AIRSOFT / LASER TAG RIFLE

LASER TAG FEATURES

• Laser Challenge V2 Internals (1998)
• 25 Round Magazine
• Max Blast
• 830ft Range
• IR LED Booster Board
• Custom Voltage Regulator
• Safety Switch

AIRSOFT FEATURES

• CYMA Thompson M1A1 Internals
• 8.4v 2200mAh Battery
• 395 FPS
• Ammo Display Counter

This is my pride and joy: the M41A Pulse Rifle. It is designed to be used for Airsoft matches or for use with Laser Tag matches using the Laser Challenge system. I've been working on it since September of '09 and while the basic weapon itself is complete, there is still more I have in store for it.

Originally, a cover would go over the bottom of the magazine, locking it into place with two black clips on either side of it. However, to ease magazine removal, the cover has been redesigned to have an open bottom. This allows the magazines to be removed without having to detach and re-attach the cover. You can also adjust the Hop-up with ease, thanks to the base design of the Thompson. A small wheel on the left side of the receiver allows you to make on-the-fly adjustments for Airsoft mode. There is also an adjustable metal stock that can be moved accordingly by pressing a button on the back of the green shroud and moving the stock to the desired position.

The entire weapon runs off of one 8.4V 2200mAh rechargeable power source. A power switch has been installed into the weapon to make the proper adjustments to power distribution for each mode. In Airsoft Mode, the battery is run normally into the AEG to operate normally. However, in Laser Tag Mode, the battery is run through a voltage regulator to bring the power down to a more usable 4.5V, safe for the V2 board to use. It also powers a booster board designed to increase power going to the TSAL 1600 IR LED, giving the weapon a stronger signal for firing.

Overall, this weapon is a beast to use for those who are used to lightweight plastic weapons for laser tag, but for an avid Airsoft user, it's just another walk in the park. It is also quite bulky so it's tough to use in close quarters. However, it's impressive range, solid construction, and undeniably cool aesthetics make this weapon the envy of your comrades and the fear of your enemies.

I feel it is right to give credit where credit is due. This project's success would not have been realized had it not been for the countless contributions from notable members of whom I will recognize now. I'd like to thank German for designing and building the Voltage Regulator for the Pulse Rifle. This component is the lifeblood of what makes this project unique, as it allows the weapon to run both the Airsoft and the Laser Tag board off of one rechargeable battery. Also, my thanks to Duncan MacKinnon and CTDYNE in general for their technical support in solving the issues we ran into with the electronics, especially concerning the LCV2 Board. A Big thanks also to Sundawg, for designing the Booster Board and for hooking up much of the Pulse Rifle's essential electronic components. It was under his careful eye that the Pulse Rifle is actually able to function as it does now.

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A01/TQ0.0.32154E1 MSgt Lovejoy, MA 'Reverend' Nebraska-USA

That's an interesting concept. Do you have any pictures of the internals?
As the Thompson barrel is used by the airsoft, I assume you used the GL barrel for the IR-System?

Cheers
Stefan

There's a chronological account of the buildup of this weapon that you can find here on my laser tag forum. To save you the trouble, I'll post a cliffs notes version of the important elements of the layout of the internals.

To keep the thread from getting flooded with images, I'll just link the pictures to the corresponding descriptions below.
This is the original plan for the layout and how it all worked together. A few things were tweaked in order to make things fit/work better together, but it's a clear idea of how it lays out. Yes you're right that the top barrel is for Airsoft and the bottom barrel is the IR emitter. It's built combining the metal front piece of the GL and a plasic lens arrangement. Because both the Airsoft and Laser Tag modes share the trigger, I had to send wires into the Thompson in the same route that the power goes in. The trigger is actually an electronic leaf switch installed inside of the trigger assembly. In order to properly share the power supply, I had to install a Voltage Regulator on a 3-way switch. Center position is "off", and left routes the power through the Airsoft Gun normally and right routes the power through the Voltage Regulator into the Laser Tag board. This is because the Airsoft Gun's power requirements are much higher than the Laser Tag board. In order to keep the Laser Tag board from getting fried, the Voltage Regulator takes in power from the 8.4V battery and lowers it to 4.5V for the LT board to use. The shot of the internals shows the Battery Pack replacing the space where the round in the chamber of the GL was traditionally shown. In order to make everything fit, this gimmick had ot be removed. However, you can still pump the GL grip, but now it activates a feature on the LT board called a "Max Blast". It seemed appropriate.

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A01/TQ0.0.32154E1 MSgt Lovejoy, MA 'Reverend' Nebraska-USA

Wow. Now, that's a pretty darn cool PR!! Looks like there was a TON of effort put into this beauty and it shows! Well done Marine, well done indeed!

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USCM- The Colonial Marines- A Brotherhood of Bad Asses!

Pretty nifty custom build. First time I've seen both airsoft AND lasertag in one rifle.

Russ

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"A writer needs a pen, a painter a brush, and a filmmaker an army." - Orson Wells.

http://www.rookscastle.com
http://www.alchemyarms.com

Thanks guys! I'm gonna do a set of photos of this guy before I start a series of upgrades on it both internally and externally. The way she is now is how I envisioned it almost a year ago, but since then and since I'll never sacrifice utility over aesthetics, I'm going to have to add some non-standard equipment. If there's one thing I've learned over the past year of researching this thing is that if the non-standard equipment is done RIGHT, this PR should still be the flagship of the State of the Badass "R".

I think I'll enjoy this weapon a little while longer before I dig in and get to work on it again. If anyone still has questions about it I'm more than happy to answer them.

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A01/TQ0.0.32154E1 MSgt Lovejoy, MA 'Reverend' Nebraska-USA