WHO IS "THUMPY?"

This post started out with a simple PM to MR. Al Covey "I realized that I have known you for a couple of years but know hardly anything about you. I was wondering if you would like to write a post for the Blog...."   Thumpy being the seasoned pro he is, quickly provided all the information below! BUT....in the process of getting this post ready, I did have one burning question that remained.... "How did you get the name "Thumpy?""  to which he replied:

  "Three reasons, I love grenade launchers and 4 stroke motorcycles, aka, thumpers...and ThumpMaster came from a gaming nickname from an old hover tanks free play game on line called Wolfram...and the original Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 shooters. Kinda stuck with it now!"

We hope you all enjoy this little glimpse into ..... Who is Thumpy?

  
WHO IS "THUMPY?"

"Thumpy" is a screen nickname for ThumpMaster6, a well-known member of the US and World airsoft community; through his many writings, ramblings and musings on various airsoft forums, in his reporting and photography in 4 major airsoft publications (TAKE AIM Airsoft Magazine, Airsoft International, & Recon-Rag and USASOC Airsoft Magazines on the web), and this coming February will mark our 6th year in a whole list of online offerings and social channels as well.  He brings a 30+ year background in print, radio, broadcast and cable TV and video to this enterprise, with emphasis in real-world military reporting, as well as a deep respect for the men and women who protect our freedoms around the world.

Me and my Big Mouth!

Thumpy's quest for the best-in-airsoft, and AIRSOFT INNOVATION, began with a forum thread on Arnie's Airsoft in the winter of 2009.  This was supposed to be "the dawn of a new age" in airsoft, as  "blowback" came to AEG's, and was  soon-to-be-followed by the first new generation of "blowback" gas rifles.

Blowback could have been a great idea, if it added to the experience of making an airsoft gun more realistic in its basic touch-and-feel...but it seemed to Thumpy and lots of other players to be just another gimmick to sell guns that were far less capable than they could be.  And, far less in their potential for realism, rugged reliability and added accuracy that players around the world have been begging for from manufacturers and retailers for years.

Thus begot the thread:

" MANUFACTURERS: We do NOT want blow back!, Give us a break and make strong accurate weps! DARE YOU!"

The Winter of our Discontent

Thumpy's gauntlet toss at the airsoft industry was simple: "I can't think of anything LESS useful than the current crop of gas or electric guns with fakey blow-back bolt operation. The blowback is not strong enough to truly simulate recoil of a real-steel gun, unless your girly arms can't hold one still...and its just one more thing to break that adds nothing to the actual skirmishability of a gun."



And, he followed with four simple suggestions.

"Make them
A) Solid, like a real gun
B) Accurate at a reasonable range
C) Innovative in a new design of mechanism to propel and guide the rounds/bb's
and
D) Affordability, which will come with common-sense engineering."

The thread, posted on Arnie's on February 7th, 2009, touched a nerve with airsofters like few others.   Thumpy and other Arnie's 'regulars' linked to a prior thread, asking why airsoft gun owners were spending ever-growing sums of money for guns that were, frankly, no where near as durable or mechanically reliable as they could be.  Some airsofters suggested that they were actually spending MORE on their airsoft guns that  comparable real-steel rifles, carbines and pistols, yet they seems to be mired in technology from the 60's and 70's, that more-times-than-not broke just hours out-of-the-box.

In just days, the "Innovation" thread became a sounding board for what people liked...and did NOT like... in the current crop of weapons for sale in the airsoft market.  And, by March, 2009, the thread totaled 460 posts...one of the most-read and responded-to threads of the year.  And, who responded?  Not just players with gripes or complaints, but some of the innovative thinkers who got "outside the box," discussing alternative power sources, replacements and enhancements for mechboxes, new engineering and manufacturing ideas for improving reliability, durability, ease of maintenance, and accuracy...yet keeping safety at the center of any proposed innovations.

"The ideas behind the thread was to generate interest with manufacturers," Thumpy said," and, lo-and-behold, some responded."  One of the first was KWA-USA, which was already well on the way to establishing itself as a new force in airsoft.  Long-known for their well-manufactured Gas Blow Back (GBB) pistols, they had just announced the KG36C Commando, and a new line of M4 & M16 variants, with rugged gearboxes, and "LiPo-ready" wiring in a stock gun.   In the several months that followed, KWA USA announced more INNOVATIVE products, including GBB Sub Machine Guns (SMG's), the most highly anticipated being a GBB MP-7, now on the scene.

Others stepped up to opine about the lack of durability, what they would like to see for realism, extended range and accuracy, and overall improvements.

You be the judge.  Innovation in airsoft is our quest, and with even more manufacturers, importers, retailers and engineers and gun-plumbers working hard behind-the-scenes, we want to take you inside the newest, hottest, next-generation airsoft and MilSim gear, guns, guys and gals, and great sites....Here in America, and around The Globe.

What is this all about?

You can stay up-to-date on the latest happenings, leave comments at the NCAO site in one of the most INNOVATIVE Airsoft Communities in the USA and the WORLD, or share your thoughts right here in our COMMENTS section at the bottom of each Page and Post,

Or perhaps YOU can post up a HOT NEWS TIP that will scramble the "Rovin' Thumpy" to find that NEXT INNOVATION in the Airsoft World!



Welcome Into the HOUSE...and you can always read more HERE:

Thumpy's 3-D House of Airsoft NEWS on SCOOP.IT
Thumpy's 3-D EVENTS and SITES NEWS on SCOOP.IT
Thumpy's 3-D House of Airsoft on FACEBOOK - Like Us to get the news!
Thumpy Covey PERSONAL AIRSOFT PAGE on FACEBOOK - Friend us to see what we like!
Thumpy's YOUTUBE Video Channel
Thumpy's 3-D House of Airsoft at WORDPRESS.COM!
Thumpy's 3D on TWITTER....link to our news on your Mobile!
Thumpy's News on TUMBLR! Yea, we Tumbl, too!
The THUMPMASTER6 Daily on Paper.ly - AIRSOFT# News Links!
The Thumpy Covey Instagram Page...our newest site, and frankly, a really fun way to get to know us!

AND, if you need to contact us via e-mail...back channel news tips are ALWAYS WELCOME...then hit USE THIS ADDRESS for our G-MAIL InBox: Thumpy3D@gmail.com

Padre' out...