Issue 06 - Feb 2012 by Airsoft Action

ACTION

THE Airsoft Magazine

WIN A VFC/RA X

WORTH

£300

BETA PROJECT SKILLS ROOM

UMAREX/VFC HK416

ICONIC WEAPONS

Billy B explains what it means to 'cover your arcs'

Ratty gets to grips with Umarex's newest GBB riﬂe

History, movie credits and airsoft replicas of the MP40

Realsword svd ❱ BRDM-2 ❱ weapon customisation ❱ modern airsoft warfare

FEBRUARY 2012 - £4.25

All-new Tactical AK: reviewed

January 2012

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ACTION

THE Airsoft Magazine

AIRSOFT ACTION

WIN A VFC/RA XCR

CONTENTS

WORTH

£300

AIRSOFT ACTION - FEBRUARY 2012

BETA PROJECT FEBRUARY 2012

SKILLS ROOM

UMAREX/VFC HK416

ICONIC WEAPONS

Rupert G explains what it means to 'cover your arcs'

Ratty gets to grips with Umarex's newest GBB riﬂe

History, movie credits and airsoft replicas of the MP40

Realsword svd ❱ BRDM-2 ❱ weapon customisation ❱ modern airsoft warfare

FEBRUARY 2012 - £4.25

All-new Tactical AK: reviewed

READERS WRITE LETTER OF THE MONTH WINS TICKETS TO A GUNMAN EVENT!

RIFLE REVIEW HANDS-ON WITH THE UMAREX/ VFC HK416 (GBB)

AIRSOFT NEWS SHOT SHOW PREVIEWS, NEW SITES, COMPETITION RESULTS

RIFLE REVIEW SCOTT ALLAN’S BEEN PLAYING WITH HIS SHINY NEW RS SVD

RIFLE REVIEW EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK AT BETA PROJECT’S TACTICAL AK

GUNMUNKI TURNING YOUR GUN INTO A WORK OF ART

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COMPETITION WIN A VFC XCR!

BIG BOYZ TOYZ THIS MONTH RATTY INVESTIGATES THE BRDM-2

MAW NIGE CHECKS OUT MODERN AIRSOFT WARFARE

ICONIC WEAPONS JAY SLATER LOOKS BACK AT THE MP40, AND TAKES A LOOK AT REPLICAS ON THE MARKET

KIT TEST: BOOTS DANNY P GETS STUCK INTO THREE PAIRS OF BOOTS

RIFLE REVIEW PHEW, LAST ONE! RATTY ON VFC’S BABY M4ES

Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant editor: Anthony Platt Art director: Chris Sweeney Ad design: Ryan Dixon, Steve Dawson Advertising: Hannah Benson Operations director: James Folkard Assistant publisher: Ruth Burgess Editorial director: James Marchington Publisher: Wesley Stanton

Full UK 12-issue subscription rate: £59.40 For overseas prices visit: www.airsoftactionmagazine.com Blaze Publishing, Lawrence House, Morrell Street

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FIELDCRAFT UNDERSTANDING ARCS OF FIRE

AMBUSH ADVENTURES RATTY GOES TO CHOBHAM FOR AMBUSH ADVENTURE’S 2011 XMAS GAME

GUNS ‘N’ GEAR WE’VE BEEN SPENDING OUR XMAS MONEY WISELY...

Leamington Spa.Warwickshire. CV32 5SZ Tel: 01926 339808 Fax: 01926 470400 E: info@blazepublishing.co.uk W: www.blazepublishing.co.uk © Blaze Publishing Limited, 2012 Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800 Copyright © Blaze Publishing Limited 2012. 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 publishers in writing. The opinions of the writers do not necessarily reﬂect those of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to print.

RECOGNISE THIS PATTERN? TAKE A NOTE! YOU’LL NEED THE PATTERNS FROM ISSUES 1 - 12 TO ENTER OUR CAMO COMPETITION!

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February 2012

YOUNG GUNS JEZZ BLUME ON GROUND ZERO’S LAST GAME OF 2011

BATTERIES: PART II BARRY COLLINS EXPLAINS WHY SIZE DOES MATTER

FIGHTING FIT DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING FIT

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SKIRMISH BOOT CAMP NIGE JOINS IN THE FESTIVE FUN COLD WAR WARRIORS THE US ARMY AIRBORNE 82ND INSIDE AIRSOFT BEHIND THE SCENES AT AIRSOFT ARMOURY

TEAMWORK: SDM EXPLAINING THE SQUAD DESIGNATED MARKSMAN

MEDIA REVIEW WHY ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM WILL DEVOUR YOUR SPARE TIME

BOOKSHOP OUR SELECTION OF BOOKS HANDPICKED FOR THE AIRSOFT BOOKWORM

elcome to the ﬁrst issue of 2012 (yes I know it says ‘February’ on the cover but that’s just how magazine publishing works!). Anyway, I trust you all had a fabulous Xmas and New Year and the big fat fella brought you everything you wanted (new gun, new boots, new camo…). So, what has 2012 got in store for us? Well, if my diary is anything to go by it is going to be one hell of a year for airsoft – and for Airsoft Action. Everything kicks off with a trip to the SHOT Show in Las Vegas in January (yeah, I know, it’s a dirty job…), then the British Shooting Show at the end of February, followed by IWA in Nuremberg two weeks later! We’ll be covering airsoft events and games in the UK and abroad and continue bringing you site reviews from all over the country. We won’t be forgetting kit either, with some pretty awesome exclusives already in the pipeline, and some stuff we can’t tell you about yet (but I promise, when we can you’ll be the ﬁrst to know). I understand that there may be one or two non-airsoft related events going on in 2012, which is great – with millions of people glued to their tellies, the roads will be clear for us to get to our own games. Tell you what though: when it’s all over, wouldn’t the Olympic Park make a stunning airsoft site? How’d you fancy assaulting that spiral tower alongside the Stadium? (Hmm… I wonder if we can persuade Mr Sugar to get his chequebook out?) …and with that thought, I’ll leave you until next time. Keep safe, Nige

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Letter, idea or question? Got something to say? A question for our experts? Or an article, or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the assistant editor (anthonyp@blazepublishing. co.uk), send us a letter at the Blaze Publishing address on the previous page – or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

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READERS WRITE Got a letter, question, picture or something to make us giggle? Email it to anthonyp@blazepublishing.co.uk and you could win two tickets to a Gunman Airsoft event! MONEY MATTERS

SNIPER IN THE SIGHTS

Hi Nige, Can I ﬁrst say it was great to meet you and the team at the Airsoft Arms Fair last October – already looking forward to the next one, although God knows just how expensive it was last time! Are you ever going to review any of the cheaper ‘Chinasoft’ weapons that so many people (including myself) use? So far all the guns you’ve reviewed have been in the mid to high price range, and lots of us lowly airsofters are forced to stick to budget guns until we’ve saved enough for that G&G, VFC, TM, G&P, WE, KWA… too many initials! And I have another, far more serious complaint. Not since your ﬁrst issue’s competition have you told us who the winners are. I don’t mean to be cynical but you must know people will begin to doubt the competitions even exist! So it would be nice if you could print the names of the winners some time. Apart from that, I love the mag, and hope it stays around for years to come! Thanks, Jon Marsh

Dear Airsoft Action, When I first started playing airsoft I chose to be a sniper. Although loads of people told me it was a mistake it was what I wanted to do. You wouldn’t believe how many people scoff at you when you take to the field with your ghillie suit and bolt-action rifle. What I want to know is, why is the role of the airsoft sniper demeaned? They’re important in real life so why not in airsoft? Ok so we can’t hit targets at 1,000m or whatever, but we can hit targets further away than the M4 army can! I hope to see more articles dedicated to the airsoft sniper in future – the one in the first issue was a good start but I want to know more about kit, tactics and so on. Sincerely, Paul Roland, Berks

AA: Hi Jon – first, your point on competitions has been duly noted – if you flick to page 10 you’ll find a full list of winners of competitions from November issue through Xmas issue. And second, we’ve so far focussed on those sort of rifles because, after all, we’re the new kid on the block and have got a lot of catching up to do! But rest assured we will of course not ignore the cheaper weapons available, especially, as you say, for an awful lot of people they are the first weapons they will own.

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AA: Hi Paul – you’re actually in luck! Well, sort of – if you ﬂick to page 87 you’ll ﬁnd an excellent article on the role of the airsoft designated marksman. This is similar to a sniper but combines the more ‘exciting’ role of the infantry too. Hope that helps for now – we’ll see what we can do in future for you!

PICTURE PERFECT Hey AA! Letters is all well and good – but how about pictures of readers in their kit? I mean, if people like to see their name in print then they’ll bloody love to see their faces! Take care, Brian Littleworth

AA: Hey Brian! Well, tell you what, send us your picture and we’ll print it! How’s that for fair? If we get enough we shall devote an entire two-page-spread to pics of our beautiful readership in all their glory (SFW only, please!)!

READERS’ PICTURES We want your airsoft pictures! Send in pics of yourself, your team, or whatever, dressed in your ﬁnest load-out or in the middle of the action! We’ll pick the best each month and print them right here, for the whole world to see. Email: anthonyp@ blazepublishing.co.uk. Hard copy photos can be accepted at the address at the front of the magazine. Please include a stamped, addressed envelope if you want your pictures back!

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AIRSOFT AIR A AI IIR RSO RSO RS SOFT SOF OFT O FT FT

NEWS NE N E EW W WS S FIRST AND ONLY: THE GARRISON

First and Only Airsoft has acquired a new Midlands-based site. The new site, The Garrison, is located in Malvern, Worcestershire (WR14) near the Three Counties Showground. The Garrison brings the total number of sites operated by First and Only to 12 (including The Armoury, Wrexham, which First and Only has received permission to reopen). The Google Maps screengrab shows the area; First and Only has confirmed it will also use the wooded area to the south of the site, tripling its effective area. The site was previously used as a US Army Medical Corp hospital until 1945. An intensive clean up is required before the site is usable, although the first game is billed for February. The site was used for illegal flytipping of tyres; at one point more than 500,000 tyres were dumped there. The pictures say the rest! Urban explorers provide more details on the site – see bit.ly/UrbExWorcs. For more details contact First and Only: www.firstandonlyevents.co.uk

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AMBUSH ADVENTURES:

AIRSOFT

LONGMOOR SITE ACTION COMPETITION RESULTS Ambush Adventures has announced that 3 March will see the ﬁrst game of 2012 at the Longmoor Military Camp site in Hampshire. The Longmoor site comprises several one- and two-storey buildings, gardens, alleyways, garages and cellars, as well as bridges, woodland, and even a train track. Airsoft Action will be there to cover the 3 March game – join us if you fancy playing this truly awesome site! For details contact Ambush Adventures: 01252 315225, www.ambushairsoft.com.

It’s been pointed out we’ve not released the results of our competitions in some time. So here you go, the winners of competitions from our November to Xmas issues – just so you can be jealous it wasn’t you!

November issue: Oakley Monster Dogs Winner: Graham Prosser, Leics

December issue: Gunmunki custom work Winner: James Peach, Warks

Xmas issue: Celcius MX2 CTW Winner: Gary Stratmann, London

Xmas issue: Estonia Real Steel Training Course Winner: Keith Partridge, Ealing For details of this month’s competition, and to enter, ﬂick to page 17. It could be you next time!

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NEW SNOW CAMO AIRSOFT NEWS PATTERN IN PRODUCTION Pencott Snowdrift camouflage has entered production. By the time you read this we’ll have had a chance to get up close and personal with the innovative new pattern from Pencott at the 2012 SHOT Show in Vegas. According to Pencott, the Snowdrift pattern features a natural, omni-directional and multiscalar fractal geometry pattern. A unique three-in-one pattern design provides for greater blending and disruption, while the colour palettes used are optimised for a variety of environments. Snowdrift is an attempt to break the mould of snow camo patterns. Designed to provide superior concealment in a wide range of snowcovered terrains, Pencott recognised that often this terrain is not a blanket of pure white as competitor patterns would have you believe. Watch our Facebook page (www.facebook. com/AirsoftAction) and Twitter feed (www. twitter.com/AirsoftAction) for more info as it happens. For details: Hyde Definition, www.hydedefinition.com.

KWA KRISS VECTOR AT SHOT KWA Performance Industries has released a tantalising teaser for the forthcoming KRISSlicenced KWA KRISS Vector Super V. It has also conﬁrmed that this year’s SHOT Show will be our ﬁrst chance to see it in person – so by the time you read this we should have had chance to handle it, talk to the guys at KWA and be able to bring you more solid details.

News of the KWA KRISS collaboration has circulated for several years, but actual news has been scarce since the collaboration was ﬁrst announced. A prototype was on show at the KWA stand in 2011, but was not able to be ﬁred. Sources state that KWA’s KRISS Vector will be an exact 1:1 replica, and utilise KWA’s highly effective gas blowback system. The product is already listed

on KWA’s website, under SMG’s, though no information has been added to the page. Please note, image shows real steel KRISS Vector – so you can decide whether this ‘must-have spec ops SMG sensation’ is really a must-have for your airsoft weapons cache! KWA Performance Industries: www.kwausa.com

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BETA PROJECT TACTICAL AK

Beta Project is relatively new to the airsoft market, and not known for producing AEGs. Its Tactical AK is a collaboration with Magpul PTS – but is it any good? Ratty gives it the once over

ue naked man sitting at an organ and the immortal words of Monty Python: “And now for something completely different!” Over the years airsoft players have pretty much split into two main camps: those who own and love M16/M4s, and those who don’t. For a long time those on the ‘other’ side were limited to what they could do to accessorize their ‘fill in the blank’ rifle. Either you didn’t bother or, by the time you had spent a fortune on your after-market rail systems and other bits and hacked them around to fit properly, you were sick of the sight of it after the initial “Look what I’ve accomplished”. But despite that you couldn’t

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sell it on as everyone said, “Well I really like this bit, but don’t like that bit,” and so on. Nowadays things are a little different. Various companies offer versions of non-M4 based riﬂes already with rails and alternative stocks and what have you. But it is a relatively new company in the airsoft market that has grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns. Beta Project has collaborated with Magpul PTS; the result is the Tactical AK. I know that AKs aren’t to everyone’s taste and I suppose this will be a bit of a Marmite gun – you’ll either love it or hate it. As I said, Beta Project is relatively new on the airsoft scene, and there is not a huge amount known about them. The Hong Kong-

based company has been manufacturing magazines (again Magpul PTS based) and other accessory items for a short time now, and its airsoft gun rack has been described as the best gun rack on the market. Some of you may have already heard the Beta Project name, with regards to its M200 (Cheytac) spring sniper riﬂe. A good friend recently purchased one of these, so I am intrigued to see how he gets on with that. However, this seems to be Beta Project’s ﬁrst AEG to hit the market. Magpul PTS (as we all know) has been around for some time now, and seems to be going from strength to strength. It has been (and indeed still is) on the cutting-edge of airsoft with its innovative and functional products.

THE ARMOURY and is another of the reasons this AK feels so solid. The release catch for the top cover works smoothly and, unlike many other AKs, the top cover clicks back down effortlessly, with or without a battery fitted. I own a couple of AKs from two other well-known manufacturers and I wish they fitted back on this easily. With the top cover off there is plenty of room to fit an 8.4v stick type battery (to the point that you could quite easily fit another cell in the space that is left). A 9.6v would obviously up your rate of fire, but may well invalidate your warranty with the retailer! The small Tamiya connector is located at the rear, close to the locking catch itself. The magazine release catch is where you would expect it to be, just forward of the trigger guard. The pistol grip (in black) is again something I have not seen fitted to an AK. It is an M249 type grip, which adds to the overall chunkiness of the rifle, but does give an excellent feel. The safety switch/fire selector is solid, unlike many other AKs (which end up all loose and floppy), and it gives an audible click when it selects one of its three positions. For those that have not owned or used AKs before, safe is at the top, one click

Overview The box itself is very unassuming, plain brown with just a couple of labels on it to let you know what you have purchased – but hey, it’s only a box, stop picking on it. But once you flip the lid, however, you will see that this is probably the best and most protective internal packaging for an airsoft rifle ever seen. There are two layers before you get to the gun itself, then the pre-cut layer that rifle sits in, and another two layers the other side of it. Alongside the rifle and the magazine is a simple but informative instruction sheet. I couldn’t help but be surprised by how chunky and solid-feeling the rifle felt as I took it from the box. It has a decent heft, weighing in at 3,500g. The other thing you cannot help but notice is how striking the rifle looks. At first, surprisingly, I wasn’t sure whether I’d fall into the ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’ camp. Based on an AK74, it’s not just an AK with a rail system slapped onto it and called a ‘tactical’

“Based on an AK74, it’s not just an AK with a rail system slapped onto it and called a ‘tactical’ version – there is far more to it than that!” version – there is far more to it than that! The stock is a Magpul PTS CTR stock (in black), which is ﬁtted onto an M4-style buffer tube. The CTR stock has been available on its own for some time, but for those of you who aren’t familiar with it, its main feature is a friction lock system which eliminates stock movement when locked onto the buffer tube. The receiver is dark earth in colour and has ambidextrous charging handles (more about them later). The receiver itself is full-metal

down is full-auto and two clicks (fully down) is semi. It has standard AK front and rear battle sights. As I said earlier, a unique feature of the Beta Project Tactical AK is the ambidextrous charging handles. Although this gun is not an electric blowback it does allow left- and right-handed users to get to the hop adjuster (located just inside the ejection port) more easily. The hop adjuster itself is a sliding lever and very simple to operate.

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My only criticism is that there are no sling mounts as standard. I know that as an M4 style buffer tube there are plenty of aftermarket sling adaptors for end users to choose from, and same again with a front rail mount. I suppose that not having any as standard will allow the customer to choose from using a single or three point sling, whichever they prefer. Forward of the receiver is the 240mm metal rail system (in black) which is standard 20mm Picatinny style. The top rail is just over 170mm in length, but the four rails provide all the space you will need to mount every accessory you could possible require in a game. The aesthetics are topped off with an AK74U-style ﬂash hider. The magazine supplied with the riﬂe is a 140BB AK74 Magpul PTS P-Mag mid cap. This is quite transparent, so you can see how many rounds you have in the mag at any point, and has a dark earth base plate.

In Use By now, having given the exterior a good and thorough going over, I figured it must be time to see if the Beta Project V3 gearbox (and the rest of the internals) was built to the same high standard. With a fully charged 8.4v 1300mAh stick battery fitted and the mag filled with Madbull Precision Grade 0.2g BBs, off I went to my test area. I set the stock to suit me and locked it in place. As it was brand new out of the box, I ran through 10 mags with the hop just slightly turned on. Flicking it between full and semi-auto, the selector still felt sturdy and showed no sign of intentions to loosen up. Doing a succession of double taps on semi, the trigger response was surprisingly good. On auto the AK just kept chucking out round after round, as it should. After 10 mags I set the hop roughly where I thought it should

be and tried a short burst. All the BBs were hitting my targets at both 100ft and 120ft, so I selected semi again and ﬁred some more double taps. These were still thwacking into the targets. Rather impressive I thought… Better whip out the chrono! The blurb for the ofﬁcial UK spec version (distributed by Edgar Brothers) says that the Tactical AK should be running between 360-370fps. With the hop turned fully off I was achieving 340-349fps, which is probably even better. After resetting the hop to where I had it earlier, I was getting 326-335fps.

Summary As with most things in life, first impressions count – a lot! Beta Project, as a relatively new company, has a lot riding on this AEG, but what a way to make an impression. First it’s a well-thought-out and manufactured AK; second, the collaboration with Magpul PTS makes for a totally unique and funky-looking rifle, setting it apart from the rest. The more I used it the more I could feel the quality. The weight is spot on so you won’t get tired lugging it around all day. It feels so sturdy and robust that you won’t worry about it breaking when it falls over in the Safe Zone or when you clonk it into a door frame when room clearing. It fires really nice and consistent and the fps out of the box means you shouldn’t get any grief on any game site I can think of. So if you are looking for one rifle that isn’t an M4 but will cover all of your gaming requirements and allow you to mount all your goodies, then look no further! What else can I say? I really, really like the Beta Project Tactical AK – but then again I do love my Marmite on toast! ■

SPECIFICATIONS Beta Project AK Tactical Weight: 3,500g Build: Full metal receiver, rail system and ﬂash hider; ABS stock, pistol grip and magazine Length: 820mm stock collapsed; 900mm stock extended Gearbox: Version 3 Hop up: Adjustable Magazine: 140BB AK74 Magpul PTS P-Mag mid cap Battery: 8.4v stick type Velocity: 340-349fps (hop off); 326335fps (hop on) Price: Around £360

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COMPETITION

WIN...WIN...WIN... VFC XCR AS SEEN IN LAST MONTH'S

AIRSOFT ACTION!

ow would you like to own your very own VFC/Robinson Arms XCR, reviewed in the January 2012 issue of Airsoft Action? If the answer's a resounding yes, then you're in luck: just answer the question below, by ticking the box beside the answer you think is correct, and send us your completed entry form (by post or email). We’ve got one to give away – first correct answer pulled from the editor's hat takes the rifle. Go go go!

ON ARMS XCR COMP eel Robinson Arms XCR designed?

2004

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2006

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Postcode

Competition, Airsoft Action, Blaze Publishing, treet, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 5SZ. mpetition@blazepublishing.co.uk, quoting ‘G&G e. Entries received after 15 February will not be old. Winner will be ﬁrst correct entry pulled from

e to keep you informed of other offers and e if you would NOT like to be contacted by post

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MAW

MODERN AIRSOFT WARFARE The website says: “Guns, grenades, pain and sweat. This is the promise. No frills, just fast paced simulated military combat.” Pain and sweat? Best we let Nige check this one out!

am not my best at 08:00, especially when I’ve been driving for nearly three hours, but the welcome I got at Modern Airsoft Warfare (MAW) could not have been warmer. Coffee and mince pies were particularly well received – this was, after all, MAW’s Christmas Bash! MAW is based just outside Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, on the site of the old Asfordby Gun Range. It’s one of those ‘I wish I could step back in time to see what it was like then’ places. Unfortunately there is not much history available but so far as I can tell it started life in 1918 as The Holwell Proof Butts, and was used for servicing and testing heavy calibre guns. The guns were dryﬁred into long tunnels built into the hillside until it was closed in March 1971 after local residents protested that the vibrations were slowly demolishing their homes!

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Most of the buildings have subsequently been pulled down but there are quite a few that remain. There’s also a raised walkway that leads off into the trees which gives this part of the site an almost Myst-like feeling and makes it perfect for the first game of the day – a Zombie warm-up! The site operator, Jay, had told me that he expected about 30 players for the day and, although I didn’t do a head-count, there seemed to be quite a few more than that. As it was MAW’s Christmas Bash some players had arrived in costume, including four Santas, a Christmas Cracker and (no, I am not joking) a 6ft Turkey! Fair play to these guys, as they wore their outfits for the whole day! I was really pleased to see that first things first meant putting every gun over the chrono. Each was then tagged to show this had been done – no tag, no play. Once

chronoing was ﬁnished Jay called everyone up for a very good safety brieﬁng and outlined the order of play, starting with the aforementioned Zombie warm-up – which would start over at the Railway Station and use the walkways into the forest. The Four Santas would start as Zombies so the rest headed off into the trees and buildings along the walkway. Zombies could not be killed and any player hit had to go back to the regen point where they instantly became Zombies and returned to the game on the other side. Needless to say this led to some pretty frantic (and sometimes very funny) action but the game served its purpose and got everyone acquainted and ready for more. This is very much the MAW style. Jay likes to start the day with short, theme-based games before moving into longer, objective-

SITE REVIEW

based scenarios which test ‘endurance and strategic aptitude’ – and there is plenty of room on this site to do just that. MAW covers about 55 acres and is full of both natural and man-made features. Some of these – like the Hilltop Bunker and Missile Silo – are the result of its previous use, while others have been constructed more recently, such as District 9 and the Rebel Camp. All appear well thought-out, with emphasis on being playable rather than just functional – great for airsofters! The second game was an attack and defend scenario in the same area, before players made their way back to the Safe Zone to re-arm and grab a coffee (and another mince pie). MAW runs a points system, with points awarded for winning games as well as to individuals for outstanding play and, just for today, prizes for best fancy dress. With player marshals on both sides and a number

of other marshals on-site throughout the day, play is kept moving and any disputes very quickly (and amicably) resolved. Back out on site it was time for the Red Team to defend the Hilltop Bunker, a sealed, underground water-storage tank built at the highest point, surrounded by trees and approachable from all directions. The defenders had to stay within a boundary line painted on the trees while the attackers had full range. To win, though, the Blue Team had to be in possession of the bunker at game end, with all Reds accounted for.

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PRIZE WINNERS Outstanding Play Todd Wilson and Alex Green Fancy Dress Steve Beasley (6ft Turkey) and Gillon Tompkins (Santa/Reindeer love-child, complete with red tinsel garrot) All prize winners received a free game day voucher and a bottle of Blaster BBs.

Pushing up the slope the Blues made a good advance, but were stopped by very accurate fire from the Reds above them. Although they made some inroads into the defence they simply didn’t have sufficient numbers at any time to mount a full-scale attack. The Reds prevailed, managed to repel the attacks and were still in possession at game end, when the roles were reversed. This time the Reds felt the force of a determined defence and it wasn’t until the last few minutes of the game that they finally managed to breach the Blue line and force

only a few minutes respite between each sub-objective and plenty of trips to regen. The Blues were the attacking side but, within spitting distance of their ﬁnal objective and despite a last-minute charge, the whistle was blown for game-end. One last game was played, but with the heavens open and light failing play came to an end, with the Reds winning 11 points to eight – although (as I have so often seen) the points didn’t seem to matter. What really mattered was that every player had a really good day, playing safely on a well-run site, thoroughly enjoyed themselves and, to a man, said they would come back again. For me, that’s all that needs to be said! ■

“…some players had arrived in costume, including four Santas, a Christmas Cracker and (no, I am not joking) a 6ft Turkey!”

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their way into the bunker. Unfortunately a single Blue player spoilt their victory by remaining hidden at the back of the bunker and effectively picking off a good number of Reds right up to game end, resulting in another draw. Back at the Safe Zone for lunch there were Pot Noodles and chocolate bars for sale (although some of the regulars, with the beneﬁt of experience, had brought sausage and beans plus a cooker along). Afterwards Jay called everyone back together to explain the afternoon’s games. This would be a longer, more involved scenario and would use a much greater area of the site, starting from the Hilltop Bunker and working all the way round to the House of Death. It also involved a box full of Alien Eggs which had to be carried (very carefully, mind) by two players; points would be awarded for the number of eggs to arrive at the objective in one piece. I have to say this worked really well and encouraged almost non-stop action, with

MODERN AIRSOFT WARFARE Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 Prices Walk-on: £20 (£15 if paid minimum seven days in advance) Themed Days: From £25 (£20 if booked in advance) Riﬂe hire: Not available Contact: www.modernairsoftwarfare.co.uk 07562 479966

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FIELDCRAFT

COVERING YOUR ARCS Billy Basics: “Doing the basics well is the foundation of all soldiering”

nyone who has put on a military uniform, be it as a TA Soldier, a Regular or as an airsofter, will have heard the term ‘Cover your arcs’ – sometimes as a quick reminder in a brief, sometimes in a harsh tone from the Section Commander or Squad Leader encouraging you to switch on. But what does it actually mean? How do you do it, and why? The word arcs (in the dictionary: an unbroken part of the circumference of a circle or curved line) refers to the 360°

horizontally surrounding your location (which must be observed if you are to guarantee your security). Another term you might have heard is ‘all-round defence’ which speaks for itself. That might be when you’re out patrolling, in an offensive role, or in a static base location. Even in an ambush situation, despite the fact that it’s an offensive patrol it is still a patrol with not unlimited ﬁrepower, and therefore potentially vulnerable. The ambush group would still have its arcs covered, with the left cut off/right cut off

fulfilling their roles, the main killer group facing the expected direction of the enemy approach. But what about the rear area, behind all the firepower? What if an enemy patrol ahead of the main force to be ambushed, stumbled into the rear of the ambush group? Contact to the rear? Confusion would reign. So this is where we find the oft-forgotten rear protection, which will have the important task of guarding the Bergen cache or day sacks. They’ll be keeping an eye on the rear and hopefully they won’t be

“…arcs need to be interlocking, or in layman’s terms overlapping, so that there are no gaps in your vigilant watch through which a cunning enemy can approach”

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rustling sweetie papers. The rear protection commander will also have comms with the overall ambush commander, because it’s no good having eyes all round if the commander has no way of ﬁnding out what’s going on around him. The 360° around your roving patrol or location are broken down for simplicity, into four 90° angles. Each of you will be allocated an arc to watch, or if there are more of you then the Commander might do it by eye, the situation will dictate. Don’t forget though that the arcs need to be interlocking, or in layman’s terms overlapping, so that there are no gaps in your vigilant watch through which a cunning enemy can approach. And so when you’re asked, ever so politely and in a reasonable tone, to cover your arcs, you should watch your 90° section, and where possible do it over the sights of your weapon. That way you’ll be in a position to engage the enemy quickly, thus denying him the element of surprise. So by covering your arcs you’re keeping your eyes open for the opposition. And this is not a technique that was thought up by

the British Army either – it’s a basic of any military unit. The Roman Army were so impressed with the vigilance of geese they encountered in the wild that they used them to guard the perimeters of their forts over 2,000 years ago. While hunting them for food the Roman soldiers observed that, while the majority of the flock were heads down, eating grass, there were always smaller groups of threes and fours standing watch on each of the corners, and without any noticeable communication they would occasionally swap duties, thereby always maintaining a constant watch over the flock, who were exposed on the fens and mud flats. So the Romans caught live Geese and stationed groups of four or five at the corners of their forts and camps, and during the night the ever-watchful geese would call out in alarm if they were approached. Effective, and considerably cheaper than drones and computers – and they could eat them too! So if you find yourself static or in a base location, and you haven’t remembered to bring the geese, it’s down to you. While out

SKILLS ROOM patrolling you still have to cover your arcs, but you have to do it on the move, so how do you divvy up the duties? You divide up the arcs using your line of march or advance, so the soldier at the front is responsible for the 180° to his front, and obviously the rear man is responsible for the rear 180°. The rear man can’t walk backwards otherwise he’d be forever falling over, so what he does is every so often walk swiftly up to the man in front of him, and then turns to face the rear and have a good scan of his arc for 10 seconds or so, and then continue his march. The soldiers in the patrol will then alternately take the left and right, but all will look to cover the whole of the ﬂank 180° and not just 90°. The guy at the front has the hardest job, and the most stressful; he is probably the most vulnerable, depending on where you think the enemy is, and he will be the ﬁrst to get it if he stumbles into an

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COVERING THE ARCS

All round defence

Order of march

Sitting in a circle

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enemy position, so ensure that you rotate people through this job on a regular basis so the lead scout gets a chance to rest within the patrol. So does ‘all round defence’ mean you have to be facing outwards all the time? Well not necessarily; you can be creative and use your imagination. If you’re in a small

group and decide you want to pause for a short halt – for a water stop or a breather – and you need to discuss something between the patrol, you can sit facing inwards and keep watch over your opposite number’s shoulder. It’s not perfect, but nothing is in soldiering, is it? Otherwise it would be easy. ■

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Scopes, clothing, tools and guns: Santa was good to us this year! PAO 1X30 RED/GREEN DOT SIGHT £40 Professional Airgun Optics (PAO) is a fairly new face in the world of weapon sight systems. The company produces rifle scopes, rangefinders, night vision optics – and, of course, the 1x30 red/green dot sight featured here! This 1x magnification dot sight allows the user to choose between a red or green dot, and will fit any 20mm weaver rail system. Provides for five brightness levels in both red and green settings. Made of aircraft-grade aluminium, this is a robust, wellpriced optic suitable for both pistols and rifles.

Surplus Store, 01293 525880, www.surplusstore.co.uk

MAGNUM SIDEWINDER HPI (MULTICAM) £189.95 In development with the aid of UK, US and other SF personnel for more than 12 months, the Magnum Sidewinder HPi features Crye Precision-licensed Multicam pattern. They still have Magnum’s own ion-mask technology though, which provides resistance to water, blood-borne pathogens and other chemicals. They are not waterproof, so take care to keep those feet dry! A breathable lining keeps things fresh though and the whole thing is very well-constructed, using durable materials, and should survive a good amount of use.

Stringtown Supplies, 01323 488844, www. stringtownsupplies.org.uk

INSPECT

DEERHUNTER SNEAKY 3D CAMOUFLAGE Around £50 – check your local stockist We tested this awesome camo over suit at a woodland skirmish. Despite being incredibly lightweight, and made of thin material, the suit is resistant to tears and snagging and durable enough you won’t worry about it being ripped apart. Deerhunter’s own Innovation pattern emphasises the 3D effect to provide for impressive camouﬂaging properties. Features elasticated waistband and pull cord fastening. Our only gripe is with the buttons, which are prone to popping off – a bit of tape on the inside soon sorted that out.

Deerhunter, www. deerhunter.dk (products available from hunting outlets)

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KIT BAG

TRIJICON ACOG 4X32 (REPLICA) £54.99 This authentic replica of the Trijicon TA31 with ﬁbre optic across the top (non functional) features high quality full-metal construction and can be mounted onto 20mm or 11mm (weaver or dovetail) rails. Crystal-clear optics and a 32mm objective lens provide for quick target acquisition and top-notch accuracy. Plus, ﬁve brightness settings allow for adjustments for different conditions and preferences.

Flashlight Heaven, www.ﬂashlight-heaven.co.uk

KWC 24/7 £75.99 Occupying a comfortable price bracket, KWC’s CO2 powered pistols are excellent entry pistols. The 24/7 is a replica of the Taurus PT24, with metal slide and ABS frame, and ideally suited to younger or new players (or just those on a budget!). The 24/7 we got to play with is a non-blowback version without any Taurus trademarks. The grip is rubberised and textured, and while the look might not be to your taste the stippling does improve grip. The magazines are a pain to source though. Be prepared to buy overseas, if not from the dreaded eBay. We found this to be well short of its stated 1.4J power, giving an average of 50 shots at 278fps – but perfectly serviceable nonetheless. A great bit of kit, but we advise you to work out where your mags will come from before you commit to buying it!

Highland Outdoors (UK distributor), www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk

INSPECT

GERBER DIESEL MULTITOOL AROUND £70 Gerber’s Diesel is a multitool built to last. Featuring Gerber’s patented onehanded opening system, a ﬂick of the wrist unveils no less than 13 components, including several sizes of screwdriver, pliers, wire cutter and partially-serrated blade. This isn’t cheap, but then it’s not your run of the mill multitool – with a closed length of almost 13cm this is one big, tough bit of kit. Drop it into your bag before heading for the skirmish ﬁeld – but please remember not to take it into the game! Realism has its limits – actual knife kills fall just outside those limits. Just. Please note, pictured here is the Diesel in Mossy Oak pattern – but this isn’t available from UK retailers, who stock it in silver and black only.

Gerber, www.gerbergear.co.uk

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EVENT REVIEW

AMBUSH ADVENTURES XMAS GAME 2011 Taking a break from reviewing riﬂes, Ratty went down to Chobham in Surrey for Ambush Adventure’s Xmas Bash

f you live in the South of England and have played airsoft over the last few years, there is a fair chance that you have played at Ambush Adventure’s Chobham site. This 46-acre woodland site has been running for some 15 years now, originally as a paintball site but for the last 10 years or so as an airsoft skirmish site – so you could say it is fairly well-established! Having played there myself on and off over the years I have seen the site develop, with more features added, some old ones taken away – and thankfully some new drainage

trenches dug! Some of their Christmas bashes in years gone by have reached almost legendary status for their fun-ﬁlled, tongue-incheek games – and of course some outrageous fancy dress costumes. So on the last Sunday before Christmas 2011, I thought it time to review this Xmas tradition… Already 18 December seems an age ago, and it’s not even the New Year at the time of writing this. The morning of the event started off cold and murky but by the time I arrived the sun had decided to come out, which usually guarantees a good turnout. The ground was

frozen underfoot and the Safe Zone itself was pretty much deserted apart from head marshal Dave and Theo from Airsoft QMS setting up his on-site shop. On game days he sells all manner of accessory items and tactical gear. Of course under my official capacity I was busy setting up my mobile Badger Tac shop, selling a selection of rifles and pistols, as well as other kit from the shop, for those who had some money left over after their Christmas shopping! Charlie and Christine, who own and run Ambush Adventures, were next to arrive with their van filled with not just the rental

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equipment, BBs and the burgers and hotdogs for lunch, but also mince pies and the Xmas raffle prizes. The first few players arrived and it was plain, even at this early stage in the day, that today’s event could be called ‘Clash of the Santa Hats’. More and more groups of skirmishers arrived and soon the Safe Zone was awash with different camouflage patterns, mostly topped off with the seeminly obligatory Santa hats. A few fancy dress outfits had also started appearing, some festive and others not so – a guy in full ‘Rourkes Drift’ regalia instantly springs to mind! With everyone booked in and in possession of their free Xmas raffle ticket, those that were renting guns were shown how to use them.

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This done, all 123 players gathered together in the Safe Zone for the obligatory safety brief. I know these can be time consuming, and regular players get complacent because they’ve heard it all before, but if you don’t pay attention to anything else throughout the day at least make sure you listen to this. Charlie injected his usual humour while running through the safety points and the dos and don’ts of the site. Then it was over to Dave to get the ﬁrst game going. With the sun now beaming through the tree cover the frost was clearing and the ground was softening up nicely. About 45 minutes later, with the initial warm up game completed, a few of the faces coming back into the Safe Zone were the same colour as their hats!

The next scenario was slightly harder, as both a three-phase game and a timed event. There would obviously be a role reversal as well. The first phase would see the attacking team starting in the little woods, advancing into the village to locate the ammo box hidden in one of the huts and being defended by the dug-in opposition. Once this had been captured and the defenders pushed back over the bridges, phase two was to get the ammo box itself over one of four bridges. None of the attacking team could cross any bridge until this was completed. From there, the third and final phase was to plant the ammo box into the fort located at the far end of the site. The attackers had unlimited regen while the defenders’ regen would be closed when the bucket sitting on the tank was hit by a BB from the attacking team. For the attackers, the ammo box could only be moved when carried by two people. Once Dave had explained all this and the other nitty gritty (twice for those players wearing Multicam and ACU!) it was time for blue team to set off to their start point in the little woods while the red team sorted out their defensive positions. As I walked around the battlefield there were plenty of the Blue Team with their hands held high heading back to their regen point before re-entering the combat zone. A browse around the Red Team’s defensive positions showed the Blues’ attempts being successfully repelled all over. But all of a sudden they got a break and retrieved the ammo box. In the midst of incoming fire, a plan was formulated and the two guys carrying the ammo box, along with a protection force, hot-footed it down the bridge at the far end. The battle raged for a while longer but soon the cry went out, letting the team know that the box was successfully over the bridge. The Blues pushed and pushed until they managed to knock out the Reds’ regen point. From there it was just a matter of time before they achieved their main objective and the box was carried by its handlers through the door of the fort. It was back to the Safe Zone for a quick coffee and bomb up before going out again. The Red Team, attacking, seemed to have a slightly more organised plan of attack, although initially they were fought off wherever they went. Obviously the Blues weren’t going to give up without a fight (if only the same could be said of Wycombe Wanderers!) but the Reds were relentless. Eventually the Blues’ regen point was destroyed and, after a last stand at the fort, they were all killed off. As the Red Team relaxed they were reminded that it was

not over until the ammo box was carried inside the fort. With the clock still ticking and some expletives being shouted the Red Team had to hunt around to ﬁnd where they had left the box. It was while laughing about this oversight with one of the marshals that I got shot in the back of the head! Buggers! With everyone back in the Safe Zone I noticed all the mince pies had gone and the results were announced. Despite their lastminute mistake the Red Team still triumphed, completing the mission in just over 27 minutes. It was time for lunch and then, once everyone was fed, time to do the rafﬂe. There were loads of prizes, from bottles of BBs through vouchers and a couple of ASG pump-action shotguns. There were some very happy faces when certain numbers were pulled out the box. It was then that the two players who had brought hot weapons into the Safe Zone at some point during the morning were given their ‘punishment’. Head marshal Dave stood over them and,

in his best drill instructor fashion, started them off on their 10 push ups, military style! You could tell it was Christmas though – Dave didn’t make them do them in a muddy puddle! And for the rest of day everyone took their mags out and cleared their weapons long before entering the Safe Zone! Afterwards it was announced what the next game was going to be… A donations box was put on the counter to raise money for Help for Heroes and, depending on the pot of money raised, regular player Terry Robinson would don his thong, and along with his team of 19 bodyguards would be the objective. A total of £115.30 was deposited, so it was on with the thong for Terry! The sight of our Terry in his thong with his wig, glasses and gold chain was slightly disturbing, and I couldn’t help wondering whether this was perhaps his normal Sunday attire! Everyone got into the spirit of it and game on was called. What followed was a complete hoot and there wasn’t one person that didn’t

EVENT REVIEW

have a massive smile on their face by the time the whistle went. And although most of his manliness was on view, Terry had been hit surprising few times. Time was getting on and with the temperature staring to drop the last game of the day was announced: Players v Staff! Anyone who had worked for Ambush Adventures throughout the last year was immediately put on the Staff team. By now I don’t think anyone really cared what the exact rules of engagement were; just the chance to shoot Charlie or any of the staff members was too much to resist. Again, all the players were still in high spirits and trotted out to their start points. What ensued was 30 minutes of mayhem – I think ‘Overkill’ may have been shouted on more than one occasion! As the sun set over Chobham, Charlie and the team thanked the players. The ﬁrst game date of 2012 was bellowed and people packed their gear and, still wearing their Santa hats, headed off home. All in all a great day, with a mixture of serious skirmishing and some very light-hearted games designed to make everyone laugh and have a good time. Then again, isn’t that why we all play airsoft skirmish in the ﬁrst place? ■

AMBUSH ADVENTURES: CHOBHAM Chobham, Surrey GU24 8SL Ambush Adventures uses its Chobham and Southampton sites on alternate weekends. Ambush also runs some special events, as well as hosting some practical pistol shooting. Prices Walk on: £20 Riﬂe hire: From £40 Contact: 01252 315225, www.ambushadventures.co.uk

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UMAREX/VFC H&K 416 GAS BLOW BACK RIFLE Shakespeare could have written “AEG or GBB? That is the question.” But he didn’t – so we asked Ratty if Umarex’s HK416 has the answer…

he Heckler & Koch 416 series has become a bit of a legend in its own right. There have been airsoft versions of varying quality around for some time. While there will always be the debate about whether to go for an AEG or GBB version of any riﬂe or SMG, when offered the chance of reviewing this latest offering from Umarex I jumped at it.

History For some years now Heckler & Koch has been at the cutting edge of modern ﬁrearms development and manufacture. From icons such as the MP5 series to the ultra-modern G36 series, its products have always been held up as reliable and very well-manufactured. Delta Force and Heckler & Koch got together to develop a new carbine.

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H&K’s view was to cure the M16/M4 series of all their problems, inherent to its 40-year-old design. The company used its experience from the recent (and very successful) upgrade programme of the British Army SA80/L85A1 riﬂes, as well as its development on the G36 series. At that time the G36 had just been adopted by the German Army. The new project was originally designated the ‘HK M4’, but was changed owing to a suit ﬁled by Colt Defence over trademark infringement. The main improvement made by H&K was to use its patented short-stroke gas piston system, which operates a seven-lug rotating bolt and is also found in the G36 series. This system replaced the direct gas system of the standard M16/M4, so no powder residue remained in the receiver even after sustained shooting sessions. This new system is self-

regulating and works reliably with any barrel length. It also reduces malfunctions and increases the life of parts. Other improvements included a new buffer assembly, improved bolt and a cold hammer forged barrel with a 20,000-round service life. The cold forging process provides a stronger barrel for use in extended ﬁring sessions and generally improved safety. The 416 also features a free-ﬂoating handguard which helps improve accuracy, with integral Picatinny-type rail system on all four sides. The 416 has a new style, ergonomically-designed pistol grip, an adjustable (six position) telescopic stock, and interestingly the shoulder pad can either be concave or convex. It also features storage space for accessories such as batteries and small maintenance tools. As standard they come with folding front and rear sights too.

THE ARMOURY Originally the 416 programme was developed to be a ‘drop in’ upper receiver assembly that would fit any M16/M4 type lower receiver. Customers do indeed have the option of buying the new upper receiver, buffer and drive spring to refurbish their existing M4s. H&K also started manufacturing its own lower receivers (made of high grade aluminium alloy), allowing the end user to buy a complete system off the shelf. These lower receivers retain all the familiar M16 style controls: last round bolt hold open device, rear-based charging handle, magazine release button on right-hand side of the mag well and the combination safety/fire selector. This is ambidextrous so the weapon can be used by both right-handed and left-handed operators. In true H&K fashion, the selector options are pictorial rather than wordy. At this time the complete H&K 416 is available in four barrel lengths: 10.5in, 14.5in and a 16.5in carbine, as well as a 20in barrelled rifle. As of October 2010 the 416C, an Ultra-Compact (9in barrel) version became available. Designed for CQB situations or use as personal defence weapon or close protection operators, this sub carbine shares a lot of the components used in its bigger brothers, although it does have a new retractable stock and buffer system. In 2004, Delta Force replaced its M4s with H&K 416s after testing. It has also been tested by other parts of the US military and is in use with some law enforcement agencies and special operations units, including NASA Emergency Response Team. The Norwegian Army, after extensive testing, has adopted the 416 as its standard rifle too. It is in service with 15 countries including Australia (Special Operations Command), Germany (KSK), Japan (Maritime Defence Force) and Slovakia (5th Special Forces Regiment) to name a few. In December 2009, a modified variant underwent testing by the United States Marine Corps as the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. After testing at the Marine Corps Fort McCoy and Camp Shelby for dust, cold and hot weather conditions, an order for 458 IARs was placed to equip the four Infantry Battalions and one Light Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion deployed to Afghanistan in 2011.

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There is a larger version of the 416, chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO riﬂe cartridges. This H&K 417 is basically an up-scaled version of the 416 and is again ergonomically similar to the M16/M4 series. They take G3 style magazines. Enough on the 417 though, as that is another article in its own right. There are other variants of the H&K 416 for the American civilian market, again in 5.56 and 7.62. These versions, renamed the MR556 & MR762 accordingly, are semi-auto only.

Umarex/ VFC HK416 GBB VFC has been making high-end airsoft AEGs for some time now. The rifles VFC produces have generally always been robust and very well-put-together, so when it started to manufacture gas blowback (GBB) rifles my hopes it could replicate this reliability with an alternate power source were high. As I said earlier, there will always be the debate about ‘AEG or GBB?’ As with everything, both have their pros and cons. In the past gas has always been at a disadvantage here in the UK owing to our climate, which is normally too cold to make a GBB a reliable, year-round airsoft primary. On top of that, early gas rifles were closed bolt, which took away the realism and thus the whole point of owning such a rifle! However, when WE brought out its new open bolt system and we had the G39C running faultlessly at -6°C, I hoped this meant that gas rifles had turned a corner. I have used some early VFC M4 open bolt gas blowbacks and had been rather disappointed by some catastrophic failures that took some time to rectify. However, when Umarex launched its MP5 gas blowback SMGs (again made by VFC), I was pleasantly impressed with build, rate of fire and reliability. This, to me, redeemed VFC’s reputation. So when the Umarex HK416 GBB turned up on my desk I really couldn’t wait to give it a good going over.

First impressions Upon opening the very smart and now-familiar H&K logo’d box, I was presented with the 14.5in-barrelled version, which in all honesty is my favourite version in the range. Also in the box is a 35-round magazine, comprehensive instruction manual and a pistol-type BB loader. As I took it out of the box I could already feel how solid and weighty the Umarex HK416 is – and once it is out of its protective plastic wrap you have to admire how much thought and detail there is on this version. The ABS stock, while familiar-feeling, is quite different to a normal M4 type (or many other crane stocks out there, for that matter). It is solid with very minimal wobble in any of its four position settings and has a chunky rubberised butt pad, which sits nicely when the weapon is shouldered. The stock also incorporates rear sling mounts on both sides.

are paying for top-end licensed products, purely so you can have the realism, the suspension of disbelief is sort of lost when ‘6mm’ is etched in big white letters down the side of your pride and joy. The same can be said, albeit to a lesser degree, about having the ‘Umarex holds the worldwide exclusive HK trademark and exterior design…’ spiel. This appears on the right-hand-side of the receiver in much smaller script, on the magwell under the Heckler & Koch marking. The mag release catch and bolt assist is also on the right-handside of the receiver. The dust cover is made of ABS but the bolt itself is metal, and again has a HK logo on it. Things like that are a particularly nice touch and take your mind off my earlier comments. The charging handle at the rear of the receiver is metal too and feels robust enough to take a reasonable amount of abuse. The upper receiver is a flat-top type with a rail for mounting a sighting system. It comes with a H&K-style rotating rear battle sight that can be easily removed with a Phillips screwdriver. The front free floating rail system is full-metal construction and comes with a fixed front battle sight that can also be removed. On the lower section of the rail, just in front of the magwell, is a bolt that can be undone with an Allan key. Once loosened, this allows the whole rail system to slide forward. And why would I want to do that? Well, because located beneath the rails is the hop adjuster, which I must admit I am really impressed with, in terms of how easy it is to use. Although this process sounds quite fiddly, it isn’t at all as difficult. It shows up the one-piece metal outer barrel, which ends with a standard M16A2 style flash hider. The mag, as you would expect, is a standard VFC M4 gas blowback magazine, an all-metal construction with a capacity of 35 rounds.

“…when WE brought out its new open bolt system and we had the G39C running faultlessly at -6°C, I hoped this meant that gas riﬂes had turned a corner…”

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The curved pistol grip is ergonomic and feels great when in hand. Again, made of quality ABS, it gives you the feel that it won’t fall apart in the first 30 minutes. The metal receiver is very solid and robust. It has an ambidextrous safety/fire selector with options in ‘international’ (picture) format and, just like the real thing, you cannot select safe unless the weapon has been cocked, with or without a magazine fitted. On the lefthand-side of the receiver there is a working bolt release/hold open catch and a unique serial number, and on the magwell is the H&K logo with the model type (416D) etched into the body. My only gripe here (and I know I speak for many other airsoft players) is that the calibre is etched in as ‘6mm BB’. While I know that this is in fact what it is, when you

THE ARMOURY

In Use Old habits die hard, so the first thing I did was put a quick squirt of silicone spray into the bolt and breech area as well as onto the seals and valve of the mag itself. I filled the pistol BB loader with some Madbull Precision Grade 0.2g BBs then loaded up just over 30 rounds into the mag. Once I had gassed up the mag (not forgetting that the mags have a large reservoir) with Abbey Predator Ultra Gas, I was ready to go. Something I’ve experienced with VFC M4s before is that, when loading the first mag, the best thing is to have charged the weapon first and thus have the working parts locked back to the rear before inserting the magazine. This just helps keep wear and tear on the parts to a minimum. Again, as with the real thing, you have to firmly insert the mag. If you don’t make sure it’s properly locked in don’t be surprised if the first time you pull the trigger the mag falls out. Funny for everyone else, but not for you. I hit the bolt release, the bolt slid forward with a reassuring metal thud. With the selector on semi I pulled the trigger. There was click, a hiss and a BB rolled out of the end of the barrel. Not the best of starts. After a fair bit of fettling and a few strip-downs and rebuilds, I tried again. With the mag in and the weapon loaded I pulled the trigger and felt the 416 push back into my shoulder. The BB shot out and the bolt did exactly as it should, thumping back to the rear, returning forward to collect the next BB and loading it into the chamber. After a few rounds I started double-tapping and found the trigger crisp and responsive.

A quick flick onto fullauto and I dumped the rest of the mag in what seemed like no time at all. On the last round the bolt locked back to the rear, as indeed it should. “Happy with that,” I thought, so I re-loaded and regassed and headed back to my test area. The wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped. Bad thoughts started filling my mind. Cold… Windy… Gas rifle… Full-auto… Once again I started off with some doubletaps and all was well, so onto auto – again with no problem. With the third mag I went straight onto auto and we started to struggle after about 20 rounds on short, three-round burst fire. With a large hiss the mag vented its gas and a BB rolled out the end of the barrel. An “Oh, arse!” was muttered, and then after locking the working parts to the rear and removing the mag I checked to make sure that the 416 was clear. The mag was absolutely frozen, so it was back to the office to warm everything up again. After an hour or so, after the mag and 416 had warmed up enough, I tried again. It coped well this time round.

Summary The build quality on this 416 impressed me massively. I really wanted the gun to work faultlessly – anyone who knows me knows that I love the gas open bolt riﬂes and SMGs that are available on the market. Although I had a few teething troubles, reminiscent of earlier experiences with VFC M4s, once it was working properly the 416 put a huge smile on my face.

If you are playing a lot of MilSim style events and are looking for something that is very realistic, modern-looking and is not an M4, then this has to rank high on your list of possibles. With 35-round mags and bolts doing what they should, you cannot get much more realistic than this. Only the marks on the receiver let it down on that score. As a second weapon, if you already own an AEG (maybe another 416!) then it is simply fantastic. Bear in mind though that if it’s your only gun, to run all year round, then you will have issues with its gas power source (unless you only play in those two weeks that we call summer). If I owned one I would certainly be running it on 0.25g, maybe 0.28g, to do it justice. But overall, a great gun. Good on Umarex, and if you can get VFC to sort out the regular issues then it would be the mutt’s. And of course, the Gas v AEG debate rages on – probably forever. ■

SPECIFICATIONS Umarex/VFC HK416 Weight: 3,100g Build: Metal receiver, barrel, free ﬂoating rail system; ABS stock and pistol grip Length: 810mm (stock collapsed); 889mm (stock extended) Inner barrel length: 415mm System: Gas blowback Magazine: VFC M4 35-round Velocity: 305fps (Abbey Predator Ultra, cold day); 348fps (using ASG Ultra Gas on cold day) 393fps (ofﬁcial stats: Green Gas, warm day) Price: Around £300

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REAL SWORD SVD Is Real Sword the closest thing to a real steel riﬂe in airsoft? Scott Allan discusses the company and takes a look at its SVD riﬂe

eal Sword has one ethos and it is really, really simple – don’t make it just like the real thing, but the same as the real thing. From the markings, materials and manufacturing process, Real Sword made the most exciting riﬂes and then worked backwards to make them usable for airsoft. Having met Real Sword on several occasions over the past few years, one thing was clear: it is not necessarily interested in the mass market. David Huang, CEO of Real Sword International Industry, said that when he played he wanted the most realistic weapon he could get without exception. Many companies have made full-metal, real wood kits – but they have

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never been ‘as per the real version’. So David set out to do it right, by the book, on mainland China. This may well be an impossible task (as airsoft guns are illegal on the mainland) but somehow he did it! There are only six models in the Real Sword armoury: ■ Type 56, the Chinese variant of the AK47 with a full stock and under-folding bayonet. ■ Type 56-1, the same riﬂe with a fold-under stock like the AK47s. ■ Type 56-2, the slightly more modern AK with polymer grips and side-folding stock. ■ Type 97, a bullpup riﬂe similar to the FAMAS. ■ Type 97B, a compact version of the bullpup. ■ RS SVD, the Chinese version of the Dragunov.

Every rifle Real Sword makes is a masterpiece in its own right. Individually certificated with FPS readings from the factory, Real Sword shows an unmatched level of care and attention to the rifle. Real Sword’s SVD took a long time to produce. Like all stunning rifles, the more you wanted it the longer it seemed to take to arrive. I have always been dubious about semiauto sniper rifles; it’s not that I have a major issue with the higher FPS on a semi-auto rifle, I just have never believed they performed as well or as consistently as their spring counterparts. And then I ate a sizeable chunk of humble pie.

THE ARMOURY

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“Every rifle Real Sword makes is a masterpiece in its own right. Individually certificated with FPS readings from the factory, Real Sword shows an unmatched level of care and attention to the rifle”

first opened the crate of these and thought, “Oooohhhh! Shiny!” Then I thought, “I have had shiny. I have had a VFC 8mm M82 Barrett… Prepare to be burned!” It felt a good rifle to pick up and I could not wait to try it out – and then I tried to fit the battery. It was, to say the least, a bit of a nightmare, but once you have done it a few times it is not a long procedure. The RS SVD is a whole 200g lighter than the real version and exactly the same length. I used the M120 version, which does have a fair bit of whack behind it. Using Blaster 0.2g BBs I got nice consistent readings: 430.2; 430.5; 431.0; 428.7; 431.5. In fact I would go as far to say as this is the only dedicated electric semi-auto sniper rifle that does what it is meant to do, straight out of the box. Now I have seen our technicians put these up to 580fps and they still ran fine – so if you are a power-hungry beast then the capability is there. If you are not impressed already then the price will change that. The UK retail price is

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£550. Before you baulk, throw your combat teddy out of the pram and jump on the nearest forum to complain, just think about it! Look at the above information and consider what has happened to bring these rifles to the market. Low production runs, endless research to overcome technical barriers and development (the model has been updated twice already) and unparalleled attention to detail. It is said that top manufacturers often test one in 10 rifles, but even at that I would be surprised. We have had entire batches of rifles that have required full strip-down and rebuilds, without getting so much as a ‘sorry’ from the manufacturer. I think in all the years we have worked with Real Sword we have had one issue out of the box, and it was a tiny bend on the inner barrel. Just one rifle out of nearly 100! I know of one player who bought two of these, one to use – fitting modern real polymer parts – and one to keep as a showpiece. There is a growing RS fanbase out there that sees these rifles purely from a collector’s perspective.

The battery lives in the front handguard and is probably not suitable for changing in the middle of a game. If I was going to complain about anything it would be that... and the 96-round magazine. I think 30 rounds is more than enough for a sniper rifle – but then again you could always just put 30 rounds in, nowhere does it say you absolutely must fill it to the top! (Oops, I’m having a Clarkson moment!) The hop unit was recently changed from a bi-directional to a mono ‘standard’ hop. I can only assume that this is yet another further improvement to the design, though I never found any issue with either hop version. Upgrading is easy enough: everything is steel, silver-plated wire and the highest quality parts you could hope for. A big spring is all that is required – though I would personally be tempted to leave it at the 430-mark as it shoots a sizeable distance anyway. If you feel you need a scope, Real Sword makes a lovely copy of the POS-1 scope, or for similar money you can often find a real Russian issue one. Alternatively you could fit something like a Cobra Scope which would undoubtedly be better for day-to-day use on your local skirmish field. So to sum up, the RS SVD is by far the best, and most realistic, airsoft SVD available today. Its manufacturing emulates the real thing and involves 100 per cent quality assurance testing. The rifle features unique serial numbers, and more steel than a Transformers movie. Plus it can use the real issue Russian scope. What more do you want? It really doesn’t get much more realistic than this. There are cheaper SVDs out there and I know this will not be for everyone. But I would still urge you, at the very least, to appreciate what went into the production of the RS SVD – even if, like me, you will probably never own one. ■

SPECIFICATIONS Real Sword RS SVD Weight: 4,100g Build: CNC steel body with real surface treatment; one-piece steel outer barrel; real wood kit Inner barrel length: 690mm Gearbox: RS-T3 metal gearbox, highprecision steel gear set, 7mm bearing Magazine: 96-round mag Battery: 7.2v/8.4v Velocity: 430fps (M120 spring) Price: £549.99 Available from Land Warrior Airsoft: 0131 654 2452 www.landwarriorairsoft.com

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WORKSHOP Gunmunki teaches us how to make our shiny new airsoft weapon look like it’s been through the wars

GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY

uthentic guns corrode over time and show natural signs of aging such as browning or patina. Unfortunately, when attempting to age airsoft guns you cannot really use the same techniques used on reproductions or real steel firearms. This is because airsoft weapons are often not made of steel, brass and wood, and many are ABS plastic where metal or wood should be. As a result you need to be creative. If you are after a weather and war torn look then the first thing you have to ask yourself is – why? There have been several occasions, especially during WWII MilSim games, where sandpaper, hammers and wood

stains have been used to remarkable effect, only for the owner to be later informed that in the actual time period the guns were probably brand new and wouldn’t have any wear at all! So take the time to decide if you need to bother.

Points of wear Okay so you want to give your Vietnam M16 a Tour of Duty look, or perhaps your AK is a little too clean for your Spetznaz. Not a problem. Obviously, if a ﬁrearm has been through the wars it will have taken a knock or two – but the main noticeable wear will be in the areas that have been in contact with your hands, shoulder or cheek. If you’re not sure pick it up, shoulder it and take note of how you hold it.

Real metal Right, first off we’ll deal with distressing metalwork. To do this you will need wire wool of different grades or wet and dry paper of different grades, or a dremel if possible. The majority of metal airsoft weapons are either painted or powder-coated so removing this layer of paint will reveal the bright metal beneath. Areas where your hands grip or rub the metal will eventually wear away over time, but as we cannot wait that long we need to remove it faster. As mentioned in our previous painting guide, practising on a metal magazine is a good idea, so you don’t ruin your gun on your first attempt. Simply rub wire wool or wet and dry paper across the high points around areas where you want your aging effects. Work though the grades of wool or paper, from coarse to fine, until you have the desired smooth finish. On your magazines you can almost rub down the high points on the entire thing as they are gripped and bashed about probably more than any other part.

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On an early M16, for example, you would age areas around the trigger, trigger guard, the section of the lower receiver at the top of the handgrip, selector section (making note of the half moon area where your thumb rubs against the lower receiver), magazine release, the magwell, cocking handle and areas of the upper receiver close to the triangular grip where it is held. There would also be wear on the duckbill flash suppressor, carry handle/ iron sights and other sticky out bits, so don’t forget to give them a bit of attention too.

Browning metalwork Okay, you could leave the bright metal as it is. Or you could age it further by browning. Browning is obviously the name of a very famous weapons inventor and manufacturer, but it is also the effect caused when steel rusts slightly between periods of oiling a real ﬁrearm. Over years of use this builds up a beautiful effect on real steel weapons – and we can cheat this effect by using opaque brown paints or inks. Simply paint or ink the bright metal and wipe off any excess to give a slight brown stain to the metalwork. Easy!

“Browning is obviously the name of a very famous weapons inventor and manufacturer, but it is also the effect caused when steel rusts slightly between periods of oiling a real ﬁrearm” ABS plastic effect metal So you have an ABS plastic gun and want to achieve the same aging on the metalwork? Don’t despair – we can forge this effect too. The technique used is known as dry-brushing, as many model makers will already be aware. Taking a silver/ gun metal acrylic paint and a fairly stiff bristled brush, simply sweep across a rag until almost all of the paint is gone from the brush head. Then apply lightly to the same raised points of the gun. This should pick out the areas of wear and give your ABS plastic weapon a seriously mean look. Again, if you want a browning effect then simply mix a little brown or ochre into the gun metal paint before applying. You can spend hours putting layer upon

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which you can do with a careful tap with a hammer or score with a file. Don’t go crazy or your woodwork will end up looking like a chainsaw victim. To make these marks stand out, use darker stain on them and then sand the surrounding area before using lighter stain on the entire surface. As with paint effects staining is a personal thing, if you like it go with it. Once you are happy with the overall look a good rub over with beeswax will seal the deal.

ABS fake wood

layer to get exactly the desired effect, just have a go. When you’re happy with your work it is a good idea to seal the paint with a light spray of matt lacquer.

Real wood Certain gun models have wood grips, stocks and foregrips, such as the M1A1 ‘Thompson’, the M14 and almost the entire AK range. To age wood it is usually easier to begin by sanding them back to remove any varnish or wax coating. This will give you a base starting point to begin distressing.

With wood you are trying to give the appearance of wear through staining the areas where sweat and oils from the skin will have built up. Gross, but factual. To achieve this, slowly apply wood stains, dark at first then gradually lighter. Between each depth of stain lightly sand back areas of body contact. These should remain lightly coloured and be surrounded by a graduated darker wood effect. Wood also takes the odd knock or scrape,

This is the effect that people find the hardest to attempt, and I can understand why. Creating a realistic aged wood effect is not easy, but we’ll try to make it less difficult. The trick with this is how to apply the acrylic paint. The first layer should be a dark brown. Allow this to dry thoroughly before the lighter shade is applied. Now take your lighter shade and coat the surface. While the paint is wet run a stiff bristled brush, such as a toothbrush

or even a hairbrush, across the surface in the direction that the grain of the wood should be. This should (and you may need to practise this a few times before working on your gun) bring out the darker brown beneath as a wood grain effect. The more you practice this the better the outcome, as you begin to add branch whorls and knot holes. Finish up with a light coating of satin or gloss lacquer. And now you can roam the wilderness safe in the knowledge that your weapon looks as rough and ready as the rest of your kit! ■

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BRDM-2 Thankfully he didn’t see them up close and personal while stationed on the frontline in Germany, but now Ratty’s got a BRDM-2 parked next to his shop!

ack in the 1980s the Cold War was still in full swing, and there was a real threat of Warsaw Pact forces popping over the border – and not just for a shopping trip to Germany! As a young trooper serving with a tank regiment based not too far from the East German border, besides keeping the vehicles maintained and battle ready we spent many hours in the classroom doing armoured ﬁghting vehicle (AFV) recognition. We weren’t just studying their stuff either, but ours too. Not much point going to battle if you can’t differentiate between friendly forces and the enemy! We were shown various ‘spy’ shot photographs, models and video footage of Soviet kit, as well as books with photos and proﬁles

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of all their wheeled and tracked equipment. Occasionally, the American Red Ball Express would arrive with captured Soviet armour and we were allowed to crawl over it, examining the weak points. The world changed when the Berlin Wall came down a few years later; conﬂicts such as Operation Desert Storm, Bosnia and so on meant that not only was there more contact with former Soviet kit, but we were now allied and working with former USSR nations such as Poland. This meant we could play with their stuff as well! Obviously, serving on main battle tanks I already had a massive interest in tanks and armoured vehicles in general. Nowadays there is plenty of former Soviet armour on the open market, so when a good friend bought a BRDM-2 and asked if we could store it I was more than happy to oblige.

History After World War II, and with the implementation of the Iron Curtain, the Soviet Military Machine went into overdrive. A huge array of new vehicles was developed for various tasks on the battleﬁeld. The BRDM-1 (Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina, which means Combat Reconnaissance/ Patrol Vehicle) had only been in service since 1957 but its limitations and drawbacks had quickly become apparent and a replacement had to be found. The design team set to work… The BRDM-2 had to remain a lightly armoured, wheeled, amphibious reconnaissance vehicle. But the few years since the BRDM-1 had entered service had changed things and the design now needed to incorporate an NBC protection system, night vision equipment for the crew members as well as some form of armament for protection. The ﬁnished design was known under the designations BTR-40PB, BTR-40P-2 and GAZ 41-08. This vehicle, like many other Soviet designs, has been exported widely and is still in service with nearly 50 countries. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1962 but was not publicly seen until 1966. Because the BRDM-2 in all its variants was so popular, production carried on until 1989 with over 7,200 made.

BIG BOYZ TOYZ TECH SPECS

Design Externally the BRDM-2 was designed with a box-like hull and boat-like bow to improve its amphibious capabilities. It was designed with a crew of four in mind (a driver, co-driver, commander and gunner). There are two pairs of chain-driven belly wheels which allowed trench crossing when lowered by the driver. An early centralised tyre pressure regulation system was also fitted to help when crossing various types of terrain. This can be used to adjust the tyre pressures in all four tires at once or individually to suit the terrain as required. The engine (a GAZ-41, 140hp V8 petrol) is situated at the rear and separated from the crew compartment by an armoured barrier. An NBC filter system was fitted too. The armour on the vehicle itself is composed of welded steel, with a maximum thickness of 14mm, that protects fully from small arm fire and small shell fragments. However it cannot withstand hits from .50 calibre rounds or larger armaments. As with all wheeled vehicles of this vintage the tyres are not protected and, while vulnerable to punctures from small arms fire, the tyre pressure regulation system could keep a tyre inflated for up to a maximum of seven rounds! There is also a winch mounted internally with a 30m cable and a four-tonne capacity. This winch was designed for use for self-recovery when stuck in difficult terrain. The engine also supplies power to a circular water jet, which is equipped with a four-bladed propeller at the rear of the hull. This is covered by an armoured shutter while on land which needs to be removed before entering the water (and doubles up as extra frontal protection when on land). The water jet allowed a speed of 10km/h for up to 19 hours. There is a trim-board stowed under the nose of the hull which again has to be erected before entering the water.

For the driver and commander, who are both seated at the front of the crew compartment, a (supposedly) bulletproof windscreen was provided for protection. There are two armoured shutters which could be lowered over the windscreen when going into combat. When in the open position these shutters also protected them from being blinded by sunlight, snow or rain. For more surround vision they could use their periscopes, which could also be swapped out for night vision scopes when required. To that end, the BRDM-2 is also ﬁtted with an IR (infrared) spotlight and four IR driving lights. The turret (BPU-1) was originally designed for the BRDM-2, but this design was also widely used in other later Soviet vehicles. It is unusual in its design as there is no top hatch. The turret allowed the two weapons systems (a 14.5mm KPVT heavy machine gun and a coaxial mounted 7.62mm PKT) to elevate between -5 to +30 degrees. The

Type: Amphibious armoured scout car Country of origin: Soviet Union Designer: V K Rubtsov Manufacturer: Gorkovsky Avtomobilnny Zavod (GAZ) in Nizhny Novgorod Produced: 1962-1989 Amount built: 7,200 In service: 1962-Present Weight: 7.7 tonnes Length: 5.75m (18ft 10in) Width: 2.37m (7ft 9in) Height: 2.31m (7ft 7in) Crew: Four (Driver, Co-Driver, Commander, Gunner) Armament: 1 x 14.5mm KPVT Heavy Machine Gun and 500 rounds; 1 x 7.62mm PRT GPMG and 2,000 rounds Protection: Welded steel armour (minimum 3mm - maximum 14mm) Engine: GAZ-41 V8 petrol 140hp Top speed land: 100km/h (62mph) Top speed water: 10km/h (6.2mph) Fuel capacity: 290 litres (64 imperial gallons) Operational range: 750km (470 miles) Ground clearance: 430mm (17in)

gunner is in the turret during battle, but when travelling normally is seated inside the hull. The crew mounts and dismounts the vehicle via two hatches located over the driver’s and commander’s stations. This proved to be one of the ﬂaws in the design as it meant the only exit for the crew in battle was in front of

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There’s some for sale on the following: www.russianmilitary.co.uk, www.armytech.com, www.tanksforsale.co.uk, www.milweb.net. If you are buying one that is not UK-based and you cannot view the vehicle ﬁrst, or you are purchasing through a disreputable dealer, please take precautions before handing over your hard-earned money. Many people have fallen foul of unscrupulous ‘organisations’ in former Soviet Bloc countries that are only interested in your money. If you’re lucky you will end up with something that has just been salvaged out of a scrapyard near Vladivostok; if you’re not the vendor disappears and you get nothing!

Owning a BRDM-2

“Occasionally the American ‘Red Ball Express’ would arrive with captured Soviet armour and we were allowed to crawl over it…” the turret itself. However, this shortcoming was rectiﬁed in the later Polish BRDM2M 96 modernisation programme and its successors. A common Polish modiﬁcation was to mount the spare wheel on top of the turret.

Service history The BRDM-2 series was extensively used by Warsaw Pact forces throughout the Cold War. Since the break-up of the USSR it has been modernised by some of these nations. In Russia itself, BRDM-2s are being replaced by BTR-60 as a divisional reconnaissance vehicle. Poland bought 450 BRDM-2s of different variants; by 2004 this ﬁgure had risen to more than 600, and it was Poland that kept updating the original design with its BRDM-2M series. It remains in service in many former Soviet Bloc countries including the Ukraine and Romania. Like all Soviet equipment the BRDM-2 was also sold to many Arab and African countries. What made it so popular for the export market was its ease of operation and reliability – and it was cheap to buy and run. BRDM-2s have been seen in many theatres of battle and were used by Soviet forces in their war in Afghanistan. The

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vehicles that were captured, as well as some derelict ones which were restored, are now in use by the Afghan National army. It saw service with Egypt and Syria during their wars against Israel, and the Iraqi Army also had some during the ﬁrst Gulf War. They were also used in the Croatian war of independence by the Yugoslav People’s Army and then by the Yugoslav Army against the KLA during the Kosovo War.

Can I Buy One? Due to the large production ﬁgures there are quite a few available. While still in service with 49 countries they tend to only operate smaller quantities. With the breakup of the USSR there are many sitting around in scrapyards and storage facilities which have not been made available on the open market. It is important to join a society like the Military Vehicle Trust (MVT), not only for talking to other owners but as an invaluable source for tracking down vehicles and parts! From what I’ve seen prices are around £10,000-£14,000. If you are looking for something a little different, still useable, and fairly cheap to purchase and run, then the BRDM-2 series is deﬁnitely something to consider.

What better way of finding out about what an AFV is like to own, run and drive than speaking to somebody who owns one? Ian Barlow owns a BRDM-2 RKh, and explains the whys, whats and wherefores… “I had originally sought after the BRDM as a sort of Swiss army knife of off-roaders. It had every tool it needed to cross any eventualities and was only limited by its own cumbersome dimensions or operator deficiencies. I first drove one after I had volunteered at a local museum when I was 15 and from that moment was hooked. After my life became more settled I started looking for an off-roader to fill my spare time as well as being something I could use for airsoft. I looked at Defenders, FV432s, and even considered modifying a Freelander with a GPMG mount. But if I was looking at those I may as well get what I’d always wanted: a BRDM-2! It didn’t take long to find companies willing to import one, and at a comparable cost to a second-hand Grand Cherokee. “Two years on since I bought the BRDM-2 and it is still great to own. It has been very reliable, easy to work on and relatively easy to drive. Driving it is very similar to a normal car except the gear lever positions are mirrored. The visibility isn’t too bad when driving either as there’s a good all-round view from the periscopes (arguably better than a lot of modern SUVs). Although I have wired a few additional cameras for improving visibility, it is still recommended to drive on the roads with a spotter (for example, seeing to the right when stopped at a roundabout can be a little tricky). The mpg suffers because of the fixed rear axle – I currently average 7.5mpg on the roads.” ■

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One of the most instantly recognisable German weapons of WWII, the MP40 has seen a string of movie roles and airsoft replicas. In the ﬁrst of a new series, Jay Slater looks at the colourful history of the MP40

anuary 2012, The Gun Store, Las Vegas: To say that I was a cat who got the cream would be an extreme understatement. Brandishing an MP40, a real MP40, I locked a 32-round magazine into place with a satisfying click. Grinning, I placed the stock into my shoulder, aimed towards the target, held the magazine tightly, squeezed the trigger and…

“Never, ever, hold the MP40 by the magazine!” the instructor screamed. It was obvious I had gone too far – I think it was his red face, clenched ﬁsts and ﬁery temperament that gave it away. His military discipline kicked in; I was scared. “You will jam it. It’s not like the movies. Grip the barrel, godammit!”

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ICONIC WEAPONS:

THE MP40 Childhood memories of the MP40, where VHS terrors such as Fräuleins in Uniform (1973) – joyous Swiss sexploitation where naked Nazi hotties take on the Red Army with MP40s – crashed and burned. Despite the lack of recoil as the iconic ‘maschinenpistole’ made short work of the paper target and cartridges spilled to the floor with a pleasing odour of burned cordite, holding the magazine was something that Clint Eastwood would have got away with. Move aside Dirty Harry. It was Eastwood in Where Eagles Dare (1968) – a boy’s own WWII adventure based on Alistair MacLean pulp – that did it. With a body count of 100 luckless Germans, the Man With No Name single-handedly took on an entire garrison in Eastwood’s most violent action flick. Not only that, Eastwood let rip with two MP40s. One in each hand, Eastwood mowed down scores of hapless Krauts, Ron Goodwin’s score imitating the MP40’s ‘rat-a-tat-tat’ to good effect. The MP40’s status as an onscreen sub-machine gun legend was secured. During the trench warfare of WWI, Britain ignored the practicality of a weapon that could be easily carried and fired by one man,

yet deliver a hail of bullets at close quarters – something a bolt-action riﬂe could not do. Germany, however, saw the genesis of the machine pistol, the Bergmann MP181. Invented by Hugo Schmeisser, the MP181 was expensive to produce but the Strosstruppen (assault troops) used it devastatingly in their 1918 offensive. The troops nicknamed it the ‘bullet squirter’. After the war, Schmeisser developed his MP181 further, resulting in the MP28; the new design was aesthetically similar but with a number of novel changes such as single and fullauto ﬁre. There were a number of other variants, but it was the MP38 in 1938 that introduced entirely new concepts for machine pistols, such as the magazine being inserted from below and a folding metal shoulder brace replacing the traditional wooden stock. Despite the excellence of the MP38 in combat, it was manufactured by craftsmen. Not only was it expensive and slow to build, its materials (such as precious aluminium) were in demand by the Luftwaffe for its aircraft. What was needed was a machine pistol that could be manufactured quickly by non-skilled workers

ICONIC WEAPONS

“The Germans needed a machine pistol that could be manufactured quickly by non-skilled workers from non-critical war materials. The MP40 was born” from non-critical war materials. The MP40 was born. The MP40 was introduced in 1940 and closely resembled the MP38, with the two sharing many common parts. Its main difference was in the materials used and the manufacturing methods. Gone were expensive machined parts, replaced instead by cheap carbon steel metal stampings and plastic welded together. Material shortages and time restraints were a major issue for German high command who, on witnessing the beneﬁts of the MP40, ordered that the sub-machine gun be mass produced. But despite misconceptions that the MP40 was the mainstay of the German armed forces it was rarely issued outside of SS and paratrooper battalions, despite its regular appearance in videogames including the infamous Call of Duty series. The MP40 was indeed ideal for specialist operations due to its efﬁciency and compact size, as seen in the 1943 Gran Sasso raid where SS paratroopers

rescued Italian dictator Benito Mussolini armed with their trusty MP40s. A limited number of silenced MP40s were produced in an effort to mimic the success of the suppressed British Sten for commando missions. These were found to be useless though, due to the loud noise the bolt made on blowback. The German foot soldier’s weapon was the Karabiner 98k riﬂe that was surpassed by the gas-operated US M1 Garand, arguably the best riﬂe of the war. Despite US testing of captured examples of the MP40 in 1942, which suggested that the M3 ‘Grease Gun’ was superior, Allied troops respected the German gun for its reliability and performance, its stopping power and range superseding that of the Thompson. Nicknamed the ‘Burp Gun’, the MP40 was a prized possession for GIs who used them against their former owners on the battlefront. The MP40 excelled in close combat situations such as Stalingrad and over a million guns were

manufactured during WWII before the Nazis went out of business in 1945. The Allies feared and respected the MP40 and therefore produced their own versions, such as the Russian PPSh41 with a 71-round drum magazine and the British Sten, the latter copied by the Third Reich in the closing stages of the war (albeit with German markings). Although the MP40 was to be replaced by the StG 44 assault rifle that went on to influence the design of the AK-47, MP40s and their derivatives were used up until the 1990s. Favoured by the Vietcong during the Vietnam War, JNA and KLA troops have been spotted with MP40 and Yugoslav copies during the 1990s, and they occasionally turn up in Middle East and African trouble spots as well today. Testament to the world’s finest sub-machine gun, the iconic MP40 – which is now a reliable airsoft weapon of choice.

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THE AIRSOFT MP40 Unsurprisingly, the MP40 has seen various incarnations designed for airsoft gaming. The simple grace and cinematic lure of the machine pistol and mid-caps suit those who want a more realistic experience.

Marushin The Marushin gas blowback, which replaced the über-rare Asahi model from the mid1990s, with an asking price of £300+, is the kingpin of MP40s. The GBB magazines are expensive and six magazines holding 32 8mm BBs will cost more than the gun. Also, rearming and gassing each magazine in the ﬁeld is a major pain.

SRC The SRC Gen 3 MP40 has earned a decent reputation for reliability, and also features an impressive electronic blowback feature. Those with sausage ﬁngers will ﬁnd the magazines are a bitch to wind though. That said, the SRC is much loved by the MP40 community; expect to shell out £250.

A collector’s condition Marushin MP40

The original classic: Asahi’s MP40

TOP The TOP, at £200 with a bellows and nozzle system, is plagued by rusting complaints and less than stellar internals and performance – think of it as a wall hanger, if you think of it at all.

CHINA: ASG/AGM/AEG The bargain basement MP40s are more convoluted, however. The ASG MP40, priced around £150, is a rebranded AGM model with a single/full-auto fire selector that is hardly authentic to the real steel. AEG surprised all with a cheap and cheerful MP40 available in black and Bakelite versions. I use the latter on the field with glee. After removing the fire selector and power switch on the grip for a more realistic imitation, the range and hitting power surprise most on the airsoft killing fields. Also, there is a modification that will allow for a crisp and clean blowback. A major benefit of the AEG is that its Sten magazines

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are compatible with the MP40. And to ﬁnish, gently rub the externals with iron wool for a ‘distressed’ and authentic appearance. Just make sure you’re packing at least eight magazines for the Schmeisser sub-machine gun cha-cha! ■

DID YOU KNOW? The MP40 is incorrectly referred to as the ‘Schmeisser’. Although Hugo Schmeisser’s factory manufactured it, he had little to do with the design. Heinrich Vollmer was the designer of the MP40; it was produced by Erma Werke. Where Eagles Dare and Kelly’s Heroes (1970), both directed by Brian G Hutton, who gave up ﬁlmmaking to be a plumber, are available in a double Blu-Ray set that is cheap as chips. Go. Buy. Now.

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COMBAT BOOTS Danny P gets his feet into three pairs of boots suitable for the UK climate

ALTBERG BERGEN BOOTS £179.99 The Altberg Bergen is new to the Altberg range of boots, so how could I say know when I was asked to review them? The boots arrived just in time for some of the poor weather we have had, and also some training that I was planning on doing up in the hills. The boots are of leather construction and come with a Vibram sole. Where the sole has been attached it has been covered by a ﬂexible piece of rubber to help protect the lower part of the boot and aid in waterprooﬁng. The tongue is one-piece and is stitched all the way to the top to stop bits of debris getting in and to aid in water resistance. The lacing system is a combination of D-rings and hooks. These boots also have a Sympatex Premium Grade waterproof lining and are very light – indeed Altberg has said they are the most lightweight boot in their category. I wore the boots around for a few days, breaking them in and getting my feet used to them, and although they felt stiff to start with they didn’t take long to become moulded to my feet. Then it was off to do some serious yomping and see how they performed on uneven terrain and in some pretty poor weather conditions. I wasn’t surprised – though I was pleased – with how well these boots performed. I have owned a number of Altberg boots and these didn’t disappoint. They gave great ankle support and I had no issues whatsoever with rubbing in the ankle area. There were a few minor issues but nothing that shouldn’t be expected with a new pair of boots. On the whole these are a really good boot for use in cold and wet conditions. The lining kept my feet warm and dry but was also quick to dry out when I took an unexpected dip in a deep puddle.

Altberg, 01748 850615, www.altberg.co.uk

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KIT REVIEW

LOWA MOUNTAIN BOOT GTX £155.00 Lowa boots are a popular choice with serving personnel and, as I have owned a number of Lowas myself, I was interested to see how the Mountain GTX performed. The boot is a full leather boot with a Vibram sole, and like the Altberg Bergens there is a flexible piece of rubber to help in waterproofing and protecting the boot where the sole is attached. Lacing is a D-ring and hook system, which seems to be a pretty universal system in this type of boot. It also has the extra hook on the tongue. The tongue is one-piece of leather stitched to within an inch of the top of the boot, but it does leave a space at the top of the boot. The boots have a Gore-Tex lining as well as the Lowa Climate Control System in the sole of the boot (designed to allow the pumping effect generated by walking or running to drive water vapour out of the boot, through air-permeable padding materials and ventilation openings around the edge of the uppers). So the next thing to do was get the boots on and give them a run out. I used these boots down on the South Coast in a mixture of terrain and environments, from sand beaches to urban streets. As with all these types of boots they took a little breaking in but this didn’t take long at all. The boots had a couple of issues: firstly, and although I couldn’t see why, there was some rubbing at the top of the boot on the outside edge. The other problem was that when they get wet, as with other Gore-Tex lined boots, they stay wet for a while. Apart from that these boots performed well in the situations I put them in. Despite a few minor issues these boots are spot on, and are a good all-round wet and harsh condition boot.

Lowa, 01380 872950, www.lowa.co.uk

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MEINDL ARMY GORE-TEX £169.99 The Meidel Army Gore-Tex boot is a full leather combat boot designed to be used in cold and wet conditions. These boots arrived on my doorstep and I wasted no time getting them on. Again these didn’t take much breaking in. As said the boots are made of full leather and have a Vibram sole, and once again the lacing system is a D ring and hook conﬁguration with an extra hook on the tongue. This helps to get the boot on and off but still gives plenty of support. The tongue is one-piece leather stitched to within an inch of the top of the boot, leaving a small gap at the top of the boot. These boots also have a Gore-Tex lining. I wore these boots on a number of occasions and after I had broken them in they were quite comfortable to wear. There were a few issues with the Meindls too, one of them being the lacing system – or rather, a part of it. After I had worn them for a while the hook that is attached to the tongue started to dig in to the front of the foot causing some discomfort. And just like the Lowas, the Gore-Tex lining meant once they got wet it was some time before they dried again. Having said that these boots performed really well. They gave good ankle support yet were not too far up the leg, like some other boots I have worn in the past. All round, a good boot for use in wet and cold conditions.

Meindl, 01539 560214, www.meindl.co.uk

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See your ad here Call Hannah on 01926 339808 hannahb@blazepublishing.co.uk

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THE ARMOURY

VFC M4 ES BABY VFC’s E series is made up of well-built, reasonably-priced weapons. Ratty checks out the little ‘un – the M4 ES Baby

’ve been involved in a few custom projects in my many years’ involvement with airsoft. The majority of these have been M16/ M4 based, and many of those were to convert or make an M4 for CQB work. Patriot kits have been around for some time, but even they were deemed too big for what many people required. What was needed became obvious: an M4-based weapon that was similar in size to an MP5K. Something that met those speciﬁcations would be the perfect back-

up weapon for someone using an M4, as it takes the same mags, or as a back-up for a sniper using a single-shot rifle. In a CQB environment, though, those specifications can be expanded: something with a good rate of fire, a decent-capacity hi-cap mag that could be wielded in much the same way as pistol. Some such things were built, but at great expense to the owner and many gruelling hours for the engineer. But now VFC has saved us all that bother (and money!) with the release of its M4 ES Baby.

VFC M4 E Series VFC has been around for some time, offering a fairly extensive range of high-end AEGs. The E series is aimed more at the mid-level buyer, competing with brands such as Classic Army and ICS. VFC says the E stands for economic, but I think this does the E series a disservice – the build and ﬁnish is still on par with Classic Army et al. Both upper and lower receivers are constructed out of aluminium so are robust enough for most airsoft rough and tumble, yet still light enough to carry around all day.

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The E series range comprises all the usual suspects: a full-size M16, M4 Carbine, M4 Tactical Carbine, CQB and more recently some railed versions of these models too. That said VFC has now added some very nice-looking and awesomely-named M4 variants – including the Dagger, Warrior, Quake and Lancer. The main thing is that the E series is more affordable with model prices falling between £220-£300, representing extremely good value for money.

M4 ES Baby The Baby is not just the smallest M4 ES in the range (perhaps the smallest available!) – it’s also the cheapest. It comes in a plain black box with just a couple of VFC labels on it. When you open the box up, however, you are presented with a great-looking compact M4 along with a bolt-on PEQ-15 style battery box. Also included is a 120-round magazine, and my one criticism is that VFC M16 mags are so light they feel toy-like, which is out of tune with the rest of the build quality. Taking it out

of the box for closer examination you can feel how solid this AEG is. There is no barrel wobble thanks to the aluminium body and the one-piece 155mm (6.5in) outer barrel. The whole thing is just 400mm (16in) long from barrel to butt, but still weighs in at a respectable 2,070g. As there is no stock or stock tube the rounded-off butt plate does have a steel CQD sling swivel mount. The lower receiver is very familiar, with all the controls and selectors exactly where you would expect them to be on an AR. There are a couple of particularly nice touches on this too, such as the ergonomic pistol grip and trigger guard and the working bolt release catch. As it’s a standard flat-top M4 receiver you have a rail running across the top, allowing you to mount optics, but it does come with flip-up front and rear battle sights. The hop adjustor is located in the usual place in the ejection port chamber. Despite the front end being so short it still has a RAS, although it’s only 90mm in length! Just enough to add a front grip, the battery box and perhaps a tactical illuminator. What else are you likely to need though? Personally I really like the flash

hider – it’s chunky and looks quite aggressive, but should you want to change it just unscrew it to reveal a 14mm CCW thread. Internally this little AEG is fitted with a VFC (CNC-machined) 8mm V2 enhanced precision metal gearbox. The blurb tells us it is fitted with a high strength piston, 8mm steel bushing and steel gears. As with many modern day AEGs, especially the more compact stuff, the Baby is set up to run on 11.1v LiPo, although you should be able to run it on a 8.4v NiMh cell battery pack (albeit a custom made one to fit in the PEQ-15 style battery box).

In Use Once I had finally fiddled about fitting the battery into the PEQ box (still not a fan of battery boxes!) and attached that, away I went to give it a blatt. The selector switch is smooth and easy to operate, flicking from safe to semi and then again to auto. On the first burst you cannot help but be impressed with the rate of fire. In a CQB scenario you will certainly be able to keep the oppositions’ heads down. The range is good but obviously, with such a short barrel, accuracy suffers somewhat. I used Blaster Devil 0.20g BBs on the test and the hop unit worked really well. After firing around 1,200 rounds I put it through a chronograph. Impressively, for an AEG of its size, it was achieving readings of between 245fps-265fps. Considering that this is designed for use in close quarters this is more than enough and is comparable to an MP5K or similarly compact weapons. You soon forget that it’s made of aluminium and start using it one-handed like a pistol – my skills at arms instructor would have a fit!

Summary This is another AEG with a wide appeal – even my Mrs called it cute! And it’s the perfect back-up weapon for snipers, while folks with M4s that want a CQB weapon

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THE ARMOURY

that will take their mags should take note too. If you regularly play CQB sites and want something that’s useable all year round, has full-auto capability and is an alternative to a pistol, the Baby ﬁts all of these requirements. I think that with a single point sling, a red dot sight, a tactical light and a short RIS grip, this would be all you would ever need in a CQB scenario. The VFC E series range seems to be growing all the time, and if the build quality and performance is this good – and the pricing remains attractive – then it deserves to do well. This Baby would make a great addition to anyone’s armoury. ■

SPECIFICATIONS Weight: 1,350 grams Build: ABS body/receiver (some steel parts) Length: 400mm Inner barrel length: 165mm Hop-up: Adjustable Magazine: VFC 120-round M16 mag Battery: PEQ-15 battery box; designed to take 11.1v LiPo Velocity: 245-265fps Price: Around £230 Distributed by ASG, (+45) 8928 1888, www.actionsportgames.com Review riﬂe supplied by BadgerTac, 01296 658600, www.badgertac.com

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dead – he may be old but he s not bad!”

G N U O Y

Jezz heads off to GZ for the ﬁnal game of the year – and runs into a Bearded Christmas Tree!

ith Christmas fast approaching there was only one thing to do: go airsofting! The last game of the year at Ground Zero is always a laugh, with fancy dress players making an appearance among the usual array of men in army clothes. Luckily for me my dad’s Batman outﬁt was still off being repaired (yes really… and don’t ask!), so no fancy dress for him. It was very cold with temperatures at about 2°, though unfortunately no snow like last year. There was a good turnout for the last game, in the week before Christmas, although not as much fancy dress as usual. In past years there have been Starship Troopers, Jabberwockys and knights in shining armor. If you’re wearing fancy

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GUNS dress you get instant respawn – always a welcome change. This week there were about 200 people and after the usual safety brief (and spending some time admiring Rampage dressed as a rather splendid Christmas tree) it was game on! Delta started off in The Prison Camp with two downed pilots which Bravo had to capture, so we spent the morning fending off a brilliantly-executed Bravo assault. It’s always good when you hear a Team Commander’s communication with their troops – even if it’s the opposite team! We got pretty much hammered in the morning but airsoft is a game of moments, and a highlight for me was at the beginning of the game. I was tucked away in a gully picking off Bravos as they approached our base to launch their attack. My South African

32 Battalion camo kept me well hidden until I was forced to break cover by a real ‘Teﬂon Terry’, who only called his hits when he saw me approaching him to take his tag number! GZ have done a really good job of eliminating cheats and there is no tolerance for it, but for one reason or another you sometimes get the odd guy who has been playing too much CoD. Cheating is so utterly pointless, it ruins the game for you and half the fun in airsoft is not getting shot. Never mind, the 20 or so kills I got there was one of my most satisfying moments in airsoft! Sadly for us the morning was not going well. The opposition was all over us and we really struggled to get off the ground. A lot of people were having trouble with batteries due to the cold weather and we were no exception. Our friend Alex, who comes with us regularly, broke his ﬁrst gun early on with

YOUNG GUNS

“One loud bang later five sadlooking Bravos came out, all dead – he may be old but he’s not bad!” what sounded like a broken piston. That’s the trouble with Chinese guns: they are cheap and offer a good entry to airsofting, but they can be unreliable. The game progressed on to the timed objectives and this is where Woody, the Delta Leader, really shines. He is constantly on the radio communicating with his team, urging us on and making decisions with a great deal of tactical skill, so gradually we got back into the game, clawing back the early lead that Bravo had got over us. GZ has a new system of Platoon Commanders. Assigned Platoon Commanders are given a force at the beginning of the game, to go to different objectives for a good tactical start and therefore giving players out on the field some in-person leadership. Platoon Commanders (or PCs) are seen as Team Leaders by all players and they have a tactical skill which can’t be overused: they are able to ‘mass respawn’ their team at a dead-zone if there are more than four or five players (of their own team) within it. I myself am a PC and I really enjoy it, but for me the fun of the day was linking up with random players to complete objectives. There was nothing more heartening than seeing almost the whole of team Delta

magazine, and thanks to Nigel Streeter and his team this magazine has personally (and not just because I’m a contributor) become a favorite read – and I’m sure it has for many others too! A personal highlight was being asked to become a contributor in person – with many thanks to GZ’s site operator H! I hope everyone had a great year airsofting and in general! Now where’s my letter to Santa… And bring on 2012! ■

rallying round to escort a briefcase back to our base. I did have a moment of pride though. In the afternoon we had to get through Firebase Charlie and there was a small group of Bravos in the tower holding us up. The next thing I saw was my Dad crawling up there on his belly, pistol and a grenade in hand, getting covering fire from the rest of our team. One loud bang later five sadlooking Bravos came out, all dead – he may be old but he’s not bad! By the end of the afternoon we had clawed our way back and I think we were winning, but at end-ex it didn’t matter anyway – we were satisfied that we’d all had an excellent day of airsofting! The marshals had prepared mince pies and mulled wine, which was a brilliant way to end the year. My resolution for 2012 is to play more airsoft, and I’d love to become Delta Team’s 2IC (second in command), as I thoroughly enjoy the experience of playing airsoft as a leader. Anyway, we’ve had one blast of a year in the airsoft community with some great highlights to look back on. This year we’ve had the GZ weekender, breaking the record once again for the UK’s largest airsoft event. We’ve also had the release of this very

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LIPO:

BATTERIES

SIZE MATTERS In part two of his series on LiPos, Barry Collins gets to grips with ‘Vs and Cs’

n the last issue we looked at the safety issues surrounding LiPo batteries. Now I want to focus on the power and advantages of this type of battery in both standard and upgraded AEGs. First things ﬁrst though. I missed out a very useful safety aide from last issue: The LiPo Charging Bag. This is a ﬁreproof bag

that you put your LiPo (or any battery for that matter) into while charging. Looking at the pictures of the burnt out bench in last issue shows how valuable a charging bag can be – and at an average cost of £10 it’s a no-brainer investment! LiPos come in all shapes and sizes – last time we broached the subject of stock tube LiPos, so now let’s look at the others and

the beneﬁts they offer. For airsoft, there are (smallest to biggest) 7.4v, 11.1v, 14.8v, 18.5v and 22.2v batteries, although the latter two would be pushing even upgraded gearboxes to the limit. The standards in airsoft are the 7.4v and 11.1v, with some people pushing the threshold with the 14.8v – but some heavy modiﬁcations are required to support that.

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All the batteries come with different mAh ratings (milli-amp hours – that is, how long they last), from around 800mAh to 5000mAh. Most standard batteries have a C rating (discharge – that is, how fast the battery can dump the power into the motor) of between 12-20C. More advanced batteries such as the Turnigy Nanotech run much higher C ratings, which means even a 7.4v can still be exceptionally fast. Things start to get tricky with an 11.1v LiPo. Many people just drop them into

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their guns and think they will work fine. Don’t get me wrong, I know a few people who use them in stock gearboxes and they have been fine, but many have ended up shredding pistons, shearing gears or cracking piston heads. If you are thinking about using 11.1v LiPos then you want to look at doing some upgrade work first, such as vented pistons and short-stroking

(taking a few teeth off the piston and the sector gear allows for better engagement at higher speeds). You can use an 11.1v right away in a stock gun, especially if it is running quite a low torque motor. An example of this is a G&G Top Tech M4. I had one and it was quite slow so ran an 11.1v LiPo in it and it worked great. But for any G&P gun (which come with stock high speed motors) an 11.1v is not really advisable as you would be putting

the gearbox under a lot of stress – it would be firing at around 30 rounds per second, which for a stock gearbox is quite damaging. Most importantly, retailers won’t repair a gun under warranty if heavy batteries have been used – they can tell, guys! The daddy of LiPos is a 14.8v monster. This can dish out some serious power and your rate of fire will be immense, but only the most upgraded gearboxes can really handle this. Midas Airsoft is one of the few companies I have seen using this battery successfully game after game. Mark from Midas has built several super high-speed AEGs with this battery as its power source and it is truly something to behold. At these levels of upgrade you are looking at a trigger response that will top a Systema, a rate of fire around 50-60rps and a wad of cash the size of a bottle of BBs disappearing from your wallet (the upgrades are expensive – but not as much as the ammo you will get through).

BATTERIES

The last thing I want to comment on is connectors. I said before that the Deans is the main connector (which it is), but there are a few others: Mini/Large Tamiya: We all know these well as they come as standard on NiMH and NiCD batteries. Deans: More common on LiPos, though I have seen them on NiMH before. XT60 Connectors: a little different from the norm. These are used a lot by RC

guys (remote controlled, such as boats and planes) and they are supposedly better than Deans. They use ‘bullet’ connectors (similar to the Tamiya connector but far superior) which give great contact. The best thing about XT60s though is the ability to solder them. They have more of a half-cylinder spade which allows for the solder to encompass the wire, making life much easier. These are the main ones I have seen and used. There are a few more but you can’t get them as standard with your batteries. Next issue we will take a look at some of the upgrade parts available for your gearboxes – pistons, high speed gears, nozzles – and will discuss the need for a MOSFET when using high-power batteries. Special thanks to Midas Airsoft for supplying us with a host of batteries to use, some of them truly remarkable. ■

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FIGHTING FIT Richard Hewitt and Mike Buttrick talk through the advantages of attaining and maintaining a suitable level of fitness, and the practical benefits that simple exercises can have upon your airsoft experience exhausted after a session. For example, during running you should be able to maintain steady conversation for the entirety of the session. This reflects in the ‘five times a week’ – if you max out on a Monday and are new to exercise, then chances are you won’t be able to come back on a Tuesday. However, for more advanced individuals this is quite viable. When exercising it’s important to structure

The upper movement of the basic push up technique

RICHARD: A strong, functional level of fitness is hugely useful for airsoft. In all other sports the necessity for fitness is paramount in order to succeed, so why should airsofting be any different? You’ll be faster, more agile and able to play more effectively, and most importantly you’ll not have to stop in game to get your breath back! Having served in the military, I’ve seen the necessity of fitness for soldiers firsthand. Being able to operate effectively is essential and can make the difference between life and death. My military service has been spent on 15 Squadron RAF Regiment, on operations in Afghanistan, and currently serving with 2503 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment. As infantry we have to possess high levels of cardiovascular fitness and strength. Maintaining fitness consists of daily training (usually carrying out flight, troop or platoon runs on a daily basis), along with circuit training and swimming. On top of this it was not uncommon for lads to carry out sessions in their own time, be it sports or their favourite training method (often weights).

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Fitness, strength and conditioning have been a cornerstone of my personal life for some time, not just because of my military experiences. I have now attained an A-Level in Sport and PE, an NVQ Level Three in personal training and I’m studying for a health-related Exercise and Fitness Degree. So, onto the good stuff: what should you be doing and when? A great, basic cornerstone is to apply the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate activity each day of the week. If you’re new to exercise then this will give you a brilliant foundation to build on – but what is moderately intensive activity? As a guide, this form of exercise shouldn’t be so strenuous that it leaves you totally Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Cardiovascular Circuit Cardiovascular Circuit Cardiovascular REST REST

your routines – you need to have a plan. The old adage ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’ couldn’t be more apt. This doesn’t have to be technical; a simple set up could be to carry out circuit training and cardiovascular training on alternating days. To put this into practice you need to consider how your body works. If you carry out cardiovascular work day after day for ﬁve days, you’re going to be feeling taxed and it’s the same with circuits. They use different ‘energy systems’. Now I don’t want to throw you in the deep end with too much detail, but sufﬁce to say the body has systems which you may have heard of: the aerobic energy system (long duration, lower energy expenditure) and the anaerobic energy system (shorter duration, high energy expenditure). There is more to the anaerobic system than that, but that would take an article all of its own! Running at lower intensities would generally fall under aerobic system, and circuit style training under anaerobic. Alternating allows one system to recover while the other works. I’ve talked at length about how the systems work, so let’s sink our teeth into some session plans. Here’s a simple set-up built from what I mentioned with alternating energy systems. Run/ swim/ bike Run/ swim/ bike Run/ swim/ bike

SKILLS ROOM

Chin-ups work to enhance the arm and shoulder muscles, which helps with carrying kit

Good sit up technique

As you can see the cardiovascular sessions are incredibly simple: running swimming or biking. We all know how to do these! Again, a nice 30 minutes at a steady pace, to elevate the heart rate and get those muscles working. To increase intensity on these, simply run, swim or pedal harder or faster. You could also incorporate hill work into the runs and biking. If your fitness levels are quite good and you’re feeling confident you can also carry out cardiovascular work for longer durations, up to one hour as standard. And if you’re super fit and feeling adventurous you can even train beyond that time! Obviously we’ve got circuits on the above list of activities. So what constitutes a circuit? A circuit is a set of exercises completed back to back with no rest in between, until the circuit is completed. Now, this could be five, six, 10 or 20 exercises, the number isn’t essential. What is essential is that your session is well-developed, hitting all your major muscle groups, especially your

WORKOUT ONE Exercises 1a. Squats 1b. Pullups 1c. Situps 1d. Lunges 1e. Pressups 1f. Hip Drops

Reps 15 – 25 4–8 15 – 25 15 – 25 15 – 25 15 – 25

Complete all six exercises then rest for one minute. Then repeat a second or third set – remember to rest after each set!

WORKOUT TWO Exercises 1. Sprints 2. Crawl to sprint 3a. Lunges 3b. Pullups 3c. Situp with twist 3d. Squat jumps 3e.Push pressups 3f. Plank

Sets 6–8 4–6 2–3 2–3 2–3 2–3 2–3 2–3

Reps – Distance – Time 20 – 30m 5 – 8m to 5 – 10m 15 - 25 4-8 15 – 25 15 – 25 15 – 25 40secs – 60secs

Workout two is a direct progression of workout one. It begins with two stand-alone exercises; complete all the sets for these exercises before moving onto the next. The following circuit, exercises by the number three, are to be complete as a circuit in the same manner as workout one. legs. Many people neglect their legs but you have to consider that these are the muscles that carry your entire bulk!

I’ve designed two simple routines (above), the first quite basic, the second a little more challenging.

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MIKE: Three months ago I contacted Richard and asked him to provide me with a training plan so that I could improve my fitness for airsoft. Although I knew that I was nowhere near the fitness levels that I attained at my peak, I was certain that running around at airsoft for six hours a week while carrying 15lb of kit had helped to improve my fitness. Boy, was I wrong! In my first session with Richard I trained so hard that I vomited. This may put some of you off but it made me realise how unfit I had become and that airsoft had not actually done a great deal to improve my fitness. I persevered and by the second session I was already feeling the benefits of exercising in a clear and methodical manner. By the third session I was feeling the benefits of increased endorphin levels. You may struggle to see how the exercises that Richard has suggested can have a practical impact upon airsoft, but the main difference (and the one that is easiest to spot) is improved cardiovascular fitness. In airsoft terms this can show real dividends as you will be more likely to outpace your opponents when sprinting to objectives, or evade large groups of rival players who are advancing upon your position.

Lunges work to enhance the leg muscles and improve posture

Sit up with twist

Lunges can be tiring on the leg and back muscles but they have a simple effect upon your skirmishing; when you consider that you may spend a lot of time kneeling and shooting it is actually quite easy to pull a muscle when getting up and moving quickly. However, by regularly training with lunges you will develop effective posture and muscle memory, which will encourage you to move correctly when manoeuvring from kneeling to walking or

running in future. Through this simple but effective exercise you will give yourself an advantage over other players who will not be able to get up and move from a kneeling start as quickly as you. Push-ups and sit-ups will improve your general upper body strength, and this in turn will allow you to carry more kit for longer and at a greater pace – allied to good tactics and effective airsoft kit this could make you much harder to beat, and also able to pull off surprising manoeuvres on your slower opponents. All of these exercises and regimes take a great deal of effort and physical investment but they will pay dividends quickly. Aside from improving your ﬁtness for airsoft, the regular improvement in endorphins can become addictive and each session will give you a buzz that will leave you craving more – this of course will also help improve your mood. But whatever you take from the advice given please take this… When you do try to get ﬁt, make sure that you enjoy yourself and make the most of the time you dedicate to it. In the hectic pace of life it can be nice to have some solitary exercise time which allows you to marshal your thoughts and feelings. Physical and psychological health go hand in glove and an all-round healthy human being is a far more effective human being! ■

Richard Hewitt Personal Training For further advice, or to have a personal ﬁtness regime created for your speciﬁc needs, contact Richard: www.richardhpt.co.uk or www.facebook.com/richardhewittpt

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Skirrmish Airsoft Billericay runs a variety of different game days, including Boot Camps and Rookie Days. Nige went along to a Boot Camp to ﬁnd out more

SITE REVIEW

SKIRMISH

BILLERICAY BOOT CAMP T

wenty-something years ago I ran a paintball magazine called Paintball Monthly. In those days there were only two or three paintball companies that could claim to be truly ‘national’. One of those was called Skirmish and I knew the guys who ran the operation over at Billericay (in Essex) pretty well. Fast-forward to 2011 and I once again found myself at Skirmish Billericay, chatting to the same guy who ran it all those years ago, Jim Sidroy – only this time we were talking airsoft. The paintball site is still there and Jim still runs

that too, but as a totally separate entity and on a different part of the site. Jim was always very progressive in his approach to paintball and has applied the same ethos to Skirmish Airsoft, not least in the variety of different game days he offers. One of these is called Boot Camp and runs twice a month, on the second Sunday and third Saturday. Like me, Jim believes the future of airsoft lies partly in attracting new players to the sport, and that the earlier you can get them on board the better. His Boot Camps are designed as an open day for inexperienced

players, from 14 years old and upwards. Experienced players are allowed but are made fully aware that the day is designed primarily as a training day for the inexperienced, and therefore tend to be played at a slower pace with various training elements built in. Jim had mentioned that bacon rolls would be ready at 07:35 so I was delighted to walk into the reception area at 07:36 and be given a hot, fresh bacon roll and cup of coffee – now that’s the way to start a day! The airsoft area is a bit further into his woodland and has its own hard parking area, and Safe Zone, plus an on-site shop run by Action Gamers.

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By 09:00 a steady trickle of players had made their way to the site, some dropped off by their parents while they went off Christmas shopping for the day! I asked one lad what he would have preferred to be doing and he looked at me as if I had just asked him a really dumb question (which, in hindsight, I guess it was!). What really struck me was the number of players toting two-tone guns. There were more than I have seen at any other site I have visited, and it was not just the youngest players carrying them – some of the older ones did to. Jim doesn’t offer site guns, although players could pre-book a hire gun from Action Gamers and a couple had done so, while others carried some of the latest gear. The safety briefing was conducted in two sessions, the first for everyone before all new players were taken through to the site to be given a demonstration on how pyros are used and the rules surrounding them (which I thought was a really good idea). Safety briefing over, the teams were sorted and everyone made their way out for the first game – a straightforward attack-and-defend warm-up on an area called Hill 60. I’ve got to say I was impressed by the way some of the new players took to the game, showing great enthusiasm and calling ‘Hit’ without hesitation.

“One of the most bizarre sights I have ever seen during a game of airsoft has to be a full-size mannequin dressed up as Santa, being carried through a forest on a stretcher by five camo-clad, gun-wielding, red-hat wearing guys, to the accompaniment of jingling Christmas bells!” Hill 60 was quickly followed by a missionbased assault on the Fuel Dump, with the objective to signify its destruction by locating and detonating a couple of Mk5 thunderflashes. The Fuel Dump is an area built with fuel drums, complemented with man-made and natural defences plus a number of derelict cars. Jim has taken a great deal of care to ensure all the areas on the site make for good gameplay and the Fuel Dump is no exception. As it’s almost completely open on one side it didn’t take the attacking team long to realise they had a clear field of fire straight into the defenders, and it was only with a huge effort that they hung on until time ran out. With the game reversed it was time for the other team to experience what it is like to be hit from all sides at the same time. Yours

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truly was also in the middle of it and I can tell you firsthand that it was almost impossible to find any cover that protected you from the onslaught! It didn’t take too long before the defenders had been cleared and two loud bangs signalled that both objectives had been achieved. A couple more games followed before an hour-long break for lunch at 13:00. The main reception area also contains a full kitchen (awarded five stars by the local council), serving freshly-cooked food as well as hot and cold drinks. Very welcome on a chilly day in December – as were the hot mince pies dished out by the marshals! With lunch over, players were called together for a briefing on the afternoon’s game: Operation Jingle Bells (well, it was nearly Christmas after all!).

The briefing was very detailed but it boiled down to this: Santa’s sleigh had come under attack and had been shot down. It was known that he had survived and was hiding somewhere on the site, waiting to be rescued. ‘Santa’s Little Helpers’ were tasked to locate and rescue the bearded-one, while the ‘Bah Humbugs’ would do their best to prevent this from happening. To complicate matters further Santa had been injured and could only be carried on a special stretcher, by five Santa-hat wearing Little Helpers. Just in case they thought they could sneak him out quietly, a couple of dozen sleigh bells had been attached! One of the most bizarre sights I have ever seen during a game of airsoft has to be a full-size mannequin dressed up as Santa, being carried through a forest on a stretcher by five camo-clad, gun-wielding, red-hat wearing guys, to the accompaniment of jingling Christmas bells! Hysterically funny and bloody good fun! At the end of the day there were no winners or losers – everyone had had a brilliant time and airsoft had gained a few

SITE REVIEW

more converts. I also noticed how the more experienced players treated those who hadn’t played before, or as often. Not once

did I see any sign of ‘better than you’ – in fact quite the contrary. On more than one occasion I saw and heard new players being given helpful advice by players and the marshals were more than willing to aid less experienced players, with words of encouragement and guidance. As I said before, I believe that the future of our sport lies in encouraging as many new players who try it, to stay. Down at Skirmish Airsoft in Billericay, Essex, Jim Sidroy and his marshals are doing exactly that. ■

SKIRMISH AIRSOIFT BILLERICAY Billericay, Essex, CM11 2TX www.airsoft-billericay.co.uk 01277 657777 Prices New players: £17 (includes automatic membership) Members’ walk-on: £15 Riﬂe hire: £22 (from Action Gamers) 10 per cent discount at Action Gamers on all sales over £25 at Airsoft Billericay site shop

GAME DAYS Rookie Day (16+ years old): First Sunday Boot Camp Alpha: Second Sunday Boot Camp Bravo: Third Saturday Walk-On Day: Last Sunday (gun rentals not available)

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COLD WAR WARRIOR

US ARMY AIRBORNE 82ND ‘ALL AMERICAN’ DIVISION 1983

Gadge Harvey crosses the pond to continue his journey through Cold War Warriors – and looks at a truly ‘AllAmerican’ division, The 82nd Airborne

n 1983 the United States deployed overwhelming military force to ‘rescue’ US students in Grenada from communist forces. While the operation was politically and militarily dubious it did do an excellent job of showcasing America’s cutting edge military technology. The American 82nd Airborne Division has had a fairly consistent and impressive record in combat. Formed during WWI as infantry, the division converted to an airborne role in WWII. While the 82nd didn’t deploy to Korea in the 1950s, as they were kept as a strategic reserve in the event of a European land war, they did serve with valour in Vietnam – although there was little this gallant division could do to win a war that was, by this point, already lost. After Vietnam in the early 80s the morale

of the US army was at an all time low. The humiliating defeat of a world superpower by ill-equipped but determined guerrillas in the jungles of South East Asia had made a career in the armed forces decidedly unpopular. To counter this, the US

Government launched a massive campaign in the 80s to encourage young men and women to see the Army as a viable career, with the ‘Be All You Can Be’ campaign. Coupled to this recruitment drive was a massive review of the Army’s kit and a revamp in particular of the infantryman’s equipment. Vietnam had seen US soldiers starting the war with WWII-era helmets and Korean War-era weapons and kit – US army equipment was in dire need of rapid modernisation. However, even as late as 1980 the US infantryman in North West Europe didn’t look vastly different from those who had fought in Korea and Vietnam. The M1 steel helmet and olive drab fatigue were still the norm in most units, although canvas webbing was largely superseded by newer nylon M67 equipment.

Rebuilding the War Machine While the US government was indeed spending billions of dollars on new uniforms, weapons, tanks and helicopters to bolster its forces and play its part in any

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future European land war (and to play its part as global policeman), it still faced the problem of rebuilding morale. And not just within the military and the nation’s faith in the military – but also the faith of the world in the US war machine and its ability to get the job done! In 1982 the world watched amazed as Britain prosecuted a successful land war thousands of miles away from home and won against appalling odds. Still smarting from the defeat of Vietnam the US government saw the small island of Grenada’s utilisation of Cuban Army engineers and advisors in 1983 as a military threat and launched an armada of ships, men and machines to secure the safety of the few American nationals on the island. This ‘liberation’ was globally unpopular and resisted by Britain, Canada and the United Nations as a ﬂagrant breach of international law by the USA. But by the time complaints had been made, the US ﬂeet was already under sail and had no intention of turning back! Operation Urgent Fury, the US occupation of the Commonwealth Island of Grenada, saw America deploy its 82nd Airborne Division (as part of an 8,000-man task force) sporting a large array of new and interesting items. In this article we’ll look at our airsofter model wearing some of that new technology.

Cutting Edge Technology Perhaps the most important revision was the inclusion of the US Woodland camouflage 1981 pattern uniform. The US Army had traditionally shied away from camouflage uniforms, believing that the wide range of terrain they could find themselves deployed in made it impractical. The combat experience in Vietnam and the trialling of the ERDL pattern uniforms led to the development of the woodland battle dress uniform, or BDU outfit. Camouflage was by no means universal however, and many units in the US Army would continue to be seen in olive drab fatigues well into the 80s. The other significant addition to the soldier’s kit was his personal protection. In Vietnam, static troops in defensive positions

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had relied heavily on Korean War-era steel helmets and flak jackets (and even flak shorts for some troops) and consequently suffered from the age-old compromise between protection and mobility. Early 1983 saw the introduction of the Personal Armour System for Ground Troops (known as PASGT), consisting of both body armour and the ‘Fritz’ Kevlar helmet – so called for its similarity to the WWII German helmet. Both these items were lighter and more comfortable than their predecessors, offered better protection from enemy fire and came with camouflage covers that matched the 1981 BDU. It is also interesting to note that our paratrooper has adopted the common airborne affectation of covering his helmet cover with a net to make attaching local foliage easier, and an elasticised band with two luminous ‘cats eyes’ which make staying in formation during night patrols easier. Lastly, and of interest to airsofters wanting to keep their impression looking authentic, the US Army realised that a high proportion of battle casualties were eye injuries that could easily be avoided with basic protection. To this end the protective

additional kit. Clipped to the front of the web suspenders is a compass pouch (commonly used to carry a variety of items) and slung on the soldier’s left side are his respirator bag for his M17 gas mask and the (airsoft-safe plastic) bayonet for his rifle. Most soldiers did not carry a sidearm, although this was more common among regular soldiers in the US Army than in other NATO forces – but here our man carries one as a practical back-up for airsoft skirmishing. Of perhaps equal importance is the soldier’s main personal weapon. The original M16 was (at its inception) one of the worst military rifles ever produced. Early models were fragile, prone to stoppages, and wasteful, with their full-auto capability and short 20-round magazines. Learning the lessons of Vietnam, the M16A2 of the early 1980s was better engineered, more robust and had deleted the capability for fully-automatic fire in favour of a three-round burst option. With the aforementioned side arm and the M72 LAW anti tank rocket launcher slung over his shoulder our paratrooper is ready for anything! ■

“Perhaps the most important revision was the inclusion of the US Woodland camouflage 1981 pattern uniform” wraparound ‘eye armour’ glasses were trialled and issued to some frontline troops, to help minimise painful and disabling eye injuries as early as 1982. Our airborne soldier is fully kitted out for a fighting patrol; his webbing looks superficially the same as the Vietnam-era M56 webbing but is in fact the improved nylon All Purpose Lightweight Load Carrying Equipment (or ALICE) that was developed in the 1970s to replace the M56 and M67 sets. At the time, US ALICE webbing was cutting edge technology and was even popular with British soldiers, as the clip-on pouches easily fitted in alongside Britain’s own 58 pattern webbing. Our soldier here carries the standard layout of twin ammo pouches for his M16 (each pouch can carry a ready to use fragmentation grenade clipped to each side), a water bottle, entrenching tool and the ever-popular ‘butt pack’ haversack for storing

Next issue: The Soviet Motor Riﬂes of the 3rd Shock Army

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INSIDE AIRSOFT

The Airsoft Armoury is one of the longest established UK airsoft shops and a founder member of UKARA. Airsoft Action went along to meet the man behind the company, Steve Cheshire

ucked away in the leafy suburb of Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, the Airsoft Armoury looks almost incongruous between a couple of restaurants. Don’t be fooled by external appearances though, its Tardis-like interior is full of all things airsoft. ‘The Armoury’ (as most airsofters call it these days) first opened its doors on 30 November 2002. Over the intervening nineodd years Steve Cheshire has seen some significant changes in the industry – but why did he get into airsoft in the first place? Steve: “Back in late 2001, having been made redundant I successfully applied for the role of international channel manager with a very substantial IT company, only to have the offer withdrawn a few days later due to a ‘recruitment freeze’! “Through a good friend I was introduced to the guys at Team Frontier, which uses airsoft weapons as part of its corporate entertainment and training days. As so often happens when someone gets interested in something I started looking around for places to buy the kit for myself. I ended up buying a few bits from Airsoft Adventures and some others, but to get the items I wanted I had to go to a number of different companies. It struck me that there might be the opportunity to open a shop that didn’t just ‘sell’ but actually ‘stocked’ the products it advertised. “It was following a visit to Airsoft Dynamics in June 2002, and discovering that they worked out of a house in Reading, that I determined to run my airsoft shop as a business and not a hobby. Having acquired the premises in Little Chalfont I set about refitting it and buying in stock: Classic Army, Tokyo Marui, Western Arms and others. When we opened on 30 November we had no gas or batteries – but we did have a long queue at the door! We did get batteries and gas later and also took in the likes of Blackhawk, Surefire and 5.11.

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“Our philosophy has always been to have plenty of stock and we buy in bulk, enabling us to offer trade prices to others who don’t enjoy the same buying power or don’t wish to commit to the higher levels of investment required. Our online sales were also very strong and I was very happy with the way things progressed – right up until the double whammy of The VCR Act and recession! “Looking back to 2007, most players were quite happy to spend up to about £500 before starting to think too deeply about the cost. As a rough estimate I would say that ﬁgure is probably nearer £200 today. That’s not to say that players don’t want to spend more, just that they are making do with what they have got for longer and not jumping on every new bit of kit as soon as it is released. The other factor is simply the huge number of guns now available. “When we started there were probably four MP5 variants, three M16 variants and

Talking to Steve it is obvious to see he is passionate about his business, and is determined that Airsoft Armoury will come out of the recession in the best possible condition. He has got a good team of people around him and Chris, his shop manager, plays a key role in moving the business forwards. To this end he has extended their range to include LARP, ‘Nam, WWII and Cold War kit, along with accessories, magazines and pistols. A trip to The Armoury is a bit like visiting the airsoft version of Aladdin’s Cave: it’s stacked with loads of ‘I want one of those’ items. Make sure you’ve got plenty of time on the parking meter – you’re going to need it! ■

“When we started there were probably four MP5 variants, three M16 variants and two sniper riﬂes in the Classic Army range. Now there’s well over 100 different guns to choose from”

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two sniper riﬂes in the Classic Army range. Now there’s well over 100 different guns to choose from. There are also many more manufacturers and we have to compete with direct sales from Hong Kong which, although I understand why some people want to buy from there, I see as unfair competition as they don’t pay the taxes and duties that I have to pay. All of this makes stock decisions much more difﬁcult – but we have always maintained our relationship with Classic Army, and always will.”

AIRSOFT ARMOURY 3 Chalfont House, Little Chalfont, Bucks HP7 9PS www.airsoftarmoury.co.uk, 01494 766373

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THE SQUAD DESIGNATED

TEAMWORK

MARKSMAN Sniping in airsoft will always remain an area of some debate – but the role of squad-designated marksmen combines the best elements of both sniper and infantry. Ron Mahoney explains

ver wondered why there are always a large number of secondhand airsoft sniper rifles for sale? It’s because many new players to the sport rush out and buy one as their first major airsoft buy. The price of a bolt-action spring rifle proves too attractive, but the downside is that so many don’t understand the role. Too many have based their buys on the belief they can transfer what happens in an electronic game to what happens in the field. You can bunnyhop about and ‘no-scope’ as much as you want – but you’ll be shouting ‘hit’ before I can say ‘Soap McTavish’. However, if you want to establish yourself as one of the more accurate members of your team rather than a run-of-the-mill spray and pray merchant, then there is a compromise. This role provides a way to learn more precise shooting skills, and has the benefit of allowing you to observe the dynamics of gameplay to quickly become quite airsoft savvy. The squad designated marksman (SDM) is a role that differs significantly from that of a sniper yet enjoys many of the advantages of longer range shooting. A sniper is a highly trained soldier whose skill in camouflage and concealment, fieldcraft, intelligence gathering and, finally, shooting is second to none. They are trained to carry out a range of specific missions, more specialised than standard infantry tasks, and do them independent of others. In most cases the rifle they use will be a bolt-action, limited magazine system with calibres ranging from 6.65mm up to the anti-material .50cal round. But the SDM is a soldier who has received marksmanship training and whose role is to engage targets at greater ranges than the other members of the squad or section are able to. Where a normal squad will engage targets out to around 400m using the standard 5.56mm round, the SDM will generally use a heavier 7.62mm round out to 600-800m from a semi-automatic rifle with 20-30 round magazines. While we airsofters can replicate the kit, we can’t really replicate the distances. So how can we get the best out of acting as the SDM role? If your site allows it, one answer is to stick to semi-auto and tune your rifle to the best you can get with just under 400fps and a slightly heavier .25g BB. That way you will probably be able to slightly out-range most incoming fire (apart from

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TEAMWORK

to is M D S e th f o le o r “The quad s e th t r o p p u s y tl c dire ts at o h s d e c la p ll e w h wit d the n o y e b y tl h g li s s e g ran es” c n ta is d t n e m e g a g normal en

sniper fire) and keep the heads of the opposing forces (OPFOR) down. Remember, the role of the SDM isn’t to be a sniper who engages the enemy with precision fire at extreme ranges but to directly support the squad with well-placed shots at ranges slightly beyond the normal engagement distances. Let me give you a working example. My local site has built a very heavily protected bunker. Actually it is more of a pill-box, dug into a slope with firing slits and ports for allround vision and camouflage netting over the lot. It wouldn’t have looked out of place on the Maginot Line! With only one way in and out – a sliding door at the rear – and a commanding view across a valley streambed, to attack it from the front would be suicide. The only way to take this out is by approaching from the flanks and putting grenades into the bunker, but with half a dozen firing slits along each side, flanking moves can be seen just as easily. So, taking on the SDM role, I took a fire-support team to engage the front of the bunker and keep the OPFOR inside harassed while the assault teams moved up. Probing through the undergrowth, our point men watched as the enemy let fly a few ranging BB bursts from the bunker. Now we had their range, we withdrew and moved a little further along the high ground before edging forward again. With a 3.5-10x30 scope on top I could see the movement inside

the bunker and started to put suppressing single shots at the front firing ports. Again this is where the SDM rifle scores over a bolt action sniper rifle as you can keep up a steady, consistent rate of accurate shots. I was joined by one of our squad who had an M60, and between us we were able to keep the enemy busy. They didn’t notice a team coming along the bottom right of the stream and up to the bunker; a ‘grenade in’ shout

spelled the end for those inside. So what equipment is required if you want to take on the role of the SDM, and more importantly what is it going to cost? The fact is most of you reading this probably already have a riﬂe capable of pushing accurate shots out to 60-70m, it’s just never used that way. Most riﬂes with a semi-auto selector and a barrel length of at least 15in with a reasonably tight bore can be used in this role. In the military the ‘classics’ of the semi-automatic world have been around since the late 1960s and include the likes of the M14 and its variants, the Soviet Dragunov SVD, the popular German G3 and the tried and trusted FN FAL. I would avoid a spring Dragunov as

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you will struggle to get rapid, accurate rounds down in an engagement. If you don’t want any of the above, what other choice is there? You may see many of the longer-barrelled M4/M16 family billed as ‘marksman’ rifles on airsoft sites, but just taking the carrying handle off and fitting an RIS rail doesn’t really cut it. The US military suppliers have spent a huge amount of research and development money on providing specialised variants. It isn’t uncommon for individual units of the US military to have specially contracted armourers designing special assault rifle platforms; included among the M4/M16 family you would find the likes of the MK12 SPR, the M110 SASS and the SDM-R. It isn’t just the US that uses the M4/M16 base either. In 2009 UK forces added the L129A1 to their kit list. Based on the proven Stoner Rifle design, it had a number of new features including a one-piece upper receiver and a completely free-floating barrel design for improved accuracy. Fitted with a 6x ACOG scope this has become the key to UK ISAF troops winning many a long-range fire-fight. Another package that comes set up ideal from the box is the H&K G36; with its longer barrel, built in 1.5x sight and bipod, there isn’t a

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great deal you will need to add to this system unless you want more high-powered optics. Ah, scopes… these fall into two areas really: true telescopic sights (and I’m including the likes of ACOG and SUSAT scopes here) and magnifying systems that work with a red dot. This latter type can be flipped in and out of play. You don’t need masses of magnification for an SDM role (as I mentioned above, the L129A1 has a 6x scope fitted and is capable of firstround hits at 800m); a decent 3-9x40 telescopic sight set on about 4x will give you both a good field of view and a good idea where your shots are going. Try to learn to shoot with both eyes open. It is a bit off-putting at first but you will soon get the hang of it. If you don’t already have a scope with a Mil-Dot reticule (fine crossed lines with a number of horizontal and vertical dots) then I would strongly advise investing in one. They are much better than the duplex (standard crosshair) scope that comes fitted to many sniper/scope packages, as the Mil-Dot allows you to quickly correct your aim without adjusting the scope. A couple of other additions to your set-up would be a bipod or a vertical forward grip that will allow for controlled shot placement. If you

want one, a silencer wouldn’t look out of place, though we are talking about you supporting your squad and not acting in a lone-wolf capacity. The rest of your equipment will be your standard load-out, as there’s nothing much specialised about the SDM other than the rifle he carries. Tactics-wise, rule number one is: don’t rush in. Stay at the rear of your squad and watch them advance. When they go firm communicate with your squad leader to allow you to come forward and take up a stable firing position before they advance again. Once under fire, prioritise your targets by the threat they pose to the squad and aim rapid single shots back at them. Hopefully this will keep their heads down while your squad begins to assault the position. Once the objective is taken, look for good firing positions that will cover any likely counter-attack while your squad re-orgs. In summary, the SDM role is similar to that of a support gunner who ideally doesn’t charge forward but can be an effective squad member with a well placed burst of fire that keeps the enemy busy. Airsoft is a team game, and the SDM can be a vital member of that team. Better leave those cheap second-hand bolt actions where they are, eh? ■

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Alex Wharton casts off the shackles of linearity and sets out to explore the world of Skyrim – will we ever see him again?

ere’s what to do: 1) Head to the shop, buy yourself a fair supply of ready to eat meals and ﬁzzy pop. 2) Call work, tell them something terrible has happened and you won’t be in for the next month, if not longer. 3) Tell your family you love them, but this is something you have to do. 4) Change into pyjamas and lock yourself in with your desired game system. Now you’re ready to play Skyrim! The ﬁfth Elder Scrolls game in the series is set in the wild lands of Skyrim, a world of mountains and snow. It is home to the Nords, a hardy race of men steeped in honour and tradition. It’s also home to a whole host of

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other creatures: giants, mammoths, undead, orcs and a whole plethora of gribblies. Oh, and dragons! That’s right: dragons have been awakening in the land of Skyrim for the ﬁrst time in hundreds of years. The main story centres round this particular theme – but it’s very easy to ignore this quest chain as there are so many other quests and places to explore that you can lose yourself for days on end before even starting the main story. In true Elder Scrolls style you start the game as a prisoner, quickly escaping an early death and being thrown out into the world. And what a world it is – I’ve even tried to persuade people that Skyrim looks better than real life (though I should probably stop

shouting words to that effect at passing strangers). The entire landscape, from the murky swampy valleys to the highest snow-capped peaks, oozes life. Even the rocks look amazing, and some truly lifelike weather effects are sure to stun even the most cynical player. Just wait until a blizzard kicks up when you’re out exploring; I guarantee you will get turned around at least a couple of times when everything around you is blanketed in pure white. Thankfully there is a decent map to keep you on track – but it won’t stop you needing new pants the ﬁrst (and probably second) time a snow cat launches out of the white at you! The combat system is pretty much

GAME REVIEW

“I could easily have chosen to wear the heaviest of armours and march through my enemies, hacking bits off and smashing them to the ground” borrowed from the older Elder Scroll games, but as is usual with games of this type it has been tweaked. Personally I found it works better than ever. Weapons or spells can be placed in either hand, and used together – so you can swing away with a sword or axe in the right hand and shoot fireballs and lightning from the left. Or you can equip a shield to help block the incoming damage. Weapons range from the lowliest dagger up to massive two handed maces. An entirely new part of the combat system in Skyrim is the addition of ‘Shouts’. These are powers that you can use with varying effects, all based around shouting dragon words. For example, the first one that you learn pushes whatever you are looking at away for you. You can slowly build its power up to the level where you can shout someone halfway across a city! Other shouts include the ability to dash forward, freeze things or set them on fire, or sooth all animals around you so that they won’t attack. As with most role playing games you level up as you play, allowing you to upgrade different areas of your character in different ways. Skyrim mixes this with a system that works by doing; for example you won’t upgrade alteration magic unless you

actually do some. Using fireballs will level up destruction magic, and upon levelling up your character you will be able to unlock new perks from within the skill trees you use, such as lower mana costs or more powerful spells. The main reason I enjoy RPGs is because you can play through the game however you like. I usually play a sneaky assassin-type character, striking fast and hard from the shadows. But I could have chosen to wear the heaviest of armours and march through my enemies hacking bits off and smashing them to the ground, or I could have worn a robe and quite literally spewed death from my fingers as a mage. This isn’t unique to Skyrim, but is part of what makes it so enjoyable. Dragons might be the main focus of the game, but I didn’t find them the most fun to fight. The first couple you bring down make you feel truly epic, and chasing them across land as they fly high above is fun. But once you have made them land, actually fighting them isn’t the epic battle you want it to be. Again as in most RPGs, you just bash them a lot and they go down. Combat in Skyrim is not complicated: if you are lucky enough to have both hands and eyes you’ll make

it through the game without struggling in combat. Just bash, bash, keep bashing – and if you get hurt click ‘inventory’ before you go down. This pauses the game and allows you to use potions to heal back up. And then you continue bashing. Like I said: eyes and hands, and you’ll be fine. It is an irritating, reoccurring theme in RPGs that they must all be released with a number of bugs and glitches. Skyrim is no different – personally I have encountered nothing more than minor, irritating bugs, such as a dragon skeleton half-inside a wall trying to fly, or snow starting to fall when I was underground… But I know people that have experienced game-breaking glitches that essentially kill off any chance of progressing any further with the game. When these are encountered your only option is to dump your glitched file, along with the countless hours invested, and start over. A patch was released soon after the game’s launch to fix common slow-down and crash issues – but the patch introduced new bugs too. A second patch, to fix the first, was released 7 December, and time will tell if it’s done any good. But the golden rule, as with all RPGs, is to save, save often, and save multiple files. Despite this though, Skyrim is a game you can lose more time in than is sensible. I’ve played it for around 50 hours, which is already 10 times what many top games will give you, and I know people who have put in 200 hours and counting. It has flaws, sure, but what is does do it does extremely well. When you make it to the top of a mountain you will spend five minutes just looking at the landscape below you, because it really is that gorgeous. And when a troll launches itself at you as you ride by its cave on your horse you will jump out of your skin. And as you realise it’s 4am and you are trying to rationalise doing that ‘one last quest’ before bed, you will realise what an amazing game Skyrim is! ■

THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM Developed by: Bethesda Game Studios Published by: Bethesda Softworks Out now on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC Price: From around £30 depending on platform

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AIRSOFT

ACTION

BOOKSHOP Total War - SRP £25.00

The Retreat - SRP £10.99

AA Price £21.00

AA Price £9.00

Tank Men - SRP £8.99

Never Surrender - SRP £8.99

SAS Operation Storm - SRP £25.00

Kill Switch - SRP £6.99

AA Price £7.50

AA Price £21.00

AA Price £6.00

The Kill Zone (hdbk) - SRP £18.99

The Kill Zone (pbk) - SRP £6.99

AA Price £6.00

Killing for the Company (hdbk) SRP £18.99 AA Price £16.00

Soldiers Pocket Book - SRP £10.00

AA Price £16.00

Cadet Pocket Book - SRP £8.00

Air Cadet Pocket Book - SRP £8.00

Army Cadet’s Log Book - SRP £4.00

Skill at Arms - SRP £6.50

AA Price £7.50

AA Price £3.50

AA Price £5.00

AA Price £9.00

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