Issue 43 - Xmas 2014

THE Airsoft Magazine

PUTTING THE ACTION INTO AIRSOFT SINCE 2011!

WEAPONNIVESRSARY MOD0 G&G 30TH AN TEC PLR16 L E K R A E G M O C O S TIPPMANN M4

N O I T I T E P M O C A A WORTH £260!

WIN A MUVI K2

E D I U G T F I G S A XM I WANT LL SIX PAGES OF “A FOR XMAS…”

SITES

TOWERS OFT, F&O - THE S IR A S D N A L D A B FT IRONSIGHT AIRSO , FT O S IR A E IN L ADRENA

INTERN-ASPTAIINONAL

INTERVIEW

BRITISH INFANTRY KENYA 1950S

BOB PODESTA XMAS Q&A

LEWIS STEINER TRUNK MONKEY

WW1: XMAS IN THE TRENCHES l DEBATE: CHAIRSOFTERS l LOADED OR UNLOADED?

XMAS 2014 - £4.50

A SQUADRON

9 772047 348032

COLD WAR WARRIOR

33

>

IRON MAN V CUADOR BLACK ACES - E

12 - G&G 30TH ANNIVERSARY

THE Airsoft Magazine

PUTTING THE ACTION INTO AIRSOFT SINCE 2011!

WEAPONIVERSSARY MOD0 G&G 30TH ANN EC PLR16 SOCOMGEAR KELT TIPPMANN M4

ON AA COMPWORETTH ITI £260!

WIN A MUVI K2

T GUIDE XMAS GIF “ALL I WANT SIX PAGES OF FOR XMAS…”

SITES

MOD-0

RS FT, F&O - THE TOWE BADLANDS AIRSO FT FT, IRONSIGHT AIRSO ADRENALINE AIRSO

TIONAL INTERNA - SPAIN

INTERVIEW

BOB PODESTA XMAS Q&A

LEWIS STEINER TRUNK MONKEY

33

A SQUADRON

BRITISH INFANTRY KENYA 1950S

WW1: XMAS IN THE TRENCHES l DEBATE: CHAIRSOFTERS l LOADED OR UNLOADED?

9 772047 348032

COLD WAR WARRIOR

Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant editor: Gareth “Gadge” Harvey Graphic design: Havoc Design Ad design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter

XMAS 2014 - £4.50

>

IRON MAN V DOR BLACK ACES - ECUA

92

Ironsight

Cover Photograph: Spectre Airsoft Media

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, WR13 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.

FIND US ON… facebook.com/AirsoftAction

Search ‘Airsoft Action’

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.

04

december 2014

By the time you read this, Remembrance Sunday 2014 will have been and gone and for many, the poppies they wore for just a short time will have already been consigned to the rubbish bin - until next year when their conscience will prick them again and they drop another few coins in the Charity box, so they don’t feel too guilty as they pin the red symbol of remembrance to their coat.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking anyone and, so far as I am concerned, it doesn’t matter why they give, that they do so is what counts. However I believe that there has been a very subtle shift in 2014 although, to be fair, it is a shift that started a few years back.

This year there seems to be a far greater depth and appreciation of just what Remembrance Sunday is and moreover, what the poppy signifies. Displays such as the 888,246 ceramic poppies at The Tower of London (which will also have gone by the time you read this) have truly brought it home to people just how big a sacrifice was made and (apart from a very small minority) the vast majority of the British public, no matter what colour, race, creed or religion, have come together to do just one thing… Remember and respect those that have fallen in the service of their country.

Maybe it is a reaction to the hundreds of service personnel who lost their lives in Afghanistan, seeing on the News week after week the tears, sorrow and yes, even pride, as a returning soldier’s cortege passes ranks of lowered standards and grieving relatives. Maybe it is how a nation reacts to such abhorrent acts as the cowardly murder of Gunner Lee Rigby. Maybe it is all these things.

In the USA anyone who serves in the military is considered to be a hero and someone who deserves respect - both in life as well as in death. It has often felt to me that here in the UK we have been almost “embarrassed” to value our military personnel and that by doing so we are condoning something not quite right, that somehow it’s “not the done thing”. Hopefully that is now changing.

As airsofters, every time we gear up and get ready to play we are, in our own small way, paying our respects to those who serve and, as airsofters we should never forget that.

As the poem says: “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”

Nige.

CONTENTS MARCH XMAS 2014

CONTENTS

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

7 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos taken by Airsoft Action readers.

12 ARMOURY: G&G 30TH ANNIVERSARY MOD0 Scott Allan checks out G&G’s 30th Anniversary Mod0 and its many Magpul-inspired features.

16 ARMOURY: SOCOM GEAR KEL-TEC PLR 16 Ratty gets his hands on the first PLR 16 to arrive at RedWolf UK - and finds out what he wants for Crimbo!

20 ARMOURY: TIPPMANN M4 CARBINE Having recently had his hands on a prototype Tippmann M4, when a pre-production unit arrived we asked Iggy Roberts to try it out in anger.

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

26 SITE: BADLANDS AIRSOFT Les Lee heads off to Havant in Hampshire to check out this purpose-built airsoft site.

32 SITE: FIRST & ONLY AIRSOFT - THE TOWERS Gadge questions his sanity as he find himself on yet another Psyc Ward, all in the name of Airsoft Journalism, of course…

36 COLD WAR WARRIORS: BRITISH ARMY INFANTRYMAN – KENYA 1950S Gareth “Gadge” Harvey looks at a 1950s British Infantryman as he fights the Mau Mau in Kenya.

40 FEATURE: INJURED PLAYER Scott Allan has had his fair share of injuries and passes on some words of wisdom about how best to get yourself back to fighting fitness.

44 INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT: IRON MAN V SPAIN The Fifth edition of this epic Spanish event , organised by Marine Recon Asturias which year after year, attracts many of the best teams in the country.

48 A SQUADRON: ASK BOB - A CHRISTMAS Q&A WITH BOB PODESTA In a previous article Faith suggested that you send in any questions you’d like to ask Bob and your response was as expected…

53 LOADED OR UNLOADED: GREEN & MEAN Site operators and scenario gurus spend a lot of time putting games together, so the least we can do is make an effort to get our loadouts right!

Jerry Noone shows how you can achieve this on a budget – or not!

59 KIT: MUVI ACTION CAMERA Iggy Roberts swaps his work camera for something slightly smaller, as he tries out a new action camera from VEHO. 63 INTERNATIONAL TEAM PROFILE: BLACK ACES - ECUADOR Meet a team from Ecuador who take their airsoft very seriously - but still know how to have fun!

64 SITE: ADRENALINE AIRSOFT As more and more paintball operators are making the switch, Kris Roberts visits a site in Devon that is dipping its toe into airsoft.

68 AIRSOFT ACTION INTERVIEW: LEWIS STEINER Many airsofters enjoy the “freedom” that taking on the role of a PMC brings to the game but what’s it like for real? Jay Slater took the opportunity to interview a man who really has “been there, done that.”

72 AIRSOFT ACTION DEBATE: CHAIRSOFTING We all know the type and in this issue’s debate, Gadge wanted to find out what turns players into “chairsofters”.

76 WORLD WAR ONE: 1914 CHRISTMAS TRUCE Dan Mills looks back at an extraordinary event that occurred in the midst of the horror that was Xmas 1914.

79 AIRSOFT ACTION COMPETITION: WIN A MUVI ACTION CAMERA! On page 59 Iggy Roberts reviews this fabulous action camera from MUVI - and now you have the chance to win one, curtesy of Patrol Store.

80 SKILLS: COMBAT RELOAD Following on from last issue’s article, Andy Nightingale from Pro-Tact Shooting goes through the drills needed to master this tricky skill.

82 BILLY BASICS: THE NEW THREAT In this first part of a two-part article, Billy Basics ponders on what could happen if current threats to our way of life are allowed to spread unchecked.

86 AIRSOFT ACTION’S VERY OWN XMAS GIFT GUIDE Six pages of mouth-watering goodies that you’d like the big fat fella to drop down your chimney!

92 SITE: IRONSIGHT AIRSOFT Oscar P’s interest is piqued when asked if he’d ever heard of this site in Hampshire and decides to go take a look-see .

95 SURVIVAL: NAVIGATION Survival specialist, Paul Yelland, gives us some pointers to find out where we are and how to get where we want to be.

101 BOOK REVIEW: THE PEGASUS DIARIES Kris Roberts writes about a book that anyone with even the slightest interest in the Normandy Landings should read.

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

05

AIRSOFT NEWS Back with a bang!

DYNATEX was the originator of the Blank Firing Grenade (BFG), which was used for Police practice for twelve years. They have now designed a completely new grenade for Police and Military use and diverted production of the well-known Dynatex Delay Grenade into the Airsoft and Paintball markets.

Most of the units supplied in the last 20 years are still working. A modern factory unit has been set up for production and the current model has an easier cocking action and the cartridge chamber has been reduced to take the acceptable .38 blank cartridge with a chamber available for 209 primers.

New Tactical Clothing Retailer at Skirmish Billericay SMS Surplus Clothing, an Essex-based military surplus and tactical clothing retailer, are delighted to announce that they will now be trading at Skirmish Airsoft in Billericay, Essex.

SMS are rapidly gaining a reputation with local airsofters for their varied range of quality clothing and accessories at an affordable price.

Mike & Sarah of SMS says “Airsoft is important to us, as keen airsofters ourselves, we are able to test our products on the skirmish field to ensure they are fit for the job. This enables us to have a better understanding of what our customers require from their load outs, whilst ensuring we have something for every taste and budget.

The fantastic opportunity that Skirmish Billericay has given us combined with the recent launch of our new website will enable us as a company to grow and to ensure we continue to provide an excellent service for our customers.”

SMS will be complimenting the on-site weapons and hardware retailer Airsoft Quartermaster.

SMS will be attending all Skirmish Airsoft Billericay Boot Camp days, so please contact us via our website www.smssurplusclothing.co.uk for dates and feel free to check out our ever-expanding airsoft load out section.

Mike & Sarah Smith – SMS Surplus Clothing.

6

xmas 2014

Priced at around £70, supplies are being made available to your local Airsoft shop but if they do not have them in stock, e-mail Dynatex with their details and they will contact them for you.

If you are a retailer who would like to stock The Original BFG, put your phone number on an e-mail and Dynatex will get back to you - and there is a special incentive for stocking before Christmas. dynatex.grenades@btinternet.com

SPEED Airsoft releases Contour Rail Mount for KeyMod and Picatinny SPEED Airsoft releases more airsoft accessories to support the KeyMod handguard rails for an exact fit and compatibility. The new SPEED Contour KeyMod Rail Mount and SPEED Contour Picatinny Rail Mount will both direct-mount with no adapters to the popular Contour line of camcorders.

Both SPEED Contour KeyMod and Picatinny Rail Mount kits use uniquely the bottom threaded tripod mount, which makes it more robust over other commonly used side slot mount. Further, both SPEED Rail Mount Kits also cradle the Contour camcorder for extra security.

Each SPEED Contour KeyMod Rail Mount Kit includes SPEED Dual Spec KeyMod nuts that are fully CNC machined to ensure the highest quality and precision fitting onto any KeyMod handguard.

All SPEED KeyMod based airsoft products come with the Dual Spec KeyMod nuts system, that will support and enable users to fully utilize SPEED KeyMod products on both KeyMod Mil Spec nut specification as well as KeyMod Airsoft nut specification.

The following new SPEED Contour Rail Mount Kits are now available.

Part# SA3730 SPEED Contour KeyMod Rail Mount Kit (with Dual Spec KeyMod nuts). Part# SA3731 SPEED Contour Picatinny Rail Mount Kit SPEED Airsoft products are all in-house CNC precision machined from USA grade billet aluminum by SPEED Airsoft in Canada.

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

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

AA GALLERY READERS PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY The REAPERS at

Fireball

Jez Armstrong - Pro Airsoft

Sturmtruppen Airsoft @

A pretty awesome pic of

Warminster - Doug Staffor

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.

xmas 2014

y - Photo by Karl Badkin

Team Patrol Base at Otle

INFORMATION

8

d

Supplies

AA GALLERY READERS PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY Fireball WW2 -

s

by Toby Lownde

26-10-14 DOGTAG Airsoft

Fireball WW2 - by Toby Low

ndes

r Airsoft - Smokin!

Gaz Ward taken at Frontie

10

xmas 2014

game day. Photo by Jason

Frisby

Team RED FOX - Bluestrea

k Airsoft

Gaz Ward

taken at

Frontier

Team RED FOX

Airsoft - S

- Bluestreak Ai

mokin!

rsoft

Sturmtruppen Airsoft @

Warminster - Doug Staffor

d

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

11

G&G - 30 YEARS YOUNG WITH A DESIGN THAT DEFINITELY FELL OUT OF A MAGPUL DYNAMICS TREE, A PROVEN GEARBOX AT ITS HEART AND A CHOICE OF COLOURS, IT’S HARD FOR SCOTT ALLAN TO THINK OF A REASON NOT TO LOVE THE NEW G&G 30TH ANNIVERSARY RANGE G&G HAVE TWO PRODUCT LINES TO ALLOW for all users to own, love and play with. Think of it a little like an Audi; you can have a 1.6 engine basic model or the 4.2 litre with all the trimmings. Are both perfectly good cars? Of course they are.

It is all about choice and G&G provide this – often too much choice that confuses the customer and reviewers like myself equally.

THE REAL STEEL The M4/AR15 platform is, without any doubt, the largest market in the world. There are literally hundreds of manufacturers around the world and in the US who make their living from the M4 market. Both civilians and military/law enforcement use the 5.56mm platform, which can be altered in any way your imagination can think of. Companies like Double Diamond in the US make lower receivers that take Glock magazines; there are sniper variants, CQB silenced variants and of course, classic variants. That said, the G&G here does lend itself to the Magpul MOE M4 look more than anything - which is a great look in my eyes.

Top Tech and Combat Machine? What’s the difference?

In a nut shell, Top Tech is the high-end range for G&G. Realistic construction, normally with blowback and higher quality internals, this range is around 50-100% the price of the entry level range depending on the actual model. The inner barrel and the quality of the parts is (in general) higher quality and 12

Xmas 2014

therefore should perform better and for longer. These are often referred to as Gen 2 or 3 rifles. Both are the same except a Gen 3 has a MOSFET pre-fitted, which will either float your boat or make you ask what a MOSFET is.

“I have always been happy to help out anyone and point them in the rifle direction of achieving eternal Airsoft happiness – or as close as you can get realistically and the Mod 0 is a great starting point for this journey.”

Combat Machine is the entry level and this is where the GC16 Mod 0 resides.

The 30th Anniversary is a collectable with a unique metal body and limited to just 1,000 units worldwide - which means you have bragging rights. Now a Combat Machine may not be quite the performance of a Top Tech but it is still not to be looked down upon.

They still produce around the same power as a Top Tech and the barrels, while they are not a tight bore, do provide good accuracy and the hop gives you decent range. Rates of fire, weight and finish are all nearly the same too, so you are not always gaining that much extra for paying extra, especially if you are just starting out.

Starting on the externals, the 30th Anniversary pretty much gives you a free metal body upgrade and unique serial number and logo for each rifle. The G&G self-styled stock looks very much like a Magpul CTR stock, but of course it isn’t. The hand guard is also a G&G own design and looks like the near cousin of the (you’ve guessed it) Magpul MOE hand guard. It truly is an odd coincidence and I am sure is purely accidental. It even comes with a triple rail pack so you can fit torches, vertical grips and lasers, giving you full flexibility for your personal choices.

The pistol grip is very comfortable and is a Tango Down style; it’s one of my favourites of all the pistol grip designs. As you would expect the top rail is a 20mm RIS so you can fit any standard red dot or scope.

It is a lightweight rifle at just under 3 kilos, is available in either Black or Desert with a compact, 12” barrel and comes with a colourmatching, 300-round, high-capacity magazine.

Part of the appeal of the Mod 0 is all the little touches that G&G have crammed into this design to make it look expensive, when it is at a wallet friendly price. A good deal of thought has clearly gone into the rifle to give you a bit of a head turner for way less than the price of equivalent G&P - and without compromising on the lifespan of the parts. You could quite easily fit a few very nice extras to this for around another £100-£150, which would set it nicely with all the other expensive rifles on your game site.

An 800 round a minute rifle used to be the average for a rifle back in the day but these days, I would say it’s at the slow and steady side of things in our modern LiPo driven age. It’s not that bad by any means but a G&P will easily put out another 2-300 rounds per minute as standard (but it would also cost you a little more).

The balance of the rifle and size means it would be equally wellsuited to both indoor and outdoor gaming. The hand guard means you won’t have any crazy size battery issues and it’ll take either a 9.6v or 8.4v mini NiMH or the 11.1v or 7.4v LiPo batteries. While the likes of the 11.1v will give you an increase in rate of fire, you may wish to

THE ARMOURY G&G 30TH ANNIVERSARY MOD 0

couple that with a new motor to get real benefit. The G&P M120 is a very reasonably priced option in this case.

I have used just about every Airsoft system available, from a Systema PTW to a VFC 8mm Barrett (for those of you old enough to remember that rare and extremely expensive pile of crap) and the Mod 0 is by a country mile not the worst - nor is it the best. That may seem like a pop at the rifle but it isn’t, it is a very nice entry level rifle and that is all it is.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

13

There is no pneumatic blowback like their Top Tech range but then you don’t pay for that either. I would never rain on someone’s parade by doing a “my gun’s better that yours”, especially with new players.

I have always been happy to help out anyone and point them in the rifle direction of achieving eternal Airsoft happiness – or as close as you can get realistically and the Mod 0 is a great starting point for this journey. I’d be happy to run it on a game day and I doubt I would feel outgunned terribly against many other rifles on the site.

Now of course there is “that guy” on every site who can’t help but rip the guts out of every rifle and turns up each game day to tell you the obscene number of modifications he has made to his and this brings me to one of my final plus points. I like to think that these Combat Machines are ideal for upgrades. Why spend another £100-200 on a rifle only to rip out all the expensive internal parts? You have got a great looking rifle, if you are going to change wiring, motors, gears and pistons without ever pulling the trigger then these are brilliant candidates for such work.

IN CONCLUSION The Mod 0 is available in two colours to suit your personal tastes, black or tan each have an equally nice finish and it looks brilliant. Okay it is not an exact replica of a real steel rifle but that is not always important to players these days. For the people who it really, really bothers… well I wouldn’t worry about them anyway. It is compact, lightweight and tough which is what you need when you are charging around. It’s one of the best looking G&Gs in its price bracket and there is scope for many upgrades and customisation without throwing away expensive internals.

So you really can’t go wrong with this rifle. Now all you have to decide on, is a colour!

features M4 FLASH HIDER POLYMER HAND GUARD, STYLED SIMILAR TO THE MAGPUL MOE HAND GUARD METAL BODY, WITH A 30TH ANNIVERSARY LOGO UNIQUE SERIAL NUMBER POLYMER PISTOL GRIP, STYLED SIMILAR TO A TANGO DOWN GRIP POLYMER STOCK & METAL BUFFER TUBE, AGAIN IN A MAGPUL CTR STYLE. ALSO THE STOCK CAN HOLD SPARE CR123 BATTERIES REMOVABLE FRONT SIGHT THAT HAS 20MM RAIL UNDERNEATH FLIP UP METAL REAR SIGHT THAT IS REMOVABLE A METAL HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINE RRP£165

14

Xmas 2014

KEL-TEC PLR 16 AR PISTOL RATTY GETS HIS HANDS ON THE FIRST PLR 16 TO ARRIVE AT REDWOLF UK AND FINDS OUT WHAT HE WANTS FOR CRIMBO! A LITTLE WHILE AGO WHILST SITTING IN THE OFFICE with a cuppa tea on the go, the phone rang. It was Nige from the mag asking me if I would like to review a new offering from Socom Gear. “Of course” was my reply, “what is it?” I asked.

“It’s a new pistol” he responded and with that, arrangements were made to get it shipped up to me. Sometime later a box arrived at the office and that was when the fun began… At first I wondered if I had been sent an order in error, then the penny dropped. “Wow!!” Surely not?? That can’t be right! This is some pistol…. A little wry smile spread across my face. “I’m looking forward to reviewing this.” I proclaimed to everyone in the office at the time, “This has the potential of being a lot of fun!” So, is it as much fun as it looks?? Read on to find out...

REAL STEEL Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc. were founded in 1991 and are based in Cocoa, Florida. It is unusual in that it is a privately owned Florida corporation, owned by George Kellgren (who is also the Chief Engineer). Originally from Sweden he became a firearms designer who designed many earlier Husqvarna, Swedish Interdynamics AB, Intratec and Grendel brand firearms.

So it was only natural that he set up his own company. Kel16

Xmas 2014

Tec started manufacturing firearms in 1995, making semiautomatic pistols and later expanding into rifles and shotguns.

According to the ATF, Kel-tec is now the 3rd largest handgun manufacturer in the United States. Not bad for a relatively “New Kid on the Block!”

The PLR 16 is unusual as it is classed in the family known as “AR Pistols”, where weapons made to a pistol configuration are chambered for rifle rounds. The PLR (Pistol, Long Range) was originally designed for recreational target shooting as well as for hunting small game, varmints and small predators.

First introduced in 2006, it is chambered to accept the standard NATO 5.56mm cartridge, the PLR will take the normal STANAG magazine but due to the 9 1/4” (23cm) barrel, the velocity is slightly reduced (2,600fps) compared to that of a 20” barrelled Armalite. The whole thing is only 18 ½” (47cm) long!

Apart from the barrel, bolt, sights and mechanism, the PLR-16 is made entirely of high-impact glass fibre reinforced polymer, which helps keeps the weight right down, with the whole thing weighing in at just 1.55kg (3.42lb).

The PLR-16 uses a conventional long stroke gas piston operation and the proven and reliable Stoner breech locking mechanism. It has an adjustable rear sight, the front sight being adjustable as well and similar to other AR-15 style rifles.

THE ARMOURY SOCOM GEAR KEL-TEC PLR 16

“Clever thing is that it is WE M4 GBB magazine compatible as well as being able to operate on not just green gas but also on CO2.”

It features an integrated military standard Picatinny rail for mounting optics. The muzzle is threaded so it can accept a multitude of flash hiders or muzzle brakes and to the rear there is single point sling mount.

There are a few accessories available for the PLR-16, including a Picatinny fore-end, a specific muzzle brake designed for the short barrel and an AR-style stock which allows you to turn this pistol into something a little more sinister. The PLR-16 on its own retails for somewhere around $900. As our American friends would say… “All this makes it ideal for a home defence weapon!”

SOCOM GEAR KEL-TEC PLR-16 GBB As you would expect from Socom Gear the PLR-16 is well presented; the box itself actually gives you quite a bit of info before even opening.

On the side it shows the 3 main configurations you can set the PLR up on, before adding on your own accessories. It also points out that the stock is an option and available to buy separately (those clever marketing folks!!). So you can set it up as the basic “stripped back” pistol or as the version with the front hand guard and lower rail assembly for allowing fitment of grips, torches and whatnots. The box also states that it has their new HKB (High Kick Bolt) to give maximum and realistic recoil. Clever thing is that it is WE M4 GBB magazine compatible as well as being able to operate on not just green gas but also on CO2. I must admit that I am now rather intrigued!

Opening the box reveals the PLR 16 and after snipping the cable ties to get it out, the first time you pick it up it does feel remarkably solid whilst remaining light and (hopefully) agile. As always, there will be those of you who love the way it looks and those of who don’t. It

is certainly different, that is for sure. As standard it comes with the front hand guard assembly already fitted and the whole weapon looks rather futuristic in many ways. Also included in the box is a 20rd M16 VN style gas blow back magazine by WE and a dinky WE speed loader.

Examining the PLR, the upper and lower receivers are made of an ABS/polymer composite, whilst the outer barrel and bolt carrier are made of metal, pretty much replicating the real steel version. The pistol grip is ergonomic and feels comfortable in hand. At the very back of the receiver is the single point sling mount, whilst immediately in front of that is the assembly/ strip down pin. This pushes through in much same fashion as a normal AR from left to right.

The safety/fire selector, located in the receiver just above the trigger itself, is also a push through type, with 3 positions.

To operate this is really simple and just requires the use of your thumb and forefinger, whether you are right handed or a cack handed leftie. With the button flush against the side of the receiver on the left hand side, the weapon is safe and will not fire. With a slight push using your forefinger, the 1st click out is semi-auto, with a further push so the button is flush on the right hand side means you will have selected full auto. Just slightly further forward on the right hand side of the receiver, at the rear of the magwell is the magazine release catch. This is not ambidextrous and is therefore not replicated on the other side of the receiver.

The hop unit and adjustor is found inside when the bolt is back and is adjusted with a small allen key. On both sides

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

17

of the magwell itself you will find the Kel-Tec logos as well as a discreet mention of Socom Gear. On top of the receiver at the rear, is the Picatinny rail to allow fitment of any sighting system, should you so choose. As standard, it comes with a very basic rear iron sight.

The cocking lever/charging handle is of stoner style and is on the right hand side, it is light and simple to operate. The bolt does not stay back unless there is a mag fitted and even then, being WE, that must be set so as it won’t dry fire. Moving forward the outer barrel is shrouded by the front hand guard which has a Picatinny rail on the lower section. There is again a very basic front iron sight fitted. Forward of the hand guard is a large retaining lug which holds on the front hand guard assembly in place and on the protruding outer barrel is a screw cap which covers up a 14mm AC screw thread to allow fitment of flash hiders, muzzle brakes or suppressors. All in, it’s a nice, easy to operate weapon…

Taking the front hand guard off to get to the stripped back basic pistol look is simple to do. Unscrew the 14mm AAC cover on the outer barrel, then the big retaining lug (which is a normal way round thread), which will then allow the lower section of the hand guard to come away when pulling that forward out of its locating slot on the barrel lug. To get the top cover off from there, you have to part dissemble the gun but this only takes a few seconds to do. Then there you have it. Just reverse the process when you wish to refit the handguards back on.

Stripping the gun is simple too; once the disassembly pin is out the whole pistol grip and trigger group swivels out of the way.

Then pulling the gas piston rod towards the muzzle and rotating it through 90 degrees will allow the whole bolt carrier group to come back to its furthest point. Simply pop out the charging handle itself and the whole internal group slides easily out.

ON TEST After a familiarisation with the PLR, I lubed up all the necessaries and it was time to put this little beast to the test. For this, I was using Blaster 0.20g to get chrono readings and NuProl 2.0 premium green gas for my power source. Luckily, as I own a WE M4 GBBR. I had a few of the WE 30rd mags as well to help speed up the testing process. After filling them all with both gas and ammo, off I toddled to the range.

First off I thought I’d run through 6 mags or so just to bed everything in. I put in the 1st mag and cocked the weapon.

The movement was, as you would expect, smooth with that reassuring clang as the working parts slide forward. I pushed the fire selector to safe and squeezed off the initial round.

“Oh wow!!” I thought to myself as the white bb raced down the range. Then after a few more shots on semi, I pushed the selector to its fullest extent… full auto! With a short pull on the trigger a whole host of little balls headed towards their intended target. Although not the quickest cyclic rate, it certainly fires fast enough to get your point across! Then another burst, followed rapidly by another, then “click”…. mag change!!!! A few mags later, it was apparently quite noticeable how much I was enjoying this due to the large Cheshire cat grin. Ok time to chrono. With a fresh mag fitted, semi selected it was time to see what we were getting. First shot… 350fps, then 350 again, followed by a 348…

18

Xmas 2014

By the time I had emptied the mag it was still showing a 342 fps reading. Bearing in mind that this is capable of running on CO2 magazines as well, that could well add another 30 or 40fps to those readings but that is just speculation as I didn’t have any CO2 mags available to test this particular day. I adjusted the hop so it was near enough pretty much set and bombed up the mags I had already used.

In my little CQB arena I had set up some targets at various distances through a series of rooms. Starting at one end and working my way through. The PLR is light enough to use in its primary role as a pistol but a good single point sling would be a massive aid to take the weight off after a longer period of time.

This thing was hitting a torso sized target at well over 100ft and at close range was pretty damn accurate too. I was still using 0.20g bbs as well, although if the PLR-16 was my own, I would be running 0.25g at least, most likely 0.28g (or even 0.30g) which would up the accuracy hugely, with only a minor sacrifice to range.

SUMMARY As I said earlier, the PLR-16 is a weapon that you will either like the looks of or not. I was undecided at the beginning but I can certainly see the potential with it as a base platform. For me, personally, I would fit the optional stock and turn the PLR-16 into more of a carbine but you can use a single point sling to brace the weapon properly as well. As an alternative to something like a PDW/MP5K the PLR-16 holds its own against these rivals. Being gas it will probably spend the majority of its life on semi-auto and it does have a good trigger response. If you already have a GBBR that runs on WE M4 mags then apart from the gun itself and other personal mods, you will have everything else covered, saving you a few bob too.

Anyway, just off to write a letter.

Dear Santa…

•FIBRE REINFORCED POLYMER RECEIVER AND HANDGUARD •FULL METAL BARREL AND PISTON ASSEMBLY •FULLY LICENSED KEL-TEC TRADEMARKS •INCREDIBLY COMPACT DESIGN •OPTIONAL POLYMER HANDGUARD INCLUDED •HIGH KICK BOLT (HKB) PROVIDES A REALISTIC SHOOTING EXPERIENCE •COMPATIBLE WITH WE-TECH M4 / M16 GREEN GAS MAGAZINES •SINGLE POINT STEEL SLING LOOP •ADJUSTABLE AR STYLE FRONT SIGHT •TOP RAIL FOR OPTICS •ERGONOMIC PISTOL GRIP LENGTH: 470MM / WEIGHT: 3.55LBS INNER BARREL: ~230MM MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 20RD STANDARD-CAPACITY. WORKS WITH OTHER WE-TECH M4 / SCAR SERIES GBB MAGAZINES! THIS RIFLE IS CAPABLE OF CO2 MAGAZINE BUT THE INTERNAL WEAR AND TEAR WILL INCREASE. MUZZLE VELOCITY: 340 – 350FPS (CO2 MAGS POTENTIALLY 390FPS) THREAD DIRECTION: 14MM NEGATIVE FIRE MODES: SEMI/FULL-AUTO, SAFETY HOP UP: YES, ADJUSTABLE PACKAGE INCLUDES: GUN, MAGAZINE, HANDGUARD MANUFACTURER: SOCOM GEAR (LICENSED BY KELTEC). OEM : WE PRICE: £230

TIPPMANN M4 CARBINE HAVING RECENTLY HAD HIS HANDS ON A PROTOTYPE TIPPMANN M4, WHEN A PREPRODUCTION UNIT ARRIVED WE ASKED IGGY ROBERTS TO TRY IT OUT IN ANGER. TO RE-CAP (just in case you didn’t catch my last article)… US Company, Tippmann, has been a premier manufacturer of high performance paintball markers and accessories since 1986 and have built up a good reputation for great service and top quality equipment. However, for some time they have wanted to reach out into the airsoft market.

They wanted to step into the airsoft world with a product that would make them stand out and, after extensive research and design they arrived at the Tippmann M4 Carbine. The workings of this Low energy airgun (LEAG) originate from one of their proven paintball marker designs, a design that has been used as a base in their world class paintball markers since the 1990’s. This meant that the design is something they were used to and which gave them the confidence to step into the airsoft sector. They also wanted to enter the market with a blowback airsoft gun and chose the M4 Carbine design because it is an iconic weapon, not to mention good looking and for which accessories are easily accessible across a variety of markets, not just airsoft.

THE REAL STEEL M4 Originated in 1994, the M4 carbine is a firearm that was derived from earlier carbine versions of the M16 rifle, which was in turn derived from the original AR-15 rifle that Eugene Stoner designed and ArmaLite manufactured.

20

Xmas 2014

THE ARMOURY S&T BIZON TIPPMANN M4 CARBINE

The M4 is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle. It is a gas-operated, magazine-fed, selective fire, shoulder-fired weapon with a retractable stock and 14.5 inch (370 mm) barrel to ease close quarters combat. Like the rest of the M16 family, it fires the 5.56 mm NATO round.

The M4 has selective fire options including semi-automatic and three-round burst (like the M16A2 and M16A4). Only the M4A1 has the capability to fire fully automatic instead of three-round burst. The carbine is also capable of mounting an M203 grenade launcher, a reduced barrel length version is made but almost all of the M203s are still the standard length. The distinctive step in the M4 barrel is for mounting the M203 with the standard hardware.

The M4A1 is used extensively in the US armed forces alongside its older brother the M16 A4 and is the base of many airsofters Realistic Imitation Firearm (RIF) choice.

TIPPMANN M4 Externally the Tippmann M4 Carbine looks just as you would expect an airsoft M4 to look. It is well finished with a metal body, barrel and tubing while the crane stock and fore grip are made of Bakelite. The barrel and stock can be changed as the user desires although the internals within the body are unique to Tippmann. Like the real steel M4 the rear bolt uses the stock tube to re-cock the weapon and can be broken in the same way as the real thing; by removing the rear pin and pivoting the barrel forward on the forward pin.

The Tippmann M4 Carbine is powered by CO2 or High pressure (HPA) air and there are three options when powering this LEAG:

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

21

1 - By using a 12g CO2 cartridge in the supplied magazine; 2 - By connecting a remote airline using the connector supplied in the pistol grip (this option requires an airline and an 800 PSI regulated cylinder of HPA) 3 - By purchasing an air supply adapter (ASA) kit from Tippmann and replace it with the remote air line connector at the base of the pistol grip.

This allows you to connect a cylinder of HPA (regulated at 800 PSI or lower) or CO2 directly to the Tippmann M4 Carbine.

Using the remote air line or the ASA allows you to use any aftermarket airsoft, replica, NATO/Draft Standardization Agreement (STANAG) M16, M4 fit magazine. However these two options require a HPA or CO2 cylinder, which means the cylinder or a remote air line will be visible. Call me a bit of a snobbish airsofter but I like the realistic look and feel of RIFs - certainly when you have gone to all the trouble of sorting UKARA membership so you can be sold a realistic weapon. For me, I prefer the first option of the 12g CO2 cartridge in the magazine. The only issue is; as it stands, only Tippmann sell the magazines to power the M4 in this way.

Firing the Tippmann M4 Carbine is, in short, a blast! Its hard kick design really does what it says on the tin, or in this case brochure. The kick really is pleasing and yet not too harsh to disrupt accuracy. While I preferred the 12g CO2 cartridge option, with the remote airline method I found it very easy to use and didn’t need to worry about running out of HPA. The Tippmann magazines hold 80 bbs.

This number was chosen because 80 shots is a definite number that most 12g CO2 cartridges available on the market can power, before

22

Xmas 2014

running out. However the cartridge is vented every time you remove the magazine, so this method is probably more expensive but, due to the magazine count, potentially great for Mil-Sim or the airsofter looking for greater realism.

In order to change between using the CO2 cartridge and ASA (or remote airline) you have to change the Puncture valve assembly within the Tippmann M4 Carbine. This is done using the parts and tools that are provided, by replacing the puncture valve, puncture valve gas line and locking tab with the fitting plug and fitting plug locking tab. Last, you need to replace the plug in the pistol grip with the remote line connector.

The Tippmann M4 Carbine has a velocity adjustment screw plus a rate of fire adjustment screw and the hop up is fully adjustable (as you would expect in any decent airsoft gun). While it’s down to the player to adjust the velocity to the required legal fps of the site they are skirmishing on, the velocity can be set at the required FPS then locked using a “Tournament Lock” (which can be purchased from Tippmann).

The rate of fire can be adjusted between 8 – 15 rounds per second.

features

MULTIPLE GAS INPUT – CO2 CARTRIDGES OR REMOTE LINE ADAPTER GAS BLOW BACK - REALISTIC RECOIL/KICK FULL METAL (ALUMINUM) RECEIVER, BARREL ASSEMBLY AND STOCK TUBE – BREAKS DOWN LIKE REAL M4 ADJUSTABLE RATE OF FIRE – 8-15RPS ADJUSTABLE VELOCITY – 300-400 FPS (0.20 G BB) ADJUSTABLE HOP-UP NO BATTERIES FIRING MODES: SAFE/SEMI/FULLAUTO CONCLUSION ADJUSTABLE FRONT AND REAR FLIP The Tippmann M4 Carbine is a unique airsoft UP SIGHTS gun and Tippmann have a lot set on it. Sadly their FRONT AND REAR SLING MOUNTS release date for availability in the UK has been ANTI-JAM TECHNOLOGY delayed due to logistical issues.

They have informed me that they hope LOW MAINTENANCE – NO GEAR to make it available for us in the New Year.

BOX Personally I can see the Tippmann M4 Carbine EASY DISASSEMBLY potentially being a big hit in the airsoft world, TOOL-LESS MAG DISASSEMBLY with airsofters adapting them to their own requirements.

FULL LENGTH TOP PIC RAIL A worthy opponent against our trusted Airsoft MODULAR FOREGRIP – 8 SIDED electric guns.

PICATINNY CAPABLE WITH ADDITIONAL RAILS INCLUDED GLASS FILLED NYLON GRIP OPTICS READY WITH FLIP UP SIGHTS ADJUSTABLE 5 POSITION STOCK ACCEPTS MANY REAL AR STOCKS AND HANDGUARDS WORKS WITH MANY AEG MAGS WHEN REMOTE LINE SYSTEM IS USED REMOTE LINE ADAPTER INCLUDED ACCEPTS INDUSTRY STANDARD AEG INNER BARREL THREADED FLASH SUPPRESSOR (M14X1.0 CCW)

Gear Overview KIT AND KABOODLE

KIT AND KABOODLE FIREBASEALPHA TAKES HIS REGULAR LOOK AT THINGS THAT HAVE CAUGHT HIS EYE OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS. Hyde Definition – “Snowdrift” Pattern As winter approaches the subject of snow camouflage starts to make its rounds and, as always, there is a huge swing in opinions as to what works well. I for one am more than happy to invest into “snow patterns” and there are a plethora of choices for the user out there this however, has to be my preferred pattern for winter. Pencott “Snowdrift” by UK company Hyde Definition is available in NyCo ripstop, 500D and 100% Polyester and you can find several manufacturers both in Europe and the USA working in this pattern. It is much sought-after and with limited build runs (due to the seasonal requirement) it is one of the patterns I always suggest that you start looking for in summer. In this picture you have prototypes of the “MAV body 2 piece” by Tactical Tailor, Pouches by Grey Ghost Gear and an OWCS (OverWhite Concealment System) uniform by Applied Orange. http://hydedefinition.com

24

Xmas 2014

Project Gecko – “Salamndra” Plate Carrier Now you may not have heard of either Project Gecko or Gecko Superior but I can assure you that will all be changing in the near future with both the training and products they have and will be bringing to market. This is their core offering, the “SALAMANDRA” plate carrier, based around the user’s experience with the Israeli systems, modified and then manufactured in Israel by OSO Gear.

The PC comes in Ranger Green, Pencott Greenzone and Coyote and although is a fixed pouch system, has a huge carry capacity as well as user versatility. The load can be increased greatly with the detachable backpack and with a few key improvements in the areas of comfort and freedom of movement, this has already been adopted by a large number of users. http://www.geckosuperior.com

Velocity Systems – RECCE Over-White Top

Tactical Tailor – Rudder RAC H-Harness

To the best of my knowledge Velocity Systems are still the only company that is offering an overwhite uniform in Kryptek Outdoor Group “YETI” pattern. Now I am not going to bore you with the details but suffice to say that this pattern is rare - rocking horse rare - in build terms.

Velocity Systems offers two different tops (Assaulter and RECCE), Trousers and Gaiters all built out of 100% polyester in the YETI pattern with top end hardware, shock cord and zippers where applicable. Each piece of clothing has various features and all have been thoroughly tested by guys in the know, in conditions that many of you will never experience. Please remember that the overwhites mentioned in this section are not cold weather garments, they are both just outer layer camouflage systems. The top pictured is the Velocity Systems “RECCE” version. http://www.velsyst.com/

The Rudder RAC (Ranger Assault Carrier) is named after the commander of the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Pointe Du Hoc in WWII, James Earl Rudder and is a low profile, split front, fight light system constructed out of 500D. Although this system is available in Multicam (original), Pencott Greenzone and Coyote Brown I have opted with the Badlands version. Why? Well it’s simple…

HALO was certainly a game that I can recall having hours of fun with mates and with HALO: Nightfall mini-series being made I am sure you can figure out the rest. The ability to secure LBE in the Badlands pattern combined with Tactical Tailor, one of the most recognised high end manufactures of tactical nylon globally, was a huge bonus. You will be seeing more (a lot more) on the Tactical Tailor Rudder RAC, MAV 2-piece, Removable Operator Pack and pouches in the Pencott Badlands pattern featured here in Airsoft Action in the near future. http://www.tacticaltailor.com

BADLANDS AIRSOFT LES LEE HEADS OFF TO HAVANT IN HAMPSHIRE TO CHECK OUT A PURPOSE-BUILT AIRSOFT SITE

BY DEFINITION, THE WORD “BADLANDS” CONJURES up images of a deeply eroded barren land, desolate landscapes and a whole bunch of nothingness but be assured this is not what you will find when you arrive in this naturally cultured forest of bracken, branches and bears - okay I lied about the bears but I hope you get the picture.

In February 2013, Nelson “Nelly” Quintais created Badlands from the ground up. Up until then, his team SPS (SOUL Protection Services) used other sites in the South for training purposes but he realised that it was time to take things to the next level and develop their own site. This would accomplish two things, the first being an unrestricted training regime and facility for SPS and the second, a new Airsoft site to cater for the increasing demand for new and innovative game sites in the South.

Badlands is easy find a few miles East of Rowlands Castle near Havant, Hampshire. When you turn in through the signposted gate, a highly visible Marshall will meet and greet you and guide you to the car park/safe zone (which is approx 50 yards inside the gate). I like it when parking is next to the safe zone, as all those little bolt-ons and molle attachments add up and we can find ourselves feeling like we’ve just yomped across the Falklands - even before play starts.

Once in the safe zone, that is when the show begins. If you like stand-up comedy then you will just lurve Nelly’s briefing, I kid you not. Having (discretely) yawned my way through the many safety and game briefs, I wasn’t expecting the half hour of hilarity that was forthcoming.

Nelly is, without doubt, the funniest briefing delivery system I had ever seen or heard. Front and centre, this guy has an audience of Airsofters and not just a huddle of trigger happy humans eagerly waiting for those favoured words “so eye pro on guys and follow the Marshalls”. Oh no, Nelly causes quite a stir with his sustained balance of humour and instruction - but he never skips a beat when it comes to the all-important health and safety orders of the day.

Site hire guns are a nice mix of M4s, AKs, G36s which are highly popular and a likely first purchase, therefore this gives any new players choice and a decent opportunity to try before they make that all important first buy.

26

Xmas 2014

site Review BADLANDS

Some nice touches are the more subtle elements of Badlands’ high standards, such as a high 8:1 Player:Marshal ratio and all Marshalls wore a smart set of black and hi-vis orange uniforms and were professional and courteous in character (no elitists here). Only bio BBs are permitted with a strong emphasis on keeping this beautiful natural environment as nature intended. Tactical structures (such as fox holes and ditches, etc.) are carefully assembled taking into account the surrounding landscape so, in effect, the defences are there but blend in with the woodland. Yes, Badlands is as woodland as woodland should be, proving that man-made fabric forts, vehicles, tyres and similar cover isn’t always the way forward.

Personally speaking, that idea sits favourably with me as being an ever-so-slightly more mature player, I kinda like the natural forest and fern look but hey, maybe that’s just me being old!

Badlands clearly cares for its environment. I’m not saying that other woodland sites don’t (as every site is different) but if it works without man-made fabrics being introduced into what is an area of natural beauty then why not? What I will say, is that because the defences and structures (which rest assured there are many) are created from the forest floor, you are unlikely to see a muzzle pointed in your direction and even less chance of finding a centre mass of an enemy warrior in your crosshairs.

Other nice things that await you are lunch, albeit after games over (this allows for more playing time as the nights draw in), an onsite shop operated by Socom Tactical (selling the usual range of things we like to fondle and drool over with their selection of money absorbing goodies), a gun repair service, etc. etc. So just about everything you might need and probably some things that you don’t - but you buy them anyway!

And as for toilets? Well we all know what bears do right?

Well that was the case but as we go to press I have been notified that this has now been upgraded to actual on-site toilet facilities, so you don’t have to join the bears after all and besides, they’re probably still squatting round at Goldilocks.

The first game of the day is a simple half hour warm up which blows away the cobwebs, then a return to the safe zone reveals the dynamics of the day. Badlands executes a pre-planned operation for the duration but within the mission are many twists and turns to keep our Mercenaries on their tippy toes and this is where complacency has nowhere to hide. A lot of planning and strategy is enrolled by the management and this keeps every game mission-specific, which also means the regulars that turn up have the same Intel as a first timer and restricts their advantage to environment familiarity only, which in turn gives a much fairer balance to everyone on the day. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

27

Around 100 acres of multi terrain battlefield awaits you and like many sites, Nelly and his team of dedicated and devoted Marshall’s and regulars spend a great deal of their social time designing and building mission-specific zones such as “Silo”, “Fort Knox”, “Putang”, “Minion Manor”, “Compound”, “The Marshes”, “Long Drag”, “Drop Off” and “LZ”. It is a continual work in progress but when you think that this is all done in an Eco-friendly style of construction, these guys are to be admired for putting Mother Nature first and foremost.

Throughout the day, some of the best and most honourable firefighting took place. I didn’t hear or see anyone moan or fail to take a hit and what was a very inspiring sight, was a large group of new players who were immediately made to feel at home with nurturing and support from the old dogs of war. Yes, everyone at Badlands has a great time and that was crystal clear right from the start.

The Marshalls were some of the finest, courteous and friendly I have ever had the pleasure to meet and their ethos of being “nice guys” was just another positive aspect of Badlands. Not only were they the smartest Marshalls I have ever seen, they ensured that first and foremost, everyone stayed safe and then enthused some of the most challenging and satisfying objectives game by

28

Xmas 2014

Game Review BADLANDS

game. No two games are the same, which adds variety and that much sought-after “feel-good buzz” when the cry of “Mission accomplished!” is within spitting distance for your team, or alternatively, comments of the blasphemous kind come tumbling out in frustration and disappointment, as you ask yourself “Why didn’t I...?” or say “I should have.....”

Self-criticism is a good thing if you can turn it around; use the passion and get fired up for the next game as you now not only have more reason to do better but with every shot fired and every step taken, you are improving, learning, gaining more skills and increasing your standard of fitness. Yes, every experience is just that; an experience that makes you a better player and although probably a lesser realised benefit, a better person in general.

Airsoft is based on honour, which is a seemingly dying commodity in some fields of life but with honour comes discipline, integrity and diligence - which you won’t gain by being a couch potato or an ASBO recipient.

Anyway, I digress! Back to Badlands and a very important point that I must mention is that Nelly’s background in Martial Arts has enthused his passion to cater for Young Guns. Age eleven upwards to be more precise and ideally under the wing of a responsible adult, however the Marshalls are more than happy to safeguard the younger players, as they are all aware that today’s Young Guns are tomorrow’s team leaders. One thing is clear at Badlands, everyone is equal and age is not a factor providing responsibilities are taken.

Within the ranks are the aforementioned “SPS”, Badland’s home team. Sporting the PMC load out, their focus is one of game and not gear. The (typically) five man team are always on hand, mixed amongst the players to ensure that dynamics are sustained throughout the day and their discipline is borne out of Martial Arts (the great founder of self-awareness and control). Personally, I like to see Airsoft sites have an in-house team as, for our sport/ hobby/pastime to continue to thrive, there needs to be motivation and maybe it will lean more towards being classed as a sport. Who knows? With a little bit of inspiration it wouldn’t take too much

to develop some type of Airsoft league, which has the added ingredient of competition and I feel that it would add a new and very formidable dimension for those that would like to compete on a higher plane - but that’s just my personal view.

Before I left for home, I grabbed Nelly for a brief interview and asked him a rather bold question “What makes Badlands better than the rest”?

He replied “We simply continue to develop and move forward, giving the players what they want. We’re not in it for the money, we just love Airsoft and we believe that we do it better than some of the others because we listen to our customers and do our very best to give them what they want, to the highest standards. “ A simple but smart concept.

So that is my ‘in-a-nutshell’ insight into Badlands Airsoft. This review doesn’t really do the site justice as there is so much more on offer but I’m running out of pages. I can only suggest that you go along and find out for yourself, or at the very least, check out YouTube Badlands for some great action videos.

Les OUT!

Contact Details: Woodberry Lane Rowlands Castle Hampshire PO9 6DP (nearest Post Code) M: 07534465589 / E: badlandsairsoft@outlook.com Rowlands Castle train station is only 0.8 miles away at the bottom of Woodberry Lane. If you let them know in advance, they can arrange someone to collect you from the station.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

29

I’M GOING SLIGHTLY MAD! GADGE QUESTIONS HIS SANITY AS HE FIND HIMSELF ON YET ANOTHER PSYC WARD, ALL IN THE NAME OF AIRSOFT JOURNALISM, OF COURSE… YOU HAVE TO FEEL WHEN THE EDITOR sends you off to a psychiatric institution twice in a year that he’s trying to tell you something… The fact he’d also scheduled me in for a visit to a prison this year was beginning to make me just a little paranoid but things were not as bleak as they sound.

In fact Nige had asked me to go and take a look at the latest offering from the boys (and girls) at First & Only airsoft. F&O (as we tend to call them) seem to have a knack of bagging quite unique sites that you’d normally not get chance to go near; from shopping centres to military bases, tunnel complexes and in this case, a former hospital for those with illnesses of the more psychiatric nature.

If you told most people you were off to the midlands to go to the “The Towers” for the weekend, they’d probably think you meant Alton Towers… But no I was off to a former Victorian Mental Hospital!

Finding the site was a doddle, it was just outside Leicester City centre and an easy drive from my home in Nottingham. I say it was a doddle, we did accidentally rock up in the car park of the Golf Club opposite (I bet they loved that) but that was more my mate Matt getting his left and right confused, than any fault on the part of Garry “Felix” Sharp and his team.

Like F&O’s other Midlands site “The Asylum”, “The Towers” was formerly a psychiatric institution and while some bits have clearly been modernised over the years, the remnants of its sinister past as a Victorian asylum show through in some of the older areas, in fact just entering the vast hall used as a safe area is impressive enough. Rumours abound that the complex is haunted and “Ghost Hunter” parties take over parts of the site after dark - so if you see a shadowy figure who doesn’t appear to be taking their hits, don’t investigate too closely if you’re on your own!

Kitted up in the safe area and checking out AEGS we listened to the safety brief. As usual F&O put forwards a no-nonsense, nowaffle and no excuses safety brief, covering all aspects of the site’s rules and explaining their zero tolerance approach to cheats.

32

Xmas 2014

SITE REVIEW FIRST & ONLY AIRSOFT - THE TOWERS

“IT’S A REAL WARREN; LONG CORRIDORS BRANCH OFF INTO DIFFERENT WARDS, INNOCENT LOOKING DOORS LEAD YOU EITHER INTO A LABYRINTH OF TUNNELS AND STAIRCASES OR (IN MY CASE) THE SAME BROOM CUPBOARD AS I TRIED TO GET BACK THE REGEN!”

Like many exclusively indoors (bar one or two enclosed courtyards) sites, The Towers works on a “single shot” policy, has a 350fps limit on weapons and seriously recommends full face protection (which is provided with hire guns). As with a few sites we’ve tested, Airsoft Action brought along a purposely “hot gun” and were delighted to find out that no exceptions were made as to who could use it… It failed the chrono and that was that! But I’d packed the trusty cheapo Chinese shotgun (a fearsome 270fps, oh yay… fear me!) and my beloved Skorpion machine pistol. All that and a rubber training knife and I was ready to ninja the best of them!

As we were getting split into “green” and “black” teams I took time to look around the site. Battery charging facilities were on hand as was a well-stocked shop for BBs, pyros and snacks.

Both reloadable BFG grenades and “fizzy” pyro were allowed but only MK4 flash bangs, as some of the rooms in the complex really are quite small and solid pyro had to be rolled underarm – all pretty sensible standard stuff so far.

The first game of the day showed a perfect mix of fast, open day action with a bit more “thinking man’s airsoft” bolted on.

A laptop connected to a prop “bomb” was hidden on site and needed to be defused by the teams. Four codes were needed to defuse the device but to make matters worse, the site had many codes littered about it from previous adventures so it was important not to just report in any code but check that it had the right event date upon it… Something often overlooked by a jubilant squad happy to have fought their way to a code and back to base. Eventually our team managed to get the codes and defuse the bomb but it was close thing.

At this point it’s worth describing the site. For a start, it’s a real warren; long corridors branch off into different wards, innocent looking doors lead you either into a labyrinth of tunnels and staircases or (in my case) the same broom cupboard as I tried to get back the regen! The network of tunnels and rooms surround small overgrown courtyards and quadrangles, so if you’re the woodland sneaky type you still have a chance to hide in the scrub and brush and pick off the unwary.

The Towers has been running for only a few months (since April 2014) and it’s a BIG site. To this end some of the rooms can seem a bit “Spartan” but the F&O team assured me that they are constantly building new barricades, blockades and scenery to add to the play value of the site. Most importantly, many of the ward and corridor doors have glass windows and Felix’s team are slowly spraying these with black paint to avoid those annoying “I know www.airsoft-action.co.uk

33

SITE REVIEW FIRST & ONLY AIRSOFT - THE TOWERS

you’re behind the door but I can’t hit you” moments, so common many in urban sites. Luckily I came up against this only once and it was no biggie… Well nothing a suicide charge with a hand grenade couldn’t rectify!

Back in the safe zone we were briefed for the second game of the day. “Treebeard”, one of the site’s friendly marshal team, was marked as a High Value Target (HVT) and had to be extracted by the green team as quickly as possible up to a limit of 25 minutes but, just like the players, he was vulnerable to bangs and BBs so every room had to be cleared with caution to avoid a stray round or blast prematurely ending the game.

Moving with skill and speed the green team recaptured Treebeard just in time... Well, just in time for lunch that is!

I’ve been to a number of F&O sites lately and one thing that a few of them have started to do is the “fish and chip” (or sausage and chips in this case) lunch. And you know what? It makes a really nice change to tuck into beautiful chips and a tasty sausage from the chippy washed down with a soft drink of your choice (veggie alternatives can be arranged if the guys are told in advance). While food at airsoft sites is always improving - you should see some of the “lunches” put on by some sites in the “good old days” - there is just something pretty cool about a chippy lunch to replace all that salt sweated out and fat burnt off during the morning exercise!

After a gossip about the game with the other side while lunch went down, it wasn’t long before it was time to go back into the labyrinthine corridors of The Towers. Our first game after lunch was a replay of the HVT scenario, with the black team this time tasked with extracting the marshal. When I say these games were close, it’s not hyperbole. The green team conducted their rescue in 21 minutes 30 seconds but were pipped to the post by the black team, who completed their objectives in 21 minutes and 19 seconds!

At this point the F&O team upped the ante. The next game was a sort of mad treasure hunt, with both teams searching for a selection of military props (handily marked “prop” to stop someone wandering off with someone’s daysack) and trying to accrue the most. To complicate matters further, three players per team were themselves HVTs and marked out by wearing a High Street necktie in various garish hues.

If you shot out a HVT you could take their tie off them (if you noticed they were wearing it) and then become one yourself; wearing multiple ties if you so wished but at the same time making yourself an Ultra HVT!

This game was a real hoot with both teams trying to gather as much kit as possible while keeping their haul safe from the enemy.

The game itself was a close run thing but a win for the black team, mainly because the green team had picked up some random parts that were clearly not props (or marked as such) and encumbered themselves with penalty points.

As End-Ex was called on the day the Airsoft Action team were tired and happy. I’m always happy to be asked to cover an F&O event as Felix’s boys have exceptionally high standards and once again I wasn’t disappointed. At times I worry I might come across as an “F&O Fanboy” but it’s simply the case that they have consistently come up with the goods every time we’ve paid them a visit.

“The Towers” is a relatively new site and, as such, still needs a little tweaking but the team know this and structure their games around the most playable parts of the arena and have done a great job of breaking up long corridors or large rooms with simple barricades and props until more established “bunkers” and walls can be made.

Likewise, the scenarios were nicely balanced between having a little to think about while you blasted away, with proper objectives and the chance to have a good old firefight – one thing you didn’t get was a complex briefing that would have put a NATO officer candidate into a tiz. Game days at The Towers fill up fast as the site is not in use every week and, to keep player satisfaction high, a cap on numbers is strictly enforced. This is something I’d like to see more sites (especially urban ones) think about, as too many players on some sites can create frustrating bottle-necks which can damage the overall enjoyment of your day’s play. So with this player limit in mind and the spacing of game days, I’d seriously recommend you book your day well in advance.

Just make sure you get to try out The Towers, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

CONTACT FIRST AND ONLY EVENTS WWW.FIRSTANDONLYEVENTS.CO.UK GARRY - 0779 157 440

34

Xmas 2014

5 colours

sm s mok m ke e gre re ena na ade es e s

DOC: EG smoke grenades DOC: TYPE: TYPE: product range REF: REF: SEPT 2014

TYPE: duration: ignition: usage: availability:

FRICTION FRICT TION 60-90 0 sec sstriker trikker entry entr r y le level vel europe eur op pe

TYPE: duration: ignition: usage: availability:

WP40 0 90-12 90-120 20 sec wire p pull woodland w oodlland TTa Tactical actical signa signall /marking /marking worldwide w orldwide

TYPE: duration: ignition: usage: availability:

BWP40 B WP4 40 20-30 20 30 0 sec wire p pull assault assau ult /cqb worldwide w orldwide

TYPE: duration: ignition: usage: availability:

EG18 EG1 8 90-12 90-120 20 sec wire p pull cover cover smok smoke e worldwide w orldw wide

TYPE: duration: ignition: usage: availability:

mil-X 60-90 0 sec fly of off f f le lever ver military milita rryy / defense deffe ense military milita r y only ry

7 colours

7 colour colours rs

8 colour colours rs

3 colours

#worldfamoussmokegren worldfamoussmokegrendes ndes www www.facebook.com/smokegrenades .facebook.com/smokegrenades www www.enolagaye.com .enola agaye.com Tel Tel:01189 :01189 714470

BRITISH ARMY INFANTRYMAN – KENYA 1950S GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY LOOKS AT A 1950S BRITISH INFANTRYMAN AS HE FIGHTS THE MAU MAU IN KENYA. 68

Xmas 2014

feature COLD WAR WARRIORS

FIGHTING A VICIOUS COUNTER INSURGENCY WAR against dedicated guerrillas is something the British Army have constantly found itself involved in throughout its history. While we immediately think of Iraq, Afghanistan and even Northern Ireland, in the grim austerity years of the 1950s the British Army found themselves up against determined resistance from the fearsome Mau Mau. At first glance this month’s “Cold War Warrior” could be mistaken for a “World War II Warrior”. While jungle warfare kit had been found inadequate in 1940 and updated to be more fit for purpose in 1944, the kit designed for service in Africa would take decades to be updated and the infantryman in Kenya in 1952 would find himself fighting in a uniform his father (and perhaps even his grandfather) would find at least superficially familiar.

After joining the allied powers to liberate Europe and the Far East during WWII, Britain found it increasingly hard to justify dominion of its colonies and in the immediate aftermath of WWII dozens of smaller nations began to demand independence from the Crown. One such uprising occurred among the Mau Mau in Kenya and soon spiralled in to a furious, no holds barred contest between the crumbling British Empire and a dedicated tribe of warriors.

The “Mau Mau Revolt” began as a secret underground movement among the Kenyan Kikuyu tribe to attempt to destabilise British rule and to evict foreign settlers (mainly British, Asian and Arab), as well as any indigenous people that refused to agree with the Mau Mau philosophy. Initially attacking small farmsteads and settler’s communities, before long the Mau Mau were a threat beyond that which the colonial police forces could deal with. Technologically disadvantaged but dedicated, the Mau Mau fashioned home-made “one shot” firearms, often using items as crude as metal poles bolted to wooden stocks with a door bolt as a firing pin! However once this weapon had been used to kill a policeman or soldier the victim’s own weapon could be used to strengthen the revolt.

The British Government reacted harshly to the Mau Mau revolt and today many question the Crown’s policies and believe them to be unnecessarily harsh and heavy-handed. By the time the revolt had been put down in 1956, the British had involved the Kenyan Police, The King’s African Rifles, Kenyan emergency “home guard” units, the Royal Air Force and the British Army’s regular infantry units (although many of these were young conscripted national servicemen).

The British used draconian policies and rounded up many suspected terrorists and stories were printed in the press that commanding officers of regiments were offering “bounties” to their troops for the first man to kill a Mau Mau fighter - and in some cases, bounties for “heads”. Casualties on both sides were high but cripplingly so on the part of the Mau Mau. By the time the revolt had been largely supressed in 1956, over 10,000 Mau Mau had been killed by security forces - but the badly equipped but tenacious guerrillas had inflicted 2,000 casualties on the British and Kenyan authorities. The Mau Mau revolt was, in some ways, a failure for the guerrillas but supressing the revolt was so costly to the UK that many began to consider the wisdom of retaining colonies in Africa and talks were conducted with more moderate Kenyan politicians and groups which led to a less tumultuous independence for Kenya in 1963.

The British Army would, however, build on its experience then being gained concurrently in Malaya and used its Kenyan experience to good effect; making itself one of the best counterinsurgency and jungle fighting forces in the world. As with all guerrilla conflicts, once the insurgents realised that their opponents vastly outnumbered them and were technologically superior their only tactic would be to conduct hit and run raids on outposts, farmsteads and small settlements; melting back into the jungle before government forces could react in any strength. In the Mau Mau uprising the British army found it almost impossible to bring the guerrillas out into open battle. Most contacts, as in Malaya, happened between mutually surprised bands of fighters in close range jungle firefights. Even locating enemy positions (and gaining an accurate idea of one’s own position) was troublesome to the British troops, as the dense Kenyan forests and jungle

rarely afforded them a view of a landmark like a river, hill range or settlement (or even the horizon or sky!) to establish their bearing and orientate their maps. A successful tactic used by the British army was to establish platoon sized patrol bases deep in the jungle and hope to catch the guerrillas en-route to their targets!

Our Cold War Warrior this month represents a typical British Infantryman in the early days of the Mau Mau uprising. Much of his kit is of WWII vintage and while many troops were equipped with more modern 44 pattern webbing, calf high jungle boots and lightweight camouflage smocks many soldiered on in the traditional British “KD” or Khaki Drill uniform used in Africa and India in one form or another since the turn of the century.

Headgear consists of the wide brimmed felt “bush hat”, as worn by WWII chindit jungle fighters (and often leading to the mistaken belief a soldier was Australian), although many wore berets or other regimental headdress. Comfortable in hot weather and with a wide, shade-providing brim, the bush hat was an adequate piece of headwear but inferior for combat purposes to the 44 pattern bush hat (which was more like a modern boonie hat) that was issued to some units.

Shirt and trousers of our squaddie are both WWII vintage “khaki drill”. The trousers themselves being a tightly woven lightweight but hardwearing cotton combat trouser, originally issued for use in the western desert but being seen here in their modified 1951 pattern form. Post war modifications to the trousers moved the waist adjustment buckle from the traditional centre to the sides, with a buckle resting above either hip of the solider. While a fine idea, in practice it could result in the buckles rubbing the skin on the hips raw when worn with heavily laden webbing on jungle patrols. The ‘KD’ shirt is of the British Army’s favoured “aertex” open weave breathable material and, like its WWII counterpart, is half buttoned and of a pullover type. Over the shirt a thin WWII jersey is worn to protect against the evening chill.

Our soldier’s boots are the trusty “ammo boot” that would serve the British soldier in one form or another for decades; here with leather uppers and hobnailed leather soles. Of equally veteran origin, 37 pattern webbing anklets prevent trousers snagging on brush and scrubland and help prevent small stones entering the boot tops.

Conducting guard duties and “police actions” our soldier’s fighting equipment is incredibly Spartan by British Army standards.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

37

feature COLD WAR WARRIORS

An un-blancoed and scrubbed 37 pattern webbing belt is worn purely for “dress” purposes, while the ammunition for his No.4 Lee Enfield rifle is carried in a cloth bandolier slung over his shoulder.

These bandoliers could carry up to 50 rounds of .303 ammunition on stripper clips, each clip holding 5 rounds a piece. By 1952 the Lee Enfield No.4 was reaching the end of its service life as the standard infantry rifle. While still exceptionally accurate (to the point that accurised versions were used by British Army snipers up until the1980s in the guise of the L42 sniper rifle), its bolt-action technology had seen better days and much of NATO was upgrading to semi-automatic and fully automatic infantry rifles. Serving side by side with the equally aging Bren gun (again remaining in service after re-chambering to 7.62 as the L4 well into the 80s) and the Sten gun, it would begin to be phased out by the L1a1 Self Loading Rifle (or SLR) around 1956 just as the British supressed the Mau Mau rebellion. The final piece of equipment our soldier carries is a WWII era water bottle on a webbing shoulder strap… again an archaic WWI design that had been found to be out of date in WWII yet preserved with some units until the 1960s.

This “Cold War Warrior” is certainly a “speciality loadout”. If you’re a WWII buff, the chances of you having much of the kit needed is quite high but for those without an existing investment in KD and 37 pattern webbing it’s a loadout you’re unlikely to need, as I’ve yet to see any one run a Mau Mau Uprising event. But part of the fun of writing Cold War Warriors is to show the obscure and the unwieldy as often as we show the elite and practical.

For those of you wishing to replicate this look (and I don’t imagine it will be too many), Soldier of Fortune supply excellent reproduction KD uniforms, webbing and bush hats – although originals can still be found quite easily – and believe it or not that “WWII Pattern” sweater was a £2 jumper of an identical shade and cut from Primark!

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

39

PLAYER DOWN! SCOTT ALLAN HAS HAD HIS FAIR SHARE OF INJURIES AND PASSES ON SOME WORDS OF WISDOM ABOUT HOW BEST TO GET YOURSELF BACK TO FIGHTING FITNESS MY FRIENDS WILL JOKE that I am accident prone and in many ways I am. I prefer to think that I push it near to my limits so often that sometimes, well, sometimes I go over the edge. That said I feel I am very lucky and when the Editor (Nige) asked me to write this I wasn’t sure where it would go. The more I thought about it I realised it probably applies to more players than I initially thought.

I am no Doctor or Physio but I have spent a lot of time and money on them both so I can generally guide people to the correct path… From waking up in a hospital in Abu Dhabi, to being sledged off the side of a mountain, I’ve had my share of crap.

I’ve suffered my fair share of fun injuries and events from lower back pain, head injuries, busted up ankles, around eight dislocated shoulders and a stroke. Amazing what you can do in 33 years if you put your mind to it - but when you consider my list of activities aside from Airsoft it is less surprising. From kite surfing, mountain biking, Tough Mudder, sword fighting, motor biking (on a particularly vicious Ducati Panigale) and less crazy-sounding canine cross country. It is fair to say I am attracted to “edgy” sports.

So at the time of writing this I am four weeks post-operation for a glenoid bone graft and have been back training at the gym two weeks. Happily I’ve also managed to play about an hour at my local game site, Airsoft Edinburgh. Not bad given that I was told there was a 10% chance it wouldn’t even move after this time.

It can happen to the best of us. We play as hard as we can, push our bodies to the limits and those nagging aches and pains always somehow manage to turn into an injury. What to do? Most of us will probably want to take a teaspoon of cement, harden up and continue playing but what about the consequences of not letting an injury take the time to heal?

One lesson I’ve struggled to learn over the years is that it is okay to play through a “niggle” but it is never okay to play through a serious injury. So if you are injured, that is something you need to take care of right away before it turns into a chronic problem or gets worse.

40

xmas 2014

feature INJURED PLAYER

Airsoft is a fairly demanding sport without realising it - all the pushing, pulling and straining while lifting your rifle into the aim and all this while moving without looking where you are going. It really can be quite dangerous. Of course we all want to play hard and win the game, but at what cost?

If you have an injury, you’ll probably want to do whatever you can to make sure you don’t cause any major down time, we all have jobs that pay the bills and we all love playing Airsoft as well as other sports but if you are like me, you won’t want to miss any time at all because of an injury.

So here are a few tips that will help you effectively train with an injury so that you won’t miss significant time away from the playing.

Nutrition People laugh but it is a huge decider for dealing with injury. If your body doesn’t have the parts to fix the damaged stuff then it takes longer. Think of it like putting your car into the garage but the supplier keeps sending them copies of Hello magazine instead of a new timing belt. It’s silly but true. If you live on Big Macs and Coke 24/7 it’ll take longer to heal. Take vitamins, eat your greens, good meat and plenty of organic foods and it will go a long way toward helping.

This is number one on my list, not only because nutrition is often underrated and overlooked, but also because it’s likely the most important factor in injury recovery. Keep up on the good foods and plenty of them and you’ll heal up quicker and feel better. Junk food can be okay but it’ll slow you down.

Prevention is better than cure Dealing with an ongoing injury (as mine was) is hard. It just took one thing, such as throwing a Mk 5 at the England Vs Scotland game in 2013 and out it pops. Thankfully I got it back in and managed to continue but took it easier. If you have an injury is there a strap or sling that can support it better? If you have bad ankles make sure you have good boots. These can all be important little points to avoid the pain and down time.

Know when to give up It is very important to know the difference between a real injury

and pain. During a game these days, you may tweak something and experience pain. Your initial reaction might be, “Ouch ... but okay, I’m not bleeding, let’s man up.” If you have pain, stop whatever you are doing right there and evaluate your symptoms to check the severity. Don’t just try to walk it out and hope for the best - especially if it is an injury that bothers you often.

Take five minutes and have a seat.

Check for symptoms and consider pain relief if required. If you do require pain relief then your body is telling you that something is wrong. The general rule of thumb is: If it hurts when you do it - stop. If it stops hurting when you stop then you pushed it too far. If it keeps hurting when you’ve stopped you’ve damaged something.

It all seems grand that we all want to be tough and gut it out hell I am the worst I’ll admit it but the consequences of continuing to play and not taking enough time off to heal can be severe. Of course, small, nagging aches and pains are all part of playing and you shouldn’t worry about a Monday morning John Wayne walk because you’ve done no exercise for two weeks but if you have a legitimate injury, it is always best to stop and evaluate.

The most obvious symptom of an injury is pain. So if you experience severe pain, stop or take a break until the pain is manageable enough to continue. If the pain refuses to go away, just stop and see a doctor.

There is a large grey area between what is a “real injury” and what is just a nagging pain and only a Doctor can truly determine which one you have. I always say that, when hurt, get checked out by a Doctor - it’s what you pay your taxes for. You sometimes have to press the issue or go back a second time but it can be worth it.

Play lighter If you are playing through an injury and are directly working the affected area, I try using lighter gear. So ditch the HK417 and weighted plate carrier and go for a lighter M4 and maybe just put the magazines in your pockets or a light chest rig.

Walk, don’t run. Slips, Trips and Falls are the biggest cause of injuries in Airsoft. I am right handed and it’s my right shoulder that has been rebuilt and if I fall it’s the hand I will automatically stick out. So at the risk of being shot I walked, or jogged lightly when I was very sure of my footing. I don’t run and shoot at the moment www.airsoft-action.co.uk

41

feature INJURED PLAYER

at all. I also use an American Football shoulder strap to prevent excessive movement.

Exercising an area lightly can speed up recovery too by working the muscles. Like the old saying “don’t take back pain lying down”.

A little gym workout can go a long way too. I’m no man mountain but previously I was at the gym 4-5 nights a week and now I am down to 2. I can’t even do a Lat Pulldown with any weight on it but there are other very light-weighted exercises I can do. If they don’t hurt I aim for a higher number of repetitions. This increases blood flow to the injured area, clears out scar tissue and promotes healing.

You’ll never feel as manly until you are using the pink 2 kilo dumbells let me tell you!

I know that many people hate going to the doctor because they believe that their injury may miraculously disappear the next day but resting when injured is critical because you protect the injured tendon, ligament, and muscle from further injury and damage. Don’t try to avoid a nagging injury. It is far better to miss two or three days gaming now than to be forced to take two or three months off down the road.

I am now well on the road to recovery and am looking forwards to getting back into the game full time. Will it slow me down? I doubt it but it will certainly make me more aware of how to stay uninjured.

Stay positive Let’s face it, injuries are a total bummer, but research suggests that maintaining a positive, upbeat attitude when injured or rehabbing can help speed up the healing process. Get off the couch, go for a walk to the shops or the library. Go meet a friend for a coffee, anything. Just don’t sit and sulk on the couch. Hell even spend time sorting out your kit and sell off stuff you don’t want.

It always pays to look on the bright side, so even if you are injured, stay positive and you can still make progress, even while injured.

Rehab I cannot understate the importance of proper injury treatment and rest but once your pain starts to go away you’ll probably think about jumping back into playing right away. This is a very common mistake many people make post-injury.

The primary concern here is reinjury. When you miss significant time from exercise due to any injury, there is rapid atrophy and degeneration of your muscle tissue that takes place and it can put you at high risk for re-injury once you start playing again. If you jump the gun (pardon the pun) and reinjure yourself, you’ll have to endure the entire painstaking rest and treatment process all over again. If that’s with the NHS then like me, you’re looking at another 6 month cycle probably. Not only is this cycle frustrating but it is usually preventable.

If you have a serious injury, always get the approval and recommendation of your Doctor before returning to playing, because developing a long term injury just isn’t worth it. Try and explain as best you can what Airsoft is, I cringe but often result in “it’s like paintball”. They should give you an honest and fair answer. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

43

MRA IRON MAN V WORDS: ENRIQUE SANTOS “GEORGIUS”, IGNACIO TOSAR “GURKA” AND ROBERTO LOPEZ “TENCHU”.

PICTURES: FEAR&GOD TEAM, TERCIO VIEJOTEAM, MRA TEAM, PARACHUTE REGIMENT TEAM

THE FIFTH EDITION OF THE EPIC SPANISH EVENT, ORGANIZED BY MARINE RECON ASTURIAS WHICH YEAR AFTER YEAR, ATTRACTS MANY OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY. THE GREEN AND RUGGED ASTURIAN LANDSCAPES receive teams better technologically equipped and well trained than ever; but which only few hours of the final glory could not face a very unexpected and better equipped final enemy.

Welcome to Iron Man V! Friday evening and with moon menacing to come, many teams are still on travel and have not yet arrived; some of them will be deployed after the midnight...

FEAR!!

2:15. After six hours of travel (working days apart), begins the FEAR&GOD Team journey in one of the heaviest tests for any team.

Already gone are the laughing and joking during past transport, the hundreds of mental material checking, combating stress and coming sleep. Under the moon a glimpse of the spectacular terrain that has welcomed them and that the seasoned veterans of the Iron Man always finishing their anecdotes call it: “The Green Hell”.

In the race to prepare the quick deployment, they meet both allies and enemies (always comrades) that go towards the mountain. The stress and last minute doubts about material and cold weather clothing to keep on board (because night now seems very favourable) is a great temptation to lighten the backpacks to better face the council terrain’s ramps, mountains and rivers to cross... Because a wrong decision can be a terrific nightmare later!

Then, the Paras from Parachute Regiment Team (good fellow Paras, in the enemy band) go out and cited the FEAR Aussies in hell.

3:15 FEAR&GOD Team is shipped in an off-road vehicle and later moved two towns away. Fatigue lurks malicious; but they are activated soon to reach the destination and see that people have to go through the village... on walking!

The narrow streets do not give option to insertion vehicle and it allows repeating that special situation: “patrol fully equipped into a real population under the lamplight and the typical fog”

44

Xmas 2014

event REVIEW INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT EVENT | IRON MAN V - SPAIN

“QUICKLY AND AGGRESSIVE MOVING THEY ENCOUNTER ANOTHER TWO MORE ENEMIES AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE HOUSE THAT HAD NOT BEEN SEEN BEFORE; THE RAISED POSITION IS CRITICAL AND CAN ELIMINATE FOUR TARGETS WITHOUT GIVING THEM TIME TO REACT”

that only happens in the MRA Iron Man … Kids, do not do this at home!

Only half an hour after insertion, following an indefatigable Staff guide, shows the hardness of what they can expect: the first ramps, bodies drenched in sweat and complaining legs.

Since then, the commands are: by using maps and topography, arrive at a house far in the mountains and once located, secure until dawn.

Ascending the patrol and despite the sweat that runs their faces and fogs their glasses, the moon illuminates enough to have sufficient visibility to fast forward; even stopping several times glimpsing lights on the disrupted skyline. But it’s time to take more winding paths, where any distant voice invites to stop and remain vigilant into the bracken. Experience avoids confusing us the light of the fireflies with what the tired neurons wants to see as infrared night vision LEDs inside a mad fog (which has been managed to make IR useless) and treat even grudging not use small flashlights by being discovered risk. The safety should prevail!

Having reached the point that they think should be the ordered ruined house point, they decide to stay there, waiting for the first light of dawn, so prepare security perimeter and guard turns. Team Leader and Navigator mind and eyes were focused into no sleep and check and better define the position in order to allow a quick movement with first lights.

After a false alert that quickly awakens team morale, they happily conclude that are just below the goal!

Quickly point the location defence and send a binomial 50 meters beyond to recon and avoid hidden menaces, they will return to find a surprise...

TERCIO!!

The Tercio Viejo de Cartagena arrives at the base of the Iron Man, Foz de Morcin village, at about 23: 00h and brutally the “Jaegers” are inserted 15 minutes after in the game!

Perimeter and first coordinates (who can, that arrive there!).

Just on the way and surprisingly, soon they are surrounded by red lights and enemy voices just two feet above them; but they do not see them, they not hear them. The first good decision: the silent use, so way up, always on top, on the right track to the first coordinates. They adopt that had practiced in the last patrolling training: each one on his place, each one on his best.

The road up is terrible but finished in a good way. HQ information indicates that there are enemies behind and little presence in front. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

45

event REVIEW INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT EVENT | IRON MAN V - SPAIN

Several intelligent stops to perimeter and recover the breath and try keeping our minds fresh.

Up to four more coordinates and receive HQ green light on the last one to open fire (which they think is a lonely house); but in the middle of the night, way up, always up, the map shows at least three houses.

Doubt about the position coordinates. Maps and compass, GPS… Does them not very happy with their location sense. Where they are being sent?

And then the fatigue appears and in the last firebase become a friendly fire between them. After the scare and tense moment they need a time to relax and start the route again, always up. They cannot go higher because they would climb!

It takes several miles to approach the house. For sure, also to the enemy (for sure, not to the vicious Asturian trasgus). Because they are hearing their voices? Their grunts? No madness, gentlemen: there seems to be the enemies. They are less than two meters when go out one of the houses. So better let them go. Only two feet above them.

Not be seen, not be heard.

06: 10h. More than exhausted, they desperately turn off the flashlights to locate the house, because they realize have passed over; but already located 500 meters behind. The maximum time window to attack is next to come, so is Jaegers time to forget the infiltration rules and attack over the ring bell!

IN COMBAT!!

When the FEAR&GOD Team recon couple reaches the crest of the house observed that several tangos surprisingly appear in the route they had just come. Wrong communications with the base force him to use hand signs to not become discovered and when apparently communication is restored, two sighs after warning the shooting starts!

Quickly and aggressive moving they encounter another two more enemies at the entrance of the house that had not been seen before; the raised position is critical and can eliminate four targets without giving them time to react.

It seems that one has slipped, no doubt waiting for an opportunity to gamble (“Lamps again patrolling around looking for more ...”)

Ironically, the only TERCIO’s survivor is their leader; but FEAR has lost theirs.

FEAR Team: Hooten, Ness, Gaunt, Fer, Gurka, Tercio Viejo de Cartagena Team: Georgius, John, Chronus, Snake, Infante, Noa and Luna.

To end, congratulate the only four players who have participated and completed 5 editions of the Iron Man. Between them, the only not Asturian, the ASG Delta Team Leader: Shinobi.

And above all, to remark the Iron Man V and honour the memory of the Spanish player sadly passed this year: the Asturian player Damian Garcia Carreño. RIP. Goodbye great fellow!

ED’s note THE IRON MAN SERIES IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE EVENTS IN AIRSOFT TODAY, TAKING PLACE AS IT DOES NOT BEHIND SECURITY FENCES OR ON PRIVATE LAND BUT IN, AROUND AND THROUGH FULLY POPULATED VILLAGES AND THE STUNNING COUNTRYSIDE THAT SURROUNDS THEM. FULLY SUPPORTED BY MORCIN COUNCIL, THE ASTURIAN AIRSOFT FEDERATION HAVE CREATED AN EVENT WHICH IS CHALLENGING IN THE EXTREME AND WHICH THE

Morning comes with its light and the truth of this combat between two great teams that maybe only happened in the perverse mind of the narrator is diluted; but that is a perfect reflection of what the night threw up. Asturian who accepted the Green Hell Challenge and crossed into the vastness of the field by the whole Morcin Council.

With many teams still running their missions throughout and motivating to address the long morning ahead, at 09:10 comes the unexpected general order of withdrawal.

HUNTED JAEGERS, HUNTED HUNTERS!!

Even an event as exemplary as envied throughout Spain by the institutional support it receives, it is sometimes at the expense of unexpected and unpleasant surprises: Breaking dawn and with understandable logic and disrespectful attitude of a few, a group of local hunters enters the game influence zone; quickly informed the MRA staff, the tough Marine Recon guys decide that for the general interest and to avoid possible incidents the most intelligent option is to suspend the game that had almost turned into mythical after frantic and ground-breaking night for everybody and, during its final moments, also do an off-road rescue from the narrow ramps.

Good Marines! Honour and respect are features that are always present in the airsofters nature: so THANKS! Thus as was logical, despite the frustration, the players burst but proud, go gathering in the return to Morcin Sports Centre usual event base. Time for the usual comradeship, the usual laughs, the usual hospitality of these people from the north that make you proud of a Friendship: Viking food with wolves from the same pack!

And thanks to the FEAR and Tercio Viejo de Cartagena teams for his narration certainly Machiavellian intertwined by someone possessed by some naughty old Trasgu.

46

Xmas 2014

LOCAL POPULATION SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE - AND FOR WHICH G&G ARE THE MAIN SPONSOR. IF YOU FANCY TAKING PART IN AN EVENT THAT WILL CHALLENGE YOU BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, EITHER AS AN INDIVIDUAL OR A TEAM, THEN GET IN CONTACT WITH THE ORGANISERS VIA THEIR WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW. FEDERACIONASTURIANAAIRSOFT. ES/CONTACTO THE MORCIN AREA OF NORTHERN SPAIN IS BEAUTIFUL AND THE PERFECT PLACE TO TAKE A FEW DAYS R&R AFTER AN INTENSE EVENT - AND I UNDERSTAND THE BEER IS PRETTY GOOD TOO!

NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN. HO-HO-HO!

ASK BOB

A CHRISTMAS Q&A WITH BOB PODESTA IN A PREVIOUS ARTICLE FAITH SUGGESTED THAT YOU SEND IN ANY QUESTIONS YOU’D LIKE TO ASK BOB AND YOUR RESPONSE WAS AS EXPECTED… Faith: “As promised, we’re back this month with your chance to “Ask Bob.” I’ve picked out a selection of questions supplied by you, our readers and put them to Bob. These are his full, frank and unedited answers.”

Take it away Bob...

Graham Connolly: “As a former member of the SAS do you think the job is more difficult now with the enemy being able to use modern technology or back then when you had such limited kit and weaponry?”

Bob: “That’s a hard one to open up with [laughs]. This is a very difficult question Graham. There are really too many considerations to be taken into account and evaluated to provide a thorough answer but here’s my ‘potted’ attempt…

“As you point out, more technology has been introduced on both sides, along with more sophisticated weapons, consequently this is why the army has been cut down. War, more and more, is being waged remotely, with people sat behind computers miles away operating UAVs and such like. So as times change, wars change.

The way they are fought changes. Technology changes, equipment changes, political considerations change... That being said, time and again we have learnt that there is nothing better than the human eyeball and the man on the ground. So consequently, hopefully the SAS will never be outdated. In many ways I think the role of the SAS is still very similar to my day but we’ve had different obstacles to overcome. I don’t know if it would be fair to say one was harder than the other, just different.

“I can’t pretend that it was easy in my day. You had to carry everything on foot. You had to carry all your equipment that would be required for weeks, or months, on end. There were very few helicopters. Everything had to be man-packed. We only ever received a helicopter at the most once a week carrying our resupply, usually Compo rations, hard tack biscuits (which incidentally I loved!) and the like. We very rarely had fresh once a

48

Xmas 2014

A SQUADRON ASK BOB

week, usually once a month. You were out on the ground, months on end, no showers, no fresh clothes, moving from hill to hill. It was really rough. I have the photos to prove it!

meant that you had passed Selection and you went into the CO’s office to collect your beret. It wasn’t anything special like everybody would think, there was no big parade or anything like that. There was no special fanfare. I’ll always remember Johnny Watts my CO, he was a real old Second World War type officer, we stood in front of him and he just threw us our berets, said “well done” and “make sure you don’t discredit it”. Then that was it, “dismissed” and off we marched. We were literally in there for two minutes, if that! [laughs]. You then went off and were posted to a Sabre squadron. But despite the lack of any overt celebration I still felt really, really proud of receiving my beret. Just like I was proud to receive my Green Beret. But the Green Beret was a different affair and there was a “proper” parade and the CO made a speech. The SAS was a totally different kettle of fish, but a great kettle, no BS [laughs].”

Gerard Burge: “Could Bob ever be tempted to do a HALO jump dressed as Santa? In a Bond-style Christmas delivery.”

Bob: “[Very long laugh] Believe it or not I’ve done similar things! I would DEFINITELY do it, being a mad free-faller. I’ve done things like jump out of aeroplanes with trays of cider for Bulmers Cider, all dressed up. So yeah, I would give a HALO Father Christmas a go. Free-falling is one of those things you get addicted to. Anytime we could get a jump in we were there ready. We always had a parachute packed so if we saw a helicopter about to take off we’d leap on it, jump and thumb a lift back to camp. It’s probably one of the main things I miss from the Regiment.”

Graham McRobert: “Did you find selection hard for the Regiment and what advice would you give to someone thinking of trying it?”

“We didn’t experience the level of IEDs as they do now. It’s a more up to date terrorist weapon. In my day men were killed perhaps by a mine or being hit by a bullet or whatever and killed outright. The IED is a bad weapon and accounts for half of our Afghanistan KIAs. It’s very disappointing but inevitable that the enemy are getting more sophisticated. IEDs can be operated remotely and activated at will. Very destructive, quick and easy to lay and indiscriminate, they are killing many of their own people along with our troops. They don’t care who they harm. It’s terrorism. Basic soldering isn’t like it used to be. A soldier these days has got to act like a policeman. He goes on patrol, checks this and that and then if they go there more than once there is going to be a bomb there the second time. This makes it very difficult. It’s not really a soldiers’ war any more. Personally I don’t think they should have been out there in that role. I think it called for more Special Forces type support operations with the locals managing their own policing.

Bob: “It was very hard but because I had prepared myself properly for it I found I was able to flow through Selection, I was able to take it in my stride. When I was in Singapore there were lots of big hills to climb and lots of jungle navigation to do. Every morning for my pre-Selection training I took the Commandos out on their run, I always added extra bricks in my pouches so I always carried extra weight. My job was to stay ahead of the squad to keep things moving, stop traffic etc. So I was making myself very, very fit. On weekends because I went out into the jungle to practise my map reading - map reading in the jungle is by far the most difficult because you can’t see anything around you - when it came to Selection and walking in the hills, where I could see features all around me, it made the map reading side of Selection much easier for me. I was able to get in to most of the checkpoints first.

“Every time we have heard of a serviceman killed you can guarantee that there have been 2 or 3 injured as well because they were in the same vehicle. The figures reflect that; 453 dead and over 2,000 seriously injured. That doesn’t include those that could suffer the effects of PTSD in the years to come. No one likes to see our boys coming home with those horrendous injuries. Thankfully before Christmas our fighting troops have been taken out of these areas so it’s a very good Christmas present. But Government needs to make sure that an adequate support system is in place, now and 10 years down the line.

“At the heart of it all though is the British soldier whom ultimately I don’t think has changed. His indomitable spirit shines through. Not better or worse but faced with different challenges and circumstances.

With good training he, or she, will be able to face whatever is thrown across their path. That is exactly what our Armed Forces (not just the SAS) have done and continue to do. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.”

Paul Brown: “How good did you feel when you were Badged?”

Bob: I was over the moon! I had prepared myself, I enjoyed Selection and I really looked forward to getting into the Regiment. Being badged

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

49

BOB WORKING ON HIS FERRET RENOVATION

“I would therefore advise anyone thinking about Selection to get fit, build some muscle up because you lose a lot of weight while you’re on Selection. But while you are on Selection they do help you build your fitness by gradually increasing the marches each day. But the biggest thing I found was that if you were able to navigate without any detours then you will find Selection a lot easier and make good times.

“We do run map reading courses at A Squadron. All based on what you would need to know to pass Selection, to operate around the world or simply to keep safe on the hills. If anyone reading this is thinking of attempting Selection then get in touch and please come and get some preparation training in with us because you won’t regret it.”

Tom Spear: “Why does Bear Grylls keep drinking his own urine?”

Bob: “All I can say Tom, is that he’s a braver man than I am! Perhaps he only really enjoys a good warm glass of his own home brew? I’ve never tasted my own urine (thankfully) and would only do it if I was in a dire survival situation. If circumstances allowed then I would filter it before drinking by building a solar still, far safer and much more healthy. We teach various means of water collection on our survival courses so book in and I’ll show you how.”

Bob: “We used the ‘316 radio for our signalling and communications during my many tours of Oman. All our aerial lengths were determined by 264 Signals. Although we all knew our aerial theory which we had been taught as part of our signals training and we could do it ourselves, all the aerials were marked for us by 264 depending on what frequencies were to be used. So all we had to do then was switch the radio on, throw the aerials out to whatever length and tune in. I never remember us using a Gibson Kite. We did hoist them in the air (on trees or poles) if we were at base camp and we would connect them to the coax length of cable and then create a raised horizontal dipole, however sometimes due to the length of feedline this wasn’t practical so we would use an inverted V. Out on the ground if there were trees around a suitable distance apart and in the right direction we would hoist the two ends into the trees but by and large, due to a lack of trees when patrolling, we would simply string our antenna out on the ground.

We rarely had any problems with that so I would probably say that the horizontal dipole was best, whether on the ground or in the air.”

Matk Harris: “I have a two part question for Bob. When you hid in the organ how many hours were you in there and what food/drink did you take to sustain you?”

BOB ‘N’ BEAR (IT’S A CUTOUT!) Danny Rees: “What’s the best diapole antenna to use with a PRC316 in Oman? Using a Gibson Kite to hoist it was one fact TM mentioned to me.”

50

Xmas 2014

Bob: “[After another long laugh] Thanks for reminding me about that one Mark! For those who don’t know, I was hired 14 years ago to go undercover at a certain celebrity Christening, to obtain world exclusive photos of the star-studded ceremony. I began by carrying out a recce and discovered that the church was going to be out of bounds to the

BOB DOING WHAT HE LOVES - TEACHING

A SQUADRON ASK BOB

public two days prior to the event itself. I made my entry and found a perfect vantage point behind the organ. I took in enough food for three days, plus plastic bags to defecate in (I’m sure you all know the drill from McNab’s Nick Stone novels), exactly as I would have done when carrying out an OP in any urban area. I probably ended up being in there well over 50 hours. I enjoyed my picnic, sandwiches, oat bars and “Bars Chocolate P” (that’s P for plenty!). I took a good book in with me, saw all the build up to the event and was serenaded

by Sting. So as you can tell I was on real hard-routine. It was a tough assignment but someone had to do it.”

Dave Reilly: “When and why did you leave the regiment?”

Bob: “I left the Regiment in November 1994 basically because my time was up. I’d completed my standard 22 years in the British Army and had already signed on and served for another 5 years after that.

I’d have loved to have stayed even longer and the Regiment did want me to. I said “Yes” when they ask me and I even signed on for that further additional 5 years but for one reason and another it ended up that I had to leave anyway. But I loved every minute of my service and wouldn’t have changed it for the world. I experienced so much, I got to travel all over the world and meet and work with people from many diverse cultures; and at the real grass roots level of society, so I saw what things were really like and not what your standard tourist would see. I then went on to be a Training Major overseas but that’s another story.”

Christine Ketteringham: “When and where did you feel most isolated on a Christmas Day, or any day for that matter, during your service?”

Bob: “I spent many Christmas Days away. The one that sticks out was one year when I was in the Oman and they kept saying to us there’s going to be a massive hamper. The story circulating was that a hamper would be delivered to all the locations. So we waited and waited and waited and nothing ever turned up. We kept sending signals down saying “Where’s our hamper? We haven’t got it yet.”

About 11 o’clock one night, it was freezing cold with a high wind and to our delight a helicopter appeared, so we rushed to collect our giant hamper and all they gave us was one small bottle of red wine which was to be shared between 6 of us. We didn’t really get much of a drink but we still thought it was a great Christmas as we drank together. I still enjoyed myself.

“I’ve honestly never felt isolated. As long as you knew where you were at all times and were in signals contact with somebody, you always knew there was backup there. Fortunately in the whole of my career I never got lost or lost contact. Part of Selection is to pick people with strong minds and people who can operate on their own or in small patrols. I was survival trained so I always knew which direction to travel in to get back to base and we had pre-arranged RV

points around us, so if you did get separated you had somewhere to go to regroup and if no one else arrived at the agreed time you would move to the next RV and ultimately back to base.”

Faith: “Thanks for answering all those questions Bob, some really interesting and informative answers. To wrap things up here’s one final question from me. What has been your highlight of 2014 and what are you looking forward to in 2015?”

Bob: “Getting my Ferret done! That’s an easy one. I’ve owned a Daimler Armoured Car called a Ferret for a number of years. It’s what they call a Mark I, without a turret. It’s been lying in a shed rusting away. I’ve been meaning to get it done up and finally got it down to a guy in Kent who used to be a REME mechanic and worked on Ferrets while he was in the army. He’s stripped it right down and rebuilt it for me. I went down and helped with some of the work for a few days.

I’ll be able to drive it around legally on the road and maybe you’ll see it at some of our shows next year.

“I’m looking forward to doing more teaching in 2015, which I really enjoy, and continuing to build up what we do here at A Squadron.”

As we now look ahead to 2015 we are excited about our next instalment for Airsoft Action. When we write again we will have completed Operation Intradon, taking part in our first airsoft mini MilSim. We also have some very interesting plans afoot, working with friends of ours on a project which should be of special interest to our airsoft community. So we’ll see you in the New Year with some new beginnings.

Keep in contact with our day to day news via our Facebook page www.facebook.com/asquadon If you would like to contact us about anything discussed in this month’s article or for all training enquiries please email trainingwing@a-sqn.com or phone 07762 507 146.

Until next time we would like to wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and much happiness in 2015.

This is ‘A’ Squadron signing out.

Bob & Faith A Squadron Ltd

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

51

Kit LOADED OR UNLOADED

GREEN & MEAN SITE OPERATORS AND SCENARIO GURUS SPEND A LOT OF TIME PUTTING GAMES TOGETHER, SO THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS MAKE AN EFFORT TO GET OUR LOADOUTS RIGHT! JERRY NOONE SHOWS HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE THIS ON A BUDGET – OR NOT! PICTURES: NETEE IN LAST MONTH’S ISSUE I READ WITH GREAT INTEREST Gadge’s article which brought together the thoughts of other players, some of them old friends of mine, on what they like in relation to role playing and characterisation within a game. Like many there I believe it has its place and can add to an overall game when done well.

It did get me thinking though that there is something basically more fundamental when it comes to attending a game; many site operators will make an easy team split based simply on “Green and Tan”. Over the years I’ve seen games announced where players can sign up for one side or another in advance, but arriving at the site all too often you see a complete mash up of gear which makes running things without coloured armbands nigh on impossible!

Now the good guys that write the scenarios that we enjoy spend an awful lot of time working things out and even the simplest “Sunday Skirmish” is, in my opinion, made eminently better if the armbands or sticky tape can be ditched. With so much tactical gear out there to suit every wallet, is it too much to ask that players take note of the uniform guidelines?

I am not suggesting for a moment that everyone needs to kit themselves out from head to toe in the most highly priced, “Gucci” tactical trend of the moment but I will say that it’s pretty straightforward to put together a couple of sets of gear that will allow you to go either way; once again, if you have the flexibility to go “Green or Tan” and play hard and fair, then your local site op is going to welcome you with open arms.

This month I’m going to go back to the basics of “Loaded or Unloaded” and look at two sets of “green” gear. As always I look for inspiration in the “real world” on which to hang my article and as I have an old TM Uzi and an ICS Galil in my collection, it seemed only natural to look at the IDF as a source of ideas. Note here that I use the word “inspiration”; I’m not going to build a living history standard impression although that would be pretty cool!

For years now the IDF have used a basic OD uniform and although many manufacturers from that part of the world do make gear in other patterns, the soldiers themselves stick to basic,

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

53

uniform green in both clothing and equipment. Taking that as a starting point I thought of former service personnel who have gone over to the private sector; used to (and comfortable in) an all-green set of gear; what might they pick?

UNLOADED If you’re relatively new to airsoft then the thought of picking up a complete loadout in one colour can be pretty daunting. Surely it’s going to take a lot of money and why bother when you can have surplus DPM for pennies these days?

The fact is that a “civilian” style loadout can be a lot more versatile, taking into account many different timelines and scenarios.

It also means that you can shop around for gear that, as always, can be used both on and off the airsoft field. To keep costs down I’ve looked at gear which is well priced. With a little imagination a bit of “mixing and matching” will take you a long way. Don’t forget to keep an eye out wherever you are; I was in my local Decathlon outdoor store recently and picked up a cracking OD microfleece for just £9.99!

For the basic “uniform” I’ve started with a simple olive green soft shell jacket from VIPER; actually I’ve gone to them for a lot of the “basics” here. There’s nothing incredibly fancy about this jacket but it’s well cut, comfortable and offers good protection from the elements; the model shown has now been superseded by the Special Ops Soft Shell which is a superb bit of kit and priced at just £69.95 it’s a jacket that you can wear every day. The Special Ops is put together using a waterproof polyester outer fabric laminated to a soft inner fleece lining.

I would describe the jacket as being highly water resistant rather than waterproof though; whilst the outer fabric itself will keep out the worst of the elements the seams are not taped which means that water will find an ingress point after prolonged exposure.

The feature set on the jacket is completely solid. There are four main zip pockets where you would expect them on the front, with two additional pockets high on the arm and one over the left wrist; the two upper arm pockets have velcro areas ideal for attaching your unit or morale patches.

Internally there are two further pockets for securing those bits of kit that need additional security. The front closure is a two way YKK zip, and tucked away neatly in the collar is a full hood, which is peaked and fully adjustable. The wrist closure is looked after with an elasticated cuff and some very neat moulded “VIPER” velcro closures. If you want layers underneath that can be used year round then also check out VIPER’S excellent Tactical T-Shirt and Tactical Fleece.

In relation to trousers virtually every tactical gear manufacturer will offer plain OD models. I’ve chosen classic 5:11s, but if you’re really

54

xmas 2014

pressed for cash then a simple pair of surplus “Lightweights” can be had very cheaply and do the job they need to. Look at what you really need in terms of features such as pockets and keep everything as simple as possible!

Headwear is a simple OD “Tactical Shooters Cap” which you can find for just a few quid online, teamed up with a classic Shemagh for a little extra insulation and face/neck protection. Gloves are cheap and cheerful “Pilots” cut down recon style. I’ve also gone with the VIPER Modular Holster and Special Ops Belt as they sit well within the budget.

A Proforce 33 Litre OD patrol pack is useful to haul around everything you need for the day, and these come in at around the £35 mark if you shop around. A simple chest rig for magazines and the odd grenade keeps things affordable and “lo drag”; if you’re using a Galil or AK then a “ChiCom Rig” is pretty much as cheap as you’ll find although the model pictured was actually made by a friend at my local site and cost me the princely sum of £25.

The one thing that I will always spend a little cash on for any loadout is footwear; a decent pair of boots are worth their weight in gold offering both comfort and protection. If your feet are uncomfortable it will simply spoil your entire day. Here I wanted something reasonably lightweight, so I chose the Tac Spec Classic from Magnum. This is an ultra lightweight high leg boot that features a slip resistant Vibram outsole which is both flexible and durable, combined with an antimicrobial Ortholite insole which gives great cushioning and comfort.

There’s an FS-AO6 ballistic Mil-Spec mesh inner lining which aids breathability, and the foam ankle pads give even more protection. I picked these up from Magnum’s own website where they were on special offer for £71.99!

LOADED The question will inevitably be if money were no object what kit would you go for?

Luckily I’ve been involved in airsoft for some considerable time so I’ve been able to take my time over purchases in order to build up a first rate set of “greenside” gear.

Whilst the “Unloaded” gear is very well priced I’ve purposely gone more down a “woodland” scenario with the Galil, so for my suppressed Uzi I’m going to head into the buildings.

The first item is one that I acquired relatively recently and have really come to love and that’s a next to skin shirt from Under Armour. The ColdGear Infrared Mock Neck is a lovely design too, perfectly suited for wear under a shell garment in those colder months of the year. It sits close to the skin for a streamlined fit without the squeeze of compression and the higher neck keeps you snug without having to resort immediately to a neck gaiter. 4-Way Stretch allows greater mobility and maintains shape, whilst smooth, flatlock seam construction means that rub points are eliminated. It is extremely comfortable next to the skin and all the little details work perfectly; the mock neck is snug and warm without being too tight, and the cuffs are simple, with very low bulk.

This is the perfect shirt to wear under a performance shell jacket and for this I’ve chosen the Triple Aught Designs Stealth LT Hoody.

This superb jacket is a durable, all weather, all season softshell. Highly adaptive and designed to withstand harsh climates, it is TAD’s most technically advanced jacket (and probably the most advanced model I’ve ever owned!) which perfectly combines the impermeable nature of a hardshell with the comfort and breathability of a softshell. Performance is utterly staggering in all conditions! It shrugs off rain and sleet with consummate ease and is so breathable that you hardly know you are wearing an outer layer! The addition of pit zips for mechanical venting seems almost superfluous but going at full tilt they certainly come in useful for that little extra ventilation. Although TAD describe this as a softshell you’d be hard pushed to see where a hardshell would outperform it in any way at all.

With the upper body area well protected I really wanted to find

Kit LOADED OR UNLOADED

stretch areas in the back and upper back leg area. The stretch areas are made of a robust and comfortable Schoeller dynamic fabric which is absolutely bomber tough. An additional vertical zipper on the upper leg pockets allows easy access, even while sitting or kneeling; this is a design element I’m seeing on the best of the new trouser models and UF PRO really have it nailed. For maximum protection and additional air circulation, the pants come with pockets for UF PRO knee protectors.

These are available as an addon and are extremely easy to fit; although they are constructed from a soft material they give very, very good protection indeed.

Once again I’ve gone for the skull balaclava with a “Death Aces” ballcap which I found online. Gloves here are Hatch Operator Shortys which I’ve had for years and truly adore. In relation to load gear I have to say that for once a plate carrier does fit the bill for the intended role, so I’ve chosen the Condor Releasable Plate Carrier with a selection of ammunition and utility pouches fitted. I’ve also fitted another VIPER holster direct to the vest for ease. Although I’ve got a 3L hydration carrier on the back of the vest I also wanted a small pack which could carry field essentials and luckily as I came to write this, Helikon launched the first models in their new “Direct Action” line of equipment.

a pant model that would gives similar performance. Now there are a lot of REALLY expensive trouser models out there from all the big names as you’d expect but I eventually bit the bullet and went for a pair of P-40 Pants from UF PRO. The P-40 (aptly named after the WWII fighter aircraft) Classic trousers are based on a completely new concept of making trousers. In order to achieve a maximum of comfort and mobility, UF PRO have combined a newly developed anatomic cut with

At 25L the newly DRAGON EGG pack is absolutely perfect for what I had in mind. Made of durable and water resistant 500D Cordura material, the DRAGON EGG pack is a tactical low profile hydration backpack, perfect for tactical use. The pack comes with two hydration bladder compartments, a dedicated laptop storage compartment, an admin section with multiple inner sleeves and pockets, comfortably padded shoulder straps with added chest fastening for extra comfort and a removable hip belt with quick release buckle. A very attractive laser-cut MOLLE/PALS compatible system and number of a lateral compression straps allow for high level of customisation and flexibility, while the multiple storage compartments offer a huge amount of carrying space; there’s even an awesome little paracord drag handle.

Thanks to the egg shape, the pack is lower in height and narrower in width than other packs with a similar capacity and this makes it more comfortable with belt kits or ballistic vests.

Last but not least I end up back at footwear and for this loadout I’ve looked for something a little more athletic in styling; the Black Eagle Mids from HAIX have proved perfect. This is a very able boot made of a microfibre/textile combination so it’s nice and light. It has 3-layer GORETEX laminate which is 100% waterproof and highly breathable. The lining is abrasion-resistant with the HAIX Climate System with MicroDry lining at top of the cuff. There is an insole which is comfortable, cushioning, moisture repellent and anti-bacterial with a separate heel area for further cushioning and foot retention. The running outsole is anti-slip and it offers very good grip on differing terrain. All in all I can already tell that this is a boot that’s going to have a long and active life!

GOING GREEN Summing up then I think you’ll be able to see that whatever your budget it’s actually very simple to put together a “Green & Mean” set of kit. It is true that you get what you pay for and yes, you will get higher performance levels from the more advanced, technical gear.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

55

GEAR LIST AND WHERE TO GET IT

That said, everything I’ve chosen is perfectly workmanlike and will certainly be “fit for purpose” in relation to playing airsoft. If you’re thinking of joining a team that already does “greenside ops” as one of their loadouts then buying judiciously can have you running alongside them, looking good very quickly and cost effectively. I’ve known a number of teams who run predominantly green gear with black accessories and I have to say it always looks darn sharp.

I’ve specifically picked gear that will be equally at home for work and play; my TAD Soft Shell for instance, although an expensive purchase, is a jacket that I wear almost daily in the winter months and also with just a base layer when it chills down in the summer. The same is already proving true this autumn with the HAIX boots.

Newly released and just in time for this article are new NUPROL mesh goggles from WE Airsoft Europe; I couldn’t resist getting the green framed versions into the photoshoot! With two frame sizes these excellent goggles are fully CE Rated and benefit from ultra thick steel mesh to ensure maximum safety. I’m not normally a mesh goggle wearer but these are comfortable and offer a great field of view. Having worn them to a couple of games now I have to say I’m impressed; numerous retailers already have them in stock so I’d recommend you try some at your earliest opportunity!

To conclude, my advice once again is take your time, take advice, read the reviews, buy right, and buy once!

www.viperkit.co.uk VIPER currently make some of the most cost effective tactical clothing and equipment available, and their quality just keeps getting better and better. Keep an eye on their website and there’s more good news from them on the way soon! www.511tactical.com Probably one of the originators when it comes to tactical trousers, and they’re constantly releasing new models like the Traverse and the Stryke; keep an eye on them for updates! www.patrolbase.co.uk Patrol Base probably stock a lot of what you would want for a cost effective “Green Team” loadout; certainly check them out for Proforce rucs! www.magnumboots.com Let’s face it, Magnums have been with us for a long time, but they are constantly upping their game with new models and new innovations!

Visit their website to view the full range and get stockist details. www.top-of-the-range.co.uk To check out the full range of Tactical Under Armour products give the TOTR website a visit. They’ve also got some other great tactical brands in their portfolio and you’ll find full details tech specs and stockist details. www.heinnie.com If you’ve never paid a visit to the Heinnie Haynes website you don’t know what you’ve been missing! For full details of Triple Aught Designs clothing models please visit them to take a look; trust me, you’ll be there for a while! www.ufpro.si Awesome clothing and gear is what you’ll find here, with regular updates on new models and technologies. The great news for us in the UK is that Airsoft World will soon be stocking UFPRO, so watch that space too! www.military1st.co.uk Need tactical gear? Military1st is pretty much your one stop shop in this respect. All the Condor and the very latest Helikon “Direct Action” gear is on their website, along with so much more. www.haix.co.uk For full technical specifications on all the excellent HAIX tactical and military boot models please visit their website. Stockist details are available there too. www.weairsofteurope.com For more details on the new range of NUPROL mesh goggles as well as gas, BBs, batteries, and of course some excellent RIFs please pay WE Airsoft Europe a visit!

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

57

N

O TI

IP R C 9 S B 7.9 U S £3 E SU UST S J 2I

1

DIGITAL EDITIONS

AVAILABLE ON iPAD, iPHONE AND ANDROID VISIT

KIT MUVI ACTION CAMERA

SO YOU WANT TO BE IN THE MUVIES? IGGY ROBERTS SWAPS HIS WORK CAMERA FOR SOMETHING SLIGHTLY SMALLER, AS HE TRIES OUT A NEW ACTION CAMERA FROM VEHO LIGHTS, CAMERA AND ENDLESS ACTION! I had the privilege of trialing a new action/point of view camera made by VEHO, the MUVI K-Series K2NPNG. These days it’s very popular to film your skirmish and then share your best tactics and victories on-line with everyone. So which camera do you choose to attach to the rail of your airsoft gun? Well it could come down to cost, weight, image quality and ease of use plus any outstanding features it may have. MUVI is one of many exciting sub-brands from the global lifestyle consumer electronics company, VEHO Global Group.

Created in 2009, the MUVI design was based around a different form factor than most other hands-free, body-worn action cameras on the market. This portrait style form factor allows it to be much more diverse in its application, which is where it may be of interest to us airsofters.

What the MUVI K-Series has to offer is: a 140 degree angled CMOS lens, up to three hours continuous recording, full HD 1080p video with a selection of frame rates consisting of 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 60, 100 and 200 frames per second. The camera takes SD and micro SDHC cards. All videos are recorded as MOV files with WAV audio files. There is also a stills option which captures Jpeg images at 16 megapixels - which is pretty awesome when you consider this is an action camera.

The camera also features a timelapse option and a built-in WiFi on/off control. You can download the free Muvi K-Series app for iOS or Android to connect your camera wirelessly to your phone, with live preview to record videos, take pictures and share with your friends via email, Facebook, Twitter and more.

The MUVI K-Series K2NPNG comes in a custom hard case and as well as the camera, the contents of the case include LCD Screen, Rugged Carry Case, Waterproof Case, Tripod Mount, Right Angle Mount, Flat Velcro Mount. The mount that attaches to the Picatinny rails on your gun is an aftermarket purchase, available from PatrolStore, the same company that supplied the review camera.

The MUVI K-Series K2NPNG sits easily on an assault rifle or in front of the trigger guard under the barrel of a pistol. It does not get in the way and when used with the LCD screen it is great to

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

59

capture the moments you would like to remind yourself of or show off to your team.

It is easy to use even when in its protective weather proof housing, although make sure the camera is switched on before placing it into the weather proof housing. Once this is done you can turn the LCD live feed on and off using the two buttons on the top.

To record simply push the button on the front of the camera next to the lens. The rear button on the top is used to stop recording. The front button at the top is used to take capture stills images.

As already mentioned, you can record wirelessly and post your raw video online and it is also possible to connect the camera to a PC or Mac using the provided USB cable.

In the field The rifle mount sits on the top Picatinny rail and sticks out to the side. This enables you to mount the MUVI K-Series off to one side, where gives a great first person view and allows the use of the weapon sites. However on the mount I used I had to add a spacer (washer) to fully tighten the MUVI K-Series in position. Once secured the camera didn’t come loose all day. I put it in the waterproof protective casing to secure it from any knocks and incoming BBs. The pistol mount was a great success. The mount attached easily with a snug fit. The pistol didn’t feel forward heavy when the camera was attached and was still easy enough to use as required. The live view flipped so it remained in the correct format for viewing. This was a nice feature that I was pleased to find.

Conclusion The MUVI K-Series is a very user-friendly versatile action camera that easily goes pound for pound with the more common action cameras.

I would happily use this camera to get some great alternative angles and use a few of these to put together a complete video.

This camera is very well suited to record your hero moment or quality hit and look forward to seeing your skirmish movies online in the near future.

Many thanks to PatrolStore (www.patrolstore. com) for supplying the review MUVI - and allowing us to give it away as a prize in one of our famous Airsoft Action competitions!

If you’d like the chance of winning the MUVI that Iggy reviewed, turn to page 79 and have a go at our free to enter competition.

Good luck!

60

xmas 2014

Tel: 01753 800009

With thanks to Black Lagoon

GM01.14/107/r

103 HIGH ST, ETON, Nr WINDSOR SL4 6AF

BLACK ACES INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT | ECUADOR

INTERNATIONAL TEAM PROFILE

BLACK ACES - ECUADOR MEET A TEAM FROM ECUADOR WHO TAKE THEIR AIRSOFT VERY SERIOUSLY - BUT STILL KNOW HOW TO HAVE FUN! AIRSOFT BLACK ACES QUITO are a club created in order to raise awareness and promote the game of Airsoft in Ecuador, responsibly and with honour.

Our story began in 2011 with a small group of friends who gathered to try a few replicas that were achieved between. This was the beginning of a Club that today is one with 30 members only in Quito and growing up, including professionals and students in age range 14 years to 40.

We have been consolidated with the support of all members, resulting in the growth of our sport in our country and there has been national events attended by teams from other provinces such as Guayaquil, Quevedo, Loja each with their clubs and squads.

Our Black Aces Club is comprised of squads: Task Force Titan, Spectre, Kobra, Black Dragons, each growing as new players are directed to form their squads.

There are special events we do each year which have national and international players, among them, Zombie Game “Warhammer”. Each is developed with specific objectives and different frames in each and new places each year.

We have had support from companies for the coordination of these events and who have given awards to outstanding players; G & G, PrimeLink, Wolfpack Management Solutions, Kallpamunay, Camp Ares.

Thanks to the strategic location that has allowed our country to make airsoft games in jungle, forest, desert, moors, sea, all with their unpredictable weather with rain, wind, etc. These fields can be found in mobilization of 1 hour at 4, making always takes place different games.

We want contact with teams from around the world to invite them to attend as our special events.

You can find us on the web www.blackacesairsoft.com, Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/BlackAcesAirsoft Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/blackacesecuador/ Friends please find attached some links of videos: Industry or ghost house: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mRae9srJE_A Zombie Game Event: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ZSS3EpFmqv8 Tv Program at National level: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=dhJXPsOT9ck

Supporting production programs in Ecuador: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=5CvmaAGHrwo We hope to hear from you and thanks for your support.

Santiago Rojas - Black Aces Airsoft Club, Quito, Ecuador.

Ed’s note: A few years back I had the great pleasure of trekking up Mount Cotopaxi, an active volcano not far from Quito and one of my (many) abiding memories of the trip was the open friendliness of the Ecuadorian people.

So if you ever fancy playing airsoft in Ecuador get in contact with these guys, I am sure you will be well looked after - just watch out for the Tequila chasers! www.airsoft-action.co.uk

63

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL AS MORE AND MORE PAINTBALL OPERATORS ARE MAKING THE SWITCH, KRIS ROBERTS VISITS A SITE IN DEVON THAT IS DIPPING ITS TOE INTO AIRSOFT. THE DARK AND THE RAIN WERE NOT COVER enough to hide my apprehension. Crossing the open ground in front of me was my only course of action and I had to find the confidence that I could make it across unseen. To my right a burst of fire from one of my teammates provided the distraction I needed, so I raised my M4 into the aim position and walked quickly towards the wooden target building, aware that if I ran I would end up on my backside after flying across the soaking wet grass.

Slipping through the open doorway I knew that I was now only feet away from the opposition, separated by a feeble half an inch of plywood. It’s in these moments, when anything can happen, when the next three seconds will see you win or lose, that I am reminded of the real reason that I play. The politics fall away, the petty arguments and the constant debates about the best bit of kit and what looks ‘Operator’ become irrelevant and mundane. This is the payoff for all my endeavours in getting to this spot, this is me or him, one on one and the clarity of it is like an addiction.

Life simplifies. The space I’m in is small, so I sling my M4 behind my back and draw my pistol. Now I am free to make my move. I raise myself up to peer over the wooden wall and see my opponent with his back towards me. The sights of my gun line up on instinct and in that heartbeat I fire.

An Unexpected Find My first visit to Adrenaline Airsoft happened earlier this summer when I was working on a previous article about support gunners.

Situated just outside of Exeter, I had briefly heard about a local paintball site opening its doors to Airsofters who had their own kit but I hadn’t had the time to pay them a visit myself. With the needs of the article coinciding with an upcoming game it seemed like the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

With my mind fixed on the task at hand I had paid little attention to the site facilities in the run up to the game, putting my trust in the positive word of mouth that had been circulating within our little community.

64

Xmas 2014

SITE REVIEW ADRENALINE AIRSOFT

“THE POLITICS FALL AWAY, THE PETTY ARGUMENTS AND THE CONSTANT DEBATES ABOUT THE BEST BIT OF KIT AND WHAT LOOKS ‘OPERATOR’ BECOME IRRELEVANT AND MUNDANE. THIS IS THE PAYOFF FOR ALL MY ENDEAVOURS IN GETTING TO THIS SPOT, THIS IS ME OR HIM, ONE ON ONE AND THE CLARITY OF IT IS LIKE AN ADDICTION.”

On arrival I was pleased to find an excellent safe zone with plenty of covered seating areas, a working kitchen and a proper toilet block. All of this might sound like pretty basic stuff for a well established paintball site but, as a veteran player who has had more than his fair share of soggy sandwiches sat in a field and porta-loos that only get emptied once a year, I never underestimate the luxury of a well fitted and professionally run safe zone.

Adrenaline Games Paintball has been in operation for over two decades and this longevity not only highlights their success but shows a company that is willing to adapt to the changing times, listen to their client base and endeavour to keep things fresh and exciting. Airsoft is just the latest chapter in their story. I had the chance to speak to the site manager, Brett and ask him what he thought about Airsoft and if it had a future at Adrenaline.

“I must confess that I knew next to nothing about Airsoft but we’ve been getting a lot of requests for it and we’ve been approached by people asking if they can use our facilities for their own privately organised games. Sadly, we have no rental equipment to offer to new players but we are getting established players travelling quite long distances to join the games that are taking place. It’s great for business and the feedback has been very positive.”

The players themselves have been quick to offer their praise, with one of them telling me “The staff ask us questions all the time. They want to know more about the guns we use and the kit we wear. They want to learn more and from our point of view we couldn’t ask for more.”

Proof in the Pudding I know what you’re thinking…

A nice safe zone and good intentions are all very well and good but what about the game play? We all know that Paintball and Airsoft are two very different ball games, so how well can a Paintball site with fixed arenas work as a home for Airsoft?

In the case of Adrenaline the answer is simple; very well indeed! Each arena has been designed and laid out from a player’s perspective. Rather than the random placement of pallets to provide cover, a great deal of time and thought has gone into the presentation and look of each arena. From eye-catching Helicopters and armoured vehicles, down to the paintwork on the Land Rovers and road signs, there is a huge amount of detail and texture to keep the immersion alive. Even the fuel dump arena, which could so easily be another standard field full of barrels, www.airsoft-action.co.uk

65

SITE REVIEW ADRENALINE AIRSOFT

has been planned out to challenge those fighting and encourage teamwork.

On this first visit I was armed only with my camera and despite longing to snatch up a gun and get stuck in, I really felt absorbed in the action and atmosphere of the day. Each game was fast and exciting. With the day only open to experienced players with their own equipment the standard of play was excellent and it was a pleasure to see the teams communicating and working as a unit to achieve their objectives.

The smaller arenas provided the intense firefights, while the larger areas with their mixture of woodland and ruined buildings hosted the longer, thoughtful, games where the players had more room to manoeuvre and hunt down their opponents.

I ended that first day with the feeling that there was huge potential to be found at Adrenaline, and already the local players were getting involved to find how best to unleash it.

A Return to Arms Due to one reason or another it would be months before I returned to Adrenaline, by which point I was chomping at the bit. In this time evening games had been introduced and I was hearing back from my fellow skirmishers about the extra dimension that had been added by fighting through blacked out and floodlit areas.

Finally I had made it back on site. The weather was miserable, with heavy rain and strong winds increasing as the evening wore on. There were only a handful of players present but enthusiasm was high and everyone was eager to crack on and make the most of the situation.

I had hoped to spend the first hour capturing some pictures of the scene before the light faded but sadly the rain forced me to pack the camera away before I managed to get any shots. Nevermind, back at the car I picked up my M4 and returned to join my team.

Immediately I could see why the locals showed such an interest in the site. Leapfrogging up the left flank my eyes were darting back and forth looking for a target. The further I advanced the more I had to cover every angle and direction. The long shadows cast by the glow of the spotlights provided perfect hiding places and the tension it created was palatable.

Lasers were used to mark potential threats, torches caught the enemy unawares in mid-sneak attack and tracer rounds sped through the air sending everyone scurrying for cover. Even with the low player numbers in attendance the environment they created can only be described as a visual treat.

66

Xmas 2014

Repeat Prescription It’s pretty clear by now that I was very impressed by what Adrenaline had to offer. Having privately run games that involve experienced players may seem a touch elitist but there are plenty of venues for beginners to learn the game. For regular players who have advanced their skillset over years of play this is a chance to be challenged by players of a similar capability. Regular open days can quickly become boring for regular players if their skills aren’t being tested and the larger nationwide events are often beyond reach in terms of time off, distance and finance. The set up at Adrenaline is ideal for such players, offering a close to home solution to get the most out of the game we all feel so passionate about.

But although Adrenaline serves as very welcoming host to the proceedings, it is the work and imagination of proactive players that bring these ideas to fruition. Both of the games I mentioned in this article were the brainchild of Jake Chanter, an Exeter based player who took it upon himself to create this opportunity for the Airsoft community in his area.

I consider the chance to attend such games to be a gift.

Adrenaline had opened its doors to Airsoft and with people like Jake willing to help govern and marshal the opening stages and iron out the creases; it would be a real shame if this rare occurrence wasn’t taken full advantage of.

I’m brought back to the word “potential”. The Airsoft events at Adrenaline have had a very good start but there is so much potential on offer that it really is only limited by the players’ willingness to push the boundaries and explore new ideas.

At one point during the evening I was stood in the ruins of an old building. I was edging my head around the brickwork in an attempt to get sight of the gunner that had occupied the guard tower that dominated the area. The orange glow from the spotlights gave the impression that the scene was lit by some distant fire and the water dripping from the muzzle of my gun made the moment an almost cinematic experience. This moment could have been found in any setting. World War Two, Vietnam, Cold War, Post Apocalyptic, the options are considerable and I encourage my fellow players to help create these opportunities and bring the thrill of the challenge back into the game.

One thing is for sure, whatever the scenario or set up, I’ll be there looking to join the fight.

TRUNK MONKEY MANY AIRSOFTERS ENJOY THE “FREEDOM” THAT TAKING ON THE ROLE OF A PMC BRINGS TO THE GAME BUT WHAT’S IT LIKE FOR REAL? JAY SLATER TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW A MAN WHO REALLY HAS “BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.” “WEAPONS ARE LIKE CARS,” SAYS LEWIS STEINER, an ex-Army soldier and Mercenary for Hire (or “Security Contractor” as the industry prefers to call him these days). “I think everyone has their favourites and I know many who rave about the AK-47. Personally I hate it, not because it’s crap but because it has no finesse. It’s not super-accurate and yes, it does have man-stopping power but when you consider most are made under licence in shithole countries with no quality control, I rather put my life in the hands of something a bit more refined.”

Steiner sits in the corner of a pub in Lower Clapton Road, his back to the wall and eyeing the locals, the saloon door and a means of escape as if routine. Located on a stretch of tarmac that lays claim to the unwanted title of “Britain’s Deadliest Road” in terms of gangland killings, Steiner feels at home despite the clientele and air of graphic violence. Images of the Kray brothers hang from walls as if shrines to the departed and suit the pub well.

Its wallpaper, tarred by fading nicotine and the occasional splatter of claret just do not catch the eye - unless, of course, you are Steiner.

Lewis Steiner is currently serving with a major US news outlet in Baghdad and has returned to London to promote his book Trunk Monkeys: The Life of a Contract Soldier in Iraq (Fonthill Media, 2014). The book, unlike many other titles that fabricate the author’s role in the Middle East, tells Steiner’s true story as a mercenary working in Iraq shortly after the second Gulf War. From the perspective of a grizzled veteran who left the British Army to join the gold rush in the living hell that was war-torn Iraq, this fascinating and often extremely violent book encompasses the highs and lows of operating throughout the country; from Basra in the south up to Mosul in the north. Steiner recounts stories of friends lost due to negligence and poor planning, to the realities of conducting a private war surrounded by civilians who might be the enemy. Injured in an incident that left two dead, Steiner accepted a contract located near Tikrit, where the missions rapidly become a death sentence to many of the contract soldiers. In some cases the missions were pointless, costing men, vehicles and the sanity

68

Xmas 2014

interview INTERVIEW | LEWIS STEINER

”I FELT AND HEARD THE WHOOSH OF AN RPG ROUND AS IT IMPACTED ON THE ROAD WHERE THE RIGHT-HAND TYRE MADE CONTACT WITH THE TARMAC. HAD THE ROUND HIT MY VEHICLE, I WOULD NOT BE HERE TALKING TO YOU NOW.”

of his brothers in arms. Steiner was in the thick of it, from dodging enemy ambushes, to taking out a suicide bomber and narrowly escaping death in “Sniper Alley” - collecting cranberry sauce for the US on Thanksgiving Day! Forget the fictionalised works of Andy McNab, Tom Clancy and Chris Ryan: this is the real deal and tells a story that the government does not want you to know. Think of The Wild Geese (1978) on steroids and you have the picture.

Before becoming a security contractor, Steiner spent twentytwo years in the British Army as an infantry soldier. His first tastes of combat were in Northern Ireland, although he claims what he does now is an almost laughable introduction to the battlefield after his service in Afghanistan and Iraq. “I managed to avoid peacekeeping duties in the former Yugoslavia. From what I have heard from people who served there, it sounded like a truly depressing and demoralising situation. Also, it is very common for the fighting man to have their hands tied by the same corrupt politicians who unleash us to do their dirty work and then change the rules mid-game.”

Steiner has encountered a number of life-threatening situations such as a suicide bomber, who he took out with his SAW before his bullet-pummelled human target exploded with no effect next to an armoured vehicle. He states that he has been in many of these situations, so will concentrate on the one that had the deepest and most profound effect on him. He had been working in Iraq for over a year and was a team leader of a PSD (Protection Security Detail) team near Samarra. As was often the case, the missions that he was convinced were suicidal were not, whereas the routine tasks proved to “bite you in the arse”.

He had been busy all week and preoccupied with several IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device) and small-arms fire in a five-day period. “On the Friday, we had a day off and decided that we would go to a local US Army base for some “R & R”. I remember sitting in the passenger seat of the lead vehicle feeling content and thinking that the 10-kilometre trip back was a foregone conclusion.” Ordering another beer, Steiner reflects on the past as if it happened yesterday. “I wasn’t that relaxed that I wasn’t doing my job but enough that what happened next surprised me. I felt and heard the whoosh of an RPG round as it impacted on the road where the right-hand tyre made contact with the tarmac. Had the round hit my vehicle, I would not be here talking to you now. The blast lifted the rear of the vehicle into the air and this, combined with the six-ton vehicle and the high speed that we were travelling at, was enough to flip us. I could feel the vehicle about to go www.airsoft-action.co.uk

69

interview INTERVIEW | LEWIS STEINER

in what felt like a slow motion moment. The horizon through the windscreen changed and the road outside my side window got closer and closer and then in a flash, the slow motion became fast forwards as the SUV crashed into the ground and rolled several times.” Steiner states that he felt as if he was in an out of control washing machine – easy meat for the enemy. The screeching of metal and sand that was kicked up inside the SUV’s cabin overwhelmed his senses, leaving him numb, dazed and shocked. Gradually, his senses returned. “I was still in my seat and I looked around the vehicle – it was empty. The windscreen had shattered and I crawled through the gap, falling onto the road. The SUV had come to a halt on its side and I could hear small-arms fire and the engine of the second vehicle as it stopped next to me. I wanted to drift off and sleep but I knew we had been ambushed and the RPG was just the start of it. I had to get back in the game and I forced myself up. I couldn’t feel it yet but I had two cracked ribs.”

Steiner recovered his SAW and successfully engaged and destroyed the enemy that had bumped him and the unit. The driver was found off the road about ten metres in front of the stricken SUV where he had been hurtled through the windscreen when the RPG exploded.

“He was alive but it was obvious to me that he wasn’t going to survive,” Steiner reflects. “We called in a medevac and loaded him onto a chopper. We found out later that he died on his way to the nearest camp. While this is by no means the worst thing that I have seen, it affected me the most.”

Looking back, he says that his service in Northern Ireland was great, a chance to do what he was trained for; in a six-month tour, his battalion lost one man. In the 1990s, his group enjoyed no casualties.

However, Afghanistan was the most dangerous country that he has ever served. “I was lucky enough, if you can use that term, to have been part of the invasion of Afghanistan and for me that was epic.

It was dangerous but what came later in my opinion was far worse.

The Afghans have done to us what they do best. They knew they could not defeat us, so they waited. What followed our invasion was a constant war of attrition. To put it into context, during the thirtyeight years of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, over 700 soldiers died.

Since 2001, over 400 British soldiers have perished and over 3,000 if you group all deaths of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) personnel.”

Steiner reflects on the past where he could earn $145,000 and more a year but now you can halve that – not good at all when every day could be your last. “Ten years ago when we owned Iraq and called the shots, there were thousands of us running around the country.

And now? The Iraqi government call the tune and most PSD teams 70

Xmas 2014

are locals. Until the next invasion, the need for people like me will be on the decrease. The few companies that still employ people for PSD in hostile environment missions demand a minimum of six years in the army and at least two operational tours. You also need an SIA (Security Industry Authority) Close Protection licence. With that being said, infantry and basic medical skills are needed and not “spooks” or SF. Just solid infantry skills and mental robustness.”

Which begs the question: “What exactly is a trunk monkey?” In Steiner’s words it refers to a rear gunner in an armed vehicle and is a term used among military personnel in Iraq. Steiner perfected this role and made short work of approaching enemies with his SAW. But how does Trunk Monkeys differ from the multitude of other likeminded books of heroics and adventure?

“Trunk Monkeys doesn’t ignore the facts and shows the good and the bad. I hope it gives an insight into what it was like to operate in a post-conflict environment like Iraq. We all saw the news reports about “Route Irish” (a notorious 7.5-mile stretch of highway in Baghdad known for its suicide bombers and drive-by shootings) and IEDs, but these reports never gave an idea of what it was like to live under the constant threat of death. I hope in some way I have conveyed this feeling of dread that we all shared. Every day that I climbed inside my vehicle, it felt as if I was climbing into a coffin.”

Steiner looks out of the rain-lashed window as if lost in thought.

Was the hard cash worth it? Were the endless scenes of death and destruction worth it? The day he left Iraq for the UK, ISIS was only thirty-five miles to the west. “For all our airstrikes and firepower that we sold to the Iraqis, none of these things are slowing the enemy - an enemy we created and allowed to flourish by destabilising the region.

I hope if nothing else that Trunk Monkeys gives you an idea of how what is happening today has gotten to this point and the problems that we will face to stem the flow of extremism. I would bet my life savings on the fact that airstrikes and weapons won’t be anywhere near enough. Indeed, we are all going to get sucked in again because the only way to stop what’s happening is by committing ground troops.”

Steiner throws his head back and drains his glass. “We need to send in our military. It’s time to wipe them out.”

Trunk Monkeys: The Life of a Contract Soldier in Iraq - Author: Lewis Steiner Publisher: Fonthill Media (www.fonthillmedia.com)

ARE YOU A CHAIRSOFTER? WE ALL KNOW THE TYPE AND IN THIS ISSUE’S DEBATE, GADGE WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT TURNS PLAYERS INTO “CHAIRSOFTERS”.

THIS ISSUE’S DEBATE WAS AN ODD ONE. We opened up with the question “Are you a chairsofter?” but spread that out to a slightly broader spectrum than just those who “type up a good game”.

We asked whether anyone was prepared to admit that they talk a good game on forums but are seldom seen on site? Or did you arrive togged up in Gucci kit only to spend your day sitting it out in the safe zone? There are some players that are generally “BB shy” but some of us sit out for pretty legit reasons. Strangely enough while I (Gadge) am happy to admit that sometimes the back injury sustained many moons ago (on an exercise) occasionally stops me getting as stuck in as I’d like and forces me to sit out every other game or so (usually time I put to good use taking snaps of the other players), we found that it wasn’t just your partially hobbled assistant Ed who sat out for health reasons.

Many of you stated existing injuries as the only reason you’re not on site more often! In fact there is something brilliant to know that combat veterans are recovering from bullet wounds and wheelchair users are equipping their “mounts” with M249s and not letting disability get in the way of a good skirmish.

For some players though, logistics are the game killer that shoots them out of the event before they even get to the safe area. If you’re out in the sticks and without your own transport, getting to a game is a near impossibility without kind-hearted mates or the good fortune of having your local site being literally at the woodland next door. To be honest, even if you’re a city dweller and fortunate enough to live somewhere with very good public transport, the very nature of airsoft sites being either woodland away from housing or derelict edge of town urban constructions set for demolition, means that you’ll be struggling to find a Number 57 bus that will drop you off right outside “Overkill Airsoft”, or whomever your local site operator might be. And that’s before you consider getting on a bus or train in skirmish gear with a gun bag!

Getting there and getting stuck in aside, one thing that did seem to be universally considered a “waste of time” was spending your game day talking about kit and comparing the length of your weapons! Many of you felt that forums were the right place to be discussing the pros and cons of this or that camo pattern, or which brand of AK gave you the most bang for your buck but, in the interest of fairness, it’s important to remember that a percentage of airsofters don’t frequent forums or Facebook (somewhat unfairly as this debate stems from Airsoft Action’s Facebook page they won’t get a say in this debate) and those Sunday afternoons might be the only time they get to experience the “community” of airsoft. That said, most of our readers agreed that there was nothing more infuriating than having the best equipped members of your “side” only visible when it was time for a photo op… Who knows? Perhaps that Gucci camo REALLY is that good after all!

So here’s what you had to say on the subject:

72

xmas 2014

debate CHAIRSOFTING

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

73

debate CHAIRSOFT

Matt Crowe: “I hang back a bit more now after having a tooth shot out but I like getting stuck in when my balls do drop!”

Alistair Crighton Corstorphine: “I love getting out into the field of battle but due to lack of transportation I haven’t played in ages.”

Billy Gumbrell: “Working prevents me playing as much as I would like to. That means when I do get to play it is all the more important to enjoy every minute of it - be that stalking and sneaky or being more conspicuous on the field. As airsoft is a social thing too, simply turning up to the safe zone for a brew and a chat is good enough!”

Nick Thompson: “There was (probably still is as I haven’t been there for a while) a guy running around at Urban Assault with a prosthetic leg, always pushing and in the thick of it.”

Angelo Di Vito: “One of the players on Team Rhino, Lance Gilbert, has had serious injuries to his back and legs. He has to pump himself up with painkillers to get out of bed. What I will tell you is he keeps going all day regardless of the terrain and he’s always there at end-ex. All for the love of the game. He’s made of sterner stuff.”

Jez Armstrong: “I spend more time fixing your guns then I do playing, because of you horrible lot I’ve only played twice this year!”

Mark Gillard: “Wait! You mean the whole point of airsoft is to go out and play? Bugger that for a game of soldiers.”

Dave Renniks: “My old team leader was an absolute beast. Serious health problems but regularly smashed out MilSim weekenders for a good long while. Real shame we fell out but he was a real inspiration when I had health difficulties recently.”

Gail K-os Greensmith: “I love playing and absolutely adore watching my 17 year old daughter get out there and game. Now I am assisting a mate with running a new site so although I don’t get to travel as much, I still get to game regularly.”

Paul Overend: “I had a major heart attack 6 years ago...... found airsoft keeps me fit!”

Ashley Chandler: “I spend lots of time at home developing ideas and building things. Go to a game. Have a good laugh with all the staff and friends. Play for a bit sit out as and when I want, if I feel tired or the play isn’t great. I don’t play in the rain if I don’t have too. I won’t go to an outdoor game if it’s raining. I’m not a geardo. I’m the guy that runs what he needs. I spend way more time designing things and working on stuff than I should. I’m also pretty lazy. I hardly go for objectives. I just enjoy turning up and having a good game.”

Alec Bassindale: “Having a 6 month old boy and a full time job AND a demanding missus hasn’t curbed my enthusiasm one bit. If I’m not shooting on a weekend, I’m reading up and checking out clips on Youtube! As for the “spawn point dwellers” Or “Gucci” warriors, it makes me laugh when I see them loitering about comparing guns and not actually doing anything!”

Peter Bigpete: “People who stand in the respawn measuring each others d***s (comparing Gucci gear) absolutely get on my t**s! When they get selected to your team you imagine they are quite handy but in reality they are great for loadout photos but barely get involved in gameplay. It’s like playing football with 9 men when they are on your team.”

Daniel Shears: “I would like to think that I’m a pretty active Airsofter.

I’ve played 29 games so far this year, not as many as some but more than enough to not be a chairsofter. The only thing that prevents me playing more is work and money but when I’m not playing I’m thinking about airsoft.”

Paul Sticks: “Gamed regularly when I lived in the UK despite being on crutches. Since moving out of the UK, language barriers make it less safe despite my fitness and health improving vastly.”

Sean BE: “I work for the emergency services so can only play when shifts allow. I love attending airsoft and enjoy the camaraderie and team work that it provides. I never dress the same wearing different Camo and standing out in my own way and not being conformist is fun. It’s always funny when the Gucci warrior comes up to me bedecked in hundreds of pounds of gear to say “Wow! You look good!” or “That camo works well!” not knowing I probably bought it in a charity shop for a fiver.”

Gary Taylor: “I play as often as I can afford it. Due to an old neck injury though I do sometimes sit games out.”

74

xmas 2014

Brendan Robb: “I don’t know who is worse, chairsofters who will know all the specs on gear, having never even owned it. Or gearsofters having bought it and never actually used it in anger in the field.”

Scott Andrews: “Did a charge with a shotgun. Tripped and fully backward extended my knee joint. Rolled forwards and continued to shoot… Played 3 more games then had to sit down. I play with budget gear and hand me downs. It’s not about the talk or your gear. It’s the attitude and the people you play with that counts.”

Gary Byrne: “I’m a wheelchair user and site owner. I’d welcome more people with disabilities participating in airsoft. Inclusion all the way!!!”

Will Stöne: “Work and not having a car is pretty restrictive on me also clashing dates, pretty much every WW2 date this year for me clashed with something. Even a lot of local games seem to clash with other things.”

Ian Hannant: “No transport is a killer...”

Garth Restell: “Due to my last profession (combat soldier) I was shot through the elbow, almost losing my arm. Airsoft has given me the option to keep my skills ‘n drills sharp and efficient. Sitting in the safe zone is no place at all. You get out what you put in.”

Raymond Brown: “I would sooner be out in the field playing the game but at my age (57) you sometimes need a break.”

1914 CHRISTMAS TRUCE DAN MILLS LOOKS BACK AT AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT THAT OCCURRED IN THE MIDST OF THE HORROR THAT WAS XMAS 1914 O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”; But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play, The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play, O it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play.

THE WAR WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OVER by Christmas, yeah right!

During the early days of the Great War that gripped the nation in 1914 patriotic fervour swept the land, one of the sayings and rumours spread back then in the wars infancy was that it would “all be over by Christmas”. This caused thousands to enlist and is believed to have been one of the reasons why so many underage boy soldiers opted to sign up and join the colours. “Do your bit for King and Country!”

Many did so not wanting to miss “the great adventure”, however the harsh reality was very different from that initial glorious statement and up to the year’s end thousands of young men had been killed or maimed for life. Instead of heading back home for “tea and medals” after a few months on campaign, soldiers on both sides of the warring nations found themselves sitting in opposing trench lines, often a stone’s throw from one another facing each other in a gigantic static stalemate.

The war had ground to a halt and once winter conditions had set in life was hard for those on the front lines. During long hours of boredom many soldiers found themselves thinking about those friends and comrades they had lost - and also of those that faced them. Were they all the “Hun beasts” that the War Office and media would have them think?

Quite simply the answer is no, not all of them. As Yule-time approached the thoughts of soldiers from all nations turned to family and home; of blazing fires and the children decorating the tree; of church and the giving and receiving of presents. This reflective mood swept through the trenches and led to something quite remarkable; a Christmas truce.

Along the front line of the British sector the rain had been bucketing it down, it seemed to be never-ending and the trenches were full of water. Each position started to grow stilts as the

76

Xmas 2014

WW1 CHRISTMAS TRUCE

soldiers began to build upwards to escape the wet, sandbags were piled up high, duckboards were laid, it was a continuous battle to fight the effects of trench foot but conditions outside of the trenches were worse.

The artillery duels had completely smashed apart the landscape until it now took on an appearance not unlike the surface of the moon. Full of water and with no sign of dry weather in sight, feet and clothes were sodden, everyone was fed up. Life was harsh, filthy and ridden with lice.

Normally to lift one’s head above the parapet was dangerous but as Christmas got nearer that began to change.

German soldiers appeared, risking their lives with arms stretched out high to show a meaning of no harm and Tommy observed incredulous, not firing. The Germans began to pick up and pull dead and dying men into their trenches, some British soldiers jumped out to help.

Carol Hymns could be heard from the German front line, Tommy responded singing the chorus. Given a chance to speak together both sides shared the same pitiful stories; they were fed up with the war and the conditions. As news of these unofficial truces spread they became more regular however in some areas a strict “No fraternisation” order was given and led to some soldiers losing their lives. On one occasion a German got out of his trench with a Christmas tree all lit up by candle - he was dead straight away. Some instances led to the taking of prisoners too, often not being discovered until after the truce had ended.

Fraternisation went on in different areas of the front. In some cases where Saxon infantry in the Kaiser’s army faced Anglo Saxon English, warnings of impending attacks were passed to one another. For example, a note telling the enemy that the morning bombardment would be starting at such and such time was handed over, therefore the men could be prepared and keep their heads down in the trenches and funk holes thereby minimising casualties. Some rifle fire was aimed far too high in order to pass over one’s head as opposed to killing, instances like this went on.

Large groups would meet in “No Man’s Land” and would exchange gifts and items such as buttons or cap badges, in some cases Pikelhaubes helmets and field caps were exchanged, often for hard to come by foods like sausage and cheese. These men took great risk on leaving the trenches; rifles were left behind although some carried bayonets and knives feeling some degree of safety. The not knowing if a bullet was about to smash the life out of you must have been something to master, indeed there are many instances of shooting including some from a neighbouring

front line unit that was still carrying out hostilities, shooting across into a local truce area to kill non-combatants.

It is known and confirmed by letters written home that football matches were played against one another. Robert Graves, a now famous Poet wrote of a football match in which the Saxon German unit won 3-2. Often a tin of bully beef or some other substitute for a football was found as there were not many footballs to be found on the Western Front!

Some opposing trenches even had shooting competitions and church services with one another, a situation hardly thought possible - but it happened!

Many of these truces lasted into the New Year. New Year’s Day matches were played and gifts exchanged once more. These unofficial truces were vastly differing in length, some would last merely hours. Others over night or for a day or so, some were merely to have a cigarette and a quick chat and some even lasted for a few weeks.

Life went on as normal in most areas though, many soldiers were still killed during this period and bombardments went on over the festive season. In some areas attacks continued with no respite, many commanders noticing the certain unwillingness to fight over the period insisted that attacks went ahead so fraternisation did not happen.

Many Officers were opposed to these temporary arrangements, the big generals frowned on them an issued orders threatening retaliation and punishment to offenders. Adolf Hitler, then a Corporal in the “White Sheet” area of the front, frowned upon this sign of “weakness” to one’s fellow man. One must wonder though if he held the same attitude at war’s end, after his life was saved by a British soldier when he received treatment?

At the build up to Christmas in subsequent years measures were taken to ensure that they were never repeated, though some small instances happened in 1915 nothing compared to the scale of fraternisation seen the year before. By the end of 1916 after several of the large, costly, punishing battles that became to signify the death and misery of the Western Front, The Somme and Messines battles for instance, the early war attitude of man and fellow man, live and let live had disappeared and the belief of the combatants that the other side was inhuman and monstrous was widespread.

Christmas 1914 was not a unique event but for just a short time brought some comfort and solace to the many thousands of men that would not live to see another.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

77

H T R O W

! !

0 4 2 £

competition MUVI ACTION CAMERA

WIN

A MUVI ACTION CAMERA The MUVI K-Series should be high on your list when you are considering which camera you should use to grab those all-important action videos.

Loaded with features and packed with quality, the MUVI K2 is great for whatever scenario you find yourself in and, because it comes complete with a weatherproof housing, not

even the good old British summer should stop you capturing all the action.

On page 59 Iggy Roberts reviews this fabulous action camera from MUVI - and now you have the chance to win one, curtesy of Patrol Store.

All you have to do is answer five, simple questions. The first correct answer picked out of the editor’s hat after the closing date wins. The questions are:

A) B) C) D) E)

WHAT IS THE FULL MODEL VERSION OF THE REVIEW CAMERA? HOW MANY DIFFERENT FRAME RATES DOES IT HAVE? WHICH TYPE OF RAIL SYSTEM DOES THE AFTERMARKET MOUNT ATTACH TO? UP TO HOW MANY HOURS WILL IT CONTINUOUSLY RECORD FOR? HOW BIG ARE THE JPEG IMAGES IT CAPTURES?

To be in with a chance of winning, simply send your answer in before the closing date, either by completing and returning the Entry Form, or sending in your answers by email (details below). Don’t forget to include your contact details so we can get back to you if you’re lucky enough to win.

You can also enter via the Airsoft Action website - simply visit: www.airsoft-action.co.uk, click on Competition and enter your details there - and why not take some time to have a look round the site while you’re at it.

WRITE YOUR ANSWERS HERE: A)

…………………………………………………………

B)

………………………………………………………....

C)

…………………………………………………………

D)

…………………………………………………………

E)

…………………………………………………………

N I W

Name __________________________________________________

Postcode ________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________

Telephone _______________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Email ___________________________________________________

Post your entries to: : MUVI Competition, Airsoft Action, Calibre Publishing, Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6PL, or email to: competition@airsoftaction.co.uk with “MUVI Competition” in the subject line. Entries received after 17th December 2014 will not be valid. One entry per household. The winner will be the first name pulled from the Ed’s hat.

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

Q

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

79

COMBAT RELOAD FOLLOWING ON FROM LAST ISSUE’S ARTICLE, ANDY NIGHTINGALE FROM PRO-TACT SHOOTING GOES THROUGH THE DRILLS NEEDED TO MASTER THIS TRICKY SKILL THE DURATION OF A GUN FIGHT can last anything from 3 seconds to several minutes, or even hours. Depending on the type of fight you get yourself into depends on whether or not you will need to reload. In the last issue we talked about the need for an Emergency reload; this is when we need to reload the gun it runs dry. I now want to go thru the step by step process of a “combat reload”.

The need in this case is to reload as soon as possible when you need a full magazine of rounds in your chosen weapon. There are many reasons why you may want to do this. Just one scenario would be to reload the weapon upon entering a second room for instance, after you have fired rounds in the first room you entered. Entering a room with a partially full magazine would just be asking for trouble, especially with handguns. Handguns have not only limited power but are limited to accuracy and carry a limited number of rounds and we all don’t have the luxury of that 50-round Glock mag.

You may well have heard the phrase “count your rounds”.

Well do you? During a gun fight, real or airsoft, there is so much that one has to do in such a short and dangerous time, that counting rounds as you fire them is the last thing on ones mind.

I have been shooting combative and defensive for over 25 years now and I can’t recall ever counting my rounds out. Is this a bad thing? Obviously not because I’m still here to tell the tale.

Over time I have been able to know when I need to do a combat reload. You just get that “gut feeling” that you need to perform one when the rounds start flying your way in the middle of a fire fight. If shooting a handgun with say, 18 rounds in the magazine, after you have fired a few rounds at the target or enemy you will, if you have performed this drill enough times, get the feeling of when to combat reload and slap a full magazine into the weapon. This task would be performed when there is either a lull in the fight or when you can safely get to cover. Never perform a combat reload out in the open unless you are on the move and on your way to cover and at all times go down on one knee to lower your profile. It’s a security thing.

80

xmas 2014

skills COMBAT RELOAD

“I have been shooting combative and defensive for over 25 years now and I can’t recall ever counting my rounds out. Is this a bad thing?

Obviously not because I’m still here to tell the tale.”

So what makes the combat reload different from an emergency reload?

Unlike the emergency reload the combat reload requires the operator to reload the weapon when the weapon’s inserted magazine still has rounds seated in it. Replacing a part-spent magazine with a fresh one ensures that the shooter can, if needed, re-enter the fight knowing that they have a fully loaded weapon.

It’s like replacing the worn tyres on your car. The part-worn ones will do but it’s better to have fresh new ones on for safety reasons.

So what happens to the part spent magazine? When performing the emergency reload one is required to strip the empty magazine from the gun as fast as possible in order to get the gun up and running again. The magazine is usually discarded on the ground and left there. If it is at all possible the spent magazine should be retained as this is part of the weapon and you certainly won’t want to be dropping and losing an expensive airsoft magazine in the long grass or onto a hard floor where it can break.

A combat reload will always require the part spent magazine being retained and stored on one’s person for further use. Why discard a magazine with rounds still in it? Once stored, the partspent magazine can be refilled or if the worst come to the worst, re-inserted into the gun to continue the fight.

The combat reload is not a speed drill but one that should be practiced so as when the time comes it can be performed with ease and can be broken down into 7 easy steps: 1. Once you are in cover, drop to one knee to lower your profile and bring your strong side elbow down into your hip. The muzzle of the weapon should be pointing upwards and inline with your nose. The finger should be off the trigger at this stage.

3. Reach for a fresh, fully loaded magazine in the normal way with your index finger along the front edge of the magazine and bring it up to the magazine well of the gun with the palm of the weak hand open.

4. Whilst gripping the fresh magazine with the thumb and middle finger of the weak hand, release the part-spent magazine from the weapon and allow it to fall into the palm of the weak hand.

5. Using the middle and ring finger of the weak hand grip and rip the part-spent magazine from the weapon.

6. Keeping hold of the part-spent magazine in the weak hand, insert the new full magazine into the gun.

7. Secure the part-spent magazine in a pocket or pouch or continue to shoot whilst still holding the part-spent magazine in your weak hand.

The weapon can still, if needed, be fired correctly without destroying the grip on the weapon whilst using this method and the part-spent magazine can be stored at a later time. Also with this method there will still be a round seated in the weapon’s breach, so the gun should not need to be cocked to continue.

Once the fight is over and you have shot your adversary to the ground, take time to replenish your part-spent magazines with gas and rounds ready for your next fight.

Take time to master this drill. At first you may find it a little awkward and uncomfortable but if you persevere it will start to become second nature to you. Take it slow, don’t try to rush it as it will all go horribly wrong just when you need it most.

Stay safe and happy shooting.

2. With the weak hand, rotate the gun towards you using the trigger guard so that you can reach the weapon’s magazine release catch with ease. At this point DO NOT release the magazine.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

81

THE NEW THREAT IN THIS FIRST PART OF A TWO-PART ARTICLE, BILLY BASICS PONDERS ON WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF CURRENT THREATS TO OUR WAY OF LIFE ARE ALLOWED TO SPREAD UNCHECKED. “The world is changing, I can feel it in the water, I can smell it in the air. Much of what once was is now lost.”

DON’T WORRY DEAR READERS, I have not lost the plot (I was actually never in possession of it in the first place), Ed has it and he’s not of a mind to let it go any time soon. The above quote was a line from Cate Blanchett’s character “Lady Galadriel” in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, highlighting the fact that things change all the time and sometimes for the worst.

Few things stay the same. Even the ground that we stand upon, thanks to tectonic activity generated by the shifting bits of the earth’s crust, is constantly moving (albeit at the same rate that your hair and fingernails grow, but it’s still moving) and the world that we know now and the security that we all enjoy can turn on a sixpence quicker than the Stig.

Your head would have to have been planted firmly in the sand for the past couple of years, or maybe you’ve recently escaped from a Quaker community (no, it’s got nothing to do with the forced consumption of porridge) to have not noticed the changing security situation in the world. The world seems to be ablaze, the scourge that is Islamic State is spreading and consolidating its position in Iraq/Syria, forging its Caliphate and defying the entire world. How could we (the International Community) have allowed this to happen?

The International Community is going to have to come to terms with and radically rethink this new, unlooked for reality and what to do about it. What course to pursue? There isn’t a guide book for this one, it’s unprecedented in recent history. Whether to contain, degrade, destroy or accept, tolerate even negotiate with this new ambitious, utterly ruthless entity that just won’t bloody well go away.

We’re all going to have to adapt to this new set of circumstances and to consider new possible futures and outcomes.

The notion of being invaded by someone else on our little safe island is something that few if any of us would think possible (mostly we’re happy to leave all that stuff to Hollywood aren’t

82

Xmas 2014

billy basics THE NEW THREAT

we?) but, for the sake of argument and just to throw out one possible scenario, we’re going to think that very thing.

Let us you and I imagine that a new and terrible threat has spread unchecked across the North of Africa, into Europe.

Subjugating the populous, rallying the poor, the dispossessed and the silent angry masses who were just waiting for someone to light the fuse, into one cohesive force and is moving north towards us. A new world order is quite literally on the south coast of the English Channel and is drawing its plans against us.

Far-fetched? Of course it is but much of what’s taking place today across the globe could scarcely have been foreseen, even by the most renowned forecasters with the help of a crystal ball… and it’d be a very short and boring article too wouldn’t it? Quite apart from anything else, it might just be a great scenario for a game that somebody might like to pick up and run with; my gift to you.

So let me paint you a picture…

Much of Western Europe has been taken over, the movement has paused at the channel and are looking over the water at us. We know they’re coming and it’s only a matter of time now.

While part of the movement starts to move eastwards to try its luck against the Eastern European Nations (they might find they have a bit more of a fight on their hands against those guys, than against the languid sun-drenched Mediterranean lot. Hey, I’m just saying ok?? That’s why we go on holiday over there right?) and towards the Russian Frontier, a sizeable chunk of the force has remained and from reports plans are afoot to come and get us.

Let’s assume that this “Movement” as we shall refer to them is not actually Islamic State and so as not to offend anybody, it’s not an overtly religious entity but still a bunch of ruthless thugs, that have hoovered up all the other thoughtless vandals that just want to see the world burn along the way and will show us little or no mercy.

There’s nowhere for us to go, (well not the whole population anyway, some paddle steamers and aircraft will doubtless be shuttling people to the US or Australia, but they will only take so many) so we have a number of choices. We can stand and fight, inflicting terrible damage on them and them on us. We can roll over and let them in (thus avoiding an inevitable defeat possibly as well as the inevitable reprisals) or we can make a spirited defence, destroying some of their capability as they push our resistance forces back but keeping the majority of the population clear of any involvement and hopefully free from any revenge reprisals. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

83

billy basics THE NEW THREAT

The National decision on the country’s course of action will ultimately be taken by the Government at the time and will depend on the reality of the forces arrayed against us. If we’re facing impossible odds then the Govt. will have to think about the impact of resistance on the population. But the fact remains that we, the population will be left to our own devices and have to fend for ourselves whilst Govt. units tackle the enemy.

Preparing for the invasion Someone once came up with a quote “We are only three meals away from a Revolution”, I haven’t a clue who it was (chances are he was probably a Russian dude, they’ve done a bit of that kind of thing over the years) but the thing to take away from this is thus: The polite, privileged, want for nothing (relatively) society that we take for granted is going to fall apart with alarming speed when people get scared, so it may be that you will have more than just the enemy to contend with as a household.

Criminals will fill the vacuum left when the forces of Law and Order are re-tasked by the Govt. into defence or offence, you’ll have to defend your own home and accept the cold reality that even before the Movement have established a bridge head on the coast the troubles are going to begin.

Quickety Quick Have you seen the film 28 Days Later? One thing you might notice is that it all happens very, very quickly. There will be no Govt. Broadcast saying “OK everyone, we’ve now lost control, it’s each man for himself, best of luck and if you could please keep paying your taxes via the normal channels that’d be great”, they’ll keep the truth from you right up until the transmission goes dead.

Get To Know Your Neighbours We live in a small street off a main arterial road, so there’s not much through traffic apart from at rush hour when there’s an aggravating surge in speeding cretins trying to get one car ahead by tearing down our street. Since we moved here I have got to know the people to live around us, mainly out of neighbourliness and a bit of nosiness.

But should the “Movement” be organising ferries and landing craft to get across the Channel I would be knocking on each of the 25 or so doors and getting them all over to mine for a chat and the last of the vino collapso because that’ll all be confiscated and run over in a tank.

84

Xmas 2014

From my recce so far and looking at people’s front gardens as I walk to the post box, I know that there’s a chap across the road who builds stuff, a lady who keeps chickens and grows veg in her garden (she sells them at the front of the house via an honesty box) and the bloke a few doors down from us who tinkers with cars.

All useful skills to have normally but absolutely vital when the Services that we take for granted are turned off by the Movement in their efforts to subjugate and control us. Now I won’t go into each and every household because Ed has told me that I am only allowed two editions for this story and there are 25 houses in my street.

But let’s look at two of them, take the guy that tinkers with cars first off, I would suggest to him (in as non-patronising a way as possible because, don’t forget, a few of the people you invite over will want nothing to do with any of it, they will have their heads deep in the sand) that he starts a system by which each and every person in the street pays him a brief visit so that he can familiarise himself with their vehicle, can he fix/maintain it or not?

If he can’t then that’s fine but if he can, then he can suggest a whole collection of spares that you can purchase and collect to ensure you can run your wheels for a significant time. You must keep them at your place because if he gets raided and is found with lots of vehicle spare parts he might be put in danger of being accused of running an illegal/unsanctioned garage.

Next the lady who grows vegetables and has chickens; firstly to take down all the signs at the front of her house and talk to no one else about it. I would suggest to her if she’s willing she take on the management of turning every available inch of those gardens in the street into growing space so that you can at the very least have some vegetables. In the panic people won’t be thinking about grow bags and the long term stuff but looking to the future and concentrating on preparing yourself and your family for the long haul can be quite therapeutic and help to quell the fear.

That’s it until next month everyone - and let’s hope none of this ever happens eh?

Billy Out All Copyright and intellectual property remains the property of the respective owner.

Some images reproduced under CC-BY-SA license.

First fully licenced AEG manufactured in Denmark

For

Players Discover the CZ Scorpion EVO 3 A1 www.actionsportgames.com/evo3a1 ActionSportGames® is a worldwide leader in the business of replica firearms and accessories manufacturing – including Airsoft guns, Airguns, CO2 guns and firearms replicas.

Join us on Facebook – “Team ASG” www.facebook.com/actionsportgames www.actionsportgames.com

0088-1114_November2014

By

ASG LMT Defender M95 with Free with Compact intelligent multi-balancecharger & 7.4v 1300mAh Battery! £279.99!

Saving £50.98!

An ideal tactical Airsoft carbine with many options for mounting a multitude of tactical accessories.

In this Proline AEG, the front barrel, flash suppressor, quad front rail, as well as upper and lower receiver is made of metal, with authentic markings fully licensed by Lewis Machine & Tool co. A picatinny style top rail on the upper receiver allows for mounting of optical aiming devices.

The battery can be housed in the 6-position collapsible SOPMOD stock made from heavy-duty polymer.

The gearbox is designed to be compatible with ULTIMATE upgrade parts for easy custom modifications.

Included is a detachable vertical front grip and the innovative 360rd. Hi-cap Flash magazine, its spring is wound up by a pull-cord in mere seconds, getting you into the action in a flash.

Concept Tactical TRMR Device (Black, Blue, Green) £79.99 100 FREE .209 primers with every TRMR purchase during December!

No Pin, No Spoon, No Fuss! The TRMR is an ergonomically designed reloadable impact device that utilises a twist to arm inertia recoil firing system. This allow for safe, fast reloading of the device without the need for levers and pins as used on conventional hand deployed devices. The TRMR device comes with .209 Shotgun primers as standard and optional 9mm and 12 gauge adapters are available.

Contact: www.jdairsoft.net

JD Airsoft

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…

Welcome to the 2014 Airsoft Action Xmas Gift Guide, a mouth-watering selection of goodies that you’d like the big fat fella to drop down your chimney (mind you, you might need a bigger chimney for some of them...) So here we go, a veritable smorgasbord of airsoft ideas chosen by us and some of our advertisers; hints that you can “subtly” drop by leaving the mag open at the relevant page…

Crawley Surplus Store

KWA RM4 PTS. ERG 6mm BB rifle £365.00

Charcoal hand warmer £8.00 Nuprol mesh goggles available black Tan Olive £15.00

Crawley Surplus Store www.surplusstore.co.uk

Mechanics gloves black £20.00 Walther Night force Ris rail laser and Torch £50.00

Just BB Guns CAMO LOOM BANDS v600 PACK ONLY £1.30

Drinking Mugs, 3 designs £3.99ea

Rifle bag, black/tan £34.99

JustBBGuns www.justbbguns.co.uk Pistol pouches (2 sizes) £7.99ea

Set of 2 battery operated shocking laser pistols. When you get hit, you get an electric shock through the pistol grip. Great fun and only £14.99

Military grade gun oil £9.99 NATO CODE S-758 9150-01-102-1473

Military 1st

Direct Action Messenger Bag PenCott Snowdrift £94.99

Condor Multi-Wrap Black £9.99

www.military1st.co.uk

86

Xmas 2014

Helikon CPU Shirt Flecktarn £35.99

5.11 Tactical Full Zip Sweater Field Green £80.10 Direct Action Dragon Egg Backpack Kryptek Mandrake Camo £109.99

Patrol store

The Sea to Summit Spork Made from ultra light hard anodised 7075-T6 aircraft alloy. £5.84

This drop leg assault holster is fully adjustable to take most semi automatic pistols £20.95

Gerber Bullrush Tactical Multi-Tool £50-£100 Mechanics gloves black £20.00

www.patrolstore.com

The fantastic Lowa Combat Boot GTX £160.98

CHRISTMAS IDEAS UP TO £10

BOLLE CONTOUR SMOKE PLATINUM COATING Anti-Scratch Anti-Fog The ‘Platinum’ coating on both sides of the lens gives a high resistance to scratching and delays the onset of fogging. £8.99 Abbey Silicone Gun Oil 35 Produces fine high sheen finish on all guns and accessories that protects from moisture and dirt and eliminates rusting and corrosion. Excellent lubricant for leather and plastic air gun washers. £5.99

Macwet CLIMATEC LONG CUFF Gloves A huge variety of sizes, not just “Small”, “Medium” and “Large”, but 6, 6.5, 7, etc. means they end up feeling like skin - you often forget you have them on!

They also donít lose dexterity when wet - during a rainy skirmish day, grip is unparalleled. £4.99

Illumiglow Military Grade Safety Lightstick Glow duration: up to 8 hours (6”) 6 hours (4”) £2.99 - £3.99

MFH Military Marching Compass This professional military style compass has a solid metal design, ultra-accurate liquid filled compass dial, target marker and full sighting/alignment equipment for distant objects. It folds out and in, can be easily secured with metal clip, and - when folded - it is small enough to fit in a shirt/trouser pocket or small bag compartment. Ideal for locating positions on a map or in the field. £6.99

Web-Tex Multi Terrain Face Paint 5 Colours with Mirror Strong round plastic box with mirror and 5 different colours (brown, green, yellow, black, white). Camouflage your face, neck and hands in stripes or patterns to suit your environment.

Perfect for paintball, survival, hunting and even fancy dress and kids parties. £6.99

The WE Europe Airsoft Maintenance Kit is a must have Kit for any Airsoft enthusiast.

This kit includes everything an airsofter would need to keep their GBB & AEG weapons in the best condition meaning no compromising on performance. £9.99

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

87

CHRISTMAS IDEAS £10-£50

A large MOLLE compatible pouch to quickly dump your empty magazines into. With the ingenious attachment system, add and place this pouch anywhere on your belt or MOLLE vest. £14.99

Beltec Small BB shield, for use with rail-mounted optics. £24.99

Alta Industries AltaContour Knee Pads These quality knee protection pads offer high comfort of wearing and the best possible protection. Perfect for all sports and outdoor activities such as airsoft and paintball, hunting and shooting games as well as skateboarding, roller blading and roller skating. £35.99

Airsoft Surgeon BBs are competition grade with a 5.95 +/- 0.01mm diameter to work flawlessly. From premium Japanese pistols like a Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa to your standard AEG rifle, feeling is always smoother and jam-free. These BBs are made from the finest ABS materials for a smooth high gloss finish, more balanced weight distribution, and shatter resistance to deliver many benefits.

4,000 round bag £19.50

Navy Seal SOF LA-5 PEQ15 Battery Case and Red Laser in Black. £16.99

The Gerber Multi Tool - Multi Plier 600 is a classic workhorse with spring-loaded pliers, patented Saf.T.Plus component locking system, a ballistic nylon sheath, and the very same structural integrity that goes into every Gerber tool. £49.95

300rd magazine for the M4/M15/ M16 series AEGs. £19.99

Mil-Tec Head Lamp 12 LED 12 bright white LEDs giving up to 100,000 hours of operation in a splash-proof housing with a flexible headband.

(Helmet not included.) £12.99

88

Xmas 2014

Voodoo Tactical padded sniper belt Fits snugly to waist and hips dispursing the weight so belt won’t sag. The padded hips will ease stress.

Hidden rectangular “D” rings on both sides for attaching drop leg platforms. £39.95

CHRISTMAS IDEAS £50-£100

The Covert RG Loader Holster is a multi-functional and unique carry pack solution from Civilian Lab, which combines two utility RG modules together.

This cool and innovative light load-harness carry system easily reconfigures into a six unique type of bags, depends on the task or situation.

Both modules of the Covert RG loader holster have strong, pad-backed YKK swivel-snaps which change angles to fit the harness to body contours, durable metal suspender clip, leg/sternum strap with quick release buckle and stiffened belt strap with press stud. £84.95

Wiley X Spear Goggles - Smoke Grey + Clear + Light Rust Lens - Tan Frame Wiley X Spear tactical eyewear models meet or exceed stringent military ballistic impact standard and feature shatterproof Selenite polycarbonate lenses, scratch resistant coatings, virtually unbreakable triloid nylon frame and facial cavity seals. These low profile, multi-function goggles are engineered to provide soldiers with maximum eye protection, while delivering superior field of vision and excellent visual acuity under a wide range of operational conditions. Spear goggles feature Wiley X’s Top Down ventilation system to ensure fog-free performance in the most challenging conditions. These NVG compatible goggles come with a tan frame, custom designed to match a variety of military uniforms and three lens package which includes smoke grey, clear and light rust lenses. £89.99

The X300 Flashlight uses white LED technology to provide a bright and wide beam.

The X300 can be mounted under most pistols with a rail, and also all rifles with 20mm picatinny rails.

Please note that this is a copy of the real steel version created for the airsoft market. £74.99

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

89

CHRISTMAS IDEAS £100-500

5.11 Tactical HRT Titanium Watch features an innovative SureShot ballistic calculator that allows users to input thirteen critical for long range shooting variables and then in a quick and easy way display the shooting solutions in MILS, TMOA or SMOA. Variety of timekeeping features included in this tactical timepiece makes it the perfect solution for any outdoor action. This Titanium Watch comes with a mineral glass crystal face which is scratch proof and reduces glare. The watch is also water resistant to 100 meters and has a round titanium case. Durable, tough yet lightweight construction of this wristwatch will withstand even the most rigorous tactical activities. £216.00

Flyye Deformation Rifle Carry Bag MOLLE Quality Deformation rifle carry bag made of durable Invista 1000D Cordura Nylon.

Features 2 padded compartments with strong zip closing, Velcro straps inside to keep the AEG in place and 1 rifle protection sleeve (50cm long). Also goes with heavy duty 1” MOLLE webbing straps on the front for mounting MOLLE pouches, 2 handle straps with Velcro hand pad and 1 adjustable and detachable shoulder strap (approx.125cm long) with removable Velcro pad with non-slip rubber inside for added comfort and security of carrying. £129.99

Hazard 4 Poncho Villa Technical Soft Shell Hazard 4’s thoroughly modernised version of the classic military poncho has more in common with technical sports jackets than the old vinyl camping stand-by that usually comes to mind. An industry first, it should reintroduce a generation to the functional benefits having no sleeves provides. This unique poncho has a vent for drying and can be easily stuffed into its own front pocket for storage. £119.95

The Haix Black Eagle Tactical 20 high Boot is based on advanced running technology. This means the boot is light, dynamic, extremely slip resistant, highly breathable and durably waterproof. The latest innovation in Tactical boots allowing the protection of a boot and the form and function of a high performance training shoe! £149.99

90

Xmas 2014

CHRISTMAS IDEAS £500+

At £39,995 (plus vat) this has to be the ultimate Xmas present!

If you have ever fancied owning a bit of ex-MoD kit then it doesn’t get much better than this... a CVRT Scimitar Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle!!

Sure, all the “interesting” bits will have been removed and the main armament replaced with a dummy barrel but for sheer “Hey mum, look what I got for Christmas!” value, you will have to go a long way to beat this.

This and loads of other awesome bits of kit are available from Witham Specialist Vehicles, the MoD sales company that sells and auctions end-of-use equipment direct from the MoD. Take a look at their website: www.mod-sales.com but take my advice, hide your wallet first!

Images of sale vehicle reproduced with kind permission of Witham Specialist Vehicles.

Yukon Ranger Pro 5x42 Digital Night Vision Scope Yukon Advanced Optics is the largest global manufacturer and developer of consumer night vision products and balances high quality with cost effectiveness. The Yukon Ranger series pioneered digital night vision and its renowned performance and reliability has made them perennial best sellers. This digital night vision monocular is a state-of-the-art device of professional level using latest digital technologies previously available for military purposes only. The Ranger Pro 5x42 digital night vision device is designed on the basis of the Ranger 5x42. In comparison to the standard Ranger a more sensitive Sony CCD coupled with advanced SumLight technology gives greater viewing range of up to 500m (depending on atmospheric conditions) and a sharper image.

SumLight system of light accumulation allows use of the Ranger Pro even at critically low levels of night illumination. Ranger models have twin built-in IR illuminator’s, a low power illuminator activates with power on while a near fully covert high power 940nm IR illuminator can be independently controlled for switching and intensity. £665.95

Designed to be sold to police and military as a training tool, the Systema Professional Training weapon provides the ultimate in realism.

This replica of an M4A1 was specifically created so that users could build the required muscle memory, without the risks associated with real-steel firearms.

Still condered by many to be the pinnacle in terms of suspension of disbelief, the Systema PTW is up there with the very best aegs. £1,750.00

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

91

IRONSIGHT AIRSOFT OSCAR P’S INTEREST IS PIQUED WHEN ASKED IF HE’D EVER HEARD OF THIS SITE IN HAMPSHIRE AND DECIDES TO GO TAKE A LOOK-SEE I WAS CHATTING TO AN AIRSOFTING COMPADRE t’other day.

He’d dropped me a note to ask if I’d ever heard of Ironsight Airsoft – a site he had played a few times and of which he had become rather enamoured. When I confessed that it was a new one to me, he suggested that I should get up off of my posterior and take a look. Fair enough, thought I (I’ll try pretty much anything once) and fired up Google.

After a few moments of confusion looking at a site in America (surely he wasn’t suggesting I hop over the Atlantic?), I found the site I was looking for: Ironsightairsoft.co.uk.

My interest piqued by the info and images – as well as a batch of positive testimonials from other players - I checked the location; just off the A303, near Andover. Easy to get to and far enough away from the “Stonehenge Traffic Snafu” to banish any fears of getting snarled up in a ten mile traffic jam of angry families, crusty jugglers and coachloads of bemused tourists. Anyway, that’s enough reminiscing about my last trip down to the West Country; back to the review…

92

Xmas 2014

SITE REVIEW IRONSIGHT AIRSOFT

“BOTH ENDS OF THE SITE HAD GOOD OPEN SPACES WITH A VARIETY OF COVER AND ALL OF THE BUILT AREAS HAVE ROUTES AROUND THE OUTSIDE TOO. REALISING THAT I’D BE COVERING A LOT OF GROUND, I SUDDENLY WISHED I’D PACKED LIGHTER RIG THAN THE ONE I’D PREPPED…”

Ironsight certainly looked to be an interesting venue, so with my mind made up to make a visit I dropped Paul and Lorraine Dunford (who run the site) and their site manager Sam G a quick note to see if I could come down and take a look for Airsoft Action. They came back straight away to say that would be fine... but I needed to know that there had been some damage to the site... and not just the casual vandalism that is the a bane of many an airsoft company: Ironsight had (quite literally) been struck by lightning! Fortunately the bolt had come down mid-week when only a few people were on site, none of whom were hurt and who were able to call the fire service to deal with the resulting fire. Despite the best efforts of the crews that attended, the bolt had blown through underground cables and sparked a fire which destroyed the safe zone and much of the site’s rental gear.

Not to be deterred though, Paul and his team had rolled with the punches and the site was up and running. The next game was an Open Day skirmish, so I checked the rules (standard FPS limits, 600 round limit in mags, usual bangs), whacked a CQB loadout in the back of the car and headed down.

The site was dead easy to find, with an accurate postcode for the satnav and good signage - Ironsight put up signs BEFORE the turning to their Car Park, so you’ve got plenty of warning of the turn, don’t sail past and don’t have to perform an awkward 15-point turn in a narrow country lane (which begs the question as to why other sites can’t do this too?) Parking is good and it’s only a short hop from the Car Park to the safe zone, though the set up isn’t one where you can easily work from the boot of the car if that’s your preference.

I found Paul and Sam busy signing in the 40 or so players who were already on site. Ironsight work to a good pace in the morning, getting things moving promptly - and they introduced me to Dan, who heads up House of Wolves, the site team. They showed me the temporary safe zone, which frankly was still better than many I’ve used over the years! Plenty of space and tables and although there was no mains power (for obvious reasons…) - a gennie was running in the next room.

And here’s something good, too – Dan and others of the site team put a shout out for players that hadn’t been to the site beforehand and took us on a tour so we could get our heads around the layout. It’s a nice touch to be given a steer around the place by people who know how the site really works – especially as they dropped a few hints that there were a few less-than-obvious routes between areas. They left us to find them for ourselves but it’s always useful to be given a heads up! www.airsoft-action.co.uk

93

Straight away I realised that this is a complicated little site. There are numerous rooms to play through, many with themes such as a tomb, temple and even one that includes a mocked-up tube train!

The rooms and buildings are connected by various passageways and corridors, some of which are very dark and others which are comparatively well lit. There’re also a lot of vertical elements – sniper towers, windows and firing steps; a central corridor in particular is a sniper’s dream! The rooms themselves have plenty of entry points and angles to cover, so you need to be on your toes. One thing that surprised me was the amount of outdoor space that was in play – the site is a proper little Tardis! Both ends of the site had good open spaces with a variety of cover and all of the built areas have routes around the outside too. Realising that I’d be covering a lot of ground, I suddenly wished I’d packed lighter rig than the one I’d prepped…

The thing that couldn’t escape my notice though, was the section of the site which was out of bounds after the lightning strike, with rooms completely gutted. Paul explained how the bolt had grounded through a nearby electricity pole, made its way through an underground cable and blown out into the building which had housed reception and the safe zone; it’s not an understatement to say that it looked like a bombsite. Sadly, the damage also included much of the site’s equipment and props, as Paul pointed out the melted remains of a batch of rental M4s.

But – and this is really a credit to the Ironsight team – they were back up and running even with the damage and the lost kit plus, even with the damaged area out of bounds, the site is a cracker!

I grabbed a RIF and got stuck in to the morning’s games – a swift force-on-force warm up, a capture the flag (with a nice multiple-flagsfor-different-points twist) and then a three-phase attack. All the battles flowed smoothly with play ranging back and forth. The network of rooms and corridors proved to be awesome for manoeuvring, with plenty of opportunities to flank and get behind the OPFOR (although I must apologise to a player on my team that I pinged in the bonce – I hadn’t realised that he had gotten in front of us!). Where there were choke-points they were just obstacles to overcome, rather than points of frustration and the open areas were well thought out too. Some of the hidden routes through were devilishly difficult to find but once you got your head around them they were amusingly sneaky. Spawns are well placed, never too far away to be a time-sink but enough of a trot to make you think before charging forward kamikaze-style.

Players were great, too – friendly but fighting hard. Marshalling was firm but fair, both from the guys in the hi-vis as well as the player 94

Xmas 2014

Marshalls and there was sensible game-management in play where necessary. By the time we ticked around to lunchtime I was thoroughly knackered from charging about like a loon, indoors and out, grinning after some great games and really wishing that I’d gone light-scales now I’d realised how big the site actually is!

Lunch is cracking too – the catering is top notch – and after swigging down a couple of gallons of tea I caught up with Paul. He took me through plans for the site – new rooms and playing areas will open up as the damaged areas are repaired and I’ve no doubt that means the site will be bigger and better. He also talked me through plans for some special events; the weekend after I played saw a big Halloween Zombie event, with some pretty darn’ awesome drones triggering remote dets!

So here’s my verdict: Ironsight is a little gem! The team run a tight ship (I don’t think I’ve ever seen a skirmish day start so promptly!), the site is deceptively big with a great variety of areas to play through and the games were well planned out and good, honest fun. Top that off with a great gang of players and to my mind it’s a brilliant option for a day’s skirmishing.

But here’s the big thing I took away with me: despite the really quite significant damage that the lightning strike had inflicted on the site, Paul, Lorraine, Sam and the rest of the team have rolled with the punches, gotten straight back in the saddle and are delivering a really very good day’s airsofting. Add in the plans they’ve got for the future and I think what’s already pretty awesome is going to be marvellous!

All in all, Ironsight gets a big thumbs-up from me. Get it on your list of places to skirmish!

Contact details: IronSight Airsoft Goodworth Clatford Andover Hants SP11 7LF Tel: 07407 543256 Web: www.ironsightairsoft.co.uk

survival SURVIVAL | NAVIGATION

WHICH WAY’S NORTH? SURVIVAL SPECIALIST, PAUL YELLAND, GIVES US SOME POINTERS TO FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE AND HOW TO GET WHERE WE WANT TO BE SO, THERE YOU ARE SAT wearing all of your kit at the mission brief listening intently to the orders. The area of operation is vast with numerous objectives spread out over varied terrain. As the briefing finishes you are all psyched up and imagining taking on the enemy and winning the battle single-handed. But your thoughts of victory might be premature if you don’t know how to navigate your way to the objective.

What is Navigation?

Navigation is simply finding the way from point A to point B. If you are unfamiliar with the area then you are going to need a map and compass to get you walking in the right direction. Tactically, being able to navigate to an objective is incredibly important. Being able to read a map will help you to choose a safe and suitable route to your objective. Being competent at map reading will allow you to avoid areas

with safety issues such as cliffs and areas risking possible ambush by the opposing force. Also, more advanced levels of navigation will enable you to accurately find your way to the target at night and in poor visibility.

Maps Ordinance Survey are the agency that produce maps of every part of the UK. Each map has a sheet number in relation to the area that is covered. The maps are in metric and have a scale. This is what you might call the “zoom”. The two common scales are 1:50,000 and 1:25,000. This means (for a 1:50,000 scale map) every 1 centimetre on the map represents 50,000 centimetres (500 metres) on the ground. For a 1:25,000 scale, 1 centimetre on the map translates to 25,000 centimetres (250 metres) on the ground.

This later scale gives more detail to the features of the land, and is more detailed than the 1:50,000 scale maps, so is ideal for navigating over terrain on foot due to the greater “zoom” on the land.

Grid references Each map has a grid printed on it. The vertical grid lines point towards grid north at the top of the map. Each square of the grid represents one kilometre. There are numbers printed with these squares. The numbers that go from left to right are called “Eastings” and the numbers which go from bottom to top are called “Northings”. Each grid square is then further divided into tenths. These numbers allow any place on the map to be given a six figure grid reference to aide in its location. To work out a six figure grid reference of a known position, use the rule “along the corridor and up the stairs”.

• • •

Find the location on the map (as an exercise, use the church symbol which is shown in the map diagram).

Identify the grid square that contains the church.

Working from the left side of that grid square, make a note of the number on the grid line (the easting).

The grid square containing the church starts at grid line number 22. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

95

•

•

•

•

Next, divide the bottom line of the church grid square into tenths, working from left to right. Use a corner of a piece of paper to mark out the divisions, or use a protractor to be more accurate. You will see that in the single grid square diagram, the church is level to the easting number 5. Make a note of this number. We now have our first part of the grid reference; 225.

Now we need to work out the northing – that is the number going from bottom to top. On the diagram, by following the numbers up from the bottom, you will see that the grid square containing the church starts at number 14. Make a note of this number.

This time, working upwards, divide the side of the church grid square into tenths. Make a note of what number the church is level with. You will see in the diagram that the church is level with number 4. So the second part of the grid reference is 144.

Put all the numbers together in the order that they were worked out and the grid reference for the church is 225 144.

Map Symbols Towns, roads, rivers, forests and buildings are all printed on maps.

These features and many others are shown as symbols, with a key to their meanings listed on the side of the map. It is important to become familiar with these symbols so that you can read a map in detail.

Contour Lines Contour lines are what really bring the map to life. The lines represent the height of the land and gradient of the hills. The contour lines are in metric and generally go up by ten metres each time. The steepness of the hill is shown by how close the contour lines are together. Spaced well apart, the lines would indicate flat ground or a gentle slope. Tightly packed together means a steep hill or near vertical face. The trick with contour lines is to look at them on the map and visualize the lines as the elevations that they represent.

96

xmas 2014

Direction Finding You are now able to work out a grid reference for your destination but still need a way to identify what direction to walk in. The easiest method to use for direction indication is with a compass. There are various types of compass available, with the (Silva) base plate type being the most familiar. Any compass will show the four cardinal points, which are: • North (0/360 degrees) • East (90 degrees) • South (180 degrees) • West (270 degrees)

the red magnetic end of the needle sits within the arrow outline printed inside the compass housing. You are now facing in the correct direction of travel to get to your objective.

Magnetic Variation There are three types of north: • True North • Grid North • Magnetic North True north relates to the direction of the North Pole and its direction is indicated by the North Star (Polaris). Grid north is the direction that the vertical grid lines on a map run and allows you to orientate the map correctly. The magnetized needle of a compass points to magnetic north. There are slight variations in the directions of true, grid and magnetic north. The one that you need to remember is the difference between grid north and magnetic north. This difference is called the “Magnetic variation”. This variation is expressed in degrees and the amount changes occasionally. The amount of variation between grid and magnetic north is usually marked on the information section of maps, so adjustments can be made if needed when transferring bearings from map grid to compass or vice versa.

Taking a Bearing on a Map Use a protractor (base plate) type compass and put it flat on the map. Place the long edge of the compass so it joins up the start and finish points for the chosen section of the journey. Make sure that the compass is pointing the correct way (heading towards your direction of travel). Turn the compass housing so that the vertical lines in the housing are parallel with the easting grid lines on the map. Now read the bearing showing on the compass. You now have the bearing to your destination. Remember to take into consideration the magnetic variation. Hold the compass flat in your hand and turn your body so that

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

97

Triangulation It is important to know your current position on the map before working out the bearing to your objective, otherwise, you will not know where you are starting from. If you have become lost, you can use a method called “Triangulation”.

To use triangulation, look for two easily identifiable landmarks, such as a church or prominent hills. The features should be at least one kilometre away from you. One object should be roughly to your ten o’clock arc and the second object to your two o’clock arc. As you stand looking at the two features, the angle between them should be no less than forty degrees. Go back to your map and orientate it to north and find the selected objects on it. Take a bearing of one of the objects from where you are standing. Now work out the back bearing (180 degrees opposite of the original) from the object and draw a line (in pencil) along this bearing on the map. Repeat the process for the second feature and at some point on the map, the two lines that you have drawn should cross. Your current position is at this cross. Now you can work out the grid reference for where you are and plan any further navigation from here.

Pacing Pacing beads: It is really important to keep check on how far you have walked so that you can identify where you are on the map.

The method used for doing this is called “pacing”. This technique is basically counting your paces.

You first need to work out how many of your own paces are needed to cover a distance of 100 metres. I walk 60 paces over 100 metres at a normal speed over reasonable terrain. To keep a count of how many paces I have walked, I use pacing beads. This is a short length of para-cord with a knot tied in the middle. On one side of the knot are nine beads and on the other side are four beads. There is enough room on the cord to slide the beads up and down a few inches. When navigating, I have the pacing beads hanging from my belt. When I am walking along my route, I am counting my paces.

Every time I reach sixty paces I slide one of the nine beads down. This bead represents 100 metres. I repeat this process until all of the nine beads have been moved. At this stage, I know that I have covered a distance of 900 metres. After I have walked the next 100 metres, I move one of the four beads on the other end of the cord. This bead represents a distance of 1000 metres (1 kilometre). I then repeat the whole process. Bear in mind that your speed of movement will have an effect on how accurate your pacing is. Carrying a heavy bergen, uneven ground and walking uphill will all have an effect on your gait.

This will change how many paces it will take you to cover a distance of 100 metres.

Naismith’s Rule Time of travel can be calculated by using Naismith’s Rule. The average fit person should allow a walking speed of 5 kilometres an hour. Walking up hill will add time to this, so when planning out the route, allow an extra 30 minutes for every 300 metres of uphill walking.

Summary

98

Measuring Distance

So that is the basics of navigation. You can now work out a grid reference for a position, use a compass to take a bearing and can work out your location if you become lost. You also know how to measure distances and estimate times of travel. However, the only way to become proficient in navigation is by getting out and practicing.

Master these skills, and you will be able to take the fight to the enemy.

The next issue is how to measure the distance to the objective. We know that each grid square is one kilometre long. When using the more detailed 1:25,000 scale map, one centimetre measured on the map represents 250 metres on the ground. This is useful to know as this allows us to work out how far we need to walk. The easiest way to measure the distance of a route is to use a length of thin string. Lay the string along the selected route on the map. Once the distance of the route has been measured with the string, hold the string against the distance scale which is printed at the bottom of the map and measure it. This will give you the distance of the route in kilometres and miles.

If you are interested in learning more about map reading, there are lots of books on the subject, which can be bought either from your local bookshop or online from Amazon.

Some bookshops also carry a good selection of Ordnance Survey maps, or they can be bought online direct from Ordnance Survey.

Their 1:25,000 maps are called “Explorer”, whilst their 1:50,000 is “Landranger”.

A basic Silva compass is about £8, whilst the Silva “Expedition” costs about £60. Both can be bought from any good outdoor equipment shop.

xmas 2014

AA41_Layout 1 12/11/2014 18:46 Page 99

All New

AIRSOFT ACTION BOOKSHOP SOLDIERS POCKET BOOK

SOLDIERS POCKET BOOK ic plast with cover book

344 44 pages of combat skills for Airsoft enthusiast, TA & Regulars. Easy to read packed full of essential tips & skills essen you need to know.

RRP £10.00 with this voucher code AASB13 at www.milpkbk.co.uk Web Webshop Checkout

£7.00

with p book lastic cove r

Person Security Pocket Book RRP £12.00 with this voucher code PSPB14 at www.milpkbk.co.uk - at Webshop Checkout

£10.00

Some of the most intense reading material you’ll every ead on this subject, written by a Master Snipe Sniper Instructor. A must read for all the right reasons.

RRP £10.00 with this voucher code AASN13 at www.milpkbk.co.uk Webshop Webs Checkout

£7.00

BOOK REVIEW THE PEGASUS DIARIES

THE PEGASUS DIARIES:

THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF MAJOR JOHN HOWARD DSO

BY JOHN HOWARD AND PENNY BATES

KRIS ROBERTS WRITES ABOUT A BOOK THAT ANYONE WITH EVEN THE SLIGHTEST INTEREST IN THE NORMANDY LANDINGS SHOULD READ. “You realize, John, that your company will be the spearhead of the invasion. It is a great honour for the Regiment to be selected to find troops for this highly important job. But I feel absolutely confident that you will be able to pull it off.”

My mouth felt dry but I coughed and, holding my head high replied, ‘Yes sir. You can have every confidence in me and my men.’

This training would prove its worth from the moment they touched down on French soil. Honed to a knife edge, the group burst forth from their gliders using surprise, speed and total aggression to overwhelm the guarding enemy forces and win the day, securing their place in history.

Content In the opening moments of 6th June 1944, a British contingent of 180 men glided through the moonlit Normandy sky as the leading element of the infamous D-Day invasion. Their objective was help secure the eastern flank of the landing beaches by capturing intact the bridges over the Caen Canal and the Orne River.

The men of ‘D’ Company, 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry had been selected for the mission due to their exemplary record in training. This reputation was due in no small part to their commanding officer, Major John Howard.

A man driven by duty and an obligation to get the job done, Howard demanded the very best from himself and the men, pushing them all to their physical limits and hardening their minds and bodies with the skills required for the forthcoming battle.

Impressions The Pegasus Diaries is a detailed and comprehensive history that spans the years from January 1942 to March 1946 in the life of Major Howard. This window in time has been pieced together from Howard’s private collection of original planning documentation, maps, firsthand accounts and his own personal memoirs and recollections.

The attention to detail that played a key part in Howard’s personality is prevalent from the get go and it provides a rich and valuable insight into the methods and rituals of the wartime British officer classes, along with training practices and the daily routine of Army life (which will no doubt be appealing to those with an interest in military history).

But the Military aspect only covers half of the tale, with Howard willing to share key moments of his personal life and allow the reader to become more intimately involved in the complexities of his duties as a husband and father. It is this conflict, the contradiction between his love for his family and a professional soldier preparing for war that provides the heart of the story. Although this may at times slow the pace it is worth the journey, for the ying and yang aspect is balanced well to provide a deeper and more fascinating whole. The courage to share this aspect of his life in such an open way is not something that is often seen in similar accounts by other veterans. It is a clear representation of a man who is capable of bravery on many levels and I found it humbling.

When it comes to the infamous D-day attack itself, Howard takes us beyond the well-worn tale of daring-do and leads us into the months that followed.

In extending the bridgehead Howard watched as his men faced constant bombardment and hardship and ‘D’ Company suffered huge losses with Howard himself being wounded but returning to the field to command his men.

Of the 180 men that landed in gliders on that fateful June night only 40 made the voyage home with Howard; the rest either recovering from their wounds in hospital or laying forever more in a foreign field.

An in-depth account which shouldn’t be rushed and one I highly recommend if you are looking to further your understanding of the time and the people that lived through it.

“I went to the officer’s accommodation and sat heavily in the chair in my old room. I was the only original officer left with ‘D’ Company, for none of my friends or junior officers returned from Normandy with me. I had lost all of my sergeants and most of the corporals. I had seen my closest friend killed in the first minutes of action in battle. I found myself home, unscathed but for a couple of scars and I couldn’t wait to see my family again. I can remember trying to pray – to thank god for bringing me back alive – but, instead, I put my head in my hands and wept.”

INFORMATION RRP £12.99 PUBLISHER - PEN AND SWORD MILITARY BOOKS.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

101

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

BADLANDS AIRSOFT

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

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

AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM

BARNSLEY 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

102

Xmas 2014

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

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY

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

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

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

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

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

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

DELTA TEAM 3

FIREBALL SQUADRON

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

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

DOGS OF WAR

FIRST AND ONLY – ANZIO CAMP

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

DRAGON’S LAIR CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

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

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

BUNKER 51 Charlton, SE7 8NJ 0870 7549653 www.wolfarmouries.co.uk

C3 TACTICAL

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

COMBAT ACTION GAMES Maryland, Norfolk, NR10 4 07748 023832 www.facebook.com/ combatactiongames

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

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

CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 5 01438 368177 www.thefightschool.demon.co.uk

COOL UNDER FIRE

CERBERUS AIRSOFT - THE COMPLEX

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT

CERBERUS AIRSOFT - THE SANDPIT Bradford, BD2 1BQ 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

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

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

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

Leek, ST13 8 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

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

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

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

Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 2NA 07862 288359 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

DOG TAG AIRSOFT Horsham West Sussex, RH12 4SE TEL 01293 852 314 http://www.holmbushpaintball. co.uk/airsoft

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

ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING

FIRST AND ONLY – ASYLUM

Worthing, BN13 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com

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

ELITE BATTLEZONE

FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE

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

Middleton, Manchester, M24 1AZ0161 727 8863

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

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS Lewisham, SE13 5SU 07973 240177 www.firefight.co.uk

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

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

FIRST AND ONLY – KHE SANH WOODS

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 6QF 07779 157440

FIRST & ONLY: THE ASYLUM Kidderminster, DY10 3PT 07779 157440

FIRST & ONLY: THE OUTPOST Kidderminster, DY11 5SA 07779 157440

FINMERE AIRSOFT Buckingham, MK18 4JT 07976 184897 www.finmereairsoft.com www.airsoft-action.co.uk

103

FIRST & ONLY: SLEEPY HOLLOW

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – CAMBRIDGE

Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 5LS 07880 316716

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

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

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

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

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

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

LAC SITE 2 Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

LAC SITE 3 Saxillby, LN1 2JW 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

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

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

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

INVICTA AIRSOFT – RAINDEN WOODS Folkestone, Kent, CT18 7AY 01227 763335 www.invictaairsoft.co.uz

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

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

104

xmas 2014

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT Near Shorwell, Isle of Wight, PO30 07964 751047 www.islandrecon.co.uk

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

NSC AIRSOFT LAC SITE 5

FREE FIRE ZONE

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

NORTHFLEET CQB

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

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

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

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

PATHFINDER GROUP AIRSOFT MILITARY SIMULATION

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

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

MILSIM UK

PHOENIX AIRSOFT

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

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

PLATOON 1HQ

SKIRMISH EXETER

TECH BRIGADE

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

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

Newgate Street, Hertfordshire.

SG13 8NH 07841 713356 www.techbrigade.org

PLAYERS OF WAR

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT

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

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

PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

THE BUNKER

URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13

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

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – THE ROCK

THE DESERTERS AIRSOFT

URBAN6AIRSOFT – THE BLOCK

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

STIRLING AIRSOFT

THE EX SITE

URBAN ASSAULT

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

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

THE WARGAMES CENTRE

VIKING AIRSOFT

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

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

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

SUSSEX AIRSOFT

TROJAN AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY 01268 796130 www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

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

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

XSITE AIRSOFT OUTPOST S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT Boathouse lane, South Wirral, Cheshire, CH64 3TB www.swatairsoft.eu 07703 177756

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT Shotts, North Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM

TA EVENTS

UCAP AIRSOFT

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

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

TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT

UCAP GREEN OPS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

105

DEALER LISTINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEX Land Warrior Airsoft RedWolf Airsoft Airsoft Zone JD Airsoft

106

OD8J 2014

2 + 75 3 + 19 + 67 9 + 56 7 + 71 + 78

eHobbyAsia

15

BadgerTac

23

Wolf Armouries

25

Airsoft Armoury

30 + 31

Enola Gaye

35

Gunman Airsoft

38

British Airsoft Show

42

Leeds Airsoft

47

JustBBGuns

52

AA Digital Edition

58

Patrol Store

61

Eton Guns

62

E-W Trading

62

ActionSportGames

85

Sly Photography

99

Crawley Surplus Store

99

NoVAT

99

Dragon Valley

99

Military Outdoor

99

Bookshop

100

Advertisers Index

106

Military 1st

107

Pro Airsoft Supplies

108