Issue 52 - September 2015 by Airsoft Action

T H E

A I R S O F T E R ’ S

M A G A Z I N E

O F

C H O I C E

COMPEOTRTIHTOIFOVIPNER KIT! WIN £300-W

ARMOULRY G&G CM16 SR G&P M16 RECOIL FORCECORE SMG

FEATURAPEPESAL REAL STEEL IMPORTING RIFS UM IRISH WAR MUSE

EVENTSNGEL

OP: FALLEN A OP: PATHFINDER ME THE ROAD TO RO E BAD TO THE BON

KIT REVIEWS

D E B AT E

ARMOURED BRITISH INFANTRY |

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

S U R V I VA L

JD AIRSOFT... REVISITED |

S I T E D I R E C TO RY

SEPT. 2015 - £4.50

STRIKING BACK!

INSIDE AIRSOFT

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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

T H E

A I R S O F T E R ’ S

M A G A Z I N E

O F

C H O I C E

COMPETRTHITIOFON VIPER KIT! WIN £300-WO

ARMOURY G&G CM16 SRL G&P M16 RECOIL FORCECORE SMG

FEATURAPPEESAL REAL STEEL IMPORTING RIFS IRISH WAR MUSEUM

EVENTS

12 - ARMOURY: G&G CM16 SRL

L OP: FALLEN ANGE OP: PATHFINDER E THE ROAD TO ROM BAD TO THE BONE

STRIKING BACK! KIT REVIEWS

D E B AT E

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

S U R V I VA L

INSIDE AIRSOFT

ARMOURED BRITISH INFANTRY

JD AIRSOFT... REVISITED |

S I T E D I R E C TO RY

9 772047 348032

LOADED OR UNLOADED COLD WAR WARRIOR

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 visit: www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL Tel: 01684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.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.

64 BADLANDS - 24HR

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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.

december 2014

APPEAL 68 THE OF REAL STEEL

IMPORTING RIFS

CONTENTS

CONTENTS SEPTEMBER MARCH 2015 2014

AIRSOFT ACTION – SEPTEMBER 2015 6

NEWS

What’s happening in the World of Airsoft 8

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: G&G CM16 SRL Scott Allan gets all lyrical as he takes a close look at the new Combat Machine offering from G&G. 16 ARMOURY: G&P COLT MODEL 602 RECOIL Jerry Noone channels his inner “’Nam Grunt” to look at the latest historical replica from G&P featuring their new Free Float Recoil System. 20 ARMOURY: FORCECORE SMG Scott Allan puts ForceCore’s version of this Italian submachine gun to the test. 24 EVENT: OPERATION FALLEN ANGEL

64 EVENT: BAD TO THE BONE Badlands Airsoft recently celebrated its second birthday and as the summer rolled in, the Hampshire-based site marked another milestone - its ﬁrst 24-hour operation. Tom Cotterill reports on the ups and downs of Operation BAMM IV. 68 FEATURE: THE APPEAL OF REAL STEEL On a recent trip to Canada, Gadge couldn’t resist the lure of “real-steel” shooting, which prompted the question: “What is the appeal of real steel shooting and is there really any comparison in airsoft?” 72 INSIDE AIRSOFT: JD AIRSOFT - REVISITED Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick takes a trip to a shop she has used many times in the past, to give us an update on one of the UK’s most wellknown airsoft retailers. 76 FEATURE: THE IRISH MILITARY WAR MUSEUM

Oscar P travelled to The Sandpit to report on the latest hi-tech battle between The Flame and The Rain.

Nige reports from an event that didn’t happen but where he found himself in the middle of some wonderful living history.

30 EVENT: OPERATION PATHFINDER

80 SKILLS: TACTICAL CARBINE - PART 1

Iggy Roberts headed off to South West Wales to take part in this event from new airsoft company, BUS Airsoft.

Pro-Tact Training’s Andy Nightingale looks back at the history of the carbine and gives us some pointers on how we can easily upgrade our airsoft versions.

34 COLD WAR WARRIORS: BRITISH ARMOURED INFANTRYMAN - 1985 Gadge Harvey continues his epic series with a look at the soldiers who were tasked with slowing a Soviet invasion down, should it ever happen. 38 GITAG: PTS RECOIL CUSTOM BUILD In the ﬁrst of a new series of articles, Jerry Noone delves into the world of customised RIFS and all the gear to go with them and if you’re not sure how to do a job yourself then, as he says, “Give It To A Geek!” 42 EVENT: THE ROAD TO ROME Chris Wray reports from Gunman Airsoft’s increasingly-popular series of WW2 games. 49 DEBATE: RISK LEVEL This month the Airsoft Action team asked you to muse over this question, how much risk is “acceptable” in airsoft? 53 LOADED OR UNLOADED: STRIKING BACK! With the recent release of the ASG CZ Scorpion EVO and now the Ares Vz58, Jerry Noone takes a look at the “Shadow Warfare” undertaken by SECTION 20 and puts together a couple of “Strikeback” inspired loadouts! 58 SURVIVAL: SKIRMISHING IN HOT WEATHER With summer ﬁnally upon us and some of the hottest days on record last month, survival expert and avid airsofter, Paul Yelland, looks at how we can stay safe when playing in high temperatures.

83 KIT & KABOODLE Richard Bell gives us his regular round up of what’s caught his eye kit-wise recently. 84 FEATURE: IMPORTING RIFS Les Lee, writes about his experience when importing a RIF from Honk Kong and asks, “Is what you save worth the hassle?” 88 SNIPER: CALEB JAMES SHANG With just two snipers remaining in this series, Sniper One, Dan Mills, turns his attention to a Chinese Australian who went on to be a highlydecorated soldier. 92 BILLY BASICS: FAMOUS MISSIONS OPERATION BITING Continuing his series looking at famous missions that could make great airsoft scenarios, Billy Basics looks an audacious raid that wasn’t on the German radar. 96 WORLD WAR ONE: REST AND RECUPERATION Dan Mills pauses as he journeys through the events of World War One, to write about where soldiers could ﬁnd a brief respite from the horrors of ﬁghting; “Toc H”. 99 COMPETITION: WIN £300-WORTH OF VIPER KIT! So you’ve seen the pictures and read the reviews and now you can win £300-worth of Viper Kit in this Exclusive Airsoft Action Competition!

61 KIT: XCORTECH X3500 CHRONOGRAPH

101 BOOK REVIEW: WHITE DEATH

Overview of the innovative new XCORTECH X3500 Chronograph.

Not every book manages to convey the story of war, as Kris Roberts discovered when he read this graphic novel.

62 KIT: VIPER KIT - LAZER CUT Looking for something right up to the minute for tactical gear? Jerry Noone takes a look at the latest addition to the comprehensive line of kit from VIPER.

102 SITE DIRECTORY If you’re looking for somewhere to play, you’re sure to ﬁnd it here. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

AIRSOFT NEWS NUPROL NEWS As an airsofter, if you haven’t heard the name “NUPROL”, you must have spent the last couple of years with your head buried ﬁrmly in a peat bog somewhere! Since they burst onto the scene with their very distinctivelycoloured gasses, Nuprol have continued to expand both their product range and the number of lines they carry in stock. The total range is far too big to list here but the news coming out of Nuprol HQ, is that it is just about to get bigger… much, much bigger! Airsoft Action was recently given an exclusive insight into what the guys have got planned and the next few months will

see a series of launches of new products, including…. and here is where we have a problem, as we have been sworn to secrecy on pain of, well, lots of pain! But take it from us when we say “keep an eye on Nuprol” – and on the pages of Airsoft Action as we will be the ﬁrst to bring you all the news, reviews and updates - and maybe the odd competition or two!

SUPERESSE STRAPS Superesse Straps are focussed on making paracord bracelets outﬁtted with survival kits. The survival tools and gear are either attached to the strap or secured under the paracord weave. Superesse differs from other competitors by providing custom, made-to-order, bracelets allowing you to pick and choose from 80+ options. This lets you design a bracelet that ﬁts your needs, rather than having to make do with a “standard” selection of tools. The Superesse range includes the “SERE

september 2015

Sidekick”, “Medic”, “Bug Out Bracelet Pro”, “E&E Pathfinder”, “EDC Prepper” and “Camper” and each is designed to purposely serve the need for which it is required. For example, the Medic bracelet is a wearable first-aid kit equipped with tools and supplies for coping with a field emergency, whilst the SERE Sidekick includes tools to allow you to create fire, purify water, cut cords and trap or hunt food. Bracelets can have a variety of optional upgrades and extras added and come packed in a rust-proof, water-tight survival tin that can be used for boiling water or as a signal mirror etc. Superesse Straps is a veteran-owned business, operated out of North Carolina, USA by an ex-soldier who served with the US Army Special Operations Command, where he received extensive tactical, SERE, land-nav and unconventional warfare training. While deployed, he would craft paracord bracelets as a pastime and morale booster for his team.

He’s since applied his training and experience to developing survival bracelets themed for various lifestyles and adventures. He is currently serving in the US Army Reserves part time and as a Law Enforcement Ofﬁcer full time. Superesse Straps are looking for distribution and retail opportunities Worldwide and can be contacted via their website, www.superessestraps.com

AA GALLERY READERS PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY

GRANT FROM BELTEC. Photo courtesy of www.wyvernairsoft.co m.

nairsoft.com

w.wyver tesy of ww Photo cour

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.

Photo cour tesy of ww w.wyver

nairsoft.com

September 2015 september 2015

ALL PHOTOS FROM THE RECENT OPEN DAY AT STRIKEFORCE, IN GLOUCESTER. Photos courtesy of Airsoft MediaOps.

September 2015 september 2015

THE ADVENTURES OF MAG

CARTOON

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

SCOTT ALLAN GETS ALL LYRICAL AS HE TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT THE NEW COMBAT MACHINE OFFERING FROM G&G.

A NEW DAWN LIKE NINA SIMONE SANG… “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day and I’m feeling good!” That is what G&G must have said after finalising the new CM16 SRL, the first exciting M4 I’ve seen in a while. Read on to find out why. The Combat Machine range by G&G has long been one of the most popular models on the Airsoft market. Its chiselled good looks, exceptional reliability, tantalising price tag and solid performance meant you really could not go wrong and now they have improved upon their grand design – madness or genius?

WHO ARE G&G? Guay & Guay is based in Taiwan. They are a brilliant manufacturer who listens to the consumer, which is sometimes a bad thing as they listen to everyone and end up manufacturing some odd things. G&G produce more models

September 2015

than any other manufacturer by a sizable stretch. Their rate of innovation and improvement is unmatched by any other manufacturer too and they continue to burst forward leaps and bounds. The Combat Machine range is the entry-level series and yet they wanted to improve on it even more, by giving you improved performance for your money. On top of that they are big on aesthetics and that meant they had to update their range to the latest, cutting-edge designs.

SO WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT THE SRL? The SRL is one of the ﬁrst in a long line of new generation Combat Machines, these great looks and advancements do come at a cost mind you and you’ll be paying that with your hard earned green. In this review I am taking an in-depth look at the advancements, the things that are the same and ultimately how much this is costing you, the end user.

Armoury G&G CM16 SRL

THE REAL STEEL M4 M4s are more common than rainy days in Scotland (although in the day of writing it would be 25 degrees outside - but you get the idea). You can tart it up with a variety of accessories but, at the end of the day, it is still an M4 or AR15. “M4” really is just a generic term these days for the 5.56mm platform that is readily available for the entire worldwide market. Manufacturers such as Colt, Stag Arms, Stoner, Mega Arms, Heckler & Koch and Armalite are all M4 producers in one form or another. Most essentially play around the same design with a few design tweaks to the trigger set, quality of the barrel or material changes. The operation of the rifle remains the same pretty much from the first issued versions back in the 1960s, fifty years of use and the design has never really been changed unrecognisably. That is an impressive achievement only rivalled by “the more common than beards in Iraq” AK47. The 5.56mm NATO is still the favourite round issued to Western troops and covers every operational group from SWAT teams to the military in Afghanistan. Its lightweight design is intended so troops can carry sufficient ammunition without weighing themselves down too much. Secondary is its limited penetration power, which means that you should only be damaging the target that you aim at and that is beneficial when there are civilians mixed in with your targets. There is often claims that the 5.56mm round is not heavy enough and this is why we also see a 7.62mm version of the M4 platform, the SR25, HK 417 and British Army L129 rifle made by Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT).

BACK TO THE G&G CM16 SRL At first glance this rifle shouts “Hey! Look at me! I want to be a Mega Arms MKM!” but then you notice the little things that G&G do to avoid making a straight copy - but it is very close. From the metal Keymod front rail to the well sized adjustable stock, the SRL is a well-rounded and damned fine looking rifle.

It certainly puts many of the much more expensive riﬂe types to shame in the looks department, including a large portion of the G&G Top Tech premium range. The primary construction including the receiver is polymer but don’t groan. It looks and feels brilliant. Out of the box performance I was fairly certain I knew what to expect. While I did not expect it to rock my world the SRL did still pleasantly surprise me. The trigger was snappy and

“THERE IS A TON OF THOUGHT THAT HAS GONE INTO THE NEW COMBAT MACHINE RANGE, FROM FUNCTION TO ERGONOMICS.” certainly better than previous Combat Machines, I figured it was something to do with the 11.1v LiPo it happily took but it was not until I got into the guts of the rifle that I found out really what was going on. Chronographing at 330fps on the nose means it is the perfect all-round rifle and the range was in and around where I expected it to be, out to the 45-50 metres comfortably. Some of you may have noticed the mention about the trigger performance earlier. Well it turns out that G&G have been very clever. Trigger contacts can be an issue in rifles, you will hear people endlessly complain that they burn out. In reality they do but it certainly isn’t as prolific as the forums and Facebook would have you believe. Every time you pull the trigger a male and female contact touch, just as they touch a tiny spark arcs between them and causes miniscule wear. Eventually they can burn out, however the only two rifles I’ve ever had it happen to was a Tokyo Marui Sig 552 after two years of single shot and www.airsoft-action.co.uk

Armoury G&G CM16 SRL

“THE TRIGGER UNIT IS ALSO PROGRAMMABLE. YOU CAN QUICKLY SWITCH BETWEEN FULL AUTO AND THREE ROUND BURST SIMPLY BY HOLDING THE TRIGGER DOWN FOR TEN SECONDS WHILE IN SINGLE SHOT.”

the VFC 417 which seemed to be a bit more susceptible to it if you used 11.1v batteries. The electronic trigger is similar to the Airsoft Systems Control Unit or ASCU. The only key draw back with the G&G version is that the main board lives in the stock tube and not in the gearbox. If they’d got it in the gearbox this probably would’ve been the greatest trigger unit ever made by a manufacturer. That said it being in the stock tube isn’t a massive deal and I am actively looking for faults with the SRL. The plastic hop unit sports a brace to hold it against the gearbox to help prevent any vibration or wobbles. This should also prevent the front of your gearbox case cracking. The only issue I saw was that it didn’t push as firmly against the gearbox as I think it should - but that is just a matter of opinion. There is a ton of thought that has gone into the new Combat Machine range, from function to ergonomics. Okay, some of it is leaning heavily on existing designs but there is no denying how good it looks. The fire selector is probably the most positive I’ve ever felt next to a Systema and its styled like the BAD selector. The pistol grip, while not my favourite style is extremely comfortable. The adjustable stock also holds spare CR123 batteries for your flashlights and lasers and it has a rear sling point pre-fitted behind the body. The SR25-style sights are removable and flip up and are more than up to the job. The only thing I’m still never over-enamoured by is the high capacity magazine that G&G have designed. It just looks like it’s trying too hard to be funky and while it is a great magazine, it isn’t a style I would use personally. Being a polymer rifle it is light and being light means you can shoulder and aim far faster than with a heavy rifle. You’ll become less tired over the day and from ten feet away you can’t tell between metal and plastic rifles. The trigger unit, as I found out is also programmable. You can quickly switch between full auto and three round burst simply by holding the trigger down for ten seconds while in single shot. Keymod looks cool but I’m a little lazy with them and end up never attaching the rails on. So I like the look but prefer a RIS front end to cater to my rail-attaching laziness. The range and accuracy could be better but it is more than reasonable for the rifle style and price. A tightbore barrel in there would sort out 90% of the fliers when shooting. Additionally I would have the trigger shimmed to reduce the trigger pull that is easily done by an experienced technician.

September 2015

CONCLUSION The SRL is not the only one in the range of the new CM16s but it is probably the most “all round”, not that barrel length does much other than suit a particular person’s desires. The design of this rifle is almost second to none and the trigger system is one of the best G&G has ever produced. £200 is starting to get expensive but it isn’t a crazy amount of money, the only way this rifle could have been any better in my eyes is if it had been full metal and the trigger board had been contained within the gearbox. That said they don’t actually affect the performance of the rifle and the cost is very reasonable. I think the other manufacturers may be left standing scratching their heads trying to work out how to catch up with G&G. This is an all-rounder for the new guy and the experienced player alike.

features POLYMER RECEIVER METAL KEYMOD RAIL ADJUSTABLE CRANE STYLE STOCK UPGRADED HOP UNIT 8MM GEARBOX STEEL GEARS GREEN HOP RUBBER EXCELLENT FIRE SELECTOR ASCU STYLE ELECTRONIC TRIGGER (PROGRAMMABLE) 300 ROUND HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINE REMOVABLE FLIP UP SIGHTS LENGTH 810MM WEIGHT 2.3KG FPS 330FPS WITH BLASTER 0.20G BB RRP £200

TOTAL RECOIL JERRY NOONE CHANNELS HIS INNER “’NAM GRUNT” TO LOOK AT THE LATEST HISTORICAL REPLICA FROM G&P FEATURING THEIR NEW FREE FLOAT RECOIL SYSTEM.

I’M GOING TO START THIS review by stating forthrightly that I’ve always been a fan of the historical airsoft replicas made by G&P. Their attention to detail is second to none when it comes to Vietnam War era rifles and carbines and I own two XM177s, A Colt Model 607, a Remington 870 shotgun and even a Stoner LMG from their range, so you could say I’m a bit of a fanboy when it comes to their products! G&P started making airsoft replicas in 1995, so this makes them one of the most established military-simulation and training airsoft manufacturers in the world. They started out making tactical lights for law enforcement and military agencies around the world and then branched into airsoft manufacturing with the same core principle to never sacrifice quality for a lower price. You can see this belief in every G&P product; every G&P replica rifle is hand-assembled and individually fine-tuned by top technicians in the industry to give unparalleled quality. G&P utilise CNC precision machining and real-steel finish/ coating processes on many of their products so you really get your moneys’ worth when you buy one of their replicas.

And they’re not content to just keep churning out the same old thing year in and year out. Whilst many airsoft manufacturers are happy to sit on a base model and simply jig about with fancy externals, G&P quite literally go back to the drawing board and start from scratch ensuring that every part of their replicas are nigh on 100% accurate. Many Vietnam re-enactors that I know own G&Ps because they are just “right” and you’ll see many of them at shows like War & Peace or Military Odyssey. Strangely enough though, I have never owned one of the full length M16 models and I can’t for the life of me understand why. Most of my living history impressions are centred on MACV-SOG, MIKE Forces and the SEALs, so the full length M16 has never really been in my preferred armoury as most of those units carried the XM177E1 or E2 Carbine. That said, most of the Vietnam airsoft players I know revel in the role of the lowly “grunt” where “Mr Colt’s Best Girl” is most deﬁnitely their favourite choice of replica. What I received from Fire Support though piqued my interest, as I also have impressions based on the “Advisers” from the early days of the Vietnam War. When they told me they had a new “Nam-era M16” of course I was interested but what arrived was highly unexpected and very exciting. Out of the plain box came the riﬂe and when I looked closely it was not just any old M16 but a pretty much perfectly achieved early War Colt Model 602, featuring G&P’s own take on a working recoil system!

“WHEN I LOOKED CLOSELY IT WAS NOT JUST ANY OLD M16 BUT A PRETTY MUCH PERFECTLY ACHIEVED EARLY WAR COLT MODEL 602, FEATURING G&P’S OWN TAKE ON A WORKING RECOIL SYSTEM!” 16

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Armoury G&P COLT MODEL 602 RECOIL

“THE G&P FOLLOWS THIS ENTIRE FEATURE SET DOWN TO THE SMALLEST DETAIL; IT TRULY IS A WORK OF ART AND NO LITTLE RESEARCH HAS GONE INTO GETTING EVERYTHING COMPLETELY RIGHT.” ORIGINS In the late 1950s a then relatively unknown firearms designer, Eugene Stoner, produced the prototype of a new rifle called the Armalite. Development continued through the 50s until, in 1956, it came up to Army specification using a .222inch Remington cartridge with an improved bullet. In July 1959 production of the rifle was licensed to Colt and later in that same year production started on the Colt Model 601. Manufacture of this model would continue through until 1963. Approximately 14,500 Model 601s were produced and the bulk of the rifles went to the US Military with 8,500 going to the Air Force, 1,000 going to the Army for evaluation in project AGILE, and a handful going to the Navy SEALs. During the late 1950s and early 1960s the way the USA fought wars was changing, moving from massed “force on force” set pieces to “manoeuvre warfare” with far more deployments taking place on a smaller scale; troops became mechanised and air mobile and the rifle they used needed to reflect this. It needed to be smaller and lighter in weight than the ungainly and heavy M14s, L1A1s, and G3s in use at the time by the US and other armies worldwide. Engagement distances, especially in the jungles in South East Asia, were decreasing so the need for a high power 7.62mm was lessened. After the first period of the US Armed Forces using the Model 601, a number of changes and improvements were made and in 1963 manufacture of the Colt Model 602 commenced. This updated version had an upgraded flash hider, a remodelled charging handle and an improved lower receiver. The Model 602 was used predominantly by the Air Force, although they were much sought after by “Advisers” heading to Vietnam, to replace aging M1 Carbines, Thompsons and Grease Guns. Starting in 1963, approximately 19,000 Model 602s were delivered to the US Armed Forces. Commercial AR15s were first issued to Special Forces troops in spring of 1964. The U.S. Army began to issue the XM16E1, as it was first

designated, in 1965 with most of them going to the newly raised and experimental Airmobile Divisions, the 1st Air Cavalry Division in particular. After many trials and tribulations the Army finally standardised an upgrade of the XM16E1 as the M16A1 in 1967 and the Model 603/M16A1 remained the primary infantry rifle of U.S. forces in Vietnam until the end of direct U.S. ground involvement. It also became the standard service rifle for all U.S. military ground forces after it fully replaced the M14 service rifle in 1970. The little known Eugene Stoner soon became as famous in the firearms world as his Soviet counterpart, Mikhail Kalashnikov and the M16 and AK47 are still meeting on the battlefield to this day.

NAILING IT! So, there’s a LOT of history behind the M16 and for any airsofter having an early model in the collection really does encompass many eras and conﬂicts. Yes, of course it can be used for Vietnam themed games but it also would be pretty correct for Cold War and Falkland War Scenarios as the M16 was used heavily by UK Special Forces and the Royal Marines during those “on/off” conﬂicts. It’s the attention to detail, even the tiniest of things, that really makes the G&P stand out from the crowd though. I’ve seen many manufacturers have a crack at an “M16VN” only to

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Armoury G&P COLT MODEL 602 RECOIL

be let down by silly things like using the wrong pistol grip, or handguard slip ring; although such things will only be noticed by a true “stitch bitch” but once you know, you just can’t unknow! The Colt Model 602 had some pretty unique features which were only changed at a later date when the rifle finally became the M16/A1. Firstly, the lower receiver of the 602 was what is known as “slabside” in that it carried no protective “fence” around the magazine release. The upper receiver had yet to have the forward assist feature added. The flash hider was still of the three prong style, not yet upgraded to the “birdcage” and the slip ring was flat, rather than the conical shape we see today. The butt pad was a simple rubber affair although the distinctive triangular handguard was already in place. The G&P follows this entire feature set down to the smallest detail; it truly is a work of art and no little research has gone into getting everything completely right. The replica 602 is fully made of metal, with only the pistol grip, butt, and handguard being made of a very nice matt black plastic. The metal parts, rather than just being a shoddily painted black are a rich black/grey. The trademarks are utterly correct, even down to the Model 02 nomenclature. Internally things are no less impressive. The hop-up adjustment is exactly where you would expect it to be, behind the fake bolt which is accessed by pulling back the charging handle. This is an excellent unit that once set, stays steadfastly in place. The motor is G&Ps latest M140 high torque model and the gearbox is a new 8mm bearing “Free float Recoil System” design. This gearbox has been specifically designed to take the extra stresses generated by having to move the counterweights for the recoil system back and forth in the buffer tube. This, I believe, is where G&P have really stolen a march on the competition as although the other recoil systems out there work on the same principle, they are front-wired with the battery being held in the handguard. Not so with the G&P as they’ve designed things from the ground up for the system to be rear-wired, which gives you a lot more scope for modification. What if you want to fit an M203 grenade launcher or replicate the “Masterkey” shotgun attachment? Where do you put the battery? With the G&P everything goes in the butt, as they have designed a fixed one that slides on over the buffer tube.

Changing the battery is simplicity itself as you simply unscrew one bolt on the rubber butt plate and then slide it down and off. The wiring runs right to the rear of the butt and is fitted with a Deans connector for maximum efficiency as standard. G&P recommend that you run nothing more than a 7.4V LiPo in this 602 though, so as not to overstress the system. This really is an impressive rifle and even on a 7.4V it really does crack away; bear in mind that most Vietnam-themed airsoft games will have strict ammo limits and you’re going to want to stick on semi-auto anyway. The trigger is crisp and responsive. The metal 110 round magazine is the short type first issued with the real 602 and feeds absolutely flawlessly and once loaded snaps into place with no wobble. I loaded the magazine up with a full complement of my usual NUPROL 2.0g test BBs and got to work. 10 rounds through the chrono gave me a perfectly acceptable mean of 329fps. Setting targets out to 50 metres I was able to get reasonable groupings on semi-auto, with things opening out marginally when I switched the selector up to full; my thought is that with a bit of fettling you could really have a very, very accurate rifle on your hands here although it’s no slouch straight out of the box. The thing that REALLY gives the G&P the edge over other “VN” replicas though is the recoil. Squeeze the trigger and you get a thump in the shoulder akin to that from a .22 rifle! Squeeze again; thump! Then switch the selector up to full auto and give it some beans and I defy you not to have a cheesy grin on your face in short time. I have to admit that I did give it a try using an 11.1V LiPo and all I can say is “Oh my Lord!” I can completely see why G&P recommend just a 7.4V as on the higher power the 602 positively jumps in your hands! In a nutshell this is a Living History standard replica in terms of look, feel and finish and it works perfectly. You get everything that G&P have always been great at, with the added bonus of a perfectly functioning, rear-wired recoil system. The G&P “M16” Model 602 is going to have a retail price of £325.00 which for what you’re getting is extremely good value for money and Fire Support advise that there will also be an XM177 Recoil inbound soon. Oh my, M16 rifle or XM carbine! For now though I think I’ll break out my OG107 fatigues, heft on the M56 LBE and carry the Model 602 on my next outing “in country”. For more information on G&P products please visit www. fire-support.co.uk

“THE THING THAT REALLY GIVES THE G&P THE EDGE OVER OTHER “VN” REPLICAS THOUGH IS THE RECOIL. SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER AND YOU GET A THUMP IN THE SHOULDER AKIN TO THAT FROM A .22 RIFLE!” 18

September 2015

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

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SCOTT ALLAN PUTS FORCECORE’S VERSION OF THIS ITALIAN SUBMACHINE GUN TO THE TEST

SPECTRAL FIREPOWER THE WORD “SPECTRE” HINTS at an ethereal being shrouded in mystery and having other worldly supernatural powers, now I’m no expert but this little SMG doesn’t overly ﬁt the name. This version is from Gunﬁre dubbed the FC SMG, most likely to avoid a licensing issue. The OEM is by AY, a Chinese manufacturer but the version reviewed is branded under ForeCore. It has that classic ugly 20th century SMG look that is shared a little by other models, such as the KG9, UZI and the Beretta M12.

September 2015

THE REAL STEEL Manufactured in Italy, this is a classic 9mm sub machine gun designed in the glorious 80’s, perhaps driven by the need for Hollywood action films. The Spectre M4 is a recoil operated, closed bolt from a hammer fire system which is more akin to a pistol than a SMG. The trigger was double-action without manual safety but with a de-cocker. This meant the Spectre M4 could be carried with a round loaded into the chamber and hammer down and then fired immediately simply by pulling

Armoury FORCECORE SMG

“IT IS REFRESHING TO SEE A MANUFACTURER DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW, EVEN IF IT IS A BIT UGLY. UGLY ISN’T ALWAYS BAD IN AIRSOFT, IN FACT IT BREAKS UP THE MONOTONOUS UNIFORMITY OF THE ENDLESS M4 RANKS.”

the trigger. The body was stamped steel, much like an AK47, which gave it a weight of just under 3 kilos. Interestingly the magazine is a “quad-stack” design, which means from the top down the magazine is almost perfectly square. This meant the operator of the Spectre could use 50-round magazines, which is handy if you are in a fire fight for the duration. In this instance the bolt also acts as an air pump, cooling the internal systems down which is designed to ensure efficiency in a prolonged engagement. Sadly, in 1994 when the US introduced the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, the Spectre was killed off almost entirely as this was its largest market. It is still used in some civilian variants but the days of the Spectre are numbered which might actually mean it’ll live up to its name. It is said that Italian Special Forces used the Spectre in the past but these days that is very unlikely, as all evidence points to the beloved standard US M4 platform.

THE FORCECORE VERSION When I opened the box I was pleased to see this little ghost staring back at me, it is refreshing to see a manufacturer do something completely new, even if it is a bit ugly. Ugly isn’t always bad in Airsoft, in fact it breaks up the monotonous uniformity of the endless M4 ranks. Okay there are lots of other riﬂes out there but not lots of new models, most are a basic rehash of something else. Other companies just rip off great

designs, such as the Masada and make as close a copy as the grey suit wearing lawyers will allow them to without getting a court date. I am unsure who originally had AY make the Spectre but I’d like to thank them. Although the FC SMG (aka Spectre) is an entirely polymer build, I am pleasantly surprised by the look and feel of the bodywork. It is light weight but it doesn’t feel too light or more importantly, cheap. Oddly there are no CE markings on the rifle which means it isn’t ROHS compliant. The magazine, like the real counterpart, is a square shape. My first efforts had me twirling the mag around trying to work out which way was forward, something you would get used to very quickly. The front grip houses the battery, this looks larger than the real version and this is most likely to accommodate the 8.4v NiMh battery provided. Personally I would’ve rather they used a LiPo and made the grip smaller but this certainly makes it more accessible and therefore easier to sell to new customers. The semi Version 3 gearbox did inspire me with confidence but I know that Chinese manufacturers (and AY in particular) love to cut a corner or two when they can. That said, I do have to take into consideration the price. The ForceCore version weighs in at €136, or about £100. That’s very, very cheap so I will forgive some things so long as the performance doesn’t suffer because of the cost. The hop up is a M4 style but slightly different, the usual

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Armoury FORCECORE SMG

The performance was a little disappointing. I can live with the low FPS but this version had a near nonfunctioning single shot out of the box. Even an 11.1v LiPo wouldn’t snap it over. Fully automatic was nice and smooth sounding. The next point was that the outer barrel doesn’t seem to be fixed at the far end of the barrel, which means when you fire the barrel bounces around slightly. This will definitely affect the accuracy but would be a very easy fix. Probably inserting a foam ring to steady the barrel and the problem would be eliminated entirely. At the time of writing spare magazines were not available, which is always the main issue with Chinese manufactured more obscure rifles. This presents a problem for testing and as such I wasn’t able to play an actual game with it. The range was reasonable, although the accuracy was lower than I had hoped, although the mobile barrel end will be a massive contributor to this. The 120mm brass barrel will be okay but I’d be tempted to get an Ultimate Tight Bore 6.03 in there and brace the barrel out. Removing the vibration will see a massive increase in performance. With the Spectre being so light, single handed and two handed are equally easy, being lighter than some gas blow back pistols it’s almost too easy.

CONCLUSION

“cock it back to access it” method is applied too. Unfortunately the gap is fairly small so either small fingers or a screw driver are need to nudge the wheel, thankfully you don’t have to do this often so once it’s set you should be good to go. The battery compartment is a really good size, plenty of space for either a NiMH or a LiPo, which means you won’t have to fight during the changes. The magazine holds 50 rounds which isn’t bad but more would have been better. Most double MP5 pouches should hold the magazines without any difficulty. At 1.5 kilos this is probably one of the lightest Airsoft rifles made which is great when single-handedly using the Spectre and also means you are likely to see someone running around with two of them at the same time! The ultra-compact design means you can throw it around in CQB or woodland and the 20mm right hand rail means flashlights and lasers can easily be attached for that extra “tacticool” look. Sadly there isn’t the ability to attach a silencer, that would’ve made it a bit more appealing but for a £100 I can’t complain.

There are many pros and cons to the ForceCore SMG / Spectre M4. To start it is ridiculously cheap but then it is far from perfect. Externally it looks nice for the asking price, which is a bit of a plus as you can always rip out the below par internals and they do seem to be largely below par. You can easily throw £100 at this, if not more and you will see a massive beneﬁt all round. In short it all looks nice it just misses the mark a little, well quite a bit. The lack of single shot on this version is most likely a one off but none the less it didn’t work very well. The battery compartment is probably one of the best of all the SMG types in that it isn’t a complete nightmare getting access to it. The power too was a little bit on the low side but this wasn’t a major concern for me, although some may want this put up to a higher power. The lack of CE marks means it isn’t legal in Europe either, which means any that you can get are almost certainly a bit dodgy. In short this looks great, is great value it just needs a little bit of polishing on the inside.

features MATERIAL: POLYMER + ZNAL WEIGHT: 1505G LENGTH: 360MM MUZZLE VELOCITY: 295 FPS ON BLASTER 0.20G BB GEARBOX VERSION 3 MANUFACTURER: FORCECORE INDUSTRIES (OEM AY) BATTERY: 8.4V MINI SUPPLIED MAGAZINE 50 ROUND BESPOKE TYPE RRP 136 (£100)

September 2015

OPERATION FALLEN ANGEL INFILTRATION AIRSOFT HAVE BEEN RUNNING games for just over a year but have fast built a name for themselves. Their ongoing story of the battle between the “Flame” and “Rain” for control of a could-be-just-tomorrow Britain torn by civil war has played out over a series of games, with a dedicated community of players forming on either side, supported by cutting edge technology such as RFID kill tags which track the butcher’s bill, hacking units and other perks. The latest event, Operation Fallen Angel, played out the next chapter of their story over a scorching weekend in June, attracting 200 players and crew to rampage around the Sandpit, in Kent. In the spirit of openness (such ethics!) I’ve been taking pics for the Infiltration events for a while now, but when I was asked if I could sort a write-up for Airsoft Action, I couldn’t say no – so I added a notepad and pen to the camera bag and headed down to Bluewater. Before I get into the story, it’s worth flagging something really important about Infiltration games; they put a lot of effort in the community they’re building around their events, with regular updates on the story between games to keep players involved – and generate some banter between the two sides! On this game, they introduced something new to take it one step further; in what I think might be a first for UK

September 2015

airsoft, they brought in live reporting of the event from staff on the ground and players in game, via Twitter and Facebook! Throughout the weekend reports were posted up (including some gratuitous shots of players celebrating the capture of objectives – and drinking tea) which added a lot to the event. You can take a look at the reports, as well as catch up with their backstory on their Facebook page, just search for “National Journal”. So, to the event… Op Fallen Angel revolved around a doomed satellite which was in a deteriorating orbit, leading to the inevitable crash to earth. Named “Angel 4”, it was the property of a faction that has reared its head in previous games, Volktech (think shady, evil Corporation) who were expected to be on site, alongside the always-aggressive marauders (anarchist junkies with a penchant for rubber clothes). Both those teams would play a major role in the event. However, the game also introduced “The Bletchley 8”, a unit of ex-military hackers who had their own designs on any goodies that might come down with the doomed orbiter! The most important groups, though, were the players – 200 of whom rocked up on one of the hottest weekends of the year! Divided evenly between Rain (anti-establishment, lefties) and Flame (pro-government, rightists) they kitted up and prepared for battle. A few words about the Sandpit – if you’ve never visited, you really should – it’s a massive site in a disused quarry, with varied terrain surrounding a central lake. As well as hills, wooded plateau, roads and hills, it has a series of buildings which can be fought through (though on this occasion, two of the main hangars had been converted to bunking areas for players

Event INFILTRATION AIRSOFT

“AFTER FINDING THE EXCHANGE POINT, HANDING HER OVER AND BEING PROMISED SUPPORT, THE MOMENT MAMA GOT A GUN IN HER HAND SHE TURNED AND SHOT THE FLAME TROOPS IN THE BACK!”

and stalls for a variety of traders that had come down for the weekend). On Day One, the Flame team would be operating out of an FOB up on the Plateau, with Rain working from a site within the built up compound. Day One of the event revolved around a series of checkpoints – both teams had intel that the satellite was coming down in their area and would cascade a whole load of goodies when it came to earth – so their objectives were simple; take and hold a series of checkpoints around the site, raising their ﬂag at each to signify it was under their control. The more ground held, the more likely they were to be in the right place when Angel 4 came down. However, the Flame had one additional task to undertake as well. As the game kicked off, whilst most of their troops headed off to take and hold the checkpoints, a small unit were tasked to escort the Marauders’ leader, Mama, to an exchange. She’d

been caught at the end of the previous event, and the Flame were going to try and use her return to secure an alliance with a unit of Marauders operating in the area. However, their efforts came to nothing. After finding the exchange point, handing her over and being promised support, the moment Mama got a gun in her hand she turned and shot the Flame troops in the back! Out across the site, the checkpoints began to fall and the Flame took an early lead. By mid-morning, 4 of the 6 points were flying Flame red flags. Over the course of the day the Flame went on to maintain this lead until the last hour or so of play, when the Rain rallied and pulled the score back to even–stevens. Having said that, two of the checkpoints had been demolished by the teams to deny them to the enemy! Over the course of the day, the heat did begin to take a toll – as did the distances. The Infiltration team had a number of vehicles at their disposal but players did have to cover a lot of ground, putting in some serious

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mileage! It’s probably no surprise that the objective atop the fearsome Cardiac Hill was the first to be demolished - quite possibly to save legs, rather than for tactical reasons. However, the checkpoints weren’t the only scores on the board, there were a series of smaller missions ongoing as well, with both Bletchley 8 and Volktech dishing out sub-objectives related to the forthcoming satellite crash. B8 were operating from a separate campsite on the far side of the site. After an unfortunate encounter with the Flame (which ended up with a hapless photographer setting off an IED and a short, sharp shootout), they hooked up with Rain troops and asked for assistance rescuing a captured operative from the Marauder camp. Over the course of the day, that hacker was rescued and opened up key assets that the Rain forces would need when the satellite came down. Likewise, Volktech made contact with Flame troops and secured their help in locating corresponding materials that they would need to open up Angel 4. These missions lead to some of the fiercest fights of the day; Rain assaults on the Marauder base to recover the hacker were repeatedly beaten off, whilst the Flame secured a series of vehicles for a convoy mission to extract captured materials only to lose them to a Rain ambush. Although the Flame counterattack destroyed the Rain rear-guard and pursued them to the base of a causeway, they were themselves caught in a vice by a force of Rain moving in from behind - and ground to mince! At other times, it was the

September 2015

Rain that found themselves on the back foot. Mid-afternoon saw them right back on their heels, pinned at their FOB and only a mass assault by members of Bristol Recon, the Trenchrats and Team BAT managed to break them out and back onto site. They also suffered from being on the receiving end of some fantastic grenade work from the Flame team - special mention to “Cowboy” from Team Ronin, who was deploying the best throwing arm I’ve ever seen at an airsoft game and dropping bangs at long range with fantastic accuracy! The day’s play ended in a torrent of plastic, with the Flame within inches of regaining checkpoints, only to be denied it by the Rain’s fortuitous reinforcement. Nonetheless, play ended with a score draw – 2 checkpoints each – and Rain perhaps finding their second wind. Saturday night saw Infiltration’s first “Ceasefire Party”, with both teams downing weapons and coming together for a drink, food and a dance with live music around a Post-Apocalyptic bar! However, once the muzzy heads cleared, Day Two saw the game restart with even greater ferocity. The second day’s missions were directly centred around Angel 4, which had finally come back down to earth. The Satellite had crashed on the side of a hill (with suitably awesome props!) and strewn various high-tech doobries around it, all of which were of great value to the teams. In deference to the heat and the previous day’s exertions, both FOBs were relocated to nearer the main build up area of the site. Both teams were now allied with another faction; Rain with the Bletchley crew and Flame with Volktech. Meanwhile, the Marauders continued to run around doing the “gun for hire thing” or just shooting at anything that took their fancy! Play kicked off with both teams (now joined by one of their allied sections’ scientists) searching for a series of locked safes. Again, more of Infiltration’s trademark tech is in play,

Event INFILTRATION AIRSOFT

with scientists deploying decoder keys into each safe, triggering a countdown clock until they become unlocked. Each safe in turn contained a code which could be used to access part of the satellite’s core and every section opened would be a score on the door for Flame or Rain. All of that had to be done against a deadline, as Angel 4 would itself detonate at 15:00 hours! The weather was bit more helpful on day two, too! There was an unexpected light rain for much of the day, which did a lot to cool things down. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a group of airsofters be so happy that they were getting a bit wet, so it in no way dampened play. The closer locations and the pressing deadline changed the dynamic of the game as well. Whereas on day one the size of the site and the need to keep an eye on a number of locations meant that the players were tending to move in smaller groups (with the notable exception of the ﬁnal

“BOTH TEAMS WERE NOW ALLIED WITH ANOTHER FACTION; RAIN WITH THE BLETCHLEY CREW AND FLAME WITH VOLKTECH. MEANWHILE, THE MARAUDERS CONTINUED TO RUN AROUND DOING THE “GUN FOR HIRE THING” OR JUST SHOOTING AT ANYTHING THAT TOOK THEIR FANCY!”

battle on the causeway), today saw more massed-squad movements. The firefights were correspondingly bigger, louder and longer! The battles flowed back and forward throughout the day as the two sides manoeuvred around the site, taking advantage of the built up areas, sunken roadways and flanking space the site has to offer in their search for the safe. Throughout, of course, the satellite itself sat on the side of the hill, with the clock steadily counting down. The Rain seemed to hold it for most of the day, though not constantly. Flame troops, urged on by the Volktech crew, overran it on more than one occasion but overall it remained in Rain control (although, as their scientist was heard to remark on one occasion, there’s not much point in holding a location when there is no code to input!) However, at the end of the day, Rain patience held out. Despite sterling efforts by the Flame and one particularly crushing assault that eradicated Rain troops from the central courtyard of the built up areas in a frenzy of plastic and bangs (including one Mk5 that landed plum in the lap of a rain trooper!), as the countdown clock rolled over it was the Rain who were in control of the satellite and who had managed to salvage the greater amount of resources from the downed machinery. So overall, the weekend was won by the Rain, though to be fair to the Flame they had been on top for most of Day One and came close to victory on Day two! Flame energy seemed to ebb right at the final minutes of the game; from a distance it felt like just one more push would have unseated the Rain defenders but it wasn’t to be. Two days of fighting, climbing, walking, more fighting and riding around off road culminated in a victory for the Rain but it could so easily have gone the other way! Infiltration will return with their next event later in the year, with Flame eager to take their revenge and Rain looking to cement their victory. Keep an eye on their website www. infiltrationops.com for more details and if you’re looking for a new event to try, take a look at Flame or Rain. Pick a side and get stuck in!

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IGGY ROBERTS HEADED OFF TO SOUTH WEST WALES TO TAKE PART IN THIS EVENT FROM NEW AIRSOFT COMPANY, BUS AIRSOFT 30

September 2015

Event OPERATION PATHFINDER

THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE on a lovely summer weekend in the picturesque setting of South West Wales. As I took a casual stroll through a deep green forest looking for any action, I could be forgiven for thinking I was not in the middle of a heated battle at all. Not at least until I heard the unmistakeable sound of hissing from a smoke grenade followed by bursts of automatic fire! That brought me back from the fairies. The game itself was written and run by Mark Williams, from Tactical Wales and the venue was BUS Airsoft. Some of the participants stayed the night before in tents at the safe zone, due to the distance they travelled. BUS Airsoft is a new site for your airsoft map and first opened its gates on January the first this year. The site itself used to be a paintball venue but that want under over two years ago and has since been left to nature (which has done a great job of cleaning it up again). Paul Treweeks negotiated a deal with the landowner and BUS Airsoft was officially born. Paul runs the site with his family and a friend called Mark Hayward. The site is very wild and dense with foliage at the moment however, it has already been developed quite substantially since Paul took it on and he has plans to continue clearing and building on the site. These plans consist of three makeshift replica Tanks, each placed in a significant location where they can all see each other. The intention is to have a separate game towards the end of a skirmish day using the three tanks. There are also plans to build the shell of a downed helicopter as a key objective or catalyst for a rescue mission, as well as a village at the top of the site for CQB gaming, adding even more diversity. The game, Operation Pathfinder was a whole day event without the usual break for lunch. There were two teams of 19 players, each consisting of players from North, Mid and South Wales. The attacking side was made up of players from Over The Top Adventures, from North Wales and regular BUS Airsoft players. They were up against players from Tactical Wales as well as Team Camo, from South Wales and Aber Airsoft from Mid Wales. The attacking team were “dropped” behind enemy lines, at the edge of the site and their objective was to take and hold key locations dotted throughout the site. Each location had a flag flying to represent that defenders occupied it. The attacking team simply pulled it down to indicate the objective

was now under their control. At 16:00 whichever side held more key locations would secure overall victory. The game started at 10:00 and was indicated by a rocket so all players could hear “it’s game time.” Right from the get-go the attacking force got stuck in to the defenders and fire fights flared up all along the site as both sides met. The defenders used a mixture of overt defence at each location and snap ambushes throughout the area, taking advantage of the dense vegetation. After each initial contact they would disappear and wait to strike again, further along the line that the attackers were heading. This tactic slowed the advance of the Attacking force and caused many casualties, not to mention fear and anticipation as they stepped ever further into enemy territory. By mid day the tempo of the assault had dwindled, mainly from fatigue, thirst and hunger. Some of the defending force took advantage of this and slipped past the advancing attackers to take back some of the key locations they had lost in the morning. These locations were lightly guarded, if at all in some cases and with little resistance the defenders were able to take back the majority of locations. Once news of this got through to the bulk of the attacking force it caused them to divide, which meant they were weaker in smaller teams and more spread out. Half of them advanced towards the hardest location to assault, The Island, while the

“THE SITE LENDS ITSELF TO THE SNEAKY PLAYER TYPE, ALLOWING PLAYERS WITH AND WITHOUT GHILLIE SUITS TO APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR IN AN INSTANT. KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED AND ALWAYS WATCH YOUR BACK!”

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Event OPERATION PATHFINDER

“THE FERRY COULD ONLY HOLD THREE PEOPLE AT A TIME AND THE ATTACKING SIDE HAD A DAMNED GOOD GO AT TAKING THE ISLAND BUT IT STILL WAS NOT IN THEIR GRASP COME THE 16:00 END-EX.”

September 2015

other half attacked various locations they had previously taken and since lost to the defenders. The Island could only be accessed using two ferries, each connected by ropes to pontoons on both the island shore and mainland. Access to the ferries from the mainland were both through choke points and took a combination of clever tactics and firepower to break through any defensive positions, be it a lone sniper or support section. Once at the pontoons the defenders on the island could easily take out anyone on the shoreline of the mainland. Only on the ferry or pontoon were players safe, as they couldn’t be fired upon, or fire from the pontoon or ferry. This was due to health and safety and the need to minimise the risk of any player falling into the lake. Once across the players were still safe until they passed through a set of posts indicating the “in game zone.” This was the biggest kill zone to get through. Only with massive volleys of fire support from the mainland would any players survive this choke point. The ferry could only hold three people at a time and the attacking side had a damned good go at taking the island but it still was not in their grasp come the 16:00 end-ex. In fact, due to the OTT players having to depart at 15:00 to make their lengthy journey back home, it left the attackers fairly thin on the ground and the defenders claimed a solid victory, having only one location without their flag flying. It was good to see sneaky tactics used by both sides, often with horrific results against their opposition. This, as well as the deadly use of snipers and IED’s consisting of trip activated grenades, made for a long and hard day’s skirmish. The site lends itself to the sneaky player type, allowing players with and without ghillie suits to appear and disappear in an instant. Keep your eyes peeled and ALWAYS watch your back! No airsofters got wet in this event and thanks was mentioned to the fair marshalling by Martin Jones, Dai Story and Garen Budge, who all voluntarily gave up their time to ensure the smooth running of the game. If you want to know more about BUS Airsoft then please visit: www.busairsoft.com or look at their Facebook page BusAirsoftTeam. Paul Treweeks can be contacted on 07854012107 or 01646 622112 and if you want to know more about this particular game, or speak to anyone from Tactical Wales, give them a call on: 01792 473336 or 07974 204411

BRITISH ARMOURED INFANTRYMAN, 1985

GADGE HARVEY CONTINUES HIS EPIC SERIES WITH A LOOK AT THE SOLDIERS WHO WERE TASKED WITH SLOWING A SOVIET INVASION DOWN, SHOULD IT EVER HAPPEN. Pictures: Robert Keppel-Spoor THE BRITISH TOMMY HOLDING THE LINE against the threat of Soviet invasion in the mid-80s was famously underpaid, underequipped and under gunned. His professionalism, however, was as always first class. During the latter years of the Cold War, Britain stationed significant forces in West Germany as a deterrent to Soviet aggression and as part of a unified NATO policy to keep Western Europe a part of the “free world”. Alongside West German, Belgian, Dutch, French and US allies the British Army of the Rhine (or BAOR as it was known) was essentially tasked to provide a two week “speed bump” in the event of a future war in Europe. This fortnight “delay” would provide the minimum amount of time to move a US battlegroup across the “GIUK Gap” (the flight path from the USA across Greenland, Iceland and the UK to Western Europe) and allow Britain to mobilise its reserves from a “cold start” if the Soviets were to launch an all-out attack. During the 40 year cold war “stalemate” the British Army had refined its tactics even with outdated equipment and used the armoured battlegroup as the lynchpin of its strategies. Tank battalions would assist armoured infantry able to move quickly and safely anywhere on the front line and dig in to fight a defensive battle against the immense hordes of Soviet

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armour that outnumbered them almost ten to one. Assisting the tanks and infantry would be Royal Artillery formations and RAF tactical air support in an attempt to break up the Soviet formations and prevent the BAOR from being overrun. This month in Cold War Warriors we will look at the basic “building block” of the armoured infantry section – its light machine gunner.

ASSAULTING THE ENEMY A British Army rifle section of the time consisted typically of eight men, a six-man manoeuvre rifle unit and a two-man light machine gun team. The machine gun was essential to provide pinning rapid fire to fix the enemy in position and keep his head down while the manoeuvre group armed with semi-automatic L1a1 SLRs and short ranged SMGs flanked the enemy and assaulted them. While the usual machine gun of a rifle section was the excellent belt fed General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), many sections would utilise the lighter L4 Light Machine Gun (LMG). The L4 was in fact the famous WWII Bren LMG rechambered to fire the standard NATO 7.62mm round; while superficially similar a closer inspection reveals a different sighting system and a straighter box magazine. Despite being almost 50 years

Cold War Warriors BRITISH ARMOURED INFANTRYMAN – 1985

old by 1985 the Bren/L4 design could still provide the section with portable and effective supressing fire; it’s only limitations were a 30 round box magazine (rather than belt-fed system) limiting its ability to lay down sustained fire and oddly the fact that with a new barrel the L4 could be almost too accurate for a supressing fire role. As an added advantage to the infantry section, in an emergency the L4 could be fed from the 20 round magazines carried by the section’s riflemen. This compatibility obviously worked both ways and it was possible, but unadvisable, to put the L4a1’s magazines on an SLR; the problem with this “swap” however was that the gravity assisted feed of the L4’s magazine required less spring strength to feed a round into the LMGs chamber and so, when inverted to be used in an SLR, the magazine’s spring would often struggle to elevate the last few rounds in the magazine causing a potentially deadly stoppage in the middle of a firefight. Many squaddies would bribe the unit’s armourer to “beef up” the L4’s magazine springs. Even so, being caught using an L4 magazine on your rifle was a chargeable offensive resulting in a fine or time in the guardhouse in most BAOR units! Our Cold War Warrior rides into battle in the British Army’s APC of the era, the FV432. Serving as the “battle wagon” for an eight-man section, the FV432 was beginning to seriously show its age by the mid-80s, with dozens of vehicles breaking down on exercise. While the Warrior IFV programme was rushed in in the mid-80s to replace the aging 1960s-built 432s, there were never enough “Warriors” to go around

and even today the British Army maintains several hundred FV432s in support service and rear area roles. At the time of its introduction, however, the FV432 was a capable beast. Comparable in role to the US M113 APC and superficially similar, the 432 was a flexible vehicle being able to carry a 10-man infantry section, act in many roles including as an armoured ambulance, a dedicated mortar carrier, a tank hunting MILAN missile system mount and a turreted IFV, it could even be pushed into service as a cargo vehicle if needed. Its crew and passengers were protected not only by up to 12.7mm of armour (sloped at the front to provide greater protection) but by some dispensers to provide cover and an NBC over pressure system to allow its occupants to survive in the worst chemical, nuclear or biological threats. Capable of a battle speed of just over 30mph, the FV432 was only surpassed by other APCs in its fighting ability. The stock model armed only with a GPMG lacked the in built “gun” carried by the Soviet BMP1 or the West German Marder and, more importantly, lacked weapon firing ports for the infantry section. To join battle the British “Tom” would have to dismount and “dig in”.

LEGACY OF WWII Our machine gunner in this article wears clothing typical of the age. When not riding the 432 his “leather personnel carriers” (or “combat boots” to the layman), are the rubber-soled DMS ankle boot. An uncomfortable successor to the WWII ammo boot found to be seriously lacking in the Falklands campaign,

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Cold War Warriors BRITISH ARMOURED INFANTRYMAN – 1985

Introduced in the late 1950 the “58 pattern webbing” was hardwearing and easy to assemble but the fabric webbing had a few major ﬂaws. Firstly its weight increased when wet, adding to an overloaded soldier’s discomfort. Secondly, its porous nature meant that it was impossible to decontaminate and thirdly, while adequate for the needs of the 1960s, by 1985 soldiers were seriously struggling to ﬁnd space for the kit they had to carry. Most notably, while an NBC suit was issued, the 58 webbing system had no pouch for it, causing many to improvise suit carriers, often from a second “acquired” poncho role. Likewise, the issue “large pack” was not large enough in which to pack the issued kit. Larger, more capacious “General Service” (GS) and “Para/SAS” bergans were available but it was a lucky soldier who managed to source one and it was common to see soldiers humping their kit about in privately purchased hiking bergans.

WELL STOCKED WEBBING Our gunner’s webbing is particularly well-stocked. On his front he has placed a small compass pouch (utilized to hold a roll of electrical tape, safety pins and other useful items – the compass being in his smock pocket) and pushed back towards his hips are his ammunition pouches for small arms magazines, a bandolier of stripper clips and a grenade. Attached to his left pouch is a bayonet, while the right sports a pouch intended for the “inerga” riﬂe grenade launcher but serving as the carrier of his eating utensils… and a bottle opener! At the rear, we see his respirator pouch in butyl nylon containing his S6 respirator, decontamination powders, nerve agent protection “combi pens” and cotton inner and black rubber outer protective gloves. A civilian survival knife is wedged alongside the ressie next to his two “kidney pouches”. The leftmost carries 24 hour rations and the means to cook them while the right hand side carries his washing, shaving and repair equipment. Completing the belt order is an old “44 pattern” water bottle carrier, containing a steel bottle and mug (and a small supply of tea, whitener and sugar); the 44 system was far superior to the 58 pattern in that it allowed easier access and, unlike the plastic bottle and mug, the metal construction allowed either to be directly heated over a ﬁre.

CHEMICAL DEFENCE as the direct moulded soul prevented the boots from draining adequately and contributed to the Task Force’s high level of trench foot casualties. To prevent loose stones and grit entering his boots and, to a degree, water proof the tops and provide extra support, short woollen puttees (again of WWII vintage) are wrapped around his ankles. Our warrior’s combat suit is a mix of 1968 pattern trousers (still worn in the 80s by “switched on” soldiers as the succeeding 85 pattern were badly insulated and stitched poorly – some falling to pieces in the ﬁeld) and a privately purchased SAS windproof smock. The SAS smock was lighter, quicker drying and had more useful pockets than the heavy issued 68 pattern smock. The smock is worn over a wool shirt which in colder weather could be supplemented with either a “woolly pully” jumper or a quilted smock liner. Protecting our soldier’s head is another relic of WWII, the MKV infantry helmet. Although heavily camouﬂaged with sandbag hessian, vehicle net and scrim, underneath the layers of disruptive fabric lies the 1943 designed “turtleback” steel helmet (as issued to D Day assault troops), with an improved liner and suspension system. While no body armour is worn our gunner has “acquired” a pair of RAF pilot’s gloves to protect his hands from burns and cuts while operating the L4. Despite having the luxury of the APC to carry his bergan with spare ammo, clothing, rations and other creature comforts, the British Infantryman of the BAOR made sure that he could survive on the contents of his webbing if the vehicle should take an immobilising or destroying hit (hopefully while he was dismounted). 36

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Finishing off the field kit of our squaddie are two rolls on the top and bottom of his webbing. Both are 58 pattern poncho rolls but only the rear one holds a poncho (along with elasticated bungees, tent pegs and sandbags for making an improvised “basha” shelter); the top most roll struggles to contain a green “MKIII” NBC suit (also available in DPM from 1984 onwards), the over boots of which are in his bergan in his 432, however, some would bungee them to the suit roll to keep all NBC kit together. While we have touched upon the British Army of the Rhine before, we felt it was about time we revisited a specific role in detail. For those looking to replicate this look in airsoft you’re both in luck and about to have to go on an “airsoft pilgrimage”. While most of the kit is available at dirt cheap prices from most surplus stores, some things are becoming harder to find. 68 pattern combat suits are still out there in “sensible sizes” but the surplus stores know their value so if you want a bargain you’re going to have to trawl car boot and charity shops. A weapon is much trickier… Despite King Arms and Ares both making excellent L1a1 SLRs, both are out of production and you can expect to pay upwards of £300 for a second hand one! Similarly “Shoot ‘n Scoot”, a fine purveyors of custom Airsoft guns, no longer advertise their Bren/L4 model. They are still available second hand though. The good news is that a few companies now make excellent Stirling SMGs…ideal for the CQB players among you. The FV432, well you might struggle to get one of those but the good news is that in terms of armoured vehicles, they are relatively cheap… for the airsofter who wants the COMPLETE loadout!

GIVE IT TO A GEEK!

IN THE FIRST OF A NEW SERIES OF ARTICLES, JERRY NOONE DELVES INTO THE WORLD OF CUSTOMISED RIFS AND ALL THE GEAR TO GO WITH THEM AND IF YOU’RE NOT SURE HOW TO DO A JOB YOURSELF THEN, AS HE SAYS, “GIVE IT TO A GEEK!”

IT’S TRUE TO SAY THAT these days we are extremely lucky to have an absolutely VAST range of airsoft replicas to choose from be they spring, electric, or gas powered but in the not so distant past this wasn’t the case and if you wanted something unique then you really had to work for it! Many fine airsoft technicians learnt their trade in sheds and small workshops, often creating works of art using “real steel” accessories, re-wiring and even machining bespoke parts when needed. Again, these days an internet search will allow you to source most of what you need easily and many talented players are creating their own dream replicas and doing the work themselves. Now I’m no slouch when it comes to working on airsoft guns but does that necessarily make me an expert? No it darn well doesn’t! So when I want something that is uniquely my own I will make use of the excellence that is available. I decided at the beginning of the year that I wanted to build a new custom rifle for training, skirmishing and a little IPAS, so when a PTS RM4 ERG Scout turned up on my workbench from Scott at Land Warrior Airsoft, I began the process of mapping out where I wanted to take it. The RM4 (to my mind) is the perfect base replica to start with. Core features include a mechanical/electrical cut-off when the last round is fired, functional bolt release and simulated recoil via the proprietary Kinetic Feedback System. The ERG real-capacity 30 round PMAG (this is adjustable to offer 60 round capacity for skirmishing) is specifically designed to be compatible with the auto cut-off system and extras are well priced as opposed to gas magazines. With its new feature set, the RM4 offers a degree of functional realism not present in previous generations of AEGs. The RM4 is a perfect training gun for anyone who desires simulated felt recoil, more realistic

September 2015

GITAG PTS RM4

ﬁrearms manipulation and the reliability of an AEG. Straight out of the box it’s an attractive replica, with a 14 inch mid-length barrel and it comes already set up with a ﬂipup rear PTS MBUS, MOE Handguard, MOE Pistol Grip, and MOE Stock. The lower receiver is also Magpul branded which is a neat touch and every RM4 carries its own unique serial number. With an RRP of £350 it’s a great package as it stands but I wanted more… MUCH more!

The rail duly arrived and yet another problem presented itself in that it is incredibly narrow, great for manipulation but a real pain as the RM4 is front wired! I spoke to Ian, a mate locally who is a wiring wizard and had him extend the wiring by 6 inches so it would run alongside the outer barrel and reach the “I’D INCLUDED A LOW PROFILE very front of the rail, effectively becoming invisible and adding to “DANIEL DEFENSE GAS the aesthetic appeal of things. BLOCK” WHICH NEEDED SOME Next up was battery and box. PTS now actually do a foregrip MACHINING DOWN TO GET THE battery box which looks like an PERFECT “SEAT” AND THEN A oversized MOE RVG but at the time LONGER “GAS TUBE” TO BRING I was working on my “project” they hadn’t released it, so again I IT ALL TOGETHER. QUESTIONS spoke to partner in crime John and WERE ASKED EVERY STEP OF we managed to track down some THE WAY AND THE WORK WAS very nice quality PEQ-15 boxes from Battleaxe. These boxes allow ABSOLUTE PERFECTION.” all wiring to run into the back rather than the front so you are literally left with less than a centimetre of wire showing. John put me together an awesome little rewiring “kit” for minimal cost and when the black heatshrink went over the wires everything disappeared. Next up I sourced the ﬂash hider I wanted, dithering between a MadBull “Lantac Dragon” and a stainless “Knights” style Triple Tap. In the end the “bling” won out. With everything in hand all the parts were packaged up and it was

PROJECT MANAGEMENT The first thing you need to think of is what you want from your (in this case) AEG; I was pretty happy with the performance side of things but wanted the carbine to be railed and with a very specific rail at that. As a follower of things “Costa”, I’d looked very closely at the “War Sport” LVOA he’d appeared with in pictures and noticed that RedWolf Airsoft had the Angry Gun “Wire Cutter” rails in stock for £109.50. The rails came in two lengths; 16.5 inch which was too long and 13.5 inch which was slightly too short so I ordered the shorter one and took a leap of faith! As I researched the RM4 a little more I got talking to John at J-Tac Custom Airsoft, as he was working on a similar project and encountering the same problem as I. It turned out he had come across Paradigm Rifleworks, who were offering a barrel shortening service - which essentially was a precision cut down of the outer and inner barrels and then a machined re-crown allowing CCW flash hiders to be fitted. Sorted!

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GITAG PTS RM4

away to Paradigm Riﬂeworks. Jay at Paradigm was awesome in that he kept me fully updated as work progressed. I’d included a low proﬁle “Daniel Defense gas block” which needed some machining down to get the perfect “seat” and then a longer “gas tube” to bring it all together. Questions were asked every step of the way and the work was absolute perfection. When I was happy I paid up and the RM4 was on the way back to me.

FINISHING TOUCHES With the major custom work out of the way the ﬁnal decisions in relation to the build had to be made. The simplest was the ﬁtting of an MOE RVG to the rail sections that came with the “Wire Cutter”. Next up was the battery itself and after long discussions back and forth with my new friend John at J-Tac, we both decided to run with 7.4 LiPo packs. Luckily for me as I came to buy the battery, NUPROL were in the process of releasing new

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models and amongst these was a 1200MAH 7.4V 30C LiPo PEQ-15 Micro. Perfect fit… Bingo! The very final touches were sights and optics. For magnification I plumped on a 4x32 PHANTOM, again from the NUPROL range. This is a great, solid sight which comes with a QD mount as standard which is spot on for when the rifle is in transit. The version I chose also came with a micro red-dot back up sight on top for fast, close-up target acquisition. I also wanted to have back-up iron sights but found that the MBUS really didn’t work, let alone co-witness, with a magnified main optic. I was chatting to Jez at Pro Airsoft Supplies who suggested in passing some canted irons with a 45 degree offset. When these arrived they indeed worked perfectly with the rest of the setup and it really was job done. By now you might be thinking “what a lazy bugger, why didn’t he just do all the work himself?” The answer to this comes in two parts really; firstly I wanted this to be a “100%” build. Yes I could fit the rail and all the other simple parts myself but I wanted them millimetre perfect and I wanted the wiring to be bombproof as well. Secondly I do not own a full workshop with lathes and milling machines so the “chop” had to be done professionally. Actually the whole project turned out to be a lot of fun! Yes, I did end up spending a fair whack of cash to achieve what I truly wanted but working with a superb bunch of fellow airsofters to do this was a very positive experience. I even ended up making a new friend during the process so that’s even better. If you’re thinking of an ambitious project yourself and you’re capable of creating what you want then all power to you; if however you need specialist work done, then swallow your pride and… GIVE IT TO A GEEK!

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THE ROAD TO CHRIS WRAY REPORTS FROM GUNMAN AIRSOFT’S INCREASINGLY-POPULAR SERIES OF WW2 GAMES Photos by Peter Bates

I REALLY WANTED TO START one article not in a McDonald’s but I can’t help but mention this one. It is at the Bell near Hemel Hempstead, I think (non-driver) and has the world’s smallest counter with a couple of seats that lead around an L-shaped lobby to a larger seating area, which is all very weird. Today however, it is even stranger, as 13 of us in WW2 US Infantry are eating breakfast, putting on gaiters and getting lots of strange looks from the locals. After my 4 bacon rolls we set off to the site, which was only 15 minutes away. Today’s game is the Road to Rome, run by Josh at Gunman Airsoft on one of our favourite sites, an Equestrian Centre near the M25. It is a large site with a wide variety of terrain and as we pull up there are lots of folks that had camped over the night before, already set up and almost ready to go. I always ﬁnd the WW2 scene to be very friendly, so it’s nice to catch up with people we have not seen for a while. It is also a great opportunity meet up with a couple of team mates from the 34th Infantry that are based down south. Today there are 15 of us from the 34th Infantry, which is the most we have ﬁelded in one game, on the same side, ever. As we start to get our kit together I notice there are

September 2015

around 70 players, which is a great turnout for a WW2 game, especially as there are a lot this year. I usually like to use my ICS Garand, my favourite airsoft gun, but having recently bought an Ares M3 Grease gun, it became my choice for the day. It is a very well built, solid piece of kit and much heavier when compared to my ICS M3. The only downside is the 65 capacity magazines, which each take their own LiPo battery but the blow-back feature is amazing and it sounds fantastic! We are out in the field all day, so we pack our lunch, drinks and supplies. Thankfully we have private Glynn with us today, who is our designated 34th “carry mule”. He gets stuck with the supply board loaded with two large boxes full of chocolates and supplies to keep us going all day. After a quick briefing the 34th Infantry move out to our starting position in the deuce truck. It was only a 5 minute drive but with the 15 of us in the back of the truck, with all our supplies, it was a great start to the day. We arrived at our destination and met up with the American Airborne and Commonwealth troops. Our orders came in: “German troops are in the area but unknown location and numbers.” We had a set of control points to defend, with the 34th to secure and hold the furthest one, then offer support to any others that came under attack. The 15 of us, plus the Airborne medic that was attached to us, moved out and secured the position with no contact at all. We set up a small line on the outskirts of the woods and a small unit holding the path to the next point. Once it was secure we sent a 3 man recce party to push into the woods, to see if there was any German movement in the area. After about 10 minutes we heard shooting and shortly after the recce patrol came racing back, under a hail of fire. When they arrived, they informed us they came across a large German force moving to our south where the other control points were, with a smaller force moving towards our position. They also spotted a German Nebelwerfer that had been moved into the area. It was not long before we had mortar shells landing in the woods we were holding but thankfully the trees prevented them from getting too close. We got the message that the other points down the line were also under attack, so we sent a third of our force to try and help the nearest one. From somewhere out in the woods a German sniper started

event GUNMAN AIRSOFT

ROME pinging shots at our position, forcing us to keep our heads down. This gave the German troops the advantage they needed to push forward and slowly move their MG42 closer. At the same time a small unit of Germans attacked along the pathway, where the rest of our squad was dug in. Visibility was low due to the smoke from the German mortars and the woods being so dense and dark. We were holding the Germans back… but only just! With our remaining force stretched to cover 3 areas and our ammo running low, things were not looking good. Thankfully the group returned from defending the other control point just in time to reinforce our position, allowing us to drop back to our nearby base to grab ammo and see to our wounded. It was only when we got to our base that we realised how close we had been to being overrun, all bandaged up and hardly a bb left between us. After we had quickly bombed up (and I am not going to lie, had a quick chocolate break) we took over the defence of

the path, which was still under fire. We were just in time as the troops there were in a worse position than we had been just moments ago. There were two dead and the rest just about out of ammo but they managed to hold the enemy back with a couple of well thrown grenades (a rarity in our team). We managed to rotate across the defensive line quite well and hold back the German advance in this area for an hour or so. However, a nearby control point was under attack, with only a few brave commonwealth troops holding it. We had just managed to get a few men down there to help push the Germans back and then heard a noise none of us wanted to hear; the shriek of the Nebelwerfer! As smokes went off around us we were informed we had all been werfed and had to withdraw back to our base. Luckily a unit of British troops had just shown up and managed to save the control point from being taken. We returned from our base to find we had lost the edge of the woods and were only holding a few barricades between the woods and our base. For the next hour or so it was German attack and American counter attack, over and over again with both sides trying to take control of the barricades. Sometimes both forces were holding barricades just a few meters away from each other. There is nothing more daunting than holding a barricade and keeping your head down, then hearing the fizzing sound as you see a German stick grenade pyro fly over and land between you your team mate. This was a sign of things to come for me for the rest of the day.

“BEFORE I COULD DO ANYTHING ANOTHER TAG ROUND LANDED A COUPLE OF FEET AWAY FROM ME AND A TEAM MATE, TAKING US OUT ALMOST AS SOON AS WE HAD GOT BACK INTO THE FIGHT.” www.airsoft-action.co.uk

event GUNMAN AIRSOFT

We were slowly been pushed back when I heard that shrieking noise again, having failed to see the enemy in the distance had been reinforced by the Nebelwerfer. Smokes landed around us informing us we had been well and truly werfed, wiping us and our base out, allowing them to seize the control point. We had held the line for a long time but our time here was up. The orders came in to fall back and set up a base further back, meet up with the American Airborne and try to stem the enemy advance. During this bit of a lull, we managed to dish out a fair bit of chocolate and cream eggs to the allied forces, which lifted spirits and lightened the pack for our carry mule. Once we got our new base set up we re-loaded and moved out. We didn’t get far as Gerry was on us almost straight away and had managed to move their LelG18 light artillery piece into the action. I knew this when a tag explosive round landed about a foot from me and took me out. After a brief visit to our base I moved back to the fight, where we had started to counter with mortar fire from the British and American Airborne but before I could do anything another tag round landed a couple of feet away from me and a team mate, taking us out almost as soon as we had got back into the fight. That damned artillery piece! The only saving grace was seeing the Germans being forced to

abandon it as mortar rounds showered them. We got back into the fight just as the allies were launching a counter attack across the line we were still holding, which started well and we gained a bit of ground. I then saw Josh (Gunman) running across 30 meters ahead of me but it was only when I went to shoot him it was confirmed that my mag was empty… Ahhhh!! I quickly turned to shout to Pete (who took all the nice photos while playing) to shoot him but he was stood there with just a grenade in his hand and a surprised look on his face, no gun, not even the camera this time! By time I turned around Josh was long gone. By now the Germans had started punching through our stretched line of defence, forcing it to collapse and pushing us right back. We tried to form a defensive circle around the last held allied control point, as the axis forces tried to flank it. It held for a while, with Glynn on the .50 Cal in the deuce but the allied forces were dwindling and it was only a matter of time before it we were overrun. I had just ran out of ammo and heading back to the safe zone but the allies were on their final fall back and were overrun about 10 minutes later. After a long, hard day of defending we were all completely shattered. There was just time for a quick debrief and chat with the enemy to swap some war stories and for me to think of ways to sabotage the artillery before the next game. A big thank you to all the players, it’s always nice to play with no marshals and no problems. A big “IT WAS ONLY WHEN WE GOT TO OUR shout to Josh and his staff who run some BASE THAT WE REALISED HOW CLOSE great WW2 games, as WE HAD BEEN TO BEING OVERRUN, well as ‘Nam, Cold War, Western, Vikings and ALL BANDAGED UP AND HARDLY A BB modern. He also has LEFT BETWEEN US.” some loan uniforms for his games, so they are a great way to try something different, without spending a lot of cash first. Check out http://www.ww2airsoft.org.uk/ for the WW2 forum and kit guides. Lastly thanks to all my team mates in the 34th Infantry. We had a great time as usual, ate lots of Hershey bars and used a ton of pyros without killing too many of our own for a change. Roll on the next one, the bottles of Coke have been ordered…

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Debate ACCEPTABLE RISK

THIS MONTH THE AIRSOFT ACTION TEAM ASKED YOU TO MUSE OVER THIS QUESTION, HOW MUCH RISK IS “ACCEPTABLE” IN AIRSOFT? GIVEN THAT WE PLAY A GAME that is inherently dangerous without mitigating the risk with safety rules and eye protection, at the most basic level we’re all “risk takers” every time we set foot on a skirmish field. But how much risk are you prepared to take? Does “more risk” mean “more fun” to you, or do you want an “ultra-safe” hobby? To give you an example, some sites have very much “big boy’s rules”. You’re expected to conform to the sites chrono levels and wear eye protection but other than that the “game area” could be an old rusty scrap yard… littered with trip hazards, broken glass, burnt out cars and dubious chemical spills eating away at your boot’s soles. It’s a dangerous place even if you’re not running around hunting people but boy does it feel “real”. On the other hand you might be playing at a site that also hosts laser tag and paintball days for families and so has comparatively very sterile arenas with a minimum of trip and bash hazards and a total absence of barbed wire, broken glass and feral children! Myself, I like “realistic” game areas. Abandoned factories, flooded quarries, ruined hospitals etc. etc. Not the safest places at times though and I remember once stalking an opponent through the rooms of a disused office block when the floor beneath me gave way. I ended up with my legs dangling wildly below me as I was suspended above a stygian basement… Was the drop 3ft or 30ft? I had no idea but luckily my team mates were able to grab my shoulders and pull me out of the situation. You can’t blame the site (I didn’t). No one had any idea the floorboards were about to “go” in that area and they closed that zone off immediately but the point is that a “fun” and “gritty” site could have injured or even killed me. We also asked you to consider the risks you take in your

choice of face protection and whether you would play a higher FPS game. While I used to play without lower face protection, I’ve seen so many teeth shot out that I always cover my mouth now. Likewise, even with full face protection would you be prepared (if the law allowed) to use 600 fps AEGs and be content with picking the odd BB out of your skin for the beneﬁts of longer engagement ranges and better “cover penetration”? On the whole most of you felt that “you pay your money, you make your choice, you take your risk” and felt it was up to the player to decide whether or not to play on “riskier sites”. Many of you, however, would be unhappy to play with much higher FPS limits with the general feeling that anything over 400 fps was “getting silly”. But, enough of me jabbering on, let’s hear what you had to say! Matthew Philpott: “I have always considered sites that are too safe and sterile to be ﬁne for a single day of open day fun but for repeated visits and maximum adrenaline and fun, for me a dodgy old factory or junk yard is far superior. If I’m running around and I trip that’s my fault and I deal with it. “I do prefer to wear lower face covering these days, especially for cqb but the site itself shouldn’t feel the need to sanitize itself for our safety, we are grown-ups (some of the time) and need to take responsibility for things ourselves.” Jessy Jones: “I like the danger but I have to consider family and work. The prior - I’m valuable to it and the latter being valuable to me. I s’pose it all depends on how dangerous the site potentially is and whether the danger can be avoided and still have a good day. “Never been a fan of lower face protection but don’t fancy ludicrous dentist bills. A mouth guard was my option. Gives me

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the freedom of being without lower face protection (half mask) whilst still giving me protection.” Luke Perry: “I prefer natural buildings, 350 fps for cqb is about right but 400 fps for outdoor sites would be good and I always wear a helmet and mesh mask ever since the first time I played and got lit up in the head.” Scott Allan: “I’ve known sites pander to complaints and end up with unnecessary 45 minute briefings. Covering varying engagement distances for different FPS rifles, in short it was stupid. Big boy’s rules with the governing rule of “don’t be a dick”. If you are in any doubt if you’re being a dick someone will inform you thusly.” Jez Armstrong: “I wish I was allowed to climb more trees or shoot out of passing cars/tanks or kick more doors down without hurting people’s feelings. One site let me climb a tree once, I loved it until I got found!” Josh Hutchins: “It’s simple, just don’t be a tw*t - sadly the UK is full of them which is why we have rules in the first place. I’ve been moaned at before for using .3gs - don’t want to get shot? Take up knitting then!” Evo Von Himmel: “I’m a grown up, so I like to choose my own level of acceptable risk. I’m fine with sites that have dangerous/ broken areas, purely because I’m in control of what I choose to do, or where I choose to go. If I think it’s too dangerous, I won’t risk it (but I usually do, breaking two ribs at Sennybridge springs to mind!). One thing I’m not happy with risking my safety on is other people, hence I’m happy with fps limits on guns etc. to limit other people’s stupidity.” Sean BE: “I think there is risk associated with every site but the owners must make the players aware and that the individual player takes responsibility for not only himself but others around them. The site owners themselves have a duty of care for their staff and players and it would be unacceptable to allow players to play in an environment where the risk outweighed the benefit. I would also like to see site owners and marshals have a competent level of first aid training with a contingency in place for their more challenging aspects at the respective site. After all can an air ambulance or land ambulance get access to woodland with obstacles etc.” Dougie Stafford: “Most of it is common sense in terms of

September 2015

Debate ACCEPTABLE RISK

taking risks, or at least calculating them. Accidents can happen at even the most sterile sites, it is the nature of life. There is no doubt in my opinion that the more realistic sites are the ones that are littered with “derelict” leftovers.” William Newman: “I think as a site owner a risk assessment and insurance does matter for stuff that could hurt someone; however I also have a passion for over-grown woodlands and abandoned buildings. I think it can be a happy medium by players being sensible and site managers being diligent. I play with no lower face protection for comfort and as find it easier to breath but I do take a lower mesh mask to cqb games as it’s hard to make yourself breach a room knowing they will probably shoot you in the face. Fps-wise; I think it hurts enough already! Lol.” John Danter: “If you’re over 21 (maybe even 18) you’re old enough to know sense. I like risk. It creates great atmosphere.” John Bond (USA): “As a player I think that the AO is up to you. I prefer the more exotic locations. Yes, the risk is there but if you keep your head about you it isn’t that bad. Traveling to locations that you would never go to is what it’s about for me. I live in Massachusetts and recently flew to California for a game. To me it was risky, there were snakes (came about 3’ from stepping on a rattlesnake) and other things we don’t have to deal with back home. To me it was a risk to local players it was every day stuff.” Dave Renniks: “When I started off airsoft about ten years ago, we were playing in disused factories, on sites with cliffs, rivers, all sorts. Safety briefs were twenty minutes and no-one ever got hurt. People actually expected players to be intelligent enough not to act like pricks and injure themselves/others. Now we’ve got some sites where you have to drop an impact grenade from an outstretched hand rather than throw it at all, where they read out an hour long safety brief and where customers are made to feel like stupid children with no common sense.” Alan Bates: “600 fps aeg! With the greatest of respect gents, if someone shot me with that I’d beat them to death with it!!! And I’m not even joking! The fps limits are just fine the way they are. You want long range engagements join the Army!”

Jethro Holberry: “Dangerous nitty gritty sites are the best. You have to draw the line somewhere though, shanks of jagged metal can cut through tendons and really screw your life up. “Airsofting, like live combat, requires situational awareness and common sense but unlike live combat most the participants are fug fingered civilians who spend their first couple of games stumbling into enemy fire, barricades and other players. “At the end of the day it’s down to the individual to decide how much risk they want to take and personally, I only feel alive when I’m confronted with my own mortality.” Brendan Robb: “I’m all for being realistic and playing hard and fast, as long as the site makes it safe to do so. I want to be looking for targets to shoot, not looking down on the ground for nails sticking out, or wire and shattered glass. I think most UK sites have the right idea on FPS limits, if it was like other countries with 500 FPS full auto at close range, I would be looking for another hobby.” Marcus Woodhouse: “I have a strong desire to return to work on a Monday. I also re-enact with full contact rebated metal weapons and front venting section five firearms. Airsoft is a game. I have picked up plenty of injuries playing rugby and football. As for realism, if it keeps me and my boy safe it can take a back seat. It’s not real and I kind of get annoyed at the Walts who turn up kitted out for a tour in Fallujah anyway.” Billy Gumbrell: “What I do and what I’d like to do are poles apart. Injury as part of the game I would accept. Injury through stupidity is what we need to mitigate. I like the idea of danger and risk. I don’t mind the idea of potential injury (not too serious though) but that would need to be tempered against real cap or very low cap ammo limits. 600fps with 30 round magazine I’d be fine with personally. Been Please note that any shot at 15m with a 730fps AEG so anything lower images accompanying is OK but can we as an industry trust everybody to this article are for play courteously? 1 shot instead of 5?” decorative purposes only Joe Man: “I like game sites that treat you like an adult. Broken glass? Don’t touch it. Rusty metal? Don’t run into it.”

and do not reﬂect or express any opinion as to the safety, or otherwise of the locations depicted.

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KIT LOADED OR UNLOADED

STRIKING BACK!

WITH THE RECENT RELEASE OF THE ASG CZ SCORPION EVO AND NOW THE ARES VZ58, JERRY NOONE TAKES A LOOK AT THE “SHADOW WARFARE” UNDERTAKEN BY SECTION 20 AND PUTS TOGETHER A COUPLE OF “STRIKEBACK” INSPIRED LOADOUTS!

“WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER HERO” goes the theme tune but obviously we do, as virtually every airsofter I know will be glued to their screens as soon as another season of “Strikeback” airs and both forum and Facebook pages will literally light up with conversations relating to the latest guns and gear used by “Scott and Stonebridge”. Written by former SAS soldier Chris Ryan and published by Arrow Books in 2010 “Strikeback” led us into the dark world of SECTION 20, a unit operating on the ragged edge undertaking operations of subtle complexity and uncompromising violence against terror threats globally. Ryan relied on his superb knowledge of clandestine operations to create a world which was both believable and compelling. Series 1 of the series was a bit shaky in places but by the ﬁnal Episode 6 many of us were hooked and howling for more. And boy, were not to be disappointed; as “Project Dawn” rolled in and enter Michael Stonebridge and Damian Scott! John Porter, the protagonist of Series 1 had contractual agreements elsewhere and therefore left the show, meeting a grisly on-screen end in Series 2; BIG MISTAKE! The unlikely duo, the crisp, ramrod straight former UKSF soldier Stonebridge and the DELTA operator with a shady past, Scott, lit up the screen with their interaction and their physical style of acting. All the actors involved underwent some type of “military boot camp” prior to ﬁlming but Michael Winchester (Stonebridge) Sullivan Stapleton (Scott) were put though the mill especially hard as they would be the actors portraying the guys at the very “tip of the spear”; in a BskyB interview in 2012 Winchester commented: “Sullivan and I would meet every morning at 6am. We would run to a chosen location and on the way we had to memorise street names and directions and then our trainers would say “that car that you just passed; what was the licence

“TWO THINGS SCREAM OUT TO ME HERE IN THAT A) THIS SETUP IS EXACTLY RIGHT FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE AND B) SOMEONE ACTUALLY “GOT IT” THAT THE GUYS WOULD NEED TO SHARE AMMO AT TIMES!” plate number?” Our trainers were ex-SAS guys who made us study everything in detail, for example, we learnt step by step how to enter a room in twos, then alone. At the same time, we had to be constantly aware of where our weapon was trained.” And all this training paid off, not only equipping the actors with very believable skills and drills but also supreme conﬁdence in what they did, even down to the dark “gallows humour” banter. When Scott and Stonebridge set off on another mission you just knew there would be ﬁreworks. Generally speaking the kit was pretty good too, even down to berets being properly shaped when the cast were in uniform

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and yes, there were a few gaffs but hey… IT’S TV! In uniform everything was usually pretty tightly nailed and as Series 2 progressed into Series 3, the standard of it just grew better and better; this was to be a trend that would continue as the show progressed and I hear (as I’m waiting for the Box Set as usual) Series 5 has some particularly Gucci kit on show. Suffice to say that the prop room used a little of this, a little of that, waved some grit, sand, “blood” and mud around and created a unique look for all the cast. And the guns! Oh the guns! Unlike many so called “tactical” series where you get an M4 (goodies) or an AK (baddies) the armourers for “Strikeback” REALLY went to town with some unusual and exotic firearms from around the globe. If you nip onto www.imfdb.org you’ll find a whole page devoted to each and every series and the weapons used, not only by Scott and Stonebridge but by the entire cast. By series, by episode. This was my starting point really as I had two specific airsoft replicas that have been recently released in mind, both of which appeared in Season 4.

DOWN AND DIRTY Apart from the odd occasion when they need to be scrubbed up, Scott and Stonebridge inevitably appear somewhat grubby and dishevelled. It’s as if we’re visually being told that there is no respite for these guys once a mission starts; like the “Duracell Bunny” they just keep on going! Much of the time the team are operating in urban environments, also often in the Third World or in the dark corners of the world where life is tough and often violently volatile. They are keeping an ultralow profile and their choice of gear will reflect this; jeans or civilian cargo pants, t-shirts and polos and performance gear from outdoor pursuits brands when necessary, along with tactical boots or trainers. This makes creating a “Strikeback” inspired loadout is a pretty darn cheap way to go as you probably already own the majority of what you need! Tactical gear is pretty rudimentary as well, with both characters reverting to MultiCam plate carriers and pouches being thrown on when needed as things go “hot”. There may well be a shemagh involved, along with Oakley SI Assault Gloves and a ballcap; Stonebridge for instance shows some tactical coolness in Season 2 by adopting a very “up to the minute” A-TACS AU cap! One of the main things that got a real buzz going as Season 4 got into its swing was the weapon used, in the main, by Stonebridge; namely the Vz58. Adopted into service as the standard rifle for Czech forces in the late 1950s the Vz58 comes in numerous variants but the one used by Stonebridge was VERY specific. Not only was it the “shorty” version but it upped the cool factor by being the 5.56 version with the magwell adaptor; it was also often fitted with a suppressor, tactical light and AK-style sight rail with an Aimpoint red-dot. Two things

September 2015

scream out to me here in that a) this setup is exactly right for its intended purpose and b) someone actually “got it” that the guys would need to share ammo at times! So, with this in mind I thought about the loadout. I decided for this article that I would stick with one single gear manufacturer, Warrior Assault Systems (WAS), as they offered all I needed and for the “Operator” version I chose the MultiCam DCS; The DCS (Dynamic Combat System) is a lightweight, low profile system which is rugged, yet ergonomically designed to provide exceptional comfort and functionality. Designed with direct input from active S.F. personnel, the DCS is suitable for all types of operating environment and is available in a number of camouflage patterns, plain colours and platform specific configurations. As well as the MultiCam version shown here with the WAS Open Top mag pouches, they also have closed top M4, G36 (which will carry 7.62mm mags) and AK specific setups available from stock. The DCS was developed to be worn in tandem with the WAS Frag Belt and their range of harnesses (I use one of their low profile MOLLE versions) which are sold separately and are also great value for money. You can purchase the DCS rigs on their own, or as a ready set up complete system. The DCS DA 5.56mm (Direct Action) comes as standard with five Open Mag Pouches for 5.56mm Mags (inc PMAGs and EMAGs), and two Small Utility / Medic Pouches. I’ve added a large Utility Pouch, one of WAS’s excellent Rip Off Personal Medic Pouches, a Large Admin Pouch and a Hydration Carrier to my personal rig which pretty much covers all the bases. In terms of clothing it was a simple Under Armour Tech Long Sleeve T-Shirt for the top half, and some simple supermarket “combats” for the bottom; these can be picked up for under a tenner if you don’t already own some. I gave a nod to Stonebridge with the A-TACS AU ballcap and threw in a shemagh. 5:11 Taclite boots fitted the bill nicely for footwear as I’ve had them for a few years and they are suitably “battle worn” and the Oakley SI gloves (if you’ll pardon the pun!) I already had in hand. BRING IT!

KIT LOADED OR UNLOADED

AN OFFICER BUT IS HE A GENTLEMAN? My second loadout was inspired by a relative newcomer to the series played by Robson Green, Colonel Philip Locke. Locke is obviously a very skilled special operations ofﬁcer who has “been there and done that” and what I like about him is that in the midst of all the grunge and grime he often manages to keep cool, composed and (relatively) clean! I kept the tan combat pants in but changed out the boots to a pair of Speedcross 3’s from the new Salomon Forces range. These are lightweight and much resemble a running shoe but have been beefed up in terms of support, foot protection and durability. I also ditched the sweaty t-shirt and gave the “Colonel” a smarter shirt as if he had just chucked on his gear and legged it into battle direct from “The Crib”. Pictures from

Velcro which allows the panel to be removed and replaced with a wide variety of preconfigured weapon-specific pouch panels and Warrior’s new PATHFINDER Chest Rig. The RPC also integrates perfectly with a new Back Panel. The PATHFINDER chest rig (PCR) is the latest edition to WAS product line. Using genuine US MilSpec materials and hardware the PCR has been designed to work as a compact chest rig in stand-alone configuration or as part of the new RPC system The PCR accommodates four M4 style mags with adjustable bungee retention which allows AK mags to be easily changed out. There are two small utility pouches, with one on either side with elastic loops for storage of chemlights, small taclites and the like. The front section comes as standard with Warriors Double Elastic Low Profile Mag pouches; these are attached

the series show him rarely using gloves but you might want to add a pair if you’re playing for obvious reasons. In series 4 Episode 9 Locke is showed holding a CZ Scorpion EVO and as I’ve been playing about with one recently, I decided to go with that for him as its compact and hard-hitting. The EVO in the show is pretty much always seen with an Aimpoint T1 on the top rail and to follow the theme I’ve added to it a Brugger & Thomet ROTEX IIIc QD suppressor and a HERA Arms HFG. Even though it’s a 9mm the magazines of the EVO are quite stocky so I needed a rig setup that would allow me to deal with this. Turning once again to WAS it was an easy choice as a) Locke often uses tan gear, and b) WAS have recently launched some excellent new tan gear! The RECON PLATE CARRIER (RPC) is the latest evolution of plate carriers from WAS, and they are designed to be a lightweight and versatile low proﬁle armour carrier, offering enhanced mobility without compromising protection. The RPC comes as standard with a removable MOLLE front ﬂap held in place by 2 vertical SQM clips and strong

with MOLLE and can be easily changed out for any of Warriors full range of pouches, such as their DPDA Double Pistol Mag pouch. The unique feature of the PCR is its ability to attach to the new RPC plate carrier. Simply remove the shoulder and rear straps and all the remaining clips line up with the corresponding ITW clips located on the front and sides of the RPC Plate carrier, creating a scalable armour platform for low and high vis operations.

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KIT LOADED OR UNLOADED

that allows you to carry whatever semi-auto pistol you might happen to have although I’ve stuck with my trusty Glock 17. The holster is a versatile and adaptable unit that fully adjusts to accommodate both large and small frame pistols. Adjustment is simple and quick by way of Velcro closure. Sidearms are secured ﬁrmly by way of a moulded composite internal housing and the weapon is released by means of a push down thumb release. The rear of the holster has three rows of MOLLE webbing with two MOLLE arms, which allows it to be attached to a diverse range of WAS gear such as the PLB belt, Frag Belts, Cobra belts and Rigger Belts. The UPH’s MOLLE also allows it to be directly attached to armour carriers and chest rigs if you should wish. Nailed it!

WHAT NEXT FOR SECTION 20?

The ASSAULTER back panel is attached via MOLLE onto the full range of Warrior armour carriers. The top section features a 5.56mm Triple Open Mag pouch with bungee retention sewn directly on to the panel. The lower section has a removable General Purpose/Rip-Off Medic Pouch, a design that WAS really have nailed over time. The ASSAULTER panel also comes with an internal hydration or bolt cutter pocket. Last but not least is the new UNIVERSAL PISTOL HOLSTER (UPH) and I have to say that this is a genuinely clever design

Warrior Assault Systems I’ve been a fan of WAS for some considerable time and my original DCS has already given great service over a considerable period of time. Whatever you may need in terms of high quality tactical nylon at affordable prices you’ll ﬁnd it at www. warriorassaultsystems.com

Military1st Whatever you need in terms of tactical gear, and even more good quality “civvy gear” like cargo pants then the Military1st website is always worth a visit as they have just a vast range on offer. Check them out at www.military1st. co.uk

5:11 Tactical Probably one of the best known of the tactical brands globally 5:11 offer a huge range of gear, clothing, footwear, and accessories. Although their gear is offered by most tactical retailers the UK now has its ﬁrst “full

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spectrum” dealer and you can ﬁnd them at www.tactree. co.uk

Tactical Under Armour Under Armour now offer a superb range of products for the “tactical athlete”; you’ll ﬁnd the Tech T along with the full lineup along with many other great tactical brands at www.top-of-the-range.co.uk

Salomon Forces Best known for their ultra high quality performance footwear Salomon now have speciﬁc tactical models in their “Forces” range, and very good they are too. A few retailers are dabbling in the new lineup but for the Speedcross 3 you can simply visit http://online. edgarbrothers.com

As I draw things to a conclusion this month Series 5 of “Strikeback” is a little over half way through and we are told that this will be the last series ever. Will Scott and Stonebridge live to fight another day or will it be a “Butch and Sundance” exit for them in a hail of lead? Please don’t tell me as I fully intend to buy the Box Set when it comes out and watch the whole thing back to back; it’s a guilty pleasure to sit with the fire roaring, beer in hand and watch the pair go through their shtick in exotic areas of the world. Whatever the outcome, “Strikeback” has given five years’ worth of unadulterated viewing pleasure and I for one will undoubtedly watch the DVDs time and again. The series has most definitely put the “cool” into “tacticool”, explored contentious issues, empowered the role of women in tactical situations and just given a lot of good old fashioned fun. I look forward to one day seeing the cast reassembled, for the guys to be given one more mission and for Scott to utter in his inimitable style “F##K ME!!!”

HUEYS Tactical

Redwolf UK

If you’re looking for an A-TACS ballcap then visit www.hueys. co.uk as they have both FG and AU, along with numerous other patterns in their UR OPS Tactical range.

For anything airsoft related, and I do mean anything, then do visit the Redwolf UK website. I had the pleasure of recently visiting their shop in Gloucester and it’s like a treasure trove of all things tactical. My thanks to them especially for the loan of their “Strikeback” custom Ares Vz58 which appears in the article. Visit them at http:// uk.redwolfairsoft.com

Tactical Kit Tactical Kit offer another superb range of gear from some of the ﬁnest tactical brands globally; my Oakley SI gloves came from them a good few years ago now, but TK still stock them. Check everything out at www. tactical-kit.co.uk

VIPER If you want a cheaper alternative for the nylon gear then head to VIPER. Tto keep up to date with the new VIPER tactical products as they become available please visit www.viperkit. co.uk. You’ll also be able to ﬁnd full stockist details there too. You can also follow VIPER TACTICAL via their Facebook and Instagram pages which are regularly updated.

Action Sport Games Thanks also to my friends at Action Sport Games who kindly provided the CZ Scorpion EVO, the B&T Suppressor and the HFG. ASG have a great lineup of fully licenced airsoft products and a visit to www. actionsportgames.com will let you view their entire range along with providing UK stockist details

These shorts (8,5’’ inseam) are based on our Outdoor Tactical Pants® design. Feature new, highly stretchable fabric that performs very well in outdoor activities.

SKIRMISHING IN HOT WEATHER WITH SUMMER FINALLY UPON US AND SOME OF THE HOTTEST DAYS ON RECORD LAST MONTH, SURVIVAL EXPERT AND AVID AIRSOFTER, PAUL YELLAND, LOOKS AT HOW WE CAN STAY SAFE WHEN PLAYING IN HIGH TEMPERATURES. AS THE YEAR HEADS INTO the summer months, skirmishing can seem even more appealing. The warmth of summer means that gas operated weapons will function well and the overall “feel good factor” is boosted when you are basking in the rays of the sun - but skirmishing in hot weather can also bring problems associated with your health. Heat related medical conditions are a real risk for airsofters. Skirmishing can be physically demanding at any time of the year, whether in an urban environment or a rural setting. Many scenarios require a considerable amount of running around over varied terrain and through different building layouts. Players will do all of this whilst wearing some form of load carrying system, such as plate carriers or assault vests, which can contribute to the problem of overheating. So, my aim here is to make people more aware about heat related medical conditions, how to recognise the symptoms and what treatment to give a “heat casualty”.

ABOUT THE BODY The normal temperature of the human body can range between 36 and 37°C. Physical exertion, especially in hot environments can cause the body temperature to increase above the normal parameters. This is when our bodies will start to sweat in an attempt to cool down. When we sweat, our bodies also lose salts, so if we get too hot and the lost ﬂuids and salts are not replaced, then this can cause serious illness.

DEHYDRATION

Hydrate before, during and after physical exercise

September 2015

A person should ideally drink at least two litres of water a day. When exercising, this fluid demand will increase so it is really important to stay hydrated during a skirmish. Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluids then what is being replaced. You can start to become dehydrated without realising it, therefore try to drink regularly – a little and often is best. If you don’t replace the fluids which are being lost through exertion, you will start to feel unwell. Dehydration has a nasty habit of creeping up on the unwary and if left untreated it can lead to collapse. Therefore, make sure that you are carrying adequate amounts of water during a game. A good method of finding out how hydrated you are, can be by noting the colour of your urine. Clear or light, straw coloured urine means that you are well hydrated at that time. Darker yellow, orange and brown coloured urine indicates that your body is dehydrated and you need to drink. Water and juice should be the preferred choice, whilst avoiding drinks that contain caffeine such as tea and coffee as these can dehydrate you further. Although unlikely to be

consumed at an airsoft site (but perhaps afterwards), alcohol can also worsen dehydration.

DEHYDRATION – THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS • • • • • • • • • • •

Thirst/dry mouth Headache Dizziness Weakness Nausea/vomiting Dark coloured urine Dry cracked lips Muscle cramps Dry (tenting) skin Confusion Collapse

DEHYDRATION – TREATMENT Early recognition of dehydration is important to prevent more serious problems from developing. • • • •

Get the casualty into shade and encourage them to rest. Remove load carrying equipment and loosen tight clothing. Get them to drink water until they start to feel better. If the casualty deteriorates, get help.

HEAT EXHAUSTION Being in a hot environment for prolonged periods of time whilst undertaking physical exercise can lead to heat exhaustion. This condition develops when the body gets too hot and loses ﬂuids and salts through sweating. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are closely linked together, so ﬂuid replacement is an important part of the treatment process for both illnesses. I have been unfortunate enough to have suffered from this, so I can personally vouch that it can make you feel pretty rotten.

PREVENTION Prevention is better than cure, so take steps to minimise the risk of developing heat exhaustion. Make sure that you are well hydrated before the start of the skirmish and continue to drink regularly during and after the event. Wear a hat when in the sun and make sure that your clothing is loose ﬁtting and appropriate for the climate (don’t wear a softie jacket when running around in 25°C heat). Try to minimise the amount of kit that you are 25°C is hot enough to carrying around with you. Rest cause heat illnesses

Survival SKIRMISHING IN HOT WEATHER

when you can, preferably in a shady place. Wear a scrim scarf or a shemagh which has been soaked in cold water around your neck. If you start to feel unwell, stop, ﬁnd shade, drink and rest.

HEAT EXHAUSTION – SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS • • • • • • • • •

Pale skin Sweating Headache Nausea Cramps Dizziness Weakness Feeling faint Weak pulse

HEAT EXHAUSTION – TREATMENT • • • • • •

Get into a cool place Remove outer clothing and kit Drink water (mixed with rehydration salts if possible) Lay down and rest Raise the legs If the patient deteriorates, get help

Oral rehydration salts

HEAT STROKE This is the most serious of all the heat related conditions and it can be life threatening. Heat stroke happens when the body is no longer able to regulate its own temperature, resulting in overheating. The onset of heat stroke can be rapid and follows dehydration and heat exhaustion, so swift recognition of the condition and subsequent intervention is vital. The prevention of heat stroke is the same as for dehydration and heat exhaustion which includes staying hydrated.

HEAT STROKE – TREATMENT • • • • •

Dial 999 for an ambulance Find a cool place Remove clothing Sit or lie down keeping head and shoulders raised Wrap a cold wet sheet around the casualty, or sponge them down with cold water • When the body temperature reduces to 38°C replace the wet sheet with a dry one • Repeat the cooling process if the casualty’s temperature starts to rise again • If the casualty becomes unconscious, assess their airway, breathing and be prepared to resuscitate if necessary. If they are unconscious but breathing, place them into the recovery position When I skirmish, especially in the hot weather, I am now really conscious of the need to drink enough water. This is because on one occasion a few summers ago, I was attending my local site – MIA at Morwenstow near Bude. This site is huge and has an excellent wooded valley to ﬁght in, so the going can get tough. I had become so taken in by the game scenario that I just pushed on regardless of the niggling headache that I had been developing. Soaked in sweat and with the sun pounding down on me, I started to feel faint and nauseated but I still chose to ignore the symptoms, thinking that I would be okay. At the end of the game as I walked up the steep hillside heading back towards the safe room, I was at a stage of near collapse with my legs now feeling like jelly. I knew what was wrong with me – I was dehydrated and had the onset of heat exhaustion. I had been drinking water during the game but it had not been enough. Somehow, I made it back to the building and got into the shade. After taking off my belt kit and outer clothing, I started to drink some water which I had added oral rehydration salts to. After resting for an hour and forcing myself to drink, I began to feel better, so I was fortunate – this time. You might have noticed that each of the conditions which I have mentioned are all similar in presentation, so it may not be obvious which heat illness the casualty is developing. Dehydration leads to heat exhaustion, which leads to heat stroke which can lead to death. It can all happen very quickly but what you must remember is that the principles behind each treatment are the same – shade/cool, replace ﬂuids, rest and seek medical help. Look after each other and keep an eye out for anyone who is physically struggling and looks unwell. Further information about heat illnesses can be found on the NHS website www.nhs.uk.

Remember, in an emergency – dial 999.

HEAT STROKE – SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS • • • • • • • •

High temperature > 40°C Headache Nausea Dizziness Confusion Flushed Skin No sweating Unconsciousness

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Snapshot XCORTECH X3500

XCORTECH X3500 CHRONOGRAPH AS A PLAYER WHO REGULARLY TESTS AIRSOFT REPLICAS AND BUILDS SOME PRETTY INTERESTING CUSTOM JOBS, JERRY NOONE BRINGS US HIS OVERVIEW OF THE INNOVATIVE NEW XCORTECH X3500 CHRONOGRAPH IF YOU ARE BUILDING OR UPGRADING your own RIFs then one piece of kit is absolutely vital to have in your gear box and that’s your own chronograph. Whether you are looking to increase power or rate of fire, or simply want to make certain that your work sits within site limits, then the good old “chrono” is completely invaluable! Over the years I’ve had various models and most have been pretty rudimentary items. Some of them have had multiple functions but the new X3500 model from XCORTECH takes this to a whole new level. This “next generation” chronograph offers the same reliability and accuracy XCORTECH have become known for; if you’ve ever used their X3200 then you’ll know what I mean as this older model is one you’ll often find at your local airsoft site and has been thoroughly tried and tested. The X3500 has a host of added features to improve user friendliness and convenience. It provides an easy to use, high accuracy, wide shot area to quickly and conveniently test your RIF. Unique to the X3500 chronograph is the addition of a pivoting, removable wireless screen that can be relocated or rail mounted onto standard Picatinny rails. This allows the LCD screen to be conveniently placed where it can be easily read but kept out of the way of the muzzle. Other features include built in shot memory, external power input, multi-screen information and an auto rotating screen. The X3500 accurately measures muzzle velocity from 90 fps to 1200+ fps (30 m/s to 400+ m/s) and also calculates muzzle kinetic energy from 0.01 to 999 joule; R.O.F. range is from 100 to 6000 RPM. It features a high quality DOT Matrix backlit LCD display that is removable and benefits from a wireless connection to the main unit so you can set this up remotely. The display screen information rotates automatically so that you can mount the LCD screen in various configurations. On the base of the main unit is a screw for standard camera/camcorder tripods. Although the X3500 runs on batteries it also has an external micro-USB power input for extended use. The shooting tube is quite sizeable at 38mm but this just makes it easier to line up your test RIF. There is a high density IR detector for fired projectiles, six memory options for saving various ammo weight and calibres and a shot memory log of velocity and rate of fire. All the functions are easily accessed by simply scrolling through the on-screen menu. Weighing in at just 332g (including batteries) and measuring 84.5mm x 59mm x 31mm for the remote unit and 108mm x 87mm x 66mm for the main unit, the X3500 is compact and easy to transport in a utility pouch. On the go it’s powered by 2 AA Batteries (main) and 2 AAA Batteries (remote) which are easy to find; no weird, hard to source pill batteries here! The XCORTECH X3500 Chrongraph is well priced with an RRP of £84.95; in fact in my opinion given the sheer host of features it is extremely good value for money! In use it’s quick to register and calculate everything you need when you’re setting up a new or upgraded RIF and the screen menu

is straightforward and intuitive to master. There is an English instruction manual included but this is fairly basic; luckily the X3500 is easy to work out with a little trial and error. Overall I’m very impressed by the X3500 and if you’re in the market for your own chrono then I would give this model some very serious consideration! For more information please visit www.hwairsoft.com or drop them a line at sales@hwairsoft.co.uk

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WIN

VIPER KIT YOUR CHOICEitioOF £300 WORTH OF n sponsored by Viper t in our fabulous compet See page 99 to take par

VIPER KIT - LAZER CUT LOOKING FOR SOMETHING RIGHT UP TO THE MINUTE FOR TACTICAL GEAR? JERRY NOONE TAKES A LOOK AT THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE COMPREHENSIVE LINE OF KIT FROM VIPER

IT’S ALL TOO EASY TO look at numerous “gucci” tactical brands out there and if money is no object, then you can have all the “tactical nylon” gear that your heart desires. Most of us, however, approach our airsoft with a definite budget in hand so it’s really great when you can access well designed and useful kit without bankrupting yourself! It’s even better when that gear follows all the very latest trends and is completely up to the minute in terms of materials and design. Regular readers will know that I’ve been closely following the roll-out of VIPER’s new range of clothing, equipment and footwear and the last few items that have rolled in for testing have been from their “Lazer” line. The Lightweight Lazer Carrier is designed on a minimal size to optimize mobility and reduce load weight for the user. Rather than the traditional webbing it uses Lazer MOLLE panels to secure and support pouches and other MOLLE gear. It has a large velcro ID panel on the front, quick release buckles and adjustable padded shoulder straps with Velcro retainers for hydration tubes and comms wiring. The front and rear armour compartments are large enough for a medium SAPI plate (you’ll need to find these separately though!) with well-padded, comfortable Ventex internal panels. The whole thing is put together using rock solid 600D Cordura, so it’s not going to wear out any time soon and one size fits most. It costs £39.95 which is super value. The Lazer modular belt at £20.95 acts as a platform for the user to build upon and customise with MOLLE pouches. Made again from 600D Cordura and using the padded Ventex system to enhance comfort for user, there is a full Lazer MOLLE exterior with an interior webbing belt included and four D-Ring

September 2015

KIT VIPER LAZER GEAR

attachment points to ﬁt a harness should you so wish. The belt is nice and solid and comfortable for prolonged periods of use and ﬁts up to 52 inch waist! The Lazer Cut Dropleg platform is just £17.50 and can be used on either leg and customised to the user’s preference. As a fully modular panel, pouches can be added to accommodate mags, torches holsters, and knives. The panel has elasticated webbing straps and quick release buckle fastening. Should you want a full plate carrier then the Lazer Platform is the very thing, as it offers extensive load carrying capacity and customisation options. Made from 600D, this carrier offers removable side panels and fully adjustable shoulder straps which are all made with 15mm foam lining for the user’s comfort. There are also velcro ID panels,

quick release buckles, Ventex internal panels, front and rear armour compartments and internal side utility pouches. The Platform comes with a rear cord-lock fastener and two MOLLE bungee retainers, so for £69.95 you’re getting a LOT for your money. VIPER also offer a number of their rucsac models with the Lazer panels, rather than nylon webbing and they look very smart indeed. If you already own VIPER pouches then you can rest assured that they’ll be completely transferable to any of the Lazer products, so you can easily update your loadout and save a few quid. I already had VIPER MP5 pouches and one of these ﬁtted onto the Lazer Carrier easily. All of the Lazer gear is available in V-Cam, Coyote, Green, and Black so whatever your loadout you’ll be good to go with VIPER. To keep up to date with the new VIPER tactical products as they become available please visit www.viperkit.co.uk. You’ll also be able to ﬁnd full stockist details there too. You can also follow VIPER TACTICAL via their Facebook and Instagram pages which are regularly updated.

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BAD TO THE BONE

BADLANDS AIRSOFT RECENTLY CELEBRATED ITS SECOND BIRTHDAY AND AS THE SUMMER ROLLED IN, THE HAMPSHIRE-BASED SITE MARKED ANOTHER MILESTONE - ITS FIRST 24-HOUR OPERATION. TOM COTTERILL REPORTS ON THE UPS AND DOWNS OF OPERATION BAMM IV. I RALLIED UP WITH A DOZEN or so troops, all set to spring a 1am raid on the enemy harbour area which was perched among the trees at the base of a hill. The night was darker than black – there was no moon to guide us. We had already been in-country for about eight hours and had painstakingly stalked from our encampment at the other end of the 100-acre site, navigating ruts, woodland trails and boggy puddles. Now at our staging point we waited. We were laying in some ferns, just off a well-trodden pathway through the heart of some of Hampshire’s most stunning outdoor scenery. All we could hear around us was the occasional soft metallic click of someone shifting position, with their sling catching on the mount of their rifle and the gentle rustle of the canopy above. The wildlife was asleep. We, however, were well awake. Glancing to my left I could see the shadowy figures of my teammates, rifles up on their shoulders in preparation for the assault. My right hand was clutched firmly on my Tokyo Marui MK 23, left hand twiddling with the smooth, dimpled surface of its suppressor. That’s when we were given the go ahead to attack. In one movement, the team rose from the ferns and entered the woodland opposite, inching our way down the hill towards the enemy’s stronghold.

September 2015

About 30 metres in, the loud crack of a gas blowback pistol echoed through the stillness of the night to our right. The assault was on. Friendlies to the left and right of me opened up with a volley of semi-automatic fire from their rifles, while I dropped to the floor, belly as low as it could go, to return fire. From down the hill more shots rang out, this time from an AEG. Above, by the entrance that we had crept through, another firefight was raging. In the dark, we had stumbled into the enemy harbour area and right into an ambush! Green tracer rounds zipped past my head, thwacking off a tree next to me. I could see movement to my front from a dark patch. I opened fire with my pistol, hearing someone shout “Hit!” I was less than five metres from a well concealed enemy sleeping area. The firefight intensified and then died before building up and dying down again. It must have lasted about 15 to 20 minutes before we eventually retreated from the enemy’s harbour area. The bump had been a success, albeit kicking off sooner than we had hoped. It was the first-ever night-time raid in Badlands’ history. Little did we know that it would not be the last of our night-time actions. We were trekking back to base, for tea and medals and walked into a perfectly planned ambush from the third force

Event BADLANDS AIRSOFT

roaming the site for the weekend’s 24-hour op, Socom Tactical’s team. They had used their night vision optics to pinpoint and wipe out most of our team within seconds before eventually mopping up the rest of us. This was the culmination of all the day’s fighting and was the last skirmish until the next morning. Operation BAMM IV is the fourth instalment of Badlands’ MilSim games, with this one easily being the most gruelling yet. The 30 or so players in attendance were split into two teams, US Navy SEALs and the Colombian militia group, with a third mercenary force whose only mission was to cause chaos and bump bases. The operation saw the SEALs tasked with rescuing a reconnaissance pilot who was shot down after taking sensitive photos of the militia’s missile technology and biological weapons. SEALs were sent in-country to locate the pilot, retrieve his intel, destroy the missiles and weaponry before exfiling - hopefully still in one piece. Likewise, the militia’s goal was to prevent this at all costs and both teams were tasked with trekking in-country to set up a harbour area in a designated location within the site’s unexplored reaches. While building our encampments and conducting security patrols, team leaders on both sides were given intelligence from site owner, Nelly, about the downed pilot’s location. The fight to rescue the pilot was intense, with both sides pushing relentlessly to secure the first objective and score vital points. However, it wasn’t just a fight to a Principal. Not only did the teams have to secure him for 30 minutes but they needed to apply medical treatment for his “broken leg” before escorting him out to safety. After a protracted assault, the SEALs eventually managed to secure the pilot and were forced to beat a hasty retreat with harassing fire from the militia following us for much of the way. The second mission was a quieter affair, with teams given the location of the pilot’s ejector seat and, more importantly, the computer with all the recon images. SEALs once again secured this before the militia was able to get there, earning themselves a quick win. Despite it being the summer solstice, with the shortest night of the year on offer, that didn’t stop it from proving bloody horrible to navigate without using torches. So much so that the militia’s team eventually refused to head out at night, resigning themselves to operating stag points and getting some muchneeded shut eye (when they weren’t under attack, that is). However, with the rising sun dawned a new day and a renewed vigour from both sides, with the Sunday’s operations proving the most brutal and intense. All the squads operated a restricted ammo policy, with assault players, medics and engineers – all with their own “abilities and perks” – running off just 300 rounds and an extra 150 stored in a back pack. While support gunners with LMGs could run up to 600 rounds and have the handy ability of resupplying their squad member’s full ammo once. Medics could revive players with a limited number of adrenaline

syringes, while engineers could deploy mobile respawn points, which could be destroyed, for those forced to bleed out. The SEALs placed an early morning, lacklustre assault on the militia to get things moving. However, it seems we had poked a hornet’s nest with a stick, as the militia countered with the most relentless, one-hour assault of our harbour area. Wave after wave of militia troops were peppering our outer defences with BBs. The shouts of: “Contact left!” and: “Contact right!” pierced the chilly morning air, “FROM DOWN THE HILL MORE interspersed by the crack of short, SHOTS RANG OUT, THIS TIME controlled fire and the loud slap of FROM AN AEG. ABOVE, BY semi-automatic gas rifle shots. The militia were fighting hard to breach THE ENTRANCE THAT WE HAD our HQ and steal the intel. Things CREPT THROUGH, ANOTHER came to a stalemate, with the militia FIREFIGHT WAS RAGING. unable to break our defences but the SEALs unable to push them back any IN THE DARK, WE HAD further. Eventually the militia ran out STUMBLED INTO THE ENEMY of ammo and an uneasy, unofficial truce was called for teams to re-arm HARBOUR AREA AND RIGHT and re-org. INTO AN AMBUSH!” However the rest was shortlived, as the SEALs were tasked with assaulting a strong point close to the militia’s base, in a bid to retrieve the missiles and biological agents. The area we were fighting through is known as “The Scrapyard”. It’s a close, claustrophobic set of tight woodland paths, dense forest with scrap industrial machinery dotted about the area providing the perfect defensive positions. It was a brutal fight, with Socom’s mercenary forces joining the action and eventually siding with the militia. We managed to inch forward, gaining about 100 metres after an hour of close quarters combat. However, with ammo and medic supplies almost exhausted, the SEALs were close to conceding defeat with this mission.

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! W E N

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Event BADLANDS AIRSOFT

base from all sides, leaving us pressed against the fence line of the site, fighting desperately to hold our small piece of land. It was here that the SEALs’ defences and stag points came into play. Our central HQ was dug into the ground, surrounded by a thick clump of brambles and bushes to our front, ponchos, bashers, wooden barricades and fox holes to our left and right and a solid trench system at the rear. Everyone was on full alert manning all the defences, with one main IC back at HQ directing the defences. Militia teams used everything at their disposal, from LMGs and smoke grenades to respawn packs and medic supplies. However, they had a time limit to take our main HQ, which was in the centre of our harbour area. After about an hour they had managed to get within a few metres of our first line of defence, pinning much of our team down. The final five minutes was a desperate struggle to resist being overrun, with the militia side

With less than 400 rounds between the entire squad we decided for one final push. We trekked out from our position and managed to come in from behind the opposing team’s defences, executing a well-timed ambush which managed to inflict heavy casualties. Eventually, however, we became bogged down. I ran out of ammo for my M4 so switched to my 1911 pistol. I got 15 metres away from the enemy trench, where the missiles were being “THE MILITIA SCORED THEIR FIRST WIN OF THE GAME AND WITH THAT THIRST defending, before I was hit. FOR BLOOD, THEY TRACKED US BACK TO OUR HARBOUR AREA WITH THEIR The rest of the team were ALLIES FROM SOCOM TO ROUND OFF THE DAY WITH A FINAL ASSAULT TO TRY either out of ammo or had been shot. The militia scored AND STEAL OUR INTEL, WIPE-OUT THE SEALS AND CLINCH VICTORY.” their first win of the game and with that thirst for blood, they tracked us back to our harbour area with their allies from now using our outer defences against us. However, despite Socom to round off the day with a final assault to try and steal their efforts, they ran out of time and were unable to take our our intel, wipe-out the SEALs and clinch victory. HQ. The battle saw them outnumbering us and surrounding our Twenty-three hours had gone by. All the teams packed up their HQs and trudged back to the safe zone, tired, sore and battered. For the final hour, a small set of fast-paced, pistol games were held to complete the 24-hour stint, for those still with the energy to carry on. Badlands’ next instalment of BAMM will be held in October, where there will be a Hallowe’en twist.

Badlands Airsoft operates throughout the year and is based outside Rowlands Castle, near Havant. Normal game days run from 10am to 4pm-ish, often with no break for lunch. However, food and drink (which is included in the £20 game fee) are served at the end of the day. Badlands is supported by Socom Tactical, which operates a retail base at the site on game days, selling AEGs, pistols, grenades, ammo, gas and plenty of other goodies. For full details, see www.badlandsairsoft.co.uk, search for the site on Facebook or call Nelly on 07534 465589.

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REAL STEEL APPEAL

ON A RECENT TRIP TO CANADA, GADGE COULDN’T RESIST THE LURE OF “REAL-STEEL” SHOOTING, WHICH PROMPTED THE QUESTION: “WHAT IS THE APPEAL OF REAL STEEL SHOOTING AND IS THERE REALLY ANY COMPARISON IN AIRSOFT?” Pictures: Sian Harvey With thanks to Martin Jensen and the Silverdale Shooting Club, Ontario, Canada.

HERE IN THE UK , airsoft skirmishing (or just collecting or plinking) is as close as many of us will ever get to the firearms we see, know and love in movies, games and TV shows. Pretty rigid gun laws make owning even a shotgun for clay pigeon shooting a tricky exercise in paperwork and proving you can safely secure a “real steel” firearm. But in other countries with more relaxed laws owning a firearm is, to many people, as ordinary as owning a car. It’s part of daily life and while some countries like the USA struggle with gun-related crime, others like Canada manage to responsibly own almost as many firearms per head and keep a “gun crime” death toll that’s only marginally higher than Britain’s. But how do our airsoft replicas hold up against the “real steel”? The last ten years have seen AEGs go from plastic RIFs with few special features through a process of evolution that has led us to a hobby that sports licensed replicas with full 68

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metal bodies and recoil or blowback simulators. Some top end gas blowback RIFs even strip and operate almost exactly like their gunpowder-driven cousins. In short, the industry strives to provide the airsofter with a real steel experience but can it ever succeed? It’s a tricky question and I decided to try and find out if I could answer it. For my own part I’m no stranger to firearms. I grew up in the country and shotguns and air rifles were common in my sleepy hometown and after a bit of target shooting at university, a stint in an infantry battalion got me familiar with more “military grade” weaponry, from 9mm pistols to 7.62 GPMGs. After the army I swore I’d never touch a firearm again… I saw no need for them in my life. Paintball and Airsoft were pretty good substitutions until a job working with 16 Air Assault peaked my interest again after a day on their small arms trainers.

Feature THE APPEAL OF REAL STEEL

ARMCHAIR EXPERTS But, all things said and done, I soon forgot about my plans to join a shooting club and settled back into airsoft, the closest I got to a real gun was taking part in the odd blank firing battle (always a bit of a farce, as two “immortal” units of mis-mash axis and allies held a point blank battle over a strategically important post-war Land Rover trailer and took cover behind bales of hay in some field in Kent) and the inevitable “armchair experts” safezone discussion on “what am best gun” overheard at nearly every open day. All this would change however with some quite random events. My wife and I both by sheer chance have about a third of our “blood” family living in Canada, by another sheer coincidence our respective kin live in the same area of Mississauga in Ontario and when we asked if we could visit... Well they all said yes, so that was the start of us planning a lengthy trip to Canada in which our only expenses would be the flights. While posting up our plans on Facebook I was surprised to be messaged by an old colleague Martin. Martin was also a seasoned shooter having been a Sgt in the Danish Army (serving in the Balkans among other hotspots) and had also worked with me at Games Workshop for years, where we’d pretty much run the company’s airsoft team together. Knowing I’d be a short hop from him while “in-country”, Martin offered me a day out at Niagara Falls… and he asked “would I like to have a day on the range with him as well?” You know that resolution about not handling a firearm ever again? Huh... Sod that, I was in! While Niagara was good, you really don’t want to know about that or you’d be reading National Geographic so let’s cut to the chase and talk about rifles. To say my pal is a firearms enthusiast would be an understatement; between he and his wife they probably owned every type of rifle you can legally own in Canada and I asked him if we could take out the most classic designs for a day on the range, so I could see how they shaped up against their airsoft replicas.

With a car packed full of bullet chuckers, a big grin on my face and a worried look on the wife’s, we set off for Silverdale Shooting Club in Hamilton, Ontario, where we were warmly welcomed and given a once-over on the range rules… No going forwards of the shooting stands if a red flag is flying, stick to the targets for your stand, eye pro and ear defenders must be worn, no automatic fire and no “rapid fire” (for non-

“I WAS PROPER EXCITED BY THIS POINT AND TRYING HARD TO REMEMBER THAT THE POINT OF BEING THERE WAS TO GET A FEEL FOR THE DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES THE AIRSOFT AND REAL STEEL VERSIONS HAD BUT, HEY YOU KNOW, I ALSO REALLY WANTED TO JUST PUT SOME LEAD DOWN RANGE!“ members a delay of ﬁve seconds was required between each shot which, as a guest, I had to comply with). After sticking up some “Zombie apocalypse” targets on the riﬂe ranges and some more standard circular targets on the 25 metre pistol range, we were ready to go. I have to admit I was proper excited by this point and trying hard to remember that the point of being there was to get a

CLASSIC FIREARMS AND CLASSIC CALIBRES To avoid taking too many rifles we decided on five or six classics that represented the most common calibres. With a heavy heart I put the tactical M14 back in the cupboard (and while my CYMA M14 is pretty much perfect in the ergonomics it copies, it’s a fraction of the weight of Martin’s M14 – even with its plastic modern furniture - and I could see it being a pig to shoot from a standing stance), as its 7.62 round was pretty close to the .303 his Lee Enfield fired and, out of the two I wanted to shoot the rifle that served in two World Wars! Alongside the No4 Lee Enfield we took a .22 plinking rifle, a heavily modded Soviet SKS (which was as close as I could legally get to a classic AK47 on this day) and a 12 gauge, pump-action, tactical shotgun. As an added bonus Martin had arranged for us to meet some of his buddies and secured the use of a selection of handguns and an M4 carbine to add .45acp, 9mm, .357 magnum and 5.56 to the list of calibres to compare.

left to right: .22 rimﬁre, 7.62 soviet, .303 and 12 gauge shotgun

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“COLOUR ME IMPRESSED (AND SLIGHTLY RED-FACED) AS I NOW HAD TO RETRACT ABOUT 20 YEARS OF SLAGGING OFF THE “LITTLE BLACK GUN”. I WOULD EVEN GO AS FAR AS TO SAY THAT AIRSOFT GAS BLOW BACKS ACCURATELY FEEL LIKE FIRING ONE OF THESE BABIES - JUST WITH LESS LETHAL RESULTS.” feel for the differences and similarities the airsoft and real steel versions had but, hey you know, I also really wanted to just put some lead down range! As I’ve said earlier I’m no stranger to rifle shooting (although I can count the range days I had with 9mm pistols on one hand) and used to be a pretty good shot with an L85a1 or L86LSW but it had been a long time so I opted to get my “eye in” with a scoped .22 semi-automatic target rifle. As I expected, the recoil was almost non-existent and I can honestly say I’ve had more “kerchunk” in the shoulder off decent airsoft gas blow backs and even electric recoil systems but then again, even the best airsoft recoil system won’t punch a hole in the target at 50 metres. I had no “real world” equivalent to compare the ergonomics with but so far I was thinking that Tokyo Marui and the like were doing an OK job with the recoil simulation. With my “shooter” head fully screwed on I moved onto the tactical Remington 887 12gauge shotgun. Once again the airsoft guys pretty much had “feel-a-like” nailed. This plastic/ nylon bodied room clearer felt like a toy gun in my hands but again the business end told another story. While the recoil was light, I was clearly firing something capable of making a mess of things and worthy of respect. I was, however, still not experiencing anything “uncontrollable” or dangerously powerful but, as they say, give it time...

A LACK OF “ROCK AND ROLL” Totally immersed and with my mind focussed on keeping my grouping tight it was time to move up a notch in the riﬂe category and shoot the loaned M4. As mentioned, I had to space out my shots and Canadian law only allowed ﬁve rounds in the mag at a time so I was unable to get the feel of every airsofter’s favourite – rock and roll full auto – but I was still in for a surprising shoot. You see I’ve always had a downer on the M16/M4 platform. It’s boringly common on the airsoft site and as a real world 70

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shooter the early M16s and M4s had as many, if not more, problems than the initial Sa80 series; they just had a better press agent (and probably more money going into the hands of politicians) to cover its failings. To say I was not a fan was an understatement. I’ve also felt even the most accurate AEGs and RIFs based on the armalite to be a poor shoot but all this was to change in an instant. I put Don’s M4 into the shoulder, sighted and squeezed the trigger, expecting the recoil I was used to from an Sa80 (which is very minimal) but was amazed to find the M4 provided almost no noticeable recoil. It may have been underpowered ammo (the club reload their own rounds and cast their own bullets) but I doubt it as everything cycled smoothly. I was simply firing a beautiful rifle that provided excellent results when I checked the targets later. Colour me impressed (and slightly red-faced) as I now had to retract about 20 years of slagging off the “little black gun”. I would even go as far as to say that airsoft gas blow backs accurately feel like firing one of these babies - just with less lethal results.

THE SOVIET BEAST With the lightweight stuff over it was time to move onto the “big calibres”. Opting to start on the modified SKS with its ten round banana mag, pistol grip and tactical foregrip I felt I was probably pretty close to getting the feel of an AK (my favourite AEG) and after loading it with a five round stripper clip, it was time to put some bad news in the direction of the zombies! The trigger pull was clean but not as smooth as the M4 and as the firing pin slammed forwards I felt like someone had taken a playful punch at my shoulder, as 7.62 Soviet ammo is a beast. Correcting my aim (the shots were falling high and to the right, which is a common on AKs and SKSs firing this round), I continued to smoothly dispatch zombies with aimed shots until the RO warned me to slow down as, in my excitement, I’d totally forgotten the five second rule and was snapping shots off one after the other. The M4 might well have been smooth but the SKS, well it LITERALLY rocked as each successive shot made that playful little punch to the shoulder feel a little more powerful each time. I’d hate to know what firing an AK47 or AKM from the shoulder feels like on full auto but I’d put money on it being painful and hard to control. I rounded off the rifle shoot with a good old blat on the Lee Enfield No4, which had been “sporterised” by removing much of the woodwork around the end of the barrel and, in essence, was very similar to the Cold War British Army L42 sniper rifle; a

Feature THE APPEAL OF REAL STEEL

similarity re-enforced by the added scope rail that made normal loading with stripper clips impossible and required me to remove the box magazine and hand load the rounds.

WEAPONS OF WWII I’m no stranger to the Lee Enfield, so I sort of knew what to expect. With the exception of the Remington, the other weapons had merely required me to chamber the first round before firing pleasingly on semi-automatic but there is something incredibly satisfying about a bolt-action rifle. Working the bolt smoothly allows you to demonstrate your skill and gives you time to consider each shot. Whereas my comrade’s No4 rifle felt and moved exactly like my deac and loaned blank firers, it was a world away from my airsoft No4. While the real steel model has a relatively short pull on the bolt to extract the round and chamber another, the airsoft model has a terrific distance to travel and a hefty pull to cock its 500 FPS spring – the Airsoft one doesn’t kick like a mule either! Now time to put some pistol work in. As I’ve mentioned, I’m not the greatest shot with a pistol, being good requires regular practice and barring digital target, compressed gasbased “small arms trainers”, I’ve spent less than five hours on a Browning Hi-power with the army. Starting off at the deep end, the Range Officer loaned me his .45ACP 1911 to try out. I’ve had Airsoft 1911s and never got on with them to be honest but the hefty weight of the real deal won me over instantly. As many of the drills are the same, I was soon comfortably loading and cocking this beast and was amazed when I pulled the trigger. I expected recoil but not THAT much! I’ll never be able to take those movies where someone unloads the entire mag in seconds and hits every target seriously again! Nothing I’d ever fired had kicked like this and while I managed to control it with slow measured shots it was a bit of an effort. I was even more demoralised when my wife, who has never shot a real firearm in her life had a go and got a solid centre target hit at 25m! Sticking with the movie classics I put a few cylinders of ammo down range with a .357 magnum and again found it a kicker but slightly more controllable. It probably goes without saying that my Tanaka gas revolver had nothing in common with this man-stopper. I felt by this time that I’d set airsoft pistols an impossible challenge to overcome and opted to shoot something less hardcore before we went home; the venerable and reliable Berretta 92f – well loved by airsofters and armies worldwide. Here, I found myself at home, it felt a lot like the Brownings I’d shot in my youth and even to a degree had some commonality with the better gas blow back pistols I’ve had over the years for airsoft.

SHOOTING SAFETY With a heavy heart and the sun setting on the ranges at Silverdale it was time to head home. While the day was great fun, it did re-enforce the absolute need for total safety around firearms and made me realise that even the “safest” player often treats their AEG or GBB in ways that would have a real steel shooter diving for cover. I also felt that in the last 15 years Airsoft manufacturers had really come a long way, moving from clearly plastic-feeling toys to pretty good replicas of the real thing that, in some cases, only differed in the end result downrange – replicating ergonomics, recoil and feel (if not sound) pretty damn well. As I headed back to my aunt’s on the shores of Lake Ontario, I thanked Martin and his club for a fantastic day’s shooting. My opinion though is still divided on whether we should have the same gun laws here in the UK. If we had the common sense of the Canadians and raised with respect for firearms and a hunting and target shooting culture we’d be fine but on the other hand, I’d hate to see a UK, obsessed with Hollywood gun battles, allow these potentially dangerous tools an easier route into the wrong hands. In the UK we have not had a culture of firearm ownership for a very long time and I can’t help but feel we might have left it too late to introduce one now…

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

JD AIRSOFT - REVISITED

KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK TAKES A TRIP TO A SHOP SHE HAS USED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST, TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON ONE OF THE UK’S MOST WELL-KNOWN AIRSOFT RETAILERS

THIS WEEK I TOOK A TRIP to JD Airsoft, in Cannock, which is the UK’s largest Airsoft retail Superstore and is around an hour’s drive from my home town in Derbyshire. JD Airsoft is easily accessible from the A34 or the M6/M6 Toll and is situated amongst the industrial units of Virage Park on Green Lane. It is well signposted and has a total unit space of 4,500 square metres so it’s hard to miss! There is ample free parking for customers located just outside the front door so there isn’t far to walk (which is always a bonus). They are open 7 days a week and even stay open late on Thursdays until 8pm. The company itself has been running for 7 years and opened the doors to their new premises at Virage Park in early May 2012. Since then they have grown and diversified their product and services line, so I thought it would be worth revisiting them to find out what’s new! The first thing to mention, which set a good precedent for me (as it impressed me before even entering the shop) was that to enter, you must press a button on the door and the staff press the door release on the other side, which I haven’t encountered at any other Airsoft store I have visited. I really like this feature as it shows the company are really on top of their store security, which is so vital with our current political climate. The showroom is clean, well presented and organised, so it is easy to navigate if you know exactly what you want but I can also guarantee, you will always leave with more after browsing because of their extensive range! As JD Airsoft have a Showroom space of 3,000 square feet, the range of products they stock is quite substantial! You can 72

September 2015

Inside Airsoft JD AIRSOFT – REVISITED

pick up everything you need for a day’s skirmishing and more, ranging from tactical clothing/boots to BBs and gas, accessories and even a new pistol or AEG. JD Airsoft only stock products that are made from quality materials, are reliable and that have a sound warranty so the customer can feel confident in their purchase. Their aftersales care and returns system is excellent as they work closely with brands and their suppliers to ensure the customer gets the best experience possible. They stock an array of well-known brands including ASG, WE, ICS, Nuprol, Cyma, Classic Army, KWA, Helikon, 5.11 Tactical and the brand everyone in the UK airsoft scene is talking about: Krytac. When I entered the store I was immediately greeted by Amanda and Dan from the sales team who always make me feel really welcome when I visit. The shop is managed by Phillip ‘Phil’ Corns who has 15 years’ experience in the Airsoft Industry and is a regular player at sites in and around Staffordshire. He also runs “Hilton Park”, which is a 24 acre Woodland site located on Hilton Lane in Wolverhampton – a site I have yet to try but have heard nothing but positive reviews about. Speaking to Phil, you will discover he is chatty, animated and full of laughs. You can tell how passionate about Airsoft he is, which fills me with confidence for JD. The shop has 5 other experienced members of staff including their technicians who perform all repairs, custom work, servicing and upgrades inhouse. Phil himself is also a tech engineer and was trained by Classic Army. He is also the artist behind the laser engraving service they offer in store, which has been performed on my G&G Black Rose, WE Glock 18C and Multishot TRMR – the quality of the engraving is fantastic and was all done whilst I chatted away to the staff over a cup of tea! The staff are all experts in their fields, knowledgeable and always happy to help with anything from kit advice to improving your gun’s performance. They are friendly, approachable and there is always a relaxed atmosphere in store which makes for a positive shopping experience. The showroom is also equipped with a hot drinks machine, a sofa and a customer toilet as well which is a lovely touch. In store JD have a state of the art dual firing range, with interactive shooting simulation so you can try any new RIF before you buy. The shooting range JD have is definitely something to be admired! So far as I know, it is the only one of its kind in the UK. It features targets on an interactive screen

“I HAVE BEEN TO A FAIR FEW AIRSOFT SHOPS IN THE TIME I’VE BEEN AIRSOFTING, SOME VERY GOOD AND SOME NOT SO GOOD AND JD AIRSOFT IS DEFINITELY THE TOP OF THE BUNCH FOR ME PERSONALLY.”

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

Inside Airsoft JD AIRSOFT – REVISITED

so as soon as a BB hits the board, a red marker is displayed to show the shooter where the hit landed - but that’s not all, the system not only displays hits but is capable of displaying different targets at various distances and it can make them move/spin for an added challenge. I spent half an hour with Dan trying out the ARES Amoeba Honey Badger in the range and having a blast! The interactive screen offers the shooter a real challenge and is a lot of fun! With the diversification of the airsoft market we have seen the rise of “blank firing grenades” (aka “BFGs”) and JD Airsoft are definitely leading the pack. They are the exclusive stockists of the Concept Tactical TRMR (Tactical Reloadable Maritime Ready device), a multipurpose munitions delivery system that was designed for maritime use. It makes use of a “twist to arm” inertia recoil firing system, making it one of the safest and fastest reloadable impact grenade on the market right now. There are currently 3 versions; the original TRMR, the multishot base TRMR (which holds 3 bangs) and the newest X4 TRMR, which is capable of deploying .209s, 8mm, Contact 9mm, 12 Gauge/Mag Flash rounds for airsoft use all Details: in one. The Mag Flash rounds are new to the Airsoft market and have been extensively tested for safety JD Airsoft and noise pollution regulations and they pack a serious Unit 5 Virage Park punch! Deploying a Flash Mag round into a pitch black Green Lane room of enemy players that aren’t expecting it is epic. Walsall Road The TRMRs are available in a plethora of colours Cannock to suit from Black, pink to even Praetorian Purple Staffordshire and prices start at £79.99 for the original and X4 WS11 0NH base TRMR and go up to £94.99 for the Multishot. Opening hours: Mon, One of the key features to the TRMR is that it costs Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat less than 7p per bang after the initial outlay cost of 9am–5pm, Thurs the grenade – much cheaper than any disposable 9–8pm, Sun 10am–4pm pyro! The TRMRs success is down to its simplicity and Free parking located durability, they have no pins or levers to lose or break, outside the store. the materials used in their construction mean that they will withstand the test of time. They are incredibly easy www.jdairsoft.net to reload – there is no need for any extra loading tools, www.jdbay.net just unscrew, empty, reload, twist and you’re ready to sales@jdairsoft.net go – perfect for clearing corridors upon corridors of 0845 600 5144 rooms in CQB, because of this they are my personal choice for a reusable impact grenade. I will however 74

September 2015

say that you are limited as to where you can use them, because of the materials they are made of and the weight of them, you should always check with the site staff if there are any restrictions as to where they can/can’t be deployed and what size blanks you are allowed to use on site, as this will vary from site to site. I hear from a “little bird” at JD that Concept Tactical have a few more projects in the works at the moment which will be announced at the end of this year so watch this space, we will be seeing a lot from them in the near future! Earlier this year JD Airsoft launched the much anticipated JDBay! Which is Airsoft’s answer to eBay. It is a standalone website that, like eBay, has product listings which users can bid on. If you already have a JD Airsoft website account, you can log straight on and start bidding or create an account. The products on the website vary from brand new stock and ex-display products to refurbished products. It’s the perfect place to pick up a bargain. It is set out in an online auction style so it is incredibly easy to use and all the products listed are dispatched from their store in Cannock. Everything you need to know about your potential new gear is stated in the description box – so make sure you give it a thorough read before bidding! I have been to a fair few Airsoft shops in the time I’ve been Airsofting, some very good and some not so good and JD Airsoft is deﬁnitely the top of the bunch for me personally. Their central location makes the store easy to reach for a large proportion of the UK’s Airsofters and any potential customers that are out of reach, can get most of the items they stock in store through their website, or alternatively you can always give them a call. The range of products they stock is fantastic and their aftersales care and support is second to none, so never be afraid to pop in with any queries or dilemmas you have – you will always be greeted by a smiling face behind the counter. The staff are my favourite element to the store, as they are a great bunch of people who always make you feel welcome. They are always happy to help and are knowledgeable, offering sound advice to their customers on a range of subjects. It is clear from watching them interact with their customers in store that they are passionate about Airsoft. All these elements make the store a great place to shop, I would recommend this store to both new and seasoned Airsofters.

IRISH MILITARY WAR MUSEUM NIGE REPORTS FROM AN EVENT THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN BUT WHERE HE FOUND HIMSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME WONDERFUL LIVING HISTORY

THE CLOSER WE GOT TO THE EVENT, the more questions ran through my head… “Why had I not seen any signs, banners or directions?” “Where are all the cars and people?” “Surely we can’t be the only ones here?” After all, I had spoken to one of the organisers of “Warzone Alpha” just a couple of days before we ﬂew to Dublin and he was very enthusiastic about how many people would be here. Advertised as “Ireland’s Ultimate Family Themed Fun Weekend”, I’d brought my wife and daughter across to enjoy the delights of ﬁve different entertainment zones, although my primary reason for attending was the airsoft zone run by Hell Valley Airsoft. I was keen to see how airsoft is being accepted in Ireland and meet some of the people and companies pushing the sport forward. My daughter was keen to try the many Celtic Adventures on offer, including a 20 foot climbing wall, zorbing and something called “tag archery”. Anyway, long story short, as we pulled into the car park of the venue, which was the Irish Military War Museum, it was plainly obvious that we had either got the date wrong, or there was no event – unfortunately, it turned out to be the latter! I wandered into the main museum building and gently 76

September 2015

Feature IRISH MILITARY WAR MUSEUM

enquired as to the whereabouts of “the airsoft event”, which was met with raised eyebrows, wry smiles and comments along the lines of “Oh no, another one…!” However, having explained who I was and why I was there, I was introduced to William Sullivan, the Founder and Director of the museum and that’s when things took a turn from not-so-good, to the best that they could have been! It transpired that the “gentleman” who had been organising the event had been “on the missing list” for about six weeks along, it was claimed, with any money that had been raised (I am still at a loss to see how the partner I spoke to a couple of days previously could say everything was proceeding as planned but that is a different matter). However, as a good friend often says “we are where we are” and so we decided to make the most of it and have a good look round the museum while we were there – and all I can say is that I am very, very glad that we did as this place is an absolute gem of a museum!

The Irish Military War Museum is the result of William Sullivan’s passion for collecting military memorabilia, a passion he has held since he was eight years old and, as he put it himself, he is a few years older than that now – but no less passionate! The museum currently houses about a third of William’s overall collection and is designed to be as “hands-on” as possible, so don’t be surprised to be handed an AK47, or an M16 or SVT to play with, or be invited to operate a German 88 flak/anti-tank gun. Stepping into the museum is like walking into a veritable goldmine of military history and as you enter, you find yourself in the trenches of WW1, complete with a mock Mk1 tank rolling across above you. Following the walkway takes you past a whole range of exhibits and cabinet after cabinet full of everything you could possibly imagine that relates to the subject: Cap badges, patches, buttons, weapons, mortars, rounds, gas masks, medals, uniforms, vehicles… In one case there is even a couple of bent, rusted rifles that William found in a field on one of his many, many trips to France looking for

“WE DECIDED TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT AND HAVE A GOOD LOOK ROUND THE MUSEUM WHILE WE WERE HERE – AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I AM VERY, VERY GLAD THAT WE DID AS THIS PLACE IS AN ABSOLUTE GEM OF A MUSEUM!” items to bring back. Talking to him later, I asked him about how he managed to ﬁnd so many objects, some of which I had not seen in any other museum. He told me that it was very much a case of knowing the right people and being in the right place at the right time but, above all, it was about being sympathetic to what the artefacts related to and gaining the trust of those that lead him to them, many of whom were local farmers who are still ploughing up reminders of the horror 100 years ago even now. However, he also mentioned the many, many “scavengers” that are only interested in getting their hands on

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Feature IRISH MILITARY WAR MUSEUM

anything they can sell; these people get short shrift and even less help from the locals. William’s vehicle collection is still growing and his intention is to make the IMWM “one of the finest collections of WW2 vehicles assembled in Ireland” and I have absolutely no doubt that he will fulfil that ambition. The Staff at the museum aren’t there just to take your entry fee and answer questions, they are “part” of the museum and wear authentic uniforms from one of the many time periods represented in the museum. On the day we visited, being June 6th, all were wearing US uniforms and looked ready to land on Omaha yet other days they could be attired as WW1 Russian troops, or Brits from the North African Campaign, or whatever. They are also very keen to provide education to children from local schools, or even further afield and have a resident historian who is more than happy to spend the time explaining to them the events, in a way that is understandable. This can be done either in the museum itself or upstairs in the purpose-

built conference room they have there. For slightly older “children” there is also the opportunity to learn how to drive an FV432 or play airsoft on their own site, the aforementioned Hell Valley Airsoft as well as archery, ziplines, zorbing and laser clay shooting. To be honest, I was really miffed when we arrived to ﬁnd that Warzone Alpha had been cancelled but I was really very happy to have had the opportunity to meet William and his team and have a good look around his incredible (and still growing) collection. If you ever ﬁnd yourself near Dublin, I highly recommend that you take time out and go visit the Irish Military War Museum, the welcome is warm and I promise you will not be disappointed.

The Irish Military War Museum is at Starinagh, Collon, County Meath, can be contacted via their website www.imwm.ie and is open 10am – 5pm Tuesday to Sunday. Hell Valley Airsoft can be contacted via their website, www.hellvalleyairsoft.com or Facebook page, facebook.com/hellvalleyairsoft

September 2015

TACTICAL CARBINE: CONFIGURATION

PRO-TACT TRAINING’S ANDY NIGHTINGALE LOOKS BACK AT THE HISTORY OF THE CARBINE AND GIVES US SOME POINTERS ON HOW WE CAN EASILY UPGRADE OUR AIRSOFT VERSIONS. BY FAR THE MOST COMMON WEAPONS system used today in airsoft is the rifle, mostly the carbine. The carbine was developed by the cavalry for use on horseback during the early transition of firearms use by horse mounted soldiers. Problems arose when the rider needed to draw the rifle from the scabbard that carried the rifle when attached to the horse, as the rifle was just too long to draw and bring to bear. The carbine, a shortened barrel version of the rifle, was soon developed so that the rider had less barrel length to remove from the scabbard. Although the carbine suffered somewhat in muzzle velocity and accuracy, in comparison to its longer brother, the trade-off was acceptable and the carbine soon found favour with militia groups and for use in close quarters battle. Probably its biggest asset was its versatility in the cramped confines of the jungle where it proved to be very successful. Now you can pretty much see carbines used by all military and law enforcement officers all around the world. Most airsoft rifles and carbines come pretty much as

September 2015

standard when purchased and though by all means workable, most of us want that little bit “extra” from our new toy. It may be power, accuracy, weight, or just something to bolt onto those rails that just cry out for accessories. So in this article I want to look at how we can change your bog-standard carbine into a “tactical carbine”.

UPGRADES We all love upgraded kit none more so than on (and in) our weapons. The first thing most Airsofters do is to increase the power, thus increasing the distance or reach of the weapon. Keep in mind however that you will have to keep the rifle site legal if you want to skirmish with it. If it is just for target and training purposes (not shooting at people) then go for whatever you can get out of it (legally). If you are not competent with upgrading internal components then have a qualified airsoft gun smith carry out the work for you. Many airsoft retailers can offer you this service.

skills TACTICAL CARBINE

SLINGS I have seen many people skirmish without a sling attached to the rifle and as I have said before, a rifle without a sling is like a rifle without a stock. The sling is a part of the rifle and should be attached at all times. Picture the scene if you will… You’re scrambling up a steep embankment or over loose ground and you need two hands to steady yourself for safety, how are you going to carry your weapon? The sling is, if you will, an extra pair of hands. When choosing a sling make sure it can do the job you want it to do. It should not interfere with any other piece of equipment you are carrying, nor should it interfere with any part of the rifle. A good resting place for the rifle when it is slung is in the centre of the body. This position will give you easy access to either side of your body and any secondary weapon and spare ammunition you may be carrying. However some airsoft skirmishers like to wear combat rigs that have many pouches in the front of the body. In this case the rifle should fall to the weak side of the body when slung. Modifying the sling and the attachments on the rifle is no bad thing so long as it does what it is intended to do safely and efficiently. With the rifle hanging free it is important to be aware of your muzzle direction at all times. A classic example arose when a friend of mine had changed from a 3 point sling to a V sling that hung the rifle down the centre of his body. No problems with that, apart from he didn’t realise that the rifle was hanging too low and when he went into a kneeling position whilst using his secondary weapon, the muzzle of the rifle dug into the ground and the butt slammed into his jaw knocking out his two front teeth! You have been warned…

LIGHTS AND LASERS White lights or torches and lasers are a common sight on the skirmish field, or should I say CQB arena. When choosing a light and laser make sure they can be fitted to the rifle in such a way that it can be operated with ease. Remote tail switches are a good thing if you fit them properly and electrical tape is a good friend when it comes to tidying up stray cables and switches. The mounting position of the light is somewhat of an issue with a lot of people. Where is the best place to fit a white light? Basically anywhere you want so long as you don’t light yourself up. Some people have issues with the muzzle casting shadows and causing dark areas that you can’t see into. Personally I have never had any issues with this phenomenon, neither has anyone I have worked with. Its how you use the light that counts and leaving your light on long enough to concern you with shadows cast by the weapon is the least of your worries. Switch on, quick observation, switch off and move. Personally I prefer just behind the front sight and to the side. Although I use a red dot holographic sight on my carbine, I can use the light to illuminate my EBS (emergency battle sight) if my red dot goes down and I have to transition to iron.

SIGHTS Non-standard sights are also a common thing to see on the rifle and for most people the first thing they change when customising a rifle is the sight system - and herein lies a problem. Your weapon would have at least one sight, the iron sight. If you change to a scope such as a red dot or a more traditional scope, then you should still retain your iron sights as a “redundant” sight. A redundant sight is an EBS and is used when something has gone wrong with your main sight (smashed, battery failure). Here I see that many skirmishers have kept their iron (rear) sight in place, usually a rear flip up type. However the rear sight is completely useless, as when it is flipped up and put into play, the main, now broken sight is in the way and the shooter can not see a clear line of sight to the front sight. When fitting a scope or red dot sight to your rifle make sure that your redundant sights (EBS) have a clear line of sight though your main sight.

GLOVES OK I know that gloves are not part of the rifle but there are a lot of contact points on the rifle, that when using the rifle a lot in a day, such as training drills, they can rub on the hands and gloves can be a God-send. I have had many a blister and raw points on my hands due to excessive shooting of rifles. Ill-fitting gloves will lead to ill shooting and gloves that are too small will

“HE DIDN’T REALISE THAT THE RIFLE WAS HANGING TOO LOW AND WHEN HE WENT INTO A KNEELING POSITION WHILST USING HIS SECONDARY WEAPON, THE MUZZLE OF THE RIFLE DUG INTO THE GROUND AND THE BUTT SLAMMED INTO HIS JAW KNOCKING OUT HIS TWO FRONT TEETH!” www.airsoft-action.co.uk

skills TACTICAL CARBINE

“I HAVE ALSO PLACED A STRIP OF INNER TUBE AROUND SOME OF MY METAL RIFLE MAGAZINES, ALSO TO AID IN GRIP WHEN RETRIEVING MAGAZINES IN WET CONDITIONS; IT IMPROVES HAND-TO-MAGAZINE GRIP TO NO END.” just annoy you to hell. The type of glove that you choose to wear is up to you. In the past I have worn specialised shooting gloves, golf gloves (although a little thin) mechanics gloves even ﬁtness gloves. They will protect your hands from rubbing on the riﬂe due to extended use and will also protect you from any sharp edges, such as the charging handle and light mount.

MAGAZINE CARRIER As we all know magazines can carry in excess of 400 rounds (BB’s that is) but at some point we will need to re-load. Combat vests and webbing are the number one choice for carrying extra equipment and spare ammunition for the skirmisher but for common folk like me, who shoot carbines in civilian competitions, that option is out the window. I have to make do with a civilian type magazine pouch. The one I use is a nylon AR15 belt-mounted pouch that carries a single M4 magazine and has served me in times when things have goten a little hot whilst working security detail overseas. Magazine carriers come in all shapes and sizes; however it should be considered part of your carbine too. So chose wisely checking for ﬁt and functionality in use.

HARDWARE Extended magazine release catches, extended bolt release catch and charging handles are all ﬁne but it is important that you can operate them correctly and safely. Extended hardware can and does catch on other pieces of kit such as your combat vest for instance, so purchase these things wisely also.

reach from shoulder to trigger can be greatly extended and uncomfortable if you have to wear body armour. Collapsible stocks are a good choice here as many collapsible stocks have variable settings for reach. There are after-market custom (short) solid stocks available but these tend to be few and far between and can be quite expensive.

AMBIDEXTROUS

TUBES

Ambidextrous hardware is also something that we should look closely at. Again make sure that if you add ambidextrous hardware to the riﬂe it doesn’t interfere with safe operation and other pieces of personal kit.

STOCKS The length of the stock on the carbine can make a difference to your overall reach whilst wearing body armour. A full length stock may be a perfect ﬁt whilst wearing a shirt but the

Bicycle inner tube is a shooter’s best friend when it comes to customising and configuring the carbine to your own needs. I have a small handgrip on one of my M4s and it seems to move around in my hand whilst firing. I added some layers of bicycle inner tube and not only has it solved the problem of movement by making the hand grip larger, it has also enhanced the contact grip in wet conditions. I have also placed a strip of inner tube around some of my metal rifle magazines, also to aid in grip when retrieving magazines in wet conditions; it improves hand-to-magazine grip to no end. No matter what you do to tailor you carbine to your needs, it has to be workable for you. Forget what others say is right or is the best thing to do, experiment with different ideas and use what works. Part of the fun of shooting is finding out different methods of configuration and the challenge of working the gun. In the next issue we will grab some range time and go through some simple skills and drills to get you practicing. We will include simple to set up range sets and easy to follow drills you can shoot at home.

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

September 2015

Kit KIT & KABOODLE

KIT & KABOODLE

RICHARD BELL GIVES US HIS REGULAR ROUND UP OF WHAT’S CAUGHT HIS EYE KIT-WISE RECENTLY

MAGAZINE INSERTS

Arc’Teryx LEAF – Knee Cap Most tactical uniforms/garments come with options for hard impact protection, either ﬁtted or as an optional extra. I have used a variety over the years, including your basic foam inserts through to D30 Laboratories and even the Airﬂex systems from Crye. However after speaking with a few people and asking about their experiences of products for knee protection, the Arc’Teryx Knee Cap was the one system that was being recommended over and over again. Having used them over the past few weeks I can tell you that they are lightweight, durable, easy to don & doff, hard wearing and comfortable. Yes, price wise they are at the top end of the market but with the Arc’Teryx name and the reputation these have, it is worth every penny. The ones pictured are in “Crocodile” solid colour.

For the past six weeks I and a few friends have been using a variety of “magazine inserts” from three different manufacturers. Moving left to right (picture) we have been using the Haley Strategic “MP2”, Esstac “KYWI” and one from a small UK-based company called “GM Tactical”. These have been used with a wide variety of chest rigs and magazine pouches from several companies including Haley Strategic, Mayﬂower, MARZ Tactical, Tiger Tailor and Extreme Gear Labs. All 3 inserts have crossed load carry platforms without any challenges and 2 of them can cross magazine sizes! The “HSP MP2” has functioned well with PMag 556 + 762, Hex Mag 556, Steel Mag 556 and USPalm AK magazine. The “GM Tactical” has worked well with both 556 sized (all ones mentioned above) magazines and the USPalm AK magazines. The GM Tactical version you see pictured is the MK1, the ones that will be available moving forward are the MK2. The Esstac inserts come in both 556 + 762 sizes and the ones we have been using are sized for 556 and again no issues on any of the 556 magazines we have run them with. www.tactical-kit.co.uk

www.hueys.co.uk

Patrol Incident Gear – Full Dexterity Tactical Glove The PIG (Patrol Incident Gear) Glove is a common site now on players across the UK and they have steered me away from my regular “Mechanix” gloves. The ones pictured are the “Alpha” but you can also get the “Alpha Touch”. There is absolutely no change in design or even noticeable fabric, except for the addition of the silver content in the “touch” versions. These gloves are noticeably different to that of other brands and where they may lack in durability they certainly make up for in dexterity and sensitivity. The combination of fabrics allows for breathability, protection and comfort with the “cloth” part being a great addition for wiping away excess sweat. They are available in a wide selection of solid colours (black, grey, coyote brown and ranger green). www.landwarriorairsoft.com

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IMPORTING RIFS: A GOOD THING OR BAD?

LES LEE, WRITES ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE WHEN IMPORTING A RIF FROM HONG KONG AND ASKS, “IS WHAT YOU SAVE WORTH THE HASSLE?” A FEW WEEKS AGO I DECIDED to do a little research on the importation of RIFS and other bits and pieces from the array of sellers on the Internet and look at the pros and cons, so when Mr Policeman came a-knocking at my door to ask about a purchase of a revolver that had been intercepted and passed on to the Police for further investigation, let’s just say I was “encouraged” now that my knowledge had been enhanced tenfold – and all because the seller (a well-known Hong Kong Airsoft retailer), had simply omitted to print my defence (in this case UKARA) on the address label. Had they done so, a quick computer check would have validated my defence to purchase a RIF. I have no idea what the Officer was thinking when he saw my display of pistols (Dunblane, Newbury... who knows?) but it was clear for him to see that not only do I play our sport/ hobby/pastime and I am a bona fide enthusiast. I am actually considered “Trade”, as my secondary defence proved after showing him my press credentials for Airsoft Action. So if ever I needed inspiration to delve into a subject worthy of consideration then this was it because after he left, completely satisfied that I was genuine, it made me realise just how many problems this had caused. On top of that, was the fact that I was suspected of

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committing a criminal offence plus wasted many, many man hours – and all because one link in the process had broken setting off a chain reaction which could (and should) have been avoided. So I want to look at this subject with a two-pronged approach. I’m sure that I’m no different to hundreds of Airsofter’s that spend hours trawling through the scores of offshore Airsoft retailers, looking for that sought-after RIF, or that hard to find part or accessory or simply looking for a bargain, which was the case in my circumstances. After finding what I thought was the perfect DMR ready to rock, with an FPS of 400 and semi auto only, plus a promotional discount of 10%, which took the price down to just £146 for a CYMA M14 EBR. “What a great deal, I’ll have that thank-you-very-much!” I thought, so started the purchase process (and by now I’m running on pure adrenaline) but when I got to the checkout, a £50 shipping fee was added. By now my mind was all fuzzed over with a bad case of the “I wants’’ so I added the shipping, logged into good old PayPal and that was it! Easy and something to look forward to. A couple of weeks later I received a letter asking for payment of VAT & Duty, plus an admin charge. So after parting with more money I finally received this rather tasty looking gun

Feature IMPORTING RIFS

of around £50-150, I contacted the seller, explained that it was mis-advertised and therefore useless to me and wasn’t exactly overwhelmed when they offered me a USD $15 coupon off my next purchase. Whoopy doo! Are you seeing where this is going? From my greedy “I want that it’s a good deal” moment to now having the price doubled because of their error, for which they didn’t really care about coupled with their complete lack of interest (as they had my money and I live a long way away). By now I was feeling quite disappointed (and that’s me being polite), so I had already decided that after I used this coupon on something cheap, I would never buy an item of value from overseas again. I chose a cheap pistol and a suppressor and used the voucher rather than waste it - and now I find myself being paid a visit by Mr Plod from the local Firearms office! So this is what happened to me, a responsible ex Law Enforcement Officer of 18 year’s service, who will never knowingly break any laws but now I’m being investigated simply because somebody didn’t do their job properly in Hong Kong. I have no way of highlighting this situation other than to make others aware of what can go wrong when purchasing from abroad. It is a minefield out there (as I found out) and this company are probably in the top 3 that we deal with. I myself have made several purchases from there before and never had any trouble, so the moral of this story is to remember, you have little in the way of “Trading Standards” from buying from afar if things go wrong. You need to take into account where you stand with a warranty because it won’t be cheap sending a rifle back and forth across oceans and that is if you can convince them that the gun was faulty when purchased. There is also sometimes a language barrier where both parties simply can’t understand the other. It’s also worth comparing UK prices factoring in all shipping and taxes with the often attractive bold price on their

“IN MY CASE, FROM THE POINT OF PURCHASE IT SIMPLY AND SLOWLY ESCALATED UNTIL I COULD HAVE BOUGHT FROM A UK SELLER FOR THE SAME PRICE – AND HAD A USEABLE WARRANTY AND AFTER SALES SERVICE, BOTH AT MINIMAL COST.”

and (as usual) I started to dribble. After charging and installing a battery and a few other bolt-ons, I was good to go. As you do, the first dozen or so rounds travelled in a nice straight line and all was looking great, until I turned the selector switch out of curiosity, only to find myself blasting away on full auto! I re-checked the advert again and sure enough, it clearly states “semi-auto only”. The next step was to chronograph it, so when it registered 360-380 FPS it suddenly put me between a rock and a hard place. Too hot for regular skirmishing but no use as a DMR as it was full auto! I now had in my possession a RIF that I couldn’t use anywhere unless I paid more money and had the necessary modifications done by a gunsmith. As this was my only option and looking at another payout

advert and ask yourself “is it really worth taking the risk for the sake of saving a few pounds”. In my case, from the point of purchase it simply and slowly escalated until I could have bought from a UK seller for the same price - and had a useable warranty and after sales service, both at minimal cost. After the Police Officer left (and I will say he was very professional and indeed helpful as far as he could be) I was, in one respect, satisfied that I now know it’s on UK shores but what I didn’t know was what would happen next. I contacted the Officer who advised me what to do next to recover my package and with his limited knowledge he suggested that I contact Customs to seek further advice. Several phone calls later, to many different departments finally ended with a Royal Mail employee informing me that their policy is that if an item is imported and considered dangerous, it will be destroyed without question. No ifs, no buts, no right of appeal and no chance to get it back! I must also mention that throughout this whole time, I was never contacted in any way, no letter, no phone call, no e mail, nothing! So much for valid defence if you’re not even permitted to use it as proof of authenticity of a genuine reason for making the purchase. No matter what I said, this man was adamant (by the

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Feature IMPORTING RIFS

manner in which he spoke to me) that I was a bad guy and had done a bad thing and the bad item is off to the crusher. End of! The strange thing about this situation is that whilst my Editor (Nige) and I were chatting generally about potential subjects of interest for the magazine, Nige actually suggested that it might make for an interesting subject to write about the pros and cons from buying offshore and it was agreed that I would do some research and create an article - and then this happened to me! So if ever there was a time and/or a reason then what better time than this. I’m sure that this is not a regular occurrence and hundreds

IT IS “RUMOURED” THAT THERE IS VERY LITTLE MONEY TO BE MADE IN AIRSOFT RETAIL SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? IT TELLS ME THAT THESE GUYS ARE IN IT FOR THE LOVE OF AIRSOFT AND NOT JUST TO MAKE AN EASY BUCK, BECAUSE IT ISN’T EASY of purchases are successfully made and the items received without any fuss but this is what happened to me recently. I’m also fairly sure that if a similar problem arises with other people then not all circumstances and resolutions (or closure as in my case) are the same, however it seems that these days if you want to see a Copper then you need to murder someone to get their attention, or you can order a toy gun from Hong Kong and find yourself on Crimewatch. One funny point that I must add, is the Officer said that the package in question had the contents listed as “a toy” and he had difficulty understanding why the sender would seemingly (or in his words “deliberately”) try to mislead the authorities by describing a RIF as a toy. Go figure! The second point of this article relates to honour. Should honour be kept solely in the field, or should we incorporate it into our absolute world of Airsoft, which unsurprisingly includes where we buy our gear. In my travels around the South and South East, I have had the pleasure to meet some great Airsoft retailers who are passionate about the game. The stock that most shops (including on-site shops) carry is quite simply overwhelming and I think just about every shop owner can (and does) say with confidence “if we haven’t got it we can get it”, be it a grub screw or a ghillie suit. So is there any real reason to start sending our money abroad and away from our own retailers who, on the whole, struggle to meet our needs on prices that leave a profit margin big enough to pay the shop rent?

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It is “rumoured” that there is very little money to be made in Airsoft retail so what does that tell you? It tells me that these guys are in it for the love of Airsoft and not just to make an easy buck, because it isn’t easy. Our top half dozen UK retailers probably can afford to hold thousands of pounds worth of goods in stock as they have a quick turnover… but at what point is it that the balance tips in and out of favour? If you call a shop for (let’s say) a pistol, if it’s not held in stock we typically go elsewhere until we find it. Now this is a natural reflex in most cases and yes of course, I’ve done it myself. Show me a man or woman that hasn’t, because we typically have a game coming up in no more than two weeks and of course the classic default within the Airsoft community “I want it now” becomes fact! So ultimately, retailers risk extinction if they can’t compete with not only their fellow UK counterparts but also with having the overseas market taking chunks of their pie too! This could endanger their survival and before we know it, the competitive side of the market would be overwhelmed with cheap clones produced in sweatshops in and around the Orient. I agree, the prices and often ease of acquisition is a temptation but do you really know what you’re getting? Nope! And if you decided to spend your hard earned cash (or not so hard earned but hard saved pocket money) on a RIF then perhaps you should consider the pros and cons before pressing the “Pay Now” button: PROS: It’s cheaper. It’s in stock. There’s more choice. CONS: It’s cheaper (ask yourself why). It states “In Stock” but is it? One order of mine was posted 3 weeks after purchase. There’s more choice. Maybe because their quality control isn’t as thorough as ours. And add to that the following: Shipping charges Duty (if value over £135) VAT (if value over £15) Handling fee Length of time for delivery Warranty problems What happens if the item isn’t as advertised? Border Control/Customs discrepancies Communication barriers Loss or damage in transit After sales service – if any And if using a credit card, how safe are your details? So when you take everything into account, is it really worth importing an Airsoft item that can be bought here in the UK? If you stick to reputable retailers then you have warranties, after sales service and traders that are bound by British Trading Standards ensuring that your purchase is fit for purpose and subject to a code of practice which is enforceable under UK law. In addition to this and probably more important to our own band of British retailers, by keeping our purchases “in house”, we are honouring the traders that bust blood vessels trying to provide a service that we want and we should be recognising this and keeping our money on home turf. This feature has been written not only objectively but also by a real life victim who, without thinking, took a chance and eventually got a visit by the Police, followed by my lengthy enquiries leading to me being told (and I quote his exact words) “If we believe the item to be illegal or dangerous then it will be destroyed, no question!” and no amount of negotiating or reasoning was going to change his mind. A lesson learned.... Yes, I would say so. Never again! Les OUT!

PRIVATE CALEB JAMES SHANG – AIF SCOUT SNIPER WITH JUST TWO SNIPERS REMAINING IN THIS SERIES, SNIPER ONE, DAN MILLS, TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO A CHINESE AUSTRALIAN WHO WENT ON TO BE A HIGHLY-DECORATED SOLDIER. CALEB SHANG WAS FEARLESS; he went on to be the highest decorated Chinese Australian in the Australian Imperial Force during World War One. Born in a Brisbane suburb to Chinese immigrant parents settled in Australia, it was very rare for nonEuropeans to be enlisted but both Caleb and his older brother did so in the middle of the Great War, during 1916. Shang enlisted into the AIF by signing on the line on 5th June 1916 at the age of 31 and after training he was posted to the Western Front, joining the 47th Battalion on March 7th 1917, arriving just in time to fight in the battle of Bullecourt in Flanders, Belgium. Shang went on to fight in some of the major battles of the period - and some of the toughest. 3rd Ypres, known as Passchendaele, was renowned for its impossible conditions and in particular the mud. Many lives were simply swept away, lost into the earth, swallowed up in the mud, one wrong step from a duckboard could cost you your life. From Passchendaele Shang went on to fight on the Menin Road, Polygon Wood and through the 4th Battle of Ypres, the fight for Passchendaele Ridge. He was a fearless fighter getting involved everywhere, it was Messines Ridge where he was first noted as showing utter disregard for his own safety and distinguished himself. Recorders and historians would often follow the fighting for official war diaries and one such Historian attached to the 47th wrote down in his notes what he witnessed; • Private Shang acted as a runner, signaller (self-taught in 10 weeks), scout and Lewis Gunner. • He found a signal lamp in the cement cottage at Hun’s Walk, set up the lamp on top of it, exposed to everything, worked it there by daylight and dark (running messages by hand in daylight). • He went out on patrol stalking after snipers and got through without a scratch. • Every time he came to Battalion HQ he carried some information, identity disc or soldiers pay-book.

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• Every time he went out he carried water, ammunition and sniped in the intervals. “The CO roused on him with tongue in cheek, ‘You don’t appear to be doing much’ he said. ‘Oh well I’m a bit new to this’ he said, ‘it’s only my second stunt.’” He had been noticed indeed and was recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his efforts. The CO of the

Sniper PRIVATE CALEB JAMES SHANG

47th Lt Col Imlay said; “This soldier displayed a contempt for danger and exhibited wonderful endurance and coolness, resource and initiative and his conduct certainly inspired everybody he came in contact with ... His conduct throughout excited the admiration of officers and men”. High praise indeed, leading to Shang receiving the DCM cited in The London Gazette 24th August 1917 as follows; “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on numerous occasions. Private Shang acted as runner continuously for four days through barrages and fire swept areas, carrying water, food and ammunition to the front line. He attacked enemy snipers in broad daylight and accounted for them. In addition to this, he constantly volunteered for dangerous patrols into enemy country, where he gained valuable information as a scout, and also showed remarkable skill in improvising lamp signals in a very dangerous position whence he could send information to Battalion Headquarters. His conduct showed a never-failing example of fearlessness, resource and initiative.” Shang soon distinguished himself once more, as the Australian 12th and 13th Brigades faced the heaviest attack so far and since fighting the defence of Amiens. Two brigades lay in the path of a tidal wave of German infantry attacks from over two divisions in the Kaiser’s last offensive during the spring battles but despite losing many casualties, the Australian men held their lines while suffering over 1,200 dead and wounded. It was at this time, under intense pressure to hold the German masses in the fighting around Dernancourt at bay, that Private Shang came to be recognised once more and was recommended for a bar to his DCM; “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at Dernancourt on April 5th 1918 and previous occasions. This soldier’s example has always been a source of pride in this Battalion, but on this occasion, he excelled himself by his wonderful powers of endurance, intrepidity and utter contempt for danger. He volunteered for an O.P. in an advanced position at the start of operations and maintained it throughout until attack started when he reaped a harvest with his rifles until his post was blown right out. He came back through enemy fire to get more rifles but was employed as runner and made several trips through enemy barrage which was intense. He continued carrying ammunition and running until company moved out when he volunteered to remain behind and cover retirement with a Lewis Gun which he did successfully. He showed an utter disregard for danger and is a gallant soldier.” Fighting continued and Shang still did not let up, again and again he was spoken of within the ranks and by his command, once more he was recognised during the fighting at Villers –

Bretonneux in May 1918 and he was awarded the Military Medal by the CO 12th Brigade Col Leane; “At Villers - Bretonneux on 1st May, 1918, Private Shang displayed remarkable bravery and initiative in making a daylight reconnaissance of the Sector under heavy Machine Gun fire and snipers’ activities and which proved of considerable value to us. He established an Observation Post at which he was continually sniped at and succeeded in conveying back valuable information of enemy movement and directed our artillery fire on to the enemy formations causing them many casualties. He maintained this Post during a tour in line without relief.” Private Caleb Shang’s luck finally ran out near the end of the “Hundred Days Offensive”. The 47th Battalion had been disbanded earlier in May owing to a lack of fresh reinforcements and discipline problems, Shang was moved to the 48th briefly and the found himself fighting with the 45th Battalion at the Battle of Amiens. On August 16th 1918 whilst fighting, he was wounded in action and sent back down the casualty chain. The war ended whilst Shang was still in hospital recovering, it was all over. Private Caleb James Shang DCM & Bar, MM was returned to Australia where he met a hero’s welcome and on discharge in April 1919 he married, had children and settled down working as a herbalist in Victoria. In the 1930s Shang was beset with health problems and was finally awarded a full war pension. Remarkably when WW2 broke out and Australia itself was threatened notably by the Japanese, Shang wasted no time enlisting into Australia’s “Home Guard”, the Volunteer Defence Force. It was April 1942 and he was a sprightly 57 years old! Unfortunately anti-Asian feeling was rife due to the situation with Japan and Shang discovered some racial hatred towards himself, his prior acts of bravery being largely unknown as time had progressed. To counter this he donned his war medals and decorations and marched the ANZAC Day parade with the RSSIL (the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League), in which he had become an active member. Rumour has it that Caleb Shang had at one time been recommended for the Victoria Cross, but no evidence of this was ever found. Caleb James Shang passed away after chest problems in 1953. A brave man.

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OPERATION BITING: THE BRUNEVAL RAID

CONTINUING HIS SERIES LOOKING AT FAMOUS MISSIONS THAT COULD MAKE GREAT AIRSOFT SCENARIOS, BILLY BASICS LOOKS AN AUDACIOUS RAID THAT WASN’T ON THE GERMAN RADAR.

IN THE LATTER MONTHS OF 1941 a conflict within a conflict was being waged between German scientists and those across the channel in England to win the radar war. It’s interesting to note that the Germans were at a significant disadvantage thanks to a decree imposed by the Fuhrer Adolf Hitler that banned the use of CB (Citizen Band radio). He was uncomfortable with the notion that his citizens would be able to coordinate their own communications with other countries and I guess you can understand this, bearing in mind the plans he had for those other countries i.e. to invade them. The effect of this was to deny the German Forces a rich pool of radio enthusiasts from which to draw when the time came (and the time was now in 1941), a problem that the British thankfully did not suffer from. Anyone who has seen the film Captain America with his arch nemesis (a wicked German genius harnessing terrible technology to take over the world) may be surprised to learn that some of these ideas were being considered around 1941 as possible. Such were the advances being made by science on both sides of the channel, that it was believed that it was only a matter of time before a death ray that could destroy aircraft in the air would be in one side’s armoury. A war-winning bit of kit. The Germans were on the offensive in their radar tech, with

September 2015

Model of house and radar

aircraft being guided onto targets by sophisticated lasers at night but as soon as this tech was countered by the British, the Germans turned to carpet bombing larger cities in the hope of hitting something important. Earlier in the war they had been able to attack in a precise way. The British were using their tech on the defensive and it was not long before they used all their guile and brains to

Famous Missions OPERATION BITING

in the bruised egos of the Paras and to get the country behind them. It was classic Paratrooper stuff and they were to win their first Battle honours on the mission. Training was carried out under the utmost secrecy by a Company led by Major John Frost, who only qualified for his jump wings shortly before the training began due to injury and bad weather. Even during the training the men were told they were taking part in a display for the top brass and it was only revealed to Frost when he complained to a source in Whitehall what a waste of his men’s time it all was. In Dec 1941 the plan was put to Lord Mountbatten’s COHQ in London and by Friday the 27th 1942, after three false starts that saw the Paras check, pack and put on their equipment only to be frustratingly stood down due to bad weather, the Whitley bombers took off into the sky each carrying a section of 8–10 men and all their weapons and machine guns. They were to head to France to parachute onto the target near the town of Bruneval, suppress the enemy, steal the radar (or as many parts that they could carry), make for the nearby beach and get aboard landing craft and make good their escape. During the planning phase over Christmas ‘41, the Special Operations Executive had requested as much information about defences and German disposition around the site as possible. A couple of brave French resistance fighters had made contact with a friendly hotel owner nearby and had managed to blag

determine that there was a different kind of radar being put to deadly use along the coast from Le Havre, at a town called Bruneval. Boffins were dispatched to the South Coast to try and detect pulses (not the vegetables, you idiot) from that area and sure enough, signals were discovered. Air reconnaissance was ordered and several daring flights were undertaken. DFCs and DSOs were awarded to those brave airmen that carried them out and what emerged were black and white grainy photos of the normal Freya model of radar pointing at our shores. But alongside it (or nearby) were new radar models which the boffins concluded were the reason behind the successes of the German radars in detecting British bombers over the channel. The Brits were fortunate to have on their squad a rather talented chap called Dr Reginald Jones, a lifelong enthusiast and scientist who had an almost shaman-like skill in being able to predict the next big thing in radar tech. Dr Jones (not Indiana, come on pay attention) had predicted the arrival of what was known as “the Wurzburg radar” that could, using the data gathered from the Freya, cross-reference it and detect bombers in the air and give accurate bearing and distance. Now at the time this was all “A GERMAN SOLDIER BECAME LOST AND ACTUALLY JOINED ONTO going on, in brains much larger than yours or mine Britain’s THE BACK OF ONE OF THE BRITISH PATROLS HEADING TOWARDS THE fledgling Airborne Forces were in WURZBURG RADAR AND WAS DISPATCHED BY A KNIFE BEFORE HE dire need of a successful mission. REALISED HIS MISTAKE!” Churchill had mandated the raising of a force of Airborne troops to take on the Germans but they had only had one or two outings that had been less then successful. the German sentries into letting them onto the beach where Combined Operations HQ were informed of the need the Motor Patrol Boats were due to pick up the fleeing party to capture this new radar from the French coast and it was after the attack. Despite the “Achtung Minen!” signs, the decided that this was what they needed to induce a bit of pride bored German guard had strolled along the shingle giving the

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OPERATION BITING: THE BRUNEVAL RAID

CONTINUING HIS SERIES LOOKING AT FAMOUS MISSIONS THAT COULD MAKE GREAT AIRSOFT SCENARIOS, BILLY BASICS LOOKS AN AUDACIOUS RAID THAT WASN’T ON THE GERMAN RADAR.

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Model of house and radar

RESPITE FROM THE FRONT LINE AT “EVERY MAN’S CLUB” DAN MILLS PAUSES AS HE JOURNEYS THROUGH THE EVENTS OF WORLD WAR ONE, TO WRITE ABOUT WHERE SOLDIERS COULD FIND A BRIEF RESPITE FROM THE HORRORS OF FIGHTING; “TOC H”

LIFE ON THE FRONT LINE and in the surrounding trenches proved a very grim existence for many of the unfortunate soldiers who found themselves posted there in the dark days of the Great War. However, there soon became one house offering respite to the troops, a place of sanctuary they could go and on shutting the door behind them could leave the war behind. Thousands of them did, walking across the clean, tiled ﬂoor they had entered Talbot House, Poperinge. The town of “Pops”, as the soldiers named it, was a few miles behind the front lines near the strategic cathedral cloth city of Ypres, minutes from the trenches that scarred the landscape for miles, overlooked by the German Army observing and ﬁring down at them from the high ground of the Salient. Since the war came, nearby Pops had remained in British hands and had become the centre for R & R (Rest and Recuperation). Talbot House, or ”Toc H” as it was known, opened its doors towards the end of 1915. On entering, every visitor left his rank at the front door; this was to be a place that would hold no stress or pressure on anyone who went in. There was no preference at all, as in death and all would be treated with the same respect. On arrival one could get a nice hot steaming cup of tea or cocoa, in fact, there was always an urn of tea simmering for use at any time of the day or night. The building was lavishly

“REMARKABLY THE SHELTER AND TUNNEL UNDER THE HOUSE, ONCE USED TO PROTECT THE TOMMY FROM SHOT AND SHELL NOW PROVIDED A PLACE OF REFUGE TO ALLIED AIRCREW SHOT DOWN, RIGHT UNDER THEIR VERY NOSES!” 96

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furnished, displaying many comforts not seen in the front lines, or indeed back at home in the civilian world. The walls were adorned with pictures, art and snippets from newspapers telling of acts of bravery or of the conditions. The ﬂoors, nicely tiled and furnish with rugs, on top of one stood a large piano. Up the stairs, right up top in the loft space, there was even a chapel resplendent with a cross and artefacts placed by the troops. Services were held there very often, including blessings before heading back to the front. Around the rooms were letter writing sets for the weary soldiers to be able to write home to their loved ones; mothers, fathers, wives, siblings and children, all sat at home fretting and waiting for scraps of news. Out the back in the garden there were places of tranquillity to sit, plants and ﬂowers, enough space to stretch out or stroll, along with a crude gap cut into the wall with steps down to the cellar in case of a raid or bombardment. Talbot House truly was a home from home for war weary troops, anything to take their minds away from the noise of the guns, from the conditions and death. Talbot House was built by a wealthy Hop Trader in the 18th Century before being sold to a local Banker in 1911. The house was damaged by an artillery shell in 1915 and the occupants left for safety, it was then that the 6th Division of the British Army rented the house. A Chaplain called Philip “Tubby” Clayton then opened a club for soldiers to offer an alternative to the other “places of ill repute” springing up around town. The town became so lively and full of traders due to it being a centre for R & R that it soon became nicknamed “Little Paris”. The British Tommie’s affectionately called it “Toc H”, this was the signals code in use at the time for the letters “T” and “H”, Toc for the letter T and H being Hotel. The house was run most informally, actions carried out at home were

World War One REST AND RECUPERATION

encouraged to be continued there too, which including spitting on the carpet if one did so at home! The population of Pops grew from ten thousand before the war to approximately 250 thousand, many of these would be billeted in the surrounding towns and villages but Pops itself became the central hub with shops, clubs and brothels set up all over the town, night time was especially vibrant. It was also home to thousands of the Chinese Labour Corps who were employed to provide much needed manual labour, including road building, trench digging, latrines, laundry facilities, burial parties and grave diggers (many of these would also be killed by disease and enemy ﬁre). It was named “Talbot House” after a short period as “Church House”. Gilbert Talbot had been killed that summer and became an example of Great Britain’s talented generation currently being killed on the western front. Tubby ensured it would be a club for every man (hence the sign), making it comfortable and homely for all. A sign above his bedroom door still reads today “All rank abandon ye who enter here”. Today the house is open to visitors and paying guests can stay in one of the rooms for the night or longer, this

way visitors can get the whole experience and follow in the footsteps of those before. It still operates as a place for everyone to visit, a working museum that displays what military life was like a hundred years ago, coupled with providing a comfortable place to stay for visitors touring Flanders Fields. The Hop Barn, once the wartime concert hall, today houses a permanent exhibition full of personal stories and mementoes of the period on the ground floor, whilst upstairs you can watch a period show or concert party on film or being performed. Many celebrities of the day visited or stayed over during the Great War and today personalities periodically take part in a concert, or play being held. Several would leave original paintings and art pieces behind, these can also still be seen today adorning the walls, along with many photographs in “The Old House”. After the war the owner returned to his house in 1919 and was surprised to find it still standing, however due to the alarming amount of former soldiers returning to the fields of Flanders searching for a small piece of “Little Paris” and knocking on the front door countless times a day, the owner decided to sell up in 1929. Lord Wakefield of Hythe made financial contributions and secured the premises donating it to the Talbot House Association, for this reason Hythe in Kent was twinned with Poperinge in Belgium and remains so today. War however had not yet deserted the town, once again the German Army invaded and on this occasion took over the town, this was during 1940 in World War Two. They arrived in May 1940 and occupied Pops until early September 1944. The townspeople joined together to remove all the valuable fixtures, fittings and paintings etc. fearful that the Nazis would steal them. Many households spread throughout town took several items each and hid them within their own homes. They did this remarkably without causing any suspicion from the German Commandant who surprisingly found the famous house empty on his arrival. After initial alarm, the locals were pleased to hear that the building would be used as a headquarters therefore reassured that the property would not fall into disrepair or harm, to an extent. Remarkably the shelter and tunnel under the house, once used to protect the Tommy from shot and shell now provided a place of refuge to allied aircrew shot down, right under their very noses! After the town’s liberation in 1944 those same locals brought every single item back to the house and placed it where it was beforehand, a remarkable achievement. An amazing place that has done great service to British troops, well worth a visit if you ever tour Flanders Fields.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

O TI

IP R C 9 S B 7.9 U S Â£3 E SU UST S J 2I

DIGITAL EDITIONS

AVAILABLE ON iPAD, iPHONE AND ANDROID VISIT

Competition VIPER KIT

WIN

£300-WORTH OF VIPER KIT! SO YOU’VE SEEN the pictures and read the reviews and now you can win £300-worth of Viper Kit in this Exclusive Airsoft Action Competition! In a recent “Loaded and Unloaded” feature, Gerry Noone said “VIPER have created a head to toe solution for airsofters that really, really works well and I can only applaud them for a very bold move. “I can tell you with hand on heart that VIPER now have a range of kit that will quite literally sort you from head to toe – and everything in between; not only that but their prices are sensible, meaning that you can build up a loadout piece by piece over time and still have pennies available to pay your skirmish fees.” £300 is a lot of pennies to go towards your skirmish fees and we are delighted that Viper are sponsoring this terrific competition, where you can either collect your prize from a local Viper Retailer, or Viper will post it to you directly. So what have you got to lose? Simply answer the five questions opposite and send them in before the closing date, or enter online at www.airsoft-action.co.uk (Hint: You’ll find all the answers on their website: www.viper-kit.co.uk)

Post your entries to: Viper Kit Competition, Airsoft Action, Calibre Publishing, Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6PL, or email to: competition@airsoft-action.co.uk with “VIPER Kit Competition” in the subject line. Entries received after 26th August 2015 will not be valid. One entry per household. The winner will be the ﬁrst name pulled from the Ed’s hat.

QUESTIONS:

1 2 3 4 5

What is the name of Viper’s exclusive camouﬂage pattern

ANSWER:

What is the retail price of Viper’s Tactical Elite Jacket?

ANSWER:

How many different colours are available for the Viper Mission Pack?

ANSWER:

Which strength Cordura is Viper’s Lazer Cut System based on?

ANSWER:

For how long have Viper Tactical been involved in the military and outdoor markets?

ANSWER:

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

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BOOK REVIEW WHITE DEATH

WHITE DEATH

BY ROBBIE MORRISON AND CHARLIE ADLARD

NOT EVERY BOOK MANAGES TO CONVEY THE STORY OF WAR, AS KRIS ROBERTS DISCOVERED WHEN HE READ THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL “How long’ve you been in the Army, Orsini? Twelve, Thirteen years? And all the ungrateful bastards’ve done is make you acting lieutenant, a temporary ofﬁcer. Is that it?... If a man makes his name out here, now, it’ll live forever. Might be his last chance. Haven’t you heard? This is the war to end war... Congratulations, Lieutenant, you’re the perfect soldier. You believe everything they tell you...”

Content 1916. On the alpine slopes of the Trentino mountain range, the forces of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire fought against each other as part of the Great War that was ravaging Europe and the wider world. In this unique and treacherous setting the soldiers faced not only the bombs and bullets of modern warfare, but the dangers of the mountains themselves. Here a new method of killing was utilised, where explosives and artillery fire were used to bring down great avalanches on top of the enemy position. An estimated 60–100,000 soldiers were killed beneath this “White Death”, highlighting the efficiency and ruthlessness of using nature as the ultimate weapon. In this often overlooked theatre of war we are introduced to the fictional character of Pietro Aquasanta, an Italian rifleman who has returned to his childhood home after being forced to serve with the Austro-Hungarian army. Once a place of wonder for him, he finds himself trapped in a land of death and waste and mistrusted by those who control his destiny. With a graphic novel script by Robbie Morrison and artwork by Charlie Adlard, this story finds its roots and inspiration from real life events with character names taken from Italian war memorials near Rome.

Impressions White Death was recommended to me by a friend after I had written my review of Safe Area Goražde by Joe Sacco (Issue Nov 2014). That particular piece of work had proved to me the credibility that graphic novels can have when tackling the subject of war. With astonishing detail and a brutal insight into humanity I was left impressed and moved beyond expectations. With White Death, creators Morrison

and Adlard had found a recipe for success. A rarely studied period of history providing a powerful backdrop for a fictitious tale, coupled with a courageous and exciting style of artwork, had the potential to provide a breathtaking masterpiece that would equal or better its peers. Sadly this potential was not to be realised and what we are presented with is a disjointed and befuddled attempt. The artwork, which is at first eyecatching and intense through its use of charcoal and chalk on grey paper, soon becomes frustrating as key details are lost in the sweeping strokes and smudges. Character’s faces are at times far too difficult to discern from one another, and the reader is thrown from the immersion in an attempt to figure out exactly what is going on. The art could be forgiven though as being representative of the fog of war and that the confusion itself was very much part of the battle. Where White Death really slips is in the story itself. Morrison has written a tale that ticks all the boxes of expectation when dealing with the First World War. Within this he has highlighted some valid points and addressed the horrors of war in a well written and sensitive manner. But, despite this, Morrison has offered nothing new and his lack of characterisation leaves the reader unfeeling towards the terrible events that befall his heroes. The pacing of the tale speeds along leaving little time for relationships and in-depth looks and relies too heavily on the artwork to maintain the elements of fear. Simply put White Death is too short a story for such a complex subject. Regardless of its many positives, the fact that too much has been crammed into too little leaves the reader with a sour after-taste all because there could have been, should have been, so much more. As it stands, a good book. But one that had the potential to have been epic.

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101

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

UKARA MEMBER WOODLAND

SHOP ONSITE BATTERY CHARGING URBAN PYROS ALLOWED REPAIR SERVICE

DESERT

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

ATROOP AIRSOFT

ACE COMBAT

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQB

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

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

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

ABER AIRSOFT – THE BUNKER

AIRBORNE 101 AIRSOFT CLUB

ALL ARMS AIRSOFT

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

Downpatrick, Co. Down, BT30 07718 032541 robinsonm24@btinternet.com

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

AIRSOFT ASYLUM

ALPHA 55

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

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

ARENA AIRSOFT

ALPHA ELITE GAMING

AWA HERTS

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

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

AMAZON EVENTS

BADLANDS AIRSOFT

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

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

AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

AIRSOFT COMMANDOS ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES Holbrook Coppice, Buidwas Bank (A4169), Buildwas, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk

Sutton, near Ferrybridge 07723 061386 andyace@ntlworld.com

AIRSOFT KGB

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

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

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

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH

102

SEPTEMBER 2015

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

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY

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

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

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

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

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

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

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT

ELITE BATTLEZONE

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

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

COTSWOLD AIRSOFT

EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT Ellough Lark Raceway, Benacre Road, Ellough, Norfolk 07455906132

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

BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT Leisure Lakes, Mere Brow, Southport. PR46JX 07790 715059 www.bravo22airsoft.com

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

CLOSE ACTION AIRSOFT

DARKWATER AIRSOFT

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

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

COMBAT ACTION GAMES

DELTA TEAM 3

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

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

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

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

FIREBALL SQUADRON

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

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

DRAGON’S LAIR COMBAT SOUTH URBAN Portsmouth, PO6 3LS 02392 655636 www.combatsouth.co.uk

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

BUNKER 51

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

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

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

C3 TACTICAL Longhope, Gloucestershire, GL17 0PH 07597 938011 www.c3tactical.co.uk

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

FINMERE AIRSOFT

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

FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS

CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 5 01438 368177 www.theﬁghtschool.demon.co.uk

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT - THE COMPLEX

COOL UNDER FIRE

ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING

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

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

Worthing, BN13 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com

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

FIRST AND ONLY – ANZIO CAMP Leek, ST13 8 0161 727 8863 www.ﬁrstandonlyairsoft.com

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

FIRST AND ONLY – KHE SANH WOODS Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 2NA 0161 727 8863 www.ﬁrstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST AND ONLY – MANCHESTER WOODLAND Bolton, BL7 9TS 0161 727 8863 www.ﬁrstandonlyairsoft.com

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

103

FIRST AND ONLY – ASYLUM

GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT

NCIS AIRSOFT

Kidderminster, DY10 3PT 0161 727 8863 www.ﬁrstandonlyairsoft.com

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

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

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT

LAC SITE 1

NOMAD AIRSOFT

Middleton, Manchester, M24 1AZ 0161 727 8863

Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com

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

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY

GREENZONE COMBAT

Wrexham, Denbighshire, LL13 9RG 0161 727 8863

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

FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 6QF 0161 727 8863

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

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

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

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – CAMBRIDGE Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 07854 277264 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS RAF Honiley/The Grange Frogmore Grange, Frog Lane, Balsall Common, West Mids CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532 384 info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk www.shop. suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk

LAC SITE 2 Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

FIRST & ONLY: THE DEPOT

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – NORWICH Norwich, Norfolk, NR10 07854 277264 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 07562 479966 maw.airsoft@hotmail.com

MIA HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT

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

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES HUMBER AIRSOFT North Lincolnshire, DN21 www.humberairsoft.co.uk 07792 680297

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

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

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

104

SEPTEMBER 2015

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

NSC AIRSOFT

MAW

GROUND ZERO WOODLAND

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

NORTHFLEET CQB

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES Glasgow, G45 9SB 0161 727 8863

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

PLATOON 1HQ

SG1 COMBAT GAMES

TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT

UCAP AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

PLAYERS OF WAR

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY

TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT

UCAP GREEN OPS

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

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

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

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

PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES

SKIRMISH EXETER

TECH BRIGADE

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

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

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

RAVEN’S NEST

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT

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

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

RAW WAR AIRSOFT CUMBRIA

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

THE BUNKER

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

Aberystwyth, www.aberairsoft.co.uk 07841 462806

Wigton, Cumbria CA7 3SZ 01900 85645 www.airsoftcumbria.co.uk

RED1AIRSOFT Chislehurst, Bromley BR7 6SD 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk co.uk

RED1AIRSOFT CQB Red1 CQB. Kings Langley, WD4 8RN 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3 Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com

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

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT Shotts, N Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com

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

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

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

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

URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13 SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – THE ROCK

THE DESERTERS AIRSOFT

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

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

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

URBAN6AIRSOFT – THE BLOCK STIRLING AIRSOFT

THE EX SITE

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

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

Wood Street, Butron-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 £AB www.urban6airsoft.com

URBAN ASSAULT STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

THE WARGAMES CENTRE

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

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

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

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT Boathouse lane, South Wirral, Cheshire, CH64 3TB www.swatairsoft.eu 07703 177756

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT Shotts, North Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com

TASK FORCE SKIRMISH

UCAP SANDPIT

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

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

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP 07428024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com

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

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

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

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

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

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

105

DEALER LISTINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEX

Land Warrior Airsoft 2 RedWolf Airsoft 3 + 19 + 48 Airsoft Zone 7 + 37 JD Airsoft 9 + 33 + 75 WE Airsoft Europe 15 Airsoft World 23 FireSupport 28 + 29 BadgerTac 41 Silvermans 44 Crawley Surplus Supplies 44 VIPER Tactical 46 + 47 Pro Airsoft Supplies 52 Helikon-Tex 57 eHobby Asia 60 ActionSportGames 66 Airsoft Surgeon Euro Championship 79 Gunman Airsoft 87 Airsoft Action Subscriptions 90 Sly Photography 91 BombUpAirsoft 91 NoVAT 91 Dragon Valley 91 Military Outdoor 91 Action Air UK 95 Airsoft Action Digital Subscriptions 98 Percy Publishing 100 Advertisers Index 106 Military 1st 107 Airsoft World 108

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OD8J 2014