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    S-Thunder Dual Use Water/Powder Landmine


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    S-Thunder Dual Use Water/Powder Landmine review by Booligan
    Discuss this review HERE
    Table of Contents:
    Introduction
    Ordering/Company Info
    Basic Information
    First impressions/Packaging
    Landmine Specifications
    Externals/Internals
    Proper Use
    Performance
    Pros/Cons
    Overall
    Introduction
    Today, I will be reviewing the dual use landmine by S-Thunder. This is the third in my ongoing review series of S-Thunder's unique airsoft products, as I've previously reviewed their water shooting landmine, as well as their 40mm foam ball shooting grenade. This landmine utilizes a different firing system than the previous mine that I reviewed, so read on if you want to learn more about this interesting piece of airsoft ordnance!
    Ordering/Company Info:
    I won't beat a dead horse by going into the history of S-Thunder, but I will reiterate that they are a very unique company that strives to make interesting new items for the airsoft and paintball market. This product is no exception, giving you a compact landmine that is capable of spraying water or powder when stepped on, and using a variety of propellants, from duster gas to CO2, and everything in between. It is available at various airsoft retailers, including Evike, priced at about $57. This is pricier than the purely water spraying mine, but it uses a more complex firing system, and has its own pros and cons, which I will get into later.
    Basic Information:
    This landmine is a more compact alternative to S-Thunder's other landmines, with the added capability to use either water or powder as the projectile. The inner core is basically a 40mm grenade, with some changes to make it work with the landmine body. This gives you the ability to use duster gas or propane, and since the grenade includes S-Thunder's high strength upgraded core, CO2 as well. Its smaller size makes it easier to deploy, however, the "step pad" trigger is much larger than on their other full size landmines, making it easier for the enemy to trigger. When triggered, it emits a loud (90dB) bang, which, when combined with your choice of projectile will certainly let the victim know that they are now dead.
    First impressions/Packaging:
    The dual use landmine arrives in a small cardboard box, with inner plastic supports to keep the unit safe during shipping. It includes the mine itself, two safety pins, and a nylon bag to carry it in. Aside from gas and your chosen projectile, this landmine is ready to go out of the box.
    Landmine Specifications:
    Weight: About 1lb
    Height: 2.6"
    Diameter: 4.3"
    Externals/Internals:
    The body of the gearbox is comprised almost entirely of high strength plastic, which is available in yellow or green. The top is ventilated, to allow the projectile to fly out easily, while doubling as the pressure pad to trigger the mine. It is easiest to think of the mine as having two sections, the top, which houses the gas charged "power plant", and the lower section, which has the firing pin.
    From this point, click all pictures to enlarge
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    Landmine overview
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    Top
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    Bottom
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    Two halves separated.
    As mentioned earlier, the top half houses both the propellant, as well as the projectile. The inner "shell" has a gas port located at the very bottom next to the firing button, allowing easy refills and valve resets. Surrounding the "shell" is a plastic base which is suspended using a spring. When you step on the mine, the spring compresses, allowing the "shell" to push onto the firing pin located in the lower half. It is a very simple system, which is incredibly reliable. The very top of the mine is where you pour your desired projectile, either water or powder. I will be using flour for most of my tests.
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    Underside of top half
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    Base spring visible
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    Normal base position
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    Position when being stepped on
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    Projectile holder, ventilated top removed
    The inner "shell" is made of aluminum, and is constructed almost identically like a 40mm MOSCART shell, albeit without a tube to hold BBs. This makes it extremely compact, only a few inches long. S-Thunder's high strength core is installed, which is rated for CO2 usage. These cores are reported as lasting for 200-300 firings before O-ring failures, which is quite substantial considering most CO2 rated shells seem to fail after only a few dozen firings.
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    Inner shell
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    Bottom of inner shell
    Proper Use:
    The dual use mine is extremely simple to use, requiring only a few easy steps to prepare it for firing. First off, you need to wear safety glasses when working with this, as with all airsoft products. You must start by ensuring that the inner valve is properly reset by pushing the firing button in all the way using a tool like a screwdriver, and letting it retract fully until it is flush with the "shell" base. You can then gas it up with your preferred propellant. With the safety pins inserted on both sides, place the upper body onto the lower, aligning the pins with the notches in the body.
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    Gas up the mine
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    Make sure the safety pins align with the lower half
    You will now need to dig a small hole where you want to deploy the mine, wide and deep enough to fit the mine. You can now insert the mine, and fill up the top with your desired projectile; in this case, flour. Lightly cover the top to hide the mine, while keeping the vents relatively clear, remove the safety pins, and you are ready to go!
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    Fill it up! This is just one scoop, I typically fill the thing up to the top
    Performance:
    This mine takes much less pressure to set off compared to the models that operate using a 12g CO2 capsule, only around 10 lbs or so. Due to the much larger pressure pad, you are much more likely to score a kill with this. When your victim steps on the pad, they are greeted with a very loud bang (S-Thunder rates it at 90 dB), and a large plume of powder, about 6-7' Â high. With water, the spray is slightly less, only about 3-4' high. I prefer to use flour in this mine, based mainly on the fact that it is easier to deploy, and the large CO2 water mine works much better for water use. Resetting the mine is simple, only requiring you to reset the "shell" valve, re-gas, and reload.
    Here is a quick video showing the operation of this mine, including a fire test using flour:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euLdkomRHGw
    Pros:
    Compact size is easy to deploy
    Large pressure pad
    Able to use any airsoft gas
    Able to shoot water or powder
    Loud report when firing with large cloud of powder
    Cons:
    Upper and lower sections aren't attached to each other - makes carrying the mine tricky sometimes
    More expensive than the larger mines
    Requires a hole to be dug before deployment
    Overall:
    I continue to be impressed with S-Thunder's variety of ordnance, as each product serves its intended purpose nearly perfectly. This mine works great as a powder or water mine, and is incredibly simple to use. Its durable build, loud report, and versatile payload capabilities make it a great option in the landmine market!
    Many thanks again to S-Thunder and of course, AirsoftRetreat!