The Wild World of TB!

So I have gotten a few of these in the mail in the last few months and I have been remiss not to review them. I’ll be honest, after reading them all, I am not a better scenario player. But that is just me to be sure. I will say this about them, they are a step in the right direction. However the problem with all of them is that none of them approach that someone needs more then these books provide. The deals that all of them sell is that you can pick up book X and become a scenario master and well that just isn’t the case. However this time out I will review two books by Don ‘Badger’ Grubish and next time out I will look at a few of the others.

I talked with Don a few months ago after he attended a game at Tactical Paintball here in Texas and he actually submitted a few articles to Paintball 2 Xtremes. He had mentioned to me that he had written a few books about scenario paintball and I was intrigued to see them. So I asked him to send them to me to review and he did. However I dropped the ball on reviewing them and I am sure he feels I have forgotten about them. Don, I apologize for not getting this up sooner, but here it is nonetheless.

The first book is Scenario Paintball: Tips, Tools and Tactics from the Trenches and to be honest it is a pretty decent read for self help. What he has done is try to bridge the gap of military tactics (which don’t work in scenario paintball) and the multiple books, magazine articles and such that try to teach people paintball. I can honestly say that if you have never played scenario paintball, then this book will be a boon to you and your friends. There is a storyline that runs through the book that tries to get you to relate to the person the story is about and puts some of the things he talks about in layman’s terms with the characters in the story.

It covers the beginning of paintball, it’s evolution and things like how to choose a paintball marker, goggles and gear. It doesn’t go much into air systems and other items that might be needed at a scenario event, but it does do a good coverage of the basics of paintball. Next he goes into tactics and while he didn’t copy the US Army Infantry manual like so many others have done, there is still more ‘real world’ tactics then there needs to be. He also talks about some exercises and training tips to try and move yourself more into the thought process that a good scenario paintball player must be in when they take the field and he discusses some exotic weaponry. The rest of the book is filled with games that he touts as scenario paintball events but most people would think of as glorified rec ball games. Things like airborne, where you put people on a rope and drop them in a field one at a time or Predator, where one player is the predator the rest are hunted by or hunting the predator.

All of these items make for a great book for that type of mindset and the book is well worth the $13.00 that they go for. But I must say that there are some things I didn’t like about the book. First and foremost there is no mention of how scenario paintball came about. There is a history of scenario paintball, one that should be told and retold so that the people who play this game know how and why it came about. There is no mention of the pioneers of this genre of paintball, no mention of Wayne Dollack, Kerry ‘Viper’ Rosenberry, Diane ‘Mother’ Howe, Spiro ‘Blackcat’ Mamligas, Ben Toricelli and others. No mentions of the powerhouse teams of the 90’s like Blitzkrieg, Joint Fury, Air Assault, or of the new decade like Psycho Clown Posse, Delta Paintball, Thunderstruck, 1st MG or others.

I am sure that a lot of that comes from the lack of experience of the author in playing in real scenario paintball events and that brings me to the second part of my biggest issue with the book. You cannot pick up this book, read it and show up at one of the MAJOR producers games and succeed with just that knowledge alone. There is no talk of missions, or scoring or even roles. Now he does talk about roles such as commander and medic but not in the capacity of a scenario paintball game that most people would think of. They are more for the type of games that he has in his book. What this shows is that the field owners and smaller promoters who have taken the term scenario paintball and attempted to redefine it have really done a disservice to the genre and the pioneers who started it and still are involved in it. I don’t blame Don, I blame the fact that he hasn’t gotten out and played the major circuits to really understand what goes on there.

Also there was no talk of strategy only tactics, and that is not anywhere close to what scenario paintball is about. Tactics may get you there but strategy tells you why you are there, how long you have to be there and what happens if you fail or succeed while you are there. Maybe someone should patent Strategical Paintball and start teaching people that strategy is how you win, not tactics. But that is the subject of another column, that’s for sure.

As I said before I would recommend you getting this book since it does offer quite a bit of information but to name it what it was named just seems to off to me because as someone who has played a lot of scenario paintball, this book just wasn’t there.

Now Don has written a ‘sequel’ if you will to the first book, called Advanced Scenario Paintball and while it moves a little further towards what scenario paintball is, it is still woefully lacking in integration into an actual 24 hour scenario paintball event. He does cover tanks, some offensive and defensive actions, squad tactics and goes a little more into the terrain, terrain analysis and such, but there is still never any mention of how to use any of this in a true 24 hour scenario format.

There are nice pictures and there are some really neat looks at advanced tactics but in the end it is simply more of the first book. It does seem like he was told to cut the book in half and make two volumes. Again, it is well worth the $10.00 that it is going for on Amazon but you have to realize that when you get this book that you need to just use it as a starting point. There is still no mention of the major circuits mostly just the big games that he has attended or the events that the field owners have called scenario paintball. Case in point he attended Oklahoma D-Day, Skirmish D-Day and a Tactical Paintball 12 hour event and says that those events are scenario paintball. No sir, they are not. If you cam here from a google search for this book, you need to realize that there is a whole world of scenario paintball beyond those three events. In fact Tactical is nowhere near as close to a scenario event that even Skirmish or Oklahoma D-Day is.

In the end, I have been considering writing a real book on scenario paintball, but what would be the point? Too many people wouldn’t buy it just because it was written by me, and do I really want to try and help this lemmings any more then I do? The people that know, have the Book of TB and that is all that is important. Well at least to me, stay tuned and next time I will be talking to you about 2 scenario paintball books that are really a waste of money, that is unless you truly subscribe to the ‘Mil-Sim’ way of doing things and then this will be must have’s!!! Might even make the Special ops best seller tactical commander’s reading list! What there isn’t one of those? Damn, Jayson you haven’t patented that? I mean come on, paintball warrior’s reading list, you could rip off the Marines now that the Army has been taken by Tippmann.

Want to buy the above books? Here are the links:

Scenario Paintball: Tips, Tools and Tactics from the Trenches

Advanced Scenario Paintball

Want to know more about Don ‘Badger’ Grubish? Then click here.

So it seems that Tippmann is bringing out some 'new' stuff at D-Day as well. However to me the most exciting thing is a pistol. They are pretty tight lipped however I have been told it will give the Tiberius Tac-8 a run for it's money. Will it? Only time will tell.

In addition to the new Straightline Barrel launched yesterday, Tippmann is also announcing at D-Day the launch of a new Pistol to the paintball industry. Because our dealers and core players have been asking for a premium pistol, we feel the opportunity exists for Tippmann to launch a better pistol, using brand new technology that will quickly make it the most sought after pistol on the market. Unfortunately at this time we cannot elaborate much beyond the fact that it will be .68 caliber, lightweight, compact, modifiable and have the Tippmann reliability our customers have come to expect.

At D-Day we will also be giving players an opportunity to sign up for a Sneak Peek email but of course as a Tippmann Dealer you will automatically be updated on a regular basis during the summer months. Although this pistol will not be available until the fall, we are launching at D-Day because we feel we are far enough along with this new technology and that the timing is right to announce an exciting new product to our core group of scenario players.
Tippmann is extremely excited with the initial response of our new products launched this year. The new U.S Army Alpha Black, the updated 98 Custom Platinum Series have surpassed our initial expectations by providing exceptional value to your customers and we feel our entry into this new category will further fuel the growth of paintball with the avid player.
Thanks for your continued support.

Tippmann Sports is excited to launch a new, special edition StraightLine barrel for woodsball that was designed to complement the look of Tippmann X7 and A-5 markers. The new, 16” barrel was created through a partnership with HammerHead®, a longtime leader in paintball barrel design, and offers unmatched quality and performance characteristics.

The special edition StraightLine barrel will be sold in a complete kit featuring three sizers, a carrying case and lithium grease. It will be available in mid-June 2008 at a retail price of $149. This new barrel is set to debut at Oklahoma D-Day, where The Hellions from CPX and the SPC team from Glasgow Scotland are scheduled use the new barrel in play. We have a limited allocation for the first run of these barrels and we are now accepting orders for shipments to begin on June 20th.

So here is a review for those that think my blog is all about piss and vinegar. This is a relative newcomer to the paintball field, but they do have some really cool things. What we will be talking about this time out is the Seventh Element Shocker Board.

The board retails for around $75.00 so it is not that expensive in comparison to some of the other boards out there on the market. What is also great about it is the ease of installation. Now I am sure that other markers out there are just as easy, but there are some that are just atrocious to change out. The shocker board slid in and out with ease and fit with no problems in the same space as the original.

The neatly packaged item also came with a set of instructions that at first were a little difficult to grasp, but once you figure out the color and shape scheme it makes it very easy. You just got to remember not to over think the simplicity of the design. What does these board do you might ask? What doesn't it do is more of the question. It does everything but make coffee for you and it might do that if you hooked it up to a coffee maker. But it has multi-function lights, low battery alert, eye malfunction alert, 15 bps lock and of course the ramp modes. PSP, semi, full auto, user defined ramp and more. If it is a fire mode out there then you can have it here. It also seems to be very durable as boards go, but here is the best thing about it. It has a lifetime warranty and I am told if it fries in a scenario game due to weather that they will indeed replace it with a new. Just make sure you send in your warranty card.

I have taken this board and tested it on the firing range, but we have yet to put it to the full task of a 24 hour scenario. That will be this weekend in Texas at the Viper RTS event, but I expect that after 24 hours of melting faces with the goodness that is the Seventh Element board, that the only thing left to report on Monday will be the number a melted faces and ego's that ran into this supercharged shocker.

Take a look at their website at: http://theseventhelement.com/ and if you talk to them tell them you read about their board on worldoftb.com. I can't promise you that they will give you anything, but they might.

Got something you want to see reviewed? Shoot me an email and I will take a look at it. tb@worldoftb.com.

You won't find anything like this on the net yet and maybe never in a magazine. I take you inside the SP1 and while some people will read this as HYPE, I only quote what I know. After the 24 hour game here in a few weeks when multiple people paw it and shoot it and generally monkey fuck it, I will let you know how it stands up as I attempt to put this thing through a true scenario torture test. Why? Because before I sign off on anything I have to see it for myself and beat on it. However this will be what it looks like gutted (because I like to do that) and I will talk about my inital impressions and issues. Just because I am sponsored doesn't give Smart Parts a free ride regardless of what some people think.

So here is the upclose and personal pictures of the Smart Parts SP1:

As you can see, it is steel braided hose. The reason is that this marker is designed to be shot with CO2 or HPA but the marker is designed to handle any dangerous items caused by CO2, liquid or otherwise. I didn't pull the reg apart, but this is the new Inline reg that is designed to vent CO2 and if you don't have a anti-siphon tank, to lessen the harm caused by Liquid CO2. I shot a tank at World Cup down to nothing, it was frozen over, the gun froze then in about 5 seconds, it went right back to firing with no issues. I even got to see the CO2 burns on Darryl Trents and Adam Gardner's arms from shooting CO2 down to the frozen over liquid state and the marker still performed with no issues.

Here is how you take it apart:

As you can see it comes apart similar to an ION, but there are differences. The biggest is the board is mounted horizontally instead of in the grip and the solenoid is a lot smaller as well. One of the drawbacks is the LED cover, it will fall out. They should membrane it anyway to try and keep water out, but that be something that has to be later, or in the next revision. It would also be nice to have a hole cut into the grip frame to make removal of that hex bolt a lot easier. My biggest bitch is the 90 degree angles on the back two rails. This is proven to not be effective in test after test, I have been told there is a mount that will kick it up to a 45 degree angle, but I did let Billy know that the further the sight is away from the tube the less accuracy you get, the further away you are. Now I don't mind shooting people up close, but after 20 feet you have to aim at the far left side of their body to hit center mass. And putting a qloader or warpfeed and stacking the sight 3 inches above that isn't any better. Because all paintball guns are so inaccurate, you have to get that closeness and the 45 degree angle is the best. It's the reason we shoot the DTI Tactical Body from Deadlywind vs the other bodies out there. And since so many people want to say that they are 'copying' but other people can make whatever body they want, then they should do the same.

Deadlywind Body:

Other bodies:

Another potential issue is the way the rails are mounted, they are glued on and screwed in. I havent put my stuff on for a 24 hour game but we will see what it looks like when I get done with it. My Deadlywind body is single cast so there is no single point of failure bit the feedneck (which a teammate of mine has broken) where as the SP1 has almost 6. I would much prefer longer screws with 3 insertion points and even in the upgrade path moving to a lightweight single cast aluminium body, maybe with even a few less rails.

Now take that with a grain of salt, because this is an entry level marker and most people aren't going to beat the gun as much as I do or Thunderstruck does. But I do want to mention all aspects as well.

Here is a look at the internals:

AS you can see even the internal hoses are now nylon and gone are the macroline fittings. Again this marker is made for CO2 but performs just as well on HPA. It has the impulse On/Off which is a much better switch then the ION that so many people are prone to breaking off. Another cool thing is that the soleniod is removable. 2 Screws and it comes off. This will help the aftermarket board makers as well as allow you to replace the solenoid without have to replace the whole board. Bolt out the back now, of course makes it a snap to clean your marker as well as lubricate it. Of course some of the upgrades include a Blackheart board with eyes and a new milled breech. A double trigger for those that like that sort of thing and QEV's or the ultimate Epiphinany firing cans/chamber. Add on the metal body and a clip enclosure for the ref and you got the makings of a really neat mil-sim marker.

Here are the last ones:

As you can see, with no stacked blowback or hammer in the way, a few quick turns and you pull the whole assembly out and can replace O-rings or lubricate any of the moving parts quick fast and in a hurry. In the front there is also a removable plug that fits a Maglite mini perfect and locks it in so you don't lose it. It's a neat little feature, not super useful, but very cool nonetheless.

All in all, so far I am impressed for a marker that is $149 retail, out of the box and can do all of this and has the upgrade path available that this one does. It is capped at 11 BPS semi-auto only with no eyes. However, Smart Corps did win the SPPL Championships with this marker. Not a super-upgraded one, these markers right out of the freaking box. And that is saying something, when all the crying about how the Smart Corps did this, this, that or the other thing. They tool their entry level marker and whooped monkey asses against Tippmanns, Spyders and other guns with no issues. And that makes it a great back up gun for me, thats for sure. I will give you more in a few weeks when the true scenario test comes about. But here are the specs as they are posted on their site. I am hoping to be able to announce that you will be able to buy them here and through Thunderstruck's website with a coupon code to give you a little more discount. And if you want to shoot it or give it a go, give me a shout at Viper's game here in Texas, I'll hook you up for a little bit!

A fresh take on tactical. With its military styling and ultra rugged lightweight construction, the SP-1 is built for speed and made to last.

Features:
Mil-spec accessory rails at every angle and integrated mount points for a stock, the SP-1 is ready for a limitless variety of accessories.
Equipped with an integrated tactical flashlight mount right below the barrel, which accepts inexpensive focused beam flashlights at a fraction of the cost of expensive tactical flashlights.
Low pressure electropneumatic operation replaces the outdated spring and hammer designs that power competing tactical markers, and allows the SP-1 to deliver a fast , accurate and quiet hailstorm of paint.
Weight (marker only): 2 lbs. 6 oz.
Length (w/out barrel): 12.5 in.
Operating Pressure: 180psi
Gas Source: HPA or CO2
Anti-Chop System: Low force bolt
Trigger Pivot: Stainless steel pin
Ball Detent: Dual rubber style
Semi auto firing mode
Max Rate of fire: 11bps
Field legal mode lock
Runs on one 9 volt battery
Standard ASA included
One piece 10 inch barrel
Feedneck: Vertical clamping
Glass fiber reinforced nylon grip frame/body

Need a stocking stuffer? Want to get your kid in the game but don't want to drop a buttload on a X-7? Then you might want to look at this marker, I think that it might indeed be the Tippmann killer that Tom/AGD was looking for in the Tac-One. If they can just get those little things that I don't like fixed I think that this thing will go a hell of a lot further then the Tac-Ones did, just based on price and type of marker. But I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I do ask that you not copy them and that if you link back you put the website up as well.

Per a request since I left some information out. It takes Ion/Impulse threaded barrels. The board upgrade will be Smart Parts Blackheart (new board design) and I am sure that some 3rd party guys will be on this one soon as well. Here are the shots of the manual that deal with adjusting the reg as well as seing the blow-up of the marker.

Tactical Vest! Those two words conjure up many things for many different people in the scenario paintball community. To some it might seem to be the final touch to a ‘mil-sim’ outfit like no other and to others it may just be a great way to carry their gear, paint and other things in a comfortable manner for the duration of a 24 hour event. But one things is certain and that is tactical vests are one of the fastest trends in the soft goods side of the industry. Everybody who is anybody has a tactical vest out there, and theirs is all better then all the others. We even have some that seem to be direct copies of others and since I haven’t seen any press releases granting licensing rights, it makes you wonder why they are doing it. But to be honest, after reviewing all these vests, the biggest thing that comes through is comfort. No one can tell you what will fit you best, and the days of the totally custom vest are gone. Sure there are some places that will custom fit your vest, and as some people will say you can get a MOLLE set up and custom build it yourself, but that is nothing as near as easy as it was a few years ago. So let’s get into shall we?

First up is one of the first paintball tactical vests out there and that is the vests by Flurry Industries. I met Chris Maury at D-Day in 2003 and interviewed him for Scenario News and got an inside look at his vests. There are 2 models, the Ultraback and the Emissary and both are excellent beginner vests for people to see if they are even going to like tactical vests. I say beginner not because of anything other then in costs as these are some of the least in-expensive vests out there and that is not a slam towards quality because they last for quite a while. Several of the things that others have put on their vests have come because Chris did them first. The ID holder, the big ‘funny-shaped’ pocket and the hydration sleeve were all on a Flurry vest first. There is a story about the funny-shaped pocket that whenever I see it, I ask people do they know why it is shaped like that? And most do not, but it was in the interview I did. Seems that Chris took several ideas he had in college and came up with several concepts and sports for use. The pocket is the same size and shape as a Sony portable CD player because one of the early models was used for skateboarding or rollerblading. And it just carried over to the paintball vest. It is why it zips down on both sides all the way to a bottom attachment. Some of the early copies of other vests people had that as well but didn’t know why.

However this vest ranges from $65 - $95 and is well worth every penny. They both have similar features but the Emissary is the ‘higher end’ vest of the two. Both are designed with 2 halves and connect via Velcro at the top and sides. This allows you to adjust the entire fit from a one size fits all to one that fits you. Both have foam built into the vest for support as well a little bit of protection against the hard hits that may come during the game. But not enough to promote bouncing as that would be against the rules. The Emissary also has some added features that the Ultraback doesn’t. Such as removable foam, the bladder sleeve that allows you to use your favorite water carrying vessel and a movable radio holding pocket. It also has front belt loops to connect to a bet and hold your vest into place as well as redesigned shoulder loops with d-rings for attaching all kinds of goodies from grenades to compasses or anything else that a d-rings would come in handy for. One of the biggest differences is that you can move the pods on the Emissary vest to accomplish your fit and style of play. The attachment area is larger to allow easier reach on the pods and the external air tank holder is larger as well, this allows for those people that like to carry those real big tanks a little easier. All in all the Emissary is the best value for the buck in the pre-made vests and allows you to do quite a bit of customizing for the fit rather then the standard tactical vests. Big guys may find it a little small and they do look kind of goofy wearing it (trust me I know) but this is a great vest for youth and faster players who want a lightweight and easy to use vest. Go here to check them out: http://www.flurryindustries.com/

Now we move into the more ‘standard’ look of the tactical vests but this is one that allows a little more customization then some of the others out there. This is the NXE Tactical Scenario Harness. As NXE is well known in the tourney realm as one of the best makers of soft goods and harnesses, they stepped into scenario in a pretty big way. This vest is loaded with goodies and ranges in price from $100 - $125 so it is a little more expensive then the Flurry. Some of the things to look at here is the 4 piece belt that distributes the weight on your waist and shoulders and that is a great thing when you add in the weight of paint, tank (if you run remote) and then props, water and the other things you accumulate during a 24 hour game. There is also a buckle system on the shoulders that lets you do quite a bit of adjustments; there are just 3 buckle straps on the front to make adjustments with. There is also neoprene non-slip in the back of the vest that also helps with some lumbar support in the lower back.

It has all the standards goodies such as pockets, bladder holder, radio holders, tank holder, and pod carriers. It also has a few other things like more pockets then anything else I have seen out there as well as straps to strap down your remote line so it doesn’t snag on the brush when you are moving through the woods. It only comes with the ability to hold 6 pods unless you want the upgrade and they are not easily interchangeable. Some of the things I don’t like about it are no ID pocket or map sleeve and the entire vest is not made of mesh only certain parts. The ID/map sleeve has become something that is required on any standard tactical vest. The ease of showing credentials as well as the ease to get to your ID badge for chrono purposes cannot be overlooked as is the ease of getting to a map without having to keep it in a pocket. As far as mesh vs. solid material, there is no comparison, mesh is easier to clean, and it keeps you cooler in the hotter days. This is a good vest if you want to have adjustability, pockets and comfort and are willing to sacrifice some of the small perks of the other vests with the ID pockets and such. Here is where to get them: http://www.nxepaintball.com/

And now we have the ‘dog’ of the vests. I try not to be too judgmental but this just appears to be the ‘cookie-cutter’ approach to building a scenario vest and that might not be a bad thing if it was done by people who really understand scenario paintball rather then take things from different other vests and try to make it better and cheaper. The only thing that they succeeded with was making a cheap product that is not better then anything out there. It comes in at $80 for the MSRP and on the cover it may look like wow, what a great price. Just be glad, because if you buy this vest, you won’t feel as pocketbook hurt when you have to go buy one that actually does what you need. What is this atrocity you ask? The PCS Tactical Vest by Pursuit Combat Systems (better known as KEE and used to be PMI). What makes it so bad, you may ask?

Well first and foremost it is a one size fits all with no way to make any adjustments unless you want to break out your thread and needle and do it yourself. Add to that the fact that the 2 models only have pods in the front with none on the back. Who thought of this bone-headed idea? There is a reason that standard pod harnesses have the pods in the back and just because you wear a vest doesn’t mean you need them on the front to look like a special Ed kid who needs to have their address tied around their neck so they don’t lose it. They come in 2 flavors one made for 100 round pods and another for 140 round pods and don’t mix them up because 140 pods will not fit in the 100 round tubes and since you can’t move them, well you are screwed. You also cannot add any pods so you are limited to the 4 pods that come with it. The only thing on the back is a tank holder and some adjustment straps, but this thing doesn’t adjust that far. There is no place for a hydration bladder, the two pockets are not that big and there is no ID or Map sleeve. The Radio pouch is tiny and unmovable located on the left side of the body, makes it hard for a right handed person to key the mike by hand. The right side has this nifty quilted look and that might be nice if paintball guns had enough recoil to require that, but making it look like a shooting vest, doesn’t make it one. My opinion, unless you just like disappointment, when it comes to the tactical vest, takes a pass and save your money for a better one.

If you must buy a PCS product then maybe the Encounter vest is a better choice for you. They certainly did fix quite a bit of the problems of that previous vest, but that doesn’t mean that they fixed them all. The MSRP is a little better for what you get at $100 but the biggest thing is that this thing is heavy and hot. I know it is supposed to be built on a mesh skeleton, but that doest resolve the rest of it being non-mesh. At least they got semi-smart and allowed you to move some things around; however it is of course proprietary fittings so you will have to buy PCS attachments and hope that they fit your needs. But they did fix several things that are wrong with the first one, like adding a hydration pouch for your water bladder. They also added the ability to adjust the vest a lot more through the width as well as the height. They added an ID holder but it is exposed to paint and players as well as a little easier to lose then the ones with a fold-over to protect it. It also has belt loops that will allow you to attach it to a belt to hold it in place as well as add pockets on the front that can be removed. The radio pouch is still too small and the placement wasn’t well thought out and you can tell that they are really playing army with the addition of a drag strap, but who needs that in scenario paintball. Couple with the customary ‘recoil’ pad on the right shoulder and well you just have an updated crappy design that is a little easier to swallow. However, if you ask me, pass on all the PCS stuff; I didn’t see anything I like about any of it. And like their markers it just seems to be a cheaper clone of a better product and they drop all the coolest features of the product that they copied. You can find more out here http://www.pursuitcombatsystems.com/ and of course order them through any store that stocks stuff from KEE.

Now we move the Real Action Paintball or RAP as so many people call them. These are the guys who brought about the markers that are clip fed and shoot .43 caliber paint and eject shells. Well they also brought out a .68 caliber model and are now sponsoring teams around the scenario world. I say this because there are 2 models of vest that they are putting out and while there are some pro’s there are also some con’s to both products. Let’s start with the low end shall we? The RAP T68 Tactical Vest looks almost like the PCS Tactical Vest, so much so I wonder who copied who, however with PCS’s other creations and it’s quite possible that PCS copied RAP. The reason is the layout is the same, 2 front pockets, radio on the left breast, ‘recoil’ pad on the right, and 4 pod carriers in the front with an air tank carrier on the back. The differences? Well the everything is adjustable to an extent. You don’t like pods on the front, you can move them to the rear, don’t like the pockets you can move them as well. There are dual internal map/ID holders but what good they do they are beyond me since you would have to unzip your vest to get to them to begin with. It does have a bladder sleeve to use your favorite bladder with, and it has a Quick Disconnect Sling that allows you to connect your marker to your vest and disconnect it just as quick. This is pretty neat if you have those heavy mil-sim type markers to hump around and want a little extra support. It is fully adjustable both out and up and they have 2 different starting sizes for medium build people and then larger people and then customizes from there. The biggest issue for me? The fact that it is solid material, I have worn both and the solid mesh is so much more comfortable and easy to clean. I also am not a big fan of the ‘recoil’ pad as it takes away that right breast to put things. But at a MSRP of $55.00 you can’t beat it. Not for as customizable as it is, that’s for sure.

Now we move on to another RAP product, the Tactical Ten Paintball Vest. This is about as good as you can get if you want custom vest that is changeable after you order it. It is designed to be used in the Tactical Ten tournament (think SPPL) but it can also be used in scenario games to great effect. It is similar to the T68 in a lot of ways, in the fact that the bladder sleeve and the internal map/id pockets are there, but it adds more functionality with the ability to completely mod it out. It has 3 pockets and 10 pods that can carry 100 round tubes, a 140 tube will fit in there but it will be a tight fit that’s for sure. The radio pouch is still too small but it doesn’t have the recoil pad so you can slide it over the right breast unlike the T-68 and PCS vests. Belt loops and taps for team name and call sign are there as well. It also has a tank sleeve that will allow you to mount your tank, horizontally or vertically. All in all it is a very good vest for the money $100 MSRP but there are still some things that I am not fond of and that is the lack of easy placement of the map/ID sleeves and the 140 round tube packs. You can get them both at: http://www.rap4.com/

We will move a little more quickly through the last ones, not because of anything other then that they are all similar with some unique differences.

Now we have War sensor’s addition to the tactical vest market; the War sensor Tactical Vest and the Tactical CQB M.O.L.L.E. Vest. Both are in the same department as quality as the RAP and the Ops Gear and Special Ops Vests. Made of a rip resistant material, they hold up pretty well. Five pockets on the front, the ability to add 3 pods on the front and 5 on the back as well as a tank sleeve. It doesn’t have a bladder sleeve or map/ID sleeves so that is of course a negative. Another issue is that it is solid material, not mesh skeleton or anything like that. As it is solid it gets very hot in it, add to that issue that it only comes in black and well those are some pretty big cons about this vest. The MSRP of $100 is a little steep for what you get, but I bet most people who get this vest want to keep that SWAT tactical look since that is what this seems to be built for. On thing about this vest is that the back allows MOLLE, Alice Clips or Velcro attachments so you can mix and match real world and paintball attachments to it.

The Tactical CQB M.O.L.L.E. Vest is just that, a MOLLE system. If you don’t know what that is, it’s simple; it’s the new system of vest that is employed by the US Military. It allows for complete customization for whatever the mission requires. This vest does the same. It is basically a basic vest with MOLLE straps all over it. You can even get a bladder sleeve for the back with more MOLLE straps on it. This is probably one of the best vests out there if you want complete module change over, but it does lack the ability to protect the torso as other vests can. But that also means that this breathes easier and is a little lighter. You can buy just about any MOLLE attachment from real world or from War sensor or anywhere else for paintball. You can add a pistol holster and grenade pockets or you can add more pods, a tank sleeve or even a radio harness. You are only limited by money and room. With an MSRP of $50 it sounds like a great deal, however be advised that to completely kit out, you will spend close to $200 as it only comes with one 2 pod pouch and the ID sleeve, the rest is not included. You can find out more about them both at http://www.warsensor.com/

And that brings us to the final 2 companies that are putting out vests. These are the proverbial big boys of tactical vests and it shows. They both are rather pricey with MSRP starting at $140 and going as high as $300 for the full vest. And that is the OPSGEAR and Special Ops series of vests. They each have their own styles and I am not going to go over each of them in regards to their positions. What I mean by that is that I am not going to review a broadsword vest, and a sniper vest and a recon vest and a hammer vest. They are all the same vests with just more or less pods and pockets in different locations. If you want to spend this kind of money on a vest, I would hope that you are smart enough to know what position you may fit even if you don’t use them and buy the appropriate vest. Or buy the one that looks the coolest to you.

We’ll start with Special Ops, and if the vests look familiar it is because Special Ops bought out Cops911 who specialized in custom tactical vests. And it was the best as far as pricing and customization goes, I know I wear one. However since Special Ops has taken it over they have removed a lot of the customization of the Cops911 vest and now offer select styles with the features that matches their marketing tools known as the woods ball positions. However there isn’t any less quality in the making of the vest and they actually added some improvements such as the zippers and the addition of a back belt that helps take the load off your shoulders that all tactical vests seem to suffer from. You can order the position or you can go to the vest builder. However be advised that building a vest that way can come out to be more expensive then buying the broadsword vest and then adding other things to it. As it is for the most part a clone of the scenario vest built by Cops911, the broadsword vest is the one that I will review here.

It has adjustable shoulder straps and it will also adjust in the side. So if you can get the proper length for your body type, you will be set in adjusting it in and out. It features the hydration sleeve and the ID pocket that Cops911 made famous. It also sports the ‘walkman’ big pocket and a few grenade pouches. It is mesh so it is extremely breathable and washable as well. It fits 6 pods across the back and also allows an external tank sleeve. The radio pouch is again too small and it is placed to low, even though they say it is perfectly placed. Gone are the goggle straps that would let you attach your goggles to your vest when off the field and the map sleeve which is a disappointment since being able to flip down a flap and showing a map to your team or squad if very handy as it hanging your mask as you walk to your campsite. The grenade pouches are nice but a little overkill if you don’t use the big boy grenades that are sold by Special Ops. It comes in multiple colors so that allows you to make you choice of digi-camo, black, OD green or other colors. That is one of the best things about this vest.

The only other vest of theirs that I am going to mention is the Commander’s vest. And that is because it is still built like the COPS911 vest of old, even down to the shoulders and more. If you are looking for a vest that is close to that, then this will be the one. It is sitting at $135 MSRP but it is probably the best vest for your money from Special Ops. The others are well situated for the positions and if you are a saber or a hammer by all means look at the vest specific for that role, but to me, if you get those then you are stuck at those roles vs. being able to move between roles as the pace of the game dictates. You can find out more about their entire line of vests at: http://www.specialopspaintball.com

And now we are to the OPSGEAR line of vests. Like Special Ops these guys have positions as well, a little more tactical since that is the nature of OPSGEAR. If you know anything about the company you know that they are the real deal as far as military and law enforcement types and they train those types for real in their compound. As such they should get a lot more credibility as their vests are really based on some real world concepts. The price range is good as well since it starts at $80 for a real nice vest and tops out at $170. The only downside is the lack of customization that while Spec Ops doesn’t do on the level that COPS911 did, they are about the only game in town that can do any. On this one as well they have several lines, but I will start with the smallest and then end at the largest, just for consistency sake.

The OPSGEAR M4 Tactical falls into line just like the WARSENSOR, the PCS and the RAP 4 vests. It has the ‘recoil’ pad on the right and the radio pouch on the left. 1 pocket, 3 small grenade pouches and 4 tubes up front along with a MOLLE setup in the back allows you to add your MOLLE gear like tank sleeve or more pods in the back. It does have a hydration sleeve but like the RAP 4 the ID/Map pockets are on the inside of the vest. I just don’t get that, it seems so stupid to do that. Maybe it is ok when you are mil-simming to unzip your vest and then unzip your inner pocket to pull out a map, but I don’t have time for that in a game. The front cannot be moved in anyway, so that is a clear disadvantage and the only way to rectify it is to modify (read cut) your vest or leave them empty, but those empty pods holders do get in the way, grab stuff if you get on your stomach and preclude you twisting comfortably. Now it is of course built of quality material but it is not complete mesh, so you get stuck with the overheating again of the torso. All in all it is a better vest to me then the versions I mentioned above in this category and look, but it just isn’t for me.

The last vest to look at is the OPSGEAR Commando MOLLE Heavy Assault vest. And it is very good if you are looking for that extra heavy duty tactical vest. And this is a lot like the War sensor MOLLE vest but there is more ‘vest’ to this then that and you get a little more for the money. However it is like that unit, in the fact that the whole vest is set up as MOLLE and you add whatever you need for whatever ‘mission’ you find yourself on. Since it is a MOLLE setup you can add whatever you want a pistol holster, grenade pouches, harnesses, pockets, radio pouches whatever. It has the bladder sleeve and the internal pockets for map/ID but then other then that it is just a vest with MOLLE attachments on it. You get more to start with for the $150 then the WARSENSOR but it has double ‘recoil’ pads in the shoulders so you cannot attach anything to the shoulders. It also doesn’t have the internal belt like the NXE or Special Ops vests do, so it will put a strain on your shoulders as the day wears on. It is also not made of mesh and so with the solid material will be very hot in the summer. It does offer excellent protection however and is very well put together. You can find them and their other vests at: http://www.opsgear.com

So in the end where does that leave us? Which vest do you recommend TB? Want the truth? None of them! I wear a custom COPS911 vest built for me 4 years ago and it has held up like nothing else I have owned in paintball. It is comfortable, made of mesh; it has everything I need where I need it. I know I custom designed it that way. No other vest out there is able to match what I already have. And there doesn’t appear to be one any time soon to match what I need, how I need it for the price I am willing to pay for it. I just on a whim got on the Special Ops custom vest builder and after I got it close to what I have and wanted, I looked at the price tag, almost $400 and that is freaking ridiculous when it still isn’t even as good as what I have now. The best I can offer is figure out how much you want and what you are willing to settle for being without. They all have pros and cons, from price to reliability to placement of certain items to customizing the vest for you.

And Mike that vest you are looking at is crappier then even the PCS vest, there is a reason it is only $40 on Amazon. But you buy what you want man, me? I’m waiting till Robert’s non-compete runs out in 2009, but that is another story for another time.