Issue 85 - March 2018 by Airsoft Action

P L AY E R S ’

C H O I C E

B E S T

A I R S O F T

M A G A Z I N E

AIRSOFT ACTION

COMPETITION

WIN A GLOCK 17 GEN3 AND AN ENFIELD LASER SYSTEM IN OUR TWO EXCLUSIVE COMPETITIONS

ARMOURY

RAPTOR AIRSOFT PKP UMAREX GLOCK SERIES SECUTOR VELITES SHOTGUN NUPROL RAVEN HANDGUNS G&G GAS M1903 SPRINGFIELD

KIT

ASG STORM 360 GRENADE ENFILED AIMING SYSTEMS

INTERNATIONAL

MARCH 2018

HEINNIE HAYNES

WARRIORS

FEATURE

AIRSOFT SNIPING

THE LAST POST

GITAG

CUSTOM PISTOL STANDS

IT’S A CLASSIC

AIRSOFT SKILLS

9 772047 348032

INSIDE AIRSOFT

PROUDLY SUPPORTING PILGRIM BANDITS

MARCH 2018 - £4.50

AIRSOFT IN GREECE WARZONE 6 PREVIEW

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NUPROL HARD CASES

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DOMINATE THE FIELD WWW.NUPROL.COM

P L AY E R S ’

C H O I C E

B E S T

A I R S O F T

M A G A Z I N E

ARMOURY: G&G M1903A3

AIRSOFT ACTION

COMPETITION

WIN A GLOCK 17 GEN3 AND AN ENFIELD LASER SYSTEM IN OUR TWO EXCLUSIVE COMPETITIONS

ARMOURY

RAPTOR AIRSOFT PKP UMAREX GLOCK SERIES SECUTOR VELITES SHOTGUN NUPROL RAVEN HANDGUNS G&G GAS M1903 SPRINGFIELD

KIT

ASG STORM 360 GRENADE ENFILED AIMING SYSTEMS

INTERNATIONAL

WARRIORS

FEATURE

GITAG

CUSTOM PISTOL STANDS

AIRSOFT SNIPING

THE LAST POST

IT’S A CLASSIC

AIRSOFT SKILLS

9 772047 348032

MARCH 2018

HEINNIE HAYNES

PROUDLY SUPPORTING PILGRIM BANDITS INSIDE AIRSOFT

EVENT PREVIEW: WARZONE 6

MARCH 2018 - £4.50

AIRSOFT IN GREECE WARZONE 6 PREVIEW

ARMOURY: UMAREX GLOCK SERIES

Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant Editor: Gareth “Gadge” Harvey Graphic Design: Havoc Design Ad Design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter Cover Photo: Courtesy 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

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Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL Tel: 01684 878 003 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.

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

SITE: WMA – THE FOB

FEATURE: GRENADES IN AIRSOFT

REAL STEEL: GALIL ASSAULT RIFLE

Contents MARCH 2018

CONTENTS MARCH 2018 8 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos of Airsoft Action readers. 12 ARMOURY: SECUTOR VELITES G-X1 Scott Allan loves his shotguns, so when this new Chinese Marui clone appeared he just had to find out if it was any good. 16 ARMOURY: G&G M1903A3 Jerry Noone takes a close look at an historically iconic replica from Taiwanese manufacturer G&G Armament and falls in love with bolt actions all over again! 20 ARMOURY: UMAREX GLOCK SERIES It has been a long time coming and it has taken the powerhouse that is Umarex to deliver it but the officially licensed Glock Airsoft series has landed …and this is just the beginning! Over to Scott Allan… 24 EVENT PREVIEW: WARZONE 6 Kelly and Bill will be travelling to Crete to take part in “WarZone 6 – Final Assault” but what does an adventure like this really mean in terms of kit logistics? Bill kicks off a series of joint articles with an insight into his planning process. 28 FEATURE: THE RIGHT GEAR in his first article for Airsoft Action, Ben Webb asks: “Is it time to stop gearing up for “likes” and start gearing up to get the job done?” 34 KIT: ENFIELD AIMING SYSTEMS Iggy Roberts knows his way around the world of optics so when he was asked to look through some new offerings from Armex, he quickly got his eye in! 38 KIT: ASG STORM 360 GRENADE Georaga, who has a rocky relationship with grenades in general, takes a look at a new contender and sees if it can tempt him back towards re-usables. 42 INSIDE AIRSOFT: HEINNIE HAYNES Lez Lee continues his journey through the retail world of airsoft with an introduction to a company some airsofters might not be familiar with, although others will know them very well.

46 FEATURE: AIRSOFT SNIPING The lone silent ghost warrior dispatching his enemies with detached and calculated efficiency but, as Gadge asks, is it that great in airsoft? 50 FEATURE: MULTI TOOLS PART 2 A few issues back Frenchie waxed lyrical about Multi Tools and looked a few examples. Here he completes his round up with the two for which there was no space, Victorinox’s Swisstool X and the Leatherman Wave. 54 GITAG: CUSTOM PISTOL STANDS Many of you probably have a number of pistols secreted away in draws and cases until you need them! This month Bill Thomas looks at a very special and unique solution to this. 57 IT’S A CLASSIC: SOFTSHELL JACKETS Gadge continues his “Classics” column with a piece of clothing that we probably all have at least one of hanging in our “tactical wardrobe”! 58 SITE: WMA – THE FOB Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick visits a popular site in the West Midlands to attend their annual Xmas Bash. 62 ARMOURY: RAPTOR AIRSOFT PKP Airsoft Action’s French Contributor, Diane Montagnier, gets her hands on an AEG first seen at last year’s IWA Show in Nuremberg. 64 FEATURE: GRENADES IN AIRSOFT Prompted by a post on social media, Femme Fatale started to question the use of grenades in airsoft and decided to find out what other players think. 66 ARMOURY: NUPROL RAVEN PISTOLS Unless you’ve been asleep under a rock or have seriously over-indulged over the festive period it will undoubtedly have come to your attention that there’s a “new kid on the block” in the form of the RAVEN handgun range. Bill Thomas digs deeper… 70 REAL STEEL: GALIL ASSAULT RIFLE Gadge Harvey continues his look at the real-steel version of our airsoft replicas, with a look at a rifle that has become synonymous with Israeli military.

72 INTERNATIONAL: CRETE Airsoft is alive and well in Crete and a chance conversation led to Bill Thomas having the opportunity to speak to Stelios, from the Rethimno Airsoft Association. 74 COMPETITION 1: ENFIELD ENFL41 Enter this simple competition for your chance to win an Enfield ENFL41 laser system, kindly supplied by Armex and as reviewed by Iggy Roberts in this issue. 75 COMPETITION 2: UMAREX GLOCK 17 GEN 3 Just like buses, you wait for ages then two come along at once! In our second competition you might be lucky enough to win a fully licensed Glock 17 Gen 3, kindly supplied by EZ Distribution. 76 WARRIORS: HOME GUARD While fighting the enemy abroad is important, it is equally important to defend the home nation. Gadge Harvey writes about how we prepared to defend Britain, should an invasion occur. 80 SKILLS: ZERO YOUR SIGHTS As we all know when shooting any type of weapon it needs to be zeroed. But what does zero mean and how do we do it? Calibre Shooting’s Andy Nightingale explains… 82 THE LAST POST: THE DEATH OF HISTORY Having been stuck in hospital for a few days, Frenchie once again puts finger to keyboard as he ponders a simple question: Is “historic” airsoft dead? 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 PISTOL 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 ASG: NEW HERA ARMS FRONT GRIP ASG is proud to announce our NEW HERA ARMS Multi-Position Polymer Front grip. In conjunction with our License agreement with Firearms manufacturer HERA ARMS, we have developed the Airsoft version of their innovative HFGA Multiposition front grip design. This exciting accessory will be hitting stores soon. Description: Multi-Position Front grip for most MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny Rails. This is an innovative approach to the modern angular front grip currently popular among operators. Depending on the distance between the attachment points, the angle of the grip will be more or less aggressive. Features: Adjustable angle; Solid polymer construction; Steel fittings; Anti-slip grip ridges; Front and back, hand-stop design. For more information: www.actionsportgames.com

HORNET TACTICALBRING THE STING!

JANUARY 2018: Hornet Tactical is a new specialist airsoft brand designing and manufacturing kit and equipment especially for the airsoft market. The Hornet Tactical team are all dedicated airsoft skirmishers and are developing kit that has all the real world features that are popular in the airsoft market. In their “day-jobs” the team develop and supply kit to the UK police and armed services (including Tactical Firearms teams and Special Forces), so know a few things about getting it right! Utilising their unique experience and the high specification materials used by “Real Steel” tactical manufactures, Hornet Tactical’s kit includes features that are exclusively designed to allow airsoft players to increase their effectiveness in the field of play. Hornet Tactical are launching a range of premium BBs constructed from high quality polymer and are 5.95mm in diameter. An unrivalled +/- 0.01mm tolerance eliminates the risk of jams and makes them ideal for all weapons including those with tight-bore barrels. PreOrder shipping is scheduled to start in the first week of February. Hornet Tactical – Bring the Sting!

BEN WEBB JOINS ACTIONSPORTGAMES BEN WEBB, the former editor of Airsoft International magazine, joined ActionSportGames as UK Sales Coordinator and Media Manager on the 1st February. Paul Wignell, ASG’s UK Sales Manager commented: “Ben has spent most of the last decade working in the airsoft media, writing technical reviews of guns, gear and equipment along with step-by-step tutorials for fitting upgrades and repair parts. “Ever keen to ensure his own armoury is at the peak of performance and with rock-solid reliability, he has long relied on ActionSportGames products, including the ULTIMATE Upgrade range and, of course, the famed CZ Scorpion EVO 3 A1. Along with an eye for detail, sales background and a technical mindset, Ben enjoys fast-paced, frantic CQB airsoft games and has organised and managed several large, weekend events. “He is excited to be part of the ActionSportGames team in the UK and Europe and can’t wait to get out 6

March 2018

on the ground at many of the forthcoming events. We look forward to Ben joining ActionSportGames on 1st February 2018.” Ben told Airsoft Action: “I’m delighted to be joining the ActionSportGames team. In the past I have regularly been impressed by ASG products and the level of professional service that each one of them is backed by; my personal priority is to uphold and maintain this in my new position. ASG is a brand that is trusted and respected here in the UK and Ireland and there are big plans for 2018 and beyond so, for airsoft players and collectors, there’s a huge amount to look forward to in the coming months.” We are looking forwards to catching up with Ben and the rest of the Action SportGames team at IWA in Nuremberg and wish Ben the very best of luck in his new position. I am sure we will be speaking soon – and often!

Find us at: www.hornettactical.com www.facebook.com/ hornettactical Instagram – hornet_tactical Available from: www.patrolstore.com/ hornettactical

SPEED AIRSOFT NEW WEBSITE LOOK SPEED AIRSOFT has revamped their website from the ground up with a fresh new look. Direct links are now all updated to their Instagram, Twitter and YouTube Channel. Check out their new look at www.SpeedAirsoft.com for all of their product information or if you would like to become one of their worldwide dealers.

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY

From Diane Montagnier in France

March 2018

AA GALLERY READERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; PHOTOS

From The Prey Ground by Matthew Bradder - Airsoft Combat Photographer

March 2018

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

Information 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.

www.airsoft-action.online

ARMOURY SECUTOR VELITES G-XI

THIS IS MY BOO M ARMY OF DARKNESS: 1993 SCOTT ALLAN LOVES HIS SHOTGUNS, SO WHEN THIS NEW CHINESE MARUI CLONE APPEARED HE JUST HAD TO FIND OUT IF IT WAS ANY GOOD. WHEN I REVIEWED THE ORIGINAL Marui M870 back in 2014 I actually said : “Is this to prevent the Chinese clone market sinking their teeth into their designs? Who knows for sure.” Low and behold they have been at it again, this time under a brand called Secutor, distributed through SKW Airsoft in Spain. The original M870 was a great bit of innovation and a solid all round performer and it was followed by the slightly different (but same system) Breacher. Copying something is always the path of least resistance and a great opportunity to better the design but what I’m concerned about from the beginning, is whether the Secutor has high enough quality parts to survive long term, or even out of the box.

Admittedly I love shotguns, hell I own a real Remington M870 with Magpul stock and front grip. It’s one of those “frowned upon” types when you’re out with it. Back ten years ago, Marushin used to be the best name for the gas shotguns even though they were largely single barrelled with multishot. The 8mm versions were good fun but really were only for point blank use. Their shell ejecting series were fantastic to play around with then, are almost unusable for normal players and the Marui design seemed to be a long time coming without ever arriving. There is a trade-off between function and realism in every aspect of Airsoft, although recent designs like the Marui 416D and the KWA ERG do close the gap for assault rifles. Players want a realistic shotgun but it also has to be useable during a game and that is where the trade-off is difficult, there is a constant “I wish it was blow back” or “I wish it was cheaper”. The perfect Airsoft shotgun would be selectable gas or electric, with both blow back and non-blow back, with the ability to eject shells whilst not needing them. I jest of course…

A LITTLE ABOUT THE REAL VERSION

The Remington Model 870 is one of the iconic shotgun designs of the last century, it is said that over 10 million have been produced over a 60 year period. That is around 19 an hour for 60 years! When you think about it like that it really is hard to get your head around. The M870 is a pump action shotgun, which means the tube under the barrel is a magazine which holds the cartridges. As you cock the pump action back an empty shell is ejected, a fresh round is allowed out of the magazine. As you cock the pump forward it raises the cartridge up and forward into battery ready to fire. The satisfying “clack clack” of a shotgun

March 2018

ARMOURY SECUTOR VELITES G-XI

O MSTICK racking is one of the best things of any firearm and I defy anyone not to enjoy it, just maybe not on a rocking chair on your front porch… The 12 gauge shotgun is so good for many reasons, the obvious thing is the spread of the shell - you don’t have to be dead on accurate to hit your target. But unlike a 5.56mm assault rifle that uses a narrow range of ammunition, a shotgun can use a whole host of shell types, loads and power for any given situation. From bird shot that fires a fine grain ammunition over a large area, to a 12 gauge grenade round, to anti-drone net rounds and everything in between. To give you a rough idea, watch the trailer on YouTube for the “Magpul Art of the Tactical Shotgun” and you can see a quick overview of why the shotgun is popular and so versatile.

THE AIRSOFT VERSION

The name is a bit long but when you break it down here’s what it covers… The “Velite” was a lightly armed Roman infantry around 150BC and they fought as individuals, unlike the main Roman forces. The “Secutor” was a type of gladiator, again from

Roman times, using a large shield similar to a Legionnaire, a helmet with small eye slits and normally a short sword. So two Roman references, neither particularly relevant to this and I’m really unsure of the double reference. But that is it’s much better than the usual G&P or G&G coded names which are nothing short of lazy, I mean what is a CM16 300BOT? It’s almost as bad as my old Harley Davidson VRSCDX, that’s not a name! The G-XI that is the individual model designation is a full length version much like the Marui. What are the key differences? The full length magazine tube that the TM didn’t have, flip up sights fixed to a 20mm rail that runs along the total length of the barrel and then a six shell holder mounted to the side of the body. This is also the full stocked version the same as the original M870 using all the same gas tanks as the Tokyo Marui. Performance is key with any Airsoft “primary” and a shotgun this size is going to be a primary. The days of the overpriced and underperforming skirmish weapons being accepted in the UK market are long gone. Our market is now driven by players, not collectors and these players want 300-

“THE REMINGTON MODEL 870 IS ONE OF THE ICONIC SHOTGUN DESIGNS OF THE LAST CENTURY, IT IS SAID THAT OVER 10 MILLION HAVE BEEN PRODUCED OVER A 60 YEAR PERIOD. THAT IS AROUND 19 AN HOUR FOR 60 YEARS! WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT LIKE THAT IT REALLY IS HARD TO GET YOUR HEAD AROUND.”

www.airsoft-action.online

ARMOURY SECUTOR VELITES G-XI

370fps and plenty of range. They also expect ease of use so that they can continue to play with minimum fuss over longer periods of time. The Marui did come up with a solution to the gas issue with the gas tank, they’re easy to store and last a good number of shots and this is copied over into the Secutor. Pistols have gas in the magazine as well as the BBs, this makes the magazines more expensive, heavy and the gas reservoir takes up space. Shotguns don’t have enough space in the shells so this leaves the shotgun itself to hold the gas. Classically, you would gas the actual rifle itself, this means you have to carry gas with you and fill it during play which is bit of a fiddle. The G-XI has the exact same design gas tank in the stock as the Marui to get around this issue. The tanks generally hold a good 150 shots and that’s going to keep you going a while. They’re a quickswap, tool-free system too, which is brilliant. The operation and accuracy are compatible to the original TM M870 with shots lobbing out around 30 metres quite happily. But let’s be honest it’s not a ranged weapon, this is for up close and personal work!

features THE ORIGINAL TOKYO MARUI: Weight: 2700g Length: 955mm Hop Up: Yes (fixed) Bbs per shot: 3 or 6 (through inner selector)

“I HAVE RESPECT FOR ANY PLAYER WHO BREAKS AWAY FROM THE NORM MASSIVELY, MAINLY BECAUSE THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING THEY LOVE RATHER THAN FOLLOWING A CROWD OF M4 OWNERS.”

Power: 260fps Magazine TM Shotgun Shell 30 rounds Construction: Metal Receiver and barrel, polymer stock RRP £310

SUMMARY OF FEATURES The power doesn’t seem to shake the Earth but bear in mind this is 3 rounds travelling, or even 6! The Secutor seemed to have a little more power but I wouldn’t be convinced that this is a definite fact. The Tokyo Marui always felt a bit lightweight for me but the Secutor has that little bit more “weight” to it, so it feels a little better being around half a kilo more. The extended magazine tube that was an extra for the Marui looks better as does the shell holder. The top RIS rail is also a nice plus if you wanted to affix a flashlight on a 45 degree mount and possibly a red dot. The price difference is the huge thing, almost £100 cheaper! But I’m a big believer in you get what you pay for and Japanese construction will always be more expensive than Chinese. What concerns me is the material quality of the parts used. The seals should hold out easily if they’ve been done correctly, things like loading ramps and cocking arms could fatigue a bit quicker than the Marui, moving parts always have to be solid and stable. I’ve not seen any evidence to suggest this will happen with the Secutor but if I did see it I wouldn’t be overly surprised. On the value front for the occasional use? I can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t choose the Secutor over the Tokyo Marui.

USE IN THE GAME FIELD

Shotguns are like the anything specialist in Airsoft; almost everyone loves them but few will ever take the plunge and purchase one. In fairness, I have respect for any player who breaks away from the norm massively, mainly because they are doing something they love rather than following a crowd of M4 owners. Indoor and close-in game sites should be home turf for the M870, the close range and larger spread should give you a definite edge against a single shot opponent. In woodland where range and rate of fire are a bigger element,

March 2018

THE SECUTOR VELITE G-XI: Length: 960 mm Weight: 3353 g Number of inner barrels: 3 Inner barrel length: 300 mm Hop Up: Yes (fixed) Bbs per shot: 3 or 6 (through inner selector) Shell capacity: 28 bbs Power: 270fps Included 6 shells Included shell holder Continuous metal RIS Metal Flip-up sights Ambidextrous QD sling RRP £225 you will most likely struggle with the lack of rounds. This is where the M870 does move away from the mainstream average player even though they are immensely good fun. The changing of shells during play does give the player that additional element of realism and the choice of running 3 or 6 shots gives you great in-game choice.

CONCLUSION

The Secutor is a great value, great looking version of the Tokyo Marui design. A bit more hefty but the same fun and being a clone of the Marui all the existing shells, gas tanks and spares are going to fit it too. If the Secutor can last months of play and I’ve no real reason to suspect it won’t, then these really are the new hot “must buy” in gas shotguns.

ARMOURY G&G M1903A3 SPRINGFIELD

JERRY NOONE TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT AN HISTORICALLY ICONIC REPLICA FROM TAIWANESE MANUFACTURER G&G ARMAMENT AND FALLS IN LOVE WITH BOLT ACTIONS ALL OVER AGAIN!

A BLAST FROM THE PAST! LIKE MANY AIRSOFTERS, MY INTRODUCTION to firearms came at school where a number of almost antique SMLE MKIV were held in the Cadet Armoury for target shooting purposes. These old rifles, once you got the hang of pulling the butt tightly into your shoulder to avoid bruising from the vicious recoil of the .303 round, were a pleasure to shoot; the feeling of the bolt snapping solidly into battery and the preparation for the shot (breathe in, breathe out…) always put me in a very happy place. Things inevitably move on though and as I got further

March 2018

into shooting the old bolt actions were put aside for more up to date semi-automatic models. Looking back, it strikes me now that this process can lead you away from the basics of shooting, with distances and disciplines taking you down a path away from some of the very best rifles ever made. In relation to airsoft replicas this has been very much the same process for me. Once upon a time I was more than happy with a spring-powered bolt action with a nice optic sitting happily on top. I’ve spent many pleasant hours with friends setting up targets and “going for the bull” with this type of rifle. Advances in battery technology initially saw me straying from this path and this has continued as AEGs have got better and better over the years. In relatively recent times though, there has been a continuation of the move to gas-powered replicas that are ultimately more realistic in both form and function than their battery-powered relations. There have been gas powered blowback replicas on the market for many a moon now and the quality of gas to drive these has got more and more reliable. That said, gas magazines can be the bane of an airsofter’s existence, especially in colder weather when they do tend to “vent” with some force! If an airsoft gas magazine is well maintained and cared for though they can give years of excellent service. The desire for more realism in replica rifles and carbines has largely been driven by the “M4/AR” series of rifles that seem to dominate in the world of airsoft, but the positive side of this is that numerous manufacturers have taken the opportunity to widen their offering, making use of increasingly reliable gas magazine technology to offer up some extraordinary historical models as well as their modern counterparts.

ARMOURY G&G M1903A3 SPRINGFIELD

GOT TO BE IN IT!

I’m one of those individuals who never enter competitions; simple reason why? I NEVER win anything! Back at IWA 2013, G&G Armament gave us the first look at their new, gas driven M1903 Springfield bolt action rifles and everyone present had a good drool over what looked to be a stunningly attractive replica. Two models were on display, a version with chromed parts as used by the Rifle Display “Spinning” Teams in the USA and a more mundane yet still beautifully achieved “field version”. Although only shown in “sample form” at the show, G&G put on a “giveaway” of a number of their new models. At the last moment I was persuaded by my friend and fellow airsoft writer Ben to place my card in the draw – and beggar me if it didn’t come out as the last draw of the day! I happily gave G&G my details and they advised that a prototype Springfield would be on its way to me as soon as they went into production. Was I over the moon? You betcha! Taking a sample to production though is a lengthy process, but I made good use of my time waiting to do my usual thing and started researching the real rifle that I would soon be receiving a replica of. In 1892 the US Army adopted the Krag-Jorgensen rifle but the limitations of this already somewhat dated rifle very soon became apparent and the Ordnance Department once again found themselves looking for a replacement. The final choice was built on a Mauser system put together under licence in the USA and as it was first manufactured at the Springfield Armoury, the rifle immediately became known as the “Springfield Rifle” (although the official nomenclature was “US Magazine Rifle, Caliber .30in, Model of 1903”). With changes in bullet technology, notably the German Army “Spitzer” or pointed bullet, the original rifle model that used ball was slightly redesigned and the amended cartridge entered service as “Cartridge, Ball, Caliber .30in, Model of 1906”; this in turn led to both rifle and bullet coming to be known as “.30-06”. As with SMLE models, the American designers decided to kill two birds with one stone and although based on the Mauser system as stated previously, the production “Springfield” was built to fulfil the needs of both infantryman and cavalry soldier. It was long enough to be accurate in the first role but short enough to be used from the saddle in the latter. By the time America entered WWI in 1917 it is estimated that nearly 850,000 M1903 rifles had been produced by Springfield Armoury and the Rock Island Arsenal and it soon proved to be a reliable - and deadly - battlefield weapon. The M1903 went on to serve in WWII with continued effectiveness, notably by the USMC during the battle for Guadalcanal. Although the M1 Garand was being adopted swiftly as the main “battle rifle” of the US Forces, the Springfield continued to be favoured by some for its ruggedness and simplicity, especially by snipers in the M1903A4 variant where the rifle was fitted with permanently mounted telescopic sight blocks, and the Weaver Company “Telescope Sight M73B1” (you’ll notice one of these used to great effect by “Private Jackson” in the movie Saving Private Ryan).

Although officially replaced in service by the M1 Garand, the Springfield continued to serve in limited numbers for military use during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, again most usually in sharpshooter or sniper guise.

HANDS ON!

So, after many an email back and forth to Taiwan, the one I was finally waiting for from them finally dropped into the inbox; the Springfield was on its way! It arrived safely soon thereafter and I was delighted to be able to take it and show it off to airsoft retailers and players alike. Everyone that touched it commented on the excellent build quality and the finish of the woodwork but it wasn’t until later that I was able to fully get to grips with it, gas it up, and get on with testing proper. The G&G Springfield is by no means a small rifle and if you’re used to an MP5 or M4 CQB variant then you are definitely going to find it unwieldy. That said, if you have an M14, SLR, G3 or similar, the overall length of 1115mm/43 inches (the real thing was 1097mm/43.20 inches) is going to feel very familiar. Weight-wise too the replica is not far off; the real Springfield came in at 8lbs 11oz (3940g) whilst the G&G is a respectable 7lb 10oz (3465g). As I mentioned earlier the finish is absolutely superlative; all metal parts (and just about everything apart from the stock is metal!) are finished in a nice dull grey, and the real wood stock is finished probably more perfectly than the real thing ever was! Sights are simple with a straightforward front blade and an M1903A3 style aperture sight, which is adjustable for both windage and elevation, on

“NUMEROUS MANUFACTURERS HAVE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIDEN THEIR OFFERING, MAKING USE OF INCREASINGLY RELIABLE GAS MAGAZINE TECHNOLOGY TO OFFER UP SOME EXTRAORDINARY HISTORICAL MODELS AS WELL AS THEIR MODERN COUNTERPARTS.” www.airsoft-action.online

ARMOURY G&G M1903A3 SPRINGFIELD

the rear of the receiver. If you want your own Springfield to reflect the pre-1942 model then you’ll probably want to change this to a forward mounted leaf sight, but this should be relatively easy to achieve once you source the correct part. G&G describe the M1903 as “One Rifle, Two Systems” which refers to the fact that the same rifle can use either green gas or C02 magazines, the latter proving advantageous for colder climates. Once I’d stripped it down and given it a cursory wipe down/pull through I got to grips with the safety mounted on the top of the bolt, and the hop up adjustment which is formed to replicate one of the securing bolts above the magazine well. The magazines themselves are chunky, full-metal affairs, each holding just nine BBs, which are easy to charge with gas thanks to an innovative filling method; the face of the magazine holding the BBs slides off to allow access to the filling valve then snaps solidly back in place when you are all gassed up. So, all ready for initial testing; bolt smoothly to the rear, back into battery and I was good to go… and vent gas like there was no tomorrow in one huge hissing cloud of vapour! Whatever I did resulted in exactly the same outcome and had me scratching my head. I was soon back online to G&G! I’m not in the market to write off a new gun unnecessarily and I’ll always give the manufacturer a chance to rectify things if possible. My experience over the years with G&G is that they genuinely listen to their customers, and once again their response was exemplary. Detailed pictures were taken and sent, and we managed to isolate a problem with the bolt itself as being the culprit and I was assured this would be promptly dealt with. Less then two weeks later a complete new bolt arrived in the post and since then the Springfield has performed without a flaw for nearly FOUR years with just some simple magazine maintenance! Now THAT is what I call long-term performance. Coming back last month to chrono and shoot for this review I carried out the retesting with .20g RZR BBs and NUPROL Gas, and the first BB downrange still went off with a satisfying crack at 424fps/1.6J (almost exactly what it chrono’d at as new!). Over

the course of the magazine that dropped off to a site-friendly average of 360fps/1.2J, perfectly respectable for a bolt action. Moving to the range I filled one magazine with .20g and the other with .25g; once the hop was set the BBs were flying straight and true out to 40m plus, and even moving to the heavier weight was still giving me a good 35m with almost pinpoint accuracy. This is a rifle which will definitely hold its own in the right game situation. Overall I have been extremely impressed, not only by the Springfield itself but by the approach and continued friendliness of G&G Armament. For the dedicated WWI or WWII airsoft player this is most definitely a rifle that will find a space in any collection, and in a themed skirmish it’s going to work very well indeed. I can see that this replica may also be of great interest to anyone who is a WWII USMC re-enactor, as it really does look that good. At your local airsoft “Sunday Skirmish” you’re probably only going to use this is “sniper mode” due to the low magazine capacity, but it’s certainly a model that would work well in that role, as it will in a “Post-Apoc” setting where ammo is at a premium. It’s a lovely rifle to own and shoot and I honestly can’t understand why G&G haven’t sold more of these! I personally fancy having a go at turning this into the M1903A4 sniper variant now, and with the C02 magazine it’s a bolt action model I could grow to love all over again for all year round use. Luckily G&G have now released a sniper variant with a Weaver M73B1 replica sight to go with the rifle, and I’ll be picking up one of these sights, along with a nice leather sling From Soldier of Fortune at this year’s War & Peace Show to take the Springfield forward again! For more technical information please visit www.guay2.com.

“OVERALL I HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY IMPRESSED, NOT ONLY BY THE SPRINGFIELD ITSELF BUT BY THE APPROACH AND CONTINUED FRIENDLINESS OF G&G ARMAMENT. FOR THE DEDICATED WWI OR WWII AIRSOFT PLAYER THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY A RIFLE THAT WILL FIND A SPACE IN ANY COLLECTION, AND IN A THEMED SKIRMISH IT’S GOING TO WORK VERY WELL INDEED.” 18

March 2018

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ARMOURY UMAREX GLOCK SERIES

IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING AND IT HAS TAKEN THE POWERHOUSE THAT IS UMAREX TO DELIVER IT BUT THE OFFICIALLY LICENSED GLOCK AIRSOFT SERIES HAS LANDED …AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING! OVER TO SCOTT ALLAN…

ROCK OUT WITH YOUR GLOCK OUT! SO JUST WHO ARE UMAREX? Umarex are one of the top dog distributors of Airsoft goods across the world, based in Germany and working directly with the likes of Heckler & Koch for licensing and with brilliant manufacturers such as VFC, who manufacture for them. Many players get caught up and lost in “why should I buy something that’s licensed” and if you feel this way then you are probably part of the older way of thinking in Airsoft - and a way that is changing fast. The Glock license is a huge thing because it’s more than just a name, it’s a great opportunity that has accepted Airsoft as an actual sport to be recognised. It’s not just the name that is licensed, the actual shape of the Glock square slide is Trademarked, so all of the other Glocktype designs you see are actually illegal copies. I suspect these counterfeit designs will disappear quite quickly as the official versions are rolled out fully, otherwise legal teams will start making their way to some companies and, in fact, this has already started. The “Glock” is one of the most iconic pistols ever made in modern times. The initial release for the UK is the Glock 17 Gen 3, Gen 4 and the Glock 19. This review is for the Gen 4, the differences between the Gen 3 and 4 are generally only the lower frame but more on that later. 20

March 2018

The first thing you see is the box, I don’t mention these normally unless there is a hard case included but the box was a little bit bland and it would’ve been nice if the real steel Glock plastic hard case could have been included, or even as an aftermarket part. VFC do make a lot of very nice Gas Blow Backs these days, such as the FNX, so they already have the know-how to produce a great pistol. For me, VFC historically was 100% good looking and about 85% performance and that’s being fair, bearing in mind I bought at VFC Barrett back in the day. In the last few years they have really ramped up their game and brought the performance a little bit further forward. The finish and the quality of the actual pistol is mind-blowingly good and the markings are all clearly done - although having “officially licensed product of Glock” on the side is a slight let down.

THE REAL STEEL VERSION

Glock, like so many of the great firearms companies, are not a US company in their origin, the land that gave us Arnold Schwarzenegger has also given us these square, black, beautiful pistols – no, not California, I mean Austria! In 2010 the Gen 4 Glock 17 was released. It saw a change

ARMOURY UMAREX GLOCK SERIES

in the grip texture and sizing also allowing for different back straps to be fitted to suit the individual user. One of the most notable parts of the Glock design (apart from the shape) is the lack of an obvious external hammer system. There are also three independent safety systems in the design: the trigger safety bar, a firing pin safety and then the drop safety. Each of these independent mechanical systems activate and deactivate in sequence. Of course the natural round the Glock 17 uses is the 9 x 19mm round, favoured by many manufacturers for a century. It’s been used in many law enforcement agencies and militaries around the world including the British Army and that’s got to count for something.

THE UMAREX VERSION The Umarex Glock is a true replica, from the polymer combat sights to the 20mm rail mounting system on the front. The Gen 4 sports a selection of back straps for you to change to suit your paws, be it that you have small hands or shovels. There are few differences between the Gen 3 and 4 until you look more closely. The lower frame is always the most noticeable thing (with a different pattern) but the actual design of the slides is slightly different too, with differently designed spring guides, not forgetting also the frames are physically different and the Gen 4 has the extended magazine release. This may be a reflection on the true version because VFC are world famous for getting the details correct. The Glock 17 is a “full size” Glock and these come with a 23-round magazine so you’ve got quite a bit of shooting. That is where the age old 1911 joke would normally come in about them having fewer rounds, even in Airsoft most 1911s have 15 rounds. Filling the magazine is a fairly standard affair although the removable baseplate cover is fairly tight when they are new, so you may wish to have a little play with them before you take them to your game site. Also, the slide paint work did seem to create a little stickiness when I first tested one, so it can be worth cycling the pistol a number of times and then giving it a good clean to ensure that it’s free of any residue. One thing I have noticed is that these are fairly lightweight pistols and I know players occasionally like a heavyweight but lighter is more functional, as the lightweight slide is hugely beneficial to the function of the pistol. I remember the old WE Dragon pistols, they felt great and heavy but in the cold the chunky slide hindered the performance, so the lightweight Glock slide should help this greatly. In addition, if you have something strapped to your leg or hip lighter is definitely better, especially when you are running. All gas pistols do struggle in the cold a little and there are a number of “high powered” gases out there to help with this. What’s irritating from a player’s point of view is that there is no “standard” to tell you what is what. Every gas manufacturer will tell you “we have our own factory so we know we can cram more gassiness into the can”. It all gets a bit… well… Donald Trump! Almost all Airsoft gas brands are nearly identical, the only major changes you can do is switch out to CO2. CO2 is the way forward for pistols but it is more

expensive to run and more time consuming but if you want the performance you can’t really quibble, can you? If that’s not good enough news, these can use multiple brands of magazine too, Tokyo Marui and WE CO2 magazines all fit this version and that’s great news for longevity

“THE FINISH AND THE QUALITY OF THE ACTUAL PISTOL IS MIND-BLOWINGLY GOOD AND THE MARKINGS ARE ALL CLEARLY DONE - ALTHOUGH HAVING “OFFICIALLY LICENSED PRODUCT OF GLOCK” ON THE SIDE IS A SLIGHT LET DOWN.”

for the player. Being a VFC, all of the sizing will be correct so the real steel holsters are all going to be suitable, unlike some of the other versions available at the moment. Also, being a European brand there is full warranty support too, something you are unlikely to get with the fire and forget Chinese and Taiwanese brands. Performance was in and around what I expected having fired a few VFC pistols so far. Pretty solid all round but CO2 is where the cold weather performance comes in. The standard magazine giving www.airsoft-action.online

ARMOURY UMAREX GLOCK SERIES

“WHAT’S IRRITATING FROM A PLAYER’S POINT OF VIEW IS THAT THERE IS NO “STANDARD” TO TELL YOU WHAT IS WHAT. EVERY GAS MANUFACTURER WILL TELL YOU “WE HAVE OUR OWN FACTORY SO WE KNOW WE CAN CRAM MORE GASSINESS INTO THE CAN”. IT ALL GETS A BIT… WELL… DONALD TRUMP!” me around an average of 300fps/0.84J with a Blaster 0.20g BB. The CO2 magazine will give you a little more up toward 330-340fps/1.01J and will do this in much cooler conditions too.

features Magazine Capacity: 23 rounds Energy: 1 Joule Length: 202 mm Weight: 659 g Price: £160 Review sample provided by EZ Distribution Official Umarex UK Distributor

CONCLUSION

One thing that has been confirmed by Umarex is that there will be no porcelain Glocks from Die Hard produced! Joking aside it’s a pricey pistol but is it expensive? No, not at all. I’ve seen a few people complaining they are expensive but they’re comparable to the FNX, also made by VFC. Tokyo Marui Glock 17s generally were only £20 cheaper and the WE? Well they were okay but a bit hit and miss qualitywise, especially if you ran CO2 and had broken air nozzles every few games. Given that these are £160 and they come from Umarex, manufactured by VFC and endorsed by Glock in a license that will undoubtedly cost millions, they are superb value for money. With the Airsoft industry being backed by more firearms companies it means more recognition and that means more opportunities. In short the Glock 17 by Umarex is the future of Airsoft. It’s not a game changer in design - but it is for the sport as we know it! 22

March 2018

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Event Preview WARZONE 6

GETTING IN THE ’ZONE

IN MAY TWO OF OUR REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS, KELLY AND BILL, WILL BE TRAVELLING TO CRETE TO TAKE PART IN “WARZONE 6 – FINAL ASSAULT” AND THE PREPARATION HAS ALREADY BEGUN! BUT WHAT DOES AN ADVENTURE LIKE THIS REALLY MEAN IN TERMS OF KIT LOGISTICS? BILL KICKS OFF A SERIES OF JOINT ARTICLES WITH AN INSIGHT INTO HIS PLANNING PROCESS. LAST YEAR I WAS VERY interested to read a report on “WarZone 2017” submitted by Rethimno Airsoft, and from that moment thought the event sounded absolutely astonishing. I’ve been to Crete on a couple of occasions but that was on holiday where airsoft was far from my thoughts, although I’m sure that you, like me, can never see some righteous terrain and not think “Wow! An airsoft game here would be amazing!” On one holiday I even visited the area around the Monastery of Arkadi, which happens to sit on the edge of the Area of Operations (AO) for the game, which is a famous monument in its own right with an amazing martial history. In his writings, Victor Hugo describes “The Tragedy of Arkadi” during the “Cretan Revolt” of the 1860s (1886-1889), when the Ottomans had already occupied Crete for more than two centuries and revolution was in the air! On September 24 1866, Panos Koronaios arrived in Crete and landed at Bali. He marched to Arkadi where he was made Commander-in-Chief of the revolt for the Rethymno region. After declaring the monastery “indefensible” and naming Ioannis Dimakopoulos to the post of Commander of the garrison, Koronaios left. On the morning of 8 November an army of 15,000 Ottomans with cannon arrived on the hills around the monastery and the Ottoman CO sent a last request for surrender. He received only gunfire in response. Hugo goes on to tell us (and I paraphrase); “One knows this word, Arkadian, but one hardly understands what it means… six thousand Turks attacked one hundred ninety-seven men and three hundred forty-three women and also children. The Turks had twenty-six cannons 24

March 2018

and two howitzers, the Greeks had two hundred forty rifles. The battle lasted two days and two nights; the convent had twelve hundred holes found in it from cannon fire; one wall crumbled, the Turks entered, the Greeks continued the fight, one hundred fifty rifles were down and out and yet the struggle continued for another six hours in the cells and the stairways, and at the end there were two thousand corpses in the courtyard. “Finally the last resistance was broken through; the masses of the Turks took the convent. There only remained one barricaded room that held the powder… the door, battered by axes, gave and fell. A terrible intervention, the explosion, rescued the defeated...and this heroic monastery, that had been defended like a fortress, ended like a volcano.” Now if that doesn’t give a feel for the history behind the game area then I truly don’t know what does! Add to this, that “The Battle of Crete” in WWII was the first time that the Fallschirmjäger were used in force, the first mainly airborne invasion in military history - and add that it was the first time German troops encountered

Event Preview WARZONE 6

mass resistance from a civilian population and you start to get a measure of the Cretan “mettle” for individualism and resistance. For many reasons “WarZone 2018” became increasingly attractive to me on many levels, in terms of both the setting and the players we might encounter there. I went on to speak to Stelios from Rethimno Airsoft in some detail (you’ll find an interview with him in this issue too!) which led to an invitation to attend the game in May. As I spoke more to him an idea formed in my mind… As one of the “old and bold” on the Airsoft Action staff I’ve done my fair share of international travel when it comes to attending games, but I thought it would be interesting to view everything from an “old skool/new skool” perspective and, to this end, arranged for my friend and colleague Kelly Hardwick to accompany me to Crete. Now Kelly and I may not seem like ideal material for a friendship, given our difference in age, background, and experience but the fact is that we both share a “drive on” mentality and love airsoft. We speak very regularly and it’s been my great pleasure to see her grow in not only her ability to create great articles, but also to see her own adventures around the world through her writing and videos. Will we make “an effective unit” over three days of MilSim? Well watch this space to find out!

I like to have a belt that fits snugly to my body that carries my pistol holster, two spare pistol mags, a spare rifle mag, dump pouch, and an IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit). Of course you can make this as elaborate as you like with a separate padded “Battle Belt” and all the gubbins you can hang off it, but my personal feeling is always that “light is right” for this. Clothes and boots are vitally important dependant on the climate conditions of the AO; you can spend a lot of money trying to keep up with the latest “tacticool” BDU trends but

PPPPPP!

All those “Ps” eh? Well we should all know the adage that “Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance” and it’s a mantra that I live by when it comes to getting ready for a game, especially one that entails overseas travel. My tried and tested formula for this breaks down into a number of areas; • First Line Gear • Second Line Gear • Assault Gear • Third Line Gear • Fighting Gear • Nav/Comms Gear You may often hear the phrase “First Line/Second Line Gear etc…”, but in practical terms you may scratch your head a little as to what this means. It’s actually a very simple way of working out the kit you need, what’s absolutely vital and why, and what you can safely do without. First Line Gear: This is what you would put on first when you’re preparing to hit a game and of course, first on your list of “must haves” will be decent eyepro! It obviously includes clothes and boots but what I’m really talking about here is some type of belt and the stuff that you put on it.

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Event Preview WARZONE 6

ultimately your clothing should be comfortable and durable and your boots well worn-in! Second Line Gear: Also referred to as the “fighting load”. This is essentially the way you carry spare magazines for your primary. The “light” second line is for when you are trying to avoid a fight and the “heavy” for when you definitely know you’re going to be in contact at some point in the very, very near future! I prefer to run “light” with some type of simple chest rig, but there are of course other options to consider, such as a plate carrier. At a minimum it should carry three or more magazines, but exactly how many depends on how much you think you’ll be shooting. I tend to “fudge” a little here and work on “One Plus Five” midcaps which puts me in the general area of 600 BBs that most games these days will stipulate as a maximum. Again, whatever option you decide on should be well worn in with everything positioned to maximise “muscle memory”. Other stuff you might want with your second line are your helmet, another larger FAK, grenades and a radio. The radio and grenades have the potential to get you out of a fight and a radio can keep you out of one in the first place! Assault Gear: Basically this is a very light pack with minimum gear; think here some water, snacks, first aid, maybe spare BBs and gas and a couple of extra smokes/grenades. The idea is that you can still fight with it on in combination with your Second Line. Second Line can be fully integrated with an assault pack but if you think this is a good idea try it out. I’ve tried this with so-called “integrated sustainment packs” and they can be a right royal PITA! Third Line Gear: Your “Third Line” is your sustainment load, and this is the gear that will keep you sparky and basically comfortable in the field but essentially it’s a good solid pack, more water, food, cooking kit, sleeping and hygiene kit, spare clothes and the like. How much you need depends on the AO itself and how long you plan to stay out. I regularly test my Third Line gear on hikes and camping trips, and this is critically important so that you know how much you can carry and for how far and fast. Third Line gear needs to be arranged for seasons, so my winter pack is necessarily bigger than my summer one.

Fighting Gear: What do I mean by this? Your choice of RIFs of course! Your choice of secondary is basically a straightforward one but I always like to look carefully at the game scenario and the AO to work out what is the best balance for the specific mission when it comes to the choice of primary. If I’m going to be in a built-up CQB environment then my Dragunov is probably not the best choice, and conversely in an open AO an MP5K ain’t going to benefit me that greatly. Look at the terrain, look at the scenario and your missions within it and work out exactly what type of primary (and the accompanying accessories) is going to give you the maximum versatility! Also look at the ammo restrictions for the game and plan your load of magazines accordingly. Nav/Comms Gear: This is one area that is way too often overlooked when it comes to planning for ANY game, let alone a multi-day MilSim! Maps, mapcase, compass and perhaps for longer duration games a GPS are all considerations and you need to make certain that you can use them! I don’t usually run comms on a standard skirmish day but for MilSims they are absolutely invaluable. So again make sure you know how to use what you have and please, please make certain that whatever radio you may use is compatible at least with those of your team-mates! With all these considerations in mind over the next couple of months in the lead-up to the game Kelly and I will be detailing our choices and in partnership with the likes of NUPROL, Helikon-Tex, UF PRO, Snugpak, and Military1st to name but a few, we’ll be putting together complete loadouts for “WarZone 2018” and we’d love you to join us on our journey. Airsoft Action will be bringing you updates on “WarZone 2018” as we get closer to the game and I’d advise that you keep an eye out in future issues for some exciting news for you, our readers. In the meantime if you’d like to know more about the game itself simply visit http://www.warzone.gr or check out the video on YouTube “WarZone! Not Just an Airsoft Event!” Thanks to my good mates Chris Bravo and Eli @Project Gecko for supporting photography; please note that some of these are posed shots without eyepro. www.airsoft-action.online

kit THE RIGHT GEAR FOR THE JOB

MISSION FIRST! HOW S N IO H S A F O N ’T IN A THIS BUILDING YOUR OWN LOAD OUT CAN BE A BEWILDERING AFFAIR. THERE ARE NEW IDEAS AND PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET EVERYDAY BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO SELECT WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU AND YOUR MISSION, SO IN HIS FIRST ARTICLE FOR AIRSOFT ACTION, BEN WEBB ASKS: “IS IT TIME TO STOP GEARING UP FOR “LIKES” AND START GEARING UP TO GET THE JOB DONE?” TACTICAL NYLON, THAT’S webbing, belt kits, harnesses, chest rigs and everything in between, is constantly evolving. Every month there’s something “new” to try out, something that claims to innovate the way you carry equipment and access essentials but surely now, after years of evolution, the concepts should be refined enough to be considered “finished”? You would be forgiven for thinking that but it simply isn’t the case. Perhaps the biggest mistake to make when it comes to personal load bearing equipment is to think that there is a “one size fits all”, or even a solution that is fit for every situation an individual might come across. The configuration, layout and style of any system to carry magazines and essentials is a result of a number of factors including the mission at hand, the weapon being used, the preferences and training of the user and more. In a real-world military situation some of these factors are already defined and some are more open when compared to an airsoft-centric situation. A military user might already have their weapon defined for them, the amount of magazines to be carried and the size and shape of them will be fixed but there may be other restraints placed on them by regulations and restrictions, for example the use of issued equipment or the manner in which it must be worn. An airsoft user is only really restrained by what they choose to buy and use since most game situations don’t restrict you to that degree. However it’s well worth looking at the various different branches of the military and how they do things because, as ever, it’s usually done that way for a reason.

March 2018

kit THE RIGHT GEAR FOR THE JOB

MAKE YOUR CHOICE

As airsoft players, there are two distinct routes to go down when it comes to selecting the equipment you use in game. The first approach is to build an “impression” using equipment similar to a chosen military force either modern or historical. This route is pretty restrictive since you will usually only have a relatively small pool of choices for any specific items that you can use and still achieve the right “look”. It’s also quite restrictive in terms of how you can use the kit effectively. For example, a stitch-perfect, real-steel Met. Police CTSFO load out might look very impressive in pictures but it is going to serve you fairly poorly if the game you are attending takes place over a wet, cold weekend in a 500 acre British woodland. Likewise, a full head-to-toe ghillie suit and sniper rifle are going to be of no use in the confines of a frantic CQB space. Switch the two around though and apply the right kit to the right mission and the story is very different. The second approach is to build your own load out using equipment of your choice to suit your game style or mission and of course, thanks to the prodigious amount of commercially available tactical kit out there, it can be very difficult to know where to start. That’s where we can start to do some research…

MISSION ORIENTED

At this point we will need to assume you have a fixed choice of weapon or have decided what you are going to use. Most commonly these days, this is something that uses a 5.56mm (or equivalent) sized magazine and is M4/AR-based. Yes, not very interesting but it certainly makes things easier and even if you use something more esoteric, the principles here still apply. The exact nature of your gun isn’t hugely important, what we are interested in is the type of magazine it has because this will dictate the type of pouch and equipment you store it in. The next consideration is the type of mission you are being called upon to undertake. If you are playing a skirmish game we can generally assume that there is going to be a lot of shooting, a lot of reloading and short, rapid bursts of activity and movement broken up by plenty of opportunities to resupply. The emphasis in this situation will be on presenting your magazines in an easily reached, unobstructed position with priority over other equipment. If you really need a drink, you can grab a water bottle form your pack back at the safe zone and you probably won’t need a map or compass to reference. A small chest rig, a plate carrier or even a low-profile battle belt will generally suffice in these situations because you don’t need any greater capacity and carrying any more will only bulk you up and slow you down. On the other hand, if you are playing a longer, less frantic game (or even a Mil-Sim) that requires more patrolling and navigation, you will want to place more priority on other activities. You will need to consider carrying more water, more food and perhaps even more clothing to allow you to continue

onwards in the event of changing weather, or simply nightfall, as the game progresses. What you do carry will likely need to be carried in a more secure fashion, magazines will benefit from being placed in pouches with lids or covers to prevent them from being dropped or covered in mud. Traditional battle belt kits or patrol vests will generally shine in these situations and will give you plenty of capacity with the security and comfort you need for long duration use.

TREND SETTING

Due to the current popularity of CQB gaming in airsoft, there’s a lot of plate carriers, helmets and what would usually be called “direct action” kit being used and there’s nothing wrong with that. The kit in question is built to be used in that fashion; quick, very directed and decisive action. That’s why we often see reports and images of real-world conflicts and Special Operations soldiers wearing this kit. For the most part the soldiers are dropped close to a target and the ensuing combat is very high in intensity but does not last very long. Additional supplies do not need to be carried on their backs and can be left at a staging point or even the insertion vehicle (in airsoft terms, that’s the safe zone).

Although not as popularised by Hollywood, the more traditional patrol role and the equipment used still has its place and this is reflected in an airsoft capacity by simply stepping away from the confines of the CQB site. Try heading out into the woods with all you need for an entire day strapped to your back and it soon becomes apparent that the requirements of your kit are very different, and that’s just a day! Imagine taking enough with you to last a week?!

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kit THE RIGHT GEAR FOR THE JOB

matter what, you are likely to be covering some longer distances so regardless of how much you might like the look of a plate carrier, it’s unlikely that you will find any benefit in being smothered in nylon. Tactically thinking you will probably be crawling and scrambling around in the undergrowth to avoid being seen. Again, the tried and proved belt kit will shine here, with magazine pouches off your front allowing you to comfortably get “on your belt buckle”. On the other hand, if your local “WHEN MODULARITY WASN’T SO PREVALENT YOU DID site is an indoor or CQB space with a smaller gaming area and fixed THINGS IN A FIXED AND PREDICATED WAY WHICH OF obstacles, you are going to benefit COURSE WAS PLEASING TO THOSE TRAINING RAW from being upright, agile and RECRUITS INTO ANY ARMED FORCES. WHEN PRESENTED moving fast from cover to cover. You can move your magazines from WITH A LITTLE MORE FREEDOM THERE’S THE CHANCE TO the sides of your hips to a more MAKE THINGS BETTER …OR EXPONENTIALLY WORSE.” central position to allow easy and fast access with either hand - and the additional padding of a carrier MODULAR KIT will probably be welcomed when it comes to getting shot at Modularity in tactical load bearing equipment is now close range. fundamental. Even fixed configuration chest rigs and plate We all have our own preferences when it comes to gear carrier attachment panels can be rapidly swapped with other and kit and we need to find out what works for us and options, or removed altogether. This concept goes hand in what works in the situations you are facing. What might hand with the mission-oriented principle explained above and be “in vogue” at the moment might not work very well in PALS (commonly known as MOLLE) equipment allows users to your environment and you have to ask yourself, is looking add and attach individual pouches as and where they please. “fashionable” really worth Modularity is both a blessing and a curse for those looking sacrificing what could be a to assemble a working, effective load out. When modularity great day’s airsoft for? With wasn’t so prevalent you did things in a fixed and predicated that said, a plate carrier way which of course was pleasing to those training raw and ballistic helmet isn’t the recruits into any armed forces. When presented with a little only great looking kit option more freedom there’s the chance to make things better …or so why not think outside the exponentially worse. box, gear up for your mission One of the biggest pitfalls is assuming that carrying more and be confident in the fact is always better. The novelty of filling every single pouch with you are equipped correctly every conceivable item you might need soon wears off if you for the mission at hand? have to wear it for a long duration. There’s an old adage that says “ounce equal pounds, pounds equal pain”. There are some equally hackneyed saying along the lines of “fight light” and “high speed, low drag” and although corny, they are along the right direction. The trick is to carry exactly the right amount of anything.

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

With all this information presented to you, you might be even more confused than ever when it comes to selecting your load out and we don’t blame you, we never said it would be easy. To start with you need to consider how and where you will be playing. Realistically, if your local site is a large woodland, no www.airsoft-action.online

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kit ENFIELD AIMING SYSTEMS

AS A PHOTOGRAPHER AND LONG-TIME AIRSOFTER, IGGY ROBERTS KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND THE WORLD OF OPTICS SO WHEN HE WAS ASKED TO LOOK THROUGH SOME NEW OFFERINGS FROM ARMEX, HE QUICKLY GOT HIS EYE IN!

SCOPING OUT THE ENEMY WHEN I FIRST STARTED AIRSOFTING around 20 years ago, I had the same attitude as many airsofters that have just caught the airsoft bug. I got my first AEG and then wanted to pimp it up! One of the first add-ons (and the most obvious) for most of us was a scope, be it sniper scope, red dot, reflex or holographic we all “needed” a scope! However, after the novelty wore off, I ended up with some of my airsoft weapons with scopes and others without. My CQB weapons still don’t have optics but that may change after this article, as I believed that CQB was so fast that optics were a waste of money and time - but I might just have been wrong! All the products I am reviewing in this article are made

March 2018

by Enfield and distributed in the UK by Armex. Based in Birmingham, Armex are the UK distributors of a range of outdoor products and are the exclusive distributors of Enfield aiming systems in this country. Enfield not only build scopes and red dots etc., they also offer lasers, range finders and mounts and I will be going through a selection of the products that are excellent for Airsoft.

ENF 1.5-4X30

Product description: A scope that would suit a sharp shooter or sniper weapon. It comes with one piece weaver mounts and rails on the scope to attach other accessories, flip up lens covers, finger adjustable windage and elevation turrets and a crosshair that illuminates in red green or blue with 3 brightness settings. A CR2032 battery is also included, which is a small win. This scope is great for airsoft sniping because it zooms out wide enough to be used as a field battle sight but also has the zoom capacity to really close in on your target. I used it on an M14 and my C7A1. On the M14 it worked really well. The illuminated crosshair worked a treat because it stood out against the background and once zeroed, makes each shot deadly accurate. On the C7A1 it was effective but the limited field of view, even when fully zoomed out, made it a little harder to skirmish with due to the role of a main battle rifle. Another issue is that the front of the scope is reflective, meaning that if the enemy look in your direction from a particular angle they will see the sunlight being reflected, thus giving away your position. This can be easily resolved with a simple mesh or scrim net over the front of scope, as often seen on sniper weapons. Overall, as a scope this is skirmishable even on a battle rifle but I would strongly say this would suit more of the sharp shooter or dedicated snipers in the airsoft world.

kit ENFIELD AIMING SYSTEMS

ENF1X32

Product description: Initially, this red dot scope screams “ACOG!!” as its military styled features make it look like one at a glance. It comes with a built in quick change weaver mount, 5 brightness levels, back up open sights and has a robust build quality. Again I used this on the M14 and C7A1. This red dot scope is suited to a role of a main battle rifle. It gives enough magnification to clearly search and identify your targets even at the rush. Accompanied with the red dot it aids accuracy of your shots and allows you to maintain battle field awareness. This scope also required no zeroing from out the box. I simply attached it onto both the M14 and C7A1 and remarkably it placed my BBs where the red dot was, at a range of 30+ meters straight away. The front of this scope is also reflective and could catch the sunlight giving away your position before you intend to “GO LOUD”. Again this can be resolved using a scrim net of sorts to cover the front of the scope if it’s a problem.

ENF1X30A

Product description: A red and green dot scope that looks unique, using a single screw thread to secure it to the weapon system for ease of attachment, which means you can secure this scope to very short rail systems.

The scope comes with flip up lens covers, a weaver mount (the scope can be used with any 30mm scope mount), a red and green dot reticule each with 5 brightness levels. A CR2032 battery is included. This is a similar size to ENF1X32 and this makes it a great option for a main battle rifle but will equally suit a sub machine gun, ranging from HK MP5 to MP7 or MP9. One thing I ensured whilst testing this scope was that I secured the single screw thread tightly because I was fearful of the single point of failure. On one of my own airsoft weapons I noticed one of the nuts from my scope mount had been lost. If that happened to this scope the whole scope would have come off. Other than that, this is a great functioning scope that’s simple but effective. It’s straight forward to use and aids accurate fire on your target in an instance. The difference in brightness allows the scope to be used in all lighting conditions. The front screen of the scope does reflect sunlight but it is set back into the body of the scope. This, plus the flip up lens covers, makes the issue a lot less of a concern than other scopes.

ENF1X22X33 Product description: A single pane red dot reflex style scope. It has four different reticules to choose from in both red and green, both colours have 5 levels of brightness to suit the conditions. Included is a dust cover to protect the pane when not required and a CR2032 battery to allow you to use it from the get go. This low profile red dot scope is suited to the smaller weapon system in terms of how it looks. That said, I did try it on the C7A1 and although it looked a little on the small side, it performed perfectly and aided accuracy as any zeroed scope would. There is a strong reflection from the front and this may be an issue to the sneaky player. My biggest fear with this scope is the fact that it is one pane and may be susceptible to being shot out by enemy fire, but this is just my opinion. However, if you are likeminded and are concerned in the same

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kit ENFIELD AIMING SYSTEMS

way, this is easily prevented by placing a small protective screen mounted in front of the scope to protect it. (These are readily available in most airsoft stores). I have seen different variations of this type of scope mounted on many player’s airsoft weapons. However, I am particularly fond of the selection of reticules - it’s a nice touch to make the scope a little more personal to you.

ENF1X22X33Q

Product description: A x1 magnification red or green dot scope fitted with a quick detachable weaver mounting system that comes with four different reticules. The scope is fairly small but of a sturdy and stylish design. The design of this red/green dot sight gives it a different look that is stylish and provides a lot more protection to the single pane of the sight. I tested it out on my MP7 and C7A1. It is better suited to the MP7 sized weapon systems but it does hold its own on a main battle rifle and does the job as well as you would expect from any bigger scope options. Its magnification aids in positively identifying your targets and can aid accuracy of your shots. This, along with the four reticule options, makes it a very nice little red/green dot sight. This scope also reflects light and only has a single pane so may be susceptible to being shot out, although due to the design there seems to be greater protection to the sides of the pane than the ENF1X22X33. As mentioned, a small protective screen mounted in front would provide ample protection. Some people may not be a fan of the quick detach mounting system due to the small leaver on the side of the mount. Personally, I had no issue with it once I was happy it was secured to the picatinny rail on my airsoft gun. I am a fan of this scope due to its design. The quick detach method makes it very easy to swap between weapon systems should you want to, or remove for storage. I would use this on a smaller weapon such as a sub-machine gun (MP5 or MP7 etc).

ENFL41

Product description: A green laser that is around 5mW output. It comes with a weaver mounting bracket and a scope mounting bracket. It can be operated using a choice of a standard push switch or a cord with a Velcro backed pressure switch for mounting. It can be mounted on a rifle or a pistol and comes with a CR123 battery. The laser is a class 3R laser. This means it is a fairly low powered laser and is CONSIDERED SAFE WHEN HANDLED CAREFULLY. This means there is a low risk from accidental, momentary exposure. You must NOT look or stare into the laser beam or shine it at anyone’s face and NEVER shine it towards any moving aircraft or car (that is illegal). I mounted this on the forward rail of the C7A1 and zeroed it with ease. Once TYPICAL PRICING in place, straight away the effect was (expect to pay in the region of): noticeable, making it very easy to aim bang ENF 1.5-4x30 £129.99 on target quickly. £51.99 ENF 1x32 I am not normally a fan of lasers, ENF 1x30A £46.99 mainly due to the risk it may have to ENF 1x22x33 £36.99 other airsofters. However, the fun I had eliminating enemy after enemy with ease ENF 1x22x33Q £69.99 due to the guaranteed accuracy when the ENFL 41 £41.99 laser was pointed at the centre mass of individual enemy players was great! I used it both with the standard switch and the pressure switch. The advantages of the pressure switch were clear. I was able to control the laser and restrict it to just when I was wanting to line up the shot. This is a great aid to airsoft skirmishing regardless of the type of site. This laser works perfectly well both indoors and outdoors. Besides the safety responsibility that you would have with any laser sight, I felt that there weren’t any issues of concern with the laser.

CONCLUSION

Overall the Enfield products reviewed are nicely suited to the airsoft field. The main issue was a reflective front to the scopes. However, in many cases this won’t be an issue as it is easily resolved with scrim net/camouflage. The price of the products are reasonable and I for one will consider some of the Enfield products I reviewed here the next time I need a scope. They really do give superb value for money. Remember team, shoot straighter than your enemies!

WIN

AN EN FIE LASER LD ENFL 41 SYSTE Armex M! have ve

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kit ASG STORM 360 IMPACT GRENADE

GOING DOWN A STORM!

“BANG… AND THE AIRSOFTERS ARE GONE!” GEORAGA, WHO HAS A ROCKY RELATIONSHIP WITH GRENADES IN GENERAL, TAKES A LOOK AT A NEW CONTENDER AND SEES IF IT CAN TEMPT HIM BACK TOWARDS RE-USABLES. BE WARNED… HE ALSO USES A LOT OF PUNS!

LET’S BEGIN WITH A BANG and weather the storm of puns and wordplay that inevitably surround the STORM 360 licensed by ASG as they impact the grenade lineup for airsofters all over. Realistically, there are now a thunderous degree of options to choose from in the airsoft climate but when I scrolled passed a post about this new release (from the Airsoft Action Facebook page I might add), I made a 180 and like lightning, reached out to Jake and Paul from ASG to see if I could get a closer look. Elsewhere in this issue Kelly has rained down an explosion of useful discussion points related to the use of grenades in the wider community so make sure you read that after this to see what angles she found interesting. Alright, now that that’s out of my system and I’m not clouded by the high pressure of amusing anyone (mainly

March 2018

myself, admittedly), let’s get down to what we’re really here for and take a proper look at weather or not this grenade is going to live up to its namesake. As a player, I don’t think I’ve yet come across an ASG product that I haven’t liked (my Scorpion EVO love is real) so I went into this with an optimistic mindset, however, my love of airsoft grenades hasn’t always been as smooth and so with that optimism came an underlying curiosity to see what innovations might have made to improve that relationship.

GENERAL:

The STORM 360 grenade is a gas-powered, projectilefiring, impact grenade that when thrown creates a spinning vortex of BBs that showers the surrounding area... hence... “360”. It’s incredibly useful for room clearing or for getting out of tight spots where multiple enemies are closing in on you and, along with the individual site rules on grenade kills, using projectile grenades help avoid kill confusion by adding that physical BB element to the usual “bang radius”. This isn’t the first gas powered airsoft grenade that projects BBs, grenades such as the Airsoft Innovations’ Cyclone or Tornado do something similar but what excited me about this particular grenade is that ASG have taken a popular concept and simplified it for an easier user experience. With alternatives, I personally found that I stopped using them regularly due to the complexity of the device set-up, often taking too long to get it primed, or using too many small losable parts, causing me to replace them over and over. They’re all great additions to the game but what I look for in a good grenade is how simple it is and how reliable it is, versus how much it costs. Historically I’d revert back to buying

kit ASG STORM 360 IMPACT GRENADE

disposable grenades at the start of the day which, although cost more money in the long run, can be more convenient in certain respects.

BUILD:

TECHNIQUE:

From end to end, using the grenade is as easy as: Step 1: Make sure the grenade is safe by pressing the safety button at the top and inserting the metal pin to secure it in place.

Step 2: Load up to 160 BBs into the small window. The main body of the STORM 360 comprises of two halves of a thick polymer shell that fit together using six Step 3: Fill the gas chamber like a regular gas blowback screws to create a rather large version of a pineapple magazine. grenade (minus a spoon); it feels really solid and can Step 4: When ready to use, pull the metal pin and note that take a serious impact without the worry of anything the compressed gas has forced the safety into its original separating. The body is textured with a mix of raised position. THE GRENADE IS NOW LIVE, MANIPULATE WITH CARE! lines and deeper divots in the pineapple grenade design, while also having a large 3D “STORM 360” logo Step 5: Throw or roll the grenade, making sure it either drops or hits a solid surface. popping out the side, which gives the grenade plenty of grip. The diameter of the grenade reaches about 80mm Step 6: Take cover as it releases the storm. and isn’t the lightest so it’s definitely not suited to a fullStep 7: Go get it back, press the safety button and replace the on lob. Although it doesn’t have the metal components pin! of others out there, it’s still heavy and hard enough to cause a bit of damage to an un-helmeted noggin - so DETONATION SUCCESS: best go with a trusted underarm launch. After pulling the pin, there’s still a safe level of flexibility when The thickness of the shell serves two purposes; not it comes to manipulating the grenade. Unless you accidentally knock it on a frame or throw it with particularly extreme force, only does it make the grenade extremely durable and it’s not going to detonate in your hand (there are definitely robust, giving the grenade that nice bit of weight, cases of this happening with some other grenades). additionally the internals have been carefully hollowed out to create a spiral channel to house the BBs. To load the grenade, “THEY’RE ALL GREAT ADDITIONS TO THE GAME BUT WHAT I LOOK simply use a regular speedloader and IN A GOOD GRENADE IS HOW SIMPLE IT IS AND HOW RELIABLE IT pump up to 160 BBs into the small BB sized hole (convenient that, ain’t it?) VERSUS HOW MUCH IT COSTS.”

at the top. When the grenade is set off, those BBs will shoot straight back out of that hole, causing the body to spin. Internally, the gas chamber and pin safety system also appear to be plastic although I wouldn’t be surprised if the gas chamber is reinforced inside to handle the pressurised gas. Speaking of which, the gas valve they’ve used is a standard valve used on most GBB pistols which makes filling the STORM 360 incredibly familiar; this is something that I think may be exceptionally overlooked and underappreciated... it’s a small thing but when you’re used to filling one type of gas product a certain way, knowing intuitively how a new product works is a good feeling for new users.

FOR IS,

I found it had successful detonations from approximately a foot off the floor and could be rolled several meters providing there was something solid for it to collide with on the other side, so the level of usability is pretty strong.

NUMBER OF BBS EXPELLED (ESTIMATE): As I’ve already pointed out, each grenade holds about 160 BBs. Unfortunately, it seems like this is able to hold a higher capacity of BBs than the gas is actually able to eject (at least in cold weather); it usually leaves about 30 left over in the shell, rattling around. It also sometimes retains some of the gas too.

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29-01-2018 15:11:29

kit ASG STORM 360 IMPACT GRENADE

I’d recommend not filling it all the way, to not only ensure the BBs have optimal pressure pushing them out but also to avoid any accidental secondary discharge if both gas and BBs are left inside.

CONCLUSION:

I have to say, I’m impressed! I took it out and about around The Gaol last weekend and put it through its paces; with the diverse range of floor type and environments I thought it would be an ideal site to test it in situ, as opposed to the controlled testing I also do at home. I was right. For those of you that don’t know, The Gaol is an urban site based at an old prison; it has an abundance of buildings and a few open spaces and a good variety of concrete and muddy grounds so I was able to test it on different surfaces and throw in all manner of different circumstances (before I took a lil’ tumble... maybe that’s a story for another time though), my favourite of which would be a particular moment where stealth and ambush were the only tactics available… An enemy squad on the other side of a door about to check your location, a quick hide to the side of the door with your gun up and a few tense moments as you see it open and the tip of a rifle enter the room only inches from you. It stops, waits, listens and pulls back. Knowing you’re severely outnumbered you can choose to retreat or go for the STORM 360 and, of course, you choose to blow them all up!!! You pull the pin, open the door and throw it into the middle of them, quickly dipping back to avoid a self-elimination. You hear a bemused “HIT HIT HIT HIT HIT! 5 KILLS!” from the nearby

marshal and head out to see your handy-work and retrieve your grenade. What I can say is that it performs well. From impact, the grenade starts to spin thanks to the releasing pressure and as it does, it also seems to self-right and spin predominantly vertically, in order to achieve that 360 spread. It also didn’t seem to detonate too early when I rolled it across the floor, providing I didn’t drop it from a height as I did. So... in an urban and solid environment it performed brilliantly well... but what about softer surfaces? What I will say is that it entirely depends on just how muddy it is. The grenade relies not only on impact but the ability to also spin freely. I found that it detonated on softer surfaces a good 90% of the time when thrown or dropped from a height but in circumstances where the wet mud was too thick, it tended to dig in and/or slide too much, preventing the grenade from building up enough momentum to spin properly. Instead, it tended to stick in the ground and shoot BBs directly into the soil or roll itself further. I also found on the wet mud that rolling was pretty ineffective unless there was enough force used to give it a solid impact with a wall etc.. Overall I think this is an excellent airsoft grenade; the spread of the BBs combined with the site’s self-defined blast radius gives a very satisfying feeling when you take out enemy players and the simplicity, build and reliability of the grenade make using it incredibly easy. The only thing that’s a slight negative point would be the sheer diameter of it; you’re going to have to find a pouch that fits; I didn’t have one in any of my kit because it’s so wide so it’s something I’m going to have to search for but that’s the only real issue I have. If any of you have any suggestions for pouches or thoughts about the STORM 360 or airsoft grenades in general, drop us a message at the Airsoft Action Facebook page; until next time though, watch out for me on the field... you might just find yourself in a STORM!

“KNOWING YOU’RE SEVERELY OUTNUMBERED YOU CAN CHOOSE TO RETREAT OR GO FOR THE STORM 360 AND, OF COURSE, YOU CHOOSE TO BLOW THEM ALL UP!!!” www.airsoft-action.online

Inside Airsoft HEINNIE HAYNES

HEINNIE HAYNES LEZ LEE CONTINUES HIS JOURNEY THROUGH THE RETAIL WORLD OF AIRSOFT WITH AN INTRODUCTION TO A COMPANY SOME AIRSOFTERS MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH, ALTHOUGH OTHERS WILL KNOW VERY WELL. I MUST CONFESS, I DO like collecting things and once I start I really do go to town, however, since we have our wonderful World Wide Web, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to go into town as the town comes to me. This makes shopping a whole lot easier... and a whole lot easier to spend more money than I probably should!

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

Some years ago I started to collect various knives, tomahawks, blades and the like (all legal to own I might add) from across the globe but as the prices of the items increased with the vast choices available (and not forgetting the much-loved import

March 2018

duties, VAT, admin charges, no warranty etc.) it became less desirable to buy from offshore and more preferable to start shopping here in the U.K. I became aware of a web-based company in Wales called Heinnie Haynes and wow, did these guys have some stock or what! So I made my first purchase, a collectable Gil Hibben blade. I was hooked and found myself making purchase after purchase as the company expanded. Before long, I was on first name terms with most of the staff because it went from collection to obsession and I was starting to run out of wall space in my man cave. As the divorce papers piled up, so did my comfort buying but thankfully airsoft took over my compulsive craving for geezer gadgets, however, this was one fire jumped into that was a whole lot better than any frying pan! Nevertheless, I still made frequent visits to the Heinnie Haynes website as there were a lot of changes going on in the way of expansion of the product range. H.H. were now stocking some very interesting items, especially of the tactical variety which really grabbed my grapes! I was seeing torches, multi tools, belts, gloves, pouches and bags, combat-friendly clobber and a host of other good stuff and thereafter these guys were on my go-to list if I needed a piece of tactical gadgetry. Just to give you an idea of how confident I was about buying kit from Heinnie Haynes, my first ever purchase was in January 2010 and to date, I have made no less than 48 purchases from them and that is fact - and an endorsement of the service, prices, selection plus a ton of other reasons why I became a repeat offender (sorry, I mean customer). I cannot think of any reason why this remarkable tactical outlet should not be considered if looking for an

Inside Airsoft HEINNIE HAYNES

gurgling noises that you are not in need of medical intervention – it is just a typical side effect when visiting the H.H. website!). Let the interrogation begin: Lez: So James, let’s start with the obvious question, the history of Heinnie Haynes… how, when, where and why did H.H. begin? James: “Heinnie Haynes began life in the late nineties when .com business was in its infancy. The MD, Bruce, created heinnie.com so he could be his own boss, selling (at that time) Leatherman and Gerber multi-tools from his attic room in Cardiff. As internet trading very quickly took hold the business grew just as fast and he took on premises and employed a number of staff to process orders and get the parcels out the door. Within only a few years turnover had reached a million pounds and the range of items had increased to a level where new premises and a large warehouse were required.” Lez: What drove you to take your range of equipment to a broader spectrum of the more tactical variety?

elusive item, or a readily available piece of gear at a better than average price. Now this wasn’t the first time that I have found a company that has the stock that us ‘softers might want to buy, so a couple of phone calls later I found myself making a “toogood-to-be-true” offer to James, Marketing Manager of this empire of epic equipment... ”Would you like Airsoft Action to introduce Heinnie Haynes to the many thousands of airsoft players in the UK and beyond?” Having bought so much gear, always with THE most flawless service, James knew that I knew the company very well and that I was very well-qualified to identify a credible link between H.H. and airsoft. We began to discuss how to proceed to inform our army of readers and decided that the best way forward was for me to ask the questions, James would respond and then if anyone wanted any further information they could simply log on to Heinnie Haynes’ enormous website (although you might want to tell your better half that when they see you dribbling and making

James: “Heinnie Haynes has been the premium seller of knives and multi-tools of all kinds since it began. Over the last ten or so years, interest in everything outdoors such as bushcraft and survival techniques has reached fever pitch. We were in prime position to supply all the kit and some knowledge to the kit buying public whose desire for other bits and bobs encouraged us to source flashlights, clothing, watches, survival kits etc.” Lez: So tell me about the extraordinary team that have given Heinnie Haynes their incredible reputation in so many areas (judging by the published reviews on Trustpilot etc)? James: “Bruce is the MD, Olly is office manager, Rich and Nick would be the guys you speak to on the phone and then there is myself and Judit in the marketing and photography department. Order processing and accounts etc. are the specialism of Julie, Lou and Hannah and warehouse duties, packing and picking are the domain of Sandra, Ryan, Chris, Lorren and Su. This year we say goodbye to the legend that is Linda, who is retiring after helping Bruce build the business from the early years.” Lez: What is selling well nowadays and why do you think this is? James: “Clothing has been a massive seller for the last 12 months or so. We have always leaned towards high end brands such as TAD Gear and Kitanica which, despite their relatively high price, still sell extremely well. We have always found that if a manufacturer is higher than average quality with a loyal brand following then sales will follow. There is also now, and probably always has been, a crossover between military tactical gear and urban, everyday wear.” Lez: Do you supply many other outdoor activities on a large scale and has this led H.H. down other avenues (for example, why did you decide to stock specialist and tactical clothing)? James: “The boom in interest in outdoor activities and in particular bushcraft and survival was always a match with us due to our stock of knives and multi-tools. We realised that we should cover other areas, such as food prep and shelter but clothing was an enormous category on its own with many related activities such as military, emergency services and of course airsoft. We try not to limit ourselves however. Our ethos is pretty much if it’s cool and of the highest quality it has the potential to be a Heinnie product.” Lez: Do you have any former relevant experience in shooting, military or similar?

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CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

Helikon-Tex @PATROL LINE#AIRSOFT ACTION 01-2018

JOURNEY TO PERFECTION WWW.HELIKON-TEX.COM

Inside Airsoft HEINNIE HAYNES

James: “Not really, our initial expertise is more to do with knife steels, blade sharpening or flashlight LEDs. A few of us wild camp but are not trained to any significant level. We don’t pretend to have exotic backgrounds, just a passion for quality kit.” Lez: Heinnie Haynes has one of the finest reputations for customer service, particularly delivery times so can you elaborate on how this came about? Legend has it that if you place an order one day, it is often delivered the day before the item is ordered (that is a standing illusionary joke amongst many Heinnie customers of course but eerily often seems to be the case). James: “This is an element that Bruce instilled into the brand from the outset. His mindset was to encourage repeat custom and the obvious way to do that was to make sure every new customer had a hassle-free shopping experience, from logging onto the site to the parcel arriving at the door. Hopefully that would mean they’d come back. We don’t always get it right but if you build that attitude into the brand then we seem to get it right more often than not. If we do get it wrong then we always fix it of course! We are very proud of the fact that we currently occupy the “Best in Category” position on the popular review site “Trustpilot” with 19,204 five star customer reviews.” Lez: Where is H.H. going in the future? I for one am very excited about the future course of Heinnie Haynes, especially in relation to airsoft. James: “We are looking to expand our range of hi-tech and tactical clothing and of course, flashlight technology is constantly being upgraded, for example we now have in stock a “jaw-on-the-floor time” 32,000 lumen LED flashlight (Check out Imalent DX80)!” Lez: Final question James, is there anything that you would like to say to our readers before I cease the water boarding, unlock the cuffs and switch off the light. James: “We love our stuff. When deliveries of a new line come in it’s a very exciting time in the office. The fact that we buy our own stuff is testament to its wow factor in the flesh. And that’s how it will always be. If we love it we are confident you will too! And we will of course, welcome airsofters with open

arms because we embrace all activities driven by passion and commitment because it is what we know best as we are driven by passion ourselves.” So there we are fellow ‘softers, just a fraction of an insight into the tactical territory known as Heinnie Haynes. One piece I can’t stop thinking about is that 32,000 lumen flashlight! I mean, surely you can see the man in the moon with that thing and certainly fry an egg on the lens. Seriously though, I have been buying from these guys for eight years now and it truly is my first port of call if I need a particular gadget. I would certainly suggest that if you are looking for anything other than RIFs (and of course knives) for airsoft then do yourself a favour and spend a bit of time (“a bit of time”… that’s a joke, more like the best part of an hour) scrolling through the hundreds of pages displaying thousands of items of tactical loveliness and gazillions of gadgets of just about every possible piece of apparatus to accessorise your already overloaded chest rig… just because there is an empty space for it! And remember... Never take a knife to a gunfight… Unless it’s made of rubber! Lez OUT!

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feature AIRSOFT SNIPING

ONE SHOT, ONE KILL... THAT’S THE MAXIM, IT’S COOL TO SNIPE. THE LONE SILENT GHOST WARRIOR DISPATCHING HIS ENEMIES WITH DETACHED AND CALCULATED EFFICIENCY BUT, AS GADGE ASKS, IS IT THAT GREAT IN AIRSOFT?

SHOTS FALLING SHORT IS AIRSOFT SNIPING ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE? IN MY EXPERIENCE THE ANSWER to the above question is an irrevocable “no”. Now this may seem harsh but bear with me. Like my experience with pistols that regular readers may recall from last month I’m not blind to the pleasures other people get out of airsoft sniping and trust me, like pistols… I really WANTED to like sniping. Let’s be honest, sniping seems cool as heck. It’s proper “boys own” adventure when you see it in the movies, read about the exploits of legendary warriors like Dan Mills, when you hear about those incredible shots that got a confirmed kill over kilometres of distance… it’s quite frankly the stuff of legends. You know, snipers, it’s like “elite” stuff right? The best of the best and all that. The only problem is that I’ve always found it translates really really badly into the medium of airsoft. For a start, while sniping appeals to most of us lads (and lasses) for many of the above “super-duper soldier” reasons, it takes a certain type of person who is happy to spend 50 per

March 2018

cent of their game day lying unnoticed in a ditch, or a hedge, hoping for the off chance of a decent shot at the enemy and for the even lesser chance of being identified as the “sniper” that got them (as surely that’s the point, there’s no fun if someone just thought it was a stray round off a new player's two tone G36!). And to be honest, I’m not that sort of player. I get bored way too easily and after 25 minutes on my belt buckle, trying to stop my goggles fogging as I scan for a target through the mesh screen of my ghillie. I’m frankly thinking “sod this for a game of soldiers” and ready to move on to find a decent bit of battling. Now some players do love this aspect of sniping and for those of you that can sit there for an hour not moving, well I applaud you but it doesn’t feel like getting bang for your buck for me! Perhaps the thing that jars with me most though is that the act of “sniping” in most airsoft games is so utterly removed from the reality of real world “snipers”. You have to ask

Feature AIRSOFT SNIPING

“IF WE THEN COMPOUND THIS PROBLEM WITH THE IDEA THAT EVEN THE MOST HONEST OF PLAYERS, IF THEY ARE NOT EXPECTING IT MIGHT NOT NOTICE A HIT TO THEIR WEBBING OR RUCKSACK, THEN WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? BREAK COVER AND SHOUT “CHECK YOUR HITS MATE” OR JUST STAY SILENT AND LET THEM MOVE ON.” yourself how many players on the field are playing as actual “snipers” and how many are just a dude with a high FPS bolt action rifle skulking around the back of the skirmish line? Now again, this sounds overly harsh but I’m throwing this out after conversations with friends of mine who are (or were back in our squaddie days) real world snipers. In their eyes there is a big distinction between “lone gunman” and the hard earned trade craft they have as sniper – in much the same way that paratroopers don’t consider an infantry soldier who has done a few jumps to be a “para”… there is a lot more to it than that.

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THE STALK For my sniper pals, fieldcraft and the “stalk” is critically important but this is often largely ignored in airsoft. Partly because players simply don’t have those skills taught over months and partly because of time constraints and the nature of open day gaming. Whereas a real world sniper will take hours (or potentially days) to arrive stealthily and unnoticed at a position where he can observe the enemy and take that critical shot, your average airsofter has minutes in a normal game to run like buggery as soon as game on is called, crashing through the undergrowth in a ghillie and praying they will find a good shooting position before they contact the enemy's skirmish line. Add to this the concept that real world snipers can often spend as much, if not more, time intelligence gathering and calling in indirect fire as taking a shot and you see that the airsoft sniper, who rarely is utilised as the eyes and ears of his team, is quite far removed from his real world counterpart already. Now in fairness, in some carefully constructed scenarios and long duration MilSims, the patient and well-schooled airsoft sniper CAN fulfil this role properly but my point is that it’s rare. As in the real world, a carefully constructed rifle using well matched and fitted parts can give you that range and accuracy edge over the competition but here we have to look realistically

at range. Real world snipers are able to make accurate shots at far greater range than the average squaddie with an assault rifle can make due to a combination of training, decent optics, well made and selected ammunition and having a correctly zeroed and ranged in rifle. And here, to me, is where a lot of it falls down in airsoft. For a start and with the best will in the world, while you can get your sights ROUGHLY on target, at the maximum engagement range you can get out of a UK legal 500fps rifle you can’t “zero” it like you can with a real weapon and the margin of error out at long to extreme range hardly inspires confidence in the “one shot, one kill” maxim! Add to this that a badly set up 500fps rifle can be given a run for its money by a well set up and adjusted AEG with a good hop and barrel using decent BBs and all of a sudden that “untouchable assassin” idea begins to fall down.

NO WIN SITUATION

In the spirit of even-handedness (and trust me, I do really want sniping in airsoft to be cool, I’m just struggling to get there at the moment) let’s assume you do have the skills, you’ve done a good stalk to the target and you’re engaging the enemy with accurate fire. The problem is with a great deal of airsofters they have to KNOW you are out there for you to be a significant factor in the battle. The presence of a real world sniper is www.airsoft-action.online

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Feature AIRSOFT SNIPING

a “force multiplier”, a good sniper can deny freedom of movement to a whole platoon or more just by being there and being a hazard. If, however, you’re invisible and your shots are virtually silent, unless you get a near miss or a strong hit they will probably move on regardless and not be slowed down as they would be if they heard the crack and thump of real rounds around their feet. If we then compound this problem with the idea that even the most honest of players, if they are not expecting it might not notice a hit to their webbing or rucksack, then what are you going to do? Break cover and shout “check your hits mate” or just stay silent and let them move on. In a worst case scenario, if we add the eternal issue of the “dishonest” player, it just gets frustrating. In my own

“IT’S EASY TO STICK A SCOPE AND BIPOD ON ANYTHING AND CALL IT A “DMR”, WHICH IS A SHAME AS IN MY BOOK THE DMR ROLE IS FAR MORE SUITED TO MOST AIRSOFT GAMES THAN TRADITIONAL SNIPING.”

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days of being the “marksman” of the group (more of this later) I remember being enraged at engaging a group of visiting players to my local site, targeting them, watching my BBs bounce off their kit through my 4x scope and hearing them go “Ow!” and having no choice but to lie there in my ghillie and aim for more “sensitive” bits to get the message out. But in their eyes, they couldn’t see the shooter – they were not taking the hit. I couldn’t call a marshal without revealing my position... all in all a no win situation to be in. All in all this has come across as a bit negative but that’s not my intention, so let’s put some positivity back in. As I mentioned, I’ve tried sniping and it’s always been frankly a bit boring and it wasn’t until I started doing WWII airsoft and bought a bolt action Lee Enfield that I actually realised that, for me, the fun is in being the marksman of the section; a role that incorporates accurate shooting with freedom of movement.

Back in the early WWII airsoft days when most of the guys had Sten or Mp40 SMGs, it was often those of us with a bolt action that were called forwards to get someone out of some tough cover, or to pin down the enemy as the others advanced. Now this play style worked for me and I’ve carried it into my Cold War airsofting, often taking a Dragunov SVD rifle into the field with me. I can run into position, snap off some harassing fire or pin down a position then quickly move back to support the section – I’m not lugging around a heavy and hot ghillie suit and I’m not stuck on my belly on my own for 45 minutes at a time. Over time I’ve realised that the majority of airsoft snipers, even those in ghillie suits and spending most their game day prone in a ditch are also playing the Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) role. One of the problems with the “DMR” role in the game though, is that it’s quite “nebulous” and doesn’t have that élan that “sniping” has. It’s easy to stick a scope and bipod on anything and call it a “DMR”, which is a shame as in my book the DMR role is far more suited to most airsoft games than traditional sniping. It would be good to see more emphasis but on players taking up this role but at the moment there still seems to be something of an “elite mystique” around snipers that makes anything less than going the whole hog in a ghillie and tuned rifle seem like a bit of a cop out. In essence, I found that while “sniping” wasn’t for me, there was a lot of scope (no pun intended) for being the slightly harder hitting (if less rapid) BB chucker in the team and over the years I’ve seen more and more sites include FPS and ROF restrictions in their rules to encourage more DMR players to take part. It’s clear to see that DMRs are now an essential part of a squad’s organic firepower and when used effectively with other team members, become invaluable. Why not try grouping up with some players next game and trying it for yourself? You’ll soon see that a combination of effective overwatch and rapid moving accurate support can be a real game changer for your side.

feature MULTI TOOLS PART TWO

MULTI TOOL ROUND UP PART TWO

A FEW ISSUES BACK FRENCHIE WAXED LYRICAL ABOUT MULTI TOOLS AND LOOKED A FEW EXAMPLES. HERE HE COMPLETES HIS ROUND UP WITH THE TWO FOR WHICH THERE WAS NO SPACE, VICTORINOX’S SWISSTOOL X AND THE LEATHERMAN WAVE.

VICTORINOX SWISSTOOL X

VICTORINOX, FAMOUS FOR THEIR ORIGINAL Swiss Army knives, introduced their first Multi Tool, the Swisstool, in 1997. It should be no surprise really that they broke new ground with their design as it featured “outwards opening” blades (tools), meaning that the pliers didn’t have to be opened before deploying a tool. All blades have individual springs to tension them, something still not found on the majority of other Multi Tools and are locked for security in use and released by ambidextrous knurled sliders on both handles. With the tools on the outside of the handles, when using

the pliers you’re presented with smooth, polished steel in your hand making them both more comfortable and allowing you to apply more force without cutting into your hand. Build quality throughout is outstanding even in this market where high quality is the norm. With the exception of the plier’s jaws, the entire tool is constructed from polished stainless steel. The outside of the handles is inscribed with an imperial scale on one side and a metric one on the other, allowing reasonably accurate measurements to be taken. The Swisstool is usually supplied with a leather belt pouch although you may encounter a woven nylon alternative. The usefulness and quality of each individual tool mirrors that of the tool itself. Wood saw – capable of blasting through a 4” x 4” fence post (I know, I’ve done it!) Sharp, with typical Victorinox opentoothed design. Can opener/small screwdriver – This will be familiar to anyone with a Swiss army knife. Screwdriver is approximately 3mm wide, quite short because of the can opener behind it. Cap lifter/medium screwdriver – Approximately 4/5mm wide. Longer reach providing there is a decent amount of room to work in.

March 2018

Feature MULTI TOOLS PART TWO

Chisel/scraper/wire stripper – Useful to have but not something I use often. Large screwdriver/crate opener – No lie! This is the largest screwdriver I have ever encountered on a Multi Tool. Can you use it as a pry bar? Yes you can! Plain edge spear point knife blade – simple and sharp as a sharp thing. File blade – my favourite file. It has a coarse and fine side and removes material like a wizard. I use this regularly in the course of my work – plastic, metal or wood it just doesn’t care. Eyeglass screwdriver – Relatively long and slim it does indeed fit the screws that hold your glasses together. Very useful. Phillips screwdriver – Simply the best in the business. Properly formed and finished so it gets a good grip on the screw and does the job. Awl – need to make a hole? This is your friend.

a bottle opener and a can opener. Pretty straightforward but all pretty useful. The handles were constructed from pressed stainless steel and presented a far kinder profile to the user’s hands when the pliers are deployed. The pliers on the Wave a needle-nose in design, slightly longer than the Swisstool and again feature both fine and coarse serrations, wire stripper and wire cutter. In 2004 Leatherman retired the original design and relaunched the Wave, adding a locking function to all blades (the external blades already had a liner-lock system) and redesigning the pliers to make them longer and to increase the length of the wire cutting section. They also replaced the Phillips head driver with a socket that accepts double-ended 6mm hex bits. While I expressed my misgivings about this in Part One, Leatherman have managed to integrate it so well I can accept it for its genuine usefulness. With an overall length of 10cm/4 inches when closed and weighing 8.5oz, the Wave isn’t a heavyweight although I always found it (and pretty much any Multi Tool) too heavy and too large for comfortable pocket carry. It is supplied with a woven nylon belt sheath although I am saddened to note that the leather alternative no longer seems to be available as they were incredibly hard-wearing.

Scissors – these replace the serrated blade found on the Swisstool and for my money are far more useful. Finally, the pliers themselves. Victorinox describe these as “needle-nose” and it’s true that they are not blunt but they are chunky, broader than those found in the Gerber and the Wave. They have fine serrations at the tip, coarse serrations in the middle and wire cutting & stripping notches at the hinge. Interestingly, in 2002 Victorinox reversed the “handedness” of the pliers, having calculated that by doing so they increased the strength of the pliers when undoing blots and nuts. The best explanation come from Robert Elsener, Quality Manager at Victorinox, ”If you twist a pair of pliers in either direction, the maximum torque until breakage is different. Most pliers are less strong when you twist something counter-clockwise, as if you were trying to loosen a bolt or remove a screw. Counter-clockwise tends to spread the pliers tip apart, whereas clockwise “MOST OF THEM ARE TOUGH BUT THIS ONE GIVES YOU THE twisting will force the pliers half against IMPRESSION THAT YOU COULD STRIP A TANK DOWN TO ITS one another and be stronger. That’s the COMPONENT PARTS, BEAT OUT THE DENTS AND THEN PUT IT BACK reason why we reversed the pivot on our SwissTool and SwissTool Spirit new pliers TOGETHER. IT’S BIG AND HEAVY AND IF STEEL COULD SCREAM IT head design.” (Quote courtesy of wiki. WOULD SCREAM “QUALITY!” TO THE POINT THAT IT KEEPS YOU Multi Tool.org) In my mind, none of the above AWAKE AT NIGHT.” manages to convey the sheer quality of the Swisstool. As I said previously, I have owned many Multi Tools from most of the major manufacturers and the Swisstool is just so different. Most of them are tough but this one gives you the impression that you could strip a tank down to its component parts, beat out the dents and then put it back together. It’s big and heavy and if steel could scream it would scream “Quality!” to the point that it keeps you awake at night. Given the fame of their knives it is easy to overlook the Multi Tools Victorinox produce – the range is very limited and they are all clearly based on a single underlying design. As the change to the pliers shows, Victorinox are content to re-engineer the product without any great fanfare – evolution rather than revolution – and certainly do not claim that the improvement is a “new model”. This is the Multi Tool that fastidious and precise people design and make and if you are serious about the tool you carry you would be foolish not to check it out. Pricing can vary wildly – my current Swisstool X was bought for me from a UK supplier for £75.00 although you will find others selling them for slightly over £100.00, so shop around.

LEATHERMAN WAVE

Leatherman introduced the “Wave” to their line-up in in 1998. For Leatherman it was revolutionary in putting the blades on the outside of the handle and additionally making it possible to open them one-handed. These readily accessible blades were the straight and serrated knife blades and the saw blade and file. Inside the handle you would find scissors, large, medium and small flat head screwdrivers, an awl and a Phillips head screwdriver. Incorporated into two of the flat head drivers are

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Feature MULTI TOOLS PART TWO

Of the tools I have reviewed, the Wave falls fairly in the middle. Heavier than the Gerber, it is noticeably lighter than the Swisstool. It has more tools than the Gerber, and more functions but for sheer versatility the Swisstool just edges it in my opinion. As far as pricing is concerned you should be able to find the stainless steel version for between £75 and £80 and the black oxide version is slightly more expensive. That said you will find some vendors asking well over £120 for the same tool! Given that I’m writing in Airsoft Action, which of these three is the best for airsofters? That’s a hard question to answer as they all have their pluspoints. The Gerber is conveniently light and I am a big fan of being able to open the pliers one-handed. If you need anything else it’s a bit more of a faff. The Leatherman Wave has a set of needle-nose pliers which are probably the best to getting into restricted spaces but I question the logic of making all the blades available when the tool is closed. It seems to me that being a knife is not a Multi Tool’s primary function, a useful one definitely but it’s the presence of the additional tools and functions that sets them aside from Swiss army knives and their ilk. I would (and have) happily use any of the tools I have reviewed but the clear winner for me is the Swisstool. Good though the others are the sheer quality of the Victorinox offering has to be seen and handled. All the tools are incredibly well designed and while I don’t doubt full-on stupidity could break one, most reviewers claim the greatest drawback is its tendency to attract the attention of light-fingered types... Although the Phillips head driver on the Wave is excellent, the Swisstool’s is better and while I will accept that the pliers are slightly less versatile, there isn’t a lot in it. A Multi Tool is no substitute for a well thought-out collection of tools specifically meant for working on airsoft gear but as a “IS IT WORTH SPENDING THE MONEY TO BUY A NAME-BRAND one-stop stand-in the Multi Tool can keep TOOL LIKE THE ONE’S REVIEWED? THAT IS A QUESTION FOR YOUR you going until you get back to a workbench. BANK ACCOUNT, HOWEVER, THE OLD ADAGE “BUY WELL, BUY Unlike your (or my) airsoft tool-kit, a decent Multi Tool will go well beyond those restricted ONCE” APPLIES. NONE OF THE THREE REVIEWED SHOULD LET YOU functions (when did you last use a hex-driver DOWN IN THE SAFE ZONE (OR ANYWHERE ELSE) AND THEY ARE ALL to cut down branches to build a hide?) and will COVERED BY DECENT MANUFACTURERS WARRANTIES AS WELL” find use in your everyday life as well. Is it worth spending the money to buy a name-brand tool like the one’s reviewed? That you don’t have one of these in your kit bag, spend well, it’s an is a question for your bank account, however, the old adage investment you will not regret. “buy well, buy once” applies. None of the three reviewed Final recommendation? In my opinion it has to be the should let you down in the safe zone (or anywhere else) and Swisstool X for its combination of awesome build quality and they are all covered by decent manufacturers warranties as for the exceptional usability of its tools. It is heavy and it is well. I can make a cheap gun perform better, sometimes as large by Multi Tool standards but this translates into well-sized well as guns costing three times as much but a cheap tool will tools and a very solid grip regardless of the weather. always be a cheap tool and you can expect it to fail so yes, if

FOOTNOTE

Whilst writing this piece I went searching for my first “proper” tool, a Leatherman PST II. I found it, its leather sheath showing signs of every one of the 25 years of use and carry it’s been subjected to. Although I don’t regularly carry it these days it is still in full working condition and I have complete faith in it. At the time it was bought it cost something like £60 which was a lot of money for such an item. That would translate to something like £180 today, so £75 - £100 for a tool that is easily as good if not better is in some respects a bargain. The other thing to take from this anecdote is that is you can avoid losing it or having it filched, you should get decades of service out of any of the tools reviewed. That’s proper value-for-money! www.airsoft-action.online

gitag CUSTOM PISTOL STANDS

BESPOKE PISTOL STANDS MANY OF YOU, LIKE MANY OF US, PROBABLY HAVE A NUMBER OF PISTOLS IN YOUR “AIRSOFT ARMOURY” AND UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME SLAT-WALL OR A CABINET, THEY WILL BE SECRETED AWAY IN DRAWS AND CASES UNTIL YOU NEED THEM! THIS MONTH BILL THOMAS LOOKS AT A VERY SPECIAL AND UNIQUE SOLUTION TO THIS. HOW TO DISPLAY YOUR AIRSOFT RIF collection? That’s always a tricky question isn’t it? I know many people who have some righteous displays based on slat-wall that are really professional and would do a good shop justice but many I’m sure, like me, keep their beloved airsoft tools safely tucked away unless they are being worked on. Coming from a real firearms background I’m a firm believer of keeping things under lock and key, even in my house, although there are always a couple of things in my office that are “WIPs” (looks left, two AKSUs, looks right, RAVEN EU18 and WE GBBR AR…). I also collect “rare” RIFs but sometimes I feel like one of those art collectors who buys up paintings from the “masters” then hides them away in a silent, secure vault, only to be viewed at my leisure as a somewhat “guilty pleasure”! When you visit a good shop or a show though, new shiny airsoft products are always beautifully displayed and I’ve often

thought (especially when it comes to my handgun collection) that it would be great to display them in a much better way … and now I can! My good friend Phil (who runs the Southern Airsoft Bootfair) and I speak on a regular basis and I’ve had the pleasure now of finally visiting his workshop, so when he contacted me to say “I’m sending you a mystery package, tell me what you think of the contents” I was very, very intrigued! When the package arrived with me I had to smile (a lot!) because what it contained were samples, in MDF and real wood, of his new pistol display stands and, as you’ll see from the pictures, these are first rate and can be made in a “bespoke” fashion to really set off whatever pistol model you want to display. I asked Phil how this came about and he told me: “We have a nickname for our manufacturing department “Panda In An Air Balloon”. Don’t ask where it came from, it popped up in conversation one day and just stuck.” AA: Phil, please can you tell me where the inspiration for your pistol stands came from? Phil: “I have been involved in Airsoft for about 12 years and pulling triggers on things for a lot longer. At home I have a Desert Eagle that I have on display but it does not have a stand, it just rests on a large carved wooden lizard. After the umpteenth comment from my very understanding wife I decided to get a stand. This lead to problems as basically there aren’t any. I tried to get a more mainstream pistol stand but again they were either too generic to modify or too damned expensive! “As I already have a CNC Laser Prototyping machine, the

March 2018

gitag CUSTOM PISTOL STANDS

obvious thing seemed to be just make one. This led to lots of testing etc, as well as sending the first few attempts to knowledgeable friends to see what they thought. And after a short time I had more than enough requests for these stands that I decided they needed to go into production.” AA: Without giving the game away could you give me an idea of how you go about actually making one of your stands? Phil: “In simple terms, you need the basic volume of the item you want to display, in this case a pistol. Thankfully all pistols are made to fit a generic set of coordinates, i.e. human hands. So it is simply a matter of taking the average size of a medium frame pistol, finding the common contact points (Thank you to Steve and Matt for the loan of so many pistols) then coming up with a 3D model that meets all, or most, of those reference points. Easier than it sounds. “The aesthetics are much harder as I wanted the stand to look good with any pistol, for example, you could have one that has styling details from just the 1911, or an M9 but that would look daft with a Glock 17 sitting on it. So the shapes used on the various contours have been inspired by various design cues and angles on any number of pistols. So you may just recognise profiles of certain pistols in the design. Also the non-custom stands come delivered in three pieces that simply click together. This makes painting much easier and you can, if you wish, have different inserts engraved with different logos. For instance, if you only have space to display one pistol and want to change the model around.” AA: What materials can you make them from? Phil “The first models were cut from Laser Grade 3mm MDF. It is a very stable material to cut and takes paint very well, so the buyer can paint them to match a loadout colour, or video game, or their home decor should they wish. Also it is much stronger than it may look and can take lots of abuse should you like swapping out your pistols, or the cat gets to them. We will be making a range from wood for those wanting a more “classic” look and if there ends up being a demand, we can make them from Acrylics and various other polymer based products.” AA: Are you able to make them for any model of pistol? Phil: “Absolutely! The basic design will hold almost any medium framed pistol as well as larger pistols. We don’t have access to every model of pistol available but so far this design has met the need for almost every pistol we have tried. Obviously things like the Desert Eagle, SOCOM MK23 and large IPSC Race Guns have different ratios and we make specific stands for those models.” AA: What’s the most unusual pistol model you’ve been asked to make a stand for? Phil: “Well the model is not “unusual” as much as Bloody Big! The SOCOM MK23 with its Suppressor and LAM unit is the size of an MP5 and as such needed special attention, also its one of my favourite pistols so I enjoyed giving it a few extras.” AA: Do you see the stand “concept” as being applicable for other RIFs like SMGs or even rifles?

Phil: “Oh yes! The design process is not complicated just time consuming and as these are aimed mostly at airsofters, the very wide array of just M4 variants means it is very hard to make a standard model that will fit everything. And apart from the extra weight, if you are showing off your pride and joy you want the stand to be both worthy of looking at and subtle enough so as not to take away from the item being displayed. If there is the demand then I see no reason why we would not make stands for everything from P90s to Tavors. Also, we can customise any of the designs for individuals or trade sites, so if a shop wanted display stands with their company name or logo we are happy to do that.” AA: If someone is interested in one of your stands how do they go about ordering one? Phil: “If individuals want one than please go to facebook and simply search “Panda In An Air Balloon” or email us directly at pandainanairballoon@gmail.com or, alternatively, ask their local retailer, site shop or site to contact us about stocking these stands locally. We are happy to talk to anyone who is interested in this product so just drop us a line.” To conclude I have to say that I am constantly overwhelmed by just how much talent there is within out great airsoft community and I’m proud to have friends that are fellow “Geeks” constantly looking for solutions to things most of us haven’t even recognised as a problem! I’ll be speaking to Nige about having some of Phil’s excellent stands for the Airsoft Action show display, so hopefully you’ll be able to see them first-hand with us soon! www.airsoft-action.online

It’s a Classic SOFTSHELL JACKETS

GADGE CONTINUES HIS “CLASSICS” COLUMN WITH A PIECE OF CLOTHING THAT WE PROBABLY ALL HAVE AT LEAST ONE OF HANGING IN OUR “TACTICAL WARDROBE”!

GOING SOFT! WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT one of the more “modern classics” in any serious airsofter’s wardrobe is a softshell jacket. From its early days as a piece of outdoors hiking kit, to cutting edge military equipment, the softshell has always been a useful and practical piece of kit to own. For years most armies have used a “layers” system to keep the soldier warm and dry but for most armies, durability has come over the benefits of lightweight and thus more prone to damage, apparel. While since the 90s the British Army had been issuing light weight fleeces to wear under the combat jacket it would, like the camelback, be the sporting world that would pioneer modern soft shells. The term “softshell” refers to the outermost layer of a system of layered clothing being a “shell layer” but instead of the traditional outdoors final layer being a tough rainproof outer, the “soft” shell allows moisture (in the form of sweat) to leave the body and thus prevents the wearer from being soaked with their own exertions. The ideal soft shell is durable and wind/water resistant enough to protect the wearer from inclement weather. When proofed and maintained, the softshell should be lightly insulating and generally breathable enough to work when on the move, as opposed to a waterproof that would be like a greenhouse in all but a static situation. Most softshells are water resistant but won’t stand up to a really heavy drenching. These days, however, as technology in the outdoor industry moves forward, more fully waterproof

soft shells are emerging, such as Polartec Neoshell or DryQ Elite. Many modern soft shells are almost completely waterproof while still retaining the breathability of more porous models and often have a “wicking layer” to absorb excess moisture. In fact, these new technologies often blur the line between what is a hard shell and what is a soft shell. In military use soft shells first seemed to come into prominent use during the 2003 war in Iraq, where many special forces units like the SBS and SAS utilised civilian hiking and camping clothing and equipment to look less “military” and therefore draw less attention when on reconnaissance missions. Since then a whole industry has been created in which nearly all top end military and law enforcement kit manufacturers compete to market the ultimate outdoors soft shell. Many of these military soft shells are specifically designed to be worn under body armour and webbing systems and so are constructed with flat seams, low profile zippers and pockets that are easily accessible to encumbered or armoured soldiers. While the softshell is a relatively new piece of military kit its clear it’s caught the attention of the airsoft world and to many players this modern day “classic” design beats wearing a traditional combat jacket hands down!

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Site Report WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT: THE FOB

KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK VISITS A POPULAR SITE IN THE WEST MIDLANDS TO ATTEND THEIR ANNUAL XMAS BASH.

I A S D N A L D I M T S WE ON THE 17th DECEMBER LAST year, I was invited to attend West Midlands Airsoft: The FOB in Upper Tean, Stoke-on-Trent for their annual Christmas game. The FOB is West Midlands Airsoft’s woodland site and the sister site of High Command. The FOB was once a Home Guard Training Area during the

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Second World War and is a vast site covering 120 acres of varied woodland terrain. The site boasts some purposebuilt structures and natural games zones, from open dense woodland to 7 purpose built, themed gaming areas such as “The Fort”, “Village” and the “Crash Site”, which has an old beaten up helicopter dominating the game zone. The FOB is a 35-mile drive from my home in the Midlands, which is around a 50-minute drive up the A50. The site can be a little tricky to find if you haven’t previously attended as the postcode takes you to a small house on the corner of Hollington Road. From the house, if you turn right onto Hollington Road it will lead up a hill and around halfway there is a sign that says “Paintball” – turn into the opening and you’re there! When I attended we still had a little bit of snow on the ground which had turned to ice on the roads and because of the hills it is worth being vigilant during the cold weather. As you turn into the site entrance, there are friendly site marshals in high-vis vests to direct players into the spaces. The car park is fairly large and at the sites busiest there has been around 100 players’ onsite – this is the only time I’ve seen the car park struggle to fit all player’s vehicles. The covered safe zone is a short walk from the car park and is a large clearing in the woodland that contains fully covered wooden structures for players to organise their kit ready for the day. In the centre of the safe zone there is a podium (and in the winter, a fire pit to keep players nice and toasty) where the safety brief and site rules are read out to players. The on-site facilities at the FOB rival a lot of woodland sites that I have been to in the past; they have a fully stocked pop-up shop selling everything from BBs to pyro to airsoft guns and a selection of snacks and drinks. There are both male and female

Site Report WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT: THE FOB

A IRSOFT: THE FOB toilets, with running water - which makes a pleasant change to unisex portaloos! The rentals onsite are provided by Joe at SIXMIL.com, an independent airsoft hire company that gives new players something that they don’t often get during the rental part of their airsoft career – choice. SIXMIL.com offer different hire packages from assault to recon and many more, the packages don’t just include guns, they also include combat clothing and tactical gear so new players can look the part. From M4s to G36s, snipers and even Gucci guns such as the Scorpion EVO for experienced players to rent, Joe has new and experienced players alike covered. Hire packages start at £20 which is in addition to the game fee. The price for the day is £30 for non-members and £25 for a member which includes a hot lunch and free tea/coffee all day. Usually, lunch will be something along the lines of Chilli and nachos or a hotdog but as this was a special Christmas themed game, there was a more festive lunch on offer. For lunch players were offered turkey and stuffing cobs with lashings of gravy, which was awesome on a cold, snowy day! Gates open at 8.30am, with the game/safety brief usually somewhere between 9.30-10am after all players are signed in and chrono’d. The game/safety brief is comprehensive and covers everything from pyrotechnics, to terrain to gun safety whilst playing. The safety brief is in line with other woodland sites and has standard FPS limits - 350 FPS for full auto AEGs and pistols, 400 FPS for DMRs locked to Semi with a 20-metre engagement distance and 500 FPS for Snipers with a 20-metre engagement distance. Pyrotechnics are allowed onsite, including BFGs but because of the nature of the terrain, strikeable and wire-pull pyro is a lot more effective. The team at West Midlands Airsoft runs a variety of games

that utilise the whole site, from your “standard” force on force team death match games, to objective games including capture the flag, domination and “grab and run” games (which feature inflatable buoys that players must grab from their locations around the site and return to their respawn points). The site itself is quite large and has some awesome purpose-built structures that are all connected by a central “Ring Road”. My favourite areas of the site are the crash site which has an old helicopter in the centre – when the smoke is popping it makes an awesome back drop for an airsoft game. I also really enjoy playing in the Village – what I like most about the village is the www.airsoft-action.online

Site Report WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT: THE FOB

gifts, the other team took a route through the trees in front of space this game zone offers, from the buildings and structures us in order to flank our position. After a fierce firefight through to the hill that dominates the open terrain and the treelines the trees that ended in heavy casualties for the protection that encase it within the woodland, it has variety and because it has all of these structures/terrains that are mixed together squad, eventually we made it up to the village which is the half way point. As we ran across the snowy ground on the hill to within this particular game zone it offers the most varied make it up to the next point we were exhausted – the terrain, gameplay on site. Whether you are a sniper or you prefer closer snow and mud made for hard going. We raced up the stairs quarters, any game played in the Village will give you your fix! The last (and favourite) game of the day was the “Santa Run”. This game is where site owner Paul dresses up in “WE RACED UP THE STAIRS TO THE ENTRANCE TO THE SITE AND a Santa costume armed with the CA SANTA DECLARED OUR LAST STAND WOULD BE ON THE STEPS. HPA HPA Microgun and has a team of staff GUNS WHIZZED BBS IN ALL DIRECTIONS AND THE MICRO GUN WHIRLED “Elves” to protect him whilst he makes his Christmas present run. However, AS THE OTHER SIDE CLOSED IN ON US. SANTA DIDN’T GET TO DELIVER Santa and his band of helpers are against HIS PRESENTS BUT WENT OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY!” EVERY player onsite. I was asked to be a part of the Santa protection squad so the numbers were 9 against 39. As we made our way into the snowy, foggy woodland waiting for the to the entrance to the site and Santa declared our last stand marshals to call game on, the objective was simple – get Santa would be on the steps. HPA guns whizzed BBs in all directions to the chopper *said in an Arnie voice*. and the micro gun whirled as the other side closed in on us. We started on the very far end of the site by the Fort and Santa didn’t get to deliver his presents but went out in a blaze waited for the players to descend on our position, they came of glory! As it was Christmas, WMA wanted to give back to their quickly through the trees but our squad held them. As we fell players so with every green free there was a raffle ticket for back into the treeline to get Santa on the move to deliver his prizes from West Midlands Airsoft, Staffordshire Militaria and SIXMIL.com, including chocolates, BBs, socks (wouldn’t be Christmas without them!), a springer shotgun and even a G36C AEG. Overall, even though I am what some would call a “fair weather airsofter”, I really enjoyed my day at WMA: The FOB. The games played were fun and engaging, were marshalled well on a site that is varied enough to provide a great gameplay for players and has good facilities. Keep up the good work WMA!

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ARMOURY RAPTOR AIRSOFT : PKP PECHENEG

AIRSOFT ACTION’S FRENCH CONTRIBUTOR, DIANE MONTAGNIER, GETS HER HANDS ON AN AEG FIRST SEEN AT LAST YEAR’S IWA SHOW IN NUREMBERG.

PKP G E N E H C PE THE NEW TAIWANESE BRAND, Raptor Airsoft, introduced its first airsoft gun last year at the IWA Show on the Classic Army booth and it’s not nothing… it’s AEG PKP! So let’s take a look at this big baby… The famous PKP “Pecheneg” is a machine gun created by Kalashnikov during the 1990’s. It’s full name is: “Pulemyot Kalashnikova Pekhotny “Pecheneg””, which comes from the Pechenegs, a warrior Turkish tribe who lived in the steppes of southern Russia and Ukraine. The PKP is the evolution of the PKM machine gun and that explains why the PKP has the same design lines. It has also new accessories, like a carry handle and a front bipod.

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This machine gun was unfortunately well-known during the second Chechnya war. Nowadays, PKP Petscheneg is used by mobile infantry, paratroopers and Russian Speznaz but it is also used in other countries, such as Kazakhstan or Syria.

UNBOXING

The PKP Pecheneg from Raptor Airsoft is delivered in an ordinary cardboard box and there is only one brand sticker on it. Inside, there is only the replica and its 5,000 BB ammobox and… that’s it… nothing else! In my opinion it’s a little bit light. In France this PKP costs more than 650 Euros, about £576 and at that price, all the airsofters should expect more than that. By the way, the externals are just wonderful. All the external parts are made of steel and there are no burrs. It gives a very massive impression, with good reason, the replica weighs more than 9 kg and it is 1,010 cm long! The foldable bipod can be unclipped from the outer barrel. The flash hider is made of steel but it’s impossible to fix a silencer as there is no thread. The carry handle is a good option to carry away this replica. I fixed on it and on the stock a HK Minimi sling, it’s OK but not very efficient because the main weight is at the front of the replica and it leans a little. On the left side there is the ejection port and fire mode selector; the PKP shoots only in full auto but the security mode is functional. The grip and the stock are made of polymer and they look very strong. It even seems that the stock is made of nylon fibre. On the right side, there is the mobile cocking lever and the connection hatch between the replica and the ammo box. The top cover opens in the same way as the AK’s one. Inside, there is the hop-up setting, to adjust with a scroll wheel.

ARMOURY RAPTOR AIRSOFT : PKP PECHENEG

HOW WELL DOES IT WORK ?

Let’s look at what this replica has inside. It’s really easy to disassemble this PKP. There is only two screws to unscrew and the gearbox can easily be separated from the lower, but pay attention to gather the cables. The gearbox is really close to a M249 gearbox, like the QD system for the change of the spring. Inside, there is a standard AEG pieces (inner barrel of 53 cm long and made of brass, hop-up rubber, spring, cut off, cylinder, cylinder head, gears, piston, piston head, bearings 9mm, tappet plate). The motor is a long type. The nozzle is 20,6mm long. The spring guide is really close to a M249 A&K, the hop up block too. I use to say that the internal pieces give a lot of information. This PKP doesn’t break the rules. The main information is the brand we can see on the gears and the motor: Classic Army! I can deduce that the internal pieces are a mix between A&K and Classic Army pieces. At that point, things get complicated. During the disassembly I find the pilot cable from the ammobox disconnected. I thought of an error of my own but continuing disassembly, there was also an electronic card (the same as a PKM A&K) in the gas tube, which also has the cables cut off. That explains why the ammobox, in spite of its 3 positions button, can only be used to scroll indefinitely. In fact, this PKP, without any modification, is just a simple and basic AEG. If the pilot cable from the ammobox is connected, the ammobox can be activated with a deported switch button. It can scroll only when the replica is firing and at least can scroll indefinitely. If the electronic card is connected (it’s a real complicated electronic test), it allows to the PKP to manage 3 predefined shooting rates, each adjustable in rhythm. Concerning shooting, I used a Lipo 7,4V and the hop up was low. The power was 280 fps, very stable.

“THE EXTERNALS ARE JUST WONDERFUL. ALL THE EXTERNAL PARTS ARE MADE OF STEEL AND THERE ARE NO BURRS. IT GIVES A VERY MASSIVE IMPRESSION, WITH GOOD REASON, THE REPLICA WEIGHS MORE THAN 9 KG AND IT IS 1,010 CM LONG!” cold, it’s heavy and massive. It’s a real big beautiful airsoft machine gun but the magic spark does not shine as brightly as the first day for me. In short, I am pretty sure that this PKP Pecheneg will entirely satisfy Russian airsofters, reenactors or machine gun shooter for support assault. The full steel conception is remarkable and gives a real value to a pretty rare Russian machine gun on our game fields!

DIANE’S CONCLUSION

I was very disappointed during the disassembly, comparing the high price of the replica and the little functionality that it offers. Why fill the replica of electronics and great shooting functions if we can’t enjoy it? It’s a little bit disappointing. But this opinion is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect everyone’s. Fortunately, the external is a big surprise. It’s strong and

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feature GRENADES IN AIRSOFT

PROMPTED BY A POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA, FEMME FATALE STARTED TO QUESTION THE USE OF GRENADES IN AIRSOFT AND DECIDED TO FIND OUT WHAT OTHER PLAYERS THINK.

AIRSOFT WITH A BANG? FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO know me, or follow me on social media, will know that I’m a HUGE fan of pyrotechnics in airsoft - be it flashbangs, blank firing grenades and even smoke grenades, if I can use them you can bet that I will! However, as I was scrolling through my social media feed one evening I saw a post proclaiming that grenades are a “cowards” way to play airsoft and this got me thinking; are airsoft grenades really for players who don’t want to get close to their enemy? Or are they simply a tool to gain a tactical advantage? Let’s look at the positives and negatives and see what the airsoft community has to say.

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Playing mostly CQB in the UK, grenades have become so popular that they are now definitely part and parcel of the game – it would be pretty uncommon to go to a CQB game where no grenades are used at all and as they can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing an engagement. In my opinion, grenades are a tool to be used, just like other equipment that we use in the sport but what are the positives to using grenades in airsoft? I think that they add to the realism and the atmosphere of the game. Many players, not all (which I need to stress), but many like an element of realism in their airsoft games and airsoft grenades definitely add to this – from the sound of a thermobaric going off, to the thud of impact when a pyrotechnic drops its payload, to the smell and sight of thick smoke on the field. It adds another element to the gameplay and makes it more immersive. They are a tool that can get you out of a tricky situation – from getting into hard to breach rooms to take objectives, to getting you out of being surrounded by enemies; grenades can help players maintain the progress of the game, especially when it comes to attack and defend games.

Feature GRENADES IN AIRSOFT

They encourage players to get into the thick of it! You usually have to be closer to the enemy to use grenades than you would if you were just going to shoot them. I appreciate the argument that pyro can be thrown from a distance but more often than not, when I use my impact BFGs I have to be closer to my opponent than I would be if I was just to shoot them, especially if an impact BFG needs to be thrown around a corner – you need to be on that corner to ensure deploying the grenade is safe to do so. They’re so much fun to use! Using smoke and bangs isn’t something as a civilian that you get to do every day, so using them in an airsoft game is super fun and pretty cool! What are the negatives of grenade use in airsoft? They can cause injury – whatever way you look at it, they’re a pyrotechnic device and can cause injury. From players burning themselves on fizzy pyro, to getting smacked in the head by a TRMR when they’ve been crouching behind cover they do pose a certain risk. This can be negated by players wearing the correct protective equipment such as helmets and gloves and also taking more care/following site rules when using pyro. As they’re quite expensive – especially for BFGs such as TRMRs and VTG grenades - they can promote “pay to win” with players who have more disposable income owning more grenades and having more access to them. A blank fire grenade such as a TRMR will set you back around £85, and one use disposable pyro costing between £3-20 a pop depending on what brand/type you choose, they are a costly investment in the game. With all this in mind, I took to Facebook and asked the community what your opinions on grenades in airsoft are … and here’s what you said: Daniel Atkins: “An absolute must for CQB!” Chris Adams: “I think they can be really useful but I don’t think players should be carrying around 10 TRMRs at a time in CQB as they don’t actually use any skill if every room they come too they just “bang” it.”

Darren McNally: “Grenades are a must for CQB especially BFGs. If you are taking an objective that is defended well they can change the game completely, from the attacking force getting slaughtered to achieving the objective. Pyro as well can help push you forward by getting the opposing force taking cover allowing you to push forward. I think these can enhance your experience in Airsoft but someone carrying 10 TRMRs on their person is just over kill. I personally carry an Alphatec Hex and a VTG.” Bob Atkins: “Use them in the real world, use them in the airsoft world. Lots don’t use them properly anyway.” Nick Thompson: “Used with the right rules and, more importantly, the right mind set, they can make a difference for both offensive and defensive teams. A growing problem is overuse, especially of multi bases. At MilSim events I have attended this has been combated by limiting the carry capacity to a set number of bangs with no reloading away from the FOB (same as with BBs).” Tom Cotterill: “I tend to blow up myself and team mates with them...” Scott Allan: “I would predict in the next few years they’re almost illegal by insurance companies. The “Blame and Claim” culture has seen our site targeted by people trying to make a quick buck after burning themselves. Won’t be long before the insurance companies just say no Pyro if this continues.” Tom Hibberd: “I’m not a fan of impacts. Find them pretty “gamey”, especially multi shots. Timed pin pulled BFGs are great however.”

Mark Turner: “As a lot of Airsoft players are generally wanting their experience to be as realistic as possible, grenades are part of that but I do think that you should be limited to 2/3 each, or one TRMR if you have a multi-shot base. Otherwise things just get overly explodey.” Keith Fox: “Simply put, they’re just another tool. You’re actually at more risk using a grenade (due to proximity to enemy) than you are quietly sniping from cover. An absolute game changer but I can see why some would argue its airsoft’s version of “pay to win”.”

Karl Avery: “Always used the TLSFX gear as Peter and the team have awesome products for smoke screening and room entry bangs as they do startle. Pyro in Airsoft doesn’t work in the main, as most run away when they enter the room unless you are using impact grenades and again, due to their construction, they can only be deployed in certain ways/events otherwise they could cause serious harm. Will always use pyro regardless as who doesn’t like the sound of a triple bang going off in a room!” Jester Lestat Draven: “Smokes and bangs make a better game... cover... room clearing… smack and chase... it’s a bit of kit that all can afford. Even cardboard frags are fun and useful.”

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ARMOURY NUPROL RAVEN GBB PISTOLS

UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN ASLEEP UNDER A ROCK OR HAVE SERIOUSLY OVERINDULGED OVER THE FESTIVE PERIOD IT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE COME TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THERE’S A “NEW KID ON THE BLOCK” IN THE FORM OF THE RAVEN HANDGUN RANGE. BILL THOMAS DIGS DEEPER…

NUPROL RAVEN GBB PISTOLS LET’S FACE IT FOLKS, one of the real joys of airsoft is that you can own just about any handgun (albeit a realistic replica) that you can think of! Whatever your style of play or personal shooting discipline may be, from out and out speedsoft to competitive shooting, one thing that is a “must have” is a handgun. You may prefer revolvers for their “old skool” appeal, or be a massive fan of the venerable “1911”, or you may just love the idea of the handgun but the bottom line is that every airsofter I know owns not just one, but a whole collection of handguns! Once upon a time I was personally sceptical as to the place of the humble handgun in airsoft, as unless you were playing in a dedicated “spring and gas” game you were going to be seriously outgunned by the Hi-Cap wielding masses. There are now many, many games, especially themed games and MilSims, where a handgun can REALLY come into its own I’ve found myself turning from “collector” into “serious user” over the years.

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With so many handgun RIFs out there you might be wondering if there is actually a place for a new brand? We all have our favourite brands and my occasional dips into the “online world” have shown me that those defending a particular manufacturer’s offering can be somewhat… vociferous! But then you may as well ask the question “is there a place for another M4/AR?” to which the answer seems to always be an unequivocal and resounding “YES!!!” Relatively recently (in real terms) the team at NUPROL answered the “M4” question with the release of their ever-expanding range of DELTA series AEGs and to say that this range has been a success for them would be a massive understatement – and not just in the UK! It was, however, a surprise even to me when Ross, the NUPROL Brand and Marketing guru, let me into the secret that they were planning a whole new range of their very own handguns, under the “RAVEN” banner. Every project takes time if it’s done well and thoroughly

ARMOURY NUPROL RAVEN GBB PISTOLS

though, so time passed and I thought that this had all gone on the “back burner” (in view of the sheer volume of activity I witnessed around the NUPROL brand), so once again I was very pleasantly surprised late in 2017 when Ross introduced me to the pre-production version of their new RAVEN EU18 GBB. Even at this point the pistol proved to be a solid performer, which was a blessing as the production models were already on their way to the UK! Immediately prior to Christmas 2017 the news was announced that the RAVEN (singular at that point in time) would be hitting retailers almost immediately and the fact of the matter is that from reports back, this initial batch is already selling through! Again, let’s face the fact that many of you out there already own a DELTA series AEG “Primary” and are over the moon with it, so having the chance to buy a “Secondary” with the same level of attention to detail, performance, and manufacturer support is really a bit of a “no brainer” in my opinion!

WHY “RAVEN”?

As with the DELTA AEG series, Ross and the team have carried out the same process to bring the new pistols to market. Working directly with the factories in the Far East, they have scoured the parts that are available and put them together in their own unique way to bring us a new series of pistols that are unique to them. If you look in the box for instance when you receive your new “EU18” you’ll find a set of interchangeable backstraps (you might say here “Gen 4” style…), a little bag containing spare O-Rings and even a spare nozzle! In one go your maintenance issues are solved from the get-go; there’s even a CO2 compatible spring for the MEU! Ross told me: “We include all the spares just because we wanted too. We did not want anyone to have a situation where their nozzle breaks and then are not sure what to do, so it’s in the box. Same goes for the O-Rings with leaky mags; we are players ourselves so as good as a product may be, we appreciate that maintenance is a key factor.” This is a bit of a fresh approach… a manufacturer that actually understands “longevity”. Most refreshing!

Although the new pistols come in a solid box with a really tasty-looking sleeve featuring a raven you might well be asking yourself why the guys chose this as the specific brand image for the new handgun products (as I did). I quizzed Ross on this and he told me: “The raven is symbolic of mind, thought and wisdom in Norse legend, as the god Odin had two Ravens as his sidekicks. The first was Hugin who represented the power of thought and the active search for information. The other raven, Mugin, represented the mind and its ability to intuit meaning rather AN AGE OLD DEBATE! than hunting for it. Odin would send these two ravens out each As much as the new RAVEN EU18 has currently stolen the day to soar across the lands. At day’s end, they would return to limelight there are in fact two models in the launch package, the other being the “1911 MEU”. Both are beautifully finished Odin and speak to him of all they had spied upon and learned on their journeys.” I have to say that I really like this! First off the word “sidekick” comes to “WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE FACTORIES IN THE FAR EAST, THEY HAVE the fore, as a good pistol is going to SCOURED THE PARTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND PUT THEM TOGETHER IN be your constant, trusted companion. THEIR OWN UNIQUE WAY TO BRING US A NEW SERIES OF PISTOLS THAT Secondly comes the idea of thought and intuition as, if you’re going to be ARE UNIQUE TO THEM.” a good pistol shot, it’s the intuitive approach that is going to make you stand out from the rest. If I were to speak to my good mate and presented pistols and to me it’s kind of cool that they, Andy Nightingale, I’m sure he would be the first to attest that if you’ll pardon the pun, fix their sights squarely on one of when it comes down to handgun training “intuitive shooting” the most hotly-debated topics in firearms history; namely the is something we can all aspire too and this, combined with effectiveness of the 9mm round versus the mighty .45 ACP a cool and logical thought process, will make us all better round! shooters. Back in the early 80’s when a bloke called “Gaston” (who Now before anyone stands up and shouts “But this is just had more knowledge of making radiators than pistols) put a pistol by another brand with a RAVEN sleeve!” please let me forward his radical new design to the Austrian Army, he also dispel this line of thinking utterly. started a debate as to calibre and “stopping power”. Whilst

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ARMOURY NUPROL RAVEN GBB PISTOLS

that may not be a consideration in airsoft terms, I do love the fact that there is at least a “nod” to this historical debate as the “18” has effectively a double-stack mag, as opposed to the single-stack design of the “MEU”! Whatever your thoughts on this debate may be, the fact of the matter is that the RAVEN pistol range already offers you a choice and a very satisfying one too! Both pistols are very well made and feel spot-on in the hand, with the “18” weighing in at 683g, and the “MEU” at 713g. The “18”does, as one of my colleagues correctly noted, feel a little “light” but that’s actually the same in the real world if you look at the two models, as a real “18” weighs 628g unloaded against the 1,105g of the MEU(SOC). In terms of operation both models perform extremely well. Using RZR .20g BBs and NUPROL 2.0 Gas, the “18” came in at 0.8 Joule/295fps with the “MEU” at 0.82 Joule/298fps. Both readings were “means” over 10 BBs and there was very little drop-off from first to last. I would be very interested to see what both models register using CO2 - but that’s for another day. In terms of accuracy both pistols were happily hitting centre mass of a “Figure 11” at 10 metres which to me is perfectly acceptable. If you’re having to engage a target with a handgun over 10m, then all I can say is that you must be having a REALLY bad day … although the “full-auto” function of the “18” will certainly make opponents sit up and take notice! I have to say that I’m very, very pleased with both the new RAVEN GBB pistol models and I’d gladly have either as a “secondary” when things get hairy. Both models are very well made, function exceptionally well, are superbly presented and perform just as you’d expect. Both are also attractively

“IF YOU’RE HAVING TO ENGAGE A TARGET WITH A HANDGUN OVER 10M, THEN ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT YOU MUST BE HAVING A REALLY BAD DAY … ALTHOUGH THE “FULL-AUTO” FUNCTION OF THE “18” WILL CERTAINLY MAKE OPPONENTS SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE!” priced iro £85-£90, which is great if either is your first airsoft pistol or you need an extra backup, and there are already complementary accessories in the NUPROL range available, such as the new Torch Bearing Holster for the EU. I’m now looking forward to seeing how the RAVEN range moves forward and, amazingly, as I write I’ve just seen the “EU17” appear on the website as “coming soon”, which is great news for players with “Brit-themed” loadouts. To conclude, when I asked Ross where he thought the range might be headed he simply told me: “RAVEN is going to expand… A LOT!” For more information and to keep fully up to date with new releases, please do check out www.rvnairsoft.com and keep a close eye on www.facebook.com/ravengbb

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Real Steel THE ISRAELI GALIL ASSAULT RIFLE

GADGE HARVEY CONTINUES HIS LOOK AT THE REAL-STEEL VERSION OF OUR AIRSOFT REPLICAS, WITH A RIFLE THAT HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH ISRAELI MILITARY.

REAL STEEL:

GALIL ASSAULT RIFLE WHEN THE FLEDGLING STATE OF Israel began to arm its newly formed armed forces it originally looked to tried and tested NATO weapons and found them lacking... so, with typical Israeli ingenuity, they looked to a “home brewed” solution. During the Six Day War of 1967, the Israeli army used large quantities of Belgian FN FAL battle rifles (alongside their native produced Uzi SMG) but found that the FAL’s large dimensions, coupled with its tight tolerances, made it unsuitable for the largely conscript Israeli army, with numerous weapons suffering

March 2018

stoppages due to ingress of sand and dirt. The FAL was also found (as many other nations also discovered) to be largely uncontrollable when fired on fully automatic. At around the same time the Israeli military had been evaluating and trialling hundreds of Kalashnikov variants (captured from their Middle Eastern enemies) and had found them lacking for different reasons. While the AKs were reliable and functioned well in the dry and dusty climate, they lacked the accuracy the army required even though they were much more controllable when firing automatic bursts and thus more suitable for the “citizen soldier” Israeli military. An Israeli design team tested most of the commonly available battle and assault rifles of the era, including the AKM and the M16 and decided that while they liked the US 5.56mm rifle round, the direct impingement gas system of the M16 was too prone to stoppages and they preferred the more conventional piston of the Kalashnikov. The problem, however, was that adopting the AK series would be problematic, as Israel had no ties with any communist countries which produced it and that would make initial procurement, let alone obtaining spares and ammunition, “challenging”. The clear solution was to combine the best elements of both these weapon systems into one, hard-hitting package. Deciding to base this new weapon on the most up to date version of the AK operating system they could find, the Israeli design team, led by Yisrael Galil, ordered in several Finnish M62 “Valmet” rifles to evaluate and decided (after trials) to base their new weapon on this rifle. As the calibre had been changed to the smaller 5.56mm round, the Valmet’s gas aperture had to be reduced to allow the weapon to cycle. The Finnish manufacturers even produced the first run of receivers for the new rifle, which was adopted into service as the Galil in 1972 but the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 delayed issue across the armed forces and many Israeli soldiers were issued M16s as a short term solution. The Galil would continue to be Israel’s standard assault rifle well into

Real Steel THE ISRAELI GALIL ASSAULT RIFLE

the 1990s and over the years several variant versions would be created. Constructed largely from milled steel with a few stamped components such as the trigger guard, the standard issue 5.56mm variant of the Galil is a gas operated, rotating bolt, selective fire weapon operating from a 35 round box magazine of Israeli origin (an adaptor can be fitted to allow NATO STANAG magazines, such as those used by the M4 and SA80, to be fitted). The fire selector has dual controls and can be set to Safe, Automatic and Repetition and on the right side an AK fire selector is retained (the setting of “safe” next to “fully auto” and with “single shot” as the final option is a further nod to its Soviet doctrine roots, where overwhelming firepower was favoured over accuracy), with a thumb operated selector of the left side of the receiver. The rifle is fitted with plastic pistol grip and fore stock furniture and has a folding stock based on that of the paratrooper model of the FNFAL. The weapon comes with a bipod which incorporates a wire cutter and interestingly (and oddly) the front handguard of the weapon features a built in bottle opener, as combat experience made the Israeli military realise that hundreds of magazines were having the feed retaining “horns” damaged by conscript soldiers using them as an ersatz bottle opener! While the standard Israeli army issue “THE FRONT HANDGUARD OF THE WEAPON FEATURES A BUILT IN Galil is chambered for NATO standard BOTTLE OPENER, AS COMBAT EXPERIENCE MADE THE ISRAELI MILITARY ammunition the following variants are commonly available: REALISE THAT HUNDREDS OF MAGAZINES WERE HAVING THE FEED

The AR is the basic 5.56mm army model of the Galil with plastic furniture, side folding skeleton stock and bipod.

RETAINING “HORNS” DAMAGED BY CONSCRIPT SOLDIERS USING THEM AS AN ERSATZ BOTTLE OPENER!”

SAR

The SAR is a carbine version of the Galil, occasionally called the “Glilon”. It has a shorter barrel and because of this requires a slightly different gas block and shorter gas parts to allow the weapon to cycle. The Glilon is most notably used by Israeli armoured vehicle crews to replace the ageing Uzi.

ARM

The ARM is a light machine gun/squad automatic weapon and is equipped with a carrying handle, folding bipod and an oversized wooden handguard. The wooden handguard allows for longer sustained fire as it will not melt if the weapon overheats and also has grooves for bipod storage. When folded back, the bipod’s legs also help guide magazines into the receiver for faster reloading.

MAR

The recently developed MAR (sometimes known as the “Micro Galil”) is a redesigned compact carbine which keeps many of the Galil’s original features but places them within a new frame and utilises a shorter barrel. The MAR is intended for use with special units, vehicles crew and airborne forces.

7.62mm VARIANTS

In addition to the above variants, the weapon has also been rechambered to fire a heavier 7.62mm NATO round for many of the above versions.

GALATZ

The 7.62mm Galil Sniper (Galil Tzalafim, or “Galatz”) is an offshoot of the ARM design and intended to fire on semiautomatic only and to use ultra-high quality 7.62mm NATO ammunition. The Galatz is carefully constructed with a heavier barrel that includes a combination flash suppressor and muzzle brake. A sound suppressor can be fitted but requires subsonic ammunition to be completely effective.

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International CRETE

INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT:

CRETE

IN THE UK WE PROBABLY THINK OF CRETE AS SOMEWHERE TO GO ON VACATION, A PLACE WITH GREAT SCENERY AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND EVEN GREATER PEOPLE! AIRSOFT, HOWEVER, IS ALIVE AND WELL IN CRETE AND ONCE AGAIN A CHANCE CONVERSATION LED TO BILL THOMAS HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO STELIOS, FROM THE RETHIMNO AIRSOFT ASSOCIATION. IF YOU’RE A REGULAR READER of Airsoft Action then you’ll have no doubt seen the exciting write up in the December 2017 Issue about the annual “Warzone” event in Crete. After reading this I was really intrigued about learning more about the game itself and about Cretan airsoft in general so I emailed Rethimno Airsoft to dig deeper. After an initial email exchange I was soon chatting regularly on Facebook to super-friendly Stelios, who was keen to tell me all about airsoft where he is and this in turn led to him extending an invitation to my colleague and friend Kelly and I to attend the game next May, to look at “Warzone” from two different player perspectives, which I’ll simply refer to as “old skool/new skool”! I’ll be working with Kelly in the run up to the game to bring you reviews and articles of all the kit we’re taking with us for three fast-paced MilSim days in the Cretan forest and mountains, the first of which starts on page 24 of this issue. Now though, I hope you enjoy the interview I carried out with my new mate, Stelios!

March 2018

AA: Hi guys! Please can you tell me a little about how airsoft has developed in and the current state of things in Crete? Stelios: “Well, in Greece generally airsoft, probably, is not as popular as it is in other European countries. This is mainly because it is not yet recognised by our state as a sport. Nevertheless airsoft is gaining lot of ground among other similar hobbies, especially the last 5 to 6 years. Nowadays a lot of airsoft clubs are formed all around Greece and even more large scale airsoft events are organised that help players get together and bring even more people closer to our favourite hobby.” AA: As a team can you tell me a little more about yourselves? Stelios: “Our team was formed back at 2011. We established the local airsoft association called “R.A. Action” in 2013. We enjoy very much playing airsoft and we created a very strong friendship which keeps all of us close to the hobby. Everything we work on airsoft is based on the philosophy that airsoft is not a “play to win” competitive sport but a sport where you are mostly against yourself. It is a sport where if you want to have good time you have also to worry that your opponents

International CRETE

will have fun. We strongly believe and we guide new players to gain what we call “the right airsoft attitude”, and this is based on our three main principles: 1) I play airsoft in such way so to please my opponents! 2) I am honest, competitive as much as needed and I respect the efforts of others without being selfish. Nobody wants a non-competitive opponent, or a dishonest opponent! I am a “positive active player”, I do my best so I take control of my actions and therefore I support the success of any airsoft meeting! 3) I go for the win but I don’t play airsoft to win. “As you understand we don’t believe in referees/marshals in airsoft but in players having the right mentality. We think that in a sport as intense as airsoft, people with bad attitude just can’t fit in. That is why, in our events, we apply strong filtering on participants.” AA: Do you have many established outdoor sites in Crete now? Could you tell me a little more about them? Stelios: “In Crete we have seven airsoft clubs and all of them use a variety of airsoft sites. We use woodland, CQB and urban sites. From time to time we get together, organising larger scale airsoft scenarios. We have plenty of choices and we are really happy about that.” AA: Do sites and players have any legal restrictions to contend with? Stelios: “There are not really any particular legal restrictions than the usual ones. People in Greece are familiar with weapons as there are a lot of shooting ranges and real shooting clubs. We take care of how we transport our equipment to and from our airsoft sites and that is really all.”

and who is your enemy? Are these people friendly or not? Emotions are high and the fun that we get is incomprehensible. “We believe it is a unique event because we concentrate on creating MilSim engagements skipping out the long unnecessary walks. We believe that there is the actual airsoft beauty. Players should be able to play all day nonstop MilSim airsoft and not to just have a four hour mission where they get hit and then they walk around the field being out of game for the next hours. Check out our website at www. warzone.gr and our facebook page at www.facebook.com/ warzone.rethimno/ for more details.” AA: Thanks for answering all my questions and Kelly and I are both very excited about “Warzone 2018” and we are looking forward to meeting you in May! Stelios: “We are also excited to have you attending our event! We are quite confident that you will have great time there! Quality airsoft, good food, good friends and plenty of sun!!! What else could we ask for??”

AA: What is a popular style of play in Crete, regular skirmish, MilSim or both? Stelios: “As we are the only airsoft club in our city, Rethimno, we tend to offer to all our players all kinds of airsoft games. We believe that we should not restrict our players to MilSim only as new players find it hard to follow. Our club is MilSim orientated and we believe that airsoft is very good at simulating real battle conditions and the emotions that follow. Therefore we try to organize every month at least one airsoft scenario containing MilSim elements and also we often travel to Greece and also abroad to other European countries participating in large scale MilSim airsoft scenarios like Berget, Overload and Borderwar.” AA: Of course the big event for you is the “Warzone MilSim”; can you tell us about that? Stelios: “WarZone has been organised by our airsoft club the last five years with great success. It is a nonstop three day airsoft event which focuses on generating strong emotions to the participants. We spend a lot of effort to create the right environment using military tents, vehicles and of course strong HQs. It is a mission orientated event with lots of LARP based on a nonlinear scenario, you never know how it will end up as it is affected by player’s decisions. It takes place at a large sized woodland field that combines an urban environment. “Our main focus is to simulate real war conditions where you can’t really be sure of what is going on. Who is your friend

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Competition 1

N I W AN ENFIELD WIN AN ENFIELD LASER SYSTEM

ENFL41 LASER SYSTEM!

ON PAGES 34 TO 37, Iggy Roberts takes a look at the range of Enfield Aiming Systems distributed by Armex, ending up with the ENFL41 Laser System and although he generally doesn’t like lasers, even he was hooked! This is what he said: “I am not normally a fan of lasers, mainly due to the risk it may have to other airsofters. However, the fun I had eliminating enemy after enemy with ease due to the guaranteed accuracy when the laser was pointed at the centre mass of individual enemy players was great!” Now you can be too can eliminate player after player as Armex have very kindly allowed us to give away the review sample to one lucky reader – and it comes complete with mount and switches, so you will soon be taking your enemies down with ease, whether in woodland or a CQB environment! To win, all you have to do is answer the following three (very simple) questions and get your entry in before the closing date. You can also enter online via the Airsoft Action website, www.airsoft-action.online

ANSWERS:

1 2

Here are the questions:

1) Who makes the ENFL41? 2) What colour is the laser? 3) How many different switches is it supplied with? Post your entries to: Airsoft Action ENFL41 Competition, Airsoft Action, Calibre Publishing, Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6PL, or email to: competition@airsoft-action.co.uk with “Airsoft Action ENFL41 Competition” in the subject line. You can also enter online, via the Airsoft Action website (www.airsoft-action.online). Entries received after midnight on 7th March 2018 will not be valid. One entry per person. The winner will be the first randomly drawn from all the correct entries. 74

March 2018

3 Name:................................................................................................................. Telephone:.......................................................................................................... Email:................................................................................................................. 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.

Competition 2

WI N

UMAREX GLOCK 17 GEN3

A FULLY LICENSED AS SCOTT ALLAN SAYS in his review, the “Glock” is one of the most iconic pistols ever made and is probably fair to say, it is also one of the most instantly recognisable due to its shape and silhouette - so recognisable in fact, that Glock have trademarked it! German powerhouse Umarex have recently acquired the licence to manufacture the airsoft versions of Glock pistols, complete with all the markings and logos and using VFC as the OEM have produced a stunning range of Glock pistols, including the Glock 17 Gen3 and Gen, plus the Glock 19. Umarex are distributed in the UK by EZ Distribution and they have very kindly agreed to give away a Glock 17 Gen3 to one very lucky reader. Scott wrote in his review: “The Umarex Glock is a true replica, from the polymer combat sights to the 20mm rail mounting system on the front.” So you know you will be getting something that is true to the original – and with full warranty support backed by a European company. To win this superb GBB pistol, all you have to do is read Scott’s review (which starts on page 20), answer these few questions and get your entry sent in by the closing date. You can also enter online via the Airsoft Action website: www.airsoft-action.online. Here are the questions:

1) Which company manufactures the Glock 17 for Umarex? 2) Where are Umarex based? 3) In the real steel version, what is the “natural” round for the Glock 17? 4) In the airsoft version, how many rounds fit in the magazine? 5) What average muzzle velocity did Scott get when using the standard magazine and Blaster 0.20g BB?

UMAREX GLOCK 17 GEN3! ANSWERS:

1 2 3 4 5

Good luck!

Post your entries to: Airsoft Action Glock 17 Gen3 Competition, Airsoft Action, Calibre Publishing, Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6PL, or email to: competition@airsoft-action.co.uk with “Airsoft Action Glock 17 Gen3 Competition” in the subject line. You can also enter online, via the Airsoft Action website (www. airsoft-action.online). Entries received after midnight on 7th March 2018 will not be valid. One entry per person. The winner will be the first randomly drawn from all the correct entries.

Name:................................................................................................................. Telephone:.......................................................................................................... Email:................................................................................................................. 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.

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Warriors HOME GUARD

WHILE FIGHTING THE ENEMY ABROAD IS IMPORTANT, IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO DEFEND THE HOME NATION. GADGE HARVEY WRITES ABOUT HOW WE PREPARED TO DEFEND BRITAIN, SHOULD AN INVASION OCCUR.

DEFENDING THE REALM BRITAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOME GUARD OF WWII

March 2018

Warriors HOME GUARD

“WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE BEACHES, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!” so said British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in his speech to the nation as they awaited invasion. This famous rousing speech was a much needed statement to reassure a worried population that they too would not fall under Nazi rule as Europe had seen nation after nation fall to rapid “blitzkrieg” strikes by the Axis forces. The British Army had been reduced to a shadow of its former self after the Battle of France and only a fraction of its soldiers (and even less of its heavy weapons and vehicles) had been salvaged in the “miracle” evacuation of Dunkirk. It was in many ways Britain’s darkest hour, rather than its finest to many at the time, as the nation held its breath waiting to see parachutes in the sky, or tanks landing on the beaches. While modern scholars are almost certain that a German invasion of Britain was an impossibility due to their lack of suitable landing craft and an optimistic reliance on captured Dutch riverboats – to the men and women of the British Isles, invasion was a very real possibility. German paratroopers had landed with ruthless efficiency to capture allied strongpoints ahead of armoured columns of panzers and in Rotterdam the Luftwaffe’s Fallschirmjäger had landed on the clear grounds of the football stadium and commandeered civilian buses to drive into the city and seize key points.

DAD’S ARMY

To many, the words “Home Guard” conjure up the classic British sitcom “Dad’s Army”, in which a group of elderly but well-meaning men bumble their way through a variety of comic situations while awaiting the invasion. While these episodes are great TV, they do in many ways a disservice to the real Home Guard. The Home Guard were far from the doddering old incompetents shown on Dad’s Army and in reality, were often 1st World War veterans with a wealth of combat experience. Equally, some soldiers were 17 and 18 year old young men awaiting call up or in some cases, men of call up age who were engaged in work deemed vital for the war effort, would find they had a role within the Home Guard. As the history books show, Britain was never invaded but the Home Guard still did their bit. While the threat of invasion waned after Germany’s reversal in Russia, the Home Guard was retained to both free up home service roles from the regular army and also to keep up UK morale and allow the civilian population to feel it was involved directly in the war effort. As well as vital rear area security roles, the Home Guard were actively involved in the battle to stop fascism by manning antiaircraft guns throughout German air attacks and also engaging low flying enemy aircraft with their light machine guns. If you

DEFENCE MILITIAS Britain waited with a battered army licking its wounds. Many patriotic citizens began to form defence militias to safeguard their own towns and villages and the Government, concerned about “private armies”, soon saw the need for an official civilian defence programme to assist the regular army. In the May of 1940 the government announced the formation of “Local Defence Volunteers”, or the LDV. Initially the army could spare neither uniforms nor weapons for these new formations and many LDV groups patrolled in their own clothes using improvised weapons, museum relic firearms and hunting rifles and shotguns. This sorry state of affairs was partly due to the army losing so much equipment at Dunkirk and partly due to the Government removing many potentially useful weapons from private ownership and destroying them as part of the 1937 “Firearms Act”. Before long, however, a limited issue was made of army pattern side caps and armbands marking out the wearer as a member of the LDV and a consignment of obsolete rifles were sent over from the USA and Canada, mainly the Ross rifle from Canada and the Pattern 14 and Pattern 17 rifle from the states. Churchill, among others, was quick to realise the dissatisfaction of the LDV. Its members were frustrated in its roll of “observer” and being tasked with creating a static defence in the event of an invasion and also a general dislike of the name itself. Many LDV officers wanted a more active role and permission “GERMAN PARATROOPERS HAD LANDED WITH RUTHLESS EFFICIENCY TO CAPTURE to seek out and engage ALLIED STRONGPOINTS AHEAD OF ARMOURED COLUMNS OF PANZERS AND IN the enemy ROTTERDAM THE LUFTWAFFE’S FALLSCHIRMJÄGER HAD LANDED ON THE CLEAR should they GROUNDS OF THE FOOTBALL STADIUM AND COMMANDEERED CIVILIAN BUSES TO land and the authority to DRIVE INTO THE CITY AND SEIZE KEY POINTS.” arrest enemy airmen who were shot down in the UK. Churchill pushed the case for a consider that (unlike today’s reservists) the Home Guardsman more “aggressive” force and on the 22 July of that year the gave his time up for free and often did his stint of duty after a LDV was officially named the “Home Guard”, with its remit hard day’s work in a factory, then their achievements become increased to include sabotage and delaying tactics in the face even more commendable. If we also consider that few, if of the enemy. By this time the LDV, now Home Guard, had also any, German spies were able to sabotage Britain and that no received decent amounts of army issue “denim” battledress prisoners of war or enemy airmen escaped, it can be viewed (some units receiving wool battledress) and suitable automatic as partly down to the enthusiasm and hard work of the Home weapons from the USA, such as the Thompson SMG and BAR Guard who aided the regular army in all these duties. Sadly by Browning Automatic Rifle (alongside WWII ear LMGs such as the time the Home Guard was “stood down” in the winter of the Lewis Gun). 1944, over 1,200 members of the Home Guard had given their

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Warriors HOME GUARD

lives in defence of the nation, with many dying in air raids and rocket attacks, while a few Home Guard patrols in Northern Ireland engaged in gun battles with the IRA. Our Guardsman this month is a Sgt. of a local Home Guard defence platoon, ready to defend his home town against German invasion. His basic uniform is the khaki wool serge “37 pattern battledress” that some volunteer units were issued with. Most units had to make do with cotton “denim” battledress that was normally worn as a baggy working overall by the regular army and very few units were ever provided with greatcoats to keep them warm when guarding or patrolling in winter. The shortage of great coats was quite critical with the harsh winters of the 1940s and a stop gap measure was implements by making simple khaki wool cloaks to issue to some Home Guard units. As well as a shortage of greatcoats, the Home Guard were also “last in line” for the issue of the MKII steel helmet, a shortcoming that would be sharply felt as the Home Guard defended against the German “blitz” bombing raids and were showered with shell splinters and rubble thrown up from the bomb blasts. Under the serge battledress our man wears a wool collared shirt that is most likely a personal item from home, as the home guard had slightly more latitude to add home comforts under their issue uniform than members of the regular army did. While by the end of the war many Home Guard units had received the same 37 pattern webbing as the line infantry regiments, in the early days a shortage of the infantry webbing meant that the volunteer’s combat equipment was largely made of leather and canvas. In our example our Sgt. wears

a leather belt with two cartridge carriers and his cross straps made of canvas. Also made of leather is the frog for the bayonet to his lend-lease rifle and his anklets that prevent stone and debris from entering his army issue leather “ammo boots”. Headdress is the army’s standard “field service” side cap (sometimes referred to as a “forage cap”) with regimental insignia upon it. For some lucky units this could be replaced with a steel helmet when “in action”. Britain’s Home Guard has been somewhat maligned by history (and comedy shows) but it would be unfair not to respect the dedication to King and Country and the willingness to sacrifice everything to defend the nation that these men displayed in the darkest hours of WWII. For many WWII airsofters this is not the “coolest” loadout but for a themed game, German paras facing off against British Militia could be incredibly exciting… for certain when you get to the ages of some of us in the Airsoft Action office, Home Guard seems like the only realistic loadout to go for!

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Airsoft Skills

ZERO IS EVERYTHI ZEROING YOUR SIGHTS

First 5 supported shots

ZEROING A WEAPON, or the weapon’s sights to be exact, is not really science. There is some mathematics involved but there are easy formulas to follow to achieve your objective. When I first learned about “zero” I was blinded with every possible scientific formula that could have ever been written. To be honest, the easier it is to explain, the easier it is to follow. So guess what? I’m going to make this as simple as possible… There are a few things and abbreviations that you must understand. First of all you need to know the limit of your round, i.e. the distance that it can travel before it starts to become ineffective. Secondly, knowing where you want the round to impact on the target and thirdly, where you need to aim on the target. As like most things military and LEO, this comes as abbreviations, so I will try to break this down into manageable sections.

DISTANCE

Draw a box through the outside shots

When zeroing your weapon you must determine how far you want your zero to be set at. The average engagement distance, or in military terms “battle range”, will be your zero. Once you have chosen your zero distance, for this exercise we will say 30 meters, this cannot be changed, unless you re-zero your sight. Once set, you can expect your round to hit your target exactly where the cross hairs or dot are superimposed on the target.

POI

Point of Impact is where the round hits the target. Normally this would the centre of a ring target or Bullseye if you were in a competition, however, the POI can be anywhere you please. In combative and defensive shooting, such as Airsoft, you may want to have multiple POI. This could be shots to the body (thoracic cavity) and also the head (octal cranial cavity), such as a “Mozambique Drill” (2 rounds to the chest and 1 round to the head).

POA

Point of Aim is the precise point on the target that you aim your sights. Normally, under controlled conditions, this would be on the centre ring, or Bullseye on a paper target. In a combative and defensive scenario this is a much harder task to achieve. It has been proven over years of study that while under stress the combative shooter tends to go for a point of aim in the centre of the target. On a person this would be the stomach area. This area is what is known as a non-lethal zone. In Airsoft it is classed 80

March 2018

Airsoft Skills ZEROING YOUR SIGHTS

AS WE ALL KNOW WHEN SHOOTING ANY TYPE OF WEAPON IT NEEDS TO BE ZEROED. BUT WHAT DOES ZERO MEAN AND HOW DO WE DO IT? CALIBRE SHOOTING’S ANDY NIGHTINGALE EXPLAINS…

HING

Draw lines from corner to corner of the box. The centre is your MPI

Measure the distance from the MPI to your intended POI. Do this for Windage & Elevation

Adjust sights accordingly and fire a 5 round check group

as a Kill but the real world there is every chance the wounded attacker could still pose a real and deadly threat.

CZP

Correct Zero Point is a combination of both POA and POI. Because the sights of a weapon are adjustable we can choose our own POA and POI on the target at whatever distance we desire, provided the weapon and ammunition is up to the job. Instinct, while under duress, forces us to aim (POA) at the mid-section of a charging adversary but we need the rounds to land in the upper chest area (POI). This is achieved by altering the zero. The British Army teaches its troops to zero at a battle distance of 300 meters. The rifleman aims (POA) at the target’s mid-section and the rounds impact (POI) at 90mm above the POA. This gives the rifleman a clear and positive POA and an effective POI …a kill. So how do we actually achieve this? Well, we need to know our “group size” and “MPI”. It’s important to have a tight group of rounds on the target so you will need to understand and apply the Marksmanship Principals. The tighter you can keep the group the better. Once you can achieve a tight group you will then need to know your Mean Point of Impact, or MPI for short. The MPI is the centre of your group. To find your MPI you must first make your weapon ready for firing and be in a supported and rested position such as Prone. At this stage it is most important to follow all the Marksmanship Principals and make every shot the same, concentrating on making the group as tight as possible. Chose a POA on the target and fire every round at the same POA. Even if the rounds do not fall nywhere near the POA do not adjust your aim. At this point it doesn’t matter where on the target your rounds land, just keep the same POA for each shot. This is done for a minimum of 5 rounds at the distance that you want your zero to be set at. Once you have fired all five rounds you can work out your MPI. This is a simple formula. First off study your group. If all the rounds are close together than that is fine. However, if one of the rounds is not within the group then this can be classed as a flyer and can be ignored. If more than one round is outside the group then you will need to fire another 5 rounds until your group has a minimum of 4 tight shots. To find the MPI simply draw a line with a pen through the centre of each of the furthest away holes. You should come up with a square or a rectangle. Next, dissect this shape from

corner to corner to form an “X”. The centre of the X is the MPI. You can now calculate how the sights should be adjusted. For example, 20mm left and 12mm up if your rounds were landing too far right and too far down from your desired POI. Once your sights have been adjusted you will need to fire another 5 rounds (check rounds) to see if the adjustments were correct. Remember to adjust your sights in the opposite direction to the fall of your MPI. For example if your MPI is to the left your sights need to be adjusted to the right and if the MPI is low then your sights need to be adjusted up. Zeroing a weapon is easy but you must understand that once the zero distance is set, your zero will be out at a greater or nearer distance. Take your time with your zero and try different weight rounds at the same distance once the zero is set. Have fun and stay safe. www.airsoft-action.online

The Last Post THE DEATH OF HISTORY

THE DEATH OF HISTORY HAVING BEEN STUCK IN HOSPITAL FOR A FEW DAYS, FRENCHIE ONCE AGAIN PUTS FINGER TO KEYBOARD AS HE PONDERS A SIMPLE QUESTION: IS HISTORY DEAD? I’M SITTING HERE IN THE aftermath of a joyful Yuletide gall bladder operation thinking “what the hell can I write about this month?!” One subject that was being discussed recently by AA staff was “historical” airsoft, more specifically, would it see a resurgence of popularity or whether “Blackhawk Down” is as historical as it now gets. Although I have never achieved the heights that our own Gadge Harvey has in pursuit of historical accuracy, I have dabbled over the years in various forms of themed airsoft and thoroughly good fun it has been too. So, are we seeing the death of historical airsoft? My starting point in discussing this is not airsoft at all; rather it is the entertainment environment surrounding airsoft. Those of you have been around the airsoft block a few times will remember the very direct effect films such as Saving Private Ryan and the previously mentioned Black Hawk Down had on airsoft. Key to their influence was the production of relevant airsoft guns. Marui launched their M1A1

March 2018

Thompson just after SPR and after the widespread success of BHD, Marui released the M733 and Marui and G&G both rushed to market with their versions of the M14. You rarely see M733s these days and M14 sales have gently rumbled to a near halt. In both cases I completely understand why – the Marui M14 is a better rifle than the G&G version but both

The Last Post THE DEATH OF HISTORY

suffer the same drawbacks as the real thing; they are long and heavy which if you are blasting a 7.62x51mm NATO round is an acceptable compromise but when you gain no appreciable advantage over a MP5, as is the case in airsoft, you have to really, really like the rifle to convince yourself to lug one around all day. The same is true of the M1A1 and the M733. I cannot remember when I last saw a Marui M733. It was a fine gun in its day but given that you can buy a short AR-15 based rifle from G&G and others for around £150, only the rifle’s historical associations might tempt you to seek one out. The M1A1 is limited by its history. I never did a World War II load out that required one and although I was working towards a pretty specific Vietnam loadout that would have involved the Thompson, I think I sold the gun before I finished the gear and frankly lost interest. There are still some niche sites and game organisers who specialise in historical scenarios but they seem to be few and far between. The traditional excuse, that there was a lack of suitable weaponry available to airsofters, is no longer true. You can source M1A1s, Garands, Kar 98s, Sten guns, Mosin Nagants, PPSh-41s etc. if you are willing to do a bit of hunting. Uniforms are no more of a problem – yes some of them can be expensive but if a player is willing to drop several hundred pounds on a specific plate carrier, I don’t see that there is a particular issue with spending a similar amount on era-correct gear or reproductions. When watching Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk recently, the thought that this movie wasn’t going to cause an outcry from airsofters for a good No.4 Enfield crossed my mind. It’s not that the film wasn’t good – I loved it – but there was nothing in it that I could see that would make anyone go “Ooh! I want to do that loadout” – and I can’t think of any film that I have seen over the past few years that might have occasioned that response. Battlefield 1 doesn’t seem to have caused a swelling demand for the No.3 SMLE, or for an airsoft Lewis gun, despite being (as far as I can see) very highly rated by players. Personally I would love to see an airsoft Lewis gun but that’s because my Grandfather was a Lewis gunner on the western front in 1917 and I would love to own one for that reason alone. WWI airsofting has never really taken off, in truth WWII airsofting is still a niche pursuit. With the exception of photographs from Players of War, a site near me which I have reviewed previously in AA, I cannot think of any game day photos I have seen for quite some time that include players in period gear. Five or ten years ago it was more common, if not overwhelming. Were I running a site these days, I can’t imagine that I would go out on a limb and run only historically themed games, I fear turnout would be low and the end result unsatisfying for all concerned. Whether this apparent lack of interest is a trend that will reverse itself, or is a long-term

malaise I simply don’t know. There will always be a few players who really get off on running period loadouts but I wonder if as a part of airsoft it has had its day. BHD refers to an action that happened in 1993 – nearly 25 years ago. Maybe the World Wars are just too historical for the current crop of players along with the various proxy wars of the Cold War. Given humanity’s ability to find new reasons to go to war with each other, it might be that there is simply a surfeit of more modern conflicts upon which to base your loadouts. I would be the first to say that what you play in is one of the least important facets of airsofting and I have often argued that simplicity is to be appreciated. It would be a shame, for me at least, if we were to lose that hardy band of players who were determined to do something different, probably at the expense of their pockets and convenience. Maybe somewhere there is a film in production that will toss a fresh cat amongst the airsoft pigeons, but I’m not aware of anything. Maybe we will see a resurgence in historical themes for no apparent reason whatsoever. Regardless (and speaking personally), it would be a shame if airsoft became nothing more than a sea of Multicam and AR-15s.

Courtesy of Gareth Harvey

www.airsoft-action.online

Support your local airsoft company! Airsoft Zone Unit 2, Detection House Brooklands Approach Romford, Essex. 01708 733275 www.airsoftzone.co.uk

Land Warrior Airsoft 44/1 Hardengreen Bus. Prk Hardengreen Lane Dalkeith, EH22 3NX 0131 654 2452 www.landwarriorairsoft.com

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Xsite Airsoft Fryers Farm Lane High Wycombe Bucks, HP14 3NP 01494 881430 www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk

Bomb Up Airsoft 22-23 Arkwright Court Arkwright Road Runcorn, WA7 1NX 0800 131 3012 www.bombupairsoft.co.uk

DTW Airsoft B23 Moorside Business Prk Colchester Essex, CO1 2ZF 01206 790046 www.dtwairsoft.co.uk

Surplus Store Unit 2, Access House Stephenson Way Three Bridges, RH10 1TN 01293 525880 www.surplusstore.co.uk

The Gaol Events Oakham Enterprise Park Ashwell Road, Oakham Leics, LE15 7TU 07976 457602 www.thegaolevents.co.uk

JD Airsoft Unit 5, Virage Park Green Lane, Cannock WS11 0NH 0845 600 5144 www.jdairsoft.net

Invicta Battlefield Airsoft Pook Hill Wood Farm Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst, TN12 0HP 07876 263290 www.invictabattlefield.co.uk

Johnsons of Leeds 2, Vulcan Foundry Haigh Park Road Leeds, LS10 1RT 0113 277 5237 www.johnsonsofleeds.co.uk

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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.

Buy Airsoft Action from any of these shops or sites - and get your copy before it goes on sale on the High Street! Combat-UK 13-15 Market Place Stevenage Herts, SG1 1DH 01438 362922 www.onlyairsoft.com

Phoenix Airsoft Gleadthorpe Breck Plnt. Budby Road Cuckney, NG20 9JX 07956 587213 www.phoenix-airsoft.co.uk

Tazball Airsoft Feyglas Woods, Farr Inverness IV2 6XB 07848 448408

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Socom Tactical 70 Reading Road South Fleet Hampshire, GU52 7SD 01252 616 868 www.socomtactical.net

Gunman Airsoft Tuddenham, IP28 6DF Eversley, RG27 0PX 07711 774461 07711 774401 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk

Airsoft Plantation Goatsmoor Lane Stock, Billericay Essex, CM4 9RS 07771 556395 www.airsoftplantation.co.uk

Badlands Airsoft Woodberry Lane Rowlands Castle Hants, PO9 6DP 07534 465589 www.badlandsairsoft.co.uk

BBGuns4Less Unit 1, Keepers Cottage Buckles Lane South Ockendon, RM15 6RS 01708 853232 www.bbguns4less.co.uk

Allsorts Airsoft 9 Arundel Road Littlehampton BN17 7BY 01903 714688 www.allsortsairsoft.co.uk

Red Alert Airsoft Hartshill Copse Burdens Heath Bucklebury, RG7 6SX 07941 087070 www.redalertpaintball.co.uk

Facebook: /TazballAirsoft

www.leicestershireairsoft.co.uk

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...

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

SYMBOL KEY

IS IT WOODLAND OR URBAN? CHECK THE KEY! UKARA MEMBER

SHOP ONSITE

WOODLAND

PYROS ALLOWED

URBAN

BATTERY CHARGING

DESERT

REPAIR SERVICE

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

ABER AIRSOFT – THE BUNKER

Allt-lywd Wood Farm, outside Llanrhystud, nr. Aberystwyth, Wales. Tel: 07511554740 www.aberairsoft.co.uk

ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT

Maidenhead, SL6 3SS Tel: 07871 314951 www.absolute-airsoft.co.uk

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

Holbrook Coppice, Buidwas Bank (A4169), Buildwas, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 Tel: 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk

AIRSOFT ASYLUM

North Lanarksire, ML7 5 www.airsoftasylum.webs.com

AIRSOFT KGB

Porkellis Moor near Helston, Cornwall, TR13 0 Chef1322@hotmail.com www.kgbairsoft.com

AIRSOFT PLANTATION

Goatsmoor Lane, Billericay, CM4 9RS Tel: 07534 636289 / 07771 556395 www.airsoftplantation.co.uk Email: apairsoftplantation@gmail.com

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH

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

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

Tong Wood, Newport Road Wolverhampton TF11 8PN Tel: 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk

ALPHA ELITE GAMING

BADLANDS AIRSOFT

AMAZON EVENTS

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM

BATTLETEC AIRSOFT

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

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

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

AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON

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

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

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

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

BETTER BATTLES

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

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

APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7QP Tel: 07872 348 576 www.apocalypseairsoft.com

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

BLUESTREAK AIRSOFT ACE COMBAT

Kent, TN12 7DG Tel: 01303 814803 www.acecombat.co.uk

AIRBORNE 101 AIRSOFT CLUB Downpatrick, Co. Down, BT30 Tel: 07718 032541 robinsonm24@btinternet.com

March 2018

ALL ARMS AIRSOFT Near Trawden, BB8 8SN Tel: 07909 683464 www.allarmsairsoft.co.uk

ALPHA 55

Halkyn Wood, North Wales CH8 8DF www.alpha55.co.uk

ARENA AIRSOFT

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

AWA HERTS

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

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

BORDERLINE AIRSOFT

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE WORKS (URBAN)

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

BRISTOL AIRSOFT

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

BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT

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

BUNKER 51

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

BUSH VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

C3 TACTICAL

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

CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

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

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

COTSWOLD AIRSOFT

CLOSE ACTION AIRSOFT

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

COMBAT ACTION GAMES

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

COMBAT AIRSOFT

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

COMBAT READY CQB

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

COMBAT READY OUTDOOR

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

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT

FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS

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

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

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

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

DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT

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

FIFE WARGAMES

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

DARKWATER AIRSOFT LTD.

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

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

DARKWATER SITE, Dering Wood, Church Lane, Shadoxhurst, Ashford. TN26 1LZ facebook.com/darkwaterairsoftdarkwater

FIREBALL SQUADRON

DELTA TEAM 3

FIRST & ONLY: ANZIO CAMP

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

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

DOG TAG AIRSOFT COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND

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

EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT

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

ELITE BATTLEZONE

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

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

COMBAT SOUTH URBAN CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT (DESERT)

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT

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

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

Leek, ST13 8 Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

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

FIRST & ONLY: KHE SANH

WOODS

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

DRAGON’S LAIR CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 5 Tel: 01438 368177 www.thefightschool.demon.co.uk

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

FIRST & ONLY: MANCHESTER

WOODLAND

Bolton, BL7 9TS Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT COOL UNDER FIRE

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE

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

www.airsoft-action.online

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY Wrexham, Denbighshire, LL13 9RG Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY

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

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 6QF Tel: 0161 727 8863

GREENZONE COMBAT FIRST & ONLY: THE ASYLUM Kidderminster, DY10 3PT Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

FIRST & ONLY: SLEEPY HOLLOW Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 5LS Tel: 0161 727 8863

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

FREE FIRE ZONE

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

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

INVICTA BATTLEFIELD Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0HP Tel: 01622 831788 / 07876 263290 www.invictabattlefield.co.uk

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

FULL METAL AIRSOFT

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

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

GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON

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

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

NCIS AIRSOFT

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – TUDDENHAM

LAC SITE 1

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

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

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/

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

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

LAC SITE 5 Kirton Rd, North Lincs, DN16 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

LINDSEY AIRSOFT Manby, Lincolnshire, LN11 8HE Tel: 07955 487983 www.lindsey-airsoft.co.uk

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

HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT

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

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

LAC SITE 2

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT

March 2018

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

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

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

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT

GUN HO AIRSOFT

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

Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

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

MILSIM UK

FRV AIRSOFT

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

MIDWALES AIRSOFT

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

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

NORTHFLEET CQB

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

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

NSC AIRSOFT

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

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

MAW

NTAC

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

MIA Cornwall, EX23 9JL Tel: 01288 331748 www.airsoftsouthwest.co.uk

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS

Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT Tel: 07964 990831 www.op-tac.co.uk

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

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

PHOENIX AIRSOFT

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

PLATOON 1HQ

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

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM)

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

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

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

TA EVENTS

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

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

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

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

TAZ AIRSOFT

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

TECH BRIGADE

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

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT

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

TASK FORCE SKIRMISH

PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

THE BUNKER

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

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

RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UCAP GREEN OPS

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

RAVEN’S NEST

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

Farr, Inverness, IV2 6XB Tel: 07848 448408

PLAYERS OF WAR

Ballynahinch, BT24 8NF Tel: 02897565651 / 07825169631 www.predatorcombat.com

TROJAN AIRSOFT

STIRLING AIRSOFT

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

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

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

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

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

Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY Tel: 01268 796130 www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

Luxulyan, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL305FA Tel: 07751808055 www.thunderparkpaintball.co.uk Food & drinks available on site.

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

TORRENT WARFARE

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

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM

THE EX SITE

THUNDER PARK AIRSOFT SUSSEX AIRSOFT

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

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

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

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT 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

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

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

March 2018

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.

COBRA ONE ZERO AIRSOFT Unit 9 Imperial Buisness Centre Mortimer Road, Hereford, HR4 9SP www.cobraonezero.co.uk Facebook: cobra one zero Airsoft

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB WatfordPPC@gmail.com

DOUBLE TAP PSC

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

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.