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Accessories very usefull for Airsoft, reviewed in this section.
Review: Milspex CIRAS Land Version Vest
A geardo’s gear, without a geardo’s pricetag?” Before I begin this review, I would like to genuinely extend my thanks Paul at RedWolf Airsoft for providing me this opportunity to review this excellent vest. For more information about RedWolf, please read their shop review here: Redwolf Airsoft Shopreview.
Introduction
Milspex’s CIRAS (Combat Integrated Releasable Armor System) is a replica of the famous armor carrier used by the USSOCOM. The real vest, manufactured by Eagle, costs an arm or leg for most airsofters, not only is the Milspex version affordable, it includes all the necessary pouches.
The features of the vest are as follows:
- MOLLE/PALS compatible
- Quick release system (exactly like Eagle’s)
- Detachable shoulder pads
- Internal and external cummerbunds for tight fit
- Removable soft “armor” plates
- Cordua fabric
- Fully adjustable for height and width
Eagle produces 2 versions of this vest, the Maritime and Land versions. The vest being reviewed today is the Land Version, which is different than the Maritime Version ( The cummerbunds end anteriorly and is overlapped by an abdomen flap.
The vest is very light and flexible when compared to the RAV (which is also gaining popularity among our military troops.
A view of the vest, without all pouches attached. Notice that the back also is covered in MOLLE, allowing attachments for a hydration pouch.
Quality
This particular vest is constructed out of 1000 Denier Cordua, which is just about the strongest material available on the market; like other high quality vests, and plate carriers, they feature one inch, military specification webbing across the front and back for mounting various pouches. On this vest, Milspex had made sure to keep up the quality by having the webbing triple stitched.
Even though most low cost, replica plate carriers/vests are not exactly the best of quality, I can honestly say that this particular vest does and will meet and even exceed an airsofter’s expectations. The vest doesn’t feel like a “toy” or a “costume accessory”. I have had friends in the military tell me that my replica can almost be mistaken for the real CIRAS because of the quality.
Here you can see the extremley sturdy stitching of the MOLLE webbing.
Adjustment
All parts of the vest can be separated an adjusted individually. Each part has an attached “strip” of wide webbing with many eyelets, like a belt. Simply have all the “parts” meet together to the back of the vest, and take the loop of para cord and insert it though all the desired eyelets. After this, take the metal cord and slip it through the para cord, and pull it to make it tighter. The process is straightforward; simply imagine the whole process as wearing many belts. After looping the cord through all the parts, simply leave it alone, as the pressure of all the combined “parts” will keep everything tight. The below picture shows the back panel lifted, revealing all the “strips”.
Wearing the vest
Most people are actually confused when asked how to wear this particular vest. And in reality, it is a bit complicated. First, place your head through vest, and attach the internal cummerbunds, they are elastic, and should be attached securely, to reduce unwanted movement of the vest during combat. Secondly, lift the front MOLLE flap in the center. Now you have access to attaching the external cummerbunds. Take the cummerbund (either left or right) and attach it to the front, then take the other side and repeat the process. After doing this, simply drop the front MOLLE flap down, and button it back. Since the front MOLLE flap will always move up and down, don’t attach any pouches between the flap and the external cummerbund.
Internal Cummerbund
MOLLE flap up
First External Cummerbund attached
Second External Cummerbund attached, and MOLLE front flap down. The vest is now ready to go.
Color Options
As seen above, these are the other CIRAS Land Versions that Milspex produces. The coyote brown (CB) is shown first, and the olive drab (OD) is shown second. The one being reviewed today is the OD vest. Milspex also produces the Maritime version of the CIRAS, also available in CB and OD. Both shades of colors match the “real” Eagle CIRAS.
Package
This package is available on Redwolf Airsoft for an incredibly low price of only $148 USD. Most vests cost around the same price, but don’t even include any pouches! This includes all the pouches, seen in the above pictures. Here is a list of all the pouches included:
Admin Pouch
The admin pouch is great for operators because it has a large area of loop Velcro, for adding any patches you desire. The pouch is separated into 2 separate compartments. The lower compartment includes 2 loops of cord that enable the user to slip objects roughly the size of glowsticks, in order to secure them. The back compartment is slightly larger, and is great for putting folded maps, or other small, thin objects. This pouch is usually attached to the front chest.
Dual Pistol Magazine Pouch
The Dual Pistol Magazine is good not only for holding pistol magazines, but can also hold folding knives, or Surefire 6v flashlights. The lids of each compartment can be adjusted and even removed, as shown in the picture below.
Dual M4/M16 “Blackhawk-type” magazine pouch (2 included)
Simply put, this magazine pouch is extremely versatile. It was designed for AR-15 type magazines, but can also be adjusted (like the Dual Pistol Mag Pouch). Each compartment in the pouch can hold up to 2 M4/M16 type magazines, or 3 MP5 magazines, all with or without magpul’s. The lids can also be completely removed, at the operator’s preference. Since the lids can be adjusted, it will most-likely be able to fit most other magazines. Since the package includes 2 of these pouches, you will be able to fit up to 8 AR-15 type magazines, and 12 MP5 magazines.
General Utility/Magazine Dump Pouch
This particular pouch is not very fancy, but it gets the job done. The pouch was designed to be able to carry basically anything you can fit inside. But most people find it useful for carrying extra BBs or a small emergency medical kit.
Gas Mask/Accessory Pouch w/ Internal Elastic Retainers
In reality, this pouch would usually play the role as a gas mask or medical supply carrier. However, in airsoft, this pouch is very useful for carrying larger items such as your paintball mask, or a large canteen (if you don’t already have a hydration pack). Since this pouch has internal elastic retainers, you can easily attach items to the 2 inside “faces”, thus making access much quicker, than having to dig through the rest of your belongings inside.
Quick Release Accessory Pouch for Radios, etc.
The sole purpose for this pouch is to hold personal communication radios. The elastic cords secure the radio, while allowing the antenna, adjustment knobs, and headset (if attached) to come out, without interfering with a lid. The pouch can hold radios from personal to industrial sizes, and can be released with a quick release of the buckle.
Pros
- Extremely sturdy stitching
- High quality fabric (Cordua)
- Many included pouches
- Button snaps are tight
- Quick release function, like real CIRAS
- Stable when worn correctly
- Very modular
- Magazine pouches have detachable and adjustable lids
Cons
- Bulky (like all body armor)
- A little bit hard to get into
Verdict
For the price and quality, this vest cannot be beat for its price. It features many pouches which sold separately, are expensive. The vest offers complete modularity for personal preferences. The best feature are the 2 cummerbunds, they help secure the vest so it won’t move around during a firefight.
Final Score: 8 out of 10
Review: Madbull Powdershot Landmine
Introduction
This landmine is the first mass produced Airsoft landmine and is finally availeble for scenario gaming or just for fun! Add variety to your war game experience with this gas powered land mine that detonates when your enemy steps on it. Shower them with baby powde or use as a distraction device. This mine includes a loud pop when detonated! People will scare to death!
First Impression
I just received these unique thing in and I'm really impressed! Looks are cool and opperating is really fun! The design is simple and save and works very practical and fast. Even a safety ring is included. What kinda disappointed me was the size of it. More on this later.
Performance
This landmine will deliver best performance with CO2 gas, which gives off a VERY loud "POP" sound when stepped on. Green gas or red gas can be used as well. HFC134a gas will work but will be quite weak. Gas charging is as easy as filling any GBB or grenade shell. Baby powder loading is also very simple - just remove the upper cover and put the powder on the dish. When you are ready and the mine is in position, unscrew the safety ring, put the upper cover back and hide it with leaves or straws! Resetting the mine is very easy and is done very fast.
Using some chalk or flour will add a nice smoke effect. The smoke effect is not big but adds a nice effect. We used during this test movie HFC green gas. We expect that propane makes a decent louder pop and sprays out the flour a bit better. Madbull recommends a maximum pressure of 500psi in their landmine, you will than certainly be rewarded with a very sharp bang.
You can also put 8mm BBs or paintballs over the holes so that they fly upward when the mine is detonated, this is adviced not to do for optimal performance. Madbull has deliberately chosen not to make this landmine use 6mm BBs for safety reasons since the BB's would fly upwards and possibly through the games in players' safety glasses.
Individually serial-numbered for easy identification in case someone tries to steal your landmine and make it theirs!??
There is one part of the mine I found annoying though. The black plastic "safety ring". It can be pressed onto the trigger plate rather firmly. Be sure to install it properly otherwise you will need tools to remove this ring.
In the field
This is really funb in the field. It really adds a nice dimension to airsoft and you can really scare people to death :) We experienced 2 rather small things to discuss. First we expect that the fill valve may get clogged with mud or dirt, best way to solve this is to put some duck tape or something down there to prevent some filling problems in the future. Maybe mdbull should improve this with some sort of cap. Second the magbull landmine is rather small. On the pictures the mine looks pretty big. However when you compare it with a computer mouse it is almost the same in size. This is not a large "teller mine" and you will definately need some mines to make this approach effective. At least 5 I would say and that will become very costly.
External links
Review: MADBULL “GEMTECH” TALON
Introduction
The MadBull TALON system is a licensed product by Gemtech. Originally the Talon Trinity system is a 9mm conversion for the AR-15 series, build in the upper receiver.
The Trinity System made by Madbull features a barrel extension module with interchangeable rails for use with many different Airsoft replica AR-15’s from TM to CA to ICS. The Madbull Talon is a welcome addition to all the standard 4-sided RIS RAS rail systems for the AR15 replicas. Its rail setup versatility is it’s foremost feature to me.
First Impressions
Out of the box the unit looks impressive with all its supplied rails and millions of screws. Even if you fill all the hole’s you will still have enough screws left to build a house, anyway back on subject. Also the supplied outer barrel and silencer look and feel rigid. The Product looks good, time to take a closer look.
Fitting
Installing with the original barrel
Installing the Talon is easy, except for the slip ring disassembly, this part of the installation is a hard nut to crack without using some brute force. But past this point the Talon installs with ease.
Installing with supplied barrel / silencer
If you want to use the supplied silencer then the outer barrel assembly is much easier. But you will have a problem with the length of the original inner barrel. You have 2 choices, cut the original inner barrel to the correct length or buy an extra inner barrel with the correct length. I would choose the last option if I have to. I would only use this setup in CQB terrain, not in woodland. Due to the short length of the inner barrel you would have an imprecise trajectory.
Overall fitment of the Talon is very good. If you place the 2 halves together and screw them on tight there is no movement or friction. It fits tighter than a Classic army RIS unit for example. And I think more durable also. Alignment with the top rail of the main body can be done precise. Madbull even supplied a slim spacer for the 1mm misalignment with CA bodies. With this spacer they are leveled
Choosing the setup you want for the many rails supplied is easily done and within a few minutes you changed the look of your front-end. Just by using u hex screwdriver. Unfortunately I could not find a hex key supplied with the kit, this could be accidental. Luckily I’m well supplied with various tools.
Quality
Madbull made the front-end out of two pieces of thick machined aluminum. All parts have great fitment with each other, everything aligns correctly. I have the feeling that you could run a big 4x4 over the Talon front-end and it would still have its shape.. Sorry didn’t test it. Silencer and barrel assembly are also perfect, the silencer has 2 parts, screw them together and the seem almost disappears.
The verdict
Should you buy the Talon? Yes. Yes, because you can have a completely different look to your replica and for the build quality. With the kit you can choose to keep your original barrel or set up your replica with the silencer. Interesting would be to setup a replica to 9mm conversion with the Talon front-end
Ease of fitting: ***
Build quality: *****
Reliability: *****
Comfort: *****
Value: ****
Overall: *****
External Links
- Madbull Airsoft - www.madbullairsoft.com
Review: Guarder Speeder 2000 Chronograph
First Impression
This is Guarder's first attempt at a chronograph and they have done an admirable job. We are using this chrono quite a long time at NLAIRSOFT.COM for reviews and actually it never disappointed us. The chrono arrived in a well made white box which has been specifically designed to stop parts moving about and getting damaged in transit. I was at first concerned about the powersupply since this chrono works with a 12V powersupply, however some little transformers solve this issue.
Performance
Common well known problems with chrono's are: inconsistency, dependence on specific light sources, velocity limits and easy to damage parts. The Speeder 2000 suffers from none of these problems. There is a tube running through the unit through which you fire the bb. This tube has a small funnel fitted to it so that you have some protection against the screen being shot out by someone missing the hole. This chrono is rock solid and can hardly be damaged during your FPS tests
Consistency is very good compared to other chrono's in the field. The Speeder 2000 can be used with indoor and outdoor lighting with no problems. Above all there are no velocity limits on the chrono and the highest result I've had sofar was 630 FPS off of the KJW M700 on green gas. The Speeder features 3 different scales to measure velocity: Meters per second, Feet per second, Joules. You can easily switch between these modes. This will suit all people and is really convenient for those joule limits nowadays.
Unfortunately there is not a rate of fire function on this chrono, that would be perfect and very complete when this was combined for this price. Maybe a second model or an update on this model could make it possible.
The chrono can be charged and then used under its own battery power. The internal battery will last for four hours of use. T his featurecombined with the ability to be used in practically any light conditions (including night time) make this an extremely portable and versatile chronograph.
The verdict
Overall this is a great little package and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a precision chrono for power testing. Certainly good value for money and hopefully a rate of fire function will be added in the future.
Review: Supercell ASC7 Claymore
Introduction
The Aisoft Claymore by Supercell is a very cool airsoft accessory for airsofters. Ours came pack nice and tight with no room for anything to break. With the same dimensions as the real thing, it has a great size and easy to carry and deploy. This landmine has a good weight and even though it is mostly rubberized plastic is does feels substantial solid. It comes with a full manual and a CD so that you can watch how everything should be done on your computer or DVD player, very cool for those who do not like to read instructions! Also a nice bag is included with the claymore mine. Remark we do a review on the VERSION 2 landmine, a VERSION 3 landmine will hit the markets soon.
Operation
The mine is spring powered and does not require any gas or batteries to operate. It has very few moving parts and nothing to break or loose accept maybe the safety pin but you could easily make another and the one supplied with the claynmore comes with a bright red ribbon so it is hard to loose! On the same key ring as the safety pin it comes with a trip wire pin. You stick it in the top of the mine and can run out a wire or cord for your enemy's to step on. When someone trips over the wire, it activates the mine and then flies off with the cord. That's what's really nice, it doesn't stay connected to the mine, so when someone trips the trip wire, the whole mine doesn't go with it. It simply breaks free and the mine delivers its charge for the kill!
Loading
Before loading you need to close up the mine. The cloth launcher inside folds neatly and the clam shell outer box latches closed and your can then ad the safety pin. There is a small bb feeder hole on the outside of one side that your can pour bbs directly into the mine, mix in some baby powder for added effect and you are ready to go. Easy and convenient set-up if you ask me. Esspecially the baby powder gives a nice extra effect.
Firing
Firing is easy! You can fire this mine manually or with a trip wire. Remotely with a hardwire detonator wired directly to the landmine or my favorite with the wireless key! The wireless detonator comes pre configured to fire two land mines at once :). The remote seems to have a range of around 50' and with the wireless remote you can also set up the trip wire as a back up so even if you have to retreat, advance, or get eliminated, you can still eliminate the enemy!
Rate of Fire
Well, Rate of fire on a Claymore i usually 1 explosion per its lifetime, but not this one! It's 100% reusable, and takes less than a minute to reload and set up! It's a very easy procedure, and you can master after the first time you use it.
Performance
It holds 200+ Airsoft 6mm BBs. But by no means do you need to use that many, 5-50 cover perfectly. It will shoot Airsoft .20 g bbs over 60 feet!!! Its spread is a 30-45 degree radius. It makes a pretty neat/loud POP noise when it shoots open, and scares everyone, even when they know it's going to happen. We also advice to use B-grade BB's and not the more expensive BB's. You will have the same effect but with cheaper BB's.
Accuracy
It's a landmine! If you can't hit someone with 200 bb's with a hidden device, then you should just quit airsofting. It doesn't really have any accuracy except for everywhere in front of it! If you set it up right, it will get the job done, and it can take out an entire squad. 200 BB's can hit a lot of people!
This is a great fun airsoft toy and will make you the hit at your next airsoft scrimmage!
Rating
We give it a 9 out of 10!
External Links
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