Yea, this just happened!
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From Left: Mrs. Rangemaster, the one and only RANGEMASTER LARRY, THUMPY, and Mrs. Thumpy! Oh, and last but not least, back there in Row Two…SPARKY the WONDER JEEP!
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NC
All posts tagged NC
For some time now we’ve been DIGGING on a CAROLINA GUY with an EYE FOR INNOVATIVE GEAR AND GADGETS…so, after a quick Q-&-A Session back-channel over on the NCAirsoft.Org website, where he’s often dispensing PRICELESS GEAR ADVICE and selling his expert services and products, too…we’ve got an IN DEPTH interview with MATTAC head-honcho, MATTHEWS himself!
We’re going to put the HOT LINK for Matthews Tactical at the top and bottom of this one: MatTac’s FACEBOOK PAGE: Get over there and LIKE ‘em and be sure to hover and bookmark his updates in your feed, too! : LINK HERE
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Here’s our Questions and Answers session with THE MAN behind MATTAC!
THUMPY: WHO are you? Name, little background on you personally…only as much as you want to have out-in-public.
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MATTHEWS: My name is Andrew Matthews, originally from the South Charlotte, NC area currently at school in Columbia, SC for Mechanical Engineering. Currently empolyed as a military gear salesman here at US Patriot Tactical (Ft. Jackson), and take a real interest in helping warfighters find better solutions to combat gear. Unable to serve in the military myself due to medical reasons, I consider it the least I can do to contribute to soldiers and milsim enthusiasts alike with new gear ideas and my own technical experience.
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THUMPY: How long have you been making/modifying your gear? How long playing?
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MATTHEWS: I’ve been playing airsoft/milsim for about seven years now since I started college at Clemson University in 2005. Unlike a lot of hobbies, it really stuck and I just started hording as much gear as I could get my hands on. The more gear I aquired the more I felt like I could improve what was out there and let’s face it, sometimes it’s more fun to do it yourself.
I have been sewing and customizing old surplus gear for about a year or so now and just recently decided to try my hand at custom Kydex gear. I usually see something I want on the real steel market, that isn’t offered at an airsoft price or isn’t currently available, so I just try to replicate it from pictures. (FAST helmet, MOLLE gear, Vest Components, Custom Pouches, etc.)
I take a lot of inspiration from the SFLCS, AI/EI, and LBT lines of gear but always try to tweak the design to my personal needs. They say “Necessity is the mother of all invention” and I have personally found that to be the case in my military simulation experience.
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THUMPY: What’s your “philosophy” on building a good rig? How do you treat your customers?
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MATTHEWS: My personal philisophy in creating a new piece of gear is to start with something familiar or currently available and modify it to an individual need. I like it to look like a high end piece of equipment available to the SOF community, while serving a specific requirement for milsim such as hiding an HPA regulator, carrying my Polarstar Tank, or making it easier to don and doff my rig in a hurry. I am a huge fan of gear modularity, where all pieces of equipment exist and function individual of the other gear, and try to integrate that concept into most of my gear.
I am a fan of finding cheaper, more readily available solutions to most problems I run into on the field. With the radio pouch I came up with, I wanted a pouch that would fit my Wouxun Dual-Band radio, that allowed me to easily see and manipulate the screen, while still being attached to my MOLLE system.
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As for my customers, I don’t really do the work to turn a profit but a lot of my custom gear is the result of a request for a gear solution that isn’t currently available or may be too expensive. I am always happy to provide my technical experience and I consider it a challenge to try and find a custom solution for an individual whether he be heading downrange to Afghanistan or just upstate to Fulda Gap.
My customers include milsim friends and teammates, local LE/SWAT officers, and even members of the SOF community currently deployed in Afghanistan. Even though most ideas originate from an personal need, I have had the opportunity to contribute to those who serve and ultimately look forward to benefiting the military community.
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THUMPY: What rigs are your favorites? Why?
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MATTHEWS: My favorite rigs are generally the more simple time-tested designs such as the RRV and other chest rigs. I like plate carrier vests that are designed for mobility and ease of movement instead of the larger releasable designs like the CIRAS and RBAV carriers. I like to focus on lighter, smaller, faster by trying to integrate as much as possible into the design while providing modularity where I can for optional add-on requirements. I loved the RRV + Integrated MAP design but I never felt like it fit the way I wanted it to and I didn’t like how it lacked the rigidity of a plate carrier, even with a plate installed.
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Right now I use an LBT 6094 for it’s size and SAPI cut design which maximizes operator mobility. I found that the included MOLLE cummerbund was a great solution for most setups but doesn’t quite satisfy every requirement. For a higher mobility Direct Action kit where less MOLLE real estate is needed, I made a 4″ elastic cummerbund to free up my sides and added extra pouches to my belt.
In order to carry more magazines with faster access, I decided to build a MOLLE Quick Release Panel to store four extra 5.56mm mags, a Polarstar regulator, and a suppressor right off the front of my rig.
I also like the rigidity and authenticity of soft armor inserts but, like anyone, didn’t care for the added weight. My solution was a set of cordura laminated dense foam inserts replicating soft armor as well as rigid SAPI plates made from everyday packing fabric and foam board.
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THUMPY: Know you are a PolarStar guy…so, is there enough custom gear to help P* owners build a reliable and comfortable set of gear…or do you have to modify to get it right?
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MATTHEWS: The best thing about military simulation is the ability to adapt real military gear to fit a specific need or hide a non-military piece of equipment. Since no warfighter would be carrying an HPA tank on his back to run his Polarstar weapon, I had to figure out a way to hide the tank and air system in currently available gear or if need be customize a new piece of equipment for that purpose.
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The AI/EI – style MAP Backpack fits the largest tank on the market and is a current component of the real SFLCS kit. The LBT 6094 includes velcro radio cable administrators to run my air hose though. The only thing I had to fabricate specifically for my Polarstar system was the secondary regulator pouch, which houses my FPS regulator so I can see the PSI gauge and adjustment knob without removing it from the MOLLE system. In everything I design or customize, the main focus is ease of use, convenience, and expedience all while being hidden or disguised as military kit.
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THUMPY: Anything else you think folks would find interesting…torture test your gear? Worst Fail/Best WIN from using your -gear….
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MATTHEWS: As with any design process, some of my ideas haven’t worked out so well in the field and ultimately, all gear is a constant evolution integrating new ideas and materials to produce a better solution in the field. I don’t torture test my gear but the stuff I’ve made is still in great condition after three Fulda Gaps, four Lion Claws events, and countless skirmishes. I use only 1000D Eagle Cordura and I am getting better at stitching/bar-tacking everyday. I have actually had personal custom gear hold up better than its Chinese Voodoo Tactical and Condor counterparts, so that is something I am proud of.
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All in all it is a great hobby and continual learning experience. It is personally fulfilling to contribute new designs and ideas to the military and airsoft communities alike. It is always a pleasure to make it easier on those who serve while doing what I love.
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You do great work and folks need to know!
THUMPY….OVER!
Thanks Alan! I am excited to see so much interest in my craft.
Please use any pictures you’d like and let me know if you have any other questions. I hope the info and answers provided are helpful, and once again, thank you for featuring my stuff.
Take care Alan,
Matthews
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AGAIN:
MatTac’s FACEBOOK PAGE: Get over there and LIKE ‘em and be sure to hover and bookmark his updates in your feed, too! : LINK HERE
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“Air-Sharp’s Killbucket Makes Dummy Miniguns, custom movie prop weapons, antique replicas.”
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And, as you can see fromt THUMPY’S Facebook post, Killbucket is also one hella good fella!…He wanted to raise awareness of his channel, website AND Facebook page by giving away a brand new R/C Helicopter to the first 50 Likes on his latest build, a full-sized Mini like the one wielded in the movie “Predator.”
We’ve been SCOOPing the build the last couple of weeks…and decided to motivate THUMPY’S PLATOOON into action….by getting 50 fast likes and then giving the heli to our buddy Dan Stein with the South Florida Airsoft Association. They are trying to raise funds to satisfy their home county’s safety requirements to have AMERICA’S FIRST COUNTY SPONSORED AIRSOFT FIELD!
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Killbucket agreed well before the numbers were in to DONATE the R/C ‘Chopper to Dan for fundraising….and can we say, WHAT AN AMAZING GESTURE!
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See all of KILLER’s Builds by clicking on the link above, and find out how YOU can help Dan and the SFAA…and build a prototype for OTHER COUNTY SPONSORED AIRSOFT/MILSIM FIELDS near you!….at this link:
http://sf-aa.org
This could be the break that MilSim and Airsoft players have been waiting for. The first official adoption of 6MM ammunition as a dedicated training device by an official military organization, in Mongolia. And a major order for PolarStar’s revolutionary system in ASIA…the birthplace of Airsoft!
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Thumpy’s 3-D House of Airsoft monitors all news sources for airsoft-related headlines and details, and many of those sources also include real-steel and military media via Thumpy’s new SCOOP.IT channel. It was via a SCOOP that we started to put the pieces together, and were able to confirm with public information sources the who, what and why of P*’s big coup!
It begins with a joint US-Mongolian training exercise, “Khan Quest 2011,” held last July in Mongolia, which involved military members from the US Marine Corps and more than a dozen other international militaries around the globe.
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http://mongolia.usembassy.gov/pr_072911.html
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One of the reasons this came to Thumpy’s attention was that a friend from Thumpy’s “prior life” as a real-mil/ miltary beat reporter, US Marine Corps Lt. General Kenneth Glueck, attended the exercises as the senior US Military representative, and that US Marine connection–along with South Korean and Japanese troops at the event, AND A FORTUNATE ENCOUNTER WITH A MONGOLIAN MILITARY MEDAL, is how Airsoft…and particularly the PolarStar system…will soon be making its way to Mongolia.
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USMC LtGen Kenneth Glueck speaks at "Khan Quest 2011" in Mongolia.
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As reported by DoD Public Affairs sources, several civil-disturbance exercises were part of the overall “Khan Quest” scenario. During one of these ops, a Marine gunnery sergeant in charge of prepping the site suggested that the Mongolian military should try to integrate its non-lethal training systems into the plans for the scenario. But, one problem….Mongolia, being a former Communist regime trapped between the former Soviet republics and China has NO non-lethal training equipment. Its sole experiences with civil control are, how would you say, “real-world experiencial” only! I.E., training in crowd control was simply done by controlling out-of-control riots as-they-happened. Kind of a “on-the-job/riot” education!
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Maj. Myagmaraj Dorj, operations officer with Unit 311, Peace Support Operations Training Center, Mongolian Armed Forces, describes the AK-47 automatic rifle to a multinational audience during the live fire portion of the field training exercise at Exercise Khaan Quest 2011 at Five Hills Training Area near Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Aug. 1. (Cpl. Tyler Main/USMC)
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One of the III MEF Marines said, “Gee, I which we had our airsoft guns we left back in Okinawa. They’d be perfect for this scenario.” And, both Japanese and South Korean advisors also chimed in at that point, with their rich tradition of bringing Airsoft to life, and as major exporters of airsoft guns. All agreed that the Mongolian military should invest in airsoft as an affordable training system for future events, and utilize the same transport system involved in just-in-time delivery of the real-world supplies for the exercise, to ensure that they received a cross-section of airsoft rifles and pistols for test purposes.
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AK-based weapons systems are used by Mongolia, making PolarStar's just released Version 3 Fusion Engine a perfect fit in the real-world scenarios practiced at "Khan Quest"
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LINK : http://www.moveoneinc.com/blog/moveone-news/move-one-delivers-training-material-to-ongoing-us-mongolia-joint-operation/.
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In the subsequent time since “Khan Quest,” all three nations have coordinated via their embassies to provide test Airsoft equipment to the Mongolian army, and one of those systems that most-impressed the test engineers was the PolarStar “fusion” engine. Since it uses compressed air as a power source, and can be dialed up and down in power, it can go from high-rate of fire training system to a real-use riot control device with a few tweaks of the FCU module.
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And, more impressive, the PolarStar system’s use of HPA will also allow the AK’s to be used in cold weather conditions for training or even prison riot control, as the airsoft “MK 4 Strafer” is, from our buddies Sam at XCaliber Tactical and Tim “No Airsoft for Old Men” Ellwood, at events like West Virginia’s Annual Mock Prison Riot.
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But the Mongolian’s real purchase of PolarStar is because of one of a strange coincidence : the highest civilian honor bestowed by Mongolia to a foreign citizen is called the Order of the Polar Star.
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Order of the Polar Star medal
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And, the chance encounter between military professionals, and the naming of a country’s highest honor for the POLAR STAR will soon mean a boost in international trade, stronger military cooperation, and a chance to further Airsoft as a serious training tool around the globe. Expect to hear big things from PolarStar (and the MARINES/Airsofters) who will soon be back in Mongolia for this year’s “Khan Quest 2012″ exercises, armed with P* Airsoft products!
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Oh, BTW
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APRIL FOOLS!
Here’s a look at some of the volunteer construction efforts that are reshaping the World Famous South Field at Jacksonville/Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Led by Vinnie “Salty” Gizzarelli, bunkers and new trench lines are going in near the MOUT site/CQB City, and more military-inspired battle positions are coming soon.
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Check our our other video of the first part of the trench line “in action” during a training session.
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That part of the line is being upgraded as well, and will be in “fighting shape” for future Airsoft/MilSim and Real-Mil events at South Field.
You followed THUMPY’s Social Media Experiment during Fulda Gap 2011, As NC hosted AMERICA’S BIGEST-EVER AIRSOFT EVENT…and now, here comes the hard work a lot of volunteer photographer/players put into it…along with a TON of other content you will want to read.
JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS, TOO!
Get your subscription from On Target Airsoft RIGHT HERE…and get THIS EDITION starting November 8th!
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WAS FULDA GAP 2011 THE LARGEST AIRSOFT EVENT IN THE USA?
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WE THINK SO! According to Lee Ann and Ferg Ferguson, Gamemeisters-emeritus, ESQ. at Command Decisions Wargames Center, the total, verifiable, undeniable pre-registered/registered and walk-on player count for FULDA GAP 2011 was 797 Players.
And, from all AAR’s we’ve been checking out at the NC Airsoft.org forums, FG2011 was also one of the highest quality events anywhere for gameplay, for fair and balanced competition, for the remarkable leadership and sportsmanship from airsofters across the Southeast, and from organizers at CDWC.
OK, so what else might qualify as the biggest airsoft game in the USA?
Bad Karma Airsoft has their annual NOOB DAY event, and judging from the photos on THEIR WEBSITE, their player count for the March 2011 Noob-dition was 788 Players. But, that’s a single day introductory event, and while massive by any standard, it might not qualify in everyone’s book as a true MilSim competitive games-style event. (FORUM INFO HERE)
Our buddies/”Okies from another pokey”, Claymore and Frosty, producers at MIlSimEvents.com of another massive series of games at the World Famous D-Day Adventure Park have only topped 660 players (and real HELICOPTER GUNSHIP RUNS!) on Memorial Day weekend of 2011. That event, Oklahoma Invasion, is spread out over One-Thousand Acres of terrain, highly developed to be the home-field for one of the worlds biggest p-ball events every summer, which has hosts 3500 to 4-THOUSAND paintballers for a nearly week-long event later each summer.
And, as D-Day field owner Dewayne Convirs is good buddies of the Fergusons, or so Thumpy is told, and they share tips, tricks and a commitment to staging mahoosive events, the possibility exists to stage the first ONE THOUSAND PLAYER event soon…in Oklahoma, in Southern California, in the Northeast…or more likely, in OCTOBER, 2012, at FULDA GAP in North Carolina!
You Guys and Gals Just Made History! AND A PROUD AIRSOFT TRADITION CONTINUES!
Here is one guy’s video I’ve been waiting for…you are never sure what you are gonna see with the HAPPY SLOTH…again…ping his channel and say GREAT WORK!!!
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Nice work by AIRSOFT RAIDER from his YouTube Channel…see some MORE great airsoft NC videos over there…you know, click YOUTUBE logo in the vid to say THANKS and Subscribe to him on his Vault!
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Jonathan Pierce from 1NC put some great photos of Saturday’s action up on Facebook…”Friend” him and tell him GREAT JOB!!! And, visit the Team 1NC ‘s AWESOME Website RIGHT HERE!!!
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Nice Work, 1NC!
