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Sunday, January 12, 2014

LTAR-AR Combat Testing

So we had that Frozen Fortress game today (which was 12 different kinds of AWESOME, by the way) and I took the LTAR-AR out for a spin.  It's currently fitted with the lens arrangement once found on the LTX EF5, a Super Soaker stock, and a new addition: a weaver rail mount with a Red/Green Dot sight!

The picture to the right shows the LTAR-AR fitted with all three of these in-development accessories next to our fully-equipped CTDYNE LTX.  It's actually about the same size, somehow.

We've already done quite a bit of testing on the lens adapter.  It was the first accessory completed for the LTAR.  The Stock adapter is new, as I completed it last week at our Mod Night.  Didn't really notice the stock the entire game until I realized "Holy cow.  I made something that hasn't broken!"  It's solid.  SUPER solid, and feels like part of the blaster.  Granted the stock does dip down a little more into the grip than most would like, but using some gloves will make it unnoticeable.  I need to tweak the design of the newest addition: that Weaver Rail accessory.  The Plast-Aid (same material used on the removable stock adapter) didn't settle straight, so the rail isn't level.  We couldn't adjust the sight enough to compensate, so my accuracy was a bit off.

There's something I really enjoyed about the CTDYNE LTX and that's how solid of a rifle-feel you got fro a modified pistol.  That's just how the LTAR-AR, fitted with all our prototype parts we've designed for the LTAR so far, felt.  Much of that great solid feel of the CTDYNE LTX is because... well... I didn't build it.  My hero, Mike Yates of Custom Tag Dynamics, built the Combo Mount that is mostly responsible for it's great solid design.  So, almost two years after it's design, have I finally gotten good enough at fabricating parts to rival that of this masterful piece of gear built by an icon in the Laser Tag Modding world?

I'll leave that up to you guys to decide.  And you can decide that one we get the prototyping done and start releasing these add-on parts for the LTAR.  That's the eventual plan, with the -AR at the heart of it's development.

Not only was the game a complete blast (I'll have more on that later), but I can honestly say that I didn't expect so much satisfaction from a rifle built around a pistol.  Aside from the adjustment to the Weaver Rail design, these designs are moving along much faster than I thought.  It's a good thing, both for our group as we approach our next Summer Season of Laser Tag, and for anyone else in the world who wants to easily modify their LTAR.  Exceedingly proud of this development!

4 comments:

  1. Hi I´m Max (from Facebook):
    I give you a point +1 over CTDYNE because the shape of LTAR is difficult for modding vs a LTX.
    We know that CTDYNE mods are Excellent and solid, but LTX is easy for modding (Top rail of LTX remembers a weaver rail).

    I would like to ask about barrel of LTAR.....is not aiming slighty down? In pictures it seems so. I do not know if its picture effect, some wobble or even if you like to aim that down.......just curious.... :)

    -Regards!!!


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    1. Thanks, Max! The barrel should be dead-on straight. It's the sight that's slightly off (which may make the rest of the blaster to look off).

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  2. The images on this and other ltar posts aren't showing. Do you have an alternate location for these pics?

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    1. I see. Hmm... I think Facebook changed all their links for photos so I'll have to dig and find the originals. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

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