Issue 68 - December 2016

T H E

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AIRSOFT ACTION

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AIRSOFT ACTION

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ARMOURY: ARES L1A1 SLR

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

30 FEATURE: WHEN HOBBIES COLLIDE 44 34

Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL Tel: 01684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.online ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2016 Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800 Copyright © Calibre Publishing Limited 2016. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the publisher in writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit

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SITE: DARKWATER AIRSOFT “DARKSITE”

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Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the editor (nige@airsoft-action.co.uk), write to us at the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

CONTENTS DECEMBER MARCH 2016 2014

CONTENTS DECEMBER 2016 6 NEWS 10 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos taken by Airsoft Action readers.

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

12 ARMOURY: ARES L1A1 SLR Trying to find an airsoft SLR has been “challenging” but now Ares have re-issued their classic version. Gareth “Gadge” Harvey couldn’t wait to put it through its paces.

16 ARMOURY: LONEX HEAVY RECOIL Having been paid a visit by a gentleman from Taiwan, Scott Allan was keen to find out if their product was all it was supposed to be.

20 ARMOURY: CELCIUS CTW AKM New AA Contributor, Ian “Taz” Stokes, gets his hands on the Celcius CTW version of one the World’s most widely-used assault rifles.

24 GEAR: NUPROL TACLITES There’s nothing better that Jerry Noone likes better than a good urban game and if that’s after dark it’s more enjoyable; here he takes a look at the updated range of taclites from NUPROL and very much likes what he finds.

27 GEAR: UNIQUE ARS Iggy Roberts heard about a guy who was getting a very unique “custom” foregrip for his primary RIF and managed to get eyes on this very attractive work of art which has a very sombre meaning behind it.

30 FEATURE: WHEN HOBBIES COLLIDE Gareth “Gadge” Harvey enjoys Live Action Role Play as much as airsoft and asks “Aren’t they possibly the same thing?”

34 SITE: DOGTAG REVISITED Since his first visit a couple of years ago, Les Lee has been hearing nothing but good things about this site and decided to return and see how things have progressed.

38 ARMOURY: ARMORER WORKS DL-44 BLASTER Armorer Works are best known for their superb range of beautifully crafted Hi Capa pistols but Jerry Noone discovers that someone from that manufacturer must be just as much of a geek as he is when he takes a look at their “DL-44 Heavy Blaster”.

43 INSIDE AIRSOFT: BESPOKE AIRSOFT Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick takes time away from gaming to visit a new online airsoft retailer.

80 AA COMPETITION WINNER: DAVE LANGDOWN Nige phoned the lucky winner of a recent competition and found out they had spoken before.

44 INTERNATIONAL: HAWAII Bill Thomas brings us an insight into how things have developed in Hawaii and where you can find a game if you’re visiting!

84 PILGRIM BANDITS: FUNDRAISER 2016 Airsoft Action has been supporting the Pilgrim Bandits charity for two years now and our latest event raised £1,500 in cash sponsorship and auctionable item donations given by generous Airsofters and Airsoft businesses.

48 WARRIORS: VOSTOK BATTALION Continuing his “Warriors” series, Gadge Harvey takes a look at pro-Russian fighters from the Chechen War. 52 LOADED OR UNLOADED: HELIKON-TEX Following on from the last issue of Airsoft Action, Jerry Noone looks at the new gear items designed to fit the Helikon-Tex Urban, Outdoor and Range lines.

56 FEATURE: QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES? There are loads of airsoft reviewers out there. For example, Airsoft Action alone has in excess of 30 Contributors, which led Frenchie to ask himself a question…

58 INSIDE AIRSOFT: PLATOON STORES Les Lee heads to Rochester, to catch up with one of the UK’s best-known retailers.

62 SITE: DARKWATER AIRSOFT “DARKSITE” These days Bill Thomas concentrates heavily on the MilSim side of things but every so often he relishes the prospect of a good, down to earth skirmish day and luckily there’s a site right on his doorstep in the form of “Darksite”.

66 INTERNATIONAL: RUSSIAN ACTION AIR Airsoft Action’s Russian Contributors, Marty and Marta, write about how quickly Action Air has grown in Russia and how quick Russia was to recognise it as a Sport.

86 KIT: VIPER TACTICAL SNEAKERS Frenchie gets his hands on, or rather, his feet into Viper Tactical’s latest release and asks, “Is it a sneaker, or a boot?” Read on and find out…

88 DEBATE: HONOUR & THE GAME We all know that airsoft is an honourbased game but with so much appearing on social media about cheating, in this month’s debate Gadge asks: “Have we lost our way and lost our honour?”

92 FEATURE: AWOL AIRSOFTERS Paul Yelland writes about what to do if life starts to get in the way of airsoft and you find yourself thinking about hanging up your kit for good.

96 SKILLS: SHOOTING FROM VEHICLES Although not all sites have vehicles, being able to shoot from a moving platform is not as easy as it looks, as Calibre Shooting’s Andy Nightingale explains…

98 FAMOUS RAIDS: OPERATION HARLING If you want to stop an army you need to cut off its supplies. Billy writes about an operation to do just that during World War II.

71 GITAG: AK TWINS! Jerry Noone loves a good AK and strives for perfection in his own RIFs and in true GEEK style he decided that having built his ideal “tacticool” GBB AK he needed to replicate it in AEG form!

101 SITE DIRECTORY & PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUBS With the ever-growing popularity of Practical Shooting, we thought it was about time we started listing where you can go and take part - as well as over four pages of awesome airsoft venues!

76 ARMOURY: PPS M9A1 BAZOOKA “Shoulder your weapon!” takes on a whole new meaning as Frenchie gets to grips with something a bit bigger than your average AEG…

106 DEALER LISTING: AIRSOFT ACTION’S ADVERTISER INDEX Find who you are looking for in our listing of all the adverts that appear in this issue.

S W E N T AIRSOF

GEN MILITARY KIT EXCHANGE SERVING SOLDIER, ALEX MILLER, EXPLAINS WHAT HIS “KICKSTARTER” PROJECT IS ABOUT AND HOW THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY CAN HELP. “GEN MILITARY KIT EXCHANGE” IS a concept developed from hours of frustration in trying to find, buy, sell and locate almost every type of personally owned military kit, that is essential for those who require the right kit for the right job, whether it be; soldiering, social, hobby related activities or outdoor pursuits.

Through the specialist knowledge of serving soldiers and military paraphernalia experts, we aim to create a platform that enables you to trade your kit with a wide audience of like-minded individuals and provide an answer to a problem, therefore coming together as a community.

I am passionate about this project because even from the start of my military career it has always been an uphill battle in trying to buy or sell the kit I require to increase comfort and performance. This is not only a problem that I have come across, as many of my colleagues have been describing the lack of refreshing options for new and used kit to be distributed for years. This will definitely be an upgrade of the old fashioned social media “buy and sell” groups We believe the product will be successful and the marketplace has the capacity to expand, in turn creating a wider user base.

Another interesting concept is to give the opportunity for an individual user to create an

online profile where they can, themselves, build a rapport with clients and become trusted members of the community.

The reason I have personally created this Kickstarter is to generate the minimum start-up capital required to develop a complex eCommerce-based mobile web application, that will keep design and user interaction at the top of our priorities.

I would not only like this to be a marketplace, but more of a community that can benefit all walks of life via a fundraising page for local charities with details of events where people can give back. One of the main focuses of the project is to keep it completely free to use for an individual profile.

Why do we need this start-up capital?

The money that we are trying to raise is less than the minimum requirement for the project but I firmly believe in only asking for an amount that we can build upon, whilst also investing the remaining. Your funds are only debited if this project reaches its target goal!

I hope that I have conveyed my passion and commitment to this project and would be grateful of any feedback that you may have.

If you’d like to get involved, the Kickstarter page can be reached here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/ projects/1813759105/gen-military-kitexchange-mobile-website You can also Like us on Facebook: (https:// www.facebook.com/GenMilitaryKitExchange) ..and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at millner_44@icloud.com.

Thank you for reading!

Alex Miller.

NUPROL NEWS Nuprol is happy to announce our new Field Sales Executive Trent Halligan. This is great news for the ever-expanding airsoft market in the UK and gives us a better opportunity to grow even closer to the UK airsoft community. Trent will be visiting many events and shops over the next few months making himself known.

Happy Airsofting.

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December 2016

Read this!!!

Field Area Sales Manager UK Are you passionate about Airsoft?

Do you live in the south of England?

If so ActionSportGames®, Manufacturer, Innovator, Distributor and provider of licensed Airsoft products wants to hear from YOU! ASG are strengthening their sales team by recruiting an Area Sales Manager to cover the south of England.

We offer the successful candidate: • Competitive package • Company car • Paid holidays • Opportunity to work for a world leader of Airsoft products The successful candidate will report to the UK Country Manager.

We expect the succesful canditate to: • Have a proven track record in field sales • Have knowledge of Airsoft products • Be able to work weekends • Attend shows and events • Be self-motivated and extrovert • Manage time and accounts effectively • Have a clean driving license For details about this newly created position, please see our website: www.actionsportgames.com, or contact our International Sales Manager: Christian Kaae Olsen at +45 40 24 55 14 or by mail: cko@actionsportgames.com.

Please send your application & covering letter no later than November 15th. 2016.

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07-10-2016 12:51:18

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site oft’s Com 3 at RIFT Airs From Sean BE

From Phil Bugg

From Phil Bugg

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december 2016

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THE ADVENTURES OF MAG

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

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RETURN OF A CLASSIC

TRYING TO FIND AN AIRSOFT SLR HAS BEEN “CHALLENGING” BUT NOW ARES HAVE RE-ISSUED THEIR CLASSIC VERSION. GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY COULDN”T WAIT TO PUT IT THROUGH ITS PACES. WHEN I AND MY AIRSOFT team first heard the news that ARES were re-issuing their classic L1A1, there were whoops of delight… quite literally, as for years sourcing one of these AEGs have been the bane of most “Brit kit” cold war airsofters lives.

Because, for some reason despite it being a stupidly popular AEG, their original run of the SLR was pitifully short. Even with King Arms making a competing cheaper model, you could for quite some time sell a second hand L1A1 of either make for almost what you paid for it new!

So it’s not without some anticipation that I awaited this “cannon” of an AEG from the lovely guys at Patrol Base in Huddersfield, who kindly agreed to supply us one for review.

Anyone who grew up with an Action Man, or had a brother or mate in the army in the 80s, knew the L1A1 Self Loading Rifle (or SLR for short) well as it was an iconic rifle (heck some of our readers might have even been in the army themselves in the 80s!). But while it was never off the TV screens in footage of Northern Ireland, or the Falklands War on the nightly news, with the introduction of the SA80s family in the late 80s, it became something only still alive in the memory of the “old and bold” and those who’d grown up on 80s army toys. That is until the newer generation of first person shooter games started to feature this classic rifle and brought it to the attention of a new generation.

ICONIC BATTLE RIFLE

b And it is a true classic. If you were to list the ten most iconic assault or battle rifles of the 20th century then the L1A1 SLR would be pretty high up in most people’s lists. This is partly due to it being on the news in world conflicts all the time throughout the 70s and 80s but also because it was a variant of the standard NATO battle rifle, the legendary 7.62 FNFAL. After WWII it was becoming increasingly apparent that the days of large calibre rifles that could engage the enemy almost a kilometre away were overkill. Furthermore, semiautomatic rifles like the US Garand, Soviet SVT and German G43 had shown that the days of the bolt action as a standard

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December 2016

Armoury ARES L1A1 SLR

“THIS MODEL IS CLEARLY MADE OF STURDY METAL AND ABS PLASTIC COMPONENTS AND, WHILE ITS NOT “RIFLE GRADE” METAL, IT HAS NO CREAK OR “WAGGLE” BETWEEN THE WELL-ASSEMBLED PARTS. HAVING HANDLED REAL SLRS IN MY TIME, I COULD HAVE EASILY MISTAKEN THIS FOR REAL STEEL RIFLE AT FIRST GLANCE.” infantry rifle were over. This left the British in something of a quandary, having used the venerable bolt action Lee Enfield in various guises for over 50 years. The British originally designed a revolutionary bullpup rifle to replace the Lee Enfield called the EM2, but it was unable to be chambered for the 7.62mm round that the US wanted and NATO then standardised upon and so an “off the shelf” solution would be needed. While the US went with the M14 as its 7.62mm battle rifle platform, it was pretty much the only NATO member that did. Nearly all others opting for a variant of the CETME/G3 rifle or the Fabrique Nationale Fusil Automatique Leger (light automatic rifle). The vast majority chose the Belgian FN FAL, a selective fire battle rifle fed from a 20 round box magazine; but this presented its own problem to the Brits. This problem was namely that the British Army had for some time argued that a fully automatic 7.62 battle rifle was uncontrollable on automatic fire and wasteful or ammunition in an army that prided itself on exemplary marksmanship. The solution however was simple… the British would licence the weapon from FN and create a semi-automatic only battle rifle to their own requirements. Enter the L1A1 SLR!

STURDY CONSTRUCTION

Introduced in the late 1950s, early SLRs had wooden furniture and other than the obvious lack of full auto, had only a few cosmetic differences from the FN FAL (and the fact that they took the weapon’s measurements in imperial rather than metric increments). The SLR was hugely popular with the troops (many “old sweats” consider it the last “proper” rifle the army has had) but the ongoing threat of Nuclear and Chemical attack forced the British Army to change the wooden furniture to synthetic black plastic, as it was impossible to decontaminate wood after an NBC strike. It is this “black plastic” model that ARES have decided to replicate first (but don’t worry, a wood version is coming along soon) and they’ve done a rather fine job of it.

The first thing you notice when getting the SLR out of the box is its bl**dy big! It’s a long rifle in every sense of the word and might present a few problems for the smaller statured airsofter. It’s also damn solid. This model is clearly made of sturdy metal and ABS plastic components and, while its not “rifle grade” metal, it has no creak or “waggle” between the well-assembled parts. Having handled real SLRs in my time, I could have easily mistaken this for real steel rifle at first glance, the only giveaway was that it’s too “new” – all real SLRs are somewhat battered these days!

The box itself is nicely presented (if oddly short and requiring the flash suppressor to be screwed on after removing the rifle). Externally it’s covered in classic images of the SLR in action and internally containing, in typical ARES style, a fairly minimal “kit list” of a single 120 BB magazine, loading tube and cleaning rod, along with a well written and designed

manual with exploded diagram of the AEG’s construction in case anything goes wrong or you need a spare part. Essentially ARES know their market and this is no “starter kit”. You’re expected to own a charger and batteries already.

I have to say that as a Cold War Brit re-enactor I’ve already owned one of ARES’ first runs of the SLR and so was looking closely for any significant improvements or changes.

But, as the saying goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and it’s safe to say that ARES have pretty much re-issued their original excellent rifle – only this time they’ve actually made it easier to get spares and extra magazines.

Out of the box the SLR chronoes with .20g BBs at a fairly toasty 380-390fps and while this is great for games that allow DMRs to go out to 400fps, its worth bearing in mind if your local site has a more conservative “flat rate” for all AEGs. When I said it was a “cannon” before I wasn”t joking, this beast packs a serious punch. I’d personally recommend using .25g BBs in it for the extra flight stability.

As with the previous SLR the hop is the common “rotary” type and allows pretty good accuracy when coupled with the incredibly long barrel and I experienced very few “flyers” while test shooting at a variety of ranges with both weights of BB. I did have one initial concern however…

After taking the rifle straight out of the box I powered up the battery, slotted it into the stock (by lifting and turning the sprung “butt pad”), put a mag on, pulled the trigger on the “range” and was somewhat amazed to be greeted by a rapid fire burst! Somewhat surprising as this is definitely not something that should happen without the aftermarket “full auto” trigger group available from ARES being fitted.

I rang the lads at Patrol Base to see if any of the others in the consignments of SLRs had this issue and was reassured that none of them did. Somewhat dumbfounded I returned to testing and put in a different battery (of exactly the same type) and found it was now consistently firing on semi-auto and seemed to be behaving itself. While I’m totally sure, like the Patrol Base lads, that this was a “one off” it’s probably something you don’t want to find out “by accident”. It was possibly just the fire selector contacts “bedding in”, however, as it stayed semi auto for the remainder of the review period. I wouldn’t claim to be the “authority” on AEGs but I still to this day have no idea what happened there!

www.airsoft-action.online

13

Armoury ARES L1A1 SLR

On the whole I sort of knew what to expect from ARES with their L1A1 and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a solid, wellengineered, first rate AEG. The price might be a little high for some but you get what you pay for and in this case its pure quality. MilSim skirmishers will delight in this classic battle rifle but its semi-auto only, long length and high FPS might make it unsuitable for the more casual player, especially if you play at a site without DMR rules.

As you’d expect, it’s quite “basic” in terms of accessories and RIS fans will be dismayed to see the only option for bolt on accessories is an aftermarket “top cover” for the receiver with a 20mm rail attached but then again… this is a classic, what sort of heretic would put rails on it!

I can’t thank Patrol Base enough for loaning Airsoft Action this AEG and the only problem is going to be giving it back…

In fact, I like it so much I might even buy it myself!

EXCEPTIONAL DETAIL

As with many ARES products the actual “finish” of the rifle is exemplary. Small parts like the gas setting plug can be rotated (clearly for no effect, it’s just a nice touch) and similarly the lever to open up the receiver flicks back on its spring to allow the body to hinge open. I’ll offer one word of warning to “SLR veterans” though… Don’t do this for a “field strip” as you would with a real L1A1, as you risk breaking the connection between barrel and piston. Once again it’s a nice “realism” touch to have functional switches though. On the subject of realism, those who like their AEGs to double for re-enacting and photoshoots will be pleased to know the ARES SLR can also take the L1A1’s bayonet… although I wouldn’t take that to a skirmish site!

“ON THE WHOLE I SORT OF KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM ARES WITH THEIR L1A1 AND I WASN’T DISAPPOINTED. IT’S A SOLID, WELL-ENGINEERED, FIRST RATE AEG.”

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December 2016

TECHNICAL DATA Make: Ares Model: L1A1 SLR Length: 1143mm Weight: 3.80kg Fire modes: Safe/Semi Magazine: 120 round (Hi Cap available as an additional item) FPS: Around 390fps with a .20g BB (approx. 1.4J) Battery (not supplied): 9.6v nunchuck or stick battery recommended RRP: £475 (Patrol Base, Huddersfield) Contact: 01484 644709 Web: www.patrolbase.co.uk

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DOMINATE THE FIELD

DON’T FEAR THE RECOIL THERE ARE RECOIL RIFLES and then there is the Lonex Recoil M4, curiously named their “BAW” range. Now if you are a Scottish lad like myself, you will probably know that a “baw” is the singular word for a gentleman’s spuds! How unfortunate, or is it because this recoil M4 is the “dogs danglies”?

I am fortunate that a large number of companies offer me trial rifles and have experienced Lonex excellent upgrade parts for many years. I was slightly dubious, though, as to how good their M4 would be, as making upgrade parts is one thing but making an entire platform is an entirely different challenge. So when a nice gentleman named Paul from Lonex travelled all the way from Taiwan to speak to me I was curious, as few companies make such an effort. I figured they must be confident in their product and I was all the more curious.

HAVING BEEN PAID A VISIT BY A GENTLEMAN FROM TAIWAN, SCOTT ALLAN WAS KEEN TO FIND OUT IF THEIR PRODUCT WAS ALL IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.

WHO ARE LONEX?

Lonex Technology Co. Ltd was established in 1980 in Taipei Taiwan and mainly supplies plastic injection mold and injection molding OEM Services to companies such as ASG and BO Manufacturing. They are certificated by ISO9000 and TL-9000 which is unusual for an Airsoft manufacturer.

Their team use international advanced CAD/CAM/CAE design methods and an integrated manufacturing system.

Some parts are built with computer-assisted design tools, such as CNC machines, to ensure top notch precision and quality.

In addition to the design and manufacture of high quality airsoft guns, Lonex Technology also offers OEM and ODM service for Airsoft and firearms manufacturers and supplies a wide variety of replacement and upgrade components.

Anyway, back to the L4 PR 02… Ah yes, I forgot to mention it suffers from typical Airsoft manufacturer designation so, for ease I’ll refer to it as the “L4” for the review.

Each gun is (reportedly) individually hand built, tuned and then thoroughly QC tested to make sure each meets the highest of standards. The BAW-R line of AEGs feature a Lonex patented recoil shock system, designed to deliver a much more recoil over standard EBB rifles; reportedly 20% more! Housed in the buffer tube of the rifle, the recoil shock system is able to deliver the same amount of recoil as most gas rifles while still retaining the convenient nature of an AEG. At the heart of the L4 is a complete set of high performance Lonex internals, assembled and tuned by their own technicians. The gun is built to perform as it comes standard with the Lonex Proline upgrade parts, as well as super high torque 32:1 gears coupled with a high quality motor.

THE REAL M4

M4s or AR15s, whatever you want to call them are so utterly common it is bordering on dull some days but that said you cannot deny they are good too. Their simple design and function means that they have been used for decades with very little design change. You can customise the overall function with a variety of bling too, with a RIS rail front end.

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December 2016

Armoury LONEX L4 PR 02

Of course, “M4” really is just a generic term these days for the 5.56mm platform that is readily available for the entire worldwide market. Manufacturers such as Colt, Stag Arms, Stoner, Mega Arms, Heckler & Koch and Armalite are all M4 producers in one form or another. Most essentially play around the same design with a few design tweaks or material changes.

The operation of the rifle remains identical pretty much from the first issued versions back in the 1960s, fifty years of use and the design has never really been changed. That is an impressive achievement only rivalled by the “more common than a BBC scandal” AK47.

The 5.56mm NATO round is still the favourite round issued to Western troops from SWAT teams to Afghanistan.

Its lightweight design means troops can carry sufficient ammunition without weighing themselves down too much, its limited penetration power means you should only be damaging the target that you aim at which is beneficial when there are civilians mixed in with your targets. There is often claims that the 5.56mm round is not heavy enough and this is why we also see a 7.62mm version of the M4 platform, the SR25, HK 417 and British Army L129 rifle made by Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT).

“THE BAW-R LINE OF AEGS FEATURE A LONEX PATENTED RECOIL SHOCK SYSTEM, DESIGNED TO DELIVER A MUCH MORE RECOIL OVER STANDARD EBB RIFLES; REPORTEDLY 20% MORE!” can be removed in favour of new irons or some form of optic.

The rail system is free float and offers 9.5 inches of rail space to torches and grips. The outer barrel is metal, as is the buffer tube and despite the polymer body, it’s really quite weighted and rigid with no flexing.

EXTERNALS

This is a polymer-bodied rifle, which is a little bit of a shame given the price tag and looks. While I wouldn’t knock a polymer rifle at all (G&Gs are some of the best polymer rifles available) I had hoped the price point would give me a metal body but the reason why not is quite fair.

The design is not unlike the “S System” that Tokyo Marui first produced many years ago. It’s a nice design, simple and effective. An adjustable crane stock suits all player sizes and which also holds the battery. Due to the recoil system living in the buffer tube you will have to keep crane style stock fitted to the rifle. Really you need something like a Nuprol 11.1v stock tube LiPo too. That will happily fit in either side, meaning you can carry your spare in the stock ready to go. The flip up sights are okay but nothing amazing, they’ll easily do the job or they www.airsoft-action.online

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Armoury LONEX L4 PR 02

“THE ACCURACY AND RANGE ARE GREAT CONSIDERING THE CRAZY AMOUNT OF RECOIL. I AM UNSURE OF AN EXACT WAY OF MEASURING RECOIL OTHER THAN THE “HOMER SIMPSON FAT GIGGLE TEST” (BUT I THINK THAT LACKS SCIENTIFIC BASIS).”

Earlier I mentioned the price being higher even though it is polymer, the reason is quite good though. Lonex have rammed their best internals into a reinforced gearbox case.

INTERNALS

The L4 internally is a heavy hitter - and it really does need to be when you feel the recoil.

Interestingly the recoil also fires into your shoulder, unlike the TM and PTS versions that feel more like the recoil pulls away from you. The way in which Lonex achieved this is clever and difficult to explain but a quick search on YouTube will show you how.

However, unlike the TM and the PTS, the Lonex does not stop on empty as there is no detection system installed but then this is also far cheaper than either of those rifles.

One thing that did impress me was the ability to hop Blaster 0.30g BB out to 45 metres easily and this is quite impressive for a 328fps rifle. The gearing is one thing you probably won’t be able the change at any point unless you remove the recoil system but why would you do that? The huge recoil system needs the gear ratio to be able to pull its weight along to the point of release. That puts the “tinker” rating down to lower than average for the L4 but it has the best parts Lonex have to offer straight out of the box, so you don’t really need think about that too much.

USE IN THE GAME FIELD

December 2016

Length: 800 - 880mm Barrel Length: 14.5” Weight: 2990g Magazine Capacity: 200rd Standard M4 Magazine Muzzle Velocity: 100MPS/328FPS (1J with 0.2g) Fiber reinforced polymer upper and lower receiver 9.5” modular lightweight polymer free float rail system Full length top rail for 20mm mounted optics and accessories Lonex markings moulded into the receiver Functional bolt stop and bolt release for easy access to hop up controls Blow-Back Adaptive Weapon (BAW) system (Reported 20% more recoil than TM or PTS Systems)

Being a standard M4 you can use any of the magazines you like which you can’t do with the TM. You can use standard M4 magazines in the ERG but you lose the stop on empty function, making it effectively the same as the L4. The accuracy and range are great considering the crazy amount of recoil.

I am unsure of an exact way of measuring recoil other than the “Homer Simpson fat giggle test” (but I think that lacks scientific basis).

Removable, adjustable front and rear flip-up iron sights

CONCLUSION

Enhanced custom gearbox with Lonex double bushings

If you want the heaviest, hard-kicking recoil, the L4 is not only one of the cheapest recoil rifles on the market but it is also one of the best internally. The recoil is removable if you need it but I wouldn’t personally. The only shame is the lack of ability to use a more classic adjustable stock – but power has to come from somewhere after all.

It’s an interesting rifle that’s for sure and definitely worth a look if you like recoil.

18

features

Steel single point sling mount Adjustable Crane stock High speed & high torque motor Super high torque 32:1 gears

Steel ball bearing spring guide, trigger, bearings, and cylinder Heat resistant silver wire 6.03mm steel tight bore barrel RRP £250

AVTOMAT KALASHNIKOVA M NEW AA CONTRIBUTOR, IAN “TAZ” STOKES, GETS HIS HANDS ON THE CELCIUS CTW VERSION OF ONE THE WORLD’S MOST WIDELY-USED ASSAULT RIFLES. THE CELCIUS CTW AKM IS BUILT using a 1969 AKM as its model, true to the dimensions and finish this weapon has a long and tried history in the real world.

The AKM (Russian: Автомат Калашникова Модернизированный; Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanniy or “Kalashnikov modernized automatic rifle”) is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is a common, modernized variant of the AK-47 rifle developed in the 1940s.

Introduced into service with the Soviet Army in 1959, the AKM is the most popular variant of the entire AK series of firearms and it has found widespread use with most member states of the former Warsaw Pact and its many African and Asian allies, as well as being widely exported and produced in many other countries. The production of these Soviet rifles was carried out at both the Tula Arms Plant and Izhmash. It was officially replaced in Soviet frontline service by the AK-74 in the late 1970s but remains in use worldwide.

The AKM is an assault rifle using the 7.62×39mm Soviet intermediate cartridge and is gas-operated with a rotating bolt. The AKM is capable of selective fire, firing either single shots or automatic at a cyclic rate of 600 rounds/min. Despite being replaced in the late 1970s by the AK-74, the AKM is still in service in some Russian Army reserve and second-line units and several east European countries.

20

December 2016

Compared to the AK-47, the AKM features detail improvements and enhancements that optimised the rifle for mass production; some parts and assemblies were conceived using simplified manufacturing methods. Notably, the AK-47’s milled steel receiver was replaced by a U-shaped steel stamping.

As a result of these modifications, the AKM’s weight was reduced by ≈ 1 kg (2.2 lb), the accuracy during automatic fire was increased and several reliability issues were addressed. The AK-47’s chrome-lined barrel was retained, a common feature of Soviet weapons which resists wear and corrosion, particularly under harsh field conditions and near-universal Eastern Bloc use of corrosively primed ammunition.

The AKM’s receiver, compared to the AK-47, is stamped from a smooth 1.0 mm (0.04 in) sheet of steel. To the U-shaped stamped sheet metal receiver housing a rear stock trunnion and forward barrel trunnion are fastened using rivets. The receiver housing also features a rigid tubular cross-section support that adds structural strength. Guide rails that assist the bolt carrier’s movement, which also incorporates the ejector, are installed inside the receiver through spot welding. As a weight-saving measure, the stamped receiver cover is of thinner gauge metal than that of the AK-47. In order to maintain strength and durability it employs both longitudinal and latitudinal reinforcing ribs.

The main variant of the AKM is the AKMS (S = Skladnoy = folding), which was equipped with an under-folding metal shoulder stock in place of the fixed wooden stock. The metal stock of the AKMS is somewhat different from the folding stock of the previous AKS-47 model as it has a modified locking mechanism, which locks both support arms of the AKMS stock instead of just one (left arm) as in the AKS-47 folding model.

It is also made of riveted steel pressings, instead of the milled versions of most AKS-47s.

The AKM was produced in the following versions: AKMP, AKML and AKMLP, whereas the AKMS led to the following models – AKMSP, AKMSN and AKMSNP. It is designed especially

Armoury CELCIUS CTW AKM

for use by paratroopers–as the folding stock permits more space for other equipment when jumping from a plane and then landing.

Now we have the Celcius Variant CTW AKM manufactured in Hong Kong by Celcius.

This is how they introduce themselves and the AKM: “Having years of experiences working in the gun manufacturing facility for the military, the decision then came to open our own workshop for air gun upgrade and customization. Customers came not only to troubleshoot their air guns, but new customers with their airsoft guns.

“After building our small business for almost a decade and having loyal customers who recommended us to their friends, we decided to sophisticate and modernize our facilities to serve a larger customer base.

“In 2004 we started setting up a facility for mass customization and in 2007 the facility started running in full capacity to serve customers from neighbouring countries, who wish to have airgun and airsoft guns from certain brands but are unable to gain satisfaction from the original manufacturers’ quality standard.

“Now we are manufacturing and supplying high quality, durable airsoft gun, parts, and accessories to fulfill the need of airsofters for high quality products.”

“The Celcius AKM is 1:1 realistic premiere training tool based on Izhmash Russian AKM, built for non-lethal training for

“FIRST IMPRESSIONS WERE THE QUALITY IS AWESOME, THE PACKAGING GIVES THE IMPRESSION OF CLASS. THE METAL AND WOODWORK FEEL IS ONLY MISSING GUN OIL TO BE A REAL WEAPON.”

A MODERNIZIROVANNIY the military/law enforcement. The furniture are those used with the real steel, such as muzzle, handguards, receiver, trunnions, rails, stocks, sights, magazine case; can be installed easily.”

Key Features • Easy Spring Upgrade & Downgrade can be done without removing a single screw. This will help user to change the muzzle velocity for different training situation.

• Recoil: Because the rear of the cylinder is not covered, the piston can move freely. And with high power spring from M140 and above users will feel the recoil from the piston.

• All Reinforced High Carbon Steel Gears and Shafts, makes the gun very durable without further upgrade. This can safe all the upgrade or maintenance cost for the long run.

• ECU can make every trigger reactions fast, and realistic

• Real Steel furniture can be installed and will fit perfectly.

Pros: • Easy to use: users with firearm knowledge can just pick up a brand new unit, plug in a battery plus a loaded magazine and start training immediately.

• Magazine durability & capacity: the magazine can be dropped just like the real one. And users are able to load up to 150 rounds.

• Winter friendly: can be used in the very low temperatures.

• Easy access to parts: many of the internal parts are compatible with the M4 Training • Weapon, users can get any replacement easily.

I received my CTW AKM and started asking questions after hearing good, bad and scary commentary about them.

The Technical Bit ECU & Motor: Celcius Dynamic ECU™ - Semi & Full Auto (Compatible with aftermarket M4 ECU) Race MOSFET board with Silver-Plated conductors (Compatible with aftermarket M4 MOSFET) Typhoon IV Motor (Compatible with M4 Training Weapon) Barrel 6.03mm Reformation Barrel IV for AKM – Stainless Steel One Piece CNC processed Steel Outer Barrel Cylinder - Muzzle Velocity

in Russia) - EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR OVERTUNE 400FPS 1.5 Joule (Standard) HONG KONG Dealers - asiaRsoft BuddyBulletAirsoft - JKArmy - eHobbyAsia

Gearbox CTW AKM Planetary Gearbox Magazine

360FPS 1.2 Joule (UK Version) - NEW DISTRIBUTOR / DEALER Wanted

AKM 150 Rounds High Speed Magazine Inner Case (Compatible with Real AKM Steel Magazine Case)

320FPS 1 Joule (Spain Version) AUTHORIZED DEALER - CELCIUS SAB

AKM Steel Case (Russian Spine Stamped Version)

*All AKM Cylinder Components are compatible with CTW M4 Series\’ cylinder, except the Case, Cylinder Head, Spring Guide, and Nozzle A

Recommended Battery:

Receiver

300-400FPS | 1 – 1.4 Joule: Lipo 11.1v 1200mAh 20C 450-600FPS | 1.5 – 3.3 Joule: Lipo 11.1v 2400mAh 20C / 14.8v 1400mAh 25C

CELCIUS AKM Stamped Receiver

450FPS 1.9 Joule or above (Assembled

www.airsoft-action.online

21

Armoury CELCIUS CTW AKM

“WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT IN TERMS OF FEEL AND APPEARANCE THIS IS HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE EVERY OTHER AIRSOFT AK I HAVE EVER HANDLED AND I INCLUDE REAL SWORD. LOTS AND LOTS OF STEEL, A FINISH THAT IS ABSOLUTELY SPOT ON FOR AN AK AND IT’S VERY SOLID.” First impressions were the quality is awesome, the packaging gives the impression of class. The metal and woodwork feel is only missing gun oil to be a real weapon.

Questions I have been asked…

Yes it is all steel, everything is as it should be.

The battery is in the stock and the butt plate is magnetised, takes a little effort to remove but it isn’t going anywhere.

The magazines lock in place solid with no wobble, the feel of the weapon is wonderful, this is no toy but a real training weapon, as solid as Mikhail would expect.

“Can you use it out the box or is it like PTWs around the world and needs more work to skirmish?” and “Does it need waterproofing?” I hear you ask.

The answer is no. They submerged it in water and fired it and then made video evidence available, along with a host of other videos on their webpage.

The only one question that I am still pondering, is why do they use standard size Tamiya connectors?

This is what my friend, Frenchie, commented on seeing the weapon: “What I can say is that in terms of feel and appearance this is head and shoulders above every other airsoft AK I have ever handled and I include Real Sword. Lots and lots of steel, a finish that is absolutely spot on for an AK and it’s very solid.”

We will start with my mistakes first…

In Scotland we use Bio BBs and these vary from brand to

More Info http://www.celciustechnology.com/sierra/home/14-celcius-ctw-akm.html https://www.facebook.com/CelciusTechnology/?fref=ts https://www.facebook.com/Northern-Pact-811004668982616/ Celcius are currently looking for a Distributor in the UK, so if you are interested, get in touch with them via their website.

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December 2016

brand. I first tried a brand I normally run in my aegs… Not a good move as they shattered on leaving the barrel, or inside or who knows. I switched to another brand and everything was perfect.

Always test your new batteries fit in the gun. Haha! Mine did not hence I had to use masking tape to hold on butt plate but thanks to Robert Hailstones (after trying half the stock in his shop) we found some that did nicely.

Now on to the bit you’re interested in, rather than what a plonker I felt!

The hop is very easy to adjust, simpler with top cover off and takes very little time at all.

The range put site snipers to shame on .25s (I will try heavier bbs later).

The trigger response was a shock to me, not ever having used a CTW before but so easy to adjust too. Light is not the word.

The magazines feed flawlessly and cocking became almost second nature in seconds.

Full auto is intimidating, short bursts here boys and girls or people going to be unhappy.

My friend Frenchie will provide the technical opinions later – I just like to shoot them.

Is it realistic to a real fire arm? No, it is an airsoft gun – but I would struggle to find anything closer to the real deal than this, Is it any good ? Hell yes! …but for the price tag it needs to be ($1,000 on the Celcius website)!

The build quality is spot on, the accuracy the best I have seen on an airsoft gun out the box and performance is also second to none and I have owned a fair few.

I will finish with a final quote from Celcius: “CELCIUS will always be your right choice for high quality AEG, Training Weapon, and upgrade parts.

Technicians always test the hardness and tensile strength of metal body, gearbox, gears, springs, and other metal parts with this arts will improve and ensure the performance and durability of your airsoft gun.”

SALES . UPGRADES CUSTOM BUILDS REPAIR . ADVICE

Unit 5 Fourth Court Bridge Road Holbeck, Leeds LS11 9UG

Retail store now open in Leeds. Located just a few minutes from Junctions 2a and 3 off the m621 Full range of primary and secondary weapons plus accessories in stock and on display.

Including the Desert Tech SRS sniper rifle

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EQUIPMENT

FUBAR4.indd 1

06/09/2016 17:53

A E SHIN

) L A C I T C (TA

T H LIG AIRSOFT IS A FAST-PACED, DYNAMIC game to play but there’s a side of it that really gets my pulse racing and that’s a good night game, especially if that’s also in an urban environment.

Not all sites get to grips with this type of game as obviously there are inherent dangers that not everyone is comfortable with but if you get an experienced site operator that knows what they’re up to, not only in terms of controlling the flow of play but also in relation to lighting and pyrotechnics, then playing after dark can be absolutely exhilarating!

THERE’S NOTHING THAT JERRY NOONE LIKES BETTER THAN A GOOD URBAN GAME AND IF THAT’S AFTER DARK IT’S MORE ENJOYABLE; HERE HE TAKES A LOOK AT THE UPDATED RANGE OF TACLITES FROM NUPROL AND VERY MUCH LIKES WHAT HE FINDS!

I’ve been lucky enough over the years to play on both urban and woodland sites after darkness falls and have to say that I absolutely love it, preferring the “grey out” of the urban setting if truth be known; everything slows down, movement becomes more considered and both situational awareness and tactical skills have to be at their sharpest edge. Sound carries further in the still of the night so patrolling and ambush drills need to be spot on.

It’s when things “kick off” though that the adrenalin really kicks in; suddenly an explosion lights up the night and you find yourself in the middle of a firefight with BBs

whizzing everywhere! Flames burn brightly from “artillery” strikes and taclites pop on and off all around, lighting up dark corners momentarily to ensure that everything is clear.

A while back I took a look at the range of tactical lights that NUPROL are offering. This was a tight range of just six models initially, two of these being LAMs for the L85 series. Of the others three are for pistols and one specifically for rifles, carbines and SMGs. At £39.99 The NX200 is a light designed to be fitted to a range of railed handguns, giving the ability to quickly acquire targets in low light conditions whilst allowing you to keep both hands on your pistol. The torch is constructed with an alloy body and head, a solid polymer toggle switch at the rear and features a high power 200 Lumens Genuine CREE LED

24

December 2016

Kit NUPROL TACLITE

instruction sheet so they really have thought of everything!

Final retail prices were still awaited at the time of writing but knowing the keen pricing structure NUPROL adhere to, I’m going to stick my neck out and say that I believe they will be very, very well priced. They’re a superb addition to the range of lights already on offer and the one I’ve been using for a couple of months now is really performing amazingly, sitting happily and securely on the rail of my favourite CQB carbine.

In my mind when it comes to low light CQB or night games then NUPROL really have done the business yet again, proving once more their knowledge of airsoft as players themselves and knowing what we want and need. I am certain that they have even more to come and I’ll keep you fully updated as new items are released.

For now you can keep an eye on their website www.NUPROL.com

Bulb. The light’s rear switch features an Ambidextrous Textured Toggle, allowing activation by both left and right handed shooters. Included in the box is a spare fitting plate and allen Key. This is perfect for any night game or CQB situation, as you can light up an entire corridor or sweep out corners in any room with added accuracy and visibility.

The NX300 at £54.99 has the same excellent build quality of the NX200 but increases illumination to 300 Lumens whilst being only marginally larger in the head area.

The NX400 Pro comes in at £84.99 but not only does the power increase to a whopping 400 Lumens but you also get an incorporated adjustable laser. The back of the laser also holds the controls for several lighting options including the torch and laser being on at the same time if you desire.

Moving up to the rifle model, the NP500X is real beast! It’s a quick detach RIS mounted vertical grip which incorporates a main 500 Lumen CREE LED main light and two low power LED navigation lights. There are dual pressure pads on the grip to activate the main light and you simply twist the cap on the battery cover to lock the light off to prevent accidental activation. Again a twist of the rear switch of the main light gives you permanent activation. The NX500X uses 3 x CR123a Batteries (not included) and at £99.99 is a superb bit of kit!

The NUPROL team are always pushing forward though and to add to this already impressive range they have recently released their very latest models in the NX600 series. The two models, available in Black or Tan, are Long (L) and Short (S) variants. They follow the trend towards small, bright “scout” type tactical lights that affix solidly to the rail of your RIF; designed specifically as rifle lights they are made of high quality alloy and tough as old boots.

Measuring 90mm the S variant takes 1xCR123 battery and gives out a clear white light. The L variant is 125mm long and takes 2xCR123. Both lights have a very slim, low profile and the single bolt clamp is equally minimalist. The two lights come superbly packaged with both a “rat’s tail” remote pressure switch and standard tailcap which makes them very versatile; NUPROL even include the velcro strip to attach the pressure switch and a full colour

“EVERYTHING SLOWS DOWN, MOVEMENT BECOMES MORE CONSIDERED AND BOTH SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND TACTICAL SKILLS HAVE TO BE AT THEIR SHARPEST EDGE. SOUND CARRIES FURTHER IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT SO PATROLLING AND AMBUSH DRILLS NEED TO BE SPOT ON.”

www.airsoft-action.online

25

TRG

INTRODUCING THE LATEST INSTALMENT OF THE VALKEN TACTICAL BATTLE MACHINE SERIES

TRG-M & TRG-L

• Updated gear box with new improved gear set, improved trigger and shuttle • Upgraded piston with six metal teeth • Improved barrel mount with C-Clip for improved accuracy • New orescent hi-visibility ip up sights – front and rear • Integrated ring mounts for sling attachments • Airsoft Spec Keymod for attachments

valken.com

Kit UNIQUE-ARS

SOMETHING UNIQUE THIS WAY COMES IGGY ROBERTS HEARD ABOUT A GUY WHO WAS GETTING A VERY UNIQUE “CUSTOM” FOREGRIP FOR HIS PRIMARY RIF AND MANAGED TO GET EYES ON THIS VERY ATTRACTIVE WORK OF ART WHICH HAS A SOMBRE MEANING BEHIND IT. IT TOOK ME SOME WHILE to find him but when I did and saw the foregrip he’d created, I was instantly humbled.

The foregrip represents remembrance of our “Fallen Heros”. Both sides of it are the silhouette images of World War One soldiers and underneath are the words “Lest we forget.” Not only is this a great piece of work with a fantastic finish but to the owner of the RIF it has huge sentimental value too.

He decided to get the foregrip made in memory of a valued friend that served in the Army. He spent a lot of time with him and saw him as family before he passed. Since then he wanted something to commemorate him and all of the people that paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom today.

He found the company Unique-ARs and between them came up with the design that suited the requirement. It’s a nice personal touch from the company to work so closely with each customer and as a result they created the product photographed here.

Unique-ARs are located in McCall Idaho, USA. It is a small, rural mountain town with a spirit for the outdoor, boasting activities such as hunting, fishing, skiing and mountain biking.

The company started in 2012 with development of concept and prototype products and didn’t start selling until 2013. Their intention was to offer something different to the gun market.

There were a lot of the same, or similar looking AR15 rifles lining the walls at gun stores and at the ranges and because

the AR15 rifle is so popular, it made them consider it as a prime candidate for customization. They knew that they could produce something to help customize the AR15 rifle.

As a result Unique-ARs now offer free-floating foregrips for the AR15 rifle. There are over 30 stock designs but it is also possible to get your own custom design as well. Each foregrip comes with a barrel nut which is compatible with any MilSpec threaded upper receiver and they now offer the airsoft version as well.

Each foregrip is crafted from 6061 aluminium. The tube has an inside diameter of 1.75 inches (4.5 cm.) The tube is then milled on a 4 axis CNC mill. A specialist design team put together the 30 stock designs and now work with the customers who want something unique to them to develop the custom design which is then translated into code for the machines to cut.

All foregrips are priced by length. Custom Fore grips range from $180-$325 US Dollars. Their stock foregrips range from $175-$275. These prices include an airsoft barrel nut.

Customers can order directly from the website. There are a number of dealers that stock Unique-AR products, but they tend to be in the United States. For us, it is best to go on the website and even send an e-mail to discuss your design and make something unique to you. Their website is www.UniqueARs.com on the website is their stock product list as well as the order form for the custom designs. They do ship globally but only airsoft products. This means you need to make sure you choose an airsoft barrel nut, then they are able to ship internationally. Along with their website, Unique-ARs are also on Facebook and Instagram (webuildunique).

So if you are looking for something to make your AR unique, then Unique-ARs is definitely worth a look. www.airsoft-action.online

27

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

GREAT

NEW PRICES SOON!

COMING

LCT AIMS NV AEG LCT AIMS AEG Airsoft Gun. The Romanian version of the AKM and AKMS, identifiable by the vertical foregrip integrated into the handguard and metal folding stock was renamed as the AIMS..

Steel receiver and folding stock, real wood foregrip.

Includes hi-cap mag Battery 8.4v Stick (Type 05) not included..

LCT LCKM-63 AEG LCT LCKM-63 AEG Airsoft Gun. Steel receiver, barrel and foregrip.

Real wood pistol grips and stock.

Front and rear sling points Single shot and full auto fire modes.

Adjustable Hop-Unit includes 600rd hi-cap mag, Rear wired connector.

with

mini

Tamya

Battery 8.4v - (Type 03) or 7.4v LiPo part: KB-1922-2a

LCT.indd 2

08/10/2015 16:46

OPEN MON-SAT - BUY IN STORE OR ONLINE - REPAIRS UNDERTAKEN

www.fire-support.co.uk - 01733 247171

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

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

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

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

Specifications: Built Material: Steel / ABS / Wood Gear Box: Ver.3 Magazine Capacity: / hi cap 600rds Weight: 3450g Battery: 8.4v Mini (Type 03) 9.6v Mini (Type 04)

CONTACT US FOR TRADE SALES OF ICS AND OTHER TOP BRANDS

sales@fire-support.co.uk - 01733 247171

LCT.indd 3

08/10/2015 16:46

ARE YOU HAVING A

LARP? GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY ENJOYS LIVE ACTION ROLE PLAY AS MUCH AS AIRSOFT AND ASKS “AREN’T THEY POSSIBLY THE SAME THING?”

MY COMRADES AND I PICKED our way through the foliage and trees as we traversed the woodland to scout out the enemy camp before the big attack. Mark tripped, the sound of metal on metal might have alerted their sentries but this time we were lucky and completed our recce mission without having to use our weapons.

Even under shade of the tree canopy the heat was oppressive and the weight of our body armour and war gear caused us to sweat buckets as we made our way back to base.

Sound familiar? Well it could well have been last week on the skirmish site but it was actually a month or so ago at a Live Action Roleplay or LARP weekend and the “wargear” was chainmail shirts, metal helmets and shields and the weapons foam swords and axes.

LARP has been a burgeoning hobby for some years now, having started in the UK in the early 1980s (with some pretty embarrassing heritage of “home made” costumes) and it’s not surprising that “Cross Country Freestyle Pantomime” (as it’s sometimes referred to affectionately by its adherents) has recently began to seamlessly merge with airsoft events.

Still not convinced? Does the idea of pretending to be a ranger scouting out a camp of marauding barbarians sound a bit daft? Does the idea of “larping” just make you laugh?

Well, think of it like this….

If you’ve ever been playing “Special Forces” attacking an insurgent camp... well you’ve been “larping” to a degree.

If you’ve been to a WWII or Cold War game, or had to imagine you’re in “Vietnam” at a weekender… you’re “live roleplaying” to a degree. To be honest, if you own a flexible bayonet or training knife and ever got a stealthy “knife kill”; well then yeah, that’s larping to a degree as well.

GETTING INTO CHARACTER

Because at the end of the day its simply grown-ups pretending to be something they are not, playing a complicated game of “army” in the woods to a set of agreed rules. We run around the woods in strange outfits and try and get “kills” on the other team. The difference used to be the medium through

30

December 2016

Feature WHEN HOBBIES COLLIDE

which we achieved this but that’s all begun to change in recent years.

For a very long time most LARP games were “swords and sorcery” fantasy affairs and the nearest you got to a good shoot out was a few volleys of bows and arrows with oversized heads (a LARP arrowhead had to be bigger than an eye socket in systems where no eye protection is worn) but over the years the popularity of many genres within LARP, like “Zombie Horror”, “Weird WWII”, “Wild West” and “Post Apocalypse” raised an awkward question of “how do I know I’ve hit you?”

The obvious answer is airsoft.

With airsoft it’s clear that you’ve got someone in your sights and its clear when they’ve been hit. Previously to adopting airsoft, many game systems just assumed firearms automatically hit if within a given range – a fairly unsatisfactory mechanic for all involved. The downside to using AEGs and the like is that (obviously) players now all have to wear eye protection, which is something we as airsofters are used to anyway. In systems that do mix foam melee weapons and AEG firearms though, it’s quite usual for the Safe Zone to double up as an “in character” village, basecamp or bunker. By “in character”, we mean if you are really Dave Smith but play a zombie hunter called “Zeke” that you’re supposed to continue to play that role of “Zeke” when talking to people between missions and not start chatting about last night’s footy game, or your top score on your Xbox! Where firearms are handed in at the door and only “safe” foam weapons allowed to settle your differences should you get into a disagreement (again “in character” (or IC) as no one wants a real knife fight in the safe zone!).

Even those systems that don’t allow firing AEGs and are beginning to use airsoft replicas as props or game pieces in ever increasing frequency (usually with the aforementioned “bang/distance” rule), as more modern settings for live roleplay (in particular post apocalypse and zombie scenarios) become ever more popular. On the flipside, since the early 2000s it’s been a fairly standard sight to see a player with

“THE ONLY ISSUE BEING THAT THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY ROUNDS ARE IN EACH REAL CAP MAGAZINE THEY FIND UNLESS THEY TAKE THE TIME OUT TO EMPTY THEM AND RELOAD THEM BY HAND - OR UNTIL THEY FIRE OFF THE LAST ROUND AT THE APPROACHING UNDEAD AND HEAR THAT FATAL ‘CLICK’.”

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“AT ONE MEMORABLE WWII EVENT I REMEMBER BEING STUNNED THAT THE ALLIED ATTACK HAD FALTERED ON THE LEFT FLANK AT SENNYBRIDGE FIBUA VILLAGE. THE REASON WHY? THE BRITS HAD DECIDED TO HALT THEIR ADVANCE, HUNKER UP IN THE NEAREST BUILDING AND HAVE A BREW!” something more elaborate than a rubber training blade for “knife kills” strapped to their webbing. I know I’ve personally seen everything from a short Special Forces style “LARP safe” tomahawks to a huge broadsword carried by players… often those with the most outlandish weapons are those with the most elaborate costumes for a big weekender!

SURVIVAL HORROR

Perhaps the biggest proponent of merging airsoft and LARP into one hobby is Gunman Airsoft.

For the last ten year or so, Gunman have been running a series of LARP events at their UK sites and while obviously the Viking based “Norsemen Saga” series of events have little need for a BB chucker, other events such as the Wild West “Flying Lead”, the Post-Apocalyptic survival horror “Gulag” and the Fallout video game based “Wastelander” use Springers, AEGs and gas guns as a core part of the game.

For many players at these immersive events, the biggest difference is the amount of ammo you’ll expend over a weekend. As all weapons use “real steel” capacity magazines (for example six shot revolvers and underlever Winchester rifles

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in “Flying Lead”) you’re unlikely to get through the 2,000 rounds you might normally expend at a weekend open day.

Conversely, in the post-apocalyptic systems ammo is rare and expensive... you might have an MP5 which your character “found on a dead policeman” in the game but you might only have a mere ten BBs in the magazine. Finding more or trading and bartering for more ammo then becomes a key part of the game, forcing you to interact with other players… perhaps another group who have a crate of ammo but only close combat weapons and they also have spare bandages?

What is more often the case, however, is that you learn to prize those rounds and pick your shots carefully, even bluffing hostile groups with an empty gun in scenes reminiscent of the movie “Mad Max”, or perhaps deciding violence is too risky and settling on a negotiated and roleplayed out trade for an even mix of firearms, ammo and medical supplies.

Other events have seen a small band of players fight for survival against a horde of zombies in an abandoned building complex. Starting off armed only with a basic weapon the players can “find” assault rifles and shotguns on “dead” bodies; the only issue being that they have no idea how many rounds are in each real cap magazine they find unless they take the time out to empty them and reload them by hand - or until they fire off the last round at the approaching undead and hear that fatal “click”. This level of immersion is perhaps even more critical in a game where the “roleplay” involves believing in the supernatural and the zombie apocalypse but it can be found in even the most traditional of genres.

BOMBS, BULLETS AND CUPS OF TEA!

If we return back to the realms of “historical” gaming you could be forgiven for saying “That’s not Larp, that’s just having a game set in “Vietnam.” But is it?

In the past I’ve been involved in WWII scenarios that required the players to meet up with the Norwegian resistance to find a secret way into the German held hydroelectric plant (well UCAP in Portsmouth actually!) I’ve also seen US Special Forces having to link up with a CIA agent to find out the plans for an PAVN offensive and perhaps the most “theatrical” was a Cold War game where two of the Brits had to capture East German uniforms and use forged documents to infiltrate a Warsaw Pact barracks to take recce photos of the site! To me, all these activities come under “playing a role” or “roleplay” and oddly enough, it’s “live” and it had a lot of action… perfectly fitting the term “Live Action Roleplay”. If you think about it, even at the most basic level when you go to a WWII game and play against “the Germans” you’re doing this and playing a role of sorts. You’re suspending your disbelief and

Feature WHEN HOBBIES COLLIDE

pretending it’s perhaps Normandy 1944 and you’re a US Para or Royal Marine Commando. It’s all certainly a long way away from red team trying to capture a flag, or an “objective” that has no real purpose, from blue team.

In fairness though, airsoft as a whole is changing. The days of “red team vs blue team” playing capture the flag for the duration of the event are beginning to end. Even the most modest of open days now tries to involve themed game areas, plot devices like bombs to diffuse or code books to recover and many of them even try and set their games within an ongoing fictional “campaign” of battles between two factions, in an effort to garner new players and retain their existing clientele.

For some players though it’s “just a game” like any other in WWII, Vietnam or Cold War kit but even for the least imaginative player the actual rules of the game can often force you to play a “character” of sorts. If we take, for example, Gunman’s “FilmSim” rules, then a player has to choose a job, role or class for the weekend. This might be as an officer, a sniper, rifleman, demolitions expert, medic or support gunner.

Each role reflects what equipment you’re allowed to use in the

game, how many “hits” you have (and bandages) and also what jobs you’ll get sent on by your side commander or team leader – and even how many BBs you’re allowed to carry at a time.

At one memorable WWII event I remember being stunned that the allied attack had faltered on the left flank at Sennybridge FIBUA village. The reason why? The Brits had decided to halt their advance, hunker up in the nearest building and have a brew! Perhaps taking the stereotype too far but certainly the “Brits” were getting into the spirit of the event and playing characters that contrasted perfectly with the gungho “Yanks” who just couldn’t stay still (or on task) all weekend!

Many events across the country ask you the player to imagine you’re something you’re not. To take part in a make believe war in a fictional part of the world or even at some other point in history. It’s clear that themed gaming has always been part of airsoft since the early days but now, more than ever, we’re seeing organisers asking players to “buy in” to a concept of a game world from the most gritty survival horror to a “Call of Duty” based special ops mission.

So perhaps now you’re thinking a bit more about the games you play and how you play them? Perhaps you’re considering taking yourself along to a more roleplay based filmsim event?

Or perhaps you still scoff at the “Larpers” running around the woods with chainmail and axes, or duster coats and six shooters but ask yourself if your version of “playing army in the woods” is, in reality, any more different from theirs!

If you’d Like to try “FilmSim” gaming, Airsoft Action recommend talking to Josh and his team at Gunman Airsoft who run a variety of “roleplay” events, from the most action based AEG driven “Hunger Games” events, through to the brutal and suspense-laden “Gulag” survival horror.

Gunman can be contacted through their website: www.gunmanairsoft. co.uk, or by phone on 07711 774461 (Doug), or 07711 774401 (Josh).

www.airsoft-action.online

33

REVISIT ED

DOGTAG AIRSOFT

SINCE HIS FIRST VISIT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, LES LEE HAS BEEN HEARING NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS SITE AND DECIDED TO RETURN AND SEE HOW THINGS HAVE PROGRESSED.

WAY BACK INTO LAST CENTURY (well 1995 to be precise), Ross Beare sought and found a piece of land just a few miles south of Gatwick Airport which matched his aspirations and his journey into the world of outdoor activities thus began.

In July 2012 Ross decided to add Airsoft as the latest activity at the Holmbush Events centre and so Dogtag Airsoft was born!

So, with the history bit aside, let’s get you there.

Set your sat navs for “RH12 4SE” and it will take you to a rural farm type business park, adjacent to the A264 just on the outskirts of Faygate, West Sussex. As you turn into the lane simply follow the signs and the road will take you past the paintball site on the left and a little further on up the lane, then turn right into the huge car park where you will be greeted by a Marshal and directed to a suitable parking area. Should you need a hand with your gear (for example due to a disability) then all you have to do is ask for assistance and another Marshal will be with you within seconds to assist.

The safe zone is close to the hard standing car park so no

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long yomps with your gear, just a superb mostly covered safe zone with masses of changing and gear stowage areas. The day will set you back £25 and includes lunch and complimentary tea and coffee throughout and should you need ammo, pyros pop or chocolate, these are available from the main desk.

However, if you need a little something extra, maybe a holster, helmet or face pro then the on-site shop, Astec Airsoft owned

by Mark Reeves will have these pieces. You can also get your battery charged or gun (probably) fixed if you hand it to Mark or one of his team.

Briefing is mandatory and at 09:30 sharp and as the gates open at 08:30 there is no excuse that will release you from the safety briefing. Alongside the perimeter of the safe zone is a gun testing range of various marked distances, plus a chronograph for you to test your gun’s FPS before the mandatory power testing prior to you setting foot in the game area. The Marshals are some of the finest and most professional that you will ever meet but if you don’t play with honour and sportsmanship your day may be cut short.

With the safety briefing out of the way, players are split into red team and blue team and escorted out into the fields, where a secondary, game-specific briefing is conducted. The first couple of relatively short games are typical warm up games, followed by a ten minute break to tweak their weapons and grab a drink before the main missions of the day commence.

Dogtag has many “stations”, including a static ex-Chilean Military Puma, a SAM missile site, Island Fortress, Towers Field, Raise the alarm, Urban Raid, Medipack Valley, VX Gas, Amazon, Village Church, Jungle and this is what intrigued me enough to return.

The DogTag team have very recently designed and built one of THE most inspirational and dynamic outdoor CQB village over two acres, which is without doubt, the best that I have ever seen of its kind. The village consists of around a dozen buildings of varying shapes, sizes and styles. The accompanying images just don’t do this area justice but these are not simply thrown-together structures, these are planned erections right down to the last piece of timber and their placements are so cleverly designed that even Seal Team 6 would get their butts whopped! In this area it is semi-auto only and so this put me in

site DOGTAG AIRSOFT

a happy place as it was now time to stow the carbine and draw my SP-01 sidearm. To steal a phrase… “I’m loving it!”

The practicalities at Dogtag are many. As well as the huge hard top car park, you will also find clean toilets, a well laid out and covered safe area which has ground to sky netting to keep the BBs out and the safety in. Around 50 sets of rental equipment available for hire (ideally book this in advance) snacks available all day, well priced quality BBs and gas and a host of other extras. The superb and plentiful team of highly experienced Marshals are there not just to ensure fair play but to assist you in any way possible, from simple question answering to minor gun issues and advice. All of the first aid and fire-fighting trained Marshals are accomplished Airsofters of many years in the field and I can tell you right here and now that they don’t miss a trick, especially when it comes to your health and safety!

One particular aspect at DogTag is the very high standards of H&S. Barrel socks are encouraged, two Marshals are deployed at the game area exit to ensure the mags are out and the breech made clear. Another point I would like to mention is that TAG pyrotechnics are permitted providing they are used in the correct manner and just like any other pyro deployment, the user is required to shout “RPG” to give sufficient warning of an inbound projectile. Special effects are encouraged at DogTag to enhance the atmosphere and create a very high degree of realism.

Anyway, back to the stuff that you might also want to know…

Typically you will find 130 to 180 players turn up on average every other Sunday but that said, the numbers are increasing in line with investment and the £25 walk on fee gets mostly re-invested in the site. The investment to date is absolutely staggering (but that is something that you can see for yourself as I am bound to secrecy) but it will be very obvious.

DogTag membership will cost you a modest £10 which will include (when eligible) your UKARA registration which can be processed in as little as 48 hours, a DogTag Airsoft player’s patch, a 25% discount on pyros and a minimum of two free Members-only games. DogTag also works closely with Crawley Surplus Store for all your gaming needs, including RIFs, whereby any Airsoft gun is sold with a voucher for a full day’s play at DogTag. DogTag veteran, Dan Sayer, has been with Dogtag/ Holmbush paintball for over two decades and during my recent visit I was able to capture him and ask for his perspective of Dogtag Airsoft and this is what he had to say: ”I have been involved with the site at Holmbush for 22 years. I worked there when I left school at the paintball site but

“THESE ARE NOT SIMPLY THROWN-TOGETHER STRUCTURES, THESE ARE PLANNED ERECTIONS RIGHT DOWN TO THE LAST PIECE OF TIMBER AND THEIR PLACEMENTS ARE SO CLEVERLY DESIGNED THAT EVEN SEAL TEAM 6 WOULD GET THEIR BUTTS WHOPPED!” in recent years I have been a player at DogTag Airsoft. I have seen a lot of changes in that time but currently DogTag are completely rocking it. Continuous re-investment into the site has seen some awesome new play areas created for all types of play from CQB and stealth to fast paced games requiring team co-ordination to complete successfully. At last count I think I have played on 15 different and unique areas. The woodland at the site is varied over the 250 acres, dense pine and rhododendron, to valley fields or those with more open cover, in the summer the ferns change everything with stealth play becoming common place. They constantly try new formats and tweak existing ones to balance the gameplay for all involved.

DogTag must be doing something right as with fortnightly numbers often in excess of 150 people, there are always new faces to play with and against. With around 20 game types, it is rare we play the same format often, with the objectives constantly adjusted to keep the balance.

They manage to cater for new and experienced players well, balancing the teams around the available resources to try and create an even playing field. The marshals are top notch and there are many of them to not

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AW .308 GAS SNIPER Ref. 18517 Our new and powerful AW .308 gas sniper rifle, shoots close to 2 joules out of the box. This Sportline sniper has adjustable Hop-up and a top rail for mounting aiming devices.

(Scope and bipod not included in package) • • • •

426FPS – 130MPS Adjustable shoulder support Easy adjustable Hop-up Metal lower & upper rail

Airsoft BBs 0,40g, 1000 pcs.

0106-106_October2016

Ref. 18413

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05-10-2016 08:58:10

site DOGTAG AIRSOFT

only ensure people play by the rules but also to help those with issues that require additional help. On that subject there is a zero tolerance for cheats, which makes the day better for everyone else.

The food is cooked fresh and a bacon roll in the morning is most welcome! I would say to anyone you have to try the site at least once, most people come back regularly and it is great to be part of the DogTag community.”

One point worth mentioning, DogTag Airsoft (Corporate Division) is available 7 days a week by prior arrangement for work, birthdays, hen, stag do’s, etc., so it might be worth taking that snippet of info into work tomorrow and leave it on the Boss’s desk, after all, team building is high on most business agendas nowadays... and just imagine the bounty on the Boss’s head (wouldn’t you just love to shoot your boss in the butt!) DogTag is also available for private hire for team games or team training.

So there is one last person to speak to and that is the owner of DogTag Airsoft, Ross himself, and he had this to say: “I’m continually amazed and elated by the support that we are given by our members. We are a relatively new site to the Airsoft scene but in a few years we have already got over 350 members in the DogTag club. These members have always been very respectful to the site, our Marshals and most importantly one another. They have grown the club into an extremely friendly and caring place to Airsoft for all players of all abilities. On occasion we ask for help doing some forestry clearance or site work (building new structures, or dragging helicopters through the woods) and the response to these requests of help is always hugely surprising.

I’d like to take this chance to thank each and every one of our Airsofters, without whom none of this would be possible.

A huge thank you to all of the Marshalling crew as well. Let’s face it, unless they were performing to an extremely high standard then we wouldn’t have the number of members that we currently have. A huge thank you to you all. I feel truly

honoured to work at such an amazing place, surrounded by genuinely great people.

My wife keeps asking me when I’m going to get a “proper job”. All I can say is: “Don’t hold your breath honey!”

DogTag is definitely up in my top three sites (or perhaps two) but I must remain unbiased of course, so don’t just take my word for it. I recommend that you make a special journey and see for yourself why this is quite possibly one of the best Airsoft sites in DogTag Airsoft the UK. Holmbush Farm Les OUT! Crawley Road Faygate West Sussex RH12 4SE

Contact Details:

Telephone: 01293 852131 www.holmbushpaintball.co.uk

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37

HE FORCE T IS STRONG ” IN THIS ONE

“

ARMORER WORKS ARE BEST KNOWN FOR THEIR SUPERB RANGE OF BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED HI CAPA PISTOLS BUT JERRY NOONE DISCOVERS THAT SOMEONE FROM THAT MANUFACTURER MUST BE JUST AS MUCH OF A GEEK AS HE IS WHEN HE TAKES A LOOK AT THEIR “DL-44 HEAVY BLASTER”.

LET ME TAKE YOU NOT to a galaxy far, far away but certainly to a long, long time ago! Back in 1977 I was thirteen years old (yes, I really am that old!) and keen devourer of science fiction stories; my favourite book was then (and still is) “Glory Road”

by Robert Heinlein, a tale of a young man on an adventurous quest in a mythical and fantastical world. I’d grown up with Saturday morning cinema (yes, that really was a thing!) watching Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers in glorious black and white and Saturday evening was time for John Pertwee and then Tom Baker as “Dr Who”.

All the talk at school was about the fact that EMI had dropped the Sex Pistols and The Times trumpeted that “Punk Was Dead”, even though The Clash had just released their first (vinyl) album but “We are the Champions” was still the best tune of the year. All of us thought that the new Ford Fiesta was cool, better than the Gen II Granada and that the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations had been fabulous (first time I had my nose broken, asking a girl to dance… Long story!).

What a year 1977 was and to see it out came the launch of a new movie, as on 27th December “Star Wars” was first screened in the UK. After its launch in the USA, where George Lucas had been afraid the film would be a flop, “Star Wars” had gone on to become one of Hollywood’s first “blockbusters” (rumour has it that Francis Ford Coppola, who needed money to finish “Apocalypse Now” even sent a telegram to Lucas asking for funding!) and news of it had

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Armoury ARMORER WORKS “SMUGGLER” DL-44 BLASTER

of course reached the UK. On December 28th 1977 I still remember standing in line outside my local Odeon, wrapped up against the chill of a cold north-westerly wind, gradually warming inside the cinema as the now familiar crawling text appeared; “A long time ago, in a Galaxy far, far away…” … and the rest is history!

“Star Wars” went on and still does, to become a motion picture phenomenon and I’ve followed the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, C-3PO, R2-D2, Chewbacca and of course Han Solo over the years and you can bet your bottom dollar that last year when “The Force Awakens” screened I was one of the first in line to view it!

But as much as the so-called “hero” of the franchise is Luke Skywalker, the coolest guy in the films in my opinion is Han

Solo, the devil may care, seat of the pants pilot-smuggler and owner of the Millennium Falcon, the only ship to make “the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs”. Han was quick on the trigger, as Greedo found out to his cost and his signature “Blaster” made us all want one. Forget the lightsaber, we all lusted after a DL-44 Heavy Blaster!

“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.” – Han Solo As many online sources tell us: “The BlasTech Industries DL-44 heavy blaster pistol was a powerful sidearm from the time of the Galactic Republic through the Galactic Civil War. The DL-44 was a powerful, highly modifiable and accurate blaster pistol. It packed a heavy punch compared to other pistols without losing accuracy, which made it a prime choice among many groups and individuals, ranging from smugglers and bounty hunters to military and the Rebellion.

Originally designed by BlasTech and seen as early as 33 BBY, the weapon found increased use at the hands of outlaws and fringers on the edge of legality, groups like smugglers and the Rebel Alliance due to its capability to penetrate stormtrooper armour. This caused the Empire to put a restriction order upon this model, restricting and technically outlawing the purchase and ownership of the gun. This caused other companies to take advantage of the model and capabilities, releasing similar but tuned-down versions of the 44’s, such as Merr-Sonn Munitions, Inc.’s Flash 4 and model 57 blaster pistol. Their Power 5 was already being manufactured at the time, as it saw use during the Clone Wars.”

For the movies the DL-44 design was built up on a German C96 “Broomhandle” Mauser pistol, an early semiautomatic handgun with a 10 round internal magazine and it was available in 9mm Parabellum or .30 Luger. Well known variants include the “Red-9” which was chambered in 9mm Parabellum and had a red number 9 branded into the grip so that users would not load the incorrect calibre, or the M712 “Schnellfeuer” variant, which was capable of select-fire and had a 20 round detachable magazine, it was chambered in .30 Luger.

For the movie pistol the air conditioning vent on the front of the magazine came from a model airplane and the large flash hider came from a German MG81 machine gun. The scope used was the Hensoldt Wetzlar Ziel Dialyt 3x scope which was often seen on German sniper rifles such as the famous K98.

Due to the size of the flash hider, the iron sights were not useable. Only four live C96 Mauser pistols have been remade to imitate the DL-44 and if you check out YouTube, firearm aficionado Jerry Miculek released a video using one of these real DL-44s on the 14th December 2015!

“Here’s where the fun begins.” – Han Solo I won’t go into detail about Armorer Works as that’s been covered by my colleagues in previous issues but I will say that they make some delightful pistols and the “Smuggler DL-44” is

“HAN WAS QUICK ON THE TRIGGER, AS GREEDO FOUND OUT TO HIS COST AND HIS SIGNATURE “BLASTER” MADE US ALL WANT ONE. FORGET THE LIGHTSABER, WE ALL LUSTED AFTER A DL-44 HEAVY BLASTER!”

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Armoury ARMORER WORKS “SMUGGLER” DL-44 BLASTER

“ALL IN ALL THE ARMORER WORKS “DL-44 HEAVY BLASTER” IS A REPLICA THAT NOT ONLY SCIENCE FICTION OBSESSED AIRSOFTERS WILL WANT BUT I CAN SEE IT’S GOING TO BECOME A RARE COLLECTORS PIECE AS MOVIE BUFFS WILL WANT TO OWN ONE TOO.”

but larger capacity magazines will fit, although you then do lose the original profile.

The DL-44 is a real thing of beauty, not really a skirmish gun but one that you can have a lot of fun with. Although the rear leaf sight is in place fitting the flash hider means that you lose the pronounced blade at the front, in turn meaning that the blaster really is a “point and shoot” pistol. The pistol grip feels really good in the hand and allows for a solid grip and there’s even a lanyard ring where it should be. Controls are again quite straightforward, with the safety catch placed on top beside the hammer, fire selector on the left above the grip and the magazine release situated just above the trigger guard on the right-hand side of the pistol body; with the mock scope attached this is a little tricky to operate though as it is part-obscured.

The magazine itself is of metal construction, with a sturdy plastic cover on the bottom protecting the valve. Once gassed up and loaded with .20g BBs running the blaster through the chrono gave an average of 0.8 Joule/295fps which is absolutely spot on. Semi-auto sends the action back and forth in a very business-like fashion and full-auto will empty the magazine with alacrity. Accuracy (given the absence of functional sights) is actually quite acceptable and I was able to hit a sandbag target at 10m time and again.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” – Han Solo no exception!

Based on an airsoft “Broomhandle Mauser” the pistol is manufactured almost entirely from high-grade alloy, with the exception of the faux wood grips. The pistol comes as a kit in two separate boxes containing the pistol itself, a stunning (nonfunctional) mock scope with brass detailing and the distinctive flash hider; you simply put all the parts together and there in your hands is a fully functional blaster!

The flash hider, which also mimics the “bull barrel” of the DL-44 simply slides over the outer barrel and is then secured using a single grub screw; this is a great reproduction, although I’m sure some purists will no doubt note that the little “antennae” of the movie pistol are absent. The mock scope is attached using screws on the right of the pistol, neatly mating up with pre-drilled holes and the magazine housing even features the ribbed heat shield of the movie blaster. The pistol features a safety lever beside the hammer at the rear and semiauto/full-auto fire modes. It comes with a 12 BB gas magazine

All in all the Armorer Works “DL-44 Heavy Blaster” is a replica that not only science fiction obsessed airsofters will want but I can see it’s going to become a rare collectors piece as movie buffs will want to own one too. For once I say “thank heavens for the VCRA” as it means that only airsofters or collectors with a proven defence in law will be able to buy one!

At the best part of 300 quid this is also not going to be an impulse buy for someone but over the past couple of weeks I’ve had various airsoft friends through my office and no replica I have ever received to review has garnered such enthusiasm or created such joy, as everyone has insisted they have a picture with the “Blaster” in hand before they have left.

You may ask why I finished this review with the quote I chose and my answer to this would be “I’ve got a bad feeling about this as I may just have to part with my pocket money so that I too can own a piece of movie history!”

My sincere thanks go to www.iwholesales.co.uk for providing the review sample. www.airsoft-action.online

41

Inside Airsoft BESPOKE AIRSOFT

KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK TAKES TIME AWAY FROM GAMING TO VISIT A NEW ONLINE AIRSOFT RETAILER.

BESPOKE AIRSOFT THIS MONTH I WAS INVITED to visit a new online Airsoft retailer due to launch at the end of September/start of October, so I decided to take the trip to their HQ in Cannock, West Midlands to get the score on this new venture.

As I arrived at a very smart office in the heart of Cannock, I was really excited to see what this new retailer would have to offer the Airsoft community and so allow me to introduce Bespoke Airsoft, a brand spanking new online Airsoft store that are set to distinguish themselves from other retailers by offering high end custom products and specialising in bespoke Airsoft products made to order.

Bespoke Airsoft is the brain child of 26 year old entrepreneur, James Parker, who has 8 years’

experience working professionally on Airsoft tech with a wellknown Airsoft retailer, with 3 of those years focusing on tech and development.

Bespoke Airsoft is the next step for his start-up company, “FU53 Custom Works” which specialises in creating 3D printed custom Airsoft products and parts, from the TRMR HLDR for the Concept Tactical TRMR to a 3D printed 50 cal pistol! (I kid you not!) When I arrived at Bespoke, I got a cup of tea and sat down with James to discuss the ins and outs of what looks to be an exciting new addition to the UK’s Airsoft retailers.

During our meeting I discovered that Bespoke Airsoft will be exclusively online with a website designed to offer an easy and relaxed shopping experience for their customers.

Together we looked through the user end of their website and

it is easy to see that the company is heavily invested in their imagery, presentation and their customers shopping experience. The website is exceptionally well presented with clear, high definition images that show every dot of stippling on their custom pistols and, from the navigation to making a purchase is incredibly easy.

Bespoke Airsoft, however, isn’t aimed at everyone which is what sets them apart from other retailers – there will be no two tone service and the products will be “high-end”, meaning their products will suit experienced players and those with a bigger budget.

I was given a tour of the premises “BESPOKE AIRSOFT, and was impressed, especially with a dedicated HOWEVER, ISN’T AIMED photo studio

AT EVERYONE WHICH IS WHAT SETS THEM APART FROM OTHER RETAILERS – THERE WILL BE NO TWO TONE SERVICE AND THE PRODUCTS WILL BE “HIGHEND”, MEANING THEIR PRODUCTS WILL SUIT EXPERIENCED PLAYERS AND THOSE WITH A BIGGER BUDGET.”

to get the best images and to give their customers an accurate detailed visual of the products they offer and a fully kitted out work room including CNC and 3D printing capabilities ready to take on any custom request. We took a walk around their stock room to see shelves full of pew pew goodness, including the APS Salient Arms M870 Shell Ejecting Pistol and the Armourer Works DL-44 Blaster! Airsofters can expect to see Bespoke Airsoft stock well known and loved brands such as NUPROL, WE, Tokyo Marui, Ares, Salient Arms, Armourer Works, ICS, LCT, A&K, Krytac, G&P and many more, so the selection will be plentiful!

Overall, I was very impressed with what I saw at Bespoke Airsoft, from their fantastic collection of stock to the time and care they have taken to make their website user friendly, from entry to point of purchase and I am excited to see what role they will play within the Airsoft Industry.

Contact Details: Bespoke Airsoft www.bespokeairsoft.co.uk sales@bespokeairsoft.co.uk 01543 278248

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HAWAII 6.O AS A MEMBER OF THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS, BILL THOMAS HAS FORGED FRIENDSHIPS GLOBALLY WITH RETAILERS AND PLAYERS. THIS MONTH HE BRINGS US AN INSIGHT INTO HOW THINGS HAVE DEVELOPED IN HAWAII AND WHERE YOU CAN FIND A GAME IF YOU’RE VISITING! DURING THE TWENTY PLUS YEARS I’ve been involved with all things airsoft it’s been a huge pleasure to meet quite literally hundreds, if indeed not thousands, of folk involved in what many see as quite a small “pastime” but let me tell you right now, that if you look at airsoft worldwide the community is enormous!

I’ve also been lucky enough to live and work overseas for a number of years and although I’m now happily back in the UK, my travels have allowed me to experience airsoft in numerous different countries. Through the use of the internet and social media it’s been a real fun to continue to speak to friends I have

forged along the way and to meet new people too.

A few months ago I started speaking to Kevin Lampitoc, Manager of EPowersports Inc. on O’ahu. Known as ”The Gathering Place”, O’ahu is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands; however, it is home to about two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii and is the home of Honolulu International Airport, the place you’ll most likely fly into from the UK. As I know Hawaii is a popular holiday destination I was interested to see if it would be possible for any British player visiting to “get a game in” and Kevin very kindly brought me up to speed on this.

AA: Hi Kevin! Please can you tell me a little about how airsoft came into being in Hawaii and where things stand now?

EP: “From what I know, airsoft started in Hawaii back in the mid-late 90s. Some say even earlier. Back then airsoft was virtually unknown, the “hey, have you heard of that?” thing that no one really knew about.

“It started out on private “renegade” fields since there were no actual sanctioned fields back then. We all know what they are, those backwoods, up in the hills away from the general public fields (which were always the best tbh). It was always second to paintball so the public fields only allowed paintball at their sites. It remained somewhat underground until the mid-2000s where it really began taking off. Dedicated paintball fields saw the rise of interest in airsoft and felt it was about time to incorporate airsoft into their weekend games. Now we have three public fields that cater to both airsoft and paintball.

There’s even a field on a military recreational reservation that allows both paintball and airsoft. It’s not necessarily a public field but civilians are allowed there as long as you sign up. As it stands now, there are a good amount of players ranging from pre-teens to early 40’s, from the casual weekend “plinker” to

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International HAWAII

the hardcore airsoft enthusiast.”

AA: Do you have many established sites in Hawaii; could you tell me a little more about them?

EP: “On O’ahu (the island where we are), there are 3 main fields: Tactical Airgun Games (TAG), Ohana Pacific Airsoft Center (OPAC) and Hawaii Extreme Paintball and Airsoft (HEPA).

“TAG, located in the middle of the island, accommodates both airsoft and paintball. It is the largest facility consisting of four smaller fields: two speed style fields good for faster speedball and paintball play, one CQB style field called “House” and the larger “Mound” field that that’s good for larger scale engagements. This field also allows for the highest FPS rating allowed on a public play field at 500 fps. Most of our own shop events are held at this field from our monthly Friday Night Fights games to our larger summer events (IE: Battlezone and Danger Zone) “HEPA is located out on the west side of the island near an old air base. It is slightly smaller than TAG consisting of three fields. Two smaller fields that specialise in paintball play and there’s one larger field that’s perfect for airsoft play. The large field is what most airsofters will want to play on. It features a good mixture of bunkers and foliage with three “bases” where teams can stage their teams from. This is probably the best equipped field for small scale scenario games. FPS rating is slightly lower at 450fps which is still more than efficient for gaming.

“OPAC is also out on the west side of the island and is in fact two minutes away from HEPA. They have the distinction of being the only field dedicated to airsoft play. The field itself used to be a pre-school so they rebuilt it as an indoor/outdoor CQB arena. With the addition of the various barriers and structures, it’s a great place to hone your CQB skills. Due to such close quarters, a strict 400fps limit has been set to keep people safe. A lot of new players like to check OPAC out due

to their on-site rentals and lower FPS limit. They also have an inhouse shop to gawk at (Omega Airsoft) in case you want to take a break from the field.”

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

EP: “Every field has their own rules and regulations they go by.

The one universal rule, full face protection is required. Full-seal goggles, lower face protection, or full mask is always required.”

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

EP: “Being part of a shop that is open seven days a week, getting in some gameplay can be challenging. I personally try to get out to the field at least twice a month. When I get out there, I see a lot of the people I meet through the store as well as the people I’ve known for years (before I worked in the shop). I usually pre-prep all my mags before I get to the field. Since my main slinger is a Tokyo Marui MWS M4, gassing my rifle and pistol can take a while.

“My gear is kept minimal and consists of a gun-belt and chest rig, so donning and doffing my gear takes minimal effort.

Once I’m out there and ready, I just wait for the gaming to start. Mind you I’m not as quick as I used to be so I usually

“I’M NOT AS QUICK AS I USED TO BE SO I USUALLY FALL VICTIM TO THE YOUNGER/FASTER PLAYERS IN THE FIRST FEW GAMES. I USE THOSE AS WARM UP ROUNDS BUT ONCE I’M READY, I DISH IT OUT AS MUCH AS I TAKE IT. THERE ARE THOSE GAMES WHERE A HUGE TARGET IS JUST PAINTED ALL OVER ME NO MATTER WHAT I DO BUT NO MATTER WHAT, I TAKE IT IN AS ANOTHER FUN DAY AT THE FIELD.” fall victim to the younger/faster players in the first few games. I use those as warm up rounds but once I’m ready, I dish it out as much as I take it. There are those games where a huge target is just painted all over me no matter what I do but no matter what, I take it in as another fun day at the field.”

AA: What is a popular style of play in Hawaii, regular skirmish, CQB, MilSim or a mix of all?

EP: “We mostly do regular skirmish/force-on-force gameplay here. There have been some small MilSim events in the past but nothing compared to the large scale games found on the mainland US. The most MilSim we ever got were small scale scenarios. There have been some speedball tournaments as well but it’s not as popular as your standard gaming. “ AA: Do Hawaiian airsofters train either as individuals or teams?

EP: “The majority of airsoft players in Hawaii don’t belong to a specific team. It’s mostly kept to people looking to shoot each other on the weekends. There are only a few groups that actually train as a team. One team actually did some training

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International HAWAII

EP: “I wouldn’t say there are specific brands that are “important”. Most players look for the best bang-for-buck value gun. “ AA: Do sites have a rental facility if someone were visiting from overseas?

EP: “OPAC is the only field that has in-house rentals. There is also someone who runs a personal rental business and will meet you at the field with rental guns; if you’re visiting we can point you in the right direction.”

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

with military personnel (or so I heard). There are also other “speedsoft” or “speedqb” style teams that train regularly once or twice a week.”

AA: What’s important to you in relation to loadouts?

EP: “I touched on this a little earlier on but I like to keep things minimal. It gives me better mobility but most of all it keeps me cool. Here in Hawaii, the weather is the majority of the time locked into summer mode. There are those few months where rain dominates the forecast so that’s when hats and longsleeved tops come into play. As far as gear is concerned, I tend to use things that I could translate over to real steel shooting, whenever that happens that is. It just makes sense to use things that I’m accustomed to.”

EP: “Your best bet is to contact us via our website (www. epowersportsllc.com) or just come by our shop and we can again point you in the right direction. Our shop can be easily reached just about 10 minutes from Honolulu Intl Airport and about 20 min from Waikiki. The full address is EPowersports Inc., Waimalu Landmark Building, 98-104 Kanuku St. #202 Aiea, HI 96701, or you can call us on 001 808-848-5126.”

EPowersports feature new and hard to find airsoft AEGs and airsoft pistols in their inventory from Tokyo Marui, G&P, G&G, Western Arms, Marushin, Maruzen and more.

All of their Custom Airsoft Guns are hand built by Ernie, the shop owner, or their techs based on his philosophy that keeping the customer’s best interest in mind is the most important thing. Epowersports also feature internal and external airsoft gun parts from Guarder, Tokyo Marui, Systema, G&G, G&P, First Factory, Nitro, Laylax, Classic Army, Star, King Arms, Mosquito Molds, PDI, System and other fine manufacturers so they’re definitely worth a visit!

So there we have it (and not a single mention of Steve McGarrett)! If you happen to find yourself in Hawaii with a few hours to kill and that itch at the back of your neck that says “I need airsoft!” head over to EPowersports, find Kevin and tell him “Bill sent you!”

AA: Are there particular brands and models of airsoft replica that are important in Hawaii?

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CHECHEN “VOSTOK BATTALION” VOLUNTEER

2ND CHECHEN WAR CONTINUING HIS “WARRIORS” SERIES, GADGE HARVEY TAKES A LOOK AT PRO-RUSSIAN FIGHTERS FROM THE CHECHEN WAR. IF THE INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN could be said to have been “Russia’s Vietnam” then the two bloody wars it fought in Chechnya would be its Northern Ireland - only a conflict far more savage and unrelenting than anything seen in Europe.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the end to a “state ban” on organised religion (Communism being essentially atheist in nature), a succession of members of the former USSR attempted to break away, to establish either political autonomy and/or religious freedom.

One such state was the predominantly Muslim region of Chechnya. Situated to the South of Russia and bordering the country of Dagestan, Chechnya had been a thorn in Russia’s side since long before the “Red Revolution” of 1917 and the birth of the USSR. In many ways, like Afghanistan, Chechen culture was fiercely independent and prided loyalty to family and clan, or “Tiep”, more than to any “nation state”. Successive Russian Kings, Tsars and Princes had struggled to dominate the region but found a country in which young men are raised in a culture of hardy outdoors living, hunting and tribal raids for wealth and brides was hard to control.

During the period of the Soviet Union (1922 to 1991) the Soviets had managed to keep a hold on the region with the iron might of the massive Red Army and the invasive internal security of the KGB (secret police) and MVD (internal security forces). The dissolution of the USSR, however, gave Chechen nationalists and religious Imans a voice - and an opportunity to strike while Russia was still reeling from a weak economy and internal political strife.

WARRIOR CULTURE

The first Chechen War (1994 to 1996) was something of a disaster for the Russians. Poorly trained, unpaid and underequipped federal troops were fought to a standstill several times around the key city of Grozny by rebel militias and nationalists. While the Russians had superior numbers, air support and heavy weapons, the rebels were fighting for a cause, knew every street and alley and were generally superior fighters. In fact, much of the problem the Russians had in fighting the Chechen guerrillas was simply the fact that, in 48

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Warriors VOSTOK BATTALION

Soviet times, the “martial culture” of the Chechens had made them ideal for the VDV (airborne) regiments and even the elite GRU (Military Intelligence) spetsnaz – many who had served in Afghanistan. In contrast, many of the Russian soldiers sent in to fight these ex-paras and former Special Forces soldiers were teenage raw recruits with no combat experience and only a few months training.

The Russians eventually entered into an uneasy and humiliating cease fire, they returned home to lick their wounds and, most importantly, learned valuable lessons. After an a short, uneasy peace and using the pretext of a series of bomb attacks in Russia and abroad as a “causi belli”, the Russian Federation launched a more calculated and measured push on Grozny in 1999, starting the 2nd Chechen War (1999 -2009).

In the intervening years between the wars, the struggle for Chechen independence had begun to move away from a “nationalist independence” movement to a jihadist Islamic movement. Many Chechen groups, while Muslim, disliked the foreign influenced radicalism seeping into the war and, seeing the way the 2nd war was likely to go, decided to either drift away from the rebels or defect entirely to the Russians.

Realising that “the best way to catch a thief is to set a thief”, the Russians were quick to capitalise on this dissatisfaction within their enemy camp and quickly made peace offerings to some of the major Tiep clan heads and guerrilla group leaders. Among the most important of these “turned” fighting groups were the Kadyrovs and the Yamadayevs.

The Kadyrov faction was intensely loyal to, and in fact the private army of, Akhmad Kadyrov (and later his son and future president of Chechnya Razman Kadyrov). Seeking a more controllable local force, the Russians threw their efforts into bolstering the forces of the rebel Yamadayev brothers and from their forces forged two special GRU units; ZAPAD (West) and VOSTOK (East). Kept apart from the official Chechen army under Kadyrov and taking their orders from the Russian military until they were disbanded at the end of the war.

Throughout their existence, the men of “Vostok” would have a profound effect on the war. Unlike the Russian recruits they knew the tactics of the rebels and even where there base and supply routes were, allowing them to quickly put pressure on guerrilla forces. Many on these forces either gave up or defected also, slowly but surely stabilising the region. Even after their official disbandment the “successors” of the Vostok battalion have been seen aiding Russian interests in the Crimea and South Ossetia.

GRU SPETSNAZ

Our warrior this month represents a pro-Russian fighter from reconnaissance unit of the Vostok Battalion. Superficially, he is equipped in a style similar to regular Russian army units at the time, although he has some noticeable differences from the rank and file - as you would expect from a former rebel.

Perhaps quite noticeably he sports a beard, something not seen on most Russian soldiers but common among the (largely) Muslim Chechen population.

Our spetsnaz soldier’s uniform is ideal for the hot Russian summer and consists of a two piece “KML” camouflage sniper suit in “Flora” (or VSR98 as it’s also known) pattern. The KML suit was a late soviet adaptation of the KLMK one piece sniper/recce/airborne suit (and most commonly found in the “stairstep” camo pattern of the KLMK overalls) but designed to be a two-piece uniform and thus more practical. A matching camo beret comes with the suit and also an odd flora pattern cloth facemask, again a throwback to Soviet days when camouflage face paint seems to have not been issued.

Accompanying the KML suit are two items that mark our man out as being an ex-Soviet era paratrooper, or even GRU Spetsnaz: Hs VDV lace up jump boots and his light blue and white “telnyashka” striped vest top, a classic symbol of the elite airborne and Special Forces. Lastly, he has a white armband tied around one arm. As airsofters you could be

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

>GET THE

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE

TACTICAL

STOCKISTS / CATALOGUE

www.vipertactical.co.uk

Warriors VOSTOK BATTALION

forgiven for thinking that this is a “hit” bandage left on from a skirmish but in reality, it was critically important in the confused battles for Chechnya. Many rebels used looted government stocks of uniforms and equipment causing “identifying the enemy” to be a major issue. This problem was compounded by the “post-Soviet” Russian MVD wearing a bewildering variety of government issue and commercial camouflage patterns (rarely matching the same pattern on the same solider let alone a unit) and so a white armband was worn by Russian forces to prevent “blue on blue” attacks in the hellish battles for Grozny and the surrounding countryside.

The Vostok battalions were both savage professionals and hardy individuals, making them a great introduction to “Russian kit” for the airsofter interested in “Rus Fed loadouts”. The ability to freely mix and match commercial and issue kit of the era makes collecting a convincing loadout both fun and easy.

More importantly, it’s very cheap to buy! While the uniform pictured is a specialist recce suit and a little pricy, standard “flora” combat fatigues can be sourced cheaply on the internet (as can VDV vests and the other accoutrements) and while genuine SPLAV AK vests are beginning to rise in price, thankfully decent copies of them are now available at around the £30 mark.

So if you fancy being a bit of a rebel with a forsaken cause… why not look into loading up as a Vostok Battalion fighter!

MIX & MATCH COMBAT KIT

This “mix and match” approach to personal camouflage is typified here with our warrior’s choice of load bearing equipment. Here he wears a commercially available “M21” assault vest by the Russian military equipment company “Splav”, alongside a Soviet era belt and water “THROUGHOUT THEIR bottle.

The M21 vest was a hardwearing EXISTENCE, THE MEN OF and well thought out design, able “VOSTOK” WOULD HAVE A to carry at least five AK47 or AK74 magazines, illumination flares, PROFOUND EFFECT ON THE grenades, radios and knives or WAR. UNLIKE THE RUSSIAN bayonets with loops for shotgun RECRUITS THEY KNEW THE rounds inside the pouches and concealed map pockets in the interior TACTICS OF THE REBELS of the vest. Additionally, “borrowing” AND EVEN WHERE THERE the US ALICE clip system (copying BASE AND SUPPLY ROUTES Western designs was rife in the post-soviet boom in private industry) WERE, ALLOWING THEM TO extra pouches can be clipped onto the QUICKLY PUT PRESSURE ON nylon loops on the back of the vest. In this case, lightly equipped for a recce GUERRILLA FORCES.” mission, only small arms magazines, a bayonet and hand grenades are carried. While this model was designed for use with the AK series of rifles, Splav made a series of vests and chest rigs for common weapons platforms, from the AK to the MP5. This vest is in the Russian “les” (forest) pattern but again, “borrowing” from successful designs, Splav made their uniforms and vests in anything from traditional Russian stairstep KLMK-style patterns, to copies of UK DPM and US Woodland (respectively called “Smog” and “Nato” in Russian parlance).

Firepower is provided by the venerable AK74 5.54mm assault rifle. Our warrior will have been familiar with this weapon from his time in the VDV and, like many veterans, has attached a first field dressing and rubber tourniquet to the weapon’s folding stock. While this prevents the stock from folding properly it provides two advantages. Firstly, the soldier always has an immediate first aid/bullet trauma kit to hand and secondly, the rubber tourniquet insulates the metal stock and makes it more comfortable to shoot in hot or cold weather.

A further addition to his rifle is his decision to tape a second magazine to the one loaded into the weapon, to aid in fast magazine changes. The benefits of a quick change, however, are somewhat overshadowed by the potential for ingress of dirt and grit to the magazine and the possibility of a stoppage. (The blue tape on the magazines seems to be a common occurrence in photographs of the time and appears to have no special significance other than that blue tape was quite easy to find!) www.airsoft-action.online

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HELIKON-TEX: NEW LINES FOLLOWING ON FROM THE LAST ISSUE OF AIRSOFT ACTION, JERRY NOONE LOOKS AT THE NEW GEAR ITEMS DESIGNED TO FIT THE HELIKON-TEX URBAN, OUTDOOR AND RANGE LINES. HELIKON-TEX HAVE ALWAYS HAD a strong offering when it comes to “nylon gear” and accessories and the focus of their new lines brings some great new additions. They’ve obviously used their great experience and the culmination of ideas gained from gathering information in the tactical market since 1983, to create items of gear that the user actually needs.

When you’ve been around as long as they have the sheer volume of “intel” gained, both from using the gear themselves and listening carefully to the feedback of their end users, must be huge.

They’ve really put this knowledge to great use in relation to the new products, as in their tried and tested style Helikon-Tex have released just a small number of extremely focused designs which complement the other pieces they already have in their extensive range. I’ll break things down line by line so you can appreciate just how focused these new designs are.

URBAN LINE

This is what really started the Helikon-Tex evolution as the Urban Line is their take on both the challenges and routines of a modern world, merging tactical, sporting and EDC elements into one. All the designs in this line are oriented to give you sharp looks and enough space to hold all your daily stuff. Keep in mind that everybody is trying to keep “low profile” these days and that’s the rule that Helikon-Tex follow with their new Urban Line designs.

URBAN ADMIN POUCH With a growing amount of electronics to keep in order and to carry with you daily, it seemed natural to develop pouches that would help to keep all those cables, flash drives and power-banks in relative order. The Urban Admin Pouch is a MOLLE/PALS compatible admin pouch with a removable pocket insert that can be carried as a standalone wallet.

• External expandable pocket • Internal dummycording loops, Velcro panel and mesh pocket • Removable insert with numerous storage options that can be used as a wallet or standalone organiser • Front Velcro panel for Identification/ Personalization • YKK® zipper closures • DUTY BELT/PALS/ MOLLE compatible

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December 2016

POSSUM WAIST PACK The Bandicoot Waist pack is something we’ve been using since Helikon-Tex released it last year and it’s a very useful item that really is the epitome of EDC gear. It’s a medium sized waist pack and offers a number of unique features in a smooth, low-profile package. You can choose buckle placement, stow away the bag’s belt strap, remove or replace the internal Velcro insert to customise it for different applications. The four-pocket design is large enough to fit personal items along with basic medical supplies or a wind jacket.

The new Possum Waist Pack is the Bandicoot’s little brother and is still as versatile but more streamlined and compact. The internal organiser is non-removable which cuts the weight down whilst retaining all the features, which are: • Left hand / right hand configuration • Detachable/stowable belt strap • PALS/MOLLE compatible side wings • Front velcro panel for Identification/ Personalisation • YKK® zipper closures • Duraflex® buckles • Internal organiser for documents/small items • Inner mesh pocket, secure body side pocket

RANGE LINE

The guys at Helikon-Tex are shooting sports enthusiasts and the two new items in the Range Line reflect this very well indeed; it’s no wonder that they wanted to create a line with great gear for the range. No matter if you’re a Three Gun competitor, a long distance precision shooter or just a guy that shoots for skill and fun, Helikon-Tex have something new for you. From gun bags and range pants to sniper mats, you can certainly see that

Loaded or Unloaded NEW GEAR FROM HELIKON-TEX

the Range line is one of their favourites as it combines matchgrade design with actual passion.

BACKBLAST MAT Helikon-Tex have created this light shooting mat with precision shooters in mind. It rolls down into a neat package that can be carried by handle or shoulder strap. When unrolled it has a reinforced, non-slip knee and elbow area and a Velcro panel for additional ammo pouches, ballistic tables and tools. Additional features include loops for tent stakes and built-in storage pockets for them, plus a detachable bipod lanyard for added stability.

The Backblast Mat features: • Double Cordura® 500D fabric with internal closed cell foam padding • Double padding and non-slip reinforcements for elbows and knees • Cord loops for staking in strong winds/uneven terrain • Velcro panel and 3 Velcro-on pouches – non-slip pad for monopods, ammunition • wallet and DOPE clear window • Stake pouches doubling as sheaths for carrying strap and bipod lanyard • “Y” style bipod lanyard allowing to “load it” under tension, 3 points of attachment • Detachable carrying strap • Carrying handle

BRASS ROLL This is a simple, belt/MOLLE attachable, open top-pouch for everything that you don’t have a pocket for, a real “super” dump pouch. Spare ammo, spent cases, empty magazines, or gloves, you name it, it swallows them all. The top of the Brass Roll is stiffened so it stays open when you want it to but when you don’t need it you can close it with a Velcro tab or fold and roll into a small package.

The Brass Roll features: • Stiffened upper edge • Long pull handle • Folds down, fastens with Velcro panel • Narrow mesh bottom • DUTY BELT/PALS/MOLLE compatible

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CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

POSSUM Waistbag #Airsoft Acion, Oct 2016

Bandicoot’s® little brother is as versatile, but more streamlined and compact.

Internal organizer is non-removable which cuts the weight down but all the key features are there.

Features: Left hand/right hand configuration Detachable/stowable belt strap PALS/MOLLE compatible side wings Front Velcro panel for Identification/Personalization

YKK® zipper closures Internal organizer for documents/small items Inner mesh pocket, secure body side pocket EUROPEAN PATENT No. 002759688-0001

Loaded or Unloaded NEW GEAR FROM HELIKON-TEX

OUTBACK LINE

The Outback Line is where you’ll find the Helikon-Tex technical clothing and accessories concepts. You’ll find within this line both solid classics and new “light and fast” style designs; everything is included to fit your activity profile and specific needs.

Accessories developed for e Outback Line focus on travel, gear packing and outdoor expeditions.

NAVTEL POUCH

• • • • • • • • •

The Navtel pouch is medium sized, padded electronics pouch designed to be worn vertically on a backpack carrying strap or MOLLE/PALS platform, to keep accessible smartphones, GPS devices, notebook and similar items.

A simple feature set includes: YKK® zipper closure Inner velcro panel, elastic webbing and dummy-cording loop Front MOLLE/PALS webbing DUTY BELT/PALS/MOLLE compatible Padded, soft material lined main pocket, with elastic webbing retainer External pocket with dummy-cording loop, velcro closure Front Velcro panel for Identification/ Personalization DUTY BELT/PALS/MOLLE/SUSPENDER compatible

GENERAL PURPOSE CARGO POUCH This is a classic MOLLE/PALS/Belt compatible cargo pouch.

Inside it has a Velcro panel for inserts and elastic webbing to hold larger items, plus a lanyard loop for dummy-cording. It works very well as a backpack side pouch or a belt mounted cargo. Features include: • Inner velcro panel, elastic webbing and dummy-cording loop • Front MOLLE/PALS webbing • DUTY BELT/PALS/MOLLE compatible

PAKCELL SET The super lightweight, packable “Pakcells” are designed to help you organise and store your garments and gear while packing and travelling. You can stuff them into your rucsac having all items neatly packed and compressed. Having them in three sizes allows you to simply match Pakcells to your rucsac capacity without adding bulk or weight. These are very neat and useful items and all three sizes feature: • YKK® zipper closures • Lighweight micro-ripstop construction • Slim, rubberized carry handles • Velcro tab for ID and segregation • Compression with webbing and Duraflex® buckles

SUMMARY

They say that good things come in small packages and the focused new accessory items certainly hold true to this. Once again Helikon-Tex have looked to where they have gaps in their excellent offering and filled them accordingly.

With the new Urban, Outdoor and Range line concept I believe that Helikon-Tex are really onto something and I’m 100% certain that what we see from them in the future will be commendable.

Rest assured, as soon as we know what’s next in the pipeline you’ll know soon after!

The new designs are loading up onto the Helikon-Tex website as they become available, so for more information on the individual pieces and to find stockist details where you are please do visit https://helikontex.com

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QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES? THERE ARE LOADS OF AIRSOFT REVIEWERS OUT THERE. FOR EXAMPLE, AIRSOFT ACTION ALONE HAS IN EXCESS OF 30 CONTRIBUTORS, WHICH LED FRENCHIE TO ASK HIMSELF THE QUESTION… “WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?” IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT I begin a piece in Latin, mainly because I am almost completely ignorant of the language but in this case it seemed appropriate. I was moved, for reasons I shan’t bore you with, to question the nature and value of reviews recently and I thought I’d share my musings with you and a kind of sideways look at what we do here at Airsoft Action.

Reviews are the bread and butter of airsoft magazines – as contributors we are constantly looking for things to write about and giving our opinion of new and shiny kit is high up on the list of desirable subjects.

It’s a no-brainer; we get to play with something new and hopefully interesting and you get to share our excitement (or otherwise) about it. Most special interest magazines run lots of reviews for exactly this reason.

My musings, such as they were, revolved around the nature and value of reviews – which may or may not be heresy. It is true that you seldom see a bad review of airsoft guns and I have commented on that at length previously. The short version is that the vast majority of airsoft guns are perfectly fine straight out of the box and it would be nit-picking of a fairly high order to find minor faults with them. This applies to most bits of kit although for all physical objects there is a complex calculation which involves the cost of the item, the features, the desirability of those features, how well the maker has executed and presented those features. This is something that we all do to a greater or lesser extent when deciding whether or not we are going to buy something; reviewers have just done a run-through for you, although their conclusions will inevitably have an element of personal bias in them. …and that’s alright because that’s what we all do and

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nearly all readers understand that. Essentially what I’m driving at here is that all reviews of gear tend to be objective as far as they can be, which is right up to the point that subjectivity inevitably creeps in. When it does, it’s usually pretty clear and you, as readers, not only recognise it but expect it of us.

So far so good.

Where it gets more interesting is when we are reviewing things that are less tangible – sites for instance, or individual big games or retailers. When you are reviewing a bit of kit you can return to it if something occurs to you, if you are unsure of a feature or whether or not what struck you initially as a brilliant idea might actually be a long-term weakness. Not so with the list above. If, for instance, I attended a weekend game run by ABC Events I get one shot at it. If the weather is rubbish that can colour my view of what happened even though it is outwith the control of the organiser. Alternatively, I might be lucky and find myself playing with a bunch of likeminded players and have a fabulous time, simply because the company was great and this might obscure some structural failings in the game that other attendees might find infuriating.

You all know this to be the case as it is very rare to find on-line discussion of any event that is uniformly “pro” or “anti” – there is always a mix of opinions and experience.

This is equally true of, say, reviews of retailers. Generally the subject knows exactly why you are there and they will do all they can to put their best face forward. We all would, let’s be honest. This, however, presents reviewers with a

Feature WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?

conundrum – do you simply accept this impression, knowing that no-one in their right mind would intentionally make themselves look unfriendly or incompetent, or do you harden your black, journalists heart and assume that everything you are being told and shown is mere affectation and that underneath it all the poor retailer is in fact a long-lost cousin of Genghis Khan - and about as friendly towards their regular customers?

Hobsons choice…

The decision is usually to go with what you have in front of you as a snapshot of the business and its values. It obviously gets tricky because even if you feel that the subject of the review is an utter charlatan, you had better not commit that to print unless you have evidence by the barrow load. No publication or Editor is willingly going to expose themselves to a potential legal action without a damned good reason and I don’t think anyone in airsoft feels that the risk of such actions outweighs the benefit to the community of a brutally honest review.

And there’s the rub. The upshot can sometimes be that the honesty of the review is questioned because some reader has had a very different experience of the subject of the review and therefore assumes that either the reviewer is stupid (How could they not see how bad they are?!) or cravenly corrupt (They’ve been bought off with coffee and shiny things!). The fact of the matter is, that we can only work with what we have before us – if the subject of a review was unashamedly unpleasant we could and would say so. If they are friendly, apparently knowledgeable and competent, we have to write that. This is what we, as Contributors, are here for. We are not (and really cannot be) gimlet-eyed seekers after the truth regardless of who we upset. We are not investigative journalists. We are here to offer opinions, hopefully presented in an interesting and informative manner. We try to be as honest as we can,

given what we personally have experienced. Hopefully the result of this is an entertaining read that tells you something about a game, or maybe a business that you didn’t know about. At its core, however, we are offering you an opinion - it will be an opinion based on direct personal experience but it is an opinion nonetheless. As writers we work on the basis that you, the reader, understand that and when you are reading our outpourings are taking that into account. Hopefully it’s a bit like bumping into us in person and being able to ask us about something of which we have direct knowledge.

“What do you think about XYZ?” You know that what you get by way of a reply is a mix of experience and opinion.

Ultimately that is our job here; to tell you about things as we see them whilst being aware that we cannot know everything about everything (well, apart from Gadge, whose knowledge is legion!). If we can do that and entertain at the same time then we have done our job well – even if you disagree with what we say.

It’s a funny old job!

www.airsoft-action.online

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PLATOON STORES LES LEE HEADS TO ROCHESTER, TO CATCH UP WITH ONE OF THE UK’S BEST-KNOWN RETAILERS. IT IS QUITE A WELL-KNOWN FACT that Kent has a lot of top quality Airsoft sites, I can think of at least a half-dozen right off the bat and of course, with the popularity of Airsoft making it a growth industry, the hundreds of new players nationwide that are joining our community need gear, lots of gear! Therefore the ideal place to start looking is a good retailer, where you can see more than a price and a photograph as you do online, somewhere you can see and feel the quality of the kit, the weight, the fabric, style, check out your choices between brands and even try it on. It’s just a much better all-round method of buying if you are new to a specialist sport or hobby and probably the biggest advantage is that it is highly likely that you can buy the whole kit in one place. Of course this goes for novice, experienced or veteran players too because a trip to the local Airsoft shop can be a great social experience. I often wonder if I am the only person that just has to buy something, anything wherever I go “just because” and use my lame excuse “well, it’d be rude not to! “.

So the extremely lucky Kent Airsoft community has such a shop located right in the town centre of Rochester, with plenty of parking just a 5-10 minute walk to one of the South East’s premier Airsoft shops, Platoon Stores.

Peter Everett, owner/operator of Platoon Stores has a decade of hands-on experience in the world of Airsoft and if you need it, I would be very surprised if Platoon Stores didn’t have it. After

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having met Peter at many Kent Airsoft sites, either playing or running his huge mobile on-site shop, I felt a strong need to travel to Rochester and see if his high street shop was as good as his mobile one and my expectations were not only met, they were exceeded – by quite a lot.

The shop is easy to find, it is smack bang in the middle of the High Street, set within a former Bank building. Now this was simply ideal (and probably not just a coincidence) because not only does Platoon Stores carry premium quality Airsoft and general outdoors gear, Peter is also an RFD and carries a range of Section One firearms. So of course, this location was ideal because security was top notch before Pete invested in state of the art security for the shop - think “Fort Knox” and you are not far from the actual.

I was extremely impressed how the shop is designed and maintained with not even a coat hanger out of place, everything was just so tidy, which made locating items very easy indeed. As is the case with most shops, all areas of the sales floor are split into their relevant groups which ranges from tactical accessories (including one of the biggest ranges of rucksacks and backpacks I have ever seen) and a huge range of combat clothing, from entry-level gear up to high end clobber like 5.11 and every brand stocked carried the latest “just released” range, so if you are a Gucci gear gunner then you will not be disappointed.

MilSim or weekender anyone? No problem as it’s all here and, of course, a great range of most types of RIFs, snipers, support, side arms and all styles of skirmish shooters.

One of the things that did impress me was the huge selection of pouches and accessories in every brand and colour that you could want, which is something that always captures my interest - and usually my money too! There are pieces of kit here that you might have once said “I wish I had a so and so but nobody makes them” to “Hey! Look what I’ve found, I’ve been after one of these for ages” so don’t be at all surprised

Inside Airsoft PLATOON STORES

if you find that elusive part, gadget or accessory that you have been looking for.

So after taking a big old bunch of photos of this nice and bright, airy shop, I had a chance to speak to the man himself over a cuppa and ask so specific questions about life at Platoon Stores and it went something like this: Les: Hello Pete and thank you for taking the time to speak to me about Platoon Stores. I was wondering if you can cast your mind back to when, why and how it all began?

Peter: “Thanks for coming to Platoon Stores Les. We opened in 2006 principally to serve the military and cadet market in Medway, very soon we were serving the fledgling Airsoft community too. In 2007 we got both our RFD certificates and joined UKARA. “In 2008 we had outgrown our first shop and moved to larger premises, we also opened our first Airsoft site. By 2010 we were running two sites and looking for bigger premises still, which we moved into in 2012 and still occupy today. We have now closed our sites so that we can concentrate on supporting site operators with our super site shops.”

Les: Can you tell me about your staff, who’s who and what they do?

Peter: “Platoon Stores has a very tight knit team from its inception when I wanted a smart, professional team to represent Platoon Stores, this was evident not only in the shop but also on site at the skirmish sites. Over the years the team has expanded consistently and now totals five. Jim, our shop

manager has been with us for six years and not only comes from a retail background but has been involved in Airsoft in various different roles for about thirteen years. Carl is another full time member of staff, also an Airsofter and our in-house tech. Recently we have taken Emma part time and Lewis, another keen Airsofter, is our Saturday support and can be often seen with us at our site shops across Kent on Sunday’s when he’s not getting stuck in as a player.”

Les: Can you give me the shops hours, etc.?

Peter: “Open 10-5 daily, late night Thursdays. Plenty of parking locally as we are in the town centre, as well as fine pubs and restaurants. Sunday you will find us at a site.”

Les: So am I correct in saying that you are a one-stop-shop?

Peter: “We say we are “a one stop shop for the military, shooting, Airsoft and bushcraft communities” and when you visit you will see we can set you up from boots to cap, with everything in between. We want you to have the best gear for your budget, kit that won’t let you down when you need it.”

Les: Can you give our readers a heads-up about your site shops i.e. locations, frequency, etc.?

Peter: “Our site shops run at some of Kent’s finest sites: UCAP’s the Sandpit, CUF’s Battlegrounds and CUF’s Skirmish, Battle Sector X as well as the new Invicta Battlefields. So we are really busy outside the shop, and we love doing the site shops.

So if you’re opening a site, talk to us we can probably help.”

Les: So Peter, in your opinion, what will a customer experience when they step through your doors?

Peter: “Most customers appreciate the level of detail and www.airsoft-action.online

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Inside Airsoft PLATOON STORES

professionalism we put into the shop, this extends from product selection to staff depth of knowledge. It’s a big shop and well stocked, most of our visitors are really excited with what they find. We are happy to chat and answer those frequently asked questions, give advice and make friends with you.”

Les: What brands do you stock and why and some general information on best sellers, what is trending at the moment, any preferred brands and your reasons for this?

Peter: “We are very selective with products, if we wouldn’t use it ourselves we don’t stock it. We stock brands we trust and those that back us up with good service. Our current top three favourites are 5:11 Tactical, Viper Tactical and ActionSportGames (ASG) but there are many others represented here.”

Les: Do you have anything exciting planned for the future, such as stocking new brands?

Peter: “We never rest when it comes to gear and activities, there is always something happening here, but mostly it’s top secret! But it does leak out on our Instagram and Facebook sometimes.”

Les: What about info on gun repairs and after sales policy?

Peter: “We offer gun repairs and upgrades and carry a large stock of parts for customers who are happy to do their own.

However we do not do painting. All our kit carries a warranty and so do our gun repairs.”

Les: Do you have any connections with any other parties such as sites, any local teams or organisations, charities, etc.?

Peter: “We like to think we are a community hub, we encourage new players and try to point them at the right site for them. We work closely with our local sites and run site shops at some of them and supply others with essentials, this brings us to the players and gives them a continuity of seeing familiar faces. Occasionally we will rustle up a team and go and play at a local site, this is great fun. We support a local 4x4 response charity in store, SE4x4, who provide voluntary assistance to local emergency services.”

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Les: Well Peter, one last question, is there anything else that you would like to say to our loyal readers and maybe some of your future customers?

Peter: “We pride ourselves on professionalism and customer service and see ourselves as a solutions company. If you have a requirement we can probably fill it, from one small part up to kitting out a whole team we will always try to do our best. Special orders can be sourced as quickly as possible and web orders can be either dispatched, collected from the shop or taken to our site shops. Our depth of knowledge is not only Airsoft, we are keen outdoors people and often get out to practise our bushcraft and spend time on the range with our firearms.

With social media we are very contactable and will often be chatting away with customers Platoon Stores Ltd. online, helping with 70 High Street problems and offering Rochester solutions, arranging to Kent bring particular products ME1 1JY or organising delivery of 01634 829063 charged batteries to site. www.platoonstores.co.uk Look out for the Platoon sales@platoonstores.co.uk Stores and Platoon Stores Airsoft pages on Facebook and Platoon Stores on Instagram.”

So there we have it guys and gals, an up close and personal interview with Kent’s premier Airsoft shop owner Peter Everett, who is one of Airsoft’s genuine nice guys. I know Peter will welcome you along to the shop but if you can’t get into town, you will find him and his crew at one of the great Airsoft sites in Kent operating a seriously top-notch on-site shop. So if you need a certain something and you are heading for a site where Peter is going to be, he is more than happy to take along any item or part to the site so that you can make your purchase there.

Just one last thing before I go, (and this is worth knowing, trust me) check out Invicta Battlefield’s page on Facebook and look at the game dates. You will see that every date is a Saturday to cater for Airsofters that cannot make a Sunday, or simply to overdose on Airsoft over a weekend. Of course, you’ll find the Platoon Stores mobile shop there too.

Great idea Peter!

Les Out!

Contact Details:

THESE DAYS BILL THOMAS CONCENTRATES HEAVILY ON THE MILSIM SIDE OF THINGS BUT EVERY SO OFTEN HE RELISHES THE PROSPECT OF A GOOD, DOWN TO EARTH SKIRMISH DAY AND LUCKILY THERE’S A SITE RIGHT ON HIS DOORSTEP IN THE FORM OF “DARKSITE”.

R E T A W K R A D : T F O S AIR

E T I S K R A D A GOOD WHILE AGO NOW my fellow contributor Les Lee visited an indoor site run by my local outfit, Darkwater Airsoft, in Kent and came away very impressed with their “After Dark CQB” facility in Ashford. After having great success with this indoor venue, site operator Jon and his team ventured outdoors with a new woodland site just outside town and I’ve been following the establishment of this very closely indeed, as it is less than twenty minutes from my front door!

The site is classic Kentish woodland with verdant undergrowth and countless mature trees; I’ve visited now in both early spring and late summer and things truly change with the seasons. In the Winter “Darksite” is all about sound tactics, fire and manoeuvre and accuracy, whilst in the warmer, greener months of the year you can quite literally lose yourself in the undergrowth! When I first visited Jon and his team had only just started to develop things, so it was basically a real “bare-bones” site.

Over the months though, they’ve worked diligently to get things tidied up and squared away, along with

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extending the initial covered safe zone, building a chrono and testing range, clearing back the car parking area and adding numerous features and structures out in the woods. Things are still “basic” but each time I visit something new takes my eye and the site is just getting better and better. Darkwater as it is now is fronted by main man Jon, who also does all the PR, marketing and social media; he’s also the man who “meets and greets” you upon arrival at the site and from the outset it’s clear that this is a very friendly and inclusive place. Jon told me; “One thing I am proud of is our “family” feel that I believe I have had a strong influence over. Whether you’re a MilSim Major or a Newbie in Nikes, you get treated EXACTLY the same.

site DARKWATER AIRSOFT “DARKSITE”

Of course this isn’t all down to me; it’s down to the crew too. I genuinely do have one of the best crews to back me up. We’ve got creativity and practical skills coming out of our ears.”

The lead marshal, Boomer, is the go-to guy for site issues and skirmish day scenarios; he also runs a thoroughly entertaining, yet to the point Safety Briefing. Again John told me; “I mean, you could literally turn up to any site, anywhere and say “Boomer, got any game ideas?” and he’ll have you running around for 6 hours. Then there’s Allyssa, my gorgeous Mrs. She’s quiet on-site but when she’s in “Creative Mode” I need a voice recorder to keep up with the ideas. She also helps to keep me grounded.”

There is an independent supply and repairs store onsite for each game day, South East Airsoft Supplies. They

another “Vietnam” style site, there’s loads of them and they’re done well, so I thought why bother competing? I’m a big fan of all things Post-Apocalyptic (Nuclear, Viral, Extinction, etc.) so I thought to myself, why not build and develop a site that has an end of days feel?”

“Darksite” was born!

On the first Sunday of the month Darkwater run a storyline game which they call ”The Day the Earth Went Dark!” This story follows three fictional factions and their struggles in a Post-Apocalyptic wasteland.

Each game day affects the next; for instance, if one faction wins an in-game perk, that perk is available in the morning of the next game day. If a faction captures a location of importance, they start there on the next game day.

The three factions are subject to their own rules regarding medic and fire style.

The Fighting – This group is made up from what’s left of the European Military since the “bombs detonated”. They stand for order and have a regimented view of how the wastelands should be run. They play on Semi Auto Only unless otherwise stated.

The Survivors - These guys are self-explanatory.

They’ve seen the horrors of the wastelands and have scavenged themselves quite a large arsenal despite being raided by the Fighting on more than one occasion. They play on Semi or Full Auto unless otherwise stated.

The Crawling - These poor souls were at ground zero and subjected to huge amounts of radiation, which has affected

“I’VE NOW ATTENDED ONE OF THE “THE DAY THE EARTH WENT DARK!” GAME DAYS AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT THEY ARE AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF FUN; IF YOU WANT TO CHANNEL YOUR INNER “RICK GRIMES” OR CARRY YOUR VERY OWN “BOOK OF ELI” THEN “DARKSITE” IS A GREAT PLACE TO DO IT!“

also help with building and maintaining the site and provide an awesome range of products on game days at very competitive prices. They are also available online, web and Facebook and are well worth checking out (www.seairsoft.co.uk).

A BIT DIFFERENT

Darkwater Airsoft do offer standard skirmish days and its usual drills here. Gates are open at 08:30 for chrono and setup, they aim to be fighting by 10:00, lunch around 12:30 and Endex at 16:00. Expect to be run ragged, have a great laugh and leave with a smile. They run old favourite games on their skirmish days and the occasional FilmSim thrown in for good measure.

Site fees are £20 walk on but from November through to March it’s dropped to £15, to encourage more players out; sound thinking here. They’ve also just secured facilities for tea and coffee to be on the go all day too and they’ll be throwing in a lunch in the New Year. Rentals are £35 for an M4, 5,000 BBs and Face Pro. FPS limits are (on .20g BBs); anything with Full Auto Capacity 350fps, DMR or Semi Rifles 450fps (35m min engagement) and Bolt Action or Gas Snipers 500fps (35m min engagement).

So much so standard but it’s Darkwater’s on-going themed days that really give them their “USP” and when I asked Jon about this unique style of game he told me: “Yeah, that’s true, it is pretty unique. I didn’t want to do yet

their D.N.A in such a way that they’re difficult to kill monsters, not zombies but close. They run berserk on Full Auto at all times!

Whilst Jon doesn’t enforce a dress code, he does have regular players who use a Post-Apocalyptic Loadout (which he loves and encourages) and they are looking to expand this further. For the themed days, Darkwater currently have seven specific and mapped locations on site; Citadel Bastion, Megaton Village, Crawler Town, The Market, House on the Pond, The Bunker and the Vertibird Crash Site. All of the locations are different to the others, in the sense that you can’t just walk straight in and take control.

I’ve now attended one of the “The Day the Earth Went Dark!” game days and I have to tell you that they are an immense amount of fun; if you want to channel your inner “Rick Grimes” or carry your very own “Book of Eli” then “Darksite” is a great place to do it!

Darkwater have also recently gone live with some test Night Games on the site and given the remoteness of it these are pretty challenging affairs; according to Jon: “Holy crap, it was dark! I jumped out of my skin several times and fell over four times. That aside, it was brilliant, great feedback from all the players and some really useful feedback about where I need to improve. That’s what they’re all about, Darkwater learning and developing to provide a better game day (or night). We’re certainly planning more of these as the schedule allows!”

GIVING BACK

As well as offering some well-thought out, yet different gameplay, Jon and his team believe in being part of the wider

www.airsoft-action.online

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site DARKWATER AIRSOFT “DARKSITE”

“HOLY CRAP, IT WAS DARK! I JUMPED OUT OF MY SKIN SEVERAL TIMES AND FELL OVER FOUR TIMES. THAT ASIDE, IT WAS BRILLIANT, GREAT FEEDBACK FROM ALL THE PLAYERS AND SOME REALLY USEFUL FEEDBACK ABOUT WHERE I NEED TO IMPROVE.”

community and in truly “doing their bit” They recently ran a Charity Game Day to support the Spartan Warrior PTSD Charity so I asked Jon how that had come about?

Yeah man. What an awesome day that was. I met “Snowy”, the face of Spartan Warrior, at a military show, we got chatting and he explained that 100% of the donations received went to supporting those with PTSD and that none of the team took a salary. He went on to explain that because they were small, they were often overlooked and as a result, the money they generated was minimal but he was proud to be doing something. The guy had a sparkle in his eye, you know?

“I knew I had to do something to help them out. On the day we ended up with 42 players. It wasn’t a “serious” day as I wanted it to be fun for all abilities and not to exclude anyone.

A couple of rounds of Capture the Flag, Domination and Attack and Defend.”

Jon also told me that he was very fortunate that the event caught the eye of a few well known folks within the Airsoft Community and a local site. They had donations from Mid Wales Airsoft, Super Mega Tactical Airsoft News, James Brookes

(UKMCPRO) and Cool Under Fire which he told me was a very humbling experience.

South East Airsoft Supplies dug deep into their own pockets with the raffle, the prizes included a Bulldog Tactical Range Bag, an Enola Gaye Pyro Bundle, 10kg of 0.25g BBs, a WE M9 Gas Blowback Pistol and their star prize of a TM AA12. All proceeds went to the Charity.

And on the day the Darkwater crew raised a staggering £1,300 for Spartan Warrior (www.spartan-warrior.com) which will be put to great use and as Jon stated “ If I’m honest, that was what it was all about, it was for them and those who suffer PTSD.” Darkwater Airsoft already have a loyal following of regulars but like any good site they always welcome new faces and if you like the sound of what’s on offer here then you should check them out. The website www.darkwaterairsoft.co.uk and is currently being re-vamped to include booking facilities and a forum for discussions, news, reviews and competitions.

Jon wants to move away from Facebook as their regulations are becoming stricter by the day. That being said they can be found at facebook.com/darkwaterdarksite and on Instagram @ Darkwaterairsoft “Darksite” itself is situated at Dering Wood, Church Lane, Shadoxhurst, Kent TN261LZ, just off the M20 near Ashford so it’s very easy to get to.

If you want a cracking skirmish day, or like me, fancy a bit of “End of Days” airsofting then “Darksite” is well worth a visit!

www.airsoft-action.online

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AIRSOFT ACTION’S RUSSIAN CONTRIBUTORS, MARTY AND MARTA, WRITE ABOUT HOW QUICKLY ACTION AIR HAS GROWN IN RUSSIA AND HOW QUICK RUSSIA WAS TO RECOGNISE IT AS A SPORT.

ACTION AIR HAS COME A LONG WAY as a sport in Russia thanks to the Russian airsofters and Russian IPSC. While the first “underground” competition took place 4 years ago, it was only in the last year that Action Air was officially recognized as a sport in the Russian Federation.

How does one of the youngest sports in Russia develop and what are the prospects for the athletes today? We talked with the champion of the Moscow region on Action Air in 2016, the commander of the Stavropol airsoft team “Assault Group “Angels”, Dmitry Shvets. Dmitry Shvets has played airsoft for 9 years and Action Air for 3 years.

Dmitry, today you and members of your team are recognized champions in Russian Action Air. I think it is no exaggeration to say that the practical shooting from airsoft guns has appeared in the south of Russia thanks to your team. What prompted you to do this sport?

“Thank you for the flattering compliment. In fact, when we had begun to do Action Air, this term in Russia and Russian language did not exist. Four years ago during an off-season period, our team began to organize Christmas meetings. When more or less airsofters came to life after the celebration of the New Year (Author’s note: In Russia the official New Year’s 66

December 2016

weekend is from 1 till 10 January, and the Orthodox Christmas is January.), we gathered everyone in our club. This meeting had two reasons – to talk with friends and to compete in the shooting accuracy. We began to gradually complicate the exercises, we searched new and different exercises on the Internet. Practical shooting in Russia at that time was only with a firearm.”

Did you act by trial and error?

“Yes, exactly that. I always say, if you want to learn how to shoot – just shoot. The first tools for training we have did manually. I myself took a cardboard box, cut out targets from the box and manually painted them. For example, for the first competition I had been manually making targets four nights in a row in my kitchen. Some comrades constructed the timer for time measurement. We rented an old shooting range, rebuilt it and started classes. At that time (four years ago) there were only a few people in our community. We were almost the first in our region who are engaged in Action Air. We got information about exercises also from the Internet – both videos and manuals.”

Where else did you get methods and exercises for

International RUSSIAN ACTION AIR

practical shooting?

“We were helped by the local military units. We literally begged them to train, from Special Forces as far as collectors. The shooting technique of airguns is virtually identical to the firing of firearms, the only big difference is the elimination of delays.

In pneumatics, if we did not leave the ball, we change the magazine.

At the firearms weapon you push the cartridge. I had one interesting case about this.

“About a year ago we went to the big competition in practical shooting of firearms. I had a crazy idea, so I just threw reflexes reloaded (put a new magazine in the gun). Although there was enough to throw off the defective cartridge. By the way, at those events we were very decent, we were in the top five in almost all exercises. Only one exercise - shooting over long distances - gave us difficulty. We did not know the ballistics of rented firearms.”

Which gun do you prefer for Action Air? “I prefer the Glock 17 pistol. Yes, it has a kind of grip but it is very useful and widespread all over the world. Glock is used by different armies, including the Russian Army. It means, wherever I go, I always find this gun in the shooting ranges.

The only difference between the combat and noncombat gun is the recoil. So I can always exercise with the Glock. In addition, it is very easy to find all the accessories for the Glock: holster, pouches and more.

“Naturally, in the world of shooters, they prefer to compete with a standard class. However, in Russia it is more

“ACCURACY, CLARITY AND SPEED OF FIRING - THESE ARE THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS IN OUR SPORT. AGREE, THEY ARE THE SAME AS IN AIRSOFT. FRANKLY, PRACTICAL SHOOTING LESSONS DO NOT GO IN VAIN. WE WERE COMPETING WITH PISTOLS WITH OTHER TEAMS. OUR SUCCESSES CAN BE SEEN VERY CLEARLY: WE SHOOT MORE CLEARLY AND ACCURATELY AND RELOAD MUCH FASTER.” ourselves “The North Caucasus”. We came together in cloaks and hats. We not only attracted some attention but also won prizes.

“We began to travel to other regions, when we realized that our city became too small for us. In games with other teams we began to win consistently. Of course, it flatters vanity but you need to develop further. And we learn, every event, every workout are learning processes for us. The best training is competition, in my opinion. You can see comrades’ techniques.

After the competition, we always discuss new techniques and come up with training exercises to perfect these skills.”

It turns out that the first official sports competitions in Action Air in Russia took place in September 2016?

“It turns out that way. Members of the competition can even get a sports categories. Of course, there is no division in the fire of combat or air pistols yet. Therefore, we have every chance to become one of the first to get on the level of practical airsoft shooting.

“It is interesting, that the most successful and famous world champion in Practical Shooting is a young Russian woman, Maria Gushina. Today our friends come to trainings with their daughters, and girls like to shoot.”

Who judges the competition?

“Judges of the competition for Action Air are the same people

popular to use a production class. This is due to the fact that are there are no strict requirements for the weapon in this category. Accordingly, the choice is bigger and it is easier (and cheaper) to buy a gun.

“It is interesting that I use a gun that I bought for 5,000 rubles (near $80) a few years ago. My opponents from larger cities buy their guns (for example, HiCapa, sports version of the Colt pistol) for 50 thousand rubles. Yet I am still the winner.”

Do you remember your first competition outside the region?

“Oh sure. It was last year in Moscow.

The competition called “Faberge Eggs”.

These competitions were like a test-drive for Russian rules of Action Air. It was successful. Then there was the event in Ryazan, where we went a large team with players not only our team but also from the neighboring towns. Therefore we called

www.airsoft-action.online

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International RUSSIAN ACTION AIR

who judge firing a firearm. They went to a judge’s course and have received approval from the Russian IPSC. Once again, there is virtually no difference between the shooting of firearms or airguns. By the way, there are the same stringent requirements when it comes to safety rules. We are equals with our Western colleagues when it comes to safety.”

What do you get from practical shooting skills? Does it help to be successful in airsoft events?

“Accuracy, clarity and speed of firing - these are the basic requirements in our sport. Agree, they are the same as in airsoft. Frankly, practical shooting lessons do not go in vain. We were competing with pistols with other teams. Our successes can be seen very clearly: we shoot more clearly and accurately and reload much faster. Sport shooting teaches people to use a gun in atypical situations.”

What is your favourite exercise?

In practical shooting there is no typical exercise and this is its charm. However, there is one nice thing - dueling. This is dynamic, you should use a factor of good luck and fortune.

The victory in duels is prestigious. When we did not have instruments to secure the firing time, we began to compete in duels.”

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How interesting Action Air for wide range of people?

What, in your opinion, the prospects for development for this sport?

“Today Action Air in Russia has quite a few participants.

Basically they are airsofters. After all, we have everything you need in advance for practicing this sport, and we have a lot of time for training in the off-season.

“This fall in the Moscow Cup region, there were only 50 participants: from Moscow and another five Russian cities.

Therefore, for those who want to develop in this direction, now we have all the opportunity to become well-known and successful persons. Action Air is being born and developed in Russia right now. If someone wants to show excellent results, they have all the possibilities.”

ABOUT THE TEAM “ANGELS

Assault Group “Angels” founded in 2005 in Stavropol – town with population over 400 000 people on the South of Russian. “Angels” replicate assembly image of the Russian special purpose units. Pay attention to patriotic education. The team members use camouflage “Russian figure for summer backgrounds” and Gorka costumes, weapons - AK-guns.

Action Air was adopted by IPSC (International Practical Shooting Confederation) in 2008 at the General Assembly following the IPSC Handgun World Shoot XV in Bali, Indonesia and the first approved rule book came in 2009. Up until then, the sport had already been held in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan for more than ten years.

In June 2014 there was an order issued the Ministry of Sports of Russia to add “Practical Shooting” from air pistol and carbine into list of disciplines of Practical Shooting. On May 3, 2015 the President of the Federation of practical shooting of Russia approved the rules for the practical air pistol shooting.

Alexander Levchenko, Maria Litvinova

GITAG AK TWINS!

SEEING

AK DOUBLE!

JERRY NOONE LOVES A GOOD AK AND STRIVES FOR PERFECTION IN HIS OWN RIFS AND IN TRUE GEEK STYLE HE DECIDED THAT HAVING BUILT HIS IDEAL “TACTICOOL” GBB AK HE NEEDED TO REPLICATE IT IN AEG FORM! AMONGST MY AIRSOFT ACTION colleagues I’m well known for being a total and utter geek when it comes to my own RIFs and when it comes to my “Russian” rifles and pistols I often take a right, good-natured ribbing from Nige; in fact it’s a regular question from him, “So how many Makarovs and AKs is that now?” However, when I do add something to my own personal armoury there’s usually a very good reason for it (at least a reason I can justify to myself!), for instance adding a C02 Makarov to the pistol collection so that it will be reliable even on the very coldest Winters day.

Over the course of the past couple of years I’ve been working mainly on my AK collection. Starting off with a two AEG models, upgrading these both internally and externally, these were sold off to fund a gas replacement in the form of the WE Airsoft Europe (WEAE) AK-PMC featured in an earlier issue of Airsoft Action, where I retrofitted it with some glorious woodwork. I picked up a WEAE SU second hand and refurbished that by having it Cerakoted and again adding the correct woodwork. After using these for a while and being very pleased (ecstatic!) with their performance I decided that I would save up for a second AK-PMC but build that up to 100% current day spec.

Having spoken to numerous “AK Friends” both at home and abroad, I figured out that what I wanted was a full length AK fitted with an up-to-date stock, pistol grip, flash-hider and a top of the line rail system to accommodate optics. Speaking to my friend Michael from AK47Chatterbox.com, our newest contributor Taz and to an old mate in the USA who’s a bit of a real-steel AK “Guru”, I started building up a folder of “modern AK” images and then trawled the interwebz for the parts I needed. www.airsoft-action.online

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A

C

B I decided to start with a FAB Defense GL Shock stock, which although originally designed for AR platforms would work well with the buffer tube of the AK. The GL-Shock is a mil-spec reinforced composite polymer stock with a recoil-reducing mechanism with a built-in premium silicon chrome alloy spring.

In the real deal the spring mechanism can absorb excessive recoil, with about 3/4-inch of spring-loaded travel. You can fit Picatinny rails on both sides of the stock just in front of the adjustment screws for the five-position adjustable elevated cheek-piece but I decided this was too much for me, liking to keep things “clean”. The buttpad is generous in size and made of ribbed, non-skid rubber and has a watertight battery storage compartment that will hold two CR123A or AA batteries. There are also integrated QD sling swivel connectors on both sides of the stock. I’d seen one of these stocks on an updated Russian Special Forces AK-105 so it seemed a great modern choice, especially given the cheek riser to marry it up to a modern optic.

Next up was the pistol grip and as I already had a tan IMI Defense AK EG grip quite literally “in hand” that was a no brainer; this grip is a superior, ergonomic pistol grip with anti-slip textured finger grooves and backstrap so perfect for the build. I looked very carefully at flash-hiders as there are numerous fancy AK variants available today but eventually decided to use a Mad Bull licenced reproduction of the LANTAC Drakon based on some cracking videos online; Mad Bull actually only make the 5.56mm Dragon but the differences

D

E

F

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G

DECember 2016

GITAG AK TWINS!

between that and the larger calibre AK model are minimal, so good to go!

Now the rail… initially I had thought to “follow the herd” by using some tried and tested Zenit accessories but then, thanks to a series of pictures on AK47Chatterbox. com, my mind was made up and I started searching for an X-47 rail system from TDi Arms. This system is the world’s first five rail system for the AK47/AK74. Exceptional design allows numerous mission specific accessories, including large optics to be mounted.

It’s a three-part modular system, CNC machined from aviation grade aluminium which features 5 MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny handguard rails, with the rear rail specifically designed for heavy optics; as I intended to use a NUPROL PHANTOM 4x32 “ELCAN” style scope to round things out this seemed the perfect solution. Through lots of grovelling to my friends in the USA I finally secured one.

As it turned out, everything fitted beautifully and solidly together and gave my AK a really distinctive look. The last thing to add was a foregrip and this can be tricky with AKs due to the fact that the curved magazine tips forward as you release them but luckily the solution came in the form of one of the new VGS grips from Valken; these are cut away at the back and give more than enough clearance for the magazine.

A quick trip to the painting table and all was good!

H

I

MILSIM NOT SKIRMISH

With the build complete I had my perfect modern OPFOR rifle set up to work with my PenCott GreenZone gear and once again the WEAE AK has proved to be an absolute beast; at 387fps on a .20g I use it in semi-auto mode only as a DMR for MilSim games and there’s already a few well-earned notches on the stock. Using real-cap magazines this is by no means a skirmish gun though, so I decided just to replicate the whole thing in AEG form so I could run it at any site.

I already had a donor RIF for this in the form of an old CYMA “Tactical AK” that had been lying part-built in the workshop for some time. As much as I wanted it to mirror my gas rifle I didn’t want it to be as expensive a build, so I set about looking for replica parts rather than real, as with parts and shipping taken into account, my gas build had ended up costing me a good £500+ in addition to the rifle itself! Luckily the CYMA already had a buffer tube and modern pistol grip and sourcing the Mad Bull flash hider was straightforward.

Another Valken grip was ordered and I managed to find a replica GL Shock stock online for under thirty quid. But the rail… oh, what to do?

A real X-47 rail system will set you back iro US$380 and there was no way I was going to put one of those onto a £150 replica! With some diligent searching though I discovered a JG Works replica; the only problem though was at the time of the build the only people to have them in stock were the mighty, USA-based EVIKE. With nothing to lose I emailed them; I’ve dealt with them before as they do ship overseas and their service has always been impeccable and once again in this instance they did not disappoint!

After a few emails back and forth and me explaining what the rail system would be used for, they shocked the hell

J

K

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GITAG AK TWINS!

L

M

N out of me by saying “Well, we normally don’t do things with magazine reviewers outside the USA but in this instance we will send you a sample; you’ve been recommended to us by Danny from NUPROL, so there will be a rail shipped to you.”

Stone me! You could have knocked me down with a feather, thanks Danny! Throughout the build the guys at EVIKE have been absolutely outstanding and their service exemplary; if you’re looking for something rare or unusual then I really would recommend you have a gander at www.EVIKE.com.

MIRROR MIRROR!

After a thorough cleaning and a little internal fettling to ensure everything was in good, serviceable order, with the parts ready and waiting it was time to get the build together. With the new flash hider installed (Pic A), now came the task of fitting the rail system which I’ll detail as it comes with no instructions whatsoever!

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O

The rail comes in an unassuming cardboard box with some not particularly useful pictures on the front (Pic B) but inside, packaged very well indeed are the three component rail parts (lower front, upper front and upper rear) which helpfully arrive fitted together so you can see how they work (Pic C). Also included are ten allen bolts, four short, two medium and four long, along with the correctly sized allen key.

First up I needed to remove the existing front end, which is achieved in this case by removing the railed gas tube, then flipping the small lever on the front handguard retainer over to release it so that you can slide out the lower handguard (Pic D, E). With these two parts removed I then fitted a classic AK gas tube (Pic F). The new, railed metal lower has a part which needs fitting, a small plate which secures to the front handguard retainer; fit this before you slide the lower rail into place using one of the medium length bolts (Pic G). With this done the rail simply slides onto the body of the AK and is locked in place by the front retainer (Pic H).

Now it’s onto the upper front rail and this drops into place snugly inside the lower front and using the four long bolts this is secured in place (Pic I); do take care that you line all the bolts up properly before applying pressure so as not to deform the threads. Before moving to fit the upper rear rail flip the AK rear sight over (Pic J); I’ve found this makes the fitting smoother and easier. As you slide the upper rear rail into place you’ll need to pull the cocking handle back as the fit really is that snug; as it gets into final position things really start to tighten up as the last piece of the puzzle goes into place and you secure everything together using the four short bolts (Pic K) The final mid-length bolt then goes into the hole at the rear of the lower front rail section to clamp it to the body (Pic L).

And basically you’re good to go! Once this JG rail system is in place it is 100% solid as a rock (Pic M); although the replica rail is not aircraft grade alloy it is solid metal and feels like it will take an awful lot of abuse. The upper rear rail is beautifully shaped and in terms of functionality works perfectly with the controls of the AK platform it sits atop (Pic N). With the Valken grip in place you’d be hard-pressed to tell that this was a replica as it stands up almost perfectly against the real thing and when painted I believe this will be all the more true.

The replica stock is also spot on, so with a total spend of just over £120 minus the donor rifle, compared to the cost of the parts for the gas build, I’ve ended up with a very tasty, unique and highly functional AEG that at 1.02 Joule/332fps is perfect for the skirmish field and that is the exact mirror of my MilSim rifle; this is good of course for skills and drills and means I can use the same optics on both rifles too (Pic O). Now it’s just the matter of taking the newly updated AEG to the paint table and its job done!

I have to say that when it comes to building my own rifles and indeed pistols, I am more than happy, indeed proud, to be a member of the Brother and Sisterhood of Geeks; come join us and revel in your own “geek-ness”, you’ll be VERY welcome!

Once again my sincere thanks go to Danny from NUPROL and the wonderful team at www.EVIKE.com for their help in providing the replica rail system and optic featured in this build.

If you fancy a JG X-47 rail or a PHANTOM optic for your own AK then please do tell them that Airsoft Action sent you when you place your order.

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GOING DOWN THE TUBE! IT ALL STARTED WITH A grenade, the M10, that was frankly too big and too heavy to throw and it ended up being one of the most iconic weapons of the Second World war – used in every major theatre and widely copied by friend and foe alike.

In an ironic twist of near-epic proportions, its originators ended up copying the copy. All this fuss over a tube! Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls I give you the PPS M9A1 Bazooka!

In some respects the M9A1 represents the absolute worst nightmare for a reviewer. The original was a tube, the airsoft version is mostly a tube (we’ll come to the differences in due course). It does one thing and one thing only, you cannot conceivably use it for say, CQB. It is so utterly of its period that it is difficult (although not impossible) to use it outside that period, although being airsoft I wouldn’t let that stop me. I mean what exactly can you say about something like this?!

I think a little history is in order and the M9A1 does have quite an interesting story behind it.

In the early 1940s the US Army had developed a shapedcharge anti-armour grenade, the M10. The problem with the M10 was that at 3.5lbs in weight it was too heavy to throw, too heavy to be launched as a rifle grenade and the only option was for the soldier to place the grenade against its target – and we all know how that worked out in Saving Private Ryan.

The Army therefore redesigned the M10 as the smaller M9, which could be fired as a rifle grenade and could penetrate about 2 inches of armour.

This left the M10 and the US Army kindly dropped the problem of what to do with the grenade in the lap of Colonel Leslie Skinner. As all good officers do, Col. Skinner delegated, passing the problem to Lieutenant Edward Uhl. It was to be Uhl’s task to find a way to bring the more powerful M10 grenade and enemy armour together in a manner that didn’t

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“SHOULDER YOUR WEAPON!” TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING AS FRENCHIE GETS TO GRIPS WITH SOMETHING A BIT BIGGER THAN YOUR AVERAGE AEG…

Armoury PPS M9A1 BAZOOKA

inevitably kill the operator. The story Uhl told was that having determined that a rocket motor was the most feasible option available to him, he was left with the problem of turning this idea into a useable weapon system. One day he was passing a scrap pile and noticed a discarded tube that appeared to be of a similar diameter to the M10/rocket combination. It immediately occurred to him that this was the solution to his problem – if the grenade could be launched from a simple tube mounted on the infantryman’s shoulder he would have a workable solution to the problem.

The original M1A1 Bazooka was a relatively simple affair, a single tube with a wooden shoulder stock and handgrip which used batteries to electrically ignite the rocket motor. Basic iron sights were fitted at the muzzle, graduated for 100, 200 and 300 yards. After a series of issues with the M6 rocket (the designation given to the new projectile) a number of changes were made to the launcher itself. The batteries were replaced by a magneto system (a dynamo activated by squeezing the trigger), an improved sighting system was fitted and finally the tube itself was split in two to be joined using a bayonet lug round about the mid-point. Although this was all intended to make the Bazooka more portable, especially for airborne troops, the weight went up considerably. The original M1 weighed in at just under 13 lbs, the new M9A1 (as it was designated) weighed a couple of pounds more and was seven inches longer when assembled. A variety of ammunition was available for the Bazooka from armourpiercing shaped charge, through White Phosphorous incendiary to chemical, although this latter was never issued to troops in the field.

Bazookas were sent to the Russian front in 1942 and were used by US Army troops during Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. It was inevitable that the German forces should capture some and they duly did. In typical style they determined the 60mm diameter projectile to be too small and developed their own, larger, 88mm ammunition for the new Panzerschreck.

Later in the war the US Army tested both their own M9 and the Panzerschreck against a captured Panther tank and were so impressed by the German weapon that it led to the development of the 3.5” M20 Super Bazooka, although this

“IT FREELY ADJUSTS FOR ELEVATION BUT IN TRUTH YOU ARE GOING TO POINT THIS THING TOWARDS THE ENEMY AND PULL THE TRIGGER WITH YOUR CROSSED FINGERS! A SNIPER’S WEAPON THIS ISN’T!” www.airsoft-action.online

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Armoury PPS M9A1 BAZOOKA

wouldn’t see service during WWII. Finally that name… “Bazooka”. During the 1930s in America comedian Bob Burns achieved a great deal of success by playing an instrument he designed, called “the Bazooka”.

It was the resemblance to this that prompted the troops to christen their new weapon as they did.

Right, so what do we have from PPS? Firstly we have a ruddy great box even though the Bazooka itself comes broken down into its principal parts.

“I DOUBT WE WILL SEE MANY OF Nestling inside the foam lining THESE ON SITES AROUND THE UK are the two halves of the tube AND THAT’S UNDERSTANDABLE along with the optical sight which has to be bolted into BUT A SHAME. IT’S A FANTASTIC place. It has a fair weight to it REPLICA AND THERE IS A REAL as you would expect from its SENSE OF PRESENCE ABOUT IT.” all-metal construction. It’s not all steel, but large chunks of it are.

It’s painted overall in olive drab and the paintwork is uniformly good throughout.

The tubes themselves are aluminium which keeps the weigh lower than the original, although it’s not the lightest launcher out there!

All the fixtures and fittings are accurately reproduced, mostly in metal although the clamp that prevents the projectile from falling out the back of the Bazooka in the real world is plastic. That’s fine as

it serves no purpose. The hook and clamp system that allows you to carry the two halves locked together(but not actually assembled) works really well and is most welcome as once assembled this thing is pretty damned long.

The trigger group is mounted immediately before the bayonet lugs on the rear half of the tube and is spectacular in its simplicity. The two-fingered trigger, necessary in the original to help the operator activate the magneto, sits within a simple steel trigger guard. There is a basic sliding safety catch mounted on the left-hand side of the flat grip, falling comfortably beneath the firer’s thumb. The bent steel shoulder support is very well replicated and is, in my opinion, splendid in its simplicity.

Mounted just behind the trigger is the sight unit. This has to be bolted in place and consists of a simple cross-hair mounted in a short tube. The front of it is protected by a simple flip up cover. It freely adjusts for elevation but in truth you are going to point this thing towards the enemy and pull the trigger with your crossed fingers! A sniper’s weapon this isn’t!

The front end is unadorned apart from the bayonet lug and the blast diffuser. The Blast diffuser is really the business end (literally) of this replica as it is here that the gas grenade sits – everything else is there to some extent simply to press the firing button on the base of the grenade.

There is a single grenade included with the Bazooka, however, it should fire any airsoft 40mm grenade including TAG rounds, which in this case may be where it will excel. There is absolutely no barrel to speak of as these are contained within the grenade – for what they’re worth…

Loading the Bazooka is easy – twist the blast diffuser and withdraw the short tube that contains the grenade. Insert a loaded grenade and replace the diffuser. Safety off and squeeze the trigger. That’s it. If you’re going to use this in-game, I can easily see it being a two-man job, as was the original.

The actual performance of the M9 is entirely dependent on the grenades chosen. At its least useful it is a massive shotgun with limited range but with TAG smoke rounds, for instance, it could be a really useful and impressive feature of a game, being deployed against fixed or moving targets at range.

The M9A1 will set you back a penny less than £300 £299.99. That is a lot of money for a grenade launcher and you might feel understandably wary about laying out that sort of cash on something that will do fundamentally the same job as a far cheaper under-barrel launcher. So you’re not going to spend that sort of money just to make gas grenades go “bang”. Rather you’ll spend the money because you really want a decent replica of this iconic weapon. Although they were very common in WWII, they are not easily found these days and this is a fantastic way to own one of these weapons.

In addition, unlike a de-activated version, you can use it in game although you’ll have to think carefully about how to get the best out of it.

Personally I love it, although I would be pushed to find the money to buy one. I love it because it’s really cool, seriously. It looks and feels great, it’s one of those weapons that is instantly recognisable and would undoubtedly strike a certain amount of fear in opposing players. It is a valuable addition to those of us for whom airsofting is of a more re-enacting bent, a group still poorly served in terms of available guns.

I can do nothing really than applaud this, no matter how much of a handful it might be. I doubt we will see many of these on sites around the UK and that’s understandable but a shame. It’s a fantastic replica and there is a real sense of presence about it. It’s like getting behind a decent M60 replica or a M2 50 Cal – you feel that things have just got a bit more serious. For that alone I am pleased that it exists, even if it will remain a fairly niche product. In fact, the biggest single drawback to the M9A1 is the lack of armour in airsoft which means a lack of worthy targets.

My thanks to LandWarrior Airsoft for allowing me to make off with one of these without adult supervision.

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79

NIGE PHONED THE LUCKY WINNER OF A RECENT COMPETITION AND FOUND OUT THEY HAD SPOKEN BEFORE

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE “AM I SPEAKING TO DAVE LANGDOWN?” I asked of the voice at the other end of the phone. “Yes” it replied, “you are.”

“It’s Nige here, from Airsoft Action and I’ve got some brilliant news for you. You’ve won our ASG, Accuracy International, ASPUK competition!”

“That’s awesome!” was the reply, “I can’t believe it!”

“Yeah, I know Dave. It’s an absolutely stonking, once-in-alifetime prize mate!”

“Not just that but it’s the second time I’ve won one of your competitions!!”

Now it was my turn to be surprised, as it turned out that Dave had also won the Force Core M4 comp we’d run a couple of years ago but this, this was something completely different.

Regular readers might remember that back in Issue 63, which came out in June, I had a superb day visiting Accuracy International, curtesy of ActionSportGames (ASG) and while there, not only got to shoot “The Best Sniper Rifle In The World” but also spend time with its original designer, Dave Walls.

It was a truly eye-opening experience and one that I will treasure for a very, very long time.

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between Accuracy International and ASG, who own the licence to produce airsoft replicas of Accuracy’s awesome rifles. I still remember the look on Dave Walls’ face when ASG’s UK Sales Manager, Paul Wignell, opened the box and presented him with the airsoft version of his own rifle! As ASG are officially licenced to produce the AW 308, it looks just like the real thing and Dave was suitably impressed with the (if you’ll pardon the unintended pun) accuracy of the replica.

Whilst we were chatting the germ of an idea grew and it was suggested that maybe we could run one of our famous Reader Competitions, with the winner being given a guided tour of Accuracy International and even getting to shoot a 308.

Then Paul suggested that ASG could give an AW 308 away as part of the prize, signed by Dave Walls… and wouldn’t it be great if we could get “Sniper One” to join us, give the winner some sniping tips and also sign the prize… and wouldn’t it be even better if ASPUK had the rifle first and did all manner of upgrades to it… and that’s how it turned into the most staggering single prize that Airsoft Action has ever given away.

A truly once-in-a-lifetime prize that would never, ever be repeated. …and that is also how, a few months later, I found myself

Competition Winner DAVE LANGDOWN

room as before, aptly named “Sniper 1” – needless to say, Dan could not resist having his photo taken with the door plaque!

We were joined by Dave Walls and Tom Irwin and following introductions and congratulations to Dave (Langdown) for winning, had the opportunity to just sit and chat for a while before setting off for a tour of the facility.

As before, it was fascinating to see the total care and attention to detail poured into every rifle and how lumps of bland metal are turned into a thing of beauty. Again, I was totally stunned when we were allowed into the “inner sanctum” of the armoury, to drool over what lies inside. Let’s just say that if you like your guns, you would probably come over “all unnecessary” at what is kept in this room!

Back up in “Sniper 1”, Accuracy had laid on a wonderful lunch for us, which gave us chance to chat some more with

“I WAS TOTALLY STUNNED WHEN WE WERE ALLOWED INTO THE “INNER SANCTUM” OF THE ARMOURY, TO DROOL OVER WHAT LIES INSIDE. LET’S JUST SAY THAT IF YOU LIKE YOUR GUNS, YOU WOULD PROBABLY COME OVER “ALL UNNECESSARY” AT WHAT IS KEPT IN THIS ROOM!” back at Accuracy International with a very, very happy prize winner.

We wanted to do something a bit different and make it more than just “Well done, here’s your prize!” and so Dave was invited to join me, Paul from ASG and Paul from ASPUK, along with Sniper One himself, Dan Mills, at the Queens Hotel in Southsea for dinner and a few drinks the evening before. The walk to Gunwharf Quays built an appetite and also allowed us to stare up at The Spinnaker Tower and wonder at the courage of AA Contributor, Les Lee, must have had to abseil down it in aid of Pilgrim Bandits (raising £1,500 in the process and which you can read about on Page 84 of this magazine).

Dinner at The Old Custom House was followed by a gentle

stroll back to the hotel (stopping on the way for a quick pint in “Portsmouth’s Oldest Pub”), where a nightcap and kip were waiting.

The following morning and a few miles from the hotel, the metal gates of Accuracy International swung open for us and we parked up. Dan immediately noticed the odd shape of the car park and surmised, quite rightly, that we were standing on top of Accuracy’s underground range!

We were met by Alice Bond, Accuracy’s Regional Sales Manager, who escorted us into the building, through the (very) necessary security procedures and into the same meeting

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Accuracy international ASG Aw308 Black - £119.99

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Competition Winner DAVE LANGDOWN

Dave Walls about how he came to create the rifle in the first place and also how his recent attendance at The World .50Cal Shoot had gone, in which he was well-placed despite having to face certain “challenges” with ammunition etc.

Lunch was delicious but quickly forgotten when Alice asked if we’d like to head down to the range. She didn’t have to ask twice!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), Dave wasn’t going to be able to shoot the .50Cal that Accuracy International has lined up as a surprise, due to time constraints and the fact that rifles were being “proofed” in an adjacent range, so our winner was going to have to settle with “only” 10 rounds through an AX 308. No question needed about how Dave felt about that, his smile said it all!

I have to say that, for a guy that had never fired a live round in his life, Dave did exceptionally well and, with little guidance, soon had rounds flying down range into a very nice, tight grouping. With each pull of the trigger I swear his smile got bigger and by the time he stood up for photos with the rifle he’d just shot, the Cheshire Cat could not have matched the grin on his face. I think he might just have enjoyed the experience – and it wasn’t over yet, as back in Sniper 1 his prize was waiting to be presented, by none other than Dave Walls himself.

ASG and ASPUK had spared nothing in making sure the AW 308 presented to Dave Langdown was

really special. If you have ever had any dealings with ASPUK, you will know the quality and standard of their work is superb and Paul puts his heart and soul into everything he does. I am not going to list the upgrades he’d made to the rifle but I doubt there was anything else that he could have added.

Beautifully presented in a full length case, the rifle also came with a sample of another unique product from ASG, the World’s first ever “Signature BB”… 0.4 gram ammo complete with the Accuracy International logo and endorsed with Dave Walls’ signature.

However, our prize winner was not the only person to be presented with a rifle.

For some time, ActionSportGames have been working on a gas version of the 308 and Paul Wignell had brought the first one in the UK along to give to Dave Walls. I managed to pry it from his hands for just a few moments and am going to stick my neck out and say that if operates just half as well as it looks and feels, then ASG have got another sure-fire winner on their hands. I’m not going into too much detail here as we will have a full review in the next issue but one thing I will mention though, is that the magazines are not gas-filled, the actual rifle is.

Far too soon it was time to leave and after a last few photos and handshakes all round, I took Dave back to his car in Southsea and watched as a very, very happy guy loaded up headed home to tell his wife about his experience.

On a personal note, I have to say that it was a real pleasure to meet Dave. He was genuinely delighted to have won and could not have been more grateful for the opportunity to shoot a real Accuracy International rifle under the watchful eyes of Sniper One. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the amazing support and generosity of Dave Walls and everyone at Accuracy International, Paul and Christian at ActionSportGames and Paul “Red Beard” Jakeman of ASPUK. Thanks you to all of you for helping to give an Airsoft Action reader a day he will never forget!

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ALWAYS A LITTLE AIRSOFT ACTION HAS BEEN SUPPORTING THE PILGRIM BANDITS CHARITY FOR TWO YEARS NOW AND OUR LATEST EVENT RAISED £1,500 IN CASH SPONSORSHIP AND AUCTIONABLE ITEM DONATIONS

THE EVENT WAS A TWO part affair, the first being owned by our very own roving reporter Les Lee, and Dogtag Airsoft Marshal Richard England when they grasped their cahonies and swallowed their fears and abseiled over 100 metres down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth to raise individual sponsor money.

Part two was an Airsoft gear and vouchers auction held at DogTag Airsoft on Sunday 7th August 2016 which, when added together with the abseil, raised a whopping £1,500 for the Pilgrim Bandits.

Les Lee, Airsoft Action Reporter (left) & Richard England, Dogtag Airsoft The sponsorship side of member (right). things was further enhanced by a “carrot” in the shape of a brand new G&G Raider AEG rifle, generously donated by Daniel, owner of Crawley Surplus Store where it was offered to anyone that sponsored Les or Richard for five pounds or over. Runner up prizes were also donated by Ross, owner of DogTag Airsoft with the second place prize of £100 credit and third place of £50 credit that can be used within one year for any walk-ons or consumables at DogTag Airsoft.

Fifty percent of money raised

by Richard will be given to St. Cathrines Hospice, Crawley due to personal reasons but the whole event was a huge success and our very own Airsoft Action regular roving reporter Les had this to say: “I would like to take this opportunity to say a “mahoosive” THANK YOU to all of the amazing folk out there that helped us raise this wonderful amount of money. Without your generous cash and item donations we couldn’t have done it but we have and it is a blessing to see such a hefty cash donation being given to this wonderful charity which was founded ex-Special Forces personnel purely on a voluntary basis and where we can be assured that every penny will be spent on those injured serving their country to help with their medical repatriation and recovery.

“This is yet another positive step in bringing our great activity into the public eye which is so important in sustaining our good reputation and it shows just how selfless we, as a group of enthusiasts, are when it comes to supporting those in need of help to rebuild their lives after their military careers are devastatingly cut short due to unforeseen and life-changing injuries.

We emulate these heroes every weekend and I can’t think of a better way of saying thank you for their inspiration, than sharing our enthusiasm and passion with our own version of payback and as Ricky Gervaise once said “Kindness is a wonderful thing... whether you are giving or receiving, it makes 84

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you feel so good”, a quote that is so very close to my heart.”

We were also able to capture Terry “Tez” Arnett, Pilgrim Bandits West Midlands and lead coordinator to the Airsoft Community, along with Ross Beare, of Dogtag Airsoft and Daniel Levene, owner of Crawley Surplus for their personal thoughts on the fundraiser in general.

First up, Tez had this to say: “Les has excelled and fully embraced the ethos of the Charity Pilgrim Bandits and our mantra “Always a little further”, the core of our charity’s values. I would personally like to thank Les for all his hard work and efforts in completing this amazing personal challenge and to all the Airsoft clubs, groups and businesses that have supported this challenge with their continued generosity and support.

“I am excited to see what Les is planning for 2017 and wonder if someone else out there has what it takes to challenge Les in some way!

“Some view Pilgrim Bandits as a forces charity but in fact it’s a charitable force bringing support, help and adventure to injured personnel from both the Armed and Emergency services and this can only be achieved with the continued support of the fantastic Airsoft community and Airsoft Action readers.”

Ross followed with: “It is always a pleasure working with Les. All of the hard work and dedication that goes into everything he does is inspirational and I have yet to meet anyone else who works so hard to promote what we all love, Airsoft.

“Les, buddy, it was an honour to be able to help you on your latest fund raiser and I just hope that the contribution that DogTag made helped you raise the total funding for the Pilgrim Bandits.

I hope that your modesty won’t edit too much of this out because I think that people should know what a truly decent fellow you really are.

“If there’s anything I can ever help you with again my friend, just ask. I’m always here to help out the older generation!!!! Keep up the good work!!” (Note from Les: “Older generation”?? Don’t know what you mean young Ross... you must be referring to my grey hi-lites!)

And Daniel from Crawley Surplus added: “From the name it’s probably obvious that we started life as

Abseiler: Les Lee, Reporter from Airsoft Action

Pilgrim Bandits FUNDRAISER 2016

E FURTHER Cheque presentation photo from left to right: Ross from Dogtag Airsoft, Les from Airsoft Action, Daniel from Crawley Surplus Store.

a humble high street surplus store, so we’ve always had a close relationship with the guys (and girls) with their feet on the ground, even getting pouches and kit to them that can’t be sourced through their regular means. We’ve always tried to be on hand to help them get the job done and supporting the Pilgrim Bandits just seems to be a natural extension of that.

“Always A Little Further” is a great rule to live by, whether you know it or not you can always go a little further, run a little faster, work a little harder or help a little more.

“To be honest Les, without you throwing yourself off a building we wouldn’t have had this opportunity to help such a great cause! Okay you did have a rope attached but the point still stands, thank you Les for helping us help!”

And as we go to press we are beginning to make plans for our 2017 fundraiser for the Pilgrim Bandits and it goes without saying that “we will be going a little, no... make that a LOT further”!

Our sincere thanks go to the following shop and site owners for their role in making this hugely triumphant fundraiser such a success - without your support we simply couldn’t have done it but we did and now we have one thousand five hundred reasons to express our gratitude: Crawley Surplus Store Dogtag Airsoft Astec Airsoft Zero One Pro Airsoft Supplies Urban Airsoft Megastore iWholesales ASG

(ActionSportGames) FubarBundy Bomb Up Airsoft UKMC Pro Rules of Engagement After Dark CQB Heroshark Badgertac Nuprol

Apocalypse Adventures Strikeforce West Midlands Airsoft …and of course, every individual that donated cash through individual sponsorship.

Winner of the G&G Raider AEG was Jamie Leyh (above). www.airsoft-action.online

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VIPER TACTICAL SNEAKER BOOT FRENCHIE GETS HIS HANDS ON, OR RATHER, HIS FEET INTO VIPER TACTICAL’S LATEST RELEASE AND ASKS, “IS IT A SNEAKER, OR A BOOT?” READ ON AND FIND OUT… THE LATEST FOOT-BASED OFFERING FROM Viper has a snappy title: Viper Tactical Sneaker Boot – which does rather beg the question; is it a sneaker or a boot? A Beaker or a Snoot? I thought I would risk my delicate size 9s and give them a run.

Well, not literally a run, I mean steady on – actual running?!

No, I don’t think so... More of a strut maybe.

Viper offers a fairly wide range of boots that appeal to airsofters, from the very cheap and cheerful Mil-Com range to the more expensive and better designed Elite range.

Although Viper was seen for many years as more “cheap” than “cheerful”, this is something that has changed considerably more recently. Pricing is still very competitive but quality is also there should you be willing to pay for it. A year or so ago I acquired a pair of Jack Pyke Hunter boots for review. Jack Pyke, in case you didn’t know, is the outdoor sport brand of

“THEY’RE NOT BOOTS, NOT REALLY, THEY ARE ACTUALLY SNEAKERS! SUDDENLY IT ALL MADE SENSE, TO MY FEET AT LEAST. LEAVE THEM REASONABLY LOOSE AND RELAX – THE BEST ANALOGY I CAN THINK OF IS IT’S LIKE WEARING A PAIR OF CONVERSE BUT WITH A MUCH BETTER SOLE UNIT.” 86

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Thatchreed, the parent of Viper. I recall giving those boots a glowing review and they are currently waiting (as I am) to see if we are going to have a cold and snow-bound winter. If so, the Hunters will be seeing some serious use, being both completely waterproof and possessed of the most aggressively designed sole to give maximum grip.

The Sneaker boot weighs in at a suggested retail price of £44.50, falling at the lower end of the Viper price range. The question for me was, could this cope with skirmishing and dayto-day wear? There was only one way to find out…

The Sneaker Boot is made from a combination of Cordura and suede with an injection moulded sole unit. The tread pattern on the sole is not particularly aggressive and would be unlikely to either grip well in wet and muddy conditions or disperse mud to improve grip.

The Cordura isn’t branded, suggesting it is simply nylon and is a single thickness of the material. This is one of the areas where weight is saved and it must be said that the Sneaker Boot is light, far lighter than the majority of boots worn by skirmishers. This lack of weight comes at a price though and there is no ankle support to speak of, these certainly wouldn’t save you from a sprain or worse, on rough, uneven terrain.

The suede is remarkably uniform in appearance prompting me to check the materials tab on the boot itself but, yes, it is leather, so a quick blast of suede or nubuck protector wouldn’t go amiss. On their website Viper make the point that this boot

kit VIPER TACTICAL SNEAKER BOOT

is formed on a sneaker last and as a result, customers may be advised to go up one size from their normal shoe size. That was certainly the case with me; I am nominally a 9½, usually take a 10 and in these I definitely needed an 11.

So far so good. Then the fun began… I really wasn’t sure that I either liked them or that they were particularly comfortable. My toes felt a bit cramped and they just didn’t feel “right”. At this point I was wearing them with a pair of moderately thick socks, nothing outrageous or hill-walking-ish but the sort that I would wear with other boots. The Sneaker boots weren’t actually hurting but they weren’t particularly inspiring either. This is not good as I had bought these myself.

So I did what any sensible person does – left them on the shoe rack and glowered at them occasionally for a few days.

Eventually I needed a change of footwear so I stuck them on, this time wearing a perfectly ordinary pair of socks. They’re not boots, not really, they are actually sneakers! Suddenly it all made sense, to my feet at least. Leave them reasonably loose and relax – the best analogy I can think of is it’s like wearing a pair of Converse but with a much better sole unit. I had been coming at them with a sort of “boot head” on, but they’re not and given how light the nylon is, they never could be. It’s not as if Viper hid this revelation from me - “Tactical Boot Sneaker”… D’oh!

Now, I know that I’m not in the first flush of youth (not even the second!) but really I’m not losing it here. I saw boot, my mind thought boot and I approached and treated these like boots. More fool me! Treat them as casual boots and they’re great, seriously comfortable even after a day’s wear. One word of warning though – beware the wet. I don’t know what the soles are made of because Viper don’t post that info but when wet they can be very, very slippery. Sort of ice rink slippery. We have all come across soles like that so I don’t hold it against Viper, just be careful and don’t end up on your backside.

Having resolved the existential conundrum of these boots, sorry, sneakers I can appreciate them for what they are. Light, comfortable with decent foot support and pretty well priced too. Do not make the mistake of thinking that they are really suitable for skirmishing in unless your idea of skirmishing is sitting on your sofa in the safety of your living room.

For gadding about town with a tactical look they are excellent and so much lighter on the feet than proper “tactical” boots. I can’t wait to see Viper’s Tactical slipper offering...

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WE ALL KNOW THAT AIRSOFT IS AN HONOUR-BASED GAME BUT WITH SO MUCH APPEARING ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT CHEATING, IN THIS MONTH’S DEBATE GADGE ASKS: “HAVE WE LOST OUR WAY AND LOST OUR HONOUR?”

GAME OF HONOUR AIRSOFT IS A GAME FROM the Far East with an entrenched system of personal honour but to read many Facebook and forum posts you could be forgiven that “cheating” is the norm.

So is it still a game about honour and skill, or is shiny kit more important than taking your hit?

Have you ever been so frustrated with a “Teflon” opponent you’ve bent the rules to make sure they get caught out, or are you the sort of trooper who puts their arm up if a BB lands near you?

Does your site use the “ricochet rule” that people ignore, or are you fed up with people running behind a tree from a “grenade” only to pop back out two seconds later when your £5 pyro has gone up in smoke?

Most of you felt that it was fairly normal to have the odd “slip up” and not notice in the heat of the action that you’d taken a hit. It was those you saw persistently playing on after acknowledging a hit that were the real problem. Often adrenaline, or wearing too much kit, makes it hard to notice a long range shot but while this is “human nature” what wound up many of you more than this was the “shooter” aggressively demanding the hit be taken… Especially if it was a tenuous shot to start with from extreme range and with no real “eyes on” the BB landing.

For many of you, though, you felt that this was a problem as old as the game itself, just more visible now in an age of gun cams, helmet GoPros and social media. More worryingly for some of you was a perceived disturbing trend in the hobby towards “airsoft celebrity status” among some bloggers, vloggers and YouTubers. A few of you felt that the need to get “views” encouraged people to post up videos of outrageous play or “cheat shaming”, which made the problem seem worse than it was. Conversely, heavily edited footage of “amazing

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Debate HONOUR & THE GAME

play” by some gamers gave off unreasonable expectations to newer players, especially if it made the “poster” look like they had played for ages without taking a hit and with every shot they made getting a “knock out”.

Anyway, without further ado let’s see what you had to say: Craig Hughes: “When I first started airsofting, people not taking their hits really wound me up, in fact to such an extent that I would come away from the day and think what a crap day I’d just had to suffer. Did I really just pay for it?

But after playing for a number of years now I’m a little more philosophical about it and have more of a grasp on range of RIFs and other outside influences i.e. wind and rain that may impact on the flight of your BBs. You also have people wearing so much kit that even when you hit them they never feel a thing. My thinking now is if they don’t take the hit then just hit them until they do! More often than not after 3 or 4 hits in very quick time everyone sticks their hands up. I don’t take it personally and don’t let it spoil my day anymore, after all you only live once (unless of course you’re a cheating b**tard and don’t take your hits, then you have as many lives as you fancy!)”

Andy Stevens: “Social media is killing it, people are too busy uploading videos and trying to look cool to enjoy the game for what it is. #celebrity” Shaun Kane: “At my local site we have really clamped down on hit taking and now investigate every allegation where the individual can be identified. In most cases we find the guy who can see the BBs bouncing of his intended victim is in reality hitting well short or to one side. However, someone that’s continually cheating can swing the game or even encourage others to not take their hits “coz he won’t take them why should I?” Claim and counterclaims can rapidly turn a good day to a bad one for all involved.”

Luke Shepherd: “If I hear a sound of something that may be a bb or even if it’s something that touches me and feels sort

of like one, then I’ll take the hit. You never know it could be a sniper who took the time and effort to pull off an epic shot that is on the edge of his effective distance, just for it to be ignored (whether this is by accident or on purpose) by someone else.

Like damn I would be pissed if I pulled off a one in a mil shot and it wasn’t called!”

Rob Campbell: “I genuinely don’t think it’s got any worse, rather nowadays there’s significantly more media and more “digital hit calling” using said media as evidence. The airsoft cheaters compilation videos do no one any good at all. That combined with a new wave of attention seeking celebrities put themselves out there for scrutiny, so some people will go out of their way to prove a point...

“Wrap all the above up in social media giving everyone a voice and suddenly it looks like everything’s falling down when, in reality, there’s just a lot more lenses!”

Jacob Newton: “I agree, it’s not the right thing to shame and blame. If someone is not playing by the rules have a word with the Marshall, don’t spread it across social media or start shouting mid-game, that’s when good play drops and everything goes wrong and spoils the day for everyone.”

Brendan Robb: “If the whole “same idiots, more cameras” idea was true then surely You’ve Been Framed! could stop reusing clips from twenty years ago. Most of the “not calling hits” videos I see are at long range and such bad quality that it’s hard to tell what’s a person or a tree. The only ones I really watch are the sniper ones, as they are zoomed in and in focus and you can see what’s happening. I think a lot of “famous” YouTubers give new players the wrong expectation. A ten minute video shared by someone, getting nearly a million views and it’s edited so not once do they call hit!”

John Spilling: “So many aspects to this but the bottom line really is if you cheat you really are only cheating yourself. I for one play honestly, as do my friends.”

Gaz Perkins: “It seems to be about carving out your own bit of

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Debate HONOUR & THE GAME

fame for a lot of newer players. Be that through blogs, YouTube or reviews etc. The game of airsoft is becoming more about being a personality off the field, than it is about being a team player on the field. This is the cost of moving towards being a sport, sadly.”

Del Jefe: “Personally it is the cheat calling that annoys me almost as much. There’s some at my local sites have finished shouting “take your hits!” before they’ve finished pulling the trigger! It gets to the point that the youngsters think this is how the game is played. There’s nothing quite like being told “Take your f**king hits!” by a 14 year old 200 or 300 metres away!”

Peter Bigpete: “I work in the CCTV industry. Much like criminals (not comparing non-hit taking to them of course, that’s way too harsh), they are scared of being caught on a hires GoPro. Not talking about marginal and maybe accidental cheating but proper balls-out-in-the-wind cheating that cannot be denied. We need a dedicated Facebook group to name and shame the worse cheaters to scare the rest into playing properly and being too scared to cheat. Trust me, it will work!

“Accidental non-hit taking, however, is a problem but not due to dishonesty. Adrenalin is a bitch. In my previous line of

work, I’ve seen people be stabbed and one guy even have a chunk cut out of his skull exposing his brain but didn’t feel it because of the “red mist” effect. When you consider that, feeling bbs is nothing!”

Alec Bassindale: “It does wind me up when people don’t take their hits... but I never vent at people! Instead, I try and work a better angle so I’m beyond all doubt that I’ve hit them. If they still haven’t called it... I may tell a marshal but I hate the feeling of being a snitch! I always call mine, saves any arguments!”

Sean Waller: “The problem with airsoft has and will always be.... Airsofters! It’s a game where your shots probably didn’t hit the mark but get snotty enough with them and the marshals are fixed to take action against an innocent player who is probably playing fair. It’s easier to just roll with it. They don’t take their hits.... Then why lose your temper. It’s a game.

There will always be cheaters.

“Just don’t be one of them. Hold on to the integrity you bring to the game.”

Richard Stacy Micheal Jones: “I’ve accidently cheated when I got shot in the chest and had too much padding on in one of my first games. I’ve since stopped using that armour for a finer one.”

Muzz Frank Murray: “Anybody and everybody stands the chance to have that split second lapse in concentration where you may not have realised you got hit. That’s human nature!

“Some people also have a morality slip and “accidentally” forget to take a hit for convenience sake. Once again, human nature!

“But, I do believe that what others have said about GoPro fame hunters is becoming more prevalent. There are certain persons (not all of them) who seem to be on a mission seeking fame through YouTube video footage. The people that take this route are not just dishonest on the field but morally dangerous to the sport/hobby. It’s just a good job for them that they have the editing skills off the field to fool the masses!

“I hope that some sites decide to run a “no cameras” day!”

Chris Robinson: “It’s not all of them but there are certain individuals who are a huge danger to the sport as all they seem bothered with is “celebrity” status within the community.” www.airsoft-action.online

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GOING ABSENT FROM AIRSOFT PAUL YELLAND WRITES ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF LIFE STARTS TO GET IN THE WAY OF AIRSOFT AND YOU FIND YOURSELF THINKING ABOUT HANGING UP YOUR KIT FOR GOOD.

Clean your AEG to keep it in good working order

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IT HAPPENS TO ALL OF us at some point – life just gets in the way of airsoft. Work, finances and family all have an impact on how regularly we can attend skirmishes. I am sure that you have all witnessed players from your local airsoft site disappear off the radar for months at a time – being cruelly abducted back into real life and unable to escape and return to the world of airsoft. But what if you find that this has happened to you?

Does this spell the end of your hobby? In a word, no!

I found myself in a similar situation not so long ago. I was unable to make it to airsoft events because of work and other commitments but I still wanted to keep my hand in with shooting and the fieldcraft side of things. I don’t skirmish as part of a team so it was just me on my lonesome with all of my airsoft kit packed and ready. I sat down one day and had a long hard think about what I could be doing during this period of airsoft inactivity to keep myself motivated. I gave some thought to the different elements of airsoft that I really enjoyed and

Feature AWOL

“I SAT DOWN ONE DAY AND HAD A LONG HARD THINK ABOUT WHAT I COULD BE DOING DURING THIS PERIOD OF AIRSOFT INACTIVITY TO KEEP MYSELF MOTIVATED. I GAVE SOME THOUGHT TO THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF AIRSOFT THAT I REALLY ENJOYED AND ALSO CONSIDERED THE MORE IMPORTANT TASKS WHICH STILL NEEDED TO BE CARRIED OUT.”

Keep your pistol well serviced

also considered the more important tasks which still needed to be carried out, such as making sure that the airsoft weapons remained in good working order. Although these activities were still time consuming, I was able to carry out these tasks at my leisure and during the varying amounts of free time that I had available to me which was not always at a weekend.

MAINTENANCE

This is a golden opportunity to clean and service your airsoft guns. A basic clean for one of my rifles consists of cleaning the inside of the barrel with a flannelette sprayed with some silicone (avoiding the hop up rubber) and a very basic field strip down to allow any dust and dirt to be brushed off. Once re-assembled, the rifle body is wiped down and lightly coated with silicone spray, before being placed back into storage. I clean my pistol in the same manner as the rifle, making sure that I completely strip it to allow all of the moving parts to be lubricated. The pistol magazines are always kept unloaded of BBs but I keep the magazines gassed to prevent the seals from drying out.

If you are feeling really brave, you might consider servicing your airsoft rifle. This means going further than a field strip and opening up the gear box. There are some great videos on YouTube that explain about the different versions of AEG gear boxes and how to strip one and rebuild it.

The process can be quite daunting to start off with and there will be a few hours of head scratching when trying to put the thing back together for the first time but the more you open up your gear box, the more familiar you will become with the components inside it and how it all works and fits together. Being able to get inside the workings of your AEG means that you can service the gear box and replace any worn or broken parts, or even upgrade the internal components of the AEG to improve performance.

dirty and faded webbing will just look well-used and these always seem to blend in better than brand new shiny sets. However, rips and torn holes on pockets and pouches mean items of equipment are going to fall out and become lost. Use this downtime to mend any pouches or items of clothing. Being able to sew might seem somewhat girlish to certain people but having the ability and skill to mend your own items of kit can save you money in the long run. I had a small list of damaged items of kit that needed to be mended. The first was my combat trousers. I had managed to rip the material over one of the knees, so the damage needed to be stitched back together to prevent the rip from getting bigger. Next was the jack plug on my bowman radio headset. The wires feeding into the plug had become loose which meant that during a skirmish, some of my radio transmissions were not getting through. This problem was fixed after twenty minutes with a soldering iron.

The footwear that you skirmish in could also do with some attention. Give the boots a good clean and check for damage.

Consider applying a waterproofing solution to fabric boots (check manufacturer’s guidance) and apply a decent amount of polish to leather boots to keep the leather well waxed.

PERSONAL KIT

Clothing and load carrying systems can certainly take a battering during a skirmish and if doing so regularly, it might not be too long before signs of wear and tear start to show. Slightly

If you are feeling brave enough, give your AEG internal parts a service

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Feature AWOL

new combat clothing, boots and webbing / assault vests can give you that motivational lift that you need to get back into the action.

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Regular target practice will keep your skills sharp

KEEPING YOUR SKILLS SHARP

If you are lucky enough to have permissive access to an area of private land, you are in a great position for being able to grab your airsoft gun(s) and still get out for some target practice.

This is not quite the same thing as going to an airsoft site but at least you can get some rounds down range. Try to practice hitting targets from different ranges by adopting different firing positions. It is also great fun to make up a CQB range which has targets placed at various distances along the route.

You then patrol down this route, putting yourself into a fictitious battle scenario and take out the targets as you come across them. If you are into your fieldcraft, having access to some land will also allow you to practice these skills as well, so when you do manage to attend an airsoft event at some point in the future, your

There is a massive community that thrives around airsoft. From this community comes a vast flow of information that allows us airsofters to stay up to date with the latest developments in weaponry, equipment and events. Various media platforms are used to release information including internet forums, YouTube videos and publications. If you find yourself spending time away from the skirmish field, keeping up to date with airsoft news and socialising on airsoft forums can be a great way to still feel part of the movement. Also, reading about an idea for a different load out or an up and coming airsoft event might be all that is needed for a “lost” airsofter to reach for his or her kit bag and re-join the fun.

Whatever the reason for going absent from airsoft, there will never be a need to completely end your interest. All of the ideas that I have talked about in this article have been used by myself to stay interested in airsoft until making it back onto the skirmish field.

But I want to end this article with my number one tip – keep reading Airsoft Action!

“IF YOU FIND YOURSELF SPENDING TIME AWAY FROM THE SKIRMISH FIELD, KEEPING UP TO DATE WITH AIRSOFT NEWS AND SOCIALISING ON AIRSOFT FORUMS CAN BE A GREAT WAY TO STILL FEEL PART OF THE MOVEMENT.” skills will not be rusty. Having somewhere suitable to test fire your airsoft gun is also extremely useful after carrying out any repairs or upgrades. A test firing session can help to pin point any fine tuning issues and will prevent disappointment at an airsoft site when you find that your untested upgrade does not work.

STAYING MOTIVATED

If motivation to stick with airsoft as a hobby becomes an issue, then there are a few things that could just help you to stay interested. Watching television programs, documentaries or films on a military subject can give you that inspiration that you need to stay interested in airsoft by trying new activities, weapons or load outs. In fact, buying a new airsoft weapon is a definite way to keep you motivated and will have you back onto the skirmish field in no time – fuelled with a renewed passion to skirmish. You may also want to try a different role – such as a sniper, which will require a different form of tactics.

Also, spending out on new kit will help to remain keen. Buying

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December 2016

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SHOOTING FROM VEHICLES ALTHOUGH NOT ALL SITES HAVE VEHICLES, BEING ABLE TO SHOOT FROM A MOVING PLATFORM IS NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS, AS CALIBRE SHOOTING’S ANDY NIGHTINGALE EXPLAINS… SINCE THE EARLY DAYS OF Airsoft we have been seeing the sport grow and grow. Games are no longer just a day’s shoot in the woods as more and more sites are becoming a full weekend of battle and fun. With the ever-increasing demand for bigger sites and realism, it’s without surprise that we see the use of more and more vehicles during a skirmish. This can be anything from the humble Land Rover to a full on ex-military surplus battle machine.

Skirmishing with vehicles can, and does, pose problems when the need to fight arises. In this article we are going to look at the correct way to defend and debus from a standard road vehicle.

Fighting from a confined space, such as the cab of a car or lorry, throws up all sorts of problems. The first is the lack of space that you have to move around in.

Secondly there is safety to consider. Not only yours but that of the driver and any passengers too. The choice of weapon is also a factor to consider. In the early days of my military service I was issued the L1A1 (SLR). This was a fantastic weapon but it was a total pain in the ass when it came to having to shoot from the vehicle when we were compromised. The preferred choice was the Sterling SMG; however this was not the weapon of choice when we had left the cab.

Handguns were unheard of in my day, especially for the ground pounding infantry soldier of lower rank. As a skirmisher we have the luxury of deciding what weapon we want to carry into the field. As an ordinary HM squaddie you get what you’re given. On the skirmish site I have seen chaps with bolt action sniper type weapons, a small M4 platform back up gun and a pistol plus all the other things that are hidden in pockets and pouches. If only I had that back in my day as a Tom things would have been much easier!

There are, of course, few things to consider when 96

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shooting from a vehicle, one of them, and the most important, is safety. As always we must put safety first and as we progress in training we must take things slow to start with. The following drills are for a right hand drive vehicle.

DRIVERS SEAT

As the driver, it is common for you to concentrate on the driving and leave the defence of the vehicle to the other members of the team. There may, however, be a time when you are on your own when compromised and you may have to fight your way out of trouble. If the vehicle is still operational then the normal practice is to get out of the area as quickly as possible. The other alternative is to use the vehicle as a weapon and just run the bad guy down. (Please don’t use the latter at your next skirmish, your life’s not in danger from a little plastic).

If you are in a position where you can not exit the area with the vehicle or you are surprised when the vehicle is stopped you may have to defend yourself.

Handgun Technique Right Side Defence: Using your left hand reach down and release the seat belt from the anchor. At the same time lean forwards and reach for the handgun. Making sure that the seat belt is clear of your shoulder, turn your body to the right and lean back as you present the weapon to the target. It may help if you push down hard with your right foot to help twist the body. Do not present the gun out of the window as this can be a sure way of losing the weapon should the bad guy be in a position to take the gun away from you. I’ve seen it done many times in training.

You will now be in a good position to shoot the target.

Handgun Technique Left Side Defence: Again using the left hand to remove the seat belt, lean forwards and reach for the handgun with your right. Make sure the seat belt is clear of your body before you draw the handgun. The biggest obstacle here is the steering wheel. Once

CALIBRE Shooting Skills SHOOTING FROM VEHICLES

the gun is drawn, trace the muzzle of the handgun over the top of the steering wheel as you present it to the threat. If you don’t you will either flash yourself with the muzzle or it will catch on the steering wheel and be knocked out of your hand.

Both ways it’s not good and the draw will be slowed down.

PASSENGER SEAT

As a passenger it is more than likely that you will be defending the vehicle. Your choice of weapon is greater as you are not as restricted to movement as the driver. A handgun or small weapon such as a SMG is ideal.

Handgun/SMG Technique Left Side Defence: Again like the driver you need to remove the seat belt first by reaching down and unlocking it from the anchor with your right hand. The left hand and arm should be placed flat across your chest so the seat belt does not get caught when it returns home. With the seat belt out of the way you can reach for your chosen weapon. Twist your body towards the left and present the weapon to the threat. Once again do not present your weapon outside of the window. You can now engage the threat from this position.

Handgun/SMG Technique Right Side Defence: This is by far the most dangerous drill when shooting live rounds. Remove the seat belt as before making sure it is clear of the body and grasp your weapon of choice. There are two ways that this drill can be done. The first is the driver needs to lean as far forwards as possible. Remember the vehicle is dead so the driver will not be trying to drive away. Draw your weapon whilst being cautious of the orientation of the muzzle at all times. Do not muzzle sweep the driver. This will give you room to shoot to the right with the rounds passing the drivers back. Use your weak hand to assure the drivers position. (This drill ensures the spent cases from live rounds hit the seat and not the driver also it negates muzzle flash burns to the driver’s face).

The second drill is for the driver to lean as far back into their seat as possible. As you draw your weapon trace the muzzle over the dashboard. You can now fire across their lap. (This second drill is OK for Airsoft).

It’s not easy and I don’t ever claim it to be. Correct practice makes perfect.

TIME TO EXIT

Once the shooting either stops or you have suppressed your adversary enough its time to exit the vehicle. Using your weak hand reach for the door handle and open. Use your nearest foot to kick the door open and secure it in the open position.

Doors that are opened with force tend to come back very

quickly. I have seen armoured doors crush legs when they have been opened with force and returned without mercy. Normal car doors hurt also!

Exit the vehicle whilst keeping your eye on the threat at all times and slowly retreat to the rear of the vehicle. As Airsoft rounds won’t go through vehicle glass, use the V shape that is formed between the vehicle’s wind shield and the window frame of the door to shoot through as you retreat. Once at the back of the vehicle you will need to reload and asses your situation. Do you fight on or plan an escape route? That is your choice.

Shooting from vehicles can be fun but the fact remains that we must also be safe. When the shooting starts it’s all too easy to just let rip. That’s when things start to go wrong. Being in such close quarters will leave a bit of a sting if you end up shooting one of your team. Not to mention the fact that you won’t be allowed to ride CALIBRE Shooting provide shotgun again. training courses for the Security Have fun practicing this one as it looks Industry and Airsoft community. If as cool as hell when the whole team gets you would like more information it right. Remember to take it slow at first about the courses we provide, then add speed later. Only go as fast as you visit www.calibresooting.co.uk can SAFELY. www.airsoft-action.online

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OPERATION HARLING: SABOTAGE OF THE GORGOPOTAMOS BRIDGE IF YOU WANT TO STOP AN ARMY YOU NEED TO CUT OFF ITS SUPPLIES. BILLY WRITES ABOUT AN OPERATION TO DO JUST THAT DURING WORLD WAR II. AS ANYONE WHO HAS SERVED the colours in any country will tell you “An Army marches on its feet (or is it it’s stomach?)!” but those feet aren’t going anywhere without a decent pair of boots, full mags, bandoliers of ammunition, post from home for morale and a regular gut full of food, water, bedding, spares and occasionally some cigarettes for those moments after and before the fighting.

Excellent logistics and administration (though not everyone’s cup of tea, most certainly not mine until recently) wins wars just as much as fighting men stabbing people in the face and getting loads of medals. Without the “Loggies” the fighting troops would very quickly tire, run out of steam and be rolled up by the enemy, as history has shown us several times.

Napoleon and Hitler to name but two.

Armies with lofty ambitions far beyond their own borders that are operating “at or often beyond reach” will have long exposed supply lines. Long convoys of lorries on isolated roads, freight trains rattling down the tracks for mile after mile with just a few bored, sleepy guards peering into the darkness for protection. These are more than likely going to be extremely vulnerable and need to be protected from sabotage. Securing

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Famous Raids OPERATION HARLING

them means diverting literally thousands of much-needed fighting troops from the business of winning territory and the war itself.

In the midst of WW2 in frenetic London, were a plethora of weird and wonderful private armies and organisations thought up by correspondingly strange characters probably in pubs, private clubs and the like. All of them looking for employment, opportunities to prove their mettle and all of them desperate to give the Germans a bloody nose.

Winston Churchill tasked one such organisation, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to set Europe ablaze which they duly did with gusto. In one of our previous articles we visited West Africa where they had pinched some boats from the Germans and denied the submarine wolf packs a refuelling base.

Early in 1942 the struggle between the Axis Forces of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel and the Allies under our General Montgomery was taking place in the burning sands of the North of Africa. An area which is sadly still in a state of conflict with the flow of desperate migrants being forced across the Mediterranean by the horrors behind them, the wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the inhuman treatment people receive at the hands of the Eritrean govt.

Operation Harling was conceived in late summer 1942 as an effort to stem the flow of supplies through Greece to the German forces under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in North Africa. The long railway line that snaked through Greece to Greek ports and railheads on the way to North Africa, was peppered with suitable points that would favour an ambush party with cover from the rocks. But railway lines were quickly repaired by Engineers, bridges crossing ravines were altogether more difficult to rebuild and would be a major embuggerance.

Lt. Col. Eddie Myers was chosen to head the mission to destroy one of the vital bridges, he was (as it happened) the only parachute trained sapper officer and professional engineer at the time and was a natural choice. After several recces and pouring over maps, three possible targets were identified, the loss of which would halt the supply for a period to the Axis powers. The bridges selected for a closer look on the ground were situated at Gorgopotamos, Asopos and Papadia•. The destruction of the Asopos viaduct was initially preferable, since it would take longer to rebuild.

The SOE team numbered twelve men and was split into three patrols of four, comprising a leader, interpreter, a sapper and a radio operator. Colonel Myers’ group consisted of himself as the group leader, Captain Denys Hamson as interpreter, Captain Tom Barnes (a New Zealander) as the sapper and Sergeant Len Willmott as wireless operator.

Each patrol was allocated a B-24 Liberator aircraft that would parachute them in their AO. A first attempt to drop them over Greece on 28th September failed, as the prearranged signal fires had not been lit. They tried again on the night of the 30th of September, the fires this time were located by the pilots, the para doors were wrenched open and canopies

blossomed over the sleeping Greek landscape as the saboteurs dropped to the ground.

While Myers’ team was dropped undetected near Mount Giona, the second plane was unable to locate any fires at all, returned to base (but would return later to successfully deploy the rest of the team) and the third patrol landed perilously near the heavily garrisoned town of Karpenissi. One member of the team actually landed inside the town itself and was hidden by local Greeks.

Captain Woodhouse, the leader of one of the patrols set out to the town of Amfissa to establish contact with Cairo and to start to rustle up support among the fledgling resistance groups, not only for the raid itself but also for the struggle against occupation by the Axis powers.

In the meantime, the main group was being hidden by the local Greeks and constantly moved around the area to prevent their capture by Italian searching parties. Col. Myers and Capt

“THE CHARGES WERE SET AND THE FUSES WERE LIT, THE TEAMS DASHED FOR COVER. THE FIRST EXPLOSION RIPPED OPEN THE NIGHT AT 01:30, HEAVILY DAMAGING THE CENTRAL PIER AND COLLAPSING TWO SPANS. BUT TO MYERS’ DISMAY THE BRIDGE STOOD.”

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Famous Raids OPERATION HARLING

Hamson, led by a local Greek guide called Yiannis, undertook a reconnaissance of the three potential targets and after careful consideration chose Gorgopotamos. The huge bridge afforded better prospects of success, its garrison nearby of only 80 Italian soldiers was small enough to deal with, it offered good access for the saboteurs, cover from fire and a line of retreat for the attacking force.

Woodhouse was successful in his recruiting drive and slowly the numbers grew. The Op Harling team now numbered 150 men, the twelve-strong British team, which would form the demolition party. The Greeks numbered 86 ELAS men and 52 EDES men, who would provide muscle, firepower and neutralize the garrison while our boys laid the charges.

According to the plan, the attack was to take place at 23:00 on 25th November. Two Greek teams were to cut the railway and telephone lines in both directions, as well as cover the approaches to the bridge itself, while the main force of 100 Greeks was to neutralize the garrison. The demolition party, divided into three teams, would wait upriver until the garrison had been subdued and then lay the charges.

In a blaze of gunfire and grenades that echoed through the

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night and must have frightened the hell out of the lazy Italian garrison, the attack on the garrison outposts on the two ends of the bridge began as scheduled but went on far longer than the time originally allotted.

Col. Myers, sensing an opportunity and keen to get started, took it upon himself to send the demolition teams in while the fight was still under way. It was very good decision as the setting of the charges was delayed, the girders turned out to be differently shaped than had been anticipated, forcing the British sappers to quickly cut their plastic explosive charges to pieces and then assemble new ones.

The charges were set and the fuses were lit, the teams dashed for cover. The first explosion ripped open the night at 01:30, heavily damaging the central pier and collapsing two spans. But to Myers’ dismay the bridge stood. The demolition teams then set new explosives to the second pier and the remaining span. As it turned out, the Italians were not much of a problem for the Greeks who had commanding firing positions but at 02:30 as Myers and his team crouched behind boulders, the last explosions shook the bridge to the valley floor and they made their retreat.

While all this was going on, the Greeks had brassed up and halted a train with Italian reinforcements heading to the scene.

By 04:30, the entire attacking force, which had suffered only four wounded, had successfully disengaged and retreated to its assembly area.

The sabotage mission was a great success and a feather in the cap for SOE, being by far the biggest such operation carried out until then. Although its original military objective, the disruption of supplies for Field Marshal Rommel’s troops, had been rather overshadowed by the Allied victory at El Alamein, it did display the potential for major guerrilla actions and encouraged SOE to aid the development of resistance movements.

The Harling mission was not withdrawn, as originally planned but told to remain on the spot and form the new British Military Mission to Greece. Unfortunately for the Greeks it was the last time that the two resistance groups that had assisted with Harling (the ELAS and EDES) would see eye to eye and cooperate.

Within a month they were at each other’s throats and a bitter civil war erupted between them.

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

Tel: 07511554740 www.aberairsoft.co.uk

ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT

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

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

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

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

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

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

AIRSOFT KGB

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

AIRSOFT PLANTATION

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

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

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH

ACE COMBAT

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQB

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

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

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

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

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

ALPHA ELITE GAMING

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

AMAZON EVENTS

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

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

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

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

BADLANDS AIRSOFT

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

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

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

BATTLETEC AIRSOFT

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

AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON

BETTER BATTLES

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

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

APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT

BLACKDAGGER AIRSOFT

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

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

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BLUESTREAK AIRSOFT

Westcott Venture Park, Westcott, Aylesbury, HP18 0XB Tel: 01296 658600 www.bluestreak-airsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT (DESERT)

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

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

COOL UNDER FIRE BORDERLINE AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE WORKS (URBAN)

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

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

CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

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

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

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT

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

COTSWOLD AIRSOFT

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

BUSH VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

COMBAT ACTION GAMES

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

C3 TACTICAL

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

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

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DOG TAG AIRSOFT

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

ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING

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

ELITE BATTLEZONE

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT

EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT

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

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

DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT

FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS

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

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

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

DARKWATER AIRSOFT LTD.

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

TN26 1LZ facebook.com/darkwaterairsoftdarkwater

FIFE WARGAMES

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

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

COMBAT AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

BUNKER 51

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

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND

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

DELTA TEAM 3

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

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

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FIRST & ONLY: BUNKER WOOD

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

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

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

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

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WOODS

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

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WOODLAND

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY

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

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

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY

GUN HO AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – CAMBRIDGE

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS

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

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

FREE FIRE ZONE

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

FRV AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

FULL METAL AIRSOFT

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

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT

MILSIM UK

LAC SITE 1

NCIS AIRSOFT

LAC SITE 2

NOMAD AIRSOFT

LAC SITE 3

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

LAC SITE 5

NORTHFLEET CQB

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

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

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

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

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

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

GREENZONE COMBAT

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

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

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT

HUMBER AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

LINDSEY AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

NSC AIRSOFT

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

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES

NTAC

MAW

OBAN AIRSOFT – ILL ARGYLL

MIA

OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS

MIDWALES AIRSOFT

OVER THE TOP AIRSOFT CLUB

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

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

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

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

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

Argyll and Bute, PA37 1 Tel: 07967 710185 www.argyllsurplus.com

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

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

www.airsoft-action.online

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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

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

TA EVENTS

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

TORRENT WARFARE

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

SG1 COMBAT GAMES

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

TROJAN AIRSOFT

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

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY

TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB

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

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

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT

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

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

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

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

Wigton, Cumbria CA7 3SZ Tel: 01900 85645 www.airsoftcumbria.co.uk

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

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

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

TECH BRIGADE

Newgate Street, Hertfordshire.

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

UCAP AIRSOFT

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

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

UCAP GREEN OPS

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

THE BUNKER

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

THE DEPOT RAW WAR AIRSOFT CUMBRIA

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

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

UCAP SANDPIT

Bean, Kent, DA2 8 Tel: 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

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

THE DESERTERS AIRSOFT RED1AIRSOFT

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

RED1AIRSOFT CQB

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

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

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM) Cambridge, CB24 8RL Tel: 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

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December 2016

STIRLING AIRSOFT

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

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

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

SUSSEX AIRSOFT

Redford, DD11 Tel: 07751 878175 www.thedeserters.co.uk

THE EX SITE

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

THE WARGAMES CENTRE

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

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

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

THUNDER PARK AIRSOFT

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

Luxulyan, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL305FA Tel: 07751808055 www.thunderparkpaintball.co.uk Food & drinks available on site.

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13 Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0QN Tel: 07432 291729 www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN6AIRSOFT – THE BLOCK

Wood Street, Burton-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 3AB www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN ASSAULT

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

VIKING AIRSOFT

Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0UN www.vikingairsoft.co.uk

WARMINSTER AIRSOFT

Warminster, BA12 7RZ www.warminsterairsoft.co.uk

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

XSITE AIRSOFT – LANE END

PRACTICAL PISTOL DIRECTORY AIPSC

The Grange, Frog Lane, Balsall Common, West Midlands, CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532384 www.aipsc.co.uk Facebook: A.I.P.S.C info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk.

Every Monday night 7pm– 9pm (except bank holidays). £5 or £10 with pistol and shooting rig hire. UKPSA-qualified coaches. UKPSA-qualified Range Officers.

COBRA ONE ZERO AIRSOFT Unit 9 Imperial Buisness Centre Mortimer Road, Hereford, HR4 9SP www.cobraonezero.co.uk Facebook : cobra one zero Airsoft

High Wycombe, HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430

DOUBLE TAP PSC

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

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

EBSC

MOD approved gun club PP, IDPA, IPAS, IPSC, 2GUN 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

NORTHERN PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB (NPPC)

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

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

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB WatfordPPC@gmail.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.

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

www.airsoft-action.online

105

DEALER LISTINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEX Land Warrior Airsoft

Inside Front Cover + 3

Airsoft Zone

7 + Inside Back Cover

JD Airsoft NUPROL

19 + 40

FubarBundy

23

Valken Airsoft

26

Fire Support

28 + 29

A2 Supplies

42 50 + 78

Helikon-Tex

54

Crawley Surplus Store

61

Platoon Stores

61

IPSC World Shoot 2017

69

Pro Airsoft Supplies

70

BadgerTac

75

ASPUK

82

Silvermans

87

Airsoft Action Digital Editions

90

Dragon Valley Airsoft

95

Military Outdoor

95

Armex Members Club Military 1st

2014

15

iWholesales

Viper Tactical

106

9 + 46 + 64

105 Outside Back Cover