The log of updates to this site is below. If you want to know why, and how, this site was built and published, please read about it here!

Update Log

17^th April 2004

OK, a few more updates.

Added the crossed SA-80 style bayonets to the fieldcraft articles. Here's the image - it took bloody ages to get right!

I've modified the Style Sheet, so as to move easily highlight when your mouse is over a link, by changing the link background from transparent, to a very light tan. This does NOT extend to links in the right hand advertising bar, which remain standard underlined links (I'm still considering whether to include (sic) them in this format).

I've added a semi-rotating 'recommends' ad bar to the right, to replace the fully static version that was there previously. This was complicated by the problem that the server that this site currently resides upon is not fully loaded with the normally standard components for ASP, including the one I'd originally planned to use, 'ContentRotator'; as a result, VB script has had to be utilised, and frankly, it's done a better job that I'd hoped for; I'm currently using five versions of the upper of the three parts of the 'Practical Airsoft recommends' section, and these rotate, relatively randomly, across all the visible pages of this site. The script allows me the option of expanding the number of top sections in the include as well, so in theory, I could have any number of top sections rotating at any given time, and that's a useful thing to have in place, as it helps to vary the look of the site, and thus keep it fairly fresh.

I've also dumped the old version of the text menu, in favour of a site map, instead. The static text link for this in the header include file has been updated to match this, and the last remaining purely HTML files have been deleted in favour of the single ASP sitemap file, instead. Therefore if you cannot see or read this text due to a dark camouflaged background, may I respectfully suggest changing your internet browser for something a little more current? Most recent (since IE6 came out) versions of Navigator, Mozilla, IE, and Opera, support the levels of CSS and JavaScript that I'm using on this site. You don't need to worry about the ASP and VB advert rotation scripting: This is processed by the server, and served up as HTML. Oh, and I'm aware that Lynx and other text-only browsers have problems rendering modern HTML, CSS and the like. This is something that I'll have to work on in the future, but at the moment, it's not a major priority for me. Sorry!

Next: The textual value for the most recent year date in the copyright statements have been replaced with ASP date calls; this will make updating the years for these automatic, the moment the years change over on the server. Example: 23.59, 31-Dec-2004 to 00:00, 01-Jan-2005. At that time, all copyright dates reading 2004 will automatically change to read 2005, without me having to manually trawl through the site a few weeks (or months) later, having belatedly remembered at that time!

Finally, since the TalkBack Forums have been removed for a while now (please don't ask. It's a sore subject), I've also removed the link to them in the menubar. I've also removed the 'comment on this' forum link in the footer include as well.

12^th September 2003

Updated the footer, so as to correctly point to the Talkback Forums - I cannot believe I missed that - took a visitor to point it out to me - thanks, Stuart!

Added my latest project: The TM Colt M733 conversion to Colt M977 RIS/SIR.

Still to come: SWAT Big Game 2003 review (the images are already up, I've just been a bit busy of late), and the Stirling Services Sennybridge 'Bosnia Weekender' video, in MPEG format. This is going to take a while: It's been giving me all manner of problems.

19^th April 2003

Added part one of Practical Fieldcraft in easy bites, covering tactical formations for movement in the field. Hope you like it!

Modified the menubar to reflect future changes and additions in the tactics section

18^th April 2003

Split the links page into seperate pages, both for speed of loading, and more reliable loading of the banner image links.

Added a new forum ot the Talkback forums for the SWAT Big Game 2003, specifically for the EUSF side. Thus far, no interest, darn it - come ON, guys!

Updated the text link nav bar to reflect recent changes.

Tidied up, spell-checked, and generally went around changing a few things that needed updating. No real notes required here, just general maintenance.

6^th April 2003

Changed the font sizes from em to points in the style sheets, following comments from visitors regarding small text sizes.

Corrected an error whereby the text linking every page to the Talkback Forums was missing, by adding it to the 'footer' include file. As the footer include is called into every page by the ASP software, it'll now appear. Did likewise with a 'go to the top of the page' link in the footer include as well.

Added Elite Action Games Biggin Hill CQB site review.

Added a few more links to the miscellaneous section.

31^st March 2003

OK, well, it's finally here, for the most part!

To discover what exactly has been done, look over the 'about' page! It's a hell of a saga, and not quite complete, even now!

6^th January 2003

Well, the major facelift of the site hasn't all gone according to plan. It appears that users of the Opera series of browsers have had a few problems, specifically, the dynamic menu system doesn't work for them. Not Good.

So, and quoting from the Xara Webstyle help files (enboldening added for clarity):

Which browsers support multistate buttons and menu features? Older browsers do not support (display correctly) the JavaScript for NavBar buttons and menus. NavBars require: Internet Explorer 4.0 and later Netscape Navigator 3.0 and later Opera 3.5 and later Menus require: Internet Explorer 5,0 and later Netscape Navigator 6,1 and later The current version of Opera (6.03) does not support menus Animated or semi-transparent menus require: Internet Explorer 5.5 and later Current versions of Netscape Navigator (6.2) and Opera (6.03) do not support these features.

I've been assured that Xara (the software company that makes Webstyle) is working on this, but it may be a while before they have something to release. In the mean time, I'm working on a couple of back-up plans. More in the next few days.

In the mean time, I've been updating the links, found that the review of the SWAT Big Game was the wrong damned version, and so have had to edit it all over again. Damn it, I thought I'd deleted the right one. So much for that thought., and performed a little work here and there all over the site, getting a few more things done 'just so'. Once I've got the work around for Opera sorted, I'll be a trifle happier!

Oh, and Happy New Year to you, too!

31^st October 2002

First update in a little while - I've finally added the review of the SWAT Big Game 2002. More updates to come soon...

20^th August 2002

Added the cover shot of the September 2002 Gun Mart magazine. This time, it's a proper scan, not a photo!

Oh, and I corrected the telling sperror at the foot of the home page, as well, LOL!

5^th August 2002

Added the cover shot of the latest Gun Mart magazine. (sorry for the poor quality - the scanner was playing silly buggers, so we had to use a digital camera, which refused to shoot without the flash!).

25^th July 2002

While it doesn't look like there have been updates for a while, in fact, there has been at least one update - often more - per month; I've just been a bit lax noting them here, is all.

So, what's new? Well, there are five new reviews on offer; two regarding rations (British GP and German EPA), one review showing off the Shoot and Scoot customised GPMG, and a review of a variation on a theme, a DPM patterned South African Assault Vest from New Cross Army Surplus. In addition, there's a review of the SWAT Airsoft Big Game 2002 (held over the weekend 27^th-29^th June 2002) soon to come, but in the mean time, there's a four-page photo gallery, to whet your appetite.

Updated material includes a couple of new links (see suppliers of Military Surplus), a changed web address (MasterChief's), and a complete re-write of the First Aid advice (go to the Basic Safety page, and follow the link at the top of the page), written by a serving UK Health Service Airborne Paramedic.

Enjoy!

28^th May 2002

General site maintenance; changed my graphic signature on the Editorial Page to something that now does not look like a spider hiccuping all over the page (), and added a new link or two.

Oh, yeah... you'll also find a no-prize competition on the site (update - removed through a lack of enough responses: Only one person bothered to reply!); it's a humour competition, where the funniest result (and five runner-up) get to see their entries posted on Practical Airsoft - if this is successful, I'll be running more of the same!

3^rd May 2002

Added an Airsofter's Guide To Coffee!

2^nd May 2002

Added a couple of photos from my personal collection (now you can see just what an ugly mug I've got - even if the photos don't look anything like me anymore!); made the links page a little more user freindly; changed one of the banners to fit in with the style of this site a little more.

30^th April 2002

Added a personal response to hc501, the Firearms Consultative Committee's 11th Annual report. Added new murphyisms and quotes. Added How The British Mailitary Deal With Snakes to the humour section...!

16^th April 2002

Right; just to confirm this, I have now managed to finally get rid of those damn horizontal scroll bars - comments would be appreciated, and sorry for the confusion!

10^th April 2002

OK, NOW I should be rid of those damn horizontal scroll bars - comments would be appreciated!

Talkback is now running in beta, and testing is now open to all - please give it a look!

29^th March 2002

Project TALKBACK is in beta test at this time; a new facility for giving you, the visitor to Practical Airsoft, the ability to let your comments be known to everyone, regarding this site, and its contents - yep - we're getting a discussion board underway. The boards should be launched within the next couple of weeks (barring setbacks, of courese), so WATCH THIS SPACE!

Project TALKBACK will NOT be a replacement for the UK Airsoft Forums, but a place specific to this site. Once it's launched, I'll regularly look in on it, and reply when I can (normally the same time that I check them over). So, until Project TALKBACK is launched, keep your eyes peeled for more information - you'll see it here first!

24^th March 2002

Well, Practical Airsoft finally has it's own domain name!

Over the next month or two, you'll find a new service emerging on this site - Project TALKBACK. It's kind of classified at the moment, but more will be released VERY shortly!

Watch out for this new service soon!

18^th March 2002

The review of The Outdoors, a Surplus store with incredible prices, is now on-line.

I've also found the time to edit and upload the last two articles in the four-part 'Radios and Tactics' series

Some general editing has also been done throughout the site; you should now find a few things slightly more up-to-date.

14^th March 2002

You know, it's rather stunning; I was curious to know what you lot were using for search terms on the search engines, so imported the search terms listing on my site tracker stats page, and made it a little more readable for myself... here's the list:

6mm, 8mm, 95, accessories, accessory, aeg, air, airsoft, army, asgk, aug, automatic, battery, bb's, british, chase, cheap, clothing, co2, cobra, custom, dpm, electric, equipment, europe, feed, feet, field, firearms, fix, flecktarn, flectarn, foot, free, french, full, fully, game, gaming, gun, guns, handgun, handguns, headsets, history, home, info, information, land, laws, legal, magazine, magazines, mart, marui, maxon, military, news, norwegian, outdoor, paint, paintball, pattern, pellets, pictures, pistol, pmr446, pounds, powered, practical, radio, regulator, replica, reviews, revolver, rifle, rs446, rules, safety, scenarios, second, semi, shop, shops, signals, silverman, site, sites, skirmish, skirmishing, sniper, sniping, softair, soldier, sport, spring, squad, steyr, suppliers, surplus, tents, top, uk, video, videos, vox, waterproof, weapon, weaponry, weapons, webbing

I've now had to completely re-write the keyword meta tags throughout the site - how's that for people pressure?!

13^th March 2002 (at "Oh My God!" o'clock in the morning!)

Ahh... finally! <he stretched in his chair, his joints clicking like a discordant drumer having a fit. It had been a long evening!>

I've managed to find the time to edit, clean up, and post, the final two articles in the Radios series - enjoy!

The Practical Airsoft Shop has also had a re-organisation; I've split it into Books, and so on, to help you find what you may be looking for - no more confusing browsing, folks!

There has also been a slight modification to our Privacy Policy, to reflect how we track visitors using this site - there's no need for concern, but it's there in full on our The Outdoor is the retail arm of Field Textiles Limited; they recently were awarded the Contract to sell genuine MoD surplus to both the trade and retail, so you can guess that their prices are going to be keen (to say the least)! A review of this company is coming soon - watch this space!

1^st March 2002

A slight cock-up has been found, and corrected, on the quotes page, which resulted in the page not showing the text; this was caused by my missing a vital peice of HTML; for some reason, only Netscape users were affected - sorry for the inconvenience! Normal service has now been resumed!

A new method of implementing the navigation bar has ben implemented. Using a javascript 'JS' file, instead of embedded javascript within the contents window HTML page to figure out what's HTML, and what's scripting. This should let it load more quicly, as the browser will not have to parse everything on the page; it also makes the contents page HTML about 450% smaller - which has got to be good!

In case you're wondering, I'm trying out a new peice of software, designed to generate the code and images for the navbar. It's called Webstyle 2.1, by Xara; the navbar was designed with the trial version. The full version has many, many more designs (and other stuff) on the CD. I'm going to be getting a full copy, and recommend all you budding Airsoft site developers get a copy too - it's available through Xara.com, at this address.

28^th February 2002

Righty-ho, the (almost) final update of this cycle is on-line now. More photos, First Aid page re-posted (this time through the basic safety page), and some typos that got through last time have been eliminated with extreme predudice!

Yet to come: Yet more images, of course!

27^th February 2002

I give up <shrug>. I'm gone for the 'fudge' factor, to get rid of those damned horizontal scroll bars. The CSS, and HTML fudges with the frameset, and other ideas that were passed to me through the HTML Writer's Guild membership, unfortunately didn't pan out this time. Romek, another member of the HWG-Techniques mailing list, however, did suggest an option that I'd tried to avoid - the tables fudge factor. Thanks, mate; looks like it was the only solution. Pity the other ideas didn;t pan out, though - it would have been nice! Again, my thanks to the HWG members who tried to help. Thanks, folks - it's the thought that counts!

Anyhow; I've also taken the opportunity of adding (and updating) a load of images to several pages (the load carrying kit page, and the overnight equipment page); these are mainly to give you an idea of what certain items look like, when you're out shopping for outdoors kit, webbing, and such like, and in the process, I've found two more suppliers for the links page! Have fun!

26^th February 2002

WO-HOO! I've managed to get the site Nutscrape (<cough> - Netscape!) freindly, while trying to get rid of the damned horizontal scroll bars (see below). All it required was a bit of mucking around with the CSS sheets!

Of course, if you're a Netscape user, with JavaScript switched off, you'll need to turn it back on again, in order to view this site in all it's (khaki green) glory!

Now, an interesting development in the horizontal scoll bar issue noted below: It doesn't happen to Netscape users! It appears to be exclusively an IE peculiarity. I'm still looking into this pain in the brain, but for the moment, You nutscrape users are gonna miss out on what appears to be an IE 'product feature'!

24^th February 2002

OK, following a couple of comments on the UK Airsoft Forums, I've played around with the HTML and style sheets on the site a bit; most of the pages that were exhibiting horizontal scrolling should not now do so. The three exceptions are the Links page, the about page, and the quotes page, and I'm damned if I can figure out why they have horizontal scroll bars on them - they damn well shouldn't!

I've also taken the time to add to the quotes page, and add a little more to the UK Law page, noting a few clarifications and editing out a couple of errors that crept in. My thanks to Michael Wong (aka Sabot) for his suggestions on this, by the way.

I also tweaked the header information a bit, too, making the keywords on the pages more tailored to this site, now that the original Airsoft.org website has gone the way of the dodo. I should have done that ages ago, but plumb forgot! Shows that I'm Human after all, eh?!

21^st February 2002

A new year, a new logo, and a new format for the contents bar (again). Please let me know what you think (e-mail me!)

Practical Airsoft will soon be moving to a new location, under its' own domain name - watch this space (and the welcome page) for more information. We're looking at a few hosting solutions, but the move will happen within the next two months.

Finally, I've got off my arse, and posted the last few months accumulated (read: Aggregate) hit stats, from Hitbox. You can see them here. You folks make me proud! This site has an AVERAGE visit count (unique) of 830 per month! For such a specialised site, it's quite phenomenal, and I thank you very much! You've done my ego a power of good!

2^nd January 2002

Happy New Year! A new quote from Steve Madden, a new Murphy from FRoyalflush@aol.com, and a "Happy New Year!" graphic (replacing the "Merry Christmas!" graphic) have been posted.

May 2002 bring you prosperity, happiness, and a wealth of targets to take out in your games!

2^nd December 2001

Merry Christmas! (imagery added, front page jigged around a little, to make it look a little better). Links to pages regarding Team SAR/R dropped, until such time as the team is a viable concern again (pity, but that's life!). New Link to the UK Airsoft Network added on the links page; they're mirroring saome of my articles, too. Keep popping back here, though, as I'm going to be publishing anything new, here, first!

27^th November 2001.

Various smallish updates, link to Free Fire Zone added, new Murphy Quote from Blue Lemming, and that's about it this time around. Oh, yeah - forgot! The last update includes a mention of my new column in Gun Mart - I'm writing / collating / editing the Airsoft Section in that magazine! What are you waiting for - the December 2001 issue is out now! Go buy a copy!

5^th November 2001

Article on Tom Andrew's AUG "Speed Nipple" posted.

4^th October 2001

Hmm. Nine months since I last updated the site. Not Good. Oops!

OK, well, I've uploaded a couple of the articles on Radios that were originally on Airsoft.org, following the failure of that resource, along with the article from there on tactical hand field signals. There are a couple of those articles to come, and they'll be posted as and when I get a chance to edit them.

17^th January 2001

A fairly comprehensive maintenance, this time around, with many pages editied, updated, and generally tarted up. Added another Murphys law on Airsoft, thanks to "SPIDERMANMANMAN" (yes, that's the correct spelling of his e-mail alias!), changed the Team SAR/R page to update it and reflect our current position, and generally went over the site again, looking for spelling errors that had crept through (found a few, too, darn it!).

13^th January 2001

Added another rule to the Murphy's Laws on Airsofting, and amended some other pages, following some more very helpful critique both by e-mail, and through the now defunct Airsoft.org 'General' message board. Thanks to all those who responded. Keep it coming, folks - only through your help will this web site get better!

8^th January 2001

Added Murphy's Laws on Airsofting, and amended some other pages, following some very helpful critique both by e-mail, and through the now defunct Airsoft.org 'General' message board. Thanks to all those who responded. Keep it coming, folks - only through your help will this web site get better!

Also added a page for Telcom TW1000 two-way radio owners, now that finding speaker microphones is like finding rocking horse droppings!

6^th January 2001

Added several pages, split the contents window in three, main, player, and operator, modified some advice for players and operators, and generally used my time off work due to my flu-like cold to good use updating the site. Operators should now start to see more material dedicated to them.

25^th December 2000

Merry Christmas!

Added a page advising you how to assemble your newly acquired PLCE webbing at the bottom of the Load Carrying Kit page, and just what the minimum you should consider stuffing into the pouches of it, actually should be!

20^th December 2000

Redesigned the draft cap-badge for SAR/R to a more practical, and physically reproducable design; also, lacking the original skull and crossbones, it shows a more professional attitude, which probably does more for the hobby, than the image of a bunch of pirate-like blood-thirsty maniacs (who - me?)!

Corrected a few more telling sperrors (that's "Spelling Errors", to you!), added super glue to the tools listing, expanded on the descriptions of a couple of traders in the Links page, and generally performed some routine maintenance on the site in general.

Also added the team call badge design to the home page, just to try to attract more potential players for Operation: Firefly2!

By the way, the badge design philosophy, for those that are interested, is as follows: The United Nations laurel leaves, surrounding an Airsoft ammunition ball, superimposed by a path-finder's arrow, and a simple scroll bearing the team name initials, rendered in a subdued brass. Much more professional...!

19^th December 2000

Added the Elite 85 custom Airsoft rifle review. Then uploaded a spell-checked version, and added "Frag Out!" e-magazine to the Links page... Lord, an Editor's job is truley never done...!

18^th December 2000

Added the Special Editorial SAR/R team proposition page (if you're a northerner going to Operation: Firefly2 or 3, DO NOT LOOK (fat bloody chance)!

15^th December 2000

Added basic safety page (with three standard warning symbols, for clarity), and added camouflage swatches to the clothing page, again, for clarity.

13^th December 2000

Added pages on selecting your Airsoft model weapon, Radios, and tactical hand signals (these are link pages, as I'd already written on this subject, for Alex's Airsoft.org site). Also corrected a couple of relling sperors - AHEM! Spelling errors <grin>...! Comments, as usual, are appreciated!

12^th December 2000

Added the Editorial page. Updated the site in general, making the colour scheme a little more user-friendly, and added the background image to the contents and masthead frames. Comments, as usual, are appreciated!

1^st December 2000

AGH! I forgot, in my haste to please you, that the link colours sucked under the new background colour! This has now, thank the Lord, been rectified, so you should be able to see the links!

Put the pieces in place for the forthcoming reviews page.

Following Alex's comments on his now defunct Airsoft.org website, I've split the copyright and privacy policy page in to two pages. And despite his protestations to the contary, it's not at all complex to read!

Following a brief chat with the owner of Drop Zone Supplies, I find that they have a new address; formerly a Freeserve address, they are now at http://www.army-surplus.co.uk/.

30^th November 2000

OK, following a couple of comments regarding the background colour not looking like the light khaki that it was supposed to resemble, I've re-done the colour to a mild form of military green (not quite olive green, but close enough for government work!); this also required that I re-do the backgrounds on the ISG logo and the masthead logo, as well as some of the colour settings in the style sheet (thank God I decided to use a linked, rather than embedded, sheet this time!).

In addition, following an extraordinary offer from one company in the UK (who will remain nameless until such time as this comes to pass), I've been offered first hands-on reviewing of some new Airsoft models that will soon be on the market. Since these models are designed to fill specific niches in the tactical theme of Airsoft Skirmishing, I think I'm safe in sticking the reviews on this site - besides, it's a hell of a tempting offer! The frst of these should be on-line by Christmas (just to show you what you missed in your stocking on the 25^th!)...

27^th November 2000

Some images added for tools and kit selection guidance here and there; links page reorganised - double the number of on-line retailers have now been added.

I've completely re-designed (again!) the masthead logo; it now looks like it's meant to look; all I had to do was fire up Fireworks, find an image of British DPM camouflage, import that into the base image workspace, mask the site name over it in the 'July 4' True type Font, add a little bevelling, and a bit of drop shadow, export it as a progressive JPEG, and voila! 45 minutes work. Sorted!

25^th November 2000

Version 1.1 of this website is now up and running. Problems in validating have, for the most part, been cured. Invalid nesting of unordered lists on the UK Law page were solved through the help of the HWG Techniques Mailing List membership, for which I'm grateful, having been staring at the problem for far too long!

The Index page, where the frameset elements and commands are situated, is another kettle of fish altogether as, while it can be made to validate, removing the non-validating elements leaves a nasty one-pixel gap between all three frames, which I find not only unsightly, but darned annoying. Therefore, it remains the only non-validated on this site. Oh, well. Win some, lose some.

In addition, the logo in the masthead has been redesigned, to take into account screenwidths of 800x600 (The previous logo produced horizontal scrolling at 800x600).

Pages added: Update log, links, tools, and overnight field gear.

20^th November 2000

Version 1.0 of this site is now posted. Validation problems continue to plague me, not the least of which are the UK Law and index pages.

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