In August I visited the guys at Airsoft Extreme and they showed me a rough cut of this short they had created from video shot during the filming of a commercial. It is a Hollywood production and aside from the airsoft guns and associated special effects the gear is authentic. Watch it in this light and enjoy.
In what may prove to be their greatest achievement yet, Natick’s Carriage Design Lab, demonstrated a modular chest rig that holds beer, cigars, lighter and TV remote control to Comedian Larry the Cable Guy during a recent visit for his History channel show “Only in America.”
Larry the Cable Guy just didn’t visit Rich Landry’s Nylon Disneyland, he also get to try out a lunch of sampling a of delicious rations as well as investigate the latest in FR technology.
To learn more about his adventures at Natick Soldier Systems Center, visit www.army.mil
I picked up a new quarterly magazine today. “World of Firepower” is a publication from the Editors of Gun World and mimics the look, size and feel of the up and comer “Recoil” magazine. Literally. Take a look at the cover. But, I’d say they won’t make the same mistakes that “Recoil” did. Take for example the editorial by Consulting Editor Paul Hantke. He gives a great synopsis of a lifetime with firearms and over 25 years of writing experience to let us know that there are gun guys behind this one.
It’s a lifestyle magazine that’s more “Maxim” than “Guns and Ammo” and includes loads of cool guy photos of Operators in action as well as a feature by “No Easy Day” author Mark Owen. Overall, “Firepower” seems to be more military centric than “Recoil” was. Throw in some gun reviews, gear porn, knives, and some female eye candy and I’d say it will be popular.
It’s a new format for a rather traditional industry. I’m looking forward to the next issue to see how it fares.
“Operation Z” – A 12-part web-based series, described as the “ULTIMATE guide to surviving a zombie apocalypse.” Starring Chris Costa.
Awhile back we showed you Airsoft Extreme’s commercial. It is really cool, less commercial and more movie. There’s a great long cut that we’ve seen but they won’t release it until they hit 27 000 likes. Until then, here’s a teaser.
www.facebook.com/AEXSuperstores
The announcement that Jerry Tsai, former Editor of Recoil Magazine, has stepped down certainly opens the door for them to rebuild their advertising base. But, the question still remains, will the change in leadership bring a strong message to young gun owners that the fundamental reason to own a firearm is personal, home and (in the worst case) National Defense ?
Let’s hope so.
Keep in mind that this week’s conversations, and the many that will be had about Recoil Magazine in the near and (possibly) far future, really revolved not around one man, but around large issues that affect each and every gun owner. The issue is “Why is it okay that we owns firearms?”
At the end of the day, there really should not be any reason that someone claims, short of the intent to harm another human being outside of defensive action, that anyone should consider wrong. There are many types of guns that we, as individuals, may not like. There are many reasons for owning guns that we, as individuals, may not want to list as our own. Fundamentally, I believe that defense is the primary best reason for firearms to exist and to be owned. I firmly believe that a constitutional interpretation of the right to own firearms is based on defense.
The reason I was personally so invested in the discussion this week was not to see one man replaced. It was to ensure that any voice of leadership in this industry at least agrees that our RKBA should not be legally restricted and that there is no absolutely such thing as a reasonable restriction to the rights of responsible, sane and law abiding person to own firearms.
Certainly, we may not always agree on the best choices for defense, the best ways to exercise our rights or even, believe it or not, the best caliber for any given purpose… but, on the issue of Zero Tolerance for Restrictions, we must be united.
I wish Recoil Magazine, and Jerry Tsai, good luck in rebuilding so long as they do so with a stronger sense of the importance of instilling these principles in the young, enthusiastic gun owners that they reaching… and anyone else who is listening.
-Rob Pincus
-I.C.E. Training Company
This gets even better. According to David Reeder of ‘KitUp!’ the statement below by My Galloway (who no one can now reach) is not an official position. In Reeder’s article it sounds as if ‘Recoil’ Editor Jerry Tsai is saying that Galloway did this of his own accord and is off the reservation. Unfortunately, his only source for this denial is Tsai, the epicenter of the controversy. Wonderful. ‘Recoil’ publisher Source Interlink Media doesn’t have a single voice and hasn’t addressed the issues. Regardless of whether this remains their position, they haven’t issued a retraction or clarification. And, they still have intimated that the anti-Second Amendment sentiments weren’t Tsai’s but rather H&K’s. H&K has officially denied this.
To summarize: The “Offical” position is unoffically the unofficial position. Is anyone in charge? What a mess!
Please read ‘Recoil’ magazine publisher Source Interlink Media’s position on Editor Jerry Tsai’s Second Amendment gaffe in issue number 4. For those of you unaware of this internet crap storm please read this first soldiersystems.net/2012/09/10/you-cant-run-from-the-internet-take-2
In light of some of the comments and complaints made about a paragraph in a recent article about the Heckler & Koch MP7A1, Recoil wishes to make the following points clear:
· It is simply not credible for anyone to question Recoil’s support for, and commitment to, the Second Amendment. Recoil is first and foremost a gun lifestyle magazine, aimed at the modern shooting enthusiast.
· The opinions in the paragraph in question accurately reflected those of the manufacturer, and should have been reported as direct quotes. Recoil acknowledges the way the paragraph was written has caused unnecessary confusion.
· Jerry Tsai, a passionate gun enthusiast and the visionary behind Recoil magazine, will remain as editor of Recoil.
We thank you for your support and understanding.
Quite honestly, if you read the article, it was one paragraph that was actually quoted from the manufacturer and we did not state it that way. Recoil has 26,000 likes on face book and the magazine has only been out for three issues and issue number 4 is just hitting the streets. I honestly believe that this will not hurt the magazine. I have not lost anyone as a result of this and do not expect to.
Joe Galloway
Associate Publisher
5.0 Mustang & Super Fords
Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords
Phone 813-675-3493
Fax 813-675-3557
Email joe.galloway@sorc.com
Assistant: Jennifer Conklin 813-675-3507
Now, I have a few words. Initially, I didn’t want to throw Jerry Tsai under the bus. As I understand it, he is a very nice guy and he had the vision and passion to launch ‘Recoil’ in the first place. But, after talking to many in industry I realized that Mr Tsai was way out of his league here. If it hadn’t been this, his inexperience would have manifested itself somewhere else. I have come to the conclusion that if ‘Recoil’ is to survive, there is no way that Mr Tsai can edit or write for it. Unfortunately, publisher Source Interlink Media is so naive about the firearms industry that they don’t get it either. Pretty scary. Even worse, they aren’t getting it after losing multiple advertisers. They don’t believe they have lost readers either. They think that Facebook ‘likes’ equal readers. What they don’t get is that folks have ‘liked’ them on Facebook so that they can more easily follow the lunacy.
But, what is worse than some losing advertisers and readers is their relationship with the very industry that they are supposed to be covering. Rather than manning up and accepting Mr Tsai’s words, they are now blaming the words and associated anti-Second Amendment sentiment on Heckler & Koch. Well done. You’ve now alienated one gun maker and the others are probably rubbing their chins wondering if you’ll make them look bad as well. Who is going to provide samples for those cute little photo layouts? What gun company is going to take them to the range? Who will even talk to them? You can’t have a magazine without content. I supported ‘Recoil’ from the beginning and I would have stayed right behind them had they shown industry that they were willing to learn from this and move forward. Instead, they don’t get it at all. They’ve now taken an adversarial stance toward the firearms and tactical industries. I can’t abide by that.
I have heard various versions of this today so I’ll just paraphrase, “Recoil, you need industry. You’ve shown us we don’t need you.”
