Issue 29 - Dec 2013

THE Airsoft Magazine

AIRSOFT ACTION

WIN

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TEN AN ASG S H T MKII WOR

£200

6L g ICS CXP-1 g SYSTEMA TW5-A4 21 g S&T TAR-

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EXP ‘NAM FILMSIM

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WE VISIT SPARTAN AIRSOFT AND FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY

COLD WAR WARRIOR | BIG BOYZ TOYZ | INSIDE: AIRSOFT ZONE | SKILLS: BILLY BASICS AA_001_Cover_Rev3.indd 1

DECEMBER 2013 - £4.50

CANADIAN BBS SENT FLYING DOWNRANGE

UK SITE REVIEWS

9 772047 348032

DECEMBER 2013

CLOTHING FROM KRYPTEK, 5.11 TACTICAL AND HELIKON-TEX

AMMO TEST: BB BASTARD

12

KIT REVIEWS

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P WILD WEST LAR MEETS AIRSOFT

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52 Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant editor: Mike Hine Graphic design: Steve Dawson Ad design: Anna Makwana, Matt Smith, Katherine McArdle Advertising: Hannah Benson Operations director: James Folkard Assistant publisher: Ruth Burgess Publisher: Wesley Stanton Cover Photograph: H Photography

(Please note: The cover photo was taken under controlled conditions. Always ensure you wear the correct eye protection when playing airsoft.)

Full UK 12-issue subscription rate: £66 For overseas prices visit: www.airsoftactionmagazine.com

Lawrence House, Morrell Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5SZ Tel: 01926 339808 Fax: 01926 470400 W: www.blazepublishing.co.uk © Blaze Publishing Limited, 2013 Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade

by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800 Copyright © Blaze Publishing Limited 2013. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the publishers in writing. The opinions of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to print.

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M

ost dictionaries give the following, or similar, definition of the word ‘hero’: “a man distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility, fortitude and fine qualities.”

It is not often that you get the opportunity to meet a true hero, but on October 8 I had the privilege and honour to do just that. I was with a couple of guys at The Courtyard in Hereford to listen to Pete Winner’s presentation about The Battle of Mirbat in 1972, when nine SAS soldiers faced 400 guerrilla fighters – and Pete was one of the nine.

All nine of these men were heroes but, for me, one man has always stood head and shoulders above the others. His name is Sokonaia Takavesi, known to his friends and fellow SAS soldiers simply as ‘Tak’ and he was one of two Fijians at the BATT (British Army Training Team) House on the day of the attack; the other was his brother-in-arms Talaiyasi Labalala Bem. I won’t go into a blow-by-blow account of what happened as I don’t think I could ever do it justice in this small column but, in a nutshell, Labalala had been shot in the face while single-handedly manning a 25-pounder artillery piece (a task that normally took six men). When the Officer in Command, Mike Kealy, asked for a volunteer, Tak didn’t hesitate and ran the 800 metres to his friend under intense fire from the advancing enemy. On reaching the 25-pounder the men continued to fire at the enemy who were so close that they were aiming by looking down the barrel.

Labalala was shot dead while trying to reach a 60mm mortar but Tak continued to fire at the approaching guerrillas with his personal weapon, despite being shot in the shoulder and stomach, and grazed across the back of his head. The arrival of G Squadron reinforcements brought the battle to an end.

One of the guys I was with is a long-time friend of Tak’s (having served with him both in the SAS and later in the private sector) and introduced us before the presentation. Afterwards we stood talking for a while and I don’t think I have ever met a more gentle and self-effacing person.

In an age where ‘heroes’ are bought and sold for the price of half a dozen hospitals, then kick a lump of leather round for a living, it was truly humbling to meet a real hero for once – we could do with a few more like Sokonaia Takavesi.

See you out there…

Nige

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS

AIRSOFT ACTION – DECEMBER 2013

16

DECEMBER 2013

6

AIRSOFT NEWS

8

READERS GALLERY

All the latest airsoft headlines

AA readers send in their snaps from the field

12 RIFLE: S&T TAR-21

The S&T replica of the Israeli bullpup rifle on test

16 SITE : THE ARMOURY

Find out about the First & Only site near Wrexham

21 SITE: SPARTAN AIRSOFT

Our south-west correspondent visits this Bristolian airsoft site

24 COLD WAR WARRIOR

A review of Cold War airsoft in the UK, and its growth from humble beginnings

28 CAMO: KRYPTEK

Part two of our insight into the modern US camo brand

32 KIT BAG: BOOTS

Every airsofter needs a pair – so we examine two from Under Armour

35 KIT REVIEW: 5.11 TACTICAL JACKET

A top jacket gets a rough and ready field test

38 EVENT: GUNMAN AIRSOFT’S CHOKER

We report back from this ‘Nam FilmSim event

44 BOOK SHOP

Top offers on military novels and handbooks

47 SUBSCRIBE

Get AA delivered to your door every four weeks

48 BIG BOYZ TOYZ: MOSQUITO

We chart the history of the De Havilland Mosquito

52 EVENT: FLYING LEAD

Cowboys and Indians for grown-ups – as silly as it sounds?

57 SKILLS ROOM: BILLY BASICS

How to endure cold weather, pro-style

60 RIFLE: ICS CXP-16 L

A tan-coloured M4 from ICS gets the review treatment

38 60

64 AMMO TEST: BB BASTARD

Find out how these Canadian BBs fare downrange

67 INSIDE AIRSOFT: AIRSOFT ZONE

We pay a visit to an up-and-coming retailer in Essex

71 RIFLE: SYSTEMA TW5-A4

The low-down on this Systema training weapon

74 DEBATE: FIT FOR PURPOSE

Are RIFs fit for battle on the airsoft skirmish field?

77 KIT BAG

Cool gear from top manufacturers

80 KIT REVIEW: HELIKON-TEX

Cold weather kit from Helikon-Tex on test

82 COMPETITION: ASG BSA STEN MKII Win a gun worth £200

84 BOOK PREVIEW: A SNIPER’S CONFLICT

Exclusive extracts from an upcoming sniper’s story

86 SITE DIRECTORY Find somewhere to play

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AIRSOFT NEWS UPDATE FROM THE NMO

Following recent news regarding RoHS compliance and CE marking, Airsoft Action has received this statement from the National Measurement Office: “A routine market surveillance project, conducted by the National Measurement Office (NMO) has recently brought to light concerns among airsoft manufacturers, importers and distributors in relation to compliance with the RoHS regulations. The investigation has revealed that limited understanding of the regulations can lead to costly instances of non-compliance.

Although no immediate health and safety concerns have been raised, presence of hazardous substances does have the potential to cause harm to the environment and public health, as well as long-term damage to businesses’ reputations.

The NMO is responsible for enforcing the Restriction of the use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (RoHS) – a European Directive that limits the use of hazardous substances in electrical or electronic equipment. The term ‘hazardous substance’ can often be misinterpreted, but those restricted by RoHS can be commonly found in AEGs and other airsoftrelated products. The restricted substances are: lead; hexavalent chromium; mercury; cadmium; polybrominated biphenyls; polybrominated diphenyl ethers RoHS places legal obligations on all economic operators (manufacturers, authorised representatives, importers and distributors), which place or make available products on the EU market. These obligations include but are not limited to: drawing up an EU declaration of conformity; affixing the CE marking on the finished product; and retaining a technical file for 10 years. As an economic operator it is important to understand these obligations and what is legally required of you.

Any economic operator placing or making available non-compliant products on the market may be breaking the law and will be subject to enforcement actions, which can include product withdrawal and financial penalties. All reasonable steps must be taken to comply. What is considered to be reasonable is assessed on a case by case basis, but is likely to involve a system of control which adequately assesses and addresses potential risks, is proven to work, is regularly reviewed, and which considers: supplier reliability; material/component selection; controlled/quarantined goods; production processes; evidence and documentation; stock control; staff training.

NMO’s approach to enforcement is one that aims to achieve compliance through cooperation with business, and is one we hope to maintain through continued dialogue with the airsoft industry. Our website www.bis.gov.uk/ nmo/enforcement has been developed to provide comprehensive information and guidance. We also welcome enquiries from businesses that need advice on how to comply.”

The NMO has stated on more than one occasion that it does not seek to cause problems for airsoft suppliers and is very keen to work with the industry to ensure the requirements of the RoHS directive are met. If you have any worries, questions or queries about whether you might be affected by the legislation, or if your stock is compliant, they would be happy to arrange a meeting where they can fully explain what is required.

Full contact details are on their website.

006 December 2013

POLISH LEGION

Helikon-Tex has announced its new Legion camouflage pattern, designed by the Polish company based on a precise study of military and commercial camouflages currently in use – including WZ93 Pantera, used by the Polish military. The pattern, with its blend of mid greens and browns, will break up a human outline at both close quarters and long distances – and HelikonTex has plans to launch it on a range of garments, from soft shell jackets to tactical equipment. Airsoft Action will be testing Legion out as soon as possible, but for the meantime, head to page 80 to see our review of Helikon’s current range of cold weather kit. www.helikon-tex.com

NEWS THE LATEST AIRSOFT HEADLINES

IT’S SHOW TIME

Advance tickets are now on sale for the British Airsoft Show 2014, held 14-16 February. The show returns to Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire for the second year running, and punters can expect to see 24,000sq/ft of total airsoft immersion – from manufacturer and retailer exhibitions to indoor gaming and rifle and pistol ranges.

Advance tickets are priced at £44 for the full three-day event, a saving of £10 – and other ticketing bands are available.

For more information, head to www. britishairsoftshow.com

WE HAVE A

WINNER Congratulations to Craig Smith of Newmachar, Aberdeenshire, who has been selected as the winner of our October issue’s competition prize – a G&G PM5-A4 RTB worth over £300. Hopefully he’ll be just as delighted as Josh Westrip, pictured here with his prize from the September issue – a G&G G980 supplied by Pro Airsoft Supplies.

This issue we have an ASG BSA Sten MKII to give away.

Head to page 82 for your chance to win.

NEWS

Well, I had a great if not surreal game last month where myself and one other were left to defend a base. We inadvertently sent everyone out on missions, forgetting we didn’t have comms, leading to a rather crazy defence in the style of Zulu, replete with mock upper class English accents for effect. That’s what airsoft is about to me: having fun with good friends. If you get some good kills then great, if not it isn’t the end of the world.

As much fun as airsoft is, it takes an awful lot of organisation to ensure it is fun and protected.

That’s why UKAPU was founded and why it continues. As we come up to the end of our fourth year we need to bring new blood on board for the committee to continue to do what is needed and give us a fresh perspective and views. We will hopefully be holding our AGM in December – date and place to be confirmed. All members are welcome and eligible to vote or stand in the election of officers. Remember, UKAPU is here for you and if you think things need doing differently then take up the mantel. Keep checking our website and social media outlets for news on the AGM and I hope to see you there.

Phil Bucknall Chairman, UKAPU www.ukapu.org.uk

BLUE SHREW PRIZES

At this year’s Operation Blue Shrew, held by Fireball Squadron to celebrate its 15th birthday, Airsoft Action provided two subscriptions as a raffle prize – which were won by Neil Martin, and the Mahoney Brothers, Chris and Ryan, (pictured) who will be sharing the subscription. Operation Blue Shrew raised a fantastic £2,000 for combat stress, and Fireball Squadron is currently working on its next event – head to www.fireballsquadron.com to find out more.

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READER GALLERY SEND YOUR PICS TO MICHAELH@BLAZEPUBLISHING.CO.UK

READERS GALLERY

AIRSOFT ACTION READERS SEND IN THEIR PERSONAL SNAPSHOTS FROM SKIRMISHES ACROSS THE UK AND FURTHER AFIELD… Sam Hains at EAG Badlands Skirmish

with his Jack Brown v, A&K Draguno taken at rsoft Frontier Ai

Andrew Lane in his boonie hat

008 December 2013

The Marine Recon Asturias team (above) and members of the ASG Delt a Team (below), both from Spain , pictured with a copy of th eir favourite magazine!

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READER GALLERY SEND YOUR PICS TO MICHAELH@BLAZEPUBLISHING.CO.UK

Jason Huggins playing at Mad Momma’s Airsoft in Cornwall

Dan Fowler, the mad axeman of CQB Tactical !

These awesome action snaps were sent in by Sam Beech

Kayleigh Kav anagh in action at Ce rberus Airsoft: The Sandpit

010 December 2013

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BUDGET BULLPUP T THE IMI TAVOR TAR-21 IS AN ISRAELI BULLPUP RIFLE NAMED AFTER A BIBLICAL MOUNTAIN. SCOTT ALLAN CHECKS OUT THE REPLICA FROM S&T…

SCOTT ALLAN

Scott has worked in airsoft retail for many years – and played airsoft long before that. He likes big, heavy guns, loud explosions and MilSim games in particular

he TAR-21, or Tavor Assault Rifle 21st Century, really does look futuristic, and given the country of origin (Israel) it is a little, but not entirely, surprising. Smart Team or S&T are relatively new in the airsoft manufacturing game. Distributing many other brands and sharing striking resemblances to Ares rifle designs, the company profile is a little confusing. That said, they are producing a good number of rifles that look great, work even better and suit most players’ wallets. The bullpup design of the Tavor is a Marmite thing. Sizing up like the F2000, it has a large ghetto booty, which might put some people off. If you can get past the unusual design you will find a nice rifle with surprising performance straight out of the box.

REAL STEEL The bullpup design, while nothing new, has been received as a hit or miss. The first versions were bolt-action designs over 100 years ago, but the first truly successful designs were the

012 December 2013

Steyr AUG and the FAMAS. The term bullpup generally refers to the magazine being behind the trigger, although the P90 is also considered a bullpup. The ethos of the bullpup design is to cut down on wasted space. For example, the L85 has a 20” barrel which is the same length as a standard M16 rifle.

Overall, the L85 is just over 30” long, whereas the M16 is over 39” long.

When you take into account the number of vehicle operations these days you can see why the concept works. A compact design means they are easier to move around with; longer barrels mean accuracy and range.

The general consensus with the bullpup design is that it can be fiddly to use; the original L85 A1 had this with the magazine catch which could release the magazine if it was

THE ARMOURY S&T TAR-21

“Personally I would be temptedfewto coats give itofa matt black or even dark earth spray and then it would be spot on” bashed off the user while running around. So the pros and cons are fairly equal across the board. The TAR-21 uses the NATO 5.56mm round with an 18” barrel which gives the ground soldier a good balance of multi-role capability. Interestingly, while it is the standard Israeli rifle replacing the M4, you still see large numbers of IDF with the M4 on current news broadcasts.

THE REPLICA lThe Tar-21’s bullpup design is something of a ‘Marmite’ feature kAs a sportline rifle, this is aimed at the entry-level player on a budget

Externally the unique design is quirky and interesting. This is a sportline rifle which means it is aimed at the entry-level player on a budget. The finish is a little on the shiny side for my liking but it is extremely solid – not a single creak or flex anywhere on the body of the rifle. This version is fully licensed, too, which means it has nice IMI markings on the box and the rifle; this doesn’t matter to everyone, though. The front and rear sights flip up allowing clear optic or iron sight use. The grip and length of the rifle are really nice, as is the balance of weight. I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked lifting it into the shoulder to take aim. Turns out I like bullpups... who knew?

The performance is really important for any rifle. Too many cheap guns exist trying to be a great entry rifle and really do miss the mark quite often literally. They either aren’t hard-wearing enough or the internal components aren’t up to the job.

In saying that, this can be true with some expensive rifles, too. The TAR-21 seems to be very good across the board. They have taken something affordable and made it perform like a top end rifle.

With quick-change spring designs you can take it to any game site; 8mm bearings in a metal gearbox case mean it will last the test of time. It has a functioning bolt catch for quick and easy hop adjustments, and even comes with a

high capacity M4 magazine, battery and charger. All this for less than £150! This has to be one of the best bargain rifles I’ve seen this year. Best of all it isn’t another dull M4.

FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE So is this just a cheap version of the Ares? The answer is definitely no; for a start these take the battery in the front unlike the Ares which is rear-wired.

Several other design features show that this is a different beast internally.

Admittedly there are some things that are Ares-esque, so we suspect some sharing of design or manufacturing.... but who really cares?

Genuinely the only flaw I can pick with this overall is the slightly shiny finish, but then that might be a plus for some people. Unusually, there appear to be three versions of this rifle: polycarbonate case gearbox and metal gearbox versions – neither of which should really yield any major benefit over the other – and an electric blowback version.

While the test version is not blowback, it has the blowback gearbox.

It is just missing the linking piece to move the ejection port cover. This type of blowback has never bothered me, but it is an unusual omission.

The range testing on this was a very pleasant

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THE ARMOURY S&T TAR-21

INFORMATION S&T TAR-21 Weight: 3.6kg Velocity: 350fps with Blaster 0.20g BB Length: 672mm Hop up: Adjustable Firing modes: Single-shot and fully automatic Magazine: M4 type Battery and charger: Included Features: Accelerator hop rubber, micro switch trigger, quick-change spring design, steel gears, functioning bolt catch Price: £150 surprise. Normally, when something new arrives in the office, there is a quick glance from the staff, then they carry on with their day of drinking coffee and talking about the latest Chris Costa beard designs. The TAR

was different, with shouts of “you really need to try this out”. It definitely shoots above average for a standard AEG, never mind a budget version. The trigger feels a little soft but nothing out of the ordinary, especially in this price range. The micro switch trigger does mean you get a nice shot and this trigger type is often thought to be superior to the standard trigger switch. The accelerator rubber gives you a consistent hop up that equates to reliable shots every time you pull the trigger.

The lack of rails may put off some players. Other than the ability to put an optic on the top rail, there is no space for

014 December 2013

torches, lasers or grips. Also, the battery is the mini type only, but with some great 7.2V LiPos you should be able to find a good one to fit in there, which should last most game days. The bullpup design can make changing magazines a little bit more awkward that the standard M4, but it is certainly not difficult, just takes a little getting used to – not unlike an M14 or AK47.

Upgrades are going to be easy for this, too. The steel gears are worth leaving in place but the motor would be a good start as well as the inner barrel. I can only imagine what £100 worth of upgrades would result in, but I am sure it would be very impressive.

Both indoor and outdoor this rifle finds a great balance; the short length means that CQB will be a breeze and the Accelerator Hop Rubber means you will have an effective hop out to around the 50m mark in woodland areas. The use of M4 magazines means a plentiful supply of magazines is available on the market for a reasonable price. Also, no specialist game vests are required to house the magazines – unlike the HK 417 videotape-sized magazines.

CONCLUSION It is all about what you want from a rifle at the end of the day. If you want a budget rifle that looks great and punches above its weight, the TAR-21 by S&T is a real solid performer that shouldn’t let you down. Some people may be put off by the unusual design or the external finish, which isn’t bad just a little shiny. Personally I would be tempted to give it a few coats of matt black or even dark earth spray and then it would be spot on. Heaven forbid I ever find a place that dip-coats them in Kryptek! This rifle solidly ticks all of the performance boxes as well as not emptying your wallet – and that has to be a good thing surely? Dear airsoft manufacturers, more rifles like this please.

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The

ARMOURY

SITUATED ON A FORMER ROYAL ORDINANCE SITE IN NORTH WALES, FIRST & ONLY’S THE ARMOURY IS AN IMPRESSIVE SITE WITH PLENTY OF VARIED TERRAIN. RON MAHONEY PAYS IT A VISIT…

“A

RON MAHONEY

Ron has been involved in fieldcraft, shooting and outdoor pursuits for over 30 years. His real passion is the ‘sneaky-beaky’ style of airsoft game

nd finally, can I just say that we are here to shoot, be shot and to have a laugh. It will hurt when you get shot. If you are worried about that you should have stayed at home. Take a shot, suck it in, and even compliment the shooter – but do not lose your rag and go all ballistic ‘cause if you do I’ll have to chase you with Bongo’s big stick, and you won’t like Bongo’s big stick.”

With those closing words, First & Only Airsoft’s Bongo brought to a close one of the funniest but to-the-point safety briefings I have heard in a long while. I was at the Armoury site just on the outskirts of Chester. Now a sprawling modern business hub, Wrexham Industrial Estate was developed on

;Players move through the site’s lush vegetation, which makes navigating around difficult at times gSafety briefings led by Bongo at The Armoury are a good laugh – but with a serious message

land that was formally occupied by Royal Ordnance and in its heyday employed some 13,000 workers producing solvent-less cordite, which was an explosive propellant used in shells and rockets.

The complex was spread over a large area to minimise any damage from aerial attacks. Any existing farm buildings were left in situ while the main buildings were camouflaged to deter reconnaissance. The buildings were designed to resist incendiary bombs and

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SITE REVIEW FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY

“Peering through cover I was greeted by the sight of about a dozen enemies standing around and being briefed by Bongo about the next phase of the game.inWethehadhornet’s arrivednest.” right blasts, with thick walls and no windows, only small shuttered openings and reinforced roofs, many of which are still in play today.

The site was served by an extensive internal railway system branching from the former Cambrian Railways line between Ellesmere and Wrexham, and many of the routes you follow from game to game are, in fact, the routes of these old railway tracks.

The large car park is right next to the main road and, misleading sat-navs and Google Maps aside, the site is really easy to find. When I was there, the lads from the First & Only retail shops had set up a small stall which was constantly surrounded by players getting last-minute pyros or accessories.

Bongo expected a heavy turnout for this game, as numerous players had turned up without going through the proper booking system. “It’s a bit of a mither on the catering side,” he said, “but as you’ll see the site can easily accommodate the numbers today.”

We trooped off from the safe zone following the tracks down to the site of the first game. On many sites that I visit it is pretty easy to cast an eye over the lay of the land and work out how to play the terrain. With the vegetation at The Armoury being at its most lush, I didn’t have a clue, and was happy that our three-man team had tagged onto a group of players that knew the site.

Advancing slowly through thick crops of Himalayan balsam (that’s what those tall plants are, fellas) that stood as high as us, their flowers at face height and hundreds of bees flying in and out, it was like being in the tropics. Although they offered great cover you couldn’t see more than a few feet ahead and I was glad when we reached a wooded slope that was less densely covered. A few quick engagements and we reached the protection of an old brick building giving me a chance to get my bearings.

The second scenario saw us on a defend and fall back game. We tagged onto another couple of players who were defending one of the first buildings that would be attacked.

We agreed to push a little further into the undergrowth surrounding the building to harass the first enemy to arrive.

Before long we could hear chatter drifting through the gorse bushes and when they were close enough we gave them a few cheeky rounds to take out the front players before we blended away into the background. What happened next must fall into one of my skirmish all time top 10!

As we fell back, the other players prepared to defend the building. We passed them and then took up a position to their rear. Before long the oppos had overwhelmed the building

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and our colleagues dropped back. As the enemy stood around a MkV already well past its throw-by date arrived at their feet; they didn’t have time to react (apart from flinch away) as it detonated. Now I’ve lost count of the number of times that a perfectly good grenade has detonated within feet of the enemy only for them to look sheepishly around and crack on like nothing had happened – in reality they would have been strawberry jam! Not on this occasion though as a whole team of six lads stuck their arms in the air and shouted as one “hit”. Well done fellas, this is what our sport needs.

As we trooped to our next location I got to see some of the large fortified ammunition storage bunkers that remain on site. They are now overgrown with foliage and blend in more easily with their surroundings than the clever chaps in the 1940s could ever wish, but the scale of the structure and their use is still clear. Looking at the scale of the site from old aerial photographs, it’s clear that this massive bunker is just one of a hundred odd similar buildings; and this was just one of four Royal Ordinance factories in North Wales.

Lunch is always provided as part of the walk-on fee at First & Only’s events or sites.

Mysteriously, this always seems to be hotdogs, with plenty on offer, and while we tucked in Bongo showed me a site plan that started to give a sense of scale to where we had been that morning. It also allowed me to get a handle on the site boundaries and the connecting paths that can be used to navigate from one spot to another. During the afternoon this five-minute scan of the map would prove very useful indeed.

With lunch out of the way we headed out for the rolling scenarios of the afternoon games. With the space I’ve got to review the site it would be impossible to go into every detail of the way games were organised after lunch.

However, I can say that scenarios were well thought out, gave both sides an equal opportunity for success, and were well marshalled.

The highlight was a phase where we were trying to capture a number of devices that the enemy had to move to a specific location. Having been involved in a number of skirmishes with the enemy near their base, a small team of ‘elite’ geriatrics (yes, I’m one!) known as Old Dogz decided upon a large flanking move to get near the location where we believed the device to be.

We moved slowly through the undergrowth and the head-high plants until the noise from contacts was a distant sound. Carrying on along a pathway we seemed to be moving further away from the base, and even with our experience, doubts started to creep in that we were even still on the site. Turning 90 degrees we then started to climb an embankment and heard the chatter of players not too far ahead.

We crept forward to an old building that we swept

“Whatever the reason, the outcome was predictable.

One by one,were the GIdestroyed” positions

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SITE REVIEW FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY

jTaking partial cover in the site’s disused brick buildings on site, a player prepares to gun down his enemies lRounding a corner, two players catch sight of the opposing team ;A sniper lies in wait amid the thick foliage

to confirm that it was clear. The voices were no further than 20m away now and we moved slowly, guns in the shoulder, expecting to be bumped any time soon. Peering through cover I was greeted by the sight of about a dozen enemies standing around and being briefed by Bongo about the next phase of the game and what they would have to do. We had arrived right in the hornet’s nest.

I signalled back that we should set up a snap ambush and two of the team moved into a position with eyes on the track.

As we moved into position we heard someone say, “right so we’ve only got 18 minutes to get this out of here and to their base,” so we knew that ‘this’ was one of the devices. We decided to hit them now, and at least eat into some of the precious time they had to complete their task. We all took out a MkV and prepared; we struck them, counted three, and then lobbed them over the bushes.

Safety catches off, we legged it the short distance around the cover a second after the grenades detonated and started double tapping into everyone stood there, including Bongo, which was great for us, as he had his beady eye trained on anyone thinking of dodging the grenade kill, but not so great for him as he took a couple of rounds.

Although it was over in seconds, the look on the enemy’s face will stay with me for a long time. We set off after the

lads carrying the device but just as they escaped us they ran straight into our team-mates coming in the opposite direction. I think the scenario ended one device captured, one delivered and one still undiscovered, so it was a draw.

After this, the regulars at the Armoury wanted a fun game of shotguns/snipers and pistols v AEGs and Bongo was happy to oblige.

As we said our goodbyes we knew that this was a site we’d be happy to return to again in the not too distant future. The sun was sitting that bit lower in the sky as the kit was packed away and the first hint of autumn was in the air – but I’ve got to say that our time creeping through that Himalayan Balsam had undoubtedly given me my airsoft highlight of summer 2013.

INFORMATION FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY Location: Oak Road, Wrexham, Denbighshire, LL13 9RG Web: www.firstandonlyevents.co.uk Tel: 07554 800040 Times: 08:00 opening; 09:30 safety brief; 09:45 first game, 16:30 close Price: £25 walk-on; from £15 for hire Limits: 350fps (AEGs); 500fps (single-shot snipers)

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SITE REVIEW FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY

SPARTAN Airsoft

NESTLED IN THE WOODS ALONGSIDE BRISTOL AIRPORT, SPARTAN AIRSOFT IS FAST BECOMING ONE OF THE SOUTHWEST’S PREMIER SITES. KRIS ROBERTS CHECKS IT OUT…

A

KRIS ROBERTS

Formerly a member of the TA, Kris has over a decade’s worth of airsoft experience.

Not one to be swayed

by Gucci kit, his philosophy is ‘keep it simple, safe and fun’

s the enormous passenger jet made its descent into Bristol International Airport, little did the travel-weary passengers on board know that just a few hundred feet beneath them the battle for supremacy was reaching fever pitch. Under the thick canopy of treetops the deafening whine from the twin turbine engines was enough to drown out all other noise, and the savviest among the attackers were quick to use the distraction as a chance to push forward.

We were into the final minutes of a two-hour game, one that had seen the fighting range to all corners of the site, producing some truly awesome levels of play. The red team was defending, tasked with holding and securing a series of bases that were scattered along the road that weaved its way around the arena. The yellow team had a simple task: to attack these bases in sequence, clearing each of all opposition before moving on to the next.

It was clear as the game’s end drew near that the yellows would not achieve all their goals. For the last 45 minutes the reds had held

the road at the helicopter base against all odds, blocking the way for the yellows to move on and launch a final offensive on the reds’ last stronghold down at the Mortar Pits base. All focus had now fallen on this small junction in the road, and its capture or defence had become the defining battle of the whole day.

I had been snapping away frantically with my camera since the game had started, and found myself embedded with the defenders during their last stand. With the sudden surge of incoming fire I chose discretion and wrapped my camera up in my jumper to protect it. There was no way for me to break away from the game without being lit up like a Christmas tree, so in the knowledge that at least my camera was now safe from harm, I took cover and prepared to ride out the coming storm of hellfire.

Standing over me, a defender fired his squad support weapon into the tree line, raking the attackers with long bursts of rapid fire.

For a few seconds he held his ground, until five well-aimed shots slammed into his chest and put him out of the game. The loss of

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firepower was immediately apparent, and the attackers seized the initiative. At the same moment the marshals started their 30-second end-of-game countdown, and this served only to fuel the adrenaline even more.

Pulling myself into the cabin of the helicopter to seek protection from the hail of incoming BBs, I saw the yellows breaking through the tree line and charge into the base. Grenades were exploding everywhere, and rounds were ricocheting off the metalwork at such a rate that the sound they created was one continuous roar.

The marshals’ cry went up: “Game over!” The noise died in a heartbeat. I raised my head slowly and climbed out of the helicopter. Seeing a red player standing next to me, I turned and asked him who had won. A broad, beaming smile stretched across his face and without a word he walked away to join his teammates. Laughing to myself I understood his expression completely. Winning or losing was irrelevant; the game itself was a victory for all.

Spartan Airsoft can be found in the thick woodland that borders the western edge of the runway at Bristol Airport. The terrain is on a gently sloping hill carved up by roads and

gPlayers duke it out at the heli base – one of several cool features at Spartan Airsoft kAbandoned vehicles are used to great effect at the site

pathways. In addition to the natural cover, several bases have been constructed which serve as objectives or reference points. At the village base, multiple hooches have been built. With some at ground level and others raised on stilts, each can house a host of players and provides a close quarters element when clearing them of opposition.

Abandoned vehicles such as Land Rovers, armoured cars and a downed Wessex helicopter are also used to great effect throughout the site, and provide further cover.

The site is owned and run by Malcolm Jarema, known to all as ‘Beard’. Beard

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SITE REVIEW SPARTAN AIRSOFT

entered the paintball scene back in the late 1980s, and naturally picked up on airsoft as it grew in popularity. With a quarter of a century of experience behind him, Beard opened the gates to Spartan Airsoft in April 2012. It is clear when visiting the site that a high level of commitment and hard work has gone into making it a success in such little time. Beard is quick to acknowledge his team of loyal workers on this point.

“In the months leading up to opening day they were on site with me every weekend.

In rain or snow, we’d be out there building the hooches. We’d be dragging vehicles,

“Grenades were expl o di n g everywhere, and rounds were ri c ocheti n g off the metal w ork at such a rate that the sound they created was one continuous roar” crates, barrels, anything we could get into the woods to build up the site. And that’s not even mentioning the safe zone. It could not have been done without them.”

The safe zone is a large wooden-walled square, with sheltered seating and a kitchen which serves hot food throughout the day.

The booking-in office houses all the rental kit, along with supplies of ammo and gas and a battery charging station. The square is where all safety and game briefs are made, and it acts as a social hub where players roam around comparing weapons and swapping war stories. Outside the safe zone, beyond the safety net, all chronoing is done on the site’s target range. The range is fitted out with man-size targets and provides the perfect spot for players to check their hop-ups and adjust their sights.

The games themselves are varied and cover the whole site.

Sometimes, players are given free rein, but other times are limited in their movements and are forced to add a bit of problem solving if they want to achieve their goals. It is here that I need to give a special mention to the marshals. Headed up by brothers Adam and Pete Watts, the team consists of experienced airsoft players. In the field they remain in constant contact with each other via radio, and with in-ear headphones they can share information without being overheard by nearby players. This system, along with their combined experience allows them to make instant decisions about the game, changing or evolving it as it progresses. For the players, this means that, should a game become bogged down, the marshals are on hand to circumvent the problem – and they are able to instantly communicate the changes to all players.

The construction, planning and execution of every open game day provide the player with the best experience possible. Take, for example, the use of biodegradable ammunition. The site enforces the use of bio BBs, but instead of leaving it there, Beard has ordered in different makes, and has recruited a couple of people to test which

is the best, so that they can be offered to players at the shop.

It is hard to remain 100 per cent unbiased when writing an airsoft review, for the simple fact that I love airsoft. I love the game, the people, the equipment, and as such find myself drawn to it like a moth to a flame. It is a world in which I feel I belong.

My review was conducted over three separate game days, and to prove my journalistic impartiality I looked hard to find a fault on which to report. In truth I couldn’t find one. The site, its staff, and the players I saw in action all conducted themselves in a manner on which this sport was built: honesty, fairness and fun.

In concluding, I find that I also pay my greatest compliment of all. As an airsofter, walking on to the playing fields of Spartan Airsoft, it feels like coming home.

INFORMATION SPARTAN AIRSOFT Location: Brockley Combe, Bristol, BS48 3DF Web: www.spartanairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07791176046 Prices: £20 walk on; £40 with hire kit Fps limit: 350 for standard RIFs; 450 for boltaction sniper rifles Info: Booking required; site is UKARA registered.

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REVITROOPS EWING the

TWO YEARS INTO HIS COLD WAR WARRIOR SERIES, GARETH ‘GADGE’ HARVEY REFLECTS ON THE UK COLD WAR SCENE SO FAR, AND ASKS WHAT THE FUTURE HAS IN STORE

I

GARETH 'GADGE' HARVEY

Gadge is our resident history buff and FilmSim fanatic. He has a passion for WWII, Nam-soft and Cold War gaming – but still finds time to fit in an open-day skirmish

024 December 2013

t’s hard to believe that only a few years ago the Cold War airsoft genre was just another ‘what if’ on the wishlist of a dozen or so players scattered around the UK. And now, as I write this, we’re about to embark on the third year of an epic series of events.

This month, rather than taking a look at a combat soldier of the Cold War, I thought I‘d take the time to have a look at how the UK Cold War airsoft scene is faring, where we’ve been, what we’ve done, and perhaps ask what you’d like to see in future Cold War events and articles.

The popularity and speed with which Cold War airsoft has picked up has frankly blown me away. When I saw adverts for the first Cold War games being run by companies like Gunman Airsoft, I imagined only handful of over-40 gamers would attend – those that could remember Cold War tensions vividly. How wrong could I be?

Surprisingly for a fairly new avenue of airsoft, and given it essentially involves fighting a war that never happened, attendance at Cold War games rivals some of the bigger WWII events, and only seem to be increasing. Perhaps it’s the fact that, now, 30 years on, 1983 feels like ‘proper’ history – or perhaps it’s the fact that, unlike WWII kit, you can get original uniforms incredibly

cheaply. I’m not sure, but one thing I do know is that the Cold War scene is getting bigger and better every month and doesn’t seem close to reaching its peak yet.

The last two years have seen some great advances. I’d like to think that this column has helped a lot of airsofters realise that you can put together a cool, different and effective loadout without breaking the bank. I’d like to think that’s part of the reason for its success, but I think most of it is down to the hard work of the Gunman Airsoft crew in running not one but two exciting Cold War campaigns over the last two years.

WAR ON TWO FRONTS As regular readers will probably know already, the main UK Cold War campaign is set in a fictional World War III that’s kicked off in 1983. The story so far is that Polish dissidents have rebelled against the communist powers that be, and a NATO expeditionary force has been sent to aid them. Over the course of the first year and some exciting battles, the Soviets eventually got the upper hand, kicking NATO out of Poland and finding themselves with a very valid casus belli. This early campaign, called Red Mist, was exciting enough – but the Gunman crew went one step further and threw an Afghanistan theatre into the mix. Building on the real

COLD WAR WARRIOR REVIEWING THE TROOPS

I’ve focused on Gunman’s established Cold War campaign, but it will be interesting to see how many more sites and game organisers take up this style of gaming as the player base expands.

While years ago you’d struggle to see a loadout that wasn’t ultra-modern or WWII, now nearly every popular forum’s kit pictures and loadout zones are featuring 60s, 70s and 80s Cold War loadouts.

As WWII players will know, non-modernthemed airsoft suffers from the annoying fact that unusual or rare weapons from the past are rarely made into AEGs. This is less true of Cold War games, as luckily nearly every manufacturer makes some form of AK for the ‘bad guys’, and there are a plethora of early M16 types about.

It’s only the poor Brits who have to worry.

Sure, two companies do make an SLR, but both seem to be very hard to get currently, and as yet no one makes the classic British ‘Sterling’ SMG (which, given it’s also the base for the ‘storm-trooper blaster’ in Star Wars, I’m quite surprised about).

COLD WAR FUTURE kThemed Cold War games have seen players adopt the appearance of everything from Soviets to the Mujahidin

So in the last two years we’ve seen a mighty European Campaign, an Afghanistan theatre open up and more and more people flock to the scene – but what’s in store for the future?

world occupation of Afghanistan in the 80s by Soviet forces, and the resistance to the Soviets by the Mujahidin, an exciting plot was built in to incorporate the ‘what if’ war. In the ‘Cold War’ alternative universe, the hard-pressed Mujahidin were now receiving military assistance from a contingent of US Rangers sent to help them fight the Soviets (as opposed to the very covert CIA backing they received in the real world). Not only does the Cold War campaign have a war on two fronts, but events on one warzone can seriously influence the plot of the next instalment across a continent.

For example, in Afghanistan, NATO and the Warsaw Pact have been fighting over a vital oil refinery needed to fuel the war machines of both sides if, or more likely when, a full-blown European war kicks off.

At the moment, it’s damaged and in Soviet hands, which has stalled the Russians a little but hampered NATO more. In our current game universe the two armies now sit on either side of the inner German border... geared up for war and just raring to go!

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COLD WAR WARRIOR REVIEWING THE TROOPS

lGiven the enthusiasm of the ever-increasing number of participants, there seems to be plenty more to come from the Cold War scene kWhy not join the ranks of airsofters enjoying life as a Soviet conscript or grizzled paratrooper at weekends?

Cold War games have incorporated more features than simply ‘shoot the baddies, capture the hill’. Like the WWII scene before it, the Cold War scene often involves large amounts of role-play and complicated plots as minefields are cleared, prisoners captured, observation posts constructed and manned. It’s possible to have an exciting, tense hour in the field and not even fire a shot. Ammo limits means that the trigger-happy don’t tend to last long, and the tension is increased when you have to make every shot count.

For those of you put off by the term ‘role-play’, don’t worry; nobody is going to ask you to pretend to be a level 10 wizard.

It’s more that most players do try to get themselves into the mind set of being a scared Soviet conscript or grizzled paratrooper veteran and play in the style their chosen army would have historically used – such as the Soviets favouring large massed assaults with a lot of full auto, while the Brits hold them off with accurate semi-auto rifle fire while dug in. It’s not Dungeons and Dragons... more crosscountry pantomime (see… that sounds so much better!)

Looking forwards, it’s safe to say the existing campaign looks set to carry on and get bigger and better as the war heats up.

But I’ve also heard rumours of planned ‘Northern Ireland’ games set in the Cold War era 1970s. Whether these will be judged a big hit or too close to home is yet to be seen. However, as I’ve mentioned it would be great to hear from any of you out there planning your own Cold War games. I know myself and the guys at Airsoft Action would love to get involved. On the kit and guns side of things, stuff seems to get better and better. Original kit doesn’t seem to be showing any sign of drying up, but just in case it ever did it’s interesting to see that reproductions are already being made of rarer Cold War era kit, especially stuff like the East German paratrooper uniforms and winter kit we’ve featured in previous articles.

FUTURE FEATURES I’d also like to look even further into the future and into the nature of this very column itself. At the moment we’ve covered a lot of the ‘classic’ archetypes and uniforms of the Cold War but I’d love to know from you, the readers, which loadouts you’d like to see. The

026 December 2013

feedback I get from meeting readers at games, shows or chatting online is that Cold War Warrior is a popular part of the magazine and while I know I’m fascinated by the near nuclear war of the 1980s it’s great to know I’m not alone.

How would you feel about some articles covering the immediate years following the Cold War and the break-up of the USSR? Would you like to see some loadout articles based around the Balkan wars, perhaps UN peacekeepers or Bosnian mercenaries? How about some features of the kit and equipment of the first Gulf War, or would you prefer us to go back to the earlier days of the Cold War and look at ‘small wars’ Britain and her allies fought immediately after WWII amid a dissolving empire?

Either way, do drop me a line or make your views known on the Airsoft Action Facebook page. At the moment there is so much I’d like to explore and so many interesting loadouts we can feature, but it’s your magazine and I’d like to know where you the readers would like it to go. Equally if you’ve got a cracking Cold War loadout, send me some pics via the editor. I’ll do my best to get your impression featured – I’m especially interested to hear from those of you with decent Vietnam loadouts so get out there and get snapping!

Next month, Cold War Warrior resumes its normal service and we’ll be taking a look at the British Infantryman of the Korean War.

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SPECOPSHOP BOONIE

KRYPTEK IN THE UK: Part II

RICHARD BELL – AKA FIREBASE-ALPHA – ROUNDS UP A HOST OF COOL KIT HE USES IN THE INNOVATIVE KRYPTEK CAMO PATTERNS

RICHARD BELL

Richard sees airsoft as his calling in life, and likes to rise to the challenges it presents.

He is active as a student and trainer, and leads from the front

I

One of SpecOpShop’s signature pieces appeared in last issue’s boonie hat feature. Without repeating the specifications all I can say is that it’s a very well built, well thought out product with some great features. One of the most distinctive elements is the use of hollow 550 cord, allowing for the insert of foliage. This is optional, but it is a great feature and has no impact on the performance, even in dense woodland.

INFO: www.specopshop.com PATTERN: MANDRAKE

TIGER TAILOR DUMP POUCH Tiger Tailor is currently the only non-American company in this mix. Based in France it has a very good reputation for producing outstanding gear, and this Gen 2 dump pouch is no exception. It can hold multiple magazine types, ranging from M4 style, 20-round 7.62 (including Magpuls) or 30round 7.62 when fully extended. It is attached using two one-inch webbing straps with snap fasteners and can be rolled up and secured very quickly. The main opening is adjustable in size via shock cord, and I would suggest that you do some dry-runs before trying to adjust on the go in the field. It also has a drainage hole and comes with an instruction manual, which is a lovely touch.

INFO: www.tigertailor.com PATTERN: MANDRAKE

n the last issue of Airsoft Action I explained my personal journey so far with Kryptek camo patterns, from my first thoughts through to some of the challenges that I faced while procuring them. I discussed how the patterns can work in a complete loadout, and hopefully introduced them to readers previously unaware of Kryptek.

In this part I will breakdown the uniform, gear and apparel that you saw in part one. Although I will touch upon some specific details, I will endeavour not to swamp you with tons of technical data. The images display detail as opposed to demonstrating how effective the pattern is at blending in with your environment.

The Kryptek gear I use has been well fielded since March 2013, in a variety of weather conditions and training styles. I am not soft on either myself or my gear, nor am I a fair-weather shooter; my gear has to endure what I do – and I endure the Scottish rural climate!

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FEATURE CAMO: KRYPTEK

VERTX GUNFIGHTER TOP Vertx was the only company producing garments in the primary Kryptek patterns in early 2013. Its Gunfighter Shirt (Highlander pattern) is a lightweight, no-frills top based on a low visual profile. This affords the user protection and comfort, as well as freedom of movement and flexibility. It has some great features like the micro-fleece-lined collar, easily accessible zippered pockets on both arms, as well as loop Velcro for patches and ID tags located over each pocket. The front zipper runs three quarters of the length of the top allowing flexibility in wear. I prefer to tuck mine, preventing irritating rubbing of the zipper on your lower extremities. The 50/50 nylon and cotton mix is very common with uniforms across the globe and it has its pros and cons dependent on the user. My only real criticism is the lack of pockets on the main body; I like to have options. However, this was based on the designers working with teams that predominately use armour/plate carriers and so pockets would cause rubbing, irritation and discomfort.

INFO: Vertx (www.wearvertx.com) PATTERN: HIGHLANDER

VERTX TROUSERS These trousers provide most of the features I would expect from a low profile lightweight garment. They have incorporated some well-concealed pockets in key places that can hold equipment from mobile phones to magazines, and are readily accessible.

I really like the stretch waistband, allowing a comfortable but secure fit without the need for a belt. You have plenty of movement in the crotch, knees and hips so you never feel like you’re going into ‘Hulk mode’ when performing some dynamic moves. I did have some concerns due to the lack of knee protection – but so far I have not experienced any hard impacts in those areas, although in an urban environment I feel knee protection would be required. My only slight gripe is that it’s a zippered crotch as opposed to stitched buttons – down to my lack of trust of any zippered trouser designed for aggressive use. However, so far I have had zero fails with my original pair, which I have been running since March.

INFO: www.wearvertx.com PATTERN: MANDRAKE

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FEATURE CAMO: KRYPTEK

EXTREME GEAR LABS VOCR VOCR stands for Vehicle (Variable) Operator Chest Rig and is an incredibly lightweight, large load-carrying beast of a chest rig. Each chest rig made by EGL is bespoke to the user; it is not an off-the-shelf product. It is not utilitarian, and as you can see has a great deal of flexibility.

My personal requirement was for a chest rig that could hold four primary magazines (based on a 20-round 7.62) as well as four 40mm shells (comfortable size for a variety of different needs). Combined with the GP and STUFFIT pouch it is able to hold all my accessories in a very convenient, accessible part of my body while keeping a low visibility profile. There are a number of key features that allow me to increase its load capability directly, and the rig is directly compatible with a number of armour and plate carriers in the current market.

PRACTICAL TACTICAL FIREARMS CUSTOM ID TAGS When looking for an ID tag I was introduced to Practical Tactical Firearms. When they mentioned the word ‘Mandrake’ I was in. They have a number of different options but I chose the GITD (Glow in the Dark) as I felt it would provide me the best of both worlds. However, I wanted something slightly different – I wanted the ‘Alpha’ symbol to be incorporated into the tag. After a number of tests, and my persistence and patience, they were able to come up with my unique ID tag – and for that I am truly grateful.

❱ INFO: www.practicaltacticalfirearms.com PATTERN: MANDRAKE

❱ INFO: www.extremegearlabs.com PATTERN: MANDRAKE

GREY GHOST GEAR STEALTH PACK The Stealth Pack from GGG is lightweight, a good size for short-term load-bearing, low profile and versatile.

It has two front pockets and a bladder insert, located at the rear. I use the first front pocket for admin mainly (maps, phone, pens, smoke grenades), as it offers quick access for both me and a teammate.

The main pocket has twin magazine holders located at the top (will easily fit AR style magazines) although they are unable to hold my ‘Bren gun’ magazine. I can easily carry a day’s worth of essentials, including fluids, in this pack. It has performed well in the field, for business travel, and on days out with the kids. Like my chest rig it is constructed to military specifications using only the best heavy-duty and hardwearing materials. It does have a bigger brother, and with my role and needs changing there is a requirement to upgrade. There is no MOLLE or Looped capability so you cannot expand on this pack, so be warned, if you carry your house with you all the time you will struggle; this pack is for disciplined users.

❱ INFO: www.greyghostgear.com PATTERN: MANDRAKE

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UNDER ARMOUR boots

SCOTT ALLAN GETS HIS FEET INTO UNDER ARMOUR’S NEW RANGE OF BOOTS TO SEE IF THEY STAND UP TO THE COMPETITION

M

y father often repeats an old saying: “spend money on footwear and your bed; if you are not standing on one you are sleeping in the other.” Until American sportswear brand Under Armour makes a bed (which would be pretty awesome I think), I will have make do with their great boot range – and here I have two types to test, the Speed Freek and the Valsetz Tactical.

I’ve always been a bit of an undeclared boots whore. In the last seven years I’ve had Salomon, Converse, Timberland, Lowa and Danner boots – to name just a few. A couple stand out for various reasons, some good and some bad. Most are just middle of the road. While I am no Special Forces ninja, I am a busy player on the airsoft field, either marshalling or shooting. When that is all over at the end of the day I enjoy a variety of other things such as dog walking, power kiting and day-to-day work including driving or riding a motorbike. So I think I have a fair idea of what makes a good all-round boot.

One thing many buyers get wrong is their approach to how long they think boots should last. Many people believe that the more you spend the longer a pair should last, but this thinking is backwards unfortunately. Formula 1 tyres give outrageous amounts of grip, cost £400 each, and last literally minutes, whereas the humble Ford Focus tyre can cost you £40 and last you 20,000 miles. My rock climbing shoes cost me £90 and are great on a wall, but I wouldn’t walk my dog with them in the rain; I actually cringe at the thought.

But they cost £90! So what? It is not what they are designed for and while you do get what you pay for you, should always be realistic that not all boots last forever, regardless of cost.

Every person is different with what they do with their footwear.

Back to car tyres, the driver who floors it everywhere, jumps on the brakes at every set of lights and pushes into every corner will use tyres much more quickly than the little old dear who heads to the tea and scone shop a few times a week. So if you are harsh with your boots you are going to have to spend more money more often. If you are heavier, scuff your feet, or kick down trees you are going to wear them out quicker. So be reasonable to your footwear and match them to your needs.

UNDER ARMOUR VALSETZ The Valsetz boots come in two colours: desert or black. The desert is quite a light tan but this would undoubtedly darken quickly. Personally, I wouldn’t buy black boots anymore; I couldn’t really tell you why but perhaps it is the airsoft desert loadout fetish that exists these days. The idea behind the Valsetz boot was to provide all the support of a tactical boot with the flexibility and weight of a running shoe. The result is this hybrid boot which looks brilliant. Used by police and military all over the world, it is popular and not too expensive.

The feature list reads like an impressive sales pitch, largely because it is pretty impressive. But what you shouldn’t expect is a fully waterproof Gore-Tex boot, because the Valsetz is not and was never meant to be one. It is water-resistant, which means just that; light rain and day-to-day duties will be fine. In hot weather they will breathe well too.

So why choose this boot? Well, the comfort is out of this world! The only boot I ever used that compares is the Converse Desert Warrior, which sadly is not made anymore. So they are very comfortable, they provide a high degree of grip as well as an extremely lightweight design which means they will not weigh you down and tire you out over the course of a day. Due to the thinner construction they are extremely flexible in what you can do – so climbing around, running and general tomfoolery should not be an issue at all. If you are going to play airsoft games in the wet I’d avoid this one. It’s more suitable for summer, indoor games or daily wear.

FEATURES: Contoured, compression-moulded EVA midsole; moulded Ortholite sockliner; rubber outsole; textured, high-abrasion rubber toe rand; speed-lacing shanks on the upper HEIGHT: 7” WEIGHT: 439g COLOURS: Black or Desert PRICE: £90

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KIT BAG UNDER ARMOUR BOOTS

UNDER ARMOUR SPEED FREEK The Speed Freek is a very exciting boot, and I love footwear in this class. At the moment I also wear the Salomon 4D GTX, and though I’ve worn Salomon off and on for many years, weirdly the latest pair have been slightly disappointing. They have worn quicker than any of my other pairs and while still good, I just felt they weren’t quite as good as previous versions.

That aside I have now been sporting the Speed Freek in MultiCam on my hooves for a good few weeks and they are superb. While they are also available in black I opted for the MultiCam, which I never thought I would do. The Speed Freek is a bigger and heavier boot than the Valsetz, this is because it is meant for harsher use.

One of the key features is the addition of Gore Tex, one of the single greatest components ever invented and I never buy serious boots that don’t have this material. Gore Tex is not just one of the best, it is the best and definitive standard in foul weather materials. When your feet get wet it allows them to breathe and dry out, unlike a wellington boot that would just hold the water in.

So why choose this boot? I chose the MultiCam variant as I thought they looked better; they are stylish but still very comfortable. In wet conditions your feet stay dry, and that is always a massive plus. This is still quite a lightweight boot – over 10 per cent lighter than the Salomons I wear, which is very impressive. So if you are a player that is looking for a higher end boot that will be better in the wet months then this is a serious contender.

Genuinely, you cannot go wrong at these prices with this performance.

FEATURES: Waterproof Gore-Tex lining; high-abrasion TPU toe cap; EVA midsole; molded Ortholite footbed; ETC antifriction lining; speed lacing shanks on the upper HEIGHT: 7” WEIGHT: 566g COLOUR: Black or MultiCam PRICE: From £120

INFORMATION For more information on Under Armour products, visit www.underarmour.com

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KIT REVIEW 5.11 TAC DRY RAIN SHELL

TACTICAL JACKET LIAM MCCORMICK PUTS 5.11’S MULTICAM RAIN SHELL THROUGH ITS PACES – BUT DID IT KEEP HIM DRY, BOTH INSIDE AND OUT?

J

ackets... every airsofter is on the hunt for the right one, something that not only functions as a good outer garment, but also complements the player’s loadout and lends itself to the site. All major tactical brands are producing their own soft shells, jackets and smocks in competition with one another and 5.11 is no different with its latest contender, the MultiCam Tac Dry Rain Shell. Now, I could list all the features of the 5.11’s MultiCam Rain Shell jacket and rattle off the manufacturer’s performance statement, but instead I want to tell you about my experience of the jacket over a weekend game.

When the editor first introduced me to the jacket and asked me to put it through its paces, my first thought was how well made and tough it was, and within an hour I was kitted up and in-game.

I’m a big guy at 6ft2”, and always run a full fighting order. But yet, whether I was sprinting around the site or crawling through the undergrowth, I didn’t once join the ‘Sweaty Betty’ brigade in the 5.11 Rain Shell. When I did start to get a tad warm, I simply

“Whether I was sprinting around the site or crawling through the undergrowth, I didn’t once join the ‘Sweaty Betty’ brigade” opened the QUIXIP quick access side seams and vented off any excess heat. Later in the day, as it turned cooler, I tightened the draw cord at the waist to conserve heat.

In between games, acting as a marshal to give game briefs, I found the removable pullout ID panels useful for attaching my staff/ marshal patches. At the end of a Saturday night game I de-kitted and began packing away for the social but was stunned after inspecting the jacket. Those who know and play with me will know I rarely just stand around, often favouring the gravel belly approach for closing with (and killing) the enemy, but after a good 12 hours of sprinting through woodland and crawling through the undergrowth, the jacket still looked as though it was newly out of the packet – a testament

jThe QUIXIP quick access side seams allow the wearer to vent off excess heat hThere are plenty of pockets for storing accessories and supplies

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KIT REVIEW 5.11 TAC DRY RAIN SHELL

to its toughness, great build and 5.11’s manufacturing process.

While enjoying a sit around the fire with everyone it started to drizzle, so I quickly re-donned the jacket, made use of the rollaway detachable hood stowed in the collar and remained dry and warm while spinning dits and recollecting the day’s game with other players.

On Sunday morning I again made use of the pullout Velcro ID panels to attach my staff patches while briefing the punters and organising the day’s events. When needing to gain access to my duty belt for notebook, pens and so on, the quick access zips on the side allowed me to retrieve these easily without having to lift the jacket up over my belt.

Back in game I found the Tac Dry folded down into a very compact size for easy stowage into a utility pouch or day sack.

Another useful feature is the internal pistol-shaped pocket, and the two magazine pockets over the left chest, easily holding my Glock 17 and its magazines securely in a concealed carry fashion: a sign that 5.11 was focussed towards law enforcement and active shooter environments. jA back vent adds further breathability to the 5.11 Rain Shell jacket hOne useful feature is the pistol-shaped internal pocket gThe rollaway detachable hood is stored in the collar kVelcro cuffs round off the sleeve design

After finishing my weekender I have since used the Tac Dry on hill walks and days out and can honestly say I am very impressed with it. With a myriad of soft shells, smocks, jackets and waterproofs cluttering up my kit room I feel that for the next several months that’s where they will stay, gathering dust, as 5.11’s Tac Dry jacket sees me into next spring.

Those who know me often comment on my ability to come to games with different kit every time! Well, they will be seeing the 5.11 Tac Dry jacket form the staple of my urban and woodland loadouts for the foreseeable future.

INFORMATION 5.11 TAC DRY RAIN SHELL Features: 100 per cent Nylon, breathable seam-sealed construction, removable hood, removable pullout ID panels, 5 pockets, storm flap, QUIXIP quick access side seam zips, waterproof Price: £160 Info: www.511tactical.com

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BACK ‘NAM

to

OSCAR PLUMMER FINDS HIMSELF IN 1965 VIETNAM AT GUNMAN AIRSOFT’S LATEST ‘NAM FILMSIM EVENT

F OSCAR PLUMMER

Oscar believes three things about airsoft: drinking tea makes you win; ‘Tally ho!’ is the best battle cry;and RIS should be banned

ollowing on from The Long Walk, reviewed in the September issue of Airsoft Action, Gunman Airsoft has kicked off a new story arc in its series of Vietnam FilmSim events. ‘Choker’ threw players into the action of late 1965.

By this point in history, the US had decided to up the pace and scale of the war in Vietnam. They hugely reinforced their presence, forcing the regular People’s Army of North Vietnam (PAVN) to fall back, regroup and reassess their plans. The US, mistakenly seeing this as a retreat, implemented a huge offensive, pushing into enemy territory to sever PAVN supply lines, while simultaneously winning the hearts and minds of the population.

Choker’s scenario focused on a small part of this campaign and, in particular, the role of the 25th Division near the Cambodian Border. This unit faced unfamiliar territory; they didn’t know the ground, they didn’t know the people – and they didn’t know the forces arrayed against them. That was the challenge facing the US players at the beginning of the weekend – and the canvas on which the Vietnamese forces were to plot their battleplan!

jFilmSim is about the immersion of the experience, as well as the thrill of battle gA US patrol pushes on through the woods

In Gunman’s signature style, the event was FilmSim, rather than skirmish. The emphasis is on the whole experience, rather than a simple battle. Both teams were briefed on specific rules of engagement and command structure, with respawn, medic and ammunition regs designed to enhance the whole feel of the event. Each unit had a mobile regen, which could enable them to hold positions while cut off from main routes of communications – though these could be captured and destroyed by the opposing force. Medic-wise, players had a limited supply of bandages and a unit medic who could replenish them, while each unit had only a single radio link back to command. Ammunition was run on a real capacity basis, with players only being able to ship 20 or 30 rounds in

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EVENT REPORT GUNMAN AIRSOFT: CHOKER

each mag. All of these factors – as well as encouragement to scream heartily when hit – add up to a really immersive experience, and actually a hell of a lot of fun, although it does take a bit of time to get your head into this style of play. To my mind, it’s pitched between airsoft and full role-play/re-enactment and Gunman get the balance just about perfect.

The PAVN were operating from small, mobile bases, which darted around the site.

Over the course of the weekend they would prove their skills in mobile operations, hitting US positions hard then fading into the trees – although when push came to shove, their commanding commissars would urge them to feats of patriotic heroism, launching seemingly unstoppable horde attacks with the shrill blast of a whistle.

The US, more conventionally, were built around platoon structures, carefully manoeuvred by a central command point. Their mission was to secure and hold (and continue building!) a central operating base, then patrol the local area to gauge the feeling on the ground while establishing lines of communication and supply. Once they had an understanding of their area of operations, they would do their utmost to win over the local population to democracy and the Western Way… or at least that was the plan.

Day one began with the US pushing out to establish their central point – codenamed Firebase William. Their first priority was to get dug in, and begin accumulating supplies and resources to sustain them in the coming operation. Early on in the day they had no enemy contact – which was fortunate as a sizeable contingent stacked their rifles and set to with entrenching tools and sandbags, plugging some gaping holes in the perimeter.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing. Two platoons pushed out to patrol strategic points, and soon encountered the local population. Luckily, trigger fingers were kept under control and relatively benign conversations were struck up with local villagers. In a nice twist, each US platoon had one player nominated as interpreter, and all conversations had to channel through them. It turned out that Firebase William was right on the main route between a local village and their paddy fields. The US command picked up on this opportunity to win a bit of good will, and soon water, medical supplies and food were being distributed to the population – although as yet the location of their village was unknown.

But that was, of course, not to last – the PAVN, timing perfect as always, hit the US just as they had begun to feel that perhaps this would be a quiet posting. The US 2nd Platoon, dug in around a strategic radio tower were hit hard. The PAVN encircled the platoon, cutting them off from their supply routes and almost overran their position, only thwarted by a hasty counterattack from the US 3rd, who extricated their brothers in arms, allowing them to pull back to a set of fox holes to count their blessings. Meanwhile, the main firebase was hit by sporadic and almost inhumanly accurate sniper fire, and a series of probing attacks that continued throughout the day. This wasn’t to be the quiet posting the US had hoped for.

Undaunted, though, the US commanders quickly adapted to the new situation, and manoeuvred their forces to cope with the attacks – although, somehow, the PAVN seemed to

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switch their plans as soon as the US fended off an assault. Sensing that something might not be quite right, recon elements were dispatched to locate the local village to see if any intel could be had.

However, that intel couldn’t come in fast enough – through the afternoon of the first day, the tempo of engagement swelled, and soon every element of the US forces had taken a beating. The commanders cycled each platoon through various strongpoints and supply missions, and tried to get each unit back to the firebase for a resupply – but again, the PAVN seemed to read the GIs’ minds, and pounced quickly and decisively on every attempt at regaining control of the situation – for their part, the best the GIs managed to find were traces of campfires, the PAVN having faded into the jungle upon their approach.

Before long, even the Firebase itself was under heavy assault, with patrols returning to base ambushed right on their very doorstep – at one point, the platoon defending the gates found themselves down to their last mag and were forced to watch an already badly-mauled platoon cut down by a volley of grenades from a PAVN infiltrator right at their very gates! As the sun began to dip, the US commander pulled all his forces back in and ceded control of the surrounding area to the PAVN for the night.

The next day started more positively for the beleaguered US. The recon elements had located and observed the local village, and had reported that while the villagers seemed

;An RPG moves in to wreak havoc among the enemy jThe participants in Choker certainly took it seriously – but plenty of fun was had, too gA PAVN trooper falls in battle

peaceful, the PAVN were regular visitors – many of the supplies that the US had handed over were being swiftly diverted into the PAVN’s pockets! Command decided to act swiftly – it was imperative that the last supplies were brought into the firebase, and that the village was searched. A string of strongpoints and ambushes were set up along the main supply routes, while a contingent went to visit on their neighbours.

At first sight, all was well in the village – the advancing patrol discovered a peaceful and calm scene; recon had made first contact with the village elders, who were (if not happy) at least not perturbed to see 15 heavily armed GIs fan out around their huts. Interpreters

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EVENT REPORT GUNMAN AIRSOFT: CHOKER

conducted negotiations with the village council, who assured the US commander that they were not aiding the PAVN – though they frequently found their food and water being commandeered! They assured the US that they were unarmed – which observation by recon seemed to confirm – and that they just wanted to get on with their lives. Just as the discussions came to an end, though, two radio calls came in. The first was positive; the final supply run was underway. The second was chilling: the PAVN had chosen that moment to launch an all-out attack on the US forces.

As the US patrol decamped from the village, all hell broke loose – the PAVN ground down US positions in a steady stream of attacks that gave the GIs no rest – as soon as one position seemed to repel an assault, it kicked off again somewhere else. The GIs fought hard and just about managed to hold their lines – though again, pretty much every section took a battering – and your correspondent himself spent sizeable amounts of time on the ground, screaming for a medic that never came, until a PAVN bayonet sent me back to regen!

Clearly, something still wasn’t right: the PAVN were massing too precisely, and obviously had some source of intel, while the US lines were frayed, nerves shattered and, at times, the order of battle almost disintegrated in the chaos.

The US commander decided that the local village needed another visit.

This time, there were no pleasantries; the US, battered and shell-shocked,

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EVENT REPORT GUNMAN AIRSOFT: CHOKER

marched straight in, set up a perimeter, herded the villagers together and demanded answers from the elders. At first, the earlier story held; the villagers were nothing but innocent bystanders – but suspicions were running high, and tempers alongside them.

This time, the search of the village left no stone unturned… and the villagers’ story was shaken to the core when a stock of grenades and rifles was discovered. Angry, now, the US leaders destroyed the munitions and returned to what was now an interrogation – meanwhile, the GIs manning the perimeter became more and more jumpy as they watched the bushes. Questions soon turned to demand, and voices raised – and still the outlying platoons were engaging the PAVN with heavy casualties. The GIs decided to take the village leaders in for questioning and, tying their hands, began the trek back to Firebase William.

lPinned back to their firebase, the US troops dig in jThrough careful use of foliage as camouflage, this player emulates the tactics of jungle warfare

At some point on the journey, something happened. Talking to other players, no-one was quite sure. Some said that the PAVN ambushed the GIs, and the villagers were killed in the crossfire. Some said that village elders had tried to snatch a weapon and had been shot; some said they had tried to run and had been gunned down. All that was clear was that the villagers didn’t make it back to the firebase, and that once word of their elders’ demise reached the village, the local people took up arms and added their weight of fire to that of the PAVN. Whatever the reason, the outcome was predictable. One by one, the GI positions were destroyed. All attempts at reinforcing positions were fruitless, and before long, the US area of influence was reduced to the Firebase and the arcs covered by its sentry towers. And still the PAVN – and the VC – kept coming.

The event ended with an hour-long running battle. Though dug in tight, with superior firepower, the US could not beat the enemy back. With seemingly inexhaustible men and munitions, the grunts found themselves pinned behind their defences – and the men who had built two of the main trenches were very glad of their effort the previous day!

Throughout the afternoon, wave after wave of VC and PAVN were mown down, but at heavy cost to the defenders. Ammunition, water and medical supplies began to run low, and the US command were forced to make frantic calls for reinforcements from outside the area of operations. It became touch and go whether they could hold out until the relief column arrived – nothing seemed to hold back the PAVN and the VC, fuelled as they were by the loss of their elders. Battle flowed back and forth, with a well-handled RPG blowing holes in the perimeter, but in the end, the GIs just made it through. One last charge by the Vietnamese forces carried their bayonets right up the barrels of the defenders’ machine guns, but couldn’t break them.

That final assault rounded off another great weekender with Gunman. Like previous events, there was tonnes of action, a massive sense of atmosphere, and a great group of players in the field. The guys who put themselves in the villagers’ shoes for the weekend really made the build up to the final chaotic crescendo of the weekend a blast to play through, so rice-hats off to them! Similarly, the PAVN players must have covered miles over the course of the two days – despite being outnumbered at least three to one, they kept the US side tied town all weekend and, frankly, battered us from here to yonder; at the end of Choker, a lot of the US players were wondering what would happen if the VC side had equal numbers.

Gunman returns to Vietnam in spring 2014. If you’ve never tried a FilmSim or Vietnam event, consider giving the next game a try. It’s not a regular skirmish and I think players get the most from it by getting into the right mindset and putting a bit of effort into their kit – but if you’re after something different, why not give it a try?

INFORMATION GUNMAN AIRSOFT Web: www.gunmanairsoft.com Tel: 07854 277264 Email: enquiries@gunmanairsoft.co.uk

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IN PART ONE OF A TWO-PART FEATURE, RATTY TAKES A LONG LOOK AT ONE OF WWII’S UNSUNG HEROES, THE DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO

HIGH-SPEED BOMBER W IAN ‘RATTY’ ARMITAGE

Ratty has been involved with airsoft since the mid-90s and has seen the sport grow over the past 20 years. He fondly remembers the prehealth and safety days

048 December 2013

hen you think of iconic British fighter aircraft of WWII, the Spitfire or Hurricane are most likely to spring to mind – and the Lancaster if we’re talking iconic British bombers of the same period. Most people think multi-role aircraft are a fairly recent innovation, but there is an oft-overlooked aircraft of WWII that fell into all of the above categories, and was perhaps the first truly multi-role aeroplane.

Although a star of two major films, the de Havilland Mosquito still gets overshadowed by bigger bombers and more ‘glamorous’ fighters. The Mosquito has many local connections to South Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire – and while researching this article I found out that both of Mrs. Ratty’s grandfathers, who worked in furniture factories in High Wycombe, were on the Mosquito production line during the war years.

The Mosquito is one of those wartime tools that (on paper) should never have got off the ground, but ended up being a backbone aircraft. Without it the outcome of the war may well have been very different. Only recently, with old documents coming to light, and aircrew dying off and their logbooks being seen for the first time, have the Mosquito and her crews started to gain the recognition they deserve

DEVELOPMENT

By the early 1930s Geoffrey de Havilland (who was born at Magdala House in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) had developed a reputation for building high-speed aircraft. Having moved base from Stag Lane Aerodrome in Edgware to Salisbury Hall, Hatfield, in 1936 he started work on a plane to the British Air Ministry’s Specification P.13/36. This called for a twin engine, medium bomber capable of carrying a bomb load of 3,000lbs, for 3,000 miles, with a top speed of 275mph at 15,000ft. Over shorter distances the payload could go up to 8,000lbs.

Most firms entered bigger, heavier bombers, such as the Handley Page Halifax and Avro Manchester. However, another concept was put forward – a fast, unarmed bomber that could carry a 3,000lb payload but at speeds in excess of 300mph.

Despite some initial resistance, the project was given the go-ahead. The construction of a prototype DH.98 began in March 1940, and it was ready for its maiden flight on 25 November 1940.

On 16 January 1941, Mosquito prototype W4050 outpaced a Spitfire, and in February it achieved a top speed of 392mph at 19,500ft. In late October 1941, Rolls Royce Merlin 61 engines were fitted. These were the first Merlins fitted with a two-speed, two-stage supercharger, making the Mosquito even faster. In June 1942 it

BIG BOYZ TOYZ DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO

achieved a maximum speed of 428mph at 28,500ft.

So impressed was the Air Ministry that it ordered 19 photo-reconnaissance models, 176 fighters and a further 50 unarmed fast bombers. By the end of January 1942, 1,378 Mosquitos of all variants had been ordered. Many more orders would follow.

CONSTRUCTION

fuel capacity, with later versions up to 3,250 litres. Additional drop tanks could also be fitted, giving the Mossie an outstanding range capability and an ability to strike deep into the heart of enemy territory.

Early prototypes were constructed at the secret Salisbury Hall facility (now home to the de Havilland Museum). However, mass production required factories to manufacture and assemble the finished aircraft. Using a composite wood construction, similar to that used in the earlier Albatross passenger plane, the Mosquito used a mix of Ecuadorean balsawood, sandwiched between sheets of Canadian birch. In parts that had to endure more stress, these were reinforced with sheets of plywood. Spruce was also heavily used in the construction, with all these different woods being held together by wooden screws cased in resin (later replaced by the stronger, more durable Aerolite).

The fuselage section was covered in Madapolam (a fine, plain woven cotton), which was stretched tightly over the shell, and a coat of silver dope applied, after which the camouflage paint was added. The all-wood wing was built as a onepiece structure made of spruce and plywood and finished off in the same way as the fuselage. These were then fitted together and the engines, radiators, bomb bay and doors were added.

With all this wood construction and assembly involved, de Havilland needed experts at woodworking to mass-produce the airplane. High Wycombe had for many years been the centre of the UK furniture industry, and as de Havilland already had facilities at Hatfield and Leavesden (now the film studios), it was an obvious choice. Soon, many of the furniture factories were tooled up to start producing Mosquitos on what is now the Creesex Industrial Estate.

Apart from its mostly wooden construction, what gave the Mosquito an edge was its speed. Originally designed to be unarmed, the twin supercharged Merlins meant that early Mosquitos could achieve nearly 430mph, far outpacing anything that Axis forces had, and throughout the Mosquito’s operational life, these engines would be upgraded to help maintain its edge.

Another thing that made the Mosquito superb in all manner of roles was its nine fuel tanks, giving it great range and endurance. Early variants had a 2,050-litre

The Mosquito was first publically announced on 26 September 1942, after a raid on Oslo the previous night.

Despite its original conception as an unarmed high-speed medium bomber, it was also particularly good in its photo reconnaissance role too. These variants were designed to fly at a very high altitude, while others were tasked with numerous duties, both offensive and defensive. Night Fighter and Day Fighter variants, first tested in 1941, were armed with four .303 machine guns in the nose cone and four Hispano 20mm cannons in the fuselage belly. Later in 1942, with the development of German high-altitude bombers, five high-altitude Mosquito bombers were hurriedly converted to Night Fighter configuration to combat them.

Between late 1942 and mid 1943 the Mosquito found itself on high-speed, low to medium-altitude missions, attacking railways, factories and other specific precision targets inside occupied Europe and even deep into Germany.

OPERATIONAL HISTORY

jThe Rolls Royce Merlin 61 engines gave the Mosquito its high speed gThe Mosquito could carry a 3,000lb payload hSome Mosquitos were fitted with a modified Molins 6pdr cannon

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BIG BOYZ TOYZ DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO

hThe Mosquito Museum in Hertfordshire has many examples of the aircraft, and its prototypes, on display

From there, when the Allies went on the offensive, Mosquitos were also widely used by the RAF’s Pathfinder Force, flying at night, marking the targets ahead of the main strategic bombing force. On top of all of these roles, Mossies were also tasked with flying ‘nuisance raids’. These usually involved the Mosquito dropping a 4,000lb bomb called from high altitude. Interestingly, the bomb load capacity was more than that of a B17 Flying Fortress.

Another Mosquito variant, fitted with a modified Molins 6pdr cannon as well as the .303 machine guns housed in the nose section, was used by Coastal Command in attacking both surface vessels as well as the dreaded U-Boats. In 1943 the Bay of Biscay offensive saw Mosquitos destroying and damaging a significant number of these vessels.

Many other variants were manufactured, including a ‘navalised’ torpedo bomber, un-armed, dual control trainers and even target tugs! A few Mosquitos were even converted to carry Highball bouncing bombs.

In total, some 7,781 Mosquitos were built, 6,710 of which were built during the war. They saw service not just with the RAF, but also with many other Air Forces in the European theatre as well as the Mediterranean and Italian theatres. They saw

050 December 2013

gVariants of the Mosquito were many, and this venerable plane saw action all across the world – including south-east Asia

action in south-east Asia and, with the Royal Australian Air Force, during the Pacific War. By the end of the war the Mosquito suffered the lowest losses of any aircraft in RAF Bomber command and worked out at 4.95 times cheaper than a Lancaster.

NEXT TIME Check out the Xmas 2013 edition of Airsoft Action for part two – in which Ratty looks at some of the famous raids carried out by the Mosquito, plus the bomber’s history on the big screen, and its famous air crew…

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WILD WEST

THE FLYING LEAD SERIES OF EVENTS PLAYS OUT LIKE A GROWN-UP GAME OF COWBOYS AND INDIANS – A FORMAT WITH A WIDER APPEAL THAN YOU MIGHT THINK, SAYS GARETH ‘GADGE’ HARVEY, REPORTING BACK FROM THE LATEST INSTALMENT. PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE MCBRIDE.

GARETH 'GADGE' HARVEY

Gadge is our resident history buff and FilmSim fanatic. He has a passion for WWII, Nam-soft and Cold War gaming – but still finds time to fit in an open-day skirmish

jPlayers in the Flying Lead series of events pride themeslves on their costumes and colourful characterisation ;The folk of Shingle Springs hold parley with a local Native American tribe

052 December 2013

O

ne of the things I love about the airsoft hobby is its sheer diversity.

I spent years playing paintball, and the best part of a decade in the wargames industry, but even that didn’t have the sheer creativity and craziness that the airsoft community manages to put into the games held across the country every Saturday and Sunday.

Now if you’re the sort of person who thinks that airsoft can only be about red team versus blue team in a desperate battle to capture the same flag eight times over the day, or about showing off the newest Gucci kit in the safe zone and upgrading your AEG to a blistering rate of fire but not actually getting stuck in with the story, then I’ll give you an advance warning: you’re not going to like this review. But if, on the other hand, you love your games to have a good story, don’t mind getting creative with your gameplay and most importantly, have a bit of a hankering for trashy westerns, then this review should be right up your street.

Flying Lead is the name behind a series of linked games set in the American midwest in the 1880s. The country is reeling from a devastating civil war, wild bands of ‘Injuns’ roam the plains, conmen, criminals and gunslingers travel from town to town trying to make an honest (or dishonest) buck, and you, the lucky player, can be part of all this.

Some of you will have seen the reviews from previous Flying Lead events, but for those of you new to the idea it’s a cunning blend of live action role-play (that’s the hitting each other with rubber swords while wearing odd costumes hobby) and airsoft (that’s the hitting each other with plastic balls while wearing odd costumes hobby). Unlike a regular team-based open day, or a MilSim weekender, most people who sign up to play Flying Lead come along as an individual or at most a small ‘posse’ of gunslingers. You might be lawman, a bandit, a confidence trickster, a gambler, a travelling doctor… whatever your profession your main occupation is to make money and stay alive out in the Wild West.

For those that have played Red Dead Redemption or watched Deadwood, it’s an easy world to slip into. For those that haven’t, it’s time to draw upon your memories of all those Saturday afternoon spaghetti westerns, drag out the cowboy clichés, and get stuck in. While a costume is easy enough to put together (a rummage round a few charity shops will nearly always provide a player with a reasonable ‘19th century’ outfit) getting a suitable shooter can be problematic. But as the rules allow bolt action ‘hunting rifles’ like a basic VSR or a Tanaka K98 it’s usually fairly easy to get something to battle with until you decide to splash out on a Colt Single Action revolver or a Winchester under-lever rifle.

The Flying Lead games have been going on for a few years now and the community of ‘Shingle Springs’ has been built up by industrious airsofters to have a sheriff’s office, a telegraph station, a blacksmith’s, general store, saloon and even a ‘brothel’ (don’t ask!). On the outskirts of the town are the ancestral lands of the ‘Blackfoot’ Native Americans, and recently outlaws from the settlement

EVENT REPORT FLYING LEAD: ROLL THE DICE

have founded ‘Las Cortinas’, a small but rapidly growing hive of scum and villainy. But it was Shingle Springs that would be the focal point of this latest instalment, entitled ‘Roll the Dice’.

A grand poker tournament for high stakes had been announced across the land, and every gunslinger, chancer, outlaw and charlatan for a hundred miles had turned up to try their luck or lighten the pockets of the winners at gunpoint. So, with a town full of armed, drunk (only pretending, it’s shandy strength drinks only ‘til end-ex) and

excitable westerners gathered together what could possibly go wrong?

Well, for a start, it’s hard to tell. You see at Flying Lead everyone turns up with a ‘character’ (the level of detail is up to them) and with a few goals of their own. They might have to blow some land clear for a railroad using pyro, they might be guns for hire, they might (as in the case of my group) be a peaceful local tribe of natives.

Whatever their reason for being there it’s up to the players to make their own story by persuasion, trickery, shooting, stealing or any other means necessary (I repeat… please don’t ask about the brothel).

At this event, myself and four pals played the ‘Blackfoot’ tribe of Native Americans and so were encamped a fair distance away from the two cowboy settlements and not privy to all of the plots and machinations of the event but what we were involved in was enough.

Having set up our tee-pees for the weekend (not as easy as you’d think I assure you) we soon had our first visitors, and lots of them! It seemed that the town’s regular water supply had dried up and the only drinking water was on Indian land.

Many people tried to buy our favour including a group who claimed they would trade us water rights for a powerful Gatling gun (more on this later) but we decided to bide our time before making any big decisions. A few trips into

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town to trade (steal anything not nailed down) left us with a fair amount of trade goods and alcohol (forbidden for sale to ‘Injuns’) but it was on the way out of town we really struck lucky.

Deciding to check out a cluster of buildings outside Shingle Springs we were surprised to find a wooden handcart and what looked like a bundle of cloth. Closer inspection revealed a hidden Gatling cannon in the cart and so with supressed sniggering we promptly wheeled it off back to our campsite and denied all knowledge of having ever seen it. Trying to keep a straight face as countless delegations came to our camp to try and discover its whereabouts was a trial but we managed it and finally

hTo add to the authenticity, the ‘town’ of Shingle Springs includes a local store among other buildings gLovers of 10-gallon hats and lever action rifles will be right at home at Flying Lead

“Draw upon your memori e s of those Saturday afternoon spaghetti westerns, drag out theand cowboy cl i c hés, get stuck in”

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EVENT REPORT FLYING LEAD: ROLL THE CHOKER DICE

when the right buyer came along we struck a lucrative deal.

Conveniently this pretty much completed our tribe’s objective in one go.

With day one a total success we settled down to a campfire meal and plenty of ‘firewater’ before preparing for an early start on day two. Previously we’d been visited by a troubled soul who seemed to be suffering from some delusion – a referee-played character who was something of a psychopath and halfwit – but our medicine man was sure he could cure him.

Not being sure he’d want to be cured we went off as a war party and came back with him held discretely at knife point and began preparing to drive out the evil spirits. After much comedy pantomiming/ role-play we found ourselves a new ally who had hopefully been ‘cured’ (whether or not he’ll actually murder us in our sleep at the next event is yet to be seen) and decided to live with the tribe.

Feeling pretty pleased with ourselves we took stock of the situation; we’d accomplished most our objectives and made a few new fun ones up to be sure.

It was getting late in the day and as far as we were concerned the ‘Blackfoot Tribe’ was in control of things… until an earth shattering bang had us reaching for bows and rifles. Thick red dust (red smoke grenades) rose from the distant tree tops as we raced to discover the source of the explosions. As we got closer and dropped into a hunting crouch we heard voices; one

of our party was spotted and a ‘Mexican standoff’ ensued (trust me this is no fun when you’re keeping a live action foam headed arrow drawn in a bow for 10 minutes!) until one of the cowboys lost his nerve and fired at a brave. All hell broke loose and, as cowboys and Indians dropped like flies, bullets whizzed and tomahawks whirled, it looked like nobody was getting out of this one alive. Out of nowhere a loud commanding voice demanded to know ‘what the God-damn hell was going on’ as the US Marshal and sheriff arrived and stopped the firefight that was now down to just one man left standing on each side.

Luckily the US Marshal’s earlier meetings with the tribe had gone well and the westerners (who had been attempting to blow a path for a railway line) were from a faction in trouble with the law. So with the full power of the US Government on our side to cover our retreat we backed off to the village to heal our wounds.

At this point it was pretty much time for end-ex and the laborious task of breaking down our tee-pee camp that had been home for the last three days. I’d love to know what happened at the high stakes poker game; I’d love to know who ended up on the receiving end of the Gatling gun; but the great thing about Flying Lead is that you just get so wrapped up in your own group’s objectives that you lose track of the real world.

To us as ‘Indians’, a strange game using bits of paper and weird discs meant little, but securing the wells and hunting grounds was everything.

These games are not for everyone.

They are quite frankly ridiculous when looked at objectively; they involve grown men playing Cowboys and Indians and putting silly accents on. They might be slightly ‘un-PC’ but one thing they definitely are is tremendous fun. Is it any more silly than pretending to be modern Special Forces?

So if you do like cowboy films, Wild West computer games or just don’t take yourself too seriously and fancy a bit of something different why not give Flying Lead a try? It’s not for everyone – but then, what is?

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SKILLS ROOM BILLY BASICS

WITH WINTER JUST AROUND THE CORNER, BILLY BASICS OFFERS ADVICE ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD

WET WEATHER WARFARE Y BILLY BASICS

Billy spent 25 years in uniform, and has served in all the usual salubrious ‘holiday destinations’ around the world. He has always been a writer and doodler by habit

ou shouldn’t fear the cold, though many of us do. It’s a bit like doing a hideous tab; we fear it and ask ourselves ‘will we make it?’ I’m no exception, but it’s daft if you think about it. We know it won’t last forever, even if you’re not fit enough. It’s going to hurt a bit, but it won’t kill you. Eventually it will be over and we’ll be in a nice hot bath.

I went on an exercise in the Arctic Circle not long ago and I was far too long in the tooth for that sort of nonsense, but it was a bit of a last hurrah to be honest. One of the lads said to me it was the hardest thing he’d ever done, so I was apprehensive as you can imagine; I wasn’t in top shape.

As it turned out he had had a hideous

time because he couldn’t ski for toffee and had literally walked on skis for the entire trip, an awful lot of mileage.

So the trick is to prepare. I was lucky enough to have skied as a kid; he wasn’t, but when we were in the snow at minus 20-30 degrees I learnt a lot about combating the cold. The other thing to bear in mind is that it’s never as bad as you think it’s going to be. It’s a bit like being in a nice dry pub and looking out at the rain that’s lashing the windows. It looks hideous out there – but if you’re out in it it’s never that bad.

So in this issue I want to look at getting out in the cold and wet and enduring it for a while – plus getting into a routine so you can operate effectively, dry out clothes, find shelter, fuel the machine properly, keep going and show Mother Nature that you’re not intimidated by her. She’s a bitch by the way! Don’t be under any illusions about that one.

She’s not a benevolent presence, she’s a wicked entity that will constantly put obstacles in your way, muck you about, rain on your parade and wait until your guard is down then smash you.

Unless you’re Paris Hilton you’ll know what being physically wet through is about – stripping off wet kit and leaving it in a pile for washing as you change into dry clothes and watch telly. But when you’re out in the woods for an extended period, far from the drying room or airing cupboard, you’ll have to dry your clothes out yourself or you’ll go down quickly.

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Wet drills are how you accomplish this. There’s no magic trick but a lot of selfdiscipline involved. What you’ll need is a complete set of dry kit (everything from undies to trouser and socks) in a canoe bag or waterproof bag in your bergen that you can change into when you get into your sleeping bag. Your wet kit will go into another bag which you’ll stow in your bergen while you’re getting your head down, then in pairs when you get up you’ll change back into your wet kit for the day ahead.

Self-discipline really comes into play here, because when it’s cold and you’re tired, getting out of a gorgeously dry doss bag and putting on cold, wet kit with the prospect of staying in it all day is not attractive. It’s really horrible and is up there in my book as one of the most unpleasant things a soldier has to do. It’s at moments like this that people crack on courses and stay in their bags refusing to get out.

“But Billy, somebody told me that if you get into your doss bag in your wet clothes they’ll dry out by your body heat”. That’s poor advice, guys. At the end of the day, the hard way is 9/10 times the right way. I have tried it and had a miserable night’s sleep, and felt significantly degraded the following morning. Your doss bag will be wet and that knowledge will further get you down the longer you spend in the field. Lofty Wiseman once stated that surviving is 15 per cent practical and 85 per cent psychological and he was not far off the mark.

The thing that people overlook with this technique is that the wet kit you’re wearing won’t always be wet because it dries as you wear it throughout the day. It won’t dry out like it’s been freshly washed and dried, but it’ll do.

Gore-Tex socks are great but won’t keep your feet dry all the time and should be used in the following way: at the end of the day’s work change your socks one at a time and in pairs (you sort your feet out and then your buddy). Remove the wet boot and sock, powder your feet, apply a dry sock and slip the Gore-Tex socks over the top and slide your boots back on. Do the same with the other foot, slip your wet socks inside your trousers and then cover your arcs so your mate can admin himself.

In the morning take your Gore-Tex socks off, put the dried out socks back on, and pack your Gore-Tex socks back in your Bergen. They are no good for tabbing in as your feet will heat up far too much if you do serious mileage in them. Army issue insoles look cheap and crappy compared to orthotic insoles and other expensive makes, but they are like a Weetabix, full of holes and will keep your lovely dry socks off the bottom of the boot and it’ll feel like you’ve got dry feet for longer.

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“It’s amazing how quickly you can get used to the cold; we are amazingly adaptable creatures”

SKILLS ROOM BILLY BASICS

jHumans are good at adapting to the cold, but warm kit and appropriate application is essential hEnduring harsh conditions is all about self-discipline and endurance

You can apply the same thing to things like gloves and woolly hats; I always keep them in a little waterproof bag in the top flap and are reserved for when I am in a secure location, like a harbour, or when I am on stag. Then they go back in the top flap nice and dry for the next time they’re needed.

One last thing I’d like to say about Gore-Tex generally is that you don’t need it on all the time. I have often observed on exercises that once it goes on it tends to stay on and this is not the best use of it. When you’re on the move the best way to use it is to stop and put it on in a persistent downpour to prevent getting wet or wetter, but when the rain has passed despite the fact that you might be a bit damp and cold, take it off because the wind will help to dry you out and having too many layers on will make you sweat anyway.

But what about the cold? It’s amazing how quickly you can get used to the cold; we are amazingly adaptable creatures. We’ve become more sedentary and not very tough. But I believe that if we need to we’ll get it back quick enough. I was on a survival exercise when I was younger and better looking.

Five days of lectures and lessons but sleeping in shelters, followed by four days on our toes being chased by an Infantry unit. Some lads who hadn’t done the lessons joined us for the last four days and I couldn’t believe how, compared to them, we were already really used to the cold.

The obvious answer is, of course, warm kit – but it’s not a case of just buying expensive kit; you should use it properly too. For example, when you’re on the move, ‘be bold and start cold’. When you take your tent down and are packing up your basha do it in a t-shirt and top but not in your warm kit. Pack that away

so that you can move off when you’re done and not have to stop 10 minutes down the track to remove your warm kit because you’re much too hot.

If you’re in a very cold environment then travel in a shell with a thin layer underneath, so that while moving you’re generating just enough warmth to keep comfortable but not so much that you’re sweating, because if you’re sweating when you stop it’s going to make you cold or it’s going to freeze.

Like your waterproof top keep your warm kit handy, to be able to put it on quickly. So have it in a top flap or readily to hand in a side pouch, but don’t have it on all the time. In psychological terms if you keep it for when you need it you’ll always have it to look forward too.

Billy out.

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M4 WI T H AN EDGE SCOTT ALLAN

Scott has worked in airsoft retail for many years – and played airsoft long before that. He likes big, heavy guns, loud explosions and MilSim games in particular

ICS CONJURES UP MIXED FEELINGS FOR SCOTT ALLAN – SO CAN THE CXP-16 L CHANGE HIS MIND? HE HEADS INTO THE FIELD TO FIND OUT

I

CS, or I Chih Shivan as it is fully known, is not really one of my top manufacturers for a variety of reasons – but this CXP-16 L, a modern HK416 replica, is not only nice looking, it is a good price too. So is it worth it?

This is still ‘just another M4’, but the overall package is quite attractive. However, looks are not everything. Sporting good-looking parts from front to back, I’m going to investigate whether this is a worthwhile purchase or just a pretty paperweight. I’ll concentrate mainly on the tan version for this review.

REAL STEEL The Heckler & Koch 416 is largely considered the greatest M4 on the market today. Sporting the NATO 5.56mm round, it is used by military units such as the Navy Seals, and movie-makers behind films such as the highly popular The Raid. Internally it shares some design concepts with Heckler & Koch’s G36, giving the 416 a hard wearing and reliable edge over many of the standard M4 and AR15 variants.

In the 2007 test with the US army, the 416 performed almost neck and neck with the FN SCAR which is also considered a modern masterpiece. The front rail is a single piece monolithic metal rail which allows a full range of accessories to be attached to suit any end user. The 416 has one drawback: like anything that works great it costs more money than the standard AR15 or M4. H&K are really a hallmark of quality in the firearms world; quite simply they don’t do bad weapons. They have remade many rifles from the 416 (the AR15 platform) to the HK121 (GPMG platform) always with great results. So if you want to revolutionise a fighting force, buy from H&K – if you can afford it that is.

THE REPLICA While for licensing reasons the ICS CXP-16 L is a only kind nod toward the HK416, it does share many of the styling ideas.

Externally, at first glance, the CXP-16 looks pretty. Being ICS you can always expect a fairly good external quality, and it also offers most rifles in a Sportline or a Proline format, so there is at least the cheap option for players on a budget.

So, Sportline or Proline, which is better? Generally, the overall quality of the external and internal parts is better on the Proline, which tends to have a much higher metal content in the construction, the receiver being one example. That said, the Sportline having a plastic receiver doesn’t really make it any less tough. The metal used in the Proline is cast, which is equally likely to fail as plastic.

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THE ARMOURY ICS CXP-16 L

jThe ICS CXP-16 L is available in both Proline and Sportline versions

The performance of the ICS range is always a little bit of a sticking point for me. I have always found ICS to be an arrogant company in terms of feedback compared to its main competitor, Guay Guay (G&G). G&G love talking to their customers and end users for idea updates and innovation. ICS really don’t seem to care as much at all – almost the polar opposite. While it does have testing teams that it farms rifles out to for promotion and exposure, the actual overall quality of the rifles hasn’t really changed in years. It’s true that their split gearbox design is a good idea for players that chop around sites with greatly different limits – yet I have rarely found a player that really needs 300fps at one site and 370fps at another. Most sites float 350 to 370 in the UK and a few are still 328fps.

You could argue that you can easily make the rifle into a DMR, but really how many people do you know that have a 450fps DMR that they then take to an indoor site at 328? I can’t think of anyone personally. It may just be me though.

FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE The ICS CXP-16 L looks great on paper, and in some ways it is. But ICS has never ticked the easy to change boxes. G&G’s latest range has low resistance silver wiring and active braking MOSFETS and tightbore barrels. ICS guns still have fairly basic internals and while they are reliable and fair on the performance charts they aren’t anywhere

near earth shattering. Things like a tightbore barrel, good hop rubber and decent wiring would go a long way to improving the overall performance, making its performance match the visuals.

Running from back to front on the CXP-16 L, the stock, while sturdy, looks a little on the shiny side. It also has a hole on the top to show each of the five positions, yet there are no markings on the stock tube, so it is a wasted effort.

The pistol grip looks like a similar shiny plastic to the stock. It is comfortable, clearly modelled on the ‘advanced’ style grips done with ICS markings. The Magpul-style pop-up sights are pretty horrible if I’m honest. While they work perfectly well they look cheap and have a grip texture that just makes them look unfinished. The front RIS rail is very nice, a good colour, feels solid, and is by far the best part of the rifle – and most likely where most of the cost comes in.

The silencer, again, is a high quality product. It is a QD Knights Armament style with a foam insert to ensure your rifle will be quiet. It fits quickly on to the flash hider without any real effort. The grip pod, which is a vertical grip with a spring-loaded bipod base, looks like the same plastic, and the pistol grip and the

jReliable with a fair performance, this offering from ICS represents decent value for money

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THE ARMOURY ICS CXP-16 L

jEach component is actually a different shade of tan – which will not appeal to everyone stock a little like baby-sick tan colour.

One of my major issues is that every component is a different colour on the tan version. The worst is the receiver top rail leading to the front RIS system. They are two completely different colours – not even remotely close. I am unsure if this is intentional or just poor quality checking. Think of the upper and lower SCAR receiver colour difference (which is intentional) and you’ll get the idea. While you should always expect slight colour variations this rifle has about five shades of tan on it. A G&P rifle sporting genuine Magpul PTS parts has less colour variation – and that is from two completely separate manufacturers!

The weight is good and, as you would expect from the design, the front end is heavier than the rear. Performance is very fair and the accuracy and range are what I would expect from the fps and barrel type – not as good as a Gen 3 G&G but still nice. Using any standard M4 magazines means you can easily chop and change magazines with friends.

Personally I’ve never found grip pods to be of much use, but it is sturdy and does the job well enough. The silencer works well at reducing muzzle report. While there is a little play in the adjustable stock it isn’t bad and the whole system does shoulder up well.

CONCLUSION As you can probably tell, I’m not completely sold on this rifle. While it is nice, it isn’t until you start peeling the layers back and looking at the manufacturing that you start raising questions like “why don’t the colours match?” The price tag does kind of reflect this though – £330 for a RIS railed M4 with a silencer and vertical grip is actually pretty good value. It does do the Zero Dark 30 look quite nicely. The only other thing worth noting is the dreadful lack of compatibility with Madbull, G&P or DyTac parts such as outer barrels and receivers. So if you buy this don’t really expect to change anything anytime soon, unless you buy the specific parts from ICS. This is ICS’s biggest failing in my eyes and why I would probably avoid their its if you are a fiend for new shiny rails. If you are looking for an alternative in the similar

price range the G&G T418 Gen 3 is £317. Although you do not get the silencer and grip it does come with a host of upgrades internally. It all boils down to personal choice; the ICS isn’t a bad buy at all – it could just use a little tweak here and there to make it truly special.

INFORMATION ICS CXP-16 L Weight: 3.5kg Length: 880-960mm (with silencer) Inner Barrel Length: 280mm Power: 300fps with Blaster 0.20g BB Hop up: Adjustable Magazine: 450-round high cap Features: Full metal construction (Proline), 416-style Metal Front Rail, Polymer Pop-Up Sights Price: £330

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RON MAHONEY

Ron has been involved in fieldcraft, shooting and outdoor pursuits for over 30 years. His real passion is the ‘sneaky-beaky’ style of airsoft game

A

BB BASTARD

THE WONDERFULLY-NAMED BB BASTARD IS A CANADIAN COMPANY PRODUCING SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE AIRSOFT AMMO – SO RON MAHONEY GETS HIS HANDS ON A FEW TEST SAMPLES AND SENDS THEM FLYING DOWNRANGE…

short while back I received a call from the editor asking if I’d like to review some BBs. I duly agreed – but afterwards I was left wondering what I’d just let myself in for. I mean, how do you go about reviewing a BB? They are white, round, 6mm diameter and they sting a bit when they whack you in a fleshy part – that’s it really! Nonetheless, I took them downrange to put them through their paces, in order to gain a decent picture of how this ammo performs.

First off, who are the BB Bastard team? Well, there is a pretty large visual clue on the packaging, which includes a large red maple leaf logo. Canadian Jay Patterson was the founder of BB Bastard, and for approaching 10 years now the company been spending time and money researching how to create the ultimate mass-produced airsoft BB. I say mass-produced, as during its quest BB Bastard claims to have already stumbled on a manufacturing technique to produce individually machined rounds – but at just short of $12 CAD (£7) for six rounds, it’s nearly twice the price of some match-grade .308 (7.62mm) real steel ammo.

However, some airsoft snipers who want to eliminate as many variables from their shooting choose these rounds for testing their system and some use them in game. If you want to know how committed BB Bastard is to the science behind the simple BB then head to the ‘MSED/ AT’ tab on its website. Here you will find one of the most comprehensive studies on airsoft trajectory ever. This is not a light read, but it will help advance your knowledge of the science behind airsoft accuracy.

So after all of this science, research, and development, what do you get from a bag of BB Bastard ammo? The company aims for all of its BBs to be consistent in size and shape – as close to 5.95mm, and as spherical as possible across large samples. It also aims for consistent material distribution: material and air entrainment must be centred with no areas of high density across large samples. Finally, it aims for consistent polish: the BB must

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have a hard, high polish and maintain that polish in shipping and packaging across large samples In light of the amount of science that BB Bastard has put into its products, and in order to evaluate the BBs I’d been sent, I knew that this review needed to be handled in a similarly controlled manner – so I went down to my local shooting club rather than airsoft site, as it has a sheltered, accurately marked 100yd shooting lane. With a bag of both .25 and .28 BBs I thought I would conduct the test at 25 yards for the .25s and 30 yards for the .28s. To take shooter error out of the equation, the shots would be made prone from a bipod and I would only adjust the point of aim between the different weights, and not adjust the hop unit (a problem I had encountered with an earlier test).

At the local shooting club there are people trying to put five shots into a 2p piece at 100 yards and although no airsoft weapon is ever going to get near that, I have to admit that I always get heads turning from other shooters when I visit. “What have you got for us this time, Ron?” was the cheery greeting I got on this outing – but they were a bit disappointed that it was ‘just’ my M700 bolt-action sniper rifle and not a GBB M14 or an M249 Para! If you ever doubted that shooters are all big kids at heart give a group of geriatric blokes a full scale M60E4 machine gun and watch their faces light up.

After a bit of banter it was time to commence the test. The target was an A4 sheet – the Olympic 10m air rifle target – but for our

AMMO TEST BB BASTARD .25 AND .28

hAn accuracy comparison between .25 BB Bastards (top) and another brand of .25s taken at 25 yards g.28g BB Bastard accuracy results at 30 yards ].28g BB Bastard results at 40 yards on a 5” air rifle target. Each of the 10 shots scored

purpose it was good for zero and accuracy testing. I tried to keep a steady shot count and routine throughout the test to keep the hop in similar condition and to take into account that we airsofters aren’t there just to shoot paper and can find ourselves in a multiple target area. I didn’t have another brand of .28g BBs, but I did have .30gs so they would be used for a comparison.

The results from the test can be seen above and it makes for some interesting viewing. The heavier.28g certainly produced a decent result with 85 per cent of the shots falling into a 90mm group and this was better than the heavier .30g. When it came to the .25s on test they were pretty similar to another quality brand of .25s, and the BB Bastards were marginally better overall. For a bit of fun I also used the .28s and had a slow deliberate shoot at a 5” target that one of the air-rifle shooters had set at 40 yards. Although I was never going to match the accuracy of a 12ft/lb target rifle I was happy to see every round from the 10-round magazine of the M700 scored.

So what did I discover about BB Bastards? If you take the .25s as an example they are about 30 per cent more expensive than some of the other brands (they come in a bag of 2,000, where others are in a bottle of 3,000) and are not as widely available. I would have been interested to test the .28s through an AEG that has been well upgraded for accuracy including a Gen 3+ MOSFET to provide responsive semiauto fire. It is my hunch that the .28s would provide a very viable and accurate round to engage out to around 60 yards.

I think BB Bastards will be used by the player that double taps as opposed to sprays and prays, who uses mid- or actual-capacity magazines and who upgrades their system to be as accurate as possible. If you’re the sort of player that looks to upgrade their system to gain the maximum rate of fire and goes through 3,000 rounnds in a day’s skirmish, then you will probably stick with your tried and trusted brand, as they are a bit cheaper.

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INSIDEFEATURE AIRSOFT AIRSOFT CAMO: ZONE, KRYPTEK ESSEX

INTO ZONE

the

OUR MAN DOWN SOUTH, LES LEE CHECKS OUT A RELATIVELY NEW AIRSOFT STORE IN ESSEX – AND COMES AWAY WITH PLENTY TO SAY

LES LEE

Les has over 25 years shooting experience – but now his focus is airsoft. Safety and common sense are his strengths – and he just loves his handguns

gAirsoft Zone offers custom pistols at affordable prices

S

even years ago, Airsoft Zone’s Managing Director Marek Gorny started playing our sport and quickly realised that he wanted to take his enthusiasm and extensive knowledge to the next level. While already working in the industry, a group of friends emerged that decided to put their combined experience into an airsoft shop built on what customers have always asked for – great service and wide range of products. And so, in September 2012, Airsoft Zone was born in Romford, Essex. Twelve months on they invited Airsoft Action down for a mooch around, so I was dispatched from my HQ on another one-man mission.

I didn’t really know what to expect – the company’s website, though informative and up to date, didn’t stand out particularly – and upon arrival at Airsoft Zone, I was greeted by a relatively small unit tucked away in a moderate industrial estate, where parking is at a premium. It’s fair to say I was a little worried by this point – had I come all this way to be disappointed? – but before long all such apprehension was dispelled. As soon as I walked through the door my jaw hit the floor. I guess the old cliché ‘never judge a book by its cover’ rings true!

The first thing that struck me was just how immaculately laid out the shop is; nothing is out of place and it is well organised and well lit. This gives customers the opportunity to locate and study each weapon or piece of tactical kit in all its glory and detail. It is wallto-wall and floor-to-ceiling with guns and cabinets full of handguns and accessories. Clearly this is a very well thought-out design for a showroom. In my capacity as a roving reporter for Airsoft Action, I am one of the privileged few that has been invited behind the scenes into Airsoft Zone’s stockroom, workshop and office – and I wasn’t surprised that this level of meticulous organisation was continued out back. Being the fussy old git that I am, I was beyond impressed to find rack after rack of boxes in perfect order, which ultimately allows

for fast and easy access to the huge range of products, many of which are G&P. I made my observation known to Marek, AKA Mark, and he explained that experience has shown him that G&P is by far one of the industry’s finest, with competitive prices, proven reliability of performance and service, the ability to maintain the highest standard of supply and demand, and, of course, that all-important after sales service. G&P also seems to have one of the most extensive ranges of airsoft guns going. “The majority of the approximately 80 different M4s we have in stock are G&P,” Marek explained. It is no surprise that he is keen to keep the company as his frontrunner.

By now I had met the team of four at Airsoft Zone. The guys are so in-sync with each other and the industry that they rank among the friendliest and most knowledgeable airsoft retail staff that I have met.

Of course, these guys are in business, and fluently so, but it is clear that they are not in this for just the money – they are passionate about the sport, with many years of playing between them.

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All guns are chronographed on site and fully tested before dispatch ensuring that they are fit for purpose and compliant with UK law and site rules and regs. New or unfamiliar products or brands are fully field tested by at least one of the team, and this usually takes place at Dragon’s Lair Airsoft, where they also operate an on-site shop. The team at Dragon’s Lair have a very good reputation in the airsoft world, and the team at Airsoft Zone now has a venue to test its guns and range of protective gear, particularly eye protection.

Alexander Beletskiy, Director at Airsoft Zone, said: “When a new product becomes available, before we consider selling it, we physically test the living daylights out of it – and I mean give it a real hammering above and beyond the usual recognised safety standards.”

Jon Oster-Ritter, Chief Engineer at Airsoft Zone invited me into his workshop – which also acts as a showroom of his personal collection. Jon clearly has a love affair going on with anything 1911 and M4 shaped. So

if you want the latest RIF styled as seen on Strike Back or any other TV show or game then just buy it, put it in front of Jon and he will make sure you get exactly what you want, lovingly replicated in his workshop, replete with a carpet covered workbench.

RACE AND CUSTOM PISTOLS Now we’ve all seen the amazing race guns and custom pistols that are available with their red dots and compensators – but I don’t

“Ionehave never seen so many guns in place, and quality guns at that”

know about you, I’m not sure that I would want to spend over a grand on an airsoft pistol even if I had the money. However, Airsoft Zone has a unique opportunity to all of you that want a custom pistol but just don’t have that type of cash to spare.

If you don’t mind spending between £200 and £350 on a pistol that will take you to the next level then Marek has just what you want. Not dissimilar in any visual way (that I could see) Airsoft Zone offers

custom pistols at a fraction of the price of other familiar high-end models. These are available from an in-stock range immediately off the shelf, or if you want your own specs then come along, chat to the guys and they will make it happen.

IPSC, or race guns, as they are usually known in the world of Practical Pistol competitions can offer you as much or as little as you want specific to your own choice. These are mostly built around a basic high-cap but that’s where the similarity ends. Where you go in terms of design and functionality, or how much you want to spend is completely up to you.

“We always carry a good range of pistols – but to get a truly customised pistol exactly how you want it, from order to receipt, can take as little as one week to build if parts are available, or up to three weeks if ordered from across the sea.” Either way, it’s little money and a short time to wait to have a dream handgun.

This is a unique and very affordable service that is now in reach to many where money was the only barrier. Airsoft Zone’s specialist off-site gunsmith is available via the shop.

Sales Manager Maciej Podworny was keen to offer me a final once over around the shop floor before I left – and this is when I had an inspiring revelation. This is an airsoft shop and nothing else. They don’t sell

lThe team at Airsoft Zone are all dedicated airsofters themselves hAirsoft Zone fully tests all its products before selling them to ensure that high safety standards have been met ;Chief Engineer John Oster-Ritter has a dedicated airsoft workshop on site gLooking around the shop floor reveals that Airsoft Zone is a pure airsoft retailer – not an army surplus style jumble sale

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INSIDEFEATURE AIRSOFT AIRSOFT CAMO: ZONE, KRYPTEK ESSEX

old uniforms, they don›t sell ex-army gear and they don’t offer up anything but the highest quality, affordable equipment. Of course, sights, scopes, suppressors and sexy combat flashlights are all available, as well of the usual extensive range of consumables – but I have never seen so many guns in one place, and quality guns at that.

I must mention that web and mail orders are out the same day if ordered by 1pm and the item is in stock. They always do their best to make sure your order is packed and posted ASAP. Finally, and this does warrant a second mention, these four guys are a formidable team. Everyone knows their specific roles within the ‘Zone’, but they work so well together, a very effective piece of precision teamwork, which is great to see. And nice guys? You bet – quite probably the friendliest bunch I have ever met on a shop visit.

INFORMATION AIRSOFT ZONE Location: Unit 2 Detection House, Brooklands Approach, Romford, Essex, RM1 1DX Tel: 01708 733275 Web: www.airsoftzone.co.uk Email: info@airsoftzone.co.uk

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THE ARMOURY SYSTEMA PTW TW5-A4

SYSTEMA PTW TW5-A4

Professional Training Weapon

JAY SLATER GIVES US THE LOW-DOWN ON THE SYSTEMA TW5-A4 TRAINING WEAPON

T

JAY SLATER

Jay fell in love with airsoft not so long ago and has too many guns. An active member of the South London airsoft scene, Jay is also a publisher of military and history books

he Heckler & Koch MP5 is one of the world’s most iconic submachine guns, synonymous with bullet-torn bad guys, empty, smoking brass cartridges, wise cracks, Twinkies and rivers of blood. From mass media popular entertainment in video games and movies such as Die Hard, the MP5 helped the submachine gun achieve popularity. The MP5 epitomised the cool factor, doing what it was designed for with ultimate German design efficiency and bravado.

REAL STEEL With over 100 variants of the iconic workhorse available, the MP5 is one of the most popular series of submachine

guns in the world, thanks to its proven roller-delayed blowback principle. Extremely reliable with a focus on safety for the user, the MP5 is accurate and easy to use, hence its mass popularity with security forces and military users worldwide. Heckler & Koch rose from the ashes of the Third Reich in 1949 to become one of the world’s largest manufacturers of handguns, assault rifles, submachine guns and grenade launchers.

In 1964, engineers at the company commenced work on ‘Project 64’ and the MP5 entered production two years later. The MP5 possessed a number of innovations such as the closed bolt – the first round has the bolt forwards and a round chambered – that resulted in a superior accuracy over traditional open-bolt designs.

Indeed, the MP5 is no more than a scaled-down version of the Heckler & Koch G3 battle rifle. So successful was the introduction of the type into service, it was adopted by huge numbers of police, security and military forces around the world, including the British police and elite SAS. Although the mass popularity of the MP5 is unquestionable (its rival was the brutish Israeli Uzi), its success is outstanding. Thanks to its closed-bolt action, its single-shot mode is crisp and accurate, and reliability and high quality are an assured premium. The MP5 was an instant hit, and although many military organisations have moved away from the 9mm pistol cartridge to shorter assault rifles with a more powerful man-stopping cartridge, the MP5 is still widely used in law enforcement and special operations use.

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THE REPLICA Without compromise to detail and performance, the Systema PTW (Professional Training Weapon) TW5-A4 is the real deal. Beautifully crafted and built, it appears to be authentic in looks, feel and operation to the real steel. With rock-solid construction of metal and fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP), the high-end Systema is designed and built not only to appear authentic – making it a superb choice for reenactors, film extras and military users – but for serious and hardcore airsoft players who want something unique and special that delivers in spades.

Featuring a proper three-round burst, this Systema bad boy boasts steel gears and a tooth rack on the piston, and stops firing after the last round with the gears in their right position for the next shot. However, the test model lacked the latter feature.

First impressions are extremely impressive. Beautifully boxed and packaged featuring sample BBs, a loading rod, instruction disc and other paraphernalia, the Systema MP5 is a work of joy and serious eyeball candy. Resembling a mini-panzer in its weight, the battery unit is huge, as this airsoft monster revels in consuming energy.

The test sample came with two additional M90 cylinders which allow quick and reliable changing with the blue-coloured unit at a site-friendly fps with .20 ammunition and a most fierce and enjoyable red cylinder that rams home 550fps with devilish glee. Indeed, the colouring system for the cylinder powers is straightforward: black (300fps), blue (345-365fps), gold (390-420fps) and the cracking red cylinder at 460-520fps, depending upon hop setting (adjusted the same as the PTW M4 via a tool inserted into the magazine housing). Can you guess what cylinder we opted to test with for sickening machine gun carnage?

ON TEST Initial impressions are outstanding.

That said, the empty cartridge port has been welded closed, or appears to be, and this is aesthetically disappointing when considering the high cost of this weapon, and its possible utility in film-related work. However, this issue is the only negative to be found. As a number of medium- and low-priced MP5s have suffered from snapping in two in the area where the cocking tube and receiver meet, Systema has made the whole receiver out of a solid block of metal. Also, rigidity is assisted as a solid steel outer barrel is slid into the receiver from the front and locked in place with

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four screws. Make no mistake, this high-grade beauty is made to last.

With a stamped and spot-welded steel exterior and blued finish, the magazine looks and feels like the real thing. Tough and polished, it will endure plenty of mishaps, and MilSim players might want to compromise each unit with 30 rounds instead of 40 for historical accuracy. Also, the magazine feeds each round due to the extended follower, so out of 40 BBs, the Systema PTW will lock and load all of them. When a magazine is unloaded with

THE ARMOURY SYSTEMA PTW TW5-A4

“Make no mi s take, thi s hi g hgrade beauty is made to last” lSystema’s offering is authentic in its looks and feel to the real steel MP5 kThe magazine has a stamped and spot-welded steel exterior and blued finish :The battery unit is pretty large – this is an energyconsuming beast!

ammunition unexhausted, a single BB will remain in the weapon, unlike four to five BBs in a more cost-efficient variant. When the final BB is fed, a stud protrudes from the rear of the magazine and activates a micro-switch inside the magazine well that stops firing – an interesting and novel feature. Other airsoft manufacturers take note.

Testing this weapon in the field is sheer nirvana. The trigger response is amazing, with crisp, clean and effective fury; it spits urgency and resonates death, destruction and accuracy with the grace of a cold, calculating lunatic. Changing cylinder units is easy and responsive – no need for new springs in this AEG – and the three-round burst works wonderfully, although many will opt for single automatic fire in the field due to the magazine’s low capacity. Also, due to the wondrous complexities of the

internals, one or two rounds can be fired if the trigger unit is pulled quickly, such is the high-grade design and manufacturing of the Systema PTW TW5-A4. In fact, it was all too easy to fall in love with this Japanese work of wonder.

As is standard with all PTW models, the inner barrel has a 6.06mm bore and the outer diameter is 10mm instead of the usual 8.5mm seen on typical AEGs. Also, the inner barrel is fitted accurately to the outer barrel with minimal clearance to further reduce resonance. Accuracy tests at 100 feet were extremely efficient and impressive.

For results, we opted for the poor man’s chronograph – a beer can and a pear. With the red cylinder, range and accuracy was constant, on target and delivered with clinical fury and sudden urgency. The beer can was penetrated through both sides at 100-150 feet with ease – nay, was shredded as if paper – and the fruit dissolved as it was penetrated and ripped apart with fury. The accuracy and power of the Systema PTW TW5-A4 was quite simply breathtaking.

CONCLUSION The Systema PTW TW5-A4 raises the bar in terms of AEG performance, design and engineering. Perhaps too limited and expensive for skirmishers who spray and pray, this is psychedelic fully-automatic joyous machine gun bliss: the very best AEG that I have yet seen and tested. It hollers and sings from rooftops, beats its chest, and gives the very best gas guns a run for their money for performance and machine gun nirvana. Sublime and utterly beautiful, I have seen the future of airsoft rifles and it is the Systema PTW Professional Training Weapon TW5-A4.

INFORMATION Systema PTW TW5-A4 Length: 680mm Weight: 4kg Mag Capacity: 40 rounds Firing Modes: Semi-auto, fully-auto, three-burst Battery: 12v 1300mAh Velocity: 300-520fps Price: £1,085.95 Thanks to RedWolf Airsoft (uk.redwolfairsoft. com) for supplying the test sample.

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FIPURPOSE T for

THIS ISSUE, GARETH ‘GADGE’ HARVEY ASKS, ARE AIRSOFT GUNS FIT FOR PURPOSE? AND ARE THEY STILL A LOW MAINTENANCE OPTION?

N GARETH 'GADGE' HARVEY

Gadge is our resident history buff and FilmSim fanatic. He has a passion for WWII, Nam-soft and Cold War gaming – but still finds time to fit in an open-day skirmish

ew ‘cheapsoft’ guns often need a few hours’ work and a gearbox clean up before they’re any good. Batteries supplied with many guns are dire, and many imported guns come out the box at frightening velocities. There used to be a time back when the only really reliable choice was a Tokyo Marui AEG which – providing you didn’t muck about with it internally – would be expected to run for a few years. Other makes might have offered more choice, optional metal bodies, or a host of other tempting extras, but for a long time many shied away from lesser brands.

Names like Classic Army, which we now see as totally reliable, were once shunned for their dire quality control and took years to build a decent rep after early failures.

But the last decade has seen more and more manufacturers enter the airsoft market, often providing cheap copies of the more reliable makes or making small runs of rare models – but are these fit for purpose?

It’s safe to say that many airsoft guns need a fair bit of tinkering out of the box to make them ‘skirmish ready’. The worst arrive with their gearbox jam-packed full of gunk masquerading as grease, while others are badly shimmed and bone dry. Woe betide the player who takes an untested gun into the field, only to find by lunchtime that the gearbox has burnt out. Even the more reliable cheap brands like CYMA often need some ‘playing with’ before they become UK safe, as many AEGs are imported into the country doing around 400fps. Better stores provide a free downgrade, but users buying them direct must take their own steps to avoid running a ‘hot’ and potentially dangerous gun.

As some readers rightly pointed out when we raised this topic on Facebook, perhaps AEGs really are ‘fit for purpose’ given their true intended use is as replica weapons, or as a back garden target shooter. Even the most poorly-translated manual will attempt to inform you that at no point should you aim the gun at another person. We use AEGs for simulating battles, which is simply not what they were intended for. Only the latest generation of Systema-type PTWs are designed for skirmishing – and the jury is still out on their suitability straight out of the box.

Even top-end guns, especially sniper rifles or support weapons, can require a hearty amount of upgrades and playing about with to get the best effect – and this tinkering has become an industry and part of the sport in its own right.

One thing worth remembering, though, is that if we consider an airsoft gun to be just another household electrical device, the failure rate is phenomenal. Most people would not be surprised or demand their money back if their AEG packed up after a year, but if your alarm clock or your toaster caught fire after 12 months you’d be somewhat alarmed.

It seems that, while AEGs are struggling to keep up in a role forced upon them outside of their intended use, even within their design parameters they’re unreliable toys!

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DEBATE FIT FOR PURPOSE

READERS’ VIEWS JAMES LORD KRAVEN KNEVITT: “I’ve seen an horrific amount of airsoft guns break down, through faulty wiring, or motors burning out. Considering the amount of money spent, the reliability of some airsoft guns is appalling and one reason why I’m reluctant to spend any more money on them.”

EVO VON HIMMEL: “I’m continually amazed just how bad a lot of airsoft guns actually are. The cheapest ‘proper’ ones (not including the transparent Sunday market tat) are barely fit for purpose, and yet they’re still over 100 quid. The problem with high out-of-the-box fps is down to different countries’ standards of what is ‘safe’, so that’s understandable, though.”

TOM ‘GINGE’ STEWART: “I know of people who’ve spent £400 on an AEG and it’s needed tinkering with before it’s shooting right. You wouldn’t spend money on a car and expect to have to take it home and work on the setup to get it working properly.”

JOE WATSON: “As to ‘fit for purpose’ there are no actual guidelines for how long a gun should last. UK retail law says any thing sold should be fit for purpose and covered by the minimum of a one year warranty from the point of sale – so the shop has to offer a year’s warranty regardless of what some say.”

BILLY GUMBRELL: “I think the tinkering is all part of the game. Knowing my guns inside and out is essential in my mind’s eye.”

PETER EVERETT: “Essentially airsoft guns are replica guns designed to fire plastic balls, so they are fit for that purpose. Are they fit for skirmishing? Probably not; most come with instructions saying do not shoot at humans or animals – we airsofters modify guns to fit the hobby we use them for, the same way bikes get modified for track days and cars modified for racing.”

BRIAN MCDERMOTT: “I think with some people it’s a ‘keep up with the Joneses’ mentality. At the end of the day, an AEG is what you make of it. If you are a skilled player you can make the best use of your weapon.

Getting to know the hop on your weapon and setting it correctly is probably the best advice I could give to another player.”

JAMES ODIN: “Airsoft is the only hobby I have ever had where I can spend £300 on a piece of kit and normally know it hasn’t been properly tuned or brought to the right fps for use (sometimes that’s down to the retailer, but that still isn’t fair on them).”

GAZ PERKINS: “I’ll just point out that we use airsoft guns in a way they were not intended for! Fit for purpose is a term used very quickly these days, but you have to remember that airsoft guns are designed primarily as a model gun that happens to fire a BB which is why the first instruction is ‘do not point at humans’. Therefore, you cannot expect a gun to be covered by the factory for damage/ wear incurred while using the gun for a purpose for which it was not designed.”

HAVE YOUR SAY Got an opinion to share on this debate? Got an idea for a future topic? Get in touch with Airsoft Action via the address on page 4, or email michaelh@blazepublishing.co.uk. Look out for future debate polls at our Facebook page (facebook.com/AirsoftAction)

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KIBAGT

KIT BAG GEAR ROUND-UP

ALL THE LATEST AIRSOFT KIT TO LAND ON OUR DOORSTEP

VIPER TACTICAL FLEECE Another piece of cool kit from Viper, the Tactical Fleece really looks the part as a second or top-layer, dependent on the conditions you’re skirmishing in. Velcro patches appear on the two arm pockets, while there’s also a chest pocket and two lower pockets for additional storage. The build material is high quality polyester in a grid style, available in black, green, or ‘Coyote’ versions.

PRICE: £39.95 SIZES: S-XXXL COLOURS: Black, Green, Coyote FROM: THATCHREED www.thatchreed.co.uk

CONDOR MISSION PACK The Mission Pack from Condor is a fully MOLLE compatible backpack featuring three large compartments with two-zip closure and pull tabs, padded back and shoulder straps, quick-release buckles, and a large Velcro patch area. The 30-litre capacity will allow you to pack all your field essentials, and the possibility of external accessory attachment makes this a solid tactical option for airsoft.

ENOLA GAYE PATCHES Renowned smoke grenade manufacturer Enola Gaye has plenty of cool accessories in its arsenal, too – including ace patches.

Players who like to customise their loadouts will love these – whether you’re a ‘grenade junkie’ or just can’t resist a patch with a bloodthirsty rabbit on it! Rubber construction with a Velcro back confirms these are of the highest quality, too.

PRICE: £63.99 COLOURS: Black, Coyote, Olive Drab, Red FROM: MILITARY 1ST www.military1st.co.uk

PRICE: From £3.50 FROM: ENOLA GAYE www.enolagaye.com

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KIT BAG GEAR ROUND-UP

RWA FIBRE-OPTIC SCOPE This new telescopic sight from RWA is designed chiefly with the airsoft sniper in mind – and it comes in two magnifications, 1.5-6x24 and 3-9x40, with either a green or red illuminated reticle. There are dials for windage and elevation adjustment, allowing you to set your ‘zero’ to suit the conditions, while a bright sight picture through the objective allows for clarity in your long-range sharp-shooting.

HELIKON-TEX LOW PROFILE PROTECTIVE PAD INSERTS

PRICE: £98.77 LENGTH: 240mm FROM: REDWOLF AIRSOFT www.redwolfairsoft.com

These neoprene protective pads are 6mm thick, offering protection for knees and elbows – simply slip them into the compartments on your tactical trousers or shirt. They’re ideal for skirmishing on hard ground, such as CQB environments, and will fare equally well in other outdoor pursuits.

PRICE: £9.99 (for two pads) FROM: HELIKON-TEX www.helikon-tex.com

HAIX RANGER GSG9 S BOOTS There’s nothing like a heavy duty boot when you’re stomping around the mud or racing across concrete – and the Haix Ranger GSG9 S Boots are certainly up to the task of hardcore airsoft, given they were developed in association with Special Operations forces and SWAT teams.

They have an interior ‘Climate’ system for keeping your feet dry and comfortable, leather uppers, waterproofing, an energy absorbing heel and a Kevlar sole.

PRICE: £149.99 FROM: PATROLSTORE www.patrolstore.com

VIPER TACTICAL T-SHIRT This classic-looking t-shirt from Viper comes well-appointed for the skirmish field, and is available in a range of colours you can match to your loadout, be it desert, jungle, or urban. There are two handy sleeve pockets with Velcro strips for further attachments – simple, but ace – while the superheavyweight cotton is high quality and fit for purpose.

PRICE: £22.95 SIZES: S-XXXL COLOURS: Black, Green, Coyote FROM: THATCHREED www.thatchreed.co.uk

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15/10/2013 16:33

HIGH-TEX

AFTER SUNNING HIMSELF ON SOME FAR-FLUNG ISLAND, WE THOUGHT DANNY P WAS THE IDEAL PERSON TO REVIEW HELIKON-TEX’S COLD WEATHER LAYERING SYSTEM

T

he Helikon-Tex brand of clothing has been around for a while. I first came across it a few years ago while at the IWA Show in Germany and was immediately impressed by the volume of items available from the company.

The clothing is used by a number of countries’ military forces, most notably Poland, where the company originates, but will also be found on the airsoft field due to its relatively low cost, and hard-wearing military grade fabrics and construction. The clothing I have on review here is from the cold weather range and has come to me in coyote brown. What I have been sent essentially makes up the Cold Weather Layering System, with thermal underwear in the form of a Level 2 undershirt, next is the Alpha Grid Fleece, then the Level 7 Extreme Cold Weather Jacket and, last but no means least, the fleece Watch Cap. I thought the best way to test the clothing was under the conditions it is meant to be used, so I waited until we had a reasonably cold night. I happened to be working down on the River Thames at 03:30 in the morning. Once the temperature started to drop I began to layer up. First on went the undershirt, which comes in its own little box. The inside is like a soft fleece once on, and although a little snug, the clothing made me feel warm straight away, which is always a good start. The undershirt has a high roll neck with a zip, down to about mid-chest and also a thumb hole on each arm.

The only thing I would say is that the shirt I was sent (a large) was a little snug on me (I’m 5ft 11in and a 46in chest), so if you don’t like tight fitting garments I would go a size up from your normal selection.

Next on was the Alpha Grid Fleece, again a nice bit of kit and again I could definitely feel the layering effect working as my body started to feel more warmth and less cold. The fleece has a full-length zip down the front, two pockets on the left and right, and a chest pocket on the upper left, so plenty of space for all the chocolate bars and other bits that people like to carry.

The final part of the layering system was the Level 7 Extreme Cold Weather Jacket. The jacket is as the name suggests – an extreme cold weather jacket! It has a washable Climashield apex fill material, which is designed to help prevent heat loss and also provide a wicking effect, getting moisture away from the body. The jacket has two large chest pockets, which are fleece-lined to help keep your hands warm and also comes with a stowable hood. The jacket certainly helped in keeping me warm and could easily be folded up and put in a bergen for those cold nights when stagging on.

The final piece of kit is a fleece Watch Cap, which is small but an essential piece of kit as we all know that over 40 per

080 December 2013

cent of our body heat is lost through our heads (and a lot more if, like me, you have no hair on your melon), so a warm but breathable hat is always a good idea to have in your kit. The fleece Watch Cap from Helikon does exactly that: it keeps your head warm while allowing it to breathe and not become too sweaty. It also covers your ears nicely without impeding them too much, so you can still hear what’s going on in your surroundings.

For those of you looking for tough, durable, military grade clothing that isn’t going to break the bank, then HelikonTex cold weather gear is well worth a look. It is ideal for all levels of game play, from running around with just the Level 2 undershirt and fleece, right up to wearing the Level 7 Extreme Cold Weather Jacket on down time at an airsoft weekender or MilSim. It is also perfectly suited to a general camping trip in cold weather, always remembering that this is a layering system and should be used in accordance with the conditions you are working or playing in.

Just remember to check the sizes carefully when ordering, as a couple of these items did come up a little snug on me (and the sizing system used on Helikon-Tex’s website can be a little confusing). I would also throw any clothing through a wash before you wear it the first time, as the items I received had a few loose bits still floating around. Having said that, the clothing does exactly what it says on the tin – it keeps you warm and cosy out there in the big, wide, open, cold wilderness.

gear

HELIKON-TEX LEVEL 2 UNDERSHIRT

SIZES: XS-XXXL WEIGHT: 410g COLOURS: Black, Olive Green, Coyote PRICE: £23

KIT REVIEW HELIKON-TEX COLD WEATHER KIT

HELIKON-TEX ALPHA GRID FLEECE

SIZES: S-XXXL WEIGHT: 590g COLOURS: Black, Olive Green, Coyote, Foliage Green PRICE: £49

HELIKON-TEX LEVEL 7 JACKET SIZES: S-XXL WEIGHT: 870g COLOURS: Black, Coyote, Alpha Green PRICE: £149

HELIKON-TEX WATCH CAP

WEIGHT: 50g COLOURS: Black, Olive Green, Camogrom, Foliage Green, Woodland Camo, Vegetato Camo, Coyote PRICE: £5.80 (£13.50 for camo versions)

www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 081

COMPETITION ASG BSA STEN MKII

WORTH

2£ 00

ASG BSA STEN MKII T An

he Sten is an iconic British submachine gun dating back to 1941 – where it won accolades for its performance in WWII. ASG’s replica is officially licensed by the real steel manufacturer, BSA Guns, and features authentic logos and markings – and it has an adjustable hop-up and a magazine holding 50 BBs. We’ve got our hands on one to give away, courtesy of the guys at ActionSportGames. Which can be yours for absolutely nothing. To be in with a shout of winning just answer the simple question below. Either post us this slip back, or head to www.airsoftactionmagazine.com – online entry is now open!

WHICH MAJOR CONFLICT WAS THE STEN GUN NOT USED IN?: A World War II B Korean War C Vietnam War D Iraq War Name __________________________________________________

Postcode ________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________

Telephone _______________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Email ___________________________________________________

Post your entry to: ASG BSA Sten MKII competition, Airsoft Action, Blaze Publishing, Lawrence House, Morrell Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 5SZ. Or, email your entries to competition@blazepublishing.co.uk, quoting ‘ASG BSA Sten MKII competition’ in the headline. Entries received after December 12 will not be valid. One entry per household. The winner will be the first name pulled from the editor’s hat.

Blaze Publishing would like to keep you informed of other offers and publications. Please tick here if you would NOT like to be contacted by post or email

082 December 2013

■

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15/10/2013 16:34

DAN MILLS

A former army warrant officer, Dan served in the forces for 24 years, seeing service on operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq

T

SNIPER’S CONFLICT A

DAN MILLS GIVES US A SNEAK PREVIEW OF A SOON-TO-BE-RELEASED BOOK WRITTEN BY ONE OF HIS OLD SNIPER BUDDIES, MONTY B

he following extract is from a book due to be released very soon; it tells the remarkable story of one sniper’s journey through his career covering Iraq and on into the green killing fields of Afghanistan. Monty B. served in the British Army for 22 years, serving in The Royal Hampshire Regiment and The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, leaving as a colour sergeant. During this time he experienced active service on operations in Northern Ireland, The Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan.

In A Sniper’s Conflict, his first book, Monty travels to Iraq and very soon finds himself in battle, where it takes all his courage and skills learnt on training and exercise areas to survive his initial baptism of fire and the coming long, never ending days…

EXTRACT: A SNIPER’S CONFLICT “It was early afternoon and the sun and temperature were at their highest and the wind started to pick up (as it usually did in the early afternoons), resulting in a warm uncomfortable breeze.

We heard the sound of rifle and automatic gunfire and the whizz of rocket propelled grenades being fired and the sounds

of sporadic, heavy dull explosions could be heard from the direction of Yellow Three and the surrounding area.

The men sprang into action, grabbing their rifles, helmets and equipment and running to the vehicles from the rest area, a small paved space with a few chairs out in the courtyard between the portable cabins with a few palm trees that provided some cover from the sun. The drivers getting to the vehicles first and jumping into the driving seats starting the Snatches up, revving them loudly and getting them ready to roll out at any moment.

The call sign was in contact with a casualty, heavy gun fire could be heard over the radio as well as the chaotic background noise of their surroundings coming over in the transmission.

We quickly came up with a plan. I remember sweating like a maniac and thinking “this is it, this is real!” Rifle fire and small explosions could be heard in the background as we briefed the remainder of the call sign. Whilst briefing the boys I was sweating from under my helmet onto the map on the front of the snatch vehicle. My whole body was sweating like never before and I was feeling slightly apprehensive and nervous at the same time.

All we could hear going on outside the walls was the sounds of a ferocious fire fight and the sudden thud of explosions, people screaming, motor vehicles revving and just brutal loudness. From our location we could see numerous plumes of dark bellowing smoke, rising into the clear blue sky in the direction that we were about to travel!

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BOOK PREVIEW A SNIPER’S CONFLICT

We got into the vehicles. I got into the Commander’s seat slamming the armoured door shut hard, getting my map out at the same time as resting my rifle across the top of my legs under control of my right hand so if we had to de-bus quickly it was ready to use. All the time simultaneous situation reports were coming over the radio.

Matt was my 2IC, he was on top cover as my under slung grenade launcher man (UGL). Benny, a big strong Fijian was my light machine gun gunner (LMG). We started to move out; Ian as lead vehicle, followed on at a distance by my vehicle.

Within 300 metres of leaving we came under heavy fire. You could hear the splatting of rounds on the side and front of the vehicle. Inside Taff was sweating like a mad man, wrestling with

lLife on the frontline for our troops involves fighting in hostile, harsh, and volatile conditions – and Monty’s book offers a firsthand insight into this life

the steering wheel swerving to dodge debris that had been placed in the road ahead. I held onto the dashboard with one hand and used the other trying to stop Taff’s rifle from smacking him in the head, as it had bounced out of the rifle rack it had been secured in, in the centre of the cab.

In response Benny started firing the LMG in short bursts and every few rounds tracer could be seen flying down the street. It was incoming and from all directions. Matt started to fire his rifle, cases and ejected link started rolling down over the windscreen and falling down into the back of the vehicle.

Taff was shouting: “Vehicles to our front! They have blocked the road…”

Straight in front of us were two burning cars. We had no other choice but to plough straight through them. I shouted up

to Matt and Benny “Hold on! Hold on!...

NOW!” We smashed our way through the flaming hulks.

We were coming under continuous fire from all directions. The front left side of the windscreen cracked in three places as rounds smacked into it, causing the first layer of armoured glass to be penetrated and Taff swerved the wagon across the road onto the same side as Ian. My top cover, Benny and Matt, were firing and giving target indications to each other and trying to stay in a stable fire position in the top cover hatch, the same was happening with Ian’s top cover.

Both vehicles came to a rapid halt roughly 20 metres apart just under a bridge. Nothing was moving above us but we were well aware of the possible threat from where we had stopped to debus from the vehicles.

Without warning the road started spitting bits of gravel up around us and rounds were splatting into the side of the Snatch, right among where we stood.

That now familiar sound that scares the shit out of you, the crack and thump of rounds whizzing past or above you, within micro seconds we turned around, fired and manoeuvred back…

I popped back up facing down the street; rounds were coming in from directions all around us. About 80 metres to my front on a corner of a building I saw a figure with an AK firing. I just aimed centre of mass of what I could see and fired and fired till the figure went down and slumped onto the street floor.

People were engaging targets all over at ground level there was no time to think…”

INFORMATION Hopefully, this short extract has given you a glimpse into what life is like for troops on the front line in Afghanistan. The rest of the book covers Monty’s tour of Afghanistan, where he deploys as a sniper to The Green Zone in Helmand Province. He explains in great detail what it was like operating in such a harsh, kinetic environment, along with the operations he goes on and life in general for the deployed soldier of today, and in particular for snipers.

A Sniper’s Conflict by Monty B. is published by Pen & Sword Military and scheduled for release on 20 March 2014, priced at £19.99 for the hardback edition (Amazon).

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15/10/2013 15:57

SYMBOL KEY IS IT WOODLAND OR URBAN? CHECK THE KEY! UKARA

UKARA MEMBER UKASGB MEMBER WOODLAND

£

SHOP ONSITE BATTERY CHARGING URBAN PYROS ALLOWED REPAIR SERVICE DESERT

ATROOP AIRSOFT

Clocaenog Forest, LL16 4SP 07967 394976 www.atroop.co.uk

ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT

Maidenhead, SL6 3SS 07871 314951 www.absolute-airsoft.co.uk

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

Holbrook Coppice, Buidwas Bank (A4169), Buildwas, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk

Email michaelh@blazepublishing.co.uk to add or change a site listing

AIRSOFT ASYLUM

North Lanarksire, ML7 5 www.airsoftasylum.webs.com

AIRSOFT COMMANDOS Sutton, near Ferrybridge 07723 061386 andyace@ntlworld.com

AIRSOFT KGB

Porkellis Moor near Helston, Cornwall, TR13 0 Chef1322@hotmail.com www.kgbairsoft.com

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH ACE COMBAT

Kent, TN12 7DG 01303 814803 www.acecombat.co.uk

Stoulton, WR7 4QW 07764 587410 www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk

ALPHA ELITE GAMING

ARENA AIRSOFT

AMAZON EVENTS

AWA HERTS

AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

Le Mont de Rozel, Jersey, JE3 5 01534 733697 www.aegairsoft.je

Hellingly, East Sussex, BN27 4HL 0844 2570433 www.amazonoutdoorevents.co.uk

Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8SL 01252 315225 www.ambushadventures.co.uk

AMBUSH ADVENTURES – SOUTHAMPTON

New Forest National Park, SP5 2DW 01252 315225 www.ambushadventures.co.uk

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQB AIRBORNE 101 AIRSOFT CLUB Downpatrick, Co. Down, BT30 07718 032541 robinsonm24@btinternet.com

Studley, B80 7LY 07764 587410 www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk

ALL ARMS AIRSOFT

Near Trawden, BB8 8SN 07909 683464 www.allarmsairsoft.co.uk

086 December 2013

Grimsby, DN31 3JD 07752 404060 www.arenaairsoft.com

Sawbridgeworth, Herts, CM23 4BJ 07732 184957 www.awaherts.com

Shafton, Barnsley, S72 8RE 07779 236166 www.barnsleypaintball.co.uk

BATTLETEC AIRSOFT

La Couture, Guernsey, GY1 2 07781 104068 www.battletec.co.uk

BETTER BATTLES APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT

Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7QP 07872 348 576 www.apocalypseairsoft.com

Ravenshead, Notts, NG15 9DH 07967 940043 www.better-battles.com

Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

BLACKDAGGER AIRSOFT

Grasscroft Wood, Barlow Lees Lane, Dronfield, S18 7UR www.blackdagger-airsoft.co.uk

BLUESTREAK AIRSOFT

Westcott Venture Park, Westcott, Aylesbury, HP18 0XB 01926 658600 www.bluestreak-airsoft.co.uk

BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT

Leisure Lakes, Mere Brow, Southport. PR46JX 07790 715059 www.bravo22airsoft.com

CERBERUS AIRSOFT SHEFFIELD WOODLAND

DOGS OF WAR

FINMERE AIRSOFT

DRAGON’S LAIR

FIREBALL SQUADRON

Brimington, Chesterfield, S43 1DQ www.cia-airsoft.co.uk

Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0LA 07703 530189 www.dragonslairairsoft.co.uk

CLOSE ACTION AIRSOFT

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT

FIRST AND ONLY – ANZIO CAMP

Sheffield, S6 6JE 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

Corby, NN17 3BB 07740 165787 www.close-action.co.uk

COMBAT ACTION GAMES BRISTOL AIRSOFT

Bristol, BS1 2HQ 07776 288826 www.bristolairsoft.com

Maryland, Norfolk, NR10 4 01328 711867 www.combatactiongames.co.uk

Houston, Renfrewshire, PA6 7BP 07853 195290 www.dow-airsoft.co.uk

Caerwent Training Area, South Wales, NP26 5XL 07921 336360 www.dragonvalley.co.uk

Buckingham, MK18 4JT 07976 184897 www.finmereairsoft.com

Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA 07582 684533 www.fireballsquadron.com

Leek, ST13 8 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

ELITE ACTION GAMES – DORKING

FIRST AND ONLY – BUNKER WOOD

ELITE ACTION GAMES – EPSOM

FIRST AND ONLY – KHE SANH WOODS

ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING

FIRST AND ONLY – MANCHESTER WOODLAND

ELITE BATTLEZONE

FIRST AND ONLY – ASYLUM

EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT

FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE

Dorking, Surrey, RH5 5AB 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com

Kidderminster, Worcs, DY11 5SA 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

COMBAT SOUTH URBAN BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT

Sheffield, S2 5TR 07795 631331 www.brittacairsoft.com

Portsmouth, PO6 3LS 02392 655636 www.combatsouth.co.uk

COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND BUNKER 51

Charlton, SE7 8NJ 0870 7549653 www.wolfarmouries.co.uk

Fareham, PO17 5ND 02392 655636 www.combatsouth.co.uk

CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL C3 TACTICAL

Longhope, Gloucestershire, GL17 0PH 07597 938011 www.c3tactical.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT - THE COMPLEX

Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4RP 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT - THE SANDPIT

Bradford, BD2 1BQ 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT - RIVOCK EDGE

Keighley, BD20 0LS 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 5 01438 368177 www.thefightschool.demon.co.uk

COOL UNDER FIRE

Doddington, Kent, ME9 0JS 07960 532613 www.coolunderfire.co.uk

CORNWALL AIRSOFT ASSAULT

Truro, Cornwall, TR2 07837 475012 www.cornwallairsoftassault.co.uk

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT

Dumfries, DG12 cumbria.airsoft@virgin.net www.cumbria-airsoft.com

DELTA TEAM 3

Skelmersdale, Lancs WN8 8UT 07986 053076 www.deltateam3.co.uk

Epsom, Surrey, KT18 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com

Worthing, BN13 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com

Bexley, Greater London, DA5 1NX 07968 448475 www.elitebattlezone.co.uk

Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 0AN 01380 728982 www.experienceairsoft.co.uk

FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS Lewisham, SE13 5SU 07973 240177 www.firefight.co.uk

Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 2NA 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

Bolton, BL7 9TS 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

Kidderminster, DY10 3PT 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

Middleton, Manchester, M24 1AZ0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY

Wrexham, Denbighshire, LL13 9RG 07554 800040

FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY FIFE WARGAMES

St Andrews, KY10 3XL info@fifewargames.co.uk www.fifewargames.com

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 6QF 07779 157440

FIRST & ONLY: THE ASYLUM Kidderminster, DY10 3PT 07779 157440

www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 087

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT

MILSIM UK

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT

NCIS AIRSOFT

LAC SITE 1

NOMAD AIRSOFT

Near Shorwell, Isle of Wight, PO30 07964 751047 www.islandrecon.co.uk

Gorebridge, Midlothian, EH23 4LG 0131 654 2452 www.airsoftedinburgh.co.uk

FIRST & ONLY: THE OUTPOST

Kidderminster, DY11 5SA 07779 157440

FIRST & ONLY: SLEEPY HOLLOW

Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 5LS 07880 316716

GREENZONE COMBAT

Co. Armagh, BT60 1NE 07772 919974 www.greenzonecombat.com

Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

LAC SITE 2 GUN HO AIRSOFT

Guisborough, TS7 0PG 07525 435696 www.gunhoairsoft.co.uk

Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

GROUND ZERO WOODLAND

Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 2DF www.groundzerowoodland.com

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – CAMBRIDGE

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 07854 277264 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk

FREE FIRE ZONE

Farcet, Peterborough, PE7 3DH 01733 247171 www.freefirezone.co.uk

Norwich, Norfolk, NR10 07854 277264 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk

HIGHLAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT FRV AIRSOFT

Annacloy, Downpatrick, BT30 8JJ 07730 586926 www.frvairsoft.com

IV25 3PY 07702 846090 www.highlandtacticalairsoft.co.uk

HILTON PARK AIRSOFT GASS AIRSOFT – PENN

Penn Bottom, Bucks, HP10 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk

Wolverhampton, WV10 7HU 08000 354490 www.paintballuk.com

HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON

Piddington, Oxfordshire, OX25 1 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT

Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

088 December 2013

LAC SITE 3

Saxillby, LN1 2JW 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

LAC SITE 5 GUNMAN AIRSOFT – NORWICH

Spanby, Lincs, NG34 0AT 07971 560249 facebook.com/HomelandTacticalAirsoft

INVICTA AIRSOFT – RAINDEN WOODS

Folkestone, Kent, CT18 7AY 01227 763335 www.invictaairsoft.co.uz

Edinburgh, EH14 4 nick@ncis-airsoft.co.uk www.ncis-airsoft.co.uk

Fenwick, Ayrshire, KA3 6AY 07904 998250 www.nomadairsoft.com

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 3LQ 01845 565465 www.northernallianceairsoft.co.uk

NORTHFLEET CQB

FIRST & ONLY: THE DEPOT Glasgow, G45 9SB 0161 727 8863

Checkley, Staffordshire, ST10 4NS 07523 916607 www.milsimuk.co.uk

Kirton Rd, North Lincs, DN16 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

Northfleet, Kent, DA11 9AA 07968 448475 www.elitebattlezone.co.uk

NSC AIRSOFT

Hetton, Sunderland, DH5 0 07983 333521 www.nscairsoft.co.uk

NTAC LINDSEY AIRSOFT

Manby, Lincolnshire, LN11 8HE 07955 487983 www.lindsey-airsoft.co.uk

Durham, DL4 2ER 01642 281220 www.ntac.co.uk

OBAN AIRSOFT – HILL ARGYLL MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES

Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5FW 07974 507166 www.matlockcombatgames.com

Argyll and Bute, PA37 1 07967 710185 www.argyllsurplus.com

OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS MAW

Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 07562 479966 maw.airsoft@hotmail.com

MIA

Cornwall, EX23 9JL 01288 331748 www.airsoftsouthwest.co.uk

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES Wrightington, WN6 9PL 01942 514724 www.militaryoutdooradventure.co.uk

Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT 07964 990831 www.op-tac.co.uk

PATHFINDER GROUP AIRSOFT MILITARY SIMULATION Former RAF Camp Sopley/ Merryfield Park, Hants, BH23 02380 899369

PHOENIX AIRSOFT

Budby, Notts, NG22 9FG 01623 812483 www.phoenix-airsoft.co.uk

Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

PLATOON 1HQ

Rochester, Kent, ME1 1 HQ 01634 829063 www.ptt-1hq.co.uk

PLAYERS OF WAR

High Bonnybridge, FK1 3AD 07767 203979 www.playersofwar.co.uk

PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES Ballynahinch, BT24 8NF 028 4377 0566 www.predatorcombat.com

RAVEN’S NEST

Suffolk, IP8 4 01473 831563 www.ravensairsoft.co.uk

RAW WAR AIRSOFT CUMBRIA Wigton, Cumbria CA7 3SZ 01900 85645 www.airsoftcumbria.co.uk

RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3

Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM) Cambridge, CB24 8RL 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

Shotts, N Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

Shotts, North Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com

SG1 COMBAT GAMES

Co. Londonderry, BT45 8NA 07713 273102 www.sg1combatgames.co.uk

SKIRMISH EXETER

Exeter, Devon, EX4 5 01548 580025 www.airsoftexeter.co.uk

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT

Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0LR 07766 770830 www.southdownairsoft.com

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH Wareham, Dorset, BH20 7EU 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – THE ROCK Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EG 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk

STIRLING AIRSOFT

Coventry, CV3 6NX 07831 429407 www.stirlingairsoft.com

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4LD 07515 937633 www.stormforcepaintball.co.uk

SUSSEX AIRSOFT

Slinfold, RH12 020 8150 9284 www.sussexairsoft.co.uk

Reynoldston, Swansea SA3 1AS 01792 473336 www.tacticalwales.co.uk

TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9PL 020 8665 1299 www.tacticalwarfare.co.uk

TASK FORCE SKIRMISH

Cowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF71 02920 593900 www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk

THE DESERTERS AIRSOFT Redford, DD11 07751 878175 www.thedeserters.co.uk

THE EX SITE

Mold, CH7 4 07840 001975 www.theexsitewales.co.uk

THE WARGAMES CENTRE

Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13

Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0QN 07432 291729 www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN6AIRSOFT – THE BLOCK

Wood Street, Butron-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 £AB www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN ASSAULT

Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, PE26 1 01733 247171 www.urbanassault.org.uk

WARMINSTER AIRSOFT

Macclesfield, SK10 4SZ 07428 024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com

Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP

SW WAR GAMES – TREGANTLE FORT

UCAP AIRSOFT

Antony, Cornwall, PL11 3AZ 08456 345011 www.swwargames.co.uk

Portsmouth, Hants, PO17 6AR 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

UCAP GREEN OPS

Hemel Hemstead, Herts, HP2 7QB 07894 059794 www.ta-events.co.uk

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD

TROJAN AIRSOFT

Antony, Cornwall, PL11 3AB www.swwargames.co.uk

TA EVENTS

Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY 01268 796130 www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

VIKING AIRSOFT

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB

Boathouse lane, South Wirral, Cheshire, CH64 3TB www.swatairsoft.eu 07703 177756

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM

Stevenston, Ayrshire, KA20 3LN 08456 434326 www.scottishadventurecentre.co.uk

SW WAR GAMES – SCRAESDON FORT

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY Billericay, Essex, CM11 2TX 01277 657777 www.airsoft-billericay.co.uk

TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT

Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0UN www.vikingairsoft.co.uk

Warminster, BA12 7RZ www.warminsterairsoft.co.uk

XSITE AIRSOFT OUTPOST Dunstable, LU6 2EE 01494 881430 www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk

XSITE AIRSOFT – LANE END

High Wycombe, HP14 3NP 01494 881430

Linch, West Sussex, GU30 7 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

UCAP SANDPIT

Bean, Kent, DA2 8 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

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DEALER LISTINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEX Land Warrior ............................................................................ 2 Airsoft World ............................................................................ 3 RedWolf Airsoft ......................................................................... 9 Airsoft Zone............................................................................ 11 TLSFx .................................................................................... 15 Enola Gaye............................................................................ 20 Airsoft Armoury ....................................................................... 27 Wolf Armouries ....................................................................... 31 JD Airsoft................................................................................ 34 Military 1st............................................................................. 37 Patrol Store ............................................................................ 37 Airsoft Direct ........................................................................... 43 Goliath .................................................................................. 46 Helikon Tex ............................................................................ 46 Soldier of Fortune .................................................................... 51 S.W.A.T Airsoft ....................................................................... 51 Just BB Guns ........................................................................... 56 Silvermans ............................................................................. 56 NRG CQB Airsoft ................................................................... 63 No VAT ................................................................................. 63 Surplus Stores ......................................................................... 63 Etonguns ................................................................................ 63 Bulle Flecktarn ......................................................................... 66 Dragon Valley Airsoft ................................................................ 66 Countryside Matches ............................................................... 66 Badger Tac ............................................................................ 76 Gunman Airsoft ....................................................................... 76 Tactical Airsoft......................................................................... 76 Patrol Base ............................................................................. 91 Pro Airsoft Supplies .................................................................. 92

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