Airsoft Action - November 2023

CONTENTS

8 ARMOURY: LCT SVDS AEG

LCT Airsoft were good enough to send a sample of their new SVDS AEG to Stewbacca just prior to the initial release so he could get some trigger time behind it as everybody else’s examples began making their way across the world to no doubt equally eagerly waiting end users!

22 ARMOURY: DOUBLE BELL SCAR H

Sticking with our “long gun” theme this month we’ve been playing around with another model from DOUBLE BELL for a while now, and if you’re on a budget and want something “gucci-looking” that with minimal modification could work well as an “OPR8R” DMR then look no further than their SCAR H!

Editorial Director: Bill Thomas

Deputy Editor (Asia): Stu Mortimer

Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing

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Publisher: Calibre Publishing

Web: www.airsoftaction.net

©Calibre Publishing Limited 2023

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 publication.

FIND US ON… LETTER , IDEA OR QUESTION?

Got something to say? A question for our experts? An article or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the Editorial Director: bill@airsoft-action.co.uk, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

30 ARMOURY: GOLDEN EAGLE E6907M

If you love the HK416 then you’re bound to love the HK417 too, right? And having the same platform ergonomics when it comes to a DMR must be a good thing too… Bill reflects on this as he gets to grips with one of the latest models from Golden Eagle, and finds a perfect candidate for a precision rifle project, as well as a soild gameday fightin’ iron!

70 SPECIAL REPORT: TRAINING IN TAIWAN

‘Military’ Anny Wu reports on the recent activities of NDET (National Defence Education Training) organisation and their growing efforts to provide useful training for civilians, from those who have military training and experience to complete novices, for an increasing number of such participants.

38 KIT & GEAR: PROTEKTOR BOOTS

LPCs (Leather Personnel Carriers, or boots to you and I) are a must have for airsoft and finding the right pair for you is an utterly personal thing. Bill comes back to one of his favourite subjects as he reviews one of the latest GROM tactical models from PROTEKTOR and asks the question “what do we really need when it comes to boots for airsoft”…

78 AA LEGION: JAPAN

Once again our friend ‘Tama’ (@ FNWaifu) who studies and plays in Japan reached out to Stewbacca with another article charting his experiences in the original home of all things airsoft, and now he brings us his story regarding the recent V (For VICTORY)-SHOW in Tokyo!

44 THE CAGE: A-TACS

We’re continuing our exploration of colour and camouflage in THE CAGE this month as Bill and Miguel look at one of their all-time favourite pattern families, A-TACS, and bring in their thoughts on why these patterns are still valid, and what works for them!

84 AA LEGION: TAIWAN

While SHOT and IWA are well-known in the US and Europe, Stewbacca got to take in the sights and sounds of Taiwan’s returning bi-annual defence expo, with an increasing presence of airsoft and related training systems to take stock of, as well as the ‘big boys toys’ in the form of the latest national service weapons, unmanned vehicles in the air, sea and on land, and a whole lot more coolness!

64 ACCESSORIES: MAGNIFIED OPTICS

As we’ve majored on marksman rifles this month it seemed only sensible for us to look at the accessories that you need to go with them, and first and foremost will be a decent optic? Bill delves in and as usual these days enlists the help of fellow Red Cell members, (in this case Dan and Stewbacca) to highlight what, in our opinion, you should be checking when it comes to good glass for a winning DMR build!

94 RELOADED: VFC M110K1 GBBR

Back in Issue 145 Bill introduced us to the M110K1 GBBR, and even though he loved it when it first arrived with him from his old and trusted friend Ray at VFC but, now that a year has almost passed since its arrival, does he feel the same way about this premium rifle? You’d better believe he does!

48 RED CELL: DMR SPECIAL

One thing that we really haven’t covered in RED CELL to date is DMRs; okay, we’ve done full reviews of various models from numerous manufacturers over the years, but somehow it just managed to slip through the net when it came to bringing everything together in one place! This month we aim to rectify this in line with the theme of the entire issue, and as always Bill leads off…

SOVIET SCOPE

FOLLOWING HIS VISIT ALONGSIDE ‘MILITARY ANNY’ TO LCT AIRSOFT’S HEADQUARTERS IN CHANGHUA (AS FEATURED IN LAST ISSUE 154) AND HAVING GOTTEN HANDS ON WITH THE PROTOTYPES OUR FRIENDS AT LCT AIRSOFT WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO SEND A SAMPLE OF THEIR NEW SVDS AEG TO STEWBACCA JUST PRIOR TO THE INITIAL RELEASE SO HE COULD GET SOME TRIGGER TIME BEHIND IT AS EVERYBODY ELSE’S EXAMPLES BEGAN MAKING THEIR WAY ACROSS THE WORLD TO NO DOUBT EQUALLY EAGERLY WAITING END USERS!

Despite a dip in sales or interest worldwide in all things of Russian or former Soviet origin in the airsoft sector for the ongoing obvious reasons, regardless the world of replica firearms continues on inexorably; of course many products we are seeing arrive now were in the planning and development phases long before all that avoidable unpleasantness broke out.

Back at MOA Campfest in April 2022 (as featured in Issue 137 of May 2022) I got hands on with the early prototype of LCT Airsoft’s latest variant of their AEG DMR/Sniper (as well as having tried out their full length conventional SVD on my first factory visit shortly after the show) and the handling and build quality were immediately impressive, although that’s almost expected or par for the course these days given Li Cheng Technology’s reputation for outstanding pounding of metal into gun shapes in ultra-realistic and heavy industrial fashion.

At the show Benita and Bella were giving me the

rundown on the production methodology which takes a cue from its real steel counterpart; heavy forged steel billet blanks which are precision CNC milled and finished to remove around 90% of their initial mass in a painstaking process that takes around a 4 kilo exotic paperweight and gives you the most realistic and durable incarnation of an airsoft gun receiver you’re ever likely to find.

Similarly the overall structure felt squeak free and solid, including the very positively locking folding stock of the ‘S’ version. However the most noticeable feature for me at that time and since during my more extensive testing of the example they sent me has to be their new implementation of a MOSFET trigger control system. As I left the UK six years back MOSFETs were still arguably in their infancy, and I’d never really gotten on that train at the time or since having focused predominantly on the GBBR systems I could never afford or run reliably back home since I moved to the tropics; however the responsiveness of

“HEAVY FORGED STEEL BILLET BLANKS WHICH ARE PRECISION CNC MILLED AND FINISHED TO REMOVE AROUND 90% OF THEIR INITIAL MASS IN A PAINSTAKING PROCESS THAT TAKES AROUND A 4 KILO EXOTIC PAPERWEIGHT AND GIVES YOU THE MOST REALISTIC AND DURABLE INCARNATION OF AN AIRSOFT GUN RECEIVER YOU’RE EVER LIKELY TO FIND”

the SVD and SVDS AEGs enabled with LCT’s choice of ETU really does make you take notice compared to the turnover of other AEGs or older platforms, superb for making rapid follow up shots or near double-tap like shots despite the obvious DMR/ Sniper profile of the gun, it makes it a breeze to use effectively in game scenarios with fast moving or unpredictable opponents.

Once again I made my way to my concierges in mid-July to retrieve yet another suspicious looking package from our friends in Changhua and eagerly opened it up in the comfort of my abode, the handling and bulk a familiar treat from my days back in the UK with my old RS SVD which I had a love hate relationship with due to its lack of QC spring system or ETU; my old pal Evansy took it off my hands and fixed it up to that effect, but it was a bit of a nightmare and a money pit to get working well.

Not so the LCT; straight out of the box it was running very consistently at between 124-127m/s on a 0.2g BLS BB (407-417 FPS), admittedly arguably toasty for UK limits unless the semi only by design and ETU lockout permits it to be used in true DMR fashion by local laws and site rules. At least the consistency is impressive and the quick change spring system is easily accessible by unlatching and removing the stamped steel top cover in a realistic

fashion as you would for maintenance in its real counterpart; this also exposes the crown of the TDC HOP adjustment system which makes it more readily accessible than through the ejection port with the faux bolt held back, although this is still possible depending on the size of your fingers and how much you need to adjust it.

The original SVD model is one of the longest platforms you’re ever likely to come across (besides perhaps the likes of .50 cal or the Cheytac Intervention which are of course head turners, but perhaps not as practical or skirmishable!) and the full length variant is 1225mm, practically the same as the PSG-1, although I’ve always found the SVD to be far more easily wielded compared to it or the M14 due to its much more skeletal nature up-front and more spartan approach to furniture. The long barrel extends out far beyond the front handguard compared to the chunkier more full length M14 arrangement, so despite being somewhat of a slab with its full steel receiver and general construction and heft, a lot of the weight in the SVD, and shorter SVDS is rearward which make it far easier to carry and point at your target… and remember, I’m already a near-2m tall wookie who can single point sling these platforms, so your mileage will probably be even better as a result.

“CONSISTENCY IS IMPRESSIVE AND THE QUICK CHANGE SPRING SYSTEM IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE BY UNLATCHING AND REMOVING THE STAMPED STEEL TOP COVER IN A REALISTIC FASHION AS YOU WOULD FOR MAINTENANCE IN ITS REAL COUNTERPART; THIS ALSO EXPOSES THE CROWN OF THE TDC HOP ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM WHICH MAKES IT MORE READILY ACCESSIBLE”

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAIL

The SVDS shaves the front of the barrel down somewhat to basically rear of the front sight on the full length SVD, cutting off nearly 100mm/4 inches and making it slightly more user friendly for confined spaces. However everything else such as the handguard and gas system length remain the same, with the exception of the side folding triangular stock and pistol grip setup. This makes transport much easier as the overall length is 1135mm extended or 875mm with the stock folded, meaning it can be put in a much more common sized rifle case or bag without being quite as cumbersome.

While it can’t be fired folded (the stock locks over a latch and obscures the fire selector’s access and movement) you wouldn’t want to be firing a real steel 7.62x54R cartridge without the stock extended anyway, I’m quite sure, and similarly it would be somewhat of a ballache to align your eye to the scope without it in place. I also found myself preferring the folding stock due to its tubular steel construction which allows it to make use of a rotating cheekpiece; in the traditional full-tilt SVD this is a clamp on addition to the stock which can be either in place for optical scope use, or removed with some annoying disengagement of a clasp lock to revert to back up iron sights in a pinch.

The SVDS makes this whole arrangement much more rapidly interchangeable in a very clever economising of components. The front of the drum that the cheek pad is fixed to which wraps around tubular stock stanchion is also cut in a way that allows the locking clasp of the folding stock to function as its retention unit pushing it forward under spring pressure against a fixed stud that locates the cheek piece in different positions.

You merely have to twist the cheek piece unit around the stanchion against this spring pressure to ‘select’ different positions or heights of the cheek riser, with it rotating totally out of the way to the right side for iron sight alignment with a lower cheek weld, rotates back up 90 degrees to the highest setting for ambidextrous scope usage, or can even be canted over 45 degrees to the left side to allow right handed users to lean in sideways and downwards against it for a really comfortable resting sighting position. This

is no doubt ideal for long sentry situations or use with a barricade hold or deployed bipod. This ingenious solution took me a while to even find out about, but certainly makes for a more convenient and clever solution compared to removing the thing entirely on the classic laminate wood thumbhole stocks.

This same sprung loaded plunger system is then manually actuated to release or reseat the folded stock against its retainer when moving in or out of its folded transport configuration, while the round push through button on the rear right of the receiver beneath the swinging top cover takedown lever allows the release of the stock from its very positively locked extended position. This might take some breaking in as it’s a hefty latch system that very solidly retains the stock with no perceptible wobble; you might have to manhandle it and the stock a bit at first to get it to actuate, but you won’t have to worry about it flopping around!

The left side root of the tubular stock stanchions features a butterfly-shape sling-ring which I immediately attached a single point QD Fastex buckle to in keeping with my integrated slinging solution found in all my customised plate carriers (making it easier to transition from right to left handed use) but the more traditionalist among you will also find a narrow but tall front sling loop slot on the left rear side of the gas block, allowing you to fashion a two or three point sling setup to your taste.

The polymer pistol grip stands in for the traditional skeletal thumbhole stock and allows the motor to be solidly emplaced while also allowing a more comfortable and modern grip, with the angle being more akin to a BCM or other AR grip, albeit arguably a little chunkier in the hand. I nonetheless found it a lot more intuitive and comfortable than my past experiences wrestling with the thumbhole stock variants, and indeed the slightly short overall profile coupled with this does seem to make it a lot more pointable with a less cumbersome feeling.

The aforementioned takedown lever on the rear right of the receiver swings downward overriding its retention nub to release the top cover; again, this can be a bit stubborn to get off at first, and similarly when replacing it be mindful of the position of the lever, the retaining strut coming out of the bottom of the top

“THE SVDS SHAVES THE FRONT OF THE BARREL DOWN SOMEWHAT TO BASICALLY REAR OF THE FRONT SIGHT ON THE FULL LENGTH SVD, CUTTING OFF NEARLY 100MM/4 INCHES AND MAKING IT SLIGHTLY MORE USER FRIENDLY FOR CONFINED SPACES.”

cover, and the aligning wings on the front of the cover which seat into the stamped steel socket at the rear of the handguard furniture. Once it’s in place usually a swift butt slap to the top rear will seat it forward and downward ready for the lever to re-engage sweeping back upwards, everything overall feels very solid and I doubt even I can get close to breaking this thing.

Forwards of the take down lever is the two position fire selector which of course gives you a choice between safe and semi only, being a DMR after all; again this can be a little stubborn at first but should break in nicely with some use, while beneath that lies the ambidextrous paddle release at the rear of the magazine well. This is very intuitive to use, especially if you’re used to AKs or H&Ks. The magazines themselves are exceptionally sturdily constructed and lock in nicely although again be deliberate in your movements to ensure the front lug seats properly to allow you to swiftly rock and lock it upwards… it may get hung up a bit if you misalign it one side or the other, something else to practise reloads for, I guess.

At present the standard SVD/SVDS magazines are 55 BB midcaps, although 90 BB variants are also available if you feel the need to carry more for scenario gameplay where resupply or target ranges might be more of a pain to deal with. Back in my day I ran 8 mags jungled together in pairs with fabulous leopard print duct tape for my older RS version on MilSims; depending on your situation you might want to invest in some wide pouches as the magazines are admittedly a bit of an odd pain in the rear to find a suitable carrying solution for ; they will just about fit in FASTMag pouches at a literal stretch, but they don’t fill them vertically and the rear locking lugs make them a bit fiddly to retrieve… there must be something better somewhere out there…

FIELDING THE BEAST FROM THE EAST

The magazines fit solidly and fed flawlessly throughout my experience fielding the SVDS AEG, and I found myself juggling the two I had and speed-reloading them in the field to help suppress opponents even at uphill angles with quite a measure of success. The consistency of the system out to 50m was excellent, and with some high holding you can stretch its legs to 70m without too much trouble, not

terrible for a long-barrelled AEG as new; full disclosure though, the initial example LCT sent me did have issues with the HOP unit, but they quickly sent me out a second example to compare which is why I ended up having two units for a while before sending the original one back for them to investigate.

The HOP unit on the original gun just didn’t seem to want to lift even .30g BBs effectively and for the first five out of the magazine would be inconsistent; we’re not sure what the issue was but at the time of writing they were investigating to get to the bottom of things, given the fact I’ve had multiple different platforms from LCT before and never encountered such an issue I imagine it’s a bit of a fluke defective component somewhere. That being said Bella did ask for feedback in general and I think the HOP rubber or the unit’s range of adjustment could be improved to allow use with heavier BBs as even .30g begin to droop a bit as the range increases, although the shots are at least very repeatable and predictable to enable effective zeroing and placement of shots.

That and testing in the height of Taiwan’s summer might have an adverse effect on HOP rubbers intended for use in a wider array of temperatures, so it’s just something to be aware of, depending on your home environment, use-case and intended ammunition weight. But given that this is the only potential deficiency I could find with the whole system once they sent me a replacement without the unusual HOP behaviour, one can hardly complain; the standard rubber is only a 50 degree shore hardness, so installing a 70 or higher bucking or doing an RHOP modification yourself would no doubt really make this thing sing.

The realistic rear iron sight is adjustable in the typical squeeze and slide fashion to lift the rear leaf upwards on the angled track, although you’re more than likely going to slap a replica (or perhaps even real, if your pockets and enthusiasm are deep enough) PSO-1 4x optical scope on it in short order. I bought one of those on line for the second SVDS after it arrived as I wasn’t in such a dead rush; the more powerful but less appropriate 4-16x adjustable scope I rushed to buy for the first example will find a new home somewhere else no doubt, but once again peering through the familiar graduated curve-reticle

“THE MAGAZINES FIT SOLIDLY AND FED FLAWLESSLY THROUGHOUT MY EXPERIENCE FIELDING THE SVDS AEG, AND I FOUND MYSELF JUGGLING THE TWO I HAD AND SPEED-RELOADING THEM IN THE FIELD TO HELP SUPPRESS OPPONENTS EVEN AT UPHILL ANGLES WITH QUITE A MEASURE OF SUCCESS”

brought back immediate memories and it really does complete the look of the whole system effectively.

Fitting it might be a bit of a pain though, as with the example I had in the UK for my RS SVD, whoever designs the replicas never seems to actually mount them on a gun, because the ‘bulb pod’ that protrudes down from the main body of the scope and contains the reticle illuminating LED always requires some filing of the right- bottom edge of its body as it interferes with the top cover when you try to install it on the scope shoe built into the left of the receiver. I managed to mash it on for the first outing and wondered why I adjusted the zero all the way right and was still having rounds flying to the far right of the scope picture; if you’re having the same issues you’ll likely need to take a look at the scope and how it interacts with the top cover. Mine now has a nice trail of brass that wore off the bulb pod onto the top cover during installation and subsequent removal and modifications… not an ideal design, but again nothing to do with LCT’s accurate recreation of the SVD/SVDS themselves, just something you’ll need to sort out once to get it running nicely.

DOWNRANGE

With mine filed away I finally got it seated securely and properly aligned on the scope shoe and now the SVDS pounds rounds out to the dead centre of the crosshairs in my scope, with a little drift every so often due to wind or inconsistency, but for an AEG sniper or DMR with a 4x optic fitted and a 635mm internal barrel it doesn’t half level the playing field. I was testing it against small metal disc targets at Linkou CQB as well as managing to eliminate three players in the space of a minute with it during the gameplay there! Posting the handguard up on some cover and peering through the scope, you can send BBs surprisingly far and in relative silence, with the motor running quite quietly… my own teammates were saying they could barely hear my shots in terms of the gearbox, but could definitely hear the authoritative impacts downrange and their effects on the opposition!

The front furniture is retained with the snap out and swing down lever which holds the front cap rearward; I use the hook on my Swiss Army knife to grab through the cut-out in its front end to help pull this cap forwards to unseat it, again it tends to wear in quite quickly but will no doubt be stubborn at first. Inside there is plenty of space for a nunchaku style LiPo battery, and as standard it uses a Deans’ / T Plug connector (which are a much better solution and becoming the industry standard); upon fitting the

battery there’ll be a short pause and then a start-up tone from the ETU engaging and readying itself. If you want to fit a larger battery it is relatively simple to remove the faux gas piston and operating rod from this compartment, seeing as although it’s a very nice touch in terms of realism, once the thing is buttoned up you barely notice it. If you want a larger squarer single block/ stack cell battery you can undo the two grub screws hidden beneath the rear sight and pull the outer barrel forwards to allow the whole gas piston system to be removed and free up the space, the outer barrel itself terminates in a shorter and more open flash hider compared to the long closed-tyne affair of the full length SVD, which again of shaves off some of the excess length.

Funnily enough some folks who follow me on social media and remember my struggles from the old days asked me directly which I would prefer out of my old Real Sword or the new LCT Airsoft offerings, and I’m not lying when I emphatically choose the latter! Much as I loved the whimsy and individuality of the RS SVD at a time when nobody else was doing one ‘properly’, it was a big investment even back then and took a lot of time to get working properly within UK power limits, and setting up the scope as well as overriding the gearbox with a somewhat unsafe push button to unjam the system when it inevitably overran and there was no full-auto setting to clear the stoppage.

The LCT offering has none of these woes, it’s literally a plug and play solution out of the box, and besides perhaps a harder hop rubber for use in hot countries or with heavier ammunition if .30g is not enough, I can’t really find anything at fault with this latest offering from them.

Built like a tank, with realistic production methodologies, and exceptionally easy to get up and running and throwing BBs out reliably into the 50m -70m range without much effort or tuning in reality. If you’re itching to complete the look of a soviet/ Russian ‘sniper’, or more likely designated marksman by today’s definition, you would certainly be better off investing in one of these than the other competitors available.

Many thanks again to ‘Jerry’ Cheng Yi Wu for taking some of the great supporting photos of the LCT SVDS AEG in use by me; I’m also going to keep using it as well for RED CELL reasons and to give some of the other members of Team Taiji longer term access to it, along with the other test guns I’m accumulating to get more feedback on their performance and help spread my workload as well as get a wider variety of perspectives and user experiences from our team…

Watch this space, fellow shooters… AA

SCAR EVOLVED

STICKING WITH OUR “LONG GUN” THEME THIS MONTH WE’VE BEEN PLAYING AROUND WITH ANOTHER MODEL FROM DOUBLE BELL FOR A WHILE NOW, AND IF YOU’RE ON A BUDGET AND WANT SOMETHING “GUCCI-LOOKING” THAT WITH MINIMAL MODIFICATION COULD WORK WELL AS AN “OPR8R” DMR THEN LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THEIR SCAR H!

“THE SCAR REALLY IS A GREAT PLATFORM IN EITHER CALIBRE WHEN IT COMES TO THE “REAL”; EMERGING FROM THE U.S. MILITARY’S FN SCAR PROGRAM, THE MK 16 (5.56MM SCAR-L) AND MK 17 (7.62MM SCAR-H) WEAPON SYSTEMS USE A COMMON MULTI-CALIBRE ARCHITECTURE THAT IS HIGHLY MODULAR AND INSTANTLY ADAPTABLE TO VIRTUALLY ANY MISSION REQUIREMENTS”

you desired, the SCAR’s forearm was suddenly awful crowded, with limited space for your hands. Often times this comes at the expense of ambidextrous use too – as you are forced to sacrifice some grip space for this piece of kit or that.

There have been several aftermarket solutions that offered extended rail-space for just this problem for some time now. Few were what I would call ideal, however. Most simply added more rails and length (and/or girth and weight) without actually addressing some core considerations – namely, most of us don’t need all of those rails. Additionally, one can shave a lot of weight and girth by offering a system that allowed for removable rails too.

A relatively new player to the SCAR market, but not the firearms world (the designers reputedly herald from LWRC fame), is Kinetic Development Group. Their core offering is the new SCAR MREX handguard system, which can be had in several configurations and colors. Currently offered in 4.9” or 6.5” extended rail setups. Rail attachment systems offered are either

the relatively new M-LOK setup pioneered by Magpul, or the “industry standard” method, which consists of a series of threaded holes for variously sized picatinny rail sections. It is perhaps interesting that they do not offer a KeyMod offering (yet). This could reflect on their confidence in the M-LOK system perhaps attaining ultimate market share over KeyMod. Magpul has tremendous sway in the firearms world, so with the introduction of M-LOK, you can bet manufacturers are paying attention.

Will it fit airsoft though?

The quick and dirty answer is… yes. The fine print is: not without permanent modification. I briefly attempted to fit the MREX to my VFC SCAR Mk16 before mounting it to my real steel SCAR just to see if it could be done. What I discovered is the VFC isn’t built to the same specs as the real SCAR. It’s a little wider and thicker in certain areas that make a direct drop in fit essentially impossible. Field stripping is nearly identical to the real deal, however, so this would make adapting the rail to the VFC platform a

“THE SINGLE-PIECE UPPER AND EXTENDED FORWARD HANDGUARD THOUGH REALLY LOOK THE BUSINESS, FINISHED IN A LUSTROUS “SF BRONZE” THAT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL TAKE SOME ABUSE… I’VE BEEN “BARRICADING” THE RIFLE IN TESTING, AND THUS FAR IT REMAINS UNBLEMISHED… AND I HAVEN’T BEEN THAT GENTLE TO BE HONEST!”

fairly straightforward process. I would estimate that it would take about 15 minutes to modify the rail enough to the point where it slid into place properly though. So it could certainly be done. It’s not even an especially hard modification either.

“A night and day difference” would be putting it lightly though. The MREX manages to shave a lot of fat from the SCAR’s front end, while not really adding much weight at all. Most noticeable is the much improved grip surface, that while smooth, feels fantastic compared to the way the picatinny rails felt before. For those who prefer thumb-over-bore techniques, this rail will also facilitate that method better too as the overall height to the top of the receiver has been reduced as well.

In closing, I would have no qualms recommending this rail to anyone looking to enhance their SCAR rifle. Having handled most of the various rail designs out there, I feel the MREX is one of the best executed designs to date. It’s secure. It’s solid. It feels fantastic. And, it is aesthetically pleasing too (at least to me.) I plan to get another one for my SCAR 17s, and maybe a third for my VFC when I can bring myself to carve one up.

DOUBLE BELL MAGIC

Whilst not exactly the MREX system (paraphrased somewhat, you can read the full MREX review on https://tacticalparts.com/blog/kinetic-developmentgroup-scar-mrex/) I have included Dan’s comments here with his permission for information and to illustrate how things have indeed moved on with the SCAR platform, and I mention it because the Double Bell has a front end that is surprisingly similar, although it is a one-piece upper-receiver-extension rather that an addition like the MREX…. It does look darn cool though and in my opinion moves the platform right where it should always have been!

And of course given the price of the Double Bell it means that you’re getting a lot of cool AEG for your money too. Externally, although there are zero trades (rightly in my opinion as this is not a licenced AEG) the fit and finish of everything is absolutely first rate. The A1 grip, lower and stock are polymer as they should be, finished in an unblemished FDE which looks a

lot more expensive than the cost of the rifle would indicate, and the 300 BB magazine tones perfectly too. The single-piece upper and extended forward handguard though REALLY look the business, finished in a lustrous “SF Bronze” that looks like it will take some abuse… I’ve been “barricading” the rifle in testing, and thus far it remains unblemished… and I haven’t been that gentle to be honest!

Controls are “SCAR standard, so ambidextrous “S-1-A”, and the mag release also features on both sides. The cocking handle can be reset L-R which is also great. The stock is the standard “SCAR/UGG” template which I know some folk dislike aesthetically, but the fact is that it works well with the length of pull and cheek riser, especially given that this rifle needs a scope! The stock folds to the RHS, and will hold a reasonably-sized LiPo easily for extended use; the only thing I would do here, as I’ve had to do with other SCAR AEGs I’ve owned, is to heat-wrap the exposed wiring, something any airsoft tech will do in seconds. Flip-sights are fitted as standard, and the gas block/foresight combo tucked away in the rail inset both works well and looks superb.

Internally I, and we, have been pretty impressed with what’s appearing these days from Double Bell, and the SCAR H is no exception. The rifle features a reinforced V2 gearbox with a quick spring change function, ally piston head and a piston with full metal teeth, all working with steel gears mounted on steel 7mm bearings. Okay, there’s nothing earth-shattering here, just good, solid parts that will last for a good while, and that are easily upgraded should you wish to go down that path and venture into “full DMR” territory with an uptick in power.

DOWNRANGE

In my opinion Double Bell are creating some really cracking replicas these days, and we’re lucky to have a few of them within the crew right now; I own one myself (the tan 416-A5 AEG) and that has performed really well so far, especially since they’ve progressively tweaked and worked on their technology to make it durable and reliable. Some of the models have needed a little attention to the hop after time, but isn’t that true of most AEGs?

“CONTROLS ARE “SCAR STANDARD, SO AMBIDEXTROUS “S-1-A”, AND THE MAG RELEASE ALSO FEATURES ON BOTH SIDES. THE COCKING HANDLE CAN BE RESET L-R WHICH IS ALSO GREAT. THE STOCK IS THE STANDARD “SCAR/UGG” TEMPLATE WHICH I KNOW SOME FOLK DISLIKE AESTHETICALLY, BUT THE FACT IS THAT IT WORKS WELL WITH THE LENGTH OF PULL AND CHEEK RISER”

now that bodies are built to contain a high-spec, aggressive internal OS and are not just a basket to hold a gearbox. The length, 830mm, and the weight, 2870g , along with some superb ergonomics make this a great replica to manipulate, as it comes into the aim easily and is quick and easy to transition from

With a 340mm inner barrel that runs almost to the end of the outer barrel, running the Hi Cap magazine (other standard “7.62” mags work well too) allows you to launch many, many .20g BBs downrange at around 1.05Joule/337fps which makes it a superb choice for a general skirmish-day rifle, but one that could be easily upgraded to a DMR and locked/pinned to semiauto for MilSim... honestly, it’s accurate enough as new, but with a little hop-tweak it could be devastating!

All in all this is one cracking replica! Not only is it as true to the real thing as it can be, but it’s updated to “current spec”, really well made and solidly put together, and flawless in operation. Double Bell offer two models of the SCAR-H, one in plain black and the other tan, but in terms of operation they are both the same so it’s purely down to which colour you prefer. The rifle comes in just under the magic UK£250 mark which is a brilliant price for what you’re getting, so if you’re considering your first SCAR (or want to add another to your armoury!) then I have to say that I’d check this one out soonest if

My thanks as usual got to www. iwholesales.biz for supplying the rifle for testing. For more information on the SCAR, other Double Bell models, and much, much more please just check out their website. AA

“ALL IN ALL THIS IS ONE CRACKING REPLICA! NOT ONLY IS IT AS TRUE TO THE REAL THING AS IT CAN BE, BUT IT’S UPDATED TO “CURRENT SPEC”, REALLY WELL MADE AND SOLIDLY PUT TOGETHER, AND FLAWLESS IN OPERATION”

KOCHFIGHTIN’

IF YOU LOVE THE HK416 THEN YOU’RE BOUND TO LOVE THE HK417 TOO, RIGHT? AND HAVING THE SAME PLATFORM ERGONOMICS WHEN IT COMES TO A DMR MUST BE A GOOD THING TOO… BILL REFLECTS ON THIS AS HE GETS TO GRIPS WITH ONE OF THE LATEST MODELS FROM GOLDEN EAGLE, AND FINDS A PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR A PRECISION RIFLE PROJECT, AS WELL AS A SOLID GAMEDAY FIGHTIN’ IRON!

Ever since I first got an HK416 I’ve been sold on the platform, and my first version is still with me, although it’s been through many airsoft battles and had many “changes of face”, the fact is that it’s still performing almost as new after much abuse! Okay, it’s had a couple of proper full services over the years, and new hop rubbers and buckings, but it’s otherwise still “as new” and just shows that a well-maintained and cared-for AEG can stand the test of time as a trusted sidekick… and yes, it’s now seventeen years old!

Of course in that time the HK416 has continued to develop, and the new A5 variants are gorgeous (I love this variant too!), but the fact is that the “Koch” was always a brilliant take on the AR-style carbine, with balance and ergonomics that put it into

a completely different league in my opinion, and the upgrades to the externals of the platform have only made it better, and easier to live with!

So, although I have so very much love for the 416 I have to ask myself why I’ve never embraced the big-bore-brother, the 7.62mm HK417? After all, the ergonomics are largely identical, as is the entire silhouette other than the much larger magazine. The Golden Eagle 417 that I’ve been looking at weighs much the same as my old Gen1 VFC 416 when loaded, and in terms of length it’s only 80mm longer than my Double Bell A5 with the stock fully deployed. The pistol grip is pretty much identical to the latest version, and the H&K-style stock the same as the one I use on the VFC too.

And in the real world it’s a platform that sounds

CYBERGUN/BOLT BRSS SCAR-SC

GOLDEN EAGLE E6907M

optimised barrel interface and bore axis alignment. In barrel lengths of 13, 16.5 and 20 inches, it provides a platform for urban and house-to-house fighting scenarios, as well as precision-driven engagement at a distance.”

That sounds like just the kind of game I enjoy, and as the weight and “feel” of the 417 are almost identical to my “5.56” versions I therefore find myself questioning why I’ve broken one of my own cardinal airsoft rules… commonality of manipulation and muscle memory in a lightweight, fast-mover of a platform. The only answer I can give you here is that the 417 is just TOO similar to the 416 as a general skirmish AEG, and although I’ve tried to keep up with new variants of the “smaller calibre (it’s still 6mm though!)” platform the extra cost of adding another AEG of the same overall style, but using vastly different magazines, whilst not putting me off the 417 has not excited me enough to actively seek one out.

And whilst I’m talking about magazines, those “airsoft bullet mags” that seem to come with a lot of DMR-style rifles are not my bag at all either! Yes, I know that the “real deal” often has a translucent

tacky, spoiling

the overall effect of an otherwise fine looking firearm-recreation! I’m happier with solid mags for my BBs, so I guess that’s another minus for many HK417 replicas out there…

So, with all that in mind I must be ambivalent about the Golden Eagle take, right? Wrong!

MOVING FORWARD, TAKING GROUND

The Golden eagle E6907M to give it the proper title is an AEG from another brand that appears to be really pushing on, and although they’ve been involved with airsoft since 2007 allegedly, it’s only recently that I’ve seen them appearing meaningfully in stores both local to me and online. You could argue that they’ve always been around but that the brand hasn’t been actively supported until quite recently by good distributors, but if you take a look at their website there’s a good existing range that’s now bolstered by an equal if not greater number of new AEG and GBB models “in development and coming soon”.

Therefore, with experience in developing and manufacturing airsoft guns, airsoft parts and related products under the brand GE Airsoft or Golden Eagle Airsoft; you’ll find Golden Eagle under their

“THE GOLDEN EAGLE E6907M TO GIVE IT THE PROPER TITLE IS AN AEG FROM ANOTHER BRAND THAT APPEARS TO BE REALLY PUSHING ON, AND ALTHOUGH THEY’VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH AIRSOFT SINCE 2007 ALLEGEDLY, IT’S ONLY RECENTLY THAT I’VE SEEN THEM APPEARING MEANINGFULLY IN STORES BOTH LOCAL TO ME AND ONLINE”

Asian market they are now adding to their offering for a much bigger global airsoft market with different desires and requirements.

And this is not a bad thing at all, as there are some neat platforms “coming soon” that could add to our enjoyment at a sensible (very reasonable!) price, and if their medium length, black HK417M (and MT, M= Mosfet, T= Tan) is an indication of what we can expect then they’re going to be a brand to keep an eye on!

As far as I can ascertain for close inspection and range testing, Golden Eagle have got it largely right when it comes to replicating the 417. Overall it’s a solid replica, both in looks and feel; everything that should be metal is (alloy), and the quality nylon-fibrereinforced polymer parts including the 420 BB Hi Cap (solid, no “bullets”… yay!) look very tidy… if you’re a bit of a “DMR-purist” like me though there’s also a 70 BB mag available too.

Externally the finish is very good as new, but I’ve found that it does wear quite quickly if you’re less than gentle, but then I like my platforms “battleworn” so I don’t see that as a major issue, especially given the price! At the front end is an AAC-style

means that you can fit your fave suppressors on to the

there’s also 45 degree M-LOK points L and R upper-rail you get the rail marrying up with that of the upper receiver (a neatly dovetailed and solid non-rotating setup it is too!) which gives a continuous 440mm of space for optics, PEQs, and switches again. The receivers are nicely finished and have no wobble between the upper and the lower but there are no trades whatsoever other than the selector bulletpictograms… cool enough for me!

There are the correct ambidextrous selectors and mag release which all seem to work flawlessly, but on the model I had for testing there’s no bolt-holdopen function although the metal hop unit is still easily accessed for easy adjustments given the sheer “7.62”size of the “bolt cover”. Internally things are solid enough for the money; there’s a tried and tested (and easily upgraded!) gearbox all driven along by an “okay” motor. The 417 does now come with a MOSFET as standard, and although nothing inside really sets the pulse racing but it’s all serviceable to start with, and the fact that everything is compatible with all TM-spec AEG upgrade components means that with the absolutely rock-solid externals you could end up with a very respectable, uniquely-charactered shooter!

“THE 417 AS STANDARD IS ALSO EXTREMELY POSITIVE IN RELATION TO RANGE, AND ONCE THE HOP HAD BEEN DIALLED IN IT HAPPILY SENT .28G BBS TO THE EXTREME OF THE 30M “WOODS RANGE”, AND AT 30M PRONE I’M ABLE TO EASILY HIT A 300 X 300MM STEEL TIME AND AGAIN”

DOWNRANGE

Performance-wise the 417 is no slouch from the box to be fair. The AEG comes with a perfectly serviceable high capacity magazine which feeds well and would keep you in-game for a good while, but as I said earlier there are middies that are now easily sourced too. I have tried it with other of my AR-style DMR magazines, and sadly none of them are compatible so you’re best advised to buy a few extra with the AEG... thankfully the additional mags are relatively inexpensive too! It seems to work happily on an 11.1V LiPo which gives it a nice trigger response and ROF, and thus far in testing nothing has burnt out or gone “twang” or showed any sign of doing so even though I’ve been pumping BBs through it with alacrity and not treating it kindly at all!

With the magazine fully loaded and wound, and a charged TITAN stick-LiPo fitted initially the 417 through the chrono was actually very consistent at a site-friendly 1.04 Joule/335fps using .20g BBs; rate of fire was also darn quick on the 11.1 too! The 417 as standard is also extremely positive in relation to range, and once the hop had been dialled in it happily sent .28g BBs to the extreme of the 30m “woods range”, and at 30m prone I’m able to easily hit a 300 x 300mm steel time and again, and that’s just using the stock “irons” that come with the AEG. The trajectory at 30m was consistently flat, and that always gives me confidence that with time and bedding-in a platform will reach out respectably.

However, where this could get fun, and coming back to our “DMR theme” this month, is what the base platform could be capable of with some clever and judicious upgrades! For me adding a full-time suppressor and fitting a longer precision barrel would be the start, along with some hop-tweaks to marry this up. Bringing the power level up might expose some weaknesses internally, but I feel that the existing setup would handle a bigger spring, for a while at least. Locking things off physically and obviously to semi-only would be straightforward by installing a couple of pins L and R to restrict the travel of the selector (and make it easy for marshals to confirm status), but I’m certain Jimmy would find a more elegant solution… if he didn’t just HPA the whole deal from the get-go!

Bottom line here is that the GOLDEN EAGLE E6907M is actually an extremely well-priced way of owning a 417 replica and from-the-box you’ll have an AEG that will set you up nicely for a skirmish day whilst being just a bit different visually. I’ve never personally fancied a 417 to add to my collection, but I have to say that this model is most certainly worthy of consideration given the look, quality, and solidity of the externals, and although the performance as new is perfectly acceptable without any upgrades for general gameday use, the E6907M could be a project base with which to create something quite remarkable with a minimal outlay if you want to create a cracking, eminently shoot-able DMR on a budget!

My thanks go to www.iwholesales.co.uk for supplying the review sample; for more information on the E6907M along with other models from Golden Eagle please do pay their website a visit! AA

“ALTHOUGH THE PERFORMANCE AS NEW IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE WITHOUT ANY UPGRADES FOR GENERAL GAMEDAY USE, THE E6907M COULD BE A PROJECT BASE WITH WHICH TO CREATE SOMETHING QUITE REMARKABLE WITH A MINIMAL OUTLAY IF YOU WANT TO CREATE A CRACKING, EMINENTLY SHOOT-ABLE DMR ON A BUDGET!”

GOLDEN EAGLE E6907M

POSITIVE STEPS

LPCS (LEATHER PERSONNEL CARRIERS, OR BOOTS TO YOU AND I) ARE A MUST HAVE FOR AIRSOFT AND FINDING THE RIGHT PAIR FOR YOU IS AN UTTERLY PERSONAL THING. BILL COMES BACK TO ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE SUBJECTS AS HE REVIEWS ONE OF THE LATEST GROM TACTICAL MODELS FROM PROTEKTOR AND ASKS THE QUESTION “WHAT DO WE REALLY NEED WHEN IT COMES TO BOOTS FOR AIRSOFT”…

You may ask “how many pairs of boots do you need?” and for me that’s a valid question as I usually have the luxury of having a number of pairs on the go at any one time! This I understand is far from the norm as most airsofters I know have one or perhaps two pairs to see then through the different seasons of the year, a “summer”, usually desert tan pair, and a “winter” waterproof pair.

However, I’ve been testing boots for over twenty years, both in an outdoor adventure and “milspec” way, so I’m truly blessed that I get to see new models on a regular basis. This in turn allows me to look at “best practice” in the footwear world, an ability to discern features and overall quality that allows me to make recommendations when I see a brand that’s doing good things.

Also however, there is a fundamental difference when it comes to boots for airsoft-use from those that you wear day to day! Even the very best outdoor bootmakers have different criteria for their designs to those that we need in a “milspec” boot if you think it through… outdoor boots are great, and generally designed to excel in the toughest environments, and although there’s no reason why you shouldn’t wear them to play airsoft, a boot designed for “hi-speed, lo-drag” tactical use puts the focus on different things.

Although we obviously need the support and comfort that a good pair of boots will give us, especially when we’re carrying (or indeed wearing!) a heavy load, boots for airsoft in general terms are about support and protection when you’re moving fast on rough ground, and that’s an additional element that most boots you’ll find in your local outdoor store or outfitter don’t take into account!

WHAT WE NEED

For our game-day boots we need a solid sole unit with excellent traction matched up to a durable upper (one with a waterproof lining for winter use). We do

need a supportive ankle cuff and a broader toe box to keep us comfortable and allow our feet to spread and breathe, but we need ALL of this at a minimal weight too as heavy boots will lead to fatigue very quickly… if you’ve ever been on-site when your boots end up with their weight again thanks to mud then you’ll know what I mean!

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 generally play as airsofters though is that we’re unlikely to be wearing our boots for more than a few hours straight on a game day.

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 desert going to be the ideal model for the depths of winter? You may say “well, my desert boots are membrane 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 made with less insulation than a winter, or indeed even a temperate model, so as much as a good waterproof technology will keep your feet dry the boot overall will leave you with cold feet, or worse, on a snowy morning. Cuff height may also differ, as in general a full winter boot will have a higher cuff to keep out snow and spindrift.

Many boots at the cheaper end of the market are not going to be breathable, so although they will keep water out, and with specialist socks be warm, they will also keep moisture in; I’ve said this before, but someone once told me that we have more than 250,000 sweat glands in each foot, making them the most perspiring parts of your body. Your body can

“THERE IS A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE WHEN IT COMES TO BOOTS FOR AIRSOFT-USE FROM THOSE THAT YOU WEAR DAY TO DAY! EVEN THE VERY BEST OUTDOOR BOOTMAKERS HAVE DIFFERENT CRITERIA FOR THEIR DESIGNS TO THOSE THAT WE NEED IN A “MILSPEC” BOOT IF YOU THINK IT THROUGH”

produce as much as a pint of sweat per day per foot, and if you’re wearing non-breathable boots most of that will stay inside! Wet feet lead to blisters, so if all the moisture stays inside… well, you can see where I’m heading…

You’ve also got to build into this equation that boot manufacturers make different outsole units for different conditions; this may not on the face of it be a major concern, but if the tread pattern of the outsole has been designed for warm, dry conditions how will it fare in wet grass or on wet-leaf covered concrete? Let me tell you… not very well at all, and you’re seriously asking for a slip which could lead to a turned ankle or worse.

PROTEKTOR PERFORMANCE

So, in our “hi-speed, lo-drag” world, one of the most important things is your equipment, especially a good pair of boots. Boots for professionals need to stand up to wear for extended periods of time; although we as airsofters don’t particularly need this level of performance, having it is an absolute plus. When choosing a tactical boot, look for a style with superior support, lightweight and durable construction, comfort, and protection from the elements and rough terrain.

And this is where PROTEKTOR come into the equation! PROTEKTOR are all about offering innovative boots and shoes that boost comfort, quality and safety, giving people confidence in daily work and active leisure activities, and specialising design in certain areas to take into account the needs of different end-users.

With a rich history of specialist footwear manufacture they have become a trusted name for many professional users. As their website says “whether you’re in the military, emergency services, or any other profession, PROTEKTOR has got you covered!” Their heritage goes way back to 1944, to the Lublin Footwear Factory, and they’ve been making boots ever since, constantly developing solutions aimed at improving and ensuring the safety of people who take occupational risks.

Their boots are carefully designed and perfected so that you can trust them during extended and hard use. Super-advanced, with all sorts of cutting-edge

technologies built-in, they don’t compromise on comfort either as each pair is made with ergonomic design principles, giving you the best support and protection. PROTEKTOR understand that we need footwear that can handle the toughest environments, and their products prioritise durability and are built to last and withstand rigorous environments. And most importantly, they keep your safety in mind; every pair is specially engineered to give you extra protection against all the risks that you may encounter at a weekend skirmish or even the longest-duration MilSim.

Although PROTEKTOR have tactical models for year-round use, the model that I’ve been testing is the GROM CROSS MAX TACTICAL BOOTS in a cool desert tan. These are a lightweight, unlined boot (just 589g in size 9/43) that feel comfortable as soon as you put them on, and that bed in to your foot shape super-quick thanks to a replaceable insole for added comfort.

The sole unit has shock-absorbing sole technology which absorbs kinetic energy and helps prevent postural defects and injuries, whilst the outer sole itself offers self-clean sole technology to drain water, providing good levels of grip and stability; this sole unit is also oil-resistant and anti-static; the SELF CLEAN technology used in the design of the sole is a system of channels in the tread that automatically drain water. This allows you to maintain proper grip and stability even on wet surfaces so the technology helps provide extra support even when moving intensively between wet and dry ground.

The upper of the boot combines velour leather with nylon areas to enhance breathability, with a full bellows tongue for added protection against debris ingress, and there’s speed-lacing to let you get them on and off fast. The boots also benefit from PROTEKTOR PRT FLEX technology which adapts to the anatomical movements of the foot; high levels of flexibility are achieved by elevating the nose pad and the back of the tread, which allows the sole to adapt to the anatomical movements of the foot when walking, bending, kneeling and working in various positions of the body. With PRT FLEX, it becomes much easier to move over changing surfaces due to the flexibility of the sole and its ability to adapt to

“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”

the natural changes in the position of the foot in the shoe.

I’ll add here that the design of the CROSS MAX also offers a generous toe box which allows your forefoot to spread naturally (again, aiding against foot fatigue), and a narrow to mid heel profile; this for me works perfectly as I have a narrower heel profile so the fit is extremely positive, allowing my heel to be locked down, avoiding rub and potential blister points.

MOVING ON…

The CROSS MAX are a smart looking boot, but the main thing here is how they are when worn, and to date they’ve been great. Bedding in is simply a matter of letting the insole shape to your foot as the lightness of the upper means that there’s no “breaking” needed. Thanks to good old “British Summer” I’ve already had a chance to get them properly muddy and after a good clean they’ve come up well… I think the Sgt Major would find them acceptable anyway!

In use they’ve proved to be comfortable from the outset, and the level of support is very good indeed as the cuff comes up high enough to fully encompass your ankle. The grip performance on different ground in both wet and dry conditions has also been noteworthy, even on my nemesis, wet chalk (honestly, this will challenge the bet grip in the world!). Shockabsorbtion on hard surfaces is first rate, and the sole unit is “quiet” even on the hardwood floor in the office, so the CROSS MAX are a “win” as far as I’m concerned!

I’ve chosen the boots CROSS MAX here not because they are the cheapest out there but because in my opinion they offer great value for money, and with the addition of a winter model like the PROTEKTOR GROM UNIQUE 929 TACTICAL BOOTS WITH MEMBRANE to your personal gear cage you can be covered all year round other than in mountainous areas in full winter. I believe that PROTEKTOR boots, especially the GROM tactical models will provide maximum performance for your money.

As I always say when it comes to footwear, do bear in mind that the boots I’ve reviewed here fit my particular foot-shape well and may not be so ideal for you, and when it comes to buying boots for airsoft then do go to a specialist who offers numerous

brands, models and styles! Don’t follow the herd when it comes to tactical boots, as just because the real-deal “uberoperatorz” may wear a certain brand doesn’t mean they’re right for you; buy right, buy once, and if you’re usually broke like most shooters I know (including myself!) then getting it right first time is always a bonus!

Many thanks always go to my friend Lukas at www. military1st.co.uk for providing the test boots for me; for more information on the PROTEKTOR brand and their models, along with a whole host of other tactical goodness, do pay Military1st a visit! AA

“THE MODEL THAT I’VE BEEN TESTING IS THE GROM CROSS MAX TACTICAL BOOTS IN A COOL DESERT TAN. THESE ARE A LIGHTWEIGHT, UNLINED BOOT (JUST 589G IN SIZE 9/43) THAT FEEL COMFORTABLE AS SOON AS YOU PUT THEM ON”

PROTEKTOR BOOTS

THE CAGE: SHAPE AND FORM

WE’RE CONTINUING OUR EXPLORATION OF COLOUR AND CAMOUFLAGE IN THE CAGE THIS MONTH AS BILL AND MIGUEL LOOK AT ONE OF THEIR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE PATTERN FAMILIES, A-TACS, AND BRING IN THEIR THOUGHTS ON WHY THESE PATTERNS ARE STILL VALID, AND WHAT WORKS FOR THEM!

There’s a definite “trend” in airsoft that sees gear fly into the commununity worldwide time and again, and burn brightly for a short time until the next “shiny thing” turns up… then the social interwebz goes all gaga over the next thing that every airsofter just simply must have… It’s called airsoft fashion darling, surely you know that?

The fact is though that many of us still choose to adopt a pattern for our loadout that, you know, actually WORKS! Granted, there are new patterns that are appearing right now that make me think “oh, that’s cool” and I immediately put on my research head and start to delve in. However, as we all know too, when a new pattern emerges it’s often hard to find a complete loadout solution as it takes even the best manufacturers a while to catch up…

I was lucky enough to be around when the original A-TACS AU (Arid) pattern first launched, and to be honest I’ve been mates with Phil at Digital Concealment Systems for many years now, and I truly love meeting him at shows where we can discuss his latest pattern creations… and there are a few of them too these days! That original tan-balanced AU was followed swiftly by the more green-dominant FG (temperate), then by LE (Urban), the iX blends, GHOST, and most recently last year by A-TACS U-CON [Universal CONcealment] which in fairness heads a little way down a similar blend-path taken by a certain Caleb!

Although the newer variants appear to have been slower on the uptake by the airsoft community, I do still see a lot of A-TACS AU around as it’s still an incredibly versatile pattern (especially for Autumn), but now also in the FG (Foliage) variant and I have say it’s a great pattern for temperate woodland in the Summer, and yes, you guessed it, I have extensive collections of clothing and gear in both the original patterns, and I love them both.

Let me recap though for the newer players amongst

you; A-TACS as I said was developed by Digital Concealment Systems, (DCS) in the USA to answer the call for a more effective camouflage pattern and complementary system of clothing, footwear and equipment for operators, the general military and law enforcement personnel. Phil believes that many of the modern digital camouflage patterns currently in use by the tactical community are flawed. Square pixels used to create the camouflage distortion effect do not replicate the shapes, forms and shadows of the environment they are used in especially when viewed through optics; this is what is often referred to as the “unification” effect. The “visual noise” in these same patterns tends to merge into a solid colour when viewed at close quarters, producing a unified effect when viewed from a distance. A-TACS addresses and improves these critical issues in three ways.

Unnatural square pixels are replaced with organic pixels. DCS’ patented process creates a palette of natural colours digitally sampled from real-world elements in carefully controlled lighting. This complex pattern is then recreated using an algorithm that “writes” organically shaped pixels using the specific colour information given. The end result is still digitally produced, but much more “natural”.

A-TACS uses small patterns to create larger more distinct shapes designed to work at a distance. Small shapes create larger shapes and larger shapes are organized into a distinct pattern with no horizontal or vertical orientation. This unique “pattern within a pattern” concept allows A-TACS to effectively break the human outline at great distances thereby minimizing the unifying effect. More effective use of the colour range produces a better concealment system. A-TACS is created using a far greater range of inter-mingled natural colours than was previously possible!

For me nailing down specific clothing or gear would be a huge task, but there are a couple of items that

“I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE AROUND WHEN THE ORIGINAL A-TACS AU (ARID) PATTERN FIRST LAUNCHED, AND TO BE HONEST I’VE BEEN MATES WITH PHIL AT DIGITAL CONCEALMENT SYSTEMS FOR MANY YEARS NOW, AND I TRULY LOVE MEETING HIM AT SHOWS WHERE WE CAN DISCUSS HIS LATEST PATTERN CREATIONS”

I truly love just for the design and functionality ingame! My favourite FG trousers came to me via a friend of mine in the Far East and they’re cut in the CRYE style. I personally love this style as the integrated knee pads do away with any restriction around the joint whilst providing more than adequate protection when you’re playing on bricks and gravel. You’ll find these by the likes of Emerson easily with an online search, although I do warn you that finding genuine CRYE kneepads in green will prove problematical! This style of trouser is perfect for virtually any environment as they provide lots and lots of movement thanks to the incorporated stretch panels around the knees and lower back.

I also love the old UR OPS Tactical Integrated Chest Rig . The “integrated” part of the equation is that it comes in one piece with no MOLLE or similar, and all the pouches are sewn in place, but they are exactly where they need to be. It’s an extremely wellconstructed rig made with official A-TACS FG 500D Cordura, MilSpec webbing, and ITW NEXUS buckles throughout; everything about it screams “quality” and I can’t see the stitching coming apart any time soon, even after extended use. I also into the UR OPS Tactical line with the ELF pack to as it’s nice and low profile; it’s also MOLLE compatible should you wish to marry it up to a plate carrier.

In AU I have a superb Gen 1 UBAX shirt that came from Applied Orange in the Netherlands. Worked closely with the great team at AO in their heyday, but sadly they’ve stopped making this type of clothing themselves now, but the combat shirt actually reached its 3rd Generation! It wasn’t the cheapest bit of kit in the world, but it used the latest, best fabrics and construction techniques available at the time, and in my opinion is one of the very best examples of this type of garment that’s ever been made.

Also in AU one item that I use on a regular basis in the Winter months is a bit of a classic, and from a company well-known to not just UK players now! If you REALLY feel the cold then check out Snugpak’s hooded SJ9 jacket as this is the “flagship” of their insulated tactical range; add this to their Sleeka Salopettes and you’re not going to get cold any time soon!

One of the most-cherished bits of gear in my airsoft gear collection is actually in AU too! When I lived in the USA I was a HUGE fan of the Tactical Assault Gear (TAG) brand which was set up by prior service USN SEAL Chris Osman. TAG were one of the first “nylon gear” companies to take up the radical new AU pattern so they’ve got lots of experience working with the fabrics. Their gear has ALWAYS been really top

notch, and the combination of their Phalanx Chest Rig and Combat Sustainment Pack has consistently given me more than enough space to carry both a fighting load for my primary and a sustainment/survival load comfortably. There are now many companies making chest rigs and packs in all the A-TACS patterns, but the setup from TAG remains an all-time classic!

So, that’s a little bit of a “retrospective” take from an airsoft-old-timer, but now I’ll hand over to Miguel to bring things properly up to date…

Miguel: The guys and I started using A-TACS AU over five years ago (damn, time flies!), and in fact it was our good friends from Gunfire who sent us the uniforms at the start of our collaboration. This camo pattern blends really well with dirt, tree trunks and dry bushes we have in many of our AOs, and as we have learned after many games using it, if you add some OD parts to your gear, it works wonders in many other scenarios!

However, I don’t advise using A-TACS AU headgear in woodland games, since it will stand out a lot in the middle of greener bushes! Unfortunately, it’s a pattern that never really picked up outside certain hardcore camo-geeks/users like Bill, and it has become harder to find over the years… let’s hope some brands bring it back…

A-TACS FG, unlike its more tan-influenced brother, got a good amount of users where I play, and it grew and grew within the airsoft community. It’s a more universal pattern, able to blend quite well in most woodland scenarios. At the moment, I’m using the Primal Gear Gen 4 uniform; it’s a great mid-range set for those looking to start using this pattern. This mix of greens and a bit of tan used in the FG are a great choice for anyone playing in those woodland fields.

Bill: To conclude then, it’s interesting to me to see how the balance of usage in different airsoft communities, with vastly differing AOs to contend with, differs around the world! What Miguel and I both agree on though is the effectiveness of the A-TACS FG pattern, and how this truly works as a loadout solution in different areas of the world.

If you’re looking for something different to the norm, but a pattern that works brilliantly “in the woods” then perhaps searching out DCS and A-TACS FG will provide you with a lot of answers, and thanks to the many manufacturers that now make clothing and gear in the patter, a lot of options too!

To learn more about the A-TACS family of camouflage patterns, and to find out which manufacturers are working with what, simply head on over to www.a-tacs.com - and prepare to spend a good while there! AA

“AT THE MOMENT, I’M USING THE PRIMAL GEAR GEN 4 UNIFORM; IT’S A GREAT MIDRANGE SET FOR THOSE LOOKING TO START USING THIS PATTERN. THIS MIX OF GREENS AND A BIT OF TAN USED IN THE FG ARE A GREAT CHOICE FOR ANYONE PLAYING IN THOSE WOODLAND FIELDS”

RED CELL REACHING OUT!

ONE THING THAT WE REALLY HAVEN’T COVERED IN RED CELL TO DATE IS DMRS; OKAY, WE’VE DONE FULL REVIEWS OF VARIOUS MODELS FROM NUMEROUS MANUFACTURERS OVER THE YEARS, BUT SOMEHOW IT JUST MANAGED TO SLIP THROUGH THE NET WHEN IT CAME TO BRINGING EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE! THIS MONTH WE AIM TO RECTIFY THIS IN LINE WITH THE THEME OF THE ENTIRE ISSUE, AND AS ALWAYS BILL LEADS OFF…

We can’t possibly include every single DMR model that we’ve tested in AA over the years, as that would just be going over old ground and repeating ourselves, so this month I tasked the crew with digging deep and looking at the models that they have put together and used themselves, really honing in on pluses and minuses, and how they’ve managed to get the very best from their favourite “reach out and touch somebody” platforms.

Once again, these are all models that sit in our personal armouries, and although we talk about a couple of new models, many of them have seen action over an extended period, but let’s start by breaking down that name; DMR = Designated Marksman Rifle. This “IRL” is largely defined as a semi-automatic, larger-calibre rifle capable of more sustained fire, accurized and often fitted with a bipod and a magnified optic to increase lethality at longer engagement distances than the average infantry rifle or carbine.

“Them what know” say “designated marksmen

are usually considered an organic part of a unit and are never expected to operate independently away from the main force, whereas snipers usually work alone or in very small teams with independent mission objectives”. In recent conflicts it was found that the infantryman with a 5.56mm carbine or rifle was often outranged by enemies still using older, large-calibre battle rifles, so the designated marksman became a solution for helping them dominate the “middle ground”, ranges deemed beyond effective for a standard infantry platform, but well inside that of a dedicated sniper rifle.

Let’s now look at what a DMR is not; it is NOT a sniper rifle as a designated marksman is NOT a sniper. A sniper will work with a spotter or as a standalone entity carrying out specific tasks, often from concealment or in a hide, at mid to long ranges at the behest of “higher higher”, whilst a designated marksman will work within a squad or section structure at medium engagement ranges slightly beyond those that a regular rifle or carbine will be capable of to carry out specific in-mission tasks.

Back in the early 2000’s there was huge debate in the international airsoft community as to how we could replicate the “DM” in game, yet differentiate them from someone with a bolt-action rifle. After much debate at my own games the team and I made the decision that a “DMR” could be a semi-auto-only rifle (taking our lead from what we were seeing in the real world), and that it had to be obviously and physically locked to semi, with DMR-users sworn against spamming of the trigger. It could be more powerful than regular AEGs, up to 450fps on a .20g, but would also have a MED of 30m to avoid unnecessary injury to the player on the receiving end. We believed this would allow an airsoft “DM” that little extra bit of “oomph” whilst still not giving them the total range of a bolty, and we played this role successfully from that point onwards.

And also stemming from that time there is one “rite of passage” that in my mind every airsofter needs to go through, and that’s owning and fielding a DMR, and specifically an M14 EBR! Until you’ve lugged an ungainly, heavy, not-at-all ergonomic EBR 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!

But of course it’s the AR that we all love, and as much as the EBR rightly has its place in history, these days when putting together a “long rifle” it’s going to be based on that platform, probably in “7.62/.308” unless it’s for OPFOR-use or a dedicated USMC M27 IAR! Now I do fully understand that we are talking about airsoft and 6mm BBs here, and that the “look” of a larger calibre rifle has little overall bearing on how the airsoft version will perform on the field (ie very much the same as every other 6mm BB platform unless you do something quite special to it!), but there’s just something about that big old mag that sings to my heart.

The SR-25 or Stoner Rifle-25 changed the game for many airsofters like me, and it is a bit of a legendary firearm and one that I now see quite regularly fielded in the DMR-role; it is undoubtedly a fine choice, with many airsoft replicas available as a project base. 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, 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. Subsequently we’ve seen many more dedicated “AR-based” airsoft DMRs come to be, and I’m lucky enough to have tried quite a few of them!

But now I’ll hand over to the crew and let them have their say… which it turns out is quite a lot!

Li’l Stu: Yup, the TM/King Arms M14 EBR! I acquired it from an old mate of mine as he wasn’t using it, preferring his bolties. It’s a stock M14 that’s been fitted into a KA SAGE Chassis kit; now this weighs a bit, so, not that portable ( or i need to exercise more!) and was built in 2007 by John Dean at Fire Support. For the time, no expense was spared and it has Prommy/Systema/Guarder parts used such as motor, gears, barrel, cut off lever and the like. It was originally a single shot DMR with an M150 spring, along with a selector plate mod, but it’s since been returned to normal mode, with a lesser spring and a new plate fitted. Running an 11.1v Lipo battery and 0.36’s it’s amazing, very accurate and the newer battery helps so well. There are no optics or a bipod fitted as yet, but even as it is, it’s not too shabby for a 16 year old build !

Stewbacca: As I grow very near the end of my second year fielding the Umarex VFC Heckler & Koch PSG-1, this beast of a ‘grail gun’ which I acquired back in November 2021 and covered in an initial armoury review (Issue 133 Jan 2022) and a follow up “Reloaded” review (Issue 142 Oct 2022), it remains a firm favourite and takes pride of place on my gun wall, opposite my equally well-loved and revered FAL. More recently after the reloaded review of its use in a mostly stock configuration, I’ve since fitted a tight-bore Unicorn Airsoft inner barrel and included HOP rubber, as well as a VFC NPAS adjustable floating rocket valve; it appears that the Asia variants didn’t come with them after all, but do feature the full trade marks, while I’m aware that Badabing’s example back

“LET’S NOW LOOK AT WHAT A DMR IS NOT; IT IS NOT A SNIPER RIFLE AS A DESIGNATED MARKSMAN IS NOT A SNIPER. ...A DESIGNATED MARKSMAN WILL WORK WITHIN A SQUAD OR SECTION STRUCTURE AT MEDIUM ENGAGEMENT RANGES SLIGHTLY BEYOND THOSE THAT A REGULAR RIFLE OR CARBINE WILL BE CAPABLE OF TO CARRY OUT SPECIFIC IN-MISSION TASKS”

in the UK has the NPAS but lacks the right trades, so it depends which version you get your hands on I guess.

Since making the internal adjustments this thing has really become a leviathan in performance besides the obvious ‘wow’ factor it gets when I pull it out of a long bag and reassemble it at the field, and it’s plenty worn as a result of the increased use over the years since I initially began testing and tweaking it to make sure it was safely powered to use on meat targets. The barrel and receiver are somewhat scratched up from rubbing on the environment and my gear, but I couldn’t care less, I bought this thing to skirmish and beat on like all my other guns, not be purely a wall or safe queen.

I’ve made use of it to great effect at our outdoor sites dotted around the forests and jungles around Taipei, with the latest setup putting some surprisingly

make audible thwacking noises.

I need to field it more to really get some good time behind it in its now optimised form, and there’s not much left to do to it besides lower the scope as I’ve been meaning to since I first got it to get rid of the picatinny rail interface that looks a bit out of place. Luckily our good man Dan in the US has already pointed me to a suitable mount which very nicely replicates the look of the block mount of the original PSG-1 and lowers the scope closer to the bore for better accuracy and alignment. Sporting the Vortex Crossfire II 2-7 x 32mm scope I mentioned in the optics article in this issue along with a 3D printed front bell extension I added to make it look more like the real steel scope as well as hold an additional 5mm thick polycarbonate scope protector to make the whole thing literally bulletproof, it really makes this epic platform look and perform and I’ve been loving taking useful long shots resting off fallen tree trunks or making use of the bipod to rest on window frames

If you can still find one in stock anywhere, and if you have the love for it or deep enough pockets to justify one to yourself, there really is nothing else much like it. It just sings to me. And I yell back into the void with it. CLICK…CACHUNK…….THWACK…

: I shall put a dagger in the Umarex G28! Amongst some of the more expensive replica’s you can buy in the DMR class, the Umarex G28 AEG by VFC is exquisitely replicated in every detail, down to even the faux cartridges in the semi-translucent magazine. This rifle will feel comfortable to the user of any M4 / AR style Airsoft replica as it’s essentially the “big boy” version chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. Thusly, it has the usual features one would expect from such lineage, such as an adjustable stock, ambidextrous controls and a free float rail system. was purpose built military for DMR wants to assume airsofter’s repertoire. Unlike the real version, however, the Airsoft example

“IF YOU CAN STILL FIND ONE IN STOCK ANYWHERE, AND IF YOU HAVE THE LOVE FOR IT OR DEEP ENOUGH POCKETS TO JUSTIFY ONE TO YOURSELF, THERE REALLY IS NOTHING ELSE MUCH LIKE IT. IT JUST SINGS TO ME. AND I YELL BACK INTO THE VOID WITH IT. CLICK…CACHUNK…….THWACK…HIT!”

G&G ARMAMMENT GR25 (SR25) AEG

Price: iro UK£425.00

Age: Rwo Years

Weight: 2730g

Length: 1010mm

Magazine Capacity: 50 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.06 Joule/339fps

Hot Chrono: 1.08 Joule/342fps

Accessory Compatibility: Railed

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Supplied by: www.nuprol.com

Price: iro UK£345.00

Age: Three Years

Weight: 4342g

Length: 950/1030mm

Magazine Capacity: 400 BBs (Mid Caps available)

Cold Chrono: 1.07 Joule/341fps

Hot Chrono: 1.09 Joule/344fps

Accessory Compatibility: Railed

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Supplied by: www.iwholesales.biz

UMAREX H&K G28 AEG

Price: iro UK£900.00

Age: Nearly Four Years

Weight: 5130g

Length: 970/1040 mm

Magazine Capacity: 100 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.58 Joule/414fps

Hot Chrono: 1.62 Joule/419fps

Accessory Compatibility: Railed

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Supplied by: www.fire-support.co.uk

Price: iro UK£850.00

Age: Two Years

Weight: 4700g

Length: 1220mm

Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.48 Joule/400fps

Hot Chrono: 1.48 Joule/400fps

Accessory Compatibility: Dedicated

Suppressor Compatibilty: Dedicated

Supplied by: www.vegaforce.com

G&G SBR 308 MKII

Price: iro UK£400.00

Age: Three Years

Weight: 2400g

Length: 705mm

Magazine Capacity: 40 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.06 Joule/339fps

Hot Chrono: 1.06Joule/339fps

Accessory Compatibility: M-LOK

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Supplied by: www.guay2.com

CYMA CM.032 M14 EBR AEG

VFC/UMAREX PSG-1 GBBR

has been plagued by some difficulties. Curiously VFC opted not to build upon the established Version 2.5 footprint and developed their own proprietary gearbox design which is known as the “Version 2.2.” Regrettably, this proved to be notoriously weak and prone to cracking at the front; especially so in countries where DMR velocities sit higher than what the base model G28 comes in at. But I have seen innumerable examples that were cracked even through light use and on the stock spring. When these were available on the market, one could do brisk business refitting them with the Retro Arms CNC gearbox to make the platform durable enough for DMR use. In many cases, it was almost just as cost effective to convert the platform to HPA from the outset, even.

With the proprietary shell came a proprietary trigger unit, which prevented one from installing any of the popular ETU options on the market, such as the Gate TITAN or Perun Hybrid. This also created issues with HPA conversions, which resulted in some innovative semi-custom solutions being developed to handle this. The problems didn’t just stop there, as the rest of the internals largely proved insufficient to the task of being what a proper DMR should be (here in the US, at least). These days, the G28 has been mostly relegated to collector status and fetches a princely sum on the secondhand market. Added value is placed on the limited edition version, of which only 250 examples were made. These came with some very hard to find accessories specific to the G28 platform and are much sought after.

Ultimately the G28 is an example of something that can be cosmetically beautiful, but inextricably flawed. The upcoming HK M110A1 SDMR appears to have addressed many of these flaws by reverting back to a standard Version 2 shell and being equipped with a Gate ASTER out of the box and a more modern MLOK rail. My only familiarity with this new replica is from handling one at SHOT 23 - but as I found then, details were still scarce. They haven’t quite hit the US market yet, but based one what I have gleaned so far, I suspect this will be an eminently more practical (and therefore more popular) platform for DMR purposes.

Bill: Unlike Dan my take on the G28 has been largely positive, but then it’s the Limited Edition

version, and it appears that in this instance it just reinforces my personal belief that a DMR build is something to cherish, and that you get what you pay for!

Okay, with only 300 produced worldwide, this replica carried a price tag of almost UK£900. Yup, you heard that right, 900 quid and that was without the optics! Now I know that sounds an awful lot of wonga for what essentially many would view as a “toy gun”, but as a strictly limited edition model that is well up to re-enactment standard it’s a thing of beauty, and it actually shoots well too!

Let’s start with the externals and the “look” of the airsoft G28, and in every way imaginable it is simply, jaw-droppingly stunning. The RAL8000 tone is beautifully reproduced giving the whole rifle a highquality look, and in the hands it is completely solid with not a creak or wobble in evidence anywhere. The full-length 4694 rail system is beautifully reproduced, and the Umarex replica even comes with the correct trades, H&K rail covers and the distinctive flash hider; the flash hider screws off should you wish to fit a suppressor. There is very tidy extended cocking handle which just adds to the authenticity of the overall look. At the rear of the rifle sits a fully adjustable Flat Dark Earth “ASB” style stock which features a nifty cheek rest that stays in position independent of the horizontal setting of the main stock and provides a stable and consistent cheek weld.

As always owning an aesthetically beautiful replica is always a joy, but what about performance? As new I first fitted an 11.1 LiPo into the buffer tube, and chrono’d the G28 using .20g BBs; a ten-shot string gave a me a very, very respectable 414fps which is spot on for an airsoft DMR as most sites set their power limits at 450fps for semi-auto only. When I started sending BBs downrange the G28 was, and still is, an absolute tack driver; at 70m prone and using a bipod I’m now able to achieve groupings of 150mm.

Overall the H&K G28 from Umarex is a super package, and as with any Limited Edition run values will undoubtedly rise in the future. I’d say that if you are among the “Lucky 300” worldwide who added a G28 to your armoury then you’re a very fortunate person indeed!

Jase: Where to start? Over the last 12 years I have

“ADDED VALUE IS PLACED ON THE LIMITED EDITION VERSION, OF WHICH ONLY 250 EXAMPLES WERE MADE. THESE CAME WITH SOME VERY HARD TO FIND ACCESSORIES SPECIFIC TO THE G28 PLATFORM AND ARE MUCH SOUGHT AFTER. ULTIMATELY THE G28 IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT CAN BE COSMETICALLY BEAUTIFUL, BUT INEXTRICABLY FLAWED.”

VFC M110K1 GBBR

Price: iro UK£480.00

Age: One Year

Weight: 3550g

Length: 908-990mm

Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.86 Joule/449fps

Hot Chrono: 1.86 Joule/449fps

Accessory Compatibility: Railed

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Supplied by: www.vegaforce.com

VFC SR25 ECC GBBR

Price: iro UK£500.00

Age: Three Years

Weight: 3090g

Length: 908-990mm

Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.44 Joule/395fps

Hot Chrono: 1.44 Joule/396fps

Accessory Compatibility: Partially Railed

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Supplied by: www.vegaforce.com

CYMA 0.98A E-EDITION

Price: iro UK£370.00

Age: Four Years

Weight: 3200g

Length: 980/1070mm (Max)

Magazine Capacity: 500 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.57 Joule/412fps

Hot Chrono: 1.61 Joule/418fps

Accessory Compatibility: M-LOK

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Available From: www.taiwangun.com

TOKYO MARUI SCAR H NGRS

Price: iro UK£530.00

Age: New (to Smooth Jase!)

Weight: 3350g

Length: 902mm/965mm

Magazine Capacity: 90 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290fps

Hot Chrono: 0.79 Joule/293fps

Accessory Compatibility: Partially Railed

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Available From: www.redwolfairsoft.com

ARES X AMOEBA AR308 AEG

Price: iro UK£470.00

Age: Six Months

Weight: 3070g

Length: 810/875mm

Magazine Capacity: 130 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.93 Joule/317fps

Hot Chrono: 0.96 Joule/322fps

Accessory Compatibility: M-LOK

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Supplied by: www.iwholesales.biz

had a few DMR’s. My first was a Star M14 EBR, I loved it. It had been part of a vast collection of the owner of my old local site ‘Big Mark’, and this guy had loads of cool RIFs. I eventually managed to persuade him to sell it to me. I loved it for all of five games, where I decided it was far too heavy, I sold it two weeks later... Heavy it may have been, but it was and still is one of my all-time fave DMRs, that ‘clink’ sound when you cocked it is one of the great all time sounds. What I didnt enjoy about this particular DMR was the hand guard, it was forever moving. On it was a Hawke 12x40 optic, the glass was so clean and crisp I would enjoy sitting back in a skirmish and just watch the misfortune of some players… I do miss that optic. That optic then went onto a Classic Army (I think) M24 bolt action sniper, but it was at this point I realised that this type of playing style and rifle were not for me.

Track five years on and I acquired an ASG CAA branded M4, on it sat a short dot style Vision King optic, not the lightest optic by far, but jeez I love it. I ran this set up for about a year before weight issue came back to haunt me. On that riffle I also ran a Vortex Crossfire with a flip magnifier, an amazing red dot with versatile function when mated to the magnifier. This was sold recently to fund a ‘halo’ RIF, a TM SCAR H Recoil. I have not had time to skirmish it as yet but I cannot wait to field it at a special Op in October, but what I love about the SCAR H/Recoil range are the bolt stop function and recoil. Like my KWA RM1, it gives you the full immersive experience you want while playing; once that last BB is sent downrange, going through the motions, love it!

Dan: The CYMA 098 series has arguably become the top dog for SR-25 platforms here in the US and has deftly supplanted the A&K which came before it. These are available in the traditional style as Reed Knight would have intended, which are bedecked in a full length 1913 rail, mock suppressor, and fixed stock, and the more modernized versions with shorter 14.5” barrels, MLOK rails and collapsible stocks.

As pricing goes, these are aimed squarely at the bracket A&K occupies, actually coming in slightly cheaper even, depending on where you purchase it from. But it is primarily the feature set that elevates it above the A&K offering and makes this an excellent

choice for a DMR base to build on. The 098’s come equipped with the elongated Version 2.5 style gearbox with a full metal rack 19T piston, CNC aluminum double O-ring cylinder head, CNC’d aluminum piston head, a true quick-change spring guide, Neodymium motor and a MOSFET trigger unit. A rotary style hop up chamber is also standard too. Overall, this is just a much nicer set of components than what A&K offers you, with most of it being quite capable of being used at higher velocities. Unlike some of the other brands in the “7.62” market, the 098 series are compatible with A&K brand magazines too, which are often the easiest type to find from retailers.

If I were to have any gripes about the platform, it’s that the MOSFET isn’t worth the PCB it’s soldered to, the bucking and barrel are middling, and these are inexplicably under-volumed with a ported cylinder from the factory. All of these quibbles are easy enough to change out though. An aftermarket ETU only requires some minor modification of the shell to drop one in place, elongated cylinders are now readily available, and barrels and buckings are standard AEG fare. I suppose I also don’t particularly care for the cheap feeling grip or stock, despite being serviceable. But those are also easy to swap too. Essentially, there is nothing on the 098 series that is utterly proprietary or can’t be upgraded in one way or another. It’s just plain user and tech friendly.

All in all, I think the CYMA 098 would be amongst my first suggestions for someone looking to step into the DMR platform specifically. The only thing it might lack for purists would be appropriate trades and some of the finer cosmetic detailing such as you might find on the Ares KAC licensed SR-25. But on the whole, this is arguably the superior rifle for tuners.

Bill: When it comes to the 098 I find myself completely in agreement with Dan! The CM098A E-EDITION has a stock velocity of around 410fps and the claim was that in combination with a LiPo battery you’d be getting a ROF around 25rps and a really good trigger response. After testing I have to agree with this claim, and this seems to be largely down to new gearbox parts with increased durability, such as a reinforced V2 long gearbox frame with quick spring change system, a polycarbonate piston with steel teeth, a CNC machined steel gear set (ratio: 13:1),

“I THINK THE CYMA 098 WOULD BE AMONGST MY FIRST SUGGESTIONS FOR SOMEONE LOOKING TO STEP INTO THE DMR PLATFORM SPECIFICALLY. THE ONLY THING IT MIGHT LACK FOR PURISTS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TRADES AND SOME OF THE FINER COSMETIC DETAILING SUCH AS YOU MIGHT FIND ON THE ARES KAC LICENSED SR-25. ...THIS IS ARGUABLY THE SUPERIOR RIFLE FOR TUNERS”

SECUTOR RAPAX M6

Price: iro UK£550.00

Age: 18 Months

Weight: 3000g

Length: 900-980mm

Magazine Capacity: 160 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.85 Joule/447fps

Hot Chrono: 1.85 Joule/447fps

Accessory Compatibility: M-LOK

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Available From: www.iwholesales.biz

WE ACE VD GBBR

Price: iro UK£425.00

Age: Six Years

Weight: 2900g

Length: 1215mm

Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.79 Joule/440fps

Hot Chrono: 1.79 Joule/440fps

Accessory Compatibility: It’s WOOD!

Suppressor Compatibilty: Nope

Supplied by: www.nuprol.com

LCT SVD AEG (OLD STYLE)

Price: iro UK£800.00

Age: Two Years

Weight: 3900g

Length: 1225mm

Magazine Capacity: 55 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.71 Joule/430fps

Hot Chrono: Joule/fps

Accessory Compatibility: Nyet 

Suppressor Compatibilty: Dedicated

Available From: New ETU models now available

CYMA CM.057S SVDS

Price: iro UK£290.00 (often available second hand now!)

Age: Old… like “Bill Old” 

Weight: 3715g

Length: 1095mm

Magazine Capacity: 100 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.75 Joule/435fps

Hot Chrono: 1.79 Joule/440fps

Accessory Compatibility: Nope!

Suppressor Compatibilty: Still Nope!

Supplied by: Bill

LCT SVDS ETU

Price: iro UK£780.00 (Estimated)

Age: New

Weight: 4100g

Length: 875/1135mm

Magazine Capacity: 55BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.53 Joule/407fps

Hot Chrono: 1.61 Joule/417fps

Accessory Compatibility: Ha… NO!

Suppressor Compatibilty: Dedicated

Supplied by: www.lctairsoft.com

8mm bearings, a CNC machined aluminium silent cylinder and piston head set (ball bearing piston head, double o-ring cylinder head), and a high-speed motor. There’s even a processor unit with built-in MOSFET system although I’ve largely left that alone.

Externally the 098A is a peach, and it looks dropdead gorgeous IMO! The entire rifle is made of high-grade alloy, and finished in a super satin-black throughout, and the finish has stood up well to the ravages of both site and range. The free-float outer barrel (16” external barrel, with a precision 6.03mm inner barrel) can also be unscrewed to reveal a 14mm CCW thread for suppressors and tracer units should you desire to fit one, although I replaced the AACstyle flash hider with a Madbull “Lantac Dragon”. The 14.5” M-Lok handguard is slick and beautifully formed, and it can take M-Lok compatible accessories such as the BCMGUNFIGHTER-style lo-profile rail covers and bipod rail section I’ve fitted; it also has a QD socket for a sling. The 20mm top rail runs contiguous to the rear of the upper, and the 098A comes with some great Flip Up sights as part of the deal.

I’ve been genuinely pleased with the 098; the model I received came in at 1.57 Joule/412fps and this has remained pretty constant so far, and it’s accurate as hell out to 60-70m. One thing here though… the 098A is clearly marked as “Safe/Semi” only, but I was with a little effort able to move the selector all the way onto “Full”, which was a problem as this put me into “over the limit” and “on the edge of UK Illegal” territory, so I had Marcus place a pin into the lower for me, to ensure that there was physically no way that this AEG could be used in anything other than “Safe/ Semi”! It’s a simple fix for any good airsoft tech to carry out, and makes it very obvious on site that the 098A is a semi-only DMR.

Stewbacca: When it comes to SVD models I have to mention the Real Sword although it doesn’t feature in the models shown as you just can’t get one these days, but it was the “daddy” of the SVD world when it came to build and look! I covered this in a reloaded article along with our good man Dan in the USA who also still has his example and a wealth of experience and love for the platform. If I were to summarise my experiences, especially now having handled both LCT

Airsoft’s standard sized SVD and the SVDS paratrooper variant AEG adorning the front cover and being the keynote review of this very issue, it would be more love/hate in retrospect.

The storied dismantling and reassembly of my first night having it as well as the hole I drilled in the floor with it by accident due to the more than toasty initial muzzle velocity it arrived with, I had to mess on cropping the spring, reassembling the entire thing around the gearbox, disassembling and repeating until I got it down to a consistent 348 FPS which it stayed at basically the whole time I owned it aside from the one time it sheared the mainspring and chewed its internals a bit as a result - luckily I was able to source spare components at the time, although now I imagine they’re much scarcer by comparison.

Either way, fitting the replica PSO-1 scope was a bit of a mission requiring dremelling of the scope itself to reduce the interference of the top cover and the illuminator bulb protrusion, as well as the front clamp of the mount shoe because when I first got the thing setup the scope picture was way too high so I had to chew away some of the material to drop the scope line of sight down coincident to the bore axis.

Acquiring the appropriate bipod was also a mission and it took me a while to source one and when I did get it mounted it was a bit of a pain in the backside to use due to the snap clip arrangement it uses that makes closing it back up a two handed mess about. The first generation of guns lacked an unjamming latch and even the second generation ones required you to remove the magazine to actuate a sliding aftermarket de-cocker to allow you to unjam if the motor and gearbox stopped mid cycle due to spamming - I had to fit a somewhat unsafe override button that would make it go full auto to unjam the gearbox more conveniently - since then MOSFETs have become more of an easy fix.

The appearance, construction and performance of the Real Sword SVD AEG were at least pretty fearsome once I got it settled in and working nicely, and I spent many happy days at sites around the Nottingham area posting 0.2g BBs through A4 paper sized gaps at a football pitch’s distance to my own great amusement, and the chagrin of our opponents. Similarly it really looked the part to play OpFor at

“THE APPEARANCE, CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE OF THE REAL SWORD SVD AEG WERE AT LEAST PRETTY FEARSOME ONCE I GOT IT SETTLED IN AND WORKING NICELY, AND I SPENT MANY HAPPY DAYS AT SITES AROUND THE NOTTINGHAM AREA POSTING 0.2G BBS THROUGH A4 PAPER SIZED GAPS AT A FOOTBALL PITCH’S DISTANCE TO MY OWN GREAT AMUSEMENT”

Copehill down Brit Tac games and I made good use of the scope to identify and relay targets and information while laid out on the top of the tower block building 34 and then raining hell down when the allied forces and their QRF came too close.

Dan: I no longer have the correspondence as I’ve switched computers and email accounts several times since, but years ago Real Sword had related with me that they used quite a few real components in the construction. The dust cover and magazines were mentioned, as were the gas block assembly and other bits that are fitted around the barrel, including the handguards themselves. Unfortunately, without a copy of those emails it’s kind of anecdotal at best now, but interesting nonetheless.

A friend of mine who is also a RS aficionado and still has several in his collection related to me a list of the components that were real on the AK variants, which was quite a bit more comprehensive. I’m honestly a bit amazed we were able to get RS into the US at all, considering the ban on Chinese weapon imports and how realistic they were!

Stewbacca: Given that the LCT SVDS is the cover gun of this issue and I reviewed it in great depth in the front end this month, the “too-long-didn’t-read” of

it would be compared to my much loved Real Sword SVD AEG I had back in blighty, I would definitely choose the LCT offering over it any day of the week now that I’ve handled both! The construction quality, handling and realism of the LCT SVDs are somewhat similar or difficult to pick between, but the creature comforts of a MOSFET / ETU as standard out of the box as well as the quick change spring system that I often lamented the Real Sword equivalent not having are just winning combinations to my mind.

The fact LCT went as far as producing realistic forged and CNC main receivers certainly appeals to the engineering nerd in me, although word round the campfire would be that Real Sword used real steel components at times, which is probably why they were arguable more affordable at the time given the industrial might and economies of scale of NORINCO sitting behind them. But, such things perhaps cannot be confirmed, and the people I spoke with in Changsha that night had also been drinking as much as me!

Bill: Ah, the SVD! This is my dream of an OpFor platform! I wanted something with a little extra power and range, but preferably semi-auto rather than bolt-action so in keeping with the OpFor theme

“IN KEEPING WITH THE OPFOR THEME THERE WAS REALLY ONLY ONE RIFLE TO CONSIDER AND THAT WAS THE “SNAYPERSKAYA VINTOVKA SISTEM’Y DRAGUNOVA OBRAZ’TSA 1963 GODA (SVD-63), OR SNIPER RIFLE, SYSTEM OF DRAGUNOV, MODEL OF THE YEAR 1963”, KNOWN SIMPLY TO ONE AND ALL AS THE DRAGUNOV”

there was really only one rifle to consider and that was the “Snayperskaya Vintovka sistem’y Dragunova obraz’tsa 1963 goda (SVD-63), or Sniper Rifle, System of Dragunov, Model of the Year 1963”, known simply to one and all as the Dragunov!

There are numerous airsoft manufacturers who make a classic Dragunov replica, and they are all very nice indeed, and I’ve played with many of them; a friend of mine has a spring version which is great but of course loses the flexibility of the semi-auto function. I’ve had a chance to play around with a couple of the electric versions too which have been great airsoft guns but I wanted some real “shock and awe” so I decided to go gas something that I’ve largely done with my other DMRs apart from the CYMA as I firmly believe that it’s as a DMR that a gasser REALLY shines!

My searching eventually led me to a model from WE Airsoft; two models were on offer in their ACE VD range, one with black polymer furniture and the other with a classic wood effect finish (a wood laminate rather than plastic “faux wood” thankfully!).

The ACE VD with the wood has suited me perfectly, and from word go I was thoroughly taken with this elegant yet functional battle rifle. The Dragunov is at 1215mm/48inches long a big rifle! That said, of course what that also means is that it does have an exceptionally long inner barrel too, coming in as it does at a whopping 620mm/24.5inches! When you’re talking about an airsoft rifle one of the things which helps with accuracy and range is barrel length (think smoothbore musket) and they don’t come much longer than this.

Although it is a long rifle it is far from ungainly; weighing in at 2900g/6.4lbs it’s really not that heavy and is a rifle you can happily carry all day. The construction is metal throughout, and the finish is absolutely first rate, a semi-matt black. The heavy, full-travel open bolt is finished in brushed silver which looks particularly attractive, and the laminated wood of the stock and handguard also looks spot on. The 20 BB gas magazine is also metal and finished the same as the receiver.

Although you do need to keep an eye on nozzles as the SVD seems very hungry and loves to eat ‘em (especially on cold days!), with a .30g BBs I get a solid

trajectory, and the Dragunov hurtles them downrange with a huge “crack” which certainly turns some heads! Once I’d dialled the iron sights in I was easily hitting beyond 60m… and in fact the WE still holds my personal airsoft-distance-hit record of 103m, measured and witnessed too! Perfect.

There are some models in our list that we’ve not spoken about (we will, I promise!), However, I wanted to conclude this month with a few words from Jimmy about his recent DMR projects using both AEG and HPA systems, so thanks for reading thus far, and now… over to our resident Techno Viking himself!

Jimmy: The DMR is a bridge between a regular rifle and a bolt action sniper rifle for when you want to maintain a distance from your opponent but still lay down some good fire with precision. They come in many different guises and there has long been a debate within the airsoft community as to what actually constitutes as a DMR.

A DMR generally tends to be on the longer side compared to most rifles and tends to be chambered in a larger much heavier round. The fact that all airsoft guns fire the same 6mm BBs in my opinion makes the argument irrelevant because for an airsoft gun to qualify as a DMR you can simply make it fire semiauto only with a power output up to a specific velocity higher than that of a full auto capable platform (country dependant).

I know there are going to be purists out there that will be getting all out of shape over my comment but the fact remains that most platforms can be converted/modified to operate as a DMR. Milsim softers tend to want a DMR that resembles a 7.62 rifle and that’s fine for realism. Now let’s say that you are looking to build a DMR what are you going to need to make your rifle effective?

You will want a greater output than that of an AR, and this will require the use of a heavy spring upward of M130-M140 to maintain a higher velocity. This then puts a lot more stress on internal components so it would be recommended to fit better a quality piston and possibly gears… most AEGs use bearings so for longevity it is a good idea to replace those with a good set of bushes… a high torque motor is needed in order to cope efficiently with the extra power of the heavy spring, a standard motor will struggle and put

“I KNOW THERE ARE GOING TO BE PURISTS OUT THERE THAT WILL BE GETTING ALL OUT OF SHAPE OVER MY COMMENT BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT MOST PLATFORMS CAN BE CONVERTED/MODIFIED TO OPERATE AS A DMR. MILSIM SOFTERS TEND TO WANT A DMR THAT RESEMBLES A 7.62 RIFLE AND THAT’S FINE FOR REALISM”

“THE CORRECT VOLUME IS ACHIEVED BY USING THE RIGHT CYLINDER FOR YOUR SPECIFIC LENGTH OF BARREL. I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS BUT MY POINT HERE IS THAT THERE IS A LOT OF EFFORT AND ESSENTIALLY MONEY THAT CAN GO INTO BUILDING A DMR AND ULTIMATELY IT IS STILL FLAWED”

essentially money that can go into building a DMR and ultimately it is still flawed!

Flawed I hear you say, yes it has drawbacks! The fact remains that it is still very mechanical and mechanics have a breaking point, they can and do fail. Wouldn’t it be great if you could remove the possibility of mechanical breakdown, wouldn’t you want your airsoft rifle to be more efficient more reliable? I know I would.

HPA (high pressure air) is the way forward if you ask me especially for a DMR platform. The way HPA delivers the air to propel the BB is much more instant than a spring-driven piston and as a result of this yields greater range and accuracy much more consistently, and with the correct hop arrangement make light work of heavier BBs. Most HPA engines require a trigger board, FCU and a battery to power these but there are engines that don’t require such add ons, for example Mancraft’s PDIK (pneumatic drop in kit). This has to be hands-down the best engine available that doesn’t use a FCU, it operates flawlessly and is surprisingly

There are other options on the market; Polarstars Kythera and Redlines N7 Gen 2 Milsim for instance. All offer fantastic features and performance and all are semi-auto only and require little to no set up unlike some of the solenoid-powered engines which can be quite daunting to many users due to the complicated FCU settings. With the exception of the Kythera, the Redline and Mancraft engines are very much “plug n’ play” in most platforms although they can be fine-tuned to a degree to get the best volumes. One thing that really stands out for me with Mancraft’s engines is the ability to easily swap out nozzles meaning the PDIK can be used more widely over many different brands. They have designed the engine to work using AEG nozzles which are more readily available.

My choice of engine for DMR is Mancraft, both V2 and V3 and they work flawlessly. The Redline N7 is a close contender, and Redline have been clever in their design because you can run the same engine with a mechanical trigger or with an FCU meaning it can run semi-only or you can use it with fire select.

My choice of platforms for recent builds have been the Arthurian M16A3 and a Nuprol Romeo Recon Bravo, both very solid rifles that make for great DMR’s. The Nuprol is a tactical AK, so 7.62 to fit the narrative and the M16 because it has a long barrel and it looks awesome… just think M27 IAR here… Both my engines came with Mancraft’s fantastically machined

gearbox shells and they are flawless and have been designed specifically around the SDIK engines as far as I am aware. I am yet to test out any other engines in them. They are true drop in kits no messing around just whip out your existing gearbox and replace with ease; you may have to do a little alignment with your hop unit but that’s not a problem and quite an easy process.

You may be one of those airsofters who like the idea of HPA but do not appreciate the idea of being tethered via an airline to a bottle; this is the most common method but fear not there are many different options available which eliminate the use of an airline. There are adaptors available so you can attach a bottle directly to your rifle and doubles up as your stock or concealed adaptors and regulators which live inside of a stock allowing the use of CO2 canisters which keeps the exterior of your rifle clean and low profile.

Like I said there are many alternatives to please most players. I prefer the airline and tank as I have several different HPA platforms meaning I am not limited to use and one kit will work with all of them and it isn’t a problem adjusting for each platform on the day. If you are in the market for a DMR platform I highly suggest you give serious thoughts to HPA power, you will not be disappointed. There are many advantages of it over electric. AA

Red Cell is supported by:

THE L119A2 IS JUST ONE POPULAR EXAMPLE OF OUR CURRENT RECOIL MODELS, BASED ON TOKYO MARUI’S FANTASTIC SYSTEM - FITTED WITH THE ANGRY GUN RAIL SYSTEM AND REAL STEEL MAGPUL FURNITURE

DMR LEVEL ZERO

AS WE’VE MAJORED ON MARKSMAN RIFLES THIS MONTH IT SEEMED ONLY SENSIBLE FOR US TO LOOK AT THE ACCESSORIES THAT YOU NEED TO GO WITH THEM, AND FIRST AND FOREMOST WILL BE A DECENT OPTIC! BILL DELVES IN AND AS USUAL THESE DAYS ENLISTS THE HELP OF FELLOW RED CELL MEMBERS, (IN THIS CASE DAN AND STEWBACCA) TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT, IN OUR OPINION, YOU SHOULD BE CHECKING WHEN IT COMES TO GOOD GLASS FOR A WINNING DMR BUILD!

If you’re putting together a “marksman” style rifle where you are intending to get the best distance and accuracy possible then one of the key elements of this is finding the right optic. As much as we’d all like to think that we’re going to be taking shots measured out in triple-metre-figures the truth of things is that in reality we’ll be looking at ranged and accurate shots out to 70-80m if we’re lucky… but the key word here is still “accurate”.

Whilst a semi-auto DMR will most definitely give you more options than a bolt-action sniper rifle when it comes to mid-range and longer shooting, the fact is that any true rifle of this type will be a “stand-off platform” in airsoft terms, and by this I mean one that you’re not going to use, or be able to use, in a CQB environment unless there are VERY specific rules for deployment. Minimum Engagement Distances (MEDs) will allow you to use a higher-powered AEG

“AS MUCH AS WE’D ALL LIKE TO THINK THAT WE’RE GOING TO BE TAKING SHOTS MEASURED OUT IN TRIPLE-METRE-FIGURES THE TRUTH OF THINGS IS THAT IN REALITY WE’LL BE LOOKING AT RANGED AND ACCURATE SHOTS OUT TO 70-80M IF WE’RE LUCKY… BUT THE KEY WORD HERE IS STILL “ACCURATE””

or GBBR in general up to about 30m-to-target and then it’s time to switch to your backup or pistol…

However, a well set-up DMR that’s ACCURATE can be a devastating force-multiplier when used correctly, taking out stubborn “campers” with ease, and reducing support-gun teams to minimum combat effectiveness. HVTs can be picked off, and even in a counter-sniper role the semi-auto can place rapidlyrepeated shots into a specific vicinity… even though you probably won’t be reaching said sniper, any player that sees shots placed accurately time and again creeping up on them unerringly will take the sensible tactical decision to melt back into the undergrowth and take another tack!

Of course you also want to make sure that you’ve got the close-range options ticked off, and many of us have some form of mini/micro red dot fitted alongside our magnified main optic… is this worth it? Not really, as the MED in place on most sites for higher-powered DMR-style semi-auto rifles will dictate that you’re not going to be doing much shooting with it sub-30m… it does however look “proper” and this is certainly where the “airsoft rule of cool” outweighs sheer practicality, and it’s something I’m definitely guilty of doing myself!

However, when it comes to your main optic it’s one of the trinity of things in my mind (along with correct hop-setting and the right BBs) that needs to be on-point when you set up your rifle. Yes, I have gone down the path of using “real deal” optics on my airsoft rifles, and I still adore my Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10x24, but this is an expensive optic that I now keep aside for my shooting trips abroad. Do we need to spend so much on an optic for airsoft when we’re genuinely not going to break the 100m-mark on the best of days?

I’d have to say no; when I look at my own DMRs I use my WE SVD gasser with the iron sights as the “correct PSO” replica optics are generally sub-par, but this is the rifle that still holds my “personal best” when it comes to taking out another player…. with the irons! My CYMA 098 AEG is good to 80m or so, and now that the VFC M110 is settling in I believe it will be right up there with the gas SVD in terms of range, but I still don’t feel I need to drop serious money on some glass for what would be classed

“THERE ARE NOW MANY WELL-PRICED LPVO (LOW POWER VARIABLE OPTIC) RIFLE SCOPES ON THE MARKET THAT ALTHOUGH NOT BANK-BREAKING WILL OFFER A HOST OF FEATURES TO BOOST THE PERFORMANCE OF ANY DMR BUILD, AND MOST OF THEM (EVEN SOME OF THE CLONES!) WILL OFFER GOOD GLASS CLARITY FOR OUR PURPOSES”

as close-range for most real optics. If you have the money and want to spend it, then go for it… I’m just saying that an optic at this level in my opinion is overkill for airsoft!

WELL-PRICED WARRIORS

There are now many well-priced LPVO (Low Power Variable Optic) rifle scopes on the market that although not bank-breaking will offer a host of features to boost the performance of any DMR build, and most of them (even some of the clones!) will offer good glass clarity for our purposes, along with variable magnification (LPVO Rifle Scopes offer a wide range of magnification options, typically from 1-4x up to 1-10x), daylight illumination and reticle options, durable construction overall, quick adjustments, and a fast-focus eyepiece with generous eye relief.

Although I had an excellent experience recently with the new scopes from WULF I need to spend a little more time with them to get “game comfy”, so my “go to” is relatively inexpensive, and I’ve talked about it time and again as it’s the NUPROL NP Optics ZR10 1.25-5x26 IR. This super-clear optic boasts some excellent mechanical features not often seen on such an affordable sight; the windage and elevation dials can be popped and locked into place to avoid any accidental changes made to your zero. The mount is also included and bolts straight onto the sight tube with twelve bolts in total, so the whole unit becomes rock solid once mounted on your top-rail. The illumination is great too thanks to the variable brightness and with three (RGB) colour options, you have a very crisp outlines of the main central dot and outer ring that does not distract from your target be it at 1.25 or the optional 5x max zoom.

Although not in the LPVO-bracket, when it comes to more “traditional” optics the NP Optics 3-9x50 IR is a beast, and one that I’ve dabbled with on the M110 to good effect thus far… just look around and you can really find the ideal airsoft optic that works for you should you wish to take out a target at distance. Thanks to the wide selection of colour and brightness modes on the reticles you can take out your target in any lighting condition be it outdoors or in built-up urban environments. The NUPROL scopes all come with 20mm rail mounts which makes them very easy

“SVD-WISE I’VE ALWAYS USED THE REPLICA PSO-1 SCOPES WITH A FIXED 4X AND THE GRADUATED HEIGHT OF MAN RETICLE CURVE; 4X WORKS GREAT FOR MOST AIRSOFT PURPOSES TO MY MIND, SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT WANT A LITTLE MORE POWER TO DO POSITIVE ID OR OBSERVATION PURPOSES”

to setup, rock solid once fitted and add very minimal weight to your rifle, although dedicated third-party mounts can bring the optic down closer to the bore (a “good thing”!).

For the money the NP optics are an absolute steal as far as I’m concerned, and once zero’d they stays set, even allowing me to change the out the ZR10 from the CYMA to the M110 without major resetting. Okay, I’d love it if they did a “tactical bronze versions” of these optics, but given the performance they’ve given me to date I’m prepared for once to forgo the “Gucci” in favour of effectiveness, and oh boy, the ZR10 especially has proved to be as effective as I need!

But of course this is airsoft, and we’re all as individual in our choices of optic as we are in our style of play, so I asked Stewbacca and Dan (as fellow “long-gun fanbois”!) their opinion of what works for them, and why when it comes to setting up optics on their DMR builds.

Stewbacca: The PSG-1 is still making use of a Vortex Crossfire II 2-7 x 32mm which is excellent for clarity of image and gives enough magnification, it’s still a bit high over the bore on the rings on top of the rail which is basically the last thing I need to sort out on it having done all the other upgrades. In general I have it all set up to send BBs pretty close to the centre of the crosshairs, although changing the zoom can

sometimes affect that.

SVD-wise I’ve always used the replica PSO-1 scopes with a fixed 4x and the graduated height of man reticle curve; 4x works great for most airsoft purposes to my mind, sometimes you might want a little more power to do positive ID or observation purposes, but beyond that you’re seeing further than you can shoot in most cases.

I recently got a muzzle-insert laser- boresighting unit which I haven’t had chance to use yet but will help with getting the HOP units tuned to the range I want to get hits at before zeroing the scopes to that range; last time I took the PSG-1 out it was stretching its legs to 70m pretty easily but I still need some time behind it to get it at its best.

Dan: This somewhat depends on the platform in question. For anything out of the Eastern Bloc, I like to keep it a bit more authentic and will rock a genuine PSO or PSOP scope in the 4x24 range. I consider these to have an excellent combat reticle, as the chevrons are intuitive, quick to pick up and once you learn your holds, it’s easy to adjust for range. It’s a quicker reticle than using mil-dots, which are arguably better for long range precision work, but at the ranges we encounter in airsoft, chevrons reign supreme. My preference is for the Russian or Belarusmade versions over the Romanian or Chinese copies, as they have a lot better clarity and you don’t typically

run into yellowing lenses from older surplus optics either. I have had several of the replica versions in the past, but none of them held up long term without inevitably encountering problems. The real deal has been utterly bombproof.

Moving over to anything running a 1913/Picatinny rail, I try to stick with 30mm tubes and at least a 1.7” or 1.93” tall one-piece mounts as that’s more comfortable to me than the 1.5” stuff or low-mount rings; that will typically be a Geissele Super Precision style mount. Here, the high-grade replica’s from HAO are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, and far more affordable.

Optics-wise, I’ve used a *lot* of different designs over the years and trend towards using real steel options over replica’s. I’ve just had bad experience with clone optics of any flavor, I’m afraid. I really enjoy the versatility of the LPVO style scopes in the 1-4 or 1-6x range, but you can’t deny the light gathering ability of an optic with a large diameter objective lens either. Like Stu, the Vortex Crossfire II is probably amongst my top picks for an inexpensive, but quality optic.

I’m a big fan of the Trijicon Credo 1-6x, which is also what I run on some of my real AR’s too. I’ve had good experiences with Bushnell’s AR Optics line, and surprisingly even NcSTAR has some decent 1-4x LPVO options that also come with lifetime warranties to boot. On the subject of reticles, I like mine “clean”

and prefer to run a simple mil-dot or similar reticle. I greatly dislike Vortex’s MRAD reticle, as an example, which is just too cluttered; I find it hard to work rapidly.

For airsoft use and specifically DMR’s, I don’t think one really needs much beyond 4x magnification, maybe 6x tops if the rifle is capable. Since you’re typically running with squad mates and working within the same envelope as the guys running LMG’s and carbines too, you want something that’s reasonably fast to operate and quick to put on target. I prefer to zero the optic at the farthest distance I can shoot out at a flat trajectory with the rifle’s preferred BB weight. After it’s zeroed, then I’ll use the holds for pushing things a bit farther if needed!

Thanks to Stewbacca and Dan for their insights here, and I hope that this gives you an idea of where you can be looking, both real and replica. The fact is though that there’s one other thing that’s important when it comes to fielding a DMR effectively… and that’s you, the shooter!

You can bolt the most expensive piece of glass onto a superbly-tuned rifle, but it becomes truly precise and effective when you know how to shoot it… take time on the range to dial everything in to you, to harmonise platform, optic, accessories, and YOUR eye to get the best result… and then go dominate the field as an asset to every team or squad your play with! AA

SMALL UNITS, BIG IDEAS!

IN ANOTHER OF OUR SPECIAL REPORTS ON TRAINING WE NOW TURN OUR FOCUS TO TAIWAN, WHERE THINGS ARE A LITTLE MORE “REAL”! WITH THE GROWING COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF ‘MILITARY’ ANNY WU, SHE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO SPEND AN ENTIRE LONG WEEKEND BATTLING SLEEP DEPRIVATION, THE ELEMENTS AND EXHAUSTION IN THE UPPER MIDLANDS OF TAIWAN’S MIAOLI REGION BACK IN MID-JULY, TO REPORT ON THE RECENT ACTIVITIES OF NDET (NATIONAL DEFENCE EDUCATION TRAINING) ORGANISATION AND THEIR GROWING EFFORTS TO PROVIDE USEFUL TRAINING FOR CIVILIANS, FROM THOSE WHO HAVE MILITARY TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE TO COMPLETE NOVICES, FOR AN INCREASING NUMBER OF SUCH PARTICIPANTS.

“When training fails to meet the requirements, tactics are your only bargaining chip!”

This epithet originates from ‘Long’ and ‘Robbie’, the co-founders of the National Defense Education Training (NDET), and thus far, the NDET has held many domestic training sessions covering Small Unit Tactics (SUT), as well as overseas classes in Thailand through co-operation with TIGER TAC’s range covering IDPA level 1 pistol live ammunition training, and even taking part in the Queen’s Cup and TIGER TAC IDPA, some of Thailand’s biggest annual shooting competitions.

The 26th echelon of Small Unit Tactics (SUT) was staged in the Miaoli’s mountainous area in the upper midlands of Taiwan for the first time; a total of 25 students participated on this occasion, including 13 returning participants, with the total overall number of students having participated in such SUT courses thus far now exceeding 500 already. Students receive top-level training and lectures from instructors ‘Robbi’ and ‘Asight’, retired veterans from the Airborne

Special Service Company (ASSC), the most formidable combat force of Taiwan’s Army “Liangshan Special Service Team”.

For the two-day and one-night SUT training course, the organisers coordinate the venue so that depending on participant’s own convenience they can either check in on Friday night, or between 0730 to 0830 on Saturday morning, with the initial indoor course beginning at 0830. This focuses on the introduction of the eight core subjects of SUT; cross-country orienteering and manoeuvres, combat patrolling, attacking, ambushing, reconnaissance, planning, close quarters combat, tactical casualty care (TCCC), with aspects such as gestures and signal transmission and formation change assembly (ACE Report) that will be used in the application of small units. The whole morning is an indoor course, followed by a break of about one hour at noon.

The returning participants lead the training by example, and the dangerous aspects of SUT operations are dealt with through application, combat encounters and various other simulated situations. The instructors will start from basic positions and

“STUDENTS RECEIVE TOP-LEVEL TRAINING AND LECTURES FROM INSTRUCTORS ‘ROBBI’ AND ‘ASIGHT’, RETIRED VETERANS FROM THE AIRBORNE SPECIAL SERVICE COMPANY (ASSC), THE MOST FORMIDABLE COMBAT FORCE OF TAIWAN’S ARMY “LIANGSHAN SPECIAL SERVICE TEAM””

movements for beginner students, and once familiar with this groundwork, the instructor will brief them on a particular situation, and the students will then start to change their deployment formation according to different commands or code-words to best deal with their given scenario.

During this process, assistants will also oversee and coach the students; returning participants will review the positions they learned previously, as well as receiving new and different instructions to build on their skill sets, with every student having the opportunity to serve as a Commander or a Signal Corps operative, again with instructors assisting where necessary to ensure participants understand the roles and their requirements.

IF IT AIN’T RAININ’…

On the afternoon on the first day it suddenly rained very heavily, but the re-training students continued to give instructions on the tasks given by the instructor; training through the miserable weather builds character and is just realistic, after all. In the end, every student was completely soaked, but they still insisted on completing the tasks given by the instructors. Among the most touching beginner students was a woman; after the rain (there was still standing water on the ground) female students would not have special treatment or any dispensation just because they are women. During the actual operation drill, they were ordered to get down. Not afraid of the stagnant water ahead, she still lay on the ground, training with the same intensity regardless of her gender, which undoubtedly impressed the other participants.

As the evening closed in, the beginner students and the returning students began to study and train alongside each other; although everyone looked tired, they all enjoyed the experience because the instructors would give the students varied training content in each instance. The training on the first day was not over yet!

At 18:00, the trainees unloaded all their equipment and had a delicious dinner, but at 19:00 the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training began, and students were required to be fully geared up again. At the beginning of the course, they must first understand the three stages of battlefield first aid and injury classification, etc. Next, each student must learn how to save/medic themselves and use the tourniquet (CAT GEN), and then learn how to fight in a hail of bullets, how to help rescue teammates, learn how to retreat, how to use the tools around you to evacuate the injured.

At about 21:00 in the evening, the day’s classes officially ended; all students returned to

the dormitories to discuss the day’s activities and learning outcomes with the instructors and teaching assistants. Instructor ‘Robbie’ especially wore his “INTERNATIONAL JUNGLE WARFARE INSTRUCTORS

COURSE 2010” T-shirt during the Tactical Battlefield Care (TCCC) course as well as sporting a tattoo of the logo of the joint exercise.

LEARNING THE MOUNTAIN

Breakfast was provided at 07:30 the next morning, and at 08:30 all the students were fully armed and gathered outdoors for the day’s training. Beginners and retraining students were mixed together, with the first comprehensive exercise beginning. After many drills in different situations, the final “Small Unit Tactics Operation-Comprehensive Exercise” began. During the movement of the troops, the instructors and teaching assistants gave instructions on different tasks; the commander then had to assign the students to perform the tasks throughout the process, and slowly start ascending up a mountain, the students taking precautions at each intersection, so that the large units could keep up with the progress throughout.

When they were about to reach the top of the mountain, the “imaginary” OPFOR ambushed the students, who then needed to break through and

push forward, first, sending a small team to reconnoitre the jungle. After confirming the area was safe, the larger units would be dispatched one by one, all acting as though there was an OPFOR in place, lying on the ground in different postures, so that the students could learn how to effectively observe.

One of the OPFOR deliberately placed a fake IED on his body; if a body search was not carried out thoroughly, it would be detonated (generating a sound), thus the body search skills were advanced rapidly! After studying for the whole day, the instructors suddenly gave another command; at present, the OPFOR was attacking, and all the students needed to retreat on alert. During the process, some students were designated as injured; their teammates then needed to cover them under simulated fire, and move the casualties to a safe area for treatment, after which the simulated casualties had to be supported by teammates all the way back to the starting point.

At this time, the brigade was cross-covering and walking slowly down the mountain; during the process, they had to remain vigilant at all times, and finally reached the starting point smoothly. All the students’ faces were filled with exhaustion, but they were also very satisfied with their own performance and learning outcomes.

“WHEN THEY WERE ABOUT TO REACH THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, THE “IMAGINARY” OPFOR AMBUSHED THE STUDENTS, WHO THEN NEEDED TO BREAK THROUGH AND PUSH FORWARD, FIRST, SENDING A SMALL TEAM TO RECONNOITRE THE JUNGLE. AFTER CONFIRMING THE AREA WAS SAFE, THE LARGER UNITS WOULD BE DISPATCHED ONE BY ONE, ALL ACTING AS THOUGH THERE WAS AN OPFOR IN PLACE”

During the two-day SUT course, I also encountered a lot of new knowledge, especially from the retraining students who said that they would learn different new aspects every time they came to the class, and the instructors also said that for different environments, terrain and students’ needs depending on the learning situation, there would be sudden inspiration and different course content would be given.

FRESH CONCEPTS, NEW KNOWLEDGE

Although the class schedule is predetermined, in every instance of teaching different cohorts different concepts will be provided for students to learn; after the comprehensive exercise, the trainees unloaded their equipment, began to have lunch, and exchanged experiences with each other. Later, in the official club, they published their AAR experience and shared their AAR experience with Commander Vic and Signal Corps Hsiao Hu Chen.

Talking with the designated participant commander Vic, he shared that “This time I participated in SUT for the second time, and I was designated as the commander! I was shocked! My partner was shocked too! Because there are still many things we are not familiar with, or perhaps did not understand, and were not sure of! In fact, I kept asking myself “Can I?”, because to be honest, everyone was still discussing just wanting to be a squad soldier the night before.

“Plans always fail to keep up with changes; even if the heart is full of anxiety, the responsibility still

has to be shouldered! But looking back now, this is actually a very good experience and learning opportunity; when you are willing to take the step to face the challenge, half of these difficulties will be solved immediately!

“From the very beginning of task distribution, combat planning, and situation handling, I asked myself to think, think, and think again, because the battlefield was changing rapidly, and it can be adjusted at any instant according to the time, place, and current situation, and the most important thing I think was intelligence feedback, team stagnation, unknown situations, and not allowing yourself become mentally clouded; the more information you have, the easier it is to think and judge the situation and issue more reasonable orders.

“FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF TASK DISTRIBUTION, COMBAT PLANNING, AND SITUATION HANDLING, I ASKED MYSELF TO THINK, THINK, AND THINK AGAIN, BECAUSE THE BATTLEFIELD WAS CHANGING RAPIDLY, AND IT CAN BE ADJUSTED AT ANY INSTANT ACCORDING TO THE TIME, PLACE, AND CURRENT SITUATION”

“Next, we must believe that the partners and team members below can actually execute the orders - if you are unsure, then just repeat the command and ask for execution! After all, every order given by the commander has a certain reason, and there is actually not much time left in the mission for everyone to question or discuss - review such things after the mission is done with!

“For example: this time during the ambush drill, from the initial order to the implementation, I only gave each team 5 minutes to execute the task from the task announcement - after receiving the order, how much time will the team leader have to give the order? Explain the ins and outs! So “focus” is very important! Using the simplest and minimal vocabulary and the shortest time to explain the clearest current situation and combat content, I think this is one of the subjects that a commander must learn.

“At the same time, as a commander, you must be decisive, because there is a lot of information on the battlefield, and the time to digest, analyse, decide, and think in a short period of time is likely to cause misjudgment. Therefore, even if the order is found to be inappropriate or may have problems, you can always use supplementary commands to make up for issues - don’t hesitate or repeat things, it will only make the situation worse!

“After the AAR, I felt that the instructor had a saying, “The most important thing for a leader is to be stable.” If you are not stable, the whole team will easily collapse, and it will be difficult to get back if you get flustered.

“Finally, I must thank the instructors for forcing me to grow up this time, and to the vice captains and fire team leaders as well as the communications

correspondents for their faith, cooperation and tolerance despite my own shortcomings during this exercise!”

Discussing with the Signal Corps correspondent: Hsiao Hu Chen - he added:

“On the first day, I was lucky enough to practise as a commanding officer, and compared to the previous exercise in Hualien, I had more time to observe some details when I served as a command and communication officer in the comprehensive exercise on the second day.

“There are two things that impressed me the most: the first one is that after the troops marched, because Team A encountered unarmed civilians, but was worried about them exposing their whereabouts, they asked Commander Yuxiu for instructions, and these were then relayed to Team B who changed their advancing route. There was only an instruction given to the captain of Team B, without explaining that Team A encountered civilians and could not move forward. I thought it would be all right to let the captain of team B know the instructions of the command, which can shorten the time spent communicating and effectively instruct the troops to act.

“However at this time, I was corrected by the instructor, who said: What is the reason? I didn’t think too much at the moment, just followed the instructor’s correction and explained the reason (Team A encountered unarmed civilians and was worried about exposing their whereabouts) to the captain of Team B. While the captain of Team B was conveying instructions one by one, the instructor asked another team member who was on guard: Do you know

what happened to Team A? The team member said he didn’t know, and then another team member informed him of the situation. After the instructions were fully conveyed, the troops took action again.

“It wasn’t until I left the training ground, when I recalled this incident, that I realised, what if Team A died for other reasons? Perhaps encountering large forces, vehicles, or minefields? At this time, the reason will have an impact on the priority of team B’s judgement of actions. Should they step up and get rid of the pursuers when they turn in, or be vigilant about specific situations? What’s more, it is to ensure that every team member can know the situation, so that if the captain who knows the situation is injured or killed, no team member has a clue about the current situation and can take over the command.

“Temporarily focused on efficiency and brevity, I omitted the reasoning, merely conveying the instructions, which may cause more serious consequences if you are not careful; think about it carefully, it is not just to convey the instructions of the captain, but also to ensure that everyone can understand the situation and know the mission and their expectations.

“The second event was the last encounter before the evacuation; two simulated casualties were designated on our team, and everything descended into chaos for a while, I kept thinking, what can and should be done at this time? Should team B be online to cover the wounded of team A to evacuate, or should team A be prepared to cover the wounded of team C?

“At this time, the commander made a very calm

judgement, which really surprised me - the uninjured people of Team C went to the rear to clear the route to ensure the evacuation route, and then gave the order to cover the evacuation of the wounded.

“If it were me, I might be obsessed with evacuating the wounded as soon as possible - as a result, the retreating group of people would not know where to retreat to exactly, causing even greater chaos. Both events left me thinking deeply on the way home - of the word “stable” written by the instructor on the blackboard - only when the basic principles are solid will you be stable, and you will not be disturbed by sudden events to cause greater chaos. Only after you are stable can you slowly get up.

“Thus I have a further understanding of the five principles emphasised by the indoor class instructors that cannot violate the five principles.

“Thanks to all the patient instructors and assistants, and the teammates who are willing to study and train together, to Vic for being the conductor of the comprehensive exercise, to Tseng Lee and Ming-Wei Lee who continued the AAR together when we were tired on the drive home.

“Thanks to NDET’s courses, everyone can become more refined step by step”

Many thanks to Anny for enduring her own trials and tribulations throughout NDET’s excellent weekend training to bring us her detailed and interesting recounting of events along with sharing the thoughts of the key participants and the outcomes…

Lots more of similar content to come, fellow shooters! AA

V-SHOW TOKYO!

ONCE AGAIN OUR FRIEND ‘TAMA’ (@FNWAIFU) WHO STUDIES AND PLAYS IN JAPAN REACHED OUT TO STEWBACCA WITH ANOTHER ARTICLE CHARTING HIS EXPERIENCES IN THE ORIGINAL HOME OF ALL THINGS AIRSOFT, AND NOW HE BRINGS US HIS STORY REGARDING THE RECENT V (FOR VICTORY)-SHOW IN TOKYO!

Japan is a country which for our dear readers has a huge impact in their lifestyle and is ever endearing in their hearts; Japan is the country that invented the game/sport of airsoft, they are the pioneers and one of the countries with the biggest fanbase of the hobby, even though they’re a country with a non-compliance rule on guns and harsh restrictions regarding extreme sports… nonetheless they are the founding fathers of airsoft!

Not only that, Japan is still one of the biggest contributors to the airsoft market, with companies such as Tokyo Marui (still being one of the biggest airsoft creators in and innovators in the world airsoft market) and our friends at Laylax being one of the biggest aftermarket parts-makers in the industry, among other wellrecognised names.

But other than airsoft being one of the potentially weird Japanese subcultures there’s also one more which also involves airsoft and military stuff; known

as “Military Otaku” or [ミリオタ (Miri-Ota, short for Military Otaku)] in Japanese, in other countries we like to call them military enthusiasts, re-enactors, or worst of all the Wehraboos. They’re the nerds versed in all military-related stuff, from history nerds, memorabilia collectors, airsoft re-enactors, LARPers, and the weirdest of all… making rule-36 comic books out of historical battles! If I were you, I’d never to touch that last part, you won’t come back from the rabbit hole! If you are already one of these people (like myself), there’s a perfect event to put on your to-do list when you’re coming to Japan; it’s called the V-SHOW!

V-SHOW is an event for all military otakus to gather and celebrate their hobby as military enthusiasts; the event is held in a convention room, usually in Tokyo Industrial Trade Center’s Hamamatsu meeting hall, which is located in Hamamatsucho in south central Tokyo. The venue is located in a very strategic area; with the event held in very close proximity to the city centre, just a

“JAPAN IS STILL ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTORS TO THE AIRSOFT MARKET, WITH COMPANIES SUCH AS TOKYO MARUI (STILL BEING ONE OF THE BIGGEST AIRSOFT CREATORS IN AND INNOVATORS IN THE WORLD AIRSOFT MARKET) AND OUR FRIENDS AT LAYLAX BEING ONE OF THE BIGGEST AFTERMARKET PARTS-MAKERS IN THE INDUSTRY, AMONG OTHER WELL-RECOGNISED NAMES”

6 minute train ride from the Tokyo station which is a hub station for most of the train routes in Tokyo. Sometimes the venue may be changed to the Tokyo

a tourist from the USA cosplaying as a 1990’s Japan Ground Self Defence Force member.

Industrial Trade Center Taito meeting hall, which is located in the Asakusa area, one of Tokyo’s tourist districts, and pretty close to another hub station, a 19 minute train ride from Tokyo station. As for when the event is held, there’s no specific set season or date, and even how long the event is going to be held for can differ each time; they have a tentative schedule, but they always hold an event every year, so we have to keep an ear to the ground to find out the exact time and place… they at least have a dedicated homepage for the event!

ENJOYING THE VIBE!

As for what the event entails, as I mentioned earlier, it’s mostly just military enthusiasts enjoying their hobbies, people who come to meet their reenactment groups, trade memorabilia, cosplay in their favorite army uniforms/camo, showing off their new memorabilia acquisitions, and much more. You can expect a lot of people cosplaying; on the day I went alone I met a group of Japanese LARPing as Soviet Army generals, a Hong Kong based visitor LARPing as a 1980’s Royal Hong Kong Police constable, and

There are also a lot of stalls selling military goods and military memorabilia; you can expect everything from Yugoslavian steel helmets, brand new Crye plate carriers, even deactivated WW2 Soviet PPSH41 SMGs, and all is available for you to buy and collect readily, as I myself did at last year’s V-show,; treating myself to a South African Self Defense force field shirt. Some of the stalls in the event sell these kinds of things just for fun; they don’t sell anywhere except during the event itself. One of the stall-holders who makes highquality parody anime and replica US Federal agent patches said that they made the patches just for their own amusement; they won’t sell them to stores or even online marketplaces, they’re just enjoying making their patches and selling them to participants for a reasonable price!

AIRSOFT AT V-SHOW

If LARPing and collecting military stuff is not your preference, and you only like airsoft, worry not; there’s a lot of airsoft specific stalls, from companies, groups, aftermarket makers, game fields, shops, garage engineers, and airsoft influencers.

During this year’s V-SHOW there was a significant presence of airsoft companies making themselves prominent, especially non-Japanese airsoft gunmakers taking a the chance to present their products at the show. Baton Trading, a company that is famous for bringing CO2 guns made in Taiwan to Japan (they’re the biggest of the CO2 guns seller in Japan) were showing guns that will be on sale in Japan in the near future; their new 1911’s style pistols and their long awaited AR15 style CO2 rifle… in fact the first CO2 powered AR15 style gun which is going to meet the requirements of Japanese airsoft regulators.

There’s also a presence of the new up and coming

“THERE’S ALSO A PRESENCE OF THE NEW UP AND COMING AIRSOFT MANUFACTURERS; E&L AND ARCTURUS HAD A PRESENCE AT THE V-SHOW, GIVING JAPANESE AIRSOFT PLAYERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEIR NEW AND EXCITING PRODUCTS WHICH INCLUDED THEIR BRAND NEW ZENITCO PP-19 VITYAZ”

airsoft manufacturers; E&L and Arcturus had a presence at the V-SHOW, giving Japanese airsoft players an opportunity to see their new and exciting products which included their brand new Zenitco PP-19 Vityaz, which at the time of the event, wasn’t yet being sold openly in Japan. They also partnered up with a couple of airsoft accessories brands to introduce Japan to the hot new red dot sight from Novus and (literally) smoking brand-new smoke tracer units. But it’s not only about the brand-new stuff, they were also selling high-quality internal components and furniture parts that are hard to source in Japan. Not only were the usual gun makers on offer, but for the first time an airsoft field opened a stall at the V-SHOW (and a Speedsoft field at that!), by the name of Bravepoint they’re a huge airsoft-field chain-company that have three fields in the Kanto area alone, with many others further afield. They’re mainly a speedsoft-oriented indoor field operator, and seeing them in a military enthusiast event seemed

somewhat out of place. But after speaking at length to their staff, they just eagerly want more people to play in their fields, not only speedsofters, but military enthusiasts that will bring four duffel bags of gear to an airsoft game!

They even have a ‘gacha game’ where you can win a gun as a prize; despite my hopes of taking home a new gun, I went home with a very cool armband instead. They were also giving out discount tickets for anyone who came to their booth, a good marketing strategy to capture the otaku market!

There is also far more fun stuff to see in the V-SHOW in Japan, too much to touch on in detail in this article, but things like a JGSDF recruiting booth, competition shooting, a 3D printing airsoft booth, re-enactors booth, and much more. If you’re visiting Japan, you’re a military/history enthusiast, stopping by in Tokyo, and would like to know more about this bizarre Japanese subculture this might be a good event to put into your schedule; every year they have different stuff on display, so you might end up finding a hidden gem or make some new Japanese friends.

For more information on the event, just google Vシ ョー or indeed just Tokyo Victory Show and it’ll lead to the homepage, there’ll be schedule of the show, information about the venue, although do be mindful that it will all be written in Japanese!

I hope you guys come to Japan and have fun at the V-show in future, but for now this is Tama signing out until next time! AA

TADTE: THE TAIWAN DEFENCE EXPO!

WHILE AA’S MAIN FOCUS OBVIOUSLY CENTRES AROUND THE SPECIFICS OF THE AIRSOFT INDUSTRY AND RELATED GAMING OR TRAINING OFFSHOOT ACTIVITIES, WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY COMES ALONG TO BLEND SUCH EVENTS WITH REAL STEEL FIREARMS AND SYSTEMS WITH MORE OF A… PHYSICAL PRESENCE… WE CAN HARDLY BE BLAMED FOR DIPPING OUR TOES IN! WHILE SHOT AND IWA ARE WELLKNOWN IN THE US AND EUROPE, STEWBACCA GOT TO TAKE IN THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF TAIWAN’S RETURNING BI-ANNUAL DEFENCE EXPO, WITH AN INCREASING PRESENCE OF AIRSOFT AND RELATED TRAINING SYSTEMS TO TAKE STOCK OF, AS WELL AS THE ‘BIG BOYS TOYS’ IN THE FORM OF THE LATEST NATIONAL SERVICE WEAPONS, UNMANNED VEHICLES IN THE AIR, SEA AND ON LAND, AND A WHOLE LOT MORE COOLNESS!

Obviously, I put my focus on the likes of MOA show and other such airsoft-specific shows and events here in Taiwan, I’m still at heart a colossal engineering and military technology nerd in all forms, and especially given our present situation here and that of the wider world ticking along in the back of my mind, I keep a keen touch on the pulse of local and wider geopolitics, defence situations and technologies, and I’m duly impressed by the local Taiwanese defence industrial complex and the local Ministry of National Defence’s increasing reliance on domestically developed land, air, sea and infantry systems to ensure ‘them uns across the strait’ keep their distance, for now, at least.

The biannual TADTE (Taiwan Aerospace & Defence Technology Exhibition) was back for 2023 with a reasonable turnout of local and international industry names showing off their wares on the sharp end of defence systems; with a heavy emphasis on drones (one wonders why, eh?), particularly locally made unmanned helicopter, surface and submersible systems, as well as an impressive centrepiece homegrown answer to the US’ MQ9 Reaper on display behind a red tape cordon, further stalls encompassed an entire section on local manufacturing capabilities and materials (oh look, more things to geek out on

for me!) as well as VR training simulator systems for everything from small arms training, drone piloting, land vehicle operation and even a couple of full on flight simulators with the usual enviably accurate cockpit layouts… they didn’t let me have a go on those, sadly…

AIRSOFT DEFENCE

Along with the sharp end of things, this year’s show had an entire section dedicated to Taiwan’s flourishing airsoft replica firearm and training weapon systems, with many of the familiar names showing off their latest offerings, as well as some from further afield giving people a first-hand look at what’s up and coming in the industry. The Taiwan Airsoft & Airgun Association (TWAAA) had a large-floor-plan booth encompassing an array of manufacturer’s samples under one banner, with VFC, LCT, ICS, KJW, Modify, Marksman, Kizuna works, and Northeast’s products adorning the racks enclosed in glass cases. These were mostly in a ‘look but don’t touch’ setup for the public day on the Saturday the 16th of September, but they also had a practise firing range tent setup as a satellite unit of their main exhibit.

G&G had their own individual setup showcasing

“THE BIANNUAL TADTE (TAIWAN AEROSPACE & DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION) WAS BACK FOR 2023 WITH A REASONABLE TURNOUT OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NAMES SHOWING OFF THEIR WARES ON THE SHARP END OF DEFENCE SYSTEMS; WITH A HEAVY EMPHASIS ON DRONES (ONE WONDERS WHY, EH?)”

their latest Taiwanese military service rifle-themed replicas among other more established of their platforms, as well as their latest generation electronic training target system in a decent-sized enclosed booth which of course many of my friends and eventually I had to avail ourselves of; Rick was good enough to budge me to the front of the queue and take some stellar pictures of me during my gas blowback pistol run… ah the benefits of fame, or is it notoriety?

These systems are definitely both great fun to use as well as extremely useful for developing your skill, accuracy, speed, reaction times and situational awareness, and I look forward to seeing what they have on offer for the G&G CQB world cup in a month or so’s time as well when Bill, Anny and I will be there covering the event! Suffice to say alongside the folding assault rifle (FAR556) which Bill already reviewed in depth in a previous issue, they also have a very interesting new system which basically enables the end user to hot swap between AEG & GBBR operating systems in the same ‘shell’ or base gun, with a drop in blowback engine that replaces the standard gearbox, and interchangeable AEG and GBBR magazines to suit… a very exciting development to my mind!

Archwick had their latest licensed B&T Air products on display sharing a stand with their friends ‘Flexible’ a local tactical gear solutions provider while a short hop away their real steel B&T counterparts were being profusely and mercilessly manhandled by the masses… much to the chagrin of their poor representative Ridley who apparently had to yell at members of the public all Saturday for getting it all wrong and emphatically putting magazines in the wrong way round while muzzle sweeping the entire local population… folks here don’t get to handle real guns that often, outside of national service, evidently…

PAF Airsoft also had a booth showcasing their latest heavy weapons systems with a variety of their M2HB Browning machine guns in AEG/GBB/HPA arrangements, as well as their Mk18 rotary lobe grenade launcher and the near complete AGS17 Russian grenade machine gun, but of particular interest to many was their announcement of not only a brass catching attachment that snaps onto AR service rifles to provide a very hard wearing solution to collect all your empty casings neatly during live fire training, but also their foray into GBB pistols with their prototype T75K3 pistol. This is a more ergonomicallyprofiled derivative of the venerable Beretta M92F

“ALONG WITH THE SHARP END OF THINGS, THIS YEAR’S SHOW HAD AN ENTIRE SECTION DEDICATED TO TAIWAN’S FLOURISHING AIRSOFT REPLICA FIREARM AND TRAINING WEAPON SYSTEMS, WITH MANY OF THE FAMILIAR NAMES SHOWING OFF THEIR LATEST OFFERINGS”

made under licence by Taiwan’s own small arms armouries, which you’re likely to see in the holsters of the ladies and gents on the sharp end over here.

As well as the typical 6mm fare, Umarex also had a stand on site with their latest T4ETraining 4 Engagement rubber/paintball

11mm force on force systems which they were exceptionally accommodating with letting me get hands on with! I am a particular fan of Walther pistols, being not only a shameless James Bond fanatic, but also with Nottingham police having carried the P990 (double action only P99 variant) and the local Taiwanese police carrying the PPQ NPA variant which has become somewhat my default sidearm since purchasing it. I have been eagerly awaiting a chance to try out the handling of the latest PDP offering and the ergonomics are only getting better with each new iteration; it fills hands of all sizes unbelievably comfortably and just handles and points exceptionally well. I can’t wait to see if VFC add it to their licensed Walther line along with the aforementioned PPQ

NPA/M2/M3 variants and their upcoming PPK GBB to help round off my family of them. They also let me manhandle some of their shotgun and revolver training systems while I was perusing their wares, so many thanks to them for the guided product tour!

THE REAL DEAL

Alongside the lead and plastic throwing devices there was a reasonable showing of those intended to catch or deflect them, and our latest addition to the Airsoft Action Legion ‘Military Anny’ spent three days working the booth of Kuni Applied Materials (KAM) TACT, a local outfit that some of team Taiji work with/for regularly and who provide locally-manufactured eyepro solutions that will match or outclass the best the west has to offer. With their

“G&G HAD THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL SETUP SHOWCASING THEIR LATEST TAIWANESE MILITARY SERVICE RIFLE-THEMED REPLICAS AMONG OTHER MORE ESTABLISHED OF THEIR PLATFORMS, AS WELL AS THEIR LATEST GENERATION ELECTRONIC TRAINING TARGET SYSTEM IN A DECENT-SIZED ENCLOSED BOOTH”

ballistic glasses being tested and rated extensively to stop even real steel rounds in their tracks, the likes of airsoft users are more than protected, but their expertise also extends to moulded or machined solutions for more advanced military applications, and

guess I might have to just go the whole hog and get citizenship eh?

Other outfits such as HTTI were also on site displaying their own ballistic armour solutions, ranging from stand-alone ceramic or HDPE plates of various sizes to suit end user’s plate carriers of choice to even more tailored solutions for concealed protection within children’s backpack and even an exceptionally dapper looking waistcoat I was most interested in… “and the lining; Mr Wick?”...’Tactical’.

Further to the front end of the show Anny was good enough to drop off her own booth duties for a few minutes to introduce me to Mr Ding and his wife over at the UTG booth; based in Zhunan just south of Zhubei where I spent my first two years in country, they are a domestic manufacturer who also have extensive

like many others they appear to be shifting towards providing full on ballistic armour plates.

Aside from greeting visitors and giving them the rundown of the latest products and from KAM TACT and their technical aspects, Anny also got up on stage for a 20 minute presentation regarding her local military-themed tourism in the outlying extremities of Taiwan, on the very frontline of the defence establishment’s facilities facing off against the PRC/ PLA forces a stone’s throw from the mainland on the islands of Kinmen and Dongying places with entire defence controlled zones where foreigners like myself are unfortunately not allowed to enter… I

“ARCHWICK HAD THEIR LATEST LICENSED B&T AIR PRODUCTS ON DISPLAY SHARING A STAND WITH THEIR FRIENDS ‘FLEXIBLE’ A LOCAL TACTICAL GEAR SOLUTIONS PROVIDER WHILE A SHORT HOP AWAY THEIR REAL STEEL B&T COUNTERPARTS WERE BEING PROFUSELY AND MERCILESSLY MANHANDLED BY THE MASSES”

facilities and interests in the US, producing rail interface components, bipods, stocks, iron sights, scope mounts and optical sights from micro red dot solutions for pistols as well as exceptionally clear telescopic sights for hunting and police or military applications, and even pistol mounted lights with some very intuitive ambidextrous control systems compared to some other pistol lights I’ve used before. This will be a meeting we will follow up on for further insight at a later date to check out all their fabulouslooking accessories and optics!

Later in the day we had the pleasure of bumping into Clarence Lai and his lovely other half Katherine, and we proceeded to check out the latest CZ Shadow 2 variants together, with the orange model sporting a fixed barrel with M1911 style front bushing disassembly system like its real steel counterpart for improved durability and accuracy. I’m also keen to see

hybrid system which began with the T65 and the present T91 service rifles, and the T112 if and when it is officially adopted will roll out a lot more modern features especially in terms of providing the somewhat ubiquitous extruded lightweight M-LOK front handguard system common on most AR offerings; similarly there were sniper rifle system prototypes from 308 all the way up to 50 cal monsters on display and even the Taiwanese equivalent of a SAT (Small Arms Trainer) with a few bays laid out facing the usual TV screen setup and gas blowback replicas with laser devices built in to allow a very cool video game training kind of scenario… if I’d known the show was going to be this interesting I would have taken the Thursday off work instead and gone on media and industry day to actually have a chance of getting hands on with all these things, but as it was the queues of the public were literally hours long so I eschewed those experiences to walk the floor and meet people more… Next time…

After a full day on my feet only breaking to grab lunch with some of my Team Taiji teammates off the KAM TACT stand, the fatigue and knee/foot ache was starting to set in. We watched as 1700 eventually rolled around and the show came to a close and I helped out breaking down the KAM TACT stand with Anny and the guys before we said our goodbyes and made our separate ways home, hunting for our dinner on the way.

if they bring out a TS2 version of the GBB platform at some point. At this point there’s so little left of my original Shadow 2 that I’ve taken to calling it a CLPD instead of a KJWorks, so many thanks as always for the good man taking on my ideas and comments and giving me all the shiny upgrade components to let me be his crash test dummy!

FULL ON MILSPEC!

Opposite the airsoft displays were the Space and Military enclosures, with KAM TACT’s stand facing across a mockup of an ICBM style launch system and satellite marking the entrance to the various space solutions providers. Further around to the front end of the show the military enclosure had a vast array of current or upcoming land vehicles, missiles, missile launch systems, aircraft mockups as well as simulators, and even a corner dedicated to the latest small arms.

the XT112 is the latest iteration of the AR15/18

Ricky the boss man of KAM TACT was good enough to provide me with some product samples of the same eyepro system Anny and some of our team already make use of, so once I get some fresh prescription inserts made up at the local opticians I can start running those and compare them to the ESS ICE/Crossbows I’ve defaulted to since 2008; at the very least they’re doing great work to provide excellent protective solutions which are no less effective despite being more economical and accessible to the local player base and their budgets compared to imported US made solutions.

In retrospect in 2025 I’ll definitely set myself up for the weekday schedule and make use of the press pass I applied for but ended up not using as the Saturday was open to the public anyway; a lot of exhibitors had even emptied their stands out due to the expense and inaccessibility to the public of some of the products to they were demonstrating. Unfortunately I’d had to plan my time off work months in advance and a lot of the industry exhibitors didn’t confirm their participation until much closer to the expo time, but next time I’ll embrace “all the P’s” and be fully ready!

AA

LONG SHOT!

BACK IN ISSUE 145 BILL INTRODUCED US TO THE M110K1 GBBR, AND EVEN THOUGH HE LOVED IT WHEN IT FIRST ARRIVED WITH HIM FROM HIS OLD AND TRUSTED FRIEND RAY AT VFC BUT, NOW THAT A YEAR HAS ALMOST PASSED SINCE ITS ARRIVAL, DOES HE FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THIS PREMIUM RIFLE? YOU’D BETTER BELIEVE HE DOES!

Since I first wrote my initial review of the M110K1 GBBR I’ve been living with this stunning rifle for nearly a year, and I still adore it just as much as I did when I first laid hands on it… of not more! Throughout my long and somewhat undistinguished “airsoft career” there have been many AEGs and GBBs that I’ve thought “this one’s a keeper” that have inevitably left my hands, I hope into those of someone that has appreciated them, and had a lot of fun with them just as I did!

However, as I find myself sadly playing less due to both my long climb back to fitness, and now the fact that I’m more “office bound” due the demands of running the editorial and business side of AA my thoughts have, also inevitably, turned to how I can still enjoy my airsoft and continue to do so in years to come (many of them I hope again!). I have always said that I am not a competitive shooter although I have the greatest of respect for those who are, and if my skirmish days are winding down then how can I still get my “fix” of a game/ sport/hobby/love that has become such an integral part of my life?

The truth is that I spend a lot of time on the range out in the woods, and I love the time I get to spend with so many airsoft platforms there! I’m on the range at least one day a week testing, and then often again at the weekend just shooting… and it’s the shooting part that I have always loved, and still do to this day, and one of the things I like shooting most these days is semi-auto gas rifles. Some say that a gas rifle isn’t really a skirmish tool, and in many ways I’d have to

agree, though I’ve always been a believer in the fact that a really properly set up gas platform can hold its own on a skirmish day if your accuracy and range are nailed in, and nowhere is this more true than when it comes to a DMR, our “theme” for this month.

So, as much as I just simply enjoy owning the M110K1 and shooting it regularly (a lot in fact!)

I still look at it as a potential “game tool”; I’ve played enough airsoft over the years to know when something is intrinsically good, and how it could be applied in-game to great effect. I’ve watched countless training videos that show where a well-setsemi can be devastating, and many of my real-steel shooting friends, like me, love a heavy-calibre rifle. Okay, my M110K1 will always be 6mm so most of the logic behind having a big-bore-battle-rifle doesn’t apply, but the fact is that there are ways that it can still be a positive rather than a negative when it comes around to skirmish day.

When I look at M110K1 I still find it a thing of absolute “firearms” beauty, a creation of polymers and metal that creates a joyous while and as I also said in my initial review I love what an elegant rifle it it is! It’s slimline and of a good length (900/980mm with the CRANE-style stock) and weight (3090g) so it feels that although you have an “Enhanced Combat Carbine” it’s one that feels like it is tailor-made to be thrown round the range running dynamic drills as well as in-game! Manipulations are easy and smooth, and I just feel right at home behind this rifle.

PERFORMANCE ORIENTED

VFC have honestly continued to refine their internal operating system to get the very best performance

“SO, AS MUCH AS I JUST SIMPLY ENJOY OWNING THE M110K1 AND SHOOTING IT REGULARLY (A LOT IN FACT!) I STILL LOOK AT IT AS A POTENTIAL “GAME TOOL”; I’VE PLAYED ENOUGH AIRSOFT OVER THE YEARS TO KNOW WHEN SOMETHING IS INTRINSICALLY GOOD, AND HOW IT COULD BE APPLIED IN-GAME TO GREAT EFFECT”

currently possible from their airsoft platforms, and the new-at-the-time GBBR fire control system has worked flawlessly since I received the rifle; to recap, this includes steel controls, an anti-damage hammer to enhance durability, and the bolt also has an added-steel anti-impact Bolt Carrier Reinforcing Block and High Ductility Plastic Nozzle Set to increase performance and lifespan. The M110K1 also features the latest VFC “GuideHOP” which allows you to adjust the hop up using an Allen key directly on the gas block.

About “feeding the beast” for a moment; when I initially took the rifle to my usual 30m woodland range to chrono and test, in terms of power I got a consistent 1.86 Joule/449fps on .20g VORSKs using V6 gas and this has stayed constant to date, illustrating what a great job VFC did in the first place with the quality and durability of the OS.

With .30g the accuracy was, and is, stunning at that range, and moving up to .40g… well, as I said at the time “Oh my! Yup, at 30m the K1 was hopping .40g flat and true…”. Now as much as I usually use a .30g in my DMRs I’ve upped this for the M110K1 to full-time .40g, at least for the woods, and I’m using it there with Vorsk V12 Fuel! It’s right on the legal limit for the UK set up like this and I wouldn’t dream of running the same consumables in-game even if I could somehow get it to pass chrono, but when it comes to ringing steels at up to 70-80m the extra “oomph” really makes the VFC gasser a dream to use, and the big old mass of the BCG cycling is an absolute joy to behold… and listen to… the GuideHOP just works perfectly still too!

I’ve also kept it set up with the original accessory parts from NUPROL, a “kill-flashed” NP OPTICS

3-9X50 IR sight (the same one I talk about in our optics article this month) on a TACTICAL SCOPE

MOUNT with a 45 degree-mounted NP MICRO RDS as a back-up (yeah baby, nearly useless but oh, so cool to look at!), a Harris-style bipod, an NPQ15 LIGHT/LASER BOX, and a VIPER RWO POINT V-CAM sling to round everything out. This is how I set it up for our photoshoot with Josh at KRIOS and I’ve yet to see a reason to change an accessory setup that works well, even at night.

I concluded in my review that “with the looks and

performance available in one GBB platform I’m kind of wondering where VFC will go next, as they seem to have everything pretty darn nailed right now in my opinion. The M110K1 is, again my opinion based on my experience with many GBBR platforms, as good as it gets when it comes to an out-of-the-box gas DMR and I shall be hanging it proudly next to my VFC Mk18 CQBR when I redo my office gun wall.”

And yes, that is where it lives to this day, and will continue to reside until the day comes that my wife “sells it for the amount I said I paid for it” (oh hell, there it is!). It is probably the last DMR that I will wish to own, and if it is indeed my final gas-driven airsoft “battle rifle” then I’m pretty happy with that fact as it’s a truly excellent one.

I hope though that my friends at VegaForceCompany keep upping the stakes in quality of replication with their ever-growing portfolio of licences, and that they continue to push the edge of the envelope when it comes to performance boundaries! As I’m off to Taiwan at the end of this month for the G&G CQB World Cup, one thing that will be high on my shopping list for my time after the event is securing myself a few more magazines for the M110K1 and then getting down to some even more serious rangework when I get home… and who know, perhaps when I’ve got a full complement this may still be the rifle that persuades me I need to get out and in-game, taking those long shots all over again!

As always my sincere thanks go to Ray and the righteous team at www.vegaforce.com for providing the M110K1 for me… it’s an absolute beauty! AA

“VFC HAVE HONESTLY CONTINUED TO REFINE THEIR INTERNAL OPERATING SYSTEM TO GET THE VERY BEST PERFORMANCE CURRENTLY POSSIBLE FROM THEIR AIRSOFT PLATFORMS, AND THE NEW-AT-THE-TIME GBBR FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM HAS WORKED FLAWLESSLY SINCE I RECEIVED THE RIFLE”

“…THAT IS WHERE IT LIVES TO THIS DAY, AND WILL CONTINUE TO RESIDE UNTIL THE DAY COMES THAT MY WIFE “SELLS IT FOR THE AMOUNT I SAID I PAID FOR IT” (OH HELL, THERE IT IS!). IT IS PROBABLY THE LAST DMR THAT I WILL WISH TO OWN, AND IF IT IS INDEED MY FINAL GAS-DRIVEN AIRSOFT “BATTLE RIFLE” THEN I’M PRETTY HAPPY WITH THAT FACT AS IT’S A TRULY EXCELLENT ONE”