Airsoft Action - May 2017

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UK AIRSOFT EXCLUSIVE IWA 2017 – FULL REPORT

ARMOURY

G&G PDW 15 HONEY BADGER S&T STERLING SMG CYBERGUN SIG 226 X FIVE MARUI M93R AEP

EVENTS

GUMAN COLD WAR BELGIUM OPEN ACTION AIR

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MAY 2017

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AIRSOFT ACTION

UK AIRSOFT EXCLUSIVE IWA 2017 – FULL REPORT

ARMOURY:: G&G PDW 15 HONEY BADGER

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ARMOURY

G&G PDW 15 HONEY BADGER S&T STERLING SMG CYBERGUN SIG 226 X FIVE MARUI M93R AEP

EVENTS

GUMAN COLD WAR BELGIUM OPEN ACTION AIR

GEAR

MAY 2017

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R EA L S T EEL

GIVE IT TO A GEEK

DIGITAL AIRSOFT DESIGN

CARIBBEAN AIRSOFT

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C O M BAT S O U T H

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WAR ZONE

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9 772047 348032

INTERNATIONAL

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WARRIORS

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ARMOURY: CYBERGUN SIG 226 X FIVE

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

Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL Tel: 01684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.online ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2017 Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800 Copyright © Calibre Publishing Limited 2017. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the publisher in writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to print.

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EVENT: IWA 2017

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GITAG: DIGITAL SITE: COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND AIRSOFT DESIGN

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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 editor (nige@airsoft-action.co.uk), write to us at the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

KIT: AIMCAM VIDEO GLASSES

MILSIM: WARZONE 2017

CONTENTS MARCH MAY 2014 2017

CONTENTS MAY 2017 6

NEWS

10 HOW TO AIRSOFT Airsoft Action’s new exclusive cartoon.

11 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos of Airsoft Action readers.

12 ARMOURY: G&G PDW 15 HONEY BADGER Robert Ruark described the Honey Badger as “the meanest animal in the world” but Scott Allen asks “Does the new G&G Honey Badger give a sh*t or is it a caring lovable beast that we all suspect?”

16 ARMOURY: S&T STERLING SMG Jerry Noone gets his hands on an absolutely classic AEG in the form of the S&T Sterling and overall is very pleased with what he finds!

20 ARMOURY: CYBERGUN SIG 226 X FIVE Cybergun is a name we don’t hear much of these days but now they seem to be making their way back.

Scott Allen takes a look at one of their latest offerings, the venerable “226”.

24 EVENT: GUNMAN COLD WAR Gadge Harvey re-immerses himself in Gunman Airsoft’s continuing Cold War series, as the fight reaches the shores of Britain.

30 INSIDE AIRSOFT: TACTREE Les Lee goes inside a company that is fairly new to airsoft but that he has known for quite a while.

34 EVENT: IWA 2017 Bill Thomas reports back on a show where there was lots to see and where your favourite airsoft magazine was recognised for its ongoing excellence!

40 FEATURE: AIRSOFT GUN DESIGN Having read Gadges’ review of the CSI XR-5, Frenchie got to thinking about how the design of real weapons has restricted the development of airsoft guns.

46 LUL: HELIKON-TEX NEW LINES Bill Thomas bringS everyone up to speed with new footwear, clothing and equipment seen at IWA, starting with an overview of this year’s update from Helikon-Tex. 51 INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT: ARUBA in February players from a number of different countries descended on the island paradise of Aruba for a very special game indeed.

54 PRACTICAL SHOOTING: BELGIUM OPEN 2017 Following his visit to the Dutch Open last year, Nige travelled to Brussels to cover the first ever Belgium Action Air Open.

58 SITE: COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND Airsoft Action’s very own version of Kate Adie, Les Lee, heads of to the wild woodlands just outside Portsmouth to visit a well-established airsoft site.

62 REAL STEEL: THE SA80 FAMILY In the second of his new series, Gadge takes a look at a British rifle that is either loved or hated by those that have experienced their use.

64 GITAG: DIGITAL AIRSOFT DESIGN Jerry Noone was lucky enough to speak to a very talented individual who is bringing the worlds of art and airsoft together.

68 KIT: AIMCAM VIDEO GLASSES The World’s very first line of sight sports action camera has landed. But why should you pick AimCam over all the GoPro, Contour and various other camera systems? Read on to find out, as Scott Allen explains...

70 FEATURE: BUYING SECOND HAND Frenchie turns a spotlight on second hand sales and what to look out for before parting with your heardearned money.

74 WARRIORS: BRITISH UN PEACEKEEPER In this issue’s “Warriors”, Gadge focusses on the World’s attempt to prevent another global conflict and the British soldiers that were part of that effort at the end of the last century.

78 SURVIVAL: RATPACK Paul Yelland cooks up some advice on what to eat when out on exercise, be it real or airsoft.

80 MILSIM: WARZONE 2017 Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick had her first taste of MilSim at an event run by Warzone, at Sennybridge. Here she talks to the man behind the event to find out what makes Warzone tick.

82 ARMOURY: TM M93R AEP Airsoft Action’s French Contributor, Diane Montagnier, takes a close look at Marui’s AEP version of this classic pistol.

84 GEAR: BATTLE BELTS - PART ONE Andy Nightingale writes about an item that has been around for a while and is steadily gaining in popularity as loads increase.

87 IT’S A CLASSIC: JUNGLE BOOTS Gadge Harvey continues his “Classic” series with a look at the well-known and much loved Jungle Boot.

88 FAMOUS RAIDS: OPERATION MERCURY In this first of two parts, Billy Basics brings us a raid that became a landmark in the history of airborne warfare and invasion.

92 SITE DIRECTORY & PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUBS Looking for a skirmish site, or your local Airsoft Practical Pistol Club?

Then we may have the answer, with over four pages of sites and clubs throughout the UK. 98 DEALER LISTING: AIRSOFT ACTION’S ADVERTISER INDEX Find who you are looking for in our listing of all the adverts that appear in this issue.

s w e N t f o s Air

AIRSOFT EXPERIENCE 2017 6,250m of PURE Airsoft 2

FOLLOWING THE hugely successful first year, and after a very busy year planning the Northern Shooting Show we are delighted to announce that the finishing touches are now in place for the 2017 show. The show will be held over the weekend of the 6th and 7th of May, and as before, will be at the Yorkshire Event Centre just off the A1 to the East of Harrogate.

6,250 square metres purely dedicated to Airsoft! Last year’s area was a big hit and introduced Airsoft to the wider real steel community. We have leading manufacturers, distributors and retailers of all Airsoft equipment and specialist clothing confirmed in attending, along with having plenty of opportunities to ‘have a go’ and enter competitions on our interactive ranges.

Exhibitors so far include: ASG, Airsoft Sniper Parts, Airsoft Action, GF Corp, Elite Shooting, Fubar Bundy, Halo Mill, iwholesales, MR Military, Nuprol, UKPSA and Tippman sports.

More will be officially added shortly.

For your ‘Early Bird’ £10 day ticket show organisers promise visitors will certainly

get their money’s worth! Visitors will also have access to the rest of the show where we have 260 shooting related exhibitors attending. Specialist focus areas at the show like: Rifle ‘FMJ’ Zone, see all the latest tactical and target rifle manufacturers, distributors and retailers with a great choice of all the latest specialist kit to hit the market.

See all the latest ‘REAL STEEL’ firearms from .22 ‘Tactical Semi-Autos’ to .50 Cal plus all the latest tactical clothing.

Clubs, Societies and Associations will be on hand to answer any questions and provide information to anyone looking to get into the sport of shooting.

‘Have a go’ on our outdoor pistol, archery, clayshooting, airgun and .22 LIVE rimfire semi auto range – open to everyone!

All in all this is a show not to miss!

For more information and to take advantage of the ‘early bird’ ticket offers please go to: www.northernshootingshow.co.uk

‘ Operation Newlife’ to help disabled and terminally ill children in Scotland The Scottish Airsoft Centre in Shotts, Lanarkshire, is hosting a special charity event – Operation Newlife – on Sunday 9 April to help disabled and terminally ill children in Scotland.

The event is being organised by Michael Mertins from West Coast Airsoft, as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children which has supported his four-year-old son Liam, who has an undiagnosed condition resulting in severely limited mobility, seizures and developmental delay.

Newlife has provided Liam with special needs car seats and seating for the home, as well as loans of ‘pods’ of sensory toys designed to stimulate senses and help children be comforted and distracted from pain through play.

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Michael said: “Newlife has been very supportive of Liam and this is an opportunity to give something back. The airsoft day promises to be a big event – we are looking to attract between 70 and 80 players. The Scottish Airsoft Centre is an old Ministry of Defence site; there are compounds, buildings and different terrains over 80 acres so everyone taking part will have loads of fun and be doing something good to help others at the same time.”

The ‘green fee’ for the day is £20 – with £10 of this going to Newlife. Anyone wanting to take part who doesn’t have their own equipment can hire this for an additional charge of £20.

In addition, a local chef is providing catering on-site, with all profits going to Newlife, and a charity raffle will further boost funds.

Michael said: “I am hoping to raise around £1,000 for Newlife in total, and all of the money will be used to buy essential equipment for disabled and terminally ill children in Scotland.”

Anyone interested in taking part in the charity event can contact Michael at West Coast Airsoft, Stevenston Industrial Estate, Stevenston, North Ayrshire, call 01294 604852, email westcoastairsoft@outlook.com or go to www.facebook.com/wcairsoft.

For more information about how Newlife supports children in your area, go to: www.newlifecharity.co.uk/local and click on the County Map.

Airsoft News

ACTIONSPORTGAMES JOIN FORCES WITH ICS AIRSOFT DANISH AIRSOFT COMPANY, ActionSportGames A/S (ASG), has announced a distribution partnership with Taiwanese manufacturer, ICS Airsoft. The announcement comes following this year’s IWA Outdoor Classics trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany.

From March 2017 A56 will distribute ICS Airsoft products throughout Europe, with exclusivity in six countries; Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Poland.

ASG CEO, Mr. Johnny Pedersen: “ICS is a company with a long heritage – 30 years in the Airsoft manufacturing business, and like us they are always looking to push the boundaries of Airsoft Innovation.

ICS Airsoft is well known for their MP5 models and ‘split—gearbox system’. Combined with our range of unique and licensed products, like the CZ EVO 3 A1, the CZ 805 Bren along with the Accuracy International .308 and the Steyr AUG models, it seemed only natural for us to join forces with a company as experienced as ICS Airsoft”.

Background: ActionSportGames is a worldwide leader in the business of replica firearms and accessories manufacturing – including Airsoft guns, Airguns, C02 guns and firearms replicas.

A56 specializes in 1:1 scale replica guns and accessories for fun, action, sports, entertainment and collection.

The assortment consists mainly of licensed models and exclusive subbrands of ActionSportGames.

For more information contact: ActionSportGames AIS Bjergvangen 1 3060 Espergaerde Denmark Tel: +45 89 28 18 88 www.actionsportgames.com

Rype Village Rype Village is one of the most sought after sites for airsoft in the UK. Due to the cost of using it, it is unlikely that many airsoft days will be taking place there. Don’t panic though as GOC’s Airsoft are bringing plastic warfare back to the iconic site on the South Coast at the end of April!

It’s been a long time since they have had airsoft on the streets of Lydd but now you’ll get the chance to use the same site that thousands of troops have been trained on. The event will be a battlesim style event with limited ammo utilising a multi mission format, consisting of a mix of time sensitive, ongoing and team specific objectives running nonstop.

Full rules and regulations are available from our Facebook page @gocsairsoft and a discussion group has been set up to keep you informed.

Alternatively you can email events@gocsairsoft.co.uk for full details.

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Airsoft News Joint Status Report no. 3 from ActionSportGames A/S (ASG) and Cybergun regarding the proposal for amendments of the EU firearms directive: As informed in our first and second Joint Status Reports The European Commission released a proposal for amendment of the EU Firearms Directive on November 18, 2015. The proposal came shortly after the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015 and was aimed at a better and stronger regulation of the acquisition and possession of firearms in Europe.

In their eager to show rapid action the Commission unfortunately made the proposal too broad, as they proposed that “replica firearms” should be categorized in category C, which meant that purchase and possession of airsoft and airgun devices would be subject to registration.

If the EU institutions approved the proposal, it would have been the end of the practice of airsoft and airgun devices within the EU. Airsoft and airgun devices are not only our business, but also our hobby and passion, and ASG and Cybergun therefore agreed to join forces to take the strongest possible action against the proposal from the minute it was published.

We have spoken our case at several meetings with the representatives of the Parliament, Commision and Council – all of them representatives with the actual power to influence the final text to be adopted by the Parliament.

From the very first meetings we realized that we would be able to have airsoft and airgun devices excluded from the directive proposal, if we simply laid out the fact that law abiding airsoft and airgun device owners do not pose a threat to the public security within the EU and that it is unreasonable to consider airsoft and airgun devices as real firearms.

The first official indication of the successful outcome of our efforts came on July 13, 2016, when the IMCO committee under the Parliament proposed to delete the paragraph that had included airsoft and airgun devices in the scope of the proposed directive.

This was definitely a very important milestone, but it was too early to declare “victory”, as there was a risk that airsoft and airguns was included back in the scope during the so-called trialogue negotiations.

During the trialogue negotiations, we therefore continued to actively try to influence the key actors in the process in order to secure the future of our passion.

Once again our voices were heard and the compromise text to be voted on by the Parliament did not include airsoft and airgun devices as part of the directive text. In fact airsoft devices are now expressly excluded in the recitals.

On March 14, 2017 the Parliament adopted in plenary the compromise text by 491 votes for, 178 against and 28 abstentions.

The agreement should be formally adopted during an upcoming Council (probably during the ECOFIN Council on the 21st of March or the Justice and Home Affairs Council on the 28th of March) before being published in the Official Journal of the EU and therefore entering into force.

With the Parliament vote we now dare to declare victory - at least when it comes to the process in the EU institutions!

Working on this matter in the meeting rooms and corridors in Brussels, we have not met any other company from the airsoft and/or airgun industry, and it may therefore seem that we have been fighting this battle alone.

However, from our offices in Denmark and France, we have been in close contact with other organizations within the world of airsoft and airgun devices, and we would specifically direct a warm thank you to the European Airsoft Association (EAA) for their input and assistance during this year-long battle.

As the agreement is a directive, it will need national implementation in each of the 28 EU Member States over the coming months. ASG and Cybergun will therefore continue to work together to monitor the national parliament processes in order to secure that the directive is being implemented in a way that it does not negatively affect the current status of our beloved passion, sport and hobby.

Christian Trolle ANDERSEN (Corporate Legal Advisor for ASG) Hugo BRUGIERE (CEO & Vice Chairman for Cybergun)

CARTOON

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May 2017

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

“Expert Cammo” Badgertac Events HP9 2RB www.airsoft-action.online

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ARMOURY G&G PDW 15 HONEY BADGER

HONEY I SHOT THE

BADGER! ROBERT RUARK DESCRIBED THE HONEY BADGER AS “THE MEANEST ANIMAL IN THE WORLD” BUT SCOTT ALLEN ASKS “DOES THE NEW G&G HONEY BADGER GIVE A SH*T – OR IS IT A CARING LOVABLE BEAST THAT WE ALL SUSPECT?” WHEN CALL OF DUTY HAS A JAZZY looking AAC rifle its almost a certainty that an airsoft manufacturer would rush to lay one out for us all to own and love - Ares did just that a couple of years ago. But now G&G have decided that they need to have one too and called it the “PDW 15”. This is strangely slow for the Taiwanese giant as quick releases are normally their forte!

The Ares version was great on paper and wasn’t a bad all round rifle but they aren’t really a manufacturer I hold in high regard normally and the test of time wasn’t overly favourable to the Ares version. G&G, on the other hand, are still the golden boys at the moment for manufacturing, high quality, reasonable prices and excellent warranties (everything breaks eventually).

When you are more closely related to a weasel than a

badger, you have a determined attitude to digging for food, are prepared to eat anything you can get your paws on (and defeat your prey by attacking their genitals and waiting for them to bleed to death) then you are truly a Honey Badger but what is the point of this as a rifle?

The idea of the Honey Badger was an alternative to the MP5 and the M4 platform all in one go and size-wise it is perfect for airsoft. The collapsible stock makes it very short, the integrated suppressor keeps the muzzle report low and it wouldn’t take much to change this to a proper suppressed rifle for indoor and outdoor operations. The whole thing reeks of design and Gucci styling but we have been here before so often. So what is the draw back, surely it cannot be that good?

THE REAL DEAL Advanced Armament Company, or AAC, in the US developed this fantastic looking rifle to replace the M4 and MP5 in a single platform. “Here we go again, this has been done before” I hear you cry! But not quite the same way; this platform has been designed to use the excellent and versatile 300 Blackout that is a fantastic calibre. 300 BLK is a 7.62mm x 35mm round and that makes it smaller than the AK47 and NATO 7.62mm round. The ammunition is then available in sub sonic and supersonic variants, which gives you extremely quiet or a powerful backhand slap type round quickly and easily. Think of it like an in-between pistol cartridge with a rifle bullet head.

With it being an M4-styled platform, function and drills will all be common and therefore training is near seamless for the users. I had the chance to fire a fully suppressed X95 300 BLK (civilian Tavor) this year at SHOT Show, it was like a gerbil's sneeze it was so quiet. So I would happily admit to being a fan of 300 Blackout.

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ARMOURY G&G PDW 15 HONEY BADGER

“WITH IT BEING AN M4-STYLED PLATFORM, FUNCTION AND DRILLS WILL ALL BE COMMON AND THEREFORE TRAINING IS NEAR SEAMLESS FOR THE USERS. I HAD THE CHANCE TO FIRE A FULLY SUPPRESSED X95 300 BLK (CIVILIAN TAVOR) THIS YEAR AT SHOT SHOW, IT WAS LIKE A GERBILS SNEEZE IT WAS SO QUIET.”

THE AIRSOFT VERSION

This version sports a nicely styled metal body and a CNC front rail that is all very solid, unlike the Ares version the G&G top rail is the same height all the way along too. The pop-out stock is very similar to the MP5 style and is simple and effective, unfortunately the G&G version only has two settings; all the way extended or all the way locked in. A quick file would sort this if you needed an extra notch though. Also the stock is meant to “pop” when released, I am unsure if the one I tried was maybe just a little new and tight but it didn’t really pop.

The 300-round polymer magazine is the standard G&G grip style magazine that I have never been overly keen on. That said, they couldn’t be faulted for their reliable function. The pistol grip is the G&G ergonomic grip, it is very comfortable and works well but I am more of a plain grip kinda guy and these are like the Mission First Tactical style, whereas I prefer an MOE type. The iron sights are metal, styled like the KAC type that is okay but again I’ve never liked that rear sight style personally.

The rifle comes with rails for placement of the hand guard, perfect for grips and torches to suit your tactical needs.

The PDW 15 is another one of these odd class of rifle that G&G have done. They have Top Tech (high end) and then Combat Machine (entry level) and this rifle falls somewhere in between, again. G&G have always been a little bit frustrating for me with their high end/low end and the grey stuff in the middle. For example this rifle is full metal like a high end but doesn’t have the new trigger that some of the lower end rifles have – it’s all very confusing. It does, however, sport much advancement like the new shape gearbox to prevent cracking; this means the newer style tappet plate too. There are 8mm bearings and steel gears as you would expect from G&G. Metal teethed piston, bearing spring guides a high torque motor

and their new rotary hop unit. Sadly they haven’t included the pneumatic blowback system that players like and no locking bolt catch for easy hop adjustment.

A good thing about this version is that G&G have thought about the battery storage. By making the stock compartment just a little bit bigger you can get the now fairly standard “stock tube” LiPo in there without any real difficulty. The original Ares version needed PEQ 15 style batteries with the mini Tamiya connectors and became a squeeze. The wiring is all high grade standard G&G wiring so you don’t have to worry about the extra resistance from recycled tin foil cables. The gearbox reinforced design should mean cracked front ends are a thing of the past but it also means a bespoke tappet plate is required - to be fair, snapped tappet plates are rare these days anyway. The gears are all steel and that implies they’ll never fail, also the metal teethed pistol will ensure the PDW can handle any spring you fit. The trigger uses a standard set up rather than the G&G Electronic Trigger Unit and that is a little unusual and disappointing as most of their range seems to sport it these days.

A nice note is the hop unit,

www.airsoft-action.online

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ARMOURY G&G PDW 15 HONEY BADGER

it’s the new G&G style that is a near copy of the Madbull 3 in 1, only moulded in plastic (I’m a fan of plastic hop units anyway and I do like the rotary hop). Also their new V bucking should provide excellent long term stability for all your shots.

All of that may fly over the head of some people but glossing over those internal features it shows a typically excellent foundation from G&G. The issue I always had with the Ares version was that money seemed to have been spent in some areas and then taken from others. The polymer body for example, for me was a let down. Also the top rail didn’t line up between the rail and the body, bizarrely rookie issues. The G&G version just feels better in every way but I can pick faults with it too. The stock is mostly polymer and I would’ve preferred something with a bit of steel in it for stability, not that this version has any notable wobbles. The lack of locking bolt catch seems another strange thing to leave off.

Being an M4 platform it is instantly usable by most players with ease. It takes all the standard M4 magazines too and that is a big bonus for new guys starting out. This, coupled with the standard sized battery compartment and the ambidextrous fire selector, makes it an all round contender. The lightweight design makes it very quick and easy to manipulate in tight

spaces too. Both outdoor and indoor will be great for the PDW 15 but sadly it’s a little lacking in trigger response from the omitted ETU trigger. The two variants are almost for looks only, a 9 or 12 inch rail only really changes how much the suppressor is shrouded, functionally and performance are identical. Also I haven’t mentioned the Raptor style charging handle, it looks great and a nice addition over the standard M4 type.

CONCLUSION On the style scale the PDW 15 wins big. From the metal bodywork, solid front rail and paintwork it is a classy beast.

Internally it is just short of what I had hoped for from G&G but it is still a proven design and won’t let you down. There are upgrade options but generally speaking G&Gs are so damn well made these days you don’t always have to. I do wish the stock had been made with a little more steel and a mid-way notch for adjustment but I am truly just trying to pick faults to make this perfect. I’d probably choose the shorter railed 9 inch version, change the pistol grip to a PTS version and then maybe a PTS Fortis foregrip.

Other than those mild personal irritations, this is one angry badger that is definitely getting his honey today!

features Material: Full metal body, front rail Firing: Safe / Semi / Full Auto Magazine: 300 round M4 high capacity magazine Motor: High Torque M4 type Length: 780mm Weight 2.5 kilos Power: 330fps/1.01J with RZR 0.20g BBs Two position stock Ambidextrous fire selector Integrated silencer New rotary hop unit with V shape bucking Upgraded gearbox design Two types, 9 or 12 inch rail Price £270

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MOON CLIP SET FOR DA N W ESSON R E VOLV ER S

LEGEND R EBOR N

ActionSportGames® is a worldwide leader in the business of replica firearms and accessories manufacturing – including Airsoft guns, Airguns, CO2 guns and firearms replicas.

0011-0317_AirsoftAction_DWMoonclips.indd 1

0011-0317_March2017

IN A IR SOF T

23-03-2017 11:39:41

ARMOURY S&T STERLING SMG

JERRY NOONE GETS HIS HANDS ON AN ABSOLUTELY CLASSIC AEG IN THE FORM OF THE S&T STERLING AND OVERALL IS VERY PLEASED WITH WHAT HE FINDS!

THE SCAFFOLD GUN TO “GENTLEMAN AIRSOFTERS of a certain age” and lovers of the Star Wars movie series there has been one replica sadly missing from the excellent range of Cold War era AEGs available on the market; the Sterling sub machine gun. There are AK47s and AK74s aplenty, SVDs, Tokarev and Makarov pistols, L1A1 self-loading rifles and Browning handguns, FN FALs, G3s, M16A1s and M1911s but the Sterling has been an elusive beast to date due to its tiny size.

There have been gas-bottle fed replicas before but who

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wants to lug a gas bottle and a feed tube around, even with the excellent HPA systems out there now? If you have a full metal workshop then you can download plans and blueprints from the internet to build your own - but the creator of this masterpiece leaves out the vital information of what goes on internally! One off’s have been created by talented individuals but it’s not until recently that “off the shelf” models have been available.

I first came across the S&T Sterling online, from pictures posted by a friend based in Hong Kong who happened to have attended the big show there. I questioned him immediately and he was kind enough to send me some video of the Sterling in action and I was hooked from that moment on. Pictures were taken and I began to circulate these quietly amongst other friends who I knew shared my passion for firearms of the Cold War and their reaction was exactly the same as mine… WANT! Speaking to many mates who had served in the UK Armed Forces during the 1980s, the thought of a Sterling brought a kind of misty-eyed reverence, obviously returning them to a very specific place and time in their lives. Based on the Patchett machine carbine first produced in the 1940s, the Sterling L2A1/ C1 first entered service with the British and Canadian forces in 1953 and was produced in the UK by the Dagenham based Sterling Armament Company. The Royal Ordnance Factories also manufactured the Sterling purely for the British Forces and over 400,000 were produced. Going through minor modifications, the L2A2 and finally L2A3 had a long and distinguished service career until it was finally phased out in 1994 when the L85A1 was fully introduced. There was also a suppressed version of the Sterling, the L34A1, which was used to some effect by the ASASR and NZSAS during the Vietnam War, as well as by UKSF and even the Argentinians during the Falklands War. The Sterling was a simple beast, that’s for sure. Many who used it in anger described it as the “scaffold gun” due to

ARMOURY S&T STERLING SMG

“PICTURES WERE TAKEN AND I BEGAN TO CIRCULATE THESE QUIETLY AMONGST OTHER FRIENDS WHO I KNEW SHARED MY PASSION FOR FIREARMS OF THE COLD WAR AND THEIR REACTION WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS MINE… WANT!” the simplicity of its construction. It was entirely put together from steel and plastic with a curved 34-round 9mm SAA Ball side-feeding magazine and collapsible stock; the latter made the Sterling perfect for vehicle mounted and airborne troops where the lengthy L1A1 issued at the same time proved to be unwieldy.

The issued Sterling was a carefully machined firearm in spite of its somewhat rudimentary appearance which made it more expensive to produce than many of its contemporaries but it was generally reliable and stood up well to “squaddie abuse”. Many who used it though, remembered with some consternation that as it fired from an open bolt, half cocking could easily lead to a “negligent discharge” - as could dropping it! The Sterling also allowed for the fitting of a bayonet in good service style.

then I can see that this little AEG is going to sit well with you.

SMART TEAM INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL LTD, or simply S&T, was founded in 2009, the headquarters office located in Hong Kong, a subsidiary of a company in Japan. As well as being a licensed manufacturer of airgun/airsoft gun with a factory in China, they are a group of airsoft enthusiasts. Their stated mission is to supply wide range of quality products with the most competitive pricing for dealers and consumers. OEM/

COLD WAR CLASSIC!

If you are at all interested in the Cold War period or “Small Wars” airsoft then the Sterling is going to be a replica that will sit high on your “must have” list of replicas. Whether you are an out and out airsofter, or historical re-enactor who airsofts,

www.airsoft-action.online

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ARMOURY S&T STERLING SMG

ODM projects are highly welcome. They have their own R&D team, machine shop, tooling shop, paint shop and assembly line inside their facility.

Straight out of the box the Sterling feels like a quality replica, with solid all-steel construction externally and scrupulously machined aluminium parts internally, giving it an unloaded weight of 2.9 kilos, just very slightly off the 2.7 kilo weight of the real thing. Again, like the real deal, the pistol grip is plastic but in airsoft guise is slightly oversized to take a motor. The alloy 110 round magazine is also slightly undersized but this is really just quibbling as overall the Sterling just feels RIGHT. The external metalwork on the sample I received was finished in a respectable matt black which looks as if it will “weather” well but again I recall the black “elephant skin” finish of the real thing so I can see that purists may wish to have this refinished. I did like the fact though that the replica

Once everything is set up correctly the Sterling is a real hoot to shoot, sending BBs out to the end of the 30m range with a nice, flat trajectory, which I hadn’t expected from such a short inner barrel! The accuracy overall is excellent, with nice tight groupings achieved out to 25m on the open sights. I chrono’d the Sterling using .20g RZR BBs from NUPROL and came out with an average velocity of 1.14Joule/351fps, slightly beneath the 1.23Joule/365+fps quoted by most retailers but perfectly respectable and pretty much site friendly from the get go.

The Sterling is absolutely perfect as a CQB tool given its short length and the fact that, unlike the Action Airsoft model, it does have safe and semi settings as well as full auto.

AT LAST!

retains the dodgy “weld” that links the magazine well to the body!

The overall size of the replica is very true to the original and this has been cleverly achieved.

S&T Airsoft make use of many high quality parts in putting the Sterling together and the cylinder looks very familiar although discreet changes have obviously been made. There are 9mm bearings as standard, along with a 190mm precision inner barrel. The battery is housed in the rear of the Sterling and the compartment is easily accessed by simply popping off the rear end-cap with the stock folded; it’s a small space and I can see why this will have been a problem before LiPo batteries. The battery compartment accommodates up to an 80mm long and 30mm wide battery, so something like the NP Power 1200mah 7.4v 30c LiPo PEQ15 Micro Type is a perfect match.

The collapsible stock is very easy to fold and unfold. From the closed position you simply drop the butt plate, which releases the whole stock from the front. By pushing the end cap forward the arm of the stock clicks solidly into the open position and you simply reverse the process to close it again. There are sling points front and rear as with the real thing and period slings can be picked up cheaply online or at Militaria fairs.

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So, is the S&T Sterling the ideal skirmish-ready replica?

I’d have to say that finally we have an airsoft Sterling that absolutely is! The components and the finish are superlative (although personally I’d have the metalwork reworked for that classic look) and the performance is great. Overall it’s a winner as far as I’m concerned and as it has both semi and a safety setting this would make a perfect CQB tool.

For those who are actively involved in “Cold War” type gaming, or want to try a little “Star Wars” scenario then the Sterling is going to be a must have. Due to the high quality of the component parts it’s not cheap in the UK, with a RRP iro £320. Spare magazines are available with an RRP iro £28 so setting yourself up to skirmish with the Sterling is not going to be a cheap option but I honestly can’t see this putting off the period airsofters and re-enactors that are the intended customer.

I believe that S&T Airsoft have made a really bold statement to the marketplace, pretty much “They said it couldn’t be done, so we did it!” that establishes them firmly as top notch “airsoftsmiths”. The minor quibbles I have in relation to the overall look of this replica will certainly not stop me putting one at the very top of my current “wish list”.

At last, a truly skirmish-able STERLING! My sincere thanks go to my good mate Chris P for providing the sample for testing. S&T Sterlings are available from most good airsoft retailers in the UK.

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ARMOURY CYBERGUN P226

SIG 226 X FIVE

CYBERGUN IS A NAME WE DON’T HEAR MUCH OF THESE DAYS BUT NOW THEY SEEM TO BE SLOWLY MAKING THEIR WAY BACK. SCOTT ALLEN TAKES A LOOK AT ONE OF THEIR LATEST OFFERINGS, THE VENERABLE “226”.

EVERYTHING CHANGES IN LIFE, SOMETIMES they get much better and other times they get far worse. Full metal Sig CO2 pistols hadn’t really been done very well before but when I heard about the brand new CO2 Sig 226 X Five from Cybergun, I was really looking forward to testing it out, especially given the quality of the 1911s they did not so long ago.

The Sig P226 is a hugely popular and very successful pistol.

The “X Five” is a single-action version of this pistol and the Cybergun model mimics the Stainless Elite version very well.

The US has a fascination with 45ACP when, in fact, why have 8 rounds when you can have 20? Okay it is a slightly smaller round and in the US some groups would call it inferior.

Essentially the only key difference you will see between this pistol and the standard P226s around is the lack of de-cocker and that isn’t a big deal in Airsoft really.

45 VS. 9MM

It is an age-old argument; stopping power vs capacity.

Generally speaking getting shot is bad, getting shot a lot is worse. For me getting shot 2.5 times more is pretty grim.

I’ve fired a fair chunk of 9mm and 45 and both are fun, the

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1911 presents more of a hand cannon feel and the Sig/Glock (or whatever 9mm you are sporting) is a sharp crack. For me personally though, if it was for a chuckle it would be 45 and if I needed something to land on target, be it competition, training or God forbid some kind of genuine exchange of fire, I think I’d want a 9mm. But what do I know?

Gas blow back (GBB) pistols have one huge problem in Airsoft as a general rule; they suck a lot in the cold weather and as you have noticed we are continually stuck in a cycle of fairly poor weather. There are two ways around this for me normally: Option 1: I just don’t use a pistol in the UK Option 2: (my favourite) buy a Walther P99 or Socom MK23 non blow back.

Players do seem to get humpy when a pistol is non-blow back yet have no issue with their rifle most often not having any – an odd observation. Players really want a back-up side arm but what is the point if the last line of defence is going to fail you? For me the answer has been firmly a “no”. I always preferred taking three seconds to do a reload on a primary than risk my secondary pistol failing because it’s so cold that it’ll produce less pressure than a sparrow’s fart.

ARMOURY CYBERGUN P226

From the Sig website: “Whoever wants maximum performance from himself, expects from his tool that he is in no way inferior. The X series meets the extremely high demands of ambitious shooters in perfection.”

SIG have been around for a very long time in one form or another, since 1853 in fact. That’s not too shabby at all by the world’s most neutral company. So expensive watches, chocolates and firearms seems to be the way to go. If only the UK could get it’s act together and do something similar.

Undoubtedly we’ll be stuck with being famous for deep fried food, binge drinking and an ever-declining heavy industry.

It’s not quite as impressive, given we used to make the great aircraft that filled the skies and now we can’t even build a whole plane ourselves.

SO WHY 9MM?

The 9x19mm Parabellum (latin for “prepare for war”), aka 9mm NATO or 9mm Luger was designed in 1902 by a lovely German chap, called Georg Luger oddly enough. That actually makes this round older than the 45ACP by a few years. World War 2 saw Sub Machine Guns (SMG) hit the battlefields big time with the US running the Grease Gun and Thompson with 45ACP and the Germans running the MP40 with the 9mm.

The UK even ran the Sten with 9mm too, so you can see how far back the calibre battle goes. The 80’s saw the rise of the semi automatic pistols, with the Berreta M9 variants proving to be hugely popular and appearing in every single action movie pretty much.

BACK TO THE AIRSOFT VERSION

The balance and weight feel very good and accurate to the real type, although I did notice a few rough spots near the edges.

It’s nothing I would complain about personally given the price but a rivet counter who wants it pristine might not approve.

The finish of the metal work is very nicely done – as in “oh my goodness this is extremely nice why aren’t more pistols like this?” It is certainly akin to the 1911 pistols they released but

given they are also OEM by KWC it doesn’t surprise me at all.

The grips are sadly plastic, which is a bit of a shame, real wood would’ve made this 99% perfect for me. I would certainly look to swap them off for higher quality real versions, although this will require some modifications to make them fit. The SIG markings are clear and crisply lasered onto the slides, which really sets the whole thing off nicely. Actually the finish on these has grown on me so quickly that I’m amazed no one did it sooner.

The trigger action is nice and smooth, as you would expect from any pistol. That aside it is not until the blowback cycle starts that the real fun begins!

CO2 powered pistols have always provided a great blow back action but the rather large downside is the fact that they are often putting out a higher feet per second than your standard AEG! You could always generally expect a CO2 pistol to chronograph over 400fps with a 0.20 BB (1.49J), and in lots of cases this would be even as high as 450fps (1.9J). This is why to date you haven’t seen so many CO2 Airsoft pistols actually being used in the UK. The Cybergun Sig P226 X Five series is designed with playing Airsoft in mind at a less face-shattering 330fps with a RZR 0.20g BB (1.0J). So it’s perfect for indoor and outdoor alike.

What this means for you is that you have a pistol that is less effected by the cold and damp which provides you with all year round functionality. It is site FPS friendly that gives you a secondary for all occasions and has a colossal level of recoil! Oh and the noise, don’t forget the excellent crack from the slide as it punches the rounds out.

So this is everything you will ever need from a pistol, it looks great, works all year around and you can fit whatever you need to the 20mm rail. Is there a catch? Well there is always a slight catch. The magazines need a CO2 bulb that is a bit of a pain to

“I ALWAYS PREFERRED TAKING THREE SECONDS TO DO A RELOAD ON A PRIMARY THAN RISK MY SECONDARY PISTOL FAILING BECAUSE IT’S SO COLD THAT IT’LL PRODUCE LESS PRESSURE THAN A SPARROW’S FART.”

www.airsoft-action.online

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ARMOURY CYBERGUN P226

change. Certainly it takes a lot longer than gassing a magazine and wouldn’t be very practical whilst under fire, on the flip side you generally get two full magazines from a single bulb.

Let’s face it, if you are reloading a pistol in the field you are in some pretty serious doodoo. The magazines are pretty reasonable price and are generally found for around “HAND ON HEART, I BELIEVE £30-35. Okay it’s not crazy cheap but THIS IS ONE OF THE NICEST would you rather spend an extra few pounds on a magazine you can use all LOOKING PISTOLS I’VE year around, or one that you can only SEEN FOR A VERY LONG use on a warm day? These are oddly TIME AND IT WORKS quite a chunk more expensive then the 1911s made previously, around £60 WELL! YOU’LL REGRET NOT more in fact. It could a more expensive BUYING ONE.” design or a lower production run but it is an eyebrow raiser certainly.

Almost every GBB pistol I have ever used really did toil in the cold weather. Part of the issue with the GBB types is the metal magazine that just doesn’t hold enough gas and they get cold. As the body and magazine cools through use, the compression falls from the gas expansion.

This gives you sluggish performance. CO2 does work better but you have the additional cost of bulbs, anywhere from 30-50p per bulb. It makes the running cost higher than a standard gas blow back pistol undoubtedly. It should fit in all the soft holsters available, most of the SIG 226 holsters but if you want

a flashlight attached you are probably looking at a Safariland or a custom Kydex job.

The range on the X Five is not to be sniffed at - I found that running RZR 0.30 gave the best range but also upped the power slightly so you will have to be careful you don’t slip over your site limits. Also worth noting that the first 2 or 3 shots tend to be more powerful with a CO2 pistol before it settles down, so always good to fire off a few shots dry before using it in game with a fresh bulb.

There isn’t much you can really do with a pistol in terms of changing it up but I think if you had one of these, change the grips for a real set which will be a bit of a job to make them fit properly. A nice LED X300 clone flashlight like the newer NUPROL types (which are great value) and a custom Kydex holster you would be a happy man for a long time.

CONCLUSION

Yes this works better in the cold weather - much better than a standard GBB. You do have to take into consideration the 12g bulbs you will have to buy and keep a stock of until the wonder reusable bulb appears. Loading them into the magazine is an extra faff around but worth it. The price is a little steeper than I would like but then the exchange rates being grim at the moment won’t help that at all.

Hand on heart, I believe this is one of the nicest looking pistols I’ve seen for a very long time and it works well! You’ll regret not buying one.

features Modern P226 X Five Design 20mm Rail for torches or lasers SIG Licensed Trademarks Heavy weight full metal Realistic blowback Realistic takedown Plastic Grips Adjustable Hop Up CO2 powered via 12g CO2 bulb Power 330fps with a Blaster 0.20g BB (1.0J) Weight 1219grams Length 225mm RRP £200

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event GUNMAN AIRSOFT COLD WAR

GADGE HARVEY RE-IMMERSES HIMSELF IN GUNMAN AIRSOFT’S CONTINUING COLD WAR SERIES, AS THE FIGHT REACHES THE SHORES OF BRITAIN. Pictures by Aitch@wyvernlarp

THE SIEGE OF”

“

HIRTAGRAD WHEN I FIRST STARTED WRITING for Airsoft Action the “Cold War” in Gunman Airsoft’s 1980s MilSim/FilmSim campaign was just starting to fire up and get a bit warm. Now, over five years later, it’s positively on fire - and the flames have reached the UK! While I’ve been a regular attendee at the Cold War series of games (and occasionally run the UK or Soviet factions) I’d recently been absent for a while as a recurring “war wound” had taken me out of action - or at least made weekenders very

painful - for a while (OK, it’s not a “war” wound, it was a very painful, “done on an army exercise in the 90s” wound but the end result is the same). I was aware the “Cold War” had spread from central Europe to the Middle East and Afghanistan in previous battles but I’d totally missed the start of the Soviet invasion of the UK. To bring you up to speed, here’s a potted history of what has happened to date: WWIII has kicked off in Europe as NATO tried to assist the Poles in gaining independence. While the war raged in Europe the USA stopped being “covert” in its assistance in Afghanistan and sent in US army rangers to assist the Mujahidin in their battle with the Soviets. Now, closer to home a crack squad of East German marines and paras led by Soviet Airborne have landed on the remote Scottish island of Hirta. Their mission: Destroy NATO radar and missile sites on the Island!

INVASION UK!

This in itself is a nice twist on behalf of Gunman Airsoft. For a start it takes the pressure off NATO, who are normally the elite recce units miles behind Soviet lines and instead has the wily Warsaw Pact launching sabotage and assassination missions…

It’s all very “spetsnaz” and right up my alley. In previous instalments that I’d missed, the Soviets had gained the upper hand and taken out the installations but were hard pressed for resupply and living off the land on Hirta, while being hunted and pursued by a combined US and UK battle group. Apart from missile sites and radar the only other thing of note about Hirta (actually a real island off the west coast of Scotland

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event GUNMAN AIRSOFT COLD WAR

but being admirably portrayed by Gunman’s Eversley Site in Hampshire) is a sizable Puffin population.

After several weeks of escape and evasion by the Soviets and with the lads definitely getting a bit sick of having Puffin Pie for tea every day, it was time for a concerted push to secure the Island for the glorious USSR, kick NATO back onto the mainland and await re-enforcements at this newly secured bridgehead.

So, that’s where we’re at. Enthused by the recent storyline my long suffering airsofting buddy Evo (Comrade Evoski I imagine is more fitting this time) and I packed up the van with airsoft essentials (well BBs, batteries and beer), all the camping kit we’d need for a weekend in the woods and, rather wisely, some Soviet padded winter suits (as we had a feeling it was going to get bloody cold).

After an uneventful drive to the Hampshire woodland site we set up camp and got around to the important job of the pre-game social. Part of the beauty of “Cold War” gaming is that the incredibly friendly group of regular players make every event feel a bit like a party in a friend’s garden - albeit a heavily forested, huge garden full of machine gun bunkers! The first thing we noticed on arrival was Gunman head honcho Josh Smith sweating and swearing at large chunks of dark green wooden things. Things, which on closer inspection turned out to be a fairly convincing “flat pack” Soviet tank that he was building with another member of the Gunman crew. For Evo and I, it’s this commitment to set dressing and creating a real “suspension of disbelief” that make Gunman events so good and its clear to see Josh’s roots in the Live Action Role Play community, where creating a real “vibe” is crucial to a good event. Gunman doesn’t just tell you “You can’t cross that road because it’s over watched by Soviet armour”… they go and build some Soviet armour!

It’s important to realise that Gunman’s filmsim rules are overly not “complex” but they are very “involved” and very different from many “open day”-type games. For example, a hit player doesn’t just shout “Hit!” and walk off, you scream, you shout for a medic and you lie in place for five to ten minutes to create an illusion of a real battle. You can’t wander on site with 50,000 BBs on you. If you’re a rifleman you can carry only 300 per life (and no hi-caps), whereas machine gunners can carry more but have to shoot “deployed” by either leaning the weapon on cover, or being on their belt buckle and using the bipod… No hip shooting with a GPMG! All of these rules are there to create the feeling of being in the best war film ever, its why we call it “FilmSim” rather than “MilSim” (although to be fair, its 100 times more “MilSim” than some events I’ve been to that profess to be “military simulation”) and what’s more, all

“THIS IN ITSELF IS A NICE TWIST ON BEHALF OF GUNMAN AIRSOFT. FOR A START IT TAKES THE PRESSURE OFF NATO, WHO ARE NORMALLY THE ELITE RECCE UNITS MILES BEHIND SOVIET LINES AND INSTEAD HAS THE WILY WARSAW PACT LAUNCHING SABOTAGE AND ASSASSINATION MISSIONS… IT’S ALL VERY “SPETSNAZ” AND RIGHT UP MY ALLEY.” www.airsoft-action.online

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event GUNMAN AIRSOFT COLD WAR

wouldn’t be me playing while feeling rough as a dog this time!

An early whistle blast had us all up and grabbing breakfast before morning briefing. As part of the rules brief Josh also outlined the “story so far” so that old hands and new players alike had a good idea of what they were supposed to be doing all weekend - so I’d best tell you what the mission was, hadn’t I?

SECURING THE OBJECTIVES

In the past, some Cold War games have had some very clever and intricate plots. There have been secret side missions, double crosses and surprise discoveries but this time we were in for full-on, platoon-sized actions across the whole “island”.

In order for NATO or Soviet re-enforcements to arrive in force, five key areas had to be seized. These were either road crossing points, bridges, strategic ridges or resource dumps.

Either way, each one was critical to keeping our forces moving and the majority had to be held by the end of the first day by one side or the other to allow our compatriots to bail us out.

Now that might sound overly simple, it might sound like five games of “capture the flag” going on at once but that’s far from the truth. First of all our forces had to locate these points and recce them. HQ gave us rough grid co-orientate and then sent us out to locate and secure the objective. Again this might sound like child’s play but bear in mind that in Cold War games you have one radio per squad, so it’s vital you stick together if you actually want to get that info reported to HQ. A further rule at Cold War games is that no forward movements can be made and no objectives held If there are less than three guys left in a section (it prevents silly “lone wolfing” and spoiling games with cheesy suicide attacks), so progress is often slow and deliberate and the squad do their best to make sure the Squad Leader and the radio operator are well protected. the players buy into this.

As you can see, simply finding the five critical points was a With a hearty camp fire built and the beer cracked open we fair old task in itself but another spanner would be thrown in set down to the usual rounds of catching up with players we’d the works. Every now and then “Comrade General Sergei”, our not seen for months, admiring each other’s latest airsoft kit and Commanding Officer, would radio one or more of the sections loaning out bits and bobs to mates who’s latest eBay purchase to task them with a vital side mission. This could be anything was still “in the post”. Knowing we’d have an early start I from recovering a misdropped resupply canister to looking out retired to my camp bed around midnight but was fully aware of for a downed pilot, whatever the task you can guarantee they some hearty partying going on till 2am or 3am… Well at least it came up at the worst times possible and put back our main mission. I’m sure the NATO lads had Brigadier Lawn giving them equally “BY THE END OF THE FIRST DAY’S COMBAT …WE FOUND THAT THE inconvenient tasking but at the time it felt SOVIETS AND EAST GERMANS HAD A STAGGERING FOUR OUT OF like we were really up against it.

THE FIVE KEY POINTS UNDER OUR CONTROL. WE HAD WON THE As the day progressed we located all five points relatively quickly and set about DAY - BUT AT A PRICE!” securing the three nearest to the Soviet

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event GUNMAN AIRSOFT COLD WAR

Command Post (later nicknamed “Hirtagrad” by some of us, as it was practically under siege for hours at a time), while sending out aggressive patrols to try and take the other two. As you can expect possession of the points changed hands between the two sides over the course of the Saturday but it seemed the Warsaw pact had a little bit more “get up and go” and in the final hour we decided to leave a “skeleton crew” on the two nearest objectives to us (leaving just three of us on one objective) and go for broke on the other three. This audacious plan paid off. By the end of the first day’s combat (end ex was called at last light as the gaming area had a few hazards like boggy and swampy areas that would have made lowlight or night games a tad risky) we found that the Soviets and East Germans had a staggering four out of the five key points under our control. We had won the day - but at a price!

At this point I have to mention a “new” rules mechanic in place at this Cold War game that we don’t normally use.

At most CW battles if you die... well you die and you come back as a replacement. Reserves are infinite as we’re looking at whole divisions in combat in WWIII. At Hirta, however, the forces represented a couple of companies, both sides cut off from resupply so every casualty counted. And so, at this game if you “died” you came back to HQ and logged in your “death” and a body count was maintained. While the Warsaw Pact had seized all their objectives they had done so at horrific cost to life and seriously weakened their forces. We held the island but we had little to hold onto it with.

Saturday’s end of operations heralded “Party No2” of the weekend as the beer was once more broken out, BBQs and camps stoves set up and tall tales of daring-do swapped between airsofters who had been mortal enemies only an hour earlier. Despite forecasts of horrific weather and the UK being ravaged by a storm we got off lightly and avoided any heavy rain, although it was bitterly cold and Evo and I were glad of our Soviet “winter grade” padded suits and pitied the US lads in cotton BDUS.

ESCAPE AND EVASION

The pale blue light of dawn came all too early on Sunday morning as we wolfed down some breakfast and cup of tea and Josh assembled the forces to explain the “story so far” and how the second day would progress. Here, again, is another beauty of Gunman’s “Cold War” games (and to be fair, all their FilmSim events). There is a plot and there are things that can happen but nothing is set in stone. Your actions change the game day by day. It’s not a case of “Day One the Russians win, Day Two the NATO boys win” and this was clearly the case here.

Josh explained that NATO forces had decided to evacuate the island and that while Hirta was now “red” on the map (we call it the “People’s Republic of Hirta” now btw), the existing forces were too battered to remain on it and would have to be replaced with fresh Soviet forces. What this meant in game terms was that the Brits would have to hump all their kit to an exfiltration point, while the Soviets harried their withdrawal.

The big problem would be that the British and US exfiltration route pretty much took them right through the Soviet command post. I’m sure you can see where this is going…

Sunday started quite civilly with small recce groups trying to find a route to the coast for a pick up from NATO landing craft, while WarPac sabotage units harassed and harried them in small groups. Our WarPac flank was guarded by the tank (until this was “blown up” NATO could not cross the road openly and the WarPac could use it as a bunker to fire out of, or as a reloading point if low on ammo) but before long NATO realised that the main route to freedom was through the Soviet CP. With both the US an UK forces converging on the CP from all sides and it became something of a modern day Alamo, with contacts being called from all directions, accurate sniper fire pinning us down and only the heroism of our LMG gunners (and some accurate grenade throwing from the spetsnaz boys) stopping the CP from being overrun. The “Siege of Hirtagrad” seemed to last for hours and ammo was running seriously low

when a lull in the fighting happened shortly before end ex.

We would later discover that eventually the NATO elements bypassed the HQ and made for their escape boats, while our forces regrouped and prepared to depart to a Soviet submarine waiting off the coast.

All in all the event was a great way to wrap up the “Hirta” instalment of the Cold War series and I think both the victorious and the vanquished felt they had had a great weekend and that everyone had really came out as a “winner”.

I know for sure though that my fellow heroes of the Soviet Union are currently rearming and reloading and awaiting our drop on England. Next stop London.

URRAH URRAH URRAH! …as the Russians paras would say.

If you would like to know more about all of Gunman Airsoft’s events, visit their website: www. gunmanairsoft.co.uk or call them on either 07711 774461 or 07711 774401.

www.airsoft-action.online

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23/03/2017 12:06

Inside Airsoft TACTREE

TACTREE “ THE UK’S ONLY 5.11 SELECT PREMIUM DEALER” LES LEE GOES INSIDE A COMPANY THAT IS FAIRLY NEW TO AIRSOFT BUT THAT HE HAS KNOWN FOR QUITE A WHILE.

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HANDS UP ANYONE THAT LIKES their airsoft gear to look “tacticool” (I hate that cliché but I’ll use it because on this occasion it works oh-so well). Okay, that looks like the vast majority of you and that includes myself also, so when I was looking to upgrade my battle fatigues (and they were very fatigued) a short while ago, I found that the quality, styles and colour that I sought were all to be found in one place. In fact, this particular company had literally every piece of 5.11 gear that I was seeking, with great prices, free delivery and what turned out to be flawless customer service.

I had found a company called TacTree and so my purchases became little and often and, because I was so impressed with the selection and super-fast delivery, it became quite a habit to buy from them. I have yet to find a piece of 5.11 gear that has not been of the utmost premium quality and fit and I was well and truly hooked.

During the weeks after, glossy, top quality, catalogues were dropping through my letterbox to keep me apprised of any new products and of course, leading the way was the everadvancing range of gear from 5.11. I have to say that I was pretty smitten with TacTree by now and asked Nige if I could run a feature on them. Unbeknown to me, Nige and Jonathan Edmonds, Head of Marketing, had already been in discussions to work together on the company promotions and so it was a resounding “yes Les” from Nige.

I contacted Jonathan and asked if he would give our readers an insight into TacTree from an “inside perspective” and he kindly agreed and so the following is a candid, more in-depth look at the history, the present day and the future of TacTree.

However, I have “stolen” the first paragraph from the TacTree website to give you, in their words, a brief summary of who and what TacTree are: ”TacTree is a UK based, worldwide retailer of tactical

Inside Airsoft TACTREE

& military equipment including clothing, footwear, bags, backpacks, LBE gear and torches. We are proud to be the UK’s only 5.11 Select Premium Dealer which means we stock the largest range of 5.11 clothing, gear and equipment in the UK and are able to bring you the best prices and deals both online and through our Flagship UK 5.11 Shop in Telford, Shropshire where you can get your hands on the 5.11 gear and try it before you buy. With an extensive range of clothing and products as well as excellent customer service, TacTree provide an unrivalled service that you can rely on for all your tactical needs”.

Les: Thank you for giving us the opportunity to take this look behind the scenes and what better place to start than with how did it all begin?

Jonathan: “We originally created TacTree in November 2013 as a sister company to our medical supplies business, MedTree. We had been distributing 5.11 Tactical products to the EMS market for a few years under the MedTree brand when we discussed the opportunity with them to create the first dedicated 5.11 Shop in the UK. We decided that it would be a good idea to launch the shop under a new name which focussed directly on the military, security and police markets and this is ultimately how TacTree was created. Today we have the UK’s flagship 5.11 Tactical store and are still the only 5.11 Select Premium Dealer in the UK.” Les: Can you offer up some information about how you trade, i.e. retail premises, warehouse, mail order, web based, etc.?

Jonathan: “In addition to our Flagship 5.11 UK Shop in Telford, Shropshire, we have an extensive website that is serviced directly from our warehouse (which is adjacent to our shop). We have some exciting developments coming on our website in the next few months that hopefully Airsoft Action readers will start to see soon. In addition to our shop and website, we attend various shows throughout the year, which not only allows us to meet our customers but also to offer some unmissable deals (so it’s always best to visit our social channels to know which event is coming up next).”

Les: Okay, let’s focus on the retail shop for a minute with some general shop details including full address, ease of parking, address and opening hours, etc.

Jonathan: “We are proud to have launched the first ever dedicated 5.11 Shop in the UK and it remains a core element to our business. It is located centrally in the UK at our warehouse facility which can be found at Unit 3, Stag Business Park,

Donnington Wood, Telford, TF2 7NA. We have a large car park that is right next to the shop and our current opening times are 8.30am5.30pm Monday-Friday. We are looking at opening on select Saturdays throughout the year but are more than willing to open specially if any airsoft teams would like to visit us. For more details I would advise to email us at sales@tactree.co.uk or contact us on our Facebook page and we can discuss any needs directly.”

Les: What can a customer expect to see when they walk into the shop?

Jonathan: “5.11 heaven!

As the only 5.11 Select Premium Dealer we have the full range of 5.11 Tactical products on display including all trousers, shirts, boots, footwear and LBE gear as well as all the latest products. Plus, with our warehouse next door we have the largest UK stock of 5.11 gear to hand to make sure you leave happy and mission ready.”

Les: How about your Staff’s first names (a little personalisation makes it... well, more friendly!)?

Jonathan: “We have a great, friendly team who all have extensive knowledge of our product range and always go the extra mile to help customers as we pride ourselves on our customer service. Some names that I’m sure the Airsoft Action readers will know and have dealt with are Craig, Kate and myself, as well as some of the newest members of our team including Chris, Amy, Mel and Ricky.”

Les: What is your primary range of goods, particularly tactical clothing and equipment?

Jonathan: “We sell high-quality tactical clothing and gear including the best 5.11 tactical trousers, which anyone who has worn will tell you are as comfortable as they are skirmish ready.

We also offer shirts, outerwear and footwear as well as an extensive range of bags, backpacks and LBE gear, plus we have

www.airsoft-action.online

31

Inside Airsoft TACTREE

a growing range of women’s tactical gear that is proving very popular! All of which are from selected brands that we know and trust and that you can rely on for quality.”

Les: What brands do you stock and any best sellers?

Jonathan: “Currently, our main brand is 5.11 Tactical. The 5.11 brand is where TacTree started from and will always remain a core brand for us as it shares our desire to offer only the best quality to our customers. As we are continuing to grow and expand we will continue to offer Condor, Magnum, Maxpedition and Mechanix and hopefully some other brands that will be landing on our shelves soon that we know our customers will love.

“Some of our best sellers include the hugely popular 5.11 trouser range which we think are incredible. 5.11 have really cornered the market for the most comfortable but functional trouser range which we get nothing but positive feedback about. The RUSH series of backpacks are another product that they have simply nailed. We have customers who tell us their RUSH backpack is still going strong after a number of years and it really goes to show that the quality is right up there with the best. Perhaps more recently the Mechanix gloves have been a great seller for us and are in high demand particular for the Airsoft market.”

Les: So why should airsofters buy from TacTree?

Jonathan: “At TacTree we pride ourselves on excellent customer service and in particular good, old fashioned service.

We feel that in this day and age the customer gets forgotten in the online and retail experience and we focus on ensuring this is not the case. No matter what your need, we will always go above and beyond to help and we think this is reflected in our 9.7 out of 10 Trust Pilot rating, which we are extremely proud of. With an ambitious team we are constantly looking at new ways to help our customers and hopefully you will see some airsoft related developments on our site in the near future. We are constantly talking to airsoft veterans to greater understand what you want and we are delighted with some of the early projects that will soon be coming to fruition. In addition to our service, we stock a massive range of gear that most airsofters are familiar with, particularly the 5.11 gear and are continually looking to improve our offering.”

what we have available. What’s more is that if we don’t have something in stock, we offer a 10% discount for the item as an apology for not reaching our aspiration of items being available at all times. We also offer free standard delivery on all UK orders and even though our standard delivery is 3-5 working days, we get the majority of in-stock orders despatched the same day they are placed with most arriving within 24 hours, completely free of charge. In addition to our standard delivery we also offer several timed options in case you are in urgent need of your gear! In addition, just to cover all the bases, we can also provide a “click and collect” service into our Telford, Shropshire store if you are local or just passing by.”

Les: Any plans for the future, such as expansion into the world of tactical/shooting sports perhaps?

Jonathan: “Our main focus at the moment as a relatively young company is to continue to grow the range of brands and products that we offer to ensure we have a complete range for our customers, as that’s what really matters. We regularly receive requests from our customers about what brands they would like to see on our website and that is what we are aspiring to achieve as soon as possible.”

Les: And finally Jonathan, is there anything else that you would like to say to our army of readers?

Jonathan: “It has been an exciting first few years in business and we would like to thank all airsofters and our customers for their support. We look forward to the exciting times ahead and for those that don’t know us, please check out our website or our Facebook and Twitter pages as not only do we have great gear but we also like to run regular competitions and prize draws to say thank you to our fans.”

On behalf of all of us here at Airsoft Action Jonathan and more importantly, our thousands of loyal readers in the UK and around the world via our digital subscription service, for that superbly informative inside TacTree view which I am sure will be of great interest to all, especially us ‘softers that like our gear of premium quality - without the premium prices.

Contact Details: TacTree Unit 3 Stag Business Park Donnington Wood Telford TF2 7NA +44 (0) 1952 565670 www.tactree.co.uk sales@tactree.co.uk

Les: Being kinda “old school” myself, I do like the fact that you send out “proper” catalogues for customers or any interested parties to read because sometimes it has more impact than a website, so how about some information about your free catalogue?

Jonathan: “As good as websites are, we always think a catalogue full of tactical gear is hard to beat. That’s why we produce several catalogues each year, with our main edition launching in Spring and we offer these out completely free of charge and always will. If any of the Airsoft Action readers haven’t received a copy yet, simply go to www.tactree.co.uk/ catalogue to request a free copy of our latest edition.”

Les: Speaking of websites, can you give our readers some information about the website, how often updated, typical turnaround time from order to delivery?

Jonathan: “Our website is regularly updated with new products and gear as well as featuring live stock levels of www.airsoft-action.online

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Event IWA SHOW 2017

IWA OUTDOOR C

EVERY MARCH THE AIRSOFT ACTION TEAM MAKE THEIR WAY TO NUREMBERG IN GERMANY FOR THE IWA OUTDOOR CLASSICS SHOW AND 2017 PROVED TO BE A VERY SPECIAL YEAR INDEED. BILL THOMAS REPORTS BACK ON A SHOW WHERE THERE WAS LOTS TO SEE AND WHERE YOUR FAVOURITE AIRSOFT MAGAZINE WAS RECOGNISED FOR ITS ON-GOING EXCELLENCE! THE IWA OUTDOOR CLASSICS SHOW has to be my most favourite event of the season; although SHOT (at the moment!) is still bigger, there’s a certain “something” about the show in Germany that always brings a frisson of excitement and expectation. Held in early March each year “IWA” brings to Europe the very best in firearms, optics, accessories, clothing, gear and of course, airsoft.

When I first started attending the show Redwolf really were the flagship of our industry but since then I’ve seen a sure but steady influx of airsoft and airsoft-related kit and each year the show just gets better and better for our industry. Airsoft now dominates a good part of Hall 7 (there are only a few outliers or folk that are attending their first IWA that aren’t in there) so it makes my life a lot easier going from stand to stand. And IWA continues to grow!

For the 2017 show the number of exhibitors was up around four per cent on the previous year, to 1,515 (1,455 in 2016) from 57 countries, while trade visitors increased by around eight per cent to more than 49,000 (45,530 in 2016), from 120 countries. The figures for visitors, exhibitors and display area are determined and certified according to the standard definitions of FKM, the Society for

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MAY 2017

Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics.

Eight out of ten exhibitors and almost two-thirds of trade visitors flocked to Nuremberg from countries other than Germany, making the IWA Outdoor Classics one of the most international events at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre.

This event is exclusively for trade visitors; children and young people under 18 years of age are not allowed to attend. Tickets for the IWA Outdoor Classics are issued only to visitors from appropriate specialist suppliers, official bodies and security companies on submission of relevant credentials Flying in to Germany late on Thursday night the doors to the show proper opened bright and early on the Friday morning and after a brief visit to the professionally run Press Room (I do run on coffee you know!), it was time to get rolling.

As much as I like to see as much as possible when I visit IWA, experience has taught me that you need to make a schedule and

Event IWA SHOW 2017

R CLASSICS 2017 stick to it. It’s simply just not possible to see everything but with so many friends in attendance there was a constant “heads up” flow of information in relation to exciting new products.

HITTING HALL 7!

My First meeting of the show was with the great team from Evolution Airsoft; best known as a distributor of fine airsoft replicas, accessories and consumables in their native Italy things are moving on at a frantic pace for them. As the new distributor for DYTAC products they’ve really upped the game; I really like some of the DYTAC kit but it’s sometimes very hard to come by and Evolution assured me that this would no longer be the case as they have placed orders “in bulk” to ensure that the brand is readily available. They also had a number of really first rate “Cerakote” finished AEGs on show and confirmed that “things are in the pipeline” for some new products of their own. I really look forward to working with them and to bringing you the very latest news as soon as I hear it.

I’m going to come straight out and say it… NUPROL aced it!

With a bigger stand than ever before and with the entire team “suited and booted”, they looked every bit the professionals and this is absolutely superb, a real business-like boost for airsoft in general! Following the confirmation of 101 Tech USA Inc. as the official distributor of NUPROL products in the USA at SHOT, the guys were really flying in Germany and

were constantly busy, with the impressive stand quite literally rammed most of the time. They seem to have new products every month at the moment and, speaking to Ross at some length, this trend looks as if it’s not going to change any time soon, as new colours for gear were filtered in and new AEG models announced. I have to admit that the NUPROL team are a constant amazement to me and it’s just fabulous seeing their hard work paying dividends.

G&G also always have something new to talk about at SHOT and this year was absolutely no exception. There were two new CQB AEGs in the form of the ARP9 and the ARP556, both super-compact with PDW-style sliding stocks, a slightly longer PDW15 and a super “larger calibre” offering in the shape of the TR16308 which will be a dedicated, out of the box DMR. They were also showing new pistol models, which have some clever internal performance tweaks utilising their new “Whirl Cylinder Valve”, along with some tasty wheelguns. To put the icing on the cake, not only did they have their new G2 gearbox with enhanced performance and functionality to show me but also their G2 MOSFET - which is half the size of their G1 but offers single shot, three round, five round and full-auto settings! They also had some prototypes of accessories, gloves, footwear and Tac gear and we even got to see and handle their own Night Vision gear - but more on that in another issue! It certainly looks like it’ll be another exciting year for them.

www.airsoft-action.online

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Event IWA SHOW 2017

My old friends from ICS had their usual fine stand and like other manufacturers, continue to tweak and refine their already super AEGS. As well as an extension to their new “XFG” handgun line they were showing off a really nice looking “light tan” finish and some excellent new rails. Classic Army were just across the way and once again seem to have upped their game in terms of quality and appearance; they also had more stand-alone accessories and rails than ever before with both KeyMod and M-Lok in evidence but of course it was their new “mini” mini-gun that everyone wanted to play with!

Following the trend in the “real steel” world, a number of manufacturers were showing “AR/AK” style hybrid carbines, the most impressive of these to me being the Krytac Alpha 47 CRB; hopefully one of these will be winging my way for evaluation.

Now I’m not a big personal fan of the whole “KRISS Vector” deal but I know that for many of you the AEG version of this innovative firearm has been eagerly awaited. Well sadly, following the show I have to tell you that the launch date has been pushed back until June now, so you’ll have to be patient just a little longer.

In terms of prototypes it was exciting to finally see a SIG MCX on the Cybergun stand and a Desert Tech MDR prototype from Silverback Aisoft. In the real world the Micro Dynamic Rifle (MDR) has been delayed time and time again and it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Silverback got their licensed replica to market before the “real steel”.

MORE BIG NEWS!

Other big news included getting “hands on” the new EVO Carbines from ASG. Paul at ASG has been teasing me with these for some time now and the two variants, one suppressed and one standard are absolutely lovely! It’s great seeing such a positive response to another European business in a marketplace that traditionally has been ruled by the Far East and with a new handgun colour to boot. ASG are certainly driving forward well and their range of fully licenced replicas never ceases to impress and inspire. Serious talks obviously went on at IWA as ASG and ICS will be teaming up, with our well-respected Danish friends now acting as European distributor for the Taiwanese brand!

The UTG/Leapers stand is always and impressive affair but this year seemed bigger and bolder than ever before. If you need an accessory for your RIF then they will undoubtedly have

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MAY 2017

Event IWA SHOW 2017

it! Last year at IWA they were at the very forefront of the whole “KeyMod” rail drive and whilst adding further to this, they’ve also delved fully into “M-LOK” as well. There were some great rails and accessories on show for AK variants but it was their “PRO 15 inch Super Slim” system that really caught my eye; if you’re looking to build a “race rifle” then this comes in a whole rainbow of colours to catch the eye and is extremely light and low profile.

And talking of things “race”, of course Redwolf were all over this with some stunning new “Airsoft Surgeon” replicas to drool over, including Clarence’s rather wonderful “cutaway” creations. Their stand as always was absolutely chock-a-block with airsoft goodness and innovation but one thing that particularly caught my eye was the new range of “Avatar” grenades, which look superbly, filthily cutting edge.

I look forward to having a closer look at these in due course.

Of course the real “showstopper” for many of us was their own Lee Enfield Bolt Action which, although not yet a full production model, was a thing of absolute beauty. I’ve already shown pictures to numerous airsoft friends who are all now drooling in anticipation and I am 100% certain that Redwolf will have an absolute winner on their hands with this replica.

One interesting “mini trend” that I came across was the introduction of more “western” style handguns and both Umarex and King Arms both had cracking models to look at.

The “Dependables” revolver from Umarex will be a “must have” for any fans of “Barney Ross” and the King Arms SAA “Peacemaker” models looked very, very nice indeed! King Arms have extended their handgun offering again this year and I really like the look of their Predator Tactical Iron Shrike.

Although Umarex only had a few new things to show, I have to admit that their latest take on the HK416 GBBR looks simply stunning, with upgraded performance to match!

Before I wrap up though I have to make a couple of “honourable mentions” of things that I saw that I thought to be first rate.

Gunfire were showing off a number of their “custom” projects and these were really superb. iWholsales were showcasing new models from EMG International which are both highly unusual in their design and aesthetically pleasing,

www.airsoft-action.online

37

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along with the full range of Armorer Works handguns. I’ve been waiting to get my hands on the new LCT RPD and even with its hefty price tag I seriously want one. GSG had a very tasty G14. VFC were showing off their new Monster “Leopard Series” AEGs which are again certainly unique and BOLT Airsoft were breathing real excitement into the recoil market and I think these guys are definitely “one to watch”.

with Salomon, Lowa and Magnum for footwear and numerous smaller outfits in relation to accessories and specialist kit. Watch this space!

On a personal note I have to say a big thank you, in no particular order, to Nige and Vika, Ross and all the guys from NUPROL, to Kelly from Femme Fatale, to Brent and “LouLou” from 1066 Airsoft, Aran from Patrol Store, to Charlie and Amanda from G&G, Pete and Little Bob from Platoon Stores, Paul, Jake and Thomas from ASG, Scott from Land Warrior and to Adriano and the crew from RDX Tactical who all helped make the show huge fun.

IWA 2017 was a tremendous show both for me personally and for Airsoft Action and I hope to see just as many folk from the UK airsoft community in Nuremberg next year. The show has already been fixed for 9 - 12 March 2018 so get it in your diary and I’ll see you in Germany for the next one!

IT’S A WRAP!

Well nearly!

One thing I have to mention is the Popular Airsoft Players Choice Awards because, of course, the Airsoft Action team were honoured with the award for “Best Airsoft Magazine” and it was my real pleasure and privilege when my friend and bossman, Nige, stepped up to collect the “shiny thing” that acknowledged the hard work that he and the entire team have put in over the past few years. Of course now we’ll have to work doubly hard to make sure that we keep up the high standards you’ve come to expect from us but I feel I can speak for Nige, Gadge and all my fellow contributors when I say “that will be our pleasure!”

Our congratulations go to all the award recipients and I and we look forward to working with you all in the future!

On a sadder note though, elation was tinged with sorrow as a posthumous special award was made to my mate Mark Rasmussen from Airsoft Denmark. Paul from ASG showed huge fortitude as he read out a letter from Mark’s mum, thanking the entire community for the award and I’m going to tell you that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house; tak for alt bror, vil du blive husket.

Of course I did also see a great many of the gear, footwear and clothing manufacturers and I’ve lined up a whole bunch of reviews that I’ll bring to you brand by brand in future issues.

Suffice to say that I had great meetings with Helikon-Tex (you’ll find an update on them in this issue), VIPER, UF PRO, First Tactical, Condor, 5:11, UR Tactical, Claw Gear, Pentagon, Blackhawk! and Leo Koehler in relation to clothing and gear,

www.airsoft-action.online

39

feature WHEN IS A GUN A GUN?

HAVING READ GADGE’S REVIEW OF THE CSI XR-5, FRENCHIE GOT TO THINKING ABOUT HOW THE DESIGN OF REAL WEAPONS HAS RESTRICTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF AIRSOFT GUNS.

WHEN IS A GUN A GUN? IN THE LAST ISSUE GADGE REVIEWED the CSI XR-5 rifle - and very excited he got about it too. Not without good reason, it’s remarkably well priced, very well built and it has a number of excellent design features which recommend it to airsofters.

There is, however, one potential cloud on its horizon; it’s not a replica of a real gun and that may affect potential sales. I’m as taken by the charms of the XR-5 as m’colleague but since he’s already reviewed it, I can’t in any conscience do that can I? No I can’t, however, the very existence of the XR-5 raises a number of fundamental questions about airsoft guns and their design which I do think are worth looking at.

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MAY 2017

There are some of you reading this who will simply have no truck with the XR-5 or anything like it and nothing that follows will change your mind. That’s totally fine and I completely understand. I got into airsofting because UK law takes a dim view of the private ownership of fully-automatic weapons and airsoft gave me the opportunity to own and use things that at least looked like the guns that fascinated me. Realism is also the big difference between airsoft and paintball for some, although there are some realistic paintball markers out there, the best ones look like markers and not M4s for a good reason and that’s to do with function.

Feature WHEN IS A GUN A GUN?

“THE USE OF COMMON INTERNALS MEANS THAT MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADING IS STRAIGHTFORWARD AND THAT PARTS FOR THE GEARBOX ARE EASILY AVAILABLE IN BOTH CASES. THIS IS IN COMPLETE AND MARKED CONTRAST TO, SAY, THE CTW AK I RECENTLY WORKED ON - A FANTASTIC REPLICA BUT IT WAS A COMPLETE BUGGER TO GET INTO!” One final point at this stage - the presence of airsoft guns like the XR-5 do not strike at the legality of our pastime. In the VCRA and some of the Acts of parliament which affect us, the definition of “gun” is deliberately vague, in effect going along the lines of: “If your Aunt Ethel might think that it’s a real gun, then it’s a gun for the purposes of the law”. It doesn’t matter that a well-informed shooter or firearms expert could tell you that it wasn’t a real weapon, the XR-5 looks real enough to worry Aunt Ethel.

Back to the main drive of this month’s piece. Ironically one of the biggest problems in designing and making airsoft guns is the need to make them look as realistic as possible. This certainly applies to size and shape, less to things like finish, which on airsoft guns is generally unrealistic for real guns.

This drive for realism quite rigidly constrains what designers can do and there is a good reason that all AR-15 variants use the Version 2 gearbox. It’s simply because when Marui made the first M16 AEG they designed a gearbox that would best fit the shape of that gun. There is no percentage for other manufacturers to design from scratch simply to end up in the same place, mainly a gearbox that fits an M16 receiver. For the same reasons, the vast majority of airsoft rifles have oversized pistol grips because they need to accommodate a motor.

Systema completely redesigned their motor in order to get the pistol grip as close as possible to the real thing and, as those of you who own Systemas know, those motors don’t come cheap.

These same considerations caused all sorts of fun and games when it came to getting a suitable battery into the gun. In more ‘traditional’ rifles, such as the M16 and the HK G3, this wasn’t a problem as you had a nice big stock to stick the battery in. As firearms became more compact, the M4s and MP5s et al, this was more of a problem, especially before the widespread availability of LiPo batteries. NiCd and NiMh batteries were just a bit too big to be comfortable. Don’t get me wrong, they fitted (obviously) but it was always a bit of a squeeze and it took a change in battery technology to make hiding battery packs in the stock tube a viable option.

At this point I’m going to throw in something a little different that isn’t a copy of a real gun: “prop replicas”. I’m thinking specifically of things like the Schrodinger rifle from Ghost in the Shell, or the M41a1 from Aliens. From a tech point of view these are a nightmare as they combine the very worst of both worlds. They aren’t real firearms so they were never designed to work, just to look good and as a consequence there is a fair amount of shoe-horning of components to make them work. They are fascinating but in their own unique way even more constricting than “normal” weapons.

Despite all of this, we are all able to benefit from reliable and realistic airsoft guns and that is what the vast majority of players want. There have been very few attempts to produce airsoft guns that aren’t based on real guns, probably on the basis that there would be a limited market for them. In my view that’s a shame, as there are some major advantages to removing the constraints imposed by having to slavishly copy an existing design. I have an XR-5 to hand and I’ll use that and the APS UAR (which I owned some years ago) as examples of why a bit of imagination is a good thing.

Although I am explicitly not going to review either, I’ll suggest straight off that the XR-5 is overall a better design than the UAR, even though neither of them are based on a real firearm. Of the two, the UAR is closer to “traditional” AEG construction and design than the XR-5 and, as a result, imposes some restrictions which it doesn’t need to. What both of them share, however, is a willingness to introduce changes and features to benefit the end-purpose of being an “airsoft gun” as opposed to being a working replica of a real gun.

This is really the crux of this argument, kind of like that old saying attributed to an Irishman; “If I was going there, I wouldn’t start from here!” (Other sayings are available and other nationalities can be counted upon to provide them!) In some respects I am running up against a real paradox here airsoft guns exist to replicate real guns, therefore if you aren’t replicating a real gun why are you bothering to make anything?

This is fair up to a point. I suppose we are now at a point in time (and have been for quite a while) where there are more than sufficient realistic airsoft guns to choose from, in fact we are at a point where every second “new” gun is really a retread of what has gone before, with only minor changes if any.

The practical upshot of this is that there are lots of airsofters who want to run around shooting each other and in that environment you can take a chance that there are enough of them willing to buy something that falls outside the accepted definition of an airsoft gun.

As far as I’m concerned, this is great because what we are really talking about is an environment where function matters more than form. Understand that the XR-5 shoots the same

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Feature WHEN IS A GUN A GUN?

ammo as your M4, uses the same magazines, will accept the same accessories - the big difference is that the gun is designed to maximise that function more than having to conform to a certain aesthetic.

What are the practical advantages of this freedom to design as function dictates? Probably the biggest single advantage of designing from scratch is space, space for batteries, space for the gearbox, space for storage, ease of access to the internal components, whatever. The XR-5 is an excellent example of this approach, especially with regards to the battery storage. Regardless of model, the entire lower grip hinges at the magazine well and makes inserting batteries an absolute doddle. Given the absolute necessity of batteries to AEGs this is no small thing. Additionally, the method of locking and releasing this is cleverly and simply designed into the gun. No tools are required, no pins have to be removed and there is plenty of room - more if like me you are minded to remove the fuse holder.

Both guns use tried and tested gearboxes - Version 2 in the XR-5, Version 3 in the UAR. In the XR-5 the setup is essentially that of the AR-15 variants although access to the box is obviously different. The UAR is a bull-pup design which necessitates long trigger linkages, however, in both cases it is relatively easy to access the gearbox or to remove it altogether.

The use of common internals means that maintenance and upgrading is straightforward and that parts for the gearbox are easily available in both cases. This is in complete and marked contrast to, say, the CTW AK I recently worked on - a fantastic replica but it was a complete bugger to get into!

Both the XR-5 and UAR use M4/M16 style magazines.

The XR-5 comes with a magazine of proprietary design but

will accept other magazines without too much difficulty.

The UAR comes with a straight M4 magazine but will accept curved ones just as well. Again, commonality is key - using widely used and widely available components. Function dictates that there is no absolute need to redesign every single part just for the sake of being different, the point is to make an airsoft gun that works well and hopefully looks good. Personally I think both the XR-5 and the UAR look great, the XR-5 isn’t a million miles removed from the HK XM8 (which was briefly trialed by the US military) but still manages to look as if it stepped out of a video game or a James Cameron movie.

The success of any move away from “traditional” airsoft gun design is always going to be a gamble. Such guns don’t fit conveniently into an established loadout, they don’t exist beyond themselves. Yes, there are some players who will happily try and build a loadout to incorporate their unique looks but I fear that these players are few and far between.

There are others (and I include myself in this group) who just love the way such guns look and really like the various design features, the very differences that make them stand out. Finally, as I alluded to at the start, there are lot of players who just cannot bring themselves to use something that doesn’t look real. Leave aside the argument that there are a whole bunch of airsoft guns that frankly don’t look “real”, these guns look more real than the XR-5 (although the UAR does loosely reflect the look of serving firearms). I don’t think there is a right or wrong about this. The XR-5 and the UAR both look real enough to cause concern were they misused in public, they are clearly “guns” of some variety and I’m not suggesting that airsoft guns shouldn’t look gun-like, I would just like to see more original designs - the time it takes from design to production for airsoft guns is far shorter than for real firearms, many of which will never see widespread service, or indeed any service.

I don’t see any good reason why in the vast panoply of airsoft there cannot be room for and acceptance of, new and innovative designs which bring new ideas to existing requirements. www.airsoft-action.online

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Loaded or Unloaded HELIKON-TEX NEW LINES

HELIKON-TEX:

NEW LINES

FOLLOWING OUR SUCCESSFUL TRIP TO IWA 2017 FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF ISSUES WE’RE GOING TO HAND OVER “LOADED OR UNLOADED” TO VETERAN AIRSOFTER AND SELF-CONFESSED “KIT MONSTER”, BILL THOMAS, TO BRING EVERYONE UP TO SPEED WITH NEW FOOTWEAR, CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT SEEN AT THE SHOW, STARTING WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THIS YEAR’S UPDATE FROM HELIKON-TEX.

TO MY MIND, THE REMIT of “Loaded or Unloaded” has always been about finding kit that’s on a budget but that is going to be 100% fit for purpose and give a good, long “service life”.

Helikon-Tex are one of those manufacturers that are constantly pushing the boundaries of garment and gear manufacture forward and 2017 saw some serious updates to the new lines that were introduced this time last year; these new designs feature new fabrics and technologies and there is (quite literally) something for everyone!

Helikon-Tex are no newcomer to the tactical market as they were established in 1983. Initially their business activities were mainly concentrated on military surplus sales, however, changing trends and market demand in the mid-nineties set a new development direction and in 1999 they decided to start their own military and tactical clothing production.

Their ever-expanding range is proof that the decision was the correct one, as they now offer fullspectrum lines of top quality combat uniforms, waterproof and windproof sets, fleece jackets, underwear and 46

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head gear. Their hefty catalogue also includes quality bags and backpacks, tactical belts, MOLLE system pouches and accessories, as well as camping and survival equipment. Widely used by law enforcement, security and military personnel, along with outdoor enthusiasts, Helikon-Tex clothing and kit has gained a thoroughly well-deserved reputation for quality and durability amongst users.

I’ve bought items from Helikon-Tex on numerous occasions and I am always keen to get “hands-on” when they drop something new into the marketplace. I’m lucky that I’ve got to know the family behind the brand and that they keep me fully up to date with new releases, so when Jedrzej, the son of the founder, spoke to me at SHOT and told me I needed to come and see him at the German show as they had “a few new pieces”, you can bet your last buck that I was going to do exactly that!

BOOM! YEAR ON YEAR!

Helikon-Tex always have a really splendid stand at IWA each year and 2017 proved no exception to that; it was simply stunning! Not only do they work with the best quality fabrics and components with strict quality control measures in place, they also work with some unusual camouflage patterns which makes them quite unique. In fact, right at the front of the stand were two completely new camouflage patterns from the Hyde Definition PenCott “family”; PenCott and Helikon-Tex go way back so it wasn’t a surprise to see them amongst the early adopters of the new patterns and it’s great to see the work of a

Loaded or Unloaded HELIKON-TEX NEW LINES

British designer, Dom Hyde, being represented so very well.

“WildWood” is a new pattern developed at the request of Polish Special Forces, through a long collaboration between Hyde Definition and Helikon-Tex. It is based on the well-proven and widely used PenCott pattern geometry. In creating WildWood, Dom strived to create a pattern optimal for transitional and woodland areas of the moderate climes of mostly Central-Eastern Europe. He started the process by re-appraising GreenZone and adding more brown shades while de-saturating greens. He used in-the-field digital colour sampling to create the palette for WildWood and then evaluated several iterations as digital prints, again in the field.

Analyses then informed the process to optimise and finalise the colour values and standards for production. WildWood incorporates all of the features that make the PenCott patterns some of the most advanced and effective concealment solutions on the market today.

• 3-in-1 / 360° pattern geometry: the inclusion of large, medium and small fractal shapes makes the patterns effective at close, mid and long range and, because of its non-linear orientation, the full effectiveness of the pattern is retained whether the wearer is standing, kneeling or prone.

• Depth + Blending + Disruption: the combination of multisized fractal shapes, high-difference boundary layers and a hypoacuitively dithered micro-pattern creates the illusion of depth, whilst also creating a pattern that both blends into the terrain and disrupts the shape of the wearer.

BOLD VISIONS AND BOLD ADDITIONS! Last year Helikon-Tex introduced their new categorisations for their HTX “Range Line, Medical Line, Outback Line and Urban Line” and 2017 has seen them really add some “meat” to all areas.

The HTX Lines Project was a whole new concept of product development within Helikon-Tex. Everything went according to a plan and they have obviously entered the second year of the roll-out with new energy and new ideas. They have the right people, combining to create one of the most innovative design teams in the industry. Their new approach has revolutionised the R&D division, enabling them to present several dozen entirely new, original products throughout the Range, Urban, Bushcraft and Medical product lines.

Their products are no longer exclusively used by the uniformed services, which have known and appreciated Helikon-Tex kit for years but also shooters, Militaria aficionados, rescue team members and a wide circle of outdoorsmen. Their designers endeavour to make the gear more and more versatile, to meet the ever-changing and growing

• Naturalistic tones and textures: the complex, hybrid design of WildWood also delivers a pattern that looks more “organic”, natural and textured than typical digital or analogue patterns.

The WildWood pattern is the optimum solution for concealment wherever the “greenery” is a little bit toned-down or drier. WildWood complements the existing GreenZone for verdant environments, BadLands for transitional environments, SnowDrift for winter environments and SandStorm for arid/ desert environments, with the addition of the new MetroPolis pattern for urban use. This is very exciting news in itself but it proved to be just the tip of the iceberg!

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Loaded or Unloaded HELIKON-TEX NEW LINES

requirements of the customer.

They are delivering a complex gear solution; they have everything you may need and more. Most of their products are now fully modular, to allow the combination of parts of different lines. Their first aid pouches, for instance, are equally usable in a vehicle or a range kit bag. This year they have pushed that a step further with their “Versatile Insert System”, allowing a practically unending variety of configuration options, from waist bag to backpacks, to bags.

They cooperate with the best specialists, not only in their native Poland but beyond the borders as well. They use the comments and exchange experiences with Khyber Interactive Associates and its lead instructor Dr Wes Doss. Training Squad is one of the most experienced firearms instruction companies, offering firearms and combat shooting training for the Polish and international markets and Helikon-Tex have been able to harness the considerable experience of their instructors, to assist in co-designing the new products in the Range Series and this has led to some particularly exciting developments!

WORTHY UPDATES The Urban Line is the Helikon-Tex “take” on both the challenges and routines of a modern world, merging tactical, sporting and EDC elements into one. Pants, daypacks and light casual garments are all oriented to give you sharp looks and enough space to hold all your daily “stuff”. “Low Profile” is a rule they follow with their new Urban Line designs.

New for this year in “Urban” is the URBAN HYBRID SOFTSHELL; by combining three first-rate materials they have created a lightweight, expandable and breathable urban jacket. The Urban Hybrid Softshell protects from wind, while the DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating repels rainwater.

Four pockets allow equal distribution of every day carry essentials, while small size allows it to be carried folded in a backpack while not in use. The Greyman Tactical Jeans or Pants are tactical with capital “T”, yet discreet. They’re cut straight and simple. A crotch gusset gives ease of movement and the waistband is elasticated and velcro-fastened to allow precise adjustment. Belt loops will take even a 50 mm wide belt and there are nine pockets; two main classical cut, two inset, adding a flair of designer flavour, four back and all are spacious, while simple and functional. The Tactical Jeans were a stand out product for me and I shall definitely get me a pair of these!

The DEFENDER Mk2 short sleeve and DEFENDER Mk2 long sleeve shirts are an update on the existing and well respected

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DEFENDER model, whilst the ALPHA HOODIE is all new; this is a product designed to warm the body quickly. It can be used as a standalone garment or warming layer. Shoulder and elbow reinforcements prevent the fleece elements from wearing thin, as proved with their old PATRIOT jacket. There are two smaller pockets on the upper arms and two full-sized pockets on lower front; the chest pocket has a wiring eyelet.

In terms of gear in the Urban Line there are new models such as the innovative BAIL OUT BAG, which can be transported open and attached to a car seat and on separating it from the seat, it morphs into discreet backpack! The RAIDER BACKPACK is an advanced EDC backpack for any occasion. The main chamber has a Velcro panel to attach inserts compatible with the Versatile Insert System, an elastic band cuffed pocket and a zippered one. A new URBAN COURIER BAG comes in both medium and large sizes for everyday use and there is also a new, larger version of the popular WOMBAT bag.

In the Patrol Line there are two main areas of interest this year; this is a very, very strong category for Helikon-Tex already with some well-established and thoroughly tried and tested designs. The new PenCott patterns feature strongly here as you’d expect and there’s been a fabulous addition in the form of the GUARDIAN CHEST RIG. This is a universal carry platform specifically designed to accommodate a basic ammunition load and personal equipment. It’s designed to work along with a backpack and belt kit, to optimise the configuration of your combat gear. Depending on the number and size of magazines the height of the fixed pouch flaps can be adjusted and exchangeable magazine/handgun inserts can be arranged accordingly.

In the Medical line there is a great new AUTOMOTIVE MED KIT which has been designed as a main vehicular first aid kit. Its compact, flat form allows it to be fitted under car seats or be attached to car upholstery, inside door or seat pockets, while the lack of sharp edges prevents snagging. The Automotive Med Kit is ideal for shooting range training session medical support and fits perfectly in the Helikon-Tex Range Line Rangemaster kit bag side pocket. The new MICRO MED KIT is the smallest of their medical inserts, holding bare essentials like examination gloves and plasters, plus a simple resuscitation mask. A rubber-covered handle assists in drawing it from the pouch or pocket, while a reflective paramedic cross provides easy identification amongst other kit.

Where things really cross over for me is in the Outback Line.

New for 2017 are the HYBRID OUTBACK PANTS which look absolutely first rate! These advanced outdoor pants are equally suitable for long mountain treks and bivouacking. The pants are comfortable and durable. They can be partly waterproofed

Loaded or Unloaded HELIKON-TEX NEW LINES

with breathable mesh pads and anatomically shaped straps. A wide detachable hip belt is also included, with PALS attachment points.

All in all this is a massive update to the already formidable line-up that Helikon-Tex offer and you may have noticed that I haven’t yet touched the Range Line as the additions here stunned me with their depth and complexity. In the next issue I’ll dedicate “Loaded or Unloaded” specifically to this extensive new range of products!

All the new designs are available online to look at in the new Helikon-Tex catalogue so for more information on the individual pieces please do visit https://issuu.com/helikon-tex/ docs/helikon-tex_2017_master_catalog. If any of the gear featured in the article is of interest, then simply head to www. military1st.co.uk who will be stocking up on the new lines just as fast as the products are released!

with wax. There are two classic front pockets with edges reinforced for knife/light clips, two velcro-closed front thigh pockets and two zippered cargo pockets. Knee reinforcements have inner pockets for the Helikon-Tex Neoprene Low Profile Protective Pads, which would facilitate camp chores. The SNOWFALL GAITERS dynamically conform to the leg line thanks to breathable elastic VersaStretch fabric inserts at the back.

The upper opening is fully adjustable and the gaiter is closed with a wide and durable Velcro closure. Robust hook enables to anchor them to the boot laces. The gaiters are fitted with adjustable stirrup strap made out of Hypalon, a fabric that is superbly resistant to wear and almost insensitive to weather.

In the Bushcraft Line there are a number of new products, a range of camping gear, survival essentials and heavy duty, practical clothing that would withstand wear, tear and camp fires much better than high-tech garments. The first one is highly unique and comes in the form of the PONCHO LINER SWAGMAN ROLL; this is a multifunction tool, applicable wherever a warm cover is required. You can use it a poncho liner, emergency sleeping bag, enhance your regular sleeping bag with it, wrap in it as if it was a blanket, line your hammock with it, or just wear as a stand-alone long, warm coat! It is made of thin Nylon fabric, filled with one of the most advanced insulating materials, Climashield Apex, that keeps the user warm and is breathable, very light and dries quickly if wet. Along with the PILGRIM ANORAK AND PANT which are made of cutting-edge DuraCanvas, there are two new load carrying solutions, in the form of the FOXTROT Mk2 and the MATILDA BACKPACK. The Foxtrot Mk2 Belt Rig can be worn as a stand-alone item or be worn with functional suspenders.

The Foxtrot comprises the main compartment with open-top sewn water bottle pockets. The partial hip belt has MOLLE/PALS attachment points for modular pouches (med kit, knife pouch, cargo pouch etc.), whilst the main compartment comprises of two zippered pockets with a further, velcro-closed one on the front. Additional Versatile Insert System compatible inserts can be added within the main compartment. Suspenders are easily adjustable with Velcro at the back and stabilise the load and spread the weight over the wearer’s frame. The Matilda is a functional universal backpack inspired by that American classic, the ALICE backpack. Each external pocket has a back channel and a drawstring adjustable sleeve. The main chamber flap has got two big pockets. MOLLE/PALS ribbons are sewn in several places externally. There are compression straps at the sides. The carry system is based on plastic-stiffened back fitted

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CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

UTL shorts #Airsoft Acion, march 2017

URBAN TACTICAL SHORTS® 8,5”| 12” Try UTS® - Urban Tactical Shorts®, a truncated version of our full-sized bestseller UTP®. The cut and pocket layout gives them a civilian enough look, but they retain full tactical functionality. The UTS® design allows them to contain all the tactical equipment of the full-sized version, while maintaining shapes following the man’s anatomy. You can choose from two different lengths 8” and 12”.

WWW.HELIKON-TEX.COM

international ARUBA

EVERY SO OFTEN THERE’S AN AIRSOFT EVENT THAT REALLY CATCHES THE IMAGINATION AND IN FEBRUARY PLAYERS FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES DESCENDED ON THE ISLAND PARADISE OF ARUBA FOR A VERY SPECIAL GAME INDEED… BILL THOMAS BRINGS US THE LOWDOWN!

GOING DUTCH IN THE CARIBBEAN I’M LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE spent some time living and working in the Caribbean; the thought of playing airsoft there is a very exciting one and in February 2017 a bunch of dedicated airsofters got together for a G&G Armament Appreciation Day at Aruba Airsoft Adventures LMA and Hot Triggers Paintball Parkietenbos, who hosted and ran the event.

Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba forms a group referred to as the ABC islands. Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Aruba itself is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the southern Caribbean Sea. The Island measures just 32 kilometres (20 miles) long from its north western to its south eastern end and 10 kilometres (6 miles) across at its widest point, so you might think that the opportunities for an airsoft game would be limited but this proved not to be the case as players arrived from Brazil, Curacao, the United States, Columbia, Netherlands and Venezuela to join the locals for a very special day.

I was lucky enough to speak to one of the organisers following the game and Atilio Ambrosio from Aruba Airsoft Adventures had a lot to tell me!

to the island! It all began with simple improvised fields and people spreading the word one to another; it was real “grass roots” airsoft in the most literal way you can imagine!

“Airsoft began to get serious in 2012 when Mark Fowler created the airsoft “Bond” and real, close-knit teams came into being. In 2013 airsoft became a serious sport on the island and in 2015 Aruba Airsoft Adventures was created to make airsoft even greater, with regularly organised games. Things became more formalised in terms of regular games and home fields and we saw the creation of teams such as MGAT (the first team) Skull Monkeys, AETA, Unpredictable Assassins, Jawbreakers, AEG and others! Today we are getting new teams more often including a great Aruba Umbrella Airsoft Team!”

AA: Hi Atilio! Please can you tell me a little about how airsoft has developed in Aruba?

Atilio: “We do have around fourteen places to play airsoft in Aruba but the main field is Hot Triggers. Hot Triggers in Paradera started out as a paintball site in 1999 but is very welcoming to airsofters and offers some seriously good terrain

Atilio: “Airsoft in Aruba began in the year 2010 with just a small group of people who brought a full palette of guns

AA: Do you have many established sites on the island; could you tell me a little more about them?

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with a mix of scrub, bush and built structures; it can be a real challenge!”

AA: Do sites and players have any legal restrictions to contend with?

Atilio: “We all have our local laws to adhere to but there is nothing on Aruba that is really restrictive. We are big fans of the “bang rule” and we stipulate no shooting at less than 5 metres. Our power levels are slightly higher than yours I believe as the fps limit on a .20g BB is around 420 for regular rifle/carbine, 460 for a DMR and 510 for a dedicated sniper platform.”

AA: What’s a normal game day like for you?

Atilio: “Sundays are the big game days for us. All the teams head to their chosen field, sometimes to practice their own tactics and get some range time and sometimes to battle against other teams. We regularly get guests from Curacao or the USA which keeps things fresh and interesting for the “local” players and we’ll play all day until around 1800hrs.”

AA: The game day with G&G was a special one; could you tell me more about how it came about and how the day played out?

Atilio: “The G&G Appreciation Day, which was called “Operation Guest 1”, was very successful and we had many players from other countries, including Brazil, Curacao, the United States, Columbia, Netherlands and Venezuela; we even had some Dutch Navy personnel get involved! The game was played at the Hot Triggers field; Indy Chan and his team were absolutely great at organising and getting the field in the best condition possible to make “Op Guest 1” a great event!

“Charlie from G&G Armament came to represent the brand, which was really great for airsoft on Aruba as it showed we are truly getting recognised for our games and unique location and Jet Desert Fox and Leah came out to play and assist; unfortunately Novritsch couldn’t make it because he had twisted his ankle but we hope he’ll come to visit with us another time - he did, however, send us one of his new sniper rifles for a raffle giveaway “It was a really great experience for all who came, with “Team DEA” taking on “The Narcos”; it was fun, fun, fun all the way! In fact everyone enjoyed the game so much that we are already organising “Op Guest 2” for June 2017 and we will soon be able to give confirmation of four famous airsofters that will be attending… the next “Guest” game will be even bigger and better!”

AA: You have a very specific climate to deal with; what’s important to you in relation to loadouts?

Atilio: “Yes, obviously we are in the Caribbean so we need to make certain our loadouts reflect the local climate; the perfect time to play in Aruba is 0800 to 1130, or 1500 to 1800 because from 1200 until 1500 is very hot and VERY humid, especially in summer! We like to keep our loadouts “light and fast” and of course hydration is extremely important. Just like airsofters around the world every team on Aruba has their own loadout and you’ll see many different camouflage patterns in use!”

AA: What is the situation with airsoft and tactical gear on Aruba; do you have to order all your kit in?

Atilio: “There are two airsoft stores on Aruba but for us it is very easy to get AEGs, GBBs and gear from the US and Asia. These days with the internet the whole “gear n’ guns” marketplace is at our fingertips, so it’s not as hard as you might imagine for us to get hold of the very latest things!”

AA: Are there particular brands and models of airsoft replica that are important to you?

Atilio: “People are very, very attached to KWA replicas on Aruba - and I’m talking about 85% of the players! Obviously with the recent visit G&G are a brand that are getting a lot of talk and exposure right now but we also see a lot of Krytac, Polarstar and Inferno; these are definitely the top brands here.

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international ARUBA

suppliers of airsoft guns and accessories on the island.”

AA: If anyone is visiting Aruba and is interested in visiting a site for a game day, where should they head for information?

Atilio: “You can contact me in person via the Aruba Airsoft Adventures Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ arubaairsofter/, by telephone on 011 297 4501769 or via email, megayates@hotmail.com to book any airsoft event. We have the fields, we have gun rental, we have equipment, we have everything! Rest assured any visitors will be given a warm Aruba welcome!

“Also after their visit to us, Jet Desert Fox, Leah and Aruba Airsoft Adventures are creating Aruba Airsoft Tours that will include hotel accommodation, a “meet and greet”, a buggy ATV tour of the island, seabobs, snorkelling and of course a full battle day! We are currently working on the packages that will soon be released, so watch this space!”

AA: Well you can sign me up for that Atilio! Thanks so much for talking to me and it’s fabulous to hear that airsoft is really thriving in the Caribbean! Thanks also to Indy for providing additional images.

Now where did I leave my passport…

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Practical Shooting BELGIUM OPEN 2017

BELGIUM ACTION AIR OPEN 2017

FOLLOWING HIS VISIT TO THE DUTCH OPEN LAST YEAR, NIGE TRAVELLED TO BRUSSELS TO COVER THE FIRST EVER BELGIUM ACTION AIR OPEN.

REGULAR READERS OF AIRSOFT ACTION will know that we have supported practical shooting pretty much from day one and, over the last five plus years, have seen it grow into (what is said to be) the fastest-growing shooting sport in Europe. This phenomenal growth has largely been down to the persistence and dedication of those involved, including both shooters and event organisers.

Last year I had the great pleasure of attending the Dutch Open, held at the Olympic Training Centre in Papendal, just outside Arnhem in Holland, in which teams from all over

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Europe competed and where I was invited to attend the first ever Belgium Open.

And so it was that I found myself driving up the E40 again, having made the ferry crossing to France (yes, I know I could use the tunnel but I like to chill out for a bit and have something to eat that isn’t wrapped in foil or plastic) and pointing the satnav at the hotel address in Brussels, where we duly arrived early in the morning to shouts of “Hi Nige!” as Justin Cooper and Paul Courtney of Team GB pulled up alongside us!

A good night’s sleep was followed by an excellent breakfast (why is it you only eat a full fry-up when staying in a hotel?) and a short drive to the venue, which was just over a kilometre away at the home of “A6 Law Enforcement”, a Law Enforcement and Military Equipment supply and training company. Initially I was quite surprised by the venue, set as it was on the third floor of a fairly anonymous concrete block in a Trading Estate but, on reflection, it was probably a good choice being out of public view and access-restricted by electronic gates.

The match was originally scheduled to take place over two floors of the venue but at the last minute this was changed by the management to just one floor, so all the stages had to be condensed into a much smaller space and the entire schedule re-organised, overnight!

With a total of twenty stages being shot and a mixture of short and long stages, it was decided that all sixteen short stages would be shot on Saturday, with eight in the morning followed by a re-build over lunch to complete the other eight in the afternoon. This would mean a long Saturday for the shooters but a more “relaxed” Sunday as they completed the four long stages.

In Europe, unlike the UK where stages are simply called “Stage 1”, “Stage 2” etc., they like to “name” the stage in a

Practical Shooting BELGIUM OPEN 2017

way that reflects the challenge and so we had stages such as “The Devil’s Pitchfork”, “Shitty Stop Plate” and “The Good, the Bad and the Bobber”. As a regular viewer of (and occasional participant in) airsoft practical shooting, I was really impressed with what the Belgium guys had come up with. They had really made excellent use of the space available to them and come up with some excellent courses of fire, even the most “simplelooking” were actually quite challenging and made every shooter think about how they would best complete it.

I arrived just after 10am and shooting was already well under way, with a complete schedule of which stage each squad would be shooting and at what time displayed on the wall of the Safe Zone, which was also where snacks and drinks were available. My friend and member of the team that organised the event, Guy De Backer, had warned me that the venue might “be a little cold” and he was not wrong, so the free coffee was very welcome, as were the cheese and ham toasties!

For those of you not familiar with airsoft practical shooting,

also known as “Action Air”, there are some notable differences from what you might be used to. For example, the level of safety applied is identical to that for real firearms, so the handling of any weapon in the Safe Zone would result in instant disqualification (and probably a fairly direct request to leave the premises) and wearing of camo is banned. The most significant difference, however, is that the idea of pointing your weapon at another person is a 100%, complete and utter no-no! So much so, that if you break the imaginary “180 degree” line that moves up and down the course with you, with the muzzle of your pistol, it will also result in an instant DQ. For me, the biggest attraction is that it is truly competitive and tests not only the shooter’s skill but also their ability to move around a stage in the most time-efficient manner, while addressing every target – and the targets are not always easy to hit.

In previous matches I have seen targets that swing or rotate, targets that are hidden and only appear when others are hit and even targets that move along a track but I have to say that this was the first time that I’d seen all three combined on one stage! On another stage, one of the long ones shot on Sunday, the targets had been placed behind a series of pallets and shooters had to move across the width of the stage. Certain targets could only be seen from certain angles and if you missed one, it was quite likely that it would be hidden from view and you would have to retrace your steps to get to it or, as I saw one shooter do in the heat of the moment, completely forget about it!

Scoring is a combination of points and time and when you are shooting at this level every fraction of a second counts, so shooters take the time to “walk through” each stage and memorise the position of every target – and the position from

“IN PREVIOUS MATCHES I HAVE SEEN TARGETS THAT SWING OR ROTATE, TARGETS THAT ARE HIDDEN AND ONLY APPEAR WHEN OTHERS ARE HIT AND EVEN TARGETS THAT MOVE ALONG A TRACK BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I’D SEEN ALL THREE COMBINED ON ONE STAGE!” which they will shoot it. They will know the minimum number of shots required and will calculate (based on the number of rounds allowed in each magazine) how many mags they will need and where they will change them, if necessary. There is no set order of shooting the targets, it is purely down to the shooter to determine how they will complete the stage and it is not unusual to see a variety of different paths being taken through a stage.

With over sixty shooters booked into the event it was going to be a challenge to make sure everyone finished on time but that is what happened and by shortly after four o’clock on Sunday afternoon, the last shots had been fired and the results were being calculated.

As seen it the Dutch Open, tablets had been used for every stage and shooters simply tapped a button to confirm their agreement of the score. This was then sent via the network

www.airsoft-action.online

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Practical Shooting BELGIUM OPEN 2017

to a central computer which calculated the overall results, meaning no long waiting for manual data entry and numbercrunching software to do their thing.

Following a raffle of some very tasty-looking prizes, the winners from each division were announced and trophies awarded. Then it was bags-packed and back into the car for the drive home.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Brussels as it was great to meet up again with people I only get to see at events like this, or other shows and exhibitions and I would like to thank Guy, Rene, Bart and all the others involved for putting on such an enjoyable match. This was the first Belgium Open and I sincerely hope there will be many, many more. The whole event was very well organised and run and the only negative was when the German team had their car broken into overnight and their entire kit stolen (although I cannot fathom why they would leave their kit in a car when there was a room protected by a door that would do Fort Knox proud just three floors above).

On a personal note, I had never been to Brussels before (although I have driven past it on plenty of occasions) and my wife, daughter and a friend of my wife came with me to do some sight-seeing. We took the opportunity to go into the centre of Brussels on the Saturday night, to have a wander and find somewhere to eat and I have to say I found “Grande Place” to be quite unexpected. I am not going to rabbit on about it here but if you haven’t been before and, like me, find yourself there, I recommend you pay it a visit.

results Open Division:

Ladies Open Division

Junior Standard Division

1st – Matthew Wyborn – GBR

1st – Lani De Haas – BEL

1st – Paul Wyborn – GBR

2nd – Luc Majaron – BEL

2nd – Nadine Grandjean – BEL

2nd – Thomas Coquelle – BEL 3rd – Alexandre Coquelle – BEL

3rd – Justin Cooper – GBR Senior Open Division Standard Division:

1st – Tim Wyborn – GBR

Senior Standard Division

1st – Samson Chan – HKG

2nd – Bart Verwijst – BEL

1st – Panos Pitrakou – GBR

2nd – Joeri De Haas – BEL

3rd – Gino Fasseau – BEL

2nd – Rene Hoeck – BEL 3rd – Antonio Rodriguez – BEL

3rd – Paul Wyborn – GBR Production Division

Super Senior Open Division

Combined

1st – Aryan Alipour – GBR

1st – Alphonse Defgnée – BEL

1st – Matthew Wyborn – GBR

2nd – Marc Cauchies – BEL

2nd – Paul Van Den Bosch – GBR

2nd – Samson Chan – HKG

3rd – Quentin De Potter – BEL

3rd – Stephen Birtwhistle - GBR

3rd – Luc Majaron – BEL 4th – Joeri De Haas – BEL 5th – Justin Cooper – GBR

www.airsoft-action.online

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Site COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND

AIRSOFT ACTION’S VERY OWN VERSION OF KATE ADIE, LES LEE, HEADS OF TO THE WILD WOODLANDS JUST OUTSIDE PORTSMOUTH TO VISIT A WELL-ESTABLISHED AIRSOFT SITE.

COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND A SHORT WHILE AGO, SOMEBODY said to me “Hey Les, do you realise that you have got the dream job?” and I smiled and agreed politely but little did I realise just how true those words are. Who else gets to visit so many airsoft sites and shops, or carry out the occasional product test on something new after literally searching the world for items of interest in our amazing sport/hobby and then, after taking typically hundreds of photos, writing about the subject (thus reliving the experience) submitting it to the biggest and best Airsoft magazine for publication?

And today was no different when I set sail for one of the most established and respected airsoft sites in the south of England, Combat South Woodland, just a few miles north of Portsmouth. If you read the February issue, you would have seen an “Inside Airsoft” feature of a shop of the same name (minus the woodland tag). Well this is the other side of the

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Combat South coin, today is site day and I will do my best to take you through a step by step insight of what is on offer, from arrival until close of play.

Combat South is and always has been a family business, from when it was started in the mid-nineties by the late Steve Banks RIP, his wife Judith and the “boys”, Russ and Paul. The inspiration came from the various air and military shows where they set up shooting galleries with paper targets. This proved to be so popular they found that with a little more investment, the idea of shooting real live targets (that also shoot back) could be a very popular alternative and a lot more fun, providing it was done professionally - and without paint! And so their journey into the then little known world of airsoft was not only embarked on, it was embraced by the whole family.

The hunt for the right site was difficult, they viewed a fair few before finding and securing a piece of mixed woodland in

Site COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND

the great outback near Fareham, Hants, covering an adequately sized piece of land which had easy vehicle access and above all else, bucketfuls of potential. The plans were on the table and by now the pent up enthusiasm was at bursting point and so the evolution of Combat South Woodland began. The early days of the Combat South master plan could of not of been made without the friendly leg up and help that came from Paul and Ratty, of Airsoft Adventures and of course, Ratty is still on the Airsoft Scene as BadgerTac Airsoft.

Before we start talking specifics, we need to get you there and it isn’t difficult at all. Take exit 10 off the M27, head north towards Wickham and let the sat nav do its thing. Around 1015 minutes later you should find yourself in front of a signpost directing you up a pretty decent country track to a hard car parking area, which can cater well enough for a day of average attendance but should there be a need for additional parking, there are plenty of areas for off road parking without the need for a tracked vehicle. All parking is adjacent to the safe zone, so there is no need for endless yomps with your kit across areas of wilderness, just a short path to your very own warm welcome.

So it’s time to stow your kit in one of the purpose-built base camp buildings, grab yourself a brew, get yourself booked in, get your weapons chronographed and tagged for the day and you’re good to go. Facilities in the safe zone include separate male and female toilets, a kitchen area for basic rations, a small shop which sells the typical consumables and snacks but, having said that, if there is anything specific that you might need, simply call Russ the day before at the shop and if he has it in stock you can collect it on game day. There is a battery charging facility and gun tech on site and last but definitely not least, a first aid station manned by a Doctor and trained medical staff - and the first aid equipment includes a treatment bed, stretcher, a defibrillator...the list could go on, so if you are ever in the market for an airsoft injury, you might want to make sure you are at Combat South when it happens.

The safety briefing takes place at 9.45 hours and then the battle hungry warriors are split into two teams and escorted

out of the safe zone and into the naturally dense battlefields (season depending of course) where the mission objectives are explained to the respective teams.

It was really nice to find rock-solid quality builds in the woodland, a huge village comprising of no less than 16 structures of buildings, bunkers, bridges, barriers and multiple erections of various shapes and sizes, creating what had to be the centrepiece of the whole of the Combat South battlefields.

It plays host to multi-level fighting platforms which offer that all important but quite hard to find third dimension, height. This is where pyros prove their worth because this is a well thought out and designed game zone, so if you’re not that quick on your feet, you will be heading for regen before you know it.

Another huge and very well built structure, known as “The White House”, is a testing ground for an attack and defend scenario on a grand scale, again with multi-level platforms

“‘THE WHITE HOUSE’, IS A TESTING GROUND FOR AN ATTACK AND DEFEND SCENARIO ON A GRAND SCALE, AGAIN WITH MULTI-LEVEL PLATFORMS SO THIS PRESENTS BIGGER THAN AVERAGE CHALLENGES. A COUPLE OF STRATEGICALLY PLACED SUPPORT GUNS UP ON THE ROOFTOP AREA AND ANY ATTACKING TEAM WILL HAVE THEIR WORK CUT OUT.” so this presents bigger than average challenges. A couple of strategically placed support guns up on the rooftop area and any attacking team will have their work cut out.

The whole area covers approximately 98 acres and has been designed and built to the very highest of standards, with a high level of health and safety thrown in the mix. Anyone that knows my standpoint on this will know that I strongly favour nuts and bolts over nails any day and although this may sound pedantic, prevention is better than cure every time.

Chow-down is usually between 13.00 to 14.00 hours and this is another area where Combat South excel. It was said that some ‘softers favour Combat South Woodland over other sites based purely on their grub which, I have to say, was bloody good and certainly some of the best that I have ever had the pleasure to sample. Even though on the day I visited there were approximately 120 players on what had to be one of the wettest, mushy days so far this year, the catering just flowed smoothly and even made the offer of “seconds”. Everyone was in great spirits despite the conditions underfoot resembling the Florida Everglades - but without the sunshine, airboats and alligators.

On this particular Sunday… Note: Check the website for game dates as the games are not every other Sunday as is the www.airsoft-action.online

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TACTICAL SNEAKER BOOT n Ultra-lightweight n Multi-sectioned sole for better maneuverability and grip n Tactical sports fit n Vented instep n Cordura side and tongue n Suede finish UK Sizes: 6-12 Colours: Black / Coyote / Green SRP: £44.50

>GET THE

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE

TACTICAL

STOCKISTS / CATALOGUE

www.vipertactical.co.uk

Site COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND

“THE EXCITEMENT LEVEL RAISED TO POSITIVE ENTHRALMENT AS STRATEGY WAS AN UNKNOWN INGREDIENT AND SUICIDE MISSIONS WERE MULTIOBJECTIVE BUT NOBODY CARED BECAUSE THE SPIRIT OF THE GAMES WAS JUST AWESOME IF YOU LIKE YOUR FIGHTING FAST, FEARLESS AND FREE OF COMPLEXITIES.” norm, but usually three on - one off, with evening games every Wednesday from May thru August, plus there are also gas and springer days for those looking for a more tactical battle without going full MilSim. So, as I was saying, this particular Sunday had (friendly) rival teams from Southampton and Portsmouth Universities in attendance and oh my, what fun was being had by all! These guys (and I say that generically of course) are crazy mad and are a joy to watch. The excitement level raised to positive enthralment as strategy was an unknown ingredient and suicide missions were multi-objective but nobody cared because the spirit of the games was just

awesome if you like your fighting fast, fearless and free of complexities. The respective Freshers Societies are very proactive when it comes to games at Combat South Woodland and support the games with subsidies, incentives plus much more and typically the Universities can be found shooting it out once a month. One final comment on the collegiate games is that at the end of the year, Universities from neighbouring counties all meet at the site for what is known as “The Bun Fight” (I’m assured that they don’t shoot buns at each otherit’s just Uni-talk)!

And at the other end of the spectrum is the annual “Vietnam Weekender”, which runs late summer (12th & 13th August to be precise) and I’m assured that this is a phenomenal camp-over MilSim weekend which is gaining popularity every year attracting well over 100 attendees. It attracts re-enactors clad in tiger stripe or basic combat fatigue OG-107 uniforms, or if you really want to be party to the event, don an Asian rice hat and grab an AK47 or Chinese type 56 carbine and immerse yourself in a paddy field or tropical jungle. Failing that, some good old British woodland works just as well but whatever role you choose, be assured of a weekend as authentic as can be.

Site owner Russ had this to say when we sat down and I interrogated him about Combat South Woodland: “Les, thanks for taking the time to pop down and see us, we always love seeing your friendly happy face. I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support and feedback that has helped us at Combat South stay at the top of our game. Airsoft can be challenge to stay fresh and interesting, what with so many sites popping up but it’s thanks to our customers we like to think we are doing the best that we can. We have a great team here of which I am very proud of so we are always happy to listen.

“Combat South turns 20 years this year, and it’s been a fantastic ride and long may it continue.”

So to summarise my opinion and also gaining random player’s feedback, Combat South Woodland is good …it’s very good, in fact it has acquired a reputation that it is one of the premier airsoft sites in the South of England. I tend to agree with this general consensus because it has www.combatsouth.co.uk pretty much everything that us ‘softers facebook.com/combatsouth could wish to find at a woodland site.

023 92655636 Points that stood out for me were sales@combatsouth.co.uk (obviously) health and safety is right at the top of the agenda, the buildings are solid and very well thought out, the camaraderie is outstanding (no cliques here that I could see and I’m usually quick to pick up on this), the sorties are well designed but not too complex and the overall management is of a very high standard. …and did I mention the scrummy grub?

Les OUT!

Contact Details:

www.airsoft-action.online

61

Real Steel SA80

IN THE SECOND OF HIS NEW SERIES, GADGE TAKES A LOOK AT A BRITISH RIFLE THAT IS EITHER LOVED OR HATED BY THOSE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THEIR USE.

THE SA80 FAMILY BULLPUP RIFLES ARE A REAL contentious issue with Airsofters who either love them or hate them. But it’s fair to say the British Army has always been in favour of the bullpup design, even if it’s not always been that popular with the squaddies who are the end users.

In the mid-1980s the British Army trialled and introduced the “Small Arms for the 80s” series of weapons (commonly known as the SA80 “family” as a group) in an effort to both standardise the armament amongst its soldiers and to fulfil a “dream” first envisioned in the early days following WWII.

THE QUEST FOR A SHORT, SNAPPY RIFLE.

The following is a fairly rapid and condensed sequence of events and readers may have to forgive us if we omit some small details in the efforts to create the bigger picture…

After WWII the British Army had discovered that most battle engagements happened at around 400 metres and that while a bolt-action rifle was excellent for accurate long range engagements at 600 62

MAY 2017

metres plus, it was sadly lacking in close range and rapid-fire fights. By the end of the war the Germans, Russians and US had all adopted successful semi-automatic rifles, while the Brits were still using the long and unwieldy bolt-action Lee Enfield that had changed little since the turn of the century. We Brits, however, decided we also needed a short, snappy rifle, capable of both semi and automatic fire and using a perfect “intermediate cartridge” (see “Real Steel” in the last issue for details) …and you know what? We got one!

The clever designers at Enfield created and perfected the EM2; a 7mm (.280) selective fire bullpup assault rifle, firing from a 20-round box magazine, all that with an optic sight on top - sound familiar? It was a World-beater at the time.

It was a great firearm but it didn’t use the cartridge that the USA wanted all NATO rifles to fire and after a series of highly biased “tests”, unsurprisingly the US 7.62mm round won out. The boffins at Enfield were unable to rechamber the EM2 successfully to fire 7.62mm and so the project was shelved after just a limited period of service.

Like most NATO countries, we Brits plumped for the Belgian FN FAL (in its semi-only SLR variant), rather than the US M14, as our battle rifle but stuck with the standard NATO cartridge the US wanted – even though we’d told them it was overpowered and uncontrollable on full auto fire. All the same, the dream had come briefly to life and the viability of the “bullpup” rifle concept had been proven.

Real Steel SA80

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD

During the Vietnam War the US army came to the shocking revelation that 7.62 NATO was “overpowered and uncontrollable on full auto” and decided to again make NATO switch its small arms ammo to a new calibre, 5.56mmx45. This came as a bit of a kick in the teeth to Brit designers who had, during the intervening years, been working on yet another bullpup rifle called the XL64E4, chambered for an excellent 4.85mm cartridge. Once again the Brits went back to the drawing board (while still firmly fixed on the idea of a bullpup) and essentially put the internals of the existing AR18 5.56mm rifle into a new body (as the AR18 was being built under licence in the UK at the time) and this prototype would be the forefather of the SA80 series.

Initially four weapons were conceived as part of the SA80 series. The L85a1 Individual Weapon, the L86 LSW Light Support Weapon, the L98 Cadet Training Rifle and the L22 Carbine intended for vehicle crews. While the L85a1 and the L86a1 received a general issue from the mid-80s onwards, the L22 was initially trialled and rejected as being an unnecessary expense (tank crews were simply issued with the L85a1). The L98 cadet rifle was obviously manufactured and issued to Army Cadet Detachments as a “safe” platform to train young cadets on with its “bolt action” mechanism.

The overall design concepts behind the SA80 series are obvious and sit side by side with the EM2 project of the 1940s.

The “bullpup configuration” of the weapon, with the magazine behind the pistol grip and trigger, allow the rifle to have a full-length and accurate barrel while retaining a much shorter overall length. The L85a1 and L86a1 shared around 80 per cent parts commonality, easing the army’s logistics chain and lightening the load on armourers (as well as allowing battlefield cannibalising to repair a broken weapon). The overall short weapon length, while retaining high levels of accuracy, with the 4x optical “SUSAT” (Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux) scope meant that every infantry soldier could carry the same weapon or variant thereof, deleting the old mix of weapons in a combat unit (non-infantry soldier would use the same rifle but with “iron sights”). Now a rifle section would carry only two weapons (the L85 and L86) and one type of ammunition, rather than the old system of a Sterling SMG firing 9mm, an SLR firing 7.62 NATO from one type of magazine, an L4 LMG firing the same round from a different magazine (although somewhat compatible at a pinch), plus a belt-fed GPMG firing linked 7.62.

This was the dream and the theory, however, as the military maxim states “no plan survives contact with the enemy”.

Early experience with the L86 found it to be substandard as any form of “light machine gun” and, in fairness, this is not its designed intent but it was what most soldiers expected it to be. Its longer barrel and bipod allowed accurate fire to longer ranges than the IW but it was in no way adequate as a weapon for suppressive fire, causing the British army to introduce the US M249 to provide 5.56 belt-fed automatic fire and to also retain the 7.62mm GPMG in many sections (meaning you still had to carry two types of ammo).

All of these problems were compounded by a

catalogue of manufacturing errors in very early SA80 family weapons, which were believed to have been “rushed through the system” in order to fill the order books of the manufacturing company before it was sold on.

Early users of L85a1 and L86a1 in service in the 1st Gulf War reported numerous failures from snapped firing pins, poor quality, badly feeding magazines, defective safety catches, easily blocked gas parts and a worrying inability to fire on fully automatic.

While “user error” may have been responsible for many of these failures (the author personally carried an L85a1 for three years in the 1990s and only ever experienced stoppages related to poorly made ammunition), there was clearly “something rotten in Denmark” (or more accurately, RSAF Enfield) and the Army realised “something” had to be done.

Around 2000 a modernisation process was undertaken by renowned firearms experts Heckler and Koch (then part of British Owned BAE systems) and over a lengthy “problem solving” period 200,000 SA80 family weapons were overhauled by H&K and designated the L85a2 and L86a2 (many surplus L86a2 were also retrofitted to the previously rejected carbine configuration). It’s fair to say that since these improvements the L85a2 has proven itself to be one of the World’s finest assault rifles, with many users only faulting it on its hefty loaded weight (with a full magazine fitted) of around 5kg.

In defence of the SA80, one can only say that yes, it had its problems but given its tumultuous development history it’s a wonder it ever got made at all! Certainly other classic firearms, such as the M16, have had equally disastrous early years (as we will cover in a future “Real Steel”) but also proven themselves to be World leaders with a few tweaks over time.

One can only wonder, however, if we’d had won that 1940s argument with Uncle Sam, whether we would still be using the EM2 today, given that rifle fulfilled all the criteria of the weapons we strive for even now!

www.airsoft-action.online

63

GITAG DIGITAL AIRSOFT DESIGN

DIGITAL AIRSOFT D JERRY NOONE IS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT UNIQUE RESOURCES THAT WILL BENEFIT EACH AND EVERY PLAYER, WHEREVER THEY MIGHT BE AND WHATEVER THEIR STYLE OF LOADOUT MIGHT BE. RECENTLY HE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SPEAK TO A VERY TALENTED INDIVIDUAL WHO IS BRINGING THE WORLDS OF ART AND AIRSOFT TOGETHER!

AS AIRSOFTERS WE ALL LIKE seeing a good picture or image of ourselves in action, don’t we? You only have to connect to social media to see countless game images and videos and the “get tagging” game is always a good one. It’s really great to see that “special” picture of yourself or your teammates looking totally “opr8r” and I have to admit to having a whole folder of game shots that have been taken of me over the years; going back to the folder (or now folders as it has become!) reminds me of good games, good times and even better friends, which of course is what airsoft is all about.

When I go along to a game, as is the norm for any of the Airsoft Action contributing team, I always make sure that I take my camera and devote a little time during the day snapping away happily. As someone who has been around airsoft a while, you get a “feel” for where a good photo opportunity is going to present itself and every so often you end up with a right cracker!

I was very pleased when a mutual friend though introduced me to Rowan from Digital Airsoft Designs as he’s taking the presentation of player images to a whole new level! Rowan is a Photographer, Graphic Designer and Concept Artist and, of course, an airsofter, so he’s brought all of this together to create something rather wonderful. He makes edits from your favourite “battle photos” to turn them into awesome artworks, which you can print out full size, hang on your wall or use as your iPhone wallpaper!

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MAY 2017

GITAG DIGITAL AIRSOFT DESIGN

T DESIGN It’s a really super idea and has been very well achieved, so I got together with my latest fave “Geek” Rowan to find out a bit more.

AA: So Rowan, in your own words please tell me what led you to set up Digital Airsoft Designs?

Rowan: “I am a Graphic Designer and Photographer by trade and my love for, not only playing Airsoft but for building custom rifles, led me to create an Instagram page on Airsoft Photography and any Airsoft related design work I did. Having met some awesome people and other photographers in Airsoft and having seen an awesome photo of Alex Meade taken by Snook Snaps (Andy Snook), I realised how cool it would look if it were stylized and edited. So with Andy’s permission, I edited the photo and posted it.

“The reaction I received was amazing so I started doing a few more of Andy’s photos and other great photos I saw and I strived to create different styles.

“As I posted the edits, I got an awesome response from the community and hundreds of requests. I then started to offer them to individuals that requested it instead of picking out a select few. Having originally offered the service for free, I started getting so many requests that I didn’t have the time to spend a satisfactory amount of time on each so I decided to set it up as a business.”

AA: Who are the key people involved?

Rowan: “The key people involved are honestly the awesome people who take the time to go out on the field armed with a drop leg pistol and anything from a DSLR to a pocket GoPro! It’s in this way that people can get some awesome shots taken of themselves to get edited by me if they choose.”

AA: When and where did you start offering your image service and how’s that been going?

Rowan: “I first started offering the service after the amazing reaction as aforementioned, due to the artwork I did originally.

It’s been great and is in very high demand; I can barely keep up with all of them! I’m still charging a relatively low price for the amount of work I put in to each image but I am slowly raising this.”

AA: Without giving away “secrets” can you give me an idea of the process you go through when working on an image?

Rowan: “The first thing I do when working on an image is to give the image a standard enhancement. This basically involves removing any strange lighting or tints (i.e. from yellow lighting), reducing noise on the image, removing any slight blemishes or blurs and sizing it up to about 4K (if not already) in order to make the original image as good as it can be.

“Then I remove the background with high precision and do some more secret tricks I have learnt over my years as a graphic designer!

“Next I completely redo the lighting manually with a secret technique. This is the part that makes the image and figures look particularly “bad-ass” and works with some movie style colour grading to turn a casual snap from a game into something that looks like it was a screenshot straight out of a triple-A action film!

“Finally I stylise the image with embers, muzzle flashes (and the reflection of the flashes on your gear) and any ink or disintegration effects that might suit the image. And of course if it’s a poster, I then follow this with whatever the client has requested including text or logo designs.”

AA: I see that you have regular updates to your Facebook page, will that always be the case?

Rowan: “I will always keep my Facebook regularly updated with the latest news around my work and the latest edits. www.airsoft-action.online

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GITAG DIGITAL AIRSOFT DESIGN

Whilst I do try and keep my Instagram the main location to see my latest works; Facebook is definitely the place to go if you are interested in before and afters and little experiments on the side.”

AA: Who do you see as your target customer for your service?

Rowan: “Any team, individual, site owner, director or photographer with an in game photo of themselves or another player and a wish to have it look awesome!”

AA: Can individuals or teams contact you directly with their design ideas?

Rowan: “Of course! You can contact me via Instagram or Facebook and then I can walk you through a design plan and work out a price. Of course you can share your design ideas of what you want done or suggest anything else.”

AA: Can shops and sites do the same?

Rowan: “Definitely! Not only do I offer the standard edits but I can provide bulk discounts, game or event posters and even film or event trailers. If you need any graphic design work done and want it to stand out with more flair than the other ones around, then be sure to send me a message. You can see some posters and designs I have done around for game events and apparel and also the movie poster for the brilliant Airsoft short film that is “A Few Good Boys”, directed by Matthew Campbell.”

AA: How do you see Digital Airsoft Designs evolving in the future?

Rowan: “It’s been great to see my Art rapidly gain popularity within the Airsoft community. I never expected it to be this popular and I am excited to watch it continue to grow thanks to the people that like, buy, commission and share my art.

“I look forward to trying different styles to keep a variety and challenge myself as well as perhaps looking to even expand to other mediums in conjunction with Airsoft.”

AA: If someone reading this article likes the sound of what you offer, what should be their next step?

Rowan: “Be sure to send me a message on my Facebook page, Digital Airsoft Designs, or my Instagram page (@Digital.

Airsoft) with your image and we can discuss it. I can provide you with an annotated version as a plan and a quote. Even if you don’t have an image yet, feel free to express your interest and a rough idea as to when you will be ready so I can reserve you a slot in my schedule.

“The usual price is around £30 but I will be raising it soon and it may vary depending on the complexity of your image.”

AA: A pleasure talking to you Rowan and we certainly hope to see Digital Airsoft Designs go from strength to strength in the future Rowan: “Thanks Jerry, I look forward to talking to you again soon and reading the latest issue of Airsoft Action!”

www.airsoft-action.online

67

KiT AIMCAM

THE WORLD’S VERY FIRST LINE OF SIGHT SPORTS ACTION CAMERA HAS LANDED. BUT WHY SHOULD YOU PICK AIMCAM OVER ALL THE GOPRO, CONTOUR AND VARIOUS OTHER CAMERA SYSTEMS? READ ON TO FIND OUT, AS SCOTT ALLEN EXPLAINS...

LOOKS THAT COULD KILL I RAN INTO AIMCAM WHILST at the SHOT Show and after a quick demonstration I was impressed so asked “Do you guys have a UK or European office?” They answered: “Yeah, we’re based in Derbyshire.” Nothing like flying 3,000 miles to meet guys from just down the road!

WHO ARE AIMCAM?

AimCam came about after four years of research and built on an idea from Skeet shooting (a form of clay pigeon) about how to best capture true line of sight when participating in aiming sports. They have patented their camera system that’s hugely adjustable to capture line of sight while, at the same time, can

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be easily setup to function as an everyday video camera for all activities. That’s why their catchphrase is “See It Your Way” – I do love a good pun!

Existing products, such as GoPro or even the Oakley Airwave glasses (which are very expensive), use a fixed, centrally or side-located camera that records what the user is seeing with the use of both eyes. These, however, do not record an accurate representation of what the user sees when aiming down the barrel of a rifle, shaft of an arrow, billiards cue or any other activity requiring precision. This is because a dominant eye is being used whilst aiming. This is the development of a product that allows users to record their sport from a realistic “First- Person” perspective, you could call it “Doom Cam” after the computer game but then you’d get sued. As well as the great POV (Point Of View), it acts as an excellent training aid showing you exactly what a person is seeing, not just your perception of what they see. The potential for documentation of activities such as shooting and archery and allowing spectators the opportunity to see what the sports man is seeing/doing for the first time is great, thus increasing uptake and audience participation in sports.

The AimCam team are all sportsmen and women, so naturally they took great care to make sure that their products are perfectly suited to the needs of everyone who shares their passion for Aiming sports. They carried out extensive market

Kit AIMCAM

research to gather feedback from hundreds of potential customers from around the world and the final product design and specification incorporates many of the features which you, their potential customers needed, be it shaving grams off the frame to make it even lighter, or allowing for interchangeable lenses (or even no lenses at all).

What’s more AimCam are still listening to their customers, so if you have feedback on how you’d like to be able to use your AimCam they will be delighted to hear from you.

SAFETY FIRST

When I chatted to the guys at SHOT the glasses had a slightly lower safety rating, which took them just shy of our normal 500fps limits. “These need Z87 to be real contenders” was my immediate thought and we chatted about this and how it would be beneficial for them. Around two weeks after I landed back in the UK I got an email from Jamie at AimCam, saying they had just passed the Z87 testing and sent the certificates along to me. Now that is an impressive service!

THE CAMERA

The 3M Pixel CMOS Camera will run HD 1080p and will last about an hour (using a 3.8v, 780mah battery). Recording time will vary according to the resolution setting used and the card capacity. Here is the average recording storage times for an AimCam camera with a 32GB SD card: • 1080p Full HD (30 fps): 4h 20m • 720p (60 fps): 4h 20 • 720p (30 fps): 8h 05m • WVGA (60 fps): 8h 05m The video format is MOV with H264 Compression and an internal speaker is built into the glasses too.

They recommend the classification of the SD card to be Class 10 or above. The glasses can also run on an external power source for longer recording, so no need to ever stop.

Using the app you can also use the built in WiFi to live stream to any device in range! The fully adjustable camera can slide along the glasses above your left or right eye, and tilt in any direction to suit your filming needs.

ARE THERE ANY CATCHES?

It’s a full blown pair of safety glasses with a 1080p camera, what are the catches? Well, there are a few but they’re not going to apply to everyone.

There are no prescription inserts available just at the moment and there is only a single style of frame, so if you have a potato head and they don’t fit you, then you are stuck.

Also the price isn’t exactly budget but then I think it is very fair at £240. A good pair of Oakley or Wiley X glasses will set you back around £100 normally and you’ll struggle to find a good sports camera for £140, especially one of the quality that AimCam has.

WARRANTY

AimCams are provided with a full warranty as you would hope and yes, the camera can take a shot from an Airsoft rifle and survive! But no, you cannot take them swimming, so your “SEAL Team 6 live action movie” may have to wait.

CONCLUSION

With interchangeable lenses and a sports strap these are a great offering for those who love to record their Airsoft games, or any sport they can think of. In a world of GoPro, drones and phone cameras, the AimCam offers something slightly different and it does it really well. I can think of a number of great opportunities to use these, from racing cars and mountain biking, to law enforcement.

I love an item with potential and I love new technology. I saw this and saw huge potential, especially from a teaching point of view. Now imagine if you coupled it with the MantisX, you would truly have all the feedback from a student’s shooting performance and see exactly what they see.

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feature PITFALLS OF BUYING SECOND HAND

P M E T A E V CA

FRENCHIE TURNS A SPOTLIGHT ON SECOND HAND SALES AND WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR BEFORE PARTING WITH YOUR HEARD-EARNED MONEY. CAVEAT EMPTOR – “BUYER BEWARE” – is good advice at the best of times, although these days we have all sorts of legal rights and protections when buying anything new. That is not true when buying second-hand and in the world of airsoft, there are lots and lots of second hand sales happening. How do you make sure that you have the best chance of getting what you want and not ending up with a gun-shaped bag of bolts?

As ever, this month’s article was inspired by a couple of events over the past few days. In one, a player bought a second-hand rifle and proceeded to rip out the carefully installed flat-hop modification for which the previous owner had paid good money and fitted instead a completely ordinary hop rubber. D’oh! In the second, I was working on a gun that came to me in pieces, having been "upgraded" by a team member of the owner. Ah… upgrades! More on those later.

Buying second hand makes great sense – if you can do it safely. Admittedly, back when airsoft guns would set you back £300 without anything in the way of accessories it made more sense - in those days anything that cost £100 was, frankly, an expensive toy. Nowadays, when you can pick up a highly competent G&G for £150 new, or one of the astonishing CSI XR-5s for less than that, it maybe makes less sense. That is only true if you aren’t looking for something specific; maybe you have your heart set on a particular gun, one that you simply

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cannot afford to buy new at present. In this case buying second hand may make a lot of sense. However, it only makes sense if you get what you hope (and pay) for.

Firstly and most importantly, be polite, it may be old fashioned but good manners and courtesy grease the wheels of any deal. Obvious I know but...

Price: Since this piece is about buying second hand I’m not going to spend time talking about how to price what you’re selling, or how to judge whether an asking price is reasonable.

I will, however, offer some general advice that will stand both parties in good stead…

If you buy a brand new gun, decide you don’t want it and offer it for sale second hand, you should reasonably expect to get around two-thirds of the retail price. That sounds harsh (and it is a bit) but it’s also a good guide to work from.

Individual sales will vary and you may get/pay more. When you are buying, try to be very clear about what you are getting and what that is worth. Your best bet is always going to be a stock gun in decent condition. The vast majority of airsoft guns will have a good service life if looked after and spared abuse (which is probably the majority of them), so that ‘Marui Famas in very good condition, with three magazines, no upgrades’ is probably worth pursuing, whereas the ‘Custom M4, internal upgrades, many extras’ might not be.

Feature PITFALLS OF BUYING SECOND HAND

Ultimately, something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it and I have been both the victim and the beneficiary of this truth when selling musical gear. I got the square root of sod all for a perfectly good bass amp that noone seemed to want. On the up side, I picked up another amp at a giveaway price because the seller found himself in the same situation that I had been in.

Negotiating the price is always worth a try and should always be done (as far as possible) politely. Messaging a seller (or worse, posting on a thread) to tell him that his guns is a sack of sh.. rubbish and then making a derisory offer, is a really good way to make yourself look like a prize numpty. If you are genuinely interested, act like you are. If you have questions, ask them. Ask if there is room for negotiation but if the answer is “no”, it’s up to you to decide whether or not to pay the asking price. If you do, fine but you should only do that if the item for sale is worth that price to you. Don’t pay up and then grumble endlessly about how you were ripped off, taken for a mug etc.

All that does is confirm that you are indeed the mug…

Upgrades and accessories are only worth paying for if (a) you want them and (b) they have been done properly – otherwise they could be a net negative. If the seller is claiming that upgrades have been performed, find out where they were done and by whom if you

R O T P M

can. There are plenty of players out there who are exceedingly capable of upgrading their own guns and do an excellent job, the problem is how do you know who they are? If you have a stock gun and want upgrades you can always pay for them in due course but buy a gun with dubious work done to it and you may well end up paying just to get it working and there is no guarantee that the seller will accept that there are problems and be willing to help with the costs.

The same is true of accessories – often they do not add much to most sales in terms of value. Magazines, sights, slings – all airsofters go through these things as quickly as they go through deodorant and there is a very good chance that if you get a load of stuff alongside the gun, it’ll just end up at the bottom of the pile of gear in your home. Quantity does not equal quality. Conversely if the seller is offering to include a really good sling for instance, I mean seriously good, you may deem that to be truly valuable and be willing to pay for it as part of a package.

These are not absolutes I have to stress, you may pick up a decent gun, magazines, a sling and some batteries and that’s fine, what I’m driving

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Feature PITFALLS OF BUYING SECOND HAND

at is that the promise of shinies does not of itself a good deal make.

Get hands on: If you can handle the gun before parting with cash – do so. That is really self-evident and in many cases this is possible. God knows how many deals have been done on airsoft sites. This is the “Gold Standard”, especially of you can go out and play a game with your intended purchase. Quite honestly, once you have done that if you have missed anything obvious, then I’m afraid that’s on you.

Check everything! Does the fire selector work? Does the hop work? Does it adjust properly? Are there any obvious signs of damage? Check for tell-tale signs like damaged screw heads or body pins that look like they have been driven out by someone using a rock and a chisel! If you find any of this stuff, ask about it. There is no need to be aggressive or challenging – after all you want the gun and the seller wants your money, so you should be working towards the same goal. If the seller is evasive or is obviously bullsh***ing you, say “thanks” and walk away. There are LOADS of guns out there, you will find what you want.

If you cannot handle the gun before buying, do as much as you can. If the photos aren’t very good, ask for more. Ask for details. Ask anything that you think is relevant. Unless you are being a complete tool, any seller will be willing to help. If they’re not, either you are a terminal tyre-kicker and they have realised that, or possibly they are trying to conceal something.

Move along with a polite “thanks for your time”. Do not think me terminally naive but the vast majority of sales are conducted in good faith and leave both parties happy. Facebook and forums are full of sales that have gone bad but that’s because people feel the need to vent, or to try and seek redress. It might seem like it’s all horrible out there but that’s because you aren’t seeing the majority of perfectly satisfactory transactions.

Upgrades and Paint jobs: I’ve mentioned upgrades before but it is worth coming back to them.

Let’s assume that everything is above board and that the upgrades to the gun you’re considering were done by a tech with a good reputation. In this case, yes, they add value to the gun but exactly how much is a negotiable figure. The seller will have paid £X to have the work done. He can seek to cover that cost when selling the gun but I, personally, would be unwilling to pay it. Just as physical objects suffer from depreciation, so do services. It was clearly worth £X to him but is it worth that to you? There are even fewer rules here (read – none at all) and it is up to you to decide what you are willing to pay.

I included painting in this section because it’s a subject that players can blow hot and cold about. Some never paint their guns, others do it almost as a matter of course. You might love the paint job on the gun you’re interested in, or you might hate it but still want the gun quite badly. I personally think that trying to negotiate a lower price solely because of a paint job you don’t like is unlikely to be terribly successful but it is worth bearing in mind that stripping and repainting, or even over-painting a gun will incur some kind of cost as it can be time-consuming and not always completely effective.

Money: If you are buying face to face, cash is probably king. You might manage a discount for cash, you might not.

For remote purchases I would tend to stick to PayPal. Although it’s not perfect (just ask any retailer), for individual sales and purchases it does give you some degree of protection should things go wrong. It’s not a cast iron guarantee and if someone

IF THE SELLER IS EVASIVE OR IS OBVIOUSLY BULLSH***ING YOU, SAY “THANKS” AND WALK AWAY. THERE ARE LOADS OF GUNS OUT THERE, YOU WILL FIND WHAT YOU WANT. is out to rip you off from the start, PayPal might not make any difference, however, it’s worth it and it also shields your financial details. In these days of easy mobile banking, transfers are a common and popular choice but you’ll have no recourse to the bank if the shiny “Obliterator Mk47” you just bought turns out to be a very badly painted D-Boys M4 without a gearbox..!

Once you receive it, check that what you’ve got is what you were offered (not necessarily what you thought you were buying). If there is a problem get in touch with the vendor straightaway and try to resolve the problem.

Final thoughts: Buying and selling gear can be horribly fraught, a genuine pleasure and all points in between. Don’t let your desire for a gun or a bit of kit get in the way of your better judgement - it’s your money so take time to make sure you are getting what you are paying for.

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Warriors BRITISH UN PEACE KEEPER 1990S

BRITISH UN PEACE K IN THIS ISSUE’S “WARRIORS”, GADGE FOCUSSES ON THE WORLD’S ATTEMPT TO PREVENT ANOTHER GLOBAL CONFLICT AND THE BRITISH SOLDIERS THAT WERE PART OF THAT EFFORT AT THE END OF THE LAST CENTURY. Pictures by Tom Hibberd THE HORRORS OF THE GREAT WAR led the nations of the World to try and find a way to avoid a global conflict of that scale ever happening again. Their first attempt, the “League of Nations” clearly failed as WWII erupted soon after its creation in the 1930s and the fledgling league was powerless to stop it... but in the wake of WWII the United Nations would be born.

With nearly every nation on earth damaged in some way by the devastation of the Second World War, in the winter of 1945 the United Nations was formed by 51 separate nations, all of them agreeing to try to prevent another global conflict.

Since then the United Nations has been instrumental in keeping peace around the world, growing to a total of 193 Member States at present. The United Nations (or UN) have managed to, on the whole, successfully prevent full scale wars from breaking out, limit the extent of existing conflicts and where possible put

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in “neutral” forces to ensure that the terms of peace treaties, or power sharing agreements in the wake of a war, are upheld by all parties.

In addition to these more militant duties, the UN also upholds human rights across the globe, assists in disaster and famine relief and provides humanitarian aid where it can. In this month’s Warriors, however, we will be unsurprisingly focussing on the armed duties of the UN. A key principle in deploying UN “peacekeeping” forces is to be able to put neutral boots on the ground and employ soldiers who have no religious, political or racial bias towards the warring factions they are trying to mediate between. So, for example, in previous conflicts in Africa in the 60s , Swedish and Irish soldiers have served as peacekeepers while in Namibia in the late 1980s Czechoslovakian and Polish Warsaw Pact forces worked alongside Danish, Canadian and Australian NATO

Warriors BRITISH UN PEACE KEEPER 1990S

E KEEPER: 1990S forces while the “Cold War” was still active.

Some tensions between nations are inevitable when UN peacekeeping resolutions are made. UN involvement in a disaster or warzone must be voted on by the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council and clearly not all of these nations will always see eye to eye on every issue.

During the Cold War tensions between east and west would often stymie attempts to pass resolutions, as both the USA and the USSR (as permanent members of the council) could veto a motion and to this end UN intervention was largely centred on small scale conflicts in Africa and nonaligned nations in which neither side had a vested interest. One interesting exception, however, was the 1950 UN resolution that allowed a US-led coalition to intervene in the war between North and South Korea (a war that is still in essence only in a “ceasefire” and unresolved), which also created the need for “impartial” peace keepers. The Korean resolution was passed with the absence of the Soviets, however.

KEEPING THE UNEASY PEACE

During the tense post-war decades UN troops from a multitude of nations would keep the peace and prevent violent disorder in Israel, The Belgian Congo and Cyprus, as well as many other “hotspots” around the world. The overpowering issues in Europe between NATO and the USSR would make many global conflicts, in essence, “proxy wars” between east and west and prevent true UN intervention.

Following the Cold War years, however, the breakup of many former nations and the struggles for independence among previous “Colonial” states would see the United Nations tasked with more and more peacekeeping duties around the globe. UN forces were deployed to Somalia to help prevent the tribal internecine warfare and famine (a commitment featured in the film and book Black Hawk Down) and also intervened in Sierra Leone’s civil war in the early 1990s. Most notably for British citizens, the UN was involved with trying to stabilise the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the vicious ethnic-orientated conflicts in the Balkans.

Horrified by reports of atrocities, murder and destruction between warring Serbs, Bosnians and Croats, the United nations stepped in and assigned the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) to the Balkans to prevent further bloodshed, a force that included a sizable amount of British Army soldiers.

UNPROFOR undertook missions between 1992 and 1995 to keep the peace in the troubled regions. Missions ranged from confiscating weaponry from warring militias, to engaging hostile military forces and equipment in order to protect the civilian population. While largely successful in many of its aims, UNPROFOR would leave the region as a UN entity in 1995 and further operations would be conducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

United Nations Peacekeeping forces are universally recognisable by their sky blue coloured headdress and UN cap badges. These can vary from British Army style berets to blue baseball style field caps, or blue painted (or covered) combat helmets, often with the initials UN on them or, in the case of Russian units, “MC” (the initials for Peace Makers in Cyrillic).

As well as easy to identify headgear many UN units wear a brassard, or United Nations sleeve patch and many choose to cover their issue body armour with a cloth cover in “UN Blue”.

This unmilitary shade of blue is purposely chosen to reduce

any confusion in a potential battle and make the identity of UN troops clearly evident and avoid any “accidental fire” from belligerents believing the UN to be members of the opposition. In a similar vein, most UN softskin and armoured vehicles are painted pure white to increase their visibility and create a clear and present deterrent to any combatant parties.

Our Warrior this month represents a British Army UN peacekeeper deploying to an unnamed European trouble spot in the mid-90s. Unlike many editions of Warriors where we have attempted to depict a specific soldier in a particular battle, this month our infantryman is wearing a composite collection of uniform and equipment that would have been trialled and issued around 1995.

A UNIFORM ‘FIT FOR PURPOSE’

Our peacekeeper’s basic combat uniform is the (at the time) brand new “Combat 95” uniform system.

This well-designed, lightweight and layered system of clothing was perhaps the first combat uniform the British Army had had that was truly “fit for purpose” for some time. Previous www.airsoft-action.online

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Warriors BRITISH UN PEACE KEEPER 1990S

uniforms had been overly heavy but well-constructed, or too lightweight and prone to damage. Many squaddies had previously purchased their own, much better combat clothing rather than wear the issue kit but with the advent of “Soldier 95” this would no longer be a necessity.

Soldier 95 came in a traditional set of DPM shades and here our solider is wearing the rip stop combat trousers with “Canadian” buttons, the lightweight combat shirt and issue rip stop smock. Footwear consists of the also newly issued “assault boot”, a variant of the older “Boots Combat High” but with “speed lacing” eyelets and a more comfortable fit. Having been deployed to a cold and wet European “warzone”, our man also protects his feet and lower legs with a pair of cold weather canvas gaiters, although it is fair to say these were not largely popular with soldiers at the time. Further protection from the elements is provided by a pair of commercially purchased neoprene shooting gloves by “Barbour”, which were a popular private purchase at the time (this pair were worn by a friend of the author on several tours of the Balkans).

More serious protection from enemy fire is provided by the ballistic Nylon Mk6 helmet and CBA “combat body armour” vest, which were standard issue for frontline troops during the 1990s. Both are fitted with UN blue covers - although it is worth noting that most soldiers deployed as part of UNPROFOR simply wore the DPM standard cover on the vest. While neither of these protective items will stop a rifle round, both are excellent and providing protection from shrapnel and debris from artillery and mortar explosions. Attached to the MK6 helmet is a pair of Bolle dust goggles to keep rain, sleet and snow out of his eyes while his blue UN beret is stuffed into the front straps of his assault vest.

This particular load carrying equipment is the well-liked “Ops Vest” that had been trialled in the early 90s before going on general issue at the end of the decade. Based around popular privately made “COP” vests (close observation platoon) worn by many men in recce units at the time, the ops vest carried everything the PLCE webbing system could - only in greater comfort. Capacious pouches allowed the carriage of a standard ammunition load, rations, water bottle and other sundries while the respirator haversack could be clipped to click release pouches (as could a standard bergen “side pack” at the rear). The Ops vest does lack provision for a bayonet but many soldiers were able to easily affix one to the vest’s adjustment straps.

Personal weaponry for our peacekeeper is the British Army’s standard L85 battle rifle (see “Real Steel” elsewhere in this issue) which by this time had had many of its teething problems ironed out but could still be a temperamental beast.

Astute readers may note that in our photos our warrior is carrying the L85a2 variant, rather than the historically correct a1 model.

Playing a UN peacekeeper can be fun in certain airsoft scenarios but you might find at an open day that all that bright blue will really get you noticed… only not in the way you want!

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Survival BRITISH ARMY 24 HOUR RATION PACK

PAUL YELLAND COOKS UP SOME ADVICE ON WHAT TO EAT WHEN OUT ON EXERCISE, BE IT REAL OR AIRSOFT.

24-HOUR RATPACK The menu

Contents of the 24-hour ration pack

THE PURPOSE OF THE 24-HOUR ration pack is to provide the operational soldier with nutritious ready cooked meals, snacks and beverages that contain enough calories to fuel a person during demanding physical activity. For anyone who has ever served in the regular, reserve or cadet forces, the 24-hour ration pack will be a very familiar item. However, there also appears to be a large appetite for these ration packs amongst airsofters and military enthusiasts.

Back in the 1990’s – long before the internet that we know today, it often proved difficult to get hold of army ration packs other than the ones that would occasionally appear in army surplus shops. As youngsters, we would make up our own ration packs with food bought from the supermarket to use when out and about in the countryside. It did the job but was just not the same as having the real thing. Nowadays, both civilian and military ration packs are very easy to source thanks to online shopping. I am going to take a look through one of the British Army ration packs to see exactly what is inside the box.

The current manufacturer of the British Army ration pack is Vestey foods UK who also produce an identical civilian version.

There are lots of different menus available for both the military and civilian ration packs. Each ration pack will give a person approximately 4000kcal – which is higher than the recommended daily intake of 2500kcal for men and 2000kcal for women, so are more than suitable to replenish the energy that has been used during strenuous exercise.

The 24-hour ration pack is designed to provide one person with three hot meals, cold snacks and hot and cold drinks. In addition to the meals, there are sundries such as sugar, spork and cleaning wipes. When first opening the box, it is wise to find the snacks such as the cereal bars and put these into a pocket or pouch which is easily accessible – you are then able to eat whilst on the move. The foil pouches do not always come in a protective outer packaging so care should be taken not to damage them when storing in your Bergen.

MEALS READY TO EAT (MRE’S)

The Meal Ready to Eat (MRE)

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Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) are wet rations that have been pre-cooked and sealed inside foil pouches allowing them to be eaten hot or cold. However, every effort should be made to eat these main meals hot. The MRE’S contained in this ration pack are vegetarian all day breakfast, chicken and noodle in red curry sauce and tuna chilli pasta. The dessert is cherry turnover. To heat

Boil the unopened foil pouch in water for about 8 minutes

up one of these meals, you need to place the unopened foil pouch into a mess tin or similar and cover with water.

Then place over a stove and bring the water to a boil. Allow the water to continue boiling for a few minutes longer and then remove the MRE from the mess tin (be careful as it will be hot).

Tear open the foil pouch and enjoy. The hot water can then be used to make a brew.

SNACKS

Inside this ration pack, the snacks include biscuits, cereal bars, nuts, fruit mix and boiled sweets. There is also a tuna lime and pepper paste and a squeezy pouch of fruit puree. These snacks are for lunch or eating when you need to keep moving. The contents of the ration packs may have changed over the years but the famous biscuit browns still make an occasional appearance which is pleasing as they are my favourite.

The selection of snacks from the ration pack

Use the hot water to make a brew

Survival BRITISH ARMY 24 HOUR RATION PACK

BREW KIT

This comes inside a large self-sealing plastic bag which in itself is a useful item for keeping things dry or collecting up your rubbish. The brew kit has all of the items that you need for making tea, coffee and hot chocolate. As with earlier ration packs, you also get sugar and beverage whitener. There are also cold drink options in the form of fruit flavoured powders which need to be added to water. A sports drink powder mix is also provided. One thing that does strike me though – especially with the contents of the brew kit, is the large amount of civilian branded products which you would not have found in a military The all-important brew kit ration pack twenty years ago – Even the old rat pack Yorkie bars had ‘Not For Civvies’ printed on them as a kind of light humour.

SUNDRIES

These extra items include a spork, wind and waterproof matches, cleaning wipes and tissue. Also included is a strip of water purification tablets, tabasco sauce and chewing gum. Years ago, there would only have been a few sheets of hard toilet paper instead of the tissue packet and also a tin can opener. The can opener was important as up until the mid1990’s, the main meals came in tins – not foil pouches.

Ration packs have definitely come a long way in terms of quality and availability in recent years.

Tucking into a ration pack is a great way to keep your energy levels up during an airsoft event. It is a complete one stop box for hot and cold meals (as long as you have a stove and water), and there are a good number of different menu options available. Very little preparation is required which is useful for when you are cold, wet and hungry. There is nothing better than sitting down after a long hard skirmish and eating a hot meal when out in the field.

Sundries pack

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79

MilSim WARZONE 2017

WARZONE 2017 KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK HAD HER FIRST TASTE OF MILSIM AT AN EVENT RUN BY WARZONE, AT SENNYBRIDGE. HERE SHE TALKS TO DAVE PULLEN, THE MAN BEHIND THE EVENT TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES WARZONE TICK. THE UK MILSIM SCENE HAS GROWN year on year thanks to the growing demand and popularity of more immersive games and because of this we now have more providers than ever!

Operation Sledgehammer, hosted at Sennybridge FIBUA Training Area by Warzone Battle Simulations in October 2015, was one of the first ever MilSims I attended. It was the first time I had experienced a command structure within an Airsoft game and, of course, everything that comes with MilSim - and I loved every minute of it! From the in-game roleplayers, to the simulated helo drop and epic explosions, that event is what sparked my enthusiasm for MilSims. I went on to attend the

follow up events Operation Crypt Kicker, where I was SAF 2IC and Operation White Shadow.

These events allowed me to experience MilSim with supportive and encouraging staff on hand to answer any questions I had and to make the learning curve from Skirmish to MilSim a little less daunting. The events also taught me a lot about how far I could push myself mentally and physically – from the icy, wet hills of Sennybridge and being physically exhausted, to fighting a mental battle against participants who refused to take orders from a female IC. I took the time to Interview David Pullen about what Warzone Battle Simulation can offer Airsofters who are new to MilSim and also MilSim aficionados in 2017 …and here’s what he said!

Kelly: Hi Dave, thank you for speaking to us about Warzone Battle Simulations and what it can offer Airsofters in 2017! Can you tell us a little bit of background information? When was Warzone founded?

Dave: “First of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak with me. The story behind Warzone Battle Simulations has been years in the making. It started back in the summer of 2004 when a group of like-minded individuals decided we were bored of just playing standard skirmishes which we felt had limited challenging environments for us.

“So in light of this, Assault Troop or (A-Troop for short) was formed and events started to take place quickly after we had located a site in Afonwen, North Wales and, as with all fledgling projects, members were gained and lost slowly over the following years. The site and its influence grew and Assault Troop became a well-trained and well-maintained group of Airsofters who had their own training program. Assault Troop placed a lot of effort and time into developing and maintaining a full training plan using the knowledge of ex-military and current serving instructors. With regular weekend courses in everything from basic combat skills, to advanced field

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MilSim WARZONE 2017

our events (which maybe got a bit real for some), to night time “parachute” training and insertion and VIP extraction, all combined with our massive pyrotechnic sequences to give players the full immersion. During our Ops we have a full rank structure from battle field commanders to section leaders, medics and radio operators.” techniques and sniper training.

“This is just one of the things that made Assault Troop so different from regular skirmish sites. With that little bit of history, I’ll move on to today and back to Warzone. After a break in Airsoft for a few years I decided it was time to get us all back into Airsoft and after a chat with the guys, Warzone Battle Simulation was born, almost 12 months ago now.”

Kelly: Who is on the Warzone team?

Dave: “Well when you say team, Warzone is made up of the former Assault Troop members/staff: Kevin, Adi, John, Adam, James, Mark, Jonathan, Christian, Jay, Ian and myself. As well as our event staff: Tom, James, Kimberley, Matt, Kelly, Matthew, Ian and Ben. “All of the above have their own skills and vast professional qualifications, it’s actually mind boggling to have so many talented people on board.”

Kelly: So how will future events be different from previous events?

Dave: “This year we are running mission-based exercises called TAC-OPS (Tactical Operations) 30hrs and TAC–OPS. “Over the next few months, we will be hosting TAC–OPS events to provide players from the newcomer to the ex-service personnel with new or renewed skills that will be required for our future events - which we hope will ultimately improve player’s skills and will improve the events, making them more of a MilSim experience for other players.”

Kelly: What are the aims of Warzone TAC-OPS? Dave: “TAC–OPS will be based on modern warfare driven by some awesome training personnel.

“TAC–OPS events will get harder and more complex as they go from 1 to 6. On the Saturday each event will involve classroom instruction, handouts, putting into practice what the participants have just learnt and then running some fullscale Airsoft missions within a controlled environment. Theory, practice, mission briefing, training for mission, assault / mission, de-brief.

“This will be followed on the Sunday with strategic missions against unknown number of enemy forces to give students a full course.”

Kelly: What can Warzone offer Skirmish players looking to get into MilSim? Dave: “I hope that we offer an event that will be so in-depth and immersive for skirmishers that it will be something that will live on with them for years to come and hopefully keep them coming back for more.

“The best advice I can give new players coming to our events is read the warning order, kit lists and site directions that we provide for you. Watch our safety video before the event starts, listen to your force commanders and section leaders and let them know if you need down time or need to sleep. This will help you stay safe and have fun!”

Kelly: What events do you have confirmed for this year?

Dave: “Operation Storm Force is our next Op and is a 30 hour event. It will be held at Sennybridge FIBUA site on the 15th to 16th of April 2017. We have a number of events scheduled for this year which I cannot publish at the moment as I am still in the consultation process with the site owners. IF we are given access to the sites it is going to be so exciting! We are working closely with the Police and Government departments to try and secure these sites to give Airsofters a truly amazing experience.”

Kelly: What direction are you hoping Warzone will take?

Dave: “Onwards and upwards!

“Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here!”

Kelly: Thanks for speaking to us! We wish you all the best for the future.

Kelly: What can Warzone offer MilSim players?

Dave: “Warzone Battle Simulation Events has always tried to immerse the MilSim player in what they have come to expect from MilSim events; from stop searches on their way into www.airsoft-action.online

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ARMOURY TOKYO MARUI M93R AEP

TOKYO MARUI M93R AEP AIRSOFT ACTION’S FRENCH CONTRIBUTOR, DIANE MONTAGNIER, TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT MARUI’S AEP VERSION OF THIS CLASSIC PISTOL. WHAT IS BETTER THAN USING an AEP during winter? If GBB gives us the kick sensation with their blowback slide, cool temperatures are often a problem because of the cool down.

The Japan Brand Tokyo Marui is probably the most wellknown brand in the airsoft world. It offers many AEG, GBB, AEP and Next Gen airsoft guns. Through manufacturing quality, it let us think that the brand’s future is not over!

HISTORICAL NOTE

The famous 93A Pistol was made by the Italian manufacturer Berreta. The 93R (R for “raffica”, or “burst” in English) is the young brother of the M1951. The M93R was distributed in 1979 for the Italian secret services and its production have been stopped nowadays. This pistol can shoot single fire or a 3 round burst, with the ammunition 9x19mm.

The pistol has a unique design, very recognizable, with a compensator. This one has 3 vertical slots (only on the first models) and its foldable foregrip at the top of the trigger guard, in order to stabilize the firing. Magazines can contain 15 or 20 rounds.

UNBOXING

The M93R Tokyo Marui is a beautiful replica of this pistol. It is delivered in a cardboard box with nice printings with the mark’s effigy. It’s a nice box like Tokyo Marui do so well.

Inside the box there is the airsoft gun, a 40-round magazines, a Nimh 7.2V 500 mAh battery and its battery charger, bbs sample, a cleaning rod and all the Tokyo Marui papers recommendations (including the manual and a generic manual, an exploded view and parts references, targets and finally a questionnary… in Japanese!). The first manual is really interesting because there is a M93R evolution picture, showing the model evolution from the M1951 to the M92F. Plastic parts are the slide, the compensator, the frame (including the trigger guard), the grips (wood imitation but without veins and checkered), the grip spacer and the sling attachment. Parts made of metal (but not steel) are the selector, the security lever, the mag catch, the bolt catch and the foregrip. Nevertheless, all those parts have a good appearance and a quasi-complete absence of burrs.

This pistol has a 250mm length and weighs 826g with the empty magazine and the battery. For example, the real pistol weighs more than one kilo. The 40 rounds magazine is made of metal.

The AEP M93R has a power of 200 fps and that is completely normal, because of the Japanese power legislation.

HOW WELL DOES IT WORK?

The battery takes place in the slide. To install it, you have to push the bolt catch button, on the right side, then pull down the bolt catch on the left side. Doing this, it will be possible to remove the slide and have access to the battery compartment. A small lever on the left side will help you to remove the battery. Side by side there is the hop-up setting wheel.

On top of the right grip, you can find the security but also the selector that allows you to shot single fire, or three-round burst. The hammer is movable.

The complete disassembly is the most difficult that we have ever done!

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ARMOURY TOKYO MARUI M93R AEP

To explain simply the whole process, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just cut the part of the process explaining how to access to the gearbox.

Anyway, all the removable pieces have to be taken off the frame (about 50 pieces), in order to take out the gearbox!

If you start to disassembly this AEP, do not hesitate to take photos all the time or to spot each piece. If you are a beginner, walk away, an AEG gearbox is better to begin to learn the disassembling.

By the way, inside the gearbox, all the parts are standard AEP.

In case of an upgrade of this AEP, especially if the spring is changed by a more powerful one, you will need to install a metal bushing and a stronger motor, and it will be better to consider a Lipo 7.4V installation and wiring.

Well, this AEP has an atypical appearance, it can suit to everybody, beginner or confirmed airsofter.

It is really easy to use but in case of an upgrade, it needs a lot of patience, many knowledges and tools in perfect condition.

Its great advantage is its power that allows this airsoft gun to be used in any cases for close shoot, like CQB mission, without any risks of injury. This M93R AEP is a really good alternative compared to the GBB, in all seasons!

The Type O cylinder (without hole) is made of brass. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 35,3mm length and 21,7mm of diameter.

The spring guide is full polymer and has only a small metal washer. It is 35,8mm length and its rod is 7,5mm diameter.

The spring is linear and it is about 91mm length, 10,4mm external diameter and 8mm inner diameter.

We can notice that there are 4 gears instead of the 3 in AEG. The inner barrel is made of brass et it is 122mm length.

The hop-up rubber is a standard AEP. The piston has 5 polymer teeth, but one is made of metal.

The piston head is 19,5mm diameter.

Bushings are made of polymer and are 6mm diameter.

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Kit BATTLE BELTS

BATTLE BELTS PART ONE

ANDY NIGHTINGALE WRITES ABOUT AN ITEM THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE AND IS STEADILY GAINING IN POPULARITY AS LOADS INCREASE. NO MATTER HOW MUCH KIT you carry into battle, there is never enough room to store it all on your person. Loading up your combat vest with extra ammo, grenades, radio communications, mission specific tools, food, water, orders and the likes, soon fills up all the pockets and pouches you have. Yes, we can pile on kit wherever the MOLLE sits but do you really want to hit the deck with a shed load of kit on the

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front of your plate carrier when the lead starts coming your way?

There is an easy solution to this load bearing problem.

“Battle belts” or “War belts” have been around for many years now in the form of combat webbing sets. Normally comprising of a belt, yoke or suspenders and an awry of pouches, these early battle belts have proved their worth in battle by armies around the globe. The modern battle belt is a far better improvement on the bog-standard set of issue webbing. Today’s battle belts are usually of a MOLLE design, making it far easier for the wearer to customise the belt for their intended use. Designs of the battle belt vary from manufacturer to manufacturer but most now use the ever popular MOLLE system. The MOLLE system (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) uses several rows of webbing strips sewn onto the belt or pad, enabling the pouches to be added to the belt by weaving the straps on the rear of the pouch onto the belt.

MOLLE can be found on almost every piece of military load carrying platform, from belts to vests, to backpacks.

The MOLLE pouches are compatible with all other MOLLE systems regardless of manufacturer, making them one of the most versatile pieces of kit available today for the individual operator. This simple design allows the user to weave straps on the back of the pouches in and out of the MOLLE attached to the garment. This is akin to stitching the pouch to the garment, yet is easy to remove and replace at any time.

The latest trend in MOLLE systems is a laser cut fabric that negates the need for strips of webbing to be sewn onto the pad itself. This, the manufacturers say, is a stronger and cheaper way of manufacturing the MOLLE system and is

Kit BATTLE BELTS

compatible with all existing MOLLE pouches. For me I have no issues with the old MOLLE system and live by the saying “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it”. I have tried the laser cut system and find although it’s lighter, it’s also a bugger to thread and replace pouches, also at the time of writing this article there wasn’t many laser cur MOLLE battle belts on the market. I found that the traditional MOLLE system to be better but that’s my own, personal opinion.

The three belts that I have included here use different ways of securing the belt.

Component battle belts consist of a MOLLE pad with a separate belt that is threaded through the pad. The buckles on the belt can be of any type as you can use any belt that is suitable. The most common component battle belts in use have a quick release clip, or roll pin buckle. The choice of what belt and fastening system you go for is a luxury you have when choosing a component battle belt. Some battle belts have an integrated buckle system that is attached directly to the belt by means of webbing strap or strips with an adjustable buckle system. Integrated buckles, although fully adjustable, need to be fixed or discarded if the belt should break. Component belts, however, are fixed by simply replacing the broken belt for a new one. Any belt will do so long as it is wide enough to support the MOLLE pad. I’ve even seen a battle belt being held together with 550 cord and cable ties after the buckle on the belt broke. A quick battle field fix until a new belt could be found.

Battle belts are not always seen or used in areas of conflict.

My civilian range belt has a similar setup as my duty battle belt. Consisting of a 2 inch wide belt, (without a pad), leather holster, magazine pouches and PFAK (Personal First Aid Kit). This setup allows me to continue with my training but without looking like Rambo down my local firearms range (many civilian ranges these days tend to shy away from the military look). As I don’t spend all day at the range with my belt around my waist, I don’t feel the need for a pad. The padding provides comfort and support when the battle belt is fully laden with kit. There are several widths and thicknesses of padding as well as materials. If the padding is too thick then the belt will tend to lose grip and move around when you move. Likewise, if the belt is too wide the belt also tends to move. A good amount of MOLLE strips to secure your kit is three, but I have found that a minimum of two works fine.

This will enable you to have two rows of MOLLE and some extra padding above and below the strips without making the belt too wide. This will make the belt a lot narrower and still afford maximum comfort and grip during use.

Depending on the intended use of your battle belt, you will need to consider not only the amount of MOLLE you have but also the width, thickness, and padding, including the inner lining material. The amount of kit you will be carrying also needs careful consideration in regards to weight and bulk.

Most setups allow for a “free floating” belt, however, if your battle belt is going to be laden down with copious amounts of heavy ammunition, grenades and other supplies then you may need to consider the use of a yoke or suspenders. Most battle belts have attachment points built in to accommodate a yoke of some description. A yoke is a simple design, much like braces, that helps to keep the belt in place by the straps crossing over your shoulders. The yoke will help bear a great amount of weight and prevent the belt from sagging and moving during use and will also aid in comfort while releasing weight from your waist and hips.

The lining of the belt is another important consideration.

Rubber is used in some belts to reduce the movement of the belt whilst running and other physical activities. I have found that a rubber lining rubs after a while and is of no use in hot and humid climates. Thicker padded mesh lining is, for me, an all-round winner. This is not only comfortable but it also wicks away sweat from the body and is breathable. However, a pad that is too thick can cause problems by moving around under heavy physical activity. The thinnest pads use a liner known as a “hard liner”. This affords very little padding, yet is still comfortable and has grooves along the pad to aid in breathing and venting heat away from the body. As for price, the usual rules apply, bye what you can afford and don’t go for the cheapest battle belt system. Quality, like many things today, is usually measured in currency.

In part two I’ll look at different Battle Belt loadouts.

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airsoft action stockists Airsoft Zone Unit 2, Detection House Brooklands Approach Romford, Essex.

01708 733275 www.airsoftzone.co.uk

Land warrior Airsoft 44/1 Hardengreen Bus. Prk Hardengreen Lane Dalkeith, EH22 3NX 0131 654 2452 www.landwarriorairsoft.com

Airsoft Sniper Parts UK Unit 2, Old Station Drive Sheffield S7 2PY www.airsofsniperparts.com

Xsite Airsoft Fryers Farm Lane High Wycombe Bucks, HP14 3NP 01494 881430 www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk

Bomb Up Airsoft 22-23 Arkwright Court Arkwright Road Runcorn, WA7 1NX 0800 131 3012 www.bombupairsoft.co.uk

DTW Airsoft B23 Moorside Business Prk Colchester Essex, CO1 2ZF 01206 790046

Surplus Store Unit 2, Access House Stephenson Way Three Bridges, RH10 1TN 01293 525880 www.surplusstore.co.uk

The Gaol Events Oakham Enterprise Park Ashwell Road, Oakham Leics, LE15 7TU 07976 457602

JD Airsoft Unit 5, Virage Park Green Lane, Cannock WS11 0NH 0845 600 5144 www.jdairsoft.net

Invicta Battlefield Airsoft Pook Hill Wood Farm Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst, TN12 0HP 07876 263290

Johnsons of Leeds 2, Vulcan Foundry Haigh Park Road Leeds, LS10 1RT 0113 277 5237 www.johnsonsofleeds.co.uk Leicestershire Airsoft Unit 3, Industrial Estate Melton Road Queniborough, LE7 3FP 07526 372108

www.leicestershireairsoft.co.uk

If you would like to stock Airsoft Action in your shop or on your site and get a FREE ADVERT on this page at the same time, contact Nige on 01684 878003 or by email: nige@airsoft-action.co.uk for details.

It’s a classic JUNGLE BOOTS

IT’S A CLASSIC:

JUNGLE BOOTS GADGE HARVEY CONTINUES HIS “CLASSIC” SERIES WITH A LOOK AT THE WELL-KNOWN AND MUCH LOVED JUNGLE BOOT. “BOONIE BUFFS”, “LEATHER Personnel Carriers”, “Junglies”… call ‘em what you will, it’s fair to say that the US Army Jungle Boot of the 1960s changed military (and airsoft) footwear forever.

As far back as WWII, the standard leather combat boot had been found wanting in hot and wet climates. Both UK and US forces in the Far East found that standard hide combat boots caused numerous ailments and diseases to their soldier’s feet, as the tropical conditions caused the feet to sweat and the monsoon rains rarely allowed the boots to properly dry out. What’s more, the boot itself would often rot after a short term of service in the Pacific Theatre, with some British Chindit units claiming their issue leather “ammo boots” survived (on average) a mere two weeks during their deep jungle penetration missions.

The UK solution among many Chindits was to rather cheekily steal cloth and rubber Japanese army “tabi boots” (traditional Japanese footwear with a separate “big toe”, looking a bit like “ninja shoes” to most people)! But the US recognised the need for a dedicated hot weather boot and, by the end of the war in the Pacific, had begun to issue the M1942 and later M1944 jungle boot. These revolutionary new boots were designed to be quick-drying and possess good grip, rather than to be waterproof or particularly protective to the foot. While in many way a success in preventing cases of foot rot, their durability was their main weakness. During the 50s the British introduced a similarly styled boot for its campaigns in Malaya and Borneo but, again, their tendency to fall apart during a patrol was a serous Achilles heel. <<xhead>>The best of both boots!

All of this would change with the introduction on the M66 Jungle boot by the US. This new combat boot took the best parts of a conventional leather combat boot and combined them with the successful elements of the WWII and 50s designs. Comprising of a leather “shoe” (heel and

upper toe and lower sides) of durable leather on a soft rubber deep treaded sole, the boot had webbing (later nylon) sides that provided excellent ankle support, while allowing sweat and water to dry out through the fabric. To aid drainage, small meshed eyelets were inserted into the lower sides of the boot. Initial boots were well received but the wily Vietcong exploited the weakness of the webbing boot sides and soft soles by planting sharpened stakes or “punji spikes” into the ground to injure jungle boot-wearing soldiers. Later models of the jungle boot attempted to defend against this by inserting a metal plate into the rubber sole.

The Vietnam-era jungle boot served the US army for decades, well into the Cold War and its involvement in Panama and Grenada. Across the pond the British Army made a direct copy of the boot for it troops involved in jungle warfare (albeit with black webbing/nylon sides in some cases) and by the time of the First Gulf War both nations (and many other NATO countries) had adapted the basic design of the “jungle boot” into the desert boot; substituting a suede-like rough leather “shoe” for the polished black leather of earlier models.

While the classic jungle boot (and desert variant) are seem less and less on today’s battlefield, the “Boonie Buff” (so called due to a propensity for the red soil of Vietnam to turn a well-worn pair brown all over) is an absolute design classic and many modern combat boots with fabric sides, ventilated edges and breathable materials owe their existence to the humble, yet iconic, jungle boot of the Vietnam war. www.airsoft-action.online

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Famous Raids OPERATION MERCURY: TAKING OF CRETE

IN THIS FIRST OF TWO PARTS, BILLY BASICS BRINGS US A RAID THAT BECAME A LANDMARK IN THE HISTORY OF AIRBORNE WARFARE AND INVASION.

OPERATION MERCURY:

TAKING OF CRETE PART ONE SITTING, AT IS DOES, AT AN advantageous location tactically in the Mediterranean, Crete was a valuable prize for both the Allied and Axis forces. In the summer of 1941 those on the island knew that there was going to be one hell of a fight for it - but no one knew when. No one that is, apart from a closely guarded and secure room full of the top brass and German senior military planners in the Fuhrer’s lair to the north in Germany.

Presenting the plan to take Crete from the Allies was the father of the German Airborne Forces himself, General Karl Student. The operation was codenamed “Operation Mercury” and it was to be the first truly combined operation ever to have been mounted on such a massive scale bringing all the elements together.

General Student knew of the island’s strategic importance and convinced the Fuhrer that it was achievable. He energetically laid out his argument in an aggressive style and the Fuhrer was duly impressed with Student’s fighting spirit, as well as his presentation. From Crete’s airfields Student argued that the Germans could control the Eastern Mediterranean and once in their hands, could be used to strike at the British base in Cairo, as well as further actions against other British interests in Palestine and Cyprus.

Student had shown his planning, fighting and winning ability in Norway, Belgium and Greece and now standing confidently in front of the Fuhrer and Goring, he told Hitler that it was key to achieving dominance in the Middle East and how he planned to achieve it. Without much hesitation both Hitler and Goring gave it their blessing and the resources were soon being assembled in Greece, from where the raid was to take place.

Planning began immediately, with troops being drawn in from all over the Axis areas of control. The Germans assembled 15,000 Paratroopers who would be the spearhead

of the assault on Crete from the air. 8,500 Mountain troops would then follow them in, once there was a bridgehead on the island that the Mountain troops could land on and then make their way over the jagged landscape of the island.

An extra 700 motorcyclists from the Armoured Division were positioned to join the task force. To get them all to the island, a staggering 539 three-engined Ju-52 transports, over 100 DS230 gliders, hundreds of Stuka dive bombers, ordinary bombers and fighters headed for Southern Greece to ready themselves for the huge assault. A motley crew of German navy ships, trawlers and smaller boats were also assembled to support the mission from the sea.

Despite the impressive numbers of aircraft there were still not enough to get the entire force to the island. Two lifts would have to be mounted, the first one on the morning of the 21st to drop over 3,000 men assault force to conduct the initial raid. This would then be bolstered by sea assaults bringing the mountain troops onto the island by sea, gradually building forces on the island and channelling the retreating defenders along the island.

Then a second air lift would be launched to bring the rest of the airborne troops into the fight landing on the airfields if they were operational, or dropping them by parachute if not.

Crete had only one single paved road which connected the three simple airfields of Maleme, Retimo and Heraklion together. If they could successfully deposit the Motorcycle

“ONE OF THE AIRMEN STARED DISTRACTEDLY OUT TO SEA IMAGING WHEN AND HOW IT WOULD COME. FAR OUT TO SEA HE NOTICED MANY MORE HUNDREDS OF GLITTERING SPARKLES SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE HORIZON. MOMENTARILY DAZZLED HE MARVELLED AT THEM FOR A FEW SHORT SECONDS UNTIL HE REALISED WHAT THEY WERE. HUNDREDS OF PLEXI-GLASS COCKPITS HEADING TOWARDS THE ISLAND!” 88

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Famous Raids OPERATION MERCURY: TAKING OF CRETE

troops at the beachhead then they would be a crucial tool in rapidly dominating the island and surrounding and cutting off pockets of defenders. Crete has a viciously steep mountain range running almost the entirety of its length, which was 250 km in length and 40 km wide which made it incredibly difficult to defend as well as to attack. The Brits knew this and had chosen to concentrate their defences around the airfields and to rely on the RN to defend from the seas.

21ST MAY 1941.

The dawn of the raid. The airfields of Crete were under daily attack after the fall of Greece to the Axis powers, the garrison was at a strength of 32,000 men who had fled from Greece. A huge number of men but these men were in poor shape, with few heavy weapons and scarce ammunition, they were on the backfoot and had already had a mauling from the Germans.

On the 21st as dawn’s first light appeared and “stand to” was called, a host of glittering lights appeared out to sea.

Squinting into the early morning sunshine the soldiers must have thought “Well they normally came from this direction” and the usual alarms were sounded. Routine and as normal, a clutch of Messerschmitt fighters strafed the beaches and the trenches around the airfield.

Men took cover and some with anti-aircraft guns put up a few rounds with little effect against the fast-moving fighters

attacking at tree top level.

The German planes swept over the beach and airfield, some heading up and over the hills and other back around for another pass.

And then with the smell of engine fuel and cordite in the air they were gone. The Brits, Kiwis, New Zealanders and other Commonwealth soldiers knew that an invasion was going to happen at some point. War is like a chess game and they knew that it would come but prey God that it wasn’t going to be today.

One of the airmen (doubtless relived that it was over for now after the excitement of the engagement) stared distractedly out to sea imaging when and how it would come.

Far out to sea he noticed many more hundreds of glittering sparkles slightly above the level of the horizon. Momentarily dazzled he marvelled at them for a few short seconds until he realised what they were. Hundreds of plexi-glass cockpits heading towards the island! Hundreds of German planes and their gliders packed with Paratroopers. It was going to be today and they’d be here in minutes.

For the garrison force of 32,000 men this should (under normal circumstances) have been a one-sided fight in favour of the defenders. After all, the favoured ratio of 3 attackers to 1 defender was almost in reverse in this case. But these defenders were tired men from many different forces, low on fighting spirit as well as ammunition, they were huddled on the island with their backs to the mountain. The assaulting force of General Student’s Paratroopers were on the front foot, they

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Famous Raids OPERATION MERCURY: TAKING OF CRETE

“OUT FROM THE SMASHED UP GLIDER EMERGED A DAZED GERMAN PARATROOPER WHO STAGGERED TO THE DOOR. THE AIRMEN RAISED HIS RIFLE AND SHOT HIM DEAD, HIS BODY FALLING BACK INTO THE GLIDER. SECONDS LATER HIS COMRADES WERE TUMBLING OUT INTO COVER AND BEGINNING WHAT WAS TO BE A BRUISING FIGHT FOR THE PARAS.” were rested, lean and hungry and on the front foot.

At exactly 06:50 a hideous screaming was heard from above as the infamous Jericho sirens of the Stuka Dive bombers engaged and the bombers began a 20-minute bombardment of the airfields. Screaming, shouting, explosions, gun fire and mayhem kept the defender’s heads down. Out to sea the approaching armada of transports and gliders that had been in tight formation to remain hidden for as long as possible, began to spread out and into a line to approach the island.

Meticulously choreographed and almost to the minute that the Stuka’s finished their dive bombing the next phase of the assault began.

You can imagine the scene from the perspective of the Stuka pilot as he pulled up and headed for the safety of Greece, his part played for now. Smoke rising from the island, men fleeing and dying below and a vast line of planes ready to bring death and disaster to Crete. Crouching in a fox hole a young airman lifted his head, there was an eerie quiet and at that very second a fearsome shadow swept over him, a rush of air, a creaking of cables followed by a crashing splintering of wood and canvas as a glider packed with Paratroopers ploughed into a tree next to him.

Ducking back into his fox hole and keeping his head for now, he grabbed his rifle and looked up. Out from the smashed up glider emerged a dazed German paratrooper who staggered to the door. The airmen raised his rifle and shot him dead, his body falling back into the glider. Seconds later his comrades were tumbling out into cover and beginning what was to be a bruising fight for the Paras.

More and more gliders crashed into the airfield, scattering small pockets of Paras who had survived the impact and the return fire of the defenders around Malerme. Next came the transports and pretty soon the sky was filled with mushrooms of every colour. But this was not to be the Ride of the Valkyries shock and awe that the Paratroopers were longing for, they

would pay dearly for their gamble. Because of the topography of the island, with the wind coming off the sea and straight up, the Paratroopers jumped into a significant up draught and instead of bringing death from above, the hapless soldiers literally hung in the air above the defenders like floating targets.

On the ground General Meindl and his tactical HQ had scambled into a river bed to get some cover, get their bearing and get control. Spotted by a machine gunner they were wiped out with one long burst. Above their bodies the Paratroopers continued to jump into the Hell of Malerme.

To be continued… www.airsoft-action.online

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HALO MILL

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

Allt-lywd Wood Farm, outside Llanrhystud, nr. Aberystwyth, Wales.

Tel: 07511554740 www.aberairsoft.co.uk

ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT

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

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

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

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

Downpatrick, Co. Down, BT30 Tel: 07718 032541 robinsonm24@btinternet.com

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

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

AIRSOFT KGB

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

AIRSOFT PLANTATION

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

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

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH

ACE COMBAT

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQB

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

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

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

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

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

ALPHA ELITE GAMING

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

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

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

BADGER TAC EVENTS

Phoenix College, Beaconsfield, Bucks, HP9 2RB Tel: 01296 658600 ratty@badgertac-events.co.uk

AMAZON EVENTS

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

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

BADLANDS AIRSOFT

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

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

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

AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON

BATTLETEC AIRSOFT

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

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

APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT

BETTER BATTLES

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

BLACKDAGGER AIRSOFT

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT (DESERT)

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

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

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

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

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

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE WORKS (URBAN)

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

CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

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

BUNKER 51

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

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

BUSH VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

COMBAT ACTION GAMES

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

C3 TACTICAL

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE COMPLEX Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4RP Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

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

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

COOL UNDER FIRE

BORDERLINE AIRSOFT

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

CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL

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

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT

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

COTSWOLD AIRSOFT

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

DOG TAG AIRSOFT

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

ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING

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

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

ELITE BATTLEZONE

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT

EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT

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

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

DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT

FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS

Ellough Lark Raceway, Benacre Road, Ellough, Norfolk . Tel: 07455 906132

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

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

DARKWATER AIRSOFT LTD.

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

TN26 1LZ facebook.com/darkwaterairsoftdarkwater

FIFE WARGAMES

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

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

COMBAT AIRSOFT

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

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

COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND

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

DELTA TEAM 3

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

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

DOGS OF WAR

FIRST & ONLY: ANZIO CAMP

DRAGON’S LAIR

FIRST & ONLY: BUNKER WOOD

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

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

Leek, ST13 8 Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

Kidderminster, Worcs, DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

www.airsoft-action.online

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SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

FIRST & ONLY: KHE SANH

WOODS

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

FIRST & ONLY: MANCHESTER

WOODLAND

Bolton, BL7 9TS Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY

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

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

Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY

GUN HO AIRSOFT

FIRST & ONLY: THE ASYLUM Kidderminster, DY10 3PT Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

FIRST & ONLY: SLEEPY HOLLOW Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 5LS Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – CAMBRIDGE

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS

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

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

FREE FIRE ZONE

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT– NORWICH Norwich, Norfolk, NR10 Tel: 07854 277264 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk

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

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

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

LAC SITE 1

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

LAC SITE 2

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

LAC SITE 3

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

LAC SITE 5

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

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

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

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

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

MILSIM UK

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

NCIS AIRSOFT

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

NOMAD AIRSOFT

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

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

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

NORTHFLEET CQB

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

LINDSEY AIRSOFT

NSC AIRSOFT

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

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

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

MIA HUMBER AIRSOFT

MIDWALES AIRSOFT

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

MAW

FULL METAL AIRSOFT

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

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES

FRV AIRSOFT

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

Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0HP Tel: 01622 831788 / 07876 263290 www.invictabattlefield.co.uk

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT

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

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

INVICTA BATTLEFIELD

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

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

NTAC

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

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

OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT Tel: 07964 990831 www.op-tac.co.uk

www.airsoft-action.online

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SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

OVER THE TOP AIRSOFT CLUB

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM)

PATHFINDER GROUP AIRSOFT MILITARY SIMULATION

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

Anglesey, LL71 www.ottairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07731 744471

Former RAF Camp Sopley/Merryfield Park, Hants, BH23 Tel: 02380 899369

PHOENIX AIRSOFT

Welbeck Airsoft, Academy, Budby Road, Notts NG20 9JX Tel: 07956 587213/01623 812483 www.phoenix-airsoft.co.uk

PLATOON 1HQ

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

PLAYERS OF WAR

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

PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES Ballynahinch, BT24 8NF Tel: 02897565651 / 07825169631 www.predatorcombat.com

RAVEN’S NEST

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

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

RED1AIRSOFT

Chislehurst, Bromley BR7 6SD Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

RED1AIRSOFT CQB

Red1 CQB. Kings Langley, WD4 8RN Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3 Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ Tel: 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

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Cambridge, CB24 8RL Tel: 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

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

SG1 COMBAT GAMES Co. Londonderry, BT45 8NA Tel: 07713 273102 www.sg1combatgames.co.uk

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY

Billericay, Essex, CM11 2TX Tel: 01277 657777 www.airsoft-billericay.co.uk

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

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT

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

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

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

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

STIRLING AIRSOFT

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

THUNDER PARK AIRSOFT

TA EVENTS

TORRENT WARFARE

TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT

TROJAN AIRSOFT

TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB

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

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

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

Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9PL Tel: 020 8665 1299 www.tacticalwarfare.co.uk

Co Tyrone, BT71 4DY Tel: 07922 377131 Facebook: search ‘Torrent Warfare’

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

Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP Tel: 07428 024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com

TECH BRIGADE

Newgate Street, Hertfordshire.

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

UCAP AIRSOFT

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

TASK FORCE SKIRMISH Cowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF71 Tel: 02920 593900 www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk

UCAP GREEN OPS

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

THE BUNKER

Aberystwyth www.aberairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07841 462806

THE DEPOT

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

UCAP SANDPIT

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

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY Tel: 01268 796130 www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

THE DESERTERS AIRSOFT

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

Redford, DD11 Tel: 07751 878175 www.thedeserters.co.uk

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

THE EX SITE

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

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

SUSSEX AIRSOFT

THE WARGAMES CENTRE

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

Luxulyan, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL305FA Tel: 07751808055 www.thunderparkpaintball.co.uk Food & drinks available on site.

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

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13 Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0QN Tel: 07432 291729 www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN6AIRSOFT– THE BLOCK Wood Street, Burton-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 3AB www.urban6airsoft.com

SITE DIRECTORY

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

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

URBAN ASSAULT

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

VIKING AIRSOFT

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

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

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

PRACTICAL PISTOL DIRECTORY AIPSC

The Grange, Frog Lane, Balsall Common, West Midlands, CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532384 www.aipsc.co.uk Facebook: A.I.P.S.C info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk.

Every Monday night 7pm– 9pm (except bank holidays). £5 or £10 with pistol and shooting rig hire. UKPSA-qualified coaches. UKPSA-qualified Range Officers.

COBRA ONE ZERO AIRSOFT Unit 9 Imperial Buisness Centre Mortimer Road, Hereford, HR4 9SP www.cobraonezero.co.uk Facebook: cobra one zero Airsoft

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB WatfordPPC@gmail.com

DOUBLE TAP PSC XSITE AIRSOFT – LANE END High Wycombe, HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430

StrikeForce CQB, Morelands Trading Estate, Bristol Road, Gloucester GL1 5RZ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Double-Tap-Practical-Shooting-Club979585958732937/?ref=hl doubletappsc@gmail.com

EBSC

MOD-approved gun club PP, IDPA, IPAS, IPSC, 3GUN UKPSA Coaches UKPSA-qualified Range Officers Equipment hire available www.ebsc.co.uk ebpracticalpistol@gmail.com 07752 713 970

HALO MILL

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

NORTHERN PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB (NPPC)

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

XSITE PRACTICAL SHOOTING

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

SOUTH WEST PRACTICAL SHOOTERS (SWPS)

Action Air IPSC Club Based at The Tunnel Target Sports Centre near Charmouth The Tunnel, Axminster Road, Charmouth, Dorset DT6 6BY Contact: SWPSClub@Outlook.com

WETHERSFIELD AIRSOFT TARGET SHOOTING CLUB (WAT SIC)

Wethersfield Village Hall, Braintree Rd (B1053), Wethersfield, Braintree CM7 4EB. https://www.facebook.com/WATSiC/ Open Thursday & Friday evenings.

Set-up from 6:30pm.

Club shooting commences by 7:30pm.

Pack-up starts at 9:30pm if you can stay to help.

Contact via FB or 07939557029.

Indoors.

Club offers Action Air plus 2 & 3 Gun training and events.

www.airsoft-action.online

97

DEALER LISTINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEX Land Warrior Airsoft NUPROL Airsoft Zone JD Airsoft

7 + Inside Back Cover 9 + 66 + 94 15

ASPUK

19

Pro Airsoft Supplies

23

TacTree

28 + 29 32

Viper Tactical

38 + 60

Skirmish Cup

42

iWholesales

44 + 45

Helikon-Tex

50

Airsoft Surgeon Championship

56

BadgerTac

72

Northern Shooting Show

76

Silvermans

79

Crawley Surplus Store

83

Airsoft Action Stockists

86

Airsoft Action Digital Editions

90

Dragon Valley Airsoft

97

Military Outdoor

97

NoVAT Airsoft

97

Military 1st

2014

3

ASG

Fire Support

106

Inside Front Cover

Outside Back Cover