Issue 62 - June 2016

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MAGAZINE!

AIRSOFT ACTION

ARMOURY KRYTAC LVOA ICS SIG 552 B TM MWS M4 GB WE XDM IPSC G&G RK104

EVENTSAGLE FURY

OPERATION E T KICKER OPERATION CRYP FALKLANDS BATTLE FOR THE LLENGE UNIVERSITY CHA

KIT

VIPER TITANIUM IWA 2016 TAC KIT GEARSKIN

SAFE ZONES

TECH TALK

GEARING UP

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ARMOURY: WAR SPORT LVOA

MAGAZINE!

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ARMOURY KRYTAC LVOA ICS SIG 552 TM MWS M4 GBB WE XDM IPSC G&G RK104

12 20 ARMOURY: MWS M4 GBB

EVENTS E FURY

OPERATION EAGL T KICKER OPERATION CRYP FALKLANDS BATTLE FOR THE LENGE UNIVERSITY CHAL

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Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant editor: Gareth “Gadge” Harvey Graphic design: Havoc Design Ad design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter Cover Image: Land Warrior Airsoft UK 13-issue subscription rate: £46.50 UK 6-issue subscription rate: £24.00 For overseas prices email: subs@airsoft-action.co.uk

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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TURE: A E F W E N

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ONLINE… OFFLINE! GITAG: GEARSKIN

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CONTENTS MARCH JUNE 2016 2014

CONTENTS JUNE 2016

6 NEWS What’s happening in the World of Airsoft

airsofters and target shooters alike, Jerry Noone takes a close look at the “IPSC” ready XDM from WE Airsoft Europe.

10 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos taken by Airsoft Action readers.

58 SITE: RAID AIRSOFT Gadge takes time out from debates and Cold War Warriors, to visit up-and-coming Midlands airsoft site “Raid Airsoft”.

11 THE ADVENTURES OF MAG Mag continues his adventures in Airsoft Action’s exclusive cartoon.

12 ARMOURY: KRYTAC WAR SPORT LVOA Scott Allan has been waiting since SHOT Show 2015 to get his hands on this new AEG from Krytac but is it everything he hoped it would be? Over to Scott…

63 LUL: FULL METAL JACKET If you’re intending to get involved in skirmishes and operations in an urban setting then you’re going to need to look at your camouflage and concealment in a very different way. Jerry Noone takes a look at the new range of Titanium Grey kit from VIPER that will help you to blend in effectively.

16 ARMOURY: ICS SG552 MRS Tired of the generic M4, MP5 or AK? Jerry Noone takes a look at something a little different from I Chi Shivan, in the form of the SG 552 MRS.

68 ARMOURY: G&G RK104 Comrade fetch Yuri and Boris! Something weird and wonderful has come from G&G. It’s like our beloved AK but seems all modern and useful! Over to Comrade Scottski Allanalanov…

20 ARMOURY: TOKYO MARUI MWS M4 GBB Overshadowed by the recent release of the AA12, Angelo DV takes a look at another TM rifle that caught his attention nonetheless.

72 COLD WAR WARRIOR: END OF AN ERA Gadge has been writing his CWW column for nearly five years and now he feels it’s time for a change, as he explains here…

24 EVENT: OPERATION EAGLE FURY Friday 8th April 2016 saw teams FROM the UK and the Netherlands heading to the STANTA training area in Norfolk for a Combat Airsoft Group Op that was destined to change MilSim airsoft. Veteran ‘softer, Bill Pryce-Thomas, was there to cover it for Airsoft Action!

29 INSIDE AIRSOFT: VALKEN AIRSOFT Valken is not a name many airsofters are familiar with but they are huge in the world of paintball. “Iggy” Roberts tried out a small range of their products to find out what they are like.

34 INSIDE AIRSOFT: BOMB UP AIRSOFT Les Lee continues his journey round the UK’s airsoft retailers with a look at a fairly new but rapidly growing company based in Runcorn.

38 INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT: RUSSIA Airsoft Action’s Russian correspondents, Marty and Marta, report from a game in the Urals where Britain and her allies face a combined force of Argentinian and Spanish opponents.

41 EVENT: UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE No, not the well-known TV show but University Airsoft Teams battling it out in a real challenge. Iggy Roberts reports…

42 SITE: 1066 AIRSOFT AA’s intrepid International Reporter, Les Lee, takes a trip just down the coast to visit site very close to that of a certain wellknown historical battle.

46 EVENT: OPERATION CRYPT KICKER Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick headed off to a MilSim at Sennybridge and found that airsoft wasn’t the only battle she had to fight.

52 NEW FEATURE: ONLINE… OFFLINE! Gareth “Gadge” Harvey kicks off a new column called “Taking your ONLINE… OFFLINE” with a look at a loadout from one of the most popular current games… Tom Clancy’s “The Division”.

56 ARMOURY: WEAE XDM IPSC A recently released handgun replica that will appeal to

75 KIT: IWA TACTICAL GEAR Always in search of the latest tactical gear, this month Jerry Noone reports back from IWA 2016 on the very best developments seen in Hall 9!

78 TECH TALK: GEARING UP In the second part of his new column, Frenchie delves deeper into the inner workings of your AEG. 83 AA DEBATE: SAFE ZONES We all think of them as somewhere we can remove our eyepro in safety but, following a recent serious injury, in this issue’s debate Gadge asks “How safe are our safe zones?”

86 GITAG: GEARSKIN Need a solution to make a single set of kit work in any environment? Jerry Noone finds an effective and safe new camouflage product that lets you do this over and over again!

90 FAMOUS RAIDS: OPERATION NEPTUNE SPEAR Probably one of the most famous and widely-publicised events in recent military history, Billy writes about the raid to capture or kill Geronimo.

94 SKILLS: CONCEALED CARRY PART 2 Andy Nightingale from Calibre Shooting continues his short series on how to carry a concealed weapon.

96 WW1: WAR IN THE AIR Author Dan Mills met up with Johnathon and Catherine Davies in Libanus, Brecon and information was passed on that one Tom Rees from Sennybridge, Brecon, was killed in the first aircraft the Red Baron was credited with shooting down.

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!

106 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 F AIRSO

ASG EVO Hi-Cap Magazine Released!

IT HAS BEEN EXPECTED FOR a while and now ASG have released the muchanticipated 375-round, Hi-Cap magazine for their awesome EVO Scorpion.

First seen by Airsoft Action last year when we visited ASG in Denmark, the EVO Hi-Cap is a perfect example of a company listening to their users and reacting to what they are being told. ASG were told that the EVO needed a HiCap magazine and here it is!

At the time of writing, pricing was still to be finalised but by now they should now be readily available from your local ASG Stockist.

ASG have also recently announced that two of their most popular rifles will be available in “Blu-Tone”, the CZ EVO 3 and AW .308 Sniper Rifle, from Accuracy International.

These are identical to the black versions, except that the predominant colour is blue, so providing you are over 18 you can purchase these without the need for a defence, such as UKARA membership.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! During the 1960s space race, NASA hit a problem.

Astronauts couldn’t write in space, because ordinary pens wouldn’t work in zero gravity.

So NASA went to work on the problem. Months later, after $1.5 million of research, they finally had a state-of-the-art pen that: • Worked in zero gravity • Performed in vacuum • Could cope with a drastic temperature range Of course, the Russian cosmonauts had the same problem, so they just used a pencil!

Like that pencil missed by NASA, our job here at BCB International Ltd is to produce camouflage face paint to help keep troops concealed from the enemy.

Erratum

Operationally Proven Since the Falklands War, we have been manufacturing camouflage creams for many NATO Forces worldwide to suit their operational needs.

Available in different colours and formats (compacts, sticks and now squeezable tubes) our camouflage face paints are not like concealers you can snap up in your local store.

Made here in the UK, these military grade products use a secret recipe and mix of ingredients which make them Infrared Reflective, non-irritant, sweat resistant and provide a high sun protection factor.

In Issue 60 of the magazine, we printed a News item about “Project Tank” and the efforts to raise funds for Simon Jameson’s new wheelchair, however, we neglected to include a credit for the image that was supplied, which was taken by Josephine Bryant.

Take a closer look!

For a closer look at our range of camouflage products and for further information, head over to: www.bcbin.com or www.uas.wales

New UK-based tactical kit manufacturer coming to Airsoft SMS SURPLUS AND TACTICAL CLOTHING are pleased to announce that they are now stocking UKOM Military products.

UKOM are a British company, committed to supporting our Military, Emergency Services and Out-door Enthusiasts by providing the highest quality durable UK made equipment.

At UKOM every item is 100% UK manufactured to military specifications using the best materials in world, including official Crye fabrics, Austrialpin buckles, ITW Nexus fasteners. UKOM refuses to compromise quality or performance for any reason, and all

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June 2016

of their products are backed by a 100% product lifetime warranty.

Mike of SMS says “When I first met David from UKOM I was immediately impressed with his pas-sion and commitment to the performance and quality of his product. I could see that this was something that we at SMS would be proud to stock and promote to the Airsoft community. All of UKOM’S products are designed and manufactured for operational use, so I am confident that they will easily meet the demands of airsoft, all backed up by

a lifetime warranty.

“We will be stocking the fantastic UKOM chest rigs, MOLLE and PLCE pouches, sniper bean bags that are all available in a range of camouflage patterns. Plus UKOM amazing range of tactical belts”.

SMS Surplus and Tactical Clothing can be visited at: 293 Eastwood Road North, Leigh on Sea, Essex, SS9 4LT Phone 01702 826776 Email info@smsurplusclothing.co.uk www.smsurplusclothing.co.uk

AIRSOFT NEWS SPEED Airsoft releases T-Slot Accessories for M-LOK handguards SPEED Airsoft releases T-Slot Accessories that are fully compatible with M-LOK handguards. The new SPEED T-Slot Accessories utilize the proven T-Slot nut system that is being used in the CNC machining industry. The SPEED T-Slot nuts are non-rotating and thus have greater holding power, as they can be torque down for zero movement.

The use of the new SPEED T-Slot Flashlight Accessory allow a tactical flashlight to be positioned up tight against the top corner of the M-LOK rail, allowing fast access to the flashlightís on/off button for quick action during intense CQB games. Two different versions are available for the two different styles of grips: those who grip close to the magazine area (standard mount), and those who grip the handguard almost to the end towards the barrel (extended mount). These mounts also come in three different diameters to

support the industry sized tactical flashlights: 0.83î, 1.00î and 1.03î.

The new SPEED T-Slot Tactical Action Camcorder Mounts for cylinder action camcorders will direct-mount with no adapters to the popular line of cylindrical action camcorders with 24mm or 30mm diameter.

The new SPEED T-Slot Foregrips and Front Handguard Stops will direct-mount with no adapters to any M-LOK based handguard system.

SPEED Airsoft products are all in-house CNC precision machined from USA grade billet aluminum by SPEED Airsoft in Canada.

All SPEED Airsoft products are available through your favourite airsoft dealers worldwide.

For more info, visit their website at www.SpeedAirsoft.com or contact them at SpeedAirsoft@ymail.com

Firearms Guide is ONLINE searchable database!

IMPRESSUM MEDIA INC., PUBLISHERS OF the popular Firearms Guide digital gun guide series, has just launched their ONLINE subscription searchable database.

Firearms Guide (FirearmsGuide.com) is the first fully researchable global database of firearms, air guns and ammunition created for industry professionals and enthusiasts. It enables deep, complex searches of antique and modern guns and side by side comparisons of search results. Guns are cross-referenced with the ammo database.

Firearms Guide enables gun industry professionals to perform deep and complex research by combining up to 14 key search criteria (caliber, country, year, action type, stock type, etc), or they can research guns made by a specific manufacturer by simply selecting the manufacturer.

BETTER THAN GOOGLE: For example, if you type in Google “polymer frame pistol in 9mm” your search result is 482,000 web pages. The same search in FirearmsGuide.com will result in 300 pistols.

Guns and ammo are presented with techspecifications, features, ballistic and up to 12 high-resolution zoom able color pictures (up to 4000 x 1240) per model. Gun values (based off of the 100% – 30% condition ratings) of 8

June 2016

antique guns and prices of new guns are provided for professionals in the gun trade as well as over 5,500 of zoom able and printable gun schematics and parts lists for professional gunsmiths worldwide.

With constant updates FirearmsGuide.com is growing every day, covering new guns, more antique guns and constantly updating antique gun values and prices of new guns.

FirearmsGuide.com presents over 61,000 antique and modern firearms, airguns and ammunition from 902 manufacturers worldwide. Gun manufacturers from 50 countries!

FirearmsGuide.com contains over 5,500 printable and zoom able gun schematics with parts lists for all types of antique and modern guns.

Gunsmiths can zoom them or print them from any computer or tablet anytime, anywhere.

Easy to use. Simply login from any computer or tablet anywhere anytime and immediately start researching world of guns and ammo, compare your search result, find value of your antique guns before you buy or sell and print gun schematics that you need or... just have fun!

1. Firearms Guide ONLINE - research able

global ONLINE database of guns and ammo: https://youtu.be/_5pifeT4wH4 2. FirearmsGuide.com - ONLINE Gun Schematics Library with over 5,500 PRINTABLE gun schematics: https://youtu.be/gPpmxlnPY0Y 3. FirearmsGuide.com - One click search, Side-by-side comparison of guns and other features: https://youtu.be/NiwJcxSFLmY

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

SPONSORED BY

ROGUE’S GALLERY keforce CQB Den Chapman at Stri custom Tippmann (Gloucester) using a . Photo by Snook

by Incentive Designs y Snaps, courtesy And

Ed Crooks “pie-ing the corner” at Ground Zero.

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.

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June 2016

This page: Land Warrior Airsoft

THE ADVENTURES OF MAG

CARTOON

www.airsoft-action.online

11

WAR SPORT LVOA SCOTT ALLAN HAS BEEN WAITING SINCE SHOT SHOW 2015 TO GET HIS HANDS ON THIS NEW AEG FROM KRYTAC BUT IS IT EVERYTHING HE HOPED IT WOULD BE? OVER TO SCOTT…

WELL HELLO MR LVOA, I have been expecting you! The Low Visibility Operation/Application rifle manufactured by War Sport is said to be for the modern war fighter, so let’s have a look shall we?

When Krytac told me they were releasing a War Sport LVOA-C at Shot Show 2015 I was pretty excited, all they had to do was replicate the same system they had in the existing Krytac range. So all I had to do was be patient and wait for them to arrive on our shores at the end of 2015, easy right?

You would think so…

SO WHO OR WHAT IS KRYTAC?

Kraken Tactical, or Krytac, are a branch of Kriss Arms, the very same who make the innovative real steel 45ACP and 9mm Kriss Vector, as seen in such movies as Total Recall (the remake) and games such as The Division. Well these guys now have their very own Airsoft factory in Taiwan and that means complete production control.

You remember the GBB Airsoft Kriss Vector I’m sure, it is still knocking around. It was built in collaboration between

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Kriss Arms and KWA. Kriss decided to buy KWA and then there was some kind of colossal fallout that involved handbags and lawyers. No firm details were ever released about what exactly happened and very little has ever been heard publically, even in gossip. Anyhow, Kriss decided to avoid any future issues working with a manufacturer and decided they would just become the manufacturer. Kriss headed to Taiwan to set up their very own plant to manufacture Airsoft products and Krytac was born. After a small-scale launch in the US they set up in the UK and the initial four models have been solid performers and popular with customers. Then came the LMG we reviewed the end of last year and now it is time for the one I’ve really been waiting for.

THE WAR SPORT LVOA

War Sport is a firearms manufacturer in the US. They had some high profile PR when the Lord and saviour himself, Chris Costa, started using one - C Clamps and praise be! War Sport is based in Robbins, North Carolina, on a 20,000 square foot facility and now employ over 20 people. Their core values are that of quality and honesty with everything driven toward bringing a high end product to the market place, not volume of product.

Most Airsoft manufacturers have replicated the “look” of the LVOA already but everyone who is anyone was quietly waiting for the real deal replica to arrive.

And now the wait is over… finally!

After being told December 2015, then January 2016 it was finally March 2016 when I saw the LVOA. Such is life in Airsoft it seems.

Externally this rifle is hard to beat, as you would expect from any quality manufacturer. The Krytac black rifles have, in my opinion, the best finish of any rifle available at the moment.

The LVOA ships in Wolf Grey or Foliage Green, although the real version is Black, Flat Dark Earth, Foliage Green or Wolf Grey, so some colours are missing in the Krytac line. Oddly I would have to say the Wolf Grey finish isn’t as nice as the standard Krytac black for me. Starting from tip to tail the finish is nice but not as flat as the black.

The barrel is a standard 14.5” carbine length combined with the flash hider, which brings it up to the 16” mark, so it’s not exactly compact. The full metal free-floating rail end is quite possibly the most unique looking on an AEG based on an M4 platform (if you exclude all the style copies by Airsoft

armoury KRYTAC WAR SPORT LVOA

companies). The flash hider sporting the words “War Sport” on the front is removable and exposes a 14mm CCW thread, the most common type for replacement flash hiders and or suppressors. Personally I can’t think why you would want to change it though. The receiver is an aluminium alloy, stamped with the War Sport LVOA logos as per the real version and they do look very clean and clear. The fire selector is ambidextrous and slightly shorter on the right side as to avoid it catching on your hands or gloves, its function is very clear and positive on both sides.

The Krytac stock is a six position adjustable and will accept either “nunchuck” style batteries or stock tube LiPo batteries.

There is also a rear sling point located at the rear of the receiver that allows for a left or right mounting. Previously I found the Krytac pistol grip quite bland and out of date but the LVOA sports their new styled grip and it is a vast improvement at every level.

The externals of the LVOA C do not leave much to be desired in the looks department. The 16” rail really is eye catching and at the price with all the licensing in place, it is quite good value overall. When you start to look at the internals, getting into the guts can really make or break a rifle.

The Krytac system is really second to none and while there are some slight issues with the UK batches double-tapping on the 11.1v LiPo battery, this was quickly sorted by switching to the slightly less exciting 7.4v LiPo. It is a niggle but not a desperately concerning one.

The gearbox Krytac have chosen is their very own redesign of the Marui V2, called the “Nautilus V2 Gearbox”. That is a cool name and in keeping with the Kraken/marine theme, although the word from the original Latin means “sailor” – perhaps they meant Captain Nemo’s ship maybe? The gearbox is the heart of a rifle and the Krytac Nautilus is now a tried and tested reliable gearbox.

The Nautilus V2 is a reinforced 8mm ball bearing gearbox that boasts an integrated MOSFET inside the case to regulate power and to protect the trigger contacts. The corners of the gearbox that surround the cylinder feature a smooth radius,

“THE PROSPECT OF PLAYING A WHOLE EVENT WITH AN ‘OUT OF THE BOX’ RIFLE FITTED WITH A 7.4V BATTERY WAS LIKE TAKING ROSSI OFF HIS MOTO GP BIKE AND GIVING HIM A PUSH BIKE! SURPRISINGLY THOUGH, THE RANGE AND RESPONSES FROM THE LVOA WERE BRILLIANT.”

www.airsoft-action.online

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armoury KRYTAC WAR SPORT LVOA

ON THE GAME SITE

Luckily I got the chance to run this out with a load of players at a Viper Tactical Titanium launch event, so having a matching rifle with my gear made me look like I knew what I was doing – but of course I still wander aimlessly most of the time.

Generally speaking, most of my rifles are tricked up with ASCUs, 11.1v LiPos, 13:1 gears, shortened trigger pulls and running around 360 fps with hop modifications. The prospect of playing a whole event with an “out of the box” rifle fitted with a 7.4v battery was like taking Rossi off his Moto GP bike and giving him a push bike! Surprisingly though, the range and responses from the LVOA were brilliant. Running it mostly on single shot and mid-caps I found my targets with relative ease out to that extreme range for Airsoft, at around 50 metres.

Given the site limit was 370 fps for AEGs, running 50fps lower I had no major issues at all. The Krytac hop system really is one of the best on the market today. I found the lower battery power a bigger niggle than anything else. Sometimes needing a full auto burst to catch someone through the brush was trickier with the slightly lower rate of fire. The weight doesn’t look so high on paper but in reality the LVOA is quite front heavy so you may wish to consider a front grip of some sort. I didn’t use one and I wish I had. as opposed to a 90° angle, to prevent fracture of the casing.

There are many clever things, such as the gearbox shell features a small window on the left side where lubrication can be applied directly to the gears or piston and this window is also convenient for inspecting the angle of engagement with the gearbox fully assembled. Additional gearbox features include a quick-change spring guide system that will allow the spring to be changed without completely disassembling the gearbox.

Again this isn’t anything very new but it is helpful for long term usage of the system.

The KRYTAC piston is made of a durable, lightweight polymer and features 4 metal teeth, with the 2nd to last tooth absent. The Cylinder head is padded with a rubber bumper to optimize the angle of engagement and to absorb energy from the impact of the piston assembly. The material for the gears have been especially formulated to be very strong, it is reported

by Krytac that the Rockwell test figures on the gears are much higher than industry norms but, unfortunately, there were no actual stats given. The spur gear features a tension system built into its axis to keep the gear perfectly aligned while under load. Other features of the Nautilus gearbox include the anticorrosive coating that gives the gearbox its unique colouring.

Each component on the KRYTAC Nautilus V2 Gearbox has been designed to perform at a high level and to be user friendly for the technician that repeatedly tunes their AEG. The KRYTAC rotary hop up unit is constructed of polymer and features many user friendly updates to regular M4 hop up systems we see every day. The rotary adjustment wheel is precise and definitive, each click position is numbered and the hop up offers a tactile and audible feedback when adjusting.

It looks a little like the G36/Madbull style that is a superior and easier design to work with. The lever arm can be lifted upwards to give access to the hop up nub chamber for easy adjusting or cleaning. Also, the hop up nub is retained by the arm to prevent loss when changing barrels or hop up buckings, which should save those “uh oh” moments when it falls on your black shaggy rug as your mum is hoovering.

CONCLUSION

All good things come to those who wait and the Krytac Trident War Sport LVOA C is a definite winner. There are things I would change definitely if I could, mainly the 11.1v battery issue but the styling is undeniably stunning, the paint finish is different from the normal Krytac black, which I’m still unsure how I feel about. Maybe a Cerakote finish would be the best thing if I was being extremely picky. Sadly at the time of writing the Foliage Green version still hadn’t arrived in the UK for one reason or another and I know many other people are still waiting for that one to appear.

If you can find an LVOA in stock in the UK you will be lucky as the first batches sold out with 72 hours… but if you do get your mitts on one you will love it!

FEATURES Power: 320fps with Blaster 0.20g / 0.95 Joules Rate of Fire: 20 rounds per second on 11.1v LiPo Outer Barrel 14.5” Inner Barrel Diameter 6.05mm Length 830 - 910mm Weight 2.8kg Full metal aluminium alloy construction LVOA War Sport stamped receivers 8mm Japanese steel caged bearings Bearing metal spring guide Ambidextrous fire selectors Integrated MOSFET switch 6 point adjustable stock Rotary locking hop unit CNC Aluminium Keymod Rail Neodymium Magnet Motor 350 Round High Capacity Magazine RRP £345

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DON’T FOLLOW THE PACK

TIRED OF THE GENERIC M4, MP5 OR AK? JERRY NOONE TAKES A LOOK AT SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM I CHI SHIVAN, IN THE FORM OF THE SG 552 MRS OVER THE YEARS IT HAS been my pleasure to own a number of airsoft replicas from I Chi Shivan (ICS), both M4 and MP5 variants and I’ve always been extremely pleased with their quality and performance. ICS have been producing high quality airsoft guns since the late 1990s and have a great reputation amongst their fan base. The Taiwanese manufacturer has always prided itself on new airsoft innovations and continues to bring new models to market regularly.

After a while, all of us involved with the world of airsoft replicas tire of the M4, MP5 or AK models and search out something a little different and the ICS SIG is most certainly that. It’s one of those airsoft rifles that I have picked up many times over the years and, for some reason put back on the shelf - a big mistake as it turns out!

In the real world, SIG rifles and carbines are very highly regarded and I’ve been lucky enough to shoot a number of the military variants on range days in Switzerland. SIG variants have

been around for some time now and are very popular with professionals worldwide, especially in the law enforcement role .

A LITTLE HISTORY

As it was with many armies at the time, in the late 1970s the Swiss army began to phase out the 7.5mm SG 510 in favour of a smaller calibre rifle; at the same time of course, the US Army had adopted the M16 as their service rifle in 5.56mm and even the UK were playing around with the first bullpup designs that would eventually lead to the SA80. The first tests in Switzerland were carried out with the 5.6 x48 Eiger and 6.5 x 48 GP80 ammunition and prototype rifles were developed by SIG (based on their SG-540 design) and by the state-owned Waffenfabrik Bern.

Eventually though, following a rising global trend, the Swiss army selected a version of the 5.56 x 45 NATO cartridge, the 5.6 mm GP90 and further testing proved the superiority

“ALL SET UP, IT WAS INTO THE WOODS FOR SOME RANGE TIME AND THE SIG PERFORMED JUST AS I EXPECTED; WONDERFULLY! IT’S A SUPER LITTLE RIFLE TO WORK, WITH GREAT ERGONOMICS AND A VERY POSITIVE CHEEK WELD GIVEN THE RISER.” 16

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Armoury ICS SG552 MRS

of the SIG SG541 rifle over its rivals. In 1983, the Swiss Army officially adopted the SIG SG541 as the “Sturmgewehr-90”, or “Stgw.90” and full production began in 1986, with the Stgw.90 becoming the issue rifle of the Swiss army.

Final deliveries of the Stgw.90 to the military came in the mid-1990s but these rifles are still offered for export by SIGARMS internationally, as well as sold to the civilian market in semi-automatic form. In export form this rifle is known as the SIG SG550 “Carbine” and the more compact “Commando”.

Longer rifle versions are available in the form of SIGSG551.

OUT OF THE BOX!

ICS currently have six models of the SG500 series in their lineup, with either Black or Dark Earth furniture and I received a SG552 MRS variant in tan for testing. Upon opening the box I was immediately very impressed by the Dark Earth finish of the pistol grip, folding stock and handguard; many manufacturers try this, but sometimes the tone is way off. Not so with the ICS SIG. The rail system that is fitted to this model is also first

A BIT OF DETAIL

The SG550 series is gas operated, with a gas piston attached to the bolt carrier and with a rotating bolt. The recoil spring is located around the gas piston rod, above the barrel and the bolt carrier is attached to the gas piston rod by means of a removable charging handle. The most compact weapon in the line, the SIG SG552, which I had the pleasure of shooting, is similar to SIG SG551 but has a shorter handguard and barrel.

Due to the short barrel and gas piston, the SG552 has a return spring located on the rear part of the receiver, so it has an altered bolt carrier and upper receiver. The gas port has a gas regulator with two different positions. The receivers of the SG550 series of guns are made from stamped steel and have two major parts, the upper and lower, which are connected by push pins. The barrel is screwed into the upper receiver. The trigger unit has a safety/fire selector switch on the left side of the receiver, with safe, semi-auto, and full-auto settings.

The rear sights are a drum model and very similar to those found on Heckler & Koch rifles. On certain current production models the rear sight is replaced with full-length picatinny style rail with a folding back-up rear sight. Every rifle of the SG550 series can be fitted with proprietary, quick detach scope mount, although current production rifles are usually fitted with one or more picatinny rails. Standard magazines, of 20 round capacity, are issued with the military rifles and can be clamped together for ease of changing, using integral studs on the magazine walls. For those who might require more firepower, SIG also produces 30 round magazines.

The carbine version of the SIG550 series is the SG551 which has a shorter barrel, although SIG also introduced a “commando” version of the SG551, which is known as SIG 552, in 1998 and it’s to a replica of this superb little rifle that I now turn my attention. www.airsoft-action.online

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Armoury ICS SG552 MRS

solidly in place. Whilst this is not a feature I would use in a game it’s great for transport.

The trigger guard also mimics the real rifle, in that it can be folded to either the left or right to facilitate use of winter weight gloves; this in itself could be a winner for players in the UK!

ROUNDS DOWN!

rate, finished in a deep and even “SF Bronze”.

One minus point that hit me straight away though was the lack of trademarks. The ICS SIG is fully licensed

by SIGARMS and I have seen models before which have been fully logoed; this is a really picky point but for many purists it’s an important one. That said, the replica itself benefits from steel construction, not alloy, so it immediately feels right in the hand with an overall weight of 2,600g unloaded and without a battery installed.

Internally the SG552 has the ICS Turbo 3000 high torque motor and a Version III gearbox, which is well tried and tested and relatively easy to work on. It also has an eight-hole silent piston, steel gear set and steel bushings, so everything is simple but nice and solid. Easy disassembly of all ICS models is something that they’ve always been good at and the SG552 is another example of an airsoft replica that is accessible to work on with very little fuss. It comes with a 6.08mm inner barrel which is more than acceptable in a stock gun.

Externally the finish is superlative. All the metal parts are beautifully finished, and there is no creak or movement.

This thing is tough as! The Dark Earth parts are made from

“EXTERNALLY THE FINISH IS SUPERLATIVE. ALL THE METAL PARTS ARE BEAUTIFULLY FINISHED, AND THERE IS NO CREAK OR MOVEMENT. THIS THING IS TOUGH AS!” industrial grade hard ABS/Polymer and once again feel extremely solid and durable. The MRS variant comes with a short alloy rail system at the sharp end, with a full-length continuous top rail. There is a fully adjustable front sight which is an exact replica of the real thing, although for some reason there is no rear sight included; these are easily available as aftermarket accessories should you wish to use the MRS on simple “irons”, although the top rail just cries out for an optic. There is an ambidextrous selector switch which features markings for “S, 1, 20”; this is a nice touch as this is how the markings appear on the real thing. There are sling points front and rear, so you can easily set the rifle up for a two-point sling.

Two features I particularly liked on the SG552 MRS were the folding stock with integrated cheek riser and the trigger guard.

The polymer stock is released at the touch of a button on the left hand side, swinging forward to the right and locking 18

JUNE 2016

The SG552 is a really easy replica to work with. The battery is housed inside the rail system (a mini Tamiya connector is fitted as standard) and this compartment is easily accessed by pushing through the forward body pin and simply sliding the lower handguard down. One word of warning here, the body pin is not solidly retained and I feel it could be easily lost if you were changing batteries in the field; again, a minor quibble but one which had to be noted.

I fitted a 7.4 800mAh LiPo battery, which is a little bit of a squeeze given the slim profile of the rail system; once in though the battery pretty much disappears from sight. Prior to testing I also fitted a zeroed “Micro T1” given the lack of rear sight.

The MRS came with a pair of 380 round HiCap polymer magazines which, just like the real thing, clipped neatly together. Realistically this would be all you would need for most skirmish games and the magazines were easy to fill thanks to a large top trap, and wound efficiently. 50 round MidCaps are available as an accessory but sadly these are becoming increasingly difficult to find; Fire Support do try to keep them in stock so you just need to grab them when they are available.

So, all set up it was into the woods for some range time and the SIG performed just as I expected; wonderfully! It’s a super little rifle to work, with great ergonomics and a very positive cheek weld given the riser. Adding a short foregrip makes it very easy to drive the muzzle from target to target, and the overall length of the rifle, just 730mm, makes it easy to work with, even in tight spaces.

Once the hop was set, an easy control to adjust by simply pulling back the charging handle to open the ejection port cover, the SIG was shooting a classic straight shot out to the end of the 30m range at a site friendly 0.92 Joule/315fps average on a .20g BB. The trigger is light yet crisp, with very little lag so it’s easy to get consistently accurate shots away time after time. Switching it up to full auto sent a nice stream of BBs downrange in quick time - and put a grin on my face immediately.

In conclusion I would say that if you are looking for something a little different from what you commonly see at an airsoft game, then the ICS SG 552 MRS is certainly worthy of your consideration. It’s a great-looking replica that performs very well out of the box, is solid as a rock, has a super rail system as standard and at just £231.00 it’s an awful lot of gun for the money!

Many thanks indeed to Fire Support who kindly provided me with the AEG sample for this review; you can check out more details on the MRS and the rest of the extensive range of ICS models by simply visiting www.fire-support.co.uk.

OVERSHADOWED BY THE RECENT RELEASE OF THE AA12, ANGELO DV TAKES A LOOK AT ANOTHER TM RIFLE THAT CAUGHT HIS ATTENTION NONETHELESS

LIFE’S A GAS BLOW BACK DURING MY MANY YEARS of playing the sport of airsoft there has always been a much-hyped product on the verge of release, with the community waiting in eager anticipation. The Kriss Vector caused an absolute storm when it was finally released, as did the TM M870 gas shotgun and the subsequent release of the “Breacher” version.

So a couple of years pass with nothing quite as monumental being hyped or released and, taking aside the release of the Scorpion EVO and the terrific GHK G5, things had been a touch quiet. I now know that this was the calm before the storm because waiting for us around the corner was a new product from TM that was totally different than anything else on the market. I am of course talking about the AA12 AES (Automatic Electric Shotgun), a shotgun that you put a battery in??? Three separate individual hop units so you can alter the spread, semi and fully auto fire modes etc. etc. But there is more…

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JUNE 2016

Another product was released by TM that was slightly overshadowed by the release of the AA12; the TM M4A1 MWS GBBR. Now as a huge fan of gas rifles, this has been a long wait for me as TM have been promising this rifle for some time.

I own a GHK G5 which WAS the best gas rifle I’ve ever owned or fired and is still my go-to gas gun for all weathers.

All I can say is the wait was worth it and I wasn’t disappointed as I collected one of these from Mike Cripps at Elite Shooting Centre. This is what I thought of it.

As most players know, Tokyo Marui invent, design and produce products that are of high quality and durability whether it be a gas product, springer or AEG. I myself am a huge fan of the pistols and own a Mike Cripps custom 4.3 Hi-Capa, which I would put down as one of my best airsoft purchases ever. But this gas gun was entering a highly competitive arena, with the extremely good GHK M4 blazing the trail IMO. So let’s crack on and see how good this gas M4 is.

On opening the box you are greeted with the usual presentation and packaging, nicely laid out with the rifle itself held secure with a couple of them straps that are not Velcro but are Velcro (if you know what I mean). The rifle comes complete with one magazine, a few bbs and one of those really annoying loading rods! Come on TM, what’s happening with that??

On taking the rifle out of the box you can instantly feel the build quality right through from the adjustable stock to the flash hider. The casting of both upper and lower receiver and RIS are to a high standard, with Colt trades stamped into the lower. In addition to this the metal parts are all Cerakoted to give it that “real steel feel”. As TM are one of the kings of airsoft innovation they were bound to do something different with this new product and they have.

The rifle itself is fitted with what TM have called the “ZET” system (Z Endurance Technology). Basically, this is a shock absorption system which improves the efficiency of the gas system and prevents premature wear on the bolt catch and

Armoury TM MWS M4 GBB

other key components. This results is a slightly more subtle recoil when firing but you still get a nice crack when you pull the trigger.

Another thing about this rifle that is a little bit unusual is the hop system, it basically uses a very similar set up to the hop system from the Hi-Capa pistol, albeit slightly bigger. It makes perfect sense to do this as the hop system in my Hi-Capa is easily the best gas hop set up I’ve used and, as they say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”! One downside to this is the hop is quite difficult to access for adjustment but most gas rifles are like that and I did find an easier way through the mag well when the bolt was racked. Once the hop was set for 0.25 bbs, which was made easier as the hop wheel has a ratchet system, I didn’t need to adjust it again.

It was time to load up the mag with green gas and 0.25g bbs. I estimated I got about 30 bbs into the mag but as the spring loosens up you could possibly get more in. The gas that was used for the test was the new ASG Ultra Air and the bbs were G&G. The first this I noticed when I started firing the rifle was the recoil was a lot more subtle than, say, the GHK gas M4 but you still got a nice shunt into your shoulder. The trigger response on semi auto was very crisp and similar to an AEG, even when using a mag that was extremely cold. When the mag had warmed up a touch I put it through the chrono with 0.2g bbs in and the average fps I got was 325fps (0.98J), so you will need to keep an eye on this during warmer days as not to exceed site limits. But the best was still to come.

One of the things that gets to me about gas guns has always been the full auto capability. I’m not talking about holding the trigger until the mag is empty but even short bursts would invariably spread wildly at range. Up to now my G5 has been as close to what I would like on short bursts as I have seen. So I guess you know what’s coming?

I took this to a game the week I got it, which gave me a chance to test it properly at range. The single shot was extremely accurate and the range was even better than

“THE SINGLE SHOT WAS EXTREMELY ACCURATE AND THE RANGE WAS EVEN BETTER THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM A TM HOP SET UP. THEN WITH SOME TREPIDATION I CLICKED THE SELECTOR ONTO FULL AUTO AND GAVE A FEW BUSTS OF 3-5 BBS AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM FOLLOWED THE ONE IN FRONT, AEG-STYLE. BINGO!!” you would expect from a TM hop set up. Then with some trepidation I clicked the selector onto full auto and gave a few busts of 3-5 bbs and each and every one of them followed the one in front, AEG-style. BINGO!! This put a huge smile on my face, just as it put the icing on the cake for what is an outstanding rifle.

In summary, the perennial debate about gas versus AEG will still go on with good points pitched from both sides of the argument, with the “you can’t use them in the cold“ argument being thrown at gas gun lovers. But this outstanding gas rifle will play that part of the debate down, as this is genuinely an all year round gas gun.

Many thanks to Mike Cripps at Elite Shooting Centre for supplying the test rifle.

www.airsoft-action.online

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OPERATION: E AFTER MONTHS OF PLANNING AND COLLABORATION WITH SOME OF THE BEST SPECIALISTS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS, FRIDAY 8TH APRIL 2016 SAW SOME OF THE MOST COMMITTED TEAMS IN THE UK AND FROM THE NETHERLANDS HEADING TO THE STANTA TRAINING AREA IN NORFOLK FOR A COMBAT AIRSOFT GROUP OP THAT WAS DESTINED TO CHANGE MILSIM AIRSOFT. VETERAN ‘SOFTER, BILL PRYCE-THOMAS, WAS THERE TO COVER IT FOR AIRSOFT ACTION! IT WAS AT IWA 2015 that I was first introduced to Richard Smith (known as Smudge to his mates), the man behind the Combat Airsoft Group (CAG). At the time I met him he told me of his idea that MilSim could be taken to a whole new level with the correct preparation and execution and although I’ve heard this many times before, there was something about his quiet intensity and professional approach that persuaded me that this was a guy to keep an eye on.

Sadly I was unable to attend the very first CAG ‘Sim, Operation SNAKEBITE, which received rave reviews from all that took part but when Smudge told me that he had managed to get hold of Eastmere Village on STANTA for a full-on 36 hour urban Op, you can rest assured that my very next words were “Sign me up mate!”

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JUNE 2016

STANTA

Stanford Training Area (STANTA), originally known as Stanford Battle Area, is a training area situated in Norfolk. The area is approximately 30,000 acres overall and contains some very unique features that make it a much sought after MilSim venue. The training area as a whole dates back as far as 1942 but in 2009 the 12.5 acre Eastmere Village was designed and built to replicate a middle-eastern settlement; the site, built at a cost of £14 million, is state of the art and includes singlestorey houses, multi-level structures, compounds and even a marketplace!

Over the years I’ve been very lucky to have had the chance to get involved in airsoft games and events, not just in the UK but also abroad and in that time I’ve been able to see some

MilSim OPERATION: EAGLE FURY

: EAGLE FURY really outstanding CQB and MOUT sites but for some reason, STANTA has always eluded me. As 2016 is my twentieth year of airsofting a MilSim there seemed to be the very best way to celebrate!

THE SIX “PS”!

As the old saying goes “Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance” and to say that the planning process for EAGLE FURY was both elaborate and comprehensive would be a total understatement! Even before the Op was announced Smudge had been keeping me up to date with how the plans were coming together and I was absolutely gob-smacked at how thorough he and his CAG team were being.

When booking went live for the Op places sold out almost instantaneously, faster than I’ve ever seen a team roster fill!

On the back of Op SNAKEBITE a number of teams immediately signed up knowing that they were in for something a bit special and they were not to be disappointed; others quickly joined them. Over the months prior to the Op, social media pages were set up for both Task Force (TF) NOMAD and for OPFOR and the storyline for the Op was developed with very detailed information packages; these were not simple “posts to page” but made up as full-on military style briefing documents, including detailed maps and pictures that could be downloaded as pdfs.

As the Op drew closer these packages became more and more frequent, giving a feeling of inclusion but also of urgency.

TF NOMAD was broken down into different sub-units; UKSF became callsign RAGE 10 and 20, SFSG became SPEAR 10 to 60 split into two platoons and the recon “SRR” elements became TALON 10, 20 and 30! The callsigns proved very

necessary as the Op was to include a full military Comms Net provided by Tactical Training Solutions.

And both the TF NOMAD teams and the OPFOR teams were talking… talking a lot. Plans were suggested, ruminated and cogitated. Intel packages were lapped up, dissected and discussed. Ideas were floated like I’ve never seen before and even the craziest were not met with any ridicule but instead considered very carefully. Often is the case that a good idea not liked by some gets left by the wayside but everything and anything was carefully weighed with comments like “Let’s not discount anything”. These guys, both sides, were in it for the win and I began to realise something very unique was in the making.

A DARK AND BROODING NIGHT

As Eastmere is at the centre of a training area where live firing is often in progress, it’s not a case of just rocking up when you feel like it. Accompanied convoy ingress was the way forward and CAG organised two runs in at 18:00hrs and 19:00hrs.

Check into the Op was simple, straightforward and quick which is always a good sign. Once “On Plot” the teams were ushered to their respective billets; for TF NOMAD that was the impressive two storey “Compound 03” that would become their FOB for the duration, whilst OPFOR took control of “Al Jazr Ir Village” which comprised buildings and compounds “24 to 34”. All ground and structures between the two was up for grabs!

I’d been asked by Smudge to spend time with both forces during the 36 hour Op and my first home was the TF NOMAD FOB. I’d travelled up with my good mate Jase and was embedded as a combatant with SFSG element SPEAR

“AS THE OLD SAYING GOES “PROPER PLANNING PREVENTS PISS POOR PERFORMANCE” AND TO SAY THAT THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR EAGLE FURY WAS BOTH ELABORATE AND COMPREHENSIVE WOULD BE A TOTAL UNDERSTATEMENT!”

www.airsoft-action.online

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10, who turned out to be lads from my area in the south of England. Once dossing arrangements had been completed, some scoff and a brew taken and kit checked thoroughly it was time for the Safety Briefing; this again was both professional and succinct. Once the Safety Brief was out of the way, OPFOR headed off and our Mission Brief was given, preceded by a section of video made up of news items that really got the blood pounding.

By 22:00 we were back in the FOB and advised to get our heads down before the “Stand To” at midnight. Smudge had promised us all an Op that, in his words, would be “challenging” so I chose to get an hour in my maggot. At 23:30hrs it was time to kit-up and head to the parapets on “stag” and as the witching hour came and went we were all starting to wonder what the crack was.

Fifteen minutes passed with us all staring out into the complete darkness that had descended; even the guys with night vision (you could bring your own or hire it for the Op From ACT in Black UK) were struggling due to the distinct lack of ambient light. Guys were fiddling with their kit, their fingers flicking to their safeties and back as the nerves set in; there was a brooding, heavy feel to the night that had us all on edge.

Another ten minutes passed in total silence when from the darkness came a high, warbling “call to prayer” which, quite literally, made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Then silence returned as we waited expectantly for things to kick off.

Be careful what you wish for!

From the silence of the night a mortar attack rained in, sending towers of fire into the dark sky and causing explosions that pounded you in the chest. This was closely followed up with incoming small arms fire and simulated RPG attacks, then more mortars; fire was intense, both incoming and outgoing!

Eventually CAS, “Henchman 20 and Hammer 10” came through for the FOB and further explosions put paid to the OPFOR thrust. We went back to watching and waiting, all our senses on overdrive until we were stood down and the stag rotation went into effect. All through the night though teams were moving through the stygian gloom of the FOB on red light; such were the conditions that there was just a very narrow gap between bunks so you were constantly aware that both SF and SRR missions were afoot. Sleep was a luxury and I managed just one blissful hour before the 06:00 “Stand To”. SPEAR 10 had the first “stag” rotation following this so we stayed on the parapet of the FOB as further SF missions continued to deploy and we were constantly on alert as we regularly spotted “dickers” through the mist and drizzle… and we sporadically came under small arms fire.

The operational tempo was simply intense and as the heavens opened it was a real race to get food and a brew into yourself before the next “Stand To” was called. The pace

was already gruelling but the “black humour” kicked in even as casualties started to arrive. SF elements had encountered stiff resistance and were taking hits. Quick Reaction Forces (QRF) from the SFSG were sent out and we were to see some gruesome sights as the wounded started returning to the FOB. CAG were working with the guys from Tacmed Solutions, who simulate battlefield injuries in the real world and the prosthetics were amazing. IED injuries (IEDs were one of the many “force multipliers” for the much smaller OPFOR team along with “suicide vests” and other such nasties and of course TF NOMAD elements also had VERY strict Rules of Engagement!) meant broken and bloody bodies returning to the FOB, along with much fake blood and dismembered limbs.

The effects were simply stunning and macabre!

CAG had also set up some rather elaborate medic rules for the event to properly simulate taking a hit; if you were without a helmet or body armour then you really were “s-h-one-t out of luck”! One hit to the helmet or three to the body armour got you a short “time out” to simulate shock, with a single hit to a non-protected torso area earning you a “critical” and meaning you needed a medic’s attention. First the medic needed to place a hand on the wounded area for three minutes to “heal” the wound and then you needed to wait a further three minutes to re-enter the game, meaning that any unit with a “critical” had to remain in position for a whole six minutes while this process took place! If the “wound” was taken to a limb you needed to self-apply either a CAT tourniquet or “Israeli Bandage” before you could get back in the fight. These rules were complex but such was the calibre of the players that they were embraced fully and proved to be very highly effective.

Waterproofs went on and the mission taskings just kept on coming! We’d been warned in advance that rain would not stop the Op and the conditions became increasingly brutal. Team Leaders were briefed and, in turn, would brief their squads before heading out for their next mission into the labyrinthine alleys and compounds leading to “Al Jazr Ir”.

Some missions would be for recon purposes, some for “take and hold” purposes to take the front line forward and some to retrieve the SRR teams that had been covertly inserted during the night to provide hard intelligence. All too often the QRF was needed as small “contacts” escalated with lightning speed.

MOVING UPTOWN!

By 15:00hrs folk were really beginning to drag; the rain was incessant and the downtime between taskings was nonexistent. Both teams paused to catch their breath almost by silent agreement, although small contacts continued even during this slight lull. As had been agreed it was time for me

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MilSim OPERATION: EAGLE FURY

to head “uptown” and join the OPFOR and as I relocated to “Compound 24” I took the opportunity to change into dry clothes (not an option for TF NOMAD!) and get some hot food inside me before heading out in local garb with my camera and notebook.

Mission taskings continued unabated for both sides as afternoon became evening and at this point the CAG team showed great maturity and the capability to make the tough decisions when they announced that, given the adverse weather conditions, they were going to call an enforced “tactical pause” for a few hours overnight. Players were wet, cold, tired and hungry and giving them just a short break meant that they could recharge their batteries for an early morning start. This in my mind was absolutely the right thing to do, as the treacherous conditions underfoot combined with extreme fatigue could easily have led to injuries; another tick in the “professionalism” box for CAG as far as I’m concerned.

Sunday dawn brought a bright blue sky. The sun rose over frosty, misty grassland outside Eastmere and a 06:00 “Stand To” was followed by a hasty breakfast and a hot brew before the action restarted. TF NOMAD had been tasked with not only securing the whole of “Al Jazr Ir” village but also with taking a couple of important High Value Targets (HVTs) who were thought to be hiding out there.

It would require maximum effort to achieve this, along with a huge amount of “guts and drive” to fight their way through the entire series of compounds and ground leading to the “village” and, oh my Lord, did they take their mission seriously as they came at the OPFOR like a steam-train!

Firefights were short and vicious as the TF elements drove ever-forward but OPFOR were not giving a single inch of ground cheaply. The lines of battle ebbed and flowed as tendrils of smoke and the stench of pyro filled the air but TF NOMAD advanced inexorably, taking each house and compound as they drew ever closer to “Al Jazr Ir”. One by one the members of OPFOR fell, some taken by concentrated and accurate small-arms fire whilst others took the easier way to “meet their ancestors” by blowing themselves up. Eventually it was just myself and Tony from Stone Hammer Airsoft left standing in a room on the top floor of the main building in “Compound 25” and as the rounds from our AKs were gradually expended we watched in horror as what seemed like TF NOMAD in its entirety descended upon us. Ladders came up against the wall of the compound and elements started to pour in as we carried on the fight with our handguns - until they too eventually ran dry. As the compound filled and feet pounded in the stairwell behind me I tried to lob one last flashbang but was taken out by two well-placed shots to the chest and with that Operation EAGLE FURY drew to a close and ENDEX was called.

THE NEXT EVOLUTION?

Operation EAGLE FURY was not simply a military simulation but more like a complete military IMMERSION! New twists were introduced, along with new, unique and highly effective rule sets. All of these were embraced by the players which made the Op a really special event, a “game changer” as many stated at ENDEX. All the comments I’ve read so far have been full of praise for Smudge and his CAG team of Andy, Scott, Yoz, Jim, Carl, Mark, Jamie and Rob and I have to add my own praise to that of others.

This was outright, without doubt, one of the very best operations of its type that I have EVER had the pleasure of taking part in. Scrupulously organised and planned and superbly executed it’s my belief that everyone got more than their money’s-worth and I’m sure there will be many conversations in the future that start with phrases like “If you weren’t at Op EAGLE FURY you just wouldn’t understand…”

I would be remiss in this report if I didn’t mention the support given by Cali and Rob of ACT in Black for the provision of the hire NODS, Duncan and the boys from CEXC for their outrageous pyro displays, Dave and his team from Tactical Training Solutions for the military standard comms and Danny & Rhys from Tacmed Solutions for the superbly realistic

“THE OPERATIONAL TEMPO WAS SIMPLY INTENSE AND AS THE HEAVENS OPENED IT WAS A REAL RACE TO GET FOOD AND A BREW INTO YOURSELF BEFORE THE NEXT “STAND TO” WAS CALLED. THE PACE WAS ALREADY GRUELLING BUT THE “BLACK HUMOUR” KICKED IN EVEN AS CASUALTIES STARTED TO ARRIVE.” casualty simulations. All of these specialists added value and depth to what was already a first rate scenario.

Of course last but not least, Smudge has asked me to pass on his thanks to all the players who attended as well. So here’s a big shout out to Reaper Crew North, Team Gray Fox, Team Gryphon, Cobalt and Diablo, Gun Ho, TF Voodoo, TF Mongoose, Raptor MilSim, Team Odin, Black Scorpions NLD, Gorilla Tactikz, Black Crows, Cold Spear, Zulu Six, Stone Hammer Airsoft and, of course, all the non-aligned individuals. A personal “thanks” goes to Rob on OPFOR, who graciously let me share his balcony and to Jase, Sam (or was it Greg’ry?), Cam (do you even notebook bro?), Eugene, Gabriel, Richie, Jon, Matt and Jordan from SPEAR 10 for letting me tag along. All you guys seriously ROCK! I don’t honestly know what to expect next from the Combat Airsoft Group but whatever it is I believe it will be very special indeed given their track record so far. You’re going to need to be on the ball to get a place on their next Op as no doubt it will sell out in a flash! I’d advise therefore to keep a very close eye on their social media feeds and please do visit their website www.combatairsoftgroup. com to find out about the other excellent training courses and events they offer!

Bill P-T. www.airsoft-action.online

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CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

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Inside Airsoft VALKEN

VALKEN AIRSOFT VALKEN IS NOT A NAME MANY AIRSOFTERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH BUT THEY ARE HUGE IN THE WORLD OF PAINTBALL. “IGGY” ROBERTS TRIED OUT A SMALL RANGE OF THEIR PRODUCTS TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE LIKE I RECENTLY SPOKE TO A COMPANY that is not yet well known in the UK airsoft scene. They have been around for decades in the paintball world and deal in everything from tactical gear to bbs and airsoft guns themselves.

The Company is the creation of Gino Postorivo from New Jersey, USA. He liked paintball and started selling paintball guns from his father’s restaurant in the late 1980’s. He grew the company over two decades into a multi-million dollar powerhouse until about 10 years ago, when he sold it to an investment company. However, it didn’t take long until he concluded that selling it was a big mistake, so decided to set up another paintball business and Valken was launched in 2009.

The new company branched into airsoft and the business grew rapidly, partly due to a deal which made Valken G&G’s North East United States distributor and Valken giving feedback to G&G on their products. Since then Valken has gone international and now has three major offices in the United States of America, two in Canada and two in Europe.

Valken now design and make their own products and using their knowledge of the Paintball and Airsoft world, they try to ensure their designs offer more than the ordinary and give players products with the right value for money.

Their first major product release was the V-12 engine for the M4 style body, which was seen as a great success. Since then, they have strived to provide better alternatives to what is in the recognised market, as well as being more affordable and always having stock in supply for their dealers.

I was given the opportunity to review a selection of some of their more “basic needs” products. These were a pair of Zulu tactical gloves, 0.25 and 0.28 bio-degradable BBs, Zulu tactical glasses/goggles and their vertical grip system (VGS).

I really put the products through their paces, mainly because I started out not as a fan of vertical grips or glasses. I normally use mesh goggles because I was irritated by all my previous eye protection options steaming up and vertical grips just got in my way due to being too long and bulky. So naturally it would take a lot to impress me.

0.25G AND 0.28G BIO BBS

I will start off with the 0.25g Bio BBs. In the past I have tried bio BBs mainly because my “inner hippy earth lover” felt bad “brassing or littering” the woods and abandoned places of interest in the UK. However due to cost and overall poor performance, I stopped using them after a while.

These Valken 0.25g Bio BBs just… well… work – and work well. They are as reliable as my normal choice of BBs, so much so, that I don’t notice the difference between them and my other 0.25s. It is great to see that it doesn’t have to be a pain to use Bio BBs anymore.

The 0.28g Bio BBs allow you to pack more of a punch

www.airsoft-action.online

29

into each round. The BBs are not as affected by wind as other lighter choices of BB and retain a more consistent velocity with better accuracy, even at range. They worked fine through all of my arsenal of airsoft weapons. I have been informed that this is the heaviest BB that most companies advise us to use in an ordinary AEG. DMRs and snipers are another story.

To put it simply, these BBs are a very acceptable choice of ammo and would easily be a suitable choice if you fancied a change or needed/wanted to use bio BBs... Now you too can appease your “inner hippy� by firing away guilt free.

ZULU TACTICAL GLOVES

Valken have their own line of tactical clothing and kit and Zulu tactical gloves are one of their products. They have all of the qualities you would expect in a tactical glove, being full finger gloves that give you whole hand coverage during game play.

The main features of these gloves are the Kevlar covered hardshell knuckles, extra padding in the palms, a silicone grip to keep your weapon secure in your hands and adjustable Velcro around the wrists for the perfect fit. They come in Black, Olive or Tan. I have worn these in a range of conditions you could expect to be in, from cold and wet to warm and sunny - both in indoor and outdoor environments. To test their insulation, I waited until my hands were cold before putting them on. I was pleasantly surprised to find my hands soon warmed up even before I started darting around the site. The gloves provide adequate protection whilst moving through thorny scrub, concrete buildings and any other tough environment. Over the few months of using them I have not had any issues with the stitching or the overall durability of the gloves.

They easily beat my original set. The knuckle shells are a comfort and fit well allowing you not to be concerned of any grazes whilst rushing into rooms or sneaking up to an enemy.

ZULU GOGGLES/GLASSES

These goggles/glasses are a sporty lightweight design, intended to eliminate bulkiness and weight. They come with a fully adjustable elastic strap and glasses arms, each with quick release clips next to the temples allowing you to choose between glasses or goggles. Both provide a secure fit.

Indirect vented foam carriage provides maximum dust protection, as well as a sufficient airflow outlet for heat.

The thermal system provides anti-fog protection in the worst weather conditions or extreme-temperature working environments.

They claimed it was anti-fog. As I mentioned, from bad experiences I use mesh goggles, so I was looking forward to seeing if this was true. I was informed that the laws of physics still apply and if the ventilation was blocked then they would 30

June 2016

Inside Airsoft VALKEN

VERTICAL GRIP SYSTEM (VGS)

inevitably fog up.

Without blocking the vent system, I tried everything possible to test these to a failure. I skirmished in wet conditions, hot and cold conditions. I ran to each location in most of the games. To my pleasant surprise they didn’t fog up at all. They were just as clear at the end of the day as they were when I took them out of the box!

I had a few airsofters I know trial the Zulu glasses. One wears a fake fur hunting hat and it blocked off the upper air vents. Without this airflow and outlet for heat the glasses fogged up. Although as soon as I had them back and put them on, they cleared up and didn’t fog up again, even with my tactical baseball cap on.

So long as you have a small air gap between the top of the glasses and any headgear these glasses don’t fog up. I have not used my mesh goggles since I started this review and I am unlikely to go back.

This was the biggest surprise to me. I never thought any goggles would win me away from mesh. These have really had a lot of thought put into them and so long as you use them correctly, they won’t let you down.

Valken’s VGS offers an alternative foregrip for any 20mm rail.

It is hollow and therefore lightweight but durable. Its cut away design makes it far less of an extrusion than the more familiar vertical grip options. It also has elasticised mounts for the touch pad of a laser aimer, torch or radio. The VGS is fixed to the rail by two allen key bolts.

As a vertical grip this is a very good option; it is comfortable to hold, very secure and small enough to not get in the way.

Personally the cut down design fits well in my hand size and would also be fine for anyone with smaller hand sizes. There may be an issue if you have a large hand size but I can only comment on my own experience.

If you don’t have a switch to mount on the VGS the elastic cord does not irritate or distract. Its position is ideally suited to mount a pressure switch.

The VGS would suit a CQB design RIF or main battle rifle and even DMR. This makes it a very diverse accessory that could happily suit most airsofter’s requirements.

THE FUTURE

Looking to the future, Valken Europe have a selection of exciting new products in the pipeline. These are the sportline AEGs, premade HPA V-12 rifles; the Valken AR-One (a mechanical HPA rifle with inbuilt tank), 0.36g Bio-degradable BBs and a refreshed line of tactical clothing.

Check out their website:www.airsoft.valken.com. The EU distributor has a facebook page, just type “Valken” into the search panel and select the group or page that best suits your needs, or search http://www.facebook.com/valkenEU If you want to take a closer look at Valken’s products, then there are a few retailers in the UK (the number is growing every month): Just Paintball have a full range of Valken products available. You can email them on Gill@justpaintball. co.uk. Other retailers include Bomb Up airsoft (www. bombupairsoft.co.uk), Just Paintball (www.justpaintball.co.uk), HPA Airsoft (www.hpaairsoftuk.com), Beesting Airsoft (www. beestingairsoft.com) and Patrol Base (www.patrolbase.co.uk) Valken are not the first paintball company to produce airsoft products and I don’t think they will be the last.

www.airsoft-action.online

31

LCT AEGS IN STOCK The famed quality, real wood and steel construction of LCT AEGs in now available from Fire Support.

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LCT TX-63 AEG LCT TX-63 AEG Airsoft Gun. The AK-74 is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s in the Soviet Union as the replacement for the earlier AKM. The rifle first saw service with Soviet forces engaged in the 1979 Afghanistan conflict.

Presently, the rifle continues to be used by the majority of countries of the former USSR. Steel receiver, RIS System, Barrel, Flash hider, Gas block... Wood stock and Pistol grip. Front and rear sling points. Includes Hi-Cap Mag Battery 8.4v Stick (Type 05) not included..

LCT RPK NV AEG LCT RPK AEG The Real Steel RPK functions identically to the AK-47. It also uses the same 7.62x39mm ammunition.

It has a similar design layout to the AKM and AK-47 series of rifles, with modifications to increase the RPK’s effective range and accuracy, enhance its sustained fire capability, and strengthen the receiver.

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LCT.indd 3

08/10/2015 16:46

BOMB UP AIRSOFT LES LEE CONTINUES HIS JOURNEY ROUND THE UK’S AIRSOFT RETAILERS WITH A LOOK AT A FAIRLY NEW BUT RAPIDLY GROWING COMPANY BASED IN RUNCORN WHILST CLOCKING UP MANY MILES walking around the IWA show in Germany recently, I was privileged to meet a number of people from all walks of airsoft life; wholesalers, manufacturers, celebrities, retailers in fact just about anyone and everyone involved in some capacity with Airsoft.

It was here that I had the pleasure to meet Matt and Laura Allen, owners of Bomb Up Airsoft, a relatively new and modern retail unit located in Runcorn, Cheshire. I say “relatively new” because they opened the shop less than a year ago (although they had been trading online for several months prior) and have gone from strength to strength. They became such a hit with ‘softers that they soon needed bigger premises to allow them to carry more stock, create a bigger showroom and indoor gun range.

On a personal note, when I choose to buy a gun, whether it be a pistol or rifle, shottie or sniper rifle, I always want to see it, feel it, shoulder it and of course shoot it. Sometimes not all of this is possible but Matt and Laura share my ideal on this and hence you WILL be strongly encouraged to physically try before you buy because they are only happy if the customer is 100% happy and without any doubts or unanswered questions.

34

JUNE 2016

So with this in mind, I asked Matt and Laura if they would allow me to interview them about Bomb Up Airsoft for Airsoft Action. So, having caught up with Laura, it was time to ask some questions about this still up-and-coming retail outlet.

Les: “Hi Laura. Thank you for giving up your time to answer some questions about you, Matt and your shop. I’ll start by asking can you give me some history about who opened the shop, why and when, etc.?”

Laura: “Bomb Up Airsoft was started up as an online business by us in September 2014. At first we operated from an office at The Heath Business Park in Runcorn and we quickly outgrew the office and came to the decision to open a shop, so people could visit and try things out for themselves. Another reason we wanted to open a shop was because we quickly realised that Airsoft is a community and it was a community that we wanted to be more involved in. We took a lot of time planning how our shop would be, making sure to prioritise space for a firing range. We know that Airsoft is hugely opinion-based and the best way for anyone to decide which gun they prefer is to try it for themselves. By opening a shop, we wanted to give people that opportunity to try out our guns to assist in making their decision, rather than trying to figure out what to buy just from looking at a picture. We opened our first shop in May 2015 and

Inside Airsoft BOMB UP AIRSOFT

again we quickly outgrew it so moved in to a new unit over the road from our first shop which is twice the size.”

Les: “Can you give me some information about the staffing, names of staff and what they do, plus their experience with Airsoft?”

Laura: “There are currently seven members of staff working at Bomb Up Airsoft. Matt is the Managing Director and also has a lot of involvement when it comes to repairing and upgrading guns. He is very good at finding ways to improve guns without it being a huge cost to the customer and has always maintained that he wants to charge as little as possible for this service as it is something he enjoys.

“Biff is a technician and has worked with Bomb Up Airsoft since the first shop opened. He can be a bit dozy at times and doesn’t always speak proper English but when it comes to fixing guns he knows exactly what he’s doing.

“Yours truly, as Matt’s wife, has the privilege of being the general dogs-body. I spend a lot of time in the office doing all the background work but also like to spend time in the shop talking to the customers. I am very passionate about Bomb Up and concentrate a lot on the customer care aspect to make sure all customers are happy with the service they receive.

“Helen works with me in the office and is worth her weight in gold. One thing we didn’t expect when opening the business was the amount of paperwork that comes with it. Helen works tirelessly at keeping the office in order. We aren’t sure exactly what order that is but apparently she understands it, so it’s all good.

“Gaz is the shop supervisor. His main job is the upkeep of the shop itself. He makes sure that it is well organised, well stocked and tidy. He constantly restocks the shop to ensure that we don’t run out of things so if there’s ever anything you can’t find, blame Gaz. “Jordan helps with the running of the shop and assists customers. He’s always willing to help and advise and has a lot of experience with Airsoft. He is also interested in the service side so spends time in the workshop with the technicians, learning about different aspects of repairs and upgrades.

“Nick is the shop Manager. He is relatively new to the team so some of you may not know him yet, feel free to come and introduce yourselves!

“All of our staff members are passionate about Airsoft and between us we have a massive amount of knowledge and experience. We enjoy having a laugh with our customers and have some very loyal followers. We appreciate that without our customers none of us would be doing what we are so above all else we are so grateful for the support of our customers and fellow Airsofters.”

Our staff are always happy to assist, so if you would like to try a gun they will be happy to help where needed in loading the magazine and supplying a battery if required. We also have a chronograph in the range for anyone wanting to check the FPS of a gun which you are more than welcome to use. We provide eye protection to be used in the range and there are signs to remind you that whilst in the range eye protection must be worn at all times.”

Les: “So what will a customer experience when they enter the shop and can you give us some idea of the approximate size and layout.”

Laura: “Our shop is approximately 1,500 square feet full of good stuff.

Before entering you will see the double black and orange doors with our logo above them. When you enter the shop you will see various displays for different tastes including a Vietnam display, a modern day display and more. We sell a range of tac gear and accessories on a number of displays in the centre of the shop and all the walls are covered with guns. We have over 100 guns on display at all times and we guarantee that we have everything needed to be able to start and continue on your airsoft journey.”

Les: “So Laura, an all important question, what brands do you stock and why and some general information on best sellers, what is trending at the moment, any preferred brands and your reasons?”

Laura: “We stock a wide variety of brands such as Tokyo Marui, WE Airsoft, Nuprol, G&G, Ares, CYMA, Classic Army, JG, ASG and more. We find at the moment that for rifles G&G are selling really quickly and for pistols WE Airsoft are doing great, especially with the double barrel range now growing. We believe that Airsoft is very opinion-based so although all our staff have their own personal preference, we choose to give customers the facts and any advice they ask for to help them make up their own mind on what to go with.”

Les: “Do you consider Bomb Up to be a one-stop-shop retailer, in other words, can a customer buy all they need from you for

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

Laura: “Our facilities include a three seater sofa where you are welcome to sit and enjoy our range of snacks and refreshments, from fizzy drinks to hot drinks, crisps, chocolate, pot noodles, cereal bars and more. There is also a toilet available with a separate room to try on tac gear and clothing.”

Les: “Laura, can you give me some info on the shooting range and do you encourage or permit customers to “try before they buy”?”

Laura: “At Bomb Up our primary goal is to ensure all our customers feel welcomed. Everyone is encouraged to pick up the guns and have a play. You will not find any “Do Not Touch!” signs, you will not be frowned at for picking anything up. So go for your life and cop a feel, have a try and buy if you like!

“Our shooting range is made to accommodate two people so there are two lanes and two separate targets at the end. It’s approximately ten metres long, with an electronic target system and is well lit. BBs and gas are available, free of charge, for customers wanting to try guns to help decide which one to buy.

We do also sell plastic targets for £2.00 each so you can have a shoot off with your mates to prove you are better than them.

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Inside Airsoft BOMB UP AIRSOFT

say, for example, a weekender?”

Laura: “If there is something you would like that isn’t in stock you can contact us through the website, email, phone or in store to obtain more information or to place a pre-order. The turnaround times for this vary but we will always check stock availability and advise you of expected delivery times before you order. We try to get web orders out the same day where possible and all our parcels go out on a next day delivery service. On the odd occasion that the website hasn’t been updated and a product has gone out of stock it may take a couple of days to get the product sent out, however, if this occurs we will always notify our customers and keep them updated on the progress of their order.”

Laura: “Yes. We have everything you need to be able to play Airsoft and how much you buy is up to you. We are always open to suggestions and bring in new products every week, often on the feedback we receive from customers. We have always said that if there is ever anything you want that we don’t have then let us know and we will source it for you. All the feedback we receive is positive and customers often say that with us being here means they no longer need to order online, so we are confident that we can supply everything you want and need for your Airsoft adventures.

Les: “Can you give me some info on gun repair facility. Who is your gunsmith and their experience, etc. Do you two tone?”

Laura: We have a fully equipped Technical Centre and most spare parts and upgrades are carried in stock, so we always aim to carry out work within a couple of days. When you bring your gun to us it will be booked in using our “Workshop Checklist” forms. We will take down your contact information and any information regarding your repair or upgrade needs, plus any information relating to your gun. Once this is completed we take a copy of it and you will be given your own copy to give you piece of mind.

“We currently have two technicians working full time and one in training. Our two full time technicians have many years experience of both playing Airsoft and working with Airsoft guns. We offer a two tone service to our customers where they are not eligible to purchase a RIF. If you would like to order from our website and do not have a valid defence you can enter TWO TONE where it asks for your defence.”

Les: “Can you explain any connections that you may have with any other parties such as sites, any local teams or organisations, charities, etc.?

Laura: “We have great relationships with a few Airsoft Sites near us such as Alpha 55 in Halkyn, Delta Team Three in Ormskirk, Military Outdoor Adventures in Wigan, Trojan in Stockport and others. We raise money for three charities in the shop through various methods, we have a collection tub for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, which is a charity very close to our hearts.

We also sell wristbands to raise money for Help for Heroes and sweets to raise money for Starlight which is a charity that grants wishes for seriously ill children.”

Les: “What do you feel makes your customer service excel better than most?”

Laura: “Customer satisfaction is very important to us. This is why we spend so much time concentrating on getting feedback and ensuring our customers are always pleased with our service. We have had many reviews on Facebook and Google+ and they have all been positive so far. If we ever do have anyone tell us they are not happy with an aspect of the service they have received, we always take on board their comments and make sure to rectify the situation so that they are happy with the outcome. We are a professionally run business with a wealth of experience and knowledge around customer care. All of our staff are professionally trained and know that the customer satisfaction is the key to running a successful business.”

Les: “Nearly finished Laura, I promise but what happens if an item isn’t in stock? How long before it can be sourced and sent to the customer and also some info i.e. turnaround time for web orders?”

Les: “And finally Laura, before you start to lose the will to live through answering all of my questions, is there anything that I have missed out or that you would like to tell our thousands of readers before we sign off and head for the Paracetamol?”

Laura: “We offer membership cards that can be used in store or online. They cost £5 for a full year’s membership and give 5% off everything for a year. You also receive a free Bomb Up patch and a monthly newsletter with news and offers for members. We also sell gift cards with values of £10, £20, £50 and £100. They can be redeemed against any of our products and services and can be used in store or online.”

Well that just about wraps up this lengthy but thorough interview with Laura, whilst Matt is doing what he does best by keeping the customers happy in the shop and sharing his love of Airsoft with fellow enthusiasts. If they buy a RIF then that’s Bomb Up Airsoft Ltd great, if they come in to shoot some guns 22-23 Arkwright Court in their purpose built ten metre shooting Astmoor Industrial Estate range then that’s equally fine too, just so Runcorn long as anyone that visits Bomb Up Airsoft Cheshire leaves with a big cheesy grin on their face WA7 1NX having just had a fantastic time whilst in

Contact Details:

the shop, courtesy of Matt and Laura Allen and the team.

Les OUT!

0800 131 3012

sales@bombupairsoft.co.uk

www.airsoft-action.online

37

BATTLE FOR THE FALKLANDS OUR RUSSIAN CORRESPONDENTS, MARTY AND MARTA, REPORT FROM A GAME IN THE URALS WHERE BRITAIN AND HER ALLIES FACE A COMBINED FORCE OF ARGENTINIAN AND SPANISH OPPONENTS BRITISH-ARGENTINIAN BATTLE on the border between Europe and Asia - just in Russia!

More than five hundred soldiers from all over Russia and Kazakhstan come together to finish the battle for the Falklands on the border of Europe and Asia. Airsoft event “Battle for the Falklands” was organized in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, near the Ural Mountains. Airsofters “continued” the conflict, which began April 2, 1982, between Great Britain and Argentina. The war finished in a full victory for Great Britain, which is still controlling the island. The organizers continued the story and decided that the conflict escalated once again between Spain and Britain over Gibraltar.

Using the fact that the main ally of the United Kingdom, the United States, participates in difficult fighting on the outskirts of Washington, Spain and Argentina have joined forces to combat the UK in the disputed territories. Argentina and Spain have prepared a new Armada and sent it to the Falkland Islands. It is known that a sufficient number of landing craft LCVP Mk5 are present in the merged group. The United States sent in the UK third Marine Division from Camp Courtney, Okinawa, supported by M1A2 Abrams. The combined forces of Britain and the United States prepared to defend the Falkland Islands from the sea landing. Argentina - Spanish forces reached the area of the Falkland Islands. A New Battle for the Falklands has begun!

The organizers have chosen this conflict also because they could use special boats. They have 4 barges constructed from old barrels, with a total capacity of more than 150. Especially for this event they chose the landfill with strait of 100 meters

38

JUNE 2016

wide, which divides the field into two almost equal parts.

“In Russian airsoft events we are allowed to model war conflict which happened after 1950. And we decided to make a game based on the Falklands War, adjusted for the fact that the claims of the parties remained and that this conflict can be held in the future again. This idea we decided to make true in our event. In fact, it is a modern Falkland conflict rather than its reconstruction, so we were free in its development and involved technique”, stated Vladimir Urga, the head of the workshop group.

The presence of these barges has become the main feature and the same time the main difficulty of the game, in fact that it was necessary to ensure the safety of the game participants.

On the first day the barges traveled about 30 times from one water-side to another and back, transporting over 250 people.

The second day saw the same amount of trips and people transported.

Military forces of UK and US were Blue side, Spain and Argentina – Yellow side. The organizers divided the game into

“ONE OF THE BOAT DRIVERS MADE A MISTAKE WITH THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BOAT AND THE RIVERSIDE AND PUT A LADDER FOR LANDING INTO THE WATER. THEREFORE, THE SUPPORT FORCES HAD WAIST-DEEP IN THE WATER TO REACH THE SHORE, WHERE THEY WERE DIRECTLY UNDER THE FIRE OF THE ENEMY BUNKERS.”

International BATTLE FOR THE FALKLANDS

5 phases. The first night of the game began with the landing of forces of the united Spain and Argentina troops to the coast near Cape Pembroke. Attackers had to capture the coastal fortifications, and also the arsenal of the enemy.

“A pyrotechnical gunfire explosion, which very naturally transmits the sounds of war, notified everyone that the games were underway. I hurried to the shore. Yellow side (enemies) crossed the strait, landed on the shore directly on the machinegun and “died” immediately. The Yellow side lost half an hour to an unsuccessful landing and decided to use a deep maneuver and landed on the right flank, where the defense of the Blue side was extremely weak, not more than 30% of fortifications were filled with soldiers. Yellows broke through the defense from the flank and with powerful strike cleared the coastal strip, thus making it easier to land further troops. At the same time Yellow using a “helicopter” (lorry), landed one platoon to behind the Blue side. The Yellow side successfully seized a lot of unguarded Blue side assets. After some time, it was reported that an arsenal of enemy was being attacked and there was a fighting with armored vehicles” stated Alexander Vandych, a game participant.

However, the combined forces of Argentina and Spain (Yellow) could not capture the arsenal. It was defended by task force of US troops.

“The Task Force started to secure the nearest forest to the arsenal. Along the way, our group was joined by the other singles from different troops or even groups, eventually we turned to the platoon. We divided into two groups with a distance of 50 meters and began to fully secure the forest.

When encountering the enemy, they either were quickly destroyed or they hastily retreated to the coastal strip and shelters, which they had captured earlier in the day “, said Alexander.

Evening and night phases were not less active: gamers were constantly using pyrotechnics, battles did not stop for a minute.

To identify friends and foes in the dark, the defending side used a password system.

“The password was changed every hour, as reported in the common channel of our troops. We also used the system of patrols and alert information. Our Task Force actively supported our teammates when they were attacked. At 4 in the morning we again checked small groups of enemies, our scouts reported that the enemy is actively using the PNV “, stated Alexander Vandych.

In the morning UK and US Marine Corps landed on the coast of the island, to help those who have defended the island all the night long. Upon arrival, the Marines had a little adventure. One of the boat drivers made a mistake with the distance between the boat and the riverside and put a ladder

for landing into the water.

Therefore, the support forces had waist-deep in the water to reach the shore, where they were directly under the fire of the enemy bunkers.

However, this made the game amazing. Moreover, the residents of the Urals is no stranger to bad weather and difficult conditions. Despite the fact that the game took place in the summer, in the middle of June, the weather was not good. It was raining cats and dogs. But Russian airsofters are familiar to any weather. By the way, in the Urals airsoft season lasts about 5 months - from May to September but in the winter airsofters also have trainings in the closed heated floors.

In addition to barges the game participants were delighted with the variety of techniques. Replicas of US M1A2 Abrams tank and American car HAMMWV, the car LR Series IIA 109 the SAS, small replica of Tiger tank, armored vehicle based LUAZ several trucks KAMAZ and GAZ-66 (Russian cars). Traditionally for Russian airsoft, players went to respawn places on KAMAS

cars and at the time of the fiercest fighting on two cars the same moment.

Oleg Reviztsev, a game participant stated: “The weather just made it more hardcore! We were soaked to the skin, but the morale was high. The field is excellent. We almost jumped from the first explosions. Cars is super! Landing from barges is unforgettable! The tank with a grenade is amazing. The small armored car was a real headache in the absence of an RPG.” “The game lasted almost a day, and the fighting never stopped for a minute. At the same time we all have time to enjoy! We defended the shore (and later landed this shore), participated in desperate assaults and defensive, frontal attacks and a long detours. During the day and the night”, stated Sergey Ratushny, a game participant.

The organizers of the “Battle for the Falklands” were among the first in Russia who used the system destruction technology based on laser tag technology.

As a result of many battles the combined forces of United Kingdom and United States managed to keep the Falkland Islands. The organizers do not plan to manage the next part of the game. They prefer to imagine new scenarios every time.

The Ural Workshop Group was organized in 2010, for 6 years they organized about 20 major airsoft events. The maximum number of participants in the game was more than 1,500 people. Vladimir Urga, the head of the workshop group stated: “The advantage of the Ural airsoft is our geographical location. We are on the border between Europe and Asia, we are on the same distance both from Moscow and eastern part of Russia. We invite airsofters from all over the world to join our events!”

Alexander aka Marty Levchenko Maria aka Marta Litvinova www.airsoft-action.online

39

event AIRSOFT UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE NO, NOT THE WELL-KNOWN TV SHOW BUT UNIVERSITY AIRSOFT TEAMS BATTLING IT OUT IN A REAL CHALLENGE. IGGY ROBERTS REPORTS… STUDENTS FROM UNIVERSITIES all over the country enjoy Airsoft and more and more students are banding together to form Airsoft Societies. They attend sites as teams within these societies, or join other teams that are regular to their local site. However, there has never been a competitive game or tournament geared towards students.

Consequently, one student, Kyle Wood from the University of West of England, decided to change that. With the assistance of other members of his society he put together an inter-University Speedball Championship. They approached their local site, Bristol Airsoft Courthouse with a request to host the first event. This is where it all started…

Bristol Airsoft Courthouse is highly suited to host this championship due to its CQB nature and overall size. They chose the game”capture the flag”, a speedball style of game, because it’s straight forward to run as a competitive airsoft event.

Umarex supported the event and provided sponsorship.

Brad “The Bear” Scott, a fighter from UFC, presented the medals and trophy and shield to the winning team, as well as supporting the running of the event.

The winning University gets to keep the trophy and each player of the winning team is awarded a medal. The shield is kept by the winning University for one year and the name of that University will be engraved on the shield.

The Universities that took part in this first annual event were Leicester, Cardiff, Kent, Warwick, FXU (Combined airsoft societies of Falmouth and Exeter) and the University of West of England. The tournament itself consisted of capture the flag games, each team has 5-7 players (5 playing and up to 2 subs) and every University can enter 2 teams. The teams go against one another with the losing teams being knocked out until you are left with a final game. Every game consists of 3 rounds, each round lasting 4 minutes.

The scoring system is based on accumulating points. 25 points are awarded for finding and capturing the flag. A further 25 points are awarded to the team that drops the flag off at their enemy’s base and 10 points are awarded per kill.

Should a team get the flag to the enemy base, the round is won. If a team wins 2 rounds then they have won the game.

Should they draw then there is another decider round.

Cardiff University won the Championship, followed closely by the University of West of England.

This was a promising start for this trial University tournament and Kyle and his team want the event to grow nationally. There is thought to hold next year’s event in a more central location in the UK, which should attract many more Universities.

If you want to represent your University in next year’s Championship, then please contact Kyle on: kylewood2401@ gmail.com.

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41

AA’S INTREPID INTERNATIONAL REPORTER, LES LEE, TAKES A TRIP JUST DOWN THE COAST TO VISIT A SITE VERY CLOSE TO THAT OF A CERTAIN WELL-KNOWN HISTORICAL BATTLE

1066 AIRSOFT “THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman conquest of England”. Since then things have, shall we say, become more sophisticated but unknown to many, battles in Hastings are still going on to this day - only with not quite so much blood and guts being spilled.

Fast forward to the 21st century and my trusty Sat Nav lead me to this well signposted battleground known as 1066 Airsoft, situated just a few miles down the road from where the legendary battle between Harold and William took place near Hastings, in East Sussex.

As with all sites, a sat nav is virtually essential but when you arrive the site is very well signposted and a short drive takes you into the car park. You will need to carry your gear about 25 metres into the safe zone, where you will find benches, shelves, refreshments and consumables, plus some shiny new toys in the shape of sidearms and scopes, handgrips and holsters.

I must add that because this site is in a recognised area of natural beauty, only biodegradable BBs are permitted but of course, they can be purchased on the day in a variety of different weights.

1066 Airsoft is a site and

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a shop, although not located at the same place and by the time you read this, the shop will have relocated to a bigger and better “Airsoft-specific” premises because they have quite simply outgrown the original one.

The man behind 1066 Airsoft Ltd. is Brent Cooper, who is passionate about providing a professionally managed site in this part of the country, where there seems to be less Airsoft sites and shops than most other counties. In doing so, he is placing huge emphasis on promoting Airsoft in the safest and most responsible way possible, which of course I picked up on straight away as health and safety is something I have an immense interest in.

Brent decided to take his beloved hobby to the next level by opening his first shop in May 2014 and with the help of his fellow team members, The Dogs of War, plus family and friends, 1066 Airsoft retail shop was successfully established. Not being one to rest on his laurels, he decided to use his expertise and take a leap of faith and open his own site.

I can only imagine just how difficult it must be to not only find a suitable place to develop a woodland site but then the process of tracking down the owner, entering into negotiations and establish do’s and don’ts and compromises and create enough potential to make it an attractive enough venture which is financially viable. Brent was able to locate a fairly local

site report 1066 AIRSOFT

building self-confidence. We also encourage the notion and importance of being a team player and this instils a sense of trust and community among his group members” On arrival at the site the first thing players can expect is a warm and friendly welcome from the team, this is enhanced by a readily available free hot drink (free all day). After booking in, the rental players are directed to see “Goochy” to collect their rental equipment and a full safety brief on gun etiquette.

After every one has arrived, signed in and had a hot drink or cold drink if they wish, they like to give the players around 10– 15min to mingle with each other. After much needed banter, the players gather for the most important part, the safety brief and after all that they crack on with the day.

Now here is where I have come across a first at any site.

The included lunch is hot KFC!! Yes you read that right, Brent’s Mum goes into town just before the lunch break and buys bucketfuls of the stuff and it makes a very pleasant change

“YOU MAY BE THINKING THAT THIS SOUNDS FAIRLY BASIC BUT WHEN YOU SEE THE LAY OF THE LAND AND THE ACTUAL BRUTALITY OF THE ENSUING FIRE FIGHTS IT IS ANYTHING BUT BASIC, IT IS ADRENALINE PUMPING FROM START TO FINISH.” Paintball site and convince the owner that there is enough of a market for both activities to function alongside each other (obviously at different times) using the same landscape and facilities and when they shook hands and got to work on the site itself, 1066 Airsoft site was created.

It was time to roll up sleeves and get to work and bring it in line with what Airsofters expect because standards have increased tenfold since Paintball was invented. A first impression can make or break a site so Brent had to get it right first time but being the driven and dynamic enthusiast that he is, his perseverance and determination paid off. Assisted by a couple of local teams, friends and very importantly, his family, they rebuilt structures, cleaned up overgrown shrub land and built an array of strategic erections mostly using natural fallen timber. The icing on the cake came in the shape of a maze of kill rooms in one big building in the middle of the main game zone. From here a host of game objectives could be won or lost, or just simply fought over with ferocity and fearlessness.

During my visit, I was aware of patches being worn by local players depicting a logo and the name “Dogs of War”, so I asked Brent to explain what this was. He was proud to reply; “Well Les, The Battle of Hastings took place in the year 1066 and ended the Saxon reign across England in that period of history. It took place within 5-6 miles of our site and is a proud part of the town of Hastings’ heritage. With this in mind, our slogan is “Bringing the battle back to 1066 country.

“The Dogs of War team name came from a film favourite of mine, The Wild Geese also someone very close to me who was involved in the true events from where the film originates.

My nickname is Big Dog and since I started Airsoft all those years ago I was never part of an official team but I played a lot with the lads from Team Bacon. I was the one they called in to cause havoc on the battle field so in a sense I was a one man mercenary unit.”

My ears pricked up when the guys started talking about training youngsters in the safe handling and use of firearms and a host of other aspects of Airsoft which are often overlooked, so I asked Brent to elaborate on this.

“Through the team a start has been made to involve younger people and their families to help them understand that through education and support, these new players can enjoy and reap the benefits of the sport, i.e. team building skills/communication skills (such as using radios and also face to face), confidence building and leadership skills. We also encourage and embrace diversity in every way possible.

“Through the sport of Airsoft, both the team and I actively promote an anti-bullying ethos with younger players by

from other on-site food. Yep, proper KFC! I couldn’t believe it when I saw it but I did believe it when I was a chompin’ on chicken and fries! Oh yes! They can also provide a camo boiler suit if needed to cover your clothes and bin bags to sit on for the car for the journey home so they seem to have everything covered, especially the car seats!! (Sorry but I couldn’t resist that).

The average of 40 players are well suited to the 20 acres of game area which are split into two distinct battle zones, all predominantly woodland and open areas, with a number of defensive hides. The first battle zone is a fast paced close quarter combat area with a village, kill house and large fort.

The second is a challenging, medium to long range area on gradual incline that pits team’s skills in working as a unit to take out a higher dug in position.

To get people warmed up in the morning they normally start with a good old game of Death Match, they take a clicker on site and when you have been shot you take the short walk to the spawn point and get “clicked in”. These numbers are then totalled at the end of the day to work out the winners.

Next comes “Infection”. With regards to their site, they will pick 4-6 players to be the infected. They then ask all the

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43

EVOLUTION CONTINUES

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others to enter the Fort and the game is for the infected to infect everyone by shooting them. Once a normal player has been shot, they become infected, at which point they go back to spawn, come out and attack the Fort. They also play the Bomb Game, where there is bomb placed in the Fort which one team has to defend. The other team has to take the Fort and deactivate the bomb. And you may be thinking that this sounds fairly basic but when you see the lay of the land and the actual brutality of the ensuing fire fights it is anything but basic, it is adrenaline pumping from start to finish.

Brent and his crew do their very best to work closely with local teams and particular emphasis is placed on new players

basic training with a frequent objective of creating teams from the new and/or younger players so that they get that feel of belonging and the camaraderie that everyone seems to love and embrace. Another point which has impressed me is that a selection of Marshals are soon to be sent away to undertake Range Officer training. Now this is very impressive as it is an indication of just how responsible the staff at 1066 are and investing in Marshals is a new one on me but of course it is a massive credit to the guys. No more muzzle waving in the safe zone (a pet hate of mine).

When I asked Brent what makes 1066 different from the rest, he had this to say; “Well, in my opinion, our warm and welcoming attitude and the family feel that we have on site.

We are noticing that more and more younger players are popping along to either the site, or the shop with their parents/ carers and trying to drag them into playing as well!! Feedback we have had from parents is that they know they can leave their children with us (after filling out the relevant forms) and know that they are safe and looked after, which we believe is vitally important.�

If I am to summerise 1066 Airsoft, I would say it is a great site and definitely worth a visit - or six. The overall professionalism was without doubt some of the best I have ever seen in so many ways, from basic gun handling for new and/or young players, to Range Officer qualified Marshals ensuring fair play and creating a dynamic and enthralling experience for both novice and veteran players. These subtle ethics are incorporated into every game so that everyone has a memorable day - for all the right reasons.

A great site at a rather historical location where, had King Harold been wearing his eye pro during that battle back Brent Cooper 1066 Airsoft Ltd in 1066, he may not have had his eye shot Unit 5 Burnt House Farm out‌ which just proves that rules and regs Udimore Road are there for a reason!

Broad Oak Les OUT! Rye East Sussex TN31 6BX

Contact Details:

01424 439289 07740 351735 enquiries@1066airsoft.com

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OPERATION

CRYPT KICKER: THE FIGHT FOR COMMAND KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK HEADED OFF TO A MILSIM AT SENNYBRIDGE AND FOUND THAT AIRSOFT WASN’T THE ONLY BATTLE SHE HAD TO FIGHT Photos by John Wright OVER THE EASTER BANK HOLIDAY I was invited to attend Warzone Battle Simulation’s Operation Crypt Kicker, at Sennybridge FIBUA training village in the south of Wales.

Sennybridge FIBUA is a Ministry of Defence training area that is located near the quaint village of Sennybridge in Powys. The training village covers 12 miles of ground, is the 3rd largest training area in the UK and is a great setting for MilSim games as it mimics the look of a 1940’s Soviet village. The operation was simple: After the Battle for Plezrin, the Serbian Armed Forces had just 36 hours to complete their mission… assault Lepsvig and drive the Kosovan Liberation Army from the village to gain a foothold and, if possible, capture their HVTs. When I arrived on site, as a nominated Section Commander I was already quite nervous about my role over the weekend.

This would be my third MilSim style Op and admittedly I know very little about the Military and how it operates. I had spent the nights previous to Operation Crypt Kicker watching film after film recommended by the guys in my Section, such as We Were Soldiers, Saving Private Ryan, Inglorious Bastards and (one of my all-time favourite films) Black Hawk Down to prepare me somewhat for this role… but nothing realistically prepares you for such a role, bar experience. This would be a huge learning

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curve for me. Shortly after arriving on site and setting up camp, I was informed that one of our Force commanders had a family emergency and was unable to attend the event and, in his place, my comrade Ben was nominated as his successor to become Olympus 01 and I was named the force 2IC, Olympus 02, a very unexpected turn of events. With this position came a lot more responsibility, co-ordinating platoons and maintaining high level comms with my platoons.

Our first task was to sweep the village for IEDs, so at 23:00 hours myself and Olympus 01 sent our forces to sweep into the village from the west, flooding each building one by one.

The village was quiet and the IED sweep was successful and the village was now secure for our forces… or so we thought.

We made our way back to our command building (the home of Ares platoon) to debrief and count the bods and as our men were falling into line contact was made by the KLA as they attacked our building with force. Our forces exploded into action and the barn was lit up by torch light, pyro and tracer rounds and after a fierce firefight the KLA retreated back into the shadow of the night and we reorganised ourselves ready to return the favour.

Anyone who has been to Sennybridge FIBUA training village

event OPERATION CRYPT KICKER

will know that the elements are almost always against you and you need to be prepared for it. Within the Warzone SOP documents that everyone is required to read before their time with Warzone, it has a list of essential items needed to get through the weekend, such as a 3 Season sleeping bag and spare, warm clothes. On the Friday the weather was glorious sunshine, identical to the unusual weather we had at the last Warzone event in October 2015 but as Friday evening wore on the weather started to take a turn and as the squads rolled out from our mission briefing for phase one of the first attack, the temperature dropped to around 4 degrees Celsius and the wind had an icy chill.

Ares and Apollo platoons deployed from the top square at 03:00 hours and were to patrol south to checkpoint Alpha.

As we walked along the rolling Welsh hills, the lack of shelter meant the icy winds hit you full force and the chill was almost unbearable. The number of times I felt like sacking the Op in during the first attack was honestly overwhelming but after 45 minutes walking through the open hills we came to our objective; checkpoint Alpha. Ares platoon hunkered down into the tree line at the check point as small specks of rain started to fall, leaving a thin film of moisture on our gear. We sat still in the tree line for what felt like forever, with the harsh chill of the wind blasting against our backs. A succession of loud bangs followed by a burst of light from flares falling down towards our location signalled the KLA’s next move. The night exploded into screams for medics and we quickly learned that our helos had been attacked and our entire Mars platoon had gone down, save one man. My squad, Ares 3, pushed up through the forest as the other Ares platoons flanked the KLA. The firefights were intense and both teams fought fiercely despite the worsening weather and we pushed the KLA back into the western side of the village.

At 05:00 hours, after 6 hours in the field and battling against the elements, Olympus Actual gave me the order to send Ares platoon to rest. A much welcome rest, we took 3 hours to rest and refuel before getting back out on the ground.

Whilst we slept and the morning light began to creep in, the temperature remained steady and the rain fell harder. By 08:00 hours on Saturday morning the rain was falling heavily and the ground was saturated and muddy, our brothers and sisters in the SAF fought through into the morning light.

Being freezing cold and wearing clothes that are soaked through really grinds down morale and a participant’s resolve and due to these harsh weather conditions a fair few of the participants did leave the event early (from both sides), which is understandable. One of the complaints I had over the weekend was the lack of bods to shoot and as the weekend wore on there were less and less players due to various reasons… weather, injury, family emergencies etc. After speaking to some of the participants who left, it seemed that there were some communication issues between KLA command and themselves which caused some to depart early. The SAF force did not experience this but we felt the knock on effect as some of our side went home due to it not being an even fight. Warzone did combat the lack of bods issue by offering those who stayed until the end of the event some training. It isn’t the first time participants have left an event early and it won’t be the last.

The toughest part of this weekend for me, wasn’t the

“OUR FORCES EXPLODED INTO ACTION AND THE BARN WAS LIT UP BY TORCH LIGHT, PYRO AND TRACER ROUNDS AND AFTER A FIERCE FIREFIGHT THE KLA RETREATED BACK INTO THE SHADOW OF THE NIGHT AND WE REORGANISED OURSELVES READY TO RETURN THE FAVOUR.”

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event OPERATION CRYPT KICKER

weather nor the fatigue but the fight for command that I one of my lads screaming “They’re on the stairs! Get up you faced throughout the weekend. I experienced a lot of push ****s!” in a thick scouse accent! When I opened my eyes he back from players who simply didn’t want to take orders from was stood there in simply a tee shirt, eye pro, boxers and his a female or someone they deemed “not good enough” to boots! He had engaged in a full firefight on the stairs in just his be their “superior”. Dealing with these players was a massive underwear which sent me into absolute hysterics. So much so, learning curve and was mostly down to pure perseverance that in my attempt to get up and into fighting order, my camp and being given “tough love” talks by my force commander bed tipped and I landed in a crumpled heap on the floor in my that I got through. It quickly became apparent to me that less sleeping bag! Our section got ready pretty sharpish (and by this than co-operative troops were more willing to take orders if I mean minimal clothing, eyepro and a weapon) and luckily 4 they felt like they were in control, i.e. unaware that I was still of us managed to hold them off. This firefight got intense and pulling the strings and getting the job done. Although that being said, “ONE OF MY LADS WAS SCREAMING “THEY’RE ON THE STAIRS! GET UP if you do not want to follow a chain of command or martial law, why are YOU ****S!” IN A THICK SCOUSE ACCENT! WHEN I OPENED MY EYES HE you at a MilSim style event? Making WAS STOOD THERE IN SIMPLY A TEE SHIRT, EYE PRO, BOXERS AND HIS executive decisions was a part of this BOOTS! HE HAD ENGAGED IN A FULL FIREFIGHT ON THE STAIRS IN JUST position that I didn’t expect to be making. At 23:00 hours on Saturday HIS UNDERWEAR WHICH SENT ME INTO ABSOLUTE HYSTERICS.” night, with the weather worsening and troop moral low, I suggested to the organisers that we have a ceasefire and put all troops to left everyone wanting more, so our gear went on and into the bed, to begin again at first light on Sunday. This was welcomed night we went. by forces on both sides.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the event – although it does Whilst being made command was a personal highlight, have to be said that it was an exceptionally tough weekend there were a fair few other highlights for me, including that was mentally and physically exhausting due to the harsh interrogating HVT’s, escorting my force commander from weather conditions, lack of sleep and general fatigue. My first building to building as co-ordinated enemy attacks took place, experience of command was an interesting one. There was setting off flares and other pyro but my absolute favourite was a mix of reactions to a relatively inexperienced female being when the Ares platoon building was attacked during our rest in one of the highest command positions in the force which hours on Saturday evening. ranged from experienced MilSimmers who follow the chain of command to the letter (offering advice and solutions to the My section was on the top floor of Building 11 with the difficult decisions I was faced over the weekend), to players other Ares sections on the floors below. Our building had been breached by KLA and most of our Ares brothers were screaming who did not want to take orders from players they considered for medics, they had entered the building undetected through below them. The feedback I got, however, from the organisers the barn that backed onto our building. I was awoken by the and members of the SAF platoons was fantastic and has really sound of shots, bangs outside our door and shouting – and spurred me on to take on yet more challenging roles.

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THE DIVISION GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY KICKS OFF A NEW COLUMN CALLED “TAKING YOUR ONLINE… OFFLINE” WITH A LOOK AT A LOADOUT FROM ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR CURRENT GAMES… TOM CLANCY’S “THE DIVISION”.

FAST-PACED PC AND CONSOLE “SHOOTERS” always seem to be a big hit with airsofters and this month’s offer, taking the Airsoft Action office by storm, is Ubisoft’s tactical “third person shooter” The Division.

Set in a New York cityscape ravaged by a terrorist attack, a new strain of the Smallpox virus has been used to infect banknotes on “Black Friday”, spreading an epidemic among the shoppers and resulting in the city being quarantined. In the quarantine zone escaped convicts, survivors and vigilantes revert to the law of the concrete jungle and survival of the fittest.

Sent in to try and restore order (and power, water and supplies) are an elite government agency known as “The Division”. These are a crack band of operators living as “sleeper agents” just in case of this sort of emergency; they could be your colleague, your boss, or your friends. As a player you start off as one of these newly activated sleeper agents, in your everyday clothes and with your SMG taken out of hiding, you’re ready to take on missions from your command centre.

As scenarios go it’s just got “airsoft game” written all over it! You’ve got a largely civilian-free, derelict urban battle-zone, with marauding bands of thugs roaming about in three or four distinct factions; from the escaped prisoner “rikers”, through to the vigilante “cleaners” (dead set on burning out

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the infection and the infected) and even a PMC company, the “Last Man Battalion”. Facing off against the lawless bands are the regular army style, ACU-clad “Joint Task Force”, or JTF and the aforementioned “Division”; but to add an extra twist some of them have gone rogue and are as much of a threat as the gangs.

All in all a cracking scenario that I’d love to play an airsoft version of …and thinking this and being inspired by Jerry's “Loaded or Unloaded” feature where he replicated the kit from the “Metro” series of games, I decided to try and have a go at working up a “The Division” loadout that was not only “game accurate” but skirmishable too.

Those of you that know me, or know my usual columns, will know that I’m all about the “retro” and normally this would cause a bit of a problem (and a hit in the wallet) with replicating an “ultra-modern” impression but luckily “The Division” agents come from all walks of life. As you progress through the game your character builds up an outfit of a mix of military, civilian and outdoors kit. Which is great news for me as, apart from airsofting I also enjoy hiking, rock climbing and general “outdoors” type stuff, so luckily have a fair bit of hard wearing civvy field gear to choose from.

In the game it’s just before Christmas and the snow is falling. I’m getting along nicely at level 20 and I’ve managed to find myself a good SMG and a decent DMR. My character currently is kitted out with a “black market T821” (a sort of Uzi copy) and a scoped “classic M1” (which looks a lot like an M14 to me). Luckily both of these AEGs are in my airsoft arsenal already, add my 1911 pistol and we’re good to go, now just a case of finding the right clothes for that “sleeper agent” look.

Aside from small arms, a key component of the game is your “armour” which can affect your firepower, health and ability to use skills. Your “armour” weirdly comes in the form of the obvious (like your body armour vest) through to the less likely (your drop leg holster). The armour components are your aforementioned flak vest, respirator (for entering virus infected zones), knee pads, gloves and daysack (which also governs how much loot you can carry). As an added level of customisation, helping civilians in need, searching wardrobes in abandoned apartments and visiting some shops reveals a wealth of purely cosmetic clothing options.

So at the moment my character is rocking his weapons, the

Feature ONLINE… OFFLINE

“ALL IN ALL A CRACKING SCENARIO THAT I’D LOVE TO PLAY AN AIRSOFT VERSION OF …AND THINKING THIS AND BEING INSPIRED BY JERRY'S “LOADED OR UNLOADED” FEATURE WHERE HE REPLICATED THE KIT FROM THE “METRO” SERIES OF GAMES, I DECIDED TO TRY AND HAVE A GO AT WORKING UP A “THE DIVISION” LOADOUT THAT WAS NOT ONLY “GAME ACCURATE” BUT SKIRMISHABLE TOO.“

required armour components and I’ve chosen to dress him in a “mesh cap”, a “modern” shemagh, a “slim jacket”, “modern suede boots” and “simple hiking pants” (or as we like to call them “trousers”)… I think I can manage most of that.

Finding an OD baseball cap was easy enough, as was the khaki shemagh. I’d recently bought a modern(ish) Russian “gorka” mountain suit and the trousers are a dead-ringer for the games “hiking pants”. Adding an old grey hoody and a The North Face navy blue waterproof (with an internet sourced “SHD” patch) completed the clothes layer. Time to get tactical!

One thing I do have far too many pairs of is boots. The wife despairs at the 16 or so different pairs of combat boots I’ve got in the kit room, that find their way around the house with alarming regularity. I initially considered some black leather army boots but thought a pair of Coyote brown 5.11 HRT boots would not only look the part but be a bit more manoeuvrable for urban gaming. In a similar manner I was

going to use some Barbour shooting gloves as my “hand armour” that I had lying about but I’d been itching to buy some Oakley assault gloves for ages and it seemed a good as an excuse as any, so a quick order was made with SoF and they were with me the next day.

Knee pads were already in the “stores” at home and in this instance I decided to use a pair of British Army surplus Blackhawk pads in green to put a bit more “random” in the loadout and an old “Strike Systems” drop leg. More substantial armour was a problem I had to circumvent. The issue is while I’ve got several flak jackets they all date from the 70s and 80s, are unmistakeably military and either camo covered or huge and bulky Vietnam examples. Luckily my local surplus store had a truckload of police surplus stab vests both with and without the protective inserts; never one to rough it needlessly I opted for one without the heavy inner and made my own inserts out of an old roll mat. Hey presto, some www.airsoft-action.online

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Feature ONLINE… OFFLINE

business-like “body armour” for less than a tenner!

So far my division loadout had been put together on a shoestring but there was just one signature item I didn’t have in the “war room” and couldn’t seem to find cheaply and that was a diagonal strap day sack. Thankfully while on a visit to JD Airsoft to pick up some ordered items, I noticed the 5.11 Triab 18 daysack and it was perfect. It looks the part and had enough molle loops and straps to allow me to customise it in a suitable random way to capture the look my character gets as he acquires more and more grenades, medic kits and support tools.

KIT AND SOURCES

So all in all I was pretty pleased with my attempts to take my online persona offline, my only regret is that I couldn’t get an “agent watch” with it distinctive orange glowing face… You can get them but as they came with the Deluxe Edition of the game they currently go for silly money on eBay. Whether or not this kit passes the skirmish test has yet to be seen but if you see a Division Agent on the skirmish field near you, don’t worry we’re not contagious!

(If you’d like to see a particular video game loadout featured in Airsoft Action why not write to the team and we’ll see what we can do between us!)

Cap: CondorTactical Contractors Cap. Soldier of Fortune £9.99

Hoody and Shemagh, own clothes!

Police ‘stab vest’ Body Armour Anchor Supplies £5 without inserts £35 with.

The North Face Hyvent jacket The North Face £70 Oakley pilot gloves Soldier of Fortune £38.49 5.11 Triab 18 daysack JD Airsoft £114.99

Nuprol bungee sling JD Airsoft £19.99

Various ammo pouches Anchor Supplies approx. £5 each

Gorka 3 Suit Ebay £40 (trousers and jacket)

Blackhawk knee pads Anchor Supplies £8

5,11 HRT boots 5.11 Tactical £120

www.airsoft-action.online

55

XDM IPSC

A RECENTLY RELEASED HANDGUN REPLICA THAT WILL APPEAL TO AIRSOFTERS AND TARGET SHOOTERS ALIKE, JERRY NOONE TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT THE “IPSC” READY XDM FROM WE AIRSOFT EUROPE

IT’S BEEN INTERESTING OVER THE past couple of years to watch the rise and rise of practical shooting based on the competitions run under the auspices of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC). A (Airsoft) IPSC is now a fully recognised arm of shooting sports overseen in Britain by the United Kingdom Practical Shooting Association and you’ll find it referred to as “Action Air” on their website.

This uptake and recognition of airsoft pistols as being valid “tools of the trade” for competition purposes has led to the joining of forces between airsofters and shooting clubs and AIPSC is certainly one of the areas where individuals without a valid skirmishing defence can own airsoft pistols quite legally.

If you look at the world of real practical shooting many of the pistols used are custom built and brightly coloured, so having a two-tone airsoft pistol isn’t going to bother people too much in this particular discipline.

With that established I would be the first to note that practical shooters often spend an awful lot of money on their replica handguns as slides are ported and lightened, trigger pulls made crisper and overall operation tightened up. I love the look of these wonderful creations and dabble a bit in AIPSC myself but I tend to just use my own pistols as they are, without going to huge lengths and expense - but then again I’m no regular competition winner!

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JUNE 2016

Armoury WEAE XDM IPSC

In their usual, inimitable fashion though WE Airsoft Europe have noted the “practical” trend and are once again leading the market forward with the introduction of their “IPSC” ready XDM. This is an “off the shelf” pistol replica that has all the required features to let you go out and start competing without breaking the bank!

A CLASSIC BASE!

Going back to 2001, Springfield Armory pretty much stunned the shooting world by unleashing their first generation X-Treme Duty (XD) pistols onto the market, transforming the type of thing they had become famous for into something completely modern and up to date.

The polymer-framed, striker-fired XDs came loaded with features that set them apart from the competition. The striker status indicator and loaded chamber indicator meant you could see at a glance, or a touch, if there was a chambered round and if the striker was cocked. Three separate safeties guarded against accidental discharges and provided extra peace of mind. The Ultra Safety Assurance (USA) Action Trigger System prevented unintentional rearward movement of the trigger. The grip safety kept the pistol from firing unless the shooter had a firm grip on it and it even used the same grip angle as the famed .45 caliber 1911!

Fast forward to 2007 and Springfield Armory took the next step forward in the evolution of the XD series by introducing the XDM; this built upon the already solid reputation of the original XD by adding a match grade trigger and barrel, hence the additional “M” in the nomenclature. With multiple interchangeable back straps, the XDM could be perfectly tailored to fit your hand and as it shared the same grip angle as the standard XD and the 1911, the XDM pointed effortlessly and naturally. Aggressive mega-lock frame texturing and major grasp slide serrations kept the XDM in your hand and operational under any conditions. Very quickly shooters worldwide adopted the XDM and Springfield had yet another success on their hands!

OH, SO RIGHT!

There is also an attractive flared magwell which helps locate the magazine for swift reloads and the 24 round magazine is fitted with a rubber “bumper” foot; you’re going to need to “box dump” magazines sometimes when running a course of fire and this will certainly help to protect the gas valve. The magazine release is fully ambidextrous and one feature that I particularly like is that inserting a fresh magazine releases the slide forward automatically. AIPSC is all about accuracy and speed and all these carefully thought out little features will help to shave those all-important seconds off your course of fire time!

The XDM IPSC is a super pistol to shoot as well. Using the recommended NUPROL 2.0 and some high quality 2.0g BBs, the pistol gave an average of 0.76 Joule/287fps over a complete magazine. The action, even without any additional lubrication, is super smooth and the blowback gives a hefty

So WE Airsoft Europe have taken a well-reputed pistol as their base and have then added to it with a great set of features and a fabulous finish. As with the “real deal” the XDM replica has a “polymer” frame and an aggressively serrated metal slide and the finish of both materials is very, very good indeed. Weighing in at 950g it’s a good solid handful but the ergonomics are excellent and the grip slim enough even for smaller hands. The backstrap is not interchangeable but everything else is right and the deep thumb grooving on either side, along with texturing of the grip “IN THEIR USUAL, INIMITABLE FASHION THOUGH WE AIRSOFT EUROPE overall, means it sits solidly in your grasp.

Just like the real world version, HAVE NOTED THE “PRACTICAL” TREND AND ARE ONCE AGAIN LEADING the XDM is fully equipped with safety THE MARKET FORWARD WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THEIR “IPSC” features. There are working trigger and backstrap/grip safeties, along with READY XDM” an additional lockout safety which is actuated by moving the silver serial number bar in front of the trigger guard to the rearmost thump. At 10m I was able to achieve groupings about the same position. I really like this feature as you can fully deactivate the size as a £2 coin with just the very occasional flyer which was pistol whilst in transit. more down to the user than the gun!

The XDM also benefits from a hop up feature. This is Priced at £159.99 this a an awful lot of handgun for the located inside the slide, alongside the rear of the inner barrel money and for airsofters that already run an XDM as their and allows you to really fine tune performance if you are using skirmish sidearm, it’s an absolutely ideal pistol to get you into different weights of BBs. You do, however, need to remove the competition mode and you can even use your existing holster slide from the frame to make adjustments. if it’s a cutaway. If you’re thinking of giving AIPSC a go then Getting down to the IPSC nitty-gritty though, there are a I would most definitely consider the WE Airsoft Europe XDM number of great features that come as standard on the replica IPSC as your pistol of choice. that usually you need to add as quite expensive aftermarket For more information and stockist details please visit www. parts. At the business end the XDM has a compensator fitted; weairsofteurope.com. whilst this does little to the shooting performance in airsoft If you would like to check out the UKPSA Rules for Action guise per se, it does help to give the pistol a super balance and Air Competition you can find them by following the link allows space to fit a longer inner barrel should you wish to www.ukpsa.co.uk/IPSCRules13May03/RulesAir2015.pdf upgrade power and accuracy at a later date. www.airsoft-action.online

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AIRSOFT RAID! GADGE TAKES TIME OUT FROM DEBATES AND COLD WAR WARRIORS, TO VISIT UP-AND-COMING MIDLANDS AIRSOFT SITE “RAID AIRSOFT” WITH ALARMING PREDICTABILITY my trip to RAID airsoft began with my satnav trying to convince me that a picturesque farm house, on a road junction, was the place I would soon be flinging BBs at my erstwhile opponents. Clearly it wasn’t and after a few minutes checking out nearby roads I soon saw a signpost for “Skirmish Paintball”. Knowing that RAID, like many sites, shared their land with the popular paintball franchise I was certain this had to be it!

On arrival at the site I was reassured to see a decent number of player’s cars parked up already; it’s often the case with new sites that it takes months and months to build up a player base but it seemed like today we were in luck! So without further ado I decided to track down site manager and RAID head honcho Johnjay Hogan. I was still there pretty early and while a few players were kitting up in the Safe Zone, I actually found Johnjay hard at work with marshal Lee, sticking up regen points in nearby woodland clearings.

Walking back with Johnjay and Lee to the Safe Zone, I found out that RAID had only been in business for a few months but already had a core of keen regulars. Looking around the well-built and provisioned Safe Zone I noticed the usual healthy mix of hardcore players, more casual skirmishers and complete beginners, all keyed up and ready to get started.

As you’d expect from a “Skirmish” property, the Safe Zone is well constructed with ample seating and tables, space under cover for kit and a well-stocked shop with 58

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snacks, pop, energy drinks, crisps and pot noodles for the peckish. One thing I did notice was a lack of site hire guns for walk ons and Lee explained to me that they usually had these available but had had issues with their current supplier and were in the process of setting up a new set of hire guns. Luckily I had my trusty AK74 with me but it’s worth making sure you’ve got your own BB-chucker, or the loan of one, before turning up until the guys sort out the hire guns (in fairness Lee said they were happy to loan guns to the odd “unarmed” player but at the present were not able to supply a full party of players).

Running once a month on the third Sunday, RAID seem keen to slowly build up their site and game days and not rush headlong, a sound strategy in our eyes and for a group that had only been running since just before Christmas that steady growth seemed wise.

With everyone kitted up and ready to rock it was time for the briefing. Marshal Lee kicked off with a concise but comprehensive safety brief, outlining the site rules, safezone behaviour and exactly what to do if anything were to go wrong. It’s always tricky to balance a safety brief; make it too long and players switch off and start chatting and not listening – make it too short and you miss vital information. The balance was just right here, with a healthy injection of humour to keep players focussed.

So with all that out of the way and with guns chronoed to the sites sensible limits of 350 for AEGS on auto, 400 for single shot DMRs and 500 for bolt actions (with a minimum engagement distance and a short test to prove you could judge that distance!) we were off. Johnjay had previously announced on the site’s FB page that the day’s missions would be based on

site report RAID AIRSOFT

the popular “Call of Duty” video game series. While I’m not a great fan of CoD it made a lot of sense to have your game rules based around a format that even new players had a fair chance of being familiar with.

The first round of missions was “search and destroy” and would utilise the site’s existing paintball areas. Normally I’m not mad on paintball site scenery, finding it overly “cartoony” but at this site the “village” area was more like a concrete (appearing) bunker complex of grey wooden block houses… suitably military for players like me. In the S&D missions both sides would try and get an “explosive” briefcase to an arming point in the centre of the game arena. Once there it could be opened and “armed” or “defused”. Many sites build incredibly elaborate props for this sort of affair but the RAID solution was quite simple and effective. Inside the case was a page from a word search and each team had a different code word to find to defuse or arm the bomb… certainly a novel twist to have to switch your mind on to find a cryptically hidden word while pumped up with adrenaline!

Despite the best efforts of the yellow team, the red team dominated the first few rounds winning five out of six short, frantic and exhausting matches. The weird thing was the yellow team were doing nothing wrong, they were pushing hard, playing well, both sides were taking their hits but the yellows couldn’t get a break. To avoid a “one sided” day, Johnjay and his team then switched to the “missile silo” area of the site (a small arena covered with defused aircraft ordnance and blocks of cover) and mixed the teams up a little. This seemed to do the trick and all of a sudden the yellows were in with a chance.

I packed my camera away for a bit and got stuck in on the yellow team as we tried to win the flag snatch games on this

“INSIDE THE CASE WAS A PAGE FROM A WORD SEARCH AND EACH TEAM HAD A DIFFERENT CODE WORD TO FIND TO DEFUSE OR ARM THE BOMB… CERTAINLY A NOVEL TWIST TO HAVE TO SWITCH YOUR MIND ON TO FIND A CRYPTICALLY HIDDEN WORD WHILE PUMPED UP WITH ADRENALINE!”

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site report RAID AIRSOFT

site. I have to admit I’ve been “off site” and out of action for a while after a nasty foot injury and it showed… I was exhausted after just an hour of these quick-fire rounds.

End Ex was called and it was time for lunch, a tasty hot dog and some fizzy pop and time to swap war stories. After wolfing down my lunch I made the rounds to chat to the players. Many were there for the first time; others had made it their local site.

There was a higher than average percentage of serving military and ex-military players there and this is probably helped by Johnjay’s excellent idea of providing soldiers and veterans with a £5 discount on their day fee… a practical “help for heroes” if you will. Overall I found the RAID players to be some of the friendliest airsofters I’ve ever had the pleasure to game with, taking me in (a total stranger) and treating me like an old friend swapping jokes, comparing kit and complimenting each other on our gameplay. Some of the guys made a last minute visit to the shop to stock up on BBs and pyro (and there is a modest amount of tac kit available on site too, if say you’ve forgot your gloves or something). Unfortunately there is currently no facility to charge batteries but Lee told me they were installing a generator and chargers for future events.

The next mission was another Call of Duty classic, a VIP assassination mission. I’d once again picked up my camera to snap shots of the game in action and instantly regretted my decision – this game looked like *exactly* my thing. Moving away from the quick play fields, the RAID team took the players down to an expansive and dense (for early spring) section of the Redditch woodland. Trenches ran between barricades, shot up Land Rovers were parked next to radar dishes; this would make any milsim player happy. In this mission each team had to knock out a VIP which would be represented by a target poster pinned up close to the enemies spawn area. Just getting a hit wasn’t enough, the target would have to be totally destroyed by either grenade blast or enough fire to shred the poster. Each VIP was a decent distance apart so patrolling skills came to the fore here as players tried to outflank and infiltrate each other’s target zone. Unlike the morning games which were “hit and regen”, in this game players could be medic’d by assigned team medics but if you couldn’t get patched up in time then you were both taking the “long walk” back. While the undergrowth was yet to bloom, there was enough tree cover, trench and barricades to make this game a really sneaky affair.

I can’t imagine how cool it will be when the summer brings the undergrowth up to full height though!

Just tracking and photographing the action of this game was exhausting and I really felt for the players as the March afternoon got uncharacteristically warm and felt like the middle of June. This battle was as hard fought on both sides as anything I’ve ever seen in airsoft but after about an hour of constant battle the red team managed to get a grenade under the enemy’s VIP and call end ex.

Back at the Safe Zone there was a little post game muttering on both sides about “non-hit taking” but as an objective observer I’m positive that it was in the “eye of the beholder” as I only saw every player take their hits and even put their hand up to ricochets. The RAID team were on this, however, with a friendly “pep talk” about sportsmanship and explaining that the marshals would be extra vigilant for the next battle and that if there were any cheats, it wouldn’t be tolerated. (I have to say though, I honestly don’t think anyone was cheating. This happens on a hot day after lunch at almost every event I’ve ever played in!)

The day was rounded off with some more S&D missions back around the village and missile silo. Players now knew the lay of the land and some epic outflanking manoeuvres were undertaken, some heroic defences and some brave runs for the arming point. I had been keeping track of the scores but by this point it was clear no one really cared who was winning, they just wanted to play some great airsoft.

Overall I really enjoyed my day at RAID airsoft. It’s clearly a new site that is finding its feet but those feet are clearly on solid ground and ex-squaddie Johnjay isn’t the sort of man to run before he can walk! There is clearly a very “military” ethos to the site, in terms of no nonsense professionalism and Johnjay told me that he hopes to run some ”basic battle skills” events to teach non-military players patrols skills, room clearance and all those handy “army” things that do actually help in airsoft.

The player base is currently small but respectable and the guys have yet to do their major “build days” to make real “MilSim” terrain, so why not get involved with the RAID boys early and be part of the team from the start?

I know that with my in-laws only a few miles up the road, whenever I’m visiting the wife’s folks I’ll be escaping to RAID and back for more!

RAID Airsoft www.raidwestmidlands.com Green Fee: £26.50 walk on. No group gun hire at present but ring to check availability Green Fee for serving and ex forces £20 RAID Airsoft Cookhill, Alcester B49 5LR +44.7593 403602 raid.airsoft@hotmail.com

www.airsoft-action.online

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CONTRACTOR PANTS

ELITE JACKET

ELITE BASEBALL HAT

TACTICAL T-SHIRT

n 6 Pocket, 2 with inner felt lined utility compartments

The Elite jacket is made from water resistant Micro-shell material, offering the user maximum comfort.

n Made from Nylon/Cotton

n Super heavyweight 220gsm cotton

n Re-enforced knee panel with knee pad compartment n Elasticated waist panel on rear for added comfort.

Material: Ripstop Polycotton

Material: Micro-Shell Sizes UK: S-XXL Colour: Titanium SRP: £59.95

n Rip-stop tear resistant n Front Velcro ID panel n Velcro size adjustment Sizes: One size fits most Colour: Titanium

n 2 sleeve pockets with velcro Sizes: S-XXXL Colour: Titanium SRP: £22.95

SRP: £9.95

Sizes: 28”- 42” Colour: Titanium SRP: £42.00

>GET THE

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE

TACTICAL

STOCKISTS / CATALOGUE

www.vipertactical.co.uk

Loaded or Unloaded FULL METAL JACKET

L A T E M L L U F

T E K JAC

IF YOU’RE INTENDING TO GET INVOLVED IN SKIRMISHES AND OPERATIONS IN AN URBAN SETTING THEN YOU’RE GOING TO NEED TO LOOK AT YOUR CAMOUFLAGE AND CONCEALMENT IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY. JERRY NOONE TAKES A LOOK AT THE NEW RANGE OF TITANIUM GREY KIT FROM VIPER THAT WILL HELP YOU TO BLEND IN EFFECTIVELY THE WORLD IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY urban with towns and cities sprawling out ever further each and every year. The fact of the matter is that in this environment we really need to blend in, to become one with the concrete, tarmac and especially the shadows and that means that we usually need to contend with a “grey” colour palette.

From a distance, or in situations with marginal light, the greyscale tone of most surfaces is dark and muted. Concrete, tarmac, alleyways and rooftops are common modern backgrounds, environments that are subject to low ambient light and more often than not, deep shadows. In these conditions, black stands out in the shadows, easily identifiable and clearly defined. In contrast, dark grey is the least visible colour; it quite literally blends into its surroundings.

The “fade to grey” story really took off in 2012 when Arc’teryx LEAF unleashed their “Urban Wolf” line of clothing.

In the ensuing years numerous tactical manufacturers have followed the “LEAF Lead” by developing their gear in tones of grey and very recently we’ve been seeing “grey gear” being worn by some very special units. The latest player to enter this

arena is our very own, UK-based VIPER with their initial range of TITANIUM products.

TITANIUM has really been chosen for urban and industrial areas and it breaks with tradition and introduces a colour blend for modern, built-up environments. A new alternative to traditional blue or black, grey is less traditional and therefore a less recognisable as a “uniform”. TITANIUM provides a covert tonal shade for use in urban settings.

CLOTHING CONSIDERATIONS

Obviously if you’re going to be operating in a low profile way there are other ways to “blend in with the crowd” and much of that is about what you do and how you act, as it is about clothing choice and even an well-chosen discreet colour is going to be pointless if you’re wearing a lots of velcro patches and tactical pants with big, baggy cargo pockets and honing around like a mad thing. You need to be stealthy and to look how you can conceal yourself in the crowd and in the shadows.

You need a clever colour married up with some thoughtful design to really make things work for you.

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What VIPER have done is to look very closely at some key clothing pieces initially and keep things ultra-low profile and pared back. Whilst all the features that you’d expect are present they’ve been added in a much more subtle way so as not to immediately scream out “tactical”.

The first item of clothing is a solid ballcap. The ELITE Baseball Cap is a classic, no-nonsense design made from a mix of rip-stop tear resistant nylon and cotton. It has a front Velcro ID panel and simple Velcro side adjustment so one size fits most. Priced at just £9.50 this is a “no-brainer” of a brain cover!

Priced iro of £21.00 the VIPER Tactical T-Shirt is a great piece to wear next to the skin. It’s made from superheavyweight 220gsm cotton with a straightforward round neck and two upper sleeve pockets with Velcro.

This is a great design, fits well and works extremely well in the summer months.

The Contractor Pants are the latest design to be launched in the VIPER trouser range and I have to say that they are a really super, well-thought out design; it’s one that works superbly well with the “covert” theme as the cut is very “civvy” with some very low profile pocketing. Made from rip-stop PolyCotton, the pants feature two deep bellow cargo packets with inner felt lined utility compartments, two hand-warmer pockets and two rear seat pockets. The knee panel is fully reinforced with a compartment for a knee pad insert (you’ll need to buy these separately or make some yourself!). They also have a gusseted crotch and an elasticated waist panel on the rear for added comfort, a YKK zip fly with button and drawstring tie bottoms. With a price-tag of £39.99 you get a lot of trouser for your money!

Last but by no means least, is the Tactical Elite Jacket. This is an established VIPER design and I’ve been wearing a black version for some time now and it’s really stood up well to an awful lot of abuse!

The Elite jacket is made from water resistant Micro-Shell material, offering maximum comfort on all but the very harshest of wet weather days

“MUCH IS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AND HOW YOU ACT, AS IT IS ABOUT CLOTHING CHOICE AND EVEN AN WELL-CHOSEN DISCREET COLOUR IS GOING TO BE POINTLESS IF YOU’RE WEARING A LOTS OF VELCRO PATCHES AND TACTICAL PANTS WITH BIG, BAGGY CARGO POCKETS AND HONING AROUND LIKE A MAD THING.” 64

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and there’s even a hood with an adjustable peak stashed away in the collar. There are three external pockets in the main body area of the jacket, two upper arm utility pockets with velcro patches and a small zipped pocket on the lower left arm for ID cards or small map cards. The main closure is a strong two-way YKK zip and there are also underarm zipped vents to you can regulate your core temperature effectively and elasticated cuffs with velcro. This really is a cracking jacket and costs £54.99 which is super value given the level of performance it provides!

Loaded or Unloaded FULL METAL JACKET

GEAR LUGGERS

The world of tactical packs, rucs, gear luggers, haulers or whatever you may like to call them is a wide one and it’s a market which is fiercely competitive, not just in relation to price but also when it comes to materials, construction and design features. Any manufacturer of tactical gear worth their salt will offer models of different shapes and sizes within their range and the designers are constantly coming up with new innovations to deal with the everchanging needs of the end user.

VIPER have really pushed the boat out with their new TITANIUM range, choosing great materials well put together in a number of both existing and some totally new designs using their LAZER technology.

This really is an impressive feat and I have to say that every single model is worthy of your consideration. What I find most amazing is that they’ve still managed to keep the cost of the packs down without cutting corners and there is literally something for everyone within the lineup.

Starting things off is the Shoulder Pack which at 10L makes a great little covert carry bag. It features a large main compartment with small zip pocket and two nylon sleeves with Velcro secured openings, of which one has elastic retainer strap. There are 3 zip pockets at the front with number of nylon sleeves, elastic bands and single plastic karabiner and these can act as convenient organizers. A padded pocket on the back as well as multiple LAZER MOLLE attachment points and D-rings placed throughout the bag, including shoulder strap, offer additional carrying space. The pack has a single adjustable and padded shoulder strap which allows the bag to be worn over the left or right shoulder. There’s also a stabiliser strap and belt loop which keeps the pack from swinging around too much. Top all this off with large Velcro ID panel over the front pocket with one of the new rubber patches; £29.95 gets you an awful lot of pack here!

With a capacity of 25L the V-Pack is an absolute corker. It’s

made from 600D Cordura and weighs in at just 910g but offers a feature set that’s not to be sneered at! There’s a large main compartment with clamshell opening and an internal nylon sleeve, zipped pocket and plastic karabiner.

There’s an additional zipped front pocket with pen slots, two side zipped compartments and a velcro ID panel on the front. Shoulder straps are fully adjustable along with a sternum strap and four nylon loops; the back and shoulder straps are padded with Ventex airmesh for maximum comfort and a paracord grab carry handle too. A VIPER patch, two MOLLE compatible V-Locks and single rotatable D-Lock are included and you can all of this for £34.95 At 19.5L the Mini Modular Pack is a multifunctional military and tactical load carrier which may be used as an individual backpack or easily attached to a LAZER MOLLE back panel on a plate carrier. With multiple compartments to store all the essential gear and internal hydration sleeve, compression straps for easy size modifications and adjustable shoulder straps for comfortable and secure carry it’s once again a very versatile beastie and there’s a mesh helmet carrier located on the front with compression straps for adjustment. There are two external side pouches and three front pockets with additional sections of LAZER MOLLE. At the £39.95 mark this is great value.

Also at £39.95 comes the 35L Recon Pack. Made from

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Loaded or Unloaded FULL METAL JACKET

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June 2016

QR buckle. There are two main compression straps to cinch smaller loads in place and an internal nylon closure to keep debris out. The Garrison Pack is made of 600D Cordura so you can be certain that it’s going to put up with an awful lot of chucking around and at just £24.95 this really is tremendous value for money!

SHADOW OPS

One of the things I truly love about the VIPER team is when they decide to do something, they really go for it! Although I’m certain that at least one model of their plate carriers and other tactical gear will follow shortly and at that point any player wanting to “go grey” and emulate the special units out there in the real world will be able to do so without breaking the bank!

This really is top-notch news for anyone that likes “operating in the shadows” and I can see that this will be a very popular loadout for many of you out there. I absolutely love the grey kit but like many of you have been hard-pressed to justify the price asked by the “gucci brands” but now I may just have to re-think things. I know I’m not alone in this, as Les has already been getting excited about this loadout too and has been emailing me regularly to get an update on the release to market!

As I write, Land Warrior are just about to host a game where the full TITANIUM GREY range will be making its debut appearance and you can be certain that there will no doubt be some very tasty pictures on the way in very soon. 2015 was an absolutely tremendous year for VIPER in every respect and by the way 2016 is shaping up it’s going to be an even better one for them; I for one can’t wait to see what they do next!

In the meantime to keep up to date with the new VIPER tactical products as they become available please visit www. viperkit.co.uk where you’ll be able to find full stockist details.

You can also follow VIPER TACTICAL via their Facebook and Instagram pages which are regularly updated.

All action photos by Greg Urquhart

durable 600D Cordura nylon, this more traditional design features two large compartments with various zip and mesh pockets inside, two front pockets and a built-in Velcro pocket on the back for a hydration bladder. The pack has specially shaped padded back for extra comfort and maximum airflow (Ventex System back panel), ergonomically designed and adjustable padded shoulder straps and a removable waist strap with strong plastic buckle. The pack allows for volume control and load stability thanks to a number of a lateral compression straps and you can easily attach further pouches externally as there are a number of robust nylon LAZER MOLLE sections as well as loops and D-rings on shoulder straps. Although this is not a big pack in any way, I would say that it would be a really strong contender for an overnight patrol pack if packed well and sensibly; there’s certainly enough space for a lightweight sleeping bag and three quarter Thermarest, for rations and a hexi cooker and for all those little personal sustainment items. As you’ve probably gathered I like this little pack a lot!

Last but by no means least, if you’d like the larger 35L size but in a simpler, cheaper option then take a look at the Garrison Pack. It has LAZER MOLLE Panels on the front and sides so that you can load it up with different, personalised external pouch configurations which make it extremely versatile.

It features a full mesh vented back, padded shoulder straps, a grab handle and a sternum strap with

MINI MODULAR PACK

LAZER GARRISON PACK

A multifunction load carrier which can be attached to a MOLLE or used independently. Can also serve a civilian with the day to day practicality and features such as convenient sized pouches, bladder holder and general size.

Mesh helmet hammock located on front with compression straps for adjustment

n n n n n n n n n

Size: 19 ltr (approx) Material: 600D Cordura Colour: Titanium SRP: £45.00

Lazer MOLLE Panels on front/sides Fully mesh vented back Internal Nylon hood closure 2 x Main compression straps Sternum strap with QR buckle Padded shoulder straps Elasticated rim on lid 1 x Grab handle Velcro ID panel

LAZER SHOULDER PACK

LAZER RECON PACK

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.

Size: 10 ltr (approx) Material: 600D Cordura

Size: 35 ltr (approx)

Size: 35 ltr (approx)

Colour: Titanium

Material: 600D Cordura

Material: 600D Cordura

SRP: £34.95

Colour: Titanium SRP: £45.00

Colour: Titanium SRP: £27.50

>GET THE

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE

TACTICAL

STOCKISTS / CATALOGUE

www.vipertactical.co.uk

COMRADE FETCH YURI AND BORIS! SOMETHING WEIRD AND WONDERFUL HAS COME FROM G&G. IT’S LIKE OUR BELOVED AK BUT SEEMS ALL MODERN AND USEFUL! OVER TO COMRADE SCOTTSKI ALLANOV…

TACTICOOL AK WHILE NOT NEW TO THE Airsoft market as a whole, the tactical AK is a wonderful mashup of new and old, partly due to the US influence of the civilian shooter market. This awesome version looks very much like a shorter brother of the Beta Project Tactical AK released some years ago. G&G being the innovative fellows that they are have only gone and fitted their brilliant new ETU trigger to make it all extra exciting! So this is practically the most tactically cool AK ever.

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JUNE 2016

SO WHO ARE G&G?

Guay Guay is based in Taiwan. They are one of the most cutting edge Airsoft manufacturers, who listens to the consumer and looks at what is trending in the market and then blow everyone out of the water. This results in some brilliant new rifles that outperform some of the more expensive brands, whilst still being a respectable price. G&G produce more models than any other manufacturer by a sizable stretch. Their rate of innovation and improvement is unmatched by any other manufacturer too and they continue to burst forward leaps and bounds. The only other manufacturer that is close to them in terms of quality is Tokyo Marui, who also manufactures brilliant rifles, just not very often. G&G over the last year have produced some of their finest ever rifles and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next 12 months.

I love a tactical-looking rifle and with no exception the AK 104 ETU is right up my street. While Stalin may be turning in his grave at what has been done to this beloved assault rifle it is part of its success. Much like how the humble M16 has changed over the decades so too has the AK47, into a more adaptable, sleeker and more functional platform. Styled much like the older Beta Project Airsoft version it pays homage to, the Travis Haley tactical AK we saw famously a few years ago.

People loved it then and they still love it now.

The AK 104 is a shortened version of the AK 103 rifle, chambered for 7.62mm x 39mm ammunition. The AK platform, first famously designed back in 1947 by Mikhail Kalashnikov, is probably the world’s most recognisable rifle. While the overall function of the rifle hasn’t changed much in the last 70 years, the designs, manufacturers and calibres have all moved on in

Armoury G&G RK104

some way, shape or form.

From the 12-gauge shotgun version, known as the Saiga 12, to the civilian .22 long rifle versions there has been much innovation, change and development over the years. The AK has seen use in every modern battlefield and will continue to do so for decades to come. It is an icon of strength, defiance and rebellion all over the world. It is even on the flag of Mozambique, which is undoubtedly a massive draw for tourist and holidaymakers.

The G&G version, thankfully, is a little less likely to feature on any country flags. I do like the compact size that G&G opted for with the 104. With the adjustable crane stock it will suit all different sizes of player and the stock can always be changed out for something like a Magpul MOE stock or similar if you like a change. The pistol grip, while it isn’t my favourite design, is undeniably comfortable with our without gloves on. that they “burn out” when, in reality I’ve only ever known The front rail is polymer that is strong whilst being lightweight. one rifle be “bad” for it in the past. In reality they all do but it It is comfortable to use without any attachments too, unlike certainly isn’t as prolific as the forums and Facebook will make some rail systems I’ve tried out. The metal body is what I would out. Every time you pull the trigger a male and female contact expect from this price range, it’s not milled steel like Real Sword touch, just as they touch a tiny spark arcs between them and but it will definitely do the job. The tan finish is even and flat, causes miniscule wear. Eventually they can burn out just like although I’m not sure how long it would stay that way. any switch, from the electric window button in your car to the The Electronic Trigger Unit fitted to this rifle means you are button on your keyboard, nothing lasts forever. getting ASCU type performance straight out of the box. The The electronic trigger is similar to the Airsoft Systems only catch I found was the newest ETU needs an 11.1v as the Control Unit, or ASCU. The only key draw back with the 7.4v seems to trip the low voltage sensor and it will cut out.

Thankfully the 11.1v doesn’t give the same issue as the LVOA (with a “BEING COMPACT AND FAST THE AK 104 IS NOT ONLY “TACTICOOL”, IT IS double tap), so you can happily run DEADLY ACCURATE. CERTAINLY AS OUT OF THE BOX GUNS GO THIS IS ONE AK104 all day long. It isn’t scary fast either on the 11.1v so I would OF THE FINER EXAMPLES IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE.” not worry about overkilling any of the enemy team. The bell flash hider gives a nice snap from the muzzle also so do not expect G&G version is that the main board lives in the stock tube to be hiding for too long once you pull the trigger! and not in the gearbox. If they’d got it in the gearbox this Some of you may have noticed the mention about the probably would’ve been the greatest trigger unit ever made ETU trigger performance earlier and it turns out that G&G by a manufacturer. That said it being in the stock tube isn’t have been very clever. Trigger contacts can be an issue in rifles a massive deal and I am actively looking for something else after some time and you will hear people endlessly complain to mark down the AK 104 for. The hop unit is the standard www.airsoft-action.online

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adjustable design that is easy and reliable, albeit a little trickier to get it nailed dead on while wearing gloves.

The firing modes of the trigger are easily programmed between two modes. Each mode changes the full auto selection between 3 round burst and full auto. To change this you simply set the rifle to semi auto and hold the trigger down for 10 seconds. Perfect and simple for any player to understand and use.

Being compact and fast the AK 104 is not only “tacticool”, it is deadly accurate. Certainly as out of the box guns go this is one of the finer examples in terms of performance. The quad rail system allows the attachment of flashlights, vertical grips and red dots although the latter would only really work with some type of compact red dot like a T1 style, due to how far forward it will be mounted. The pistol grip (as much as I hate it) is comfortable even when holding the AK one-handed.

Magazine storage of the AK magazine is pretty easy. Most M4 magazine pouches will take them with relative ease, coming with a 600 round high cap does mean you don’t need loads of spare magazines though. The good thing with the AK range

is they take both the AK47 7.62mm and the AK74 5.45mm magazines that gives you full flexibility to do as you please.

CONCLUSION

It is an oddball rifle that is for sure. It doesn’t fit into a single category other than “modern” but then mainstream Airsoft these days seems less and less about realistic loadouts with matching rifles and more about fast-paced action wearing whatever you like.

The tactical AK is perfectly acceptable as a day to day rifle, indoor or outdoor. The ETU trigger means you get all the performance straight out of the box without any pfaffing around having a gun tech fit an additional part inside. The only drawback is the latest batch of the ETUs seem to favour the 11.1v Lipo which isn’t a huge issue but certainly one G&G will be working to resolve asap.

If you want to have something that is flexible and you are feel a little bit rebellious, then the AK104 ETU will be right up your street, it sports everything the M4 platform does with the added “freedom fighter” feel.

features Full metal receiver Polymer RIS rail system Adjustable polymer stock Ergonomic Pistol Grip Overall Length: 895 mm Power: 350 fps with 0.20g Blaster (1.13 Joules) Weight: 3439g Gear box: bearing 8mm ball bearing Motor: 25000rpm Hi-torque Short axis Inner Barrel Length: 357 mm Magazine: 600 Rounds AK Magazine RRP £325

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—COLD ————————— — — WAR WARRIORS: — —— — A CHANGING WORLD GADGE HAS BEEN WRITING HIS CWW COLUMN FOR NEARLY FIVE YEARS AND NOW HE FEELS IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE, AS HE EXPLAINS HERE…

OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS of Airsoft Action, “Cold War Warriors” seems to have been a firm reader’s favourite.

Without any exaggeration, I literally get stopped at events and fairs by excited readers to chat about the feature but all good things come to an end… well, sort of.

Over the next few years we’re going to expand Cold War Warriors to cover the fighting men and women involved in the tumultuous conflicts that arose after the end of the 45 year “cold war” and with that in mind, it’s probably fairer to rename this column simply “Warriors”.

Cold War fans don’t worry, we’ll still be looking at British Paras in the Falklands, East German Border Guards, Soviet Mountain Troops and South African Defence Forces (amongst others) in the coming years but we’ll be interspersing it with exciting loadouts like UN Peacekeepers in Bosnia, Spetsnaz in Chechnya and UK Armoured Infantry in the First Gulf War! So expect to see the loadout “timeline” expand to cover the 90s and the first decade of the 21st century, we won’t be covering anything “ultra-modern” (as in the last five or so years) just “classic” loadouts from history’s recent conflicts.

While the Cold War provided a frightening opportunity for total Nuclear annihilation, for most of us in Western Europe life was pretty (ironically) safe and peaceful as NATO and the Warsaw Pact glared at each other over the Berlin Wall. Proxy wars were about in South East Asia, Africa and South America but on the whole the Cold War was a relatively “safe” number of years of human history; all that would end with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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cold war warriors A CHANGING WORLD

WAR IN THE GULF

The winter of 1991 was a cause for many to celebrate.

Communism in the East had failed, the Berlin Wall had come down a year earlier and those living in the former Eastern Bloc and Russia now had “freedom”. But freedom came at a price.

A destitute Russian military became quite “forgetful” where its stockpiles of armaments were and ex-soviet arms and equipment flooded many of the world’s trouble spots as military units that had not been paid for months (if at all) sold off their kit. Breakaway republics closer to home fought for independence from “the motherland” and even further afield nominally “communist” countries around the world now needed a new sponsor (and arms dealer). In the Middle East former NATO allies became enemies of the “free world” leading to a series of conflicts in the Persian Gulf.

It was clear that now instead of one enemy, the “evil empire” (as Ronald Reagan had named the Soviet Union), the “free world” now faced a myriad of new threats; instead of Moscow controlling a vast army with enough nuclear weaponry to destroy the world a dozen times over the “big red button” now resided in a dozen nuclear capable states.

While the Warsaw pact was a thing of the past as disenfranchised former soviet satellite states found their own way in fledgling democracies, NATO and the UN were still much need forces for stability in the new “post-cold war” world.

Almost before the aftershock of the collapsing Soviet Union had faded, long time British ally Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded the country of Kuwait, prompting a US-led multinational force to intervene in perhaps one of the most brutal and rapid wars the world had seen for years. Stopping just short of disposing him (as his track record of being a relatively stable leader and “better the devil you know”), the UN had barely enough time to reload their arsenals before racial tension and geographical claims in the former communist Yugoslavia erupted into a viscous, no holds barred war with Bosnian Muslims, Croatians and Serbians fighting for their lives in a conflict so brutal the UN were forced to intervene to prevent genocide.

Once again British boots were on foreign soil alongside NATO allies and while essentially “peacekeeping”, many squaddies found themselves embroiled in desperate firefights with hotheaded armed forces from all factions and some old soldiers (and “freelance adventurers”) even signed up as mercenaries on both sides of this ideological war. Most amazingly, in a bizarre twist of fate a Russian “show of strength” by airdropping into the warzone to assist in the peacekeeping uninvited almost brought the US and Russia into a confrontation more edgy than the “cold war” had provided for decades!

CAUCASUS IN FLAMES

Back in the former Soviet Union conflict after conflict erupted as former soviet territories like Chechnya, Tajikistan, Dagestan and Ossetia struck out for independence; Chechnya alone would be the site of not one but two brutal guerrilla wars, lasting through most of the 90s and early 2000s. And in general the Caucasus would be a flashpoint of conflict in the former Soviet Union for decades.

The USA was not immune from conflicts in a post-Soviet world. US troops in the 90s found themselves deployed in Panama to fight for the States in their “own backyard”, as

well as contributing the lion’s share to many military actions in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Most famously (and featured in the blockbuster “Black Hawk Down”), US Forces found themselves outnumbered and outgunned in Somalia as well. It’s certainly fair to say that while the Cold War US army lived in the shadow of its failure in Vietnam, it’s military of the 90s and 2000s was far more willing to take the fight to the enemy.

Meanwhile in Europe many nations found that now they no longer had the Russian 3rd Shock Army on their borders, they were free to take part in International peacekeeping in war-torn and developing nations. 1993 for example would see German army units (and their elite KSK special forces) deploying to Somalia, the first time a German military unit had been allowed on operations outside their own land since World War 2.

So as you can see, “Warriors” has a wealth of military units, battlefields and wars do draw upon as we forge ahead into the next five years of Airsoft Action. So stay tuned for some interesting and exciting classic combat loadouts … and of course, a few more “Cold War Warriors” as well!

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kit IWA TACTICAL GEAR REPORT

ALWAYS IN SEARCH OF THE LATEST TACTICAL GEAR, THIS MONTH JERRY NOONE REPORTS BACK FROM IWA 2016 ON THE VERY BEST DEVELOPMENTS SEEN IN HALL 9!

: A ITAW L A C I T C

R A E G

ALTHOUGH THE AIRSOFT ACTION team visit IWA each year to see what’s new and improved in relation to RIFs, my task is also to hit the “Home of Tacticool” which has its very own show space in Hall 9. This is where you’ll find all the cool clothing, footwear and gear and to say that what’s on show is jawdropping is a massive understatement.

All the gear that you’ll find is 100% “real deal” with many of the exhibitors staying on following Enforcetac which runs just prior to the main IWA event. Enforcetac is for the military and police visitors and you’ll only get into those halls if you have a special pass and a justifiable reason to be there, so it’s great news for the airsoft world that most of the manufacturers stick around.

As I’ve been involved in the gear world for some years, visiting Hall 9 for me is like a big meeting of old friends and it’s always a real pleasure to catch up with folk that I correspond with year round face to face, rather than at the end of a telephone line or in an email exchange. It’s also superb to be able to finally meet up with new people that I’ve worked with and thank them for their input into (and their faith in) Airsoft Action Magazine.

I’m very lucky indeed that many of the manufacturers work directly with me and in many cases when I ask for an appointment to meet with them at IWA I get a simple response, which is just “No need for an appointment, just come see us and we’ll have time for you”. This to me shows that our reputation within the industry is a solid one and that people truly appreciate what we do in terms of gear reviews; we give honest and well-rounded reviews and that’s what we’re known for, so without further ado I’ll crack on with the “gucciness”!

UNIFORMS, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR

First up was a visit to my very good friends at UFPRO to check out what they had to show. Their clothing is a personal favourite of mine and they are constantly adding new models in

their range and refining existing ones. Everything they produce is absolute quality using the best designs, latest fabrics and components and absolutely first rate manufacturing processes.

New for 2016 was a new addition to their Striker combat range, the Stealth Smock. This design is a classic smock with a new twist, which will allow you to stow everything you need for a 24 -36 hour mission in it, without the need to carry an additional backpack or a chest rig.

It has an integrated air permeable load-bearing system into the jacket, which fixes the pockets onto your hips and helps to distribute the weight evenly.

There were also updates to their excellent Monsoon waterproof jackets and their updated Striker XT Gen III combat pants and shirt, which should be available by the end of May. One of the biggest updates with the new generation of Striker XT pants is that the camouflage version is going to have the stretch panels in camouflage as well.

This was until now only

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the case with the Striker HT pants in MultiCam, where UF PRO combined the MultiCam NyCo fabric with the Schoeller dynamic stretch material in SloCam. I’m certainly looking forward to getting my hands on some of the new models with reviews to follow.

Helikon-Tex are a major player at IWA each year and 2016 was no different as they certainly had a LOT to show!

Helikon are well-known as a manufacturer of a top quality combat uniforms, waterproof and windproof jackets, fleece jackets, underwear, headgear and tactical gear and have been for some considerable time but this year saw them offering a number of completely new lines which were very, very focused indeed. Broken down into a number of new categories, “Range Line, Outback Line and Urban Line”, there were updates to some of their classic designs and new models such as the Stratus, Cumulus and Blizzard jackets, Blizzard, CTP and HTP pants, a great Hoodie and even a tactical Skirt! In terms of the gear they had a number of new pouches and a superb range mat called the “Backblast”; all of the clothing and gear looked absolutely first rate and the new models are already beginning to filter into store as I write.

As you’ll have seen from last month’s issue, I’ve been working quite closely with the excellent people from Austrian brand Clawgear and had an invite from them to visit their stand as they were unveiling some new models to add to their already impressive lineup. The Operator Combat pant sets the focus on fit and versatility. In comparison to Clawgear’s excellent Raider MK.IV pant, it has been pared back to the essentials of a mission pant. The Field Short has been especially designed for use in very hot conditions and closes the gap between comfort and functional capability in this area; these are spot on and would be ideal for wear in the Safe Zone during the summer. Clawgear also had some new firearms accessories for both the AK and the AUG which looked very tasty indeed and are well worth a quick mention!

Arc’teryx LEAF are SO worth a visit it’s untrue! Granted, they are up with the

best of them pricewise and you really need to be a serious airsoft player to justify the expense but oh my Lord, their gear is sweet!

They were showing off their new cold weather gear and, as you’d expect from a brand whose parent company made their name in the world of mountaineering and back country skiing, the new kit is built like a tank! The new Cold WX range consisting of jackets, pants, gloves and accessories is truly jawdropping and the ASLCE DRYPACK 40 designed specifically for maritime operations is a true work of art.

Rounding up the clothing side of things 5:11 once again had a great selection of new models and the extension of their ladies range with more products than ever that should certainly please all the female players out there. Tru-Spec had a number of new models as well but these were mainly variations on their tried and tested designs this year. Gunfire from Poland unveiled some good looking Redwood Tactical pants and, as always, the Pentagon stand was well stocked up with goodies. A-TACS were busy pushing their latest iX camouflage pattern alongside their already well known AU and FG designs but I was insanely pleased to see more and more of Hyde Definitions PenCott patterns just about everywhere; 2016 was truly their year and they deserve all the recognition they get!

Footwear was a little underwhelming this year as many of the manufacturers were sticking to their existing designs but there were a few very nice additions in some key places.

UK based Magnum were showing some prototype boots they’d been working on as a collaborative project. 5:11 had a great display of their new “Skyweight” and “Recon” ranges that look very good indeed. Lowa and Haix had a new colours for their most popular models and Salomon had not only new colours, Burro and Sage Green but also two new models that will be great for the UK summer: The Jungle Ultra is a new high-leg jungle boot which has been developed to perform in warm environments and the Speed Assault is essentially a mid-height version of the popular Speedcross trainer which I live in.

TACTICAL GEAR

I’m always very, very proud when I visit IWA and see that one of the biggest stands in Hall 9 is that of our very own, UK-based Warrior Assault Systems. Regular readers of Airsoft Action will know that I love their gear and to see them “ruling the roost” is a great buzz. Their L-shaped stand dominates one corner of the hall and they quite literally show everything that they make, in pretty much every colourway they make it in and to say this is an impressive display would be doing them a huge injustice; it’s outstanding! All the Warrior gear has been fully tried and tested in the real world so you know you can rely on it; if you

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want a plate carrier, chest rig, holsters, pouches and packs then Warrior truly is a one-stop brand. It’s also great to visit and get personally introduced to “SAS: Who Dares Wins” star Ant Middleton!

I’ll make a mention here of new kid on the block, First Tactical, who were exhibiting for the first time in Europe. Although they have an absolutely great range of clothing, accessories and footwear it’s their “nylon” gear that really got my interest. First Tactical are focused on providing the end user with gear that is specific to their requirements, guided by innovation and reliability. Their design process combines both advanced technical materials with state-ofthe-art components. First Tactical products are built to offer fully functional gear precisely created for professionals in the military, emergency and police services. It’s a range of great looking kit and I’m right in the midst of testing their Tactix patrol pack and thus far I’m very impressed; look forward to hearing more about First Tactical soon!

Tasmanian Tiger had a superb stand again this year and as they are one of the gear brands that work with the PenCott GreenZone pattern they are always high on my list to visit.

2016 was the first year that I’ve met with them directly and I have to say that being given the proper walk-through to their large range of tactical gear was a real treat; their new Tac Line is really impressive. Tasmanian Tiger work with the very best fabrics and components and all of their gear that I’ve tested has been superbly manufactured and really is 100% bomber tough!

More of their kit is slowly getting into the UK now and if I were you I’d give it a thoroughly good look over.

I noticed more this year of smaller companies that are doing very clever things when it comes to tactical gear and the guys from MD Textil were really playing a blinder. As well as their custom work they were showing some really superb looking tactical belts and slings and their new split-front chest rig is a true stunner; the unusually effective magnetic buckles have to be seen to be believed. Sharing the same stand were Chakaw Kydex Holsters, who were showcasing their new overt and covert carry options, including the latest MKIII Exactor model. Whilst not directly making gear, the team at Tactical Trim provide just about everything you would use in putting it together; this year they were showing some excellent new

Fibrotex products as their “headline” that had been made up into concealment suits; this fabric technology was highly impressive.

Of course all the main brands were there to be seen and the likes of Direct Action, Condor, Tactical Tailor, TACWRK, Blackhawk!, Mystery Ranch and Eberlstock also had some superb gear on display.

IT’S A WRAP!

So after two a half days of mayhem and many miles covered, IWA 2016 was finally a wrap and to catalogue everything I (and we) saw would be an impossibility; I’ve concentrated here on the things that REALLY took my eye and I can only apologise to those that spent time with us that have been missed out this year.

To conclude this report I’m going to be unashamedly flag-waving for a moment, as two more UK-based companies also deserve an “honourable mention”.

Better known for their superb optics, SHIELD PSD had a great stand really showcasing “Best of British” and they even had a new singlepoint sling design which looks great. Although Thatchreed are based in Hall 6 (given their crossover into field sports) they did have a great stand with an area dedicated to their VIPER tactical gear and this could not be missed as they were launching their new “Titanium” grey tactical products at the show, more detail of which you’ll find in here this month.

As I write this the container carrying the first of these products is being unloaded and stock is hitting the VIPER warehouse ready to be shipped to retailers!

Once again IWA 2016 proved to be a first-rate show for Airsoft Action; old friends were visited and new friends were made and we can only thank everyone for all the time they spent with us. We’ve got reviews and stories lined up in abundance now and with these in hand I can only tell you that you’ll see it all here first in Airsoft Action!

I can’t wait to see what IWA 2017 brings!

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TECH TALK: GEARING UP IN THE SECOND PART OF HIS NEW COLUMN, FRENCHIE DELVES DEEPER INTO THE INNER WORKINGS OF YOUR AEG

LAST MONTH I DID A very quick skip through the guts of your AEG and, as threatened, for the next couple of months I’m going to take a closer look at what is inside your gun and what it does. This will divide roughly into the mechanical aspects, the electrical and the external. There will inevitably be some cross-over between these headings, mainly because I do like to waffle.

My aim is to improve your understanding of what your gun is and how it does what it does. It’s not my intention to do a blow-by-blow “how to shim your gearbox/polish your barrel/paint your receiver”, rather I hope that by the time I’m done, you’ll be able to envision what’s going on every time you pull the trigger and how you can ensure that your gear is running at it’s very best. Consequently I’m not going to get too technical, if you really want that from Airsoft Action, drop me an email (frenchie@airsoft-action. co.uk) and we’ll see what we can do.

Despite appearances your AEG is doing some really simple things, the complexity comes from the need to do them repeatedly - and rapidly. Inside the gearbox (amongst other things) are a piston, a cylinder and a spring. The piston head with its O-ring forms an airtight seal inside 78

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the cylinder. The piston is drawn back compressing the spring.

At the end of its travel it is released and is forced forward by the now-unleashed spring, compressing the air inside the cylinder and forcing it out through the cylinder head. It is this compressed air that drives the BB from the hop chamber, down the barrel and (hopefully) to its ultimate target. As far as this process goes it is no more sophisticated than the most basic springer.

Tech Talk GEARING UP

The key difference is repetition – these are automatic electric guns after all and their attraction lies in their ability to repeat the above cycle rapidly and reliably. It is achieving this that requires most of the other components found inside the box.

In a simple spring gun, compressing the spring (cocking) is achieved manually, by pulling back a bolt, a pump grip or a cocking handle. With very, very few exceptions AEGs do this mechanically by use of a gear set. There are three gears inside a gearbox (there are exceptions to this rule but they are in the minority), the Bevel gear, the Spur gear and the Sector gear. The last, the sector gear, is the one that retracts the piston by means of an interrupted set of teeth which mesh with a rack of teeth on the underside of the piston. The sector gear has two sets of teeth, a continuous set that mesh with the spur gear and the interrupted set which engage the piston. As the sector gear revolves the teeth engage the piston, driving it back against the spring, compressing it inside the piston. As the sector gear continues it revolution the piston is released as the last tooth on the sector gear is withdrawn from the last tooth on the piston. The piston flies forward and the sector gear carries on round to pick up the piston and start the cycle all over again. This repeats until you release the trigger. On semi-auto this cycle is itself interrupted in a fairly crude manner, however to understand that we need to look briefly at the most common type of switch found inside your guns.

Although the switch is obviously electrical, it is also mechanical and comprises a few components. The switch sits on the positive side of the electrical circuit between the battery and the motor. The fixed section has two connectors, one in from the battery, the other out to the motor. These are almost always soldered connections. Within this unit are two fixed contacts, approximately 6-10mm in length and with a gap of around 1-2mm between them. In order to bridge this gap a sliding sledge has a fixed contact which is forced between these fixed contacts and completes the circuit. When you pull the trigger you are directly forcing the sledge into the fixed contacts. There are a couple of springs involved; a small coil spring that retracts the sledge and the larger trigger spring that returns the trigger to the “ready” position. When operated in full-auto the switch remains engaged until you release the trigger, in semi-auto a lever, driven by a cam surface on the sector gear literally flicks the sledge out of contact and the spring attached to it causes it to retract, breaking the contact.

It’s not the prettiest system and it can occasion some issues but it’s simple and it works. The lever that disconnects the switch is descriptively known as the “cut-off lever”. Generally these are cast from alloy and with excessive use they do wear, affecting the reliability of the selector mechanism.

Lying underneath the cylinder is an L-shaped piece of plastic, the tappet plate. This supports the air nozzle, the component that pushes each BB into the hop chamber and ensures that there is an efficient air seal between the gearbox and the hop-unit. Our old friend the sector gear is once again involved; a cam on the upper surface engages the end of the tappet plate pulling it back against a spring allowing a BB to be forced from the magazine into the mouth of the hop chamber.

As the tappet plate returns to its resting position the spring ensures that the air nozzle pushes the BB hard against the hop rubber immediately before the compressed air from the piston/ cylinder strikes it, forcing it down the barrel.

At the other end of the gearbox lurk the bevel gear and the anti-reverse latch. The bevel gear interfaces with the pinion gear on top of the motor, transferring its lateral rotation into vertical rotation. The anti-reverse latch (it will come as no surprise) prevents the gear set rotating in the wrong direction under the power exerted by the compressed mainspring. A failure of the anti-reverse latch will cause a distinctive noise as the mainspring forces the gears to rotate after the trigger is released.

The last components that need to be mentioned are the manual safety, spring guide, selector plate and shims. The safety is exactly what you’d expect, a mechanical device that blocks the movement of the trigger. You’ll find it in nearly all Version 2 and Version 3 gearboxes, although the actual mechanism varies depending on design. The selector plate acts directly on the manual safety in Version 2 boxes and otherwise determines the fire mode; full or semi-automatic. It does this by either allowing the cut off lever to operate, or physically moving it out of the path of the trigger switch sledge. The Spring guide is there principally to ensure that the spring compresses in a straight line rather than trying to break free from the gearbox like some kind of demented snake. In AR-15 variants it usually provides the securing point for the stock or stock tube as well.

Finally… shims. Shims are simply washers used to ensure that the space between the gears is as small as possible whilst still allowing them to rotate freely. Acres has been written about shimming airsoft gearboxes and most techs have their preferred way of doing it.

There is invariably an element of trial and error to this, so if you’re not sure seek a bit of friendly advice.

And breathe! That was of necessity a quick skip through the gearbox but between my words and the images you’ll hopefully see what’s going on.

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Tech Talk GEARING UP

“IF YOU WANT MORE RANGE FROM YOUR GUN AND YOU GET DISTRACTED BY SHINY CYLINDER HEADS, OVERPRICED AFTER-MARKET HOP UNITS AND UTTER BOLLOCKS ABOUT VELOCITY, YOU ARE BOTH MISSING THE POINT AND WASTING MONEY.” Next up something much simpler but arguably more important to your gun’s performance; the hop unit.

There really isn’t anything mysterious about hop up, it’s simply the application of backspin to a moving object. This is achieved by pressing a small amount of rubber into the top of the barrel and forcing the BB past it. The difference this makes to the range of airsoft projectiles is astonishing and “hop up” is the most overlooked variable in airsoft. If you want more range from your gun and you get distracted by shiny cylinder heads, overpriced after-market hop units and utter bollocks about velocity, you are both missing the point and wasting money.

My single favourite upgrade is the good old Madbull 60 degree blue hop rubber. Yes it’s a bit fat and can be a fiddle to fit but I haven’t ever had a customer complain about them.

Originally hop units were fixed – you’ll still find these in Marui spring guns and cheap springers. Marui set their hops to work best with 0.25g ammo (that’s what they put in the small sample ammo bag) and they were astonishingly effective.

Until my eldest lost it, I had a TM spring 1911A1 which would out-range some of my rifles with 0.25 ammo. Adjustable hop units are basically fixed units which you can, err… adjust! This allows you to compensate for different weights of ammo – I prefer 0.28 Blasters and I set my hop accordingly.

The design of hop units varies quite considerably but once again they are all doing the same thing. Over the breech end of the barrel slips the hop rubber (sometimes referred to as the bucking). The barrel and rubber are inserted into the hop unit and secured usually by some form of C-clip. The hop unit has an actuator arm that holds the nub, a small cylinder usually made of rubber but other materials are used. The nub is pressed onto the outer surface of the rubber and pushes it through a small window in the top of the barrel where it can impinge on the passing BB. R-Hops function in essentially the same way but present a broader surface to the rubber and therefore the BB increasing the amount of back-spin.

Barrels… ah… barrels! The single most important quality for barrels is consistency, whether they’re tight, normal or wide-bore. In AEGs a longer barrel doesn’t equate to greater power or accuracy (so please stop running overly long barrels into dummy suppressors!). In gas guns, where the propellant is an expanding gas it does make a difference but in electric guns a short barrel is every bit as effective as a long one. The

hop unit is doing all the heavy lifting, the barrel has minimal effect. If you feel happy with a nice tight-bore, get one and fit it, you’ll probably perceive some improvement but for me they are almost at the bottom of the upgrade pile. There are certain set ups where overly short or long barrels can cause serious drops in performance, by all means experiment if you must but as a rule of thumb the length of barrel your gun came with is probably the optimum for the cylinder fitted.

For some of you the internals of your guns are dark, strange places where Goblins lurk and magic happens but in truth they are just machines - and not massively complicated ones at that.

Many of the issues with working on airsoft guns arise because the working parts have to fit into oddly shaped externals and this does lead to some inspired engineering (for ‘inspired’ read damnable..). Often it’s the getting to the internals that is the pain, gearboxes themselves are all fairly straightforward.

Except for the G&G M14. That gearbox was designed by the devil himself...

Next month we’ll look at power and all matters electrical as they affect your guns.

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Debate SAFE ZONES

STOP PRESS DEBATE:

HOW SAFE ARE OUR

SAFE ZONES? WE ALL THINK OF THEM AS SOMEWHERE WE CAN REMOVE OUR EYEPRO IN SAFETY BUT, FOLLOWING A RECENT SERIOUS INJURY, IN THIS ISSUE’S DEBATE GADGE ASKS “HOW SAFE ARE OUR SAFE ZONES?” LAST MONTH SAW THE HOBBY encounter one of its nastiest injuries in a long while and to make matters worse, the player took a short range shot to the eye… in the Safe Zone of all places! By all accounts it would seem that this was negligence on the part of the player and for want of a better phrase “self-inflicted”. But, it has prompted us to ask in the UK Airsoft Community, “how safe are our safe zones?”

Nearly all of us have seen “questionable” behaviours such as “test firing” in safe zones, “forgetting” to remove mag and even some plain stupid behaviour - but thankfully its very rare.

Any site worth its salt not only lays down the ground rules for “safe zone safety” and conduct in its morning briefing but will crack down on offenders with either a short term “sin bin” sit out of a game or two or, in extreme cases, sending them packing.

In over 25 years of working and marshalling paintball and airsoft events I think I’ve personally only had to send players home on two occasions. Once because a “Stag Do” party turned up still too drunk to play and another player (more recently) for persistently ignoring safety advice and wandering

around without their eye protection. So, in my experience it’s certainly rare to see truly unsafe players that can’t, or won’t listen to reason.

This month we asked you whether you thought our safe zones were safe enough, could we have done more to prevent this horrific accident, or do you feel that we already have enough checks and balances in place?

Many of you felt that there was little more that a site could do and that “stupidity would find a way” no matter how stringent you were. Several players felt a paintball-style barrel sock, or storing guns outside the safe zone was the answer.

Perhaps one of the more contentious ideas was for players to keep their eye protection on all day, many of you actually do but some felt that the safe zone HAD to be somewhere you could relax, clean your eye pro and take off any other headwear like mesh helmets.

One recurring idea was for marshals to supervise an “unload” and to check hop, mag and any other potential BB’s hiding place before entry to the safe zone but obviously while larger sites can easily do this, smaller sites may struggle

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with dedicating a marshal to almost permanent “gate guard” duty for the day; the nature of the game means that players frequently go back alone to the safe to sort out gun issues, get more ammo or just have a rest!

Brendan Robb: “I like to get around and try new sites, so have seen everything from the gun being fired in a safe direction and then the hop chamber checked, to the players being trusted to police it themselves and then sites that sadly didn’t give a toss and didn’t mention it at all in the safety talk.

I normally wear my goggles all day anyway, partly because I don’t trust some players as I have seen people put mags back into guns in the safe zone but also as it gets me used to wearing them for longer milsim events.”

Jason Ferguson: “I’m lucky enough to have a pair of very comfortable eye pro (ESS Crossbow) that I leave on all day when we go airsoft and sometime forget I still have them on. Have even driven home, sat down with a cuppa and had the missus ask if I was going to take them off.”

Suzi BE “Glasses in the safe zone should be compulsory for everyone regardless of age because accidents do happen. If under 16’s are introduced to this now it will be common practice when they are older. My best wishes for a speedy recovery go to the young man involved.”

Dave Clark: “I disagree that glasses should be compulsory as the safe zone should be exactly that… safe and no need for PPE! You should be able to relax in the safe zone. I agree under 16’s should be protected more than those of us old enough to make our own mistakes and laugh about it later so perhaps gun storage for under 16’s would be more appropriate.”

Matt Furey-King: “It’s a big sport, with a lot of participants and it’s been running a long time. You can’t mitigate risk entirely and accidents will happen IMO. Most seem to happen at home though.”

Jon Stockman: “Every site I’ve ever played has required all weapons to have the mag removed and cleared before entering the safe zone. Common sense really but that said there are ignorant fools who never listen to directions whether it be safety briefings, game briefings or any other directions given by marshals.”

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Phil Bromley: “Something that is never dealt with is the retailers selling guns and the rental sites hiring guns with no instruction given whatsoever. When people buy guns from retail shops, site shops etc. the safety of the weapon is never discussed. Most shops barely explain about batteries, hop up or BB weight - let alone how to handle the gun. It’s obviously very difficult when they are purchased online, especially from some of cowboys out there but when these things are done face to face, then basic safety should always be covered, even more so from onsite shops and with rentals. Stupidity can never be accounted for but I think it’s about time retailers and sites take more responsibility for safety issues right from the off.”

outside the SZ is the solution.... or fining/banning those that ignore the rule.”

Dave Clark: “Barrel socks should be used. From an expaintballer they never cause any issues and are clearly visible, I can’t see why they aren’t in use already! I also think rentals should have their weapons removed before they enter the safe zone and then re-issued on their way back to the game field.

Not only would it be safer but also allow the guns to be cycled through so batteries can be charged etc.”

Jord Southgate: “I nearly got shot in face in the safe zone, lucky I moved out of the way in time but I believe safe zone is a safe zone. I would personally like to remove all face protection, when me and my mate was running our events and marshalling we made our clients use gun socks so any dry firing or any mistake from clients we was covered.”

Ross Patrick: “I personally wear my glasses almost all the time when I am at a site anyway. It makes sense to make it a full rule though.”

Glen Vine: “Saw something like this on Sunday. All players came round for the briefing and two new players to the site already had mags in! Both rifle and side arm, it was spotted immediately by the marshals who dealt with it accordingly. After the game you have to remove mags and dry fire before entering the safe zone.”

Calum Wallace: “IMO this is largely a factor of airsoft sites being far, far too hesitant to actually enforce rules. We see the same people breaking the same rules over and over, safety rules included and nothing is done until someone gets shot in the face in the safe zone - when mags in in the safe zone should, realistically, be a banning offence.”

Jonathan Lovegrove: “I’d love to know who told you that the rule is no dry firing but most people are sensible enough to have cleared the gun correctly when instructed before entering.”

Bob Freeman: “All sites I have been too have no dry firing in the safe zone. It doesn’t seem to stop people (some seasoned regulars included) from doing it. I have also been in safe zones where pistol mags have not been removed. Maybe storing guns

Matthew Philpott: “Every site I’ve played at has maintained a decent safe zone with “mag-out-dry-fire” before you enter.

Unless an individual idiot reloaded and then fired, the safe zone is very safe. It’s not hard to check your aeg or pistol is safe. I really don’t feel that we need any more Nanny state health and safety added in this regard.

“The only thing that might be worthwhile is a further education for rental weapons. A lot of these will be in the hands of inexperienced people so far more likely to accidentally bring an active aeg with that final shot left in it.”

Mike Woloschuk: “At the site I marshal at we take safe zone safety very seriously and even have a £1 “fine” for dry firing in the safe zone, or having a mag in the gun (the fine goes straight to charity mind) and anyone who intentionally fires a loaded gun either in, or at the safe zone, automatically gets a year-long ban from the site.”

Bruce Ball: “Although at my local site yesterday at least 10 people walked into the game zone without eye protection. Fair to say they each got a good telling off!”

Peter TC Cox: “We all know they happen and will likely do so until there’s a blanket set of rules that every site implements. As for possible solutions, the idea of everyone having barrel socks could work as they are not expensive and are simple to put on and let’s be honest, in the name of safety carrying a small item around while playing is minimal in comparison to losing our sight!”

Phil Bromley: “I have been an Airsoft Technician for many years and I can say with some authority that there is nothing you can learn from looking down the barrel of a gun in the safe zone.

Hope he gets full use of his eye back.”

Oliver Holmes: “I personally don’t like sites who don’t insist on clearing pistols as well as your rifle. I personally always drop the mag from my pistols as well as my rifle.”

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NEED A SOLUTION TO MAKE A SINGLE SET OF KIT WORK IN ANY ENVIRONMENT? JERRY NOONE FINDS AN EFFECTIVE AND SAFE NEW CAMOUFLAGE PRODUCT THAT LETS YOU DO THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN!

GITAG: GEARSKIN SOME OF US ARE PRIVILEGED to have been involved in the wide world of airsoft for some considerable time and as I’ve said in the past, “time in” gives you the luxury of being able to build up a personal “gear locker” that allows you to handle a wide range of environmental settings, with different sets of camouflage clothing and gear to suit each.

Now I realise that for many of you out there, especially the relative newcomers to airsoft, this is simply a luxury that you can’t afford so cheap and versatile solutions are always top of my list when it comes to digging out new products. Things don’t have to be “Max Gucci” when you’re just setting out on your journey; they just need to work and to last.

A few months ago I noticed a unique-looking new product online, and subsequently started talking to “John Skins” via social media and it can just prove that when you use such methods of communication straightforwardly and politely, then you really can hit absolute gold - it’s not all about BS and “trolls” if you use the internet wisely! John told me of an innovative product he was involved in called “GEARSKIN” which was essentially an adhesive-backed fabric that you could apply to just about anything! Given the softness of the fabric it’s easy to mould around even quite complex shapes such as holsters and magazines and as the “skins” themselves are available in many different colours and popular camouflage patterns, you can really set up your hardware to match your clothing.

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So what is “GEARSKIN” and where has it come from?

GEARSKIN is an innovative self-adhesive fabric technology with outstanding features compliant with the highest military standards. GEARSKIN effectively offers you the potential to create a personalised solution for each and every situation.

GEARSKIN has undergone an extremely rigorous two year testing phase, improving its characteristics consistently after an array of lab analysis, destruction testing and field tests. By getting a huge amount of precise data the Croatian team behind this remarkable product were able to steer the development of GEARSKIN in the right direction and ended up with a highly innovative self-adhesive fabric with so many mind-blowing properties that its application is almost limitless!

Its basic role is protecting and camouflaging firearms and military equipment but the characteristics of the product make it suitable for many, many different uses. The product is entirely designed and manufactured in Europe using top quality materials, technology and knowledge.

The complete production process takes place in a factory in northern Croatia, employing more than three hundred people with a one hundred and forty year background in the textile industry, making it one of the oldest in Europe. Their traditions, expertise and knowledge of the technology in producing special purpose fabrics and materials have been forged over decades supplying many military and law enforcement clients, as well as clients ranging from the oil industry, railways,

GITAG GEARSKIN

medical institutions and many more. All of the fabrics used in GEARSKIN production are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class II certified for all components and are completely safe for use in contact with the human skin and manufactured in compliance with all environmental standards. The OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is an independent testing and certification system for all textile raw materials, along with intermediate and end products at all stages of production. OEKO-TEX testing for harmful substances always focuses on the actual use of the textile; the more intensive the skin contact of a product, the stricter the human ecological requirements are to be met.

HIGH SPEC!

All of the materials used in the creation of GEARSKIN products are of the highest military specification, which ensures its optimum performance in a wide range of applications ranging from military, law enforcement, outdoor activities and of course, airsoft.

GEARSKIN is produced with high end Polyamide-Cotton fabric (Cordura®) and Nylon-Cotton fabric (NyCo). The SMART Adhesive is the second component of GEARSKIN that is critical in the application of the product; the adhesive is characterised by strong initial adhesion and slow ripening, which means you can use GEARSKIN in the short term, remove it from the equipment item and save it on the transfer paper for reuse.

Alternatively by leaving it on, GEARSKIN’s adhesive matures, adhering more strongly to the surface and providing a long term solution for the protection and camouflage of equipment.

You’ll recognise the strength of the adhesive from the very first touch but in the short term it is easily removed from any surface without leaving any traces. If you want to keep the fabric permanently applied it’s enough to simply leave the fabric in place as the glue will slowly “mellow” and get a more powerful bond with the surface over time. This process can be accelerated by slightly heating the fabric. If after a prolonged use a sticky residue appears when the fabric is removed from the equipment item, it’s easy to clean it with ordinary edible oil or simply by using a piece of fabric which has already been removed; there’s a great bit of video on the GEARSKIN website that shows you how to do this.

GEARSKIN easily adapts to curves, adheres to various surfaces and has been tested in a wide range of field conditions. Some of its characteristics are water repellency, oil repellency, acid repellency and it has an anti-soil treatment and a high resistance to wear and creasing. GEARSKIN eliminates the equipment “flare effect”, which further contributes to a full-spectrum concealment system and it has excellent NIR properties, which make it an efficient IR camouflage to aid in combatting night vision devices.

GETTING STUCK IN

Luckily enough I was able to meet with John and the GEARSKIN team at IWA earlier this year and they were kind enough (and confident enough) to provide me with some test samples of their fabric technology in Multicam compatible “V-Camo”, which is a 50% cotton/50% polyamide mix. It comes folded once in a cellophane bag with an information leaflet containing all of the necessary information on the use of the product and also contains information on the characteristics of the product as well as unique EAN code.

You can buy GEARSKIN in three sheet sizes; COMPACT which is 30cm x 30cm, REGULAR which is 60cm x 30cm, or EXTRA which is 105cm x 30cm, depending on the size of project you have in mind. If you’re really thinking of “super-sizing”, or doing a number of different projects then it’s probably worth contacting the team direct with your requirements. I returned home with a couple of the COMPACT variety for the small projects I had in mind to test the product, along with an EXTRA which is heading off to ASPUK for something we have in the pipeline.

To get the hang of the way that GEARSKIN worked I started off with a small project.

I’ve had a Gerber Paracord Fixed Knife with a low volume

sheath for some time now and it’s one of my favourite little tools. When I first got it I changed the “survival orange” paracord to tan and sprayed up the sheath and although it was less in your face, it still didn’t match up as well as I’d have liked with my Multicam kit. The knife with the tan paracord is fine but the sheath was going to get the GEARSKIN treatment and after a bit of fiddling about to get things right, the finished product was a million times better!

With that small project complete I set about doing something else a little more ambitious. I own a number of Kydex holsters custom made for me by a friend and one of my absolute favourites is the model created to hold my WEAE F226 with taclite attached. Once again I’ve often thought of spraying the Coyote Kydex up but as that colour kind of worked for numerous loadouts, I never have. Given what it holds the holster is a mass of shapes, angles and contours, so getting a fabric laminated to it would previously have meant using insanely strong glue that would have held forever and again, not the end result I required.

A

With the “V-Camo” GEARSKIN though transforming the holster was, quite literally, a snip!

(PIC A) My first step was to thoroughly clean my well-used and abused holster to remove any crud that had got caught up in it over the years. I simply wiped it down thoroughly with some alcohol-wipes and left it for half an hour to ensure that any residue of this had evaporated. (PIC B) I then removed the screws that hold the belt-loops in place, along with the central tensioning screw, placing these aside safely.

B

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GITAG GEARSKIN

C

D

(PIC C) Next up was to cut my piece of GEARSKIN roughly and you want to re-colour a bit of kit, then I would urge you to to size and lay it gently over the holster to ensure that I had release your own inner GEEK and give it a go! sufficient overlap; if I was going to all this trouble I certainly For more information on GEARSKIN along with a great gallery of user-projects and “how to” videos do please visit didn’t want rough edges! Once I was happy that everything was good to go I simply started pressing the GEARSKIN gently www.gearskin.eu and check out their Facebook page for around the shapes and contours of the holster (PIC D). Once regular announcements and competitions.

I’d got the basic fit correct I put the screws loosely “IF YOU USE GEARSKIN NOT ONLY WILL YOU BE CAMOUFLAGING YOUR GEAR back in place, just using the tip of my scissors to BUT IN MY OPINION THERE IS SIMPLY NO BETTER WAY TO PROTECT IT AT THE pierce the fabric enough SAME TIME. THERE’S NO PATTERN REPETITION, NO SEAMS, NO ODOURS, AND THE to let them pass through APPLICATION CAN BE DONE SAFELY IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME.” (PIC E). Continuing to press the fabric down, moulding it as I went left me with a smooth, even surface. My final task was to carefully trim any errant fabric with a craft-knife and fully tighten the screws.

I have to say that the finished project is better than I could ever have hoped for given that this was really the first time I’d ever tried applying GEARSKIN and the holster now matches seamlessly with the rest of my kit. It really is as simple as this to change bits of your gear! The thing I truly love about GEARSKIN though is that I can easily remove the fabric from the holster and go back to Coyote, or indeed use another of the GEARSKIN patterns to fit it together with another loadout entirely and then change it back to “V-Camo” when I need to.

A COMPACT 30cm x 30cm sheet of GEARSKINs “V-Camo” costs just €16.25 (about £12.50 at the current exchange rate) which is nothing compared to the forty or fifty quid I would spend on a new holster and I was able to cover the knife sheath from that one sheet too!

If you use GEARSKIN not only will you be camouflaging your gear but in my opinion there is simply no better way to protect it at the same time. There’s no pattern repetition, no seams, no odours, and the application can be done safely in the comfort of your own home. GEARSKIN grips to various types of surface; wood, plastic, metal, coatings, rubber… you name it because they (and now we) have tested it.

I’m really pleased that I spoke politely to a fellow GEEK online and it just goes to show that you never know where any E conversation may take you. If you haven’t yet tried GEARSKIN www.airsoft-action.online

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OPERATION NEPTUNE SPEAR: THE RAID TO KILL OSAMA BIN LADEN PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS AND WIDELY-PUBLICISED EVENTS IN RECENT MILITARY HISTORY, BILLY WRITES ABOUT THE RAID TO KILL 'GERONIMO' ON THE 2ND MAY 2011 at 01:00 (Pakistan time) something strange started happening in a little heard of town called Abbottabad in Pakistan. The town, located not far from the country’s Afghan border, was home to the Pakistanis’ version of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, so they were used to some routine comings and goings but not like this.

At about 12:15 the power to that part of the village inexplicably cut out, people began to tweet their displeasure, others added that that they could hear strange throbbing noises in the air. Most of the town’s people took to their roof tops to have a look.

The centre of all the disturbance, at the end of a dirt road in the midst of the town was a rather conspicuous structure. Rumours abounded about the speed it had gone up and the effort that had clearly gone in to protecting the occupants from prying eyes. It was referred to by some as the “Kyrgyz House”, believed to be a Narco-boss from Kyrgyzstan hiding from the law that had paid off the Pakistanis to turn a blind eye.

When the twin towers came down in Manhattan, the man behind the attacks Osama Bin Laden’s fate was sealed but nobody expected it to take so long for the long arm of US vengeance to reach him and the world was shocked when it found that he was in a Pakistani Garrison town but hey, that’s International Geopolitics for you. You couldn’t make it up!

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building (all those that surrounded it were no more than 2) that had clearly been designed to prevent anyone from almost any angle seeing what was going on inside. Again nothing that was unusual in that part of the world but enough to tweak the nose of the CIA who had, for the last 10 years, been seeking the mastermind behind the attacks on the twin towers in New York.

Over the last decade a staggering amount of intelligence had been gathered from a wide variety of sources trying to locate Bin Laden’s whereabouts, all of the US’s many assets of collection from satellites, informers, wire taps and spooks had been on a mission to track him down.

Taking out Bin Laden was a largely symbolic gesture, his death or capture was not going to affect the running of the terrorist group that he had started. Nobody thought that cutting the head off the snake that was Al Qaeda was going to stop them BUT America had sworn that they were going to get him and they had fulfil that promise to the world that he would pay the ultimate price.

The peaceful night was about to be shattered by the sound of helicopters, explosions, screams and gunfire. The Americans had come for Osama Bin Laden. They had taken their time, had endured many near misses in the past but finally his time was up.

Most of Bin Laden’s henchmen (and in fact anyone that had anything to do with AQ or its criminal activities) had about 4-5 aliases so I won’t waste my valuable column inches or your time listing them all. There was however one name that had appeared on the radar of the CIA and rose above the background noise and static of all the others. That reason and that everyone who the CIA or intelligence officers had questioned had, almost to a man, played down his role and his contact with Osama Bin Laden.

Billy Basics FAMOUS RAIDS

This man was called Al-Kuwaiti (he had several other names) and was acting as Bin Laden’s courier to the outside world. Bin Laden had long since stopped using the internet and mobile phones to run AQ since his training camps in Afghanistan and Somalia had been paid a visit by Tomahawk Cruise missiles.

He was by now not involved in running AQ at all, he had outlived his usefulness to the organisation, in fact the only purpose he now served (and he knew it) was as a painful reminder to the US that they hadn’t got him. He knew that as soon as he spoke on a phone he was a goner, so Al-Kuwaiti delivered messages to him verbally and by hand from the dwindling number of followers and head shed that felt duty bound to consult him.

Painstakingly, the Intelligence collectors poured over their records, transcripts, files and by coincidence and good old fashioned perseverance they had a name and a face of Bin Laden’s only contact with the outside world.

A tail was put on Al-Kuwaiti and then the waiting began.

Would he lead them to Bin Laden? Did they have the right guy? Intelligence is not an exact science but eventually he led

them to the house in Abbottabad. Days after the residence in Abbottabad was identified, another house nearby was rented by an International NGO that was sponsoring a polio vaccination programme.

This part of the operation was the most controversial as the vaccination programme and the NGO were a cover for a CIA operation to watch the house, keep tabs on Al-Kuwaiti and be eyes on the ground. Some would say that by doing this the US were putting at risk many NGO groups in the future trying to do good deeds in difficult places. That’s a debate for another day but at this stage nothing was going to come between SEAL Team 6 and their prey.

90 miles from the house in Abbottabad, North West across the inhospitable mountains and border, at an airfield in Afghanistan, the SEALs were settling in to await the word to go. They had been practising for weeks but were still unsure of the actual target. When they were told the place went wild apparently, such was the depth of feeling amongst the assaulters.

The operation was delayed a couple of times to ensure that

“FINDING THEMSELVES ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE COMPOUND’S HIGH WALLS TOPPED WITH BARBED WIRE, THE SEALS REVERTED TO PLAN B - WHICH WAS SHED LOADS OF PE AND FINGERS IN EARS. SEVERAL SHUDDERING BOOMS LATER AND THEY WERE IN THE COMPOUND.”

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Billy Basics FAMOUS RAIDS

the night flying conditions were just right but on the afternoon of the 1st they had the final approval and the SEALs got their heads down in preparation for their flight into the history books.

Several other options had been discussed before the heliborne assault was settled on, one was to drop a massive bomb on the house but it was decided that the collateral damage to surrounding innocents was too risky and that they’d still never know if it was him or not.

Two Black Hawks carrying the assaulters thudded off into the night on the 1st and headed East across the mountains towards their target. Behind them flew two CH47s packed with other SEALs who would make up their QRF in case things went wrong, they were to loiter a few kilometres away on some open ground and await the call.

The two Blackhawks were equipped with the very latest Stealth technology and moved almost silently on top of the target. The plan had been for the first Blackhawk to hover over the compound to enable the SEALs to fast rope in. However, as we all know the plan NEVER survives contact and as the heli hovered over Bin Laden’s hiding place and the SEALs got ready to go, it started to shake violently; the heli was encountering something called a “Vortex Ring State”. The temperature was unusually high and this, coupled with the high compound walls meant that the downdraught from the helis could not disperse quickly enough and sent the air straight back up into the chopper.

The Blackhawk’s tail clipped the compound wall, the pilot made a split decision which prevented the heli from rolling, injuring or killing the occupants “FOR and planted its nose in the ground outside. The other heli had landed on the other side of the compound and was providing flank protection and early warning if Bin Laden’s QRF turned up… or the Pakistanis.

Finding themselves on the wrong side of the compound’s high walls topped with barbed wire, the SEALs reverted to Plan B - which was shed loads of PE and fingers in ears. Several shuddering booms later and they were in the compound. Bin Laden was not alone his son, several women and children and the courier were with him.

There was no rushing around and yelling, however, as the SEALs equipped with the very latest NVGs and laser sights crept

through the rooms looking for their man. Bin Laden’s son made a stand but was dead before he’d even got close to engaging the SEALs. Much debate ensued afterwards as to whether this was a “Kill” or “Capture” mission, weapons were indeed found in the room where he was shot dead but when I think of the day that I watched on TV with the rest of the world as the second plane hit the tower in New York, I knew that whoever was responsible for this was never going to be tried, it was just too heinous.

When his body hit the floor a signal was sent to the White House, who were watching it live.

“For God and country. Geronimo! Geronimo! Geronimo!”

The President sat back in his chair and sighed “We got him”. The SEALs had been instructed to positively ID Bin Laden by photography and height but they’d not bought a tape measure so one of the SEALs who was also 6 foot 4 inches took his helmet off and laid down next to the body while his comrades snapped a few photos.

As the SEALs were wrapping things up inside the compound, outside the pilots were smashing the instruments on the downed Black Hawk still propped against the wall and

GOD AND COUNTRY. GERONIMO! GERONIMO! GERONIMO!” a couple of SEALs were rigging it to blow with everything else they’d bought along. A CH47 from the QRF party was bought forward to extract the team and they disappeared into the night with what they had come for.

The body (buried at sea within 24 hours of death, as no country would accept his remains) and the end of the story of Osama Bin Laden that had shaken the world.

A few days later after all the recriminations in the media about sovereign airspace blah… blah… blah… the Pakistanis very sensibly raised the compound to the ground.

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CONCEALED CARRY PART 2

Below and main pic: rifle magazines in trouser pocket

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ANDY NIGHTINGALE FROM CALIBRE SHOOTING CONTINUES HIS SHORT SERIES ON HOW TO CARRY A CONCEALED WEAPON

IN LAST MONTH’S ISSUE OF Airsoft Action we looked at the method of carrying concealed and also the ISW (Inside Waistband) holster. In this issue I want to look at some of the do’s and don’ts when carrying a handgun concealed. For this article we will stick with the strong side hip holster, I will include other holsters such as the shoulder holster at a later date.

As I have mentioned before, concealing a handgun doesn’t mean covering it with a jacket or shirt and that’s the end, there is more to it than that. We must take into consideration the size and colour of the gun and also the holster as well as our garments. For example, a silver handgun in a brown leather holster will show up very easily if you decide to wear them with a black under shirt or vest. To conceal or, if you like, camouflage the concealed handgun, a black handgun in a black ISW holster worn against a black under shirt would be a better option. However, concealing is one thing, wearing your weapon during everyday tasks is another matter.

I have been fortunate enough

to have been to many places where people have been carrying a concealed weapon (myself included) and I have also seen some of the most common mistakes that have given the game away, i.e. that they are in fact CCW (Carrying a Concealed Weapon). Mistakes that should never have happened and that could have caused a lot of problems.

With this being Airsoft I doubt we would have the same problems, as we should only be carrying a concealed weapon during game play in an organised and controlled environment.

However, there are a few tricks of the trade I want to share with you that might help you out if you are ever in a covert role, or carrying a sidearm as a backup gun (BUG).

(For the purpose of demonstration I have used a black gun in an open carry holster contrasted on a light coloured garment for clarity in the photographs.)

MAGAZINES

Although magazines don’t cause much of a problem we still need to conceal them. There are some ISW magazine pouches on the market but these are few and far between and we can always place spare magazines in pockets. However, if you do carry magazines in pockets, do not place other items in the pocket with them. This will cause problems as you fumble in the pocket trying to retrieve your spare magazine in the middle of a reload. Some tactical clothing designs have separate sections in pockets that are designed to fit and hold the most common magazines (mainly rifle magazines) but you should always practice and train to use these for maximum performance and efficiency.

Shooting Skills XXXXXXXXXX

Reaching the wrong way

Reaching the right way

can give away the secret that you’re carrying concealed without even exposing the gun.

If someone comes to give you a hug or reach out to touch you, you can prevent them from inadvertently touching your concealed weapon by controlling and dictating their movement. You need to place a physical barrier between them and your gun. This is done by keeping your strong side elbow as close to the gun as possible. In the situation of a hug they are forced to place their arms around the outside of your arms as you place yours around their waist. This will keep them clear of the gun.

Handshakes are easier, all that is needed is for you to keep your distance, or keep close into the other person and keep your strong side elbow near to the gun. If you need to put your arm around someone, for example, in a group photo try to place yourself at the end with the strong side away from the other person next to you, this will ensure that the gun is neither felt or exposed during the photo.

REMOVING THE OUTER GARMENT

REACHING

Reaching out or up for something can and will reveal your concealed weapon, in most cases without you being aware that it has happened. It is important to keep the handgun from prying eyes to reduce the cause for alarm, or unwanted attention. After all, that’s why we carry concealed in the first place. If you have a well-fitting holster and a light weight gun it is very easy to forget that you are in fact carrying a concealed weapon and this is the first and one of the biggest mistakes you can make. You must always be aware that you are carrying concealed no matter what.

As you reach up, for example, to grab a book or magazine in the shop or library you must do so with the weak (none shooting) hand. To do so with the strong hand will expose the weapon as the outer garment will rise up with your arm.

Another tip is to undo your outer garment if it is possible to do so, this will help the garment to hang naturally as you reach up.

With the garment open you may need to stop it from opening too much. So my advice to you is to open the garment (jacket or shirt) and gently grip the hem of the garment with the strong hand, so as to keep control of the garment’s movement as you reach up. Reach up with your weak hand and complete your task. With a little practice this can be done very easily and it looks perfectly natural. However, it does take practice.

If you are wearing a closed garment such as a sweat shirt or jumper then gently grip the hem with your strong hand and reach up as normal.

Without griping the Hugs hem with the strong hand there is a danger that if the gun is exposed when you reach up the garment may not fall back into place, naturally by catching on the weapon and keeping the weapon exposed.

Not a good thing to happen.

HUGS AND WELCOMES

We all like a hug now and then especially (and preferably) from a loved one or close friend, although this

There have been many times I have had a meeting or lunch where I needed to remove my jacket whilst CCW. I learned a simple trick from a close friend of mine that I now use all the time when I am taking a seat. First of all try to distract their attention away from you as you take your jacket off (ask the time and get them to look at their watch or ask them if they can see the waiter).

This will reduce the chance of them catching a glimpse of your weapon. As they look away from you don’t remove your jacket as you would normally but shrug it off your shoulders as you sit down. The jacket should then be between you and the back of the chair. It’s Seated the not the most common wrong way position for your jacket but it will help keep your weapon concealed whilst you are sat down. To replace your jacket just simply slip your arms into the sleeves and shrug it back onto your shoulders. Be mindful that once your jacket has been removed your gun can be exposed at any time if you are not Seated the carful. right way Another option if you are in a room full of people, such as a meeting, would be to sit at the back of the room as everyone else will be looking away from you.

All the methods that I have mentioned are very simple to do and are very effective. I have used them myself in the real world of concealed carry and have never had any problems, however, I have always been mindful that I am CCW and also I have spent quality time practicing these methods. Take your time when learning and have someone else watch you as it will be someone else that might catch you out when you CCW. Stay safe and happy shooting.

CALIBRE Shooting provide tactical training courses for the Security Industry and Airsoft community. If you would like more information on the courses we provide visit www.calibreshooting.co.uk

www.airsoft-action.online

95

AUTHOR DAN MILLS MET UP WITH JOHNATHON AND CATHERINE DAVIES IN LIBANUS, BRECON AND INFORMATION WAS PASSED ON THAT ONE TOM REES FROM SENNYBRIDGE, BRECON, WAS KILLED IN THE FIRST AIRCRAFT THE RED BARON WAS CREDITED WITH SHOOTING DOWN

THE RED BARON’S FIRST “KILL” TOM REES

TOM WAS BORN AND BRED in Sennybridge and as a boy went to Brecon Boys County School, later he studied at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth prior to The Great War. Whilst at University studying for his degree, he joined the Officer Training Corps where he first experienced a taste of military service. On graduating, Tom enlisted into the British Army, initially joining 14th Battalion the Royal Welch Fusiliers as a young Second Lieutenant and seeing some service on the Western Front. Tom then joined the Royal Flying Corps and it was there that, as an Observer, he was killed on September 17th 1916, at the age of 21.

Tom had been flying in a Royal Aircraft Factory plane designated type F.E 2b, as part of a patrol of eight planes when it was spotted and attacked by a superior German patrol. In those days Richthofen was a novice under the wing of a more experienced pilot, however the 17th of September was to be the day of his first kill and set him on the way to becoming an “Ace” pilot.

Tom Rees was observing for enemy aircraft whilst manning a Vickers Machine Gun, responsible for protecting the plane and shooting down any attackers.

The plane was piloted by 2nd Lt Lionel Morris, another Welshman.

On the day, the British patrol had attacked a railway station in Marcoing, France and was on the return trip when set upon by the numerically superior patrol; six British planes were shot down, including Tom and Lionel’s.

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The Red Baron later said that he could see Tom firing the Vickers when he swept in for the attack.

On opening fire, Tom went down shot and the plane seemed to lose some control after he shot at and hit the Pilot and propeller, disabling the engine. The bullets had indeed hit Tom and Lionel and smashed into the engine disabling it. Lionel stayed alive a little bit longer, enough to land the plane at a German airfield where he later died but, unfortunately, Tom was already dead.

The Red Baron followed to make certain of his kill and observed it landing at Flesquières and taken by the Germans. Seeing the Observer dead and the pilot wounded, before flying off and reporting his first of many kills back at his own base with the words “One Englishman shot down!”

The Germans buried Tom Rees, who was made Captain on the day of his death, with full military honours in a town cemetery at Villers Plouich. News reached the family back home on what was already a bad day.

Tom’s older brother John had been killed in a falling tree accident only the week before, at his funeral a telegram was handed to the grieving parents informing them of the tragic news of Tom’s death, Killed in Action. In fact, they had died on the same day.

Tom Rees was “Mentioned in Despatches” for bravery in the air and for his excellent work as an Observer during the Great War.

World War One WAR IN THE AIR

THE RED BARON

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), also widely known as “The Red Baron”, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) during World War I. He is considered the “Ace of Aces” of that war, being officially credited with 80 combat victories, more than any other pilot.

Originally a cavalryman, Richthofen transferred to the Air Service in 1915, becoming one of the first members of Jasta 2 in 1916. He quickly distinguished himself as a fighter pilot and during 1917 became leader of Jasta 11 and then the larger unit Jagdgeschwader 1 (better known as the “Flying Circus”). By 1918 he was regarded as a national hero in Germany and was also very well known by the other side.

Richthofen was shot down and killed near Amiens on 21 April 1918. There has been considerable discussion and debate regarding aspects of his career, especially the circumstances of his death. He remains quite possibly the most widely-known fighter pilot of all time and has been the subject of many books and films.

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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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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

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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

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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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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

NORTHERN PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB (NPPC)

Tanner Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 1NA Tel: 07816 992417 www.northernpracticalpistol.co.uk 4 indoor ranges

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB Watford WatfordPPC@gmail.com

XSITE PRACTICAL SHOOTING

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

Airsoft Zone JD Airsoft WE Airsoft Europe Urban Airsoft Mega Store Helikon-Tex Fire Support

Inside Front Cover + 3 7 + Inside Back Cover 9 + 23 + 102 15 19 28 32 + 33

BombUp Airsoft 36 iWholesales 40 + 48 ActionSportGames 44 Airsoft Surgeon European Championship 50 ProPell 51 A2 Supplies 54 Heritage Airsoft 60 Armex Members Club 60 Viper Tactical 62 + 67 Pro Airsoft Supplies 70 Skirmish Cup 74 Gunman Airsoft 80 NoVAT Combat 82 Dragon Valley 82 Military Outdoor 82 Tactical Airsoft Shop 82 BadgerTac 88 Silvermans 92 Crawley Surplus Store 92 IPSC 2017 98 Airsoft Showcase 99 Elite Shooting 105 Military 1st Outside Back Cover

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