Archive for October, 2010

Condor Outdoor Tactical Gear Review

The Warrior Dash: a three mile run for the phony tough and the crazy brave. “The Dash” is nothing short of wild with countless mud pits, hillsides, and obstacles for participants to negotiate. Like an invading army, The Dash moves across the nation establishing courses for anyone who is strong enough to give it a try. I had first heard of this “race” from my girlfriend who said that it might be a fun experience for a couple to do together. It took my mind a second to process the fact that she actually wanted to run a hellacious race rife with steep inclines, chest high water, and unforgiving mud, but then I realized that this would be a perfect opportunity to test my tactical gear from Condor, Propper, MAGPUL, and Nike. So I agreed and we signed up for the Northwest Warrior Dash in North Plains, OR.

Initially it was hard to choose what load out I would wear since I have several kits designed for different applications. For Airsoft games I usually wear an OD Condor Tactical Hydration Vest which is perfectly suited for my role as a SAW gunner. The Tac Hydration Vest features seven pouches which are ideal for a gunners’ necessities: ammo, tools, and PowerBars. It also features a large hydration pack to keep me cool between breaks. But the Condor Tac Hydration Vest had already gone through its trial by fire, several times, so I figured that it was time to try out my latest kit configuration.

I assembled my most recent kit to accommodate my DPMS LR-308 AP4, the base was a Multicam Condor H-Harness attached to a Condor Battle Belt/Riggers Belt combination. This worked for for the time being, but I realized after I purchased a SIG SAUER P556 SBR that I needed to do something different. I could either buy a new kit for a 5.56mm platform, or make due with what I had and turn my H-Harness in to a highly modular system.

I figured it’d be more cost effective to buy two Condor Modular Chest Panels and have one hold all of my .308 magazines and the other hold all the 5.56 mags. I found that these Chest Panels are the perfect size to fit between the H-Harness system and Battle Belt. My first panel would have four Condor Double M14 Open Top Magazine Pouches double stacked on top of each other to hold eight .308 MAGPUL PMAG’s. The second panel would have a Condor M4 Triple Stacker Magazine Pouch for six 5.56 PMAG’s. After I had assembled and rearranged everything I found that the Modular H-Harness was everything I needed: lightweight, compact, modular, tight, and functional to my needs. Swapping platforms with the H-Harness couldn’t be easier; exchange Chest Panel A by unhooking and reattaching Chest Panel B.

I decided that I would run the Warrior Dash with the Chest Panel holding the 5.56 PMAG’s only because the mags are windowed and could clearly show that there were no rounds in them. Other items I had attached to the H-Harness included:

(On a side note, I was so excited about how comfortable the kit was that I wore it to work the day before the race)

The Warrior Dash began with a ominous bellow complimented with fireballs and cheers. The pace was slow at first since the group was instantly backed up by the narrow paths and sharp branches. Runners were then confronted by several muddy slopes which caused trouble for anyone in street shoes. This allowed me to barrel past most of the pack since the toes of my Nike SFB Mids gripped through the mud perfectly. I was also pleased to feel that all my gear stayed in place when I caught speed on the downward slope (I did tape down the extra strap slack).

Once I got down the hill I saw that the first obstacle was a chest high bog with series of floating logs. I dove in and the bone cold water instantly seized up my chest which made breathing rather difficult. In an attempt to distract myself from the shock I began to pay attention to the way the Condor Chest Rig and H-Harness stayed secured to my body when completely submerged in muck. I was also surprised that the Condor gear didn’t pinch or cause any discomfort when I negotiated the logs. However, the bog was a test for the Condor magazine pouches on my chest; I was worried that my MAGPUL PMAG’s would be ripped out of their pouches by the logs rolling back on them, fortunately the elastic bands on the Condor Triple Stacker Pouch held them perfectly in place the whole time. The same was true for the Condor Single Pistol Pouches which remained closed by their velcro bands. This left me reassured that this kit would stay together for the remainder of the race.

Once I crawled out of the bog I immediately noticed that Condor Outdoor had put eyelets in the base of their pouches which dumped a significant amount of water weight. This was nice since I had another slope ahead of me with stacked hay bails followed by another steep decline. The obstacle wasn’t to difficult since I wasn’t weighed down with water, but the backside of this hill was far more slippery then the previous hills. This had me concerned that I would take a spill if I gained to much speed, but I trusted that the reverse tread on the heels the Nike SFB Mid’s would have enough grip to leave me in control, and I was not let down. The SFB’s kept a solid footing at high downhill speeds which helped cut my overall time significantly.

It was safe to say that I was thoroughly covered in grime after the Bog, an A-Frame obstacle, and another mud pit. I found myself at a steady pace in a grassy field when a van parked along the route began to blare out some “Born in the USA” by

Bruce Springsteen. The previous heats of the Warrior Dash had already turned the sidelines in to a half comatose party which motivated me to finish even faster.

The next three obstacles were all made of net, and the last one required racers to circumvent a horizontal netting which was approximately 20ft long and about 5ft off the ground. Since I was one of the few participants in pants (Propper Light Weight Tactical Trousers) I was able to easily crawl across the coarse rope on my hands and knees while most runners had to bear crawl to avoid lacerating their knees. My Propper Tactical Pants proved to be extremely versatile against the variety of abuse the Warrior Dash had in store. Not once did I feel like they bound themselves together or became weighed down with water and mud. The reinforced knees held up very well and did not rip or tear against any surface I happened to crawl, slide, or roll across; which included three sets of junked cars, a blacked out muddy tunnel, and several ad hoc dirt slides.

The final portion of the race included more hills, a fire pit, and a challenging uphill speed step through dozens of tires. I knew the tires were the beginning of the end so I tried to get past them as quickly and effectively as possible. I found that the Nike SFB Mids were able to grip the tire walls easily which allowed me to run across them rather than stepping in and out.

I finally got to the last mud pit which started off with a 6ft drop on to packed mud and then extended out another 90ft in to liquid brown dirt topped with barbed wire. Without hesitation I dove head first in to the packed dirt where I landed on my PMAG’s. The impact knocked most of the wind out of me and snapped the ACM SIG SAUER P226 Replica Serpa Holster from the Blackhawk! S.T.R.I.K.E. adapter, but I continued on through the mud and finished with a time of 33 minutes.

With the exception that my holster snapped off, which was understandable since I landed on it with a 220lb body, everything worked and functioned at or above my expectations. All of the gear cleaned up nicely including my Propper Tactical Pants which did not require more than one soak and wash to get the mud out.

In the end all of the Condor Tactical gear held up superbly, the Propper pants did not stain or tear, and the SFB Mids are still as comfortable as ever. I don’t think I could have been happier with the way my gear held up to the abuse I put it through. So if you’re in the market for affordable tactical gear that can put up with a fair amount of abuse then be sure to give any of these brands a try, you won’t be disappointed.

2010
10/27
CATEGORY
airsoft
products
review
tactical gear
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The Last Generation of the Echo1 SMC (G36C)

Echo1 G36C The latest version of the Echo 1 SM Short, AKA the G36C, boasts quite a few positive changes over previous models.  It looks like Echo-1 really delivered a top quality AEG in this gun.

Echo1 SMC EXTERNALS

The shiny ABS plastic has been replaced with a much sturdier feeling material.  It features a nice flat textured finish similar to the composite used on a Classic Army G36.  The body pins on the handguard and magwell have been replaced with much nicer steel locking pins.  The overall impression from the outside is that this almost can’t be an Echo1!  It feels fantastic!

Echo1 SMC PERFORMANCE

When the gun shoots it sounds nice and clean, much better than most entry level guns.  At the Chrono it gave us a solid 370 FPS.   Out of 10 shots it fired 1 low of 360, 1 high of 381, but the other 8 were all 370 +/-  4fps, so it’s pretty consistent for a budget AEG.  It clocked 14.8 BB’s per second, with an 11.1v 1800mah LiPo battery.  Yes, it handles the LiPo beautifully.  The Rate of fire may not be outrageous, but that means you won’t blow up the insides.  For those that insist on higher rates of fire, simply replacing the torque motor with a high speed one should do the trick for you.


Echo1 SMC INTERNALS

Now for the insides: the good news is they did just as good a job on the inside.  We have an 8mm bearing gearbox, 8mm sleeve bearings, metal spring guide, a redesigned hop-up unit, new wiring and an improved  switch.

The spring guide isn’t anything fancy, but it is metal and that’s a pretty big improvement over the original plastic one.

The gearbox shell is similar to the old one, but it’s 8mm instead of 7mm, so it can handle even more punishment than before.

The 8mm sleeve bearings are a very interesting change.   They do not appear to be standard ball bearings.  Instead they appear to a 2 piece steel sleeved roller bearing.  What that means is you get the reduced friction of a bearing with only 2 moving parts instead of 10.  At any rate if you prefer the standard ball bearing bushings they are standard 8mm holes so you can put any aftermarket bearings you want in there.

The wiring isn’t a huge change but it is a welcome one.  The first thing I noticed is the lack of a second mini tamiya connector; it has been replaced with more convenient and tighter fitting spade connectors.  There is also less wiring than before, and it’s a bit neater.  Overall, less wire means less resistance.

The switch inside the gearbox is much nicer than previous generations. For once it actually stays in place when you open and close the gearbox.  It is also made of a very cleanly cast polycarbonate material.  The trigger plug moves smoothly and is cleanly cast as well.

The hop-up unit has been redesigned so that you will no longer have to deal with broken hop-up brackets that result in feeding issues.  It still has our familiar G36 hop-up wheel, but the feed end looks more related to a G3 or M4 hop-up.  When seated it fits snugly up against the gearbox resulting in a good air seal and very consistent feeding.  It also boasts a MadBull Blue 60 degree hop-up bucking.

The other parts are all of good quality, but are almost identical to previous generations.

The gears are Chinese, but they are metal and durable.

The piston and piston head are white polycarbonate and very serviceable if not very exciting.

The piston head does not have bearings, but it is ported.

The cylinder head is plastic, but gets a good air seal with the cylinder and the air nozzle

The motor looks like a standard Echo 1 motor, it runs smooth and provides plenty of torque.

My overall impression of the Echo-1 SM short is very good; it is one of the best guns I’ve seen Echo 1 produce to date, and at about $200 the price can’t be beat.  It saddens me greatly that after all the work that was put into making this gun, this will be the only production run available.  They are sure to go fast, so if you want one, get them while they’re hot.

2010
10/15
CATEGORY
airsoft
review
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Licensing & Airsoft – The Next Step

Written By Adam Bower

Airsoft is all about realism. From guns to gear, airsoft players want equipment that looks authentic. Whether it’s US Special Forces, kit from Modern Warfare 2, or rifles and uniforms from a favorite movie, players and collectors want gear that’s as close to the real thing aspossible. Fortunately, many manufacturers are making that a reality. By licensing their products with real manufacturers, these companies have produced guns and parts that feature real logos and markings. Classic Army was one of the first with the Armalite trademark agreement, among many others. Recently, other distributors have also begun working to provide a more realistic airsoft experience.

One company that has made several successful inroads with firearms manufacturers is MadBull Airsoft, and their brother company SOCOM Gear.They have released Airsoft rail systems licensed by Daniel Defense, Noveske, and JP Rifleworks, as well as a slew of other accessories. MadBull’s products are of such high quality that even Noveske representatives were impressed with the precision of the Noveske Free Float Rail replica. However, quality manufacturing is only the first element in getting legally trademarked accessories to the market.

Another arguably more important element is customer demand for licensed accessories. Previously, in order to get rail systems or other types of parts with authentic markings, the only options available were unlicensed replicas. Many of these were illegal to import into the United States. However, even with quality licensed rifles, many consumers still purchase unlicensed items overseas. While the unlicensed replicas are a few dollars cheaper, their quality is often significantly lower than many authentic parts. Without strong customer support, the likelihood of additional companies supporting licensing agreements is significantly smaller.

The competition from unlicensed items affects the airsoft industry in three noticeable ways. One issue arises from the way airsoft is perceived by firearm companies. When unlicensed parts and replicas abound, companies whose products are being copied tend to develop anti-airsoft sentiments. This makes it harder to obtain licensing agreements later. A second issue is with importation. When customer demand is greater for inexpensive unlicensed items, companies will naturally try to meet that demand with those types of products. Unfortunately, this puts airsoft companies in a bind when the products are not fully cleared to import into the US. While unmarked replica items are sometimes an option, they are hard to compare to fully trademarked items in realism.

One of the biggest effects of unlicensed replicas is their impact on companies producing licensed replicas. Lower support of fully licensed products means fewer quality licensed products in the future. It reduces those airsoft companies’ ability and desire to pursue new licensing agreements. Conversely, buying quality licensed airsoft accessories and guns will allow those companies to bring more and better options to the market. In buying licensed replicas, we are buying more choices in the future.

SOCOM Gear is one of the top examples in marketing and supporting licensed products. Their initial success with their Daniel Defense 7.0 and 9.0 Lite Rail Systems has allowed them to expand with newer Daniel Defense rails, as well as other Daniel Defense accessories. Together with MadBull, they have produced a top quality line of licensed AEGs, rail systems, and accessories unmatched by any other airsoft company. However, the company’s continued development and delivery of these products is dependent on our commitment to buying quality licensed products over inexpensive knockoffs.

In the end, licensing is not the be-all, end-all. A poor quality licensed product helps neither the consumer nor the licensed company’s reputation and perception of airsoft. Quality comes first fromthe manufacturers end. When that quality is available, however, it strengthens the airsoft industry as a whole to support legal, licensed products. Products such as the Classic Army LWRC M6A2, the KWA Umarex H&K MP7, and SOCOM Gear Noveske Rifles are available only because airsoft players like yourself realize the value of a company that does it right.

2010
10/06
CATEGORY
airsoft
brands
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