concept: One is the lack of time, and two, these results rep-resent a worst-case scenario. That means if a BB shatters only in a few fragments dur-ing this test, there is a good chance that in a real skirmish situation, it may not even break apart on impact. Our field rules require a minimum engagement distance of 20 feet, and the following chart (courtesy of “The Airsoft Trajectory Project”) shows that a 0.2g BB fired at 1.49J (400 FPS) has already lost around 40% of its kinetic after only 20 feet, which corresponds to ~320 FPS:

C) ConclusionIt is amazing how well-constructed biodegradable Bb’s are compared to their regular brethren. I can conclude that it is safe to use biodegradable Bb’s with mesh goggles if cer-tain brands are avoided -- in this case it is “ECOBB” made by PaldoSports. The only obvi-ous drawback of bio Bb’s at this point is their higher price.

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We are honored today to get the skinny on a great shop here in Western Washington straight from the Horses mouth. Mad Dawg paintball and airsoft is lo-cated in Stanwood at 8723 271st Street NW and run by Dale “Chief” Burt. Chief has really stepped up and sponsors a few teams and organizations in western Washington to help promote the sport of airsoft. So Chief how long have you owned Mad Dawg?I have actually been the owner of Mad Dawg since June 2004. From June 2004 through September 2009, I was partnered up with my brother. As of October 1st, 2009 I became the sole owner. What drove you to open your shop?Will make a long story short. In 1998 I contracted a viral infection to my heart where I was place in the Heart Transplant Group where I stayed basically for 13 months. I slowly, very slowly started to get a little better. It was an up/down battle for the next number of years. In February 2004, my brother invited me up to his place to try paint-ball. He has 8 acres out there so I went. We had to cross 4 of the acres to get to where he was playing paintball. Needless to say, I ended up stopping to rest 4 times before I could get to the field. After a month of going to play every Sunday, I was able to start crossing the field without resting. Hence, I saw the benefit for me. I continued to play for a couple of months before we decided to open the store. On June 1st, 2004, we opened.

I know that this is for an airsoft magazine but you carry some other products what are those?At first we started carrying paintball equipment only. For the first year and a half we had a room where people could shoot each other. Then the insurance company made us stop that. After a few months we started a lasertag room in December 2005 which is still going today.

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How big is your indoor laser tag? Tell us a little about it.The indoor lasertag room is approximately 30’x63’. We even have a web site for it. The web site is www.angrypuppylasertag.com. I put a slide show up there for people could see the room.

Do you have a Paintball or Airsoft outdoor field?My brother has the paintball field out on Camano Island. It is approximately 5 acres. It has a castle, great wall, barracks, etc built out there. Unfortunately, all I can tell you is his web site is www.maddawgfield.com So why did you start carrying airsoft products?In November 2009, I elected to start carrying the “Walmart” type of Airsoft. After a while I put up a big sign on the front of the building saying “AIRSOFT”. Well, little did I know it would start bringing the big boys of Airsoft. After talking with several of the players, I started researching all the Airsoft sites. Then I sent out applications for deal-ership with Spartan Imports, JAG Precision, AirsoftSD, Airsplat.com, and now, KWA which I am one of 5 dealers in the state.

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How has the addition of airsoft helped your business?It has boosted business quite a bit. As for how far as a ratio between paint-ball/Airsoft/lasertag, well, it is catching up with the paintball side of the store. Lasertag holds its own. What do you see as the future of air-soft in your store?With Airsoft, I see it to continue to grow with the more players know I am here. I have been able to meet any

and all requests for particular products. Like when I was typing this out, received a phone call regarding parts for a VSR 10 (which was brought to my attention by Soun-guru) which I do not have. Now I have a list I have to bring out and start researching again. This is another area which initially did not have much call for, but now that I have everything else for other airsofters I will make sure I have parts and guns for the snipers.

What is the largest segment of customers in your store? Are they experienced players or are they newer?The largest segment of our customers who do Airsoft are experienced players. Every now and then I start getting beginners who are working on becoming experienced play-ers.

How do you feel about special orders?I love special orders. I know there are some very happy customers. They call, I order, and they receive. Most of the special orders that I have received I have been able to get. There is that one or two that are not being made anymore or not carried by any of my wholesalers or distributors.

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Do you plan to continue to expand your airsoft lines? If so what are some of the products you hope to carry?As for continuing to expand, I plan to continue as long as the items sell. Sometimes I feel the Airsoft section is going to get bigger and better than the paintball section. If that is the case, I will swap their positions in the store. I know from my own experience in your store that your pricing is as good or better than ordering on the web. So what do you offer that no web store of-fers and why should people make the drive to come see you?Gosh, I suppose this is where I have to “brag” about myself. I am just a simple guy trying to stay alive in a business that is in a perpetual roller coaster ride. I think the first thing is customer service. That is number one in my books. I do not know of a cus-tomer who has come in and had a bad experience with customer service. The next item is product. I know there are items on the internet that I may not carry in the store but if it is a product which a customer wants, then I will carry it. I am the only store who carries Bitter End Goggles. The nice part about that is the customer can try on prior to buying.

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What do you feel sets you apart from other local shops?One, the local “Airsoft” stores are few and far between. Yes, you could go and buy your Bb’s from some of the big stores. I do not know of many stores that carry the upper end guns and parts. At my store, we are able to make repairs and/or upgrades. I carry a good number of parts for most Airsoft guns.

Any other information you would like your customers to know?Basically, I am here to help. If I do not know the answer, I will get it and get back to them. Thanks again Chief and thank you for being such a great sponsor of our sport in the Pacific N.W..

Please take the time to go out and meet Chief and see his store. I personally know him and all I have to say is a guy with the same last name is a winner in my book every time.

I met Corey Cooper or “Coop” as he iscommonly called at the first big event Iattended. I was there to take pictures not shoot plastic, but after half a day I hadto get in some gun time. Coop andthe other fellows from P.R.A.T. took a total noob under their wing and showed me a heck of a good time. We hit it off rightaway and the guys from P.R.A.T. are stillsome of my favorite folks to sit around acampfire with and swap war stories.

Coop has an interesting story to tell that I find to be a real inspiration, but we will get to that in a moment. So Coop how did you get into airsoft?

Anwser: Well William, I had paintballed a few times in the past and enjoyed it except for all the paint and residue left on the field witch made it very messy and slippery to run on. I had talked to other paint ballers and they suggested looking into a new similar sport called Air-soft. I searched online for videos, pictures, forums, and reviews on the sport airsoft. During my online search I came across a Meetup that was specific for airsofting in Washington. The team that hosted the site is called PRAT. I called the number linked with the site and went to a local airsoft store that is no longer open and functioning. The first two people I met from PRAT was Edwin Largo and Dan K. (Dank). Edwin and Dank were very helpful in telling me what I needed to get started with airsofting. I ended up purchasing some gear and equip-ment to get ready for my first Sunday of airsofting. My very first month of airsoft was Octo-ber of 2008 at our old Sea Tac Field. After my first Sunday of airsoft I had found my new and favorite sport and hobby. I was totally hooked and needed more.

So what is your preferred weapons, gear, what not?

Answer: Well I have a lot of weapons that I use for airsoft. I own at least eight airsoft guns to this day, but I would say my favorite ones would have to be the M4 models of airsoft. I own 3 different types and brands of M4s. I’ve owned a real AR Bushmaster since I was 21 along with a Glock 22 and Glock 27 both .40 cal. With my knowledge and experience with Glocks and my Bushmaster AR, I purchased a Jing Gong M4 S-system and a Jing Gong Glock replica of a Glock 23 .40 cal. I had several holsters that fit Glock .40 cals, and I have several accessories for my real AR that would fit on the rails of my airsoft M4 such as lights, lasers, and grips.

Have you always been a member of P.R.A.T.?

Answer: No, I was recruited just under two months of starting airsoft at Sea Tac. I was ap-proached by Tim S. (Fish), he said he talked to some of the guys and they wanted to extend a invite out to me to join the team PRAT. I loved the sport of airsoft so much I accepted the offer right there on the spot and became even more hooked to the sport of Airsoft.

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ovErComing diFFiCultiEs

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What is it about P.R.A.T. that you feel makes your team great?

Answer: Well ever since the age of 16 I have worked with several agencies that became a second family to me. When I joined Search and Rescue it was more then just a group of people that went out in harsh environments to help those in need. It was a second family. We trained together, we worked together, we suffered together, we spent our free time together, we partied together, and we even went out of our way to help each other. These events just so happen to repeat them selves with every Fire Dept. I have worked with and my airsoft team PRAT.

Once I joined PRAT I was noticing the same things taking place with my airsoft team as in the past with the emergency agencies I have worked with in the past. As a member of PRAT we spend our time training together, airsofting together, attending events together, spending our free time together, having parties, going camping, going on road trips, and simply just hanging out with one an other like a big happy family. Everything we have done together and how we treat one in other like another family to me, and that’s what makes me feel so great about my airsoft team PRAT.

Now you have had to overcome some major hurdles would you mind telling us about it?

Answer: Back in May of 2009, I moved to Philadelphia to live with my sister and seek a good job to pay off bills and work on my future. It was a major sacrifice to move away from some of my family and my airsoft family PRAT. What I didn’t know that the biggest sacrifice that would be made was the loss of my lower right leg just below the knee. I had been applying for jobs all month, lining up tests with local law enforcement agencies such as NYPD, and State Police of PA. I was enlisting with the Army Reserves and I had just got hired as a part timer with Bensalem Fire Dept. It had appeared that I was going to finally get a career going for myself and start making money and improving my future. One day I went to go see the movie “Land of the Lost.” On my way back from the movie I was hit by car exiting the freeway, going at high speeds, and running the light. The person and his pas-senger were traveling about 55mph in a 30mph. When they struck my motorcycle they had amputated my right leg on impact and forcing me off my motorcycle and sending me flying across four lanes of traffic to the other side of the road and my motorcycle tumbling to the center of the road.

As soon as I landed my training and instinct kicked in. I had to get off the road so I rolled over twice to get onto the side walk and asses the injury of my leg. I looked at my leg and it was a mess. My foot was facing a different direction that I wanted it to. No matter how much my brain was telling my leg to move, it wasn’t moving at all. My leg was hanging on by only a few tendons. By this time people had came out of their houses to my aid. I took my belt off and asked a guy to help get it around my leg and keep pressure on it to try to stop the bleed-ing.

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I was yelling for the person that hit me and his passenger and himself re-mained in their vehicle and would not come forward to me. I had another person at my side to run up the street one block to get my sister because my phone was smashed in my pocket and not functioning. As soon as the medics arrived I had told them what happened and that the pain was so severe, it was making it very difficult for me to focus and keep my eyes open. They back boarded me, placed me on the gurney, and lifted me into the back of the am-bulance. My sister had ran down to the ambulance and made it just in time to

get in the front seat. I was getting very tired and heard the medic request blood packs then everything went blank. It was said that I bleed out so much my heart stopped and they had to adrenaline my heart to get it to start beating again. I woke up right as we arrived at the ER and put to sleep for surgery. I woke up a day later in ICU missing the lower half of my right leg. I was killed on June 10th of 2009 at 715pm.

I then spent the entire summer in the hospital and in physical rehab. During my stay in the hospital I had received a package from my airsoft team PRAT. The packaged contained a PRAT t-shirt and a card with all the guys on the team that singed it how they wanted me to get better and move back home. With all the bad luck I had received on the East Coast I wanted to get better and move back to Washington. PRAT was a big part of my decision. These guys checked up on me from time to time and Rob (Shutter) even sent me PC games from his work at Microsoft to help me kill time until I healed up enough to move back home. As soon as I got my prosthetic in Fall my main motivation for walking again, was to airsoft again. I pictured myself running around the woods with my friends shooting people with air-soft guns again. I remembered all the great times I had with my team and couldn’t wait to get back home to relieve those experiences. As soon as I got back to Washington I was out there every Sunday with the team again. It wasn’t easy. I had to take little steps and the pain was unbelievable. I was getting so frustrat-ed from all the limitations I was running into. I couldn’t run or keep up with the guys. I always had to kneel down or sit to give my leg a break. I had to use a fore arm crutch and a cane to get around out there, but I wasn’t giving up. I slowly got stronger with time and physical therapy. To this day I can’t run but I can keep up with the guys and I get just as many kills as I did be-fore I got hit. I have had compliments like “damn Cooper, your pretty quiet for a gimp.” I may not be as fast as I use too out there in the field but at least I’m out there trying

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How has your leg changed you game style?

Answer: Well I am not as fast and can’t rush the other side like I use too, but I move slow and am more observant now. Being slower then I use too has forced me to take my time and I observe a lot more then I would if I was just running with tunnel vision on.

How long do you plan to continue playing airsoft?

Answer: Airsofting is a big part of my life so I plan on airsofting until I die or am killed again.

So Coop in closing do you have anything you want to say to those that have hurdles of their own to deal with not only in our sport but life?

Answer: Don’t let your limitations limit you. If there is something you want to do so badly, then do your best to complete those goals, or work towards completing those goals, and if you don’t succeed then try, try again.

Coop I really appreciate your time and friendship since I have gotten into airsoft. I hope to see you on the field again soon and get to spend some quality time around the bottle.... I mean campfire.”

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Well you have reached the end thank you for making it this far. I would have liked to see more content and actual reviews of guns and other gear but alas I only had so much to work

with.

So if you have guns or gear that you would like us to review or you would like to advertise in upcoming issues please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

Advertising runs:

$150 or $200 in product = full page ad$100 or $150 in product = 1/2 page ad$50 or $100 in product = 1/4 page ad

For the next issue we will be running a 2 for 1 special where you will get 2 ads for the price of 1.

Now if you are an aspiring writer/photographer please feel free to send in submissions for the next issue that is already being put together as we speak. We are shooting for 100 pages

next round.

We are looking for:

1 page write ups about your team with pictures and logosCool fictional stories about airsoft

ComicsFunny Ads

Gun reviewsGame Ideas

Tech tipsGear reviewsYour LoadoutsAction pictures

Airsoft related articlesPersonal/Team interviews (please contact us if you want to be interviewed)

Any other ideas you would like to see

We will need all content by no later than the last day in Feb. 2011.

Thank you:

W.A.R.T [email protected]