Airsoft Action - December 2018

AIRSOFT ACTION

in this issue... dytac slr ak105 S&T shotguns das gdr-15 evo owners event ladies airsoft kit

PLUS...

UCAP REDEMPTION

INSIDE AIRSOFT DEFCON AIRSOFT

ARMOURY

TM COLT PYTHON

EVENT

GUNMAN ‘NAM

PROJECT OPFOR | VORTEX OPTICS | SIMGAME | CLONE WARS | VIPER

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AIRSOFT ACTION

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in this issue... dytac slr ak105 S&T shotguns das gdr-15 evo owners event ladies airsoft kit

ARMOURY: AK105

PLUS...

DEFCON AIRSOFT

ARMOURY

TM COLT PYTHON

EVENT

GUNMAN ‘NAM

PROJECT OPFOR | VORTEX OPTICS | SIMGAME | CLONE WARS | VIPER

Editor: Nigel Streeter Graphic Design: Havoc Design Ad Design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter Cover Photo: Rossco from Nuprol UK 13-issue subscription rate: £46.50 UK 6-issue subscription rate: £24.00 For overseas prices email: subs@airsoft-action.co.uk

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INSIDE AIRSOFT

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UCAP REDEMPTION

DEC 2018 - £4.50

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Win one of three nuprol sierra storm shotguns!

ARMOURY: 870 SHOTGUN

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GEEK: SIMGAME EVENT: EVO OWNERS

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Tel: +44 (0) 1684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.online ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2018 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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KIT: XCORTECH

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72

FEATURE: SPEEDSOFT

INTERNATIONAL: BLODSBAND PT2

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.

Contents DECEMBER 2018

CONTENTS DECEMBER 2018 6

NEWS

8 ROGUE’S GALLERY Airsoft Action readers doing what they do best!

12 ARMOURY: DYTAC SLR AK105 As “Tacticool” becomes the new black, Scott Allan checks out the latest AK offering from Dytac.

16 ARMOURY: S&T “870” SHOTGUNS Continuing his look at the latest airsoft offerings from S&T, Bill returns to one of his favourite subjects, the shotgun, and finds that the humble springer is alive and well and truly kicking!

20 ARMOURY: GDR-15 – FINAL THOUGHTS In the last issue, Phil Bucknall gave us an overview of this “Systema-beater”.

After many sleepless nights, he now rounds everything off with his final thoughts.

24 GEEK: SIMGAME One of the biggest bugbears we hear from certain areas of the airsoft community is how you can never experience “real engagement distances”, in even the very best MilSim scenarios. What if you could use your beloved RIF to make shots out to 800m and beyond? Bill tells us more...

30 EVENT: ASG EVO OWNERS GROUP Evo Evo Evo Evo Evo!!!! Guess what event Georaga attended this month?

34 EVENT: GUNMAN ‘NAMSOFT Fresh from his Post-Apocalyptic visit to Sweden, Dust Monkey heads to one of Gunman Airsoft’s famous ‘NamSoft weekenders and discovers the event is aptly-named…

40 FEATURE: LADIES AIRSOFT KIT Being a smaller size, Femme Fatale has found it a challenge to source protective gear that fits properly.

Here she shares what she has discovered works best for her.

46 FEATURE: CLONE WARS When accessorising your new BB Launcher it’s all too easy to go for the cheapest option. This might, however, leave you at a performance disadvantage or even be a false economy. Tom Hibberd decided to find out why.

50 ACCESSORIES: XCORTECH XT301 One of the challenges of being an Airsoft Action contributor are the many temptations they face when visiting a retailer to do a write up … as Phil Bucknall recently discovered!

53 GEAR: VIPER SNEAKER JACKET Is it a jacket? Is it a softshell? Is it a body-warmer? No, it’s all three… as Femme Fatale, Kelly Hardwick, explains.

54 PROJECT OPFOR: MAIN EVENT Rounding out our series on how to get in the OPFOR game, Bill gets together with fellow contributor and “RusFor” enthusiast, Ian “Taz” Stokes, to bring you a well-priced, yet accurate loadout for representing “Main Force”.

58 SITE: UCAP REDEMPTION Lez Lee finds himself behind bars once again, as he returns to one of his old “lock-ups” and the gate slammed shut behind him…

62 FEATURE: SPEEDSOFT Sometimes, when doing research for an article you are writing, you get thrown a curve-ball, as Frenchie found out…

64 INSIDE AIRSOFT: DEFCON AIRSOFT Phil Bucknall heads out to visit an airsoft shop with a small high street presence that belies its big ambitions .

68 EVENT: VORTEX AT PLATOON STORES Airsoft Action has been following the

“Vortex Story” for some time and the brand has become a real favourite amongst both our team and players.

Bill attended a Vortex event hosted

by Platoon Stores in Kent recently, to check out the very latest models!

72 INTERNATIONAL: BLODSBAND PART 2 Having been shot whilst standing outside a bar called “Shot in the Dark”, Dust Monkey sought out his bed in order to be ready for another day in the Wasteland…

76 ARMOURY: COLT PYTHON Bill indulges his passion for revolvers by revisiting an absolute classic from Tokyo Marui, a “big calibre” pistol in a compact package in the form of the “snubnose” Colt Python.

81 COMPETITION: NUPROL Your chance to win something rather special from our friends at NUPROL! 82 THE LAST POST: SOMETHING FOR NOTHING? Every so often, no matter how hard you try to avoid it, something really gets under your skin and the only way to exorcise it is to let it out! Over to Frenchie…

84 AIRSOFT ACTION STOCKISTS Where to buy your copy of The Players’ Choice Best Airsoft Magazine before it goes on sale in newsagents.

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

s w e N t f o s Air

AND THE WINNERS ARE… Airsoft Action readers know that we like giving back to the community that supports us (and our advertisers) and we really do get a “buzz” out of ringing players to tell them they have won one of our amazing competitions – and that was no different when we contacted the winners of our NUPROL N79 and NUPROL Jackal Alpha competitions!

Ade Maddock, from Colchester, was over the moon when we told him he had won the NUPROL N79 competition and said he’d “never won anything before” and the we had “made his day”! I guess he was still pretty stoked when he sent us an email with his contact details and wrote:

“Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Hi Nige, So happy to get your phone call earlier, looks like I had better restock my tag rounds now, “bring the rain”!

Thanks again, this helps me live up to how I am known on the airsoft fields, as “Callsign Overkill”!”

Ade won not only a NUPROL N79 but also three shells to get him going (although judging by his email, “getting going” is not a problem for him!).

That was from Issue 91 and we followed that up in Issue 92 with the chance to win a Jackal Alpha in Tan, again curtesy of NUPROL and when we spoke to David J-S, from Dorchester, to let him know the good news, he was equally delighted: “Get in!”, he exclaimed, “This is the first time I’ve won anything!”.

Later (after he’d calmed down a bit) he wrote: “Hi Nigel, Thanks for your call today.

Was a joy to speak to you and to hear the awesome news that I’d won! It truly made my day. I’ll have to make sure I get a copy

of the issue that announces the winner, if only to prove to the missus that I haven’t been spending out on Airsoft gear again!

Thanks again!

A very chuffed AA reader.” …and that, dear readers, is why we do what we do!

If you’d like to join Ade and David (and all our many other prize winners), turn to Page 81 and enter this month’s competition to win something rather special from our friends at NUPROL.

GO PRO MASK MOUNTS SPEED Airsoft launches their own specially designed CNC machined GoPro Mask Mounts for tournament players. This top mounted SPEED GoPro Mask Mount incorporates massive air passages when mounted onto a fullface mask, allowing unrestricted airflow. The top exhaust vents integrated on all fullface masks are there to vent heat and are an essential feature, which should never be obstructed in any way.

The SPEED GoPro Mask Mounts are brilliantly engineered to allow the most airflow in the vents, while keeping it strong and secure to your mask.

The SPEED GoPro Mask Mounts are lightweight and compact, allowing it to be more streamlined to compliment the styling of modern fullface masks. These mounts are meticulously 6

december 2018

designed and engineered to be efficient at its purpose, which seamlessly integrate form and function in a simple yet important product.

Stainless steel fasteners are also included with each kit, which enables the SPEED GoPro Mask Mounts for all weather use.

The new SPEED CNC Tournament GoPro Mask Mounts available now:SA3080

SPEED GoPro Mask Mount (Silver)

SA3081

SPEED GoPro Mask Mount (Black)

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

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

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

VFC PRODUCTS NOW AVAILABLE AT RETAIL STORES BELOW

DISTRIBUTED BY RWA

Airsoft News BADSHOT LEA, SURREY

NEW AIRSOFT SHOP IN UK Typhoon Airsoft LTD is about to launch its new online sales website.

More information can be found at: typhoonairsoft.co.uk

Aimed specifically to simulation enthusiast and veteran players, this newly designed website features a streamlined and simplified design, improved functionality and enriched content areas, while also offering practical information and tips on equipment, RIFs and airsoft games.

instagram.com/typhoon_

facebook.com/typhoonairsoft/

REDCON1

A new British zombie action war film is to be officially released at cinemas across the UK from Friday 28th September. Redcon-1, a grassroots independent feature film which is directed by British-Chinese filmmaker Chee Keong Cheung, has secured a nationwide release across numerous Vue, Cineworld, and Reel cinema chain sites, as well as several indie cinemas.

So, what’s the film about? After a zombie apocalypse spreads from a London prison, the UK is brought to its knees. The spread of the virus is temporarily contained but, without a cure, it’s only a matter of time before it breaks its boundaries and the biggest problem of all… any zombies with combat skills are now enhanced.

With the South East of England quarantined from the rest of the world using fortified borders, intelligence finds that the scientist responsible for the outbreak is alive and well in London. With his recovery being the only hope of a cure, a squad of eight Special Forces soldiers is sent on a suicide mission to the city, now ruled by the undead, with a single task: get him out alive within 72 hours by any means necessary. What emerges is an unlikely pairing on a course to save humanity against ever-rising odds.

REDCON-1 features over 1,500 extras and a mass of military hardware. On the film shoot there was a strong military presence, from tanks, humvees, and several other military vehicles to ex-army servicemen, which included a veteran called Terry Crosby who has previously served in several conflicts, including Bosnia, northern Ireland, and Iraq.

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Sportsmarketing SMK announces distribution of ASG products We are very proud and pleased to announce that Sportsmarketing SMK, with immediate effect, (1st October 2018) have been appointed the Exclusive Importers and Distributors of Action Sport Games (ASG) for the UK, with regard to all 4.5mm airguns and associated products.

The ASG entire extensive and extremely popular range of 4.5mm Airguns and 6mm Airsoft and all associated products will be available from us very soon, we will be providing a full catalogue that you will be available to download from our website within the coming weeks.

We look forward to working with ASG extensively to enable us to always bring you the very latest models and technology.

For more information about ASG and SMK products, check out SMK’s website and Facebook page, plus don’t forget to order your catalogue and local stockist details today by calling 01206 795333 or email website@ sportsmk.co.uk

Terry helped as Military Advisor and was suggested to us from a military charity based in London.

As part of the promotion of the film, the Redcon-1 team spoke with Terry since filming finished and he expressed that working on the film shoot helped him enormously as he suffers from PTSD. He found it very beneficial to be involved in a project where he could use his experience directly to help the actors with the military training and weapons handling.

Following on from this conversation with Terry, we also interviewed several other veterans, including ones at Broughton House, a veterans care home based in Salford near Manchester, who help to specifically look after those who served in the armed forces.

Some of the veterans we spoke to had served in conflicts such as Aden, been captured and held at a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp during World War Two, and had been present at the D-Day Landings.

There was such a big involvement in the film from the military, and we wanted to try and highlight more of these stories from men and women who have served in the armed forces and run them in association with Redcon-1, raising awareness of both the veterans’ experiences and the film itself, to give something back to those who have served our country.

Another big support came from the airsoft community being extras in some of the scenes in the film. We had airsoft teams from across the country playing the roles of both zombie soldiers at a Prisoner of War Camp,

which was filmed in Whitworth just outside of Manchester, and regular soldiers who took part in the closing scenes of the movie filmed in Stafford, Staffordshire. The teams we spoke with were really excited and enthusiastic at taking part in the film and loved the experience of being on set, as they could use the skills they are used to week in week out with their airsoft teams and bring them to the film, especially when advising other extras who had no experience of holding a weapon on how to stand and what position the gun should be held in.

Redcon-1 was shot in over 12 cities, including Glasgow, Manchester, London, Lancaster, Preston, Edinburgh, Stafford and Rugby amongst others.

Critics have hailed Redcon-1 “A Fast-Paced, Action Packed Zombie Epic Unlike Any Other” (Loaded) and “The Raid Meets 28 Days Later” (Box Office Buz) ahead of the muchanticipated nationwide release.

Please visit redcon1film.co.uk for a list of all the screening dates across the UK and to prebook tickets in advance, as well as to watch the trailer for the film.

The film is certified as an 18 rating, so expect to see plenty of non-stop action and gore in this one.

Redcon-1- screening at over 40 towns and cities across the UK from Friday 28th September through to Friday 26th October.

Support this independent project by catching it in your nearest cinema now.

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY

THE QUIET BEFORE THE STORM - HOLDING THE TRENCH LINE. TAKEN AT SPARTAN AIRSOFT BRISTOL - RICH

BLODSBAND RELOADED 10

december 2018

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

Information “DYLAN: WINNER OF ASG AND COMBAT-UK’S COMPETITION FOR TICKETS AND FEATURED PHOTO AT THE RECENT ASG EVO OWNERS EVENT (SEE GEORAGA’S WRITE UP STARTING ON PAGE 30).”

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.

PHOTO CREDIT:: GEORAGA

www.airsoft-action.online

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armoury DYTAC SLR AK105

TACTICOOL KALASHNIKOV

AS “TACTICOOL” BECOMES THE NEW BLACK, SCOTT ALLAN CHECKS OUT THE LATEST AK OFFERING FROM DYTAC. “COMRADE BORIS! SOMETHING WEIRD AND WONDERFUL HAS COME FROM DYTAC. It’s like our beloved AK but seems all modern and useful… So after visiting the cathedral in Salisbury you should definitely check it out!”

The “tacticool” AK is a wonderful mashup of new and old, mainly driven by the US market but also the Russian modernisation of the weapon platform we’ve known and loved for so long. This US influence of the civilian shooter market is key and the reason businesses such as SLR Rifleworks, based near Orlando in Florida,

are producing such epic rifles and accessories.

SO WHO ARE DYTAC?

Dytac (Dynamic Tactical) have been around for many years as a part manufacturer in Hong Kong, much like G&P were in days gone by. In recent years they have risen and fallen in terms of presence in the marketplace. The Hex magazines they released were quite exciting and they are still popular today but nothing major seems to have surfaced since then – all quiet on the “Eastern Front” until now! Over the last twelve months Dytac have once again dipped their toe into the complete AEG markets and as always, I was keen to see what they’re bringing to the table.

I love a tactical-looking rifle like most Airsofters and with no exception the SLR AK105 is right up my street, the sleek design reminds me a little of the AMD65 for some reason. While Kalashnikov may be turning in his grave at what has become of his brainchild that changed the world, I for one am happy at this sleek update. Much like the humble M16 has changed over the decades, so too has the AK47 into more adaptable, sleeker and more functional beast. The gap between the modern M4 and modern AK has closed fairly well over recent time. These systems now come complete with MLOK, Keymod and RIS front rails and are seen commonly for both weapon types. Adaptability is key in the real world and also in Airsoft; you might play indoors one week requiring a flashlight and a GoPro mount, then the next week doing a Stirling Combat mission and mounting a night vision unit for a 3am raid on an enemy target.

THE REAL STEEL The AK 105 was originally a shortened version of the AK 74 rifle, chambered for 5.45mm x 39mm ammunition. The AK platform, first famously designed back in 1947 by Mikhail Kalashnikov, is probably the world’s most recognisable rifle. While the overall 12

december 2018

armoury DYTAC SLR AK105

function of the rifle hasn’t changed much in the last 70 years, the designs, manufacturers and calibres have all moved on in some way, shape or form. From the 12-gauge shotgun version (known as the Saiga 12), to the civilian .22 long rifle versions, there has been much innovation, change and development over the years.

The AK74 was the revamp in 1974 and it was an overall upgrade to the AK47; lighter, more accurate and generally just better all round. Of course, that depends on whom you ask and which country produces the 74.

Strictly speaking they should come from Russia but everyone and their dog seems to make them these days. The AK family has seen use in every modern battlefield and will continue to do so for decades to come. It is an icon of strength, defiance and rebellion all over the world, it is even on the flag of Mozambique - undoubtedly a massive draw for holiday-makers!

The Dytac SLR is the perfect size overall; short enough for tight situations, long enough to cope and light enough to not kill your arms after a long day of airsoft. I’ve always been a fan of the slightly longer rifle and find the super short CQB specialist stubby M4s quite yucky, I also find them harder to work with during games. What I like about the SLR the most, is the subtle changes whilst keeping things such as the pistol grip like the original. Some of the tactical AK pistol grips are a little overdone for my taste, in a desperate attempt to make things look like they went the extra mile when in fact they’ve just gone too far. Subtle and tasteful will always win against an over the top whacky design.

Internally the Dytac isn’t earth-shattering but everything I saw was to a decent standard. The gearbox sports bearings instead of bushings, steel gears instead of cheese but with a standard-looking piston and regular trigger system. Essentially, it takes the basics and does them right rather than overreaching with some fancy looking components that don’t stand up to the stresses that’ll be inflicted on them. A few companies have developed their own electronic triggers and they’re great but they don’t last as well as their standard triggers did. So they add a selling point, increase the

“ADAPTABILITY IS KEY IN THE REAL WORLD AND ALSO IN AIRSOFT; YOU MIGHT PLAY INDOORS ONE WEEK REQUIRING A FLASHLIGHT AND A GOPRO MOUNT, THEN THE NEXT WEEK DOING A STIRLING COMBAT MISSION AND MOUNTING A NIGHT VISION UNIT FOR A 3AM RAID ON AN ENEMY TARGET.”

www.airsoft-action.online

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armoury DYTAC SLR AK105

“FROM FLASH HIDER TO BUTT PAD IT’S WELL DESIGNED, SOLIDLY BUILT, LOOKS GOOD AND SHOOTS DECENT.”

features External Receiver: Stamped Steel Rail: Licenced SLR Airsoftworks 9” Mid AK Rail Outer Barrel: Anodized 6061Aluminum Charging Handle: Zinc Alloy Casting Selector: Stamped Steel

price but they require more work for the retailer and for the player and no one wants that - least of all you, the player. So simple is often the best way forward in my opinion, then later on you can opt to add something in yourself like a Gate Titan – by far the best new electronic trigger I’ve seen.

When you look at the list of components it’s actually a very respectable asking price for the SLR AK 105, considering that it is a licenced product too. The stock is great looking, it’s tough, very nicely finished and best of all there is no wobble. The front rail is certainly one of the nicer front rails I’ve seen on “tactical” AKs in the last year. Some of them go a bit mad with lots of useless rails, the SLR rail keeps it simple and retains a classic feel whilst offering you some flexibility with your loadout selection.

Internally it is much like all the other Dytacs I’ve seen, very basic but at the same time robust looking. Dytac for a while were offering ProWin hop up units as an optional extra out of the box but I think their standard hop up units were very reasonable, so no one really took up the offer. The quick change spring has a fairly unique design - obviously you have to pop the gearbox out of the receiver first which isn’t a big job. The spring guide release has a locking plate that must be first removed before you can pop the guide out. It’s a nice little touch that I hadn’t seen anywhere else before and is worth noting.

The finish on the bodywork is generally good, the front rail is of particular note as I looks and feels perfect. The hand grip area is bang on, with or without gloves during testing, light and narrow meaning it doesn’t feel cumbersome when bringing it up to the aim or moving around tighter areas. The front RIS rail is begging for a T1-style red dot, my favourite at the moment is the Vortex SPARC, great value, holds a zero (unlike so many of the cheap versions out there) and the Vortex no quibble warranty means if it gets shot out during a game they’ll replace it totally free!!

Things I would have liked to see on the SLR… Maybe a rail on the top cover for holo sights such as Eotechs or scopes with a fairly close eye relief and maybe an AK side rail for mounting the Cobra style scopes if you wanted to. Other than that, from flash hider to butt pad it’s well designed, solidly built, looks good and shoots decent. What would I do if I had it? Get a Gate Titan in there, buy a few mid capacity magazines, maybe a Nuprol flashlight and I’d be off. Externally I’d leave it just how it is.

CONCLUSION

The tactical modern AK is here to stay and it won’t disappear anytime soon, if anything, I think we might see some even crazier looking versions in the next couple of years. Just look at how companies are styling the humble M4 receiver these days?

Whacky, angular and cut outs seem to be fashionable and classics seem to be quickly fading to the background. I actually can’t think the last time I saw an M4 A1 on a game site, they are there I’m sure but there just isn’t too many. A classic AKS 74u seem to be fairly common - but I wonder for how long? AA

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Mag Catch: Steel Pistol Grip: Standard AK Style Polymer Grip Stock: Licenced SLR Airsoftworks AK Billet Stock Magazine: 500rd High Cap Magazine

Internal Hop-Up Chamber: Zinc Alloy Casting Caliber: 6mm Gearbox: Ver 3 Zinc Alloy Casting with 8mm Bearing installed including Quick-Detach Spring Guard (POM + Steel) Piston: POM/Steel Teeth Cylinder: Cooper Machined Switch: Trigger Switch Motor: High Torque, Speed 19000/14000rpm, Wire Diameter 0.65mm/TPA28 Gear Set: Steel Powder Metallurgy (18:1 Standard Torque) Inner Barrel Length: 330mm 6.03 Copper Tight Bore

Other Spec Weight: 3.2kg Length: 225mm (Folded)/300mm (Extended) Battery Type: 9.6v Small Stick Type/11.1V Stick Type Li-Poly Battery Recommended (Maximum Battery Width 19mm) Muzzle velocity: 350 FPS/1.1J with 0.20g Blaster BBs.

RRP £330

ARMOURY S&T “870” SHOTGUNS

RACK

AND RUN! CONTINUING HIS LOOK AT THE LATEST AIRSOFT OFFERINGS FROM S&T, BILL RETURNS TO ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE SUBJECTS, THE SHOTGUN, AND FINDS THAT THE HUMBLE SPRINGER IS ALIVE AND WELL AND TRULY KICKING!

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I’VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN... I LOVE AIRSOFT SHOTGUNS! There are just so many shotgun models to choose from these days and I’ve tried the lot - from my much-loved G&P “870’s”, through the gas TM models, to the shell-ejecting beast that is the CAM 870 but time and again I return to the same place, that personally I prefer spring versions as they are so simple! My absolute faves are still the full-metal G&P “870s” as they’re built like tanks and just carry on going and going; it’s simply a case of filling the little magazine, racking the slide and having at it!

Although new variants enter the market regularly, many airsoft shotguns are based on the real-world Remington 870 pump-action shotgun which is an absolutely classic model.

The “870” was introduced in 1951 to fit into a space in the manufacturer’s range, as they needed something at the time that was modern, streamlined, rugged, reliable and relatively inexpensive; the model 870 neatly fitted the bill. Sales of the 870 have been staggering; by 1973 two million had been sold, seven million by 1996 and a whopping ten million by 13th April 2009! As of today that figure has topped eleven million, but with legal proceedings in process there is some debate as to whether this number will grow further. Remington Outdoor, one of the US’s biggest gunmakers, has filed for bankruptcy protection as it struggles against a mountain of debts and falling sales...

It’s worthy of note though, that Remington 870s have been (and still are) used by numerous military units worldwide and hold an almost legendary status in Law Enforcement circles The popularity of the 870 series is down to its simplicity, rugged construction and reliability. Available in 12, 16, 20, 28, or .410 bore they are extremely versatile and the number of aftermarket parts available for them is an industry in itself.

ARMOURY S&T “870” SHOTGUNS

“MY ABSOLUTE FAVES ARE STILL THE FULL-METAL G&P “870S” AS THEY’RE BUILT LIKE TANKS AND JUST CARRY ON GOING AND GOING; IT’S SIMPLY A CASE OF FILLING THE LITTLE MAGAZINE, RACKING THE SLIDE AND HAVING AT IT!”

I’ve owned my full metal G&P models for a long time and they’ve always been, just like the real thing, extremely rugged, reliable and accurate. Yes, they only fire a single BB with every pump but the accuracy means that this BB usually hits the target it was intended for! Although the G&P 870 is a lovely replica, the fact of the matter is that the “classic” models a) feed from a rather fiddly magazine insert that makes it difficult to “show clear” and b) now go for some serious money even if you can get your hands on one. However, if you’re not willing or able to spend that amount of money on what is essentially a humble springer then all hope is not lost!

I was speaking to Trent from NUPROL and Chris from 308 Sniper at War & Peace this year and at the show they told me that the new S&T “870-alikes” were quite literally selling as fast as they arrived at the show, so fast indeed that on the day I visited they’d already sold out! Both Trent and Chris told me that they were absolutely stunning replicas and I knew from that point that I needed to get my hands on one!

By the time I’d spoken to the NUPROL office they simply told me that their initial order from S&T had already sold out and that all they had left was the “Sawn Off” version! Much as I would have liked to have the “Police” or “Extended” version for test I asked them to send what they had and oh boy, I wasn’t in any way disappointed when the S&T arrived! What landed with me showed solid craftsmanship, attention to detail and proved to have very respectable performance.

The “Sawn Off” is an absolute corker and I have fallen in love with the airsoft shotgun all over again! In appearance the S&T is exactly like the more expensive G&P and I would be lying if I didn’t say that. You might go as far as saying it is actually a “clone” of the G&P - if it wasn’t for the fact that S&T have taken that original design and improved on it even further!

The shotgun is still magazine-fed and that mag looks almost indentical to that of the G&P, although now, due to a couple of subtle design changes, you can actually remove it easily and “show safe” immediately. Well-finished external metal parts are used throughout (the quality every bit as good as the G&P)

BOOK OF ELI IMAGE FROM PUBLIC DOMAIN.

THE SAME... BUT BETTER!

and extend to include the inner barrel, inner slide, shell ejection port, sling swivels, barrel clasp and chamber cover. The cutdown stock (read pistol grip) and pump handle are real wood and of decent quality to boot.

Overall the S&T oozes quality and feels absolutely great!

Controls are simple with a push-through safety and magazine release button; these are located right next to the trigger, which makes their operation very simple and intuitive. What I really love though about the S&T is the price, as the “Sawn Off” www.airsoft-action.online

17

ARMOURY S&T “870” SHOTGUNS

will only set you back around £130 in the UK. Most retailer’s shipping costs are very reasonable these days so you could have your very own “870” delivered to your door for less than 140 quid! The “Sawn Off” looks almost identical to the shotgun used by Denzel Washington in “The Book of Eli” but it would look equally as good in a Nam “point man” setting, or even as a modern day “breacher” attached to your Multicam pack!

For about £150 you can lay your hands on the longer “Police” and “Extended” S&T “870s” and if you want one that’s really quite stunning, the LIMITED EDITION STAINLESS versions really tick all the boxes. Again, these models are made from high quality metal and wood parts. If you want to add a polymer butt or other furniture then the good news is that the S&Ts are completely compatible with old G&P parts; I tried a polymer slide and butt, a standalone pistol grip, and even a steel “overfolder” stock from G&P and they all mated up perfectly, meaning that you can change your “870” to suit your own individual style. G&P parts also come up regularly and cheaply online and at Airsoft Boot Fairs.

RACK AND RUN! With the S&T models it’s never been easier to add a great quality shotgun to your armoury and believe me when I tell you that when you do you won’t be sorry, as they’re great fun to own and skirmish with and in my opinion, you just can’t beat the S&T for the price. Popping BBs out accurately at 330fps on a .20g RZR there’s no battery to contend with, no gas to vent on cold days, just a big old spring that’s cocked by the pump action.... quite literally “rack and run”!

An increasing number of the good sites run “spring and gas only” days which are tremendous fun and normally that means you’re going to run with a gas pistol and a spring shotgun. A good “springer” (and bear in mind again that a lot of airsoft sniper rifles are spring powered) can be superbly accurate, especially with a longer barrel. As G&P models are now becoming quite scarce and are commanding hefty price-tags, I thought that my days of adding to the “shotty collection” were drawing to a close but with the latest S&T “870s” I’m beginning to rethink this entirely.

The S&Ts are well-priced, superb to shoot, and eminently “customisable”. I’ve already asked the guys at NUPROL to order me a “Police” variant when they next place an order with S&T... well, you know... reasons!

My thanks also go to www.nuprol.com for supplying the “Sawn Off” for review. You’ll find S&T models on their website and stocked by most good airsoft retailers. AA 18

december 2018

armoury GBLS DAS GDR-15

GBLS DAS GDR-15: FINAL THOUGHTS

IN THE LAST ISSUE, PHIL BUCKNALL GAVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THIS “SYSTEMA-BEATER”.

AFTER MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, HE NOW ROUNDS EVERYTHING OFF WITH HIS FINAL THOUGHTS. THIS REVIEW AND FOLLOW ON piece have given me near on full nightmares! I won’t lie - at times it has made me completely bipolar, going from absolutely loving the gun to wondering why it is so expensive for what it is! This has been one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever done, so I’m glad I got to spend a bit more time with it after doing the initial review.

During that time though, I have come to the conclusion that the GDR-15 is a great RIF. In fact it is the most realistic electrically powered RIF on the market today without comparison or equal. Bold words maybe but not without merit, which I hope I can demonstrate below.

Firstly, don’t do what everyone (including myself) has done - you can’t compare it to a standard AEG or even a recoil AEG and you can’t compare it to a GBBR either. Well, you can and everyone will but it doesn’t work as all of those examples are considerably cheaper whilst offering all or some of the features of the GDR-15. This was where I was having issues, as I was constantly saying things like “I could get five ERGs for the price of one GDR-15” but that isn’t the point and once I stopped comparing it to what I had used in the past, I started to enjoy it and appreciate it a whole lot more.

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armoury GBLS DAS GDR-15

What you need to do is look at the GDR-15 as a true training weapon platform, that not only offers everything the Systema PTW can do but also adds the realism of a fully reciprocating bolt carrier group amongst other things, which is very satisfying and from reports it holds up well even after tens of thousands of rounds.

In my mind this gun is what the PTW should have been and GBLS have effectively redefined a whole category of airsoft gun - but have also made it better in the process. They have picked up on what the Systema did well and kept it, like the split gearbox design that facilitates the real take down to service the gun etc. but also simplified it in some respects. They have dropped the things that most players wouldn’t perhaps even notice, such as the real dimension pistol grip on a PTW, so that they can use a normal AEG one to accommodate a standard AEG motor; much better in my humble opinion. The gear box is more in line with a regular AEG gearbox than the planetary gears used in a PTW, again another plus. Of course there are lots of propriety parts in this RIF but you wouldn’t expect anything else surely on a gun that is the only one in its class.

Only time will tell if that is an issue or whether GBLSUK will support the customer base sufficiently.

From my interactions with them during the course of reviewing the GDR-15, I would certainly suggest that although it is early days, they seem fully committed to both the product and their customers, so hopefully they will have a full range of spare parts should anything break. On that note, I did challenge

them about a couple of things that really irked me, especially on such an expensive gun. The orange flash hider was the main one and GBLSUK told me that the guns are shipped like that from Korea and have to be. As the boxes arrive sealed it would be a huge undertaking to swap them over for standard black ones. They did say there is something in the works to rectify this, however, and I will keep looking to see what they do. My personal opinion is that whether it’s the end retailer or the wholesaler who changes it, it needs doing. No gun should reach the player with a cheap nasty orange muzzle!

The second was the FPS. Not just of my review sample but from social media there seems to have been a few that have been too hot for use in the UK. Again, I checked with GBLSUK and they said that the RIFs should’ve all been at 350fps and most are but there must’ve been a miscommunication

“I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE GDR-15 IS A GREAT RIF. IN FACT IT IS THE MOST REALISTIC ELECTRICALLY POWERED RIF ON THE MARKET TODAY WITHOUT COMPARISON OR EQUAL.”

www.airsoft-action.online

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armoury GBLS DAS GDR-15

“THIS IS A PROPER TRAINING WEAPON. YOU NEED TO CLEAN AND LUBE THE BOLT CARRIER AFTER USE. YOU’LL HAVE LIMITED AMMO IN THE LOW CAP MAGS SO YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE HOSING THE OPPOSITION DOWN - BUT YOU DIDN’T BUY THIS FOR THAT. YOU’RE GOING TO BE USING THIS AS IF IT WERE A REAL RIFLE.”

somewhere with GBLS in Korea as a few are over 360. Don’t worry though, as they will put that right for you if you have an issue so you don’t have to and that way you will also preserve your warranty.

One thing as a tinkerer I really disliked, was the fact that if I were a customer I couldn’t rip the gun apart, even the pistol grip or rail, without losing the warranty. All work including any external mods like rails need to be done by the approved service centre. After a bit of thought though, it’s no different to any other RIF really so I stopped worrying as after all it’s a big investment so it is better to be protected even if you do need to send it away for work to be done. At least the service centre is in the UK, which is a huge benefit when it comes to turnaround times.

The gun came with a sticker over the motor height adjustment screw saying “do not adjust” - and that was like a red rag! There’s often moments when being able to tweak this slightly isn’t just desirable but vital. To not be able to do this is not something I’d be happy accepting on a gun costing £1,500.

Let’s face it, the sort of player who buys a GDR-15 is likely to have a modicum of technical ability about them; that’s probably 22

december 2018

partly why they’re buying one for the way it functions, so I’m sure adjusting the motor height wouldn’t be too much.

I think it would be fair to say that the casual player is not really GBLS’s target market, as evidenced by the recent social media posts where they are seen demonstrating the system to the Minister of Defence for South Korea.

This is a proper training weapon. You need to clean and lube the bolt carrier after use. You’ll have limited ammo in the low cap mags so you’re not going to be hosing the opposition down - but you didn’t buy this for that. You’re going to be using this as if it were a real rifle. Single shot or short bursts are the order of the day with the GDR-15. You’ll appreciate the decent paint finish that is cerakote and the selection of parts put on the gun from the box. All top-quality components.

Is this the best Airsoft gun on the market? No, it isn’t.

There’s things I’d like to see, like ambidextrous fire selectors for example and a shorter carbine version too for a more military look but maybe later iterations will offer that. I do, however, stand by my earlier statement - that this IS the most realistic RIF available to buy today and if I come into some money then yeah, I’d buy one!

geek SIMGAME

SIMGAME

…WHERE REAL TRAINING AND AIRSOFT MIX! ONE OF THE BIGGEST BUGBEARS WE HEAR FROM CERTAIN AREAS OF THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY IS HOW YOU CAN NEVER EXPERIENCE “REAL ENGAGEMENT DISTANCES”, IN EVEN THE VERY BEST MILSIM SCENARIOS. WHAT IF YOU COULD USE YOUR BELOVED RIF THOUGH TO MAKE SHOTS OUT TO 800M AND BEYOND? BILL TELLS US MORE...

SO YOU HAVE YOUR FAVOURITE AR/AK in your hand and 200m away is the CO of the opposing team. The game scenario tells you that by taking him or her out you’ll make a real difference to your own team’s standing - but even with the very best airsoft sniper rifle out there you know that a hit at that range is simply impossible... but what if it wasn’t?

I know from the many, many games I’ve attended over the years that “engagement distance” is one of the remaining “holy grail” subjects that we all talk about time and again.

The fact of the matter is that we’re simply not able to make 24

december 2018

geek SIMGAME

“WHAT IF THE ENGAGEMENT DISTANCE OF YOUR CARBINE/RIFLE WERE 200-300M AND THAT OF A SNIPER WAS 800M PLUS? WOULD THAT BE A TRUE “GAME CHANGER”? IN MY MIND THE ANSWER WOULD BE AN UNEQUIVOCAL YES!”

real “long range” shots with our RIFs. But what if you COULD change that? What if the engagement distance of your carbine/ rifle were 200-300m and that of a sniper was 800m plus?

Would that be a true “game changer”? In my mind the answer would be an unequivocal YES!

The fact is that we’re never, ever going to make that kind of shot with an AEG or GBB shooting even the very best BB, so how could it happen? When it comes to force on force training there are many ways to simulate making contact with an enemy and organisations have used BBs, paintballs, blanks, simunitions and even hi-tech systems, such as the multiple integrated laser engagement system (aka “MILES”), as used by the U.S. military and other armed forces around the world, for training purposes.

Whilst actual projectiles do work in such scenarios, they often require the user to wear bulky protective gear that they would not normally use which changes the training dynamic and will usually mean using a different delivery platform, or making modifications to their issued weapon. Luckily, in airsoft, all we really need is top-quality eyepro. A laser system requires much less deviation in terms of the normal fighting load and primary weapon but up until relatively recently has been prohibitively expensive, unless you’re on the government dollar.

Back in late 2014 I came across a company from Austria that is working hard to change this situation, offering a Laser Dual Simulator (LDS) system which causes trainees to immediately feel the consequences of their actions, and I’ve been speaking to them ever since. This is NOT some cheapo, low-powered “laser tag” system but a “professional grade” one which is highly precise, efficient, upgradable, uncomplicated to use and cost-efficient. It also offers immediate, clear, hit recognition with the highest precision. It’s a one-stop solution with realistic engagement distances, exact hit detection and detailed evaluation models post-contact – and SIMGAME are now bringing this technology into the airsoft world!

It’s not only a shooting simulator, it’s a complete add-on system for any scenario and it can be combined with airsoft RIFs effectively. Inspired by training systems such as MILES, or those from Saab or Rheinmetall, the system is a professional tool, which has been further developed for recreational use. www.airsoft-action.online

25

geek SIMGAME

victim (body shot or head shot). The “Cap” is specially designed for use with the Head Unit, with easily-adjustable Velcro tapes ensure a perfect fit, the Cap can be adjusted to fit all and is available in olive green and black.

The Laser Unit (think an AN/PEQ-15 size and style) makes the decisive difference to other systems available on the market.

It uses real infrared Laser technology which ensures precision that you will not will find in other products. Naturally, the Laser Unit is Laser Class I certified. It is not dangerous for your eyes, even in combination with binoculars or optics. An integrated microphone detects the “bang” from your gun and triggers the laser. Of course, it is possible to adjust the sensitivity and in the case of particularly quiet weapons, it can be placed directly in the barrel using an extension device. The Laser Unit fits on all standard rail mounts and is easy to assemble.

Site or Scenario operators will need a Base Station for computer evaluation if they use the system. It records all events during a scenario (hits or kills) when in use. The data is then displayed on the computer using special software. This then produces a ranking list with diverse statistics. Additionally, further settings can be adjusted using the base station, which expands the possibilities for various training or scenario modes.

The base station is connected to the computer via USB with radio link between the computer and the individual users.

The high-performance antennae provide a range of up to 10 kilometres to monitor the entire site or AO (subject to clear visibility).

BRINGING IT TOGETHER

In the words of the system designer: “From the beginning it was clear to us that we didn’t want the system to be limited to one particular weapon model.

Therefore it was one of our aims to create a small, light and universally placeable add-on product. The training and simulation market offers us and the users the opportunity to employ numerous realistic models and to experience scenarios in different ways.”

COMPONENT SYSTEM

The system offered by SIMGAME is made up of a number of component parts which are all specifically designed to work as a highly effective “whole”.

The “Body Central Unit” is the communication centre for the entire system, with a 360-degree hit field powered by 3 standard or rechargeable AA batteries. It is in permanent wireless communication with the “Head Unit” and up to three “Laser Units”. The Body Central Unit has an optimum fit and is adjustable in size, with Cordura on the outside and comfortable net mesh on the inside they are robust, provide sufficient comfort and are easy to combine with a tactical vest or plate carrier. The “Respawner” is a small, remote control device used to refresh a user after they get eliminated. Just a short press of the button directly in front of the Body Central Unit sensor from the Respawner and you are back up and running.

The Head Unit is permanently connected wirelessly to the Body Central Unit and is very light and comfortable to wear.

It fits on caps, hats and can even be used as a headband.

SIMGAME offers a longer version of the Head Unit with Velcro tapes on the inside for a solid hold when worn with helmets.

The Head Unit detects headshots at a 360-degree angle and shows a hit immediately, so you can see where you hit your 28

december 2018

Thanks to special laser technologies, the system offered by SIMGAME can achieve a range of over 1,000 meters! The system can therefore be used for both CQB as well as situations where snipers are used and the Directing/Site Staff decide how many hits will cause a “fatality”.

The system can differentiate between head and body hits. When a user is “killed”, it is registered via blinking LEDs, vibration on the vest and a beep. Additionally, the laser is turned off and it is no longer possible to shoot. The “Blocking Unit”, an optional add-on, can additionally turn off an AEG in order to ensure even more realism!

The SIMGAME system does not require any annoying cables as all the system components are wireless. It enables the use of more than one weapon per person (simulating Primary and Secondary use); every user can deploy up to three laser units. These offer numerous settings, for example the virtual magazine size and firepower. If RIFs are used in training, the blocking unit turns the weapon off when the magazine is empty. The Laser Units fit all modern weapons with a rail and it’s easy and fast to attach to all Picantinnys and MIL-STD-1913 rails.

The system offers equipment made from high-quality materials, using the newest technologies and solutions. The team have created the system with a lot of passion in order to offer total perfection. All the equipment is developed and manufactured in Europe.

To recap on the system; • Laser shooting range of over 1,000m • Compatible with both AEGs and GBBs • Precise impact recognition and immediate switch off in case of a “kill“ • Adjustable virtual magazine size • Adjustable laser unit fire power • Virtual life energy system • Each user can use up to 3 different laser units (RIFs)

HOW IT FITS WITH AIRSOFT

Let me return to where I started; what if we could truly have a realistic engagement distance with our RIFs? In my mind that could truly add a really interesting slant to how we play, especially in a MilSim setting!

geek SIMGAME

Suddenly your “HK416” could be making shots out to 200m-300m and given the hit recognition element of the SIMGAME system, nobody could debate a hit! So your “weapon skills” are going to have to come up a notch too and “spray and pray”, although not totally eliminated, would become even less effective. For snipers it would really put the “cat amongst the pigeons” too, with shots available out to potentially 1,000m!

Think this one through though …suddenly being a sniper is not about the best ghillie suit but about realistically how good a shooter you really are! SIMGAME raises the bar in all respects as far as I’m concerned.

Nige has a few observations of his own about the system, so before concluding I’ll hand this over to him.

THE END OF CHEATING?

Cards on the table… I have been round the block a few times and this is not the first time I have seen a system of this

type but, having read Bill’s review of the real-world training version in PMCI a while back, I was intrigued to discover what SIMGAME brought to the table and how it could be integrated into airsoft.

It has been said a million times and I am sure it will be said a million more: “airsoft is a game of honour” …except we all know there will always be those that cheat and the one thing that gets under all of our skins is non-hit taking!

The SIMGAME system eliminates that and if every player was to wear it, cheating (well, non-hit taking) could be a thing of the past, however, that is never going to happen. As Bill mentioned, this is a professional system and it comes with a price tag to match, which means for many players it will simply be too expensive. However, there is one area of airsoft which I think the SIMGAME system lends itself to perfectly… competitive airsoft.

You might have heard the argument, or even expressed it yourself, that competitive airsoft would not work because of the temptation to cheat by not taking hits. However, if you have a system that effectively eliminates that, what does that leave you with? Yeah… that’s what I thought too!

The end of cheating in airsoft? Well, maybe not but I can see some really positive aspects of the SIMGAME system, especially if you are into MilSim, Hunteering and maybe, just maybe, we might soon be seeing airsoft tournaments too.

How “Real” Do You Want It? I understand that combining the SIMGAME system with airsoft could be a radical departure from how we play and you’d be right to debate whether this is still “pure airsoft” or not, especially given the price-tag of the system. However, combining the two elements in the right setting (think real “Sniper Challenges” or full-on MilSim) could be extremely exciting and addictive for those that want it “as real as it gets”.

To this end SIMGAME also offer the “T-SHOCK” element of the system.

When a player is hit during a game or scenario, the T-SHOCK element simulates the injury and pain through electrical muscle contraction - although how intensive this pain should be as an impulse is left to the user!

I’m personally always interested when someone tells me how a new technology can indeed change or game and this time the “Geeky Bit” is about what we use in terms of kit, rather than how good our AEG is.

Airsoft for me is always about challenges and in my mind, SIMGAME offers another challenge to be embraced and enjoyed!

For more information please visit http://g-game.world AA

www.airsoft-action.online

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event ASG SCORPION EVO OWNER’S GROUP

THE EVOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHY BY FIERCE FOX

EVO EVO EVO EVO EVO!!!! GUESS WHAT EVENT GEORAGA ATTENDED THIS MONTH? “THE THING WITH EVOS… EVERYBODY’S BLOODY GOT ONE!” That was certainly the case this month at the ASG EVO Owners Group event, but where some players use that as a reason not to get the coveted Scorpion EVO3A1 or its newest carbine form, those of us that attended this event would choose to argue that actually, it makes for one hell of a gameday!

For a reason I can’t remember… I missed the EVO day last year and was gutted after seeing all of the cool builds going up online in the days following. That’s why this year I was adamant that I was going to get there. Fortunately for me, ASG had chosen to work with RIFT Airsoft and Combat-UK at Com’s Site 3… which for those of you that pay attention to my articles might sound familiar… because that’s right… I may have done an article in the recent past based on RIFT… the ASG Blaster Tour, Combat-UK and… Com’s Site 3. Deja vu, am I right?

Well don’t worry, there’s plenty to cover here without going over the same ground… for example… there wasn’t an Ice Cream Truck this time, so you know… completely different.

The previous evening was spent adjusting and tweaking my two EVOs, finding that extra 11.1v LiPo just before I went to bed and having to stay up to watch it charge the slowest charge it’s ever charged, while my eye-lids felt like… how do I put this? Okay, imagine they were like my duvet and the ground was like my girlfriend…

I was ready for an intense day playing against guys and girls who at minimum matched the capabilities of my primary weapon and who more likely had upgraded the internals even further to get that extra little bit of performance (which normally I haven’t felt the need to do) and I rocked up to see the most EVOs I think I’ve ever seen on a site (and let’s face it, that’s actually saying something). I took a wander and saw Paul, Ben, Gadge (that’s right, our very own Gadge has now joined the ASG team, so a massive good luck to him!) and a chap called Joppe, manning the several ASG booths, 30

december 2018

“I MANAGE TO TAKE OUT 5 OR 6 ENEMY PLAYERS …BEFORE A SMALL PLASTIC PELLET, FOLLOWING A FLURRY OF OTHERS JUST LIKE IT, SOARS THROUGH THE GAP IN THE A4-SIZED WINDOW AND POISES ITSELF FOR IMPACT WITH MY ELBOW.”

doting on the gathering crowds of Scorpion fawning fanboys (we’re at an Owners event, it’s a fair cop) and showing off an array of different models and parts, like the Yeti-Wurks mag release. JD Airsoft’s EVOTEK team were also manning a booth, showing off their upgrading skills and parts, while Scorpion Skinz repped their custom vinyls and Combat-UK fulfilled their regular, reliable, re-stocking roles. The energy surrounding the place was infectious as my teammate Carmon turned up and car after car continued filing into the area. The chrono stations were up and running and the marshalls were all prepped and ready, reminding people as they entered, where it was and not to test fire any weapon in the safe-zone.

After signing in with the always lovely Hazel and signing the obligatory “you can’t sue us” insurance waiver, she also handed us our ASG goodie bags. In mine were – Black Blaster 0.20g BBs, an ICS cap, a speedloader, some EVO catalogues and a map of the site.

Plus, everyone that attended got the all-important, exclusive, EVO Owner’s Group 2018 patch! Fiercefox and I were both jokingly warned not to put them on anywhere like eBay which made me chuckle… then I realised that they were being serious… anyone want to make an offer?

I didn’t see as many colourful and “unique” builds as it seemed there were last year, even though there were around an extra 50 players in attendance, but don’t get me wrong there were definitely a few around. In my opinion, that could be because of the release of the EVO carbine, of which there were many! It just seems like the good old black RIF versions were back to being incredibly popular this year.

THE GAMEDAY

Okay, so it’s game time. 150 players file into the AOE and get tagged up with red or blue.

Paul from ASG gives a humble few thanks to all the players, companies and individuals that have contributed to the day and Tony from RIFT gives his legendary 20-minute brief.

You might read that and think “F**K THAT!” but do ya know what? He’s really frickin’ good at being clear, engaging and up front (and this is coming from someone that’s heard it at least 10 times now).

The day was to run very similarly to the RIFT day a few months ago, with less emphasis on individual games and more on a festival feel. You could drop in and out of the 2-hour

games as you chose and tackle one of the several objectives your team were yet to complete. It was a mix of Domination, Capture The Flag, and VIP game types (where the VIP were actually ammo crates), running simultaneously alongside a timed target shootout.

3, 2, 1 GAME ON!

The whistle blows and Carmon and I head out to protect one of our mortar placements; as we get there the red team quickly descend on our position. Based in the centre of the site, we’re darting around either edge of a caravan, up and down a bunker and around the walls of the small compound buildings trying to spot incoming targets as they push through the woodland to engage. Seeing through the remaining summer bush is proving a bit more difficult than expected though, as autumn starts to set in. The greens of the woods are starting to turn yellow, not entirely but enough to start making it easier for camouflage to do its job… which at this point, isn’t great news for us looking out into the vast colour from the compound.

As an additional difficulty, in my opinion, when fighting at greater distances, it takes a bit more time for the adrenaline to kick in because you can’t see where the BBs are coming from. Without that speedy, shot of stimulating intensity you get from CQB sharpening your senses and tuning your eyesight, just building up your momentum matches the actual challenge of facing an army of seemingly invisible opponents.

Keen to get into the fray a bit more, Carmon and I make our way into the building, sync up with Nick from Midland Wolves Airsoft, who’s holing up in one of the small rooms and picking people off as they draw closer while we avoid the incoming fire through the windows and scope out the now much clearer landscape outside.

There’s something slightly comforting about fighting from a room; on the one hand, yes, you are confined to a small area in which your enemy most definitely knows where you are… www.airsoft-action.online

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15-06-2018 11:53:49

event ASG SCORPION EVO OWNER’S GROUP

but on the other, you know that there are only a limited number of angles you can be engaged from and if you cover those properly, you can battle on with relative proficiency.

As I continuously move from window to window, back and forth between the small rooms to keep the enemy guessing where I’ll be next, I manage to take out 5 or 6 enemy players with Carmon before a small plastic pellet, following a flurry of others just like it, soars through the gap in the A4-sized window and poises itself for impact with my elbow.

“HIT! GOOD SHOT!” Low on ammo, (and magazines for that matter) Carmon and I return to the safe-zone to stock up and raise my midcap level by 3. Joppe, one of the EVO builders from the actual ASG factory in Denmark, was running some tutorials and troubleshooting for interested players on how to install new triggers and upgrade parts and after a chat with Gadge and our very own Tom “The Anvil” Hibberd, who was filming a montage video for Airsoft Action TV, I wanted to check out the target shooting to see what the competition was like.

Some of you might know this already but when it comes to skirmish games, I’m not hugely competitive. I feel like the enjoyment and experience of another player is as important as my own and so I don’t play too aggressively as a result. When it comes to practical shooting challenges though? Oh man, well at that point it’s a whole other ball game! I once stayed at Combat-UK for 2 hours straight, doing nothing but practicing and shooting until I beat the number 1 time on their range challenge, overtaking former ASG rep Jake and RIFT’s very own Yorkie for the top spot (it was reset in less than a week… I was bitter for a long time, ED!!!).

On this occasion, however, I was purely curious so I only ran the course twice before leaving the queuing quickshots to it.

One practice, one proper. The challenge was to knock down 4 falling targets and “ding” 4 static targets in sequence, on single shot, with your own EVO. I didn’t do the best on the course and there was one fella who ran an absolutely cracking round before me but I had far better luck than several people that I saw go through it. There

were many jammed or unwound mags, false starts due to the safety or bolt catch being on and sometimes people just couldn’t find the right height for that one tricky target in a weird position. My advice to anyone that’s interested in running these kinds of practical shooting drills… prep your weapon properly before trying it and make sure you know what your hop and sights are zeroed at!

Each attendee was also treated to a burger, crisps, chocolate bar and drink supplied as part of their sign-up fee, which I have to say was a warm welcome come sustenance time but the best part about the break was of course, the raffle.

There were a tonne of prizes given out, some big, some small and with the amount of prizes VS the amount of players, the odds of winning were strong. What was unexpected though, was that the time-trial also qualified for prizes and to my utter surprise, yours truly came second… that caught me off guard. Then we met Dylan, who had won Combat-UK and ASG’s competition for event tickets and the chance to be on the cover of Airsoft Action.

The afternoon’s game was flipped around and the usual trope of afternoon sluggishness was nowhere to be seen. If anything, players including myself had shed some gear, upped their face protection and had decided to play significantly harder than before.

That just goes to show how well the day had been run; people were having such a brilliant time that energy just increased as the day went on and I genuinely think that it was one of my favourite events so far this year. Then again, that could be because I like EVOs… A big thanks to all of the guys that made it happen… Same again next year??? AA www.airsoft-action.online

33

event GUNMAN ‘NAMSOFT

VIETCONG “JUNGLE OF DEATH” PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIGEL WRIGHT AND OSCAR PLUMMER

FRESH FROM HIS POST-APOCALYPTIC VISIT TO SWEDEN, DUST MONKEY HEADS TO ONE OF GUNMAN AIRSOFT’S FAMOUS ‘NAMSOFT WEEKENDERS AND DISCOVERS THE EVENT IS APTLY-NAMED… BEFORE ARRIVING AT Gunman’s Eversley site for their most recent Vietnam set weekender, I did not think too deeply on their choice of event title… however, about two hours into the event, the choice of “Jungle of Death” became painstakingly obvious and apt. But before we skip too deeply ahead of ourselves, lets get back to the beginning…

I have always loved Vietnam war films, the soundtrack, the aesthetic, the amazingly nuanced motivators and drives behind the various forces involved and the political machinations behind it all make the Vietnam conflict incredibly interesting.

Films like Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now cemented the visuals and sounds of the war in a lot of people’s collective “wouldn’t that be cool to do as airsoft” consciousness. And so it was, that with a great eagerness I threw myself into my first Vietnam game, while managing to convince a group of friends to also join me in the jungle; some with a few ‘Nam events under their belts but most, like me, were totally new to the genre.

Of course, with any historical airsoft game one of the first hurdles Is always kit. Thankfully Vietnam kit is not hard to source and, budget-dependent, you can go full genuine issue or very high quality repro. Being a bit of a kit obsessive the majority of my kit was genuine issue, which included the flak vest and helmet. I had decided to be a M60 gunner and with help from Airsoft Zone got my hands on the LCT 2016 redesigned M60… all 11kg of it! To this weight I added 250 rounds of belt draped about my person and the aforementioned flak vest and helmet. Plus the mandatory webbing, to say I was carrying a lot of weight would be an understatement. The event was also “in -country” from start to finish which meant carrying any food and water you needed on you, or at least until you made it to “Fort William” where most of us dumped our backpacks full of essentials, preferring to go on patrol without that added bulk and weight.

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event GUNMAN ‘NAMSOFT

“I HAD DECIDED TO BE A M60 GUNNER AND WITH HELP FROM AIRSOFT ZONE GOT MY HANDS ON THE LCT 2016 REDESIGNED M60… ALL 11KG OF IT! TO THIS WEIGHT I ADDED 250 ROUNDS OF BELT DRAPED ABOUT MY PERSON …TO SAY I WAS CARRYING A LOT OF WEIGHT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT.” The event started on Saturday with the usual pre-event briefing, despite there being a good 70-80 people this was kept short and succinct with minimal faff, something not always easy to accomplish. With that, those of us playing the US side of things got formed up on a road to begin our march into the jungle with the immediate mission of taking a VC-controlled village before making our way to Fort William.

What began was something right out of a film: 50 US troops split into platoons, each with radio man and ‘60 gunner, with an attached unit of Australian SAS began the march down a dirt road before being given the order to make the advance into the jungle. I am sure many reading this will think I am perhaps over-embellishing when I say “jungle” but whatever words I use, it was thick enough that 5 feet in you could not see the man to your left or right. It took my platoon forty-five minutes to find a clearing and quickly realised our radioman was gone, vanished into the foliage. Now without any radio contact to other platoons we were stuck, not knowing where we were or how to proceed. Thankfully we stumbled across another platoon and our overall Captain who pushed both platoons to assault over a bridge and up a hill towards the VC village.

The moment we began the bridge crossing we started taking enemy fire, with a number of us dropping on the bridge, myself included. Gunman emphasise people roleplay as much as possible, so the air was soon filled with the cries of wounded Americans as medics quickly dragged people off the path into cover and began administering bandages, some with fake blood (which really added to the FilmSim quality of the event).

With the path totally covered by unseen VC positions we began to literally force our way through yet more dense bush and trees, eventually coming out to the left flank of the village and joining the other platoons in seizing it from the VC. This done, I was exhausted! The combined weight of kit and the struggle of pushing uphill through swamp and bush was no easy feat but it was amazing. Sadly the M60 had gone down due to a wire coming loose in the auto wind mechanism, thankfully an easy repair… only for it to jam ten minutes later, thankfully also an easy repair.

With the ‘pig’ back up and working I found my platoon now defending the right flank of the village, it seemed although we had cleared the VC positions but what we had not done was deal with a particularly effective two-man sniper team! Soon enough, three of my platoon was down crying for help before we realised they were doing a “Full Metal

Jacket” and were using the downed troops to draw us in and cause more casualties. The way we dealt with them in the end was our Sergeant going “full vanish” into the jungle, doing a “Rambo” with nothing but a 1911 and a smile! Our grunts started malicious deployment of grenades and I did my best animal mother impression and hosed the area with supressing fire. Several pyro explosions later and the sniper team was finally removed as a threat.

We made our way to Fort William, a fort built by the ‘Nam community on site and its an absolute jewel of community effort. With command posts, towers, trenches, bunkers and all of it looking like it had been lifted right out of a photograph of a firebase in Vietnam. It was at this point we decided it was as good a time as any to resupply and grab some food before being given further orders. There is something deeply cool about eating a US MRE, sat inside a bunker with your platoon and your M60 resting on one of the fire steps! However, resting did not last long.

Also a pleasant surprise, having only eaten UK ration packs I was not sure what to expect from the American version. They were delicious, not as much in them as ours but two MRE meals kept me going for the entire day.

With us seemingly the only platoon left in the fort we soon came under attack from VC and with myself and my assistant gunner occupying the largest bunker we seemed to draw a lot of attention. Both of us with ear to ear smiles as we quickly became surrounded with VC getting into the firebase. Sadly my assistant gunner, also the platoon’s Sergeant went down trying to reach our LT. who was shot in the middle of the base. I managed somehow (I’m still not sure how) to take out the seven remaining VC in and around the fort just as another platoon made it back.

The entire sequence was like Gunman had just deposited us in We Were Soldiers including a moment where me and my assistant gunner decided “to shoot anything that looked suspicious” and we just so happened to shoot a VC whose helmet he had disguised using local foliage. www.airsoft-action.online

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event GUNMAN ‘NAMSOFT

“THERE IS SOMETHING DEEPLY COOL ABOUT EATING A US MRE, SAT INSIDE A BUNKER WITH YOUR PLATOON AND YOUR M60 RESTING ON ONE OF THE FIRE STEPS!”

A good 48 hours later I’m struggling to find another airsoft memory that matched that for sheer awesome adrenaline high.

The weather had been raining slightly for a few hours and I was quite content to stay in the bunker positions ensuring the fort didn’t fall to VC while other platoons pushed out to destroy ambush positions and tunnel systems… because yes, Gunman have built 150 metres of tunnel system! While I did not get to explore these (because sending an M60 into a tunnel isn’t a great idea), I am told they were amazing, so dark a torch was a must and set up with VC command posts, maps, intel and more. You could only go in with a torch and pistol and all who engaged with that part of the event came away with some epic stories - and a lot of smiles.

The day came to an end with a sustained mortar strike against the fort and time out called with the mission set to carry on the following day with the US hunting down the mortar spotters and then onto the mortar positions themselves.

Unfortunately, thanks to mother nature deciding the event was not “monsoon” enough, the Sunday of the event did not happen, however, even with that the event was fantastic and has got me well and truly hooked on the Gunman Nam events.

AA

www.airsoft-action.online

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feature LADIES AIRSOFT KIT

LADIES AIRSOFT KIT PART 1 - PROTECTIVE GEAR!

BEING A SMALLER SIZE, FEMME FATALE HAS FOUND IT A CHALLENGE TO SOURCE PROTECTIVE GEAR THAT FITS PROPERLY. HERE SHE SHARES WHAT SHE HAS DISCOVERED WORKS BEST FOR HER. OVER MY TIME IN AIRSOFT, it’s been no secret that I’ve struggled to find kit that fits and works for both my body shape and height. Weighing in at 57kg and measuring just 5’3”, I’m an airsofter of small stature, meaning often the smallest sizes aren’t small enough but along the way I’ve found brands and products that work for me, so I’ve put together a kit list of my go-to protective gear suitable for women and younger players.

FACE PRO

Kicking off this kit feature is face pro! As women’s faces are smaller than men’s, the regular mesh/fabric half face masks tend to be a little too long from the tip of the nose on the mask to the end of the chin. However, one company has developed a half mesh/fabric face mask based on the feedback of their female customers to create the first specific women’s half face mask for airsoft: The One Tigris Women’s 4.5inch Mesh Mask!

Based on the feedback of their female customers, One Tigris have taken their 6” tactical, foldable half face mask and cut 1.5 inches off the bottom mesh and shortened the chin fabric of the 2 sides, meaning it fits smaller faces much more comfortably. It fits securely on the head and face thanks to the adjustable straps and the padded sides make it comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. It’s lightweight and the mesh provides enough ventilation for there not to be any issues with fogging.

The 4.5 inch mesh mask by One Tigris retails for £16.98 on Amazon and comes in a range of colours including: black, black MutliCam, tan, ranger green and MultiCam

GLOVES

Next up in my kit feature is gloves - this has always been a tough one for me as I have really dainty hands but I’ve found two pairs that I keep coming back to!

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december 2018

ENOLA GAYE FUG GLOVE

The EG FUG (Field Utility Glove) is a glove made for paintball, airsoft and outdoor activities from Enola Gaye that is touchscreen compatible. It comes in a range of 6 colours including black, grey, camo, tan, digicam and olive drab and has a cute little pistol/sight graphics on the first two fingers as a cheeky “FU” design feature.

They come in a range of sizes from XS-XL and what’s really cool is that the XS size has been sized to my own hand and whilst they are a little roomy around the back of the hand, they fit my fingers and wrist well. They retail for £19.99 and are available from the EG website and EG retailers. They’re a great budget pair of gloves for airsofters that need a smaller glove.

PIG FULL DEXTERITY TACTICAL (FDT) DELTA UTILITY GLOVE

The PIG full dexterity tactical (FDT) Delta Utility glove is my absolute go to! It’s a slip-on tactical glove that, although small and a seemingly ordinary pair of gloves, boast a bunch of awesome features including: touchscreen compatible forefinger and thumb, single-layer palm for tactile sensitivity, bar-tacked paracord pull loops and they even have a silicon printed grip on the palm for extra grip, making them practical and usable for not only airsoft but for other outdoor activities.

The fold-over finger construction and elastic wrist for quick put on and take off sequence not only make them more comfortable for the user but it also gives them a sleeker, more sophisticated look - nothing like the purpose made airsoft gloves we usually see on the field. They aren’t padded or extra thick around the knuckles, so getting shot in the hands whilst wearing these does still suck but honestly? Finger shots are quite rare and I’d rather have the dexterity than bulky

feature LADIES AIRSOFT KIT

protection. They’re easy to put on, quick drying after they’ve gotten wet and the touchscreen compatible finger and thumb is super useful. Overall, I’m super impressed with them!

The PIG FDT Delta Utility Gloves are available in black, coyote, ranger green and carbon grey and are also available in sizes ranging from a small to an extra extra-large, so the size range is super inclusive. They are available from Tactical Kit for £30.95.

PLATE CARRIER LBX SMALL MODULAR PLATE CARRIER 0300S The “Small Modular Plate Carrier” from LBX, or the 0300S, is the compact model of LBX’s popular Modular Plate Carrier.

The carrier has 360 modular webbing, on the front panel, back panel, and cummerbund so players can customise their carrier on all sides. The top rows of webbing on the front panel also have hook Velcro so you can show off your favourite patches.

The carrier can take 8 x 10 plates and It features a heavyduty drag handle, which is probably more applicable in real-world application than airsoft but it’s there if you need to quickly drag your mates out of a firefight. It also has hydration/ comms guides on the front and rear panels to keep hydration system and communication systems organised and, of course, to prevent any loose cables being snagged during use – after all, no one likes catching their lines on door handles!

The 0300S is fully adjustable - the cummerbund is adjustable up to 46” and as my waist is 29”, it fits snuggly but can still be adjusted to give me room to wear the carrier over a softshell in the winter. As the cummerbund also has Velcro closure it can be securely fastened. The carrier has adjustable shoulder straps which means the operator can adjust where it sits on the torso. Both shoulder straps have padded strap coverings which makes them comfortable to wear for long periods of time even when the carrier is loaded up.

I’ve found very few plate carriers that can comfortably fit my small frame and contour my waist and chest but the 0300S does the job. As I’ve said, the cummerbund fits my waist pretty snug but still leaves me enough room to be worn over a light jacket or hoodie. The overall size looks/feels right on my torso and fits the contours of my body.

The LBX 0300S comes in MAS Grey, MultiCam, Coyote, Black and Wolf Grey. On the LBX website, it is available for $159.95, which works out at £114 to across the pond.

BATTLE BELT FRV TAILORING COBRA SHOOTERS BELT

The Cobra Shooters Belt from FRV Tailoring is a low profile, lightweight and affordable load bearing system. It has an inner belt made of one layer of webbing with velcro hook on the outside, you place the outer belt with all your pouches, holsters etc. attached over the inner belt and fasten it with the cobra buckle.

The belt is 50mm/2” in width with 18 columns of molle.

The molle loops run along the top and bottom of the outer belt and they’re compatible with any molle or pal attachable pouches and holsters. The outer belt has a double layer of webbing to give it that rigidity and it has a cobra buckle that is rated up to 4,000lbs. The belt has plenty of room for all my kit and isn’t weighed down by it. The pouches are really secure and don’t bounce up and down too much! The best bit about this belt is that it can stay set-up for future use.

The FRV Cobra Shooters Belt is lighter and thinner than most belts I’ve tried and because of this it sits on my hips firmly but doesn’t rub. It’s comfortable to wear even during long ops such as Tora Bora Raid! The belts are sized to the user’s waist size but although I have a 29” waist, it is more comfortable for me to wear belts on my hips so I opted for the 30”. www.airsoft-action.online

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£90 .00

JAU374

Product Code:

SW468

£160 .00

PE6960

Product Code:

NP680

BG9650

£148 .50

5.11 All Mission Plate Carrier

£35 .00

Available Colours

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VE405

5.11 AMP72 Backpack

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£162 .00

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SH300

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5.11 AMP12 Backpack

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5.11 Elas-Tac Belt

£52 .00

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5.11 Union 6” WP Boot

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5.11 Apollo Tech Fleece Jacket

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5.11 Reflex Polo Shirt

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5.11 Peninsula Insulator Shirt Jacket

Available Colours

Product Code:

BG9652

NEW PRODUCTS NOW IN STOCK AT

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feature LADIES AIRSOFT KIT

What’s the cost? The belt retails at £69.99 from FRV Tailoring which is super affordable compared to similar belts on the market, giving airsofters that high end look and handmade quality for less!

BOOTS

PENTAGON ACHILLES 6” TREKKING BOOTS COYOTE The Pentagon Achilles Trekking 6” boots are my go-to airsoft boots!

These were brand new to Military 1st in 2017 and they’ve stood the test of time! They are a coyote suede leather, ankle length boot that comes with features including a Dintex waterproof and breathable membrane lining to keep your feet nice and dry during ops and an Ortholite sole which makes them comfy to wear for extended periods of time.

I usually wear a 4.5 shoe so chose a size 5 to give me a little extra space for thick socks during the winter months. The boots are really comfortable across the toes, instep and don’t rub against my heels. The top of the boot sits just above my ankle so I’m pretty happy with the ankle support they give and they have a pretty decent sole on them as well.

I’ve worn these around the world from CQB games in the UK to wet, MilSims in the US and they’ve held up well. They aren’t completely waterproof so I wear a pair of seal socks on wet game days to keep my feet warm and dry.

They retail at £94.95 from Military 1st.

So, that’s my round-up of the protective gear I have found suits me best, keep an eye out for Part 2 in the next issue… clothing!

AA

www.airsoft-action.online

43

feature CLONE WARS

CLONE WARS…

REAL STEEL VS EBAY OPTICS WHEN ACCESSORISING YOUR NEW BB LAUNCHER IT’S ALL TOO EASY TO GO FOR THE CHEAPEST OPTION. THIS MIGHT, HOWEVER, LEAVE YOU AT A PERFORMANCE DISADVANTAGE OR EVEN BE A FALSE ECONOMY. TOM HIBBERD DECIDED TO FIND OUT WHY. CLONE PARTY

We all like realistic looking Airsoft guns and attachments right?

Otherwise most of us wouldn’t be playing Airsoft! When deciding what to attach to your bang stick it’s normal to seek out something similar to what we’ve seen in the movies, or a picture that we have admired online. Whilst we all would love to be putting a real Aimpoint T1 Red Dot onto our 20mm rails, the retail price of around £500 is a too bitter a pill to swallow for most of us.

This leaves “clones” as the solution for many. These look similar to the actual items but aren’t built to the same standards and tolerances and often use materials of a lesser quality. To a large extent this doesn’t really matter, we don’t swim to shore in salt water, skydive from 30,000ft or get thrown around for weeks in the back of an AFV! However, even the recoil from a TM, KWA ERG and especially a GBB pistol or rifle can destroy a cheap clone optic in short order. The electronics might not

be efficient and the LED emitters could draw a lot of power, leading to a short battery life. One of my team mates pretty much needs to change his expensive lithium battery in his “Eotech” replica every time he plays and it quickly adds up!

I’ve personally owned many clone Red Dots and none of them have been really satisfactory. In fact just the opposite, as they have quite regularly broken on me. I justified this to myself on the basis that Airsoft Guns weren’t really very accurate anyway, so they were basically just dress up accessories! I’ve probably spent a couple of hundred pounds on “dress up” optics over the last few years and either sold them on or had to throw them in the bin!

Over the last couple of years, whilst writing for Airsoft Action and filming for Airsoft Action TV, I’ve had the chance to test lots of guns, parts and BBs. I’ve come to realise that once you understand the limitations, Airsoft guns are perfectly accurate enough to start worrying about running good optics, it does make a difference!

For our testing I used two of my “eBay clones”. These are an Aimpoint and an Eotech look-a-like, they are reasonably good examples of their types but suffer from all the problems outlined in this article.

A WANDERING ZERO

Part of the problem with cheap clones is that they don’t in general hold “zero”.

“Zeroing” is the process by which you make sure that the point of impact of the BBs coincides with the point of aim, which is usually the red dot itself. Cheaper “eBay optics” can suffer from a wandering zero and over time, when they get knocked or undergo some recoil, the position of the dot can move. On one of my eBay clones I have to re-zero after lunch!

The adjustment dials themselves can be vague, it can be a real process of trial and error to get the dot in the place you want it.

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december 2018

feature CLONE WARS

TAKE THE MIDDLE GROUND

Whilst I’m not advocating going down the mil-spec optic route (though if you can afford it why not!) there is a “middle tier” of optics that should be on Airsofter’s radars - and these are (effectively) civilian versions of the military-grade editions. They can be considered clones themselves but are made to a higher standard than Airsoft types. They are intended for real steel shooting and can handle heavy real firearm recoil as well as being rained on or dropped in a puddle, plus the battery life is normally decent and won’t drain your pocket and the zero won’t go for a wander randomly either!

Thanks to our friends at Scott Country International we obtained two real steel optics: a Vortex Crossfire red dot and a Sightmark Ultrashot Plus reflex sight. Although not the same price as a real Aimpoint or Eotech, these optics will set you back around £150 for the Vortex and about £170 for the Sightmark.

VORTEX CROSSFIRE Magnification: 1x Reticle: 2 MoA Dot Reticle Colour: Red Eye Relief: Unlimited Adjustment: 1 MoA Max Adjustment: 100 MoA Length: 2.5” Weight: 5.2 oz Brightness: 11 Settings Battery Life: 7000 Hours on medium Mount: High and Low mounts inc Proofing: Water and Dust proof

SIGHTMARK ULTRA SHOT PLUS Magnification: 1x Reticle: 5 MOA dot,

3 MOA dot with 50 MOA circle,

3 MOA dot with 50 MOA crosshair,

3 MOA dot with 30 MOA circle/crosshair Reticle Colour: Red & Green Eye Relief: Unlimited 1 MoA Adjustment: Max Adjustment: 120 MoA Length: 4.4” Weight: 9.2 oz Brightness: 5 Settings Battery Life: 180-2000 Mount: High and Low mounts inc Proofing: IPX4-weatherproof

TESTING Optical Clarity Just about the simplest thing to test is the clarity and optical quality of the glass in the sights, you can see in the photos that both the real-steel sights have far clearer glass than the eBay clones. This is both for colour transmission and the distortion of the image around the edge of the glass. Although when shooting red dots you keep both eyes open, this still means that it is easier for the brain to paint out the sight itself and superimpose the dot on your vision.

Adjustment Both real-steel optics are very easy to adjust, they feature 1 MoA (Minute of Angle) clicks on the dials. This means that at 100 yards 1 click will move the dot 1 inch. www.airsoft-action.online

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COVERT BOOT n Durable slip/oil resistant outsole n Suede/Cordura upper n Leather finish on Achillies and collar n Non metallic 7 stage eyelet lace fit

TACTCIAL ADVANTAGE

n Padded internals/tongue for added comfort n Heat treated Viper logo on ankle and rear BROWN

BLACK

TITANIUM

SRP: £49.95

vipertactical.co.uk

feature CLONE WARS

Brightness One of the issues facing cheaper copies is that the reticle isn’t adjustable enough. They can be too bright in the dark or not bright enough in the sunlight. When the brightness is turned up then the glass and dot can wash out, showing a lot of artefacts and reflections. Although the Vortex isn’t specifically Night Vision rated, its dot can just about be turned down low enough to be used if needed. In comparison, the eBay T1 has a low setting that is too bright for NV. The reverse is true. The Vortex is fine in bright sunshine whilst the T1 clone struggles to show its dot.

The Sightmark is fine on a bright day but it’s lowest setting can’t be used for NV, although there is an A-Spec version which is NV compatible and has more brightness adjustment. It’s best used for light environments and may be too bright when it gets really dark. The eBay Eotech Clone has a very narrow range of adjustment and, when adjusted to its higher settings, starts to project two reticles. Whilst you can make out the correct one this is very distracting!

When zeroing an Airsoft blaster you can easily take this into account so, for example, you will need 10 clicks to move an inch at 10 yards and 7 clicks at 30 yards. Both the eBay clones were very difficult to zero, the adjustment in the Aimpoint clone was even slightly canted so you had to move the dot down as well as across when adjusting for windage. The adjustment system in my Eotech clone is so loose that the whole reticle isn’t held firmly in the body of the sight and moves around easily by itself!

WARRANTY

You’ll be lucky if you get any sort of warranty with an eBay special and returning them to the seller may end up costing more than the price in the first place! The same cannot be said for the Vortex Crossfire, it has a no quibble, unlimited, transferable repair or replace policy with no proof of purchase needed (see sidebar). The Sightmark features a good extended warranty against manufacturing defects and workmanship, although this will need to be registered within 30 days of purchase.

Holding Zero I didn’t mistreat the Sights but due to a busy month I was able to go to a few games with both sets of sights. Instead of my usual NUPROL hard cases, I took my Airsoft guns in soft bags and wasn’t the most careful when placing them into the car. Both the eBay clones had moved zero from where I had previously set them whilst the Real Steel sights held their zero in between games. This is partly due to the electronics and adjustment systems being more robust and also because their mounts are better made and more resistant to being knocked around.

VORTEX VIP WARRANTY

VIP stands for a Very Important Promise to you, our customer.

We will repair or replace your Vortex product in the event it becomes damaged or defective—at no charge to you. If we cannot repair your product, we will replace it with a product in perfect working order of equal or better physical condition.

You see, it doesn’t matter how it happened, whose fault it was, or where you purchased it. You can count on the VIP Warranty for all Vortex Optics.

• Unlimited Lifetime Warranty • Fully transferable • No warranty card to fill out • No receipt needed to hang on to Parallax Not all sights can be used in all positions. Unless your head is aligned correctly with the bore axis of the gun the reticle of the sight can appear be in a different place depending on where you are positioned. This can lead to missing a shot, especially in tight positions or when shooting around corners. All sights have some form of parallax error but it is more prevalent in some models.

The best performer out of our bunch was the Vortex, followed by the Sightmark, then the T1 eBay clone and bringing up the rear was the Eotech copy. Both the Sightmark and the Eotech copy had some problems with reticle distortion at the edges of the glass making shots harder to make.

OPTICALLY CORRECT

Using optics that cost the same as a starter AEG is enlightening and although the price may put some off, there are so many advantages to using a real steel optic. It may even work out cheaper in the end as they won’t need to be replaced and the batteries last longer.

In the real steel world it’s very normal to use an optic that costs the same, if not more, than your rifle! I would advise anyone that has a chance to try out a Vortex or Sightmark sight - I’ve just put my order in for a couple!

Many thanks to Scott Country International for the loan of the products in this review. https://www.scottcountry.co.uk

www.airsoft-action.online

49

kit XCORTECH XT301 TRACER UNIT

XCORTECH

XT301 TRACER UNIT

ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF BEING AN AIRSOFT ACTION CONTRIBUTOR ARE THE MANY TEMPTATIONS THEY FACE WHEN VISITING A RETAILER TO DO A WRITE UP …AS PHIL BUCKNALL RECENTLY DISCOVERED!

IT SEEMS THAT MY WILL POWER isn’t all it used to be and I left Defcon Airsoft after my shop visit with the new Xcortech tracer unit - specifically marketed as a tracer for pistols and mentioned

by Lee as his favourite gadget de jour! After having a quick look in the shop and a little bit of dribbling; the guys said take one for a review and a bottle of the G&G green 0.25g tracer BBs to try through it.

The unit is very well made and the finish is a good quality satin black with very neat white laser printing on the side for the logo and model number. It all comes in a very compact box which is literally big enough to fit the tracer unit and a -14mm adaptor in the box and nothing else. There is a QR code on the side that you scan to get a link to the online user manual. I did actually go through the motions and download the user manual but I have to confess it was starting to get dark so I didn’t perhaps pay it too much attention and by “too much” I actually mean “zero”, as I just wanted to get it on a gun and have a play with it.

As soon as I got in, I unscrewed the front of the tracer that exposes the front of the PCB, the translucent tube through which the BBs pass (behind which are the lights that make the BBs glow and the mini USB charging port) and plugged it in.

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december 2018

Please note, no charge cable is included so you’ll need to have one at home already but with the plethora of devices that use the mini USB standard these days it shouldn’t be a barrier to using it straight away.

Once it was charged up (which didn’t take very long; roughly about an hour) I replaced the well machined front cover on the unit and screwed it onto the only pistol I have that has a threaded outer barrel.

One thing I will say at this point is that I have used various suppressors on pistols before and all of them, bar the lightest possible, caused issues with cycling due to the added weight/ pressure on the barrel. Firing a few quick test shots allayed that concern straight away. Using propane the slide cycled just as crisply as without the tracer attached - and I also discovered that the tracer has an “Auto On” function when the BBs left the barrel glowing like someone had set a glow bug’s bum on fire!

Once it was properly dark I filled the magazine with some more of the very good quality G&G BBs, racked the slide and let rip. Each and every BB left the muzzle with a really strong and bright green glow and was extremely easy to see all the way through their flight to the target. When they lodged in the cardboard they kept their glow for a good couple of minutes

kit XCORTECH XT301 TRACER UNIT

“USING PROPANE THE SLIDE CYCLED JUST AS CRISPLY AS WITHOUT THE TRACER ATTACHED - AND I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE TRACER HAS AN “AUTO ON” FUNCTION WHEN THE BBS LEFT THE BARREL GLOWING LIKE SOMEONE HAD SET A GLOW BUG’S BUM ON FIRE!” afterwards, which is pretty impressive for a device of such small size especially as I’ve used much larger rifle ones with bigger batteries that didn’t impart much of a glow to begin with and which faded almost as fast as it started.

This isn’t an essential item for playing and it won’t improve your RIF’s performance one jot but I have to say that I was completely smitten with this little tracer unit. So taken was I, that this sample will not be making it back to the shop as I have decided to buy it for myself! I doubt I’ll use it on the pistol too much but for indoor games on the end of my SBR it’ll be a really good addition and add an extra element to the games for me. In any night games I would gladly use it but I would most definitely mix the BBs up with normal ones in the speed loader to give a more realistic “tracer fire” look.

All in all it is a great fun and not excessively priced for what it does. If you want to get one yourself then they can be had at £69.99 from Defcon Airsoft in person or at www.defconairsoft. co.uk Can be used in some suppressors as a retro fit UV LED Technology Battery lasts 20,000 BBs Can keep up with 35rps RoF 2 Light sources Integrated motion sensor Built in rechargeable lithium battery with battery level indicator Automatic power on/off Uses GREEN TRACER BBs only

www.airsoft-action.online

51

TACTICAL

get the tactical advantage PATROL GLOVE

RECON GLOVE

VENOM GLOVE

n Polyester/spandex n Micro fibre palm n Webbing finger pull

n Polyester/spandex n Padded micro fibre palm n One piece rubber knuckle guard n Rubber/Velcro wrist fastening n Thumb/finger grip

n Polyester/spandex n Micro fibre palm with reinforcing n Rubber finger impact protection n Hardshell knuckle protection n Rubber/Velcro wrist fastening n Glove puller

Colours: V-Cam, Titanium, Coyote, Black, Green Sizes: S-XXL SRP

Colours: V-Cam, Titanium, Coyote, Black, Green Sizes: S-XXL

£12.95 SRP

£22.50

Colours: V-Cam, Coyote, Black, Green Sizes: S-XXL SRP

£29.95

WEBBING FINGER PULL

UPDATES / STOCKISTS / CATALOGUE

www.vipertactical.co.uk

kit VIPER SNEAKER JACKET

IS IT A JACKET? IS IT A SOFTSHELL? IS IT A BODY-WARMER? NO, IT’S ALL THREE… AS FEMME FATALE, KELLY HARDWICK, EXPLAINS...

VIPER SNEAKER JACKET AS THE WINTER WEATHER SETS IN, it’s time to start looking at soft shells and jackets for those chilly game days and Viper have come through with the “Sneaker Jacket”, a body warmer/ softshell hybrid!

The Sneaker Jacket is a lightweight jacket that combines the characteristics of an insulated body warmer with a softshell. It features softshell side panels with a cosy fleece lining, a builtin softshell hood with fleece lining and elasticated brim for insulation, as well as softshell arms with elasticated cuffs. The cuffs have a covert thumbhole with a cover. The jacket also has an elasticated waist line for a more comfortable fit. There are two external zip pockets to stash your valuables and of course, what airsofters love most - space for patches! There are velcro ID panels on both arms which is plenty of space for the user to display their favourite morale patches. The jacket also has Viper zip pullers and a rubber logo patch.

I tested mine out at the National Airsoft Festival at Ground Zero at the end of August when the weather was a mix of sunny/warm on the Saturday but chilly and rainy on the other days. The great thing about this jacket being made from 100% polyester is that it retains heat really well, the way it works is it traps the heat from your own body and as we all know, during a game we get very warm indeed! It kept me warm during the colder hours of the night when we weren’t playing and it kept me REALLY toasty during the day game. Unfortunately it isn’t waterproof or resistant so it did get a bit wet on the Sunday.

One thing I did notice when it was wet was that it stuck to my body quite uncomfortably so there is that to consider. It’s not a jacket for wet weather but if it’s cool and relatively dry it does the job nicely.

I opted for the Small size and it was comfortable on the shoulders and arm length. It was roomy around the chest but not too baggy and it could definitely be worn underneath a plate carrier on cold game days (which is always a bonus) and because of the elasticated waist line, it fits quite snuggly to your waist instead of being too long.

The jacket comes in a variety of sizes from a Small all the way up to a 4XL, so the size range is very inclusive. It’s available in 3 colours - black, green and coyote so there are options for most loadouts! One colour I would really love to see this jacket in, is the titanium colour-way! That would look dope!

So how much does the Sneaker jacket retail for? The SRP of the Viper Sneaker jacket is £55.00 on the Viper website and is available from Viper retailers such as Military 1st, who sell it at £49.95.

AA

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feature PROJECT OPFOR

PROJECT OPFOR:

MAIN EVENT

ROUNDING OUT OUR SERIES ON HOW TO GET IN THE OPFOR GAME, BILL GETS TOGETHER WITH FELLOW CONTRIBUTOR AND “RUSFOR” ENTHUSIAST, IAN “TAZ” STOKES, TO BRING YOU A WELLPRICED, YET ACCURATE LOADOUT FOR REPRESENTING “MAIN FORCE”.

UP TO THIS POINT IN “PROJECT OPFOR” I’ve tried to bring you a few ideas for loadouts that can be easily (and quite cheaply) put together, using gear that you may already have but with a few “slants” and nods towards “non-NATO” gear. For these you won’t need a huge budget but you will need some imagination and the ability to keep your tongue most firmly in your cheek!

As I said when I started this series, playing on the opposing force is as much a state of mind as it is collecting the 100% right gear and to date what I’ve suggested, is really just the lead-up to “the main event” which of course is replicating an era-correct military loadout - but this time with serious feel for “OPFOR”.

I’ve noticed over the past couple of years that there’s a real move towards “modern RusFor” loadouts amongst certain parts of the airsoft community, and I’ve really enjoyed following all the loadouts that have appeared on the excellent Northern Pact Facebook page. Whilst many of you out there are really turned on by the “operator look”, all CRYE, Bump Helmets and L119 replicas, there’s a growing number picking up their AKs and searching for something different and the “Russian Look” is certainly gaining traction with increasing numbers of players.

What do I mean when I talk about “main force” you may wonder? Well, in airsoft terms I use this phrase to cover all the variations of a full “military” loadout; the uniforms gear and accessories that would be worn by a regular unit, not that cobbled together by a band of armed civilians or even militia elements. If you look at this in an historical context, in relation to the Vietnam War for instance, then the National Liberation Front (better known as the Viet Cong or VC in the West) and the PAVN (People’s Army of Vietnam) or NVA (North Vietnamese Army) illustrate the difference well. The PAVN/NVA was the “Main Force”, the “Chu Luc” or full-time soldiers of the NLF’s military wing. Many histories lump both the NLF and 54

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feature PROJECT OPFOR

the armed formations under the term “Viet Cong” or “VC” but in fact the PAVN/NVA were “soldiers” as we would understand the term, with more regular units and using infantry tactics rather than the “hit and run” of their VC counterparts.

So in modern terms, I look to this model to work in an OPFOR setting. Whilst we have “guerrillas and militias” these should be backed up by a “main force” element, whether that element be comprised of infantry or in units that specialise in either recce or direct-action operations.

Speaking to my mate and colleague Ian (who you might class as somewhat of an expert in this field!) in relation to my own personal loadout, it quickly became apparent to me that (just like doing a righteous “operator” loadout) putting together a set of “main force gear” was going to be quite a challenge if I wanted to do it right. Just as with “NATO” units there are certain key items of uniform and equipment that will give a credible “feel” to an OPFOR “main force” loadout. You can’t just nip onto the interwebz, look at a few pictures and buy a bunch of gear, as the “look” needs to be coherent and certainly if you’re looking at MilSim use, credible in a modern day setting.

Just as with living history representations, a good “main force” set of gear needs research, research, and… research!

Before you rush to buy your loadout you need to make certain that it’s to a good degree correct from the outset, otherwise you’ll be wasting money and subsequently re-buying gear at a later date! I see so many people that “jump on the bandwagon” when it comes to the latest thing who get their attempts so badly wrong it’s embarrassing, when just a little thought would get things right from the outset; don’t be “that guy”!

I realise that putting together a set of gear like this might be a real challenge, so I got together with Ian to bring you a set of gear that is both accurate AND affordable (all things are relative!) and it is most definitely a direction that I’m going to explore in more depth myself. To get the ball rolling I asked Ian a few basic questions.

Bill: Ian, I’ve already said that research is the key to a great OPFOR Main Force” loadout; where should folk go to find out information on modern Russian gear?

Ian: “Where to start? There are literally 1000’s of pictures on the internet but so many have the wrong reference information and are inaccurate, so we set about getting www.airsoft-action.online

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0.20g

0.25g

3000pcs per bottle | 6mm | Precision Airsoft BB | www.hornettactical.com www.patrolstore.com/hornettactical

feature PROJECT OPFOR

accurate information and compiling it in one or two easy to find sources. “https://www.facebook.com/spetsmag - Gary Pidwell and I started this page in 2014 to concentrate on bringing information and pictures for specific units and conflicts from Afghan to date. “https://www.facebook.com/armyinside - In May 2016 and in collaboration with some Russian friends, we started Army Inside to bring current pictures from Russia, from all branches.

The page is so popular we now get films and pictures direct from the Russian military!”

Bill: Once someone has done their research and decided on the look that they want where should they head to buy things?

Ian: “Start by joining a community page and post the picture of what you want to achieve, look at the blogs on RusFor for that list kit. For generic kits and one stop shopping https://grey-shop.ru/ is a great place to start. But there are literally dozens of safe sellers for Russian kit for the more specific items and kit-specific items.”

Bill: If someone wanted to put together a simple yet effective loadout what would be their first steps?

Ian: “The main picture here is a recon style loadout popular with many Russian ground units. The kit itself is made up of 3 key elements. The camo suit here is a VKBO Lvl 5 Suit which is wind and water proof and weighs less than 250 grams. The harness is a “6sh117” platform with an AK set up. The hat is a simple Panama hat from ANA in Digi-Flora. https://grey-shop. ru/Special-suits/Russian-Waterproof-Clothes/VKBO-DemiseasonSuit “Why is this so useful? Well, it will go over any kit you already have. The harness can be customised to suit whatever you want to use as it is a modular structure, with miles of MOLLE for anything you want to add: https://grey-shop.ru/Vest/Molle-Vest/6sh117 The “AK Set” for instance comprises of: • Vest “6sh117” • Four Double AK Mags pouches • Two Universal Pouches (can be used as grenade one too).

• Two Grenade Pouch • Medical Pouch • Pouch for VDV Flask (VDV flask not included).

• Three day Backpack Grey Shop also offer variations of this “package” for Sniper, Gunner and Scout; these provide different pouch options for different roles.

The panama completes the look: https://grey-shop.ru/Accessories/Panamas-Boonies/Panama-ANA” Bill: Once someone has created their basic loadout, what other accessory items should they look for to “dress things up”?

Ian: “Although genuine Russian boots are available, the “rule of thumb” is wear what you can afford and that gives ample ankle support. There are literally hundreds of types of boots available but do not skimp on them. Eye-pro; most Russian goggles and glasses are not ballistic rated - great for sitting on helmets and pictures but not for real eye-pro! For gloves there are many types, some are unit-specific some are personal choice. I personally prefer Splav fingerless “Rage” gloves.”

Simply put, creating your perfect “main force” loadout doesn’t need to cost huge amounts of money (I’m looking at under £200 for what Ian has suggested!), just take your time to research it and get as much “right” as you can from the outset.

Don’t just sling odds and sods of Russian gear together and expect this to work as a good loadout that will pass muster, do your homework and make sure that everything fits together as it should and, again, if you’re planning this with some mates perhaps try to create some “unit coherency” in relation to your team “look”.

I’m certainly looking forward to completing my personal set of Russian gear, especially for use in a MilSim setting and I for one would certainly love to see “Team 6” going head to head

with some righteous “Spetsnaz” operators! I’d also love to see a full unit of “OPFOR Regulars” taking on a “NATO Platoon” in some of the MOD settings we are given access to every so often, as I think this would genuinely make a stunning game, certainly from a visual perspective!

In conclusion to this series I’d like to thank Ian and my DO18 mates for their input and do check out the pages Ian detailed earlier for information and, in some cases, some great entertainment!

If you fancy the “OPFOR Path” then don’t be put off by cost implications as all the loadouts we’ve described in the past few issues can be achieved without breaking the bank and trust me, you can have a great deal of fun creating them.

I hope that you’ll join me in the “OPFOR Odyssey” and I look forward to seeing what you create for yourself and your teams. Please do remember to send in your pictures for the “Gallery” each month, as I’m certain I can persuade Nige to run an “OPFOR Special” in the future! AA

www.airsoft-action.online

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site report UCAP REDEMPTION

LEZ LEE FINDS HIMSELF BEHIND BARS ONCE AGAIN, AS HE RETURNS TO ONE OF HIS OLD “LOCK-UPS” AND THE GATE SLAMMED SHUT BEHIND HIM…

REDEMPTION… “…THE ACTION OF SAVING OR BEING SAVED FROM SIN, ERROR, OR EVIL.” SOME OF THE BEST TIMES OF YOUR LIFE can be spent in prison these days. It’s dry, warm, the grub is great and you meet some blinding buddies while you’re in there. Okay, there are a few rules and a few geezers enforce them but on the whole it can be a world of fun and laughter.

HMP Kingston in Portsmouth is a prime example and is making a lot of crazy ‘softers keep going back for more and it’s no surprise that players travel many, many miles to enjoy such a unique experience because if you want a cracking day out, you can be assured that UCAP won’t let you down.

Andy Stevens, the man behind some of the South’s top airsoft sites, which include “The Bunker” (1.6 miles of underground decommissioned military tunnels), “Green Ops” (woodland) which is always being developed to keep things fresh and the late, great and sadly-missed “Sandpit” being the success stories so far. When Andy gets his mitts on a venue you just know it’s going to be something special and worth a visit!

When I received my invitation to check-out (or should that be “check-in”) at this newly acquired facility, there was not a chance in hell that I was going to say no! You see this wouldn’t be my first time in prison and it was a revisit to HMP Kingston for me because only the maddest and baddest convicts were allowed there - predominantly lifers and long term DCR (Discretionary Conditional Release, aka parole if eligible) inmates to be precise. I had served 18 years for Her Majesty so I think I had earned my pension when my key-turning days were ended in 2012, a year before Kingston Prison closed its gates for the last time since opening in 1877. For me, this review brought many memories flooding back to when I was locking up baddies.

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site report UCAP REDEMPTION

The prison is of the classic Victorian “radial” design - a central octagonal hub with the four different wings taking the form of spurs. Offering a panoptical vision of all of the wings, the “Centre” is the heart of the prison under a glass dome to funnel natural light into the centre because, as you might imagine, there isn’t a lot of windows within the walls!

This design was (and still is) heavily endeared by Officers as it gave optimum visual clarity and faster access when needed but modern day Prisons are built as “Houseblocks”, favouring an individual and segregated element with each Houseblock holding its own category of prisoner or regime. The general consensus amongst experienced long-serving Officers is that the centre-focused wings/landings will always be favoured because of access and control, especially now that staffing cuts are prevalent and inmate population and unrest due to cramped conditions is on the increase, but I digress...

UCAP are fortunate to have it all. Full access to all areas which means ample and secure off-road parking, a huge safe zone (with your own cell for your gear if you so choose), multi-level indoor game areas and outside skirmish areas.

Unlike those that have frequented this establishment before, this is an airsofter’s dream venue. For starters, the weather is never an issue, in fact this weekend just gone gave UCAP some challenges, as it was the first walk-on game day and the predicted monsoon-type weather obviously steered players away from perhaps a planned woodland battle and into the dry. Of course, an unscheduled attendance of almost double the expected can have a knock-on effect in terms of marshals, catering, hire kit and just about everything but UCAP have been doing this kinda’ stuff for a very long time and always have contingencies in place. So although the day was a typical success, as I write this article Andy is looking for feedback from players to get their valued opinions and suggestions. I have known Andy for a very long time and he is somewhat of a perfectionist and his number one priority is that every single player leaves a UCAP site having had an amazing and

totally safe experience. This was reflected by the amount of photo requests I had in the following days (as I offer a “freeof-charge” photography service to anyone that asks before, during or after I’m on-site, which is all part of the Airsoft Action ethos echoing “it’s all and only about the players” - a subject that we at AA all aspire to)!

WHAT DO YOU GET FOR YOUR £35?

Let’s start with secure on-site parking adjacent to the safe zone, tea and coffee to keep you going, an in-house, wellstocked shop courtesy of Combat South, the unique privilege of spending a day in jail (with a gun I might add), the lunch is quality grub and plenty of it, battery charging and basic tech support. Two additional facilities are the Loyalty Card scheme (play four games and get fifth free) and for those that are new to airsoft, UCAP offer a “Rent to Buy” scheme which, due to the long standing rules banning clear and two-tones at any of their sites, a new player can buy their own RIF and use it on game days and UCAP securely store it until said player reaches the ownership eligibility stage.

As far as game scenarios go, well, you tell me! The variety and types of game depends on numbers really and that isn’t likely to diminish any time soon that’s for sure. Although most of the action takes place inside this grade two listed building, games are designed to reflect both weather conditions and numbers, so you will get an opportunity to exit the jail (unlike the previous occupants). Semi-auto only is standard, bangs are up to Mark 5s and smokes are not permitted for obvious reasons. Redemption also plays host to pistol and shotgun only nights - which has got to be more fun than the pub and (presumably) a lot cheaper. One thing to remember, game play is fast and furious and very “Up Close And Personal” (UCAP for those that didn’t know) and I strongly recommend suitable clothing - as I found out whilst wearing a tee shirt and sleeveless hi-viz and my bare arms were shot to sheet whilst www.airsoft-action.online

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ENOLAGAYE.COM

EG67 BALL GRENADE

site report UCAP REDEMPTION

LOCATION : 122 MILTON ROAD, PORTSMOUTH, PO3 6AS FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT REDEMPTION AND OTHER UCAP SITES, VISIT WWW.UCAP.CO.UK

taking photographs. We also have “the right to bare arms” but I wouldn’t recommend it at Redemption!

WHAT IS IT ACTUALLY LIKE TO PLAY AT REDEMPTION?

For starters, when you drive through the main prison gates, the “fantasy” starts there really because, like most people, this is likely to be your first step inside an actual all original prison - and don’t be surprised if you find the hairs on the back of your neck standing erect because you won’t be the only one!

It is indeed a rare opportunity to be absorbed into one of Her Majesty’s Prisons without being under duress. As you enter the Safe Area, aka C Wing, you may even experience a slight feeling of claustrophobia until you settle in amongst other players who may be feeling the same but just not showing it.

The atmosphere inside the prison is probably unlike anything else that you have experienced in your lifetime and it may even cause you to have a reality check when you think about what has gone before on the very spot where you stand. I would encourage everyone to dwell on years gone by for a while because this unique insight is, in its own right, somewhat of a privilege mostly due to the fact that you have the option to leave whenever you choose …and dropping the soap in the showers will never be an issue for you!

Of course, there are areas of further mystery and history away from the wings and cells if you venture deep into the darkest of (permitted) areas and find yourself drawn into darkened rooms and corridors in this multi-tiered maze of stone, but if you get scared of the dark then perhaps the basements are best avoided because this place has a truly eerie constitution. If you feel the need to pass wind then this may not be the best place to do so.... just in case!

I asked Andy to sum up Redemption and this is what he had to say:

“We have worked with the landlords before with Virus and Shepton Mallet. They asked if we would be interested in using Kingston some time back but they had works that needed doing.

To prepare the site we had to put a load of cover in, screen off the safe zone and make access at the rear of C Wing which is the safe zone. We have filled the venue every game, feedback suggests it’s going well because we always looks to improve.

We run a monthly pistol and shotgun game on the first Monday of the month, we use the Bunker on our weekly Wednesday game. The site can be booked for private games and there are some plans for some special games but with another new venue on the horizon, lots to plan!”

So that’s it my fellow Operators, an insight into what you can expect if you visit UCAP Redemption in Portsmouth. My opinion is that if you are within driving distance then you should, no… make that you need to visit this establishment!

And why is that you may ask? Because it’s not only a very well organised day that is fast, ferocious and challenging but predominantly it’s one of Her Majesty’s Prisons which is such a unique opportunity. You will have full access which is a rare privilege that you really shouldn’t miss out on in your airsoft career because it is highly unlikely that you will ever get to see the inside of such a quirky and isolated historical jail (well, one would hope so) AND you get to take a gun and shoot people, which is normally only ever seen on TV when negotiations and Tornado riot teams have all but failed.

Personally I can’t wait to get my butt back down there and shoot the guy that lit me up and I’m bound to recognise him because he was wearing Multicam and had an M4... Easy!

It’s called REDEMPTION for a reason... AA

www.airsoft-action.online

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STEEL CITY AIRSOFT

SOMETIMES, WHEN DOING RESEARCH FOR AN ARTICLE YOU ARE WRITING, YOU GET THROWN A CURVE-BALL, AS FRENCHIE FOUND OUT… WHEN I WAS WRITING THE PIECE on Speedsoft for last month’s issue I was searching furiously for suitable images. I was labouring under the impression that there’s not that much Speedsoft played in the UK and I finally found what looked like photos of a US-based team that met my needs, so I messaged them asking permission to use them. Even before they replied it dawned on me that this bunch were based in the UK (the photos from Retford were a bit of a giveaway!) and this was confirmed when Harry McSwain got in touch.

Steel City Airsoft (SCA) are a Sheffield-based Speedsoft team. Well, I couldn’t ignore that could I, so I have been chatting further with Harry to find out what motivates them, what brought them to Speedsoft and what hopes they have for the future.

AA: I began by asking Harry where SCA came from. Were they airsofters looking for a new challenge or paintballers sick of playing with glorified plumbing!

HM: “I started playing airsoft in August 2016 with three of my friends who wanted me to tag along. After going only twice, I decided I was going to buy the necessary kit for a MilSim loadout as that appeared the only option to me at the time.

That was until I stumbled upon a video from a team called SYG

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in the States. I was hooked on Speedsoft and formed Steel City Airsoft (SCA) in October that same year.

I wanted to try something new, something different from the usual style of play, something more challenging. Steel City Airsoft is a by-product of my goal to create a Speedsoft scene in the UK, so I recruited players who had also found out about SYG and the Speedsoft scene in the US and who wanted it to make a debut here in the UK.” AA: Who is in the team?

HM: “In the UK, Steel City Airsoft currently has 8 players and I’m looking into recruiting 2 more! But for now we have: SMITHY #04, RHODY #11, HEN #45, HARRIBO #57, LOCKO #78, HOOK #91, OP #94, JAM #95 & MESSY #99” AA: What are their backgrounds, as related to airsoft? What I’m interested in here is the team’s relationship to “traditional” airsoft – was it a move, something you do as well as skirmishing, or is speedsoft and end in itself?

HM: “Everyone on the team comes from an Airsoft background or has been introduced to Airsoft by me. I believe it was all a move for us, but I know a few members, they dived straight into speedsoft. We all wanted something more out of airsoft other than the military simulation stuff.

speedsoft STEEL CITY

Most of the team strictly play with the speedsoft playstyle, but as for SMITHY, HOOK and LOCKO I know they like to participate in some MilSim events.”

AA: You made a comment on IG relating to one particular member of your team suggesting that he’d been instrumental in establishing speedsoft. Can you tell me more and to what extent have you as a team had to establish speedsoft in the Sheffield area? Was there already a scene there, or did you have to go – “we really want to do this, so we had better get organising?”

HM: “As I said, Speedsoft has been around since 2015, but it was my efforts in late 2016 and through 2017 which gave Speedsoft a bit more ground to stand on in the UK rather than just in Sheffield. By travelling across the UK to various sites and showing off the play style, people saw a new way to play airsoft and it attracted a lot of attention.

However, in 2018 I met one of my best friends, and now manager of SCA, Sam. Sam started “Operation Speed” as a movement in the UK to attract more players to the format.

Operation Speed is pretty much run solely by Sam and was responsible for hosting the first ever successful Speedsoft tournament in the UK at Urban Paintball in Retford.

All my effort in going to new sites and documenting my journey on Instagram and YouTube created a vast amount of Speedsoft players, who were either new to sport entirely or had made the move across from Skirmish/MilSim. Sam then formed a community through Operation Speed where all the players could interact with each other and bounce ideas about where to play next, and when new tournaments might be held” AA: What is the extent of Speedsoft? As you know there is a body of airsofters who look on it askance, wrongly in my opinion and I can see the attraction of Speedsoft for several reasons. In my head I think speedsoft and skirmishing are different enough to complement each other but I really want your views since you are in the thick of it.

HM: “Speedsoft is a playstyle. It’s all about dressing in lightweight gear, communicating, using teamwork and most importantly, speed. Across the globe there is a bizarre stereotype that Speedsofters just run around doing the good ol’ spray and pray, blatantly cheating, are out to hurt people and ruin their fun. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Speedsoft is just another way to play airsoft, except you don’t take slow methodical movements and tactics, you dart around quickly eliminating opponents with the goal to win.

Speedsoft is growing rapidly across the globe as it appeals to a wider demographic; rather than essentially playing soldiers, you are participating in a sport. The fact that there is such a difference in playstyles creates a distinct difference between the two. Speedsoft is all about rushing your opponents while MilSim/skirmish is about taking it steady and slow, Speedsoft creates a chance for players to learn new skills on the field.

The bottom line is we are just airsoft players who prefer to play differently from the current norm!”

AA: Sponsorship – I’ve been involved in airsoft skirmishing for ages – I’ve worked in the retail side, I chaired UKARA through the VCRA and I have lost count of how many requests for sponsorship I have (generally) politely turned down, it doesn’t really work for skirmishing as far as I’m concerned as exposure is too limited. Speedsoft is a different beast and I can see the attraction to potential sponsors. Do you pursue this and what sort of reaction do you get from suppliers?

HM: Speedsoft gave birth to SpeedQB and now Sup-Airsoft which are both considered spectator sports. Football for

example, has many different sponsors; the players gear, footwear, the adverts along the margins. This is what we hope SpeedQB/Sup-Airsoft reaches in terms of sponsorship as it is a great opportunity for companies to show off their gear, guns and even BBs. At this point in time Speedsoft doesn’t have the popularity behind it in the UK to gather sponsorships at that level, we are hoping with the OPERATION SPEED’s tour we are able to reach out to more and more players and companies who could possibly invest in Speedsoft!

Sponsors usually see the potential in Speedsoft but because there isn’t a lot of ground to stand on now, they are hesitant to support it. But that doesn’t mean to say they won’t support it at all.

SpeedQB in the US already has sponsorships from G&G and DYE Paintball, some teams even have HK Army and Virtue as sponsors who help them with gear to play in! SCA does have some sponsors such as Amped Airsoft who help us with our HPA needs and we are looking into acquiring some new support!”

Next month we’ll look at Speedsoft gear and how the game is played. My thanks to Harry for his time and help with this article and best wishes to all at SCA.

“SPEEDSOFT IS A PLAYSTYLE. IT’S ALL ABOUT DRESSING IN LIGHTWEIGHT GEAR, COMMUNICATING, USING TEAMWORK AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, SPEED. ACROSS THE GLOBE THERE IS A BIZARRE STEREOTYPE THAT SPEEDSOFTERS JUST RUN AROUND DOING THE GOOD OL’ SPRAY AND PRAY, BLATANTLY CHEATING, ARE OUT TO HURT PEOPLE AND RUIN THEIR FUN.” If you’d like to know more about Speedsoft and SCA in particular contact Harry via Instagram @sca.harribo.57, or through the team account, @steelcityairsoft.official

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DEFCON AIRSOFT SHOP

PHIL BUCKNALL HEADS OUT TO VISIT AN AIRSOFT SHOP WITH A SMALL HIGH STREET PRESENCE THAT BELIES ITS BIG AMBITIONS. RECENTLY, I FOUND MYSELF standing outside an unassuming doorway in Meir, Stoke on Trent, looking up at a small sign which confirmed I was indeed in the right place. I was standing outside Defcon Airsoft; a small Airsoft retailer who’s on-street presence doesn’t really do them justice.

I’d been invited along to find out a little more about them; what makes them tick and what they offer to Airsofters in the local as well as wider community thanks to their online store.

Defcon is the baby of Paul Gilbert (who was sadly on holiday when I came over) and has been going for about two and a half years and two years with a physical shop.

Once you get through the door you walk into a veritable Aladdin’s cave, jam-packed to the rafters with Airsoft goodies of all makes and everything from gas and BBs, to some of the “must have” Airsoft guns on the market today. I have to say its rare for me to walk into an Airsoft ship these days and feel that “pull” in the wallet that means I’m leaving poorer than when I went in; but I definitely got it here! As I introduced myself to Ray and Lee I was genuinely surprised by not just the amount of stock, but the variety of manufacturers as well.

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The guys told me that some of their biggest sellers were the TM recoils, especially the DEVGRU and the Delta and it was pleasing to see such a good stock level of these. They have a great source for all things Japanese Airsoft including Tokyo Marui but also covering the more esoteric brands like Tanaka, Western Arms, Laylax and Maruzen with a lead time of roughly two weeks for anything they don’t have in the shop at the time.

The finance options, that seem almost to be a mandatory thing when buying a TM rifle these days due to their high cost, is in place and has helped numerous customers get their dream gun. Don’t worry though, as the shop caters to all types of players and, more importantly, all types of budget.

If you are after a gun to get into the hobby they can help you out and if you can’t yet buy a RIF they can two tone anything for you - including a TM DEVGRU and a Delta recoil rifle for a couple of customers. Whilst the biggest brands in store are TM and G&G, there are many others covering all budgets from CYMA and WELL to Ares, ASG, PTS, Krytac, Valkan, Tippman, WE, Vortex Optics and Nuprol. The shop will soon be stocking the well-respected tactical gear brand

inside airsoft DEFCON AIRSOFT SHOP

Clawgear too, so watch out for those items hitting the store and the website. Of particular interest to me was the imminent arrival of some new TM items, including a new MWS-based rifle that looks amazing and would make a great race gun for those who are of the three gun persuasion and a great, if not awe inspiring, addition to the NGRS range too.

The shop is well laid out with a gear corner on your right as you enter the shop. In here there is all the tactical nylon in enough colours and styles to satisfy most people. It is well laid out and displayed on racks or mannequins so you can really see what is on offer.

Also in this corner is a huge glass display cabinet jam packed with pistols and optics, including Vortex who are making a really good name for themselves in the real steel world as well as the airsoft community, in no small part down to quite possibly the best warranty going. If your sight gets damaged or destroyed - no matter how it happens - they will repair or replace it and that is a lifetime guarantee too.

Suddenly those cheap Chinese clone optics don’t look such good value do they?

Next there are the display walls on three sides with various AEGs and Spring rifles/shotguns arranged in an uncluttered way, so you can clearly see what you’re looking at. In the middle of the store is a large island display with ancillaries like gas, BBs and things that go BANG neatly arranged, as well as a rather eye-catching, gold-plated AK-47 in a wooden display case. Now AKs do nothing for me but I had to have a look even just to say I had, as it is quite the work of art and I understand it is a limited release item so not something you’ll see every day of the week.

Back to the front of the store is the till area with further display units holding a rather lovely TM DEVGRU and a VFC HK416A5. As a huge M4/derivative fan I did get stuck here for quite a while and had a quick play with both. Whilst I was there I saw several customers come in so I stood back out of the way and let the guys get on with their jobs. It was evident to see that they have a real passion for Airsoft and also for customer service too, as I watched Ray open case after case to get items out for people to have a proper look at and feel before parting with their hard-earned cash. Nothing was too much trouble for them but in case people think they were doing it just because I was there I have to say that I have been to Defcon quite a while ago with a friend when he wanted to get some things and the same level of attentiveness and customer service was on show then.

During a lull in the evening’s business I managed to chat further with Ray and Lee so I asked them a few questions about airsoft; where it was going; what kit they used personally; what the ethos of the shops was and plans for Defcon over the coming months and years amongst many other topics.

AA: What’s Defcon all about then and where is it going?

Defcon: “As you can see from the shop; we are fast approaching capacity so new premises are definitely on the cards but as the local customers are really important to us we won’t be moving far from where we are now. Its important to us to have that local connection and to support the local community. A site is something that we’d like too and if the two can be combined then thats even better!

“Defcon is definitely about getting the best products to customers regardless of budget. We’re players ourselves and want to be about more than just making money. Take consumables for example; we don’t have huge mark ups on them as they are the things everyone needs and can’t play without. We have two-toned guns whilst people wait on occasion and have even hand-delivered a pistol to a player who

“I HAVE TO SAY ITS RARE FOR ME TO WALK INTO AN AIRSOFT SHOP THESE DAYS AND FEEL THAT “PULL” IN THE WALLET THAT MEANS I’M LEAVING POORER THAN WHEN I WENT IN; BUT I DEFINITELY GOT IT HERE!” called on a Friday evening so they could use it that Saturday at The Mall, as we were going ourselves. It’s about going the extra mile and giving the best experience to each and every customer regardless. We’ve done similar for a player up at Anzio too. We won’t push just the expensive items on players and endeavour to give unbiased advice at all times.”

AA: What are your personal guns and what accessories do you rate?

Defcon: “We both use TM recoil guns and love them but accessory wise Ray is a big fan of the Vortex optics and Lee is keen as mustard for the Xcortech mini tracer unit.” (You can

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inside airsoft DEFCON AIRSOFT SHOP

read my review on that in this issue also. Phil.)

AA: What accessories are big sellers?

Defcon: “Probably the biggest is the Dynatec time delay grenades. So many people are used to the impact ones that they give players a real tactical advantage when they don’t go off instantly and they are also more useful in areas where the ground may not be hard enough for an impact grenade to go off. Another big seller is the ARP-9 drum mags. We’ve even had a customer make a five and a half hour round trip to pick one up as everywhere else was out of stock.”

AA: Speaking of stock; how do you manage that?

Defcon: “Well, we have multiple suppliers so we can do our best to make sure that if one doesn’t have the items we need

we can get them from someone else and it also means we can keep stock levels high, which is great for both our online customers and face to face.”

AA: Whats coming trend wise do you think?

Defcon: “Recoils!! Many more recoil guns and they will offer more and more realistic features. Whilst HPA will always have a market, electric guns will always sell more. In MilSim games especially we could really start to see more drones being employed for tactical awareness, as well as recon duties perhaps.

We’ve wanted to use drones but in woodland sites they aren’t overly useful and until they are widely accepted as in game accessories then there is always the risk that someone will shoot one out of the skies; probably causing quite a stink!”

AA: Thanks guys, what are your final thoughts?

Defcon: “Airsoft is changing and there’s lots of new companies coming in and new concepts/technologies both coming to market and on the horizon. At the end of the day, we are airsofters ourselves and Defcon will be here to bring the best products to our customers at the best prices and have fun doing it.”

When I left Defcon, I’d been there over an hour and a half but it didn’t feel like it. The desire to offer great well priced products to both the local player community and farther afield is plainly evident and the knowledge for the products stocked is there too. They are always looking for new lines to add to the stock so they can sell you what’s right FOR YOU and in the process, at least in this player’s humble opinion, make you a repeat customer and a friend along the way. It’s great to see the shop thriving and I wish them all the success in the future. Oh, and when I’m back, mine’s a coffee …white with a small sugar.

Whilst many of you probably won’t have heard of Paul Gilbert, his activities and involvement in airsoft aren’t just limited to a shop. He has provided enormous support and assistance on the IT side to UKAPU - the players association - and all for no financial reward or even public acknowledgement. A true gent in the airsoft community!

As ex-chairman of UKAPU, I know the effort that goes into it behind the scenes so thank you Paul! AA www.airsoft-action.online

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VORTEX OPTICS AT PLATOON STORES AIRSOFT ACTION HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE “VORTEX STORY” FOR SOME TIME AND THE BRAND HAS BECOME A REAL FAVOURITE AMONGST BOTH OUR TEAM AND PLAYERS. BILL ATTENDED A VORTEX EVENT HOSTED BY PLATOON STORES IN KENT RECENTLY, TO CHECK OUT THE VERY LATEST MODELS! LOOKING BACK AT REVIEWS I’ve written in the past, my first look at Vortex products dates back to 2011 when I checked out a wonderful new optic called “The Spitfire” from what was (then) a little known brand in the UK. Fast-forward seven years and Vortex are, quite rightly, an established part of the UK shooting and airsoft communities, a brand that we know as shooters and airsofters that can be trusted not only to deliver great products, but also to provide absolutely A1 service!

Vortex Optics design and produce rugged binoculars, spotting scopes and riflescopes for the most demanding users. Vortex takes knowledge and expertise gained over the past 20 years and delivers a full line of premium optics within an unwavering dedication to quality, value and superior performance in the field. Starting out as a small retail store, since 1986 they have been (and remain) a family and veteranowned company, based in central Wisconsin.

The business grew and evolved over time and in 2002 Vortex Optics was established. Starting with the original 68

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owners, Dan and Margie Hamilton, the company now has a huge American and international team who work diligently to produce the best products and service in the optics industry.

Any regular reader of my articles and reviews will know that I rate optics from Vortex very highly; be it a straightforward, well-priced red dot, or a top of the line magnified optic, everything they make oozes quality and is backed up by an absolute gem of a warranty. When you’re spending good money on a piece of glass you want to know it’s going to be with you for a considerable time, and the fact that Vortex offer their “VIP Warranty” which effectively says they will “repair or replace your Vortex product in the event it becomes damaged or defective at no charge to you. It doesn’t matter how it happened, whose fault it was, or where you purchased it” means that your outlay is well protected.

OPEN ALL HOURS! When Pete, owner of Platoon Stores in Rochester, told me

kit VORTEX AT PLATOON STORES

that he would be hosting a “late opening” evening dedicated to Vortex, you can bet I was keen to let him know that I’d be attending. Although I see the Vortex team each and every year at IWA and also at SHOT in the USA when I attend, they just keep on pumping out great new models and sometimes it’s genuinely hard to keep up with their output!

Platoon Stores are what I’d refer to as a “full spectrum” shooting/tactical store. Established by Pete in 2006, they’re a really hard shop to “pigeonhole” as they serve so many different types of customer, each with their own requirements.

They are military and outdoor suppliers and Kent’s friendliest gun (they are an RFD) and airsoft shop. They’ve either got or can get what the customer needs, or find a solution at the very least; that’s what they try to do!

In terms of gear and clothing they stock VIPER, Disciple OST. 5:11 Tactical and Blackhawk to name but a few, and their new downstairs “Boot Room” is a fabulous recent addition. Directly for airsoft they have Nuprol, ASG, Valken, Cyma/Cybergun, G&G and WE, but they can get most things worth getting.

They also stock a large range of accessories and consumables from ASG, Valken, Nuprol, Abbey, Earmore, GK Tactical, Black River and loads more. Technical airsoft work is handled in-store and Pete is a big supporter of local sites too, running a mobile shop at Imperium, Invicta Battlefield and Cool Under Fire on a regular basis. They’ve also long been a Vortex stockist and Pete and the guys are users of the brand themselves, both for airsoft and for “real steel” shooting.

SIGHTING IN So it was, that with the evening event invitation in hand, I spoke to Shamus and Martin at “Vortex HQ” in the USA and asked them which models I needed to concentrate on and very quickly an email came back that I should really take a close look at the “Crossfire Red Dot”, the “Strike Eagle 1-6x24” magnified, and the “Diamondback Tactical” magnified.

Pitching up at Platoon Stores relatively early I was able to spend some time with Chris (AKA “Captain Vortex”) from Country Sports Wholesale, who look after the Vortex brand in the UK, to really get under the skin of the new models. Many of you may know Chris as a player in his own right and getting my hands on the “Vortex Shield” was a treat in itself.

Looking in detail at the three models suggested, the “Crossfire Red Dot” is undoubtedly a model that will interest many, many airsofters! For close-in work and general field work, it’s tough to beat a quality Red Dot Sight, and the super-light, ultra-compact, insanely-fast-on-target, incredibly durable, Crossfire Red Dot is exactly that. The daylight-bright, 2-MOA dot is easy to acquire and promotes rapid engagement of targets yet is fine enough to more precisely engage targets at distance. Eleven intensity levels of brightness let you refine the dot intensity to the situation at hand. A rather groovy skeletonised mount offers two height options (Low and Lower 1/3 Co-Witness) – lending its functionality to rifles, carbines, shotguns, and even pistols. This is a right little lovely and I honestly fancy one of these for myself!

The “Strike Eagle” comes in four different models, with differing magnification levels but the one I took a proper long, hard look at was the 1-6X24 scope suggested. The 1x variable optics offer speed and versatility for rifle and carbine users who need to engage targets from point-blank out to extended ranges. And that’s exactly what you’re going to get with Vortex’s new Strike Eagle 1-6 x 24. Take into consideration what it costs to get into this optic, and you may find you can’t afford not to buy it! Whether you’re burning through a 3-Gun

“FOR CLOSE-IN WORK AND GENERAL FIELD WORK, IT’S TOUGH TO BEAT A QUALITY RED DOT SIGHT, AND THE SUPER-LIGHT, ULTRACOMPACT, INSANELY-FAST-ON-TARGET, INCREDIBLY DURABLE, CROSSFIRE RED DOT IS EXACTLY THAT.” Stage, logging some range time, or holding for that elusive target on the skirmish field, the Strike Eagle is up to the task.

High-quality, fully multi-coated lenses deliver a clear, crisp sight picture and optimal low-light performance. A true onepower on the low end of its 6x zoom range provides quick target acquisition in close quarters scenarios. Need to engage targets at distance? Crank it up to 6x and let it rip!

Again, available in four different guises the new “Diamondback Tactical 6-24X50 FFP” is sure to be the darling of the discerning airsoft sniper crowd!

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kit VORTEX AT PLATOON STORES

The first focal plane reticle, a feature ordinarily reserved for 4-figure-priced optics, allows shooters to use the informationpacked EBR-2C reticles for ranging, holdovers or windage corrections on any magnification. Housed inside its durable, one-piece aluminium tube is a 4x optical system delivering excellent edge-to-edge clarity and sharp resolution. Exposed elevation and windage turrets are low profile enough to stay out of the way in packing situations, but offer the quickness, ease and precision of dialling accurate shots at distance. A side adjustable parallax gives shooters peace of mind by removing parallax error from the equation from 10 yards to infinity.

As usual with Vortex optics, all three sights are of stunning quality, offering sharp, precise sighting options whatever your style of play! I’m really encouraged by the fact that Vortex continue to look at the airsoft side of things as just another part of the larger shooting community and I can only applaud this approach wholeheartedly. Shops like Platoon Stores also encourage this “lack of divide” and it’s really refreshing to have retailers like Pete.

As always, I’m interested to see “what comes next” from Vortex and I’m certain that SHOT and IWA 2019 will bring new directions and new models to the market …but for now I need to see about saving up for that “Crossfire”!

My thanks go to Pete and all the staff at Platoon Stores for their usual high standard of hospitality, and to Chris for taking the time to speak with me. Please do have a gander at www. platoonstores.co.uk if you’re in need of some airsoft and/ or tactical goodies! AA

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international BLODSBAND PART TWO

O W T BLODSBAND RELOADED T R A P POST-APOCALYPTIC AIRSOFT PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLUM WALKER, PIA JANSSON & NIKLAS SANDSTROM

HAVING BEEN SHOT WHILST STANDING OUTSIDE A BAR CALLED “SHOT IN THE DARK”, DUST MONKEY SOUGHT OUT HIS BED IN ORDER TO BE READY FOR ANOTHER DAY IN THE WASTELAND… I WOKE UP A LOT EARLIER than my travel buddy so geared up and went for a walk.

Outside the town I came across a Machine Dog rider having trouble with his bike and suddenly remembered they were attacking somone’s camp. As if on cue, at that moment their lead vehicle, a big 4x4, rolled into view with two enormous speakers on the side and a bassist in the back actually playing Fury Road-style riffs as the car rolled into action! I managed to get involved in the firefight which was over in the blink of an eye - as the last thing our opponents were expecting at 9am was a vehicle convoy to roll into camp and open up on them as they were still shaking off the cobwebs from sleeping!

With that successful operation under our belt we decided to spend some time exploring, which ended up with us being recruited to go out into the wasteland and take on the “Panzer Wolves”, a sort of constant threat controlled by the game organisers.

They had set up in a bunker defended trench position out in the wastes. This time we went out on foot and when we finally crested the hill that lead down to the valley we got a real view of what we had to assault. It was a proper fortified entrenched hill, with pill boxes and trenches in various stages, and before it… was nothing, no cover at all to speak of…. “This is going to hurt!” I remember thinking to myself. And then, as if they heard my thoughts, appeared some of the Machine Dog vehicles, which we quickly jumped onto and in a most raider like way we proceeded to loot every downed player we found while driving around before, eventually, debunking from the car to get stuck into the end of the firefight. Apparently we made an impression as the “Cult of the Dead” were quick to hire us for that day’s wrecking.

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international BLODSBAND PART TWO

“THE LAST THING OUR OPPONENTS WERE EXPECTING AT 9AM WAS A VEHICLE CONVOY TO ROLL INTO CAMP AND OPEN UP ON THEM AS THEY WERE STILL SHAKING OFF THE COBWEBS FROM SLEEPING!”

The wrecking took a totally different path, this time with a hacker with us and a “Junkernaut” (an ally encased in 42kg of repurposed steel that acted as bullet magnet and shield for the hacker). We drove with lightning speed from Lantern to Lantern, jumping out of the cars, dealing with the small defence, hacking the Lantern and back in the cars and off to the next one. We repeated this for a solid hour without ever coming across any real resistance. Until, out on the main road, we accidently came across the French convoy.

Knowing they would focus on us we drove just out of range and they pursued us to a bottle neck of sorts. We decided with the small front we could defend the cars and do the most damage in this position, until from our rear came the third faction. We abandoned the vehicles completely and watched as the French force now collided with Omega 13. When the French won and made their way back to their vehicles we were waiting …back in our cars and back on our mounted PKMs!

What happened next was one-sided to say the least!

Once again, on our return to the town we went and picked up a sizeable bonus for a job well done and were now in a relatively flush position with a few hundred rounds and a sizeable wad of Kaps. It was time to have some fun with the in-game money and, to that end, we went back to the location of the last firefight as we spied what looked like a restaurant.

To our joy that is exactly what it was, for a few Kaps we had a lovely vegetarian chilli con carne with rice, some light beer (2%) and cigars. From there we spent the evening watching pit fights and socialising around the fire at the Machine Dogs HQ. With morning came the start of the last day and the sun decided to make an appearance. It was around 25 degrees throughout the entire day, which meant I ditched my usual 22kg of kit and went with a stripped-back loadout with almost no armour at all. I also decided, as it was the last day, to spend as much of my in-game currency as humanly possible, as from about 11pm that evening it would be worthless. This was, as it turned out, not as easy to do as I hoped because we got paid a vast amount for that evening’s final battle, as the Cult of the Dead and Omega 13 had teamed up to defeat the French. Despite buying about 15 people lunch we still had an inordinate amount of Kaps so, given the last battle would be, quite literally the last one, we decided to make sure we had what we thought would be more ammo than we would need.

We later found out there is no such thing and should probably have bought more…

For the last battle we moved out to set up a perimeter in front of a large industrial building which functioned as our field hospital, using the vehicles as a moveable defensive line as the building we had to defend had no cover outside of any kind.

Light was quickly disappearing, so the car’s headlamps were used to illuminate the open ground between us and the tree line about 200 metres from our position. Shortly flares started going up to our front, a sign that the French and their allies were on the way.

Contact started in the form of an armoured 4x4 with a roof-mounted machine gun driving down the length of our defensive line before it was stopped. A few enemy combatants remained in the vehicle safe from our shots, so a Junkernaut advanced on the car and behind him followed a raider with a LARP safe buzzsaw. I never thought I’d see a buzzsaw be used to empty a vehicle of its occupants but BBR delivered yet again!

However, we did not have long to enjoy the moment as the www.airsoft-action.online

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CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

Helikon-Tex @PATROL LINE#AIRSOFT ACTION 10.2018

JOURNEY TO PERFECTION WWW.HELIKON-TEX.COM

international BLODSBAND PART TWO

“WE ABANDONED THE VEHICLES COMPLETELY AND WATCHED AS THE FRENCH FORCE NOW COLLIDED WITH OMEGA 13. WHEN THE FRENCH WON AND MADE THEIR WAY BACK TO THEIR VEHICLES WE WERE WAITING …BACK IN OUR CARS AND BACK ON OUR MOUNTED PKMS!”

French threw their entire weight against our left, our flank with the least cover. In a move reminiscent of Normandy, after we pushed them back some of our forces and vehices attempted a counter attack and promptly got cut off and overwhelmed.

We now had a gaping hole on our left and the Machine Dogs vehicles were now our only remaining vehicle cover.

With our left open the French pushed it hard utilising a number of ballistic shields to form a shield wall and continue to roll up that flank. Soon the order was given for a full retreat and to take up positions in the building we had been defending. I decided to stay with the vehicles, as did all the Machine Dogs, as this gave us a perfect position to shoot into the back of the advancing French as they rolled round the corner of the building. Soon I noticed our numbers swell at

the vehicles and realised additional French forces had taken up positions behind the cars, thinking we were shooting on the building and not their friends! While some of us took this opportunity to draw blades and dispatch a few of the French, others of us went into full “raider survival mode” and quickly removed the chemlights marking us as the opposing force and were glad no one had realised.

Overall, the sheer volume of bodies won the battle and it was incredible to watch us slowly get bottled in and then overwhelmed. Fantastic team work by the French and their allies What followed this was a debrief, all guns made safe, goggles off and a big end party before everyone woke up the following day feeling a little worse for wear and headed home.

To me as a player and as an event organiser, Blodsband Reloaded was like I had found Nirvana. The amazing community that makes up the organisers and players are second to none and everyone was there to create an amazing experience for all involved. I did not see or hear of a single instance of bad hit taking or cheating, not a single argument …nothing! For a skirmish day this would be impressive but when you have 700 people that’s something to really write home about.

I would recommend BBR to anyone who fancies a truly unique event that stands out from the crowd for all the right reasons - I just pray they decide to run another event in 2019!

AA

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armoury TOKYO MARUI COLT PYTHON 2.5 INCH

SHORT & SWEET!

BILL INDULGES HIS PASSION FOR REVOLVERS BY REVISITING AN ABSOLUTE CLASSIC FROM TOKYO MARUI, A “BIG CALIBRE” PISTOL IN A COMPACT PACKAGE IN THE FORM OF THE “SNUBNOSE” COLT PYTHON. I COME FROM A GENERATION where, to many, the revolver (or “wheelgun”) is still an absolute fave when it comes to pistols and I’ve dipped in an out with different models over the years.

More recently the airsoft world has been dominated by semi-auto models like the (not a) Glock and, of course, the venerable 1911 in all its glorious forms. So you might well ask if the revolver is dead?

Personally I’d say not and when I was trawling through the Fire Support website a while back I came across some little gems that were still in stock, namely the “snubnose” version of the mighty “Colt Python”. The “Python”, one of seven mid-20th century Colt handguns named after snakes, was introduced in 1955. The Python was a beefy, all steel and wood revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. It had a six-shot cylinder and originally came with either a bright nickel or royal blue finish.

The “Python” had a slightly oversized frame with beautiful, bevelled edges. The trigger well was large and capable of accommodating gloved fingers. The revolver was most commonly sold with a six-inch barrel, although two, three, four, and eight-inch barrels were also available. The barrel was the “Python’s” most defining and unique feature though, as a full-length ventilated rib ran the length of the barrel, all the way to the muzzle, leading to the front iron sights.

I spoke to my friend and fellow contributor Andy, an aficionado of airsoft revolvers, who shared his opinions with me. In his words and which I paraphrase:

“The snub nose revolver, more commonly called a “snubby”, or a “snub”, is usually described as having a barrel length of 2 inches or even less on a small frame. There are those that would argue that description, claiming that a barrel length of 3 inches is still within the acceptable range. The snub nose has also been referred to as a “bellygun”; this describes the difficulty of shooting a snub nose effectively beyond ‘belly to belly’ distance. For many years the shorter barrelled revolvers were believed to be useless beyond a few feet, a belief that is still holds strong in certain communities.

It’s not the gun that affects the results in real world shooting, it’s the shooter themselves. The short sight radius on the snub nose revolver hides any sight errors in sight alignment, and this results in decreased precision and accuracy on the target. There is more deviation or the target the less acute the shooters eyesight is.

The snub nose shooter must understand the effects of the crude sights and short sight radius. Because there is no feedback from the sights, like the shooter might be used to on a larger revolver, it’s important that the shooter masters complete trigger control. Without any visual feedback, it becomes vital that the shooter masters and maintains a trigger pull that doesn’t steer the gun off alignment.”

Although I have owned a number of airsoft revolvers in my time I’ve always found them a little uninspiring, apart from the ASG “Dan Wessons” which are a great handgun. Most work right enough but they have generally been underpowered and the overall construction left them with a very poor feel in the hand.

Plastic moulded imitation wood grips didn’t really set my world alight either and you couldn’t change them much as the gas storage was usually tucked away inside the pistol grip. I was also wary about trying to holster them as they felt fragile; things of beauty to look at, but far from practical. Of course a “snub” with the problems outlined by Andy so eloquently seemed to exacerbate things further…

Tokyo Marui, until relatively recently, have been the undisputed king of the plastic-bodied airsoft pistol and their “Hi Capas” have gained an almost reverential place amongst users. I still own a brace of their excellent “Detonics Combat Masters” which I still adore, so not having ever owned one of their revolvers I thought it was high time to give them a go, and to see if I could master that stubby barrel!

SHORT AND SWEET!

After chatting with Frank at Fire Support, what turned up were two extremely attractive revolvers with 2.5 inch barrels; one was a standard black model, whilst the polished, “stainless” version really took my eye!

Although almost completely of plastic construction, and weighing in at just 488g unloaded, the “Python” still feels good 76

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armoury TOKYO MARUI COLT PYTHON 2.5 INCH

“FOR CLOSE IN WORK THIS PISTOL IS GOING TO BE EVERY BIT AS ACCURATE AS YOU NEED AND IT REALLY IS JUST SO MUCH FUN TO SHOOT, ESPECIALLY AS YOU CAN HIDE IT AWAY IN YOUR POCKET!”

and solid and resembles the real thing down to the minutest detail, even including “Colt” trades (yeah, Marui don’t give a fig about this!). It’s a really nicely balanced revolver and it offers a great combination of overall size and weight that even the smallest player could handle for some considerable time.

Like many airsoft revolvers the “Colt” utilises a small internal gas tank which fits neatly into the pistol grip; whilst not the biggest tank in the world, a fill of NUPROL 1 gas (it’s not recommended to use anything more powerful!) will power it for its full complement of BBs. This does mean that you’re not going to be able to fit aftermarket grips but the grips fitted as standard resemble the rubberised and ergonomic “Pachmayer” style so, for me, that wasn’t going to be an issue as these look just like “Police Issue” grips seen in many movies and TV series.

Once the gas tank was filled it was time to load up and, once again, this is where Tokyo Marui show that they understand that any handgun, even a revolver, needs to hold its own in a skirmish environment! Unlike many airsoft revolvers that use “fake shells” to hold just one BB apiece, the “shells” on the “Python” are incorporated into the cylinder and allow you to load 4 BBs to each “shell” from the rear with the cylinder open; this gives you a whopping 24BB capacity rather than the standard six!

Just like the real thing though, the catch to release the cylinder is situated on the rear upper left of the frame. This functions smoothly and allows the cylinder to swing out to the left so you can load your “shells”. A quick snap back puts it where it should be and you really don’t need to be delicate with this revolver as everything other than the pistol grip is solidly put together.

Once loaded there’s a small sliding safety under the hammer spur.

“FIRST STOP (AS EVER FOR ME) WAS THE CHRONOGRAPH AND, AS EXPECTED, I GOT A CONSISTENT MEAN OF 0.41 JOULE/210FPS USING RZR .20G BBS - NOT UNEXPECTED FROM LOWER-POWER GAS AND A BARREL THAT’S JUST 63MM LONG!” www.airsoft-action.online

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Got a digital device?

Then you can take your favourite airsoft magazine with you!

Airsoft Action is available to read on just about every type of digital device, including iOS, Android, Windows 8/10 and PC, with apps that can be downloaded FREE from any app store.

Airsoft Action is available on PocketMags, Readly, Magzter and Issuu and is supported by apps for all major devices.

armoury TOKYO MARUI COLT PYTHON 2.5 INCH

THOSE MEAN STREETS

With the BBs loaded you’re ready to hit those “mean streets” so beloved of the cop shows. I tried the pistol in numerous “pancake” holsters designed for the real thing and had no issues with any of them. First stop (as ever for me) was the chronograph and, as expected, I got a consistent mean of 0.41 Joule/210fps using RZR .20g BBs - not unexpected from lower-power gas and a barrel that’s just 63mm long!

This revolver features a full double action, and boy can you get rid of BBs quick if your trigger finger is up to it! The trigger feels light even in double action but in single it’s a dream. Accurate placement of shots and good groupings are possible thanks not only to this, but to adjustable rear sights and a clearly defined front sight. There is a Hop that’s adjusted by a small screw on the upper frame above the cylinder, and this is easily adjusted with a microscrewdriver. Out to 10m this little revolver shows what Marui are best known for, and that’s accuracy! For close in work this pistol is going to be every bit as accurate as you need and it really is just so much fun to shoot, especially as you can hide it away in your pocket!

Certainly for me this ranks right up there in terms of quality and performance but unlike some Marui pistols, one of the “Pythons” will set you back just £115! I’m not going to say for a moment that this is a pistol model that will suit, or even appeal, to everyone but if you’d like something unusual that still offers great BB capacity and shoots as straight as a laser, then the “Python” is a must have!

For more information on this lovely little revolver and more models from Tokyo Marui please pay a visit to www.fire-support.co.uk AA

www.airsoft-action.online

79

N I W

competition NUPROL SIERRA STORM SHOTGUNS

nuprol

sierra storm shotguns THE ANSWERS ARE: Back in Issue 89, Jerry Noone, a huge fan of airsoft shotguns, said of NUPROL’s SIERRA STORM shotguns “Just as with the “real deal”, I challenge anyone not to shudder when they hear that “clack-clack” of the racking action coming from outside a room you are hiding in!” and went on to say “NUPROL have been very, very clever in their choice of shotgun to front up their latest SIERRA STORM line of RIFs, as the model they have chosen to replicate is none other than the Benelli M4, or to us Brits, the L128A1!” …and now NUPROL are giving not one, not two but three lucky Airsoft Action readers the chance to win one of THREE NUPROL SIERRA STORM shotguns!

The first prize drawn will be for a SIERRA STORM ALPHA in metal, followed by a SIERRA STORM BRAVO and a SIERRA STORM CHARLIE, both in polymer. On top of that, each prize winner will also receive a pack of NUPROL shotgun shells.

Jerry finished his article by saying “I KNOW that I’ve said this before but I do love that NUPROL give us things that as airsofters we actually want! Too many times have I seen manufacturers produce something just because they like it, or it’s cool at that moment but NUPROL seem able to make us what we really need - and that’s solid RIFs at a good price and the accessories to go with them. Add to this that the new SIERRA STORM series replicates the shotgun used by our own Armed Forces and to me it just doesn’t get much better!“ – and we won’t argue with that!

To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following questions and get your answers in before the closing date and if yours is one of the first three entries drawn out of the hat, you will win. First out will win the Sierra Alpha in metal, followed second by the Sierra Bravo and third by the Sierra Charlie, both in poly.

1 2 3 4 5 Name:.................................................................................................

Email:.................................................................................................

Telephone:..........................................................................................

Calibre Publishing would like to keep you informed of other offers and publications.  Please tick here if you would NOT like to be contacted by post or email.

OK, so here’s the questions…

1) How many different SIERRA STORM models are listed on nuprolairsoft.eu?

2) Which real-steel shotgun is the SIERRA STORM based on?

3) What two main body materials are the SIERRA STORM series made of?

4) How many BBs are fired each shot from a SIERRA STORM? 5) How many shells are there in a pack of NUPROL shotgun shells?

Post your entries to: Airsoft Action NUPROL Sierra Storm Competition, Airsoft Action, Calibre Publishing, Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6PL, or email to: competition@airsoft-action.co.uk with “NUPROL Sierra Storm Competition” in the subject line. You can also enter online, via the Airsoft Action website (www.airsoft-action.online). Entries received after midnight on 14th November 2018 will not be valid.

One entry per person. The winners will be the first three randomly drawn from all the correct entries.

GDPR: By entering this competition you are giving explicit consent for Calibre Publishing Ltd. to retain personally identifiable information for the purposes of contacting the winner of this competition. All entries will be destroyed after the closing date.

Calibre Publishing would like to keep you informed of other offers and publications.

Please tick here if you would NOT like to be contacted by post or email n www.airsoft-action.online

81

last post SOMETHING FOR NOTHING

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING?

EVERY SO OFTEN, NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY TO AVOID IT, SOMETHING REALLY GETS UNDER YOUR SKIN AND THE ONLY WAY TO EXORCISE IT IS TO LET IT OUT! OVER TO FRENCHIE… AIRSOFT ACTION HAS A LARGE STABLE of contributors, it’s one of the major strengths of the magazine. Varied voices, different experiences, alternative views of our main subject - airsoft.

We have various forums where we can discuss, well, anything and there was short, sharp discussion on the following subject recently.

It struck me that it was worthy of deeper exploration (and also less profane language than I had used in private) but it is something that I have strong feelings about, having suffered as a result of this pervasive attitude. However, it is worth stating, loud and clear, that this isn’t something exclusive to airsoft, you’ll encounter this wherever you find enthusiasts gathered and organised.

So, what has got me so riled up this month? A short description will suffice…

An airsoft site which was running a large event (not just a regular game day) advertised for a photographer to cover the event. They had demands: the photographer mustn’t play; they must be able to produce high-quality images but, crucially, what they didn’t have was money. No, this was an “opportunity”, the lucky soul would receive excellent exposure.

They might (and even this wasn’t guaranteed) get fed for their

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trouble. And they wanted three days of their time.

This, my friends, is utter bollocks! I have organised and been involved in many airsoft events over the years and despite what many of the organisers will tell you, they make money, especially if they’re popular. Depending on circumstances and the specific costs involved, they can make a lot of money, tens of thousands is achievable. There is nothing wrong with that, far from it, especially if some of that profit sees itself re-invested into the industry. But do not ever suggest that you won’t pay a decent rate for someone’s time, whether they are marshalling, photographing, helping with signing in, anything.

If you are making money, then you have a moral obligation to ensure that those who help you make that money are rewarded for their efforts.

For many years I have worked for myself and that does change your perspective on things. Most of us are reluctant to put a price on our time and there are many understandable reasons for that but trust me, those of you who, like me, sell themselves and their skills, have learned the hard way to be quite clear about what we think we are worth. So, just because you are a keen photographer who also loves airsoft, that is no reason, none whatsoever, to expect you to offer your time,

last post SOMETHING FOR NOTHING

your equipment, your skills and your ability for nothing because that’s what exposure is – nothing!

In the UK at present there are two airsoft magazines. I don’t have the circulation figures to hand unfortunately but I can say without fear of contradiction that those magazines are bought almost exclusively by airsofters. The distribution of hard copies of the magazines run to the tens of thousands (the low tens I suspect) and disregard on-line numbers for the time being as they can be badly manipulated and difficult to verify. So where’s your exposure? I’ve photographed “big games” - maybe half a dozen of my pictures were used in a multi-page article. That’s fine, and yes, I did get paid. Did anyone pursue me for my skills on the back of that? Did they hell! I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, but be honest, it’s unlikely.

One of the parties to our online discussion said he pays a photographer he knows around £200 per day if he is working exclusively for him. That’s fair. The photographer earns from his skill and experience, the client benefits (those aren’t official AA rates before you all grab your Box Brownies!), everyone is happy. If you’re paying money, you can make demands, you can make requests and you can expect a return on your investment. If you are offering hee-haw, there is really only one sensible reply, and it’s not “why, thank you!”

Just because you are an enthusiastic airsofter doesn’t give anyone involved in this pastime the right to exploit you. If you choose to do it for no reward - maybe the site owner is a friend, you just really enjoy taking photographs or marshalling, whatever, that’s fine. But it is really important to recognise when your enthusiasm and your better nature are being used and abused by those who stand to make plenty of money on the back of your efforts and who think so little of you - or so much of their profits - that they aren’t willing to offer you a reasonable rate of recompense.

In my other areas of endeavour (posh way of saying “work”) I have come across the “exposure” carrot too often. Yes, hypothetically there is benefit to exposure, especially if you are engaged in any kind of creative enterprise but few - very few - organisations are in a position to actually deliver the sort of exposure that can really make a difference, or can get your work out and in front of a wider, more receptive audience. The reason there are so few is that proper exposure costs money. If they’re not willing to pay you for your work or time, why would they pay for your exposure? The vast majority are just tightfisted and possesed of an idea of their own importance that bears no relation to reality.

Clearly I have very strong views on this matter and this has been a bit of a rant - your choices are your own. Make sure that if you’re faced with such choices you have as much information to hand as you can; if they say they have no money but turn up in a car that costs as much as your house, you are entitled to ask questions.

Your love for airsoft isn’t an invitation to be exploited, you’re probably already paying for it once, why pay twice?

Rant over!

AA

www.airsoft-action.online

83

Proudly supporting UK Airsoft Companies!

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SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

SYMBOL KEY

IS IT WOODLAND OR URBAN? CHECK THE KEY! UKARA MEMBER

SHOP ONSITE

WOODLAND

PYROS ALLOWED

URBAN

BATTERY CHARGING

DESERT

REPAIR SERVICE

INDOOR

DISABLED FRIENDLY

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

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

Tel: 07511554740 www.aberairsoft.co.uk

AIRSOFT KGB

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

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AMAZON EVENTS

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

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december 2018

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

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

AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON

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

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

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BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

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

ALPHA 55

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AWA HERTS

Halkyn Wood, North Wales CH8 8DF www.alpha55.co.uk

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ALPHA ELITE GAMING

BADLANDS AIRSOFT

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

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

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SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

BRISTOL AIRSOFT

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CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

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BUNKER 51

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

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C3 TACTICAL

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

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COMBAT ACTION GAMES

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

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38 Full Street, Derby DE1 3AF Tel: 01332 493258 Email: info@combatreadyairsoft.co.uk www.combatreadyairsoft.co.uk

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

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

DELTA TEAM 3

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

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

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

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

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Truro, Cornwall, TR2 4HF. Tel: 0773 153 1113 www.cornwallseliteairsoft.com

DEPARTMENT CQB AIRSOFT

Colchester, Essex CO1 2ZF Tel: 01206 790046 www.dtwairsoft.co.uk

CROSSFIRE WOODS – PRESTON Moss Lane East, Preston PR4 3SP 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY:

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Stealth Woods, Dob Park, Norwood Bottom Road, Otley LS21 2NA Tel: 0161 727 8863

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THE MILL CQB – WIGAN

Unit S2 Mill 1, Swan Meadow Industrial Estate, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan Tel: 0161 727 8863

www.airsoft-action.online

87

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

FIRST & ONLY:

THE OUTPOST – KIDDERMINSTER Drakelow Tunnels, Kingsford Country Park, Near Kinver, Kidderminster DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

INVICTA BATTLEFIELD

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

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

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT FIRST & ONLY: SHELL SHOCK

Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

WOODS – BRIDGNORTH

Uplands Coppice, Off B4363, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 5LS Tel: 0161 727 8863

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FIRST & ONLY:

Bravo One Birmingham, 93–99 Holloway Head, B1 1QP Tel: 0121 643 2477 info@grangelivegaming.com

Stealth Woods, Dob Park, Norwood Bottom Road, Otley LS21 2NA Tel: 0161 727 8863

GREENZONE COMBAT

STEALTH WOODS – OTLEY

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

FIRST & ONLY:

THE JUNGLE – HARBURY

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

GUN HO AIRSOFT

FIRST & ONLY:

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – TUDDENHAM

THE ARMOURY – WREXHAM Oak Road, Wrexham, Denbighshire LL13 9RG Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY:

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

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

THE BASE CQC – YATESBURY

1 Jugglers Ln, Yatesbury, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 8YA Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

FREE FIRE ZONE

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

FRV AIRSOFT

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

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

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NCIS AIRSOFT

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

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

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT

NOMAD AIRSOFT

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

LAC AT COMBAT ZONE

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

LAGAN AIRSOFT CLUB 17G Stationview, Dunmurry, Belfast BT170AE Tel: 07733128484

LEEDS AIRSOFT: THE FOUNDRY CQB

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

LINDSEY AIRSOFT GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS

The Grange, Frogmore Grange, Balsall Common, Coventry CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532 384 info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk www.giairsoft.co.uk/Skirmish-days

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – EVERSLEY

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

HILTON PARK AIRSOFT

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

FULL METAL AIRSOFT

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

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT

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

HUMBER AIRSOFT

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

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

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

MAW

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

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

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

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

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

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

NSC AIRSOFT

MIA

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

MIDWALES AIRSOFT

NTAC

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

Abbey Cwm-hir, Midwales, LD1 6PG 01686 627594 www.facebook.com/Midwales-airsoft

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

OVER THE TOP AIRSOFT CLUB

SG1 COMBAT GAMES

Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT Tel: 07964 990831 www.op-tac.co.uk

Anglesey, LL71 8VW www.ottairsoft. github.io / Tel: 07895 478634

PATHFINDER GROUP AIRSOFT MILITARY SIMULATION Former RAF Camp Sopley/Merryfield Park, Hants, BH23/ Tel: 02380 899369

PHOENIX AIRSOFT

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

PLATOON 1HQ

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

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

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

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

SHROPSHIRE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

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

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY

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

TROJAN AIRSOFT

TA EVENTS

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

SKIRMISH EXETER

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

SOUTH COAST CQB

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

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

Farr, Inverness IV2 6XB Tel: 07848 448408

TECH BRIGADE

Newgate Street, Hertfordshire.

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

Browndown Road, Lee-On-Solent PO13 9UG Tel: 07533 434203

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

Cowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF71 Tel: 02920 593900 www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk

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

Aberystwyth www.aberairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07841 462806

THE DEPOT

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

THE EX SITE

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

STIRLING AIRSOFT

THE WARGAMES CENTRE

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

THUNDER PARK AIRSOFT

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

Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4LD Tel: 07515 937633 www.stormforcepaintball.co.uk

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM)

SUSSEX AIRSOFT

Slinfold, RH12 Tel: 020 8150 9284 www.sussexairsoft.co.uk

UCAP AIRSOFT

Portsmouth, Hants, PO17 6AR Tel: 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

UCAP GREEN OPS

Linch, West Sussex, GU30 7 Tel: 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY Tel: 01268 796130 www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

URBAN ASSAULT THE BUNKER

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP Tel: 07428 024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD TASK FORCE SKIRMISH

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT

Macclesfield, SK10 4SZ Tel: 07428 024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com

TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT

TAZ AIRSOFT

Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ Tel: 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

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

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

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

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

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT

F O B (Woodland), Hollington Road, Upper Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT On site parking, HPA Top ups, covered safe zone, male & female toilets, hot lunch included, free tea and coffee available all day. Site memberships.

Tel: Paul – 07861427553 Email: paul@wmairsoft.co.uk www.wmairsoft.co.uk

Luxulyan, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL305FA Tel: 01726 858613 or 07590 030887 www.thunderpark.co.uk Food & drinks available on site

>> TORRENT WARFARE

Co Tyrone, BT71 4DY Tel: 07922 377131 Facebook: search ‘Torrent Warfare’ www.airsoft-action.online

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SITE DIRECTORY

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

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT High Command (CQB), Doulton Trading Estate, Doulton Road, Rowley Regis B65 8JQ On site parking, HPA top-ups, secure safe zone, male & female toilets, hot lunch included, free tea and coffee available all day. Site memberships.

Tel: Paul – 07861427553 Email: paul@wmairsoft.co.uk www.wmairsoft.co.uk

WORTHING AIRSOFT Arundel Road, Worthing Tel: 07877 210898 www.worthingairsoft.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.

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB WatfordPPC@gmail.com

DOUBLE TAP PSC XSITE AIRSOFT OUTPOST

Dunstable, LU6 2EE Tel: 01494 881430 www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk

XSITE AIRSOFT – LANE END High Wycombe, HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430

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StrikeForce CQB, Morelands Trading Estate, Bristol Road, Gloucester GL1 5RZ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Double-Tap-Practical-Shooting-Club979585958732937/?ref=hl doubletappsc@gmail.com

FPS ACTION AIR IPSC

24 Scarrots lane Newport Isle of Wight PO30 2JD 07964 751047 Open five nights a week 7pm-10pm Info@islandrecon.co.uk

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

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

HALO MILL

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

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

SOUTH WEST PRACTICAL SHOOTERS (SWPS)

Action Air IPSC Club Based at The Tunnel Target Sports Centre near Charmouth The Tunnel, Axminster Road, Charmouth, Dorset DT6 6BY Contact: SWPSClub@Outlook.com

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.