FIVE

Ditto. Exactly the way I do it!

Welcome Mike — and everyone else! YES! GO DIRTY!!!!

Read the links in my signature as well.

Been doing it! Gotten a few guys to login again and vote. *the barista at Starbucks just looked at me funny though.

Voted on all of them! *I think I got most of the answers right*

You started in the right place! Check the links in my signature too on armor. And welcome to the sand pit!!

Thanks again guys!!!!

YAY! Another convert to the best detachment in the Empire! Welcome bro!

Yep... craft paint. I went over it with white craft paint then to "mute" it some.

Awesome!!! Congratulations and looking forward to seeing you here!

The belt is "low" in the front on many sandtroopers. So you should be able to angle it so it's hiding the seam but still higher on the edges and back — that's how the "Stop that Ship" trooper (which I have) is done. Photos would help, but I'm betting that will work for you.

Me? I'm sure I do. I can look... but if you did a card I'm sure I still have it.

I agree, Rick. I love you all! Smally, I need to apologize to you, brother. I honestly shouldn't have even gone for SWAT in the first place because I knew there would be a lot of small things to change that I (that's a capital emphasized "I") would think was ridiculous. The truth is I am disappointed in where the program ended up... and the truth is I had built myself up to expect a "bunch of nonsense" (in quotes because, again, it's my opinion) that when it happened I was angry... but... the truth is you didn't deserve my reply. I could've easily just said, "Thanks so much brother for all the hard work! I'll post again if I decide to continue!" So, I'm sorry for that! Now then... I'm not sorry that I'm still disappointed and that I still think camera angles and such minutia are held as standards. I'm also not sorry that I'm sorry the program has gotten to this. And I am not going to continue in it. BUT... again... I do apologize to you for making it — or for it even "coming off as" — personal, however I intended it. Now then... hopefully this thread will die off and be remembered as something in the past and I will forever love the MEPD and being part of it and be PROUD to be a part of it!!!

SHOOT! SHOOOOOT!!!! What are you waiting for!! The little one looks EVIL! Great pic!

Ah! Look at this for reference.

The gaps look fantastic! The belt will easily close that up! I don't think any trimming is needed. Again, with the belt on you'll pull the "bottom" part inward and the "top" will probably flush out. What exactly do you need to know on the shoulder??

That works!!

NOW GO BUY AN AWESOME T-SHIRT FROM ME!!!

Nah, I'm done. Not gonna modify one thing. Truth is my armor is downright AMAZING as is and I can do without the little badge on my name. Hopefully some of the people private messaging and emailing and texting me their support of my stance will help to revise and make this better. The attitude of "almost there" isn't one I share. I've read too many other SWAT requests to know that even if I did those things there would be 5 other things. Just so everyone's clear I don't "blame" anyone but all of us for this — certainly not Smally who's just doing the job as it has become. The admin (back when we started it) should have had the comments closed to the public on every SWAT submission. Over time other troopers who weren't the D.O. replied with ideas and suggestions and thoughts and encouragements and criticisms and then those things were set as a level and then those levels were leveled up and soon enough it was the band wagon leading what defines a SWAT officer and not what it was intended to be. I'll stay as an active member of the MEPD and help out in all the ways I'm good at and I can understand those the blaster and even weathering comment... but I'm not going to spend time away from things that matter to make a gap in my ear a bit bigger or change the angles of my mic tips. Come on.

I'd get a gun from Wolfman or someone that makes good solid ones.

"How can I describe my emotions at the catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form?" - Dr. Victor Frankenstein

Yeah. No thanks. I'm withdrawing my application for SWAT. I suppose I'm a "NOT". This is really sad that the program I envisioned and dreamed up has come to this. The standard should not be "... in comparison to past SWAT members." The standard should be the film! If we keep using past members then that's an infinite upper scale into what? What becomes the final standard? And while I see a few things I missed and agree with — like the wire on the gun — the minutia of things like, "... the small gap between the right (wearers) ear and helmet tube" are such tiny things that it's not worth my time and effort to keep working on it. I invented this program to have one more "level of fun" for guys like me who love to put all we've got into our armor (and costumes.) I'm the first one for being super hyper accurate but this has — as I feared from looking through past submissions — gotten out of control. It's now hard just for the sake of being hard. Not at all what I envisioned. Disappointing... frustrating... discouraging... and a little sad. I will troop in my armor, love my armor, and keep being proud to be a member of the MEPD. But SWAT, if this is what it is now? No thanks.

Yes, $450 is a deal nonetheless! Welcome, and good luck! We're here if you need us!!! Out of curiosity, are you gonna do a sandtrooper? I'm guessing yes, but just wondering for sure.