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Are We On The Cusp Of Another Revolution In Airsoft Technology?

Gungho Cowboy

It looks like 2016 will be the year in which a big thing in airsoft development will be finally unveiled. If the report of 0'20 Magazine on what BO Manufacture of France are developing is accurate, we shall be seeing something revolutionary that is as significant as the release of the AEG in 1991 by Tokyo Marui --- the BO MTO, the Magnetic Airsoft Rifle.

Seeing the video teaser of the first model that is going to come out next year, 0'20 Magazine has this to say:

This is just unbelievable, a true revolution in the airsoft industry. BO Manufacture invented the ultimate airsoft system, it is based on a magnetic source of energy, no more gears, no more motors, no more failures after a few thousand rounds, BO Manufacture guarantee 1 million rounds. The battery will last one week.

The instant trigger response is about milliseconds and everything is completely silent except the airflow of course. The MTO project is a two years R&D process that is now worlwide patented, the whole thing is made in Bordeaux (France) in the brand new BO Manufacture factory.

As Eric Gautier, Founder of BO, used t o say: "In Bordeaux, we had no airsoft ecosystem to build airsoft guns but we had a great aeronautics ecosystem, then I used this one and we are now obviously building much more advanced products".

We heard that MTO goes far beyond airsoft but that is another story... We will bring more to you very soon with a complete detailed product review.

After watching the video, we sent a message via Facebook to BO Manufacture, hoping that Eric would provide more information just enough to whet our appetites. The reply of the company is that they cannot give more information for the meantime and that the externals would be classic whilst the internals are really new with more potential in terms of information.

Checking on the comments on the YouTube video, one said that it must be an airsoft rail gun, since it uses magnetic energy, but then it might be not be called an airsoft gun anymore given that propelling a 6mm plastic BB would need air or gas, which is pneumatic and that is the principle of airsoft guns. But since BO Manufacture still calls it an airsoft rifle, then it is still pneumatic with the magnetic aspect being how air is harnessed to propel the BB through the inner barrel and towards the intended target. And if it is a "rail airsoft gun" then BO Manufacture must have developed a most efficient and high capacity battery that can be installed in an airsoft gun, as we've seen other rail gun developments (whether homemade/DIY or military) still relying on banks of batteries just to make them work.

But then, 0'20 Magazine writes that the "MTO goes far beyond airsoft…" so it must have other potential applications apart from being used in airsoft guns.

My understanding of what 0'20 magazine said is that the BO MTO either has fewer or does not have any moving parts at all which makes it reliable and energy efficient, guaranteeing that it will fire up to a million rounds of BBs. Indeed, this is what really got our attention, even searching some patent registries (we came up empty) to see if we can get some more information.

The idea of magnetic airsoft guns is not new at all.  Here is YouTube user mpoT3CHY detailing his ideas of  a magnetic airsoft gun back in 2009:

Now, this might pose a dilemma for BO Manufacture if the principle or design of their BO MTO is the same or almost similar to what mpoT3CHY described in his videos. This means that there is already "prior art" and  their patent might be rendered invalid.

Another theory is that it might be an a Coil Gun though this will have to use ferromagnetic projectiles and 6mm plastic BBs are not ferromagnetic. Here is an example of a coil gun built with an airsoft gun:

Real Sword were reported to be developing an AEG that uses electromagnetic process that works like a Gas Blowback rifle, with minimum parts and also has recoil. But it looks like there is no progress on the product given that there has been no news about it since. Here, Arclight of RedWolf Airsoft talks about the technology in a video taken during the IWA Outdoor Classics 2011 in Germany:

I am just speculating here since there is hype now building on this announcement. We all have to look forward to knowing more about the BO MTO next year or with 0'20 Magazine's promised review. For Popular Airsoft, we might be able to have a hands-on and closer look at the IWA Outdoor Classics 2016. Any new airsoft technology that will improve the playing experience of airsoft players in terms of realism and performance is always welcome anytime.

Will the BO MTO be a new revolution in airsoft technology? It remains to be seen.

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