airsoft digest spring 09 by Robert Showe

Last Beta Edition - Spring - April, May, June 2009

Robert & Isabel Showe's

AirsoftDigest.com Magazine 4604 49th St N Ste 74 St Petersburg FL 33709-3842 airsoftdigest@gmail.com http://AirsoftDigest.com © International Copyright 2008-2009 AirsoftDigest.com™ - All rights reserved Contributing Staff and Editors Robert Showe Isabel Showe William Pierce Thomas Daniel Rauscher

Disclaimer Certain products represented in this magazine and website may be subject to federal, state and local prohibitions, restrictions or special licensing for sale, possession or interstate transport. Check with local and federal authorities regarding legality of purchase, possession and transport. The information described and portrayed in this magazine and website is based upon the personal experiences of the author(s), under specific conditions and circumstances. Due to time and space constraints, the entire author's experience may not be reported or otherwise verified. Nothing in these pages should be construed to substitute for a manufacturer's manual, advice or for professional training. This magazine, its officers, agents and employees accept no responsibility for any liability, injuries or damages arising from any person's attempt to rely upon the information contained herein. add text, images, video, widgets, etc...

ADM - AirsoftDigest.com Magazine Is a free blogazine and monthly pdf publication consisting of reviews, lab testing, tuning, upgrading, customizing, airsoft guns, replicas, kit, gear, RBT and more The staff at Airsoft Digest consists of serious airsoft enthusiasts, players, collectors, shooters, trainers, armorers and gunsmiths. Not just the writers…all of us. Like you, we’re interested in saving money, what works…and what doesn’t. Airsoft Digest strives to provide instructive and honest information on affordable replicas, upgrading, tuning, customizing and more. We consider this honest information invaluable to readers like you...individuals who are interested in substance vs. hype; practicality vs. novelty; and honesty in reviews vs. ego stroking. Everything is In Our Opinion Only - We lay no claim to any of these ideas, suggestions, tunes, drills, techniques, etc. We learned, in person, from reading, online, and from people who are a lot smarter than us and we merely use and try to improve upon what we consider to be useful. ADM

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Table of Contents Raw Review – Army Detonics Combat Master 1911

The GamesThe Games! King of the Hill

RBT DVD Review - Fist-Fire 2 (Male Perspective)

The Workshop - Extreme-Fire.com MOSFETs

How to build a spring powered Claymore Mine

How to... Claymore mine - addition- folding legs

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Raw Review – Army Detonics Combat Master 1911 By Dan Rauscher

The Detonics Combat Master is a smaller version of the 1911. The slide is shorter and it has a shorter frame. Another difference is the profile of the rear sight. The rear sight is not at the back of the slide, but about an inch and a half forward. Another difference between the Detonics and the 1911 is the lack of a grip safety on the Detonics. Due to the shorter frame, and the fact that the main spring housing is the same length as the 1911s, the space available for a grip safety is reduced. As such, the area where the grip safety should be is simply a part that is mounted flush with the rest of the frame.

Typical 1911-style parts include the frame-mounted safety, the slide catch, and the magazine release. Disassembly of the Detonics is similar to the 1911, and accomplished the same way.

The ARMY Detonics is essentially, a budget version of the Tokyo Marui Detonics. Since I got this one used, I can't say exactly how much it has been used. The previous owner painted the grips an Olive Drab color. The stock Detonics comes with wood-patterned grips, similar to the TM. As far as I know, the original owner did nothing to this replica, aside from painting the grips.

EXTERNAL COMPARISON WITH THE TM: The following series of pictures and paragraphs show the differences between the ARMY and the TM versions. In these pictures, the ARMY version is the one with the olive drab grips, and the TM has a compensator attached to the barrel. This compensator is an aftermarket part, and does not reflect the stock form of the TM. However, this is the only external change I have made, leaving the rest stock. The discoloration on the end of the slide is my very poor attempt to remove the orange paint.

When initially picking up both replicas, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two (aside from the obvious cosmetic differences). Looking more closely, there are slight differences between the 2 versions. For example, the outer barrel on the TM is shiny silver, but the ARMY is more of a matte silver.

In addition, the trademarks on the slide and frame seem deeper on the TM version. They seem to be engraved, while the trademarks on the ARMY seem to only be scratched into the surface. The trademarks on are very similar, and only have slight differences. For example, the TM trademarks read "Detonics .45 Tokyo Marui Made in Japan", while the ARMY read "Detonics .45 Army Works Made in China".

SHOOTING IMPRESSIONS: The Detonics shoots rather well. It seems to be on par with all my other GBB replicas. Sadly I do not have a decent range area in my apartment, so I can't do any accuracy testing. However, aiming on the Detonics is rather rudimentary due to the sights. In true classic 1911 style, the sights are a simple post and notch affair. The sights are unmarked, so it is just lining the black front sight with the black rear sight. The rear sights are not adjustable.

The ARMY Detonics, like the TM has adjustable Hop-up. In order to adjust the hop-up, you must field strip the pistol. This is accomplished in the same way as a standard 1911.

The wheel in the pictures is how you adjust the hop-up, and is located underneath the barrel. To turn the hop up higher, rotate the wheel counterclockwise, and the opposite to turn the hop up down.

Sadly, my chrono is currently acting up, so I'm unable to have chrono readings.

MAGAZINE COMPATIBILITY: Since the ARMY version is a clone of the TM, magazines should be compatible.

I tested the stock magazine, a TM Detonics magazine, a TM 1911 magazine, and a Bell 1911 magazine. All fit, and were fully compatible. The only slight difference was that the Bell 1911 magazine was a very tight fit, requiring a little more force to insert it into the magazine well, and then remove it again.

AFTERMARKET PARTS COMPATIBILITY: Since the ARMY is essentially a clone of the TM, it is compatible with any aftermarket parts for the TM. For example, while tuning this replica, I switched the inner barrel with a precision barrel meant for the TM. It was a drop in fit.

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The Games! King of the Hill

King of the Hill The device sat, mute, in the center of the long hall. It seemed to be mocking us. Barely thirty feet away, it might as well have been a million miles, given the situation. Getting to the thing was easy enough; a brave (and lucky) man might take advantage of the covering fire of his team to close those thirty lethal feet. What came next had, so far today, proved an insurmountably lethal obstacle. The device needed to be activated. That complex process would take over a minute, during which the operator would be completely preoccupied and exposed, unable to seek cover or return fire. They would have a need for both; we weren’t the only ones intent on seizing the device. Fabulous wealth would greet the men who activated it. IF they lived long enough to collect the reward. The fact that our team was down eight members attested to the fact that such a thing was easier said than done. . .

The rattle of combat gear behind us signaled the arrival of our reinforcements. I glanced back: eight new men. “Here we go again,” I thought to my self. I signaled, and the air shook with automatic weapons fire as we began, yet again, a leapfrog advance to the cylinder. This time, we closed the distance quickly, without much trouble. “So far, so good,” I muttered, reaching for the device’s complex control panel. The thundering sound of the opposition’s weapons reached my ears the instant before the two teammates shielding me went down. Cowering behind the device, I continued to work frantically. My surviving teammates poured cover fire down the hall. “Things just got a little more interesting,” I thought, as bullets rained down around me . . . The Game: Teams begin play on opposite sides of the field. In the center of the field is the "flag": a propane canister or other similar-sized object. Each team attempts to get one of their players to make contact with the flag and maintain that contact for one full minute. Game-specific rules: The flag may not be moved from its location. Players in contact with the flag must hold onto the flag with both hands; they may not fire a weapon during this time. The flag-possession count begins when a player seizes the flag. If the player on the flag breaks contact, is replaced, or is killed, the timer resets to zero and begins anew. Victory: The first team to have a player survive continuous contact with the flag for sixty seconds wins the game. Hits: Upon being hit, a player calls himself dead. Death: Dead players return to a designated resurrection point on their own side of the field. After waiting at the res-point for a set time (usually 30 seconds), the player may return to the game. There is no limit to the number of times a player may be resurrected. -Tuthmose

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RBT DVD Review Fist-Fire 2 (Male Perspective)

Fist Fire: How We Do What We Do (Male Perspective) By Dan Rauscher Disclaimer: Well, I originally started this review back in January, but got distracted as I was watching the DVD, and ended up only finishing the review just now, about 2 or 3 months later. In that time, Isabel wrote her review (no doubt Rob got tired of waiting for me to write it). So, ADM has already brought you the Female perspective on the DVD. So, now here’s the male perspective. Please excuse the stream of consciousness writing style.Enjoy! Alright, here I sit with my airsoft 1911, ready to watch this DVD called “Fist Fire”. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect, but here goes: I figure a 1911’s a good choice, as this is probably some sort of pistol shooting related DVD. But only time will tell. I’m kind of digging the intro music. Sort of an electronic/guitar mix. Not too shabby. Honestly, this D.R. Middlebrooks reminds me of Jack Dalton from MacGyver. But that’s neither here nor there.

Oh, fantastic. This guy’s got a model 1911. Looks like I picked up the right replica. He’s running through a bunch of different pistol stances right now, but he’s not doing a very good job of explaining exactly what is different between the different stances. There are slight nuances between these stances, but he just sort of runs through them very quickly, and I haven’t quite figured out what they are. Could just be the type of learner I am, I think I need someone actually in person helping me out to ensure that I’m doing things properly. Could also be that I’m starting with what is apparently the second DVD in a series. Proper Grip: Oh, now he’s moved on to a Glock. I’ll stick with my 1911, and hope for the best. And it seems that he’s started to actually explain the grip and stuff, so this seems to be the actual instructional portion, rather than just an overview. He’s being very repetitious with how to grip the gun, so he’s helping the viewer learn by repetition, which has allowed me to practice the grip quite a bit, and he explains “overgripping” and “undergripping” well, and the results of those two grips. Recoil Control: Seemingly not all that applicable to airsoft shooting, due to the lack of sizable recoil, but probably good to know, nonetheless. Again, a lot of repetition and demonstration. I think its giving me a good handle on what’s going on. Indexing & Open Guard: Somewhere in here, I decided that I didn’t need to keep repeating the same thing over and over again for each section. The reloading section seems to be very right-handed biased. But I guess that’s sort of a given, based on the location of the slide-lock. Not all that useful for a left-handed person like me, as I’m continually having to see what they’re saying, and try to adjust it to use with a left-handed grip. It’d be nice if they had a section for left-handed folks, but I guess that’d be an extra section that not everyone would actually want to watch.

Overview: Well, this was a very instructive DVD. For the first little while, the instructor was going through things really quickly. But that was all overview stuff, and not really the meat of the class. However, once he got the parts of the class that he was actually teaching, they did a very good job of reviewing things, and continuing to allow opportunities for practice. - END ADM ADVERTISEMENT

The Workshop Extreme-Fire.com MOSFETs

So... What is a MOSFET switch? A MOSFET switch is a solid state electronic switch that takes the power normally sent through the trigger switch assembly and instead routes that power through a Mosfet (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor). In this way the trigger switch is only used to send a very low-power signal to the MOSFET switch. The MOSFET switch then turns the current on and off without any arcing or damage to the trigger switch and wear is virtually eliminated and its lifetime is extended indefinitely.

What are the advantages of using a MOSFET switch? A typical AEG must deal with a current of up to 50 Amps or so every time the trigger is pulled. Note that electrical switch wear greatly increases in upgraded guns where current can reach 100 amps! This very high current causes a standard mechanical trigger switch contacts to arc and burn. MOSFET switches use less than 0.1 Amp of current and totally solve problems associated with electrical wear. Extreme-Fire.com Premium Mosfets On one end of the spectrum we have the extreme-fire premium mosfets like their SW-Cheetah super high power computerized MOSFET switch. Check out some of the specs... Only 2.05" x 0.65" x 0.55" and Weighting just 0.50 ounces It handles batteries from 7.1 to 15 VDC! Instant Peak Current of 1600 Amps, Peak Currents of 450 Amps and RMS Currents of 65 Amps! This one is a beast! Then their is the unique stuff it can do. Features: 1. Fully computer controlled MOSFET switching with Active braking. 2. Full electronic over current, voltage, and temperature monitoring, and protection. 3. Normal, 3-Round Burst, and Semi-Only operation. 4. Automatic 3-round burst to full auto operation after trigger is held for 1/2 second. 5. Full PWM motor speed control. 6. Soft Start to reduce motor and drive train wear. 7. Very low trigger switch current (~10mA). 8. Self diagnostics at power-up and during operation. 9. Mode, Burst Time, and Motor Speed are programmed via trigger pulls. 10. Low sound level motor vibration is used to signal the user. 11. Fits in present fuse holder space and replaces old fuse with high speed electronic monitoring. 12. All wires supplied and attached to the PC board. 13. Software can be upgraded by the user with a chip swap. 14. The design is fully open source to allow Third Party support.

The Extreme-Fire.com SW-Jaguar Recently I received a SW-Jaguar for testing from Gandolf at extreme-fire. Can't say I was disappointed in any way. This thing is simple and powerful. Exactly what I needed. For the ak, a robust tough workhorse mosfet for the same in a gun.

This super power active braking MOSFET switch is for the pure power users out there that want simple pure high power and can deal with it! Brush, motor, and battery wear WILL increase. It switches on and off in less than a millionth of a second. Installation was a snap, just follow the wiring guides which in my case was number 4a. It was installed and running in a few minutes. Yes, some wiring and soldering experience can help, but these are easily learned skills.

Frequently Asked Questions What is a MOSFET switch? A MOSFET switch is a high-power solid state electronic switch that takes the power normally dissipated through the trigger switch assembly and instead routes that power through a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET). With this type of circuitry, the trigger switch is only used to send a very low-power signal to the MOSFET switch. The MOSFET switch then turns the current on and off without any arcing or damage to the trigger switch and wear is virtually eliminated and its lifetime is extended indefinitely. Amazingly, the MOSFETs used in Extreme-Fire products could deliver up to 5000 Watts of power to the motor, but no Automatic Electric Gun (AEG) motor will even need that much.

What are the advantages of using a MOSFET switch? A typical AEG must deal with a current of up to 50 Amps or more every time the trigger is pulled. (Note that electrical switch wear greatly increases in upgraded guns where current reaches 75 to 100 amps!) This very high current causes a standard mechanical trigger switch contacts to arc and burn. MOSFET switches use less than 0.1 Amp of current and totally solve problems associated with electrical wear. What is Active Braking? When the trigger switch turns the current to the motor off, the motor continues to spin for a short time due to its spinning momentum. This over spinning tends to compress the piston spring and generally adds to mechbox wear. The problem is far worse for modified airsoft guns that have a high rate of fire can causing the gun to double or even triple fire after trigger release because the motor simply can't stop fast enough. Active Braking (AB) forces the motor to decelerate very quickly by applying a large electrically-produced braking torque inside the motor which quickly brings it to a stop. Will it void my AEG's factory warranty? It is necessary to disassemble the gun and usually the mechbox for installation of MOSFET switches. Disassembly of the gun will usually void the manufacturer's gun warranty. Will it increase my FPS, ROF, parts durability? FPS - Normally, there will be no effect on BB velocity. ROF - Generally, rate of fire does increase some due to lower switching resistance. However, the lower gauge wiring (#16) and perhaps shorter total lengths of high current wire used can also have an equal or greater effect on ROF. In general, all one can say for sure it that it will not lower ROF. Wear - Mechanical wear inside the mechbox will not be affected by nonbreaking MOSFET switches other than vastly reduced electrical switch contact wear. Active breaking MOSFET switches may significantly reduce wear by stopping the gear train properly and faster. They also prevent leaving the piston spring in a compressed state during storage. Theoretically, motor brush wear should increase 4% in semi mode and 0 to 1% in auto mode due the added active breaking current.

For any questions please contact sales@extreme-fire.com Special Note: These products assume the buyer is able to disassemble and reassemble the AEG and especially the mechbox fairly easily. Rewiring and soldering are needed for installation as well as some electrical and mechanical skills. Gandolfs super mosfets are available at:

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How to build a spring powered Claymore Mine

Airsoft Rat Trap Claymore By Longbow After seeing several videos on the rat trap claymore I thought I would give it a try. The size of the claymore is as close as I could get using the Victor Rat Trap. The real Claymore is 8.5”X 2”X 3.5”. The unit I built is 9”X 2”X 4”,

Material List: 2-Victor Rat Traps available from any grocery store or feed store 1-Hasp, 1-3/4” 2-Hinges, 1-3/4” Mini 8-Carriage Bolts, 1/4”X 1-1/2” with nuts 8- Screws #6 X 1/2” for leg attachment 1-cotter pin 1/8” X 1” 2 Legs, 1/16 X3/4 X 3/4” angle aluminum 8” long. Body (box) and Measurements: 1-Base, 3/4” plywood 8” X 3-1/4” 2-Long sides, 3/8” plywood 9” X 2” 2-Short sides, 3/8” plywood 3-1/4 X 2” 1-Lid, 3/16” plywood 9” X 4” Tools: Basic woodworking tools Wood saw Drill and various bits Glue Nails or screws Sand paper. C-clamps Hack saw I will not go into details but in generalities on the construction.

First build you body (box)

Cut 2-1/2” off the rat traps. Cut off the correct side! You may need to trim the edges of the traps to fit into the box.

Drill for the 1/4” bolts through the traps and bottom of the body. Mount the traps using the C-clamps to push the traps down.

For mounting the hinges I used pop rivets with back washers for durability.

Legs, cut the angle aluminum at 8” and taper cut them on two sides, 1/4” at the end to full outside at 4”.

Mount the hinge on the top front

Use the loop taken off the trap for an eye

Hasp locked and loaded

Fabric was old jean material

Paint as needed. Finished product

Special thanks to Longbow of The Rifle Company forum for this article. - END

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How to... Claymore mine - addition- folding legs By Longbow

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The NEW AirsoftDigest.com Magazine – Coming July We would like to thank everyone who has helped us up this point in testing our publication and preparing it for full production. Coming in July... Weekly blogazine articles on the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th of each month. End of the month free pdf of all the blogazine articles. July issue... • Review - Airsoft GI's new custom G4-A5. • Tactical Balls by Brite Strike – Review. • Basic AEG Prep and Care – How to. • The Tuning series, 24 bi monthly articles on budget tunes to get the most from your aeg – How To. • Tune 1 - Disassembly mapping, de-greasing and cleaning, destressing mechbox corners. • GovCheese budget ab mosfet - Review. • Media Review – DVD – GunSite Training Center - Tactical Carbine. • Games of TAA – Jailbreak! • Review - Project Wolfdragons Over-Discharge Protection Circuit Boards for Lithium Polymer (LiPO) Battery Packs. • AEG Review – Airsoft GI's new custom G4-A5 DMR. • Budget C-Clear Anti Fog - Review. • Tune 2 – Piston rail polishing, Tappet guide polishing, installing metal bushings or bearings. • Amped RC's 7.4v 1800mha 20c Lipo – Review. • Female Perspective on Airsoft – Interview. • BB Lab - .32g sniper bb's by Goldenball. • Brownells Epoxy paint – Review – mk23 socom. • Media Review – Book – Janes Gun Recognition Guide - END

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