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54 I.O.A. – LONGMOOR 2015
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64 SKILLS: TEAM TRAINING
SURVIVAL: TICKS
84
CONTENTS MARCH JULY 2015 2014
CONTENTS
AIRSOFT ACTION – JULY 2015 6 NEWS What’s happening in the World of Airsoft 8 THE ADVENTURES OF MAG Mag continues his adventures in Airsoft Action’s exclusive cartoon. 10 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos taken by Airsoft Action readers. 12 ARMOURY: G&G FIREHAWK G&G’s ever-lingering Combat Machine Fire Hawk High Cycle has finally arrived and Scott Allan was quick to get his talons onto it. 16 ARMOURY: RARE ARMS XR25 Scott Allan asks “Is the Rare Arms XR25 the most realistic replica rifle ever made?” It looks like it may well be… 20 SITE: FRONTIER AIRSOFT Airsoft Action welcomes new contributor Kelly Hardwick, who reports from a recent event where those with a fear of arachnids met their worst nightmare. 24 CHARITY EVENT: ALPHA ONE HOG ROAST 2015 The Alpha One Charity Hog Roast 2015 was held in aid of Pilgrim Bandits and Ron M battled the elements to make sure he got there. 30 FEATURE: NAPOLEONIC AIRSOFT A slightly incredulous Iggy Roberts reports on a genre of airsoft that hid did not believe existed.. until he saw it for himself! 33 KIT & KABOODLE Richard Bell returns with his latest roundup of kit that has caught his eye recently. 34 INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT: SPAIN – A DAY IN AFGHANISTAN III Special Forces Airsoft Group report from Spain, where 350 acres of ground provided plenty of area for this MilSim event to play out. 39 SITE: SKIRMISH AIRSOFT – NOTTINGHAM Gadge reports from Skirmish Airsoft in Mansfield, on a day that both the weather and his “ride” forgot that British Summertime had started! 42 COLD WAR WARRIORS: SAS CRW 1980 With input from Rusty Firmin, Gareth “Gadge” Harvey looks at the kit worn by the soldiers who took part in a world-famous British military operation – Operation Nimrod. 49 LOADED OR UNLOADED: LAYERING UP! The summer is a great season to get out and skirmish with the minimum of kit needed, but this month Jerry Noone explains it’s also a good time to look forward to the colder months of the year and get your kit sorted in advance! 54 EVENT: I.O.A. – LONGMOOR 2015 Les Lee goes deep into the underground world of Airsoft with I.O.A. 59 DEBATE: CHEAT CALLING Gadge returns to the tricky subject of cheating in airsoft with a debate that asks: Is it ever OK to call someone a cheat, or is it worse than cheating itself?
64 SKILLS: TEAM TRAINING Pro-Tact Training’s Andy Nightingale continues his series with a look at an essential part of any team’s success… training! 67 INSIDE AIRSOFT: ZERO ONE Airsoft Action’s very own roving reporter visits one of the longest-established airsoft companies in the UK and is blown away by what he finds. 72 SITE: ALL ARMS AIRSOFT Now that they have moved to a new site, Ron M took the opportunity to go and have a look. 76 ACTION PISTOL SHOOTING: AIPSC INTRODUCTION – PART TWO In part three of his series, Championship Shooter, Mark Hurding, tells us how to get the basics right. 80 PILGRIM BANDITS: PUNISHING CHALLENGE 2015 Six severely injured soldiers prepare to kayak down the Yukon River in Candian Alaska, in their latest Pilgrim Bandits Challenge – no wonder they call it “Punishing”! 81 SNAPSHOT: PATCH-WERK Alex “Ratboy” Heath writes about a small German company making a big name for itself in the world of custom patches. 83 SNAPSHOT: WE MAKAROV Team Rhino’s Angelo Di-Vito gets to grips with WE’s version of this much-favoured Russian pistol. 84 SURVIVAL: TICKS Survival expert, Paul Yelland, writes about one of nature’s “horrid little creatures” that can cause problems for airsofters, particularly in summer. 88 SNIPER: SERGEANT YORK Sniper One, Dan Mills, continues his series on notable snipers with a conscientious objector who became one of America’s most decorated soldiers at that time. 92 BILLY BASICS: FAMOUS MISSIONS Billy Basics starts a new series, looking at famous (and not so famous) missions from around the world that might make excellent scenarios for theme-based games. 96 WORLD WAR ONE: THE 2nd BATTLE OF YPRES Dan Mills continues his journey through The Great War, with an engagement from the Second Battle of Ypres. 101 BOOK REVIEW: IF I DIE IN A COMBAT ZONE Kris Roberts was left shaken and a little numb by this “must read” book about the complexities of war and the human spirit. 102 SITE DIRECTORY If you’re looking for somewhere to play, you’re sure to find it here. 106 DEALER LISTING: AIRSOFT ACTION’S ADVERTISER INDEX Find who you are looking for in our listing of all the adverts that appear in this issue. www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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AIRSOFT NEWS NEW AIRSOFT COMPANY LAUNCHES IN DORSET
Did you know that there is a brand new Dorset-based airsoft company? Drone Airsoft was launched in February 2015 by three airsofters. On the first Sunday of every month we run a game at Dorset Skirmish Paintball’s site in Bere Regis, Dorset, which offers our players a unique mix of a woodland setting, with close combat style games. This unique style of gameplay has been enjoyed by experienced players and those that are new to the sport. Anyone aged 14 and up is invited to play and all prices and photos from previous events can be found on our Facebook Page (facebook.com/ droneairsoft). In the morning, the players are spilt into two teams and during the day players will get to experience the different game zones that the site has to offer. Of course, all our games are supervised by friendly and experienced marshals. We’d like to use this opportunity to announce our new exclusive challenge: “Defuse the Bomb!” The countdown is set at 30 minutes at the beginning of the game and, at the time of writing, no player has successfully managed to diffuse the bomb before it explodes. Have you have what it takes? For more information, contact us via our website: www.droneairsoft.com
First Aid Solutions & Training (FAST) is a first aid training company run by Paramedics and Airsofters FAST offers first aid training including First Aid at Work, Emergency First Aid and Bespoke courses which are ideal for Airsoft and Paintball. All of our courses are Accredited Level 2 and 3 and recognised by OfQual. We specialise in providing First Aid at work courses for site owners and marshals working at Airsoft sites. Our Emergency First Aid course is also ideal for fellow airsofterís who wish to be able to have a good basic knowledge of first aid and dealing with injuries. Our training aims to keep airsoft safe and helps site owners comply with current legislation. For more information, contact: First Aid Solutions & Training Office 105 12a Greenhill Street Stratford upon Avon CV37 6LF Info@fast-uk.net 07795 071286
NUPROL TO EXCLUSIVELY DISTRIBUTE BO MANUFACTURE PRODUCTS Nuprol, the well-known European and now American distributor of Airsoft products, have recently agreed to exclusively distribute BO Manufacture products in the UK. BO Manufacture offer a range of high-quality airsoft rifles and accessories and are best noted for their outstanding AKM13, which is individually handmade and finished. Ross Tucker, of Nuprol, commented: “We are delighted to have reached agreement with BO Manufacture as they have a similar
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TM
MANUFACTURE TM
THE BLACK OPS SOUL
approach to us, in terms of where we see our businesses going over the next few years. “Their product range includes BO Dynamics, VFC Europe, Stark Arms and Black Ops and we look forward to being able to supply these to UK airsoft retailers with profit margins that cannot be undercut by cheap imports from the Far East. At this stage it is our intention to bring their “Combat” range to the UK market first, which will retail in the region of £219.99 and reflects the same level of quality and support as their top of the range rifles. “In essence, this will add in excess of 50 new lines of product available from Nuprol and we are very excited by the prospect of developing our relationship with BO Manufacture.” For more information and Dealer enquiries, contact Nuprol. www.weairsofteurope.com/eu
AIRSOFT NEWS
OPERATION FLASH TIGER Operation Flash Tiger takes place over the weekend of July 18th-19th 2015 at Gunman’s Tuddenham site, in Suffolk. Brief: AATSF have spent years tracking down the ATO leader and after days of battle, machinery and tanks have been taken out. All that is left is ground forces. After heavy losses the AATSF have entered enemy territory, they now need to find Intel so they can find and take out the ATO leader. Being pushed back to their last stand, ATO forces will be searching for Intel to mark enemy positions and drive them back. Main Priority is to protect their leader. For more information visit: www.ootwp.co.uk, www.Facebook.com/OFTmilsim or email oftmilsim@gmail.com
New Xcortech Wireless Chronograph available from HW Airsoft The new Xcortech Chronograph X3500 is derived from 10 years of accumulated Xcortech technologies. The X3500 provide easy to use, high accuracy, wide shot area with Statistical Analysis. X3500 is re-design from X3200 to enhance Chronograph with wireless, shot memory, external power input, multi-screen show information and auto rotate screen. X3500 Product Features: • Measures Muzzle Velocity from 30 m/s ~ 400+ m/s (90 ft/s ~ 1200+ ft/s). • Separate display unit and chrono unit • Display unit is capable attach to tactical rail • Display use Dot MATRIX LCD with backlight • Memory Slots for various ammo weight and caliber • Shot memory log velocity and ROF (Rate of Fire) • Calculate MAX, MIN, E-S (Extreme Spread), AVG, S-D (Standard Deviation) by shot memory • Energy PerUnit Area Calculation • Extra-large tube diameter (38mm) • Use AA and AAA battery • Chrono unit support external power (Micro USB) • Tripod Ready mounting holes (Screw for standard camera / camcorder tripods) Available from: HW Airsoft (www.hwairsoft.com)
THE ADVENTURES OF MAG
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CARTOON
AA GALLERY READERS PHOTOS
ROGUE’S GALLERY FROM ASHLEY RENSHAW
FROM RYAN LEE
T COLEMAN FROM SCOT
AC DURHAM GUNN, NT FROM TONY
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.
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BLACKHAWK DOWN FILMS IM 15th MARC AT TAC HOUS H 20 E
SPARTAN PIC 15 Courtesy of TURES Scarlet Whysa ll at LittleRed Photography í
IMAGES FROM STRIKEFORCE CQB’S RECENT OPENING GAME
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THE FIRE HAWK HAS LANDED!
G&G’S EVER-LINGERING COMBAT MACHINE FIRE HAWK HIGH CYCLE HAS FINALLY ARRIVED AND SCOTT ALLAN WAS QUICK TO GET HIS TALONS ONTO IT
THE FIRE HAWK IS A COMPACT, LIGHTWEIGHT, high speed assault rifle that may, or may not tickle your taste buds. With all the great work that G&G has done in recent years this is certainly a little bit different - and not all in a good way. The Fire Hawk comes in two flavours and the High Cycle, or HC05 as the marketing department call it, was actually the original rifle advertised long before the standard version ever appeared. The standard type was never actually planned but, due to technical issues with the high speed set up, the standard version appeared first - confusing customers and retailers alike. G&G’s Top Tech vs Combat Machine… Just what is the difference?
IN A NUT SHELL… “Top Tech” is the high end range for G&G. Realistic construction, normally with blowback and higher quality internals, this range is around 50-100% more than the price of the entry level Combat Machine range (depending on the actual model). The inner barrel and the quality of the parts is (in general) higher quality and therefore should perform better and for longer. These are often referred to as “Gen 2” or “Gen 3” rifles. Both are the same except a Gen 3 has a MOSFET prefitted, which will either float your boat or make you ask what a MOSFET is? The Fire Hawk (technically) is an entry level rifle Combat Machine. Now a Combat Machine may not be quite the performance of a Top Tech but it is still not to be looked down upon. They still produce around the same power as a Top Tech 12
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and the barrels, while they are not a tight bore, do provide good accuracy and the hop gives you decent range. Rates of fire, weight and finish are all nearly the same too, so you are not always gaining that much extra for paying extra, especially if you are just starting out. With the new range of Combat Machines due for release by the summer 2015, we will be seeing even more of these on the game sites for sure. Starting on the externals, the polymer body has a high quality matt finish that closely resembles the metal body finish – even from a relatively close inspection. With CQB in mind the front end is extremely short and sports 20mm RIS rails on all sides of the hand guard, plus a top rail for any optics you may wish to use. The stock is the Magpul MOE-alike, which is adjustable and has a nifty little compartment for CR123s if (like me) you leave your red dot turned on while in storage. I’ve always liked the pistol grip design they use on these rifles, they are extremely comfortable regardless of what gloves I wear. The flip-up sights are nice quality and made of metal, they will certainly do the job they are intended for. The magazine is G&G’s own polymer modern design, it doubles up as a grip area. Not something I would go for personally but the attention to detail is there and being a high capacity magazine it lends itself well to the white laser of death that the HC05 promises to be. The flash hider is actually a noise amplifying muzzle break that will certainly give your position away but can be helpful to intimidate an enemy position as you close in. It is a lightweight rifle at around 2.3 kilos, which makes it one of the lightest, shortest and fastest M4s on the market right now.
The list of specs isn’t all that shabby for £155; in fact it is pretty impressive but then that is what G&G deliver in the Combat Machine range. The major drawback is due to the design of the dual sector gear; there is no cut of lever which means you have no viable single shot. This presents you with the potential issue for indoor single shot games. This means the HC05 kind of shoots itself in the foot (pun very much intended). The indoor gun that cannot be used indoors? Or
“G&G, BEING G&G, HAVE GIVEN YOU THE CHOICE; YOU CAN HAVE THE STANDARD VERSION WITH SINGLE SHOT, OR THE HIGH SPEED UBER-DEATH MACHINE, SO REALLY IT IS A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR THE PLAYER.” some sites perhaps but not all, however it is equally good in the woodland environment too so do not despair just yet. The selling point of the high speed set up is often to get a great rate of fire from a 7.4v or 8.4v battery. The Fire Hawk generally offers 11.1v performance from a 7.4v battery, which is not to be sniffed at. Of course, with a little work there would be nothing to stop you pumping the voltage up and the rounds per second would suitably sky rocket as your enemies dissolve in a hail of spherical doom. This might on the other hand rub other players at your site up the wrong way, after all are we trying to outplay each other or maim your mates? It is often a www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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fine line and everyone puts the line in a slightly different place. I encountered this very recently when a site owner passed a rather harsh judgement on a visiting team, essentially turning the other team away for their playing style. The fact that less than half of the team had ever played at the site owner’s site didn’t seem to matter. So if you do fancy this great set up, just be sure not to drill all of your good friends too much! All of the Combat Machines by G&G are good both internally and externally, what they have done with the HC05 is create a new kind of Combat Machine. To be fair to G&G, the players did ask and still do ask for these types of set ups, so any flaws in them is due to these requests. Cost is another important factor, the more complex something becomes the more expensive it is. So if you really want a cheap high speed set up the Combat Machine really is spot on for the money, even though it isn’t perfect. G&G, being G&G, have given you the choice; you can have the standard version with single shot, or the high speed uber-death machine, so really it is a win-win situation for the player. Now of course there is “that guy” on every site, who can’t help but rip the guts out of every rifle and turn up each game day to tell you the obscene number of modifications he has made to his - and this brings me to one of my final plus points. I like to think that these Combat Machines are ideal for upgrades. Okay the DSG set up makes it a little more bespoke but you can cheaply upgrade inner barrels and hop ups without feeling like you are throwing away really expensive internal components.
IN CONCLUSION
The Fire Hawk High Cycle is an odd one for me. The spray and pray, “BB laser” thing has never really been my bag. While most of my rifles do put out around 1300-1500 rounds per minute, this is generally a side effect of making the trigger more responsive and it is normally only on single or three round burst. “Mr. 15 high-caps per 10 minute game” will love this gun and so will the site owner selling him the BBs to keep it fed. It isn’t a bad rifle but it is a damned shame it doesn’t have single shot, I think that is the biggest sticking point in the package. If you can live with no single shot and your site doesn’t have any full auto engagement distances, then by all means this is a great rifle in every other way, not to mention fantastic value. It will be interesting to see if G&G decide to release any other variants of this in the future but I wouldn’t count on it.
features LENGTH 543MM WEIGHT 2.3KG 8MM CERAMIC BEARING GEARBOX DOUBLE SECTOR GEAR FULL STEEL TEETH PISTON NOISE AMPLIFIER FLASH HIDER METAL RIS FRONT END COMBAT MACHINE POLYMER BODY ERGONOMIC PISTOL GRIP 6 POSTION STOCK WITH CR123 BATTERY COMPARTMENT REMOVABLE FLIP UP METAL FRONT & REAR SIGHT POLYMER “GRIP” 300 ROUND HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINE FPS 328 WITH BLASTER 0.20G BB RRP £155
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A RARE THING OF BEAUTY
SCOTT ALLAN ASKS “IS THE RARE ARMS XR25 THE MOST REALISTIC REPLICA RIFLE EVER MADE?” IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY WELL BE…
AIRSOFT IS AS MUCH ABOUT “ESCAPISM” as it is “realism”. We want to feel like we are in a real “fire fight” with recoil, noise, smoke and dirt but we don’t want the nasty death stuff. The electric AEG gives the most practical option and the gas blow back the more realistic function - that is until the XR25 came on the scene. Rare Arms are an unknown manufacturer, apart from the XR25 model. This isn’t a bad thing generally but it does normally mean you get a quirky product and this rifle is certainly “quirky”. Based in Taiwan this is the only platform they have ever made and, being a fan of “go big, or go home” I am torn between excitement and scepticism.
The XR25 is a CO2, shell ejecting, gas blow back rifle. Full metal with a realistic weight, it is everything you could want out of a 7.62mm package. Sporting all the usual SR25 features such as a quad rail and adjustable crane stock it is a little difficult to spot the differences between this and a standard AEG.
REAL STEEL The SR25, or the Stoner Rifle 25, is a 7.62mm sharpshooter, designated marksman or sniper rifle – depends on what you read. It leans heavily on the M4/M16 platform for design and functionality and why not – it still hasn’t been beaten yet! The reason behind this rifle is to give the firer the extra range and stopping power that the 5.56mm round cannot provide and, with most of the parts being largely compatible with the regular M4 platform, very little additional weapon support or training is needed. This has been emulated throughout different manufacturers in more modern times with the 416/417 from H&K, the multi calibre Masada and, of course, the SCAR rifles by FN.
BACK TO THE RARE ARMS Initial impressions of the rifle are not Earth shattering. The finish is slightly roughened, with an odd shine that almost gives a glitter-like appearance in certain light. It is by no means a bad finish but it is fairly unique. The standardised quad rail is nicely made and sports an integrated flip up front sight (not my favourite design personally). There is a six-point adjustable crane stock and metal rear flip up sight that can be removed to allow for scopes and red dots as you see fit. The fire selector is ambidextrous, with the right side being a cut away selector 16
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to prevent it catching right handed people as much. The flash hider thread sadly isn’t a standard type, so silencers look like a “no” from the get go. The pistol grip is a standard A2 type, yet this is where the CO2 bulb lives to power the system so this part is unable to be changed from standard. The package includes two 15-round magazines and 30 shells, which is very handy as a package. Changing the bulb is quick and easy although the storage of the Allen key is a trifle odd, it slots into the pistol grip but doesn’t sit flush. Meaning that the end sort of just pokes out along the bottom of your pistol grip. I suppose you could just put it in a pocket instead. I have tried or seen just about every gas system under the sun and almost every one of them has failed to impress me greatly to some degree or another. I saw no reason for this new manufacturer to be any different than the rest. Hell, Ares still can’t make a good reliable gas rifle that I’ve ever seen. Sure the odd one may be okay, or people may be happy to tinker and fight with an ill-designed paperweight but in this day and age it simply isn’t acceptable. You may have spotted the price by now. Yes, it is nearly £1,600! This is a truly insane price tag for something like this but then just what is it actually like? It’s not really like anything else on the market. It is an accurate working replica of a firearm and even the others that are available around the globe are generally rubbish. This is meant for the enthusiast who wants maximum realism and function and maybe less for the skirmisher who wants to run around hosing puddles and plastic bottles on the game site. Yes, picking up the shells is a pain. Yes, you would probably lose them on a regular game site but
“THIS IS MEANT FOR THE ENTHUSIAST WHO WANTS MAXIMUM REALISM AND FUNCTION AND MAYBE LESS FOR THE SKIRMISHER WHO WANTS TO RUN AROUND HOSING PUDDLES AND PLASTIC BOTTLES ON THE GAME SITE.”
www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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varying degrees of distance. The recoil is really great - think much along the lines of the Mega Arms and you are on the right track.
ON THE SKIRMISH FIELD It is unlikely you will ever see one of these at a general skirmish. They are very set piece and specialist, almost more of training or demonstrating platform than a skirmish rifle. Also collectors (if they really exist in the UK these days) may want these purely to play with the functional side of things. Stripping the rifle down to ensure the parts are correctly lubed is essential to keeping the platform running. I think the only time you’ll ever see this on a game site will be in a sniper role as mentioned before. Spare shells (as far as I know) are not available, which is a shame. Undoubtedly they will appear at some point in the future but often they cost £1-£3 per shell.
CONCLUSION
nothing out there works as well as this. The hop up adjustment is through a small hole in the rail and amazingly I found with 0.30g Blasters they flew pretty accurately out to around 35-40 metres. This could be largely due to the hop bucking which seals to the shell case, not the BB. The internals are very clever and again very unique. When you look, the hammer and firing mechanism has been moved further rear in the lower receiver, bearing in mind the gas is often in the magazine. The rest of the lower receiver has, what looks not unlike, the top of a gas magazine. Of course it will need something for the hammer to strike so it does make sense. It is a clever looking system that cannot be denied. As mentioned previously, GBB rifles have the gas in the magazine that means fresh mags use their own supply, rather than a supply on board the rifle that will run out quickly. The CO2 bulb is likely to last you the two magazines but little more than that. That’s a draw back if you want to skirmish unless you are trying for a hard-core sniper role and you really want to despatch your target, collect you cases and bug out – which does sounds very appealing. The ejection process is clean and crisp, although we did have a few jams too when the magazines were fully loaded but these need 300 rounds through them to break in, which I never managed. The rounds do flick satisfyingly out of the ejection port spinning like Progress 59. Oddly they did seem to take a variety of different trajectories out of the rifle and with
It really is lovely and there is nothing wrong with the system at all. The market for people who would appreciate and use the XR25 is definitely a niche within a niche…. within a niche because you also need someone willing to fork out 1,600 spare, hard-earned pounds for it. It is a tall order but undoubtedly there is someone out there who will appreciate a quality product like this. It is more about the realism and the action than the firing of thousands of rounds. When I first saw the rifle I took a stab that it would be around the mid £500s and to be honest, if it had been it would be fairly popular as that is still within an impulse buy bracket for many fans and players. Everyone loves nice things but sadly the Rare Arms may have rarer customers, unless they can get production costs down. A huge thanks to the Redwolf Airsoft UK guys who loaned me this rifle (before I knew how much it was worth!)
features FPS 350FPS WITH BLASTER 0.20G BB WEIGHT 3.4KG LENGTH 940MM POWER CO2 MAGAZINE X2 15 ROUNDS EACH SEMI AUTO ONLY SHELL EJECTING GAS BLOW BACK RRP £1,575.00
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Unit C1, Northway Trading Estate, Northway Lane, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8JH. United Kingdom.
Tel +44 (0)1684 273070 Fax +44 (0)1684 273052 Email rwuk.retail@redwolfairsoft.com
u k . r e d w o l f a i r s o f t . c o m www.facebook.com/redwolfuk.retail
www.youtube.com/user/redwolfairsoft
TO CATCH A SPIDER NEW AIRSOFT ACTION CONTRIBUTOR, KELLY HARDWICK, REPORTS FROM A RECENT EVENT WHERE THOSE WITH A FEAR OF ARACHNIDS MET THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE Photography by: Gaz Ward, Site Photographer – Frontier Airsoft ON THE EASTER BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND I had the pleasure of being invited by a member of the UKAC (United Kingdom Airsoft Community) to Frontier Airsoft in Penkridge, Staffordshire to play their Easter Special game “To Catch a Spider”. The site is around 10 minutes outside of Cannock and is easily accessible from the A513 or the M6 Toll. I took the A516 but unfortunately, the actual Frontier site wasn’t signposted and so I ended up at the Farm across the road! A quick Google led me back up the track and onto the other side of the road, a short drive down another track and I was there! There is ample car parking that is directed by a site marshal and as the site is popular I do recommend arriving as close to 08.30 hours as possible, so you get a good space. I have since spoken to Bill (the owner) and he has assured me that this is just a temporary situation and the signs will be going back up soon! A short walk from the car park leads to the safe zone, which is a circular clearing surrounded by sheltered booths and each booth was separated by material
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and they were equipped with a table and chairs, they also had their own theme. I really liked that all the booths were separated as it provided every team with their own “base”. Booking in was incredibly easy and done via the Frontier website and payment was taken on the day – one of the things I really liked about the site management is that the communication was fantastic and my emails were answered promptly! Nothing was too much trouble. There is tea and coffee on tap and the walk on fee of £25 was reasonable and even included lunch! As it was one of the guy’s birthday and we informed them, he was given a lovely personalised Frontier T-Shirt; a great touch and really made him feel welcome to the site. The safe zone is also home to the office where booking in takes place and it also has a little shop where you can buy Frontier’s own brand of BBs in various weights, pyros and patches. I purchased the 0.2g BBs, priced at 2,000 for £5 which was very reasonable and they fed well. Next time I would however buy the 0.25g BBs because it was quite windy when I visited and the wind did take the rounds. Chrono was done on the purposebuilt range, which had lots of interesting statues and targets – including a poor fellow who had his crotch shot out… Ouch! The staff are very strict
Site FRONTIER AIRSOFT
on the guns they allow to be used on site; 350 FPS on 0.2g BBs and no more! The comprehensive safety briefs were carried out by the owner Bill and Head Marshal Jester and were simple and straight to the point – the last thing you want is overly complicated briefs that end up confusing the players! One thing that I feel really makes or breaks a site is the site staff! I cannot fault the staff at Frontier, they were professional, friendly and made everyone feel really welcome. The day was full of banter and the marshals routinely checked that everyone was having a good day. The only thing that I will say about the safe zone that concerned me, was players dry-firing in the booths. As a community we need to look after each other and even though you may be certain your gun is clear, it only takes one stray BB to cause some damage. However, I spoke to one of the marshals during a quick break in the games and it didn’t happen for the rest of the day. The site itself is 25 acres of woodland that is shared between Frontier and a paintball company, it is one of the smaller woodland sites that I have visited but don’t let the size put you off, it can comfortably accommodate 60-70 players. The Frontier staff utilise every square inch of the site and have built multiple structures and “zones” which offer different types of game play, including “The Fort” and “Team Death Match” areas which are both used for attack and defend games. They offer both long distance engagements so you can play as a Sniper and a CQB element as you fight your way into the heart of the enemy’s defence. The site is full of different levels – high ridges that look out over the forest floor and the bowl at the heart of the site which keeps the games interesting and the players on edge! Frontier Airsoft is a site that specialises in story-based games and for the Easter Sunday special we played the story “To Catch a Spider”. The theme for the day was that two rival teams of poachers had gone to Zootopia Park, to capture an arachnid creature that the park’s resident evil scientist had created and whilst they were there, decided to eliminate the opposing team! What I really like about theme-based games is that each one is different, it’s not a generic Team Death Match and shows that a lot of thought and effort has gone into making the day the best it can be - I also love the characters and costumes of theme-based games. The costume Frontier Airsoft’s staff had lovingly handcrafted for their Spider-based storyline is really something to admire. I didn’t quite believe the photo I saw before the game but you have to see it to believe it. Each game was played on a different part of the site to keep things fresh and I have to say my favourite games of the day were the last two. The first of these was a 3 stage defend/attack game in various parts of the site including the Team Death Match zone and which got my adrenaline pumping so much that my hands were shaking as I reloaded my mags in the safe zone
afterwards! The other was “To Catch a Spider”. For this game we had to throw down a smoke grenade “pheromone” (we were allocated 2 per team) to attract the arachnid creature and when he knelt down we were tasked to capture him using a “Spider Catcher” prop. After 10 minutes of searching the forest and engaging the enemy team, we spotted the Arachnid and one of the guys threw a smoke and started laying down suppressing fire to cover me whilst I went to capture the creature! Once the creature was on its knees I rushed over, put the “catcher” on his wrist and led it up the ridge into the “Town Hall”, whilst my team mates made it rain BBs. Only one word can describe that game… EPIC! One thing about a site that really affects how you feel when you leave at the end of the day is the level of sportsmanship from the other players. Frontier caters for all ages and abilities so you will see a very diverse mix of new and seasoned players, which made for interesting game play. I personally, didn’t encounter any incidences of non-hit taking but I did hear a
“ONCE THE CREATURE WAS ON ITS KNEES I RUSHED OVER, PUT THE “CATCHER” ON HIS WRIST AND LED IT UP THE RIDGE INTO THE “TOWN HALL”, WHILST MY TEAM MATES MADE IT RAIN BBS. ONLY ONE WORD CAN DESCRIBE THAT GAME… EPIC!”
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Site FRONTIER AIRSOFT
“I CANNOT FAULT THE STAFF AT FRONTIER, THEY WERE PROFESSIONAL, FRIENDLY AND MADE EVERYONE FEEL REALLY WELCOME. THE DAY WAS FULL OF BANTER AND THE MARSHALS ROUTINELY CHECKED THAT EVERYONE WAS HAVING A GOOD DAY.”
few grumbles whilst walking back to the safe zone. The important thing to remember about woodland is because of the distances involved and wind taking rounds, it can be difficult to gauge whether you actually hit them or not. So if in doubt, always speak to a marshal. The site is owned and founded by Bill Newman, an experienced airsofter who has been in the industry for almost a decade. I asked him a few questions to get to know him and Frontier a little better: Kelly: Thank you for letting me do a review on Frontier, can you tell our readers a bit more about you? What’s your Airsoft background? Bill: “I started playing airsoft about 8 or 9 years ago at a small local site near Coventry. After 2 years, I started working at another, much larger airsoft site as a marshal for another 2 years. There I received lots of good training and insight into the business under the manager. Then in 2011, I left to start my own airsoft company and Frontier was born.” Kelly: What originally got you into Airsoft and what do you love about it? Bill: “What I love about airsoft, first and foremost is getting to play with guns. As a kid we would stage mock battles and scenarios with toy guns in the local woods and I guess I never stopped wanting to do that. The other thing that makes it so awesome is the community and friendships, I have literally made some lifelong friends because of airsoft.” Kelly: What is your playing style? Bill: “Never give up! Someone has to be the first in! But always remember never to ask someone else to do what you wouldn’t.” Kelly: What is your weapon of choice? Bill: “I mainly run big chrome Revolvers and 1911s but I’ve had many weird and wonderful guns over the years!” Kelly: What loadout do you normally run? Bill: “A cowboy hat, western holster and a smile are the only consistent things you’ll see me in.” Kelly: Tell us more about Frontier Airsoft.
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Bill: “The site has been running since June 2011 but the company was running for about 6 months prior to opening. All the marshals I would consider to be close friends and I feel that translates into how we work as a team together, I’d never be able to have made frontier what it is without them. “Behind the curtains there are also the unseen elves, friends and family who tirelessly spell check the game stories I write, run and control the website, build amazing props that have to be seen to be believed, edit the hundreds of photos taken on a game day down to a select album, do the accounts and generally make the gears and workings run correctly and professionally. Without all of the above, there would be no Frontier Airsoft. “We have a different story every week that’s all linked into one universe, all our games effect each other and tie in characters and plots.” Kelly: Thank you Bill. Overall, I would recommend Frontier Airsoft to new and experienced players alike as I had a fantastic day. The staff were welcoming and professional, ran a great game day and used their site well. The other players were friendly and made good opponents (ahem... targets). The walk on fee is a little cheaper than some of the other skirmish sites that I have visited and as lunch was included, this was a nice surprise and excellent value for money. The story elements and costumes in their games mean that this isn’t like every other skirmish and all the games kept us entertained and wanting more! At the end of the day each player received a “Frontier Airsoft Easter Special” dog tag to remember the day – a great touch.
Games are run every Sunday and for more information you can find Frontier Airsoft on Facebook as “Frontier Airsoft”, on Instagram as @frontierairsoft and also at their website www.frontierairsoft.co.uk where they post all the details for their upcoming games, bookings and game photos! The site is located at Lower Drayton Farm, Penkridge, Staffordshire, ST19 5RE and is owned by William ‘Bill’ Newman, who is contactable on 07590255914.
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ROAST HOG RAISES MONEY FOR CHARITY!
THE ALPHA ONE CHARITY HOG ROAST 2015 WAS HELD IN AID OF PILGRIM BANDITS AND RON M BATTLED THE ELEMENTS TO MAKE SURE HE GOT THERE I’M SURE THERE CAN’T BE MANY people that have failed to have heard of the book “Fifty Shades of Grey” or, worse still, may have possibly seen the film. The reason I’m commenting on this, is because as I drove with my wipers on full and losing the battle to clear the deluge of rain from my windscreen, all I could think of was what lay ahead resembled “Fifty Shades of Black”! I thought that anyone getting out of bed and seeing this battering their window would make a sharp about-turn
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and succumb to the calling of the duvet. Although the elevated stretch of the M62 across Saddleworth Moore between Manchester and Leeds seems to have its own micro climate that can be totally different to anything either side, you would need to be an eternal optimist to think this was going to “blow through”. However I was only at the start of a journey that would take me across the country to Hull, before coming back to arrive at Alpha One for lunch time, so maybe time had the upper hand. A few hours later, as I turned off the M1 motorway I couldn’t believe the change and I could see from the sat-nav that the woodland bathed in sunshine on my left was my final destination. I found a space to park on the already crowded over-spill car parking and walked the short distance to the safe zone. Amidst a sea of car roofs I spotted the Pilgrim Bandits gazebo and started heading over towards it. As I was here to cover the Alpha One Charity Hog-Roast, I thought that the tent of the organisation they were raising the money for might be a good place to start. Before I had much of a chance to utter the words “Who’s in charge…” I was grabbed (well more smothered really) by Jimmy at Alpha One with an enthusiastic “I didn’t think you would make it! It wer ‘orrible earlier!” Yep, I know mate! The team had stayed on-site overnight and the weather that had hit first thing had been something to dampen everyone’s spirits. But they had cracked on and just as in “Field Of Dreams” if you build it – they will come! Jimmy then ushered me away to the hog-roast tent and
Charity event ALPHA ONE HOG ROAST 2015
made sure I had a bap filled with succulent pork, apple sauce and crackling to keep me going. Funny I don’t normally look like a bloke short of a brekkie (or two). Back outside, I went over to meet Jez, Rusty and of course Ben Parkinson at the Pilgrim Bandits stand. With it being little over 48hrs to the day when, thirtyfive years ago the iconic storming of the Iranian Embassy (in which Rusty played a pivotal role), had thrown the spotlight on the SAS, obviously there was a lot of discussion about the events and maybe some of the folklore that has grown up around the famous “balcony scene”. In typical dry wit Rusty stated “if everyone who claims to have been on that balcony actually had, the bloody thing would have collapsed under the weight!” With that, something resembling the closing scene from Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” started; “I was there,” “No, I was there!” “No, it was me and my wife!” claimed various onlookers. “You were there, weren’t you Ben?” chimed in Rusty. “Oh yeah, in me chair!” came the reply. If you were to look for the term ‘Squaddie Black Humour” in the Oxford English Dictionary it would say “see the above!” Having read up about Ben before meeting him, I realised in a recent development that he’d been undergoing “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy”, which was one thing we had in common. I’d been trained both as a Life Support Technician (those who operate the chambers) and I’d had treatment for a diving related injury – though in my case it was what would be referred to as a Self-Inflicted wound! Ben had joined the Army in September 2000 and, after completing his basic training at Harrogate he joined as a Gun Number 3 at the Royal School of Artillery in Larkhill, before joining his regiment; 7 Para RHA in Aldershot in December 2001. He completed the arduous “P Company” and deployed on operational tours to Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. On 12th September 2006 Ben was top cover on a mobile patrol when his lightly armoured Land Rover detonated an anti-tank mine. Ben sustained horrific injuries and his life was saved that day by his colleagues Sergeant Rudy Fuller, Lance Bombardier Danny Byrne and Lance Corporal Matty Oliver. The blast broke his back in three places and punctured his lungs. Every single rib was broken, his spleen was ruptured, his cheek, nose and jaw were smashed and he was left in a coma for four months – during which time surgeons removed both his legs above the knees. As he recovered from the initial trauma of his injuries Ben was told that he would never walk and probably be unable to talk again. However saying “can’t” to a PARA is probably not the best course of action. Over the next five years Ben learnt to both talk and, with the aid of crutches and prosthetic legs, he was able to walk up to the Parachute Regiment’s Colonel In Chief, Prince Charles and receive his MBE in 2013. As if that memorable image wasn’t enough, who doesn’t remember Ben carrying the Olympic Torch through his home town back in 2012.
“THE BLAST BROKE HIS BACK IN THREE PLACES AND PUNCTURED HIS LUNGS. EVERY SINGLE RIB WAS BROKEN, HIS SPLEEN WAS RUPTURED, HIS CHEEK, NOSE AND JAW WERE SMASHED AND HE WAS LEFT IN A COMA FOR FOUR MONTHS - DURING WHICH TIME SURGEONS REMOVED BOTH HIS LEGS ABOVE THE KNEES.” www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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“THE TEAMS SEPARATED INTO “YORKSHIRE” UNDER THE COMMAND OF GENERAL JUJU, “LANCASHIRE” UNDER THE COMMAND OF GENERAL KIRSTY AND THE “MERCENARY” FORCE UNDER THE COMMAND OF – PAYMENT BY HARIBOS!” Ben who is from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, is among the country’s first soldiers to undergo the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) at the Castle Craig clinic in Edinburgh, paid for by the Pilgrim Bandits. It involves sitting in a huge metal cylinder breathing pressurised pure oxygen which is said to heal injured tissue. You may well have heard about this before, when England was praying that this would heal the broken metatarsal of some footballer or other! Not content with battling back from his horrific injuries, Ben has taken part in a number of gruelling expeditions, including retracing the footsteps of the Second World War heroes of Telemark, who were parachuted into Norway. Also in May 2014, they canoed the route of the WW2 Cockleshell Heroes
expedition – over 90 miles up the Gironde River in France from the Bay of Biscay to the Port of Bordeaux. When I said to him “You’ve been doing a bit of canoeing then?” he replied “No, I’ve been doing a bloody lot of canoeing!” Not wrong, as this year he plans to canoe 465 miles down the Yukon River in Canada! A feat that would challenge even the most ablebodied person. The charity game at Alpha One is now part of the calendar. Last year they raised over £3,000 towards Fusilier Lee Rigby Charity and various others and when Jimmy heard that Rusty had become an ambassador for Pilgrim Bandits, it was an 26
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Charity event ALPHA ONE HOG ROAST 2015
obvious choice; their paths having crossed a few times before. He was immediately on the phone to arrange the event. Typically, Alpha One gets an average of 90-100 players each month and they can normally feed them pretty quickly. With the extra turnout that the event had inspired the queue for the special Hog Roast stretched out of the safe zone and back past the Pilgrim Bandits and Leeds Airsoft stands. I’m not sure it was planned that way but both did really well out of it. In addition to the main event of the day, the “Yorkshire v Lancashire” game, there was the little matter of raffling some major prizes, including what would normally be the star prizes of an ICS L85a and an ASG M60E4. These and all other prizes were bought for the raffle by Alpha One. I say “would normally be the star prizes”, as Alpha One had somehow managed to “acquire” one of a limited edition, numbered bottle of “Operation Nimrod Whiskey”. Even I grabbed £10-worth of raffle tickets with the hope of that one. There was some great banter as the prizes were drawn including the moment when Rusty held aloft (and then donned) something made famous in the assault. “Here we have an S6 respirator” said Jimmy “and not only do you get this, but Rusty will sign this for the winner.” As the audience muttered in approval someone shouted “Was that the one worn by Andy McNabb?” – at which point Rusty quickly removed the S6 and tried to identify the perpetrator! With the draw over (and no, I didn’t win the whiskey), the teams separated into “Yorkshire” under the command of General JuJu, “Lancashire” under the command of General Kirsty and the “Mercenary” force under the command of – payment by Haribos! The game itself was simple; players had playing cards with various value and, when hit, a player could be searched for the card and it captured by the opposing team. I say “could” because they could be medic’d back into the game and the tables turned. It encouraged team work, as there was little point just getting a hit on a player only to be tagged yourself as you approach for a search. The two teams headed off into the 140 acres of mixed woodland and pine to have that age old “Battle of the Roses”. However, back at the tent there were still lots of players showing kit to Ben and chatting with Rusty. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to stay for the after-game drinks and chat was a wretch but duty called, so I had to say farewell to the lads and head off. Back on the motorway I was about twenty minutes from home when with no warning my engine died and I had to coast onto the hard shoulder. The remainder of my twenty-minute journey took nearly five hours, due to initially being recovered to a Motorway service station back the way I’d come and then the good old breakdown service I pay for, sent their van to another service station at the wrong end of the motorway! I think the mechanic was
The roast
expecting to receive both barrels as he sheepishly slid out of his truck door and couldn’t believe how up-beat I was. Funny enough he was ex-REME so actually could The ra ffle dr aw understand why I wasn’t that bothered about a mechanical failure when you’ve spent the day in the presence of Rusty Firmin and, especially, Ben Parkinson. Speaking to Jimmy later, I was pleased to hear that: 1) Lancashire won the game (little doubt there); 2) the day had raised over £1,500 for the Pilgrim Bandits and 3) Just as importantly, Alpha One will be donating a percentage of each game’s profit to the Pilgrim Bandit charity. The prizes So if you missed out on this great day you still have your chance to do your bit. Pilgrim Bandits would like to thank Jimmy Gillies, Adam Smith, JuJu and Stuart from Leeds Airsoft, who had all helped in the planning and success of the day - and I would like to add the thanks and appreciation from everyone at Airsoft Action, to all the Alpha One play the first Sunday players who turned up and opened of each month and run a variety of their wallets to help such a worthy MilSim themed events and straight cause. Both Rusty and Ben had a skirmish days. Check their website for great time and airsoft once again more details www.alphaoneairsoft.com showed it’s true heart!
www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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NAPOLEONIC AIRSOFT A SLIGHTLY INCREDULOUS IGGY ROBERTS REPORTS ON A GENRE OF AIRSOFT THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE EXISTED… UNTIL HE SAW IT FOR HIMSELF! Please note that some photos, where eyepro is not being worn, were staged. Always ensure eyepro is worn at all times when in-game.
“YOU MUST NOT FEAR DEATH, my lads; defy him, and you drive him into the enemy’s ranks”… so said Napoleon Bonaparte but when someone first mentioned “Napoleonic Airsoft” to me, I initially thought they were having a joke at my gullible expense – or they were mad! However my curious nature got the better of me and so I agreed to go along to C3 Tactical in Monmouthshire, to hear out this concept and see a small demo. When I arrived (and to my surprise) there were no hordes of men and women in either Napoleonic gear or multi-cam, nor any other type, colour or shade of camouflage to be honest. Instead there was just a small group in red hoodies or tops and another in blue and they were brandishing the latest airsoft RIFs and eye/face protection as usual but no tactical load bearing gear whatsoever. I was introduced to Kim Chapman and Patrick Guilfoyle, the two men behind this concept. Both are keen airsofters, mainly into MilSim but both are also historical war gamers and war-game designers and “INITIALLY THE PLAYERS have a gaming company called WERE A BIT SCEPTICAL (AS “Grenzer Games”. With this divided interest in historical YOU CAN IMAGINE) BUT THEY warfare (which is mainly found WERE SOON ALL IN FITS OF in the re-enactment world) and LAUGHTER FROM HOW HARD Airsoft, they wanted to have a middle ground where the IT WAS TO DO PROPERLY games were a contact sport, AND HOW CLOSE YOU WERE as opposed to just playing TO YOUR ENEMY – BUT YET being hit, which is done in reenactment. MISSED FROM PANIC FIRING!” “Napoleonic Airsoft”
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is basically linear warfare with airsoft guns. This, with the combined effort of a “Head Commander”, unit officers and luck of the draw are used to achieve victory, whereas reenacting tends to do what was done historically for a particular engagement. So how does it work? The two sides (red and blue) are divided up into units and lined up against one another under the strict command of their Head Commanders and unit officers. The players basically do as they are told until given the order for independent fire. Firing your airsoft gun is also done a little differently and box-magazined support guns can’t be used for this type of game, however most ordinary guns that can do semi-automatic are fine. You have to have all your magazines ready bombedup (full of BBs) and with your first mag loaded in your gun.
Feature NAPOLEONIC AIRSOFT
You fire a single shot when ordered and then, when the fits of laughter from how Commander orders the “reload”, you unload the magazine, hard it was to do properly put it in your pocket and replace it with another full magazine and how close you were ready to fire another single round (only). This cycle is repeated to your enemy – but yet under command until the order for “independent fire” is given. missed from panic firing! Then you can do the cycle yourself as fast as you can but you Kim and Patrick would must stay within your line. like to see this done on a Each side (blue or red) have “Companies” consisting grand scale and hope to of 4 men and these Companies can be lead together as a even start a new airsoft “Battalion” of 16–40 men. If there are still more players then trend. they can battle with whole “Brigades”, where each Brigade To spice things up requires 3 Battalions. even a little further, Kim These units are moved around the battle field in lines and and Patrick built a Light columns, using the orders like “turn left”, “turn right”, “about Horse artillery gun. Yes, face” and “form column from line” and “form line from a fully functioning airsoft one! It fires TAG grenades and BB column” – and they only fire when ordered to by their officers. grenades that you use in grenade launchers such as the M203. So you find yourself marching shoulder to shoulder against The gun cart is made from laser cut MDF from “Basically the enemy force, without being able to shoot them until told Wooden” in Leominster and the gun itself is a 4” soil pipe from to do so. Once you are ordered to fire you take aim and fire at B&Q, plus an airsoft grenade pistol with the handle removed. the enemy lines in front of you. Easy right? Then the enemy It has a range of 90 to 100 metres when the gun is warm will probably fire at you as you are being ordered to reload and and is manned by a 4-man gun-crew. The Aimer/Firer, Rammer only once the last person in your line has reloaded, will you be (yes you actually have ram the old shell out to reload the new ordered to either fire again or advance toward the enemy. “THE ENEMY WILL PROBABLY FIRE AT YOU AS YOU ARE BEING ORDERED This firing under order is called a “volley”. It is done at the slowest TO RELOAD AND ONLY ONCE THE LAST PERSON IN YOUR LINE HAS person’s rate but can be more effective RELOADED, WILL YOU BE ORDERED TO EITHER FIRE AGAIN OR ADVANCE on the target and cause mass casualties in the enemy lines. Not only that but it TOWARD THE ENEMY.” also causes the enemy to wince, making them panic and either delay their reload or miss their aim. Volley fire can usually get off 4 to 5 rounds one), Gun Captain (to order when to fire, reload etc.) and the a minute, while independent fire is down to each individual. I Loader. managed 8 rounds a minute in calm conditions (and without Each gun is given one shell and every time they fire they being shot at), although the average is said to be 6-8 rounds have to unload the shell, fill it with 40 seconds of gas then whilst under fire. either attach the TAG round or fill it with BBs for anti-personnel Both sides will have a small amount of “skirmishers” (“The mode. This is then followed by loading it back into the barrel, Rifles” similar to those seen in the tv series “Sharpe”), these aiming it and then eventually firing… all under command!! will be players with bolt action rifles (no scope) and dressed The fastest this has been done is 1 and a half shells a in green. They will number around 4 to every 100 players on minute and that was done by a trained crew. Kim is hoping to a side and can move freely within the area they are ordered eventually add another 3 guns to the site to create a battery of but have a minimum 30 metre engagement rule, as with most 4 and to have at least another one up and running in the very airsoft sites. near future. Each side will have goals to achieve and act accordingly If all goes to plan, they are hoping to hold their first on the ground, using troop positioning and so on. The battles dedicated Napoleonic airsoft game at some point between require a lot of thinking and courage from all parties involved July and August and if it is a success, they making for a very interesting battle within its own right. have plans to hold events of this kind in For further information on The idea came from Kim and Patrick when they heard a Nesscliffe Training Camp in the future. this concept or dates of this lot of complaints from people saying airsoft wasn’t realistic The day will cost around £35 and the first type of event please visit the enough, in terms of the range of the guns. So it got them half hour will be drill training, so you can Napoleonic airsoft group or thinking what would be closest to the range of an airsoft gun all get your heads around marching as a look up the C3 Tactical page and the answer was a musket. They tried this concept at the squad before being sent to slaughter or both on Face book. Otherwise end of one of their skirmish days and initially the players were victory! e-mail info@c3tactical.co.uk. a bit sceptical (as you can imagine) but they were soon all in All that’s left to say is “Fall in troops”!!
www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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Kit KIT & KABOODLE
RICHARD BELL BRINGS US HIS MONTHLY ROUND UP OF THE KIT THAT’S CAUGHT HIS EYE
KIT & KABOODLE
HIGH SPEED GEAR “M24”’ DAY PACK
EOTECH 518 HOLOGRAPHIC SIGHT Optics and Scopes are not new to me; however I have rarely had a need for them with my preference being iron sight. I was very kindly provided the New “Eotech 518” for use over an eight week period and it was mounted to my PTS RM4 ERG Scout for the duration. It would come as no surprise to you all that I thoroughly loved this and although I am late to the party, compared to some friends I will certainly be saving up for an
optic similar to this. The “518” model has an adjustable quick detach lever, 20 Brightness settings so it can be dimmed down to be NV compatible and has sidemounted buttons. I would also recommend that you look at an appropriate “lens” protector for optics like these. Retailer: Tactical-Kit
UFPRO “Striker XT” Combat Top
I am always on the lookout for versatile, lightweight, low-profile packs that have a good carry capacity. In the past, Tactical Tailor and Grey Ghost Gear have always been reliable but I decided to give this a go and it has been a great little purchase. Using this in short outings, as well as longer days, the HSGi “M24P” Day pack can easily hold an extra layer, food, water, pyro etc. and it has a 1” MOLLE so you can attach pouches to increase load capacity. Internally it has 2 mesh nets located on front and back panel for compartment separation. You have a few other recognisable HSGi features with back panel and shoulder strap padding and a nice sized Velcro panel. Manufacturer: High Speed Gear
UFPro are a European-based manufacturer of security and protective garments for government and private individuals. This is the “STRIKER XT” Combat Top in RAL7013 (brown/ grey) but it is also available in Black, Flecktarn, Slowcam and Pencott Greenzone and Badlands. The two key features are the HYBRID Design, which is to provide the maximum amount of functionality and comfort to fulfil the requirements of the end users’ physiological need. The “AIRPAC” which is a removable shoulder insert to assist with airflow and weight comfort management. This has proven to be a great top over the past few months and I can foresee the purchase of the Striker XT Combat Trousers. Retailer: Huey’s Military Tactical Outdoors
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A DAY IN AFGHANISTAN III SPECIAL FORCES AIRSOFT GROUP REPORT FROM SPAIN, WHERE 350 ACRES OF GROUND PROVIDED PLENTY OF AREA FOR THIS MILSIM EVENT TO PLAY OUT Thanks to the following for their pictures: Nacho Lillo, Gabriel Somolinos and Samuel Gómez. “A DAY IN AFGHANISTAN III” was a 12-hour, non-stop MilSim event conducted by Ops. Aracos in Añover de Tajo (Toledo), with an AO of about 350 acres of playable Afghanistan-looking terrain. With a total 80 airsoft players; 40 as ISAF troops reenacting Spanish, British, Polish and North American units and 40 as Taliban forces.
OUR ROLE Our team was designated for Special Operations as “Snake 1”. We were going to conduct “Operation Satellite 7” with two other teams, Snake 2 and 3. Our team leader, Dreis, was the responsible of all the three “snakes” and for the entire main operation.
INTEL During the weeks before the event we all worked in an intelligence report, looking for pictures of the terrain, researching on the teams which were going to be present (especially rival teams) and of course, deep studying the terrain. We found out that this was really going to be like the real Afghanistan; mountains, deep valleys, open fields, large distances, desert-looking environment with isolated forests… but with one singularity, that was going to change everything, heavy rain! We had to take this into account, so we first got out our PCUs and protect the radios and all electric gear with plastic bags. Thermal clothing was also going to be useful under our battle uniforms. Two days before the “D day” we met for briefing. Dreis, our Team Leader, reminded us of the event rules, our team’s set-up and how will the operation go. We´ll work as a 4-operator assault force and a sniper team of 2, although we were going to work as a one-team the most part of the time, since we were only going to be 6 men (our support gunner, Micro, could not attend this event and our first medic Nacho could only come as a war reporter).
THE MISSION Our mission was clear. After meeting the rest of the ISAF forces and having a briefing with our superiors, we would have to get on the pick-ups with both Snake 2 and 3 and left the ISAF base in Afghan territory to enter a valley in the other side of the border, in Pakistan territory. We had the coordinates of an antenna, used by Taliban forces in the area to enlarge their communications, that had to be blown off but our primary objective was an HVI (High Value Individual). A Taliban meeting was going to take place in the valley around 11:00 according to the last INTEL reports. Our man, 34
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Hamit El-Mali (code name “Warlord”), was going to be there and we had to capture him by all means necessary. As well, if could also capture any intelligence documents from the Taliban that would be good for the cause. Warlord was the Taliban leader in the region and he was the reason we were getting into that valley. The way into the infiltration point in the vehicles was difficult, it had been raining in the last 24 hours and the terrain was all muddy, especially the roads. After getting off the vehicles we set up a perimeter. Our objective, an intersection of roads in the bottom of the valley, was half a kilometer to the east, not much distance but the muddy terrain and the possibility of enemy forces in the area before us, would force us to move slowly, performing TAB (Tactical Advance to Battle) and getting surrounded of vegetation as much as possible. The plan was that the 3 snakes will work together but separate. We, Snake 1, will take the north sector of the objective, having the responsibility on the north road, to avoid Warlord and his entourage to get away. Snake 2 will go straight through the valley, covering the road that will be our evacuation route into the extraction point. And Snake 3, will assist Snake 1 and 2 in the assault from the south sector, covering another possible escape route. Then while we extract Warlord into the EP, they would
“THINGS WERE GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE, NO COMMUNICATION WITH THE OTHER SNAKES, 2 WOUNDED AND OUR SNIPER TEAM HAVING PROBLEMS.” get to the antenna to place a C4 charge and blow it. We knew there could be troops wondering the area, so we proceeded with extreme caution. Dreis sent our sniper team ahead, formed by Panzer as the main sniper and Nazgul as his spotter. Snake 2 also sent a two-man sniper team ahead. Meanwhile, the assault forces of Snake 1 and 2 wait in a safe location up the valley, checking for movement. We hear via radio that Snake 3 has first secured the antenna and that there’s no evidence of enemy presence in the area. Once the snipers are into the valley and confirm there’s no enemy presence, we, Snake 1, with James as point man leading the formation, head down to the north sector. We designated an ERP (Emergency Rendezvous Point) in the way, in case we have to back up. Our Comms. Specialist Tkila started to report problems in the communications with the other 2 snakes. The terrain was the problem and as we were going deeper into that valley, communications were going worse until there was silence. Last time hearing from Snake 3 they report 3 Taliban on foot, patrolling the south road. Hopefully, we still had communication with our sniper team. Dreis told James to speed up a little the approaching, the meeting may be about to take place and we had to take the largest route. James took a good path through
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to don’t bleed out. (According to the event rules, you bleed out 15 minutes after getting shot) James was being treated with intravenous physiological saline by Polo but unfortunately Tkila’s covering fire was not enough. Some of them may got hit but they finally got around our position and Polo and Tkila got wounded. Our sniper team couldn’t alert us, we couldn’t alert the other Snakes and we couldn’t request backup either. Our first enemy proved to be the communication problems. Snake 1 was taken out. Fortunately, after being neutralized, Snake 2 entered in the scene and began a firefight with the Taliban. We could finally count around 6 of them. Thanks to this we could request a Medevac on a near road. 10 mikes later we were inside a pick up heading up for the base. There we took a short break, to eat something quickly and check weapons and ammunition. We were soon called to meet the ISAF command, in order to be deployed again. This time the target will be their main base, located at the top of a hill, 2km away from the base. Intel reported a 50-man force, in a hard to assault position. Previous infantry attacks couldn’t even get close to their base, so it wasn’t going to be easy. In fact it was going to be kind of a suicide mission. The plan was to split the ISAF forces in two, so they would have two open fronts and may let a door open in one of them. Snake 1 and 3 from Special Operations will be attacking first, from a nearby position south east the Taliban camp, in order to create a distraction and gain time for the main force to arrive from the northwest. During the trip we contact a Taliban force so we had to get out of the pick-ups and neutralize them. So we did! Then we got to the insertion zone and split up and took positions. Taliban scouts spotted us from the distance, it was impossible to cover completely our insertion but that was the plan, having their forces toward us, focused on our flank. We waited for the ISAF infantry to be nearby to begin the assault. While waiting, we tried to trigger a Taliban ambush on us but although they knew we were around there, they maintained defensive positions. Finally, the green light came via radio and both teams begin the assault. Snake 3 got contact first, we could hear some intense shooting at our 9. We tried to take advantage of it and
a woody hillside, so we take could move invisibly toward the road intersection. Just a few minutes later, we clearly saw the place. The sniper team reported movement downhill but neither Panzer nor Nazgul could confirm whether it was friend or foe. We soon found out… Dreis spotted 3 tangos on patrol around the area and reported the rest of the team. Tkila tried to contact the other Snakes while James took photographs of the enemy patrol. Those guys may be setting up a perimeter to secure the Taliban meeting but something strange was going on. We had been there for a few minutes and there was no trace of Warlord, his guards or the vehicles. Even worse, then the 3 tangos got out of sight. They couldn’t have got far but when we were trying to figure that out we heard shots behind us. We first thought that they could have engaged Snake 2, which were supposed to be in the other side of the hillside, at our 3. We heard another burst when James got shot from nowhere. We all turn back and we couldn’t see a thing. Finally we saw our sniper team up the hill, they seemed to have engaged the Taliban patrol but those guys were all over the place. Dreis spotted 2 of them at our 12, approaching our position. He shared some fire bursts with them but got hit too. Things were going from bad to worse, no communication with the other Snakes, 2 wounded and our sniper team having problems. We later knew via radio that Panzer took some of them out “PREVIOUS INFANTRY ATTACKS COULDN’T EVEN GET CLOSE but got also hit. How many of them TO THEIR BASE, SO IT WASN’T GOING TO BE EASY. IN FACT were there? Tkila tried to repel the Taliban ambush, while Polo, our IT WAS GOING TO BE KIND OF A SUICIDE MISSION.” team medic, was attending James
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crawl up the hill. At some point near their camp there were no more trees or high vegetation to get cover, so we had to proceed with a low profile approach. 3 of us managed to get close to their main tent, while the other 3 had us covered. Too close now, we did the first shot. In the right flank, Dreis, Tkila and Panzer got right into their backyard and many of them got wounded. In the left flank, James, Polo and Nazgul were having some problems, they got pinned down behind a container. In the right side things were getting bad too, the Taliban were regrouping nearby and they were bigger in number. Our only hope was the ISAF infantry, since we lost contact with Snake 3 and we assume they were experiencing problems too. We all try to defend our position and gain some time but we were right in the lion’s den. We got three wounded and tried to back up. Only Nazgul could get out of that and took some more tangos in the process. We had to abort, we request a medevac in the extraction zone and got out of there before we get annihilated. We got reported that the ISAF infantry couldn’t get the closer we wanted and expected. The terrain was very muddy, they had to leave the vehicles and proceed on foot with the Taliban in a higher position. We got evacuated to the base. There we meet a war reporter, Nacho, who was covering the events. He told us that the base had being instigated all day long from the nearby mountains. We taking a short rest, suddenly a loud sound got our attention. Mortars! The main building was blown up, literally, and we were force to run into open ground to avoid getting hit (note: mortars were controlled explosions with sound and smoke inside the base). This time all the ISAF forces were there and we clearly saw a group of Taliban running toward an empty building outside the base at the other side of the main road. We all knew that if they took that place and regroup there, will had a really bad time. Our team ran for them first, leading the counter attack. We run into open ground, overtaking their approach. We took some of them out, while having two wounded but our team medic, Polo, did a great job and we could all get patched up and continue towards the building.
Soon, other ISAF units were behind us and giving us support from the left flank. Another group of Taliban managed to get inside the building from behind. They were well entrenched, but they weren’t much, we could do it. And so we do, be breach through the main door of the perimeter, setting a team giving fire to the doors and windows, while the rest went round the house from the right flank, uncovered. We got some wounded but we finally got to the building. We throw some grenades inside and then entered through the windows. The main corridor became a deadly trap for anyone, we got many casualties but room by room we begin to gain control. Some of them finally escaped but we succeed in stopping their assault. That was too close! And that was our “Day in Afghanistan”. We had a very good time and we give thanks to Aracos Ops for the organization of such a great event.
ABOUT THE TEAM Special Forces Airsoft Group, AKA SFAG Green Berets, we are a Spanish MilSim team based in Madrid. We’ve been playing airsoft in national and international MilSim events since 2009, in both Spain and Portugal. We reenact the US Army 5th Special Forces Group “Green Berets”, we respect their equipment standards, patches, structure and tactics (always the best we know, and the best we can afford to). We are currently 8 members and each one has his responsibility in the team, inside and outside the battlefield. Every operator has his role and develops his skills according to his discipline. To keep up fit and ready to be deployed anywhere anytime, when we don’t see attractive MilSim events upcoming we just set up our own trainings. This is when we train for both direct action and greenside operations: MOUT and CQB, sniper course, land navigation, communications, formation and movement, shooting and reloading drills, MEDEVAC-
CASEVAC, camouflage techniques, night operations… we love training and we keep doing it all the time. The fun part of MilSim is that airsoft is much more than just shooting bbs. There are tons of more things to do, to learn, to practice and the limit is where you decide it to be. As in real life military, as hard and uncomfortable training is, the better you will do the “D day”. We love what we do. Team members are: SF01 Miguel Angel AKA “Dreis” as team leader. Rifleman, trained sniper and usual pointman, is one of the most experienced SFAG operators, specialized in tactics and greenside operations. SF06 Gabriel AKA “James.K” as second commander. Rifleman, CQB specialist and casual pointman. James is a very versatile operator, ready to lead the formation when needed. SF04 Rubén AKA “Panzer” as team sniper. Also a trained rifleman and an experienced operator in open ground, Panzer
also takes care of the team’s weapon maintenance. SF05 Gianfranco AKA “Polo” as demolitions expert. Trained rifleman and an experienced team medic, Polo has proven to be a talented and very technical operator. SF02 Agustín AKA “Micro” as support gunner. Also a communications expert and with military experience, Micro is vital for the team when things don’t go as planned. SF07 Nacho as team medic. Rifleman, war reporter, and trained sharpshooter, a PJ once, Nacho is capable of conducting a MEDEVAC no matter what. 12 Juanto AKA “Nazgul” as SF candidate. Nazgul has proven to be a good rifleman and a valuable sharpshooter in recent operations. Patient and technical in the field. 13 Daniel AKA “Tkila” as SF candidate. Fast and decided, has proven his experience in combat and have had a great job as communications specialist in recent operations.
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Site SKIRMISH NOTTINGHAM
SKIRMISH AT SKIRMISH GADGE REPORTS FROM SKIRMISH AIRSOFT IN MANSFIELD, ON A DAY THAT BOTH THE WEATHER AND HIS “RIDE” FORGOT THAT BRITISH SUMMERTIME HAD STARTED! Photos by Matt Phillpot
SOME DAYS YOU CAN FEEL like the world is trying to tell you something, it throws obstacles in your way and makes simple things a nightmare. The day we decided to review Skirmish Nottingham was one of those days! So there I was fully packed up, watching the rain beat down on my living room window (great start to a day’s play when its chucking it down before you leave the house) waiting for my camera man, Matt, to turn up… and waiting… and waiting… It transpired that he’d forgot to set his alarm clock to the summer time and slept in. The irony of the fact that he’d texted me the night before, to remind me “daylight saving” was changing, was not lost on me. Getting a bit stressed about being late I rang him and found out the car just wouldn’t start… but that was OK, we’d take his ageing Triumph Dolomite… the clutch slips a bit but we’d be OK. The suspension is riding a little low too but that’s because our mate Gareth has packed a flight case with no less than five AEGs “just in case one broke”! So, as you can see, we’re not off to a good start and things got worse when the satnav tried to take us through a farm! But would we at Airsoft Action let these little things get in the way of a review? No chance! We just got there really late and looked like unprofessional divs… we looked bad. What didn’t look bad though was the site and the safezone. While we’d missed the safety brief, we were told the site rules (which were pretty much what you’d expect from any good site) and the site FPS limits and we’d quickly chronoed our guns so we could jump into the first game.
THE GOLD STANDARD First impressions were mixed; the safe area itself? Well “Wow!” it was really well built with tons of seating around tables and overhead cover and for drier days there were also picnic tables in the centre. The site shop was well stocked and well-staffed by a friendly team of marshals and what’s more they had really good toilets! In that respect we couldn’t have asked for more. The only downside was the “pumping” dance music coming from the adjacent paintball safe zone, as the airsoft side of Skirmish Nottingham runs paintball events on separate fields on the same days. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 20 years you’ve probably heard about Skirmish as THE paintball franchise in the UK. Skirmish have been running amazing sites with total professionalism for as long as I can remember and those high standards have clearly transferred over to the airsoft side of the business. To me, as a former paintballer, Skirmish set out
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“SKIRMISH NOTTINGHAM IS PROBABLY THE PERFECT SITE TO TAKE A WORKS “TEAM BUILDING” DAY TO, OR TO DIP YOUR TOE INTO AIRSOFT FOR THE FIRST TIME, OR EVEN FOR THOSE WHO PREFER THEIR AIRSOFT TO BE FAST AND FURIOUS AND DON’T’ REALLY CARE ABOUT THE MILITARY “ELEMENT” OF THE GAME.” the “Gold Standard” of the hobby and excelled in corporate paintball days, stag dos and also general walk on days as well – and it’s important to remember the paintball origins of the company before we continue with the review. Before we’d got into the first game we were in time for (the 2nd of the day as we’d just missed the first one) we couldn’t help feeling that everything was, in a word, “slick”. Well-oiled, polished and efficient. Without meaning to offend other site owners, I think it’s fair to say that many UK sites are driven more by passion for “playing army”, than by a full-on business plan but the guys at Skirmish really give fantastic customer service and clearly knew how to run a site and entertain the players.
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After being briefed, Matt, myself and our friend Gareth (he who brings many guns) got stuck into a game on the “village” site. A pretty straightforward attack and defend affair on a well-built arena, the only downside was on such a wet day the arena’s normal paintball use meant that “rehydrated paintballs” left the odd bright green smudges on your kit (I’m sure it comes out in the wash though!) The action was fast and furious but the opposing team just had more “get up and go” than the team we’d tagged along with and soon achieved their goals, while we took a kicking each time.
TRENCH WARFARE After a quick return to the safezone to bomb up with BBs and get some water down our necks (it might have been pouring down but we were sweating buckets after the exertion of the village), we moved onto the “trenches” game. This battle was far more my thing and a little more like the airsoft I’m used to. Starting from opposing sides the teams had to fight through a series of shallow trenches (about waist height at the deepest) and small buildings to capture a mortar and use it to blow up the enemy base. I chose to snipe with my SVD for this one and had a great time pretending I was in Enemy At The Gates, with my scoped sniper rifle and soviet rainproof cape over me (and boy did I need it, it was still p*ssing it down!) Once again though we got a thorough kicking from the more motivated enemy and headed back to the safe for lunch and a drink. Disappointingly, lunch was not included as part of the Green Fee, so if you wanted a pot noodle or a snack it was an additional extra. I only mention this as I think it’s the only site I’ve played at in over a decade where some sort of food is not included as part of the package. While we ate I mused over our first two games and the site in general. Overall I was very impressed; it just shone with professionalism from the friendly, keen and observant marshals through to the well-maintained hire packages for players new to the hobby. The dance music from the paintball safezone
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discounting making sure you didn’t lean against a wall covered in yellow goo, the fields were clearly set up for paintball engagements and we personally needed a little more “realism” in the game zone to fully get into playing. We also felt that Skirmish lost a “star” from us for not including a hot meal as part of the green fee and while we hated the dance music in the safezone we decided it would be unfair to hold that against them. was still doing my head In (I’m more of a rock and roll kind of guy) but I could live with that, as I realised that for the paintball group next door this sort of music keeps the players (often a corporate day out) full of energy, trigger happy and appeals to the majority of people – whereas I think my preference for the Dead Kennedys, The Pixies or Hüsker Dü might have had people requesting ear plugs as part of their hire kit! xhead Excellent Marshals After lunch we played a series of fun games around a large medieval fort-type building. I have to say that it was incredibly well constructed and the game design of the scenarios to play on were fantastic but, as I’ve said before in site reviews, fairytale castles and speedball type arenas are not really my thing. Personal preference aside though, I had to admit it was a bloody good castle. Both sides had a crack at storming the castle and, regrettably, these games also started to turn sour when the dreaded “cheat calling” (see “Debate” this issue) phase of the day started. The marshals, however, were on this like a shot and discretely watched the suspects, called one chap out as he had indeed been under the impression that being hit repeatedly in the head “didn’t count” as he was wearing a helmet! I’ve said it once before and I’ll say it again, you can’t stop cheats (or people who make up their own rules) turning up to an event, so you can’t hold that against the site. What you can do though is judge how well the site deals with this and I have to say that Skirmish were on the ball; firm but fair by sending the player out for that game and making sure everyone knew the rules by calling both teams together for a “pep talk” about sportsmanship. After the castle, the following play arena was far more my thing. I spotted some familiar military silhouettes in the distance and got more than a little excited as we walked into a lightly forested game zone, littered with armoured personal carriers, armoured cars and other military vehicles… and not wrecks either! My mate Matt reckoned they might still run given a bit of care (he’s a motor mechanic fanatic) and spent most of his “shot out” time peering into the insides of these heavy metal set pieces. This time our team would fight a running battle through three fields to get to the aforementioned castle and storm it; with the defenders doing their best to prevent that happening. By now everyone had calmed down a bit and the standard of sportsmanship went back up to the exceptionally high standards of play of the morning’s games. It took some time but the castle was taken and shattered but exhilarated we made our way back the safezone, cleared our weapons and grabbed a much needed can of pop! I’d sum up this review by saying that our experience at Skirmish was pretty damn good. The site fell short of “exceptional” as to us, as veteran players, as the paintball origins of the site showed through a little too much. Even
FAST AND FURIOUS I always feel that Airsoft is a bit like “Punk” – and by that I don’t mean we spit at each other and put safety pins through our noses! What I mean is that punk threw off the corporate record label mantle and had a “Do It Yourself” ethic to pressing and distributing records. Most sites are labours of love and often a little rough around the edges but if those sites are “Punk”, then Skirmish are the slick professional record labels like Sony. In short… Skirmish don’t cut corners! In essence though we felt that Skirmish Nottingham is probably the PERFECT site to take a works “team building” day to, or to dip your toe into airsoft for the first time, or even for those who prefer their airsoft to be fast and furious and don’t’ really care about the military “element” of the game. In fact the whole day’s events was so well put together, well organised and well marshalled that the experience felt more akin to playing laser quest than airsoft. And that’s not a bad thing. Many sites are quite intimidating for new players and an “alien” environment that’s quite often been built in an adhoc manner on spare weekends by the regulars and marshals. Skirmish had clearly put a lot of time and effort into providing the safest and simplest Airsoft experience together, no horribly complicated mission briefings or convoluted medic rules (just a hand on a shoulder and count to ten) and, more importantly, no elitism or cliques in the player base. To sum up my review I have to say that Skirmish Nottingham provided on the whole an excellent day’s airsofting. Their marshals were top notch, their site facilities exemplary, their games clearly explained and fun but PERSONALLY it wasn’t for me. I think if I were to introduce someone to Airsoft for the first time, then Skirmish Nottingham would be where I would take them as I would be certain they’d have an amazing experience. On the other hand, if a more experienced pal wanted a day out, I think I’d take them to somewhere with a more “earthy” and “military” feel. So in short, if you’re new to the sport or not into “combat missions” I’d highly recommend this site but if you’re a grumpy old MilSimmer like me, you might not have quite as much fun!
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GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY LOOKS AT THE KIT WORN BY THE SOLDIERS WHO TOOK PART IN A WORLD-FAMOUS BRITISH MILITARY OPERATION – OPERATION NIMROD IN THE HOT SUMMER OF 1980 a chain of events took place that would catapult a certain military unit from being a thorn in the Army’s side, to being a household name. May 5th 1980 would publically show the world a force to be reckoned with… The SAS. You’d be hard pressed today to find anyone who has never heard of the SAS, even if it’s only through playing Call of Duty but back in the 1980s, the Special Air Service (to give them their full title) was a regiment few had heard of and mostly remembered only for their daring WWII desert exploits. The SAS were formed in WWII by a genius (and somewhat maverick) young officer called David Stirling. Stirling believed that a small, well-trained team of commandos dropped behind enemy lines could achieve results greater than a battalion - if given the right training, equipment and one vital ingredient; the element of surprise. Initially known as “L Detachment, Special Air Service” the SAS regiment was unpopular with the British “top brass”, who disliked “private armies” and felt that elite units deprived regular formations of exceptional men who, while just “troopers” in the SAS, could be NCOs or officers in an Infantry regiment. While they were often called the “pirates of the sand seas”, the SAS’s confusing name with its “air service” element was actually part of a plan to confuse the Germans of their true nature!
WHO DARES WINS Stirling and his initial band of SAS warriors, with the aid of the Long Range Desert Patrol Group, had phenomenal success against the Germans (although some early operations bordered on disaster) and proved Stirling’s point: That a surgical strike by a team of committed and well trained men could “punch above their weight” and furthermore, by “appearing out of nowhere” would force the enemy to deploy massive amounts of manpower to guard even rear area instillations and lines of communications. Daring and élan were highly regarded and were reflected in the unit’s motto… Who Dares Wins! Despite grand success in the western desert, the Mediterranean, Balkans and North West Europe in WWII, the regiment was disbanded after the war. The top brass had their way and got rid of the brilliant young men with “dangerous” ideas. It would not be until the Malayan Campaign of the 1950s that the SAS would be reformed. Once again small, fourman teams penetrated deep into enemy territory and gained vital reconnaissance, earned the trust of the locals and put fear into the hearts of their enemy.
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After Malaya the SAS trooper’s unique combination of intelligence, endurance, training and capacity for explosive violence would aid the British army in places such as Aden, Oman, Gambia and closer to home in Northern Ireland; in fact some rumours even place SAS “advisors” in the jungles of South east Asia in the Vietnam War. While the Australian SAS certainly served in that theatre, it’s often believed that many British SAS may have served covertly in the guise of “Aussies”. The world, however, was changing as the Cold War developed. While colonial warfare and internal security were still ongoing missions for the SAS, the threat of more domestic “political” terrorism was on the rise. The 1960s and 1970s saw the birth of dozens of left wing terrorist groups funded by Communist states, driven by a fervent belief in Marxist and Maoist philosophies and overthrowing “the capitalist west”. During this period groups such as the IRA, Red Army Faction, Action Directe and Black September waged aggressive, violent and explosive terrorist attacks to draw attention to their “cause” across the globe. In 1972 the Black September group killed 11 Israeli athletes competing in that year’s Olympic Games in Munich. The failure of the regular state police to handle a confrontation of this type made many European nations, especially Britain, realise that contingencies had to be made to fight this new terrorist threat.
COUNTER REVOLUTIONARY WARFARE Britain’s answer was to dedicate part of the SAS regiment to the role of Counter Revolutionary Warfare (or CRW). This newly-formed wing would be able to respond at a moment’s notice to rescue Britons at home (or abroad) when threatened by terrorist groups. As this was very much a new form of warfare to the “jungle wars” the SAS were used to, or the covert war of information gathering in Northern Ireland, there was no “rulebook”. The CRW team would have to write their own. Veterans of the 1980s CRW teams often state in their memoirs that techniques changed on a weekly, if not daily, basis. New situations or threats would be imagined and a counter to the threat conceived. If the CRW team didn’t have the kit they needed, they would search the globe’s military suppliers for the items best suited to their needs. Airsoft Action spoke to Rusty Firmin, who anecdotally told us that if,
for example, they needed to storm a certain type of aircraft held by terrorists, they would practice on an identical jet using dozens of different types of ladder until the perfect one was found. No detail was too small to overlook as lives would be at stake. In 1977 a Palestinian-led terrorist group hijacked Lufthansa flight 181, a Boeing 737 on route to Frankfurt with 86 passengers and five crew aboard. After numerous stops to refuel and make their demands, no leeway was given by the terrorists and it was eventually stormed by the German police GSG9 counter terrorist specialists… Specialists who had important “advisors” on this particular mission. Their advisors were in fact two SAS soldiers who pooled their knowledge with the Germans and also allowed them to use the (at the time) brand new “flashbang” stun grenades… a weapon vital in insuring that the minimum number of passengers were injured. The rescue mission was a resounding success as the disorientated terrorists were dealt with by the elite GSG9 team.
THE MOST DANGEROUS MEN IN THE WORLD This episode highlighted the need for the CRW team in the 1980s to constantly adapt and improvise new solutions to a frightening new face of warfare, their experience gained would be vital though on May 5th 1980. For days a siege had gone on in London. An Iranian-Arab terrorist group had seized control of the Iranian Embassy, hostage negotiations had soured and after the body of an executed hostage was thrown out of the Embassy’s front door the British Government sent in the SAS!
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An SAS assault team trooper. Note that here he is wearing the S10 respirator that would superseed the S6 model worn on “Opertion Nimrod”. Alongside are the trooper’s tools of the trade, including a shotgun commonly used to blow the locks off doors before storming a room!
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Cold War Warrior SAS CRW 1980
The regiment had in fact been on standby for days. Neighbouring houses had had their brickwork carefully removed to allow observation and listening devices to scan the embassy; SAS snipers observed moment in any windows and a recce team had scaled the roof and managed to establish that a skylight was unlocked. All in all the SAS had used their intelligence gathering skills to determine the level of threat before a single trooper entered the building. But now, with blood on the street, the assault teams went in. The blindingly fast precision raid that had taken days to plan took a mere 17 minutes to execute and left all but one terrorist dead. A fantastic achievement for the SAS but one that had unfortunately been captured live on national television and across the globe (although it is said that Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher insisted it be this way). This once highlysecretive force was now a household name, beamed into the front rooms of millions as the nation watched the action unfold live in front of their eyes. Now, EVERYBODY knew that these “men in black” from the SAS were the most dangerous men in the world. While this was a fantastic PR boost for the Prime Minister (who considered the SAS to be one of Britain’s finest assets and championed the SAS), many in the “The Regiment” (as the SAS are sometimes referred to) felt it was unwanted attention. Security at their Hereford barracks had to be seriously increased and former head of the SAS, General Peter De La Bilierre, recounts that applications to join the regiment went through the roof. The profile of the “shadow warriors” was now so public that a feature film called “Who Dares Wins” aped the operation and the ever-popular “Action Man” toy now featured an “SAS” range of kit! The SAS had gone from elusive recce soldiers to the best known secret service in the world in 24 hours. For many of the men in “the regiment”, men on the whole who are intelligent, quiet, thoughtful and discrete, fame… well fame was the very last thing they wanted. This month in Cold War Warriors, rather than recreate the image on an airsofter we’ve opted to use some classic images of the CRW team to explain their kit. Airsoft Action spoke to “the man with no gloves”, Rusty Firmin, to get his account of the kit worn by the assault teams and put many internet rumours and fallacies to bed.
FEARSOME APPEARANCE For many watching the scene unfold on TV, they saw a relatively new sight – British soldiers clad almost head to toe in black and this intimidating image was created by wearing Royal Tank Regiment coveralls over regular clothing (perhaps a track suit or jeans and a shirt). Many have speculated that the overalls were a special design, fireproof or some other ingenious apparel but as we have said earlier, specialist assault uniforms did not exist at this point and so the team used available kit from army stores that worked best. The faceless, anonymous image of the SAS, an important thing to remember as many members would be required at times to go undercover in Northern Ireland, was enhanced by the team wearing the army’s issue “S6” respirator and a hood cut from a 1970s chemical defence suit. By cutting the top of the jacket off from about shoulder height, the SAS were able to create an effective hood that could be tucked into their black tank coverall. This meant the assault troopers would suffer less from breathing in any smoke grenade fumes (or potential tear gas held by the terrorists) but the respirator and hood also protected them from their own “flashbang” stun grenades – and created a fearsome appearance to boot! The trooper’s boots themselves were nothing fancy. The assault teams simply wore the army’s then fairly new “Boot Combat High” or “Northern Ireland Boots”. High-leg, lace-up leather boots and although Rusty famously forgot his, the rest of the Assault Team wore issue “Northern Ireland gloves”; thick leather gloves with a padded protector on the back of the hand. Rusty also recounts that some of the team also wore
thin green leather pilot’s gloves underneath their “NI” gloves. Facing a threat with unknown quantities the teams went in wearing body armour and for “Operation Nimrod”, as the breaking of the siege was known, they wore “Bristol Body Armour”. This was a type of body armour bought privately for the SAS, rather than Reproduced with kind the standard bulky USM69 permission of David or INIBA type vest worn at the time in Northern Ireland by the Shepherd army. Some of these vests have knife sheaths stitched to them but, as photos of the operation are not always clear, some may not have had additions. The assault teams were armed with the then world-leading 9mm Heckler and Koch MP5 sub machine gun. Phenomenally accurate and firing a round strong enough to kill a hostile terrorist but not powerful enough to penetrate a wall or wound a person behind the target, it was the ideal hostage rescue weapon. Some of the SMGS used on Operation Nimrod have high power torches attached for rapid target acquisitions in a dark and possibly smoke filled embassy. Not all assaulters carried these and its important to note that items such as laser sights that we currently take for granted in CQB battle were not available to the regiment at the time. As a back-up sidearm the army’s standard “Browning High Power” pistol was carried and ammunition for both these weapons was carried in leather custom made “belt kit” pouches. As with all “Special Forces” impressions it is often tricky to be sure of everything worn and used and even though they are now “high profile”, accurate lists of kit can vary from source to source. As CRW techniques changed so rapidly it’s also pretty understandable that even veterans of those events can’t remember exactly what make of pouch they carried their spare mags in, or what they may have Rusty’s new book “The Regiment worn under their overalls. – 15 Years in the SAS” includes a full Usually in Cold War Warriors participant’s we pride ourselves in showing account of the you a fun airsoft loadout that can assault on the be done on a sensible budget Iranian Embassy. but we’re going to be honest As a team leader with you here… Getting yourself responsible for kitted out in 1980s CRW will developing a mean either cutting corners or significant part of going for “look a likes” – or the attack plan, mortgaging your house as much Rusty has an of the essential kit was made in almost unique small amounts 30 or more years insight into the ago. events that led Still, “black kit” has been an to the dramatic iconic look on the airsoft field conclusion of the for as long as I can remember. six day siege.” It’s purposely intimidating and it The book, has remained in vogue, probably published by because the SAS originals who Osprey, is available wore it were the best soldiers in from all good book shops and via Rusty’s the world – and managed to look website: www.rusty-firmin.com damn cool at the same time!
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LAYERING UP! THE SUMMER IS A GREAT SEASON TO GET OUT AND SKIRMISH WITH THE MINIMUM OF KIT NEEDED, BUT THIS MONTH JERRY NOONE EXPLAINS IT’S ALSO A GOOD TIME TO LOOK FORWARD TO THE COLDER MONTHS OF THE YEAR AND GET YOUR KIT SORTED IN ADVANCE! WITH WHAT (HOPEFULLY!) PROMISES TO BE a long, hot summer ahead of us it may seem a strange time for me to be talking about kit for the autumn and winter but if you think it through, there are many good reasons to be doing this sooner rather than later. I’ve often seen games in the cold, wet months of the year having to be called off because players are ill-prepared in relation to their gear. Getting the right clothing setup can mean the difference between a long, hard day’s play and an early trip home due to becoming mildly hypothermic (or worse!). You may think that this is a rare occurrence but believe you me, it’s more commonplace than you might think. Many airsofters, even seasoned ones that I know, will spend many hundreds of pounds on their airsoft guns and tactical gear but very little on their clothing. I’ve heard the excuse “I don’t have the money for expensive winter gear” all too often but what it really comes down to is a lack of forethought and preparation. Setting yourself up with a system which will allow you to hit the field all year round is actually not as expensive as you might think. If, during the summer you budget for just a single piece
“I’VE HEARD THE EXCUSE “I DON’T HAVE THE MONEY FOR EXPENSIVE WINTER GEAR” ALL TOO OFTEN BUT WHAT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO IS A LACK OF FORETHOUGHT AND PREPARATION.” of kit each month, you’ll be surprised how quickly your system builds. Add to this that many retailers are selling off old stock at good prices to make room for new models and that players are getting rid of surplus gear at shows like The Airsoft Showcase, War & Peace and airsoft boot fairs and you can really snap up some “off season” bargains! First off though, what do I mean by a “system”? Quite simply put a clothing “system” is a selection of garments that will work as standalone pieces in their own right but that can be combined effectively to give you a set of gear that works all year round. This “system” will normally consist of: Base Layer: Your base layers are the items of clothing that are worn directly next to the skin. They come in different weights and thicknesses of fabric for summer and winter www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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use, although a mid-weight set will work for different seasons. The fabric properties will be mainly to do with moisture management as they will actively “wick” moisture away from you skin, keeping you dry and comfortable. Mid Layer: The mid layer is all about levels of insulation, allowing you to regulate your body core temperature. Mid layers can be fleece or “lofted” insulation; it’s best to avoid down jackets and vests in the UK as we’re often dealing with wet cold, rather than dry “snow” cold. If down gets wet it stays wet and actually draws heat from your body trying to dry itself, so it’s better to look at synthetic fills. Shell Layer: Exactly as it sounds; your shell layer forms the outer barrier against the elements. This layer will be of a waterproof and windproof fabric and these days may be either “hard” or “soft” shell. Hard shells are normally fully waterproof with taped seams but many tend to be noisy due to the face fabrics used. Soft shells may or may not have taped seams and whilst they are sometimes not fully waterproof, they will be highly water resistant; they also tend to be made of softer, quieter fabrics. By understanding what you are buying (and why), the choice becomes straightforward. What you are aiming to do is create a set of gear that will actively work together. The base layer draws moisture away from the skin and lets it transport through the insulating mid layer. The shell layer allows moisture inside the system to escape whilst keeping wind and rain out. By juggling with these layers you can be comfortable in any climatic situation.
ONE STOP SHOP! When it comes to creating a hard wearing and functional clothing system you really have to work with manufacturers you can trust and for many of us, one of the “go to” brands for this is Helikon-Tex. Trousers and shirts, waterproof and breathable jackets, fleeces, synthetic fill vest and jackets and headgear are all available within their range. Helikon-Tex was established in 1983 and has been producing clothing for the military, emergency services and the police since then. When Helikon-Tex was established their business was mainly concentrated on military surplus sales. However, changing trends and a fastchanging market in the mid-nineties demanded a new direction for them and, in 1999, they decided to start their own military and security clothing production. The range they now offer is proof 50
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that their decision was the correct one, as they now have a really comprehensive selection of uniforms, tactical clothing, backpacks, boots and equipment that have gained recognition amongst professional users, soldiers, law enforcement officers, survival and outdoor enthusiasts all over the world – and each and every year their offering drives forward with new designs. I always look forward to visiting their stand at trade shows as undoubtedly there will be something improved, or even brand new, to see. The range is absolutely huge these days and they offer all their clothing and gear in multiple colourways; should you need camouflage they work with some of the most up to date, cutting edge patterns available but if you want to run “low key” then you’ll also find muted hues ideal for tactical situations. They also work very closely indeed with technical fabric manufacturers, so when it comes to getting real performance from your clothing system then Helikon-Tex can pretty much guarantee they will have what you are looking for; if you visit their website and check out their “Partners” page you’ll see exactly what I mean!
A SYSTEM THAT WORKS! For my own system I will always look for a mixture of three things; performance, comfort, and durability. Most of us need to travel light these days so you can add lightweight and packable as a sub-criteria. It’s a real struggle for many manufacturers to bring all of that together but not so with Helikon-Tex as they design all of their clothing to work together seamlessly. If you’re going to be somewhere hot then you want to look at clothing that offers good movement and ventilation. Quite often a simple polo
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shirt, such as the Defender, will suffice when married up with a decent pair of tactical trousers. For my own system I chose the SFU NEXT pants in Coyote. Based on the classic Special Forces Uniform (SFU) design, the SFU NEXT trousers are made of durable and hard-wearing polycotton ripstop material and feature nine easily accessible pockets, reinforced seat and knees, knee pad compartments, adjustable waist and cuffs and D-rings for optional attachments. These breathable and anatomically cut tactical pants come with buttoned fly and additional compartments with elastic bands inside the cargo pockets for securing spare magazines, first aid equipment or other small tactical essentials. Rather than the simple polo I chose to go with something a little beefier, the Combat Shirt in Olive green. This is a lightweight and breathable close fitting UBACS shirt, with a flexible 95% polyester/5% spandex torso and strengthened polycotton ripstop shoulders and sleeves. There’s a nice high, “mandarin” style collar, bicep pockets and forearms pockets and hard, removable elbow pads for extra protection. This shirt has been designed to be worn underneath body armour systems, assault vests or chest rigs. When things get a little cooler you have two options really. The first is to layer up from the skin with a decent base layer. Helikon-Tex offer two levels of base layer, now in their third generation of development; their Level 1 lightweight underwear consists of a light undershirt and leggings and was designed for use in mild climates to provide light insulation when worn next to skin. However it can be use also in colder climates as a base layer, or in conjunction with other levels for added insulation and to aid in the transfer of moisture. Level 2 mid-weight underwear consists of a heavier shirt and leggings and was designed for use in harsher climates to provide more insulation. Both levels are made of superb fabrics that are extremely comfortable next to the skin. The other option for adding insulation is to layer up externally over your shirt and Helikon-Tex offer a fabulous selection of performance fleece products in various weights, so you can custom tailor your gear to your own performance level or task. I decided to go with one of their new Alpha grid fleeces. This 100% polyester fleece is warm, comfortable and lightweight and a part of Helikon’s Urban Tactical line. It features a high collar with chin guard and a strong full-front YKK zipper, which can be fastened to the neck. It also has one zip chest pocket with a comms port inside,
two lower zip pockets and an elastic drawstring with cord locks on both sides sewn into the waistband. If you really need to push up the insulation levels though, then it’s seriously worth considering some form of lightweight lofted garment. Although HelikonTex offer a number of full jackets, unless I’m going to be somewhere uber-chilly I find that a vest is often the ideal solution for this as it will pack down smaller. The Malamute Vest can be used as an individual layer or worn underneath outer layers and has a high collar, full front zip and two chest pockets which are lined with fleece for extra protection against the cold. Its durable yet breathable Nylon outer layer provides wind and water resistance and, thanks to the hydrophobic (water hating) properties of the 67 g/m2 Climashield Apex insulation, it dries immediately when exposed to moisture, keeping you warm and dry in cold, wet weather conditions. These days I pretty much always go for a synthetic fill rather than down; I’ll reiterate that synthetics retain a high percentage of their insulative properties even when wet, whereas down retains moisture and will try to use your own core body heat to dry itself! The Malamute vest is also highly compressible and can be easily stuffed into a pack or cargo pouch without any damage to its properties which is yet another plus point.
PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER! Soft shell garments are becoming increasingly popular as they offer extremely light weight along with high levels of water/wind resistance and breathability and the “APCU Level V Version II” jacket from Helikon-Tex conforms very well to these requirements. The face fabric of the garment is a 98% nylon/2% spandex mix and feels surprisingly solid, given its light weight. The cut is reasonably generous as it is designed as a predominantly “shell” or outer layer to be worn over other insulating garments. There is no lining and the seams are not tape sealed so I would never describe it as waterproof, although the water repellancy applied to the outer face fabric worked well as new and has given consistently good performance to date. The jacket is well constructed and
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although the seams are not “flat locked”, they are very low profile. The main closure zip is a good quality YKK. In terms of features the jacket has a hood which rolls away into the collar, venting pit zips, two large venting pockets on the torso and a small pocket on the upper arm of both sleeves. Wrist closures are a simple, low volume fabric/”velcro” affair. There are drawstrings for the hood (including volume adjustment) and the hem. “Velcro” is used to good effect throughout, with space for your favourite unit patches and name tapes. To work alongside the jacket Helikon-Tex also provide a matching trouser. Their Soft Shell Trousers (Version II) are based on the Soft Shell APCU (Advanced Protective Combat Uniform) Level V. They are designed to be worn in combination with
various base layer garments when additional warmth and water resistance is required. The trousers are durable, yet lightweight and comfortable and made from a 98% nylon/2% spandex breathable fabric. This stretch nylon soft shell fabric is water repellent thanks to a Du Pont protector, making it highly breathable and windproof. In terms of features the trousers have two front pockets, two cargo pockets with Velcro and button flaps and drawstring, elastic waist with provision for suspenders, side zippers at the hips, calf-high side-zippers with elastic cuffs and polyester reinforcements on the bottom of calf to avoid abrasion damage. They are lightweight and easy to store and designed to provide perfect protection against wind and water, whatever the weather. To fully round things off HelikonTex also offer a great range of ballcaps, boonies, fleece watch caps and balaclavas. All of these are once again made of great fabrics and are lightweight and packable. Helikon-Tex really are a brand that I know and trust as my heavyweight and hooded Patriot fleece jacket is now knocking on for six years old and is still performing splendidly. Looking at their ever-expanding range of gear there will quite literally be something that will suit everyone and at prices that won’t break the bank. Helikon-Tex offer their gear in camo and non-camo so if you want to buy gear that you can use away from the skirmish field then that’s no problem; as I will always say buy wisely and buy once and use the summer months fully to your advantage! You can check out the full range and download catalogues by visiting www.helikon-tex.com. All Helikon-Tex products are available in the UK from www.military1st.co.uk and most good tactical retailers.
HELIKON-TEX clothing is available in multiple colours so you can build your own clothing system to exactly suit your needs or environment. All prices were as shown on www. military1st.co.uk at the time of writing. APCU Level V Soft Shell Jacket £58.00 Defender Polo Shirt £22.30 Combat Shirt £45.10
APCU Level V Soft Shell Pant £55.00
SFU NEXT Tactical Pant £28.50
Tactical Ball Cap £9.95
Mid Weight Base Layer (shirt & leggings set) £36.50
Tactical Mesh Ball Cap £9.95 Watch Cap £5.95
Alpha Tactical Grid Fleece £35.00 Patriot Heavyweight Fleece £49.30
One Hole Balaclava £4.95 (Extreme Cold Weather version £12.95)
Malamute Vest £72.00
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BY INVITATION ONLY
LES LEE GOES DEEP INTO THE UNDERGROUND WORLD OF AIRSOFT WITH I.O.A. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, WHILST VISITING one of the South’s premier Airsoft sites, I noticed a handful of players displaying a patch bearing the acronym “I.O.A.”. I also noticed that these players were actually very good and remained consistently good throughout the day, thus I concluded what seemed obvious at the time, that these ‘softers were part of a team. Simple yes? Well actually, no. I was totally wrong! I.O.A. or “Invite Only Airsoft”, was created by visionary Airsofter Lyle Berends in June 2013, who could see beyond the average game day as to what could be achieved if someone with passion and determination was to go the “extra mile”
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and, as he saw it, take Airsoft to a whole new level. His ambition was to take Airsoft to a new place; where standards were higher, players were more focused and very importantly, the “I.O.A. Charter” (which every member must sign up to) was robustly upheld without exception. As we all know, non-hit taking is a very controversial and damaging part of Airsoft and the simple fact is that if a person isn’t going to take their hits, then they are not good enough for Airsoft and should be playing Paintball, where it is harder to evade the rules. Our game demands that people take their hits, otherwise the whole game ethic breaks down and we ultimately become simple re-enactors - and that is not what I signed up for. This was just one simple aspect of the charter, that superior sportsmanship prevailed and if a person wasn’t prepared to perform to these mandatory high standards then I.O.A. is not for them. Only the best and most honourable players would be eligible to be invited to join and this, in turn, would ensure that the often contentious need for screams of “Oi! Take your hit!” would be eliminated because none of us want to hear that. If it gets back to Lyle and his management that someone is cheating, then they are gone and not welcome back. It’s as simple as that. I was able to catch up with Lyle at Longmoor Camp, at one of his I.O.A. events and as this was my first visit to a game organised by these guys, I approached “The Village” with an open mind and asking myself “How can this be any different than any other Airsoft game?” Within half an hour I started to wonder if I had actually turned up on the wrong day and that this was an in fact an official MoD training day, such was the standard of play and indeed, the authenticity of the players. If there was such a thing as “Professional Airsofting” then this would be it and I
Event I.O.A. – LONGMOOR 2015
found myself smack bang (okay, pew-pew) right in the middle of some of the fiercest gun fights I had ever witnessed and standards of play that I had never seen before. And then it hit me (no, not a BB) but I was seeing the charter being applied out in the field and what a difference it made. Everybody was playing to the same rules, everybody was being fair and honest and the sportsmanship was of the highest standard that I had ever seen. Now it sounds like it’s no big deal really but in reality it is, it is a very big deal and when you actually see it from an observer’s perspective, then you will understand just what puts I.O.A. in the Premier League of Airsofting. I must reiterate that I.O.A. isn’t a team, it’s a culture founded on the highest moral standards and ethics and up until now, although I have been a member myself for some time, I have been sworn to secrecy as was one of the conditions of membership. However as time has moved on and curiosity has been exercised by so many, Lyle felt that it was the right time to bring the underground world of I.O.A. to the surface and enlighten those with burning questions and seeking answers. It was time for Lyle to give the Airsoft world a heads-up as to what Invite Only Airsoft is all about, so let the interview commence… Les: Hello Lyle, thank you for inviting me along today. I have seen for myself some remarkable game play and the special effects you have created have literally blown me away, so let me ask you, what inspired you to create I.O.A. and when was this and with whom? Lyle: “Invite Only Airsoft, IOA, was founded by myself in June 2013. The idea stemmed from frustration and a lack of progression, innovation and general development of the sport. I was shooting frequently with a close friend, Max Sutton and others at CQB Tactical (Swindon). Myself and Max were seeing areas for improvement, which was emphasised by the general safe zone and forum chitchat. It was at this point that Max and I were invited by Pier Camo to attend a “Hittakers” event. We were both sceptical about how this would operate and what the differences would be over a normal Sunday shoot, given the inherent increase in cost but it was at this point that Airsoft would change forever for us and we had our first introduction
to the “underground” of the sport. “Upon arriving at our first Hittakers event (CopeHill) it immediately felt different, it was not like arriving at a normal site, the atmosphere and the aura amongst players was far more positive, friendly and upbeat. It felt like stepping out of your vehicle and walking into an area where everyone knew one another, almost like a family. Max and I played our first event and immediately were converted. It was as if the “Gods of Airsoft” were marshalling this day, as we had never attended a shoot where everybody took hits, played to the rules and were there for the love and enjoyment of the sport. “Myself and Max immediately booked onto the next event less than a month later. We were already buzzing with excitement and anticipation for another taste of what we had just experienced. Over the following weeks we continued to attend normal walk-ons as our anger and frustration with the sport continued to blossom over the generic issues of the sport. We attended the second Hittakers event at the same venue and again enjoyed the fact that players were honest and trustworthy. However, we also felt that we could offer something new and different after playing this event. We proceeded to brainstorm and develop many ideas, both obvious and radical and in a very short time, with support from others, all of the parts of the big machine were starting to run in harmony. “We found ourselves marshalling down at CQB Tactical (Swindon) in preparation for our first game. It was on this day that the final pieces to the puzzle dropped into place. This was the meeting of Oli Kingwell, Josh Brown and Adam Flint. Max and I had much in common with the trio and began discussions throughout the day, following the shoot they were asked to join us at the infamous “Sally’s Pussy Inn”, where Max and myself used to frequent to discuss “action” following the day we had just attended. It was at Sally’s Pussy Inn that I.O.A. was truly born. We went on to run the first event which Josh Brown attended as a player. After which the concept had already proven itself with the event rapidly selling out and players offering invaluable feedback of both a positive and constructive nature. Following this first Beta event Josh, Adam and Oli joined up with both of us to form the I.O.A. management team.” Les: What is the primary purpose of creating such a unique organisation? Lyle: “The primary purpose of creating such a unique and different offering was simply to develop and re-instil faith in the sport. We wanted to take Airsoft back to the fun, enjoyable era of pre-2006. The way to ensure players were honourable and trustworthy sports men and women was to hand select them, starting with close friends and associates. I.O.A. was never set up in the interest of being elitist, etc. but to provide its player base with a wide
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spectrum of venues and with gaming of the highest quality. I.O.A. wanted to provide the shoot per month that their members could guarantee would hit their Airsoft fix.” Les: Do you have a regular site and/or what is your catchment area? Lyle: “I.O.A. does not operate a home site per se. When the I.O.A. management team attend normal
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shoots or Sunday skirmishes, we like to travel the length and breadth of the country and even further afield to search for something new in terms of experience and venue offerings. When the management team attend normal shoots we invite and encourage our members to join us for the day, as Invite Only Airsoft is all about the community and our members. In terms of a catchment area for I.O.A. events, again we try to operate on a countrywide basis due to the dispersion of our members.” Les: How many members to date? Lyle: “On our Facebook page we currently have 342 members with an international scale. I.O.A. has members from California, Ireland, Holland and Belgium to name a few, with the main hub based in England. I.O.A. have a further 50 or so members who don’t use Facebook but are registered on our system. We do look to keep our member numbers below a specific level, as we feel after a point it would become nonbeneficial for members to be a part of I.O.A. The rationale behind this is that the majority of our events operate on venues which we only can have a maximum of 100 players. Our most recent events have been selling out in sub-five seconds, therefore if we increase the member count it would lead to frustration for existing members as it is already difficult to get a place on one of our upcoming events.” Les: What does I.O.A. have to offer that Airsoft clubs do not? Lyle: “A family-like community, discounts, military venues, big explosions, raffles, exclusives, the highest standard players,
Event I.O.A. – LONGMOOR 2015
with high-end quality gear. Also, a change in that no two events are ever the same, we try to incorporate at least one new game per event. In addition, it’s a change of scenery, as in the same year we never run the same venue twice.” Les: Please give some information on the I.O.A. Charter? Lyle: “The I.O.A. charter was developed by the management team to put in place some guiding rules, albeit club rules whereby if a member breaks one their membership would be terminated. The charter begins by explaining I.O.A. was founded by Airsofters for our Brothers in Arms and elaborates on the principles on which the organisation was founded.” Les: How often do you meet and what would be your typical number of players on a game day? Lyle: “With I.O.A. events we run, or attempt to run, at least one event a month to offer our members their quality Airsoft fix. We can’t really say the typical numbers as they fluctuate from venue to venue. We have run events for our members with as little as 20 people on site in the Bristol courts, right through to 120+ at Longmoor FIBUA.” Les: How has I.O.A. become so popular and what is your vision for the future? Lyle: “I personally wouldn’t say that I.O.A. has “become so popular”, as we have remained very much an underground and secretive organisation (up until now). However I directly attribute our success to the support and following of our members, partnered closely with the I.O.A. management team, without which none of the past two years would have been possible. I personally have a lot to thank the I.O.A. team for, which is still growing with the addition of new team members, who have brought skills and support into our management structure. “IF THERE WAS SUCH A THING “The vision for the future of I.O.A. is to remain somewhat secretive as to what AS ‘PROFESSIONAL AIRSOFTING’ we do and keep the events running once THEN THIS WOULD BE IT AND I a month at least. We have just launched our new online presence which includes FOUND MYSELF SMACK BANG YouTube, a closed website, Instagram RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME and Facebook page for public following. OF THE FIERCEST GUN FIGHTS This new online frontier will enable us to publicise high quality Airsoft videos, I HAD EVER WITNESSED AND gear reviews and site trailers. Moreover STANDARDS OF PLAY THAT I HAD the website will enable us to put into NEVER SEEN BEFORE.” action a lot of the new high-technology developments we are working on, such as RFID tracking of players to monitor deaths and medic lives, as well as a full player profile system where and one 50g maroon to top it off. To put this into perspective individuals will be able to monitor their player statistics. Going for readers, a 5g maroon is classified as a Mk9 and those who forwards I.O.A. will diversify into other markets such as military have heard one know that they are significantly louder than the simulation and weekend events with the first being held on the conventional Mk5!” August Bank Holiday weekend. Thank you Lyle for your candid unveiling of what, until now, “Both Max and I are now also heading up and working with has been very much an underground organisation and I am other Airsofters to cater for another niche. They have a MilSim privileged to be offered the exclusive insight into this extremely brand in development with an invite only beta game at the end unique society of both players and associates at the top of their of May. What we’re planning will completely revitalise the UK game. MilSim scene in a way that has not previously been achieved One final note, the recent event at Longmoor MoD FIBUA and it is through the same innovative and revolutionary attitude training centre has been captured on video and if you simply that governs I.O.A. that this new brand will succeed.” scan the QR code you will be taken directly to professionally Les: What has been your most successful event to date (or edited game footage which, with the help of Lyle’s state-ofyour biggest explosion)? the-art drone, has been posted on YouTube so that you can see Lyle: “To begin with one must define what “success” is with your own eyes the endorsements behind this review. and for us that would be to do with member satisfaction The use of a QR code is a first for Airsoft Action and will partnered with sell-out time. The event which encompasses give you a third dimension in addition to editorial and photos the two must be the event at TacHouse Spartan which sold effectively more bang for your buck! out in 4.8 seconds, with a total of 60 players all of whom had I.O.A. leave no stone unturned. a thoroughly enjoyable day. We have had faster sell outs, for Les OUT! example the Longmoor 2015 event which was 100 people sold out in a mere 3.2 seconds. “As to big explosions, at I.O.A. events we take great pride Contact Details in putting on a grand display, allowing participants to interact Lyle Berends with explosions and pyrotechnics which are (for most) far Mobile: +44 7717 866113 greater than anything they will ever have come into contact Email: admin@ioa.so with before. The largest we have done up until now comprised Web: www.ioa.so of an 8 by 25g strafe with Titanium, 2 X 10 inch naphthalene’s
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“TAKE YOUR HITS!!” GADGE RETURNS TO THE TRICKY SUBJECT OF CHEATING IN AIRSOFT WITH A DEBATE THAT ASKS: IS IT EVER OK TO CALL SOMEONE A CHEAT, OR IS IT WORSE THAN CHEATING ITSELF?
ONCE AGAIN IT’S TIME TO TAKE ON the views of our readers and this month we discuss the old chestnut of cheating. What’s that you say? We’ve discussed not taking hits before? Yep you’re right, but this month I want to discuss “cheat calling”. We’ve all been there; you’re firing away at some guy and he’s not taking his hits. What he is taking is the p*ss, as you can see the rounds pinging off his shirt through your sniper scope. He can’t see you so he doesn’t take it. I’ve even had someone get hit in the neck, shout “OW!” and then carry on firing back. So what do you do? Well, there are a few schools of thought. The first (and most noble) is to keep on playing and hope he’ll eventually take the hit. The second elevates the first to catlike sadism, by flicking on to full auto and giving him a burst of .25 attitude adjuster to the crown jewels or the ear. Some of you might politely call “Come on mate, I think I hit your webbing!” A rare few of us call a marshal to check the player (which usually means breaking cover and being hit yourself) but by far the most common response is for someone to shout “TAKE YOUR EFFING HITS YOU GIT!!!!” To us at Airsoft Action this is what turns a game “nasty”. Cheating itself is unfortunately going to happen (more so if there is no medic or regen, or the regen is a long way away) and it’s an unfortunate darkside to the hobby. But “cheat calling” really puts the other team’s back up, it makes your own side feel that every shot they take is now being ignored and overall the tone of the day takes a nose dive. In fifteen years of airsoft I’ve seen any game where it gets “narky” start with some super-sweary cheat calling. I try and avoid it myself (seeing our crew at Airsoft Action as “ambassadors for the sport”) but at a recent event I found myself chuntering about the “bloody blue team’s Teflon duo” and had to stop myself. I was indirectly cheat calling alongside other players and helping create that bad vibe. Sure, I wasn’t shouting “TAKE YOUR BLOODY HIT!” but I was vocally expounding to my teammates I’d seen cheating rather than discretely talking to a marshal. So what do you do? Is cheat calling a necessary evil? Do we need more player-marshals in game? Is there nothing wrong in shouting “Check your hits mate?” in the same way I always say
“Good shot mate!” if I’m hit in an open firefight (I keep quiet if sniped or sneaky killed)…. Or do you think that actually telling the Teflon bugger on the other side he’s a cheating git is really the best thing to do? As usual you gave us some great responses, so many in fact that we’ve had to extend this month’s “Debate” section to fit in another page! So without further ado let’s see what you, the players, had to say! Phil Bucknall: “Cheat calling often dials up tension faster than the cheating. Neither are good though and I hate both equally and try my damnedest to make sure I don’t do either. I’ll give you an example... At the last game I made a break from one piece of cover to another and when I slammed into it at
“WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE; YOU’RE FIRING AWAY AT SOME GUY AND HE’S NOT TAKING HIS HITS. WHAT HE IS TAKING IS THE P*SS, AS YOU CAN SEE THE ROUNDS PINGING OFF HIS SHIRT THROUGH YOUR SNIPER SCOPE.” www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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full tilt I asked the nearest marshal if I’d been hit at all because I knew I wouldn’t have noticed whilst thundering along! Another time I pinged a guy in the helmet and he snapped his head back then returned fire hitting me. I took the hit but made sure I had a quiet word with a marshal as I went to regen. The marshal watched the other player who sure enough did it again at which point he was told to stop being a cock or pack up. No scene, no drama and more importantly, no one else’s day was affected by it.” Lincolnshire Airsoft Club: “Part of a marshal’s job is to ensure that naughtiness, such as “Teflonism”, does not
“I’VE HAD DAYS RUINED BY MY OWN TEAM CALLING OUT THE OTHER TEAM AS CHEATS. REALLY RUINS THE ATMOSPHERE. I FEEL PEOPLE OVER-ESTIMATE THE ACCURACY AND RANGE OF THEIR ABILITY AND RANGE OF THEIR GUN take place in the game area. Of course Marshals cannot be everywhere and so rely on the sportsmanship of the player to a greater degree. When that sportsmanship falls down, as it inevitably does on occasion, then marshals must be informed so that they investigate it. Otherwise what’s the point in marshals?” Dean Goodall: “I agree that cheat calling is ALMOST as bad as not taking your hits and I’m sure we’ve all succumbed (despite our best intentions), especially when it’s the “less than 5m away CQB blaze-a-thon” and you’ve both been hit and you call yours but your opponent doesn’t. I think I’m in the camp of “if you don’t call your hits, I’ll keep shooting you till you do”. After all, the game, the sport is all about the honour system and being honest. But it does make my eyes roll when I see players showing the GoPro footage to marshals in the safe zone, “Look!! He didn’t call his hit!!!” C’mon fellas, if they don’t call, keep shooting!!! You can always go get more ammo and then make it your mission to keep hunting them down (if you’re that way inclined)!” Jako Kuba Förster: “Well, myself I intend to swear at people when they don’t take their hits. I’m not proud of it but somehow I have to let the frustration go off. I generally swear 60
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a lot during playing, anyhow, even when all is fine. Usually however I break cover and go to a marshal. This is what they are there for and this worked fine in 100% of all times. Most of the time I also go to the guy I think is cheating and ask him right away if he didn’t feel the hit or what’s going on? What I don’t tolerate and accept is going full auto or trying to hurt somebody, this is not good for the sport! The idea of airsoft as far as I understand it is not to hurt people, it’s to have fun together!” Charlie Page: “Don’t shout... Just fire more rounds!” Scott Suttie: “First thing I advocate is giving the benefit of the doubt and checking your own aim and the second is aim for a better, more noticeable spot. If someone can take a shot to the crown or the back of the thigh then they are probably at it. “As a marshal, cheat calling is extremely frustrating for the reasons you’ve listed - it plants the seed in other teammate’s heads and the bitching and moaning (and overkill) almost certainly will snowball and get worse all day if left unchecked. It solves nothing just creates additional problems. “Give marshals a chance to sort a problem, if you’re at a good site they will go off, investigate and feedback to you what they’ve done about it. “And another point, if you bitch and moan about it does the problem ever go away? In my experience, no. Count backwards from 10 and give a level-headed report to a marshal. Let them educate the player where needed and if that doesn’t work, work their way through whatever process they have in place that will resort in the player sorting themselves out, or going home early. “Mention many a site to a player and they’ll say things like “Oh, it’s full of cheaters!” – which might be fair enough – but
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what did they do to help solve that problem? A site’s reputation ruined because a few people had a bad day isn’t fair and isn’t healthy for anyone.” James Szomolanyi: “I think if it’s an open fight, you’re not hiding in a bush and waiting then sure give a “I hit you mate!” If they continue then generally a quick full auto burst will get them to take it or a marshal. Sometimes people don’t feel it and with all the noise don’t hear it (wearing a plate carrier for example) so sometimes I give a quick “I hit you!” so they are aware and most people take it. If they don’t, give them a 3-round burst. If they don’t take a 3-round burst then I call a marshal over. If I’m hiding then I’ll normally just aim somewhere soft so they know they took a hit, bum or thighs. If that don’t work I’ll leave cover and make sure people see me hit them.” Will Johnson: “Last time someone didn’t call their hit with me, I went on a manhunt. Couple of hours later I walk off the field grinning ear to ear as the guy who didn’t call my hit walked off mumbling something about how he hates snipers now.” Paul Fisher Jnr: “Speaking from a marshal’s perspective, all the answers of “I’d just keep shooting them… I’d shoot him full auto blah… blah…” are what’s wrong with airsoft! Doing that type of stuff stops the marshals from doing our jobs and or causes fights making our jobs harder. “If you have a problem with a player not taking hits speak to a marshal, cheat calling is just as bad as cheating itself. Taking another shot is acceptable if you think you may not have hit them, but blatantly shooting someone because they’re “cheating” isn’t cool and 90% of the time causes agro we can all do without.” James Watt: “I’ve had days ruined by my own team calling out the other team as cheats. Really ruins the atmosphere. I feel people over-estimate the accuracy and range of their ability and range of their gun. Personally I keep shooting until they call themselves hit, eventually aiming for the groin and other sweet spots. Not many people can take 10 consecutive c**k shots! And if they can, play on! Haha!” Lewis Pearce: “I can remember a time when someone came over to me for not taking a hit. I said to the dude “I never saw or felt anything and I’m sure you didn’t hit me but I’ll go to regen if you think you hit me.” He was satisfied but later in the game I caught him and his 4 mates in a room with an impact grenade and miraculously they all managed to dive through a small doorway into another room with no warning before jumping back into the same room, spread out, aim and peppered me when I went in to count the dead! Airsoft... I love it but where there is guns and action, there will always be egomaniacal d**ks. You just have to take the pleasure in knowing that they know I out-played them. “PS. hope they’re reading this and remember that day at
The Sandpit.” James Copeland: “Cheat calling brings the whole mood down, it needs to be nipped in the bud by marshals as soon as possible. So does the back channel grumbling, you may feel like the marshals can’t do anything because they’re never there to see it but if you don’t open your mouth and speak up we can’t do squat! “Speaking from experience, there is no worse feeling than getting to the end of what you thought was an excellent day and then hearing one of the teams grumbling about non-hit taking.” Richard ‘Jimmy’ Lowton: “Hit the nail on the head with the comment about the vibe of the gameplay! Congratulating good shots and apologising for getting startled and bursting somebody at point blank tend to keep the “angry weekend warriors” chilled. With regards to cheat calling, a site I play at employs a rather effective “Marshal Law” rule: If you believe a player is not taking hits, rather than call him out, you inform the marshals. A marshal then shoots the player, if he or she takes the hit, play carries on and the situation is deemed resolved. Should the player not take the hit, or marshal law is called upon a player more than once, then it is dealt with accordingly.” Glen Vine: “I found that player-marshals are a good influence here, usually a couple of trusted players who have
“CHEATING OR BLATANT NON-HIT TAKING IS NOT WHAT THIS SPORT IS ABOUT, IT’S ABOUT HONESTY, INTEGRITY, AND GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP.” played at the site for a while and know a lot of the regulars and marshals. They play and if they hear anyone moaning about players not taking their hits, they try and find out who it is and then approach the player-marshal on the other team. They then try and watch them during the game and if they witness it they approach them nicely and say “I think you caught a few then, bud” which normally puts an end to it. If that still doesn’t do it, then he will call the official marshal and he deals with it.” Andy Lewis: “Can’t say I’m not guilty of this but it takes a fair few obvious hits to get me to shout it at someone. I only tend to do this in CQB as I’ve never had someone not call a hit when sniping in woodland (touch wood). That said I aim for the arms/legs so they’re damned well going to feel a hit there without a plate carrier in the way.” David Pullen: “Non-hit taking has been an issue since I started the sport over 13 Years ago. Cheat calling has also been a problem, how you deal with it should be as requested by the
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game site. “In reality it is easier to sometimes deal with it yourself. When it say that I mean, how do you deal with seeing a player through your rifle scope non-hit taking? Firstly shoot them again and check that you can see the BB travel through the air and ping off your target. Always give them the benefit on the doubt and try shooting them in a different part of their body. “If I am still sure that they are non-hit taking I will go and play on another part of the site, then when I come across a martial I will describe the player to them or point them out to them. That way it’s up to the martial to deal with the player as they see fit. “Cheating or blatant non-hit taking is not what this sport is about, it’s about honesty, integrity, and good sportsmanship.” Matt Keen: “Not taking your hits ruins games. It’s cheating. Shouting out at players for not taking hits is really annoying but ultimately, it’s easier to deal with than someone who has set out to cheat another player. Most decent sites have rules in place to deal with both problems and it should always be left to a Marshal to deal with.” Kieran Byrne: “It was (and still is) one of the major dislikes in airsoft for me. I feel that excessive non-hit taking is a bugbear but so is being a complete cock and mouthing off about it. I hate the number of videos that are on YouTube! To be honest, bad winners are far more annoying than bad losers! Far better to be an adult and lead by example!” Lee Wyatt: “If I hear players complaining about teflon players I just mention that the other team are making same comments. Tends to nip it in the bud.” Brendan Robb: “Cheat calling just leads to more bitching and moaning and if you then fail to hear, or feel a hit, it makes you look like a right knob. Normally I give them the benefit of
“MOST OF THE NON-HIT TAKERS I’VE COME ACROSS ARE SIMPLY WEARING TOO MUCH GEAR/CLOTHES WHERE IT GETS TO THE POINT THAT THEY ARE ASKED TO REMOVE THEM. ONE TIME I PLAYED AGAINST SOMEONE WHO WAS WEARING KEVLAR PLATING IN HIS PLATE CARRIER!” the doubt as it may have hit a padded area, or they may have a noisy gun. If they are actually cheating I will make sure they call it by a few well-placed shots. The worst cheaters are the ones who won’t call it until they have killed you, then they say it was 50/50.” Daniel Shears: “Cheat calling is bad for the game and generally those who do it haven’t actually hit their target. You’re much better off reporting the person to a marshal, failing that... Adjust your aim and keep shooting.” Jamie Weir: “At my regular site cheat calling is considered worse than cheating. Airsoft is based on honour and integrity. If you can’t play by those rules then that’s your loss. Taking out obvious cheats are what marshals are there for. At the end of
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the day the vast majority of airsofters are grown-ups playing soldiers with toy guns. Get over it.” Mark Law: “All calling “Take your hits!” does is escalate the problem. Before long you can have half a team not hit taking. “coz that guy didn’t take his!” I have always said shoot them again, don’t call a marshal and say “the guy in green isn’t taking his hits”. If I catch someone when I’m marshaling, I’ll pull them and at least one other on their team and send them to respawn.” James BideThomas: “I think I’d be inclined to let it ride. No point it creating an unpleasant atmosphere. Obviously if I can then shoot the guy on some exposed flesh that would be best.” Matthew Philpott: “In fairness, I have never actually called someone out on being a cheat but I have asked for a marshall to monitor what I consider to be a crucial engagement. I know from past experience it’s easy to miss a hit on soft bits of webbing and personally tend towards taking hits I might not have even been hit by. If a volley of fire it’s bouncing all around me and I’m in piss poor cover I’ll take a hit. Upping the ante and strafing people with hi-power weapons is just going to increase bad blood in a game.” Milsim Tim Cleverly: “I used to be a shouty-sweary “TAKE YOUR EFFING HITS YOU @%&!” but nowadays I think I’m more of a polite “Think I got you dude!” or say to myself “Meh. Whatever, I’ll go some place else on the field”. On the very rare occasion that the cheating has been pretty blatant and there’s a marshal nearby, I’ll always try and get the marshal to keep an eye out – but then marshals can’t be everywhere at once and saying “That dude in the MTP in the first game of the day wasn’t taking his hits” can’t be too helpful really.” Martin Glasgow: “At StrikeForce we regard it as bad as non-hit taking. It spreads animosity and we don’t want it. Tell a marshal! That’s what we’re there for.” Billy Gumbrell: “For as long as I can remember the rules at every site have been the same – and are simple. If you think a player is cheating, call for a marshal. They will spot your fall of shot. “If you are in range then the player knows they are under scrutiny. In my 22+ years of gaming, 8 times out of ten players expect more from their gun that it is actually capable of. If you are unsure – call for a marshal or “marker”. End of troubles.” Alex Bell: “I never cheat call, I just take a good look at the person and then report it to the marshal. “Most of the non-hit takers I’ve come across are simply wearing too much gear/clothes where it gets to the point that they are asked to remove them. One time I played against someone who was wearing Kevlar plating in his plate carrier!” James Ashton-Garbera: “There’s a three strike rule at my regular site: 1) Verbal warning. 2) Removed from game. 3) Banned. “The marshals will do random hit checks on people in game when they don’t notice, to ensure that people are playing legit. Not had any problems with cheaters at that site and that makes the gameplay a lot better – without having that nagging in the back of your head thinking that there’s gonna be cheaters on the opposite team.”
IN LAST MONTH’S ARTICLE we looked at the different roles played by some of the team. In this issue I want to go through the training practice of the team in order to get to a minimum required state of mind. No matter what type of team you are involved with, you won’t get far without training and not just individual skills training but team training. In the real world of the professional operator, team work is essential however, in airsoft things seem to be somewhat different. For a real world team on operations a man down can and does often mean a mission failure, whilst Airsoft gaming offers us a chance to limp back to the regen point and start again – but I want you to start thinking like a true operator and class a hit as a mission failure. Sometimes it’s not all about how many kills you can notch up but getting the job done without any friendly casualties. This is no trade secret. It’s all down to training. The type of training you do must conform to the job you are tasked with, for example it’s no good training in sniper tactics when you need to execute a room entry. We can break down our training program in to sections to aid us in the type of training we need to do and also to help us put together the right training program. It’s simply WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, WHY. WHO: As we are not professionals and most of us have full time commitments this can be a hard one to put together. Essentially the “WHO” is all of you, all the team at the same time. There can be some leeway here depending on the type of training to be done. For instance, you don’t all have to be present at weapons fundamentals training. Any dry fire work or work on weapons familiarisation and manipulation can be done in the privacy of your own home and without any other team members present. However if you were to practice team drills, such as stacking up and movement, it would be wise to have the rest of the team present.
“IF YOU CAN USE A SKIRMISH SITE THEN GET STRAIGHT INTO IT BUT BE CAREFUL WHEN TRAINING IN THIS TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT, AS THE DAY CAN TURN INTO A SKIRMISH AND NOT A TRAINING DAY.” WHAT: Decide on the type of training that you want to do. This can be almost limitless. Don’t just train for the Dynamic situations only. During all operations there is the boring stuff like rear security and communications. Although boring, it is an essential part of the operation and needs to be practiced regularly. Making sure that all the team members have the right equipment and weapons platforms is also vitally important. Training to be the best is, or should be, hard work so don’t forget to put some physical training into the mix as well. Sprints, Press-ups, Squats and Mountain climbs can all be included in your training program. If you want to add more then it is recommended to seek the advice of a qualified Personal trainer. Don’t train for too long without a rest as team members can get board with the same thing. Remember this is airsoft. Talk about your findings and any mistakes and what you can do to rectify them. Don’t just go for the first thing that pops into your head; try many different ways of overcoming problems. Use your training time to find, note and rectify problems. That’s why we train. WHEN: The best time to train is when the whole team is present and this is most likely to be on a Skirmish day. After all, that’s when we put aside our every day life and go all GI Joe. Training at a skirmish can pose some problems. Others unloading a hail of plastic in the middle of your training session never works well and also it bites into your enjoyment of
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Photo By: Sgt. Paul Peterson
TRAINING THE TEAM
PRO-TACT TRAINING’S ANDY NIGHTINGALE CONTINUES HIS SERIES WITH A LOOK AT AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY TEAM’S SUCCESS… TRAINING!
Skills TEAM TRAINING
Remember to re-hydrate during training. Re-hydrating the body keeps your mind and responses active and in balance with what you are doing. Along the way you will find that your kit will need fine tuning to your needs. This is something that can’t be done on a skirmish game day. Fine tuning your kit will enable you to perform tasks much easier as you will have dumped the kit you don’t need for a specific mission and added all the kit you normally wish you had taken out but had left in the car or safe zone. Once your weapon skills are up to scratch you can work on your tactics such as Patrolling and room entry skills etc. WHY: To be better, to be quicker, or to be feared by other teams? The reason we train as we do is to be successful in our job. One mistake in the real world could mean the difference between aborting the mission and none of the team coming home. Team work works. There is an old saying “there is no I in team” well that’s true in this case. No one individual can take on a situation involving multiple adversaries – well not successfully and certainly not this side of Hollywood anyway! Once you are in a team you must stay as a team member and do the job you are trained to do. A team supports its members and one member can’t do without the others. I found this to be true upon leaving the Army and going to work in the security industry.
game play. Try to train at least once a week and failing that, most skirmishes are fortnightly so make every other weekend a training day if possible. Remember we all have other commitments in life so try to include every one whenever you can. WHERE: If it is at all possible speak to your local skirmish site owner and ask them if you can use the facilities to train your team. I do know a few that allows this for a small fee. (Be sure to check that you are covered for insurance). If you can use a skirmish site then get straight into it but be careful when training in this type of environment, as the day can turn into a skirmish and not a training day. It’s all too easy to lose sight of why you are there and forget you’re actually training and not playing. If you don’t have anywhere to train you need to look for other alternatives. With permission open farm land can be used. Building footprints can be made from string or tape to mark out the rooms and corridors. Public places such as parks can be used but are best avoided. Public places such as parks can be used for your physical conditioning but anything tactical can and will draw attention to your team - so DON’T take your RIF’s and tactical kit with you. I don’t mind looking down the barrel of an Airsoft MP5 but one that comes in 9mm and has an Armed Response Officer on the other end is a different matter! HOW: How is up to you. You know what you and your team can and can’t do so the training program is whatever you need to train for. Do not start with complex training scenarios or something that caused a mission fail last week at the skirmish game. Start with fundamentals of marksmanship. Weapons training is important. Not everyone has their weapon zeroed, you know the ones, the “spray, and pray guys” and the ones that follow the string of BBs to the target and then adjust fire. Out of all those that do have a zeroed weapon I wonder how many actually use their sights during an intense fire fight at close quarters. Train with all the kit you normally wear during a skirmish game in order to get used to the feel and weight.
Photo By: I was once on detail and came upon a sticky situation. Sgt. Paul Peterson Although I was part of a team (4 to be exact) I did feel somewhat alone as I was used to the might of the British armed forces backing me up when the SHTF. As a team member of a small detail I did however find my job was so much easier as I had trained with these guys for quite a few weeks and knew what they were capable of and knew each and every one of them had my back. Knowing what we were doing and what we had to do without discussion and holding a Chinese parliament paved the way to a successful mission. Knowing what to do is simple but knowing how to do it is the trick. We all have a role to play during a mission but what would happen if we all went to rescue the Princess (OK… downed pilot) and no Pro-Tact run tactical training one had our backs as the enemy forces programs for the Airsoft surrounded our position? This is why we community. train together as a team. If you would like to train with Training is not hard and you can make Pro-Tact or would like more it fun. It is an important element of team tactics that must be addressed on a regular information on their training programs contact them at basis. “Train hard and fight easy” are protactshooting@gmail.com or words of wisdom. phone 07788 501184. Stay safe and happy shooting.
Some images may contain public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Inside Airsoft ZERO ONE
ZERO ONE AIRSOFT AIRSOFT ACTION’S VERY OWN ROVING REPORTER VISITS ONE OF THE LONGEST-ESTABLISHED AIRSOFT COMPANIES IN THE UK A LITTLE OUT OF MY USUAL STOMPING GROUND is one of the big boys, Zero One in Dorset. So to hell with the fuel consumption, after I cleared it with Nige and the team I gave them a call and before I knew it, I was heading to their new showroom alongside Bournemouth Airport. It’s not exactly difficult to find, just follow any aircraft coming into land and you won’t go far wrong. In amongst a scattering of modern commercial units, tucked in a corner is a very unassuming and rather discreet frontage and anyone with an eye for Airsoft will have no problem finding it but because the showroom is was new it was just waiting for signage to be applied. Parking is free and easy right outside, although you will need a complimentary temporary parking permit from the shop to display in your car window (don’t say I didn’t warn you) and when you enter the showroom, make sure you are ready for that “jaw on the floor” moment! Now I have seen many shops over the years, some great, some good and some not so good but Zero One’s showroom has to be seen to be believed. It is state-of-the-art in every way from the ground up and within a couple of minutes my juices were flowing like never before. There to greet me was my liaison and Purchase Administrator Dean and Showroom Manager and Web Administrator Alex who made me feel very welcome indeed, as they do with everyone that I saw who entered the showroom while I was there (which was for many hours I can assure you). I must add that don’t think that any first time visitor could possibly just call in and leave in any short time planned as there is just so much to see. So let me calm myself down a little and get back on point and tell you more about Zero One.
18 years ago, in 1997, Dan (the Director) being just 14 years old, started this journey as a simple pocket money project with an above average passion for Airsoft. Guns and gear were few and far between so Dan was fortunate enough to find a supplier and to cut a long but heart-warming story short, his family all played a part (even his Nan took orders over the phone) and with the help of 56k dial up modems, Zero One grew and grew and kept growing. Finally Dan was able to secure a warehouse in Branksome and became the first Airsoft retailer to trade products online, thus keeping his prices very competitive.
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Over the years, Zero One has made many changes in every area, including producing their own line in consumables which brings us up to where they are today; still standing as an industry leader while maintaining competitive prices and never losing focus of why they do what they do in the best way possible. Zero One has a great team of staff, many who remain unseen but all play a vital role within the company and each member of staff is critical in the super-smooth running of sales from the moment of receiving the order up to (and including) great after sales service, as you would expect. There is more than meets the eye when it comes to placing an order. Every item ordered is firstly checked through quality control to ensure the piece of equipment is not only fit for purpose (i.e. meets all
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UK site and legal regulations) but to inspect said item, whether it is a shirt or a shottie and to know that the receiving customer, who is sitting at home fumbling fingers waiting patiently for Mr Postman, will be totally satisfied with their purchase. Of course, buying from the showroom is straightforward, especially when it comes to buying (or collecting after ordering) your RIF, as there is a rather unique shooting/testing gallery where you can actually feel, fondle and fire your chosen weapon. By now something has become very clear to me, I have never had the pleasure to visit such a professional Airsoft organisation and I say “organisation” as Zero One also has a highly regarded site, namely Ground Zero. I will be covering the site in the not too distant future but back to the sales… Zero One stocks 180 different brands (yes you read that right!) so that they can cater for every budget and meet every customer demand. This also means that they can be selective when it comes to their purchasing and sort the wheat from the chaff. I’m not even going to begin to start listing the brand names as I will run out of pages but I think a visit to their website will enhance this subject. I will, however, mention that by far their most favoured is G&G. They are without doubt, industry leaders and not only for the quality of their products, there are countless fringe benefits for customers in addition to simple purchase and ownership, so it’s no surprise that Zero One stock over 550 G&G products. That speaks for itself really. So what does a visit to the showroom have in store for you (pun intended)? Well, in addition to the dynamics behind the scenes, they pump the same drive into their showroom where you will always be sure of a warm welcome and, more importantly, wall to wall guns! They custom-built the state of the art showroom themselves so they were able to tailor it exactly to their needs and the needs of their customers. That may just mean the convenience of popping down on a Saturday to top up on gas and BBs. It could mean booking in a repair, testing to see if a particular mag will be compatible, checking your FPS, seeking advice or finding the right scope for your gun. Their aim is that every customer has an enhanced shopping experience and sometimes that’s achieved simply by walking around in awe of all the goodies, or by delivering an efficient sale at the counter. Most importantly it gives every customer the chance to see their potential new toys in the flesh, getting a feel for how they look and testing them to see how they work first hand on the firing range. I asked Dean a rather rhetorical question: Les: What makes Zero One better than the rest? Dean: “It would be easy to say this is because we’ve been in the business for a long time and it’s true, we have. Since our humble beginnings we’ve seen Airsoft change and grow dramatically and we’ve always been at the fore-front. For example, Zero One is one of the founding members of the United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association and to date, reside on the executive committee. We’ve also created our own exceptional quality brand name products and consumables at record breaking low prices. We also operate our own Airsoft web forum, Zero In, which again is one of the most popular in
Inside Airsoft ZERO ONE
the UK with just under 30,000 members and 1,000,000 posts! “But I think it’s our attention to detail and constant strive to do better that sets us apart from the rest. As a team we are dedicated to being the best, to offer the best and to give more. We want to leave a positive impression by being the best we can possibly be. Not only is this achieved by a high level of professionalism in every aspect of our work but by constant innovation. We are always thinking of new ways to improve, whether that’s making the checkout more efficient or by building something new. “Our boss, Dan, has an excellent eye for detail and that is applied to all areas of the business. We strive to do as much in house as we can which means we can control every aspect, coming up with new ways to do things better and maintain a high standard. I think this is most evident in the showroom. Sometimes it’s the finer points that matter, the little extra things that we do, that make everything more professional. “Zero One Gift Vouchers for example, aren’t just written out on a printed piece of paper and posted, they are printed on branded credit card sized plastic, mounted on glossy card
with clear instructions of how they can be redeemed online or in store and are presented in quality coloured envelopes. It sounds silly but that’s the sort of thing you would get from large high street chains and our level of detail makes a real difference. Everything at the showroom has in some way been customized, designed and/or installed by ourselves. It’s packed full of little features. From the checker steel plate with under floor heating to the shooting gallery with coloured lighting and zombie targets. From the smart plastic branded price tags to the interactive touch screen till point. At this till point you can browse our website, read product descriptions, check stock, sign up for our newsletter and more. There’s even a TV that display videos from the NAE, new G&G products, product deals, promotional videos and our live Twitter feed. My personal favourite is the WW2 display, complete with old fashioned lights and Zero One BB ammo crates made to look of the era. But the best feature by far has to be the simple fact all customers can get hands on. Any gun can be tried prior to purchase. Also, anything stocked in our warehouse can be available to view and/or purchase at our showroom the next
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day. Similarly, guns for upgrade/repair can be dropped into the showroom and these will be delivered to our warehouse the same evening. Yet more fast and efficient service.” So, as you can see from Dean’s comments, so much has gone into making Zero One the success it is today. In addition to the showroom and warehouse, etc. for the past 12 years Zero One have owned and operated one of the largest and most respected independent skirmish sites in the country, Ground Zero, which has for the past 8 years been host to the annual National Airsoft Event – one of the biggest Airsoft gatherings in the world. Again, this event strives to offer perfection in every way possible. Dean stated that they have put in much work every year to develop, make bigger, better, improve, learn from the previous year and develop and expand the event every year – and time has proven that this is why it grows and players return and see we have made things even better, year upon year. The marshal team are reputed to be some of the finest, the site as a whole is amazing, the effort put in by everyone is simply stunning, all the planning and major support in man hours from Zero One all come together to make the event hugely successful. These guys are not complacent, they are not just about making money and running, their goal is to make the event fantastic for everyone and it is this work ethic that makes the event remain THE unrivalled Airsoft event of the year, year after year, after year. Zero One often refer to the NAE as an “Airsoft festival” because really that’s what it is. Last year they had over 1,800 players attend (imagine all those tents!) and players from all over Europe come to take part. Ground Zero is probably the UK’s most diverse venue with a real variety of structures and terrains. Their special type of game play means you can do your own thing all weekend if that’s your style, or you can play like a true operator and make it your mission to grab as many objectives as you can while following the two-day and night rolling scenario to the letter, or any mix in between. It’s all about a great day for everyone, an Airsoft holiday, the game play is only part of it. The NAE is an event you will be 70
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talking about for many months, if not years to come. Their focus is on giving you THE best all round experience and that starts in the safe zone with a friendly, clean and fully facilitated event atmosphere, including their huge on-site shop, stalls, entertainment, lots of prizes and give-aways, an on-site bar and Airsoft manufacturers from around the world. Anyway, enough about the NAE, I am, as usual, getting ever so slightly carried away and finding myself “in the zone” (yes, that’s another intended pun) but with what’s on offer at Zero One, who can blame me? Zero One is an enterprise of massive proportions and so many spurs. It’s fair to say that anything Airsoft can be found here and with all the bells and whistles that an Airsofter could wish for. So that wraps up Zero One…for now, but I’ll be back in a few issue’s time with a site review on Ground Zero and if I am fortunate enough to make the 2015 NAE then of course, you guys will hear all about it from yours truly. I think I had better start looking for a tent! Les OUT!
Contact Details Zero One Unit 75 Basepoint Business Centre Aviation Park West Bournemouth International Airport Dorset BH23 6NX Opening hours: 10.00 – 17.00 Monday–Tuesday & Thursday–Saturday Free parking outside (Ask for free permit in showroom & display on dashboard) www.zerooneairsoft.com info@zerooneairsoft.com 01202 769614
ALL ARMS AIRSOFT REVISITED
NOW THAT THEY HAVE MOVED TO A NEW SITE, RON M TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND HAVE A LOOK. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN avidly reading Airsoft Action since the early days, the name “All Arms Airsoft” may have a familiar ring to it as I had written a review of their previous site near Toddmoredon, back in 2013. Run as a club for members, rather than a purely commercial site, they had invested a lot of time, energy and finances into making a good site great. However they had one distinct problem at their old site – access. I don’t mean problems with land owners or farmers – I literally mean that this was a remote site to get to and frequently, if you didn’t have four wheel drive you weren’t getting up there. The day I went to visit the site had started well but as the snow rolled in there was a distinct possibility that those without a 4x4 would be abandoning their cars at the clubhouse. The situation was far from ideal and the club was losing members, so several conversations with local landowners started taking place and a new location was found. Nestling on the edge of the West Pennine Moors, the new site is one of the easiest to find. From junction 5 of the M65 at Blackburn you start to head up-hill until you reach the large stone built Pub, “The Grey Mare Inn”, where you turn right. From there the road runs level for a few miles before it is virtually all down-hill until you arrive at the site gate on your right. How will you know that are in the right place? 72
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Well that’s simple, as for the past five minutes you’ll have been looking at the only forestry block in an otherwise desolate desert of moorland scrub – that and the fact that there will be a load of cars parked in the middle of nowhere should give it away! There isn’t much in the way of creature comforts at the new site and this irony was wasted on me as I’d described their last clubhouse as having “all the mod-cons that a transport cafe would have”. Here it is very much a case of bring your own packed lunch and if you need the toilet facilities, well there’s a wood – go be a bear! The site has a few consumables for sale, BBs, gas and pyros but really you should plan to bring what you need and look at that as an additional bonus. The safety brief was what you would expect to be given at a club event, more informal and with lots of anecdotal stories of where club members had cocked-up in the past. In addition to the pointers you would normally expect to hear, it was made quite clear that this wasn’t a site to be running around like the proverbial headless chicken. With on-going logging operations many of the tracks used during the games are deeply rutted and sometimes covered with fresh growth that makes them perfect ankle injury territory. In addition, the site is criss-crossed by numerous little streams and drainage channels that, like mini crevasses, if you don’t keep your wits about you then you will only discover them when you are up to your knees in mud. If that has put you off it shouldn’t, as this is perfect territory for the stealthy player to score lots of hits. Snipers will love some of the longer fire breaks as they provide plenty of distance but even a low fps AEG will be more than useful – as we were about to find out! The objective of the first game was to recover an object
site ALL ARMS AIRSOFT
placed in the opposition’s half, bring it back to our area and then hold it for fifteen minutes. As many of our team was new to the site we decided to act as a blocking force to prevent the other team from breaking through and beginning their search. The more knowledgeable players on our team would then try and flank through and locate our canister of “chemical nerve agent” (otherwise known as 5 litres of screen-wash – though I don’t suppose that would do you much good if you drank it!) We pushed off in an “arrow-head” type formation with the lead “scout” slowly scanning for an area from which we could put in our blocking position. Now this is where the site and the terrain is a great leveller; although we may have had “all the gear” and I’d like to think a little of “the idea”, it was a young lad with a two-tone M4 laying under a fallen pine tree that managed to take out our two lead players – fair play to him for getting into a good position and staying still; many new players think it’s all running around spraying and playing. With contact started we now had lost the opportunity to push into opposition territory and we hadn’t really gained as much ground as we would have liked; in fact the target we had to stop the enemy getting hold of (an old ammo tin) was just behind us. Our flanking players weren’t having much luck either, as one particularly good sniper was sending them back to re-spawn at an alarmingly regular rate. This was not looking
good; we were struggling to get out of “our-half” and inviting the enemy further and further in. In most games there’s generally one pivotal moment when the game turns one way or another and in ours it was a couple of events that turned around what seemed like an inevitable loss. Firstly, although our flanking players were coming back they had managed to spot where our target was. So they waited until they could gather a few players together to go up in force rather than in dribs and drabs. The second bit of luck was that a group of the enemy had tried to come around the back of us but had been greeted by a well executed ambush that sent the lot of them on a long walk back. These two events combined to give us the chance to get forward, grab our target and return to our half. The game now moved into a countdown phase and the medic rules changed to “first hit medic, second hit and out”. All our players spread out and formed an extended semi-circle to cover the likely approach routes. We were on the left and we teamed up so that we could medic each other when needed to get quickly back into the fight. That brief time to re-organise and get into a better position paid off, as we seemed to be taking out a number of their players at a decent rate. On our right flank however that clever pesky sniper had moved into a very good position that gave
“THE SITE AND THE TERRAIN IS A GREAT LEVELLER; ALTHOUGH WE MAY HAVE HAD “ALL THE GEAR” AND I’D LIKE TO THINK A LITTLE OF “THE IDEA”, IT WAS A YOUNG LAD WITH A TWO-TONE M4 LAYING UNDER A FALLEN PINE TREE THAT MANAGED TO TAKE OUT OUR TWO LEAD PLAYERS.” www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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“I TURNED AROUND TO FIND I WAS STARING DOWN THE BARREL OF A 1911 AND A GRINNING PLAYER; “YEP I’LL TAKE THAT MATE” I SAID, FRACTIONALLY BEFORE ANT UNLEASHED A BURST OF BBS THAT TOOK OUT THE ENEMY PLAYER.” him an almost clear view to their ammo-box target. Having hit a good number of our team he was managing to keep them pinned down, fearing the dreaded second hit and the long walk back. The bulk of their team were coming through the middle and that was an error as one of our players, realising they were bunched together, lobbed in a particularly well timed Mk5 that landed at the feet of three of them; not giving the, any time to react it detonated before they could think “hard cover?” In addition a marshal stood about ten feet away so (and I’m not saying anybody would) there was no wriggle-room to take the hit and, fair play, they all started to shout for a medic. “Ten minutes,” came a shout from the marshal; this was going quite well. Our left flank then started to come under fire from a couple of players who’d take a large detour around onto some higher ground and we lost a couple of players cheaply on the left. The only thing was, that as soon as the enemy moved, we could now spot their shape as they were silhouetted against the grey sky and it allowed us to put lots of rounds into their general area. “Five Minutes!” On the right the sniper had taken his toll on our team and we were starting to wonder if we could actually hold out now, as we were down to only a handful of players. One of the guys that had been holding the centre came back and said he’d pretty much thinned them out so we started to put most of our focus on the two flanks. My buddy took a second hit and was out but the two of us left managed to take out their players; this was going down to the wire. We 74
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then heard that our right flank was open and I decided to drop around and take up a position over looking their ammo tin. “Three minutes!” Dropping into the dead ground I managed to flank around low enough to be out of range of their sniper and then was able to be looking back at our own players. We were down to three players; one sniper and two AEG’s. I was sure however that if they did try and rush the target that I had them bang to rights. “One minute!” Apart from me, our last two players were right on top of the ammo tin and then I noticed my team mate Ant levelling his rifle and aiming at me. “No, I told you I was dropping down here, don’t ‘blue-on-blue’ me mate!” I shifted position and was about to give a signal of “don’t shoot” when I turned around to find I was staring down the barrel of a 1911 and a grinning player; “Yep I’ll take that mate” I said, fractionally before Ant unleashed a burst of BBs that took out the enemy player. “End Ex!” We’d just about hung on! I congratulated the player with the 1911 on getting the drop on me and he said he hadn’t had a clue I was there, until he saw the butt of my M4 as I signalled to Ant not to shoot me. Thankfully Ant had seen the enemy player all along! The whole morning had been taken up with this one game and it showed just how much potential the site has, as around 25 players had used about 10% of the total area. As we chatted over our lunch the predicted rain started to come down. Well I say “rain” as this was sleet, hail and rain all mixed together with 45-50mph gusting wind; fantastic especially having slowly baked all week in a sun-drenched office. The afternoon was taken up with a general push-back scenario as we used some of the clearer routes around the site. It was fair play to anyone who could get their BB to fly straight for more than about 30m, as most of them were veering off at ninety-degrees shortly after leaving the barrel. It would be hard to say who the winners and losers were for the afternoon games, in reality anyone who stayed out in the conditions did really well. When we moved into one of the forestry blocks it was a little more protected from the wind and the snipers once again began to get their eyes in and the pace slowed down due to that unexpected “thup-thwack” that lets you know you’ve been tangoed! In one instance a sniper was well dug into a group of Laurel bushes and was able to thwart the efforts of any of the AEGs that tried to get close. Eventually sheer weight of numbers began to push the opposition back through the sodden pine forest to where ‘End-Ex’ was called. We trudged back to the safe zone and started to strip out of the sodden clothes that were keeping any semblance of warmth around our bodies but the momentary blast of cold was worth it once dry layers were added. The weather began to clear (by that I mean that the rain just began to fall vertically now) and a few hardy individuals wanted to go out for a further game of duelling pistols but we had just started to warm up so respectfully declined. “Have you had a good day” asked Michael one of the organisers “sites been a bit grim today.” Maybe because we were packing away he thought we hadn’t been impressed with the site but the truth was far from that. This is a great site and one of those that I prefer far more than the conveyer-belt-hit-and-regen that many other sites offer. We will definitely be back and having had a look at some of the photos of the site during the winter games I can’t wait for the weather to get even grimmer – did I really just write that!!
Information £10 members walk on £15 Non-members walk on Gun/kit hire is £5 including one hi-cap magazine of bbs. For details of games and other information visit the website at www.allarmsairsoft.co.uk
BASIC TECHNIQUES FOR AIPSC SHOOTING IN PART THREE OF HIS SERIES, COMPETITION SHOOTER, MARK HURDING, TELLS US HOW TO GET THE BASICS RIGHT IN PREVIOUS ISSUES WE HAVE looked at the history of Practical Pistol, safety, rules and what to expect at your first competition. Now we will begin to look at tried and tested techniques that, once learnt and mastered, will enable you to become an extremely efficient pistol shooter. I believe good “Pistol Craft” is as important to the skirmisher as it is the pistol competition shooter. After all, it may not be your primary weapon on the battle field but the pistol can be used with devastating effect if handled correctly. Being able to engage multiple targets in a matter of seconds is an obvious advantage whether you play airsoft or shoot at AIPSC competitions! There are many techniques that will be covered including shooting on the move, reloads, weak hand shooting, shooting from the prone position, shooting through and around barricades and more. All of these scenarios are presented in any AIPSC competition so good pistol craft is essential but these techniques will also give the skirmisher a clear advantage The first three elements we will cover are: The Stance (a solid and well balanced platform from which to shoot). The Draw (a quick an effective draw, vital for the competition shooter). The Grip (possibly the most important factor when it comes to shooting with a pistol). You cannot hope to become a successful pistol shooter unless you can master the core fundamentals, you’ll need to develop a solid platform from which to shoot from and the stance, the draw and the grip and the first three key components you’ll need to master.
FINDING YOUR OPTIMUM SHOOTING STANCE In the past there are two main types of stance for pistol shooting that were taught; they are the “Weaver” stance and the “Isosceles” stance, the differences between the two are as follows. Weaver Stance: The shooter stands slightly bladed in a classic “boxer’s stance” and pushes the gun toward the target using the strong hand and an equal amount of force with each arm. With the knees and arms both slightly bent, this gives a very stable platform. We do not have to worry too much about recoil while shooting AIPSC however, by employing the same (or at least similar) techniques as used by real steel shooters, we will not only achieve a better result but we will be able to replicate that result again and again. Isosceles Stance: The shooter grasps the gun with two hands, extending the arms straight out toward the target, with
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AIPSC INTRODUCTION - PART 3
The Draw: 1
the two arms and the shoulders forming an isosceles triangle. This was a very successful stance used by shooters with large calibre guns in the 80s but is quite rigid and does not allow for a full rotation left and right, which is often required in AIPSC competition. As Practical Pistol became more and more popular, it became apparent that neither of these old styles of shooting stance offered the perfect platform for the competition shooter. The competition shooter needs to be well balanced, comfortable and fully in control of his movements and his pistol. There is no longer a “right” or “wrong” stance for AIPSC, now it is more about finding a position that works well for individuals. You may not be pure Weaver, or pure isosceles but instead a combination of the two. Play with these concepts to the extent that when you bring the gun up to eye level, there is no fiddling around with the gun to find the sights. I would recommend that you try different types of stance and perhaps even develop your own unique stance, depending on your size, grip size and eye dominance. Then shoot a lot! Practise makes perfect and repetition will ensure that this optimum stance becomes your “default stance” – the stance you naturally go to when you draw your handgun. The more consistent your techniques become, the better your chances of improving your scores and the only way to achieve that is to practise!
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In figs 1–4 you can see how the hands move in unison, this is by far the quickest way to get your gun out of the holster and up to your line of sight and ultimately your target, quick target acquisition is the primary skill required for effective pistol shooting. As well as the stance and the draw, the grip also needs to be perfected, a poor grip will counter any speed that you have built up and can have a really negative outcome. It is not unknown for a competitor to fumble the draw due to an insufficient grip and because of the speed, he ends up throwing his gun down range… Not good!
THE GRIP At the start of any “stage” in an AIPSC competition, your pistol will be in one of various ready positions. It could be in your holster, or it may well be in an alternative starting position (on a table, in a drawer, in a box, loaded or unloaded etc.). So when the start signal is heard, It is important to grab your gun quickly but effectively, as you do not want to be adjusting your grip on the gun after you pick it up. It is also of equal importance that enough pressure is applied to be able to control the gun effectively but not so much that there is too much tension in the hands and arms. This leads to poor gun control and fatigue, both of which you don’t want during a competition.
THE DRAW Successful AIPSC shooting is all about the ability to be able to move quickly and shoot accurately, economies of motion play a very important part in AIPSC; any time wasted is lowering your score by the second! A fast an effective draw will help you gain valuable time during your competition, never forget that the time it takes you to complete a course of fire is as important (if not more so) than the score you get and the draw, if done well, will certainly aid in this. Your hands work naturally together and work faster if the left hand is moving at the same time as the right hand (or vice versa for left-handed shooters), therefore you need to move both hands at the same time for a quick, efficient and useful draw. In time, your gun will point at the area on the target you are looking at (this is discussed in more detail a little later in the article) but of course, it does take time to learn and get right so practice is key. Start slowly to master the techniques and develop the muscle memory. Practise at different speeds until you can draw you gun and get it on target every time. A quick draw is pointless unless your gun ends up on target, otherwise you’re just spending time repositioning and re-sighting at the end of the draw instead of during the draw. www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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“MANY PISTOL SHOOTERS STILL HAVE THE FIRST JOINT ON THE INDEX FINGER TOUCHING THE TRIGGER, THIS IS INCORRECT AND WILL RESULT IN FORCING THE GUN DOWN” There should be slightly more pressure from the weak hand than the strong hand (the strong hand being the “trigger finger” hand) and you should place the pad of your index finger on the trigger, to ensure a smooth trigger action. Many pistol shooters still have the first joint on the index finger touching the trigger, this is incorrect and will result in forcing the gun down and to the left, the “7 o’clock” position (for a right-handed shooter). The effect may not appear to be significant at the time but any movement of the front of the gun as the projectile leaves the barrel will have an effect on where the projectile ends up on (or off) the target. The more movement in the gun when fired, the more of a discrepancy there will be by the time the bullet makes contact with the target! You must grip the gun so the web of your hand is as far up the beaver tail (on 1911 type pistols) as possible for two reasons, firstly his brings the barrel of the gun in line (or as close as it can be) to your arm and therefore increases the accuracy of your aim and second, it affords you the greatest degree of control over the pistol. Assuming you are a right-handed shooter, both thumbs are 74
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stacked neatly together on the left side of the pistol and both are effectively “pointing” at the target. Your trigger finger, resting along the right side of the slide/frame, is also pointing at the target. Hips and shoulders square to the target, do not hunch or “round” the shoulders. Look directly at the target and then bring the gun up into your line of sight. Keep your head upright and square to the target, do not tilt your head back or let your chin drop down towards your neck and do not be tempted to tilt your head to one side, CSI style… You will not be aiming at what you think you are aiming at! Now Imagine a laser beam travelling from your eye to the point on the target you want to hit, bring your pistol up to this imaginary laser beam and it should pass through the back sight and the front sight of your pistol, with your thumbs and trigger finger all pointing at the target. Now take your shot with as little movement as possible… and there you have it, you are on target! A proper technique once learnt and committed to muscle memory will help you achieve a greater degree of success, so keep practising and the results will come. In the next issue we will look at reloads, shooting on the move, strong and weak hand shooting, shooting from the prone position and barricades!
Unit C1, Northway Trading Estate, Northway Lane, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8JH. United Kingdom.
Tel +44 (0)1684 273070 Fax +44 (0)1684 273052 Email chris.kong@redwolfairsoft.com
u k . r e d w o l f a i r s o f t . c o m www.facebook.com/redwolfuk.retail
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charity PILGRIM BANDITS
PILGRIM BANDITS ANNOUNCES 2015 PUNISHING CHALLENGE
SIX SEVERELY INJURED SOLDIERS TO KAYAK 465 MILES DOWN THE YUKON RIVER IN CANADIAN ALASKA, SEPTEMBER 2015 WITH PILGRIM BANDITS CHARITY
PILGRIM BANDITS CHARITY, WAS FOUNDED by ex-SAS veterans to test, by extreme physical challenges, severely injured men and women from all the services to enable them to rebuild personal confidence. And by working with schools, colleges, care homes and young offenders’ institutes, Pilgrim Bandits Charity also seeks to inspire underprivileged young people by sharing these remarkable experiences in informal and informative question and answer sessions. Pilgrim Bandits’ extreme expeditions are designed to push men and women from the Army, Navy, RAF, Police, Ambulance and Fire services to the absolute limit. Having sustained horrendous injuries either in the line of duty or during the time of their service in some other capacity, these challenges rebuild confidence and self-esteem, by requiring participants to employ a huge range of professional skills gained in service. Recent expeditions have included; an 80 mile trek across the Harangue Plateau, Norway retracing the steps of a famous allied mission in WW2 – The Heroes of Telemark. During 2014 the charity kayaked 90 miles of the Gironde from the Bay of Biscay to Bordeaux, retracing the remarkable Cockleshell Heroes mission also from WW2. Steve Beard of Pilgrim Bandits Charity explains, “This is our toughest expedition yet. The Yukon is one of the fastest
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flowing rivers in the world, if you capsize you are potentially swept a mile away from the expedition in just seconds. It’s cold, desolate and there are the added risks of brown bears, grizzly bears and moose. Our lads have had to go through a really tough selection test for this expedition, being physically able is only part of the criteria, they have to be mentally tough and to work as part of a tight-knit team. That applies to carers too. We don’t rule out lads taking part because they need a carer, like most military charities, but the carer has to qualify in their own right too. At one point on the expedition we will be over 100 miles from a road, or any kind of transport connection!” Setting this year’s expedition apart from previous years, Pilgrim Bandits Charity is also taking 10 fee-paying employees from EY, the financial firm. Each is required to pay for their own place, to offset the cost of the expedition, and then to raise money for the newly formed EY Foundation which shares the charitable aims of inspiring and encouraging young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with Pilgrim Bandits Charity. All fund raising will be shared between the two charities. www.pilgrimbandits.org For additional media information please contact: media@pilgrimbandits.org T. 01425 461600 M. 07767 784295
Snapshot PATCH-WERK PATCHES
PATCH-WERK
CUSTOM PVC BADGES AND INSIGNIA ALEX “RATBOY” HEATH WRITES ABOUT A SMALL GERMAN COMPANY MAKING A BIG NAME FOR ITSELF IN THE WORLD OF CUSTOM PATCHES SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN ARMIES, there has been insignia, heraldry and banners/flags and this still remains true today. Most forces having some sort of Regimental Flash, or Divisional/ Battalion insignia on their uniforms. But things have moved on slightly, there has been an increase in personalised “custom” badges, ranging from “tour” souvenirs and although these are usually in the form of a t-shirt, badges are becoming quite common now. Then there are “Morale Badges”, those badges we all love with some witty phrase or image to help keep us giggling and naturally, raise morale as well as the more serious style of insignia such as Unit flashes, Blood Group Indicators, Nationality flags, Callsigns and so on. In the realms of Airsoft we all like to mimic our favourite units, or even have a team badge made up to help with I.D. of team mates on the field. Some take on a similarity to real world designs, while others are unique to the team. Patch-Werk, a small company in Germany, specialises in making such badges – anything from Morale Badges, to Team Patches and Event specific designs, plus anything else you can think of. Made from top quality PVC, each badge is laser cut and comes mounted onto a Velcro backing, ready to be put onto your kit. The great thing about their badges is the quality and pricing. Be aware though, custom work may be a bit more expensive due to manufacturing costs, so if you are creating your own team insignia, it may work out better to order in bulk. Pre made designs are available from the Online shop, most coming at under €10, which is very fair when you consider what you get is a wipe clean, waterproof and
well-made patch, so you never need to worry about it falling apart or getting damaged and, because of the way they’re made you even get a great “3D” Effect too. 3D patches are a little more complex and you’ll need to carefully read Patch-Werk’s website to make sure you get the requirements right but you can always give them a call to discuss what you need and the effect you are trying to achieve. They have many years of experience and may well be able to point you in a better direction, or give you some tips about how to achieve the “look” you are going for. Patch-Werk also offer something called a “Big Back Plate” – an up to 12”x4” (30cm x 10cm), double-stitched Corduranylon patch, fully Velcro backed with team name, individual call sign or team logo on a full colour graphic. Here the minimum order quantity is 5 pieces but each of the BBP can have an individual call sign. Have a look on their Website www. Patch-werk.com for some great examples of work they’ve already done, or search for “PatchWerk” on Facebook, where they will occasionally have a competition going to win some of their latest designs, or even win the chance to have your own designs made for real. Really well worth the money and a great way to ensure you and your team stand out from the crowd. www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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Snapshot WE MAKAROV
TEAM RHINO’S ANGELO DI-VITO GETS TO GRIPS WITH WE’S VERSION OF THIS MUCH-FAVOURED RUSSIAN PISTOL
WE MAKAROV THE MAKAROV IS ONE OF THE LATEST PISTOLS to come out of WE that I have been asked to test and review. WE have really upped the ante over the last couple of years with manufacture and quality control of their pistols, rifles and ancillaries. As most of their pistols are compatible with Tokyo Marui they have inevitably been benchmarked against the TM products, which is never easy. Anyway on to my test results and review.
UNBOXING AND OVERVIEW On opening the box you get the usual “egg box-type” packaging which keeps everything in place and protected. In the box there is the pistol itself, magazine, manual and a barrel extension and silencer (more on these items later). On close inspection of the pistol the finish is very neat and tidy, with a matt black paint job and some basic trades and a couple of serial numbers. It’s not until you hold it you realise what a neat little unit this is, although players with larger hands may struggle with this as the pistol grip is very short. The magazine is again very neat and tidy and possibly the smallest pistol mag I’ve ever seen.
FIELD STRIP AND TEST FIRE Now stripping this pistol is quite different to the usual Glock or 1911 strip down and it’s a little bit more tricky. Pull down the trigger guard then click the hammer back and push the slide right to the back and lift off, taking care you don’t snag the slide on the fire nozzle. This then gives you access to a very basic set up with the barrel and hop unit still attached the lower. The hop adjustment is again totally different to any I’ve seen on a WE pistol. No wheel, just a little slider at the back of the hop unit which is very easy to adjust. Reassembly was just as tricky as the strip-down, so be careful.
I filled the magazine with WE green gas and the magazine with the 16 bbs it takes, for which I chose to use Nuprol. On firing the first thing I noticed was how snappy and crisp the blowback was, as the slide has a very short stroke, it was also quiet. On the chrono test I got the usual 270-280fps with the mag at room temperature, which is what we come to expect from WE pistols. Now this is where things got really interesting. As I mentioned earlier, this Makarov comes with a barrel extension and silencer which both just screw onto the inner and outer barrels, so no need to strip the unit. I refilled the mag with gas and bbs and put it through the chrono – the results were astonishing! The fps had increased to 365-380 and I checked this at least three times, plus it was whisper quiet. So if you’re planning to skirmish this pistol I recommend using a low power gas like 144a. I got two bb reloads to one gas fill as the mags are very small, in keeping with the design of the pistol.
SUMMARY This little pistol really puts a smile on your face when you fire it, as it is very snappy and sounds great. It also looks very good, especially with the silencer fitted and the compact size makes it ideal for concealing at MilSim events etc. The only down sides to this pistol that I can see are it’s compact size will put off people with larger hands and the strip down is a little tricky – but it’s certainly on my shopping list. Enjoy! The test pistol was kindly supplied by Milspec Solutions and is available now on their website.
“THIS MAKAROV COMES WITH A BARREL EXTENSION AND SILENCER WHICH BOTH JUST SCREW ONTO THE INNER AND OUTER BARRELS, SO NO NEED TO STRIP THE UNIT. I REFILLED THE MAG WITH GAS AND BBS AND PUT IT THROUGH THE CHRONO - THE RESULTS WERE ASTONISHING!” www.airsoft-action.co.uk
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SURVIVAL EXPERT, PAUL YELLAND, WRITES ABOUT ONE OF NATURE’S “HORRID LITTLE CREATURES” THAT CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR AIRSOFTERS, PARTICULARLY IN SUMMER
TICK TALK THERE IS ONE THING IN AIRSOFT that is the bane of my life and that is ticks! When I am skirmishing during the warmer months, I constantly get bitten by these things and the problem with being bitten by a tick is that they can spread disease. I am sure that I am not the only person to have been bitten by a tick whilst playing and there could be airsofters out there who are completely unaware of ticks and the risks associated with a bite. So, I hope that this article will help other airsofters become “tick aware”.
WHAT ARE TICKS?
A close-up image of a sheep tick
Ticks are small parasites which feed from the blood of mammalian hosts, including humans. The size of a tick will vary depending on its type, age and sex but can range from anywhere between less than one millimetre, up to three millimetres in size. The body of the tick will swell once it has fed with blood, making it larger – about the size of a pea.
WHERE DO TICKS LIVE?
Different tick sizes
Ticks live on the ground and amongst vegetation. They have legs, so can move from one surface to another. When an animal or a human walks through the vegetation, the tick attaches itself to the chosen host and will then try to find a suitable area of flesh to feed from. The trouble for us is that airsoft often takes place in areas such as forests and grasslands, which expose players to the risk of tick bites, especially when crawling through the undergrowth.
THE BITE There are health risks associated with a tick bite. Ticks carry numerous diseases including Lyme disease and can pass this disease on to humans. Not every tick will be infected but an awareness of the risks posed by being bitten is sensible. Lyme disease can be serious if not recognised and treated swiftly. Most people do not realise that they have been bitten by a tick, as the bite is painless. When a tick penetrates the host’s skin with its mouth, it injects saliva into the bite. This saliva acts like an anaesthetic, which numbs the area and
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breaks down tissue. The tick then inserts a feeding tube through the tissue to A tick embedded in a human extract the host’s blood. This feeding tube has backward facing barbs, which enables the tick to anchor itself firmly to the host’s body. The tick bite and surrounding tissue may well become inflamed and itchy as the body reacts to it. This usually occurs once the tick has started to feed, or has finished feeding and detaches itself. The localised reaction to the A swollen tick, full of blood after bite can be the first time feeding that a person realises that a tick has been feeding off them. Once a tick is found on your body, it should be removed as soon as possible because the longer that a tick is left attached to you, the greater the risk of disease being passed from tick to host. Also, as the tick feeds, it will grow in size, ballooning outwards as it fills with blood. The increase in size will make it easier to see the tick, but is also a sign that the tick has been attached to the body for some time. Ticks live in woodland such as this
Feature XYZ
HOW TO REMOVE A TICK There are two ways to remove a tick from your body. The first is with a special tick removal tool, and the second is with fine pointed tweezers. When removing a tick, it is really important that the tick’s body is not squeezed as by doing so will force saliva and stomach contents, including any disease, from the tick and into the host’s blood stream. Hygiene is also important, so the site of the bite should be cleaned with antiseptic after the tick has been removed. Touching the tick with your fingers should be avoided to prevent infections being transmitted from the tick into any open wounds that might be present on your fingers and hands.
DON’T DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: • Try to burn off the tick • Apply ointments or chemicals to the tick • Use your fingers to remove a tick Any of the above actions could stress the tick causing it to regurgitate its stomach contents which will increase the risk of infection It might be wise to keep any tick which has been removed in a container so that it can be analysed, should an illness follow a tick bite.
LYME DISEASE
1: Tick Removal Tool The most effective way to remove a tick is with a special tick removal tool. The benefit of using something such as a tick removal tool is that no pressure is applied to the body of the tick, reducing the risk of squashing its stomach contents back into the host’s blood. The jaws of the tool are inserted as close to the skin as possible, making sure that the tick is side on, inside the tool’s jaws. The tool is then rotated in one direction, two or three times until the tick lifts away. It is important that the tick is not pried upwards as this will detach the mouth and leave it inside the skin, possibly becoming Using the tick removal infected. Once the tick is removed, tool clean the wound and monitor for signs of infection.
2: Tweezers Only use fine pointed tweezers, not the blunt eyebrow ones. It is very important that the tick is grasped as close to the skin as possible, making sure that the body of the tick is not being squeezed. Do not twist the tick but instead pull it away from the skin applying steady pressure until it becomes free. There could be considerable resistance as you pull the tick because it will be firmly embedded in the skin. Again, once the tick has been removed, clean the wound and watch for signs of infection. Use fine pointed tweezers or a tick removal tool
The early symptoms of Lyme disease can develop between two and thirty days after being bitten by an infected tick. Symptoms include: • A circular rash at the site of the bite which resembles a bulls eye • Fatigue • Muscle pain • Fever • Head ache / stiff neck • Chills Not everyone who has Lyme disease will experience all of the above symptoms but it is important that anybody who has been bitten (or suspects that they might have been) and starts to experience any of the symptoms, should go and visit their GP as soon as possible. A course of antibiotics may well be prescribed which should effectively relieve any early symptoms and prevent long term health issues associated with Lyme disease from developing. If the early symptoms are not recognised and go untreated, more serious complications could develop. Over the following months (possibly even years), the following may be experienced:
The “bulls eye” Lyme disease rash
• Painful and swollen joints • Facial paralysis • Painful limbs • Memory problems • Heart problems • Meningitis – severe headaches and stiff neck
PREVENTION The general advice for preventing tick bites includes the following: • Wear long sleeved tops and tuck trouser bottoms into socks • Use insect repellent • Check your body for ticks regularly, paying attention to the head, armpits, waist and groin • Use a mirror, or get someone to check those “hard to see” places on your body • Shake off clothing and equipment before entering your home Do not use blunt eye brow tweezers or forceps to remove a tick
I have managed to reduce the number of tick bites that I receive by following the advice above. Further advice and support can be obtained from Lyme Disease Action (support@lymediseaseaction.org.uk) or your local General Practitioner. As with many things, following simple, tried and tested advice is often the best thing to do. It has worked well for me and will also do so for you. Happy (tick-free) airsofting!
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SIMPLY AWESOME AIRSOFT AT GUNMAN NORWICH DEDICATED MONTHLY MILSIM EVENTS FOR AS LITTLE AS £30 FOR THE WEEKEND CALL JOSH ON 07854 277264 VISIT WWW.GUNMANAIRSOFT.CO.UK OR FIND US ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/GunmanAirsoft
“SERGEANT YORK”
SNIPER ONE, DAN MILLS, CONTINUES HIS SERIES ON NOTABLE SNIPERS WITH A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR WHO BECAME ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST DECORATED SOLDIERS AT THAT TIME “A HIGHER POWER THAN MAN guided and watched over me and told me what to do.” For this month’s sniper article we scroll back to Word War One and one of Americas most decorated soldiers of the period. Sergeant York earned the Medal of Honor, America’s highest award for bravery during a battalion attack against heavily defended German trench positions on Hill 223.
rifle to help feed the family and working on the family farm. Alvin took over as head male after his Father’s early death in 1911 and was skilled with the tool that put food on the table. He was a heavy drinking, gambling roughneck until he met one Gracie Williams. Gracie soon curbed his ways. Growing up in a very strict religious manner, regularly attending the local Christian Union services, where he became an “Elder”. The pacifist church had been formed after the American Civil War and were a group who ”HE RETURNED FULLY COMMITTED HAVING CONVINCED HIMSELF were against all form of killing and warfare. THAT GOD HAD CHOSEN THIS PATH FOR HIM AND IT WAS RIGHT When the “Draft” caught up with Alvin THAT HE GO TO WAR AND FIGHT.” he wrote on the form that he did not want to fight but it was rejected and he was drafted anyway. Drafted into the US Army, serving in G Company of the York received the award for leading an attack on a nest of 328th Infantry Regiment of 82nd Infantry Division in Georgia, German machine guns, capturing or destroying 32 machine guns. In doing so, he and his remaining men killed twenty he was to have many discussions with his superiors about his German soldiers and captured over a hundred and thirty more, willingness to retain moral beliefs. Sent on special leave to read taking them back as prisoners! Not bad for a conscientious and think about his pacifism and his beliefs and what was right for his country, he returned fully committed having convinced objector! himself that God had chosen this path for him and it was right One of eleven children, Alvin York was born in Pall Mall, Tennessee growing in a log cabin, hunting small game with a that he go to war and fight, after spending two days and
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Sniper SGT AC YORK
amounts of small arms and ammunition, along with the prisoners. He was promptly promoted to Sergeant on the spot and put in for an award. During the next day the scene of battle was observed and 28 dead German soldiers were found, the exact number York had reported he had fired upon… awesome shooting! Sergeant York was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, however this was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor after an investigation into the action. On the award of the Medal of Honor, York’s citation read: “After his platoon suffered heavy casualties and 3 other non - commissioned officers had become casualties, Corporal. York assumed command. Fearlessly leading 7 men, he charged with great daring a machine gun nest which was pouring deadly and incessant fire upon his platoon. In this heroic feat the machine gun nest was taken, together with 4 officers and 128 men and several guns.” Shortly after York returned to the scene and prayed for all those who had lost their lives that day. It was then not long until the end of the war and York’s story had not hit the press back home, until it was discovered by a reporter out battlefield touring. It soon spread as a good news piece and York returned home amid celebrations and fame. After a week back home he was reunited with his beloved Gracie and they were married on 7th of June 1919. Sergeant York went on to be awarded many medals from other nations, including The Croix De Guerre and Legion of Honour from France, the DSC and War Merit Cross. After the war he returned with Gracie to Tennessee and was determined to help educate those families living in the valley, so
nights up on the mountain tops. Along with his battalion, York set sail for France and arrived in the front lines trenches on the 27th June 1918. Over the next few months of service York became accustomed to life in battle and must have done well because, by October he had been promoted to Corporal and led a section of men. That October the battalion was heavily involved in fighting in the Argonne, a huge forest along the Decauville Railway Line to the North of Chatel – Chehery, France, when they got a heavy pounding by artillery and machine gun nests, all with interlocking arcs of fire. Many casualties were taken and York’s platoon were ordered to work their way around the rear and destroy the German positions causing so much harm. The small group, led by a Sergeant Early, managed to crawl their way round, “WITH NO TIME TO RELOAD HIS RIFLE HE DREW HIS COLT .45 AND SHOT ALL surprising and capturing the SIX DEAD, STARTING FROM THE ONE AT THE REAR PICKING THEM ALL OFF unit’s headquarters including a Major, when a burst of DOWN TO THE NEAREST!” machine gunfire from the high ground caught them in the open killing many of the platoon. he raised the cash to build a bible school and a high school in Corporal York was now in charge and finding himself under his name. For the next 35 years Alvin York hunted and fished, intensive fire, began to retaliate: educated, preached and together with Gracie raised seven kids. “And those machine guns were spitting fire and cutting After suffering brain damage in the early fifties he would down the undergrowth all around me something awful. And be an invalid for the remaining years of his life. He died at a the Germans were yelling orders. You never heard such a racket Veteran’s hospital in Nashville on 2nd September 1964 and was in all of your life. I didn’t have time to dodge behind a tree or buried in his family plot. dive into the brush... As soon as the machine guns opened fire on me, I began to exchange shots with them. There were over thirty of them in continuous action and all I could do was touch the Germans off just as fast as I could. I was sharp shooting... I don’t think I missed a shot. It was no time to miss… All the time I kept yelling at them to come down. I didn’t want to kill any more than I had to. But it was they or I. And I was giving them the best I had.” York had left the remainder of his men guarding the captured prisoners and was advancing when without warning he was charged by six enemy infantry, all with bayonets fixed. This happened just as he had emptied his Enfield rifle and so, with no time to reload he drew his Colt .45 and shot all six dead, starting from the one at the rear picking them all off down to the nearest! Astonishingly Corporal York was still unscathed and standing his ground, set off to deal with the machine guns. On the opposing side a German First Lieutenant Paul Vollmer commanding First Battalion, 120 Landwher Infantry had emptied his pistol at York in an attempt to down him. Frustrated at losing so many men to one man he sued for surrender, begging that if he only stopped shooting they would lay down their arms! Corporal York took them prisoner and re-joined by his handful of men and their POWs captured earlier, together they marched over 130 prisoners back to the American lines. His actions that day allowed the 328th Infantry to renew its attack to capture the railroad. York had silenced 35 machine guns and captured numerous
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PEBBLE ISLAND RAID THE FALKLAND ISLANDS, MAY 1982
BILLY BASICS STARTS A NEW SERIES, LOOKING AT FAMOUS (AND NOT SO FAMOUS) MISSIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD THAT MIGHT MAKE EXCELLENT SCENARIOS FOR THEME-BASED GAMES THE WIND OUTSIDE MY HOME OFFICE on the south coast is howling and my tomato plants are struggling to keep upright (I reckon they’re done for to be honest – shame) and it is at times like these that I thank the Lord that I am not out in it struggling across some windswept, God-forsaken moonscape with no recognisable features to guide me, carrying nigh on my own body weight in kit. And a punch up at the end of it too. But a common military strategy of the British Military is to launch commando raids from the least likely direction in the most awful weather, that keeps the enemy indoors or with their hoods up, keeping the rain and the wind out but limiting their senses and always in the middle of the night. Phew!!! Anyway Ed and I have agreed that until I exhaust this particular topic, I am going to share with you some of these daring raids from the Armies of the world, most of them will be Brits but there will be a few foreign forces in there too. So buckle up and let’s get going. The Falklands War – May 1982 The name “Pebble Island” sounds like a place that should be the neighbour of Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour… Squirrels, nice views, immaculate lawns and a gift shop but in 1982 it was the scene of a daring raid by D Sqn 22 SAS, on a small airfield that was going to threaten the British Task Force that was steaming towards San Carlos water to disembark troops and capture the islands back from the Argentines that had invaded a few months before. Admiral Sandy Woodward who was overall commander of the British Task Force, steaming the 8,000 mile trip to retake the islands was aware that his ships would be increasingly vulnerable the nearer they got to the intended landing sites. Both from ground based aircraft that would fly from the Argentine mainland to wreak havoc, such as the DassaultBreguet Super Étendard, which was armed with Exocet missiles (rumoured to have been sold to the Argentines by the French)
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and also from other aircraft on the West Falkland island. They believed that just such a threat existed with the presence of an unknown number of Pucara ground attack aircraft, which were much slower than the Dassault jets but which would pose a considerable threat to Landing Craft, troops on the ground and other targets in the open. Let’s not forget that hostilities had not been opened yet, the fleet were still some way away from the East Island landing site of San Carlos Sound and the SAS were keen to give the Argentines a kick in the nuts to weaken morale – and to give the Argies an idea of what was coming as well as taking out the threat from the aircraft. A threat that was soon going to leave the Fleet bloodied with each and every ship hit in some form or another. Woodward agreed to the raid after at first having declined it and following a convincing argument by the SAS Captain that it could (and should) be done. The final planning got under way and before long the recce group, who would go in first, were stepping onto the island across the water from Pebble Island. From here they were going to observe Pebble Island and then, the following night, paddle across for a closer look in their Klepper folding canoes, the same type of boats that were used in the Cockleshell Heroes raid during the WW2. However one look at the surf breaking on the rocks and the Boat Troop officer quickly realised that they’d be dashed to bits, so they stepped back onto the chopper and the recce team were flown closer to the objective on another island. In a whirling confusion of howling wind, rain, swearing, grunting men heaving bergens onto the wet mossy ground and flying debris kicked up by the Sea King’s rotors, the helicopter departed leaving the recce party in that surreal eerie quiet that follows choppers departing and flew back to HMS Hermes where Admiral Woodward and the rest of the SAS waited for the results of the recce. After watching for enemy movement on Pebble Island all the following day from their
Billy Basics FAMOUS MISSIONS
vantage point but seeing only penguins, the recce party assembled the folding boats as the light faded and paddled across to the target. Inching forward with weapons at the ready they neared the airfield, they could see a total of six Pucara ground attack aircraft, whose deadly payload would have ripped through the Paras and Marines as they scrambled on to the beaches. You can just imagine the gritty determination of the lads when they saw what could happen to their old Para comrades, these planes were not going to be allowed to get airborne. The airstrip was also home to 4-5 other aircraft and it was reported to be manned by 11 personnel but on this occasion, as so often happens, the Intel was wrong and there were over
100 personnel at the small base. To make matters worse, as the sun started to rise over Pebble Island the boys discovered to their horror that the ground on which they were laid on their belt buckles was as flat as a football pitch and with about as much cover i.e. not a scrap! They were completely exposed and had little alternative but to leave their bergens where they lay a few hundred metres from the airstrip and planes and to leopard crawl away back to a small ditch. Retain what “eyes on” they could and pray that no one saw their bergens lying out on the grass because if they were discovered it would have been a very tight spot indeed, 4 against over 100. Thankfully the Argentine soldiers had little interest in venturing out of their buildings to check the perimeter, so as night fell the cold but very relieved SAS soldiers (leaving their bergens behind) slipped away to meet the raiding party that was already inbound with the extra men and big guns to deliver the first blow to the Argentines of the war. It’s interesting to note at this point that another SAS OP elsewhere on East Falkland gathering intelligence and reporting it back to the planners aboard Hermes, was using the Argentine’s poor discipline to gain intelligence on them. On one of the mountains an SAS party was dug into the turf, watching the adjacent hill for signs of the enemy which would be passed back up the chain so the Infantry Bn that was to assault it would know where the trenches were.
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Each day (sometimes twice a day) a van carrying hot food would arrive and the Argentine troops would leap from their trenches to queue up, mess tins in hand, to get their lunch. This made the job of the observers easier as they now knew not only how many trenches and soldiers there were but also that discipline was poor and that their soldiering skills were no match for the British Army. Meanwhile the helis bearing the raiding party had landed on the island. The mortar bombs, explosives, machine guns and men were painstakingly being unloaded, checked, primed and finally the SAS soldiers were briefed by a whispering Captain
“THE AIRSTRIP WAS ALSO HOME TO 4-5 OTHER AIRCRAFT AND IT WAS REPORTED TO BE MANNED BY 11 PERSONNEL BUT ON THIS OCCASION, AS SO OFTEN HAPPENS, THE INTEL WAS WRONG AND THERE WERE OVER 100 PERSONNEL AT THE SMALL BASE.” to give them the up to date picture. Briefings complete he shouldered his own load, checked his cam and his safety catch and led the way towards the target. The raid had begun. The teams lined up in their positions, the attack group, left and right cover and a reserve (should things go badly wrong). The shooting started and rounds and rockets ripped into the aircraft setting some of them ablaze, rendering them unserviceable. Time was of the essence because Hermes had to sail close enough to the island to expedite the infil and exfil of the raiding party by heli. Woodward did not want to spend too long near the Island and it was because of this that the lives of the Argentines were spared. If more heli assets had been available, the original plan was to destroy all the aircraft as well as the garrison. Luck was
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on side of the Argentine personnel that night. The Argies had shown similar ruthlessness when they attacked the Royal Marines Barracks at Moody Brook when they invaded, pouring machine gun fire and rockets into it (luckily the Booties had been tipped off and left), although later they claimed to have tried to limit British casualties – a novel approach I think you’ll agree. The enemy very sensibly stayed indoors throughout the initial attack and under cover, emboldened, the SAS soldiers ran forward and got amongst the aircraft, placing charges, firing rockets and ensuring that they would not be repaired. The Argies would be spared but not their planes. HMS Glamorgan pounded the airfield with naval gunfire to mop up and to cover the lad’s withdrawal and it was at this stage that an interesting thing happened, which was to have repercussions in the way the Army did business later. As the Sqn withdrew and the firing stopped, an Argentine officer found his courage, emerged and started to rally his force to mount a follow up. Spotting this, a member of the SAS promptly shot the officer, who was no doubt wearing rank and waving his arms frantically, thereby identifying himself. The habit of wearing rank slides in battle was promptly dropped by the Brits. In total, six aircraft were destroyed in the SAS Raid on Pebble Island on 15 May 1982 and on 21 May a further Pucara was shot down by a Stinger SAM fired by D Squadron SAS (the first Stinger launched in combat). A highly audacious raid carried out by a well-trained fighting force, which changed the fortunes of the war.
THE BATTLE OF GRAVENSTAFEL RIDGE: 22-23 APRIL 1915
DAN MILLS CONTINUES HIS JOURNEY THROUGH THE GREAT WAR, WITH AN ENGAGEMENT FROM THE SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES AS WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN, the bubble that was the “Ypres Salient” was formed after clever movement and use of the natural obstacles on the ground by the Germans from the outset of the static warfare phase of the Great War. I have already written about the First Battle of Ypres, so over the next few issues I shall break down the 2nd Battle for Ypres into its component battles, having already covered in particular the use of gas, a new method of warfare. The Second Battle of Ypres was a battle lasting approximately one month, from the end of April to the end of May 1915, so as I write the 100-year anniversaries are upon us. Second Ypres was a series of battles fought throughout the month, fighting to hold or take the strategic Flanders town of Ypres in Belgium. Hopefully, you have already read about First Ypres fought the previous Autumn and, as we saw, it became infamous for the first real use of gas. Gas had been used once before on the Eastern Front at Bolimov but the bitterly cold conditions solidified the gas to a liquid, making it inert.
“SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE MINING COMMUNITY AMONGST THE CANADIAN DIVISIONS KNEW THAT UREA IN ONE’S OWN URINE WOULD NEUTRALIZE THE CHLORINE GAS, THEREFORE SAVING THEIR LIVES. WORD WAS SPREAD AND THE “RESPIRATOR SOLDIER MARK ONE” CAME INTO BEING, THE HUMBLE ARMY ISSUED SOCK, DRENCHED IN URINE!” 96
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The Second Battle of Ypres consisted of several battles and subsequent attacks: • The Battle of Gravenstafel: 22 – 23 April 1915 • The Battle of St. Julien: 24 April – 4 May • The Battle of Frezenberg: 8 –13 May • The Battle of Bellewaarde: 24 –25 May • The Battle of Hooge 30–31 July • The Second Attack on Bellewaarde 25 September 1915 Early on the eve of the 22nd April 1915 many Germans, after great effort, lost their own lives or became casualties from the effects of their own actions. They had carried (by hand) heavy loads up to the front lines opposite the French Divisions; over five thousand, ninety pound cylinders containing gas, into positions where they waited for a suitable time to release it against their foe. Just after 17:00hrs the wind was deemed as blowing in the right direction and they opened the cylinders to the elements. Gas is a double-edged weapon, it does not select its target, it attacks everyone within its grasp and fluctuations in the wind direction caused many deaths and injuries to the German soldiers too. The attack was on. The poisonous gas enveloped and hugged the ground heading into the French front lines, spreading the yellow death all over it took six thousand casualties. Most died of asphyxiation, strangling and drowning from the damage caused within their bodies. Those who jumped out of their defensive trenches to escape the gas were cut down by merciless fire from the enemy. Many ran back through the second line and beyond, spreading much panic and confusion when they dropped down and died, with the dense gas following on behind quickly filling the trenches and shell holes. Those out of the immediate danger area could only stand and watch with utter bemusement at the scene they were
WW1 2ND BATTLE OF YPRES
witnessing, the gas at this stage still unbeknown to them. The officers stood, revolver in hand shouting and demanding from passers-by fleeing for their lives the reason for this mass abandonment of the front line. This was a new experience for both sides, the Germans had no idea what the effect or success of such an attack would be and were therefore not really ready for such a good result, whilst the French and the other allies watching could only wonder how to react. Many soldiers ran or hid deep in the bottom of the trenches, others covered their faces in makeshift respirators. The gas penetrated any dip and fold in the ground and in particular lingered in holes, this killed many troops seeking shelter, burning them from the inside. Those on the periphery could smell something that made them nauseous and cause the eyes to run, overall the damage was terrible. For the watching German soldiers the effect was tremendous, a large gap had been blown into the opposing front lines before their very eyes, however, due to a lack of understanding regarding the effect of the gas, low reserves held in place (and a new suspicion about the lethality due to suffering many casualties themselves), they failed to exploit any advantage offered. In the end they had managed to advance forwards about a mile, after waiting for the yellow gas to disappear from view. As previously mentioned, several members of the mining community amongst the Canadian Divisions knew that Urea in one’s own urine would neutralize the Chlorine gas, therefore saving their lives. Word was spread and the “respirator soldier mark one” came into being, the humble army issued sock, drenched in urine! Here, one Lance Sergeant Elmer Cotton tells us about the effects of chlorine gas he experienced in 1915: “It produces a flooding of the lungs – it is an equivalent death to drowning only on dry land. The effects are these – a splitting headache and terrific thirst (to drink water is instant death), a knife edge of pain in the lungs and the coughing up of a greenish froth off the stomach and the lungs, ending finally in insensibility and death. The colour of the skin from white turns a greenish black and yellow, the colour protrudes
and the eyes assume a glassy stare. It is a fiendish death to die.” The flanks were held either side of the newly shaped front lines by soldiers wearing their socks covering noise and mouth, whilst other elements of the Canadian Expeditionary Force were moved forward to plug the gap, thus saving the day. An already over-stretched portion of the front, defending three sides due the bubble, had to stretch even further in order to encompass this new territory vacated by the French troops, extending about four miles. They did so after forming up and attacking back later that night. At a place called “Kitchener’s’ Wood”, the 10th and 13th Battalions were sent into the attack, countering against the German advances. Over 800 men strong in each Battalion with fixed bayonets attacked, they were met with stiff resistance by the defending Germans amongst hastily prepared obstacles. The Canadians managed to clear the wood but at a great cost; 75% casualties. Those battalions would need massive reinforcement or cease to exist. As dusk fell, in retaliation the German front line units set fire to stores of sulphur, an element used to create gases, by placing them in front of their own lines and setting a match to it. As you would imagine seeing a strange coloured mist approach for the second time caused much panic and confusion leading to a rapid withdrawal by French troops, way back from their lines. It was said that you could not see more than a couple of feet either side of each man. Luckily, though the immediate effects were undesirable, the casualties would make a full recovery. This attack on the ridge at Gravenstafel pushed the Salient over a mile closer to the town of Ypres, pushing the front line back to the town of St Julien. Once a comfortable trench line set back from the front, this was all about to change. In part two I will cover the remaining parts of 2nd Ypres.
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DIGITAL EDITIONS
AVAILABLE ON iPAD, iPHONE AND ANDROID VISIT
BOOK REVIEW IF I DIE IN A COMBAT ZONE
IF I DIE IN A COMBAT ZONE BY TIM O’BRIEN
KRIS ROBERTS: “READING ONE OF THE FINEST WAR NOVELS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY IN ONE DAY HAS LEFT ME SHAKEN AND A LITTLE NUMB. I HONESTLY COULD HAVE WRITTEN A 2,000 WORD PIECE ON THIS BOOK, SUCH WAS ITS EFFECT.” “I would wish this book could take the form of a plea for everlasting peace, a plea from one who knows, from one who’s been there and come back, an old soldier looking back at a dying war. That would be good. It would be fine to integrate it all to persuade my younger brother and perhaps some others to say no to wars and other battles. Or it would be fine to confirm the odd beliefs about war: it’s horrible, but it’s a crucible of men and events and, in the end, it makes more of a man out of you. But, still, none of these notions seems right. Men are killed, dead human beings are heavy and awkward to carry, things smell different in Vietnam, soldiers are afraid and often brave... Can the foot soldier teach anything important about war, merely for having been there? I think not. He can tell war stories.”
Content In the summer of 1968 Tim O’Brien, a college student from Minnesota, was drafted into the U.S army to fight in the Vietnam War. Born in the baby boom that followed World War Two, ‘one of millions of new human beings to replace those who had just died’ he was raised on the patriotic fervour of a victorious nation and played at being soldier with the relics of his father’s war. A thoughtful intellectual, O’Brien quickly discovered books and immersed himself in the philosophies of Plato and Socrates and other great thinkers. With college came an interest in politics, and lazy days were spent in local taverns or the classroom deep in conversation about life and the conflict half a world away. Thoughts of dodging the draft were ever present and right up until the end of basic training O’Brien had plans in place to slip across the border to Canada and flee to Sweden. But the voices of home and the fear of shame kept him in uniform and, soon enough, he was facing the reality of jungle warfare. Patrols, ambushes, unseen snipers and the sweat-drenched fear of land mines dominated his 365 day tour, where moments of horror mixed with moments of levity and indifference and the observant young thinker was continuously alert to the changes and challenges to his perceptions. What is courage? What is a hero? What is just?
Impressions It is hard to summarise in this short article the brilliance of this book. In this tale of a man who opposes the war and struggles continuously with his ideals, yet freely pulls the trigger when face to face with the enemy, many readers may dismay at
what appears to be a contradictory mess. In fact, what this honest account does is show the complexities of both war and the human spirit. O’Brien’s account is not about regimental banners and upholding honour, it is about the people involved on all sides and personal feeling. Its pages are laced with humiliation and insanity, mistreatment, rage, stupidity, compassion and callousness. This book is a far cry from the likes of Chris Kyle or Marcus Luttrell, where God and country are the be all and end all of any questionable actions. Instead, O’Brien has the intellect and capacity to transcend the rhetoric and seek the greater truths. Not with vanity or pretension but simply because he has the courage to do so. Often the answers are hard to swallow or simply non-existent and the ever watchful author is left confronted with the evil and absurdity of it all. ‘Courage is nothing to laugh at, not if it is proper courage and exercised by men who know what they do is proper. Proper courage is wise courage. It’s acting wisely, acting wisely when fear would have a man act otherwise. It is the endurance of the soul in spite of fear – wisely’ An absolute must read!
INFORMATION The review copy was published by Flamingo Modern Classics. RRP: £6.99
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SYMBOL KEY IS IT WOODLAND OR URBAN? CHECK THE KEY! UKARA
UKARA MEMBER WOODLAND
£
SHOP ONSITE BATTERY CHARGING URBAN PYROS ALLOWED REPAIR SERVICE
DESERT
Email nige@airsoft-action.co.uk to add or change a site listing
ATROOP AIRSOFT
ACE COMBAT
AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQB
Clocaenog Forest, LL16 4SP 07967 394976 www.atroop.co.uk
Kent, TN12 7DG 01303 814803 www.acecombat.co.uk
Studley, B80 7LY 07764 587410 www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk
ABER AIRSOFT – THE BUNKER
AIRBORNE 101 AIRSOFT CLUB
ALL ARMS AIRSOFT
Allt-lywd Wood Farm, outside Llanrhystud, nr. Aberystwyth, Wales. 07511554740 www.aberairsoft.co.uk
Downpatrick, Co. Down, BT30 07718 032541 robinsonm24@btinternet.com
Near Trawden, BB8 8SN 07909 683464 www.allarmsairsoft.co.uk
AIRSOFT ASYLUM
ALPHA 55
North Lanarksire, ML7 5 www.airsoftasylum.webs.com
Halkyn wood, North Wales CH8 8DF 0845 257 6937 www.alpha55.co.uk
ARENA AIRSOFT
ALPHA ELITE GAMING
AWA HERTS
Le Mont de Rozel, Jersey, JE3 5 01534 733697 www.aegairsoft.je
Sawbridgeworth, Herts, CM23 4BJ 07732 184957 www.awaherts.com
AMAZON EVENTS
BADLANDS AIRSOFT
Hellingly, East Sussex, BN27 4HL 0844 2570433 www.amazonoutdoorevents.co.uk
Rowlands Castle, Hamps PO9 6DP 07534 465589 www.badlandsairsoft.co.uk
AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM
BARNSLEY AIRSOFT
ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT Maidenhead, SL6 3SS 07871 314951 www.absolute-airsoft.co.uk
AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON New Forest National Park, SP5 2DW 01252 315225 www.ambushadventures.co.uk
APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7QP 07872 348 576 www.apocalypseairsoft.com
Grimsby, DN31 3JD 07752 404060 www.arenaairsoft.com
AIRSOFT COMMANDOS ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES Holbrook Coppice, Buidwas Bank (A4169), Buildwas, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk
Sutton, near Ferrybridge 07723 061386 andyace@ntlworld.com
AIRSOFT KGB
ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES
Porkellis Moor near Helston, Cornwall, TR13 0 Chef1322@hotmail.com www.kgbairsoft.com
Tong Wood, Newport Road Wolverhampton TF11 8PN 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk
AIRSOFT SKIRMISH
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July 2015
Stoulton, WR7 4QW 07764 587410 www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk
Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8SL 01252 315225 www.ambushadventures.co.uk
Shafton, Barnsley, S72 8RE 07779 236166 www.barnsleypaintball.co.uk
SITE DIRECTORY
Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data
FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
BATTLETEC AIRSOFT La Couture, Guernsey, GY1 2 07781 104068 www.battletec.co.uk
BETTER BATTLES Ravenshead, Notts, NG15 9DH 07967 940043 www.better-battles.com
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT Bradford, BD2 1BQ 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – RIVOCK EDGE Keighley, BD20 0LS 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT
ELITE BATTLEZONE
Truro, Cornwall, TR2 07863 240153 www.cornwallseliteairsoft.co.uk
Bexley, Greater London, DA5 1NX 07968 448475 www.elitebattlezone.co.uk
COTSWOLD AIRSOFT
EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT
Bourton Woods On the B4479, Blockley Near Bourton-on-the-hill www.cotswoldairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07724629140
Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 0AN 01380 728982 www.experienceairsoft.co.uk
BLACKDAGGER AIRSOFT Grasscroft Wood, Barlow Lees Lane, Dronfield, S18 7UR www.blackdagger-airsoft.co.uk
BLUESTREAK AIRSOFT Westcott Venture Park, Westcott, Aylesbury, HP18 0XB 01296 658600 www.bluestreak-airsoft.co.uk
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – SHEFFIELD WOODLAND Sheffield, S6 6JE 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT Brimington, Chesterfield, S43 1DQ www.cia-airsoft.co.uk
CUMBRIA AIRSOFT Dumfries, DG12 cumbria.airsoft@virgin.net www.cumbria-airsoft.com
DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT Ellough Lark Raceway, Benacre Road, Ellough, Norfolk 07455906132
BORDERLINE AIRSOFT 51 Green Road, Ballyclare,Co. Antrim Northern Ireland, BT39 9PH 028 9303 7030 or 07729219341 www.borderlinecombat.com
BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT Leisure Lakes, Mere Brow, Southport. PR46JX 07790 715059 www.bravo22airsoft.com
BRISTOL AIRSOFT Bristol, BS1 2HQ 07776 288826 www.bristolairsoft.com
CLOSE ACTION AIRSOFT
DARKWATER AIRSOFT
Corby, NN17 3BB 07740 165787 www.close-action.co.uk
Hythe, Kent CT21 5SL 07947 558433 www.darkwaterairsoft.co.uk
COMBAT ACTION GAMES
DELTA TEAM 3
FIFE WARGAMES St Andrews, KY10 3XL info@fifewargames.co.uk www.fifewargames.com
Maryland, Norfolk, NR10 4 07748 023832 www.facebook.com/ combatactiongames
Skelmersdale, Lancs WN8 8UT 07986 053076 www.deltateam3.co.uk
Buckingham, MK18 4JT 07976 184897 www.finmereairsoft.com
FIREBALL SQUADRON
COMBAT AIRSOFT Just off the A11 outside Thetford Norfolk follow signs for Combat Paintball -tel: 07703 045849 www.combatairsoftgames.co.uk
DOGS OF WAR Houston, Renfrewshire, PA6 7BP 07853 195290 www.dow-airsoft.co.uk
DRAGON’S LAIR COMBAT SOUTH URBAN Portsmouth, PO6 3LS 02392 655636 www.combatsouth.co.uk
Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0LA 07703 530189 www.dragonslairairsoft.co.uk
BUNKER 51
DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT
Charlton, SE7 8NJ 0870 7549653 www.wolfarmouries.co.uk
Caerwent Training Area, South Wales, NP26 5XL 07921 336360 www.dragonvalley.co.uk
COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND Fareham, PO17 5ND 02392 655636 www.combatsouth.co.uk
C3 TACTICAL Longhope, Gloucestershire, GL17 0PH 07597 938011 www.c3tactical.co.uk
Lewisham, SE13 5SU 07973 240177 www.firefight.co.uk
FINMERE AIRSOFT
BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT Sheffield, S2 5TR 07795 631331 www.brittacairsoft.com
FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS
CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 5 01438 368177 www.thefightschool.demon.co.uk
DOG TAG AIRSOFT Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4SE TEL 01293 852 314 www.holmbushpaintball.co.uk/airsoft
CERBERUS AIRSOFT - THE COMPLEX
COOL UNDER FIRE
ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING
Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4RP 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
Doddington, Kent, ME9 0JS 07960 532613 www.coolunderfire.co.uk
Worthing, BN13 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com
Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA 07582 684533 www.fireballsquadron.com
FIRST AND ONLY – ANZIO CAMP Leek, ST13 8 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST AND ONLY – BUNKER WOOD Kidderminster, Worcs, DY11 5SA 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST AND ONLY – KHE SANH WOODS Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 2NA 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST AND ONLY – MANCHESTER WOODLAND Bolton, BL7 9TS 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
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FIRST AND ONLY – ASYLUM
GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON
LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT
NCIS AIRSOFT
Kidderminster, DY10 3PT 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
Piddington, Oxfordshire, OX25 1 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk
Gorebridge, Midlothian, EH23 4LG 0131 654 2452 www.airsoftedinburgh.co.uk
Edinburgh, EH14 4 nick@ncis-airsoft.co.uk www.ncis-airsoft.co.uk
FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE
GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT
LAC SITE 1
NOMAD AIRSOFT
Middleton, Manchester, M24 1AZ 0161 727 8863
Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com
Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
Fenwick, Ayrshire, KA3 6AY 07904 998250 www.nomadairsoft.com
FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY
GREENZONE COMBAT
Wrexham, Denbighshire, LL13 9RG 0161 727 8863
Co. Armagh, BT60 1NE 07772 919974 www.greenzonecombat.com
FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 6QF 0161 727 8863
FIRST & ONLY: THE ASYLUM Kidderminster, DY10 3PT 0161 727 8863
FIRST & ONLY: THE OUTPOST Kidderminster, DY11 5SA 0161 727 8863
FIRST & ONLY: SLEEPY HOLLOW Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 5LS 0161 727 8863
GUN HO AIRSOFT Guisborough, TS7 0PG 07525 435696 www.gunhoairsoft.co.uk
GUNMAN AIRSOFT – CAMBRIDGE Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 07854 277264 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk
GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS RAF Honiley/The Grange Frogmore Grange, Frog Lane, Balsall Common, West Mids CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532 384 info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk www.shop. suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk
LAC SITE 2 Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
FIRST & ONLY: THE DEPOT
GUNMAN AIRSOFT – NORWICH Norwich, Norfolk, NR10 07854 277264 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk
LAC SITE 3 Saxillby, LN1 2JW 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 2DF www.groundzerowoodland.com
HILTON PARK AIRSOFT Wolverhampton, WV10 7HU 08000 354490 www.paintballuk.com
FREE FIRE ZONE Farcet, Peterborough, PE7 3DH 01733 247171 www.freefirezone.co.uk
LAC SITE 5 Kirton Rd, North Lincs, DN16 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
LINDSEY AIRSOFT Manby, Lincolnshire, LN11 8HE 07955 487983 www.lindsey-airsoft.co.uk
Spanby, Lincs, NG34 0AT 07971 560249 facebook.com/HomelandTacticalAirsoft
FRV AIRSOFT Annacloy, Downpatrick, BT30 8JJ 07730 586926 www.frvairsoft.com
Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5FW 07974 507166 www.matlockcombatgames.com
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 07562 479966 maw.airsoft@hotmail.com
MIA HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT
Cornwall, EX23 9JL 01288 331748 www.airsoftsouthwest.co.uk
MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES HUMBER AIRSOFT North Lincolnshire, DN21 www.humberairsoft.co.uk 07792 680297
Wrightington, WN6 9PL 01942 514724 www.militaryoutdooradventure.co.uk
GASS AIRSOFT – PENN Penn Bottom, Bucks, HP10 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk
MILSIM UK ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT Near Shorwell, Isle of Wight, PO30 07964 751047 www.islandrecon.co.uk
104
July 2015
Northfleet, Kent, DA11 9AA 07968 448475 www.elitebattlezone.co.uk
NSC AIRSOFT
MAW
GROUND ZERO WOODLAND
Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 3LQ 01845 565465 www.northernallianceairsoft.co.uk
NORTHFLEET CQB
MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES Glasgow, G45 9SB 0161 727 8863
NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT
Checkley, Staffordshire, ST10 4NS 07523 916607 www.milsimuk.co.uk
Hetton, Sunderland, DH5 0 07983 333521 www.nscairsoft.co.uk
NTAC Durham, DL4 2ER 01642 281220 www.ntac.co.uk
OBAN AIRSOFT – HILL ARGYLL Argyll and Bute, PA37 1 07967 710185 www.argyllsurplus.com
OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT 07964 990831 www.op-tac.co.uk
OVER THE TOP AIRSOFT CLUB Anglesey, LL71 www.ottairsoft.co.uk 07731 744471
PATHFINDER GROUP AIRSOFT MILITARY SIMULATION Former RAF Camp Sopley/ Merryfield Park, Hants, BH23 02380 899369
PHOENIX AIRSOFT Welbeck Airsoft, Academy, Budby Road, Notts NG20 9JX 07956 587213/01623 812483 www.phoenix-airsoft.co.uk
Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data
SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
PLATOON 1HQ
SG1 COMBAT GAMES
TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT
UCAP AIRSOFT
Rochester, Kent, ME1 1 HQ 01634 829063 www.ptt-1hq.co.uk
Co. Londonderry, BT45 8NA 07713 273102 www.sg1combatgames.co.uk
Reynoldston, Swansea SA3 1AS 01792 473336 www.tacticalwales.co.uk
Portsmouth, Hants, PO17 6AR 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk
PLAYERS OF WAR
SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY
TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT
UCAP GREEN OPS
High Bonnybridge, FK1 3AD 07767 203979 www.playersofwar.co.uk
Billericay, Essex, CM11 2TX 01277 657777 www.airsoft-billericay.co.uk
Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9PL 020 8665 1299 www.tacticalwarfare.co.uk
Linch, West Sussex, GU30 7 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk
PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES
SKIRMISH EXETER
TECH BRIGADE
Ballynahinch, BT24 8NF 02897565651 / 07825169631 www.predatorcombat.com
Exeter, Devon, EX4 5 01548 580025 www.airsoftexeter.co.uk
Newgate Street, Hertfordshire. SG13 8NH 07841 713356 www.techbrigade.org
RAVEN’S NEST
SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT
Suffolk, IP8 4 01473 831563 www.ravensairsoft.co.uk
Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0LR 07766 770830 www.southdownairsoft.com
RAW WAR AIRSOFT CUMBRIA
SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH
THE BUNKER
Wareham, Dorset, BH20 7EU 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk
Aberystwyth, www.aberairsoft.co.uk 07841 462806
Wigton, Cumbria CA7 3SZ 01900 85645 www.airsoftcumbria.co.uk
RED1AIRSOFT Chislehurst, Bromley BR7 6SD 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk co.uk
RED1AIRSOFT CQB Red1 CQB. Kings Langley, WD4 8RN 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk
RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3 Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com
RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM) Cambridge, CB24 8RL 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com
SECTION 8 AIRSOFT Shotts, N Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com
Cowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF71 02920 593900 www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk
Bean, Kent, DA2 8 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk
ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY 01268 796130 www.ultimatewargames.co.uk
ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH www.ultimatewargames.co.uk
URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13 SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – THE ROCK
THE DESERTERS AIRSOFT
Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EG 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk
Redford, DD11 07751 878175 www.thedeserters.co.uk
Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0QN 07432 291729 www.urban6airsoft.com
URBAN6AIRSOFT – THE BLOCK STIRLING AIRSOFT
THE EX SITE
Coventry, CV3 6NX 07831 429407 www.stirlingairsoft.com
Mold, CH7 4 07840 001975 www.theexsitewales.co.uk
Wood Street, Butron-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 £AB www.urban6airsoft.com
URBAN ASSAULT STORMFORCE AIRSOFT
THE WARGAMES CENTRE
Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4LD 07515 937633 www.stormforcepaintball.co.uk
Lundholm Road, Stevenston, Ayrshire, KA20 3LN www.thewargamescentre.com wargamescentre@gmail.com
SUSSEX AIRSOFT Slinfold, RH12 020 8150 9284 www.sussexairsoft.co.uk
S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT Boathouse lane, South Wirral, Cheshire, CH64 3TB www.swatairsoft.eu 07703 177756
SECTION 8 AIRSOFT Shotts, North Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com
TASK FORCE SKIRMISH
UCAP SANDPIT
TA EVENTS Hemel Hemstead, Herts, HP2 7QB 07894 059794 www.ta-events.co.uk
TROJAN AIRSOFT Macclesfield, SK10 4SZ 07428 024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com
TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP 07428024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com
Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, PE26 1 01733 247171 www.urbanassault.org.uk
VIKING AIRSOFT Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0UN www.vikingairsoft.co.uk
WARMINSTER AIRSOFT Warminster, BA12 7RZ www.warminsterairsoft.co.uk
XSITE AIRSOFT OUTPOST Dunstable, LU6 2EE 01494 881430 www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk
XSITE AIRSOFT – LANE END High Wycombe, HP14 3NP 01494 881430
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DEALER LISTINGS
ADVERTISERS INDEX
Land Warrior Airsoft 2 RedWolf Airsoft 3 + 19 + 48 Airsoft Zone 7 + 56 JD Airsoft 9 + 32 + 95 WE Airsoft Europe 15 BadgerTac 23 FireSupport 28 + 29 Airsoft World 38 VIPER Tactical 46 + 47 Helikon-Tex 52 Leeds Airsoft 63 ActionSportGames 66 Zero One 71 ActionAirUK 75 Airsofo Surgeon Euro Championship 79 Pro Airsoft Supplies 82 Crawley Surplus Store 86 Eton Guns 86 Gunman Airsoft 87 Airsoft Action Subscriptions 90 Sly Photography 91 BombUpAirsoft 91 NoVAT 91 Dragon Valley 91 Military Outdoor 91 Skirmish Cup 98 Airsoft Action Digital Subscriptions 99 Percy Publishing 100 Military 1st 107 Airsoft World 108
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OD8J 2014
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