Paintball Halloween Costumes

Going out to play tomorrow? Why not have a bit of fun and make yourself a Halloween costume to play in.

Zombie

A participant in the annual Ottawa Zombie Walk

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from Grey Ops! Have fun playing paintball/partying this weekend, and stay safe. Let's bring in No Money November with a bang!

Laser Tag on a Whole New Level

Originally reported on Tactical Life.



Infrared laser based training tools have been reported on by Grey Ops before, but this product is a bit of a departure from that. While not currently usable for force on force training (although I don't see why it couldn't be), the SureStrike Laser Training system is a cool drop-in for real firearms that allows them to emit a laser beam upon dry firing. While that does hold awesome milsim possibilities, I suppose I would feel uneasy with someone dry firing a supposedly empty 12 gauge at me.

Spotlight on the Helikon Combat Shirt

A couple of people at Return to Craig 2.0 were asking me about a combat shirt I was wearing that day, so I decided to post a quick review of it.

The Helikon-Tex combat shirt is a replica of the Crye Precision Combat Shirt AC, which retails for $180 USD with the elbow pads included. In contrast, I was able to pick up Helikon's replica on eBay (from seller hwesta.eu) for $63 USD shipped.

The combat shirt is a relatively new concept in BDUs, invented and recently patented by Crye. It combines BDU-style sleeves with an Under Armour-style, moisture-wicking material over the torso portion. This allows a soldier to stay cooler under a tactical vest or plate carrier, which is a Godsend in arid theaters of operation. For added measure, Crye designed the shirt to hold removable foam elbow pads, with hard plastic caps on the outside for additional protection. Here's a diagram:


While the external plastic caps on the Crye elbow pads are smooth, Helikon uses an elbow pad with ribbing on it, as extra protection against slippage.


This design was "appropriated" from another company making the elbow pads for their own combat shirt, OPS:


Pros and Cons

Anyone who's every played a full day of paintball in a tactical vest knows how badly you can sweat under one. Even wearing a vest with a mesh base can still trap enough heat to turn your torso into a soaked, sweaty mess. In July heat, it's almost enough to make you want to ditch the vest and throw on a speedball jersey, and run and gun with the tank on your gun!

A combat shirt helps out very nicely with this sweating problem. The lighter, moisture-wicking fabric tends to do a good job at pulling the sweat away from your body and into the material, were it can evaporate easily. Not only that, but the fabric is extremely soft, and prevents chafing that can occur under the weight of a loaded vest.

The high-neck collar on the shirt keeps a sling from digging into your neck, and even provides a measure of protection from paintball hits to that area. The built-in elbow pads are great for going prone, or for crawling under fire.

That being said, there are a couple of things that need to be mentioned about this garment. First, the light material on the torso can be fragile, so the shirt needs to be machine-washed on the delicates setting. This light fabric also won't take away any of the sting from a paintball hit like tougher BDU fabric, so if you throw your arm up to call yourself out and the balls keep coming in, you may be in for some pain when you get hit in that tender underarm area (trust me, I should know!). Lastly, you need to protect the light fabric from contact with the rough side of Velcro, as that can stick to the fabric and leave scuff marks when you "rip" it off.


Final Thoughts

The Helikon combat shirt is a good airsoft-grade replica of a great concept by Crye Precision. Its affordability and usefulness in the summer heat make it a fantastic piece of equipment to add to your loadout.


(At this time, aside from hwesta.eu, the only Internet retailer I've found for this product is Military 1st).

Editor (Connor)'s Note (November 2nd 2011): Crypsis now stocks Helikon Combat shirts as well.

The FM50 Mag-Fed Version Approaches

Check it out:

Source: Pro Paintball

The magazine is very PMAG-esque, with the winder different from the recessed format of RAP4/Milsig mags. Thoughts?

Dye... Tactical?

Dye Tactical Gear, for when you're sitting on the can with a furious look of concentrated constipation.

Several forums are abuzz with the news that Dye has announced a line of tactical clothing. This is unexpected to say the least, with one industry vet saying they had never once seen the CEO of Dye wear a piece of camouflage on the field ever. Their offerings are quite extensive, with their own proprietary multicam-esque pattern seen everywhere.

Paintball Cornershot

Fellow fans of Future Weapons will most likely be familiar with the Cornershot, a mechanism that permits people to fire pistols/other firearms around corners.



What I didn't know is that Cornershot actually offers a less-lethal version that uses the tried and true A-5 to shoot pepper/rubber balls.

News From the Front: PRZ Facilities

Any amount of images will only belie the grandeur that is the Prince-Edward Recreation Zone (PRZ). I had the opportunity to explore the myriad assortment of buildings during Return to Craig 2.0 before people started roping paint on walls, and found myself wanting to spend a whole day exploring every nook and cranny of the facility.

Beyond sheer size, and believe me PRZ is huge, the now abandoned military hospital is at times maze like and there is a large amount of variety from one building to the other. Staircases vary from one building to another, and multiple points of entry are normally present in every building or large section.

News From The Front: Return to Craig 2.0 Video

News From The Front: D-Day 2010 at Voodoo Paintball

September 5th, 2010 saw Voodoo Paintball hosting their annual D-Day event at their thematic field in St-Etienne-Des-Gres, Quebec. Nearly 300 players showed up at the event to re-enact the battle of Normandy, and the 101st Airborne Regiment's assault on the French town of Carentan.

Voodoo is close to the city of Trois-Rivieres (Three Rivers), which is about 1.5 hours East of Montreal by car. Trois-Rivieres is a noteworthy heritage site, featuring many monuments with a lot of history behind them. As the intersecting point of 3 major waterways in Eastern Canada (as its name suggests), it was strategically important outpost with a strong military connection.


With this area being of such historical and military significance, it's the ideal place to re-enact a battle recognized as a turning point in military history!

Throughout this review I'll be using stock photos from the Voodoo Paintball web site to illustrate, as I was too busy keeping my head down under heavy fire to snap any pics of my own! Although Voodoo Paintball normally posts photos of every event on their site, for 2010 they posted only one short but intense clip (above), and offer a DVD featuring photos and video footage for $10.

"Plus One" for Mag-Fed Paintball Markers

"Plus one" refers to the practice of loading a magazine into a real semi-automatic firearm, racking the slide to load a round into the chamber, then reloading another round into the magazine to replace it. This allows the shooter to carry a full magazine in the weapon, and an extra round in the chamber. Hence, "plus one". It might not seem like much, but that extra round could save the shooter's life when the s*** hits the fan!

Most mag-fed paintball markers suffer from a low magazine capacity, and in the case of a paintball pistol, you're limited to a mere 7 or 8 rounds. With the inherent inaccuracy of paintballs in general, and the tendency of some paintballs not to break, each of those rounds needs to count. And an additional paintball might mean the difference between you eliminating the other player, and walking off yourself. So is plus one an option for your mag-fed paintball marker?

Back in Commission

Alright, so I'm back from my brief sabbatical of sorts. The winner of the Mycofreak remote line cover was David Nguyen, and thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway!

I got to meet a lot of people that I knew only as names on forums at PRZ's Return to Craig 2.0 and took a lot of photos and video. The event was eventful enough that a few posts will be dedicated to it in the coming days, but for the meantime here's a picture of a rotting moose head:

Camouflage Comparison by Dustys Depot + Camouflage Tidbits

First off, my apologies and thanks go out to Jonathan for point this stuff out to me, I didn't get a chance to post it earlier this week due to illness craziness, but here goes!

If you're looking for camouflage comparisons (and from site statistics, I do see a lot of people searching that) but are coming up short, check out Dusty's Depot's comprehensive series of comparisons. The authour offers some insights into different camouflage technologies, and also has a few posts talking about the different producers of BDUs available and their advantages/shortcomings.

Sneak Peek at the Finished Goblin Deuce

Here are some images of the soon to be released Goblin Deuce (this is the final model):

Milsig Marksman Barrel Review

This review has been a little while coming, and the postings this week will be sparse because of an illness/recuperation. So apologies for the late review, and apologies for being inactive in the near future.

Product: Milsig Marksman Barrel

Price: $120 CDN

Specs:

• A5 Threading
• 3 Piece Modular Design
• .688 back 
• .693 front
• Milsig tip threading

Video Dump - October 11th 2010

Awesome cannon:


Tacamo Mag Fed Conversion Kits in action:

First Run GTX + NIR Better Camo Images

Better Camo has published some pictures of the first run of their GTX pattern, displaying it in the visible and infrared spectrum. Jon of Better Camo was nice enough to send me some more unpublished pictures for your viewing enjoyment, so enjoy.

This run is part of their development process, allowing them to create a further improved pattern from any weaknesses seen.

S-Thunder Sponsors Fulda Gap

Via a press release sent to me by S-Thunder:

"PRESS RELEASE

Re -  S-Thunder Sponsorship of the Fulda Gap Airsoft & Paintball Events in the United States

S-Thunder (www.s-thunder.com) is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the Fulda Gap Airsoft 2010 Games (http://www.fuldagap.com/airsoft.shtml) which will take place from October 16 - 17.

Return to Craig 2.0

The Milsim paintball community in Ontario is buzzing about the upcoming Big Game at the Prince Edward Recreational Zone. October 16 will see the PRZ hosting Return to Craig 2.0, the first large event held at the reincarnated facility.

The Catshack Reports has already posted all the details, and I'm just helping spread the word!

Are you one of the lucky ones heading out to this event? If so, brush up on your close-quarters battle knowledge by reviewing my 7-part series on CQB Tactics!

Giveaway - CADPAT Mycofreak Remote Line Cover

Pictured is my personal copy, I'm giving away a new one.

I like free stuff. You like free stuff. Let me give you free stuff. This time around, I have a brand spanking new Mycofreak remote line cover in CADPAT. He doesn't sell them in this pattern currently, so jump on it.

BUT HOW?!

It's simple, go become a fan of Grey Ops on Facebook. At 11:59 EST Thursday October 14th 2010, every Facebook fan on the page will be entered into the draw, and the winner will be contacted through Facebook.

Teaser - New Mag Fed Marker

There's been a lot of mag-fed news lately, no point in slowing down now! I don't have a lot of details yet, here's what I do know:

• .68 cal
• Mag-fed
• Metal construction
• Two different cocking slots 

Once again, you heard it here first (it helps that I don't sleep normally). Keep checking back for more updates!

TM Series Rip Clip Available...For Now!

Back in July I posted about a TM Series Rip Clip shortage from BT, and how it would be a while before the supply caught up with demand. Well, now we’re seeing some trickle in here and there in limited numbers, indicating that the wait is almost over.

A Message for Counterfeiters

Vibram's got the right idea with their recent campaign to pursue action against their counterfeiters and copycats. We see way to much of this in the paintball world, and without naming names or pointing fingers (feel free to point them yourselves), let's just say there are many big companies that do exactly that. It's not a new problem, and maybe it's just because it takes time to find out all the dirt on everyone, but the more I dig the more I hear about it, and the more I hear the more reprehensible I think large portions of the industry are. I know I'm not the only one to feel this way, and people I am personally familiar with are affected by it all the time. So the next time you see a rip-off, give 'em the toe... err... finger.

WTFPB

If you're looking for custom manufacturers of nylon rigs/gear for real firearms and operations there are plenty of options on the market.

Some examples include:

• S.O.E. Gear
• HSG Inc.
• Zulu Nylon Gear

All three are superb nylon manufacturers, and maintain close ties to their end users. But where are the dedicated milsim paintball nylon gear manufacturers? Sure we have people that make nylon vests and gear on a smaller scale for paintballers, but the vast majority of them are targeted towards woodsballers, and there's a sad lack of patterns used by those that do.

Milsig Mobile Air Tank Stock Review

Product: Milsig Mobile Air Tank Stock (MATS) (Milsig version)

Price: $140 CDN (without tank)

Options: A5 and Milsig versions, can come packaged with a inline On/Off threadsaver as well as a 13 cubic inch 3000 psi air tank.

Specs:

• Standard ASA on rear of stock
• Can be used with any 13 cubic inch tank or a tank of a similar diameter (I remember there being some 22 cubic inch Catalina tanks that could fit)
• Sling attachment
• Sliding M4-style carbine stock

FLASC Magic: "Milsimming" the BT TM7

The Hechler & Koch MP7 is a relatively new weapon on the scene, that's quickly making a name for itself in the world of Personal Defence Weapons (PDWs) for military and police.



With its compact form factor, light weight, and tacticool appearance, the MP7 is a favourite of special ops troops and Cobra operatives alike.



In 2008, BT Paintball brought to the scene their paintball "replica" of this weapon, dubbed the TM7. It also bears the compact form factor, light weight, and MOST of the tacticool appearance of its genuine counterpart, which has made it a hit with many Milsim paintball players.


I'm one of those players, and I faithfully use my TM7 as my primary marker. But one thing that never sat right with me was that extra length of barrel sticking out from the front of the shroud. BT included a 9-inch barrel with the marker, which is generally a length that offers a good balance of air efficiency, shot consistency, and accuracy. But instead of recessing the barrel further back into the marker to keep that MP7 look, it was designed to stick out, giving it a grease-gun front end look reminiscent of the M3 submachinegun.

So with FLASC offering a wide range of barrel lengths and tips at their store, I set out to find a combo that would bless my TM7 with that MP7 barrel look.

Fall Camouflage

Fall is now upon us, and for those of us living in Ontario we're now covered in a deluge of multi-coloured leaves. What that means is it's time to shed any Cadpat TW you're wearing and look for something a bit more appropriate. What you should look for is something with a lot of muted brown tones, staying away from any predominantly green schemes.

Here are some contenders for camouflaging yourself on the field this fall/early winter:

MARPAT

(Unknown image source)

MIKE’S RANT OF THE MONTH: Poorly-run Attack-and-Defend Games

Attackers have it pretty rough. Any force attacking a defended position is already at a disadvantage. They have the hard job of suppressing the defenders, exposing themselves from cover to advance, and braving enemy fire to try and gain a flanking position. And if their objectives go beyond simply defeating an enemy force, and include seizing some control point or accomplishing a specific task behind the enemy lines, attacking becomes even more difficult.

Meanwhile, defenders have it easy. The advantage is overwhelmingly with them, as all they have to do is sit tight to their cover and open fire on any attackers who expose themselves. Smart defenders will have also used other factors to their advantage, such as funnelling or strong points, a position on high ground, a layered defence, and a reserve to fill in any gaps. All else being equal (although luck can play a part), well-led defenders will always win a battle against an equal number of well-led and equally-skilled attackers.

So why are paintball Attack-and-Defend games overwhelmingly played with equal numbers of attackers and defenders?

SAS Woodsball Canada is Recruiting

Brandon Collyer of SAS Woodsball would like me to pass along that the Canadian chapter of SAS Woodsball is on a recruiting blitz for new members. If you're interested, contact Aces70 at the following email: adcollyer@rogers.com.

Some members of SAS Woodsball Canada on the field.