Hey CQB Radio fans,
I thought we'd try something a little different and start with some written reviews here on the website. First off, thanks to Evike for their support of these CQB Radio Reviews.
Now, let's get into the review. First up is the Koei Tactical Airsoft Face mask.
Here's where you can find it at Evike:
http://www.airsoftpost.com/product_info.php?cPath=30_154&products_id=33302
Ok, so what can I tell you about this mask. First off, it's pretty inexpensive at only $15.00. Secondly, it's light-weight. Thirdly, I like it. This mask has that totally expressionless look - it's like someone sees you in the woods as you approach and that person just starts to whimper.
To put it on, you slide the elastic band around the back of your head. When I put it on, I found it stayed in place very nicely and do note that the elastic is adjustable. This picture below show me with ESS goggles on, and these ones have that extra Cortex clip for extra nose coverage. If you can't tell by now, you
NEED EYE PROTECTION - this mask has open holes for your eyes so you need goggles to go on top of the mask.
The mask is made of a super light-weight polycarbonate and it fit my face very comfortably. The nose holes do allow you to breathe out easily, and there is a little space in the mouth to exhale as well. Needless to say, since it's plastic and covering your entire face, you will get a little warm, but that's the price you pay for keeping safe.
You can also see in the pictures that this guy will not protect a small part of your jawline and also your neck and ears. That's true for some other face masks, but keep that in mind.
"Hello noob. I am here to eliminate you from this op."
Now this mask can take a hit of over 500 FPS up pretty close (up to 650 FPS at a normal range ~100 feet +/-). Bottom-line is that it will keep your face safe when properly combined with goggles and something to cover your neck/ears.
Ok so overall for looks - 10. I think this guy looks so intimidating - just a blank stare.
For build, I'll give this guy an 8 - the elastic seems solid enough but could be a little stronger, and I'd love to see an eye-safety insert as well, but that would jack up the price. For function - 9. If you put it on properly and combine it with other safety equipment, you'll be very happy with this mask. It's the Koei mask from Evike and here's the link again:
http://www.airsoftpost.com/product_info.php?cPath=30_154&products_id=33302Next up is the Matrix Skull Iron Face lower-half mask. Here's the link to it:
http://www.airsoftpost.com/product_info.php?cPath=30_154&products_id=33193
Here's the packaging:
Ok, so again - you NEED goggles with this bad-boy - I hope that's pretty obvious to everyone because if it's not, you're going to need more than just a mask to protect you in life.
When I tried this on and showed my wife, she was like, "That's creepy - take it off." That's when I knew that it was a good airsoft mask. I mean let's be honest - part of what we love about airsoft is looking the part and looking like we mean business. This mask helps communicate that.
Here you can see me with the skull lower-face mask and my ESS goggles with Cortex clip as well.
Overall, from the front = total protection. The mask is lightweight and has an adjustable elastic strap to put it on.
Here you will see, like the koei mask above, that your neck and the back side of your face are not protected, so you'll need something additional to keep that part of your head safe.
One thing they could have made a little bigger are the nose holes. They kept them small for safety (so BBs don't slip through), but they do make it more likely to fog up goggles. If you have a fan in your goggles you'll be good to go.
This mask can take full-on hit at high FPS. It's a little soft so it will also absorb the BBs velocity without breaking the mask.
If you look here, you can see that without the Cortex clip on my goggles, there is a space that a BB could slip through in the front. You can force the goggles to be snug to the mask but I found that they would move. That may just be the shape of my mug, because I've seen other pics that show them pretty snug. To make them stay that way, you can also wear the mask up a little higher on your face.
Overall, a nice option for lower-face protection.
For looks, I'll give this guy a 9 - scary, intimidating. For function, a 7. The space between the goggles and mask concern me a bit but as I mentioned that might just be me. They will keep you safe though. And for build - 9 - very solid and the elastic if strong and adjustable. This is the Matrix Skull Iron Face lower-half mask and here's the link to it:
http://www.airsoftpost.com/product_info.php?cPath=30_154&products_id=33193.
Hope you enjoyed these reviews.
Keep on firin',
Carp
First off, they are made of a nice metal. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's solid and the finish is quite nice as well. Secondly, they are QD sights so with a twist of the knob, they are off.
The rear sight (seen below here) is kind of like a "peep" sight you would find on a PDW or a SCAR. In general, I was not a huge fan of these, but after reviewing the WE PDW and now seeing these guys, I don't mind them.
Here's a shot of them on my KWA SR-10.
And looking down the barrel.
I like these guys. They certainly are one of the most unique sights out there, and for only $30 a set, it's a pretty great deal.
Rear sight flipped up...
and flipped down.
