HaVoC

What EOTech 553 is that? A real one? The colour looks great.

Hoo boy Kifaru EMR and E&E, with other bits and pieces. Lived out of this for 3 months straight. Yes, it weighed a metric f***ton. With a cover, it looks like I have a body in there or something. Beaten on height, but not on overall size. I win! E&E in 'day hike' config. This is, indeed, the life.

Just gotta get the TangoDown bits now. The finish on the replicas looks terrible (the FDE looks too light - unless anyone can deny this) and OPTG claim the TD stuff is export restricted. Weird.

The flash makes it look awful. In the, uh, metal it looks awesome. In the light it's in right now, the metal looks about the same shade as the plastic/fibre parts, but just a little lighter. I've got some photos of the real SCAR here where the damn thing looks like it's cast out of solid gold! Externally it's on a par with the VFC I handled a little while back (bar the trades, obviously) and internally it's perfect - shoots like an absolute dream with none of the reported issues of the VFC. I love this thing already and am glad I'm selling my M4 for it.

SCAR-Lett Johansson I know which one I'd take, but the RIS-burn would be a b*tch... Going to run an Aimpoint CompM4 on here, I think, and a Tangodown VFG (maybe the short version) and TD rail covers, both in FDE. I might stick an AN/PEQ-15 on when they come out, depending on cash and if I want to. Came with a Grippod but using that thing is like grasping a huge dong hanging from the bottom rail. It's great if you want a bipod, but as an entry gun, it sucks.

Do you mean in the field or in garrison? In garrison, the only reason I can think of has already been mentioned - you've either not taken it off yet because you've come straight back from being somewhere else, or you've got it on ready to go somewhere else. In the field, they are an AWESOME item from my (non-military) experience and I can definitely see why guys would want to wear them.

I see. To be honest, no matter how dumb it is, the logo isn't seen with armour over it anyway, and the shirt obviously isn't designed for garrison wear anyway. I'm sure the uniform Nazis hate them, though... Whatever is on the chest though, the shirt is an EXCELLENT piece of kit. Granted I've not been in 120 degree heat in Iraq, but so far it's kept me cool and comfortable and it seems a pretty streamlined piece of gear too. The Army seem to have (mostly) gotten this one right.

I see a lot of you guys have FDE EOTech 553 replicas on your SCARs. Which of the replicas has the best FDE finish (if any of them)?

Are these being issued yet? I heard these rumours (along with one or two other small tweaks, IIRC) but didn't know they were on their way to soldiers yet. Then again, the original ACS took so long to filter through the system, it's almost a moot point.

It's not the lighting. Check the nametape and rank tab (which look issue to me) against it. Looking at my ACS, the colour is slightly tan compared to my regular ACUs. Must be something to do with the fire retardent material, I guess.

Compared to the issue one, that ACS looks absolutely TERRIBLE. Pattern is way off, sweat-wicking materials look like balls...the real one is an awesome shirt, but that just looks...ugh.

SNAFU-1, I guess I just made it up to fill the space for a rank patch on the ACS. It looks pretty terrible if you leave it as a blank square of FG velcro between an IR flag and a nametape...just wrong somehow. I refuse to wear rank I haven't earned, so I guess this is the next best thing. It'd be cool to get one made up in proper ACU fabric sometime.

You really need a non-RIS rifle of some sort, with a fixed carry handle upper receiver, if you want to roll with the early 90s look. Also none of these fancy schmansy stocks. I like it as a start, though.

Everyone hates on the helmet covers. Sure, they're not as common as uncovered helmets with SF guys, but they are used. Viva la revolution, be different, break the mould!

I refuse to bow the whole MAP craze. They're pretty useless as I see it - a pack which you can't take off... I was also basing my kit roughly on what we saw guys in A'stan using for mounted patrols a couple of years back (but brought mostly up to date). Try getting into any kind of vehicle with a MAP on. Hydro on the back is fine, mags up front are fine (within reason), but a MAP is a bad, bad idea. Oh, and if you're referring to the ghetto-b*stard placement of the Camelbak back there, I know at least 2 guys who ran theirs like that in the Sandbox, zipties and all.

Here we go I think something is wrong though. The rig is actually COMFORTABLE. I didn't know gear could be comfortable. It sticks out a f***ing mile in front of me (definitely not a greenside rig...) but I did the Photoshopping at my desk while wearing it all. I'm still wearing it all now. S*** is crazy awesome. Oh, and I know the RRV is on a little askew. It's hard to get it right without a buddy since I think you end up pulling it off-centre trying to do the side up. It also doesn't help that I threw it on at 11pm for the sake of taking a few rubbish photos

I'll never fap to that scene again

Special offah? Ten dowwah? GI want moh?

Ugh. Nice rifle, but the vert grip mounted on the bottom of the handguard is not only a terrible idea, but completely pointless. In fact, it'll probably screw the ergonomics nicely. The M500 handguard is designed to be pressure-activated by your fingers when you hold the handguard normally. Add a vert grip and not only will it be wobbly, etc, but you won't be able to activate the flashlight, and the vert grip will probably get in the way of you getting a normal grip that allows you to activate it. And breathe.

My Xbox 360 is great, thanks

Real Japanese blades are beyond beautiful. I saw more than my fair share while I was over there (mostly in castle exhibits in places like Sendai and, I think, Himeji) and they are AMAZING. So elegant.

Mac Mini (2.0GHz model)

Me and keket got there on Thursday, aimpoint and sadigh got there at various times on Friday. We walked around in gear on Saturday and Sunday, although I was wearing ACUs on the Friday as well, I think (for the retailer area, etc). As for the chick, she doesn't look bad at all. I am surprised!

Considering how butch a lot of the women at Beltring are, that's a pretty terrifying idea. We were there as Living History again this year. So disappointed at the number of kids sporting springers (and worse!) again this year, despite the 'clampdown', and those bloody MP40s which clearly didn't comply with the VCRA in any way, shape or form (literally). Our theme this year was 'US Army Special Forces in Afghanistan'. WAR & PEACE 2008 - A SNAFU UK Failumentary It's not called a 'failumentary' for nothing. I should also add that it is not representative or Beltring as a w

Knowing Wesker, he probably is taking a leak. Not gonna mount a shotgun on the back-panel of that H-harness then?