TheFull9
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Posts posted by TheFull9
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Sounds about right to me, we didn't have Osprey when we went in to Iraq. Hell, when you look back at pictures from the time there's a lot of guys just not wearing any body armour at all, plenty of respirator haversacks about though.
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Well, they use aluminium for the real thing. They wouldn't exactly have to CNC it or anything, just a decent casting would probably be fine. Personally I wouldn't mind paying the added cost, although to be quite honest I've never had a problem with any metal parts on any TM weapon.
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Sorted, cheers mate.
Your cover's looking pretty decent there considering it's designed for an entirely different helmet, good option for those who don't fancy paying nearly £50 for the Crye.
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Did the mount go on alright? I'm going to install one but I'm never likely to mount any sort of NV to it so I could use a cheap option.
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H is out, in case anybody was unaware. WGC and Echigoya.
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How tall are you dave? I'm an average sort of 5'11 and my SOC-Cs have loads of room left for adjustment, hell I've bought 3 sets of them now, heh.
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Not heard that one before, but then I was on leave at the time so it's probably the facial hair that does it.
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I've seen that pattern around before, can't for the life of me remember who makes it though. It is a bit odd looking, but if you take it out to a game Ivan I'd be interested to see pictures.
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Quick question/request - Any chance of a pic of the back of that rig? I'm getting tempted by the DCS as a stop-gap rig until I can afford a CPC and would like to see how the PIG Hydro looks on it.
Sorry I'm a bit late:
Quick question before I splash out on a new DCS, I'm currently running a WAS Raptor in MC which is working well enough for me, but when carrying an M9 in an IMI belt paddle holster it sometimes get caught on the bottom of the cummerbund when being drawn. I was thinking of picking up a DCS so I could wear a MOLLE belt and mount the pistol and mags for that on there, whilst having a lower profile PC. Can anyone with the DCS confirm whether it allows a belt to be worn below it with ease? If it helps I'm 5' 11"ish....
I'm 5'11 as well, I always run my pistol/mags on a belt with my rifle ammo and other stuff on some other kind of LBE since I find that's what works, and the DCS is no exception. It's a fairly short thing so it rides a lot higher than most other PCs I've tried, so you've got plenty of clearance between the bottom of the rig and the top of your belt to draw your sidearm and reload it. Using some BFG 10-Speed pouches above the areas where you mount your pistol is always a good idea too.
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What do you reckon to it? Considered it a couple of times but went with the ATS and then the VTAC.
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That the OPS belt from UR-Tac Ivan?
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Pretty sure that is a KAC VFG on the upper of the 2 RS SFWs there.
Try saying that 3 times fast.
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Kosher for what? Some of the G&P versions have some odd furniture admittedly, but from what I've seen it's a pretty good replica of the real thing in terms of trades, dimensions and features.
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Far as I can tell I'm getting the same thing.
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Shocking!
Is that all German issue stuff?
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Thanks very much. I shall endeavour to get a picture of my rear end and post it up tomorrow for you.
Not exactly sure of the cost of the hydro setup on it's own unfortunately, all that gear came in one order from SKD. You best bet would be to just have a look at their site to see the basic cost of the 2 items, then you'll be able to take a rough stab at what HMR&C/PF will end up charging you.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snTtSweNVvQ
One thing I did forget to mention was the side/arm pit zip. These actually run all the way from the base of the jacket right up to the underarms, on both sides, with a waterproof layer fully covering up both.
Again, as mentioned in the description, I can only apologise about the continual noise of rain hitting plastic. It was the only way I could complete this without wasting a couple of hundred pounds of Samsung HD camcorder. Overall I think it was worth it though, the footage really doesn't actually show the full extent of the rain. My hair looks as dry at the end as it does at the beginning, let me assure you that was far from the case however.
An additional note to the drying properties of the jacket: Unlike Gore-Tex, softshells don't entirely stop water from entering the outer layer, it won't bead up and just roll off. However, even though the rain did seep in slightly, I hung the jacket up in a room at a fairly standard temperature and it was dry as a bone again within a couple of minutes.
Also impressive was the ease of removal and re-attachment of the hood, just a couple of press studs and it's back on there.
Any questions, comments or feedback of any kind anybody might have at all, please do let me know.
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Looking at that label, I get the feeling they've copied the real Ops-Core labels, or just used the same ones they produced for the clones of them. Colour options including AOR1, Multicam and bright red? Rings a bell.
Could be wrong of course, they might well be making 2 different sizes and various other colours in the long run, we shall see.
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eBay is looking good, £45 delivered. MidwayUK want £64 plus postage, which is usually a fixed rate with them regardless how small the item is; i.e. not cheap.
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I seem to gradually be getting more and more daily digests that I actually don't want.
I have the notification settings drop-down (none, daily digest, weekly digest etc) set very clearly to 'None', but they still keep popping up.
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Also has anyone ever tried fitting a real steel stock on our guns? I hate how the Magpul PTS version costs more then it's real steel counterpart.
As in CTR/ACS type, not the UBR or anything? Standard collapsible stocks are fine yeah.
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I like the look of them but totally forgot that they can carry different magazines. They might be better for me seen as I'm running both an M4 and an AK. Colour seems a good match for the WAS mc.
Did you get them from the USA? I'm hoping that there will be someone in the UK that stocks them.
Well they would match, Warrior use Crye materials, so do HSGI. I don't know much about Crye's actual production facilities, but I should imagine that there's a good chance all the MC materials roll out of the very same building and then get shipped absolutely all over the place.
Probably more than half my gear from the US these days, I feel fairly confident that if a UK store were stocking stuff as high end as TACOs I'd have noticed it. Unfortunately however, given the relatively small demand for this stuff, the fact that most British retailers and consumers aren't even aware most of it exists and the costs incurred in importing it for wholesale, I don't see things changing any time soon.
Even if they did, a TACO (as an example) costs about $30 in the US, by the it got here you'd be looking at between £35 and £40 and that's before your postage. Sure, customs will sting you granted, but if you were to work it all out I think I can safely say that even if UK-tac or whoever were to get this gear in, you'd not actually save any money.
Is there anywhere in the UK to pick up a PIG Hydro carrier?
Far as I know, the PIG line is exclusive to SKD.
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It's not a bad alternative, IMHO multicam is still a better all round performer and you are rather limited in AOR2 options for MOLLE gear by comparison, though the TMC stuff on EBB doesn't look too bad. You could probably put a full loadout together if you search around enough.
If it were me I'd pick up the OPS uniforms and then go with RG/FG or Coyote equipment from whichever gear brand you happen to be a fan of. There's not a massive amount of photo material available for inspiration unfortunately.
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Given how ridiculous and long a lot of the descriptions are, I'd be inclined to agree with you.
I suppose some sort of grid format would be the ideal thing, just the titles and a small preview image. But even in these days of everything on the internet having a 'Share on X, Y & Z' button attached to it, I'm sure that's far easier to say than it is to implement.
AAC M4-2000 Suppressor with Blackout 51T Flash Hider by Magpul PTS
in Tactical Equipment and Accessories
Posted · Edited by CKinnerley
Advanced Armament Corp. M4-2000 Suppressor with Blackout 51T 3-Prong Flash Hider by Magpul PTS
Suppressors in airsoft are, it has to be said right off, very much a superfluous accessory with little practical function. The majority of players out there use AEGs from which most of the firing sound is generated by the gearbox. Adding an accessory like this one to your rifle will only have a small effect on the audible report of the compressed air leaving the end of your barrel. With that said, a suppressor with an actual foam lining such as this one can somewhat alter the noise your weapon makes when firing, and if your gearbox is running smoothly it can make it that little bit more difficult for the opposition to identify your position, though this is also partially dependant on various environmental factors.
Practicality aside however, airsoft is (for many people) largely about recreating real life combat and in the real world, combatants do use suppressors to great effect. Ergo, attaching one to your airsoft weapon can greatly enhance it's aesthetics, depending on each individual's tastes of course. There's certainly a market for these items within the airsoft community, otherwise you wouldn't see them on forums and on the field, and manufacturers wouldn't be producing them.
Magpul PTS have in the past produced a slightly different line of suppressors (some in sets with flash hiders) but to my knowledge those older versions are now entirely dis-continued and they have began distribution of a new line of officially licensed AAC suppressor replicas.
There are currently two models available from PTS, namely the SPR/M4 which is a longer, DMR styled can, and the M4-2000 which is more styled for carbine/SMG usage and what I will be reviewing here. Both are available in Black or Dark earth and both come with an appropriate flash hider which is used to mount the suppressor. The included hiders are available in 14mm positive or negative threading, making a total of 8 package options to choose from, giving the end user the ability to select exactly what they want and to tailor the items to their personal environment and weapon system.
Packaging
Normally with an airsoft product this would consist of a plastic bag sealed at the top with a folded over piece of cardboard, but PTS and AAC it seems were not happy with anything but the best when it came to wrapping up their new product, as you can see from the top image.
I was expecting the usual PTS naked cardboard with orange accents when I opened the package that contained this suppressor, what I was greeted with however is a very solid cardboard tube much like the ones used to house the Masada/ACR after-market 11.5" barrel sets. The black finish with reflective silver graphics certainly rates very highly on my own Gucci scale.
What actually matters of course, is how this housing is going to protect your investment during transit, because this is not a low budget accessory by any means. I am pleased to report however, that as I was on my way outside to take the photos for this review, I managed to drop the tube (with everything inside) right on to granite slabs from over 4 feet up, and the fall didn't even manage to penetrate the surface finish let alone damage the contents, so thumbs up all around there.
As you can see, the tube itself is lined with bubble wrap and the 51T comes inside it's own little bubble wrap package, so there's no worries about your purchase reaching you from safely from the far east.
51T Blackout Flash Hider
Specifications:
Weight: 4oz / 115g
Length: 2.5 inches / 63.5mm
Thread Size: M14 x 1 (Clockwise in my case)
Material: Steel Alloy
Surface Finish: Heat Treated Coating
Mount: Ratchet mounting features on the exterior for attachment of the Suppressor itself
The first thing I noticed when I picked up the 51T was the weight of it, they weren't kidding when they said it's made of steel. I don't believe this has been CNC'd however the overall forming and general appearance of the shape of the hider is excellent. All the edges are neat and sharp, the ratchet notches are crisply done as is the suppressor thread, and the 'PAT PEND.' trades are engraved both deeply and very neatly. The thread that interacts with the barrel is of course immaculate and works flawlessly.
The finish is a flat, smooth dark grey which has been expertly applied and I think it's going to be quite resilient to knocks and scratches. Overall, if you didn't know better, you'd be pushed to tell this hider from a real one on initial inspection.
One of the few faults I've found with this overall package is that this hider doesn't mount properly to the ACR CQB barrel set if you remove the aluminium collar which usually shrouds the rubber o-ring found behind the thread on the end of said barrel. Due to the design of this FH, the ratchet grooves will impact on the adjustment dial for the gas piston before it can be fully screwed in to place. However, this is such a small and specific issue that I struggle to class it as an actual fault at all frankly. With the collar fitted, it mounts on to my CQB barrel set absolutely fine.
The AAC M4-2000 Suppressor
Specifications:
Weight: 9.1oz / 259g
Length: 6.6 inches / 168.2mm
Diameter: 1.5 inches / 38.1mm
Material: 6061 T6 Aluminium
Surface Finish: HA II Black Coating
Mount: Internal ratchet securing system for mounting the suppressor to the 51T
Yet again, as with the flash hider, you pick up this suppressor and it feels very much like you've got a real firearm accessory in your hand. It's heavy enough to not seem like a toy, without feeling like you'll need to hit the weights bay for a month just to be able to skirmish for a day with this thing mounted on the end of your muzzle.
The metal work is beautifully done with yet more clean edges, deeply engraved trade marks and as expected all the parts fit together perfectly. The matte black finish is very kind on the eye and gives the impression it'll take a few knocks without chipping and flaking away like some cheap chinese paint. It is a slight shame about the rather bright white 'Airsoft Only' wording they've put on there but that is sadly a necessary evil with these officially licensed products. Fortunately, it's not too noticeable when you're not looking closely, it's certainly not going to give away your position on the skirmish field anyway.
It does indeed feature a foam lining so I'm not sure what the legality of this is for some U.S. based airsofters, but either way it's certainly good to see, because it does mean this is not just a useless weight on the end of your weapon that's only good for photo ops. I'm not sure why they decided to go with the wire coil down the centre of the foam, perhaps it's there to protect the lining from BB hits while still enabling the air pressure to be somewhat dissipated by the material. Either way, it's all very quick and easy to access and held together nicely.
The actual deployment and removal of this suppressor is as quick and easy as one could hope for. The very short screw thread only requires a quick twist to get everything fully locked in to place, and you don't have to worry about it unscrewing itself during play because the ratchet system takes care of that. Once attached, the can itself is entirely solid with no slop, rattle or wobbling about the flash hider and removal is just as quick and easy as deployment. Simply press down on the spring loaded tab to disengage the two teeth from the grooves on the hider, a quick twist and you're clear.
Overall score? I never dole out perfect 10 out of 10s, but given how hard I've had to work to really find any detractors to these items, I'd quite happily slap a 9.5 on them.
The relatively high cost to effectiveness ratio with regards to skirmishing will be a major issue for some, but this sort of thing really does depend on your preferences and priorities. If you're all about green fees, petrol bills and replacing the boots you're wearing out from gaming 10 times a month then this isn't so likely to be the product for you, but there's no denying that PTS have done a top class job in producing extremely high quality replicas of the AAC products.