Airsoft Action - November 2019

AIRSOFT ACTION

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NATIONAL AIRSOFT FESTIVAL 2019

NOVEMBER 2019 - £4.50

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M14 V SVD WE F17/F8 VFC FNX 45 VFC SR-25 ECC KWA RONIN T6 ELCAN SPECTER LIFE WITH A GBBR BOLT MP5SD SWAT HI-POWER CUSTOM BUILD ONE TIGRIS ANNIVERSARY FRIENDS ACROSS THE POND

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT The UK’s largest supplier of Airsoft and Tactical goods.

Visit landwarriorairsoft.com or speak to the team on 0131 654 2452 for further details.

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AIRSOFT ACTION

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NATIONAL AIRSOFT FESTIVAL 2019

PROUDLY SUPPORTING PILGRIM BANDITS

NOVEMBER 2019 - £4.50

NOVEMBER 2019

M14 V SVD WE F17/F8 VFC FNX 45 VFC SR-25 ECC KWA RONIN T6 ELCAN SPECTER LIFE WITH A GBBR BOLT MP5SD SWAT HI-POWER CUSTOM BUILD ONE TIGRIS ANNIVERSARY FRIENDS ACROSS THE POND

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ARMOURY: KWA RONIN T6

KIT & GEAR: ELCAN SPECTER

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Editor: Nigel Streeter Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing Ad Design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter Cover Photo: Krios Phtography www.kriosphotography.com UK 13-issue subscription rate: £46.50 UK 6-issue subscription rate: £24.00 For overseas prices email: subs@airsoft-action.co.uk

ARMOURY: VFC SR-25 ECC

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Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL Tel: +44 (0) 1684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.online ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2019 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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Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the Editor: nige@airsoft-action.co.uk, write to us at the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

EVENT: NAF 2019

KIT & GEAR: ONETIGRIS

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KIT & GEAR: ODIN SIDEWINDER UNI ADAPTOR

LAST POST: BAN IT!

CONTENTS

Contents NOVEMBER 2019

NOVEMBER 2019

8 GALLERY SPECIAL Photos from The National Airsoft Festival by Kiros photography.

with various types of RIF, Steve T finds out if Gas BlowBack Rifles are the best thing since the speedloader or just an utter pain in the arsenal.

12 ARMOURY: VFC SR-25 ECC It’s a rare thing that Bill gets “all unnecessary” about an airsoft replica but at IWA earlier this year all he could talk about was the yet-to-be-released SR-25 ECC GBB from Vega Force Company. Now, thanks to VFC UK and RedWolf Airsoft UK, he’s finally got his hands on one to shoot!

54 ARMOURY: WE F17/F18 Phil Bucknall is a huge fan of GBB pistols and it seems lately like there is a new one being released nearly every month. Here, he takes a look at a couple of new releases from WE.

16 ARMOURY: KWA HK45 Can KWA’s HK45 measure up to its mighty M9 PTP, or does newer not always mean best? Steve T finds out…

20 ARMOURY: KWA RONIN T6 Having previously reviewed earlier models in the KWA Ronin series, Phil Bucknall got his order in early for the latest version.

22 ASOS: IWI TAVOR Square-eyed ‘softer, Steve T, looks for sightings of IWI’s Tavor across movies, TV and videogames.

26 EVENT: NAF 2019 The Airsoft Action crew head down to the New Forest to check in at the National Airsoft Festival and check out what’s been happening over the last year with friends old and new, at a thoroughly convivial event that’s all about the airsoft! Bill tells us more…

32 INTERNATIONAL: USA Femme Fatale, Kelly Hardwick, has made (almost) as many friends on the other side of the Atlantic as she has in the UK, including two rather special people…

36 KIT & GEAR: ONE TIGRIS Bill has been involved with OneTigri as a trusted partner pretty much from the outset. On the anniversary of their “Five Year Mark” he takes a look back - and a look forward!

38 KIT & GEAR: ELCAN SPECTER DR Want a closer view of the battlefield but struggle with flip-to-side magnifiers? Steve T tests the ELCAN SpecterDR RDS combo.

40 KIT & GEAR: DIRECT ACTION Bill brings us an update of kit that he’s already tried and tested extensively from Polish company Direct Action.

44 FEATURE: LAND WARRIOR SPORTS Frenchie heads over to Land Warrior Airsoft, where Scott Allan and his team have been creating a multifacetted shooting sports business.

46 THE CAGE: BOOTS The Airsoft Action team talk about a vital component of your kit - what you wear on your feet! Your boots will be with you for a long while, so they’d better be up to the job come sun, rain, or even snow.

50 LIFE WITH A… GBBR In the second of his new series exploring gameplay

58 PROJECT PRECISION This month Bill takes a close look at his pistol and carbines put together specifically for the range, rather than the skirmish field and finds that it’s all about the individual and what suits you best!

60 VERSUS: M14 EBR V DRAGUNOV SVD Moving more up to date with his “head to head” look at military weapons and their replicas on the skirmish field, Bill delves into DMR territory as the American Eagle faces off against the Russian Bear, in the form of the M14 EBR and the “Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova”!

64 FEATURE: A&K SR-25 PROJECT Phil Bucknall wraps up his project with a look at what he used to create the DMR he wanted to build.

66 ARMOURY: VFC FNX-45 Tokyo Marui’s version of the FNX-45 as reviewed by Phil last issue might be the new kid on the block, but Steve T finds out if VFC’s model is still a contender.

70 ARMOURY: BOLT MP5SD “SWAT” The MP5 is a model that many airsofters own and love but it does seem to swing a little erratically in the “popularity stakes”! Bill has a long history with the model in airsoft form and this month he gets to grips with the very latest recoil model from BOLT. 74 KIT & GEAR: GLOVES Angelo takes a look at a selection of gloves to see which measure up in terms of Personal Protection Equipment equipment.

76 FEATURE: BROWNING HI-POWER CUSTOM BUILD Every so often there is one elusive firearm model or variant that doesn’t exist in airsoft form and in his hunt for a usable Browning Hi-Power Pistol, Bill ended up at the door of UK “custom meister” Matt from Skunk Airsoft Works!

78 KIT & GEAR: ODIN SIDEWINDER The Sidewinder speedloader is a terrific bit of kit - if you run a STANAG compatible gun. Steve T tests a universal adaptor that promises to work for all.

80 LAST POST: BAN IT! Frenchie questions why, when they don’t like or agree with something, certain sections of the airsoft community demand it should be banned.

86 SITE DIRECTORY & ACTION AIR CLUBS Looking for a skirmish site, or your local Action Air Club? Then we may have the answer, with pages of sites and clubs throughout the UK.

Airsoft 2020 Surgeon Championship AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP 2020 MOVES TO THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE!

In 2020 the world-renowned AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP is moving to its new home at the NEC, Birmingham, UK, to run alongside THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW. The AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP started in 2013, with nearly 80 practical shooters vying to win the first ever European Championship and has run every year since except 2018, due to the inaugural World Championship taking place in Hong Kong. The 2019 Championship was held at a custom venue on the Isle of Wight but such has been the interest, a new home was needed that could accommodate the ever-increasing number of shooters hoping to take part.

Following negotiations with FRL MEDIA, the company behind both THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW and WAR & PEACE REVIVAL, the AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP 2020 will take place in Hall 9 at THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW, at the NEC. This will not only allow for an increase in the number of shooters and stages but will also bring the highest level of airsoft practical shooting to the attention of the tens of thousands of visitors to the show.

Airsoft Surgeon, Clarence Lai, commented: “Airsoft practical shooting, also called “Action Air” by the IPSC, has grown very quickly as a competitive shooting sport and with the success of the World Championship in Hong Kong bringing nearly 600 shooters from around the world together, we needed somewhere that could accommodate a bigger event.

I am really happy that we can run the event at THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW as this is the perfect place to showcase our sport and welcome others to our international family of shooters.”

Chris Kong, the UK Organiser and brainchild behind the event, added: “When we started the AIRSOFT SURGEON EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP, we knew we had an excellent event but have struggled to find the perfect venue. Due to the nature of airsoft, outdoor venues proved to be “challenging”, with either wind or rain or, more often, both at the same time causing problems.

“We are absolutely delighted that FRL MEDIA will accommodate the championship alongside the GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW at the NEC, as this will provide sufficient space to put on a truly world-class event and, as for the location, it simply could not be more perfect – and this year, the match will be across all three days so shooters will also have time to enjoy the show! More details will be announced soon, along with information about a special “Juniors Match” for juniors who cannot compete in all three days due to school/education requirements.

To keep up to date with any new information, keep an eye on the Airsoft Surgeon Championships Facebook page and website.”

FURTHER INFORMATION THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW 2020: 14th – 16th February The UK and Europe’s premier trade and retail shooting show.

Visitors can see a vast range of shotguns, rifles, pistols, air rifles, airsoft, optics, night vision and thermal imaging equipment, hunting knives, bushcraft, wildfowling, gundogs, gamekeeping hall, country clothing & footwear. There is also ammunition and reloading equipment, historical arms collection, gunsmith and engraving demonstrations, arena displays, shooting associations and schools. www.shootingshow.co.uk

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NOVEMBER 2019

AA GALLERY

NATIONAL AIRSOFT FESTIVAL

AIRSOFT ACTION NAF SPECIAL

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NOVEMBER 2019

AA GALLERY AIRSOFT ACTION NAF SPECIAL

HI, my name is Josh, I run and own Krios Photography.

I have been actively taking photos at airsoft sites for around the last 5 years-ish and playing airsoft for the last 10 years.

My local site is Worthing Airsoft based in the south of England, well... I say local but I actually live two hours away in London!

I don’t really know what made me start airsoft photography it was kinda by luck. But now I’m at the stage of bringing a portable studio with me to large airsoft events.

So I hope to see you at the next one!

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NOVEMBER 2019

AA GALLERY AIRSOFT ACTION NAF SPECIAL

www.airsoft-action.online

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armoury VFC SR25 ECC

VFC SR25 ECC ...DMR HEAVEN? HAVING BEEN AROUND A FEW SHOWS WITH BILL IT’S A RARE THING THAT HE GETS “ALL UNNECESSARY” ABOUT AN AIRSOFT REPLICA BUT AT IWA EARLIER THIS YEAR ALL HE COULD TALK ABOUT WAS THE YET-TO-BERELEASED SR-25 ECC GBB FROM VEGA FORCE COMPANY. NOW, THANKS TO VFC UK AND REDWOLF AIRSOFT UK, HE’S FINALLY GOT HIS HANDS ON ONE TO SHOOT!

S

ometimes I genuinely feel that I’ve become a little jaded when it comes to airsoft replicas. Once upon a time, when I received an AEG or GBB for review, I’d immediately strip open the shipping box to get at the goodies inside. However, these days I sign the receipt and it generally goes onto the pile that needs working through… That may sound “privileged” and a little odd to many of you but when you’ve seen and tested several hundred RIFs over the course of your “airsoft life”, it needs to be something pretty special to get the juices flowing!

At IWA I saw and handled some absolutely lovely airsoft replicas and, whilst there were some that offered genuine advances in performance and technology, there was no “light bulb moment” - that moment when you pick something up and think to yourself “I MUST have one of these!” …until I met with my friend Ray Chang from Vega Force Company (VFC) that is!

Whilst the AA team and I were chatting with Ray and Danny from Redwolf UK on the VFC stand, my eyes they were a wanderin’, taking in all the goodies that VFC have to offer. By way of a preface, I have to tell you that one of my most favourite AEGs is still the original VFC “HK416” AEG that I bought back in 2006 and which, after a couple of services and an honourable retirement to the display

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november 2019

wall of my local shop, is still running like a train and would hit the field as hard as I wanted, should I decide to power it up and start slinging BBs! But what my eyes wandered to on the VFC stand was their new, fully licenced Knight Armament Company SR-25 ECC … and it was love at first sight!

The SR-25 or “Stoner Rifle-25” is a bit of a legendary firearm, designed by Eugene Stoner and manufactured by Knight’s Armament Company. Back in the day when Colt made the decision to concentrate on the AR-15 it left the AR-10 7.62×51mm NATO battle rifle design up for grabs and that design went largely ignored until the early 1990s, when Stoner joined Knight’s Armament Company and continued his AR-10 design work. The end result was the SR-25 (which added together the numbers of the AR-10 and AR-15) which improved the AR-10 design with M16A2 advancements and parts commonality.

The original SR-25 was released in the early 1990s and immediately gained the attention of the United States Special Operations Command. SOCOM took a real interest in the SR-25, particularly its high magazine capacity and faster engagement time compared to bolt-action rifles. After

some modifications, SOCOM adopted the SR-25 as the Mk 11 Mod 0 in May 2000.

Current Knights Armament Company (KAC) SR-25s feature a free-floating barrel system that, from the very beginning, was seen as that of a precision target rifle. This platform is currently the primary firearm of thousands of military sniper units. KAC’s Stoner Rifles, such as the Mk 11 and M110SASS series, have long been considered to be some of the most accurate and reliable semiautomatic 7.62mm rifles ever produced.

With lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan many, users found out that traditional bolt-action sniper rifles or long fixed stock semi-autos were not ideal when on patrol or dealing with enclosed urban environments. With this in mind, the SR-25 Enhanced Combat Carbine (ECC) was born. It built upon the longrange capabilities of the traditional SR-25 but paired it with a flexible stock and 16” barrel. The more compact size of the rifle meant it was easier to carry and fight with, whilst the 16” barrel meant it was still an extremely capable long-range weapon system. The SR-25 ECC was also chambered in .308 or 7.62x51 which provided sufficient knock down power and accuracy for a service rifle.

armoury VFC SR25 ECC

The SR-25 Enhanced Combat Carbine was the flagship weapon for KAC in 2012. The ECC System featured a 16” 5R Cut Rifled barrel, precision chromed to add longevity, resistance to fouling and corrosion, and a 7.62QDC Flash Suppressor. This weapon system was also equipped with the URX 3.1 configuration which allowed shooters the advantage of an M1913 Picatinny Rail, yet with the comfort of a slimmer, more contoured handrail. The SR-25 ECC was - and is - a battlefield rifle for a new paradigm of combat.

7.62MM TO 6MM!

When it comes to Designated Marksman Rifles (and the new VFC SR-25 is undoubtedly a DMR), I do prefer a gasser.

You can have a DMR in AEG form but the fact that you’re normally carrying a larger, heavier rifle that offers minimal gains in accuracy and performance and one that

is set by necessity to semi-auto, can be a minus rather than a plus.

When, however, you move up to MilSim games, where magazine capacities are restricted and accuracy comes to the forefront of things, a decent, well-tuned and set up gas DMR can be a real winner!

The VFC SR-25 ECC is a 100% faithful replication of the real thing and features all the correct markings; anywhere you see a trademark or a marking it will have been replicated from the real deal. By necessity the ECC is still a solid and hefty bit of kit, weighing in at a little over 3kg, but VFC have taken steps to ensure this rifle is as light as possible, incorporating things like their lightweight outer barrel. The ECC also sports the correct URX 3.1 rail system which in itself is a lightweight yet sturdy option.

This weight saving does not in any way feel alike a compromise and internally VFC make use of a number of reinforced parts, such as a steel trigger, steel fire controls, steel ambi bolt catch, steel anti-impact bolt carrier assembly, high speed buffer unit, steel buffer retainer pin and a high ductility plastic nozzle set. The ECC also features the latest patented “GuideHOP”, which allows you to adjust the hop up using an Allen key directly on the gas block, which feels almost like adjusting the real thing!

VFC need no real introduction as they’ve been creating superb, high quality AEG and GBB replicas for years but as the ECC is something a bit special even for them, I thought it would be great to have some input direct from source! To that end I spoke to Ray at VFC and posed him a couple of questions…

AA: Hi Ray, and thanks for agreeing to answer my questions! First off could you introduce yourself and tell us a little about what you do at VFC?

VFC: “Hi Bill. First of all, thank you for your invitation to speak about our SR-25 ECC! My name is Ray from Vega Force Company, a highquality airsoft gun and accessories manufacturer in Taiwan. I’m the marketing manager of VFC and responsible for VFC’s corporate identity strategy and VFC’s own brand marketing work. I also help with the VFC distributors’ requests for local marketing in their countries. In addition, we also assist our OEM&ODM customers in product marketing in Asia.”

AA: The new ECC GBB comes under your licensing arrangement with Knights Armament; could you tell me a little about how that relationship started and how you work with them?

VFC: “The cooperation with KAC is down to the fact that our boss likes the KAC brand and guns very much. KAC guns are not only beautiful but also well-made.

So we started make airsoft replicas of

KAC and we chose the KAC PDW, an interesting model to start with. After initial manufacture we were introduced by our American friends and we got on the line with KAC. KAC were very surprised that we could make the airsoft guns so beautiful and close to their appearance and that started the long-term cooperation with us. Talking about how we cooperate, in general, they don’t limit what we want to do. We only need to pick the types we want to make and send samples to them for review and confirmation, then we can start making and selling products by ourselves. I think this is because the quality of the airsoft replica we make is very good, so they are very happy to let us to handle airsoft replicas of their brand.”

AA: Your AEG and GBB models have a great reputation (I certainly love my Gen 1 416!), but could you tell me where the inspiration came from for the Enhanced Combat Carbine? Why this model?

VFC: “After we finished the MK11 MOD0 GBBR in 2016, we intended to continue

to develop the 7.62 series of guns and many players hoped that we could release the replica with a retractable stock. Then we started looking for types that could be made. In the beginning, SR25K was selected as the follow-up airsoft replica but our R&D director accidentally received the SR25 ECC handguard! This handguard looked so very good that he had the idea of making a whole gun. Then we started the SR25 ECC GBBR project… Sometimes inspiration needs a little surprise, just like this project!”

AA: What were the main challenges for you in creating this replica?

VFC: “Honestly, cost is the biggest consideration. We want to provide a more affordable 7.62 GBB rifle to our players.

But SR25 ECC GBBR uses an improved system from MK11 MOD0 GBBR and MK11 MOD0 GBBR belongs to our highend “Forging Series”. We must improve performance while reducing costs in the manufacturing process, this includes

www.airsoft-action.online

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armoury VFC SR25 ECC

material replacement and selection. It is really the biggest challenge for us.

In addition, we hoped to enhance the shooting accuracy of SR25 ECC GBBR and it took us a lot of time. Fortunately, we feel satisfied with the finished product. We also hope VFC players can love this replica!”

AA: The ECC is an absolute beauty Ray! What type of player do you see buying this model?

VFC: “There is no doubt the players are all high-end players in airsoft games. This replica is quite suitable for both collection and play. Even hard-core players who like a really good MilSim event will buy.”

AA: When I met with you at IWA earlier this year you had other big plans for new models and accessories; could you comment a little further on this?

VFC: “I’m sorry, I still have to keep the secret now! But I can reveal some information for you… VFC will get authorization from a famous gun manufacturing brand in United States.

Personally, I think it is a very cool brand.

Many great instructors and Special Forces operators of United States like to use their products. If it goes well, it will be officially released in IWA next year. I can only say please stay tuned!”

the most microscopic of adjustments both possible and simple to achieve. The magazine (although it only holds 20 BBs!) is also a thing of beauty and the fill valve is located on the upper rear face so when the magazine is inserted you wouldn’t know it was filled with gas and not rounds; all in all it’s a stunner!

But what is beauty without performance? I’m pleased to report that the SR-25 ECC has both. I initially took the

FINAL THOUGHTS… AND MUCH LOVE!

rifle to my usual 30m woodland range to chrono and test and in terms of power I got a consistent 1.44 Joule/395fps using .20g RZR on green gas and with .30g RZRs the accuracy was stunning at that range!

I spoke more to Ray after the initial test and he seemed a little miffed that I’d only tested at 30m, as in Taiwan they’d been hitting A4 sheets at 70m!

Never one to be put off by a challenge, I duly fitted the ECC with a Harris-style bipod and the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6X24 optic that I usually use on my GBB AR and headed back to the woods. Measuring out 75m I secured one of my own home-

Overall the ECC is as close to the real deal as you’ll find in airsoft form! Everything is nailed down to look and feel exactly as it would on the real thing, including the 762 QDC Flash Suppressor! It has a full-travel bolt with some real “oomph” and, once again, this replicates exactly the operation of the military rifle so your drills are 100% the same.

In addition to luxurious build quality and superb components, the ECC also offers some new features in airsoft form like the “GuideHOP” which makes even 14

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made A4 targets and had at it… suffice to say that the A4 came home with nineteen 6mm holes drilled in it - and the one missing was down to “user error” AND NOT THE RIFLE! I honestly fell in love with the VFC SR-25 ECC when I first saw it, and now that I’ve used it this feeling has only been reinforced; I honestly, genuinely love it to bits! There are many rifles out there now that “simulate” the real thing and many of them are very, very expensive beasts.

Having now shot the ECC I can tell you that it will perform as well as the best of them and it’s available from Redwolf UK for a smidge under £650.

This is by no means your average “skirmish tool” and for this reason, as well as the price, it will not appeal to everyone but it hasn’t been designed and made for the mass market. It’s been designed and made for those that truly want an airsoft rifle that operates exactly like the real thing, but that fires simple 6mm BBs. It’s been designed for the MilSim player, the collector and the airsoft connoisseur… basically it’s been designed for people like me - and to that end I can only recommend it to you in the best possible way!

My thanks go to https:// uk.redwolfairsoft.com for the loan of the test ECC, and to Ray at VFC for being part of this article. AA

armoury KWA HK45

.45 REASONS

TO BE CHEERFUL CAN KWA’S HK45 MEASURE UP TO ITS MIGHTY M9 PTP, OR DOES NEWER NOT ALWAYS MEAN BEST? STEVE T FINDS OUT…

T

his hobby of ours never ceases to amaze me. Sometimes, you’ll buy a new bit of kit, skeptical but intrigued and it will turn out to be the best thing ever. Other times, you’ll buy what you thought was a sure thing, only to be disappointed.

Regular readers will remember that after admiring it from afar, I fell headover-heels in love with KWA’s M9 PTP, as reviewed in the September issue. Not only did the airsoft version feel like the real deal, but it was also consistent in terms of both power and accuracy. Where lesser pistols pepper a target as a result of an unpredictable hop, the M9 sent every shot to the same place every time.

So when I wanted to add a more contemporary sidearm to my arsenal, of course I looked in the same place. I came up with KWA’s version of the HK45, but once more, couldn’t find stock in the UK, so I imported one from Sweden.

Okay, it wasn’t cheap at £200, but that would be an easy pill to swallow if it measured up to their mighty M9. Read on to find out if KWA’s HK45 was up to the task.

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JOINT COMBAT

Heckler and Koch created the 45 to enter into the US army’s Joint Combat Pistol program that was designed to replace the long-serving M9. After the contest was shut down in 2006, HK went on to produce their entry for law enforcement, the military and civilian markets.

Building upon its successful USP handgun, the German company worked with former Delta Force operator, Larry Vickers, to also include ergonomic advances first developed for the P2000. To make room for the smaller grip, magazine capacity dropped from the USP’s 12 rounds to 10, but it gained a tactical rail.

Since its release, the HK45 has been adopted by special forces in Singapore, as well as the US Naval Special Warfare Command, and various law enforcement agencies that include Western Australia Police’s Tactical Response Group.

Notably, this was the first weapon manufactured at H&K’s new facility in Newington, New Hampshire USA, with variants including compact and tactical versions.

NO COMPROMISES

From the moment you see the distinctive HK black and red packaging and the “No Compromises” messaging on the box, you can tell this is a quality product.

Removing the 45 from its foam layer and inserting the magazine only reinforces this impression. It’s gorgeous. Maybe not in terms of how it looks - entirely subjective, of course - but in terms of how it feels.

Not only does the slide rack smoothly but all the control interfaces - from trigger to mag and slide releases - just feel slick.

You can instantly tell that this airsoft replica is a cut above the norm. Wave it about as much as you like and there’s barely any movement from slide or magazine.

Where some airsoft pistols clatter their parts together like castanets, the HK45 is obviously machined to tighter tolerances

armoury KWA HK45

and this alone would justify the premium the 45’s ergonomics to make this a usercalibre pistol that the average human being friendly device and that’s reflected in this price tag for the discerning player. can still use with ease.

The double action trigger is both airsoft version too.

There are serrations to both front smooth and predictable, while single The HK45 may be a chunky gun, but and rear of the slightly angled faces of action is beautifully light. In theory, the it’s slimmer than others of the same calibre the slide, which is bookended by nonambidextrous slide release works just as and it also features ergonomic grips with adjustable iron sights with crisp white well to either side, but while it’s fine on light stippling and two interchangeable dots, as well as a lower rail for tactical the right, there’s no denying that it’s easier backstraps that come as standard. It’s a attachments such as a flashlight or laser. on the conventional side. More evenly straightforward job to swap them out, matched is the mag release built into the meaning that you can set the swell to the TRADING PLACES bottom of the trigger guard on both sides - rear of the grip to suit the size of your The trademarks on this KWA are well one of my personal favourite systems. hand. done and look crisp throughout. Markings The ambidextrous controls don’t extend To the front of the grip, you’ll find include “HK45” and “.45 Auto”, to the safety though, which is plus a serial number to the left of only to be found on the left side. the slide. To the right is a subtle “THERE’S NO OBNOXIOUS WALL Where the middle position is the “Licensed Trademark of Heckler & fun one, up is safe, while down is a Koch GmbH”, plus the HK logo, O’ TEXT WITH LEGAL WARNINGS functional decocker. auto” and another serial ABOUT SAFETY CLUTTERING UP THE “.45 The safety can be engaged number that matches the one on without racking the slide. When AESTHETICS OF THE HK 45. ALL YOU the small silver plate within the the hammer is at rest, pulling the tactical rail.

WILL FIND IS “WARNING REFER TO trigger will begin the hammer’s The right side of the frame travel before stopping it maybe OWNER’S MANUAL” MOULDED INTO shows “Hechler & Koch Germany”, halfway. Releasing the trigger plus an almost invisible “Cal. 6mm THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRIGGER just reseats the hammer without BB”, as well as “HK45” to the discharge.

GUARD.” bottom of both sides of the grips.

With the hammer back, the And you’ll be delighted to hear safety prevents any movement in that there’s no obnoxious wall the trigger, while the decocker works every moulded finger grooves that fall readily o’ text with legal warnings about safety time. It all feels so precise and predictable, to hand - at least for my bear paws. The cluttering up the aesthetics of the HK 45. without any slop or hesitation, just as you magazine bumper that protrudes below All you will find is “WARNING REFER TO might expect from a real firearm. the mag well gives an extra half-inch of OWNER’S MANUAL” moulded into the grip for fat fingers, but you don’t need big underside of the trigger guard. This is how hands to use this big gun. HK’s laboratories it should be done - other manufacturers COGITO ERGO SUM HK obviously spent a lot of time developing have done a great job of making a large please take note! www.airsoft-action.online

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armoury KWA HK45

“WHERE SOME AIRSOFT PISTOLS CLATTER THEIR PARTS TOGETHER LIKE CASTANETS, THE HK45 IS OBVIOUSLY MACHINED TO TIGHTER TOLERANCES AND THIS ALONE WOULD JUSTIFY THE PREMIUM PRICE TAG FOR THE DISCERNING PLAYER.”

SHOOT EM UP!

Using green gas and 0.20 BBs, we recorded a maximum of 330FPS/1.1J and a minimum of 275FPS/0.7J, with an average of 305FPS/0.86J across multiple magazines.

The average may have been about what we expected, but the variance was greater compared to the M9 PTP. Shooting KWA’s HK45 on the range and it hits cans at up to 25 metres, no problem.

Maybe not as predictably as the best pistols we’ve used, but at that range you would hit a man-sized target every time. That’s pretty good going for a pistol.

Adjusting KWA’s hop up - or Shoot Up as they refer to it - is a breeze. There’s no need to remove the slide and fiddle with a dial underneath; simply pull the slide back to insert the included proprietary tool through the ejection port. Once you seat its teeth into the rotary adjustment wheel to the front, it’s a cinch to add or remove hop input to great effect.

It’s a fantastic system to use, with the only potential downfall being that you can’t make adjustments without the small tool that could be easy to lose. Happily, it features a hole for a keyring, lanyard or other attachment and that would be one of the first jobs we’d recommend!

Despite setting the hop - sorry, Shoot Up - the HK45 demonstrates slight vertical variance, with a

bias to the right. Hopefully that will settle down with use. It may not be a target pistol then, but it’s definitely more than enough to get the job done in a skirmish.

DOES PREMIUM MEAN PREMIER?

The problem is that at £200, this is definitely a premium-priced pistol and however much we admire the quality of manufacture and enjoy using it, in terms of pure performance, the HK45 as new is more “First Division” than “Premier League”. It’s good - better than most, even - but it’s not the last word in accuracy.

For all its beautiful construction and fine ergonomics, there’s one aspect that makes this airsoft version of the HK45 less than user friendly; loading the magazine is an absolute pain.

There’s no flare in the BB slot so that you can use a speedloader to fill up just above the follower atop the lowered magazine spring, like you might be able to on the vast majority of GBB pistols. Your only option is to load through the feed lips at the top of the magazine. Which would be OK, were it not for the fact that not one of my speedloaders seems to be compatible with their physical shape.

I’ve tried thumb loaders with various

FPS: 305 avge (tested) Weight: 878g inc mag (tested) Power source: Green gas Capacity: 26 rounds Action: DA/SA Blowback: Yes Adjustable hop: Yes

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attachments at every angle, as well as two more old-fashioned tube loaders and not one of them will play ball bearing.

You might be lucky; you might have a speedloader that works just fine with this mag, but for now, I have no other option than to fill every single BB by hand.

Not only is this tedious, but it also means reloads in the field aren’t a viable option.

Unless you carry spare magazines, a quick top-up mid-game just isn’t going to happen.

And while we’re offering up criticisms, every single shot is accompanied by the sound of a “Twang!” that reminds me of my very first spring-powered pistol all those years ago. You might expect that from a budget bolt action sniper, but it’s less common in a pistol and especially one with a premium price.

Not only does it instantly defeat any suspension of disbelief if you’re roleplaying as an operative deep in a live mission, but on a more practical level it also means that opposing players might be able to identify your position by sound on game day if you’re trying to be sneaky.

CONCLUSION

While we very much enjoy both handling and using KWA’s HK45 - and the more we do both, the more we love it - we regretfully have to inform you that as an airsoft sidearm, it isn’t absolutely brilliant. It’s good - great even - but in our experience, the performance just doesn’t quite match the excellent quality of the exterior machining and overall fit and finish.

If you want an HK45, then I can say that KWA’s version is a fine one. Maybe the best one. But if you want the best KWA pistol, then based on my experience, I’d have to recommend the M9 PTP instead. AA

armoury KWA RONIN T6

HAVING PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED EARLIER MODELS IN THE KWA RONIN SERIES, PHIL BUCKNALL GOT HIS ORDER IN EARLY FOR THE LATEST VERSION.

A

t the moment there seems to be and it’s solid too! Nary a creek or squeak have a last round cut off feature but a huge and virtually unstoppable from any part of it, not even the rails for the included MS120 mag has the same trend to churn out PCC (pistol follower as the ERG mags and so feeds the stock. It’s just how a gun should be. calibre carbine) guns; both in the real every one of the 120 BBs it holds, so none world and in airsoft and nearly every are wasted. The gun is rear-wired and the OVERVIEW manufacturer has jumped on the battery compartment isn’t overly generous The T6 uses a full-sized AR receiver set bandwagon. I’m not a huge fan of these but I got round that by buying an Airtech matched up to a short MLOK hand but I do like the very short barreled rifle Studios extension box and now I can run guard, with a “SOCOM” style flash hider calibre carbines, or PDW that are available. a 2600mah split pack 7.4v LiPo quite (according to KWA) and an improved PDW My little PTS N23 has become a firm comfortably. That’s more than enough tanker-style stock at the rear, all topped off favourite in the armoury as it’s just so light juice for a full day’s play and is unobtrusive with a set of the EPS back up iron sights and easy to shoot… but it is based on a being in line with the stock, thus keeping from PTS. It has an ambidextrous charging blueprint that’s over 40 years old and I everything all neat and all wires hidden handle and fire selectors and features the wanted something a little more away . It does mean that you can’t modern. collapse the stock all the way in I recently reviewed KWA TK45 but I found I couldn’t comfortably “TAKING IT OUT OF THE BOX FOR and TK45C Ronins and found them shoot it unless it was in either of THE FIRST TIME I WAS SMILING both to be a great deal of fun and the last two extended positions my pick of the PCCs out there if I anyway; it was just too close in.

FROM EAR TO EAR AS THIS IS had to have one. However, I was SUCH A GREAT LOOKING GUN AND waiting for the next KWA release, HOP TO IT as it ticked so many boxes for me IT’S SOLID TOO! NARY A CREEK OR I slapped a few accessories on and that was gun is the subject of mine, including a PEQ-15 and SQUEAK FROM ANY PART OF IT, NOT this review… The Ronin T6. a Trijicon MRO Red Dot clone EVEN THE RAILS FOR THE STOCK. I first saw photos of the T6 at to make it a little more useable the SHOT show in January and IT’S JUST HOW A GUN SHOULD BE.” for me and also an MLOK rail instantly liked it. The aesthetics of to mount a short angled BCM this gun just appeal to me on every style vertical grip and an MLOK level and I can’t even fully explain version 2.5 gearbox which has a variable sling loop. The only other thing I did was it, but I knew I had to get one and thanks FPS feature using the included T-handled change the hop rubber, as the KWA ones to John at JTAC Custom I had one on allen wrench and even though it has an are rubbish for UK FPS levels. In the US release day in the UK. Taking it out of the electronic trigger already installed, it is or countries that allow 380+ FPS they box for the first time I was smiling from ear also GATE Titan compatible straight of work great (so I hear) …but at 350? They to ear as this is such a great looking gun absolutely suck. The best and possibly one the box. This does mean that it doesn’t

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armoury KWA RONIN T6

“IT’S GREAT TO SEE THAT THEY ARE STILL WORKING CLOSELY WITH PTS AND SPECCING SOME OF THE PTS ENHANCED POLYMER RANGE OF ACCESSORIES ON THEIR GUNS IS A GREAT MOVE, WHICH ADDS A TOUCH OF CLASS AS WELL AS IMPROVED PERFORMANCE TO A VERY CAPABLE PLATFORM.” of the cheapest upgrades you can do to this gun, to add an extra 20m range and vastly improved accuracy and consistency, is chuck a Guarder clear 50deg hop rubber in it. Nothing else; I don’t even change the nub or the standard barrel - just the hop rubber. Once that was done I was hitting a target at one of my local sites (that’s measured at 60m) with probably 95% of my shots. That’s using the gun with 0.28g BBs firing at 285FPS/1.06J. Absolutely spot on for any UK site and that’s not bad for a gun with an inner barrel not much over 6” either. The RoF wasn’t mega fast but by now you guys know I hate guns with insane RoF. They’re just not good and ruin the game. It also sounded slick when fired; a sure sign it’s internals are well assembled too. I’ve had the odd gun that sounded like someone strangling cats with razor wire before. This is not one of those!

IN PLAY

The T6 is great to play with. Its small size makes it very easy to use in confined spaces, whether that be in buildings or dense undergrowth and the controls are right where you need them and very tactile. I’m especially fond of the ambi-fire selectors and I wish more guns had them.

The enhanced polymer pistol grip from PTS was another nice touch and the more vertical grip angle is one I’m very used to and one I find a lot more comfortable than standard A2 grips. The tanker stock, although looking quite minimalistic, has just the right amount of meat to it to make shouldering the T6 comfy and quick - even with a plate carrier on. As I’ve already said though, in the fully collapsed position there is no way on this earth you’re going to be firing comfortably from the shoulder unless you’re maybe 9 years old. Fully extended it is just in that “sweet spot” for me, where everything feels natural from lining up optics, to hand movements to work the controls and mag release etc. and grab the vertical grip, which I favour close in to the receiver so I’m not all stretched out.

Absolutely poetry in motion – kinda… if you ignore the lump using it anyway!

I loved this gun from the very first time I saw it and think that KWA have nailed it in

both design and function. It’s great to see that they are still working closely with PTS and speccing some of the PTS enhanced polymer range of accessories on their guns is a great move, which adds a touch of class as well as improved performance to a very capable platform.

SUMMARY

Apart from what I have already done with the hop rubber, I wouldn’t say that you needed to change anything else on the gun. Any extras are very much down to

personal preference and I think the T6 looks great “fully loaded” - but also just left bare and run with iron sights only. It isn’t a heavy gun like that and so it would be great for smaller players or kids who’s reach won’t be as far, with the adjustable stock adding to the versatility of the gun to be used by all ages. My son very nearly stole it from me once he’d had a go as

he thought it was great for him and he was most put out when I told him to, very politely, to bugger off!! He’s already got three rifles and he’s only 14! He’s not having this one.

So, If you’re looking for an AR that’s a little different but not a PCC, or if you’re after a sub gun sized package to lighten the load but want to keep commonality across magazines and already own an M4, then seriously look at the T6. Priced at around £360 from JTAC Custom it isn’t horrifically expensive but it is worth it. It is perfect for many people and all game environments …and it looks soooooo cool too! ‘Til next time, stay and play safe! AA

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AS SEEN ON SCREEN

Credit: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/User:AgentGumby

IWI TAVOR

AS SEEN ON SCREEN:

IWI TAVOR I

t’s fair to say that bullpup rifles are something of an acquired taste. Despite clear advantages in terms of the form factor - longer barrel, shorter body - both real-world operators and airsofters alike have trouble adjusting to the “mag behind the trigger” layout.

Regardless, the IWI Tavor is one of the most recognisable bullpup designs, alongside the F2000’s fishlike profile and the comparatively svelte Steyr AUG.

IWI

Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) introduced the Tavor in 2001, with the first development work starting in 1995. The project adopted a long-stroke piston system, similar to the AK-47. During testing, the Tavor beat the more familiar M4A1 Carbine in a number of areas, including reliability.

Designed as a modular platform, it’s easy to reconfigure the Tavor for left or right-handed usage, as well as add the M203 grenade launcher. Fed by readily available STANAG magazines, the Tavor was originally intended to use the 5.56x45 NATO round, but can also be found in 9x19mm Parabellum and 5.45x39mm Russian versions.

IWI updated the platform in 2009 with the X95, which the Israel Defense Forces adopted to replace the M16 and M4 as the standard issue infantry weapon.

Variants of IWI’s original TAR-21 that have appeared onscreen include the

Compact CTAR-21 and even smaller Micro MTAR-21, as well as the Sniper version STAR-21 and the latest X95.

MOVIES

The Tavor’s first appearance on the silver screen that we’re aware of was in 2004’s “Resident Evil: Apocalypse”, wielded by Stefan Hayes as Yuri Loginova. It would also reappear in the franchise in the 2012 sequel, “Resident Evil:Retribution”.

Swedish action movie hero and Universal Soldier, Dolph Lundgren, used a Tavor in 2004’s “Direct Action”, as directed by Sidney J. Furie. It’s fair to say the movie received middling reviews ahead of Lundgren’s later return to action movie A-league in “The Expendables”.

Videogames that have been turned into movies have traditionally not fared well and 2008’s “Max Payne” was no different. Starring Mark “Marky Mark” - you couldn’t make this up – Wahlberg

SQUARE-EYED ‘SOFTER, STEVE TAKLE, LOOKS FOR SIGHTINGS OF IWI’S TAVOR ACROSS MOVIES, TV AND VIDEOGAMES.

(who inexplicably made the transition from rapper to stripping off for a jeans commercial, then an action movie star), Max Payne was welcomed by neither gamers nor cinephiles. All that said, you can see the Tavor being used by Lupino thugs in the movie.

After an appearance with an Israeli soldier in 2013 Brad Pitt vehicle, “World War Z”, the Tavor hopped the Atlantic to be used by US soldiers in the unfortunate 2014 remake of “Robocop”.

Marvel’s Cinematic Universe expanded in 2015 with the little-known titular hero of “Ant-Man”, as played by Paul Rudd you know; Phoebe’s husband in the-mostpopular-sit-com-of-all-time, Friends. The Tavor was seen in Ant-Man, as well as its 2018 sequel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp”.

Despite a disappointing big screen CV, the Tavor was most recently seen in the armoury for this year’s gun-fest, “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum”. Is there a weapon that guy doesn’t have access to?

Credit: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/User:Ben41

“DESPITE A DISAPPOINTING BIG SCREEN CV, THE TAVOR WAS MOST RECENTLY SEEN IN THE ARMOURY FOR THIS YEAR’S GUN-FEST, “JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM”. IS THERE A WEAPON THAT GUY DOESN’T HAVE ACCESS TO?” 22

NOVEMBER 2019

AS SEEN AS SEEN ON SCREEN ON SCREEN IWI TAVOR IWI TAVOR

TV

The Tavor has appeared on TV documentaries in “Future Weapons” in 2006, as well as “Ultimate Weapons” four years later.

It’s also been seen in TV drama as used by the Colombian Special Forces in 2007’s “Situation Critical”, as well as the second series of “Continuum”. In 2014, you could find the Tavor being used by the Abbudinian Honor Guard in “Tyrant”, before it made the jump from Marvel movies to TV in 2018, with the fifth series of “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD”.

fated “Play4Free”, while it was to reappear two years later as the MTAR-21 in the “China Rising” expansion pack for 2013’s “Battlefield 4”.

“ArmA II” for PC. And perhaps one of the greatest gaming accolades of all time; if you look outside of hardcore first-person shooters, you’ll find the Tavor in arguably the biggest videogame of all time, “Grand Theft Credit: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/User:Dannysaysnoo

GAMES

The Tavor first made an appearance in a “Rainbow Six” game with 2003’s Raven Shield, before returning as the MTAR21 in “Vegas” and then the TAR21 in the sequel, “Vegas 2”. Both brilliant games to this day.

The true sign that a weapon has arrived in the public consciousness is an appearance in the all-conquering franchise that is Activision’s “Call of Duty” and the Tavor could be seen in 2009’s seminal “Modern Warfare 2”, complete with the M203 grenade launcher, Masterkey, suppressor, red dot sight, ITL MARS, EOTech holographic sight, ACOG, thermal sight and/or extended magazines.

The series stuck with the Tavor in its X95 guise as the MTAR in 2012’s “Call of

GHOST HUNT

One of our personal highlights from the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 years, “Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier” featured the suitably futuristic Tavor in 2012, before it landed a recurring role in the Ghost Recon universe in both “Phantoms” in 2014 and

Credit: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/User:AgentGumby

Auto V”. Within 24 hours of its release, Rockstar’s crime sim had earned more that $800 million and has since gone on to generate more than $6 billion in revenue.

If you want to find the Tavor in this allconquering behemoth, just look for the “Advanced Rifle 2013”. With its numerous updates, downloadable content and online modes that keep GTAV fresh to this day, we can’t believe this game was released six years ago.

And games evidently aren’t done with the Tavor yet - bringing us right up to date, it was also an option in Ubisoft’s postapocalyptic “The Division 2”, released just this year.

RAW DEAL

IWI’s Tavor has had a bit of a raw deal in movies - and even more so on TV. But in a recurring theme for this series, it’s been well catered for in videogames.

Being included in both the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises, the Tavor has definitely earned its place in the pantheon of digital firearms. AA

Duty: Black Ops II” - which many gamers cite as the last great CoD before the series jumped the shark into a multiplayer melee of jetpacking bunny-hops.

One year after the Tavor’s first inclusion in a Call of Duty game, it went on to surface in the PC-only “Counter Strike Online” before making the move to CoD’s nemesis, “Battlefield”. In 2011, you could use the Tavor in “Battlefield 3” and the ill-

2017’s open world sandbox, “Wildlands”.

With the next instalment of Ubi’s series coming soon, will the Tavor reprise its role in this year’s “Breakpoint”, due out in October? We can but hope.

Rewinding to 2012, you could find the Tavor in “Max Payne 3” - things are coming full circle since the weapon’s appearance in the movie - after which it moved onto hardcore military simulator,

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EVENT REPORT AIRFEST 2019 NATIONAL AIRSOFT FESTIVAL 2019

NATIONAL AIRSOFT FESTIVAL

2 0 1 9

IT’S THE TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN THE AIRSOFT ACTION CREW HEAD ON DOWN TO THE NEW FOREST TO CHECK IN AT THE NATIONAL AIRSOFT FESTIVAL AND CHECK OUT WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING OVER THE LAST YEAR WITH FRIENDS OLD AND NEW AT A THOROUGHLY CONVIVIAL EVENT THAT’S ALL ABOUT THE AIRSOFT! BILL TELLS MORE…

B

efore last year I would have been amongst the many UK airsoft players that said “Yeah, the National Airsoft Festival, what about that?” but after a totally entertaining and illuminating event in 2018, this year I was really, really looking forward to heading on down to Ground Zero to attend an event that I’ve done a total about face on. It’s one weekend that I get to hang out with Nige and some of the other “AA Staffers” so that in itself makes the trip 100% worthwhile and this year Kelly even dragged along Jet and Leah from the USA as part of their very first visit to the UK. She’ll tell you more about that, which is a great story in itself!

For those that are still oblivious to the event though, the National Airsoft Festival (formerly the National Airsoft Event) takes place every August Bank Holiday down at the Ground Zero site in the depths of the New Forest. The NAF/NAE has been running since 2007, when Ground Zero/ Zero One made history by hosting what

was at that time the largest airsoft event ever held in in the UK (and probably still is!), bringing in players from all over the UK and Europe.

At a time when we are a little bewildered as to what will happen in regards to our relationship with “Mainland Europe” in the months ahead, I will say that amongst airsofters… we frankly appear not to give a shit! Many personal friends from just over the water, especially my good mate Stef and the Dutch crew, come to the NAF every year and it’s a time when I can actually get together with them face to face, which I love. Things may change politically in the months and years to come (who knows?) but one thing I do know is that these guys will always be my friends and with an invite to head on over to play a game with them on their own “home turf”, I for one will be making that journey across the channel come what may (no pun intended there)!

The fact is, the NAF is just one HUGE

celebration of airsoft, not just for UK players but for players from much further afield. The thought of a massive airsoft game involving quite literally thousands of players is my personal worst scenario though; we all know that sadly you get the odd “cheater” at even the very best game and the chance of that happening with so many players in one place at one time means that this is magnified.

Many players, even good ones that are always willing to give the benefit of the doubt, decide not to attend the NAF for this reason and having now been twice, I think they are truly missing out on a great airsoft experience, even if they don’t play a minute!

In fact the NAF appears to be growing, not perhaps in the number of active players, but in the volume of folk who turn up to camp for the weekend, see mates, bask in the sun with an ice cream or a cold beverage and shoot the breeze about their favourite 6mm pastime. Many will

“MANY PLAYERS, EVEN GOOD ONES THAT ARE ALWAYS WILLING TO GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, DECIDE NOT TO ATTEND THE NAF FOR THIS REASON AND HAVING NOW BEEN TWICE, I THINK THEY ARE TRULY MISSING OUT ON A GREAT AIRSOFT EXPERIENCE, EVEN IF THEY DON’T PLAY A MINUTE!”

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NOVEMBER 2019

EVENT REPORT NATIONAL AIRSOFT FESTIVAL 2019

say “don’t bother!” but when it comes to the NAF – but I say pay the “naysayers” no heed!

A TRULY IMPRESSIVE SITE

Upon arrival at the Ground Zero site you’ll be immediately impressed with the sheer size of the field and the diversity of terrain - and that is just as you drive in! Ground Zero is situated about a mile from the nearest road on the private grounds of Somerley Estate in Ringwood, Hampshire, and boasts some 175 acres of playable terrain, with a massive 50 acres of Safe Zone. Now you may find that latter number “overkill” but I’m going to tell you that with nigh on 3,000 bodies and all the varied entertainment/logistics staff on site 50 acres soon becomes very, very small and intimate.

The main Safe Zone is split away from the camping area and is almost a selfcontained “festival village” in its own right.

There are numerous gear-sellers around the village, with Jo from www.flecktarn.co.uk and Scott from www.lowamilitaryboots. com, the Enola Gaye team, Gav with the VIPER stand and the guys from The Tactical Coffee Company, the team from AttackSense Targets (more on them later…), our good friend Taig from Kydex Customs - and you could even have your photographic portrait done by Josh from Krios Photography! Then there’s a whole plethora of stands that make up the “food court”. If you wanted an ice cream or a bacon bap, then it was there for the

having, and if you didn’t want to cook over the weekend then you had a choice of very well-priced Greek food (absolutely stunning kebabs!), Thai red or green curry with rice, burger and chips, good old fish n’ chips, wood-fired pizza and even fresh coffee and donuts! The vendors marquee sat next to another of equal size that housed the licensed bar, and the stage for evening events.

And I’m still not finished with what was on offer in “The Village”, as Zero One had their own Site Shop, stocking the essentials, but this year with an online ordering system that allowed you to order from their warehouse and have your goods

delivered to site for collection the same day. Personally, I was a little disappointed to see their “HUGE SHOP” not there this year and I know others that were of the same opinion. I understand it’s an enormous job for Zero One to put this together but I honestly believe that they probably lost sales to those, like me, who can’t resist an “impulse buy”, especially at a festival! I hope that they did okay, I’m sure they did, but I missed the old “big top shop”.

GAME ON!

As per last year I was able to watch all the

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EVENT REPORT AIRFEST 2019

“ALTHOUGH THE SITE IS HUGE IT’S ALSO BROKEN DOWN INTO SMALLER “GAME ZONES” THAT ARE EMINENTLY PLAYABLE IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, AND THAT ON A REGULAR “SKIRMISH DAY” WOULD DELIGHT ANYONE. THERE’S A SMALL VILLAGE, A “PRISON”, OUTPOSTS, GUARD TOWERS, TRENCH SYSTEMS AND NUMEROUS OTHER STRUCTURES TO PLAY THROUGH.” proceedings as players arrived and booked in and this was again done very efficiently with an absolute lack of fuss. The queue dispersed surprisingly fast though, with each player coming away with a “goodie bag” and their player armbands, Green for “Delta”, Orange for “Bravo”, and “Blue” for the “Others”. Whilst the players booked in a multi-chrono station and zeroing range was run next door within the “Saloon” building and once again I saw very little in the way of long lines forming.

In fact the “range” stayed open late into the evening, and was in use the whole time. Right next to the main chrono range was a smaller one run by the team from GBLS showing their uber-tasty DAS rifles and carbines where you could also try out the AttackSense target system that Phil has been raving on about, and you know what, having now tried it myself he’s right to rave!

After a relatively swift and to the point safety brief (Team Briefs had happened well before this) it was time for “Game On”

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and players headed out to their respective start points. After a rousing brief from the team I/C the game started properly with a pyro barrage, and it was time to get your fight on. Although the site is HUGE it’s also broken down into smaller “game zones” that are eminently playable in their own right, and that on a regular “skirmish day” would delight anyone. There’s a small village, a “prison”, outposts, guard towers, trench systems and numerous other structures to play through. Of course, for the weekend EVERYTHING is in play at the same time and wherever you went there was the sound of a firefight taking place. All three teams had objectives to achieve and points to be earned from them and from what I saw every objective was hard-earned by the eventual victors. Play continued throughout the day, with some hardy souls lasting the duration, whilst others returned to the camping grounds and “The Village” for much needed R&R, as this year it was hot… damn hot…

REALLY HOT and the ice cream van did

outrageous business I’m sure!

As Day One wound down, the evening “action” started with the raffle, and the now usual “banter” from Marshal Rich.

This has become something of a legend but if you’re of a gentle disposition it’s best to stay away, especially if you’re ginger, skinny, or a Russian it would seem!

Although there was a night game for those so disposed, the main “action” for Saturday night appeared to be once again centred on the camping grounds where many groups had BBQs lit and their party heads on! This was where the real “festival spirit” took over and in “The Village” the bar rocked thanks to a live band that played a real old mixture of classic tunes, but it seemed that the heat of the day had sapped everyone and the only ones dancing were Spiderman and a rather floppy inflatable US politician! Beers went down in a sociable and thoroughly chilled out atmosphere, with groups from all the teams exchanging their “war stories” from the day and having a genuinely

EVENT REPORT NATIONAL AIRSOFT FESTIVAL 2019

good laugh. As the evening progressed I found myself outside the bar marquee chatting to old mates like Brent, Kim and Jimbo (great to see you guys!), standing by a roaring fire pit watching a group somewhat bizarrely dressed in unicorn costumes… what happens at NAF stays at NAF though!

SUN-DAY!

Last year folk told me that you need to make sure you have sufficient sun cream to last you the weekend at the festival and, unlike last year when the rain set in with a vengeance on the Sunday morning, this year you really needed it as players had to contend with the heat and sun blazing down on them without mercy! The teams obviously felt there was still more to play for though, as they headed back out to the game - and they just kept on playing, gaining objectives and points whilst having a thoroughly good time. Reports are that there were actually very few heat-induced incidents, although by early afternoon a few players were heading back in as tempers wore thin; again I believe that this was in the minority though, as most players were having a great time of it!

My final thoughts on the National Airsoft Festival 2019? The site is superb and the

organisation impeccable. The facilities on site were first rate and the scheduling spoton. Once again, I’ll echo my thoughts of last year, as the play that I saw was hard, fast, and in the main fair, with hits taken and compliments given where they were due. The “after game” was as much fun and as lively as I’ve seen anywhere and the bottom line is that everyone seemed to be having a thoroughly bang-on time, whether they played for the duration, for a few hours, or not at all!

Whatever your style of play may be, the National Airsoft festival has something to offer you. The Festival is first and foremost just that, a joyful event that celebrates

airsoft in all its diverse and wonderful forms and a festival that just happens to be set on an awesome site that has an enormous game going on at the same time.

Congratulations once again this year to the “Others” for your win but I’m certain that both “Bravo” and “Delta” will be after your hides next year!

For further information for the 2020 National Airsoft Festival please keep an eye on www.groundzeroairsoft.com/nae, and I look forward to seeing you there …you don’t need a unicorn suit to impress us, but it does help!! AA

www.airsoft-action.online

29

international FRIENDS ACROSS THE POND

THERE CANNOT BE MANY IN UK AIRSOFT THAT HAVE NOT HEARD OF FEMME FATALE, KELLY HARDWICK AND IN THIS AGE OF INSTANT COMMUNICATION SHE HAS MADE (ALMOST) AS MANY FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC, INCLUDING TWO RATHER SPECIAL PEOPLE…

T

he best thing about the digital age is that you can make friends with people you’ve never met, or who live in cities you’ve never been too. So just how did the story of the Unicorn-Fatale hoemance begin?

THE DARK SIDE

I started following Leah on social media all the way back in 2014, when I first started playing airsoft and was looking for other women to follow in the sport. Leah at the time had (and still has) one of the largest followings on IG and the biggest following on YouTube of any female airsofter in the world. Early in 2015, when my social media accounts started to gain traction and receive attention from airsofters and brands around the world, a dark side effect of the internet started to rear its ugly head - internet trolls!

This was the first time I’d encountered hate on any scale, let alone in the quantities it was coming in. Whilst there has obviously been people that I’d encountered in my life that didn’t like me,

strangers on the internet making negative comments about my appearance was never anything I’d dealt with and honestly, I struggled at the beginning with the concept that people who’d never spoken to me, or met me, could dislike me so intensely and this is where Leah comes in.

I received a DM on Instagram from @thetacticalunicorn (Leah’s account) explaining that she knew how I felt because it was something she had dealt with and if I ever needed to chat, she was happy to. I immediately felt relieved, although I’d never wish internet hate on anyone, not even those who dish it out to me, I was relieved there was someone out there who understood what I was going through and having that support has been crucial to me continuing on in airsoft media.

FLIGHT TO FREEDOM

Fast forward to 2017… Femme Fatale Airsoft was doing so well that, with Leah’s constant moral support, I quit my full-time job to pursue a career in airsoft media

(much to the dismay of my parents!). At this point we had been messaging on social media for two years and had become close friends but we didn’t meet in person until the 23rd March 2017.

My partner at the time was due to deploy to Afghanistan for 9 weeks and, as a gift and probably to keep me from going insane checking the news, he offered to pay for my flights to Los Angeles to visit Leah and Jet. Leah had been talking about a visit for a while and when I messaged to say I was booking my flights we were both ecstatic at the prospect of hanging out and playing airsoft together for 6 whole weeks!

I booked my flight for the 23rd March from London Gatwick to Los Angeles, however, I was someone who wasn’t very well traveled and the furthest afield I had been from home was Tunisia in 2008 for a week with my best friend and her family.

The 11-hour flight on my own, quite honestly terrified me. That morning my wonderful Dad bundled my suitcase into the family car and we set off for Gatwick, once at the airport I said a tearful farewell to my Dad, Mum and little sister.

“I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW NERVE-RACKING FLYING 11 HOURS AND 6,500 MILES ACROSS THE WORLD AWAY FROM EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER KNOWN IS TO MEET PEOPLE YOU’VE ONLY SPOKEN TO ON THE INTERNET IS!” 32

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international FRIENDS ACROSS THE POND

in 2019 (once for Shot Show 2019) and the second for six weeks to attend local fields and AirsoftCon.

JET AND LEAH

Atlanta 2017 During the flight there were SO many thoughts going through my head – “What if we don’t get on in real life?”, “What if I get home sick?”, “What if she’s not who she says she is?”. I can’t tell you how nerve-racking flying 11 hours and 6,500 miles across the world away from everything you’ve ever known is to meet people you’ve only spoken to on the internet is! I arrived at Los Angeles at 5.30pm local time and after collecting my suitcases, I waited in the pick-up zone to meet my friends.

Jet and Leah arrived on time (despite the horrendous LA traffic) in their pickup truck and off we went to Victorville, California for our 6-week adventure. Leah documented my stay on her YouTube channel - Unicorn Leah. During my first visit to the States we visited SS Airsoft in Atlanta for their 7th year anniversary, SC Village, Hill 559 for Uprising 3 and Milsim West in Washington State. During those 6 weeks I got to see and experience SO much of the United States …from deserts, to buzzing cities, to the beaches in LA and the lush greeneries of Washington (which is pretty much the same as the UK), all with one of my best friends. I experienced first-hand Californian speedsoft and some of the most challenging MilSims I’ve taken part in.

Fast forward to 2019 and I have now visited the States 5 times. Once in 2017, twice in 2018 - for Shot Show 2018 (my first one and one of the most memorable) and after my Dad passed away and twice

Leah has been playing for a little over six years and got introduced to airsoft by working for an airsoft distributor called Spartan Imports. She decided to play a few games so that she could be a more effective Salesperson and ended up having so much fun, that she began to play every weekend and started to push the company to be more active in the community.

Leah started her YouTube channel a little over five years ago and moved to Southern California shortly after (the airsoft Mecca of north America) to pursue YouTube full-time.

She has played throughout the US, Aruba and in Mexico, all the while documenting her adventures on Unicorn Leah. To date, Leah’s channel (which has everything from gameplay, to unboxing videos to vlogs and reviews) has amassed over 142,000 subscribers. Leah is passionate about all types of airsoft, from challenging MilSims to speedsoft and out of all the female players I’ve met over my time in airsoft, Leah is one of the most dedicated to the game.

Jet started playing in 2002 but got his introduction into airsoft through paintball. He worked in a paintball store and really enjoyed playing paintball, until he discovered an airsoft store called “Jungle Toy” in the town next to him and he ended up selling all his paintball gear

to start airsoft.

He started his YouTube channel “DesertFoxAirsoft” nine years ago and has built his channel up to a whopping 1,172,000 subscribers! During this time Jet opened up his own airsoft field, called “DesertFox MOUT”, located in Oro Grande, CA but this unfortunately had to close a few years later due to complications with the city (but there are plans to rebuild the field at a later date). His main focus now (bar his YouTube channel) is Desertfox Events, which is an airsoft events company that holds events in multiple states across Northern America. What sets DFE apart from all the other events companies, is that they have developed an app to revolutionise the gameplay at their events.

The “Blue Fox Tracker” app is a free downloadable app from the App Store/ Google Play Store and works on a 3/4G connection. Players download the app and create their own profile within the app, once they are at a DFE event they can scan the event’s QR code to get in the game.

The app is essentially a mini-map that shows players their location, their alive/ wounded/killed team-mates locations, plus the objectives and has features such as the app chat and medic function. DFE games can be played if you don’t have the app or a data connection but it definitely adds another element to gameplay. Jet is really passionate about the game - which is why he is so successful at what he does. He simply loves airsoft and cares about player experience, making him a great events organiser.

Wildlands 2017

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33

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS ACROSS THE POND

“I SAID IT HUNDREDS OF TIMES THIS WEEKEND AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN: I REALLY WISH THAT AMERICA HAD SOMETHING LIKE THE NATIONAL AIRSOFT FESTIVAL! IT WAS A FANTASTIC, FUN-FILLED WEEKEND FIT FOR ANYONE AND EVERYONE.”

NAF 2019

In August 2019, our friends at Enola Gaye flew Jet and Leah out to the UK for three weeks, to represent them at the National Airsoft Festival run by Zero One Airsoft in Ringwood, Hampshire. During my visits to the US, Jet and Leah have housed me, fed me and taken me to multiple states to experience American airsoft at its finest and I wanted to do the same for them. So during the short time they’ve been in the UK, we’ve driven 7 hours from Derby to Glasgow to play “The Depot” (Scotland’s biggest playable CQB site) which they both thoroughly enjoyed, then the hour to Edinburgh to meet the team at Land Warrior Airsoft and to experience the Fringe festival, then the five hours back home, to have just four days to prepare for the NAF. The National Airsoft Festival is the biggest airsoft event in the UK - with attendance of well over 3,000 people. We spent three days at the NAF, arriving early on the Friday morning and leaving at end

of play on the Sunday. The US doesn’t yet have anything like the NAF, so I was keen for them to experience an event that I enjoy so much. According to the Americans, we were “posh camping” (I, being someone who doesn’t like camping at all, had a very different description for what we were doing). We listened to a lot of country music, played a lot of “beersby”, BBQ’d a lot of meat and just generally enjoyed the festival atmosphere.

The weather over the weekend was perfect and right up Jet and Leah’s street, so they had no problem playing in the unusually high temps we had, although admittedly, I struggled a little!

Leah’s take on the NAF: “I said it hundreds of times this weekend and I will say it again: I really wish that America had something like the National Airsoft Festival!

It was a fantastic, fun-filled weekend fit for anyone and everyone. It was just like being a music festival - bar tents and bands, lots of food trucks, all kinds of airsoft and tactical gear. The gameplay was

fun and very organised but casual enough that anyone could jump in and have fun.

Also, there was plenty of people there for just the camping and fun social aspect; with camping grounds being split up into Louder, Loud and Quiet camping; making it easy for people to bring their families for a fun festival weekend. Huge thank you to Enola Gaye for making this trip possible.”

Jet’s take on the NAF: “I really enjoyed the social aspect of the event. The airsoft was also fun but to me the thing that stood out the most, that I enjoyed the most, was the camping, hanging out, meeting everyone and learning more about British culture and the British airsoft scene.”

So there you have it… a relationship that began because of something pretty negative has become a huge positive in my life and one that I will never forget.

Leah and Jet will be heading back to the other side of the Atlantic soon but they will always be my “friends across the pond”..AA

www.airsoft-action.online

35

KIT & GEAR ONETIGRIS - FIVE YEARS YOUNG

FIVE YEARS YOUNG! ONETIGRIS, ALTHOUGH A BRAND FROM CHINA, ARE A MILLION MILES AWAY FROM THE “COPYCATS” WE OFTEN SEE AND BILL HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THEM AS A TRUSTED PARTNER PRETTY MUCH FROM THE OUTSET. ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR “FIVE YEAR MARK” HE TAKES A LOOK BACK - AND A LOOK FORWARD!

I

t was back in 2015 that I noticed a social media post asking for “testers” from the airsoft and tactical communities from a new kid on the block, called “OneTigris”.

As I had spent many years testing, not only “tacticool” gear but also clothing equipment and footwear from the outdoor performance industry, I thought to myself “Why not?” and duly submitted an application form.

After a bit of back and forth with Lan, I agreed that I’d be happy to look at whatever they wanted me to check out and I believe it was in 2016 that my first review of their gear appeared. Whilst many people use social media pointlessly and without thought or focus, I do believe that we live in a time when the dissemination of information via the Internet is faster than ever before and that those individuals who use it creatively can really reach a global audience of potential consumers. So it was that I discovered OneTigris - and I’m very pleased that I did!

ONETIGRIS

OneTigris was founded back in May of 2014 and very shortly after, in August of the same year, they found premises in a culture/industry park in Shenzhen, China and during the latter part of 2014, marketing to the USA commenced.

With their first original product launch, a cracking little EDC pouch in November 2014, things really began moving for them and early in 2015 they began similar campaigns in Canada, Japan, and Germany. The swiftly built up a loyal customer base around the world and along

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the way gaining a heap of testimonials from happy users. 2016 then saw them turn their attention fully to the UK. I was lucky to be chosen as one of their very first testers in the UK and after this had been formalised and I’d spoken more to the ever-enthusiastic team at more length, the first product duly arrived in the post. What I received was a small, yet vital, piece of equipment that every airsofter needs… a dump pouch! The pouch itself was very, very well made using extremely durable 500D Nylon, which had been treated with a water-resistant coating. The stitching, both inside and out, was first rate with no loose yarn ends evident. I still have this pouch and it still gets used regularly, so in terms of “time will tell”, it has told me that when OneTigris make something, they make it to last!

Over the intervening years I’ve seen them expand their range of gear on offer slowly but surely, whilst at the same time catching the imagination of users worldwide. It’s been both a clever and sustainable strategy, that has led to OneTigris being connected with over 600,000 friends and customers from over 70 countries in every continent, based on the central tenet that they strive to provide good, quality gear for K9, tactical and every day carry purposes.

FIVE YEARS ON!

As we hit the latter part of 2019 it’s with great delight that I can wish the team at OneTigris a very HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY! In addition to Lan, who I’ve spoken to since the very beginning, I’ve also become good friends with Hana, who bravely made the trip from China to join the community

KIT & GEAR ONETIGRIS - FIVE YEARS YOUNG

at IWA 2019! Hana and I speak pretty regularly on FB and I’ve even invited her to one of my training days but this “chat” is largely two friends just having fun and thoroughly enjoying each other’s life adventures!

In addition I’ve recently started speaking with Gill in the OneTigris marketing department, and I can truly say that I’ve rarely got to deal with a team that is so utterly passionate about what they do, whilst maintaining friendly and open communication at all times. In short, I love talking to the guys at OneTigris!

And boy oh boy, have they made the absolute most of their five years so far! OneTigris have thrived through feedback and co-design to deliver quality, affordability and flexibility for high quality K9 equipment, airsoft gear, EDC kit and general outdoor adventure “must have” items! If you visit the website, https:// www.onetigris.com, you’re going to find all that you could possibly want in the way of gear… and more besides!

VULTURE CHEST RIG

As an example of what I mean (and to illustrate that OneTigris are constantly evolving and innovating), I’ll take a couple of their most recent gear releases as examples. As a lover of chest rigs, when they unveiled their new VULTURE model I asked them to send me one through for evaluation as, knowing how well they put things together, I felt that this particular item would stand up to the rigors of the range and airsoft field very well indeed!

In design the “Vulture” follows the “light is right” design concept and is a minimalist model that’s just perfect for your regular airsoft sessions and currently priced at around US$49.99 it’s not going to break the bank either! Now you might think that for 50 bucks you would end up with something that’s not going to last but as I said, knowing how OneTigris “do work” I was not wrong in my assumption that this rig could be just a bit special.

Currently available in 500D Cordura Nylon Multicam and black fabric (I hope that they’ll do other plain colourways in due course) the Vulture benefits from solid construction throughout, along with genuine UTX Buckles and YKK Zippers; the price might be keen, but the components and build quality are great.

There are four magazine pockets that will hold the majority of AR or AK-style magazines, along with two flapped pistol magazine/tool/flashlight pockets and a generous zipped admin pocket on the front. The admin pocket features a velcro patch for unit/names tapes, along with two further rows of MOLLE webbing for

additional items should you desire to fit them. The main body of the rig has a full-width breathable mesh backer which is very comfortable and the whole thing is topped off with a simple unpadded X-harness, a style I personally prefer as it doesn’t catch up as easily on lo-pro body armour if you’re wearing it.

The only comment I have made back to OneTigris after testing, is that the pistol magazine pockets are a little too generous and could really do with some form of additional retention. To give you an idea of their commitment to “getting it right”, this one comment led to an extended back and forth exchange of ideas and I expect to see a new design as a result of not just my input but also that of my good friend Bjorn, from Klockar Airsoft in Sweden, who agreed with me and was involved in that very same group discussion!

GRIFFIN AFPC

And “hot of the press” as I write is their GRIFFIN AFPC (Air Fast Plate Carrier), which is getting some serious airtime amongst reviewers right now and it just goes to prove what a strong and widespread community OneTigris have created! The Griffin is an up to the minute plate carrier design; this is a OneTigris signature vest that offers quick-release functionality, breathability and adaptability with chest rigs. You’re looking at the same quality Cordura material and UTX buckles used in the Vulture and upgraded shoulder straps, so you can take the vest off after each game efficiently and swiftly. The Griffin offers four pieces of detachable breathable padding for good airflow and 1” buckles for you to use your own chest rigs.

The design fits different players thanks to fully-adjustable shoulder straps and adjustable waist sizes (from 36” to 48”) means that this is a truly “one size fits all” bit of kit. You also have hook-and-loop sealed concealed utility pockets at the sides and a 10” by 12” EVA plate included in the package. On the OneTigris website you’ll find some superb video guides to show you how their equipment works together and if you want to attach your Vulture rig to the Griffin plate carrier, then it’s (quite literally) a snap! Overall, this is a simple yet highly usable design that’s bang “on trend” and an item that I can recommend to you fully!

From very humble beginnings, OneTigris have engaged with their users and customers effectively to bring a range of gear that you really should be taking a look at! Their passion, professionalism and friendliness have brought them a long way so far and I can only hope that they go from strength to strength in the next five years. I for one will be looking forward to the ongoing adventure!

In the words of OneTigris themselves: “Perfection is hard to achieve but we strive our best to attain it. That’s why OneTigris is a great companion for your next adventure. During OneTigris’ short history we have been lucky that many people have felt our intention. Usually we get together, read the messages, reviews, and blog posts from great buyers from all over the world and rejoice in what OneTigris items bring to them.”

For more information of the Vulture chest rig and the Griffin plate carrier, along with a whole host of other innovative products please do pay a visit to www. onetigris.com AA

www.airsoft-action.online

37

KIT & GEAR ELCAN SPECTER DR

IS A DUAL ROLE SCOPE

TWICE AS GOOD? WANT A CLOSER VIEW OF THE BATTLEFIELD BUT STRUGGLE WITH FLIP-TO-SIDE MAGNIFIERS? STEVE T TESTS THE ELCAN SPECTERDR RDS COMBO.

S

ome people say that magnified scopes are a waste of time in airsoft...

They’re idiots!

Of course, with the range of airsoft RIFs being what it is, magnification is far from essential but it can also be of great benefit used in the right scenario - and I don’t just mean for the extended range of sniper rifles, it can be genuinely useful on an everyday assault rifle.

You’re defending an objective outdoors on a woodland site. You spot movement in the distant undergrowth - but are they on your team? In another scenario, you could be advancing on an objective but through a combination of vegetation and shadows, it’s hard to see how much resistance to expect if you attack.

Either way, just a quick check through a magnified scope would give you the intel you need to decide what action to take.

The downside is that magnified scopes are usually bigger and bulkier than a Red Dot and as a result, make it harder to view the battlefield immediately in front of you with the naked eye. I’d never rely on this kind of scope alone, unless on a sniper rifle.

Imagining the best of both worlds, a lot of players combine a flip-to-side magnifier behind a conventional RDS. It’s great in theory but in practice, moving the magnifier between its two positions takes crucial time out of a confrontation.

You could cant the rifle to the side to take a brief close-up look before returning to a conventional stance but it can be 38

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confusing traversing from 1x upright to 4x at 45 degrees and back. I can only speak for myself but it confuses the bejesus out of me!

If only there was a way to view both magnified for range and 1x for action on the same vertical plane...

ENTER THE ELCAN

ELCAN (Ernst Leitz Canada) is owned by American defense contractor Raytheon

“IMAGINING THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, A LOT OF PLAYERS COMBINE A FLIP-TOSIDE MAGNIFIER BEHIND A CONVENTIONAL RDS. IT’S GREAT IN THEORY BUT IN PRACTICE, MOVING THE MAGNIFIER BETWEEN ITS TWO POSITIONS TAKES CRUCIAL TIME OUT OF A CONFRONTATION.”

that produces everything from radar systems to missile interdiction.

ELCAN is perhaps best known for its C79 sight, or the SpecterOS 4x British Lightweight Day Sight (LDS) that replaced the SUSAT. The Specter range of combat optics is available in a variety of magnifications from one to nine, with ballistically matched reticles for either 5.56mm or 7.62mm.

On test here is the SpecterDR. On this occasion, DR isn’t a medical role; it stands for Dual Role, referring to the way that it can transition between 1x magnification for CQB and 4x for outdoors simply by moving one lever.

It’s been in use with US Special Forces since passing all the SOPMOD requirements in 2003 and has been deployed with elite allied forces around the world.

The manufacturers claim that the DR is, “A revolution in battlefield optics.” and that it has, “Changed the standard in battlefield optics, all other sights only perform half the job.”

If it’s so great, then why isn’t ELCAN’s SpecterDR a more common sight (pun intended)? There are three significant reasons that I can see: price, weight and familiarity. The ubiquitous Trijicon ACOG is significantly cheaper at half the price, lighter and a known quantity.

WEIGHING IN

Holy heck, this is one heavy sight! At 754g for the airsoft version, I own pistols that weigh less! Adding that much mass, you’ll be in no doubt that you have this beast perched atop your rail as you bring your gun to shoulder or hold on target.

Depending on your rifle’s configuration, it runs the very real risk of making the whole platform top heavy - and depending how far forward you mount it, you might find the muzzle harder to keep raised too.

This is one beefy optic. The combination of sheer weight and seemingly solid construction gives the impression that you could drop it, bash it and generally abuse it and it would keep on going. There may

KIT & GEAR ELCAN SPECTER DR

“AT ABOVE THE £200 MARK, I’VE ALSO OWNED AEGS THAT COST LESS - BUT YOUR £200+ GETS YOU A WELL MADE, SOLID AIRSOFT VERSION AT A FAR MORE AFFORDABLE PRICE THAN THE ORIGINAL (THAT COSTS 10 TIMES AS MUCH).” be lighter, or arguably more technically advanced scopes, but this is the optical equivalent of an American muscle car rather than a European soft top. It just looks badass, too.

The DR would be overkill on an SMG - and on most assault rifles too - but makes more sense on a dedicated DMR or particularly an LMG.

CASHING IN AND TRADES

At above the £200 mark, I’ve also owned AEGs that cost less - but your £200+ gets you a well made, solid airsoft version at a far more affordable price than the original (that costs 10 times as much).

You could spend less for an unbranded import - or at least one version from a UK distributor - but you won’t get those allimportant trademarks. Which, it must be said, look very cool.

Some players don’t like large trades but the flat panel to the right is filled with the “specterDR by ELCAN” logo, plus serial numbers, the 5.56 calibre designation and the words “ARTICULATED TELESCOPE”.

Top left is another serial number, below which is a reminder of how to zero the scope. It all looks very “military issue” and, in my opinion, adds an air of cool to what could otherwise be a very plain, functional looking optic.

In terms of operation, it works every bit

as well as you’d hope. The glass is clear, with no visible defects and the reticle is sharp, whether illuminated or not. The windage adjustment to the front left needs a screwdriver or coin to shift, while the elevation dial below the battery cover is adjustable by hand. The real SpecterDR is renowned for its impressive eye relief, but this version left me a little cold. It’s certainly not bad but where the real deal has a reputation for being the best you can get, I’ve seen better than this airsoft model.

The DR’s USP is how easy it is to switch between unmagnified and 4x as the situation presents itself - and it works brilliantly. If you’re moving from a ranged approach to entering a building, then it’s easy to move one lever and press on. But that still requires manual input that you may not have time for in the heat of the moment.

There are also small but functional iron sights to the top of the SpecterDR itself, but they’re obscured on our version by a piggyback mini red dot. Did we just say “red dot”? Why, yes we did…

on the approach, then shift your gaze slightly up for rapid target acquisition through the mini red dot. This removes the need for manual operation and speeds up movement from one phase of play to the next.

The included RDS bears no markings but it works just fine. There’s no way to manually disable it, but it turns off automatically after time without light. Even if you don’t like the RDS, you could always swap it out for a more Gucci model using the same standard mounting points.

Having an RDS mounted atop a magnified scope is so much more natural than using a flip-to-side magnifier and genuinely makes for a more versatile sighting solution that could change the way you play.

STACKING THE OPTICS

But if you think this combo’s too bulky, check back next month for a review of an alternative system that also provides vertically stacked sighting solutions, but in a smaller form factor. AA

This is why this set-up caught our attention. Without any kind of user input, you can view both zoomed in or out just by moving your focus up or down scant millimetres. Use the main DR, set to 4x,

FAR OUT UP CLOSE

If you’re willing to spend more than the cost of an AEG on a sighting solution and value longer range information as much as close-up action, then the airsoft SpecterDR is definitely worth checking out.

www.airsoft-action.online

39

KIT & GEAR DIRECT ATION UPDATE

PRO GEAR FOR THE WIN!

BILL HAS BEEN WATCHING DIRECT ACTION FROM POLAND VERY CLOSELY INDEED AND WITH SOME GREAT NEW GEAR MODELS HITTING THE MARKET RIGHT NOW, HE BRINGS US AN UPDATE OF KIT THAT HE’S ALREADY TRIED AND TESTED EXTENSIVELY.

I

t’s really exciting for anyone who is involved with gear testing and development to have access to the manufacturers themselves and at Airsoft Action we are extremely lucky to count a large number of the “top guys” as, not just partners, but also friends. As with any relationship, the backbone is one of mutual trust and respect and over the past few years I have really come to respect and

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trust the guys at Direct Action immensely.

Direct Action is a Polish company set up in 2014 that, from the outset, sought to combine great design and manufacturing capabilities with an up-close-and-personal understanding of the specific end-user needs. From the very beginning, Direct Action have been a very tight unit and their R&D team in Poland consists of just a few good people; each member has his or her own area of expertise and is responsible for the tasks and projects that relate to that. As one example, the guy responsible for their innovation and testing is a recently-retired GROM combat medic, with almost 20 years of service and several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan!

This combination has created the approach of “an individualas-a-system” that is open and flexible to all necessary options yet remains streamlined and avoids over-burdening. Each part of the system interfaces with the other components; weapons, load bearing equipment, backpacks, jackets, duty uniforms and even camouflage patterns, each of these is a part of a whole and a key component that’s critical to mission success.

When creating Direct Action gear, every detail is rigorously thought-out using a systemic perspective and there are no random choices, no compromises, no “sameold-stuff” design approach, no shying away from new technology; all items are

based on first-hand, real world experience of elite special operations units.

Direct Action uses the highest quality materials available and the production process itself is subject to rigorous control.

The whole line of combat equipment is designed and manufactured in Poland.

PACKS TO GO!

My first exposure to Direct Action came in the form of a couple of their excellent patrol pack models and I’m going to tell you that, as someone who worked with cutting-edge pack manufacture in a “previous existence”, this is an area in which I am hyper-critical. Back in late 2014 I received for test the original DRAGON EGG and DUST day pack models and both models really appealed to me, not just on a design level but also in the way they were put together, the sheer attention to detail and the quality of both workmanship and materials. As I said at the time, “If you’re in the market for a new ruc for 2015 then I’d suggest you take a very long, hard look at the new Direct Action models”.

From what was initially a tight and focused line though, Direct Action have really moved things forward in the intervening years and I’ve made a point of visiting them both at IWA each year and also at SHOT when I visit, as their products are now fully available in the USA. I’ve seen the latest, updated models of the packs come to market and these are now even better than they were when first launched!

The original Direct Action packs

KIT & GEAR DIRECT ACTION UPDATE

“…EACH MEMBER HAS HIS OR HER OWN AREA OF EXPERTISE AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TASKS AND PROJECTS THAT RELATE TO THAT. …THE GUY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR INNOVATION AND TESTING IS A RECENTLY-RETIRED GROM COMBAT MEDIC, WITH ALMOST 20 YEARS OF SERVICE AND SEVERAL TOURS OF DUTY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN!” have proved massively functional and exceptionally durable and the finish and quality of construction of both the upgraded packs is absolutely first rate. The new models both performed superbly in my 2018 “mountain test” and show every sign of putting up with a lot more abuse in the future!

LOAD AND PROTECTION

Given my positive exposure to the Direct Action brand from the very outset, it’s really been a bit of a “no brainer” to pick up more from them over time. I’ve waxed lyrical to anyone who will listen about their superb MUSTANG and WARHAWK belt systems, which is currently my “go to” belt order and one which has now been extended with the addition of a number of Direct Action Pouches. I’ll report back on this setup at a later date, when I’ve had chance to put it through its paces to a greater degree!

What I have been using for some considerable time already though, is the Direct Action HURRICANE Chest Rig, which has become a firm favourite with me. It’s a low profile, adjustable rig made from laser-cut laminated 500D Cordura, so it’s tough enough to endure an awful lot of abuse. It has a softshell interior

construction that makes it a comfortable rig to wear for extended periods of time.

The harness is well constructed and feels sturdy even when the rig is loaded up and it has a reinforced drag handle incorporated into the design, along with the ability to be attached to one of the Direct Action Body Armour systems.

The “Hurricane” has nine PALS slots on the sides of the rig which are perfect for radio, medical, utility pockets and horizontal PALS slots under the ammo pouches for items such as tourniquets, pistol mag pouches and 40mm pouches, so you aren’t just limited to the pouches on the rig itself should you wish to upgrade it. If you choose to run comms, the fixed pouches are a great size for most radio PRRs and the rig has routing channels to keep everything tidy and to prevent wires getting caught.

Not only is it comfortable and solidly put together but it comes as standard with integrated, adjustable magazine pouches with paracord retention that adjust to fit a combination of eight AR, four AK, or even four 7.62mm magazines.

It also features a number of fixed external pouches for other essentials including two adjustable pouches, a sealed zipper pouch and a Velcro flap pouch for when you need to access items quickly. The harness is completely adjustable thanks to a secure harness design and to keep the excess material tidy, it has Velcro wraparound “tidys”. It has a split front- zipper design as well so you don’t need to adjust it every time you remove it which is very neat indeed.

Although these days I’m usually not in need of any kind of “armour protection”, I was intrigued by the fact that all Direct Action gear is designed to work together and that it fits neatly in a fully modular fashion, not just with their own range but

also with that of other industry leaders. To this end I got hold of their latest SPITFIRE MKII PLATE CARRIER. The Direct Action SPITFIRE takes its name from a famous WWII fighter plane and like this aviation icon, it’s a streamlined and dynamic platform designed to carry ballistic plates with modular accessories on or off the

battlefield. At just 672g in a Size Large, it’s lightweight and non-restricting and is indeed one of the lightest carriers in its class.

Whilst I never tried the first iteration of this plate carrier myself, reports from colleagues and friends were all positive and having now had “hands on” the MKII, I can see why! The MK II version may look simpler but in fact it is much more scalable and mission configurable. The Direct Action team have stripped the carrier of unnecessary PALS slots under the flap and on the back, as well as enlarging the loop panel on the front for larger unit patches and they’ve even made it lighter than the standard version.

The SPITFIRE is beautifully made and cut, and once again the materials and components are absolutely first rate!

Put together using proprietary laser-cut laminate, Cordura 500D and softshell materials the carrier benefits from front plate only configuration using the chest rig interface, optional pads on front, back and

www.airsoft-action.online

39

CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

MBDU® - Shirt and Pants Advanced Battle Uniform

- Anatomical cut with adjustable cuffs and easy to adjust waist - Side VersaStretch® panels for additional freedom of movement - Reinforced knees, compatible with Low Profile Protective Pads

www.helikon-tex.com

Journey to perfection

KIT & GEAR DIRECT ACTION UPDATE

shoulders area for improved airflow, a zippered chest admin pocket and PTT and comms wires / antenna routing attachment points - and there’s even an accessory armour package for heavy configuration in development. The back panel zipper attachment system is compatible with Crye Precision AVS, whilst the chest Rig attachment system is compatible with Mayflower/Velocity Systems, offering you even further options!

Thanks to numerous new design elements, back panels and optional side armour compatible cummerbunds, you are able to set up the carrier the way you actually need it. It’s at the same time an incredibly durable platform and is unique in its modularity, converting to a cut-away rig in just a few simple steps, allowing for quick donning, doffing and medical access thanks to Hypalon pullers.

I’ve just started putting the Spitfire through its paces with my usual medium plates fitted and thus far I’m impressed - and speaking to Tom, he’s equally as impressed as he’s bought himself the very same model! Although the Spitfire is certainly smaller than the carrier I

usually work with, the plate support is excellent and the pressure exerted both around the torso and over the shoulders is nicely balanced and spread evenly.

The “captured” female buckles for the front carrying system are tidily achieved, meaning that you can easily change out your load carrying options.

Say you want to set up your plate carrier for light use?

Simply attach a SPITFIRE MK II SLICK CARBINE MAG FLAP, SPITFIRE SMG FLAP, or SPITFIRE SHOTGUN SHELL FLAP to the velcro and buckle it in place. Running hot and heavy with a full fighting load?

No problem… simply use the CHEST RIG INTERFACE (which also means you can use the Spitfire in Front Panel Only mode) and you’re all set with rifle/carbine mag pouches, pistol mag pouches, along with space for bangs and admin items. If you need to carry more load as part of your modular system Direct Action offer a number of excellent back panel add-ons, like the SPITFIRE MK II BACKPACK PANEL or SPITFIRE MK II UTILITY BACK PANEL,, so you’re all set!

As I said when I started, it’s incredibly exciting to watch a brand grow from the ground up and from humble beginnings Direct Action have grown in the very best way possible, enlarging their offering sensibly, and moving things on when new ideas or technologies become available. I’ve been very, very impressed by the pieces I’ve had from them for some time now and the latest version of the SPITFIRE certainly shows that they mean business in the future. It was superb to see them at IWA 2019 and by the look of

their stand they undoubtedly have more to come soon. I’ll look forward to reporting back on this as soon as possible!

For more information on the extensive range of top-notch tactical gear offered

by Direct Action, check out https:// us.directactiongear.com (USA) and https:// eu.directactiongear.com (Europe). AA

“I WAS INTRIGUED BY THE FACT THAT ALL DIRECT ACTION GEAR IS DESIGNED TO WORK TOGETHER AND THAT IT FITS NEATLY IN A FULLY MODULAR FASHION, NOT JUST WITH THEIR OWN RANGE BUT ALSO WITH THAT OF OTHER INDUSTRY LEADERS.”

www.airsoft-action.online

41

FEATURE AIRSOFT EVOLUTION

EVOLUTION IS INEVITABLE...

Credit: Neolho on DeviantArt

...OR IS IT??

FRENCHIE HEADS OVER TO LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT, WHERE SCOTT ALLAN AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN CREATING A MULTI-FACETTED SHOOTING SPORTS BUSINESS.

I

n most businesses you set out with an aim and you can be constrained by those aims… I want to be a vet; you become a vet. I want to be an airsoft retailer; you become an airsoft retailer.

I want to be one of the best airsoft retailers… Done, albeit with lots of hard work!

For many people achieving that aim is sufficient, they are happy to refine and improve having got to where they wanted to be. For some though, not so much.

Some time ago, Scott Allan, owner of Land Warrior Airsoft, acquired the unit beside their current warehouse. He did so with a view to realising plans he had to

Airsoft Action about a year or so back and all of this goes from strength to strength.

Scott had a further vision for this space, he wanted to put in a proper firearms range. Land Warrior Sports has been a firearms dealer for some time and this was the logical extension of that.

However, there is a “but” and it’s a huge but… Getting permission to build a rifle range these days is not the easiest thing in the world, certainly not in the UK and understandably anything concerning real guns is hedged around with enough legislation and rules to make a brave man weep. I know whereof I speak, having looked long and hard at a similar project

poor state of local journalism in that area.

ONWARDS!

Land Warrior now embarked on an epic saga involving engineers, consultants, the National Rifle Association and the National Small-Bore Rifle Association (not to be confused with their lamentable US cousins). One of the issues is that you might reasonably assume that there are strict and clear regulations governing the construction of a range. Nope. There are guidelines, there is information, but it is not entirely consistent nor all of it mandatory. Fortunately, it transpired

“GETTING PERMISSION TO BUILD A RIFLE RANGE THESE DAYS IS NOT THE EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD, CERTAINLY NOT IN THE UK AND UNDERSTANDABLY ANYTHING CONCERNING REAL GUNS IS HEDGED AROUND WITH ENOUGH LEGISLATION AND RULES TO MAKE A BRAVE MAN WEEP.” create a dedicated indoors airsoft space, where practical and tactical disciplines could be practiced. He added axe throwing and Nerf parties for those still a little young for full-bore airsoft. He, and his tireless staff (they’re not – they looked knackered when I saw them!) created a welcoming reception area in the new building, complete with coffee bar, snacks and video games. I covered all of this in

44

NOVEMBER 2019

some years ago. This is serious stuff.

To my surprise, Scott overcame the first hurdle, obtaining the permission for change of use from the Council with relative ease. The local rag ran the usual tired story about how awful this was, based on the application and a complete failure to find out all the facts behind the plans. Not that this mattered as the die was cast but it’s a sad reflection on the

that an NRA official lived locally and I understand that his advice was sought and freely given throughout the process.

LET THE BUILDING COMMENCE!

So, how do you build a range that satisfies the Council, the Police and the NRA/ NSRA?

FEATURE AIRSOFT EVOUTION

Concrete blocks! Hundreds of them, laid flat to produce a solid nine-inch-thick wall! Concrete T-beams to support more blocks to form the roof and a whole lot of poured concrete to solidly set the entire structure. Plus many, many man-hours from staff and willing friends.

Timber, lots of it to create splashback protection wherever there might be a risk and AR500 steel in 10mm and 8mm sheets to enclose the business end of the range.

AR500 is heavy, expensive and can only be laser cut. You can’t drill it, bend it, do anything to it really. You can only order it and bolt it in place.

Lighting which allows the range to be fully lit, have only the backstop illuminated and pretty much anything in between and a ventilation system designed to extract fumes from the range and to force in clean air. That’s not something you can buy off the shelf and by God, if hearing protection wasn’t mandatory for shooting, you’d want it for the ventilation!

Quite apart from the legal and administrative challenges, doing this properly is a building challenge as well. The end result can be seen in the photographs accompanying this article. I have seen a number of ranges over the years and this is right up there – custom built for the job, over-engineered to provide a higher margin of safety than is required and looking great.

really precludes full-bore rifle, only the splashback protection would have to be changed to legally allow that. As it stands, it far exceeds the requirements for a purely small-bore range (.22 Long Rifle) and will be able to accommodate calibres up to .44 Magnum without difficulty. That opens the way for shooters of carbine disciplines to avail themselves of these facilities, increasing their utility. And increasing their use is probably key. A project like this doesn’t come cheap and signing up members to the club and ensuring that the range is well used is going to be critical. It’s a big gamble in some respects, although the location and ease of access to the site should work in its favour.

I’ll be keeping a keen eye on how this develops, largely because I know the guys but also to see if it is possible to buck the anti-gun sentiments that have taken root in the UK over the past decades.

JUST ONE QUESTION

It’s quite a step to go from selling replica guns and running an airsoft site to selling

the real thing and realising your dream of building and opening a proper range.

Kev McCaig, Land Warrior’s manager, was patient and exceedingly helpful when I visited; he provided all the facts, waved wads of paper about and explained why things were done the way they had been done. I had only one question for Scott…

“Why?” His answer was typical” to “see if it could be done”. That probably covers why Scott does most of what he does but it’s a brave move, nonetheless. It remains to be seen how many airsofters can be tempted to try and get involved in shooting sports and possibly how many shooters find they have a taste for airsoft, or airsoft guns used for practical events.

The range will be run on a club basis as it is the simplest way to manage and the rules and regulations are widely shared and understood. Anyone interested should contact Land Warrior in the first instance but please, be patient – if you think the wait to buy your first airsoft RiF is a pain in the rear end, things take a deal longer where firearms are concerned! AA

FIRING POINTS

The three firing points are clean and comfortable with complete visibility for the Range Officer at all times. The glass dividers prevent shooters catching each other’s brass, whilst not hemming them in.

In fact, the one thing I couldn’t do during my visit was to actually shoot! There were a number of good legal reasons for that and the range is waiting to be signed off by the NRA and then Police Scotland.

Although its length, at 17 metres,

“GETTING PERMISSION TO BUILD A RIFLE RANGE THESE DAYS IS NOT THE EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD, CERTAINLY NOT IN THE UK AND UNDERSTANDABLY ANYTHING CONCERNING REAL GUNS IS HEDGED AROUND WITH ENOUGH LEGISLATION AND RULES TO MAKE A BRAVE MAN WEEP.”

www.airsoft-action.online

45

THE CAGE BOOTS

THE CAGE:

BOOTS THIS MONTH IN THE CAGE, BILL GOT WITH THE AIRSOFT ACTION TEAM TO TALK ABOUT A VITAL COMPONENT FOR EVERY AIRSOFTERS KIT - WHAT YOU WEAR ON YOUR FEET! YOUR BOOTS WILL BE WITH YOU FOR A LONG WHILE, SO THEY’D BETTER BE UP TO THE JOB COME SUN, RAIN, OR EVEN SNOW.

F

ootwear - and by this of course, I mean boots when it comes to airsoft - is a crucial component of every loadout we ever put together and your choice will have a very direct impact on how you enjoy your day, or days, of airsoft. A good boot will mean a day of comfort and glory, while a bad pair will mean an early trip home with poorly, damaged feet!

I am lucky enough to work

directly with some of the best bootmakers in the business, both in relation to military/ tactical models and those for outdoor pursuits. During the course of an average year I will have on my feet numerous models from different manufacturers, ranging from low cut “approach” styles to full-on winter models designed to accommodate crampons. I’ve been doing this for many years now, so when it comes to choosing the right boot I have a degree of knowledge which I can pass on.

If you asked me “What am de bestest boot?” then I’d have a simple answer: the one that fits you! It really is as simple as that, as what is a good fit for me (standard size 9.5, wide forefoot, narrow heel) might well be uncomfortable for you, as our feet are as individual as our fingerprints. What is perfect for me might crucify your pinkies!

Most good bootmakers will have a range of models to cover every eventuality, from lightweight, quick drying

boots for jungle environments, sturdy boots with great support for urban environments and even thermal-lined waterproof versions for the deepest of winter months. One of the great things about how we play though, is that we’re unlikely to be wearing our boots for more than a couple of days straight at a MilSim, although usually it will be just a matter of hours at our local skirmish site. Does this, however, mean you can save a few bob by buying into cheap boots for airsoft?

GET THE RIGHT BOOTS

My answer to this would be an utter and complete “NO!”, as not looking after your feet, or wearing badly fitting boots can have severe ramifications. Ask yourself for a moment, is (for instance) a boot designed for the deserts of the Middle East going to be the ideal model for the UK in the depths of winter? You may say “well, my desert boots are Gore-Tex lined so they’re waterproof, and I’m only wearing them for a short while so they’ll be fine” - but are you analysing this closely enough?

A good desert boot will inherently be

“IF YOU ASKED ME “WHAT AM DE BESTEST BOOT?” THEN I’D HAVE A SIMPLE ANSWER: THE ONE THAT FITS YOU! IT REALLY IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT, AS WHAT IS A GOOD FIT FOR ME (STANDARD SIZE 9.5, WIDE FOREFOOT, NARROW HEEL) MIGHT WELL BE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR YOU, AS OUR FEET ARE AS INDIVIDUAL AS OUR FINGERPRINTS.”

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NOVEMBER 2019

THE CAGE BOOTS

made with less insulation than a winter, prevent moisture from building up and like that. They’re really comfy in winter or or indeed even a temperate model, so as potentially forming harmful bacteria and summer and not overly heavy. I love ‘em much as a good waterproof technology blisters but also allow for perspiration and well worth the money.” will keep your feet dry the boot overall to get out. For even greater protection Steve T: “I love the Salomon Quest will leave you with cold feet, or worse, in the winter months, look for boots Prime GTX that I use most of the year; very on a snowy morning. Cuff height may that are both waterproof and insulated. comfortable, good ankle support and truly also differ, as in general a winter boot will Insulated linings keep warmth inside the waterproof. One of the most common have a higher cuff to keep out snow and boot so that you can stay comfortable and ways snipers get spotted is because of spindrift. You’ve also got to build into protected during cold weather games. their black boots and these green boots this equation that boot manufacturers We may all face a range of might make a difference! make different outsole units for different weather conditions on When it’s hot, I conditions; this may not on the face of any site through swap to a pair it be a major of Danner concern, Tancius but if the boots, “…IF THE TREAD PATTERN OF THE OUTSOLE HAS tread also BEEN DESIGNED FOR WARM, DRY CONDITIONS pattern green, of the that I HOW WILL IT FARE IN WET GRASS OR ON WETpicked LEAF COVERED ROCK? LET ME TELL YOU… NOT up in a sale from VERY WELL AT ALL AND YOU’RE SERIOUSLY outsole a motorbike ASKING FOR A SLIP WHICH COULD LEAD TO A has shop, of all TURNED ANKLE, OR WORSE.” been places! These are designed for warm, definitely cooler but dry conditions how will not as supportive and it fare in wet grass or on wet-leaf covered the year, so don’t let not nearly as comfortable. Anyone using rock? Let me tell you… not very well at all your boots hold you back from enjoying basketball high tops is asking for a broken and you’re seriously asking for a slip which the game! ankle!” could lead to a turned ankle, or worse.

Tom: “I use LOWA boots pretty much A good boot for airsoft will provide exclusively now. I have pretty wide feet WHAT THE TEAM SAY! heightened traction in any tactical/gaming and they are the most comfortable for So, with all this in mind I went to the situation that you may face. The height, me by far. The summer boot of choice is AA team and asked them “What are midsole, outsole, heel, and structure of the LOWA Zephyr which is also my daily your go-to boot models? Do you have the boot factor into its support level too. dog walking footwear. When it’s wet and different boots for summer and winter?

Ideal tactical boot components include a What’s important to you when you choose muddy or I need to carry a heavy load I 6 to 8 inch height and a heavy-duty, yet turn to my venerable LOWA Combats. boots?” and this is what they had to tell flexible and lightweight sole to provide They are 15 years old and still going me: traction and grip both in and out of the strong!”

Angelo: “Haix for me!” woods. A good fit that doesn’t sacrifice Les: “Lowa for me too Bill, particularly Paul Y: “Lowa Combats. Mine are old comfort is crucial in choosing your boots. the Combat model for airsoft due to and had to have the soles and mid soles Flexible and lightweight material the high ankle support (which I need for replaced by Lancashire Sports Repairs. construction is an essential component my Achilles rupture/repair). Additionally, They did a great job!” of a good tactical boot too, specifically to I wear the Lowa Ronan Mid TF for my Callum: “Pentagons or Oakley assault protect you from the security duties which can involve standing boots… the latter survived some fun in weather. A waterproof for inhumane lengths of time during CP Syria before the sole decided to suddenly exterior or membrane stints! They have so many unsurpassed depart from the rest of the boot!” is a crucial boot features that I have never been able to Taz: “I am a gear hoarder! I have feature to keep you find anything that comes close, not that I Russian winter boots, demi season protected from want to! LOWA ROCKS!” Wolverines and several pairs of the elements. By Scott: “I’m in between boots at the different mid height boots for CQB and using breathable moment. Tried to love my 5.11 Xpert summertime.” technologies but they were like ski boots! The Range Andy N: “Never had an issue with waterproof boots Masters were better but fell apart. Will standard army DMS while serving. Since probably get back to Salomon’s…” leaving I love my Lowa Combats. I also Chris JW: “For airsoft 90% of time have Hi-Tec desert USA black jungle boots and for casual boots when I’m (nonairsoft lol!), Under Armour Valsetz working RTS as they’re just so comfy!” overseas in hot climates.”

Phil: “Lowa GTX 8 or something

IN SUMMARY

As I said when I opened, I’m very privileged to work directly with some of the boot manufacturers so over the years

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47

THE CAGE BOOTS

I’ve been lucky enough to test models from Lowa, Pentagon, Salomon, AKU, Danner, Altama, 5:11, Blackhawk, Bates, and HAIX just to name a few!

I will say that the majority of the models I’ve tested have invariably been fit for purpose given their brief and some have performed “out of season” exceptionally well too. These days if you’re buying from a reputable brand you’re likely to get a great pair of boots that will last you a long time for airsoft, if, however, like me you wear these on a daily basis, then you should expect solid performance for a good couple of years before you need to

replace them.

Like many of the team I do “Luv a Lowa” but sadly both my Zephyr and Innox models have some to the end of their working lives (both lasted me a good three years, happy with that!). On a daily basis these days I wear Salomon Speedcross lo-cuts, and my “go to” mids are the latest Selvetica model from AKU. I’ve just started testing some hi-legs from Bates and I have to say that thus far the Cobra is a great hot-weather model and the Shock is shaping up as my “OPFOR boot of choice”! For the winter months I tend to go into mountaineering boots and my

absolute faves are from a company called La Sportiva.

Do bear in mind that the boot models chosen fit the foot-shape of the individual user well and may not be so ideal for you but I hope we’ve given you an idea what to look for when you come to buy. When it comes to buying boots go to a specialist and the top outdoor shops will be able to offer a very good service in relation to precise fitting when it comes to the civilian models. If you’re after a dedicated military model, then your local tactical store or airsoft shop is the place to go! AA

www.airsoft-action.online

49

LIFE WITH A...

GBBR

LIFE WITH A...

GBBR

IN THE SECOND OF A NEW SERIES EXPLORING GAMEPLAY WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF RIF, STEVE T FINDS OUT IF GAS BLOWBACK RIFLES ARE THE BEST THING SINCE THE SPEEDLOADER ...OR AN UTTER PAIN IN THE ARSENAL!

E

ver wondered why gas rules in the pistol world, while electric dominates for rifles? Doesn’t it seem odd when you think about it?

Almost every airsofter that uses a sidearm opts for a GBB pistol, while AEPs are few and far between. Of course, there are far more GBBs to choose from but that’s just manufacturers and retailers answering demand with supply. The snap of a GBB makes for an experience that no AEP can equal - it’s just more fun! So why do those same players run an AEG primary by an overwhelming majority, with the more tactile GBBR remaining the preserve of enthusiasts, fanatics and lunatics?

I suspect it’s largely down to cost; GBBRs are not cheap. Prices start from around £300 for an entry model GBBR, with the average asking price around £500. Not every player wants to spend that much money on one RIF for negligible performance gains - if any - over an AEG that costs half as much.

And then you have to factor in the cost of additional magazines at around £40 each, as well as the fact that you’ll need more of them versus an AEG due to the lower ammo capacity of say, 40 BBs instead of 140 - or 400! You’ll probably want half a dozen or more mags to be competitive, so all told you’re looking at a total of about £750. To run one gun.

For the same money, you could easily

buy a couple of decent AEGs and a matching pair of GBB sidearms for two entire loadouts.

GETZ U IN TEH FEELZ

But when you see one, hear one - or even better - feel one, you will want one! With the added noise, sensations and recoil, there’s no substitute for the physical experience of firing a GBBR on full auto, short of picking up a real firearm - and that simply isn’t an option for a lot of players around the world.

In my humble opinion, there is no airsoft experience out there to rival a GBBR in terms of fully immersing you into the action. Whether you’re selectively sending single strategic rounds or deploying a full auto fanfare, a good GBBR will make you feel like an absolute hero on game day thanks to its sheer presence.

And that’s noticeable not only from behind the trigger, but also by players on the receiving end who recognise a rival that’s levelled up. It may not turn the tide of an evenly matched conflict, but it might just be enough to gain a slight advantage - even if only a mental one.

In terms of getting closer to the real experience of combat - speaking as someone who has never served - not only will you feel the difference in your hands and shoulder every time you pull

the trigger, but that reduced ammo count will also make you think more strategically about each and every shot. It adds another layer to the thinking player’s game that simply won’t appeal to anyone that prefers to spray-and-pray from a high-cap mag.

GAS! QUICK, BOYS!

On a good day, with the right set-up and all things being equal, a GBBR might just be the single best airsoft experience you can have. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.

The differences from an AEG start before game day, without the tedious wait for batteries to charge. It sounds like a small thing, but it’s actually quite liberating and streamlines the whole packing process.

The flipside to that convenience is that unlike battery-powered toys, gas performance varies with the weather. And let’s be honest - weather isn’t exactly a constant in the UK! Depending upon the temperature when you chrono onsite, your GBBR could read hot or useless compared to the last time you used it. And this is not an exact science.

As a result, players that use a GBBR often carry several cans of gas to every single game day, from generic green to

“WITH THE ADDED NOISE, SENSATIONS AND RECOIL, THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE OF FIRING A GBBR ON FULL AUTO, SHORT OF PICKING UP A REAL FIREARM - AND THAT SIMPLY ISN’T AN OPTION FOR A LOT OF PLAYERS AROUND THE WORLD.” 50

NOVEMBER 2019

LIFE WITH A...

GBBR

lowpower for summer days or red and even black gas for more performance in cold weather.

Then it’s trial and error to find the one that’s within site limits on any given day - and that can change in the course of a single skirmish as the temperatures rise throughout the day. You’d have no such concerns with a plug-and-play AEG. The alternative is to fit an aftermarket adjustable nozzle that enables you to change the gasflow for each game. It’s an easy job that means you can easily adjust your GBBR to work across a variety of sites in a range of conditions. Manufacturers don’t fit these as standard - life would be easier if they did - so you’ll need to both find and fit the right one for your RIF. It’s not a hard job by any means, but it will be transformational - if the aftermarket parts exist for your model, that is.

A RIF RELATIONSHIP

The main objection we hear regarding GBBRs other than price is reliability. But where AEGs require little in the way of maintenance between games, GBBRs require more attention. In fact, because they’re based on a physical, gas-based power source they’re much more like their real world counterparts in that regard.

An AEG relies on electrical current and a gearbox to work. Barring a calamity, if it works once, it will work again. But a GBBR relies on gas-tight seals and surfaces that move smoothly - and both will degrade over time if not cared for.

So where an AEG is pretty much setand-forget, you’ll need to strip and lube (Oooh! Matron!) your GBBR between games. But, you know what? It’s not a big deal. Check everything’s moving freely, take care of any rough edges or loose parts and add some oil. Trust me: if I can do it, you can do it - and I’m pretty much the lowest common denominator when it comes to wielding tools.

If I had to venture a guess as to why

many players complain that their GBBR is unreliable, my first question would be whether their maintenance regime is up to scratch. The upkeep on any GBBR will be more demanding than an AEG and maybe some players just aren’t ready for that kind of relationship with their RIF. Of course that doesn’t allow for a bad design or construction flaws in the original GBBR, but the old saying that you get what you pay for tends to hold true for GBBRs too. Don’t buy a Fiesta and expect Ferrari performance.

IN-THE-MOMENT VS RUN-OFTHE-MILL

So you have your GBBR dialled in. It’s within site limits and it feels amazing. You have enough magazines to stay in the game, plus somewhere to put them - and the physical stamina to carry up to an extra 4.5kg in your loadout. All is well, right?

Maybe not. You’ve squeezed out a few rounds from your last mag and your team has taken its objective. The game ends and it’s a quick turnaround without going back to the safe zone.

Everyone else just pops in a new highcap while the marshals reset, but you’ll need to not only dig out all of your spent mags from your dump pouch, pockets or pack to reload with BBs - remember six of which equals one high-cap, so cue mucho mag swapping and thumb action - but also re-gas them all. That’s not going to happen in a two-minute turnaround. So either your entire squad needs to hang around while you reload, or you send them into battle once more, sans their star player.

The best case scenario is that you reenter the fray and turn the tide in your team’s favour. If you can find them. But even then, you can be sure that your squadmates will tell you they’d already softened the other side up for you. On the other hand, if you end up on the losing team, then it’s bound to be your fault for missing those crucial early moments of the game.

All you can do in either case is take the banter on the chin, safe in the knowledge that you have felt more alive and in-themoment with a GBBR in your hands than

anyone playing with a run-of-the-mill AEG. I can only speak for myself, but while I’ve had both good and bad days as an airsoft player over the years, I’ve had none to equal using a GBBR. At its very best, I can honestly say that the platform elevated my performance to another level.

OBJECT. SUBJECT. WORD.

So a GBBR might be easier to prep than a conventional AEG, but other than that it will cost more both to buy and run, be potentially harder to set up every game day in terms of FPS, require additional maintenance, and means carrying additional and heavier mags for no performance benefit. Looking at things empirically, choosing to run a GBBR just doesn’t add up. Objectively, a GBBR makes no sense.

But human beings don’t run on data.

However logical we may like to think we are, we’re still a contrary mess of emotions and impulses. If something feels good, we are programmed to do it again. And boy, does a GBBR feel good! Subjectively, an AEG makes no sense.

We live in an electric world, where everything needs charging all the time for fear of missing out. But a RIF is not an iPad. Our airsoft weapons ape their real world counterparts that are all physical experience - and replacing Ohms with O-rings will bring you that bit closer to the real deal.

Not everybody cares about that, and many players just want an easy life with better odds on any given Sunday - and I don’t blame them. Casual players need not apply. But for me, airsoft would be an even more enjoyable pursuit if every player ran a GBBR, with the result that every game, encounter and shot was more measured, considered and strategic.

But not every player wants the same thing out of our sport and with high cap-driven AEGs dominating the field, choosing a gas rifle will always put you at a disadvantage. Which only makes it all the more satisfying when you win.

If the experience of playing airsoft matters more to you than pure performance, you can afford the asking price for the hardware and you’re willing to make a similar time investment in upkeep, then GBBR beats AEG all day, every day. AA

www.airsoft-action.online

51

1C Becketts Farm, Alcester Road, Wythall, B47 6AJ

0121 716 1410

www.enfieldsports.com

armoury WE F17 AND F18

IT’S RAINING GBB PISTOLS!

PHIL BUCKNALL IS A HUGE FAN OF GBB PISTOLS AND IT SEEMS LATELY LIKE THERE IS A NEW ONE BEING RELEASED NEARLY EVERY MONTH - OR EVEN MORE FREQUENTLY SOMETIMES. HERE, HE TAKES A LOOK AT A COUPLE OF NEW RELEASES FROM WE.

U

nless you’ve been living under a division whose first release was the new you are gonna be severely disappointed rock, you will have heard that the handgun, using VFC as the OEM. Of with the WE offerings, as they come in US Army adopted a new sidearm course, there’s always other companies plain brown card boxes carrying the AEG for the first time in a number of years. The that are happy to build clones of the branding (confusing I know, considering 80’s (I believe) was the last time, when fully licensed versions and one company the boxes had GBB pistols in them!), which the Beretta 92, or M9 to give it it’s proper stands out more than most others is WE is the brand under which these have been designation, was adopted in what was a and they have done it again here. I’d like released but they are made by WE. Inside is huge shift from the venerable a recycled card insert that holds 1911 and the massive .45ACP the gun and the magazine as round. well as a bare-bones, printed Fast forward a smidge and insert with the exploded “…THEY FIT VERY, VERY WELL IN the Modular Handgun System diagram. You certainly don’t THE HAND AND ARE MUCH MORE (MHS) competition to find get any frills with these but they the new sidearm, designated also don’t cost the earth either.

ERGONOMIC THAN SOME OF SIG’S as XM17 during testing, was Yes, the boxes look naff but PREVIOUS OFFERINGS AND WHILST first announced in 2011 and, they do their job and that is the as you’d expect, there was main thing.

YOU CAN SEE FROM CERTAIN ANGLES fierce competition to win the DESIGN NODS TO THE OLD GUARD, new contract as it was worth SNOB ALERT! SUCH AS THE P226 AND THE P228 hundreds of millions of dollars The pistols themselves have over the lifetime of the pistol a polymer frame with metal FOR THE COMPACT, THEY HAVE to the winner. After much T&E slides, just like the real thing DEFINITELY IMPROVED UPON IT AND work the winning company and in line with most of WE’s was announced in 2017 and IN THE AREAS THAT MAKE IT MUCH releases. Initially I was a little that company was SIG SAUER, disappointed by the appearance MORE USEABLE.” with their 9mm P320 handgun and “feel” of the guns but the - Military designation M17. last GBB pistol I bought was The whole story can be found the new Marui FNX and that online if you google “MHS feels like a whole more polished competition”, so I won’t go into any more to add that I did try to get a SIG version product all round. The WE offerings detail in this review but if you’re a bit of as well but they sold out quicker than definitely come up short BUT… after a a nerd like me, then it makes quite an Glastonbury tickets! However, thanks to short while and recalibrating my gun interesting, albeit long read. my good friend, James, who owns Bespoke snob-o-meter back down to normal levels, Airsoft, I soon had a brace of pistols with I began to warm to them. spare mags for each on their way to me AIRSOFT OPTIONS Yes, they have obvious seam lines but and when the postman arrived at my door so do other polymer framed guns. The If you want a M17 then there are a couple I practically ripped the box from his hands, of options. SIG themselves have actually polymer used isn’t as good as a Marui gun so eager was I to see how they’d done. taken control of their trademarks, bringing either but it is plenty durable enough and If you like fancy box artwork then it kinda works in this context, as these them in house and launching an airsoft 54

NOVEMBER 2019

armoury WE F17 AND F18

“HERE’S WHERE I’M NOT OVERLY COMPLIMENTARY ABOUT WE IN GENERAL... THEIR HOP UNIT IS FRANKLY RUBBISH! IT IS ABSOLUTELY THE WORST ONE IN AIRSOFT AND IS INCAPABLE OF HOPPING EVEN A 0.12G BB!!” are military spec guns, not range queens!

Also, the roughened texture does make them very easy to grip, even with sweaty paws or if there’s mud etc. on the gun or your hand. Speaking of that, they fit very, very well in the hand and are much more ergonomic than some of SIG’s previous offerings and whilst you can see from certain angles design nods to the old guard, such as the P226 and the P228 for the compact, they have definitely improved upon it and in the areas that make it much more useable. I love my SIG P226e2 but, even with the redesigned pistol grip, I still found it a little on the large side for me.

With the F17/18 I felt that they were easier to grip and that the grip fitted my hands much better, so that’s a great plus for them.

The slides have a fair amount of heft to them and the paint seems to be reasonably tough, in so far as they’re not showing excessive wear after being used a few times in games and also on the range where they have been holstered and drawn multiple times. The slides feature some

good diagonal serrations, both at the front and rear, to facilitate easier racking of the slide and you do need a good grip as the recoil spring is a tough little bugger! Being striker-fired in the real gun, there is also no hammer so a bit of a departure for SIG guns and as such there is no decocker either. This does make for a slicker look overall though, and I for one like it.

As the frames are the same for both guns it is very easy to switch between them and all the controls are the same.

The ambi slide release could do with being a little larger I think, as it is very close to the safety and can be missed if you’re rushing. That said, it works fine and is easy to release with either hand; as is the safety catch. I don’t know if the mag release is ambidextrous but the magazines have a cutout for it on both sides, so it might be.

The only other control is the take down lever, which is on the left and is easy to operate as its actually quite large for the size of the gun.

Inside the slide is the blow back unit, the internally threaded outer and

inner barrel and the recoil spring. The only difference in slides, besides length, between the two is that the F17 has a removable panel that can be taken off and switched for an RMR type optic. The frame has the trigger, hammer block and the metal frame to hold the slide.

PASS THE GRIPE WATER!

The trigger is another reminder of the P226 for me but here’s where I’m not overly complimentary about WE in general... their hop unit is frankly rubbish! It is absolutely the worst one in airsoft and is incapable of hopping even a 0.12g BB!! Why they persist with the design is beyond me. If you look down the inner whilst moving the hop wheel the view barely changes. With it set to fully on it delivered a max range of around 20m - and that was irrespective of what BB weight or brand I used.

I have replaced the hop with maple leaf rubbers in both guns and that has made a VERY slight improvement and I have also ordered I-keys for each to see if that will help but it shouldn’t be needed on a new

www.airsoft-action.online

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armoury WE F17 AND F18

gun! I absolutely loath it when companies ship substandard parts, there’s simply no need for it or in fact any good reason to do so. Whereas my Marui G19 will happily send a 0.28g BB sailing over 40+ metres, these are very much close-in play only.

My second gripe is that the outer barrel is not centred in the slide and if you look at the gun muzzle on, it is very obviously off to one side - down and to the left for both guns. It doesn’t seem to affect the accuracy as the hop unit isn’t good enough anyway!

Final gripe is the magazines or, more specifically, the magazines for the F17.

This is the full-sized one and like the real version it comes with an extended magazine. However, someone must’ve been on drugs when they designed the gas one as it actually holds LESS BBs than the shorter one! It is effectively just a lump stuck to the bottom to replicate the look ONLY. However, both the long and short mags hold gas well and happily deliver every BB down range locking back every time thus far in over 100+ magazinesworth through each.

You might think that I actually don’t think much of these guns but you’d be wrong, as they are an absolute blast to

shoot! If you work within the limitations of the crappy hop unit and only use them in engagements sub-20m then they are a riot. The blowback is very crisp and HARD. It really shakes and needs a firm grip. Both guns have a great sound, with the shorter F18 having a real bark to it. The F17 sounds slightly different; perhaps a little more muted but no less satisfying. The trigger has minimal pull before reaching the break point and when it releases it isn’t spongy at all. The reset is nice and fast too, for follow up shots. Would I buy them? Well, yeah, I did for the review but would I buy them again though? I’d get the F18 compact but probably not the F17, however, that’s down to aesthetics and my preference for compact handguns rather than anything performance related. They’re not perfect but they are fun …and that goes a long way.. AA

www.airsoft-action.online

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FEATURE PROJECT PRECISION

“THE QUALITY, CONDITION, OR FACT OF BEING EXACT AND ACCURATE”

THIS MONTH IN “PROJECT PRECISION” BILL TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT HIS PISTOL AND CARBINES PUT TOGETHER SPECIFICALLY FOR THE RANGE RATHER THAN THE SKIRMISH FIELD AND FINDS THAT IT’S ALL ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL AND WHAT SUITS YOU BEST!

O

ver the last few months I’ve been concentrating on my “long gun” for the distance element that form the unique part of Project Precision, and I’ve had a most enjoyable time reacquainting myself with airsoft bolt action models! It’s been a really satisfying journey, and I’ve learnt all over again that when it comes to shooting, patience and practice do indeed yield results!

I’ve also been working on my shotguns, tweaking and refining small details to really get what I want from them, but I’ve not been neglecting my carbines and pistols, not at all.

A few months back I was talking to my good friend Ross at NUPROL, about what I was doing with Project Precision and I’m pleased to report that this is something that he really liked the sound of. As part of that discussion, namely the part about getting “good bang for my buck”, I suggested that it might be fun to create a set of “tools” directly from the NUPROL range of AEGs, GBBs and accessories and to my great joy he simply said “do it”!

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NOVEMBER 2019

MY TOOLS

Although I’ve already pretty much decided upon my “Four Gun” RIFs, this set me on a path to look at what really makes an AR “sing”. I’m not, however, going to move away from the central tenet of Project Precision though, which is of course, that anyone can get involved with whatever RIFs they have, so I’m going to stick with stock, out of the box models but add a little extra “zing” to them! I’m also very aware that I’m pushing dangerously close to the “realistic” part of RIF here, but as I’m drawing my inspiration for real-world three gun competition models I believe I’m still on safe ground.

Before I spoke further to Ross I looked closely at what competition shooters were using in the “real steel” world and came across many interesting articles going into the efficacy of

different barrel lengths. Given that this is airsoft and I’m talking in the main about maximum shooting ranges of 30m or so (and generally much closer!) this was something I could disregard; decide on what barrel length you like and go with it!

The main thing that came up time and gain though was the phrase

“transitioning” and in this case it’s not about going from primary to secondary but simply the ease with which you move from target to target. For this you want a carbine that’s light and “pointable”, a carbine that when fitted with iron sights or optics will remain completely straightforward to actually move the muzzle from point to point. Overweighting will lead to inertia when moving the muzzle, so it’s not just about what you can physically carry and shoot with as much as it’s about not over-arcing the muzzle when you move it from one target to the next.

My original build for my “PP Carbine” is based on the NUPROL Delta Recon Alpha AR and this is a carbine I’ve come to both love and trust, as it features a 480mm tightbore “QPQ” steel inner barrel and an absolutely stunning lightweight 310mm “KeyMod” accessory attachment system as standard. Ergonomically this is a super AEG, is right up to the minute in terms of style and design and chronos at 1.12Joule/347fps absolutely consistently using NUPROLs new RZR .20g BBs. Moving it up to slightly heavier .25g RZRs the range is extremely consistent too, and on semi I’ve been able to achieve a 50mm grouping at 30m supported. All the Delta series carbines and rifles come with a perfectly good 370 BB HiCap but I use NUPROLs N-Mags, adjustable Mid/ Lo, which are absolutely excellent (the old short P-MAGS also look the biz in this model as you’ll see from the main image!).

FEATURE PROJECT PRECISION

“THE MAIN THING THAT CAME UP TIME AND GAIN THOUGH WAS THE PHRASE “TRANSITIONING”, AND IN THIS CASE IT’S NOT ABOUT GOING FROM PRIMARY TO SECONDARY, BUT SIMPLY THE EASE WITH WHICH YOU MOVE FROM TARGET TO TARGET. ”

NEW BUILD

So for the “new build” I decided to stick with the same base AEG and go from there. Although the iron sights that come with it are perfectly usable I wanted to fit an optic, so changed the originals out for some very low profile “pop ups”, the rear being diopter style, that work extremely well with the NP OPTICS - 1.25-5X26 IR scope that I chose to add to the carbine.

This sight offers me a good deal of magnification whilst keeping everything neat, and the only thing that I’ll change in the way of sights is to add a QD mount to the optic.

I wanted to keep a couple of rails on the “KeyMod” as we’ve decided within my group that we might compete in low light conditions, but for the main part these would only be “references” for my supporting hand. To this end I wanted some rail covers but, as I wanted this carbine to look more “Comp than Mil”, I decided to look for something a bit colourful.

ERGO USA

After much trawling I eventually found what I needed in the form of the “Inferno” range of accessories from ERGO in the USA (www.ergogrips.net). This collection, called the Elite Series, includes eye catching styles of the Ergo 2 AR Grip, NeverQuit Magwell Grip, 18-Slot Ladder Rail Covers, KeyMod and M-LOK Rail Covers.

Ergo says the creation process behind each product ensures that every camo pattern is different, thereby presenting a truly unique design for shooters.

The Elite Series of Camo includes seven styles; Arctic (white and black), Predator (dark earth and black), Tracker (green and black), Imperial (pink/purple and black), Inferno (red and black), Cobalt (blue and black) and Tiger (orange and black) and they are total eye candy!

To keep things as light as possible I decided to move away from my usual vertical foregrip, instead fitting a lightweight bright red alloy Angled Foregrip, and at the rear end I replaced the existing buffer tube and CRANE-style stock with a Storm Stock Set in Black/Red. The

Storm is easy to fit and although it reduces the overall length of the stock length, it also reduces weight and to be frank, looks awesome! Both these parts are available from the NUPROL accessories range, and combined with the ERGO “Inferno” grips it gives the carbine some real character!

SECONDARY CHOICE

To complete the setup I decided that I’d go “Full American” by adding a Raven 1911 MEU model as my secondary, and to keep with the scheme I added some red alloy grips that I’d had lurking for a while. The only other change I made to the Raven was to add front and rear red fibre-optic sights; I shouldn’t have bothered as almost immediately the new Raven RDS models were released which of course come prefitted with fibre-optics!

BUT YOU’RE AN AK GUY! I hear you say, and yes, I am - and to this end I also set up a NOMAD BRAVO in a similar fashion to the RECON AR. I’ve been using the NOMAD since they were very first launched in the UK and I’m now really comfortable with it, so it was in the main a simple job to set it up with the same ERGO “Inferno” rail covers and a neat red alloy handstop, again from NUPROL’s range of “fancy” accessories. I also decided to add an Epsilon muzzle brake/compensator just to give it a great, businesslike “look”, and changed the sliding stock for a CORE-CP

model with cheekrest so it works perfectly with the NP OPTICS - 1.25-5X26 IR scope.

I have to say that I’m really happy with the finished carbines, and the pistol is an absolute hoot to shoot and accurate too.

I’m going to run this on CO2 for “comp” just to give it absolute consistency in all weathers and conditions.

Both the AR and AK carbines are as light as they can be whilst retaining full functionality, and both have become extremely “pointable”, working with that idea of swift target transitions that I mentioned at the outset. I’ve been shooting with both for a while now and love them, and just a few quids worth of extras has transformed them both into “head turners”! As an experiment I took both to the NAF for the weekend and they were the two models, amongst others, on our stand that most players picked up and wanted to buy!

Sadly these are my “babies” and not for sale, although replicating the look is easy as all the parts are available in the NUPROL range (apart from the ERGO Grips and Alloy 1911 grips)! To check out what’s on offer, and to create your own bespoke “comp carbine” simply head on over to the new look NUPROL website, https:// nuprol.com.

I look forward to seeing what you create, and to seeing you on the range! AA

www.airsoft-action.online

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versus

AMERICAN EAGLE V RUSSIAN BEAR M14 EBR V DRAGUNOV SVD

MORE UP TO DATE WITH HIS “HEAD TO HEAD” LOOK AT MILITARY WEAPONS AND THEIR REPLICAS ON THE SKIRMISH FIELD, BILL DELVES INTO DMR TERRITORY AS THE AMERICAN EAGLE FACES OFF AGAINST THE RUSSIAN BEAR, IN THE FORM OF THE M14 EBR AND THE “SNAYPERSKAYA VINTOVKA DRAGUNOVA”!

A

s much as I have been looking at bolt-action rifles in my reviews recently I am definitely more of a carbine kind of guy, although during my time playing airsoft I’ve often hankered after something with a bit more “legs” from time to time and to this end have always had a huge soft spot for the “DMR”, where you still get semi-auto - but with a bit more “oomph”!

When I lived and played in the USA I was the only Brit on my team and although I

proudly played in DPM for most of our skirmish games, when it came to MilSims and weekenders I’d be in the same digital Army Combat Uniform as the rest of the guys. Strangely I always liked the Universal Camouflage Pattern and in the arid areas of Florida in actually worked pretty well, greying out into the background just like it does in that famous “sofa picture”. I also gave up my MP5, or in the latter days there my L85, in favour of some form of “M4” variant.

RITE OF PASSAGE

There is one “rite of passage” that, in my mind, every airsofter needs

to go through and that’s owning and fielding an M14 EBR! Until you’ve lugged one of these ungainly beasts around an airsoft field all day, you’ll never fully appreciate the pain of having “the right rifle” but one that is going to stretch both your sinews and your sanity!

Of course, “in the day” the EBR was all the rage and everyone wanted one as in the real world it was another of the “SF” rifles that everyone cooed over! The Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR) was a selective fire designated marksman rifle, chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It was basically a “pimped” M14, originally built for use with units of USSOCOM such as the SEALs and Delta Force.

Development began in 2000 with a request by the SEALs for a more compact M14 battle rifle, so

“UNTIL YOU’VE LUGGED ONE OF THESE UNGAINLY BEASTS AROUND AN AIRSOFT FIELD ALL DAY, YOU’LL NEVER FULLY APPRECIATE THE PAIN OF HAVING “THE RIGHT RIFLE” BUT ONE THAT IS GOING TO STRETCH BOTH YOUR SINEWS AND YOUR SANITY!”

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versus M14 EBR V DRAGUNOV SVD

that they could “reach out” and counter the enemy forces they were facing with the added power of the 7.62mm round.

What resulted in 2001 was the Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR, which featured a collapsible stock and an alloy body with telescopic rails. USN SEALs were the first to be armed with the EBR in 2004, followed by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army were close behind with the M14EBR-RI. Users praised the weapon for its ergonomics, low recoil and low cost, as well as having the option of various optics and accessories.

It effectively transformed surplus M14s, some dating from the Vietnam era, into modern battle rifles. The rifle saw limited service outside of the US military though, primarily with the Australian SASR in Afghanistan and although the US Army has been using the M14 EBR since 2009 it had weight issues being almost 15lb (6.8 kg) unloaded!

In all fairness the airsoft version wasn’t that much better in BB-chucking terms!

I owned an original ECHO 1 EBR and that weighed in at a hefty 9.0 lbs. (4.08 kg) - and that was before you added a magazine, BBs, a scope and a bipod!

Basically you’d be lugging around a threefoot long (albeit with 420mm of inner barrel!), semi-auto AEG that was heavier at that time than virtually any other on the market, whilst your mates scooted around with their “M4s” and you basically became a slow moving BB magnet, as like a support gunners “tool of the trade”, everyone saw what you were carrying and recognised it immediately!

Performance-wise the ECHO 1 EBR was actually pretty good for the money, as the basic rifle retailed at that time for iro 270 bucks. Inside you got decent reinforced gearbox which, combined with a long, hi-torque motor

got the BBs a fair way out, with an average on a .20g of 1.48 Joule/400fps. I found though that my EBR really liked .28g BBs and even back then I managed to eke about 70m from the beast.

OPFOR DAYS

Obviously (as regular readers will know), as I’ve got a bit “longer in the tooth” my “OPR8R” days are now behind me, although I still like to get stuck in! I’ve embraced the OPFOR life and with it all the wondrous workings that make up the Kalashnikov family. Although I still favour combat rifle and carbine styles there always has to be one more punchy model in the “armoury” and for this I have my beloved Dragunov.

Chambered in 7.62×54mm and developed in the Soviet Union, the Dragunov was designed as a squad support weapon since Soviet military doctrine dictated high volumes of fully automatic fire in combat situations. In this situation, long-range engagement ability was lost to ordinary troops when submachine guns and assault rifles were employed. It was selected as the winner of a contest that included three competing designs and an initial pre-production batch consisting of 200 rifles was assembled for evaluation purposes and extensive field testing of the rifles conducted in all the theatres that Soviet troops would be faced with, from hot and humid jungles, extremely dry desert, and harsh frozen tundra. This resulted in Dragunov’s design being accepted into service in 1963, and from 1964 serial production was carried out by Izhmash.

The features and unusual characteristics of the Dragunov were driven by the tactical use of marksmen. By targeting high-value targets of opportunity and

providing special long-distance disruptive and suppressive fire on the battlefield, a relatively small number of marksmen could assist conventional troops by combating or harassing valuable targets and assets, such as key enemy personnel like officers, noncommissioned officers and radio operators, exposed tank commanders, designated marksmen and snipers, machinegun teams and anti-tank warfare teams.

As my own personal choices have changed over the years I find myself drawn these days to gas rifles for the DMR role and my choice for a Dragunov was the WE ACE VD GBBR with the wood furniture and, from the day I first held it I have been thoroughly taken with this elegant yet functional battle rifle. I’ll get this out of the way first… The Dragunov is, at 48inches long, a big rifle, even longer than my old EBR! That said, of course what that also means is that it does have an exceptionally long inner barrel, coming in as it does at a whopping 620mm!

OPFOR PERFORMANCE

Talking performance, when I got my Dragunov I immediately handed it off to my “gas man” and asked him to do two things. 1) I wanted it as close to my local field’s semi-auto 1.87 Joule/450fps DMR limit as possible, and 2) I wanted the trigger fettled for as smooth a break as possible.

When he returned it to me I was getting a consistent 1.79 Joule/440fps on a .20g BB and the trigger broke like glass.

What you need to consider here is that the trigger, unlike a battery powered AEG, can be worked on just like the real thing!

On .30g BBs I get a solid trajectory and the Dragunov

“PULLING BACK WITH THE GUYS FROM A FORWARD POSITION, I SPOTTED A SUPPORT GUNNER RUNNING LEFT TO RIGHT TRYING TO FLANK US, SO I TOOK AN UNSUPPORTED FLYER AT JUST OVER 100M. IN ALL HONESTY, I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY A FLUKE SHOT BUT THE GUY HONOURABLY CALLED HIT.” www.airsoft-action.online

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We want this show to be aimed at all target shooters in the UK - along with the clubs and associations representing those shooters.

Check out our Facebook page and website and we look forward to seeing you at the UK’s 1st ever gun show solely dedicated to target shooters !

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VERSUS M14 EBR V DRAGUNOV SVD

will hurtle BBs downrange with a huge “crack” which certainly turns some heads!

Once I’d dialled the iron sights in (I actually like using it just with the irons!) I was hitting targets at a good 80m plus, which is exactly what I’d hoped for. I’ve used the gas Dragunov a few times in earnest now and one shot stands out in my mind…

Pulling back with the guys from a forward position, I spotted a support gunner running left to right trying to flank us, so I took an unsupported flyer at just over 100m. In all honesty, I think it was probably a fluke shot but the guy

honourably called hit and, suffice to say, the Dragunov got some VERY admiring looks from the rest of my team!

MANUFACTURERS

There are numerous airsoft manufacturers who make both M14 EBR and Dragunov replicas these days and they are all very nice indeed. I’ve had a chance to play around with a couple of the gas EBRs and the electric versions of the Dragunov too, which have all been great airsoft guns, although most all of them require some

upgrading or at the very least some mild fettling to get true performance from them.

For me then it’s going to be the “Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova” that gets the win this time round, and my WE version is one that I will never sell.

Do I miss my EBR? In honesty I do a bit as it’s a unique design of its time and holds a special place in the annals of military firearms lore. But then I remember what a pig it was to actually use in game and go back to stroking my Dragunov...AA

www.airsoft-action.online

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FEATURE PROJECT DMR

A&K SR-25 PROJECT DMR: FINAL THOUGHTS

PHIL BUCKNALL WRAPS UP HIS PROJECT WITH A LOOK AT WHAT HE USED TO CREATE THE DMR HE WANTED TO BUILD.

W

hen I first started down this road the plan was to build a DMR from a good platform and from readily available parts that didn’t cost the earth. I’ve dabbled with sniper rifles in the past and always given up and sold them on, as I couldn’t justify the cost of getting it where it would need to be for a gun I wouldn’t use much and couldn’t use at all at my favourite site. Hence the DMR idea.

Whilst I don’t want to be an ubersharpshooter - I much prefer assault rifles - I thought this would be a great compromise and originally I was looking at using an SR-25 as it’s an actual real life DMR and there’s options in the airsoft world, plus upgrading it to 400fps so it

could be used at pretty much any site that allowed DMRs to be

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NOVEMBER 2019

used.

As I had a SR-25 courtesy of NUPROL in for review, I discussed the idea with their tech guys and came up with a few simple changes using parts sourced from NUPROL’s extensive catalogue of own brand products and also parts they distribute. After some thought, we went for a highspeed long shaft NUPROL motor; a Modify hop up chamber; a Modify hybrid barrel and the corresponding hop rubber made exclusively for that barrel. These represent probably the bare minimum you can make within a strictish budget but bring good gains in both range, accuracy and speed of shot after the trigger was pulled for both first round and follow up shot.

The original box fresh SR-25 had pretty decent performance and chronoed at around 298fps/1.15J with a 0.28g BB, reaching out to approx 65m with middling to good accuracy. It was nothing outstanding but neither was it lacklustre really.

Now here comes the rub! There’s a lot of sites that allow DMRs up to 450fps as long as the gun is locked to semi-auto only. However, our law states that any gun

capable of full auto fire is limited to 374fps/1.3J as an absolute maximum (with a 0.20 BB).

Above this it becomes a Section Five firearm.

Yes, firearm ...and that brings some serious jail time with it. “But it’s locked to semi” you say? “It’s not capable of firing full auto anymore! I’m good.”

Sorry, but you’re wrong. The law cares not a jot about what you’ve done to it. When that gun left the factory it was capable of firing full auto and as such it needs to stay below 374fps. It’s probably one of the biggest grey areas still hovering over our hobby sadly and, as such, I felt it was inappropriate to publicly detail making a RIF capable of 450fps that started out as a fully automatic gun.

Obviously this decision has chopped the scope of what was originally planned and required reworking.

Now the plan was to make a gun capable of very accurate fire that came in below the 374fps threshold, so that it was fully compliant but still offered a benefit over a normal assault rifle type RIF - otherwise there’s no point to it.

With all this in mind and the parts picked up from NUPROL, I set about changing these few things out. I found the high-speed motor did indeed reduce the time ever so slightly from pulling the trigger to firing. Not a huge amount

FEATURE DMR PROJECT

“THERE’S A LOT OF SITES THAT ALLOW DMRS UP TO 450FPS AS LONG AS THE GUN IS LOCKED TO SEMI-AUTO ONLY. HOWEVER, OUR LAW STATES THAT ANY GUN CAPABLE OF FULL AUTO FIRE IS LIMITED TO 374FPS/1.3J AS AN ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM (WITH A 0.20 BB).”

though, so I’m genuinely unsure if it’s a change I’d recommend for performance but for longevity of the gun I would, as it’s a better quality motor anyway. The barrel, as I already mentioned, is from Modify and is their 509mm long hybrid version in their metal AR style hop chamber with the 2-ring hop rubber to keep it all airtight.

All very easy to assemble but I don’t understand why they still use the old style unit, instead of a rotary type as I find those infinitely more adjustable and less prone to slipping once set. Saying that, I didn’t have any issues and the new barrel improved groupings at 65m and also the percentage of hits on target out to about 70-72m. One good thing with this barrel is the selection of O-rings it comes with to act as barrel spacers for different internal diameter outers. They actually work too, so no need for a bit of tape. How much this little detail contributes to accuracy I’m unsure but it certainly didn’t hurt it. The FPS only went up to around 300-305 putting it at about 1.17J and within limits for the majority of sites.

This project has taken a few different paths since it was conceived and also thrown up a lot of questions around the DMR topic. Have the changes I made transformed a good gun into a laser accurate super gun capable of 1” groups at 150m? No, it hasn’t. If I’m being

particularly critical of my build, I would argue it hasn’t even given me a DMR in the traditional sense. Where it has succeeded though, is in delivering a very capable AEG that’s suitable in any scenario where you’d want a select fire RIF and the added confidence that, within a certain range and barring a gust of wind, gives you a better than very good chance of hitting what you’re aiming at. It’s also crystalised my views on DMRs too.

I started this thinking it would be a perfect compromise between assault rifle and bolt action for players like me who don’t want to go all-in as a sniper but also don’t want to fully walk away from having a decent select fire AEG. However, in reality it isn’t, partly because it’s as long as a bolt action gun and it takes some adjusting to fully capitalise on its good points, as you have to abide by minimum engagement distances if you’re upping it to 400fps+.

I think a flat or R-hop could increase its reach quite a bit and I may still try that but I’m inclined to leave it where it is if I’m honest and that’s because there are so many variations in what sites will allow as a DMR and then there’s the whole “is it even legal!?” debate to consider, that you have to ask - is there really a place for a DMR type AEG in the hobby?

In fact, if I was to start again I’d buy the SR-25 cause it’s a nice dependable

gun, shoots well and is similar enough to my daily M4s that I’m used to the controls and their locations - but I’d leave it stock until something needs replacing or breaks.

If you do want to follow what I’ve done, then great but do so knowing that what you’ve got is a very accurate AEG with above average AEG ranges but outside of the realms of a bolt action’s reach. If you’re happy with that and want a DMR for the aesthetic, or to complete a load out then carry on. But if you want the reach of a bolt action, then you’ve really only got one option because to me (and in all ways that matter) the DMR role doesn’t really exist in airsoft... and on that bombshell - until next time! AA PARTS LIST A&K SR-25 full stock AEG Modify Accurate Metal Hop Up - M16/ M4 Series Modify Hybrid 6.03mm Precision Barrel 509 mm Modify Professional 2-Ring+ Hop Up Bucking - Hybrid Barrel NUPROL High Speed Motor (Long) All parts are available from any NUPROL dealer.

“THIS PROJECT HAS TAKEN A FEW DIFFERENT PATHS SINCE IT WAS CONCEIVED AND ALSO THROWN UP A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND THE DMR TOPIC. HAVE THE CHANGES I MADE TRANSFORMED A GOOD GUN INTO A LASER ACCURATE SUPER GUN CAPABLE OF 1” GROUPS AT 150M? NO, IT HASN’T.”

www.airsoft-action.online

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armoury VFC FNX-45

VFC FNX-RATED TOKYO MARUI’S VERSION OF THE FNX-45 AS REVIEWED BY PHIL LAST ISSUE MIGHT BE THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK, BUT STEVE T FINDS OUT IF VFC’S MODEL IS STILL A CONTENDER .

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hen Phil reviewed the new Tokyo Marui version of the FNX-45 in the September issue, it reminded me that I’d always meant to pick up an example of FN Herstal’s entry into the USA’s Joint Combat Pistol competition, designed to find a replacement for the venerable M9.

So I did. But because I like the added weight and clackclack sound of a metal slide, I went for the older version by VFC. Here’s how I got on.

SurplusStore.co.uk and it arrived in just a couple of days. The internals might have been drenched in oil like a foxy boxer on a Saturday night, but that’s down to the manufacturer rather than the retailer. We spent a bit of time cleaning that up, but at least we could be confident things hadn’t dried out in storage.

grip. You won’t feel it in normal operation and you could always file it down if it bothers you, but it’s the only outward sign of less than premium manufacture.

AMBI-CURIOUS?

The FNX is a lefty’s dream, with an ambidextrous safety, as well as magazine and slide release. We found that while the VFC’s slide catch works fine either side, the mag release feels graunchy on the right. It works just fine, but “FROM THE FIRST TIME I PICKED IT UP, there’s definitely a B-team here THE FNX-45 FELT LIKE IT HAD BEEN TAILOR SWIFT - and it isn’t the conventional You know that feeling when lever on the left.

SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR ME. THIS you pick up a pistol for the The safety works as you’d IS A BIG GUN THAT WILL SUIT BIG first time and it feels like it was expect and completely blocks tailor-made for your hand? the trigger, but it’s also a HANDS. FROM ITS CHUNKY SQUARED That. functional decocker. In its SLIDE TO THE LONG, FAT GRIP, THE From the first time I picked it bottom position, it will lower up, the FNX-45 felt like it had the hammer to half-mast, from FNX-45 IS EVERY BIT THE HANDFUL been specifically made for me. where your trigger pull will YOU’D EXPECT FROM A .45-CALIBRE This is a big gun that will suit need to be a conscious decision HANDGUN.” big hands. From its chunky to shoot. Which brings us onto the double action trigger. squared slide to the long, fat grip, the FNX-45 is every bit the Featuring multiple stages handful you’d expect from a - none of which feel natural .45-calibre handgun. we’d happily never use VFC’s DA again. It’s the equivalent of kneading The gun you see before you today is Across the polymer body and metal the so-called Civilian Version. The only dough wearing boxing gloves. Luckily, slide, there’s a matte, almost rubberised, it’s another story in single action, with a differences from the more familiar Tactical finish throughout that, combined with model being the lack of both a threaded predictable pull that’s both light and short. tremendous pimples on that shapely grip barrel extension for a suppressor and the And let’s be honest, this is how most users cutout in the slide to accept an aftermarket with its interchangeable backstraps, makes will use this pistol most of the time. for a pistol that’s both customisable and plate for a mini Red Dot Sight. I opted for comfortable. The only demerit is that the cleaner looks of the Civilian since I TRIGGERED? there’s a pronounced casting seam the full intend to add neither of those options.

Without a doubt, my biggest reservation length of the lower rail, trigger guard and We ordered our example online from 66

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armoury VFC FNX-45

“THE FNX MIGHT BE UNREMARKABLE IN TERMS OF NUMBERS - MEASURING A MAXIMUM OF 310FPS/0.89J WITH .20 BBS, 280/0.73J MINIMUM, AND AVERAGING ABOUT 300/0.84J - BUT IT FEELS SO MUCH MORE POWERFUL.” about VFC’s FNX-45 is that plastic trigger.

It’s just… horrible. It feels flimsy and like it might break at any moment. That said, exactly the same criticisms have been levelled by users of the real firearm, so…

I guess kudos to VFC for replicating it so well?

Due to its trigger mechanism, dry-firing the FNX both feels and sounds toy-like and that’s only addressed when the VFC is gassed up and ready to rock. That’s when this pistol comes alive. The FNX might be unremarkable in terms of numbers measuring a maximum of 310FPS/0.89J with .20 BBs, 280/0.73J minimum, and averaging about 300/0.84J - but it feels so much more powerful.

True enough, much of the gas may be spent on user feedback, but the FNX’s magazine still manages up to three reloads of BBs per gas fill, which is more than we can say of rival pistols that are new to the market and claim better performance.

MAGAZINE ISSUES

The magazine feels well-manufactured with superb fit and finish; there’s nary a wiggle or a wobble to be found. We also like the way that the fill valve is located to the rear, rather than underneath, which should help with drop resilience.

We just wish that inserting the magazine was a more positive affair.

That plasticky feel from the trigger group continues here, with just a light click to inform the user that the mag is seated.

We’d like a firmer, chunkier feeling to match the outer ergonomics.

In terms of the magazine’s shape, the rubberised bumper that extends below the mag well helps to protect the magazine in case of a drop and also adds some real estate for bigger hands. If your little finger dangles off an already chunky M9, you should look at the FNX-45.

At 277g empty, the mag is solidly constructed, with a unique metallic, almost mirrored finish. It certainly gives the impression of a quality product, but we suspect it does the FNX no favours when it comes to cooldown on follow-up shots.

More than once, we’d emptied a round of BBs with deteriorating gas performance only for it to pick up again after waiting for the magazine’s temperature to normalise.

You know when after a couple of BB fills, the slide cycles more slowly because the gas has been spent? That may not be the case here. Even if you hear gas venting, give it a few minutes and VFC’s FNX-45 will reward you with another 25 rounds.

Admittedly not at full power, but maybe enough to see you between trips to the safe zone if you don’t carry green gas out into the field.

HOP TO IT!

Cybergun might call its hop system the “adjustable BAX (or BAXS) shooting system” - whatever that means - but that doesn’t change the fact it’s a pretty standard hop-up dial under the slide that turns out to be a little so-and-so to adjust.

Removing the slide to access the dial is fairly standard stuff - once you finagle the takedown lever into the right position - but actually using it? Not only is it far from the largest adjustment wheel we’ve ever seen, but ours was also stuck solid and wouldn’t budge a millimetre using just fingernails.

We had to use a teeny-tiny flathead screwdriver for fear of mangling the teeth with anything chunkier.

Once it was free, the hop made a real difference and certainly cut back on the crazy skyward loop that came as standard.

But we could never find a really consistent setting and at 20 metres, shots show vertical variance with a slight bias to the right.

The FNX can certainly hit man-sized targets at that range, but it won’t be posting shots through the window of a bunker.

CHUNKY GOODNESS

VFC’s airsoft version of the FNX may not be the last word in precision shooting but it’s one of the chunkiest, most solid and exciting pistols I’ve used. It genuinely feels great in the hand and can certainly get the job done up to about 15 metres.

If you want an absolute rangebuster, then this is probably not the pistol for you.

But if you either want an exciting sidearm or a great representation of the FNX, then we can recommend VFC’s FNX-45 without hesitation. AA SPECIFICATIONS FPS: 300 avge (tested) Weight: 806g inc mag (tested) Power source: Green gas Capacity: 26 rounds Action: DA/SA Blowback: Yes Adjustable hop: Yes Available from: Surplusstore.co.uk

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armoury BOLT MP5SD SWAT

A BOLT FOR THE BLUE

THE MP5 IS A MODEL THAT MANY AIRSOFTERS OWN AND LOVE, BUT IT DOES SEEM TO SWING A LITTLE ERRATICALLY IN THE “POPULARITY STAKES”! BILL HAS A LONG HISTORY WITH THE MODEL IN AIRSOFT FORM AND THIS MONTH HE GETS TO GRIPS WITH THE VERY LATEST RECOIL MODEL FROM BOLT.

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ver the years the “Maschinenpistole 5”, or MP5 has been with me in both electric and gas form, and I still have a great love for the little SMG! I think, from memory, that I’ve owned probably four or five MP5 variants from various manufacturers (as well as having tested others) and all of them have been lovely wee things! My last MP5 was a gas version which served me well but weirdly, it’s always the MP5 that seems to get sold to fund other more esoteric projects.

I had an MP5 all through my time playing in the USA and in fact that was my very first, bought in early 2006 and sold before I returned to the UK in 2011. That little MP5 served me very well indeed and when I got settled back in the UK, I soon bought myself a new one as I missed it!

That one got sold a few years later and after that came another AEG version, which, in turn, was sold to help fund the gasser! As much as I really enjoyed playing with the GBB version I hankered after a gas AK, so the MP5 went… again!

My mate James though, got a super deal with a railed Marui SD6 version at one of the airsoft boot fairs a short while back and this rekindled my passion for the little SMG but to date I’ve (if you’ll pardon me!) held fire on buying another until I found exactly what I wanted as this, sadly, will probably be the last MP5 I buy… I am knocking on a bit you know!

But what makes me so passionate about the MP5? For me it’s a “no brainer” in that it has been used by military and police forces worldwide, has appeared in the hands of most screen “action heroes”

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and, of course, was the firearm carried by the SAS when they stormed the Iranian Embassy. It’s been used by the USN SEAL Teams, GSG-9 and virtually every special operations unit in the western world, and even today we see the MP5 in the hands of our firearms trained police officers.

Although it’s a design that has been around for many, many years it’s still one that is “current”.

A LITTLE HISTORY

I say that the MP5 has been with us for a while and if you delve into your history

books, it was WAY back in the mid1960’s that Heckler and Koch looked at the successful G3 rifle designs and then adapted things to make use of the 9×19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge.

The MP5 was created within this group of firearms and was initially known as the HK54. First created in 1964, the H&K MP5 was developed as a pistol-calibre, blowback operated roller-locked member of the H&K weapons system, and in 1966 it was officially adopted by the German Federal Police, border guard and army special forces.

Image courtesy of Rusty “the man with no gloves” Firmin.

armoury BOLT MP5SD SWAT

In repeated and exhaustive testing the MP5 has proven capable of firing more than 30,000 rounds without a single stoppage or parts failure and it is not uncommon to find MP5s still serving with in excess of 500,000 rounds through the original barrel and receiver!

Still regarded of as one of the most reliable and effective submachine guns in the world, the MP5 has become the choice of the worlds’ most famous elite anti-terrorist, special operations and special law enforcement organisations. While more modern submachine guns have been designed since the introduction of the MP5, it is still the one that many professional users turn to when reliability and unceasing functionality are required.

durability and performance. BRSS is now a tried and tested system, that I’ve experienced in a number of their models and I’ve been very pleased with them all.

When the test sample of the MP5 arrived with me from new distributors NUPROL I was immediately impressed at how sturdy it felt. The real MP5 weighs in at 2.54kg and the replica comes in at 3kg, the slight additional weight being down to internal parts that don’t need to be there in the real world, plus the BRSS. With solid stamped steel bodywork

the underside of the handguard for the attachment of foregrips and other accessories “SEAL Style”. The MP5 is front wired and has a Mini Tamiya connector in the handguard, which is easily accessed by unscrewing the integrated suppressor. I love this feature as other MP5s I’ve had in the past need you to remove either the handguard pin or a pair of retaining clips to access the battery compartment, and from experience these are easily lost! The hop unit is adjusted by a slider-type adjuster, easily accessed by pulling back on the charging handle which will lock to the rear to make it easier.

Do avoid the “HMP5 slap” though, as although this part is solid, it will no doubt

“IT’S BEEN USED BY THE USN SEAL TEAMS, GSG-9 AND VIRTUALLY EVERY SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT IN THE WESTERN WORLD, AND EVEN TODAY WE SEE THE MP5 IN THE HANDS OF OUR FIREARMS TRAINED POLICE OFFICERS. ALTHOUGH IT’S A DESIGN THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR MANY, MANY YEARS IT’S STILL ONE THAT IS “CURRENT”.”

BOLT FOR THE BLUE

Not so long ago I took a look at the AKS74U from BOLT and very much liked what I found in that tidy little “OPFOR” package - and their recoil “take” on the MP5 does the same for BLUEFOR players!

BOLT are getting an increasingly good rep with players at all levels as they specialise in a patented electric blow-back (EBB) system for many of their rifles and SMGs. They aim to provide AEGs with a powerful recoil movement able to be used even with lower voltage batteries and BOLT Airsoft’s goal is to design AEGs as close to the “real deal” as possible, to satisfy airsoft players along with military collectors.

The BOLT “Recoil Shock System (BRSS)” produces kinetic energy from the gearbox and transfers that energy down through the receiver and into the main body. In addition to the recoil system, BOLT also greatly reinforces the gearbox and the rest of the internals to withstand the powerful “recoil shock” and to enhance the rifle’s

and one of the sturdiest sliding stocks I’ve come across on an airsoft MP5, it arrives beautifully presented. The BOLT MP5 features a stubby integrated alloy suppressor (a full-length version is also available), as well as an alloy 20mm rail on

break if abused!

HAVE AT IT!

I’ve always found that a good MP5, even with a short inner barrel, can be really accurate and it’s one of the reasons why I

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armoury BOLT MP5SD SWAT

“IN REPEATED AND EXHAUSTIVE TESTING THE MP5 HAS PROVEN CAPABLE OF FIRING MORE THAN 30,000 ROUNDS WITHOUT A SINGLE STOPPAGE OR PARTS FAILURE AND IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO FIND MP5S STILL SERVING WITH IN EXCESS OF 500,000 ROUNDS THROUGH THE ORIGINAL BARREL AND RECEIVER! ”

rate them so much. With the 200BB magazine filled it was time to set the hop and have at it!

Like all MP5s the BOLT has the usual “pictogram” fire selector and this locks into mode with a satisfying click. With semi engaged, the BOLT went off with a “crack” and a healthy nudge in the shoulder, sending BBs straight downrange to target at 30m. Using .20g RZR BBs the

BOLT delivered a consistent chrono reading bang on 1.0 Joule/329fps which is absolutely perfect for use on all sites in the UK. With an asking price iro £380 this is definitely heading towards the top end for AEG

territory but in my opinion it offers superb value for money given the performance!

I do really like the little MP5 as a model and this one sings to me - not only for the quality of materials and construction and the BRSS, but even the little rail under the handguard. This is a super nod to the “SEAL Mods” that I’ve seen in images and just shows that once again BOLT have done their homework in order to produce something different and unique.

As I said earlier, the time is approaching when my choice of RIF to buy is governed not so much by money, but by the fact that my playing days may not be so frequent as they once were. To this end I’m being a bit canny over what I buy but I’ll tell you now that the BOLT MP5 is most definitely going to be on that list!

My thanks got to NUPROL for the loan of the test sample and expect to see more BOLT Airsoft models in all good airsoft retailers soon! AA

Image source: Public Domain

www.airsoft-action.online

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KIT & GEAR AIRSOFT PPE: GLOVES

AIRSOFT PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT: GLOVES ANGELO CONTINUES HIS LOOK AT AIRSOFT PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT AS HE FOCUSSES ON AN OFTEN-OVERLOOKED AREA THAT NEEDS SOME COVER – OUR HANDS!

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irsoft Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for me is the most important part of the game, as it goes towards ensuring that you go home in the same state as when you arrived on site. To me, the most important part of that PPE has always been eye protection and I wrote a recent article on that exact subject.

Second on the list of PPE for me has to be gloves, because those little 6mm demons don’t half sting when you get hit on the finger or the knuckles, especially on a cold day. When I first started playing there was very limited choice on the market and some of them were very poor quality and offered limited protection.

However, now players are absolutely spoilt for choice with numerous manufacturers out there offering many different styles, colours and protection. But is it just about how good they look?

So, what I decided to do is take a look at some of the popular brands out in the marketplace currently to see what they offer to the players. But then I thought to myself “How can you test gloves aside from just wearing them?” and with this in mind I decided to check out each pair in three areas: Comfort and Fit, Practicality (i.e. being able to pull the BB follower down on a pistol mag, or adjust the hop without taking them off etc.), plus Quality and Protection.

GLOVE CHOICES

These are the gloves I chose and where I got them from: Armored Claw (Gunfire) Valken (Extreme Airsoft) Viper (Viper) Mechanix (Muzz Murray) The sample gloves are of various styles

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that I will obviously take into consideration, as some are more suited to different conditions. So, read on to see what myself and Team Rhino thought of them…

ARMORED CLAW (GUNFIRE)

I was totally unaware of this brand until Piotr from Gunfire Corp mentioned them to me and asked if I would like to take a look at some, as they were really keen to get some honest feedback, especially as Gunfire are the sole distributor of Armored Claw.

The Armored Claw offering comes in many different styles and colours, with fingers or without and also many protection levels and ones to suit different climates.

I was sent two pairs of the same style, one pair in large and the other in extralarge. The exterior is very pleasing to the eye and appears to offer lots of protection.

From the second you put them on they feel great and have a little loop to ensure you can pull them on fully. The palms on these are a leather look with padding on the palms, very similar to the all leather special ops gloves from years ago. They also have a Velcro wrist strap to make sure they are on nice and secure.

The Kevlar protection is across the

knuckles and also on the first finger joint, which is actually slightly higher than the joint so you can bend your fingers easily.

The protection itself is hidden under the main material that feels like a heavy-duty cotton hybrid of some sort. I will admit I tried the large pair on as I don’t have the biggest hands and they felt perfect, they even have a little pad on the end of the fore finger so you can use a touch screen. Great for the safe zone selfies.

These gloves offered all the comfort and protection you would need in game time.

VIPER (VIPER)

I would like to start by saying I have had a pair of Viper Special Ops gloves now for about 8 years and they have only just started to go on the trigger finger – although this might also due to me accidently setting them on fire with a pyro

KIT & GEAR AIRSOFT PPE: GLOVES

sector. I knew they had their own rifles and other hardware but I wasn’t aware that they did their own tactical kit. I received two pairs of Valken gloves, one pair with a velcro wrist strap and one without and the first thing

some time ago!

In my personal opinion Viper are going from strength to strength with their kit but I am happy to say that they are still making the Special Ops gloves, which is what Gav sent to me for this article.

The quality of these gloves is exceptional, they are very rugged and when you put them on you feel like you’re wearing a quality product. The adjustment is good with a Velcro strap across the back of the hand and also the very sturdy wrist straps. The main material feels like suede with some stretchy material across the back. With reference to hard protection there is none, the protection offered is the material itself. However, there will be no safe zone selfies without taking them off (OK, that’s not the most important thing with gloves). They also struggled with the pistol mag test too. Saying that, Viper have stuck with what is an excellent value for money product which is very popular, so good on them for that.

VALKEN (EXTREME AIRSOFT) These are a new name to me in the PPE

I noticed straight away was how thin the material was, they almost felt like under gloves. There is also a distinct lack of padding or hard protection on them but to give them the benefit of the doubt, these could be hot weather gloves.

When you put them on the ones with no wrist strap feel too loose and feel like the cuff part could actually get in the way.

However, the ones with wrist straps actually felt very comfortable, with a very thin bit of padding across the knuckles. They both had some rubber grip on the palms with touch screen capability and have branding down one of the fingers that looks pretty cool.

Also, with them being so thin they fared better on the practicality test.

MECHANIX (MUZZ MURRAY) I think at some point most players will have had, or at least tried, a pair of Mechanix gloves. I know I have (although the pair I bought fell apart within weeks and the Velcro was very weak, leading me to think mine may have been fakes, as other players I know have not had the same problem).

Simply because of their popularity of these gloves I had to include them in this article. The pair I was sent were again very thin

material offering no hard protection at all. These also had no Velcro wrist strap to secure them and used an elasticated cuff instead. They do seem very well made, which I guess is a redeeming feature but the total lack of protection would put me off these personally - they fit nicely but many players will look for more in PPE. They have their rubberised logo across the back and are mainly made from some kind of nylon but do have a suede palm for better grip. I know Mechanix offer many different styles but I can only comment on what is in front of me and I was not very impressed with these.

SUMMARY

Overall, I think the Armored Claw just pipped it from the Viper - not just because of the quality, as there was very little difference in that but the sheer range of the Armored Claw gloves just edged it for me.

One very important thing to point out is this article is based on brand new gloves, not ones that are 5+ years old so the lifespan of the items is impossible to guess but you can get a good idea from the production quality. Remember also, this is just my opinion based on an initial overview of how the gloves fitted and felt when used in some simple tests. Gloves are a very important part of PPE that should always be in your kitbag but, as always, the choice is yours. Visit your local dealer and see what you think for yourself.

Huge thanks to Piotr from Gunfire Corp, Lee and Chris from Extreme Airsoft, Gav Sneddon from Viper and Muzz Murray. AA

www.airsoft-action.online

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FEATURE CUSTOM BROWNING HI-POWER

BROWNING HI-POWER CUSTOM BUILD: SKUNK AIRSOFT WORKS EVERY SO OFTEN THERE IS ONE ELUSIVE FIREARM MODEL OR VARIANT THAT DOESN’T EXIST IN AIRSOFT FORM, AND IN HIS HUNT FOR A USABLE BROWNING HI POWER PISTOL BILL ENDED UP AT THE DOOR OF UK “CUSTOM MEISTER” MATT FROM SKUNK AIRSOFT WORKS!

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kay, I’m just going to come out and say it, I am an airsoft magpie!

As much as I love each and every replica that comes through my hands there are some that are “keepers” and take their place in my ever-growing collection. Although these are GBBs and AEGs that may only ever see occasional gametime, each of them is in my collection for a reason!

I grew up in the 1980’s, so for me “Cold War” military firearms have a real place in my heart, especially those of the British Army. As an army cadet the majority of my shooting was with the venerable Lee Enfield No4 MKI and the BREN Gun and I love both of these models with a vengeance! It was only when I became a more senior cadet and then an OTC member that I had access to the L2A3 Sterling SMG, the L1A1 SLR, and the L9A1 Browning Pistol but to me those three are like the “Cold War Holy Trinity”.

I’m lucky enough to still have an original STAR SLR (in bits right now being refurbed), and have also added (warts and all!) an ARES version to the collection, and last year I was finally able to add the S&T Sterling as well. Although I have a couple of Tanaka “Heavyweight” Brownings tucked away, neither of them work efficiently, so that of course left me with a “skirmishable” Browning to find, and as WE had posted pictures of something that looked suspiciously like an “L9” and not the Canadian “Inglis

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NOVEMBER 2019

Tangent Sight” model that’s been in the range for a while, I was excited that finally two would become three and my quest would be complete... HOWEVER, no such luck!

Although a sample has been on display with WE at the shows, as usual there is

no firm date for release… my frustration, and that of friends, was palpable! As it happens, I follow Skunk Airsoft Works UK online and as Matt had posted pictures of a wonderful conversion to the “Canadian” he had done, I decided to speak to him to see if the job could be done.

Some of you may “know” Matt online, not just from his excellent custom airsoft work, but due to the fact that he

is somewhat… outspoken! He believes in calling a spade a “f##ckin’ shovel” and some are put off by his forthrightness but (at the risk of blowing his cover), in person he is absolutely sound as a pound!

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him in person a couple of times now and he’s a genuinely nice bloke, who is also insanely talented when it comes to upgrading RIFs - both internally and externally!

I won’t go into detail here, but I’d urge you to simply visit his website or FB page to check out some of his creations.

In terms of my Browning suffice to say that I sent him a WE “Canadian” new in the box and what I received back was something far more in keeping with the L9 as you’ll see from the picture! The slide has been removed and machined, the tangent sights removed, and new rear sights fitted. The slide, as it is now, has been beautifully re-blued and on inspection you’d be hard pressed to even see that the tangent sight “bulge” ever existed! Everything has been re-fitted to perfection and I’d go as far as saying that the conversion actually works better than the original.

In the end it would have been nice to just buy an “L9” off the shelf, but WE’s loss is most definitely my gain!

Matt has done a superb job, and I am one happy customer, so if you’re in the market for your own “L9” (or indeed anything unusual!) then I’d definitely urge you to pay a visit to https://www. skunkairsoftworks.co.uk! AA

KIT & GEAR ODIN SIDEWINDER UNI ADAPTER

ODIN’S SIDEWINDER WAKES TONIGHT THE SIDEWINDER SPEEDLOADER IS A TERRIFIC BIT OF KIT - IF YOU RUN A STANAG COMPATIBLE GUN. STEVE T TESTS A UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR THAT PROMISES TO WORK FOR ALL.

I

love Odin’s Sidewinder speedloader.

For those of you not aware of it, the Sidewinder is an ingenious bit of kit that combines a high capacity magazine with a rotary winder that fills magazines in a fraction of the time than a conventional thumb-driven version - and with less risk of RSI. It’s so quick and easy to reload using it mid-game that you can genuinely carry fewer magazines.

But there’s one massive problem with Odin’s device; it only works with M4/ STANAG magazines. That might be just fine and dandy for most players, since the M4 is by far and away the most popular platform, but means that anyone using say, a G36 or Scorpion EVO is hung out to dry.

Until now...

CLACK-CLACK-STANAG

Airtech Studios is fast establishing a reputation for providing high quality accessories and modifications for a range of airsoft RIFs including G&G’s ARP9, KWA’s Ronin series and the Krytac KRISS

Vector, amongst others.

Established in 2015, the Hong Kong company first came to our attention with its Stock Butt Stabiliser for ASG’s Scorpion Evo - and now we have another of their products that will also suit Evo owners down to the ground.

The Universal Sidewinder Adaptor is intended to enable users of mid/highcap magazines to take advantage of the formidable speedloader, M4 or otherwise.

It’s a simple, yet ingenious insert that you plug into the Odin to enable any AEG magazine to be filled using the rotary winder.

There have been options before now that promise similar performance, but they’ve been restricted to 3D printed offerings with variable performance. I’ve bought one myself, only to return it when it repeatedly choked on BBs and failed.

Let’s be honest, quality control is not all it could be from a 3D hobbyist dealing out of a back bedroom.

By way of contrast, quality control is less of a concern with an established business that has a name to protect. Airtech’s version is precision moulded and feels like a quality product from the moment you pull it out of the box. The unit inserts into the Sidewinder with a satisfying “clack” and - unlike the 3D printed options - it can only be removed after pressing the mag release lever; just as if it were a STANAG mag.

SHINY HAPPY LOADER

This is all well and good, but only worthwhile if the insert really works and means you can reload other magazine formats. We’re happy to report that it works as advertised.

Once we’d clicked the adapter into place, that famous rotary arm happily fed BBs into a range of mags - including the Scorpion Evo; one of the most popular AEG’s outside of the M4 mainstream.

Available in either black or red finishes, Airtech even includes a velcro-fastened strap to enable users to fasten a magazine to the feeder. Most people will be just fine holding a mag to the loader; it’s totally unnecessary unless you have tiny hands or weak muscles, but such is the company’s attention to detail and we applaud them for it.

JOIN THE PARTY

If you don’t use a STANAG compatible RIF and been just that tiny bit jealous of reloading a magazine in super-quick time using Odin’s Sidewinder, now there’s no reason you can’t join the party. Of course there will be exceptions, but in our tests, Airtech Studios’ universal adaptor works a treat and we’d happily recommend it to anyone wanting to fill a non-M4 AEG magazine as fast as possible. AA

www.airsoft-action.online

77

Airsoft & MilSim News Blog @AMNBOďŹƒcial Airsoft & MilSim News Blog @airsoftmilsimnewsblog

& AWARD WINNER

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If you have any old kit or gear tucked away in a cupboard, garage or shed that you have thought about sticking on eBay, or a forum to get rid of it, then why not donate it to the Pilgrim Bandits instead and Tez will make sure any money raised from its sale will go towards helping even more people – and you can be sure of the undying gratitude and thanks of those who it helps to live again.

Please contact Tez on either his mobile: 07748 800 981 or email: terry.arnett@pilgrimbandits.org

last post BAN IT!

FRENCHIE QUESTIONS WHY, WHEN THEY DON’T LIKE OR AGREE WITH SOMETHING, CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY DEMAND IT SHOULD BE BANNED.

L

ast month I mentioned the latest sniper Gee Whizzery in the form of 6.44mm/0.56g BBs and associated barrels. If you recall I wasn’t impressed, not by the performance (or lack thereof) as I haven’t tested it, more that I really couldn’t see the point and fully expect it to disappear before long.

What was noticeable, however, was the speed with which some players and sites seem to call for things like this to be banned. Why?! I write endlessly about the slow pace of innovation within airsoft, mainly because a bit like the Fender Telecaster, Marui got it mostly right with their early electric guns and everyone has been tweaking the design ever since, not really coming up with something massively better. So why, when new ideas are introduced, does a certain section of the internet immediately and vocally scream for it to be banned?

DO YOU REMEMBER...

Do you all remember TAG rounds?

During the years that I did tech work at

press surrounding a new product and long before anyone other than the manufacturer has had a chance to test it. I suppose it’s possible that some unscrupulous company might try selling a product which they know to be utterly lethal and better suited for one of the world’s numerous armed conflicts, but that is pretty unlikely. It’s more likely that they done a bit of market research, and especially where anything pyrotechnic is concerned, a lot of testing and certification before bringing them to market.

because I suspect I have been guilty of this or something similar in the past. For many years, probably because of my investment of time and effort in the VCRA and UKARA I was far too cautious about things which I thought might threaten our sport. It took a lot of years for me to chill the **** out and realise that, frankly, this wasn’t my business – let it go. I add this in case

DON’T LET FACTS GET IN THE WAY!

But outrage is seldom restrained by simple facts, let alone experience. Why wait to find out if something is not only safe but potentially a valuable addition to airsoft gaming when you can just demand that it be banned? I mean, what you think about the product is far

“BUT OUTRAGE IS SELDOM RESTRAINED BY SIMPLE FACTS, LET ALONE EXPERIENCE. WHY WAIT TO FIND OUT IF SOMETHING IS NOT ONLY SAFE BUT POTENTIALLY A VALUABLE ADDITION TO AIRSOFT GAMING WHEN YOU CAN JUST DEMAND THAT IT BE BANNED?” Landwarrior, they started stocking them and, if I recall correctly, were constantly re-stocking because they sold really well.

I also remember the howls of outrage when they were announced: “Exploding grenade???!” “BAN THEM!!!” Generally, all this outrage coincides with the initial

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NOVEMBER 2019

more relevant and important than actually testing it to see how it performs, to see if there are any issues with it, to determine whether or not special rules need to be applied for it to be used safely on your particular site.

I’m going to throw my hand up here

someone managed to unearth evidence of me being a fool and also because I think there might be a shared motivation there, mainly being too protective of airsoft.

I wonder if it’s the same drive which makes some players criticise and publicise two-tones that they think don’t meet the requirement of the Statutory Instrument,

LAST POST BAN IT!

“…PROPER EYE-PRO CAN ACTUALLY STOP A .22 LR ROUND. I KNOW WHICH ONE I WOULD RATHER BE USING AND IF YOU WANTED TO GET UP IN ARMS ABOUT BANNING SOMETHING, BAD EYE-PRO WOULD BE A REALLY WORTHWHILE TARGET.” or guns that are too hot. It’s a bit like grabbing the moral high ground where defending the sport is concerned – “I am far more concerned for our wellbeing that you are!”. I don’t know, but the tendency is deeply woven through airsoft, the “Ban It!” crew are just a subset and I suspect would appear in a Venn diagram describing this broader behaviour.

Surely the sensible thing to do would be to wait until either someone on your

site has got hold of the product, whatever it is, or the airsoft press have reviewed

a sample and offered an opinion based on actual testing? We are not just about reviewing pretty things (many of which I grant you look like AR-15s) but also testing new products. I know there are some on the Airsoft Action team who are singularly dedicated to testing things and writing up their findings in detail. That might one useful source of information…

I don’t know if anyone has been following LWA’s recent exploration of eye protection? They had occasion to test some “safety” glasses which had been bought through Amazon and proved to provide absolutely no protection whatsoever.

Further testing has thrown up additional instances of failing eye-pro, while showing that proper eye-pro can actually stop a .22 LR round. I know which one I would rather be using and if you wanted to get up in arms about banning something, bad eyepro would be a really worthwhile target.

Maybe it’s too prosaic to get really incensed about, I don’t know. Better to shout online about water-powered airsoft mortars which will almost certainly provide hours of amusement as their owner tries to retrieve them from the tree they are stuck in, rather than posing any kind of mortal danger.

DISHONOURABLE HISTORY

There is a long and dishonourable history of banning things and generally it doesn’t really improve matters for the majority. When the VCRA was just a baby Bill, it sought to ban (effectively) realistic imitations except in very specific cases. Fortunately for us it failed in that endeavour but, had it succeeded, the only people who would have suffered would have been us; airsofters. The rest of the country would neither have cared nor noticed even as politicians claimed to have made the world safer.

If we are going to rightly criticise that kind of behaviour by others, we should apply proper, empirical standards to innovations within our own sport. Evaluate, test, report our findings so others can make an informed decision, even if they decide to test for themselves and compare their results before deciding. Simply calling for a ban on this or that achieves nothing other than exercising prejudice against something we either don’t like, or don’t understand.

As people, let alone airsofters, we should be better than that. AA

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Bull Ring Farm Rd, Leamington Spa CV33 9HJ Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

GREENZONE COMBAT

Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY:

FIRST & ONLY:

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

THE BASE CQC – YATESBURY 1 Jugglers Ln, Yatesbury, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 8YA Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

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

Near Kinver, Kidderminster DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863

GUN HO AIRSOFT Guisborough, TS7 0PG

Kent TN12 0HP Tel: 01622 831788 / 07876 263290 www.invictabattlefield.co.uk

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT Near Shorwell, Isle of Wight, PO30 www.islandrecon.co.uk

Tel: 07525 435696

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT

www.gunhoairsoft.co.uk

Gorebridge, Midlothian, EH23 4LG Tel: 0131 654 2452

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – TUDDENHAM Cavenham Road, Tuddenham, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6DF Tel: 07711 774461 (Doug) or 07711 774401 (Josh) www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk/gunmanairsoft-tuddenham/

www.airsoftedinburgh.co.uk

LAC AT COMBAT ZONE Saxillby, LN1 2JW Tel: 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

LAGAN AIRSOFT CLUB

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS

Belfast BT170AE / Tel: 07733128484

The Grange, Frogmore Grange, Balsall

LEEDS AIRSOFT: THE FOUNDRY CQB

Common, Coventry CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532 384

Estate, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan

Drakelow Tunnels, Kingsford Country Park,

Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst,

17G Stationview, Dunmurry,

FULL METAL AIRSOFT

THE OUTPOST – KIDDERMINSTER

INVICTA BATTLEFIELD

Tel: 07964 751047

FIRST & ONLY:

Unit S2 Mill 1, Swan Meadow Industrial

FIRST & ONLY:

www.greenzonecombat.com

THE ARMOURY – WREXHAM

THE MILL CQB – WIGAN

Tel: 0161 727 8863

Co. Armagh, BT60 1NE Tel: 07772 919974

Stealth Woods, Dob Park, Norwood Bottom Road, Otley LS21 2NA

Tel: 0121 643 2477 info@grangelivegaming.com

FREE FIRE ZONE STEALTH WOODS – OTLEY

Bravo One Birmingham,

THE JUNGLE – HARBURY

www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY:

GRANGE LIVE GAMING 93–99 Holloway Head, B1 1QP

ANZIO CAMP Blackshaw Moor, Nr Leek,

Tel: 07792 680297

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

info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk www.giairsoft.co.uk/Skirmish-days

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – EVERSLEY The Welsh Drive, Fleet Road (A327), Eversley, Hants RG27 0PY Tel: 07711 774461 (Doug) or 07711 774401 (Josh) www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk/gunmanairsoft-eversley/

Haigh Park Road, Stourton, Leeds LS10 1RX Tel: 0113 277 7707 / 07968 258952

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

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5FW Tel: 07974 507166

HILTON PARK AIRSOFT

www.matlockcombatgames.com

Wolverhampton, WV10 7HU Tel: 08000 354490/ www.paintballuk.com

MAYHEM AIRSOFT Upper Harbledown, Nr. Canterbury, Kent

FIRST & ONLY: SHELL SHOCK WOODS – BRIDGNORTH Uplands Coppice, Off B4363, Bridgnorth,

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

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

Shropshire WV16 5LS

CT2 9AX Tel: 07802 837440/07949 486510 Email: mayhemairsoft@hotmail.com www.mayhemsoutheast.com

Tel: 0161 727 8863

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT FIRST & ONLY:

Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

88

NOVEMBER 2019

HUMBER AIRSOFT North Lincolnshire, DN21 www.humberairsoft.co.uk

MIDWALES AIRSOFT Abbey Cwm-hir, Midwales, LD1 6PG Tel: 01686 627594

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

www.facebook.com/Midwales-airsoft

OBAN AIRSOFT – ILL ARGYLL Argyll and Bute, PA37 1

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

Tel: 07967 710185

RED1AIRSOFT CQB

www.argyllsurplus.com

Red1 CQB. Kings Langley, WD4 8RN Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069

OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT

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

Tel: 07964 990831

www.op-tac.co.uk

Tel: 07751 586781

NCIS AIRSOFT

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

Hants, BH23/ Tel: 02380 899369

PHOENIX AIRSOFT Welbeck Airsoft, Academy, Budby Road, Notts NG20 9JX

NO LIMITS AIRSOFT Unit 4, King Street, Gatehead, NE8 2YP info@nolimitspaintballandlaser.co.uk Tel: 07464 482410/ 0191 441 4574

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

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

PLAYERS OF WAR High Bonnybridge, FK1 3AD Tel: 07767 203979/ www.playersofwar.co.uk

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

Trickley Coppice, London Road, Bassetts Pole, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA Tel: 0121 323 1000 info@npfairsoft.com www.facebook.com/npfairsoft

PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES

www.predatorcombat.com

www.s8airsoft.com

SENTINEL AIRSOFT Dunstable, LU6 2EE Tel: 07535 896683 www.sentinalairsoft.co.uk

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

SHROPSHIRE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES Holbrook Coppice, Buidwas Bank (A4169),

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY

www.ravensairsoft.co.uk

SKIRMISH EXETER

Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4LD Tel: 07515 937633 www.stormforcepaintball.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

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

TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9PL Tel: 0203 490 8008/07983 657093 www.tacticalwarfare.co.uk

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

TAZ AIRSOFT Farr, Inverness IV2 6XB Tel: 07848 448408

SOUTH COAST CQB Browndown Road, Lee-On-Solent

TECH BRIGADE

PO13 9UG Tel: 07533 434203

Newgate Street, Hertfordshire.

SG13 8NH Tel: 07841 713356 www.techbrigade.org

RED1AIRSOFT Chislehurst, Bromley BR7 6SD

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

TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT

www.airsoft-billericay.co.uk

www.airsoftcumbria.co.uk

STIRLING AIRSOFT

Tel: 07786 192832 / www.aceairsoft.co.uk

Tel: 01277 657777

Tel: 01900 85645

Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EG Tel: 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk

SG1 COMBAT GAMES

Suffolk, IP8 4 / Tel: 01473 831563

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

Tel: 01642 281220 www.ntac.co.uk

Tel: 07974 026517

Billericay, Essex, CM11 2TX

Wigton, Cumbria CA7 3SZ

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT– THE ROCK

Shotts, North Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB

RAVEN’S NEST

NSC AIRSOFT

Durham, DL4 2ER

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

Ballynahinch, BT24 8NF

RAW WAR AIRSOFT CUMBRIA

NTAC

Cambridge, CB24 8RL

Buildwas, Telford, Shropshire, TF8

Tel: 02897565651 / 07825169631

NPF AIRSOFT, NPF BASSETTS POLE

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM) Tel: 07751 586781 / www.riftairsoft.com

PATHFINDER GROUP AIRSOFT MILITARY SIMULATION Former RAF Camp Sopley/Merryfield Park,

NOMAD AIRSOFT

www.riftairsoft.com

OVER THE TOP AIRSOFT CLUB Anglesey, LL71 8VW www.ottairsoft.

Wareham, Dorset, BH20 7EU Tel: 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk

RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3 Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ

github.io / Tel: 07895 478634 Edinburgh, EH14 4 nick@ncis-airsoft.co.uk www.ncis-airsoft.co.uk

www.red1airsoft.co.uk

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0LR Tel: 07766 770830 www.southdownairsoft.com

www.airsoft-action.online

89

SITE DIRECTORY

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

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

TASK FORCE SKIRMISH

UCAP GREEN OPS

Tel: 07877 210898

Cowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF71

Linch, West Sussex, GU30 7

www.worthingairsoft.co.uk

Tel: 02920 593900

Tel: 07590 818881

www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk

www.ucap.co.uk

THE BUNKER

Church Lane

Aberystwyth www.aberairsoft.co.uk

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM

Tel: 07841 462806

Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY

S75 3DQ

Tel: 01268 796130

01226 414004 To Book

YORKSHIRE TACTICAL AIRSOFT - THE MANOR Sheffield

www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

THE DEPOT Glasgow, G45 9SB Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.thedepotglasgow.com

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH

THE EX SITE Mold, CH7 4 Tel: 07840 001975 www.theexsitewales.co.uk

THE WARGAMES CENTRE Lundholm Road, Stevenston, Ayrshire, KA20 3LN www.thewargamescentre.com wargamescentre@gmail.com

www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

URBAN ASSAULT Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, PE26 1 Tel: 01733 247171 www.urbanassault.org.uk

YORKSHIRE TACTICAL AIRSOFT - THE PIT S72 8RE 01226 414004 To Book

YORKSHIRE TACTICAL AIRSOFT - THE PINES Bawtry Forest Great North Road 01226 414004 To Book

Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0UN

THUNDER PARK AIRSOFT Luxulyan, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL305FA

www.vikingairsoft.co.uk

PRACTICAL SHOOTING DIRECTORY

Tel: 01726 858613 or 07590 030887

WARMINSTER AIRSOFT

www.thunderpark.co.uk

Warminster, BA12 7RZ

Food & drinks available on site

www.warminsterairsoft.co.uk

TORRENT WARFARE

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT

Co Tyrone, BT71 4DY Tel: 07922 377131

F O B (Woodland), Hollington Road, Upper

Birmingham, B1 1QP

Facebook: search ‘Torrent Warfare’

Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT

Tel: 0121 643 2477

On site parking, HPA Top ups, covered

http://www.grangelivegaming.com

safe zone, male & female toilets, hot lunch

Facebook: GPS

included, free tea and coffee available all

Macclesfield, SK10 4SZ

info@grangelivegaming.co.uk. Range

day. Site memberships.

Tel: 07428 024874

open for booking Wed-Sun. Club nights

Tel: Paul – 07861427553

www.trojan-airsoft.com

every Thursday, 6.30-10.30.

Email: paul@wmairsoft.co.uk

TROJAN AIRSOFT

GRANGE PS Bravo One, 93-99 Holloway Head,

www.wmairsoft.co.uk

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT

WatfordPPC@gmail.com

Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate,

High Command (CQB),

Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP

DOUBLE TAP PSC

Doulton Trading Estate, Doulton Road,

Tel: 07428 024874

Rowley Regis B65 8JQ

www.trojan-airsoft.com

Tel: Paul – 07861427553

StrikeForce CQB, Morelands Trading Estate, Bristol Road, Gloucester GL1 5RZ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Double-Tap-Practical-Shooting-Club979585958732937

Email: paul@wmairsoft.co.uk www.wmairsoft.co.uk

UCAP AIRSOFT Portsmouth, Hants, PO17 6AR Tel: 07590 818881

www.ucap.co.uk

WORTHING AIRSOFT Arundel Road, Worthing

90

NOVEMBER 2019

EAST BARNET SC MOD-approved gun club PP, IDPA, IPAS, IPSC, 3GUN UKPSA Coaches UKPSA-qualified Range Officers Equipment hire available www.ebsc.co.uk ebpracticalpistol@gmail.com

Engine Lane, Shafton, Barnsley

Bawtry, Doncaster, DN10 6DG

VIKING AIRSOFT

Info@islandrecon.co.uk www.4dsportsclubs.co.uk Facebook:@fpsiow

FPS ACTION AIR IPSC 24 Scarrots lane Newport Isle of Wight PO30 2JD 07964 751047 Open five nights a week 7pm-10pm

HALO MILL The Penthouse, Colne Valley Business Park, Manchester Road, Linthwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5QG Tel: 01484 840554 www.halomill.com

XSITE PRACTICAL SHOOTING Fryers Farm Lane, High Wycombe, Bucks HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430

SOUTH WEST PRACTICAL SHOOTERS (SWPS) Action Air IPSC Club Based at The Tunnel Target Sports Centre near Charmouth The Tunnel, Axminster Road, Charmouth, Dorset DT6 6BY Contact: SWPSClub@Outlook.com

TYPHOON SHOOTING ACADEMY Mondays in Braintree, Essex.

Details on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/290646868310496

TYPHOON AIRSOFT TARGET SHOOTING CLUB Fridays in Sible Hedingham, Essex.

Details on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TyphonCQB Both clubs offer Action Air, 2 & 3 Gun, IPAS and Dynamic Action Sport.

Contact via FB or 07939 557029.

Tap any image for more information.

Tap any image for more information.