Issue 54 - November 2015

T H E

U K ’ S

B I G G E S T

A I R S O F T

M A G A Z I N E !

EVENTSRITY SPARTAN CHA G ZOMBIE UPRISIN

SITES

MIA UCAP SANDPIT ARMOURGEDDON SE SLAUGHTER HOU

ARMOURY

BOLT SR47 ICS CXP APE ALE P90 G&G FEMME FAT T TM USP COMPAC

KIT REVIEWS

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D E BAT E

CAMO PAINTS

MACV-SOG ADVISOR

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TAC T I C A L C A R B I N E

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WW1

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S I T E D I R E C TO RY

NOV. 2015 - £4.50

KRYPTEC KAMO KHAOS

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www.youtube.com/user/redwolfairsoft

T H E

U K ’ S

B I G G E S T

A I R S O F T

M A G A Z I N E !

12 ARMOURY: BOLT SR47

EVENTSITY SPARTAN CHAR ZOMBIE UPRISING

SITES

MIA UCAP SANDPIT ARMOURGEDDON E SLAUGHTER HOUS

ARMOURY

BOLT SR47 ICS CXP APE LE P90 G&G FEMME FATA TM USP COMPACT

KIT REVIEWS

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D E BAT E

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TAC T I C A L C A R B I N E

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WW1

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S I T E D I R E C TO RY

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GITAG!

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KRYPTEC KAMO KHAOS

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Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant editor: Gareth “Gadge” Harvey Graphic design: Havoc Design Ad design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter

UK 12 – issue subscription rate: £43 UK 6 – issue subscription rate: £24 For overseas prices email: subs@airsoft-action.co.uk

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SITE: ARMOURGEDDON

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GITAG! CAMO PAINTS

Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL Tel: 01684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.co.uk © Calibre Publishing Limited 2015 Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800 Copyright © Calibre Publishing Limited 2015. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the publisher in writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to print.

65 ZOMBIE UPRISING FINALE 2015 EVENT:

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Letter, idea or question?

Got something to say? A question for our experts? An article or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know.

Either email the editor (nige@airsoft-action.co.uk), write to us at the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

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december 2014

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88 FEATURE: NORTHERN IRELAND

SNAPSHOT: SLAUGHTER HOUSE AIRSOFT

CONTENTS NOVEMBER MARCH 2014 2015

CONTENTS

AIRSOFT ACTION – NOVEMBER 2015 6 NEWS What’s happening in the World of Airsoft 10 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos taken by Airsoft Action readers.

11 THE ADVENTURES OF MAG Mag continues his adventures in Airsoft Action’s exclusive cartoon.

12 ARMOURY: BOLT SR47 Packing a punch in the looks department and knockout blowback, the Bolt SR47 URX 3 might be one of the best recoil rifles to date but Scott Allan asks is it all too good to be true?

16 ARMOURY: ICS CXP APE PROLINE Jerry Noone gets his hands on the new ICS ACRinspired Proline CXP APE and finds there’s a lot to like!

20 ARMOURY: G&G FEMME FATALE P90 Scott Allan is in the pink as he gets his hands on G&G’s “Femme Fatale” PS90.

24 EVENT: SPARTAN AIRSOFT CHARITY EVENT Kris Roberts takes on one of his toughest assignments to date as he reports from a particularly poignant charity event.

28 SITE: ARMOURGEDDON Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick discovers that Armourgeddon is more than just a military vehicle museum, as she reports from a new airsoft site near Lutterworth.

32 KIT: BRUGGER & THOMET BARREL EXTENSIONS Mock suppressors are a “must have” accessory for many of us so this month Jerry Noone takes a look at the family of “Brugger & Thomet” licenced replicas from ASG. 34 SITE: UCAP SANDPIT Having reported from other UCAP sites, Les Lee was expecting something pretty tasty at the Sandpit but what he found blew him away.

38 FEATURE: OBJECTIVE BOXES Kelly Hardwick writes about a piece of airsoft technology that caught her eye while playing – and keeps her going back for more.

41 KIT: UNIQUEAR HANDGUARDS Jerry Noone takes a look at UniqueARs’ handguards, now that they are available in the UK. 42 DEBATE: WARRANTIES Warranties in airsoft have always seemed a bit of a grey area, so Gadge asks “What should you expect from a warranty and do companies provide adequate “aftercare”?”

46 GITAG! CAMO PAINTS We spend a lot of time, effort and money putting our camouflage together but still end up with a darn great black rifle sticking out in front.

Jerry Noone says that this is the time to get the camo paints out.

50 ARMOURY: TM USP COMPACT With the huge success of “24”, it was no surprise that airsoft manufacturers would replicate Mr. Bauer’s weapon of choice. Kris Roberts takes a look at one such offering.

53 LOADED OR UNLOADED: KRYPTEK KAMO KAOS Jerry Noone has been following the continued rollout of unique patterns and gear from USbased Kryptek Outdoor Group.

58 FEATURE: CONSUMER RIGHTS ACT 2015 Following on from this month’s debate, Nige outlines what this new piece of UK legislation aims to achieve.

61 CWW: MACV-SOG ADVISOR – VIETNAM 1969 Continuing his popular series of articles looking at the kit worn by soldiers past, Gareth “Gadge” Harvey peers into the shadow wars of a US Special Operations group.

65 EVENT: ZOMBIE UPRISING FINALE 2015 Keely “Femme Fatale” Hardwick gets a taste for hunting the undead at this immersive, all-out action event.

68 SITE: MORWENSTOW IRONFOOT AIRSOFT Long-time airsofter, Paul Yelland, reports from a site he first visited over eight years ago and which keeps him coming back for more.

73 BILLY BASICS: TOP MALO HOUSE Billy moves back to the South Atlantic for this issue’s look at a military action that would make a great airsoft scenario.

76 WORLD WAR ONE: ADOLF HITLER Most people associate Adolf Hitler with the Second World War but, as Dan Mills points out, he was already no stranger to fighting.

78 BOOK: MARINE VERSUS NVA SOLDIER Gadge slips on his pince-nez and casts a beady eye over a book from Osprey Publishing’s “Combat” series.

80 REAL WORLD COMBAT: NORTHERN IRELAND Taking time out from writing best-selling books, ex-1 Para and author, Simon Chambers, gives us a glimpse of what time with the Paras in Northern Ireland during “The Troubles” was really like.

84 SKILLS: TACTICAL CARBINE PART 3 Pro-Tact Shooting’s Andy Nightingale continues his series with a look at some skills that improve your play.

87 BOOK REVIEW: THE HUNTING OF MAN Kris Roberts writes about a book that chronicles how the modern-day sniper came to be “perhaps the most versatile soldier on the battlefield”.

88 SNAPSHOT: SLAUGHTER HOUSE AIRSOFT Team Rhino’s Angelo Di-Vito continues his whistle-stop tour with a trip to a site he’s been wanting to play for a while.

93 SITE DIRECTORY If you’re looking for somewhere to play, you’re sure to find it here.

98 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 FIREARMS LAW

1 JOULE? NOT ON OUR WATCH! YESTERDAY, THE 8TH SEPTEMBER, I attended a Symposium organised by the Law Commission, along with Frank Bothamley (Fire Support and UKARA), Adrian Whiting (UKARA and ex-Chairman of FELWG, the Association of Chief Police Officers Firearms and Explosives Committee, so certainly knows what he is talking about) and Ben Webb (Editor – Airsoft International). The meeting was to discuss issues raised by a Scoping Consultation Paper concerning Firearms Law and, of course, airsoft was part of the discussion by virtue of the fact that we use imitation firearms.

The first session was with regard to “lethality” and what the definition of lethality should be and a certain Mr. John Batley, of the Gun Trade Association, was fairly adamant that the limit of “1 Joule” had already been agreed and backed it up with argument

that further tests were not necessary. It seemed that, so far as he was concerned, the matter was done and dusted but he had not reckoned with Adrian Whiting, who (without putting too finer point on it and no pun intended) shot his argument to pieces!

I have no doubt that in the coming months I will be writing a number of articles about how things are progressing but here, I want to make a point about UKARA. There are many people (including myself) who have had occasion to question exactly what UKARA “does” and whether it has any value. Based on what I heard yesterday, I think I can sum it up in a few words: UKARA exists to protect airsoft and the rights of airsofters to play the sport we love, in the manner in which we have always played - fairly, responsibly and, above all, legally!

UKARA is fighting attempts to have all imitation firearms restricted to just 1 Joule and to have airsoft guns exempted from any “1 Joule legislation”, as has been promised they will be in Scotland.

I don’t always agree with everything done

by UKARA but on this I stand 100% behind them and Airsoft Action will continue to do so until the ludicrous idea that airsoft over 1 Joule is “lethal” is put to bed forever.

I would also like to say thanks to Ben Webb, who very eloquently answered the question of lethality (and raising a laugh at the same time) by pointing out that he has been shot hundreds of times, at levels much higher than 1 Joule and, so far as he was aware, it hadn’t killed him yet.

INCIDENT AT STRIKEFORCE CQB

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF the serious medical incident that occurred recently at Strike Force CQB. Airsoft Action asked Site Manager, Paul Bibby, to give us an overview of what happened and how it was dealt with…

Some players often wonder why there are so many marshals here at Strikeforce and why do we have some rules that just seem daft, after all nobody really dies at airsoft do they?

On Sunday the 6th of September in the late afternoon we had a player collapse during play, a prompt ceasefire was called and the marshal team acted. What happened in the next few minutes goes to show the value of a good and well-trained marshal team.

As soon as the ceasefire was called a first aider was on scene immediately and this was to prove vital in this instance. The player, I’ll call him “Player X”, had collapsed and was on the floor; semiconscious and very non-responsive. At that point the emergency services where called and, at the same time, the first aiders where checking “player X” over. We had grave concerns for the player as we knew he had Type 2 diabetes and, initially, assumed that this was the issue but almost straight away upon checking pulse and breathing, it was very different. “Player X” had had a heart attack, so the care was adjusted to deal with this very real and very seriously ill person.

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The emergency services were on site very quickly and proceeded to get “Player X” stable for transport. This all happened in a very short time and the entire playing area was evacuated and young or sensitive players shielded from view, to allow privacy to both the players and “Player X”.

The day was naturally cut short and players were dignified and understanding about this.

The marshal team drill for medical emergencies and it really showed. We pride ourselves on our approachable marshals and their ability to deal with any situation but it’s only when they are genuinely tested that you see their true value.

On a positive note, “Player X” is doing well and the marshal team have learned so much from this incident. The marshals are there for your safety and to ensure that slinging plastic is as safe as possible, give them a thanks next time you happen to be at your local site.

Special thanks to Cal & Adam, See you all out there.

Paul Bibby Manager Swindon Airsoft & Strikeforce CQB. Everyone at Airsoft Action would like to add our thanks to Paul and his team for dealing so professionally with what was a lifethreatening situation – and our best wishes for a speedy recovery to “Player X”.

AIRSOFT NEWS

Fully Tunable HPA triggers for Polarstar and Wolverine by SPEED Airsoft SPEED AIRSOFT RELEASES A SNEAK peak of their new HPA triggers under development to be released soon, which are designed to work with Polarstar and Wolervine HPA conversion systems.

The new SPEED HPA triggers will incorporate dual adjustment set screws which will enable a trigger pull under 1mm with ease.

SPEED Airsoft products are all in-house CNC precision machined from USA grade billet aluminum by SPEED Airsoft in Canada.

All SPEED Airsoft products are available through your favorite airsoft dealers worldwide. For more info, visit their website at www.SpeedAirsoft. com or contact them at SpeedAirsoft@ymail.com

The new SPEED HPA triggers will also include a specially designed coil compression spring that reduces the pull tension, so players with the Polarstar and Wolverine systems can rip off lightning fast strings easily even in semi-automatic mode.

The new SPEED HPA triggers coming soon: SA5002 SA5003 SA5004 SA5005

SPEED HPA Standard Tunable Trigger (Silver) SPEED HPA Standard Tunable Trigger (Black) SPEED HPA Blade Tunable Trigger (Silver) SPEED HPA Blade Tunable Trigger (Black)

NEW FACES AT ARMEX

AS A WELL-KNOWN DISTRIBUTOR of Field Sports and Airsoft equipment, Armex Limited has recently announced some major enhancements to their Management and Sales Team.

Della Bailey has managed the Company as Operations Manager for the past two years, during which time Armex has enjoyed significant growth. In recognition of this, Della has been promoted to Director and will continue to aid the Company in its further growth and management.

Armex MD, Alan Phelps, commented “Della is known as “the face of Armex” to the UK shooting trade has also proven to be a serious competitive force to other manufacturers and suppliers.

“I am also pleased to inform you that Tomas Atienza, former M.D. at Eley Hawk

joins Armex as Director to work alongside Della. Tomas has a wealth of knowledge and engineering experience and is well known, both in the UK and globally, for his involvement and management within the shooting industry.”

To further support and encourage sales the Company has also recruited Graham Hinds and Tye Forde, both of whom have many years of experience within the UK shooting trade.

Long standing team members Terry Evans, “H” and John Gumbley also remain as a positive force for growth within the Company.

Commenting further, Alan said “Armex is going from strength to strength and in order to meet the additional demands being placed on the business, we needed to put in place suitable provision in key roles and thus future-proof the business as it continues to expand.

“Demand for Walther-Umarex products is

ARE YOU “CURSED”?

8

THE CURSED BB SERIES FROM ActionSportGames is the new BB brand that brings chaos to the field of battle.

Airsoft guns. The CURSED BBs are contained within a 1kg Resealable bag and it even has a extreme skull logo on it!

Molded in Mount DOOM, the BBs are of seamless design for precision and better aerodynamics. The intense production process makes the BBs of a high density construction well suited for all types of

The all-new CURSED BBs series might seem out of this world, but are available at your Local Airsoft dealer today!

November 2015

Available in 0.20g, 0.25g and 0.28g

continually growing and that is for all product types; from the legendary CO2 pistols, to the new Walther rifles, to accessories, knives, torches, Walther Pro products, airsoft and onto Armex products which, in their own right, now have a global demand.

“I do not think anyone would argue that Armex has taken Walther-Umarex to probably the UK’s most ubiquitous brand in airguns and the products are a firm staple for all serious airgun dealers.

“Without sounding to clichéd, I’d confidently say that along with our other staff, Armex now surely has the “Dream Team” and we look forward to a bigger, better and brighter future.”

Armex can be contacted on 0121 643 4900 and welcome enquiries from retailers in all areas of their business.

Gratulacje Marek i Hannia!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MAREK GORNY AND his lovely fiancée Hannya, who are getting married in Poland on the 3rd of October.

If you have ever visited AirsoftZone in Romford there is a very good chance that you have met Marek, as he is the Manager there.

Marek is one of the nicest guys in airsoft and I am sure you will join me, along with the rest of the team at Airsoft Action, in wishing Marek and Hannia all the very best for the future and their lives together.

Gratulujemy! yczymy Wam wszystkiego, co najlepsze!

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY

This page: ACE COMBAT from Nathan

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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.

Cameron Keith and Cameron Kilcoyn eBROTHERS IN AR MS

THE ADVENTURES OF MAG

CARTOON

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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PACKING A PUNCH IN THE LOOKS DEPARTMENT AND KNOCKOUT BLOWBACK, THE BOLT SR47 URX 3 MIGHT BE ONE OF THE BEST RECOIL RIFLES TO DATE BUT SCOTT ALLAN ASKS IS IT ALL TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

NOT JUST A BOLT ON THE BR47 OR SR47 IS A TAKE ON the Knights rifle developed many years ago. The Airsoft market has hungered for an affordable version of the rifle for some time, since the only available conversation kit was over £400 and still needed a donor rifle. So Bolt have found a nice gap in the market - and added recoil in for added bonus.

SO WHO IS BOLT?

Bolt are Taiwanese manufacturers who are reasonably new on the Airsoft market. Their brand mission is to produce recoil busting high end Airsoft electric rifles. They want not only for the rifle to have recoil but they want the heaviest recoil on the market - and they want it to work on the lower voltage batteries. The development team at Bolt Airsoft has created a powerful recoil system that they call B.R.S.S (Bolt Recoil Shock System). It is said the B.R.S.S operates using kinetic energy produced by the piston’s movement, transferring this energy into to a recoil weight in the stock tube and subsequently generates a recoil simulation. This system is different from many systems we see, such as the KWA and PTS system but Bolt claims the highest recoil of them all. So all-in-all, big shoes to fill for the new kids on the block, can it be done?

The SR47 is what happens when a M4 has one too many, wanders into the wrong bar and spends a late night drinking with an AK47. This particular model is the URX 3 and is going to offend AK and M4 lovers alike but it will also really appeal to a large group in the middle. Hell I’ve always loved them purely from a rarity point of view. I’m going to get into the good and the bad and, while there is both, I’m largely in love with this rifle already!

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A LITTLE ABOUT THE REAL VERSION

Before the development of the Masada the US forces asked firearms manufacturers for a system that allowed the use of AK magazines. The idea is when you are behind enemy lines you can chop and change your weapon system to suit whatever ammunition you can scavenge from the area you are stuck in. Originally the requirement was a drop-in conversion for the standard M4 platform. You don’t have to be a genius to work out how many issues you are going run into trying to

Armoury BOLT SR47

“THE SR47 IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A M4 HAS ONE TOO MANY, WANDERS INTO THE WRONG BAR AND SPENDS A LATE NIGHT DRINKING WITH AN AK47.”

fit an entirely different ammunition into a rifle and down the barrel. In fact Knights Armament figured the easiest thing to do was to design a whole new stand-alone system based on the existing SOPMOD system – essentially making a M4 that just takes AK magazines. That would all be simple if the M4 wasn’t such a finely machined tool with high quality ammunition and the AK wasn’t a piece of stamped, mass produced steel with poor tolerances and ammunition quality that varied as much as the British weather – and by that I mean it was mostly bad. It is said seven of these rifles were produced in the real world and then no more. Sad but then that is the world of firearms in a nutshell.

BACK TO THE BOLT

The matt black full metal finish is nice, the rifle is weighty yet strangely not as heavy as it looks like it should be. There are reports of steel construction although it seems more likely it is a fairly standard cast construction. So the weight is pretty much the same as and average G&P or G&G M4. The adjustable crane stock is nice and doesn’t show any great wobble when locked in position. There is a huge area of RIS, which means you can go all super ninja SEAL team with your accessorises such as torches, grips, grenade launchers and optics. The iron sights are full metal and removable should you want to clear the top rail. As mentioned the entire receiver and the front rail are metal which means the BR47 is a tough bird.

The magazine fitting into the receiver is a little fiddly due to the recess in the receiver but much like many of these rifles such as the SA58, M14 etc., you do get the knack pretty quickly and it soon becomes much easier to change quickly.

That said, it still isn’t as fast as reloading the trusty standard M4 platform but then very few things are!

The power produced by this version was just over 320 which is perfect all round for most game sites. The recoil was a shock and pleasant surprise, it was much like one of those crazy Hollywood earthquake simulators. Okay that may be a politician-style exaggeration but the recoil is tremendous and quite unique-feeling, even though the system isn’t all that different from the Marui or PTS system.

There is a lot of nice stuff going on here and what you www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Armoury BOLT SR47

have to bear in mind is that, much like the real steel version, somethings just aren’t that easy when fitting an AK mag into a M4. So there are a few bespoke components that make the whole thing work as it should. The lower receiver (as you would expect) is also bespoke, with the stock tube screwing on considerably differently from any other manufacturer. There is the usual fire selector with a dummy on the “ambidextrous” side that is free moving but sadly does nothing. The inner barrel was marked 6.0mm and we can only presume that this

“THERE IS A HUGE AREA OF RIS, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN GO ALL SUPER NINJA SEAL TEAM WITH YOUR ACCESSORISES SUCH AS TORCHES, GRIPS, GRENADE LAUNCHERS AND OPTICS.” has been rounded down from 6.04, as it didn’t appear to be anything tighter than that. The hop up unit has a perpendicular wheel much like a G36 or Madbull hop up unit, this is the better style as it helps to prevent hop from “winding off”. The whole front end and barrel seem to be standard fitments and sizes so any after-market customisations should be relatively hassle free.

The BRSS gearbox is obviously going to be different from the standard Version 2 that is found in most M4 platforms.

While 90% of it looks Marui compatible this is what was inside the earthquake machine:

CONCLUSION

The finish isn’t quite as nice as a G&P or a Krytac, not that there is any blemishes but I just think the finish could’ve been a little nicer. That aside the only other real fault I found was the lack of ambidextrous fire selector.

It is a strange thing when a company goes to the effort of making a faithful replica but not the effort to make it fully functioning. It could have just as easily have been left off the design entirely. Those minor points aside it is a lovely piece all in all; it shoots well, feels great and the recoil is properly thumping in your arms with every shot fired. Krytac also have an SR47 due out at some stage and it seems the Bolt version offers a great package long before we’ll see the Krytac. Certainly if you want an SR47 at the moment this is the only way to do it and boy you won’t be disappointed!

features BUILT MATERIAL: ALUMINUM/ABS, NYLON & GLASS FIBER AND STEEL

Vented cylinder

SHOOTING MODES: SEMI, FULL-AUTO

Metal piston that has been skeletonised to reduce weight with full rack of teeth

November 2015

It is a fairly long rifle so tight CQB arenas might be a no-go but it wouldn’t be impossible. The amount of available rail space is huge which means you can mount everything you would ever need (and a lot more that you don’t). The mixture of M4 and AK will mean you have to have a bit of a creative loadout but that shouldn’t be a major issue and it should be said that the SR47 is a bit of a head-turner, sporting its 7.62mm curved magazine.

6mm bushes that appear to be stainless steel Plastic spring guide

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USE ON THE GAME FIELD

MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 600RND LENGTH: 835MM-920MM

Air nozzle has an O ring fitted to create a more efficient seal

WEIGHT: 3600G

The whole recoil system is much like the Modify Tremor system or the G&P system. A lump of metal in the stock tube is pushed back as the gearbox cycles from a rod in the piston.

It is a simple yet effective design, however it does mean that the bespoke parts cannot be swapped out for third party parts, although I am not entirely sure why you would want to. The front is changeable if you want a different rail or barrel length with it and the response from the motor is pretty decent to be fair and the accuracy is a bit above what I would expect from a recoil rifle too. Bolt have really impressed me overall with this rifle I have to say.

HOP-UP: ADJUSTABLE BLOW-BACK: YES RECOIL SHOCK: B.R.S.S SYSTEM POWER: 325 FPS ON BLASTER 0.20G POWER SOURCE: 7.4V22C(LI-PO) OR 11.1V15C(LI-PO) OR 9.6V(NI-MH OR NI-CD) RRP £330

GOING APE!

THE ADAPTIVE COMBAT RIFLE (ACR) HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROJECT INVOLVING US FIREARMS INDUSTRY GIANTS MAGPUL, BUSHMASTER AND REMINGTON. JERRY NOONE GETS HIS HANDS ON THE NEW ICS ACR-INSPIRED PROLINE CXP APE AND FINDS THERE’S A LOT TO LIKE!

CALL IT WHAT YOU LIKE, the Magpul Masada or the Remington/Bushmaster ACR, the fact of the matter is that the Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) is a very distinctive design that is almost instantly recognisable - unless you’ve had your eyes closed for the last few years!

The ACR is the production name for an updated version of the Masada Adaptive Combat Weapon System. It is an assault rifle platform originally designed by Magpul Industries and named after the famous siege. As Magpul put it: “Magpul has always found the story of the Masada as a bold example of defiance”.

With the M16 and M4 showing their age, finding a potential replacement was of paramount importance and of course, whoever found the answer was going to become very rich, very fast if a DOD contract was acquired. With Magpul leading the initial development, in January 2008 Bushmaster entered into a licensing agreement with Magpul where they would take over production, future development and sales of the Masada. Remington Arms (part of the Freedom Group, Inc portfolio that includes Bushmaster) was contracted to manufacture the rifle for the US military and US law enforcement agencies and at this point the name “Masada” was dropped and the project simply became known as the ACR. The fully-modular Remington Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) program has continued apace from that time. The ACR was initially conceived to provide the modern day soldier with a reliable, accurate, and mission–adaptable rifle. The three

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companies involved shared a common vision and after multiple rounds of torturous testing only the strongest materials, components and concepts survived.

The ACR can change calibres from 5.56mm to 6.8mm in minutes, simply by swapping out the bolt head, barrel, and magazine. The ACR can also change barrels, stocks, and accessories to go from a close-quarters battle carbine to a designated marksman rifle. The ACR is fed from detachable 30-round magazines, originally the Magpul PMag but is now fully compatible with M16/M4 and other NATO magazines. The ACR has a full-length Picatinny-type rail system for mounting optics and can be fitted with detachable iron sights or various optics or night vision sights.

It also has a side-folding, removable modular stock, which is adjustable for length and has an adjustable cheek rest; it can be fired with the stock folded. The ACR has a superbly reliable gas piston operating system, controllable full-auto fire capability, a non-reciprocating bolt handle, a monolithic free-floating handguard rail system and intuitive, ambidextrous controls; add all this together and you have a platform that is a natural fit for any user and gives him or her all the options required.

NOT AN ACR?

There have already been numerous airsoft replica versions of the Magpul Masada, some licenced and some not but generally speaking, like any replica model it went through its moment of glory and then dipped off in popularity for a while. This has changed again with new models hitting the market as I write

Armoury ICS CXP APE PROLINE

“ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE AN EXACT REPLICA (LICENCED OR NOT) OF THE AMERICAN RIFLE, THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY SIMILARITIES TO PUSH ASIDE.” and the Masada is due, in my opinion, to rise again. The only people to have a good crack at the ACR though to date, have been WE Airsoft Europe with their MSK - and very nice it is too.

I Chi Shivan (ICS) have been around for a while, 1995 to be precise and in fact they were one of the original “Big Three” airsoft manufacturers and the first company to build AEGs in Taiwan. They’ve always gone about things their own way with a strong R&D team containing professionals from sixteen different yet associated industries. They constantly devote resources into product design while obtaining patents and authorised certification from firearm companies to provide their customers exactly what they need to play airsoft. As they put it, “This is the mission of ICS: Innovation, Competition, and Satisfaction.”

Over the years I’ve had a great relationship with ICS and it’s always a pleasure to meet with them at any of the big shows.

They are super people individually and as a team they are always interested to gain information, hear opinions and really find out what the “buzz” is amongst players. They have some fabulous replicas in their range and their take on the L85 is my favourite of all the replicas of this model out there; my own ICS L85, built to full “Afghan Spec” takes pride of place on the gun wall in my office.

But what of the CXP APE? Is it a replica of the ACR or not?

I have to say that in my opinion it most certainly is, as some of the features just scream out “ACR”. Although it does not purport to be an exact replica (licenced or not) of the American rifle, there are just too many similarities to push aside. Starting

from the rear you have a six-position “SF1” sliding stock with rubber buttpad which acts as the battery compartment; this also has an adjustable cheek rest and folds to the right. The rear sling point sits just ahead of the stock as it does with the ACR. The pistol grip is pretty much that of the late model ACR and on the ICS it can be changed out as it’s not part of the all in one polymer body of the original Masada.

The fire selector is fully ambidextrous which is a very nice feature, as are the magazine and bolt release catches and charging handle; this once again mimics the controls of the real-world ACR. The upper receiver is one piece alloy (check!) with a continuous rail along the top (tick!) but it’s lower down where ICS have actually upped the ante by installing a rather fetching Keymod system which incorporates a flip-up front sight and allows you to position a QD sling stud wherever you like it. This is “all the rage” at the moment so ICS are right on the ball as I expect them to be and provided are three small sections of Keymod rail as standard.

On the model I received from Fire Support to test, the “polymer” lower, pistol grip and stock are all finished in a good quality matt FDE with the alloy upper being a really nice “bronzed” affair and the “sharp end” is finished off well with a very “ACR-like” mock gas block and a unique flash hider.

One feature I particularly like is that (just like the real deal) you have a quick change barrel system, allowing you to make use of carbine or rifle length barrel groups; a special tool and full instructions are included in the package.

Internally ICS also do things their own way; they are well

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Armoury ICS CXP APE PROLINE

known for their tried and tested split gearbox design and this is easy to dissemble and simple to maintain, upgrade and even repair if necessary. There is a factory installed, upgraded reinforced piston and a reinforced MIM pinion and bevel gear as standard which allow smooth and reliable performance. The CXP has an Infinite 2500 long pin motor which performs very well and Fire Support provide it with a UK friendly M100 spring as standard. The hop-up is of the rotary variety, easy to adjust and accessed by pulling back the cocking handle which moves the bolt cover to the rearmost position; at this point the bolt cover locks in place while you make adjustments and is released forward by depressing the ambidextrous bolt-release in front of the trigger guard.

In use the CXP is a right little firecracker! All the ergonomics come into play when you bring everything together and it handles well and is easy to manipulate. All the controls are easy to use once you get to know them and the magazine setup is similar enough to a standard M4 that changes are instinctive and straightforward. The CXP comes with an innovative 300-round high capacity “T” magazine which will provide players with maximum firepower. It is specially designed with a transparent “window” so you can see at a glance how many BBs remain in the magazine. The skid-proof magazine shell also provides excellent grip in all weather conditions, although it has very specific dimensions so you may find that certain “aftermarket” magazines won’t fit the CXP. With the magazine loaded with my usual .20g test BBs and fitted with a 7.4V 1450 mAh LiPo battery in the stock (nice feature, easy to change batteries quickly with no tools needed!) it was time to get down to business. As stated earlier the CXP has a flip-up front sight incorporated into the top rail and ICS provide a detachable rear flip site as part of the deal; these are adjustable for windage and elevation and are perfectly acceptable should you not wish to attach an optic.

The CXP comes into the aim surprisingly easily and with a quick “click” its safety off and onto the target.

The CXP chrono’d in at a very respectable, consistent and sight-friendly 334fps using .20g BBs and once the hop was set it was accurate enough for me! At 10m groupings were sub 4cm, whilst at 30m I was happily hitting my sandbag target; the BB trajectory was pleasingly flat, with .20g just spinning

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November 2015

off at around the 50m mark. I feel that with more use to bed everything in that range would improve considerably which from a carbine length barrel is very good indeed. Switching up to full auto gave a crisp trigger response and sent the bolt cover (the electronic blowback component) clattering happily back and forth; in my opinion this blowback area is something that ICS still need to up their game on as it’s a little insipid given some of the recoil systems out there now but knowing they are working on this gives me hope for the future.

The ICS CXP APE comes in both rifle and carbine length and is available in all black, all tan, or a mix of tan and black which is actually a LOT nicer than it sounds. The rifle length version comes in at £339.00 with the shorter carbine version at £335.00 and I have to say that there is a lot going on in the overall package to make this a thoroughly acceptable price point.

So are you getting an ACR replica with a fancy Keymod system with the CXP? I’d have to say actually “yes” as the similarities between them are too obvious to overlook.

That said, if you like the ACR and want to have something quite different from the Masadas already out there then the ICS CXP APE Proline is most definitely worth a look; this is a fine, well-built airsoft replica that looks great, has some awesome features and shoots very well indeed!

For more information and a detailed pdf overview of the CXP models please visit www.fire-support.co.uk and my thanks go to Frank and John for providing the test model.

“FEMME FATALE” P90 SCOTT ALLAN IS IN THE PINK AS HE GETS HIS HANDS ON G&G’S “FEMME FATALE” PS90 WHEN STAR GATE SG1’s MOST FAMOUS rifle comes head to head with G&G’s Femme Fatale range the outcome is going to have “Hello Kitty” written all over it, although I’m fairly sure Airsoft Action’s very own Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick will love this pink bombshell!

The FN P90 is one of the most unusual firearms on the planet and the G&G PS90 follows it faithfully in all areas except the colour, well maybe. The US civilian shooter market is extremely buoyant these days and it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if a company out there in Freedomsville has made a real P90 like this.

SO WHO ARE G&G AND WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS TO AIRSOFT?

G&G (or Guay Guay) are a brilliant Taiwanese manufacturer, innovative and fast at releasing new models. They continually burst forward in sizeable leaps and bounds with new gearbox designs on the horizon that could change Airsoft forever. Their PS90, which is much the same as their PDW99, does cover a little bit of old ground but is a nifty AEG nonetheless. Overall in Airsoft the P90 has always been viewed as a compact AEG, particularly well-suited to CQB environments but it can easily hold its own in outdoor areas too.

The Real Steel P90 is a unusual concept in the PDW or Personal Defence Weapon genre and is made by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium. Developed throughout the 80’s, the initial thinking is that troops that were not in constant fire fights needed a rifle that was compact for vehicle duties. What was needed still was the ability to have a hard-hitting round to fire. Sub machine guns, such as the MP5 are great against soft targets (people) but their 9mm pistol round is easily stopped by modern body armour. The P90 boasts the FN 5.7 x 28mm round. To see it side by side with the standard 5.56 x 45mm round it is smaller but is more suitable to the job at hand. The entire P90 when loaded only weighs 3 kilos, with a 50 round magazine and a high rate of fire it really is great at its job.

There is often criticism about the magazine design, the

“YOU SHOULDN’T WORRY ABOUT THE SIZE OF THIS POCKET ROCKET, AS IT WILL MOST LIKELY SHOOT AS FAR AS THE RIFLES TWICE ITS LENGTH.” 20

November 2015

Armoury G&G FEMME FATALE P90

rounds are stored on their side and they turn as they are fed into the breach. The P90 has never really seen frontline usage and while there is no solid evidence to why, I do suspect that this rifle will be forever destined to live on Sci-Fi shows.

Having fired the Real Steel version a few years ago (albeit the single shot civilian version) it did feel very solid. The small round doesn’t provide a great deal of recoil and every round landed in a tight grouping on the target. The 50-round magazine meant my finger got tired by the end so I guess that is a good thing for a Personal Defence Weapon.

The external finishing on G&G guns is always very good, maybe not quite to G&P or Krytac standards for me personally but the PS90 ticks all the boxes for finish and quality – so long as you can stomach the colour. Of course if you don’t like the Femme Fatale version, the PDW99 comes in standard black or dark earth for you camouflaged types. Sharing a similar design to the Tokyo Marui version in many areas of operation with the quick release upper and a similar designed hop unit, for the most part the construction is a very tough ABS plastic that’ll be sure to take a fair beating from any player. Two of the best features are the Red Dot scope, although it is a bit on the small side with a 10mm aperture the dot is clear. On top of the red dot are back-up iron sights, which I guess I’d end up using most of the time and it also sports a built-in red laser, in the event you need that little bit of extra help to aim. The laser activates from a push button in the grip that is both easily accessible and useful. A couple of AAA batteries power both the red dot and the laser separately which probably means you’ll forget to turn them off and the batteries will be flat every skirmish if you are like me!

This is undeniably a small package at 500mm long but it easily stands its ground against any other AEG you are likely to

encounter. It’s the funny misconception in Airsoft that barrel length equals range or accuracy – and that couldn’t really be further from the truth. Some of the most accurate rifles out of the box I have tested are the budget S&T rifles with lightweight short aluminium barrels, crazy but true. So you shouldn’t worry about the size of this pocket rocket, as it will most likely shoot as far as the rifles twice its length.

The gearbox, while sharing design features from the Tokyo Marui version, is different in several places. The Version 6 is the gearbox typically found in the Marui P90 and the G&G version is close but not identical. For example, the G&G gearbox has an adjustable spring guide that allows you to up, or drop the power quickly to suit your game site. That said, this isn’t always a perfect solution as the adjustment can be a little hit or miss

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Armoury G&G FEMME FATALE P90

“MAYBE THE COLOUR WILL BE OFF-PUTTING FOR ALL BUT THE MOST PINK-LOVING LADIES (AND, OF COURSE, GENTLEMEN) BUT THERE IS MORE TO THE RANGE THAN JUST THIS GIANT “MY LITTLE PONY”. but it is better than nothing. We found a good variation during testing from a high of 370fps, to a low point of 320fps. The standard G&G motor that runs this is always a good all-round performer but is also a good area for an upgrade replacement, often players will opt for a high torque motor for a snappy trigger or a high speed for a better rate of fire. The trigger pull on all of the P90 designs is quite long, so I would maybe be tempted for rate of fire over the snappy trigger. Still one of the best standard parts in a G&G is the Cold Resistant green hop rubber, it is one of the best rubbers on the market as standard.

As with most AEGs the inner barrel is a standard brass type that I would generally swap out for a quality tight bore, possibly a Madbull Steel or an Ultimate barrel, although personally I never go lower that a 6.03mm for fear of feeding issues.

So apart from some non-Version 6 parts in the gearbox the stats are good. The power is perfect for all over the UK, both indoors and out. The magazines, while appearing to be the same as TM didn’t work with the MAG mid-caps we tried. It could be that it only uses G&G magazines, or requires fiddling to make them feed properly, although this isn’t a massively bad thing as the G&G are a fair price and good quality. So while a handful of parts internally would benefit from some upgrading, out of the box you can be sure you have got something good and sturdy if upgrades aren’t your thing. Being a G&G you have a great warranty too (unlike 90% of manufacturers out there), which can be worth the extra few pennies alone! It is worth noting that many players in the UK don’t realise that many companies such as Systema, Marui as well as Jing Gong and Cyma offer absolutely no warranty at all. Any Airsoft business that stocks these particular brands in the UK is paying for the repair of them.

The P90 in the field is always a little bit of a pain to use and it is nothing to do with the rifle performance. It’s the magazines! Or at least storing the magazines can be tricky, purely due to the length. While a few companies make a bespoke pouch (Viper and Flyye to name a few) the P90 magazine is a tricky one to store. Once you have the magazine out of the 12 inch Subway holder the switch is quick and 22

November 2015

easy. If you can accept you are not going to be flinging any magazines around Chris Costa style, you will quickly learn to love the G&G PS90 range as a whole. The range was solid out to the mid 40 metre mark that is around average for a G&G. The batteries I used were the smaller 11.1v LiPo (just to give it a little more oomph) and the PS90 happily rattled rounds out without so much as skipping a beat all the way to the end of the magazine.

If you are in the market for a P90, then the PS90 is seriously worth considering. The red dot and the red laser mean the value for money is increased and all that coupled with the G&G name and the warranty that they provide and you are onto a winner all the way. Maybe the colour will be off-putting for all but the most pink-loving ladies (and, of course, gentlemen) but there is more to the range than just this giant “My Little Pony”.

Certainly when you line up a target they’ll be pretty sorry they ever laughed at the Femme Fatale!

features PRICE £290 VARIABLE FPS 320 – 370FPS ON A BLASTER 0.20G 8MM BEARING GEARBOX – NOT A STANDARD VERSION 6 STANDARD PISTON WITH A VENTED HEAD STANDARD BRASS BARREL COLD RESISTANT GREEN HOP UP RUBBER INTEGRATED RED DOT INCLUDED INTEGRATED RED LASER INCLUDED MID CAPACITY MAGAZINE 60 ROUNDS

JOEL PRINCE STARLIGHT FUND

KRIS ROBERTS TAKES ON ONE OF HIS TOUGHEST ASSIGNMENTS TO DATE AS HE REPORTS FROM A PARTICULARLY POIGNANT CHARITY EVENT.

I DON’T KNOW HOW TO write this article. Every evening this week I have sat at my computer and stared at the screen, not knowing how to put into words what I saw and heard. I’ve written my entire life, anything from personal thoughts and feelings to stories of adventure and fantasy and always, always, I have loved to play with words. But this time I am at a loss.

There can be no joy in saying what I am here to say.

How can I write in a way that draws in the reader? How can I even try to evoke a reaction from my audience when I want to hide away from the subject? I turned to my wife for advice.

“You have to say what happened.” She said. “Just say it straight.” I knew that she was right. There was never going to be any other way than to just say it.

A little boy has died.

COMING TOGETHER

It started for me on a Saturday morning.

I was walking to work when a text message buzzed onto my phone asking for a helping hand. Spartan Airsoft was to host a charity game that very next day and would I be able to attend? As it happened I was free, so that evening when I returned home I had a look on the Spartan facebook page to see what the event was all about.

Site owner Malcolm Jarema, aka Beard, had organised a fundraising event in support of his close friend, Conrad Prince. An ex-Marine, Conrad had been dealing with the tragedy

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November 2015

of losing his young son, Joel, and Beard had hoped that an introduction to Airsoft might offer him a brief distraction from the sadness.

What follows is an extract from the event description posted

by Beard.

“I would like to give you an insight into what has happened to Conrad and his family in the last year. Joel went into hospital on 10th July 2014, aged 2 years 2 months, to undergo a 10hour life-saving operation to remove a tumour from his spinal cord. Unfortunately he was left paraplegic from the waist down as a result of this operation. He then underwent six weeks of radiotherapy and eight courses of chemotherapy. He finished his treatment and returned home to be cared for by his family on 13th December 2014. Tragically Joel lost his battle on Sunday 25th January 2015.

“This is a statement from Conrad, Mel and Ethan. ‘Joel brought so much brightness and joy to us all in his short life. A child, unlike any other, whose smile would light up the room and melt the heart of anyone who saw him. He was intelligent beyond his years, had an intensely caring nature and whose last wish was for those he loved to “Be Happy”.

‘Joel’s diagnosis was extremely rare and so we have been told that treatment and cure for other children will only be possible with clinical trials, therefore, on the advice of Dr Stephen Lowis, Joel’s consultant, we have decided to raise money for research and clinical trials via Children’s Cancer & Leukaemia Group (CCLG). The fund has been set up in Joel’s name called ‘Joel Prince Starlight Fund.’

‘One day a child will recover from this awful disease, sadly for us, that was not our Joel. We have decided to try to bring some hope to those children and families who find themselves going through the same ordeal. The money we raise will be

event SPARTAN AIRSOFT CHARITY EVENT

going to support research and clinical trials for Spinal AT/RTs as there are currently none to support this rare type of childhood cancer.

With love one and all, The Prince family.’”

THE STAND

Sunday brought with it a downpour of rain that would last for most of the day and I wasn’t expecting much in the way of player attendance until I pulled into the car park to find it jammed to capacity. In the safe zone I met with players who had no intention of playing yet turned up and paid their green fees regardless. The atmosphere was high with money flowing into the collection in the form of raffles, auctions and cake sales, along with donations from individuals and teams alike. I had volunteered to help marshal and before long we were getting ready to start the day’s play.

Beard called the players together for the routine safety briefing before the games began, a speech he had given countless times before but now there was the added task of discussing what the true reason behind the day’s gathering was for. Beard is the heart and soul behind Spartan Airsoft, a man I have known for almost a decade and someone who is widely admired for his energy and enthusiasm. When he speaks people listen, so when his voice broke with emotion a silence fell over the crowd. It was a profound moment, heads dropped and eye contact was broken and everyone was drawn into the moment.

Then Conrad stepped forward to say a few words. To talk about his little boy, his ‘Joely’.

I was one of many parents there that day, that stood in the pouring rain and thought of their own children as Conrad spoke of his family’s loss. I thought of my own son and what he means to me, what it would mean to lose him. It’s a thought that parents actively avoid because the reality of it is too unbearable to consider, the pain too great to fathom. I could not imagine finding the strength to go on.

Airsofters in general share a common trait, we admire bravery and heroism. We are attracted to books and films of great people who overcome great odds, people who fly as our standard in the dearest hope that if we should ever face the test we could hold our heads high. We often find these stories in the military world or other dangerous professions but sometimes, elsewhere from somewhere completely unexpected, we are gifted with inspiration.

“HE DIDN’T HAVE TO BE THERE, HE COULD HAVE LOCKED HIMSELF AWAY AND GRIEVED ALONE FOR AN ETERNITY AS WAS HIS RIGHT BUT HE STOOD AMONGST US ALL AND FOUGHT HIS GRIEF. IT WAS THE MOST COURAGEOUS ACT I HAVE EVER SEEN.” As Conrad stood surrounded by the crowd his voice wavered and his body shook but he stayed and spoke and endured the pain to tell us about this cause, this hope, that some other family would not have to suffer as his own had.

He didn’t have to be there, he could have locked himself away and grieved alone for an eternity as was his right but he stood amongst us all and fought his grief. It was the most courageous act I have ever seen.

Beard called the crowd forward and in an act of support and solidarity the group embraced with Conrad at its core.

Whether a parent or not, each of us felt the heartache. It was a deeply humbling experience and one I felt privileged to have witnessed and been a part of.

LEGACY

The day continued. Spirits lifted and despite the unrelenting rain the games were played out with enthusiasm and sportsmanship. The lunchtime raffle and auction were carried out with much laughter and it was great to see Conrad joining in and smiling. It was hard not to be reminded of young Joel’s wish – “Be Happy”.

The final amount raised by the end of the day was an astounding £2,647, far beyond expectations. The Joel Prince Starlight Fund will continue in its fight to raise money for research and trials in the hope of a cure from this terrible disease. If you would like to make a donation you can do so through the following link. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SomeoneSpecial/ JoelPrinceStarlightFund

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

25

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ARMOURGEDDON AIRSOFT

KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK DISCOVERS THAT ARMOURGEDDON IS MORE THAN JUST A MILITARY VEHICLE MUSEUM, AS SHE REPORTS FROM A NEW AIRSOFT SITE NEAR LUTTERWORTH AT THE END OF AUGUST I was invited to attend a relatively new Airsoft site in Lutterworth, Leicestershire called Armourgeddon Airsoft. The site was originally (and still is) home to a Museum specialising in Military vehicles, which also offers a range of unique activities from Military Vehicle driving, tank paintball battles, tank driving experiences, clay pigeon shooting, hovercraft driving and has recently made the plunge into Airsoft skirmishes. The site is possibly the only one of its kind in UK, as they use a full range of armoured vehicles in game.

Getting to Armourgeddon Airsoft was really easy, from my hometown the site was around 40 miles, which is about an hour’s drive. I took the A511 straight onto the M1 Southbound

28

November 2015

to London/Leicester then onto the A4304 through Walcote and the site is a mile into Husbands Bosworth (the site is also signposted with brown Tourist Attraction road signs which is a great help). As I pulled into the long driveway to the site, my first impression was very good; it looked secure, tidy and the glimpse of all the Military vehicles on site filled me with excitement. There is ample car parking at the Armourgeddon site but as I arrived a little late, the car park was full. No dramas though, as I parked up in the adjacent field that they use for overspill parking.

To gain entry to the site you must first walk through the museum, which houses a fair few of the Military vehicles that the site owns and all the information you could need on them, which is pretty cool and definitely a must-see for all those military vehicle fanatics out there. The museum itself is very impressive, boasting a large collection of 67 military vehicles including T55 Maritime Battle Tanks, troop transports and Armoured Personnel Carriers from various eras. Many of them are used in the multitude of activities the site offers.

Armourgeddon is the only site in the UK to offer Tank Paintball, which from what I saw on the day looks absolutely

site ARMOURGEDDON

epic – participants are allowed to drive the tanks and shoot specially made paintballs out of the canons. Something I would love to try! Another activity the site offers for those who are too young to participate in the paintball or airsoft events, is a form of target practice from a troop transport, where participants shoot mannequins in the game area with a vehiclemounted paintball gun that rotates. This gives them a feel for the game and lets them get in the action.

I was warmly greeted by the staff in reception and one of the site’s paintball marshals kindly walked me down to the safe zone at the bottom of the valley, where the site is located. The safe zone (and considering that the site has only been running for 3 months) is better than some of the more established sites that I have been to. It is a large, enclosed sheltered space filled with picnic tables ready for the players to gear up and although the site doesn’t get have a shop yet, it does sell a variety of essentials in the safe zone, such as bbs, ice cold beverages and snacks.

Booking on is done via their Facebook page or by phoning/ emailing the site themselves. Players have to be a minimum of 16 years and as they are a new site, they do not currently offer rentals so it is walk on only – but after speaking to the site’s manager Alex, this is definitely something they are looking into providing in the near future. The site chrono’s all weapons that pass through its doors and its site limits are pretty standard, looking at 350 FPS for AEGS, shotguns and pistols, 400 FPS for DMRs and 500FPS for Bolt Action, spring or gas Sniper rifles and for weapons over 350 FPS there is a minimum engagement distance of 30 feet – which is around 10 metres.

One rule in the safety briefing did strike me as very odd, even though Armourgeddon is a woodland site, they utilise a bang rule on site. As a CQB player who has played full auto indoor games with no minimum engagement distances, I’m not afraid of getting shot at such close range and feel that a bang rule in an environment where most engagements are long range is a little unnecessary but it is all in interests of protecting their players, so it gets a thumbs up from me. The walk on fee is £32 per person which is payable at time of booking and includes entry to the Armourgeddon museum and lunch – when I attended lunch consisted of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a snack pack of biscuits and a juice box which was more than satisfactory. As things stand, the site can comfortably accommodate 40 players and I discovered they have plans to extend their safe zone in the near future to enable them to accommodate even more.

The site is a woodland area of around 25 acres encased in a valley in the Leicestershire countryside. The terrain, although pretty standard as far as woodland sites go, does have some

great features – such as the missile base and bunkers situated around the site. There is also an abundance of various abandoned military vehicles dotted about to give additional cover and add something special to the scenery.

Armourgeddon is very unique in the sense of what it can offer the skirmish customer. As a CQB player, I don’t often play Woodland and it has to offer something different or really special to intrigue me enough to play the site (simply running around in fields shooting other players just doesn’t cut it for me) and I’m pleased to say the site did just that!

This isn’t any old woodland site, the armoured vehicles the site owns are incorporated into a majority of the games played on the day and this definitely gave the site the “wow” factor for me – it’s not every Sunday you get to ride around in APCs! We played a simple Team Deathmatch to get everyone warmed up and in the mood for the day! My favourite game had to be an ambush game where my teammates and I were deployed into the woods via an Armoured Personnel Carrier with the mission of taking the enemy bases. I was very lucky (or unlucky depending on how you look at it!) to be chosen as top cover for the blue team which was absolutely unreal! It’s not every day that you get to shoot out of an APC! As a twist in the game scenario, our tank was disabled by the enemy team and we were subject to an ambush but nonetheless, blue team got to work and cleared the enemy team out. Once we had the first base under our control, it was time to mount up and make our way to the next base. After taking enemy fire and our tank

“I DON’T OFTEN PLAY WOODLAND AND IT HAS TO OFFER SOMETHING DIFFERENT OR REALLY SPECIAL TO INTRIGUE ME ENOUGH TO PLAY THE SITE (SIMPLY RUNNING AROUND IN FIELDS SHOOTING OTHER PLAYERS JUST DOESN’T CUT IT FOR ME) AND I’M PLEASED TO SAY THE SITE DID JUST THAT!” yet again being disabled, we dismounted to take control of the final enemy base – the bunker in the heart of the forest. After a fierce firefight, blue team took the bunker with me getting the final kill. This game was the highlight of the day!

One element of a site that is really important for me as a player is how well the games are run and the onsite staff. The games at Armourgeddon were, in my opinion, very well run.

The safety brief at the start of the day was comprehensive and covered all the important points for the day. There were plenty of marshals in the game area to keep an eye on players and ensure the game progressed well, without getting in the way (something which is always appreciated). It is clear to see from how the staff interact with each other that they are a very close knit team that support each other and their players. I found www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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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

site ARMOURGEDDON

all of the marshals to be very friendly, welcoming and happy to help. They were also very passionate about Armourgeddon which translates into their marshalling.

Something that is worth mentioning is that I was very surprised to find the site’s manager, Alex, is a young gun at only 16 years old (the museum and site is owned by Alex’s father) and has been playing Airsoft for around 18 months.

Upon meeting Alex, I found him to be approachable, friendly and professional. Despite his young age, he is very mature and takes pride in his site. He is very strict on health and safety and enforces the site’s rules well. Alex’s professional demeanour and the fantastic group of marshals that support him in running the site fills me with confidence that the site will only continue to improve.

Another important element that affects how I feel when I leave the site at the end of the game day is the other players on site. I will admit that initially I was a bit nervous in turning up to a site on my own but after the warm welcome from the marshals and other players I was put at ease. Even though they were all involved in their own teams and friendship groups, the players on the day were more than happy to engage in conversations with me and were very welcoming. I teamed up with a few of the guys on blue team and we were well away!

From what I saw the players were an honest bunch and there was no issues with non-hit taking or cheating.

Whilst I was at Armourgeddon Airsoft, I got the chance to speak to Jason Price from the Shadow Stalkers Airsoft Team (a team that frequents Armourgeddon often) about an up and coming independent film that is being filmed at both Armourgeddon and The Block in Burton on Trent.

The film is a low budget, independent production to be

directed by Ian Hodges. Although Jason couldn’t reveal the name, he described the film to me as a modern day Zombie film in which the Shadow Stalkers will play British Infantry. In the film we will be able to see the degeneration of the British Army units from organised troops into cut-throat, ruthless rebels out for themselves. Filming is starting in the next few months and if all goes well, it could become a drama series. The film will also be starring up and coming actors in its cast list.

I was really pleasantly surprised with Armourgeddon as an airsoft site. Even though the site has only been established for a few months, the manager Alex and his team of incredibly supportive marshals have built a site that I can only see improving.

The site itself is very unique in what they can offer their customers; from customers visiting their military vehicle museum to engaging in tank paintball, clay pigeon shooting and even using armoured vehicles in airsoft games – there is something for the whole family. It is an absolutely unreal experience being top cover and riding in an APC, so if you’re looking for a woodland game day experience, this is definitely somewhere you should try and is great value for the price of the day. The sites rules and safety briefs are in line with sites up and down the country and they were enforced well, making the day a pleasant and safe experience.

Contact Information ARMOURGEDDON – LEICESTER Southfields Farm, Husbands Bosworth, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 6NW

Games are held once a month, usually on the last Sunday of the month, bookings can be made by calling 01858 880239 (Monday – Friday 9am to 5 pm) or by emailing events@armourgeddon.co.uk www.armourgeddon.co.uk www.facebook.com/ ArmourgeddonAirsoft

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Kit BRUGGER & THOMET BARREL EXTENSIONS

BRUGGER & THOMET BARREL EXTENSIONS MOCK SUPPRESSORS ARE A “MUST HAVE” ACCESSORY FOR MANY OF US SO THIS MONTH JERRY NOONE TAKES A LOOK AT THE FAMILY OF “BRUGGER & THOMET” LICENCED REPLICAS FROM ASG WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT TACTICAL firearms these days it’s rare to see them without some kind of suppressor fitted and there’s a whole market quite literally just to do with replicas of the most popular models. Whilst the airsoft versions don’t really “suppress” sound they do provide a barrel extension which may allow a short inner barrel to be extended; they also look mighty cool!

Swiss manufacturer Brugger & Thomet AG (B&T) are well known in the real world for their excellent suppressors. When B&T started in 1991, suppressors were the first items the company produced. Users of suppressors very often also needed special optical sights on their weapons, so optical sight mounts soon became a second product line; in some cases such as the suppressor designed for B&Ts own MP9 SMG sight mounting points were even incorporated into the design of the suppressor itself!

ActionSportGames (ASG) from Denmark are equally as well known for their extensive range of fully licenced replica firearms (and all the accessories that go with them) and they have worked very closely with B&T to bring some superb products to market. There are currently six variants of the B&T barrel extension “suppressors” in the ASG range and all of them are beautifully put together. All of them carry authentic trademarks and really look very good indeed.

The MP9 barrel extension tube (£48.99) is designed to appear as the QD silencer made by B&T for their popular MP9 submachine gun. Lightweight and with authentic markings it features a screw-on lock with a ratchet mechanism for a quick and tight fit on the tri-lug barrel of the MP9. It also features a short accessory rail that allows mounting of tactical equipment like a flashlight, laser or foregrip.

Designed to look exactly like the ROTEX III silencer made by B&T, this suppressor is a superb addition to an airsoft replica. A clever yet simple plunger lock allows a quick attachment onto the flash-hider which is included in the package; the flash hider features matching grooves and a counter-clockwise 14 mm internal thread, so it can easily be screwed onto any barrel that features a matching thread. The ROTEX III comes in two lengths, 160mm and

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225mm (the shorter version being ideal for SMGs) and in either length a choice of Black/Grey or Black/ Tan. Expect to pay iro £49.99 for any of the ROTEX III variants.

Last but by no means least comes the ASG B&T Tracer Unit. This has a 14mm CCW thread, an easy to operate on / off button and a textured outer for easier fitment onto your airsoft replica. It’s powered by 4 AAA batteries (not included) so you can light up your tracer rounds for days at a time! The build quality is excellent and the test sample I had to look at proved extremely reliable. It works well on both semi and full auto and as well as looking like a “suppressor” offers that little extra visual fun for night games. The tracer unit is also very well priced iro £38.99.

As stated all of the ROTEX III models come with a 14mm counter clockwise flash hider so if you have a replica with a clockwise or oversize thread (such as the ASG CZ EVO) you’ll need to get hold of an adapter; luckily ASG have already thought ahead though and provide a number of adapters in their range. If you fancy a “suppressor” on your RIF then the B&T licenced models are most certainly worth a look!

For further information on the B&T barrel extension range and stockist details please visit www.actionsportgames.com.

Introducing the new CURSED BBB series The CURSED series is a high grade Airsoft BB, that is suited for all types of Airsoft guns. It delivers on consistent spherical shape and size, measuring at 5,95 +/-0,01.

The Cursed BBs are available in three different weights – 0,20g, 0,25g & 0,28g.

All three in 1 kg resealable bags.

Features: • Size 5,95 +/-0,01 • Consistent spherical shape • Seamless and polished surface • Exact BB weight • Resealable bag

Find more information on actionsportgames.com.

ActionSportGames® is a worldwide leader in the business of replica firearms and accessories manufacturing – including Airsoft guns, Airguns, CO2 guns and firearms replicas.

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Join us on Facebook – “Team ASG” http://www.facebook.com/actionsportgames

UCAP SANDPIT: SIZE MATTERS HAVING REPORTED FROM OTHER UCAP SITES, LES LEE WAS EXPECTING SOMETHING PRETTY TASTY AT THE SANDPIT BUT WHAT HE FOUND BLEW HIM AWAY SIZE MATTERS! AND IF ANYONE tells you different I would strongly suggest that you go along and find out for yourself because UCAP – The Sandpit in Kent has to be seen to be believed – a theatre of 500 acres of the most varied and challenging terrain awaits those who dare venture out to this spectacular site.

The UCAP Sandpit is visible from space, the size of the City of London! This unique and quite simply breath-taking arena of buildings, lakes, forests, roads, tracks, bunkers, tunnels, cliffs, hills, grassland, indoor and outdoor has got it all!

UCAP (an acronym for Up Close And Personal) Airsoft has been providing a high quality environment for Airsoft games for many years, they pride themselves on their professional attitude towards customers and ensuring their enjoyment while on site with them. UCAP provide two types of games, evening and full day games across their current three sites, The Bunker, The Sandpit and Green Ops so as you can see, with three hugely

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different themes, there is something which will appeal to every Airsofter.

UCAP Airsoft is without doubt one of the leading providers of Airsoft combat games in the UK. With such a variety of sites based across the South, they offer something to suit all tastes, whether you have just enlisted into the Airsoft scene or a seasoned veteran, these three sites should be inscribed on your “to do” list and my own personal opinion is that once you have battled at The Sandpit, it will be engraved in your mind (as was the memory of my first visit to The Bunker).

My recent and first ever visit just happened to be the fourth anniversary of The Sandpit and hosted around 150 players, which I am told is an average attendance, although the sheer scale of this place could quite comfortably host at least double that amount of players. However, Andy Stevens, the man behind UCAP assures me that to maintain the high standards of customer service, health and safety and other side

site THE SANDPIT

issues, keeping the numbers under control allows for a more controlled, manageable and enjoyable environment, thus giving the players themselves a better experience.

The Sandpit is an incredibly easy place to find, just a couple of miles from the motorway and the website gives clear and concise directions which (for the first time in my journeys) alleviates the need for a sat nav. It is near impossible to miss the entrance thanks to the photograph on their website, in fact if you do miss the entrance perhaps you should go home and play snakes and ladders!

A hard top road takes you to a huge hard-parking car park (so no 4WD needed here) and upon arrival everything you need is right there. It’s not until you park up that you see for the

first time the size of this place. A massive 60 metre deep lake centralises the game zones and it really is quite stunning, with views of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge in the background and Bluewater shopping centre located just a BFG throw away (in the absence of a stone).

Every facility you could need is on hand, including toilets, battery charging, hire guns, refreshments and a decent lunch, plus a very significant on-site shop, adequately stocked with both consumables and quality kit, including a fine selection of guns. The shop is provided courtesy of Platoon Stores of Rochester so if you have forgotten something, I am in little doubt that they will have it here. I have to say that Peter from Platoon Stores has literally brought just about everything along and it is the biggest on-site shop that I have ever seen at a site!

Anyway, on with the games. After the initial mandatory chronographing of your guns and at this point I must mention that box mags on non-support weapons and two tone or clear guns are not permitted at UCAP sites, as the whole ethos is about keeping it real. Those of you without the required valid defence might want to take advantage of UCAP’s “exclusive rental” scheme, which is a great opportunity for you to purchase your chosen RIF through UCAP and they will securely store it off-site in a secure location and then, by prior arrangement, bring it along to the game for you to use until you reach the qualifying period, when you can take it home and cuddle it, caress it and even take it to bed with you (just make sure it ain’t loaded and it’s mag free) because it is now yours! Now THAT is a very neat idea in my book because it gives you the opportunity to purchase your very own RIF right from the start and also eliminating the need

“HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF A TRACKED FV 432 CAME RUMBLING TOWARDS YOU? OR AN ALVIS SARACEN, OR DAF 4 TONNER? ADD INTO THE MIX A SNATCH, WMIK, SNOWTRAC, OT-90 AND MILITARY QUADS AND THEN YOU REALLY DO HAVE AN OVERDOSE OF REALITY TO CONTEND WITH.”

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to hire, which can work out a little costly over two months if you do the maths. “Normal” rental guns are also available on the day, although pre-booking is advised.

A comprehensive briefing takes place and then both teams are assigned their objectives and taken to the start point. Due to the sheer scale of The Sandpit it would be impossible for me to even begin to give you any idea of what your missions will be on that day but what I can tell you is that it will involve fighting in and around structures, vehicles, open quarry conditions, hills, grass and woodlands, embankments, of which there are many so don’t forget to carb-load the day before because you will need a lot of energy and fluids to stay hydrated. Having a background in health and fitness, I suggest it would be a huge benefit to bring along half a dozen flapjacks, the reason being that they are the perfect energy source for both instant and sustained vigour when consumed with water (water activates and metabolises the energy-giving powers of the simple and complex carbohydrates in the oats which then enter the bloodstream a lot faster) and they are easy to carry, convenient and are not too heavy in the stomach. This is also a good place to inform you that sturdy boot type footwear is mandatory at The Sandpit, as the terrain is unforgiving underfoot and it would be an accident waiting to happen if you are wearing anything else. Don’t say you wasn’t warned!

UCAP have some of the finest Marshal’s that I have seen. The Sandpit by its very nature demands the highest levels of observation and control but not forgetting that ultimately everyone there with a gun is there to have a great time, so Marshals are plentiful and eagle-eyed, ensuring safety and sportsmanship are applied throughout the day. Both Neil and Munchy are full time staff that take their responsibilities seriously and oversee both the

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rest of the staff and the day itself. Not only are they responsible for the ‘softers in a 500 acre landscape, there are a mix of buildings, namely The 25 room Kill House, The Nissan Hut, The Substation, Pipe Yard, gravel pits, woodland and most of all, the FOBs. So as you can see, the Marshalls have their work cut out.

And now for something a little special.

How would you feel if a tracked FV 432 came rumbling towards you? Or an Alvis Saracen, or DAF 4 Tonner?

Add into the mix a Snatch, WMik, Snowtrac, Ot-90 and Military quads and then you really do have an overdose of reality to contend with. Of course there are also many static props which form parts of objectives; a downed helicopter, a missile perched on a launch pad and abandoned vehicles all around the site which all go into making this one very authentic war zone.

Typically (and after taking hundreds of photos during the morning), it’s time for me to have some fun! Sorry, I mean to get a players perspective, so I don my gear, slap on a coloured arm band and join this bunch of merry mercenaries out onto the field.

The nice thing about kitting up is that nobody realises I’m out there amongst them – a spy in the camp so to speak, so I can get a good and unbiased objective view from both the players and my own playing point of view on just how the site “feels” and believe me, I was soon puffing and panting after chasing the enemy over embankments, mounds of rubble and a visit to the top of “Cardiac Hill” (because somebody said I’d never make it)! Wrong! Haha! I have to say this is a

site THE SANDPIT

Contact Details: Andy Stevens UCAP The Sandpit Watling Street Bean, Dartford Kent DA2 8AH

And did I get a feel for the game play at The Sandpit? Hell yeah!

0330 1118 227 This is one very unique Airsoft site, it’s without doubt one of a kind. There is so much on offer and www.ucap.co.uk it is both physically and mentally challenging. The info@ucap.co.uk sportsmanship was impeccable and the camaraderie was exactly as you would hope it would be. Smiles and excitement all round, great teamwork during the games, well-structured initiatives set up by the Marshals and rewarding objectives to be achieved.

Airsoft is an ever-evolving sport/hobby/pastime/activity and it’s encouraging to see – and be assured that UCAP do not settle for “oh that’ll do”, no, UCAP are always reinvesting so I can see The Sandpit going from strength to strength because it has so much potential and above all else, has to be one of the biggest sites in the country.

There is so much invested in The Sandpit, or indeed all of the UCAP sites and when Andy’s not stalking the visiting ice cream van (which is not one of the spec-ops I might add) he is busy making future plans of which I’m sworn to secrecy. I mean, if I tell you I have to kill you - but believe me, yours truly for Airsoft Action will be there at the launch. All I can say is “watch this space” as you will see it amongst our pages first and trust me when I say you guys are in for a proper treat, as the future plans at UCAP HQ are going to be “epic”!

Les OUT!

very physically demanding site and without doubt the most challenging I have ever played at, so if you have any medical concerns you need to take this into account. However it is quite acceptable to simply secrete yourself in one of the scores of bolt holes and simply take out the enemy one by one.

Ultimately it comes down to personal choice as this is a site where you can be as active (or passive) as you choose, such is the landscape and the carefully thought out game scenarios.

Now I’m a self-confessed has-been. I’m not as fit as I once was but better to be a has-been than a never-was when it comes to fitness and “back in the day” I would have been running round like a lunatic with his pants on fire! Now I’m happy just being a lunatic, so as much as I love my GHK G5, next time (and there will most definitely be a next time) I’ll be going into battle with my nicely tuned DMR, digging in and doing what I do best by taking the enemy out one at a time! www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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OBJECTIVE BOXES KELLY HARDWICK WRITES ABOUT A PIECE OF AIRSOFT TECHNOLOGY THAT CAUGHT HER EYE WHILE PLAYING – AND KEEPS HER GOING BACK FOR MORE AS AIRSOFT AS A SPORT DEVELOPS and moves forward and technology gets more advanced, it is inevitable that we see a rise in the use of technology to enhance gameplay. During the last year I have travelled to sites up and down the UK and although I have seen a plethora of technology used in-game at different sites, there has been one in particular that has caught my eye. On my game days at S.W.A.T Fortress in Merseyside, Liverpool, there has been a piece of equipment used called the “Objective Box”, or the “M Com”.

The Objective Box is, well, exactly what the name suggests!

It is an objective box based on an App created by Tye Campbell for Campbell Innovations LLC and distributed by the S.W.A.T group of companies (who are also the creators of the S.W.A.T VTG or Versatile Training Grenade, a blank firing timed grenade used in Airsoft). It is the first completely customisable game objective platform for Airsoft and Paintball use in the UK and was released in “THE BOXES October of 2014. The app is available for purchase ARE BUILT ON through iTunes (for the very reasonable price of A BASE OF A £7.99) and the physical box itself is built by the user via instructions on the construction section of LARGE TOOLBOX their website. The app can be used with or without THAT HAS the box but building the objective box definitely enhances the user’s gameplay experience. Let’s talk SPEAKERS AND about the app itself and its game modes… The FLASHING LIGHTS app has three basic game modes: Timed Mission, INSTALLED THAT Capture Mission and Rush Mission.

Within these game modes are different ARE UTILISED BY missions – in the Timed Mission game mode we THE APP DURING have the standard Team Death match, Free For GAMEPLAY.” All and defensive missions but also something a little different which I have never heard of before: “Wake Island”. This requires a large group of players to defend an area or objective for a duration of time and the attacking team has to eliminate all of the defending players. In this game the attackers respawn in a designated area but the game has a nice little twist in the fact that once the defenders are hit, they defect onto the attacking team. The 38

November 2015

aim of the game is to have enough attackers to overcome the defending team and the game is won by either the defenders withstanding the attacks for the duration of the time set, or the attackers successfully eliminating all of the defending players.

The Capture Mission Game Mode does exactly what it says – two game types based on capturing the objective box itself.

One, “Capture the Flag” requires the box to be set in a neutral location and the first team to capture the box and bring it to their team’s starting point is the winner. The second game in this category is the “Objective Box Capture”, which is by far my favourite game mode! This game consists of the objective box being placed in a central, neutral location between the two teams. The teams must then arm the box by placing their finger on the iPod/iPhone/iPad and defend the box until the sirens and flashing lights die out and the box declares “Objective box destroyed!” - the sound effects really make this game!

Rush is the third and final game mode the Objective Box App is capable of. I’ve never personally played this game mode but feedback from other players at the site suggest it’s definitely one of the more popular game modes. Rush can be played with one objective box but gameplay is more intense when there are multiple boxes for the players to arm and defend. The aim of this game is for the attacking team to find, arm and detonate all the boxes – this can either be played as a fast-paced skirmish or as an operation spread over a few hours.

The physical Objective box itself is built by the user following instructions on the construction part of the Objective Box UK website, as previously stated. They are relatively simple to build and improve the user’s game play experience exponentially! The boxes are built on a base of a large toolbox that has speakers and flashing lights installed that are utilised by the app during gameplay. The sound effects that emanate from the box include sirens, count down music and prerecorded phrases such as “Objective box armed”, “Objective box disarmed” and the phrase the attacking teams love hearing “Objective box destroyed” which all add to the atmosphere of urgency and menace. The user interface of the app is very simple and easy to use and is available in different languages

Technology OBJECTIVE BOXES

such as English, French, German, Simplified Chinese and Spanish so it can be utilised in different countries around the globe. The app has the capability to allow users to completely customise their games to their needs with ease from mission delay time, overall mission time, medic rules and respawn rules, arm/disarm button press time and even includes an in game lock-out feature with a passcode to ensure a fair and honest arm/disarm.

During my days at S.W.A.T Fortress, the objective boxes have been used each game day as they are really popular amongst the players as an addition to the games and, for someone like myself who prefers objective-based mission games over your standard Team Death matches and Free for Alls, they are a welcome addition to the airsoft industry! I have seen similar devices used but none of them quite stand up to the quality and standard of these Objective boxes used at S.W.A.T. I’d really love to see these at more sites around the UK so other players can experience this type of game play.

I’m also really interested to see how these Objective Boxes will influence other tech advances in the industry.

Details App Name: Objective Box Developer: Campbell Innovation LLC Distributor: S.W.A.T Group of Companies Available via: iTunes Compatible with: iOS 6.1 or later. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The app is optimised for iPhone 5.

Website: www.objectivebox.co.uk

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Badger Tac Tuesday - Friday 12:00 - 18:00 Saturday 10:00 - 17:00 01296-658600 | www.badgertac.com enquiries@badgertac.co.uk

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KIT UNIQUE AR HANDGUARDS

UNIQUE AR HANDGUARDS JERRY NOONE TAKES A LOOK AT UNIQUEARS’ HANDGUARDS, NOW THAT THEY ARE AVAILABLE IN THE UK THANKS TO LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT! ALTHOUGH I WAS UNABLE to attend SHOT in person this year I had a great many friends who did and they kindly fed back to me anything and everything that they thought I might find useful. A good buddy from the USA sent me some pictures of custom handguards from “UniqueARs” which were simply stunning!

“UniqueARs” are based in McCall, Idaho and specialise in extremely distinctive front ends for your “AR” rifle or carbine.

They are 100% dedicated to helping shooters by personalising their rifle or carbine and in their own words: “From mild to wild we can turn your dreams into cold hard steel, or brightly coloured aluminium. Purchase one of our stock fore-ends, add custom colours, or have us fabricate a completely custom handguard. We can use your favourite logo, tattoo, saying, insignia, or wild idea to turn your AR into ART!” To say that their work is stunning is a definite understatement and although many of their stock designs are wonderful, it’s the “one offs” built specifically for the client that are inspiring. I looked at the pictures and thought “Thanks so much mate, thanks for teasing me”, not ever thinking that these fabulous creations “TO SAY THAT THEIR WORK would be available in the UK. IS STUNNING IS A DEFINITE After SHOT I was speaking UNDERSTATEMENT AND ALTHOUGH to another good mate, Scott Allan at Land Warrior Airsoft MANY OF THEIR STOCK DESIGNS and in the course of our ARE WONDERFUL, IT’S THE “ONE conversation the “UniqueARs” OFFS” BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR handguards came up. I told him that I’d seen the models online THE CLIENT THAT ARE INSPIRING.” and expressed regret that we in the UK would probably never see them. Scott simply chuckled and told me that he’d actually struck a deal with “UniqueARs” to deal with their products on this side of the pond!

He went on to tell me that LWA would be stocking both 12 inch and 9 inch rails in the “Hurricane, Molon Labe, Hex, Razor Wire, Skulls, and Web” off the shelf designs and that they would also be offering the “Unique AR” full custom service.

Although the stock designs are very, very attractive it’s the custom service that is really exciting. What you get with this service is a

fully customised, one-off AR front rail using the UniqueARs tubular front rail as a base. The design process is simple; just provide them with your design and/or concept and their design department will draft up a virtual sample for you to take a look at. If you decide to move forward with ordering they will then, quite understandably, require a full deposit to be made prior to continuing the processes. They will work with you until you are completely satisfied and approve the final design for production. Production lead times are 4-6 weeks, with approximately one week for shipping from the USA. These rails are available in most major lengths and come with the barrel nut as standard, so basically you just specify exactly what you want and they build it for you!

As you can imagine these sadly do not come cheap but, as always, you need to look at the quality and the workmanship involved. The “off the shelf” rail designs come in at between £175 and £190 but if you want something totally “unique” to you, be prepared to pay in the region of £360. It sounds a lot but that’s not far off what you’d pay for a real (but bland) tactical style rail and, again, I stress that these are high performance parts with utterly unique designs. As always, you get what you pay for.

To check out the UK range of “Unique AR” parts and accessories please visit www.landwarriorairsoft.com. To have a look at some stunning one off custom work, head to the US site www.unique-ars.com and be prepared to drool – more than a little!

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N A R R A W

”A written guarantee, issued to the purchaser of an article by its manufacturer, promising to repair or replace if necessary within a specified period of time” WARRANTIES IN AIRSOFT HAVE ALWAYS SEEMED A BIT OF A GREY AREA, SO GADGE ASKS “WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT FROM A WARRANTY AND DO COMPANIES PROVIDE ADEQUATE “AFTERCARE”?”

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YOU ALL KNOW THE SCENARIO; you’ve splashed out on an awesome £500 battle cannon from “Amazo-Airsoft”, it’s great, shoots like a dream and looks just like the real thing – and then you fall on it and break the cocking handle! Sure, that’s your fault so you can’t claim on the warranty but can you get spare parts… Unless it’s a big name (and even then maybe not) the answer is usually NO! Likewise, I’m sure we’ve all had AEGs that have come out the box with a gearbox loaded with what looked like Swarfega, or wiring that looks like it was done by a blind guy on a bad day… but what can you do if its imported? Send it back and it costs you even more money, or pay for a repair and void your “Warranty”?

Y T N So the question we ask you this month readers (and I’m mainly inspired my Les’ excellent article on the “saving” of buying from overseas a couple of months ago), is what do you expect from a manufacturer in terms of “aftercare”? Should companies supply replacement parts? (I know I’ve bought two STAR/ARES rifles in the past that (at the time) cost about half a grand and spare parts just could not be sourced!)

Have you had any warranty horror stories? Ever had an AEG arrive in bits and the seller didn’t give a damn because they knew you were on the other side of the world?

The easy solution is to perhaps only buy from a local UK retailer (or your own country of origin for our International readers) but for some of those really special, rare and limited guns you really do have to put faith in the Far East.

We asked your views and while this wasn’t out most vibrant of debates you had some interesting points to make.

debate WARRANTIES

to be told I had to cover postage! It was sent back and returned. I was told under no certain terms that if it broken again they would not cover it. I have to say I haven’t bought from them again. I, like others, have gone down the route of using local techs/engineers to repair my AEGs.” Barnes Kno Al: “In the last few years I’ve had pretty much all scenarios: duff gun on delivery and had to pay to return it, duff gun on delivery and had a partial refund to cover repair costs, shop bought and repaired within days, shop bought and massive argument ensues over who’s liable. I take it on the chin that airsoft guns are, for some universal reason, more fragile than a baby panda so now I look to buy shop return stock at 30-50% below retail and fix it myself. It’s become part of the overall hobby for me and allows for upgraded guns at the same price as standard retail. If I sell them on they go with full disclosure. Profit margins in airsoft are slim but I believe customer service and the resultant return custom should be more important than numbers alone.”

Scott Allan: “Guns break. It’s a sad reality. Some manufacturers need to up their game and do 100% QA check.

It’s almost sad that retailers are blamed for faulty expensive products.”

Evo Von Himmel: “Much like cars, I expect any warranty/ guarantee to not be worth the paper it’s written on. Unless I’ve bought it in the UK and it’s DoA, I’ve never even bothered trying to get repairs done under guarantee and just fix it

“I TAKE IT ON THE CHIN THAT AIRSOFT GUNS ARE, FOR SOME UNIVERSAL REASON, MORE FRAGILE THAN A BABY PANDA SO NOW I LOOK TO BUY SHOP RETURN STOCK AT 30-50% BELOW RETAIL AND FIX IT MYSELF.”

Angelo Di Vito: “In my personal opinion not enough retailers pre-check RIF’s prior to handing them over to the end user.

We’ve all bought them with the cellophane still round the box, so there’s no way that has been checked. A couple of retailers I’ve dealt with put a check sheet in the box showing it’s been checked, along with the FPS etc. Also one thing that really irritates me is when you get a new gun delivered and it’s faulty and the retailer expects you to cover the cost to return it. How is that right?”

Nigel Streeter (Ed): “If you choose to buy anything Mail Order, you are accepting the risk that if it is faulty you will be paying the cost of return to the seller - and they take on the cost of returning a replacement. Taking it to the extreme, I heard yesterday of someone who purchased from a Far Eastern supplier, only for the item to arrive completely non-functional.

He complained and was told to refer to the Terms & Conditions which, in essence, said “By purchasing from them you agreed to keep what you buy and there will be no refunds or returns” - at least when you buy from a UK Retailer you have some legal protection (The Sale of Goods Act 1979).”

Suzi BE: “I bought a JG G3 from a UK retailer and used it once and the gearbox failed. I rang the company and they were good and said to send it back asap. This I did and received the G3 back. First time I took it out since the repair it failed. I rang the company again only to have a frosty reception and

“ONE THING THAT REALLY IRRITATES ME IS WHEN YOU GET A NEW GUN DELIVERED AND IT’S FAULTY AND THE RETAILER EXPECTS YOU TO COVER THE COST TO RETURN IT. HOW IS THAT RIGHT?” www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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myself. Even then the shop (mentioning no names!) tried to wriggle out of it, claiming it was damaged through being used.

It was only when I pointed out that the parcel was sent tracked and I emailed them saying it was faulty about 30 minutes after it was tracked as arriving, they stopped arguing and sent a returns label.

“Spare parts are just as annoying.

Most manufacturers, both large and small have no spares Department, or availability. I’ve had to buy complete, broken donor guns in the past just to get spares.

Most companies just ignore emails, which is even more annoying than just saying no.”

Sean BE: “I think warranties are the same across the board whether it be a car or an aeg. It’s very subjective and my experience is that they aren’t fit for purpose. Most players I know (and I include myself) would much rather use someone that is local to carry out repairs, as it is much easier and hassle free. A good warranty would be one where you could take it to a local engineer or shop and have the work carried out there. I am sure in the future someone will sell a stand-alone warranty and have Quentin Wilson advertise it!”

“I JUST DON’T THINK IT’S FEASIBLE FOR AIRSOFT COMPANIES TO OFFER VERY LONG WARRANTIES ON AIRSOFT GUNS. IT WOULD BE NICE BUT I DON’T SEE IT AS REALISTIC GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE HOBBY.” Skirmish Airsoft East Anglia: “We have found it far easier and certainly far less time consuming to simply get repairs and spares done at our local retailers. It is only worth sending back a duff weapon if it arrives duff. After that it’s a nightmare whatever firm you purchase from, big or small. We have used and purchased from just about every outlet and firm out there over the years. Our advice; find a good tech man!”

Richard Smalldridge Red Neck: “I was told once that putting anything on the rails was classed as a mod and void. That’s when the G36C by TM came out.”

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November 2015

Nitro Gary: “Speaking as someone who used to be in the retail trade (RC cars), I used to honour the Manufacturer’s Warranty. Out of my own pocket, as I felt I was obligated to.

However the Warranty is with the MANUFACTURER not the retailer. I have noticed quite a few Retailers are NOT even honouring the Manufacturer’s Warranty anymore. I have experienced this with a well-known retailer in the north. I had a faulty AEG who stated that they do not offer a warranty on new products anymore. In fairness they did repair the AEG but after a long time of haggling. It was a fault with the gearbox (surprise surprise) and they did repair/replace the faulty parts in the end. We seem to live in a society of non-carers, no one cares about the customer, no one cares about the retailers and it seems no one cares about our hobby, unless they are making money from it.”

Matthew Philpott: “The real issue for me is that if you’re buying from China you can’t expect much of a warranty, which is the trade-off for the dismounted price.

However if the RIF is a big brand item and is being sold internationally I don’t feel it’s unreasonable to expect spare parts to be easily available. The quality of metal work on a lot of RIFs leaves a lot to be desired and we all know it will need to be fixed at some point.

“I would like for the big manufacturers to at least offer parts even if they don’t extend a warranty directly.”

Dave Renniks: “Airsoft is generally a really rubbish hobby for warranties, especially here in the UK. Almost all of our stuff is made in the Far East. This ranges from reputable companies who do offer aftermarket support/warranties/parts, to less reputable companies producing clones that just couldn’t care less about sorting out items once they have your money.

So before we even start we’re operating at a disadvantage, whether you’re a player or a retailer. When you actually get your new gun, what do you do with it? You want to shoot it. But what gas/ammo/batteries do you use? What if you use something too powerful for the weapon, or ammo not refined enough? Should the retailer cover user error, however innocent?

“Then when you get out on the field, you’re running around, firing it, getting it muddy, wet, bashing it around etc. The majority of airsoft guns are very complicated bits of machinery, with a lot of moving parts.

With the amount of abuse we put our kit through just in your average day’s play, how long should the retailer/manufacturer warranty your gun? I just don’t think it’s feasible for airsoft companies to offer very long warranties on airsoft guns. It would be nice but I don’t see it as realistic given the nature of the hobby. I’ve just largely given up on buying new as, if it’s going to break, may as well buy second hand.”

WANT TO PAINT YOUR RIFLE? GITAG! THERE’S ALWAYS A BIT OF a debate in any airsoft group as to whether camouflaging your precious AEG is a good thing or not. I’m quite happy to be the first to say that some people look on this practice with horror in their eyes and I do understand why. Ultimately there is no such thing as a “cheap” RIF so do you really want to cover all that black and shiny awesomeness with paint? If you want to resell said RIF at a later point will a paintjob devalue it?

I have to say that in my opinion the answer to question one in some cases is “yes”, and to question two “no”. Let’s address question one first. When you embark on putting together your RIF there are some fundamental points to look at; if the RIF is intended as a practical shooting tool for the range then leaving it black is 100% fine and in some cases you may even want to “bling it up” with a nice silver chrome flash hider, or one of those lovely golden SALIENT ARMS bolt covers. If however you’re building something for woodland environments, then you’re probably going to want to do something, as black really doesn’t occur naturally and stands out like a sore thumb.

In the woods, just as we apply can cream to break up the outline of our face, so too should the outline of our rifle or carbine be muted as well. When I look to build a woodland rifle

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November 2015

WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME, EFFORT AND MONEY PUTTING OUR CAMOUFLAGE TOGETHER BUT STILL END UP WITH A DARN GREAT BLACK RIFLE STICKING OUT IN FRONT. JERRY NOONE SAYS THAT THIS IS THE TIME TO GET THE CAMO PAINTS OUT AND… GIVE IT TO A GEEK!

I will immediately think about both the specific environment and the time of year I’m going to be using it; if it’s high summer and I’m going to be playing in dense, sun-mottled foliage then I’ll look to a fairly “bright” palette of colours with more green in it than anything. If its autumn, I’ll look to use more browns.

Consider this though. If you just paint your rifle in one block colour, although it will be better than plain black it’s still just going to be a solid block of colour. What you need to look at is blending colours effectively and picking up highlights so the overall shape becomes distorted. Think about those clever people that actually design camouflage patterns and you’ll come across words like “fractal” and “pixelated”; good camouflage is all about the “blend”.

Now to question two… Many folk I speak to do believe that painting your RIF will affect its resale value if you want to sell it at a later date and again I would be the first to say that a botched, badly achieved paintjob most certainly will. A good, well achieved piece of work though can actually increase the desirability of a replica; it’s all in the eye of the beholder at the end of the day so if you like the paintjob then it will just mean you want “that rifle” even more. Real world “shooters”, especially (but not exclusively) snipers, will camouflage their

GITAG! CAMO PAINTS

rifles for a reason, so why should we in our wide-ranging world of airsoft be any different?

There are lots of matt finish spray paints out there on the market, some easier to get hold of than others and I’ve used pretty much all of them over the years. Recently though I’ve been working with the range of “Ultra Flat Paint” (UFP) from NUPROL. The team there, airsofters themselves, have recognised that certain “big name” brands of paint are both expensive and hard to get hold of so they’ve gone out and sourced their own. NUPROL offer the popular colours of Brown, Tan, Olive Green, and Black that we need for a really good spray-up, they’ve priced them sensibly and made them easily available through their extensive dealer network. With an RRP of £7.99 a can there’s no reason why you can’t afford a good sprayjob now!

DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE!

Doing your first paintjob can be a nervy affair and many players I know shy away from doing it in case they get it wrong.

With any team or group of players though there are always complementary skills; I can work with wiring but I have a friend who’s far better at it than me. I have another friend for whom finding the ultimate hop-up arrangement is his “holy grail”.

I’m more than happy to pass my RIFs over to them for jobs they will do better than I because I want my own guns to work as perfectly as possible.

When it comes to painting though, I am my group’s “geek” and as long as they provide the paint I’ll happily get the job done for them.

Last month my good friend Jase finished building a new backup M4 for himself. He’d managed to find a badly functioning plastic-bodied ICS model with tan upper and lower, fixed it, gathered up all the parts he wanted and along with other teammates put everything together. It was the classic base for a painting project (as you’ll see from the pictures), with colour mismatched parts throughout. Due to his intended end use for the rifle he decided he wanted the finished item

camouflaged, so we sat down and worked out exactly what was needed.

This is a key part of the process that needs to take place before a can of paint is even rattled; to look at what the rifle or carbine needs to work alongside. In this case it was Multicam, so I knew it needed to be finished in reasonably muted tones that would work in both scrub and a concrete urban setting.

With this established, STEP 1 was to mask all the areas that need to remain paint free, in this case the muzzle (I normally leave the flash hider in place but as the rifle was going to be used with a tracer unit in a suppressor jacket I removed it), any exposed wiring and the magwell; do not let paint build up in here as it can effect smooth magazine release. I then took a clean paintbrush and thoroughly brushed any dust away - it’s actually a good idea to use the paintbrush between coats throughout the process as you do tend to get a “dust” forming as you go along. Preparation really is your friend when painting.

STEP 2 is to apply a thin, even base coat which holds the overall pattern together; in this case tan. Always follow the directions on the can and apply multiple thin coats rather than one heavy-handed one and always try the spray on a separate area first to see what the coverage is like. Most importantly don’t rush things; some people like to hang their painting project but I prefer to do mine on an old workmate, as hanging implies a roof which in turn means that paint fumes don’t disperse so easily.

Once the base coat is touch dry (again follow the instructions on the can as they are there for a reason!) STEP 3 is to apply the first of the blending lines and I chose to use dark brown for this. You don’t need to be too precious with these as you still have a way to go!

STEP 4 is to apply the third colour, olive green this time, in a light misted coat to start filling in the gaps between the initial blending lines. It doesn’t matter if you overlap the brown and the green slightly as this is where things start to come together and the overall outline and shape of the rifle starts to blur.

Jase particularly liked another colour scheme that I’d done for myself on a helmet where for STEP 5 you take an old scrim net and lay this over (in this case) the rifle, return to your light tan and spray through it. You need to get the scrim net as close to the surface you’re painting as possible so as to avoid “bleed”; what you want ultimately is a nice, even “snakeskin” pattern that really does blur outlines and shapes well.

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GITAG! CAMO PAINTS

Once this is done and everything had dried it was a quick return to the green for a final misting coat which nicely brings the whole project together and tones down the harshness of the tan “snakiness”.

The next part of the project (and the finishing touch for me) is to “weather” the whole rifle. Some folk don’t like to do this and leave the rifle to wear naturally but if you know where a rifle should wear, you can induce this to achieve a “battleworn” effect. If you do want to take this step then it’s as simple as taking some fine grade sandpaper or wire wool and gently rubbing down the areas you want to take back to bare metal.

Then it’s simply a case of removing the masking tape and materials, giving the rifle another brush down to remove any final dusting and refit any parts that need it. I refitted the hull of the PEQ box to keep the Deans connection on the wiring safe and fitted a LANTAC Dragon flash hider for photography.

Then LEAVE IT BE!!!

Although the paint can will undoubtedly tell you that everything is completely dry after a few hours, the fact of the matter is that the longer you leave the paintjob, the better the paint itself will “cure” or harden. I normally bank on standing any finished job in the workshop for at least three days to allow full curing and for any residual fumes to completely disperse.

Whether or not the “painted operator rifle” is for you is down to personal preference. What I will tell you is that the NUPROL paints are easy to work with, go on very effectively and blend together perfectly. If you’re not confident in having a crack at spraying something yourself then speak to people who have good examples of what can be achieved; in many cases they’ll help you take your first steps to creating a masterpiece of your own.

Don’t be reticent in asking for advice, and if you’re still in doubt then… GIVE IT TO A GEEK!

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November 2015

IF IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR JACK… IF YOU HAVE BEEN ANYWHERE near a television this century then chances are you have seen, or at the very least heard of, the hugely popular TV series “24”. A success around the world, “24” stars Kiefer Sutherland as counter terrorist agent Jack Bauer.

Through multiple series, Jack dishes out his uniquely violent brand of justice and retribution while making the hapless terrorists regret their career choices in increasingly brutal fashion. To put it bluntly Jack Bauer is a bad-ass of the highest order and, for the majority of episodes, Jack’s weapon of choice is the Heckler & Koch USP Compact.

Released in the mid 90’s as a scaled-down version of the full-sized USP (Universelle Selbstladepistole or “universal selfloading pistol”) that was released a few years earlier, the USP Compact quickly garnered a formidable reputation and found its way into various Military and Police organisations around the globe.

It’s with little wonder then, that with such excellent credentials and stunning good looks, the USP in all of its variants has been a firm favourite within the film and television world.

With the release of Tokyo Marui’s gas blowback version of the USP Compact it’s understandable that they jumped on the media bandwagon and made unashamed use of the “24” branding and logo design. Packaged in a glossy box that looks like it belongs on the shelf next to your DVD boxsets, upon opening we are gifted with a beautifully laid out presentation that gives a fantastic first impression and oozes with the feel of espionage and intrigue.

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November 2015

WITH THE HUGE SUCCESS OF “24”, IT WAS NO SURPRISE THAT AIRSOFT MANUFACTURERS WOULD REPLICATE MR. BAUER’S WEAPON OF CHOICE. KRIS ROBERTS TAKES A LOOK AT ONE SUCH OFFERING…

On lifting the pistol I was amazed by the quality of the build and attention to detail. Having only used metal framed pistols for the last few years I was apprehensive about returning to a plastic build but in an instant my concerns were lost as I marvelled at the heft, balance, strength and perfect fitting of the moving parts.

Inserting the 23-round metal magazine only served to increase my initial observations and I was able to get a fuller comprehension of the size and bulk of the gun. Although the pistol is branded as being “compact” it is far from small, with a tall and wide top slide and over-sized levers for the slide release and safety catch. In addition, the extended curved base plate on the magazine allows those with medium to large hands to retain a comfortable grip and supports a stable and controlled base when firing.

When compared to Tokyo Marui’s last offering, the HK45, the USP Compact is obviously smaller in stature but in no way does it fell less impressive in the hand. With a textured grip that locks the pistol into the hand the hold was reassuring and instilled confidence when bringing into the aim and firing off a snap shot. All in all, the gun felt like an extension of my fist, and personally I found it to be more comfortable than the HK45.

On the range my first squeeze of the trigger produced a massive shock. I simply was not expecting the blowback to be so crisp, smooth, fast, and dare I say it...violent! Power readings were obviously mixed due to ambient temperature and gas used and I was getting readings somewhere around the 250260fps mark. It may sound low but I can assure you that those figures are irrelevant. The pistol was amazingly accurate and was reaching out far beyond expectations. At 5 metres I could fire off the entire magazine in quick succession and still retain a grouping that would fit in the palm of my hand. At 10 metres with a steadier rate of fire I could achieve the same result, with centre mass shots being easily achieved at 30m. What most impressed me though was the smoothness of operation and the fact that the gun never once failed to fire. Reliability-wise I have yet to see its equal from an off the shelf gun.

Armoury TM USP COMPACT

The pistol is easily stripped down in seconds to enable a good look at the internals. A quick inspection of the top slide showed the large nozzle at the rear and the dual-spring guide towards the front. Engineering here is once again top notch, as is the hop unit and the construction of the slide itself. There is an abundance of chunky metal to absorb the force of the blowback, which was reassuring after my initial shock at the recoil. The hop up can be adjusted by the turning of a small cog at the side of the ejection port. It can be accessed while the gun is assembled with the slide locked back but it can be a little fiddly if (like me) you bite your nails. But once set the hop seems to hold true, so I see this operation being needed only on a few occasions.

The lower receiver also houses a metal reinforcement for the slide to run on and in addition comes with a neat feature on the slide release lever. Whereas on most pistols the slide release lever rises up to catch and hold back the slide when empty (an operation that often sees the slide or catch itself sustain damage), the Tokyo Marui USP Compact has a small metal bar inside the frame that is operated by the lever and used to absorb the impact of the slide locking back in place.

A great idea to overcome a common fault and increase the longevity of the gun’s life.

The trigger unit and safety are also a fantastic piece of design that allows the pistol to be carried in a configuration of your own personal choosing. Designed with a double action or single action set up, the pistol can even be carried with the hammer half cocked. With the safety engaged the trigger is disconnected from the hammer which adds an extra element to the overall safe use of the gun when holstered or held ready for action.

The pistol also comes supplied with a flat base plate for the magazine should the shooter wish to maintain a smaller profile.

The switch over takes seconds to complete. What will no doubt be a more welcome addition is the inclusion of a plastic rail that bolts onto the front of the pistol and allows the fitting of the usual attachments. This will appeal to those wanting to mount torches for practicality but for many, the short nose of the gun leaves any such additions looking cumbersome and off balance.

“PACKAGED IN A GLOSSY BOX THAT LOOKS LIKE IT BELONGS ON THE SHELF NEXT TO YOUR DVD BOXSETS, UPON OPENING WE ARE GIFTED WITH A BEAUTIFULLY LAID OUT PRESENTATION THAT GIVES A FANTASTIC FIRST IMPRESSION AND OOZES WITH THE FEEL OF ESPIONAGE AND INTRIGUE.” Overall, I was mightily impressed by this pistol. Its beautiful looks and quality finish work in perfect harmony with its steadfast and exceptional performance. While collectors can relish in its obvious charms, skirmishers can be assured of a formidable fighting sidearm.

I can see this pistol being my only sidearm of choice for many years to come. Jack Bauer obviously knew his stuff...

Damn it!

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EUROPEAN PATENT No. 002638791-0001 Lightweight, breathable, moisture-wicking and extremely comfortable, OTP® are soon to become your favorite trekking pants.

Loaded or Unloaded KRYPTEK

JERRY NOONE IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR INNOVATION IN RELATION TO EFFECTIVE CONCEALMENT AND CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS, SO HE’S BEEN FOLLOWING THE CONTINUED ROLLOUT OF UNIQUE PATTERNS AND GEAR FROM US-BASED KRYPTEK OUTDOOR GROUP

KAMO KHAOS KRYPTEK’S STATED MISSION IS TO “provide proven features and designs in ultra-high-performance technical outdoor apparel. Kryptek products are continuously tested and proven in austere environments and extreme conditions. Constant improvement and feedback is implemented into future designs with the end-goal of providing products to outdoor adventurers who demand the utmost in quality and overall performance in their gear.”

I was lucky enough to meet Butch Whiting, Kryptek Cofounder, a few years back and he had a lot to tell me back then. Since that time I’ve been following how the patterns have developed and how the number of brand partners has grown; it’s also very interesting to see just how many airsofters worldwide are taking up one or other of the variants.

Not only do Kryptek make their own high quality, high performance garments but they have also developed their own unique and innovative camouflage patterns: NOMAD, HIGHLANDER, MANDRAKE, YETI, RAID, and TYPHON. This development process has led to them working with some of the most cutting edge manufacturers in the world – and to an even greater range of first rate products!

As Butch told me, “The core of Kryptek is to spiral innovations and features that have been refined and proven in the military environment into the civilian market, in fact a large portion of Kryptek prostaff are still on active duty; they are also Kryptek’s primary R&D department. Their involvement and input coupled with the technical and practical backgrounds of

the rest of their team is what separates the Kryptek Group from many other manufacturers.

“The gear came first; at the end of the day, the camouflage is a “paint job” and the gear has to perform as intended. Some of our range of camo though was specifically developed for the U.S. Military; Highlander, Mandrake, and Nomad. The original concept was extremely simple. One of the most effective passive countermeasures out in the field is cam netting. When placing cam netting over a hide-site or vehicle, it really starts to become effective as the netting is stretched and distorted, with the fabrics that are woven into the netting adding depth.”

From that inspiration and extensive testing, the Kryptek family of camouflage was developed with the majority of the adjustments/tweaks being implemented through the results of “long distance” testing. Luckily for Kryptek, they also obtained a “shelf appeal” but that was not their primary intent; the overall effectiveness was. They were “down selected” after extensive testing by the U.S. Army when they competed as part of the effort to identify a new family of camouflage and the patterns have continued to be evaluated and were at one point potentially the new camouflage for the conventional military!

EFFECTIVENESS ON THE GROUND

Without going into to much detail, the Kryptek patterns really start becoming effective at around 10 metres and maintain that effectiveness at extremely long distances when compared to competitors. This is accomplished through a combination of www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Macro and Micro layering using the “Distorted Hexagon (i.e. camo netting)” as the Micro pattern and fading the transitional areas of their Macro pattern, the Kryptek patterns have a 3-D effect on a 2-D surface.

The individual patterns are designed for: • NOMAD: Arid/Desert environments • HIGHLANDER: Transitional environments • MANDRAKE: Woodland/Jungle environments • YETI: Arctic/Snow environments • RAID: Urban environments • TYPHON: This is really a psychological/lifestyle pattern but could also be used at night; this pattern is extremely popular because it was the tactical pattern featured in Call of Duty!

Kryptek work with very specific brand partners and look to them for solid gear or service with a leadership team that shares similar philosophies and mentalities to their own. They work with some pretty big names like HSGI, Grey Ghost Gear, Kifaru, Vertx, Platatac, Wild Things Tactical, Condor, OPS Tactical, Velocity Systems, Mayflower, Safariland, HSP, Tyr, EGL, Honor Point and Helikon to name a few on the kit side. They also work with Proof Research, Wetherby, PWS, Leupold, USNightvision, Vortex, Viking Tactics and Invictus Alliance Group.

It’s Kryptek’s stated aim to maintain and bolster their focus in the Tactical and Outdoor Adventure markets, spiralling concepts and ideas from the battlefield and into the backcountry and visaversa. Their company mantra, “Battlefield to Backcountry” pretty much sums up not only who they are but also their way ahead.

CONCEPT TO REALITY

Kryptek certainly have it all going on and it’s very good to see more mainstream manufacturers taking on the patterns and producing good quality and well-priced clothing and gear. My personal favourite is their “Highlander” transitional pattern, as it does seem to work very well in the environments that we find on many UK urban sites, although “Mandrake” is equally at home in our woodland environment.

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My first port of call for Kryptek Highlander gear was www. military1st.co.uk as they have a pretty comprehensive range of products in the pattern (and some of the other variants) from Helikon, Condor, and Direct Action; between these three brands they’re able to cover clothing and tactical gear pretty well. I’m a big fan of the latest Combat Patrol Uniform (CPU) from Helikon, so choosing that for the basis of my fast and light “Recon” loadout was pretty much a no-brainer. The CPU shirt is made from NyCo Ripstop (50% Cotton, 50% Nylon), and is NIR treated.

It’s superbly well-featured with a high mandarin collar with a velcro closure and soft fleece inside, a zipped front with Velcro flap closure and two slanted chest pockets with a velcro top closure and zip side entry.

There are further upper arm pockets on either sleeve, again with a velcro flap and zip side entry, and pen/chemlight holders on each upper arm pocket. There are also two forearm pockets of various sizes on each sleeve with velcro flaps, so you get a lot of storage space for all those essentials you want to keep on you at all times. The back is pleated for a comfortable fit and there are pit-zips to give additional ventilation when things hot up.

The matching CPU Trousers are made from the same fabric and feature ten pockets; there are two large pockets and two small open pockets on the front, two slanted cargo pockets with velcro closures, button loop and elastic draw string with toggle, two rear pockets with button flaps and one lower side pocket with a velcro flap on each leg. Both the seat and knees are reinforced and there are pockets with a velcro closure on each knee for protective padding (please note the pads are not included). There are nice wide belt loops and side waist adjusters to keep everything snugly in place and drawstrings on the bottom of the legs mean it’s easy to blouse them if you like. This is a cracking, hard-wearing and versatile uniform and the shirt and trousers sell for £76.00 each.

Loaded or Unloaded KRYPTEK

To go with this I wanted to keep things pretty lightweight so I chose just to run with a Recon Chest Rig from Condor.

This quality chest rig is well priced at just £57.99 and offers the most effective way of carrying a field load on the chest. It features six single pistol and three double stacker type ammo pouches with drainage holes and there is also one large built-in utility pocket, one mesh pocket on the back and two open-top mag pouches (one on each side), all easily accessible from the top. The single pistol mag pockets include adjustable velcro closures with pull tabs, whereas the stacked pouches include multiple adjustable paracord retainers with MOLLE straps. The whole rig is fully adjustable and adaptable to any height and chest size. It features padded cross-back shoulder straps, both with MOLLE webbing and D-ring and a unique Swivel Lockster/ Swivel Push-Button release buckle for quick changeovers and easy weight distribution.

Both Helikon and Condor offer Tactical ballcaps in Highlander, from a lightweight mesh-backed model at £13.99 to one made in the same MilSpec fabric as the CPU for £17.00.

I chose here though to pay a visit to www.tactical-kit.co.uk for a cap from NOTCH GEAR; at £24.99 it’s a little more expensive but NOTCH caps are structured, low profile and feature an innovative insert at the left and right corner of the brim which neatly accommodates your safety glasses. Rather than the edge of the brim, which is often “rolled down” to minimise glare, forcing down on the arms of your glasses, the “notch” lets them run comfortably under the brim ensuring that you retain a safe, close fit of your eyepro. While you’re visiting Tactical Kit you should also check out other Highlander accessories from 0241 Tactical, and the excellent accessories and gear from HSGI, Grey Ghost Gear and G-CODE.

FULL ON!

As usual I wanted another loadout that was a little more “hard core” and for this I found myself visiting www.hueys.co.uk. For those of you who have not yet discovered HUEYs, you really, really should go and take a look as they carry a high quality range of brands, some of which are pretty unique like OPS UR-Tactical. Optimal Performance Systems (OPS) was established in 2005 and rapidly developed into a well-known tactical gear brand. They dedicate their efforts to innovation, the designs and the functionality of their products. All their gear is made of genuine, high quality materials to ensure durability and protection for the end user.

The OPS Gen 2 Improved Direct Action Shirt in Kryptek Highlander has

an RRP of £78.75 and has a body area made from cotton jersey knit material resulting in more comfort. The under arm area of the features an elastic material, which again provides a better fit for the dynamic user; the shirt also has a high zip collar which is ideal for a little protection from BB strikes. The forearm has a low profile pocket with zip on both sides and upper arm pockets with large velcro panels for patches and IDs provide extra storage. There are shaped elbows which are reinforced with 500D CORDURA and accept moulded/removable elbow pads (which are included).

As with the shirt sleeves the matching OPS Integrated Battle Pants 3D are made from sturdy 50/50 NYCO Ripstop.

They are a little more expensive, coming in at £125.50 but boy, do you get a lot for your money! In terms of pocketing you get slash front and rear pocket for easy access, two besom pockets for small or flat items, two accessory pockets with cover next to the besom pocket for multi-tools, pistol mags or flash lights and two large slash pleated bellows cargo pockets with a velcro flap closure. Fully shaped knees accept moulded knee pads which are included, with double sided Velcro and elastic adjusters that offer more comfort when tightening the knee pads and increases mobility. There’s also an adjustment strap for the height of knee pad.

The lower leg of the is a single piece cutting, so there’s only one stitching edge on the lower leg providing a better fit and more comfort for the user. Overall these are beautifully featured and put together and when combined with the Direct Action Shirt gives a durable and highly dynamic uniform.

I decided to run “heavy” with this loadout as the team gunner, so I kept the gear pretty simple; basically just a helmet with cover, armour carrier and rucsac for all the necessary gear. OPS carry an extensive range of easy to fit covers for different helmet models in multiple patterns so if you want to use one helmet with various loadouts then this is an easy option. At £26.50 the OPS helmet cover for FAST helmet models is made from official 50/50 NYCO Ripstop.

It features a shaped hole for night vision mount, velcro loops in front for IR tabs/ insignia, and paracord retainers for helmet-cams.

Made from official Kryptek Highlander 500D Cordura fabric the OPS Easy Plate Carrier is a great bit of kit.

It has padded and adjustable shoulder straps, www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Loaded or Unloaded KRYPTEK

GEAR LIST and WHERE TO GET IT www.helikon-tex.com For some truly righteous tactical clothing, footwear, accessories and gear then Helikon have to be high on your list for a visit to their website. Their range is vast and constantly updated, and you can rely on them for excellent quality.

www.directactiongear.com To check out the very latest developments from Direct Action have a look at their site; you can also sign up there for their regular newsletter.

www.military1st.co.uk Need tactical gear? Military1st is pretty much your one stop shop in this respect. All the Condor, Direct Action and the very latest Helikon gear is on their website, along with so much more!

www.hueys.co.uk Small but perfectly formed HUEYS have an ever expanding portfolio of top end brands including OPS UR-Tactical; visit them regularly as stock tends to go very quickly! a velcro patch panel, front pocket for extra storage, drag handle and acres of MOLLE. One neat feature is that it’s fully compatible with the OPS Easy Chest Rig as it comes with 4 ITW Nexus QASM buckles so you can just snap the rig directly into place. At £122.50 it’s not the cheapest plate carrier ever but it is superbly made and fits very well indeed.

Last but definitely not least I returned to Military1st for a ruc; with durable and water resistant 500D Cordura fabric the Direct Action DUST pack is the perfect tactical low profile hydration backpack. With a capacity of 20L the pack comes with hydration bladder compartments, padded laptop storage compartment and large front admin organiser with multiple inner pockets and a transparent map pocket. Padded shoulder straps and a removable hip belt allow for comfortable wear even with belt kits or plate carriers, while a laser-cut MOLLE/ PALS section offers an additional platform for mounting of MOLLE accessories like water bottle pouches and first aid kits. Multiple side compression straps offer high levels of customisation and flexibility and allow the backpack to be adapted to the size of the carried kit, preventing it from shifting inside the bag. This uniquely flexible hydration pack represents a perfect storage solution for mission essentials, hydration bladders and EDC kit and is perfect as a one-day patrol pack or light travel bag. At £91.00 this is excellent value for a top quality bit of gear.

WRAPPING IT ALL UP

So, with the basic uniforms serving as the basis for the loadouts I went into the gear locker and dressed it all out with tan gloves from OR Tactical and HWI. A tan riggers belt worked nicely to support my tan Kydex SIG 226 holster. For my “Recon” loadout I chose a great all-weather boot from Lowa, the INNOX GTX model in Coyote Tan and for “Direct Action” I stuck with my tried and trusted LOWA Zephyrs.

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www.tactical-kit.co.uk For the full range of G-CODE accessories, NOTCH caps and 0241 Tactical accessories please do pay a visit to Tactical Kit. Their website is crammed full of so much goodness you’ll need to keep your wallet firmly under lock and key!

www.lowamilitaryboots.com Lowa boots are the choice of discerning tactical professionals worldwide and there is quite literally something for everybody in their great range. Check out the INNOX and ZEPHYR models online.

www.military.outdoorresearch.com I’m still scratching my head as to why none of the UK retailers seem to have picked up on the Outdoor Research tactical line of gloves and accessories. Their products are absolutely top notch, but as of now you’ll still need to order them from overseas!

www.top-of-the-range.co.uk To check out the full range of HWI products give the TOTR website a visit. They’ve also got some other great tactical brands in their portfolio and you’ll find full details tech specs and stockist details.

www.facebook.com/Clearwaterholsters I worked with Clearwater Holsters last month in GITAG; they create bespoke holsters, knife sheaths, mag pods, you name it! Go and check out the latest models on their Facebook page!

It’s really interesting when you embark upon creating a couple of sets of gear that will work together in various combinations to allow you huge amounts of versatility and if you discover something new about how camouflage patterns work along the way then it’s doubly so. I try to look for gear from manufacturers I trust for obvious reasons but that doesn’t mean that a new or different brand doesn’t have exactly the piece of gear you’ve been searching for, so as I always say, do your research well, spend your money wisely, and make sure you keep enough over to pay your site fee; gear is all very well, but ultimately it’s all about the airsoft!

CONSUMER RIGHTS ACT 2015 FOLLOWING ON FROM THIS MONTH’S DEBATE, NIGE OUTLINES WHAT THIS NEW PIECE OF UK LEGISLATION AIMS TO ACHIEVE

READING THROUGH THE RESPONSES TO Gadge’s debate this month, it is obvious that there are many different views as to what a Warranty should/should not cover, who actually warranties an item and who is responsible for what (and even that short sentence is confusing). However, that will all become largely moot, as on the 1st October this year a new piece of legislation, The Consumer Rights Act 2015, comes into force and all purchases from that date forwards will be governed by it.

The Act replaces three current (at the time of writing) pieces of consumer legislation: The Sale of Goods Act 1979, Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations and the

THE ACT REPLACES THREE CURRENT (AT THE TIME OF WRITING) PIECES OF CONSUMER LEGISLATION: THE SALE OF GOODS ACT 1979, UNFAIR TERMS IN CONSUMER CONTRACTS REGULATIONS AND THE SUPPLY OF GOODS AND SERVICES ACT 1982 AND INTRODUCES SOME FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES. Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and introduces some fundamental differences.

The Act clearly defines both “trader” and “consumer”: If you are acting for purposes relating to your trade, business, craft or profession, then you are a “trader” and this applies to individuals, companies, Charities and those you allow to act on your behalf.

A “consumer” is defined as an individual who, in their dealings with a trader, is not acting for the purposes of a business and where a consumer presents themselves as a business (such as when buying goods from a Trade Only supplier), they are not considered to be a consumer.

Interestingly, a consumers rights are also diminished when buying second-hand goods at a public auction where individuals can attend in person (I wonder if that covers sites like eBay; a “public” auction where people “attend in person” digitally? One for legal-beagles methinks!)

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The Act also introduces: • 30 days to get a refund.

For the first time a specific timeframe has been created in which you can reject a faulty item and get a full refund now 30 days • A “tiered” remedy system.

In place for faulty goods, digital content and services, this means your rights to a refund are clearly set out. Whether you’re entitled to a refund depends on how long you’ve owned the product or the nature of the service you’ve received.

• Failed repairs.

After one failed attempt by the retailer to repair or replace a faulty product, you’re entitled to ask for a refund or price reduction for the use you’ve already had.

• A second repair or replacement.

If you don’t want a refund or price reduction, you have the right to request another repair or replacement at no cost to you.

• Deductions from refunds.

No deduction can be made from a refund in the first six months after purchase. The only exception to this is motor vehicles, where a reasonable reduction may be made for the use you’ve had of the vehicle.

• Digital content rights This new law applies to digital content that is paid for, digital content supplied free with other paid for items and digital content supplied on a physical medium, such as a DVD. • Unfair terms in consumer contracts.

Changes to unfair terms in contracts mean the main elements of the contract and the price must be brought to your attention. Previously these terms were only required to be legible – if you could find them at all.

• Pre-contract information.

The Consumer Rights Act states that if a retailer provides pre-contract information in relation to a service and the

LEGAL CONSUMER RIGHTS ACT 2015

consumer takes this information into account, the service must comply with that information.

As with the Sale of Goods Act, under the Consumer Rights Act all products must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.

The rules also include digital content in this definition.

So all products – whether physical or digital – must meet the following standards: • Satisfactory quality Goods shouldn’t be faulty or damaged when you receive them. You should ask what a reasonable person would consider satisfactory for the goods in question? For example, bargain bucket products won’t be held to as high standards as luxury goods.

deduction can be made from a refund in the first six months following an unsuccessful attempt at repair or replacement.

If you’d prefer to keep the goods in question you can request an appropriate price reduction.

After the first six months the burden is on you to prove that the product was faulty at the time of delivery and, in practice, this may require some form of expert report, opinion or evidence of similar problems across the product range.

As you can see, there is a whole new raft of consumer legislation about to come into force and I am sure, just like the Violent Crimes Reduction Act 2006, there will be just as many “opinions” and “translations” of what the Consumer Rights Act 2015 “actually says” but if you really want to know, you can download a copy from here: http://www.legislation. gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/contents/enacted

• Fit for purpose The goods should be fit for the purpose they are supplied for, as well as any specific purpose you made known to the retailer before you agreed to buy the goods.

• As described The goods supplied must match any description given to you at the time of purchase.

As you can see, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 has some pretty fundamental changes in it with regard to consumer protection, the most significant being the right to reject goods that are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described and get a full refund for 30 days from the date of purchase (although this doesn’t apply to digital content).

Beyond the 30-day “right to reject” you have to give the trader the opportunity to repair or replace any goods that are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described – and you can choose whether you want the goods repaired or replaced. However, the trader can refuse if they can show that your choice is disproportionately expensive compared to the alternative.

If the repair attempt is unsuccessful you can then claim a refund or price reduction (should you wish to keep the product).

If a repair or replacement is not possible, or the attempt at repair fails, or the first replacement also turns out to be defective, you have a further right to reject the goods for a full or partial refund.

If you don’t want a refund and still want your product repaired or replaced, you have the right to request the retailer makes further attempts at a repair or replacement.

After 30 days, if you discover a fault within the first six months from delivery, it is presumed to have been there from the time of delivery – unless the retailer can prove otherwise. During this time it’s up to retailer to prove that the fault wasn’t there at the time of delivery – it’s not up to you to prove that it was.

If an attempt at repair or replacement has failed, you have the right to reject the goods for a full refund or price reduction (if you wish to keep the product) and no

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Cold War Warriors MACV-SOG ADVISOR – VIETNAM, 1969

MACV-SOG ADVISOR VIETNAM, 1969

CONTINUING HIS POPULAR SERIES OF ARTICLES LOOKING AT THE KIT WORN BY SOLDIERS PAST, GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY PEERS INTO THE SHADOW WARS OF A US SPECIAL OPERATIONS GROUP THE VIETNAM WAR WAS WITHOUT a doubt a “hot potato” for the United States, determined to stop communist expansion in South East Asia they were also keen to be seen to be supporting South Vietnam fight its own war rather than waging the war for them. An important tool in this process was the Military Assistance Command (Vietnam) Studies and Observations Group – better known as MACV-SOG. This somewhat innocuous and studious sounding name was actually a cover title for a clandestine special operation group composed of members from many services including Air Force Pilots, CIA agents, Navy Seals, Marine Recon and Army Special Forces. Tasked with a host of behind the lines “black ops” actives, MACV SOG would conduct special operations the regular armed forces could not be seen to be

publically involved with. These included cross border raids into North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, assassination of enemy politicians and military leaders, sabotage of communist supply caches, the rescue of downed pilots and psychological warfare, or “psyops”, against the people and soldiers of North Vietnam among others.

SHADOW WARS

Between its inception in January 1964 and its disbandment in May 1972, MACV SOG would be at the forefront of the “shadow war” against communist-backed forces in South East Asia. MACV SOG was in fact almost instrumental right from the start of US military operations in Vietnam, having a shadowy hand in the infamous “Gulf of Tonkin” incident. At

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the time the US claimed that North Vietnamese naval craft had attacked a US ship in the Gulf of Tonkin but had failed to admit that SOG units had been conducting a series of intelligence gathering and offensive operations against the North in this area.

Throughout 1965 MACV SOG conducted intelligence gathering and sabotage operations in the neutral country of Laos. The North were using routes through Laos to ferry supplies to the South and the US were eager to both monitor the routes (to assign future air strikes) and to sabotage the trails themselves, both sides in the conflict were keen not to raise too high a profile as military operations within a neutral country could be politically embarrassing and damage their respective causes. By 1966 these cross-border missions had spilled out into Cambodia (another neutral country being used to run supplies to the South) and this brought MACV SOG into conflict with the 5th Special Forces Group, who were also planning counter communist operations in the

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area. While agencies competed for resources and approval for operation in the country, MACV would eventually win out and have 5th SF Groups operating plans incorporated into their own. Known as “Operation Daniel Boone”, insertions into Cambodia were stealthier and smaller than those into Laos as the US was unable to supply artillery or air support to the MACV SOG teams operating in the country. As well as small recon teams , contingencies were made for larger strike forces that could be rapidly inserted to carry out destructive raids on supply convoys in Cambodia and a further programme was also instigated to provide extraction teams for downed airmen under the codename “Brightlight”.

MACV SOG continued to launch successful missions against the North until the surprise Tet Offensive in 1968 stopped them in their tracks. Making use of a Vietnamese national holiday the communist forces launched a succession of devastating attacks on South Vietnamese and American forces that would prove disastrous to the free world forces. While the offensive was ultimately militarily unsuccessful, its short term effect was to shake the faith of the American “home front” over the war in Vietnam. Many of MACV-SOGs operations in the North were scaled down to allow its

Cold War Warriors MACV-SOG ADVISOR – VIETNAM, 1969

operatives room to support regular forces in the South of the country. Known as the “black years”, 1968 and 69 saw the US government suspend covert operations in the North and many SOG operatives felt the organisation had been infiltrated by communist spies as their own agents had become either captured or ineffective. In 1969 SOG had mainly switched its focus to preventing communist infiltration of Laos using electronic surveillance, aerial observation and more traditional covert recon teams. Not merely a passive activity, response battalions were formed (comprised of American nationals and native indigenous volunteers) to counter enemy movements in force. While initially quite successful, the US reliance on airborne insertion would eventually work against them as the forces of the North soon developed and early warning system of observers and scouts that could detect movement from staging areas and airbases and allow the communists to quickly set up devastating ambushes on the MACV SOG teams.

HATCHET FORCE

Our Cold War Warrior this month represents a member of an MACV SOG “Hatchet Force” on Operation Spindown in 1969.

Hatchet Forces were special forces teams designed to operate against the “Ho Chi Minh” trail (the main supply route of materiel form the North to the South) and typically comprised of a small band of American special forces aiding a larger indigenous force. A team usually comprised of an American team leader, radio man and medic alongside a platoon of local forces. Our soldier here represents a rifleman of a larger formation dug in at a command post. The missions of Hatchet Forces were nominally to patrol the border areas and attempt to engage the enemy in combat but Hatchet Teams were also engaged in the furious fighting around the besieged Khe Sanh combat base.

Lightly equipped, as he is dug in at a fixed mortar base, our Special Forces soldier carries with him only that which he need to fights with. Armed with the army’s standard infantry rifle, the 5.56mm M16 (for more details see last month’s Cold War Warriors’ article), his weapon is kept supplied with 20 round magazines from the disposable cotton ammo bandoliers slung across his shoulder, his webbing being stowed elsewhere in the fire position. For immediate and explosive response to an enemy assault he keeps a fragmentation grenade attached to the loops on his M69 fragmentation vest. The M69 vest was an effective flak jacket for its time but heavy and uncomfortable in the oppressive wet heat of Vietnam. Its bulk, weight and discomfort meant that many troops discarded it unless manning static positions such as this and even then its protective qualities were often nullified when the men wore the vest open at the front to improve air circulation… Cooler but almost completely negating its value against fragments and blast effects. A matching pair of “flak shorts” were made by the army and issued to troops but were seldom seen worn in the field. Regular followers of our CWW column will note that the M69 vest shown here would later be supplied by the US to British troops in Northern Ireland – many vest still bearing “in county” US graffiti from their Vietnam heritage!

Protecting our soldier’s head is the US army’s standard M1 helmet, which had been in service since WWII. Seen here without the usual adornments seen in Vietnam (Mitchel camouflage helmet covers, insect repellent bottles, cigarettes or graffiti) in a purely practical manner, with its dark green non reflective painted surface having no aids to break up its distinctive silhouette. A final piece of personal protection kit is the M17 service respirator worn over the hip in its canvas carrier. While chemical weapons were not officially used by either side in the conflict many marking smokes, defoliants and similar chemical items were intentionally or accidentally toxic.

As with last month’s “aircav” soldier, our MACV SOG operative wears the army’s standard canvas and leather rubber-soled “jungle boot”, an outstanding piece of combat footwear of the era which allowed the foot to breathe while being sturdy enough for combat. Drainage holes in the lower sides of the boot prevented water retention and the tough leather toe and

heel gave adequate protection to the foot.

As befits a soldier dug in in a firebase, our Cold War Warriors combat uniform is minimal and even casual to a degree. His upper body is covered by a standard us army T shirt to absorb the sweat from his armour, while his third pattern jungle fatigues have the distinct “spray paint” camo pattern on them applied by many in MACV SOG. Prior to the Vietnam War the US army had conducted extensive studies and decided that flat green was superior to any camouflage pattern in the varied jungles of South East Asia. The men of the Special Forces disagreed, however and improvised many solutions. Some wore the camouflage fatigues of the South Vietnamese marines and rangers, others had their own clothes tailor made from local tiger stripe or jungle patterns. Others wore “duck hunter” civilian hunting clothes from the states but many simply dyed their fatigues black, or as here, spray painted them with black stripes as a simple but effective disruptive scheme.

As with many Vietnam War impressions not only is the MACV SOG solider “look” relatively cheap and easy to create but you’re also going to have no shortage of games to go to in it. While it’s an effective and cool look for the open day field (although you might struggle skirmishing in an M69 vest) you could also check yourself into one of the many Vietnam themed games across the country and really get into “’Namsoft”.

Airsoft Action would like to thank the guys from “Modern Forces Group” for their assistance in this article and kindly modelling for our photos.

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event ZOMBIE UPRISING FINALE 2015

KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK GETS A TASTE FOR HUNTING THE UNDEAD AT THIS IMMERSIVE, ALLOUT ACTION EVENT

ZOMBIE UPRISING! IN EARLY SEPTEMBER AN OUTBREAK of zombies that originated in an industrial estate in Chesterfield spread to the Swynnerton US Army Training camp, at Stone in the Staffordshire countryside. The spread of infection saw groups of civilians rise up to the challenge of containing the outbreak and fighting the uprising after the military had lost control.

30 survivors… Hordes of undead… One gun each… 3 hours to survive…

The event was run by Zombie Uprising, with help from Urban 6 Airsoft in regards to safety, security and pyrotechnics.

Zombie Uprising are an events company, owned by zombie fighting duo Mat Shaw and Luke Billyard that specialises in immersive, live (well, live-ish) all-action Zombie survival events.

The company currently runs events at District 26 in Chesterfield (Tac House Spartan), The Sanctuary in Burton on Trent (The Block), The Barracks in Manchester (Trojan) every two weeks on rotation and the finale at Swynnerton US Army Training Camp in Stone every six months, for up to 30 players. The story lines and logistics of the operations are written by Chris Coonan (for the Chesterfield and Swynnerton events) and Simon Lidgard (for the Burton on Trent and Manchester events). Each Zombie Uprising player is given one gun (usually a side arm) with limited ammo and has to survive 3 hours in one of the outbreak locations. The price for the event is £50 per person for each standard event (fee includes all kit) and £70 for the season finale at Swynnerton (again, the fee includes all the kit the players need).

Having visited the other standard event locations for Airsoft, I found them without trouble. The Swynnerton location, however, is a little trickier. The postcode given was around 40 miles from my hometown and took me on the A50 into Stoke

and onto the country roads. The camp is around 5 miles west of the town of Stone and is just outside the small quaint villages of Eccleshall and Swynnerton. The postcode itself takes you to “Gate 9”, which is still in use by the MOD, as the site is still used by active military personnel for training exercises but after a quick word with a member of the base staff, I was directed to “Gate 4” and it was easy to find using their directions. The site itself is very impressive and rife with history as the camp is on the site of an old ammunition production factory from World War 2, which is pretty awesome! In the 1980s it was used by nuclear weapons convoys as an overnight stop and as an exercise location for demonstrations on how to clean up nuclear contamination using real nuclear contaminated materials – so when they say “Don’t pick

“FROM THE OPEN VAN DOOR WE SAW THE SAFETY OF CIVILISATION DISAPPEAR INTO THE DISTANCE AND THE HORROR OF OUR NEW REALITY SEEP IN.” anything up to take home” in the safety brief, it’s wise not too! The whole site is approximately 228 hectares in size and is enclosed by a ring fence. It has a comprehensive tarmac road system and an abundance of old factory buildings that are surrounded by woodland. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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“THE ZOMBIES’ PERFORMANCES WERE FLAWLESS AND THE SUPPORTING ACTORS, FROM THE MILITARY TO THE MERCENARY GROUP, WERE SO CONVINCING YOU ALMOST FORGOT THAT THIS WASN’T REALLY THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNEW IT.” On arrival I was directed through Gate 4 and told where to park by a group of soldiers dressed entirely in black. I left my car along a deserted tarmac road and joined my fellow survivors. Each survivor was given a set of eye protection and ear protection because of the nature of the activity we were about to endure. We were then split into two groups and huddled into the back of a black van with a guard for protection and sent out to the location of the zombie outbreak.

From the open van door we saw the safety of civilisation

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disappear into the distance and the horror of our new reality seep in. En-route to the location our transport was attacked multiple times by members of the walking dead but were quickly thwarted by our armed guard. When we reached our location and were greeted by Luke, a soldier that had become separated from his troop. He had no ammo, no supplies and looked panicked - we were the first people he had seen in days.

After getting to know him and our fellow survivors, we were given a comprehensive safety brief for the site and with that we began our day.

Our first task of the day was to get armed – you can’t fight zombie hordes with no weapons! So we embarked on our mission armed with nothing more than a down and out soldier, a map and our wits. The ammo dump was about a 10 minute walk from our starting point through the camp - and that was infested with Zombies! As we made our way to the ammo dump, we encountered a fair few screeching zombies and with no weapons we simply had to outrun them (although, if the truth be told, I was more than willing to sacrifice some of the slower participants if it meant I got to safety)! When we arrived at the ammo dump we were met by two military personnel members who were forceful and intimidating (which really added to the feel of the event) and at this point the story behind the zombie uprising was revealed…

Dr Pandemonium, the creator of the virus that turned these ordinary folk into flesh eating members of the undead, was at large somewhere in the base and was wanted by not only the military but also by a group of mercenaries. It was our mission to find and extract the doctor so the army could reverse the effects of the virus.

After we got armed we were split up into two teams with separate missions; one team was to acquire the communications tower access key card and my team had to capture the doctor himself. I was selected as my teams’ leader, so we devised a plan and went to work.

We found Dr Pandemonium hidden away in a small room within a dank, dreary, zombie-infested building near the ammo

event ZOMBIE UPRISING FINALE 2015

dump and he was a nightmare to capture! I managed to grab hold of him but it took three of us to successfully extract him out of the building, as he was uncooperative and refusing to leave his creations behind. After we had both the doctor and the keycard in our possession, we went about our next mission of getting him to the communications tower and this one was definitely hard fought!

Although on the way we were attacked by mercenaries and zombies from all angles, slowly but surely we took the communications tower and had Dr Pandemonium unarm a bomb that threatened us all with the zombie virus. All that was left was to get extracted, go home and have a cuppa! This however was not the case because, as our helo exfil arrived we were ambushed by the mercenary team and the doctor was taken from us. Our military support was dead, our package gone, our escape in a crumpled heap, with barely any ammo and when hit the zombies were regenerating and taking more rounds to kill - the situation did not look good! The only option was to take him back! We headed to Camp Amen with a renewed vigour, armed with C4 explosives and one mag each that we found on the way, we were ready for the fight. I have to say that the mercenaries put up a fierce fight but they were no match for the desperation of our team as we adopted a ruthless attitude that ultimately won us the fight, the doctor and the chance to return home.

During our missions it was easy to see that Urban 6 Airsoft had gone to town on the pyrotechnics support, they were really something to be admired. As an airsofter I’m used to using pyro and having it used against me, so I gave the ear protection a miss… big mistake! This event isn’t for the faint of heart. The players get to see (and hear) a bit of everything, from soldiers using C4 to break into the mercenary controlled compounds, to blank firing guns, to explosions that brought down our helo exfil support after we took control of the communications post… It was absolutely insane!

I was thoroughly impressed with the high quality level of acting from all the members of the cast. Being a horror junkie I admit that I have become desensitised to a lot of the “scare” material out there, including Halloween scarefests (which I am terribly fond of). It was easy to see that the staff put their heart and soul into these events. There is nothing like the moment a zombie jumps you in a dark, silent building when you have been separated from your team. The combination of the darkness, loneliness and echoing screams/moans of the undead definitely made me jump. The zombies’ performances were flawless and the supporting actors, from the military to the mercenary group, were so convincing you almost forgot that this wasn’t really the end of the world as we knew it.

I have very few criticisms of the day, the team ran an almost flawless event but, as with all things, there will always be something that could be improved. For example, I was slightly disappointed in the number of zombies at the event but after speaking to the owners of Zombie Uprising and staff running the event, it turned out that there was a staffing issue – which is an unforeseen circumstance. I also thought the event could have lasted a little longer, as the participation fee does at first seem quite high but, of course, you have to take into consideration the cost of using the base and paying the actors, plus the cost of props etc. It is clear to see a lot of time, effort and money goes into these events, however, I think the overall hardest part of this experience for me as an airsofter, was dealing with the non-airsofting general public.

Being used to the weapons, tactics and adrenaline means you see these situations differently to people who are completely green to the situation and it can be quite frustrating but this is all par for the course. I really Fancy some undead action? enjoyed my day, the experience and the Zombie Uprising can be contacted location. I would definitely be interested via their website: in experiencing Zombie Uprising at the zombieuprising.co.uk, other outbreak locations as the event was or telephone on: 01777 712616 thrilling, immersive and an experience I will remember vividly.

Contact

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MIA

LONG-TIME AIRSOFTER, PAUL YELLAND, REPORTS FROM A SITE HE FIRST VISITED OVER EIGHT YEARS AGO AND WHICH KEEPS HIM COMING BACK FOR MORE

I FIRST ATTENDED MIA BACK in April 2007 and after that experience I was hooked!

It was a blustery and overcast day with the wind blowing straight off from the Atlantic Ocean which is just a stone’s throw away from the site. I remember arriving at MIA with a friend and being directed towards a large and secluded windswept barn. Feeling slightly apprehensive, we walked through the door to be faced with a room full of men who were all dressed in camouflage clothing and wearing load-carrying systems. Laid out across the table tops were weapons… lots and lots of weapons!

RIFs or not the sight was jaw-dropping and left both me and my mate speechless. We were just standing there, looking around the barn nodding our heads thinking “Yeah, we belong here!”

There was a quiet hum of conversation as the players eagerly prepared their equipment. We were soon greeted by a friendly face and shown an area where we could stow our kit and get our weapons ready.

Although we had arrived as complete strangers and not knowing one other person there, we were made to feel welcome. There was a warm sense of bond between the regular players which they readily extended to us and that is one of the reasons why I still attend this site eight years on – everyone is accepted regardless of their playing ability.

MIA (Morwenstow Ironfoot Airsoft) was established in 2004 and is located approximately six miles north of the Cornish coastal town of Bude. The site is part of the former RAF Cleave,

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which served as an anti–aircraft training facility during the Second World War. Most of the former RAF base has now been converted into GCHQ Bude however, part of the site is now privately owned and is home to MIA. The airsoft site is of mixed terrain including fields, former WW2 bunkers and a broad leafed wooded valley. Within this valley there is a disused water pumping station located next to a river. The normal area of play covers about 48 acres, with most of the skirmish events taking place in and around this valley. In the summer time, there always seems to be a micro climate within the valley. Sheltered from the wind, temperatures get very warm and humid and the vegetation can grow to near head height. When skirmishing in these conditions, you could be forgiven for thinking that you were taking part in past military actions inside the jungles of South East Asia – Vietnam.

As luck would have it, the game which I was attending was based on a Vietnam War scenario. So, with clear blue August skies and the sun pounding down, it was time to get my kit loaded into the car and head off.

MIA is quite rural and would prove difficult to find if it were not for the fact that the entrance to the site is dwarfed by the towering satellites of GCHQ, with the main entrance to the base being directly opposite MIA. GCHQ is visible for miles and the base is signposted from the A39 north of Kilkhampton, so just follow the signs for GCHQ and drive towards the big white dishes (sat nav also manages to find MIA reasonably well). On arrival at the site there is plenty of car parking available which is just a short distance away from the safe room and reception desk. Unlike some sites, MIA can boast about its basic facilities such as a flushing outside toilet (which is always kept very clean) and running tap water. The safe room/reception area itself is housed inside a disused building which dates back to war-time activity.

site MORWENSTOW IRONFOOT AIRSOFT

slow down the US advance along the track, so some of the US team members had now moved off the track and were fighting their way through VC positions within the very tall and deep covering of foliage. Eventually, the US had managed to locate and kill all of the VC attackers but at a price of taking more casualties of their own. The effort and determination to drive forwards demonstrated by the US force had paid off as the VC forces had now been pushed back into the clearing and were now bracing themselves for a US attack.

The US team had formed an extended line along the edge of the tree line which looked into the field in which the VC were defending. There were also small numbers of US members operating forwards of the main line trying to probe the VC’s flanks. The vegetation in this field was extremely tall and with

Free tea and coffee is provided which always goes down well. Before the game there is a very thorough safety briefing which deals with issues such as areas out of play, pyro safety and marshals. After the safety brief comes the game briefing.

The game that I was attending was going to involve two opposing teams; A United States team (US) verses a Viet Cong team (VC). The US had received intelligence which had identified a small VC stronghold located to the East of the US base. Contained inside the VC base were two maps which showed the positions of all other VC camps, transport routes and weapon drops within that area. The US team had to patrol Eastwards and locate the VC base, capture both maps and then head north with the maps to an LZ and await helicopter extraction. Unfortunately for the US side, the VC forces had learned of the US interest in the maps and the planned raid, so all VC troops were on high alert and well dug in within the camp ready to repel any US attack. To make things harder for the US attackers, the VC had hidden the maps in separate locations around the camp. If however, the US did manage to seize the maps, the VC were ready to pursue the raiders and take back possession of the maps – at any cost.

I started off being embedded with the US team. The game started at 1100hrs and the US had until 1330hrs to achieve their objective. The US base was to be located at the old pumping station and this was to be the starting point for their mission. We parted company from the VC team who were heading down into the valley from a different direction to man their base and set off on a journey that was soon to get tough.

It is about a ten minute walk to reach the pumping station from the safe room but with the weather good and spirits high amongst the US team, this was not a problem (and it is quite a nice walk). When we reached the pumping station, the team formed up into a group to discuss the plan of action. The VC camp was situated further along the valley within a clearing next to a river, so it was decided to head in single file along a track towards this clearing. I kept to the rear of the formation to try and avoid getting shot as this route is an ambusher’s heaven.

To our left was dense undergrowth and boggy ground and to our right was a steep wooded hillside – both directions providing excellent cover for any would-be attacker. Sure enough, within five minutes of moving the front of the US formation had their first enemy contact from the left-hand side.

The US had taken its first casualties and things were about to get worse.

The initial contact lasted for about five minutes and then the exchanges of fire stopped. The VC had just melted away back into the trees, leaving the US bruised but still determined.

The death rules were back fifty paces and count to fifty, so after the US casualties had regenerated there was a re-org phase and then the team pushed forwards.

There were soon more contacts with the VC who were now being more aggressive and also attacking from the front of the US team, plus the left and right flanks. This attack managed to

“RIFS OR NOT THE SIGHT WAS JAW-DROPPING AND LEFT BOTH ME AND MY MATE SPEECHLESS. WE WERE JUST STANDING THERE, LOOKING AROUND THE BARN NODDING OUR HEADS THINKING ‘YEAH, WE BELONG HERE!’ ”

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the air becoming humid and the illusive enemy, things started to seem like we were all really fighting in a Vietnamese jungle.

But the one thing which really helped to set the scene for me was a group of players who were all dressed in Vietnam War era US kit – that image was priceless. There were sporadic exchanges of gunfire between both sides with the VC forces appearing keen to dominate the field in an attempt to halt any further US advance. Suddenly, once again the VC emerged from the undergrowth to launch another aggressive attack on the US troops, giving them a bloody nose before drifting back into cover, just like in the movies.

I now thought that it was time to see the skirmish from the Viet Cong team perspective, so I headed off, moving forwards up a track situated on the US right flank, with my hands raised up high, hoping not to be shot. It was not long before I noticed a dead VC player walking towards me with his hands in the air.

He confirmed that he was VC and when he realised I was not a combatant he led me down a very steep hill which overlooked the VC area.

As I looked down upon the surrounding field, I watched another skirmish between the two sides but this time, through the eyes of the VC. Their defence was good. They were mostly working in pairs and also taking advantage of the natural cover and concealment. As I made my way to the bottom of the hill I noticed a camouflage net set up around some trees in front of me. I thought to myself “blimey, that was a spot of luck – I have found the VC camp” Then my eyes lit up as I caught site of one of the maps that that US team were so desperate to get hold of. The map was half-posted through one of the holes in the camouflage net, and even though I was not taking part in the skirmish, I was still pleased with myself for finding it

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site MORWENSTOW IRONFOOT AIRSOFT

Site Information Green fee: £20.00 Gun Hire: £15.00 (including face mask) FPS Limits: AEG 350 fps, DMR 420 fps, Sniper 500 fps Phone number: 01288 331 748 because when I do actually play I am never that lucky!

Whilst I was feeling pleased with myself for finding one of the maps, the ongoing firefight had now subsided. The group of VC that I had been watching were now reloading weapons and re-planning their defence. The group moved up the hillside that I had just come down from and within minutes a firefight had broken out as they made contact with a probing US unit.

I am not sure if this group of US troops ever knew how close they actually got to the VC base and discovering one of the maps – but it was very close. This was followed by further small exchanges over the next ten minutes or so which then escalated into more of a concentrated US assault resulting in VC casualties. It seemed as though the US side were trying to expose the Viet Cong right flank which ran alongside the river. I headed over towards a small copse sited next to the river to try and get a better view of the assault. As I moved in to the trees, I could not believe it when I found another camouflage net set up with the second map attached to it. This time however, there were also two well-armed VC members taking up defensive positions inside the copse and effectively preventing any US movements along the river and right flank of the field.

The US were starting to push hard on the wooded hillside of the VC’s left flank and also from the front but the VC team managed, once again, to repel the US attack. The Viet Cong were standing fast but not without taking casualties.

Undeterred, the US launched a full frontal assault on the VCheld field, this time using smoke grenades and thunder flashes to great effect.

The US attacks were becoming more and more aggressive.

Despite all of this, the VC troops still fought off the attacks and stood their ground. There were further skirmishes between the two sides after this big assault but it was becoming clear that the VC camp was just too difficult for the US team to reach.

The Viet Cong had their left and right flanks well defended and although thick with vegetation such as tall grass and ferns, the open ground to the front was more like a killing ground for a VC ambush. As the cut off time of 1330hrs was fast approaching and the US side still needing to capture both maps, it was decided to put the VC team on a “one shot and you’re out” rule, just to give the US team a chance. On hearing

Site postcode: EX23 9JL this, I decided to re-join the US Website: www.airsoftsouthwest.co.uk team to find out what was going Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ on and how they planned to groups/202600296461696 achieve the objective.

Just like earlier I bumped into a dead player, this time from the American side, so I walked with him back towards the US forward line. When I arrived the team were scattered along the tree line and trying to push forwards along both flanks. There were still US troops operating forwards of the main body but the VC had managed to sneak along the bottom of the hill and score some more US kills. I joined a couple of guys who tried to push up alongside the river but one was picked off by a well-aimed VC shot. It was no good, only ten minutes left of the game and the US team were no further forwards despite their mammoth effort. The team re-grouped to convene for a Chinese parliament. They looked hot and exhausted and could have very easily given up at that point but to the credit of the US side they didn’t, not even during the final few minutes of the game. Suddenly a message came through from the forward operating US team that they had managed to find and capture one of the maps, just before end-ex was called.

It was time to head back up the hillside to the safe room for some lunch before playing a few CQB games around the barn and other old buildings at the top of the site. The afternoon games are always great fun and I generally see them as a way to relax after the main skirmish in the morning. The barn assault is always popular, as are the sash games which involve two teams, one wearing sashes and the other team without.

When a player is shot, they stand still, raise their hand and count to thirty. After this they need to be tagged by a player from either team to become alive again. The tagged player now joins the team of his rescuer. The winning team ends up with all of the players.

MIA is a great site which has a lot going for it. The hills can get a bit steep and the ground is rough in places (wear good, ankle-supporting boots) but that’s what is appealing about it.

MIA is perfect for anybody who wants to experience a skirmish site which tests your fieldcraft, tactical ability and grit. But above all else, you are guaranteed to have fun. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Billy Basics TOP MALO HOUSE

ATTACK ON TOP MALO HOUSE BILLY MOVES BACK TO THE SOUTH ATLANTIC FOR THIS ISSUE’S LOOK AT A MILITARY ACTION THAT WOULD MAKE A GREAT AIRSOFT SCENARIO MOST PEOPLE WILL HAVE HEARD of the SBS (Special Boat Service or “Shakey’s” because of their shakey boats, as they are also known) but fewer will have heard of the Mountain & Arctic Warfare Cadre, which used to be the home of specialists within the Corp of Royal Marines and who were experts in skiing, climbing and all things Arctic. They have since been renamed the Brigade Patrol Troop or BPT (commonly known as the ML branch or Mountain Leaders) for short but back in the 80’s they were alive and well. Many members of the M&W Cadre would go onto join the SBS and, if I am honest, it was always a bit of a mystery to me why somebody would submit themselves to the M&W Cadre course which, to all intents and purposes, is just as hard as SBS Selection and then do SBS Selection a few years after that. But they are a strange bunch Marines aren’t they? Terrific guys but odd.

Anyway as usual I digress (Ed allows me a small % of rambling), so we’re back on the snowy Islands of the Falklands and the Marines of the M&W Cadre, or “the Cadre” as they were also known, in a series of 4 man Ops watching the routes over the north of the islands. The main Task Force had landed

at San Carlos and the men and machines were slowly making their way ashore to establish a bridge head from which they could plan the recapture of the islands.

The Task Force was over 8,000 miles from home, bobbing around in San Carlos Water aboard Royal Navy ships which were vulnerable to attack from the Argentine mainland, so getting the forces ashore was a priority. As it turned out each and every boat in the fleet was hit by Argentine Aircraft and it was a miracle that they didn’t all go to the bottom.

While the soldiers already ashore dug in around San Carlos sound other groups were pushing further inland. Not for them the safety in numbers that their colleagues enjoyed. Men of the SAS/SBS and the Cadre were already on the island days, or even weeks before the main force arrived.

The Cadre team, led by an RM Captain Rod Boswell were on Bull Hill to the North of East Falkland and had been observing enemy comings and goings since the night of the 21st May. Not far from their position was a disused shepherd station named Top Malo House which appeared to be unoccupied. During the day on the 27th May the OP party on

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Bull Hill sent a message indicating that they believed they were just about to be engaged and that it might be the last message from them.

The 4 man patrol reported that 2 x Argentine Huey’s were currently hovering overhead and they believed that Argentine Special Forces were disembarking to assault the OP. Thankfully the patrol’s fears were not realised and no assault came. But you can just imagine the composure of the signaller who sent that message can’t you?

They had been in a wet, cold hole in the peat for seven days, defecating in plastic bags and peeing in bottles, diligently noting down everything they saw and reporting it back to the Brigade Commander nightly, his invaluable eyes and ears. Then in a sudden change from the boring routine there was roaring overhead as the scrim and camouflage was almost being torn from the roof of their OP as the Hueys hovered overhead,

the Marines would have hastily arranged their kit for a fight, stowing their observation kit, grabbing all the ammo they could, checking their weapons, winking at one another “Here we go fellas” and waiting for the cries and shots that were bound to come.

No attack came but the party believed that the Argentine SF were in the area, this was the Cadre’s bread and butter and to add to this there was now a threat to UK aircraft in the area because the Argentines would be equipped with Blowpipe missiles that could bring down helicopters. The hunt continued for the Argentine SF patrol and on the evening of the 30th they were spotted entering Top Malo House probably seeking shelter from the freezing conditions.

Captain Boswell called for guidance from HQ back in San Carlos. It was decided that it was too late for a Harrier GR4 strike and the building was beyond the range of the Royal Artillery 105 mm guns around the bridgehead so Capt.

Boswell’s team were tasked with taking out the Argentine patrol. At this point it’s worth noting that the RM team were 19 strong, which was only slightly more than the estimate of the enemy strength but they were sufficiently confident in their own abilities that they decided it could be done.

Withdrawing for hasty orders the Cadre Team embarked on a Sea King and set off to be dropped off a kilometre from the target. Now, for reasons unclear to me in my research they

“BOSWELL INITIATED THE ASSAULT BY FIRING A GREEN MINIFLARE INTO THE BRIGHT FALKLAND SUMMER SKY, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A MOMENTARY PAUSE WHILST BOTH THE MARINES AND THE ARGENTINES SENTRY LOOKED AT ITS GRACEFUL ARC AND FIZZ INTO THE AIR THEN ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE.” assaulted at about lunchtime on the 31st on a beautiful sunny day – but like I said Marines, are odd creatures!

In all seriousness it was probably due to an insistence that everything be done in GMT which is sometimes the bane of British Soldiers lives but there you go.

The Sea King clung to the contours for the ride to the drop off area, some members remarking that they were astonished how low it went, the Marines leapt out into the freezing bog up to their knees and headed off. The going was very tough and loaded down with rockets and a lot of ammunition it would have been hard going approaching up the small re-entrant stealthily. The Cadre team then split into two groups, one would provide fire support with 66s, Sniper weapons and M16s, while the assaulting section with bayonets fixed under Capt. Boswell moved around to attack the house from a 90 degree angle, so as not to get in the way of the fire supports weapons.

When the moment finally came, all the men anxiously looking at their watches, training their sights on windows, doors, scanning for targets, hearts beating against their chests and hoping to not to be pre-seen by the enemy lying in the freezing heather. Boswell initiated the assault by firing a green miniflare into the bright Falkland summer sky, there must have been a momentary pause whilst both the Marines and the Argentines sentry looked at its graceful arc and fizz into the air - then all hell broke loose. The fire support fired 4 66’s at the building with a deafening roar, an Argentine Officer who appeared in the window was instantly dropped by the Sniper and the building burned as the fire support hit it with a second volley of 66’s.

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Billy Basics TOP MALO HOUSE

To the Cadre Team’s surprise (and probably their sneaking admiration) the Argentine patrol came out dressed, webbing and helmets on and fighting straight away. Two of the Marines were hit, one in the bicep and one in the chest (it seems an odd concept these days to contemplate assaulting without Body Armour but it was the 80’s).

The fire support team discarded the spent 66 tubes, grabbed their personal weapons and began picking off the Argentines as they poured fire from the building onto Boswell’s assaulters, the wounded men had to be left where they lay until the firefight had been won.

But the momentum of the Cadre team was unstoppable.

In a classic set piece the fire poured into Top Malo House and Boswell and his assaulting Marines bound forward, pepper-potting as they went, kneeling to reload and cover their colleagues bounding up alongside them, ready to move forward again and they swept onto and through the enemy position.

The Argentines began to retreat from Top Malo House as it burned and they made their way back to a dry river bed some 200 metres to the rear of their position, returning fire as they went. With casualties still in the building and casualties in the

river bed and under attack from what must have seemed like a much larger force, the Argentines surrendered 45 minutes after the green flare had streaked into the blue sky.

With the fighting swiftly over the prisoners were quickly disarmed, the casualties were dealt with and the helis returned to whisk everyone away. Prisoners were interrogated and the wounded (on both sides) were treated aboard the hospital ships. Many of the Argentine prisoners were absolutely delighted that their time in the trenches was over, claiming that they received far better treatment by the British as POWs than they did by their own officers.

The Top Malo House attack was a classic example of a force working together to achieve the objective and, in terms of airsoft, could be used as the basis of any number of scenarios – and the great thing is that you don’t need masses of kit or a huge area, just an abandoned building, good communication and the will to give it everything!

Billy Out!

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“THE GREATEST OF ALL EXPERIENCES” …

ADOLF HITLER DURING WORLD WAR ONE

MOST PEOPLE ASSOCIATE ADOLF HITLER WITH THE SECOND WORLD WAR BUT, AS DAN MILLS POINTS OUT, HE WAS ALREADY NO STRANGER TO FIGHTING WHEN WE THINK OF ADOLF HITLER most people remember him as the Nazi Fuhrer who took the world by storm then destroyed it, ending with his death by suicide in his Berlin bunker on May the 8th 1945, in the Second World War. However, Hitler was already a decorated soldier at the war’s outset; he won the Iron Cross (Germany’s equivalent of Britain’s Victoria Cross) twice during the “War to end all wars”, World War One. Adolf Hitler had aspirations in his early years to become an artist but when he applied for a place to study he was rejected, turned away and spurned, leaving him with resentment. He had dodged the early draft to join the army back in Austria, choosing instead to flee to Bavaria and paint. However while travelling and painting his postcards Adolf was easily caught up in the nationalistic fervour that swept the country once war had been declared.

He was drawn to battle, he wrote: “This struggle was not forced on the masses, by God, but was desired by the entire people, the Fatherland must be defended”.

Joining the army at aged 25 Adolf Hitler was sent into the Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 16.

During that period many German soldiers were of Jewish origin and went on to fight for the Fatherland. RIR 16 had its first taste of combat at the Battle of Gheluvelt, where Great Britain’s Worcester Regiment made its name – and saved the day.

In October 1914, during the first year of the war, the South Wales Borderers were holding the ground around the Gheluvelt Chateau dominating the nearby Menin Road that ran to Ypres, when a sea of German grey erupted and swept them aside.

The war was so very nearly lost there and then, if the Germans had broken through it was all over. Instead, there they would remain for almost the remainder of the war, staring across “No Man’s Land” at each other.

The Worcester’s were sent to plug the large gap created in the line and charged by bayonet across the last mile of open ground into the Germans. The daring action worked and the battle was won. Adolf was there and claimed he was the last man standing from his platoon. When he wrote “Mein Kampf” years later in prison, he described that this was just the beginning and that romance had been replaced on the battlefield by horror.

Shortly after Gheluvelt he became a “Runner”. He would carry important messages about the battlefield, often giving important, critical orders on troop movements and positions (a very important job). As a Runner though, life could also be more comfortable because a Runner would spend time at the 76

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headquarters, which would often be set to the rear out of range of enemy artillery, affording a good night’s sleep for one advantage.

During his spare time Hitler painted various scenes in oils and watercolours and today these would fetch a premium price. Some can be seen in museums and private collections around the world and some of the places he painted still stand, like the white house neat Tyne Cott Cemetery.

Gheluvelt was part of 1st Ypres and he also fought in many of the large engagements, such as The Somme (where he was injured), Arras and Passchendaele. Sometime towards the end of 1914 he was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class.

WW1 ADOLF HITLER

end of the war Hitler was again injured, this time by Mustard Life wasn’t too bad for Adolf, the fact his cushy job kept Gas and was to find out whilst recovering that Germany had him out of harm’s reach for half of the war allowed him to capitulated. It was said that he believed the German Army had concentrate on his art passion and he even found time to draw cartons and captions for a wartime newspaper. been stabbed in the back by its civilian leaders, safely tucked up The Battle of the Somme raged from July 1st 1916 until the out of harm’s way. In his (and many veteran’s) point of view, the army had not been defeated in the field, it had been beaten by 18th of November and here he would witness a devastating its own so-called leaders. On hearing the tragic news he was hit amount of human destruction, on both sides of the coin. Whilst by a bout of temporary blindness. resting in a dugout waiting for despatches to carry in October of the battle he was injured when a shell exploded nearby and he was struck “THE WORCESTER’S WERE SENT TO PLUG THE LARGE GAP CREATED IN by shrapnel. He was evacuated down the medical chain and spent almost two THE LINE AND CHARGED BY BAYONET ACROSS THE LAST MILE OF OPEN months recuperating in a hospital at GROUND INTO THE GERMANS. THE DARING ACTION WORKED AND THE Beelitz, near Brandenburg.

BATTLE WAS WON. ADOLF WAS THERE AND CLAIMED HE WAS THE LAST Later that year and on into the next he witnessed the utter horror that was MAN STANDING FROM HIS PLATOON.” Passchendaele, along with Arras and his actions must have pleased his superiors as again he was written up for an award. Again he won the Further humiliation enraged Hitler and veteran alike when Iron Cross, only this time it was “First Class”, Germanys top the Treaty of Versailles was announced. It was stipulated that bravery award and was recommended by Hitler’s immediate several of its territories must be given up and the Rhineland commander, a Lieutenant, a Jew called Hugo Gottman. Hitler de-militarized and the blame for the Great War was blatantly received the award on the 4th of August 1918, a rare award laid at the feet of Germany. Many felt it went too far and was for a soldier holding such a low rank. unjust and indeed, the humiliation and tearing up of its forces and lands would later bounce back to bite the Allies.

At this time Hitler was the equivalent of a Corporal and in recognition of his being wounded in action he received the After the war he remained in the army. Moving back to “Black Wound Badge”. Instituted by the Kaiser, it was for those Munich he joined the Reichswehr as an Intelligence Agent and there he was to meet perhaps one of the people that would wounded once or twice by hostile action, or those frostbitten set fire in his belly and lead him on the way to a Second World War, Anton Drexler the founder of the DAP (the German Workers Party), the forerunner to the NSDAP and national socialism.

The bitterness he felt helped direct his emotions and shaped his ideology. He was soon picked out as a future star in the movement and where he then designed its badge: a Swastika set in a circle of white on a red background, a symbol that would strike fear in to the hearts of the enemy just a few decades later.

in the line of duty. Black was the lowest of the three wound badges, the others being Silver for three or four wounds and Gold for five or more woundings by hostile action. The British equivalent was a wound stripe on the tunic’s forearm.

For Germany the war effort all came crumbling down summer 1918 when they just could not afford any more men, thousands had lost their lives and replacements were hard to come by. The Imperial Army started to collapse during The Second Battle of the Marne and by that October the Germans asked the Allied armies for an Armistice (and their Navy mutinied against orders that were sending them to their deaths unnecessarily with war’s end in sight and pointless).

At this point, with less than one month to go until the www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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BOOK REVIEW VIETNAM 1967-68 US MARINE VERSUS NVA SOLDIER

VIETNAM 1967-68 US MARINE VERSUS NVA SOLDIER

BY DAVID R HIGGINS

GADGE SLIPS ON HIS PINCE-NEZ AND CASTS A BEADY EYE OVER A BOOK FROM OSPREY PUBLISHING’S “COMBAT” SERIES

OSPREY’S RECENT “COMBAT” SERIES provides an interesting departure from their norm. While previous series by Osprey, such as their Vanguard, Men and Arms and Great Commanders ranges have featured on one particular vehicle, unit or man in a given conflict, the “Combat” range looks at the various skills and equipment sported by the opposing sides and, in particular, two distinct units in some of history’s most famous battles. In this case the famous conflict in question is the battle for the city of Hue, a fight made famous in the film Full Metal Jacket.

In this title Higgins looks at the campaign leading up to the pivotal battle for the South Vietnamese city on the Perfume River. The training, morale, equipment and tactics of both the

“FROM THE DIFFERENCES IN IDEOLOGIES AND DOCTRINE THROUGH TO THE HARD DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE AK47 AND THE M16, IT’S ALL HERE.”

“grunts” of the US Marine Corp and the regular army soldiers of the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN but in this title known by the more popular US term of NVA) is studied, compared and assessed in an easy to digest format. From the differences in ideologies and doctrine through to the hard differences between the AK47 and the M16, it’s all here.

Following a straight-forwards introduction to the “Hill Fights”, where the marines fought their way through networks of camouflaged enemy bunkers, to Operation Kingfisher and the Hue campaign, Higgins goes on to provide and unbiased and detailed account of the forces and resources both sides had available to them. Unlike many titles which are biased towards “free world forces”, Higgins is critical of the shortcomings of both sides and equally praises innovative tactics and training where they occur. As with most Osprey titles “Combat: Vietnam 1967/68” is incredibly “user friendly” to the casual student of military history and while Vietnam buffs will love this book, it’s easily accessible to anyone with no previous knowledge of the Vietnam War. A large part of this accessibility is the high standard of illustration throughout.

While the book is liberally scattered with archive photographs which are accurately captioned, it also includes excellent colour maps which put the strategic and tactical movements of the campaign in perspective. Perhaps the highlight for the airsofting fan of military history is Johnny Shumate’s excellently studied colour illustrations of both the Vietnamese and American fighting man and a fantastic vignette of a typical street fighting scene during the battle of Hue, pictured from both sides perspective using an innovative “split screen” approach.

It might seem to some that I’m a little biased towards favouring Osprey titles but the simple fact is that if you want a no-nonsense, well researched introduction to a new loadout or type of gaming (say for example you’re considering a US Marine loadout or taking up “Namsoft”) then I’d always suggest an Osprey title as your first port of call. If you’re looking to find the right type of bootlaces used, or the distance between rank and unit insignia, however, you’ll need a title with a little more detail for the uniform and militaria collector; but, if you’re looking for an interesting and exciting read and you’ve an interest in the Vietnam War then this book is certainly worth picking up!

INFORMATION Osprey Publishing ISBN: 978-1-4728-0899-8 Price £11.99

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COVERING FIRE AND TEA BREAKS TAKING TIME OUT FROM WRITING BEST-SELLING BOOKS, EX-1 PARA AND AUTHOR, SIMON CHAMBERS, GIVES US A GLIMPSE OF WHAT TIME WITH THE PARAS IN NORTHERN IRELAND DURING “THE TROUBLES” WAS REALLY LIKE

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WE HAD BEEN CALLED OUT to an area on the outskirts of Belfast; a full-scale gun battle was in progress between Catholic IRA, Irish Republican Army gunmen and Protestant extremists from the UVF, The Ulster Volunteer Force. A string of maisonettes and four-story flats were the dividing line between Catholic and Protestant housing estates. This was no-man’s land.

It had started early in the day when a young couple in their twenties had been walking home hand in hand when an IRA sniper decided to get some practice in. Both the boy and the girl had been shot and wounded and, as a result, UVF gunmen had been bussed up from the Shankill Road to get payback.

By the time we got there we were losing the light and the Company was quickly deployed but as we debussed from the “Pigs”, our Humber armoured personnel carriers, the Protestant gunmen melted away. This, thankfully, left us facing just the IRA gunman who by this time had also been reinforced. Several gunmen were engaging 1 Para from the maisonettes and our Company Commander quickly formulated a plan of operation between him, his officers and the CSM. My platoon moved around the estate at speed and debussed on the company’s left flank. Over the radio we could hear the other platoons moving

feature NORTHERN IRELAND

into place to cordon the area and within a few minutes they were being engaged by several gunmen.

We seem to have gone unnoticed as we skirted around the side of some empty houses. It had been a nice estate at one time but now the windows had been boarded up by the council and “wriggley tin” sheets covered the doors. A few had been pulled away by vandals and tramps, the former up to no good and the latter just looking for a warm place to sleep.

Protestant and Catholic graffiti covered the walls. “F*ck the Pope” seemed to be the most popular, scrawled on a few of the walls that were also pock-marked by bullet holes.

Cpl Hughes looked around the corner while we took cover.

Still no rounds came our way although we could hear a lot of exchanges between our other platoons. So far our luck was holding. If we could just gain their flank we could roll them up and force the gunmen to withdraw, maybe killing a few of them in the process. Cpl Hughes ducked back around the corner to us. ”OK. We have about two hundred yards of open lawn and then the maisonettes. If we can get to the far lefthand corner house we will try to gain entry and work our way through them. Only shoot at anyone you see armed as there may still be civilians in the area. Our own people are to our right so anyone we meet with a weapon will be IRA.” The six men in our section got ready for the dash across open ground. It was not exactly as we had been taught in Basic but this was Northern Ireland. It was a Police action so we had to show restraint when the enemy didn’t have to. We would have put down suppressing fire, forced the enemy to duck and then skirmished in “pair’s fire and manoeuvre” until we reached the enemy position. Then we would have used grenades to clear the buildings room by room. Unfortunately this was Northern Ireland so we would make a mad dash without firing, zig-zagging to make us hard to hit and hope we made the cover of the far buildings without taking casualties.

What a f*ck up!

“OK. Stand by.” Cpl Hughes said to no one in particular.

The daylight was all but gone we had a good chance of pulling this off. Taking a tight grip on my SLR and putting my finger alongside the trigger guard I tensed up for the run. It wasn’t that far and we were all fit young soldiers so that wasn’t the worry. Getting hit was. “Go!” and we were off and running, spreading out and changing direction as we went to throw off the aim of any snipers. Gasping for breath as I sprinted I glanced sideways making sure I stayed abreast of the others.

Ahead I could see a line of light coloured paving stones that

made up a path across the lawn. It had a bank of grass about six inches high either side and as far as I could see offered the only cover between us and the buildings.

We had only made a short distance when several gunmen opened fire from the Maisonettes to our front. Things around us suddenly got very noisy. In battle you keep moving forward until you come under what is known as “effective enemy fire”. That is explained as “You take casualties or the rounds are hitting the ground around you”. Well as far as I could see no one had yet been hit but the buzz or bullets travelling past my head and impacting the ground behind me told me that someone had me well and truly zeroed. Luckily Cpl Hughes made the right decision for us all. “Take cover!” he shouted and dived into the shallow depression to our front formed by the path. We didn’t need telling twice and joined him rapidly.

We all crawled away from each other to give ourselves space and make for a harder target. “F*cking hell! That was close!” someone on my right gasped. My heart was beating ninety to the dozen as I sucked in great lung full of air. I was trying very hard to show I wasn’t scared but I bloody well was! I was glad it was dark. Several short, random bursts of fire came from the windows to our front. Passing very close over our heads and causing spurts of earth and grass to leap skywards as they hit

“TAKING A TIGHT GRIP ON MY SLR AND PUTTING MY FINGER ALONGSIDE THE TRIGGER GUARD I TENSED UP FOR THE RUN. IT WASN’T THAT FAR AND WE WERE ALL FIT YOUNG SOLDIERS SO THAT WASN’T THE WORRY. GETTING HIT WAS.” the ground behind us. The IRA could not get a clear shot at us and neither could we move. They had us pinned and they knew it. Shit. Cpl Hughes reported our situation and position on the radio. We were told to sit tight, keep drawing enemy fire and another section would try to flank the gunmen to take the pressure off of us. Hang on, wasn’t that what we had been trying to do in the first place and for someone else.

The Americans have a way of corrupting our English language and invent some strange words but I thought the term “clusterf*ck” fitted this situation nicely.

I lay on my stomach in the dark listening to gunfire erupting in short bursts. The grass felt warm to my touch and it was

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81

feature NORTHERN IRELAND

almost pleasant just lying there. The buildings ahead were silhouetted by a fire burning a bright red behind them and throwing oily black smoke into the night sky. No doubt another burning car. “What the f*ck?” Someone in the dark to my right exclaimed, his voice sounding surprised. I turned my head and raised it slightly to find out what he was so uptight about.

Fifty feet to our right a door had opened slightly in one of the houses. The hall light caste a narrow beam of brightness onto the lawn in front of it. A head peeped around the corner and a gruff Ulster accent asked. ”Are you all right there boys?” The voice belonged to an old gent easily in his late 70s. “Get back mate and get that f*cking light out before you get shot.” Cpl Hughes called to him. I half expected him to disappear in a hail of gunfire at any second. Amazingly no one fired at him.

Despite the warning this stubborn Ulsterman was having none of it. Pushing his door wider making him a more inviting target he crawled on his hands and knees towards us down the path.

At his age it must have been a painful chore but the stubborn bastard did it anyway. There was a scrapping noise on the pathway and I could see he was pushing something in front of him. ”What the f*ck?” It took him a couple of minutes but he finally managed to get to us. I let out my breath and gulped

in the cold night air. I had been holding my breath without realising it. Any second I thought the old boy was going to get shot. ”I served in World War 2 so it takes more than these f*ckers to scare me” he said in that strong accent that can only come from this part of the world. “Roight boyos! Get that down yah! Just leave it there. I will come and get them later!”

With his parting comment he turned and crawled back the way he came. As if they had been waiting for him to get clear, a couple more shots came our way from the IRA gunmen. No doubt just to remind us they were still there. I stuck my head up slowly to see if I could pinpoint any muzzle flashes and received a dig in the side from Eric who was lying to my right. “No sense in wasting it.” He said as he handed me a plastic mug full of steaming, sweet tea. Our brave but “totally off his head” ex-serviceman had brought us a tray of tea and biscuits!! Half a dozen plastic mugs, a large metal tea pot and a plate of digestive biscuits sat on a battered old plastic tray. He hadn’t taken his time because of the gunmen, he just didn’t want to spill the tea. So there we were lying in the dark, listening to enemy fire coming over our heads and drinking tea and eating biscuits. Only in Ireland could you experience something so surreal. No one would believe it!

The Troubles: Between 1969 and 1998 the British Army became involved in a complicated Police action, stuck in the middle between the IRA and supporters of an independent Northern Ireland and Loyalist Paramilitaries intent on staying connected to the UK. Both sides had legitimate politicians and illegal gunmen (and mobsters) and for your average British soldier it was a thankless task. This article recounts one veteran’s experiences and his personal views.

Airsoft Action takes a politically neutral stance while allowing veterans of either side of “The Troubles” to air their views. Thankfully those tumultuous days are now happily behind us and both sides can help cities and towns like Belfast forget their dark past and look to a brighter future.

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November 2015

TACTICAL CARBINE PART 3

PRO-TACT SHOOTING’S ANDY NIGHTINGALE CONTINUES HIS SERIES WITH A LOOK AT SOME SKILLS THAT IMPROVE YOUR PLAY Pictures by Mike Donnison THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO take up rifle shooting as a recreational pastime tend to only learn the basic skills needed to safely fire the weapon and hit the target and you may well ask “Isn’t that the point?” Well yes, if you want to spend your time plinking at tin cans!

You can train in the basic skills but combative and defensive shooting, as with our beloved choice of shooting, requires more skill sets to be learned.

Learning the basics and going off on a hunt for food will only end up with you coming home with an empty stomach.

So the skills needed to hunt become an important element in your training program. Movement and concealment do not involve the rifle but go hand in hand with your hunting skills. However, hunting skills, although very important when engaged in combat, won’t save you when your quarry is shooting back and hunting you. That situation calls for a more advanced set of skills and knowledge gained from military history.

In the real world of gun fights we can’t afford to make mistakes. When mistakes happen they tend to be disastrous. It is, therefore, why we must learn valuable knowledge from the mistakes made by others and build upon their misfortune. In Airsoft mistakes

can be made but then that just eats into the amount of time you actually spend in the field engaging with the enemy. So developing advanced rifle skills is a massive advantage when it comes to outsmarting and out-performing your enemy in the skirmish arena. Different situations call for different measures and skills learned in an urban environment might not necessarily work in a rural engagement. We must learn the right advanced skills for the right job in hand. In this article I want to share a few advanced skills that will help you overcome some of the more common mistakes made during combat.

MOVEMENT

The situation you find yourself in will define how you cover ground but remember, your rifle should be fitted with a sling at all times and used as it was intended to be. The rifle must be carried in the shoulder, either in the contact ready or the ready position depending on the immediate situation. No matter where your eyes look the muzzle of the rifle must follow when searching in the ready contact position. Sudden noise will attract attention; however don’t just swing the rifle muzzle in the direction of the noise, first orientate your vision towards the noise then immediately bring the muzzle around to the target.

This will prevent you from over-sweeping the target and will gain you valuable time to react. Remember to keep the finger off the trigger at all times when moving, however depending on your weapon’s design and the situation you find yourself in, you may wish to travel with the rifle’s safety catch in the off position. If this is done then extra care and attention must be paid to the direction of the muzzle at all times.

“NO MATTER WHERE YOUR EYES LOOK THE MUZZLE OF THE RIFLE MUST FOLLOW WHEN SEARCHING IN THE READY CONTACT POSITION.” 84

November 2015

skills TACTICAL CARBINE

they do occur. It is important to know when your magazine runs out of gas or your battery dies or when you have run out of ammunition and with GBB rifles there is always the issue of reduced pressure and failure to fire. Learn the appropriate drills required for your weapons platform and practice them regularly. Also carry spare batteries and the necessary tools to make quick adjustments in the field.

TRANSITIONS

IA DRILLS

IA (Immediate Action) drills are a basic part of weapons handling and should be practiced frequently. If your weapon stops working it is your IA drills that could very well save your life or time in the skirmish arena. Airsofters are blessed with weapons that are a little less prone to stoppages, however

Transitions from a long gun to a side arm happen for two reasons: Firstly going from long gun to side arm occurs when your AI drills can not be performed, such as in immediate response to a threat and there is no time to fumble about trying to find out what’s gone wrong with your primary weapon. Secondly when your rifle is completely dead, such as no ammunition or it is simply broken and can not be fixed in the field.

Transitions sound simple but many are performed without any thought as to personal safety and also performed at the wrong time. I witnessed a good example of this a few years ago at a skirmish.

A lone “Rambo” approached a 4-person fire trench (which was hastily vacated) with rifle blazing. Then as soon as he got to the fire trench he transitioned to his side arm. Trench clearing (as those that have been trained in this art of warfare will tell you) it is done with the rifle on full auto and with the added possibility of the bayonet fixed. Maximum rounds equal maximum bad news for trench rats!

As for safety, transitions are performed at the wrong time and in the wrong manor. If your rifle goes down and you do have to transition to your side arm then go to ground on one knee to reduce your target profile or, better still, dive behind cover or concealment if it is available. Another pitfall when transitioning from rifle to side arm, is making sure that when the rifle is slung it does not interfere with the drawing of the side arm from its holster. I myself am a right-handed shooter and carry my side arm mostly on my strong side hip. Therefore I carry my rifle with the one point sling over my right shoulder (placing my left arm through the sling loop). This will allow my rifle to fall to my left hand side when I transition to side arm.

With the rifle hanging to my left I can be sure that it won’t get in the way of my holster and impede my draw.

Transitioning to the side arm in the kneeling position can also cause problems for the rifle, as slings are designed to let the rifle hang free and there is a great tendency for the muzzle of the rifle to dig into the ground when going into the kneeling position. This sometimes also results in the butt of the rifle smacking you in the mouth on the way down and plugging the barrel up with muck. To combat this problem, when you go down on one knee place the leading edge of the rifle’s magazine into the groin and clamp the rifle between your thigh and abdomen. Not only does this protect you and the rifle from damage it also affords control over the rifle at all times.

Your skills on weapons manipulations should include placing the safety catch on your rifle at all times when it’s not being used - even if it is not functioning. It’s just a safety thing and should be performed without even thinking about it.

Constant practice in all things shooting is just as important as taking out the enemy because it is a perishable skill that will fade more quickly than you expect. Keep practicing and experimenting with ways to overcome problems you might face in the heat of battle and learn from your mistakes.

In next month’s issue of Airsoft Action we will look at different ways in which we can use the rifles sights.

Stay safe and happy shooting.

Pro-Tact run tactical training programs for the airsoft and security community. If you would like to train with Pro-Tact or would like more information on their training programs contact them on protactshooting@gmail.com or phone 07788501184.

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85

Unit C1, Northway Trading Estate, Northway Lane, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8JH. United Kingdom.

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BOOK REVIEW THE HUNTING OF MAN

THE HUNTING OF MAN

BY ANDY DOUGAN KRIS ROBERTS WRITES ABOUT A BOOK THAT CHRONICLES HOW THE MODERN-DAY SNIPER CAME TO BE “PERHAPS THE MOST VERSATILE SOLDIER ON THE BATTLEFIELD”

‘It is a craft without feelings, based on rationality and hard logic. The essence of the sniper’s training is to turn him into a professional killer in the strictest sense of the word; he is a man who exists simply to shoot other men and women – and occasionally children.

His actions must be governed by an overriding imperative, the sense that what he is doing serves a higher authority than his own. In many ways snipers are like hangmen or public executioners: it is a job that, if it has to be done, must be done at the absolute highest level of ability’

Content “The Hunting of Man” provides an overview of the cultural and military history of the sniper since the 17th Century. Using personal statements and diaries from the frontline, along with official documentation, Dougan pieces together a chronological look at the technological and psychological evolution that spawned the modern sniper that we know today.

With a history that finds its roots with the ancient archer, the timeline passes through the development of gunpowder and its initially crude and primitive use as a weapon. With chemical advancements came engineering pioneers who raced to find ways to further enhance range and accuracy.

Compared to the technological advancements, the development of new tactics and psychological acceptance were woefully slow, with generations of commanders and foot soldiers alike viewing the idea of sniping with utter disdain.

Dougan follows the growth of the idea of “One shot, one kill” through the American War of Independence, the Napoleonic Era, the First and Second World Wars, to the Vietnam conflict and beyond. With multiple conflicts spanning the ages and the traditional thinking of differing global cultures, Dougan draws from a wide arc of material to convey the conflicting notions presented when battlefield necessity meets the desire for civilised behaviour.

Impressions By using first-hand accounts wherever possible, Dougan has created a factually interesting yet humanistic view on the notion of one-to-one killing. By looking at the emotional impact that befalls both the shooter and target, Dougan has given depth to a book that could easily have been lost under a mire of statistics and charts. Something that is not easy to achieve given the brevity of the book.

To cover such an enormous expanse of time the author is forced to quicken the pace and skip briskly along and although this might frustrate readers who are looking for something with greater detail, it proves appealing to those who may be relatively new to the topic or keen to understand the origins of the sniper and the social reactions they invoke today.

I would have liked to have seen this idea extended to a series of books, with each chapter extended to create its own volume. This is not because I felt cheated at the amount of information on offer but because I found Dougan’s easy style of writing and ability to see through the mythology and focus on the facts to be a credit to him.

Simple and enjoyable to read, with anecdotes that one might have to pour through endless history books to discover, I have no qualms about recommending this book for those looking for a quick yet fascinating overview of a very popular subject.

“The modern sniper is perhaps the most versatile soldier on the battlefield.

He has emerged from the press of the throng of infantrymen as a warrior who stands alone. He is totally self-reliant, living off the land and his wits, the most vital link in the chain of combat.

Ranging at will over the battlefield, he will push himself to his technological and psychological limit to provide protection for his comrades, intelligence for his commanders, and deadly interdiction whenever it is necessary. He is essentially a living weapon. Fast. Mobile.

Independent.”

INFORMATION Hardback RRP £16.99 Published by Fourth Estate

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ABATTOIR AIRSOFT? TEAM RHINO’S ANGELO DI-VITO CONTINUES HIS WHISTLE-STOP TOUR WITH A TRIP TO A SITE HE’S BEEN WANTING TO PLAY FOR A WHILE SLAUGHTER HOUSE AIRSOFT, AS ITS name suggests, is based around and old slaughterhouse in the Welton area of Hull, on Poolbank Lane and, after seeing numerous POV videos posted up by Ian Maxwell, is a site we have been wanting to visit for some time now. After a recent visit by Ian to The Works, we decided on a date and arranged to come over and visit him with some of Team Rhino.

So off we went down the M62 and across checkpoint Charlie (the Lancs/Yorks border!) and headed for the location.

I must add that I got an extra half-hour in bed due to the later than normal start time at this venue (11am game-on), which was nice.

On arrival at the site we found somewhere to park straight away and right next to the venue, which is always handy due to the ridiculous amount of kit Irish takes with him. We were given a very warm welcome by the staff at the site and directed towards the ready room, which had tables etc. to kit up on. A small shop had been set up next to the ready room that sold soft drinks, chocolate and the usual airsoft essentials like gas and bbs etc. I decided to pour myself a coffee and have a walk around the site as I thought with it being a very compact site, this might be a good idea.

As you can imagine, the site is a maze of concrete animal enclosures with gates across the front and with long alleyways in-between. This meant multiple access points to each building - and plenty of choke points too! On one part of the site there is a grassed area leading up to a set of small buildings. After walking the site my initial thought was that this could get very interesting and nicely up close and personal.

So let’s go…

The safety briefing was given at approximately 10.45am to around 30-35 players in total, which was a very comfortable number for a site of this size. The briefing covered all the required points and was extremely well delivered by one of the marshals, who also pointed out that this was a semi-auto only site due to the close nature of the battles.

GAMEPLAY

The first game was a “Team Deathmatch”, which are always good to get the blood flowing. It was a “hit then regen” game using a casino chip at regen to denote you had been back to regen. I quickly started to realise that this wasn’t going to be an easy day, as the locals clearly knew this place inside out and they were coming from everywhere. So the home advantage

88

November 2015

Snapshot SLAUGHTER HOUSE AIRSOFT

“THE SITE IS A MAZE OF CONCRETE ANIMAL ENCLOSURES WITH GATES ACROSS THE FRONT AND WITH LONG ALLEYWAYS IN-BETWEEN. THIS MEANT MULTIPLE ACCESS POINTS TO EACH BUILDING – AND PLENTY OF CHOKE POINTS TOO!” Confirmed” (which I’m sure I don’t need to explain the format of) and then it was lunchtime.

Lunch was on offer in the form of beef or chicken burgers and the usual dressings and plenty of soft drinks. The burgers were £2.50 and were well worth it!

The afternoon’s play started with a game similar to “Downed Pilot” and which just happened to be an old buoy from a boat. Well, we were in Hull after all. Again it was fullon action with both sides giving it their all but yet again I am hearing more complaints about overkill. At this point I would like to say in defence of Andy and his team of marshals that they dealt with any issues quickly and efficiently (which I liked).

So there was one more “Attack and Defend” and it was endex.

SUMMARY

card was very well played and rightly so. I was getting picked off left, right and centre as we tried to advance, even getting out of regen was quite difficult until I found a different route and managed to move forward.

The next game took the format of a “Cops and Robbers” game, which was loads of fun and very basic but a great idea.

As the robbers, we had to capture someone with a key to the vault, open the vault and rob the gold whilst not being shot or captured, which was a load of fun. One concern I did have during this were mutterings of “overkill” on one or two players on my side. Right on cue I was hit in the shoulder, so I put my arm up and shouted “Hit!” and was promptly shot again! This time in the lip and on the end of my nose from about 25-30 feet away, which didn’t go down well at all but it does happen, so onwards with the day. We had a quick game of “Kill

We had a great time at Slaughter House Airsoft and will definitely be returning at some point in the future. The site is great and the staff are very friendly, with the marshals keeping things tight and professional and making sure the players are looked after and have a good day. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble and you felt like a customer – which is always good because that’s what we are, customers.

Just one area for concern was the overkill and I feel this needs to be reiterated more in the safety briefing as it slightly tainted what was Slaughter House Airsoft can otherwise a very good day. be contacted via their website: So if you like it up close and personal, slaughterhouseairsoft.co.uk, get yourself down for a great day out with where you can also book both very friendly people who are doing great walk-on and hire games. things.

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SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

SYMBOL KEY IS IT WOODLAND OR URBAN? CHECK THE KEY! UKARA MEMBER WOODLAND URBAN DESERT SHOP ONSITE PYROS ALLOWED BATTERY CHARGING REPAIR SERVICE

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

ATROOP AIRSOFT

Clocaenog Forest, LL16 4SP 07967 394976 www.atroop.co.uk

ABER AIRSOFT – THE BUNKER

Allt-lywd Wood Farm, outside Llanrhystud, nr. Aberystwyth, Wales.

07511554740 www.aberairsoft.co.uk

ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT

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

ACE COMBAT

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

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

AIRSOFT ASYLUM

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

AIRSOFT COMMANDOS ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

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

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES Tong Wood, Newport Road Wolverhampton TF11 8PN 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk

Sutton, near Ferrybridge 07723 061386 andyace@ntlworld.com

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH

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

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

AIRSOFT PLANTATION

Goatsmoore Lane, Billericay, CM4 9RS 07534 636289 / 07771 556395 www.theofficialairsoftplantation.co.uk theofficialairsoftplantation@gmail.com

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

AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON

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

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

APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT

Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7QP 07872 348 576 www.apocalypseairsoft.com

ALPHA 55

Halkyn Wood, North Wales CH8 8DF 0845 257 6937 www.alpha55.co.uk

AIRSOFT KGB

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

AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM

ALPHA ELITE GAMING

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

AMAZON EVENTS

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

ARENA AIRSOFT

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

AWA HERTS

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

BADLANDS AIRSOFT

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

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SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

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

BATTLETEC AIRSOFT

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE COMPLEX

Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4RP 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT Bradford, BD2 1BQ 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

BETTER BATTLES

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

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

BORDERLINE AIRSOFT

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

BRISTOL AIRSOFT Bristol, BS1 2HQ 07776 288826 www.bristolairsoft.com

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – RIVOCK EDGE Keighley, BD20 0LS 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.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

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

COMBAT ACTION GAMES

Maryland, Norfolk, NR10 4 07748 023832 www.facebook.com/combatactiongames

COMBAT AIRSOFT

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

BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT Sheffield, S2 5TR 07795 631331 www.brittacairsoft.com

COMBAT SOUTH URBAN Portsmouth, PO6 3LS 02392 655636 www.combatsouth.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

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT Truro, Cornwall, TR2 07863 240153 www.cornwallseliteairsoft.co.uk

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

CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL

Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 5 01438 368177 www.thefightschool.demon.co.uk

ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING Worthing, BN13 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com

ELITE BATTLEZONE

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

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

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT

FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS

DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT

FIFE WARGAMES

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

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

DARKWATER AIRSOFT Hythe, Kent CT21 5SL 07947 558433 www.darkwaterairsoft.co.uk

DELTA TEAM 3

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

DOGS OF WAR

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

DRAGON’S LAIR

BUNKER 51

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

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

COTSWOLD AIRSOFT

BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT

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

COOL UNDER FIRE

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

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

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

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

FIREBALL SQUADRON

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

FIRST & ONLY: ANZIO CAMP Leek, ST13 8 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

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

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT

FIRST & ONLY: KHE SANH WOODS

DOG TAG AIRSOFT

FIRST & ONLY: MANCHESTER WOODLAND

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

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

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

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

95

FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE

Middleton, Manchester, M24 1AZ 0161 727 8863

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

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

GUN HO AIRSOFT

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

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

GROUND ZERO WOODLAND

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 01676 532 384 info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk www.shop. suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – NORWICH

Norwich, Norfolk, NR10 07854 277264 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk

Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 2DF www.groundzerowoodland.com

LAC SITE 1

NOMAD AIRSOFT

LAC SITE 2

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

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

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

LAC SITE 3

Saxillby, LN1 2JW 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

LAC SITE 5

FREE FIRE ZONE

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

FRV AIRSOFT

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

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

GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON

HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT

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

HUMBER AIRSOFT

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

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT

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

Near Shorwell, Isle of Wight, PO30 07964 751047 www.islandrecon.co.uk

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT

Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

96

NOVEMber 2015

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

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

NORTHFLEET CQB

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

NSC AIRSOFT

Kirton Rd, North Lincs, DN16 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

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

LINDSEY AIRSOFT

NTAC

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES

OBAN AIRSOFT – HILL ARGYLL

Manby, Lincolnshire, LN11 8HE 07955 487983 www.lindsey-airsoft.co.uk

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

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

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

MAW

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

MIA

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

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

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

MILSIM UK

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

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

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

NCIS AIRSOFT

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

PLATOON 1HQ

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

Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

PLAYERS OF WAR

SKIRMISH EXETER

TECH BRIGADE

UCAP GREEN OPS

PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES

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

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

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

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

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

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT

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

TASK FORCE SKIRMISH

UCAP SANDPIT

RAVEN’S NEST

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

THE BUNKER

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM

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

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

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

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – THE ROCK

Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EG 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk

RED1AIRSOFT

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

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

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

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

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

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

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

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY

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

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

Redford, DD11 07751 878175 www.thedeserters.co.uk

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

Bean, Kent, DA2 8 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

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

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

URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13

Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0QN 07432 291729 www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN6AIRSOFT – THE BLOCK

Wood Street, Burton-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 3AB www.urban6airsoft.com

THE WARGAMES CENTRE SUSSEX AIRSOFT

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

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM) Cambridge, CB24 8RL 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

THE DEPOT

THE EX SITE

RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3

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

Aberystwyth www.aberairsoft.co.uk 07841 462806

THE DESERTERS AIRSOFT

RED1AIRSOFT CQB

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

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

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

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

TA EVENTS

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

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

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

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

TORRENT WARFARE

URBAN ASSAULT

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

VIKING AIRSOFT

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

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

TROJAN AIRSOFT

WARMINSTER AIRSOFT

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

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB

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

UCAP 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

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

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

97

DEALER LISTINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEX

Land LandWarrior WarriorAirsoft Airsoft RedWolf Airsoft RedWolf Airsoft AirsoftZone Zone Airsoft JDAirsoft Airsoft JD WE Airsoft Europe WE Airsoft Europe Airsoft World Airsoft World FireSupport FireSupport BadgerTac ActionSportGames Silvermans BadgerTac Crawley Surplus Supplies Hueys VIPER Tactical Pro Airsoft Supplies VIPER Tactical Helikon-Tex Helikon-Tex eHobby Asia Pro Airsoft Supplies ActionSportGames Silvermans Airsoft Surgeon Euro Championship Crawley Surplus Supplies Gunman Airsoft Gunman AirsoftSubscriptions Airsoft Action Percy Publishing Sly Photography Airsoft Action Digital Subscriptions BombUpAirsoft NoVAT Action Subscriptions Airsoft Dragon Valley Sly Photography Military Outdoor BombUpAirsoft Action Air UK NoVAT Airsoft Action Digital Subscriptions Dragon Valley Percy Publishing Military Outdoor Advertisers Index Military 1st Military 1st Airsoft AirsoftWorld World

106

OD8J 2014

2 3 + 19 30 + 48 86 7 + 37 7 + 60 9 + 33 9 + 23 + + 75 94 15 15 23 19 + 100 28 + 29 26 + 27 41 33 44 40 44 45 46 + 47 52 49 + 57 57 52 60 64 66 72 79 72 87 79 90 83 91 90 91 91 91 92 91 92 95 92 98 92 100 92 106 99 107 100 108