Airsoft gun

Airsoft guns are highly detailed firearm replicas manufactured for recreational purposes. Airsoft guns propel non-metallic 6mm pellets at muzzle velocities ranging from 30 to 260 m/s (100 to 850 ft/s) by way of compressed gas or a spring-driven piston. Depending on the mechanism driving the pellet, an airsoft gun can be operated manually or driven either by compressed gas (such as Green Gas, propane, or Co2), a spring, or an electric motor.

Safety concerns
Airsoft is safe with proper care, and designed for children 16 and older. The plastic projectiles from airsoft guns travel too slowly and are too light to penetrate the skin. Though some heavier projectiles made of copper or metal can penetrate skin. Airsoft battles, however require an age of at least 18 in some areas.

History
n 1970s Japan it was illegal to own a firearm, but there was a large interest in them. Because of this interest, manufacturers started to produce realistic looking spring-powered guns. These guns fired several calibers of plastic or rubber BBs, but were eventually standardized into 6 mm and 8 mm sizes. The early spring powered weapons then morphed into gas powered ones, using a variety of systems. The hobby then migrated to North America in the mid 1990s.Then low powered spring guns transformed into Classic airsoft. About ten years after this time, Japan hit a recession just as AEGs, or automatic electric guns, hit the market.

Many old manufacturers were lost, leaving Tokyo Marui, inventor of the AEG, as the primary manufacturer. Marui then invented an improved Hop up system, further improving the accuracy and range of the weapons. In the early 2000s, Classic Army of Hong Kong entered the scene and gradually improved its quality of guns until it now rivals Tokyo Marui. A few years later countless Chinese brands have flooded[citation needed] the market with cheap entry level weapons. For an airsoft gun to be legally imported into the United States, or commercially sold in the United States, it must have a blaze orange (ASTM 875 or brighter) tip.

Types of airsoft guns:
Spring powered: Spring-powered airsoft guns are single-shot devices that use elastic potential energy(EPE) stored in a spring to compress air to launch an airsoft pellet down the barrel of the gun. The user must cock a spring gun prior to each shot. This is typically achieved by pulling back the slide (pistols), bolt (rifles), or the grip on a shotgun, which in turn compresses the spring and makes the gun ready to fire.[2] Because of this, these guns are by definition incapable of automatic or semi-automatic fire. Spring powered airsoft guns are generally not as powerful as gas and electric models, although some spring shotguns and sniper rifles can be very powerful and shoot at velocities of over 500 f/s.

While most electric guns also use springs for propulsion of the airsoft pellet, they are not considered to be in the same category as the single-shot spring-powered guns. Low-end spring guns tend to be much cheaper than their electric-powered equivalents due to their simplicity and lack of electrical components (spring assembly, electric motor, battery, and battery charger) and thus are widely available. These guns are less suited for competition because they are at a disadvantage against automatic guns in close combat and do not provide enough accuracy and power for long-range use. There are some exceptions, however, as higher-end spring-powered airsoft rifles can be quite expensive; these guns are typically suited for "marksman" applications in airsoft matches and provide competitive muzzle velocities. Additionally, pump shotguns are sometimes used, especially in CQB (Close Quarters Battle). In colder weather, spring pistols are more reliable than gas-powered pistols (see below) and even the batteries on AEPs (Automatic Electric Pistols) both of which can be adversely affected by extreme cold.
Automatic electric guns
Electric-powered airsoft guns typically use a rechargeable battery to drive an electric motor, which cycles an internal piston/spring assembly in order to launch pellets. Automatic and semi-automatic operation is possible which gives these guns the popular name "automatic electric guns" or AEGs.These guns often attain muzzle velocities between 150 and 500 ft/s (60 to 150 m/s) and rates of fire of between 100 and 3000 rounds per minute. They are the most commonly used and widely available type of airsoft gun.

These type of guns were developed in Japan and the Japanese company Tokyo Marui dominates the market. In a Tokyo Marui AEG, the motor drives a series of 3 gears mounted inside a gearbox. The gears then compress a piston assembly against a spring. Once the piston is released, the spring drives it forward through the cylinder to push a pellet into the chamber, through the barrel, and forward from the muzzle. Many manufacturers have now more or less replicated this basic model, adding reinforced parts or minor improvements.These guns are powered primarily by nickel cadmium (NiCd) or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) with varying voltages and milliampere hours ratings. The most common battery is an 8.4 V large battery (usually about 2400 mA•h.) Also available are 8.4 V "mini" batteries, which generally have 900-1700 mA•h capacities. Voltages for large batteries range from 7.2 V, all the way up to 12 V. The rule of thumb usually is the higher the mAh, the longer the battery lasts while the higher voltage, the higher Rate of Fire (RoF). Now, however, (Li-po) or Lithium-Polymer are just coming into the airsoft world. These batteries can last long and have higher mAh and Volts while at the same time, being small and light. (Li-po) batteries are usually at 11.1 V and At varying mAh from 500 mAh to 2400 mAh.
Hybrid guns: Hybrid Airsoft guns are the newest type of airsoft guns on the market, debuting summer 2006. Hybrid airsoft guns are basically standard AEGs with a "little extra reality" built in. The magazine is loaded with shell casings, each containing a single plastic pellet. These shell casings can have a small red cap, the same as those found in any child's toy cap gun placed on the top of them. These guns feature an electrically powered, full blowback system and operate on a "round-per-shell" basis such that for every pellet fired, a shell casing is ejected and the cap is fired providing a realistic sound and smoke effect. Since its debut, the only Hybrid guns seen on the market are cheap non-scaled M4 series and AK series guns, as well as M1 Garand, Kar98, and other rifle models.
Low powered electric guns: Called low powered electric guns (LPEGs) to distinguish them from the original, more expensive and more powerful AEGs even though their mechanical/electrical design and operation is similar. They are not to be confused with Mini Electrics (described below). Originally they were only of novelty value, often regarded below spring operated guns due to their construction and low velocities. Since there are spring action guns that can notably outperform the true low end LPEGs and can be found at comparable prices, they are generally considered to be better choices.
Medium powered electric guns: Some companies - like UTG with their popular MP5 and AK-47 models - have improved their quality to such an extent that some models are now considered simply as mid-ranged AEGs that are more affordable but still reasonably effective. Among airsofters, these are commonly called middle powered electric guns (MPEGs). Sometimes, MPEGs are copies or 'clones' of designs by full-price manufacturers like Tokyo Marui[citation needed]. As of late 2008 a small number of MPEG brands such as Echo-1/Jing Gong are considered by many to approach the quality and match the performance of the originals, at less than half the price. "Fully-compatible" MPEGs imitate the Marui or Classic Army originals so precisely that standard upgrade parts will work with them, making it possible to hot-rod an MPEG to well beyond stock out-of-the-box AEG performance.
Electric Blow Backs: Electric Blow Backs, also known as EBBs, are cheap electric guns, mostly modeled after real world pistols, which typically run from four AA batteries or AAA batteries. EBBs generally have a low muzzle velocity and "blow back" like a Gas Blow Back to simulate the action of a real pistol. However, there are exceptions to the low muzzle velocity like the Army Armament R85A1 with the electric blowback feature that can fire around 330-360 ft/s.
Mini electrics :They have a small ammo capacity, usually between 50 and 100 rounds, but they have good range and functional hop-up. Even among experienced airsofters, they are great for target practice and for kids.
Automatic Electric Pistols : In cold weather, AEPs are often considered better sidearms than gas powered pistols, because batteries are not as badly affected by frigid weather. Gases like CO2 and green gas are stored in liquid form and require heat in order to vaporize. A gas pistol at 10°F will usually only get one to two usable shots from a full magazine, and even they will be at reduced power because of the lowered pressure of the gas.
Classic guns : usually older variety airsoft guns which are gas powered. Unlike the gas pistols of today, they can run on either an internal tank using conventional airsoft gas or use an external CO2 tank much like a paintball gun.
Sights: Optical sights are fairly common for use on rifles; mostly red dot sights for short-range use, and telescopic sights for longer-range use.
Magazines

Magazines are usually realistic looking replicas of real firearms' magazines and as such are made of the same materials like stamped metal or high impact plastic. They occasionally feature markings and/or engravings that match or mimic their real counterparts.
- Standard :These type of magazines aren't classified according to their capacity (in some cases up to 500 rounds), but by the fact that they are the standard unmodified magazines originally included with the weapon itself. They are normally loaded by inserting pellets down a shaft, compressing a spring held inside that will later feed the pellets into the gun.
- Low capacity (Low-Cap): ow cap mags hold no more than 100 rounds for AEGs. Low caps are used for players who are interested in a more realistic way than a player who uses mid or high caps.
- Medium capacity (Mid-Cap) : This is a loose category used to describe a type of magazine that has been modified to hold more rounds - usually between 100 and 200.
- High capacity (High-cap) : High-cap mags hold more shots then a mid-cap (about 200-1000), but a wheel has to be wound every 50-70 shots. High-caps are loaded by pouring bbs into the tank and either winding up the wheel on the bottom of the mag until it clicks or operating the mag electrically.
- Real capacity (Real-Cap) : Real-Caps are identical in operation compared to standard magazines, but they carry the same amount of ammunition that the real version of the magazine can carry, which is often much less than the standard magazine, e.g. an M-16 Real-Cap will hold 30 rounds instead of the 68 of a standard magazine. Some ultra-realistic groups require the magazines to be weighted to actual real steel specs, also.

source : wikipedia

Read More......

Parkor

Parkour (sometimes also abbreviated to PK) or l'art du déplacement (English: the art of movement) is a discipline that appeared first in France. More similar to a martial art than to a sport, Parkour focuses on moving from one point to another as smoothly, efficiently and quickly as possible using the abilities of the human body. It is built on the philosophical premise that any obstacle, physical or mental, can be surpassed.

Physical aspects

Parkour is most often practiced outdoors, usually without spectators, and is not considered to be performance.According to REFO, "the physical aspect of Parkour consists of getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emergency. You want to move in such a way that helps you gain the most ground on someone or something, whether escaping from it or moving towards it."Thus, when faced with a hostile confrontation with a person, one will be able to speak, fight, or flee. As martial arts are a form of training for the fight, parkour is a form of training for the flight.Because of its unique nature, it is often said that parkour occupies a unique categorization. —Urban Idiots, [7]

A characteristic of parkour is efficiency. Practitioners move not only as rapidly as they can, but also in the most direct and efficient way possible. This characteristic distinguishes it from the similar practice of free running, which places more emphasis on freedom of movement and creativity. However, it is not certain whether freerunning was initially intended to be similar to parkour.Efficiency also involves avoiding injuries, both short and long term. This idea embodying parkour's unofficial motto is être et durer (to be and to last). Those who are skilled at this activity normally have an extremely keen spatial awareness.

Movements
There are fewer predefined movements in parkour than gymnastics, as it does not have a list of appropriate "moves". Each obstacle a traceur faces presents a unique challenge on how they can overcome it effectively, which depends on their body type, speed and angle of approach, the physical make-up of the obstacle, etc. Parkour is about training the "bodymind" to react to those obstacles appropriately with a technique that works. Often that technique cannot and need not be classified and given a name. In many cases effective parkour techniques depend on fast redistribution of body weight and the use of momentum to perform seemingly impossible or difficult body manoeuvres at speed. Absorption and redistribution of energy is also an important factor, such as body rolls when landing which reduce impact forces on the legs and spine, allowing a traceur to jump from greater heights than those often considered sensible in other forms of acrobatics and gymnastics.

According to David Belle, you want to move in such a way that will help you gain the most ground as if escaping or chasing something. Also, wherever you go, you must be able to get back, if you go from A to B, you need to be able to get back from B to A,but not necessarily with the same movements or passements.

Despite this, there are many basic techniques that are emphasized to beginners for their versatility and effectiveness. Most important are good jumping and landing techniques. The roll, used to limit impact after a drop and to carry one's momentum onward, is often stressed as the most important technique to learn. Parkour has sometimes received concerns for its health issues due to large drops.Communities in Great Britain have been warned by law enforcement or fire and rescue of the risk in jumping in the high buildings.Although David Belle has never been seriously injured while practicing parkour,there is no careful study about the health issues of large drops and traceurs stress gradual progression to avoid any problems. Despite this, the American traceur Mark Toorock and Lanier Johnson, executive director of the American Sports Medicine Institute say that injuries are rare because parkour is based on the control of movements, not on what cannot be controlled.

source : wikipedia

Read More......

Rafting

Rafting or whitewater rafting is a challenging recreational activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this activity as a leisure sport has become popular since the mid-1970s.

Whitewater rafts
The modern raft is an inflatable boat, consisting of very durable, multi-layered rubberized or vinyl fabrics with several independent air chambers. The length varies between 3.5 m (11 ft) and 6 m (20 ft), the width between 1.8 m (6 ft) and 2.5 m (8 ft). The exception to this size rule is usually the packraft, which is designed as a portable single-person raft and may be as small as 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) long and weigh as little as 4 pounds (1.8 kg).

Rafts come in a few different forms. In Europe, the most common is the symmetrical raft steered with a paddle at the stern. Other types are the asymmetrical, rudder-controlled raft and the symmetrical raft with central helm (oars). Rafts are usually propelled with ordinary paddles and typically hold 4 to 12 persons. In Russia, rafts are often hand made and are often a catamaran style with two inflatable tubes attached to a frame. Pairs of paddlers navigate on these rafts. Catamaran style rafts have become popular in the western United States as well, but are typically rowed instead of paddled.

Classes of whitewater
Class 1: Very small rough areas, requires no maneuvering. (Skill Level: None)
Class 2: Some rough water, maybe some rocks, might require maneuvering.(Skill Level: Basic Paddling Skill)
Class 3: Whitewater, small waves, maybe a small drop, but no considerable danger. May require significant maneuvering.(Skill Level: Experienced paddling skills)
Class 4: Whitewater, medium waves, maybe rocks, maybe a considerable drop, sharp maneuvers may be needed. (Skill Level: Whitewater Experience)
Class 5: Whitewater, large waves, possibility of large rocks and hazards, possibility of a large drop, requires precise maneuvering (Skill Level: Advanced Whitewater Experience)
Class 6: Class 6 rapids are considered to be so dangerous as to be effectively unnavigable on a reliably safe basis. Rafters can expect to encounter substantial whitewater, huge waves, huge rocks and hazards, and/or substantial drops that will impart severe impacts beyond the structural capacities and impact ratings of almost all rafting equipment. Traversing a Class 6 rapid has a dramatically increased likelihood of ending in serious injury or death compared to lesser classes. (Skill Level: Successful completion of a Class 6 rapid without serious injury or death is widely considered to be a matter of great luck or extreme skill)
Techniques
Rafts in whitewater are very different vehicles than canoes or kayaks and have their own specific techniques to maneuver through whitewater obstacles.
* Punching - Rafts carry great momentum, and on rivers hydraulics that are dodged by canoes and kayaks are often punched by rafts. This involves the rafting crew paddling the raft to give it enough speed to push through the hydraulic without getting stopped.
* High Siding - If a raft is caught in a hydraulic it will often quickly go sideways. In order to stop the raft flipping on its inside edge, the rafters can climb to the side of the raft furthest downstream, which will also be the side of the raft highest in the air leading to its name. In this position the rafters may be able to use the draw stroke to pull the raft out of the hydraulic.
* Dump Truck - Rafts are inherently stable crafts because of their size and often they will shed gear and passengers before they actually capsize. In the industry if a raft dumps some or all of its passengers but remains upright, it is said to have dump trucked.
* Left Over Right or Right over Left - Rafts almost always flip side over side. If the left tube rises over the right tube, the raft is said to have flipped left over right and vice versa.
* Taco - If a raft is soft, or underinflated, it may taco, or reverse taco. Rafts are said to have tacoed if the middle of the raft buckles and the front of the raft touches or nearly touches the back of the raft. This often is a result of surfing in a hydraulic. A reverse taco is when the nose, or stern of the raft is pulled down under water and buckles to touch the middle or back, or nose of the raft.
* End over End - Occasionally rafts will flip end over end. This is usually after the raft has dump trucked to lighten the load, allowing the water to overcome the weight of the boat flipping it vertically before it lands upside down. Rafts will usually taco and turn sideways, making an end-over-end flip a very rare flip in most rafts.

Re-righting
* Flip Line - The flip line technique is the most used in commercial rafting where flips are common. The guide will take a loop of webbing that has a carabiner on it and attach it to the perimeter line on the raft, Standing on top of the upside down raft they will hold the line and lean to the opposite side from where the flip line is attached, re-righting the raft.
* Knee Flipping - Capsized rafts that are small enough with little or no gear attached can be knee flipped. This involves the rafter holding the webbing on the underside of the raft, and pushing their knees into the outer tube, and then lifting their body out of the water, leaning back to overturn the raft.
* T rescue - Much like the kayak technique some rafts are large enough that they need to be overturned with the assistance of another raft or land. Positioning the upturned raft or land at the side of the raft the rafters can then re-right the raft by lifting up on the perimeter line.

Tricks

* Rock Splats If the rafters load the back of the raft, they can paddle the raft into a rock on the river, having it hit the bottom of the boat instead of the nose; if done correctly this can raise the raft up vertically on its stern.
* Surfing Commercial Rafts often use waves on rivers to surf.
* Nose Dunks Large rafts can enter hydraulics called holes from downstream and submerge their nose, or reverse taco. This can be a safe way to get rafters wet in a hydraulic.

Safety
Like most outdoor sports, rafting in general has become safer over the years. Expertise in the sport has increased, and equipment has become more specialized and increased in quality. As a result the difficulty rating of most river runs has changed. A classic example would be the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon or Jalcomulco River in Mexico, which has swallowed whole expeditions in the past, leaving only fragments of boats. In contrast, it is now run safely by commercial outfitters hundreds of times each year with relatively untrained passengers.
Risks in whitewater rafting stem from both environmental dangers and from improper behavior. Certain features on rivers are inherently unsafe and have remained consistently so despite the passage of time. These would include "keeper hydraulics", "strainers" (e.g. fallen trees), dams (especially low-head dams, which tend to produce river-wide keeper hydraulics), undercut rocks, and of course dangerously high waterfalls. Rafting with experienced guides is the safest way to avoid such features. Even in safe areas, however, moving water can always present risks—such as when a swimmer attempts to stand up on a rocky riverbed in strong current, risking foot entrapment. Irresponsible behavior related to rafting while intoxicated has also contributed to many accidents.
To combat the illusion that rafting is akin to an amusement park ride, and to underscore the personal responsibility each rafter faces on a trip, rafting outfitters generally require customers to sign waiver forms indicating understanding and acceptance of potential serious risks. Rafting trips often begin with safety presentations to educate customers about problems that may arise.

White water rafting is often played for the adrenaline rush and this often becomes a problem for people and their own safety. White water rafting accidents have occurred but are not common.

Due to this the overall risk level on a rafting trip with experienced guides using proper precautions is low.Thousands of people safely enjoy raft trips every year.

taken from : wikipedia

Read More......

paintball

Paintball is a sport in which players eliminate opponents by hitting them with pellets containing paint (referred to as a paintball)powered paintball gun (or marker).Paintball guns were originally powered by compresed air but were switched mainly to CO2 power after the air paintball guns became less and less effecient. A brand of TIPPMANN pump-gun was powered by a Propane Can, and it was made for players who did not have access to any Co2 or HPA fills. The gun wasn't very successful, and has been discontinued.

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association estimates that over 5.4 million people played the game in the United States in 2007, with over 1.9 million playing at least 15 times.

Games can be played either indoors or outdoors and take various forms which are generally divided between woodsball played in natural, wooded terrain and speedball played on a level, rectangular field covered with inflatable geometric shapes such as 'cans' and 3 sided pyramids.

Rules for playing paintball vary widely. The most common form involves two opposing teams seeking to capture their opponent's flag and return it to their starting position, but other objectives may include eliminating all of the other team's players, eliminating a specific player, defending or attacking a particular point or area, or capturing objects of interest hidden in the playing area. Depending on the style of paintball played, a game can last from seconds to hours.

Paintball equipment


The paintball equipment used depends on the format (woodsball, speedball, scenarioball)and how much money someone is willing to spend on equipment. Every player, however, is required to have 5 basic pieces of equipment:
- Paintballs : .68(usually) caliber, gelatin "balls" that are filled with a special non-toxic paint mix
- Complete paintball marker : The paintball gun, known as a "marker" can be either mechanical or electro-pneumatic.

- Either a CO2 or high pressure air tank. : The CO2 or HPA tank stores the propellant used in shooting the paintball
- the loader or "hopper" : these can rely on purely gravity to load the paintballs into the breach but these rarely exceed a loading speed of 4 balls a second. for faster loading a electric hopper is needed
- Mask : Necessary for the players' protection. Paintballs leave the barrel at almost 200 mph, and direct impact could result in injuries such as permanent scarring or loss of eyesight.


Playing locations



Many players prefer to visit commercial paintball parks, most of which charge for admission.[citation needed] These paintball parks usually feature fields with different "themes" (e.g. woods, jungle, city, or historical battlefield), as well as a complex of speedball fields made up of inflatable paintball bunkers for speedball and tournament teams. Some commercial fields are indoors, allowing players to play when it is too hot, too wet, or too dark outside. Commercial fields sometimes (but do not always) provide such amenities as bathrooms, picnic areas, lockers, equipment rentals, air refills and food service. Commercial fields usually adhere to specific safety and insurance standards and have a paid staff, including referees, whose job is to make sure players are instructed in proper play in a manner that ensures all participants' safety. In order to avoid liability, commercial fields strictly monitor paintball velocity with chronographs. Many fields only allow the use of their field paint to generate more business, while others avoid it.

Players who find commercial fields to be too expensive or too crowded sometimes play on private land, often referred to as "renegade" play or "outlaw ball". Though less expensive and less structured than play at a commercial facility, the lack of safety protocols, instruction, and oversight means that the vast majority of injuries incurred by paintball players occur in these "renegade" games. Private landowners may also be liable for injuries sustained on their property, especially if they opt to charge fees for play.

Major scenario and tournament events may sometimes occur at other locations like fairgrounds, military bases, or stadiums, essentially turning them into temporary paintball parks. The same trained staff and insurance found at permanent commercial paintball parks can be found at these events. Scenario games can last for a week or more; while tournament games are generally the same length, a scenario game focuses on a single 'story' or setting (recreating a famous battle, for example, or 'Cops vs. Robbers'-style games).

A recently occurring trend in paintball is that of a mobile field, where a business primarily provides paintballs and paintball related services on land that they are using only temporarily. This is often done for the means of scenario gaming, to provide different tracts of land for players to play on.

source : wikipedia

Read More......