Airsoft Action - September 2018 by Airsoft Action

AIRSOFT ACTION

WIN! WIN! WIN! A NUPROL N79 + 3 SHELLS

UK EXCLUSIVE

PLUG IN MOSFET

GEAR

TACTICAL DENIM

SITE

BRAVO ONE

WARRIORS

MVD “VITYAZ”

ON THE RANGE | NOMAD PRIVATE GAME | G&G L85 ETU | VIPER COVERT BOOTS | GEARSKIN

9 772047 348032

SEPTEMBER 2018

TECHNICAL

PROUDLY SUPPORTING PILGRIM BANDITS

SEPT 2018 - £4.50

FLIR BREACH REVIEW

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT The UK’s largest supplier of Airsoft and Tactical goods. Visit landwarriorairsoft.com or speak to the team on 0131 654 2452 for further details.

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Tactical – 5.11 Ferro Concepts Haley Strategic Magpul Mechanix Spiritus Systems

LAND WARRIOR FIREARMS RFD Suppliers of firearms, shotguns, cartridges and ammunition. Visit landwarriorfirearms.co.uk or speak to the team on 0131 654 2452 for further details.

NUPROL HARD CASES

- LARGE CASES

- XL CASES

AVAILABLE IN FOUR COLOURS

REVOLUTIONARY PRICE AND QUALITY

FEATURES: • IP67 dust & water protection. • Pick/Pluck & Wave foam options. • L: Four easy closing latches. / XL: Six easy closing latches • Wheels on the bottom with a handle at the top to easily pull the case along. • Side handle to carry by hand. • Inner padding on the top and bottom to hold the contents secure and protected. • L: Two padlock holes on front edge. / XL: Four padlock holes on front edge. • Available in four colour options: Black, Tan, Green, Grey. • L: External Size: 109×39×15cm (42.92*15.35*5.91 inch) XL: External Size: 137x39x15cm (53.9*15.3*5.9 inch) • L: Internal Size: 101×32×12.5cm (39.76*12.59*4.92 inch) XL: Internal Size: 130x32x12.5cm (51.1*12.59*4.92 inch) • L: Weight: 5.5kG / XL: Weight: 6.5KG

DOMINATE THE FIELD WWW.NUPROL.COM

AIRSOFT ACTION

WIN! WIN! WIN! A NUPROL M79 + 3 SHELLS

ARMOURY: ICS DMR

UK EXCLUSIVE

SITE

BRAVO ONE

WARRIORS

MVD “VITYAZ”

ON THE RANGE | NOMAD PRIVATE GAME | G&G L85 ETU | VIPER COVERT BOOTS | GEARSKIN

9 772047 348032

SEPTEMBER 2018

GEAR

TACTICAL DENIM

PROUDLY SUPPORTING PILGRIM BANDITS TECHNICAL

PLUG IN MOSFET

SEPT 2018 - £4.50

FLIR BREACH REVIEW

ARMOURY: N79

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

Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL Tel: +44 (0) 1684 878 003

EVENT: NOMADS SITE: BRAVO ONE

34 40

Web: www.airsoft-action.online ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2018 All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the publisher in writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to print. Distributed by Intermedia Brand Marketing Ltd.

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TECHNICAL: MOSFETS

REVIEW: HORNET BBS

GEAR: TACTICAL DENIM

LETTER , IDEA OR QUESTION? Got something to say? A question for our experts? An article or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the Editor: nige@airsoft-action.co.uk, write to us at the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

Contents SEPTEMBER 2018

CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2018 6

NEWS

ROGUE’S GALLERY

Airsoft Action readers in airsoft action!

36 ARMOURY: G&G L85 ETU The G&G L85 has never been great but after many years of complaints G&G claim have they finally got around to fixing the flawed L85 trigger system. Scott Allan finds out just how much better it has got.

69 GEAR: VIPER COVERT BOOTS

40 TECHNICAL: P&P MOSFETS Airsoft Action welcomes Phil Bucknall to the team, as he compares a couple of MOSFET solutions for ERG users.

70 GEEEK: GEARSKIN

Gadge’s faithful old “urban game” boots we’re beginning to look a bit tired and he had been looking for a replacement – luckily a trip to Viper Tactical had the answer.

12 ARMOURY: ICS CXP MARS Whilst lagging behind in the “recoil” market, ICS keep bringing out great looking RIFs with a host of features to make most of us drool! Bill gets to the range with the latest in their CXP models. 16 ARMOURY: ARTILLERY LUGER When it comes to WWII-era pistols most people think of the mighty “1911” but there’s another “Axis” model that’s equally as famous… or is that infamous? Jerry Noone finds a rare gem in the form of the “Artillery Luger” from WE. 20 UK EXCLUSIVE: FLIR BREACH Do you want to be able to spot players in deep concealment or the dead of night? Tom Hibberd does so when he had the opportunity to exclusively review the only FLIR Breach unit in the UK, he jumped at the chance. 24 ARMOURY: NUPROL N79 There are numerous grenade launchers available but there’s one that’s pretty much the “McDaddy” of them all and that’s the M79! Bill gets hands on the latest to hit the market from NUPROL. 29 COMPETITION: WIN A NUPROL N79! Having read about it, now you have the chance to win one of these awesome grenade-chuckers, plus three shells, all courtesy of NUPROL. 30 EVENT: NOMADS IN GAOL True to their name, Nomad AirsoftNI travelled over to England for a bevvy and a break, only to get too rowdy and land themselves in Gaol. Georaga was granted visitation rights... 34 SITE: GRANGE LIVE GAMING Although she has played there before, Femme Fatale makes a return trip to this city-centre site to play for a full day.

46 GEAR: GIENA TACTICS At IWA earlier this year Bill and Gadge got a chance to speak to the team from Russian manufacturer Giena Tactics and came away impressed with what they saw. Bill tells us more... 50 GEAR: HAIX BLACK EAGLE GTX We gave away a pair in the last issue and Nige has been wearing them for a while, so what does he think about these good-looking boots from HAIX. 54 FEATURE: ON THE RANGE Anvil and Gadge put perhaps the most contentious argument in airsoft to the test to discover what is the maximum gaming range of most standard AEGs? 58 BBs: HORNET TACTICAL PRECISION Tom “Anvil” Hibberd puts a new BB brand to the test and finds out whether it lives up to its name. 60 FEATURE: LCT AK RANGE Gadge and Anvil write about what weapon most suits the OpFor role and decide there can be only one, the venerable AK …but which one? 62 GEAR: TACTICAL DENIM Most of us love a pair of blue jeans and manufacturers appear to have taken note so there’s more “tac denim” about than ever before. Bill takes a look at his personal favourites. 64 WARRIORS: RUSSIAN MVD “VITYAZ” Gareth “Gadge” Harvey continues his “Warriors” series with a look at some Russian “knights”.

Bill speaks again to the guys at GEARSKIN to see what’s been happening since we caught up with them back in Issue 62. 74 FEATURE: EYE PROTECTION Frenchie delves into the mysteries of standards in eye protection, something that every player should take note of as some are simply not suitable for airsoft. 78 FEATURE: PROJECT OPFOR Bill makes the argument for “OPFOR is where it’s at” in the first of a new series on building a coherent OPFOR Team. 81 GEAR: VIPER TRIPLE MAG PLATE Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick checks out a really useful bit of kit from Viper Tactical. 82 THE LAST POST: AIRSOFT INJURIES Serious injuries in airsoft are thankfully very rare but even minor ones can be painful but not all are caused by BBs, as Frenchie explains… 84 AIRSOFT ACTION STOCKISTS Where to buy your copy of The Players’ Choice Best Airsoft Magazine before it goes on sale in newsagents. 86 SITE DIRECTORY & PRACTICAL SHOOTING CLUBS Looking for a skirmish site, or your local Airsoft Practical Pistol Club? Then we may have the answer, with pages of sites and clubs throughout the UK.

s w e N t f o s Air AND THE WINNER IS...

YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE LIKE MAKING PEOPLE HAPPY by giving awesome prizes away in our competitions and when we called the winner of our NUPROL Hard Case Competition, his reaction was great! The winner was Mark Seedhouse and his first words when we told him were “That’s fantastic – I didn’t expect to win!” Well Mark, you did and your prize of a NUPROL Hard Case plus Pistol Case will be winging its way to you directly from NUPROL very shortly – and many congratulations on winning!

We asked Mark to email us his address details and he very kindly added the following comment: “Airsoft Action is full of clear and precise reviews of quality merchandise, winning the competition for The Nuprol Hardcase is absolutely FANTASTIC. Never thought I would win and I will carry on entering. Really has made my day. Thank you.” If you want to win, turn to Page 29 and you might just end up with a superb NUPROL N79 grenade launcher, complete with three shells!

TACTREE ANNOUNCE NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH TacTree, the UK home of tactical gear including top brands such as 5.11, Mechanix, Maxpedition and Viper Tactical, has a new and completely redesigned website offering customers a more accessible and quicker way of shopping for tactical clothing, footwear, gear and accessories. The new website has a clean, simplified and uncluttered design with clear hi-res images which make it much easier to visualise what clothing and gear look like in context. Fully responsive, customers can easily access the site on desktop, tablet and mobile helping to find products quickly and conveniently. Not new, but definitely improved, the TacTree Rewards Club enables regulars to earn as they shop and access points through their account, there will be extra opportunities for loyal customers to interact with the website, newsletter and social media for additional ways to gain points and save on purchases, just watch this space! Finding products has never been easier, with the improved navigation, search and filters available; it even has a dedicated area for Airsoft! TacTree will be collaborating closely with Airsoft teams to develop an area that will be appealing and personalised, creating a more interactive and engaging experience, with all the kit you need easily accessible. If you have any recommendations please let them know on their social pages (@TacTree) or directly at marketing@tactree.co.uk. Jonathan Edmonds, Marketing Manager at TacTree, said: “The website has been a huge project and is the culmination of an enormous amount of work from the team here. The projects we have been working on such as this give us a massive amount of pride and demonstrates our commitment to excellence to our customers. We hope our customers, including the Airsoft Action readers, enjoy using our new website and they should keep an eye out for lots of new products and offers that will be coming soon:.

september 2018

The website will be updated with fresh new products, brands and offers on a regular basis. Visitors can explore the new site and sign up for the TacTree newsletter by visiting https://tactree.co.uk.

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY Images curtesy of Craig Walton, WA03Media.co.uk

Check Point: Let’s see your papers! Images curtesy of Craig Walto n, WA03Media.co .uk

september 2018

Taken at Invicta Battlefield

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

‘Fierce Fox’ and ‘Lady J’ : Gaol, Oakham

september 2018

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

Team ‘Red Fox’

Information 6’6” Pete from Red Fox making best use of cover!

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

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armoury ICS CXP-MARS DMR

LIFE ON M.A.R.S…

WHILST LAGGING BEHIND IN THE “RECOIL” MARKET, ICS KEEP BRINGING OUT GREAT LOOKING RIFS WITH A HOST OF FEATURES TO MAKE MOST OF US DROOL! BILL GETS TO THE RANGE WITH THE LATEST OF THEIR CXP MODELS. I’VE BEEN WORKING WITH ICS REPLICAS for the best part of twenty years and I have to say that they offer some of the most consistently reliable airsoft replicas out there; they may not always have been “cutting edge” in their overall design but they’ve certainly been functional! Some airsoft companies seem content to just follow a single line of thought in relation to their designs but I have to say that recently ICS have not done this in any way. I’ve always been a fan of their split gearboxes, which are reliable and easy to work on should you so desire and, personally, I’ve never had an AEG from them that has been anything other than first rate. With the introduction of their “CXP” models they really hit on something quite unique, in the form of a thoroughly modern design with an Electronic Blowback function that not only looked great but performed superbly straight out of the box. It’s been my great pleasure to test most of the variants of the CXP and new variants keep on coming through! ICS also continually look to the real firearms market and track the changes there. Things, in relation not only to the “AR/M4” platform but to many iconic designs, have become lighter, more modular and features have been updated to get the best performance possible from all parts. With their more recent releases ICS have followed the firearms industry trend for lightweight and aesthetically pleasing designs, not only creating their own receivers and rails but also bringing to market some fabulous designs for stocks, pistol grips and back-up “iron sights” and the CXP range shows this completely. In my mind they have some really super designs which follow the trend away from out and out military models, instead following the creation of lightweight, slim-line, ergonomic rifles and carbines.

september 2018

TRIED AND TESTED Inside the shell, the CXP MARS (which, in case you’re wondering or even vaguely interested, stands for “Modern Assault Rifle System”) series of AEG are all made from the same components and feature the aforementioned split gearbox, an Infinite 2500 long pin motor and an M100 spring. They all also benefit from the ICS Electronic Blowback function, which is a nice nod towards realism and giving some kinetic energy feedback but don’t expect any true felt recoil. Given the M100 spring fitted for UK models, it’s recommended that you use nothing greater than a 7.4V LiPo and dependant on the exact model, you can have your RS either front or rear wired. I’ll come back to this later. With some solid internals things get even better on the outside of the MARS models though, as the upper receiver

armoury ICS CXP-MARS DMR

looks like it really is CNC machined with some aggressive, dynamic lines. The fit to the lower is incredibly tight and precise with no gaps or wobble in evidence; at the rear of the upper is a really nice ambidextrous charging handle which seems to have become a bit of a fixture on the MARS range too. There’s also an ambidextrous safety and magazine release as standard which, in sum total, makes this a very attractive proposition from the user’s perspective. The majority of the MARS models have a beautifully achieved KeyMod rail system, which come with three short sections of rail. The MARS Lightweight Keymod Handguard is a modern-looking design built in high-quality aluminium alloy and engineered to handle the hardest and most demanding use. It is also CNC machined and finished with hard anodizing for added durability. Going to the rear of the CXP-MARS, the model I had to test, things get even more interesting. The CXP series can be either front or rear-wired depending on the exact model but the “tubulars” are all rear-wired to avoid messing up that lovely, clean rail with a battery box. Two models have the MTR sliding stock which ICS developed some time ago, but the SD SR has an all new UKSR “sniper” stock. Again ICS appear to have looked to one of the “best in the business”, MAGPUL and come up with a variation on the real-world PRS GEN3 stock; a field precision stock for AR platforms, featuring tool-less length of pull and cheek piece height adjustment. In the case of the ICS version it also offers battery storage via a quick-release butt-plate. Where ICS have been really clever with their stock though, is that it can be fitted to most airsoft AR/M4 models as it uses the existing buffer tube to mate to. So if you fancy something a bit special in relation to your stock, you can most certainly have it (an real PRS GEN3 stock will set you back the best part of US$255 even if you can get one and would then require precision fitting)! Other than that, the CXP’s all feature a comfortable pistol grip of ICS design, along with their excellent flip-up front and rear sights, an enlarged trigger guard with a “race” style

trigger and a singlepoint sling attachment point. There’s also a flash hider that’s unique to ICS; the flash hider mates to a standard 14mm CCW thread so you can easily change this out for a different barrel extension making the system extremely versatile. The magazine is the T-Mag which is their innovative 300 round high capacity model with the clear “windows”, which is really neat as you can tell visually how many BBs you have left.

PERFECT FOR THE UK! Now that I’ve tested a number of the CXP rifles and carbines the smooth operation and performance of the CXP-MARS DMR came as little surprise to me. Loaded up with .20g NUPROL RZR BBs and with a NUPROL 7.4 LiPo fitted it was time to take the rifle to the chrono and again, given the M100 spring fitted, it was no shock when it racked up a consistent and site-friendly 1.04 Joule/335fps. ICS install a M100 spring for the UK instead of the M120 and use an Infinite 2500 motor instead of their Turbo 3000

“WITH SOME SOLID INTERNALS THINGS GET EVEN BETTER ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE MARS MODELS THOUGH, AS THE UPPER RECEIVER LOOKS LIKE IT REALLY IS CNC MACHINED WITH SOME AGGRESSIVE, DYNAMIC LINES.” www.airsoft-action.online

armoury ICS CXP-MARS DMR

“IN MY MIND THEY HAVE SOME REALLY SUPER DESIGNS WHICH FOLLOW THE TREND AWAY FROM OUT AND OUT MILITARY MODELS, INSTEAD FOLLOWING THE CREATION OF LIGHTWEIGHT, SLIM-LINE, ERGONOMIC RIFLES AND CARBINES.” motor; the reason for the spring change is to get the velocity below the UK legal limit, although in the case of the DMR I feel that locking it to semi and upping the fps might be worthwhile! ICS have also popped in a MOSFET for the latest models and with the blade trigger I will say that the response is hyper-efficient (and yes, I tried it on an 11.1 LiPo too (as pictured) and it was wicked - but not recommended if you want your AEG to have a fruitful and long life!). Accuracy was again as I expected, that being excellent once the hop was securely set. Shots out to 30m were absolutely spot-on, with BBs ranging out to a good deal farther than that. ICS AEGs have never been slouches when it comes to

accuracy and the CXP line obviously follows that particular family tradition but, to me, the KeyMod just shouts out for a bipod and the top rail for a decent bit of glass. I would have to suggest going back to an M120 spring, locking the AEG to semi and using it as a true DMR, as the 458mm barrel is perfectly suited to this and the new trigger is certainly crisp enough to squeeze off some quality shots! You can pick up a CXP-MARS DMR from Fire Support for £419.00 and at this price ICS continue to give tremendous value for money. This is a completely solid, visually attractive AEG that will be a joy to own and skirmish with and I for one look forward to see where ICS are going to head next! For more information on the CXP line of AEGs and the rest of the extensive range of ICS AEGs and accessories please do pay a visit to www.fire-support.co.uk AA

tech spec Length: 980mm Weight: 3610g Power: 1.04 Joule/335fps Material: Full Metal and “Polymer” Barrel: 458mm Gearbox: ICS Split Motor: Infinite 2500 Long Pin Motor

september 2018

armoury LUGER ARTILLERY PISTOL

PISTOLE PARABELLUM WHEN IT COMES TO WWII-ERA PISTOLS MOST PEOPLE THINK OF THE MIGHTY “1911” BUT THERE’S ANOTHER “AXIS” MODEL THAT’S EQUALLY AS FAMOUS… OR IS THAT INFAMOUS? JERRY NOONE FINDS A RARE GEM IN THE FORM OF THE “ARTILLERY LUGER” FROM WE. IF THE COLT M1911 is the best known (and indeed still the best loved!) military handgun in the world today, then in my opinion the Luger pistol is not far behind! The Luger has seen action with nearly twenty armed forces around the globe, from its initial adoption by the Swiss in 1900, through both World Wars, to its eventual phasing out by the Norwegians in 1987. As a civilian model the Luger is a much sought-after prize and even today replicas are still made. Georg Luger was born in Steinach in Tirol, in 1849. As an officer in the Austrian Army and with a real love for things mechanical, he became acquainted with small arms designer Ferdinand Mannlicher, the inventor (among countless other designs) of the Austrian Infantry Ordnance Rifle. Together these two talented individuals even produced an automatic rifle! In 1891 Luger held a position with the firm of Ludwig Loewe of Berlin, from where he was sent to exhibit another military rifle in the United States and this is where he probably first met Hugo Borchardt. Jump forward to 1894 when Luger started exhibiting a new weapon to the United States Naval Ordnance Board; that new design was a semi-automatic pistol named after its creator, Borchardt. During 1893 the “Automatic Pistol, Borchardt Patent” was offered for sale on the commercial market to the world at large. The pistol was of the finest precision workmanship and only the very best materials were used in its construction. The Borchardt pistol used a toggle lock system, which meant that when the gun fired a two-piece arm rose and flexed as the gun recoiled which allowed the breech to unlock and release the empty cartridge case. Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) employed Georg Luger to promote the Borchardt pistol in military and commercial channels. The pistol was tested by the U.S. Navy as early as 1894 and later by the U.S. Army. Although it was accurate and its rate of

september 2018

fire was rapid, the Borchardt pistol was expensive to produce and unwieldy to handle due to its almost vertical grip and distribution of weight. Furthermore, its recoil was unexpectedly powerful. However, Borchardt refused to make any changes to his original design. DWM then appointed Georg Luger to make the requested improvements to the pistol. Luger took the Borchardt design, using the shorter 7.65×21mm Parabellum cartridge, which allowed him to incorporate a shorter stroke of the toggle mechanism and a narrower, angular grip; he essentially just re-designed Borchardts’ locking system into much smaller package. The Pistole-Parabellum (Pistol Parabellum), to give the Luger its proper nomenclature, was a semi-automatic, self-loading pistol, patented by Georg Luger in 1898 and was manufactured by DWM from 1901 onwards. The Parabellum name originates with the Latin saying “Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum”, which translates to “If you want peace, prepare for war”. The first country to adopt Lugers for military use though was Switzerland, not Austria or Germany; in May of the same year the Model 1900 was adopted by the Swiss, chambered for the 7.65mm Parabellum round. In 1902, following a request from the German Navy, DWM and Luger developed a new round, the 9x19mm Luger/ Parabellum, by re-necking the case of the 7.65mm Luger round. The Luger Model 1904, in 9mm, was adopted by the German Navy; the Navy model had a 150mm/5.9 inch barrel and a two-position, 100 meters/110 yards or 200 meters/220 yards, rear sight. This version was known as the “Pistole 04”. In 1908 the German Army (Reichswehr) followed suit by adopting the “Pistole 1908”, or more simply just the “P.08”, which had a 100 mm/3.9 inch barrel and was chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum. The Lange Pistole 08 (Long Pistol 08) or “Artillery Luger” was a pistol/carbine design developed for use by German Army artillerymen as essentially an early

armoury LUGER ARTILLERY PISTOL

Personal Defense Weapon. It had a 200 mm/7.9 inch barrel, an 8-position tangent rear sight (calibrated to 800 meters/870 yards) and a wooden shoulder stock/holster. It was sometimes used with a 32-round drum magazine, the “Trommelmagazin 08” which was also compatible with the Bergmann MP18. Early issue LP.08s had micrometer adjustable front and rear sights which required a two-pin tool for adjustment. The Luger was also available in various commercial carbine versions with yet longer barrels. Replicas of the Luger pistol are still being produced today. It has been popularised through its use by Germany during World War I and World War II, especially in the movie world, though it was also used by many other countries. As a firearm “icon” the creation of Herr Georg Luger is certainly up there with the best!

LONG BARRELLED LOVE! I have actually owned a couple of airsoft Lugers, both of them replicas of the 3.9-inch barrel P.08 and for some reason that I can never actually remember, I’ve traded both of them on as other projects took precedence. NUPROL bring in three models of the WE Luger with four, six and eight-inch barrels, in both black and “chrome” and they are all super-looking pistols, so I decided for once to look at the “Artillery” version as this particular model has the classic shape but with the longest barrel in the family and the tangent rear sight. Even with the eight-inch barrel I have to say that the Luger is a joy to have in your hand! We talk a lot these days about “balance and ergonomics” as if these qualities were something new but this pistol, dating back originally to the late 1890s, has both in spades. The Luger, for all its deadly efficiency, is a stunning piece of design, almost graceful in its lines and due to the nature of the magazine placement and the “toggle” nature of its operation, all the weight sits directly above your clenched fist. The angle of the pistol grip is nigh on perfect, so much so

that this was copied in the best-selling Ruger .22 rimfire pistol! Weighing in at 940g/2lbs unloaded the replica is actually slightly heavier than the real thing, which comes in at 871g/1.92lbs but other than that, all dimensions are absolutely correct. The standard of finish throughout is absolutely superlative, with a mix of dark grey and semi-gloss black giving a real feeling of quality. The single stack magazine is also metal and holds 15 rounds; this is slimline and lightweight adding neither much weight nor bulk to the pistol. Where the Luger really excels though, is in its operation which is pretty much unique. Unlike most semi-automatic pistols there is no slide clattering back and forth, as the rechambering of a BB is achieved by the toggle mechanism rising and falling. This is absolutely superb to see in action and the mechanism cycles smoothly and efficiently. When cocked an efficient thumb safety sits to the rear on the right. Getting down to business, the magazine is easy and straightforward to load with BBs - and also to gas up. With ten .20g BBs loaded and the magazine filled with NUPROL 4.0 gas it was off to the chrono where the Luger delivered a very

“THE PISTOLE-PARABELLUM (PISTOL PARABELLUM), TO GIVE THE LUGER ITS PROPER NOMENCLATURE, WAS A SEMI-AUTOMATIC, SELF-LOADING PISTOL, PATENTED BY GEORG LUGER IN 1898 AND WAS MANUFACTURED BY DWM FROM 1901 ONWARDS. THE PARABELLUM NAME ORIGINATES WITH THE LATIN SAYING “SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM”, WHICH TRANSLATES TO “IF YOU WANT PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR.”

www.airsoft-action.online

armoury LUGER ARTILLERY PISTOL

“I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE LUGER IS A JOY TO HAVE IN YOUR HAND! WE TALK A LOT THESE DAYS ABOUT “BALANCE AND ERGONOMICS” AS IF THESE QUALITIES WERE SOMETHING NEW BUT THIS PISTOL, DATING BACK ORIGINALLY TO THE LATE 1890S, HAS BOTH IN SPADES.” consistent 1 Joule/329fps with very little variation, shot after shot. Reloaded with a full magazine the “Artillery” delivered some superb groupings at 10m, just as I’d expected given the long barrel and the tangent rear sight. That said, you do need to pace your shots well to achieve this as you lose the sights every time the toggle rises! All in all, I can tell you that I do have a soft spot for the Luger. For a real pistol design that’s over 100 years old it really is still a corker and after having this airsoft version on the range for the afternoon, I remember why one always ends up in my collection at some point. It’s different, its shoots very well indeed and when you consider that you’ll only pay iro 90 quid for one of these, I believe that’s cracking value as well. Militaria shops such as Soldier of Fortune (www.sofmilitary.co.uk) do some great holsters and accessories for Luger pistols so it’s not hard to get yourself set up well either. If you’re a bit of a history buff, into WWII airsoft, or just like something out of the ordinary, then I’d really suggest you take a look at the “Artillery” Luger from WE Airsoft Europe. For more details on all the Luger variants please visit www. nuprol.com AA

Specifications Length: 320mm Weight: 940g unloaded Magazine Capacity: 15 Rounds Power Source: Gas Powered Blowback: Yes Shooting Modes: Semi Only Hop-up: Adjustable FPS: 329

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FUG READING-UK

#ENOLAGAYE

LAS VEGAS-USA

optics FLIR BREACH

...AIRSOFT ACTION UK EXCLUSIVE

FLIR BREACH:

A REAL GAME CHANGER!

PICTURES BY ERIN FLOOD

DO YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO SPOT PLAYERS IN DEEP CONCEALMENT OR THE DEAD OF NIGHT? TOM HIBBERD DOES SO WHEN HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXCLUSIVELY REVIEW THE ONLY FLIR BREACH UNIT IN THE UK, HE JUMPED AT THE CHANCE. FLIR BREACH PTQ136 FLIR were established in 1978 to pioneer the development of high-performance, low-cost infrared (thermal) imaging systems. The FLIR Breach is a Thermal Imaging Monocular. Thermal imaging systems detect the infrared energy (heat) that is emitted by all people, objects and materials. Infrared cameras allow the operator to see in total darkness, adverse weather and through such air pollutants as smoke and haze. It’s a professional level piece of equipment that has been built for law enforcement and rescue services and already in use with French SF. Though this does mean that it comes with a professional price tag of over £2,000, however, finance is available through Scott Country International. It features FLIR’s new Boson core and fast image processing compared to other thermal imagers. It weighs only 7.4 ounces (210 grams) and while it can be concealed in a pocket or pouch, most players will want to mount it to a helmet. Camera savvy airsofters will be pleased to know that the Breach features include onboard recording of pictures and video. In addition it has seven different colour palettes for fast detection of players day or night.

SPOTTING The FLIR Breach is best used for its intended purpose - which is spotting and finding targets. It can do this way beyond airsoft ranges and at ranges up to 1km, depending what palette you have it set on and what the background temperature is. Although an often-overused expression, this really is a complete game changer when it comes to hunting players in dense undergrowth or hiding in foliage. During testing I was able to easily see my teammates hiding way inside a treeline or deep within a bush. Players would need to copy Arnie in Predator 20

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and keep smearing themselves with cold mud to stay hidden! Plus, due to the nature of thermal optics, you can do this at midnight or midday! The FLIR Breach could be the ultimate anti sniper device… You can see from our pictures that our test subjects found it almost impossible to stay hidden.

FIRING AN AIRSOFT GUN When you are using a Thermal Vision Monocular it can be difficult to fire a weapon accurately. Unlike with Night Vision, you can’t use your red dot on a very low setting as the optic can’t see through the glass effectively. Alternatively, NV users mount Infra-red lasers on their weapons and simply use those to aim but this isn’t an option with thermal as the laser wouldn’t heat the target (or the air) up enough to be visible. The best option I found was to mount the FLIR Breach over my non-dominant eye and use my dominant eye to aim and fire my weapon conventionally. In anything other than pitch black I was able to identify the area in which they were located and aim accurately. With training and practise this process would be faster and easier.

NIGHT AND DAY One major difference between the FLIR Breach and an NV unit, such as the popular PVS14, is that the thermal is usable in both full daylight and pitch black. This makes it more versatile than a NV device, which should only be used in low light or in the dark with an additional illuminator. At the extreme airsoft engagement ranges it can be difficult to identify targets so if this is important for your gaming, it would be a good idea to also use a white light for positive identification. This might also help if you needed to snap shoot under stress.

optics FLIR BREACH

As most airsoft games are played in variable light conditions using just one eye for your optic can be a good idea. For example, I’ve seen many players with binocular NV not realising that they are lit up by the ambient conditions and thinking that their equipment has made them invisible. Having one eye viewing an image and the other adjusted to the night has many advantages. Compared to just stumbling around in the dark the FLIR Breach makes a huge difference and you can safely navigate a pitch-black room with a little practise. In an open area you would have the advantage over a user with NV as they would be visible from further away.

COLOUR PALETTES The FLIR Breach can operate in multiple different modes to aid spotting and identification of targets: White Hot - Identification and detail Outdoor Alert - Adverse Weather Rainbow - Targets hiding in cover (also good for pretending to be predator) Sepia - Maritime Operations Artic - Cold Weather Black Hot - Warm Weather Ironbow - CQB and cover We found the most useful colour palettes were White Hot and Ironbow, though Rainbow was the most fun as you could make clicking noises and pretend you’re a Predator…

SET UP We attached the FLIR Breach to my FMA Fast helmet using the mount (also supplied by Scott Country). As my shroud isn’t real I also used a lanyard to ensure that if I knocked the optic off the helmet it would still remain attached.

This is advisable even if you have a real shroud. The FLIR Breach only weighs 210g but does pull down the front of your helmet, so it’s a good idea to run a counterweight pouch on the back of the helmet to even out the weight. You could use this to carry extra batteries or a powerpack attached to the Breach via a USB-C cable. For testing I just used the bungie system I have attached but for gaming I would want to protect this better. Due to the cost of the FLIR Breach it may be worth considering using an actual Ops-Core or Team Wendy Helmet. If I was to buy one for my own use I would swap the shroud on my current helmet out for a real one. I’ve already done this with the straps and pad system! I found that I had to wear my Helmet much tighter than I normally would to stop the optic moving around on my head and maintain good vision through the Breach.

“DURING TESTING I WAS ABLE TO EASILY SEE MY TEAMMATES HIDING WAY INSIDE A TREELINE OR DEEP WITHIN A BUSH. PLAYERS WOULD NEED TO COPY ARNIE IN PREDATOR AND KEEP SMEARING THEMSELVES WITH COLD MUD TO STAY HIDDEN!” www.airsoft-action.online

optics FLIR BREACH

Scott Country International also supplied a helmet mount, which is sold separately. It is also made by FLIR and is designed specifically for the FLIR Micro Rail attachment system. It features a full range of adjustments which allowed me to position the Breach over my eye in the correct location. The optic itself has a good eye relief meaning that it can be positioned in front of your eye protection. None of the team had a problem using the FLIR, though if you are a glasses wearer with bulky goggles it might be worth trying before you buy as we haven’t been able to check this! The FLIR Breach doesn’t use the same mounting system as the very common PVS14 NV monocular so if you already have a set up and want to add the Breach to your arsenal then you’ll need a new mount or, at the very least, an adaptor. Check with Scott Country to see what options they have. Airsoft Action TV have a full video review of the FLIR Breach in action. If you want a closer look and see what it’s like to wear Thermal Imaging Optics then head over and find out. www.youtube.com/c/airsoftactiontv

AT THE END OF THE DAY I was very sorry to have to send the FLIR Breach back after my initial testing. I have thoroughly enjoyed using it and although I didn’t have time to use it in a MilSim environment, I can only imagine the possibilities. Just as with getting into serious Night Vision equipment, thermal is a game changer and fundamentally influences the way you play. Unlike NV thermal can be used night and day - and that’s why I’m giving serious thought to getting a FLIR Breach of my own… Thanks to Scott Country International for the review sample. If you are interested pop over to their website and check them out. AA www.scottcountry.co.uk

FLIR BREACH PTQ136 SPECIFICATIONS Weight 210 g (0.46 lbs) Size 139 × 70 × 49 mm (5.5 × 2.7 × 1.9 in) Colour (housing) Black Country of Origin USA Refresh Rate 60 Hz Lens system 9.1 mm; F/1.04 Optical magnification 1× Field of View (H x V) 24° × 19° Digital Zoom 1× - 4 Focusing Range 0.25 m to infinity Eye Relief 16 mm Display Quad-VGA (1280 x 960) FLCOS Internal memory Up to 1,000 images and 2.5 hours of video on internal memory Temperature Imaging Modes (Image Palettes) White Hot, Black Hot, Rainbow HC, Ironbow, Sepia, Artic, Outdoor Alert Interfacing: USB-C Connector Power In; Video out; Video and image files transfer Power: Battery Type One CR123A 3V Lithium battery Battery Life (Operating) Up to 90 minutes at 20°C USB Power Environmental: Operating Temperature Range -20°C to +50°C (-4°F to +122°F) Storage Temperature Range -40°C to +60°C (-40°F to +140°F)

NOWHERE TO HIDE!

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www.airsoft-action.online

armoury NUPROL N79 LAUNCHERS AND GRENADES

THERE ARE NUMEROUS GRENADE LAUNCHERS AVAILABLE, SOME OFF THE SHELF AND SOME COMPLETELY CUSTOM BUT THERE’S ONE THAT’S PRETTY MUCH THE “MCDADDY” OF THEM ALL AND THAT’S THE M79! BILL GETS HANDS ON THE LATEST TO HIT THE MARKET FROM NUPROL.

THUMPER/ BLOOPER/ WOMBAT GUN!

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armoury NUPROL N79 LAUNCHERS AND GRENADES

Although there were a number of experiments featuring WE ALL NEED A VACATION don’t we? It shocks me though, both rotary-fed and multi-shot launchers, the one design that that only a few weeks can make such a difference in airsoft functioned reliably was a single-shot, break-open, shoulderand coming back from holiday (sans internet connection) everyone seemed to be talking about the fact that, seemingly fired weapon, the S-3. This was refined into the S-5, which out of the blue, our mates at NUPROL had dropped a stunning resembled an oversized single-barrel shotgun. Unable to solve new M79 (N79 in NUPROL-ese) grenade launcher into the the problems with the multi-shot launchers, the Army adopted stores with nary a squeak, let alone the fanfare it deserved! the S-5 as the XM79 and with a new sighting system the XM79 For me, the M79 is a thing of myth and unicorns, as I’ve was officially adopted as the M79 on December 15, 1960. owned a number of them but again they’ve been one of those airsoft tools that has come and gone, come again “THESE ACTUALLY SAW VERY LITTLE REAL ACTION AS, AT THAT TIME, and gone again, from my personal armoury. When I was GAS-GUZZLING MOSCARTS WERE A PRETTY HIT OR MISS AFFAIR BUT THE heavily involved in the VNAS LAUNCHERS THEMSELVES WERE THINGS OF BEAUTY AND CERTAINLY MADE (VietNam AirSoft) world the M79 was an absolute “must “VICTOR CHARLES” SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE!” have” for any respectable loadout; for “Grunt” I had a full-length version and when “Running Recon” I had the In 1961, the first M79 grenade launchers were delivered to cut-down model. These actually saw very little real action as, the US Army. Owing to its ease of use, reliability and firepower at that time, gas-guzzling MOSCARTs were a pretty hit or miss the M79 became popular among American soldiers, who affair but the launchers themselves were things of beauty and dubbed it “the platoon leader’s artillery”. The M79 grenade certainly made “Victor Charles” sit up and take notice! launcher gave the infantry soldier a highly portable and Fast forward to a few years and ASG Ben and I were heavily effective personal grenade launcher that fired the 40x46mm into our “Zero Dark Thirty” trip, embracing all things AOR1 grenade, which used what the US Army called the “High-Low and pimping out our MK18s and once again the M79 came Propulsion System” to keep recoil forces low. The M406 40mm into the frame. The US Special Operations page told me: HE (high explosive) grenades fired from the M79 travelled “Pictured in use by US SOF in Iraq, the M79 is said to have at a muzzle velocity of 75 metres per second and contained been preferred by some operators over the M203 underslung enough explosive to produce over 300 fragments, that launchers then in widespread use. With its longer barrel, the travelled at 1,524 metres per second within a lethal radius of M79 was thought to have better range and accuracy than the 5 metres. This round also incorporated a spin-activation safety M203. For some, having the grenade launcher as a separate feature which prevented the grenade from arming while still within range of the grenadier. weapon was preferable to having it integrated into their Some specialist users, like the LRRPs or “Recon Runners” primary weapon. The M203 added weight and bulk to their from MACV-SOG, would cut down the stock and barrel to rifle and it was in practice no quicker to transition from using make the M79 even more portable and it became (for many the rifle to the M203 than it was to switch to a M79. The of the small teams) the ultimate “break contact” weapon. For M79’s break-open action also allows for longer 40mm rounds close range fighting, two styles of M79 round were developed. to be used than the M203.” The first was a flechette or “BeeHive” round (so named for The cut-down version came into use with the SEALs and the sound the flechettes made while in flight) that fired 45 quickly became known as “The Pirate Gun”. So yet again here 10-grain steel flechettes (think here tiny arrows… nasty stuff!). we have a weapon that many had already written off as an Around 1966, due to operational ineffectiveness, this was “antique” suddenly rising to the fray when stuff got real and replaced by the M576 buckshot round. Containing twenty re-appearing in the hands of hard chargers on the modern 24-grain metal pellets (M576E1) or twenty-seven 24-grain battlefield! metal pellets (M576E2), this round could be utterly devastating at close range and for the point man this was sometimes quite THUMPER/BLOOPER/WOMBAT GUN! literally a life saver! The venerable M79 first appeared during the Vietnam War. Because of its distinctive report, the M79 earned the A result of the US Army’s Project Niblick, the launcher was an nicknames of “Thumper”, “Thump-Gun”, “Bloop Tube”, “Big attempt to increase firepower for the infantryman by providing Ed”, and “Blooper” among American soldiers as well as “Can an explosive projectile-firing weapon more accurate and with Cannon” in reference to the grenade size. Australian units in further range than rifle grenades but was more portable than Vietnam somewhat bizarrely referred to it as the “Wombat Gun”! a mortar. Project Niblick created the 40x46mm grenade but was unable to create a satisfactory launcher for it that could fire more than a single shot. www.airsoft-action.online

armoury NUPROL N79 LAUNCHERS AND GRENADES

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Why do I make a lot of the “close-in” effectiveness of the M79? In simple terms I stress this aspect as for airsoft purposes any grenade launcher is ultimately just an oversized shotgun, in fact more of a shotgun than a dedicated airsoft shotgun is! The truth of the matter is that airsoft grenade launchers are neither particularly accurate nor truly ranged, however, you can lob off a spread of BBs in one direction all in one go and in the right hands this can be stunningly effective. In real terms, for most of us though the grenade launcher is absolutely perfect for mid-range ambush situations and certainly, just like in Vietnam, a great tool to put the fear of bejesus into any potential “point contact” adversary - but only when used at a sensible engagement distance and NOT at point blank range! If you want truly explosive “Fire for Effect”, then a TAG round is the thing for you. I mentioned earlier that I’ve had several M79 replicas over the years, so why have NUPROL suddenly decided to bring out their own? Although, I guess the question here is “Why not?” They already produce a super range of reliable gas MOSCARTs (hurrah!) so why not provide the launcher to go with them? Knowing the NUPROL team as I do, I’m absolutely certain that there will be more to come on this front but if you’re going to make a launcher then the “originator” seems like a wise choice, especially given that it’s actually still in limited service. The “NP79s” are indeed things of beauty and I have to say that the overall finish and quality of the two samples (one full length and one “cut down”) I was sent to try are as good as any replica that I’ve seen on the market to date! When you look at it the N79 does indeed resemble a single barrel, large bore, break-action shotgun and, just like the real thing, it is a simple design, having only five major parts consisting of a receiver group, a fore-end assembly, a barrel group, a sight assembly and a stock. The stock is made out of wood whilst all

the other parts are of solid metal (unlike some models I’ve had with plastic barrels). The rubber pad affixed to the buttstock to absorb recoil in the “real deal” is present, as is the front fixed blade sight. The rear sight on the M79 is a folding ladder-style leaf-type sight and, when folded, the leaf sight acts as a fixed sight for close range, which is perfect. The “cut down” version (my favourite, should you wonder) has all the same high quality parts as the full-length version but the butt is shortened right down, so it’s just essentially a pistol grip. The fore-end woodwork is similarly shortened with the leaf-sight frame giving a rudimentary aiming point. Both launchers operate in the same way; you simply push the top-mounted locking lever to the right to pop open the barrel, load your desired MOSCART and snap it back closed. There is a safety catch behind the locking lever that lets you load and carry the launcher safely. Now of course the performance of any grenade launcher is governed by the MOSCART shell you load into it, as without this the launcher itself is totally inert. Suffice to say that I tried both launchers using Mad Bull, S-Thunder, and even an old King Arms shell (that’s one that has needed a lot of TLC over the years but still works…) and they all worked just fine. NUPROL were kind enough to send me down a full selection of their own MOSCARTs but I sincerely believe that these are worthy of their own review (you have a LOT of options!) which I’ll bring you as a follow-up next month. For now I’m going to say “Well Done NUPROL!” yet again! This is an inspired choice of model to produce and although they won’t be “cheap, cheap”, given the absolute quality of them I’d say that any airsofter, whether ‘Nam inspired or wanting to keep up with the latest “Team Six” look, will be more than happy to have one of these in their armoury! For more information and stockist details please head on over to www.nuprol.com AA

NUPROL HAVE KINDLY AGREED TO GIVE AWAY AN N79 AS A COMPETITION PRIZE, COMPLETE WITH THREE SHELLS! FOR MORE INFORMATION AND DETAILS OF HOW TO ENTER, TURN TO PAGE 29! 28

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N I W

competition WIN A NUPROL N79 PLUS THREE SHELLS!

A nuprol N79

BLOOPER!

+ 3 she lls So you’ve read Uncle Bill’s article about the NUPROL N79 but it is still a few days away from payday (and you don’t fancy paying 1,297% interest on a “quik, quik” loan) but you really, really want one of these awesome grenade-chuckers! Fear not, as NUPROL have once again come up trumps and are letting us give away a full-length N79 in this issue’s competition, along with three shells to get you going! In his write up, Bill said of the NUPROL N79… “The “NP79s” are indeed things of beauty and I have to say that the overall finish and quality of the two samples (one full length and one “cut down”) I was sent to try are as good as any replica that I’ve seen on the market to date! When you look at it the N79 does indeed resemble a single barrel, large bore, break-action shotgun and, just like the real thing, it is a simple design, having only five major parts consisting of a receiver group, a fore-end assembly, a barrel group, a sight assembly and a stock.” …and all you have to do to win this awesome prize is answer a few (very) simple questions and get your answers in before the closing date. What could be more simple than that! So, without further ado, here are the questions… 1) What size rounds, in millimetres, does the N79 fire?

THE ANSWERS ARE:

1 2 3 4 5 Name:................................................................................................. Email:................................................................................................. Telephone:.......................................................................................... Calibre Publishing would like to keep you informed of other offers and publications.  Please tick here if you would NOT like to be contacted by post or email.

2) As a result of what US Army project was the M79 created? 3) What was the lethal radius of the M406 40mm HE grenade? 4) What did Australian troops in Vietnam call the M79? 5) How many versions of the NUPROL N79 are there? To be in with a chance of winning, send your answers in before the closing date using the form below, or by email, or via the Airsoft Action website and if yours is the first correct entry drawn out of the Ed’s hat, you’ll win a NUPROL N79 plus three shells, courtesy of NUPROL.

Post your entries to: Airsoft Action NUPROL N79 Competition, Airsoft Action, Calibre Publishing, Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6PL, or email to: competition@airsoft-action.co.uk with “NUPROL N79 Competition” in the subject line. You can also enter online, via the Airsoft Action website (www.airsoft-action.online). Entries received after midnight on 22nd August 2018 will not be valid. One entry per person. The winner will be the first randomly drawn from all the correct entries. GDPR: By entering this competition you are giving explicit consent for Calibre Publishing Ltd. to retain personally identifiable information for the purposes of contacting the winner of this competition. All entries will be destroyed after the closing date.

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event THE NOMAD’S VISIT TO GAOL

BANGED UP!

TRUE TO THEIR NAME, NOMAD AIRSOFTNI TRAVELLED OVER TO ENGLAND FOR A BEVVY AND A BREAK, ONLY TO GET TOO ROWDY AND LAND THEMSELVES IN GAOL. GEORAGA WAS GRANTED VISITATION RIGHTS... PRIVATE GAMES… THEY’RE FOR THE ELITE, upper echelons of airsoft royalty #amirite? I mean, some of us airsofters can go years without even hearing a whisper of a single one; they’re like secret little clubs where each member flashes an exclusive patch made out of solid gold, to a gargoyle guard that asks “Do you kno da wae?” before it slides to the side to reveal the safe zone of the inner sanctum. Magazines are loaded by monkey butlers using bbs that flow from a fountain, gourmet hot-dogs are delivered by mini-drones and the airsoft elite watch peasant players get shot with a 40 Mike on the 100inch flat-screen TV suspended from the ceiling. Let’s face it, it’s not quite like that but, for most of us, being invited to a private game basically means that you know someone else that was willing to do all the hard work.

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1) You have to know a lot of people. 2) You have to make sure that that lot of people are interested in going to the same place, on the same day and be willing to pay the normal rate. 3) You have to actually get that lot of people to do all that and make sure that the site you’re hiring gets dem monies! So really, it’s a normal gameday where you pay to play just like every other time, only you’re likely to be playing with a smaller group than normal and everyone there is likely to be connected in some way, or by someone (so get chatting to everyone you can). Now that we’ve established what happens and how to get involved, last month I went to a private game at the Gaol in Oakham, organised by Clare and Matt (@aa.01_vixen and

event THE NOMAD’S VISIT TO GAOL

@aa.04_wookie on Instagram) to welcome MilSim team @ Nomad_airsoftNI over from Northern Ireland for a little holiday playing airsoft here in England. There were 48 players on site, which is significantly less than a normal Gaol gameday and as the players circulate and mingle before Justin (site owner) delivers his excellent safety brief, we get split into two teams: “Skins” and “Reds”. This is a crucial moment for me on this occasion because guess what? I’m wearing a red lumberjack shirt and a Nuprol full-face mask that, oh would you look at that, I’d also painted red. Normally not an issue, however, on this here private game my kickass girlfriend and her team were all choosing to join the Nomads on the Skins team (fair enough, they were all there to play together), so I had a choice to make... join the Skins and get shot by friendlies thanks to my understated loadout... or join the Reds and go up against the girlfriend and risk sleeping on the sofa… Good thing my sofa’s comfortable!

GAME 1: DOMINATION Mission: - There are 3 objectives. - Place your team’s ammo tin on top of the objective to control that point. - Unlimited lives. - Whoever holds the most objectives at the end of the game wins. The game begins and I see those few people sprint off to the furthest objective and can’t help but think about the days that I used to have that kind of energy, for now though I implement the “tactical saunter” and make my way around the outside of F-wing, coming into the courtyard where I know the Skins will be emerging in a few moments. As I dart across the yard with my custom APS Phantom Extremis Mk5 shouldered, I see a body move through the openings on the other side and with the two bbs I send across, I catch him off guard, alerting his teammates. Very quickly, the Nomad team are all trying to break into the courtyard as I dart from one side of my cover to the other and suppress them, watching their heads bob in and out as I send over a series of shots from two different angles. My teammate, SneakyJebus, rounds the corner I came from, giving me some backup as they finally rush into the courtyard. It becomes a battle of reflexes as bbs fly through the air in moments of what seems like slowmotion and we are forced to dip, duck, dive and dodge as if Patches O’Houlihan were on the other side (“if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a [b]ball”). I think this is a good example of one of the differences of playing a private game Vs a regular game. Being used to playing this site with far more players, I start getting a little bit edgy, concerned that I don’t know who is inside F-wing and worrying that we may be flanked from the windows to our

side. My attention starts being drawn away from the firefight in the yard, one where the odds are increasingly stacking against me as SneakyJebus takes a hit and instead, I’m distracted by the sounds coming from beyond the dark, open flanking opportunities. Are the Skins about to get the drop on my position? They’ve definitely had enough time to do so. Right, I’ve got to keep my attention across the two barricades over the courtyard and three openings while suppressing and picking off an everincreasing threat to my position, ducking under the incoming fire and waving at the Nomads as we trade plastic. As it turns out, they weren’t. The fact that there were three objectives and fewer players than normal meant the teams were spread all over the site and I was actually pretty safe from the internal locations at that time. Still, it was enough to distract me long enough for a little white plastic object to fly through the air above me, spot my face and nosedive downwards, landing casually and plinking off my facemask. HIT! Having lost my position and very aware that I’d be outgunned and at a huge disadvantage if I tried to push back, I decided to move on the objectives. Hey... you remember the sofa I mentioned? Yeah. Just keep that in mind for the next few paragraphs. We couldn’t mount any successful offensive; the two teams had seemingly created a stalemate at each pathway and Red players were definitely getting in those daily step targets as they pushed to break the lines, only to have to respawn moments later. SneakyJebus, Flipper, Chairsofter, Kallie, and team

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event THE NOMAD’S VISIT TO GAOL

“I HAD A CHOICE TO MAKE... JOIN THE SKINS AND GET SHOT BY FRIENDLIES THANKS TO MY UNDERSTATED LOADOUT... OR JOIN THE REDS AND GO UP AGAINST THE GIRLFRIEND AND RISK SLEEPING ON THE SOFA… GOOD THING MY SOFA’S COMFORTABLE!”

TDO were all regular witnesses to my walks of shame as we exchanged exhausted grins and headed back out to try again. Finally, we were pushing through the entrance to the closest objective in the middle of the car yard, where the Skins had managed to push our ammo tin off the car and mount their own. I was pushing hard with a group of five or six, picking off players attempting to mirror our movements on the other side, keeping suppression on the players directly behind the objective car and getting sights on the enemies still pushing from the courtyard I was at earlier. Realising that we weren’t able to get the accuracy to take out the players behind the car, I knew that I needed to find an angle to get the drop on them. I take a moment to plot my route across the site ahead and I know that if there was ever a time to be as energetic as those players at the start... this was it! With my team covering me and providing enough distraction, I make a start and dive the small distance to the first barricade, steadying myself and pushing forward into a full sprint across to the right of the objective, aiming for another car that should give me a clear angle on the enemy players and a bit of protection from the courtyard; the only thing is that I’d have to move fast because I’d be exposed to the enemy side and reinforcements were imminent. Again, the slow-motion kicks in as I approach the car, gun up, focused on the objective across the way. As I’m making my

way around what I believe is a safe spot, I see a body crouched a metre away from me, pistol in hand, waiting to get the drop on anyone that attempted exactly what I’m attempting to do. Reflexes kick in, my rifle raises and aims for the center mass and as I pull the trigger I hear, “WAIT!” followed sharply by “OH YOU MOTHER F***ER!” Whoops... hello girlfriend. I’m sorry I shot you point blank in the palm of your hand. After a moment of utter panic and a punch on my chest, I realised she wasn’t properly injured and I got back to taking out the players I was actually there for but my god... those few split seconds... that sofa flickered in my brain like a Vietnam flashback!!! (no disrespect intended of course). The rest of the game proceeded to play out back and forth, I can’t recall who won overall but the day was an incredible amount of fun. We played six games in total, each were intense and spanned across different sections of the site. Charlotte was on hand to provide her excellent catering and because it was a private game, marshals were able to actually join in. It was a well-played, highly fair and sporting day of airsoft! As it was a day organised for them, I reached out to Damian, the President of Nomad, to ask him what he thought of the Gaol and he said: “it’s been a place we’ve wanted to visit for a few years now and It did not disappoint. The game play was epic, fast-paced and consistent. The site was well run, no lulls between game play, quick turn around and back to the action. On top of that the catering for the site is amazing and having a good feed midday added to a great day.” He did, however, say that although “private games eliminate any crap and when it’s all experienced players then it’s always good, solid, honest gameplay” the best thing for the Nomads, was in fact “finally meeting the amazing people that we’ve met through social media over the past 2 years.” So, there we have it. Private games are definitely worth attending if you get the chance. It often gives a slightly different perspective of even the most familiar sites and let’s face it, you’re more often than not, going to know most people there (or at least feel more comfortable chatting). Want to play a private game? Arrange one yourself, or get mingling! AA www.airsoft-action.online

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AIRSOFT AT THE GRANGE

LIVE GAMING: BRAVO ONE

ALTHOUGH SHE HAS PLAYED THERE BEFORE, FEMME FATALE MAKES A RETURN TRIP TO THIS CITY-CENTRE SITE TO PLAY FOR A FULL DAY. IN THE HEART OF THE CITY centre of Birmingham, there is an activity centre that boasts a range of activities including a Rage Room, Urban Axe Throwing, Nerf Wars, a Virtual Reality Room and even airsoft! Whilst I’ve visited Bravo One on many occasions, I’ve not played a full day’s skirmish there as of yet, so the team and I took a trip to Birmingham to see what’s going down! I will say the one thing that always surprises me on my trips to Bravo One, is how easy it is to get to! Even though it is literally smack bang in the middle of Birmingham (and about a 5/10 minute walk to the Bullring, depending on how fast your legs can carry you!) it is really easy to get to and is well signed so it’s easy to find. Parking on the street is free on a Sunday and weekdays after 6 but is limited so it is advisable to get there early to ensure you get a space! The Grange Live Gaming is a huge building with the space of 6 floors (usable space of 5 floors with a playing space of 3 floors). As Bravo One is heavily involved in IPSC Action Air, they have just opened up their 5th floor to target shooting. Now from the pictures you’d assume it’s just another indoor airsoft site made from plywood but, each floor has its own theme. The first floor is the shop, café, toilets, Rage Room, axe throwing and the

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Safe Zone. On the second floor is the spaceship-themed level, the third floor is “The Hospital” and the fourth floor is “The High Street”. Each floor is pretty well lit with some dark areas and almost pitch black crawl holes, which are super fun for some sneaky beaky work. What I really like about the layout of the site is how much thought and effort has gone into each floor – from the hospital beds on the hospital floor to the shop fronts and bay windows on the high street floor, the floors are a true representation of their themes and they are built for tight, close quarters combat. Bravo One is unique in the sense that it has two stairwells leading up to each game floor – one for the red team and one for the blue team - that lead to their correlating spawn corridors on each side of the building. Each team has a corridor that spans the length of the floor with multiple exits to be used as spawn points and this works really well, as if you struggle to get out of one spawn exit, there’s always a couple more routes you can try. Over the course of the day we played a range of games with different objectives on different floors – our first mission of the day was to battle it out over floor 3 and collect as many of the gold bricks as possible (and return them to our spawn points).

site BRAVO ONE

The teams didn’t find many of the bricks but it was a great warm up game to get players used to the site layout. Other games played included a simple team death match, a laptop/domination style game and a few others but I think my favourite game of the day was the “Search and Destroy” game. Players on both teams battle it out to find and detonate the “bomb” which is a pretty cool prop that features lights, a fully functional number pad and a VERY loud siren. The gameplay is loud, fast paced, intense and gets your adrenaline going! As the site is so close and tight, the fear of what’s through that doorway is real – just how I like it! The walk on price is £36 and doesn’t include lunch, which I do think is a little expensive when considering that the walk on fee on most sites up and down the country it’s included. The onsite café does have a good selection of breakfast items, snacks, panninis and drinks, however and there are a few other lunch options nearby, including a Tesco Express (everyone loves a good meal deal) and local restaurants. Lunch is typically an hour so you might be pushed for time if you chose to go into the City centre for lunch. The site is staffed by enthusiastic members of staff who are experts in everything from airsoft, to archery, to LARPing. When you walk into the centre you are greeted by the smiling faces of staff who are happy to advise customers and from the shop to the gamefloor and the café, nothing is too much trouble. The regular players on site are also a great bunch – awesome to have a laugh with and a pleasure to shoot against. The site is well marshalled and had a comprehensive safety brief so there were no issues over the course of the day. Overall, I think the site is fantastic! The facilities including toilets and onsite shop/café are some of the best in my opinion, the gaming area is well thought out and the games played are engaging and never stale. The staff also play a major part in making the site a fun and entertaining place to visit and I’ll definitely be visiting again soon! If you’re looking for a site that provides hard-hitting and adrenaline-fuelled CQB with a friendly atmosphere, Bravo One should definitely be on your list of sites to visit! Keep up the good work Bravo one! AA

“WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THE LAYOUT OF THE SITE IS HOW MUCH THOUGHT AND EFFORT HAS GONE INTO EACH FLOOR – FROM THE HOSPITAL BEDS ON THE HOSPITAL FLOOR TO THE SHOP FRONTS AND BAY WINDOWS ON THE HIGH STREET FLOOR, THE FLOORS ARE A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF THEIR THEMES AND THEY ARE BUILT FOR TIGHT, CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT.” www.airsoft-action.online

ARMOURY G&G L85 ETU

G&G

L85 ETU

THE G&G L85 HAS NEVER BEEN GREAT BUT AFTER MANY YEARS OF COMPLAINTS G&G CLAIM HAVE THEY FINALLY GOT AROUND TO FIXING THE FLAWED L85 TRIGGER SYSTEM. SCOTT ALLAN FINDS OUT JUST HOW MUCH BETTER IT HAS GOT. WITH IT BEING WORLD CUP season it doesn’t get much more English than our faithful bullpup rifle, the L85. But does the new Electronic Trigger Unit “Bring Airsoft Home” or will it be one of those grim penalty shootouts? G&G are one of the big Taiwanese manufacturers in airsoft, they represent a more “modern” twist on Airsoft these days. Airsoft used to be all about rivet counting realism and now sadly (in my eyes) is treading a concerning line very close to the speedball/paintball route. Companies like G&G are moving away a little from exact replicas and more toward their own funky “inspired by” designs. Personally, I’m always going to be a fan of an exact replica, rather than funky fun gun but these guns do have their place. In recent years G&G have pushed the envelope of internal building and have attempted to give the player absolutely everything in a single package. So there is no need to put in a tightbore barrel, electronic trigger, steel gearing etc. as they are

often offering this straight out of the box. This is both good and bad. It’s good for the player as they are getting a highend product with excellent performance but it can be bad in two ways. Firstly, it is cutting out work that many technicians and stores used to rely on these upgrades as part of their daily work. Secondly, the term “upgraded” part is a fairly loose and can be overused. Some electronic triggers can be really poor and break more often than a standard trigger, tightbores can be of poor quality and perform just the same as a regular barrel – sometimes worse. Thankfully G&G’s internal upgrades seem, for the most part, good value but I would still say they fall short of the likes of Laylax in terms of quality. The L85 A2 (or the NP-GG-TGL-L85-A2E-BBB as G&G call it) is nothing new externally, sadly. It is the same box, packaging, external design and finish as before and that isn’t a let-down as it was decent to start with. At just under 4 kilos it is a weighty and realistic feeling beast with everything looking and feeling just like it should. They look so good, in fact, that many British Army recruiting teams use them for shows as they’re easier to sign in and out with less risk of bringing out real firearms into the public domain.

THE REAL STEEL The full history of the L85/SA80 is longwinded, political and complicated but its requirement came around the time we, as a country, shifted from our SLR 7.62mm battle rifles to a 5.56mm rifle. The original Enfield design wasn’t intended for the 5.56mm calibre but, for the sake of standardisation, it is where we ended up. The “bullpup” design refers to the location of the magazine being behind the pistol grip, rather 36

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ARMOURY G&G L85 ETU

than in front of it. This means you have a longer barrel with a shorter overall profile of the weapon system, making it ideal for getting into and out of vehicles - this was especially useful in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. The barrel is actually around the same length as a full sized M16, yet the rifle length in total is over 200mm shorter. The revision from the A1 to the A2 version really brought it forward with the intervention of H&K redesigning parts and using newer materials. This increased reliability and functionality greatly and today it is regarded as an excellent weapon still. There are a handful of bullpups around the world such as the French FAMAS, Steyr AUG, FN F2000 and the Type 97. Each has its own unique twist on the design but all are very compact with long barrels giving them greater accuracy at longer ranges.

THE G&G VERSION The plastics look decent and have no real flex but I have to admit I think the version made by ICS has slightly better looking plastics. The G&G paintwork has a good satin finish and has always been robust without marking up too easily during games. The iron sights come removed when the rifle arrives and (true to the real version) is an archaic fitting system that requires them to be fitted in order of rear sight first and then front sight. The magazine is the longer, 450-round, highcapacity magazine giving you plenty of bang for your buck straight out of the box. Back in the good old NiCad and NiMH battery days it was a royal pain in the backside trying to fit batteries in the hand guards, again the ICS was a little better for this. With LiPo batteries now this is a thing of the past unless you still favour the old battery types for some obscure reason. The blowback is kind of nice but it is purely cosmetic and not an actual recoil. The cocking handles are easy to catch and lose still and it’s always handy owning a spare one for when it does get ripped off. Internally is where the G&G L85 has changed and it has changed big time and for the better!

The new gearbox case design and trigger mechanism means you now get a much more reliable single shot. The previous design, I have to say, was sub-standard and in my eyes it should’ve been dropped years ago but the dead horse was flogged and the introduction of the 11.1v LiPo helped get around the issue to some extent but it didn’t solve it. The new ETU certainly gets around the old issue but I am fearful that they might not be quite as hard wearing as the standard G&G trigger. You can get away with a cheap mechanical trigger but not a cheap electronic trigger and I’ve seen a few of the ETUs being less forgiving and breaking which was never a issue with the old gearbox triggers G&G had.

“AT JUST UNDER 4 KILOS IT IS A WEIGHTY AND REALISTIC FEELING BEAST WITH EVERYTHING LOOKING AND FEELING JUST LIKE IT SHOULD. THEY LOOK SO GOOD, IN FACT, THAT MANY BRITISH ARMY RECRUITING TEAMS USE THEM FOR SHOWS AS THEY’RE EASIER TO SIGN IN AND OUT WITH LESS RISK OF BRINGING OUT REAL FIREARMS INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.” The list of features is quite impressive overall but it is also now more expensive than it was previously, by about £30. More money to fix a flawed design is a little bit of a shame and there is no easy way to retro fit older designs easily without replacing the entire gearbox assembly. I may have been a bit harsh about the history and transition to this ETU version but it really has mimicked the real steel history, with a performance issue that was all but ignored until someone bothered with a solution. Now the performance is quite astonishing, the trigger is quick and crisp and quite possibly the best of any bullpup I’ve ever tried to date. The ETU does more than just act as a trigger though, it stops functioning when the battery power drops to

www.airsoft-action.online

ARMOURY G&G L85 ETU

stop things from burning out. This should help ensure the life of your rifle substantially and prevent any popped fuses and damaged electronics. While this is now undoubtedly the best L85 on the market, internally I feel G&G really missed a trick by not re-releasing these as the new L85 A3 version. Or even a RIS rail front end version, it just feels a bit like the minimum was done rather than going for gold for the British market place.

USE IN THE GAME FIELD Just like it’s real counterpart, this will be perfect both indoor and outdoor due to the good hop up and the new quick trigger response. While it is weightier than a SMG and undoubtedly longer, it is still great in a tight spot. Out on a woodland site they do look the part but, as always in airsoft, barrel length does not equate to range directly so it is no surprise that compact lightweight guns are so popular on skirmish fields these days.

CONCLUSION This is the gun G&G should have built in the first place in my opinion, well at least in terms of performance. The ETU is a great performer and coupled with their MOSFETS you get a super snappy trigger response all day. As always, the longevity of these built-in electronics comes into question but with a good warranty provided by G&G you should be all good for speedy replacements if anything does go wrong. The major shame is they missed the opportunity to launch the A3 version which really would’ve been a cracking additional replica to the range for G&G, instead of a new special edition existing gun with parts painted purple. AA

LIST OF FEATURES • Velocity: Feet Per Second (FPS): 320 approx with 0.20g BB’s • Length: 780mm • Weight (with Magazine): 3950g • Inner Barrel Length: 510mm • Inner Barrel Diameter: 6.04mm • Barrel Thread Type: 14mm CCW • Blowback System • Metal Body & Carry Handle • Removable Front Sight • Removable Carry Handle for SUSAT Mounting • Front & Rear Sling Loops • Storage Space for Cleaning Tools in Handle (like the real version) • Disassembles like the real one (using the TMH pins) • A2 (H&K Modified) Model - A2 Cocking Lever, Mag Release Catch, Snowcutter Trigger, Handguard, etc. • MOSFET • Electronic Trigger Unit - Means faster trigger response, prevents locking during rapid single shot and prevents trigger burns. • RRP £380

“THE PERFORMANCE IS QUITE ASTONISHING, THE TRIGGER IS QUICK AND CRISP AND QUITE POSSIBLY THE BEST OF ANY BULLPUP I’VE EVER TRIED TO DATE.”

www.airsoft-action.online

technical PLUG AND PLAY MOSFETS

D N A G U PL S T E F S O PLAY M SO, FIRSTLY, HELLO! For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Phil and I’ve been playing airsoft for over twenty years and writing for airsoft magazines for the last two or so. I’m very much a modern era airsofter and do not suffer the affliction many of my co-contributors here at AA do, which is a love for all things AK! I’m strictly an M4 kinda’ guy and a huge fan of the ERG platform due to its recoil, last round cut off and absolutely bombproof construction. But, while ERGs have pretty much everything I want in an airsoft gun, they do lack something - and that is the ability to have a “burst” fire mode. For me this is quite important as most ERG mags can be classed as mid-caps at best but if you want to be all masochistic you can dial them down to 30rnds. When you have such limited ammo full auto becomes a luxury that oftentimes isn’t worth the cost, hence the wish for a burst fire option. For standard version two and three gearbox-based guns, there are a couple of options for electronic switches/triggers with built in MOSFETs, which replace the standard mechanical switches in your gearbox with a small circuit board. Even the Tokyo Marui next gen AEGs are catered for but, alas, the ERG is currently unsupported in this area, which leaves only the “plug and play” variety of MOSFET open to us ERG users. All well and good but what is a MOSFET and what do is meant by plug and play? Well, in very simple terms, a MOSFET is a transistor that

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AIRSOFT ACTION WELCOMES PHIL BUCKNALL TO THE TEAM, AS HE COMPARES A COUPLE OF MOSFET SOLUTIONS FOR ERG USERS.

switches electronic signals/power to a device. In an AEG this is between the trigger and the motor and it works to preserve your trigger contacts by reducing arcing and thus wear on the thin metal that makes up the mechanical switch. Most of them also provide other features such as battery protection; active braking - it’ll stop the motor from spinning after firing; precocking and, the one that really matters to me, the ability to replace full auto with a burst fire mode. As I alluded to already, some of the more advanced models replace the whole switch assembly and require the gun to be completely disassembled to be installed. Whilst it is true that these offer a number of benefits, they also require a modicum of technical ability to install and may need some soldering too. Plug and play versions, however, simply plug between the battery and the power lead for the gun. It really doesn’t get more simple than that and, as such, they are ideal for players of all technical skill levels.

technical PLUG AND PLAY MOSFETS

For this article I have taken two popular plug and play MOSFETs to compare and see which I prefer. I have a BOL burst fire and a GATE MERF 3.2, both with Deans connectors to suit my guns. This is an instant win at the first round for the BOL, as it is also available with mini Tamiya connectors, which the MERF is not due to how it is constructed, limiting its application (or meaning you are going to have to solder new connectors on ALL of your guns and batteries to use it). Both MOSFETs are small and pretty compact. The BOL measures 45x17x8mm and comes in a plastic blister pack with the instructions printed on the insert card. The instructions are minimal but very easy to follow and the procedure requires nothing more than plugging it in; switch the fire selector to full auto and pull the trigger until the gun stops firing. You’ll then hear a long beep, after which you pull the trigger as many times as you want the burst to be (anywhere from 1-12 shots) then pull the trigger again for a long pull until you hear another beep and that’s it! The gun is now set to fire the burst length you programmed and all you have to do is go and play. Want a longer or shorter burst? just repeat the process at any time; don’t forget to remove the magazine before you try to reprogram it though! Safety first remember! For me, this quick and easy programming makes it intuitive to use and it is easy to adjust on the fly in-game should you need to - and that is worth its weight in gold. Plus, as you can see from the photos, the connectors are on short lengths of flexible wiring and this makes positioning the MOSFET in awkward places or tight battery compartments much easier than the MERF 3.2, which has everything in line and is a rigid construct. In use I found the BOL much easier to fit in my PTS EPS stocks than the MERF and I didn’t have to worry about whether it was stretching wires or likely to snap a connector off. Something that did concern me with the GATE MERF 3.2. So that’s Round Two to the BOL burst as well. It’s not looking good for GATE here… or is it? Okay, so the BOL burst is great! It’s easy to use and can be reprogrammed on the go. It will pretty much fit anywhere you need it to and it is available for both mini Tamiya and Deans connectors. It’s also the cheapest of the two at approx. £30 from a number of airsoft retailers and even Amazon. You might

think why bother with the MERF 3.2 after such a glowing report for the BOL? Well, there’s lots of reasons really… The GATE offering comes in a nice foam-lined box but you need to download the instructions and they are SIXTEEN pages long! In the box you get the MOSFET, a programming switch, a set of Deans connectors (should you need to rewire your battery and gun) and two thin signal wires should you decide to go for the “modified” installation, which requires some soldering but also opens up more features of the MOSFET. As I am purely concerned with the plug and play aspects I shan’t cover the advanced features here but the information is readily available on the inter web should you be inclined to look. The MERF also has TEN programmable functions, which makes it far more advanced than the BOL and, as such, it is tune-able to a level most of us won’t need but for the technically-minded it is clearly better than the BOL. Unlike the BOL, the MERF uses a combination of LEDs to denote what mode you are in and the functionality of that mode. Whilst it is less intuitive - I had to check and double check I’d done it right www.airsoft-action.online

technical PLUG AND PLAY MOSFETS

on more than one occasion - it does offer an awful lot for its size and price. Size-wise we’re looking at 70x19x10mm and it is priced at approx. £40, so it is a little more expensive than the BOL and it is a little larger. With the connectors at either end, fitting it into guns can be trickier too. Programming it requires some attention and time (and also an idea of the RoF of your gun) to effectively program the burst feature, which goes on time in milliseconds as opposed to number of shots like the BOL burst. You also have to program what type of battery and voltage you are using but this will then provide a cut off if the voltage gets too low. I’m not going to go into the full process for programming it here as it’s just too much information, suffice to say that whilst I originally thought it was a drawback and another win for the BOL, I actually came to see the level of user adjustability as a plus and a win for the MERF! A nice feature it has that I feel is worthy of mention is the RoF control. Say you strap a HUGE battery to your gun and in normal use it gives you a rate of fire that is just uncontrollable. With the MERF you can dial the rate of fire back down to a sensible level regardless of the voltage of the battery - nice touch GATE! Well done. I think its probably best to try and draw a close to this now so, in conclusion, if you want to simply plug a MOSFET in and get going in a matter of seconds and only want to be able to set a burst feature for your AEG, then go get yourself a BOL burst. If you need to do battery yoga to get it in your gun, get the BOL Burst. If you can just about work your AEG and think its dark magic that makes it work then get the BOL. If, however, you have a little room to play with, or are confident you can shoehorn it into your battery space AND you want to have some more advanced features - even if its for the future as you develop your tech skills - then get the GATE MERF 3.2. Either of these two will do the job required but if I had to be pushed… then I’d get the BOL every time purely because it is so easy to use. That’s all folks! Until next time, stay safe. Phil. AA MOSFET: THE METAL-OXIDE-SEMICONDUCTOR FIELDEFFECT TRANSISTOR IS A TYPE OF FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTOR, MOST COMMONLY FABRICATED BY THE CONTROLLED OXIDATION OF SILICON. IT HAS AN INSULATED GATE, WHOSE VOLTAGE DETERMINES THE CONDUCTIVITY OF THE DEVICE. Source: Wikipedia www.airsoft-action.online

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12/06/2018 17:53

gear GIENA TACTICS

AT IWA EARLIER THIS YEAR BILL AND GADGE GOT A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO THE TEAM FROM RUSSIAN MANUFACTURER GIENA TACTICS AND CAME AWAY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT THEY SAW. BILL TELLS US MORE...

L A C I T C A T M O R F R GEA RUSSIA

ALTHOUGH WE MUST ALL KEEP a weather eye on what the politicians are up to as it has a very real impact on our world, when it comes right down to it I’m sure that you’ll be in agreement with me when I say that I don’t rightly care WHERE good equipment originates as longs as it’s well made and does the job! In my earlier years, when “7.62mm” was king I’d have no problem swapping gear with colleagues from “across the pond” as some of their gear was WAY better than what was available at home. In terms of both tactical and outdoor performance gear the US market was usually at the forefront of new design and technology (just look at how Gore-Tex has come to dominate the marketplace!) and certain bits of American kit were much sought after. Not so much with “Eastern Bloc” gear though, as quality was perceived as poor and let’s face it, getting hold of it was pretty much a 100% “no, no” until relatively recently. I remember looking at pictures of Russian conscripts during the “Cold War” days and thinking “bloody hell, poor guys” as although their kit appeared workmanlike it also looked like it wouldn’t survive a firefight, let alone a war! How things change though! Fast forward to the present day and the quality and innovation in design coming from Eastern Europe is right up there with the best of them. I follow Konstantin Lazarev online for his excellent images and coverage of Russian units and what strikes me is their adoption of pretty much the same gear that we use ourselves; check out the images and you’ll see CRYE,

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OpsCore, WAS and many other “western” brands in use, along with Multicam and other camouflage patterns developed in the USA and the UK (or copies thereof!). What I have come to love most though, is this wider adoption of cutting-edge kit has led to new companies forming throughout Eastern Europe and indeed, Russia itself and I find myself turning more and more regularly to these manufacturers. If I look at my own kit that I currently use it now incorporates nylon gear from Poland and Croatia, along with clothing and gear from Slovenia - and damn good kit it is too! At IWA, along with Gadge, I finally had chance to speak directly to Sergey from Giena Tactics who I’d been “speaking” to online for some time prior. Giena Tactics, based in Novosibirsk, are a private company specialising in modern tactical uniforms, equipment and performance clothing.

gear GIENA TACTICS

In development and manufacture they focus on quality, comfort and functionality. All products that they develop are created in line with specialist users and are tested in the most hostile conditions - and let’s face it, Russia certainly has some harsh environments to choose from! The garments and equipment that are finally created meet the highest standards demanded by Giena Tactics. Giena Tactics now offer a wide range of products for professional and private use including combat shirts and tactical pants, field uniforms, parkas, caps and boonies, equipment for snipers, along with military style urban pants and jackets. They now ship their products worldwide and are they are worn daily by users both professional and civilian.

GETTING PERSONAL! So much the same as many manufacturers out there then you might think! I always like to get “up close” and personal with any brand though, no matter how large or small they may be. If someone is producing “good gear for the good guys” like Giena Tactics then in my mind it’s certainly worth spending a little time with them to get “under their skin” and my post-IWA message exchanges with Sergey have proved to me that despite physical location, many of us users are all of the same mind: demanding, direct, not suffering fools gladly but at the same time open to solid information - and ready to crack a joke with those we respect and like! I asked Sergey to tell me more about who Giena Tactics are and where they have come from, and he told me: “In the beginning these were not easy days but they were awesome days and we got great results! Or better to say now we’re a long way from the beginning, but we’re still in the beginning of opening (our brand to) the world! Or crazy days and hard work if you prefer, but it’s worth each day! “Anyway! Giena Tactics started much earlier than our official establishment in 2014, in terms of ideas, in looking at different products on the market, in tests, in research... Our official start was in a garage, yes, like many startup companies in the IT industry! Giena Tactics started with and agreement and a handshake between two old friends who are now partners. We decided to try and implement all of our ideas by ourselves.

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gear GIENA TACTICS

“Giena began with the design and development of Boonie Hats and a small production team of just three people. In the following four years we did a lot, proved to ourselves that we could do what we dreamed of doing, and now we’re going to move faster. IWA 2018 was a big step for our company and showed interest from different countries and areas. “Today Giena Tactics products are available worldwide and are used daily in the military and Law Enforcement areas, as well as IPSC, hunting, performance sports, and even for casual wear! Now we have 50 partners worldwide, about 100 reliable and comfortable products, excellent quality and we’re sure of a great future!”

DESIGNED TO PERFORM Well they certainly say that from a seed a mighty tree can grow and from what we saw at IWA this tree is now producing some mighty tasty fruit! As Sergey told me Giena Tactics now have a really solid and comprehensive range of clothing and equipment available and their designs appear to be constantly updated to incorporate new ideas and new, interesting directions. In addition to some solid uniform Shirts and Pants they offer some great Combat Shirts, currently five models. As I’ve been looking to acquire some pukka Russian kit for a while now to further enhance my OPFOR role, the new RAPTOR shirt and pant combo really caught my eye. The Raptor shirt is the latest combat shirt design from Giena and features some of their latest tweaks, including reinforced shoulders, low-profile sleeve pockets with velcro panels, and close-fitting arms with integrated padding. The knitted, wicking fabric on the torso gives a great, comfortable fit and prevents the shirt pulling up and out of the trousers. The pant is equally impressive; the main feature is the integrated knee protection. It’s light, comfortable and protects from direct impacts very well indeed. This model uses wide velcro in all adjustment areas, allowing for an excellent fit. I will say there’s a bit of a “CRYE” feel to the shirt and pant but the devil (as always) is in the detail and the placement of adjustments is enhanced to give the very best fit possible! In addition to the RAPTOR gear I also got in a ballcap and Gienas’ take on the classic “SAS Boonie” which is a bit of a favourite of mine, especially for summer wear. Made from a strong ripstop fabric the “Sniper” variant has a smaller 45mm brim (the classic boonie is 70 mm), four side vents and loops woven into the sides for leaves and branches. There’s an adjustable retained cord for precise fitting and an additional grid over the crown for further camouflage options. Of course, I also wanted an up-to-the-minute helmet option and went for the OPS-CORE PROFESSIONAL PLUS helmet cover. Made for a genuine OPS-CORE lid this can be a bit of a struggle to fit to some airsoft replicas but it’s well worth the effort! It’s designed to fit real OPS-CORE FAST, SENTRY and similar models and securely attaches with velcro tabs and the rail bolts. There are velcro and loops to attach additional accessories and gear but one feature I truly love is the rear pocket with removable organiser for batteries/counterweights; if you’re going to use NV gear then this is absolutely spot on!

As well as a number of “urban tactical” pants and fleece jacket models, Giena also offer an update on a “Russian Classic” in the form of their “Gorka” Pants and Parka, as well as a more advanced Field Combat Parka for use in inclement conditions. Add to that a good range of accessories such as caps, hats, scarves and sitting mats and they’ve definitely got it all going on! All the clothing and accessories are available in multiple colours and camouflage patterns, which range from Multicam to some absolutely classic Russian patterns like Pogranichnik, EMR1 and even Partizan, which is actually a personal favourite of mine and what I ordered for myself. In addition to these excellent tactical and uniform designs, Giena Tactics also produce something that’s just a bit special in the form of their VIPERHOODS; the Scorpion, Skeleton and Spider, as well as various sniper accessories and their Alligator Sniper Platform. In essence, VIPERHOODS are made for snipers! With some really unique touches and indeed some absolutely unique designs, Giena Tactics are for me now fulfilling the lofty goals that they set for themselves back in 2014! Like any manufacturer it takes time to take your dreams to fruition but they’ve sensibly taken that time to get things right before releasing all their great products fully to market. What we’re seeing from Giena now is a fully-fledged line of specialist uniforms, tactical gear and equipment that can offer you a full body, year-round solution. I have to say that I am absolutely delighted with the gear that I’ve received from Giena and keen to get it out to a game soon. The fabrics are spot-on, the cut and fit on the clothing is exactly right and the finish to everything is of the very highest standard throughout! I’ll conclude by saying a big “спасибо” to Sergey for taking so much of his valuable time to speak with me and rest assured I’ll keep you up to date with new developments from the great folk at Giena Tactics in the future! For more information and to view the entire Giena Tactics range please take a look at http://gienatactics.ru AA

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gear HAIX BLACK EAGLE GTX

HAIX BLACK EAGLE GTX WE GAVE AWAY A PAIR IN THE LAST ISSUE AND NIGE HAS BEEN WEARING THEM FOR A WHILE, SO WHAT DOES HE THINK ABOUT THESE GOOD-LOOKING BOOTS FROM HAIX. AFTER 30 YEARS of playing “force on force” games, I have come to appreciate the protection provided by a decent pair of boots and believe me when I say, twisting your ankle in the middle of a game is no fun! Over the years I have worn and played in boots from a variety of manufacturers but is was only back in June 2014 that I came across HAIX, when I reviewed a pair of their “High Liability Combat Boots” in Issue 38, kindly provided by the guys at Patrol Store. Fast forward to 2018 and those boots are still part of my regular “playing wardrobe” and are as good today as they were four years ago, so when I was contacted again by Patrol Store, asking if I’d like to take a look at one of HAIXs’ latest boots, I couldn’t resist.

SO WHO ARE HAIX? HAIX are a Bavarian-based company that take pride in the fact that all their products are manufactured wholly in Europe, which is also where they source all of their raw materials. Short for Xaver Haimerl (the founder of the company), HAIX was founded in Mainburg in 1948 and uses “practice-based” research and development techniques to develop products for specific markets and uses. For example, the HAIX FIRE HERO boot was developed specifically for fire-fighters and is now considered to be one of the safest in the World for fire-fighter use, whilst the RANGER GSG9 service boot was based on the experiences and mission requirements of the German SWAT unit. Their range encompasses the emergency services, workwear, forestry, military and streetwear.

BLACK EAGLE GTX The (snappy) full title of these boots is (deep breath)… “HAIX Black Eagle Athletic 2.0 V GTX Mid/Sage” and what first caught my attention on the box label was the “Mid/Sage” bit. The last pair of HAIX boots I reviewed were fairly solid brown leather, whereas the uppers on these are constructed of a “velour leather/textile combination” and are green. I have never had a green pair of boots before and I was intrigued to see whether the HAIX version of “sage” was going to be subtle or “loud”. I need not have worried, as on opening the box I was

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presented with a really nice-looking pair of boots in a muted shade of green… perfect! Immediately obvious was the lacing, which features a closed lacing system with a quick closure and lace pocket. Let me explain what that means… Simply put, you don’t have to tie the laces! The top of the laces are covered by a “HAIX” monogrammed flap, held in place by Velcro (more about that shortly) which, when lifted up, reveals a “quick lock” system and a pocket. It is an absolute doddle to use… Put the boot on, tighten the quick lock, roll the excess lace up, tuck it into the pocket, fold the flap down and fasten with the Velcro. I didn’t time it but reckon you could probably get both boots on and fastened in less than fifteen seconds!

gear HAIX BLACK EAGLE GTX

“THE RANGER GSG9 SERVICE BOOT WAS BASED ON THE EXPERIENCES AND MISSION REQUIREMENTS OF THE GERMAN SWAT UNIT. THEIR RANGE ENCOMPASSES THE EMERGENCY SERVICES, WORKWEAR, FORESTRY, MILITARY AND STREETWEAR”

The textile part of the upper is nicely finished with a “cross-hatch” pattern, which is double-stitched to the leather at all maximum stress points and the closed eyelets are nicely positioned to provide easy adjustment and stability when the lace is fastened. Inside the boot you’ll find GOR-TEX 3-layer laminate, making it waterproof and highly breathable. This is assisted by the “HAIX Climate System”, a nifty system that uses a pumping action to promote air circulation and release warm air through the Micro-Dry lining at the top of the boot. Underfoot is an anti-bacterial insole, a two-layer midsole with stabilisation zone for optimal pressure distribution on all terrains and a rubber running sole that meets EN ISO 20347:2012, plus up front you’ll find a solid, yet flexible toe-cap.

SO, WHAT ARE THEY LIKE? Let me just say, from the moment I put these on for the first time, I liked them! Before I do anything with a new pair of boots I’ll wear them around the house for a couple of days to make sure that when I head off out in them, I’m not going to end up crippled after a couple of hours (did that once, not going to do it again)! You know when you put on something new and it just feels “right”? Well that’s how the Black Eagle’s felt for me. They were light on the foot but didn’t seem to suffer any loss of stability or strength because of it and while they were not “carpet slippers”, they certainly didn’t feel like hobnails either! The lace system was simplicity itself and when fully loosened, there is ample space to easily get your foot in and out of the boot (no shoe-horn or foot powder required here). So confident was I that they would be OK, the first time I wore them for any length of time was on a visit to the Outdoor Trade Show in Manchester – six and a half hours of driving and a day spent walking around an exhibition on one of the hottest days of the year to that point.

It turned out that my confidence was fully justified. Not only didn’t my feet feel tired at any stage, when I got home and finally eased them off (expecting the usual “whiff” of hot feet and sweaty socks), I was pleasantly surprised to find neither! Test one passed with flying colours! Test two involved a visit to my favourite proving grounds, the Malvern Hills, to see how they would perform on the slopes, rocks and grass of this beautiful location. Once again they didn’t disappoint and remained comfortable and stable, even when traversing a fairly steep slope which put maximum lateral pressure on my ankles. I had hoped to check out whether they were truly waterproof but the stream I normally use was barely a trickle, so I am afraid I cannot comment but, knowing both HAIX and GOR-TEX, I am pretty confident this would not be a problem. Grip-wise, I couldn’t fault them, even when scrambling up a slope of loose rocks, although the lack of rain also meant I couldn’t test them on wet grass either! All in all, I was very impressed with the Black Eagles, except for one, tiny niggle (which I alluded to earlier)… I (stupidly) wore long trousers to the show in Manchester which (obviously) extended down over the front of the boots. The Velcro patch used to hold down the lace “pocket” is not very large and as the hem of my trouser legs passed over it, they caught the edge of the pockets and lifted them up. This resulted in the bottom of my trouser legs sticking out at the front, which is not a major problem but was just “annoying”. Other than that, I couldn’t fault them and, although I haven’t yet worn them for any length of time, I am pretty certain that they too will become part of my playing wardrobe! HAIX Black Eagle Athletic 2.0 V GTX boots are available from Patrol Store (www.patrolstore.co.uk) in UK sizes from 3 to 15, in Low, Mid and High styles and a variety of colours. Many thanks to Patrol Store for providing the review sample. AA

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feature ON THE RANGE

E G N A R M U M I X A M

ANVIL AND GADGE PUT PERHAPS THE MOST CONTENTIOUS ARGUMENT IN AIRSOFT TO THE TEST TO DISCOVER WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM GAMING RANGE OF MOST STANDARD AEGS? AT AIRSOFT ACTION we hear all sorts of “max range” claims, from 40 metres up to an incredible claim of 120 metres for some custom AEGs but, well… we were not sure. Everyone was happy with accepting 40 metres and we were all sure even our worst AEGs could reach out that far - but can an AEG really reach 120 metres? In order to tackle this question Gareth “Gadge” Harvey and Tom “Anvil” Hibberd set off to The Gaol in Rutland and decided to set about the task as scientifically as possible. So, without further ado let’s see what the guys discovered… Let’s be fair it’s no easy question to answer. For a start, there are a lot of things you need to consider; the make of the AEG, is it stock out the factory or upgraded, what weight and make of BB are you using? And those are just the “obvious” questions. You have to start all tests from a “control group” and we decided to embark upon this epic quest with a sample of stock guns using, .20g Blaster BBs. A few of you might be wondering, why on earth we chose .20s when most of you play with .25s or heavier weights? The answer really is simple, we wanted to start at a “baseline” and work upwards. Most UK sites will want your AEG’s energy output to be equivalent to projecting a .20 bb at velocities of less than 350fps and when people talk about “fps” on forums, we usually assume that everyone means with a .20 bb, so this seemed a good baseline to start from. So, with the “ammunition” set we decided that the “bb chuckers” to use would be an ASG EVO Scorpion to represent a standard (but good quality) popular SMG type AEG, an LCT AK74 to represent a fairly well-built assault rifle type AEG and as a sample DMR, we opted for an ARES L1a1 Self Loading Rifle. The Evo SMG chronographed at around 330fps/1.01J from

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a sample of ten shots with .20g BBs. The AK74 a respectable 328fps/1.0J and the L1a1 an impressive 400fps/1.49J which made them all “legal” at the majority of UK airsoft sites. Another variable to consider was “atmospherics” and in this case it was trying to eliminate as much of the wind’s effect on the BB as we could. Luckily we were able to find a 100 metre long strip at The Gaol that was shielded from the wind sufficiently to keep the testing consistent and eliminate the worst of the crosswind. After marking out our “range” from ten metres to (what we considered to be) an “optimistic” 80 metres, it was time to get testing. Now as I’m not scientist but Tom is an engineer by trade and he came up with the criteria for our test.

MAXIMUM RANGE We decided to do two tests and the first was maximum range. For this test we wanted to find out the furthest our test airsoft guns could fire whilst the sights were still roughly on the target. You can fire further by elevating the barrel even higher but many players consider “the airsoft mortar” unrealistic and it’s very hard to be even vaguely accurate. We took turns standing at 10 metre intervals and if the BBs continued to go past we moved back another 10 metres until they were falling at our feet. It’s fair to say that up to around 40 metres we could almost feel the BBs whip past us and on a couple of occasions we accidentally shot each other and could really feel it! With both the SMG and the Assault Rifle the results were pretty much the same, in that up to about 50 metres we knew we could be shot out of the game (and at 50 metres this would probably be as much luck as skill) but as soon as we moved back to 60 metres it was clear that the .20 BBs had expended almost all of their

feature ON THE RANGE

energy at around the 55 metre mark and we were able to stand at the 60 metre point and actually watch the BBs roll across the ground towards us! Perhaps with some elevation and shooting as an “airsoft mortar” you might have got a lucky shot in up to 60 metres with the wind behind the BB… but in this case it was clear that 50 to 55 metres was really the limit of both AEGs “stock out the box”. Given the difference in barrel length, this surprised Gadge a little but as Tom pointed out, it’s the hop that counts and both AEGs had very good hop units for a stock gun. Switching to the 400fps DMR we found that the 60 metre point was no longer safe. Given that the L1a1 has both a good hop, a decent barrel and is shooting at 70fps higher than the EVO and AK we expected it to go a little further - and it did. It went a LITTLE further. At 60 metres we were still of the view that we could hit a player with the DMR but when we dropped back to 70 metres it was clear that the DMR’s range was really only around 60 to 65 metres and, once again, we saw the BBs just roll towards us at 70 metres. So now we knew what the MAXIMUM range these three AEGs could reach out to “off the shelf” but that wasn’t really representative of what actually happens in an airsoft game. It was clearly time to refine the experiment with a second test.

EFFECTIVE RANGE For our second test we wanted to find the effective range of our standard SMG and Assault Rifle type airsoft guns. Given that the EVO and the AK74 had comparable results in “maximum range” we chose to use just the AK74 for this test. We decided that the success criteria for this test would be making 5 out of 10 shots land onto a torso-sized target. With

“IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE .20 BBS HAD EXPENDED ALMOST ALL OF THEIR ENERGY AT AROUND THE 55 METRE MARK AND WE WERE ABLE TO STAND AT THE 60 METRE POINT AND ACTUALLY WATCH THE BBS ROLL ACROSS THE GROUND TOWARDS US!” normal human reaction time being around .25 seconds it’s likely that this means you could squeeze off enough BBs to hit your target before they dodge! We started this test at 30 metres, firing at a target we had constructed from an IKEA chair. With a strong crosswind the exercise proved harder than we had anticipated... As Gadge stood by the target and pointed out Tom’s fall of shot, even at 30 metres it was hard to get much more than 40 per cent of the shots onto the “plate carrier” size target. While the crosswind didn’t help (as the lightweight BBs sometimes got caught by an odd gust), it was also interesting to see that some of the shots struck the oil drum supporting the target and in one case even hit Gadge! Moving further back to 40 metres (and with a little direction/correction of fall of shot) the results were comparable, with around 50 per cent of the ten-shot group connecting with the paper target area. At 50 metres it was a totally different story; none of the shots hit the target (although many were pretty close and again one hit Gadge!) and part of the problem here we felt was that at 50 metres, even on a fairly clear day, it was incredibly hard for Tom to see the fall of his shot. One way to solve this would be to put an optic on the AEG to increase

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feature ON THE RANGE

“PERHAPS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT AIRSOFTERS ARE PRETTY POOR AT JUDGING DISTANCES AND ALSO HAVE SLIGHTLY UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OF HOW FAR THEIR OWN AEG CAN SHOOT.” the visibility of the BB’s flight. Luckily we had a Dragunov with us to do an unrelated test so we borrowed the military standard PSO sight off that and fitted it to the AK74. After “zeroing” the sight to the AK as best we could at 30 metres it was time to see if we could improve the hit rate at 50 metres using a 4x magnifying scope. Even with his vision boosted, however, Tom found it was little use as, while he could now see the fall of shot, the “group” they were landing in at 50 metres using a BB as light as .20g was so large as to make it almost impossible to consistently hit the target.

CONCLUSIONS While it is obvious that putting more BBs in the air by firing on full auto (or just shooting rapidly) will improve your chances of getting a hit on an A4-sized target, at the ranges we tested at, using the criteria of firing single shots in a “realistic” setting (by that we mean the occasional gust of wind, not having someone able to correct your fire etc.) it was clear that the “effective” range of most factory standard AEGs is going to be around 40 metres. This could potentially be increased a degree by adding an optic to help you correct your own fall of shot but… on the whole with quality AEGs it was pretty hard to get more than 50 per cent of shots onto the target at over 40 metres. This information was pretty consistent with our own airsofting experience but actually measuring out the distance with a very, very long tape measure meant that perhaps the biggest problem is that airsofters are pretty poor at judging distances and also have slightly unrealistic expectations of how far their own AEG can shoot. These initial tests are just the start. In future issues we’re going to go beyond “stock” AEGs and look at the effects of after-market upgrades like tight bore barrels and improved hop up units. And, perhaps most importantly, we’ll be taking a good look at what effect different BB weights have on both stock and upgraded AEGs. If you want to find out the result, well you’re just going to have to keep reading Airsoft Action!

AIRSOFT ACTION TV: While we’ve done our best to explain our testing process and the results we arrived at this article is best read in conjunction with our two “range test” videos on Airsoft Action TV that accompany it. You can watch Tom and Gadge put the test AEGs through their paces in Episodes 17 & 19 on the channel. www.youtube/airsoftactiontv

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0.20g

0.25g

3000pcs per bottle | 6mm | Precision Airsoft BB | www.hornettactical.com www.patrolstore.com/hornettactical

review HORNET TACTICAL PRECISION

BRING THE STING! TOM “ANVIL” HIBBERD PUTS A NEW BB BRAND TO THE TEST AND FINDS OUT WHETHER IT LIVES UP TO ITS NAME. I’ve got to admit it - I’m a bit of a geek! I’m a qualified engineer and before I started writing about and filming airsoft, I spent 15 years in product design and development. But what does that all matter, I hear you ask? If you’ve read a couple of my recent articles, you’ll know that I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about airsoft accuracy and ballistics. So when some new BBs came into the office, I was quickly rushing to be first in the line to test them!

PRIOR PREPARATION PREVENTS… The Hornet Tactical Precision BBs came in two weights of 0.25g and 0.20g, normally I would use the lighter weight BBs for indoor sites, as they come out of the muzzle faster and reach the target more quickly, so you have to lead a little less. However, light BBs also slow down faster and at distances of around 30m are often going slower than an heavier BB. The converse is also true. A heavier BB will leave the muzzle slower but will reduce in speed less and will hold more of its velocity for longer. Heavier BBs are also affected by the wind less and have a better ability to punch through leaves and light foliage. What this really means is that I reserve 0.20g BBs for CQB or urban sites with less than 30m between buildings. I play outdoor sites with at least 0.25g or even 0.28g BBs. Hornet Tactical Precision BBs come in the now familiar bottle format, which I much prefer to bags. It’s just so much easier to fill magazines and speed loaders! The bottle features the “Tactical Hornet” itself and it’s very eye-catching. Cleverly, they use colour-coded graphics on the bottles so you can easily distinguish between the different weights. I know I’ve been confused before as to whether I’ve just loaded 0.25g or 0.20g BBs… (So many bottles, so little time…!) Not all BBs are created equal and their performance can vary wildly between BBs of the same weight across different brands. The first thing I did was to cut a sample of each weight open to check for air bubbles. This can be one of the leading causes of instability and inaccuracy and I’m happy to report that

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I didn’t find any large bubbles, just a consistent small granular material inside.

WHAT DO HORNET TACTICAL SAY? Hornet Tactical 0.2g Precision Airsoft BBs are very high-quality BBs that are absolutely ideal for Airsoft Skirmishers looking for a BB that gives great performance and outstanding consistency of fire. Hornet Tactical 0.2g Precision Airsoft BBs give excellent range and accuracy and are ideal for guns firing at medium distances. The BBs are constructed from high quality Polymer, and are 5.95mm in diameter, with an unrivalled +/- 0.01mm tolerance, eliminating the risk of jams and making them ideal for all weapons including those with tight bore barrels. The BBs are sorted before bottling, strictly quality controlling the 0.01mm size differential - the most precise size control in the World! These BBs are ideal for CQB and Indoor Environments, are perfect for any Airsoft Skirmisher looking for their next go-to brand of BB, and for those looking for a more reliable and consistent BB at a truly competitive price. Hornet Tactical BB Features: • Weight per BB - 0.25g / 0.20g • Diameter 5.95mm +/- 0.01mm • Double Polished for consistency of flight • Colour – White • 3,000 BBs per bottle

ON THE RANGE I set up my normal 10 metre range for the testing, this allows me to really control the conditions and allows for lot of repeatability. I fire from rest with a x4 magnified optic to make sure my point of aim is consistent every time I pull the trigger. I then fired 9 groups of 10 BBs for each of the two BB weights and then averaged the group sizes to get my results.

review HORNET TACTICAL PRECISION

This gives me enough data to be pretty confident in the results. In case you were wondering whether 10m data matters at longer airsoft ranges, we have recently been doing a lot of longer ranged accuracy and range testing for Airsoft Action TV. We have found that our 10m results closely correlate with our results at 55m and longer! The test Airsoft gun for this range session was my Nuprol Delta Nomad Bravo. Although I’ve made quite a lot of external changes the gearbox, barrel and hop unit have remained stock. I’ve found this RIF to be as accurate (if not more so) than my heavily upgraded LCT AK and it more readily mounts an optic! It also seems to really like heavier ammo. The 0.20g Hornet Tactical BBs had an average group size of 2.125” The 0.25g Hornet Tactical BBs had an average group size of 1.47” This is pretty comparable to other leading quality Airsoft BB brands I have tested. What’s more the Hornets are very competitively priced so a great choice for the more budget conscious airsofter!

BRING THE STING I can happily recommend the Hornet Precision BB range, they offer good accuracy and are well made, consistent and ran well through my test replica. My only complaint is that they are not offered in my favourite weight of 0.28g! Head over to the Patrol Store and pick up a bottle …or several! https://www.patrolstore.com/hornettactical.html

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feature LCT AK RANGE

OPFOR ARMS

GADGE AND ANVIL WRITE ABOUT WHAT WEAPON MOST SUITS THE OPFOR ROLE AND DECIDE THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE, THE VENERABLE AK …BUT WHICH ONE? AS REGULAR READERS of Airsoft Action will have no doubt realised, there seems to be a bit of a fashion going around the team for ditching the multicam, plate carriers and FAST helmets and going for a more laid back loadout as part of the opposing forces or OPFOR at games… and if there is one thing you need as OPFOR, it’s a decent Kalashnikov! Let’s be honest, if we’re playing members of a nefarious international drugs cartel, or perhaps terrorist insurgents or even the Viet Cong, only one type of AEG really cuts the mustard, the venerable “defensive weapon” designed by Mikhael Kalashnikov back in the 40s and modernised time and time again during the Cold War by the Soviets and later embraced by the Russian Federation. It’s brutal, it’s got utilitarian styling, the real ones are built like tanks and can drop an ox but, more importantly, we just wanted one really. Recently Tom “Anvil” Hibberd and Mark “Militia” Gibson from Airsoft Action TV needed new AKs for some up and coming games where we’d be playing insurgents against a NATO force. Tom needed a more “classic” AK, as his own model is super “tacticool” with lots of modern fittings and well, Mark just needed a new AEG anyway as his usual shooter was currently in bits on the workbench. So knowing that if you want a decent AK at a decent price the current range from LCT is a “no brainer”, we rang up FireSupport to see if Frank had any in that he could sell us in time for the game. 60

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As luck would have it he did and when the boys told me the price they were going for (an amazing £239!), well I just had to jump on the bandwagon and get one too. While Tom went for the slightly more modern AK74 (more about that later), Mark and I opted for folding stock AKMs (known as AKMS) as it’s probably had the longest “service life” of any make of Kalashnikov – coming into service in the 50s and still being used by the Russians today!

ROCK SOLID Within a few days a well awaited parcel arrived and we all had a good look at the LCT offerings. As usual the packaging was top notch but what surprised us most was a sticker on each box stating that they had been test fired by FireSupport before shipping out and that the FPS was around 330 with a .20BB. I mean we KNEW to expect that sort of velocity but it was pretty reassuring to see that the guys at the store had actually made sure each AEG was ready to go before sending them out, so they were highly unlikely to be “duds” out the box. Opening the box up we were even more impressed to see that LCT had actually test fired and chronoed them TEN TIMES before shipping them out and rated them at the same FPS with .20BB. So far this was pretty promising, that’s a pretty safe bet if an AEG has been checked out twice before you even get your hands on it and something not all manufacturers and retailers do. Having Taken our AEGs out, the quality was apparent straight away. For a start they are almost entirely steel externally and you can feel it in the weight. Using a small magnet we checked almost every “metal” part on both variants and found them to be externally rock solid. Both AKs had folding stocks (an underfolder on the AKMS and a side folder on the AK74S) and while these were a little stiff to operate at first, they seemed as sturdy as real AK stocks and any worry about breaking a stock off (even on the more skeletal AKMS) in a fall or tumble were soon put to rest.

Feature LCT AK RANGE

“LET’S BE HONEST, IF WE’RE PLAYING MEMBERS OF A NEFARIOUS INTERNATIONAL DRUGS CARTEL, OR PERHAPS TERRORIST INSURGENTS OR EVEN THE VIET CONG, ONLY ONE TYPE OF AEG REALLY CUTS THE MUSTARD...” Equally as impressive as the metalwork (complete with Soviet “Izmash” factory trademarks and an individual serial number) was the woodwork on both examples. Quite often a replica AK will make the handguard out of a single piece of turned wood but real ones are actually built on the cheap and use laminated plywood stained to an orangey red shade. LCT have recreated their woodwork true to the originals and even compared to actual “real steel” (or “real ply”) handgrips like the ex-soviet ones I fitted to my E&L AK74, it’s almost hard to tell the “replica” from the “original”.

SHINY INTERNALS While the AKMS and the AK74 are externally a little different, both airsoft models are internally the same so we decided to open up the AK74 to check out the “gubbins”. Taking the top cover off it was clear there is bags of room for a long stick battery (small Tamiya type connector) and the wiring was kept nice and tidy with shrink wrap. The hop unit was, as expected, and a pretty standard “sliding bar” AK type hop which I’ve always found easy to adjust in game. Opening up the gearbox was a dream and were quite frankly very impressed with the build quality given that this is a sub £250 AEG. For a start the spring guide was a bearing spring guide which in many guns is an aftermarket upgrade! Said spring and guide power a well-made metal re-enforced piston with all metal teeth and an aluminium vented pistol head of exceptional quality. The plastic tappet plate was nice and firm and the compression chamber with its non-vented cylinder showed excellent compression when simply pushed together with the piston. The gears are CNC steel proprietary LCT stamped gears and again of a decent quality, all of these parts are encased in the gearbox shell itself, an LCT stamped casing with clean guide rails and well lubricated without being excessively “gunky”. Lastly, while we at Airsoft Action TV dislike the term “preupgraded” (as it sort of implies otherwise the gun wouldn’t be fit for purpose), it’s nice to see that the AK range all seem to come with tight bore barrels as standard, which is again a feature that many players pay for as a post purchase upgrade.

ON THE RANGE! With some pretty impressive construction credentials ticked off as “confirmed” it was time to put them out on the range and see how well they shot. We used both the AKMS and an AK74 as part of our larger set of “maximum and effective range” tests (which you can see both in this magazine and on Airsoft

Action TV on YouTube) and before we could do anything it was a case of chronoing and setting up the hop units. True to the paperwork both the AKMS and the AK74 clocked in around 330fps with a .20bb and we found the hop units fitted to be excellent and capable of carrying the .20 test BBs out to just over 50 metres, comfortably hitting a plate carrier size target 50 per cent of the time at 40 metres (this might not sound like a big distance but check out our range test articles and videos to find out that this is a bit more than you might expect). Trigger response was crisp and with a 9.6v NIAM stick battery rate of fire was pleasing, not excessive but not sluggish either and the mid-cap magazine supplied with each AEG fed excellently. While we’re yet to give them a baptism of fire at a game, it’s safe to say that from “field tests” alone we’ve got a lot of confidence in LCT’s range of AK’s from Fire Support. If you’d like to see both the AKMS and the AK74S in action you can view two videos that accompany this article on Airsoft Action TV (Episode 18 part 1 & 2). AA

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gear TACTICAL DENIM

TACTICAL DENIM

MOST OF US LOVE A PAIR OF BLUE JEANS AND MANUFACTURERS APPEAR TO HAVE TAKEN NOTE SO THERE’S MORE “TAC DENIM” ABOUT THAN EVER BEFORE. BILL TAKES A LOOK AT HIS PERSONAL FAVOURITES.

The use of a pair of jeans for certain loadouts has been with us for some considerable time and it’s a solid skirmish look when you combine your favourite denim with a check shirt, plate carrier and ballcap to give that all-so-popular “contractor look”. Over the years I’ve used this type of loadout many, many times and it’s always been one that’s particularly comfortable. From a technical clothing perspective I’d be the very first to scream about the reasons why you shouldn’t use denim (not particularly breathable, slow to dry, heavy and abrasive when wet, etc, etc…) but the fact of the matter is it just “works” in most conditions for airsoft (other than in a torrential downpour). The same properties that made denim such a popular fabric since Jacob W. Davis first started making work wear and Levi Strauss & Co took this to mass production are pretty much those that we look for in good skirmish kit but the features that we also like are rarely present in a pair of jeans… or at least they have been absent until now! I’ve been working quite closely with Military1st and the great team at Helikon-Tex and have been waiting for their “Grey Man” jeans to make it from concept to reality. HelikonTex have a couple of projects that have been a “slow burn” and this concept garment has not yet made it to production. Luckily though the fabric has been incorporated into their UTP model. Purpose Designed for Law Enforcement and Tactical Users Durable and functional, Helikon “Urban Tactical Pants – Denim” are “mid-profile” trousers so that they look less like a uniform, which of course is perfect if you’re carrying or loading up with equipment but want to do so in a “low key” way. The trousers feature a number of useful pockets placed at the front, the rear and on both thighs. The two front hands pockets have extra strong edges that are intended for clips of folding knives. There are also two internal symmetrical pockets, sewn in diagonally to the belt area and made of material lighter than the pants themselves; these two pockets are intended for carrying objects like telescopic batons or an extra pistol magazine, in a discrete, comfortable and secure way. Two large rear pockets with hook-and-loop fasteners also have two auxiliary small pockets placed inside. These small pockets are the equivalent of two interior pockets at the front of the pants. It is worth adding their depth may be adapted by sewing them at a certain height or by unstitching pleats. These are perfect for carrying a small flashlight or a multitool. The trousers also feature big, diagonal, symmetrical thigh pockets, divided in two. The smaller have a hook-and-loop fastener and are perfect for carrying mobile phones, magazines for AR or pistol magazines. The larger pockets feature YKK zipper and a single pleat that increases their capacity.

september 2018

These quality pants fit well in the waist thanks to a flat elastic tape sewn in the rear part of the belt area and are zipped with a durable metal YKK zipper and fastened with big hook-and-loop fastener. All the UTP series trousers also feature profiled front and rear part of the leg around the knees. The front knee part is additionally strengthened with two layers of material. In turn these two layers create an internal pocket which is perfect for a lightweight knee pad. These characteristics ensure freedom of movement and limit raising trouser legs while crouching or kneeling. Designed to fit female body shape, the Women’s Urban Tactical Pants feature a classic jeans “neck” shape to limit them riding up or down and elasticated waist with YKK zip fly and velcro, plus reinforced knees with internal kneepad compartments for optional padding. The Women’s UTP Pants also features one leg length for individual adjustment, twelve various sizes tactical pockets and seven wide belt loops. Designed with Law Enforcement and tactical users in mind, the UTP Pants from Helikon are also suitable for all outdoor pursuits and even daily wear!

EVERY DAY WEAR

Whilst the UTP pants in denim do the job to the “nth degree” they are quite heavy and even though they are pared down there’s still a distinct “tactical feel” about them. I’ve been wearing the Helikon-Tex “jeans” for a while now and they’ve certainly, like all good jeans, lost that new, starchy feel and

gear TACTICAL DENIM

THE TROUSERS FEATURE A NUMBER OF USEFUL POCKETS PLACED AT THE FRONT, THE REAR AND ON BOTH THIGHS. THE TWO FRONT HANDS POCKETS HAVE EXTRA STRONG EDGES THAT ARE INTENDED FOR CLIPS OF FOLDING KNIVES. softened down considerably. As I’ve been so impressed with this model I started to look around my other favourite gear manufacturers and found another couple of pairs that I really like from Clawgear and Pentagon. The Pentagon Tactical Rogue Jeans have been designed and constructed specifically for tactical purposes whilst keeping in mind the aesthetic of casual fitting jeans that you would wear every day. They’re solidly made from 100% Cotton Stone Washed Denim Fabric but with a diamond crotch for ease of movement. There are two mag pockets above the back pockets, a groin fillet pocket, and front hand pockets with reinforced fillets. They’re finished off with a quality YKK self-locking fly zip, and there’s triple stitching at stress points for extra durability. These definitely look and feel more like classic blue jeans and the extra features make them just that little bit more usable in airsoft terms. After playing in my newest Clawgear Raider tactical pants recently I decided to have a trawl on their website to see what they were up to “denim-wise”. I have to say that my Austrian friends seem to have a liking for jeans, as they offer their Blue Denim Tactical Flex Jeans in Midnight, Midnight Washed, Sapphire, and Sapphire washed finishes! These are “tactical jeans” that look exactly like the one’s you’d buy from a fashion store but combine the durability needed to resist rips and tears with the comfortable fabric desired for daily wear. The jeans additionally also have many helpful features for tactical operations, the range and every day carry. They’re a regular fit, built from a durable stretch fabric and have double needle construction with bar tacks in high-stress areas. There’s a hidden compartment for a rifle or carbine magazine on backside, a hidden pouch inside to hide a passport, money, or ID card. The left front pocket conceals a pistol magazine stabiliser and there’s even a silicone coating inside the back pockets to help you get items in and out with minimal fuss! Now I’ve had time to look around, it would appear that most of our favourite manufacturers have jumped on the “denim train” so there’s now a whole heap of models out there to look at. Whilst I’ve detailed my personal three “best buys” above, like any bit of kit you should “try before you buy” to see what best suits and fits you. I’m all set for “tactical jeans” now, and I’m looking forward to wearing them not just each and every day but also in game as part of my updated “contractor” loadout! For more information on the entire UTP range from Helikon Tex and the Pentagon Jeans please visit www.military1st.co.uk. For more on the Clawgear range please simply check out www.clawgear.com. AA www.airsoft-action.online

Warriors RUSSIAN MVD “VITYAZ” 2002

RUSSIAN MVD “VITYAZ” 2002 GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY CONTINUES HIS “WARRIORS” SERIES WITH A LOOK AT SOME RUSSIAN “KNIGHTS”. Photography by Ben Web at The Gaol

sept 2018

Warriors RUSSIAN MVD “VITYAZ” 2002

During the latter years of the 20th century and the opening Before 1991 Soviet units used almost entirely state built decade of the following millennium, Russia fought two bitter military equipment as no real private or commercial “military kit” counter insurgency wars in the former Soviet republic of industry existed in the USSR. On rare occasions, military-styled Chechnya. At the forefront of special operation in both wars hiking and camping kit was pressed into service (in the USSR were the Spetsnaz unit known as “Vityaz”. civilian camping equipment tended to be made with military In the first Chechen War in the 1990s the Russian Army, fabrics and in drab army shades anyway) to make up shortfalls reeling after the collapse of communism, suffered a series in kit. With the fall of communism this changed drastically, with of humiliating defeats at the hands of the rebel Chechen the newly found Russian capitalist free market almost exploding insurgents, fighting on their home ground against a into life as thousands of small businesses began to flourish. demotivated army of young Russian conscripts. To make matters Not least among these was the outdoors, military and survival worse, the Federal Russians forces found that the Chechen’s “army surplus” industry that had been successful in the west for were natural hunters and warriors with a tribal and vengeful decades. In the fledgling democracy little regard was held for nature that made them particularly fierce opponents. copyright or patents and so commercial firms like ANA, BARS, As the first Chechen War ground to a standstill the Federal forces, running short on available regular army forces, OFFICIALLY CALLED THE “1ST SPECIAL PURPOSE UNIT OF began to move in interior ministry and THE INTERNAL FORCES”, THE UNIT IS MORE COMMONLY police units to plug the gap and try KNOWN AS “VITYAZ” WHICH MEANS “KNIGHT” IN and hold ground against the rebels. Federal Russia inherited a system from RUSSIAN AND IS ONE OF THE PREMIER “SPECIAL its Soviet former government where, DESIGNATION” OR “SPETSNAZ” UNITS AVAILABLE TO as well as traditional Army, Navy and THE MVD IN TIMES OF CRISIS Airforce arms of service, there was also an “interior army” rau by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The ministry, known in Russia as the MVD, had its own fully equipped military forces SPLAV etc. began to churn out commercial kit in a bewildering complete with tanks, attack helicopters and APCs and was array of camouflage patterns and uniforms cuts. Many of designed in the old Soviet system to counter any possible coup these were copies of NATO patterns (for example the Russian to seize power by the regular army and also to control any civil “kukla” or “smog” pattern is a carbon copy of British DPM) and unrest within the Soviet territories themselves. a fair few unique and original designs came up too (as well as commercial copies of Soviet era camo designs). While the regular Russian army still had to use government made equipment, the Counter Terrorism Specialists MVD allowed their units to purchase their kit from commercial After the fall of the Soviet Union the “Interior Army” of the companies. Many firms “sponsored” local units and provided MVD known as the “VV” or (Vnutrenniye Voiska) found them with kit at a discount and on the whole this created a very themselves dealing less with crowd control and riots and more “random” look to Russian MVD units in Chechnya. with full blown wars, as numerous former Soviet republics like Chechnya sought independence from Russia. Shortly after the end of Russian Communism the newly formed Russian Federation decided it needed more specialist units in the interior army to counter this new wave of terrorism from its former member states and “Vityaz” was formed. Officially called the “1st Special Purpose Unit of the Internal Forces”, the unit is more commonly known as “Vityaz” which means “Knight” in Russian and is one of the premier “special designation” or “Spetsnaz” units available to the MVD in times of crisis (regular readers and students of Russian military history will recall that “spetsnaz” is more of a “job description” than the name of any one unit!) Vityaz operations came under the remit of the Independent Operative Purpose Division (ODON), a quick response division of the Interior Army and armed police force of the MVD. At its inception Vityaz was intended to specialise in counter-terrorism duties and hostage rescue (much like the German unit GSG9 or the CRW wing of Britain’s SAS), with riot duties being more of a secondary duty (as opposed to the OMON we have featured in previous editions of “Warriors” who were specifically trained as riot police). The Chechen wars would change all this, however. Hurriedly thrown into the battles of the first war, the highly trained men of units like Vityaz would be seen to perform exceptionally well in counter insurgency warfare compared to their regular army counterparts and, by the time of the 2nd war in the region in the 2000s, Vityaz were taking a very active and deliberately planned part in the war. Perhaps most famously they were involved in the Moscow theatre hostage siege of 2002. Our warrior this month represents a “razvedchik” or “scout” of a Vityaz recce force operating among the Chechen foothills in the summer of 2002. As with most recce forces he travels light and carries only enough on him to survive, fight and operate for short periods away from the main unit. Perhaps most noticeable about our operator is that little of his kit is government issue, which effectively sums up the freedom enjoyed by MVD units to operate outside of the state supply lines.

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Warriors RUSSIAN MVD “VITYAZ” 2002

DIRTY WAR

This Vityaz operator wears a classic example of this “new style” Russian kit and has outfitted himself with a lightweight summer issue suit in the “Kamysh” green tiger stripe scheme popular with MVD units (the OMON riot police adopted a blue shaded variant but it was common to see camo schemes mixed in Chechnya as they used what they could get!) made by the company ANA. The suit itself is very thin cotton blend (akin to Britain’s “Soldier 95” combats in thickness) and oddly cut like a Russian “Gorka” mountain suit, with pockets on the front of the thighs and jacket lower and jacket sleeves, a voluminous hood (designed to be worn over a steel helmet) and elasticated strips at the calves to stop the baggy suit snagging on objects. Kamysh looks similar to South East Asian “wave pattern” or “tiger stripe” camo schemes and is often called “Russian tiger stripe” and comes in as many variations as can be seen by the mismatched, more “yellow” tones of his M95 assault vest, also made by ANA. These M95 vests came in many camouflage schemes and were popular with recce troops in the MVD as they were relatively lightweight, comfy to wear and had incredible carrying capacity – only lacking in durability being cloth rather than nylon and

cordura. This particular example is able to carry eight AKM or Ak47 mags in the front pouches, up to four grenades below them and has elasticated loops for cylumes, marking flares or knives. Inside the vest are two map pockets that can also accommodate a Makarov pistol and the right shoulder is padded to take the punch out of a rifle’s recoil, while the left has a small grenade or radio pouch. The rear of the vest has six pouches of various sizes which can carry rations, a respirator, spare ammo and any other supplies needed for a short duration patrol and as a final feature, raised rectangles on the shoulders prevent rifle slings from slipping off. The vest has its own cordura belt with a snap lock buckle and to this belt our operator has attached the bayonet for his AKM assault rifle and a Soviet era water canteen to allow him to access water in the hot Chechen summer without having to take his vest off to access the rear pockets. While by this time the AKM was an ageing model, many special operations troops preferred it to the AK74 for several reasons. It had a heavier round with better “cover penetration”, it could use a suppressor (the PBS1 is carried in one of the vests many pouches) for covert operations and behind enemy lines it had the same “report” as the rebels own AKMs! Without a shadow of a doubt, Chechnya was at times a very “dirty war” with ambushes, counter ambushes and reprisals happening on a daily basis. Many special operations troops did not want the locals to know their identity and to this end our man has used a green triangular bandage as a face veil (alternatively many troops used their green wool balaclava, here seen worn as a hat, to conceal their face). Lastly the scout’s feet are protected by a pair of Soviet model paratrooper boots. These lace up leather combat boots were still being produced to the 80s model well into the early 2000s and with some modification are used by some units to this day. While many of our “warriors” impressions are either expensive and time consuming to collect, or suitable only for themed games this loadout is none of the above. Russian combat gear from the 2000s is still relatively cheap to source (certainly much cheaper than modern NATO gear for specialist units) and this lightweight, comfortable and practical kit is entirely ideal for everything from a summer MilSim to an open day… in fact this Vityaz look was my open day kit for years! AA

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COVERT BOOT n Durable slip/oil resistant outsole n Suede/Cordura upper n Leather finish on Achillies and collar n Non metallic 7 stage eyelet lace fit

TACTCIAL ADVANTAGE

n Padded internals/tongue for added comfort n Heat treated Viper logo on ankle and rear BROWN

BLACK

TITANIUM

SRP: Â£49.95

vipertactical.co.uk

gear VIPER COVERT BOOTS

VIPER COVERT BOOTS GADGE’S FAITHFUL OLD “URBAN GAME” BOOTS WE’RE BEGINNING TO LOOK A BIT TIRED AND HE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT – LUCKILY A TRIP TO VIPER TACTICAL HAD THE ANSWER.

EARLIER LAST MONTH Tom and I joined our editor Nige on a trip to Viper Tactical, to show them our plans for Airsoft Action TV (among other things) and within minutes of sitting down at the meeting table, my eyes kept glancing at their new range of “covert boots” on a display stand in the room. Never one to keep quiet when I’ve got an interest in something, I asked the Viper guys if I could have a look. At first glance I was pretty impressed and at the conclusion of our meeting I just had to be cheeky and ask if I could get a pair to review. Needless to say, they were happy to say yes (or you wouldn’t be reading this) and so, without further ado, let’s have a look at them!

BUILD AND CONSTRUCTION. The Viper Tactical Covert Boot is a modern-looking combat boot, with a suede and Cordura upper that looks like it’s going to pretty durable and, unlike traditional leather finish boots, not going to require regular polishing (which is a bit of a bonus as I seem to be forever polishing leather combat boots!). There is a small amount of leather on the Achilles flexing point and the boot tops but neither of these parts are the sort that really need a lot of cleaning. The suede outer is firmly fixed to an oil resistant outsole with a pretty chunky tread, that looks like it’ll give me good grip in both CQB and woodland environments (if I decide to go “greenside” with them). “IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT “BREAKING IN” ISN’T NEEDED… TO CALL THESE “COMBAT SLIPPERS” DUE TO THEIR COMFORT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT!”

The boots fasten up with a fairly unique “speedlacing” system of plastic exposed hoop-type eyelets for the first six holes, then a more traditional type of circular eyelet right at the top. If I’m honest this is the one bit of the Covert Boot I’m not mad on, as I feel the top eyelet slows down the speed with which you can lace the rest of the boot – it’s no biggy though, as I’ll just wear mine with the top eyelets unlaced.

TEST WEARING AND A TRIAL RUN As you can see from their pretty pristine condition I’ve not had time to wear them to an event yet but decided to “break them in” with a few long walks with the dogs and a jog or two around the block. It’s fair to say that “breaking in” isn’t needed… to call these “combat slippers” due to their comfort would be an understatement! The inner of the boot is well padded around both the entire interior and also the boot’s tongue, meaning that it’s unlikely to trouble you with blisters even with prolonged use, although I think only time will tell there. I chose to review the Covert boots in Viper’s “Titanium” shade, to go along with the grey and multicam scheme my team have chosen but they are also available in black and brown and range from a UK size 7 all the way up to a substantial UK 12. All in all, for a boot costing less than £50 I think these Covert Boots are a bit of bargain going off their sturdy construction and comfy fit out the box. I’ll have to let you know in a later issue how well they stand up to an Airsoft Action reporter’s “wear and tear” though! AA

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GITAG GEARSKIN UPDATE

IT’S A WRAP – RE-VISITED!

september 2018

GITAG GEARSKIN UPDATE

WAY BACK IN ISSUE 62 WE TOOK A LOOK AT A NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT LETS YOU MAKE A SINGLE SET OF KIT WORK IN ANY ENVIRONMENT. MOVING THINGS RIGHT UP TO DATE BILL SPEAKS AGAIN TO THE GUYS AT GEARSKIN TO SEE WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THEN. BACK IN 2016 I noticed a unique-looking new product online and subsequently started talking to “John Skins” via social media (which just proves that when you use such methods of communication straightforwardly and politely then you really can hit absolute gold) and we’ve been speaking together ever since - and even met in person a couple of times. My personal GEARSKIN projects have worked well and lasted very well too and the recent update which added PenCott GreenZone to the range means that there are now new projects in the offing! Whilst I’ve had the opportunity to work on my (ever growing!) loadout collection over a period of many years, I do understand that many of you out there are either still working on yours or, indeed, have yet to start building one. This is where GEARSKIN for me is a real winner, as it will let you take elements of your base gear and use it with various different camo clothing options! To recap… What is GEARSKIN and where has it come from? GEARSKIN is an innovative self-adhesive fabric technology with outstanding features compliant with the highest military standards. GEARSKIN effectively offers you the potential to create a personalised solution for each and every situation and every loadout. GEARSKIN has been improving its characteristics consistently after an array of lab analysis destruction testing and field tests. By getting a huge amount of precise data, the Croatian team behind this remarkable product were able to steer the development of GEARSKIN in the right direction and ended up with a highly innovative self-adhesive fabric with so many mind-blowing properties that its application is almost limitless! Its basic role is protecting and camouflaging firearms and military equipment but the characteristics of the product make it suitable for many, many different uses. The product is entirely designed and manufactured in Europe using top quality materials technology and knowledge.

The complete production process takes place in a factory in northern Croatia, employing more than three hundred people with a one hundred and forty year background in the textile industry, making it one of the oldest in Europe. Their traditions expertise and knowledge of the technology in producing special purpose fabrics and materials have been forged over decades supplying many military and law enforcement clients, as well as clients ranging from the oil industry railways medical institutions and many more. All of the fabrics used in GEARSKIN production are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class II certified for all components, are completely safe for use in contact with the human skin and are manufactured in compliance with all environmental standards. The OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is an independent testing and certification system for all textile raw materials, along with intermediate and end products at all stages of production. OEKO-TEX testing for harmful substances always focuses on the actual use of the textile; the more intensive the skin contact of a product, the stricter the human ecological requirements are to be met.

HIGH SPEC! All of the materials used in the creation of GEARSKIN products are of the highest military specification which ensures its optimum performance in a wide range of applications ranging from military law enforcement, outdoor activities and of course, airsoft. GEARSKIN is produced with high end Polyamide-Cotton fabric (Cordura®) and Nylon-Cotton fabric (NyCo). The SMART Adhesive is the second component of GEARSKIN that is critical in the application of the product. The adhesive is characterised by strong initial adhesion and slow ripening, which means you can use GEARSKIN in the short term remove it from the equipment item and save it on the transfer paper for reuse. Alternatively, by leaving it on GEARSKIN’s adhesive matures, adhering more strongly to the surface and providing a longterm solution for the protection and camouflage of equipment.

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After years of operating in hostile territories, including the deserts of Iraq and mountains of Afghanistan, we know how it feels to be desperate for a great cup of coffee. Travelling over 40 miles through southern Afghanistan just to drink a good coffee at Kandahar Airfield is one of the many experiences that enabled us to develop such appreciation and passion for the black stuff. The ideas and concepts born in these terrains are what led us to establish the Lincolnshire-based Bolt Action Coffee Co, so we won’t apologise for our roots. We’re proud of our ethos and background and we enjoy loud music, tattoos and guns, but our biggest passion is coffee and making it available to those keeping the UK and her interests safe and secure. That said, we do recognise that the UK has many warriors and not all wear a uniform. In keeping with our background, every sip will support the brave. We work with organisations, charities and people of the same mind-set and are closely aligned with the Pilgrim Bandits, a charity which counts our founder among one of its trustees. Bolt Action is run by the long-suffering wife of the Founder whose ears have been filled with endless poor coffee tales from overseas and whose kitchen holds evidence of the Founder’s unwavering coffee quest, in the form of remnants of various beans and blends from around the world. Determined to take back her kitchen and her sanity, and to demonstrate her appreciation for the sacrifices made by her husband and people like him, she made the decision to set up Bolt Action Coffee Co. and now runs the day to day regime.

www.boltactioncoffee.com | orders@boltactioncoffee.com

GITAG GEARSKIN UPDATE

You’ll recognise the strength of the adhesive from the very first touch but in the short term it is easily removed from any surface without leaving any traces. If you want to keep the fabric permanently applied, it’s enough to simply leave the fabric in place as the glue will slowly “mellow” and get a more powerful bond with the surface over time. This process can be accelerated by slightly heating the fabric. If, after a prolonged use, a sticky residue appears when the fabric is removed from the equipment item, it’s easy to clean with ordinary edible oil or simply by using a piece of fabric which has already been removed (there’s a great bit of video on the GEARSKIN website that shows you how to do this). GEARSKIN easily adapts to curves, adheres to various surfaces and has been tested in a wide range of field conditions. Some of its characteristics are water repellency, oil repellency, acid repellency and it has an anti-soil treatment and a high resistance to wear and creasing. GEARSKIN eliminates the equipment “flare effect” which further contributes to a full-spectrum concealment system and it has excellent NIR properties, which make it an efficient IR camouflage to aid in combatting night vision devices.

MOVING ON! Time has now passed and the GEARSKIN brand has been through a fair few “trials and tribulations” but if anything, it has come back even stronger than before. I spoke to John again to find out what’s been going on and what we can expect to see in the future! AA: Hey mate so tell me what’s been going on with GEARSKIN since we last spoke? John: “If I’d have to say it in one word it would be – insane! We are involved in many MIL/LE developments expanding our core fans and expanding in demand. But we just keep hammering it in every aspect. A new production capability and new collaborations are bringing some very good things. There are great things achieved in IR sector in collaboration with the

ACTinBLACK brand and Šestan Busch helmets were a hit on Eurosatory Paris 2018. We are also very proud to meet so many good people in all industries we plan to work with; support is overwhelming.” AA: Have you added more camouflage options to the line? John: “Yes we did, in fact have some delays but no obstacle can be high enough when you do work to what you believe. We released a new batch with more than 130 products were made available of which some are already sold out.“ AA: Has GEARSKIN now become more easily available? John: “Yes, some of the good news is that great distribution points throughout the world which we have already connected with should make the goods available to the customers. Our website distributors sector is being updated all the time so just check that out – you’ll find all our partners retailers and wholesalers there is one place.” AA: I know that you recently won an award for GEARSKIN™? Could you tell me more about that? John: “The greatest awards are the awesome people you start surrounding yourself with. The award I believe you’re referring to is the most recent one that of being recognised as one of the best innovation creators in Croatia within the past 4 years. That’s just the results speaking for us. We make few public appearances; I always like to point out that results talk for you and from that perspective it’s a privilege. We will keep on doing our best to improve the camouflage community with the same passion in the future.” AA: What does the future hold for GEARSKIN? John: “Some of our deals are under NDA contract so we can’t tell those exciting stories (just yet) but good names are mentioned along the way, one of them being MOHOC Red Wolf ŠB... Right now our future looks like even more R&D and enlarging our production capacities.” Having been a user of GEARSKIN products for a while now it’s been my pleasure to work with the team there and to see their products in action on my own gear. One question that I am often asked is “How durable is it?” and I can only speak from personal experience to tell you that the holster and knife sheath I created for the original GEARSKIN article, are both still looking great and performing very well indeed. I’m looking forward to getting on with my PenCott projects now and I’m chuffed to bits I can finally have a holster in that pattern too! For more information on GEARSKIN™ along with a great gallery of user-projects and “how to” videos do please visit www.GEARSKIN™.eu and check out their Facebook page for regular announcements and competitions.AA

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feature EYE PROTECTION

FRENCHIE DELVES INTO THE MYSTERIES OF STANDARDS IN EYE PROTECTION, SOMETHING THAT EVERY PLAYER SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF AS SOME ARE SIMPLY NOT SUITABLE FOR AIRSOFT.

THE EYES HAVE IT! Eye protection is an absolute given in airsoft but how much do you understand about it and how much do you need to understand to ensure the safety and wellbeing of your eyes? Anyone who has delved into standards for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be aware that nothing is entirely straightforward and that is also true of eye protection. There are standards for frames and lenses and different standards depending upon the perceived risks. How do you ensure that you are taking adequate steps to protect your vision during a game? Serious eye protection generally requires either goggles or a full-face mask, or visor. This is to maximise protection and to minimise the chances of debris or shrapnel from entering the eye by bypassing the lens. So, theoretically, you would be safest wearing the sort of drop-down visor used when strimming the garden for instance. For really obvious reasons this isn’t terribly practical in airsoft - none of us want to look like gardeners and getting any kind of cheek weld just isn’t happening! For that reason - and because they look really cool - most of us gravitate towards some form of safety glasses. This is a choice not without its risks but, properly fitted, glasses can provide more than adequate protection from stray BBs.

So how do you determine if your glasses are actually up to the task? The answer should be “Standards”; as in European Union standards or ANSI standards but these aren’t necessarily straightforward. To compound the issue there is considerable overlap in the various standards. I’ll try to explain but first we have to deal with the elephant in the room… As with so much concerning airsoft there is no accepted minimum standard for eye protection. Why? Well, basically because there is no governing body for airsoft in the UK to set such things as standards. UKARA is a retailer’s organisation, UKAPU is for players and I honestly don’t know if UKASGB (United Kingdom Airsoft Sites Governing Body) still exists. Of all of these, only UKASGB would have been in a position to impose standards, well more likely suggest them and to the best of my knowledge it never did. Stop and think about that - at no point has any organisation connected to airsoft in the UK tried to establish exactly what the eye protection standards should be. Put like that, it’s quite scary, moreover it can potentially cause real problems should a site or player face a claim for damages. I know of one case involving the Health and Safety Executive in the UK where they couldn’t get their heads around the fact that there was no standard for eye protection in airsoft.

So, standards….

The most common standard adhered to for safety glasses is EN166F, where the “F” designates the level of mechanical protection the eyewear delivers and it isn’t much on paper. The test is a 0.86 gramme steel ball of 6mm diameter travelling at 45 meters per second; that’s 0.87 joules and we can run our guns at 1.3 joules for full auto and 2.5 joules single shot, so that is not enough! Well it is really, as anyone who has tested a pair will have discovered. Even shot point blank with a 500 fps sniper rifle loaded with 0.2g ammo you will generally find that the BB bounces off. Don’t ask me why, I can only assume that in meeting the standard, lenses tend to greatly exceed it. To further confuse matters, the NATO standard for personal protection (aka armour) appears to be more rigourous than EN166F but there are commercially available glasses out there that meet both… There are ratings in excess of EN166F but I have only ever seen them applied to either goggles or full-face shields - I may be wrong in this but I haven’t found glasses with those ratings. Here’s something else to consider… The frames of your glasses can (and should) also be rated. It’s the same EN166 standard and if you think about it for just a moment it makes 74

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feature EYE PROTECTION

“DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE GUARDER C2 GLASSES WITH INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES? YUP, THEY WERE GREAT EXCEPT THAT I HAVE SEEN LENSES FALL OUT WHEN THE FRAME CRACKED FOLLOWING A DIRECT HIT. THE EXPRESSION “CHOCOLATE FIREGUARD” SPRINGS TO MIND!”

complete sense. There is no point in having ballistic (a muchoverused expression) lenses if they fall to the ground when the frames take a BB. Unfortunately, where I have seen failures in eye protection this is where it’s been. Does anyone remember the Guarder C2 glasses with interchangeable lenses? Yup, they were great except that I have seen lenses fall out when the frame cracked following a direct hit. The expression “chocolate fireguard” springs to mind! Your glasses have to work as a whole and the only way you can be reasonably certain of that is if they are certified. Some glasses from the Far East don’t carry an EN rating, even though the chances are that many that do are also made there. About 2mm of polycarbonate is sufficient to stop a BB but it will serve you poorly if the rest of the glasses aren’t up to it. The only possible solution to this I can offer is to go with the rating. Although known and trusted brands aren’t a complete guarantee, it doesn’t hurt either so a company like Bolle for instance, who make all sorts of protective equipment, is a decent bet. What about full face masks? Hmmm… That brings us to an interesting area as many full face options use mesh instead of polycarbonate for their lenses. Hand up, I have used mesh as much as I have used polycarb simply because it never steams up - from cheap mask and goggle combos to modified S6 respirators, right through to a set of modified Bolle glasses made by the redoubtable Heroshark, I’ve owned them all. The problem with mesh, rather obviously, is the holes. I haven’t seen a safety rating involving mesh and I don’t expect to. EN166 uses a 6mm steel ball as their testing reference and that is relatively big - fragments from a shattered BB are much smaller. Some BBs have a reputation for shattering more easily than others, although my experience tells me that any plastic ball fired against a hard surface will shatter. I reckon my Heroshark glasses would stop a small car travelling at speed but I was always aware that there was an inherent risk of damage from BB shrapnel – and that’s a choice I made. I don’t know these days if it’s a recommendation I would make but that may be a mark of advancing years. And that’s the problem with masks - too often they have mesh eyepieces. I understand why, sweat and condensation are a real problem but waht if your protection is compromised? Not an easy call to make, even though it looks obvious on paper. Ultimately for me (and for many others I see), the solution is suitable glasses and some form of lower face protection, a shemagh or a neoprene mask maybe?

Regardless of preference, invest in decent glasses. They don’t actually have to cost the earth, far from it although brands like Revision, Wiley-X or Oakley will make a dent in your wallet. On the upside all three make really cool glasses so, as ever, “you pays your money and you takes your choice”. Look for EN166F as an absolute basic - if they are proper safety glasses they’ll meet that standard as a minimum even if their performance actually exceeds it. It’s a truism often repeated within airsoft but compared to your vision, good glasses are both a cheap and a necessary investment; there is nothing to be gained by scrimping on them. AA

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feature PROJECT OPFOR

PROJECT OPFOR: PART ONE FOR MANY AIRSOFTERS WHO GET INVOLVED IN BATTLESIM DAYS AND MILSIM EVENTS, OPFOR ARE OFTEN VIEWED AS THE “POOR RELATIONS” WHEN IT COMES TO BOTH GEAR AND THE GAME ITSELF. BILL TAKES A VERY DIFFERENT VIEW ON THIS AND MAKES THE ARGUMENT FOR “OPFOR IS WHERE IT’S AT” IN THE FIRST OF A NEW SERIES ON BUILDING A COHERENT OPFOR TEAM. During my time playing airsoft I’ve found myself on all manner of teams and every single one has had its own particular plus and minus points. If I think carefully though, it has been the time that I’ve spent playing opposing force, or OPFOR, where I’ve enjoyed myself the most! Like many of you that will be reading this, my journey within airsoft began with nothing more than a plastic TM AEG, a set of DPM, a Webtex chest rig and a decent pair of boots. I went to games on my own and whilst I enjoyed each and every game day, I played pretty much on my own, envying the guys that were part of a team and being slightly overawed by their loadouts. In time I became part of a team myself and again, I know that some of you out there will remember “The Evil Bears” if you played around the Bristol area or in the West Country. My DPM and chest rig was soon laid to rest in favour of Desert Tigerstripe and a tan plate carrier and although I still enjoyed a bit of “lone wolf”, it was immense fun being part of a proper team, not just in terms of game days but also socially in general. Fast forward to the current day and whilst I’m not bemoaning it at all, part of working for a monthly airsoft magazine means attending events and games not just in my local area but quite regularly further (in some cases MUCH further!) from home. I’m certain that if you speak to any of the AA team and asked them “What is your regular weekend site?” they’d tell you that they don’t actually have one! I’ve been following the OPFOR path for some time now, as to me it brings back some of the freedom of the old days. My loadout has become progressively more simplified and guess what? These days I find myself running about in a simple chest rig once again… I’ve been trying to play more regularly locally following my surgery last year and, due to its nature, I’ve found 78

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wearing a plate carrier quite uncomfortable. This has forced me to step back to simpler kit as I still want to get out and play, have fun and regain the fitness I’ve lost. Playing more regularly and playing locally means that I’ve also reconnected with some superb “grass roots” airsofters at local skirmishes and once again the social aspect is re-emerging. For my first game back I chose to run my full “BlueFor” kit and it soon became apparent that I needed to make a change to lighten my load and take pressure off certain “tender” areas. The answer to this of course was a decent chest rig and a minimal set of belt order. Once I started running this I was immediately more comfortable and in turn, more “switched on”. I spent time discussing this with friends locally and it became eminently clear to me that I wasn’t the only one moving away from the “operator” look to something altogether more streamlined.

OPFOR IS ALIVE! The turning point for me came for two reasons; regular readers of AA will have seen my report on “OP BATT House” and it was a joy to run fast and loose with Nige, Gadge and Tom along with other friends as OPFOR. It was a great game, we raised some dosh for Pilgrim Bandits and most of all everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It also proved to me that my latest OPFOR loadout just plain “worked”. The second decider was a result of meeting two players who live locally to me. First off was James, who I met through our shared love of “Post-Ap” style board games and, in turn, his mate Campbell. Whilst initially we met to play games they too were missing belonging to a regular team and at this point the seeds of what was to become “DO-18 OPFOR” were planted.

feature PROJECT OPFOR

Our initial discussions were about what type of team we wanted to create and after much back and forth (and some soul-searching) we agreed that what we missed were the games where we took on interesting missions on a very “small unit” scale and this led to me suggesting that we follow the OPFOR route. OPFOR is often viewed as being “cannon fodder”; a force which is always set up to lose against the better armed, better equipped BlueFor. I’ll start by saying that if this is how you view OPFOR then it’s not for you! A decent OPFOR to me is a team that has multiple challenges. Yes, BlueFor will have their mission and, in turn, their taskings to fulfil this mission but they will also have to contend with a fairly rigid command structure and rules of engagement. Being a part of BlueFor, at more carefully constructed MilSim events, will also mean quite a rigid uniform and equipment element and I know for a fact that this can seem prohibitive for newer players.

there to lose, you are there to adapt, overcome, roll with the undoubted pounding you will get from BlueFor and, ultimately, thrive and survive to take on your next bit of skulduggery or sabotage! Next month I’ll be looking at a simple OPFOR loadout to get you started. My sincere thanks got to Allyssa Mills for the pictures here. All were taken at “OP Grey Slate III” at Darkwater Airsoft in Kent.

IT’S DOWN TO YOU! OPFOR, however, as my fellow writers and I have often said, is a great way to get started, certainly if you aspire to that MilSim level but also for a simple skirmish day. Kit requirements are simple (i.e. don’t buy an M4!) but to me it’s the mindset of the OPFOR player that starts to really make things interesting. As a member of an OPFOR team you will need to be both mentally and physically resilient. You’ll need to be totally self-sufficient, often working without specific situational taskings and most certainly without support elements. You’ll need to be self-reliant whilst still retaining the ability to work as part of an effective cell and, perhaps most importantly, you’ll need the ability to not take yourself too seriously. A large part of any decent OPFOR will be an element of LARP, where you ditch your weapons and meld into a group of civilian NPCs, or indeed create a “CivPop” yourselves! I’m not for a moment suggesting that you can’t be OPFOR and have all the very latest Gucci goodies, as (of course) sometimes BlueFor will encounter opposition every bit as well kitted out as they are, so in the coming months I’ll be looking at how you go about creating your own group or team and how you can train and equip yourselves to take on any role. Let’s begin by simply saying that as OPFOR you are not www.airsoft-action.online

gear VIPER TRIPLE MAG PLATE

VIPER TRIPLE MAG PLATE KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK CHECKS OUT A REALLY USEFUL BIT OF KIT FROM VIPER TACTICAL. NOW WE ALL LIKE GUCCI kit but are we all prepared to pay the Gucci prices that come along with that? With Viper, we may not have to. Viper are well known for making great looking kit at low prices and that’s exactly what they’ve done with the Triple Mag Plate. The Viper Triple Mag Plate is a molle compatible elastic mag sleeve, made from tough Cordura and elastic (that is designed to be worn on the front of a plate carrier, or drop leg molle set-up) that is low profile, slick and easy to use. The three mag sleeves can fit magazines, small radios, documents, flashbangs (Enola Gaye MK5s are a great fit) and bandages or field dressings, making it a versatile and utilitarian piece of kit. It is pretty easy to install – I only say “pretty easy” as I have long acrylic nails which don’t fair too well with traditional molle (otherwise it would be easy peasy)! It has three molle straps with snap buttons for security. When you first use the sleeves they are pretty tight because of the elastic and can be difficult to get mags in and out. I alleviated this by leaving three M4 midcaps in them for a few days before my skirmish, which loosened them up enough for me to get mags in/out quickly but still have great retention. One of the things I like about elastic mag sleeves is that they have such good retention – they may be tight, but your mag won’t fall out! I also like that it looks similar to the Blue Force Gear Ten-Speed Triple M4 Mag Pouch (which retails at around £39.99), making this a budget alternative with a pretty similar look! The sleeves are super low profile even with mags in them, which means this a great option for lightweight loadouts and for wearing under jackets (think to when you’re cold on STAG and you need to quickly throw something on). Which also means they wouldn’t be bulky if you were wearing your carrier in a vehicle – anyone for a tactical taxi? How low profile it is, is definitely one of the major selling points of the product, along with its modern look and easy to use construction.

The Triple Mag Plate is available in VCam (VCam Cordura with tan elastic sleeve), coyote, black and green, so no matter what your chosen camo pattern, there is a colourway to compliment it. I would love to see this made in the “Titanium” colourway too, as that is one of my favourites in the Viper range. The important question is how much does it retail for? The price does vary between retailers but it is available around the £9-10 price point, giving airsofters a chance to imitate those expensive looking loadouts on a budget and hey, even having one for every colour loadout if they choose to. I think with this product Viper have definitely produced a quality budget product that will appeal to a fair few in the airsoft community. AA

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The Last Post AIRSOFT INJURIES

AIRSOFT CAN BE A REAL

PAIN SERIOUS INJURIES IN AIRSOFT ARE THANKFULLY VERY RARE BUT EVEN MINOR ONES CAN BE PAINFUL BUT NOT ALL ARE CAUSED BY BBS, AS FRENCHIE EXPLAINS…

I’m sitting here in front of my laptop, bombed out of my mind on Solpadeine Max having once again hurt my back. Since I’m rather focused on pain, I thought it might be amusing (well sort of) to mull over airsoft injuries and their causes. Some of these have happened to me, some to other players, so it’s all about sharing the love. The irony of a pastime in which we deliberately go out of our way to shoot each other with little, solid projectiles is that the vast majority of injuries encountered have nothing whatsoever to do with getting shot - and that’s a mark of how fundamentally safe airsoft is. Let’s deal with shooting injuries first. In my experience the single most vulnerable part of the body are teeth. Yes, a good hit can raise welts, even draw blood but for sheer ability to disintegrate in the face of a BB frenzy, teeth win every time! Over the several years that I was in charge of an airsoft site, I think the count was seven and a half teeth and I cannot recall an instance where the damage was caused by anything other than sheer bad luck. Rather, they were the result of an immovable object meeting an irresistible force. Teeth are really strong but they aren’t immortal and they can be brittle. I tried a gum shield once and discovered I couldn’t breathe properly, so your only real options are full-face protection or learning to keep your mouth shut in a firefight. I have been very fortunate to avoid this injury although, ironically, I became much more aware of the risk after I had a very expensive implanted bridge fitted. Sure, it wouldn’t hurt if I got hit but it would cost sooo much!

september 2018

Team Redfox’s Maxine ‘not in the face’ Matsuura The other big danger is eyes but it is such an article of faith within airsoft that eye protection must be worn, that I have never had to deal with a serious eye injury. I know it happens and I have had a couple of close calls when a shot hit my cheekbone and ricocheted vertically under my glasses. No damage done and the only treatment needed was clean underwear! I will sound one note of caution - I have had one instance where a player who had bought prescription glasses rated to EN166 took a shot to the eye at close range. EN166 is fine but it is rated at less than one joule - had the range been slightly longer there wouldn’t have been an issue but there was some chipping of his lens and he was taken to A&E just to be sure. (I’ve written a short article about eye protection ratings, which you’ll find on pages 74 and 75 of this issue.) No, airsoft injuries are not generally caused by BBs, they are far more likely to be slips, trips and other associated stupidity - and bad luck. Those I have seen plenty of and experienced a few. One of my favourites was very early on in my ‘softing career as I moved down a hill. A branch from a tree slipped up my sleeve and as I descended, my arm ascended leaving me with adhesive capsulitis, or “frozen shoulder” if you prefer. While not the most painful or debilitating injury, it takes ages to fully heal and it was about 2 years before I got the full range of movement back. That was just in time to do the other shoulder, this time driving a Humber Pig on site. Power steering should have been working but wasn’t and I can still recall the tearing crunch as my right shoulder screamed “enough!”

The Last Post AIRSOFT INJURIES

“THE IRONY OF A PASTIME IN WHICH WE DELIBERATELY GO OUT OF OUR WAY TO SHOOT EACH OTHER WITH LITTLE, SOLID PROJECTILES IS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF INJURIES ENCOUNTERED HAVE NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH GETTING SHOT - AND THAT’S A MARK OF HOW FUNDAMENTALLY SAFE AIRSOFT IS.” You see, the thing about airsoft is that we like to play in either wilderness or buildings, both of which have their fair share of hazards. I always briefed players not to run, pointing out that trees would be far less inconvenienced by an impact than the player. I also told the assembled throng that I knew that they would ignore me and that on their heads be it. I only ever had to deal with one serious leg injury, a dislocated knee and I couldn’t fault the player - their foot slipped on a broken branch. It was heartening that the staff and other players all did exactly as they we required and the ambulance arrived promptly. The affected player was stretchered out, repeatedly explaining to me that nitrous oxide was the finest thing ever invented! He made a full recovery and I was proud of how well everyone pitched in - or kept out of the way - as required. Using a building to arrest your high-speed tactical dash may seem like a brilliant idea and I know that a lot of us do it but our shoulder blades may not agree. A sudden stop for one of my players cracked a shoulder, although he didn’t notice for a day or so afterwards. This isn’t unusual - quite often players involved in a spill are so relieved not to have broken their guns that they completely ignore, or at least discount any pain they may be experiencing, I know of one broken wrist that falls into this category! Another airsoft classic is injuring yourself whilst trying to avoid something that wouldn’t hurt you but would send you back to respawn - I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen this! Pyro is favourite here. A Mark-V won’t hurt you if it goes off at your feet but it will take you out of the game, so running away is, in the context of a game, sensible. What is less sensible is trying to do that on a staircase, when you have nowhere to go and an underlying back problem. This leads to players with their feet in the air unable to move. Fortunately, there were two paramedics to hand who took control of the situation and a doctor who pitched up shortly afterwards (don’t you love the broad school that is airsoft?!). Granted the doctor was a gynecologist and we didn’t have a letter box handy but he did what he could. Fortunately no lasting or serious injury resulted but the player was removed by ambulance just to be sure. That last tale really encapsulates airsoft injuries. So often they are caused by sudden reactions to an event that wouldn’t result in injury but would result in a hit. It’s entirely understandable that players react the way they do - they’re locked in the moment and the game - but it’s better to take the hit and trudge to respawn than find yourself staring at the ceiling or wondering where that tree just sprang from. Have fun, fight hard but please - take care out there! AA

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Looking for somewhere to buy Airsoft Action? Your local Newsagent sold out? Then why not visit any of the fine airsoft companies listed here? They all keep Airsoft Action in stock and while you are there, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to have a good browse round to see what else they can tempt you with...

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Sell Airsoft Action in your shop or on your site and get a FREE ADVERT on these pages! Contact Nige on 01684 878003 or by email: nige@airsoft-action.co.uk for details.

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ALPHA ELITE GAMING

BADLANDS AIRSOFT

BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT

ALPHA 55

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

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

BRISTOL AIRSOFT

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

BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT

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

CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

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

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

BUNKER 51

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

BUSH VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

COMBAT ACTION GAMES

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

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE COMPLEX Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4RP Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT (DESERT)

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

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

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE WORKS (URBAN)

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

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

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT

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

DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT

Ellough Lark Raceway, Benacre Road, Ellough, Norfolk Tel: 07455 906132

ELITE BATTLEZONE

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

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

FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS

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

FIFE WARGAMES COMBAT AIRSOFT

C3 TACTICAL

COTSWOLD AIRSOFT

DARKWATER AIRSOFT LTD.

38 Full Street, Derby DE1 3AF Tel: 01332 493258 Email: info@combatreadyairsoft.co.uk www.combatreadyairsoft.co.uk

Mobile: 07947 558433 www.darkwaterairsoft.co.uk Email: darwaterairsofthythe@gmail.com DARKWATER AFTER DARK C.Q.B, (Battlezone Building), Britannia Lane, Kingsnorth, Ashford, TN23 3NA facebook.com/afterdarkcqb DARKWATER SITE Dering Wood, Church Lane, Shadoxhurst, Ashford TN26 1LZ facebook.com/darkwaterairsoftdarkwater

COMBAT READY OUTDOOR

DELTA TEAM 3

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

COMBAT READY CQB

Middle Wildpark Farm, Wildpark Lane, Brailsford, Ashbourne DE6 3BN Tel: 01332 493258 Email: info@combatreadyairsoft.co.uk www.combatreadyairsoft.co.uk

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

DOGS OF WAR COMBAT SOUTH URBAN

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

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

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

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

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

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

FIRST & ONLY: ANZIO CAMP

Blackshaw Moor, Nr Leek, Staffordshire ST13 8TL Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: DOG TAG AIRSOFT

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

CROSSFIRE WOODS – PRESTON Moss Lane East, Preston PR4 3SP 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 5 Tel: 01438 368177 www.thefightschool.demon.co.uk

COOL UNDER FIRE

DRAGON’S LAIR

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

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

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

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT

D.T.W AIRSOFT

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

Colchester, Essex CO1 2ZF Tel: 01206 790046 www.dtwairsoft.co.uk

STEALTH WOODS – OTLEY

Stealth Woods, Dob Park, Norwood Bottom Road, Otley LS21 2NA Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY:

THE MILL CQB – WIGAN

Unit S2 Mill 1, Swan Meadow Industrial Estate, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY:

THE OUTPOST – KIDDERMINSTER

Drakelow Tunnels, Kingsford Country Park, Near Kinver, Kidderminster DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863

www.airsoft-action.online

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

FIRST & ONLY: SHELL SHOCK WOODS – BRIDGNORTH

Uplands Coppice, Off B4363, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 5LS Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

STEALTH WOODS – OTLEY

Stealth Woods, Dob Park, Norwood Bottom Road, Otley LS21 2NA Tel: 0161 727 8863

MIA

Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst,

Cornwall, EX23 9JL :

Kent TN12 0HP Tel: 01622 831788 / 07876 263290

GRANGE LIVE GAMING FIRST & ONLY:

INVICTA BATTLEFIELD

Bravo One Birmingham, 93–99 Holloway Head, B1 1QP Tel: 0121 643 2477 info@grangelivegaming.com www.grangelivegaming.com

Tel: 01288 331748 www.airsoftsouthwest.co.uk

www.invictabattlefield.co.uk

MIDWALES AIRSOFT ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT

Abbey Cwm-hir, Midwales, LD1 6PG Tel: 07497 480243 www.facebook.com/Midwales-airsoft

Near Shorwell, Isle of Wight, PO30

FIRST & ONLY:

THE JUNGLE – HARBURY

Bull Ring Farm Rd, Leamington Spa CV33 9HJ Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY:

THE ARMOURY – WREXHAM Oak Road, Wrexham, Denbighshire LL13 9RG Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY:

THE BASE CQC – YATESBURY

1 Jugglers Ln, Yatesbury, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 8YA Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

FREE FIRE ZONE

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

FRV AIRSOFT

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

FULL METAL AIRSOFT

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

GASS AIRSOFT – PENN

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

GUN HO AIRSOFT

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – TUDDENHAM

Cavenham Road, Tuddenham, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6DF Tel: 07711 774461 (Doug) or 07711 774401 (Josh) www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk/gunmanairsoft-tuddenham/

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS

The Grange, Frogmore Grange, Balsall Common, Coventry CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532 384 info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk www.giairsoft.co.uk/Skirmish-days

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – EVERSLEY

The Welsh Drive, Fleet Road (A327), Eversley, Hants RG27 0PY Tel: 07711 774461 (Doug) or 07711 774401 (Josh) www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk/gunmanairsoft-eversley/

HILTON PARK AIRSOFT

GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON

HUMBER AIRSOFT

2018 septemberember

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

LAC AT COMBAT ZONE Saxillby, LN1 2JW Tel: 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

17G Stationview, Dunmurry,

North Lincolnshire, DN21 www.humberairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07792 680297

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

MILSIM UK

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

NCIS AIRSOFT

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

NOMAD AIRSOFT

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

Belfast BT170AE Tel: 07733128484

LEEDS AIRSOFT: THE FOUNDRY CQB

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

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

Haigh Park Road, Stourton, Leeds LS10 1RX Tel: 0113 277 7707 / 07968 258952

NORTHFLEET CQB

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

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

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

HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT

Tel: 07955 487983

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

www.islandrecon.co.uk

LAGAN AIRSOFT CLUB

Penn Bottom, Bucks, HP10 Tel: 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk

Piddington, Oxfordshire, OX25 1 Tel: 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk

Tel: 07964 751047

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES

NPF AIRSOFT, NPF BASSETTS POLE

Trickley Coppice, London Road, Bassetts Pole, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA Tel: 0121 323 1000 info@npfairsoft.com www.facebook.com/npfairsoft

Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5FW Tel: 07974 507166 www.matlockcombatgames.com

MAW Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 Tel: 07793 404346 1midaw@gmail.com

NSC AIRSOFT

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

NTAC

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

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

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

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

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

PHOENIX AIRSOFT

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

RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3

SUSSEX AIRSOFT

TORRENT WARFARE

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM)

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

TROJAN AIRSOFT

TA EVENTS

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB

Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ Tel: 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

Cambridge, CB24 8RL Tel: 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

SG1 COMBAT GAMES Co. Londonderry, BT45 8NA Tel: 07713 273102 www.sg1combatgames.co.uk

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY

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

SKIRMISH EXETER PLATOON 1HQ

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

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

PLAYERS OF WAR

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

Browndown Road, Lee-On-Solent PO13 9UG Tel: 07533 434203

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES Ballynahinch, BT24 8NF Tel: 02897565651 / 07825169631 www.predatorcombat.com

RAVEN’S NEST

Suffolk, IP8 4 Tel: 01473 831563 www.ravensairsoft.co.uk

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

RED1AIRSOFT

Chislehurst, Bromley BR7 6SD Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

RED1AIRSOFT CQB

Red1 CQB. Kings Langley, WD4 8RN Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

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

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

Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP Tel: 07428 024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com

TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT Reynoldston, Swansea SA3 1AS Tel: 01792 473336 www.tacticalwales.co.uk

UCAP AIRSOFT

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

TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9PL Tel: 020 8665 1299 www.tacticalwarfare.co.uk

UCAP GREEN OPS

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

TAZ AIRSOFT

Farr, Inverness IV2 6XB Tel: 07848 448408

TECH BRIGADE SOUTH COAST CQB

Co Tyrone, BT71 4DY Tel: 07922 377131 Facebook: search ‘Torrent Warfare’

Newgate Street, Hertfordshire. SG13 8NH Tel: 07841 713356 www.techbrigade.org

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

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

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

URBAN ASSAULT SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

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

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT– THE ROCK Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EG Tel: 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk

STIRLING AIRSOFT Coventry, CV3 6NX Tel: 07831 429407 www.stirlingairsoft.com

THE BUNKER

Aberystwyth www.aberairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07841 462806

THE DEPOT

Glasgow, G45 9SB Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.thedepotglasgow.com

VIKING AIRSOFT

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

THE EX SITE

WARMINSTER AIRSOFT

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

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

THE WARGAMES CENTRE

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT

Lundholm Road, Stevenston, Ayrshire, KA20 3LN www.thewargamescentre.com wargamescentre@gmail.com

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

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

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

THUNDER PARK AIRSOFT

Luxulyan, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL305FA Tel: 01726 858613 or 07590 030887 www.thunderpark.co.uk Food & drinks available on site

F O B (Woodland), Hollington Road, Upper Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT On site parking, HPA Top ups, covered safe zone, male & female toilets, hot lunch included, free tea and coffee available all day. Site memberships. Tel: Paul – 07861427553 Email: paul@wmairsoft.co.uk www.wmairsoft.co.uk

www.airsoft-action.online

SITE DIRECTORY

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

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT

High Command (CQB), Doulton Trading Estate, Doulton Road, Rowley Regis B65 8JQ On site parking, HPA top-ups, secure safe zone, male & female toilets, hot lunch included, free tea and coffee available all day. Site memberships. Tel: Paul – 07861427553 Email: paul@wmairsoft.co.uk www.wmairsoft.co.uk

WORTHING AIRSOFT Arundel Road, Worthing Tel: 07877 210898 www.worthingairsoft.co.uk

PRACTICAL PISTOL DIRECTORY AIPSC

The Grange, Frog Lane, Balsall Common, West Midlands, CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532384 www.aipsc.co.uk Facebook: A.I.P.S.C info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk. Every Monday night 7pm– 9pm (except bank holidays). £5 or £10 with pistol and shooting rig hire. UKPSA-qualified coaches. UKPSA-qualified Range Officers.

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB WatfordPPC@gmail.com

DOUBLE TAP PSC XSITE AIRSOFT OUTPOST

Dunstable, LU6 2EE Tel: 01494 881430 www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk

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

2018 septemberember

StrikeForce CQB, Morelands Trading Estate, Bristol Road, Gloucester GL1 5RZ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Double-Tap-Practical-Shooting-Club979585958732937/?ref=hl doubletappsc@gmail.com

EBSC

MOD-approved gun club PP, IDPA, IPAS, IPSC, 3GUN UKPSA Coaches UKPSA-qualified Range Officers Equipment hire available www.ebsc.co.uk ebpracticalpistol@gmail.com 07752 713 970

HALO MILL

The Penthouse, Colne Valley Business Park, Manchester Road, Linthwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5QG Tel: 01484 840554 www.halomill.com

XSITE PRACTICAL SHOOTING Fryers Farm Lane, High Wycombe, Bucks HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430

SOUTH WEST PRACTICAL SHOOTERS (SWPS)

Action Air IPSC Club Based at The Tunnel Target Sports Centre near Charmouth The Tunnel, Axminster Road, Charmouth, Dorset DT6 6BY Contact: SWPSClub@Outlook.com

WETHERSFIELD AIRSOFT TARGET SHOOTING CLUB (WAT SIC)

Wethersfield Village Hall, Braintree Rd (B1053), Wethersfield, Braintree CM7 4EB. https://www.facebook.com/WATSiC/ Open Thursday & Friday evenings. Set-up from 6:30pm. Club shooting commences by 7:30pm. Pack-up starts at 9:30pm if you can stay to help. Contact via FB or 07939557029. Indoors. Club offers Action Air plus 2 & 3 Gun training and events.