PYRO | THE ATOM!

Hey friends!

Welcome back to the blog! Today I have another review for you, and this time it’s on the new Atom grenade from Tectonic Innovations - the smallest impact grenade known to airsofters and the little brother to the Quake 8!

So what exactly is it? The Atom is a tough aluminium case grenade that resembles a mini Quake 8. Instead of using .209 primers like it’s big brother, the Atom utilises a thunder snap charge - you know those little fireworks we used to throw at each other in the ’90s? Yeap! Those! Despite their small size, they kick out a mighty 119 decibels. They’re easy to use, you simply twist off the top and insert a thunder snap charge and then twist the top back on, then you throw. Even though they’re so small, there are a couple of ways to carry them during a game - they fit in shotgun shell holders or Deadly Customs make custom holsters for them out of Kydex.

Do they go off reliably? Unlike the Quake 8/.209, BFG’s the results you get may vary depending on what charges you use as there are so many different ones. “Snap Bangers” are the most reliable to produce a consistent detonation whilst “Thunder Snaps” tend to require a bit more force behind the deployment but are generally consistent. The “Big Bang Snaps” is by far the loudest but do need a fairly good throw which is not ideal. I’ve so far tested all 3, and “Snap Bangers” have been the most reliable for me but I have managed with the other snaps. I’d advise against carrying snaps into the game-zone just in case - leave them in the box they came in (with the sawdust) until you’re ready to prime and use.

Are these allowed at every site? So, here’s the thing, I’ve seen some airsoft sites on Facebook stating they will not be allowing the Atom’s on their sites - with the reasoning that their small size will make them easy to lose (which surely, the owner of the grenade is aware of the risk before deploying them and accepts that risk?) and that their low price point will turn airsoft into grenade-soft. Airsoft site owners are of course well within their rights to say a product cannot be used on their premises but I can’t help but feel that this rule is pricing out airsofters with a smaller budget, as they don’t (to my knowledge) have any rules against a player turning up with 10 of the Quake 8’s (which is 70 bangs) which cost £135 each but they do have rules against me turning up with 10 Atoms (which is 10 bangs) - although these do have to be reloaded, but what would stop me deploying 10 of them and then fighting to them and reloading/using again? This may not be the case, but that’s certainly the way I and others have perceived it.

Another burning question I’ve seen is, can under 18’s use them? And the answer is yes (although do double-check with your local site as they may have their restrictions). The snaps themselves have an age restriction of 12 years, so as long as you are over the age of 12 and have parents permission the consensus is yes. As long as players, of course, use them safely.

They cost just £13.99, which is incredible for a reusable pyro device, it’s low price point opens up the BFG world to airsofters who can’t or simply don’t want to spend £100+ on a grenade. It also means that they are so affordable that you can have more than one. I have one in each colour. They come in red, orange, purple, blue, silver and black so not the full colour-range but there’s a colour for everyone.

Post sponsored by Tectonic Innovations