• Valken’s Andy Potter and Southeast Superfield owner Billy Smith of Low Country Paintball flew out this morning for Castle…lucky!
• …except that their flights were at uncivilized hours…
• Join the family: http://thefordreport.com/2012/04/join-the-machine-family/
• If you’re in Florida next month, hit up Rico at General’s Cup: http://thefordreport.com/2012/04/2012-generals-cup-pre-game-video/
• Ace writer Seth “Big Boss” Manchester is now doing video: http://thefordreport.com/2012/04/shooting-hot-tv-pilot/
• Over in the UK Support for Soldiers raised a lot of money for UK servicemen and women in need: http://thefordreport.com/2012/04/support-for-soldiers-raises-11500-us-for-uk-service-members/
• The first event in the Vicious series is coming soon, at Mad Cow Paintball in Cedar Creek, NE.
• “Mad Cow Paintball”?
• The NPPL has released the field layout for their upcoming Chicago event.
• Meanwhile, Critical Paintball’s pro team has a new jersey!
• Pev’s is getting ready to celebrate their 20^th anniversary.
• Minor League Paintball becomes a PSP Affiliate league.
• E-Money has lost his mind, offering up 1^st run PEG paintballs at $6/case! Call him up at 1-866-999-MONEY before he regains his senses.
• Echo1 Airsoft is coming to Alternative Sports.
• Tim Barnett of Shoreline Paintball in the UK drop by with this tidbit: “GI Sportz Battle of Britain game run by Shoreline is next weekend. Its already officially the UK’s biggest ever brand new event.”
• Tom over at Catshack Reports let it be known that Les Stroud of “Survivorman” fame will be attending this year’s D-Day Event in Oklahoma. Turns out Les is an avid paintballer! He’ll be rolling with the Commonwealth Expeditionary Forces.
• Tampa Bay Damage won the Galveston PSP, which had to be postponed until the beginning of Phoenix.
• The D-League has revised the field layout for their next event.
• Meanwhile, Houston Heat wins the Pro Division at Phoenix PSP.
• Kriesman dropped by to let me know that teams using Empire gear and RPS paint dominated the divisional brackets.
• Which means that teams using GI Sportz dominated everywhere else.
• I understand that the phrase “But it’s a dry heat!” got old real quick for players and vendors alike at the Phoenix event….
• The D-League out in Cali will now have a new Open division.
• I was messing around on Facebook this morning and I was teasing about writing another “Deadliest Paintball Warrior” piece for Shooting Hot Magazine, and trying to figure out who I’d pit against each other….somehow it turned into a challenge to a Mercy Match against my wife. I guess Ledbetter’s Carnage Paintball is going to live up to its’ name after all…
• I got an email from ProPaintball.com noting that Air America Weapons Systems would be making a return, but the story has since been pulled. Minions are en-route.

• My friend Jen is walking in the Susan B. Komen event coming to the Tampa Bay area: http://www.the3day.org/site/TR?px=6542623&pg=personal&fr_id=1770&et=5O1XGNWxOZsl–2Jb8VybQ&s_tafId=478293

• Joey from BuyPBL.com let me know that the final installment of the PALS Thailand “Where Paintball Takes Us” episode is out: http://youtu.be/0y5-Qv-A9Z0
• The Apocalypse is coming to Big Indian Paintball: http://lcpscenariogames.com/registration/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=29
• And now, to start packing up for the weekend…. Have a great weekend everyone!

February is the month for love, and there’s so much to love in this issue of Shooting Hot Magazine!

Dale takes on LCP Scenarios’ Galaxy Wars and the Empire Sniper, while Associate Editor Bill Murray takes on the Vanguard Demon!  We didn’t hear of him needing an exorcism after shooting it, so it must have done heavenly!

Seth “Big Boss” Manchester takes a hard look at the Nanny State, while TB comes back to tell us how it is.  Newcomer Ashley Ford starts her monthly articles on what it’s like to be a Paintballing Mom (and make it look good!).

The Shooting Hot Magazine also took a look at the choices players have…a tournament style gun vs. woodsball style guns.

And last but not least, Andy Potter of Valken clues us in on what’s happening at Valken!

There’s so much to love!  Head over to http://www.shootinghotmagazine.com and fall in love today!

“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