MIL-SIM.com

What is MIL-SIM.COM?

MIL-SIM.COM is a means for those following my milsim-oriented projects to aggregate and simplify information provided to them. It collects information from Grey Ops and Crypsis, the former being a popular milsim and camouflage blog and the latter being a burgeoning camouflage and tactical gear online store.

My mission statement from the beginning has been and will remain such that Grey Ops will not be a profitable money-making venture. It is dedicated to providing unbiased (as far as one can be unbiased) content including News, Reviews and much more. Grey Ops is one of the most transparent institutions in the paintball world, with no censorship of comment forms, the welcoming of any and all viewpoints, and no hidden agenda when it comes to income, purpose or direction. Please see the Grey Ops button on the left side of the page for more information, including contact email addresses.

Crypsis is a pet project of myself (Connor), and is obviously (desirably) a for-profit venture. That being said, it is still from the ground-up a transparent and welcoming business. If there are ever any questions about my (Connor) integrity or agenda in running the store or its satellite institutions (of which Grey Ops is NOT one, it is a separate and distinct entity), please direct them to myself directly, write a review, write on Crypsis' Facebook wall, Tweet at Crypsis or just scream in my face, because I want to be the best there is!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy your stay!

- Connor

GREY OPS:

Milsim Blog
Grey Ops was created in November of 2009 to fill the then empty niche of a milsim paintball blog. Since then, there have been other adopted focuses such as: It is the very definition of a small scale operation, with a small team of two writers, oodles of original content and a cash-flow problem. 

Contacts: 

If you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know! Email Connor here with anything and everything, including:
  • Article ideas
  • News
  • Product information
  • Press releases
  • Cool photos
  • Offers of penis-enhancing pharmaceuticals written in broken english
Grey Ops is proudly Canadian, and is based out of our nation's capital: Ottawa, Ontario.

Posts

May 14, 12:36 PM
On Vacation!

I'm on vacation from the 15th to the 25th, so hopefully nothing groundbreaking in the paintball world will occur in that time. I'll be mainly (and intentionally) unreachable for that time, but if there is an emergency of some sort I can be contacted at my usual email addresses, and may get a chance to read it if it's marked urgent and contains some kind of expletive in the header. It's been a whirlwind couple of months, and I'm really looking forward to blogging a lot this summer.

Click here to check out the Tactical Survivor Blog's Facebook Page.

On the Crypsis front, the store will still be operational, and as a bit of a vacation bonus, all orders will benefit from 10% off with the code "VACAY" (without quotation marks, derp) and everything over $100 CAD before taxes will receive a bitchin' Canadian PVC Flag Patch.


Also, looking for a bit of advice. I'm headed to Ireland, so I need to know what whisky to buy there (if there's something that's worth it) or if anyone can recommend a good brand of poitín.
May 11, 11:58 PM
Paintball Marker Registration in Fredericton

A bit of old news that I haven't seen anyone talk about (which is odd as you'd think it would make the rounds in our community), is that the city of Fredericton (as the Montreal Gazette reports) has instituted a mandatory registry for "anything that shoots a projectile by means of compressed air, spring or mechanical means. That covers pellet and paintball guns and, in theory, even such toys as Nerf guns." This bylaw, bylaw S-5, applies only to the municipality of Fredericton.

I try to avoid politics as much as possible on Grey Ops, so I'd love to hear you guys weigh in with your opinions of the bylaw. Here's a link to the offical document if anyone's interested. I'd be particularly interested to know if any of our East coast readers have come into direct contact with the bylaw, and what their opinion is.
May 05, 10:57 PM
CCM Sniper Rifle Updates

Turns out this thing gets better and better. Gonna leave this to eye candy and videos for your pleasure. Check it out!



[Keep reading...]
May 04, 10:59 PM
Peek at Hyde Definition's Metropolis

If you remember this post, you may find the below picture interesting:


This is a mock-up of the PenCott urban pattern now known as Metropolis. Lawrence Holsworth states that "It will work best in dim-light, built-up environments."Head on over to this Facebook post to make your opinion known, or as always feel free to fawn/smack/trash in the comment section below.
May 03, 01:36 AM
Guest Post: UPS Brokerage Avoidance
Evan is the author of the Tactical Survivor Blog, and was kind enough to furnish Grey Ops with this article. Be sure to check out his site and Like it on Facebook! - Connor


I among many others have always been ready to smash a kitten when a package shows up at the door with some absurd brokerage fee on top of my regular duties charges that I expect to owe. Well what if we didn't have to smash those adorable kittens and instead we taught our shipping companies a lesson in empowered thinking? Well my friends, I am going to tell you how to do that.
[Keep reading...]
April 26, 05:27 PM
Get Snuggly With A-TACS

A-TACS is now available in soft and snuggly form! I can see this being popular with hunters in Canada, and given the weather we've been having in Ontario they could probably still get some use out of this before the fall rolls around. Release below.
[Keep reading...]
April 25, 10:09 PM
Tracked Wheelchair for Paintball


One of the major failings of paintball is that it's a hobby that disabled persons will quickly find to be rather unaccommodating for several reasons. Team Defiant has broken one of those barriers, and created a treaded wheelchair capable of bringing someone into the heat of paint battle. Kudos guys!
April 25, 06:46 PM
Green and Tan

One thing that I've always liked about how airsoft games are organized is that teams are typically asked to wear either predominately green or tan (and respective variations) uniforms when playing, so as to eliminate confusion during play (friend or foe identification). What I've never understood is why we (as milsim/woodsball/scenario paintballers) don't carry that over into paintball. Armbands are a good system, and make things very easy for rentals or people that didn't expect to play that day, but I have yet to see a milsim paintball scenario adopt green/tan rules during registration. The rule normally applies to uniforms only (you can wear accoutrements in whatever colour you like), and most people I know that have been playing paintball with a milsim flavour for 1-2+ years have a few sets of uniforms just lying around, so it sounds like it would be easy enough. So come on field owners and event organizers, let's see someone try a green and tan rule paintball game! If you do, Grey Ops will be sure to showcase it.
April 23, 02:49 PM
PsiOps' Doug Brown Answers Your Questions

Doug Brown, of PsiOps, has been kind enough to answer a bevy of questions posed by paintballers in the below interview. If you have questions that you still want answered, feel free to comment below the post. Doug has a great wealth of information and it's always great to have him share his thoughts.

Jay Y - Where do you see paintball as an activity in the next decade or two?

I don't see it changing that much Jay. Back when we (my partner and I) were first starting out, I didn't know squat about banks, money, or running a business. Business was booming and NOBODY would loan us money. We met a banker playing paintball one day and he got us in front of his boss. He asked  "Aren't you worried that Paintball might just be a fad?" I said, " Its the most American of sports. Its shooting people. We'll never get tired of that". I could see my partner shrink down in his chair in embarrassment..... but we got the loan. I wasn't very politically correct then, I'm not now. Men grow up playing Army. They have since the dawn of time. For the last 600 or so years that has involved using a gun. I don't see that changing in the next couple of decades. 
[Keep reading...]
April 20, 06:14 AM
5 Years of Milsig + Sale

Congrats to Milsig for completing 5 years in business! They're passing on the celebration, and have a pretty decent promotion going on right now. Check it out:


April 16, 03:24 AM
Malaysia > Britain
Source

The above picture is one of the King of Malaysia. And yes, he's firing a RAP4 T68. Compare that with the previously discussed photo of Prince Charles (not even a king), and you'll see why the name of this post is irrevocably true. The paintball scene in Malaysia is pretty big, so the fact that this happened doesn't surprise me, but this will certainly be a cool bragging point for RAP4.

April 14, 09:45 PM
Crypsis Survey

As many of you know, a lot of my time has recently been taken up (amongst other things) by my little store project, Crypsis. Well I purposefully try not to toot (lol toot) my own horn too much on Grey Ops, cause I like to keep things separate, but I'd love some feedback from those of you that have checked out the site (and those that haven't). So, you have opportunity to win some swag and make Crypsis better at the same time. Details below the pic/break.

[Keep reading...]
April 13, 06:44 PM
Camouflage in Video Games: A-TACS in Ghost Recon Future Soldier

I'm glad I get to continue my Camouflage in Video Games segment, and in this case the news is straight from the horse's mouth! A-TACS will be featured as a pattern in Ghost Recon Future Soldier, and as seen in the promo photo above it looks pretty badass. Now Battlefield 3 just needs to follow suit and license some proper patterns for their expansions.
[Keep reading...]
April 08, 11:52 PM
XPower Claymore

Coming this May is an extremely cool toy from XPower, a milsim claymore device that looks and acts the part.

Here are the specs:
  • CO2 powered
  • Capable of launching powder, paint or BBs
  • Uses tripwire, remote or thermal sensor

And here it is in action!
[Keep reading...]
April 05, 01:19 AM
A-TACS FG Now Available in Hydrographic Film

In a move awaited by many, DCS has announced that A-TACS FG is now available as a water transfer film, available through TWN. Hydrographics seem increasingly popular with paintballers and airsofters, I'm sure this will be an easy sell.
[Keep reading...]
April 01, 05:38 PM
Grey Ops Under New Management - April Fools Post
Catch you guys on the flip side.

After much deliberation, I've come to the difficult decision that Grey Ops is too much of a burden on my personal life, and I'm taking time out to work on different things. It's been a great run and I can't thank you guys enough for everything you've done for me. I'm leaving the blog and its affiliate entities under the command of a close friend of mine, one George Bluth. Mr. Bluth is the owner of a real estate development consortium, and has been buying up different blogs in the aim of monetizing them. He'll be appointing a writer to take care of things from the creative end, and I fully trust that the new team will bring you guys lots of new exciting content. The amount Grey Ops was purchased for will remain undisclosed.


Update (afternoon April 1st 2012) - April Fools!
March 29, 04:42 PM
RAP4 Teases us with New Summer Releases

RAP4 has teased us with some new, possibly very interesting, product releases this summer. Here's the ad copy, followed by a video showcasing some new stuff (as well as variations on some things they already carry). 

Real Action Paintball is proud to help you out-maneuver, out-gun, and out-play your opponents this summer with some all-new gear and exclusive technology. Our engineers are hard at work putting the finishing touches on technology we previewed to players and the media at the Paintball Extravaganza...including our all-new D-Mags and new mag-fed markers. We have some extraordinary new models coming soon that recreate SOCOM-configured carbines, and accept D-Mags loaded with, interchangeably, First Strike rounds and traditional paintballs. We even have new tactical gear coming your way, because we want to protect and empower you with more than just our revolutionary markers.
[Keep reading...]
March 28, 05:00 PM
Sport Smoke Goes Electric
*Ring ring* "Hello?"


In a rather cool move, Sport Smoke has released a line of electrically triggered smoke grenades. Already very popular in fields in North America, this opens up all sorts of cool scenario options to Sport Smoke devices. Think of how fun it would be to hook one of these up to a "bomb" you have to disarm.

Here's the ad copy:
"We are happy to announce the release of our new electrically triggered smoke grenades: the TSG-EF and BFG-EF. These electric variations of the popular Tactical Smoke Grenade and BattleField Grenade feature an integral squib designed to set off the grenade when connected to an appropriate 9 volt power source. The TSG-EF and BFG-EF are ideal for remote fire applications, hobby applications, and special effects!"
Click here for the new grenades, including pricing and purchase information.
March 28, 03:39 AM
PenCott Metropolis - An Urban PenCott?

If you're hoping for pictures of the tantalized pattern, you're out of luck, all I have is a name and even then it's not corroborated. But, in Sabre's (see this post) .pdf catalogue, the company lists a pattern called PenCott Metropolis. Here's the excerpt:

Interesting? I'd say so.
March 26, 07:10 PM
Vice Magazine Paintballs with Hizbullah
Renters always look like renters, no matter who they are the world over apparently. 

If you're familiar with Vice Magazine, it should come as no surprise to you that they wanted to play paintball with Hizbullah. They used to offer free copies in a record store in Ottawa, and I remember picking up one issue that included a lot of content in this vein. Long story short, they ended up actually accomplishing their goal, and beyond the controversy that entails, you have to admit that these journalists have serious balls. You wouldn't catch me going into an underground paintball complex in Beirut to play with a bunch of cheating (yes, they cheat) terrorists who have no qualms with using pyrotechnics during gameplay. What's more terrifying is they call them out on their cheating. 

Read the full story here. Vice used to offer free subscriptions if you wrote them a letter, but now they appear to charge for a yearly subscription.
March 26, 06:09 PM
Specops PenCott Update

Info courtesy of Lawrence Holsworth.


Specops, of Poland, has developed some pretty awesome PenCott enpatterned (it's a word cause I say so, deal with it) clothing. On another note, apparently Polish forces have been testing clothing made by Specops in PenCott patterns in Afghanistan.
[Keep reading...]
March 26, 03:02 PM
CCM SR1 Update

CCM has uploaded a video preview of their SR1 platform, showing how individual shells can be loaded and extracted. Check it out:


Love that sound.

CCM has stated that basically anything can fit inside the shells, including first strikes, regular paintballs, large nerf darts, and the the scenario dreams sniper rounds. Still no word on ETA, final pricing or other details, it still seems very much like a "it's done when it's done" project for CCM.
March 22, 04:43 PM
Ugly Milsim Markers - Exterminate All Rational Design

Wow, it's been a while since I've done an Ugly Milsim Marker post, I've almost missed it. Up on the chopping block today is (drumroll please)...


The Planet Eclipse Etha! That's right, Planet Eclipse has clearly been reading some of these posts, and noticed that I tend to speak of a lot of speedball markers with rail systems slapped on them. To be ironic (oh you hipsters, you) they quite literally just took some rails and have put them in a package so you can slap them on your marker (specifically the Etha, which is already a standard marker in their lineup). To quote their ad copy, "Kick Ass!".

And yes, you may have noticed that they so deftly placed a red dot sight behind the hopper. I hear that's to improve your reloading ability, so you can view exactly where the hopper is without parallax error, thereby avoiding those big paint spills we see so often on the speedball field.
March 22, 04:00 PM
Tiberius T8.1 Remote Air Adaptor Now Available

A long awaited accessory, the Tiberius Arms Air Adaptor for the T8.1 allows T8.1 users with a marker in the >2000 serial number range to attach a remote line to their pistol. Still no news about the long talked about (supposedly less expensive) powerlet-free magazines, which would make this newly released accessory far more useful. MSRP appears to be somewhere around the $30 USD mark.
March 22, 01:26 PM
SABRE® Introduces PenCott Camouflage Clothing and Gear

Non-blog-related workload has temporarily waned, so time to get back on track and catch up on some posting. Hyde Definition has some interesting news for those interested in PenCott BDUs, check it out:



"SABRE® is the tactical clothing and equipment line brand from renowned German defence and law enforcement solution provider, JK Defence & Security Products GmbH. The SABRE brand offers military and law enforcement customeres a full range of operationally-proven products for all climates, environments, and duties.
[Keep reading...]
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CRYPSIS:

Tactical Gear
To put it quite simply, Crypsis aims to provide elegant, affordable and effective camouflage and tactical gear solutions to anyone and everyone.

Crypsis is not a subsidiary or part of Grey Ops, but instead my (Connor) own personal project that came as a natural evolution from my work on Grey Ops. What I mean by natural evolution is my gained knowledge of all things camouflage and my passion for providing the absolutely best service possible for those looking for both meaningful and friendly services.

I'm a huge fan of smaller scale or custom offering oriented manufacturers, and thus Crypsis stocks gear from such companies as WTFPB, Skunkworks, Deadbox Apparel, Mycofreak and others. In addition to that, Crypsis aims to provide camouflage that was previously unavailable or hard to find in North America to those living in the New World. 

I'm always interested in expansion or new opportunities, so drop me a line at info@crypsis.ca if you'd like! I'd love to hear from you.

Posts

May 13, 06:54 PM
Hydration Carrier Pack - Olive

If you want a versatile yet elegant hydration carrier, this is the one for you. Featuring high quality hardware, a Microban bladder and a truly ergonomic format, this package certainly won't disappoint. 

Features:

  • Includes 3L Microban hydration bladder with rotatable..

    Price: $99.95

May 11, 10:18 PM
Hydration Carrier Pack - Black

If you want a versatile yet elegant hydration carrier, this is the one for you. Featuring high quality hardware, a Microban bladder and a truly ergonomic format, this package certainly won't disappoint. 

Features:

  • Includes 3L Microban hydration bladder with rotatable..

    Price: $99.95

May 11, 09:54 PM
MOLLE IFAK (Improved First Aid Kit) Blow Out Pouch - Olive Drab

The Claw Gear IFAK pouch brings along everything you need in a very compact and easy to access package. Elasticated loops hold first aid materials securely, and the innovative tear-away design of the pouch allows you to rip the entire system (without damaging it) off your MOLLE platform, allowi..

Price: $34.95

May 11, 09:51 PM
MOLLE IFAK (Improved First Aid Kit) Blow Out Pouch - Black

The Claw Gear IFAK pouch brings along everything you need in a very compact and easy to access package. Elasticated loops hold first aid materials securely, and the innovative tear-away design of the pouch allows you to rip the entire system (without damaging it) off your MOLLE platform, allowi..

Price: $34.95

May 11, 09:33 PM
Lycra Shirt - Coyote Brown

A lycra shirt with ventilation exactly where you need it. If you're trying to stay cool, this is the shirt!

Features:

  • Lycra construction.
  • Ventilation under armpits.

Price: $23.95

May 10, 07:04 PM
Glow in the Dark "Radioactive" Patch - Version 2

Why buy rubber patches?

  • They look awesome, with crisp & clean lines and a 3D texture.
  • They're super easy to clean with just a little bit of water.
  • They're durable and don't snag on velcro like embroidery.

Price: $5.95

May 10, 07:03 PM
Glow in the Dark "Radioactive" Patch - Version 1

Why buy rubber patches?

  • They look awesome, with crisp & clean lines and a 3D texture.
  • They're super easy to clean with just a little bit of water.
  • They're durable and don't snag on velcro like embroidery.

Price: $5.95

May 10, 06:57 PM
Skull Patch - Glow in the Dark

Why buy rubber patches?

  • They look awesome, with crisp & clean lines and a 3D texture.
  • They're super easy to clean with just a little bit of water.
  • They're durable and don't snag on velcro like embroidery.

Price: $5.45

May 10, 06:57 PM
Skull Patch - Multicam Colours

Why buy rubber patches?

  • They look awesome, with crisp & clean lines and a 3D texture.
  • They're super easy to clean with just a little bit of water.
  • They're durable and don't snag on velcro like embroidery.

Price: $5.45

May 10, 06:55 PM
Skull Patch - Black

Why buy rubber patches?

  • They look awesome, with crisp & clean lines and a 3D texture.
  • They're super easy to clean with just a little bit of water.
  • They're durable and don't snag on velcro like embroidery.

Price: $5.45

May 10, 06:44 PM
Rubber Molon Labe Velcro Patch - Olive Drab

Why buy rubber patches?

  • They look awesome, with crisp & clean lines and a 3D texture.
  • They're super easy to clean with just a little bit of water.
  • They're durable and don't snag on velcro like embroidery.

Price: $7.45

May 10, 06:42 PM
Rubber Molon Labe Velcro Patch - Glow in the Dark

Why buy rubber patches?

  • They look awesome, with crisp & clean lines and a 3D texture.
  • They're super easy to clean with just a little bit of water.
  • They're durable and don't snag on velcro like embroidery.

Price: $7.45

May 09, 08:57 AM
SOS Gloves - Coyote Brown

SOS Gloves are versatile shooting and work gloves suitable for pretty much any task you can throw at them. 

Features:

  • Synthetic leather on grip points.
  • Freedom of movement.
  • Inside made from synthetic suede with extra padding on palm and heel of ha..

    Price: $24.95

May 09, 08:44 AM
Sniper Veil Scarf - Coyote Brown

Whether you're using it as a sniper veil, scarf, or as a field towel, this lightweight cotton offering from Claw Gear will keep you cool while providing excellent concealment as well.

Features:

  • 100% cotton construction
  • Lightweight mesh conceals while leaving the..

    Price: $12.95

May 09, 08:42 AM
Sniper Veil Scarf - Olive Drab

Whether you're using it as a sniper veil, scarf, or as a field towel, this lightweight cotton offering from Claw Gear will keep you cool while providing excellent concealment as well.

Features:

  • 100% cotton construction
  • Lightweight mesh conceals while leaving the..

    Price: $12.95

May 09, 08:35 AM
Combat Shirt with Pads - DPM

The Claw Gear Combat Shirt keeps you cool no matter what the situation, wicking away moisture with the form fitting body while maintaining proper protection with BDU style sleeves including integrated elbow pads (also available without elbow pads, as always feel free to

May 07, 10:13 AM
Magpul MS3 Sling - Olive Drab

Driven by the operational experience of Magpul Dynamics instructors, the MS3 Multi-Mission Sling System was designed to give a versatile weapon-retention solution for a multitude of tactical environments and missions. As a standalone product, the rapidly-convertible MS3 ..

Price: $49.95

May 07, 10:07 AM
Magpul MS3 Sling - Flat Dark Earth

Driven by the operational experience of Magpul Dynamics instructors, the MS3 Multi-Mission Sling System was designed to give a versatile weapon-retention solution for a multitude of tactical environments and missions. As a standalone product, the rapidly-convertible MS3 ..

Price: $49.95

May 03, 08:42 AM
Combat Shirt with Pads - Flecktarn

The Claw Gear Combat Shirt keeps you cool no matter what the situation, wicking away moisture with the form fitting body while maintaining proper protection with BDU style sleeves including integrated elbow pads (also available without elbow pads, as always feel free to

May 02, 08:07 PM
Pathfinder Smock - Olive Drab

Features:

  • Canadian style slotted buttons.
  • YKK zippers.
  • MOLLE on hips for holsters, mag pouches, dump pouches, first aid kits etc.
  • Pockets, pockets and more pockets. Read the description below for a detailed account.
  • Removable hoo..

    Price: $169.95

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Posts

May 07, 10:13 AM
Magpul MS3 Sling - Olive Drab

Driven by the operational experience of Magpul Dynamics instructors, the MS3 Multi-Mission Sling System was designed to give a versatile weapon-retention solution for a multitude of tactical environments and missions. As a standalone product, the rapidly-convertible MS3 ..

Price: $49.95

May 07, 10:07 AM
Magpul MS3 Sling - Flat Dark Earth

Driven by the operational experience of Magpul Dynamics instructors, the MS3 Multi-Mission Sling System was designed to give a versatile weapon-retention solution for a multitude of tactical environments and missions. As a standalone product, the rapidly-convertible MS3 ..

Price: $49.95

April 28, 06:47 PM
Combat Shirt with Pads - Coyote Brown

The Claw Gear Combat Shirt keeps you cool no matter what the situation, wicking away moisture with the form fitting body while maintaining proper protection with BDU style sleeves including integrated elbow pads (also available without elbow pads, as always feel free to

April 26, 12:18 PM
Rubber PVC Canada Flag Velcro Patch

Crypsis is proud to bring you the first PVC Canadian flag patch on the market. As with all patches on Crypsis, these are shipped for free around the world! So show your true colours (not colors) wherever you are with a (correctly dimensioned) PVC Canadian Flag Patch!

Dimensions: 3" (wid..

Price: $5.95

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