General Recreation

There are a large number of historical airsoft guns, but one of the most popular is the M1A1 Thompson Submachine Gun. The iconic M1A1 is easily recongnized as both a gun that helped win World War 2 as well as one used by gangsters during the 1920s and 30s. In this article we will look at both the history of the real world thompson, as well as the various versions of airsoft replicas currently available.

Thompson Background

The Thompson submachine gun was designed to be a spray and prey weapon that would clear out the trenches of World War I battlefields, but never got that opportunity because the war ended before it could be put into limited service. Despite this, production of the Thompson continued and it first became available for sale in 1921. Although the price was high, the new submachine gun quickly became popular with a variety of users and has seen almost continuous action ever since.

Firing the .45 ACP round at a rate of between 600-1200 rounds per minute, the Thompson is a fearsome weapon. Unlike most other submachine guns which fire smaller rounds such as the 9mm, the Thompson can truly decimate targets. Available with magazine sizes ranging from 20 to 100 rounds, the Thompson submachine gun was capable of laying down an amazing amount of fire and could multiply the power of small groups of combatants immensely. The Thompson was truly a leap forward in weaponry and made a huge impact.

When originally produced, the fully automatic Thompson was available to all buyers, including civilians. This made the gun relatively easy to acquire, especially for gangsters during Prohibition who could afford the high price. This, combined with the large hard-hitting round, high rate of fire, and high capacity magazines made it a very popular weapon. And it is truly a weapon that has persevered and shown it self able to adapt to new situations. Since its introduction, variants of the Thompson have served in practically every world conflict, most notably during World War II and in Korea.

Despite its age, the Tommy gun shows no signs of leaving the world stage and looks like it will continue to see limited use for years to come.

Airsoft Versions

Highly recognizable, versions of the Thompson submachine gun are available from two different airsoft manufacturers. One version is made by Tokyo Marui, and is known as the Model 18. Another version is made by Cybergun. Both versions are Automatic Electric Guns with adjustable fire rates (semi- and fully automatic) and are full scale replicas of the original weapon. Tokyo Marui’s version makes use of an all metal barrel and upper receiver, while Cybergun’s M1A1 replica has an all metal body and weighs similar to the actual weapon. With both weapons shooting at velocities of well over 300 feet per second, these Thompson machine gun replicas are sure to help you dominate the battlefield.

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How many people do you know that speak Spanish? When it comes to Spanish speakers, chances are everyone in California and Texas know one. Nearly half of all US Hispanics reside in California or Texas according to statistics.

One in four people I know speaks Spanish, in part due to my southern California location. And although I have a high percentage of Spanish speakers in my life, I only know a few dozen words in the language. In the near future, it is a fact I plan to change! There are lots of good reasons to learn Spanish online.

Would you like to add Spanish to your list of languages? If you decide to learn another language there are many benefits, and if you are U.S. resident, learning to speak Spanish could benefit you more than you realize.

On the job market, large corporations and small businesses both seek Spanish speakers. Increasing your potential customer base becomes much easier if you can communicate with Spanish speaking customers. How can this help you as an employee? Not only does it mean a higher salary, but also an increased marketability to employers. If you already speak Spanish and English and are not seeing benefits in the workplace, perhaps you should consider finding new employment. Your income may increase substantially!

If you’ve been to Mexico like many Southern Californians have, you know that street vendors take advantage of non-Spanish speakers. You’re going to be treated better if you speak the language, which translates to lower prices and better overall service.

You will also develop a better cultural understanding if better prices don’t convince you. Consider how many books you have read in your lifetime that influence (and educate) your opinion and understanding of your own culture. Think about the cultural experience you will gain simply by being able to read Spanish books and newspapers; a new world of feeling and thinking will reveal itself to you.

Another great reason to learn Spanish is that it is easy to learn. Spanish and English share many similar words. Moreover, Spanish is easy to read – even for a beginner.

Is helping people something you enjoy? You will be much better prepared to help people around you, assuming you like to help them, because you will now be able to communicate in at least two languages. The favor holds true in reverse: you can ask for help from people that you normally couldn’t speak to.

Experiencing the heart of your local is another obvious benefit. You’ll also find many restaurants and clubs where Spanish is the language of choice. More than likely you won’t be going there if you can’t speak Spanish. Visiting a predominantly Spanish-speaking establishment will be less intimidating once you know the basics of the language.

How would you like to instantly increase the amount of cable channels you can watch? Spanish television is a real kick in the pants if you’ve never tuned in. Spanish culture is thriving in almost every Spanish program. You might even be surprised as a first time viewer, if you really listen to what is being said! Your local Spanish radio stations are the same way; the formats between English and Spanish radio differ drastically.

The best reason, perhaps, to learn Spanish is a simple one: by learning how to speak a new language, you instantly double the amount of friends you have!

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Congratulations! You finally figured out how to learn Chinese. You go online, sign up for a language course called Rocket Chinese, and at the last minute, decide to call up all family and friends to tell them you’re going to mainland China. You shrug off their reactions, reactions which ranged from the mildly interested and the disbelieving to the downright violent.

As you plan your trip in your mind, you begin to get delusions that perhaps, you had been Chinese in your previous lifetime.

How do you know you’re not Chinese in this lifetime? Quite easily!

1. You’re not Chinese in this lifetime when you find yourself googling ‘how to learn Chinese‘.

2. You’re certainly not Chinese in this lifetime if you’re taking a Rocket Chinese course online. After all, if you are Chinese, you wouldn’t be studying how to learn Chinese, would you?

Let’s look at the opposite end of the spectrum this time. How do you know you’re Chinese in this lifetime?

1. Your parents are never happy with your grads.
2. You eat chicken (and chicken feet).
3. You receive or give out little red envelopes during special occasions.
4. Your grandma is proud of her gold teeth.
5. At least 15 other people look like you.
6. Your mother gets a perm. So do you.
7. All of your parents friends are named auntie and uncle.
8. Your parents collect jade. So do you.
9. You not only like Bruce Lee, you resemble him.
10. You don’t know kung-fu but everybody assumes you do.

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Are you flying to Germany in a couple of days? Writing to a German friend? Tracing your family’s roots? Looking for a job in Germany? No matter what your reason is for wanting to study German, congratulations! You are one of the few who have actually progressed from planning to master a second language to actually considering how to learn German.

So we come to the question: how to learn German?

1. Sign up for classes.
There are many language courses you could sign up for online, such as Pocket German.

2. Buy an English - German dictionary.
Get audio tapes, too, so you could learn not just what a word means but how to say it as well. Then, put your learning to the test by translating short texts.

3. Practice using German.
Practice makes perfect. The more you put a language to use, the more familiar you become with it.

4. Become friends with German-speaking people.
These people can correct your pronunciation and expose you to the language and the culture like nothing else can.

5. Stay positive.
Don’t give up no matter how tempting it is to do so. German may be difficult but remember, the things that truly matter are the ones you have to work the most for.

That said, Einen schönen Tag noch!

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Thinking of learning the German language? Most people who want to learn a second language seldom pick German. But maybe they should have. German is the mother tongue of more than a hundred million people in 38 nations around the world. That’s a whole load of German speakers, isn’t it? And that’s a whole load of reasons for learning the German language, too.

Why go German – linguistically, at least? Here are three reasons:

1. Travel
German is not only the mother tongue of three major European countries; it is also spoken by numerous nations all over Europe. This includes Romania, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. If you plan to visit Europe any time soon, you might want to start learning the German language. This is easy as there are many classes online, among them Pocket German.

2. Business or Employment
Who needs to learn German for employment or business? You do – or at least you might want to. Germany is the world’s third largest industrial country. It is also a huge world exporter. Learning the German language would open more doors for you and not just work-wise.

3. Culture
Germany is much more than beer, much more than lederhosen. It’s a nation with a rich heritage and an even richer history. You can understand it so much better by learning the German language.

The greatest reason of all is not found above, however. The greatest reason for learning German is this: because you want to and because you can!

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If you thought you’d NEVER be able to learn Spanish – think again!

Learning a second language has never been easier with the substantial growth of the Internet, interactive websites and of course the e-book market. In fact now you can learn Spanish now within weeks with the help of the world wide web and some dedicated teachers.

You can learn Spanish now without the hassle of attending night classes at your local college…

Intrigued?

Here’s a just a few of the benefits you can enjoy learning Spanish online:

* You can simply download the material straight to your computer – no postage
* You can start at any time you like, there’s no start of semester
* You can fit it in at any time of the day – regardless of what your agenda looks like
* You can use the audio and text materials over and over again
* You only have to pay a one off fee for the material that you can keep on your computer for a lifetime
* You will probably only have to pay around $100 for something that could cost thousands at a college
* You can stop and start at any time if you get a bit swamped at home or at work

There are SO many benefits that come with learning Spanish online.

You can learn Spanish now and be off on your trip next month! Or simply

surprise your friends with a FANTASTIC party trick!

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Over time our memories fade but when photographic images of a wedding day are captured, everything comes flooding back; digital wedding photography has changed how wedding photographers can carry out their work ensuring the day is captured on disk. Although times have changed and it is quite normal to have a DVD made as well, nothing can replace a conventional photo.

This isn’t easy; creating that perfect shot if you are taking photographs without help as there is only so much you can do on your own without help. Here are some tips if you find yourself at a friend or relations wedding taking photos with your digital camera.

If you only remember one piece of information from this article, remember to make sure that the photographs have a nice background as it is one of the first things you’ll notice when you look at them. If there is a pleasant background but it is hard to focus on the couple, you may find it easier to shoot them from shoulder up.

Spectacled guests can be a problem as glare from their glasses obscures their eyes and reflects back at the camera. To avoid people in the shot coming out dark when the sunlight is behind them, unless you know what you are doing, move them so the sun is behind you.

Some of the best pictures you will take will be those where the subject(s) do not know the shot is being taken and the best way to do this is by using a zoom lens. To avoid missing what will probably be great shots, don’t put your camera down because with digital wedding photography you can guarantee the moment you do, something worthwhile will take place.

Your digital camera should be equipped with enough memory to ensure that no great moment is missed, in other words, make sure have an extra memory card especially if you want to preserve as many moments as possible. For 6 mega pixel cameras and up, the absolute bare minimum should be a 1 gigabyte card, preferably 2 gigabytes and always use the highest resolution your camera can manage if the images are to be printed.

If you intend to have the pictures blown up to a large size you will need to ensure your cameras resolution is set to maximum. Once you have the images it is only a matter of printing out the ones you want and saving all of them on a CD for a permanent storage or presentation.

Photography is an art form that many people try to master, just like painting but how well your digital wedding photography images of the day come out will be down to your passion for photography.

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The Importance of Wearing Protective Eyewear

Airsoft is a fun and exciting sport that is quickly gaining popularity around the world. The thrill and adrenaline rush involved in the simulated combat found in airsoft battles can be addicting at times and give players a feeling of invincibility. However, as everyone knows, it is a well known fact that airsoft players are mortal flesh and blood. Due to the speeds of the pellets shot by airsoft guns, it is important that all players and spectators wear some kind of mask or protective eyewear.

Airsoft is one of the safest sports that can be found in the world today. Few if any injuries are attributed to airsoft, and when compared to more traditional sports such as football or basketball, these injuries are usually superficial. Despite this, there is the potential for serious and permanent eye injury. Many players feel that the eye protection available isn’t fashionable or worth wearing; however, when seriously looking for protective eyewear, there are many great options available for reasonable prices.

Players have the option of choosing full face masks (sometimes these can even be considered helmets depending on the area that they cover) and goggles or glasses, to protect them from the bbs fired by airsoft guns.

Face Masks

Face masks offer the best eye and face protection available, and have the added benefit of having little slits in the mask where you can insert string or strips of colored felt as camouflage. This concept can also be altered to create a personal color scheme to show who you really are and makes a great addition to your airsoft armor package. (I have personally seen a patriotic color scheme that consisted of three stripes made of red, white, and blue string and a Marine color scheme that used red, black, and gold felt strips.) The only real downside to face masks is that they sometimes limit the player’s field of vision and the goggles in them sometimes fog up depending on the weather.

Glasses

Protective glasses and goggles offer great advantages. They are small and lightweight, covering just the eyes. This allows the user to protect his or her eyes effectively without compromising the field of vision, a problem often found in face masks. Also, glasses rarely fog up like the goggles found in face masks. On the downside, glasses and goggles don’t offer full face protection, and you may walk off the battlefield with a few welts on your face after a close-up encounter with someone’s Uzi. With glasses manufacturers becoming more aware of the desires of players, protective goggles are increasingly being offered with tinted lenses and in popular sport sunglasses styles. This should reduce the temptation to pick up old sunglasses and use them; this can be a very dangerous practice, as they are not designed to withstand the high velocity pellets fired from some of the better airsoft guns and may shatter if hit. Although some protection is better than none, it is highly recommended that airsoft players only wear eye protection certified for airsoft or paintball use; military grade glasses are also available.

Better Safe than Sorry

The potential for serious eye injury while playing or watching airsoft should not be ignored. With the advancements in airsoft gun technology, most importantly muzzle velocity, this risk is not going to simply disappear. Therefore, both competitors and spectators should wear some type of eye protection. No one ever thinks that an accident could happen to them, but it simply isn’t worth the risk to find out if it will or not. That’s why it’s best to heed the warning of the old adage: “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.” Be safe and wear protective eyewear whenever near airsoft guns being fired.

To read more about airsoft sniper rifles and the sport of airsoft in general check out the blog: www.airsoft-sniper-rifles.com

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Based on the workhorse of the modern US military, airsoft guns based on the M4 are intended for similar uses in airsoft combat. Due to the M16/M4 weapon series widespread fame and recognition, M4 style airsoft guns are among the most popular in the world. Coming in many variations and with a large amount of accessories available, an airsoft gun based off of the M4 is a good choice for any serious airsoft player.

M4 Background

The M4 is a series of weapons based off of the M16A2 rifle family. Lighter and more compact when compared to the M16A2, the M4 assault rifle fires the same 5.56 NATO round and is a great choice for close quarters combat and support missions. The M4 is capable of both semi-automatic and burst fire, while the M4A1 replaces burst fire with fully automatic firing capabilities. Considered a carbine due to its shortened barrel length, the M4 (and M4A1) is able to be wielded effectively in confined spaces, yet still able to perform well at large distances. An extremely versatile weapon, the M4 is replacing many of the older battle rifles such as the M16 in armed forces in both the US and around the world.

Airsoft Versions

In general, airsoft M4s are full size models of their real life brothers in arms and can be used in corresponding roles in airsoft MilSim. The vast majority of M4 airsoft guns are made of high quality plastic with metal internal parts, although some are made entirely of one material or another. Using propulsion methods such as compressed gas and electric motors, many M4 replicas are capable of mimicking the selective fire modes of the real life weapons, making them truly worthy of the title “M4 carbine assault rifle.”

Luckily for the airsoft consumer, there is a huge variety of airsoft guns based off of the M4. For every version of the M4, there is an airsoft version. Many of these weapons come standard with accessories such as scopes, laser sights, foregrips, silencers, and adjustable stocks to name a few. For those that prefer to customize their weapon on their own, a very large selection of after-market accessories for this airsoft gun is available. Simply put, it is hard to find the person who isn’t satisfied with some version of an M4 airsoft rifle. To view a great selection of airsoft guns based off of the M4 carbine and its predecessor, the M16, check out airsocom.com.

To read more about airsoft guns and airsoft sniper rifles check out the blog: www.airsoft-sniper-rifles.com

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What makes a good airsoft gun? This is a very important question because it should be a question you ask before you buy every single airsoft gun. If the gun you are looking at can’t satisfy most of the answers to that question, then you shouldn’t buy it. So again, we ask what makes a good airsoft gun.

Reliability

As with any weapon, reliability and ease of use is one of the most important aspects of a good airsoft gun. Simply put, if it doesn’t fire when you pull the trigger, you have a problem. In the real world, this is a matter of life and death, but in airsoft it can make the difference between you taking down your opponent or losing the game for your team. A good real world example of reliability and ease of use is the AK-47. No matter what happens, short of being melted by a nuclear blast or run over by a tank, the AK-47 will keep firing. It is also an extremely simple and easy to use weapon. And that is why it is the most widely used weapon in the world today.

Although reliability is an important aspect to look at with any airsoft gun (or weapon, for that matter), it is most important when it comes to airsoft pistols. Generally speaking, your pistol should be your side arm, a supplement to your main weapon. Whenever you actually have to use it, you already have a problem, because it generally means that your rifle is out of ammo and you are in close quarters battle with an opponent. No matter what situation you are in, your pistol must be ready and able to fire reliably or you’re toast.

Another important factor in a gun’s reliability is its maintenance time. The more reliable a gun is, the less time it is not shooting, and the less time you have to spend fixing it to correct a problem. No one likes to waste their time fixing a gun jam or reseating the barrel to make it shoot accurately. And if it breaks down during normal testing, you can be sure it will break down on the battlefield.

The bottom line is that the more reliable your airsoft guns are, the more likely you are to return home victorious instead of paying for the other team’s drinks.

Accuracy

Another important trait of a good airsoft gun is its accuracy. You can have an airsoft rifle that shoots 1000 rounds per minute, but if you can’t put those rounds on target you are wasting not only ammo but money. Although it is important to note that accuracy does depend mostly on the shooter, every gun has a certain level of accuracy. This is especially true when comparing the M-16/M-4 series of rifles to the AK-47 in real life. The M-16 is designed for accuracy whereas the AK-47 is geared more to the “spray and prey” shooter. Whenever an M-16 is put up against the AK-47 with two equally trained shooters at any distance beyond close quarters, bet on the M-16 every time.

A good airsoft gun is extremely accurate; you should be able to point it at a target, fire, and hit that target relatively easily. This has to do with a few things. The first is the length and quality of the barrel. Obviously a rile is more accurate than a pistol, and a sniper rifle is more accurate than a normal airsoft rifle. In these cases, barrel length and quality has a lot to do with the end result. Another factor in accuracy is the muzzle velocity. The faster that the projectile moves through the air, the less time it spends traveling to the target, and the effects of outside forces are diminished. This results in an increase in accuracy.

The greater your accuracy; the greater your chances of hitting your target. In a combat environment (or on the airsoft field), this becomes extremely important. If you have an accurate airsoft rifle, you will see a significant improvement on how well you do during a game. It will help you to take out opponents faster and with less expenditure of ammunition, resulting in a better chance that you will win the game.

Range

Although not important in close quarters combat, range becomes a major factor in a good airsoft gun when you are engaging a target in an open area. Although your eyes can easily see an opponent from a significant distance away, many airsoft guns simply don’t have the range to hit that target. Finding a gun that can shoot a decent distance is an important factor in finding a good airsoft gun.

The distance that an airsoft gun can shoot is an important factor because it allows you to engage and hit targets before they can engage you. It is a general rule in combat that whoever gets off the first shot is the one who will leave the battlefield victorious. Being able to shoot farther gives you that chance to take the first shot.

In general, range follows accuracy. Like accuracy, range usually favors the gun with the higher muzzle velocity. It also usually favors the gun with the longer barrel. However, this doesn’t mean that only a sniper rifle can have a great range. There are certainly weapons that have a long barrel in a short package. One of the most widely known airsoft examples of this is the Cybergun FAMAS electric airsoft rifle. This weapon, based off of its real world counterpart, makes use of a bullpup design to fit a full length barrel into a shortened package.

Rate of Fire

Although not as important as some of the other factors, the rate of fire is still very important when it comes to making a good airsoft gun. Rate of fire refers to how many rounds a gun can put downrange in a minute. This is important because the more rounds that go downrange, the better chance of hitting your target. A classic real world example is the US military. In actual full-blown combat conditions, US ground forces generally achieve a hit percentage of less than 10% (meaning that only 1 in 10 shots hits the target), but they still hit most of their targets because of the sheer volume of fire going downrange.

When applied to airsoft, one type of gun stands head and shoulders about the rest. Electronically powered airsoft guns definitely have the advantage when it comes to rate of fire. At the other end of the scale, spring powered airsoft guns are generally considered to have the lowest rate of fire. The average airsoft user is going to want a weapon that can shoot very fast and increase their chances of hitting the target.

The Price

The last characteristic of a good airsoft gun is the price. A good airsoft gun will not be the cheapest one available, but many of the mid-range priced guns do an excellent job. Once again, we are drawn to a perfect real world illustration of this concept: The AK-47. When outfitting their militaries, many countries want something that is going to do the job effectively without sacrificing quality or costing too much money. And that is why so many have chosen the AK-47, which governments can sometimes purchase for less than $60.

In the world of airsoft, however, a well priced gun that will deliver can generally be found for around $150. This is not to say that a gun that costs less will do the job worse or a more expensive gun will do the job better; most airsoft guns will still fire a plastic BB no matter what you paid for them. But, as in most things, you get what you pay for.

So What Does Make a Good Airsoft Gun?

As we have seen, a good airsoft gun has the right combination of reliability and ease of use, accuracy, range, rate of fire, and price. Generally speaking, the ideal airsoft gun will shoot every time you pull the trigger, be easy to use, hit any target you shoot at no matter what the range, have the ability to drown the enemy in a storm of bullets, and be affordable. Every person has their different preferences when it comes to the mix of these factors, but you can be sure that there is an airsoft gun out there for everyone.

For more information regarding electric airsoft guns check out the blog on electric-airsoft-guns.net

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