What I've been doing lately

[Mowgli1647545497]

Thanks for the IMs guys. Nice to pop in and say hi too. Here's the vids I promised, whats been taking my time and $:

 

Clips from Irene 3 (national event hosted at Ft Knox's MOUT site, Sept 05)

http://www.blackeagleairsoft.net/video/irene3/OPI3-768k.wmv

http://www.blackeagleairsoft.net/video/irene3/OPI3-2-high.mov

http://www.blackeagleairsoft.net/video/irene3/OPI3-Clip1.wmv

http://www.blackeagleairsoft.net/video/irene3/OPI3-Clip2.mov

 

Clips from Distant Horizon (local event hosted at Hubbard Ohio, Nov 19th 05)

http://www.blackeagleairsoft.net/video/distanthorizon/OPDH-768k.wmv

http://www.airsoftevents.com/images/events/Distant_horizon/OPDH.mpg

(I'm actually in that last one near the beginning for all of 2 seconds dragging my tired butt back to the town at the end of day - of course a firefight starts up...)

[Mojoe]

Good vids. I'm all confused though. At first it looked like some active duty unit training. Weapons were close, but not right, for U.S. forces(some of them). Now I think it's some high speed paint ball malitia. Details please.

[Jelloman4571647545499]

its airsoft going by the name of the links. are you on a team or squad of some sort?

 

makes me want to play some paintball.

[ttemper]

I dont understand the logic in spending 800+ on a fake AR-15 when you can spend 800 bucks and get the real thing. I did. Oh well, to each his own.

[JaSSon]

If you shoot someone with a real AR-15 you're gonig to jail.

[ttemper]

i shoot at coyotes

[Mowgli1647545497]

Koolaid - yeah its airsoft. I'm not on a team, but I play with a few at the events. Got invited to go to Irene with Team iP but couldn't due to a prior commitment. Wish I had. Played with Strikers, 6mm, 97th, 08eu, and a couple others. Yet to meet a bunch of guys that weren't good guys and had good sportsmenship. I tried paintball, but I couldn't get into the short ranges, inaccuracy, the mess, the jams, and those wacky looking tipmans. Plus the players just seem more mature. You should come out to some events, I'll bet you'll be a convert.

 

ttemper - Coyotes don't shoot back JK - Droptop's got it: I do it mainly because, well its fun. I did my real shooting in the military, so I'm over that, but if I want to fire off some real rounds I take the garand down to the range. This is for competitive kicks without consequence. You get out in nature, run around, get sweaty and dirty, excercise some teamwork, meet new and interesting people... then shoot them. Usually have a blast. Better than softball, baseball, flag or touch football, or the other dozen more typical ways to pass a weekend day, IMO. You ought to try it, you could use most if not all of your colt parts on an airsoft equivalent. For example, my ICS is a pound for pound, dimension for dimension replica of an actual M4. All of the real steel parts fit it. In fact I was at the recent gun and knife show over in westland shopping a cheekplate for it, and the dealers didn't know it wasn't real. You can't tell without tearing it down. So its not like you're running around with plastic toys or spaceguns (like those paintball thingamabobs with those giant ammo and air tanks on em, don't think I could warm up to that). Anyway - come out to one some time and I think you'd have fun.

 

If you're interested - Here's a page that lists local events:

http://www.airsoftevents.com

 

The Op Irene main page:

http://www.oplionclaws.com/irene/irene-home.php

 

The Irene event is hosted by Colonel Dan McKnight and others at Fort Knox and costs about $100-$150 admission for a two day event, which is typical for the bigger national events, but the local events are usually only $10-$20 per. Yeah, the gear can be expensive... I'm not going to say how much I've spent just in my first season, but its more than the exhaust, chip, CAI and tune was to put on the caddy...ugh... but thats because I'm stupid and prefer to do support gunning. But nevermind that - you can get a really decent setup for under $300 and after that the cost is only for bbs. Which are way less expensive than paintball ammo.

 

Couple pics of my gear:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-2/944597/gallery_9287_404_3915[1].jpg

One of just the guns without the mess, this is a Classic Army M249 MkII, an ICS M4, a KJW M92 Elite ia, and a TM P90 TR: ...those are dummy rounds - display value

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-2/944597/DSC01060s.JPG

And yeah, they all have a purpose The SAW is my typical weapon. I use the M4 as a field gun when support gunners aren't allowed. The P90 is for CQB, and the M92 elite ia is for when the SAW runs out of ammo. The box mag on the SAW holds 2,400 rounds. But I *have* run out in firefights. Aheh. My current record in one event I went thru almost 9,000 rounds... suppression at its finest.

 

For me - its a good way to get a workout. With all my gear on, if I'm doing support gunning (using the SAW), I'm carrying an extra 70-80lbs around. With an all-day event, thats burning some serious calories. I've lost 7-10lbs in one event, even eating and hydrating well all day, and thats not water-weight loss.

Here's one from Cold Toes over in Springfield in November. As you can see I'm taking a breather and its not even midafternoon yet, heh. But there's three others guys in this pic on my side so I can take a lazy moment (of course an event official catches me with a camera at it...).

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-2/944597/Hillslam_249.jpg

 

Smack em, yak em!

 

EDIT - fixed links

[Mojoe]

ok, I've done some reading now. I had never heard of airsoft. How do you know when you hit someone?

[88lx5oh]

pics dont work

[Mowgli1647545497]

Honor system. You either feel it or hear it. With a hot gun you FEEL it, catch my drift? You then call it out. And depending on the event rules or what the hosts doing you typically get out your "death rag" (a red rag, like a shop towel, just plop it on your head) and count your time to respawn. Like so: http://www.blackeagleairsoft.net/photos/distanthorizon/uvs051121-030.BMP

Typically 5 minutes. Then you hump back to a base and respawn. Unless a medic gets to you first. Depends on the event.

[Mowgli1647545497]

pics dont work

Fixed - sorry. Forgot you had to register with Arnies to view albums.

 

They're in my villagephoto album now. Not alot of bandwidth, but should be ok.

[Mr. Jones]

What kind of FPS do these rifles fire out at?

 

I"ve been hit at a 15-20ft by a 320fps airsoft and barely felt it with double lined ski pants on ?

 

It looks like you guys are wearing some pretty thick clothing and along with the running and the such?

[Mowgli1647545497]

fps and minimum engagement distances depend on the event host, but in ohio typically they are:

 

(FPS measured with 0.2 gram BBs):

 

0-350fps (1.14 joules): Full Auto, no minimum engagement distance.

350-399fps (1.48 joules): Full Auto, 25' minimum engagement distance.

400-449fps (1.87 joules): Semi Auto only, 50' minimum engagement distance.

450-500fps (2.32 joules): Semi Auto only, 75' minimum engagemnet distance.

 

These are plastic bb's and only .2g to .3g so with any degree of clothing on it won't hurt. But I've been hit in the face at probably 20yards and it left a welt for a couple days - not sure what fps the gun was but it was hot. Regardless - you hear em hit unless its REALLY noisy. My 249 is noisy... but even so I know when I've been hit unless it gets me in the back of the vest where my camelback is and I'm firing at the same time. Then I might not notice it.

 

There's no joules limit legally in the US, persay, but all events follow the above common table. In the UK there's a 1joule limit, legally. Other places... eh... In Hong Kong and Norway, though, for example - no limit. Those insane people are playing upwards of 600fps and above. At that energy they're embedding in your skin. Ouch. Now to put that in perspective though, a real steel M4A1 Carbine firing your standard nato 5.56 round has a muzzle energy of about 1500joules at 2900fps with a 4.0g round. So - while you MUST have eye protection, it really is a safe sport.

 

Yeah Mojoe I had never heard of airsoft at all until someone else pointed me to it. Its like this whole underground sport plus cottage industry. But once you dig in you'll find its big. Funny too, since its almost entirely under the radar. But in Ohio alone there's at least a dozen dedicated event fields, and there are at least a half dozen national events held annually that are huge.

[street pilot]

The nice part about airsoft is you can play indoors. Urban settings are fun.

 

Other than that, paintball works for me.

[Mowgli1647545497]

I can see where paintball would be fun. Making a mess of your opponent has its draw, I can see that. Heh heh. But come out to an outdoor airsoft event with like 100 participants (the usual ones around here make at least 20 per side easy) and some folks sporting some real hardware and I bet you have a blast. The ones hosted by AirsoftArms, 10ringAirsoft, CombatDepot, Strikers, or the 08eu usually have rental gear available that is not shabby at all.

[Mojoe]

Mowgli, you have PM.

[stealthmonkey]

this is what he has been doing. http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20478

[Jelloman4571647545499]

i have tried a little airsoft before it was alright but i have been paintballing for about 5 years now and i cant get away from it. its a lot of fun, but sportsmanship is rare with tournament players. I have been on a couple teams where the players were couple assholes after getting tagged for their mistake. i like the honor system theory but it is just easier to be honest with a orange splat on someone goggles.

 

we should get a CR game started.

[Mitch]

Paintball Ohio on sawmill is within walking distance of my place. anyone know if they stock an assortment of softair guns of better quality than galyans, which are mostly the spring loaded type?

[SPLN SUX]

Koolaid - I tried paintball, but I couldn't get into the short ranges, inaccuracy, the mess, the jams, and those wacky looking tipmans. Plus the players just seem more mature.

 

Ill agree with you on the maturity part... back in the late 90's when i played, we were all pretty crazy and extremely vendictive during games. I got into Speedball... an indoor 100ftx100ft square with up 20 people in it. We played full autogames @ about 370fps. I tried airsoft... but it was just too open and almost felt easy to me. Its like Will Smith says in BAD BOYS, "Na, this is where its at... POINT BLANK, up close and personal."

 

I think youda had more fun if you would have had a better gun too... Tippmans are garbage to begin with, just like a autococker that isnt timed right(anyone whos owns a older 'cocker knows what im talking about). You should have gone with something like a base Kingman Spyder (very inexspensive) and dumped a couple hundred in parts into it. Theyre like Glocks... theyll shoot no matter what. I dropped one in the sand and picked it right up and it fired like a champ. Theyll shoot in the watter too.

 

Of course the paint breaks do suck, but there are LEGAL tricks to help clear paint. Me and my guys used to soak our barrels in Rain-X over night and then if a ball broke, you just tiltted the barrel down and shot once and all the paint was clear... like it never happend. We tried ptting baby powder in the hoppers too... turns out thats illegal but for tournament play but it works too.

 

The inaccuracy has to do with the paint you buy. If you buy like Brass Eagle paint, shit is going to break 10-15% of the time and its going to go everywhere because the casing isnt perfectly round... mostly do to packaging, they get little dimpples in them. Better stuff like Marblizer is good paint, a little more costly but the breaks plumit and the accuracy sky rockets. Now we played with ProBall Platinum back then... about $90 for 1500 rounds. That shit had about a 1% chance of breaking if not less, and shot strait as shit.

 

The longer you play, the easier it gets to both prevent, and deal with the shit parts of it.

[Mowgli1647545497]

Paintball Ohio on sawmill is within walking distance of my place. anyone know if they stock an assortment of softair guns of better quality than galyans, which are mostly the spring loaded type?

Don't know about Paintball Ohio, but I can say the equipment at sportinggoods stores is crap, and since I've never seen PO advertising or mentioned in any of the airsoft venues or sites I'm going to bet they carry the same level of crap airsoft equipment you'd find at DicksportingGoods, etc.

 

Try here:

http://www.airsoftsmith.com

 

Or if you want to drive

http://www.airsoftarms.com

 

I tried airsoft... but it was just too open and almost felt easy to me...

Come to a Strikers or AirsoftArms or 08eu hosted event sometime. I'm sure it changes your mind.

 

Paintball could be fun I won't argue, even with its lower range and accuracy. But for me, when its between this:

http://www.docsmachine.com/galleries/ironstand.jpg

and this:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-2/944597/My249_smallpic.jpg

?

Well, for me, thats sorta like choosing between Sandra Bernhart and Pamela Lee.

[Mowgli1647545497]

Mowgli, you have PM.

Hmm, its not showing up in my box. But it may be acting flakey. Now all I have are 15 old stored messages but no new. And the little Welcome box on the top right says I have 1 total. So I'm not sure whats up there. You can email me at hillslam@hotmail.com

[nismo]

I can see where paintball would be fun. Making a mess of your opponent has its draw, I can see that. Heh heh. But come out to an outdoor airsoft event with like 100 participants (the usual ones around here make at least 20 per side easy) and some folks sporting some real hardware and I bet you have a blast. The ones hosted by AirsoftArms, 10ringAirsoft, CombatDepot, Strikers, or the 08eu usually have rental gear available that is not shabby at all.

They have big paintball events like that also, well I never seen any real tanks but very much the same. I got out of p-ball due to it getting alittle too expense to stay competitive at tourneys. In one year I had alittle over 3k in two guns and gear, not counting the p-balls themselfs which at that time were around 60-80 dollars a box and at some tourneys I would go through multipal boxes. yeah that got old

[Mowgli1647545497]

Yeah thats pricey. Airsoft 6mm bbs - good brand high quality will run you about $10 for a bag of 4,000 at .2g or $12 for a bag 3,000 at .25g. For $300-$400 you can be completely competitive in airsoft in terms of a weapon, and after that initial investment, the recurring costs are, well, the bbs. Unless you count charging a battery at your house.

 

I didn't think there were any pball events on the scale of those airsoft events hosted by the Army - Colonel Danny (blackhawk down) McKnight and MSG Mullen - at the Army's very own Ft Knox MOUT site, with all the trimmings. Irene I, II, and III: real tanks, APCs, army personel roleplaying indigenous civillians, real machinegun fire (blank rounds, but the noise is bigtime), technicals driving around, real helo crash sites, pyrotechnics, RPGs, etc. From all accounts they are unreal. I'll be there next year - still kicking myself for not working out a way to get free to go last fall.

[Orion]

man, this looks freakin cool!