Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

How to upgrade your Airsoft AEG for (almost) free

2012-02-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going to show you how to upgrade your Airsoft AEG for quite possibly only a fraction of a cent (one penny). Two words:

Teflon Tape

Also known as Polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, Teflon Tape ain't just for plumbers. It's great for anyone who loves air-sealing stuff and/or materials with a low coefficient of friction. For the purposes of this little Airsoft upgrade mod, it's nice to work with something having both of those characteristics. A roll of Teflon or PTFE tape or "Thread-Seal Tape" will run you between $1 - $2 at your local hardware store. This mod only require a very small percentage of that entire roll, hence my assertion that this may only cost you a fraction of a penny. I could be underestimating by a cent or two, but my point is, IT'S FREAKIN' CHEAP!!!

Special note, the beauty of this Airsoft upgrade mod is that it doesn't matter what type of Airsoft AEG that you are wanting to work on. This trick will work for most of the AEGs you're going to find at a MilSim-type game. Technically, although usually a different configuration, this will similarly on many gas blowback guns (rifles and pistols) out there as well.

So let's get right to it. First, you'll need to disassemble your Airsoft AEG to the point that you have your tight-bore inner barrel and rubber hop-up bucking separated from the rest of the gun. There is no reason I can think of that you would need to open up your gearbox for this particular mod, so if you've gone that far, STOP. The inner barrel and hop-up assembly is located inside the upper receiver and handguard for the average AEG like the M4/M16 models, as well as the AK47s. This should cover most everyone.

Once you have the inner barrel and hop-up bucking by themselves, (IMPORTANT) you'll want to verify that your hop-up bucking is seated properly over the the inner barrel so that the ridge inside the hop-up window on the barrel looks to be perpendicular with the vertical axis. Below is an example of what I'm referring to. Ignore the A&K M60VN Hop-up Assembly, just look inside the barrel at how the hop-up bucking is situated. The inside of your inner barrel should look like this when the hop-up bucking is no matter what hop-up assembly you have.

You don't need to have the hop-up assembled to press down on the bucking. You can just use your finger, or what I do is use the shaft of a screw driver.

The importance of that little maneuver is almost unfathomable. Without your hop-up bucking being seated in the most up-right positions, your Airsoft gun will not be as accurate as it could (all other things being perfect).

Anyway, once you've established that your hop-up bucking seated properly. Carefully wrap your Teflon Tape around the point where your inner barrel meets the end of the bucking. Three to four circumnavigations is all you'll need. Anymore than that and you're going increase the already difficult process of getting the hop-up assembly back over the bucking without pulling the bucking off axis.

You'll want to wrap it firmly, but I said "carefully wrap" because when you first start the wrap, if you're NOT careful, you can disorient the bucking and you'll have to reset it.

Once you've got the bucking wrapped, you're ready to slide that hop-up unit back on. I personally add one or two droplets to the outside of the bucking to make this process quite a bit easier. I've seen that some assemblies just slide right on, while others are extremely snug even with a bit of lubrication.

Here again, you'll need to exercise patience and care in sliding that hop-up unit back on as you may mess up the alignment of the bucking. Once you get your hop-up unit back on and reassembled, you are probably OK to put the gun back together and get the Airsoft party started.

However, in the same exact manner that we wrapped the rubber bucking, I like to wrap the hop-up assembly three or four times as well. This does a couple things:

1) Helps to keep the inner barrel from sliding around too much inside the bucking and hop-up assembly, especially if you've got a hop-up unit that slides over the bucking fairly easily.

2) Adds a 2nd line of defense against any possible air leaks out of that end of the hop-up. Some of my engineering buddies tell me that this is sort of pointless for this purpose, but what the hell do engineers know about anything? Plus, I'm a creature of habit and I'm used to doing it this way. It makes me feel better.

3) In some of the M4/M16 AEGs that I've dealt with, it actually helps seat the assembly more snugly inside the outer barrel and enhances the seal between the Air Nozzle's entrance into the assembly and the gearbox, which is another potential point of leakage inherent in most AEGs.

In fairness, there are more ways to skin this metaphorical cat (don't actually skin your cat or anyone else's). This is just my preferred method, which has netted some very consistent results on the chronograph.

If you're done browsing here on the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog, would you mind sharing this blog with friends on Facebook? Perhaps even on your favorite Airsoft forum?

Speaking of Facebook, check out our new Facebook page for Pyramyd Airsoft and get in on a chance EVERY WEEK to WIN FIFTY BUCKS ($50) or check out our Pyramyd Airsoft YouTube Channel for a ton of great Airsoft video reviews, unboxing videos and actual Airsoft gun performance tests.

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Today's Lesson from Dan Wesson - Don't be an Airsoft Zombie

2012-02-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

In honor of Presidents Day, I worked hard on a little video for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog about the Dan Wesson 8 Inch CO2 Airsoft Revolver from ActionSportGames (ASG). As a way to pay my respects specifically to George Washington's birthday, I illustrate what happens when Airsoft players become Airsoft zombies and how I think our nation's first president might have handled the situation.

Special thanks to Jordan Olmstead for lending a hand on his day off to help refine my rough sketch into a finely crafted work of ridiculosity. There's that word again. It keeps showing up around here.

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How to Upgrade or Repair Your Airsoft Gun Tominator's Tech Tool Tips - Allen Wrench Set

2012-02-17T15:41:00.000-08:00

Allen Wrench Tool Set - How to Upgrade Your Airsoft Guns - Tominator's Tech Tool Tips
Tom Harris for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

Today's post on the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog is gonna keep it real. Real simple, that is. There are many Airsoft players out there who not only love to play, but love to upgrade the performance of their beloved Airsoft Guns, which requires certain tools in order to do so. So today I thought I would highlight one particularly important set of tools that you really can't do without if you want to handle your own Airsoft upgrades. That set would be the Allen wrenches you see above. Some people call them "hex tools"or "hex keys" as well. Whether or not that is correct is beyond me, but it does make sense because these Allen wrenches have six sides, hence the name hex being relevant.

I don't know who this Allen guy was, but he sure invented a handy tool. I highly recommend a set like you see above, where there are different sizes. I hate to sound like a treasonous traitor, but I also recommend you get the Metric (SI) sizes, which come in millimeters (mm) rather the U.S. Imperial sizes, which come in fractions of an inch. Most Airsoft guns that I've worked on have been more compatible with the metric-sized allen keys.

I feel the need to specify that these allen keys will not only be compatible with your Airsoft AEGs,
but also your spring-powered Airsoft Sniper Rifles, CO2 & Green Gas Blowback Airsoft Rifles & SMGs, Gas Blowback Pistols as well. So yes, they ooze versatility and they're very inexpensive for a nice little set. You can get them at pretty much any local hardware store.

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The Airsoft Blame Game (Sometimes, it's YOUR fault)

2012-02-16T15:23:00.000-08:00

Today's topic is going to take a more therapeutic approach and (hopefully) cause you to take pause and do a sit rep on your own issues (we all have them, according to my therapist, Dr. Goldstein). This post has been inspired from analysis of my personal experiences with shooting so many different guns from different manufacturers and from different price points. I've also combined that with my experiences with playing Airsoft in different regional communities throughout Southern & Central California.

To give you a bit more clarification on just exactly what in the hell I'm referring to when I say the "Airsoft Blame Game," allow me to provide you with a few quotes and/or paraphrasing from actual people/players:

Quote, from 50+ yards (150 feet) away in an outdoor environment:

"Call your hits, mother #$*%&@!!! I just dumped an entire high-cap mag on you!"

We've all seen this situation all too many times. And while I will certainly agree that there have been a number of times where some cheating has occurred, I'm going to hit you like a ton of bricks with another possibility of what went on there:

Either you or your gun sucks and are NOT actually hitting your intended target.

I have personally been accused of cheating on the field when some dumbass is "making it rain" 6mm plastic all around me, but not actually ON me to constitute a hit. I have also seen this happen to others as well. This is especially an issue at longer engagement distances because of the fact that most players are not using any sort of magnified optic that would assist them in tracking the flight of that tiny plastic Airsoft BB. Even the ones that DO have the magnified optic don't necessarily use it. Some people put them on their gun just to make it look cool. Those are usually the same people that are doing the yelling and accusing others of cheating when they really have no proof of such dishonor.

Here's a thought for those that actually want to improve their game and genuinely kick ass & take names on the field: Try strategies & tactics when you play. Work with a battle buddy or join a full-on Airsoft team. These are things I will cover in more detail at a later time, but just keep those thoughts in your mind.

Ok, so here's another one that I've seen a lot of already since I started working behind the scenes a bit in the Airsoft industry.

This one is more of a paraphrased example, not an actual, direct quote:

"I ordered my gun from you guys (the retailer) and it broke after I only played one game with it.

This is all your fault and now I'm going to go and give not only you a bad review on the internet, but I'm also going to rip the gun as well."

Is it really the retailer's fault now? Couldn't it also be that maybe you have been watching too many movies and playing too much COD so you thought you could just go out to the field and rough up the gun like the cool guys do in those movies, expecting your china-made Airsoft gun to continue functioning as if it had just been pulled from the box? I have several good friends who work as warranty techs for various Airsoft companies and they've shared some stories with me about this very situation.

Of course, there are lemons out there. I have certainly received a few, but the important thing to consider is whether the entire class of that particular model is bad, or if it's just that one, unique item that happened to slip underneath the QC radar. Going back to my comment up top about my experiences with shooting a wide variety of different guns, thanks to Pyramyd Air, I have been extremely privileged to be in a position where I have been able to review quite a few different guns, many of which I would never have considered purchasing simply because I had preconceived notions about their quality, based on what I had read from others on the internet, or heard in person. However, what I found was that there aren't too many guns being marketed to the MilSim market which I would consider to be genuinely bad products. Poorly designed, poorly made, crap. Sure, some are going to be made with better quality materials and/or have other superior features, but most of the time you're going to have to pay extra for that because, let's face it, that's life. However, just because an item isn't the most expensive model on the shelf, doesn't necessarily mean that it's crap or that it wouldn't be a good option for you to consider purchasing. There are actually quite a few very affordable Airsoft guns for the MilSim player out there right now that are very nice guns and will treat you very well, assuming you return the favor.

Don't be the guy who publicly reviews a gun as being awful because he was negligent and didn't exercise the proper care needed for the gun to function effectively. Other people will read that and possibly base their decision on your false review and potentially miss an opportunity to add what is actually a nice gun to their arsenal. Do you see how your actions might affect others in this situation?

I should point out that I'm not saying you should share your experiences with the product if they weren't positive. By all means, let the world know. But don't be a troll about it. It's important that you try and keep things in perspective and consider the possibility that it might just be that particular gun getting overlooked by Quality Control or, even more unthinkable, it's your fault.

Sorry if I came off as ranting a bit (or a lot). Just wanted you to do some thinking and maybe, if the scenarios I mentioned above don't apply to you, perhaps you know someone that may benefit from a little reality check like this.

As a reward for sticking it through my blog today, here are some photos I took of Tactical Girls model, Melissa Gilliland, while visiting the AmericanSnipers.org booth at Shot Show 2012. Melissa is accompanied in the pictures by each of the three EPIC real steel ARs that the 31 Souls Project raffled off at the AmericanSnipers booth, which generated over $15,000 for the 31 U.S. soldiers who were killed overseas back in August 2011 after their helicopter was shot down by insurgents.

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The Airsoft "Bang Bang" or "Safety Kill" Health & Safety Series for Airsoft Champions

2012-02-15T23:57:00.000-08:00

Today's post on the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog is centered around the "Bang Bang" rule. This has different names at different fields. Other known associates include, but are not limited to,"Safety Kill" or just saying "Surrender."

I like saying, or rather, yelling "Bang Bang" instead of "surrender" because I don't like giving my enemies a choice. They are dead and all I'm doing is giving them the courtesy of NOT installing a new and painful welt (or worse) on their skin.

Now, one might ask, why the hell would you perform a safety kill like that on someone when you could just shoot them?

Well, when it comes to the MilSim-quality guns out there which operate over and above 350 FPS with a .20g BB...

THERE IS SUCH A THING AS BEING TOO CLOSE TO ENGAGE A HUMAN TARGET.

The safety kill concept is especially useful at Airsoft CQB & MOUT fields where there are structures and areas which lend themselves to close quarter engagements. It's not as necessary with large, outdoor fields like my old hometown field, Hill559, which is one square-mile of raw private land. However, it can still be used in that environment, just not as often.

Anyway, back to being too close. Enter what is known as the "Minimum Engagement Distance" by many. The rules vary from field to field, but generally speaking, there is a minimum distance at which you can shoot at another player. If you get within that distance, lets say 10-25 feet which is fairly typical, you must either transition from your rifle to a field legal pistol or simply yell, "Bang Bang" to get the safety kill.

I know there are a lot of "tough guys" out there who like to play "prison rules," but the reality is that most of us are just out to have a good time. Some fields don't enforce this at all, while others try hard to crack down on dangerous situations like that.

The other thing you can do, if you're really concerned about this is to simply wear full face protection, unlike this guy:

This photo was taken at Lion Claws X: Evolution Real World or whatever it was called. My good friend and Airsoft action photographer, Dave Bakholdin happened to be in the right spot at the right time to snap a shot of this gentleman, who was engaged by someone else with a hot rifle from within the minimum engagement distance. I'm not knocking him for not wearing full face protection. I certainly don't like wearing the lower mask with my goggles, but technically, this could have been prevented by either wearing the full mask and/or the other idiot properly exercising a proper safety kill.

One final note I would add on this is that "it takes two tangos" to make this work. <---- See what I did there? Dumb, I know.

What I mean, is that it takes two players, each a tango to the other, for the "Bang Bang" concept to work. Again, it all comes down to honor & integrity (do you have it in you?). One person has to decide to say, "bang bang" or "surrender" instead of shooting the other in that split second he rolls up on him, while the unsuspecting victim has to accept the safety kill. I've seen plenty of idiots not take the kill and then get pissed when the other guy shoots them so close. Seriously? Don't be that guy. Just head back to respawn, take a deep breath and get back in the fight. If you have no respawns left, perhaps consider brushing up on your tactical skillz.

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How to clean the inner barrel & install the scope mount - Dan Wesson 8" Airsoft Revolver

2012-02-14T23:57:00.000-08:00

Dan Wesson 8 Inch Airsoft Revolver with Eotech-style holosigh
Tom Harris for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

Optics on an 8 inch Airsoft revolver? HECK YEA, HOMIE! Today's blog features a little How-to-clean-your-airsoft-inner-barrel for the Dan Wesson 8 Inch Airsoft Revolver and then I follow that up with a little bit on installing the Picatinny rail that comes with it so that I could create a gratuitous gun pron sequence at the very end of the film.

Find out how to take down the Dan Wesson 8 Inch Airsoft Revolver, clean the inner barrel & install the scope mount base after the jump...
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Eric Grauffel Uses Cybergun Tanfoglio Airsoft Pistols to Train for World Championship IPSC Competitions - Shot Show 2012

2012-02-13T23:56:00.000-08:00

I decided that I needed to interview 5-time world champion IPSC shooter, Eric Grauffel, about why he uses licensed, Tanfoglio Airsoft race guns from Cybergun to train for upcoming real steel IPSC competitions. Luckily for me, he does not despise Americans enough to refuse the interview. In fact, he was quite the gentleman and I had a great time hearing about the things he does to become a world champion shooter on a repeated basis.

Check out the rest of my Shot Show 2012 Coverage

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Shot Show 2012 - Airsoft Krebs Custom AK & Tango Down AEGs

2012-02-10T23:07:00.000-08:00

Just a tad bit more to add to my coverage of the Spartan Imports booth at Shot Show 2012. This time, featuring some new Classic Army AEGs, like the Krebs Custom AK47 tactical Airsoft AEG.

If you're into AKs, you might appreciate some of the subtle details seen in the photo above. A plethora of Picatinny rail space (RIS), including a rail sitting directly over the upper receiver. This is a really nice feature because it eliminates the need for you to have to spend additional cash money on a scope mount rail if you wanted to run an optic on your rifle, which I would highly recommend if you're a serious shooter, or desire to be one someday. Also included is what's likely to be a high-cap AK magazine AND...if you look closely, you'll notice my beloved Classic Army VLTOR-style crane stock. I LOVE THIS STOCK. SUPER FUNCTIONAL AND SUPER GOOD-LOOKING.

Check out the rest of the guns I "scoped out" at the Spartan Imports booth after the jump...
(^See what I did there?)
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Shot Show 2012- NEW Knights Armament Airsoft M4s by VFC and a CA M134 Airsoft Minigun - Spartan Imports

2012-02-10T16:07:00.000-08:00

During my visit to the Spartan Imports booth at Shot Show 2012 a few weeks ago, in addition to the new Magpul PTS Airsoft Guns, I happen to catch a couple new, licensed Knight's Armament Co (KAC) items from VFC that looked pretty nice.

Before we get into the new licensed KAC Airsoft guns, let's take a moment of zen to gaze upon the Classic Army M134 Minigun. I know it's not new, but it's still awesome and deserves respect. I know I can't be the ONLY minigun fan out there! WHERE MY MINIGUN DAWGS AT!?!?!

I think most people are going to be familiar with the Echo1 USA Airsoft Minigun, so for those unfamiliar with the Classic Army version, the primary difference between the two is the propulsion system inside this Airsoft machine gun. The Echo1 USA version is basically an AEG version while the Classic Army Minigun relies upon high-pressure air (HPA) or CO2. I believe Classic Army purchased the design from a company called Piper's Precision Products a few years ago, who is well-known in the realm of those who know (what?) for making some super awesome, super high-end HPA-powered Airsoft machine guns and otherwise BB hoses (e.g. the infamous Strafer).

I don't know which of the two Miniguns is the better performing model, but I DO know that it's pretty cool that Airsoft consumers have a choice when shopping for a new Minigun. Totally normal purchase, right? haha. Only if you have $3,000-$4,000. Both run in that minigun price neighborhood, I believe.

Alright. Enough Airsoft minigun talk. More Knight's Armament Talk, or KAC Talk after the jump...

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Shot Show 2012 - More Guns at the ASG Booth

2012-02-08T23:50:00.000-08:00

More from the ActionSportGames (ASG) booth at Shot Show 2012.

I know I already talked about it, but seriously, look at that APO Asymmetric Warrior 338 Lapua Magnum replica (or APO ASW338LM) one more time. It's so nice!

Oh...I definitely touched it. I touched the crap out of it and I don't care who knows it.

I really can't wait to see how this thing turns out, which makes the early spring release date (possibly next month, in March) a big time win for those of us who are impatient.

I kinda felt bad for all the other awesome guns at the ASG booth, as there were many, because VFC's debut into the Airsoft spring sniper rifle market, along with the prototype CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1 Airsoft SMG pretty much stole everyone else's thunder while we were there. So I thought I would use today's blog as a stage to give some of the other awesome Airsoft guns a bit of the spotlight.

Check out the rest of the ASG booth photos from Shot Show 2012 after the jump...
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Winning for Best Airsoft Blog on Popular Airsoft - My Acceptance Video

2012-02-08T23:49:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who voted for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog. As a treat (hopefully), I made another ridiculous video that barely has anything to do with Airsoft. I hope that you don't hate it, or worse, "dislike" it.

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Shot Show 2012 - New Magpul PTS Masada Models

2012-02-06T23:58:00.000-08:00

Magpul PTS Masada - Spartan Imports Booth - Shot Show 2012
Tom Harris for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

So I stopped by the Spartan Imports booth while hanging out at Shot Show 2012, however, I apparently missed the big showing of the new Magpul PTS Masada GBBR kit. So I was a bit bummed about that, but there's only so much one can do. As I understand it, it's basically a drop-in kit for the existing Masada AEGs, so nothing much different from an aesthetics point of view. Just know that they're going to be releasing that GBB kit sometime this year.

Trying to make the most of the situation, I decided to snap a few shots of what they didn't have available for display from Magpul PTS. Some items were new, some not-so new. Either way, they got their photo taken by me.

See some of the new Magpul PTS Masada AEG photos from Shot Show 2012 after the jump...

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New KWA Green Gas Blowback Pistols Video - Shot Show 2012

2012-02-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

While at Shot Show 2012, Mike from KWA USA gives me the rundown on the new KWA ATP Auto GBB Pistol, which is the full-auto version of the highly awesome semi-auto ATP, along with a heads up on their new, original issue WWII-era M1911 GBB and last, but certainly not least, the new and ultra sexy, KWA Makarov gas blowback pistol. They surprised me with that one. Maybe I'm just out of the loop, but I did not know they'd be dropping that one on us. It was pretty awesome. Here's the video:

Could you use 50 BUCKS to boost the purchasing power of your next shopping spree at www.PyramydAir.com? Check the image link below.

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How to prevent your WE 1911 hop-up dial from coming loose

2012-02-02T23:57:00.000-08:00

So I was able to sweet talk one of our fans on the Pyramyd Airsoft Facebook page to create a guest blog about a little WE 1911 Hop-Up tip that I think is pretty handy to know about. Today, I am proud to present the fine tutorial work of Andy Huggins, WE 1911 Hop-up extraordinaire.

Check out the tutorial video after the jump...
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Investigative Journalism at the Leapers Booth - Shot Show 2012

2012-02-01T23:01:00.000-08:00

While I was en route to another booth whose name escapes me at the moment, I happened to walk through the Leapers booth, which was quite ginormous, so I figured, "Hey, what the heck?" I like a number of their products, so I thought I'd stop and see what kinds of new things they have coming out. I snagged a Leapers rep and away we went. I was in a hurry, as I recall I had to be somewhere at sometime for something, but again, I don't remember. 'Twas a Shot Show blur. Anyway, so I told the guy to pick like three or four of his most exciting new items to show me. One of the first items was a new laser aiming device that enlarges the beam of the laser as the distance to your target increases so as to increase visibility of the laser. However, looking back, I see that as much more of a hunting tool than for Airsoft (they also seemed to be marketing it for that, considering there was a 12-point buck on their literature).

Check out my photos of the new Leapers accessories along with some JUICY TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT SPECULATION after the jump...

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New, Licensed FN Herstal P90 Airsoft AEG - Shot Show 2012

2012-01-31T23:27:00.000-08:00

While at the Cybergun booth at Shot Show 2012, I took a quick peak at the new FN Herstal P90 Airsoft AEG, which is going to be made by King Arms. While I'm personally not a fan of the P90 aesthetics, I do respect the opinions of the many P90 fans out there and can tell you from an unbiased point of view, that if you like P90s, this one should be pretty nice. King Arms makes a nice gun. Don't let that new Nylon Fiber body throw you. The gun I held in the video seemed to be very well built. Nothing felt cheap or poor quality about it.

Check the video for the details.

Anybody like easy money? Click the image below to get the details on how to easily win a $50 Pyramyd Air Gift eCard. Seriously, just post a picture on our Airsoft Facebook page that is compliant with our rule set and you're entered to win.

If you're done browsing here on the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog, would you mind sharing this blog with friends on Facebook? Perhaps even on your favorite Airsoft forum?

Speaking of Facebook, check out our new Facebook page for Pyramyd Airsoft and get in on a chance EVERY WEEK to WIN FIFTY BUCKS ($50) or check out our Pyramyd Airsoft YouTube Channel for a ton of great Airsoft video reviews, unboxing videos and actual Airsoft gun performance tests.

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ASG Ashbury APO ASW338 LM Airsoft Sniper Rifle - Shot Show 2012 Airsoft

2012-01-30T14:38:00.000-08:00

Shot Show 2012 Airsoft Booth - ActionSportGames (ASG)
ASG Ashbury APO ASW 338 LM Spring Airsoft Sniper Rifle
by Vega Force Company (VFC)

WOW. Just wow! VFC continues to blow my mind with their amazing, high-quality Airsoft guns.

ActionSportGames (ASG) intelligently chose to partner with Vega Force Company (VFC) to produce an Airsoft Replica of the Ashbury International APO Asymetric Warrior (ASW) .338 Lapua Sniper Rifle.

After getting a fairly in-depth look at the ASG product line featured at their Shot Show 2012 Airsoft booth, I gotta say that ASG, while relatively unheard of in the U.S. MilSim market, should most definitely be placed on your "Airsoft Companies to Look Out for in 2012." I would expect these guys to become very popular in our market this year with options like this and the CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1, scheduled for release at the end of this year.

Check out the ASG Ashbury APO ASW338 LM Airsoft Sniper Rifle video and tech specs after the jump...

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Shot Show 2012 - Air Guns - Pyramyd Air Booth

2012-01-28T03:01:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Tim C. for winning this week's Big Shot of the Week, which, for those of you that ignore the last bit in each of my blogs here, is a weekly contest that Pyramyd Air hosts on each of its Facebook pages (one for the Air Gun page and one for the Airsoft page).

Each week, winners like Tim here get 50 bucks ($50 U.S. Currency) to blow at www.PyramydAir.com AND we make their winning entry our profile pic for the week.

If you'd like to win as well,
all you need to do is upload a photo of your own that complies with our rules (click the photo or the link above in bold) and you're entered to win.

Pyramyd Air Booth, Shot Show 2012 - Air Guns
Tom Harris for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

While at Shot Show 2012 this year, I was feeling a bit frisky and decided to stop by the Pyramyd Air booth to get a look at a little different genre of guns that I normally deal with: Air Rifles. Turns out, there are some pretty awesome Air Guns out there and I thought I would take a moment to broaden your horizons a bit.

Here are a couple basic facts about Air Guns:
Just joking, I'm not even going to pretend to know anything about Air Guns. Your best bet, if you'd really like to know is to check out this article over on Pyramyd Air's Air Gun blog, written by world-renowned Air Gunner, Tom Gaylord.

Precharged Pneumatic Air Gun Basics

That's right, Pyramyd Air has two fantastically awesome blogs, each written by a dude named, Tom.

Check out all the sweet photos I got at the Pyramyd Air booth from Shot Show 2012 after the jump...

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Shot Show 2012 - ASG CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1 AEG Prototype

2012-01-26T19:47:00.000-08:00

ASG CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1 Proline AEG
Tom Harris for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

Ah yes, the beauty of Shot Show. You come to a booth thinking you know everything about what they're going to show you and then, BOOM! They hit you with something crazy. That's pretty much how it went down at the ASG booth. ASG, of course, stands for ActionSportsGames, which is a company based out of Denmark and is similar to Cybergun and Umarex in that they hold official trademark licensing for some big name gun manufacturers. In the case of today's blog, we'll be showcasing the Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ) Scorpion Evo 3 A1 Proline AEG.

This thing was nuts. As I mentioned in the title of this blog, it was definitely a prototype made from one of those fancy prototype-making machines.

However, I still got a good look at what this unique little AEG is going to be all about.

Check out the full scoop on the CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1 AEG after the jump...

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Shameless Ploy on why I should win Best Airsoft Blog on PopularAirsoft.com

2012-01-25T21:27:00.000-08:00

I have no shame and I don't care who knows it. Heck yea, I wanna win! Can you help me out? Has there been at least one blog I've created in the past year that left you saying, "Dang, that was a great blog!" If so, please let me know but just clicking the bubble next to the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog at the link below the video here.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my efforts to look like an idiot.

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REAL Blackwater Operator Explains Ties to the New Blackwater Kinect 360 Video Game - Shot Show 2012

2012-01-24T15:48:00.000-08:00

While I was at Shot Show 2012 last week, I stopped by the Cybergun booth and got an exclusive interview with a guy named Frank, who coincidentally was built like a tank and was kind enough to give me a bit of insight as to how the new Blackwater video game scenarios for Kinect on Xbox 360 ties in to what he actually did as a Blackwater operative for a number of years. Pretty interesting information. The game features guns which were also made into licensed Blackwater Airsoft replicas, so if you dig the guns in the game, you can now buy Airsoft versions of them and play with them out on the Airsoft field.

ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT, BE SURE TO VOTE FOR US!!!
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Shot Show 2012 Coverage in Las Vegas on the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

2012-01-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas Strip Photo by Theirry Meurgues
Shot Show 2012 on the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

WOW. Is it Shot Show 2012 time already? Seems like just yesterday I was having my mind blown by all the new guns & gear from Shot Show 2011, but alas, I've pinched myself & determined this is not a dream. I've been very busy all week to get prepared for this next week, so keep your eyes peeled for some sweet updates as I report from The Vegas all next week.

I'll have some sweet high res photos and maybe even some video for you to enjoy of some of the latest and greatest from a few of your favorite Airsoft Shot Show 2012 manufacturers.

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Aftermath CZ75D CO2 Blowback Pistol Review Video - Chrono Test & Loading Tips

2012-01-13T23:51:00.001-08:00

Aftermath CZ75D CO2 Blowback Pistol

The Aftermath CZ75D is a pretty sweet little CO2 pistol that is easy on the eyes AND on your budget. I thought I'd give you a glimpse of how this thing chronos and also provide you with a few tips on operating the gun. Check out the video after the jump...
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Dan Wesson 8 Inch CO2 Airsoft Revolver Accuracy Test

2012-01-12T23:57:00.000-08:00

Dan Wesson 8 Inch CO2 Airsoft Revolver
Tom Harris for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

For those of you that actually read my blog, rather than just skim through the pictures, you will have likely read my article from the other day on how I had some trouble with the Dan Wesson 8 Inch Revolver. Well. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I refused to assume that the gun was just terrible and then rip it a new one here on the block, after I sent it back of course. Nope. I investigated the issue further and determined the issue to be a resolvable one. For those curious as to what the issue was, I can tell you that it was essentially two fold:

1) The barrel was super dirty and greasy. So I cleaned it thoroughly, but the BBs were still dropping hard and to the left.

2) The real culprit was the way that the inner barrel and the fitting upon which the plastic orange tip sits were (or rather, were not) lining up with each other, causing a consist off-axis forward spin on the BBs.

I will go into how I resolved the issue in a separate blog that does NOT include permanently removing the federally required orange tip.

For today, I'm going to talk about HOW FREAKIN' ACCURATE THE DAN WESSON 8 INCH REVOLVER IS now that I've resolved the issues aforementioned above.

First, I'd like to show you some gratuitous gun porn, featuring the Heavenly ergonomic grip with the Dan Wesson (DW) emblem set into it. It's as if Mr. Wesson had my hands in mind when he made this grip and then ActionSportsGames replicated in an Airsoft version. Seriously. It's just lovely.

Dan Wesson 8 Inch CO2 Airsoft Revolver
Tom Harris for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

While the grip is actually made of ABS plastic, it has not only the molded aspect which makes it great, but some sort of texturing or treatment process was used to make it feel like freakin' velvet. Gun grip velvet. Somebody should manufacturer that and then pay me a royalty. GO!

Alright, back to the test. I didn't do a video this time because it's a huge PITA and I usually just get trolled for it on YouTube. However, I'm probably going to do one anyway because this gun is just THAT good and I think the world needs to know it.

Even before I got this CO2 Airsoft revolver's accuracy issues resolved, I could tell that the gun was shooting a bit hot, so I decided to skip the .20g BBs and grab a couple packages of the heavier stuff which I recently unboxed on video whilst sporting a badass combat Snuggie.

Dan Wesson 8 Inch CO2 Airsoft Revolver
Tom Harris for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

You can see the different BBs I used for today's accuracy test in the Airsoft photo above.

Listed out, from left to right, we have:
Air Venturi Pro CQBBs - .25g
Madbull Precision BBs - .25g
Aftermath Blaster Devil BBs - .28g
King Arms Platinum Series BBs - .28g

So going back to my outburst above about how freakin' accurate the Dan Wesson revolver is, I could actually tell the difference between the four different types of the BBs I was using. Here's how the spread went:
@20 yards on a roughly 8.5"x11" steel BB/Pellet trap, sitting on a log, resting my arms on my knees to provide a more stable platform:

The Madbull .25g BBs had an ever-so-slight advantage over the Air Venturi .25g BBs. I missed one shot, just barely to the left of the target with the Air Venturis, but not enough to call it a flyer. I may have just tweaked the gun a hair as I pulled the trigger to pull the sights offline. This is why it's best to do these types of tests in a vice for more assurance in your results.

The King Arms .28g BBs, which more than likely came from the same factory as the Madbull BBs, had the slight advantage over the Blaster Devil BBs, but again, I'm really splitting hairs here because I actually have that luxury with the Dan Wesson CO2 revolver.

@30 yards is where the differences became a little more pronounced. The results were the same as the above, just with a few more missed shots from all four brands of BBs. The best performing BB of all four brands at this range was the King Arms Platinum Series .28g BB. It was REALLY consistent. The deviation from left-to-right, with the sights aimed in the center of the target was so small that it was a very safe bet that the King Arms BB was going to find its mark, provided I properly adjusted for elevation.

The biggest flaw of this revolver is that I've determined it has no actual hop-up. None. So once you get about halfway into your 12 gram CO2 powerlet, you're going to start losing range as the pressure goes down and have no hop-up to compensate for that. After taking the Dan Wesson 8 Inch Airsoft Revolver apart to a small degree, I believe that it may be possible to install an inner barrel with a fixed hop-up. But I'll have to do some thinking on just how that might be accomplished. I'll let you know if I figured anything out.

I don't have more than 30 yards to work with in my backyard, so I couldn't test out the maximum effective range with a fully charged CO2 cartridge, but I would guess this thing could easily do another 10 to 20 yards until the CO2 volume starts to decrease. However, even with the decreased CO2 output, if you adjust your sights for elevation, you can still hit your target quite easily because there's virtually no side-to-side deviation other than what may be caused by the shooter.

I was able to get, on average, around 120 shots per 12 gram CO2 cartridge. Mind you, the power behind each shot decreases as more gas is used, but by the time I decided it was time to change each CO2 powerlet, I will still able to hit my target from just beyond 10 yards. It doesn't even become noticeable until you get closer to that 120 mark, so not a huge issue by any means. This is how it is in pretty much all the gas guns I have owned simply due to the physics of how gas works.

Anyway. Great gun. I just realized that I have not actually gone over the features of the gun, or how to operate it, so expect to see those soon. That's all for now.

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Dan Wesson 8 Inch CO2 Revolver Review - Cleaning the Barrel

2012-01-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

Dan Wesson 8 Inch Airsoft Revolver
Tom Harris for the Pyramyd Airsoft Blog

As part of my Dan Wesson 8 Inch Airsoft Revolver Review, I would have liked to have done more of a performance test yesterday, but unfortunately I had some real trouble getting it to shoot accurately.

The shots were hitting about 5-10 to the left of where I was aiming and there was no hop-up being applied.

The instruction manual was brief and didn't mention anything about a hop-up even existing, which is concerning to me, but doesn't mean that one doesn't exist in the Wesson revolver.

After visually inspecting the back end of the barrel with the cylinder released so that I could do so, I could see immediately, as I had suspected, that there was quite a bit of dirt, debris and/or grease in there that most definitely needed to come out of that inner barrel.

A clean barrel is a mean barrel.

See what happened when I cleaned out the inner barrel after the jump...

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