AIRSOFT ACTION
GREY
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THE Airsoft Magazine
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CQB SKILLS: STAIRS Avoid getting caught in the ‘fatal funnel’
MARCH 2013
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Gripping reports from the front line
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CONTENTS AIRSOFT ACTION – MARCH 2013
6 10 Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant editor: Mike Hine Graphic Design: Steve Dawson Art director: Chris Sweeney Ad design: Anna Makwana, Matt Smith Advertising: Toni Cole Group production editor: Colin Fallon Operations director: James Folkard Assistant publisher: Ruth Burgess Publisher: Wesley Stanton
Full UK 12-issue subscription rate: £59.40 For overseas prices visit: www.airsoftactionmagazine.com Cover photograph: Spectre Airsoft Media Blaze Publishing, Lawrence House, Morrell Street
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Leamington Spa,Warwickshire, CV32 5SZ Tel: 01926 339808 Fax: 01926 470400 E: info@blazepublishing.co.uk W: www.blazepublishing.co.uk
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© Blaze Publishing Limited, 2013 Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800 Copyright © Blaze Publishing Limited 2013. 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.
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Letter, idea or question? Got something to say? A question for our experts? An article, or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the assistant editor (michaelh@blazepublishing.co.uk), send us a letter at the Blaze Publishing address above – or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.
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34 38 41 43
AIRSOFT NEWS We round up the latest airsoft headlines
MAGPUL PTS MASADA SV A new, low-price Masada has emerged from Magpul PTS. Ratty does the honours
WE GETS X-TREME Ratty gets his hands on a new GBB pistol from Taiwanese manufacturer WE
CORVUS AIRSOFT There’s something epic brewing on the outskirts of Edinburgh – Scott checks it out
VFC USMC M27 The latest collaboration between VFC and Umarex goes under the microscope
SHADES OF GREY The editor brings you the facts, and dispels some myths, about grey importing
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COMPETITION Bag yourself a free WE M4A1 worth over £220
DELTA TEAM 3 Ron continues his series on the NWA Alliance airsoft sites with a visit to DT3
ARES MS338 This sniper rifle from Hong Kong gets a dusting down from Scott
SUBSCRIBE Get Airsoft Action delivered to your door every four weeks
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AMBUSH IN IRAQ Simon relates some fascinating stories from his time on convoy duty in Iraq
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ESTABLISHING AN OBSERVATION POST The third and final part of Billy’s series on constructing an OP
G&G GENERATION 2 AEGS G&G has certainly upped its game in recent years – as proven by this latest batch of upgrades
BOOKSHOP Check out our exclusive deals on a host of military tomes
KIT BAG We pull together our favourite kit from Heinnie Haynes’ range
HITMAN: ABSOLUTION Alex has his say on the latest game in the acclaimed series
COLD WAR WARRIOR Gadge delivers a history of East German winter uniforms
TOTAL RECON Dan draws on his experience to bring you the ultimate guide to reconnaissance missions
GREAT WALL OF CHINA A Chinese 4x4? Not the norm for Ratty, but he’s eager to jump into the Great Wall Steed
FIRST AND ONLY Ron’s in Manchester for a mooch around the First and Only store
STAIR TACTICS Andy delivers tips on tackling stairs in CQB scenarios
A STEP TOO FAR? Is real world insignia in airsoft insulting to the real-life units, or just a bit of fun?
SITE DIRECTORY Locate your nearest airsoft site with our comprehensive listings
ALEX WHARTON
As a self-professed big-time geek, our video game expert Alex is a massive airsoft fan. He’s been playing the sport for over six years now, and just can’t get enough
ANDY NIGHTINGALE
Andy has seen active service around the world – and now runs Pro-Tact, a not-for-profit group providing tactical training for the airsoft community and private security forces
BILLY BASICS
Billy spent 25 years in uniform, and has served in all the usual salubrious ‘hoiday destinations’ around the world. He has always been a writer and doodler by habit
DAN MILLS
A former army warrant officer, Dan served in the forces for 24 years, seeing service on operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq
GARETH ‘GADGE’ HARVEY
Gadge is our resident history buff and FilmSim fanatic. He has a passion for WWII, Nam-soft and Cold War gaming – but still finds time to fit in an open day skirmish whenever he can
SIMON CHAMBERS
Simon has seen 35 years of military service, surviving five wars, despite being shot twice. He has earned seven sets of foreign military parachute brevets
RON MAHONEY
Ron has been involved in fieldcraft, shooting and outdoor pursuits for over 30 years. His real passion is the ‘sneaky-beaky’ style of airsoft game
IAN ‘RATTY’ ARMITAGE
Ratty has been involved in airsoft since the mid-90s, and has seen the sport grow over the last 20 years. He fondly remembers the prehealth and safety days!
SCOTT ALLAN
Scott has worked in airsoft retail for many years – and played airsoft long before that. He likes big, heavy guns, loud explosions and MilSim games in particular
I
f you are reading this at the British Airsoft Show, welcome to the UK’s latest and greatest display of all things airsoft – 24,000 square feet of airsoft nirvana! From small beginnings just a couple of years ago, the British Airsoft Show has grown dramatically, emphasising not only the rapid development of our ‘little game’ but also the level of investment companies and manufacturers are making to promote their business. Airsoft Action is not quite two years old, but even in that short space of time we have seen airsoft come out from ‘under the radar’ and be recognised as a hugely popular pastime, enjoyed by many thousands of players and enthusiasts throughout the UK. In some small way, we like to think that we have contributed to that growth – and so has every one of you, by playing the game and supporting events like the British Airsoft Show. Manufacturers have been quick to notice this positive growth and many are looking to create proper distribution and sales channels here; some have already done so and are reaping the rewards. However, there will always be those who seek to do things ‘through the back door’, maybe because of greed or maybe just because that’s the way they have always done it. What I say is, support your local airsoft shop and it will be here for years to come; don’t and it won’t! The British Airsoft Show will continue to grow and, who knows, maybe one day it will become the SHOT Show of airsoft. Now, isn’t that something to think about? Hope you enjoy(ed) the show. Nige
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AIRSOFT NEWS AIRSOFT LEGALISED IN THE NETHERLANDS After eight years of hard work from the Dutch Airsoft Association (NABV), airsoft was finally declared legal in the Netherlands on 15 January 2013. It might surprise many readers that the Netherlands, despite being considered one of the most liberal nations in the EU, ever deemed airsoft to be worthy of criminalisation. Nonetheless, the fight is now over for the NABV – and Dutch airsofters can enjoy their sport on home soil, instead of travelling abroad for each game. To find out more about the stipulations surrounding the legislation, Airsoft Action caught up with Joachim Dekkers, president of the NABV. Here’s what he had to say: AA: Are there any restrictions on who can participate in airsoft in the Netherlands? JD: To play airsoft in the Netherlands you must be at least 18, undergo a background check by the Department of Justice, and be a member of the NABV. Unfortunately, the age restriction was a political decision that we were unable to turn around – but we’re working on it. We feel that it is very
important for the future of Dutch airsoft that young people can join in.
AA: Is there a fee to join the NABV, and how many members do you have?
AA: What about equipment?
JD: We charge an annual fee of 84 Euros, which will allow us to construct a solid foundation for airsoft in the Netherlands. The NABV is very ambitious, and we are working on trying to join the Dutch Olympic Federation, among other things. All funding will directly finance our lobbying and promotional work. We’re looking to set up sponsor packages – so all enquiries are welcome. After the first 18 months under the new law, we estimate that we’ll have reached 2,000 members.
JD: We are not currently able to use props like grenades, RPGs and claymores, but we will continue to lobby for these. Airsoft players will have to store their devices in a locked closet or cabinet when not in use. Thankfully, there are no restrictions on the amount of airsoft devices a person can have, and we do not need orange tips on our guns. AA: Now that airsoft is legal, there will soon be airsoft shops as well? JD: Indeed there will. Since January 15, there have been many firearms retailers stocking up with airsoft gear. To purchase airsoft equipment here in the Netherlands, you must be a member of the NABV. Firearms dealers must apply for an airsoft licence from the Department of Justice. However, Dutch airsofters can import products from abroad for personal use only.
For more information about airsoft in the Netherlands, visit www.nlairsoft.com; to become a member of NABV, visit www.nabv. nl, or email info@nabv.nl
MAGPUL PTS LAUNCHES PDR It’s been in the pipeline for some time, but Magpul PTS has finally launched its much-awaited PDR, or ‘Personal Defence Rifle’ – to be distributed in the UK by Edgar Brothers. This AEG has a compact design, and is small and thin enough to be carried close to the body via a shoulder holster. It’s also single-handedly deployable, even from a seated position, making it ideal for use in vehicle cabs and tight spaces. Backward compatibility with AR-15/M16 AEG magazines allows for emergency supplements from personnel carrying standard M16s or M4s. An ultra-compact Bullpup-style design keeps the overall length to a minimum, while still accommodating a highly effective 11.5-inch barrel. The real steel version was developed to fill the unique role between pistol and rifle, by combining the capabilities of the latest generation of PDW systems, while greatly reducing any logistical burden. The PTS replica features the most current concept designs that have been envisioned for its real world counterpart. For more information, visit airsoft.edgarbrothers.com
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AIRSOFT | NEWS
WE HAVE A WINNER! And the lucky winner of our January competition is… Jonathan Chase from Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Jonathan has bagged himself a KWA CQR MOD 1 worth over £200, which we’ve invited him down to Airsoft Action HQ to collect. Perhaps you’re feeling lucky this month? If so, head over to page 33 to have a go at winning this issue’s competition prize: a WE M4A1 AEG worth £220. Best of all, entry is totally free. What are you waiting for?
NEW KIT BAG FOR THE FIELD The lovely people at York Guns recently sent an Uncle Mike’s Sportsmen’s Equipment Bag into Airsoft Action HQ. We’ve taken it on a few skirmishes, and found it rather well appointed when it comes to lugging kit around. It’s water-resistant, so withstood the downpours we’ve become used to over the past few months, and has a hard shell,
with a rigid construction and heavily padded top. The large main compartment is lockable, with an adjustable centre divide, and there are two zip-up end compartments, ensuring you’ve got plenty of room to stash all your accessories. For more information, visit www. yorkguns.com, or www.unclemikes.com
CONGRATULATIONS All the team at Airsoft Action would like to offer our congratulations to regular contributor Ioan ‘Iggy’ Roberts, who flies off to Australia on in February to marry his fiancée Michaela Brown. Iggy has been contributing to this magazine since its early days – so a big thanks for all his hard work and good luck to the happy couple for the future.
FACE OFF Game Face Airsoft has added two CO2powered, 1911-style pistols to its range – the GF1911, and the GF1911G. The ‘G’ model, expected to retail at around £88, is a full-metal GBB design, featuring a realistic blowback action, a quick-release, 15-shot magazine and a detachable grip panel for quick replacement of your CO2 power source. The standard GF1911, slightly cheaper at around £70, is a nonblowback design, incorporating the same features. If these handguns are built as solid as they look, then airsofters are in for a real treat! The products are expected to go on sale in the UK during spring 2013. Visit www.gamefaceairsoft.com for more information.
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AIRSOFT | NEWS
POUCH EXCLUSIVE
Flyye Industries, the Chinese manufacturer of combat accessories, has developed a series of HK 417 magazine pouches – to be sold exclusively through Land Warrior Airsoft. The unique items are available in Ranger Green or Coyote Brown at £12.95, or in multicam for £16.99. For more information visit www.landwarriorairsoft.com
ASG GOES PRO Back in January, the Airsoft Action team made it over to Las Vegas for the annual SHOT show – the world largest gun trade exhibition, which attracted over 62,000 people this year. There were plenty of airsoft goodies on display, but a new duo from ASG’s ProLine range caught our attention in particular. The Armalite M15A4 Carbine and LMT Defender RIS display great attention to detail, and should appeal to MilSim players in particular. The Armalite AEG features a full-metal barrel and receiver, with a six-position collapsible stock, and grips made from heavy-duty polymer. The removable top
handle includes integrated metal sights, mounted on a Picatinny rail which allows for additional optics mounting. LMT’s Defender AEG (pictured) has an all-metal construction, with a realistic bolt-catch release function. The reinforced gearbox allows for easy modifications – and the 360-round magazine will ensure
that you’re well stocked when you head into action. Both rifles will be available in 1.4-joule and 0.9-joule M95 versions. Look out for a full test of these ProLine guns in an upcoming issue. For more information, visit www. actionsportgames.com
THE APOCALYPSE IS COMING… FilmSim fans know better than most that it always pays to be prepared for the impending zombie apocalypse… and now Crosman has chipped in with some hardware to help you combat the relentless, shambling hordes. All sound a bit dramatic? Take a look at these new AEGs from Crosman’s Undead Apocalypse range to see why we’re so excited. The three rifles, which have the wonderful names of Inoculator, Eraser and Purge, are two-tone, M4-style, fullauto AEGs. The Inoculator (pictured) offers the option of semi-auto mode, and includes a Picatinny front-quad rail for mounting accessories. Its 300-round mag gives you plenty of ammo for taking down flesh-eaters. The Purge has a built-in compensator, a gravity-fed hopper that holds up to 500 rounds, and a multiposition, removable stock. The latter is ideal for when the hordes are closing in and you’re in a tight spot. Finally, the Eraser features a vertical front grip, for extra shooting support when you’re shaking with fear – it also has an adjustable stock if you need that extra bit of stealth.
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The guns will cost in the region of £60-75, Airsoft Action understands, though we are awaiting full details of how the guns will be distributed in the UK. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we know more – but for now, visit crosman.com/airsoft/undead for more information.
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Ratty takes a look at Magpul PTS’ latest offering – a low-price version of the Masada assault rifle
PTS MASADA SV T
he new Masada SV (or Streamlined Version) retails at £299, substantially less than the normal PTS Masada, which will set you back around £450. From this we can gather that the SV is aimed at people looking to pick up their first Masada – but it’s facing stiff competition from its Cybergun relation, also a licensed Magpul product, but made by A&K. All the indications suggest that this PTS version is made alongside its original brother. The question is: can the Hong Kong company produce a quality, reliable version of the Masada for less than £300?
Real Steel Magpul Industries, based in Erie, Colorado, initially developed the Masada over a period of five months, unveiling its prototypes at the 2007 SHOT Show in Orlando, Florida, under the name Masada Adaptive Combat Weapon System. The original Magpul Masada
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was a combination of several rifle designs, incorporating what were considered to be the best features of each in a single, lightweight, modular tactical rifle platform. Included in the Masada were design features from the Armalite AR-18 (short-stroke gas system), the FN SCAR (upper receiver, charging handle location), the Heckler & Koch G36/XM8 (liberal use of polymer components) and the M16/AR-15 (trigger pack, barrel, firecontrol group). However, as well as these features, the rifle also included several features developed by Magpul itself, such as a quick-change barrel system, an adjustable gas regulator, a nonreciprocating charging handle and storage compartments located in the stock and grip. Magpul made some additional changes to its original design, the most obvious being the relocation of the ambidextrous operating handle to a forward position similar to those found on the Heckler & Koch G3 and MP5
series. This design made the Magpul Adaptive Combat Weapons System quite unique at the time. It is rapidly reconfigurable for length, calibre, magazine compatibility, stock type and fire-control setup.
The Replica This SV version of the Masada is available in both black and Dark Earth, and it is the black version we have on test here. Opening the box up, there is nothing to immediately suggest that this gun is the ‘cheap’ cousin. Aside from the 14.5-inch carbine-barrelled Masada itself, you will find a 75-round mag (instead of the 120-round mag that you get with the other Masadas) and a very comprehensive owner’s manual. However, notably absent compared to the more expensive models is the set of Magpul PTS MBUS front and rear iron sights. Taking the SV out for a closer look, I am far from disappointed. Like other Masadas in the range, this gun is based on Magpul’s
THE ARMOURY | MASADA SV
Gen 3 design, so the details are exact to this model. It’s clear when handling the SV that it is somewhat lighter than the other, more expensive models in the range. The upper receiver is still CNC-machined from aluminium, while the lower is now produced from a standard, commercial-grade polymer. If realistic weight is a must for you, then steer clear of this version. However, for most of us, light and
nimble is good. The gun feels sturdy and there is no flex at all, suggesting that this is a quality, robust bit of kit. The stock is fixed, apart from the twoposition, adjustable cheekpiece, and there is a QD sling mounting point, which can easily be swapped over to the other side using an Allen key. Moving forward, the pistol grip is MOE style, so feels nice and comfortable in your hands. The ambidextrous fire safety switch/fire selector is located above the grip, so can be operated by thumb without moving or adjusting your hand from the pistol grip. Forward of this, just above the front edge of the trigger unit, is the ambidextrous magrelease catch. Again, this is easy to operate using your trigger finger. Located just behind the magazine housing is the bolt release catch – again ambidextrous, and useable without moving your hand away from the grip. When you cock the weapon, this gives you access inside the breech to get to your hop adjustor. This is highly functional: think how many of us get hacked off when trying to set our hop, as the dust cover keeps flipping back up. Magpul’s marque is engraved on the lefthand side of the upper, while the weapon’s serial number appears on the right-hand side, along with the inevitable ‘For Training and Simulation Use Only’ markings. Running across the top of the receiver is a 37-slot military spec rail, allowing you to mount all manner of optics. The front polymer hand guard allows optional rail mounting points at the three, six and nine o’clock positions. Removing the hand guard to fit a battery is simple, but does require the help of a multi-tool or Allen key to push the locking pin through far enough that you can use your fingers. The locking pin is held in and cannot fall out, a nice touch meaning that you
won’t be scrabbling around in the dirt looking for it when having to do a battery change in the heat of a fire-fight. With the hand guard off, this exposes the all-metal 14.52-inch outer barrel, which can be quickly changed for a shorter or longer barrel (not supplied) without the aid of any tools. The cocking lever is mounted just below the rail, and locks back until the bolt-release catch has been engaged. Looking at it, this can also be swapped over to the other side for lefties. Internally, the gearbox is an enhanced version III – the same as you will find in the more expensive Masadas, so performance should be good. The gun is wired with a mini Tamiya connector, but nowhere in the manual does it let you know what type of battery they advise you to run the SV on. Of course, I would recommend 8.4v NiMHs, but some Far East retailers are saying 7.4v-11.1v LiPos are okay too. Your local retailer will advise on this in relation to the relevant warranty arrangement.
On Test To begin with, I charged up an 8.4v 1600mah and an 11.1v 1200mah Firefox battery to see which worked best – and I opted to use Blaster Devil 0.20g BBs for testing, with velocity results read via a Madbull Version 2 chrono. With the 8.4v battery fitted, I put some rounds down and bedded everything in. After a quick squirt of the obligatory silicone spray down the barrel, into the hop chamber, and into the 75-round mag, it was time to rock ‘n’ roll. I also filled up an ASG M16/M4 300-BB magazine to test the claims that other brands’ mags will fit the SV. Going out onto our 100-ft range and test area, I turned the hop on slightly and fitted the mag that came with the SV. Selecting single-shot mode and squeezing the
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trigger, the SV emitted a reassuring thwack. The BB sailed downrange and pinged against the metal target. After a few more shots, I selected auto and let off a short burst: first three rounds, then five, and in no time at all the 75-round mag was empty. With that in mind, I slapped in the ASG 300-BB magazine. It fitted fine so, selecting full auto again, I pulled the trigger and held it back for a good 10-15 seconds. A constant stream of BBs hammered against the target. After about five more mags, I adjusted the hop; it didn’t need that much, just a tweak.
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Using the 75-round mag, I achieved readings of between 339-360fps over the chrono. I loaded up some more mags and went out to a CQB area that I had set up earlier. With targets set up in various rooms, I worked my way round the building, engaging them as I went. Selecting between semi and full auto, the SV does feel robust yet lightweight. Even when I clanked the barrel against a doorframe, I wasn’t worried that I had done any damage. Mag changes in combat are quick and easy. I moved the targets around and repeated the
course, again and again – and the SV never missed a beat. Satisfied with that, I did it all again, this time with the 11.1v LiPo battery. This upped the rate of fire on full auto and gave a better trigger response on semi as well. Doing the course over and over, I started to appreciate the appeal of the Masada. Outside the building, I let off some small bursts to see how far they travelled. The 0.20g Blasters were travelling a good 120ft before the hop kicked in. Back to the chrono, it was now averaging 344fps, but did achieve a couple at 355.
THE ARMOURY | MASADA SV
“The SV performs well in both CQB and woodland environments. It feels well put together, giving you the confidence that it will take a bashing.”
Conclusion For a long time now, I have had a bit of a negative opinion on the Masada – due to the fact that it’s all people talk about on some game days! When it first arrived on the market, I must admit, it wasn’t my cup of tea. I had never really given it a chance to prove itself. That said, this is my first experience spending any length of time with a Masada. I’m very impressed – and this is the ‘cheap’ one! The SV performs well in both CQB and woodland environments. It feels well put together, giving you the confidence that it will take a bashing.
If you mainly play CQB days, then a shorter barrel would be a worthwhile investment. For those of you that already have a couple of rifles and are after a Masada, then it is probably worth spending that bit extra on the more expensive version. Even then, the SV shouldn’t be dismissed. Indeed, for people with an extensive collection, who like running many different load-outs, the SV is ideal. It’s substantially cheaper, and although the mag it comes with holds less rounds, and it hasn’t got iron sights, the more expensive versions have a hard act to follow to justify the extra cost.
INFORMATION HOP-UP: Adjustable WEIGHT: 2.67kg BARREL LENGTH: 368mm OVERALL LENGTH: 830mm MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 75 rounds POWER: 344-355fps BATTERY SIZE: 8.4v mini type NimH, 7.4v-11.1v LiPo FIRING MODES: Semi, full auto PRICE: £299
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WE GETS Ratty puts the WE XDM GBB pistol through its paces, to see if it lives up to the hype
A
few years ago, many of you would’ve seen the word WE in the title of a pistol review and flipped through the next few pages with gritted teeth – probably muttering words like ‘cheap’, ‘clones’ and ‘poor quality’. To be totally honest, a few years ago, your dismissal of the brand wouldn’t have been far off the mark. However, as we all know, technology has come a long way in the field of gas blowbacks – just think of KWA’s NS2, the KSC System 7, and Tokyo Marui’s latest series of pistols. I recently got my hands on a WE XDM pistol for review, and as I personally own a couple of older WE models – the 1911 and
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MEU – I was intrigued to see how its ‘new’ generation of GBB pistols compares.
Real Steel Produced by HS Produkt, based in Karlovac, Croatia, the XDM – or X-treme Duty-More – series consists of semiautomatic, striker-fired pistols, with polymer frames and steel inserts, and fitted with an accessory-mounting rail. All XDM pistols come with grip and trigger safety mechanisms, a loaded chamber indicator just behind the barrel, and match-grade barrels. In production, the surface of the metal undergoes a Melonite treatment – a salt-bath nitriding process
that results in a hard, corrosion-resistant surface. Unlike the earlier generation of XD handguns, the XDM can be disassembled without pulling the trigger, making field stripping faster and safer. Each angle and contour of the XDM’s ‘all-terrain’ grip has been designed to maximise control. Along with the slide serrations, this means that, regardless of the weather and other conditions, you should never lose your grip of this pistol. The XDM series is based on the original HS2000, released in 1999 and adopted by the Croatian military as its standard sidearm. It was soon exported to America, where HS America distributed it in 9mm form only.
THE ARMOURY | WE XDM In 2002, Springfield Armory negotiated licensing rights for the US market, and changed the name to the XD-9. Since then, it has expanded the line to include 10 models in three different calibres, with five different cartridges, seven barrel-lengths, and four finishes: black, bi-tone, olive drab frame, and the newest Dark Earth frame. In 2006, the XDM was released to market, and in the same year, both American Rifleman magazine and the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence awarded the XD-45 the title of Handgun of the Year. The XDM series of pistols won the award again in 2009. The XDM series, which encompasses three calibres (9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP), three different barrel lengths, (3.8-inch, 4.5-inch and 5.25-inch), and six finishes, was recently among the trial guns for the next generation of sidearm to be used by the British army. It was pipped at the post – as were the SIG Sauer P226 and Beretta Px4 – by the Glock 17.
The Replica WE has released the XDM in 3.8-inch and 4.5-inch versions in a range of colours – with the all-black and tan models in 4.5 being the two most popular versions so far. It’s received glowing praise from several
quarters, so I want to see if this pistol lives up to the hype. Taking it out of the box, which includes a manual and two spare back straps for the pistol grip, the XDM certainly feels comfortable and chunky. Some people say this is an ugly pistol; for me, functionality is beautiful. It does take a bit of getting used to visually, and you can see ideas and workings from other pistols in the XDM, including the Glock, the 1911, Walther P99 and the SIG P series. The grip in particular is odd looking, but feels great in the hand. There is a contoured groove at the top where the thumb naturally sits, while the grip safety doesn’t require much pressure to engage. Holding the pistol correctly, you can operate the magazine release catch, located at the top of the grip, behind the trigger housing. Above the thumb rest is the slide release catch, which can also be operated without having to adjust your holding position. The slide-locking lever is located just above the front edge of the trigger guard. The trigger itself contains a second safety, so the gun will not fire unless the trigger is being held correctly. Just forward of the trigger guard is a short, three-slot mounting rail, which is enough to fit most
“The build quality is good, and the reliability, on test, apart from that mag follower, was as good as any of the pistols that I have reviewed recently”
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pistol-style torch and laser units. The top slide is all metal, but has a coating that lends it a polymer look/feel. On the left-hand side it has 4.5-in and.40-calibre markings, while the right-hand side shows the serial number. The sights are very simple, comprising two white-dot rear sights, with a single white-dot front sight. All in all, this is a functional, ergonomicallydesigned pistol. I can see why people admire the feel of this XDM. Field stripping is simple enough, but the top slide is a little stiff to completely disengage. The hop adjustor, located in the top slide, is a wheel type – as found in most of the WE GBB pistols. This, again, is
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a little stiff, but at least it won’t self-adjust as you are using it. There are plenty of XDM-specific holsters available on the market, including a BlackHawk SERPA. However, those for the WE SIG and WE Glock 17 are a little too oversized to fit straight into their respective CQC SERPA holsters – so without testing I cannot confirm that the XDM won’t have the same issue.
On Test It has been suggested that the WE XDM is, internally, an exact copy of the TM version – which is why WE and TM mags are cross-compatible. This is no bad thing,
as TM still manufactures some of the most reliable pistols on the market. So can the WE version match or, dare I say, surpass the TM version? With a tin of ASG Ultra Air green gas, a bag of Madbull Precision Grade 0.20g BBs, and a Madbull 2 chrono, I set off for the test area. It was a cold and windy day, and after a quick splash of silicone in all the right places, I loaded up the mag with 18 BBs (though the blurb says it takes 24!) and gassed it. The mag has a big reservoir, and it took it a good 25 seconds-worth of gas to fill it. I noticed that the follower in the mag is in two sections, with the upper section free floating – slightly bizarre, as
THE ARMOURY | WE XDM
when this moves up the magazine housing, this section could twist and cause a jam. With the mag in place, and the weapon racked and loaded, I squeezed the trigger. It requires a bit of pressure to pull on, but it does have a pleasing action. With a ‘crack’ sound, the first round went downrange and hit our target. With some more single shots following, each time the slide cycled with a crisp and definitive action. It was time for some double taps. The first two shots went off with no issue, then another two, followed by a third set in quick succession. Despite the weather, it just kept going. No sign of the dreaded cool down at all.
Before I knew it, the slide locked back to the rear. I wasn’t expecting that. After a quick refill of gas and BBs, it was back out for some more testing. I emptied the second mag just doing double taps. With the third mag in, I fired off four or five rounds and then suffered a stoppage. Taking the mag out, the follower had twisted, causing the BBs not to feed up all the way. A quick tap soon cured that, and with the mag back in, it fired off the rest of the ammo without an issue. Over the chrono, with a fresh mag, it was recording 243-265fps. This is a little lower than I was expecting – but considering the weather it was no great surprise. If I had conducted this test when the weather was just a few degrees warmer, the XDM would easily have achieved 280fps.
Conclusion The WE XDM has a tough job ahead of itself. It has to dispel the old image of WE and compete against the KWAs and TMs that are out there – especially as everyone will compare this pistol to its TM counterpart. But as it has more metal parts than the TM version, it certainly feels more robust, and more comfortable in the hand. The build quality is good, and the reliability, on test, apart from that mag follower, was as good as any of the pistols that I have
reviewed recently – especially when you consider the adverse weather we were having on test day. It is cheaper than a TM version by about £50 – which is a couple of spare mags’ worth! So on build quality and performance, it ticks all the boxes. There will always be those that will disparage WE as a brand, because of its earlier models, but then Classic Army, ICS and others got the same treatment when they first came onto the market. It does show how quickly the likes of WE are adopting and adapting new technology into their range. This is a brand to watch for in the future.
INFORMATION & PRICE WEIGHT: 836g LENGTH: 190mm MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 26 rounds (manufacturer’s claim); 18 rounds (test model) POWER: 245-265fps (tested at minus one degrees Celsius) HOP-UP: Adjustable PROPELLANT: Green Gas SYSTEM: Gas Blowback FIRING MODE: Semi-automatic PRICE: Around £100
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SITE REVIEW | CORVUS AIRSOFT
corvus airsoft Corvus Airsoft, one of Scotland’s top sites, has had a major revamp, so Scott Allan went along to find out more
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illie Falconer and the coowners of Corvus Airsoft recently undertook the mammoth task of taking over an old gaming site in Edinburgh. Their mission was simple: take everything that had been on the site previously, and make it bigger, better and slicker. Did they manage it? I went along with a group of friends and players to find out. Willie and the team have been around the airsoft scene for a long time. Their Team Danish has been playing together
for years – often an instrumental force during the England v Scotland games run by Stirling Airsoft at Catterick Garrison. They have helped run sites and teams, and have all played for a long time, so they know a good game when they see it. The Corvus Airsoft site is located on the outskirts of Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, only about 15 minutes from the very centre of the city – and fairly accessible via public transport. It is run in the same woodland area as a
paintball site, but Corvus has its own dedicated area, which is essential for the sake of keeping your gucci kit all nice and paint free! The site has its own car park and portaloos at the paintball safe zone. From there, it is only a short walk through the woods to the Corvus Airsoft safe zone. There are normally a few marshals with 4x4s who can offer to carry kit – so at least you only have to plod along with your own weight instead of heavy kit bags.
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“You can do what I, and several others, did – which was to leap twofooted into the river under the cover of smoke, and try to push across. It worked for the most part!“ Upon arriving at the airsoft safe zone I was immediately impressed. It’s a goodsized, enclosed area, with cover to keep the worst of the elements out, and a fire pit for cave dwellers to get really excited over! There is even a range to test out your rifle, zero scopes at a variety of distances, and check your hop settings. The sign-in process is fast and slick, as everyone is split into two separate teams and taped up to show which side they are on. Now this is the part that really impressed me. Though, as a site, Corvus is not massive, the average number of players for a gane is generally around the 40-50 mark. The opening I attended
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had 120 players from sites all across Scotland, making it probably the largest game ever held at a Scottish site. If it wasn’t the largest game held in Scotland, then it certainly had the largest cross-section of players – and yet the full sign-in had been completed long before 10am. I frequently hear about sites not starting before 11am, with only 30 players to account for! All the big teams from sites across Scotland were there (I won’t name them all because I’ll miss one out and get it in the neck), as well as many marshals from Section 8, Fife Wargames and Land Warrior Skirmishing – and finally a sprinkling of airsoft shop staff.
Luckily, Spectre Airsoft Media was also onsite. This group has photographed for sites all over the UK, as well as for many manufacturers, and took the stunning pictures you see in this article. The day at Corvus really was a ‘who’s who’ of the Scottish airsoft scene. It was superb to see everyone under a single roof getting geared up and kitted out – almost like seeing Ferrari and Lamborghini helping each other out in the pit lane! The games were fairly straightforward, with the first being of the ‘fall back’ variety, which made perfect sense given the site numbers. We were the fall-back team first and we got stuck in, holding the attackers back for a good time, and
SITE REVIEW | CORVUS AIRSOFT falling back across the whole site. Every point was new to everyone, and working out the best way to defend it was tough and enjoyable. The fall back lasted until lunch, when we all consumed a supply of free tea and coffee, while trying to keep out the snow storms that were frequenting the safe zone. Indeed, as the site launched in January, it snowed a considerable amount – not that it deterred anyone in the slightest. If anything, the weather conditions just added to the laughs.
The best games of the day revolved around ‘The Island’ – Corvus Airsoft’s biggest selling point. The River Esk runs through the site, cutting out two great little islands where Corvus has built up a host of little huts, naming it ‘Little Columbia’. There are even bridges with a lifting gate and guard huts. Alternatively, you can do what I, and several others, did – which was to leap two-footed into the river under the cover of smoke, and try to push across. It worked for the most part!
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The numbers on site restricted the games somewhat, which was a shame, but then it was a much better game day for it. If it had been a random ‘go where you like’ scenario, no one would have got near anything. The future looks bright for Corvus, with a host of MilSim events on the cards, as well as many scenario and objective-based games. It all sounds very promising, indeed. By the end of the day I was shattered. Okay, it was cold, snowing and muddy because we’d endured the wettest year on record – but what shone through it all was the sense of community between the groups that attended, and the camaraderie that binds them together. Overall, the day was a roaring success, due to the efforts of the Corvus staff, and the teams and marshals from the other sites that took part. Without a doubt, this was only the beginning. There are many good things to come from Corvus Airsoft.
INFORMATION CORVUS AIRSOFT WEB: www.corvusairsoft.co.uk LOCATION: Edinburgh, EH27 8EB
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VFC continues its licensed H&K range for Umarex with the USMC M27. Scott Allan takes a closer look
USMC M27 A
t its heart, the M27 is nothing more than a long HK 416, so why should you be you excited? The M27 IAR (Infantry Automatic Rifle) is the newest weapon for the United States Marine Corps. It is based on the ludicrously great HK 416, but the USMC has its own specific requirements – so had Heckler & Koch engineer some subtle differences. Bearing in mind the time that the USMC stuck with the M16-length rifle, it clearly has a very particular way of doing things.
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Real Steel The real steel version has a 16.5-inch barrel with an 11-inch rail, which is slightly longer than the M4 carbine, and with a longer rail. It operates almost identically to a standard M4 platform and still uses the same magazines and 5.56mm NATO ammunition, so from the outside it does not appear to be anything special. Internally, however, it utilises a gas-operated, short-stroke piston, which is a cleaner method of cycling compared to a direct impingement. This allows for a longer function between
cleaning and an increase in reliability. In addition, it has a free-floating barrel, heavier than on a standard M4, which increases durability and accuracy. Now for the controversial part. The M27 is designed to replace the heavy M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon). Supposedly, its lighter weight makes it more useful, but the fact that it is 50 per cent lighter is traded off against the size of its magazine, which holds only 30 rounds compared to the 100 of the M249 – although there are always larger
THE ARMOURY | VFC USMC M27
The Replica capacity magazines or drum magazines. I am reminded of the fuss over the British forces’ Bren Gun, the L86 LSW, and before that the BAR M1918. I believe that there was a reason they stopped making these – yet the M27 seems to be asking to be categorised as a magazine-fed, light machine gun. It offers greater accuracy and singleshot functionality, as well as being much lighter. There are concerns, however, that it simply does not provide the suppression that the M249 does. Another way to think of it would be to consider the fear factor. Crossbows
fired farther and faster than a musket, yet muskets superseded them. If you’re not sure why, just consider the noise a musket makes. Just hearing one in the heat of battle would be enough to empty your breakfast down your legs – so imagine that multiplied by 100! In short, it is about psychological warfare. There are concerns that the M27 just isn’t big enough and scary enough – and, on visuals alone, the doubters would be right. One hundred rounds will always be scarier than 30 rounds. It won’t necessarily be more deadly, but generally the more rounds you fire the more likely you are to hit something or at least suppress it.
VFC has always made the best looking rifles, and its finish and quality have never really been beaten by any manufacturer. It consistently produces the most accurate replicas, and with accurate trademarks, they just appeal to everyone. VFC weapons do many things for me, and one is that they always make me smile when I see one. They are just nice; nothing overstated, they just look perfect. The M27 is no different: the markings are all clean and crisp, plus the rifle comes presented in its very own hard case. This aside, the function is all standard M4. The flip up sights are good quality and do not fall over through use; the charging handle is the
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THE ARMOURY | VFC USMC M27
same as the real-steel style; the bolt catch works, which helps for setting your hop up; the pistol grip feels extremely comfortable, as it is designed like the real version, and the stock is simply beautiful. Sporting the same style stock as the HK 417 released last year, this is probably my favourite stock, along with the Magpul MOE/CTR style. Both these just feel nice, and they are user friendly for changing batteries. On the inside, there are a lot of thoughtful touches and features that contribute to the overall performance. The hop up is the drum style, similar to the G36, ICS M4 or the Madbull M4 unit. This means your hop does not wind off during use. The stock tube design allows for a larger LiPo battery as standard than a G&P or G&G rifle, which is great news from a gaming point of view. The gearbox is a standard Version 2 with 8mm bushings, and inside you will find a metal bearing spring guide, selfshimming gears (I am not a massive fan of these, but they are standard for VFC), an aluminium piston head, an O-ring air nozzle, and a long-shafted motor. If this means absolutely nothing to you, do not fear. What it all boils down to is good
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stuff, and good stuff means reliability and accuracy. Some people mistake fps (feet per second) for accuracy and range. A good hop system and a consistent gearbox are far more likely to serve you well in the world of airsoft. On paper, nothing about the internals looks all that exciting, but this rifle has a very high build quality, and this is important. The grouping from the test firing was very positive, as was the rate of fire – a fairly quick 950 rounds per minute from a 9.6v battery. The range was also at the higher end of the scale, and we easily put shots out to 50 metres while testing with 0.25g Blaster BBs.
Conclusion This is a top-end item, there is no denying it, and the finish and build quality are as good as it gets. The performance of VFC products is generally very good. In the past I have had issues fitting tight-bore barrels or upgraded parts to a VFC, but I cannot say if that would be the case for this rifle. I believe you could quite happily run this rifle in its stock configuration. The full-metal construction and heavy barrel do make the front end a little
weighty, and if you are a smaller player, I do not doubt you would be feeling the burn after using the M27 for a day. The price, while not yet confirmed, is expected to be close to £400 – and that is a fair amount of cash for an AEG. Bear in mind that this includes a free hard case, which would otherwise probably set you back £50-60, so it might be a good deal in the end. Any licensed rifle would cost you more, as is only to be expected, and I personally would pay the extra. If trademarks bother you and you want the newest and most accurate replica, then the VFC M27 is worth the money. If you are not entirely fussed, and you just want a M4ish rifle that looks kind of like a 416, the G&G T4-18 might be worth a look instead.
INFORMATION WEIGHT: 3.3kg LENGTH: 855mm-935mm VELOCITY: 350fps (test sample, using Blaster 0.20g BBs) GEARBOX: Standard Version 2 CASE: Hard case included PRICE: TBC – expected to be ~£400
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SHADES OF GREY When times are tight, we all look to save money – but are grey imports really a cheaper option? Nige investigates...
F
irst up, let’s get one thing straight. Grey importing, also known as parallel importing, is not counterfeiting – it does not involve copying a branded or trademarked product and passing it off as the real thing. Grey importing is generally accepted to mean the selling of trademarked goods through channels of distribution that are not authorised by the trademark holders. One example of a grey import would be purchasing a RIF (that is sold in the UK) directly from a supplier in Hong Kong, bypassing the UK distributor. This is not illegal if you are purchasing the item for your own use, and it is a personal import – providing it is properly declared at customs, and the relevant rates of duty and tax are paid at the time of import. However, if you are purchasing goods with the intention of reselling, then the items must be acquired from the European Economic Area, otherwise it is considered to be grey importing.
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The following is quoted from HMRC Notice 34 (November 2012) regarding intellectual property rights in the UK:
European Economic Area, or from within that Area but not having been entered for free circulation.
“4. United Kingdom legislation facilitating action against grey market goods
4.2 Exclusions Sections 89 and 111 do not apply to:
4.1 Law Section 89 of the Trade Marks Act 1994 allows the proprietor or the licensee of a registered trade mark to give us notice in writing that goods expected to arrive in the UK will infringe their trade mark and should therefore be treated as prohibited. Section 111 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the owner of a copyright to give us notice in writing that infringing copies of certain types of works expected to arrive in the UK on a specified date, are to be treated as prohibited. These sections apply only to infringing goods arriving in the UK from outside the
goods for which an application may be made under Council Regulation (EC) No 1383/2003 infringing goods intended for the private and domestic use of the importer goods which have already arrived in the UK.” The laws above form the basis for the actions of companies such as Cybergun, represented by SMK in the UK. Cybergun and similar companies fiercely protect the large sums of money they have invested in acquiring trademark rights by taking
INVESTIGATION | GREY IMPORTS action against those that grey import their products or use their trademarks. They are not interested in individuals who import for their own use (which is not illegal), but when companies bring in tens, hundreds, or even thousands of units, then this can have a huge impact on their marketing strategies, brand values and profits. If you’re thinking it’s all about money, then you’re spot on. Otherwise why would anyone (company, or individual) choose to forgo the support and warranties provided by authorised resellers and buy from outside the recognised distribution channel? Companies are in business and businesses are not charities. They have expenses to pay and, in some cases, shareholders and investors to keep happy. If they don’t make sufficient profit, they go out of business – just consider the recent fortunes of Woolworths, Comet and others. So just how much money can an individual save by buying directly from Hong Kong? To find out, I took the first gun that popped into my head, which happened to be the KWA KRISS Vector, and ran a price comparison between an authorised UK dealer (Land Warrior Airsoft) and a Hong Kong airsoft shop, which will remain anonymous, picked at random from Google. The Hong Kong shop currently advertises the KRISS Vector at $304 USD, and will ship it to the UK using a variety of express delivery services, which takes about seven days and costs $84. It also offers cheaper
delivery services, but nobody in their right mind would use anything but a recognised company such as UPS, Fedex or TNT. The total equals $388, which, at the time of writing, equates to £255.26. When the goods arrive at customs in the UK, import duty is added, followed by VAT on the total. The current import duty rate applicable for airsoft weapons is 3.2 per cent, and VAT is 20 per cent. With these charges added to £255.26, the total reaches £316.11. This is what it will cost you to buy, ship and land a KWA KRISS Vector from that particular shop in Hong Kong. The price for the same item from Land Warrior Airsoft is £330.00 – so your ‘saving’ is £13.89, and from Hong Kong it comes without a warranty, guarantee or any kind of service agreement. I think most people would agree that it is hardly worth the hassle for less than £14. Looking more closely at the Hong Kong shop’s website reveals some disturbing extra delivery options, designed to entice you into purchasing. By selecting one option, the exporter will ‘describe’ the shipment as something other than an airsoft gun. Alternatively, you could have the gun disassembled and sent in separate packages. The former is illegal, and the latter will end up costing you more. However, for those who wish to remain above board, the shop also offers an option to enter your UKARA registration number and provide documentation to back this up.
The shop also allows you to request an ‘alteration’ to the value shown on the invoice, and whether it is to include the cost of shipping. However, it is an offence to falsely declare the value of the goods – and the value includes the cost of shipping and insurance. When caught, the penalties include fines and additional costs, or destruction of the imported items. When threatened by these penalities, many people say, ‘But I know loads of people who have done it and haven’t been caught.’ And that’s correct, loads of people have done it and haven’t been caught – but that doesn’t make it right and it doesn’t make it legal. Aside from the state-sanctioned penalties for falsifying import documentation, there is another potential consequence that could have far-reaching effects. Imagine you’ve bought your gun from Hong Kong, it has arrived without being seized by customs, and you’ve escaped being prosecuted. You head off to your local airsoft shop to buy a battery, some BBs and maybe even a scope and some accessories. But what’s this? The shop is closed and there’s a ‘For Sale’ sign hanging over the door. The shop has gone out of business, and you are to partly blame for damaging its business. Not only that, I strongly object to having to pay more tax because of you. You didn’t pay tax on the gun you bought from Hong Kong, did you? This means everyone else has to make up the shortfall – in the above example, to the tune of £61.18. Not a huge amount on
UK
HONG KONG
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INVESTIGATION | GREY IMPORTS
Think twice before importing airsoft products from from the Far East
its own, but if every airsoft gun was sold in the UK on that basis it would amount to a very substantial sum of money indeed. Some companies are taking positive steps in an effort to reduce the amount of grey-imported weaponry through legal redress and the involvement of HMRC and DTI. Others, for example STTS/Celcius, have gone down the route of unique serial numbers for each complete gun being recorded at both source and on the UK warranty card. JD Airsoft is the UK’s exclusive STTS/Celcius dealer, and will only offer warranty support for UK-registered guns. They will still service and repair nonUK-warrantied weapons, but these will be fully chargeable. It’s also worth noting that not all AEG products manufactured in the Far East (and not destined for the EU) meet the requirements of the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (2011/65/ EU) – also known as RoHS 2 – which was transposed into UK law before January 2 this year. In other words, if the products are not RoHS compliant, then they are banned from
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the EU, as they come under the category pertaining to ‘Toys, Leisure and Sports Equipment’. If you buy an AEG from an authorised dealer in the UK, you can be sure the products supplied are RoHS compliant. The same cannot be said of grey imports, and certainly not of any product purchased directly from a shop in Hong Kong. Interestingly, products imported for ‘personal use’ are also covered by the directive. The authority responsible for the enforcement of RoHS in the UK is the National Measurement Office (NMO), and the current penalties for failing to comply with the directive are harsh – up to a £5,000 fine on summary conviction, or an unlimited fine on conviction on indictment. Ignorance of the directive is not an acceptable defense. Though grey importing by individuals is not illegal, I will end with a cautionary tale. Airsoft Action was recently sent some review guns from outside the EU. They were properly described and had the correct UKARA number on the documentation but, because the declared value was just the cost of insurance and the shipment was marked as ‘commercial samples not for
resale’, they were held at customs until this could be verified. HMRC is not stupid, and you should not think for one moment that you are ‘safe’ because you have decided that customs are not interested in ‘small fry’ – you are not and they are. As always, though, the decision as to whether the risk is worth it is down to individual responsibility. I know where I stand.
INFORMATION For more information about the online purchase of airsoft products from abroad, a good source is the HMRC website, particularly: www.hmrc.gov. uk/customs/post/internet.htm Notice 34 can be found in the HMRC document library, under ‘VAT, Customs and Excise’. Information about RoHS can be found at: www.bis.gov.uk/nmo/enforcement/ rohs-home Further information, along with the penalties can be found at: www. conformance.co.uk/adirectives/
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WIN...WIN...WIN...WIN...WIN...WIN...WIN... THE ARMOURY | M2000 SNIPER RIFLE
WE M4A1AEG F
or this month’s competition prize, the lovely people at Target One Field Sports have provided us with a WE M4A1 AEG to give away. This electronicallypowered rifle retails for around £220 – and comes well stocked with features, including an extendable stock, a 350-round magazine, an accessory rail and a reinforced 8mm gearbox. There’s plenty of metal in the construction, too, emphasising the quality coming out of WE’s factory these days. To be in with a shout of winning this superb rifle, identify the five differences between the two images below. Either mark them on this page and send it in, or send us an email listing the five differences.
Name _____________________________________ Address____________________________________ __________________________________________ Postcode ___________________________________
WORTH
£220
Telephone __________________________________ Email _____________________________________
Post your entry to: WE M4A1 competition, Airsoft Action, Blaze Publishing, Lawrence House, Morrell Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 5SZ. Or, email your entries to competition@blazepublishing.co.uk, quoting ‘March WE M4A1’ in the headline. Entries received after 10 March will not be valid. One entry per household. Winner will be first correct entry pulled from the editor's hat. Blaze Publishing would like to keep you informed of other offers and publications. Please tick here if you would NOT like to be contacted by post or email
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Delta Team 3 In his quest to review all the North West Airsoft Alliance sites, Ron Mahoney heads out to Delta Team 3 Airsoft
I
t was only recently that I finally found time to get down to Delta Team 3. With my new mission objective to review every single North West Airsoft Alliance site, I had double the incentive to pay a visit. I’d known about the site for a while and, situated about 10 minutes from the M58 motorway, near Skelmersdale, Lancashire, it was pretty local to me. Access to the site is straightforward, and although it isn’t that well sign-posted, there are decent tarmac roads right up to the entrance. This was ideal, considering I was visiting the site only a few days
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after one of those ‘month-of-rain-in-a-day’ occurrences that blighted us last autumn and winter. The site has been operating as a paintball location for several years, and has well-established features and objectives. Nonetheless, Alan Ash from Delta Team 3 explained that, in the past, the team experienced some difficulty in securing access for airsoft purposes. However, over the past year, the site has been available whenever requested. Whether this says more about the decline of corporate bookings (and paintball in
general) or the rise of airsoft I couldn’t say. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions. The good news is that the team has been able to book a couple of games each month, and can therefore offer a bit of consistency to their regulars. The safe zone is an outdoor, covered bench area with camo netting draped from tall scaffold tubes for cover, lending it a military feel. The day I turned up there were about 30 players, and still plenty of space for kitting up. Even the worst offending ‘geardo’ would be hard pressed to monopolise too much of the changing
SITE REVIEW | DELTA TEAM 3 area. Once kitted up, all weapons were first chrono’d (with site limits of 350fps full-auto, 425fps semi-auto and 500fps bolt-action) then tagged before we assembled in the safe zone for the safety briefing. This was pretty standard, apart from a warning about one of the main features being out of bounds due to the flooding. Although it was a bright sunny morning, the weather had still taken its toll on the site. The first game was a straightforward attack-and-defend scenario designed to create warmth in both hop-ups and brains. With winter sunlight streaming through the sparsely-wooded area, the dappled areas of shade, and a few man-made features, offered the best cover. For the attacking force, stealthy movement was pretty difficult against such a background; many tried the ‘route one’, brute force approach, but as they were backlit by the low sun, they were easily repelled. After a while the first few defenders had also fallen, and the attacking team had seized a small area of cover that provided an opportunity to flank left and right in a classic pincer movement. Both sides replayed this scenario a couple of times until we moved off to another area of the site for a scenario I hadn’t yet come across. I noticed a line of ex-ambulances and a pickup truck forming a three-vehicle convoy. This, in itself, was not unusual – something you see at many sites. However, the difference here was that, sat out in the middle of an open field about 150 yards away, there was a lone Bedford van that acted as a ‘Heli-Bedford’ – but more about that in a minute. The team at Delta set the game up in a rather interesting way. The scenario dictated that those aboard the ambulances
“For the attacking force, stealthy movement was pretty difficult against such a background; many tried the ‘route one’, brute force approach, but as they were backlit by the low sun, they were easily repelled.”
were part of a peace-keeping force, and had rules of engagement that stated they could only fire after being fired upon. Although each side could see the other, until the attackers chose to fire they could move about without fear. You might think that the attackers could just waltz up to the convoy and brass them up, but bear in mind those in the vehicles did have a level of cover, so if the attackers got too close then they were in the open. Once the first BBs hit the vehicles, the defending force could then de-bus and take up positions around, as well as inside, the convoy.
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I hope they don’t mind me saying, but the first defending team was overcome pretty quickly by all accounts. I was expecting a much harder scrap, but the attackers swiftly surrounded them and, when the roles were reversed, the second team of defenders seemed to hold the position for two or three times longer. However, after a couple of swaps each team seemed to hold out for about the same time. Before we left this part of the site, the purpose of the solo Bedford van became apparent. The team at Delta is ex-airborne (Roy Mosby who runs the Delta Team 3 southern operation also runs the Pathfinder Parachute Group), and they had concocted an old-school heli-
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SITE REVIEW | DELTA TEAM 3
deployment training scenario. In a classic 80s exercise, the guys had to deploy from the Heli-Bedford and assault the convoy across open ground. Before I describe this skirmish, a brief aside. In recent times, it could be argued that the British soldier has been pretty well looked after with kit. Yes, I know there is always more Gucci kit out there to buy, but in comparison to times gone by, and in this era of austerity, the military budget has been pretty well catered for – probably on account of the number of fronts we’ve been fighting on. However, it wasn’t always like that. Even after the Falklands War, as the country celebrated ‘our boys’, the
politicians breathed a collective sigh of relief – as they had cut the defence budget to breaking point. As part of an ‘air-mobile’ infantry unit, we may have had the ‘luxury’ of one or two exercises a year where we actually deployed by our given transport of Chinook or Puma. However, nine times out of 10, if there were heli-born landing exercises then, to keep the cost down, we would deploy from the back of a four-tonne wagon – not for nothing did they get the nickname of Heli-Bedfords! And that’s exactly what Delta’s scenario emulated. The attackers would have to leave the Bedford and rush across sodden, boot-sucking, energy-sapping
ground. This type of attack depends on a few things: speed, weight of fire and co-ordination. Both teams did what they should and left a central fire team engaging the convoy while the assault team fanned out left and right. However, on each occasion, both teams lost easily to the defence due to the cover offered by the convoy vehicles. It was a graphic illustration of the vulnerability of an attacking force that deploys by helicopter. Despite what you may see in A-Teamstyle action movies, a heli-born assault in daylight generally results in a Blackhawk Down situation. As we moved back down the site, the players kept warm with an ‘advance to contact’ through an area of low cover and vegetation. As the teams played on, Alan took me to one side and showed me the nearby out of bounds area. It was a pity we hadn’t had the chance to use it. The paintball guys have certainly built up quite a feature in the centre of the site: small, shed-size buildings, lots of static cover and even a lookout tower. There are ditches and a couple of streams, but these hadn’t been able to cope with the deluge, and the middle of the area was a quagmire. A cold, buffet-style lunch was provided back at the safe zone, with plenty of grub to go around. The afternoon games were capture-the-flag affairs. The two teams had full-sized flags, the red and black of Angola and the green and gold colours of Zimbabwe. The chaps at Delta are friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable. Training and honing skills is something they promote and take seriously, but without going all ‘regimental’. If you want to push yourself further, no problem. If you are looking for a site with a varied days skirmishing, then Delta Team 3 can more than accommodate your needs.
INFORMATION & PRICES Delta Team 3 Airsoft WEB: www.deltateam3.co.uk TEL: 07986 053076 EMAIL: Alan Ash, alanashes2003@yahoo.co.uk SITE: Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 8UT PRICES: £20 walk-on fee; hiring costs from £10
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Hong Kong manufacturer ARES is well known for its sniper rifles – and now it has a new offering. Scott Allan takes a closer look
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RES is a Hong Kong manufacturer that supplies many OEM products for the likes of Umarex and ASG – and its models were previously released under the name of STAR. The company’s rifles have always been good looking, although its sniper systems have often missed the mark. As such, I’m praying that the new MS338, and its slightly cheaper variant, the MS700, fare better when taken out for a test.
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Real Steel Remington is among the world’s leading arms manufacturers, operating consistently since its establishment in 1816. The US company has long been famed within the hunting, law enforcement and military industries with its bolt-action 700 series. You can think of this as the Land Rover Defender of the rifle world, in that it’s as common as it is reliable. The 700 sports the 7.62 NATO round, which has
been a long-time favourite for mid-range sharp shooting in various environments. The ARES MS338 is based on another Remington rifle: the Modular Sniper Rifle, or MSR. This precision gun comes in two variants and two finishes: .338 or 7.62 NATO, in either black or Dark Earth. The .338 Lapua calibre is the current favourite with the British army, as it packs a bigger punch without creeping into the heavyweight .50-calibre
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THE ARMOURY | ARES MS338
territory. Essentially, it all comes down to trade-offs – a bigger bullet makes up a bigger round, which then requires a bigger rifle, which is more weight to lug around the area of operations. Overall, the MSR is a modernlooking bolt action that allows missionadaptable alterations, so you can customise the rifle for the shot required. Though it’s relatively new to the Remington line, the MSR has acquired a pretty solid reputation – so ARES has taken on a big task with the production of its new replica.
The Replica Both the MS338 and MS700 are very similar – so much so that I am treating them as one rifle for the purposes of this review, meaning comments about the 338 apply equally to the 700. Indeed, the physical differences between the two are slight. The magazines are slightly different sizes, respective of the two real-steel calibres, and the 338 is more expensive, as its receiver has been CNCmachined, while the 700 has a die-cast upper body. Other minor cosmetic details aside, this is about the full extent of the differences. Externally, the 338 has something of a ‘love it or hate it’ design. Personally, I like funky rifles
in airsoft, and I’m always impressed when a gun has something different about it. Let’s face it, these days, many new releases tend to be yet another M4 with a different sling swivel or other minor variation – because it is the one Chris Costa said he might use. The MS338, however, is a thing of beauty. The paintwork is superb on each colour, making it feel like a highly faithful replica of the real version. The overall look of the design is similar to the Ashbury, manufactured for ASG. It is a similar size and weight, but much cheaper. This may be because VFC originally
manufactured the Ashbury – and that is a high-end company with a high-end price tag. The MS338 is made almost entirely of CNC and die-cast aluminium, and it feels pretty tough. The front end is reminiscent of something made by JP Rifles, with three rails included, which can be repositioned via two screws. The hop unit on the VSR has long been a sticking point for me – and the good news is that ARES has changed it. On the MS338 it is adjusted via a grub screw that hides under the top rail. Both the pistol grip and the stock are fully adjustable to suit
“These days, many new releases tend to be yet another M4 with a different sling swivel or other minor variation – because it is the one Chris Costa said he might use. The MS338, however, is a thing of beauty.” www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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THE ARMOURY | ARES MS338
“The adaptable style of the rifle makes it more versatile, and you can upgrade it easily.”
each individual shooter and the stock folds neatly for storage. On a quick side note, the version I tested was scratched upon arrival, as an adjusting screw from the stock rubbed against the body while in transit. This was down to a poor packaging design, so be sure to check yours when it arrives. Thankfully, the rifle is spring VSR compatible. I am a little burnt out with gas rifles that are just not suitable for the UK (and particularly the Scottish) climate. On top of this, the MS338 also features the patented TX system, which allows you to swap out the bolt and interchange it with a spring, CO2 or gas version. ARES describes this as ‘suitable for all climates.’ The only annoying feature is that, if you do not fully fill the magazine, it does not feed the BBs through to the hop chamber. The gap between magazine and chamber is about 10 BBs long, which means you always need 10 in there to keep enough pressure to feed them forward. Alternatively you can point it towards the ground and cock it. This is not exactly the best – I did find it a fairly major drawback in an otherwise competent system.
Conclusion For the price, this offering from ARES offers a great package, with plenty of metal work and nice design features that do justice to the Remington MSR. The MS338 has a good out-of-the-box performance standard, too – and the fact that its VSR compatible means anything you do not like can be swapped out for maximum performance. The adaptable style of the rifle makes it more versatile, and you can upgrade it easily, as there are a lots of great and cheap VSR internals available these days. However, by the time you attach a scope, bipod and anything other accessories, the total weight will be over 5kg – pretty heavy for a sharpshooter rifle, and certainly worth considering before you get your wallet out. The only major gripe is that the magazine needs to contain at least 10 BBs to operate – but, at 70+ rounds, it will last a long time anyway. Overall, if you’re in the market for a high-end sniper rifle, then the MS338 is certainly worthy of your consideration.
INFORMATION & PRICES WEIGHT: 4.7kg STOCK: Foldable, fully-adjustable, take-down MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 78 rounds SYSTEM: VSR compatible VELOCITY: 400-420fps GRIP: Adjustable, pistol-style MATERIALS: Aluminium CNC and die cast PRICE: Around £440 (£390 for MS700)
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FEATURE | CONVOY DUTY
AMBUSH IN IRAQ Simon Chambers tells us what it’s really like as a PMC on convoy duty in Iraq
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s an ex-military man, I’m a huge fan of airsoft. The discipline and intelligence required for a successful skirmish echoes my past experience in the forces, and I find that airsoft presents a great opportunity to keep my old skills up to speed, with proper respect to the old adage that, ‘Success relies on three things: practice, practice, and practice.’ With experience, you learn the importance of such sayings when it comes to maintaining focus in the field. Indeed, there is also another old adage that I swear by… one that was never truer than during my time on convoy protection duty in Iraq: “If something can go wrong, it invariably will.” Allow me to explain...
Ambush We had just departed Camp Anaconda with 17 flat-bed trucks loaded with contaminated diesel and fuel oil packed into 45-gallon drums. It was a cold, black night, and in an attempt to keep warm we all wore our fleeces and tried to keep low in the gun turrets, away from the slipstream. As we turned left onto the main supply route (MSR) back towards Baghdad, I noticed that an outside light on one of the few houses on this stretch of road had started to flash. At first I thought it was just a faulty light, until I realised it had a pattern to it. At the same time, there was movement at the side of the road. I couldn’t make it out too clearly, as there was no moon, but it was definitely one or two
people darting to cover a few-hundred yards behind us. The convoy was still ‘slow-rolling’ when I came up on my personal radio: “Ian, we have movement to our rear. I think we’re being set up for something.” “Roger that!” Ian came back on the net, “I’ve got movement to my left.” Ian had just given the order to speed up when there was a mighty flash and bang, and a civilian truck two in front of us blew up. Blazing oil spewed across the road and fuel drums bounced down around us. “What the hell was that?” someone came up on the radio. He asked the question, but he wasn’t looking for an answer; we all knew.
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One of the vehicles had just been hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), and its cargo had ignited. The surviving truck in front of us screeched to a halt, threatening to lose its load of drums in its haste to stop. Our Iraqi driver also stopped and shouted back to us, asking what we wanted him to do. In the meantime I was swinging my gun turret rearwards from left to right, letting anyone in the darkness know I meant to open fire if they showed themselves. I say darkness, but we were now well and truly illuminated by a wall of flame to our front that lit us up like a Christmas tree, and flickered out to about 100 feet. It totally ruined my night vision, and I
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FEATURE | CONVOY DUTY
it’s our turn,” Del shouted, and urged our driver to take the same route. The heat was intense, and the flames licked at the side of the vehicle as we motored through at about 50mph. We drove at speed down the MSR in the dark, swinging the guns from both Revas’ left and right, waiting for the follow up gunfire, but none came. Maybe the militia were content with destroying one vehicle, or maybe they figured they had us about pissed off enough for one night, and taking us on while we were in a bad mood would not be a good idea. We rejoined the stationary convoy a few miles down the road. Two hard cars covered the rear as Ian’s Reva pulled past them down the central corridor and took up its position in the front. In a well-practised ballet of movement, the trucks slid back into place and moved off. We dropped in behind and the convoy moved off as if nothing had happened.
Emergency Scenarios
couldn’t make out anything beyond the glow of the fire. We were sitting ducks.
Aftermath As our leading Reva turned in an attempt to cover us; over the radio we could hear the ‘hard cars’ being given their orders to proceed and take the convoy to safety. Del was hanging out of the turret in the front of our Reva, shouting to the Indian driver in the civilian truck to accelerate and go to the left through the flames where the fuel was burning less intensely. He didn’t need a second telling. He went through the flames like a rocket, and we immediately lost sight of him. “Okay, now
By far the most dangerous job for a contractor in Iraq or Afghanistan is convoy work. In the regular army we had been taught to ‘herringbone’ the convoy (basically a staggered formation) if we came under attack from an aircraft. However, the insurgents in Iraq didn’t have aircraft. In a conventional war, we had been taught that an ambush has three scenarios. The first situation is that your vehicle convoy is ambushed while still moving. Here you would accelerate and drive through, and keep moving until you are a safe distance from the convoy ambush site. Then you wait for other survivors. If, after a reasonable time, no one turns up, then get away from the area and to a safety. The second situation is that you find yourself in the kill zone with a disabled vehicle. In
this situation, you would dismount and find cover away from your vehicle: it’s a bullet magnet and will draw fire from every enemy weapon in the area. You can shelter behind the engine block for a short while, which is the hardest part of your vehicle, and will stop some incoming rounds. Remember, though, that there are two types of cover: cover from fire and cover from view, and the latter will not stop you getting killed by rounds travelling through your vehicle. RPGs have no respect for cover from view, so get the hell out of there and try not to stay in road-side ditches for too long. Any enemy worth half his pay will have mined the area. You’re in the deep end anyway, so just keep moving – you have absolutely nothing to lose. The third, and final, scenario is that you’re at the back of the convoy, and have not yet entered the kill area. Stay back and reverse out if necessary, but try not to turn around, as you will present a bigger target. If there are enough drivers and crew, or if you’re lucky and you’re carrying personnel in the back, then de-bus and take the fight to the enemy. Find out which side of the road the main ambush is coming from. Get your troops in an extended line and advance to contact the enemy. They will not be able to fire as they are now facing the wrong way and will be forced to break contact and bug out before you overrun them. You may just save your mates trapped in the killing area. While this advice was okay for warfare in a European theatre of operations, it didn’t work in Iraq. Most attacks were started by a large IED destroying the front and back vehicles, followed by secondary explosives, RPGs and small arms fire. In many cases, convoys were chased or flanked by ‘technicals’ full of gunmen, who kept up a running gun battle.
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FEATURE | CONVOY DUTY
Convoy Protocol The convoy protection teams working for Tim Spicer’s company, Aegis Defence Services, rewrote the training manual. Early on he realised that cheap pickup trucks with bolt-on and customised armour were not the way to escort convoys. The MSR was littered with their burnt-out carcasses. Well-designed, purpose-built armoured vehicles were required: ones that had been tested in battle. What better place to look than South Africa? The South Africans had over 14 years’ experience making explosive-resistant vehicles, and the US Army was already using a version of the Casper under license. Spoilt for choice, the Reva was chosen as the main escort vehicle, as it was heavily armoured for its size, but manoeuvrable, four-wheeled and with cross country capability. It was designed for a four-man crew, but could carry up to six passengers comfortably inside at the same time. With two gun turrets, each mounting a PKM Soviet general-purpose machine gun, it was a formidable bit of kit – one that saved my life on numerous occasions. At the time, American units were using four or five Humvees to escort up to 100 civilian cargo-carrying vehicles. When they came under fire, the escorts in many cases were too far down the convoy (in some cases several kilometres away) to give any substantial support. The convoys were too big, and the Humvees too few to make a difference. There
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are several documented cases of convoys being wiped out with hardly any return fire from their American escorts, who were just overwhelmed by the enormity of the task they were presented with. Despite the fact that they would get more pay for more vehicles escorted, Aegis chose to cut the size of the convoys down to 16 trucks, but even then we would cover over a kilometre and a half in length. Each convoy would have an additional vehicle in the shape of a ‘bobtail‘, a spare cab that could be used to recover any trailers from broken down units. This would normally have the convoy mechanic in it as well. The escort would be provided by two Revas, one at the back and one at the front, with at least three level-14 armoured hard cars, each armed with a PKM machine gun and carrying a crew of four Iraqi security guards, spread among the convoy. If we were ambushed, whichever Reva was closest would engage the enemy fire positions, while three hard cars took the convoy out of the ambush and several kilometres down the road to safety. While this was happening, the second Reva would join in the fire fight, usually slow-rolling to give the gun turrets a more stable platform to fire from, and to give the convoy a chance to escape. In 99 per cent of the ambushes I was in, we won the fire-fight, and the enemy, under a withering hail of one-in-one tracer from our four PKMs, gave up the fight.
During this time, the hard cars would stop the convoy where they thought it safe to do so. The convoy would then be split into two lines of trucks, one on one side of the road, and one on the other. This gave us the chance to rescue any wounded drivers from the inside of a safe corridor formed by the vehicles, using the trucks as cover. The Iraqi security team leader’s vehicle would be at the front of the convoy, straddling the road to prevent head-on attacks, and the other two vehicles would be at an angle across the road to the rear of the convoy. This way they could cover the rear in case we lost the fight and were destroyed. They were also in a position to give us heavy covering fire should we need it while breaking contact. Once we had finished with the enemy, we simply drove up to the trucks, with the team leader’s vehicle driving through the centre of the corridor to take up his position at the front of the convoy, and the rear vehicle dropped in behind. In this fashion we could take on multiple ambushes one after the other without losing the ability to protect the convoy. In the two-and-a-half years I served on convoy protection this system worked every time. It is highly unlikely that you will ever see a convoy on an airsoft field, but with more and more sites using vehicles, it is worth remembering that, when used properly, they can be game changers. If your local site uses vehicles, why not have a chat with the owner and ask if you can set up a practice day?
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ESTABLISHING AN OBSERVATION POST Now that you’ve built your OP, it’s all routine from here on in. Over to Billy…
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his is the last instalment of my series on establishing an OP – and, I have to say, penning these articles has made me doubly relieved that I only have to write about them these days. After all, OPs are hard work, and pretty nerve-wracking when the enemy get to sniffing around. Tough as they are, though, it’s supremely satisfying when the enemy passes by undetected, and you realise that you’ve done a great job digging a sodding massive hole in their backyard, capable of containing a fully equipped patrol. If you’ve followed the steps from the first two articles, then by now, after all that digging and sneaking about, everyone should be safely inside the OP, ready to carry out their jobs. Thank your lucky stars it’s not raining yet – trust me, it will! When establishing an OP, the last guy inside has the important job of securing the entrance at the rear and camming it up from the inside. This is as difficult as
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it sounds. I used to make a special door fashioned from a piece of chicken wire about three square feet in size, finished off with a bit of local cam. With the entrance to the OP secured, it’s time to examine the routine you’ll be carrying out in there. There are several rules that must be observed to ensure that you can maintain ‘eyes-on’ for at least a few days, thereby maximising your chances of survival. However, there is a limit to how long a patrol can remain effective in such cramped living conditions. Sniper pairs work off a planning figure of 48 hours for two guys operating in a hide before they start to degrade and become ‘combat ineffective’. You also need to be aware of ‘hard routine’ – which means no cooking or hot brews as you near the enemy, because the light or smells might give away your position. The routine in the OP needs to be worked out in rehearsals and orders. The
patrol commander will have developed several ideas during the map recce and planning stages, and you wouldn’t launch into a live operation without having done training exercises and rehearsals. All members of the patrol need to know their jobs, including where to go and what to do when the balloon goes up. With that in mind, I’ve summarised some important routines below, which should give you an idea of several important OP operations.
Escape Routes It’s no good heroically putting patrols in and simply hoping they don’t get discovered. The patrol will need to have thought about realistic escape routes so that, if ‘compromised’, they can punch their way out of the OP, break contact with the enemy, and arrange a speedy pick-up – or quickly get to a covered route that will help them escape. Each member of the patrol should know exactly where
SKILLS ROOM | BILLY BASICS the emergency RV is, and it shouldn’t be obvious or marked on any maps. The bearing to it should be on everyone’s compasses, particularly useful in the event of separation – for example when you ‘crash out’ at night.
Non-Essential Kit An old friend of mine once said to me, “If you’re not using a piece of kit within the next 30 seconds then put it away.” He’d been in a surface op at the beginning of
his career, and asked his oppo to take his watch while he did some personal admin, which involved him taking both boots off and virtually emptying his webbing onto the ground – and the enemy came pouring over the rise. You can just imagine it can’t you? The best lessons are the ones learned the hard way, I guess. It’s also important to have all the mission-essential kit in a grab-bag at the top of your bergen, so that if you need to be on your toes, and bergens are not an option, then you can
‘grab and fly’ – but always try and squeeze a waterproof and a warm top in there.
Latrine Improvisation Life in an OP certainly isn’t comfortable – and toilet routines can be the worst aspect. I won’t go on about it too much, but if you want to practise this, or even have an insight into how difficult it is, then crawl under a coffee table and try defecating into a carrier bag (but not when your wife’s watching telly!). Urine bottles should be clearly marked so that you don’t accidentally make a brew with it or drink it. Use plenty of cling film and have a dedicated section in your bergen for keeping it away from food.
Observation You’re the main man when on watch. You should have your weapon to hand, preferably a pistol, and your OP log should be neatly organised in front of you. You should have detailed knowledge of what you’re looking at and looking for, including items of interest like signature equipment or a High Value Target (HVT) that might mean you have to call in a QRF to assault. You should know where your defensive claymore mines are, and have the firing switch to hand. You’ll need to keep a cool head, too. If you get the guys ‘stood to’ every time there’s activity on target you’ll
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SKILLS ROOM | BILLY BASICS
“Each member of the patrol should know exactly where the emergency RV is, and it shouldn’t be obvious or marked on any maps.”
wear them (and their tempers) out very quickly. Let the situation unfold and, when you think there’s trouble, then give them time to get ready.
Sleeping The easiest way to arrange the sleeping is to have two doss bags out at one time, and to ‘hot bag’ it – which basically means passing them round. Each man should be lying on his roll mat anyway, so there’s no need to struggle into the bag. You can drape it over you like a quilt. If you do attempt to struggle into it, you are likely to bump the roof off the OP as you do, making noise and possibly bringing the whole thing crashing in on you. What’s more, if you get compromised suddenly and you’re in your bag, and the other three guys are also struggling to get themselves ready for ‘fight and flight’, then you’re in trouble. Warm kit is so good these days that you won’t need to get into your bag; a pair of gloves and a warm hat and you should be
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fine. However, if it’s freezing and an extra few degrees will help you get some sleep, then a US poncho liner is an excellent solution: basically a really thin DPM duvet. I used to keep one in my car for long journeys just in case.
Crashing Out If you get ‘bumped’ or ‘compromised’ then you’ll need to get out of your position very quickly. When you occupied it, every member crept in with the utmost care and has remained hidden and quiet ever since. But once you’ve been discovered, you have one aim and that’s to get you, your equipment and, most importantly, the OP log away safely. If you have a bit of time, and the enemy are on their way, or look like they’re unsure, but are coming in force, you could make a discreet exit out of the back and crawl away on your hands and knees until you’re in dead ground or, ideally, cover. The nuclear option, if you think the lead hornets are moments away, is to just break
through the roof and get out of there as quickly as you can. It will be absolute bedlam, with things getting caught in straps, paracord and cam netting, but you must focus and treat it exactly as you would a contact drill. If you have a support weapon like a Minimi, get it out to a flank and get the rounds down. Sometimes just the sound of automatic fire can be enough to get the enemy down on their belly. This is the time to throw smoke and get a couple of grenades off if you can; they work wonders. Remember to pepperpot back with short bounds to start with, getting longer as you break contact and get further from the enemy. So there you have it: a canter through the art of OPs. There’s a lot that has been glossed over due to the constraints of space inherent in the format of this article, but I hope it’s given you an idea of what the guys are doing out there somewhere cold and wet. They deserve our thanks for their efforts. Billy out.
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G&G GENERATION 2 AEGS Generation 2 sounds good on paper but what does it mean to you? Scott Allan enlightens us all
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ack in the early days of airsoft, there were a lot of Tokyo Marui M4s around. These were priced at roughly the £180 mark, and didn’t have much competition in that market sector – until G&G came along. This Taiwanese company offered rifles that were fully metal instead of plastic, firing at a pre-upgraded 330-350fps. Bear in mind your average rifle was around 290fps back then. The first G&G rifles looked great physically and appealed to your wallet. So why is it, then, that airsofters of a certain vintage look back on the first batches of G&G rifles… and shudder? Well, despite the promising spec lists, the reality of these guns was not so good. Most G&Gs failed within a few thousand rounds, and the company’s image was almost immediately ruined. With over 50 per cent of its first rifles failing, things looked pretty bad. However, G&G didn’t give up. It went back to the drawing board, reworked its entire range, and then initiated possibly the most effective marketing campaign in the history of airsoft. Most manufacturers leave it up to magazines such as this – along with forums,
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news websites, retailers and players – to advertise their products, but G&G started attending big games. It gave away free posters, T-shirts, patches, playing cards: anything and everything with its name on it. This effort has been largely successful. The brand is now widely recognised and appreciated all over the world. G&G’s most recently built platforms are solid all-round AEGs – and its patented pneumatic blowback system is very popular. Personally, I refer to the current rifles as the ‘second generation’ of G&G, but I suppose, after the debacle of its first attempt at rifles, the company would be keen to forget the ‘first generation’ entirely! In truth, some of the current products are already in their ‘third generation’, although they have never been badged as such. For sake of ease, I refer to the entire new range as the second
generation, regardless of the history of each individual gun. So what makes the new range different? Externally the guns are the same, as all the changes are internal. Aside from minor changes, like the hop units now being metal, they consist of the following:
6.03mm Barrel This new configuration is the optimum internal barrel in my opinion. Any tighter and you delve into the realms of feeding issues, especially on full auto. The only potential drawback is the quality of the BB you use. People who spend £500 on a rifle, then buy the cheapest BBs possible, need to actually think about what they are doing. Would you buy a Ferrari then put in cheap, dirty fuel you bought off a guy in a McDonald’s car park? I didn’t think so…
WEAPON UPDATE | G&G Blaster BBs, as well as those from brands such as Madbull, KSC, G&G, King Arms and Excel, are generally considered to be a good standard. Avoid any self-named brands that aren’t stocked in multiple stores. ‘Jimbo’s BBs’ are never going to serve you well. Many put a funny name or slogan to entice you in, but the possibility of a stripped piston from crud in your barrel is not funny. Check your brand is stocked in at least two or three stores to ensure quality.
High-Torque Motor While most standard motors are a balance between high speed and high torque, you generally either have a high-speed or a high-torque motor. It’s all down to the construction of the motor; the faster it goes the less torque it generates. You can work around this by changing the materials in the motor. The Systema PTW, for example, has one of the most expensive motors, which utilises Neodymium magnets. They give lots of torque and speed at the expense of another variable – cost. The G&G secondgeneration torque motor is designed to give you a good trigger response:
“People who spend £500 on a rifle then buy the cheapest BBs possible need to actually think about what they are doing. Would you buy a Ferrari then put in cheap, dirty fuel you bought off a guy in a McDonald’s car park?“ www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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WEAPON UPDATE | G&G
Conclusion
a crisp crack instead of a gut-churning 2,000 rounds per minute. This is a good thing in my opinion. You’ll still get a solid 800 rounds per minute on an average 8.4v mini NiMh battery, and the response on a 11.1v LiPo is absolutely excellent.
High-Grade Wiring Wiring is an unsung hero in airsoft. ICS is possibly the furthest behind in my opinion, yet I don’t understand why. Wire is cheap; good wire is just as cheap. Why do manufacturers cut this corner? I have no idea, but if I ever find out I will be sure to let you know. Imagine building a big reservoir to give a city water in times of drought. The drought comes (not if you live in Scotland like me) and you have to pump the water down to the city – but the pipes you’ve
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built between the city and the reservoir are too thin so all the water needed can’t get through quickly enough. This is effectively similar to poor wiring. In short, good wiring means the power is transferred from your battery to your motor more efficiently. No, I am not an electrician – but nor am I a water works expert. It doesn’t take a genius to tell when wiring has been done properly – and it certainly has in the case of the secondgeneration G&Gs. A quick word of advice regarding Deans and Tamiya connectors. Deans are thought to provide a better transfer of power than Tamiya connectors – but many people just stick with whatever their rifle and batteries come with. This is fair enough, but always remember you have the option. Deans are more stable and easier to change in my opinion, but it is a personal preference.
Though visually the second generation from G&G offers nothing new, the Taiwanese manufacturer has made a huge step up in the overall performance of its rifles. As I see it, the only thing stopping G&G overtaking ICS in the overall quality stakes is its barrels. Though the second generation’s barrels are a huge improvement, I still feel ICS edges this category in the Top Trumps of airsoft AEGs. If G&G could turn this around, it would win hands down. The second generation will take some time to appear on our shores, as all the parts are still being manufactured to be introduced across the whole range. Indeed, some models may appear sooner than others. Second-generation boxes will be demarcated by a blue sticker. Overall, G&G has really raised the bar by increasing the performance and quality of its rifles. Best of all, this won’t really impact the price at all. Essentially it is good news for everyone – something much needed in the airsoft market. Now if only all the manufacturers could follow suit, we’d have plenty more to get excited about.
INFORMATION WEB: www.guay2.com EMAIL: b2b@guay2.com
TO ADVERTISE CALL TONI ON 01926 339808 www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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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
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
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 £16.00
AA Price £7.50
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AA Price £7.50
AA Price £7.50
AA Price £21.00
AA Price £3.50
AA Price £6.00
AA Price £9.00
AA Price £5.00
March 2013
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Visit www.virtualnewsagent.com for these fantastic offers. Either fill in the form below – don’t forget to put a tick by the books you’re ordering – and post/fax to us, or call us on the number at the bottom
Elite:160 World War II Infantry Assault Tactics - SRP £11.99
AA Price £10
Soldier I – The Story of an SAS Hero - SRP £8.99
AA Price £7.50
Elite:168 World War II Street Fighting Tactics SRP £11.99
AA Price £10
Elite:170 Special Operations Forces in Iraq - SRP £11.99
AA Price £8.50
Title
Author
Category
Tank Men
Robert Kershaw
Non-fiction 0113-001
Code
SRP £8.99
AA price £7.50
Never Surrender
Robert Kershaw
Non-fiction 0113-002
£8.99
£7.50
Total War
Michael Jones
Non-fiction 0113-003
£25.00
£21.00
The Retreat
Michael Jones
Non-fiction 0113-004
£10.99
£9.00
SAS Operation Storm
Roger Cole & Richard Belfield
Non-fiction 0113-005
£18.99
£16.00
Kill Switch
Bill Shaw
Non-fiction 0113-006
£6.99
£6.00
The Kill Zone
Chris Ryan
Fiction
0113-007
£18.99
£16.00
The Kill Zone
Chris Ryan
Fiction
0113-008
£6.99
£6.00
Killing for the Company
Chris Ryan
Fiction
0113-009
£18.99
£16.00
Soldiers Pocket Book
Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd), Rupert Godeson and John H Harris
Non-fiction 0113-010
£10.00
£9.00
Cadet’s Pocket Book
Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd)
Non-fiction 0113-011
£8.00
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Air Cadet Pocket Book
Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd)
Non-fiction 0113-012
£8.00
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Army Cadet Log Book
Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd)
Non-fiction 0113-013
£4.00
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Skill at Arms And Shooting
Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd)
Non-fiction 0113-014
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World War II StreetFighting Tactics
Stephen Bull
Non-fiction
0113-015
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World War II Infantry Assault Tactics
Gordon L Rottman
Non-fiction
0113-016
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Pegasus Bridge Benouville 1944
Will Fowler
Non-fiction
0113-017
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Soldier I – the Story of an SAS Hero
Pete Winner
Non-fiction
0113-018
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Special Operations Forces in Iraq
Leigh Neville
Non-fiction
0113-019
£11.99
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Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan
Leigh Neville
Non-fiction
0113-020
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Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger
Leroy Thompson
Non-Fiction 0113-021
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The Rocket Propelled Grenade
Gordon L Rottman
Non-Fiction 0113-022
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Total
Raid:11 Pegasus Bridge – Benouville D-Day 1944 - SRP £11.99
AA Price £10
Elite:163 Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan - SRP £11.99
AA Price £8.50
Name ........................................................................................................................... Address ....................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................... Postcode/Zip Code ........................................................................................................ Country ........................................................................................................................ Telephone ................................................................................................................... Email............................................................................................................................ Signature ...................................................................................................................... Date .............................................................................................................................. I enclose a cheque for ______ payable to Blaze Publishing Ltd. Please debit my Switch/VISA/Mastercard/Maestro for _____ (No Electron or Amex please)
Expiry date ……/…. Start date/issue number ……/….…
Weapon:2 The Rocket Propelled Grenade - SRP £9.99
AA Price £8.50
Weapon:7 The Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger - SRP £9.99
CVV No. (Last 3 digits on reverse of card) Your credit card statement will read Blaze Publishing Ltd. Please call +44 1926 339 808 for international postage costs. Now fax or post this form to: Blaze Publishing Limited, Lawrence House, Morrell Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 5SZ England T: 01926 339808 F: 01926 470400 E: info@blazepublishing.co.uk
AA Price £8.50
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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KIT BAG | FIELD ACCESSORIES
Check out some of the latest accessories that have caught our eye
T
his month, we were pleased to discover a rather fantastic new source of kit, after a bundle of goodies arrived from UK distributor Heinnie Haynes. Never heard of them? No, neither had we – but we soon realised that the company has a rather impressive supply of airsoft, bushcraft and military field kit,
all under one roof. As a distributor, rather than a manufacturer, Heinnie Haynes is able to stock what it considers to be the best brands from around the world. We couldn’t help but be intrigued, so we decided to have a closer look at some of the company’s top-selling products.
BOBSTER ALPHA INTERCHANGEABLE BALLISTIC GOGGLES For those that like their eye protection on the chunkier side, the Alpha goggles from Bobster are ideal. Having passed US-army ballistic tests, you can be sure that these goggles will keep you safe on the skirmish field. The goggles come with two polycarbonate lenses: antifog smoked and anti-fog clear. Designed to fit well under a ballistics helmet, or comfortably without, the antimicrobial foam lines the frame, ensuring an excellent fit, while ventilation is provided through the foam-covered holes around the frame. At just under £75, these are not your ‘budget’ goggles – but if Airsoft Action has ever believed in one thing, it’s not scrimping on your eye protection! Price: £74.95
EXTREMA RATIO RAO KNIFE Normally at Airsoft Action, we’d discourage players from taking knives onto the skirmish field – but for the growing number of hardcore MilSim players out there spending weekends (and in some cases up to a week) in the field, a practical knife is an essential. Quite frankly this appears to be the Rolls Royce of outdoor knives – and we couldn’t help but be impressed by the quality of this bit of kit. The Extrema Ratio Rao is not so much a knife as a feat of engineering. With the customary robust design and precision manufacture the Rao reaches heights of ingenuity never seen before in the arena of knife design. Purposefully crafted for the Folgore 185 RAO (Regiment Acquisition Objects) unit of the Italian army, it is required to perform in harsh environments and over a period of time that most folding knives would not cope with. The blade is made from N690 stainless steel with a testudo finish, tempered to 58/60 HRC. It is ingeniously double-locked open or closed using a threaded hinge attached to the handle with an elastic lace and a slightly more conventional spring-loaded, slide-bar lock, making it one of the safest knives in the open position in the world. The grip of the handle is specially
configured, anti-corrosion material, while the extremely tough nylon sheath with leather interior is designed to take the knife in the open or closed position. A diamond sharpener is also provided in the front pocket of the sheath, which is compatible with MOLLE systems. While the hefty price tag probably puts this out of the budget of many airsofters, those that do want a top end knife suitable for anything the outdoors can throw at you should look no further PRICE:: £250.95
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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MAXPEDITION ACTIVE SHOOTER BAG One of the nightmare problems for the team at Airsoft Action is getting our laptops and notebooks out to report on events, and making sure we get them home in one piece. It looks like Extreme Gear Labs, manufacturers of Maxpedition gear, might have solved this problem for us. If you’ve ever found yourself needing to take your iPad or tablet computer into the great outdoors, or into an extreme environment, as many professional duties may require, then this is the bag for you. As well as its tech-carrying capabilities, the Maxpedition Active Shooter bag is perfect for situations where you may need
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to carry extra ammo and essential gear and have them accessible at a moments notice. This is also a must-have for your vehicle – just in case. Maxpedition’s Active Shooter bags are lined internally with loop field to accommodate any of the concealed carry, ammo, or admin accessories. Indeed, we found it ideal for slipping the iPad in. So whether you are a soldier deployed overseas writing e-mails home, a backpacking traveller, or an airsofter out on that weekender event – but needing to keep technology to hand – you will understand the appeal of this product. There is also plenty of room for first aid and tactical supplies. The bag includes fully-adjustable, quick-release shoulder and waist straps to accomodate any body shape or size. The large frontal and main compartments are velcro-lined, with rain cover dual zips. There are also four mag pouches – Two for M4/M16/ PMAG 30-rounds; and two for pistol mags. PRICE: £93.95 (black, Foliage Green, Khaki); £98.95 (Digital Foliage Camo)
March 2013
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KIT BAG | FIELD ACCESSORIES HELIKON-TEX ‘MP’ KU-PCS-PT CAMO PATTERN SMOCK Helikon-Tex’s latest offering from its line of combat smocks is a lightweight (at just over 1.5kg) field smock in its own ‘MP’ camouflage pattern – which looks a great match for the British army’s current MP camo scheme. In fact Helikon-Tex has made its new windproof PCS (personal clothing system) smock in strict accordance with MOD specifications. Loosely fitted to allow the addition of extra layers beneath it, and with a capacious hood you can wear over a helmet, this 50 per cent cotton, 50 per cent polyester combat jacket is packed with features essential for the serving soldier – but equally handy for the serious airsofter! Boasting 10 pockets, a large adjustable hood, underarm air vents, and nylon mesh lining, the smock also features ‘Canadian’-style buttons, as found on most British military clothing. As standard, the smock comes with re-enforced elbow sections, and for those of you who like to portray real world units or sport your own team patches, there are both chest epaulettes and Velcro shoulder patches for insignia. PRICE: £89.95
INFORMATION To check out the full range of Heinnie Haynes products, visit www.heinnie. com, or call 022 0300 0400
OLIGHT WAVE H15 HEAD TORCH One of the best bits of kit to have with you at an airsoft weekender is a decent head torch. Whether used to light your way as you move around the skirmish field, or simply to provide illumination while packing up your kit at the end of an evening’s play, having your hands free is never a bad thing. Armed with its experience in high-end LED flashlight
design and manufacture, Olight entered into the professional LED headlamp market with its new H15 WAVE. It’s most special characteristic, the gesture control function, makes it the best choice for non-contact control use. Wide-angle turned head design, and a transparent ribbon indicator on the battery box make it even more efficient. The Wave H15 is nifty bit of kit, in that it provides not only a high-power white light, but also features an auxiliary ‘red light’ from two additional LEDs. The white light has a whacking 150 lumens on high power mode, and a low power mode of five lumens, with a 72 hour-burn time, meaning you’ll rarely be in the dark! The maximum throw of the beam is an impressive 65 metres, and an infra-red sensor set allows you to operate this water-resistant headlight with non-contact gestures for a truly hands free bit of kit. PRICE: £39.95
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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Alex Wharton dons his black suit, white shirt and a red tie, and picks up a pair of 1911s to try out the latest in the Hitman series
T
he Hitman games have been some of my favourites since the very first. Few games allow you to survey your surroundings, plan the attack and then remove your target with such ruthless efficiency. Very few games allow you so much freedom in how to accomplish these goals, whether it be by choosing to carry a shotgun in with you and drop everything in the way, or to push through with just your silver-ballers (a pair of silver 1911s), or to go in with nothing but your wits and some piano wire. Hitman: Absolution is the fifth and latest in the series, and while it diverges from the norm in a few ways, it could well be the best yet. Hitman centres round the character of Agent 47, a genetically-engineered
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killing machine. He is calm, precise, deadly and without mercy. One of the main selling points of the earlier games was always that you don’t play the good guy. While many of the hits you take on are on some pretty awful members of society, you play a stone cold killer. Previously, the Hitman games have always had some kind of story, but each mission was its own and between each mission was a new briefing. The story progressed, but often the missions that you undertook had absolutely nothing to do with it. You could choose what equipment you took with you and study the maps to plan the strategy. The approach was simply: “Here’s a contract, do it while we work out what’s next.”
Absolution has gone for the more classic style of story-telling – which is to say, there is a story. Agent 47 is on his own. He has gone against Agency orders and is on a path of revenge. Gone are the briefing screens before a level. Instead, each level flows on from the last, with cut-scenes between to show the story unfolding. Missions are given on the fly, and involve taking out certain people, basically because they are in the way. While I do miss the planning and equipment choice stage of old, the new set-up isn’t bad, just different. Some of the more meticulous Hitman players may be a little annoyed at this change to the classic templete, but it works a lot better with an unfolding story. 47 is flying by the seat of his pants in Absolution, yet
MEDIA REVIEW | HITMAN: ABSOLUTION somehow this just makes him seem even more deadly. One of my favourite missions from the first Hitman required you to take out a chap staying in a hotel. The level started by throwing you into the foyer and saying, go! Nothing else, just total freedom. All of the levels in the older games worked this way; each mission was its own sandbox just waiting for you to find all of the little hidden extras. Absolution has this setup for some of the levels, but with the story being a little more flowing, there are as many areas in between each sandbox that are more about moving to the next area. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just a change that I wasn’t expecting. The levels themselves are gorgeous. IO have gone to town and filled them all with loads of fun little extras for you to find, ranging from extra weapons and items, to new
and interesting ways to top people. A couple of good ones were a chap who repeatedly drinks too much and goes outside to relieve himself. If you pay attention to where he is standing, you can see that he’s right next to a power box. When he returns to his drinking, you can sabotage the box – a perfect set-up to give him a bit of a shock next time he wanders out. Then there’s the guy who has a cigarette and drops it at his feet every few minutes... next to a petrol pump. All it takes is a quick bit of work, and the floor is covered and just waiting for a spark. One of 47’s handiest skills is the speed he can change his clothes. If you drop a guard and hide his body, you can steal his clothes. This allows better and slightly easier movement through a level as you look like you belong there. It’s not all plain sailing, however. If you are wearing a
uniform, people in the same uniform will get suspicious as they don’t recognise you. Agent 47 has learnt a handy skill to help with this: he can use up ‘Instinct’ so they won’t notice him. Basically he covers his face with his hand and tries his best to look casual and be ignored. Instinct can also be used to see through walls. Sometimes it seems that 47’s senses have reached god-like levels. On my play-through I did try to limit my use of this, as it just didn’t feel right to me, but there are times when it’s unavoidable. Instinct is learnt through performing certain actions, such as completing objectives, or silently taking down an enemy. Many of these actions actually count against the points total you get from the level. To get the top scores you can’t take down anyone but your targets. I found however that even to get
“The levels themselves are gorgeous. IO have gone to town and filled them all with loads of fun little extras for you to find, ranging from extra weapons and items, to new and interesting ways to top people.”
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MEDIA REVIEW | HITMAN: ABSOLUTION
near my targets I needed to use instinct. The points total is shown in the top left of the HUD at all times, which means that as soon as you do something wrong, you can see how badly it has hit your rating. In older games, this total was shown only at the end of the level. I’d rather it had remained this way, to be honest, as watching my total fall as I played through just annoyed me. Nothing really showed up this points loss as much as getting detected. It makes sense that if enemies see through your disguise you should lose some score, but what doesn’t make sense is that if you wander into an area you aren’t allowed, they see through it immediately. At one point I walked through a door to discover four guards who immediately drew on me
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and gunned me down. All they would have needed to do is add a small grace period for you to be able to backtrack if you go wrong. For the first time, a Hitman game also has a multi-player, of sorts. Thankfully, they haven’t just tacked on a poor death-match shooter on top of the story. Instead they have created ‘Contracts Mode’, which allows you to create new missions, which can be uploaded onto a central server. Everyone else can then download your creation and have a go, gaining a score and a rating to see who can pull it off the best. When creating the mission you can set up everything, even down to the required weapon to get the kill. There are some pretty creative people out there and they’ve made some great missions for us all to try.
Hitman: Absolution deviates from the previous games, but I can’t fault it for doing so. Absolution is more than worthy to sit next to the other titles in the series. If you are an old fan, get this game now and if you’ve never played one before, don’t overlook this. Absolution may actually be the most accessible of the lot, and before you know it you’ll be taking down targets from the shadows like a pro.
INFORMATION & PRICES Hitman: Absolution DEVELOPED BY: IO Interactive PUBLISHED BY: Square Enix PLATFORMS: Windows, PS3, XBox 360, Cloud RATED: 18 PRICE: £22.99 - £34.99 (varies depending on platform and supplier).
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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COLD WAR WARRIOR | NATIONALE VOLKSARMEE
On the front line of the Cold War, the soldiers of the East German Nationale Volksarmee were prepared for freezing conditions. Gareth ‘Gadge’ Harvey investigates
NATIONALE VOLKSARMEE WINTER KIT W
ith January’s snow and ice fresh in the memory, we thought it was a good time to look at the cold weather kit of the National People’s Army (NVA) of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik, or the DDR as it was more commonly known. While we’ve glanced in general at the NVA in previous articles, it’s probably worth taking a more detailed look at one of the smallest, but perhaps the most professional, of the Warsaw Pact armies. By Soviet standards the NVA was a very small force, but it was considered by military analysts of the time to be the most capable of the non-Soviet Warsaw Pact forces. More importantly, it was the most politically reliable, and the most likely to respond to a call to arms from Moscow without question.
Politically Reliable With around 100,000 men in its ground forces at its height, the NVA was little bigger than today’s British army. Man for man it was deemed to be much more effective than the forces of other Eastern Bloc states such as Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary. This combat effectiveness could be largely attributed to two factors. The first was quite obvious: a plethora of up-to-date combat equipment (in fact, the NVA was equipped with a lot of cutting edge Soviet kit that other states lacked at the time). Less obvious but equally important was East Germany’s enthusiasm for socialism/communism, and its good relations with communist Russia. Throughout the Cold War, member states had attempted at various intervals to break away from the pact or to deviate from Sovietled policy. Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in
1968 and Poland in 1981 had all faced harsh reprisals from the Soviets after deviating from the official line, placing question marks over their willingness to fight for Russia if a future war in Europe arose. The DDR however seemed to embrace socialism in its own distinctive way, and had assisted the Soviets in their repression of Czechoslovakia by contributing its 7th Armoured division and 11th Motorised Rifle division to the Soviet occupation forces. As mentioned, East German equipment, while lacking by NATO standards, was among the best the Warsaw Pact had to offer, from high tech military hardware like tanks and fighter planes, down to the combat equipment worn by the genossen (comrades) on the ground. Given East Germany’s position on the front line of the most likely future conflict – that is, a battle over a divided Germany – it
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was fortunate for the Russians that its allies seemed largely content to be part of the Warsaw Pact alliance. Soldiers of the NVA were issued several sets of uniforms for different duties, as with many Warsaw Pact armies – and unlike many NATO armies, which utilised a layer system over a base combat uniform. Discounting parade and work wear, the NVA soldier was issued both a summer and a winter field service uniform known as the felddienstanzug, or FDA. Both uniforms eventually featured the same strichtarn camouflage pattern, also known to the men as ein strich neine strich (one stripe, no stripe) which was introduced for the summer FDA in 1965, but until the 1980s the winter set was in a plain olive shade.
Practical Uniforms Our warrior this month wears the winter FDA, issued and authorised for use during the winter months and in cold weather climates. Superficially it looks very similar to
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the summer uniform, but its composition is entirely different. The base uniform consists of a thick-quilted jacket containing a concealed holster for the East German-licensed Makarov pistol, and a pair of heavy trousers supported by attached braces. The jacket also features a removable collar, made of artificial fur known as fish fur, which in extreme weather can be buttoned up high around the face. Both jacket and trousers are reasonably water repellent and extremely warm. In fact, when worn for our photoshoot, we found them to be almost too warm for a British winter! This hardwearing, practical uniform was exported around the world to use up excess stocks after the breakup of the Warsaw Pact and the re-unification of Germany. As a result, it is becoming increasingly hard to find original examples; those hoping to try it out need not despair, however, as recently good quality reproductions have started to appear. Equally warm is the winter ushanka or ear hat, a Soviet-style cap which features a similar
fish fur trim to the jacket. Like the jacket, it can be modified to cover more of the wearer’s head and face in extreme conditions. While this comfy cap sporting the DDR’s national insignia was the correct headwear for most winter duties, in combat the cap would be replaced with the excellent M56 pattern steel helmet. Of all the items produced by the communist bloc, the M56 is perhaps one of its greatest successes. Considered by many to have the best ballistic protection of any traditional steel helmet ever produced, the M56 was originally a late WWII German design intended to replace the traditional ‘coal scuttle’ helmets of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS in 1945. The M56 was shelved during the war years, however, as Hitler disliked the design, but the forward-looking DDR had no such reservations and re-introduced it for service with the NVA. Unlike many nations who equip their troops in arctic or winter postings with white camouflage helmet covers, the NVA simply added white paper strips under the issue
COLD WAR WARRIOR | NATIONALE VOLKSARMEE
helmet net. The paper used was almost always old DDR newspapers, but photographs of the period also show plain white paper being used – which is somewhat handy, as we’re a little short on 30-year-old communist dailies in the Airsoft Action offices!
Chemical Defence The traditional German jackboot is retained, but here they are worn with the trousers of the FDA tucked into the boots. Under normal circumstances this was against uniform regulations, and was rarely seen. In extreme weather, however, when soldiers may have had to contend with deep snow or mud, a unit commander was authorised to allow his men this small comfort. Combat equipment is minimal, as was normal for a Warsaw Pact force trained to fight a mechanised war from the protection of armoured fighting vehicles – in the NVA’s case, the BMP1. A large proportion of the fighting load consists of chemical defence equipment, as might be expected for an army trained to fight any future battles under chemical or
nuclear warfare conditions. Most notably, there is the rubberised protective suit worn in a special carrier in the ‘ready’ position on the back of the webbing yoke, and the large respirator haversack on the hip which contains the respirator, protective outer and inner gloves, emergency protection poncho and other sundry NBC kit. Actual fighting equipment is spartan, and apes the Soviet practice of carrying a single magazine pouch on the right hip, a bayonet on the left and a water bottle and an entrenching tool on the back. Any additional kit for the rifleman would usually be stored on unit transport and not carried into battle, although weapons specialists, signallers, officers and NCOs often carried additional equipment. Given the Warsaw Pact’s preference for automatic fire in the assault, the actual ammunition load carried by the rifleman is a surprisingly small, and consists of three 30-round magazines with an additional magazine on the rifle. A fourth compartment in the ammunition pouch contained the weapons cleaning kit.
Lastly, our soldier is armed with a Sovietmade AK47 rifle. This is somewhat anachronistic, and in reality he is more likely to have carried either an AKM, or an East German, domestically-produced variant known as the MPiK, distinguishable by its uniquely-styled, side-folding stock and stippled, plum-coloured, plastic furniture. At the time of going to press we were however unable to source either an AKM or an MpiK for this article. It is fair to say that the winter FDA of the East German Army certainly looks the part and has classic Eastern Bloc styling, but is it a practical airsoft loadout? To that I’d have to say a resounding ‘No!’ It’s hot just to stand around in, and sweltering to run in on most days of the year. Add to that a cumbersome webbing load when you attach the chemical warfare kit, and you soon begin to appreciate the hardiness of the NVA soldier. But if you are prepared to suffer for your art, it’s an awesome look, that will certainly set you apart from the crowd on the skirmish field without breaking the bank.
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SKILLS ROOM | RECONNAISSANCE
TOTAL RECON Tracking down a well-hidden enemy is no easy task, but Dan Mills has some pointers to get you started
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magine you’re out on patrol with your airsoft buddies, and your mission brief is to find your enemy within given boundaries. Sometimes you’ll have mission details that will help you to find their location. For example, the brief might state that two enemy personnel are holed up in a jeep next to a single-storey building. Sometimes, you’ll even have a grid reference to go on. These details can enable you to craft an appropriate plan of action. However, what if you have no specific details to go on? A reconnaissance mission without any data on the enemy’s whereabouts is a completely different task – one that I want to focus on here. You can’t simply wander aimlessly in any direction – as you will leave yourself open to ambush and possible capture. Instead, you need to plan your every move. If you race to other end of the training area in the blind hope of finding the enemy, you will lead your team to destruction. So what can you do?
Data Capture When planning a course of action, you need to consider all the information you have gathered about your enemy from previous encounters. This intelligence might include the roads, rivers, tracks and routes they typically use, their method of operating, and their own mission objectives. Take a good look at your map of the area for areas they would likely occupy. Where would you go if you were operating in the area? Look for defendable locations with a good route in, an escape route out, sources of water and high ground dominating any approaches. People naturally congregate around buildings, so take a good look if there are any in the area. Buildings need good routes in, both on foot and by vehicle, to be of use to an enemy. Check your map for any likely supply routes. Remember, people like to be comfortable, and only a determined enemy will avoid the comfort a building provides. You
can usually guarantee that somebody in the unit will use it. Now you’ve got a few ideas as to possible locations, think about the physical details you might know about your enemy. This could include the uniform they are wearing, their numbers, and any other distinctive features. Also remember that any hiding place would need to be big enough for them all. Consider what weaponry and equipment they are carrying and any vehicles they may possess. After collating all your intelligence, and carrying out a detailed map inspection, you now have to use the details in your possession to set about finding the enemy.
On Patrol Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted. Break your team down into small recce patrols and plan a route to and from each location you want to investigate, with stops along the route. Make a mental picture of the
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route and what you expect to see along it. This will help your team’s psychological preparation. If the recce groups number at least four, then nominate responsibilities and areas to each group. This will allow each of them to work undisturbed in a certain area, but good planning will ensure that groups can offer mutual support to one another if needed. What you do when you find the enemy will depend
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on the orders given out, and the plan of action. Perhaps you’ll pull back and gather your forces, making a plan to attack at a later date. Or perhaps you’ll stay on watch until the rest of your group arrive, issue quick battle orders and then attack. Consider how you find the enemy. What is it that makes you see them? How do they appear? Think about it. This is more important
than you might realise. You must also bear in mind that the things that enable you to spot your enemy might enable them to spot you. Keep the following basic categories in mind at all times…
Shape and Shine One of the easiest recognition factors is, of course, body shape. Recognising the shape of a human body comes naturally and instinctively, so it is imperative that you break up your outline, in particular the head and shoulders, so that you won’t be seen. This can be done with camouflage cream and natural cam. Equipment should be camouflaged, too, making it hard to distinguish. You can guarantee your enemy will have taken the same steps to attempt to remain hidden, and may have concealed their vehicles with netting and natural cam. You also need to be aware that shiny or reflective items can easily be picked out. The eye is naturally attracted to any standout objects, particularly at night or in low light conditions. Hide shine using camouflage, or dull the object with earth. Cover any light at night. Greasy, oily facial skin will also shine and be recognised. Wash your skin and reapply cam cream.
SKILLS ROOM | RECONNAISSANCE
Silhouette, Movement and Colour
Surface, Spacing and Shadow
Noise and Smell
Silhouettes will stand out like a sore thumb if not masked by good use of the ground. Avoid breaking the skyline or backdrop by staying low. Where possible, position yourself on a forward or reverse slope, in shadow or hidden by natural features of cam. Movement is, of course, one of the biggest giveaways of location. Movement attracts the eye, particularly if it is sudden or fast. If possible, do not move when the enemy is around. If you must, then do so slowly. Stop at irregular intervals and scan for any signs of enemy movement. You will discover most enemy units by movement of some sort. Differences in colour occur naturally out on the ground – so you have to be able to blend in to the natural environment, otherwise any unnatural change in colour will immediately be picked out. You must copy the texture, surface and natural makeup of the foliage in order to stay hidden. These will differ dependant on the ground you are covering. Change any cam regularly to suit the surroundings. Keep scanning the vegetation. This will help you notice anything out of place – for example dried-out natural cam on a helmet among fresh grass.
The surface of any object should be broken up if you are to hide it successfully. A vehicle wind screen, for example, might shine if not given away. Paint on a helmet could also stand out – as could a basha in the woods. Also remember that all surfaces look different when wet. Look at your own kit next time you are out training. Incorrect spacing will look unnatural and give you away. Even a well-cammed-up patrol will stick out if there are regular intervals between each man. Regular spacing very rarely occurs in nature – so ensure your own spacing is uneven. Look at a piece of ground next time you are out. The trees and vegetation grow where the seed settles naturally. The fence posts, electric pylons and buildings are generally measured and put in place. Shadow, meanwhile, is a double-edged weapon. You must use shadow if you want to remain unseen – but be aware that ill-thoughtout positioning in the sun will cast a shadow. Remember that shadow moves as the sun grows or fades. Be aware of casting your own shadow in the moonlight, too. Stay in the deepest part of a shadow, where it is darker than at the edge. Trapped shadow is best.
Noise is as big a giveaway as any. Poor noise discipline, even including talking, will give you or your enemy’s location away quicker than Linford. Ensure you brief your team to use hand signals where possible and keep talk to a minimum. Take irregular halts on patrol to listen, and take in your surroundings. Any noise will come to the ear if in shot of it. Noise travels farther at night, too, so any machinery or sentries talking must be masked. Smell is also key in discovering an enemy – or giving your position away. After a period of time in the bush, you adapt to the surroundings that you find yourself in. Having a wash and shave and spraying the armpits will draw attention to you. Think before you cook or light a fire. Petrol for the vehicle smells – as does the fish and chip takeaway you just bought up the road! Bear all the above in mind and your recce will be a success. There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to co-ordinating a search mission, and you’ll often find that your enemy is just as well-versed in these practices as you are. You need to be one step ahead at all times. Never rush into any uncertain situation, and remember – time is on your side.
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GREAT WALL OF CHINA
Though more regularly found knocking about in WWII all-wheel drives, this month Ratty jumps into something completely different – a brand new 4x4 from China
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ormally for Big Boyz Toyz I review exmilitary vehicles, some of which can be around 70 years old and available only via collectors. However, this time I’m looking at something brand spanking new. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a Steed 4x4 pickup truck, manufactured by Chinese brand Great Wall, and currently on sale through over 60 UK dealers. Chinese cars may seem out of the ordinary to many – but remember, we’re the same group of people who welcomed the influx of Chinese AEGs just a few years ago. Great Wall Motor Company is one of China’s largest and most successful automotive manufacturers. In its 35-year
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existence, it has grown to be China’s largest pickup and SUV manufacturer, and now sells its vehicles in over 100 countries worldwide. The Steed alone has sold 700,000 units across the globe. International Motors, which looks after Subaru and Isuzu, is bringing Great Wall into the UK, and Team Wild Creative, which supplied Airsoft Action with this Steed test model, is handling promotion.
The Steed Range Designed specifically for the European market, there are two vehicles in the Steed range: the S and SE models. It faces some stiff competition from Toyota’s Hilux, the Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi’s L200 and the
Ford Ranger – so I wanted to find out if it could compete against such tried and tested 4x4s. Both S and SE models come as dual cab only, with four doors allowing plenty of room to fit in the family, or your mates when heading off to an event. With an award-winning 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine (making 143bhp, 225lb/ft torque) mated to a six-speed gearbox, there should be plenty of oomph too. The official figures say that that it will return a combined figure of 34.4mpg. And here is the trump card: a brand new Steed S is just £13,998 + VAT. The SE model (which is fully loaded) is only £2,000 more. That’s several grand less than a similarly
BIG BOYZ TOYZ | GREAT WALL STEED
“The Steed was very surefooted and, despite aquaplaning a few times, Mother Nature never looked like standing in this vehicle’s way.”
spec’d vehicle from one of the other big brands. A very good friend of mine was looking at a 07-plate Hilux recently; it was £11,000 with over 100,000 miles on it. As an ex-builders vehicle, you can make your own mind up as to the state it was in! He nearly fell off his seat when I told him the price of the Steed. There is also a substantial warranty on the Steed range: three years or 60,000 miles, with three years’ assistance and six years’ anti-corrosion warranty.
On Test I first met some of the guys from Team Wild at the British Shooting Show 2012. At the time they were running Mitsubishi
L200s, covered in a stunning Realtree vinyl wrap. I really wanted to review one of these camouflaged vehicles, but was told to hang on as ‘something big’ was on the way. A few months passed and then I got the call about reviewing the Great Wall Steed. “When can I collect it?” I quickly replied. I arrived at International Motors HQ in the Midlands on a wet and dreary Monday afternoon. After all the paperwork was signed, I was handed a set of keys and shown around the vehicle. This particular 4x4 was a Steed SE on a 61 plate. There were two keys supplied – one ignition key with remote locking buttons, and a second for the tailgate on the rearbed hard canopy, which comes as standard on the SE model. Opening the driver’s door reveals an all-leather interior, electric windows, door mirrors and an auto-lock button. Sitting in the pilot’s seat, the dash itself is basic, but has all the essentials: speedometer, rev counter, fuel gauge and water temp. Allround vision through the tinted windows is good, although the vinyl wrap on the tailgate window cuts down rear vision somewhat.
Not to worry – it’s got rear parking sensors. The other switches of importance are easy to reach from the driving position. There are heated front seat buttons, and 2WD, 4WD high ratio and 4WD low ratio switches. The heater controls are simple to operate, and also double up as the air conditioning controls (standard on the SE model). It also comes with a full Alpine CD/USB/RDS radio system that pumps out the noise of your choice through its four speakers. This is also your sat-nav system. Audio controls feature on the chunky, comfortable steering wheel. Visually, the Great Wall Steed is rather appealing. While not chunky like a Navara, it has more flowing lines, and from a distance could easily be mistaken for a Hilux. Externally, it comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, chrome side bars, a body-coloured hard rear canopy (with spoiler), rear canopy roof rails and front-running lights. Once I had familiarised myself with the controls, I set off home. As the weather was rotten, and the M42 afternoon traffic its usual afternoon stop/start self, I busied myself playing with switches to see what they did. The persistent rain meant I got to
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check out the wipers, which operate at three speeds: intermittent (settable from two to eight seconds between wipes), standard speed, and extra fast for those torrential downpours. I also couldn’t help noticing the amount of people who stared at the Steed – most likely due to the Realtree vinyl wrap. Arriving back home, my eight-year-old’s said “Wow, we’ve got a camouflaged truck!” and then proceeded to climb all over it. The next few days were spent going to and from work and picking up stock. The Steed handled all of this with ease. Driving every day, the Steed doesn’t feel like a pick-up truck; the power-assisted steering is light, and the clutch is in no way heavy. The sixspeed gearbox is well ratio’d (although just a little ‘notchy’ at times) with sixth allowing for a comfortable cruising speed. At 80mph, she was only pulling just over 2500rpm.
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On the Saturday before Christmas I had to be in Salisbury by 8am. So, at six in the morning, among thick fog and heavy rain, I jumped into the Steed with my travel mug of tea, put on the heated seat, set the destination into the sat nav and set off. The Steed was very surefooted and, despite aquaplaning a few times on the A34, Mother Nature never looked like standing in this vehicle’s way. Overall, the journey was enjoyable and (unlike some other trips in similar vehicles) I managed to walk properly after getting out – instead of doing a John Wayne impression. On the way back, with 70 miles left to go, the fuel warning light pinged on: time for a game of fuel light lottery. I kept going, passing a couple of petrol stations. With 20 miles left to go, and as the trip milometer (that I had set to zero when I filled the Steed
BIG BOYZ TOYZ | GREAT WALL STEED
up with diesel) reached 440 miles, and with the fuel gauge now off the bottom, I bottled it. Pulling in, I filled it right up again, squeezing in 65 litres – about £88. The owner’s manual says that the tank holds 70 litres – so I could have got home after all! A few days after Christmas I was running an event, so in preparation I loaded the Steed with my team of helpers and all manner of tools, from shovels and brooms to chainsaws and axes to clear the site with. The Steed made a great workhorse, ferrying us around the site with all the kit. With bags of rubbish and other waste, several runs to the local tip were required, and the Steed was on the go constantly for the next few days. On the morning of the event, the Steed was used as the crew bus. We towed a missile trolley into location and also loaded up the back with various props for the day. Unfortunately, we found that you cannot get a Stinger Missile case in the load area and close the tailgate! During the course of the day, many people quizzed me about the Steed and the Realtree wrap. I felt like a Great Wall salesman, passing on techy info and telling little stories about the trips I had already completed in it. I was then asked if I could help another local business, the Waddesdon Deli Co, which was tasked with supplying midmorning refreshments and then lunch on a game shoot being held on the Waddesdon Estate. I jumped at the chance to help, as it presented an opportunity to use the 4WD. With mid-morning snacks loaded, and a generator and mobile kitchen in the back, off
we went. Pulling off the road, I was greeted by a muddy, boggy track. Pushing the 4WD high button, I engaged first gear and off we rolled. The Steed made light work of all that it went through, the whole wagon swaying slightly a few times, as the track puddles were deceivingly much deeper than they initially looked.
Summary The Great Wall Steed is an impressive allround vehicle – and it’s facing some heavy hitters in this tough market. However, it easily holds its own against the competition – doing everything it says on the tin. Best of all, the SE model comes in at about £5,000 less than a similarly spec’d Navara or L200. Even second hand, these will be more expensive than a brand new Steed. My only criticism of it is that, with all the power and torque that the 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine develops, you have to work the gearbox, especially when fully loaded up. I used the Steed in all sorts of situations and racked up a fair number of miles over the two weeks or so that I had it. If you are looking for vehicle to suit a combination of work and family commitments, then the Steed has to be a serious contender.
INFORMATION WEB: www.greatwallmotor.co.uk Special thanks to Selena Barr, all at Team Wild Creative, and Lorraine from International Motors for their help in organising the loan vehicle.
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FIRST AND ONLY Lured in by the Magpul open day, Ron Mahoney goes for a mooch around the new First and Only shop
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lthough First and Only Airsoft is better known for the numerous and varied gaming sites it has in the UK, the company also runs a small retail service. Anyone who has played at a First and Only site will remember the ‘mobile shop’ – a life saver for players who have forgotten some vital piece of kit. To the uninitiated, this may conjure up an image of a tiny little van selling mere nick-nacks – but the mobile shop is more than that, with lots of top-end equipment to tempt wallets out of pockets. Unsurprisingly, moving to a static retail base had long been on the cards for First and Only MD Jamie Forrest. The timing, however, had never been quite right: “We had resisted the idea of having a shop for a long time. We
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knew lots of our regular customers wanted somewhere they could visit in their lunch hour – but we felt that the mobile shop served most of the sales we needed to make. However, when we looked at the unit we are now in, and thought of the potential it had to do other things, then the idea started to gain legs. We’re now at the start of something exciting for First and Only.” The new retail unit is on Wardley Industrial Estate in Swinton, Manchester, only a couple of minutes from the arterial east-west corridor of the M60/M62. The unit itself comprises offices, a small workshop, the main AEG shop, a load-out shop and a 25-metre range. I visited the store on an open day held in conjunction with major distributors Edgar
Brothers, who were there to promote the Magpul range of equipment, and to make the day interesting with a series of demonstrations and hands-on sessions. Martin Jorgensen, the manager at First and Only Retail, gave me a tour of the setup. He said: “The small repair shop is really for sorting out our hire guns and down-grading AEGs the shop sells to 350fps, if that is what the customer wants. We can do some of the simple work here, but we also have a dedicated repair centre that can handle more complex repairs, right through to full customisation jobs.” I was also introduced to Eric Travis, who runs the repair service centre in nearby Denton. Eric is an AEG genius, stated Martin,
RETAIL REVIEW | FIRST AND ONLY
adding, “I’m more knowledgeable on gas-gun repair, so between us there’s not much that we can’t handle.” The main shop is packed with all the normal airsoft equipment, along with a large display of Magpul AEGs and accessories. The amount of kit in the separate load-out room is constantly growing, and with stocks of equipment arriving daily, it will soon have enough to satisfy both new and seasoned players. Throughout the day of my visit, Dan Eastes from Edgar Brothers was demonstrating his own rig, and ran practical sessions discussing
the pros and cons of how he located key equipment on his vest. Dan spoke not only as a seasoned airsoft player, but also from his hard-fought experience out in ‘the Sandpit’. Down on the 25-metre range, a practical rifle/pistol competition ran throughout the day. The course comprised a series of five stations where the shooter engaged both single or multiple targets, some with ‘hostage’ targets not to be engaged. The range has a lot of potential, and Martin told me that they hope to be able to offer small skirmish practice sessions, and open the range up for standard CQB training.
The range had a constant stream of players keen to have a crack at the competition and, as the day continued, times were getting quicker and quicker. Everyone started with mag out and their chosen gun lying on the table. When ready, a buzzer sounded and the players loaded and made ready. When you consider that the layout was eight targets (the last two targets had to be hit six times – twice standing, twice kneeling and twice prone) and you had to move position four times, then the winning time of 12.36 seconds by Morgan Roe is remarkable. I’m sure many a firearms professional would be hard-pressed to better that! With both the shop and the range, it is easy to see how this new retail element to First and Only’s business will develop into a fully-fledged airsoft centre, with a readymade customer base that turns up to ‘shoot and scoot’. I’m sure their plans for the range will continue to grow – but don’t panic, the mobile shop will still be there for when you forget that vital piece of kit.
INFORMATION WEB: www.firstandonlyevents.co.uk/shop TEL: 07763 125315 EMAIL: retail@firstandonlyairsoft.com ADDRESS: Wardley Industrial Estate, Manchester, M27 9HF OPENING HOURS: Tuesday-Sunday 10.00-18.00 (except Thursday 11.0019.00, and Sunday 10.00-16.00)
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STAIR TACTICS Pro-Tact’s Andy Nightingale continues his series on all things tactical with advice on tackling stairs
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he need to negotiate stairs during a building assault throws up a potentially dangerous situation. Stairs are known in the game as ‘fatal funnels’, and are hard to escape from once you have committed to them. There is no room for error, as you will become trapped by your confined surroundings very quickly. In this article, I will look at several different stair configurations you might encounter. Stairs are unavoidable when there are multiple floors to clear. There is no easy way to address them; we just have to make do as best we can. The simplest way to check if stairwells are clear is to use a mirror. One option is to use a compact inspection-type mirror, as used by mechanics, and available
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from your local motor parts store at little cost. A popular alternative to mirrors, however, is to use spy drones. These appear more often at controlled skirmish training events, and can be flown along stairs without any sound. The drone sends back real-time colour video in HD to the drone’s pilot, who remains behind safe cover. The spy drone is the much-
preferred method, as it can also check out other hard-to-access areas safely -– although it costs a lot more than the humble mirror. There are many different types of stair configurations you could come across – so no one clearing technique will cater for all. Here are some common configurations you may have to negotiate:
STAIRS: KEY POINTS Always take it slow; there is no rush if you are conducting a silent entry Avoid any unnecessary noise and light Stay close to the walls, but be careful not to scrape your kit against them
Keep your weapons trained on the apex of sight; as soon as something new comes into view cover it immediately Don’t all move at the same time Be aware of horizontal plains
SKILLS ROOM | CQB TACTICS
Switchback Switchback stairways have small landings, with the stairs advancing back to back. They also have a small void in the centre that enables one to view the stairway from top to bottom. This void can give your location away if you get too close to it, as you can be seen climbing or descending by others on the stairs. Keep to the outer wall in order to avoid being seen.
Spiral Spiral stairs can come in two configurations – open and closed. Open spiral stairs have a large void that the stairs spiral around. They have small landings between each flight and should be negotiated in the same way as the switchback. Keep back from the void and close to the wall. You can use the void to look for any enemy on the stairs or landings. Be sure not to move so close to the void that you give your position away. Closed spiral stairs do not have the void – and instead have a solid column that they wind their way around, such as a lift shaft. They too have small landings between each flight and should, if at all possible, be negotiated using mirrors or spy drones.
Single Stairs Single stairs are the type that we are probably most familiar with. We find them in homes,
offices, public buildings and so on. To negotiate these stairs, keep to the wall – but not so close that your kit scrapes along it. Try to avoid all noise by making foot placements slow, light and positive. Don’t rush; take your time. Keep the muzzle of your weapon on the apex of sight. As soon as a new area comes into view, your muzzle should be covering it as soon as possible. If possible, when clearing multiple landings don’t go alone – two operators are preferable for clearing each landing, so the others can follow on behind once the area is clear. Also, don’t all go at the same time. If you do come into contact with the enemy, then you are all in the fatal funnel, and the trouble really starts. There are only two ways out: forwards and backwards. To go forwards, you will have to advance into the incoming enemy fire. If you retreat, you will be unable to return effective fire and suppress the enemy.
Climbing and Descending When going up stairs, there is always the problem that you break the horizontal plain with your head before your weapon. This can be avoided by lowering your profile just before you break the plain. Then, when you are ready, stand up fast and be ready to engage any threats as soon as they come into view. Take your time ascending, and if you have done your homework, intel will give
you the information you need to know about the layout of the next landing/floor plan. Descending can be more difficult than climbing. The main problem is that your feet, legs and lower torso will break the underplain (ceiling) before your weapon does. If you have access to mirrors, then this is one of the best times to use them. Without any aids, you may have to go into a prone position and slide down the first few stairs, so that your head breaks the under-plain first. This manoeuvre will be almost impossible with a rifle, so it will be best to switch to a handgun to maintain your safety. Again, as a new area comes into view, cover it with your weapon. Go slow on the descent; it is all too easy to make mistakes that will see you going back to the safe zone.
Conclusion Stairs are challenging at the best of times, and can raise the heart rate as well as the level of play. If you are a part of an entry or assault team, then get together and practise the skills needed to overcome the problems involved. If you do have access to a spy drone or even a mirror, don’t rely on them all the time, as you may not always have them when you need them the most. Master the stair drills, as you should always be able to revert back to basics. Stay safe and happy airsofting.
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A STEP TOO FAR?
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o many airsofters it’s very much black and white: if you didn’t earn the patch or stripes you shouldn’t wear it in a game. However, others see special forces cap badges and sergeants’ stripes as fair game when you’re ‘playing’ at soldiers. It’s a thorny issue – one that elicits a wide variety of responses from the airsoft community. What it comes down to, essentially, is whether you view the appropriation of real-world military insignia as a mark of respect or disrespect. Considering the amount of physical and mental fortitude required to earn a coveted commando or parachute regiment beret, is it disrespectful to simply buy one off Ebay? Or do some loadouts and impressions require these trappings to actually respectfully ‘represent’ these units? To canvass Airsoft Action readers’ thoughts on the issue, we took to Facebook and asked for your comments. The swathe of responses fell into four main schools of thought. Some, as we’ve touched upon, feel it’s never acceptable; some feel it is okay as long as you were not claiming to have earned these awards for real; some feel unit patches and ranks were only appropriate for
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MilSim type games; and a large proportion simply couldn’t see why anyone would object. Is it actually any different from other forms of ‘make-believe’ or fancy dress? Reader Liam Major pointed out the dangers and complications inherent in the arguments of those who fall very strongly into the no camp: “Where does it stop? Do we tell our children not to dress up as doctors or nurses during playtime because they haven’t spent five years at medical school?” On a similar note, Paul Mundy said: “All we are doing is playing dress up with guns. When I was a kid I wanted realistic uniforms for my action man – now I get to dress up myself.” Indeed, many readers displayed a preference for a ‘dress up’ element in
airsoft battles, but felt happier wearing the insignia of fictional units. “Fictional ranks for fictional units”, said Tom Delaney, “I wear RPD STARS badges from the Resident Evil games, and have a set of sergeant stripes. It’s all fake. I’ve seen a lad with Stargate patches who also had a captain rank. It’s all a bit of fun, and as long as you don’t try to make people think you’re a proper member of the forces, then there is no problem.” Perhaps surprisingly, we found that those currently in HM forces, along with those who had previously served, seemed less offended by the wearing of real world insignia than many civilian airsofters – as long as it was worn in good taste and acted as a respectful tribute to the unit that was being copied.
“Many readers displayed a preference for a ‘dress up’ element in airsoft battles, but felt happier wearing the insignia of fictional units”
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DEBATE | REAL WORLD INSIGNIA PLAYERS’ VIEWS CHRIS OLD: “If you have served, then wear it with pride. If it’s re-enactment then fair enough, but if you’re just faking it because it looks the part, then I think it shows disrespect to those who do wear it for real.” COLIN DETOX HIGGINSON: “Just wear whatever the hell you like; if someone doesn’t like it, then it’s their problem. It’s just a hobby.” MATTHEW FUREY-KING: “To those that are saying it’s only a game, remember that those little cloth patches have huge significance to people who have earned them, and many others have died while wearing them. This is something very important, which you may be bringing into our little game as mere decoration.” STUART BALLINGALL: “If you want to wear a para, RM beret, or someone else’s insignia, don’t disrespect it. Wear it with pride and play hard.” LAWRENCE HOLSWORTH: “I think if you do it with total authenticity as a way of paying homage to the real-deal units then it’s fine. If you do it nonauthentically, or partially, or just to look cool, then it’s not.” NEIL GREGSON: “I personally don’t see it as a problem. I’m ex-forces and my opinion is that it’s just a game. If that’s your bag you go for it. However don’t wander down the street in full kit, ‘walting’ it up.” BEAU MOORE: “Serving soldiers are heroes, like Batman and Superman. Just as kids want to wear the same costume as their favourite heroes, so airsofters want to wear their favourite units Insignia. We are proud of the British army, past and present, so I see no problem with it.” WILLIAM TYRRELL: “If it’s a normal skirmish, I don’t want to see a beret or insignia; in my opinion it’s insulting. If you’re doing a MilSim event where you’re representing someone, it’s almost like a mark of respect, especially when it comes to WWII or similar – just wear it properly and don’t pretend you are a part of that regiment.” PAUL BARNETT: “I understand that airsofters want to play with some realism, but do people not understand what it means to earn the right to wear their badges? It shows no respect to wear a badge you have not earned; they don’t just give them away.”
Is this player doing a disservice to the solders of the Union Army?
Some serving soldiers did have strong feelings about the issue, though, and the main bone of contention seemed to be players who wear berets from elite regiments. On this issue, reader Jason Price said: “As an ex squaddie, I hate it. Historical isn’t too bad, but when you’re in modern kit certain things are earned, and I understand a serving RM/para going ballistic over someone casually wearing a beret that real servicemen earn through blood, sweat and tears.” Jason’s firm stance was echoed by Kane Weeks: “I think the line is crossed when regimental berets are worn. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sport and those who play it, but we haven’t achieved what those servicemen and women have – we haven’t done enough to wear that beret.” The one overriding view that united both civilian airsofters and forces types was that players should be open and honest
about any insignia they wear. Those who pretend to have earned ‘bought’ badges are considered to be the lowest of the low in airsoft terms! Indeed, whether we view the appropriation of unearned insignia as a tribute or a step too far, it’s clear that, by entering the debate on these terms, we’re demonstrating the proper respect to the servicemen in action all around the world. Just the way it should be.
HAVE YOUR SAY Got an opinion on the insignia debate? Got an idea for a future topic? Get in touch with Airsoft Action via the address on page for 4, or email nigels@blazepublishing. co.uk. Look out for future debate polls at our Facebook page (facebook.com/AirsoftAction)
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SITE DIRECTORY Find somewhere to be this weekend… SYMBOL KEY
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AIRSOFT SITES | DIRECTORY Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data! RAVEN’S NEST
Suffolk, IP8 4 01473 831563 www.ravensairsoft.co.uk
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TA EVENTS
SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH
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ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD
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VIKING AIRSOFT THE WARGAMES CENTRE
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TROJAN AIRSOFT
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UCAP AIRSOFT
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XSITE AIRSOFT – LANE END High Wycombe, HP14 3NP 01494 881430
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DEALER LISTINGS
ADVERTISERS INDEX Action Hobbies .......................................................................58 Airsoft Innovations ................................................................23 Airsoft World...........................................................................3 Armex ...................................................................................31 BadgerTac .............................................................................32 Badger Tac 2 .........................................................................90 BO Manufacture.....................................................................75 Bullseye Country Sport ..........................................................32 Dragon Valley Airsoft LTD .....................................................90 Edgar Brothers ......................................................................51 First & Only Airsoft ...............................................................32 Gunman Airsoft .....................................................................55 JD Airsoft ..................................................................27, 65, 74 Just BB Guns Ltd ...................................................................47 Land Warrier Airsoft ........................................................2, 18 Military 1st................................................................55, 66, 90 Outdoor Pursuits / No VAT ....................................................55 Pro Airsoft Supplies ...............................................................92 Redwolf ...................................................................................9 Shoot n’ Scoot ........................................................................90 Surplus Store...................................................................70, 90 Wolf Armouries ...............................................................42, 90 Xsite Airsoft Ltd ....................................................................70
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