Teenage Paintballer Shot and Killed in Indiana by Homeowner

In a truly tragic event, a young paintballer was shot and killed by a homeowner in Indiana yesterday. Details of the case are still being revealed, but it appears that the homeowner (who gave the boy and his family permission to play on his land) fired several shots from his rifle at his treeline when he heard noise coming from it. One of the rounds struck the paintballer in the shoulder, killing him.

Win a Pair of RAP4 BDUs

RAP4 has a contest on to win a pair of BDUs in the pattern and size of your choice (and they have a very decent selection of camouflage patterns).

Submit your best paintball photo and have a chance to win a set of cool BDU that includes one (1) BDU jacket and one (1) pair of BDU pants with size and color or your choice.

To enter the Contest:
1. Be a Fan "Like" RAP4 Facebook page.
2. Visit http://www.facebook.com/rap4usa?sk=app_107660332662292 or go to http://www.facebook.com/rap4usa and click the "vpic" tab

Good luck!

2011 Boxing Day Sales (Alphabetical) - Updated

Mike said it best last year, "Boxing Day is a fine Canadian tradition, much like the practice of criticizing politicians, or brewing beer that actually gets you wasted." So without further ado, here's a list of boxing day deals some of you may be interested in:

Updated as information comes in, email me to get your sale posted here.

"Trinity Angled Weaver Foregrip" (Serious Facepalm)

Introducing the Trinity Angled Weaver AR Foregrip... or as I like to call it, "Dear Magpul, Please Shit All Over Us" (or DMPSAOU for short).

I really hope that Trinity knows that Magpul has begun sending out letters to various paintball manufacturers as to the validity of branded Magpul kit used in their lineup. When they get ahold of this, which doesn't even claim to be a Magpul PTS product, a shitstorm of magnanimous proportion will occur. Good luck with that Trinity.

Mike's Rant: Milsim Paintball's Image Problem

In a very recent piece, Connor posted his thoughts on how reporting on incidents of vandalism and assault involving people using Paintball markers can affect the image of the game. And as his opinion pieces always do, it got me thinking.

For what it's worth, my opinion is that banning Paintball markers because of some isolated incidents of vandalism or random assaults (or limiting their sale to certain individuals) would be akin to banning baseball bats because someone occasionally uses one to beat someone else. Individuals misusing/committing a criminal act with a tool should be held accountable, and the tool they used shouldn't be blamed. To paraphrase a saying from the gun world, "Paintball guns don't assault people, people do!"

As for the negative press, I think that hardcore Milsim Paintball players can often be their own worst enemies.

RANT ON!

More PenCott Products - Combat XII-MEC Pack from PredatorBDU.com

If you haven't checked out Predatorbdu.com before, or their linked blog, be sure you do, as they carry a great range of products for very fair prices (particularly Propper products, which you'll be hard-pressed to find better prices for).

One of their relatively newly rolled out products is their Combat XIII-MEC Pack, having the distinction of being one of the first commercial products available to come in all three released PenCott patterns (GreenZone, Badlands and Sandstorm).

Paintball Vandalism Reporting

[You'll notice I don't have any pictures for this post, I'm still dealing with a PC crash and still need to grab pictures etc. from my back-up and reinstall some photo editing software. So for now you'll just have to suck it up and pretend this is one of those boring blogs without pictures. - Connor]

There's been a question plaguing my mind for quite some time concerning paintball vandalism, being, "If we, as the paintball community, bring attention to paintball vandalism, does it help or hinder us?"

On one hand, by bringing attention to it and deriding them as the acts of stupid individuals largely unaffiliated with the paintball community there is a certain amount of distance created between us and them.

Camo Drama - DCS vs. Hyperstealth

PredatorBDU has released an article describing legal action taken between DCS (the creators of A-TACS) and Hyperstealth Biotechnology Corp. that's definitely worth a read. I had no idea that there were existing issues between the two companies in a legal fashion, but apparently Hyperstealth claims that A-TACS FG is a copyright violation of several of their patterns.

Read all about it:
Digital Concealment Systems v. HyperStealth Biotechnology Corp.

Proper MALICE Weaving Procedure from Whisky Two-Four Paintball

MALICE clips are arguably the best method for attaching pouches to a MOLLE vest, but users often use them improperly, or struggle with their attachment technique. WTFPB has put out a very succinct and easy to follow video to remedy this, check it out:

Roggenwolf Out of the Running As Well

Another company has announced their elimination from the U.S. Army's Camouflage Improvement Effort, being Roggenwolf based out of Sydney:

U.S. Army camouflage improvement effort

You might recall that Roggenwolf Tiwaz™ was developed specifically as a possible answer the U.S. Army's identified need for a family of camouflage patterns. Unfortunately, we have been advised that Tiwaz™ has been eliminated from the final down-select, and will no longer be a participant in the U.S. Army camouflage improvement effort.

CCM T2 First Strike Conversion Kit

The development team at CCM are being busy bees and have made something else milsimish to complement their new FSR they're building. The new development is a First Strike conversion kit for the CCM T2, allowing you to use First Strike converted TPX magazines. Here's the thread on M. Carter Brown about, and here are the pictures (which you came for):

News Release: PenCott Snowdrift Enters Production

Here's an interesting press release from Hyde Definition:

PenCott-Snowdrift™ camouflage enters production - see it at SHOT 2012 

You know that good personal concealment is not a fashion statement or a popularity contest. Its about reducing your risk of being detected.  And that can mean the difference between mission success or mission failure. This is why PenCott is being adopted by a growing number of military and law enforcement special operations units.   

A-TACS Army Camouflage Improvement Effort Results

Bad news from the guys at DCS this morning, in regards to the U.S. Army's decision for their Army Camouflage Improvement Effort submission. Here's the word from A-TACS' Facebook page:

Dec 14th, 2011– In advance of the US Army Camouflage Improvement effort down select due to take place on December 15th, we wish to inform our loyal supporters and partners that we will not be a part of the final down select. As the process moves forward we wish all of the finalists the best.

A-TACS FG and PenCott GreenZone at Crypsis

A-TACS FG and PenCott GreenZone M4 Chest Rigs

If you're already planning a new spring loadout, Crypsis (read here for details about Crypsis) will soon have both A-TACS FG and PenCott GreenZone tactical gear in stock. More eye candy to follow on Crypsis' Facebook page as it becomes available.

A-TACS Apron

Yup, that's EBAirsoft's "G Weekend Warrior Camo Workshop Pinafore". What's a pinafore? A thinly veiled (speaking of veils, I hear that's their next product to be released) term for an apron. Why would anyone ever need an A-TACS Apron? Your guess is as good as mine.

New F.E.A.R. Camo Photos

F.E.A.R. Camo has been showing off some pics of their DUST variant on Facebook, check them out!

Desert setting:

Advertising on Grey Ops Update

So my previous effort to turn advertising on Grey Ops into a charitable process fell flat on its face (due to lack of participation), but I'm still getting requests for advertising space. So I've decided to make things as easy as possible and now have all advertising through adBrite. What does that mean? Well click here for full details, but this now means that the entire process will go through adBrite, simplifying things for all parties involved. The CPM (Cost Per Mille, or bids per 1000 views) set-up means that big and small advertisers can compete for ad space, and nearly anybody with relevant interests can advertise on Grey Ops. The adBrite process is easy and all you need is a credit card (which those of you that don't like using Paypal will enjoy. Again, click here for more details and specifics.

New Pictures of TACAMO D-Mags

RAP4 has put up some new pictures of their D-MAGS on Facebook, check 'em out:

These magazines will need an adaptor to work with TACAMO kits and RAP4 markers. The model shown above looks significantly larger than the 10 round version previously shown, probably making them 15 or 20 round mags. More info as it comes in!

Tippmann Ordinance

Tippmann Ordinance (no relation) is a maunfacturer of pneumatic devices for military simulation and training purposes. I was sure I had written an article on them prior to this, but clearly I didn't. They produce some very cool gadgets that I'm sure many milsim players would love to get their hands on, but appear to only supply law enforcement and military organizations, saying "All of our devices are meant for military training only, and can cause serious injury if used in a recreational setting."

Here are some of their more awesome offerings:

AT4-S

This bad boy launches a paper-mâché rocket containing a paint filled balloon, that bursts into a big splat when it hits a target, and is marketed as "soldier-safe". Take a look:

Results for Milsig K-Series Mk. II CQB PRO Giveaway

I decided to make the results for this draw a bit more exciting for those that participated, so click on the "click here" link below to see if you won!

And the winner is... [click here].

Congrats to the winner! I'll send you an email by the end of the weekend to figure out shipping logistics. Stay tuned for more giveaways in the future,

PenCott Production News - 1st Update

Continuing the stream of PenCott-related production news, Canadian tactical gear manufacturer ICE Tactical will be producing PenCott BDUs:

Photos courtesy of Lawrence Holsworth

What's more, the first test print of Snowdrift has been printed (and viewed by Hyde Definition staff).

Milsig K-Series Mk. II CQB PRO Giveaway

Yeah, you heard that right. Grey Ops is giving away the recently reviewed Milsig K-Series Mk.II, courtesy of Milsig Industries. And as always, our giveaways are very very simple!

How to win:

1. Become a fan of Milsig Industries Paintball on Facebook.
2. Comment on this post saying, "MIlsig rocks!"
3. Profit. 

PenCott Badlands Pictures

If you're like me, you've been waiting to see more pics of PenCott gear for quite some time, so I was pretty excited to be directed to these pics this afternoon. Badlands is the semi-arid PenCott pattern, and certainly looks effective. Stay tuned for more PenCott updates in the coming weeks, as it looks like they're gaining quite a bit of momentum. 

A-TACS FG Release

That's right, A-TACS FG is here. Here's what you want to see:

(This is my new wallpaper)

MTek FAST T3C

MTek Weapon Systems is the manufacturer of mandibular ballistic protection for real world applications, but they've shown some love for milsim/airsoft and have adapted one of their offerings (the FAST G3C) into a milsim/training product named the FAST T3C. Check out a review of it by Dr. Airsoft below:

Update on the CCM Sniper Rifle

For the first info on this marker, check out this post. This will be a short post, cause what do you really want to see? Pictures! Click here for the build thread on Milsim Empire.

Milsig K-Series Mk. II Review

The first thing you have to understand about any review is where the reviewer is coming from. In my review of the K-Series, (Mk. I?) I began with saying that it was one of my favorite markers. So this review is coming from someone that believes that the Milsig K-Series was already a great marker that didn't need significant improvement. I suppose what I'm trying to say is "haters gonna' hate.", so don't expect a review that paints the K-Series as a piece of shit that needs to be fixed. Mkay?

Marker: Milsig K-Series Mk. II (in this case the CQB PRO) - Thank you to Milsig for providing a review model.

Price: $300-1,000ish depending on the model

Oops!

I recently made a post described as a giveaway and promotion. I got the giveaway part right, but completely forgot about the promotion! Did nobody pick up on that?

As a way of saying thanks for 2 years of Grey Ops, I'm also offering 12% off everything in-store at Crypsis. Coming early next week I'll have some pre-orders for Helikon-Tex gear as well. Thanks guys!

An Opinion on pbRIOT

The folks at Hustle Paintball seem like a nice friendly group of people. But the introduction of pbRIOT makes absolutely no sense to me. As far as I can tell, it is another general interest, all-encompassing, non-niche paintball forum. It's of the exact same format as TechPB, PBN, and several other forums already established. They do have a claim to uniqueness, but it's not exactly valid, "What's unique about pbRIOT, is its manufacturer forums...", this can be said for PBN, M. Carter Brown, and others. They don't have a variation of that, they have exactly that.

So how exactly does it benefit the community to have a non-niche forum pop up? Well, it doesn't. In fact, it actually just dilutes the online paintball community, and provides another website for people to get lost in, without connecting to a larger paintball populace. It also means that paintball media have to keep tabs on yet another forum if they want to stay up to date and abreast of things.

Photos of CUEPAT Surface

Any time Guy Cramer is mentioned I get a bit irked. I don't feel comfortable about the Canadian government awarding him the CUEPAT contract (out of necessity, as he was the only candidate) for a variety of reasons, but I'll try (my hardest) to keep that out of this post and just show you what he's come up with as candidates for CUEPAT. All sourced from Hyperstealth's Facebook page.

"CUEPAT-1 (Canadian Urban Environment Pattern) version-1

This is the first of two patterns which are in field trials with the Canadian Military. This pattern is a more traditional pattern compared to version-2. Photos of version-2 will be released later today."

2 Years of Grey Ops + Giveaway + Promotion

Today marks 2 years of Grey Ops!

[Insert very lengthy and soppy tirade that fawns all over myself and elicits plenty of equally soppy and lengthy compliments]

Now what you really came here for... free sh...stuff!

I'm going to do three giveaways, and here's the dealio:

Prize 1: $50 CAD gift certificate to Crypsis
Prize 2: Grey Ops T-Shirt
Prize 3: Grey Ops Tuque

A-TACS Sniper Gear Release

Begin ad copy:
"Since 1999, Tempe, Arizona based Tactical Concealment Manufacturing has been the “go-to” source for all manner of specialized sniper gear and other concealment products. They specialize in building uniquely designed, high-quality gear for law enforcement and military use. Their client list consists primarily of highly trained military and special operations professionals worldwide. Their base foundation products are designed for flexibility, making it easy for the end-user to conceal themselves simply and effectively no matter what the operating environment. Now, based on demand from the Special Operations community, they are offering a full line of base garments in A-TACS Camo including:

Hyde Definition Website Revamp + New Info

From the media arm of Hyde Definition:

"Hyde Definition have completely revamped their website; making it easier to navigate and providing more information about their growing network of production partners. Also included is detailed information about the full range of fabrics now available featuring the PenCott family of camouflage patterns (NyCo and Poly-Cotton ripstop for clothing, and 500D and 1000D nylon for gear).

Clothing and gear manufacturers interested in adding PenCott to their portfolio can also now request fabric samples through their new samples@hydedefinition.com email address. Unfortunately, fabric samples cannot be provided to individual consumers. www.hydedefinition.com "

Kitanica Mark 1 Now in Multicam

I always take comment flak for posting Kitanica stuff, and yes, it is expensive. However, they consistently sell out of their entire lineup, so obviously people are buying the stuff. So if you don't like the price (or can't afford it, like myself), just enjoy the eye candy! And it certainly is eye candy, by incorporating Multicam I think Kitanica has truly completed their Mark 1. The same kind of people who would be buying a Mark 1 jacket are the same who go gaga over Multicam, so it makes perfect sense.

PenCott GreenZone Rears Its Head

About a week late on this one as I'm just now going through my very backlogged inbox, but for those of you that haven't already seen it:

Photo of UFPRO's Sniper Garment System in PenCott-GreenZone at the MiliPol exhibition in Paris.

Now all you moaners can stuff it, yes PenCott is out there! Not only that but it's looking awesome, and there's going to be some really cool Pencott products coming from several different manufacturers in the near future. Keep your ears and eyes peeled and I'll post more pics and info as it becomes available.

Battlefield 3 Grey Ops Platoon

No, this is not becoming a Battlefield 3 blog! However, it appears that many people that are interested in milsim paintball also seem to be interested in Battlefield 3, for obvious reasons. As such, I figured it might be a fun way for people to network over the winter (and combat Paintball Cabin Fever - a post on PCF later). So, I've created the Grey Ops BF3 platoon. I even hacked up a logo using their broken little custom logo creator.

Magfed Love from Deadbox Paintball

Deadbox Paintball, who made the Grey Ops T-Shirts, have an awesome new mag-fed design out they'll be selling at Fulda Gap. You can check out the Facebook post here.

Camouflage in Video Games: Battlefield 3's Pattern Options

A recent video leaked on to Youtube (presumably from one of those that received the game before they were supposed), and gives some insight into patterns used in Battlefield 3. Some are quite... interesting.

MARPAT (desert) and... SURPAT?!?!

There's little doubt in my mind that that's SURPAT. Which I find odd, as I'm one of the few people on the internet that's written about it. Perhaps someone at DICE 3 is a camophile?

Black

Before choosing Black, perhaps you should read this.

Zombie Paintball Games

It's that time of years, when the walking dead (notice lack of capitalization, don't sue me AMC) begin to meander towards paintball fields. And event organizers love it.

But those of us that have played zombie paintball games know that they're not always as fun as they would initially seem to be.

Camouflage in Video Games: CADPAT in Battlefield 3

The Canadian winters are long and generally devoid of the frequency of paintball we enjoy over the summer. That being said, Battlefield 3 will be coming out this Tuesday, and it will no doubt suck up a lot of my time. So, with this being a milsim/camouflage blog and all, I figure'd I'd start a new series I'll update on occasion. So, the first entry in "Camouflage in Video Games" (or CVG for short) was born, with a look at a little tidbit I picked up on (and believe I am the first to, having used my google-fu to investigate). 

The above and below pictures are taken from this video and depict a sniper with an SKS picking off digitized American troops. Oddly enough, this marks the first time I've ever seen CADPAT in a mainstream game without modifications. Well, at least I believe it's CADPAT. 

Operation JAGER

Myself and others have long talked about how games such as paintball or airsoft (or anything else for that matter) seem to attract cadres of people who tend to take themselves far too seriously. I won't go into specifics, but chances are many of you have encountered exactly the same thing.

However, there are those of us that prefer to take it easy (eh), and see games for exactly what they are: games. But it's kind of hard to band together under a banner of relaxation, especially since that requires a fair amount of effort and dedication (which can easily harsh on your relaxation, dude).

But even if you find such a solution, where's the fun in just saying you're relaxed? Of course you have to poke fun at those that don't at the same time!

Real Deal Tailgate Sale - Oct. 22nd 2011

Who in Ontario doesn't love a tailgate sale? The folks at Real Deal certainly do, and are generous enough to host one at their field this coming weekend!

Aside from anyone being able to come out and hock their wares, used unis will be on sale in both UCP and Woodland variety for the great price of $30 (this being sold by the Real Deal people themselves). See here for details, with the only caveat being that commercial sellers must contact Real Deal ahead of time.

Mystery Box Unboxing

Flasc Tiberius T9.1 Rip Clip Adaptor

Why is that so cool? Well with a 13 ci tank, an A5 hopper and a short barrel, you can have one of the most compact set-ups available, while still having lots of firepower. Or even on a 12 gram CO2 cartridge, you could get through  most of a short Tac Cap. Leave it to Flasc to come out with inventive solutions and products that others haven't thought of. You can check out their website here.

An Interesting Winter for Camouflage

This was recently posted to Facebook by Lawrence Holsworth of Strike-Hold!, and it paints an interesting picture of things to come this Winter:

Grey Ghost Gear

With Pencott ramping up its production of various patterns, and A-TACS set to release their FG pattern in the near future, it's going to be an interesting few months for small camouflage manufacturers. In that same vein, FEAR Gear recently released a picture of their DUST pattern, check it out:

Ugly Milsim Markers - Mag Fed Fugly Edition

If you're unfamiliar with the Ugly Milsim Markers series, click here.

That's right ladies and gentlemen... this special edition of Ugly Milsim Markers features Spyder (again) in a special instalment, entitled "Mag Fed Fugly".

Say hello to the Spyder MRX! Not only does it look really really ugly, it has an ugly function magazine as well, that holds a whopping 11 rounds (I know they're really pushing the limits of technology here). But it gets better! The MRX also touts an "innovative DLS (Dual Loading System). This unique patent pending system enables you to interchange your loading system with a quick turn of the barrel; the Spyder MRX™ allows the user to switch between a traditional upper load feed system and all-new lower magazine feed system during play." For you little ones out there, innovative means that it's already been done before but this time it's with a three letter acronym, so it's more EXTREME!

Grey Ops Fleece Tuques Now Available

Grey Ops tuques are now in, and they look great! The embroidery came out really clean, and the tuques themselves are amazing. They're polar fleece, made in Canada, embroidered in Canada, and available through Crypsis. Should be a good option for those of you that are looking for a way to keep your head warm in the upcoming months, especially on the paintball field. Let me know what you think!

Multicam for the Masses

While walking around in a Chapters (a large chain of big box book stores in Canada owned by Indigo) last month, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye that made me do a double take. Multicam on the shelves:

Perhaps the first time I've ever seen something Multicam on the shelf of a mainstream store, I immediately assumed it was a unlicensed ripoff. However I looked at the back of the book and lo and behold it was an officially Crye Multicam licensed product. Here's the stock image linked to the product page on Chapters: