Issue 61 - May 2016

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MAGAZINE!

AIRSOFT ACTION

ARMOU1 RSHYADOW

ASG CZ SP-0 INGERS LAYLAX SCHRÖD KS ARMOURER WOR

EVENTSXCLUSIVE

IWA 2016 - E HARITY DRAGON’S LAIR C OW OP: BROKEN ARR

FEATURES

TECH TALK THE FUN FACTOR FACEBOOK BAN

CONCEALED CARRY

BIG BOYZ TOYZ

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ARMOURY: LAYLAX SCHRÖDINGER

MAGAZINE!

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Y ARMOUR 1 SHADOW

ASG CZ SP-0 GERS LAYLAX SCHRÖDIN KS ARMOURER WOR

EVENTS

USIVE IWA 2016 - EXCL ITY DRAGON’S LAIR CHAR W OP: BROKEN ARRO

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FEATURES TECH TALK THE FUN FACTOR FACEBOOK BAN

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

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

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CONTENTS MARCH MAY 2014 2016

CONTENTS MAY 2016

6 NEWS What’s happening in the World of Airsoft 10 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos taken by Airsoft Action readers.

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

12 ARMOURY: ASG CZ SP-01 SHADOW Jerry Noone gets to grips with the latest model from one of his favourite handgun manufacturers, CZ and finds the new SP-01 has most definitely been worth waiting for!

16 ARMOURY: LAYLAX SCHRÖDINGER Scott Allan lifts the lid on this crazy-looking, limited edition “Ghost in the Shell” rifle.

20 ARMOURY: ARMOURER WORKS PISTOLS A new pistol manufacturer isn’t always something to write home about as they pop up with boring regularity, unless it is an Armourer Works pistol. In which case, Scott Allan says you should definitely read on.

24 INTERNATIONAL SHOW REPORT: IWA 2016 1,455 Exhibitors… 45,000 Trade visitors… and Bratwurst! It can only be IWA and the Airsoft Action team was there to see it all.

34 CHARITY EVENT REPORT: DRAGON’S LAIR Nige reports from a game in Essex where the airsoft community came together to help someone in need.

38 INSIDE AIRSOFT: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT Maybe the only way is Essex, when you consider what Rules of Engagement has to offer, as Les Lee found out recently.

43 SITE REPORT: UCAP – THE WING Oscar P finds himself behinds bars as he checks out UCAP’s new site in Shepton Mallet.

62 BIG BOYZ TOYZ: M4 SHERMAN TANK Being an ex-Tankie, these metal behemoths will always hold a special significance for Ratty as he takes a look at one of the best-known tanks of WWII, in the first of a two-part article.

68 FEATURE: TECH TALK As a Gun Tech, Frenchie knows a thing or two about what goes on inside (and outside) an aeg. In this new series, he starts by giving us a rundown of what the various components are – and what they do.

72 FEATURE: 1ST AID KITS Minor injuries come with all outdoor activities, so Paul Yelland explains what you should put into a Personal 1st Kit to deal with the odd bump or scratch.

75 LOADED OR UNLOADED: RALly CRY! This month Jerry Noone gets personal about his own choice of gear and why he chooses the gear he does!

80 INSIDE AIRSOFT: GUN TECH All sports have their unsung heroes, the less obvious men and women behind the scenes that keep the big machine running.

Les Lee met one of them on a recent visit to Crawley Surplus Stores.

84 AIRSOFT SKILLS: CONCEALED CARRY Calibre Shooting’s Andy Nightingale gives us some tips on how to rectify simple mistakes when carrying a concealed handgun.

86 GITAG: WOOD FURNITURE Jerry Noone has a “bit of a thing” about AKs; this month he takes a look at fitting a set of classic woodwork from W&S Airsoft.

90 FAMOUS RAIDS: TELEMARK Billy continues his look at Famous Raids with one of the most important, one that helped prevent the Germans from acquiring nuclear weapons.

48 EVENT REPORT: OP BROKEN ARROW Angelo DV reports from an event that promised to take MilSim to a whole new level of realism.

94 BOOK REVIEW: TRUNK MONKEYS A little while ago we had an interview in Airsoft Action with Lewis Steiner. Here, Matt Limb OBE, gives us his opinion of Lewis’ book.

53 COLD WAR WARRIOR: KGB DOG HANDLER Gareth “Gadge” Harvey turns his attention to one of the USSR’s most feared institutions, the KGB, as he looks at Soviet Border Guards.

96 WW1: WAR HORSE The subject of a recent box-office success, Dan Mills writes about an often overlooked item of military “equipment” that was more than just mere wood and metal.

56 FEATURE: THE FUN FACTOR Having immersed himself in the highly-professional training courses run by A-Squadron’s Bob Podesta, Paul Yelland writes about the more light-hearted side of airsoft; where people play for f-u-n!

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

59 AA DEBATE: FACEBOOK G-U-N BAN Following Facebook’s recent announcement, in this month’s debate Gadge asks: “Is it right for social media to ban airsoft sales?”

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

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S W E N T F AIRSO

Joules v FPS

AS YOU MIGHT BE AWARE, over the last few weeks and months, Airsoft Action, along with many other individuals and organisations such as UKARA and the ATB, has been involved in discussions about the proposals being put forward to both the UK and European Parliaments, regarding the regulation of RIF. Along the way there have been a number of proposals but one that seems to have gained some momentum, is that any forthcoming regulation should not be based on FPS (i.e. the velocity measured in feet per second) but rather be measured in Joules.

There are a number of reasons for this but the bottom line is that, here at Airsoft Action we fully support this proposal as it does away with a lot of “grey areas” and provides a level playing field for all weights of BB. There are a number of chronographs available at sub-£100 that provide a readout in Joules and so we see no reason why this could not be rapidly adopted, without the costs normally associated with a major shift in legislation.

With that in mind, where appropriate, all future reviews of airsoft weapons in this magazine will provide readings in both FPS and Joules and should this be adopted legally, then we will continue to do so for a period following its adoption, so that readers can become used to the comparative values.

There has been some suggestion that a complex graphic could be used to display the comparison but we feel the “KISS” principle is the best way to go and so will stick with simple numbers.

SPEED Airsoft to release HPA conversion kits for sniper rifles SPEED AIRSOFT will be releasing soon a full line of HPA Conversion Kits for the popular spring power bolt action airsoft rifles. These will include the Echo1 M28, Echo 1 ASR, VSR10, L96, APS-2 platform of snipers (Classic Army M24, UTG and Maruzen), as well as the Ares MS700.

SPEED HPA Conversion Kit works perfectly with any stock trigger group and will enable any of the above sniper rifles to achieve a velocity speed from 350fps up to and over 500fps. Cocking the bolt will be much shorter than a stock set up and can even be done with one finger.

SPEED HPA Conversion Kit will require a compressed air tank along with a HPA regulator.

The air tank can be as small as a compact 13ci tank, which can yield up to 500+ shots depending on the velocity setting.

For more info, visit SPEED Airsoft at www.

SpeedAirsoft.com or get your SPEED products from SPEED authorized airsoft dealers worldwide.

The Sport of War now has a Marquee Tool, the KRYTAC War Sport LVOA THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A more aptly named airsoft gun than the KRYTAC War Sport LVOA. Officially Licensed by War Sport Industries LLC., the KRTYAC War Sport LVOA is the only licensed LVOA in the world. The iconic LVOA rail system and War Sport markings are complimented with the performance and reliability of the KRYTAC Nautilus 8mm Gearbox and Rotary Hop Up system.

Locate the nearest KRYTAC reseller near you with our Dealer Locator (https://krytac.com/find-a-dealer) to add this groundbreaking AEG to your arsenal and watch out for Scott Allans’ review in the next issue of Airsoft Action.

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AIRSOFT NEWS

Northern Shooting Show Update IT IS LESS THAN TWO months until the Northern Shooting Show’s inaugural event, on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May 2016, to be held in the fantastic backdrop of the Yorkshire Event Centre (home of The Great Yorkshire Show). The Show organisers promised to deliver a show for ALL shooting enthusiasts, with all shooting disciplines represented in equal measure and there is 6,000 square metres dedicated purely to Airsoft.

The UK’s leading manufacturers, distributors and retailers of Airgun, Airsoft, Rifle, Shotgun, Specialist kit and Accessories will all be present displaying all the latest products and innovations to hit the market. There is a big emphasis at the show to “have a go” through interactive areas where you can try the latest offerings from Manufacturers on their “try before you buy” ranges and, if you like what you try, then you can buy from their preferred dealers. Stirling Airsoft will have a massive CQB demo and “have a go” area demonstrating the latest in military simulation.

Action Air is the fastest growing aspect of practical shooting in the UK and we are pleased to announce that the UKPSA, along with Mike Cripps at Elite shooting and Northern Practical Pistol Club, will be on hand to demonstrate the sport and help anyone who wants to “have a go” on their range.

The Grange, along with Halo Mill, will be holding the “Northern Shooting Show Open Match”. This 10 Stage, Level 1 competition will have a mix of short, medium and long courses of fire, each one designed to test a different aspect of the shooter’s ability, with each shooter compared by their hit factor (total score divided by time in seconds). This is already looking like it’s going to be a busy attraction! Enter the competition sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment!

Exhibitors so far include; Alphatec, ASG, Airsoft Sniper Parts, Airsoft Action, Badgertac, Dave’s Custom Airsoft, Elite Shooting, Halo Mill, JD Airsoft, Nuprol, UKPSA, Stirling Airsoft, Pro Airsoft Supplies and The Grange. More have verbally confirmed but will be officially added shortly.

For your “Early Bird” £9 day ticket, show organisers promise visitors will certainly get their money’s worth! Visitors will also have access to specialist focus areas at the show like; Rifle “FMJ” Zone, see all the latest tactical and target rifle manufacturers, distributors and retailers with a great choice of all the latest specialist kit to hit the market.

SEE all the latest “real steel” firearms from .22 “Tactical Semi- Autos” to .50 Cal, plus all the latest tactical clothing. Clubs, Societies and Associations will be on hand to answer any questions and provide information to anyone looking to get into the “real steel” side of shooting. If you want to try it for yourself, you can have a go on their outdoor pistol, archery, clay shooting, airgun and .22 LIVE rimfire semi auto range.

All in all this is a show not to miss! For more information and to take advantage of the “Early Bird” ticket offers please go to: www.northernshootingshow.co.uk.

POLARSTAR F1 RELEASED AT IWA THE F1 IS A HIGH PERFORMANCE, universal HPA (High Pressure Air) drop-in cylinder designed to fit virtually any AEG gearbox. It is available as both a Centerline version, which will work with most common gearbox types, but it is also available in an Offset version to work with those unique gearboxes such the V6 and V7. It replaces the original gearbox components with a programmable pneumatic system allowing for higher performance, greater reliability and complete adjustability.

This allows the F1 to fill any role ranging from CQB to sniper with no additional components needed.

The F1 uses a custom solenoid designed by PolarStar and manufactured by MAC Valves. The design allows the solenoid to become an integral part of the system and not simply a switch to control gas flow. This not only makes the F1 more compact but also minimizes the dead volume inside of the system, increasing efficiency and decreasing response time.

Unlike similar systems, the F1 incorporates a dual purpose flow control system which allows for nozzle speed regulation and two stage firing through an integral check valve. The check valve system regulates nozzle speed based on the direction of movement while also controlling flow to the secondary firing point. This unique design promotes both increased cyclic rate and smoother chambering.

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May 2016

Despite its sophisticated design, the F1 only has 5 parts which translates into extreme reliability and makes maintaining the F1 very easy.

To further simplify maintenance, the F1 requires no tools for disassembly.

F1 CENTERLINE W/STANDARD FCU Now Available for Pre-Order (ETA March 15th) F1-CL Version 2 Conversion Kit for M4/M16 (F1V2-M4) F1-CL Version 3 Conversion Kit for AK (F1V3-AK) F1-CL Conversion Kit for M249 (F1MG-M249)

F1 CENTERLINE W/MINI FCU Now Available for Pre-Order - (ETA March 15th) F1-CL Version 2 (Mini) Conversion Kit for M4/M16 (F1V2-M-M4) F1-CL Version 3 (Mini) Conversion Kit for AK (F1V3-M-AK) F1-CL Conversion (Mini) Kit for M249 (F1MGM-M249)

F1 OFFSET W/MINI OR STANDARD FCU Coming Soon - (ETA Late March / Early April) Information for F1 Offset Kits will be announced ASAP. PolarStar products are available from the shop at The Grange. Call 01676 532384 for more details and pricing.

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

SPONSORED BY

ROGUE’S GALLERY

Greg Cross at RIFT - The Defilade

Kelly and Les at IWA 2016

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May 2016

Information

Scott Coleman

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

THE ADVENTURES OF MAG

CARTOON

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JERRY NOONE GETS TO GRIPS WITH THE LATEST MODEL FROM ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE HANDGUN MANUFACTURERS, CZ AND FINDS THE NEW SP-01 HAS MOST DEFINITELY BEEN WORTH WAITING FOR!

SHADOW WARRIOR SOMETIMES I FIND IT HARD to believe that my relationship with firearms, both real and replica, stretches back some forty years now. As a lad I was introduced to handguns by my father, learning to shoot with his Walther PPK and Browning Hi-Power in the days when pistols were legal to own. Over the years it has been my privilege to shoot many different models of handgun both at home and, more lately, abroad.

I’ve been lucky enough to be able to attend both handgun and rifle shooting courses on a regular basis overseas and it was on an Instinctive Pistol Shooting course that I met the most remarkable gentleman instructor, a Special Forces veteran who, upon leaving one service, immediately joined another as a Police Officer, spent five years doing undercover work and 12

MAY 2016

then went on to be a service instructor before retiring and continuing to instruct in the private sector.

Now this man knew all about firearms (as you can well imagine) and his choice of everyday carry model was the CZ75, which he described as “probably the best carry handgun ever made” and who am I to doubt him?

The CZ75 was introduced in 1975 by one of the largest small arms manufacturers in the world, Ceska zbrojovka Uhersky Brod (CZUB, or simply CZ) from the Czech Republic, a manufacturer prolific in both military and sporting firearms. The CZ75 was one of the original, innovative 9mm pistols featuring a staggered column magazine, all-steel construction and a hammer-forged barrel. It’s a model that amongst shooters

Armoury CZ SP-01 SHADOW FROM ASG

worldwide has a fearsome reputation for high-quality, accuracy, and durability. Over the years, though, the original model of 1975 went through numerous changes and upgrades which resulted in such models as the CZ75 “Champion”, the CZ75 ST (Standard) and CZ75 M (Modified). In 2005 came the CZ75 TS (Tactical Sports) variant which, with its slightly longer 132mm barrel, became extremely popular with IPSC Standard Division shooters.

Although the CZ75 continues to dominate in pistol shooting circles, in 2009 CZ launched a worthy addition to their range of handguns, the polymer P-07. Moving away from their all-steel designs they embraced new materials technology and a new trigger design to create a handgun that carried 16 plus one rounds of 9mm ammunition and that weighed in at just under 840g! Glock had done a lot of the hard work in bringing the polymer pistol into the mainstream by then, so the shooting world was more than ready for a model from a manufacturer they already trusted and the CZ P-07 immediately gained rave reviews.

Fast forward to 2013 and not content with just one model in the range, CZ moved onwards to introduce the P-09 “Duty”.

The P-09 is essentially the big brother of the P-07 with a couple of changes that make it even more impressive. The barrel and slide have been lengthened to improve on already outstanding sighting and accuracy and the grip itself is longer too, which means that the P-09 can carry a staggering 19 plus one rounds of nine mil! It’s also available in .40 calibre where it still manages to hold 15 plus one.

CZ say that the P-09 “was created on a basis of the long-lasting cooperation with many operatives from armed forces worldwide”. It was stressed that “maximum reliability and accuracy is of paramount importance”, while special attention was paid to the shooter’s comfort and ergonomics.

In the real world the P-09 has been fully tried and tested in the harshest of conditions and has proved a more than worthy addition to the range of excellent practical handguns offered by CZ. The very latest model in the CZ75 tough family is the SP-01 and this variant is the first fullsize handgun from CZ to feature the improved manufacturing technology and ergonomics of the NATO-approved CZ 75 Compact P-01 model. Featuring an integral 1913 accessory rail, rubber grip panels and CZ’s corrosion resistant black polycoat finish, the SP-01 is the newest production model to join the family of pistols based on the original CZ 75 (SA/DA) platform, although the SP-02 had its first showing at IWA this year and is eagerly anticipated. Borrowing from the improved grip geometry of the compact P-01, the SP-01 utilises an extended beavertail to protect the shooter’s strong hand as well as allowing for a deeper and more secure grip. The new grip geometry, checkering in key areas on the front and back straps and redistribution of mass provided by the accessory rail noticeably decreases perceived recoil from previous models and allows for more rapid target acquisition and transition.

The SP-01 was designed as a military and law enforcement duty sidearm and is currently in use by a number of security forces. Thanks to its exceptional accuracy and superior handling characteristics though, the CZ75 SP-01 has also found supporters in the fields of sport and target shooting as its list of users on the competition circuit include World Champions Adam Tyc and Angus Hobdell.

look like the original that they are designed to resemble but in many cases it is just that, a “resemblance” rather than a true reproduction. Whilst this may seem unimportant, in fact it’s a vital part of how the industry works. Development of any firearm takes years and costs many, many thousands of pounds and both aftermarket parts and accessories form yet another part of the process. Trademark infringement is a serious matter and failing to work with real world firearms manufacturers could see them withdrawing their products altogether from the replica market.

You might be able to buy something that looks like a CZ but will that necessarily come with the same after-purchase backup, or indeed will it even fit a holster that has been designed for the original? Many copies vary in overall size, especially frame size, to get around licence infringement and in my mind there is nothing as annoying as buying a holster or a taclite for your replica and finding they don’t fit!

In my opinion, ActionSportGames (ASG) from Denmark are one of the best in the business at getting their licensing agreements right and ensuring that what we as buyers get is 100% correct. Although only established as ASG in 2003, the company heritage goes right back to the 1960s. ASG aim to give us exactly what we want before, during and, most importantly, after purchase.

In relation to the SP-01 Shadow this means that they have worked hand-in-hand with CZ, even down to using the original design specifications of the “real deal” to provide a replica with a completely authentic look and feel. Each SP-01 comes with authentic CZ markings; on the left of the slide you’ll find the legends “CZ SP-01 Shadow 9x19” with a small CZ logo and, on

100% LEGIT!

You may have noticed in all the reviews I carry out on replica firearm models that I regularly make use of the words “Fully Licenced” and it’s something that is very important to me.

There are many “replicas” out there that may on first glance

www.airsoft-action.online

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Armoury CZ SP-01 SHADOW FROM ASG

the right, a small ASG logo and “Cal 6mm BB”. Inset to both sides of the pistol grip is a small CZ logo meaning that this is a fully tried, tested and properly licenced replica.

BUILD QUALITY

The SP-01 arrived neatly packaged in a striking, fully illustrated box which contained the pistol, one magazine, a full-colour instruction manual and a small box of ASG BBs. Externally this is a large but pleasing handgun; I wear a regular size Large glove, and although slim, the grip of the CZ filled my hand well with some positive checkering, great ergonomics and of course the extended beavertail. The SP-01 is full metal so it’s also a nice weight in the hand, 1110g as opposed to the 1088g of the real thing but of course there is a little extra weight in the airsoft gas magazine. It feels substantial and solid throughout. Controls are as per the real thing too; there’s an ambidextrous safety to the rear, a functioning slide release and the magazine catch is down to the left, behind the pistol grip. At the lower front is an integrated rail, which allows standard accessories to be fitted; I tried it with several different handgun lights and all fitted perfectly with no wobble.

The finish of the CZ replicas offered by ASG has always been spot on; I already own a classic CZ75, SP-07 and SP-09 also made by ASG and they are all beautifully put together. The SP-01 is no exception to this and, if anything, it’s actually even nicer than its predecessors, finished as it is

in a deep, matte black which accurately mimics the polycoat finish of the real thing. Like the original CZ75 the breech block and barrel of the SP-01 are finished in silver, as is the trigger; I’ll come back to the trigger in a bit. The sights as standard are excellent too with a simple notch to the rear and a very, very tidy red fibre optic at the business end!

ON THE RANGE

In use the ASG SP-01 is equally flawless. The action is very crisp indeed, the slide easily moved to the rear thanks to some deep serrations on either side of it. When cocked the safety clicks into place firmly and solidly. The pistol comes with a gas magazine with extended floorplate as standard which is swift and easy to load, and this snaps into place with a reassuring “clack”.

Loaded up with .20g BBs and gas the SP-01 sends BBs downrange with astonishing accuracy giving excellent groupings at 10 metres; I was easily able to group 10 BBs in a grouping the size of a 2p piece straight from the box with no adjustment to the hop! The pistol does have an adjustable hop-up which is accessed by removing the slide and adjustment is very well explained in the full-colour instruction manual supplied with the pistol. As mentioned earlier the SP-01 has a trigger which is every bit as good as the original CZ75 (my choice of Practical Pistol to date!) as it breaks smoothly and consistently.

On .20g ammo it chrono’d at a steady and reliable average of 0.78 Joule/290fps. ASG do offer a CO2 magazine as an accessory and this raises the power a little giving an increased average of 1.04 Joule/335fps; I see this as a real positive as the CO2 magazine will give greater consistency in terms of rapid competition shooting and use during the colder months of the year.

“IN USE THE ASG SP-01 IS EQUALLY FLAWLESS. THE ACTION IS VERY CRISP INDEED, THE SLIDE EASILY MOVED TO THE REAR THANKS TO SOME DEEP SERRATIONS ON EITHER SIDE OF IT. WHEN COCKED THE SAFETY CLICKS INTO PLACE FIRMLY AND SOLIDLY.” Overall this is a really superb airsoft pistol and is worthy of a place in anyone’s armoury. It looks and feels great, shoots consistently and extremely accurately and cycles perfectly on both green gas and CO2. ASG pistols are stocked by most good airsoft retailers and the SP-01 sells iro £120.00 which is excellent value for money considering the quality and the fact that it is fully licenced; you can also buy some fabulous, brightly coloured aluminium pistol grips, along with a competition rail and extended magwell as accessories if your heart desires (the “Hot Orange” being the winner in my opinion)!

If you’re in the market for a new pistol for either skirmishing or competition then I would thoroughly recommend that you give the CZ SP-01 Shadow Gas Blowback from ASG your full attention.

My thanks go to ASG for supplying the review sample and if you’d like full specifications on both the pistol and the accessories please do visit www.actionsportgames.com

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SCHRÖDINGER AND HIS BOTHERSOME CAT HAVE BEEN FURTHER IMMORTALISED, THIS TIME BY LAYLAX WITH THEIR “GHOST IN THE SHELL” LIMITED EDITION RIFLE. IT CERTAINLY HAS SOME CRAZY LOOKS BUT WILL YOU BE ALIVE OR DEAD WHEN THEY LIFT THE LID OFF THE BOX? OVER TO PROFESSOR SCOTT ALLAN…

A QUANTUM THEORY PARADOX NORMALLY AT THIS POINT I try and sum up the rifle I am reviewing in a couple of quick sentences; an initial impression with a little humour maybe thrown in for good measure. All I can manage this time is: Erm… What is this? …. and HOW MUCH?!

SO WHO ARE LAYLAX?

Laylax are brilliant! They make tons of aftermarket parts for all types of Airsoft rifles and pistols. Based out of Japan, the birthplace of Airsoft, they make undoubtedly the highest quality and most expensive parts on the market today. They’ve been around since 2001 and that is longer than most people who read this magazine will have been playing. They make a huge range of custom parts that are not available by any other manufacturer 16

MAY 2016

either. In short, they are an unparalleled, innovative, high-quality part manufacturer, with a price to match!

When the opportunity came to test out this rifle for the World’s first magazine review, I naturally jumped at it. I was hoping for something like the “Halo” rifle I reviewed a while ago. What I got was something else, something quite different… something not like the Halo rifle at all.

It’s very cool-looking, much like the original Ghost in the Shell rifle but there is something amiss with it slightly. Maybe the Halo rifle had more sci-fi lights and a functioning magazine out of the box and I expected something similar? Construction and build quality are very good, with a mixture of alloy and resin bodywork throughout which adds to the overall weight and makes it feel like the expensive crazy rifle that it is.

Armoury LAYLAX SCHRÖDINGER

GHOST IN A WHAT? “Ghost in the Shell” is a Japanese manga/anime series. Set in the mid-21st century in Japan (naturally), they are a cyber terrorism fighting group. The Schrödinger assault rifles are used

by Major Kusanagi Motoko and Batou in “Ghost in the Shell: Shin Gekijoban” and if that seems confusing then it probably is.

The anime ultra-violence scene isn’t anything new, as I remember watching Akira with sheer fascination when I was a teenager. I still don’t think I fully understood it all as it was quite bizarre, yet it draws you in like a version of Telly Tubbies, only for adults and there is an argument about the whole “is it a cartoon?” thing. I think the answer is easy; if you are an adult and you like it, then no it is not a cartoon. If you are an adult and you don’t like it, then it is a cartoon. Is it entertainment? Of course, high-octane, gravity-defying, violent entertainment but entertainment nonetheless. Some of it even makes Clockwork Orange look tame and bland. Ghost in the Shell is a whole franchise these days with different movie stories being released frequently.

BACK TO THE LAYLAX VERSION

The styling of the rifle is quite “out there”. Whereas the Halo rifle looked almost functional and organic, the Schrödinger looks angular and mechanical in origin – a chalk and cheese if you will. Sadly the similarities end just about there. The comfort and ergonomics of the rifle are oddly quite nice. Certainly is it easy to shoulder, bringing it up into the aim it all sits perfectly, which surprised me greatly. It is certainly on a par with any of the other bullpup rifles, such as the AUG or L85 in terms of comfort. Then I looked through the fake scope and I wanted to cry. For this price a non-functioning red dot is a crying shame.

That said, you can still aim with the fake scope easily enough.

I know many airsofters who never replace the batteries in their red dot when it runs out, it just would’ve been nice to have the option.

“I APPRECIATE THE COLLECTIBLE, LOW RUN, HAND BUILT ASPECT BUT IT IS STILL A LARGE SUM OF MONEY FOR SOMETHING I AM NOT TOTALLY INTO. I THINK THAT IS WHERE I HAVE THE KEY ISSUE, I AM NOT A ‘GHOST IN THE SHELL’ FAN.” What is inside a rifle is always the most important part. It is part of why I thought the Halo rifle was actually quite decent. Other high end rifles such as the H&K G28 also had a whole host of expensive parts inside fitted as standard. This, however, has a MP7-style gearbox that I am surprised about – and that wasn’t the worst thing I found inside. The MP7 gearbox isn’t bad by any means, in fact it is very good.

Unless you buy a Chinese copy version, those are horrible. There are lots of great upgrades out there for them too. It is just a huge shame that the Schrödinger doesn’t come with them all as standard.

All of those aside I still quite like the Schrödinger. Oh I almost forgot to mention that they don’t even include a working magazine! I mean… seriously??

Goodness me, it does seem a lot for not a lot. The lack www.airsoft-action.online

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Armoury LAYLAX SCHRÖDINGER

of magazine from Laylax is mind-boggling but that said most decent retailers advertise that they will provide you with a magazine at cost – so nice of them. I am trying to justify the price to myself but I really do struggle. I appreciate the collectible, low run, hand built aspect but it is still a large sum of money for something I am not totally into. I think that is where I have the key issue, I am not a Ghost in the Shell fan – well, by that I mean I am not excited by that, or any other anime film. I don’t think they are bad, it is just that they are not my thing. Now if this was Han Solo blaster it would be a different story I am sure.

The MP7 gearbox is a good little gearbox but it is a little gearbox, so there is only so much performance you can expect.

The 245fps isn’t bad and I have been shamefully taken out by a few MP7s over the years. You will definitely lack the punch of a 350-370fps rifle and you will notice the lack of range at the far end. You could easily go to town with the upgrades and squeeze it up to 320fps if not a little higher. Nineball make the best upgrade parts for the MP7 and that is where I would recommend you look to for the parts required. With those parts installed you’d still have a very odd looking rifle but it would be much more capable on all game fields.

I also found an issue with the way Laylax had “modified” the cut off lever, in that they used foil. That would be fine if the foil didn’t work its way loose, only giving you fully automatic.

Oh and foil conducts electricity, as you might remember from early science classes. For some odd reason Laylax have made sure the foil goes over the motor contacts, increasing the chances of a short out. I easily fixed this using insulating tape, seemed like such a rookie design error. If you buy one, make sure the retailer or you modify this part as quickly as possible to prevent any issues.

USE IN THE GAME FIELD Functional use is actually quite nice. It isn’t a very light rifle and the magazine catch is stiff when new but I did like it. I’d rather be trying out a fully upgraded version mind you. The range was decent out to 35-40 metres but was very floaty by the end, as you would expect. The rate of fire is also quite slow on a 7.4v with the small motor. A lot of people run the MP7 modded with the 11.v LiPo, which would be much better although it will stress your gearbox parts more. Adjusting the hop up is a bit of a pain. You have to remove a number of screws to gain access to the chamber. That said, once it is set it is unlikely to need changing often.

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CONCLUSION

This rifle should have been a match for the Halo rifle but for me it isn’t.

It is not bad by far but there are just several things that have let it down for me: The price, holy hell the price! £1,000 is a lot for not a lot. Okay it is a short run limited edition but it is damned expensive.

The small gearbox, granted it is a MP7 Marui box that is the best of the small boxes but still a shame it’s not a full sized gearbox. No magazine, come on! There is no excuse for this.

Fake red dot, that would be fine if it’d cost £30. On the plus side though, I can’t help but like it a lot. It looks and feels brilliant and it shoots great albeit at a low power at just over half a joule. I do like the weight; it is a chunk heavier than a standard M4 but feels like it should be. The weight comes from the construction too, not just added weights. The finish of the bodywork is really nice and doesn’t look cheap. I suppose in short, if you are a proper collector of Airsoft replicas then this might float your boat, especially if you are an anime fan. If you want performance for your buck look elsewhere…. Anywhere else but here.

If the price this was half I’d just think it was expensive but it really is a tough pill to swallow at £1,000.

features Length 670mm Weight 3.7kg FPS 250fps / 0.58 Joules Tokyo Marui MP7 gearbox Nylon bushes 155mm inner barrel Silver wiring Dummy sight can be removed to fit a 20mm rail 14mm ccw barrel thread Alloy / resin construction No magazine!

RRP £1,000 / $1490

ARMOURER WORKS PISTOLS

A NEW PISTOL MANUFACTURER ISN’T ALWAYS SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT AS THEY POP UP WITH BORING REGULARITY, UNLESS IT IS AN ARMOURER WORKS PISTOL. IN WHICH CASE, SCOTT ALLAN SAYS YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY READ ON TESTING THESE TWO PISTOLS SHOULD never be as much fun as this! The only thing is I can’t decide is which one I like better.

Armourer Works are a brand new manufacturer based in Taiwan, with some well-known industry faces in the background pulling strings. Pistol manufacturing in Taiwan is hardly a new thing but the Armourer Works angle is the “race gun”. So think “out of the box Airsoft Surgeon with a WE price tag” and you are getting near the idea. Stylish, fast and accurate is the aim – if you’ll pardon the pun. Taiwan has many gas manufacturers, WE, KWA, KJ Works and KWC and whether any of these manufacturers at the OEM for AW is yet to be seen but certainly the quality is far higher than anything we usually expect.

The two pistols I had to test were the “Silver Split Slide HX1001” and the “Black Full Slide HX1102” versions. Not the most catchy names I’ll warrant but there you go; essentially a black full slide and a silver split slide version of the same system.

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The look out of the box is excellent, some of the best finishing I’ve ever seen by a long margin. Even the box is nicely made.

I do always get irked at the boring cardboard boxes that WE use for some of their pistols. The pistol is full metal, upgraded nicely weighted and CO2 compatible right out of the box and already I think these might be some of my new favourite pistols. I’m loving every detail, from the day-glow sights to the trigger, everything is cleanly and neatly executed.

THE REAL VERSION

These are all based loosely off the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa pistol series in design, which, in turn, is from the 1911 STI/SVI double-stacked 1911 magazine. “Double-stacked” is a term used for the way the ammunition sits in the magazine. If they sit directly on top of each other (like a 1911) it is “single stack” but most pistols have rounds that fall left and right (double stack). The 1911 “race gun” is a competitive shooting pistol

Armoury ARMOURER WORKS

designed for maximum speed and minimum recoil. This allows the shooter to put more shots on target at a faster rate which, in turn, means you should complete the course quicker than anyone else. The 45 ACP 1911 is a hugely popular platform in the US and it has been seen in every major conflict since its conception. These pistols are also seen in IPSC, which is the practical pistol shooting sport. The thing I find continually amusing is there is little that seems very practical about it!

But a shooting discipline it is and a lot of people enjoy it, so it is only natural that Airsoft should follow suit to allow nonfirearm alternatives.

AIPSC IN THE UK

Airsoft International Practical Shooting Confederation is a small but growing sector of Airsoft. Limited largely to regions that are set up by companies that have an understanding and appreciation of AIPSC, it is a simple discipline to get involved in but can take years to master. Equipment is half the battle, muscle memory, skill and training are bigger parts of the equation.

In 2017 the first “Action Air” world cup takes place in Hungary (for which Airsoft Action is the exclusive UK Media supporter), so you can expect to see quite a bit more coverage of the sport as we get closer to the event – and probably more pistols as well.

BACK TO THE ARMOURER WORKS

Externally the finish of the Armourer Works pistols cannot be questioned. Full metal and perfectly executed that marries up to the frames perfectly well. This high standard is a unique approach from AW, rather than the usual mass produced, untested pistols you usually see. This means that the pistols come fully loaded (not literally) with modifications and upgrades that would usually cost you a lot extra. The upgrades aren’t just cosmetic either, AW have thought about this from visual to comfort and, most importantly, performance. The styling, while not unlike a Tokyo Marui Hi Capa is distinctive.

Ergonomic grip, fibre optic style sights and the DuelFuel (CO2

“I THINK THESE MIGHT BE SOME OF MY NEW FAVOURITE PISTOLS. I’M LOVING EVERY DETAIL, FROM THE DAY-GLOW SIGHTS TO THE TRIGGER, EVERYTHING IS CLEANLY AND NEATLY EXECUTED.”

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Armoury ARMOURER WORKS

“EXTERNALLY THE FINISH OF THE ARMOURER WORKS PISTOLS CANNOT BE QUESTIONED. FULL METAL AND PERFECTLY EXECUTED THAT MARRIES UP TO THE FRAMES PERFECTLY WELL.”

features Velocity Feet Per Second (FPS): 300 Gas/310 CO2 : 0.84/0.89 Joules Length: 223mm or gas) system means a lot for your money.

Straight off the truck when these pistols arrived, they were cold and I didn’t expect much at all. I started out with Nuprol 2.0 gas, thinking that it would be the usual lethargic gas effort in a cold magazine. Barely after touching the stunning trigger a crisp sharp crack and the slide locked back. I’ve only ever know a handful of pistols perform like that and they were normally on CO2 with a fresh bulb. So far I am impressed.

As you can see, these really are crammed full of great features and design points. Adding all of those excellent components together truly has made a wallet-friendly and remarkable-performing pistol. Now granted, I am a military pistol kind of guy but these look funky and if I was looking purely at performance and funky looks I would have one in a heartbeat. If you are thinking about doing any kind of IPSC type shooting at all these would be brilliant starting points, saving you a small fortune and giving you the kind of performance you will need to compete.

The power output at under 0.90 joules isn’t crazy high and that means it will be site-friendly regardless of where you go in the UK. The CO2 magazine means you’ll have better performance in the colder weather without taking someone’s teeth out. It truly is hard to fault these pistols but if I had to go for something it would be that it isn’t a “realistic” military style replica, yet few of the race guns ever are. That is the best criticisms I can manage. I do love the flared magazine well which allows for faster reloads than a conventional magazine well.

Holsters for these types of pistol can be an issue. Both types came with a red dot plate for mounting in the place of the rear sight. With the red dot mounted this will make it much trickier to find a cheaper off the shelf option for holstering. You could always do a custom Kydex option, which would be a safe option or you could look for a race gun specific holster which would suit it.

CONCLUSION

If you need a pistol and you’re not looking for the cheapest of the cheap but you want something that will work as well as any high end pistol, then you have little need to look any further. The Armourer Works range seems to tick every box more than comfortably. It has a high end look, staggering recoil speed, good performance and is CO2 compatible without being over-powered. There is even a 20mm rail if you wanted to get all tactical with a torch on the bottom.

Quite simply, in my opinion these are some of the best pistols available at the moment.

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Weight (with Magazine): 1270g Inner Barrel Length: 110mm Thread Type: 12mm CW Full Metal Slide, Receiver & Parts Nylon Fibre Reinforced Grip Stippled Ergonomic Grip Improves Comfort & Hold Fibre-Optic Front & Rear Sights for Easy Targeting Ambidextrous Safety Integrated Accessory Rail Enhanced Magwell Promotes Faster Reloads Serrated Slide Improves Cocking Grip Skeleton Trigger & Hammer ’Rocket’ Recoil Spring Guide DuelFuel System AW Custom Slide Adjustable Hop Fast Blowback RRP £130 approx

1,455 EXHIBITORS… 45,000 TRADE VISITORS… AND BRATWURST! IT CAN ONLY BE IWA AND AIRSOFT ACTION WAS THERE TO SEE IT ALL.

AIRSOFT SHOW REPORT:

IWA 2016 The Airsoft Action Team make their annual pilgrimage to Nuremberg to check out the latest and the best that the airsoft and tactical gear world can offer and find new trends and new directions aplenty. Jerry gives us an overview of this year’s show, with input from fellow contributors and first-time attendees Les and Kelly.

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Event IWA 2016

EACH MARCH THE OUTDOOR, SHOOTING sports and tactical worlds come together at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre for one of the most important international trade showcases, the IWA and Outdoor Classics Show. Everything is covered from hunting and shooting sports, outdoor equipment, clothing and footwear and all the associated goods and services; over the years tactical gear has proved to also be an important part of the show and airsoft just grows and grows, year on year!

SHOT Show in Las Vegas, USA is probably the best known and biggest annual show of this type but IWA, as most of us refer to it, is fast establishing itself as the European SHOT. We don’t bother heading out to the USA every January these days as the majority of brands now attend IWA as well showing the strength and growth of airsoft in Europe; not only that but with IWA’s competitive pricing for exhibitors, many of the stands in Germany are bigger, bolder and better than in the USA, with some manufacturers well and truly pushing the boat out.

After Germany the leading exhibitor nations are the USA, Great Britain, Italy, Turkey, China and France, the Czech Republic, Spain and Austria; more and more though we are seeing the attendance of companies from the Far East just growing and growing, bringing fresh new perspectives to IWA. 2016 saw a total of 1,455 exhibitors, up from 1,338 in 2015, in nine exhibition halls ready to roll on the opening Friday; by the time the doors had closed on this year’s event on Monday afternoon, over 45,000 trade visitors from 120 different countries had visited manufacturers and distributors, viewed new products, attended meetings and in many cases had placed orders before they left to go home to their own businesses!

Flying out to Nuremberg on the Thursday afternoon with Nige, Les and Kelly I was quite stunned about how many friendly faces from the UK industry I met at Stansted airport and I swear if that flight had gone down things would have changed in the UK airsoft and tactical gear industries in one dreadful instant! Luckily everything was uneventful and we all arrived safely in Germany on a bright, chilly March evening.

As is the norm, Thursday night was a chance to catch up with old friends at the now infamous Finnegan’s Irish Bar before the serious show business began on Friday morning.

Although the show doesn’t officially open until 0900 each morning, if you are in possession of Press credentials you can get in an hour earlier than that, which is great for taking photographs and getting a quiet moment with exhibitors; once the show doors open for business it’s every man and woman for themselves! Organisation (along with first rate footwear!) is the key to any show of this type as you really need to make hard appointments with people to ensure that they have time for you. Luckily for us, most of the airsoft appointments took place in Halls 7 and 7A, with the tactical gear manufacturers being generally based in Hall 9 and as we have many friends in both sectors a lot of them told us “Just turn up, we’ll make time for Airsoft Action!”

AIRSOFT GETS MORE SPACE THAN EVER!

Once upon a time airsoft was a very poor relation to “real steel” shooting sports, not just at IWA but at virtually all such shows. The positive way that this has changed in just a few short years, to the point that airsoft pretty much has its own dedicated area of IWA, shows the rise and rise of the “BB slinger” throughout Europe and this year there were even more airsoft associated exhibitors to prove this point than ever before. Granted some were simply exhibiting batteries or BBs but the fact of the matter was that nearly all, with the exception of Tokyo Marui who never leave Japan, of the major industry players were in attendance.

EVOLUTION AIRSOFT

I’ve been in touch with Italian company Evolution for a few years now and have watched them go from strength to strength. Initially just a distributor they soon moved into making some great ZM Weapons and Lone Star Tactical replicas under licence and this year saw them showing the concept of their new “race rifle”, in collaboration with Armi Dallera Custom S.r.l., a real deal manufacturer of custom tactical and competition rifles. This is one stunning airsoft replica and I can’t wait to get my hands on it! In addition to this, Evolution have really nailed down their own range of accessories and consumables.

I CHI SHIVAN (ICS)

I recently reviewed the CXP-UK1 replica from ICS and really liked it. ICS have really taken a long hard look at their offering and although they still have a great range in their “classic” line up of replicas it’s what they are doing with the extended CXP line that is really making a difference. In addition to the UK1 series and CXP-APE Modular Tactical Rifle, ICS launched their

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new CXP Captain model at the show, along with two new pistol models which were very nice indeed. Suffice to say their stand was as big as last year and that there was not one inch of space wasted. Thanks to the super-friendly and efficient Matt and Alice from ICS for showing us round and we look forward to the review samples heading to us!

GUNFIRE

Gunfire from Poland are another of those “poachers turned gamekeepers” who started off as a VERY successful retail business and have now branched into producing their own replicas, or having them made for them to very precise specifications. Lukasz showed us a really interesting range of “Eastern Bloc” replicas this year, up to and including the very latest models available in the real world like the unusual “Bizon” and VALs. There was also a prototype concept AR called the “Warlord” that looked very interesting indeed. In addition to their own range of “Armoured Claw” tactical gloves which were launched last year they also had some fabulous looking tactical pants to show us making them well worth a visit!

rifle manufacturer, Oberland Arms; the samples looked VERY good indeed and one has already been ordered for test. Along with these were some new, suppressed PPQ handguns, an absolutely cracking “Race Gun” package and a range of EDC flashlights which look very handy indeed!

CLASSIC ARMY

ASG

I’ve been a Classic Army fan almost since they launched their products onto the market many moons ago and there are still “M4” models from them in my collection today. It was superb to see them at the show and you simply couldn’t pass by their stand without being drawn in by their Minigun! The stand was pared back and minimalist, really concentrating entirely on their new replicas and they were certainly one of the main “KeyMod” proponents. Sadly there was nothing really “new” to talk about but we did hear from a couple of retailers that we can expect some positive news on pricing in the near future.

UMAREX

UMAREX for once, even though they have a superb new look stand that could have been an airsoft site in its own right, were relatively subdued in new products again for 2016. That said, what Ulrich showed us was pure quality! The “big shout” of the show for them was another new G28 DMR built under their Heckler & Koch licence but this time as a Gas Blowback.

This is a replica of the 651 rifle that is used by sniper teams of the German Special Forces and is a pure beast. Put together in the correct “green/brown” RAL8000 tone it’s going to be darn expensive but I doubt if UMAREX already have any stock left!

Next up was their newest licence agreement with real world

I always look forward to visiting Action Sport Games, both for the witty banter of Paul and the crazy antics of my very good friend Thomas and the sheer scale of the excellent licenced products they have available. As usual I was not to be disappointed!

After the recent successful introduction of the CZ EVO and the introduction of the Wolverine HPA powered variant, ASG have (quite literally!) gone back to the drawing board for their latest collaboration with CZ, the 805 BREN carbine and rifle which are REALLY taking shape now. One of the things I like about ASG is that they take their time, at all times doing things their own way but doing them right. The newly launched CZ SP-01 Shadow (which you’ll find reviewed this issue) was also a bit of a show-stealer for them and believe me when I say that they have some new projects heading towards fruition that look darn exciting!

REDWOLF

No show for me would be complete without the presence of Chris and Danny and the merry band from RedWolf. These guys are super-professional and although they deal in the main with the very best recognised brand names in airsoft, they always seem to have a few “scoops”.

IWA saw them showcasing the stunning work of all round nice guy and “Airsoft Surgeon” Clarence Lai, who continues to “wow” us with his custom race guns. RedWolf were also showing a superb Browning “Ma Deuce” HMG for the historically themed player but brought things bang up to date with the TM AA-12 shotgun and the stunning new KWA GBB Steyr AUG (Yes Gaz, it gets my juices flowing too!).

NUPROL/WE EU

Anyone who reads my reviews each month will know I have a close relationship with WE EU; these guys are good friends as much as business partners. It’s been my great pleasure to see them growing and growing, especially now they are really driving hard with their very own NUPROL range of gear, consumables and accessories.

I’m pleased to say that this year they were as loud and proud as ever, right in the centre of the airsoft action in Hall 7. Their stand was pretty jaw dropping as usual and they were so busy with enquiries that I had to wait until the show doors shut to speak with them. This is a complete success story for a British company in a competitive global market and I can only say all power to Paul, Bip, Ross, Danny and Mark who were at the show this year. Review products are now in the pipeline and you’ll see these in Airsoft Action month by month as they are released and trust me again when I say you’re going to love what’s coming!

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Event IWA 2016

IWHOLESALES

Talking of UK businesses doing well, iWholesales, who supply to the trade, had a great looking stand again this year and certainly had an awful lot of airsoft goodness to look at!

Herman and his team do such a great job with the brands that they carry, really showcasing them very well too. Along with another stunning Minigun what took my eye particularly was the APS 870 shell ejecting shotgun, some superb models from LCT, PTS, GHK, Lonex, A&K and Classic Army, a really nice range of historical models, along with an absolutely outrageous HALO MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System. It must be said that the big box of Haribo got my attention too!

GUAY & GUAY (G&G)

When G&G arrive at IWA it really is like the circus has come to town and each year their stand is bigger and more “in your face”. G&G have really hit on a formula that is serving them well wherever they trade around the world and they work darn hard at things. Of course they had all their new products available for people to look at and get their hands on and this year the highlights of their display were the all-new range of “Tactical AKs”, a sniper variant of the WWII Springfield bolt action (with the correct replica scope) and a whole series of KeyMod “M4” models based on their GC16 and CM16 models. In fact in these two series alone they released more than TWENTY new variants, along with their new grey colourway! You want more choice? Well G&G are sure going to give it to you and Charlie and Apple made sure we saw it all!

In addition to this G&G have a yearly event on the Saturday lunchtime where they give out prizes for the various competitions they run throughout the year; there are prizes for the photographic competition “Show Yourself”, a prize for their video competition and each year a number of lucky

called the “Predator” which was a first for them and the new “Black Rain” AR that looks absolutely stunning. It’s been a little while since we’ve seen anything properly new from King Arms but when they do show something fresh it REALLY knocks you socks off!

LCT AIRSOFT

A newcomer to IWA this year was LCT Airsoft from Taiwan.

LCT have vast technical engineering experience as well as 3 years as an OEM and ODM. “Li Cheng Technique Business Company” was established in 2007 with the brand “LCT Airsoft” and they’ve been quietly making some superb airsoft replicas since then - their extensive range of “Soviet” rifles, carbines and SMGs has to be seen to be believed! Many thanks to the gracious Daphne for showing us everything and as we’ve just got in one of their excellent looking LCKM-63 AEGs to check out expect more on LCT soon!

airsofters get a chance to visit G&G in Taiwan all expenses paid!

Each G&G replica comes with a unique serial number; if you register this you’re in with that chance to visit Taiwan with whoever sold you the replica in the first place and the excitement this generates is like watching the Lottery; you’ve got to be in it to win it!

KING ARMS

Sarah and Cosmic at King Arms this year had some new things to show us as well! King Arms are, in my opinion, one of the “unsung heroes” of the airsoft world, another brand that makes solid, dependable airsoft replicas and I often use their full metal RIFs as the basis for the base donor rifle in my own custom builds. Once again the big “show” for them was their growing and ongoing relationship with real world firearms accessory producer CAA; in fact this area of their stand is now branded as “CAA Airsoft Division” so I think we can all see how important this relationship is to both parties.

They also had new revolver models and a superb 1911

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CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

OUTBACK LINE_OTP Pants Airsoft Action, May 2016 issue

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You’ll find there both solid classics and new “light&fast” style designs – everything to fit your activity profile and specific needs. Accessories developed for Outback line will focus on travel, gear packing and outdoor expeditions.

EUROPEAN PATENT No. 002638791-0001 Lightweight, breathable, moisture-wicking and extremely comfortable, OTP® are soon to become your favorite trekking pants.

Event IWA 2016

NEW EYES

Now I’m going to hand this over to my colleagues Kelly and Les to give you a taste of what it’s like to visit IWA for the first time!

KELLY: When I was informed late last year that I would be going to IWA 2016, my reaction was akin to that of a child who had received that long-awaited and often asked for pony for their birthday (although for the record I was never that child; horses scare the living daylights out of me!). I had joked with my friends about how I would be at IWA 2016 as Press, with no idea that twelve months later I would be at the Messe, wearing the coveted yellow Press Pass, representing the UK’s number one Airsoft magazine and needless to say, I had to periodically pinch myself to ensure I was really there!

We arrived in Nuremberg on Thursday evening and after exploring the town centre and a traditional German dinner of Bratwurst, bread, salted cabbage and a quick beer in the Irish Bar, Finnegan’s, we hit the hay ready to get into the full swing of the show on Friday.

I awoke promptly at 4am like a child on Christmas morning eager to get the day started! Four agonising hours later we set off for the Messe. As an IWA virgin, I had no idea what to expect from the show; I had seen Instagram posts of the

infamous SHOT Show, which only fuelled the imagination. The main aspect of the show that got me buzzing was the social aspect, I’m a huge fan of social media so meeting so many of my international friends for the first time, taking killer pictures for Instagram and the chance to meet with the big contenders in the Airsoft Industry! With a jam-packed schedule we stepped from the cushty Press Room into the chaotic halls filled to the brim with tactical goodness.

Stepping into the halls was a very odd moment, it wasn’t anything like I had ever imagined. Even though I had seen pictures of stands from the big Industry shows, I was genuinely taken aback by the effort, time and money that goes into these shows every year! The Messe is a huge exhibition centre made up of multiple halls and is easily accessible by foot or the metro, we took a taxi which was around a 15 minute ride from our hotel in Old Town. Our hotel of choice was the Hotel Klughardt which was a quaint B&B in the top quarter of Old Town, the rooms were spacious, clean and the service was very efficient.

As we were attending IWA for the Airsoft side of the show we focused our attention on halls 7 and 7A (which lucky for us was right next to the press room!). These halls are home to the biggest contenders in Airsoft during IWA and no expense is spared by the brands to showcase their new and existing

products; one of my favourite brand set ups was the Umarex stand, in fact their stand is so big that hall 7A is dubbed ‘Umarex Hall’. Their stand compromised of around 8 full-sized shipping containers filled with their Airsoft, personal defence and training weapons in amazing set ups featuring everything from elaborately carved arm chairs to stuffed stags and what impressed me the most about their set up was the Umarex private bar within the stand; I have never seen anything like it!

Weeks before the show we put together our “hit list” of brands and companies we were eager to visit, such as G&G,

IWA Quotes 2016: “ I don’t have one so I need something to compensate for it.”

– Kelly, about the ASG Silencer “You know she’s more famous than you now?”

– Chris Kong to RedWolf Tim

“One beer at the club won’t hurt…”

– Danny Aldred, NUPROL

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part it plays and the relationships/bonds you form with people over a tankard of beer and a horrifically sung Bryan Adams anthem is phenomenal. The bar is a quaint, dimly lit traditional Irish bar set in the shadow of the castle walls within the town centre and during IWA week it gets rammed with the who’s who of the Airsoft industry. I frequented the Irish bar on all 3 of my evenings in Nuremberg and each night had a different outcome, from an extremely sensible 10.30 bedtime the first night, partying in a German club until 4am on the Friday night and the last night ending in witnessing a Police Raid outside of Finnegan’s and taking a walk through the Red Light District which was definitely an eye opening experience! Only at IWA! IWA for me was an absolutely insane experience that I am so grateful to the Airsoft Action team for letting me be a part of; from meeting the retailers, brands and personalities to getting to see some of the newest products to hit the market, well there’s only one word to describe it… Awesome!

HERE’S TO IWA 2017!

LES: I love travelling, I love meeting new people and I love guns, so when Editor extraordinaire Nige rang me and asked me if I wanted to join him and a few other Airsoft crazy reporters to attend the IWA trade show in Nuremberg, it took me .2 of a nanosecond to say “Oh yes, indeed I do!” regardless of what my diary or day job had to say. Quite simply, I was going and nothing was going to stop me.

Fast forward to day one, Friday and from the moment I entered the first of the many halls, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up... and stayed there throughout the day. Had I died and gone to gun heaven? Clearly I had no idea of the sheer scale of what was forthcoming over the three days; I also had no idea of what I was going to see and who I was going to

ASG, Nuprol, RedWolf Airsoft, King Arms etc. each brand having its own unique stand and putting their stamp on the halls of IWA. There were many highlights of the show for me, such as meeting the team behind G&G and even having a blast on the M.E.T target system with the newly released G&G Warhog, drinking champagne with ASG at their reception whilst discussing the new Scorpion Evo 3A1 with the Wolverine HPA system, hanging out with The Airsoft Surgeon at RedWolf Airsoft looking at £3,000 Swarovski encrusted competition pistols to name a few. The show was a glittering display of RIFs, pistols, new technology and gear.

Whilst at the show I also ventured into some of the other halls, including the hunting halls but the displays of stuffed (and clothed!) bunny rabbits was a MAJOR downer for someone who has two very pampered and loved house rabbits and really didn’t do it for me! I did take a stroll into Hall 9 which was a gear whore’s paradise, with all the big gear brands such as Warrior Assault Systems, Helikon, Pentagon, Mechanix and 5.11. One of the items I was really keen to see was the new 5.11 yoga pants. I’d seen all the hype at SHOT show regarding them and I wasn’t disappointed, they offer a comfy solution to shooting attire but the price point of $80 for the Capri version they are on the pricey side! The list of products I would have loved to have come home with is insane!

Anyone who has attended IWA knows that more business is done after show hours over a few beers in the infamous Finnegan’s than during the show itself, which is also something I discovered over the weekend! I knew the social aspect of the show was massive but I wasn’t aware of just how big a

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MAY 2016

meet during the event but if first impressions were anything to go by, then I was in for one seriously overwhelming experience.

As a team, we each had our own agendas and itinerary but the sole purpose was to meet some of the industry leaders and, indeed, some of the “not quite yet so famous“ and this is where we could step in and perhaps give them a leg up. As media, our job is to bring news, to report on subjects relevant to our industry and yes, we seem to do a good job at doing this but Airsoft Action doesn’t just focus all of our attention on the big guys, we always bring news in balance because from little acorns mighty oaks grow! Of course, the giants were there in all their splendour and so were the not-quite-yet so big but next year things can be a whole lot different. Between us we made sure that the small corner shop had our attention in relevant equality to the superstores, because our agenda was to visit and liaise with everyone that we could in the timeframe that we had. I think that what I’m trying to say is that to us at Airsoft Action, every “name” is as important as the next one

Event IWA 2016

which is one of our basic principles.

So as the days progressed, so did the weight of our rucksacks as we were given enough literature and souvenirs to stock a small shop. Every item was well received with thanks and it certainly gave us something to read back at the hotel and on the flight home. In some respects I was rather glad that a lot of the material was in a foreign language that I couldn’t understand, which meant I had more time to ingest the fine images of some of the latest firepower and gear up for grabs now and in the near future.

We found ourselves mostly frequenting Hall 7, as this was where most of the Airsoft gear was on display, with companies such as RedWolf, ASG, ICS, to name just a few and it was a true honour to hear my name being called out by some of my industry friends over at the huge G&G trade stand, following my visit to Taiwan last November when I covered the World CQB Championships (and brought the news exclusively to British Airsofters). We did, in fact, have a scheduled meeting with G&G to discuss our coverage of the next Championships, only this time I will be following and reporting on this now quite famous (in the Airsoft World) event periodically and paying special attention to the National Qualifiers to be held at this year’s NAE, again hosted by Zero One (more to follow on this in future issues).

One of the most welcoming and endearing companies I found was Danish giants ASG. Having never met any of this great team before, I was quite humbled to be welcomed by International Sales and Marketing Manager Kristian Olsen and Paul Wignell (their UK Sales Manager) as if we were old and lifelong friends. I’m not denying that I am a great fan of ASG products (sorry Nige, I know I should be impartial but it’s just that it isn’t by luck and guesswork that my primary and secondary are from the ASG factory!) but my personal views are that ASG are sometimes overlooked in favour of the more well-known brands but hey, each to their own I guess.

Thankfully this was a trade show and of course, we couldn’t make any purchases which was probably the single most valued factor otherwise my credit cards would have gone into meltdown. I struggle to avoid making a token purchase when I visit the UK retailers in my travels, finding subject matter for our “Inside Airsoft” pages, so to be immersed in this quagmire of everything tactical and guns laying ownership to my peripherals, I would have bankrupted myself quite easily over three of the most feel-good days of my life.

Materialistic stuff aside, I met some pretty amazing people.

Clarence Lai AKA Airsoft Surgeon and Tim “Let’s chrono the thing” Selby of Redwolf TV fame were amongst these wonderful people and I think that finding myself by pure chance, sitting and having lunch at Nuremberg Airport with Special Forces Celebrity Ant Middleton, former SBS and now one of the lead hosts and trainers of Channel 4’s recent TV show “SAS: Who Dares Wins” was an honour and a privilege.

It’s not every day that eating lunch was so interesting, as Ant

shared some of his life stories with me and what a nice, humble guy he is.

Three days of bliss and very sore feet came and went too soon. If only every day could be so wonderful!

Les OUT!

RUNNING OUT OF TIME… AND STEAM!

After a full show purely devoted to airsoft we needed to move on swiftly to the tactical gear, footwear and accessories side of the show which we’ll report on in Airsoft Action next month.

Suffice to say that there are many smaller airsoft brands that we’ve sadly missed in this report; our apologies to you if we have and please do contact us for next year so we can make sure you’re in the schedule! We’ve also not gone into the “uber brands” like Cybergun/GSG as they tend to work with already established products; we always want to concentrate on the guys that are doing new things, things that advance our world of airsoft!

If you’re interested in visiting IWA do please be aware that you need to be a Trade or Press visitor and that the show is not open to the general public. If you qualify for this then make a note of the date in your diary; the next IWA and Outdoor Classics Show will be held from Friday 3rd to Monday 6th March 2017 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre and the Airsoft Action Team hopes to see you there!

Nige here. I just wanted to add my thanks, appreciation and gratitude to all the people and friends, old and new, that we met at IWA and especially to Bill, Les and Kelly for their company – and for working their socks off for the magazine.

There were so many highlights that, as you will see from the write up, it is impossible to mention them all but you can take it from me that the reception and response Airsoft Action received from everyone we met was, as Kelly summed it up, AWESOME! So, thanks again guys (and gal), you done good and did the mag proud – I look forwards to your company at IWA 2017 (and in Finnegan’s too!).

www.airsoft-action.online

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DRAGON’S LAIR CHARITY EVENT NIGE REPORTS FROM A GAME IN ESSEX WHERE THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER TO HELP SOMEONE IN NEED

“IF THERE BE ANY TRUER MEASURE of a man than by what he does, it must be by what he gives.” Robert South (1634–1716) A couple of months ago I received a phone call from one of my oldest friends, Ray Cain, asking for help. Those of you that know Ray will also know that he does not ask for help very often and when he does, it is for a very good reason so when he called and said “Nige, I need your help”, I listened. However, as is so typical of Ray, he was not asking for help for himself but for one of the regular players at his site, Dragon’s Lair.

“Dragon’s Lair” was one of the first truly professional paintball sites in the UK and hosted some of the most enjoyable games and tournaments that I ever played in. When we started Airsoft Action, it was Ray who accompanied me down to Ground Zero to chat to the guys about launching the mag at that year’s National Airsoft Event. While were there, Ray took the opportunity to watch some of the games being played and realised that his perception of airsoft was completely wrong, so much so that on the way home he decided to ditch paintball and create “Dragon’s Lair Airsoft”. To get things started (and make sure the site “played” OK) he held an “airsoft open day” and invited players to come and see what they thought; one of those players was Mark Wheeler and he has been playing at Dragon’s Lair ever since, becoming a very close friend of Ray and his wife, Jean, in the process.

Mark is married to Emily and they have two children and when Emily started complaining of fierce headaches, the last thing they expected to discover was that Emily, at just 36, has stage four cancer. Obviously the news hit them like a sledgehammer; there was so much more they wanted to do but now, without the funds and an unknown amount of time, there was little chance of them being able to do so, until Mark’s teammate, Dan Leuty, stepped in.

Dan was also at the first game and they have played together since as part of the team called “Bad Company” (I actually photographed them playing together during the game and that image is now used by Ray as one of their publicity 34

MAY 2016

Event DRAGON’S LAIR CHARITY

photos). When he heard about Emily he decided that he would do whatever he could to help. He contacted Ray, explained the situation and suggested that Ray might like to hold a small raffle to help raise some money at one of his games, so that Emily could complete as much of the “Bucket List” she had drawn up, while she still could. Ray contacted me and told me what was happening, which I posted on Facebook and in the News section of the mag a couple of issues ago – and the response was absolutely wonderful! Players and teams from across the country said they would be there, companies offered prizes for the raffle and one team, Team Rhino (who couldn’t make it on the day), had a whip-round and sent their donation in.

And so it was that on 13th of March, a day that started with a 3-hour drive through thick fog, turned into one of the best days of airsoft I think I have seen for a long time!

I arrived early at the site, to find the car park area already full and cars starting to stretch back down the lane that leads to the site (and “The Secret Nuclear Bunker” next to it). Front and centre was the “ASG Battle Wagon” and I could see Paul from ASG setting up his display in the Safe Zone. Players were already milling about, catching up with old friends, making new ones and looking over the array of Raffle Prizes on display – these included a Year’s Free Play (complete with 5,000 bbs per game) at Dragon’s Lair, an ASG EVO3, a G&G GR4 G26 with laser and torch, a range of other guns, a year’s free servicing by the site’s Tech-Man, Darren and, in all its multi-colour glory, a rare “Joker” TRMR, donated by JD Airsoft. Tickets were £10 each and were selling fast but there is one player who I just have to mention. He doesn’t want to be named but this guy, who it turned out was from Ukraine, walked up to Ray and gave him a £50 donation “just because”. There were loads of other generous gestures throughout the day but this really “struck a chord”, it set the tone and was a perfect example of just how giving airsofters are.

Believe me when I say that Ray Cain is not a weak man

but even he had to fight back his emotions as he did the Safety Briefing and explained what the day was all about.

There were over 120 players standing in front of him and you could have heard a pin drop as he spoke but when he finished spontaneous applause broke the silence and it was “Game On!” Dragon’s Lair is not a huge site but it is hugely playable.

Let’s face it, you don’t run a successful site for over thirty years without understanding what players want and over the years, Ray and his son (also called Ray) have constantly developed, built and tweaked Dragon’s Lair to make it one of the most “fun” sites I know. Yes, I know I might be a bit biased but with

“MARSHALLING IS STRICT BUT FAIR AND HEAD MARSHAL, RAY (JNR), LEAVES NO DOUBT AS TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF CHEATING. DURING PLAY THE MARSHALS ARE NOT AVERSE TO OFFERING “ENCOURAGEMENT” AND SHOUTS OF “COME ON REDS! MOVE YOUR ARSES!” OR “RUNNER ON THE RIGHT!” HELP TO KEEP THINGS MOVING.” www.airsoft-action.online

35

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Event DRAGON’S LAIR CHARITY

an average attendance of over 100 players per game day, there must be something that keeps people coming back for more.

With loads of structures, pits, trenches, natural and manmade features, Dragon’s Lair is one of those sites where the “ebb and flow” of the games is constantly changing. “The Fort”, complete with its three-storey Watch Tower and “The Village” are perfect for “attack and defend” scenarios, whilst the woodland provides both dense and open areas to move through and it is not uncommon to see Gillie-clad figures emerging from the shadows.

Marshalling is strict but fair and Head Marshal, Ray (Jnr), leaves no doubt as to the consequences of cheating. During play the Marshals are not averse to offering “encouragement” and shouts of “Come on Reds! Move your arses!” or “Runner on the right!” help to keep things moving. If things get bogged down, copious amounts of smoke is deployed to help each side move to a better position and get things going again.

The morning’s games were fast and furious and I heard something I love to hear on days like this… laughter! Airsoft doesn’t always have to be super-serious and sometimes it is great just to relax and have a blast. I enjoy a good, structured game as much as anyone but recently I have attended games where the main element has been “having fun” and you know what? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, after all it is probably what attracts new players in the first place and long may it continue to do so!

There is something else about this site I really like… the food!

From the moment you arrive in the morning, your sense of smell is assailed by the smell of sausage and bacon baps but lunch is something else altogether. Have you ever heard of a “Juicy Lucy” (and for those of a certain age, no, it’s not what you are thinking)! A “Juicy Lucy” is a massive cheeseburger but the cheese is inside the meat. The result (if you are not careful

when you bite into it) is a volcano of molten cheese erupting from the burger and dripping down your chin onto your kit and camo – but it is delicious! If you don’t fancy that, then how about barbecued pulled pork and coleslaw? Lunch is not included in the green fee but at just five or six pounds, is well worth every penny (and bite).

Players also took the opportunity to have a look at the goodies Paul Wignell had on display in the ASG “tent” and, as always, the EVO3 was the centre of attention, although the SP-01 Shadow and Dan Wesson 715 also had their fair share of admirers. So did the display of ASG’s new “Devil” aegs. I won’t say too much about them here as we will be reviewing them in the near future but, on the face of it, they look really good and the price point is going to be pretty attractive too.

With bellies filled and coffee quaffed, it was time for the Raffle.

All the tickets were placed in a bowl, the nine prizes drawn one at a time and nine lucky winners each received something really excellent to take home with them. It was then time for Ray to announce how much had been raised and if the Safety Briefing was emotionally tough for him, he really had to dig deep as he passed the money over to Mark and got a huge “man-hug” in return.

Over £1,600 had been raised and this was upped to over £1,700 when a group of four players added another £100 “just because”. With the donation from Team Rhino, the total will be just short of £2,000, which is tremendous amount and for which everyone involved deserves a huge “thank you”.

I have said it before and hopefully will say it many times more, that airsofters are one of the most generous and giving groups of people I have had the pleasure to be associated with and Sunday 13th March 2016 at Dragon’s Lair proved that once again.

That just leaves me to add my thanks and appreciation to all the players who attended and bought raffle tickets, to all the companies that supported the event, especially ASG and Airsoft Zone, who donated the major prizes and to all at Dragon’s Lair for making the day so enjoyable and special.

I don’t suppose anyone really knows how much time Emily has to complete her bucket list but I hope the money goes some way to helping her achieve as much of it as possible.

www.airsoft-action.online

37

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO SHOPPING FOR THAT NEXT RIF OR ACCESSORY, PERHAPS WHAT THEY SAY IS TRUE, PERHAPS THE ONLY WAY IS ESSEX WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHAT RULES OF ENGAGEMENT HAS TO OFFER, AS LES LEE FOUND OUT RECENTLY. ROE FIREARMS STARTED LIFE back in 2006 when ‘Mr G’ discovered the world of realistic imitation firearms. Realising that there was a very limited number of outlets for such items at that time and coupled with his real firearms background, it was his wish and determination to bring a safe professional environment for likeminded individuals to purchase all manner of firearm-related products, with a focus squarely aimed at the Airsoft community. Some ten years later they are still going strong, adapting to the needs of the ever-evolving world of Airsoft, as well as all other aspects of the shooting sports community.

The shop can be found just off the A13 at Benfleet, Essex with ample free parking right outside. Staff-wise, Mr G and Mr Rob (Manager) are the main culprits at the helm, with Mr Ben and Mr Ken hiding in the background and I’m assured that as a team they work as smooth as a Swiss watch, which taking into account the shop has been trading successfully for a decade I have no cause to doubt.

38

MAY 2016

RoE stock a wide variety of products including, Evolution Airsoft, G&G, Beretta, Tokyo Marui, WE, Ruger, A&K, Ares, J.G and ICS, amongst many others, as well as a large range of ammunition and accessories. The guys have always had a strong relationship with Evolution Airsoft, with their Lonestar series of rifles being a firm favourite amongst their customers.

A bold statement from Rob was that he could fix up any Airsoft newbie with a ready-to-go beginners set up of a dependable two tone rifle, battery and charger for under a ton (or ‘undred nicker in Essex-speak).

Rob and the team specialise in guns, guns, and more guns, with the odd erm... gun, thrown in for good measure. With over 200 different types on their walls at any one time, it’s no wonder that they take great pride on having some of the coolest of cool walls in the business. Of course, it’s not only guns on sale, you will find everything else that is remotely related to Airsoft in store and there is always something new to look at when you visit.

Inside Airsoft RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

When I asked Rob “are you a typical one - stop - shop for everything Airsoft?” he told me that although they don’t stock the biggest range of Airsoft products, they do stock and supply almost anything that anyone might want for any activity which involves shooting, whether it be it a RIF or a Section One or Two, as an area of the shop carries rim and centrefire weapons.

Who knows, maybe further along the line you might make the leap from Airsoft to real steel and I know from personal experience that what you are learning now with your air powered guns, will put you in a much better place during and after your transition if you choose to do so. Anyway, I (typically) digress.

Rules of Engagement also offer a full repair and upgrade service, as well as an in-house gunsmith service, with lots of quality parts for upgrades, downgrades and customisation available in stock and of course the good old (but necessary) two-tone service. With regards to customisation, they can offer a full-on customisation of high end internals, after market premium parts and a significant dressing up of the externals, to in excess of a thousand pounds if you so choose, such is the quality of their workmanship. If there is one thing that Rules of Engagement are proud of, it is their reputation of being one game of honour right? Now to me that extends far beyond just of the best gun shops in the South East amongst the shooting taking your hits and dying with honour when shot, to me it fraternity and if and when you meet and chat to Rob and means supporting the British retailers that rely on our custom the team, you will quite clearly see why. They are the typical to stay afloat and THAT’S where we should be buying our guns “Diamond Geezers” of the shooting world because they really from because please, trust me when I say (from experience), do take care of their customers and anyone that either sets foot trying to get a warrantee upheld and facilitated from, for in the shop or makes a web or telephone enquiry will be made example, Asia, is near on impossible and it will cost you money to feel so very welcome... because you genuinely are. no matter who’s fault it was. If you buy British your after sales RoE typically offer a quick turnaround mail order service service is set in stone both morally and legally, however, I was but if I had to make a criticism about anything then I would say that the Rules of Engagement website does not do the shop any “WE HAVE RECENTLY SEEN A RESURGENCE IN HPA-TYPE EQUIPMENT AND favours - because there is simply so much more to see at the shop.

ACCESSORIES AND WORK CLOSELY WITH REAPER AIRSOFT CUSTOMS, AS As Rob stated, the walls are THEIR OFFICIAL RETAIL OUTLET. THEY ARE PAVING THE WAY IN CUSTOM just covered in guns from floor to GAS MAGAZINE DESIGNS AND ARE SET TO BECOME A FORCE TO BE ceiling and you really have to see this to be able to fully appreciate just RECKONED WITH AS THIS YEAR PROGRESSES.” how much this shop has to offer.

Rob said that he didn’t consider the store to be a one-stop-shop but Rob buddy, forgive me overwhelmed when I told Rob what I was looking for during but I disagree. From what I can see and from what I’ve been my visit to Airsoft Plantation (where he runs the site shop) and told, RoE sells everything that any Airsofter would need for he said “I have one in the shop”. Within a week, I was the a cracking day out and if it’s not in stock, then Rob can most proud owner of a KP-06 Hi Cappa which until then I could only likely source it and get it to you within a few days - and I can find off-shore - and that was not going to happen. evidence that as I had personally been looking for a specific When I asked Rob what was “trending” at the moment, hard- to-find pistol from a UK retailer for about a year without he replied: “We have recently seen a resurgence in HPA-type success. Now I don’t buy guns from anywhere other than the equipment and accessories and work closely with Reaper UK for two reasons: 1) The risk is too great if you buy from Airsoft Customs, as their official retail outlet. They are paving abroad in so many ways and most importantly 2) Airsoft is a

www.airsoft-action.online

39

Inside Airsoft RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

the way in custom gas magazine designs and are set to become a force to be reckoned with as this year progresses”. Rob added “We have a close affiliation with Airsoft Plantation in Billericay and supply its on-site shop with consumables and accessories, as well as running games on a regular basis. We love blowing each other up with pyros, building props and generally getting up to mischief.

“We always have and always will support our armed forces, giving a minimum 5% discount to all forces personnel, including the fire service and the ambulance service. We have also worked with charity organisations, such as Help for Heroes, SSAFA and The Lance Corporal Nicky Mason Memorial Fund, as well as recruitment drives with 7 Rifles”.

Back to the shop and trending sales. Along with the reinvigorated gas blowback market, RoE have recently seen an increase in the sales of the LCT range of AK-type replicas, where their realistic and authentic attention to detail has been extremely popular. The shop itself has a comfortable feeling and is set out with seating for customers and sectioned into; airsoft, firearms, shotguns, air rifles, consumables, ammunition and accessories, with lots of the products crossing over into more than one of these sections, giving the shop a feeling of an “Aladdin’s Cave” of shooting sports related products. In other words, a shooters paradise. There is a 50m test facility at the rear of the shop as well as a purpose-built digital pistol range, with self-resetting targets. There is also an indoor CQB arena that is at present closed for re-development but will be back in use in the very near future.

When I asked Rob if there were any loyalty schemes or deals he replied; “Everybody loves a bargain and there is always a bargain to be had at ROE, so please don’t be frightened to try and haggle. We have always been more concerned with making sure you have been well looked after, rather than making a quick profit. Repeat custom is the main reason why we have been here as long as we have”. So here we have it in black and white, Robs words, there are “deals” to be had, so haggle away!

Rob added “ROE Firearms has been extremely lucky over the last ten years and has dealt with some of the greatest names in the industry, from international importers of Firearms

and ammunition, to leading brands of Airsoft equipment, accessories and consumables. We have met some extremely influential and interesting people and formed some lasting friendships. We have strived to remain focussed on stocking a quality inventory of products, while keeping the cost to our customers at an absolute minimum, all the while remembering the reasons why we got into this in the first place… for the love of it!”

So how do I sum up Rules of Engagement? It’s a gun shop, which makes it an Airsofters dream. It’s not an Army Surplus shop or an outdoors shop, not that there is anything whatsoever wrong with such shops but they simply don’t sell tents and camp beds. If you are looking for something to shoot, whether it be a rifle, a pistol, a support weapon or a shottie, they have it here complete with everything that you will need for you to make that word “hit” be shouted out loud and clear from your enemy.

What did impress me was the rare and unexpected RIFs that could be found here and not elsewhere in the UK. Customer service is second to none as these guys are clearly passionate about guns and they just love to share their passion with fellow gun enthusiasts.

Don’t rely on the website as it really doesn’t do the shop or the staff any justice because their Rules of Engagement stock and service standards are as good if not 12 Benfleet Road better than can be found anywhere else in the industry but with a unique flair for their customer- Benfleet Essex centred approach.

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spend money, you will be treated just the same, with warmth, with value and a big old Essex welcome which makes you feel like you have known these guys all your life.

01702 554503 www.roefirearms.co.uk sales@roefirearms.co.uk

www.airsoft-action.online

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OSCAR P FINDS HIMSELF BEHINDS BARS AS HE CHECKS OUT UCAP’S NEW SITE IN SHEPTON MALLET

N O S I R P K A E R B AIRSOFTERS… WE CAN BE A BIT of a fickle bunch, can’t we?

Our favourite sites come and go, we get itchy feet to try new locations and to play different types of games but at the same time, if you get any given group of players in one place and ask them about sites they miss, you can bet all the money in your pockets that you’ll get a good half hour of “Remember that place? That was epic. Shame it’s gone. Loved it…!”

Same with me. If I was pushed to name the Best Site EVAH, it would have been UCAP’s much-missed “Virus” site. Alas, that disused hospital fell prey to the pressures of progress and was demolished years back but the memories of a lot of excellent games in a supreme CQB environment live on.

So, as you might well imagine, there was a certain *pop* moment when I heard that UCAP had a new multi-level, CQB site coming up - and even more so when I got the shout

from Andy Stevens to head over and take a look at it for their inaugural open day.

However, this site isn’t a hospital, it’s a prison!

Christened “The Wing”, it’s the D-Wing of the former “HMP Shepton Mallet”, which closed down in 2013.That’s good news for us because it’s now four full floors of CQB playground, with uber opportunities to fight through what were the workshops, education, training, induction and stores sections of the institution. That adds up to over 100 rooms of different sizes, with multiple routes through each floor – a CQB player’s dream site!

Games are run fortnightly, on Sundays and something important to note, though, is that UCAP are running a strict bookings-only policy to manage numbers. That’s to make sure the site plays well - we’ve all been at games where there are

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“UCAP HAVE PUT LOADS OF EFFORT INTO WORKING WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE SPORT IS, HOW THE SITE WILL RUN AND TO GET THE NEIGHBOURS ON SIDE. THAT INCLUDES OFFERING FREE RENTAL PLACES TO PEOPLE FROM THE TOWN WHO WANT TO TRY THE SPORT OUT.”

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just *too* many people – but also to make sure things like parking and access are OK. The site is right in the middle of Shepton Mallet and UCAP have put loads of effort into working with the local community to explain what the sport is, how the site will run and to get the neighbours on side. That includes offering free rental places to people from the town who want to try the sport out – as a side bar, if we want to grow the sport this is exactly the sort of thing that we need to see more of!

So, first impressions. The site is dead easy to get to but as I mentioned parking is limited, so it’s well worth car sharing for this one. The safe zone is superb, well laid out with shelves and chairs aplenty. There’s a site shop with all the usual supplies as well as a BFG rental scheme (more on that later.) There’s free tea and coffee all day and lunch is included in the (very reasonable) green fees.

The site itself is, in a word, epic! Four storeys are served with two staircases and a sizable service lift, which is reserved for moving dead players back to spawn. Each floor is substantially different; some are a series of smaller rooms, with multiple corridors and connections while others are much larger open areas, with barricades set up, or with the remnants of their previous uses – training materials, machinery and the like – and of course, being a prison, the ubiquitous barred doors!

Oh, and some odd murals too.

Rule-wise, things are fairly straightforward.

350fps on all weapons, no bang-rule, sensible limits on ammo counts and the number of bangs. On that latter point, it’s really important to note that no burning pyro is allowed as the smoke from standard Mk5s (let alone a screening smoke) would cause serious problems in the site, so they’re prohibited.

To my mind, the games are designed well to work in the environment. The morning I played saw a mixture of sweep and clear and objective-based missions, with well-spaced respawns.

Turnarounds between rounds were snappy with not a lot of downtime wasted dawdling in the safezone. One thing to note was that I saw the Marshalling team adjusting the environment in the game zone between rounds, fixing areas which were bottlenecking. Good, active game management is something I really like to see a skirmish, so props to the team for that one!

So how does it feel to play? It’s good. Actually, it’s really good. I’m a huge fan of CQB and the site has tonnes to offer; it’s at times fast and furious and at others rewards patience and a bit of sneaky beaky. Throughout the site there are tonnes of angles to work and you really need to be on your toes to not get bushwhacked but if you put a bit of oomph into your game, that doesn’t translate to people stacking up on horrid, stagnant pinch-points. Teamwork reaps dividends too - stick with a wingman or two and you can get some serious business done. Remember that respawn is never far away, so if you’re up for burning a few calories moving quickly and are prepared to duck and weave a bit you’ll crack the hardest pinchpoint eventually. Grit your teeth, fight the corners hard and Bob’s your aunty’s live-in lover! Oh… and break out the knee slides!

Everyone loves a knee-slide. A couple of areas are set up a little like a speedball-type arena, so if that’s your thing there are opportunities to dash from cover to cover aplenty.

If you want to try a bit of “silent and deadly”, you can go

Site UCAP – THE WING

that way too. I had a happy five minutes standing in a corner waiting for the attacking force to push past me… at which point I tapped a couple of guys in the back with the trusty 226, fragged a gaggle of players stacking up just around the corner and then toddled off to find another ambush opportunity.

There may have been some giggling involved...

Kit-wise, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that “less is more” at this site. In all honesty, I probably only fired a mag and a half per game; single shot is plenty and I spent more time with a pistol in my hand than a rifle. On the other hand, BFGs are really, REALLY useful (and there’s not a lot of carpet to defeat an impact, either!) so if you can lay your hands on one (or rent one from UCAP) it’s worthwhile.

In terms of rig, I’d have found a full plate carrier bloody irritating when trying to manoeuvre around the site, so belt kit or a chest rig ought to be plenty. Having said that, there’s no minimum engagement distance and no bang rule, so be prepared for the odd stingy close-shot. Full-face protection is highly recommended and I’d go for a couple of layers on the body, especially the forearms! Other than that, bring a torch and you’re good to go.

As with every other site like this, the stairs could be a bit sticky; they’re always going to be a pinch point to deal with.

The site is set up pretty well to minimise the impact on the games but at times, getting out of the stairwell and into play was a bit tricky. Having said that, there are two staircases so if it’s hard to break one, try the other!

All in all, I’m loving The Wing. Cracking site, proper CQB. If indoor fun’s your thing, get yourself over to the UCAP website and book in for a game.

Get your head in the right place, prep yourself for some hard fights and psyche yourself up to be first guy around a difficult corner and you’ll have a whale of a time!

“. I HAD A HAPPY FIVE MINUTES STANDING IN A CORNER WAITING FOR THE ATTACKING FORCE TO PUSH PAST ME… AT WHICH POINT I TAPPED A COUPLE OF GUYS IN THE BACK WITH THE TRUSTY 226, FRAGGED A GAGGLE OF PLAYERS STACKING UP JUST AROUND THE CORNER AND THEN TODDLED OFF TO FIND ANOTHER AMBUSH OPPORTUNITY. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME GIGGLING INVOLVED...”

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OPSIM: BROKEN

ARROW

ANGELO DV REPORTS FROM AN EVENT THAT PROMISED TO TAKE MILSIM TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF REALISM

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING A little bit different…

During the years I’ve been playing airsoft I’ve played numerous events at various sites all over the country, mainly with the rest of the lads from Team Rhino. These have included good old fashioned skirmishes, MilSims and themed games etc. but when Tony Gregory and Matt Akumibob invited me to this “OpSim/Battle Sim” I was intrigued as to what was going to be so different about this event.

I have had several conversations with Tony over the last few months about Ideas that he, Matt and others had been banding around, to create an extremely realistic simulation that would throw up one or two suprises. Although I explained to Tony that myself and the rest of Rhino had played quite a few MilSim games, with the likes of Stirling Airsoft and Urban 6 (which were usually very good on the realism front) I was promised much, much more.

So after months of hard work and planning by Tony, Matt and the team the inaugural event was ready to be announced and the date was set for the 20th of February, with the remaining details like times and location to be disclosed at a later date. So after a few updates to the event posting on Facebook, the time and location of the game was announced. The game

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was to be played between the hours of 17:00-23:00 and the location for the meet up and start point was Trafford Park in Manchester.

The day of the event came around very quickly and after a conversation with Kev “Daisy” Durrant from the team, he decided he would also like to come along. Kev duly arrived at my house just after lunchtime and we left for the initial RV point at 15:00 to ensure we would arrive on time. We got to the first RV point by 16:00 and found ourselves in a warehouse in the middle of Trafford Park, where we were told to kit up and be ready to roll by 16:45. The cross-section of players at the RV point was quite varied between young, old, experienced and new players. As the operation would include breeching doors and rapid entry, a really nice touch was some door entry training for the less experienced players while we waited for the transport to arrive. Cool touch that.

16:45: Outside the roller shutter door we could hear the rumble of a big diesel engine and the sound of a tailgate being dropped. The door went up and we were greeted with the site of a large military truck with a tarpaulin over the back and a row of seats in the back. So we were all loaded up into the truck and off we went into the dark night.

17:00: We arrived at the location of the Op and were quickly offloaded from the truck straight into a

event OPERATION BROKEN ARROW

“THE AIR STRIKE WAS CALLED IN AND WE WERE TOLD TO PREPARE. I’M NOT SURE I’LL EVER BE PREPARED FOR WHAT HAPPENED NEXT; SIMPLY THE LOUDEST EXPLOSION I HAVE EVER HEARD. THE GROUND SHOOK AS I JUMPED OUT OF MY SKIN…..BRILLIANT!!!”

loading bay area that was to be our Ops Room and where the briefing would take place. We were split into fire teams and two teams were issued with a sledgehammer and a set of boltcutters, then the briefing began.

OPERATION OBJECTIVE

A faction of Serbian rebels had broken into a chemical factory and were holding three girls hostage. They had also acquired several chemical bombs that had to be retrieved before they could cause mass destruction with them. The main bad guy was called “Chistov Zitzeff” and he must also be captured at all costs. We were given five minutes for final checks and we were off… It was GAME ON! 17:20: The roller shutter door we were deploying through slowly clunked its way up and it was out into the rain for the lead team, which comprised of Tony G, myself, Daisy Durrant and a couple of young lads who had never played any kind of ‘Sim before.

We made our way in formation across a small car park and as we approached the corner of the building I could hear what could only be described as a party going on around the corner.

As we cornered the building we witnessed numerous Serbian rebels clearly having a good time in and around three Chieftain tanks. The second they spotted us we got engaged in a fierce fire fight with bbs going everywhere and people getting tended to by team medics after being shot. Real bandages with fake blood on them was how this was done, not the ten seconds on the shoulder script like most of us are used to!

Now at this point I suddenly noticed something; we had wiped out the rebels outside the building but I never heard one of them say “Hit!” On closer inspection the rebels we had killed were laid around the area simulating that were dead and I realised that role play was going to be a big part of this game, which is something I have never done and never had the urge to do so. But I liked it.

After fully checking the area outside was clear we then had to move into the warehouse, where our intel had informed us the main man, the hostages and the chemical bombs were located. Another roller shutter door rolled up and suddenly Tony is rolling around on the floor in hand to hand combat with the Serbian rebel who was guarding the door. The reaction of one of the young lads on our fire team was awesome. “Shit!” he said, “they’re fighting on the floor! “ I quickly informed him that this was clearly part of the simulation, which was greeted with a big smile and the word “ACE!!”

With the guard overpowered we made our way slowly into the warehouse, clearing the aisles one by one when a loud

alarm sounded outside which alerted the rebels to the fact we were inside the warehouse. Rebels burst into the building and a fire fight erupted and with some people using tracers, it resembled a firework display. After we had finally cleared the warehouse we got directed into a small office area up some stairs to clear. This room had tea and coffee making kit, pop, chocolate and the ubiquitous Haribo, so we managed to get a bit of R&R… or so we thought! Rounds started coming in through an open window and up the stairs, so these had to be manned to prevent this happening again.

Towards the end of our break we heard girls screaming, which was likely to be the hostages and a spotter had seen them being taken to another part of the building. So with our “battle heads” back on and after fighting our way out of the rest area we headed towards where the hostages had been taken, which was some other first floor offices.

As we got to the top of the stairs we approached the end of a long corridor that was segmented with (what appeared to be) stud walls with “murder holes” cut out at the top. Straight out of nowhere the corridor was filled with gun fire coming from the murder hole in the first wall but these walls needed to be breeched. As it stood, we had no chance of getting down that corridor, however, I looked round and I noticed several riot shields chained to a wall, secured by a large padlock. Now, remember earlier we were issued with a sledgehammer and a set of bolt cutters? Daisy quickly cut through the chains and we set about assaulting the corridor.

A simple process in theory… Two men with riot shields at www.airsoft-action.online

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event OPERATION BROKEN ARROW

the front and a man behind with the sledgehammer to put a large enough hole in the wall to drop a grenade through. After a couple of attempts, wall number one was gone and after climbing over the bodies behind it we headed for wall number two, clearing the rooms along the corridor as we went.

Just before we completed the destruction of the walls, myself and Daisy started to clear a room and as I scanned the area with my torch I caught a glimpse of two of the hostages on the floor. Unfortunately we didn’t get to them quick enough. Throats cut and covered in blood it was clear they had been slaughtered.

During the sweep down the corridor we found two of the chemical weapons with one remaining.

The final one was found with the main bad guy guarding it, so it was a double bonus. We had all three bombs AND the bad guy… RESULT!!

But our evening was far from over. After numerous bouts of verbal abuse between the team leaders and main bad guy (and several scuffles), it was time to extract him out of the building and back to the base in time for tea and medals. Sounds easy, right?? Well at this point Tony suggested we call for air support as we needed an airstrike putting in. The air strike was called in and we were told to prepare. I’m not sure I’ll ever be prepared for what happened next; simply the loudest explosion I have ever heard. The ground shook as I jumped out of my skin…..

BRILLIANT!!! Without the superb teamwork this operation simply would not have worked, so well done to all the players.

The remaining bad guys had all the exits covered so we had to fight for every inch of ground to get the bombs to safety and the bad guy to justice but finally we managed to clear up

the remainder of the bad guys outside and move to our exfil location. Waiting for us there was a tracked armoured personnel carrier to take us back to base, with the bad guy and chemical weapons in tow. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Following a short debrief we headed back to our initial RV totally exhausted.

SUMMARY

In my personal opinion this game took the realism of a MilSim to a different level, with full on action from the get go but not skirmish style. This game was as far away from a skirmish as you could get. The rebels were played by several of Tony’s team plus regulars and marshals from his Farmistan site. These guys were incredibly professional and did an unbelievable job and I salute you.

It was so very clear that months of planning had gone into creating this special event as the attention to detail was first class. So a massive well done to all involved for what was by far the best ‘Sim myself and Daisy have ever played.

Take my advice… Watch out for future dates and get yourself booked in, you will not regret it.

“THE SECOND THEY SPOTTED US WE GOT ENGAGED IN A FIERCE FIRE FIGHT WITH BBS GOING EVERYWHERE AND PEOPLE GETTING TENDED TO BY TEAM MEDICS AFTER BEING SHOT. REAL BANDAGES WITH FAKE BLOOD ON THEM WAS HOW THIS WAS DONE, NOT THE TEN SECONDS ON THE SHOULDER SCRIPT LIKE MOST OF US ARE USED TO!” www.airsoft-action.online

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䜀伀嘀䔀刀一䴀䔀一吀 匀伀䰀䐀䤀䔀刀

䄀䤀刀匀伀䘀吀 䰀伀䄀䐀伀唀吀 䤀一匀倀䤀刀䔀䐀 䈀夀 ᰠ嘀 䘀伀刀 嘀䔀一䐀䔀吀吀䄀ᴠ 䴀伀嘀䤀䔀

圀圀圀⸀䠀䔀刀䤀吀䄀䜀䔀ⴀ䄀䤀刀匀伀䘀吀⸀䌀伀䴀⼀䔀一⼀

⬀㌀㌀ 㤀㔀 ㄀㜀 㘀 ㈀㌀ 挀漀渀琀愀挀琀䀀栀攀爀椀琀愀最攀ⴀ愀椀爀猀漀昀琀⸀挀漀洀 ㈀ Ⰰ 戀漀甀氀攀瘀愀爀搀 搀攀 氀愀 刀瀀甀戀氀椀焀甀攀Ⰰ 㤀㈀㈀㄀ 匀愀椀渀琀ⴀ䌀氀漀甀搀Ⰰ 䘀爀愀渀挀攀⸀

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cold war warriors KGB BORDER GUARDS DOG HANDLER 1989

KGB – SWORD AND SHIELD OF THE STATE GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO ONE OF THE USSR’S MOST FEARED INSTITUTIONS, THE KGB AS HE LOOKS AT SOVIET BORDER GUARDS

With kind thanks to Lisa Goodinson for allowing us to feature her well-trained German Shepherd dog “Maddie”.

WITH A TERRITORY AS VAST as the Soviet Unions it comes as no surprise that their border forces were almost as large as the entire manpower of the British Army of the 80s. What is more surprising though, is the wide variety of combat roles and security duties these forces carried out.

The Border Guards service of the USSR found itself in a somewhat unique position. While nominally under the auspices of the Soviet Armed Forces they were not actually under the control of the Ministry of Defence and instead took their orders from the feared KGB. The KGB (Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti or “Committee for State Security”) itself was Soviet Russia’s political elite and formed the “third side” of an uneasy triangle of power that comprised the KGB, the Communist Party and the Armed forces. The KGB took it upon itself to monitor and control the Soviet state and to provide (along with the interior army, or MVD) a safeguard against an army coup that could threaten the status quo.

KGB recruits were expected to not only be physically fit but to be politically reliable and staunch communists, which created a social barrier between them and “normal” citizens, a barrier encouraged by the Party to create a distance between the KGB political elite and the soviet citizen and allow them to ruthlessly suppress dissidence and rebellion.

While entry to the KGB was technically open to all the

wide variety of ethnicities in the Soviet empire, preference was clearly given to Russian, Ukrainian and Byelorussian conscripts (who had personal records clean of any criticism of the party).

The extent of the KGB was vast; it controlled a network of police, spies, and informers and as its “fist”, a sizable amount of manpower in the way of the Border Guards formations.

Service in the Border Guards counted for a young man’s compulsory military service as if they had enlisted in the army or the navy, although the benefits (both in service and later life) were exceptional, as party members and KGB personnel had access to better stocked shops and services.

EXTENSIVE COMBAT SUPPORT

Numbering around 180,000 men, the Border Guards service was comparable in size to many Nato armies (by comparison the entire current British Army is under 100,000 troops) although this sizable force was spread out across the vast frontier of the USSR and also stationed deep in its hinterland and in every territory.

The duties of the Border Guards comprised of the expected patrols of the Warsaw Pact’s internal and external borders but also more mundane tasks, such as immigration and passport control. Unlike western nation’s Border Guards, however, Soviet guards were also trained to www.airsoft-action.online

53

handlers would bring their own animal into the service but only if it was of a suitable breed. On the whole, German Shepherds or crossbreeds such as the “European shepherd” (a mix of Alsatian and husky), seem to have been favoured.

TRACKING SPIES AND INTRUDERS

put down insurrections, prevent the escape of Soviet citizens to the west and to (most importantly) provide a “speed bump” to slow down invading forces in times of war until a regular army unit could reach the area.

To this end the Border forces had a phenomenal arsenal of small arms (including mortars and heavy machine guns), armoured personnel carriers, tanks, combat helicopters, patrol boats (some like small warships) and light combat aircraft.

While duties on the Western borders of the USSR were largely peaceful, troops stationed on the Southern border with Afghanistan or the Eastern Border with China often saw extensive “low intensity conflict” during the cold war years.

Our Cold War Warrior this month represents a Soviet Border Guards dog handler on a routine patrol in one of the contested areas on the eastern frontier of the USSR. A typical three-man Border Guards patrol tasked on hunting down escapees, saboteurs or smugglers would consist of an officer, radio operator and dog handler; if larger forces were expected to be encountered then up to eight men could be rapidly flown in to assist on Mi24 Gorbach (Hunchback) combat helicopters.

The Mi24 rose to prominence as a gunship in Afghanistan but was born of an operational need for a combat helicopter able to ferry squads along the contested Chinese border areas in safety.

Dog Handlers in the Soviet Union were typically chosen from conscripts who had been members of dog training or breeding clubs in their youth and many dog handlers would bring their own canine along to train with them and return home with their dog after their service; those attending without their own pet would train and serve with dogs kept by the unit. During their two-year enlistment, a dog handler would be responsible for the training of up to four dogs, although only one of these would be taken on patrol. Military dogs were trained for a variety of tasks, from battlefield casualty recovery to guard and attack duties but in this case our handler’s dogs have been trained as search dogs. About 30 per cent of dog 54

May 2016

Our handler operates ahead of the three-man patrol as the dog guides him, having latched onto the scent of an intruder into the motherland. Our conscript is lightly equipped with a combat load for his folding stock AK74S 5.45mm assault rifle, ammunition for which is kept on the minimal belt order webbing rig in a 4 pocket magazine pouch. Wedged into the stock of the rifle is a field dressing, held in place with an army issue rubber tourniquet. While primarily a “first aid kit on the rifle”, the tourniquet also provided a comfier “cheek weld” on the metal stock and prevented the stock burning or freezing the face in extreme cold. Also on our border guard’s belt kit is a bayonet for his rifle (which can also serve as wire cutters) and a small water bottle. As with most soviet soldiers, our guard has attached small wooden name tags to his combat equipment to ensure he picks up the right kit in the barracks. Also included in our warrior’s patrol order is an officer’s map case, containing details of his unit’s search area and the necessary pens and protractors to mark the presence of any enemy units on the map.

Combat footwear is once again provided by the standard soviet jackboot or “sapogi”, however, these boots are not in fact what they seem. While they look like the WWII style leather jackboot, only the lower shoe section is made of leather and is of rough construction. The sole is rubber (with a standard Soviet tread) but the uppers around the calf are actually synthetic leather and a kind of textured canvas known as “kirza”. While from a distance these boots appear quite smart, the finish close up is crude by NATO standards.

The Border Guards service were among the first soviet troops to routinely use camouflage uniforms. Initially wearing the baggy “KLMK” summer camouflage overalls (as seen in previous issues of Airsoft Action with our “chemical troops”), they soon acquired their own camo uniforms. Initially these kamuflirovanniy kurtki suits were cut like a standard service dress uniform but overprinted with a darker, more olive variant of the “stair step” pattern found on the KLMK and KZS suits. Later 2nd pattern suits (as seen here) were made in

cold war warriors KGB BORDER GUARDS DOG HANDLER 1989

the “afghanka” M88 new pattern, known as Spetsodezhda (romanised from Спецодежда), in English “special clothes” and again featured an olive and sand camo pattern but in a more practical field uniform. A clean white collar liner has been sewn into the jacket (it would be replaced every day) and it is interesting to see that his camouflage kepi is a mismatched shade, due to the vagaries of Soviet centralised production. While the kepi cap is seen towards the latter days of the Soviet Union, it was far more common to see Border Guards in either a pristine service dress cap in the deep green arm of service colour of the border troops, or a camouflage version of the service cap in some units. A distinct feature of our guard’s kepi is that it appears to be far too small. While this looks odd to western eyes, small hats or “speedy caps” were a popular fashion in

soviet units and in particular the elite arms of the airborne and Border Guards. Some sources claim that a soldier would make his hat smaller the longer he had served and it is not uncommon to see pics of army spetsnaz or paratroopers during the war in Afghanistan with incredibly small-looking kepis balanced on the back of their heads!

While many of our Soviet cold war warriors have a tendency to look very similar (something of a side effect of an army based on equality and state production) it’s clear to see that doing a “Border Guard” impression will make you stand out from the crowd. The bad news Is that “KGB” kit is reasonably scare and good condition suits can fetch over a hundred pounds (Airsoft Action were lucky to pick up this example in a Berlin flea market for around 35 Euros!), the good news, however, is that Border Guards fit in nicely with almost any scenario in a Cold War setting that involves Soviets!

So why not track down some Spetsodezhda and then track down those imperialist agents before they wreck state property… only we don’t recommend taking your dog on site!

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THE FEAR FUN FACTOR HAVING IMMERSED HIMSELF IN THE HIGHLY-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING COURSES RUN BY A-SQUADRON’S BOB PODESTA, PAUL YELLAND WRITES ABOUT THE MORE LIGHT-HEARTED SIDE OF AIRSOFT; WHERE PEOPLE PLAY FOR F-U-N! IT WAS DURING A TELEPHONE conversation that I was having with Nige when the penny dropped. We were talking about what fuelled the interest for the majority of airsofters. There are players who go down the MilSim route and those who choose to play out a Zombie Apocalypse but mostly, the people who turn up to skirmish events are just wanting to have a fun day of airsofting with some mates.

I personally prefer to follow a MilSim style of game play but the thought of just turning up to an airsoft site with minimal kit and a group of friends, to run around and have a laugh seemed almost idealistic. After the phone call had ended, I started to question whether I had lost sight of what airsoft was really about. I asked myself whether it was possible for somebody to arrive at an event without looking like something from a “Call of Duty” game and still have a great day out… and I quickly concluded, yes, of course you could!

Approaching airsoft in more of a light-hearted manner can actually help to increase its enjoyment value. Having a player

who shouts out orders and are generally being bossy to others is a sure way to quickly irritate people. Not every player is into the MilSim style and although team work and some form of leadership during a game is important, the people who are doing the shouting need to remember that everyone at the event is a paying customer and therefore has a right to choose what they do (whilst obeying the marshals and site rules of course).

On one occasion, I was attending an airsoft event and my team had been tasked with getting from point “A” to the objective at point “B”. Now, between these two points were a large amount of enemy and the terrain any contact would have been fought over included a steep and muddy wooded hillside. Another player and I decided to avoid any contacts by outflanking the enemy, by moving around the bottom of the hill to approach point “B” from the rear.

We received zero resistance from the other side and took the objective. We were both feeling pretty pleased with

“WE WERE BOTH FEELING PRETTY PLEASED WITH OURSELVES UNTIL SOME JUMPED-UP LITTLE SOD APPROACHED US WHILST SHOUTING AND BAWLING. HIS COMPLAINT WAS THAT WE HAD FAILED TO FOLLOW THE “SCRIPT” OF THE GAME BY AVOIDING A FIRE-FIGHT WITH THE OPPOSING SIDE AND SNEAKING AROUND TO THEIR REAR.” 56

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Feature THE FUN FACTOR

some people don’t wear military clothing at all.

So my advice to anyone starting out in airsoft, would be to go with what you feel comfortable with and do not feel pressured into buying expensive kit just because that “elite” team at your local site wears it. One item that you should not cut corners on though is eye protection, so make sure that you buy something that is suitable. It is quite surprising how many times your eye protection will take a hit from a BB, even when fired from long distances, so quality eye pro is really important.

If there is one vital piece of equipment that is needed by every player (apart from eye pro), then this is obviously going to be an airsoft gun.

Most sites are able to offer a gun hire service which is ideal for new players wanting to get a taste of the airsofting experience without spending out on a gun of their own. When a player does decide to buy their own gun, the choices faced by them about the type of weapon are vast and it is really easy to get sucked into the trap of over-pimping the gun with too many accessories.

At the end of the day, the airsoft gun is going to be used to shoot at your mates whilst running around a skirmish site. It needs to be robust enough to take a bit of a battering and reliable enough to reduce the chances of a mechanical malfunction mid-game (a definite fun spoiler).

What you will need is plenty of ammo and a few magazines to assist in your amusement whilst watching your mate cower behind a small piece of cover as you blast away at him or her. Also, a

ourselves until some jumped-up little sod approached us whilst shouting and bawling. His complaint was that we had failed to follow the “script” of the game by avoiding a fire-fight with the opposing side and sneaking around to their rear. At no point did we venture outside of the game area or cheat, we just chose to use some initiative and adopt a style of game play that we both enjoyed… being sneaky. This “telling off” really did irritate me and unfortunately spoilt my game.

I discussed the events with some of the site marshals after the game and not one of them could see any problem with what we had done. So, having someone gobbing off at you after they have taken things too seriously can spoil your fun.

When playing airsoft I very often end up on my own, or working as part of a small team. The great thing about airsoft is that you can throw a group of random players together as a team and they will all interact well as a unit. If you play regularly with a group of friends, the team dynamics will benefit from this strong bond and the members will be familiar with how each team member operates. Light-hearted banter between members is a great fuel for moral and also increases the “fun factor”. There are many examples of airsoft teams who, through this well-formed bond and a not too serious outlook, are actually very effective. On the other end of the spectrum, I have met teams who just ooze arrogance, take things far too seriously and look down on any person or team who adopts a more casual method of airsofting.

This leads me onto kit. There are plenty of photographs on the internet showing numerous airsoft teams kitted out in all of the latest gear – helmets, plate carriers/assault vests, plus all of the other accessories. Although impressive in appearance, the equipment is not strictly necessary and there is quite a bit to be said for “traveling light”.

For many, cost is an issue and the thought of spending large sums of money on a load out that only makes you look like a Special Forces soldier (and not perform like one), can be daunting. A visit to your local Army Surplus shop will provide you with all of the essential items that are required – boots, camouflage jacket and trousers, small day sack etc. In fact,

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THE FUN FACTOR (continued)

fully charged battery will prevent any power failures part way through a fire fight.

Playing ability is another area that varies greatly from person to person. There are teams of players and individuals (including myself) who put in a considerable amount of time and effort to train in tactics and physical fitness and this is great, as people are making the effort to learn skills and keep fit. I used to yomp over Dartmoor carrying a Bergen weighing between 50 to 60 lbs just for fun. This helped to improve my fitness and navigational skills and also my ability to carry out more physically demanding tasks during a skirmish. However, many people would argue that this training was extreme and over the top for airsoft but because I enjoyed the load carrying, I continued to do it. In spite of my choice, I would not expect other players to feel pressured into doing the same. Every one of us has our own limits of ability when playing airsoft and it is really important to remember this. I always try very hard to make an effort and help any player who I notice is struggling physically. It is their game to enjoy as well as mine and it is nice to see a smile on their face at the end of the event. People should not feel pressured into keeping up with the front runners during a game, instead, players must go at their own pace and ability. Not everybody wants to run around in fighting order to the point of exhaustion – after all, where is the fun in feeling ill and having to drop out of a skirmish because you have overdone it?

On reflection, I do not think that I have lost sight of what airsoft is really about, it is more a case of becoming blinkered over a long period of time. Airsoft is what you make it and at the end of the day, it is just a game. Regardless of what loadout you chose to wear, or your style of game play, it is important that you do not lose sight of the main reason for playing airsoft in the first place – to have fun!

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Debate SOCIAL MEDIA

FOLLOWING FACEBOOK’S RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT, IN THIS MONTH’S DEBATE GADGE ASKS: “IS IT RIGHT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA TO BAN AIRSOFT SALES?”

NO SALE! IN THE LAST MONTH, airsofting Facebook users woke up to find many of their favourite groups missing or suspended after a clamp down by the site on any groups offering any type of firearm for sale between users.

While “authorised dealers” can still trade, the site’s new rules class “bb guns, air rifles and airsoft guns” as prohibited. So we asked you have FB gone too far? Is this the “thin end of the wedge” and might we see a total ban on “gun pics” in the future? Is it time to go back to hobbyist forums?

One important issue was exactly how Facebook decide someone is a “legitimate dealer”? Could you start up a “business page” and sell market store two tones, whereas someone selling their PTW is barred?

So are we looking at the start of dark times for shooting sports on airsoft or do you think this is a sensible measure to control sales in accordance with the VCRA? Most of you were quite outraged (as expected) and felt that social media sites should really reflect the law of the land and not impose their own restrictions on what can be bought and sold (as long as it is legal), or prevent people from arranging swaps easily online. Many of you, quite rightly, felt that the site needed to get its priorities in order and remove racist, sexist or “hate speech” sites from its domain before it even considered whether “guns” are offensive. But some of you saw positives in the move.

Several of our readers felt that removing private AEG and RIF sales from Facebook would make it a bit easier to stop people selling RIFs to those without a defence and that a knock-on effect would be an increase In the use of wellmoderated specialist airsoft forums; a medium that has seen a

“SEVERAL OF OUR READERS FELT THAT REMOVING PRIVATE AEG AND RIF SALES FROM FACEBOOK WOULD MAKE IT A BIT EASIER TO STOP PEOPLE SELLING RIFS TO THOSE WITHOUT A DEFENCE AND THAT A KNOCK-ON EFFECT WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN THE USE OF WELL-MODERATED SPECIALIST AIRSOFT FORUMS; A MEDIUM THAT HAS SEEN A STEADY DECLINE OVER THE YEARS SINCE THE RISE OF FACEBOOK.” www.airsoft-action.online

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steady decline over the years since the rise of Facebook.

Few of you, however, felt that we were likely to see Facebook ban airsoft sites as such and many pointed out that these rules governing sales have been in place for some time, it’s just now they are being enforced in the way that sites such as eBay have for years.

But, without further ado let’s have a look at some of the most interesting comments you made.

Ian Taz Stokes: “The PC brigade have swung their ban hammer, admittedly with the accuracy of a 3-year-old. My old business page for sale of gear and rifs is intact, my Facebook page for sale of air rifles and such (with 5,800 members) is totally locked down with all members ejected and awaiting a message from FB as only admins can now view page. Gratefully my Rusfor pages are immune at the moment as none are sales pages of anything, just information. How do they define who is Authorised to sell rifs and the like, how do people qualify?”

Justin Reffin: “Was only a matter of time really, sales of firearms over an unregulated system was always going to be an issue in the long run. Forums may well see a return, only issue with forums is there became too many of them and it started to fragment the hobby into site forums and 4–5 forums not many people used.”

Josh Springthorpe: “I suppose it entirely depends on what Facebook considers to be an “Authorised Dealer” as I’m sure any responsible airsofter would be happy with additional safeguards to prevent under 18’s and those without a defence under the VCRA from obtaining replicas.

“That being said maybe Fürher Zuckerberg should calm his beans and concentrate on removing posts that support terrorism/show those Isis propaganda vids of beheadings etc.

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rather than trying to regulate the non-existent shady black market arms trade he seems to think exists on here.”

Mark Law: “Facebook will begin to alienate its users, after all violent or porn posts seem to float around for days before getting removed. So why would people who are doing nothing illegal hang around to feel victimised?”

Steve Carew: “So it’s OK to have pages dedicated to Isis/ promoting terrorism/anti-west, but “Seig Heil Mein Fuhrer Book” deems it inappropriate to sell toys and so goes on a witch hunt.

“B******s to you Facebook!”

Steve’s Airsoft: “Ridiculous situation! I think there’s more worrying things on Facebook for them to act Big Brother on.”

Evo Von Himmel: “eBay did this years ago. Back to the forums for sales it is, then.”

Joshua James Smith (Gunman Airsoft): “In Europe they call Airsoft “Skirms”. I’ve always hated “Airsoft” or “Soft Air” as a name anyway. It’s the name of the mechanism in the toy.

Pantball isn’t called “Marker” or “Mixed Gas” or “Tubes” lol.

Let’s just change the name of Airsoft to a name more suitable.

“Skirmish” and “MilSim” already seem to be the names of the game types.”

Dillon Dunlap: “It’s pretty ridiculous and as far as the “total ban on gun pics” thing goes, I would not be surprised if Facebook started doing it.

“Some social media sites like Meetme have that policy and almost instantly delete pictures containing anything resembling a gun and won’t even let you make statuses containing the word gun.”

Marc Millard: “Maybe if everyone agrees to a single main

Debate SOCIAL MEDIA

forum for the benefit of the sport that would be the best solution. A sort of UKaARA (amateur) unofficial association...?”

Justin Micheal Caffrey: “Makes me laugh... Yes the pc brigade have gone totally bonkers... Nothing new there then.

Yes the government continue to try and ruin our sport... nothing new there then.

Yes Facebook makes up its own rules... still nothing new there. I’ve been buying airsoft kit and skirmishing for over 10 years on and off. I’ve always used my local airsoft retailer. I’ve never needed Facebook to play and enjoy my sport and will never do. I understand that lots of time and effort go into our groups and it pains me to see them go down. But it’s not and never will be the end of our sport.”

Tim Wyborn: “In a “Politically Correct” society the anti brigade has touted their crap for so long the general public only sees anti gun propaganda, so naturally they have ended up “if uneducated” anti as well. The firearms industry has further compounded that with the “keep quiet and it will go away” message they portray, falling in to the same trap. Often there is as much anti a particular sort of shooting sport from within the industry, which further compounds the problem.

“Because the whole gun industry doesn’t shout from the rooftops how great ALL forms of shooting are, the PC Anti gun myth continues. There is no standing shoulder to shoulder and fighting the shooting corner, it doesn’t happen. Consequently, organisations like Facebook are faced with a choice and to them it’s an easy one. To change that a raft of change needs to take place, not just petitioning Facebook.”

Neil Sinclair: “The forums have suffered because so many of us have used Facebook instead, me included. Forums are in fact much better at allowing people to access info without it being buried under tons of other posts.”

Nitro Gary: “I’m going back to basics and won’t be using FB for my airsoft info anymore.”

Barry Hendry: “Unfortunately it’s a blanket ban on all firearms, since they feel it’d be less worth their time trying to regulate peer to peer sales in certain jurisdictions... it is what it is... but it’s nothing to do with VCRA, it’s the controversy in the US over gun control.”

system so you know who you’re dealing with and not having to scroll through 47 posts about CM16’s to find what you want. Imo I’d say it’s a good thing.”

Dean Crash Evans: “Oh bugger, maybe time to get a website made?”

Mike Donnison: “It was only a matter of time, you cannot expect the ignorant to understand, only to be led by others, who in their own little world like to be called politically correct... Look around you, they are everywhere...”

Suzi BE: “I wonder how many criminal offences have been committed by people buying Airsoft guns off of Facebook pages?

Somehow I doubt there are many as we’re all careful who we sell to (i.e. making sure they have UKARA).

“Airsoft is a sport that we all love and it makes me sad that people who don’t understand the sport and have no idea how responsible we all are have power over who sells what to whom and over what medium!”

Dave Willcock: “It’s only a small next step to proscribe images/groups/pages seen to promote anything related.”

Steve Robinson: “It comes down to “how much do you value free speech over idle chitchat”? Abandon Facebook! On second thoughts, given the unmistakable strength of the gun lobby in the US, I wonder if it’s only UK sites getting the chop? Still, Zuckerberg is setting himself up as thought-police... a dangerous precedence!”

Angelo Di Vito: “This is a tough one and a very emotive subject. Part of me thinks that the amount of new sales pages springing up was a bit scary but anyone had the right to do that. So with that in mind surely there needed to be some form of monitoring this to safeguard the sport.

It’s impossible to know if any of the equipment sold is going into the wrong hands. Also some of the sales pages were being used by people looking to make a quick payday, by taking payments and not supplying what was advertised. This was probably because they never had the kit to start with. I saw numerous posts every week by people who had been ripped off. Unfortunately Facebook decided to use the sledgehammer approach to this by banning it all, full stop.

Back to the forums which I don’t necessarily think is a bad thing.”

Lucas Cairdeas: “There’s still the forums for buying and selling. A feedback

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M4 SHERMAN T BEING AN EX-TANKIE, THESE METAL BEHEMOTHS WILL ALWAYS HOLD A SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR RATTY AS HE TAKES A LOOK AT ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN TANKS OF WWII, IN THE FIRST OF A TWO-PART ARTICLE INTRODUCTION

BY NOW, I HAVE NO doubt that nearly all of you will have seen the Hollywood blockbuster “Fury”. As a former tankie myself, I went to the cinema with a good friend (also from an armoured background) to see how they would put their slant on armoured warfare during the Second World War. Would it be a fair reflection on what life was like as a tank crew back in the day, or would it just be utter tosh? More of that in a bit.

However, there were two real stars of the film… the first being “Fury” herself, a Sherman M4A3E8 version and second, although many of you will argue the real star, the Tiger 1 (# 131, the only up and running Tiger 1 in the world) from the Tank Museum down at Bovington, Dorset. I am hoping to do a full feature about the Tiger 1 at a later date.

Up until the arrival of the MBT (Main Battle Tank), tanks came in all sorts of shapes and sizes to fulfil a multiple of roles. Light tanks were agile and nimble but very lightly armoured with minimal firepower. Medium tanks, such as

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the M4 Sherman, were the mainstay of most armies, being slightly slower but with a better, bigger gun and offering more protection for its crew with thicker armour. Then there were the heavy tanks, such as the King Tiger, with huge main armament able to knock out anything on the battlefield from a great distance, thick, almost impenetrable armour but moved at a much slower pace. Then there were “Tank Destroyers”, such as the M18 Hellcat, M36 or the JagdPanther, up-gunned versions of existing tanks, with the specific role of taking out any armour on the battlefield.

The M4 Sherman was a Medium Tank and in all its various versions was pretty much the backbone of all Allied forces during World War II, seeing active service in all major combat theatres, as well as seeing much action in the conflicts that followed. Indeed, some Shermans are still in use today, albeit not in a frontline combat role.

There are three key qualities to consider when designing a tank; Mobility, Firepower and Protection and any tank must be a good balance of all three. If you go heavy in one area,

Big Boyz Toyz THE M4 SHERMAN TANK

N TANK then at least one of the other two areas will suffer. So how did the Sherman fair in these three important areas? Apart then, from the historical interest, you could say that I am well in my comfort zone, so excuse me if I ramble on too much…

have been sacked, due to the sheer lack of cups of tea and egg banjos being offered around to the crew when they stop for a breather!

“FURY”

Why was the M4 Sherman such an important tank? As I said earlier, it was the primary tank of all US and Allied forces throughout the War. Literally thousands were in use, even the Russians had then to some degree, as part of the Lend-Lease programme. Figures show that the M4 ended up as the 2nd most mass-produced tank of the period, after the Russian T-34 funnily enough. In all, some 50, 000+ Shermans were built and that is excluding other variants based on the Sherman platform!

You can sort of see why the Sherman saw active service everywhere and with everyone. Like all American armour, even to this day, the Sherman was named after an American General. In this case, it was named after the American Civil War General, William Tecumseh Sherman. With a crew of five, the Sherman was a little unusual by having a 2nd Driver/ Bow gunner position, as well as the usual compliment of Commander, Gunner, Loader and Driver.

The film, set in Germany in the April of 1945, follows the battle-hardened and weary veteran crew of a Sherman, called “Fury”. The five man crew, who have been together since the North African campaign, lose their assistant driver/bow gunner in combat, with a fresh-faced youngster, straight from training (as a typist!) to replace him. The film then sets about to show how the new guy (Norman) deals with the sights and sounds of being in the thick of battle and seeing him losing his innocence to the horrors of war, as well as trying to fit in and bond with the other members of the crew - who have already been through the mill together, forming their very own tight-knit bond. The tank commander, Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt) does what all good commanders do and takes Norman under his wing to bring him into the fold.

There is quite a lot of action throughout, as the remaining tanks of the platoon are handed various missions to complete.

Along the way, these last tanks are picked off and there is a rather awesome tank battle with a Tiger 1, resulting in Fury being the only Sherman left to carry out the vital role of protecting some cross roads. Unfortunately, Fury gets disabled by a land mine and despite 300+ Waffen SS troops en-route to their location, the crew, initially reluctant, stay to fight to the bitter end. I don’t want to spoil the ending for you if you haven’t seen it yet but let’s just say, unusually, the good guys don’t always win outright.

The film featured a large amount of privately owned period vehicles, of which I understand owners were approached at various big military vehicle shows held across the UK. However, the tank that perhaps generated the most media interest was the Tiger 1, which belongs to Bovington Tank Museum. Tiger 131 is the last surviving operational Tiger 1 in existence and not since the 1946 film “Theirs is the Glory” has a real Tiger tank (not a prop built version) appeared on a film set. Anyway, I digress!! Much of the film was shot at various locations around Oxfordshire, so a little local history for those of us in the South East. Even filming itself caused some controversy when, in November 2013, a scene was shot on Remembrance Day which involved a host of extras dressed in their Nazi uniforms.

Both the Director (David Ayer, who also wrote it) and Sony had to apologise for the incident. As we all do, I could start and pick holes with the film with “this wasn’t right, that wouldn’t happen” but to be honest, so what! To make things look right on camera, sometimes proper tactics, SOP and comms (there was a blatant “over and out”!!) have to be adapted or else it would just look, well… Rubbish. All that said, it is still a great watch, doesn’t glorify war or the life of a tank crewman and I strongly recommend you view it if you haven’t already. I will say, however, that if the loader had been on my crew, he would

M4 SHERMAN OVERVIEW

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT.

The M4 Sherman’s design evolved from the already existing M3 Grant and the M4 hull retained much of the same mechanicals as the earlier M3. A radial petrol engine mounted in the rear with drive sprockets at the front, vertical volute spring suspension and rubber bushed tracks all helped to make it a fast, dependable medium tank. However, the M4 featured a fully traversing turret fitted with a 75mm gun and gyrostabilser system, thus allowing the main armament to be fired reasonably accurately whilst the tank was moving.

A detailed design was submitted by the Ordnance Department in August 1940. By mid-April 1941 the simplest of five designs (known as theT6) was selected, with a prototype ready by 2nd September 1941. After more trials, a modified design was standardised and the M4 was born.

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Big Boyz Toyz THE M4 SHERMAN TANK

Production began at the Lima Locomotive Works, with the assembly line producing tanks for us Brits. The very 1st Sherman was sent off to the US Army for evaluation tests, whist the 2nd Sherman was sent to London. This tank, called “Michael” (most likely named after Michael Dewar who was head of the British Tank Mission in the US) can be seen today on display at the Tank Museum, Bovington.

Throughout World War 2, many sub variants of the M4 were produced; M4A1, M4A2 and so on. This did not necessarily mean improvements in a linear manner, for example an A4 did not mean it was better than an A3 version. It was usually an indication to standardise production variants which were usually being made at the same time but at different locations. In fact, it was often down to different engine types being fitted.

Some 50,000 Sherman’s were produced during the War, plus thousands more of other derivatives (under different designations) including Tank Destroyers, Self-Propelled Artillery and Recovery Vehicles to name a few, as well as forming the basis of many of Specialist vehicles known as “Hobarts Funnies”. Of these 50,000, the US Army had over 19,000, the US Marines had just over 1,000, the British and Canadians took over 17,000 with the Russians receiving 4,000. Even the Chinese had 800 Shermans.

So let’s look at the three principles of Tank design and see how the Sherman faired.

MOBILITY

The M4 Series started off with a Continental R975 C1 Petrol engine which put out about 400HP at 2400rpm. Official figures put the power/weight ratio as 14hp per tonne! The M4A3 had a power output of 500hp! The M4A4 had a lengthened hull to accommodate its bigger Chrysler A57 petrol engine.

Perhaps the most loved (by those that worked on and crewed the Sherman) was the Ford GAA V8 petrol engine. There were many other engine configurations including diesel options (which were mainly issued to US Marines in the Pacific Theatre).

Whichever engine was fitted the top speed was between 2530mph, with a range of around 120 miles on a full tank (no pun intended!) So a good turn of speed for a tank of its size and apart from a few exceptions was reliable in all theatres of operation.

With the tried and tested Vertical Volute Spring Suspension, the Sherman moved well across country, coping with a variety of terrains. When Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension was fitted to some variants, the A8 being one of them, it meant that the Sherman, now with twinned road wheels on each axle, required wider tracks, which not only provided a smoother ride but also meant that the M4 spread its weight better, thus allowing it to move easier across softer ground. Until then, the narrower tracks could struggle in snow or thick mud environments.

For its time, the Sherman platform proved a great allrounder and superior in many ways to its Axis counterparts. It was good on and off road. In the desert the M4’s rubber tracks performed well, whilst in the hilly, confined terrain of Italy, the Sherman could often cross terrain that some German tanks could not. Being a medium tank at around 30 tons, not only meant that it could be easily transported by rail or on roads

by tank transporter but, when advancing across Europe, the tacticians didn’t have to worry too much about what bridges it could cross, unlike some of its adversaries where there would only be a handful of suitable crossing points, thus making it harder to plan attacks or drop back to a regroup position.

It was the Israeli Ordnance Corps who, in the mid 60’s started converting some of their M4 Sherman fleet into what was to become known as the “Super Sherman”, although they were officially designated the M50 and M51. The Israeli engineers updated just about everything to bring it bang up to date for the period. Cummins V8 Diesel engines were fitted, with 460hp, these things could really shift and were more than a match for the T34s and T54s that they would meet on the battlefield.

FIREPOWER

History shows that the early M4s fitted with their L40 75mm main armament were more than adequate to take on the 50mm gun fitted to the Panzer III and the 75mm of the Panzer IV. For that reason the Americans decided not to do any further development with this gun. However, this all changed when the M4 faced up against the later generation German armour, Panther and Tiger which almost rendered it useless.

Shermans were equipped with a mix of ammunition for the 75mm, Armoured Piercing (AP)High Explosive (HE) and Smoke, which was White Phosphorous. After suffering heavy losses and after battle reports saying that these tanks were surviving multiple direct hits, American designers had to think quickly.

General Patton stood by the original design, saying that crews should, on initial contact, engage 1st off with an AP round, followed quickly by a 2nd round of Smoke. The idea being that the white phosphorous would ignite any fuel or oil now leaking out after the 1st round. This in turn would force the crew to dismount of the burning tank whereupon they could engage with one of the machine guns.

The early gyrostablizer system fitted to the M4 allowed the crew to fire the main armament on the move whilst keeping the gun on the target, no matter what terrain the tank was crossing. This was a big advantage over some of the tanks it would meet in combat.

The British had already modified some Shermans by fitting the Royal Ordnance QF 17pdr (76.2mm). The result was the “Sherman Firefly”, which in essence was the 1st British Tank Destroyer. The Americans initially showed little interest and dismissed this version, however, after seeing how easily the Firefly could knock out Tigers and Panthers this caused a

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Big Boyz Toyz THE M4 SHERMAN TANK

massive re-think. In fact, the 17pdr fitted to Firefly had better penetrating power than the German 88s that were fitted to German heavy armour and was the backbone of German Anti-Tank batteries. Even when the Americans fitted their own version of a 76.2mm gun to later M4s and Tank Destroyers, the British version still packed more punch!

The Americans developed their own 76.2mm high velocity gun for which they had to develop a larger turret to accommodate it. The M4A1, M4A2 and M4A3, with the new main armament in the new T23 turret carried less HE and smoke rounds in favour of carrying a greater amount of AP. So there was now a Sherman off the production line that could take on and defeat German heavy armour.

Along with standard production Shermans, the Americans also used the M4 Chassis to develop two Tank Destroyer variants; the M10 “Wolverine” and the M36 “Jackson”. The M10 Wolverine was armed with a 76mm main weapon and nearly 5,000 were produced. The M36 came a little later, not entering service until September 1944 but was armed with a formidable 90mm gun. The M4 (105) was fitted with a 105mm Howitzer but these were only manufactured in small numbers.

A few years later, it was the Israelis with their Super Sherman programme that made the next big leap in firepower.

They fitted the French Modele F1, 105mm gun, which had massive stopping power. This gun proved pretty reliable and was successful in defeating the (some of it newer) Russian made armour supplied used by Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq in both the 6 Day War and the Yom Kippur War. OK, so apart from the main armament, what else was the M4 Sherman series fitted with? The bow gunner/2nd driver had a .30cal Browning machine gun at his disposal, with another fitted co-axially to the main armament in the turret. Mounted on top of the turret was a Browning M2 0.50cal Heavy Machine gun which was supposed to be for an anti-aircraft role. On some Super Shermans, very often the 0.50cal was moved further forward, mounted just above the mantlet and used as a ranging gun.

PROTECTION

So far then, we have learned that the M4 Sherman series had a good turn of speed (with all its various engine options) and was pretty agile moving across various terrains, as well as for the most part could pack a decent punch. In much the same way as a boxer though, it’s OK to throw a good punch but how well can you take one? As we know that has been the undoing of many a good pugilist!

The early Shermans and some subsequent variants had much the same armour protection. The front of the hull was 51mm thick with the lower part being curved and the upper part sloped to 56 degrees. The sides of the hull varied in thickness from between 38-45mm. The rear of the hull was also 38mm thick and, depending on the variant, could be angled up to 22 degrees. On the original turret design, the frontal armour varied from between 64-76mm, with the gun mantlet itself sporting 76mm as well. Side armour of these turrets was 50mm with the rear being 64mm. This proved to offer a fair level of protection against Panzer III and IV’s back in 1942 but even so, Shermans were still lost to a well-placed or close range hit from the German’s 75mm. The good thing about having sloping armour is the ability for it to deflect incoming fire. The Russian T34 series was perhaps the master of this principle in its day, whilst many of the German tanks were more slab-like.

As the Sherman evolved and was going to have to carry a larger main armament, a new turret had to be designed. With the onset of the Tiger and Panther series, more protection was

also required. The M4A1 not only sported the new T23 turret but hull protection was also changed. The front of the hull, whilst still 64mm thick was now more angled, with the lower hull now between 51 -108mm thick. The T23 turret itself was 64mm thick with between a 40-45 degree slope. The gun mantlet itself was thicker at 89mm.

As D-day approached, the stories about how devastating the 88mm gun on the Tigers were, crews thought much about extra protection. If you look at a lot of the photos of tanks shortly after the landings, you will see that many of them have several rows of sandbags mounted around the front of the hull and down the sides. However, due to the weather conditions and the fact that they were coming in by the sea, these sandbags soon got sodden and virtually trebled in weight. This in turn put extra stress on both the suspension and transmission causing failures, thus slowing up the offensive. A directive was put out that all sandbags were to be removed.

Many tank crews then substituted sandbags for tree logs or cut down telegraph poles. These were hung along the sides of the hull or across the front and acted as early reactive armour.

Even with the thicker armour and extra “add ons” unfortunately, the Sherman was still vulnerable to Tiger, Panthers and many of the Axis Tank Destroyers. On turret hits, it soon became apparent that the main armament ammunition was poorly protected, with many crews lost due to having no time to evacuate before the ammunition on board went up.

The German forces started nicknaming the Sherman “The Tommy Cooker” whilst the British called them “Ronsons” after the lighter manufacturer, who used the slogan “Lights up 1st time, every time!” Many crews welded extra armour plates to the turret as a preventative measure, later variants moved the main ammunition stowage to the hull floor and had a water lagging system, the principle of which is still in use today. All that said, research carried out by the British after Normandy, found that a Sherman would be set alight 82% of the time following an average of 1.89 penetrations of the tank’s armour.

During the Battle of the Bulge, facing the Tiger II or King Tiger, Patton ordered M4 crews to cut off armour from both “dead” American and German tanks and then weld onto their own wagons to boost protection on vulnerable areas, such as hull fronts and turrets. Although these battlefield modifications worked well for the most part, the payoff meant that these tanks would be slower and not as agile.

The M4A3E2 known as the “Jumbo” Sherman had a frontal armour measuring 102mm and was angled at 47 degrees whilst on the glacis the thickness varied from 150 -180mm.

This variant was intended as an assault tank supposedly to be used to breakout from the Normandy beaches after the initial landings. All this extra armour meant that the tanks top speed was down to a maximum of 22mph!! That said, the Jumbo Sherman’s 47°-angled glacis plate was adopted as standard for the M4A3 variants late in World War II and the later “Easy Eight” M4A3E8 Shermans also continued the Jumbo Sherman’s 47°-angle glacis design. Even the later M50/M51 Super Shermans still utilised this armour.

MOVING ON

So, that’s a bit of background and detail about the Sherman. In the next issue I’ll be looking at its venerable service history and telling you how you can own your very own M4 Sherman tank – imagine that on an airsoft field!!

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TECH TALK WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST TAKE A HAMMER TO IT? AS A GUN TECH, FRENCHIE KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT WHAT GOES ON INSIDE (AND OUTSIDE) AN AEG. IN THIS NEW SERIES, HE STARTS BY GIVING US A RUNDOWN OF WHAT THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS ARE – AND WHAT THEY DO IT WILL COME AS NO surprise that the life of a gun tech is not entirely composed of building the next super-l33t airsoft icon, rather it is generally an affair of relatively straight-forward stuff interspersed with things that make you stop and wonder if the owner of the shambles on your workbench should actually be allowed to own anything more complicated than a squeaky toy designed for a small dog!

You see, airsoft guns really aren’t that complicated. They have a number of parts that do specific things and generally they do those things as required and when required. There are a number of things you (as an owner) can do to ensure that these things continue to happen for as long as possible. There are also a number of steps you can take to guarantee that it stops doing what it should in no time flat! The purpose of this piece is to arm you with the knowledge to ensure you do the former and avoid the latter like the plague...

I’m going to concentrate on AEGs (Automatic Electric Guns) simply because they outnumber all other types massively. As a result they are also the ones which come a cropper through misuse most often.

WARNING! The following sentence is really, really basic, so

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please do not be offended…

An AEG uses electricity from a battery pack, to turn a motor, which turns some gears, which move a piston, which compresses air, which blows a BB down a barrel. On its way down the barrel, the BB is subject to backspin courtesy of the hop unit.

Sorry, I had to do that.

A failure at pretty much any point in that chain will cause your gun to fail, or to operate at less than optimal levels (e.g. it’ll be really rubbish). The reason for that bald statement of operation was to give this article a framework, stating with power sources.

IGNORANCE IS BLISS...

No, it isn’t! It’s really, really bad!!

In this day of instant access to the sum total of human knowledge there is a tendency to think that all the answers to your airsoft-related questions are “out there”. Correct, they are but how can you tell the genuinely useful from the astonishingly stupid?

Start by assuming that everything has been written by an

Tech Talk A NEW BEGINNING

As to the relative safety of Nimh versus Lipo if you short either type out bad things will happen. Battery packs can deliver huge amounts of current in a very short space of time.

Look after them and they (and you) will be fine.

MOTORHEAD, REMEMBER ME?

11 year-old wannabe who has never played airsoft and does not own any kind of gun. That will rule out about 85% of all the advice on the ‘net. After that it gets harder and there is truthfully no easy way to winnow out the chaff. Only by learning and making mistakes will you gain the knowledge you seek. Let’s see if we can at least start you off in the right direction. This isn’t going to be a step-by-step take down of airsoft gun XYZ, rather a general overview of what does what, outside and in.

Somewhere in your gun there is a motor, most often in the pistol grip. These motors are just big, RC (radio control) type motors. Apply electricity and they rotate, some of them pretty quickly. Speeds vary from a gentle 18,000 rpm up to 45,000 rpm. They generate a reasonable amount of torque (turning force) so under no circumstances hold the pinion gear at the end and get a mate to attach a live battery pack to the motor.

It will either fly across the room at speed, or it will strip the flesh from your fingers and then fly across the room trailing blood!

Even those of us who work with these things day in, day out, treat them with respect when testing them for operation.

Again, I could write tons on motors but there are a few basic facts that it will help to get your head round. High speed motors go faster and high torque motors are capable of pulling much bigger springs. Pretty obvious. High Torque motors on the other hand slightly improve trigger response as those

LIPOS ARE REALLY LETHAL!

In fairness, you don’t hear that as often as you used to but I will come back to it.

Your AEG is driven by a battery pack, consisting of a number of cells linked in series. An 8.4v/1600mah pack will have seven 1.2v cells, each of 1600 mah (milliamp hours) of charge. A 7.4v lipo will have two 3.7v cells. Fully charged both deliver about the same voltage and both are the safest option for the majority of AEGs, although not necessarily the best. Lipo (Lithium Polymer) is now probably the most common battery technology in use as it combines decent charge with small pack size. NiMh (Nickel Metal Hydride) packs tend to be physically larger and hold less charge than Lipos. It’s important to understand what all this means, because believe me, many people out there don’t.

The higher the voltage, the faster the motor revolves and the faster your gun fires (and possibly wears out). By “faster” I mean rounds per minute, not muzzle velocity. I still get asked if an 11.1v Lipo will increase fps (feet per second). It absolutely won’t. Nor will a greater capacity – measured in Mah. Capacity gives you an idea of how long a pack can deliver power for. In theory, a 2000mah pack will last twice as long as a 1000mah pack – in theory. In practice there are so many variables that you should use the capacity as a guide only. I could (and may) write pages on which is the best or most appropriate battery pack and technology for different applications but not here. Packs should be properly charged using an approved charger. Do not try and charge Nimh packs with a Lipo charger. You may well burn your house down.

Seriously, I know people who have done it.

Bottom line for any type of power source is this – how long will it last before I have to replace or charge it and how will it affect my rate of fire? Everything else is a tangential consideration until you get far more technically involved in the workings of AEGs.

massive magnets do tend to spin up a bit faster, which I why I use then in high speed set ups... I know, it should be easier.

Most important thing to know about motors – that little adjustment screw on the bottom of the pistol grip? It does NOT vary rate of fire or velocity. It is there SOLELY to ensure the correct alignment of the motor pinion gear to the bevel gear inside the gearbox. Generally you do not need to touch it and getting it wrong will trash gears for which you should properly be forced to pay. If you’re not sure, leave it alone, if you think something isn’t right, take it to a competent tech. I don’t know of any tech who would charge for adjusting motor height.

METAL GEAR STUPID

The gearbox. Home to a million tiny parts and some big ones, all of them under thousands of pounds of spring pressure which is why they explode as soon as you take out one screw!

“START BY ASSUMING THAT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY AN 11 YEAR-OLD WANNABE WHO HAS NEVER PLAYED AIRSOFT AND DOES NOT OWN ANY KIND OF GUN. THAT WILL RULE OUT ABOUT 85% OF ALL THE ADVICE ON THE ‘NET.” www.airsoft-action.online

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Tech Talk A NEW BEGINNING

NOT

The gearbox is a relatively simple and safe place but like anything, ignorance will cost you. Inside there are (usually) three reduction gears, a piston, cylinder in which the piston moves, tappet plate and air nozzle which loads the BBs into the barrel, basic switch activated by the trigger and the mainspring that drives the piston forward. The gearbox is where a lot of airsoft magic can happen, higher rates of fire, higher or lower velocities, improved trigger response, upgraded trigger switching, over-bored cylinders, sorbo pads, angles of engagement and much more. I’ll try and dedicate a single article to the gearbox in the very near future as I cannot do it justice here but working on a gearbox isn’t neuroscience, it just requires some understanding and a sensible attitude. Going at it blind is unlikely to end well and may well prove expensive.

HOP TO IT

As the older players amongst you will know, a lack of hop-up may ensure short-range accuracy and consistency but range really sucks. In addition to serving as the breech and chamber, the hop unit in your gun applies fixed or variable amounts of backspin to each BB passing through it. The “Bernoulli effect” means that backspin translates into greatly improved range.

Although I have told more players this over the years than I can possibly remember, it is worth repeating: If you want improved range the first thing you do is look to your hop rubber and nub (the little tube that gets pressed down onto the rubber).

Forget tight-bore barrels, forget shiny anodised hop units that cost far too much, a decent hop rubber like the Madbull Blue 60 degree rubber can make an astonishing difference for absolutely minimal cost.

Throughout my career in airsoft I have blown hot and

cold as to the value of tighter barrels finally arriving at the conclusion that quality and consistency are more important that actual internal diameter. Also please do not fool yourself that a longer barrel means better accuracy, it doesn’t. The hop unit is far more important than the metal tube attached to it in determining where and how far the BB travels, which is why a properly set up P90 can out-shoot a poorly set up M16.

WRAPPING UP

Having read over this piece I was struck by the huge holes in the amount of information that I could reasonably get into a limited number of pages. As a result over the next few issues I’ll take the individual areas covered here and delve into them in far greater detail, starting with the gearbox which understandably is the cause of most confusion and myth.

It’s not going to be a “how-to”, more an aim to aid your

“UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES HOLD THE PINION GEAR AT THE END AND GET A MATE TO ATTACH A LIVE BATTERY PACK TO THE MOTOR. IT WILL EITHER FLY ACROSS THE ROOM AT SPEED, OR IT WILL STRIP THE FLESH FROM YOUR FINGERS AND THEN FLY ACROSS THE ROOM TRAILING BLOOD!” understanding of what’s in there, what it does and what you can do with it. Although there are many styles of gearbox (and hop units, motors, batteries etc.) a solid understanding of the basics will allow you to make informed judgements should you decide to venture in there yourself.

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PERSONAL FIRST AID KITS MINOR INJURIES COME WITH ALL OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SO PAUL YELLAND EXPLAINS WHAT YOU SHOULD PUT INTO A PERSONAL 1ST KIT TO DEAL WITH THE ODD BUMP OR SCRATCH

DUE TO THE VERY PHYSICAL nature of airsoft, there are unfortunate occasions when players become injured. Thankfully these injuries are often not very serious so can be dealt with effectively by the individual or the skirmish site’s designated first aider. Although there should be a first aid kit which is available on site, it is sensible for players to carry some basic first aid items of their own which they are able to use if required when out in the field.

There are many choices of first aid kits available to purchase in this day and age. These kits range from the cheap and poorly produced, to the more professional and comprehensive ones but, instead of purchasing a first aid kit, another option is to make up your own. The choice is a personal one and particular attention should be given to the actual contents of the kit and whether the items will adequately deal with the type of wounds that you may possibly encounter.

“So what do I need to carry in my first aid kit?” I hear you ask… well, it should be suitable to treat minor cuts, grazes, bites, stings and small burns. Below, I have listed some suggested contents for a basic first aid kit.

Container

You are unlikely to want to lug around a full battlefield trauma kit, so size is an important consideration. The first aid kit needs to be small enough to fit into a pouch or pocket and also be easy to access quickly when it is needed. The actual container should to be robust enough to take the knocks and a battering which is all part of the skirmish. More importantly, the container has to be waterproof to protect the contents from a soaking. The first aid container or pouch should be clearly identified as such by marking it with a permanent marker or paint.

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Wound Cleansing Wipes

Cuts and grazes sustained during a skirmish are highly likely going to be contaminated with dirt. Wound cleansing wipes are basically wet wipes that are used to clean out a cut or graze before applying a dressing to the wound. Once back in the safe area or at home, the wound can be properly cleaned with water and redressed.

Adhesive Dressings (Plasters)

Choose the waterproof and wash proof type of plaster over fabric ones if possible, so that the cut stays dry. Some of the cheaper “waterproof” plasters are useless after being exposed to wet conditions and sweating skin will resulting in the plaster losing its stickiness and coming off.

The fabric plasters do tend to stay attached to the skin better though but these will not keep the cut dry in wet conditions. Consider carrying an assortment of sizes to cater for varying types of wound. Some first aid kits include a long adhesive dressing strip that the user can cut down to the shape and size needed to cover the injury.

Low Adherent Sterile Dressing

This type of dressing is available in different sizes and is used to dress wounds that are too large to be covered by a traditional plaster. The dressing pad is absorbent and has a thin film on one side of the pad which is used to cover the wound. The low adherent dressing is not self-securing, so it will need to be fastened in place with some adhesive tape or a bandage.

Survival PERSONAL FIRST AID KITS

Conforming Bandage

This bandage is slightly elasticated and is available in different widths. It is not really a support bandage but is able to “conform” to the shape of the body part which it is being applied to. This type of bandage is used to secure dressing pads in place and can be particularly useful when treating open head wounds and cuts to elbows and knees. When applying a conforming bandage, it should be put on tight enough so that adequate pressure is applied to the dressing pad underneath but not so tight that it cuts off the blood flow to the affected part of the body.

First Aid Dressings (Field Dressing Type)

The first aid dressing is used to treat more serious wounds, including burns.

The actual dressing pad is sterile, non-fluffy and absorbent. The dressing is available in different sizes (small, medium and large) and has two conforming bandages attached which allow the dressing to be secured in place to the body.

Crepe Bandage

The main function of a crepe bandage is to provide muscular support to an injured joint. Like the conforming bandage, the crepe variant is elasticated but it also has a tighter woven material which is heavier duty making this bandage more suitable for supporting an injured ankle or wrist. The crepe bandage is also useful as an alternative to a conforming bandage when needing to secure a dressing pad in place. There are different sizes of crepe bandage available. If space and weight of your first aid kit is an issue, then I would suggest ditching the conforming bandages and just carry crepes because of their dual use.

Paracetamol/Ibuprofen

Both paracetamol and ibuprofen are pain killers – with ibuprofen also being an anti-inflammatory.

Suffering in pain is no fun at the best of times, especially during a skirmish. The general rule when doing anything physical is if you start to hurt during exercise then stop, as you risk making the injury worse. Taking pain killers will make things more comfortable for you but by numbing the pain you are not healing the injury, so be sensible. Also, before taking any medications, confirm what it is, make sure that the drug is in date and read the information leaflet about the correct dosage to take and any side effects that the drug might cause (such as drowsiness) which could affect your travel home. Don’t take anything that you could be allergic to.

Personal Medications

If you suffer from any medical conditions or allergies which can present as an acute episode such as an asthma attack, angina or anaphylaxis then your personal first aid kit should include any medications which have been prescribed to you by your GP to deal with the attack. In addition to this, it would be wise to carry some form of medical alert on you to make people aware of who you are and give information about any medical conditions that you suffer from.

Scissors

Consider what you might need to cut. A small pair of nursing scissors will be useful to enable the cutting of dressings and bandages. A more robust pair of scissors such as paramedic “tuff cut” shears are ideal for cutting through items of clothing and footwear to expose an injury site.

Triangular Bandage

As the name suggests, the bandage is triangular in shape and is used to support and immobilise an injured limb. The common use for a triangular bandage is to support an injured arm in a “sling” but other uses include immobilising injured legs and securing dressings in place on hands and heads.

Tweezers

If you chose to carry tweezers then ensure that they are the fine tipped type. This will enable you to remove small splinters and thorns from your skin – and in the warmer months, ticks.

Micropore Tape

This is a hypoallergenic tape which is suitable for taping dressings into place. Micropore is manufactured by the company 3M but there are other brands available. The only down side with this kind of tape is that it comes off when you start to sweat or get wet. It is good for holding wound edges together as a last resort though.

Antiseptic Cream

Products such as Savlon and Dettol antiseptic creams are topical creams that are used to treat wounds, insect bites and stings - all of which can occur on a skirmish field.

If attending a 48 hour event, the longer you spend out in the field with a wound, the greater the risk is of it becoming infected.

Safety Pins

Carry a small selection. These can be used to secure the ends of bandages which have been applied to a wound. Some bandages come pre-packed with safety pins or clips.

Examination Gloves

Not needed if you are only treating yourself, however, you should wear examination gloves when treating other people and are being exposed to bodily fluids such as blood and vomit. …and that’s it. Not a huge amount to carry but if you find yourself in a situation where it is needed, it can be a real pain if you don’t have it with you.

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THIS MONTH JERRY NOONE GETS PERSONAL ABOUT HIS OWN CHOICE OF GEAR AND WHY HE CHOOSES THE GEAR HE DOES!

RALLY

CRY!

ALTHOUGH I SPEND A GREAT deal of time working on loadout ideas that will make life easier for you as a player (and indeed easier for game and scenario writers), I’m often asked what I use myself and what goes into my selection process for clothing, footwear, gear and accessories. The simple answer to this is that I have a number of brands I’ve been using for years that work for me and a setup for gear that I replicate in different camouflage patterns and colours.

Please remember that I’ve been knocking around both the airsoft and tactical scene for more years than sometimes I care to remember and time has really been on my side when it comes to my gear collection. Of course I have a full-on Multicam loadout for general use but I also have some unusual loadouts in Desert Tigerstripe with tan gear, A-TACS AU and FG, black gear, grey gear and now (at last!) a full set of PenCott GreenZone that I featured last month.

Even if you only buy one piece of gear per month after many years of collecting you can end up with a tidy set of loadouts!

Considerations for me are all about the fitness for purpose of whatever bit of kit I’m looking at. If it’s boots they need to have great grip and be comfortable and supportive. If it’s clothing it has to perform - and by this I mean both the fabrics used to make it and the way it’s designed and put together.

For load bearing gear it’s always toughness and modularity that come to the fore; I’m a real chest rig fan and although I have several models from different manufacturers, they’re all set up exactly the same so that what is carried sits in the same spot.

Muscle memory is an important part of being slick in something as simple as a quick mag change and knowing exactly what is where becomes second nature.

I do own a couple of plate carriers and they are both from Warrior Assault Systems (WAS); why the same manufacturer you may ask? Simply put, I bought one of their DCS DA556 rigs several years back and it works for me. I can change pouches to work with different types of magazines as WAS make several different types of magazine pouches to service most firearms platforms. Accessories and helmets are very personal things but I do like the FAST style of helmet, Mechanix gloves and Buffs to keep out chilly winds and BB strikes to the neck.

Really find out what works for you and buy from brands that you trust; if you’ve not used a certain brand before then ask around as undoubtedly someone at your local site has and knowing airsofters, they’ll be more than happy to tell you all about it!

CLOTHING CHOICE

I’ve tried many different clothing brands over the years but one that I hadn’t tried until relatively recently is Claw Gear from Austria. I wanted to create a solid colour set of kit and their RAL7013, or “Brown Grey” gear looked very interesting.

I contacted them to see if I might test a few items and they kindly agreed to send a few key garments over to me. This to me says an awful lot about any manufacturer; yes, Clawgear work with the very best in terms of fabrics, have amazingly high design and manufacturing standards and offer an exemplary service but would they come up with the goods?

Many manufacturers claim what they do but in many years of experience in this area I’ve learnt that few truly come up with the goods. Clawgear though unequivocally do - in every respect!

Before I go into the clothing itself, you may be wondering what is “RAL7013” and why is this colour suddenly so popular?

In 1927 the German Reichs-Ausschuß für Lieferbedingungen und Gütesicherung (State Commission for www.airsoft-action.online

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Delivery Terms and Quality Assurance) invented a collection of standardised and numerically referenced colours which has been continually expanded from that day on. If you check out www.ralcolorchart.com and search for RAL7013 you’ll find it in the “Grey” palate; RAL provides a colour standard for all manufacturers to adhere to.

In the tactical world this colour works in a wide broad range of ways. For professional end users the Brown Grey colour blends into a broad spectrum of environmental settings and can be perfectly combined with other block-colour or camouflage clothing or equipment. Brown Grey gear is becoming increasingly popular because it works very effectively in all settings; it’s equally at home in towns and cities as it is in the backwoods. It’s a subtle and clever tone that allows the user to visually blend into their surroundings.

RAL7013 is the colour predominantly used by the Austrian Armed Forces so it’s hardly surprising to see Claw Gear, who are based in Steyr-Gleink, being at the forefront of this colour adoption. Claw Gear are highly innovative in what they produce not just in terms of cutting edge design and their use of the most up to date fabrics but also in their choice of colour options, so I asked to be sent garments in RAL 7013 specifically.

The first garment to come under scrutiny was the Aviceda Fleece; this lightweight mid-layer garment is extremely comfortable to wear and the modern styling allows a full range of unrestricted movement. It’s made from a 100% polyester fleece fabric which looks and feels great and

If you’re in the market for a new performance fleece jacket in the very latest “tacticool” colour then I would thoroughly recommend you take a very close look at the Aviceda.

The second piece I had was the Melierax Hardshell Jacket; let’s face it, if ever there has been a year to scare the cleverest and best of waterproof garment makers then the winter of 2015 into 2016 has surely been it! With some of the wettest winter months recorded the UK has provided the ultimate test for shell garments. At just 430g the Melierax is a lightweight and versatile hardshell jacket engineered to protect you from wind, rain and snow. It’s been designed from the ground up to offer the very highest levels of protection in truly adverse weather conditions. The reduced infrared signature (NIR) makes this jacket applicable even for special operations use and the material selection was “MANY MANUFACTURERS CLAIM WHAT THEY DO BUT IN focused on rugged, lightweight performance fabrics MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA I’VE LEARNT THAT and components with minimal pack size. The cut is FEW TRULY COME UP WITH THE GOODS. CLAWGEAR THOUGH modern and ergonomic and the design is excellent offering high levels of movement and mobility to UNEQUIVOCALLY DO – IN EVERY RESPECT!” work in harmony with the users body contours; if purchased over-sized it can even be worn over body armour! high quality YKK zips are used throughout. The fleece itself The fabric choice is a durable nylon is water repellent and breathes extremely well, making the woven 3-layer rip stop fabric which Aviceda a superb layering piece. I especially like the low-profile also features a durable water hood which works perfectly in conjunction with a hard or repellent (DWR) coating. This softshell outer layer, effectively eliminating cold spots around wind blocking membrane offers the neckline. high levels of waterproofness The Aviceda also benefits from two lower, mesh-lined and breathability (10’000mm handwarmer pockets, pockets on both upper arms with velcro hydrostatic head/MVP 10’000g/ patches for team/unit patches and an inner pocket which m2/d) for optimal moisture allows routing for comms cables; the outer pockets are neatly management and has a comfortable trimmed with black fabric which gives the jacket a visually backer on the inside. The jacket is stunning appearance as well. fully seam sealed to prevent ingress Weighing in at just 410g the Aviceda is easy to pack and of water and guarantees the best takes up minimal space in a pack, so it’s absolutely ideal if possible protection during you want to stow it away “just in case”. Overall it’s a superbly use in demanding designed jacket made of high end fabrics and components environments. All and the finish of it just oozes quality and attention to detail. the outer zips are 76

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waterproof too, including pit zips which aid in mechanical venting and temperature regulation.

The hood is fully adjustable and helmet compatible. Both sleeves feature a sleeve pocket and a hook & loop mounting panel for name tapes and unit/morale patches.

Large front pockets allow easy access even when wearing chest rigs or backpacks and there’s a neat inner pocket for keeping small essentials safe.

I’ve been using the Melierax on pretty much a daily basis now for five months and I have to report that the performance has indeed been excellent, even in the heaviest, wind driven downpours. Although the face fabric is light, soft and very quiet for a hardshell, it’s also extremely durable; it’s been used regularly in the woods and I even had it covered in mud when I took a tumble on a wet, flinty chalk path on my local site (much to the amusement of the team!).

When I got home and wiped it down it looked as good as new with absolutely no damage apparent.

The hood design is indeed first rate as once adjusted, whether you’re wearing a helmet or not, it moves with you when you turn your head. There are multiple adjustments so you can get the fit just the way you like it. The sleeve length is very good, with the fabric extending forward over the top of the hand; even if you’re not wearing gloves you can keep your hands dry and out of the wind simply by balling your fists.

The hem dips backwards to the rear, giving good overall length and the fit is 100% right in my opinion.

After a winter of tempest-like wet weather conditions and flooding I’m very glad that I received the Melierax from Clawgear to test as it kept me comfortable and protected whatever the weather and I can only give this superb performance garment my very highest recommendation!

In terms of legwear I chose their Raider Mk.IV pant, which has been designed to be simple and lightweight, featuring extremely useful features and offering the greatest possible comfort. They have an improved waist adjustment system with elastic components for better comfort and absorption of body movements. The pocket concept has been very well thought out indeed; cargo pockets have been extended with an additional compartment which is accessible from outside and holds a 30rd magazine for rapid access. Profound modifications apply to the knee area which is now equipped with a handy inward knee height adjustment. The modular knee pad compartment allows the use of a wide range of different knee pad inserts from different brands. Clawgear recommend the

TRUST HP from D3O which features outstanding knee protection.

The Raider Mk.IV Pant is made from a Polycotton blend (65% polyester, 35% cotton) which offers durability and the fit makes these pants suitable for all missions and everyday use as well. The belt area is optimised for rigger and safety belts, as well as for suspenders. Front pockets allow fast and easy access with gloves. Cargo pockets provide a lot of space for your equipment and also include an extra zip-pocket. The inside knee area is equipped with Coolmax fabric to provide optimum sweat absorption.

“YKK” zippers and “Coats” sewing threads have been used throughout and all main seams are triple stitched for extra durability.

Clawgear are becoming far better known internationally and I can see why this is, as what they produce is incredibly well thought out, beautifully designed with the user in mind and impeccably put together using the best fabrics and components.

They really do offer a superb range of products which integrate superbly into a really wearable system, although conversely they are great as standalone pieces as well. I would say that their dedication and adherence to incredibly high quality and service is really paying off for them; they’ve taken the more difficult path where others have taken the shortcut and their products really, really reflect this and are all the better for it. I can say that they have really won me over, not only with the great gear they manufacture but also with their inclusive, friendly approach and the samples have now been purchased and are staying right with me!

LOAD BEARING CHOICE

Over the years I’ve been privileged enough to run a number of plate carriers and load carrying systems featuring integrated body armour protection but one has become my personal favourite and that’s the DCS from UK-based Warrior Assault Systems; this has become my default plate carrier design and the Ranger Green colour from WAS merges with the RAL7013 clothing perfectly.

“CLAWGEAR ARE BECOMING FAR BETTER KNOWN INTERNATIONALLY AND I CAN SEE WHY THIS IS, AS WHAT THEY PRODUCE IS INCREDIBLY WELL THOUGHT OUT, BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED WITH THE USER IN MIND AND IMPECCABLY PUT TOGETHER USING THE BEST FABRICS AND COMPONENTS.” www.airsoft-action.online

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Loaded or Unloaded RALly CRY

The DCS (Dynamic Combat System) is a lightweight, low profile system which is rugged, yet ergonomically designed to provide exceptional comfort and functionality.

Designed with direct input from active S.F. Operators the DCS is suitable for all types of operating environment and is available in a number of camouflage patterns, plain colours and platform specific configurations. As well as the Ranger Green version shown here with the WAS Open Top mag pouches, they also have closed top M4, G36 (which will carry 7.62mm mags) and AK specific setups available from stock.

Fabrics and materials used are all top specification; 500D Cordura, MilSpec Webbing, UV and Mildew resistant nylon thread and ITW military rated fixtures and fittings are used throughout. All the DCS variants are also US National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) Certified, member tested and recommended.

The DCS can hold large size plates front and back and has the ability to carry either “6 x 6” or “6 x 8” side plates.

NEXUS N.I.J. Level 3a Front, Back and Side Armour can also be used with I.C.W. style Plates and for additional protection against I.E.D.s in the real world; medium dummy plates from J-Tac Custom fit perfectly for airsoft use though.

The shoulders are fully adjustable and have an Emergency Release on one side which frees the left hand side shoulder section and allows you to remove the whole fully loaded rig without having to remove a helmet if you’re wearing one. The Side sections of the DCS are fully adjustable for size and can be adjusted in less than fifteen seconds! 3D Spacer Mesh lining is used for comfort and allows body heat to move away from the body surface while assisting in air flow to provide cooling.

Even when fully loaded and ready for bear this rig is extremely comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

The DCS was developed to be worn in tandem with the WAS Frag Belt and their range of harnesses (I use one of their low profile MOLLE versions with their Universal Pistol Holster and Dump Pouch) which are sold separately and are also great value for money. You can purchase the DCS rigs on their own, or as a ready set up, complete system. The DCS DA 5.56mm (Direct Action) comes as standard with five Open Mag Pouches for 5.56mm Mags (inc PMAGs and EMAGs) and two Small Utility/Medic Pouches. I’ve added a large Utility Pouch, one of WAS’s excellent Rip Off Personal Medic Pouches, a front

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opening Admin Pouch and a Cargo Pack with hydration compartment to my personal rig which pretty much covers all the bases.

I’ve been running my initial Multicam DCS setup for a little over six years now and even with regular and hard use in all types of environments the DCS has stood up exceptionally well and has provided top rate levels of comfort and functionality; this is a set of gear that comes with my complete recommendation!

ACCESSORIES CHOICE

As with any loadout, you need to finish it off with some good accessories. I use Peltor ear defenders (expensive but great when you’re close to a thermobaric when it goes off!) and have found that the FAST style helmets accommodate these well and stay comfortable. I got hold of an olive green VIPER version and then over-sprayed it with some RAL7013 Kings Army paint that I found easily online; this goes on well and gives a nice matte finish when it dries.

Mechanix Original gloves in Foliage Green work very well indeed and a simple OD Buff rounds everything out.

For boots I’ll stick with my trusted LOWA Zephyrs as they are well bedded in now and have a lot of service life still in them!

I’m really looking forward to getting out to play in this new loadout as it is super-functional yet incredibly comfortable; now I just need one of the new KWA Gas Blowback Steyr AUGs I saw at IWA to give it a proper “Austrian” feel!

For more information on the clothing please visit www.clawgear.com and for the lowdown on the DCS head to www.warriorassaultsystems.com. If you fancy putting together a similar loadout yourself then simply check out www.uktactical.com as they hold most of the clothing a gear featured here in stock!

Unit C1, Northway Trading Estate, Northway Lane, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, Unit C1, Northway Trading Estate, Northway Lane, GL20 8JH. United Kingdom.

Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8JH. United Kingdom.

Tel +44 (0)1684 273070 Fax +44 (0)1684 273052 Tel +44 (0)1684 273070 Email rwuk.retail@redwolfairsoft.com Fax +44 (0)1684 273052 Email rwuk.retail@redwolfairsoft.com

u k . r e d w o l f a i r s o f t . c o m uwww.facebook.com/redwolfuk.retail k . r e d w o l f a www.youtube.com/user/redwolfairsoft i r s o f t . c o m www.facebook.com/redwolfuk.retail

www.youtube.com/user/redwolfairsoft

UNSUNG HEROES

ALL SPORTS HAVE THEIR UNSUNG HEROES, THE LESS OBVIOUS MEN AND WOMEN BEHIND THE SCENES THAT ALTHOUGH RARELY SEEN, IT’S THESE PEOPLE THAT KEEP THE BIG MACHINE RUNNING. LES LEE MET ONE OF THEM ON A RECENT VISIT TO CRAWLEY SURPLUS STORES WOULD A SOCCER TEAM FUNCTION without a coach?

Would a sniper make that all important kill if the person that assembled the scope was point something of a millimetre out on the final assembly and would somebody like me, a selfconfessed gun-phobe, be able to carry on playing Airsoft after my gun quit on me and it wasn’t simply a dead battery? Clearly the answer is a big, fat no!

I envy the ‘softers that think nothing of stripping a gun down to the bare skin, fixing a problem or making an upgrade and then as if making a cup of tea, they put it all back together without breaking a bead of sweat. I take my hat off to you guys and gals.

But there is another level which supersedes the hobbyist amongst us, namely the professional gun technicians that REALLY know their stuff and I have been fortunate enough to find, in my opinion, one of the best in the country South of John O’ Groats and his name is Dan Kennedy.

Dan (not to be confused with the shop owner Daniel Levene) works for Crawley Surplus Store and has done for many years. After hearing his name mentioned so many times at sites and on social media in the most respected and admired manner, I set out to “capture and interrogate” this guy over 80

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a coffee or three, as I find the whole subject of gun tech fascinating.

Now I will disclose that I have known Dan as an acquaintance for a few years but was never really able to chat, as he was busy doing the “gun tech tilt” - where he has his head leaning forward over his workbench focused firmly in the job in hand but, after a chat with the boss, I was able to borrow Dan for long enough to conduct an interview.

Without these people in the world of Airsoft things would be so different because, until someone invents a disposable and cheap RIF, then I for one would probably stay in bed on a cold, wet miserable Sunday morning.

So we shared our mutual coffee aficionado banter before we got down to the Q&A part of my visit.

Les: Hello Dan and thank you for giving me your valuable time.

Firstly, I’m curious to find out what makes a “good” gun tech into a “great” gun tech, so I would like to start by asking quite simply, how and why?

Dan: “It all started back in 2002 when I was working part time in web design when Daniel commissioned me to bring the Crawley Surplus Store website up to speed and I spent so much

Inside Airsoft UNSUNG HEROES

time at the shop, mostly in tech stuff, that I was offered a full time position as their in-house gun technician.

“During the years building up to this, I found myself spending more time working on guns than anything else.

This included warranty repairs, custom builds, upgrades, downgrades and just about anything else which required meticulous attention - which I suppose leads me into the “why” part of the question. I have always been creative, inquisitive and I simply love fixing things and the more challenging the better. The most symbolic to date was quite simply that I tried to upgrade my own gun... and it broke, so I had to fix it and fix it I did, and this helped me a great deal in building my confidence which has taken me to where I am today.”

Les: So being surrounded by guns is one thing, when did you go on your first skirmish?

Les: So when did your interest in guns become a passion?

Dan: “They all have their quirks and they’re all hampered by the high quality parts that should be but aren’t a drop in fit but, purely down to the extra discipline, it’s going to be electric.

Gas and Spring guns all have a fairly small amount that can go wrong, well at least compared to an AEG but when you throw the electronics into the mix it multiplies the potential problems big time!”

Dan: “I have always been interested in guns for as long as I remember. My first ever gun was a 1911 in kit form, so I had no choice than to put the pieces together. This was when I was 20 and here I am now at 36 getting paid for something that I love doing. I do consider myself very lucky because I work with a great team and meet a lot of really interesting people, although I do sometimes find myself having to dissect those that are true friends from the few that think because we’re “friends” on Facebook, that I’m going to fix their guns for free. I’ve got used to it now and they’re not difficult to spot but having said that, sure I’ll help someone that has a minor problem with their gun, although unless it’s something simple like a blown fuse or a barrel change, then I refer them through the shop and that keeps everything above board. Daniel (the boss) is very sympathetic and usually does them a very nice deal that they wouldn’t get anywhere else.”

Dan: “I started playing around 2004 but it was only relatively recently (2012) that I was part of starting team “Metal Ops”.

We are still out most weekends at sites such as Battle Lakes and The Defilade but we do travel if we want to try somewhere new, which is always interesting and keeps things “fresh”.”

Les: So, probably a daft question... gas, AEG or spring?

Dan: “(Laughs) Gas of course! Show me a gun tech that doesn’t prefer the nearest thing to real steel and I’ll show you the Wizard of Oz!” Les: Whilst we’re on the subject of the choice of the three, gas, spring or electric... What is the most challenging to work on.

Les: What has been the most bizarre custom or upgrade to date?

Dan: “It’s got to be the BAR! Absolutely not what I usually do but this customer was a relatively small-framed gent trying to wield a huge BAR! He requested we fit a tactical pistol grip to a BAR with a picatinny rail on the front for a fore grip. It meant reshaping the stock to fit around the grip but it did make it very comfortable in the end... Just very, very wrong!”

Les: What has been the most challenging so far?

Dan: “I have had some very challenging builds but it’s always

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Inside Airsoft UNSUNG HEROES

the mystery power loss that gets me! You put everything together, it’s all quality parts, 100% air seal but for some reason it just doesn’t sit well in one piece!”

Les: What is the average waiting time for your work?

Dan: “Unfortunately we do have almost a 6 week waiting list at the moment, I do catch up but then we’ll have a week where we get 5 guns a day in!”

Les: What is your most favourite brand and/or gun to work on.

Dan: “It’s got to be either Tokyo Marui (‘cause you know the parts are almost always going to do what they’re supposed to!) or WE gas blow backs, I think I enjoy the more mechanical nature of a GBB.” Les: And of course, I have to get balance so on the flip side, what is your least preferred brand and why?

Dan: “SRC; right when you fix one issue another one is waiting to pop up and smack you on the nose! And they’re just different enough you can never tell what will or won’t fit without trying.”

Les: Do you have any other sports or hobbies that you are interested in.

Dan: “I’m a fairly keen cyclist (not that you’d guess from the size of me!) and I love music, been in and out of bands for years and get to as many gigs as my family will allow.”

Les: Why is the P90 your favourite gun?

Dan: “I have no idea, althgough I’ve got a sneaking suspicion it has something to do with playing rather a lot of Goldeneye back in the day.”

Les: Swiftly on the heels of the last question, what is your favourite pistol?

Dan: “Probably about as opposite to the P90 as you can get, it’s always the classic 1911 - low round count but just fits in your hand and fires fantastically (well, it is a WE and I have done a little work to it!). Mind you if WE do a decent version of the P99 I can get on board with that.”

Les: When you’re out in the field, what is your preferred type of game and style of play?

Dan: “When we go out I much prefer the long format games, my favourite battles of the last year were down at Battle Lakes, a gas & spring day and what they called a BattleSim, full day (10-4 ish I think, no stops for lunch!), strict ammo limits, proper team structure and multiple revolving objectives. I’d love to get

out of the shop and play some of the 36+ hour proper MilSims but I just don’t have the time.”

Les: Tell me a bit about your team Dan. Dan: “We started the CSS Metal Ops team down to a love of playing together and the site we regularly play at rewards teamwork hugely! Our central ethos is fair play and the ability to take a hit fairly is held almost above the ability to deal it out! We want to be the team other teams like to play with or against, we’ll give you a run for your money but if we’re hit we’re hit!”

Les: Do you get a chance to attend training courses, seminars or visit manufacturers, if not, would you like to?

Dan: “Unfortunately not in Airsoft. I’ve been down to the Air Arms factory and been trained up so that we’re an Air Arms authorised service centre (that’s air rifles & pistols, not Airsoft) but because we don’t deal direct with manufacturers it’s not something we’ve ever been offered (although I’m not sure the boss would like to pay for the flights to Taiwan!) but if, however, I was offered that opportunity I would bite their hands off to get official training.”

Les: Finally Dan, is there anything that I have missed or perhaps something that you would like mentioned?

Dan: “I think we’ve covered most things, we take all kinds of repairs and upgrades about the only thing we don’t do is R-Hop, only because I haven’t had time to practice enough to provide a good enough service. The shop stocks and I fit ASCUs, GATEe Mosfet systems and Speed Airsoft accessories. If we don’t have it and you want it fitted just bring it in with your rifle/pistol. I’ll undertake most things that don’t involve making things from scratch, hopefully at some point soon I’ll be adding a lathe to the workshop so I’ll be able to make parts from the Crawley Surplus Store ground up!”

Unit 2 Access House Thank you Dan, thanks for a great overview Stephenson Way on the life and times of a gun tekkie. Many of Three Bridges us don’t have the skills, know-how or tools to Crawley even begin to tackle an internal gun problem, RH10 1TN so I for one, rely on people like Dan to keep me www.surplusstore.co.uk in the game. sales@surplusstore.co.uk Les OUT!

Contact:

www.airsoft-action.online

83

IN THE MARCH ISSUE OF Airsoft Action I wrote an article about the Fobus Universal Inside the Waistband (ISW) holster.

In this issue I will look at the use of the ISW holster and how to overcome some simple mistakes when carrying a handgun concealed.

First off, we need to think about when and where we can carry concealed. Although there is no law in the UK that states we can’t carry our Airsoft guns concealed, it is important for us all to be responsible for our actions and not cause any alarm to the public. It is my advice that you don’t carry any gun concealed on your person in a public place, unless you can prove your intentions, such as travelling to and from a range or skirmish site. Also never carry a gun, any gun, loaded unless you are involved in a controlled airsoft skirmish game.

With that out the way I will continue.

Almost any handgun can be carried concealed but the best ones are those with a small and slim frame. The smaller the gun the better. A Walther PPKs is much easier to conceal and carry than a Desert Eagle for instance and the handgun needs to be as light as possible if you intend to carry it for long periods of time. I’m quite a big chap and

the biggest handgun I would carry is a Glock; anything else larger than this would start to cause problems such as “printing” (“printing” is where the gun shows its shape through the garment you are wearing to conceal it). Even in a good holster, if the gun is too big for your build, then the gun will show.

Once you have found a suitably sized handgun, you need to find a suitable concealment holster. The Inside Waist Band (ISW) holster is the most popular as it is cheap and, if fitted correctly, will last you for years to come. The other benefit is that if you are already accustomed to carrying strong side hip, the holster and gun are in the same position as would be if you were carrying open and this is a far better choice as muscle memory doesn’t have to be worked on. The holster also needs to be of a good quality. It is up to you, the wearer, what material the holster is to be made out of but I have found that a leather holster is far more comfortable to wear over long periods than a Kydex or ABS. The Fobus UISW holster is however in my opinion an exception to this.

Now that you have decided on your handgun size and have a suitable holster, the next thing to consider is your choice of clothing.

If you are carrying strong side hip with an ISW holster, then there are some things to be aware of.

Firstly, some people tend to wear the gun and holster next to the skin. There is nothing wrong with this choice but, be aware that the holster and gun may rub the skin and make you sore. Also, the sweat produced by the holster and gun being next to your skin can cause the gun to rust over time. My choice of carry is next to a garment tucked in between my skin and the holster, as this stops the gun rubbing my skin and also sweat building up on the gun itself. The garment between the skin and gun

CONCEALED CARRY CALIBRE SHOOTING’S ANDY NIGHTINGALE GIVES US SOME TIPS ON HOW TO RECTIFY SIMPLE MISTAKES WHEN CARRYING A CONCEALED HANDGUN.

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Skills CONCEALED CARRY

aid in quicker acquisition to the weapon should you need it in a hurry.

Secondly, if you choose to wear a T shirt or hooded top then the garment needs to be one size bigger than you normally wear. This solves two problems: First the gun will not print and second the procedure that you will need to access the gun will be hindered if the garment is too close fitting.

PROCEDURE

should be of a colour to match the gun. This will, in effect, help camouflage the gun if it is accidentally exposed. The black grip on a gun will be easily seen if the under garment is white for instance. (For the purpose of this article I have taken the photos with a light coloured under garment for clarity).

The over garment, the garment that is to conceal the gun falls into two categories. Firstly, a garment that opens to the front, such as a jacket or shirt, usually is fine when it comes to size and fit. Be aware that when the garment is fastened, that the gun in not printing. Wear loose-fitting jackets and shirts if possible and if not, leave the garment unfastened. This will also

The first procedure for drawing the gun from the holster is the “Hackathorn Rip”, named after Ken Hackathorn, the master of this draw.

This draw is used when a garment needs to be lifted in order to access the gun. We must always remember to be safe when drawing a gun from the holster, so keep in mind the safety rules for safe gun handling.

First off face the target and reach over and grab the hem of the garment with the weak hand. Leaning towards the weak side slightly “Rip” the outer garment up as high as you can to expose the handgun. Maintain a grip on the handgun and draw and present as you would in open carry. This is a fast way to draw from concealed but only if the outer garment is not too close fitting.

The second procedure is used for an open garment such as a jacket.

Using the strong hand, insert the open fingers into the garment and hook the front at about chest height. Pulling the hand back will force the garment to open and expose the handgun. From here rotate the hand and take a grip of the handgun. The draw from this position is the same as for open carry. Some people recommend placing coins or some other small object in the jacket pocket to aid the opening of the garment as the hand swings back. Try to avoid this as there may come a time when you are wearing a garment without pockets or something to use as a small weight.

An open carry holster can also be used with these methods, however, make sure that your garment covers the gun and holster sufficiently for it to remain concealed. Try these methods for yourself and experiment at home with your different load outs and find what works and what you should avoid.

In next month’s magazine I will explain how to avoid exposing the gun during every day tasks and also how to remove your jacket when seated at a restaurant and still keep the gun concealed.

Have fun and safe shooting.

Calibre shooting run tactical training programs for the Airsoft community. If you would like to train with Calibre or would like more information on their training programs, visit their website www. calibreshooting.co.uk or contact them on calibreshooting@gmail.com or direct on 07788501184

www.airsoft-action.online

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I’VE GOT WOOD! IF YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWING ANY OF HIS REGULAR REVIEWS AND PROJECTS IN AIRSOFT ACTION THEN YOU’VE PROBABLY GATHERED THAT OUR RESIDENT “GEEK” JERRY NOONE HAS A “BIT OF A THING” ABOUT AKS; THIS MONTH HE TAKES A LOOK AT FITTING A SET OF CLASSIC WOODWORK FROM W&S AIRSOFT I’VE BEEN WORKING SLOWLY but surely on my OPFOR armoury over the winter months, preparing my gas pistols and rifles ready for what I hope is going to be a long summer of MilSims and scenario games. If you are a regular reader of the magazine then you’ll know that my little WE Airsoft Europe (WEAE) AKS 74U has been completely refurbished and is 100% ready to go now!

During the refurbishment process I discovered W&S Airsoft from Taiwan. They are another one of those small, specialist outfits that create parts of precision and beauty specifically for certain airsoft models and they offer superb, high quality wood kits for both the WEAE “UN” and “PMC” AK variants.

One of the things that is most tricky when it comes to fitting wood kits to an airsoft replica is that most manufacturers have subtly different dimensions and ways of achieving a solid fitment of aftermarket parts; when I came to fit a generic two piece forestock to the UN it needed a fair bit of careful sanding to get it just right and I’m still in the process of re-staining it to get a properly deep, lustrous finish.

I was actually looking around for bolt upgrade parts when I happened to chance across the W&S Airsoft kits on the Milspec Solutions website; Milspec Solutions specialise in parts for gas blowback replicas so if you ever need anything for your gasser they’re great people to refer to. As I recently bought myself 86

MAY 2016

one of the WEAE “PMC” rifles to go with the little SU, when I saw the wood kit for it I decided immediately to order one in and take the “PMC” back to classic AKM spec.

Now the kits are not cheap, costing £69.95 for the “AKM” but they are absolutely spot on! The real wood “AKM” wood kit for the WEAE AK “PMC” is absolutely stunning; the set includes the stock, upper and lower foregrips and a more authentic fire selector to replace the “tacticool” version, so it gives you absolutely all that you need to take the rifle back to “original” specification.

Many wood kits that I’ve come across in the past have been rather shoddy, necessitating a complete refurbishment including hours of sanding and re-staining to achieve the desired finish. Surplus wood parts can be found at Militaria fairs but again these can cost a packet and still be in fairly poor condition.

The W&S Airsoft kit is a million miles removed for either of these scenarios though; firstly it has been designed specifically to mate perfectly with the airsoft replica so installing it is a straightforward affair. Secondly the finish is just superlative, the wood beautifully stained and lacquered and the metal parts, right down to the buttplate and sling swivel, perfectly and precisely finished.

With the wood kit in hand it was time to channel my inner “Geek” once again and now I’m delighted to be able to share the fitting

A

B

C

Gitag WOOD FURNITURE

D

G

K

E

H

L

F

process with you should you wish to do a similar project yourself; trust me when I tell you that the finished product looks and feels 100% right and I believe you’d be hard-pressed to tell replica from real without uber-close inspection. It shoots fabulously and looks just right now; what more could you want from an airsoft replica?

OUT OF THE BOX!

When the small unprepossessing cardboard box arrived from MilSpec Solutions I had no idea of the quality of the kit it contained and I have to admit to a huge smile when I started laying the parts out; everything was “just so” right down to the smallest fixing screw. This kit gave me an immediate feeling of “money well spent” and had me itching to get down to business and get it fitted.

First of course was to get the “PMC” parts off the donor AK and this in itself is quite a lengthy process. Step one (PICS A, B, C) is to remove the “working parts” from the rifle and this is achieved by removing the top cover, taking out the return spring and then sliding the bolt itself back, up and out; with those carefully laid aside the rifle actually loses some weight so it’s easier to work with. I decided to start by installing the new wood buttstock, so I needed to remove the stock and buffer tube from the rifle.

This is simply achieved by sliding off the “CRANE” style stock the “PMC” comes with and then removing a single screw which holds the buffer tube in place; the precision of the parts fitted by WEAE becomes apparent when you do this as the fitting of the buffer tube is absolutely tight-as. Once the screw is removed you can gently wiggle the buffer tube back and out (PICS D, E, F). This is when you first

get an idea of just how good the wood kit is as the profile cut into the butt is an absolutely millimetre perfect fit and in fact you’ll probably lose a few shavings of the lacquer as you slowly introduce it into the body of the rifle (PICS G, H) With the butt firmly in place you can now make sure it stays that way; W&S Airsoft provide all the fixings you need and there is a long wood screw in the kit that replaces the allen bolt that holds the original buffer tube in place. Once the butt is fitted to your satisfaction it’s a simple matter to drill into it and then screw everything down tight (PICS I, J); job done, tick!

M

THOSE LITTLE TOUCHES

One of the things I really love about this kit is the thought that’s gone into it. W&S Airsoft could easily just have stopped with the woodwork and fittings but they go the whole nine yards by including a classically styled safety lever to replace the modern one that comes as standard on the “PMC”; I chose to leave the tactical version in place as I actually like the I

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functionality of it but it’s those little touches that make all the difference (PICS K, L); this is simple to fit as all you need to do is remove one small grub screw to release the original and replace with the new one. The WEAE AK also comes with a magazine guide plate fitted into the trigger group and obviously as a classic AK doesn’t have this it has to go (PICS M, N, O).

Once you have unscrewed and removed the plate there are two shorter screws in the kit to replace the long ones that come out; W&S really

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87

TACTICAL

ELITE TROUSERS

SRP £54.95

With multiple adjustment features these trousers can be modified for individual fit and comfort. The built in ABS knee pads, with neoprene lining, also offer comfort and durability for any scenario.

n Elasticated waist adjustment

n Removable ABS knee pads

n Velcro/Zipped fly

n Internal knee pad adjusters located in front 2 pockets

Material: Ripstop Polycotton

n 2x Deep cargo pockets

Sizes UK: 28”- 42”

n 2x Regular thigh pockets

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do think of everything!

The next step is to remove the “tacticool” front handguard and unlike an M4 where you can just pull back the Delta ring and drop the handguards out, the AK is a little more involved.

First off you need to remove the cleaning rod on the bottom of the barrel by moving it slightly down and then pulling it free (PIC P). With this out of the way you can now unscrew the bolts in the handguard (PIC Q); at this stage of the proceedings don’t try and rush things as there are still a couple of steps before you can remove the handguard as the front of the “gas system” holds everything in place; you’ll need a pin punch now to knock through the pins holding the gas block in place (PIC R).

With the pins moved safely out of harm’s way you can now slide the gas block forward and remove the top part of the handguard (PIC S).

At the front of the bottom part of the handguard is a U-shaped retainer to hold it in place; gently releasing the small lever on the right hand side will allow you to slide the retainer forward, releasing the lower handguard which pivots down and out (PICS T, U). Now it’s simply a reversal of the disassembly to fit the woodwork.

First on is the lower handguard; once again this is a tight fit (VERY tight!) so again take your time sliding it into the body of the rifle (PIC V).

Once in place you can push the retainer back into place and lock the little lever back to its original position (PIC W). The upper handguard, which comes with the correct length of “gas tube” can now be popped into place and the

gas block pinned back into its starting position; you’ll need your pin punch once again to get everything solid (PIC X).

Now you’re on the home stretch so you can put the cleaning rod back in place (PIC Y), pop the working parts back in (PIC Z), replace the top cover and it really is JOB DONE!

Y

QUALITY SHOWS!

Once everything is fitted the AK really does look and feel a million bucks and I’m sure it looks far nicer than many real ones out there! I added a canvas sling to mine to really finish things off and I’m totally happy with it now and can’t wait to get out and give a run in game. The quality and fit of the W&S wood kit is absolutely perfect and has transformed the “PMC” into a real corker of an “AKM”.

Granted the kit is not the cheapest aftermarket accessory that I’ve ever bought but it really is the very best example of its type that I’ve ever come across and worth every penny I paid for it! Do be aware that this kit is specific to the WE Airsoft Europe AK “PMC” and check before you buy that it will fit your own AK should you wish to fit it. Now that the externals are finished it’s heading off to have the Froglube application on the bolt but for this process I’ll hand it to my mate Jase and “Give it to a Geek”!

For more information on W&S Airsoft please do check out their Facebook page as they have other accessories there that are equally as interesting as their excellent wood kits. To purchase in the UK please go to www.milspecsolutions.co.uk.

Z

www.airsoft-action.online

89

THE TELEMARK RAID BILLY CONTINUES HIS LOOK AT FAMOUS RAIDS WITH ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, ONE THAT HELPED PREVENT THE GERMANS FROM ACQUIRING NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE MONTHS AND YEARS leading up to (and indeed throughout) the Second World War the race was on in Europe to develop nuclear technology and therefore weapons. A vital component to building these technologies was the production of so-called “heavy water”.

In a town called Telemark in Norway, made famous by the film “The Heroes of Telemark”, the Norwegians were already producing heavy water as a by-product of making agricultural fertiliser. This was an important prize for any regime bent on acquiring nuclear technology. Now it might sound odd with the benefit of hindsight, that the production of this element was still going ahead, after all you can only imagine how the tide of the war might have changed if Adolf Hitler had got himself a nuclear bomb!

But progress, like time waits for no man and despite the shadow of Nazi occupation looming over Europe, research was

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still going ahead. In London, watching the drama unfold across the channel, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) along with the Americans and the French were keeping a keen eye on what was going on at the Norsk Hydro plant in Telemark.

In 1940, before Norway was occupied by Germany, the French Intelligence agencies hatched a plan to get all the heavy water away from Norway to prevent it falling into the hands of the Nazis. The owner of the plant “lent” it to France after coming to the conclusion that if he did not and the Germans lost/or won the war he would most likely be shot, either by them or the Allies, if that makes sense. The heavy water, all 185 kg of it was smuggled across to Scotland and made its way (ironically) back to France, where it remained hidden until the war finished.

Before long Norway did inevitably succumb to the Nazis, German troops and the war machine rolled in, set up shop and

Billy Basics THE TELEMARK RAID

soon production was not just resumed but rapidly accelerated of the heavy water, a development which alarmed the Allies.

Germany was indeed racing to the nuclear age.

SOE had planned ahead thoughtfully and it had an operative working in the plant when the Nazis took over, plans were afoot in London to put a stop to the German’s production. The mission was to take much longer than anticipated and was to comprise of three separate Operations; Grouse, Freshman and Gunnerside.

OPERATION GROUSE

On 19 October 1942, a four-man team of SOE-trained Norwegian commandos parachuted onto a high wind-swept Norwegian plateau. They had been bought to England covertly and had spent months being trained in the arts of sabotage, unarmed combat and radios, all “Boys Own” stuff, their job was to set the conditions for the destruction of the Norsk Hydro plant.

From their drop point in the wilderness they had to ski a long distance to the plant and to recce the place. The team were initially dropped in the wrong place, once they had landed they then got lost several times and did not make contact with London until a month later.

The planners of the subsequent Operation Freshman were obviously deeply suspicious. The Norwegians had been out of contact for over four weeks and to their minds the Norwegians could have been compromised by the Germans, caught, made to reveal their plans and were going to set up Freshman for an ambush. But when the Norwegians were asked by London “What can you see out of the window?” the reply came back that there were “three pink elephants”.

The authentication code was genuine and the green light was given.

end there. The Halifax, with the gliders creaking behind them, encountered some terrible weather all the way on the approach to the plateau. In the confusion one of the bombers collided with a hillside, the glider followed it in and smashed into rocks and ice, few survived. The remaining Halifax developed engine trouble not far from the plateau and decided to abort the mission. Tragically the plane came down not far from the first crash site and in the turbulence the second glider had become unhitched. Both planes smashed into the ground resulting in appalling casualties.

The landing party looked on in horror, there was nothing they could do to help, it wasn’t long before the Germans were all over the crash sites, survivors were swept up by the Gestapo, later to be tortured and shot. But for the Grouse teams there was to be no let up for them, pursued by a thoroughly suspicious German Army they spent the winter living of lichen and moss for fear of going down into the towns. It appeared that the missions had failed.

OP GUNNERSIDE

The Grouse team endured the freezing winter in their hideout and their lives were undoubtedly saved when they encountered

OP FRESHMAN

Soon after the signal was received from the Grouse team high on the frozen plateau in Norway, two Halifax bombers, towing Horsa gliders, took off from an airbase near Wick. The gliders were packed with Engineers and Commandos whose mission was to land by glider near the plant, attack and destroy it and finally put an end to Hitler’s nuclear plans. The Grouse team were to mark the landing strip, coordinate the attack and recce the routes in.

By now the Grouse teams’ nerves and morale were suffering. They’d been virtually living off the land and good will of locals they could trust for a month, in close proximity to the enemy and were at their limit. But sadly it wasn’t to

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Billy Basics THE TELEMARK RAID

a reindeer and were able to kill it without alerting the Germans.

The cold months went on and slowly reports were coming back to London from their man in the plant that the security, which had been watertight for months, was becoming more and more relaxed.

It was decided to reactivate the Grouse team with some reinforcements from London and on the night of the 16th February 1943, a six-man Norwegian SOE team were parachuted onto the plateau, where they donned their skis and set off to find Grouse. It took them two entire days but once they had met they set to work immediately.

When the gliders had come down the Germans had combed the area for weeks, looking for the Grouse team and any signs of collaborators. Back at the Norsk plant they had identified the weakest points and had laid minefields at

approach roads, looked at vulnerable points and covered their approaches with machine gun nests but, as the weeks had turned into months and no threat came, the bored troops were sent elsewhere and the one access point that the SOE agent within the plant had indentifeid as the best route in was poorly manned.

On the eve of the 28th Feb 1943 the six Norwegians, along with the remainder of Grouse, approached the plant. A few days earlier the RAF had resupplied them from the air with clothing, Thompson machine guns, ammo and cold weather kit (a little late you might think eh?) as well as a shed load of explosives and detonators.

To enter the camp and destroy the centrifuges, the raiders needed to get across a narrow, flood lit, guarded footbridge which crossed a ravine with a fast flowing river at the bottom.

Their man on the inside had told them that the river was very low so, as the guard stared idly into the night, the team laden with explosives made their way down into the river, fording it carefully and made their way up the other side.

Instead of stepping into the floodlit area and walking through the front door in front of the guard, they were able to access a maintenance door which had been left open for them and get inside. Remarkably, the only person they met inside was the caretaker who was more than happy to help them. The

“THE ONLY PERSON THEY MET INSIDE WAS THE CARETAKER WHO WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP THEM. THE TEAM SET THE CHARGES AND WERE ALL SET TO LIGHT THE FUSE WHEN PANIC TOOK HOLD OF THE CARETAKER – HE HAD LOST HIS GLASSES AND COULD NOT LEAVE WITHOUT THEM!” team set the charges and were all set to light the fuse when panic took hold of the caretaker - he had lost his glasses and could not leave without them! Spectacles in those difficult days were almost impossible to get hold of.

It must have been an absurd situation (with much gnashing of teeth) but the Norwegians lent a hand and soon the glasses were found, as the fuses were lit the team left a Thompson sub machine gun on the floor to be found by the Germans. Reprisals were common and the SOE wanted to ensure that the locals were protected… this was not a Norwegian raid but a British one.

The raid was a great success for SOE. As the Norwegians climbed into the night there were a series of muffled explosions as the precious scientific instruments were destroyed and the water poured onto the floor. Heavy water production was not stopped that night but put back by several months and in an action typical of the US stereotype, as soon as it was up and running again the Americans decided that enough was enough and they dropped 700 bombs on in it one huge raid, 100 of which hit the target and finished it off.

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TRUNK MONKEYS:

THE LIFE OF A CONTRACT SOLDIER IN IRAQ A LITTLE WHILE AGO WE HAD AN INTERVIEW IN AIRSOFT ACTION WITH LEWIS STEINER. HERE, MATT LIMB OBE, GIVES US HIS OPINION OF LEWIS’ BOOK.

WHEN I PICKED THIS BOOK and did the normal quick thumb through it, reading the odd sentence here and there, I was not sure if I would enjoy reading it but I did not know why.

I continued thumbing, back to front, then I sat to read the Foreword; ‘This book is a violent warts-and-all account from the entrails of the massive army of unregulated and ill-served western “mercenaries” who were hired by governments, corporations and conventional armies to do the jobs they couldn’t or wouldn’t do.

That got my attention; especially when you see it was written by Jon Snow, the respected journalist and television presenter!

Trunk Monkeys: The Life of a Contact Soldier in Iraq covers the author’s life after leaving the British Army and becoming a contract soldier working for one of the many private security companies that were formed following the invasion over a decade ago. Reading the early chapters, it is clear that Lewis Steiner has a baptism of fire, he soon learns that the standards

The majority of these missions are to move people, the clients, from one location to another often in hostile and remote environments, where travelling encounters the many trigger-happy American convoys moving the length of the country. But the real threat he highlights more than once, the roadside IED (Improvised Explosive Device) ‘White vehicle, parallel left,’ I said into my radio. As soon as we were level with it we were in the killing area. I could see my second vehicle a couple of hundred metres back … then everything went loud, there was an enormous thump and I could feel the air being sucked in around me. Gravity shifted as the rear of my vehicle was picked up by the blast and the fireball that erupted just behind us.’

They survived that blast, just but later they would prove fatal and about which he pens (in graphic detail) the loss of close and good friends, often to gruesome and violent deaths.

Another fear I had when picking up this book was that it could have been “The Walter Mitty Guide to being a Mercenary”. Thankfully that fear was dispelled in the first few pages, even if the author met a few “Walts” during his time in Iraq. The speed and tempo of life in Iraq soon comes through, convoys at 100 mph, short “TASK BY TASK THE BOOK UNFOLDS, IT HIGHLIGHTS THE detailed but dangerous missions to remote locations; RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TEAM AND THE AUTHOR AND IN followed by a period of rest in one of the many TURN HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTRY MANAGER, HIS American safe and secure locations, which offered a haven with a chance to get medical treatment and POINT OF CONTACT IN THE SECURITY COMPANY.” recuperate.

Yet despite this, if you read carefully you can and values, that he held in such high esteem in the British pick up a more sensitive side to Lewis Steiner; not only in Army, were gone and replaced by a new standard and value… respect to his colleges but also to the everyday Iraqi people.

Money; On a later mission his team are sent to survey old Iraqi Army ‘The level of corruption was played out all over Iraq. The ammunition sites in out of the way locations. Most had been money that was spent there is mostly a matter of public record targeted during the war resulting in damage with the perimeter now, but I’d like to know how much of that was wasted … I insecure, the long term task was to collect all the ordnance for saw more waste and theft than good during my four years in safe disposal but first a survey was needed and that is where Iraq.’

Lewis and his team came in; It soon becomes equally clear that the author is cynical ‘The site itself was small but had several concreate bunkers of the joint US & UK invasion, believing that the reason for that had housed artillery rounds … each of the bunkers had an invasion was unjust but in spite of this he maintains a more than one family living inside, and they all looked pretty highly professional attitude as a Team Leader despite having desperate. The kids were wandering around bare foot, covered to take his team on pointless tasks and missions, which at in dirt, and there wasn’t any power … I guess they were poor times are into areas that are either no-go or out of bounds to before we invaded, and that living in an ammo bunker was a conventional forces. step up the ladder compared to wherever they’d come from’ 94

MAY 2016

Book Review TRUNK MONKEYS

Within thirty minutes the team had confirmed the site was now empty of any ordnance, GPS coordinates and photographs for the report were taken and it was time to move on; but not before leaving both food and water and commenting as he departed; ‘… it’s always the poor that suffer.’

Task by task the book unfolds, it highlights the relationship between The Team and the author and in turn his relationship with the country manager, his point of contact in the security company. It soon becomes clear that the team mature into a highly effective group. But whilst on leave and enjoying a quieter moment there is almost a premonition as the author starts to question going back to Baghdad, back to The Sand Pit and to again face Hajji – the collective term used for the Arab race.

Soon after returning a devastating incident, in which the team are involved, forces him to rethink fully his future; ‘… At that moment I know what to do also. He’d hit the nail on the head. It had been about the team, not the company or the country, or even the money. It was the team, some are average and you can take it or leave it. But ours was tight and professional. Without that, we had nothing.’

So did I enjoy reading the book? Yes, without a doubt. It is very different to the many African Bush War mercenary stories and the 1970s; this is far more personal and about people based on first hand hard facts. As Jon Snow describes… “warts-and-all”. It is also the story of an individual, Lewis Steiner, as it highlights his professional attitude to both his team and his duties, with his thoughts of tasks no matter how suicidal being kept to himself in typical British military professionalism, to only now to be shared with the reader. But above all it is the story of The Team!

So if you are interested in that period, in the early years of this century, when the western powers’ military intervention had nearly lost control and the use of contract soldiers was an acceptable solution I highly recommend this book.

And before you ask, where does the name ‘Trunk Monkeys’ come from? He is the rear gunner in the American convoys that was the threat to the team, an American car boot being the trunk!

Trunk Monkeys is published by Fonthill Media and is available on Amazon and from all good bookshops.

www.airsoft-action.online

95

WAR HORSE THE SUBJECT OF A RECENT BOX-OFFICE SUCCESS, DAN MILLS WRITES ABOUT AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED ITEM OF MILITARY “EQUIPMENT” THAT WAS MORE THAN JUST MERE WOOD AND METAL AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE Great War in 1914 the British Army had on its books approximately twenty five thousand horses.

Horses were still very much in use in all areas, in particular for transporting ammunition, artillery pieces, stores, equipment and men, as well as Cavalry mounts.

Many more horses would be needed for the coming war so the government War Office department dispatched men throughout the kingdom to purchase and compulsory requisition horses in their thousands. Many such horses were taken against their owner’s will, in particular within the farming community who needed them to carry out their business. For many owners this lead to much heartbreak, yet more was to come.

Horses were (and always had been) essential to an army on the move and on the move it was. The British Expeditionary Force had been mobilised and was deploying across the English Channel to France and on into Belgium, in what many believed would be a great adventure.

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Horses (and not forgetting mules and donkeys) were now required to pull and carry the British Army from across the whole of the country to the front line in Belgium to await the onset of hostilities, it would be the start of five years of horrific treatment that many would not survive.

This was before tanks were invented, the horse would be dangerously exposed in all tasks from front line cavalry changes in the hundreds, to pulling ambulances to and from front to rear areas.

The unlucky horses did not just see action on the Western Front either, in fact only half of them did. Many were sent to serve wherever the empire fought, the Middle East for example, Egypt, Italy, across the Balkans and of course many were labouring within the war effort at home in Great Britain.

After the supply from home had run out the main source for fresh mounts came from the United States. Until the advent of the Tank half a million horses were transported to friendly ports, then winched on board ships and sailed on to one front or another across the Atlantic. At its height, approximately one thousand horses per day were sent to feed

World War One WAR HORSE

the need. This in turn had other effects on the war, the convoys carrying them soon became important targets for enemy submarines and ships and German saboteurs would often seek part of the horse supply chain and attempt to poison them.

Many handlers or cavalrymen became extremely attached to their charges, there are many reports in personal diaries of a soldier’s anguish on hearing a wounded horse moan in pain lying out in No Man’s Land somewhere. In fact, they were so

important to the daily human struggle that one soldier even noted... ‘To lose a horse was worse than losing a man, men were replaceable whereas horses were not’.

With all these animal mouths to feed pressure on supply chains and supplies became even more immense. Due to the vast amounts needed many horses would go with only 20lb of fodder, one fifth of their requirement, this led many to die of exhaustion, suffering from malnutrition.

During the war years the British Army supplied 2,978,000 tons of oats and 2,460,300 tons of hay fodder. On average a battalion would need 7,840lb of oats and hay per week to keep its horses supplied. This was a massive amount and along with everything else needed for the BEF, had to be sourced from Great Britain or the lands it passed through. A larger figure of 30lbs was required to keep the larger workhorses who pulled the artillery pieces. In all, a separate industry sprang up, one which saw a total of over one million horses sourced, requisitioned, transported, trained, fed and watered across the whole of the fighting fronts throughout the campaign.

An infantry battalion (on average) had 1,000 men in its ranks, 20 of whom would be in the transport section. It was their job to look after all the horses on charge to their unit.

Maintenance would often take 12 hours a day to clean the horses and their associated equipment.

When the horse had any medical problems they would be looked after where possible by the Veterinary Corps in one of the animal hospitals. 725,000 horses were treated in them of which two thirds were successfully treated and saved to be sent back to their duties. Each year the army would lose about 15 % of its horsepower, 3 of this to enemy action. A larger 12% was caused by the debilitating conditions they lived in, hunger and exposure to the elements.

At war’s end, out of those surviving, some, very few, made it back to their original homes or place of work, these were given a real heroes welcome. Others were not so lucky, many were too old or sick and lame so they were destroyed or used for their meat… many were sold off to local butchers in France.

Today, much more recognition and acknowledgement of the sacrifice of animals has been learned, 400,000 of them gave their lives for the war effort.

“MANY HANDLERS OR CAVALRYMEN BECAME EXTREMELY ATTACHED TO THEIR CHARGES, THERE ARE MANY REPORTS IN PERSONAL DIARIES OF A SOLDIER’S ANGUISH ON HEARING A WOUNDED HORSE MOAN IN PAIN LYING OUT IN NO MAN’S LAND SOMEWHERE. IN FACT, THEY WERE SO IMPORTANT TO THE DAILY HUMAN STRUGGLE THAT ONE SOLDIER EVEN NOTED... ‘TO LOSE A HORSE WAS WORSE THAN LOSING A MAN, MEN WERE REPLACEABLE WHEREAS HORSES WERE NOT’.“ www.airsoft-action.online

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Unit C1, Northway Trading Estate, Northway Lane, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, Unit C1, Northway Trading Estate, Northway Lane, GL20 8JH. United Kingdom.

Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8JH. United Kingdom.

Tel +44 (0)1684 273070 Fax +44 (0)1684 273052 Tel +44 (0)1684 273070 Email rwuk.retail@redwolfairsoft.com Fax +44 (0)1684 273052 Email rwuk.retail@redwolfairsoft.com

u k . r e d w o l f a i r s o f t . c o m uwww.facebook.com/redwolfuk.retail k . r e d w o l f a www.youtube.com/user/redwolfairsoft i r s o f t . c o m www.facebook.com/redwolfuk.retail

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ACE COMBAT

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May 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY

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

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

BETTER BATTLES

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

BLACKDAGGER AIRSOFT

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

BLUESTREAK AIRSOFT

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

BORDERLINE AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

BUNKER 51

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

BUSH VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND

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

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

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

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

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

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

COMBAT ACTION GAMES

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

DELTA TEAM 3

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

DOGS OF WAR

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

DRAGON’S LAIR CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT (DESERT)

DARKWATER SITE, Dering Wood, Church Lane, Shadoxhurst, Ashford.

TN26 1LZ facebook.com/darkwaterairsoftdarkwater

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

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

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT COOL UNDER FIRE

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

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT

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

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

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

DOG TAG AIRSOFT

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

ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING

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

ELITE BATTLEZONE

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

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT

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

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

DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT Ellough Lark Raceway, Benacre Road, Ellough, Norfolk Tel: 07455 906132

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

DARKWATER AIRSOFT LTD.

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

FIFE WARGAMES

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

www.airsoft-action.online

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SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

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

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

FIRST & ONLY: ANZIO CAMP Leek, ST13 8 Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: BUNKER WOOD Kidderminster, Worcs, DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: KHE SANH WOODS

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

FIRST & ONLY: MANCHESTER WOODLAND Bolton, BL7 9TS Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY

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

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

FRV AIRSOFT

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

FULL METAL AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

GREENZONE COMBAT

FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY

GUN HO AIRSOFT

Kidderminster, DY10 3PT Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

FIRST & ONLY: SLEEPY HOLLOW

Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 5LS Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

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

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT

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

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

LINDSEY AIRSOFT

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

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES

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

MAW

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

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

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ASYLUM

Norwich, Norfolk, NR10 Tel: 07854 277264 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk

FREE FIRE ZONE

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

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – NORWICH

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

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

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

MIDWALES AIRSOFT

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

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

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

MILSIM UK

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

LAC SITE 1 Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH Tel: 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

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

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

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

NCIS AIRSOFT

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

NOMAD AIRSOFT

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

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

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

NORTHFLEET CQB

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

www.airsoft-action.online

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NSC AIRSOFT

RAVEN’S NEST

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

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

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

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

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

RED1AIRSOFT Chislehurst, Bromley BR7 6SD Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

RED1AIRSOFT CQB Red1 CQB. Kings Langley, WD4 8RN Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

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

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

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT Shotts, North Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB Tel: 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com

SG1 COMBAT GAMES PLAYERS OF WAR High Bonnybridge, FK1 3AD Tel: 07767 203979 www.playersofwar.co.uk

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

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May 2016

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

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

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

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT

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

TECH BRIGADE Newgate Street, Hertfordshire.

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

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

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

THE BUNKER

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

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

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT– THE ROCK

THE DEPOT

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

STIRLING AIRSOFT

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

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

THE DESERTERS AIRSOFT Redford, DD11 Tel: 07751 878175 www.thedeserters.co.uk

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

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

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

SUSSEX AIRSOFT

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

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

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

TA EVENTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

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

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

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

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

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

URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13 Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0QN Tel: 07432 291729 www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN6AIRSOFT – THE BLOCK Wood Street, Burton-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 3AB www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN ASSAULT

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

VIKING AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

PRACTICAL PISTOL DIRECTORY AIPSC

The Grange, Frog Lane, Balsall Common, West Midlands, CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532384 / www.aipsc.co.uk Facebook: A.I.P.S.C info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk Every Monday night 7pm– 9pm (except bank holidays). £5 or £10 with pistol and shooting rig hire. UKPSA-qualified coaches. UKPSA-qualified Range Officers.

DOUBLE TAP PSC

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

EBSC

MOD approved gun club PP, IDPA, IPAS, IPSC, 2GUN www.ebsc.co.uk ebpracticalpistol@gmail.com 07752 713 970

HALO MILL

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

NORTHERN PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB (NPPC)

Tanner Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 1NA Tel: 07816 992417 www.northernpracticalpistol.co.uk 4 indoor ranges

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB Watford WatfordPPC@gmail.com

XSITE PRACTICAL SHOOTING

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

www.airsoft-action.online

105

DEALER LISTINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEX Land Warrior Airsoft RedWolf Airsoft Airsoft Zone JD Airsoft WE Airsoft Europe Urban Airsoft Mega Store Helikon-Tex Fire Support ActionSportGames iWholesales Viper Tactical IPSC 2017 Gunman Airsoft Heritage Airsoft Armex Members Club BadgerTac A2 Supplies Pro Airsoft Supplies Silvermans Crawley Surplus Supplies NoVAT Combat Dragon Valley Martys Airsoft Tactical Airsoft Shop Northern Shooting Show Skirmish Cup Elite Shooting Military 1st

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2014

Inside Front Cover 3 + 79 + 99 7 + Inside Back Cover 9 + 23 + 102 15 19 28 32 + 33 36 40 + 47 42 + 88 46 50 52 58 64 66 70 74 74 82 82 82 82 92 98 105 Outside Back Cover