DragonWorks Update
This month I am going to stray off topic again, and blog a little bit about my new found adventure, Airsoft. What exactly am I referring to? Well, I think it is safe to say, that I am not referring to the clear plastic toys you see at “Wally-World” (WalMart) or Dick’s Sporting goods, you know the ones I’m talking about…No, I’m talking about full scale replicas of yesterday and todays most sophisticated weapononry, modeled after weapons from all over the world. I’m talking about schermishes or matches, even scenarios, set-up with feet per second (fps) limitations for certain classes of rifles and pistols. Matches that include both close quarter combat (CQC or CQB) which is played indoors, or for outdoor field matches. I am talking about groups of guys and gals of all ages (yes airsoft is co-ed), gathering together, decked out in all manner of military looking “loadouts” having fun shooting the heck out of one another. You could liken airsoft to playing “cowboys and Indians” or playing “Army” in extreme adult fashion. Airsoft is not to be confused with Paintball, another sport that allows players to shoot one another. The ammunition used for the two sports, as well as the rifles and pistols, are of two very different designs. Paintball utilizes a tube/hop-up/Co2 tank to propel large diameter ammo, that on contact will burst, leaving a splatter of paint, thus indicating a hit. Airsoft utilizes a small 6mm plastic BB, which are propelled by rifles and pistols that are near 1:1 scale of modern and yester-year weapons of war. The “hit” or “kill” is wholely on an honor system, since the 6mm BB’s do not leave visible marks of a hit on the players clothing (but may leave the occassion welt or red spot on the skin). The hit player calls his own hits, and places a red rag on his head, and procedes to the end of the field, only to “re-spawn” at a later time in the match.
Enough, there is far too much to go into to much detail about airsoft, in just one post. I have been very intrigued by airsoft since August of 2009, and I am still finding more and more info about the sport, that keeps pulling me in. If you have any interest, then Google for yourself and see where airsoft is today, see what awaits you if you dare to reclaim some of your childhood and start playing “Army” again. Dare to remember what it was like to be youthful again…(spoken like a man who has hit his mid-life stride)
If I might recommend a starting point; visit “Scout The Doggie” on youtube, and immerce yourself in a couple of hours worth of airsoft battling. Youtube is full of all manner of airsoft videos, including reviews on nearly every type of rifle and pistol used to play the sport. Read, view and enjoy.