“PBL is once again the exclusive Canadian supplier for all of the GI Sportz, DXS, and Vforce brands. Welcome back to the family.” – Richmond Italia,CEO Procaps / GI Sportz

To find out how you can be using or stocking the latest GI sportz, DXS and Vforce products, check us out at http://buypbl.com/

The new year starts off with a bang with Shooting Hot Magazine’s January issue!

Dale takes on the GEO 2.1 and Shooting Hot Magazine Associate Editor Bill Murray, TB Checks in with 2012 Prophecies, and Valken Super-Rockstar Andy Potter writes this month’s Valken Corner, while Ace Reporter Seth Manchester takes a look at paintball a world away!

New European Editor Robert Naylor chimes in with news about this year’s Super 6 Series, and it looks like it’s going to be a great one!

Head on over to Shooting Hot Magazine’s website to get in on the action!

The latest release is their Apex barrel adaptor, which will allow you to mount an Apex to your barrel, to take advantage of the range enhancing qualities of the Apex and the enhanced accuracy that your aftermarket barrel will offer.

Randy also wanted me to make mention of the tank extender, which is particularly useful for those using the Empire Paintball Mini and Axe, because it gives your set up that added length to make it comfortable to shoot on-field.  I reviewed the tank extender earlier this year in Shooting Hot Magazine, and it saved my bacon when I was forced to borrow a 45/4500 tank to use on my Timmy.  That added inch of length made the difference in making the gun usable vs. too short.

Head on over to customproducts.us to take a look at the full line of goodies there, and make sure you tell Randy that Dale sent you!

• Bobby out at TXR Paintball is going to be doing 8 hour games starting in 2012. Keep up with what he’s going to be doing at www.txrpaintball.com
• He also relates that Viper is going to re-produce Holy Grail in Texas in 2012.
• DXS has gotten involved with a new league on the Gulf Coast of Florida called the WCFPL. Check out DXS’s FaceBook here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=8449441&l=e17979e449&id=45100403920
• Meanwhile, Impact Action Sports will be fighting for the North Pole: http://www.impactactionsports.com/shop/page/9
• Valken hires two Pro Players and opens up a facility in SoCal: http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/valken-hires-pro-staff-and-opens-full-service-facility-in-san-diego-ca/
• Blue dropped by with this: “BluesCrewTV will be live streaming the TROPSTOCK New Years Eve Party at Cafe Unique from 9:00pm to 2:00 am. There will be two live bands playing, Parrothead Costume Contest, and Champagne Toasts. Watch the Parrot drop at www.BluesCrewTV.com and bring in the New Year with the CREW. To join us, check out the details at www.Tropstock.com . “
• Out in SoCal, Hollywood Sports Park will be open the day after Thanksgiving…tell Gio I sent you!
• The NPPL announced the 2012 Surf City Open taking place March 30th-April 1.
• Makes you wonder what’s been going on behind the scenes at the alleged merger talks.
• And no, I don’t know anything. Trust me.
• The guys over at www.FogDoc.Com dropped in with this: “In appreciation for all of our paintball family, 36 Hour Days LLC and FogDoc will be doubling all orders placed from now until Friday 11/25 at 11:59PM!!! Thank you again for all of your support! Don’t forget to check out our new “BIG 16 Cleaner kit” the BIGGEST and best Cleaner pack available!!”
• Stiffi releases their “Stealth” barrel. Somehow I got this visual of Naomi in a Ghillie Suit….
• The lovely and gracious Joanne Wheeler at G.I. Sportz informs me that a Sleek Mask and G.I. Podz are on the way for me to look at for review in Shooting Hot Magazine. Stay tuned!
• Empire Paintball, Critical Paintball, Paintballgateway, and ANS Gear are all having “Black Friday” or “Thanksgiving Weekend” Sales.
• As for me, I will be spending my first Thanksgiving with my new wife, my stepdaughter, and in-laws. The Dark Child is just happy to see Gran (AKA The Almighty Madam Hagfish), and that’s good enough for me. Happy Thanksgiving!

Since my stepdaughter decided that everyone should be awake at 5:30 AM this morning, I went ahead and got out of bed and got on the computer to see what was going on out in the world.   Once I got online, Mike Spurlock was online with some more information on the Machine Paintball Vapor.

The first batch of gun bodies are on the way to the anodizer, and machining on the grip frames was to begin today.  While Mike and I were on Skype, he took the time to show me in detail how the bolt system works, and showed me an actual prototype body that served as a an anodize sample.  This particular body was polished and anodized in a very pretty claret color.   Mike and his partners are still deciding what colors to roll out with, but I can say that even the latest render shown here doesn’t do the actual parts justice in ‘the metal’.

One of the more interesting design features of the Vapor is that the bolt system doesn’t screw into the body.  Rather the user pushes a button and pulls the entire bolt assembly out the back of the gun for cleaning, maintenance, or an emergency in-game clearing of the breech due to a bad ball.   All of the O-Rings in the Vapor are US-Made Polyurethane and color coded.  The integrated feedneck has some interesting features as well, but I was asked to not go into detail about it.  During the course of going to production, several changes have been implemented.

SMC is making the solenoids for the Vapor, and several different board companies have been contacted to provide samples for the board that will be going into the Vapor.  I do know that Mike is specifying an OLED board, but LED variants are being looked at as well.

The Ford Report has been retained to assist with design, marketing and PR for Machine Paintball, so stay tuned for all the information as it becomes available.   You can also ‘like’ Machine Paintball on Facebook HERE

Everything found here was either directly observed by the staff, sent in by members of The Ford Report Mailing list, or quoted by anonymous Ford Report Minions. Keep in mind at all times… The Ford Report is for entertainment purposes only! Some of the things posted here may not be completely accurate. These posts may directly correlate to yourself, your team, or company. Use the link in this email to unsubscribe from The Ford Report if you find yourself offended by it. If you’re seeing it on the site, then feel free to click that little red ‘X’ and move on with your day .

• The November issue of Shooting Hot Magazine is here: http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/the-november-issue-of-shooting-hot-magazine-is-here-2/
• It would appear that Angel Paintball Sports is on it’s way out of business: http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/angel-paintball-sports-out-of-business/
• Fun Fact: That’s me in the picture with the G-Unit. It was taken at Commander’s Cup 2005. My wife doesn’t quite believe that it’s actually me in the shot. I guess I’ll have to keep losing weight and toning up so she’ll believe me…
• DXS may be for sale: http://thefordreport.com/2011/10/procapsdxs-for-sale/
• I haven’t heard back from my Minions yet, which is a bit unsettling…Barno’s tough and all, but I really didn’t think he could handle Terminator Class Minions….
• However, I do know if you email him at brian.barno@procaps.com he can get you in the running for a paint deal for NPPL Las Vegas.
• Meanwhile, Kreisman, Taitano and Bollenbach want to sponsor you like a pro in 2012: http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/get-sponsored-like-a-pro-for-2012/
• In the meantime, Valken is busy as well, getting into the Airsoft market: http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/valken-sports-to-become-airsoft-distributor/
• Bussler dropped by with this: “In case you missed it, Tippmann Sports has put together a new promotion where you can win $500 towards your next paintball private game or outing. You can check out this promotion on our Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/WinAPaintballParty . As an added bonus, we have a special offer for readers of paintball forums and news sites. When you enter this contest we ask what field you plan to play at. When filling out the field information, simply add in your favorite Paintball forum or news site and if you are chosen we will increase the prize pack by $250 to $750. Good luck, the contest goes until the end of November and you can enter weekly.”
• Which means you need to go enter and type in “The Ford Report”!
• Sometimes, good things happen to good people. “Hollywood,” who has been around this sport for what seems like forever, recently was struck by a lightning bolt of good fortune. His comment was “I have gone from ‘making enough to pay my bills, and even having a little left over at the end of the month,’ to ‘being moderately well off.’ Now I have to learn to quit thinking like a cheapskate.”
• Planet Eclipse is celebrating the launch of pbRIOT.com, a brand new forum and paintball information website geared towards a more positive and helpful paintball community. In light of this celebration Planet Eclipse is giving away a Geo 2.1 paintball marker to one lucky registered member of the forum! Check out http://www.pbriot.com/showthread.php?1101 for more details, and be sure to join the newest, hottest forum in paintball!
• I shot my South Beach Pimps GEO 2.1 last weekend…it’s a frickin’ Rail Gun….
• Along with Angel and possibly DXS, Social Paintball is no more as well.
• DXS Wildman Aaron Yendall fought his way past the Death Kitties and Bo the Cuddly Puppy to drop this note off: “Check this out. I’ve been working with Jim lively on this for a little while now to get it going. This is a great opportunity for kids who love paintball and want to better themselves through higher education. It’s truly one of the most positive things to happen in paintball for a long time. I hope you might have a chance to publish it: http://www.facebook.com/l/gAQFCGZLIAQHTqurGuLsQKntwFgc-vlJws-pQ5jLp8OYDxw/paintballscholarships.com/ “
• For the record, Bo the Cuddly Puppy is an 80 pound German Shepherd, so give Yendall some credit!
• Looks like the Valken V-Max is getting the price dropped after the 15^th…ought to make it more popular!
• Speaking of Valken, former Valken Vixen Waverly Muller went to work at Tiberius Arms: http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/waverly-muller-joins-tiberius-arms/
• Then Valken went and did a TV Commercial: http://thefordreport.com/2011/10/valken-airs-paintball-commercial/
• Tim Barnett of Shoreline Paintball is pleased as punch: http://thefordreport.com/2011/10/tippmann-challenge-uk-%e2%80%93-fastest-selling-paintball-event-in-history/
• He’s fast, too!
• Sly Equipment has a new website.
• RAP4 rolls out the new Gen 4 Nautilus Drive: http://thefordreport.com/2011/10/rap4-introduces-new-gen-4-box-magazine-with-nautilus-drive/
• DXS says thanks: http://thefordreport.com/2011/10/dxs-says-thanks/
• Heartthrob Jon-Paul Fortunati’s Critical Paintball has a new trigger for the DP line of guns.
• And for the record, he makes my wife’s heart throb, not mine. I don’t roll that way.
• The PSP informs me that Damage won using the new DYE DM12. I wonder if I’ll get to review one…
• I understand that The Machine’s “Vapor” has gone to production. I’m pretty sure I’ll get to review one. Tee Hee!
• You can pre-order paint now for The RPL’s 4^th event. Www.therpl.com
• Janek from Powerball dropped by, using an overblown Russian accent for some reason: “Sterling Paintballs, the UK made paintballs are conquering the world. Players all over Europe have come to know and love our quality product and we’ve grown in leaps and bounds in the last 3 years. We are adding more dealers and distribution points constantly, so if you want to sell a product that offers a great value for a good price, get in touch with us before someone else beats you to it. You can reach me at janek@powerball.co.uk or by calling +44 20 323 90 230. We ship worldwide.”
• Da.
• Deep South Super Field owner Billy Smith will be busy this weekend watching as his daughter Macy begins her life with her beau Jack as a married couple. Ashley and I will be there to witness the blessed event.
• With all of the uncertainty going on right now, let me get a few things clear: No, I don’t know what, if anything Billy is going to do for paint at his field. Note that (an alleged, potential) change in ownership doesn’t necessarily mean that things will change immediately. My wife doesn’t know either. Call Billy if you need to find out what he’s up to. As for the Ford Report’s association with DXS as Presenting Sponsor, I have it on good authority that could be changing, so I’m taking bids for your company to become the Presenting Sponsor of The Ford Report in 2012. Drop me a line at dale@thefordreport.com for a proposal. It’s breaking my heart at the idea of not having DXS on board, but if it happens, we’ll part as friends.

Over the course of the past year or so I’ve had several in-depth Skype conversations with him regarding some of his latest designs, including some of the cool non-paintball stuff he’s into.  In the past month or so our conversations have taken a more serious turn, especially when he started showing me renders of what will be his latest creation, the Vapor.  The Vapor is his interpretation of what the ultimate spool valve gun should be, and he and his partners have been busy in the past few weeks spooling up production of this new gun.

I’ve heard a couple of different names for the company, including “Machine Gun”, “Machine”, and “The Machine”.  I do know that “Vapor” is going to be the name of this initial offering, and he has been kind enough to share some of the more intimate details about the gun’s inner workings and what’s coming down the pike from him and his team.  The first production run of The Vapor is already in the CNC machines at his factory, and the first batch will be on their way within a few weeks.

Look for more information directly from the creator of the Vapor as I’m allowed to make it available to the playing public.

It may be the end of the tournament season, but the 2011 Season went out with a bang with Shooting Hot Magazine!  Check out the finale of the ’59 Chevy build that was at World Cup in the DXS tent, the girls of World Cup, all the goodies, and more!

This month scenario season started with “Hatfields vs. McCoys” at LCP, the South Beach Pimps have their say at in their own little corner of the magazine, and Seth takes on S-Thunder and SHM’s Editor in Chief, Dale Ford!  All this and TB drops by with his words of wisdom for the month, and Bert graces our back cover!   Check it all out at http://www.shootinghotmagazine.com !

Empire Prophecy Z2 Loader Promotions
Enter today with two ways to WIN!

1st Promotion Details

Step #1: Click on the Z2 Promotion page to “LIKE” Empire Facebook and enter your e-mail address.

Step #2: This will automatically enter you to win the new Empire Prophecy Z2 loader. Three winners will be announced on November 23rd.

2nd Promotion Details

Step #3: After you complete Step #1 and Step #2, you will receive a response e-mail from Empire Paintball with detailed instructions on how one person will be selected to WIN both an AXE paintball marker and a Prophecy Z2 loader by travelling to your local paintball field or store to take a picture of yourself with both the AXE and Z2 and how to upload your image to enter to win.

All promotional winners will be announced by Empire Paintball on November 23rd.

Dates of Promotion
October 14th through November 22nd , 2012

Join us on Empire Twitter and Empire Facebook today to learn about breaking Empire News, Updates and Promotions.

EmpirePaintball is a brand of KEE Action Sports LLC. KEE Action Sports LLC is the worldwide leader in the manufacturing and distribution of paintball sporting goods and the exclusive source for RPS®, Empire®, Invert™, Invert™, MINI™, BT Paintball™, HALO®, EVIL®, Pure Energy®, ViewLoader®, Brass Eagle®, and JT Sports® brand products.

This particular game was a Low Country Paintball (LCP) and I had the joy of playing in a 24 hour scenario game. The first day of play, I played with my new Tippmann X7 with an electronic trigger set to single shot semi and response with 2 shots per trigger pull, this mode put plenty of paint on a target, or so I thought. That evening my son and I were invited to a players meeting and cookout with the South Beach Pimps. During the meeting I was asked by the team captain, John Navarro, if I would be interested in shooting one of the ETEK guns. Again, I am more a Mil-Sim person, but I said yes. The next day Geo from the Pimps let me borrow one of his markers, Mike Tolnay lent me a Rotor hopper, and I used my own CP high pressure air tank.

When I went to the chrono station I was pleasantly surprised to find the gun was already set perfectly. This was a blessing and goes to show the reliability of the marker as it had been set several months ago. I then set off with my son and some of the Pimps to go hunting bad guys. I was very impressed with the weight of the gun and how easy it was to use right from the start. We had an almost immediate encounter as the opposing team was trying to sneak up from behind our base. I started with just a few quick shots to stir them up and get them moving. At least that was my intention. Instead, I shot in the general area when I hit the guy square with the first two or three shots. That accuracy was out of this world. Next we moved up in pairs and put the poor guy in a pincer move with three guns on him. The rope of paint that came out of my marker startled me, and with all of us hitting him several times he was out in no time. Again, the accuracy was fantastic and with the ramping set to PSP mode it just blew me away. I had previously thought that my X7 in response mode put a pretty good amount of paint on a target. I was very wrong. The ETEK was faster and more accurate than I thought possible

Now I am not new to paintball by any means, and do understand that there are differences between markers, but I can dare say that I will be looking into purchasing a new marker and it will be either an ETEK or something of the same design from Planet Eclipse. I am definitely a new convert to this style of marker. I would like to thank John, Geo, Mike, Dale , and the rest of the South Beach Pimps for letting me try out of these marvelous markers. I had the time of my life.

Thanks,

Mike “Kilroy” Castleman

Team Captain of Dragon Force/ OP4