One of the significant stories in airsoft for this year is Crosman Corporation's winning of the U.S. Marine Corps license to brand their airsoft products with the name of their respected organization. They're first U.S. military organization to have officially allowed a company to use their name for airsoft purposes. With the launch of Marines Airsoft, Crosman unveils a list of airsoft products and gear bearing the USMC brand.

With the launch, Crosman Corporation has been asking for feedback from the airsoft community on what they think of the new airsoft brand and the products they have. They have low-cost airsoft guns ranging from pistols to some AEGs, but they're mainly Walmart-y" products that many serious airsoft players would shun. In this case, the products are shrink-wrapped types.

Many airsoft players have kept an open mind on Crosman's new venture, that there might be some serious airsoft products for skirmishers and milsimers. In my personal opinion, the products here have been a "let down" so to speak, as these are mainly toys that can easily purchased by kids badgering their moms before they throw tantrums on some department stores aisles.

And this is where the problem comes in, says Thumpy of Thump's 3-D House of Airsoft. In his latest blog entry "Marines Airsoft website is open….Epic Fail for Crosman?" He makes the case of problems of young people, kids especially, having access to some entry level, low-cost AEGs airsoft springers, and pistols with the USMC brand on these. The problem here is that, with all the cases of young people brandishing easily accessed replica firearms in public and in schools, it may just put a blackmark on the reputation of the Marines. In fact it somewhat "cheapens" the brand this way.

Granted, given that having the brand of the USMC on these airsoft guns from Crosman Corporation would help in spreading awareness and as a recruitment tool for the US Marines, the easy access by kids is a real problem. Just google "airsoft" in Google News and you'll be shown a long list of misuse of airsoft guns by school kids. I kid you not, try it. And that's what Thumpy's pounding on:

"From our perspective, all that’s likely to come from this is BAD NEWS.  Other than some goodwill in the entry-gun market, leading some young people into the inevitable headlines in local papers or TV: and, at the time of the INCIDENT, he was carrying a 'fake gun' that looked just like a real 'ASSAULT RIFLE', a gun "SANCTIONED BY THE UNITED STATES MARINES!”  GASP, OOH..>ROLL THE VIDEO< HARRY!

PLEASE, Crosman…rethink this whole idea.  The people YOU want to capture are NOT the parents buying their kid a Craptastic-Plastic 'desert tan' Marine Airsoft Pistol, with desert tan ammo, and a desert tan holster at Wally or another ‘big box' store.   In fact, your timing on 'desert' anything and the Marine Corps is bad… Did you hear the President the other day (Warning, Propaganda Link)? US Troops are coming OUT of IRAQ, and soon will be coming OUT of AFGHANISTAN…and when they go back 'into battery', it is going to be along one of the Earth’s riparian/littoral regions…where 70-percent of the world’s population resides. Bank on old Thumpy’s DECADES of covering the Marines in 'every clime and place.' It won’t be pretty, it will be deadly, and you’ll be left holding a warehouse of CRAPTASTIC-PLASTIC guns that 'Mom' and her Apple Pie won’t have anywhere near her 'little Junior, (who’s) all in a rage.”' He’ll be 'Coming of Age' without your products."

It's actually a good point raised by Thumpy. What he may have missed to say, and we're sure that he'll agree with what we have to point out: there's a whole world out there of serious and responsible airsoft players, not kiddies, but players with some serious cash who will go for the USMC brand provided that Crosman goes into some better licensing deals with existing airsoft manufacturers who know what products and build quality that these products should have in order to be bought by the serious players.

The USMC is a respected organization, and thus, it has a brand to protect and will tenaciously preserve its reputation. Crosman can start working with airsoft manufacturers, or build on their own, official weapons in the armory of the USMC. Airsoft players have been buying receivers for the M4/M16 AEGs or gas blowbacks bearing the USMC logo, so there's a realy good market out there. Even just a receiver would already cost more than some of the springers that Crosman is selling online. The USMC MEU pistol that was released by Tokyo Marui sold like hotcakes.

It's no brainer that the USMC has a good airsoft market, even without them marketing their own brand to this market. Crosman just needs to really interact with the airsoft community rather than asking them feedback after the fact (well, most companies do that).  They can sell to the kiddie market alright, but they're missing the big picture of a large community of airsoft players who have a clearer idea on what USMC-branded airsoft guns and gear should be. And that's where serious cash can be found.