Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Mpingo Goes Airsoft

Better known in the hi-fi world as a widget for controlling unwanted vibrations, does Mpingo have something good to offer to the world of Airsoft?


By: Ringo Bones


Unlike most Airsoft clubs that I’ve been involved before, my current one seems to have a fascination with Airsoft replica guns that have wood in them. Having never acquired the taste for black impact-resistant polystyrene that every other Airsoft enthusiast seems to fetishize, I find my current teammates’ obsession with real wood veneer on their Airsoft weapons systems somewhat refreshing. Real wood veneer does look good on a PPSh brass fountain sub-machinegun, an M-1 Carbine or those Kalashnikov-like Soviet era infantry weapons. One of my teammates even made the butt-stock of her Kalashnikov look like that of the futuristic ray gun toted by Jane Fonda’s character in Barbarella. Remember that ray gun with a curvy Art Nouveau inspired rifle stock from the iconic 1968 film classic? Given the amount of wood in these types of Airsoft model replica guns, would the use of Mpingo in strategic places improve their handling?

It has been a well-known fact for sometime now that up-market Airsoft guns tend to be more comfortable to hold on to when fired in long continuous bursts than their counterparts at the lower end of the market. Could it be that they have better vibration isolation systems? Recently, a group of hi-fi enthusiasts who are also into Airsoft have wondered whether Mpingo’s ability to absorb unwanted resonance would be an asset in designing a better Airsoft weapons system. Mpingo is a dense African swamp-ebony hardwood used by hi-fi widget manufacturer Shun Mook as a way to absorb unnecessary resonance and vibrations that can degrade a hi-fi system’s sound quality. Given that Airsoft guns’ propensity to vibrate somewhat violently when fired at long continuous bursts, will strategically placed pieces of Mpingo improve handling qualities?

The concept of using strategically placed Mpingo pieces in an Airsoft weapons system to damp out unwanted vibrations is a very intriguing concept indeed. Given that Airsoft guns are already expensive, the use of Mpingo – which unfortunately has a fecundity rate like that of a great white shark – will probably add a very steep price premium. Probably a good way for those with money to burn to experiment that is if you can handle the guffaws for not being so environmentally friendly. Please tell us if the improvement in handling is worth the additional expense.

1 comment:

Madison Scott said...

Given that African mpingo swampwood is kinda expensive and most Airsoft guns I've bought so far is almost as costly as their real counterparts, are we looking at a 1,000-US dollar Airsoft weapons system here?