Issue 64 - August 2016

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MAGAZINE!

AIRSOFT ACTION

ARMOURY

LCT AMD-65 ICS PAR MK3 GUNS IN FILM GUNS HEAVY MACHINE

S I T E S ORDON AMBUSH – B R PLAYERS OF WA

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12 ARMOURY: LCT AMD-65 16

MAGAZINE!

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ARMOURY

LCT AMD-65 ICS PAR MK3 GUNS IN FILM GUNS HEAVY MACHINE

SITES

ON AMBUSH – BORD PLAYERS OF WAR

ARMOURY: ICS PAR MK3 CQB MTR

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WOMEN IN AIRS AIRSOFT INSIDE SWINDON

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Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant editor: Gareth “Gadge” Harvey Graphic design: Havoc Design Ad design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter

UK 13-issue subscription rate: £46.50 UK 6-issue subscription rate: £24.00 For overseas prices email: subs@airsoft-action.co.uk

SITE: AMBUSH ADVENTURES – BORDON

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Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL Tel: 01684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.online ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2016 Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800 Copyright © Calibre Publishing Limited 2016. 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 publisher in writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to print.

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INTERNATIONAL MILSIM: LIONCLAWS 2016

FEATURE: WOMEN IN AIRSOFT

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WARRIORS: SPETSNAZ OPERATIVE

SURVIVAL: HIDE AND SURVIVE!

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CONTENTS AUGUST MARCH 2014 2016

CONTENTS AUGUST 2016 6 NEWS What’s happening in the World of Airsoft 10 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos taken by Airsoft Action readers.

60 INTERNATIONAL: RUSSIA With winter out of the way, a new season of airsoft kicks off in Russia. In the first of two parts, Marty and Marta give us the low down on the opening events.

11 THE ADVENTURES OF MAG Mag continues his adventures in Airsoft Actions exclusive cartoon.

63 LUL: HOME ON THE RANGE Jerry Noone always has his eyes peeled for brands emerging in the UK and this month he reports back on some great gear from Pentagon that he has had on test courtesy of Military1st.

12 ARMOURY: LCT AMD-65 Jerry Noone gets to grips with the AMD-65 from LCT airsoft and finds that a few changes to the classic AK design can make something quite different from the standard Russian workhorse.

68 TECH TALK: BITS ‘N PIECES In the final part of this series, Frenchie takes a look at all the other components that go into an aeg.

16 ARMOURY: ICS PAR Mk3 CQB MTR Always a fan of properly licenced airsoft replicas Jerry Noone is excited to see a fully branded PROARMS ARMORY PAR Mk3 carbine from one of his favourite manufacturers, ICS. 20 ARMOURY: DIE HARD GUNS In a slight departure from his normal reviews, Scott Allan takes a look at the guns used in one of the most popular films of its genre.

25 SITE: AMBUSH ADVENTURES – BORDON Airsoft Action’s “roving reporter”, Les Lee, visits Ambush Adventure’s newest MoD site in Hampshire.

28 INTERNATIONAL MILSIM: LIONCLAWS 2016 As we all know, Airsoft in the USA is absolutely huge but one particular long-running series of events has always stood out from the rest. Our “international airsoft vet” Bill Thomas joins us again this month and gets the lowdown on the latest operation in the long-running LIONCLAWS series.

34 ARMOURY: HEAVY MACHINE GUNS Iggy Roberts has visited Over The Top Adventures before but when he heard they had started making some “heavy” kit, he couldn’t resist a return journey.

36 EVENT: “TANK” FUNDRAISER Team Rhino’s Angelo Di Vito reports from an event to raise money for a truly inspirational wheelchair-bound player called “Tank”.

40 SITE: PLAYERS OF WAR Frenchie drags himself out from behind his gun bench to visit a Scottish site that had to (quite literally) rebuild itself from the ground up.

44 KIT: GARSING COMBAT GEAR Well known for being a Soviet era uniform aficionado, Gadge takes a look at some of the newer gear from “Mother Russia”.

48 FEATURE: WOMEN IN AIRSOFT Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick is an airsofter who just happens to be female. Here she writes about her thoughts and experiences in what is a male-dominated sport.

72 WARRIORS: SPETSNAZ OPERATIVE – 2nd CHECHEN WAR 2006 In the second of his new series, Gadge looks to Chechnya and the Spetsnaz warriors who fought against a determined enemy.

76 INSIDE AIRSOFT: UMAREX Nige takes us inside one of Europe’s largest airsoft distributors, as he joins a group of UK Journalists invited to Umarex, in Germany.

79 GITAG: ASPUK UPGRADE PART 2 Last month Paul and the team at Airsoft Sniper Parts UK took us through how to get the best and most consistent power from the project TM VSR GSPEC. Now we head back to wrap the project up!

83 DEBATE: HOW FAR WILL YOU TRAVEL? Is your local woods far enough, or are you prepared to travel to a different country to play? In this issue’s debate, Gadge asks “How far will you travel?”

86 FAMOUS RAIDS: USS PERCH Billy writes about an operation in North Korea that involved the United States Navy, Royal Marine Commandos and a submarine with a hanger welded to its hull.

90 SKILLS: SAFETY FLAGS We all know how important safety is in airsoft and here, Andy Nightingale of Calibre Shooting, talks about a cheap, simple way of making sure your gun can be seen to be safe.

92 KIT: NATO/G10 WATCH STRAP It was never intended to be anything other than functional but as military historian, Will Fowler, notes, the humble G10 watch strap has become something of a style icon.

95 BOOK REVIEW: OSPREY – ISRAELI SOLDIER VERSUS SYRIAN SOLDIER Gareth “Gadge” Harvey delves into a book about a conflict that, for some, is as real today as it was nearly 50 years ago.

96 SURVIVAL: HIDE AND SURVIVE! Survival expert, Paul Yelland, writes about a skill that is all too often overlooked when playing airsoft… concealment.

53 CHARITY WALK: HELP FOR HEROES When Airsoft Action heard about Adam Taylor from our friends at ROE Airsoft, we felt compelled to tell you about it.

100 SITE DIRECTORY & PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUBS With the ever-growing popularity of Practical Shooting, we thought it was about time we started listing where you can go and take part - as well as over four pages of awesome airsoft venues!

56 INSIDE AIRSOFT: SWINDON AIRSOFT As well as being one of the locations for a James Bond film, Swindon is also home to one of the UK’s most friendly airsoft shops, so we sent Les Lee along to take a look.

104 DEALER LISTING: AIRSOFT ACTION’S ADVERTISER INDEX Find who you are looking for in our listing of all the adverts that appear in this issue.

S W E N T AIRSOF

UKAPU Regional Representatives UNITED KINGDOM: Matthew Furey-King, Chairman of United Kingdom Airsoft Players Union (UKAPU), announced that UKAPU have filled two regional positions in the United Kingdom. The new representatives, alongside UKAPU’s committee, will allow the organisation to communicate more effectively with players around the country.

Paul Cook, owner of Armour Defence Group Ltd & Armour Tech Airsoft, has been named the UKAPU Representative for Scotland. A regular attendee at Section 8 Airsoft, Paul will be the voice of UKAPU in Scotland and is ready to answer any questions players have.

“I am looking forward to taking UKAPU in Scotland to the players, making sure they have the right representation for our sport,” said Paul Cook. “Bringing all the players into one organisation, as the more voices there are, the stronger we are as a group. Better that than individuals or small groups, it will be a challenge but I look forward to uniting Scottish players for one goal: keep airsoft our sport.”

Ben Simmons, of Bradford, West Yorkshire,

has been named the UKAPU Representative for North England.

“I joined UKAPU to see if I could make a difference when it came to airsoft and player representation,” said Ben Simmons. “We have been a hugely underrepresented sport and that has shown in the legislative efforts of various bodies when it comes to our exemption.

“I am also hoping to bring university airsofters together and get them some real support, as they are some of the most persecuted of our players due to the nature of Students Unions. I came through the uni airsoft and I know how bad it can be for those students.”

Steven ‘Wallace’ Morley, owner of Skirmish the Stan, Skirmish Airsoft Sherwood Forest, and Skirmish Airsoft CQB, has also joined the organisation.

“I joined UKAPU as I firmly believe in what the organisation stands for,” said Steven Morley.

“I also intend to help in any way possible to support their mission to strengthen and defend both the sport and its players from criticism and

attack at every level. I hope to help move the organisation forward by helping raise its profile wherever possible.”

Positions still available in UKAPU: • UKAPU Representative for Wales • UKAPU Representative for Northern Ireland • UKAPU Representative for the Midlands • UKAPU Representative for East England • UKAPU Representative for the South West • UKAPU Representative for the South East About UKAPU: UKAPU is an unincorporated non-profit association formed by a dedicated group of airsoft skirmishers to help protect and strengthen our hobby. By providing a united and official organisation that represents players, we can far more effectively engage in discussion with the government, other organisations, and the press when skirmishing comes under threat.

SPECIALIST BALLISTIC INJURY FIRST AID TRAINING WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT TO do if someone was injured with a firearm?

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You will receive two certificates: • A fully approved Emergency First Aid at Work certificate, lasting for three years • A Special Balistics First Aid certificate.

Improved gear and lower prices at First Tactical FIRST TACTICAL IS FOCUSED ON providing functional clothing and equipment to tactical professions across all fields. Guided by the principles of innovation and reliability, First Tactical combines advanced technical materials with state-­of-­the-­art components to offer high quality products. First Tactical

Firearms accidents and incidents shouldn’t happen, but they do! If you came across someone with a balistics injury would you know what to do?

Run by ex-military peronnel and fully approved by Andy Nightingale of Calibre Shooting, this unique and highly specialised Ballistics First Aid Course provides you with the knowledge and skills to effectively deliver emergency care to any firearm casualty.

Learn how to: • Effectively manage an incident • Prioritise casualties • Prioritise injuries • Slow down and prevent bleeding • Provide emergency care for shattered limbs • Make effective use of field dressings and other resources • Prevent casualty deteriortion • Carry out Basic Life Support For more information on please contact Paul Titcomb. www.arclearning.co.uk email: info@arclearning.co.uk Tel: 0845 0945 334 / 07834043076

6

August 2016

talks to real professionals in the field and prides itself on fine-­tuning its products to perfectly meet their needs, whilst maintaining the best prices in the market.

For samples, images or further information please contact Chase PR: 020 7403 4141 or chase@chasepr.co.uk

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

SPONSORED BY

ROGUE’S GALLERY From Snook Snaps: Will Rich es at StrikeForce Badlands

t Warminster Airsof Ian Adamson at

Richy, Team Leader of Team Punisher Airsoft UK at South Coast CQB 8

AUGUST 2016

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

rprises Photography bush by Waington Ente From: Dave Clark - Holm

From: Andy Smith – Co Action Ga mes, Norw mbat ich

From Rohan Baruah at Section8 in Scotland.

Image by David McCunnie Airsoft

10

AUGUST 2016

From: Dave Langdown at South Coast CQB. Image by One Hundred Strangers Photography

From Phil Taylor. Image of Steve Taylor (with MG42) at West Midlands Airsoft

Information Fancy seeing yourself in Airsoft Action?

Send in your photos via email (nige@airsoft-action.co.uk) or share on our Facebook page (/AirsoftAction), plus a few words describing what’s going on in the image.

From: Benjamin Wallis

THE ADVENTURES OF MAG

CARTOON

www.airsoft-action.online

11

AK WITH A DIFFERENCE JERRY NOONE GETS TO GRIPS WITH THE AMD-65 FROM LCT AIRSOFT AND FINDS THAT A FEW CHANGES TO THE CLASSIC AK DESIGN CAN MAKE SOMETHING QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE STANDARD RUSSIAN WORKHORSE

THE“AUTOMAT KALASHNIKOVA” OF 1947 CREATED by Mikhail Kalashnikov was a real “Kirza-boot” step forward in the world of military firearms, allowing the humble infantry soldier access to a fast-firing, durable and above all reliable battlefield tool. The humble AK has come in many variants during its long service life, even within Russia but when you take into account the number of models “based” on the AK but built under licence in different Soviet Bloc countries the variations can become somewhat mind-boggling!

The AK, including all of its variants, has truly become the most widely manufactured and used firearm form in the world, of this there is little doubt and one of the first licence agreements after the initial Russian-only manufacture of the AK-47 was with the Hungarians.

By 1957 the Magyar Nephadsereg (Hungarian People’s Army) decided it was high time to replace their aging and outmoded bolt-action Moisin Nagant rifles with a modern AK-47-style battle rifle. The Hungarian AK was designated the “AK-55” and it was simply a direct copy of the Soviet AK-47; it came with a cleaning rod and lacked a bayonet lug but a barrel-mounted bayonet was available. Manufacturing quality was also very good.

Femaru- Fegyver- es Gepgyar (FEG) based in Budapest started re-tooling for the AK in 1957 and the first AK-55 left 12

August 2016

ARMOURY LCT AMD-65

A BIT DIFFERENT

So why, you might ask yourself, has someone gone to all the trouble of producing an airsoft replica of what was essentially a rather obscure AK variant? The answer to this lies in LCT Airsoft themselves.

Little known to many UK airsofters until quite recently, LCT actually have vast technical engineering experience as well as 3 years as an OEM and ODM. “Li Cheng Technique Business Company” was established in 2004 with the brand “LCT Airsoft” and they’ve been quietly making some superb airsoft replicas since then - their extensive range of “Soviet” rifles, carbines and SMGs has to be seen to be believed.

LCT AEGs are made from a mix of steel, wood and aluminium; they are extremely well finished with a hard wearing coating that is more resistant to wear and tear than normal airsoft AKs, with excellent and realistic colour matching (in fact many high-end AKs from other manufacturers are actually originally made by LCT!).

Although they do make some rather tasty M4 and M60 electric replicas, if you’re looking for an airsoft AK then you really need go no further than LCT as in their range they have nearly FORTY models! And this is before you even take into account that they also offer RPK, VAL, Vintorez and Bizon variants and are currently well advanced in producing a new RPD replica… …and although they are well priced (retailers are offering the version on test here for iro just £199!) they are of absolutely top quality.

The LCT AMD-65 AEG comes with a solid and durable metal body and barrel and benefits from black plastic grips fore and aft, the tubular side folding stock and the distinctive muzzle brake. Everything is put together very well indeed and there are absolutely no creaks, groans or wobbles apparent anywhere.

Internally things are equally as good; there’s a tried and tested V3 gearbox, a ribbed aluminium cylinder, aluminium cylinder head with double O-ring, a plastic nozzle with O-ring, polycarbonate piston with steel teeth and an aluminium piston

the factory in 1959. The receivers, which were machined from steel blocks, were made by Danuvia Gepgyar initially, as that company boasted better machining facilities than FEG. The stock, checkered pistol grip and fore-end were made of wood. The serial number was usually stamped into a panel milled out of the left side of the receiver but manufacturer’s marks were rarely present. The AK-55 shared a basic form and structure with the AK-47, in particular the space in front of the extraction slot, where the charging handle protrudes. In most photographs (along with almost every text that describes the AK-47 and its many variations), the space in front of the bolt handle/extraction slot contains a rivet or pin. The original forged and machined upper receivers had no pin/rivets in front of the charging handle but maker’s marks and proof stamps were displayed. The change in the structure was due to the shift in manufacturing from the forged and machined receiver, to the lighter sheet metal receiver. This alteration to the design made the AK-55 two“INTERNALLY THINGS ARE EQUALLY AS GOOD; THERE’S A TRIED AND thirds lighter than its predecessor TESTED V3 GEARBOX, A RIBBED ALUMINIUM CYLINDER, ALUMINIUM and it was adopted in every CYLINDER HEAD WITH DOUBLE O-RING, A PLASTIC NOZZLE WITH O-RING, evolution of the Hungarian AK afterwards. Oddly, this POLYCARBONATE PISTON WITH STEEL TEETH AND AN ALUMINIUM PISTON modification has been left out of HEAD. THIS SOUNDS ALL VERY WELL AND IN ACTUAL FACT IT IS, AS THESE many historical accounts of the rifle, with the initial forging and COMPONENTS WILL GIVE YOU SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE FROM THE GET GO!” machining process, which was so revolutionary in the creation of the AK-47, almost lost from the story.

The milled receiver AK-47 (AK-55) was still manufactured when the first batch of the modernised, stamped-receiver AKM-63s were completed. From 1963 with the introduction of the AKM-63 with its sheet metal receiver, all parts were made by FEG. The AKM-63 proved to be a highly functional and reliable rifle, popular with the troops. Time of course never stands still and the AKM-63 was duly replaced in 1966 by the AMD-65 (Automata Modosított Deszant of 1965); this was a shortened (by 98mm) “paratrooper” variant of the AKM-63, with a simple folding tubular butt and rubber butt plate in place of the heavier wooden version; the butt could be folded by pressing a slotted catch under the receiver behind the rear pistol grip and the shorter length reflected the increasing use of helicopters, vehicles and especially AFVs by the Eastern Bloc Armed Forces in general. The short barrel had a distinctive large, two-port muzzle brake and the early pattern wooden pistol grips were replaced later with dark-coloured plastic ones.

The front handguard area is made of perforated sheet metal which incorporated a black or grey plastic vertical foregrip; this was attached to assist in controlling fully automatic fire from this short weapon. In addition, the vertical foregrip was canted forward to lessen interference with magazine changes.

www.airsoft-action.online

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ARMOURY LCT AMD-65

head. This sounds all very well and in actual fact it is, as these components will give you superior performance from the get go!

Performance-wise the AMD-65 is no slouch either. The AEG comes with a 600 BB High Capacity magazine which is also of full metal construction; I did try it with other AK-47 and AK-74 magazines of different capacities and all fed very well with no jams or misfeeds. A 7.4v LiPo is recommended and this type of battery fits easily under the top cover, although you can also squeeze in a NUPROL 11.1V LiPo “Nunchuck” if you really try!

There are sling points fore and aft should you wish to fit a sling and the control layout of the LCT AMD is much the same as every other AK variant on the market. The charging handle cover hides a traditional sliding hop-up adjuster and the safety lever has three positions; top is “safe”, middle is “auto” and the lowest setting is “semi-auto”, just like the real thing. For a rifle that first saw service in the 1960s the placement of the foregrip, which is essentially just a reversed pistol grip, gives the “65” a surprisingly modern “feel”.

With the magazine fully loaded and wound and a charged NUPROL LiPo fitted it was time to run the “65” through the chrono and the result was a very highly consistent and sitefriendly 0.92 joule/315fps using .20g BBs; rate of fire was also pleasantly “AK”, chugging along nicely on a 7.4 but darn quick on an 11.1!

“WITH THE MAGAZINE FULLY LOADED AND WOUND AND A CHARGED NUPROL LIPO FITTED IT WAS TIME TO RUN THE “65” THROUGH THE CHRONO AND THE RESULT WAS A VERY HIGHLY CONSISTENT AND SITE-FRIENDLY 0.92 JOULE/315FPS USING .20G BBS; RATE OF FIRE WAS ALSO PLEASANTLY “AK”, CHUGGING ALONG NICELY ON A 7.4 BUT DARN QUICK ON AN 11.1!”

With a relatively long inner barrel I thought the AMD-65 might have “some legs” in relation to both range and accuracy and once the hop and the iron sights were dialled in that indeed proved to be the case. I witnessed an absolutely flat BB trajectory out to the extreme of the 30m range I was testing on and I believe that this trajectory would remain the same for a good deal further out. At 30m prone I was able to easily hit a dinner plate-sized target with each and every BB sent; none too shabby straight out of the box!

I’ve always personally fancied an AMD-65 to add to my collection and I have to say that this model is very quickly heading to the top of my “must have” list, given the quality and performance of the review sample. If you like a bit of an “old school” AK that’s just a bit different and at a great price, then you really should get your hands on an AMD-65 from LCT Airsoft.

My thanks go to Herman at www.iwholesales.co.uk for supplying the review sample; for more information on the AMD-65 along with other models from LCT please do pay their website a visit!

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August 2016

ALWAYS A FAN OF PROPERLY LICENSED AIRSOFT REPLICAS JERRY NOONE IS EXCITED TO SEE A FULLY BRANDED PROARMS ARMORY PAR MK3 CARBINE FROM ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE MANUFACTURERS, ICS

LICENSED TO THRILL I’VE BEEN A GREAT FAN of airsoft rifles and carbines from Taiwanese manufacturer I Chi Shivan (ICS) for many years and their split gearbox design has been a real industry staple for as long as I can remember. They’ve always had a reputation for making superbly detailed replicas and, in my opinion, their L85 is one of the best on the market. They’ve also always had some great “AR” style models in their line-up and over the last couple of years I’ve really begun to see them doing things their own way in terms of unique and genuinely innovative design.

You can imagine therefore how interested I was to see them launch a range of models based around the PAR Mk3 rifles from PROARMS ARMORY. Again in my opinion, properly licenced replicas are the way forward as such agreements allow the airsoft manufacturer to work hand in hand with the builder of the “real steel” model to bring us true 1:1 scale and detail.

PROARMS ARMORY was established as a company specialising in the production of PAR Mk3 rifles and accessories for firearms. The company utilises the highest quality, modern and technologically advanced equipment, the very best parts and components, a test tunnel and design workshop to ensure the highest quality of their products. PROARMS ARMORY employs experts with extensive experience in the development and production of firearms to make certain that what they offer is the very best it can be.

THE REAL DEAL

The real PAR Mk3 semi-automatic rifle, manufactured in the Czech Republic by PROARMS ARMORY is a high-tech firearm for both professional and sports use. The rifle is the result of the comprehensive evaluation of “AR” style firearms and is based on the original PAR Mk1, launched onto the market in 2008. The standard model is offered in .223 calibre (5.56 mm).

Due to the universal concept of this firearm though, further calibres will be launched in the future or on special request, including 9 mm Luger, .222 Remington, 7.62×39mm, 6.8mm Remington SPC and 5.45×39mm.

The PAR Mk3 rifle features precision made CNC parts.

Manufacturing tolerances are more stringent than in the standard production of this type of firearm and the frame and 16

August 2016

ARMOURY ICS PAR MK3 CQB MTR

All images: PROARMS ARMORY, s.r.o.

“I TRULY BELIEVE THAT FOR AIRSOFTERS WORLDWIDE THIS IS GOING TO BE A REPLICA THAT WE’LL ALL BE KEEN TO GET OUR HANDS ON AS, EVEN BY THE HIGH STANDARDS OF ICS, THE PAR MK3 IS A SUPERLATIVE RIFLE.” upper receiver are made from high quality 7075T6 aluminium alloy. The rifle is designed to maintain compatibility (in terms of individual parts) with USA “AR” production standards, so that it can also be used with any accessory designed for the “American Rifle”.

The frame enables the additional installation of left or right hand controls and the upper receiver is kept free of extraneous protrusions to provide excellent handling characteristics. The trigger guard enables shooting with gloves and it can be quickly tilted with a cartridge. Combining the upper receiver and case deflector into one block and positioning it closer to the frame makes the weapon slimmer.

The adjustable gas block (4 positions) for different calibres means that PAR Mk3 rifles function with virtually all types of ammunition available on the market. Due to the control of the amount of gas in the system at any given time the rifle will run in an optimal manner with less effective ammunition as well. The rifle also benefits from an improved bolt carrier and bolt, while the entire piston mechanism is designed with the emphasis on durability and maintenance-free operation.

The freefloat handguard has four fixed MIL-STD-1913 rails and can be supplied in three different lengths; 218mm, 266mm and 314mm and is one of the slimmest available on the market. Superior barrels produced exclusively by Lothar Walther for PROARMS ARMORY are again available in a variety of lengths, ranging from 267mm up to 457mm. In the real world, each PAR Mk3 is supplied with Magpul accessories, including a six position stock, MOE pistol grip and MBUS back-up sights.

Overall the PAR Mk3 is one heck of a rifle and speaking to friends in Europe who’ve been lucky enough to shoot one, it’s a

real “tack driver”. Accurate, smooth in operation and superbly built from the very best components available I can see why ICS were keen to get together with PROARMS.

A TRULY STUNNING REPLICA

I truly believe that for airsofters worldwide this is going to be a replica that we’ll all be keen to get our hands on as, even by the high standards of ICS, the PAR Mk3 is a superlative rifle.

The finish of ICS airsoft replicas has always been good but in recent years they have become absolutely first rate in terms of the externals. In terms of the Mk3, the distinctive upper

www.airsoft-action.online

17

ARMOURY ICS PAR MK3 CQB MTR

and lower receivers mate together absolutely perfectly with zero movement or rattle; you can’t even slide a business card between upper and lower! The finish is a deep, satin black and the trademarks look to be laser-etched and highlighted in white and they are as crisp and clear as any I’ve ever come across. The 310mm quad rail on the front is equally beautifully finished and again, the fit is spot on. Inside the rail the 263mm outer barrel is fitted with a low profile gas block and a flash hider of ICS’s own design is held just inside the rail.

Although this makes the rifle look slight “blocky”, the flash hider is a standard 14mm CCW fitting so it’s easily changed if you’d like to extend the outer barrel, or indeed run a slim suppressor inside the rail; I changed the hider out for a short BOCCA Mamba can, which resulted in quite an aggressive look whilst keeping the Mk3 as short as possible. You will need to take the rail off to remove the factory hider as it’s held in place with a small hex screw but this is quick and easy to do.

The Mk3 has a pretty standard six position buffer tube but don’t try and push the MTR stock all the way forward as all the wiring for the battery runs to the rear. The MTR stock, another ICS “in house” design, is very comfortable to use and it’s easy to get a good and consistent cheek weld. A singlepoint sling plate comes fitted as standard. The pistol grip is a comfortable ergonomic design and the angled trigger guard means that it’s no problem if you use gloves. There is a rather tasty ambidextrous charging handle as standard too and the Mk3 comes fitted with a set of the ICS flip-up sights which are simple to use and adjust.

Internally things are just as interesting as the Mk3 benefits not only from the excellent ICS split gearbox (which is easy to work on and upgrade) but a new version that also provides an electronic blowback system.

Although not as hard a kick as that given by an ERG or gas blowback replica, it does give you some felling of “feedback”.

The piston is factory upgraded and reinforced and with a metal hop-up unit, reinforced MIM pinion and bevel gear in place, you just know that you’re going to get good service from this rifle. Another great feature is that ICS have integrated a spring release function into the safety which means you can take the pressure off everything when you finish shooting for the day, protecting the longevity of the UK friendly M100 spring and piston even further.

HOME ON THE RANGE!

In use the Mk3 is every bit as good as I expected it to be, with performance living up to the promise offered by the stunning externals and solid, workmanlike internals.

The Mk3 comes with an ICS 300-round TMAG; this is a super design as well, as the magazine features a “window” on both sides so that you can easily visually check your remaining ammo at any given time. Loaded up to capacity with my new favourite .20g “Hardball” BBs and with an 11.1V LiPo battery fitted into the buffer tube, I chrono’d the Mk3 through my Xcortech at an incredibly consistent 334fps/1.07j.

With the hop set the BB trajectory was incredibly (and I do mean incredibly) flat; at 10m I was easily hitting small spinner targets and at the maximum of the 30m range I test on I was hitting “dinner plate” metals unerringly. There was zero dropoff at 30m so in my mind I think you’ll be hitting targets at far greater distances than that – and that’s with the gun straight out of the box. Switching up to full-auto saw BBs heading off downrange with verve!

Overall I am massively impressed with the PAR Mk3. With a retail price of just £289.00 this looks, feels and shoots like something far more expensive. ICS replicas have always been good value for money but I honestly believe that the Mk3 takes this to a new level. It’s got a cracking story behind it and would be equally at home on a practical shoot as on the skirmish field.

If you’re in the market for a new airsoft rifle then I would certainly take a very good look at the ICS PAR Mk3. If this is the shape of things to come from ICS then I’m excited to see what they come up with next!

There are four different models of the PAR MK3 to choose from and all of them are available in either plain black or tan.

For more information on all four models please visit www.firesupport.co.uk

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All images: PROARMS ARMORY, s.r.o.

“AT 10M I WAS EASILY HITTING SMALL SPINNER TARGETS AND AT THE MAXIMUM OF THE 30M RANGE I TEST ON I WAS HITTING “DINNER PLATE” METALS UNERRINGLY. THERE WAS ZERO DROP-OFF AT 30M SO IN MY MIND I THINK YOU’LL BE HITTING TARGETS AT FAR GREATER DISTANCES THAN THAT AND THAT’S WITH THE GUN STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX.”

D R A H DIE

S N U G

IN A SLIGHT DEPARTURE FROM HIS NORMAL REVIEWS, SCOTT ALLAN TAKES A LOOK AT THE GUNS USED IN ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR FILMS OF ITS GENRE

Twelve terrorists. One cop.

The odds are against John McClane…

That’s just the way he likes it.

“Welcome to the party pal!”

BASED ON THE 1979 NOVEL Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, about German terrorists attacking LA, the Die Hard franchise has earned over a billion dollars for 20th Century Fox spanning five films - but today we are going to concentrate on the original “Christmas” film. “Die Hard” was never a Christmas film really (it was released in February 1989 for a start) but the film is set during a Christmas party being attended by John’s estranged wife as he goes to visit.

In recent years and with the advent of Facebook it has been more spun as the ultimate Christmas movie for 80’s action lovers. Can’t say I blame them either, Alan Rickman (who sadly passed away this year) delivers a performance that is nothing short of stellar as it was his first ever film and he is was always a brilliant villain in any movie.

Yippee-ki-yay and on with the guns!

We’re going to look at the guns from the movie and who

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Feature GUNS IN FILMS

makes the best airsoft alternatives to them, so the next time you’re crawling over glass with no shoes on you’ll thank me - I promise.

The main pistol used throughout is John McClane’s 80s classic 9mm Beretta 92F and in my opinion, by far the best two airsoft Beretta pistols are the KJ and Tokyo Marui versions.

THE HIGH END

The Tokyo Marui has been around for a long time. Its polymer construction and keen price tag means you get a fair performer for your money. The plastic grip sports Berettta trade marks (unlicensed) which make it look really nice and the slide has US 9mm M9 Military engraving, which again is very eye catching and nice. The only downside with the Marui Beretta is the power; you can probably expect 290-300fps on green gas. Given the lighter construction you probably don’t want to go much higher a pressure than this and there are no CO2 magazines available for the pistol as they’d probably destroy it.

At 740 grams it is one of the lighter pistols out there (which is better for leg rigs as it is less weight to sling around your leg).

As with all TM pistols, the hop up is good quality although unusually for a Marui is it fixed, so you cannot adjust it. That means better range might be a little bit of trial and error – and that is a real annoyance. The whole gas system is pretty efficient in cooler weather and with everything being plastic, it will give you more all year round use compared to some full metal, heavy gas blow backs.

Expect to pay £110.

THE LOW END

KJ Works pistols have always been good budget options and their Beretta is no different. It is a full metal piece that weighs in just under a kilo, so is a good chunk heavier than the Marui.

The important thing to remember is most airsoft pistols are cast, so it’s not strong CNC metal but cheaper light alloys. The CO2 power produces around 350fps and that means you’d have to watch out on some indoor sites with lower power limits. There are a no markings on the plain black slide but if this doesn’t bother you, then all the better. CO2 power means more kick, a higher FPS and the gas is more stable all year around so you should get better cold weather performance.

Better than everything else, the KJ is much cheaper than the already competitive Marui version.

Expect to pay £90.

At the beginning of the movie Karl is seen

sporting a rather lovely PPK with a silencer as he clears out the reception staff.

Worst thing about the PPK is no one makes a really nice performer at a reasonable price. The only readily available version is the Maruzen version and the last revision was a “James Bond” version with an utterly stunning finish and fully licensed trademarks. The finish gave it a very convincing appearance even though the construction was entirely polymer. I am unsure how they can achieve a bluing effect as they did onto a plastic but it worked. The performance was low at best but just useable. Clocking in the mid 200’s on the FPS scale, you have to be careful with full plastic pistols as they are not designed for the higher pressured gasses which will most likely damage them permanently. It’s a shame because with the compact size the PPK is excellent and would be ideally suited to most players as a neat lightweight back up.

Additionally if you are playing a scenario that allows concealed weapons on players (in a MilSim for example), there would be no better pistol than the PPK. It’s just a shame that it’s so pretty, I’d be scared that I might scratch it.

Expect to pay £120.

“NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN. HO HO HO.”

Still one of the best lines in the film and you can even to buy it as a Christmas jumper online! The main SMG throughout the film is a H&K MP5, although for the actual movie they were HK94 (the longer barrelled civilian version) chopped down.

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There are dozens of MP5 replicas out there. Tokyo Marui, ICS, G&G, WE and VFC to name but a few. The good thing about this much choice is you have lots of pros and cons so we’ll look at two different types G&G Electric MP5 The G&G range is massive these days and it is ever-expanding.

Gone are the old days when it was bland, bog-standard M4s but that said, a MP5 is fairly old school these days too.

Even G&G have a low and a high end MP5, the low end is a basic AEG and the high end is full metal with pneumatic blow back. Which is cool but doesn’t really do anything other than the cosmetic moving of the fake bolt. It does make a little additional noise too but not a great deal more than that gearbox. Performance-wise G&G are really on the ball these days and they also provide a longer warranty than any other company out there.

The entry level MP5 plastic version is known as a Combat Machine and the top tier is their Top Tech. Both are excellent but for the money and performance I’d always go for the Top Tech version, for the full metal construction and higher quality internal parts.

Expect to pay Top Tech £250 – Combat Machine £135.

WE Gas Blow Back MP5 WE Gas Blow Backs always represent a good value for money option. The magazines are not super expensive like most GBB rifle companies and the performance is pretty fair.

As a rule of thumb I don’t really like gas blow back rifles as I find them a little too unpredictable in terms of performance for my liking but I would never deny how much fun they are to shoot. Given the price tag of the WE is does make it a viable option to dip your toe into the market but I’d never recommend someone using a gas rifle instead of an electric as a

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primary. I’ve seen a few players do it and hats off to them but the most basic AEG with a high cap often outmatches them, a sad reality of the game sometimes.

The WE GBB MP5 is full metal and pretty heavy overall, which is quite nice for a blowback rifle. The magazines are gas magazines (obviously) so they are also heavy and hold less ammunition (45 or 30 rounds). The blowback action is firm and snappy and the full auto is crazy - just don’t expect to be hitting anything more than 10 metres away.

Expect to pay £270.

The writers wanted an exotic contrast from the rest of the American weaponry and for Karl, the hard-assed henchman, the choice of the Steyr AUG is a good one. Its bullpup design and organic-looking construction makes it look like something out of a sci-fi movie.

THE HIGH END

Tokyo Marui made the first AUG so it is only fair they get the high end mention. They’ve also made modern high-cycle versions that promise fast rates of fire.

The AUG is an odd rifle to use as it has a progressive trigger.

Feature GUNS IN FILMS

That means if you pull it a little you get one shot and if you pull it all the way in you get fully automatic. I have heard some indoor single shot sites have banned them due to the easy ability to do fully auto by accident. Beside the odd trigger and the slightly fiddly bullpup design it’s a great rifle, as you would expect from the inventors of airsoft as we know it. It is one of the guns I’ve yet to own and I have been very close on more than one occasion.

Expect to pay £250.

THE LOW END

Jing Gong blew in nearly ten years ago and utterly steam-rolled the market place. Clone after clone appeared and new releases were almost daily at some points. Rifles that used to cost £250 were suddenly retailing at £90. The quality was all over the place but who cared for the money?

It has all settled down these days and more compliance work had to be done to make sure they had no lead solder and the correct kinds of paint, to comply with EU regulations.

The recent JG AUG clone of the Marui is still very good value, although neither are available in great numbers due to the lack of popularity of the AUG these days. But if I had to choose between the JG and the TM I would take the JG, as it’s cheaper and every bit as good as the Marui externally.

Expect to pay £185.

SWISS CHEESE

If you’re going to turn a car into Swiss Cheese you should use something cool and meaty and it definitely should be belt fed.

You should use a M60!

There are two M60s used in the film; the first an E3 used to turn Al Powell’s car into a large sieve and the second, a fullsized Vietnam-style to shoot at John McClane on the roof of the building.

In any case, with the M60 I would always try and steer someone to the A&K versions, if you can get them. They seem to be rare again these days for some reason, when you couldn’t move for them a few years ago. When they first appeared you could pick them up for mid-£200 but now they’ve crept up higher and higher. The A&K version is quite fair and a lot for your money, although the box magazines can be hit or miss which is always a pain but the finish and construction is always pretty good.

Expect to pay E3 £330 - VN £390.

If you wanted to spend serious money, you could look for an Inokatsu version but you are generally looking at a £1,000+ price tag at a minimum, however, Inokatsu do make the best

constructed rifles from heavy steel parts with a realistic finish.

I’ve owned a few and always love owning them - but not carrying them as they tend to be near real weight, which can be tough when you’re playing within 80 metres of each other.

The Inokatsu is always for the serious collector or hard core player, just don’t drop it or it’ll break the ground. These can also some in a kit form, so you may have additional building costs on top of this.

Expect to pay £1000-1200 depending on the builder.

In summary, Die Hard was and always will be a brilliant film.

As Rickman’s first film, a crazy Christmas action movie and packed with one-liners, it will always be a favourite and it has some interesting guns in there. The 80s was a big time for Uzis and muscles so it’s surprising to see a few different types, in particular the AUG. There were a few more types that aren’t really available as airsoft guns, such as the H&K P7M13, Walther P5, S&W Model 15, M16s, SSG 69 and a rocket launcher. But it is nice they paid attention to keeping the Germans with German-made firearms.

It’s the little things like that, that make the difference in a film.

“Come out to the coast, we’ll get together, have a few laughs...”

www.airsoft-action.online

23

Site Report AMBUSH ADVENTURES – BORDON

AIRSOFT ACTION’S “ROVING REPORTER”, LES LEE, VISITS AMBUSH ADVENTURE’S NEWEST MOD SITE IN HAMPSHIRE

CALL THE AA! THE ACRONYM “AA” seems to be a very popular one, whether your car has broken down at the side of the road or you are trying to quit the booze, or simply referring the UK’s biggest and best airsoft magazine, Airsoft Action! So when Ambush Adventures invited me along to their new and “very special” site of tactical interest that they have just acquired, I was (of course) very keen to take a road trip and pay them a visit - and I am so glad that I did. After all, when you hear the words “airsoft” and “MoD site” in the same sentence, what’s not to get excited about?

Ambush Adventures had just signed a deal securing a 10 year agreement with Prince Philip Barracks, at Bordon in Hampshire and I believe that this place is going to be a big name in the world of airsoft because when you see what it has to offer, you will be more than a little impressed.

“THE AREA IS SURROUNDED BY MILITARY TRAINING GROUNDS, WHERE YOU WILL LIKELY SEE BRITISH ARMY PERSONNEL DOING THEIR VERY BEST TO IMPERSONATE US AIRSOFTERS AND TO BE FAIR, SOME OF THEM EVEN LOOK THE PART!” Let me start where I usually start my reviews and that is from the main A road in, which, in this case is likely to be the A3 and where you simply follow the signs to “Bordon”. The area is surrounded by military training grounds, where you will likely see British Army personnel doing their very best to impersonate us airsofters and to be fair, some of them even look the part! However, we continue our journey and arrive at the barracks gate where you will be booked in and directed to the car park, adjacent to the safe zone.

Grab your gear and head inside the building where you will find everything that you need. It’s a big, dry, comfortable and carpeted room inside one of the MoD buildings so of course there are toilets, hot and cold water, heating if needed and a very big on-site shop, which will be focused upon later in the review. www.airsoft-action.online

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“AFTER THE CHRONO AND BRIEFING, WHERE THE PHRASE “CHEAT AND GET CAUGHT-YOUR DAY WILL BE SHORT” IS EMPHASISED, THE ‘SOFTERS ARE TAKEN INTO THE GAMING AREA AND THIS IS WHERE YOU MIGHT GASP AND SAY THE “F-WORD” UNDER YOUR BREATH, AS YOU SEE JUST WHAT IS AROUND YOU… PRIMARILY IT IS A WOODLAND SITE ON STEROIDS!”

Before I take you out into the battle zones though, I think that it’s appropriate to divulge a little history about the team behind Ambush Adventures.

Charlie and Christine James founded Ambush Adventures some 22 years ago, hosting various games at various locations in the South East and of course, they were one of our founder Airsoft companies “back in the day”. Fast-forward to 2016 and they now operate four successful sites; Southampton, The Billet, Chobham and games at Longmoor. The Chobham site also runs regular Young Gun games, which is overseen by Mark Bromley and his oh-so sexy assistant Paul Anderson.

Site Manager Tony Pardoe runs The Billet and Bordon and Stretch’s infamous keeper, Matt Beddows, takes care of Southampton and The Billet night games, which are proving very popular on Wednesday evenings (18.30-22.00 hours), with a regular 30-40 players at each game. And a special mention for Dave Barry who rocks up as Head Marshal ensuring fair and safe play.

One particular area that impressed me was that they take the training of the Young Guns very seriously, whereby each YG is trained in safe weapon handling, game etiquette, self discipline and a host of often overlooked basics and not until they have shown capability and responsibility are they allowed to participate in the games. I really like this feature and wish that all sites would take time out to teach our younger players how to safely handle a firearm, in the same way that a real centrefire would be treated. Today’s young airsofters could be tomorrow’s military or competitive shooter, so it makes perfect sense to me to

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do it right, right from the start.

So back on point… After the chrono and briefing, where the phrase “cheat and get caught-your day will be short” is emphasised, the ‘softers are taken into the gaming area and this is where you might gasp and say the “F-word” under your breath, as you see just what is around you… Primarily it is a woodland site on steroids! Of course, the woodland is both varied and dense, dense enough to keep the rain at bay and the ground dry due to both natural and man-made drainage, so you won’t ever cry about getting your Crye’s muddy, it just ain’t gonna happen. In addition, there are solid structures (aka buildings) and what can only be described as a “MoD training area”. This incorporates a huge and varied heavy duty assault course, including many walls made from both wood and brick, obstacles of all shapes and sizes (so plenty of cover for in-game reloads and re-grouping). The areas are clear to see and objectives are both challenging and rewarding. This site also has a handful of open areas where you can’t just dig in and hide because you will get a BB in the butt, so “shoot and move” is very much on the menu (unless you are a “regen-hugger” of course).

Hot lunch is included “in the restaurant” and you now have time to go shopping in Just Cause Airsoft/Sierra Alpha Supplies, owned and managed by Simon Burrows.

Simon has been working alongside Ambush Adventures since Noah built that big wooden boat, so I decided to ask him about what he does and why he does it.

“Well Les, my son Jay and I started playing Airsoft seven years ago at Ambush Adventures, which was back in the days when they had their site at Lasham. After playing

Site Report AMBUSH ADVENTURES – BORDON

for a number of years and developing a love for the game, I decided that as we already had an established and successful army surplus and tactical kit business, called Sierra Alpha Supplies, we needed to branch out into Airsoft. Ambush Adventures were looking for a new on-site shop and we were delighted to have this opportunity to provide our services and so Just Cause Airsoft was formed.

“Our aim is to provide an on-site shop like no other. We cater for the needs of all airsoft players, from beginners to advanced. We stock a vast array of accessories, spare parts, and RIFS and also provide on-site gun repairs and custom work, plus if you need advice myself or Jay are more than happy to oblige. If a job is too big on the day, we can carry out the work at our premises for collection at a convenient time. During the week we operate from our warehouse at Crondall, in Surrey where we are now in the process of constructing our airsoft showroom (which will be opening soon).

“In association with Ambush Adventures, we provide a hire gun package on all game days, which can be arranged through the Ambush website when you book. If you fancy something a bit different and a very enjoyable day out, we run tactical training days that cover a multitude of real world disciplines, from room clearance, electronic remotely activated target courses to dynamic entry methods. These days are suitable for any ability and are taken by ex-forces personnel. For more info please or any questions please get in touch or give us a like on Facebook.”

Now it’s not unusual to see a few players pack up and head for home after lunch but not here. Everyone was chompin’ at the bit to get back out and start shooting and I was no exception. A typical “site report” (I cannot and will not call it work) day for me is to arrive in time for the briefing, introduce myself and tell them that some of them will be even more famous when they appear in the magazine, I also do free of charge photography for the players if they want me to (‘coz I’m nice like that) and then I bimble into the killing fields like any other embedded Journalist, take hundreds of photos, get shot to bits, break for lunch and then “maybe” I will kit up and play for an hour or so just so that I get a feel for the day, absorb the atmosphere and then say my goodbyes and leave. But today was different, today I was really enjoying myself like no other review day. I was welcomed into Red Team and very soon found that some of my team mates were extremely dynamic and I’m sure their passion found its way into my bloodstream because before I knew it I was really getting stuck in. Twenty minutes into the game and primary gun number one just “died” from (I think) piston failure, so my motto “There is always a plan B”

was deployed and I returned with another new and un-tested AEG and picked up where I left off.

I would like to say a special thank you to Jonno and his team mates from The London Ghosts who definitely kept the tempo raised throughout the day. Their motivation was an inspiration and most definitely rubbed off on me and was probably the cause of my Monday morning “I-can’t-get-out-of-bed-’coz-everythinghurts” dilemma – but what a great feeling it was too!

I must also say a humongous THANK YOU to everyone that threw cash at me on the day. Word got around that I am doing a sponsored abseil down The Spinnaker Tower on July 23rd in aid of Pilgrim Bandits, a charity whose motto is “Always a little further…” and that was set up in 2007 by ex Special Forces personnel to help and support their Brothers and Sisters in arms who have sustained life changing injuries in the line of duty.

Before I knew it, I had been given a great deal of sponsor money towards my personal target of £1,000.

Another first for me was that as I had such a great day I found that I was the last to leave and that in its own right is a testament which indicates that I had really enjoyed the day. Another very important point I must add is that this was only the second game Ambush had played here and I am told that “game enhancing developments” are planned for the future, so keep an eye on their website or Facebook group as your guess is as good as mine on this. At the moment the games here are monthly but it is very likely to be fortnightly if that is Ambush Adventures Bordon what the customer wants.

Prince Phillip Barracks So to sum it all up, if you like your Bordon airsoft varied, dynamic and have a passion GU35 0JE for MoD bases, then you should put a visit www.ambushadventures.co.uk to Ambush Adventures Bordon on your to-do list because I have a funny feeling 01252 315225/07595 948760 this place is going to be one very popular Airsoft site. I would strongly recommend Just Cause Airsoft & booking early (all booking is done on-line) Sierra Alpha Supplies as I am in absolutely no doubt that spaces Unit 9 Marsh Farm Business Centre, will be swallowed up as soon as they are Bowling Alley Lane, published.

Crondall, Les OUT! Farnham, Surrey, GU10 5RJ

Contact Details:

Tel: 01252850271 Email: Sierraalphas@aol.com www.justcauseairsoft.co.uk www.sierraalphasupplies.com

www.airsoft-action.online

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OPERATION LIONCLAWS XV 2016

AS WE ALL KNOW, AIRSOFT IN THE USA IS ABSOLUTELY HUGE BUT ONE PARTICULAR LONG-RUNNING SERIES OF EVENTS HAS ALWAYS STOOD OUT FROM THE REST. OUR “INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT VET” BILL THOMAS JOINS US AGAIN THIS MONTH AND GETS THE LOWDOWN ON THE LATEST OPERATION IN THE LONG-RUNNING LIONCLAWS SERIES I’VE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO MEET some really outstanding individuals in the airsoft industry over the years but one man has always been there, almost from the very beginning and has proved to be both a great friend and a fine and generous mentor.

When I lived in the USA I ran some games locally in Florida but as many of you know the journey from player to Site Operator can be a gruelling one.

When I was planning my first ever game I was in desperate need of a solid, functioning rule set so I turned to someone who was already running great games. John Lu and I had corresponded even before I arrived in the USA due to other shared hobbies and when I asked him if I might base my own site rules on his already established ones, such is the calibre of the man that he simply said “You go for it bro, just take what you need”.

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John, with his experienced and passionate team, has gone on to create one of the most established airsoft communities in the world. From the outset in October 2002, Operation Lion Claws Military Simulation Series (OLCMSS) has grown from a modest California-based special event to an international military war games phenomena!

Led by a cast of inspirational military personalities, ranging from COL (ret) Danny McKnight of “Blackhawk Down” fame, MSG (ret) Howard ‘Mad Max’ Mullen, 2013 US Army Ranger Hall of Fame inductee and co-author of Army’s Hand to Hand Combat Manual, legendary Green Beret COL (ret) Paul Longgrear, SGT Kenn Miller, a LRRP with 80 Vietnam missions under his belt, SGT Igor Dobroff, Soviet Airborne veteran from the Afghanistan conflict, 1SG Matt Eversmann also of “Blackhawk Down” fame, and US Army Delta Force Command Sergeant Major(RET) Mark Collazos, OLCMSS has transformed

MilSim OPERATION LION CLAWS

service members, also because it was how OLCMSS got started.

Lionclaws is one of the TWO ops that involved Ranger Col.(RET) Danny McKnight (the other op is IRENE).”

Airsoft Action: What was the scenario behind LIONCLAWS 2016?

OLCMMS: “My planning staff evolved from staying with core “Black Hawk Down” scenarios to include simultaneous missions to evoke platoon on platoon contacts in addition to multiple FRAGO to constantly keep guys engaged.” a wide range of young men and women into Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors, many of them in their branch's respective Special Ops programs.

OLCMSS provides a proper venue for men and women who crave action and excitement and the opportunity to test his/ her physical and mental strength. For two days these adrenaline seekers will learn to follow orders and develop a sense of teamwork under mock combat conditions. Missions are created to generate a competitive spirit within the guidelines of teamwork. Family pairs and groups are strongly encouraged, while OLCMMS make a point to accept returning frontline troops at a moment's notice. OLCMSS has been shown to be one of the most effective “post combat stress relief” programs by returning soldiers. OLCMSS also offers a fertile ground to recruiters and retention officers. It comes as no surprise to hear that the event participant return rate is approximately 85%.

I managed to catch up with John just after LIONCLAWS XV 2016, which ran at George Air Force Base in California over the weekend of May 27h to May 29th and was able to chat to him about the most recent event.

Airsoft Action: Hey John, thanks for taking time to speak to me! Could you tell me what makes the LIONCLAWS gatherings so important even when you run other excellent games year round?

OLCMMS: “Lionclaws over Memorial Day weekend is especially meaningful because of the weekend that pays tribute to fallen

Airsoft Action: Did the scenario play out to your expectations and what were the high points?

OLCMMS: “There were ferocious battles taking place everywhere, especially the intense CQB battle in the “hospital” when Bravo Rangers gave it a big push in an attempt to overrun Alpha QRF that held the location. West Coast does not get “real world” AO like we do back East so this was a treat.

My personal highlight was my execution. LoL! “My evil staff asked me to bring my “General Disarray” outfit from LC-IV (Tehachaipi AO) and play the dictator again (who was captured and executed back then…lol…so 2016 zombie General?); they figured no one remembers that far back.

“So “General Disarray” was captured by Bravo Ranger’s Ranger OIC and his command group. Mission is to bring “General Disarray” through heavily guarded Alpha line to the edge of town and conduct “Public Execution”.

“Well, none of the players knew of the execution so they didn’t empty their guns, while I thought the “Firing Squad” was in on it until the “executioner” yelled “Gentlemen, be sure to be on semi!.....FIRE….!” Ouch!!!!

They actually shot me from 10 feet (well, except for one guy who didn’t think he was supposed to really shoot me). Cussing and laughter ensued… it was fun for all!”

www.airsoft-action.online

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CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

WINDRUNNER #Airsoft Acion, JULY 2016

Outback is our technical clothing and accessories line concept. From baselayers through all intermediate levels of insulation for both dynamic and static activities to outer layers including windshirts, softshells, hardshells and Climashield® parkas.

You’ll find there both solid classics and new “light&fast” style designs – everything to fit your activity profile and specific needs. Accessories developed for Outback line will focus on travel, gear packing and outdoor expeditions.

With its minimal weight and bulk Windrunner is a great all-round piece you can always carry in your pack. Featherlight nylon fabric with dense weave offers excellent protection from wind and has a good, easy-to-reapply DWR coating. Its perfect for athletic activities such as running, as the mesh vents under the armpits and mesh inner pocket provide good airflow channels. Windrunner windshirt performs equally well in cold weather when worn over warm fleece jackets, as it adds wind and light rain resistance as well as prevents body heat from escaping.

MilSim OPERATION LION CLAWS

Airsoft Action: You always make great use of vehicles and other props in your scenarios could you tell me more about that?

OLCMMS: “At large schedule AOs we notice that players appreciate the convenience of “C-130” (Duce and a half trucks) “air lift” in combination of “Little Bird” (Fast Attack Vehicles such as ATV, Hummvv, Guntrucks and the like). FAV keep players on their toes and minimize the Airsoft “casual walking” syndrome since they can be engaged by a fast mover at anytime, anywhere.

“The M113 APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) is always a crowd pleaser but we have very strict safety guidelines in place to prevent mishaps.

“Bravo had 11 FAV this year vs. Alpha’s 4 but Alpha Rangers and QRF were well armed with nerf rocket launchers and took out Bravo FAVs often. Good times!”

Airsoft Action: How many players and teams did you have in attendance this year?

OLCMMS: “We had 468 (rounded up to 475) this year with teams came from as far as Hawaii, New York, Utah, Ohio, Wisconsin and the like.”

Airsoft Action: I know that you get huge support from the airsoft industry in the USA; who was in attendance this year?

OLCMMS: “LC-XV was made possible by Airsoft GI, Airsplat, Evike.com, ICS, G&G, HobbyTron, KWA, High Power Airsoft, and Shadow Viper Airsoft Gun Repair.”

Airsoft Action: I understand that after many years with you COL (RET) McKnight has fought his last airsoft battle in California; what was done to celebrate his participation?

OLCMMS: “Col.(RET) spent 15 Memorial Day weekends with us and now that he has grandchildren (especially one of his granddaughter’s birthday falls on Memorial Day weekend,

Grandpa had to hang up his battle gear and spend time with family). The Col.(RET), who also turned 65 this year, decided to relinquish his Alpha command in LC in California. We presented Col.(RET) McKnight with a vintage bronze lion trophy with engraving; it was a very touching moment and everyone shouted/clapped when Col.(RET) said next Memorial Day he’ll be playing with his grand kids.

“OLCMSS is more than just a game, we’re a family.”

Airsoft Action: What’s next for OLCMMS John?

OLCMMS: “We’re known for unique locations and our next location is Pennhurst Asylum of PA, just outside of Philadelphia!

Pennhurst Asylum had been featured on Ghost Hunter and Ghost Adventures and now OLCMSS film crew will venture into the heart of the paranormal with 270 men armed with BBs!” Airsoft Action: Thanks as always for making time to speak to me John, and I look forward to seeing you at SHOT 2017! If players in the UK would like to find out more about OLCMMS where should they head?”

OLCMMS: “We would love for players from UK to join us should they desire unique locations. Our Facebook page is Operation Lion Claws Military Simulation Series. Our website is www.oplionclaws.com“

“NONE OF THE PLAYERS KNEW OF THE EXECUTION SO THEY DIDN’T EMPTY THEIR GUNS, WHILE I THOUGHT THE ‘FIRING SQUAD’ WAS IN ON IT UNTIL THE ‘EXECUTIONER’ YELLED ‘GENTLEMEN, BE SURE TO BE ON SEMI!.....FIRE….!” OUCH!!!! THEY ACTUALLY SHOT ME FROM 10 FEET (WELL, EXCEPT FOR ONE GUY WHO DIDN’T THINK HE WAS SUPPOSED TO REALLY SHOOT ME). CUSSING AND LAUGHTER ENSUED… IT WAS FUN FOR ALL!’” www.airsoft-action.online

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IGGY ROBERTS HAS VISITED OVER THE TOP ADVENTURES BEFORE BUT WHEN HE HEARD THEY HAD STARTED MAKING SOME “HEAVY” KIT, HE COULDN’T RESIST A RETURN JOURNEY

GETTING HEAVY OVER THE TOP ADVENTURES, located in Anglesey North Wales, have been open for years. They constantly evolve and develop to improve their site both for regular players and newcomers but their latest step is to develop and build their own airsoft heavy machine guns (HMGs). Although this was initially just for the site to have fixed gun emplacements, they have since decided to manufacture the HMGs for any UKARA licenceholders or sites to buy.

Having seen what they have planned, I think this range of HMGs will take the airsoft battlefield to the next level by

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creating a new challenge and (without doubt) an intimidating presence.

They are aiming to concentrate on the larger guns, ranging from the standard browning .30cal, such as the M1919 A4, to the M1919 A6. They will also offer a modified version of the .30Cal Stinger, called “The Stingray”, with double handle grip and a butterfly trigger and, of course, they also offer the legendary .50 cal. Many other customised models can also be made according to customer specification.

This side of the business is called “Over The Top Armoury” (OTTA). It is a subsidiary of Over The Top Adventures, which was itself established 17 years ago and has been a steadily developing site ever since. OTTA is a new venture with the stated aim of supplying a value for money product. All the products are handmade to ensure as much attention to detail as possible is given to each and every item and it is only when OTTA are happy with the finished product, that it is made ready to be shipped to the customer.

The machine guns are constructed using a combination of high grade materials, predominately for most part ABS plastic, due to its impact resistance and durability. They fire standard 6mm BBs using a pneumatic mechanism driven with a high torque motor and powered using a flatbed Lipo battery. This setup gives consistency and reliability. They fire at 345FPS/1.1J using 0.2g BBs. It is really hard not to have a beaming grin from side to side when you see these guns - let alone get behind one and fire it in anger. They make attacking a position so much harder and can generate a wall of moving plastic to hold back your enemies, claiming life after life. The accuracy of the OTTA machineguns is about what you would expect from an airsoft weapon of this type, however, the inner barrel used gives

armoury HEAVY MACHINE GUNS

“IT IS REALLY HARD NOT TO HAVE A BEAMING GRIN FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHEN YOU SEE THESE GUNS – LET ALONE GET BEHIND ONE AND FIRE IT IN ANGER. THEY MAKE ATTACKING A POSITION SO MUCH HARDER AND CAN GENERATE A WALL OF MOVING PLASTIC TO HOLD BACK YOUR ENEMIES, CLAIMING LIFE AFTER LIFE.” greater accuracy to put plastic down range.

At the moment all the machine guns are made to the customer’s specification and requirements; a decision that was made due to the vast variety of models that are available.

OTTA are currently working from a five year business strategy which will see them grow from strength to strength, as more developments come on-stream and the manufacturing process is up-scaled.

The cost of the machine guns vary from the “standard” .30 cal (weapon only) for £620, to the .50 cal range from £780.

OTTA also offer a package deal for £830, which includes an ammo box loader and a standard tripod.

Currently concentrating on the UK market, OTTA are hoping to break into the International market in the 3rd quarter of this year. Should you be interested in their products, or would like to contact OTTA, just visit their website, www.ottairsoft.com OTTA clearly are proud of producing this 1st class gamechanger and giving the attention to detail that these iconic weapons deserve. Whether you are looking for a steel effect finish or battle scared or may quite simply like the new out of the box look , OTTA wish to cater for everyone, from hardcore airsofters to prestigious re-enactors.

So, without further ado, it is time to bring out the BIG guns!!

www.airsoft-action.online

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GETTING TANKED UP!

TEAM RHINO’S ANGELO DI VITO REPORTS FROM AN EVENT TO RAISE MONEY FOR A TRULY INSPIRATIONAL WHEELCHAIRBOUND PLAYER CALLED “TANK”

THROUGHOUT MY YEARS OF PLAYING this wonderful game I have met many people, the majority of whom have been good and have now become friends. The sport itself brings all kinds of characters, from the deadly serious “Operators” to the totally bonkers zany types - but all in the sport for their own enjoyment.

A couple of years ago myself and the rest of Team Rhino played a MilSim weekender at Copehill Down that was being run by Brit-Tac Airsoft and at this event I saw what I can only describe as utter inspiration. There was a young lad riding around in a powered mobility chair that was fully kitted out with two M249 squad automatic weapons and a gunner screen at the front. For all intents and purposes this was a tank and the lad driving it was having an absolute ball with the rest of his team, taking part in the assaults. I decided to have a chat with the lad in question just to see why he picked airsoft as a sport, although I guess I was just being nosey to be honest.

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Now the lad in question was Simon Jameson and he suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a rare recessive disease that attacks the body, causing muscle degeneration.

Please pardon me for sounding a touch cynical but are there many people out there who suffer from such a debilitating condition that would take up what is considered an extreme sport? I doubt it.

More recently I saw a post on Facebook that was basically an appeal for help in getting Simon a more bespoke chair, one that would handle more difficult terrain and give him even greater mobility while playing. This got me thinking about how I could maybe help then, right on cue, I spotted an event created by Ian and Charlotte of Brit-Tac Airsoft, for a fundraising day to assist Simon to get to the total he needed for the new chair. My first thought was Simon had the right people in Ian and Charlotte running this event, so I decided to get involved.

event TANK FUNDRAISING

After a conversation with Ian I got on the phone to see if I could drum up some support and get a few raffle prizes in. A few days later we had a Glock G18C donated by Patrol Base, a 12-month subscription from Airsoft Action (thanks Nige) and a CYMA MP5K from Trojan Airsoft and these were added to the growing list of prizes being donated. I believe Simon was also sent a plate carrier that had seen active use with none other than Seal Team 5 (what a prize that is) as a gift to him. In addition to this, Simon’s dual 249s were also upgraded to a full HPA set up free of charge by the guys at Wolverine.

GAME DAY

The day of the event seemed to take no time to arrive so I packed up my car and headed to the site at Bawtry, which is near Doncaster. The weather was baking hot and the atmosphere was perfect for what was to be a fun day raising money for a very worthy cause. The banter and war stories were all in good spirits and I even got to meet up with my old mucker Muzz Murray, so all was good.

The raffle tickets were selling fast and other donations came in from every possible channel including an unexpected one (I’ll explain later).

“GAME ON!” was the cry after the very precise safety briefing, which covered all the necessary points and was delivered in a very professional manner (which is what you come to expect when attending a Brit-Tac event).

The first game was a timed attack and defend scenario with the ability to put air strikes in. One air strike we put in wiped half the other team out, very useful. Play was swapped around after all the defenders had used up all their lives and were out of the game. This was then reversed with more air strikes coming in and the times compared at the end. Oh… and we

won (sorry, I had to put that in).

So it was back to the safe zone to take on some much needed fluids, as the temperature was starting to soar and also to bomb up.

The second game was a longer one, involving a captured Iranian Chief Scientific Officer.

We had to locate the WMD (nerve gas) and utilise the skills of the captured Iranian to diffuse this, whilst dealing with the constant threat of him escaping or being captured by the enemy. Again this went without a hitch and was played within the nature of the day, which was about having a great time. No non-hit-taking or cheat-calling, just a load of players who were having at top day out.

We broke for lunch, which was the usual bring your own but there was a chuck wagon on site if you wanted something hot. (Ian… Where was the BBQ? You had a great opportunity to wear your apron and flip a few burgers and sausages. Oh yeah sorry, you were running an event… lol.)

Now, do you remember earlier I mentioned that a donation was made through an “unexpected channel”? Well this is how it happened…

I decided to open my big mouth and say to Ian. “If anyone puts a hundred pounds in the pot during lunch, I will play

“I DECIDED TO OPEN MY BIG MOUTH AND SAY TO IAN. “IF ANYONE PUTS A HUNDRED POUNDS IN THE POT DURING LUNCH, I WILL PLAY THE FINAL GAME TOPLESS!” SO WHAT DOES IAN PROMPTLY DO? YES, YOU GUESSED IT! ME AND MY BIG MOUTH!!” www.airsoft-action.online

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event TANK FUNDRAISING

“GIVE A MAN WHEELS AND HE CAN TRAVEL BUT GIVE A MAN ALL-TERRAIN WHEELS AND HE CAN GO A LOT FURTHER AND YOU HAVE CREATED “TANK”, AKA SIMON JAMESON WHO IS, IN MY MIND A TRUE WARRIOR.”

the final game topless!” So what does Ian promptly do? Yes, you guessed it! Me and my big mouth!!

The final game of the day was a CASEVAC/ HVT rescue, with Simon playing the part of a UN Ambassador whose helicopter had been shot down and Simon, along with his CPO (Close Protection Officer) needed to be evacuated to the APC. There was smoke everywhere, which lent the perfect atmosphere to what was a full on game.

Now call me paranoid but after my topless pledge at lunchtime, I kind of knew I was going to be a target for ALL of the opposition in what was to be the final game of the day.

Once they realised I had joined in the game and all I had to protect my modesty was an assault vest, I was in trouble… Big trouble!

The bbs were coming in from every angle but all in good spirit, I even got chased around one part of the area by two young lads determined to make me look like I had contracted measles. Again this was all in good spirit and, to be fair, it didn’t take long to get within range and pop a few stinging shots at me. This capped off a truly inspirational day, run by some of the best in the business then it was back to the safe zone because it was time for the raffle.

IN SUMMARY

Give a man wheels and he can travel but give a man all-terrain wheels and he can go a lot further and you have created

“Tank”, aka Simon Jameson who is, in my mind a true warrior.

The spirit, fun and overall atmosphere of the day was fantastic and was made possible with great preparation by several individuals. Massive thanks to Ian & Charlotte for letting me get involved and also to his team. Without also forgetting Mike Donnison and Josey Fletcher Bryant for some truly memorable pictures.

How much was raised? The total raised on the day was £2,509 which turned into €3,273. We had started the day with Simon at €17,500 and ended on €21,013 – smashing his target of €20,000 in the process!

A FINAL WORD FROM SIMON

Words don’t really cut it to express my feelings or gratitude on the day, especially after everything Charlotte and Ian have done for me in the past. I could not believe when they told me they were putting together a fundraiser for me and I still couldn’t believe on the day, was so surreal, everyone from all over UK coming together for me and people I never even met before.

It was an overwhelming feeling, I felt like a star haha! It was really amazing, everyone was uber-nice to me and in great spirits.

I’m deeply humbled and grateful to everyone who came and had a good day with me and went home broke ha!

Hopefully I can repay everyone back with welts of glorious bbs from the new “Hexhog” y’all paid for lol. Again was a tremendous day and I really enjoyed the gaming.

Cya all soon.

Much love.

TANK

www.airsoft-action.online

39

FRENCHIE DRAGS HIMSELF OUT FROM BEHIND HIS GUN BENCH TO VISIT A SCOTTISH SITE THAT HAD TO (QUITE LITERALLY) REBUILD ITSELF FROM THE GROUND UP

POW AIRSOFT TREES! THAT’S WHAT YOU GET in woodland sites – trees. Lots of them… everywhere! Sure, you might get some shelters and hides but a lot of woodland sites assume that the terrain is sufficient to ensure a good playing environment.

There are exceptions of course. Bunkers, strong-points and trenches, it all boils down to the imagination and willingness to work of the site owner. So what is one to make of a woodland site that has not only trees and shelters but 88mm Flak guns, bridges, a Bank, a Church, a fuel depot, a V2 rocket site complete with V2? A site that is waiting to rebuild the train station? In my experience you can make only one thing of it – Players of War. Players of War grew out of the vision of two players, Beth Legere and Ernie Hannigan. Beth is Canadian and came to Scotland to meet Ernie in the flesh, having first made contact online. It is highly questionable whether she had any idea what she was letting herself in for but many years later (and happily married), you have to conclude it was a good choice.

Both of them played at other sites in Scotland, helping out and

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running games until, as often happens, fate intervened and they decided to take the leap from player to site owner. As all of you will be aware this happens a lot, unfortunately it is far less common that such a move is successful. There are many reasons for that; lack of vision, lack of preparation, a failure to attract a player base beyond their immediate friends and confidantes but PoW had no such problems. From the very start Beth and Ernie had a very clear vision of what they wanted and how they wanted their site to run.

A “World War II” theme was paramount. It’s not that PoW is the sole preserve of WWII players, it’s far from that but pretty much all construction on site followed that vision.

I should really say “sites” because after running successfully for a number of years, PoW found itself faced with having to move itself lock, stock, and barrel following some ill-advised complaints from other forest users.

The site nestles on land owned by Callender Estates, a major landowner in central Scotland and, unfortunately, the combination of airsoft, geese (if I remember correctly) and horse riders was not a truly happy one. What followed was a long, drawn out affair of satisfying the local council that the site could operate without posing a threat to life, limb and local wildlife. The upshot was a move within the existing site to a new location; a move which required tree clearing and felling, the disassembly and reconstruction of all the existing buildings and the rebuilding of the safe zone and parking facilities. One of the more fortuitous outcomes was that Beth and Ernie pursued full planning permission for the site, something that many sites in the UK forgo, preferring to run under the so-called “28 day rule” which allows land to be used for purposes other than the stated use for a maximum of 28 days per year. In their dealings with the council PoW was aided all the way by their landlord – again unusual – who backed them to the hilt and undoubtedly added weight to their arguments.

When the dust finally settled, PoW had re-established itself and settled its future, quite an achievement. The other thing you should take from this heart-warming tale is do not mess with Beth, she is one singularly determined lady!

The site itself is, err… big! Ok, I confess I can’t actually

site POW AIRSOFT

“THE UPSHOT WAS A MOVE WITHIN THE EXISTING SITE TO A NEW LOCATION; A MOVE WHICH REQUIRED TREE CLEARING AND FELLING, THE DISASSEMBLY AND RECONSTRUCTION OF ALL THE EXISTING BUILDINGS AND THE REBUILDING OF THE SAFE ZONE AND PARKING FACILITIES.”

give you an “XX acres” figure but be honest, how many of us actually know what an acre looks like? What I can tell you is that it is more than big enough to accommodate a whole bunch of loosely themed areas and if it has boundaries (which it obviously does), I have yet to find them. The work done on site has ensured that although trees still predominate, you cannot go far without finding one of the key areas, such as the V2 or the village (the latter being just outside the Safezone).

There is plenty of cover yet still many open areas, which can be utterly maddening to try and cross against opposition. I find the ground underfoot infuriating as it is ridged to provide drainage for the trees. For me the troughs and peaks, although not high, are of a width that exactly doesn’t fit my normal stride and as a consequence I have to take care with where I put my feet.

Depending on your gait your experience will vary dramatically and I cannot in conscience hold it against the site, it’s just a fact of life on this and other woodland sites.

Considerable thought went into re-siting PoW during its enforced move and as a consequence, the site has a number of distinct areas which are used as landmarks during games and help in navigation so you don’t become lost.

This is aided by a core of dedicated marshals, many of whom have been with Beth and Ernie for years. They can be relied upon to oversee play, help players and offer a wide range of helpful (and not so helpful) commentary on how things are progressing. PoW does not run player-marshals, however, it is normal for the teams to be led by a marshal, so that at least one member has a clue what’s going on! This means that if you’ve had your leg well and truly pulled by one of them, the opportunity to deliver a plastic-based riposte should present itself!

The morning Briefing is invariably delivered (in my experience) by Beth and I have listened to it so many times I suspect I could recite if asked. Beth takes a “first time” approach, even though PoW has a large number of loyal regulars. In this situation it is all too easy to slip into a “you all know the rules, you have all heard the briefing, let’s just get on with it” mind set. In my opinion this is fine if you are a small group playing privately but it has no place on any site that allows members of the public on. Although it must bore her to

tears at times, I salute Beth’s thoroughness every single day. If at the end of the briefing you don’t know or don’t understand the site’s rules and ethics it’s not for want of briefing. The great thing is, that with repetition these things sink in and most PoW players know with no doubts what is - and what isn’t - allowed. As a direct result there are far fewer instances of toys being hurled out of prams than I have seen on other sites. Yes, it does happen but it’s pretty uncommon. As ever cheating isn’t tolerated and PoW have always had a very firm stance on this. Most sites “talk the talk” on this subject and it is very difficult to police but PoW also “walk the walk”. Cheat repeatedly and they will ask you to leave and stay away. This approach further reinforces that while everyone is there to have fun, observing the basic tenets of airsoft is fundamental to that shared enjoyment.

Games are varied with the only real constant being the hit rules. Generally the attacking team uses a bandage rule: hit once, hold up your bandage and wait for a team mate to tie it on you. Call back in until you are hit again at which point back

www.airsoft-action.online

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site POW AIRSOFT

to re-spawn you go. Defending teams tend to run a simple re-spawn rule. This consistency makes life easier for everyone and ensures that when you hit a player from the opposition you remove that player from the game for a reasonable amount of time. It is important for everyone who runs games to remember that if hitting a player garners you no real advantage, then everyone will get bored very quickly.

In addition to the fixed features of the site, extensive use of props is made in game; everything from briefcases, to bombs, to crates of gold. The WWII theme permeates everything but I haven’t ever encountered a player in modern gear who doesn’t find them just as much fun as those in period gear. The last time I was there, there was a good 50/50 split in kit, so if WWII isn’t your thing please don’t write this site off, you’ll be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

The safe zone is well appointed and the parking is directly adjacent. There is a distance-marked range available for testing and zeroing guns. There is a well-stocked shop selling all manner of airsoft-related stuff, from Mars bars (essential) to ammo and pyro and everything is reasonably priced (which is always nice to see where you have a captive market). Additionally, Military in Surplus attend each game providing not only guns, mags, sights and other tempting fare but also hot drinks and cooked food.

PoW is a bio-only site, although a little leeway is permitted to snipers who struggle to find decent bio ammo of a suitable weight. The site shares a “Portaloo” with the paintball site which is next door should you require it and for those who can comfortably use a tree, there is an area unused for gaming where a quick pee is acceptable. Litter bins are provided (do not let Beth catch you dropping rubbish!) and there is a barbecue for players use on site.

In addition to their regular games, PoW will generally host at least one

WWII themed MilSim game per year, where you can expect to bump into not only regulars but players from Europe as well. These games aren’t huge and generally run for a single day, rather than a weekend but having played a couple in the past I have to say that frankly, one day is enough! It’s the only time I have searched a player to find two Mark Vs and a pistol magazine concealed in a Homburg.... Tells you everything really doesn’t it?!

Scotland is well supplied with airsoft sites and I will be endeavouring to get round at least a few of them in the months to come but PoW is consistently at the top of my list.

Well laid out and very well run, it is a place that I always find a welcome and most excellent banter. Even when I have visited (doing gun work for instance) and not played, I have managed to enjoy the experience and I regularly urge players who haven’t experienced it to go and give it a try. The gaming is good, the players know how to behave and the site is excellent – what more do you need for a great day out?

My thanks to Beth and Ernie for allowing me to roam through their extensive collection of photos from the site!

www.airsoft-action.online

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GARSING COMBAT GEAR 44

August 2016

KIT GARSING COMBAT GEAR

WELL KNOWN FOR BEING A SOVIET ERA UNIFORM AFICIONADO, GADGE TAKES A LOOK AT SOME OF THE NEWER GEAR FROM “MOTHER RUSSIA” Words: Ian Taz Stokes & Gadge Harvey Pictures: Marta AS REGULAR READERS WILL KNOW I’m all about Russian kit.

I’ve a passion for Soviet-era uniforms and I’ve even got a fair bit of 21st century “Chechen wars” kit but until recently the newer generation of tactical gear coming out of Russia had been a bit of a mystery for me.

For many years Russian kit had a stigma of being badly made and derivative; especially in the days of Soviet “centralised production”, where the designers and manufacturers had little incentive to make the best items they could. All that changed during the many internal struggles

Russia has found itself embroiled in the last ten years or so.

An urgent operational need for top end combat kit for special operations troops in Chechnya, Dagestan, Georgia and more recently the Ukraine, has seen a staggering amount of high quality tactical gear emerge from Russian companies.

Unlike the utilitarian styling of yesteryear, modern Russian tactical gear incorporates similar features to those in use by NATO Special Forces and is even available in “western” camo patterns like ”ATACS- FG” and the like. In fact, looking at pictures of Russia special operations unit these days its often hard to tell that they are Russian, as many wear multicam and carry tactical equipment by Serpa, Blackhawk, CRYE and the like. But the days of “high speed” Russian counter terrorist units having to import their best kit seem to be over, as the country has taken on the West with its own brands of quality kit for professional operators.

One such manufacturer from the Russian Federation is Garsing, one of the companies selected by the Russian interior army (the MVD, see this month’s “Warriors” feature) to equip its special operations tours.

So without further ado, we asked our fellow Russophile airsofter Ian ‘Taz’ Stokes to field test the latest offerings from Garsing and tell us how he got on.

Ian has been one of the “heralds” of RusFed kit for some time, getting both “government issue” and “private purchase” kit from the east onto the skirmish sites of the UK, so who better to take out some combat gear and “destruction test” it for Airsoft Action!

OVER TO IAN…

I’m a massive fan of RusFed kit and I was really keen to see how this new stuff measured up to other kit I’ve had in the past and I opted for a neutral green colour to assess the manufacturer, rather than its camouflage ability. I’ve taken it out into the Scottish highlands to use and abuse it and I can safely say its survived with no damage or signs of wear and after a decent wash, the garments are as good as when they came out of the packet.

Garsing sent me items from the GSG range of products which currently seem to be to the fore in their catalogue. To say I was impressed is an understatement. The GSG1 and GSG2 are, to be honest, probably some of the best made and ergonomically set up kit I have come across for tactical purposes. Along with the Police range of boots, which are light

“FOR MANY YEARS RUSSIAN KIT HAD A STIGMA OF BEING BADLY MADE AND DERIVATIVE; ESPECIALLY IN THE DAYS OF SOVIET “CENTRALISED PRODUCTION”, WHERE THE DESIGNERS AND MANUFACTURERS HAD LITTLE INCENTIVE TO MAKE THE BEST ITEMS THEY COULD. ALL THAT CHANGED DURING THE MANY INTERNAL STRUGGLES RUSSIA HAS FOUND ITSELF EMBROILED IN THE LAST TEN YEARS OR SO.” www.airsoft-action.online

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KIT GARSING COMBAT GEAR

weight and extremely robust. This kit is now seen more often in various camo patterns with Russian forces, is built to last and won’t break the bank I’ll now look at each individual item I tested.

Firstly the GSG1 and GSG2 combat suit. These have been seen in a lot of military shooting competitions but I wanted to see how practical they were for skirmishing.

My initial reaction to these rip-stop uniforms is they fit very well, they are comfortable and more pockets and ventilation could not be asked for. One word of caution though, make sure you’re very careful when you’re selecting the size you need.

I found the XL and XXL suits to have not a lot of difference between them, so err on the side of caution and if in doubt get the larger of the size if you think you might be between sizes. The good news though is that the trousers have plenty of adjustment options, so even if they are a bit big you can cinch them in a little.

Both the jacket and trousers are made from a strong ripstop material and have been designed to have pockets that are easily accessible when wearing body armour, or load-bearing vests. In addition, Velcro panels allow unit insignia or morale patches to be easily attached to personalise your suit. As with many modern combat suits, concealed panels allow protective pads to be placed on the elbows and knees and “venting” zips are placed under the arms to prevent overheating Garsing also sent me some combat boots; a particularly good model called the “1070 Policeman”.

These boots are frankly wonderful and provide fantastic support, despite the fact that when I initially got them out of the box I felt they would not be high enough on the ankle to be effective. As well as being a secure fit, the Policeman boots provide decent impact resistance when running and have a firm grip, most importantly they are so comfortable you hardly know you are wearing them!

It’s safe to say I would happily buy more of their products.

The build quality is certainly the best I have seen and the design has been well thought out. Many companies make grand claims about their kit on their Press Releases but, in this case, they do everything they say on their press release comfortably – and more!

If you’re interested in looking at the Garsing range of combat gear you can find the reviewed items here: Policeman 1070 boots: http://www.garsing.ru/catalogue/classic/1908.html GSG1 and GSG2 Combat suit as seen in many shooting competitions /www.garsing.ru/catalogue/tactical/outerwear/988. html /www.garsing.ru/…/bryuki-bspn-artikul-gsg-1-oliva. html

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THE RISE OF WOMEN IN AIRSOFT KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK IS AN AIRSOFTER WHO JUST HAPPENS TO BE FEMALE. HERE SHE WRITES ABOUT HER THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES IN WHAT IS A MALE-DOMINATED SPORT BEFORE I START, I WANT to say that I know this article might be considered “controversial” and there is a risk that it could be taken entirely the wrong way, so if you are offended, please accept that this was not my intention.

Women are the fastest growing demographic in shooting sports, from Archery, to Airsoft, to Practical shooting. Women around the world are proving that the shooting game isn’t just for the boys anymore and although women in Airsoft are still heavily outnumbered by our male counterparts, we are slowly but surely growing in numbers.

I started my blog (Femme Fatale Airsoft) in November of 2014 after noticing a gap in the information available online for women in our sport and thus, the mission was born - to get more girls into the game by making Airsoft more accessible to them through information available online. This is something I and my battle sisters are hugely passionate about! Thanks to social media and female content creators, more and more women are getting involved but because female Airsofters are still a rare breed, we do face some incredibly varied reactions from the airsoft community as a whole.

Airsoft is accessible to anyone and the beauty of our sport is that no matter your age, gender, sexuality, religion or political orientations you can play and make friends with like-minded people that are brought together by the love of one sport. So as long as you are taking your hits and you play the game fairly, does gender matter? It would be naive to say that gender in Airsoft does not matter at all. Let’s get the negative out of the way first (as it would be unfair to pretend that this doesn’t exist at all as much as we would like to) and I would like to stress that most of our community is exceptionally encouraging of 48

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women taking up our hobby but there are still some players who haven’t quite come around to the idea of women on the field and I think this is one of the main reasons that some women feel intimidated.

Over the last two years I have experienced (what I would imagine is) every reaction possible from my male peers and that includes being underestimated because of my size and gender, being told to “get back in the kitchen”, being accused of cheating because there is no possible way I could be a worthy adversary, being told that I am simply “not good enough” to be someone’s IC at a MilSim Op and possibly the most irritating – that I am only successful in my field because I am female. Women are faced with two very distinct stereotypes in this industry; the stereotype of women being weak and on the other end of the spectrum, the stereotype that female Airsofters are “manly” and “unfeminine”. It is my belief that these stereotypes stem from the “traditional gender roles” which put immense pressure on women to be “traditionally feminine” and men to be “traditionally masculine” but thanks to the rise in female Airsoft content creators and the women who are putting themselves out there in the world of social media and the industry, these stereotypes are being challenged.

One of the terms I have heard the most frequently is “You shoot like a girl!” and it’s fair to say that I do everything like a girl - fight like a girl, shoot like a girl, and drive like a girl… because I am a girl and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve said it before and I will say it until I am blue in the face: I’ve had the pleasure to play with a lot of my fellow female Airsofters and they are tough as nails and play just as hard as the guys.

We’re not just “girlfriends being dragged along to games in our boyfriend’s kit”, we are players in our own right - getting those kills, taking those objectives and generally kicking ass! And this is recognised by a lot of our community – I have heard fantastic feedback from players, site owners etc. about the level of play women dish out (which is so encouraging) and this coupled with the countless posts in online forums where players offer support and information, showing that women have become an integral part of our sport. The industry is also recognising my battle sisters with brands such as 5.11 Tactical leading the way with female tactical clothing… worldwide brand leaders choosing to sponsor notable female players and using them in their advertising campaigns and if I can be so bold to mention Airsoft Action – being the only UK Airsoft publication with a female contributor on their staff. Our industry is moving forward with us and this is only a good thing. Do not misunderstand me though, I am not suggesting that we get special treatment because we are female, in fact we want to be treated like any other player. “So why are you writing this article then? Why are you drawing attention to this?” I hear you ask. It is because I believe the rise in the acceptance of women we are currently seeing is integral to the narrative of our sport.

Although my experience of Airsoft as a whole is very different to the average player, Airsoft to me means meeting and playing alongside like-minded individuals who have become lifelong friends, travelling the country to play sites and experiencing different aspects of Airsoft and also pushing myself mentally and physically at MilSim Ops.

“THE INDUSTRY IS ALSO RECOGNISING MY BATTLE SISTERS WITH BRANDS SUCH AS 5.11 TACTICAL LEADING THE WAY WITH FEMALE TACTICAL CLOTHING… WORLDWIDE BRAND LEADERS CHOOSING TO SPONSOR NOTABLE FEMALE PLAYERS AND USING THEM IN THEIR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.”

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I asked some of my Slaydies why they love Airsoft and what being a women in Airsoft means to them and here’s what they said:

have to prove that girls can keep up and kick ass just as much, if not more than the dudes.”

Lene Rider: “For me, it’s about having a great time with my Airsoft family. We aren’t just players, we have all become an extended family. Airsoft allows me to instantly create a bond that only we as Airsofters experience. Playing gives me such an adrenaline rush – the excitement of gearing up and going hammer and tongs at the opposing side. Being a small hobbitsized female in Airsoft hasn’t fazed me, in fact, it’s pushed me to do better than the fellas. In short – family, honour, play and unity. That sums up Airsoft for me.”

Tamara Green: “Finding my team was the greatest thing for my self-esteem. As long as you can keep up with the guys, there is no difference if you are a boy or a girl, fat or thin. While finding Airsoft I found friends for life and a way to be who I truly am.”

Kayleigh Kavanagh: “What I love about Airsoft is a chance to meet friends and have fun. Being a female Airsofter means to me that it shows that Airsoft is not just for men – anyone can take part!”

Charlotte Coombes: “As a newbie to Airsoft, to me it’s about having fun, the thrill of the game and forgetting the stresses of the outside world” Kate Mills: “20 months after my first skirmish I’ve attended 3 night games, been every month and made some of the best memories. I’ve met the best people I will ever know and laughed harder than I’ve known possible. Airsoft isn’t just a sport, it’s a lifestyle I’ve fallen in love with and couldn’t get out of even if we wanted to.”

Sarah Minarcik: “When I was in high school I shot my first Airsoft gun, it wasn’t until later I found out Airsoft was its own culture. It was intimidating at first but I quickly adapted. For me, it’s about the brotherhood of the team and the friendships you make whilst doing something you enjoy with like-minded individuals.”

Tarra Walker: “Playing Airsoft is just plain fun. I love the bonds formed and the challenging nature of “MilSim” (my favourite).

There’s such a stigma that it’s a boys hobby and that it can be incredibly intimidating for women. To any ladies toying with the idea of playing: Do it and have fun!”

Sarah Gudgeon: “I love Airsoft because it pushes me to outside of my comfort zone and grow as a person and a player.

Being a female Airsofter means that, for whatever reason, I

IN CONCLUSION

My message to ladies out there thinking of trying Airsoft is: take the plunge and go for it! Or for any guys who would love to get their partners into the game, take her along! Thanks to the worldwide web, there is more information than ever out there for women in our sport so if you’re looking for advice or recommendations on kit, sites etc. there are some really supportive female-only Facebook groups such as “Women of Airsoft” and “UK Ladies Airsoft Group” that are a couple of my personal favourites. If YouTube is your thing, definitely check out YouTubers such as Unicorn Leah, Airsoft Hasmeen and Adella Relentless for awesome content ranging from reviews to vlogs and gameplay! Or if you’re into Instagram, check out these accounts for great content: @thetacticalunicorn, @P90_ Girl, @airsoft_hasmeen, @adella_relentless, @themilsimmedic5, @sisumilsim and @airsoftaddict.princess.

See you on the field!

Kelly. *Cheeky self-plug… www.femmefataleairsoft.com Instagram:@femmefataleairsoft Facebook:www.facebook.com/femmefataleairsoftblog YouTube: www.youtube.com/femmefataleairsoft

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CHARITY HELP FOR HEROES

WHEN AIRSOFT ACTION HEARD ABOUT ADAM TAYLOR FROM OUR FRIENDS AT ROE AIRSOFT, WE FELT COMPELLED TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT. ROB, FROM ROE TAKES UP THE STORY…

BENFLEET TO DUNOON A Walk Of Gratefulness, Gratitude And Love ROE FIREARMS ARE PROUDLY sponsoring Mr Adam Taylor on his epic Benfleet to Scotland walk, which will see him travel over 600 miles in 14 days. He will even be required to swim the occasional river along the way, all in the aid of charity.

Adam, a 33 year old UBC British, EBU European and WBA world championship boxer is undergoing his epic adventure to raise money and awareness for the charity organisation Help for Heroes. As well as his outstanding boxing career, with 46 wins and just 2 losses, he is a recent winner of the SAS winter “Fan Dance”, incorporating a 32.8 mile trek that takes on the highest peak South of Snowdonia, Pen y Fan, not once but twice. Regarded by many as one of the world’s toughest outdoor challenges, this infamous run is taken on by potential members of British Special Forces as part of their selection process.

At an early age Adam was fascinated with the military, and with several members of his family involved with the British armed forces, including an uncle in the Special Forces, he was devastated that he couldn’t sign up himself due to health issues. He has always pushed himself to the limit in whatever task he has undertaken, from investing in a record store at 17, landing a recording contract with Universal Records and writing and recording a song with East17 under the name UK King!

More recently Adam has also registered as a Close Protection Operative whose work has seen him travel around the world.

An interesting part of his working career that has seen him shot and stabbed on more than one occasion, Adam is not one to hold back and with his second professional boxing match on the horizon, who knows what the future holds?

His next challenge saw him leave ROE Firearms in Benfleet, Essex on the 1st of April at 12pm and embark on a gruelling, 600-mile journey, crossing several counties, passing through towns, cities and villages such as Brentwood, Epping, Dudley, Liverpool, Blackpool, Carlisle, Paisley and then finally ending at the war memorial in Dunoon Town, in Scotland. Carrying with him everything he needed to survive for fourteen days, his backpack containing his sleeping bag, tent, food, water and medical supplies, weighed in at approximately 50 kilograms; over two thirds of his own body weight.

At ROE Firearms we have always relished a good challenge and thought that sponsoring Adam to complete a gruelling 600 mile trek was an epic task that anyone would be proud of but the more we spoke to him the more we realised that something a little special was in order, so we decided to impose a further element to his challenge; Adam was not allowed to cross any bridges. Yes, you read that right! Adam had to www.airsoft-action.online

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stopped him. His sheer unflinching determination will prevail.

Along the way Adam has also met some wonderful and amazing people, crowds have cheered him on, come out of their homes with refreshments, given him kind words of encouragement when it has been clear that he is struggling with tiredness and fatigue.

He has dealt with some very complex, hazardous and tricky situations, including walking in the wrong direction for a whole day, very nearly drowning in a frozen loch and the very unfortunate story of the time he inadvertently walked down the side of a motorway causing “PEDESTRIANS ON CARRIAGEWAY” warning signs to be raised, traffic police to be alerted and a helicopter to be deployed! You might say that his journey has not been without its ups and downs but it has certainly become a journey of a lifetime.

At one point he trampled through a thick snow storm for three whole days and at times it felt that the snow was actually following him, this caused him to sleep in a tent that had literally become sheet ice. He suffered more than his fair share of injuries including; fluid on the knee, back injuries from carrying weight over rough ground, minor burns, stings, bites, flu, diarrhoea the most horrendous blisters imaginable, plus a shoulder injury that should have completely stopped him in his tracks.

The vast majority of people would have given up long ago but not Adam, he is as true to his cause today as when he started. I myself must admit that at points I have felt that he must retire for his own safety and pleaded with him to come home but the word “surrender” is not in Adam’s vocabulary and with a little over 100 miles to go I have no doubt that he will not only complete this task but complete it with the same enthusiasm and commitment as the day that he started.

40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS

wade, paddle or swim unaided across any stream, river or lake that he encountered along the way (sorry Adam). He needed to strip down, load his belongings into a dry bag, get across the water then quickly get dressed before hyperthermia set in.

This aspect of the challenge added a fear factor that only the bravest type of person would even consider and is something that requires the adoption of specialist training techniques to safely accomplish.

ONE MONTH IN

We last saw Adam Taylor as he was embarking on an epic 600 mile walk from Benfleet in Essex to Dunoon Town in Scotland, in aid of The Help for Heroes charity. He was upbeat, enthusiastic and determined. He had hoped that he would complete his mission in a little over fourteen days, however, as I am writing this today in the comfort and warmth of my home Adam, is still going strong, some 33 days after he began!

Adam has endured howling storms, freezing temperatures, equipment malfunctions as well as some very unfortunate physical and verbal abuse at the hands of some shameful individual’s expressing their hate for the Help for Heroes charity he is representing and the British Army style clothing that he is wearing.

He has suffered all manner of items being thrown at him, he has been tormented by drivers, sworn and shouted at in a variety of languages (including the worst of the English language) and he has even been spat at - but this has not

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After 40 days of constant walking and covering an incredible 700 miles, Adam Taylor finally finished his epic journey across the UK. His adventure has been anything but simple and to say that he has endured the elements is an understatement.

When Adam started his challenge back on the 01/04/2016 he was forced to deal with the traditional British April showers followed by freezing temperatures, the very real fear of hyperthermia and even the odd snow drift. By the time he got to the north of England an incredible one month later, he was sunburned, dehydrated and suffering from heat stroke! Along with the ever-changing weather, Adam also battled against varying mixed emotions; from the elation that followed scaling one of the several peaks he climbed during his challenge and pride at the extent of his achievements, through to fear, anxiety, depression, shear desperation and what felt like a futile

CHARITY HELP FOR HEROES

battle raging within his own mind, a battle that Adam not only eventually won but we believe won in true style.

As Adam, crossed the country he found himself in all sorts of strange situations and put himself through lots of unnecessary discomfort.

He admits that the day he swam across a 300 metre wide, frozen loch on the border of Scotland he couldn’t have been thinking straight, in fact it was a completely unheard of thing to try and do and something he was under express orders from the coast guard not to attempt under any circumstances!

Adam said “I was just standing at the edge of the shore and thought, I can swim that and within what felt like a blink of an eye I was in the middle.” He nearly passed out as the onset of hyperthermia set in and as his muscles began to shut down. It must be said he very nearly didn’t make it and this just goes to show that it is tiredness and fatigue that can become your true enemy, leading you into a false sense of security that can very easily have the potential to become life-threatening.

On another occasion, approximately 350 miles into the journey and on the outskirts of Cumbria, during a fierce snow storm, Adam felt for the first time that his life may be in danger. In the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest town, soaked to the skin and in sub-zero temperatures, he headed towards a distant house praying that someone was inside and was able to help him. He finally reached the front door and the relief at someone being home Adam will never forget. He was greeted by a young lady who was unsurprisingly worried by this

strange-looking man on her doorstep and quickly pointed him in the direction of the nearest form of civilisation and closed the door!

By now Adam was desperately fearful that he would not make it but set out once again, trying to move as quickly as possible to warm up his tired, frozen body.

As he started to climb a steep hill with no idea of how far it was to the next village he stopped in his tracks and slumped to the floor, knowing that he was in the severest kind of danger. He truly feared the worst. Then from nowhere, appearing out of the blizzard like a scene from a movie, a gallant gentleman saved Adams life. It turned out that the husband of the aforementioned women had seen Adam from an upstairs window and remarked that he was soaking wet, frozen and would never make it to the next village. He had then taken it upon himself to go out after Adam and rescue him. Being ex-forces he knew the danger that Adam was in and took him home, warmed him up, got his clothes dry and gave him a meal. His kindness will never be forgotten.

The next day with the worst of the weather behind him Adam once again set out for the next village, it was then that he realised the extent of the predicament he had been in the night before as the village was eleven miles away and took him nearly 8 hours to reach. Adam Knew there was no doubt that his life had been saved.

Adam has certainly got some great tall tales to tell his children and future grandchildren and one day hopes to visit some of the amazing places and the gorgeous scenery that he encountered along the way, however, to quote Adam “Next time I’m bloody well driving!”

Trying to sum up this truly remarkable story of true grit and determination is hard work but if we can take away anything from Adam’s story, it is that sometimes hard work pays off.

Adam Taylor not only raised over £1,000 for Help for Heroes, appeared in a dozen or more newspaper articles and walked half way across the country, he also learned some valuable lessons along the way. Lessons about life, love and knowing your inner self.

Try to think of Adam's story and live life to the fullest and always remember, if you put your mind to it you can achieve anything.

Robert J J Drury.

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INSIDE SWINDON AIRSOFT AS WELL AS BEING ONE OF THE LOCATIONS FOR A JAMES BOND FILM, SWINDON IS ALSO HOME TO ONE OF THE UK’S MOST FRIENDLY AIRSOFT SHOPS, SO WE SENT LES LEE ALONG TO TAKE A LOOK EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, something or someone in the Airsoft scene becomes very prominent, prominent enough that we at Airsoft Action feel should get the recognition that is deserved and today is one of those days because as I started to write about a highly respected Airsoft shop, I suddenly looked at this from a different perspective, a better perspective in my opinion.

So of course this “Inside Airsoft” will cover the retail unit and all you need to know, however, the bigger picture should at least credit the man and team behind it because there is more than just retail with this guy and the company as a whole, someone who is well known (even more so for being a legend in his own underpants) for what he has brought to the Airsoft scene over the years. He is also the driving force behind Strikeforce CQB, Strikeforce Badlands, The Trail and Swindon Airsoft retail shop.

That man is Paul Bibby.

The shop is easy to find being located in an industrial park and parking is plentiful as you would expect, so when you enter the shop, of course your eyes lock-on to the walls of RIFs and other wonderful pieces of kit and gear but today was to be a little different. Today I managed to nail Paul Bibby to the floor while his accomplice, Paul Clayton, did all the hard work, including making the tea, which Mr B simply refuses to do.

I know not why but my best guess is that he simply doesn’t

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know how a tea bag actually works but I digress, I’m sure you would rather hear about the shop from the man himself. So having captured the man, I fired a bunch of questions at him about Swindon Airsoft.

Les: Hello Paul, hope you don’t mind me calling you Bibby so that I don’t get the two Pauls mixed up and thank you for inviting me along and giving me your time and an opportunity to tell our readers what Swindon Airsoft has to offer. So tell me, how and when did it all begin?

Bibby: “Hi Les and Airsoft Action readers! Thanks for choosing our little input into the world of Airsoft, we are humbled to be asked and it’s a great honour! Hope we do you all proud.

“The company was started back in early 2009 by brothers Steve and Paul Clayton from their garage, as back then there was a massive shortage of retailers in the area and in the UK. The company stayed as a dedicated retail business for 5 years until Bibby (Paul Bibby, i.e. me) joined the company full-time after years as the Saturday help. The company then split its focus to both retail and skirmish sites and we have been growing ever since. We now operate three sites, a Woodland site “The Trail”, “Strikeforce CQB” where a separate retail shop is probably going live by time of print and “Strikeforce Badlands”, our military site! So we are stretched very thinly for two full time guys but we stumble along ok! We are looking

Inside Airsoft SWINDON AIRSOFT

to add to the ranks in the future as it is becoming busier and busier with the massive growth of Airsoft over the recent couple of years.”

Les: Can you give us a “who’s who” at Swindon Airsoft and the role that they play.

Bibby: “Paul and Steve Clayton (Directors) both have 20 years of Airsoft experience each. Paul Clayton works full time in the business here at Swindon Airsoft as the admin and accounts guru and also using his knowledge at times helping out the tech side of things. Steve has a full time job outside of Airsoft and throws as much of his spare time into the company as he can manage. I am the Manager and have nearly 10 year’s experience working in the Airsoft industry, both as a site Manager and Airsoft retail Manager and can often be found on social media, where the community likes to lurk inbetween skirmishes. My main role is to grow the company by adding new skirmish sites and looking at other venues for our expanding retail side. Our tech is AJ. He has years and years of teching experience and is an extremely active player too. Bit of a teching Jedi if the truth be told!”

Les: Do you have customer-friendly facilities such as seating, toilet, refreshments available, etc.?

Bibby: “Yeah we have seating and cans of pop for sale in store and onsite. Proper loos for customers to use too! And there is always a community atmosphere here at the weekend with lots of the local players hanging out and making weekend plans of where to pew pew! It’s a unique experience!”

Les: Do you have a testing facility to try before buying.

Bibby: At the Swindon location we currently do not operate a range but we do have a “shoot tube” that’s used for customers to test fire and our tech to test the guns in, however, at our Gloucester store located in Strikeforce CQB we have an indoor range and a 56,000 sq ft indoor CQB facility to test your kit thoroughly! We encourage trying before you buy as it’s your pride and joy so you want to make sure that’s its running how

you like and the chronograph is always on hand if you need to test your own kit too.”

Les: So in your words, what will a customer experience when they enter the shop.

Bibby: We are approx. 900 sq ft of retail with another 300 sq ft of office space. The retail is not like a traditional shopping experience, we have a more chilled out “Community Centre” feel. We have the obligatory gun wall and glass cabinets but, unlike most shops, you can pick up and get the feel of guns off the wall. We are often hanging about chatting or planning the weekends play as we all actively play Airsoft too. The shop can be a lively place and is often mistaken as a club house for Airsofters old and new. And we actively encourage players to meet up in the store as it’s a safe environment for us to talk Airsoft and “show & tell” our latest Gucci kit!”

Les: What brands do you stock and why?

Bibby: “We are one of the five G&G direct importers here in the UK, so we always have a good stock of the popular models. We also stock Tokyo Mauri, RedWolf, Classic Army, Cyma, Dboys, Nuprol/WE, Viper and ASG. We only stock what we would use and what we know to be quality and reliable products as we are a small fish and really want to keep customer satisfaction high. Longer-railed M4s are trending at the moment with really nice AK variants becoming very cool! The wolf grey faze is becoming very popular along with “Division-based” loadouts.”

Les: Do you consider Swindon Airsoft to be a one-stop-shop retailer, in other words, can a customer buy all they need from you, for example, for a weekender?

Bibby: “We currently stock everything except clothing and tactical equipment (vests, rigs, etc.) as we want to concentrate on what we know best and that’s Airsoft rifles and pistols - and running skirmish events! But with the increasing quality of home-grown brands like Viper and Warrior, we are looking to explode into this sector very soon. So, along with other irons in

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Inside Airsoft SWINDON AIRSOFT

on projects and we always support each other. We also have cracking relationships with the guys at C3 Tactical in Monmouth, the guys at Ambush Adventures and Dragon Valley. As for teams, we currently support two Airsoft teams: Team Bristol Recon and Team Cobalt but we are always looking for new and exciting teams to support.”

Les: So what makes your customer service excel better than most?

Bibby: “We genuinely care! We are active players ourselves and understand the frustrations of kit that’s gone down.

We always try to be the very best we can be and are easily contactable on the phone and on FB or via our email and of course, by popping into this wonderful store!”

Les: And finally, anything that you would like to say to the readers of Airsoft Action?

the fire, watch this space!”

Les: Probably a dumb question but what is your after sales policy?

Bibby: “All our new and second hand guns come with a limited warranty and it varies depending on manufacturer. We are always here for tech questions and help in-store and often just crack on and fix your issue there and then. Plus you will find us playing on sites throughout the UK, so if you see us you can always ask us in person.”

Les: Explain any connections with any other parties such as sites, any local teams or organisations, charities, etc.

Bibby: “We run and operate three awesome sites of our own with more coming soon. Firstly Strikeforce CQB is our massive indoor site, 56,000 sq ft of playable purpose-built indoor Airsoft goodness! Swindon Airsoft’s “The Trail” is our 40 plus acre woodland site and our latest site “Strikeforce Badlands” is our 140 acre active military training area site (my personal favourite).

“We work very closely with RedWolf UK and have an amazing relationship with them. We often collaborate

Bibby: “We would like to thank the Army of helpers and fine folk that help us out regularly!

Massive thanks to… Mark “MAZ” and Carole who run our awesome woodland site the Trail, plus AJ and Clare who run our military site at Strikeforce Badlands. Carl Rolfe, Luke Bailey, Martin Glasgow, Vance Allen, Paul Bennet, Emily and Evan, Fish & Beef! And a special thanks to Andy Snook of Snook Snaps whose Airsoft photography has been key in our success.

“We have missed folk I am sure but know that we love you all! And a thanks to Airsoft Action too for always sharing our news and being the first to offer to cover any openings and events.

“We would like to thank all the players too. We love giving you an awesome day of Airsoft and without you we are just Airsoft nerds trying to be the best! We thank you totally! Play hard play fair! Bibby. xx” So there we have it. A full and frank Q&A session with the one and only Paul Bibby, the face and General Manager of all of the above and also the man of the moment on Facebook.

If you find yourself anywhere near Swindon Airsoft, why not call in and say hello, stay for a while and chat over a cuppa, just make sure your bring a flask because until the young Mr Bibby reads the instructions on a box of tea bags, then it’s a can of sweet pop... or sweet nothing.

Les OUT!

Contact: Swindon Airsoft Unit 23, BSS House Cheney Manor Industrial Esate Swindon SN2 2PJ 01793 435999 www.swindonairsoft.co.uk Hours are flexible in the week normally 10 until 5 but call first if you are planning a visit.

But you will always catch us open Friday and Saturday 09.30 until 17.30 – we are a small team, that’s why we keep irregular hours Tuesday through to Thursday.

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A NEW SEASON BEGINS WITH WINTER OUT OF THE WAY, A NEW SEASON OF AIRSOFT KICKS OFF IN RUSSIA. IN THE FIRST OF TWO PARTS, MARTY AND MARTA GIVE US THE LOW DOWN ON THE OPENING EVENTS END OF APRIL – BEGINNING of May is the traditional time to open airsoft season in Russia. On the territory of the largest country in the world it is difficult to find a more or less big city, where people don’t play airsoft. From the city of Kaliningrad in the west, to Chukotka Peninsula in the east (on the border with Alaska in the United States), from the northernmost point of mainland Eurasia (Cape Chelyuskin), to the Republic of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea - airsoft teams are everywhere.

Airsofters play in their towns and go to big events to the largest cities in their regions. And the most ambitious events are not only in the capitals (Moscow and St. Petersburg) but also, for example, in Siberia and the Urals. And, of course, true airsofter is the person, who has ever been at the opening of airsoft season - the first big game of the new year. The opening of the season (OS) in Russian airsoft is a game with an “open registration” in which any team can participate, if it fits the requirements of the organizers. This game will take place in any case, whatever may serve in the airsoft community.

OS necessarily has non-linear scenario involved a large number of players in a large area. Not only the organizers but also the participants themselves prepare in advance for OS. Artem Shahin, participant of “Opening of the season 2016” in the South of Russia: “A month before the game our team began to go hiking in the park, to prepare for the long distances at the event.”

After all, these events is the checking the readiness of each team and each player, the opportunity to assess the level of other teams and clubs, learn new airsoft trends. In this article we give a brief overview of the major Openings of the season in 2016, which took place in the vast Russia.

Airsoft players of the South

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of Russia were the first who opened the airsoft season 2016.

About 1,000 participants from 40 teams came to OS in the city of Rostov-on-Don (1,000 km south of Moscow). The game was at the second weekend of April. In an area of several dozen square kilometers there were located the headquarters of the Federals and Rebels. Game scenario was simple but gave many opportunities for individual actions of each player. The landfill was divided into western (Federal) and eastern (Rebel) part. There were located 8 barracks at the federal part of field.

On rebels part there was a warehouse of explosives. Task for rebels was to destroy the maximum number of barracks using explosives. Explosives were stored in the warehouses of the rebels. Task for feds, respectively, was to save the barracks. In turn, the feds can destroy the warehouse of explosives on the territory of the rebels.

Roman aka Randall Pankov, organizer of “Opening of the season 2016” in the South of Russia: “The script was tied not only on fights for the capturing of points, but also on depending on the suppling. Such idea made possible stress equality of the sides at least until the morning of the second day.”

A feature of OS 2016 in the South of Russia is the field size.

The organizers did not denote its boundary that the sides can maneuver and make deep rear rounds. The distance between points was more than 2 kilometers, so the players had to go long distances, checking on not only the accuracy of shooting, but also their endurance.

Helgi, participant of “Opening of the season 2016” in the South of Russia: “I am satisfied with the event, we were sitting in the defense, but in the result had walked on foot near 15 miles I am afraid to imagine how long distance had walked those who had been in the attack.”

Tiger Kys, participant of “Opening of the season 2016” in the South of Russia: “I wiped my feet up calluses by walking up to the respond and back ... Thank you, fathers-commanders, because you did not make us run during the night, because everybody was very tired.”

Alexey Nagorskiy, participant of “Opening of the season 2016” in the South of Russia: “IMHO, only 1 km (near 0.62 mile) to the point of the respond, and then another about the same distance to the place of battle - it’s not exactly what most people expect from the first event after the off-season.”

international RUSSIA

with delivery through customs, etc.), the presentation of the next games and different competitions. For example, the command “Z.L.O.”, the organizers of one of the largest airsoft games in Russia “24 hours on the armor” (we wrote about it in a previous issue) held a traditional “Blind Duel”. 4 participants (from different teams), started with a blindfold in different corners of the box and had to kill all the enemies with airsoft guns. The organizers of the OS in Moscow presented grenade competition in which grenade throwers demonstrated their shooting skills.

Grinch, participant of “Opening of the season 2016” “Podosinki” in Moscow: “The event was very successful. Disco, competitions were interesting. Special thanks for grenade competition. It was fun and informative for me.”

Opening of the Season 2016 in the Moscow region lasted 4 days. Two days before the game there were recreational activities, old friends could meet and communicate in a cozy atmosphere. And the next two days there were “combat” “SIDES IN THE GAME WERE actions.

B0r0da, participant of FORMED FROM DIFFERENT “Opening of the season 2016” BLOCKS. THAT IS MEAN THAT “Podosinki” in Moscow: “We ON EACH SIDE ARE HALF OF THE came and you can be sure we will come more to have a MARINES, HALF BRITISH, HALF fun start of the season. Many OF THE NORTH CAUCASIAN airsofters are waiting for this day for six months, take days off MILITARY DISTRICT, ETC. IT WAS or vacation.”

TESTED AT THE CLOSING OF THE “Podosinki” event gathered SEASON IN 2015, BUT THERE more than 40 teams and 600 people from all over Russia, WERE ONLY 550 PEOPLE.” including the Volga region and Siberia. 12 teams were with the airsoft experience for more than 10 years. The main organizer of the “Opening of the season 2016” “Podosinki” in Moscow have been playing airsoft for over 20 years.

Konstantin aka Fisherman Petrushko, organizer of “Opening of the season 2016” “Podosinki” in Moscow: “Sometimes, once in 5-10 years, we specially organize the division of veterans and novices, veterans side is usually smaller. Basically this event (OS) are made precisely in order to open airsoft season with a good, high-quality game. This year “newcomers” won, “Veterans” were not in the competitive process, they were the third force, which prevented both sides.”

All images: Project 135

EzhYg, participant of “Opening of the season 2016” in the South of Russia: “The first attack, when 60 people came to our two trenches (5 people in defense)… I will remember this battle for a long time… Night was super! When our gunner was shot, battery in his bunker was already off.”

But most important innovation on OS-2016 in the South of Russia was the principle of the teams division. Previously, players were separated by teams belonging to the Russian bloc and NATO. But this game the teams were completely mixed: on the one side there were teams in the both camouflages.

According to the organizers, such separation excludes the creation of the blocks before the game. All teams have learned about their affiliation to a particular side for a couple of weeks before the event, the commanders were chosen by drawing lots.

Eugene aka Ushastyi Samaria, organizer of “Opening of the season 2016” in the South of Russia: “Sides in the game were formed from different blocks. That is mean that on each side are half of the Marines, half British, half of the North Caucasian Military District, etc. It was tested at the closing of the season in 2015, but there were only 550 people. The experiment was successful – in was more difficult for commanders to manage their sides, scandals between opponents was at times. After closing in 2015 not all airsofters believed in the success of this idea, but OS 2016 consolidated the results.”

The next “openers” after the southerners were inhabitants of Central Russia. May 2 grand opening of the jubilee airsoft season was at the site “Podosinki” near Moscow. In the same place 20 years ago (in 1997) there was the first in Russia airsoft inter-team event. Since this game was devoted to the anniversary date, the organizers had considered this in the game scenario. All participants were divided into 3 sides. For the side of the “veterans” there were all the teams elder than 10 years.

The second and the third sides reached the other participating teams. Their task was to move the front line on the side of opponents, occupation the square by square.

Accordingly, the task of “Veterans” was to protect their base and occupy enemy bases.

Kedge, participant of “Opening of the season 2016” “Podosinki” in Moscow: “ On the one hand, the game was quiet ... on the other hand, we were extremely tired in the end... We walked half of the field!”

In honor of the anniversary, the organizers have arranged a variety of entertainment and informative events: performances by local musical groups, seminars (for example, how to buy airsoft weapons and equipment abroad, how to avoid problems

Alexander Levchenko and Maria Litvinova.

www.airsoft-action.online

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Loaded or Unloaded HOME ON THE RANGE

HOME ON THE RANGE JERRY NOONE ALWAYS HAS HIS EYES PEELED FOR BRANDS EMERGING IN THE UK AND THIS MONTH HE REPORTS BACK ON SOME GREAT GEAR FROM PENTAGON THAT HE HAS HAD ON TEST COURTESY OF MILITARY1ST A GOOD PART OF MY WORKING life revolves around being down at my test range looking at airsoft replicas and putting them through their paces. On average I test fire four or five different airsoft models each and every month, whatever the weather. I’m also on the range in my spare time as well, working on and training with my own RIFs and that can be in terms of skirmishing “skills and drills”, or in relation to practical shooting disciplines.

I am by no means a competition shooter but I do enjoy the challenges of a well thought out course of fire and like many of you out there, I’m lucky to have a good bunch of friends to shoot with on a regular basis. None of us (yet!) have reached the point of buying in specialist practical shooting rigs, instead relying on what we use to play airsoft.

At the Northern Shooting Show I was lucky enough to be able to hang out with a whole bunch of friends from within the UK airsoft industry. We’d all been watching the practical pistol competition going on over the course of the two days and as exciting as we found it, we came to the conclusion that for many airsofters laying out on a completely separate set of gear might be a bit of an ask, even if you were “loaded” and so we came up with the idea of “Tactical Three Gun” just for fun!

This would mean that players could be involved in the competition side of things using whatever guns and gear they already owned, keeping the costs down; in time I’m sure some would make the full jump to “practical” which could bring some new blood into that side of things from a wider pool. I returned home from the show and looked at what kit I normally have for a skirmish day and for what clothing I use at the range. I also looked at videos online, especially the one that has done the rounds of Keanu Reeves three gun training at Taran Tactical. He wears simple jeans, a t-shirt and a ballcap.

That’s it, nothing fancy there. Kit-wise he has a pistol belt, holster and pouches for his carbine magazines and shotgun shells. Simple, to the point.

I already run a battle belt with a very similar setup so that www.airsoft-action.online

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was a no-brainer. I usually wear a mixture of tactical and outdoor performance brands when I head to the range as I find those give a nice balance between comfort, protection from the elements and durability. The outdoor gear is also designed with dynamic movement in mind, so I find what’s good for climbing and mountaineering is also good shooting attire.

As it happened, with all this

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spinning round in my mind I’d just been sent some new Pentagon gear to test, as Military1st (at the time of writing) have just installed an in-depth range from the manufacturer, adding to their already comprehensive line-up of top-quality brands. Pentagon have been around in the UK for a little while now but up until this point it’s been a bit hit and miss where you’ll find it; not so anymore!

PENTAGŌNOS: FIVE-ANGLED

So who are Pentagon and where have they come from? Well to start the ball rolling their name is actually pretty clever in itself.

Pentagon (pentagōnos) is a noun of ancient Greek origin meaning “five angled”. In the Pentagon logo the five angles symbolise the human form itself with the head and four limbs, along with the five senses of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Pretty neat, right?

In terms of making gear though, Pentagon has been active in the field of military clothing and accessories since 1991, when the company started in Germany as a modest retail shop selling new and used military surplus goods. In 1993 the business moved and expanded with the opening of a new wholesale warehouse in Northern Greece.

In the late 90s a new generation of customers were showing up searching for military and law enforcement clothing and gear with technologically advanced fabrics, new and improved pocket arrangements and contemporary fitting styles. Most of these products demanded could only be found in recognised outdoor sports brands and in colours that were not appropriate for the military and law enforcement sector.

That is when Pentagon decided to fill this gap and they started by looking for manufacturers and partners that were producing for leading outdoor companies, so as to acquire a thorough understanding of the technology of modern fabric construction and material functionality. They

Loaded or Unloaded HOME ON THE RANGE

invested in the art of pattern making so they could achieve the perfect fit for highintensity activities that also provided high levels of comfort and an aesthetic which was missing from the classic military and law enforcement products.

Finally, after many years of research and development and working closely with Military, Police, Fire fighters, Rescue and Security teams they developed a totally new product series which came to be known as “Tactical Sportswear™”. This was their answer to an advanced military clothing and gear concept which incorporates quality, technology, design and aesthetic all in one package and their motto to complement all this is “Gear Up!™”

RANGETIME!

My personal range is set up in some private woodland owned by a friend.

It’s set well back from any public access and as its part of their grounds it’s also fenced, so nobody can wander in. The woodland is slightly angled upwards and they’ve allowed me to dig in a small berm to ensure that no BBs are able fly “out of bounds” behind the targets. It gives me an overall shooting distance of 30m which is just about right for testing accuracy in terms of airsoft.

There are no real facilities other than an old pub-type bench/table combo as I purposely keep the range as natural as possible; this also means that if it’s cold or raining I need to have the right gear on. With this in mind when I first spoke to Military1st about the Pentagon gear I had a really clear idea of what I wanted to look at.

First up of course is what goes next to the skin and Pentagon offer a super, well-priced base-layer range; I’ve not tested that as yet as it really hasn’t been cold enough to warrant it but I will tell you that the fit is great and the fabric

feels really comfortable against the skin. What I have worn regularly is the POLO 2.0 shirt; this is part of Pentagon’s Tactical Duty Series (T.D) which has a casual straight fit design with contemporary look and feel. The POLO 2.0 comes with either long or short sleeves and has a standard placket with three buttons, along with knitted no-roll collar and cuffs. Made in 60% Cotton/40% Polyester it feels great against the skin.

In relation to trousers, Pentagon have a whole range of different designs, from the classic military/LE look to some really advanced styles that have obviously be purposely designed with the “tactical athlete” in mind. I chose a pair of the HYDRA CLIMBING PANTS. These have been designed to be strong enough for highly demanding outdoor applications, yet comfortable and stylish for casual everyday use. The trousers feature two deep hand pockets with reinforced fillets, two rear pockets with zippers and spacious side cargo pockets for necessary tools or personal accessories. The pants also come with an internal ventilation system with mesh protection for extra breathability and comfort. With the main body made of 100% Polyester soft-shell, strengthened with Nylon Ripstop fabric which has two-way stretch elasticity, the Hydra Climbing Pants are a must-have for those who are interested in any kind of dynamic pursuit and are the perfect year-round range pant.

Within the range Pentagon have an absolutely huge variety of fleece and mid-layer garments for you to choose from but for when the weather gets cooler, I do like a nice down vest or jacket. High quality and ultra-lightweight, the HECTOR vest comes with warm duck down insulation and an outer layer made of breathable, windproof and water repellent nylon fabric. The vest features a soft fleece lined collar, full front YKK VISLON zipper, two front hand pockets and chest pocket with internal security loop. The vest also has an adjustable bottom hem with elastic cords, elasticated hem on arm holes and an internal zipped pocket for added storage. Part of clothing layering system, the Hector Vest is low-profile and absolutely spot-on. The new GERAKI Jacket from Pentagon is

www.airsoft-action.online

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Loaded or Unloaded HOME ON THE RANGE

a warm and super-light down jacket with duck down insulation, super soft Nylon Taslon Rip-Stop patches and genuine YKK zipper hardware. The jacket keeps warmth inside and offers superb protection against the cold and windy weather. With multiple YKK zipped pockets, elasticated cuffs and adjustable bottom hem, the Geraki Jacket is ideal for the true winter months when you really need some warmth!

Although Pentagon offer a full range of waterproof shells I find a good soft shell works best for me.

The ARTAXES is a comfortable and multi-functional soft shell jacket with a two-way full front zipper and high collar with a chin guard of grid fleece. A large “cobra-style” hood is concealed within the collar and is lined with a warm grid fleece. Its size and fit can be easily adjusted with elastic cords with cord-locks placed at the back and each side of the hood and inside both chest pockets. The jacket features eight practical pockets placed on the chest, both sleeves and lower back, all lined with mesh or grid fleece.

The inner lining of super-fine Grid-Tech fleece offers both excellent thermal protection and body moisture management, as it traps the heat inside while allowing moisture to escape freely. Breathable and water-resistant StormTex membrane makes the jacket suitable for mild to cold weather conditions and its elastic outer shell offers optimal comfort of movement.

The Artaxes jacket is perfect for skirmishing and range use all year round and I particularly like the fact that Pentagon offer many of their jacket models in “Range Red” as well as tactical colours.

In addition to clothing Pentagon also have a great range of accessories. For warm weather use they have a super range of ballcaps which won’t break the bank and for when things get cooler they offer both wool and synthetic watch caps and beanies. I’ve not yet had any of their glove models to test but the THEROS summer and the KARIA tactical gloves certainly look to be good designs.

PENTAGON HAVE YOU COVERED!

I’ve been using the Pentagon gear for a little over two months now and I have to report that I’m very impressed so far with comfort and performance.

The trousers and polos have been worn a LOT already on the range, combined with the soft shell jacket on cooler, damper days. I used both the vest and the down jacket when I

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camped at the Northern show and I can attest to the fact that they are both 100% toasty.

I’ve got a trip to the Brecon Beacons coming up soon and sadly British summertime is looking to be at its usual not-best.

The Pentagon gear is coming with me so I can give it a full-on outdoor test and I’ll report back more on individual pieces over time.

If you’re looking for good skirmish gear then Pentagon most definitely have it in their line but if like me you want some solid, well-priced kit for the range and possibly a little “Tactical Three Gun” then you need look no further, just head to www.military1st.co.uk, pick Pentagon under “BRANDS” and you’re good to go!

My thanks again go to www. military1st.co.uk for kindly supplying the test garments featured in this article.

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A lightweight and conveniently sized shoulder pack, ideal as a travel/grab bag. Its exterior and internal pockets are capable of bearing most personal belongings and padded straps add the comfort factor.

With padded shoulder straps and foam Ventex back panel this makes a comfortable load carrier. The pack can be reduced using the compression straps or added to with the LAZER MOLLE attachment panels.

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TECH TALK PART THREE:

ALL THE OTHER BITS...

IN THE FINAL PART OF THIS SERIES, FRENCHIE TAKES A LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER COMPONENTS THAT GO INTO AN AEG WHEN PLANNING THIS SERIES we broke it down into three sections; the gearbox, the electrics and, well, everything else. That covers literally everything, some components are critical others perhaps less so and some are utterly a matter of personal choice. I’m going to start this month inside the gun again with the hop unit and barrel, areas about which almost infinite amounts of nonsense have been spoken and written.

Next to the gearbox, the hop unit and barrel are the most critical components in an airsoft gun. The barrel ensures that the BB flies in the right direction whilst the hop unit ensures that it goes as far as possible. I’m going to start with the barrel because much is said and written about them and I suspect little is understood.

Airsoft guns are muskets – smoothbore guns firing a spherical projectile. I’ll come back to the Tanio Koba “rifled” barrel in a bit. As was the case with the original musket this is not a great combination for either range or accuracy, with 50 metres being a realistic range for the average soldier

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to have any chance of hitting anything. The fact that sights for military muskets appeared long after the musket itself should tell you more than any book ever could!

We need our barrels to be tight enough to ensure a reasonable air seal around the BB, otherwise it won’t move at all but not so tight that a force of several thousands of feet per square inch is required to drive the BB down the tube. The compromise reached by Tokyo Marui many years ago was in internal diameter of 6.08mm. Given that most BBs are very slightly less than 6mm – 5.95mm is common – this gives plenty of clearance while ensuring that the majority of the air from the cylinder goes to propelling the round. “Tight bore” barrels generally run from 6.03mm to 6.01mm and are responsible for the betterment of civilisation as we know it, or rather there are those who claim as much. Personally I reserve judgement on that. It should be pretty obvious that the smaller the internal diameter, the more important the consistency of your chosen ammo needs to be as they will be less tolerant of over-sized BBs. Whether they make as much difference as some claim, however, is a whole sticky topic and this is one time (amongst others) that I am glad that this is on the printed page and not on an internet forum...

tech talk BITS ‘N PIECES

barrel is etched internally to create a vortex designed to keep the BB in the centre of the air stream and away from the barrel walls (which suggests that my earlier suspicions may be correct). Experience tells me they do work very well but they are limited to about 350 fps maximum velocity, beyond that the effectiveness of the vortex effect falls off. If you fancy something different and operate at reasonable power levels you might try one of these instead of a traditional tight bore – cost is about the same.

HOP TO IT

I remain unconvinced that the internal diameter of the barrel makes a significant difference to most players, as long as it falls between the 6.08 – 6.01mm range. What is, in my opinion, much more important is the quality and consistency of the barrel. It’s pretty obvious that if the barrel is bent it simply won’t do its job. Equally if the barrel is annular internally (a series of concentric rings caused by problems with the drawing process) it won’t work well. I have seen a tiny degree of narrowing towards the muzzle or breech end which can trap or affect BBs. What we need more than anything is as perfect a cylinder as we can get, which is why I think it’s worth swapping a perfectly good aluminium barrel for an equally good brass one – simply because I have found brass to be structurally stronger and to give better results. In a word, consistency is key; we all need our barrels to behave in the same manner shot after shot after shot. Anything that affects this will have a far greater negative effect than the supposed positive effect of a slightly tighter bore.

So quality and consistency trump pretty much any other attribute in a barrel – what about hop units? Your hop up imparts backspin to the BB, dramatically improving range over an un-spun BB. If you have a range issue and your velocity is fine this is where to look. Changing a hop rubber is my favourite upgrade because it’s cheap and bloody effective.

Personal taste plays a large role here – I like Madbull Blue hop rubbers – I get great results with them although they are a little fat. Others swear by Prometheus, or Firefly. It doesn’t matter what’s on the packet as long as the end result is decent range and by “decent range”, I mean chucking a 0.28g BB 60–80m. Pretty much any AEG should be capable of that, it’s really not difficult.

There is a temptation to replace plastic hop units with shiny metal ones and if your hop is physically broken – why not? One of my favourite hop units is the grey plastic one found in G&G rifles. Why? Because it works! Being plastic it reduces wear on the air nozzle, also being plastic it is marginally more flexible than alloy and seems to give consistently good air seal. That said I have had excellent results with stock G&P hop units. The hop rubber and the nub are the key components assuming everything else is OK. By all means splash out on anodised shinyness if that makes you happy but if performance is your

LENGTH (OOH ERR MISSUS!)

Barrel length in AEGs is much less important than most players seem to realise. There is a natural assumption that the longer the barrel, the more accurate the gun. Not so. Some of the most consistently accurate guns I have used and built have been P90s with short little barrels, likewise MP5Ks can be outstanding. In a gas gun where the longer barrel can capitalise on the gas expansion, yes, longer is better within reason but in an AEG? Nope. My personal guess as to why this is the case is to do with reducing the amount of time the BB is rattling around allowing the backspin to do its thing. Unfortunately I haven’t the means to prove this although I am sure that there would be plenty of internet denizens queuing up to argue the point. Not to worry.

Rifled barrels are an oxymoron in airsoft. The Tanio Koba

“TIGHT BORE BARRELS GENERALLY RUN FROM 6.03MM TO 6.01MM AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF CIVILISATION AS WE KNOW IT, OR RATHER THERE ARE THOSE WHO CLAIM AS MUCH. PERSONALLY I RESERVE JUDGEMENT ON THAT.” www.airsoft-action.online

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tech talk BITS ‘N PIECES

If you want a particular model of AR-15 go hunting – you can probably find it out there and should (important word) be able to fit your existing parts into it. Some replacements are damned expensive which may be down to the cost of better materials, limited production runs or the costs of licensing – probably all three to a greater or lesser extent.

The same is true for front ends and stocks. Really want a Daniel Defense front rail? KeyMod? Go get them! They may turn out to be fun to fit but you’ll find something and let’s face it, this is one of the pleasures of airsoft. If you really want to change your gun’s appearance you can. Cost will vary from “not too bad” to “Jesus!” but it can be done, often without needing to employ a tech to do it. Stocks are the same. The original M4 collapsible stocks are frankly poo and a nice (forgive me) Magpul alternative can make a real difference to the feel of a gun and to its comfort in use.

Likewise pistol grips – I really like the plain 416 style but there are so many to choose from you just need to ensure that they will fit your model of gun before laying out your cash. goal, I would spend a little time and less money in making sure you are actually getting the very best from your existing hop unit.

ON THE OUTSIDE

OK, let us now step outside the AEG. Airsoft guns are made from many materials; plastic and alloy predominate although you will find steel used in some guns. Steel is lovely and hard-wearing but it is heavy. In the world of real firearms most manufacturers are moving towards polymers as they make production easier and they are largely unaffected by the environment. AR-15s have always been made from aluminium alloy in the real world, so an analogue is appropriate in airsoft. It’s very rare to find genuine aluminium, you are more like to see magnesium/zinc/ aluminium alloys which are cheaper and less robust. Even pure aluminium might be of poor quality. Frankly all are fine, I like a bit of metal but find plastic bodies guns as robust and generally quieter as the plastic dampens some of the resonant frequencies during operation.

Regardless of construction, the receiver of a gun is there to hold the bits that actually do the work and as such can be regarded as window dressing to some extent. This is why there is a thriving market in replacement and upgrade parts.

The externals and accessories on an AEG are essentially transient. Many players do leave their guns as they come out of the box but many are already planning changes before they have even handed over their cold, hard cash. Consequently I have to be reasonably careful about making too many hard and fast assertions about the externals of any gun. It is true that money generally buys you quality. I agree with the suggestion that Marui plastic is better than cheap alloy, that VFC receivers are better in detail and quality than a D-Boys clone. That notwithstanding, the manufacture of AEGs has developed to such an extent over that past decade that even the cheapest Raider from G&G (for instance) can be expected to deliver solid performance straight out the box and, moreover, not to fall apart within 6 months of purchase. Quite the opposite, many of these predominantly plastic guns are still going after years of use, kept by their owners as the one gun they can count on when all else fails.

Ultimately you can replace pretty much any part of an airsoft gun, mechanical, electrical or external. Of these, the externals by their nature are often the least problematic to change and it’s worth keeping that in mind when buying a gun, new or second hand.

With new guns it shouldn’t be necessary; clean them and dry them after a game and they should last for years but personal taste plays a greater role here than anywhere else, so go forth and make it yours!

www.airsoft-action.online

71

IN THE SECOND OF HIS NEW SERIES, GADGE LOOKS TO CHECHNYA AND THE SPETSNAZ WARRIORS WHO FOUGHT AGAINST A DETERMINED ENEMY

SPETSNAZ OPERATIVE:

2ND CHECHEN WAR 2006 STILL REELING FROM THE BREAKUP of the Soviet Union, Russian troops would find themselves in a bloody territorial dispute that would span two decades and cost thousands of lives.

Situated in the North Caucasus, the Chechen region is a largely Islamic area which for decades had been held in check by the iron fist of the Red Army. With the fall of communism, religious and nationalist leaders set out for independence for the Chechen area and openly defied Moscow. Chechen rebels openly opposed the Kremlin and a bloody war, the 1st Chechen War, ensued.

While on paper the Chechen’s plight appeared quite desperate, the war would have some surprising results. The Russian army vastly outnumbered the rebels and possessed armour and air support, whereas the insurgents used mainly small arms and a smattering of light artillery, mortars and

some APCs. It would seem to many that the rebellion had little chance of success.

The post-communist Russian army was, however, in tatters.

Many units had not been paid or even properly fed for months, military cohesion in units was low and desertion rife – some hard up soldiers had even been selling military equipment on the black market! To make matters worse, much of the fighting was left to Russia’s “interior army”. This was a parallel armed force to the regular army which is intended to deal with internal security issues, disaster relief and, back in the days of the Cold War, to be a safeguard against the army tying to take power.

This interior army, known as the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) ‘VV’ (or Vnutrennye Voiska, lit. Interior Army), were grossly unprepared and ill-trained for the first war in Chechnya and suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of

“THE FIRST CHECHEN WAR LASTED FOR TWO YEARS AND DURING THE BATTLE FOR THE CHECHEN CAPITAL, GROZNY, THE RUSSIAN ARMY LOST ALMOST 2,000 MAIN BATTLE TANKS TO THE REBELS MORE THAN HAD BEEN LOST FIGHTING FOR BERLIN IN WWII!” 72

August 2016

Warriors SPETSNAZ OPERATIVE – 2ND CHECHEN WAR 2006

the rebels. Russian army losses were high, as they attempted to fight a ferocious warrior people on their home ground with demoralised Russian conscripts. The first Chechen War lasted for two years and during the battle for the Chechen capital, Grozny, the Russian army lost almost 2,000 main battle tanks to the rebels – more than had been lost fighting for Berlin in WWII! One of the major “force multipliers” for the Chechen guerrillas was that the fierce Chechens had (in Soviet times) often been recruited into the airborne forces and the “spetsnaz” Special Forces of the military intelligence and so were incredibly well-trained and motivated opponents. The first war ended in a face-saving “cease fire” for the Russians and an eventual peace treaty but before long the Caucasus would again be in flames.

In 1997 pro-Islamic insurgent's raids into the Russian region of Dagestan and a series of terrorist attacks in Russian cities (whether these attacks were by Chechen separatists or “false flag” operations of the Russian secret service is still hotly debated) gave Russia a reason to once again go to war in Chechnya. This time however a retrained, re-equipped and properly motivated MVD VV showed its true potential in combating the insurgents and taking control over key areas. By 2003 the Russian army had wisely learned to “fight fire with fire” and enlisted pro-Russian Chechen nationals to fight the rebels. Many were former terrorists disenfranchised with their leaders and only too happy to take regular pay from Putin’s new Russian Amy. Many special operations, however, were still undertaken by highly trained MVD VV Spetsnaz units.

SPETSNAZ!

As we’ve said before in our kit features on “Russian special forces”, the word “spetsnaz” is very misunderstood in the west. The word itself is a contraction of the words spetsialnogo naznacheniya, meaning (quite literally) “special purposes” and nearly all government agencies have “spetsnaz” of some form or another, from the police to the prison services. But among the men of the MVD VV Independent Special Purposes Brigades (Otdelnaya brigada osobennogo naznacheniya or OBRON) they are trained to be elite reconnaissance troops on a par with the US Army’s Rangers, or the UK’s Royal Marines. During the 2nd Chechen war patrols of the MVD VV Obron would intercept supply convoys meant for the rebels, raid insurgent encampments and lie in ambush for high value targets – hoping to hunt down a separatist leader and paralyse the local rebel unit.

Our warrior this month represents a soldier from a squad of spetsnaz from the 46th brigade, hoping to catch rebel sympathisers in a brutal ambush. Like most Russian soldiers he is lightly equipped but his arms and equipment are practical and up to the task in hand.

Over a lightweight, commercially obtained “kamysh” tiger stripe BDU he wears a hard wearing “Gorka” mountain suit (the word “Gorka” means “hill” or “small mountain” in Russian) which completely covers his basic uniform. The Russian Gorka suit is a popular choice among fighters having found favour with the VDV airborne forces, mountain troops and military intelligence spetsnaz units during the war in Afghanistan. Early Gorkas were made in state factories and were essentially a hard wearing anorak and bibbed dungaree type trousers made from heavy “tent material” canvas. Over the decades the design has been refined and now Gorkas are available in a variety of camouflage patterns, or just plain khaki.

As can be seen here, all of the suit’s “points of contact” (where wear and tear is expected) are heavily re-enforced and even on the plain khaki suits this “patchwork” of darker knee, elbow and seat panels creates a disruptive camouflage effect of its own. This particular suit is known as the “Gorka 3” model and is produced by the Russian company BARS. Oddly for a national army, the Russian federation often allows its interior army units to purchase their uniforms from any number of commercial suppliers, which can lead to squads sporting a bewildering array of different camouflage patterns with little standardisation. www.airsoft-action.online

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Warriors SPETSNAZ OPERATIVE – 2ND CHECHEN WAR 2006

little regard for body armour, its experience in Afghanistan would prove its worth and during both wars in Chechnya it was often seen on government forces, particularly those in armoured infantry roles.

To carry his spare ammunition, flares, radio and other useful equipment our operative sports a “Tarzan M21 Assault Vest”. These vests are again a commercial item made by the firm SPLAV and prove extremely popular with soldiers able to acquire them. The “Tarzan” series of vests come in a variety of styles but most allow the carriage of between two to eight Kalashnikov magazines, a bayonet, several hand grenades and also have concealed “map pockets” behind the ammunition pouches.

Lastly our “hunter” is armed with a modernised version of the venerable PK machine gun. Able to put down a withering rate of fire from its attached box mag, the PK would be essential in the group's planned ambush. Firing the “long” soviet 7.62mm round (a round shared with the SVD sniper rifle but a longer cartridge than the 7.62 used in the AK47 and AKM), the PK is effective up to 1,000 metres and able to provide “nuisance” fire at over twice this range – in a short range ambush its rate of fire of 600 rounds a minute would be devastating.

In this our second instalment of “Warriors” we’ve brought our Russian forces a little more up to date. The great news for airsofters is that all of the kit we have described is available cheaply and easily. Gorka suits cost as little as £50 (and tbh you’ll find them fantastic for airsoft, hill-walking or hiking and built to last). SPLAV vests are easily available but now fetching higher prices; but the good news is that you can get copies of these great load bearing vests for around £30. Russian para boots are also cheap and plentiful (this pair cost £25) and while not essential, the “body armour” was a mere £5 and filled with an old roll mat cut to size!

It’s clear from Facebook airsoft groups and even just keeping your eyes open on the skirmish field that modern Russian kit is gaining popularity with a lot of players. It’s relatively cheap and well built, throwing off the old reputation of “shoddy communist kit” and proving its worth both on the frontline and the game field.

Many units however have a “sponsor” and so will favour one manufacturer’s camouflage pattern or make of BDU but it is not uncommon to see MVD troops with mismatched clothing.

While the warm, windproof and showerproof Gorka suit protects our soldier from the elements, he also sports a woollen balaclava rolled up to form a soft cap and wool gloves. In both wars in Chechnya face covering bandannas or balaclavas were a common sight – and a security necessity to avoid reprisals by both sides. Finally, his uniform is finished off with sturdy paratrooper boots. This pair are a recent modification of a design dating back to the late 80s and issued to Soviet troops in Afghanistan, where the issue jackboot was found to be too hot and impractical. The lace up combat boot was mainly issued to paratrooper and Special Forces and this pair have been “upgraded” with a leather buckle cuff around the ankle – a feature not seen during Soviet times.

COMMERCIALLY MADE QUALITY KIT

Fighting equipment is typically minimal in true Russian style.

Over the Gorka suit, a Kora Kulon ballistic vest is worn (astute readers may notice that this Is actually a “look-alike” vest and originates from UK police surplus but looks very similar to the Russian model). While, traditionally, the Russian army held very

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NIGE TAKES US INSIDE ONE OF EUROPE’S LARGEST AIRSOFT DISTRIBUTORS, AS HE JOINS A GROUP OF UK JOURNALISTS INVITED TO UMAREX, IN GERMANY

FOCUS ON TARGET ANECDOTALLY, IT IS SAID THAT to get into Umarex you have to join the queue and be prepared for a long wait, such is the demand for the chance to peer into the workings of one of Europe’s most prolific shooting sports distributors. So you can imagine my surprise and delight when I received a phone call from Alan Phelps, the Managing Director of Armex and Umarex’s exclusive UK Distributor, offering me the chance to do just that!

Established in 1972 by Wulf-Heinz Pflaumer and Franz Wonish, Umarex quickly took on the strong entrepreneurial spirit of its founders as they set themselves challenging and ambitious goals. Today the company is managed by the second generation of managing partners, Eyck Pflaumer and Martin Wonish, along with their Managing Director, Olaf Beisheim and they have adopted the words of Franz Kafka as their mantra: “Leading the way with entrepreneurial courage.”

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It is no surprise then, to learn that Umarex have grown massively since the early seventies and now employs in excess of 850 people worldwide. Now part of the PW Group, they acquired the World famous manufacturer, Walther (yes, the same company that makes James Bond’s pistol) and have recently secured the contract to supply the Netherlands police force with Walther P99Q pistols.

Needless to say, Umarex manufacture almost the complete Walther range in airsoft - one of the very few real-steel manufacturers that actually make airsoft versions of their own firearms – and they also own the licences for a “Who’s Who” of other famous brands as well, most notably, Heckler & Koch.

Other brands include Beretta, Browning, IWI, Oberland Arms, Smith & Wesson, Colt and Ruger, to name just a few. But they don’t just make real and airsoft guns, they are also one of the largest manufacturers of high quality, precision air and CO2powered weapons and it was this that we had been invited to see.

As the two-day program had been described as “very busy”, we met at Luton Airport the day before and flew to Dortmund, where we were met by Umarex Export Director, Oliver Lux and his team and promptly whisked off to a restaurant for a meal that consisted of more meat than I would ever thought possible to consume at one sitting – but consume it we did (washed down, of course, by a couple of glasses of very fine Weissbier).

The Umarex facility (I call it that as it is the only way I can think of to give you an impression of how big it is) consists of two very large, inter-connected buildings that serve as office and production areas, plus a massive warehouse and distribution centre a few miles (sorry, kilometres) up the road.

Walking into the reception area is like walking into a shooter’s paradise, as racks and display cases full of guns form a wonderful display of the company’s products. Once signed in and suitably badged, the walk through to the main factory is, quite literally, a journey through Umarex’s history, right from

Inside Airsoft UMAREX

its earliest production right up to modern-day blank-firers and even .22LR.

THE FACTORY

That having been said, there is a certain fascination about knives that probably comes from the basic instinct we all have to defend ourselves and Walther produce a range that will fulfil just about every need you might have for a knife, from the beautifully styled “Rescue Knife”, right up to the MACTAC3 machete, with its 473mm long blade. They even produce one called the “Karambit Defense Knife”, which is based on a 1,000 year-old design from South East Asia and let’s just say that I would not want to meet anyone in a dark alley skilled in its modern-day usage when they are angry… unless I had a Walther XL7000 to hand!

This monster torch weighs in at just under a kilo, has a 2,200 lumen max output and a beam that reaches out to 325 metres, so if I couldn’t blind my knife-wielding assailant with it, than a sharp tap on the nut should do the trick! Only joking.

I’m not into having leaks in my cardio-vascular system so I would probably be disappearing round the nearest corner in a cloud of dust!

Seriously though, if you are looking for a decent torch, that is built to last and give you many years of service, then I really recommend that you take a look at the Walther range,

When you say the word “factory” it tends to conjure up images of (to the untrained eye) “organised chaos”, with people moving everywhere, machines banging away and everybody seemingly in a rush to get finished and move onto the next item.

Walking into the production area at Umarex was completely different. Yes, of course there was noise and machinery in use but it all seemed much calmer than I expected, almost serene. Everyone at Umarex has a specific task to accomplish and over the 40+ years that they have been in business, the manufacturing process has been refined to the point where everyone knows exactly what they have to do but, rather than have a single person build a complete gun, every item is constructed piece by piece. For example, one person might be responsible for cleaning the burrs off the castings, another to add the serial number, whilst a further operator checks the firing mechanism… and so on.

This level of attention to detail is everywhere, we even saw a gentleman “IT WAS WITH JUST A HINT OF TREPIDATION (AND THE DESIRE NOT TO whose sole job was to temper just a very small edge of a particular MAKE MYSELF LOOK A COMPLETE TWAT IN FRONT OF SEVEN OTHER component and, although he must “SHOOTING JOURNOS”) THAT I HEARD WE WERE TO SHOOT A .22 G36 have repeated the same operation FOLLOWED BY A POLICE-ISSUE 9MM P99Q.” hundreds of times a day, he did each one with the same amount of care and attention. especially as some include their (patent pending) “Beam I must say that I found the whole thing completely Adjustment System”, which ensures that the maximum amount fascinating and although I don’t speak German, it was plain to of light is available, regardless of the focus setting. see that everyone here felt the same – and that is probably why staff turnover at Umarex is almost non-existent.

We finished the factory tour with a trip to the Walther LGV IN CONCLUSION assembly area before being led down some flights of stairs to All in all, the trip to Umartex was, for me, a great success. It the underground range, for a little hands-on action. was brilliant to meet the people behind the scenes and have chance to see how everything works. The hospitality was OK, time to ‘fess up… Over the years I have shot loads superb and I can see both why Umarex have been so successful of rifles but I had never fired a real pistol. Sure, I’ve used just and why their people actually want to work for the company. about every other type but not one where the projectile is I would just like to express my thanks to all at Umarex fired from an explosive cartridge! So it was with just a hint of and to Alan Phelps for the invitation, all of which was hugely trepidation (and the desire not to make myself look a complete appreciated. twat in front of seven other “shooting journos”) that I heard If you want to know we were to shoot a .22 G36 followed by a police-issue 9mm more about all Umarex P99Q. products, visit their My first three shots with the .22 were a little low but once website: www.umarex.

I got my eye in, I brought the rest of the magazine into an com/en and to find your acceptable grouping, including a couple of two-in-ones. So far, local (UK) dealer, or get so good but now I was being handed the P99Q and it was time more information on to try and remember everything the Clarence Lai told me about becoming an Armex how to shoot a pistol. It was airsoft then but I figured the Retailer, contact Armex on principles must be the same… Get your grip and stance right…

0121 643 4900. bring it up onto target… squeeze, don’t grab the trigger… and… bang! The pistol bucked in my hand as it cycled to the next round and the recoil quickly dissipated. I had managed to control any flinching and found myself peering down the sights at a nice, neat hole not too far off centre of the target. This was fun and the rest of the magazine quickly followed the first round into a small group just right of centre. I could get to like this!

Back upstairs it was time for a very pleasant buffet-style lunch before settling down for a presentation of some of Umarex’s other product lines, namely torches and knives.

BULBS AND BLADES While most of you will automatically associate the name “Walther” with firearms, they also produce an extensive range of tactical torches and knives which I have to say are very, very impressive.

Before I go any further, I would just like to state that I do not condone the carrying of knives onto a skirmish field. Yes, certain types may have a place in MilSim but I see no need at all to carry a sharp-bladed implement into a “normal” game. www.airsoft-action.online

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GITAG ASPUK SNIPER UPGRADE PART II

ASPUK SNIPER UPGRADE PART II

LAST MONTH PAUL AND THE TEAM AT AIRSOFT SNIPER PARTS UK TOOK US THROUGH HOW TO GET THE BEST AND MOST CONSISTENT POWER FROM THE PROJECT TM VSR GSPEC. NOW WE HEAD BACK TO WRAP THE PROJECT UP! WE LEFT OFF LAST MONTH having completed all the “power” work on the project and the next step is to look at how we can upgrade accuracy from the rifle. Installing a new CNC aluminium Hop arm and 6.03 stainless steel tight bore barrel will resolve this. Firstly, to unscrew the outer barrel we need to unscrew two-barrel retaining screws which are located in the bottom of the upper receiver and the last screw in the scope rail. PIC 1 & 2

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Now unscrew the outer barrel from the upper receiver and set the upper receiver to one side. Remove the hop block by taking out the 2 retaining screws; this block is designed to hold the body to the outer barrel and also to hold the hop chamber and inner barrel in place. PIC 3 Remove the small screw that holds the hop lever to the hop unit. Once the hop block is removed the whole inner barrel and hop unit will slide out of the outer barrel. PIC 4 Once removed we need to strip the hop unit down for 3 reasons; the first is to remove the inner barrel and replace with a new shiny tight bore; second is to complete the air seal modification to the hop rubber; and three is to install the new hop lever. “What? No new hop rubber?” I hear you ask.

We will inspect the rubber but we like the original TM stock rubbers, although I hear Bodgeups mentioning a new Rubber so we will have to see what this one is like when he reveals his source.

So, next is to remove the three black Philips head screws from the hop adjuster slide bar, and then remove this side of the bar. PIC 5 Next remove the two silver coloured screws from

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the hop chamber. PIC 6 Next comes the tricky part. We want to install the new hop lever but we also want to eliminate any axis wobble and any lever wobble. We do this by shimming in two different places. Firstly, removing axis wobble. We find the easiest way to do this is by using normal AEG Gear shims.

Make sure there is no wobble but the arm is still free to move up and down. PIC 7 Secondly we want to eliminate any movement from the hop adjuster. We do this by using heat shrink on the plastic hop selector bar, it usually is fine with just one piece of 3mm heat shrink but you can layer up to the desired level; again you want to have a snug fit but without restriction of movement. PIC 8 & 9 Trim off any excess to complete. PIC 10 & 11 Moving over to the inner barrel we can keep the standard bucking or opt for an upgrade, and the same with the barrel spacer; the TM comes with a standard black plastic spacer glued to the barrel or you could make your own or buy upgrade replacements. Firstly, remove the hop rubber and barrel spacer from the original barrel; the spacer may need a tap with a small hammer just to free the glue. PIC 12 Now fit the barrel spacer and hop rubber to the new tight bore barrel.

Once this step is complete we like to wrap two or three wraps of PTFE tape around the end of the bucking and barrel to ensure a good air seal. PIC 13 & 14 So you are now ready to reverse the above steps and rebuild the hop unit. Install the barrel with the slot in the bucking at the top; this will align with the slot in the hop half of the hop unit when you screw it together. PICS 15, 16, 17, 18 Once the hop is built it is a good idea to look down the barrel and check the hop and bucking is operating correctly. PIC 19 Let’s now put it all back together. Slide the inner barrel in the outer. Align the screw holes and fit the hop adjustment

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lever and once this is fitted refit the hop block. PICS 20, 21, 22 Now tighten the barrel locating screws. PICS 23, 24 Re-fit the trigger guide and install the body. Be sure you slide the fin on the back of the trigger guide into the body first, before tightening the screws. PIC 25, 26 You should now have a working upgraded TM VSR ...last thing is to take it to the range and chronograph. Over 10 shots we ensure a fluctuation of 17fps; this is largely done with the new spring and new hop unit to achieve 485-502fps. Within a short space of time this will settle just below 500FPS on 0.20g BBs. PICS 27, 28 That’s it! So with the upgrade fully taken care of I had just a few more questions for Paul.

Airsoft Action: Paul, when I started speaking to other customers about custom builds your name came up several times in succession as the “go to” supplier; to what do you attribute your success?

ASPUK: “I think this is something maybe to ask the customers?

We are a family business and we are genuine, friendly and as helpful as possible with all of our customers. Our policy with all our customers is to buy with confidence.

“I think there has been a lot of work to try and make the installation of the parts work for most people we have worked hard to offer as much information as possible on the web site without scaring people away from giving it a go. We are now also putting into place a staff member dedicated to answer query’s and any technical help as well as our “We Will Fit It” programme, which offers every customer spending over £79.99 to have their parts fitted to their rifle free of charge.”

Airsoft Action: Where do you see ASPUK heading in the future?

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ASPUK: “Looking to the future we are looking into manufacturing some of our own designs right here in the “Steel City” of Sheffield. This will include a full VSR, AWS and MB-01 range to start with. We hope to expand the shop and the product lines we sell. In the last year we have spent a lot of time moving into AEG, Gas Blow Back and HPA systems.

We will be soon retailing and installing the new Wolverine bolt systems into VSRs and many more exciting projects on the horizon.”

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Airsoft Action: If someone is interested in having a custom rifle created what should their first point of contact be?

ASPUK: “All the information is on our web site www. airsoftsniperparts.com and we are contactable through the “Contact Us” section. You can also email Matthew directly at aspukenquires@outlook.com. We will take you through all the options and time scales.

Airsoft Action: Thanks so much for answering my questions, and I’m sure the readers will be amazed at the level of work that goes into creating a true “one off”! Thanks so much for creating the rifle and detailing the build for me, and it’s been a real pleasure to get to know you better.

I’m really pleased again that I chose, in this instance, to “Give It To A Geek”!

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debate HOW FAR WILL YOU TRAVEL?

HOW FAR WILL YOU TRAVEL TO PLAY? IS YOUR LOCAL WOODS FAR ENOUGH, OR ARE YOU PREPARED TO TRAVEL TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY TO PLAY? IN THIS ISSUE’S DEBATE, GADGE ASKS “HOW FAR WILL YOU TRAVEL?” THIS MONTH WE ASK IN our debate how far you’ll go for a good shootout? We all love our weekend’s fix of airsoft and most of us have a favourite site or two that we find ourselves being “regulars” at. Normally it’s the site within an hour’s travel of you and it’s great to be somewhere where everyone knows each other; you don’t get lost in the woods as you know the lie of the land and you’re familiar with the site rules. But, every once in a while it’s good to spread your wings and try and see if the grass (or rather the forest) is greener somewhere else. So this month we asked how much, or how long are you prepared to (or perhaps have to) travel to get your airsoft fix?

As expected, most of you were the sort of player with a local stomping ground but you were happy to go further afield for special events; perhaps a big MilSim weekender, or a unique themed event in a great location. Many of you would travel for large charity events, or events like the Ground Zero weekender but we also found that a few of you would go well out of your way for the right game.

For a small proportion of our readers travelling abroad was no problem in order to get their airsoft fix, although it seems that it is far easier to hire or borrow an AEG while overseas, than travel with one on your person, or in hold luggage.

Personally I’ve always loved the thrill of playing at a new site, discovering that super cool secret route behind the enemy lines, marvelling at the awesome scenery (crashed helicopter at Urban 6’s latest woodland site sound good to anyone?), or even just meeting other airsoft fanatics and striking up lifelong friendships; putting a ‘person’ to that Facebook profile you’ve been bantering with for weeks!

As part of the Airsoft Action team I’m lucky in that I get to visit fantastic sites all over the country to review them but even before I started in Airsoft Journalism my airsoft mates and I would regularly turn up as a group or team to national events.

Notable ones back in the day were those by groups like Stirling Services. For a whole weekend we’d meet up with 300 or more players and, to top it all off, we’d be playing on Ministry of

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ago yeah, sure, I could do all the kit prep, travel hours to a site, run around like a loon all day then drive back. Now I get tired taking the bins out.”

Bruce Ball: “Normally I’d only travel for 30 to 40 minutes. But for a particularly special site then perhaps up to 90 mins drive.

Not including the National Airsoft Event of course.”

Defence FIBUA training facilities. There is a certain something about tearing around a purpose built “urban warfare training village” in an ex-army armoured personnel carrier that you just don’t get at your usual Sunday skirmish. Great games aside though, some of my longest-standing airsoft mates were (on that day) total strangers hunkering down in a fortified house as we took cover from the “North Koreans”. It’s funny how a good game can form long lasting friendships but I think part of it was that the event was, for many of us, like an “airsoft holiday”. Travelling miles from home, camping out, having a few beers, cooking ration pack meals on gas stoves and swapping tall tales of airsoft daring-do!

Anyway, without further ado let’s see what you told us about your airsoft travel experiences…

Peter Bigpete: “I will travel in Europe if my mates are down for it. It’s the company I play with that makes it for me although, lately, further sites out of my natural catchment area are appealing to me now I’ve rinsed everything else.”

Barnes Kno Al: “To be honest, I barely get a game in that’d keep my UKARA active as it’s nigh on impossible to get the guys I play with together for a day. We’re lucky in Essex to have some great local sites so we never travel far. Ten years

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Andy Self: “Generally, I don’t mind travelling an hour or two, so long as it’s got rave reviews. I’m looking at playing Southcoast CQB later in the year, making a weekend of it if I have to. I’ve done probably 1 to 1 1/2 hours before now for a site, especially if it’s a weekender.”

Andy Stevens: “I regularly actually get to play in Spain with Stirling. Can just go over and get on with it which is nice.

Furthest away I’ve played? South Island of New Zealand!”

Steve LC: “I made an eight hour round trip to play at a west Midlands new site on its debut game day.”

Garry McColl: “Myself and a mate drove to the Gaol down in Leicester for a game with team mates from the area. I was coming from Glasgow, my mate however drove from Aberdeen to me first. Done the usual Copehill weekender a couple of times and the Sandpit down south but the Gaol in the Midlands is a cracking site, probably the best regular skirmish game day I have had! My mate and I are planning another trip down shortly and wanting to go to The Mall, where one of my other teammates plays.”

Matt Furey-King: “Bitch Please! I’m going to the Czech Republic. We’re doing this journey on Tuesday for a game. And my co-driver lives another 3 hours North of Aberdeen too!”

Dom Wetherell: “My team and I enjoy going to all sorts of places and if we plan in advance we would love to go all over

the country. We love CQB but there aren’t many CQB sites in Essex. Weekends away for Airsoft are high on our team’s wish list. We would definitely consider a trip abroad too.”

Billy Gumbrell: “I used to travel from North Germany which, on a good run, would be 12 - 15 hours each way.”

Graham Hoffman: “My local sites (4-5) are all 10 minutes to an hour but for MilSims or Hunteering events I’ll travel anywhere in the UK. I’ve still yet to do a Section8 game though, I did say I wanted to get there this year.”

Paul Fair: “If you’re coming to Scotland, in my opinion the best sites are The Fort, Fife and its sister CQB site The Fortress.”

Carl Cooke: “Where I live I have a woodland site about 10 minutes car drive away but I would say my local site is 40/45 minutes away. This is our normal travel distance as we have a good few local sites to play at, though if we don’t go local I think the drives look at about 90 minutes as a ball park travel time.”

Brendan Robb: “My first year I mostly stuck to the same site, getting back into the swing of things.

Now each year I try and get at least three or four “away” days in, trying other sites along with a couple of large weekend MilSim events and spend the other months at my normal site.

“Slowly crossing sites off my hit list but some are so good I have had to return more than once. I keep meaning to get down south to try a few sites, such as The Mall, or The Sandpit but it’s hard to justify the eight-hour return trip. I’m off to Manchester this weekend, one of the team mates is off home for the weekend so we are popping over and joining him for a game there.”

Timothy Davies: “Drove from Ramsgate to Otterburn last year for Combat Airsoft Group Op: Snakebite - about 850miles roundtrip and, to be fair, it was worth it!”

Scott Allan: “Played in Spain with the Stirling Airsoft guys a few times. Also played a little in Hong Kong which was cool too. For a weekend I’d rather not drive more than 4 or 5 hours, mainly for the return leg. Mostly local stuff at the moment though.”

Angelo Di Vito: “I’m not sure I can quite compete with Scott Allen there but myself and the rest of Team Rhino travel all over the country to games. In the beginning that was the whole point of the team, we didn’t want to be tied to one club/site.”

Kelly Louise Hardwick: “Derby to Edinburgh. Derby to Dorset.

500 to 600 mile round trips aren’t uncommon for me. I love to travel, it’s all about the experience.”

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41 CDO NORTH KOREA RAID:

USS PERCH BILLY WRITES ABOUT AN OPERATION IN NORTH KOREA THAT INVOLVED THE UNITED STATES NAVY, ROYAL MARINE COMMANDOS AND A SUBMARINE WITH A HANGER WELDED TO ITS HULL

DARING RAIDS ARE AN EXCITING, thrilling chapter in the history of any conflict where heroes are forged, medals are won and valiant comrades occasionally lay down their lives for their friends. It has been a real treat to research and write this series of articles for Ed but on this occasion I wanted to concentrate on a vehicle, rather than the raid itself.

Sure there is a raid of course, this isn’t Haynes Manuals after all and it is a raid in which great deeds were done and one brave Marine lost his life but the most interesting element to this tale I believe is the submarine that mounted the raid.

On the night of the 1st of October 1950 an American submarine emerged from the cold, unforgiving waters of the Pacific Ocean just 4 miles off the coast of North Korea. North Korea nowadays makes us think of a hermit kingdom clinging to the edge of the known and civilised world, that is run a by pint-sized dictator. A terrifying place of terrible brutality meted out by a savage regime and that has been run by the same family, the Kims, for as long as I can remember.

When you look at satellite photos of the country at night, the entire country is inky black, a most bizarre place that, thanks to the greed of countries like Russia, Iran and Pakistan (who flogged them the tech and the hardware) has somehow got hold of nuclear technology and now threatens the civilised world on a monthly basis.

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the Communists went up against the West, this time on the Korean peninsular.

So on that particular night of the 1st of October 1950, the deep dark water of the Pacific Ocean harboured a mysterious submarine of the US Navy - and it was hunting for Communist prey. The submarine was called USS Perch and it had had a bit of work done. In a spray of foam the periscope broke the surface, then came the conning tower and what normally happens next is the sleek body of the submarine glides onto the surface. But this submarine had a passenger - and we’re not talking about a few lucky barnacles.

On the back of USS Perch was a massive 16 foot x 32 foot cylindrical hanger, packed with boats and explosives, its refit began back in the US two years prior to its appearance off the North Korean coast. To take the fight to the communists on the Korean peninsular the US Navy had decided that it needed a covert method of delivering troops for an offshore raid. The Perch was taken into dry docks and the men with acetylene torches got to work.

Firstly the enormous torpedo tubes at the front of the boat were removed, in their place was erected an accommodation module for up to 110 heavily armed raiders, complete with all their personal kit which would have included their webbing, personal weapons and packs. The Ward Room, or Mess, where the submarine head shed ate and relaxed, was next turned into a fully stocked medical centre and surgery as a grim reminder that the passengers were on deadly business.

On the back of the Perch the designers bolted a huge 16 foot by 32 foot hanger which was to house heavier equipment for the raiders. On this occasion it was to contain 7 rubber boats and a significant amount of explosives for the operation.

Coming back to the 1st Oct 1950 and Perch had broken the surface of the Pacific. Four miles off her flank was the coast of North Korea, as the officers on watch scanned the coastline they could see not a single light or sign of life. It must have been an unusual scene and it’s rather creepy to think that it probably looks identical today… no sign of life, just a kingdom frozen in time while the rest of the world has cracked on.

Out of the portholes came the 67 Royal Marines of 41 Independent Commando, who had been waiting in the bow of the submarine for some days submerged beneath the waves. They swarmed over the deck unloading the boats and explosives, getting themselves and their kit ready. 41 Cdo were a specialist raiding unit and fell under the command of Col Douglas Drysdale.

Had one of the US submariners on watch looked down at the young bootnecks clambering all over their boat, they may well have been struck by how well-fed they all looked. Let’s not forget that this was soon after the end of WW2 and in the UK rations and food were still scarce, so how come they all looked so good?

Submariners, because of the arduous and unpleasant nature of what they do (remaining submerged for weeks and months at a time) are allowed certain leeway and extra perks not afforded to other branches of the forces, one of which is in the allowances for food. The young lads from 41 Cdo RM, who had been surviving on the normal food allowances, ate their fill. Apparently the commander of the sub had to write several letters to his boss asking for more money to feed them - and why not eh? A force marches on the contents of its stomach after all!

The Marines emerging into the cool night off the North Korean coast quickly snapped into their well-rehearsed drill.

They took a short time to ready the boats, prep the dems and weapons, a final set of QBOs to take into account any last minute equipment failure or change in circumstances and they were off.

The watching US sailors tracked them until they disappeared into the blackness and vanished. It was then that the sailors became nervous as they suddenly realised that there was not really much they could do to either support the Marines or even to protect themselves. To accommodate the 16x32 foot container one of their defensive weapons had been removed and also, they were the only life line available to the raiders. If a North Korean patrol boat happened along they would have been in trouble.

It was, in fact, to be the last time that the USS Perch was to take part in such a raid, although 41 Cdo would go on to conduct many more raids. The Marines made land fall on the coast 150 miles north of the main front line, their target was the main railway line providing supplies of men and material to the line to the south. As with many such raids throughout history, the objective was to create as much damage as possible and also to draw reinforcements away from the frontline to protect isolated and undefended points, weakening an enemy’s force and morale by having valuable fighting men idle doing nothing.

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Billy Basics FAMOUS RAIDS

On making landfall the Marines moved in land, a party were left on the beaches to conceal and protect the boats and be ready for a rapid extraction.

If they were surprised by the communists they would have to move very quickly indeed. 67 men fleeing by boats would be a very vulnerable target.

The main body pushed inland and located their target, it was point of the railway line where the track passed through a tunnel. If they had blown up a section of track then the enemy could have repaired it in a matter of hours, it would just be a case of getting the labourers and the repair crew on site and that would be that.

But malleting a crossing point such as a bridge (which would need rebuilding) or a tunnel (which would need excavating) as well as the track, well you’re looking at a lot of machinery, lots of men and a real drama for the commander who mustn’t allow it to be put out of action again.

4 miles out on the ocean the watchers on the submarine must have been wondering how long the Marines were going to be, the sky was lightening slightly and despite the cold wind I have no doubt that there would have been sweat on a few brows. Sound carries amazingly well over water and off in the distance could be heard a few feint cracks as small arms were engaged. Had the Marines been compromised or were the communists firing at shadows?

More shots followed, a short silence and then a massive flash on the horizon followed by an explosive shock wave that was felt on the conning tower.

This is how Tom Driberg, a journalist who accompanied 41, described the raid in the December 1950 issue of Globe & Laurel: “There was no moon, but the sea looked luminously grey in the starlight . . . Halfway to the shore, the P-boat (landing craft) stops and stands by. Because of the noise of its engine, it cannot go any nearer. The towrope is slipped. The Marines put down their weapons and take the paddles; the water laps gently in phosphorescent rings; the silence really is now almost

complete as we slide towards a dark range of hills that looks steeper and more menacingly inscrutable each moment. A tiny red light winks at us from the beach-it is an OK signal from an officer who has swum on ahead.

The Marines split up into various parties. A “powder train” carried explosives to a railway tunnel. Demolition experts laid the charges and set the fuses. Others guarded the beach and the boats and checked the buildings around the railway.

After that we “got the hell out of it” as the Yanks say. It was a terrific moment for all the chaps-many of whom had never been in anything like it, the real thing, before when, halfway back to the ship, we suddenly saw the sky torn by a vivid orange flash, and heard the tremendous roar as the tunnel went up in the air and knew that our mission had been successful.”

The tunnel, culvert and railway line were smashed to bits and the Marines were already on their toes back to the boats and back to the Perch and whole gut full of food.

One young Marine was wounded in the extraction and was buried at sea, he is remembered on the 41 Commando memorial at Bickleigh thus: “RM 8682 Peter Raymond Jones, son of Mrs Jones of Penarth, S. Wales. Killed in action during a coastal raid off North Korea 2 October 1950 aged 18. Buried at sea from USS Perch.“ The Perch welcomed its passengers back onboard and sank beneath the cold dark waves of the Pacific. n The word “Independent” in the title “41 Independent Commando” means that the Commanding Officer had sole responsibil\ty for the Commando on all matters operational and logistical, without the support of British Headquarters.

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BE SEEN TO BE SAFE! WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT SAFETY IS IN AIRSOFT AND HERE, ANDY NIGHTINGALE OF CALIBRE SHOOTING, TALKS ABOUT A CHEAP, SIMPLE WAY OF MAKING SURE YOUR GUN CAN BE SEEN TO BE SAFE STATISTICS TELL US THAT SHOOTING is one of the most safe sports or pastime that we, as civilians, can take part in and the same goes for our armed forces and LEO’s. This is due to the tight safety rules that we have to follow.

Those that know me will tell you that I am a big fan of safety and my biggest workload at Calibre Shooting is training others in safe gun handling. I know I keep banging on about it (pardon the pun) but safety really is the most important part of shooting. Not only to keep us safe from harm but others around us too. With the ever-increasing pressure we face on restricting or, God forbid, banning guns of all types, it’s also important that we, the shooting community, don’t give those in power any reason to pass laws on restriction and banning our sport. If someone wins an award for shooting no one hears about it but if anyone has an incident, then the whole world gets to hear about it. So we need to make everyone is aware

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of the responsibility we face and make sure that we make them aware we can - and do - follow all the safety rules and endeavour to prove that shooting is a safe and fun pastime that is here to stay.

The modern day safe handling precautions we use can be attributed to the likes of Col. Jeff Cooper, Rex Applegate and Sykes Fairbairn to name but a few. Others, like Max Joseph and Alan Brosnan contributed to safe control in tactical situations but when it comes to gun-related incidents you only have to read case studies by another gun guru, Massad Ayoob, to realise that a large amount of incidents amount to the shooter insisting that they “thought the gun was empty”. In the USA Massad Ayoob is often called as an expert witness in many court cases where gun-related incidents have caused life altering injuries (and even death) due to safety being overlooked.

Safety is the responsibility of the individual, however, there are times when safety needs to be managed by a third party.

The Range Officer (RO) can be found on most ranges and especially at competitions. We even have them at skirmish sites, these are known as your lovable site Marshals. ROs and Marshals make sure that all the safety precautions are followed to the letter and the range, or skirmish site, is a safe place for all.

As a qualified RO, the most pleasing thing for me is to conduct my RO’s duty on a range that is full of shooters that take safety seriously. I’m not saying that shooters are unsafe or stupid but untrained people can just walk into a gun shop and purchase a gun and think they can shoot with little or no regard to safety. I’m sure it’s not because they don’t care but more to the fact that they haven’t been taught the “do’s and don’t’s”.

While conducting my RO duties at my local firearms range, I insist on all shooters using a “Breach Safety Flag”. This is a small, flag-shaped piece of plastic that is inserted into the weapon’s breach to show that the gun has been unloaded and cleared. It not only shows the RO that the gun is safe but also everyone else on the range too - and it also shows that the shooter is a safe and responsible shooter.

Safety flags come in all shapes and sizes and are made in a bright colour (usually yellow). Others weapons, like the AR15

Calibre Shooting SKILLS SAFETY FLAGS

“WHEN IT COMES TO GUN-RELATED INCIDENTS YOU ONLY HAVE TO READ CASE STUDIES BY ANOTHER GUN GURU, MASSAD AYOOB, TO REALISE THAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF INCIDENTS AMOUNT TO THE SHOOTER INSISTING THAT THEY “THOUGHT THE GUN WAS EMPTY”.” can use a safety mag. This is a specially designed magazine that is inserted into the magazine well to prevent a live mag from being mistakenly inserted and also prevents the bolt from being sent forwards.

Is there a place in Airsoft for safety flags? I think so but it’s up to you if you want to go down the road of the safety flag, it’s not compulsory. Are they expensive? Well that’s a yes and a no. Yes they can be, as safety flags are only a small bit of plastic ranging from £2.00 to £6.00 and can easily be lost but then again, no, as it does ensure that some unsuspecting bugger is not inadvertently shot. As I have said, safety flags come in all sizes; the smaller pistol flags are fine but don’t tend to fit GBB Airsoft guns very well as they were designed for firearms.

I have no problem with the longer rifle safety flags (make sure that they are no bigger than .22 Calibre). These longer safety flags have a slight curve on the stem that grips the inside of the barrel keeping it secure. I’ve been using this type of safety flag for years now and have never had any problems with upsetting or damaging the hop. Once inserted into the breach, the flag protrudes outside of the weapon and serves as a visual indicator that the weapon is unloaded and clear. The safety flag, once in place, showers the chamber and barrel is clear and also prevents the weapon from being loaded and made ready.

Gas blowback Airsoft weapons benefit from this in terms of the commercially manufactured safety flag but these cannot be used in AEGs. The way around this problem, if you do want a visual indication that your weapon is safe, is to use a muzzle cap.

Muzzle caps prevent foreign bodies from entering the barrel

but can also prevent that troublesome BB that gets stuck in the breach from being fired. OK, I know what you are going to say… “Mag out, point in a safe direction and dry fire will solve that problem” and it will but if the worst should happen then the muzzle cap will prevent the gun from throwing plastic down range. To stop the cap from being shot off, drill a small hole in the end of the cap and add a length of elastic cord to it.

The other end of the cord can be fastened to your trigger guard with a small carabiner. Problem solved!

If you don’t want to spend your cash on a commercially manufactured safety flag you can make one by cutting a length of nylon cord, the sort you use for a garden whip mower or strimmer. Cut it long enough to protrude out of both the muzzle and breach. This will indicate the barrel is completely clear and also it will prevent the weapon from being made ready. You can even add a flag to one end by folding a sticky address label around it.

Safety is a must and it is our CALIBRE Shooting provide tactical responsibility to prove to others, training courses for the Security especially those that want to see our Industry and Air-Soft community. If beloved sport banned, that we are a you would like more information on community that is safe, responsible the courses we provide visit www. and passionate about what we calibreshooting.co.uk represent and do. Going that little further and using breach safety flags is just one little step towards keeping our sport safe from incidents and safe from those who want to see an end to shooting.

Stay safe and happy shooting.

www.airsoft-action.online

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AN ICON ON YOUR WRIST

IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN FUNCTIONAL BUT AS MILITARY HISTORIAN, WILL FOWLER, NOTES, THE HUMBLE G10 WATCH STRAP HAS BECOME SOMETHING OF A STYLE ICON AS FAR BACK AS THE First World War the British War Department had been issuing watches; both wrist and pocket.

Wrist watches were originally on leather or leather and fabric straps. In 1973 (30th November, to be exact) the Ministry of Defence issued Defence Standard 66-15, (Part 1) Issue 1 – Strap (Nylon), later revised on 30th March 2001 as Def Stan 66-47 for a Strap, Wrist Watch. Though the Def Stan name for the strap seems rather nondescript, its original specifications were exact; straps were nylon, made only in “Admiralty Grey” with a width of 20mm and with chrome-plated brass buckle and keepers.

What distinguished them any other nylon watch strap was a second, shorter piece of strap attached to the buckle. The extra nylon had a “keeper” at its end through which the main part of the strap passed through after it had been looped behind the watch. This created a pocket, limiting the distance the case could move. As long as the strap was passed through properly and snugly on the wrist, the case would stay exactly in place.

The bonus feature of a strap that passes behind the watch is that in the event a spring bar breaking, the case will still be secured by the other spring bar – however most MoD issue watches had a solid fixed bar.

The current version of the strap has been downsized to 18mm, to fit the 18mm lugs found on the Cabot Watch Company’s military issue watch and now has stainless steel hardware. In 1978, Phoenix took over production of MoD-spec G10 straps, and would be 92

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the “real deal” for those looking for it today.

The original G10 strap was longer than the current issue one and once it had been fed through the buckle and two keepers, was doubled back on itself through the keepers.

There has been some discussion about this but the explanation is not that the Def Stan specification was based on the idea that servicemen and women had uniquely large wrists but, rather, that the watch on this long strap could be worn outside clothing in for example, arctic conditions.

Nylon had numerous advantages. It was strong and rotproof – particularly when compared to leather. It could be scrubbed clean and was not expensive, plus the buckle and keeper design ensured a secure and snug fit on the wrist.

Back in the 1970s what the good folk at the MoD did not realise when they came up with these specifications, was that they had designed a horological icon.

The term “G10” was rather obscure for many people outside the military and so “NATO” came into use, sometimes combined as the G10/NATO watch strap, or simply NATO strap. But why G10? Well anyone who has stood like Oliver Twist at the counter in an Army Stores, looking hopefully at the Storeman, knows about Army Form G1098. For soldiers to get

Kit NATO/G10 WATCH STRAP

their hands on a watch, they had to fill out this form, also known simply as “G10”.

It is used to sign out kit on temporary loan, for example, for use on an exercise or deployment on operations. The soldier has one copy and the Storeman the other, both sign the copies. When the kit is returned to stores after use both forms are destroyed and the kit goes back on the shelves.

The G1098 form is often used for desirable items like prismatic compasses, binoculars and, of course, watches and they were deemed Ministry of Defence Accountable Controlled Stores or formerly “WOCS”: War Office Controlled Stores – and loss of a MODACs item would result in a Board of Enquiry!

So you were a lucky soldier if you had convinced the storeman that you needed a watch and could be seen sporting one of these functional brushed stainless steel watches on its distinctive grey nylon strap – you’d got yourself a G10 watch!

In time the term “G10” became used to describe issue watches (1098 items) – basic analogue military timepieces of a uniform format, a brushed steel body, a winder protected by “shoulders”, black face and luminosity of a required specification. Over the years there have been many manufacturers, notably: Buren, “THE NEXT TIME A SQUADDIE GLANCES AT THE TIME ON HIS SWEATY Ebel, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger Le Coultre WRIST, HE WILL BE AMUSED TO KNOW THAT THE SAME STRAP (JLC), Longines, Cortebert, Enicar, FHF, DESIGN ON HIS G10 WATCH IS USED ON THE £11,600 (APPROX) Limi, Moeris, Montillier, Reconvillier, Rotary, Unitas, Kurth, Thommen, IWC, Omega, CHANEL J12-G10 BLACK CERAMIC AND DIAMOND WRIST WATCH!” Record, Timor and Vertex. These were not “G10s” in the modern sense and are had the specifications drawn up, in the opening scene in the referred to either as ATPs (Army Type Pattern) or the WWWs. 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, Bond (Sean Connery) can Clearly some sort of standardisation was required and the more be seen wearing a Rolex Submariner over his diving suit. It has familiar mechanical G10s (known technically as W10s) started a nylon strap in Dark Navy Blue, Dark Olive and fine Burgundy to appear in the 1960s and ‘70s made by Smiths, CWC and stripes and, at 16mm, horological purists note that it is slightly Hamilton. The early 1980s saw the gradual replacement of the too narrow for the big watch. It may not have been a G10 manually wound mechanical W10s with quartz designs from watch strap but the idea of the coloured nylon strap as a stylish both CWC and Precista. accoutrement had been born.

Some “G10s” can be found with date windows but most For service men and women (and are just basic watches. The earlier ATP & WWW issues were particularly those in the Army), the either mechanical or some were self-winding automatics, today coolest combination was a G10 watch watches are battery powered quartz. The glass – or “crystal” – on a G10 strap, except instead of being can also depend on the contract and is generally acrylic. in the drab Admiralty grey, it was in Some years before the G10 strap was on issue, or had even regimental colours. I have seen Guards officers with top of the range wrist watches on distinctive scarlet and blue striped G10 watch straps. In fact these functional straps are regularly married up with watches that may cost a few tens of pounds, through to some that come in at telephone number prices.

The irony is that now these straps have become a fashion item with prices to match. So you can pick up a N.A.T.O. Style strap with a heavy buckle from Cousins in the U.K. for as little as £2.75, or £4.25 from ukwatchstrap and up to £16 from Phoenix. However, the next time a squaddie glances at the time on his sweaty wrist, he will be amused to know that the same strap design on his G10 watch is used on the £11,600 Chanel J12-G10 black ceramic and diamond wrist watch. In February 2015 Chanel launched its J12 watches “with a military-inspired NATO strap, upgraded to alligator skin and a luxurious dose of diamonds”.

The humble G10 had come full-circle, from a simple nylon strap to a style icon for the mega-rich! www.airsoft-action.online

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Book Review OSPREY

ISRAELI SOLDIER VERSUS SYRIAN SOLDIER GOLAN HEIGHTS 1967–73

GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY DELVES INTO A BOOK ABOUT A CONFLICT THAT, FOR SOME, IS AS REAL TODAY AS IT WAS NEARLY 50 YEARS AGO AS A STUDENT OF MILITARY history one thing that always amazes me is the sheer ferocity possessed by the Israeli Defence Forces (or IDF for short) and the mere fact that Israel even still exists! Given its precarious position, beset on all sides by hostile nations who would like nothing better than to see the Jewish state wiped off the face of the earth.

The history of Israel’s struggle in the 20th Century is a long and complicated one but fascinating all the same. Set up in the aftermath of WWII, the idea of a Jewish “homeland” was bitterly opposed by its neighbours but most violently by Syria, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians. Given the small size of Israel and its relatively tiny armed forces, the Israelis have traditionally had to invest their military resources in the “pre emptive attack”, destroying their enemies before they can even get close to them in lighting attacks and with little warning.

All of Israel’s struggles during the Arab-Israeli wars would be a massive undertaking for one book and, wisely, Osprey have opted to look into one of the most crucial and interesting battlegrounds of the ongoing conflict between Israel and perhaps its most belligerent neighbour, Syria.

As part of the “Combat” series, David Campbell looks into both sides of the Golan Heights conflict in equal measure; assessing both the strengths and weaknesses of high command elements right down to the training and equipment of the individual foot soldier on the ground. And in this case, the individual soldiers could not be more different.

The IDF, a largely “citizen soldier” force in which most young men and women serve, possesses respected officers who had come through the ranks and would as often address each other by first names than by rank. In contrast they would face off against the more numerous (but poorly trained and equipped) Syrians - Arab troops who had little faith in their officers and were commanded by officers with little respect for their men.

The Golan Heights themselves are a mountainous area of Syria and the Israelis have traditionally sought to dominate these hills to prevent the Syrian army even getting close to Israelis borders. Should the IDF allow their enemies to bring artillery into this region they could shell Israeli settlements with impunity.

Campbell’s study of the Golan Heights conflict focusses on three very different, yet very brutal military engagements between 1967 and 1973 that are both typical of the fighting in the area and also worthy of special mention. Firstly he looks at the build up to the battles as Israeli forces capitalised on their early lighting strikes against their opposition’s air forces, destroying them before they could even take off and ushered their heavily mechanised and armoured forces into the rough and treacherous mountains of the Golan Heights. Facing stiff Syrian opposition the Israelis ended up in savage, hand-to-hand fighting as they cleared the trenches and defensive positions protecting the heights. As is usual with Ospreys excellent ‘combat’ series, the campaign for the Tel Faher area of the

Golan Heights is well illustrated, with clear maps showing the movements of the various military formations, archive pictures of the combat soldiers themselves and a powerful artist’s impression of the final, brutal hand to hand fighting in the trenches in that summer of 1967.

Following on from the battle of Tel Faher, Campbell fast forwards to the winter of 1973 and captures a typical “engagement” around Outpost 107, as the Syrians throw in everything to dislodge the IDF. This time the IDF have to contend with a new type of Syrian army; well-funded and equipped by the Soviet Union and now with a functional air force to provide air support.

As with the battle for Tel Faher, many fantastic archive photographs are used as well as clear and easy to read maps; in this instance however a clever and unique “split screen” painting is used to show the reader how the battle would look from either side’s positions.

Lastly, the battle for Mount Hermon is covered in an equally detailed, yet easy to read style. Here massive formations of Soviet armour supplied to Syria faces of against a tenacious IDF in a cataclysmic battle.

For airsofters the Arab Israelis wars are something of a mystery to most. It’s tricky to find the kit to do a good impression of 70s IDF or Syrian infantry and I’ve yet to see an “Arab-Israeli” battle hosted but for most of us who are also fans of military history, this book is a real treat.

Whether you’re interested in the combat equipment of the fighting man (which again is beautifully illustrated in Ospreys classic “colour plate” style), or the “bigger picture” of the commander and their strategic goals, there is enough here to keep you gripped. Perhaps most interesting is the evolution in tactical doctrine and equipment that happens for both sides in the Golan conflict as the stakes are raised and the super powers sell, loan or even give the belligerents the machinery needed to prosecute a brutal religious and political war.

Price: £12.99 One thing for certain is that Israel’s ISBN: 978-1-4728-1330-5 struggle for survival is the “David and Osprey Publishing Goliath” story of the 20th century! www.airsoft-action.online

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HIDE AND SURVIVE!

SURVIVAL EXPERT, PAUL YELLAND, WRITES ABOUT A SKILL THAT IS ALL TOO OFTEN OVERLOOKED WHEN PLAYING AIRSOFT… CONCEALMENT

Applying camouflage cream to your skin can make a huge difference

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I AM ALWAYS AMAZED AT the diverseness of airsoft. There are Second World War re-enactments, Vietnam War themed games and even the good old zombie shoot ups, plus all of the other types in between. This choice for style of game play is vast and allows for individuals to act out their own areas of interest. I suppose that it is a form of escapism from everyday life. For a day, players can assume the role of a sniper, or Special Forces operator. Just for a day, you could be part of a four man team which is operating behind enemy lines, attempting to destroy some form of structure and disrupt enemy activity On a personal note, airsoft allows me to explore and practice survival skills. I have never served in the military, but I have had a long standing interest in military survival techniques and what it takes to evade an enemy. Although a world away from the encounters of the SAS patrol Bravo Two Zero, or the U.S pilot Dieter Dengler (who was shot down during the Vietnam War), finding myself on occasions, separated from the rest of my patrol, low on ammunition and behind enemy lines during a skirmish will put me as close to the real situation as I am ever going to experience.

Survival is an art form. Macho Rambo wannabes fail to grasp this, as survival is not about killing everything that lives and blowing everything up. Instead, surviving behind enemy lines is about level headedness and remaining calm – staying alert and one step ahead of the enemy. This is why the military spend a considerable amount of time providing survival and escape and evasion training to high risk troops and aircrew.

This training will prove to be invaluable if ever any of these personnel were to find themselves in a real life escape and evasion situation.

I can only imagine what it must be like to be running for your life, away from an aggressive force. The fear experienced by the evaders must be immense with the knowledge that capture will most certainly lead to torture and death. The psychological trauma resulting from this looming threat is hard to grasp but I can appreciate why the military try to create high stress situations whilst training UK troops in how to cope if ever they faced capture. Like I have already said, this is not the place for Rambo types – now this is a different kind of war where weapons are of little use and nature becomes your means to get out alive.

I once read that in a conflict zone, the life expectancy of an armed but poorly camouflaged soldier is less than an unarmed but well camouflaged one. After reading this statement, I gave it some thought and reflected back to one occasion during a skirmish when I became separated from the rest of my team after an enemy contact.

The skirmish had taken place in dense woodland. As good practice, I always apply camouflage cream to my hands, face and neck before skirmishing in a woodland environment, as well as attempting to break up the shape of my equipment with netting / foliage. Whilst trying to formulate a plan which would enable me to extract myself out of the bother that I had now found myself in, I sat down in amongst the brambles and small hazel shrubs which overlooked a track. I was having a drink from my water bottle when all of a sudden, there was

Survival CONCEALMENT

Blending in with nature. A sniper’s Ghillie Suit

movement on the footpath beneath me. I was probably no more than ten metres away from this footpath that now had three enemy team members slowly patrolling along it. At this point, I was not concealed, only sat down on the ground. I had my rifle to hand but if I opened fire, I might have managed to shoot some of the group - but not all of them. Also, I did not know if there were any more enemy behind this group of three. I chose not to open fire but instead remained frozen.

The slightest movement – even putting my water bottle down, would have attracted their attention. I was confident in my personal camouflage. This was now my invisible cloak – my weapon. As the enemy moved off, I got into the undergrowth and waited. After a while, there had been no further enemy movements, so I slowly moved off in an attempt to link up with the rest of my team, undetected.

Concealment is often overlooked by players and can be viewed by some as unnecessary. However, as my experience demonstrates, airsoft is not all about shooting; remaining hidden, especially when the enemy is close, can sometimes be the best course of action to take.

Good concealment relies on “The Six S’s” being observed.

These represent: • Shape • Shine • Sound • Shadow • Silhouette • Smell

Stay concealed within the shadows of the deep undergrowth

“SURVIVAL IS AN ART FORM. MACHO RAMBO WANNABES FAIL TO GRASP THIS, AS SURVIVAL IS NOT ABOUT KILLING EVERYTHING THAT LIVES AND BLOWING EVERYTHING UP. INSTEAD, SURVIVING BEHIND ENEMY LINES IS ABOUT LEVEL HEADEDNESS AND REMAINING CALM – STAYING ALERT AND ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE ENEMY.”

If carried out correctly, personal camouflage will help you to blend into the undergrowth around you. Your personal camouflage will help to break up the shape of your body. Make sure that no part of your body is silhouetted by getting yourself deep into the cover and use the shadow that it provides. Shadows will move so ensure that you remain within the darkest cover and that your own shadow is not being cast Hidden and dangerous. Can you spot him?

outside of the cover onto the ground. Cover any shiny surfaces (such as your watch face) just in case it reflects the sunlight.

Although well camouflaged, any movement that you make could still catch the eye of the enemy team, so remaining still is really important. Have confidence in your camouflage and stay switched on – keeping your eye on the enemy as they move past you. Note the direction of travel. Count how many troops there are within the group and their armaments. This could be valuable intelligence to pass to your own team if and when you make it back. Radio communications are extremely useful but the radio noise - even through a headset - could be loud enough to give your position away at very close quarters, so it might be wise to switch the radio off whilst this close to the opposing force. You might find that you are required to lay still for a considerable length of time. Try not to fidget as movement can create noise and this will risk giving you away.

Avoid smoking or cooking food because of the smell that will be created.

So, you may well get some funny looks from other players as you put on camouflage cream when getting ready in the safe zone before the start of a skirmish but I can guarantee that your (skirmish) life expectancy will improve dramatically over anyone else if you observe the rules of concealment and are ever caught in a tight situation like the one that I found myself in. www.airsoft-action.online

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HALO MILL

Taking you beyond 350fps!

Tel: 01484 840554

Sponsors of the AIRSOFT ACTION Site Directory

SYMBOL KEY

IS IT WOODLAND OR URBAN? CHECK THE KEY!

ATROOP AIRSOFT Clocaenog Forest, LL16 4SP Tel: 07967 394976 www.atroop.co.uk

ABER AIRSOFT – THE BUNKER Allt-lywd Wood Farm, outside Llanrhystud, nr. Aberystwyth, Wales.

Tel: 07511554740 www.aberairsoft.co.uk

ACE COMBAT

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

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

AIRSOFT ASYLUM

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

ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT Maidenhead, SL6 3SS Tel: 07871 314951 www.absolute-airsoft.co.uk

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

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES Holbrook Coppice, Buidwas Bank (A4169), Buildwas, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 Tel: 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES Tong Wood, Newport Road Wolverhampton TF11 8PN Tel: 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk

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August 2016

UKARA MEMBER

SHOP ONSITE

WOODLAND

PYROS ALLOWED

URBAN

BATTERY CHARGING

DESERT

REPAIR SERVICE

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH

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

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQB Studley, B80 7LY Tel: 07764 587410 www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk

AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8SL Tel: 01252 315225 www.ambushadventures.co.uk

AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON

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

ALL ARMS AIRSOFT Near Trawden, BB8 8SN Tel: 07909 683464 www.allarmsairsoft.co.uk

APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7QP Tel: 07872 348 576 www.apocalypseairsoft.com

ALPHA 55

Halkyn Wood, North Wales CH8 8DF Tel: 0845 257 6937 www.alpha55.co.uk

ARENA AIRSOFT

ALPHA ELITE GAMING

AWA HERTS

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

AIRSOFT KGB

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

AIRSOFT PLANTATION

Goatsmoore Lane, Billericay, CM4 9RS Tel: 07534 636289 / 07771 556395 www.theofficialairsoftplantation.co.uk theofficialairsoftplantation@gmail.com

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

AMAZON EVENTS

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

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

BADLANDS AIRSOFT

Rowlands Castle, Hamps PO9 6DP Tel: 07534 465589 www.badlandsairsoft.co.uk

SITE DIRECTORY

Email nige@airsoft-action.co.uk to add or change a site listing

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

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

BATTLETEC AIRSOFT

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

C3 TACTICAL

COMBAT AIRSOFT

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE COMPLEX

COMBAT SOUTH URBAN

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

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

BETTER BATTLES

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

BLACKDAGGER AIRSOFT

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

BLUESTREAK AIRSOFT

Westcott Venture Park, Westcott, Aylesbury, HP18 0XB Tel: 01296 658600 www.bluestreak-airsoft.co.uk

BORDERLINE AIRSOFT

51 Green Road, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim Northern Ireland, BT39 9PH Tel: 028 9303 7030 or 07729219341 www.borderlinecombat.com

BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT Leisure Lakes, Mere Brow, Southport. PR46JX Tel: 07790 715059 www.bravo22airsoft.com

BRISTOL AIRSOFT Bristol, BS1 2HQ Tel: 07776 288826 www.bristolairsoft.com

BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT Sheffield, S2 5TR Tel: 07795 631331 www.brittacairsoft.com

BUNKER 51

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

BUSH VALLEY AIRSOFT

Runham Woods, Lenham ME17 1NQ Tel: 07786 448608 Email: bushvalairsoft@gmail.com

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE OUTPOST (WOODLAND) HPC, York Road, Flaxby, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG5 0XJ Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

Just off the A11 outside Thetford Norfolk follow signs for Combat Paintball Tel: 07703 045849 www.combatairsoftgames.co.uk

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

COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND

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

Bolton Wood Quarry, Bolton Hall Road Bradford, West Yorkshire BD2 1BQ Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – RIVOCK EDGE Keighley, BD20 0LS Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – SHEFFIELD WOODLAND Sheffield, S6 6JE Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE WORKS (URBAN)

Off Badger Lane, Hipperholme, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX3 8PL Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

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

CLOSE ACTION AIRSOFT Corby, NN17 3BB Tel: 07740 165787 www.close-action.co.uk

COMBAT ACTION GAMES

Combat Street, Felthorpe, Norwich, Norfolk, NR10 4DR. Tel: 07748 023832 www.facebook.com/combatactiongames

DELTA TEAM 3

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

DOGS OF WAR

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

DRAGON’S LAIR CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT (DESERT)

DARKWATER SITE, Dering Wood, Church Lane, Shadoxhurst, Ashford.

TN26 1LZ facebook.com/darkwaterairsoftdarkwater

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

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

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT COOL UNDER FIRE

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

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT

Truro, Cornwall, TR2 Tel: 07863 240153 www.cornwallseliteairsoft.co.uk

COTSWOLD AIRSOFT Bourton Woods On the B4479, Blockley Near Bourton-on-the-hill www.cotswoldairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07724629140

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

DOG TAG AIRSOFT

Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4SE TEL 01293 852 314 www.holmbushpaintball.co.uk/airsoft

ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING

Worthing, BN13 Tel: 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com

ELITE BATTLEZONE

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

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT

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

EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 0AN Tel: 01380 728982 www.experienceairsoft.co.uk

DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT Ellough Lark Raceway, Benacre Road, Ellough, Norfolk Tel: 07455 906132

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

DARKWATER AIRSOFT LTD.

Mobile: 07947 558433 www.darkwaterairsoft.co.uk Email: darwaterairsofthythe@gmail.com DARKWATER AFTER DARK C.Q.B, (Battlezone Building), Britannia Lane, Kingsnorth, Ashford, TN23 3NA facebook.com/afterdarkcqb

FIFE WARGAMES

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

www.airsoft-action.online

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SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

FINMERE AIRSOFT Buckingham, MK18 4JT Tel: 07976 184897 www.finmereairsoft.com

FIREBALL SQUADRON Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA Tel: 07582 684533 www.fireballsquadron.com

FIRST & ONLY: ANZIO CAMP Leek, ST13 8 Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: BUNKER WOOD Kidderminster, Worcs, DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: KHE SANH WOODS

Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 2NA Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: MANCHESTER WOODLAND Bolton, BL7 9TS Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE

Middleton, Manchester, M24 1AZ Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY

GROUND ZERO WOODLAND Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 2DF www.groundzerowoodland.com

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

FRV AIRSOFT

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

FULL METAL AIRSOFT

Cilyrychen Quarry, Llandybie, Ammanford, Camarthenshire, SA18 3JG Tel: 01269 850404 www.fullmetalairsoft.co.uk

GASS AIRSOFT – PENN Penn Bottom, Bucks, HP10 Tel: 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk

GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON Piddington, Oxfordshire, OX25 1 Tel: 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

GREENZONE COMBAT

FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY

GUN HO AIRSOFT

Kidderminster, DY10 3PT Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY: THE OUTPOST Kidderminster, DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY: SLEEPY HOLLOW

Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 5LS Tel: 0161 727 8863

HILTON PARK AIRSOFT Wolverhampton, WV10 7HU Tel: 08000 354490 www.paintballuk.com

HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT Spanby, Lincs, NG34 0AT Tel: 07971 560249 facebook.com/HomelandTacticalAirsoft

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT

– CAMBRIDGE Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 Tel: 07854 277264 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS RAF Honiley/The Grange Frogmore Grange, Frog Lane, Balsall Common, West Mids CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532 384 info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk www.shop. suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk

LINDSEY AIRSOFT

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

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES

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

MAW

Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 Tel: 07793 404346 1midaw@gmail.com

MIA HUMBER AIRSOFT North Lincolnshire, DN21 www.humberairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07792 680297

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ASYLUM

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

FREE FIRE ZONE

Wrexham, Denbighshire, LL13 9RG Tel: 0161 727 8863

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 6QF Tel: 0161 727 8863

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – NORWICH

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

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT Gorebridge, Midlothian, EH23 4LG Tel: 0131 654 2452 www.airsoftedinburgh.co.uk

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

MIDWALES AIRSOFT

Abbey Cwm-hir, Midwales, LD1 6PG Tel: 07497 480243 www.facebook.com/Midwales-airsoft

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Wrightington, WN6 9PL Tel: 01942 514724 www.militaryoutdooradventure.co.uk

MILSIM UK

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

LAC SITE 1 Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH Tel: 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

LAC SITE 2 Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH Tel: 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

LAC SITE 3 Saxillby, LN1 2JW Tel: 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

LAC SITE 5 Kirton Rd, North Lincs, DN16 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

NCIS AIRSOFT

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

NOMAD AIRSOFT

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

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

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

NORTHFLEET CQB

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

www.airsoft-action.online

103

NSC AIRSOFT

RAVEN’S NEST

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

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

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

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

OBAN AIRSOFT – HILL ARGYLL Argyll and Bute, PA37 1 Tel: 07967 710185 www.argyllsurplus.com

RED1AIRSOFT Chislehurst, Bromley BR7 6SD Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT Tel: 07964 990831 www.op-tac.co.uk

OVER THE TOP AIRSOFT CLUB Anglesey, LL71 www.ottairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07731 744471

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

PHOENIX AIRSOFT Welbeck Airsoft, Academy, Budby Road, Notts NG20 9JX Tel: 07956 587213/01623 812483 www.phoenix-airsoft.co.uk

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

RED1AIRSOFT CQB Red1 CQB. Kings Langley, WD4 8RN Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3 Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ Tel: 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

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

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT Shotts, North Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB Tel: 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com

SG1 COMBAT GAMES PLAYERS OF WAR High Bonnybridge, FK1 3AD Tel: 07767 203979 www.playersofwar.co.uk

PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES Ballynahinch, BT24 8NF Tel: 02897565651 / 07825169631 www.predatorcombat.com

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August 2016

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

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

SKIRMISH EXETER Exeter, Devon, EX4 5 Tel: 01548 580025 www.airsoftexeter.co.uk

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT

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

TECH BRIGADE Newgate Street, Hertfordshire.

SG13 8NH Tel: 07841 713356 www.techbrigade.org

TASK FORCE SKIRMISH Cowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF71 Tel: 02920 593900 www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

THE BUNKER

Wareham, Dorset, BH20 7EU Tel: 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk

Aberystwyth www.aberairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07841 462806

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT– THE ROCK

THE DEPOT

Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EG Tel: 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk

STIRLING AIRSOFT

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

Glasgow, G45 9SB Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.thedepotglasgow.com

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

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

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

THE EX SITE Mold, CH7 4 Tel:07840 001975 www.theexsitewales.co.uk

SUSSEX AIRSOFT

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

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

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

TA EVENTS

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

TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT Reynoldston, Swansea SA3 1AS Tel: 01792 473336 www.tacticalwales.co.uk

THE WARGAMES CENTRE Lundholm Road, Stevenston, Ayrshire, KA20 3LN www.thewargamescentre.com wargamescentre@gmail.com

TORRENT WARFARE Co Tyrone, BT71 4DY Tel: 07922 377131 Facebook: search ‘Torrent Warfare’

TROJAN AIRSOFT Macclesfield, SK10 4SZ Tel: 07428 024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9PL Tel: 020 8665 1299 www.tacticalwarfare.co.uk

Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP Tel: 07428 024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

UCAP AIRSOFT Portsmouth, Hants, PO17 6AR Tel: 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

UCAP GREEN OPS Linch, West Sussex, GU30 7 Tel: 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

UCAP SANDPIT Bean, Kent, DA2 8 Tel: 07590 818881 / www.ucap.co.uk

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY Tel: 01268 796130 www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13 Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0QN Tel: 07432 291729 www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN6AIRSOFT – THE BLOCK Wood Street, Burton-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 3AB www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN ASSAULT

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

VIKING AIRSOFT

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

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

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

XSITE AIRSOFT – LANE END High Wycombe, HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430

PRACTICAL PISTOL DIRECTORY AIPSC

The Grange, Frog Lane, Balsall Common, West Midlands, CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532384 / www.aipsc.co.uk Facebook: A.I.P.S.C info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk Every Monday night 7pm– 9pm (except bank holidays). £5 or £10 with pistol and shooting rig hire. UKPSA-qualified coaches. UKPSA-qualified Range Officers.

DOUBLE TAP PSC

StrikeForce CQB, Morelands Trading Estate, Bristol Road, Gloucester GL1 5RZ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Double-Tap-Practical-Shooting-Club979585958732937/?ref=hl Email: doubletappsc@gmail.com

EBSC

MOD approved gun club PP, IDPA, IPAS, IPSC, 2GUN www.ebsc.co.uk ebpracticalpistol@gmail.com 07752 713 970

HALO MILL

The Penthouse, Colne Valley Business Park, Manchester Road, Linthwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5QG Tel: 01484 840554 www.halomill.com

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB

NORTHERN PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB (NPPC)

XSITE PRACTICAL SHOOTING

Tanner Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 1NA Tel: 07816 992417 www.northernpracticalpistol.co.uk 4 indoor ranges

Watford WatfordPPC@gmail.com

Fryers Farm Lane, High Wycombe, Bucks HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430

www.airsoft-action.online

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DEALER LISTINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEX

Land Warrior Airsoft Inside Front Cover + 3 Airsoft Zone 7 + Inside Back Cover JD Airsoft 9 + 24 + 102 NUPROL 15 ActionSportGames 19 Helikon Tex 30 Fire Support 32 + 33 BombUp Airsoft 38 iWholesales 42 + 40 Urban Airsoft Megastore 46 Platoon Stores 52 Heritage Airsoft 52 ProPell 58 Viper Tactical 62+67 Pro Airsoft Supplies 70 A2 Supplies 74 Gunman Airsoft 78 Dragon Valley Airsoft 82 Military Outdoor 82 Tactical Airsoft Shop 82 BadgerTac 88 Crawley Surplus Store 94 Silvermans 94 2017 IPSC Action Air World Shoot 98 Airsoft Surgeon European Championship 99 Military 1st Outside Back Cover

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