Issue 40 - October 2014

THE Airsoft Magazine

108 PAGES OF AIRSOFT ACTION!!

EXCLUSIVE REVIEWECSON RECOIL G&P FORCE R TIPPMANN M4 WE G36 RAS

EVENT R– TEHEPPOITRTS

BADLANDS 3 RGEON CHAMPS 2ND AIRSOFT SU BOLT PREVIEW R E D N U H T N IO T A OPER

SITE REGPLEORT INSIDE AIRSOFT

THREE YEARS OF THE THIRD WORLD WAR

IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

WOLF ARMOURIES

AIRSOFT SUPPORT GUNNER l DEBATE: A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD? l LOADED OR UNLOADED?

OCT 2014 - £4.50

A SQUADRON

9 772047 348032

COLD WAR WARRIOR

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F&O – THE JUN

THE Airsoft Magazine

108 PAGES OF AIRSOFT ACTION!!

EXCLUSIVE REVIEWSN RECOIL G&P FORCE RECO TIPPMANN M4 WE G36 RAS

PORTS EVENT RE – THE PIT

BADLANDS 3 EON CHAMPS 2ND AIRSOFT SURG DERBOLT PREVIEW OPERATION THUN

RT SITE REPO LE THREE YEARS OF THE THIRD WORLD WAR

IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

WOLF ARMOURIES

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INSIDE AIRSOFT

AIRSOFT SUPPORT GUNNER l DEBATE: A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD? l LOADED OR UNLOADED?

9 772047 348032

A SQUADRON

OCT 2014 - £4.50

>

F&O – THE JUNG

COLD WAR WARRIOR

Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant editor: Gareth “Gadge” Harvey Graphic design: Havoc Design Ad design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter Cover Photograph: Spectre Airsoft Photography

UK 12 - issue subscription rate: £43 UK 6 - issue subscription rate: £24 For overseas prices visit: www.airsoft-action.co.uk

Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WE13 6PL Tel: 01684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.co.uk ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2014 Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade

by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800 Copyright © Calibre Publishing Limited 2014. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the publisher in writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to print.

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Letter, idea or question?

Got something to say? A question for our experts? An article or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know.

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

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autumn 2014

BEFORE I SAY ANYTHING ELSE I want to thank everyone who contacted me about the last issue, your comments and compliments were very much appreciated and I am delighted you like what we’re doing with the magazine.

Yes, 108 pages is a lot to produce every four weeks but I have got an awesome team of contributors out there; airsoft players just like you who are passionate about the game in all its forms. With their support and with the backing of my design team, we have been able to grow Airsoft Action to what it is today however, as certain US President said: “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Enough of my ramblings, what’s been happening?

Well there was a certain Airsoft Practical Shooting Championship that took place and I thought it was one of the best tournament events I have ever attended. There were shooters from a much wider selection of European Countries and it already looks like the 2015 event will be even bigger! My Event Report starts on page 36.

I was up at JD Airsoft a few days back and Phil has very kindly given me one of the new STTS Sentinel rifles to review, which should be in the next issue – along with a Competition to win the gun.

I haven’t fired it but if it works just half as good as it looks, then STTS and JD have got another winner on their hands.

Pretty much for the whole of August, Scott Allan and the guys from Land Warrior Airsoft have been fighting Zombies twice a night at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, as part of “The Generation of Z” display. To me it is yet another sign that airsoft is being made visible to an ever-wider audience and can only help airsoft become the mainstream activity it so richly deserves to be. ...and to round it off, Calibre Publishing launched a new magazine into the PMC sector, which has gone down a storm.

So, just another normal four weeks really.

Nige.

CONTENTS OCTOBER MARCH 2014

CONTENTS

AIRSOFT ACTION – OCTOBER 2014 6 AIRSOFT NEWS The latest developments in the world of airsoft.

8 READERS’ GALLERY Cool photos taken by Airsoft Action readers.

12 ARMOURY: G&P FORCE RECON Scott Allan takes a close look at G&P’s first rifle to incorporate their new Free Float Recoil System.

16 ARMOURY: TIPPMANN M4 When one of the longest-standing paintball gun manufacturers makes an airsoft RIF, it’s a sure sign that times are changing. Iggy Roberts finds out what makes it tick…

58 AIRSOFT SKILLS: MARKMANSHIP Pro-Tact Training’s Andy Nightingale on the fundamental principles behind the art of being a marksman.

65 A SQUADRON: IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE Ex-22 SAS soldier, Bob Podesta and A Squadron’s MD, Faith Cowling, talk about how to become “the complete soldier”.

68 WORLD WAR ONE: WHY? With the 100th Anniversary still in recent memory, Matt Limb OBE explores the real reason why we went to war in August 1914.

20 ARMOURY: WE G36 RAS As WE products continue to evolve, Scott Allan checks out their latest version of the G36.

72 WORLD WAR ONE: THE SOMME Sniper One, Dan Mills, brings us the first part of his look at one of the bloodiest battles of The Great War, in which more than 1 million men were either killed or wounded.

24 KIT: FBA ROUNDUP FireBaseAlpha takes a quick look at some of the gear that’s caught his eye over the last few months.

76 BIG BOYZ TOYZ: MESSERSCHMITT BF109 During WW2 The Luftwaffe was not without firepower, as Jay Slater discovered as he writes about this aerial gladiator.

26 EVENT REPORT: BADLANDS 3 – THE PIT Oscar P returns for the next episode of Spec Ops’s Bonkers Badlands Bonanza.

80 WW2 SNIPERS: BERT KEMP SCOUT SNIPER Dan Mills concludes his article about one of the USA’s most prolific snipers.

32 INSIDE AIRSOFT: WOLF ARMOURIES Les Lee continues his journey around airsoft with a trip to one of the UK’s longest established airsoft retailers.

83 FEATURE: LOADED OR UNLOADED? For both Recce and Direct Action loadouts, Jerry Noone finds PenCott’s temperate pattern works to perfection.

36 EVENT REPORT: AIRSOFT SURGEON 2ND EUROPEAN PRACTICAL AIRSOFT CHAMPIONSHIP Nige reports from an event that has already established itself as a top-flight European Practical Pistol tournament which attracts shooters from far and wide.

88 FEATURE: MACHINE GUN MAYHEM – PART 2 Kris Roberts continues his look at the role of an airsoft support gunner as a veteran player takes on the role for the first time.

42 COLD WAR WARRIORS: THE THIRD YEAR OF THE THIRD WORLD WAR After three years of writing Cold War Warriors, probably the most popular airsoft column in the UK, Gareth “Gadge” Harvey looks at the future of Cold War airsoft.

46 KIT REVIEW: APPLIED ORANGE PERFORMANCE EQUIPMENT Kit aficionado FireBaseAlpha introduces us to a European manufacturer that is growing rapidly in both real-steel and airsoft environments.

48 EVENT PREVIEW: OPERATION THUNDERBOLT If you like your MilSim Hardcore – and we really mean HARDCORE – then this might just be what you’ve been waiting for.

52 SITE REVIEW: FIRST & ONLY – THE JUNGLE Gadge takes time out from fighting Cold War battles to visit F&O’s new site in the Midlands.

92 DEBATE: 1 JOULE – A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD? With talk of Ireland’s one joule limit being applied in Scotland, Gadge asked what effect it would have if applied to Airsoft across the UK? 97 BILLY BASICS: ADMIN Love it or loathe it, it pervades just about every facit of our lives but Billy thinks it is important.

101 BOOK REVIEW: CHICKENHAWK Kris Roberts gets drawn into one man’s vivid account of what Vietnam was really like, both during the War and later, back “home”.

102 SITE DIRECTORY If you’re looking for somewhere to play, you’re sure to find it here.

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.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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AIRSOFT NEWS GenZ Societal structure has collapsed, and humanity is now faced with a desperate battle for survival. Martial law has been imposed and is administered by a Governmental and Corporate Institution — The Armed Rescue Coalition (A.R.C.). However control was not so easily regained. Reports of questionable tactics and harsh laws put in place by the A.R.C. have led to the emergence of a rebellion movement known as the SCAVS. Factions of the SCAVS have taken up arms against the A.R.C., determined to expose the truth of the A.R.C.’s misconduct and it’s direct involvement in the origins of the virus. In this apocalyptic ‘perfect storm’, a ragtag squad of A.R.C mercenaries and an audience of survivors are brought together by a chain of events that will thrust them directly into the dark heart of the zombie holocaust.

So where does this leave Airsoft?

Scott was contacted by Benjamin Farry from the project to provide a quick reaction force for the closing stages of the show, quickly the relationship grew with Land Warrior Airsoft providing more and more support for the show. From 50 cal touting Land Rovers to zombie slaying chainsaws LWA got stuck and got their hands…. er, bloody?

The show is running over August at the world famous Edinburgh Festival, when the entire city transforms into a beacon to all kind of shows, from music from the Axis of Awesome to comedy from Eddie Izzard.

Literally thousands of performers amaze, frighten and make spectators cry.

Scott working with local Airsoft volunteers in Scotland provided performance security ensuring that the cast and audience were safe at all times during the show. For the end of the show the Airsofters provided soldiers to fight the zombie hoard, sacrificing themselves to that the public can escape. Of course it is all make believe but there are a few genuinely frightened people at the tail end of the show.

The show is a great example of how Airsoft is an important part of everything we do. It’s not just about running around your local field scalping your friends but a social endeavour to meet new people and publicise the sport to the general pubic and raise awareness that we are here and not all crazy. http://www.thegenerationofz.com https://www.facebook.com/thegenerationofz

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october 2014

NEWS THE LATEST AIRSOFT HEADLINES

Arizona Camo New from Arizona Camo, t-shirts in A-TACS AU and FG Camo patterns. Made from 100% cotton fabric you’ll stay cooler and more comfortable under your gear. With Sizes Medium to 3XL to choose from, you’re assured a comfortable fit. All of our sizes are in “Tall” insuring that whether you’re hunting, training, out on deployment, or engaged in any other activity, your shirt will stay tucked in.

Our shirts are the only ones that offer both a collar and front pocket in the A-TACS Camo pattern to match the shirt. When you go A-TACS Camo, go 100%. And most importantly, we are keeping America working. Our shirts are 100% manufactured and assembled in the USA. We are Arizona Camo. Get yours at www.azcamo. com and “Don’t Be Seen.”

Oops!

A couple of issue back we ran a review of some brilliant boots from HAIX – what we didn’t tell you is where you can get them from!

They are available, along with loads of other Gucci kit and gear from Patrol Store, who are based at Unit E, The Courtyard Business Centre, Lonesome Lane, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 7QT. Their online shop can be found at: www.patrolstore. com where the boots we reviewed (HAIX Combat High Liability MOD British Army Boot) are currently on sale for £169.99 – and worth every penny!

Oops Again!

Last month’s review on Pro Airsoft Supplies omitted to mention, that the real Boss and unsung hero of Pro Airsoft Supplies is of course, Sue Wynn, Neville’s long suffering Wife’, who tirelessly works at home on admin and accounts “keeping the ship on course”.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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AA GALLERY READERS PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY kevin crowl at

t, N Survival Airsof

kevin crowl at Survival Airs

SWAT Fortress Liverpool Tea

oft, N devon

m SWAT

m SWAT

Tea SWAT Fortress Liverpool

INFORMATION Fancy seeing yourself in Airsoft Action?

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

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october 2014

devon

SWAT F

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Liverpo

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SWAT

AA GALLERY READERS PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY suzi and sean at

suzi and sean at RIFT

suzi and sean at RIFT

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october 2014

RIFT

G&P – LIVE AND KICKING SCOTT ALLAN TAKES A LOOK AT THE FIRST RIFLE PRODUCED BY G&P WITH THEIR NEW RECOIL SYSTEM WHILE G&P HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN RESTING on their laurels a little bit since 2008, in terms of feature design, we were pleasantly surprised to find that they had come up with something to add to their great range of M4s.

The new G&P Free Float Recoil System, in particular the GPFRS004 is one of the first G&P rifles we have seen with the new recoil engine. While G&P still seem to be hit and miss when naming rifles, the Force Recon is instantly a very pretty rifle.

One of the first things you notice is the new “burnt” flash hider that looks extremely good and is naturally steel.

Who are G&P? G&P are based out in Hong Kong and while their background is firmly set in the M4 market they do make some outrageously lovely M249s and MK23 Stoner rifles too. Several years ago they only made extras to enhance the Tokyo Marui replicas but in more recent years they offered complete packages.

As we reach the second half of 2014 we have seen a large number of their M870 shotguns that are stunning but still only a single shot item. So the M4 end has become a little dull unfortunately… until now!

So Free Float Recoil, that’s just blow back right?

Well no. You have recoil and blowback features in Airsoft. G&G have blowback which is purely for looks, recoil is a kick that you feel when you fire the rifle. Rifles like the PTS ERG and the Tokyo Marui 416D have recoil.

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october 2014

The real deal M4s are like pigeons, they are everywhere and while they probably fulfil some important role in nature you’d rather not have them littering your site. You can tart it up with a variety of bling but at the end of the day it is still a M4. 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.

THE ARMOURY G&P FORCE RECON

“Take this rifle to any site and you will turn heads and impress people. The flash hider alone looks so tasty I want to eat it.”

Most essentially play around the same design with a few design tweaks or material changes. The operation of the rifle remains the same 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 rats 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.

There are 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).

rifle will often easily run an 11.1v lipo. Always best to check with your warranty provider before doing this.

So how does the recoil work?

As with everything in Airsoft you don’t get anything for nothing. The recoil kit is something similar to the old Tremors kit that again is not unlike the ERG or TM system. A weight sits in the buffer tube that is moved along with the piston to provide recoil. The drawback is that the lower receiver is a different design that means it is no longer standard G&P spec.

Anyway back to the Airsoft version G&P always make a great looking full metal rifle, or the best looking M4s in my opinion. This version is no exception, a Keymod front rail which is rock solid and sporting QD sling holes. The full metal flip up sights, vertical grip and fully adjustable stock are all nice as well as the extremely comfortable pistol grip. The Seal Team 6 metal body looks nice with clear, crisp markings. Oddly it is the MOTS logos on the rifle, Mixed Object Targeting System. I am unsure what this refers too but can only presume that this is some kind of G&P own branding which is not like their classic angle for Airsoft rifles.

But what about the important stuff?

G&P always make a high end rifle, but what really gets the blood pumping is the M140 high torque motors, a move away from the M120 high speed. This will be to work better with the recoil system.

G&P used to be by far the fastest out of the box rifles on the planet, whereas this model was fast it wasn’t silly fast. This can help prevent future problems such as stripped pistons. Internally they have an 8mm bearing gearbox so they can withstand you tinkering types with upgrades. The gears are steel with a bearing bevel gear to help cope with the torque load. The piston is very unusual as it is full aluminium which I have never seen in an Airsoft rifle as standard.

Out of the box most G&P rifles are on the warm side, anywhere from 350 up to 420fps although most respectable companies will downgrade these for free if required. The inner barrel is the bog standard 6.08mm barrel same as TM and ICS. With companies such as G&G shipping some rifles with a 6.03 the standard brass barrel of a G&P is always something I would change as quickly as possible for either an Ultimate or Prometheus 6.03. While it is not necessary the

Take this rifle to any site and you will turn heads and impress people. The flash hider alone looks so tasty I want to eat it. Okay it doesn’t have stop on empty like the ERG but it does have an ambidextrous magazine release for when that time comes. The whole rifle just feels really solid and well made, which I would always expect from G&P. The big drawback…. Is the recoil system means buffer tube wiring is a no go. So you are either powering this from a PEQ box LiPo or fitting a battery inside the rail, which looks great but means you cannot change them easily. One interesting little touch is the wire has a braided cover that protects them from nicks. I am unsure if this is to be standard to all G&P rifles now but it looks good.

Like many players out there I look at my upgrade options on any rifle I buy. This is just gagging to have the new Gen 3+ ASCU fitted with plenty of stock space you won’t be short on battery life either. Tight bore barrels are always worth a look www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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features POWER: 350 FEET PER SECOND ON BLASTER 0.20G MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 130 LENGTH: 650MM / 735MM WEIGHT: 3180G BUILT MATERIAL: METAL & ABS INNER BARREL LENGTH: 215MM GEARBOX: F.R.S. 8MM BEARING GEARBOX MOTOR: G&P M140 HIGH TORQUE at to, especially the Ultimate 6.03mm or Madbull 6.03mm which are good value and performers, if you have more money to splash have a look for a Prometheus 6.03mm. The gearbox itself is pretty sound and you shouldn’t really have to change anything there unless you are going for a dedicated high speed set up.

Use in the game field A lightweight and very easy to use rifle with a short barrel it would be equally well suited indoors and outdoors without getting caught up in everything.

The front grip fitted as standard always helps my aiming out and realistically I wouldn’t fit many of the Keymod rails. The adjustable stock does have position markers and clicks solidly into place. I personally would fit a Magpul MOE stock though. I do personally like a 11.1v Lipo battery in a G&P which gives a frightening rate of fire and a quick trigger response. It is not that I want to hose endlessly but I do always like the quick 3-4 round bursts to ensure my target takes the hit quickly and without fuss.

Conclusion So yes this is yet another G&P M4 and that irritates people but at least this is a slight change in direction and the price hasn’t really changed. We are unsure if G&P will continue to churn out new models but I hope they do. G&P keep ticking the boxes so they keep doing slight design tweaks and variation tweaks which keeps the format fresh. The reliability and build quality of G&P is hard to surpass, they may not have all the internal bells and whistles that the new G&G Gen 3 rifles have but then at this price it is not a massive surprise either. Given a standard front rail can easily cost £90-£100 for a quality product (I do not consider ACM, DBOYS or JG to be at the high end of rail manufacturing) then this rifle really is very good value. So if you are looking for a good offering f rom G&P it will not get much better than this.

BATTERY: ADVISED USING 7.4V BATTERY (NOT INCLUDED) INCLUDED: -MOTS METAL BODY (BLACK) (MEB014BK) -MOTS 8” KEYMOD (KEY008A) -8” TRIANGLE PATTERN ALUMINUM OUTER BARREL (COP069B) -3 PRONG STEEL FLASH HIDER (BURNT BLUE FINISH) (L) (CLOCKWISE)(FLH008C) -ANGLE GAS BLOCK (OTH023) -BALL BALL MID-CAP MAGAZINE (BLACK) (130RDS) (MAG007BK) -TD M16 GRIP WITH HEAT SINK END SET (BLACK) (GP711B) -BUIS SIGHT (BLACK) -CRANE TYPE BUTTSTOCK (BLACK) (COP068BK) -EXTENDED STOCK DUAL SLING MOUNT (GP878) -RUBBER FOREGRIP (SHORT) (BLACK) (COP056BS) -KEYMOD SOFT RAIL COVER B (BLACK) X 2 (COP058B) -RECOIL PARTS ENGINE RRP £310.99

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october 2014

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TIPPMANN GOES AIRSOFT WHEN ONE OF THE LONGEST-STANDING PAINTBALL GUN MANUFACTURERS MAKES AN AIRSOFT RIF, IT’S A SURE SIGN THAT TIMES ARE CHANGING. IGGY ROBERTS FINDS OUT WHAT MAKES IT TICK… WELCOME BACK! LAST MONTH I MENTIONED the new revolutionary design that Tippmann had in their M4.

I am sure by now you have heard of this new airsoft gun, which is due to be on the market in the UK from September.

I had only heard whispers of such a gun, until I had a chance to talk to Paul Banks, Tippmann’s man in the UK, through a converted paintballer (under the name of “MAD Manc”) who insisted the stories were true.

Paul Banks is the European Sales manager for Tippmann and has many years of experience working with Tippmann in the paintball industry.

Tippmann has been keen to break into the airsoft market for a few years now but waited until they had what they believed was a product that would put them in good stead, alongside the leading companies in the Airsoft world.

After a few design ideas, Tippmann came to the decision of using a proven technology based on what they’ve used in their paintball guns for 40 years and chose the M4 body type as their launch into the airsoft market. After a little “tweaking” the blowback Tippmann M4 low energy air gun was created.

The body of the M4 breaks down just like the real thing, adding that element of realism to the gun. Speaking of realism, when I got a chance to fire the Tippmann M4, it surprised me 16

october 2014

with a very satisfying recoil firmly pushing my shoulder back getting ever closer to the real weapon system.

SO HOW DOES IT ALL WORK? The Tippmann M4 runs a blowback system using CO2 or High Pressure Air (HPA). When you fire the gun, air drives the power tube, pushing the front bolt forward and thereby pushing the BB out of the breach. The rear bolt is dragged along driving the whole assembly home ensuring no energy is lost. The waste air is used to bring the assembly back to the start and re-cock the weapon. This is what creates the recoil, or “kick”.

There are three methods of powering the Tippmann M4: Using a Tippmann M4 magazine, that houses a 12 gram CO2 cartridge within it. This is a very realistic looking method and will appeal to the airsofters that like the “real” look of airsoft guns available today. Alternatively you could use the remote airline connector that is built into the pistol grip, which requires a remote line to an 800 PSI regulated cylinder of HPA or CO2.

Lastly it is possible to purchase an Air Supply Adapter kit and install it into the lower grip for use with a cylinder of CO2 or of HPA regulated to 800 PSI or lower.

Each option has its own advantages, although the Tippmann M4 magazine is definitely the right choice for

THE ARMOURY TIPPMANN M4

“The velocity can be adjusted by “breaking the body” and adjusting the velocity screw in the power tube using the hex key provided. This is a great option allowing you to set your Tippmann M4 for use at whatever the site limit is” realism, however only Tippmann (at the time of writing) sells the magazines and you are limited to 80 rounds per magazine. 80 rounds was chosen specifically by Tippmann because on average a 12 gram cartridge of CO2 should be able to comfortably fire 80 BBs. The cartridge is purged every time you remove the magazine from the magazine well. The issue with this method is that the 12g is punctured on mag-insertion, so should you have a jam and need to swap the mag out, or you have not seated it correctly and it drops, the 12g will vent and need to be replaced.

Using a remote airline means you need to carry the bottle around the battle field with you and be cautious of the remote airline.

However, you are able to use ordinary airsoft M4/M16 magazines up to the high capacity drums if you so wish.

If you choose to purchase an air supply adapter, you will get the benefit of using standard airsoft M4/M16 magazines without having a remote line connecting the Tippmann M4 to a bottle in your backpack or chest rig. Instead, you will have a bottle attached straight to the weapon.

Operation is simple: Firstly check the HPA supply is connected and turned on (or you have a CO2 cartridge in the magazine) then cock the weapon using the charging handle, as you would a real M4. Load the magazine, select semi or auto then rock and roll!

velocity screw in the power tube using the hex key provided.

This is a great option allowing you to set your Tippmann M4 for use at whatever the site limit is, without the need for messing around with different springs etc. The velocity can be adjusted to as high as 400+fps, however this can be capped in all M4s before they are sold to the end user and can be locked off by the user to ensure a selected FPS. Great for a hire gun option.

The hop up can be adjusted using the same hex key by turning a screw in the ejection port, revealed when you open the ejection port cover.

CHANGING THE METHOD OF POWERING THE TIPPMANN M4.

It is relatively quick and easy to change between the methods that power the M4. This is done by removing the magazine and firing off the action. Then you pull out the back pin (also referred to as the “tournament lock pin”). Once this is done you can “break” the gun in the same method as the real M4 works. The back pin is called the tournament lock pin because a cable tie can be put around it, stopping the user from accessing the internals to alter them without breaking the cable tie. This means that all guns in a tournament can be simply checked for “tampering” and that they are at the required feet per second (FPS) velocity.

Once the body is broken open, you can gain access to the trigger group, the puncture valve assembly the piston housing, the front bolt assembly and the specially weighted back bolt. The puncture valve assembly can be removed and modified using specific parts that are included when you purchase the Tippmann M4.

CHANGING THE VELOCITY The velocity can be adjusted by “breaking the body” and adjusting the

UPGRADING The Tippmann M4 can be upgraded as you see fit. The barrel and retractable stock are the same as any airsoft M4, therefore you can change the barrel length, even add a tight bore barrel and change the stock to your requirement. The rate of fire is adjustable within the body (it is possible to cycle between 8-20 shots per second) and the weight of the back bolt can be changed to give you a faster re-cock, although this would nullify the warranty. Not much else can be done to the internals because they are all parts unique to Tippmann.

MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLE SHOOTING. Maintenance is easy: Clean the outside and inside of the gun then oil the back hammer and moving parts. Any rubber seals are maintained in the same way you would maintain your gas blow back gun.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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All Tippmann M4s come with a 12 month warranty but if you import your Tippmann M4 from the USA then the warranty stands for parts but not labour. However if you buy in the UK then both parts and labour are covered by the warranty.

If you do encounter any problems that you can’t sort out yourself, then simply return it to the shop you bought it from. They will either have a trained Tippmann certified technician at their shop or they will send it to the main Tippmann UK supplier for servicing. Tippmann’s intention is for all shops that sell their product to have a member of staff that has attended a Tippmann tech course.

Every Tippmann M4 has a unique serial number that is logged when the weapon is sold. This means that Tippmann is able to keep a database of where their M4s are being sold and can ensure warranty servicing is carried out in an efficient manner.

Tippmann are renowned for a good service in paintball and they wish to keep this up in the airsoft world, so only carefully selected high street retailers will be authorised to sell the Tippmann M4. Thay are actively building a distribution and retail network, so keep an eye out over the next few months to discover which stores will be stocking their products.

The Tippmann M4 is expected to be priced at £374.95 If you have any other queries or want to know more, log onto www. tippmann.com or e-mail Paul Banks direct on pbanks@tippmann.com Stop Press...Stop Press...Stop Press...Stop Press...

We have just received notification from Tippmann UK that they will be sending us an M4 as soon as they become available in the UK, to give away as a Competition prize in a future issue, so keep your eyes peeled for that too!

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BREAKING THE MOULD AS WE PRODUCTS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE, SCOTT ALLAN CHECKS OUT THEIR LATEST VERSION OF THE G36 GREAT SCOT! FINALLY A MODERN G36 that moves away from the very tired looking 90’s design!

WE are a great middle of the road manufacturer for both electric and gas blow back products. They are steadily improving the quality of the products and although they are not flawless they are certainly good value for money. The G36s that WE have made do seem to be great rifles, they not only look less dated than the standard G36c but the finish and performance out of the box is good. Although these are called WE 999’s to avoid the dreaded lawsuit from H&K/Umarex, rest assured these are every bit G36 as the official types.

This is one of the most modern looking G36s that I have seen so far. The full metal rail and the IdZ stock have finally brought the G36 into the 21st century in terms of looks.

WE as in the Royal WE? No, WE or Wei E Tech are a Taiwanese manufacturer who have been around for many years. They have always provided good value items to the Airsoft market. The quality wasn’t always the best with heavy weight cheap pistols that looked great but were not the most powerful. This never halted their continuing popularity over the years and these days pistols like their Glock are one of the best available. There has been confusion in the past who WE are with companies like WETTI claiming to be the “factory” when they are merely a distributor like many others, including WE Europe. So while there are direct links to the factory there is a clear distinction between box shifters and manufacturers.

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A little about the real version Developed and manufactured by the world famous Heckler & Koch in the late 20th century to replace the booming 7.62mm G3 rifles. In the same way the British shed the 7.62mm SLR in favour of the 5.56mm L85 platform. The G36 fires from a closed rotary bolt and is gas operated. A standard rifle design, it shares common internal parts throughout all the variants. The folding stock is lightweight and tough yet allows the rifle length to be reduced dramatically for vehicle use and storage.

THE ARMOURY WE G36 RAS

“The specs on paper look really good, considering when you look at the price. An aluminium RAS kit for a G36 generally fetches over £100 in cost alone, a silencer can be £25-£35 too. So there is at least £125 of extras included as standard The rifle is used by the German army today in theatres such as Afghanistan, British police and dozens of other countries proves the platform works. The magazine is a 30 round polymer magazine, the same capacity as the L85 but the polymer magazine is more like a PMAG, very tough and very light. The design of the G36 magazine does allow for magazines to be clipped together to allow for faster magazine changes. The 20mm top rail allows for easy attaching of scopes and red dots, unlike the L85 system which required a conversion rail.

Zukunft or Infantryman of the Future) is the best G36 stock to date and has a very helpful adjustable cheek to aid the use of optics. The aluminum RAS front kit means you can mount any and all 20mm accessories such as flash lights and vertical grips which give greater flexibility during games.

Performance is key with any Airsoft rifle and few of the major manufacturers produce lemons these days. The WE G36 doesn’t step to far away from the main stream, unlike something like the PTS ERG that is pushing innovation. But lack of innovation and building something solid and reliable can be a good choice, G&P have done it for many years.

Back to the WE G36

Most G36’s do float around the same spec sheet, hardly surprising. For years the only thing that ever changed was the barrel length. The addition of the silencer albeit a barrel extension only, RAS kit and the adjustable stock doesn’t get away from the standard body of the G36 but it does offer the player something more modern looking with more flexibility.

Even the top 20mm rail is a new profile with flip up sights that look and feel great and fold out of the way so they do not obscure your EoTech or Aimpoint. As with all G36s from

Externally this looks and feels great. There is a quick take down design incorporated into the G36, 3 pins are you are done. Like all other versions of the G36, Star, Ares, S&T, Tokyo Marui, Jing Gong etc, there is a Version 3 gearbox at its heart. This version doesn’t sport a quick change spring guide which is common in most modern types, which is not a big issue but an odd omission. The adjustable stock is a big improvement over the original C or K stock. The IdZ (Infanterist der

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WE they come issued with a 450 round high capacity magazine, perfect for newer players. The battery, as always, is located up front which can be a minor fiddle until you get good at the changing process.

The specs on paper look really good, considering when you look at the price. An aluminium RAS kit for a G36 generally fetches over £100 in cost alone, a silencer can be £25-£35 too. So there is at least £125 of extras included as standard. The internals aren’t half bad either.

Despite the bespoke fire selector plate, the 8mm copper bushes, vented cylinder, plastic vented piston head and a larger tappet pickup all contribute to a solid internal system. The motor is a bit on the weak side as I would expect from a WE rifle but this is an easy item to replace for those who care about such things.

On the game field the G36 is not an uncommon sight. I know many Airsoft fields that run the G36c as a hire rifle purely for its unmatched reliability and durability for players new and old. The magazines, while good can be a bit of a pain to fit into some pouches due to their snag happy design. That said you could easily swap the magazine well for the M4 conversion by removing a single pin. This allows you to use the much easier to store M4 magazine.

The size and balance of the rifle means it’s well suited to outdoor but may be a bit bulky for the indoor scene.

features •

NYLON FIBER STOCK AND 20MM TOP RAIL •

IDZ STOCK, EXTENDABLE AND

FEATURES AN ADJUSTABLE CHEEK REST • TOP RAIL FEATURES FLIP-UP FRONT AND REAR SIGHTS •

SIDE FOLDING STOCK LIKE THE CLASSIC G36 STOCK •

SILENCER

• ALUMINIUM RAS KIT STATS:

Conclusion I do like this WE G36, the performance while not Earth shattering is fair.

You could certainly do a lot worse for the money with the likes of the SRC G36 range. Personally I’d swap out the inner barrel for a Madbull steel 6.03, I’d also reduce the length by around 20-30mm to stop dirt getting inside and get a little aid from the silencer. After that a better motor and I would maybe even consider fitting up an ASCU unit to make things really exciting.

The folding stock really does set it apart from the previous versions and I think that makes it worth the price tag alone. So if you fancy doing modern German or just having a badass looking G36 then this is your one stop shop option.

HOP-UP: ADJUSTABLE WEIGHT: 3 KG LENGTH: 843 MM CAPACITY: 450RDS G36 HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINE POWER: 330-350 FPS SHOOTING MODE: SEMI, FULL AUTO RRP £279.99

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Gear Overview KIT AND CABOODLE

KIT AND CABOODLE FIREBASEALPHA TAKES A QUICK LOOK AT SOME OF THE GEAR THAT’S CAUGHT HIS EYE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS

CRYE Precision Compact Assault Ghillie

0241 Tactical Neck Gaiter

This is by far one of the most Gucci bits of kit I have got my hands on in the past 7 months. It has a plethora of features too numerous to list but in short. It compacts down into a stuff sack the size of a Coke can, weighs around 4/5 ounces, covers the users arms, head and back and is designed to work with plate and armour carriers, low profile packs and chest rigs. This is for the Assaulter who requires a degree of concealment but in a flash can go back to their primary role. Well worth a look and certainly on my Christmas list now!

Retailer: http://www.cryeprecision.com/

This is a small American company working predominately in head wear as well as other protective cover items (pack and scope covers). This is one of three Kryptek patterned Neck Gaiters they have on offer (they also have Multicam and ATAC available). The Kryptek versions use the Alpha fabric (waterproof, windproof, dustproof and extremely hardwearing). Simple idea, wellconstructed and something I will be getting a great deal of use out of over the colder months. Tactical-Kit is now stocking a number of 0241 Tactical’s range with new stock arriving so keep your eyes peeled.

Retailer: http://www.tactical-kit.co.uk/ Cost: £19.99

Viper Elite-V Boots These are the new Elite-V boot from Viper and my experience of them so far has been very good. Available in either Coyote Brown (pictured) or Multi-cam they boast a number of features including a Vibram Multi-sport sole, rustproof hardware and Hydroguard waterproof membrane. These are more a winter than summer boot so the timing is great. They have so far endured a lot of active use both in an urban and rural settings and are holding up nicely. For a solid but cost effective boot you would be wise to consider these.

Retailer: Contact http://www.viperkit.co.uk/ for your local stockists. Cost: Around £95.00

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Tactical Attitude – CPT Bag. This is a new French company with manufacturing in Europe and servicing the Police and CP Teams as well as Urban/Tactical Lifestyle culture with their offering. Built of Cordura and with products ranging from duty bags and packs, through to EDC and utility pouches I can foresee this company growing in name and reputation. I currently have the CPT “Computer Bag” (pictured) as well as the BPK-M back pack and their “Tactical Pouch”. The CPT is full frontal MOLLE with the top x3 pouches removable and has x3 internal pouches to secure laptops and tablets etc. You can find more on the versatility of their products by visiting their website.

Retailer: http://www.tactical-attitude.com/ Cost: CPT Computer Bag £63.84

BADLANDS THREE: THE PIT BAD LANDS COMES IN THREES AS OSCAR P RETURNS FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF SPEC OPS’S BONKERS BADLANDS BONANZA SO LET’S RECAP. TWO YEARS AGO, Airsoft Action’s inestimable editor Nige dispatched me down to Portland to cover Spec Ops’ inaugural Badlands Weekender. He’d told me that I should prepare for some serious fun but hadn’t prepared me for the barrage of post-apocalyptic nuttiness that ensued - and he wasn’t wrong. The year after, I toddled down for Part Two - and got caught up again in the mayhem raging across two days of chaos at Spec Op’s Rock site.

And I’m just back from 2014’s Part Three. I’m not going to lie to you – the very evening I returned from the last game, I’d drawn a big red line around August on 2014’s calendar and told my other half not to book anything at all, WHATSOEVER, on any weekend – to make sure I could get down to the 3rd instalment.

But, expectations being what they are, over the last few weeks I’d been wondering how the team at Spec Ops would be able to pull something out of the bag that would top their previous, awesome, efforts. So settle down, dear reader, and listen carefully as I tell you the tale of The Pit. A bit of background for those of you who’re new to the series. The Badlands games are set against a backdrop of a World Gone Mad (cue kettle drums, diverse alarums, and stampeding elephants). Society has fractured into two main blocs; the British Union Forces, adherents to the old order - royalists, monarchists, lovers of order and the Status Quo – and for the purposes of this game, wearers of multicam and other similar costumes. On t’other hand, players can plump to play for the Free People’s Army – free thinkers, libertarians, left-wingers and advocates of all things anarchistic – and likely to be found wearing anything they fancy whilst they’re at it.

Both teams, though, are fighting their way through a story arc that describes the aftermath of the breakdown of society and the establishment of a new order - and who have to deal with the interference of a group of Raiders, fully-fledged nutjobs who hellraise their way around the site causing havoc and unleashing the dogs of war!

However, this year looked like it was going to start badly – as I headed down the motorway to Portland, Dorset, the heavens

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Game Review BADLANDS 3

“The Raiders, though, are getting a reputation for bizarre behaviour and bonkers antics, and this year was no exception; as the convoy rounded the corner into the main quarry, they were greeted by the sight of two raiders enthusiastically beating seven bells out of each other!”

opened and it seemed like all the water in the world was falling on my windscreen! The last two years had been bright, sunny affairs but it seemed like this year might not be balmy – and as I pulled into the camp site, things were pretty sodden and grim.

However, the bad news didn’t last long; the sun soon broke through and began to dry out the 150 or so players who were lining up to do battle. It also meant I could get a good view at the campsite. Again, Spec Ops had organised great facilities – without exaggerating, this weekender has one of the best camping areas I’ve seen at an airsoft game, even though I keep accidentally driving into a nearby prison whilst trying to find it…

Spec Ops don’t cut corners on the safety side, either; after we got a rigorous chrono check out of the way and briefing done, it was time to kit up and start getting some rounds down. Both teams were led by player-marshals, who led their groups into the field and briefed them separately.

At the end of last year’s game, the FPA had chalked up their second win against the BUF, but it had been a pyrrhic victory; a massive dirty bomb had been detonated in the middle of the site, making it useless as a strategic fastness. In the intervening year, though, another faction have had stepped in and turned it to their own purposes as a prison-come-shanty-come-mining operation…

boulders, rocks and slopes around the entrance to the site opened up and hammered the advancing lefties. All of this was carried out on a backdrop of something else new that Spec Ops had brought in this year: music! A massive PA system was set up overlooking the playing areas throughout the weekend and provided a thumping soundtrack to the battles below. This I think underlines something of the character of these events – they are cinematic, fun skirmishes – it’s all about atmosphere and having fun. This isn’t a MilSim, it’s a themed skirmish weekend that is set up to keep players pumped up and up for it!

Down below in the quarry, the FPA shrugged off the initial setback and, after a series of wave assaults, gained a foothold at the base of the entrance ramp which allowed them to really lay the pressure onto the BUF. Despite offering stiff resistance, the defenders were pushed back to their second and third line of

”The Pit”.

This year’s game opened with the FPA, having cut a deal with the operators of the Pit, transporting a gaggle of prisoners for permanent incarceration... but their progress was soon cut short by something that’s become one of Spec Ops trademarks: A massive explosion!

This time it was a bunker that bit the dust. As the FPA convoy moved through the site’s small quarry (The Rock has two playing areas, large and small respectively) they spotted a bunker built on the flank of their line of advance - but rather than halt, heavy arty was called up to target the bunker, which disappeared in a fireball that literally blew the roof off! This was the first of many bangs over the weekend... at other times gates, mines, shanties and even a cat-house were blown to Kingdom Come by some seriously pokey pyrotechnics! One of the things that I’d hoped to see this year was more, bigger bangs - and I wasn’t disappointed! Over the course of the weekend it almost seemed that I couldn’t turn a corner without something blowing up!

Celebrations were short lived, though, as the FPA were immediately hit by a BUF ambush; players secreted across the www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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defence until finally they were broken against the sheer back wall of the quarry. Rounded up and disarmed, they were added to the manifest of the prison convoy and began the slow trudge to the Pit. At this point, I decided to hack off ahead of the convoy and take a look at another thing of which I had been a big fan at previous events; the Raiders, Badland’s NPC faction. I’m of the firm belief that you should never take yourself - or airsoft - too seriously; there’s definitely space for a sense of humour in the game and the Badlands Raider faction fit this bill exactly.

Comprised of Player Marshals, this group of malcontents and misfits are decked out in a variety of bizarre outfits - think Mad Max meets Mighty Boosh - and add real flavour as well as set pieces to the game. Also set the bar in the costume stakes!

Badlands events allow players to really run wild with their loadouts, slinging all the usual rules of camo and concealment out of the window in favour of the weird and the wonderful – and players have been increasingly getting into the spirit over the years as well!

The Raiders, though, are getting a reputation for bizarre behaviour and bonkers antics, and this year was no exception; as the convoy rounded the corner into the main quarry, they

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Game Review BADLANDS 3

were greeted by the sight of two raiders enthusiastically beating seven bells out of each other! Sighting the incoming convoy, they scampered back to a heavily-armed guardpost and waited for the convoy to pull up.

This guardpost was the entry to the Pit, which would be the area of the site on play for the rest of the weekend. The convoy pulled up at the gate and prisoners were paraded forward. After a swift and deadly demonstration of what prisoners could expect if they caused trouble (including being used as a watering post for one of the more bestial Raider pets) the BUF were processed into captivity and labour in the penal mines dotting the pit.

From that point on, battle raged across the Pit. Over the course of the next two days, the BUF launched a prisoner’s revolt, fought their way to freedom, battled for control of mines and other operations within the pit and eventually burnt the Raider’s shanty town to the ground – as I said, more bangs, more story and more mayhem were piled into the Badlands this year! If I had to characterise the games over the weekend, I’d have to call them themed skirmishes – objective based, rolling and each around two or three hours long, but still skirmishes rather than MilSim or FilmSim. Having said that they are brilliantly light-hearted and the sheer chaos and nuttiness sets them apart from the crowd. There isn’t really anything else like it in the airsoft calendar!

And also, the Rock is a great site to play. Sheltered, dry and varied, it’s the exact opposite of muddy – though it’s one where knee and elbow pads are a great investment! There’s lots of verticality to be had and has open as well as close-in areas, so there’s something for woodland and CQB fans alike. And the fact that it’s a working quarry means that no two events are the same – giant piles of boulders quite literally move around the site between games! Spec Ops dress the site brilliantly, too – this year saw new buildings being set up around the site (including one sheet-iron kill house which saw a seriously brutal fight with pyro and bbs hurtling around like hailstones) – and they also lay on little touches that make a real difference – for example, every spawn point was stocked with water and lollipops to keep fluid and sugar levels up!

But there’s one more thing that I think makes this a great choice for players looking for a weekender – the evening activities.

I’ve already mentioned the great atmosphere – and this year was no exception – but Spec Ops also put on a mental zombie game on the Saturday evening and sundry other entertainments late into

the night. There’s more put on for players than just a game then heading back to their tents to sink a few beers with their mates, and that’s going the extra mile in my book.

So that was Badlands 3 – more great ideas, excellent execution and the opportunity to play a site looking out over the English channel. Great shop, great facilities (including excellent loos – the importance of which cannot be understated!) and despite early downpours and some high winds, it went off a storm.

All in all, I wasn’t disappointed, even with the bar set so high by previous events. One of the things I love about Badlands is that it manages to be similar and different at the same time. What do I mean by that? Without wanting to get too metaphysical (translation: without sticking my head up my own behind) I came back from playing the third installment of the series with a big old smile on m’face from a replay of some favourite aspects of previous events, but also a real sense that it’s still going places. A lot of other series of games begin to founder after the first couple of episodes, but the team down on Portland found new ideas, new approaches and, frankly, new bits of the silly to get in play. A great weekend, top to bottom, despite the weather. Roll on next year.

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WOLF ARMOURIES LES LEE CONTINUES HIS JOURNEY AROUND AIRSOFT WITH A TRIP TO ONE OF THE UK’S LONGEST ESTABLISHED AIRSOFT RETAILERS DEEP IN THE HEART OF CAMDEN TOWN, London, lies Wolf Armouries, one of the longest established Airsoft shops in the UK. Wolf Armouries opened way back in 1999, little knowing just how popular this sport/hobby/pastime was to become and how Wolf Armouries was going to be such an integral part of so many sites, teams and individual’s needs. Since its conception, Wolf Armouries has supplied a variety of customers from skirmishers, collectors and contractors (and yes, even the MOD needs Airsoft guns too).

One of Wolf’s strongest credits is that they always keep up with the ever-changing trends of the industry and the firearms industry that influences Airsoft every day. They hold one of the largest amounts of airsoft stock in the UK and their showroom is an Aladdin’s Cave for the 21st century airsofter.

If you have ever visited the showroom you can probably relate when I say that upon my arrival (and being able to park right outside the front door is a nice touch) my first impression of the shop front made me think “Am I at the right place?” Wolf Armouries has a pretty impressive website and reputation and I have to say that I was expecting more than what seemed to be just another old fashioned and traditional army surplus store. However, according to the sign above the door I was at the right place, so I rang the bell (security is taken seriously here) and a few moments later the door opened and I stepped inside.

Now if I was ever one to be influenced on first impressions and a potential customer, I would have most likely courteously thanked the guy and left but instinct told me to stay and look around.

I am so glad I did because when my systematic perusal steered me through a doorway into another part of the shop everything changed!

I found myself walking into that hi-tech, stylish showroom as seen on the website and wow was it smart and very, very impressive! RIF’s, gear, gadgets, gizmos, it was all here displayed in well-lit facilities which was miles apart from the first room that I entered.

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inside airsoft WOLF ARMOURIES

“WHEN IT COMES TO FAVOURED MANUFACTURERS, AT THE TOP OF THEIR LIST COMES TOKYO MARUI. THEIR TM STOCK IS (FOR WANT OF A BETTER WORD) FORMIDABLE. EVERY RECOIL AEG, EVERY HIGH CYCLE AND ALMOST EVERY PISTOL IS READILY AVAILABLE.”

The reason for this is to simply give a false facade to passing undesirables, so that all that can be seen from the outside looking in is a pretty bland-looking stock of Army gear of little value and no real interest. The “yummy gunny” stuff is out of sight to the general public but clearly welcoming to airsofters and other genuine punters. To me (Mr OCD of health and safety) this was an inspired idea and very well planned and exercised, so what I would say to anyone planning a visit is to keep this discretion in mind and not to walk away, because if you don’t visit the showroom you will miss out on so much good stuff.

During my tour, Max told me that their primary business ethos is that they only stock guns and gear that they would use themselves. Equipment that a player can rely on in game is of the highest quality and reliability. If they don’t think something is good enough or reliable, they just won’t sell it.

Wolf give a warranty on everything they sell so they need to make sure that it won’t fail you.

As Airsoft has developed in the UK, so has Wolf Armouries.

Wolf always try and carry as much stock as possible so you can come along and get it the same day or by next day delivery. They also have one of the widest range of Airsoft guns and accessories in the UK, not just the guns and gun accessories but tactical gear, boots, clothing and so on. They now have over 4,000 different Airsoft products and are always acquiring the latest new Airsoft releases every month. Wolf only sell Airsoft products that they would want to buy and use themselves i.e. they need to be good

enough and tough enough to skirmish with in all environments and reliable, if they break easily and are not accurate enough with low performance then quite simply they just won’t sell it. Sounds like perfect business ethics to me.

I guess you could say that their location gives Wolf a charm unique to the industry. Having a Central London shop gives airsofters in the Central London area a one stop retailer that they can pop into at any time (ideally when they are open) with any question or any problem and leave satisfied. I got the impression that these guys are a very laid back and sociable bunch because smack bang in the middle of the shop is a big old leather sofa, which is no doubt the hub of countless conversations about gear, tactics, guns, sites and anything remotely connected with airsoft.

It also doubles as a much needed chill out area for bored and frustrated partners that would rather be at home de-fleaing the dog or cat, rather than having to listen to conversations about FPS, Mosfets, barrel mods and red dots…

I could be wrong on this but Wolf Armouries are probably the longest-running dedicated Airsoft dealer in the UK. Many have come and gone over the years but they are still here, so they must be doing something right.

Wolf Armouries have always had a very open and honest policy when it comes to helping their customers. They give them honest opinions on their products with both the positive and negative aspects of a product. They don’t try to over-sell a customer i.e. recommend things that they probably wouldn’t need or use when skirmishing.

Wolf Armouries offer a manufacturing warranty on everything they sell. They also have an in-house engineer for repairs, upgrades, and custom work. Wolf also run skirmish games every second Saturday down at Bunker 51 near the 02 in East London.

If you skirmish at their site they also offer a special Hire Purchase scheme to help new airsofters get their site membership and UKARA registration (without needing to pay extra money renting guns for the 3 games before they can be sold a RIF), when over 18 years. Interestingly, they also sell a lot of rarer and hard to find Airsoft guns and accessories, such as Tanaka Works custom revolvers.

Obviously, when it comes to favoured manufacturers, at the top of their list comes Tokyo Marui. Their TM stock is (for want of a better word) formidable. Every Recoil AEG, every High Cycle and almost every pistol is readily available when an online order comes through, or a customer walks in. At a very close second they carry a huge stock of G&P AEGs and parts. G&P are a powerhouse in www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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inside airsoft WOLF ARMOURIES

the industry of well built, affordable guns and parts and they are proud to sell them in such high quantities.

Often I am slightly taken aback when I see, in comparison, a range of products that sets one shop apart from another and at Wolf, I was extremely impressed with their stock of torches (or flashlights to our readers across the pond) where there was a torch to suit every need and budget. I know it’s a bit sad but I kinda collect torches and this definitely floated my boat; it was indeed a struggle not to buy one...or two. Also the amount of silencers/suppressors and tracers was huge compared to most others, as was their stock of optics, helmets and tac vests. Very impressive indeed!

One unique feature was Wolf’s range of Kydex holsters. Not only do they have an abundance of these in stock at any one time, they can have a custom build ready for you in virtually no time at all and for not a lot of money. So if you have a sidearm with some add-ons and cannot find a holster to fit then look no further, Wolf can make it happen.

Airsoft is such an incredible sport/hobby/pastime, we all hope airsoft continues to grow here in the UK and that more and more people get out there and enjoy playing. Max tells me that they enjoy it when new customers skirmish for the first time and just want to get out there and play some more. They are totally committed to encouraging and supporting more people joining us in this amazing sport that we are all so passionate about.

The showroom is 203 Royal College St. Camden Town, London NW1 0SG and there is parking right outside the front door. These guys are a 5 minute walk from Camden Town Tube station and only 30 seconds from Camden Road Overground station and, if you prefer to take the bus, they have a number 46 and 274 bus stop right outside.

Wolf have a full time engineer in the shop 5 days a week and he can fix many of the smaller jobs while you wait, or just leave it with them, or post it in. Wolf also offer a loyalty scheme and for every £100 pounds you spend, you get £5.00 off your next order (terms and conditions apply, see their website for details).

With regards to the website, Max informed me that the website is soon to be revamped and made more user friendly but personally, I found the current website more than adequate and one of the better ones that I have seen but hey, I’m all for “keeping up with the Joneses”!

Web and mail order typical turnaround time is the usual: Items in stock will reach you the next day if ordered by 12pm; however in most cases Wolf can get your new RIF in the post for next day delivery up until 4pm if circumstances permit.

So there we have it! Wolf Armouries London, one of the longest and most established Airsoft shops in the UK. Even if you’re not in the market to buy, I would recommend that you drop in and say “Hi!” to the guys as this is not a hard sell establishment by any standards, in fact it is so relaxed that on my visit

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that big old leather sofa looked more inviting as the day went on.

Maybe it was a blessing that they didn’t put the kettle on otherwise I would probably still be there, as anyone that knows me will know that I can talk for England - usually garbage but a good natter none the less.

Les OUT!

information WOLF ARMOURIES 203 ROYAL COLLEGE STREET CAMDEN TOWN LONDON NW1 0SG 0870 7549653 OR 0207 284 0001 WWW.WOLFARMOURIES.CO.UK SALES@WOLFARMOURIES.CO.UK

THE AIRSOFT SURGEON PRACTICAL AIRSOFT SHOOTING EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2014 NIGE REPORTS FROM AN EVENT THAT HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A TOP-FLIGHT EUROPEAN PRACTICAL PISTOL TOURNAMENT WHICH ATTRACTS SHOOTERS FROM FAR AND WIDE. IN 2013 I HAD THE GREAT PLEASURE to cover the 1st Airsoft Surgeon European Championship and at the time, said that I was looking forwards immensely the next one which was promised to be bigger, better, more competitive and with more shooters.

If just those four factors were used to judge whether the 2014 Championship was successful, then I can only say that “YES” does not come close!

Everything about the championship had grown (including possibly the longest title ever); it would be run over three days; there would be more shooters competing over a total of sixteen stages, covering a much larger area and with longer and more complex Courses of Fire. There would be more prizes and, for the first time ever, a “European Champion” title would be awarded – but more about that later.

The event started on Friday 1st August and I arrived early to find The Grange feeling very much like the Marie Celeste. There was evidence of activity and hole-marked targets indicated that shooting had been taking place but not a soul could be found.

The silence was broken by the sound of my mobile; it was Chris Kong inviting me to meet him and the rest of the RedWolf team for breakfast. Not being one to miss the opportunity for a “Full English”, I was soon sitting down to the largest fry-up I have seen in a very long time and, of course, took the opportunity to chat to Chris and Clarence about the upcoming tournament.

They had been expecting in excess of 100 shooters but last minute problems and illnesses had prevented a couple of European-based teams from making the journey, however there would still be over 80 participants, which was 25% more than in 2013. I asked who had already been shooting and Clarence reminded me that the Range Officers (ROs) were holding their own competition before the event-proper, to test the stages and iron out any last minute hitches. All except one were outdoors but with reasonable weather forecast that should not be a concern.

Back at the Grange the ROs were already kitted up and ready to continue and I was keen to see how the courses worked, so followed them out and watched as they shot their way through

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event report AIRSOFT SURGEON EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

“I am not a pistol shooter but that does not mean that I cannot recognise “skill” when I see it and I do not think it would be an understatement to say that some of the skills on show were simply stunning!”

the remaining stages. From what I could see, they more than lived up to expectations. The ROs were thoroughly enjoying the challenging stages and I took the opportunity to find positions from where I could photograph, as nobody is allowed in front of the firing line whilst the range is “hot”. It also gave the ROs chance to test a new shot timing device that had been specially flown in for the competition by sponsor Double-Alpha Academy.

Shot timers do what they say, they detect and record the time of each shot taken and the final time recorded is the time taken for that particular shooter on that particular stage. However they tend to be big, unwieldy devices that need to be hand-held and are difficult to operate if you are shooting solo. The “SHOTMAXX” timer is a very sophisticated wristwatch-type device with loads of functions beyond the scope of this report – suffice to say that every RO would be using these, so timing consistency would be guaranteed.

With the RO’s match complete we made our way back to the Safe Zone which was filling rapidly with people and from the numerous languages, it was apparent that competitors had, once again, come from a number of different countries. It was great to see loads of faces from last year’s Championship amongst the crowd, along with Victor from Popular Airsoft and Vincent from V Dynamics who was once again sponsoring the tournament by providing IPSC-standard targets. Vince had not only sponsored the targets, he was also accompanied by Jurgen Ronsse, a very successful real-steel Practical Pistol shooter who would be shooting in an airsoft match for the very first time. It would be interesting to see how well he could make the switch and what his thoughts about airsoft Practical Pistol would be by the end of the tournament.

It was time to get things going. Chris Kong and Airsoft Surgeon, Clarence Lai, welcomed everyone to the Grange and officially opened the Championship. Shooters were grouped and appointed both an RO and a Scoring Official who would accompany them throughout the tournament (the RO’s role is very much more complex than just timing each shooter and doing the scoring and I will be looking more closely at what they do in a future article) and with introductions and instructions over, everyone filed out to the Stages and the Airsoft Surgeon Practical Airsoft Shooting 2nd Annual European Championship got underway – and it quickly became apparent there was a problem…

Wind!

Out on Stage 3 the wind was playing havoc with standup targets known as “Poppers”. These small metal targets are

designed to be knocked down by the impact of a BB and, while they won’t be pushed over by a gentle breeze, the wind swirling round the stage was constantly blowing them down and so it was decided to pull the stage out of the championship completely.

This is one of the things I like about Practical Shooting, if there is a problem of this sort there are rules in place to deal with it simply, efficiently and fairly; with consistency and no grey areas.

I am not a pistol shooter but that does not mean that I cannot recognise “skill” when I see it and I do not think it would be an understatement to say that some of the skills on show were simply stunning! To be able to shoot that fast, with such accuracy must be great to do… It is certainly amazing to watch. The fastest time I witnessed was on Stage 2 when Ka Chung Chow from Hong Kong scored maximum points while shooting 4 IPSC targets, 4 poppers and avoiding a no-shoot area in just 4.36 seconds!

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Think about that for a moment. It has probably taken you longer to read the last two sentences than it took Ka Chung Chow to complete the stage and to do that, he had to draw his (holstered) pistol, engage eight individual targets, putting two shots into the centre of each cardboard target and knocking down four small, metal targets at ground level. Interestingly, just a whisper behind was real-steel shooter Jurgen Ronsse… Was this a sign of things to come?

Day one of the Championship came to a close and as everyone made their way back to hotels, or the on-site camping area, we were all looking forwards to day two. What we were not looking forward to was the weather forecast… Rain!

Saturday morning was grey, wet and miserable – exactly not what was wanted but as shooters started arriving, the sky brightened and although clouds were scudding across the sky the rain was holding off but it wasn’t to last. Showers throughout the day did little to dampen shooter’s enthusiasm but when the heavens opened during the afternoon it was decided to call it a day and make way for The Airsoft Surgeon’s “Friendship Barbeque”.

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event report AIRSOFT SURGEON EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay to see if Clarence’s cooking skills were as good as those with a pistol but I can’t finish writing about Saturday without mentioning something that will make every shooter there either smile, or wince…. Stage 16!

Stage 16 was the only indoor stage and there had been whispers that it was particularly devious, however the doors were locked and nobody could get in to take a sneaky peak. The rain gave the opportunity for everyone to cycle through the stage and I accompanied the first group to do so. I have to say that the sight of a line of very experienced shooters standing there, some with mouths agape, staring at what lay hidden in the stage was something to see!

On the face of it, Stage 16 looked fairly simple… Two poppers hidden behind a wall to the left, four cardboard targets clearly visible to the right of the wall and a sliding door that would move across to hide the cardboard targets when the right-hand popper was knocked down. The sliding door had a lower-half drop-down flap, so the decision would be whether to go for the clear targets before the poppers, or shoot the poppers first and not have to

waste time going back to them (but would have to open the doorflap and shoot from a kneeling position).

In the interests of fairness, the RO knocked down the righthand popper to demonstrate the action of the door – and revealed the stage’s hidden secret…

A windmill with two contra-rotating arms, each bearing four cardboard targets – but the front most were no-shoots and would attract penalties if hit. Dealing with the rest of the stage is fairly straightforward but shooting a moving target when adrenaline is coursing through you is difficult enough normally, imagine how much harder it must be when you have to shoot four moving targets (twice!), without hitting the no-shoots crossing in front of them! Not for the feint-hearted and no wonder the shooters looked so surprised!

Sunday brought the return of good weather and the tournament was quickly underway again, to take best advantage of the sunshine.

It is at times like these that good organisation pays dividends and Jim Sephton and his crew at The Grange are past-masters at getting things organised. Realising that everyone had shot Stage 16, it was decided to move the problematical Stage 3 inside, so that it could be completed and anyone who had shot it previously would have their score wiped and would re-shoot.

By late afternoon the shooting was over and all that was left was to wait for the scores to be calculated and see who would be going away with the prizes – and that is something else I like about this sport…

Although you might possibly have an idea of who may perhaps have won, you won’t actually know until everything has been calculated, as it is a clever combination of time and points gained that determines your eventual score for each stage. It is only when all those have been added together that the eventual winner is determined. It is perfectly feasible that a shooter could go right through a match and be way ahead, only to make a mistake at the last moment and throw it all away. In Practical Shooting the old adage “it ain’t over ‘til it’s over” could not be more apt.

The lull in the proceedings gave everyone the chance to take a look at the stand set up by Double-Alpha, laden with enough goodies to make any pistol shooter’s Bank account start to sweat.

On hand was the man behind Double-Alpha, Saul Kirsch, an ex-World Championship real-steel shooter and also experiencing

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THE RESULTS EUROPEAN CHAMPION - JURGEN RONSSE

MENS OPEN DIVISION 1ST - CHUN KEUNG NG 2ND - JURGEN RONSSE airsoft Practical Shooting for the first time. I hope he won’t mind me saying that when I first met him earlier in the weekend, I got the feeling that he wasn’t “sure” about airsoft but by the end of the tournament, all of his reservations had disappeared and he could see what a hugely positive step forwards airsoft brought to Practical Shooting. So much so that Saul very kindly agreed to an exclusive interview, which will be published in the near future.

On a side note, the Double-Alpha Shotmaxx timers performed flawlessly and I don’t think any of the ROs would disagree that they were much simpler to use, especially as they kept both hands free at all times.

At last it was prize-giving time but not before a whole bunch of people were made very happy by wining prizes in the free participant’s raffle. Prizes included everything from chronographs, to Saul’s books on Practical Shooting and masses of other stuff, even the sweaty shirt off Clarence’s back - I kid you not! But the happiest man had to be Jeroen Berkepeis from the Netherlands, who won a top of the range Airsoft Surgeon pistol (and nearly fell over when he discovered just how much it was worth!).

Then it was onto the final scores and announcing the Championship’s winners.

There were six Divisions being contested and a full list of the winners can be seen alongside this article however, unlike last year, an extra award had been added which would create the eventual European Champion. This would be given to the overall highest point scoring European shooter from any category or division and went to Jurgen Ronsse, the real-steel shooter sponsored by V Dynamics and was shooting in an airsoft tournament for the first time!

I guess that answers the question as to whether the two disciplines can cross-over and shows all those real-steel shooters out there that might “look down their noses” at airsoft Practical Shooting, that AIPSC is an equally valid and professional shooting sport and, if you think you are good enough to take on the best airsoft shooters out there, get yourself booked into next year’s Airsoft Surgeon Championship and find out! (Note to self: Get off soapbox, Nige.) Incidentally, Jurgen has also agreed to an exclusive interview with Airsoft Action, which will be published in the not too distant future. It will be fascinating to hear his thoughts and views on his transition and the differences between real-steel and airsoft.

As I drove away from The Grange, I left with a hugely positive feeling about airsoft practical shooting in general. I have tried in my own small way to nurture it and watching it grow over the past three years, can only see good things for it in the future. Yes, I know it is completely different to “normal” airsoft but aren’t two of our greatest strengths diversity and inclusiveness? Personally I believe it has the potential to be as big as the game we all love stands today and from what I saw over this weekend, has set the stage for a truly pan-European and possibly even Worldwide Championship.

All that remains is for me to add my hearty congratulations and thanks to everyone who made this such a special event; to all the shooters who took part, especially the winners; to Clarence Lai, Chris Kong and Jim Sephton for once again putting on such a successful tournament and to all the sponsors, of which there were too many to list here.

I would also like to express my personal appreciation to the Airsoft Surgeon, for giving my daughter Lisa her first ever pistol lesson and, judging by the results, she is now not only going to kick my butt with a pistol, as well as a rifle but come next birthday she’ll be asking “Daddy, please can have one of those nice Airsoft Surgeon pistols?” Geez! Thanks Clarence!!

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3RD - KA CHUNG CHOW 4TH - ROY JUURIJOKI 5TH - LUC MAJARON

MENS STANDARD DIVISION 1ST - ALWIN ROOSEN 2ND - BEN LEACH 3RD - LUIS EMERTON 4TH - JUSTIN COOPER 5TH - JESSE NIO

MENS CLASSIC DIVISION 1ST - HO FUNG CHENG 2ND - ROY JUURIJOKI 3RD - ARMON EDWARDS

LADIES OPEN DIVISION 1ST - KA YING LAM 2ND - TINA PALMONES 3RD - DAWN WILLIAMS

LADIES STANDARD DIVISION 1ST - TIFFANY LAU 2ND - KATARZYNA RYBARCZYK 3RD - PAULINA WOLYNIEC

JUNIOR DIVISION 1ST - DYLAN ACKROYD 2ND - CALLUM STEAD-ODAMES 3RD - BRANDON STEVENSON

THE THIRD YEAR OF THE THIRD WORLD WAR AFTER THREE YEARS OF WRITING COLD WAR WARRIORS, PROBABLY THE MOST POPULAR AIRSOFT COLUMN IN THE UK, GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY LOOKS AT THE FUTURE OF COLD WAR AIRSOFT. 68

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WHILE AIRSOFT ACTION CELEBRATED ITS THIRD BIRTHDAY last month, for me and the Cold War Warriors column it’s this month we can break out the vodka (or beer depending on which side of the Iron Curtain you favour) and celebrate three great years of Cold War Combat.

It seems crazy to think that such a long time has passed since that fateful day when I received a phone call from the Ed. asking me if I’d like to join the Airsoft Action team and, while I was at it, would I mind doing a Cold War cover shot? Needless to say I was flattered and haven’t looked back since.

In the last three years it’s been fair to say the Cold War scene has rocketed in popularity, even drawing close to the appeal that “real” global conflicts, like WWII and ‘Nam gaming garner and considering most Cold War battles are “re-enacting” a war that never happened that’s quite weird when you think about it.

In one way, I suppose that the wars many of us remember happening when we were kids, like the Falklands and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan are now “proper history”, almost as deep in time’s misty paths as Vietnam or even WWII was when we, as children, read about those legendary battles of the 1940s and 1960s. It’s perhaps most telling that big shows like War and Peace and Tankfest now incorporate Cold War battles into their big set pieces to a thrilled public.

EAST FIGHTS WEST… IN SOMEONE ELSE’S BACKYARD! Since we started the column three years ago the feedback we commonly get is that a lot of you really enjoy seeing the historical impressions (even the obscure and niche ones) but this month we’re going to have our annual re-cap of the Cold War scene.

While we wondered if we were perhaps being too obscure when we’ve featured French Foreign Legion paras, Bulgarian Special Forces or Czech Infantry officers, the feedback from you guys has been amazing. One thing we have realised is that we’ve probably not covered enough Vietnam war impressions; while “’Namsoft” is a genre in its own right, it actually stands as a perfect example of a Cold War “proxy battle”. A battle where the west fought the east for territorial and ideological gains in someone else’s back yard, sparing us in Europe devastation and suffering but kicking the hell out of South East Asia. It’s often easy to see the Cold War as “40 years of peace” between NATO and the Soviet Union but once you look past the façade of a “stable Europe”, those small wars in the aftermath of WWII were anything but “years of peace”.

As most of you probably know the current champions of the Cold War movement are Gunman Airsoft who have been running a long standing linked campaign since before our magazine had its first issue. In the Gunman campaign NATO fights the Warsaw Pact across Europe while at the same time the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan has been countered by a NATO rapid reaction force.

While both theatres are entirely separate the “linked plot” devices, cunningly written into each adventure, means that cutting off soviet oil supplies in Afghanistan results in Russians in Europe having supply issues - which will be factored into their future missions. On a more micro-scale, if NATO are duplicitous with their Afghan allies in one game, then they may well get stabbed in the back the next time they trust them to undertake a mission for them. But it’s not just Gunman running these great games. More and more site operators are returning to the old ‘80s idea of the “Russians” being the “bad guys” in their MilSim, FilmSim and even open day games… Somewhat ironic given that the US and the Russians are currently sabre rattling over the USSR.

TWILIGHT 2000 One rather exciting development in the Cold War scene being talked about by some of the main organisers, borrows heavily on a great idea our US cousins across the pond have been playing with for some time… A “late war” cold war. While currently the battles take place around 1983 (with time slowly progressing rather than each event advancing the calendar on a year), on the drawing board are plans for either a “Cold War 1990” campaign - in which the Soviets attempt to stop Germany’s re-unification by force and have previously kept their satellite states in a firmer iron grip than

happened in real life. This era of cold war game opens up lots of exciting new options for players as the East Germans would have been issued new kit, the Brits would be rocking SA80s and even the traditionalist Soviets would have a lot more options in their arsenal.

In the States this is already happening, with the excellently organised and run Operation East Wind series of games. Huge “late Cold War” battles taking place with lots of vehicles, light armoured car support and an authentic chain of command system.

Having read the reviews and seen the pictures of the East Wind events I know it’s something I’d love to have a go at; but for many their fantastic attention to detail might be a step too far as weekend players need enough historically accurate kit to survive out in the wilds, sometimes in winter and one set of combats just doesn’t cut it, you need a spare set, sleeping bags, shelter quarters and cooking and eating kit… all historically correct!

In a similar vein of historical “what ifs”, a few organisers are testing the water for a “Cold War 2000” game. For those of you old (and geeky ) enough to remember the Twilight 2000 computer game and table top role-play game, this was an exciting scenario indeed. In “Twilight 2000” the war grinds to a halt in 1999, leaving US and Soviet troops stranded in Europe with no world government - as civil disorder has brought down the Kremlin, the Whitehouse and Downing Street. It was a grim but thrilling setting with small warbands of NATO or WarPac troops seeking out survival in a devastated Europe, some trying to get home, some becoming raiders and bandits.

A less drastic scenario has also been proposed for “high tec” WWIII. Imagine a world where the Soviet Union did not collapse but is still going strong by the millennium and then decides to strike against the west. Once again more kit and equipment options are opened up, especially on the Eastern Bloc side. This sort of game would be sure to drag in those players excited by the “world war” aspect of Cold War scenarios but put off by the current need to dig out increasingly harder to find 1970s and ‘80s kit. I was staggered to find that some companies are now even making reproductions of Cold War kit, especially hard to find items like East German early camo suits or East German para kit… a sure sign that interest in Cold War kit is seriously on the rise.

But it’s not just the games that are expanding. Over the last few years we’ve seen no end of excellent Cold War era AEGs and rifles enter the market. Like in the early days of WWII airsoft www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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feature COLD WAR WARRIORS

where you could have a Thompson or lump it, early cold war games really allowed one or two AK variants and M16s for the allies.

Now, however we’re inundated with exciting kit. I recently went to purchase a Dragunov (always a fave real steel weapon of mine) and while for years you had to make do with slightly unconvincing AK base conversions, I now found out I had four or five excellent options to choose from with an SVD out there to suit every pocket. Likewise more and more AK variants come out (except disappointingly no East German MPiK with its distinctive plum pebble finished plastic furniture) and we’re getting spoiled for choice with M16s, M79s and M60s for the US… but can you see a problem here?

Yep, you’ve guessed it once again the Brits get the short straw.

It’s been somewhat ironic that while Cold War Brit kit is cheap as chips to source and possibly the easiest impression to build with historically accurate kit; getting a cold war Brit AEG is a real pig!

In complete contrast to the usual laws of supply and demand only two companies ventured into making the cold war classic L1a1 SLR (Ares and King Arms) but seemed to have stopped bothering despite the fact that the demand for these AEGS is huge. If you’ve got one you don’t want you can often shift it on second hand for as much as it cost you new! And it’s not just the battle rifle that’s a chore to get hold of! While Sterling SMG has been made, for some unbeknown reason, a Canadian variant was made, which is OK for gaming with but put the purists in a tizz! Lastly (but not least) while plenty of companies make great L96 sniper rifles (great for late “Cold War”, less so for the current campaign setting), only one company makes an L42 80s British sniper rifle and as it is custom-made the wait before it’s in your hands is quite a while. All of this mirrors the lack of decent small arms and stock rifles for Brits in WWII airsoft and it just seems that nobody out there seems to care about British weapons! Come on manufacturers, give us a spring Lee Enfield/L42

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or a SLR that stays in production... or the right type of Sterling… anything but another bloody M4 or Mp5! It’s no surprise when you consider this that most NATO players plump for playing US troopers as you don’t have to sell your soul (or a kidney) to get a period correct weapon!

But griping about Brit kit aside, it’s clear that the Cold War scene is on the rise and doesn’t look like it’s going to run out of steam anytime soon. So if I were you I’d be checking out those Cold War events running across the country or even take the plunge and run one yourself… You never know, it might be your battles I’m raving about in next year’s annual “Cold War Warriors” round up.

APPLIED ORANGE PERFORMANCE EQUIPMENT

KIT AFICIONADO FIREBASEALPHA INTRODUCES US TO A EUROPEAN MANUFACTURER THAT IS GROWING RAPIDLY IN BOTH REAL-STEEL AND AIRSOFT ENVIRONMENTS Applied Orange Performance Equipment is a Netherlands-based manufacturer of high-end Military garments and uniforms. Since its formation in 2012 it has grown a strong and reputable name in the Military, Law Enforcement, Private Security and more recently, Airsoft sectors. It provides a wide range of products and boasts some key signature pieces that you will find in active use across Europe, USA and Middle East, as well as on the skirmish fields in the UK and Europe.

My first exposure to Applied Orange (AO) was back in January 2013 when I purchased one of their key signature products and since then I have purchased a wide range of both standard, as well as bespoke garments. Some of the more bespoke items will be covered off in this review.

UBAX Top I now own three of their UBAX tops (Navy Blue, Multicam and Landcamo ABD SERE). These tops have grown a very strong reputation with active services from both Government and Private sectors and can be found in theatre across the Middle East, USA and Europe as well as with Anti-Piracy teams. One of the key elements for this success is that they produce the entire garment out of “TenCate, Defender M” fabric. TenCate produces a worldwide respected and proven fabric used both by Special Forces and other specialist units due to patented technologies. It allows the user

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to have breathability due to its airflow weave, while it wicks away moisture and has a high tolerance and resistance to flame and heat.

Boonies I own three of their short-brimmed boonies and the design is based around lightweight moisture wicking FR and Non-FR material. This keeps the weight down and makes it easily packable when not worn. You can find a number of features on their boonies, such as ITW cord-locks, short brim, reinforced elements and two head

kit review APPLIED ORANGE

attachment points and as little metal as possible, these combine to create a comfortable fit without any irritation during prolonged wear. They are available in a range of solid colours as well as Pencott, Multicam, ATACs and even Landcamo ABD.

Hard Impact Protection Unlike a majority of other Military garment manufacturers, Applied Orange decided not to adopt the “Crye” combat knee and elbow protection system. Instead they went with the D30 hard impact protection system that will fit their UBAX Top and FDD Jacket and Trouser Uniform. One of the key factors was the D30 series’ ability to withstand extreme temperatures, which was a key element when building the UBAX tops with a High FR (Fire Resistant) capability out of the previously mentioned TenCate fabric.

Socks The Applied Orange Tan Knee-height sock has its origins in the construction sector. This is a sector where the health of feet is of vital importance, just like the professional military and Lawenforcement market. Maximum support of the feet and ergonomic fit make for the sock to be very comfortable when worn for longer periods of time. I have a pair of Gen1 Summer Socks that I picked up January 2013 still doing the business and I also wear their Gen2 version summer sock as well as the “Sibex” Winter Sock.

FDD (Field Duty Design) Trousers These are available in number of different patterns including Multicam Original, Multicam Tropic, Pencott GreenZone and Black as standard. They have a number of key features but adopt the low profile role without compromising load capacity. I have a pair in the Landcamo ABD SERE pattern and to date they have survived some gruelling environments.

Specialist Builds Applied Orange Have completed a number of builds including the OWCS (Over White Concealment System) in Pencott Snowdrift and they recently designed and manufactured the “Lynx” series of uniforms, consisting of their own designed UBAX, FDD Trousers and Jacket in LandCamo ABD Family patterns (SERE, MAMMUT, GORA).

For more information about the entire Applied Orange range, as well as a list of where to buy their products, visit www. appliedorange.com, where you will also find their online store.

Credits Photography: SCDTV, http://scdtv.pl/ Photography: Flare Photography http://www.flare-photography.com/

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OPERATION THUNDERBOLT – PANAMA 2015 IF YOU LIKE YOUR MILSIM HARDCORE – AND WE REALLY MEAN HARDCORE – THEN THIS MIGHT JUST BE WHAT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR. A LITTLE WHILE BACK I RECEIVED THIS from some friends in Panama…

“THUNDERBOLT is a combat operation totally created for teams who value and practice airsoft MilSim 100%.

The operation will take place in 3 days: January 30-31 and February 1, 2015. This date was chosen to take advantage of the dry season in Panama, with almost no rain and the humidity is slightly lower. And also uses the light from the Moon, which will be almost full on these nights.

Two armies will violently collide in a battle where strategy, intelligence, shrewdness, courage, mobility and military expertise - technical ambushes, tactical manoeuvres, map navigation, compass and GPS, cross natural obstacles, camouflage, use of snipers and communication - will be taken to the edge.

The dynamics of the operation will ensure that no team will be out of fight! To achieve victory, the command of each army will have to use the most of their skills, resources and coordination of multiple troops in the theatre of operations.

Military trucks, zodiac boats, trenches, mines, smoke and shock grenades will bring even more realism to the operation.

The first day of operation is for Action and Special Forces Commands! We will conduct amphibious landings, infiltration at dawn, combat diving, Tactical rappel, CQB, hostages rescue and much more. The main objective of these missions on day 1 is to collect valuable information that will surely influence the outcome of the fighting on the next days of the operation.

The following two days will be a tough 24 hours battle of continuous fighting in the jungle and semi arid regions where the U.S. Army and the Marines used to go for rigorous combat training.”

Obviously, I was intrigued so asked Gerson Bilia, the Communications Director for Op Thunderbolt to send me more information and, to be honest, I was completely blown away by what these guys are doing!

In essence, the operation is a 3-day, 100% MilSim event, taking place right by the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal,

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Event pReview OPERATION THUNDERBOLT

at Fort Sherman, a former US Army base where the jungle warfare training centre for the DOD was located.

It will involve standard forces plus specialist groups, including both an amphibious group and a group of 40 combat divers (yes, that does say “combat divers”!). Needless to say, the combat divers need to be PADI registered and in excellent physical shape – and I guess they won’t be using AEGs… There is almost too much to write about, so maybe I’d best just leave it to some of the information I have been sent.

If you’ve ever fancied a holiday in Latin America and fancy getting some hardcore MilSim in at the same time, then this could be for you.

Registration is $190 US, which at current rates is about £115 and includes Accident Insurance and transport from the RV to the combat areas.

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THE JUNGLE IS FAR FROM NEUTRAL...

GADGE TAKES TIME OUT FROM FIGHTING COLD WAR BATTLES TO VISIT F&O’S NEW SITE IN THE MIDLANDS. “WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE!” Only this time it wasn’t Axl Rose screaming down a microphone, it was First and Only Airsoft marshal “Treebeard” welcoming me to the First and Only Airsoft group’s latest woodland site on the outskirts of Leamington Spa. With a name like “The Jungle” and with the recent temperatures soaring to scorching heights, I decided, being an old retro-head, to try out my Vietnam Tiger Stripes loadout for this review and totally get into the spirit of things.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I’d been more than happy to agree to review the site when the First and Only guys rang up the office; to me F&O are pretty much the “Gold Standard” of airsoft sites. As with my review of The Asylum a few issues ago, you know you’re going to get a good (and safe) day out. So getting up stupidly early, it was a pretty lengthy drive from my place to the site and the weather was looking good, which was something of a relief as a soggy, wet day had been predicted by the met office and after having been nearly drowned with the downpour at the “Wastelands” game I went to once, I had no desire to spend another day “swimming” around a site.

On arrival at the Post Code (which the sat nav assured me was the place) I was a little worried as there was not too much signage to tell me where to go but some helpful

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ramblers pointed me in the right direction and before long we were at the site’s safe zone. Given the site has only been open for a few weeks you can forgive the minimal signage, as even some well-established sites don’t bother with any at all.

AIRSOFT ACTION As I signed in, prepped my kit and chatted to the marshals I saw a respectable flow of players begin to arrive (also looking like they thought they were in the wrong place!) and Treebeard explained that at the moment the key for “The Jungle” is building up on their initial player base. Still with a healthy squad of guys a side I was more than ready for some Airsoft Action.

As with all good sites every player’s gun was chronoed before the safety brief (with the understanding that “spot chrono checks” could be called at any time) and thankfully everyone’s weapon of choice confirmed to F&O’s FPS limits (which are a pretty “industry standard” 350fps for AEGS, 400fps for DMRs on Single shot and 500fps for single shot snipers.). My own M14 was doing a respectable 330fps and I was ready to rock!

The site brief was the usual professional, no-nonsense affair with a recommendation for players to wear full face protection given the dense foliage and close contacts one could expect during play. After Treebeard had finished the brief he divided us up into “Black Team” and “Blue Team” and assigned a marshal to

site Review THE JUNGLE - LEAMINGTON SPA

each, partly to help players around a new site and partly to allow “orders” to be relayed to the teams for certain scenarios… but more of that later.

Wasting no time we got stuck into a simple hilltop assault game, pretty much a staple of airsoft and nothing too complicated so we could all check that our guns, comms and kit worked properly before going on an hour long mission later. As an aficionado of MilSim/FilmSim type events, I find it incredibly refreshing to get back into the basics of the game every now and then and, as Assistant Editor of this magazine, I think it’s absolutely VITAL to get down and dirty with new players to see what that first experience of the game is like. As I said, this first scenario was a timed attack on a fortified hilltop, both teams would get a crack at trying to storm it in 20 minutes with the winner being the guys to do it in the least time. Like I say it’s “basics” but when basics are done well, its bloody brilliant!

GRASS ROOTS AND NETTLE LEAVES I was going to use the words “grass roots airsoft” at some point in this review, as I felt this day was a classic example of the core of the hobby being done with excellence but really, I should call it “nettle leaf airsoft” because as soon as we were into the game zone we were slap bang into a field of five foot (and more) high nettles… The guys assured me they had strimmered paths into the “jungle” only a week or two ago but the mix of showers and blazing sunshine had caused them to grow back with a vengeance.

My team (Black Team… did they know I’m a goth?) stealthily approached the hilltop using the nettles as a route in, the thought being that only an idiot would walk through the nettles and they wouldn’t expect us… It worked to a degree but once the contact started nettles make poor cover and most of us were trekking back to regen (the defenders could be hit once and healed once before being “dead”). Eventually with a lot of “Ouch! Ooh! and Arrgh!” we managed to blast our way in about two minutes before time was up.

Next it was our turn to defend and still smarting from dozens of nettle stings we set ourselves up, my DMR giving us long range cover and with a sensible low power scope allowing me a spotting advantage without “overkill”. It was a tough hill to defend, stuff that looks impregnable from the valley floor soon becomes a death trap when you’re on the other side but eventually we were stormed... but not quickly enough as the Blue team were just

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seconds slower than us in eliminating the defenders.

During the hilltop fire fight my M14 had stopped firing so I switched to my secondary but back at the safe zone I still couldn’t get the bugger to fire so the F&O guys kindly loaned me a rental gun - and here I was pleasantly surprised. The “hire gun” was a clone of a TM G36C but well looked after and over the next couple of games did me proud, as I racked up more kills with the loaner than I did with my own rifle… Perhaps I’m just not supposed to be a sniper and someone’s trying to tell me something?

The next game was a much more lengthy affair. Dotted around The Jungle are various bunkers, hard points and comms centres with suitably military-esque designations, like “Alpha”, “Bravo”, “Charlie” etc. Each team went into the field with an initial order (“Take and hold “Bravo”, for example) but within minutes of achieving a task their embedded marshal would get a new order to “intercept a squad moving on Delta”, or similar. This game was incredible fun but exhausting, as the marshal used this technique to keep the relatively small player base on each side constantly on the go and avoid any boring periods where “free roaming” on a relatively large site could end up with nobody seeing each other for an hour!

EERIE ATMOSPHERE At this point it’s probably a good idea to describe the site.

For a start it’s not all nettles! Once you get past the nettle infestation on the high ground you can’t help feel that perhaps “Dagobah” would have been a better name for the site. At times the land is used for 4x4 off-roading and so the dense foliage and established forest is broken up by wide off-road tracks, with deep ruts in the clay based soil. Not only does this provide great paths (with natural trenches made by the vehicle ruts) but it also creates some very interesting terrain. As the main site is almost in a shallow valley, smoke and pyro effects tend to hang in the air, undisturbed by wind currents and create and eerie filmlike effect that only adds to the experience. At about the end of the second game the heavens opened up on us and while it wasn’t too bad under the tree canopy, it did make the pools of water formed in parts of the sites clay soil swell up and the trench ruts become more like rivers!

But airsofters are rarely disheartened and we played through the rain until the sun began to shine again. In my Tiger Stripe cammies, soaked to the skin and sore from stings and scrapings I really did feel like I’d been on patrol in Vietnam… perhaps “The Jungle” is the right name for the site after all!

With the epic “Runaround” mission ending and the sun drying us off it was time for lunch.

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INFORMATION THE JUNGLE BULL RING FARM RD, LEAMINGTON SPA CV33 9HJ GREEN FEES GOLD MEMBERS £15.00 (INC LUNCH) SILVER MEMBERS £20.00 (INC LUNCH) NON-MEMBERS £25.00 (INC LUNCH) HIRE PACKAGE £15.00 (G36C, MAG AND FACE PROTECTION) SUPERIOR HIRE PACKAGE £30.00 (G36C, 2 X MAGS, BOTTLE OF AMMO, FACE PROTECTION, COVERALLS AND TACTICAL VEST) PYRO ALLOWED = BFG`S UP TO 9MM BLANKS, TL SFX GRENADES ONLY FPS LIMIT = 350 FPS WITH 0.2G INCLUDING AEGS, PISTOLS AND SHOTGUNS = 400 FPS WITH 0.2G FIXED SINGLE SHOT DMR`S = 500 FPS WITH 0.2G BOLT ACTION SNIPER RIFLES

site Review THE JUNGLE - LEAMINGTON SPA

“With “Called Hits” however, a real role-play element was added to the game and, as you might expect in this system, where you were shot affected how you could play.“ You never really quite know what you’re getting with airsoft sites and I’ve come to expect “burger, crisps and a drink” as standard fare. I was somewhat pleased to discover that lunch was actually sausage and chips fresh from the local chippy and trust me, when you’re soaking wet there is nothing like a bit of hot sausage!

IT’S ONLY A FLESH WOUND! Given the “Squad v Squad” nature of the day, Treebeard announced after lunch that they were going to experiment with a variation of their “Healing/Medic” rule known as “Called Hits” as it was a system that only works with a score of players a side.

Earlier in the day we had used the system that you were either on “constant regen” after being hit, or could be healed once and then you were out. Normally a “Medic” would have to place a hand on your shoulder and count to ten slowly to heal you and if either you or the Medic were shot during this process, you were both out. With “Called Hits” however, a real role-play element was added to the game and, as you might expect in this system, where you were shot affected how you could play. Being shot in the head was an instant kill, a torso shot killed you but required you to count to 100 before respawning, being shot in one or both legs prevented you from moving and being shot in the arm prevented you from using that arm (except to wind on hi caps!).

It might sound a bit complicated but trust me it works and it was fantastic fun!

Venturing back into the forest after lunch the objective was again relayed to the team via the marshal in their squad and in addition to the standard “capture points” a new objective was added. An air raid siren was hidden in the field and had to be cranked and sounded continuously for three minutes… if you were shot you had to stop sounding it but if another guy could get on the crank before the droning noise wound down, then the timer kept going.

The evening’s play was frankly hilarious and some of the best open day plays with regards to sportsmanship I’ve ever seen. With hundreds of players a side those inclined to cheat will know they can blend into the background but in small scale days, while I’d like to think everyone was honest anyway, the cheats have no chance of not being spotted and asked to leave.

At the start of the called hits game nearly all of us would shout hit and walk off arm in the air until the idea finally sunk in that we had to shout “Arm hit!” and blaze away with a weapon in our off hand, or sit still and dig in while a mate came to patch up those shot up legs.

While it had rained on us for some time in the morning the afternoon’s play was glorious and with a heavy heart I made my AEG safe as the whistle for end-ex was blown. I just simply didn’t want this days gaming to end!

To some up “The Jungle”, I would have to say for a raw and new site it’s exceptionally good fun to play on (but do take good boots if it’s wet and the clay soil is slippy as hell) and I can’t imagine how much better it will be once the guys get busy building more bunkers, bridges and scenario pieces. At present attendance is a respectable 15-20 a side but this is bound to grow as more and more people find out about this excellent new Midlands site.

As I said before this is grass roots airsoft at its best - and it’s only going to keep growing! www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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2 DAYS OF NOTHING BUT AIRSOFT!

AIRSOFT AND TACTICAL GEAR SHOW

Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st September 2014 9am - 5pm daily Warwickshire Exhibition Centre Leamington Spa, near Coventry Sat Nav: CV31 1XN

WHAT'S ON

Our Airsoft Range – presented in association with Airsoft World.Net

Airsoft Expo is a brand new event for the Airsoft Community taking place soon!

The digital training shooting course, is a 17m range where you can pitch your skills against others. The digital system will record reaction times, scores and accuracy – see who is the best between you and your friends. Each day a prize will be given to the highest scorer.

It will be an action-packed exhibition, over two days and for the first time Airsoft will have its own exhibition in a venue being used exclusively for the event.

Come along and immerse yourself in all things airsoft. You will be able to see leading suppliers of guns, gear, kit and accessories as well as manufactures.

See the latest products and pick up a bargain with lots of exclusive show offers.

There are more than 2,000 car parking spaces on site and parking is FREE! There is also 200 seat restaurant.

Everything you could need all in one place.

Our exhibitors at present include: Airsoft International Airsoft World.Net Badger Tac Badgertac 2 CamoLab Cloud 9 Combat Component Shop

Enola Gaye Incentive Designs Infiltration Airsoft JD Airsoft Ltd Mag Wraps Patch Nation Socom Tactical

Let the competition begin! a Simply come along and meet the team from Airsoft World to have guns any trial to ity opportun the be also will go on the range. There you may wish to purchase within the range.

Our Scenario Area – presented in association with Gunman Airsoft ‘Flying Lead, Walking Dead’ Josh from Gunman Airsoft, in associat ion with FilmSIM Events are looking forward to welcoming you to the ‘Town of Redemption’ for our demonstration and scenario area at this year’s Expo.

Gunman Airsoft are unique in their approach to airsoft and create FilmSIM VFHQDULRV ± L H EDVHG RQ ¿ OPV RU OHDGLQJ FRQVROH JDPHV DQG IRU RXU ¿ UVW HYHQW WKH WKHPH ZLOO EH :LOG :HVW PLVVLRQ EDVHG JDPHV ZLWK VRP H Zombie activity to appeal to everyone.

Just go along and meet the guys when you visit the Expo to take part!

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! Ticket Adult Child (8-14 yrs)

Advance £10 £6

On the door £12 £8

Tickets available in advance on the website. Tickets also available on the day.

Sat Nav: CV31 1XN

This is the latest information at the time of going to print – please see our website, Facebook and Twitter pages for all the latest info and exhibitor news.

www.airsoftexpo.co.uk

@theairsoftexpo

Airsoft Expo

PRINCIPLES OF MARKSMANSHIP PRO-TACT TRAINING’S ANDY NIGHTINGALE ON THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE ART OF BEING A MARKSMAN 1) The position and hold must be firm enough to support the weapon.

2) The weapon must point naturally at the target without any undue physical effort.

3) The sight alignment i.e. aiming must be correct.

4) The shot must be released and followed through without any disturbance to the position.

Ever heard or read this before? If so you are probably a serving or ex-serving member of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces. If not, read on…

The Principles of Marksmanship, if applied correctly, ensure the maximum potential for the shot to hit its intended point of impact.

Any fool can pick up a gun and shoot it, it seems to be as natural as putting food in our mouths when we are hungry and picking up a toy gun is something that we learn to do from an early age. Well for us lads it is anyway!

We see our heroes on the telly and in comic books point the gun at the bad guys and the entire world is saved. We then emulate this action as a child and then (some of us) carry this on into our adult lives but it is only those that attend proper shooting courses that gain an edge on the rest of us cowboy shooters when it comes to the shootout. The principles of marksmanship are a set of rules by which we must master in order for us to place the shot in its intended resting place.

During the shooting sequence, that is from the initial grip of the weapon to after the shot has been fired, many things are happening that will make a difference to where the shot goes and how it reacts in flight. Ensuring that all the marksmanship principles are met will ensure your shot is straight and true.

Right from day one in the military’s weapons cadre, the recruit is taught the four basic rules of marksmanship. It is this principle of marksmanship that, in time, will save their life and the lives of others they protect.

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skills PRINCIPLES OF MARKSMANSHIP

So is learning the marksmanship principles important? You bet it is! It’s not only for the combative or defensive shooter but for any shooter, hunter or competition shooter as well. The marksmanship principles serve a purpose that is time-proven and work. It’s a worldwide skill set that is no secret and anyone who shoots a handgun or rifle, airsoft or firearm should learn and master. It will make a difference.

PRINCIPLE 1 The position or stance you adopt must be a solid one. You are the weapon’s platform from which it is going to be fired. So if you are in an unstable position then the weapon is also going to be unstable during the firing sequence.

Make sure that your base of ground is as solid as possible; not only for standing positions but also for kneeling, sitting and prone positions also. As for the hold, the way in which you hold the weapon is also crucial. A tight grip on the handgun with a 360 degree of equal pressure on the grip is crucial. As is the position of both hands in relation to the grip and frame of the gun.

The rifle’s grip must be tight with a good solid cheek weld on the stock and pulled tight into the shoulder with the support hand firmly fixed to the fore stock or grip. As the weapon is fired it should not move in any way from the initial grip before the shot was realised. The weapon cannot support itself during the firing process. This is your job and it must be solid.

Instead of moving the weapon onto the point of aim, move your body position. Doing this will move the weapon whilst in a relaxed state. Repeat the sighting method again. If the sights did not move from your initial point of aim then the weapon is pointing naturally at the target.

Now I know that some of you may be saying that this is far too long a process to follow when in the middle of a fire fight and you are right, it is but with practice it falls into place just like the rest of your shooting skills, so don’t worry about that. Just don’t leave it out of the marksmanship principles.

PRINCIPLE 2 This one is the most least understood of all the principles.

The weapon must point naturally at the target without any undue physical effort. If the weapon does not point at our intended target the solution is simple; orientate towards the target and use your muscles to point the weapon in that direction.

No? Yes! You must orientate your body (and therefore weapon) towards the target and that is all done by muscular movement.

The weapon must point naturally at the target. To find out if this is so, point the weapon at the target and sight it in to a point on the target. Remember you should be holding the weapon with a firm grip and position. Once this is done close your eyes and relax. Without moving your position, open your eyes and look to see if the sights have moved away from your initial point of aim. If the sights have moved then the weapon was not pointing naturally at the target and the sighting was done by muscular force.

PRINCIPLE 3 The sight alignment and aiming are important factors (as you might well have guessed).

Sights on guns are an aid to us being able to place a shot in our intended target, so it is important that we understand how to use them and also how they work.

First off the sights have to be zeroed with the weapon. Some may think that a “zero” is where the round intersects with the crosshairs or dot on the sight. Not so. For example, the zero on the SUSAT (Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux) on the L85A2 is 90mm higher than the sight’s pointer. This is so when the SUSAT is pointed at centre mass of target the round falls in the thoracic cavity area. So you will need a correct zero for your weapon to begin with.

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Once zeroed you must also gain the correct “eye relief”; this is the distance from the eye to the sight system itself. This can differ from shooter to shooter and weapon to weapon but this is usually around 25mm. If you are using a tube sight, such as a telescopic sight, then you will have to avoid parallax by repositioning your sight or cheek weld without disturbing the position and hold.

PRINCIPLE 4 The fourth and last principle is maintained after the shot has been fired.

Once the weapon has been fired the previous three marksmanship principles must still be maintained. The follow through involves the shooter keeping as still as possible and focusing on the sights and point of aim. It is possible for the shooter to move after the shot has been released causing the weapon to move off aim before the round has left the weapon’s barrel. This will cause the round to fall foul of its target.

Once the shot has been fired and recoil of the weapon has settled the shooter must observe where the sight reticule rests as this will give a good indication of where the round has impacted the target.

The four marksmanship principles are simple and easy to follow but, like all your shooting skills, they must be practiced and honed for them to work correctly. Take your time when learning the principles of marksmanship as they will serve you well when out shooting and remember, all shooting skills are perishable and will need to be revised regularly. If done correctly they will make a big difference to your airsoft skills.

Stay safe and happy shooting.

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WORLD EX WO EXCLUSIVE XCLUSIIVE FIR FIRST RSTT REV REVIEW EVIEW W

A SQUADRON IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE EX-22 SAS SOLDIER, BOB PODESTA AND A SQUADRON’S MD, FAITH COWLING, TALK ABOUT HOW TO BECOME “THE COMPLETE SOLDIER”.

“ALWAYS EXCEL AND BE BETTER THAN THE REST”. The parting words of Achilles’ father to his son as the hero sets out for the Trojan War in Homer’s epic Iliad. To the Greeks these words came to stand not just as an imperative to an aspiring warrior but as a directive and approach to all aspects of one’s life. From the inception of our Training Wing back in 2011 this has been our motto; to always strive ourselves for excellence and in turn assist our students to do the same.

This ethos permeates every ‘A’ Squadron Training Wing course. From our pre-structured public courses to our bespoke tailor-made personal development days. In last month’s issue we gave insight into our Pistol course which is the first step of our Counter-Terrorist Team Training program (CTT). The CTT training offers a progressive series of one-day courses covering topics such as weapon handling, room combat, sniping and orders procedure which culminate in a simulated team rescue operation designed to put all acquired knowledge to the test.

We understand the desire for students to go “operational” from day one, especially those of you who regularly partake in airsoft skirmishes. However to be true to ourselves, our ethos and most importantly our real world experience, we have to take a “ground up” approach. As cliché as it sounds a solid foundation must be in place before the more diverse specialist and tactical elements even come into play. It is not a matter of spoiling the fun but rather building an individual into the “complete soldier”. Thus trained attention can then be turned to the more involved and intricate military tactics and simulations.

This parallels with Bob’s own military experience as he explains; “The reason the Regiment likes to take on soldiers at the age of 23-25 is that they have already gained some experience of soldiering, this is their foundation and it becomes much easier to train these men. Most that apply for Selection are NCOs or above, who want to further improve their abilities as a soldier, so the Regiment is getting the best, the cream of the regular army.

Because they want to improve themselves they are usually very keen and want to become the ‘complete solider’.

“The ‘complete soldier’ is someone who has gone through basic training, his own unit training, excelled himself in that to

NCO level, and then who demonstrates an aptitude for physical fitness, intelligence and mental strength which takes him through the rigours of Selection and beyond into regular life as a serving member of the SF. “This is where we are coming from with the Training Wing.”

It must be noted that the standardisation of the training is not to be mistaken for creating automatons, quite the reverse in fact.

The process establishes a team who have undergone the same instruction, who therefore understand the workings and limits of their weapons and the tactical theories of their shared training experiences. This in turn creates immediate team cohesiveness and camaraderie. For example two people who have attended separate pistol courses at the Training Wing know immediately without speaking what the other has been through and can therefore work from that premise.

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Bob continues further, “The SAS is made up of many different units so that if a task comes up there is always a solider in the Regiment that would be able to carry out that task. For instance an artillery man would very easily be able to advise the best method of destroying a given gun or an army air corps man could fly a captured enemy helicopter etc.”

Just as the SAS values the individual skill-sets and characters of each of its members so too do we encourage our student’s own strengths and personalities to shine through. As the CTT training progresses more and more emphasis is put on the team making their own decisions based on the experiences and knowledge gained to-date. Criticism and praise are meted out at regular de-briefings, corrections made, new ideas assimilated and confidence grows.

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Just as Bob adopted a “Chinese Parliament” approach on his own assignments we encourage each individual to give their input and ideas in all team planning and execution. Bob expands, “I have always, having been given a task, gathered my team around me and asked each in turn to offer their thoughts and opinions on how best to carry out that task. Those with specific relevant skills will come to the fore but everyone will have something to contribute. Depending on the information that is given to me I would then produce a solid workable plan and this order would ultimately be the way we would carry out the task.

I personally place a lot of importance on putting myself in the enemy’s position and think how they would most likely attack or defend and then I would try to do something completely opposite and unexpected. For example I wouldn’t take the easiest route, I would take the shittiest, darkest, dingiest route. Anything that enables the operation to be a success.”

By the end of all the CTT program every member of our Training Wing will be able to work as an integral team member or team leader and give a proper operational set of orders, no matter what type of incident it may be.

We hope that the personal development and team building benefits of our CTT program is evident and we would recommend all airsoft players and teams to consider the rewards that they and their team would reap from investing in instruction at the Training Wing.

‘A’ Squadron are available for private, individual and group bookings. Our next public training days are on Saturday 11th October 2014 CTT1: Pistol; Sunday 12th October 2014 CTT2: Primary Weapon. For more information or to book your place please contact us by email trainingwing@a-sqn.com or phone 07762 507 146. You can also follow our day-to-day news on www.facebook. com/asquadron Until next time this is ‘A’ Squadron signing out.

WW1 – WHY? WITH THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY STILL IN RECENT MEMORY, MATT LIMB OBE EXPLORES THE REAL REASON WHY WE WENT TO WAR IN AUGUST 1914.

MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN, REPORTED and commented on the reason why Great Britain and her Empire, went to war in August 1914. Sadly most of it is incorrect! The common misconception that it was due to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne and his wife Sophie in Sarajevo, as they were shot and killed on 28 June 1914, but this is wrong! In fact nothing could be further from the truth but the events in Sarajevo that afternoon did start a chain reaction across Europe that bought Great Britain to the brink of war.

Another great un-truth is that we went blindly and unwittingly into The Great War to assist the French but again, nothing could be further from the truth. The French army, marching to defend her borders in the summer of 1914, smartly dressed in red and blue uniforms and with bands playing, were still smarting from a war almost 100 years earlier - the war that finished at Waterloo!

Whilst The Entente Cordiale, a series of agreements between France and Great Britain, had been signed a decade earlier in 1904; they were more akin to ending over a thousand years of bickering and conflict between the two countries and arguably had little to do with Great Britain, or indeed France, entering World War One. So why did we, Great Britain and her Empire, get involved in The Great War, to raise an army of millions, in a war claimed to be a war to end all wars? If it was nothing to do with the actions of radicals in Sarajevo, or the need of the French to prevent their country being overrun by the vastly superior German army, then what is the reason? The main reason lies in the German defence plan of the day - “The Schlieffen Plan”, developed by Count Alfred von Schlieffen, a German Field Marshal who served as The Chief of The Imperial German General Staff.

Despite his retirement in 1906 the main principles of the Schlieffen Plan were maintained, the plan was a strategic plan,

by Germany, for use in the event of any future European war, or threat to the borders of Germany. Finding herself sandwiched between two old enemies; Russia to the east and France to its west, Germany, if threatened, could not afford, at any cost, to fight a war on two fronts. That is against France in the west and Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941) 68

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feature WORLD WAR ONE | REASONS WHY

VERHANDLUNG DELEGATION

Russia in the East concurrently. It is worth remembering that France and Russia were at this time allies. The Schlieffen Plan had simple principles, German forces would march into and garrison France, then turn and march against Russia, so avoiding the dreaded two front war.

The plan worked on the assumption that Russia would be slow to raise its army, as long as six weeks, to be fully mobilised. With this knowledge Germany believed it could quickly defeat France, the plan allowed just thirty nine days for the fall of Paris and three more days for the capitulation of France. With France securely in their hands Germany could then turn and march into Russia, before she could fully mobilise her army. Maybe the plan is best defined by Kaiser Wilhelm, who has been quoted as saying “Paris for lunch and dinner in St. Petersburg”. The plan was certainly a bold manoeuvre focused on decisive results and has been admired by many great military commanders since, some even quoting that Count Alfred von Schlieffen was one of the greatest military strategists to ever live.

The plan, set at the beginning of the last century was plausible but it had a number of assumptions vital to a successful outcome.

The first was the need to move through Belgium, the fast route into France. The Germans needed to move freely, unchallenged and fast; all essential to get German forces into France. Failure to move rapidly through Belgium risked a delay in taking France, so as to allow Russia time to mobilise its army, or worst, allow her to attack Germany in the East. One fact the Germans massively under-estimated, within the plan, was the strength of relationship between Belgium and Great Britain. Along with other European countries Great Britain promised the neutrality of Belgian under the Treaty of London, dating back to 1839. The Germans had dismissed the treaty, the German Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, commenting that “The British will not go to war for a mere scrap of paper”.

Any doubts, or hopes, that Britain would not go to war were lost on 3 August 1914 as Sir Edward Grey, the then Foreign Secretary, told the House of Commons that the Belgians had received an ultimatum, from Berlin, to allow the free passage of German troops. Great Britain now had little choice and declared war on Germany at 11:00pm on 4 August 1914, becoming the first country to do so. Was it direct response to the Treaty of London? It would certainly appear so as Germany declared war on France earlier the previous day and the invasion of Belgium looked inevitable.

Another reason to go to war, but may be less palatable, or even acceptable, was to stop the German domination of Europe. This would have a knock-on effect for the future wealth and security of the British Empire and its associated world trade and standing.

Maybe if we had not gone to war (in doing so we definitely supported France and Russia) we could have pushed for an alliance with Germany! The Treaty of London may be the acceptable face for going to war but we should remember this was against a background seeing the rapid rise of the German Empire since the time of The Franco-Prussian War. Plus the strange alliances of Great Britain, France and Russia - all who had been at war with each other in the past century!

But it could not have been an easy moment for the Government to take the country to war, as can be seen from the diary of David Lloyd George “... the 4th August 1914, is one of the world’s fateful dates. The decision taken on that day in the name and on behalf of the British Empire altered the destiny of Europe. It is not too much to say that it gave a different turn or direction to the advance of the human race. The trumpets of war had already sounded in the East and in the West and colossal armies were hurrying to the slaughter. Millions of men were either on the march or strapping on their armour for the conflict and roads and railway tracks trembled with the weight of guns and munitions and all the sinister devices and mechanisms of human destruction! ...”

But whatever the reason Great Britain, along with her Empire, found herself moving headlong into World War One on a Tuesday evening, the day after the August Bank Holiday weekend, at the height of the Edwardian era and one thing was for sure, as David Lloyd George said; Great Britain, Europe and the world would never be the same.

Another great misunderstanding from World War One can be found over four years later on 11th November 1918. It is now correctly referred to as Armistice Day; but wrongly referred to as “the end of the war”. Armistice Day is often thought of as Veterans Day or more commonly in Britain, Remembrance Day but in 1918 it was neither. It was a day when a formal agreement to stop fighting a war came into force - but it was not the end of the war.

The end of fighting in The Great War started in September 1918 when German ally, Bulgaria, was first to sign an armistice, soon followed the admission of defeat of the Ottoman Empire then the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. On 3rd November 1918 Austria-Hungary asked for an armistice which was agreed by telegraph. 9th November 1918 found the German leader, The Kaiser, fleeing to the neutral Netherlands where he www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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lived the rest of his life in exile, to be given a military funeral by Adolf Hitler in 1941!

On 11th November 1918 just after five in the morning an armistice with Germany was signed in a railway carriage at Compiegne in France. The terms agreed was that a ceasefire would come into force at 11:00 am ‘the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month’. In the six hours leading up to the ceasefire some forces started a tactical, many would say a common sense, withdrawal, sadly others fought on with soldiers being killed up to the very last moment the clocks chimed 11:00. But it was still not the end of the war.

The armistice may have ended any fighting and it was then renewed a number of times in the winter of 1918 -19 but it took over six months of negotiations, including the Paris Peace Conference to conclude a peace treaty. It was to become The Treaty of Versailles which was signed on 28 June 1919 - five years to the date after the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie in Sarajevo.

As it was signed - World War One truly ended.

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BATTLE OF THE SOMME 1ST JULY- 18TH NOVEMBER 1916 DAN MILLS BRINGS US THE FIRST PART OF HIS LOOK AT ONE OF THE BLOODIEST BATTLES OF THE GREAT WAR, IN WHICH MORE THAN 1 MILLION MEN WERE EITHER KILLED OR WOUNDED THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME took place in the middle of the Great War and by the end of the first day the British Army had suffered almost sixty thousand casualties, a staggering figure. The Allies had agreed upon combined offensives to push the Germans back, breaking the stalemate on the Western Front. For our part, a combined French – British push, it went well for the French but was disastrous for the British.

The British contingent was made up of the remainder of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), Territorials and Kitcheners New Army, largely whom were “Pals Battalions”. Many of these new soldiers had never experienced combat before and were “going over the top” in what was to be a learning experience.

Along the whole sector of the front line, opposing vast armies, the combined efforts launched a massive artillery bombardment, nothing of the like had been seen before with over a million shells being fired. This shocking preparation of the intended battle space started about a week or so before “Z Hour”, set for 0730hrs on the 1st July 1916, which was the infantry assault.

The men were briefed that nothing, not a thing would be able to withstand such a devastating display of firepower. The Hun would be obliterated along with their trenches and the defences, including the miles and miles of barbed wire fortifications, would be blown apart, leaving easy access for the advancing infantry to simply walk through. In fact, they were led to believe that the situation would have been reversed so much in the Allies favour that they would be able to walk over from our lines to those of the enemy unhindered.

To make things even better, for months and months tunnellers and miners had discretely been digging a series of tunnels underground towards the German lines. These tunnels once under strong points and sections of the enemy trenches were packed full with explosives and prepared to be detonated two minutes before Z Hour.

The Somme offensive was indeed a massive operation; miles and miles of roadways had to be laid, tonnes and tonnes of stores including ammunition, water and food had to be brought

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World War 1 THE SOMME

“FROM A POSITION UP A TREE THREE MILES FROM THE ACTUAL FIGHTING THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SEND THE RESERVES INTO

THIEPVAL INSTEAD

OF REINFORCING SUCCESS AND THE MOMENT WAS LOST.”

forward, Battalion after Battalion of men had to be brought forward without arousing any suspicion and all stored up in reserve trenches, ready for their turn to go over the top.

The mines were detonated, from approximately 0720 to 0728hrs they were set off all along the front and these had a devastating effect. Hundreds of German infantry men lost their lives; earth, men and debris flung thousands of yards in to the air.

Several British soldiers were hit and injured from falling debris, at least one had his leg broken by the shear shockwave vibrating through the earth, shattering his leg braced against his own shelter.

A pilot in The Royal Flying Corps, the predecessor to the RAF noted the blast of air buffeting his aircraft side to side, the huge amount of earth rising in a column where, for a brief second or more it lingered, before crashing back down to earth. The effect on the German defenders must have been terrible, not knowing if the trench you were stood in was going to suffer a similar fate.

In the British front line, all along the front, final preparations were being made, right up to the whistle, the whistle that would lead the men up and over to victory… or death.

Prayers were being spoken, hastily written last letters were being scribbled; the notes left sticking into a sandbag. Items of jewellery were being hung on the parapet, marked for loved ones.

Rum was being issued, a final spot of courage to the troops, many were shaking, wetting themselves with fear, the Non Commissioned Officers were walking to and fro, up and down the line instilling courage and to those that needed it, fear.

The order most had dreaded came; “Fix bayonets!” went along the line, Military Police positioned themselves with pistols should anyone try to run away. The Officers barked their final orders about King, Country and the Battalion. Then the whistles blew.

The barrage had stopped, mines had rocked and torn the earth and now the sea of men plunged forward screaming their last. Up, up the ladders and over the top, through their own barbed wire defences, marked to ease their advance, forward, on into “No Man’s Land”.

At almost the very same moment feet were placed on the ladder men began to fall dead. William ‘Jack’ Coggins from 1/4th Ox & Bucks Light Infantry wrote; “Even before we went over the top the young boy carrying the ammunition fell at my feet. The Germans were more than ready for us. When you heard a shell whizzing over you had to drop where you were, right on top of those bloody bodies. Sometimes there was a glimpse of a boy from your street, someone who’d shared all your dreams, lying with his beautiful face staring at the smoke filled sky. I cry. I cry for the waste of all those young men”.

“Achtung! Achtung!” went the German cry…

Men grabbed the heavy guns from deep down below, kept safe down in underground bunkers and sprinted up the wooden steps to set the machine guns up in the set position. Riflemen took up their fire positions ready to expel the attacking army. They could not believe their eyes. Row upon row, man after man came forward out of the smoke, walking, yes walking towards them.

The machine guns immediately started to spit death, singing their battle song they mowed down the advancing British infantry like they were grass.

“PRAYERS WERE BEING SPOKEN, HASTILY WRITTEN LAST LETTERS WERE BEING SCRIBBLED; THE NOTES LEFT STICKING INTO A SANDBAG. ITEMS OF JEWELLERY WERE BEING HUNG ON THE PARAPET, MARKED FOR LOVED ONES. RUM WAS BEING ISSUED, A FINAL SPOT OF COURAGE TO THE TROOPS, MANY WERE SHAKING, WETTING THEMSELVES WITH FEAR…” Most positions along the British front would tell the same, sad, story. All along the front apart from the 36th Ulster Division, www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Tel: 01753 800009

With thanks to Black Lagoon

GM01.14/107/r

103 HIGH ST, ETON, Nr WINDSOR SL4 6AF

was one of defeat. The wire was not cut, the defences were not broken, the machine guns and artillery had not been put out of action and the German soldiers were still intact, not in oblivion.

Months of static stalemate and boredom and a more defensively-minded soldier had seen the Germans dig deep under the ground. They had constructed strong, underground defences, capable of withstanding the bombardment, in order that they can live to fight.

All along the front lines opposing the allies, axis forces fortunate enough to have not been near one of the mines, immediately came above ground and fired a devastating weight of fire into the advancing infantry. Thousands upon thousands were cut down and though there was some small scale brief moments of victory, any breach of the German forward trenches was quickly counter attacked and expelled. The men were either killed or taken prisoner, with many joining the ranks of the missing.

The Ulstermen though had penetrated much further; the only real British success of the whole day was around the Schwaben Redoubt, a German strong point deemed impregnable. They bashed through the Popes Nose and on into the barbed wire and concrete Goliath and succeeded where all else had failed.

Heavily depleted of men though, they needed reinforcements and resupply fast! Alas, British General-ship on the day was not good at all and from a position up a tree three miles from the actual fighting the decision was made to send the reserves into Thiepval instead of reinforcing success and the moment was lost. The Germans at first stunned at the defeat, then mystified as to why we had not reinforced, finally got the men together to counter attack. The Irish held on into the evening until being pushed back over the ground they had spent many lives taking; another disaster.

By the end of the day the British had lost just less than 20,000 killed in action – and this was just the first day… www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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DURING WW2 THE LUFTWAFFE WAS NOT WITHOUT FIREPOWER, AS JAY SLATER DISCOVERED AS HE WRITES ABOUT THIS AERIAL GLADIATOR LIKE YELLOW-NOSED WASPS THEY CAME. Screaming down from the heavens and howling with the full might of their Daimler engines, the dreaded Bf 109 sought the destruction of the RAF. As the skies above southern England during the summer of 1940 saw swarms of German bombers attack London, the RAF prepared to do battle. Overwhelmed by numbers, the RAF held the Bf 109 with the greatest respect as it was a Spitfire killer. Bloodied during the Spanish Civil War of 1936, the Bf 109, with its angular and fierce aesthetics, was born a true gladiator.

Bristling with machine gun and 30-mm cannon, the Bf 109 represented the aggressiveness of Nazi Germany. Powerful and built for the kill, the Bf 109 characterised the eagle figurehead popularised by the Third Reich. Spitting lead and explosive shells, the Bf 109 was to be the Luftwaffe’s mainstay fighter.

Chastised and criticised as outdated, the Bf 109 was to be continually developed, giving Allied pilots cause for concern. And rightly so: the Bf 109 possessed awesome killing power, especially the 30 mm MK 108 “Maschinenkanone” that packed a punch and could obliterate its victim with a single high-explosive shot.

Beating its competition, the sleek He 112, the Bf 109V1 made its debut in September 1935 powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine. The V5-7 flew in 1937 with the Jumo 210B engine and was sent to the Spanish Civil War to be bloodied.

Gaining valuable frontline service, over 136 Bf 109B-1 and B-2s were sent to aid Franco. The Bf 109 soon earned a fearsome reputation as the Republicans discovered that their aging Soviet Polikarpovs were no match for the über-modern German fighter.

The Bf 109 was not without its faults. It had a short range, could not take punishment or dive at high speeds, suffered from a claustrophobic cockpit and failed to compete with the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane and the turning circle they enjoyed. As German industry was hammered by RAF and US bomber streams, the Bf 109 was to be encumbered by additional armour for which it was not designed. Underwing gondolas with 20-mm cannon reduced performance further and the mutated Bf 109 was seriously handicapped when faced by marauding Mustangs. The German war machine that benefited from the Blitzkrieg offensive was now on the defensive and the Bf 109 was not intended for 76

october 2014

BIG BOYZ TOYZ MESSERSCHMITT BF109

“The British were sporting.

They would accept a fight under almost all conditions.”

- Gunther Rall: 275 victories.

such actions. However, it was a machine that proved reliable and the production lines made them in their thousands as there was nothing, bar the fabulous Fw-190 aka “Butcher Bird”, to replace it.

However, the Bf 109 left a lasting legacy. It was credited with shooting down more enemy aircraft and producing more Aces than any single fighter in the annals of aerial warfare. By the war’s end, Germany has built over 30,000 Bf 109s and over 100 Aces such as Erich Hartmann, Adolf Galland and Werner Mölders had over 100 kills to their credit (Hartmann was the World’s top scoring fighter ace with 352 victories).

During the early years of the Second World War, the Bf 109 was a fighter of pedigree; however, Allied test pilots who flew captured examples of the Bf 109 were surprised by its limitations claiming that the Bf 109G was obsolete when it rolled off the production line.

Admittedly a powerful beast with a fantastic Daimler-Benz engine, the “G” mark was aerodynamically one of the most inefficient fighters of its time, as if designer Willy Messerschmitt ignored the subject of low-drag dynamics. Its angular airframe continued to be developed with a hopeless collection of lumps and bumps, armour, stiff controls and a pilot who was forced to endure a cramped and uncomfortable cockpit.

Of course, no Second World War fighter was perfect as designers worked to a compromise with an emphasis on one or two qualities.

For example, the Spitfire was designed for the defence of Britain as a short-range interceptor with an excellent climb and turning circle.

The P-51 Mustang was a fast and long-range escort fighter with an eight-hour endurance. Like the P-47 Thunderbolt, it could dive like the devil, leaving the Spitfire and Bf 109 in its wake. With that being said, in a climb, the Bf 109G could outpace the Mustang up to 20,000 feet whereas the Spitfire Mk 14 could beat them all from sea level up.

The Bf 109G had its advantages and bitter vices. It had a reasonable top speed and a good rate of climb; the engine would not cut out under negative “g” and was reliable in the field; possessed good

control and response at low speeds; and was not easy to stall. However, as the war progressed against Germany and it had nothing to replace it, the Bf 109 slaved on against a superior enemy in ever growing numbers. Unlike the Spitfire that was designed as a sleek racehorse from the outset, the Bf 109 was beefed up. In the design process of the Bf 109G, Messerschmitt failed to grasp the consequences of additional weight to the airframe and sixty pounds of ballast had to be added to the rear fuselage to counteract the centre of gravity. The smallest fighter produced by Germany or the Allies, the Bf 109 suffered from a limited fuel capacity with just less than one hour of combat endurance. This was a major design deficiency in the Bf 109 and is puzzling why this restraint was never corrected as it would have not been a serious issue to address.

Its ailerons and elevators were far too heavy at high speeds.

Therefore, the terrible manoeuvrability of the Bf 109 at high speeds became known to the RAF who took advantage of its Achilles heel.

When on the tail of a Spitfire, for example, the RAF pilot would execute a snap half-roll, diving at fast speed, hell for leather. The Bf 109 would in the heat of combat give chase and as speed built up and the ground rose to meet them, the German realised that he did not have sufficient height to recover due to the heavy elevator forces, ploughing in to the earth. The Bf 109 lacked the ability to turn inside a Hurricane or Spitfire and the absence of rudder trim was tiring for the pilot as well as making accurate gunnery an issue. What was new to fighter design at the time was the Bf 109’s leading edge slats which would bang open at 120 mph clean or 100 mph with gear and flaps down. In a tight turning circle performed at low speed, the slats would open alarmingly forcing an inexperienced pilot to believe they were on the verge of a stall. For the pilot, the Bf 109 was a claustrophobic and tiring experience as visibility was poor and confined, hardly a platform to remain fresh and focused. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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With the introduction of the “G” mark, the Bf 109 was outdated but soldiered on as the Luftwaffe had nothing to replace it. Hitler’s gambit was that his war was a blitzkrieg and would be won quickly – losses were acceptable so long as victory was achieved. But when the Third Reich was on the defensive, the limitations of the Bf 109 was profound. Even in the early years of the war, the Bf 109 had been in development for over several years and had reached its zenith without a major change in engine or aerodynamics. As the war worsened for Germany, a new design was obvious, and as the Bf 109 was thrown against the bomber streams over the Fatherland, Hitler put promise in his jet fighters such as the mighty Me 262. The Bf 109G was also massacred on 7 April 1945 when 110 out of 120 stripped-down fighters were destroyed during suicidal ramming attacks against USAF bombers on “Totenritt” missions, or in other words, a “death ride”.

Schulungslehrgang “Elbe” was a complete failure as most of the Bf 109s were destroyed by marauding Mustangs before they reached the heavies.

Some years back, this writer had the pleasure of taking Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown out for a pub lunch to reminiscence over his wartime career. Over a glass of vino, Eric had the following to say on the Bf 109: “The Bf 109 had two problems in combat. It had a very claustrophobic cockpit and was very tight and narrow. As a fighter pilot, you behave like a falcon swinging your head side-to-side in search of prey and particularly trying to look behind. And the rear view of the Bf 109 was very poor. Also, if you increased speed in the Spitfire and Hurricane, you could ease the rudder with a trimmer. The Bf 109 had no rudder trim. So the pilot was continuously working against the rudder to catch up speed, and you are bound to make slight mistakes and ruin your sighting.

Another problem with the Bf 109 had that it could not follow in a steep turn when using lots of engine power. If so, the Bf 109 would get into your heavy slipstream and he has slats on the wings of his aircraft, these would tend to come out and snatch as the airspeed varies. And in these turns when the slats open and close unevenly, a rocking motion develops that ruins your shooting. Another tip is to dive as fast as you can. The Spitfire and Hurricane had a very effective elevator and could pull out of a dive. At 400 mph, the elevators of a Bf 109 locked solid and the plane would hurtle straight into the ground. So this was a good manoeuvre against the Bf 109. The Bf 109 was a much over-vaunted aircraft, believe you me. And it was not the Luftwaffe’s preferred choice

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at Rechlin, which was the equivalent of Farnborough: they wanted the Heinkel 112. The reason the Bf 109 was chosen was because Hitler wanted a mass production of fighters and the Bf 109 lends itself to mass production. For example, the undercarriage is part of the fuselage and not formed from the wings, which simplifies time and cost in production where fuselages and wings have to be made elsewhere.”

As history dictates, it was too little, too late. But despite its limitations, the Bf109, when flown by an experienced pilot, was a fast and agile killer. A compact machine with brutish aesthetics, it had attitude, raw power and cannon and was beloved by the pilots who flew it to defend their homeland. Even after the war’s close, a Czech version of the Bf 109 was the Avia S-199, an abnormal hybrid with an engine and outsized propeller from the He 111 bomber. Ironically, twenty-three of these death traps were sold to Israel. One pilot on the S-199 said: “She tried to kill us on every take-off and landing”, hence she was nicknamed the “Mule”.

Messerschmitt’s iconic fighter had come full circle.

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BERT KEMP SCOUT SNIPER PART TWO DAN MILLS CONCLUDES HIS ARTICLE ABOUT ONE OF THE USA’S MOST PROLIFIC SNIPERS ONE DAY LED TO ANOTHER, one week to the next, Bert found himself in situation after situation and by now, just like when tales of his prowess had spread around his local neighbourhood, stories about a great sniper in the Division grew. Bert had been slowly rising up the ranks, Private First Class then Corporal. Many days and nights were spent way ahead of friendly formations watching the enemy, eliminating priority targets and reporting back to headquarters, going solo however became a thing of the past for Bert.

It was when fighting in a particularly nasty spot that he came across a man who was to become his shadow. Several assaults had already been beaten back, mortars and artillery fire from both sides had rocked the feature both before and during the attack.

Now a Corporal and with all other commanders killed or wounded, Bert led the next assault uphill to sweep the Germans from atop a hilltop feature.

Fighting was close and deadly but finally he made his way to the top and took up a covered fire position. Dead and dying were littered around the hillside from both sides, however knowing the cunning and tact of the German foe he knew he must immediately prepare for the inevitable counter-attack. When Bert looked around him to issue defensive orders he found that everyone else had been killed, wounded or had fled back down the hill; all that was apart from one. One soldier had fought and followed Bert up that hill; his name was Wesley Holly.

The pair fought and held on to the hill top position until reinforcements arrived and forged a partnership in battle that would become inseparable. The following months of warfare saw them fight by one another’s side, on occasion saving each other’s lives.

Wesley was from Mississippi and, like Bert, had grown up in the forests and hills, hunting and foraging. They became a natural sniper pair, skilled, deadly, competent, complementing each other and reading each other’s minds - attributes one can only get from a shared experience of combat.

One particular enemy menace they worked hard to eliminate was the German machine gunner. Experience had shown that they were skilled soldiers and would hold back from the battle observing the placement of the American weapon systems most likely to do them damage. Often, they would watch and wait for US machine gun teams to set up then rake them with fire so the sniper pair decided to work on this when the situation arose.

They would site and conceal themselves off to a flank of the gunner they wanted to use as bait, calculating the likely enemy 80

october 2014

feature BERT KEMP SCOUT SNIPER - PART TWO

approach route and probable position for an ambushing machine gun, then lie in wait to see what happened. Sure enough on several occasions they watched as the Germans advanced, then with eyes fixed on the prize of the American gun as they got their own machine gun in situ. The pair would then eliminate each member of the gun team in priority order, starting with the gunner himself.

Back in those days during World War 2, sniping was an evolving art. After significant progress in The Great War, sniping was dropped from the training establishment and hard lessons learnt were lost forever. At the outbreak of the Second, snipers had to start all over again learning the skills required to get them through and to achieve the aim. Trial and error was the order of the day and it was no different for Bert and his partner Wesley. Key targets were often the priority of the day and the pair would be sent off to stalk and kill one target or another, often these would be a particular officer that had come to attention.

Still a priority target for today’s snipers, Officers are high up on the list. They are the command element and therefore are the ones controlling what the soldier’s actions are on the ground. Removing the “thinking element” sows confusion amongst the ranks below - and fear. There is nothing scarier than a comrade suddenly getting hit by a sniper and dropping to the floor right next to you, especially when you had considered yourself in a place of relative safety. The shock of that one round reverberates widely.

Bert was tasked with many such missions, two in particular would stay with him for the rest of his life; the first was of a particularly good leader of a special operations unit, targeted, one would imagine, because of his accomplishments. The sniper had to be skilled to stalk an enemy, fire the shot then stalk back out, unseen, to fight another day. Often this would happen without any form of backup and taking several days.

Bert had managed to get himself into a concealed fire position from where intelligence had informed him the officer was expected to appear. Sure enough, after lying in wait, ever ready to react, the officer showed up and Bert killed him with a single shot to the head.

Snipers are trained to hit the largest part of body mass that is observed, generally that would be the torso and a round into the vital organs is enough to kill a man. Bert however tended to prefer the more clinical target, the one that would instantly remove the threat, a head shot.

The German officer fell to the floor; the reaction of his soldiers around him gave Bert the vital few seconds he needed to escape down his prepared extraction route. Like an ambush, when it happens the soldiers on the receiving and are trained to react by turning straight into the direction of fire and fighting through. Luckily for Bert the soldiers, having become fond of their leader, initially reacted by going to his aid therefore assisting the withdrawal.

Bert was a very good sniper, all the basic skills of a hunter had been installed in him at an early age by his father; “Stop, lie still, look for something that should not be there” his father would say. Today we call it “absence of the normal, presence of the abnormal”.

The second occasion was a similar task. At this stage both sides had fought to a static stalemate, a situation pretty much like the one that had dogged the majority of the Great War. Two opposing sides, depleted of strength, watching one another from one vantage point or another, hoping to spot weakness before attacking it. Feeling relatively secure a member of the propaganda team on a megaphone would bombard the American troops with disinformation and doubt. It was bad for morale.

Bert crawled out, using the ground to his best advantage and soon located the target, he was an English speaker schooled in the US but when facing him through his sights head on and hearing the American voice, Bert did not want to shoot. He was unarmed but orders were orders and this guy was having a detrimental effect on his unit so Bert released his shot mid-sentence. Another head shot.

Bert and Wesley carried on like this through Africa and into Sicily. Bert was now a Sergeant and saw heavy fighting which earned him the Silver Star, to put with his five Purple Hearts and numerous other ribbons. Each Purple Heart was awarded for being wounded in action and that fifth wound would mark the end of his fighting career. When fighting in Sicily he was struck behind the ear by a piece of shrapnel which effected, amongst other things his eyesight, he needed lots of treatment and was eventually sent home and invalided out.

By Christmas 1944 Bert was recovering at home and went on to father four daughters and lead a long, peaceful life back out in the wilderness hunting and fishing.

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IPAS PENCOTT GZ PRACTICAL SHOOTING LOADED OR UNLOADED?

GOING GREENZONE

FOR BOTH RECCE AND DIRECT ACTION LOADOUTS, JERRY NOONE FINDS PENCOTT’S TEMPERATE PATTERN WORKS TO PERFECTION. Pictures: NETEE ALTHOUGH I’M NORMALLY FOUND ON AN URBAN CQB site somewhere, “summer” in the UK is most definitely a time to get your woodland game on!

If your local site is anything like mine right now everything is in full, lurid green growth; the ferns are full and over head height, the undergrowth is lush and full, and the time is right for a good “sneaky beaky” skirmish.

There are a multitude of camouflage patterns out there that are specifically designed for playing in this type of environment and when it comes right down to it, good old DPM can be as effective as anything - and DPM is easily available and most definitely a “wallet friendly” option. That said there’s a bit of a “war of the patterns” going on right now, seemingly fiercer than ever and one particular pattern seems to be almost 100% ideal for UK summer woodland play; PenCott GreenZone from Hyde Definition.

I’ve been following the rollout of the number of high-end manufacturers of both gear and clothing using the PenCott patterns for a while now and I’m really pleased to see that their “BadLands” pattern has just appeared in the trailers for the new “HALO:Nightfall” movie! I won’t dwell on BadLands though as my good friends at FireBaseAlpha are going to be looking at that in more depth.

So where have the PenCott patterns come from and what’s the theory behind them? Hyde Definition’s philosophy is that effective camouflage should defeat the ability of an observer to detect or recognise the wearer and a split-second reduction in detection or recognition could sometimes literally mean the difference between life and death in the real world. With their innovative PenCott family of patterns Hyde Definition aim to provide the most effective multi-environment camouflage schemes available on the commercial and military markets.

Hyde Definition is a camouflage design company that was founded in England

by Dominic Hyde in 2008. Dominic’s lifelong interest in the art of concealment, having experimented with different camouflage techniques and patterns since childhood, has led him to design over two thousand camouflage patterns for clothing and equipment, vehicles and infrastructure installations, as well as the internationally successful PenCott Multi-Environment Camouflage Pattern Family.

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The PenCott patterns are unique in the way they combine the best of analogue and digital camouflage design principles, and their key features and advantages can be summarised as: • 3-in-1 / 360° pattern geometry: the inclusion of large, medium and small fractal shapes makes the patterns effective at close, mid, and long range – and, because of its non-linear orientation, the full effectiveness of the pattern is retained whether the wearer is standing, kneeling or prone, within cover or in the open.

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

• Natural tones and textures: the complex organic pattern texture, combined with colours sampled from the target environments, delivers superior disruption and blending across a wider range of terrain and distances than other patterns.

This comprehensive and hybrid combination of features makes PenCott one of the most unique camouflage patterns ever produced and helps the wearer avoid detection more effectively, which is really what wearing camouflage is all about isn’t it?

“BUY WISELY, BUY ONCE!”

The motivation to begin developing PenCott came in 2005 when Dominic reached the conclusion that there were serious problems with existing camouflage patterns: • Typical “woodland” camouflage schemes are too dark for all other types of terrain or environments (and even many woodland environments for that matter) • Typical “desert” camouflage schemes are often just a re-coloured version of a woodland scheme and often a not a good match for the textures of desert terrain • So-called “universal” and “all-terrain” camouflage patterns are often such a compromise that they are ineffective in many environments • Mixing solid-coloured individual equipment with camouflage clothing reduces the effectiveness of the user’s camouflage – and can provide the enemy with a visible “centre-mass” aiming point as well!

• Many new camouflage patterns appear to be more about “fashion” or “coolness” than about effectiveness.

PenCott is actually now a family of patterns for year round, multi environment use but the original PenCott variant for verdant terrain, called “GreenZone”, was first trial-launched on a very limited scale in the UK in late 2009. Over the next year Dominic worked on researching, analysing and evaluating other colourways for additional pattern variations. In the latter part of 2010 the company got together with Duro Industries to take the patterns to full-scale production across a range of mil-spec garment and gear fabrics and make them available to customers all around the world.

What came out of this entirely independent (and self-funded) research and development programme was a ground-breaking, naturallooking, hybrid digital pattern that uses a complex mixture of blending and disrupting techniques to more effectively conceal the wearer. The PenCott family of patterns might not look pretty, they might not look “cool”, but they are definitely effective.

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PenCott GreenZone is sadly still not the easiest pattern to create a “top to toe” loadout in, and you’ll have to search a bit to complete your gear setup. Having said that, more and more manufacturers are taking the pattern up and I’m certain that this trend will continue, especially given the new movie tie-in!

In my last article I advised you to look for gear that has multiple role applications; that way you can take on different roles and tasks by simply adjusting your kit and not break the bank doing it. Keeping the budget tight I looked for a few pieces that could be used multiple times, namely the Viper Modular Holster and the Viper Adjustable Dropleg holster; both of these are VERY well priced and will accommodate many different models of handgun. Married up with a Viper Special Ops Belt these are incredibly versatile and if you shop around you can probably get all three pieces in plain black or OD and have change from 50 quid! You can check out the tech specs by visiting www.viperkit.co.uk

PENCOTT GZ LOADED OR UNLOADED?

Staying with cost effectiveness I next looked to the rig and ruc I needed. Now nylon gear in GreenZone is still a little hard to source, although stores like www.armymarket.cz and Whiskey Two Four (www.wtfidea.com) are beginning to carry some righteous load carrying kit. At the time of writing I was lucky enough to lay my hands on a great rig from well respected gear maker, Tactical Tailor. TT gear is not the cheapest in the world, but boy is it well put together!

I decided to spend my money “once and wisely” by picking up a Rudder Ranger Assault Carrier (H –Harness). The Rudder is a low profile chest rig, streamlined for lying prone or working in tight spaces. It features a split front design, is fully adjustable front and back to fit most body sizes, and the interior is lined with Air Mesh for comfort so it’s a great choice for the hot weather months. The RAC is put together from 500 denier Cordura nylon using the same techniques applied to the Tactical Tailor “Fight Light” line to minimise weight without sacrificing durability. I added a selection of pouches, an Admin, two different accessory models, a multipurpose, strobe/compass pouch and a triple Magna Mag combo to the order which gives me a LOT of versatility in how I set the rig up. One very comfortable rig, one order from Tactical Tailor, and lots of variety! You can find full details of these items by visiting www.tacticaltailor.com The final part of the rig setup was one I couldn’t resist, namely an accessory/admin pouch from Whiskey Two Four which is a super bit of kit; having now seen the quality of their gear I’ll certainly be ordering from them again. Talking of quality, I also decided to splash out a little and buy just one pack to suit both loadouts and for this I chose a Lightweight Assault Pack from www.greyghostgear.com.

The LAP has been put together to directly address Special Operations weight requirements and features a large main compartment as well as a side entry front pocket, modular webbing for attaching additional pouches and padded shoulder straps that stow away when not in use.

It’s designed to attach directly to modular rigs or vests so works well either as a standalone pack or with the Rudder RAC. Made of 500 denier Cordura with heavy-duty zippers, a sternum strap, grab

handle, loop material for patches and a 3 litre hydration pocket, it’s also considerably lighter than many comparable packs and very comfortable to wear, so it’s ideal for a day long woodland outing.

RECCE With the nylon gear well and truly sorted out I turned to the other parts of the two loadouts, starting with the RECCE setup. Luckily for all of us in the UK www.military1st.co.uk have a great range of Helikon products, and the “Big H” are one of the manufacturers who are actively working with GreenZone in a major way. For this loadout I chose their well priced Combat Patrol Uniform (CPU) which is a high quality, hard wearing and comfortable set of shirt and trousers.

The shirt features a two way front zipper, 6 pockets, elbow patch reinforcements on each arm and Velcro plates for attachment of patches. There’s also a high Mandarin collar with Velcro closure and soft fleece and underarm pit zips for ventilation.

The trousers are equally well specified with two large front pockets, two small open pockets at the front, two slanted cargo pockets with Velcro closure, and a reinforced seat and knees for longer wear. There are pockets with Velcro closure on each knee for padding (pads not included), belt loops, side waist adjusters, and drawstrings on the legs bottom to keep things snug. Both garments are made from NyCo Ripstop (50% Cotton, 50% Nylon) so they’re tough as old boots.

For this loadout I stuck with my tried and tested Mechanix Original gloves, a superb Boonie from www.appliedorange.com (although a UFPRO ballcap is a good alternative), jungle boots, and a simple “Recce Wrap” which I created from a fabric offcut; simple, and cost effective!

DIRECT ACTION For the DA loadout I really decided to push the boat out in relation to both uniform and boots. I mentioned the UFPRO ballcap earlier, and if

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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you’ve not yet come across this excellent manufacturer from Slovenia, then you REALLY need to go and check them out at www.ufpro.si. I’ve been using some of their gear for a couple of years now and they really are right up there with the very best of the innovators and producers of tactical clothing.

I’ve long been a fan of their “Striker” combat uniform and the third generation of this superb shirt and trouser was released earlier this year and has been getting MAX review time online! The XT Combat Shirt has been seriously upgraded in the latest generation and some important components have been changed in the new model that considerably improves wear comfort and functionality. In the torso area, the mix of polyester and merino wool offers extraordinary durability, maximum comfort and odourinhibition. The cut of the sleeve and the slide-in pockets have been ergonomically improved so that you will always land on their own D3O® elbow protection. It’s a beautifully fitted and well made shirt which makes the most of cutting edge technology in ALL ways.

Likewise the matching XT trousers; these give you a significant increase in fit and efficiency. Already a great design the latest version has been developed further. The stretch areas have been expanded and new and ergonomically perfected two component knee protection has been introduced. This is made using an intelligent combination of hard and soft technologies that enable highly efficient protection of the knee and tibia areas without the use of a restrictive Velcro strap. The width-adjustable lower leg area enables the effective fixing of objects in the lower leg pocket, including during rapid movement and the large cargo pockets with inner compartments can be accessed in two ways, from the top or side which is great if you’re sitting in a vehicle. The stretch areas in the hip/buttock area and above and below the knee protection are made of an extremely resilient Schoeller®dynamic stretch material and if you want to carry these over to the Winter months then a Gore WINDSTOPPER Lining can easily be zipped into the Striker XT Combat trousers, as in all UFPRO trouser models. Whilst UFPRO are by no means the cheapest option available, both garments are in the “Rolls Royce” catchment of combat gear and are truly worth every penny!

I mentioned boots too and it’s become time to replace my old OD/Black jungles; they’ve done good service over the years but have finally come to the end of their tour so I decided to replace them with some of the new “MOD Brown” Jungle Boots from Yorkshire bootmaker Alt-Berg.

The Jungle Microlite has been tried and tested in some of the most extreme areas on the planet, so you can be certain they won’t let you down in the UK woods! They are a multiuse boot, with minimal water retention, suitable for a wide range of conditions including “Green Ops”, hot and humid climates, UK summer and high intensity tabbing under load.

They feature two drain holes under the instep, a shock absorbing sole, are half lined with Cambrelle for comfort and offer good, firm underfoot support on rough terrain or uneven ground. I’ve been wearing Alt-Bergs for years and they’ve always served me well, and it must be said that the “MOD Brown” works absolutely perfectly with PenCott GreenZone.

To finish out this loadout I also added a MOLLE SICC Belt from www.platatac.com; the Soldier’s Integrated Combat Cobra Belt allows you to integrate multiple platforms onto one belt. Manufactured from MILSPEC high breaking strain para tape and tube tape throughout it’s the perfect belt to use with a vehicle safety lanyard! Headgear wise I was struggling a little until a I spoke with STOUPA CAMO in the Czech Republic who kindly loaned me a bespoke bump helmet with a one-off GreenZone cover. Again, if you’ve not come across them before then check out their excellent Facebook page which is truly inspirational; these are airsofters with some rare skill and attention to detail and show just what you can achieve if you put your mind to it. A simple change of pouches on the Rudder, the addition of a singlepoint sling and a pair of HATCH Operator Shorty Tactical Gloves from www. tactical-kit.co.uk round the whole look out, making it “good to go” for those full on firefights!

I appreciate that some of the gear I’ve described is not exactly the cheapest available, but it’s ALL of the highest 86

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quality and specification and will give you a summer woodland/ “Green Team” loadout that will literally last for years to come.

More and more manufacturers are working with Dominic and making use of his excellent patterns (expect to see more from Helikon and UFPRO in particular this year) which in turn will make things more cost effective. If you don’t want to follow the “airsoft herd” then I’d most definitely check out PenCott GreenZone, and get hold of some of this awesome camouflage pattern sooner rather than later!

My thanks go to Dominic and his team at Hyde Definition, and to STOUPA CAMO for all their help in the preparation of this article. You can find out more about the PenCott family of patterns by visiting www.hydedefinition.com.

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LESSONS IN OVERKILL KRIS ROBERTS CONTINUES HIS LOOK AT THE ROLE OF AN AIRSOFT SUPPORT GUNNER AS A VETERAN PLAYER TAKES ON THE ROLE FOR THE FIRST TIME...

IN LAST MONTH’S ISSUE I TOOK A LOOK at the appeal of the Airsoft support gunner. I discussed what constitutes a support gun, what the role of the gunner demands and what can be realistically expected in open day or Mil-Sim scenarios.

This time round I’ll be venturing into the field to follow a veteran player as he takes his first steps into support gunning.

WITH THE OLD BREED Dan Shears has been involved with Airsoft for well over a decade.

A keen and active player, Dan has honed his skills and fieldcraft in a variety of roles and locations across the country. He was the ideal candidate to follow if I wanted to witness a player embrace the mindset of the gunner.

Dan’s outlook on support guns matched the general opinion that they were “nothing more than AEGs with large magazines” but as a collector, he had always wanted to add one to the armoury.

Finding an A&K M60 MK43 at a bargain price was all the excuse he needed to take the plunge.

SETTING THE STAGE Dan and I headed down to Exeter to join an open day event at Adrenaline Airsoft. The site is a mixed bag of buildings, woodland and open arenas of various sizes. It would be a perfect testing ground for Dan and the M60 and I had even managed to arrange a couple of limited-ammo games to start the day off. The scene was set to provide plenty of variety and to challenge Dan to the max.

Game one was set to commence. A simple set up played out on a single field with a scattering of wooden buildings and mixed cover. It was obvious that the game was going to be fast and furious but hopefully the ammo limits of 400 rounds per rifleman and 2500 rounds per gunner would force the players to use skill rather than firepower, especially since the ammo limits were set to last for the whole 45-minute running time.

The game kicked off and Dan sprinted forward to take position near the centre line. He wasted no time at all in pouring fire downrange.

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feature AIRSOFT SUPPORT GUNNER: PART TWO

“On the tower Dan found a pivoting steel plate which would act as a shield and without hesitation he set the M60 up on it… This action took seconds in the making but the effect it caused was devastating!

Dan poured long bursts of fire directly onto the opposition’s heads and they scattered like wildfire.”

“My first thoughts were to stop the opposing team from being able to move forward.” Dan told me after the game. “Once I got into my first firing position I was looking to see where my team were and to make sure my firing arc didn’t stop them from moving forward.”

The plan worked, with the opposition momentarily stunned by the quick delivery of mass firepower, Dan’s teammates split into two groups and began to leapfrog their way up the flanks.

The opposition were not fools though and they quickly adapted and responded by spreading their forces and pushing their line forward.

As I watched from a few yards away, it was great to see Dan’s experience kick in to overdrive as he quickly switched his location to find the best firing position. Cutting left, then right and then left again he showed little mercy on his M60 as he fired burst after burst.

Then the inevitable happened.

“I made a massive mistake; I burned through 2500 rounds in less than 10 minutes. This left me with just my pistol for the rest of the game, luckily I carry a couple of spare magazines but it made me realise just how much I had put down range (I generally get through 600-800 rounds in a whole day!). I would definitely keep my bursts shorter next time.”

Dan may have been reduced to a sidearm but his actions had allowed his team to take control of three quarters of the field.

Victory was inevitable.

GETTING KNOWN By the second game, Dan was more aware of the M60’s capabilities and limitations. He was more selective in his targets and therefore the suppressive effect was much more efficient.

What was apparent to me as I walked across to watch the opposition was just how conscious they were of the M60. They seemed to react to it and challenge it more than any other gun they were facing.

“I think the M60 had quite a psychological impact, I was sporadically firing at cover to make those behind it know that “Yes, I’ve seen you. And yes I can range you.” I definitely drew more fire than usual.”

Already the fear aspect was taking effect. It was the result of a well known and capable player using the largest gun on the field to the best of its ability. But the fear outweighed the reality of what was happening. Dan was being discussed among the opposition. He was first being avoided and then targeted. He drew an unnecessary amount of attention and the opposing team lost sight of the bigger picture. It wasn’t long before Dan’s teammates

were taking full advantage of the distraction and they flooded over the enemy positions.

To be honest this is exactly what I expected from an ammo limit game. It was the perfect environment in which a support gunner could prove their worth but as I said in Part One, the support gunner is only useful if they are part of a working and communicative team. Dan did well but he was fortunate in that he had team mates who knew how to best work the advantages that the M60 brought in that situation. The opposing team also had a support gunner, who worked his best to provide a steady flow of covering fire but he felt the frustration of watching his team miss the opportunities that he was trying to create. The victories went to the team that worked best as a unit but moving forward, for the rest of the day there would be no ammo limits in place. I was interested to see if the support gunner would remain a heightened threat or if they would simply slip into obscurity among a sea of AEGs.

LOSING THE ADVANTAGE Five minutes into the afternoon game I felt that the pace had dropped off considerably. We were now in a new arena which was spread out over a much larger area and there was a combination of larger buildings, towers, trenches and a scattering of cars and natural barriers. Without the ammo limits I could see that the game was unfolding as any standard open day game would. Dan wasn’t able to use the M60 to any real effect and he pushed forward along the line just like the rest of his team mates.

This dynamic changed completely when his team took control of a guard tower. Scaling the stairs, Dan found himself in an elevated position which looked down on the entire enemy position. On the tower Dan found a pivoting steel plate which would act as a shield and without hesitation he set the M60 up on it. By now he had been joined by a team mate who would act as spotter and provide some close protection for Dan should he need it. This action took seconds in the making but the effect it caused was devastating! Dan poured long bursts of fire directly onto the opposition’s heads and they scattered like wildfire.

I had positioned myself between the M60 and its targets but low enough to avoid the fire. Once again Dan had succeeded in getting all the attention onto him and, as his team mates pushed forward, the opposition returned fire on the tower. The pace of the battle had shifted and now the fighting was up close and frantic.

The opposing team saw their predicament and fought with a dogged determination to gain back some points. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Dan faced a new problem - trapped in the tower by a very skilled and troublesome sniper. With rounds pinging of the metal plate Dan was almost forced to withdraw but his team had been able to push up far enough to drive the sniper back out of range.

Dan had served his purpose well and was rightly grinning from ear to ear when I caught up with him on the ground.

The rest of the day played out in much the same way with moments of effectiveness coupled with snatches of frustration.

Dan did get his vengeance on the sniper though. Catching a glimpse of his nemesis in a small hut, Dan went on a wide flanking manoeuvre, wading through a river like a scene from Platoon, to get within range. Dan hammered the hut with BBs, sending rounds through the window and doors and pounding the woodwork until his foe submitted. When I spoke to the sniper later that day he said that he had never been on the receiving end of firepower like that before. Rounds were filling the air and he was unable to move. “It was total suppression” he said, “and there was nothing I could do.”

AFTER ACTION By the day’s end I felt that I had seen a fine example of how the Support Gunner role fits into Airsoft. It has its obvious limitations but it also has strengths that can be found if you are willing to play selflessly and show aggression in the defence of your team mates.

I was impressed and I would advise anyone who has ever fancied being a gunner to give it a go - but today was about the man on the trigger and I needed to hear his thoughts as his first day as a support gunner game to an end.

“My team loved having the M60 at their beck and call; they were quite happy to let me know where they wanted fire and I was kept up to date on their positions. I think the M60 definitely helped us both defend and push forward at different points throughout the day, probably more effectively than a standard rifle due to a combination of massive volume of firepower coupled with the bipod giving me a stable firing position to accurately pin down the other team.

Overall I really enjoyed the change in pace of being a support gunner, I love the look of the M60 and it’s nice to have something different. However, I would say to anyone who is looking to buy a support gun that they are heavy and unless you communicate effectively with your team you could find yourself doing nothing.

I’m definitely going to play the role of support gunner more in the future.”

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A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD? WITH TALK OF IRELAND’S ONE JOULE LIMIT BEING APPLIED IN SCOTLAND, GADGE ASKED WHAT EFFECT IT WOULD HAVE IF APPLIED TO AIRSOFT ACROSS THE UK? DEBATE TIME SWINGS ROUND once again... This issue; a one joule “level playing field”, are you for or against?

With Ireland running a 1 joule limit and rumours abound that Scotland could go the same way, how do you feel about a hypothetical “1 joule/ 325fps” limit right across the UK? Would it kill sniping or would snipers just need to get sneakier? Do you feel it would make the game safer? Would you stop playing if you couldn’t ramp your bolt action up to 500fps?

Back in the day (cue Hovis Advert music), I can remember when guns kicking out 330 were considered top end and “hot”.

The “standard” gun at the time was a Tokyo Marui for most people, as excellent companies like Classic Army were yet to get their act together and their quality control was abysmal. You might end up with a £200 hand cannon or an expensive paperweight; and so the reliable Marui ruled the roost at most sites. But, like all stock Marui guns the “feet per second” (or “fps”) with a .20 weight BB was a respectable if a little unimpressive 280-290 fps.

Gas pistols sometimes kicked out a little bit more on favourable days and the old electric pistols… well forget it; you could spit a bb at someone with more velocity.

So in general, 300fps was pretty much what you’d expect most guns to be doing, friends who played in the US would tell me tales of 450fps full auto battles that sounded like madness but slowly and surely “fps creep” has entered the airsoft arena. Even cheap TM clones by the likes of CYMA now come out the box at around 330fps and some overseas makes have to be downgraded at the store to make them UK legal (I remember my STAR SA80 needing some work doing on it before it could be used at my local site).

As manufacturers churned out “shootier” AEGS and players got increasingly savvy with upgrades, tweaks and mods to raise their fps closer and closer to the maximum limit, sites responded by upping their own limits.

As a rule of thumb (if you’re not playing at a close quarter game site) most AEGs will be allowed to run at 350fps, most single shot “Designated Marksman Rifles” (or DMRs) at a respectable 400fps and bolt action sniper rifles at 500fps… all those over 350

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debate ONE JOULE

usually have a “minimum engagement distance” or MED of several metres to prevent serious injury. Well that’s roughly how it stands now in the UK. However in Ireland a blanket limit of 1 Joule of energy being delivered by a .20g BB has been in play, restricting even snipers to the level of force that experts determined is the amount that is required to permanently damage an eyeball.

But it’s not just our Irish cousins who may have to play to these rules. Rumours have abounded that Scotland may review its airsoft rulings and use the “Irish Model” as a base. So would 325fps across the board be such a bad thing? Many of you felt it would be disastrous to the hobby and kill the sniping aspect, others simply reflected that the actual range difference between say a 325fps gun and 375fps gun is negligible and that you could actually get a more accurate longer range by improving the hop unit or fitting a better barrel. Also in defence of the “level playing field” were our Irish player base, who quite rightly point out that Airsoft is thriving in Ireland and if a 325fps limit has not killed the game there, why should it in the UK? For the WWII player “FPS” is often a trickier issue than for the open day skirmisher. The standard rifle in WWII was a bolt action affair and many players like to use these. Playing at a high fps (say for example 450fps) does give you more “punch” and allows the use of heavier BBs but when you need to assault the enemy swapping to a side arm or a slung SMG is not only a faff but historically a bit naff; for this reason many WWII players have decided to deliberately run sub-350fps rifles.

So up in arms, selling your small arms or welcoming with open arms… here is what you had to say.

Adam “Teddybear” Simonelli: “It would kill sniping. As a sniper I make long range kills in excess range that surpasses an upgraded AEG. If my sniper was at 1 joule I might as well use an AEG so I can get more rounds at that range it is impractical to use a BASR.” Alex Higgins: “I think it’d take the fun out of sniping because you snipe to get long range kills, that’s the sniper’s bragging rights.

Take that away and you’re putting a bolt action rifle against AEGs. Similar for DMRs, but at least DMRs have semi auto.”

Billy Gumbrell: “The “level playing field” is retarded and will kill all aspects of the sport except assault gunner. If you have a bolt action, you are disadvantaged with lower fire rate and lower ammo capacity. The current trade-off is you have a distance advantage which keeps you out of range of others and hopefully out of sight too. If all snipers (or urban sniper/DMRs for that matter) are restricted to the same as full auto guns, then there is no trade off and you simply disadvantage yourself.”

Matthew McMahon: “As someone living, playing and loving airsoft in Ireland it wouldn’t kill sniping, sniping is alive and well over here, people complaining about the power limit killing sniper rifles need to take a step back and look at the math involved, 180 fps doesn’t make a massive difference, consistency and accuracy however, define a good rifle (after all, don’t we lust after a good TM with its 280 fps). Also, it’s important to note that the UK already has an area locked to the 1J limit, Northern Ireland. Having played in Scotland, and even in Seattle, NI has the most snipers-toplayers I’ve seen. All using guns hitting 328 or lower.”

Paul Fisher Jnr: “It’s primarily about your barrel and hop setup that makes range, yes you do require a certain amount of fps to push the bb but fps isn’t the be all and end all. I’m an airsoft sniper but also love running riot with my 417 or my AK, so do I think that if this rule is imposed it will kill airsoft? Quite frankly no, it will however kill the fps chasers out there, but the rest of us will do what we’ve done before and simply adapt.”

Matt Houghton: “If fps keeps getting lowered we will end up just throwing bbs at each other!”

Brendan Robb: “I wouldn’t mind full autos having a 1J limit, but not for DMRs and bolt actions. Sure they can have range at low FPS but it takes longer to get there. If the FPS is limited, what’s to stop players cranking up the RPS? I would rather be hit by a few rounds at 350 FPS than a whole lot of rounds at 328FPS.” Matt Furey-King: “People all over the world are limited to 1J and they get by fine.” www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Daniel Shears: “FPS is important when it comes to sniping, without that extra power you don’t have any benefit over a full auto capable AEG. That extra power allows a sniper rifle to fire heavier ammo, which in turn is what primarily is giving it range, accuracy and consistency.”

James Bailey: “I “snipe” using sub-350fps by choice. No MER and the quietest gun on the field. But it’s a personal choice. It won’t kill sniping but it will make it harder.”

George Swingland: “Can we not go back to the old days of “if you know the risk...” i.e. if you want to play it safe go to a 1j limit site, and if you accept the risk go to a 500fps (18+ only?) Site. Coz I miss the days airsoft actually hurt...”

Joshua Rose: “328 is fine for full auto, I’m still dismayed at the incessant “creep” to higher and higher fps gats.”

James Moore: “I’m off to play paintball. Life as I know it has ended.”

Andrew Norrie : “I believe that the Bill came about to tackle issues with airguns and airsoft has kind of been caught up in it like VCRA all over again, so could be tackled in a similar fashion by lobbying for an exemption for airsoft maybe?”

Leslie Lee: “I would just lurve higher FPS personally. It would certainly improve your tactics and encourage more stealth and strategy. If we were worried about little bruises we could take extra precautions by choice....also we would have better “wounds” to brag about afterwards too!”

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AD-MIN-UH-STREY-SHUH N…

Love it or loathe it, it pervades just about every facit of our lives but Billy thinks it is important…

AD-MIHN IS NOT A CITY IN CHINA as old sweats like yours truly will tell you and I am genuinely sad to say that I don’t think there is a city anywhere called Admin which is a real shame, because wouldn’t it be sweet if you could reply to some smart @@se that “actually it’s in Paraguay mate” but sadly there isn’t one? It’s all about comedy timing eh.

Anyway as usual I digress, it’s great to be back and scribbling again and I just wanted to chat about Admin – Administration the dictionary tells us that it’s…. hu hummm (that’s me clearing my throat here!!!)

“The process or activity of running a business, organization, etc” Geez that sounds as dull as ditch water to me but it’s a really important part of our gaming and if neglected it can cost you money and ruin your enjoyment. Here’s how… Let’s take a perfect example of the admin snake that nipped me on the ankle the other day and could have ruined a weekend.

I have 3 x Sigg 226s and an HK417 that I use as often as I can get out to play (which isn’t that often as Ed has me shackled to the laptop writing copy much of the time) so they sit in the garage and twiddle their thumbs while I type. Well the other day I decided to get them out and check them over and do you know what, only one of them would fire.

The others went through the motions but the BB just

dribbled out the end of the barrel and that my friends would be similar to trapping off with the girl of your dreams and not being able to perform. Hellish!!

So it’s always a good idea not to assume anything. The Army have a phrase which goes “Check, test, check, test, check test…” you get the picture eh? The lyrics don’t change much.

What they do is they constantly check that the kit is working, serviceable, has been cleaned and then they test it.

Back in the day when I was like a greyhound in the slips (that creaking you can hear is me adjusting my chair not my back) we were driving around in Afghanistan in our Land Rovers feeling terribly brave bristling with weapons and taking photos. Our “check test” was to check the weapons over before we left the base and then to test fire them to ensure they were working.

Obviously we couldn’t test fire them routinely in the desert because that would have made the local population nervous, so we would test fire them outside the base on a specially constructed range. On the first occasion that we drove back into the base we tested all the weapons including our pistols that were sitting “gunslinger style” on our hips. When we came to test fire the GPMGs none of them would fire, they were all full of sand and dust.

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Because of the soft mounts on which the guns were seated and because we hadn’t used Land Rover WMIKs before and it was much harder to reach the dust cover underneath the weapon, so we had all omitted to close it and as we had been driving along they had all filled up with dust, sand and were un-fireable. So when we had our next debrief that went into our SOPs and became part of our drill.

Because we all have busy lives, jobs and families as well as other pastimes much of our kit will end up in the garage or under the stairs and will get dragged out for weekends and we expect it to perform. And we’ll get a bit shirty if it doesn’t after all we paid good £££ for it and I admit to being a little ticked off when my Sigs didn’t work.

But then I thought to myself “I haven’t really looked after them” and I hadn’t really, I had bought them, used them a few times and then they had sat in a sealed box in the garage for several months. I didn’t really have much of a clue how to look after the magazines that contain the gas bits and I guessed that that was where the problem lay.

So the lesson is “if we expect our kit to perform we have to look after it”, in fact we have to look after the whole machine and that includes ourselves, because (without sounding too much like a loony) when we are gaming and pitting ourselves against the opposition our bodies become part of the whole weapon system.

opposed to fizzy drinks and booze the better you’ll feel and perform as well.

But I know better than anyone that keeping fit and maintaining that virtuous routine is REALLY difficult. When I was working for the MOD I would pop off each lunchtime for a jog around the local green space or go to the gym but that stopped the minute I started my own business. All of a sudden I couldn’t justify it and the pounds piled on and the ha-ha needle started to slip down.

Sometimes it seems as if everything is conspiring against you, sandwiches and garage/portable food is too easy, so you just have to figure out ways to defeat your circumstances and play your cravings at their own game. For example, what I do now is keep a 1 litre bottle of water on my desk sitting there looking at me, so whenever I have a coffee I will take a few swigs. Easy and I know that at the end of my working day I will have sunk at least a litre of fluid. The trick is to make it easy to eat fruit and veg through the day, I sometimes chop up a pepper and a carrot and have them in a small Tupperware box on the desk and I find myself unconsciously dipping into it and eating healthily, how cool and simple is that?

I make sure I have a homemade smoothie each morning so that I am already ahead of the game, even if I follow it with a sarnie for lunch it doesn’t matter too much because I started really well.

Keeping on top of your kit Staying Fit Eating healthy food and hydrating both when you’re gaming and when you’re resting is an important part of keeping the whole weapon system ready for action. The more fruit and veg you eat and the less takeaways and fish and chips you eat the better and the more water you put down as 98

october 2014

When I used to go on exercise (when I was young and carefree) I would go to great lengths to lay it out on the floor and go over it all with a fine tooth comb but then when I came home I would toss it all in the corner of the locker room or my garage and go off for the weekend. As the years went by it dawned on me that I was just storing up work for myself and

BILLY BASICS ADMIN

the old adages “Do it nice, or do it twice” as well as “a stitch in time saves nine” are so true aren’t they? So we go back to check and test again.

When you are away gaming keep a note as you go along of how your kit’s performing. You know that kit better than anyone alive because you use it, it’s yours, so when you get home before you get the kettle on get all your gear out, lay it out on the garage, living room floor (preferably on a tarpaulin or a car blanket) and get it all looked at.

If there are rips and tears in your trousers and jackets get them stitched/ sewn up before you put them in the washing machine and tumble dryer, if you don’t the rips might get bigger and it may cost you another pair of trousers and money is to be looked after isn’t it not thrown away?

Empty your pouches of all trash, you might have stowed a banana skin (I’ve done it a few times and it’s gopping) rather than toss it in a bush, so get all your rubbish and other bits and pieces and clean your kit out thoroughly.

Old food attracts mice and moths and it would be a real shame to get your fave jacket out in the spring to find that it’s been eaten through by a hungry mouse that has now set up home on one of your pouches.

Boots need special attention too, they are not cheap and need to be looked after. If they are Gore-Tex boots they should be thoroughly dried out either outside in free flowing breeze or an airing cupboard and then kept inside the house under the stairs or somewhere similar. Keep them in the garage and they’ll quickly fill up with spiders.

In terms of your equipment, be that single point slings or load carrying bits and bobs like vests and chest rigs, it pays every now and again to pull it all apart and clean it, check that nothing has frayed or may come loose and broken. You kit will last a long, long time if you look after it and will mean that you won’t have to replace it for ages, the other thing to bear in mind is that if you look after it you also be able to flog it on eBay when you fancy upgrading.

So in a nutshell, Admin can be an onerous task (especially post-game admin) but if you get into a virtuous routine it will make you feel good, because you’ll know that your gear’s good to go, you’ll save money and it’s just the right thing to do isn’t it? The easy way is never the right way, that’s what someone once told me.

Be nice to one another and look after your gear my friends.

Billy Out!!

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BOOK REVIEW CHICKENHAWK

‘CHICKENHAWK’

BY ROBERT MASON

KRIS ROBERTS GETS DRAWN INTO ONE MAN’S VIVID ACCOUNT OF WHAT VIETNAM WAS REALLY LIKE, BOTH DURING THE WAR AND LATER, BACK “HOME”.

“BY NOVEMBER 26, AMERICA had won its first large-scale encounter with the North Vietnamese army. The Cav and the B-52s killed 1800 Communists. The NVA killed more than 300 GIs. The Ia Drang valley campaign was one of the few battles in which I saw clearings filled with NVA bodies. In all, I might have seen a thousand of their corpses sprawled in the sun, rotting.

We left them there.”

Robert Mason had dreamed of flying since he was a small boy. As he grew into a young man his obsession became focused onto helicopters and in 1964 he enlisted with the US Army to train as a pilot.

Training was far from easy and, after a tumultuous year, Mason graduated just in time to be shipped out to Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division (Air-mobile). What followed was a year of complex and almost suicidal flying into one of the hottest warzones of the 20th century.

The sight of incoming tracer rounds, the sickly stench of a deck awash with blood, the screams of the wounded, the moans of the dying and flying to the point of collapse all filtered through to become an average, albeit horrific, work day.

Stories of days off the flight line and trips to the towns and cities offer another side of Mason’s war. Encounters with the locals ranged from deep compassion to justifiable paranoia. As a result of the overload of emotion, drink and infidelity became a tragic necessity in the attempt to feel human again.

In August 1966, Mason returned home a changed man. Here he found an America far different to the one he left behind and there was little sympathy for a broken spirit returning from a war that no one wanted. Adapting was hard and the book concludes in a surprising and saddening way that highlights the futility of the whole affair.

Mason presents himself as a typical everyman. One who enters the war with childish perspective, only to have his illusions broken down with every passing day. This is not just a book about the war in Vietnam and the part he played, but of the price he had to pay in order to survive. It is the moral degradation of a good man that hits the hardest, and it’s that aspect that remains with the reader long after the book has been finished.

“The clerk, a young woman, took my money and asked if I was returning from Vietnam. I said yes, proudly. She suddenly glared at me and said, ‘Murderer’.

I stared at her for a long minute, feeling confused. Then I smiled. I realized that she was talking about someone else.”

Impressions It’s easy to see why “Chickenhawk” was such a success on its release and how even today it is considered a classic among war memoirs. Mason writes with such an honesty and vividness that I found myself becoming less of a spectator and more of a participant.

I felt involved with the action, able to pre-empt his thoughts and reactions and I genuinely cared about the outcome in a way that few books are able to inspire.

The technical details of his flight training are fascinating and taught me a great deal about the physics and requirements of rotary-wing flying. This section of shared learning helps the reader to understand in greater detail what it is the pilots are subjecting their aircraft to during combat. There are examples of flying throughout Mason’s tour that are simply phenomenal, not to mention crazy as hell.

INFORMATION CHICKENHAWK IS PUBLISHED

BY CORGI AND THE PAPERBACK IS AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON PRICED £7.19.

THE KINDLE EDITION IS PRICED AT £5.49.

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

UKARA MEMBER UKASGB MEMBER WOODLAND

£

SHOP ONSITE BATTERY CHARGING URBAN PYROS ALLOWED REPAIR SERVICE

DESERT

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

ATROOP AIRSOFT

ACE COMBAT

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQB

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

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

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

ABER AIRSOFT – THE BUNKER

AIRBORNE 101 AIRSOFT CLUB

ALL ARMS AIRSOFT

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

07511554740 www.aberairsoft.co.uk

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

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

AIRSOFT ASYLUM

ALPHA 55

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

Halkyn wood, North Wales CH8 8DF 0845 257 6937 www.alpha55.co.uk

ARENA AIRSOFT

ALPHA ELITE GAMING

AWA HERTS

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

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

AMAZON EVENTS

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

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

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

AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM

BATTLETEC AIRSOFT

ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT Maidenhead, SL6 3SS 07871 314951 www.absolute-airsoft.co.uk

AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON New Forest National Park, SP5 2DW 01252 315225 www.ambushadventures.co.uk

APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7QP 07872 348 576 www.apocalypseairsoft.com

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

AIRSOFT COMMANDOS ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES Holbrook Coppice, Buidwas Bank (A4169), Buildwas, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk

Sutton, near Ferrybridge 07723 061386 andyace@ntlworld.com

AIRSOFT KGB

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

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

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

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH

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

Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8SL 01252 315225 www.ambushadventures.co.uk

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

SITE DIRECTORY

Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

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

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

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

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

BLUESTREAK AIRSOFT Westcott Venture Park, Westcott, Aylesbury, HP18 0XB 01296 658600 www.bluestreak-airsoft.co.uk

BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT

CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

COMBAT ACTION GAMES

Bristol, BS1 2HQ 07776 288826 www.bristolairsoft.com

Maryland, Norfolk, NR10 4 01328 711867 www.combatactiongames.co.uk

BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT

COMBAT SOUTH URBAN

Sheffield, S2 5TR 07795 631331 www.brittacairsoft.com

Portsmouth, PO6 3LS 02392 655636 www.combatsouth.co.uk

Corby, NN17 3BB 07740 165787 www.close-action.co.uk

BUNKER 51

COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND

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

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

C3 TACTICAL

CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL

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

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

COOL UNDER FIRE Doddington, Kent, ME9 0JS 07960 532613 www.coolunderfire.co.uk

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

Truro, Cornwall, TR2 07837 475012 www.cornwallairsoftassault.co.uk

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

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

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

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

FIREBALL SQUADRON

ELITE ACTION GAMES – GATWICK

FIRST AND ONLY – ANZIO CAMP

Holmbush Farm, Crawley Road, Faygate, Nr. Horsham, W. Sussex, RH12 4SE 07882 686242 www.eliteactiongames.com

Leek, ST13 8 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

ELITE ACTION GAMES – DORKING Dorking, Surrey, RH5 5AB 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com

ELITE ACTION GAMES – EPSOM Epsom, Surrey, KT18 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com

ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING Worthing, BN13 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com

Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA 07582 684533 www.fireballsquadron.com

FIRST AND ONLY – BUNKER WOOD Kidderminster, Worcs, DY11 5SA 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST AND ONLY – KHE SANH WOODS Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 2NA 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST AND ONLY – MANCHESTER WOODLAND Bolton, BL7 9TS 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST AND ONLY – ASYLUM Bexley, Greater London, DA5 1NX 07968 448475 www.elitebattlezone.co.uk

Kidderminster, DY10 3PT 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT

FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS

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

ELITE BATTLEZONE CORNWALL AIRSOFT ASSAULT

Bradford, BD2 1BQ 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

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

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT

BRISTOL AIRSOFT

CERBERUS AIRSOFT - THE SANDPIT

DOGS OF WAR

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

CLOSE ACTION AIRSOFT

Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4RP 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

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

DRAGON’S LAIR

Leisure Lakes, Mere Brow, Southport. PR46JX 07790 715059 www.bravo22airsoft.com

CERBERUS AIRSOFT - THE COMPLEX

DELTA TEAM 3

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

Middleton, Manchester, M24 1AZ0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY Wrexham, Denbighshire, LL13 9RG 07554 800040

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INVICTA AIRSOFT – RAINDEN WOODS

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Folkestone, Kent, CT18 7AY 01227 763335 www.invictaairsoft.co.uz

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

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT

MILSIM UK

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 6QF 07779 157440

Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

FIRST & ONLY: THE ASYLUM

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT

NCIS AIRSOFT

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

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

LAC SITE 1

NOMAD AIRSOFT Fenwick, Ayrshire, KA3 6AY 07904 998250 www.nomadairsoft.com

GREENZONE COMBAT

Kidderminster, DY10 3PT 07779 157440

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE OUTPOST

GUN HO AIRSOFT

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

Kidderminster, DY11 5SA 07779 157440

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

LAC SITE 2

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – CAMBRIDGE

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

FIRST & ONLY: SLEEPY HOLLOW Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 5LS 07880 316716

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

LAC SITE 3

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE DEPOT Glasgow, G45 9SB 0161 727 8863

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

FREE FIRE ZONE Farcet, Peterborough, PE7 3DH 01733 247171 www.freefirezone.co.uk

FRV AIRSOFT Annacloy, Downpatrick, BT30 8JJ 07730 586926 www.frvairsoft.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HUMBER AIRSOFT North Lincolnshire, DN21 www.humberairsoft.co.uk 07792 680297

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

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

NSC AIRSOFT LAC SITE 5 Kirton Rd, North Lincs, DN16 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

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

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

MAW Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 07562 479966 maw.airsoft@hotmail.com

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

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

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

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

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

OVER THE TOP AIRSOFT CLUB Anglesey, LL71 www.ottairsoft.co.uk 07731 744471

Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

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

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

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

SG1 COMBAT GAMES

TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT

UCAP GREEN OPS

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

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

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

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY

TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT

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

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

SKIRMISH EXETER

TECH BRIGADE

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

Newgate Street, Hertfordshire.

SG13 8NH 07841 713356 www.techbrigade.org

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT PLAYERS OF WAR High Bonnybridge, FK1 3AD 07767 203979 www.playersofwar.co.uk

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

RAVEN’S NEST Suffolk, IP8 4 01473 831563 www.ravensairsoft.co.uk

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

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

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM) Cambridge, CB24 8RL 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

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

TASK FORCE SKIRMISH Cowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF71 02920 593900 www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk

UCAP SANDPIT Bean, Kent, DA2 8 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

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

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

THE BUNKER

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

Aberystwyth, www.aberairsoft.co.uk 07841 462806

Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0QN 07432 291729 www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN6AIRSOFT – THE BLOCK SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – THE ROCK

THE DESERTERS AIRSOFT

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

Redford, DD11 07751 878175 www.thedeserters.co.uk

Wood Street, Butron-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 £AB www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN ASSAULT STIRLING AIRSOFT

THE EX SITE

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

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

Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, PE26 1 01733 247171 www.urbanassault.org.uk

VIKING AIRSOFT STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

THE WARGAMES CENTRE

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

Stevenston, Ayrshire, KA20 3LN 08456 434326 www.scottishadventurecentre.co.uk

SUSSEX AIRSOFT

TROJAN AIRSOFT

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

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

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB

Shotts, N Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com

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

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

TA EVENTS

UCAP AIRSOFT

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

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

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

Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP

Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0UN www.vikingairsoft.co.uk

WARMINSTER AIRSOFT Warminster, BA12 7RZ www.warminsterairsoft.co.uk

XSITE AIRSOFT OUTPOST Dunstable, LU6 2EE 01494 881430 www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk

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

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

105

DEALER LISTINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEX

106

Land Warrior Airsoft RedWolf Airsoft Airsoft Zone JD Airsoft ActionSportGames BadgerTac Airsoft Armoury Airsoft World Wolf Armouries Military 1st Patrol Store Airsoft TV Airsoft Expo Beltec Digital Editions SWAT Gunman Airsoft Eton Guns Subscribe to Airsoft Action Leeds Airsoft BagerTac2 Epic Militaria E-W Trading Crawley Surplus Store NoVAT Dragon Valley Military Outdoor Just BB Guns Bookshop Pro Airsoft Supplies

september 2014

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IMAGES FROM ‘THE FORT’ AIRSOFT SITE