Lasergun Mods

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Advanced Equipment Modifications

Reducing the Infra Red beam in a lazertag gun
The main problem with most LT guns for Gun Sau training is that they are designed for long-range combat. The infra-red beam is so wide and the target sensors are so sensitive that if you use them at close-range or indoors the sensors will often register a hit even if the pistol isn't pointed at the sensor.

Fortunately there is an easy way to solve this for Gun Sau training. By just removing a plastic funnel and the magnifying lense inside the gun casing and replacing them with a simple plastic tube that fits inside the barrel, you can cut the IR beam down to a really realistic width.

Preparation: Cover the IR receiver (the target sensor on the headband) with duct tape so there is only a very small (2 mm) hole exposing the sensor.
Modifying the pistols

Step 1: remove the batteries, carefully unscrew the screws and pry the gun casing apart into two halves. Note that with the Sega Lock-On there are wires connecting components in both halves of the casing, so don't just rip it apart unless you are good with a soldering iron and understand electronics.

2: remove the magnifying lense and the small plastic "funnel" that covers the IR beam emitter at the barrel end of the gun. Both of these are there to increase the beam strength and width and for Gun Sau we want a very narrow beam.

3: cut a small plastic tube so that it will fit over the emitter and extend to the hole at the front of the barrel. You may need to pad the tube out by covering it in duct tape so it fits snugly. Once you screw the casing back together the tube should be held firmly in place.

4: reassemble the gun and re-insert batteries.

5: test it! The beam should now be very narrow so you really need to be on-target with your shots to score points on the target sensor. This realistically mimics the Gun Sau action in Equilibrium because the whole style only works if you're only able to score points by shooting to the KillZone (head and chest).

Padding the pistol

Padding the guns both makes the close-quarters action of Gun Sau easier on your hands and also helps to protect the infra-red hardware and sound gear inside the pistol casing against knocks, drops, etc.

The only supplies you will need are some pipe insulation foam tubing (very cheap, .00 for a 7' tube from any plumbing supplies store) and some paint if you want to paint the padding. NB insulation foam tubes come in several diameters so make sure you get a size that will fit snugly over your gun barrel.

1) Measure your LT pistol barrel and note any areas you will need to access such as on/off switches etc.

2) Cut a length of pipe insulation foam to match the length of the gun barrel minus any space you will have to leave for accessing the switches, etc. You may need to cut two or three short tubes of various lengths.

3) Carefully fit the pipe insulation tube(s) over the barrel leaving spaces as required for the switches. If you bought the right diameter of tube then it will be held in place by friction.

4) You can also shape the foam tube to match the gun barrel if you want.

5) optionally, paint the foam tube. I have also duct-taped the padding but I prefer the painted look for neatness.

You can also pad the butt of the pistol with insulation foam for pistol-whipping, etc. If you are going to experiment with the pistol-whip style you should also wear some kind of face protection (fencing mask, martial arts face protector, etc.)<