Matrix Limited Edition Alien Pulse Rifle

August 14, 2022 moondog

Evike.com sent me an a Matrix Alien Pulse Rifle to test an evaluate before its November 2022 release. It came in a styrofoam and plain cardboard brown box. It’s not clear if this is the standard packaging or if this was a pre-release generic box cover?

This is a fully-functioning airsoft rifle styled after the iconic Armat M41A Pulse Rifle from the 1986 Sci-Fi classic, “Aliens” by James Cameron. This is the fictional rifle and grenade launcher used by the doomed Colonial Marine platoon sent along with Ripply to fight off a hive of Aliens and their Queen. Like the original movie prop this airsoft replica is custom shell encasing to a Thompson submachine gun.

The rifle was nicely crafted but obviously plastic in construction. Evike sells 5 different color/finish options. I was sent the black and grey version. In the box was the fully assembled pulse rifle, a packet of 0.20g test BB’s, a clearing rod, and a 190 round short Thompson Hi-Cap magazine.

As with most airsoft guns, the user has to supply their own battery. The main battery compartment is located in the mock grenade launcher/shotgun hand guard. I had to drill out a plastic panel designed to hold a smaller 7.4v LiPo blocky stick to make room for 11.1v round stick LiPo. The Matrix uses a small Tamiya connector.

The Pulse Rifle’s mock magazine plate covers a magwell chamber into which houses the Thompson style magazine and a smaller side box to fit a 9v battery cell which powers the functional round counter LED display, which is arguably the coolest feature of the rifle. The LED counts down from 95 to 00 accurately (as far as I could tell), though once at 00 round the rifle can continue to fire due from its 190 round small Hi-Cap magazine. As far as I could tell, the only way to reset the counter is to remove the magwell cover and reset the on-off switch on the LED counter.

The rifle can use extended Thompson magazines, but the magwell cover would have to be left off and the 9v round-counter battery would have to be secured. Still, the Thompsons slot and rail style magazine design makes for slow reloads made even slower hidden within the enlarged shell of the Pulse Rifles magwell. High Speed/Low Drag, this rifle is not.

One other consideration keeping me from recommending this as a skirmish gun is its lack of real sights or a means to add on sighting optics. The top rail/handle has a wide sighting groove but no front sight post or any means to adjust. For those used to walking their shots instead of aiming this may not be an issue.

Overall this airsoft Pulse Rifle in certainly a talking piece if not quite practical as a skirmish gun. It would make a perfect base gun to craft a more realistic Cosplay level costume prop. Hopefully if this rifle proves to be a success, it could encourage airsoft makers to create more working Sci-Fi weapons. E-11 Imperial Blaster anyone?

Purchase this airsoft gun on Evike.com: http://www.evike.com/#a_aid=moondog&a_bid=b467b403

“Aliens” Pulse Rifle Contest ENDED 9/4/22

*CONTEST COMPLETED 9/4/22* Enter to win an airsoft “Aliens” Pulse Rifle (MSRP $389). Subscribe to Moondog R&D for a free entry. Donate $5 and get 5 bonus entries, 100% of the proceeds of this raffle will benefit the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, CA.

The winner will be chosen at the Evike Outpost at Gamepod Combat Zone at 3pm September 4, 2022. Winner will be contacted using the contact information they provide. Winner does not have to be present to win but must pay for shipping if not present.

UPDATE

Congratulations to Tom S. of Florida on winning this contest

CONTEST INSTRUCTIONS

1. BONUS ENTRY: Donate $5 or more to the Hiller Aviation Museum center using this link and providing your name and contact information.

2. FREE ENTRY : Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: Moondog R&D

YouTube: Moondog R&D https://www.youtube.com/moondogR&D

3. Take a screen capture of the channel screen showing you have subscribed/followed and email it to me

4. Email me with the Subject: “Pulse Rifle Contest”
• Attach the JPG or PNG screen shot
• Include your full name and ship-to address in the email (so I can confirm you live in the US or Canada).

NOTE: If you win, pick up your prize at Gamepod Combat Zone at 3pm Sunday, September 4, 2022 and join me to create a play video in the arena. If you are not present, you can pay for shipping and I will mail you your prize.

Use the button email below or email me directly at: contest@moondogindustries.com

SUBMIT SCREEN CAP

RULES

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. MUST BE 18+ or OVER OR SUPERVISED BY AN ADULT TO ENTER.

1. Eligibility

Void where prohibited by law. Must be legal resident within the USA or Canada. Moondog Industries employees, subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, advertising and promotion agencies, employees’ immediate family members, are ineligible participate in the contest/giveaway.

Entrants must be willing and able to appear on YouTube to discuss the contest and post images of the prize on their social feed should they win the contest.

2. Sponsors and Platforms

Moondog Industries is a video Edutainment producer and game promotor based in San Francisco, CA. Moondog Industries, Evike.com, and Gamepod (are collectively known as the SPONSOR). YouTube, TikTok, Rumble, and online video platforms (known as PLATFORMS) are not SPONSORS or in any way affiliated with the contest or content.

3. Agreement to Rules

By entering your contest, participants agree to abide by the SPONSOR’s Official Rules and decisions. The SPONSOR retain the right to refuse, withdraw, or disqualify entries at their sole discretion. By submitting an entry, the participant agrees to accept the decision of the SPONSOR as final and binding.

4. Entry Period

Contest email entries must be received between:
12:00pm EST 14 Aug 2022
and
12:00pm EST 3 Sep 2022

5. How to Enter

Receive 5 raffle entries by donating $5 to the Hiller Aviation Museum using the PayPal or Venmo Link. Each $5 donation entitles the user to 5 raffle entries.

To enter for free, Subscribe to Moondog R&D on YouTube and make a screen capture of those pages showing a greyed out Subscribe button or indicator that your account is Following that page. Send a screen capture image file of any of those sites to contest@moondogindustries.com . One free entry per person or per YouTube account. Fraudulent methods of entry, photo retouched, or other methods of circumvention of the rules may result in the SPONSOR invalidating a participant’s entries.

This contest requires your skill in navigating your phone or computer controls to screen capture an image of the following YouTube channels/Social Media accounts.

6. Prizes

Winners must be able to pick up the prize at Gamepod Combat Zone, 1400 W 4th St #2, Antioch, CA 94509 in person on September 4, 2022 or have their prize shipped to them at their expense. Prizes may be substituted at the sole discretion of the SPONSOR. Acceptance of the prize grants SPONSOR permission to use the Winners entry, name, and likeness for advertising, promotion, and trade without further compensation or remuneration unless prohibited by law.

7. Odds

Odds of winning is dependent upon the number of eligible entries received.

8. Selection and Notification of the Winner

The winner will be chosen at random by the SPONSOR from among the entrants that demonstrated the skill to navigate the electronic entry and have met the minimum requirements. Winners will be contacted via the email used to enter the contest no later than December 31, 2022.

SPONSOR are not liable for the winner’s failure to receive notification of winning if he or she provided a wrong email address or if their email security settings caused your prize notification to go into the spam or junk folder. If a winner does not respond within 24hrs of sending a notification, the SPONSOR will select an alternate winner. Receipt of the prize is upon the condition of compliance with federal, state, and local laws.

9. Rights Granted by the Entrant

The SPONSOR, upon submission of an entry into the giveaway or contest, has the right to use the participant’s submission, voice, likeness, image, statements about the contest, etc., for publicity, news, advertising, promotional purposes, trade, and so forth, without any further notice, review, consent, compensation or remuneration.

Participants shall defend or settle against such claims at their sole expense, and shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the SPONSOR from any suit due to damage of or by the prize.

10. Terms & Conditions

The SPONSOR reserves the right to modify, suspend, cancel or terminate in the event that non-authorized human intervention, a bug or virus, fraud, or other causes beyond your control impact or corrupt the security, fairness, proper conduct, or administration of the contest/giveaway.

11. Limitation of Liability

Entry into this contest constitutes the participants agreement to release and hold harmless the SPONSOR and PLATFORMS, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, etc., against all claims liability, illness, injury, death, loss, etc., that occurs directly or indirectly from participation in the contest or use/misuse of the awarded prize.

12. Disputes

As a condition of participating in the promotion, the participant agrees to resolve all disputes with an arbitrator designated by the SPONSOR in the state of California, without resorting to any form of class action. Entrants waive all rights to punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, and waive all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

13. Privacy Policy

Participants agree to abide by all privacy and NDA laws in the State of California and any federal laws of the United State of America.

14. Winners List

Participants may request a list of winners by submitting a request in writing to Moondog Industries for up to 30 days after the contest ends.

15. Social Media Platform Rules

Winners will agree to post a photo of the prize on their social media channels in such a way as does not violate any rules of that platform. The winners also agree to appear for an interview where they will discuss the prize and its performance. If there are functional problems with the prize, the winner agrees to make a good-faith effort to resolve all issues with the SPONSOR prior to posting reviews or opinions about the prize.

16. Affirmation of Acceptance of and Agreement to All of the Official Rules

By entering the contest, the entrant has affirmatively reviewed, accepted, and agreed to all of the them.

Support STEM education by visiting the Hiller Aviation Museum

https://www.hiller.org/

Product Reviews, Shooting Sports, Travel

Battle Cruiser Rifle Case

August 14, 2022 moondog

The EMG Battle Cruiser 40″ Hard Rifle Case has all the feature you want in many rifle case plus one more. It’s got ample room in its 40.5″ long interior to accommodate two or more guns and their accessories. It has a hard polymer shell with four metal locking buckles and two lock holes to attach your own padlock. The rifle case is TSA compliant so it can be used to travel with firearms or airsoft replicas (just be sure to check with the airport and airline for their specific rules).

It has 5.5″ of foam including two pick-n-pluck foam panels that allow you to easily customize the lower half of the shell to custom fit your guns, mags, or accessories. Similar to perforated stamps, pick-n-pluck foam is pre laser cut into cube columns so you can easily tear out the sections you need to customize the foam to exactly fit your gear.

The customizable pick-n-pluck panels allow this case to be used as a gig travel case for musicians. You could easily fit in multiple MIDI pads or DJ mixer or an electric guitar and effects pedals in this case. I was able to fit a 61-key electronic keyboard, sustain pedal, and AC adapter in the case with half of the padding removed.

While you can buy many 40″ hard-shell rifle cases, this one stands out because you can literally make it stand out. The front shell exterior has four 2″ wide velcro strips. This allows you to attach those hook-and-loop moral patches you pick up at at Ops, events, and CONs. And of course plenty of space on the outside to put on brand and band stickers.

This case is available from Evike.com through my affiliate link: https://www.evike.com/products/24529/#a_aid=moondog&a_bid=b467b403

Travel

House of Air

August 10, 2022 moondog

House of Air is the only trampoline park in San Francisco, CA. This venue is located in Golden Gate Bridge National Park, across highway 101 from the Presidio National Park. It is housed in a renovated aircraft hanger at Crissy Field, a former US Army Air Corp airstrip.

House of Air is a local favorite for kids parties, team-building, and the occasional snow boarder who wants to hone their aerial skills during the summer. It’s only 15 minutes west of Fisherman’s Wharf by car but tourists tend to pass by Crissy Field in favor of the Golden Gate Bridge next door.

As a local party venue, the House of Air is typical of other trampoline parks around the country. There are a number of tables located on the ground floor and on a 2nd floor terrace. Families can reserve tables as part of a party package for a 2-hour block of time, which includes access for kids and adults to use specific zones in the facility. There is a cafe that serves food to order and decent pizza (typical amusement park quality).

There is a large main area with dozens of connected trampolines. A small-kids only zone. And a trampoline dodge-ball arena. For advanced acrobats, about a 1/3 of the facility is dedicated to a training area for on-site instruction. The training facility has a locker room and showers.

House of Air also has two large private party rooms which overlook the training center. While more expensive than the table rentals, it is worth it for larger parties or for adult parties to be away from the clamor of the numerous kids parties on the main floor.

Unlike modern venues, House of Air does not have air conditioning. As a former airplane hanger, the front doors the building completely opens the front of the building up. The facility relies on San Francisco’s usually mild to clammy weather. So on some rare summer days, it can get uncomfortably warm and muggy inside.

By advised that parking throughout the Golden Gate Bridge and Presidio National Park is rarely free. So look for parking vending machines to pay for a toll tag to place on your dashboard before entering the House of Air or taking a stroll around Crissy Field.

For more information: https://houseofair.com/

Shooting Sports

Adding iron sights to a Ruger Precision Rimfire

August 7, 2022 moondog

The .22LR Ruger Precision Rimfire (RPR) rifle was game changing when it was introduced. It was rimfire rifle that incorporated many custom precision features in a factory stock package, including a free-float, AR-style, M-Lok handguard, user adjustable trigger, user adjustable riser stock, and a 30-MOA Picatinny optics rail on the receiver.
What it does lack is a straightforward means to add traditional iron sights.

Iron/Open sights were probably nowhere in the minds of the RPR designers. Outside of Olympic rimfire rifles, modern precision rifles lack iron sights or any mounting points for them. But I wanted to teach my kids traditional shooting skills. I had to find a way to add iron sights to a rifle that was designed for magnified rifle scopes.

The pre-installed 30-MOA rail is much appreciated by Extreme Long Range rimfire shooters because this angled rail adds additional elevation to any rifle scope mounted on it. Unfortunately, this is problematic to adding an AR-style set of iron sights as the additional 30-MOA in elevation makes the rear sight too tall for 22LR shooting at ranges less than 100yrds. Most people shoot their .22LR rifles at 25-50yrds and certainly when using iron sights.

Fortunately the RPR’s M-Lok handguard provides ample slots to add Picatinny rail pieces and on these, I could mount generic AR-style flip up BUIS (Back Up Iron Sights). Mounting rear sights on the hardguard. well forward of the receiver may seem strange to many AR shooters accustomed to a position directly above the AR charging handles, but this position was actually the norm for most 20th century battle rifles like the Springfield, K98 Mauser, Mosin Nagant, and if you look closely the AK.

The far forward placement of the rear sight does make the aperture of the peep sight smaller. For my 50 year old eyes, I could not really use the small-aperture peep but the larger CQB-aperture worked just fine. The rear sight was easy to adjust for windage but the front sight post was a bit more work.

The front sight is an AR A4-style which requires a tool to depress a locking detent while rotating the sight post to lower or raise it. My sight tool didn’t quite fit the post properly but after some fiddling I used an Allen key to push down the detent while I turned the post with my fingers. I managed to lower the front sight post as well as I could to achieve a decent zero at 25yrds.

This unconventional handguard placement had the additional benefit of actually making them BUIS for this rifle. With a riser rail (or a high scope ring mount), my Arken SH4 with a 50mm bell was able to completely clear the stowed rear sight. For those who compete in rimfire competitions, this setup will also allow you to compete in open sight matches/stages with minimal reconfiguration; just pop off your scope and flip up your BUIS and you’re ready to go.

Depending on your budget and needs, you can buy Gucci accessories by big name brands. Or if you’re not in an NRL22 competition or mercenary combat scenario, you may be perfectly fine with generic low-cost accessories. Remember, this is a .22LR rifle with minimal recoil, so with I went cheap.

These BUIS and Picatinny Rail adapters are available on Amazon through my Affiliate Links
FANGOSS Mloc Picatinny Rails Set https://amzn.to/3MXOCAZ
Nelahol BUIS https://amzn.to/3z7swYH
15% discount code: IAPVCX7K

Airsoft

Winners Chat: July 25

August 5, 2022 moondog

I sat down (virtually) with Corey of Upstate NY, who was our winner in my July 25th Moondog R&D Contest. I gave away $100 in Evike gift cards and a H&K promotional cap from Shot Show.

Corey is a mid-thirties engineer who enjoyed playing paintball and airsoft while growing up. He got back into airsoft this last year. He plans to use the card to buy a Hi-Capa with his prize since he won a drum mag at the OP: Bad Blood raffle. He stumbled on my YouTube channel Moondog Industries leading up to the OPBB event this last June.

Gadgets, Product Reviews

Blavor Solar Charger Outdoor Test

August 3, 2022 moondog

A few months ago I tested a Blavor 10,000mAh solar charging power bank and discovered that it took over 130 days to full recharge using sunlight alone. Some of the feedback I got on these series of testing video was that the reason it took so long was because the solar panel was indoors behind a window.

While I am aware that clear window glass does filter out some sunlight (especially UV). But glass does not reduce the power output of a solar panel by as much as some claim. Many outdoor solar panel arrays are covered in glass to protect them from inclement weather.

But to prove my point, I conducted a revised test using the same Blavor solar charger I tested previously. I placed outdoors on my windowsill facing almost directly upward. Exposed to direct sunlight (and the weather) for 7 days to see if I could detect any improvement in charging speed.

I started the test with the battery at 1/2 full as this seemed take the longest to make progress in my earlier tests. I checked the device 7 days later and found no change in the charge indicator. So I left the device to charge an additional 3 weeks (a total of 35 days) and checked it and found, no change. I have no intention of waiting another 100 days to see if charges any faster. To my satisfaction at least I believe this proves my point that the window didn’t make much or any difference to the outcome of my earlier tests.

Airsoft, Gadgets, Product Reviews, Shooting Sports

Teslong NTG500H Borescope

July 31, 2022 moondog

Teslong sent me their TS NTG500H rifle borescope kit to test and evaluate. The package comes in a long padded box containing the ≥26″ long wand/probe, a USB-C charging cable, a USB-C video cable, a USB-A/Mini video cable, a display monitor and video recorder (with a 32GB SD card), and a set of 4 right angle adapters for various rifle calibers:

(5mm) diameter for .22 caliber & larger
(6mm) diameter for 6.5 Creedmore & larger
(7mm) diameter for .30 caliber & larger
(8.5mm) diameter for .38 caliber & larger
(12mm) diameter for .50 caliber & larger

The display monitor also functions as a recording device able to take still photos and video in 720p. Using the USB-A/mini adapter cable, you can connect the wand directly to a tablet or PC. I attempted to test it on my Samsung S21+ phone but was greeted with an Android warning message saying USB video was disabled, which was more of an issue with the 3rd party endoscope App I had downloaded than this device.

The wand/probe has .20 cal diameter allowing it to be used with tight bore .22cal rimfire rifles. The wand has etched inch markings along its length and a white washer plug that help you mark the depth of the probe. This helps you more easily note and return to a specific area of interest in your barrels such as deposits, burrs, and cracks. The rigid wand does make controlling the direction of the probe much easier than non-rigid endoscopes I’ve used.

The video taken with the display was quite good, comparable to other borescope/endoscopes I’ve owned. Not having to download dodgy 3rd party App software on my phone is a plus. It has a built-in rechargeable battery and even a built-in flashlight should you need it.

The unit is a bit pricier than similar borescopes or Teslong’s non-rigid endoscopes. I would have liked a 1080p camera but this may be unnecessary since the tiny sensor at the end of the probe may not actually record details higher than 720p, a larger 1080p file may be over-sampling.

A common issue with new users are complaints of an out-of-focus image. This borescope (and many others this small) are not an auto-focus camera. The focus must be manually adjusted by the user by turning the right-angle mirror to the appropriate number of turns onto the wand. This will vary depending on the size of the barrel. The user must adjust the mirror and lock it in place with the tiny locking ring at the end of the wand. One revolution either way could mean the difference between a blurry mess and a tack sharp image.

Not only are they useful for cleaning and maintaining your new firearms but could be invaluable in evaluating a vintage or collectable C/R rifle. Seeing the condition of the inside of a barrel could mean the difference between paying for Field Grade and paying for Display Grade.

Support this website by purchasing this product through my Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3S2oYhm

Shooting Sports

Winners Chat Part II: July 17

July 30, 2022 moondog

I have a chat with Rich G. one of the winners of my July 17 Contest where I gave away a $25 Evike gift card to 4 different subscribers. It turns out we met before at the FBICAAA range day where I was a volunteer RSO.

Geek Out, Travel

Kinokuya NYC

July 29, 2022 moondog

Kinokuya is a chain of book stores that started in Shinjuku, Tokyo. In the 1980’s they opened up locations world wide providing Japanese language books to the Japanese business and ex-patriot community. Today they serve American Otakus.

Kinokuya occupies 3 of the lowest floors of the office building. In the basement you’ll find stationary, office supplies, and oddly enough their Studio Ghibli toys. On street level, you’ll find their books (many English language/Western travel books too). On the 2nd floor, are all of their manga, anime toys, Gunpla, and their café.

When I used to work on Madison Ave., my favorite lunch were bento boxes of chicken katsu from take-out shops on 40th St. I would carry them across the street and eating them on the benches around Bryant Park. On less busy days, I’d stroll over to Kinokuya just across the street from the western side of the park. I don’t quite remember as much of a manga or Gunpla is there is today, but I’m glad for it.

Shooting Sports

AUG1 Contest: Ideagle Pellet Trap

July 25, 2022 moondog

The AUG1 Content winner will be chosen on August 1, 2022. Entries must be received no later than 11:59pm EST on July 31, 2022.

CONTEST INSTRUCTIONS

1. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: Moondog R&D

YouTube: Moondog R&D https://www.youtube.com/moondogR&D

2. Take a screen shot of the channel screen showing you have subscribed/followed and email it to me

3. Email me with the Subject: “Aug1 Contest”
• Attach the JPG or PNG screen shot
• Include your full name and ship-to address in the email (so I can confirm you live in the US or Canada)

Use the button email below or email me directly at: contest@moondogindustries.com

4. BONUS: Share this with a friend and get them to enter the contest too. Ask them to reference your name and email address in the body of their message ie. “My buddy johndoe@gmail.com clued me into the contest”, and I’ll award you an extra-bonus entry to the contest. It’s important that they reference your email so I can easily look up your entry. Each friend that subscribes and refers to you in their email will earn you another bonus entry for a maximum of 10 entries (including yours).

EMAIL ENTRY