Monday, October 29, 2007
Airsoft Club Lobbies USG For Practice Area
The Airsoft Club's proposal to acquire a playing field and funding for the student organization 'A Completely Different Note' were debated at last night's USG meeting.
Airsoft guns are similar to BB guns except instead of the metal BBs, theyuse small, plastic pellets.
Kevin Evringham, a 5th-semester international relations major who is the Airsoft Club's spokesperson as well as a commuter senator, told the Senate the club does not currently have a place to play on campus. He stressed that if land were obtained, student involvement in the club would increase. Presently, the club travels off campus to a field, which is expensive.
Evringham is looking to obtain a 2-acre piece of land behind Horsebarn Hill. The Airsoft Club will post signs to warn people of the activity that would take place in the woods, as well as use caution tape to post boundaries of where the club would practice on Sundays.
"Safety is a big concern of ours," Evringham said.
UConn Police would be informed every time the Airsoft Club practices, for safety reasons. In addition, members of the club would be required to wear safety goggles, which the group hopes USG will fund.
Another funding topic debated funding for a cappella group, A Different Note. This would allow the club to produce a CD that was debated for a second week.
Discussed were liability issues, including intellectual property rights that would arise after the group made the CD, as well as the large amount of funding - $9,500 - that the group was asking for.
USG decided to postpone the funding decision until further information regarding the legal liability and legal rights of the CD were discussed.
USG President Ryan McHardy said he was impressed with the Safety Walk that took place last week with President Hogan.
The event was a success and was the best response that USG has had for a safety walk on campus, according to Senator Meghan Perrone.
Six new Senate members were sworn in Wednesday. Two new committees were also discussed: the University Signage Committee, which deals with the signs around campus, and the University Security Committee, responsible for cameras and other security measures on campus.
In addition, the Senate approved funding for 28 student organizations on campus, for a total of $59,667.78.
Airsoft guns are similar to BB guns except instead of the metal BBs, theyuse small, plastic pellets.
Kevin Evringham, a 5th-semester international relations major who is the Airsoft Club's spokesperson as well as a commuter senator, told the Senate the club does not currently have a place to play on campus. He stressed that if land were obtained, student involvement in the club would increase. Presently, the club travels off campus to a field, which is expensive.
Evringham is looking to obtain a 2-acre piece of land behind Horsebarn Hill. The Airsoft Club will post signs to warn people of the activity that would take place in the woods, as well as use caution tape to post boundaries of where the club would practice on Sundays.
"Safety is a big concern of ours," Evringham said.
UConn Police would be informed every time the Airsoft Club practices, for safety reasons. In addition, members of the club would be required to wear safety goggles, which the group hopes USG will fund.
Another funding topic debated funding for a cappella group, A Different Note. This would allow the club to produce a CD that was debated for a second week.
Discussed were liability issues, including intellectual property rights that would arise after the group made the CD, as well as the large amount of funding - $9,500 - that the group was asking for.
USG decided to postpone the funding decision until further information regarding the legal liability and legal rights of the CD were discussed.
USG President Ryan McHardy said he was impressed with the Safety Walk that took place last week with President Hogan.
The event was a success and was the best response that USG has had for a safety walk on campus, according to Senator Meghan Perrone.
Six new Senate members were sworn in Wednesday. Two new committees were also discussed: the University Signage Committee, which deals with the signs around campus, and the University Security Committee, responsible for cameras and other security measures on campus.
In addition, the Senate approved funding for 28 student organizations on campus, for a total of $59,667.78.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Airsoft Safety Glasses - How Valuable Is Your Eyesight
The collecting and use of airsoft guns is becoming a more popular hobby each and every day. These guns offer a high speed extreme hobby that’s enjoyed by thousands of people all over the world - with more getting hooked all the time. You can take part in backyard target shooting (also known as plinking) using old tin cans or even custom made airsoft targets. You’re not just limited to firing airsoft plastic bbs however. Your airsoft gun can also be filled with airsoft paintball pellets so you can take paintball to the next level - going full auto with replica assault rifles and handguns.One note of warning - never get involved in any type of airsoft wargame unless you’re wearing proper eye protection. This is true of paintball and equally true of airsoft.An airsoft gun fires a plastic bb at speeds of anywhere from 180 feet per second to well over 300 feet per second. The actual speed will depend on the type of firing system your gun has; with gas and spring generally being the most powerful. Being hit by one of these bbs on exposed skin at these speeds definitely hurts and at close enough range can be powerful enough to leave quite a nasty bruise. I’ve been shot with a gas powered Desert Eagle from a range of about 25 feet. The pellet hit me in the upper body through a t-shirt but still left a large bruise and it really, really hurt when it hit me. If that same bb had hit me in the eye there’s a strong chance it would have blinded me. The lack of care and protection in this situation could have cost me part of my eyesight.Airsoft guns are classed as toys but the speed they fire bbs at puts them in the category of toys requiring supervision and caution. Even if you’re firing your airsoft gun indoors you still need to take proper precautions and wear protective glasses. BBs can ricochet around a room very quickly and you’ll never see them coming back at you until it’s too late.Does wearing safety glasses or a protective mask take away from the freedom people see in airsoft as a hobby? Some people feel it does. If you look at it another way by wearing proper protective eyewear you can engage in the most intense airsoft battles imaginable without having to worry about any serious injury.So how much does protecting your eyesight cost? From as little as $10 you can make sure you can enjoy airsoft to the full. Surely your eyesight is worth $10? Right?AirsoftDude provided this article for your reading pleasure. If you want to know more about airsoft safety eyewear and glasses and cheap airsoft guns.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
DBOYS AKS-74U AEG Airsoft Gun Review
I had me a beautiful red box… And I know my AK is in there. I opened the box and AKS-74U was in front of me! I love this gun!! The gun is not too reflective; as what I have read in the forums. I put the gun in the chrono and… I got 390 - 393 FPS, which is great!
Externals
This is a really beautiful AK. The weight is just right, the receivers seem very sturdy, the wood handguard is great bonus, and the folding stock is really solid as well. One of the best thing that I loved about this gun is the quality of the externals. It’s awesome! Zero wobbling, completely rock solid construction, and still is not overly heavy.
Internals
The gear box uses 7mm metal bushings. The first thing I saw in the gear box was the 7mm nylon bushings, and an ALUMINUM PISTON HEAD.
I had a small problem with the HOP chamber, whenever I fire BB's are going everywhere!! Grouping was horible! I replaced the HOP Up rubber, and the problem wouldn’t go away. I then realized that the HOP Chamber is too tight for the hop rubber, so I just sand-papered the inner part of the chamber and put it all together again; it worked like a charm. Other than the HOP Chamber problem, everything else is fine.
Symptoms of the hop chamber problem:
1.) Inconsistent FPS
2.) The sound is too loud when you fire (air leaks)
3.) Very very weak FPS combined with straying bbs.
Accuracy:
THIS IS A VERY VERY ACURATE GUN with respect to the barrel length. I can hit the center of a power post in over 50 meters, time after time. I am confident that I could still hit it in about 70 meters. I was amazed because it’s even more accurate than my old JG Spetz with a 6.03 x 270 tight barrel. It’s more accurate than my old JG G36c as well.
Magazine compatibility
I have a cyma slr mag and it works perfectly in my aksu. I just shaved a milimeter or two on the tab where the mag locks on with the mag catch.
Conclusion:
This gun is well worth my money. It’s well worth your money as well!!! This is my 5th gun since I started playing airsoft last february, and I could say that this is a really really beautiful gun. The externals are made from STAMPED STEEL, it’s obviously more durable than cast alloy. I was planning to get the cyma last week, but when I saw the dboys aksu on the market I quickly grabbed one.
Chrono: 390 - 393 fps
Accuracy: Very accurate
Feeding: Good
Magazine: Good
Externals: Excellent
Internals: Good (except for the hop chamber)
Price/Performance: 10/10
Stock Gun overall: 9/10 (the hop chamber let it down, you can fix it anyway)
Externals
This is a really beautiful AK. The weight is just right, the receivers seem very sturdy, the wood handguard is great bonus, and the folding stock is really solid as well. One of the best thing that I loved about this gun is the quality of the externals. It’s awesome! Zero wobbling, completely rock solid construction, and still is not overly heavy.
Internals
The gear box uses 7mm metal bushings. The first thing I saw in the gear box was the 7mm nylon bushings, and an ALUMINUM PISTON HEAD.
I had a small problem with the HOP chamber, whenever I fire BB's are going everywhere!! Grouping was horible! I replaced the HOP Up rubber, and the problem wouldn’t go away. I then realized that the HOP Chamber is too tight for the hop rubber, so I just sand-papered the inner part of the chamber and put it all together again; it worked like a charm. Other than the HOP Chamber problem, everything else is fine.
Symptoms of the hop chamber problem:
1.) Inconsistent FPS
2.) The sound is too loud when you fire (air leaks)
3.) Very very weak FPS combined with straying bbs.
Accuracy:
THIS IS A VERY VERY ACURATE GUN with respect to the barrel length. I can hit the center of a power post in over 50 meters, time after time. I am confident that I could still hit it in about 70 meters. I was amazed because it’s even more accurate than my old JG Spetz with a 6.03 x 270 tight barrel. It’s more accurate than my old JG G36c as well.
Magazine compatibility
I have a cyma slr mag and it works perfectly in my aksu. I just shaved a milimeter or two on the tab where the mag locks on with the mag catch.
Conclusion:
This gun is well worth my money. It’s well worth your money as well!!! This is my 5th gun since I started playing airsoft last february, and I could say that this is a really really beautiful gun. The externals are made from STAMPED STEEL, it’s obviously more durable than cast alloy. I was planning to get the cyma last week, but when I saw the dboys aksu on the market I quickly grabbed one.
Chrono: 390 - 393 fps
Accuracy: Very accurate
Feeding: Good
Magazine: Good
Externals: Excellent
Internals: Good (except for the hop chamber)
Price/Performance: 10/10
Stock Gun overall: 9/10 (the hop chamber let it down, you can fix it anyway)
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Airsoft takes military games to new level
If you ever saw a South Carolina Airsoft Association game without knowing it was a game, you might think you’d been planted in the middle of a combat zone. The fact is, you really are � but the bullets are actually 6mm BBs.
Airsoft is a combat sport in which players use replica firearms and police or military equipment to satisfy certain missions and eliminate each other from games. BBs are used for ammunition, providing participants with an outlet to essentially shoot each other without serious, or really much injury at all.
Much like paintball, airsoft thrives on the ability to engage in live combat. According to Kyle Chanko, a representative with the S.C. Airsoft Association and Lander student, the sport got its start in Japan, where the residents are mostly unable to purchase firearms.
And while people in Japan were firing BBs, America was catching on to paintball.
But not all Americans desired a paintball gun in their hand. Some, like those in the S.C. Airsoft Association, wanted the feel of a real weapon.
The South Carolina Airsoft Association started in 2005 with only a handful of members. Today the group has between 450 and 500 active members, said representative Mark Wagner, who has prior military experience.
Chanko said the sport was mostly unknown in South Carolina until two years ago. However, after meeting with a Clemson student, Chanko and other interested persons put a game together in Woodruff in 2005.
Chanko said about 14 people showed up, which was a huge turnout for the group.
“From there it just grew,” he said of the organization that now has about two games a month. “It has grown fast. On average there’s about 40 new members a month.”
Those members come because of the nature of the game, which can be quite exhilarating.
“It’s fast paced, there is a lot of action going on,” Wagner said. “Most people come to it from having some experience from paintball. There’s a very different atmosphere, which is not as competitive, and guns that look like real weapons.”
Representative Jonathan Hamrick, who is active duty military, said the appeal for him is working with a team.
“I like the teamwork aspect. That’s probably the most unique thing about it. In airsoft it really takes a team effort.”
Sometimes that team effort can be quite a challenge. This isn’t necessarily your five-on-five game.
“It’s not unusual, if well publicized, for 125 people to show up,” Wagner said. “We need a big chunk of territory. We’re going to use the whole thing.”
Most times, that “whole thing” will consist of 40 to 60 acres, where the game can be played legally and the public won’t see a group of armed men aiming rifles at each other.
But how do you organize a game across that many acres on challenging terrain?
Chanko said an 8:30 to 9 a.m. safety and rules briefing occurs before the game begins. Depending on certain scenarios, games may last an hour, two hours or even longer. Hamrick said combat may even take all day, as it did one day when members gathered to play for 10 hours.
“It was very tiring,” he said. “We set aside 12 hours to play and called it early after 10.”
During these longer games, pellets that do make contact with players don’t necessarily end their game.
Wagner said depending on the game type, players can be healed by a medic a specified number of times or report back into the game as reinforcement.
And, because BBs are shot as ammo, players don’t need a real medic at all.
“It depends where you get hit, but on average getting hit with a paintball hurts much worse,” Chanko said. “The game is on an honor system because you are hit by a BB that doesn’t leave a mark like a paintball. It requires a more mature player base.”
And even though it might hurt less than paintball, rules are in place to ensure safety is a prime factor.
“It stings, but we have engagement distances and limits on how fast they can be shot,” Wagner said.
“A brand-new gun, upgraded shooting can be around 280 feet per second to 350 feet per second,” said Hamrick, who usually carries a rifle and a pistol during the game. “You can see where the BB is firing. At distances set for safety you can hear it rather than feel it. There are guns that are upgraded to shoot a lot harder. That gives you increased accuracy.”
Hamrick said eye goggles are mandatory in the state when playing, but a full mask is not. If anything gets hurt, Hamrick said it won’t necessarily be an injury to the body.
“I think some pride might get hurt out there,” Hamrick said.
Representatives also said players’ checkbooks won’t take as much of a hit as in paintball because BBs are cheaper than paintballs.
“The initial cost is similar, but the ongoing cost is paint, verses BBs that are dirt cheap,” Wagner said.
“The buy-in’s generally more expensive than paintball, but the overall cost is a whole lot less, which is really appealing for new players,” Chanko said.
Apparently the sport has appealed to people of all ages and vocations.
“We have players (male and female) as young as 6 playing with their fathers, two people in their 50s playing, ex-military, law enforcement, active duty military, school teachers, college students, high school students � really anyone who likes to get out there and have fun,” Chanko said.
To get more people to events, Chanko said the sport is being advertised more and more through word of mouth, as well as the Web site scairsoft.com
“A lot of the younger kids, they see airsoft online, and they get involved and want to take that feel to a real world setting. It takes one person who has played airsoft to make that contribution,” Hamrick said.
“They’ll get on the Web site, see it’s professionally put together and that we have a good player base, they’ll come to a game and they’ll get hooked,” Chanko said.
Once hooked, players can participate in games all across the state, with four to five serious teams in the association.
Chanko said he expects the game to continue to catch on as more people engage in combat.
It’s fun; it’s mentally challenging; it’s definitely exercise; you get people out of the house, and it’s a good way to meet people that you wouldn’t normally meet. As long as that stays true and we do our job, I think it should keep growing.”
“We’re always looking for new members to come out and have fun,” Chanko said. “It doesn’t matter really how old you are. It goes by maturity level. “
Airsoft is a combat sport in which players use replica firearms and police or military equipment to satisfy certain missions and eliminate each other from games. BBs are used for ammunition, providing participants with an outlet to essentially shoot each other without serious, or really much injury at all.
Much like paintball, airsoft thrives on the ability to engage in live combat. According to Kyle Chanko, a representative with the S.C. Airsoft Association and Lander student, the sport got its start in Japan, where the residents are mostly unable to purchase firearms.
And while people in Japan were firing BBs, America was catching on to paintball.
But not all Americans desired a paintball gun in their hand. Some, like those in the S.C. Airsoft Association, wanted the feel of a real weapon.
The South Carolina Airsoft Association started in 2005 with only a handful of members. Today the group has between 450 and 500 active members, said representative Mark Wagner, who has prior military experience.
Chanko said the sport was mostly unknown in South Carolina until two years ago. However, after meeting with a Clemson student, Chanko and other interested persons put a game together in Woodruff in 2005.
Chanko said about 14 people showed up, which was a huge turnout for the group.
“From there it just grew,” he said of the organization that now has about two games a month. “It has grown fast. On average there’s about 40 new members a month.”
Those members come because of the nature of the game, which can be quite exhilarating.
“It’s fast paced, there is a lot of action going on,” Wagner said. “Most people come to it from having some experience from paintball. There’s a very different atmosphere, which is not as competitive, and guns that look like real weapons.”
Representative Jonathan Hamrick, who is active duty military, said the appeal for him is working with a team.
“I like the teamwork aspect. That’s probably the most unique thing about it. In airsoft it really takes a team effort.”
Sometimes that team effort can be quite a challenge. This isn’t necessarily your five-on-five game.
“It’s not unusual, if well publicized, for 125 people to show up,” Wagner said. “We need a big chunk of territory. We’re going to use the whole thing.”
Most times, that “whole thing” will consist of 40 to 60 acres, where the game can be played legally and the public won’t see a group of armed men aiming rifles at each other.
But how do you organize a game across that many acres on challenging terrain?
Chanko said an 8:30 to 9 a.m. safety and rules briefing occurs before the game begins. Depending on certain scenarios, games may last an hour, two hours or even longer. Hamrick said combat may even take all day, as it did one day when members gathered to play for 10 hours.
“It was very tiring,” he said. “We set aside 12 hours to play and called it early after 10.”
During these longer games, pellets that do make contact with players don’t necessarily end their game.
Wagner said depending on the game type, players can be healed by a medic a specified number of times or report back into the game as reinforcement.
And, because BBs are shot as ammo, players don’t need a real medic at all.
“It depends where you get hit, but on average getting hit with a paintball hurts much worse,” Chanko said. “The game is on an honor system because you are hit by a BB that doesn’t leave a mark like a paintball. It requires a more mature player base.”
And even though it might hurt less than paintball, rules are in place to ensure safety is a prime factor.
“It stings, but we have engagement distances and limits on how fast they can be shot,” Wagner said.
“A brand-new gun, upgraded shooting can be around 280 feet per second to 350 feet per second,” said Hamrick, who usually carries a rifle and a pistol during the game. “You can see where the BB is firing. At distances set for safety you can hear it rather than feel it. There are guns that are upgraded to shoot a lot harder. That gives you increased accuracy.”
Hamrick said eye goggles are mandatory in the state when playing, but a full mask is not. If anything gets hurt, Hamrick said it won’t necessarily be an injury to the body.
“I think some pride might get hurt out there,” Hamrick said.
Representatives also said players’ checkbooks won’t take as much of a hit as in paintball because BBs are cheaper than paintballs.
“The initial cost is similar, but the ongoing cost is paint, verses BBs that are dirt cheap,” Wagner said.
“The buy-in’s generally more expensive than paintball, but the overall cost is a whole lot less, which is really appealing for new players,” Chanko said.
Apparently the sport has appealed to people of all ages and vocations.
“We have players (male and female) as young as 6 playing with their fathers, two people in their 50s playing, ex-military, law enforcement, active duty military, school teachers, college students, high school students � really anyone who likes to get out there and have fun,” Chanko said.
To get more people to events, Chanko said the sport is being advertised more and more through word of mouth, as well as the Web site scairsoft.com
“A lot of the younger kids, they see airsoft online, and they get involved and want to take that feel to a real world setting. It takes one person who has played airsoft to make that contribution,” Hamrick said.
“They’ll get on the Web site, see it’s professionally put together and that we have a good player base, they’ll come to a game and they’ll get hooked,” Chanko said.
Once hooked, players can participate in games all across the state, with four to five serious teams in the association.
Chanko said he expects the game to continue to catch on as more people engage in combat.
It’s fun; it’s mentally challenging; it’s definitely exercise; you get people out of the house, and it’s a good way to meet people that you wouldn’t normally meet. As long as that stays true and we do our job, I think it should keep growing.”
“We’re always looking for new members to come out and have fun,” Chanko said. “It doesn’t matter really how old you are. It goes by maturity level. “
Look-alike guns called airsoft guns getting real attention
MASON CITY — Police dispatchers sent officers to Prairie Playground at East Park recently after receiving a report that several young people had gathered and some were carrying guns.
When police arrived, they found older teens, shooting at each other with Airsoft guns.
Mason City code prevents the firing of weapons, or look-alikes that project a bullet or missile. Owning them is legal, shooting them isn’t.
“Basically, it was a harmless game,” said Capt. Mike McKelvey. “It happens occasionally. We inform them that there is a city code against shooting the look-alikes.”
The look-alikes are getting a lot of attention from both law enforcement and people in the court system.
Cerro Gordo County Attorney Carlyle Dalen said the guns present “risky and dangerous” situations, even though they’re legal to own.
“Officers find them under car seats, or involved in incidents where they’re used to intimidate others,” Dalen said. “And they’re taking it very seriously.”
Neither McKelvey nor Dalen could say if one of the look alikes has been used in the commission of a crime.
“If officers, or people being intimidated, believe you’re using deadly force,” Dalen said, “they’re going to respond accordingly.”
When police arrived, they found older teens, shooting at each other with Airsoft guns.
Mason City code prevents the firing of weapons, or look-alikes that project a bullet or missile. Owning them is legal, shooting them isn’t.
“Basically, it was a harmless game,” said Capt. Mike McKelvey. “It happens occasionally. We inform them that there is a city code against shooting the look-alikes.”
The look-alikes are getting a lot of attention from both law enforcement and people in the court system.
Cerro Gordo County Attorney Carlyle Dalen said the guns present “risky and dangerous” situations, even though they’re legal to own.
“Officers find them under car seats, or involved in incidents where they’re used to intimidate others,” Dalen said. “And they’re taking it very seriously.”
Neither McKelvey nor Dalen could say if one of the look alikes has been used in the commission of a crime.
“If officers, or people being intimidated, believe you’re using deadly force,” Dalen said, “they’re going to respond accordingly.”
Expelled high school student for airsoft guns permitted to return for final year in Bethel Park
The family of Tyler Stay has reached an agreement with the Bethel Park School District that will allow him to finish his senior year at the high school.
Tyler had been suspended, then expelled, as the result of an incident last April. After some magnesium tape went missing from a school lab, he was singled out and a search of his car on school property yielded two unassembled Airsoft pistols that shoot plastic pellets in sporting games, plus a saw used for cutting drywall.
Another student reportedly confessed to the tape theft later.
Bethel Park has a zero-tolerance policy concerning students possessing items deemed harmful.
The Stay family was granted a motion by the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas that allowed their son to attend school when classes began Sept. 4.
"Tyler is, and has been, a student at Bethel Park, enjoying all the entitlements all students have, since the first day of school," said Bill Clifford, attorney for the Stay family.
Michael Brungo, school solicitor, did not return phone calls.
Tyler had been suspended, then expelled, as the result of an incident last April. After some magnesium tape went missing from a school lab, he was singled out and a search of his car on school property yielded two unassembled Airsoft pistols that shoot plastic pellets in sporting games, plus a saw used for cutting drywall.
Another student reportedly confessed to the tape theft later.
Bethel Park has a zero-tolerance policy concerning students possessing items deemed harmful.
The Stay family was granted a motion by the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas that allowed their son to attend school when classes began Sept. 4.
"Tyler is, and has been, a student at Bethel Park, enjoying all the entitlements all students have, since the first day of school," said Bill Clifford, attorney for the Stay family.
Michael Brungo, school solicitor, did not return phone calls.
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