S-Thunder have officially launched their grenade launcher – pistol grip composite version & kit:
S-Thunder (www.s-thunder.com) is pleased to announce the launch the first in a new series of grenade launchers.
S-Thunder’s "short barrel" Pistol Grip Composite Grenade Launcher (Item ref # ASG-SB01) is the first entry level release from this new product line. Highlights of the new grenade launcher are as follows,
- Entry level unit (Item ref # ASG-SB01) of a new line of single barrel grenade launchers from S-Thunder
- Pistol type grip grenade launcher
- Easy to use and comfortable to hold
- Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of US$69.99 (*) – making S-Thunder’s grenade launcher one of the world’s most affordable grenade launchers
– Body is made of a durable engineered composite material allowing the grenade launcher to be durable, light weight and easy to carry
– Trigger pull and hammer force are ideal for use with CO2 powered grenades as well as grenades charged with HPA/Top Gas/Green Gas/Red Gas/R134A etc. Trigger is not excessively "tight" and the lighter trigger force will significantly "reduce" a player’s reaction time when firing at stationary or moving targets
- Accommodates all 40mm diameter paintball / airsoft grenade shells including S-Thunder’s 40mm Shocker M203 style grenade shells and CO2 powered foam ball grenades
- Breech loading allows for fast reloading
- Safety and release switch is included in unit as an added safety precaution
- Interchangeable pistol AR grip – users can customize the grenade launcher grip by changing the standard M4 / M16 style pistol grip with other AR grips available in the marketplace
S-Thunder is also launching its Pistol Grip Composite Grenade Launcher Kits. These are affordable grenade launcher kits for players and S-Thunder will offer two (2) styles of kits as follows,
- Grenade Launcher Kit #1 – Item ref # AGL-SB21 includes,
- "short barrel" Composite Grenade Launcher (Item ref # ASG-SB01)
- one (1) Gas Powered Foam Ball Grenade Shell
- one (1) Single Cartridge CO2 Cylinder
- one (1) CO2 Cylinder Adaptor nozzle
- Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of US$149.99 (*)- Grenade Launcher Kit #2 – Item ref # AGL-SB21-A includes,
- "short barrel" Composite Grenade Launcher (Item ref # ASG-SB01)
- one (1) Gas Powered Grenade Shell (short M203 style)
- one (1) Single Cartridge CO2 Cylinder
- one (1) CO2 Cylinder Adaptor nozzle
- Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of US$149.99 (*)
Videos and internet media reviews of the Composite Grenade Launcher from the USA can be seen here,
- Airsoft Retreat
- http://www.airsoftretreat.com/forums/index.php?topic=95468.0
Booligan of Airsoft Retreat has reviewed S-Thunder’s Composite Grenade Launcher mentioning the interchangeability pistol grips and they "mounted up a .45 style grip adaptor for a paintball gun, however it is the same design as real steel ARs, so your options are limitless" and in his conclusion, Booligan states that "I am very pleased with this launcher, namely because it is so incredibly compact, and it gives you impressive firepower.".
Yu-Hon Li, Director of Business Development at S-Thunder mentions that "we will soon be releasing long barrel composite grenade launchers as well as metal versions. One of our goals is to offer a line of grenade launchers which grenadiers can easily set up and quickly fire at targets when needed. During our research, we found that many grenade launchers were not effective when firing M203 type grenade shells when filled with CO2. The trigger and hammer mechanism of several other grenade launchers we tested were either,
- ‘not strong enough’ to properly trigger the CO2 powered grenades when needed
- had very ‘tight’ triggers and required excessive trigger force to activate CO2 powered grenades
Both of these issues significantly increases the reaction time and reduces the performance of grenadiers. Our engineering team designed a simple, but effective mechanism to resolve this and S-Thunder now offers a line of grenade launchers that have,
- a trigger mechanism that is slightly lighter to the touch allowing for a "more comfortable and smooth" trigger control
- a hammer mechanism that has enough "force" to quickly activate CO2 powered grenades when required
S-Thunder’s enhanced trigger and hammer mechanisms will allow players to fire their grenades easier and faster. This is extremely important as it provides grenadiers an added edge by ‘reducing’ reaction time when firing upon a target and therefore increase an individual’s performance.".
S-Thunder’s grenade launchers are compatible with all brands of 40mm M203 style paintball / airsoft grenade shells, including S-Thunder’s line of Gas Powered Grenades and its line of short & long barrel Gas Powered Foam Ball Grenades which can be used to launch paintballs, bbs, rubber pellets, colored water, smoke powder, confetti as well as 40mm foam rockets. S-Thunder will be introducing additional short and long barrel grenade launchers in the coming months to provide a wider range of choices to best suit each player’s individual needs.
Commenting on the use of composite materials, Yu-Hon states that "S-Thunder is taking full advantage of the wide range of speciality engineered materials that are available today. Several years ago and due to the fact manufacturers were limited by the number of material choices available, metals were used for manufacturing many items. For example, several components in todays modern automobiles utilize engineered composite materials, whereas up to a a few years ago, these same parts were made of more heavy and costly metals. Today, when the choice of materials available is so vast, S-Thunder is utilizing leading edge composite materials in our new line of grenade launchers that are as durable as metal, light weight and more cost effective to manufacture. In keeping with our mission, S-Thunder continues to offer customers functional, innovative, quality and durable products at affordable prices. Our engineering team found unique ways to reduce the manufacturing costs of S-Thunder’s new line of grenade launchers and we are happy to pass these savings directly to our customers. We feel that S-Thunder’s pistol type grenade launchers perform as well or better than most others and are among the lowest priced units available in the market, undercutting many others by 30 to over 50% in price. This will allow for a wider range of grenadiers to have access to these products for use in milsim, scenario, woodsball, CQB as well as for law enforcement and tactical / military training use.".
The S-Thunder TEAM
Note: (*) Manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for items listed are S-Thunder Limited’s suggested price for these items. Please check local retailers for exact pricing, specials, promotions, or other pricing. MSRP is subject to change without notice.
