Airsoft Action - August 2018 by Airsoft Action

AIRSOFT ACTION

P L AY E R S ’

C H O I C E

B E S T

A I R S O F T

M A G A Z I N E

ARMOURY

LCT SR3 RAVEN EU17 PTS CENTURION ARMS M4

WIN• WIN• WIN• WIN• WIN• WIN• WIN• WIN•

EVENT REPORTS

HIGH END GEAR

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AIRSOFT ACTION TV

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PMC LOAD-OUTS

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INVASION OF CRETE

SPEEDSOFT | VIPER TACTICAL | VOODOO TACTICAL | ACCURACY 102 | RADIO GAGA

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AUGUST 2018

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AIRSOFT ACTION

P L AY E R S ’

C H O I C E

B E S T

A I R S O F T

M A G A Z I N E

16 ARMOURY: LCT SR3

ARMOURY

LCT SR3 RAVEN EU17 PTS CENTURION ARMS M4

WIN• WIN• WIN• WIN• WIN• WIN• WIN• WIN•

EVENT REPORTS

FEATURE

PMC LOAD-OUTS

FEATURE

INVASION OF CRETE

SPEEDSOFT | VIPER TACTICAL | VOODOO TACTICAL | ACCURACY 102 | RADIO GAGA

9 772047 348032

AUGUST 2018

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AIRSOFT ACTION TV

PROUDLY SUPPORTING PILGRIM BANDITS FEATURE

AUGUST 2018 - £4.50

OP: GREY SLATE II GUNMAN FILMSIM MIDLANDS AIRSOFT FAIR ACTION AIR: MADDERS CUP INTERNATIONAL: OP THUNDERBOLT

HIGH END GEAR

24 ARMOURY: EU17

Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant Editor: Gareth “Gadge” Harvey Graphic Design: Havoc Design Ad Design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter Cover Photo: Cover image kindly provided by 5.11 Tactical. Available from TacTree, the UK’s first 5.11 Select Premium Dealer Visit www.tactree.co.uk/511 UK 13-issue subscription rate: £46.50 UK 6-issue subscription rate: £24.00 For overseas prices email: subs@airsoft-action.co.uk

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

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EVENT: OPERATION THUNDERBOLT

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

Contents AUGUST 2018

CONTENTS AUGUST 2018 6 NEWS 8 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos of Airsoft Action readers. 12 ARMOURY: LCT SR-3M Whilst the AK remains the OPFOR players RIF of choice, Bill looks into what is on offer if you really want to have something that defines the phrase “small and deadly”. 16 ARMOURY: PTS CENTURION ARMS Since parting from Magpul, PTS have been producing some righteous parts, so will their new ERG M4 live up to expectations? Scott Allan takes a first look… 20 EVENT: GUNMAN FILMSIM Tribesman, Goat Herder, Lion Hunter, Rebel, Policeman, Soldier and KGB Operative. These were the Crew roles Tom Hibberd played in Gunman Airsoft’s fantastic game set in the middle-east. 24 ARMOURY: RAVEN EU17 There are big plans afoot for the new pistol brand with numerous models lined up to join the range and the latest of these, the EU17, is going to please an awful lot of players - as Bill explains… 28 EVENT: MIDLANDS AIRSOFT FAIR Kelly and Tom make the trip to Rutland to visit one of the fastestgrowing Airsoft events held in the Midlands. 32 TEAM PROFILE: DIREWOLF AIRSOFT At Airsoft Action we love to hear from teams who read the magazine so when Tom Battson contacted us, we were only too pleased to let him tell us about his. Over to Tom… 34 EVENT: OPERATION: GREY SLATE II Bill Thomas reports on a game that was plagued by bad weather but ultimately was a huge success and enjoyed by all that attended. 38 FEATURE: HIGH END GEAR Gadge has always been an “old school airsofter” but recently decided to put together a modern loadout. Read on to find out what gear he chose and why (and how much it cost)…

46 AIRSOFT ACTION TV LAUNCH Want a bit more out of your monthly instalment of Airsoft Action? Would you like to see that newly reviewed AEG’s rate of fire for yourself? Or perhaps you’d just like to see what the team get up to on weekends? If so you’re in luck, as Airsoft Action magazine launches Airsoft Action TV on YouTube.

knows what he is talking about when it comes getting kit-carrying gear sorted.

48 IN MY OPINION: SPEEDSOFT Is it time for the sport of Airsoft to divide and even learn some lessons from Paintball? Tom Hibberd thinks so and shares his opinion with us here…

70 GEAR: PCS THERMAL SMOCK

50 GEAR: VOODOO TACTICAL KIT BAG We often spend a fortune on our AEGs then scrimp on protecting them while in storage or on the move… We’ve all been guilty of that in the past but a recent purchase from Voodoo Tactical has absolved Gadge of his crimes! 54 GITAG: BOOTS Your choice of the right boot model can mean the difference between a comfortable day’s skirmishing or a painful and in some cases, injurious end to your game experience, so Bill delves deeper! 58 ACTION AIR: 4TH MADDERS CUP Nige heads over to Strikeforce in Gloucester to report from an annual Action Air match held in memory of one of the UK’s top shooters, Malcolm Dowding. 60 COMPETITION: WIN ONE OF FOUR RAVEN EU PISTOLS! Not one… Not Two… Not even three… WE are giving away FOUR RAVEN EU PISTOLS, complete with NUPROL NX400 laser/light modules and NUPROL retention holsters in this amazing competition, curtesy of RAVEN AIRSOFT and NUPROL. 62 INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT: BRAZIL In 2015 Airsoft Action covered “Operation Thunderbolt - Panama 2015” and Bill speaks again to Rod at thunderboltairsoft.com for an update on airsoft in Brazil and their latest MilSim event! 66 FEATURE: PMC LOAD-OUTS Andy Nightingale has “been there, seen that, done that” for real, in both the military and as a Contractor, so

69 GEAR: VIPER “SCROTE” POUCH Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick takes a look at a very oddly-named, yet very affordable product from Viper Tactical.

Seeking a more affordable version of Snugpak’s MML, Frenchie ended up with something he hadn’t expected. 73 COMPETITION: WIN HAIX BLACK EAGLE TACTICAL BOOTS Enter our simple-to-answer competition and you might win a pair of Haix Black Eagle Tactical 2.0 GTX boots worth nearly £170.00, curtesy of Patrol Store – and even get a choice of colour! 74 FEATURE: ACCURACY 102 Do you want to improve the accuracy of your gun and gain the ability to make more hits? This month Tom Hibberd and Matt Flood take a look at a simple aspect that can make a huge difference, the BB itself! 76 WWII: THE INVASION OF CRETE Following Bill and Kelly’s report from “Warzone 2018” on Crete in the last issue, we invited military historian, Will Fowler, to tell us about one of the turning points of World War Two that happened on the same island. 82 THE LAST POST: COMMUNICATIONS Frenchie gets hot under the antenna as he returns to the subject of radios in airsoft and the rules and regs surrounding their (ab)use. 84 AIRSOFT ACTION STOCKISTS Where to buy your copy of The Players’ Choice Best Airsoft Magazine before it goes on sale in newsagents. 86 SITE DIRECTORY & PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUBS Looking for a skirmish site, or your local Airsoft Practical Pistol Club? Then we may have the answer, with pages of sites and clubs throughout the UK.

s w e N t f o s Air 3 DAYS OF AIRSOFT AND PARTY HEAVEN! IT IS NO SECRET that NPF Bassetts Pole began as a Paintball venue, it’s how we honed our craft and developed our industry-leading reputation for combat sports and events. A staple of our calendar for the past eight years has been our annual Paintfest festival – the UK’s largest and only true FESTIVAL of Paintball. In 2017, as part of the continued expansion of this legendary event and to celebrate our 30th year of operation, we teamed up with Fireball Squadron Airsoft Club to open the doors of this unique festival to the Airsoft community for the first time – AIRFEST was born! The all-encompassing ticket price includes big-game Airsoft on all three days, on-site camping, open-air cinema night, infamous player’s party, varied trade zone, headline sponsorship from worldwide brand leaders, full onsite event catering, full onsite medical event services and MORE – Airfest is truly not to be missed! Tickets include: • Big-game Airsoft on all three days • Onsite camping (with parking next to tents) • Open air cinema night • Infamous Saturday Night player’s party with licensed bar (all refreshments included in ticket price), live entertainment, special guests and more! • Varied trade zone with big brands from the Airsoft and Paintball Industries • Headline sponsorship from worldwide brand leaders • Full onsite event catering • Full onsite medical event services …and MUCH MORE! Current ticket pricing: Players with their own equipment:

£90 1st May– 30th June £95 1st July onwards

Players requiring hire equipment:

£95 1st May – 30th June £100 1st July onwards

Non-playing weekend tickets (include camping, access to trade zone/catering areas, access to open air cinema night, bar and player’s party (all refreshments at the player’s party included in ticket price): £35 Please note non-playing under-18s go free when accompanied by a paying adult. For more information visit: www.facebook.com/airfestuk or ring: 0121 323 1000

AND THE WINNER IS… In Issue 88’s competition we asked a simple question: “How accurate is the STF/12?” and to be given the answer all you had to do was watch Gadge and Tom’s video report about the STF/12 on Airsoft Action TV – and hundreds of you did just that! This had to be one of the most popular competitions we have run but, as always, there could only be one winner and that was Chris “DJ Chief” Barker from County Down, who seemed quite pleased when we gave him the good news: “Wow, that’s awesome. I’m so chuffed as I’ve always wanted an airsoft shotgun to go with a sidearm for CQB skirmishes. Thank you so much!” It’s our pleasure Chris and your prize will soon be winging its way to Northern Ireland, courtesy of NUPROL.

august 2018

REVOLUTIONARY HPA RIFLE LAUNCHED BY TIPPMANN The brand-new Tippmann “Omega”, with Pneumatic Valve is a revolutionary electro pneumatic airsoft rifle which brings performance and speed while allowing the option to ditch the airline which is normally attached to a HPA airsoft rifle. The Omega comes either with a 13ci tank in the stock, or as a version which takes 2 x 12 gram CO2 cartridges in the stock. Features include a selectable preset ROF (10, 15 or 25), a crisp trigger pull and runs on a standard 9v battery. Prices start at £429.95 and, as with all of their airsoft rifles, this will come backed by Tippmann’s excellent 1 year warranty. The first batch is due to land in the UK soon and is available to pre-order now from www.bztactical.co.uk.

FIRST BRITISH PRACTICAL SHOOTING SHOW ANNOUNCED RECENTLY ANNOUNCED, the first British Practical Shooting Show takes place over the weekend of 6th & 7th October, at Westpoint Arena, Exeter. With nearly forty exhibitors already booked, including Shield Sights, Edgar Brothers, Vortex, RedWolf Airsoft, 5.11 and 3-Gun Nation with others still to confirm, the show is already set to become one of the biggest gun-related shows held in the UK. “To redress the lack of representation of practical and tactical shooting at the existing national shooting shows, The Tunnel Target Sports Centre is hosting the British Practical Shooting Show on the 6th and 7th of October at Westpoint Arena near Exeter, Devon. The Show will be a great opportunity for distributors, small producers and practical shooting organisations to show off their equipment and for shooters to see all of the biggest and best producers of practical firearms, optics, accessories, and clothing in the UK, in one place, for the first time!” Day Tickets are available for visitors at just £15.00 for adults while children under 16 (who must be accompanied by an adult) go free. For a full list of exhibitors and to purchase tickets, visit www.practicalshooting show.co.uk Airsoft Action will be covering the event, as will our new (soon to be launched) sister publication, Practical Shooting Magazine.

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY

From Craig Walton –Bristol Airsoft

August 2018

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

A day’s shooting at the 4th Madders Cup. Pics: Bald Eagle

August 2018

AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS

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

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armoury LCT SR-3M

SMALL AND DEADLY WHIRLWIND WHILST THE UBIQUITOUS AK IN ITS DIFFERENT FORMS REMAINS THE OPFOR PLAYERS RIF OF CHOICE, BILL LOOKS DEEPER INTO WHAT IS ON OFFER IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT DEFINES THE PHRASE “SMALL AND DEADLY”, IN THE FORM OF THE LCT SR-3M “VIKHR”. WHEN YOU START TO LOOK at modern Russian military firearms that would fit neatly into any OPFOR armoury then it’s a little like you’ve opened “Pandora’s Box” and found contained therein a veritable cornucopia of shooty goodness! Not so long ago you were limited to a decent yet “classic” AK with traditional wood furniture which, although thoroughly workmanlike, limited you a little if you wanted something a bit more modern. Of course, “real steel” external upgrade parts soon became available so you could “modernise” your AK and this accessory trickle soon became a raging torrent as you could pick up a whole wealth of parts, not just real but copies of these, both licensed and nonlicensed. There have always been some great AKS 74U replicas out there too (I ran a D-Boys version as my OPFOR “primary” for years until the “pot-metal” finally gave out!) which inevitably gave you further choice, especially with after-market parts for that being included with those of the full-sized sibling. More recently we’ve seen some absolutely stunning and utterly modern “tacticool” AK models hitting the market and believe me when I tell you, that there are most definitely more to come in the not-so-distant future (and they are already in the pipeline for review as and when they drop onto the market). 12

AUGUST 2018

But what if you want something that is utterly different to even the majority of the “Bloc Horde”, and what if you prefer something that is small and compact and 100% ready for CQB gaming? Look no further than the “Vikhr” SR-3M from LCT. LCT really seem to be pushing the boundaries of “Soviet Bloc” and “Russian Federation” replicas and both I and my Airsoft Action colleagues have reported on these as they’ve appeared; they are very much respected tools of our “airsoft OPFOR trade” and to date I’ve not come across an LCT that hasn’t performed exceedingly well straight from the box. Both the AS VAL and the VSS Vintorez models have joined the AKs in the LCT line and found great acclaim amongst users but, as I already run a custom “AK DMR”, these have largely passed me by (my loss as I understand it!). But the little “Vihkr”? That has certainly caught my attention! I’ve been considering a PP-19 “Bizon” as a bit of an “undercover gun” that I can easily collapse into a small pack for when I’m going all sneaky and concealed during a game and as something that I can carry in reserve when I take the Dragunov out on the prowl. However, having got my hands on the SR-3M this is now being seriously reconsidered!

REAPING THE WHIRLWIND!

The SR-3 “Vikhr” (“Whirlwind”), much like the old SU, is not in fact a SMG although it certainly looks like one but is a compact assault rifle based on the silenced 9mm AS VAL. It was developed at TsNIITochMash (Central Institute for Precision Machine Building) by A. Borisov and V. Levchenko during the early 1990s and entered service around 1996, although some models were seen “in action” as early as 1994. Initially known as “MA” (Malogabaritnyj Avtomat or small-size assault rifle),

armoury LCT SR-3M

it is chambered for the venerable 9×39mm round and intended for concealed carry by special VIP protection teams and State security personnel. The SR-3 is now widely used by FSO (Federal Protection Service which guards the President and the government of the Russian Federation) and FSB Federal Security Service personnel. It is also used by elite Russian counter-terror teams and other specialised users in the MVD and Russian police.

top-folder. The iron sights have also been relocated to the upper front handguard as opposed to being located on the suppressor to ensure that it is super-compact (just 396 mm/15.59” with the stock folded) when used without the suppressor. The SR-3M also came with a larger 30-round magazine, a change from the original 20-rounder that is common to the AS Val and the VSS Vintorez. Unique to the “FSB Family”, the trigger unit is quite unusual on the SR-3M with the AK-type safety being replaced by a lever above the pistol grip. The fire selector is of the cross-bolt, push button type and is located behind the trigger, inside the trigger guard, which if, like me, you are used to the standard operation of the AK style combined safety and selector can be a bit of a learning curve!

NO SLOUCH FOR A LITTLE GUY!

After the adoption of the original SR-3 “Vikhr”, the FSB, in particular, established a new operational doctrine with a goal to combining the qualities and common calibre of the SR-3, AS Val and VSS Vintorez, resulting in a new variant designated the SR-3M. This updated model features a quick-detach suppressor and a redesigned handguard with a collapsible foregrip, along with a side-folding skeleton stock rather than the original

It goes without saying really that internally all LCT AEGs are pretty darn solid and the little “Vihkr” is no exception to this. This cracking little AEG comes “skirmish ready” straight out of the box. The Taiwan-based company have been designing and manufacturing high-quality airsoft products for many years and it shows! Not only is the SR-3M very well priced at £230 but it’s reliable in performance and solid in build quality. Like their other AEGs the “Vikhr” features the same high-quality external build seen in LCT products, utilising 9mm bearings, a 2,2000rpm motor, a brass, chrome-plated cylinder and both the cylinder and piston heads are CNC Aluminium Alloy. The wiring throughout is high quality 18AWG, which is a notch above most at the moment. The features throughout are excellent as it comes with a full steel dust cover, lower receiver, flash hider, front sight, cocking handle and a unique style of flash hider that replicates the suppressor threading. The ribbed dust cover is slightly higher in profile than that of a regular AK, so I would urge you to try your optic “before you buy” to ensure a good fit, although the side optic fixtures are solid as a rock. The rifle also has a great, stubby yet attractive fore-end which incorporates the battery and folding foregrip; once deployed this is also extremely solid. Enhanced by high quality externals, scrupulously achieved internals and extreme attention to detail, the SR-3M is a strong, reliable AEG for those interested in something with a definite backstory and that is stunningly different from most airsoft rifles out there!

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armoury LCT SR-3M

“IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING REALLY THAT INTERNALLY ALL LCT AEGS ARE PRETTY DARN SOLID AND THE LITTLE “VIHKR” IS NO EXCEPTION TO THIS. THIS CRACKING LITTLE AEG COMES “SKIRMISH READY” STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX.” On the range it was first off to chrono and as I suspected, the sample came in perfectly for the UK market at a mean of 1.04 Joule/336fps using .20g RZR BBs. After correctly setting the hop at 10m CQB range on semi-auto using .25g RZR BBs, the thing was absolutely devastating straight out of the box; even with a somewhat short 220mm/6.02 inner barrel, it was definitely a case of hitting the target with every squeeze of the trigger! Moving out to 25m I switched the fire selector to its full-auto point and I was soon hitting my sandbags on controlled three-round bursts, although this quickly depleted the “20 round”/50BB magazine.

With the current “Airsoft Trend” towards close quarter battle encounters in “urban” settings, LCT have really hit the nail on the head with the “Vikhr” given its diminutive size, light weight (3.07kg) and its ease of transition from target to target! The rifle comes as standard with a 50 BB “polymer” MidCap magazine which is common to both the LCT VAL and Vintorez and HiCaps are available if you really want them. For me this would be an AEG for those short-range, short-engagement “shoot and scoot” situations but as with many small AEGs, it is quite capable of holding its own in your local woodland too! If you’re interested in finding out more about the SR-3 and SR-3M models please contact Fire Support via their website www.fire-support.co.uk, or call them on 01733 247171.

features Length: 695mm stock open/405mm stock folded Weight: 3070g Power: 1.04 Joule/336fps Material: Steel and “Polymer” Outer Barrel: Steel CNC Gear Bushing: 9mm Bearing Wiring: 18AWG Cylinder: CNC Aluminium Alloy Motor: 22000 rpm LCT

AUGUST 2018

armoury PTS CENTURION ARMS ERG

SINCE PARTING FROM MAGPUL, PTS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING SOME RIGHTEOUS PARTS, SO WILL THEIR NEW ERG M4 LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS? SCOTT ALLAN TAKES A FIRST LOOK…

CENTURION AT ARMS THE NEW PTS CENTURION ARMS ERG rifle boasts the latest AEG 3 system and shows some marked improvements over the previous versions, it’s been a long time coming and I hope it’s been worth the wait. This Electric Recoil Gun (ERG) is built in conjunction with KWA and manufactured in Taiwan, which means you’ve got a tried and tested system that will deliver a solid performance time and time again.

WHO ARE KWA?

KWA was massive back a while ago but they seemed to have slipped into the background somewhat these days. Their gas blowbacks are still some of the best ever made and their ERGs have always been highly thought of. I guess their lack of push and marketing is the main reason for the quiet spell we see in the UK for them. PTS, on the other hand, continue to provide high-end cosmetic parts for AEGs, GBB, Systema and Tokyo Marui. Their own AEGs disappeared a while back with the loss of the Magpul contract and we’ve been in a two year gap for an electric PTS rifle. So what is special about these rifles I hear you ask? Well, apart from a sea of acronyms, the rifle sports the KFS system... No, not knife, fork and spoon but “Kinetic Feedback System” and this recoil system is excellent! I have seen and used every blowback

august 2018

system there is available today and this is quite simply one of the best. The improvement list is quite impressive too over the old system, so it is nice to see it’s not just another rebadged OEM being pumped out.

REAL STEEL

The M4 platform is an unsurpassed legendary weapon, dozens of companies manufacture the platform and even more countries purchase them for use. As a 5.56mm rifle it uses the standard NATO ammunition in a gas operated, magazine fed, selective fire weapon. Few weapons have ever been so adaptable with many replacement stocks, barrels, grips and aiming devices. This versatility is undoubtedly the key to the success of the platform and why that more and more Airsoft versions appear every year.

THE PTS CENTURION ARMS ERG

Regardless of how much I liked the previous Professional Training and Simulation (PTS) version (and it really, really was very good) there were always niggles. Such as the front wired system, it just made battery choice and replacement an unnecessary hassle. The Magpul PTS versions were very cool and I do miss them but the new Enhanced Polymer range that PTS offer really is the next best thing and, although they are Airsoft parts, they are suitable for use on Real Steel firearms. The weight of the rifle is higher than average due to the physical weight used to generate the recoil and that might make it a little tiring for smaller players to use during longer games. Performance is key these days and a rifle over £400 is always going to attract a little bit of attention from all players. The new AEG 3 Kinetic Feedback System is their best yet and now that the wiring is run to the rear, the functionality of the rifle is even better. It still feels a little “rear heavy” for my liking

armoury PTS CENTURION ARMS ERG

features 10” PTS Centurion Arms C4 Rail 10.3” CQB Length Barrel Enhanced Back Up Iron Sights (EPBUIS) – consists of a low profile snag-free design that is unobtrusive when collapsed. Blending design with practicality, the EPBUIS includes elevation and windage adjustments as well as dual apertures for close and precise long distance shooting. Allowing the user to be versatile, adapting to any given situation. Enhanced Polymer Magazine (ERG) – New 30/120 rounds switch can fill all your airsoft needs. EP Grip – Compact (EPG - C) – More vertical compact grip angle with improved ergonomics EP Stock (EPS) – a simple yet highly functional collapsible polymer stock. Features unique cheek welds that are both comfortable and practical with storage compartments for tools and utilities. Rear Wired & Li-Po Ready – Can handle the power of 11.1v Li-Po batteries. but a torch on the front rail should be enough to even that out. The new magazines are still switchable from 30 to 120 rounds but it is now even easier than before. The electrical cut off still works, so you have the “stop on empty” feature there and if you want to use regular M4 magazines they will still work (but you lose the stop on empty system). There is also a quick change spring system for playing between sites with different power limits. No more having an “indoor” and an “outdoor” gun. The Centurion Arms does it all!

SUMMARY OF FEATURES

On paper this all looks excellent and it certainly does reflect the price tag of £415. PTS and KWA products are largely accepted as the benchmark of quality in the Airsoft industry and this is a fine example of a good, high-end product and it is cheaper

than the Marui recoil alternatives. The new magazines, new wiring system and all the extra PTS goodies included really make it a brilliant package.

SUMMARY OF PERFORMANCE

The recoil is all you feel and all you hear! Imagine everything you like about a gas blow back function but with the reliability of an electric system. That is what you have here… a snap in the trigger, a thud of recoil and then silence until you pull the trigger again. Mild disappointments are present, the ejection port does not move at all during operation, which might bother some people and often the rifle dry fires the first round, like the TM but unlike the Systema. If the ejection port cover moved and it fired the first BB this would be the only rifle you would ever need to buy. But that

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armoury PTS CENTURION ARMS ERG

“I HAD THE MAGAZINE SET FOR 120 ROUNDS AND IN ALL HONESTY, I DOUBT I WOULD EVER GO FOR 30 ROUNDS UNLESS IT WAS FOR SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC OR I WANTED TO MAKE THINGS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR MYSELF. MY FIRST ROUNDS FIRED REALLY DID RAISE A MASSIVE GRIN.” said, these are just small points if I have to pick a faults, which I do. Internally the recoil is generated by a weight in the stock tube - like the TM version and in the old versions this meant your rifle was front wired. Now using a little ingenious wiring running to the stock, the battery can live in the stock where it should be. The main spring needs to be short and matched to the buffer spring for a consistent shot and crisp recoil. If they do not match you lose recoil, so this could be an issue for inexperienced technicians working on the rifle. The piston and piston head are standard types with a bespoke air nozzle and tappet plate. The gears are steel, unlike the TM alloy types and mean you can enjoy a high number of skirmishes without worrying about them stripping. The motor is a KWA hightorque which, coupled with the gear ratios and a 11.1v Lipo, is responsible for the realistic snap and recoil. It generates a good kick, getting up near a real rifle although it has less of a bang, obviously!

USE IN THE GAME FIELD

With this being a compact M4 platform it is useful on all the sites you could ever play at. The weight still surprises me and I opted for a Magpul MS3 sling on it to help out. I had the magazine set for 120 rounds and in all honesty, I doubt I would ever go for 30 rounds unless it was for something very specific

Specification Colour – Black Dimension – 720 mm (stock retracted), 800mm (stock extended) Weight – 3.30 KG Hop-Up – Adjustable Magazine Capacity – 30 / 120 rounds switchable Power Source – KSC/KWA derived proprietary ERG system Shooting Modes – Safe / Semi Auto / Full Auto Outer Barrel Length – 10.30” Inner Barrel Length - 294mm Rate of Fire – 19+ RPS Velocity – 350 fps / 1.2 Joules with Blaster 0.20g BB Power – NiMH or LiPo/LiFe batteries or I wanted to make things much more difficult for myself. My first rounds fired really did raise a massive grin. With more power than the Marui and I think a little more recoil it would be easy to assume that the ERG is better and in many ways I would agree. But personal preference is just that and I’ll still always love Marui and PTS rifles.

CONCLUSION

It has been a long time coming and I’m glad the new PTS ERG wasn’t just a straight rehash of the old system. The improvements needed to be done and the larger capacity magazine, the rear wiring and the new PTS EP parts are all great updates over the old version. The recoil is still the same brilliant kick and reliability is provided via the same great system. I for one am happy that PTS are back on the radar with electric guns and I really do hope to see many more in the next year or so.

august 2018

The new Strike Systems ATS Magazine by ASG has 300 BB capacity with an easy access, ultra strong rip-cord winding system combined with a high traction custom moulded exterior. This allows you to bring more firepower to bear in any AR magazine compatible gun!

ATS MAGAZINE

ActionSportGamesÂŽ is a worldwide leader in the business of replica firearms and accessories manufacturing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including Airsoft guns, Airguns, CO2 guns and firearms replicas.

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042-0618_June2018

Available now from all ASG retailers in both black and tan colour options

15-06-2018 11:53:49

FilmSim GUNMAN AIRSOFT 1990S

DELTAS OF SUHUD: 27 HOURS IN HULMUTT TRIBESMAN, GOAT HERDER, LION HUNTER, REBEL, POLICEMAN, SOLDIER AND KGB OPERATIVE. THESE WERE THE CREW ROLES TOM HIBBERD PLAYED IN GUNMAN AIRSOFT’S FANTASTIC GAME SET IN THE MIDDLE-EAST IN THE 1990s. Photos by Tom Hibberd and Martin Calvert

IN AN INTERESTING TWIST, there weren’t two sides in this event. The “players” were representing a US/UK joint task force on a deep insertion mission. Opposed against them were the “crew” and our job was to make sure that the players had the best possible experience. This doesn’t mean making life easy for them, however, as some of the most memorable games come from adversity!

A CALL TO ARMS

Browsing Facebook one morning I came across a post from Josh at Gunman Airsoft, looking for crew for an event. Intrigued, I clicked through and discovered that he needed people to come along and help out on an event he was organising. This was over two days (three if you arrived Friday night) and what’s more it was free! Of course, you can’t expect something for nothing and there was a large degree of roleplaying needed to facilitate the story and mission for

ARMOURY My trusty LCT AK was out of action so in a bit of panic I contacted my team mates and friends and eventually borrowed Paul Mooney’s lovely E&L AKS74U (Thanks Paul!). However, Gunman can provide pretty much everything you might need for the weekend. As well as all the costumes for the various parts they have a plethora of period correct airsoft guns. This adds to the immersion, as we were able to fit the weaponry to the job at hand. This meant taking bolt action rifles when tribesmen and single shot springers when playing the police. There were times when more serious firepower was called for, so I did come to appreciate the AKS74U!

August 2018

the paying players. Having spent some of my teenage years participating in various “Dungeons & Dragons” campaigns this sounded right up my street. I enlisted my good friend Ben to join me and we signed up!

ARRIVING IN SUHUUD

Our venue for the weekend was the glorious Huntley Wood. We’ve previously covered this in Airsoft Action but to cut a long story short, this is a huge 170 acre site in Staffordshire. It features varied terrain, lakes, cliffs, forest, grass plains, quarries and amble camping. Gunman had hired two thirds of the site including the finest toilet and shower block I have ever seen! Laid out before us was an amazing amount of gear for the crew to use over the weekend, such as Arab garb, water bottles, headwear, webbing, rubber spades and pickaxes. Josh also provided all the uniforms we needed for the police and military roles we would be playing. After pitching our tents we joined the rest of the players and crew for the safety brief and overview of what we were trying to achieve over the weekend.

The crew make regular role changes to keep the story flowing!

The first task of the day was to dress as tribesmen and get to know the site. This meant walking the many paths and tracks, as well as meeting the UK and US forces and beginning to develop a relationship with them.

FilmSim

WARCRIMES IN SUHUD

Forces in unprovoked attack. Two Lion Hunters shot by US By Hakim e region two innocent goat n a crime that has shocked the entir by foreign soldiers. The shot and ked attac been herders have two men were out hunting a lion that had been attacking their goats when they came across an invading force of Americans. After providing the US troops with valuable firewood and a prized walking stave they then after they had shot at the big set off to stalk the beast. Shortly under vicious and malicious cat the herders themselves came t herders Tumas (41) suffered Goa . nded wou fire and were badly was shot though the upper an arm wound and Binyameen (34) before being handed army US the by ed treat chest. They were their village. The to back rted esco over to local Rebels to be n reporting on the local regio the in be to y luck was Sun Suhud to get a photo of the plucky Lion wildlife problems and was able . Hunters and the man that shot them

GUNMAN AIRSOFT 1990S

Shortly after filing his last article the local reporter disappeared in mysterious circumstances... The Suhud military took an interest in the area and after several violent firefights spent the night assaulting the Taskforce FOB. In the morning licking their wounds the Suhud Army withdrew lured by Rebels leaving the Taskforce free to begin patrolling again!

The GRAUN IAD

SAS IN COVERT OPERATION IN SUHUD

A joint UK & US Taskforce has come under

By Tom Hibberd – Middle Eastern Correspon

dent

fire in Suhud

After confusing the task force and fraying their nerves they were invited to a local village to meet the Elders and explain their presence in the region. During the discussions a firefight broke out between the troops and local rebels. Several villagers were caught in the crossfire and after administering medical aid the UK contingent withdrew back to their FOB. This however allowed the local Police to move in…

LOCAL REBEL VILLAGE OT – POLICE SH DESTROYED ping Hulmutt region for rebel Suhud Police start swee enclaves

By Hakim re stability to the Hulmutt n an operation designed to resto to mop up cells of rebels n begu region Sudud police have onents of General Waqas hiding out in local villages. Opp g these villages to hide out usin be to n Achem have been know tful government. After righ and prepare for actions against the became clear to the it y ponr wea et Sovi of es observing cach stop tribespeople to set be to ed police that an example need lightning strike the rebel a In . state the of ies enem ng harbouri several prisoners taken for village was burnt to the ground and interrogation. by field UK troops were During the interrogation in a near e carrying out their rightful polic the observed moving in to stop t of the police were murdered duty. In a shocking incident mos ls freed. Luckily the driver of rebe the and iers by the foreign sold nded comrades were able wou his the police vehicle and some of western intervention in of tale their tell to ush amb to escape the

It has come to light that UK and US forces have been operating in the country of Suhud, rumours had reached our office in Cairo that conflict was occurring between forces loyal to the country's President, General Waqas Achem and the Taskforce. Waqas came to power during a military coup and has been opening diplomatic relations with Moscow in order to sell oil. We can’t confirm why the Taskforce is in the country but we can only speculate that the selling of oil behind the former Iron Curtain is of concern to the West. Locals told the Grauniad that several firefights occurred yesterday, one of which lasted well into the early hours of the night. Tracer fire,

explosions and screams rocked the countryside causing villagers to flee the area. This morning the Suhud Army left the Hulmutt region, their commanding officer tells us that this was to pursue the regions Rebels who had withdrawn following the fighting. This leaves only the police to carry out any operations. The police are hostile to the Taskforce following an intervention preventing the torturing of rebel prisoners and have vowed to ‘kick the foreign invaders out of Suhud’. We witnessed an ambush by the SAS on a police unit who had set out to engage the Taskforce. Fighting continues in the province and the only thing that is clear is that more bloodshed will occur before the dust settles on this once peaceful country.

War had well and truly been declared between the Taskforce and the Suhud Police. Numerous engagements lit up the forests and plains of the area. However after viewing intel recovered from the battlefield the UK commander began to worry that the Police were up to something. www.airsoft-action.online

FilmSim GUNMAN AIRSOFT 1990S

The GRAUNIAD

BRITISH OFFICER BRIBES SUHUD POLICE FORCES – WMDS USED

As armed conflict erupts in Hulmutt province UK troops are implicated in cash for weapons scandal

By Tom Hibberd – Middle Eastern Correspondent We’ve only been in the country for a day and the fighting between a a UK & US Taskforce and the Suhud Police Force has escalated in le seemingly unstoppable tidal wave of violence. However in an incredib development the Grauniad has come across an attempt by a British Army Officer to bribe an Suhud Police captain. This was for revealing the location of a British nuclear waste container being used to poison local water supplies. We witnessed the exchange and have this exclusive is all image revealing the length the Taskforce is prepared to go to. This nts the more remarkable given just hours previously these two combata other. each were in open warfare with

After gaining the intelligence needed the Taskforce inserted patrols but were unable to fight through to the local river to find out what had been going on. What’s more as the fighting intensified the noose tightened around the hard-pressed UK and US soldiers. When their captain fell the soldiers mounted up and moved out of the operational area.

The GRAUNIAD

E RUN IN SUHUD UK TROOPS ON TH d Police in Hulmutt Province UK & US Taskforce ambushed by Suhu

By Tom Hibberd – Middle Eastern Correspondent the death of the commanding officer. The Following our previous reports of fighting MOD has not as yet released the names of between the Taskforce and Suhud Police we the fallen stating that they needed to contact that t inciden ng alarmi an of have learned the soldier’s families first before releasing troops has resulted in the withdrawal of the names to the media. The Grauniad from the area. As negotiations were taking witnessed the Taskforce mounting their forces US & UK hed place the Police ambus vehicles and rapidly leaving as large numbers causing a number of casualties including

August 2018

of Police could be seen arriving and massing for an attack. Tensions have been high since UKSF intervened in an incident of Police interrogating local Rebels. We don’t know where the troops are heading but will endeavour to find out and continue reporting on this conflict.

armoury RAVEN EU17

AT THE BACK END OF 2017 THE RAVEN EU18 HIT THE AIRSOFT MARKET AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY SOLD OUT! THERE ARE BIG PLANS AFOOT FOR THE NEW PISTOL BRAND WITH NUMEROUS MODELS LINED UP TO JOIN THE RANGE AND THE LATEST OF THESE, THE EU17, IS GOING TO PLEASE AN AWFUL LOT OF PLAYERS – AS BILL EXPLAINS…

WIN ONE OF FOUR RAVEN EU PISTOLS WE HAVE TWO EU17 AND TWO EU18 RAVEN PISTOLS, COMPLETE WITH NUPROL NX400 LIGHT/LASER UNITS AND RETENTION HOLSTERS TO GIVE AWAY IN THIS ISSUE!

RAVENS FLYING HIGH

TO WIN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ENTER THE COMPETITION ON PAGE 60.

LET’S START WITH THIS SHALL we? If it has four legs, a cold nose, a waggy tail and barks, it’s a dog, right? So, if the pistol in question has a blocky metal slide, a polymer lower, a “universal rail” and a “safe action” trigger it must be… an EU17! Okay, we all know that a certain firearms manufacturer has allegedly set its cap at defining its products in the airsoft market, so of course we all need to be very careful in what we talk about in relation to “shape, form and name”. Realistically talking though, the whole thing has become a bit of a joking matter for many, even to the point of us saying “there is no such thing as an airsoft X” although this is not now the case and many manufacturers out there make an “X” RIF. The RAVEN EU17 is the “17” that we all know and love though and certainly both RAVEN and parent company, NUPROL, seem to be giving us UK players exactly the tools we

need to perfect our “British Army” loadouts. The recent release of the SIERRA shotguns (which Jerry reviewed positively in the July issue of Airsoft Action) means that there is now a solid and affordable L128A1, so NUPROL just need to bring us an L85A3 and we’ll be all set! I am definitely loving this as NUPROL have always been a company I’ve admired since they set up shop; I was lucky enough to be in right at the beginning of their wonderful journey and I can only echo the sentiments of fellow airsofters and my colleagues when they say “Well done NUPROL!” Not so long ago all airsoft guns entering the UK were made overseas and dealt with, in some cases, by distributors that appeared to have very little interest in what they were selling on and “what happened next” once we’d bought them.

“WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE FACTORIES IN THE FAR EAST, ROSS AND THE TEAM HAVE SCOURED THE BEST PARTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND PUT THEM TOGETHER IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE WAY TO BRING US THEIR NEW SERIES OF PISTOLS THAT ARE QUITE UNIQUE TO THEM.” 24

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armoury RAVEN EU17

NUPROL have genuinely “changed the game” in this respect and we players have real recourse at last! My good mate Trent, that “Man in the Red Van”, is a very obvious face of the brand as he makes his way around UK shops, sites and events talking to both retailers and players, however, it’s by no means unusual to find Ross, Danny and Hannah out and about for a chat too. At the Northern Shooting Show in May both Ross and Hannah were there for the duration, speaking to players face to face and taking on comments whether good, bad or indifferent. But I have to ask what is there to be indifferent about? Every manufacturer, in whatever industry you care to mention, has the odd “lemon” and I know for a fact that this is the case with NUPROL. Luckily for us they tend to catch any real “howlers” before they go to market and we part with our money in the first place and if there is a problem, even the tiniest, in my experience it is dealt with quickly and professionally “in country”. No longer is it the case of sending your beloved RIF all the way back to Hong Kong to some faceless retailer if you find there’s an issue to be dealt with…

A GENUINE RAVEN!

In the case of the RAVEN pistols, many have stated that they believe the products to be simple re-brands of existing models but once again I have to tell you that this could not be further from the truth! Working directly with the factories in the Far East, Ross and the team have scoured the best parts that are available and put them together in their own unique way to bring us their new series of pistols that are quite unique to them. There are many “tell tales” for the experienced player that show the RAVENs are genuinely new models; if you look in the box for instance when you receive your new EU17, you’ll find a set of interchangeable backstraps (you might say here “Gen 4” style…), a little bag containing spare O-Rings and even a spare nozzle! The RAVEN pistol range already offers you a choice of two “EU” models and an MEU as well and a very satisfying choice it is too, which is destined to grow even more! The EU17 is very well made and feels solid and “good to go” in the hand, weighing in at 690g with a magazine fitted. The “17”does, as one of my colleagues correctly noted, feel a little “light” but that’s actually the same in the real world if you look at the “real deal” which weighs just 625g unloaded. On the range the EU17 performs satisfyingly well; using RZR .20g BBs and NUPROL 2.0 Gas the pistol came in at a healthy 0.84 Joule/301fps. The readings were a “mean” over 10 BBs and there was very little drop-off from first to last which indicates to me that the gas mech is very efficient. I would be very interested to see what the EU17 registers using CO2! In terms of accuracy

“ONCE AGAIN I HAVE TO STATE THAT I’M VERY, VERY SATISFIED WITH THE RAVEN GBB EU17 PISTOL MODEL AND I’D GLADLY HAVE IT AS A ‘SECONDARY’ WHEN ‘STUFF HITS THE FAN’.” the pistol was consistently knocking down the plates at 10 metres and as we’ve said before, if you’re having to engage a target with a handgun over 10m then all I can say is that you must be having a REALLY bad day! Once again I have to state that I’m very, very satisfied with the RAVEN GBB EU17 pistol model and I’d gladly have it as a “secondary” when “stuff hits the fan”. The EU18 served me very well indeed in Crete, not missing a beat in quite extreme conditions and I’m sure the EU17 will prove equally as reliable. The EU17 is very well made, functions smoothly and efficiently, is superbly presented, and performs every bit as well as I’d hoped it would. Priced around £85 and available in black or a very attractive and up-to-the-minute black/tan, the EU17 will be a great addition to your armoury as either your first airsoft pistol or if you need an extra, reliable backup! There are already complementary accessories available in the NUPROL range, such as the new Torch Bearing Holster for the EU, along with some excellent pistol lights like the NX200 and NX300 that fit perfectly and give you a winning combo. I’ll also tell you that the EU17 fits super-snugly in a Safariland if you’re really going for that “UKSF” look! For more information on the RAVEN pistol range and stockist details do please pay a visit to www.rvnairsoft.com

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NUPROL HARD CASES

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

- XL CASES - LARGE CASES

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DOMINATE THE FIELD

EVENT MIDLANDS AIRSOFT FAIR 2018

KELLY AND TOM MAKE THE TRIP TO RUTLAND TO VISIT ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING AIRSOFT EVENTS HELD IN THE MIDLANDS.

S D N A MIDL R I A F T F O S R I A EVERY YEAR (usually twice a year) Ammo Drop hosts the Midlands Airsoft Fair at the Gaol Events in Oakham, an airsoft boot fair that where big retailers/brands can showcase/sell new products and airsoft booters sell/swap second hand gear as well as get a taster game of the site, a chance to run a 3 gun course and of course, take part in the raffle in aid of the Pilgrim Bandits. Although the event usually runs twice a year, this year April is the only event in 2018 so we decided to get ourselves down and see the progress of one of the fastest-growing Airsoft events held in the Midlands.

KELLY’S VIEW

First off, let me give those of you who are unfamiliar with the Gaol a quick rundown… The Gaol Events is an intense CQB site that is housed in wings of the former men’s low security prison HM Prison Ashwell, in Oakham, Rutland. Although the majority of the Prison was redeveloped as part of the Oakham Enterprise Park in 2013, three of the former wings remain with cells intact for players to fight though, along with large outdoor spaces including the exercise yard that still has all the old features of the Prison, from the barbed wire to high prison mesh walls. The site itself is impressive and having played at the Gaol on a few occasions, I can say that if you like really close quarter combat, the Gaol is definitely a site you should try. My favourite areas of the site are G Wing – a long wooden building that holds a maze made from the old cells – it is pitch black, super 28

AUGUST 2018

EVENT MIDLANDS AIRSOFT FAIR 2018

close quarters and absolutely terrifying. This part of the site is one of the toughest areas to clear in the attack and defend game modes! I am also really partial to E Wing as well, a huge brick building that houses cells, common rooms, stairwells and low light corridors to battle your way through. I arrived onsite at 10am (when doors opened) and was pretty flabbergasted by what I saw! Every year I have attended there has been a queue for entry as the fair is always popular but I have never seen a queue as big as this! The queue ran from the doors and ALL the way through the prison gate at the end of the road, which is amazing! It’s awesome to see so many players coming together to support local companies and local events. A ticket to the event, has gone up from previous years and will set you back £8 – this includes entry to the fair itself, a sausage or bacon cob, a run on the 3 gun course and a taster game within a section of the gaming area. Although the price has gone up, I still believe that it is a great price point for a day out with your friends, especially considering breakfast is included! The event runs from 10am until 3.30pm. For April 2018’s fair we saw an increase in both airsoft booters and retailers but we were missing some key brands from the previous years. Retailers/brands included: The Pilgrim Bandits, Staffordshire Militaria Supplies, Nuprol, ASG, BombUp Airsoft, Leicester Airsoft, Dangerzone Customs, Pine Tree, High Pressure Airsoft, Airsoft Direct, Socom Tactical, RedWolf, Just Paracord UK, The Draft Club, Valken and Kydex Customs UK. Along with the huge number of private sellers that lined the gaol walk ways, there really was something to appeal to everyone. The private sellers make up a huge bulk of the retailers onsite and they are in almost every nook and cranny of the Gaol’s many hallways. Pitches vary from small to large depending on how much kit you have to shift. When talking to some of the private sellers, at not even 10.30am they had already made a fair amount of sales – which instantly made me regret not booking my own pitch! Haha!

It’s great that the fair also has booters alongside the big brands and retailers because it adds something different to the event and, as the old saying goes, “one person’s trash is another’s treasure”! Depending on my schedule next year I am hoping to run my own stall to shift some of the kit I’ve hoarded over the last few years and I’ll be reporting from the position of a seller which will be an interesting read for those of you who would consider having a stall yourselves! The three taster games running during the day (in one of the enclosed prison wings) are perfect to give players who haven’t yet played the Gaol (and those who are considering joining the sport) the opportunity to sample the site before booking onto a gameday. For those of us who have already played, it’s a great half an hour shoot. The 3 gun course is also another element to the day that appeals those who are interested in AISPC. Although you can run the course with your own weapons, it is a practical shooting course set-up in one of the prison wings that has card and metal targets to hit whilst being timed by the onsite staff.

This year, something new was added to the agenda, an auction to raise money for the Pilgrim Bandits! Punters at the fair bid on the following with all the money going to the charity: a Polarstar Jack that sold for £160.00, Wolverine £170.00, a full HPA Tank set-up including line and regulator sold for £120, an ASG Storm 360 grenade that went for £60 and a Tokyo Marui KSG Shotgun that sold for £330! At every event the fair hosts a raffle that is always one of the key features and this year the prizes were bigger and better than ever, donated by various companies and brands: Tokyo

IN A WORLD OF ONLINE SHOPPING, IT WAS GREAT TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE A VARIETY OF RIFS AND ACCESSORIES BEFORE COMMITTING TO BUYING THEM. THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BONUSES OF GOING TO THE FAIR AND ALLOWS YOU TO DIRECTLY COMPARE DIFFERENT MAKES AND MODELS.

Marui 416, King Arms M4, Valken Battle Machine, NUPROL EU17 Pistol, Viper Belt set up, Viper Spec Ops Chest Rig, 2 X DZ Tactical mag carrier, Pine Tree MRE collection, Airsoft Innovations XL Burst, another Airsoft Innovations bundle, Kydex Holster and £30 of Patches. Overall, the Midlands Airsoft Fair 2018 was a resounding success! I had a great time catching up with friends and meeting followers. I think the fair gives airsofters a great opportunity to sell/swap kit and also purchase new goods from the retailers onsite. It was amazing to see such an increase in footfall at this event, airsofters supporting their local businesses and brands is super important for our industry and economy. The admission price to the event is reasonable, even more so when you consider that the cost of breakfast and the raffle tickets are included (those who won prizes such as the TM 416 are laughing!). I am a little sad that this is the last event for 2018 but I cannot wait to see the next instalment of the Midlands Airsoft Fair in 2019. The total amount raised for The Pilgrim Bandits (who are also Airsoft Action’s chosen charity) and Prostate Cancer UK was just over £800, which is a great amount and will go towards both helping injured service men and women live a full life again and in the fight against Prostate Cancer which is the third biggest cancer killer in the UK. It’s amazing to see the community come together to support such worthy causes!

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE BY TOM “ANVIL” HIBBERD:

I decided to go to the show as a customer rather than as a reporter. In addition I took two novice airsofters, my partner Jo and her daughter Erin. They’ve only played a couple of games and were interested in what the sport has to offer, especially in terms of kit and clothing. It appears that the fair is becoming a victim of its own success! We arrived for the advertised opening time for 10am but were confronted with a rather large queue. This stretched out down the access road and consisted of 100s of players. It www.airsoft-action.online

EVENT MIDLANDS AIRSOFT FAIR 2018

was very good natured aside from a bit of grumbling but then the British are very good at standing in line. We eventually reached the front at 11.30am so had been waiting for nearly 90 minutes! There was only one member of staff at the payment desk and a couple of others handing out raffle tickets. I would suggest that the organisers work on ways to speed up this process next time. The entrance fee included entry, a breakfast cob (lovely sausages) and some tickets to the raffle supporting the Pilgrim Bandits charity. After indulging in our food and having a hot drink we had a walk around the site to have a look at what was on offer. I had a few things that I was looking for so needed to have a good rummage. There was a good mix of retailer stands and “bring and buy” set ups. Due to the nature of the site (a prison) making sure you’ve seen everything is a bit convoluted. There isn’t really a solution to this issue other than moving the venue and that would bring a whole host of issues with visibility to the public and security. Just take your time and be methodical. What was a bit of shock (and this is more indicative of Airsoft as a whole) was a lack of female kit and clothing! We did eventually find a couple of items of surplus DPM in a bargain pile and some coloured accents on a couple of

guns. We recently had Kelly Hardwick in the Airsoft Action TV Studio to talk about this and it’s opened my eyes to the issue. It certainly inspired Jo, who has been talking about getting a pitch at the next fair to tailor combat clothing for women. In a world of online shopping, it was great to be able to handle a variety of RIFs and accessories before committing to buying them. This is one of the biggest bonuses of going to the fair and allows you to directly compare different makes and models.

I did find a few bits and bobs and was pleased with them. I’ve got a NUPROL Raven MEU in for long term testing and so needed a holster to carry it during games. I came across a variety at one table and settled on what would originally have been an expensive custom Kydex holster for just £10. Next was a rear back up iron site for my MK18-ISH carbine, this was deep inside the Gaol and needed some looking for. It’s a lovely high quality steel piece and directly replaces the “look-alike” plastic one that was in place before, an absolute bargain for £3! Finally, I’ve been looking for a dangler pouch to expand the storage on my chest rig and I picked up the Viper Scrote from the Ammo Drop Store. This is more or less a direct clone of the Ferro Concepts Dangler. It’s not as well stitched but did only cost £10 rather than the £40+ of the original. Even though there were a few niggles it’s always well worth the trip to the fair. I’ll certainly be back next time though maybe behind a stand in addition to shopping for bargains!

July 2018

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team profile DIREWOLF AIRSOFT UK

DIREWOLFAIRSOFT UK AT AIRSOFT ACTION WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM TEAMS WHO READ THE MAGAZINE SO WHEN TOM BATTSON CONTACTED US, WE WERE ONLY TOO PLEASED TO LET HIM TELL US ABOUT HIS. OVER TO TOM… I GUESS IT ALL BEGAN 4 years ago when my younger brother suggested we try airsoft. I’d never heard of it but after he showed me a few videos on YouTube I was very interested. So we spent a bit of time researching sites and kit and then spent a lot of money getting the RIFs and kit we wanted then found our local site and booked ourselves on for a game. Our local site was Ace Airsoft War Games (a site I later became one of the managers of for about a year) and it’s safe to say I was hooked after one game! I loved it, that first game I made quite a few friends and after a few more games we decided to put a team together and Boom! Direwolf Airsoft UK was born! Originally it was made of 5 members including myself and my brother. The other members suggested that I be the Team’s leader and I began to see where I could take the team. I made an Instagram, Facebook, and shortly after a YouTube account, consisting of game play footage. In the 4 years since then the team has grown, expanded and evolved and strong friendships were born - including me and my fiancée meeting. Just shows that airsoft is full of surprises! “I enjoy playing Airsoft as it gives me an adrenaline buzz I have not felt since retiring from professional football. I feel the

sport brings a very competitive edge and that the realism of the guns adds to the excitement. I used to play paintball but then discovered Airsoft and feel it offers so much more, the price is a lot less, the community is more approachable and there is way more realism. Being part of the Direwolves means being surrounded by likeminded players but also becoming close friends that we can become a strong team and can have a great understanding of how we can all play in different environments/game modes.” - DW09 - Troy Today the team has amassed a fair following and we have 5 sponsors: Military1st, One Tigris, Velocity Patches, Shropshire airsoft supplies, and TS blades. We also have 3 official affiliated teams: Direwolves Airsoft Team (Canada), Disavowed Airsoft Crew, and Team TCFO. We have also made connections with teams and players from France, Germany, America, Canada, Sweden, Wales, Scotland Ireland, and Greece. We always have airsofters asking how to join or how to become “a Direwolf” and we have a few potential recruits in the works, so we will be adding to our team’s ranks. The team is thriving and is ready to take the next steps within the airsoft community. The team is popular and well known nationally,

MEET THE TEAM DW01 –GHOST (CAPTAIN) DW02 – LUNA (2IC) DW03 – BAMBI (3IC) DW04 – VOODOO DW05 – REAPER DW06 – ODIN DW07 – IRIS PIC: CHARLIE BATTSON

august 2018

DW09 – TROY

PIC: GRAHAM FROM AIRSOFT ADDICT

team profile DIREWOLF AIRSOFT UK

however, it wasn’t until NAE 17 that I really took notice of how well the team was actually doing when I spoke to the guys from ASG. Just in general conversation about their stall, their RIFs and BBs they noticed our patch and said “Ahh, so you’re the Direwolves! We’ve heard of you.” I was quite surprised and impressed that a name as big as ASG had heard of our team! “Airsoft to me is an escape from the daily grind that is real life, I get to be part of what I see as a truly amazing community. I have made friends for life in the Direwolves and I know when we are on the field I can trust the person beside me to watch my back” – DW03 - Bambi Through our 4 years of being together the team has always had strong bond, forming friendships that extend outside of airsoft. Our love for the sport has always stayed the same, we all come from different walks of life, we all use different kit, different weapons, different styles of playing and we all have different jobs but we are all one team and all one family. If anything, we represent and reflect what airsoft is all about and that’s having fun! Even off the field we try to meet up for meals out, drinks, BBQs and social events. “Being part of the Direwolves for me turns playing airsoft from a weekend hobby to something much greater than that, a passion. Being able to play in this skilled team, knowing that every member has your back and is pushing for the objective as one makes me feel part of something special. A brotherhood!” – DW05 - Reaper We do take ourselves seriously as a team, we train regularly; have rules and a team ethos, even a rank structure. We run our social media as professionally as we can. We all love the sport, the community and the social side of airsoft. We take pride in our appearance and pride wearing the patch and our sponsor’s patches and we are very proud of what our team represents.

We have some big things on the horizon, looking forward to attending the National Airsoft Festival for our fourth year in a row. It’s a fantastic way to meet new teams and meet up for some team vs team competitive fun or teaming up together! Not to mention the mass airsoft car boot sale, Zero One airsoft shop, plus BBQ and beers! Arguably one of our favourite events of the year! If you are fortunate enough to be there this year look for our flag (it will be flying high), come say hello and have a beer with us! We are due to release new videos and reviews of sites and gear, we also have some big news that applies nationally and internationally “I used to play airsoft alone; I was never interested in joining a team because my game play is different to others. I’m very light footed and quiet. Not only that I am small and I can sneak up on enemy quickly unnoticed. It wasn’t until I began to speak to Tom (callsign Ghost) that I began to consider becoming part of a team. Myself and Tom began a relationship and soon after I joined the Direwolves. I have no regrets, this is a team to be proud of and as 2IC I am proud to lead Direwolf Arisoft UK into battle.” – DW02 - Luna One of the things to take away about us is we are more than just a team, we are a family! We are Direwolf Airsoft UK! PIC; DIREWOLF AIRSOFT UK

“I play airsoft because it gives me a huge adrenaline rush. I love the excitement and the unknown elements of every game and situations we play. I am proud to be part of the Direwolves because as a foreigner I have never been made to feel less than I am and it gives me great pride to be part of something as big as the Direwolf Airsoft Team!” – DW06 –Odin We travel as far and wide as we can. Our most recent venture was to RAF Upwood Urban Assault. A fantastic site we 100% recommend it to any airsofter. The buildings are covered in graffiti and derelict, which for me gives that apocalyptic feel making the whole experience even more enjoyable. With the mixture of CQB buildings, spread over a very wide area and some woodland spread out in between makes the site an amazing all-rounder. The marshals are friendly and the games are fast paced, easy to follow, yet allow for competitive gameplay.

www.airsoft-action.online

event OPERATION GREY SLATE II

OPERATION GREY SLATE II

WE ALL KNOW THE ADAGE THAT “EVEN THE BEST PLAN NEVER SURVIVES FIRST CONTACT” BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE “ENEMY” IN QUESTION IS “OLD MA NATURE” HERSELF. BILL THOMAS REPORTS ON A GAME THAT WAS PLAGUED BY BAD WEATHER BUT ULTIMATELY WAS A HUGE SUCCESS AND ENJOYED BY ALL THAT ATTENDED. LAST MONTH IN AIRSOFT ACTION I had the great pleasure to bring you my reports on both “WarZone” in Crete and the Northern Shooting Show in the UK. To end my run of airsoft for May I was fully intent on returning to Kent to take part in the second part of Darkwater Airsoft’s “Operation Grey Slate II”, a 24 hour BattleSim taking place almost on my home doorstep that was being attended not just by local mates but by old friends from around the UK! Leaving Harrogate after an extremely successful and enjoyable show, I hopped into the car for the long return journey back down South; all my OPFOR gear was packed in the boot and ready to go, so all I needed to do was to get to site and get involved! As I hit the Cambridge by-pass though, the heavens unleashed the mother of all rainstorms and for the next three hours I spent my time aqua-planning down the M11, around the M25, and then on down the M20! I have to say that in all my years I’ve not encountered such a vicious rainstorm in the UK! Yes, I’ve certainly encountered such

ferocity during hurricane and monsoon seasons overseas but the sheer amount of water falling from the sky on the night of the 12th May must have set some kind of local record. As I got back into Kent I pulled over for a break and sent a text to my mate James who had been onsite since the game kicked off and also to Jon, the main man at Darkwater, to see what was happening. James responded almost immediately to tell me he and a bunch of the guys had already bailed due to the inclement weather and another text from Jon followed almost immediately, saying simply “Go home buddy!” The next morning I sat at my computer not really wanting to go online as I truly thought the game would be spoilt by negative comments, if not the usual “online vitriol” that we’ve sadly come to expect following every event that doesn’t go exactly to someone’s liking. I was, however, elated to see the comments being posted about how well organised and enjoyable “Grey Slate II” had been until the weather set in and heaven forefend, players actually expressing their own lack of preparedness which led them to depart early! Keeping an eye on comments during the following week I did not see a single negative comment in relation to the game, instead seeing players discussing on their dedicated team pages how they could be better prepared for “Grey Slate III”! This in my mind is absolutely, 100% tremendous; players had a great time, a superb game, fell foul of the most unexpected and un-forecast weather conditions and instead of bitching and moaning tried to find a solution of how to up their personal admin game. To each and every one of you I have to say a hearty “well done” and I can only hope that the sentiments expressed fall on receptive ears throughout our airsoft community in general!

SCENARIO DRIVEN Now we all like a good scenario don’t we? And what enthused 34

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event OPERATION GREY SLATE II

me to make the long, “I HAVE TO SAY THAT IN ALL MY YEARS I’VE NOT ENCOUNTERED SUCH A late night drive back from VICIOUS RAINSTORM IN THE UK! YES, I’VE CERTAINLY ENCOUNTERED SUCH Yorkshire in the first place was FEROCITY DURING HURRICANE AND MONSOON SEASONS OVERSEAS BUT THE the storyline that Jon and his Darkwater team had come up SHEER AMOUNT OF WATER FALLING FROM THE SKY ON THE NIGHT OF THE with by way of preamble… 12TH MAY MUST HAVE SET SOME KIND OF LOCAL RECORD.” “War torn Kentistan and its’ Civil Conflict have been populace. Whilst the civil conflict has been bubbling away, Blue loosely reported for the last Force Governments have shown little interest until the rise of ten years on global media outlets. With little or no intervention General Nikolai Oblamov. from the outside world, Kentistan had become a hot zone for Clearly, he poses a threat of some sort to the Blue Force State Led Criminality, Militarised Gang Warfare and Oppression. Government but this is something that players have to learn by Brutal murders of Kentistans’ Government Officials where engaging with the series. In this instance, BlueFor were tasked enough to force BluFor Governments (Bf.G) to begin Covert with entering Kentistan, performing recce missions, “Hearts Intel Ops in November 2017. Whilst Bf.G managed to gather & Minds” missions and engaging in the good old territorial intel and covered ground in November 2017, gathered intel pissing battles that were to ensue. was proven to be decoy. Someone knew Bf.G were coming. Enter General Nikolai Oblamov. A triple graduate at the University of Oxford and ten years in the French Foreign Legion saw Oblamov climb to Colonel, an accolade never having been seen before. He saw conflict in the former Yugoslavia and learned many guerrilla tactics from the Croats and Serbs whilst stationed there. Oblamov has taken control of Kentistan and its Military with surgical precision. They are known as Oblamovs’ Personal Force (OpFor). He has disbanded the street gangs, absorbing them into his military forces and uses them as covert squads for “snatch & grab” missions and assassinations of any opposition who may stand in his way. Oblamov also sent harsh messages to the criminal underworld through brutal public executions, including the public lynching of the previously untouchable mafia boss Christoph Ryzanski. OpFor is at his control with what is believed to be four advisors ready to take his place in the event of his death. General Oblamov is known to have at least 15 body doubles, many of which appear at public events across Kentistan. An assassination attempt was made by a defecting Unit of OpFor to Bf.G. This attempt failed leading to the execution of some high ranking OpFor Officials. The defectors have provided all current intel. Verification is slow; however early stage data is confirmed as such, a Bf.G Operation; Codename - Grey Slate II is scheduled for go in May 2018…” With BlueFor, PMC, and OpFor elements, “Grey Slate II” was a fully booked event with 146 players; the teams were split with a heavy leaning towards OpFor. They had almost 100 players and BlueFor had 50. Jon told me he thought it would be interesting and ultimately more immersive if the BlueFor were outnumbered. The premise of the Grey Slate Series is that a fictional nation of Kentistan has suffered a civil conflict for decades and a General has risen to power through some nefarious tactics and taken command of Kentistans Military, Militia and Civilian www.airsoft-action.online

event OPERATION GREY SLATE II

As I stated earlier, I have yet to see any negative comments in relation to either the game itself, the organisation of the event, or indeed how the Darkwater Team dealt with unforeseen circumstances. I asked Jon if there were any “stand out” moments from the first half of the game for him and he told me: “This is a double edger for us as there were some shining moments and some really dark and concerning moments. The dark moments were caused simply by player preparedness. Many players simply did not pack for the game (although a thorough kit list was given to all players – Bill), the weather (which was hoofing!) and themselves. This resulted in the DS handing out a lot of their own kit to players to ensure that they were safe and well. Player Safety is paramount to us. It was a stark lesson for us as a company and outlined that whilst some players have all the kit, they may not have the understanding of how to utilise that kit correctly. As a silver lining we are working closely with local Outdoor Pursuits Practitioners, former Servicemen and Survival Instructors to create a “Patrol School” which will teach players the basics, how to use their kit, what they ACTUALLY need to take on the field, how to set up camp, how to cook in field etc. So the dark, as you can see will become the light.” He then went on to tell me: “The stand out moment for me had to be the peaceful (and non-peaceful) protests at the BlueFor harbour. The OpFor players really embraced the role play aspect and applied some

ingenious techniques and tactics to throw the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons. It was truly a pleasure to watch and the use of “the closed tent policy” was genius. In short, if a tent is zipped closed with players in, they’re a non-viable target for safety reasons if people are sleeping. A member of OpFor though brought a tent to the BlueFor harbour, got in, zipped it closed and refused to move!” So, from adversity comes understanding, and from understanding comes the desire to learn and improve, not just on the part of Darkwater Airsoft but from the players themselves! I can only applaud this approach and look forward to being involved fully with the next instalment; “Op Grey Slate III” planning is up and running and this will be a 12-hour game which will continue on from where “Grey Slate II” left off… I for one am excited about this next game and of course will bring you a full account of “what happened next”. You can find out more details by visiting the Darkwater Airsoft page on Facebook. To conclude, Jon asked me to share this as a thanks to his great team who really dealt with the situation when TSHTF… “As per usual, the Darkwater Airsoft Staff were exemplary and selfless. I’d like to mention them with a special thanks for the fabulous way they conducted themselves at GSII to ensure that all players got a great game and ultimately went home safe and sound.”

www.airsoft-action.online

feature HIGH END GEAR

GADGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN “OLD SCHOOL AIRSOFTER” BUT RECENTLY DECIDED TO PUT TOGETHER A MODERN LOADOUT. READ ON TO FIND OUT WHAT GEAR HE CHOSE AND WHY (AND HOW MUCH IT COST)… Photography by Ben Webb

REGULAR READERS WILL KNOW ME as an “old school” kind of airsofter. I started playing airsoft almost 20 years ago and at the same time started doing “living history” or “re-enactment” as a hobby. To be fair, these are pretty complimentary hobbies if you’re into old kit and once I’d launched a series of WWII games and Cold War games over the years with friends, it was an easy case of finding out that all that wool battledress and steel helmet stuff worked for either activity. But it wasn’t always so. You see I’ve been into military kit for as long as I can remember, I even think there are pictures of me in camo as a child and, as well as being an army cadet for a bit I played a lot of paintball in my teens, so the “kit collecting bug” started then I reckon. But, as any old school paintballer can tell you, it was all a bit random back then. The Berlin wall had come down and my team soon moved from their Vietnam war era olive greens and tiger stripes (we thought we looked ace, we looked nothing like real ‘Nam soldiers!) and adopted a motley array of East and West German surplus which, once I went to university, got consigned to storage boxes in my parents’ garage. Fast forward a few years and following a short stint in the army after Uni, a friend got me into airsoft and, as I was still serving with a TA unit at the time, I pretty much started my airsoft career with “High End Gear” …if by “high end” we mean a full set of Soldier 95 DPM, Gore-Tex pro boots, an ops vest and issue body armour that is! In 2001 that was pretty cutting-edge stuff in airsoft, sure there was “higher end” stuff about from companies like Arktis and Tactical Tailor but most

Spiritus System with SMG inserts for EVO magazines

GEARDOS ARE N 38

August 2018

Feature HIGH END GEAR

Arc’Teryx ‘Talos’ combat trousers with lower leg pockets and webbing knee re-enforcement

airsofters played in surplus store second hand kit. Now my theory was always that “if it was good enough for the army to use, it was good enough for use in airsoft” and that buying anything other than issue kit was a bit of a waste of money. As I continued to play and got more into themed games I also saw real world military kit get more and more specialist and the “disconnect” between my service experience and knowledge of kit for playing the game became larger. At around this time my interest in WWII airsoft and my participation in organising games took off and I began to see players who invested all their spare cash in modern kit as “geardos”. If truth be known, I looked down on them a little bit – which is ironic given I was probably spending just as much on 70-year-old relics! Recently, however, I’ve found myself covering more and more Open Day game days and modern themed events and while I still love all the historic loadouts we feature in “Warriors” each month, it’s not always the comfiest kit to be running around in for a couple of days at a modern themed weekender – it can look a bit odd being dressed as a WWII Paratrooper among a sea of multicam-clad commandoes! It was clearly time to update my kit and this time I decided I’d do a bit of research, remembering the well-known adage… “buy well and buy once”! Having worked with 5.11 and Oakley on previous features for Airsoft Action I knew I liked their kit but recently my eye has been drawn to a couple of other manufacturers that my team mates (and occasional Airsoft Action contributors), Tom and Ben, had been wearing

On large sites like ‘The Kingdom’ having access to a map is more than handy.

– namely Arc’Teryx and First Spear. First Spear forrager After envying the lads kit I decided cap with soft pile to splash out on an Arc’Teryx jacket front to attach patches and trousers and was really lucky to find that Edgar Brothers had a sale on and so was able to get both items at half price (saving myself a whopping £200 quid or more!). Until I started playing open days with the guys I was pretty much unaware of Arc’Teryx but as well as being a respectable outdoors clothing line, they also specialise in high end tactical kit for real world “operators” with their LEAF range of kit. LEAF stands for “Law Enforcement And Firearms” and their kit is made to stand up to the harshest environments. Knowing this, it came as no surprise that when my job brought me into contact with some guys from the SAS regiment they were all wearing Arc’Teryx kit! Another “must have” purchase for my new loadout was a “forager cap” from First Spear, another North American company specialising in top notch battle gear. After actually thinking they looked stupid for years I’ve sort A Blackhawk belt mounted holster of grown to love baseball caps and safely carries an the forager cap is (sort of) the “Rolls ASG ‘Commander’ Royce” of baseball caps. For a start it’s XP18 Pistol got fantastic features, like “sleeves” to hold your eye pro in place and most importantly, a folding brim so you can pack it into a pocket without crushing it! Most of the rest of my loadout I’d already acquired for previous shoots but without a shadow of a doubt, I can say that my previous belief that “no pair of trousers is worth £200!” has been adjusted slightly. Yep I certainly felt a sting in my wallet but once they arrived and I tried them on you can absolutely feel the comfort and quality of these items. The stitching and build Oakley pilot gloves give a quality is second to none and quite good blend amazingly, excluding wear and tear of protection, and misuse, Arc’Teryx put a lifetime grip and guarantee on their products and will dexterity even repair “misuse” damage for a small charge. All this new kit wasn’t going to be cheap though. And so with a heavy heart I accepted the fact that if I hadn’t worn or used my WWII German and American kit for the last five years, I probably wasn’t going to in the future either. Banging it all out at knock down prices on airsoft forums I raised enough cash to buy the kit I really wanted

“I PRETTY MUCH STARTED MY AIRSOFT CAREER WITH “HIGH END GEAR” …IF BY “HIGH END” WE MEAN A FULL SET OF SOLDIER 95 DPM, GORE-TEX PRO BOOTS, AN OPS VEST AND ISSUE BODY ARMOUR THAT IS!”

E NOT WEIRDOS! www.airsoft-action.online

FUG READING-UK

#ENOLAGAYE

LAS VEGAS-USA

Talos trousers have a double cuff to seal around the ankle of your boot

…without having to sell a kidney! So, without further ado, let’s look at a breakdown of my “high end gear” loadout.

MAIN LAYERS Trousers I decided to purchase some “Talos” combat trousers from the LEAF range as I’d seen these worn by Police Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officers so knew they must be up to the job. They came in either Wolf Grey or Multicam and as I dislike wearing modern camo if I can help it, I went for the grey option. Made of tough rip-stop fabric, the trousers have webbing reinforcement on “high wear” areas like the hips and knees and the knees also have pockets to take soft knee pads. These trousers are packed with features and one thing I particularly like is the “double cuff” on the leg, where you can “blouse” the trousers to prevent debris entering your boot but still have the look of a normal trouser leg. Another aspect I like about them is that they are relatively “low profile” and can be worn to and from the game without looking too “military”.

Jacket

Spiritus System chest rig and rolled up dump pouch keep all the mags close to hand

While looking at the Edgar Brothers sale I noticed their “Bravo” soft skins were also reduced to half price and decided to get one of these as well, in the shade they describe as “crocodile” (it looks like the sort of olive green/tan mix that US army WWII jackets are found in). I can safely say that I was in no way disappointed and am really at a loss for better adjectives to describe it other than “super comfy”! It’s fairly warm though and a little too hot for summer games but for winter it will be ideal with its waterproofed fabric and high neck collar. The Bravo jacket is quite basic compared to many soft skins, having just a couple of internal pockets and two very large outer pockets with “zip garages” at the top of each closure to prevent the zip tags snagging on tactical vests and the like. All in all this is another great bit of kit from Arc’Teryx, my only criticism would be that the two outer pockets are a little “high” and I would have liked a “comms hole” in the pocket to thread headphones through when using the jacket for casual wear.

Headwear

The ‘Talos’ trousers feature easy to access low profile cargo and lower leg pockets as well as traditonal ‘hand warmer’ pockets

Knee re-enforcing webbing prevents the Talos trousers from wearing at excessive contact points, similar webbing is on the hips

After being jealous of Tom’s First Spear forager cap for years I decided to splash out and get myself one from Hueys and while these are not cheap (just shy of £40!), they are fantastic hats. I opted for the standard model in “Manatee” (which I was hoping would be a little greyer than it turned out to be, but hey ho, it’s a good colour all the same) but the cap also comes in multicam, black, ranger green, and tan and there is also a “low profile” option. Both versions have the sleeves I mentioned earlier to securely hold your eyepro when it’s not needed and both have a micro pile panel on the front to which morale patches can be attached.

“WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, I CAN SAY THAT MY PREVIOUS BELIEF THAT “NO PAIR OF TROUSERS IS WORTH £200!” HAS BEEN ADJUSTED SLIGHTLY. YEP I CERTAINLY FELT A STING IN MY WALLET BUT ONCE THEY ARRIVED AND I TRIED THEM ON YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY FEEL THE COMFORT AND QUALITY OF THESE ITEMS.” 42

August 2018

Feature HIGH END GEAR

Tactical Kit

The folding brim of the First Spear ‘Forrager Cap’ allows it to be easily stashed in even a small pouch or pocket

Gloves Having been sent a pair of Oakley pilot gloves for our “Ghost Recon” feature last year, I’ve fallen in love with these gloves and now own three pairs in various colours. The tan ones are my favourite and offer fantastic ingame protection, especially in CQB, from those oh-sopainful nail and knuckle strikes, while still being flexible enough to feel and manipulate webbing clasps and weapon switches. I am considering cutting the thumb and first finger off this pair though, to allow me a little finer dexterity without sacrificing protection. Their one drawback is that they are not particularly “warm”, as I found out playing a game on the ASG Blaster tour when temperatures hit -8 degrees Celsius and even with these gloves on my hands were frozen.

Boots My choice of footwear is the HRT boot in a desert tan by 5.11. I have to admit I’m a bit of a 5.11 fanboy and I was very pleased to find these on sale as an “end of line” at JD Airsoft. These boots are normally over £100 so getting them for around £40 was a real bargain. As a boot they are fairly standard but amazingly well-made and comfy, with air vents under the instep to help stop sweating on hot days and nylon web reinforcement on the ankle.

Some time ago at the Midlands Airsoft Fair at the Gaol I picked up a real bargain when I found a Diamondback “Fast Attack Plate Carrier” for around £50. I fitted it with fake plates and for a while it had twin AK74 and pistol mags mounted to it and it’s been my “open day” rig for some time. Recently I’ve switched from my trusty AK to an ASG Scorpion EVO and I’ve had to modify my pouches to accommodate this. In the pics I’m using a Spiritus Systems rig with SMG mag inserts that’s on loan by a friend (and I fully intend to buy it once his new rig arrives). Using mid-caps in the EVO means I get through a lot more mags than I did with my old AK and this rig allows me to keep a decent amount of magazines directly available. A fold-up Platatac dump pouch completes the front of my plate carrier set up and I’ve kept the back extremely minimal, with just a radio pouch and small utility pouch. This way I leave my back largely free so that I can carry a daysack or Camelbak. One final item of “tactical kit” is a Tasmanian Tiger “wrist office” admin wallet strapped to my left wrist. Again, I was lucky enough to snag this for a fiver at the fair at “The Gaol” and I find it very handy for keeping maps of the game site, or mission briefings and taskings for MilSim games stowed away.

CONCLUSION

For me, this “open day” kit is ideal The rear of the plate carrier is and, as I also do a lot of hillwalking kept minimal to faciliate carrying and hiking, it can be used (minus a day sack or camelback the plate carrier) for these hobbies as well as I’ve deliberately avoided military camo patterns for most of the clothing. While most of these items are quite pricy I honestly feel that they will last my entire airsoft career and I’m probably going to find it more cost effective to buy one decent pair ONCE, than a new pair of combats every year or so. While it is safe to say that “bought new” this loadout could cost over £1,000, I’ve managed to put it together for perhaps less than £500 by keeping an eye out for sales and visiting the airsoft car boot fairs around the country. I can also imagine some readers, who are probably rolling their eyes right now, will be thinking “more money than sense” and that it’s ridiculous to spend that amount on an airsoft loadout. To be fair, I used to think the same way but I’m slowly being won over to “quality over quantity”.

Kit and Suppliers:

Tasmanian Tiger Admin Panel is easy to access even while wearing gloves

First Spear Forager Cap £39.99 from Hueys.co.uk

Oakley Pilot Gloves £60 from Oakley.com

Arc’teryx “Talos” Pants £210 from EdgarBrothers.com

5.11 HRT Boots £99.99 from Tacticalkit.co.uk

Arc’Teryx “Bravo” Jacket £220 from Edgar Brothers

Tasmanian Tiger wrist office £15 from Amazon.co.uk

Diamond Back FAPC , no longer currently available but can be sourced on eBay for around £100 -£200

Spritus Systems MK3 Chassis with SMG insert. Chassis is £79.99, insert is £29.99 from Tactical-Kit.co.uk.

www.airsoft-action.online

s! BUY ONLINE AT WWW.FIRE-SUPPORT.CO.UK - VISIT US - CALL: 01733 247171

QB C 1 S K A Y CXP

£357

SR R K A Y P X C

£389

BB E R T M 3 PAR MK

£299

) G N O L ( B B CXP APE E

£349

July 2018.indd 2

12/06/2018 17:53

G N I D N A T S T U O LCT AEGS! 1 G S 3 G T LC

£379

E NV N I B R A C LCT AIM

£199

S LCT AKMM

£235

LCT AKMS

£239

BUY ONLINE AT WWW.FIRE-SUPPORT.CO.UK - VISIT US - CALL: 01733 247171 July 2018.indd 3

12/06/2018 17:53

Special Feature AIRSOFT ACTION TV | A NEW BEGINNING

AIRSOFT ACTION TV WANT A BIT MORE OUT OF YOUR MONTHLY INSTALMENT OF AIRSOFT ACTION? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THAT NEWLY REVIEWED AEG’S RATE OF FIRE FOR YOURSELF? OR PERHAPS YOU’D JUST LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE TEAM GET UP TO ON WEEKENDS? IF SO YOU’RE IN LUCK, AS AIRSOFT ACTION MAGAZINE LAUNCHES AIRSOFT ACTION TV ON YOUTUBE. OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS the Airsoft Action team have been working hard to give you a little “something extra” to supplement your enjoyment of the UK’s most popular airsoft magazine. In the last seven years or so, as the country’s leading airsoft magazine, we’ve brought you world exclusives of scorching new AEGs, travelled the world to show you the best sites and events and displayed a wealth of military and outdoors kit, both retro and cutting edge, for your delectation. But there is only so much we can show you on the printed page and for that reason we’ve launched Airsoft Action TV, to give you extra content as an Airsoft Action reader. So if you loved our review of that new AK74 model and were impressed with how taken we were with its accuracy and rate of fire, or perhaps you’ve always fancied an airsoft shotgun but were not sure how effective they can be, well now you can see for yourself by simply logging into YouTube and viewing whichever video episode suits you.

August 2018

Regular hosts Gareth “Gadge” Harvey and Tom “Anvil” Hibberd will be joined by special guest presenters from the Airsoft Action team and airsoft community to discuss every aspect of our great hobby and bring Airsoft Action direct to your laptop, tablet, phone or TV screen free of charge.

EXTRA CONTENT!

Airsoft Action TV will predominantly be offering extra content to our printed features and we’ll be able to look at many of the articles in greater detail. For example, in a recent issue we looked at the “Evotek” upgrade package for ASG’s Scorpion Evo… in the article I can tell you all about the impressive rate of fire the modifications give the SMG but if you watch the “Evotek” video alongside reading the article, you can also hear and see that blistering rate of fire! In previous episodes we’ve used slow motion footage to show you exactly how effective BB shower grenades are and in our own take on “mythbusters” put a couple of “airsoft myths” to bed.

Special Feature AIRSOFT ACTION TV | A NEW BEGINNING

WHAT’S MORE AIRSOFT ACTION TV IS SOMETHING THAT YOU, THE READER, CAN BE AN ACTIVE PART IN. We won’t only be building onto the print articles, however, at times we’ll also go and explore interesting aspects of our great hobby, whether it’s a full-on MilSim, a post-apocalyptic weekender or a super new store that’s opened up… we’ll send the team to cover it in both print and video. To date the guys have reviewed a score of great guns from established classics, such as the ICS L86 LSW, through to a world exclusive review of ASG’s new “Commander” gas pistol. As well as reviewing AEGs, pistols, shotguns and the like the team have also tackled such diverse topics as picking the perfect boot for airsoft, getting the best out of combat rations, exploring international airsoft and many more subjects close to every airsofter’s heart. Perhaps you’re worried about taking your AEG on public transport to a game? Well then watch our jargon free, no messing discussion on safe transit of your “weapon of choice”. Perhaps though, you want to know more about the inside “gubbins” of your AEG, or the ins and outs of historical loadouts. In both cases you’re in luck, as well as our regular weekly video update we’ll also be posting up occasional episodes of “Tom’s Tech Tips” (in our first episode of this Tom shows you how to change the motor in an AK or AR AEG) and “Gadge’s Gear” , in which we’ll look at real world military kit in detail.

GET INVOLVED

What’s more Airsoft Action TV is something that YOU, the reader, can be an active part in. We’ll be travelling the country (and overseas) to visit the best sites and events with the

“Outside Broadcast Unit” (or “OBU” as we call it) so if you see any of the team at a game near you then feel free to come and talk to us and perhaps we can get some footage of you “in-game” and in action in our video footage of the event. Even better, why not tell us what you’d like to see as a future Airsoft Action TV video and we’ll do our best to take your great ideas on board. It’s important for us that Airsoft Action TV is FOR players and created BY players and to that end you won’t see us in a fancy studio or creating our own “mini movies”. Instead you’ll be treated to genuine airsoft chat over a mug of coffee by dedicated hobbyists, exciting (and un-tampered with) in-game videos (no 50kam (Kills A Minute) videos here), with gun and accuracy tests a-plenty. Above all, it’s not about being an online “celebrity”, it’s about airsoft! If you’d like to be involved with Airsoft Action TV keep a regular eye on our Facebook page to see what video we’re releasing this week and leave comments and suggestions for what you’d like to see. Even better, visit www.youtube.com/ airsoftactiontv and watch our videos, click like if you think it’s a good one and most importantly “Subscribe” so we can make sure that you get notified of any new content as soon as we publish it. We’ll be uploading a new airsoft video every Thursday evening, so make sure you’re among the first to see it and join the ranks of the Airsoft Action TV subscribers club!

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feature OPINION PIECE | SPEEDSOFT

SPEEDING INTO THE FUTURE

IS IT TIME FOR THE SPORT OF AIRSOFT TO DIVIDE AND EVEN LEARN SOME LESSONS FROM PAINTBALL? TOM HIBBERD THINKS SO AND SHARES HIS OPINION WITH US HERE… “SKIRMISH”, “MILSIM”, “BATTLESIM”, “FILMSIM”, “SPEEDSOFT”, “CQB” …all are used to describe the activity of Airsoft. Ever since its inception there have been deep divisions between the players of our beloved sport, so perhaps it’s time to codify these differences and use them to present a more socially acceptable face to the general public. Whether we like it or not, dressing up as soldiers and shooting at each other is somewhat alarming to many people and organisations, including the Home Office! This means that Airsoft is frequently looked at by lawmakers and at times is under threat.

LESSONS FROM PAINTBALL So how we go about changing this? Well, paintball went through the same process years ago and when it was in danger, alterations were made to the way paintball was perceived and viewed. One of the most fundamental was the words used to describe the weapons used. Paintball “guns” were, instead, referred to as “Markers” and this immediately is much less threatening and changes the perception to sporting equipment. How would you refer to the guns that we use?

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The other major change was the way paintball went about marketing itself. Out went the pictures of hardcore players recreating military encounters and in came stag parties, corporate jollies and arena-style games. The reality is that most hardcore paintball players are up to pretty much the same activities that we are, you just don’t see it. It’s hidden behind a veneer of more acceptable marketing.

Feature OPINION PIECE | SPEEDSOFT

Arena games allow Paintball to have an accessible and visually stimulating competitive mode. You’ve probably seen the pictures of players in brightly coloured clothes fighting around an area filled with inflatable obstacles and cover? It’s fast, furious and looks like a team sport! (Our own Editor, Nige, was one of the principal founders of “Speedball” and ran the very successful “Speedball World Championships” for a number of years, here in the UK.)

SO WHAT ABOUT AIRSOFT? I’ve previously written about realism in airsoft and how that effects our defence to buy RIFs. The current trends towards bright coloured, competition-style guns could potentially threaten that defence, especially with the non-military style clothing that goes with them. It’s my opinion that these imitation firearms are better suited to a Speedsoft/arena games. This would be where the drum mag pistols, HPA rigs and tiny AR pistols could happily live. Combined with some exciting music and short, sharp scenarios, this has the potential to be lots of fun and easy to promote. This would also allow for smaller purpose-built sites and I’d go as far as to say that military style RIFs would be actively discouraged and players encouraged to wear vibrant clothing. This can then be branded and marketed as a separate combat game, much as “Formula 5” is (and as Airsoft Action covered in Issue 73). The other side would be to back up our defence by running games based on realism and military combat simulations only. However, I feel we are currently missing a trick in the UK with the focus on ultra-modern MilSims in urban environments. We are lucky to have access to military training facilities but we also have an enormous variety of other terrain, in particular woodland, which needs its own set of skills and team work. Woodland sites are much easier to find and events can be run more, with more regularity on them. This would mean that more players have access to these types of events and a greater variety of games could be played. The most enjoyable games I’ve played have been heavily themed and based around a famous military action (be it real

or fictional). Players had to wear specific gear and use suitable weapons in order to take part. These weren’t “living history” displays though, so as long as it looked about right at 10m no one was going to worry too much. In a Vietnam game we organised at First & Only, we just asked that people took the optics and accessories off their M4s, put on a carry handle and covered up the rail systems. We didn’t worry about whether the webbing was absolutely period correct and weren’t concerned where the OD uniforms came from. Players were put into a squad structure and we instituted ammo limits, which meant that fire and manoeuvre based around the squad machine gun became the focus of the day and very different from an open day where it’s every player for themselves. Although we set relatively low uniform rules we were pleased to see that the players went the extra mile and they looked fantastic. At various points during the day most of the players and marshals felt like they had joined the cast of Platoon! There are already companies and organisations running this type of game and I would welcome more. Finally, I’d love to see a competitive airsoft scene grow in the UK. This could be both a more conventional team death match format in the speedsoft vein, as well as a mission-based format for the realism crowd. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be set a series of operations to be accomplished with your team mates? Hostage extraction, eliminate a high value target, recce a supply dump then assault it as well as many others. Chuck in a team of non-players to be the bad guys and it would be about as close as we could get to the real world whilst remaining civilians!

BACK TO THE FUTURE Some of this may seem a little farfetched or even come across as scare-mongering but I think it’s important that, as a sport, we self-regulate before someone else does it for us. You may not like the idea of playing speedsoft, or having to take part in military simulations, however, if we don’t make these choices available then one or both of them may be taken away entirely. In my opinion…

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gear ASG ARSENAL AR-M7T TACTICAL AK-47

VOODOO

TACTICAL KITBAG WE OFTEN SPEND A FORTUNE ON OUR AEGS THEN SCRIMP ON PROTECTING THEM WHILE IN STORAGE OR ON THE MOVE… WE’VE ALL BEEN GUILTY OF THAT IN THE PAST BUT A RECENT PURCHASE FROM VOODOO TACTICAL HAS ABSOLVED GADGE OF HIS CRIMES!

LAST MONTH WE FEATURED a selection of solutions for transporting and storing your beloved airsoft guns and among those options was an excellent soft case from Voodoo tactical. As this is, hands down, my favourite gun case I’ve got my grubby mitts on so far, I felt it deserved a proper review in the pages of our hallowed magazine. For a start (as you can see), it’s not your standard khaki or black gun case. It’s in a rather cool wolf grey and teal scheme and this is what first caught my eye as I walked past the Voodoo Tactical stand in the halls of the IWA international weapons and airsoft fair in Germany earlier this year. I was intrigued and looked at it further and decided I really had to have one. The thing is you see (and as regular readers will know), I don’t like looking too “military” off the airsoft site and this gun bag in a sort of “surfer” style just looked perfect, it was clearly “sports kit” but didn’t scream “camo and weapons” from a distance… I found out that this scheme is actually intended as a “women’s gun case” but in the spirit of feminism and equality I thought “I don’t actually care, it looks cool!”

BUILT FOR HARDCORE USE Voodoo Tactical are one of those brands that I’ve had my eye on for years but never got around to buying anything from them and I have to say with this gun case I wasn’t 50

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disappointed. The company have been around for as long as I can remember (at least as long as when I started playing almost 20 years ago) and had built up a name for themselves for doing military kit like slings, plate carriers, gun bags, webbing, rucksacks and all the usual sort of stuff you’d expect but with a slightly more streetwise feel (wow I’m showing my age there using the term streetwise!). Unlike many companies, however, Voodoo Tactical employ experts from the fields of the bushcraft and target shooting and also enlist the help of military veterans, to make sure that their products can stand the pressures of fullon hardcore use in the field. In fact they are so sure there kit can take whatever you can throw at it, that they offer a lifetime guarantee! So how does the bag fare up? In short, pretty damn well! In essence it’s a fairly standard design common to many gun bags available from a lot of companies and, to be fair, its not breaking any boundaries in that aspect. The bag itself is mainly comprised of a large 36.5” x 12.5” compartment that is padded and has a central divider, allowing two AEGs, Shotguns or GBBRs (of not longer than 36” inches) to be safely stored. Velcro fitted securing straps and triangular stock and barrel “pockets” make your prized airsoft guns even more secure in both transit and storage. While the reverse of the bag features heavy duty ruck sack type straps to allow you to comfortably cart your kit about when the bag is heavily laden, it’s best features are to the front.

gear ASG ARSENAL AR-M7T TACTICAL AK-47

“I DON’T LIKE LOOKING TOO “MILITARY” OFF THE AIRSOFT SITE AND THIS GUN BAG IN A SORT OF “SURFER” STYLE JUST LOOKED PERFECT, IT WAS CLEARLY “SPORTS KIT” BUT DIDN’T SCREAM “CAMO AND WEAPONS” FROM A DISTANCE.”

COPIOUS CARGO CAPACITY First off is a large zip closure front pocket that can contain anything from pistols to copious amounts of BBs and even large gas canisters for pistol mags and gas-powered grenades. This large compartment is further sub-divided with two zip closure pockets that I personally use to store replacements springs, a cleaning kit and other ancillaries. In front of this area are three large fastex buckle and Velcro closed pouches with fairly decent storage capacity, I personally use one for batteries for both my AEG and lights and optics, the middle one to hold magazines (it can comfortably hold eight magazines for my SMG) and the last one is used to store military smokes and Storm 360 grenades. Now, if all of that cargo capacity isn’t enough, the extreme left and right of the case features a molle compatible loop system (and in this case, the funky bright blue shows through and looks awesome) and I’ve used this feature to attach a small pouch that contains my AEG toolkit essentials, such as needlenose pliers, allen keys, electrical tape, spare fuses and the like. I plan to fit a similar pouch to the other side soon to house spare eye pro, so that I know that everything I need to play is in one bag! Carriage of the bag is either by the aforementioned rucksack straps, a rifle sling-like shoulder strap or by the really solid and padded grab handle at the top centre of the case. Overall I simply can’t fault this case. The build quality is excellent and while it might look the same as cheaper cases by other companies, the quality speaks for itself (as I observed

when a friend hoisted up his look-alike case and the carry handle tore off!). The grey and blue colour scheme won’t be to everybody’s taste but Voodoo tactical also make this model in more “traditional” colours such as black, tan, green and even some camo patterns, like the US army digital scheme.

Specifications Measures: 36.5”L x 3.5”W x 12.5”H. Weighs approximately 7.5 lbs. Country of Manufacture: China Brand: Voodoo Tactical Warranty: Lifetime Limited Warranty Capacity: Holds 2 Long Guns and 2 Handguns

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YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

GITAG GITAG | BOOTS

LOOKING AFTER YOUR “PLATES OF MEAT” AS AN AIRSOFTER IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU CAN DO AND CHOOSING BOOTS CAN OFTEN BE, QUITE LITERALLY, A REAL PAIN IF YOU GET IT WRONG! YOUR CHOICE OF THE RIGHT BOOT MODEL CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COMFORTABLE DAY’S SKIRMISHING OR A PAINFUL AND IN SOME CASES, INJURIOUS END TO YOUR GAME EXPERIENCE, SO BILL DELVES DEEPER! RIGHT! I’M GOING TO HAVE a bit of a rant to start this particular “GEEk” as recently I’ve seen some absolutely erroneous advice being put online by some so-called “reviewers”, who obviously are trying to be clever by posting their thoughts on boot models without actually doing any research into the physiology of the foot or the technologies that lie behind a great boot model!! After nigh on 20 years of working with “outdoor performance footwear” this shallow approach definitely “rattles my cage”! The “Sharkman of the Delta” and founder of the USN SEAL Team “Red Cell”, Richard Marcinko, had a great saying that if you “assume” you “make an ASS of U and ME” and assumptions without solid fact to back them up are a pretty poor way of reviewing any piece of gear, to say the least! What I am certainly after is fact backed up by research that is then seen through the lens of experience - and I certainly hope that you’ll agree with me on that. Rant over… so let’s get into the meat (plates or otherwise) of things! Unlike buying fashion shoes where a particular “look” is a big part of your purchase criteria, military and walking boots need to be chosen for purpose and 54

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it is important to consider a range of aspects, such as: What type of terrain will you be taking on? What type of climate will you be encountering? Are the boots in question actually right for your foot shape? Selecting the right boot for airsoft is, quite literally, a minefield where you can’t afford to put a foot wrong!

LET’S LOOK AT OUR FEET!

I’m not certain whether this is a suitable strapline or not but our feet are things we take for granted and rarely care for, or indeed look at properly but our feet are actually amazing things! The human foot is a strong and complex mechanical structure containing 26 bones, 33 joints (20 of which are actively articulated) and more than a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments - and damaging any of these elements can lead to profound discomfort and lack of mobility. Many years ago I broke my middle toe on my right foot (don’t ask!) and this actually stopped me walking properly and comfortably for several weeks! Add to this that there are 250,000 sweat glands in a pair of feet and these glands excrete as much as a halfpint of moisture a day - enough to fill a coke can!

GITAG GITAG | BOOTS

ingress of water from the outside but allow the foot to On a hot day put on a pair of wellies, or wrap your “breathe” from the inside out. feet in plastic wrap without socks for an hour and see “Breathability” is one of the footwear (and indeed how much sweat your feet produce, then multiply that the whole outdoor performance) industry’s most number by 24 and you will get your daily result. It’s misunderstood terms. It is not, as many believe, about actually pretty shocking! a fabric’s ability to let air move through it but refers Why do I point all this out you might wonder? The simple answer is that your boots need to contend with all to how well it lets your sweat escape in the form of moisture vapour. Industry standards require that during these factors, protecting and cushioning your feet (and heavy exertion fabrics and materials combined must ankles obviously!), whilst at the same time dealing with “breathe” well enough to allow sweat to evaporate your output of sweat and moisture vapour. Suddenly the easily. Thanks to advances in materials and technology price of that pair of boots you saw online starts to make the differences between leather and synthetic boots are a lot of sense, doesn’t it? increasingly small. In the past it could have been said that Without getting into the realms of general boot leather boots were more durable and easier to care for, construction, performance boots are made with whereas synthetic boots were lighter and required less a specific environment in mind. This means that, “breaking in”. However, today these differences are less depending on the severity of the terrain and the pronounced as good design allows non-leather boots to conditions you will be heading into, the characteristics of be just as supportive and tough as the old, heavy leather the boot, such as the stiffness of the sole or the height models. of the ankle, are specifically designed for the demands I recently saw an online diatribe about Gore-Tex boots you will face. For example, if you are going to be moving that proved to me completely the lack of research done over uneven, broken or very steep ground then you will by the “reviewer” that I mentioned when I started this need a rigid boot with good ankle support. article. They made the “assumption” that the GoreAnother fundamental is to get the correct fit. Fitting, Tex membrane used in one particular model of boot however, isn’t just about the size of your feet, it’s also about the shape. This takes into account many factors across the “THERE ARE 250,000 SWEAT GLANDS IN A PAIR OF FEET AND entire length of your foot, from the width of your heel all the way to the GLANDS EXCRETE AS MUCH AS A HALF-PINT OF MOISTURE A flexibility of your toes. Many good ENOUGH TO FILL A COKE CAN!” outdoor and tactical stores will make sure you are accurately measured by a trained member of staff who will also talk through your was representative of every single one that uses this particular technology to attain the very highest levels of needs, helping you find the boot that is best for you. waterproofness and breathability. Gore-Tex products of course are well known for TO MEMBRANE OR NOT? providing long-lasting, comfortable weather protection C’mon now, nobody wants soggy, uncomfortable feet as but what exactly is the Gore-Tex “fabric”? Is it a coating a) this is not a nice thing generally, b) it can lead to your or an impregnation? An outer fabric or an inner textile foot being too hot or cold, and c) this can lead to blisters very quickly. These days the majority of modern boots are lining? It’s none of those - but all of the following… The Gore-Tex membrane is an extremely thin layer lined with a waterproof membrane to combat not only of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). It has over

THESE DAY -

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0.20g

0.25g

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

GITAG GITAG | BOOTS

9 billion pores per square inch and it’s these pores that give the Gore-Tex “fabric” its unique characteristics. The membrane itself is only 0.01 millimetre thick, so therefore it is bonded between high-performance lining and shell materials, creating the now-famous Gore-Tex laminates. Not only do the laminates themselves lead to the highest levels of performance but the way in which they are used has a bearing too. For instance (and I quote pretty much direct here): “Footwear models engineered with GORE-TEX Extended Comfort product technology are designed for indoor and outdoor use in moderate and warmer conditions or during higher activity levels. They are durably waterproof with optimised breathability, offering enduring weather protection. Water stays on the outside while perspiration can easily escape from the inside. Thanks to their noninsulated construction, they are the ideal solution for people who value outstanding climate comfort and heat release. Footwear models engineered with GORE-TEX Performance Comfort product technology are designed for outdoor use in moderate weather conditions. They combine durable waterproofness and optimised breathability, offering enduring waterproof protection and optimised climate comfort. Water stays on the outside while perspiration can easily escape from the inside. Thanks to their innovative construction they are an ideal solution for the widest range of outdoor activities and changing weather conditions. Footwear models engineered with GORE-TEX Insulated Comfort product technology are designed for outdoor use in rain, snow and cold conditions. They combine durable waterproofness and optimised breathability with insulation for use in cold weather conditions, which makes them an ideal solution for a wide range of outdoor activities. Water and snow stay on the outside while perspiration escapes from the inside. Thanks to their insulated inner lining they offer reliable protection from the cold, which makes them an ideal solution for a wide range of seasonal outdoor activities.”

these comfortably for 72 hours solid in Crete when the temperature was 30 degrees plus! The slightly heavier but massively popular ZEPHYR boots weigh in at 1120g per pair, with a very supportive mid height cuff and MONOWRAP 2 sole unit construction. These use a clever combination of suede leather (1.4 - 1.6 mm) and Cordura and a full Gore-Tex VISION 3LY inner lining ensures waterproofness and breathability; this combination makes them ideal for use in more temperate environments. Finally the RANGER II boots, as a full-winter model, benefit from both a Gore-Tex MS Rock lining and 200g Primaloft insulation. At 1,710g a pair they are definitely heavier but the “baby Mountain Boot” boasts the best technologies possible so what you’re getting inside the Ranger II is state of the art stuff. The combination of understanding the technologies and picking the right model for the right job means that, for me at least, these three models will keep me comfortable whatever the environment! And, if you’ll pardon the pun, as a footnote while you’re getting fitted, make sure you check out the socks too. The right socks, with the right padding, insulation, wicking, and elasticity, make a big difference to the feel of your boots and your overall foot comfort. As with boots, different socks suit different applications. We rarely notice the amount of sweat produced by our feet because the right socks do such a good job at collecting and dealing with it throughout the day! For more detailed information on the Lowa boot models mentioned please visit www.lowamilitaryboots.com

A PLACE FOR TECHNOLOGY

As you can see from the information above, the use of a lining technology is a pretty complex one and my advice to you is to seek expert advice before you part with money for your boots. Most importantly, find out which manufacturer makes their boots to fit your foot shape and stick with that rather than the erroneous belief that just because “UKSF wear Asolo” they will be the best fit for you as well. Don’t get me wrong, Asolo make some fabulous Gore-Tex lined boots but then so do Salomon, Alt-Berg, Haix, and Scarpa… this list could go on forever! I personally wear Lowa boots almost exclusively these days and have three pairs to see me both globeand year-round. The INNOX weigh in at just 900 g per pair and are a superior lightweight, yet supportive and durable boot model engineered with Gore-Tex Extended Comfort product technology for use in moderate and warmer conditions or during higher activity levels; I wore

IF YOU WANT TO WIN A PAIR OF SUPERB HAIX BLACK EAGLE TACTICAL BOOTS, ENTER OUR COMPETITION ON PAGE 73.

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event

S R E D D MA YEAR R U O F P U C ACTION AIR | 4TH MADDERS CUP

NIGE HEADS OVER TO STRIKEFORCE IN GLOUCESTER TO REPORT FROM AN ANNUAL ACTION AIR MATCH HELD IN MEMORY OF ONE OF THE UK’S TOP SHOOTERS, MALCOLM DOWDING. USING A PISTOL while laying fully prone, the shooter took out two targets before rolling to his right. Two more shots rang out and the remaining targets fell within a fraction of a second of each other. The shooter stood, checked his watch and muttered “Not good enough…” before re-setting the targets for another attempt. That was back at the beginning of 2012 and I was at The East Barnet Shooting Club, an MoD recognised range on the outskirts of London, where a gentleman by the name of Malcolm Dowding was demonstrating “action air” to me. At the time I didn’t quite grasp the significance of what I was watching but, back then, I had only just heard of IPAS (Iron Plate Action Shooting) and IPSC (International Practical Shooting Confederation) was still just a four-letter abbreviation! Over the next couple of years I had the great pleasure of seeing Malcolm shoot at numerous Action Air competitions around the country and got to know him as not one of the UK’s top shooters but as a true gentleman of the sport who was always willing to offer help, encouragement and advice to others. “Madders”, as he was known to his friends, was not only an excellent shooter, he was also a very experienced Range Officer, respected for both his knowledge and fairness. Sadly, at the beginning of March 2015 Malcolm died but such was the high esteem in which he was held by other shooters his memory could not be allowed to fade and so, on April 5th that year, the first “Malcolm Dowling Challenge Cup Match” was held. Needless to say it quickly became known simply as “The Madders Cup”.

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Fast-forward to 2nd June this year and the “4th Madders Cup”, held at Strikeforce Airsoft in Gloucester which, in common with the previous events, was used to raise money for a local charity, in this case “Maggies”. The intervening years have seen a veritable explosion in Action Air, with events such as “The Airsoft Surgeon European Championship” attracting well over 200 shooters and the first ever “Action Air World Shoot” (which takes place in Hong Kong at the beginning of July) expecting in excess of 600 shooters! The “4th Madders” was organised and hosted by DoubleTap Practical Shooting Club and they had very cleverly used the CQB structures already in place at Strikeforce to create 12 very individual and interesting stages.

event ACTION AIR | 4TH MADDERS CUP

For example, Stage 5 consisted of just three targets and four static shooting positions, while Stage 9 (aptly called “The Fortress of Solitude”) would take a minimum of 32 rounds, had a huge circular “tent” in the middle and you would probably have to be Superman himself to complete it without dropping points! Having said that, Stage 5 was no pushover either… The three targets were in a straight line and clearly visible, while the four shooting positions got progressively closer. All the shooter had to do was shoot each target with two shots (only) before moving forwards to the next position and repeating the “two shots on each target” routine. Sounds simple until you have to shoot it and then, when you consider you are up against the clock and there will be mag changes needed as well, it becomes a whole lot more complicated. Next time you are on a site and have a few minutes, set three targets up about 30m away and try it for yourself up against some mates – I guarantee it isn’t as easy as it looks! Anyway, I digress… With sixty-five shooters booked in (including our good friends from The Netherlands and Belgium) and 12 stages to complete, it promised to be a full-on day. Shooting was scheduled to commence at 9:00am and at 08:58, with all briefings and introductions done, the competitors made their way onto the stages and by ten past nine the first shots could be heard – excellent organisation by Double-Tap that was to continue throughout the day. As a long-time supporter of practical shooting, regular Airsoft Action readers will have a good idea but those who have joined us only recently and others that haven’t really been “into” practical shooting up until now, may well be wondering what it’s about? So please allow me a few minutes to explain… According to the IPSC website, “IPSC shooters need to blend accuracy, power, and speed into a winning combination. Multiple targets, moving targets, targets that react when hit, penalty targets, or even partially covered targets, obstacles, movement, competitive strategies, and other techniques are all a part of IPSC to keep shooters challenged and spectators engaged.” Note those last two words, this is a spectate-able sport! Targets are predominantly made of brown, peardropshaped cardboard consisting of three scoring zones (Alpha,

Charlie and Delta), plus a negative-scoring “Miss” zone. These targets can be used in combination, placed at angles, placed high or low (or flat), or even partly obscured by “No Hit” zones to create a challenging “stage” through which shooters move. Static and knock-over metal targets are also used, which are considerably smaller and some targets only become visible if others are hit. I won’t go into the rules too deeply - there are

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event ACTION AIR | 4TH MADDERS CUP

64 pages of them - but will mention the one, overriding, allencompassing one: Safety! Every stage is controlled by a Range Officer and any breach of the rules (which are designed for shooting lethal barrelled weapons) can lead to Match Disqualification (DQ). In a skirmish we point our weapons at each other but in Action Air even a muzzle sweep of your own hand can lead to a DQ and pointing an un-holstered weapon anywhere other than down-range is an absolute no-no. Right about now you might be thinking “That’s all well and good but what has that got to do with airsoft and how could it possibly help me in a skirmish?” and I have to be honest and say that is exactly what I first thought – before I tried it! Practical shooting isn’t just about pistols, it can also include rifles and shotguns. In fact, one of the fastest growing practical shooting disciplines is “3-Gun”, where shooters use a combination of all three. Even Keanu Reeves got involved and the video of him doing a 3-Gun stage went viral. To be successful in any form of practical shooting you need two things: speed and accuracy, one without the other won’t win you anything and that’s because the scoring is based on a combination of time and points. You can be accurate but if you are too slow, you won’t win – and the reverse is true. Practical shooters, in fact probably all regular shooters, know the mantra “practice, practice, practice” works, because doing the same thing over and over builds “muscle memory”, so that when you no longer need to “think about an action” before performing it, it becomes instinctive… you don’t think, you just “do”. If you now apply that to skirmishing, particularly if you are into CQB, you can easily see what an advantage it could be over any lesser-skilled opponent. I can still remember the first time I used my pistol instinctively in a game and I don’t who was more surprised, the person I shot or me! Back at the match, Double-Tap’s great organisation was paying dividends and by lunchtime (which consisted of a veritable mountain of pizza!) things had progressed so well most squads were well on target to finish in good time. With pizza downed and “comfort breaks” completed, shooting resumed again and it wasn’t long before squads were wrapping up their last stages. Of course, as we have longer days at this time of year and with the glass roof of Strikeforce, losing light was not a problem, although the glass roof also meant it was just a touch “sticky” inside - not that it seemed to bother the shooters, who were more concerned with the scores. This is another thing I like about practical; the scores are not calculated until the last shooter has fired their last round and it is quite possible to go through an entire day without error, only to get it wrong on the final stage. I have seen shooters, almost with their last shot of the day, make a mistake and get a DQ. The scores themselves, as I mentioned earlier, are a combination of points and time and it normally takes a computer to sort it all out. This is how… Each stage has a number of “Stage Points” attributed to it and for every stage, each shooter’s points tally is divided by the amount of time it took them to complete the stage, to give them a “Hit Factor”. The shooter with the highest Hit Factor is awarded maximum Stage Points for that particular

stage (now you see why both accuracy and speed is important). All other shooter’s Hit Factors are then calculated as a percentage of the stage winners’ and they are awarded that percentage of the maximum Stage Points figure. Once all stages are complete, the individual stage points are added up to determine the eventual winner/s. It sounds complicated (it is) but it also means that everyone is on a level playing field and to win you have to be consistent throughout. As the last shot had been fired and all pistols put away in their cases, it was “eyepro off and relax” while the scores were calculated (which you find alongside this article). With the winners announced and awards presented, it was time to head home after a really excellent match. Everyone thought it had been a superb day; well organised, well run, well attended and above all, thoroughly enjoyed – and who could disagree with that! Thanks must go to Double Tap Practical Shooting Club for putting on such a great event, to Strikeforce for allowing them to use the venue and to the many shooters who took part, some of whom will soon be travelling to Hong Kong to take part in the Action Air World Shoot as part of Team GB. I am sure we all wish them the very best of luck and that they remember the other practical shooting mantra… “Shoot fast, don’t miss!”

LADY’S OPEN MARIANNE GUNDAYA STANDARD JESSICA-JADE DOVE YSABELLA TOQUILL MISTY MANLEY JUNIOR PAUL WYBORN SASHA MIKHAILOV RHYS-JOSEPH DOVE SUPER SENIOR OPEN STEVE TAYLOR PAUL VAN DEN BOSCH NORMAN HUMPHRIES STANDARD MARK VAN DEN BOSCH STEPHEN BIRTWHISTLE GUY DE BACKER SENIOR OPEN TIM WYBORN MARK ROONEY MARTIN NOBLE STANDARD JONATHAN LAKE PETE THORNTON GEERT VAN DE VYV OVERALL OPEN MATT WYBORN TIM WYBORN LUIS EMERTON STANDARD PAUL WYBORN ARYAN ALIPOUR ALASDAIR MUSTARD CUP WINNERS OPEN – MATT WYBORN STANDARD – PAUL WYBORN

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N I W one of four

competition

COMPETITION | RAVEN EU PISTOLS

raven pistols

COMPLETE WITH NX400 LASER/LIGHT MODULE & RETENTION HOLSTER THE ANSWERS ARE:

1 Not one… Not Two… Not even three… WE are giving away FOUR RAVEN EU PISTOLS, complete with NUPROL NX400 laser/light modules and NUPROL retention holsters in this amazing competition, curtesy of RAVEN AIRSOFT and NUPROL. That’s right! You could WIN ONE OF FOUR RAVEN EU PISTOLS as we have two EU17 and two EU18 pistols to give away and each will come with a NUPROL NX400 laser/light module plus a NUPROL retention holster, which will carry the pistol complete with the module attached. To top it off, the winners will also get to choose which colour they want their prize in: black, tan or two-tone. Airsoft Action reported on the RAVEN EU18 in Issue 85, when Bill Thomas commented “I have to say that I’m very, very pleased with both the new RAVEN GBB pistol models... Both models are very well made, function exceptionally well, are superbly presented and perform just as you’d expect.” …and in this issue he says of the EU17 “I have to state that I’m very, very satisfied with the RAVEN GBB EU17 pistol model and I’d gladly have it as a “secondary” when “stuff hits the fan”. The EU18 served me very well indeed in Crete, not missing a beat in quite extreme conditions and I’m sure the EU17 will prove equally as reliable.” So what do you have to do to win one of these four pistols? Easy… just answer the questions below and get your answers in before the closing date!

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

1) What is the name of RAVEN’s parent company? 2) How many different models are there in the RAVEN EU Series? 3) How many different firing modes does the EU18 feature? 4) What brand of gas is recommended for use with RAVEN GBB pistols? 5) How many different colours are RAVEN EU pistols available in? To be in with a chance of winning, send your answers in before the closing date using the form, or by email, or via the Airsoft Action website and if yours is one of the four correct entries drawn, you’ll win either a RAVEN EU17 or EU18 in your choice of colour, complete with a NUPROL NX400 and retention holster.

August 2018

Post your entries to: Airsoft Action RAVEN Competition, Airsoft Action, Calibre Publishing, Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6PL, or email to: competition@airsoft-action.co.uk with “Airsoft Action RAVEN Competition” in the subject line. You can also enter online, via the Airsoft Action website (www.airsoft-action.online). Entries received after midnight on 25th July 2018 will not be valid. One entry per person. The winner will be the first randomly drawn from all the correct entries. GDPR: By entering this competition you are giving explicit consent for Calibre Publishing Ltd. to retain personally identifiable information for the purposes of contacting the winner of this competition. All entries will be destroyed after the closing date.

international INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT | BRAZIL

OP: THUNDERBOLT BRAZIL: 2018

BRAZIL HAS A VERY SPECIAL ALLURE FOR BILL THOMAS AS HE HAS SPENT TIME TRAVELING AROUND THE COUNTRY AND ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT! IN 2015 AIRSOFT ACTION COVERED “OPERATION THUNDERBOLT - PANAMA 2015” AND BILL SPEAKS AGAIN TO ROD AT THUNDERBOLTAIRSOFT.COM FOR AN UPDATE ON AIRSOFT IN BRAZIL AND THEIR LATEST MILSIM EVENT! A GOOD FEW YEARS AGO now my wife had the opportunity to take a secondment to work and live in Rio de Janeiro for a year and, thankfully, part of the deal was that I got a couple of trips out there! Taking an entire month to visit not just Rio and its famous beaches and sites but also to travel around, I quickly became a huge fan of Brazil, especially when it came to coxinhas, pichana and, of course, the odd caipirinha (look them up, they’re all awesome!). Brazil is simply a gigantic country, stretching from the Amazon Basin in the north to vineyards and massive Iguaçu Falls in the south - and the people are as diverse as the geography. One thing that I found they shared though, was an open and friendly nature and wherever our steps took us we were greeted with genuine warmth and sincerity. But what of airsoft you might ask? In this instance it was time for me to speak again to Rod at Thunderbolt Airsoft, to get the lowdown on their latest game and find out how things have moved on for airsoft in Brazil.

august 2018

AA: Hi guys! Please can you tell me a little about how airsoft has developed in the current state of things in Brazil? Rod: “Airsoft as a sport has grown a lot in Brazil, not only the number of practitioners but also the quality of these practitioners. As in many countries there is still a misunderstanding on the use of the term and mode “MilSim”. Many teams and events are presented and sold as MilSim but are far from being that. The realization of Thunderbolt in Brazil in 2018 comes precisely to help in the effort already being made by some Brazilian teams and operators in creating a clear and strong line separating the teams and events that are really MilSim from others.” AA: Can you tell me a little more about Thunderbolt Airsoft? Rod: “I was frustrated after attending numerous airsoft events that sold themselves as 100% MilSim but were just big “Sunday games”, focused on the barbecue and exchange of patches. I, as ex-military, was looking for something much closer to the reality of a battlefield, something with more

international INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT | BRAZIL

strategic thinking and tactical value, truly MilSim. This was how the Thunderbolt project was born, a true military exercise adapted to airsoft, idealized, created, organized and performed by military and ex-military personnel.” AA: Do you have many established outdoor sites in Brazil? Could you tell me a little more about them? Rod: “Brazil is a huge country with a very diversified geography: forests, deserts, mountains, beaches, incredible abandoned buildings and all the necessary infrastructure to carry out an international event. There are also many airports, good roads to event venues, a wide network of hotels, security, quality hospital medical care and of course the already known and incredible tourist destination that is Brazil. Brazil is not only a country of great proportions, it is also a country of great people willing to perform incredible projects, so when the opportunity came to hold the second edition of Thunderbolt in Brazil in 2018, I did not hesitate to take it.” AA: Do sites and players have any legal restrictions to contend with? Rod: “A few years back, airsoft was new to the Brazilian authorities, which at the beginning created several difficulties for the purchase, sale, importation, events, etc. This has changed a lot in recent years, gaining more and more the support and sympathy of the authorities. Current restrictions are: operators need to always have with their equipment a document to confirm its origin and purchase, break orange flames and be prudent when carrying these.” AA: What’s a normal game like for you? Rod: “As a MilSim follower and airsoft practitioner, a game for me is always a battle. It must be prepared and planned in advance and properly equipped. Participants should be constantly training and learning about the military universe.” AA: What is a popular style of play in Brazil, regular skirmish, MilSim or both? Rod: “In Brazil you can find all kinds of events and players.” AA: Do airsofters train either the individuals or teams? What avenues are there for training? Rod: “In Brazil, the winter is not hard as in Europe, so there is more time to train throughout the year and take advantage of the many different types of training camps and games. Usually players organize themselves by teams, rarely individually. There are countless numbers of Brazilian airsoft teams and there are small regional airsoft events all over the country every weekend.“

THIS WAS HOW THE THUNDERBOLT PROJECT WAS BORN, A TRUE MILITARY EXERCISE ADAPTED TO AIRSOFT, IDEALIZED, CREATED, ORGANIZED AND PERFORMED BY MILITARY AND EX-MILITARY PERSONNEL.” guns that are all imported, today in Brazil there are many and in general good, national brands of equipment. They have been developed and improved quickly for local production, as the local postal service is very inefficient, making it difficult and expensive to import products.” AA: Are there particular brands and models of airsoft replica that are important to you? What brands do players like? Rod: “Brazilian airsofters like G&G, ICS, KWA and WE. I am sure Thunderbolt 2018 will be a success in Brazil, as it was in Panama in 2015. Maybe we will have the pleasure of having one of these brands as an official sponsor for Thunderbolt in the future! We are open to this!”

AA: Like us you have an unusual range of annual temperature and weather conditions (just VERY different!) to contend with; What is important to you in relation to your gear? Rod: “Only in the South and Southeast regions of Brazil you will find lower temperatures but nothing compared to the European winter. In Brazil you usually have equipment for the mild and high temperatures of tropical regions, always focusing on hydration, ventilation and agility. Brazilian players sometimes suffer when playing overseas. We had an “unforgettable” experience when participating at BorderWar 2016, in the Czech Republic. Everyone suffered a lot from the cold. The team was not properly equipped to cope with low temperature, as this weather condition doesn’t really exist in Brazil!” AA: What is the situation with airsoft and tactical gear in Brazil; is it easy to get hold of? Rod: “The airsoft practitioner in Brazil is a great connoisseur and consumer of equipment! With the exception of the airsoft

www.airsoft-action.online

CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

Helikon-Tex @PATROL LINE#AIRSOFT ACTION 06-2018

JOURNEY TO PERFECTION WWW.HELIKON-TEX.COM

international INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT | BRAZIL

AA: Do your sites have rental facilities if someone is visiting from overseas? Rod: “Yes there is the possibility of renting all kinds of equipment for foreigners wishing to participate in Thunderbolt Brazil 2018.” AA: Of course the big event for you is the “Operation Thunderbolt - Invasion 2018”; can you tell me about that Rod: “The following is part of the DNA of the Thunderbolt project, regardless of where it takes place: 1) A really great place in proportions and infrastructure, a real theatre of operations, to enable us to perform a military exercise adapted to airsoft. In 2015 in Panama we used the facilities of a former military base of the United States: Fort Sherman. In 2018 in Brazil the area available for operation had an incredible 10,000,000 m2 with numerous roads, rivers, forests, open spaces and buildings and very close to important military bases of the Army and Air Force of Brazil. 2) Having the participation of real and active military units and public security forces. In 2015 we had the active participation of units from the Panamanian Special Forces. It wasn’t different in 2018: the Brazilian Army and Air Force participated during the whole event. 3) To have the plot, strategy, creation, organization, accomplishment and all the dynamics of the event, made by military and ex-military. That was the case in 2015 and the same was true in 2018. We had the official support of the Brazilian military and the most important organization of the Army reserve officers, ABORE, who were with us in front of the operation.

5) Always be innovative, doing things never done before or judged impossible by other events’ organizers. In 2015 we carried out operations with combat divers, we had amphibious landings using inflatable boats, real and controlled explosions on the beach landing area and other specific objectives within the theatre of operations. By 2018 we added airmobile, riverside, mechanized, ground operations and other technological innovations never before used in an airsoft event! 6) Have an efficient, professional and responsible organizational infrastructure in every detail so players feel totally safe and confident in participating.” AA: If anyone is visiting Brazil and is interested in visiting a site for a game day, or wish to attend a “Thunderbolt” event, where should they head for information?

4) Have the participation of real military vehicles during the entire event. In 2015 in Panama, we had military trucks of the National Aircraft Service and inflatable Zodiac boats from Senafront. In 2018 in Brazil we will had several good surprises for participants!

YES!!!! THAT IS SCUBA RIG!

Rod: “All the detailed information about Thunderbolt Brazil 2018 can be found easily on our website. In case the reader is using a browser with no automatic translation, please reach out to us by email for questions and we are happy to support in English and Spanish.” In 2019 it is already certain that Thunderbolt will be held in Brazil again, so do keep an eye on the website!

CONTACT DETAILS WWW.THUNDERBOLTAIRSOFT.COM INFO@THUNDERBOLTAIRSOFT.COM FACEBOOK PAGE:

Who knows, perhaps someone from Airsoft Action will be there to report personally… now where did I put my passport???

HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ GROUPS/566708856803696/

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feature PMC LOAD-OUTS

ANDY NIGHTINGALE HAS “BEEN THERE, SEEN THAT, DONE THAT” FOR REAL, IN BOTH THE MILITARY AND AS A CONTRACTOR, SO KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING KIT-CARRYING GEAR SORTED.

PMC LOAD-OUTS IN AIRSOFT

Above: Natural colours blend into surroundings

Below: Easy-toidentify top with prominent logo

August 2018

A GROWING ROLE IN THE AIRSOFT skirmish world is that of the Private Military Contractor, or PMC. Gear retailers are awash with all the kit, from cheap Chinese knockoffs to real steel kit used on the ground by the very personnel that skirmishers emulate. One of the biggest influences of PMC roles within airsoft is none other than Hollywood and while Hollywood is a great source of information when you need to “get the look”, is it right?

As an ex PMC of some 14 years, I often see players sporting a great look but fail to see the practicality of the kit. OK, so we are only pretending to be a Contractor and the look is important, but I feel that with the right knowledge of a Contractor’s job role we can further enhance the practicality of the kit we use. I’m going to negate weapons in this article as that is an entirely different subject. Instead, I want to look at the clothing and garments that identify a PMC from the rest of the guns on the ground. Dress is very important. Although jeans and a checked shirt may look good, is it really practical? The first question I ask myself is “Do I want to blend into the local populous”? Of course I don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb but walking around in jeans and a bright check shirt may well indicate a westerner. Not a very good start in a middle eastern country that hates the West. However, this look may well be acceptable in an Eastern European country, such as a 90’s Balkans scenario. Chose civilian-type clothing to match the terrain you are operating in and that is not too different from the locals but avoid camouflage patterns at all cost as you are supposed to blend in as a civilian and not military. Bold logos and distinctive designs can also identify you as a target, so go for plain, solid, toned down colours here. Comfort is the next consideration. The clothing and kit I choose must be comfortable and easy to wear for many hours. If it’s not comfortable it’s going to make your job (and life) a lot harder than it already is! Comfort includes a correct fit. There has been very little kit and clothing that I have used in the field that has not required some type of alteration. This can include sewing on extra Velcro, adding extra webbing straps or even removing parts of the garment. The MOLLE System is a great asset to the PMC. Back in the day we had to get whatever was available and sit, for me anyway, for many hours at the sewing machine alternating, removing and adding pockets and pouches to get exactly what I wanted. Now I can do the same work in moments with a MOLLE System. Don’t be afraid of altering kit and garments to suit your needs. Practicability is next. It’s no good blending in and being

Feature PMC LOAD-OUTS

comfortable if your kit does not work for you and this is where Handgun located a lot of folk fall short in their load-outs. It has taken me many forwards on years of trial and error to get the most out of my kit. Different platform to give situations call for different set ups, so there is no one right way easier access when seated in vehicles to do things. Take my drop leg holster platform for instance… There are 3 locations I can attach my holster onto the platform: forwards, centre and rear. If I am working foot drills I will tend to locate my holster on the centre attachment as this will hang the holster in line with the seam of the trouser, on the outside of my thigh. However, if I’m in and out of vehicles all day I will locate my holster on the forward attachment, as this will sit the holster on the front of my thigh, thereby giving easier access to the side arm when seated. In most cases vehicles can become very cramped inside and you will find the side arm in the forwards position will aid in your travel comfort. Having the right kit for the right task is what’s known as “mission ready” and, as part of the planning process, making sure your own personal kit is included in the plan is a vital. There are usually two sides to this and one is that you have too many pockets and pouches and this tends “IF I AM WORKING FOOT DRILLS I WILL TEND TO LOCATE MY HOLSTER ON THE to end up with taking too much personal kit CENTRE ATTACHMENT AS THIS WILL HANG THE HOLSTER IN LINE WITH THE and equipment with you SEAM OF THE TROUSER, ON THE OUTSIDE OF MY THIGH. HOWEVER, IF I’M IN that is not really needed. AND OUT OF VEHICLES ALL DAY I WILL LOCATE MY HOLSTER ON THE FORWARD For some strange reason, if we have an empty ATTACHMENT, AS THIS WILL SIT THE HOLSTER ON THE FRONT OF MY THIGH, pocket or pouch we tend THEREBY GIVING EASIER ACCESS TO THE SIDE ARM WHEN SEATED” to want to fill it with something, just because it’s empty. The second Restricted access to thing is that we don’t have enough pockets or pouches to handgun when the carry all the vital equipment we need! More often than not this holster is located in the central position is usually ammunition. It pains me to say this but I have seen boots on the ground looking like they were doing their Duke of Edinburgh award, with kit all over the place, in makeshift bags and with no real organisation or structure to their admin! Think about what the mission entails and how long you will be out and then plan your personal kit and equipment carefully. Then choose the right kit to carry it in. If this is a quick trip you may only need a chest rig or light Tac Vest, or for longer or more demanding tasks you may want to go for a full assault belt and day pack. Choose wisely. Remember that this is airsoft and that having the right kit doesn’t mean purchasing the most expensive kit on the market. If you were on the ground for real then I would recommend getting the best quality kit you can afford but as you will Overt use of a low drag mag rig

probably only be using it a couple of times a month at best, you don’t need to go for the big expensive brand names. There are plenty of more affordable brands on the market that will stand up to the abuse that us airsoft contractors can dish out, so do some research and choose what’s needed for your own preferred role. This is airsoft and when it comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter if you are sporting the correct load-out so long as you are having fun. If you want to go that little bit further and go down the full MilSim road, then think about what you carry and how you carry it. Just because Hollywood depicts PMCs in a certain light, it doesn’t mean to say that that is how things really are. A good source of information, that I can highly recommend is PMCI (Private Military Contractors International) magazine, a FREE to download publication that is dedicated to the world of PMC. PMCI Info In PMCI you will find all the information PMCI magazine is available that you could ever need that is written to read free of charge via iOS, by those that have been there and done Android and Windows apps and it for real. If you want to go all the way, also online at then there are advertisements for course www.pmcimagazine.com providers and even a jobs section.

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TACTICAL

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Gear VIPER “SCROTE” POUCH

VIPER “SCROTE” POUCH KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK TAKES A LOOK AT A VERY ODDLY-NAMED, YET VERY AFFORDABLE PRODUCT FROM VIPER TACTICAL. BACK IN 2016, FERRO CONCEPTS released their tactical solution to the “bumbag” (to us Brits or the “fanny pack” to our American cousins), the “DANGLER” pouch, which took the airsoft community by storm but at £42.50 a pop and with limited availability due to popularity, they were hard to come by. To combat this, multiple companies, including TMC and Warrior Assault Systems, created their own versions of the much-loved pouches and now Viper Tactical have also joined in the running with their own, very affordable “SCROTE” pouch! It is a tactical fanny-pack pouch Velcro attachment for plate carriers and chest rigs that has webbing straps on each side and a Velcro ID panel on the front for all of your favourite patches. As well as looking good, it’s also super-utilitarian. Inside the pouch it has elasticated internal loop holders and a Velcro front internal pouch to keep all your bits and bobs safe during gameplay. I use mine to store my .209 primers and impact grenade accessories during games, so they are easy to reach in a hurry. It has a Viper firm draw zip puller to give the user more grip whilst unzipping/zipping the pouch closed, especially when wearing gloves or when your hands are wet and/or cold. Unlike the Ferro DANGLER, the SCROTE has a panel of Velcro on the back of the pouch as well, which helps keep the Velcro tab tidy when the pouch is in storage and it means the pouch is a little more versatile and is able to be used as a loop belt attachment, rather than a drop pouch. Whilst it is

being used as a drop pouch, however, it does offer some protection for your lower stomach if (like me) you wear JPCs and other small plate carriers. Admittedly one of my favourite things about the SCROTE pouch is the name, it’s a tongue-in-cheek nod to the pouch’s protective properties. It is available in a great range of colours including VCam, black, green, coyote and titanium so there is a colour to suit most loadouts. It is stocked at most Viper retailers in the UK but the best part is the price… It retails for around just £11! This is fantastic news for those who want the look of Gucci kit on a budget or have multiple loadouts to fill with pouches. Overall, I think Viper have done a great job with the SCROTE pouch. It is affordable (giving more players access to that Gucci kit look), has a great look, is a useful addition to any loadout because of its utilitarian qualities and, of course, the added protection it offers the end user. It is a great addition to their 2018 catalogue and is really in tune with what the players want – well done Viper! www.airsoft-action.online

gear PCS THERMAL SMOCK

SEEKING A MORE AFFORDABLE VERSION OF SNUGPAK’S MML, FRENCHIE ENDED UP WITH SOMETHING HE HADN’T EXPECTED.

IF IT IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE BRITISH ARMY… IT WASN’T MY INTENTION TO write a series of articles on clothing, there are other Airsoft Action contributors who are frankly better at this stuff than I am, who are certainly more knowledgeable on the subject but last month’s article on the Snugpak MML set me on a bit of a journey with an unexpected end point. I am fully aware that as I write this the sun is blazing down and multi-layer insulation is probably not uppermost in your mind, so think of this as a suggestion you can tuck away for when the days aren’t so warm and the nights are distinctly chilly. A brief recap to start with: The MML (Military Mountain Leader) is a smock-style, over the head mid layer garment 70

august 2018

designed to offer limited insulation and a windproof layer to the wearer. I raved about it, mainly because I am a huge fan of this garment and I bemoaned the fact that it was not the cheapest bit of kit because although I own the MultiCam version, I would quite like to have a less military option for dayto-day wear. That desire sparked a search to see if anyone else made something similar at a price which was more acceptable. The problem – and it’s one that all of us are familiar with – isn’t that I begrudge Snugpak their asking price, rather it’s the more practical matter of whether at any given time I can find or justify that asking price. I know that Buffalo have for decades

gear PCS THERMAL SMOCK

produced their Mountain shirt, which is a similar beast and carries a similar price tag and it was whilst searching for that item that I came across the PCS thermal smock. PCS - Personal Clothing System is the British Army’s replacement for the Soldier 95 system. Apart from the use of MultiCam-like Multi Terrain Pattern (MTP) camouflage, the various components of the system have been redesigned to reflect the operational requirements of the Army, which have changed considerably since the late 1990s. Some of the changes reflect practical concerns, such as replacing buttons with velcro for items intended to be worn under body armour, while others are an attempt to benefit from the improvements in materials and design that have occurred in the last 20-odd years. As part of this upgrade the old softie jacket has been dispensed with and it’s replacement (although arguably not quite a direct replacement) is the thermal smock. This could be the solution I was looking for… The thermal smock is a pale khaki colour, I’ve seen it described also as pale olive, regardless it has no camo pattern and is a colour that isn’t intrinsically “military” which is a good

“SOME OF THE CHANGES REFLECT PRACTICAL CONCERNS, SUCH AS REPLACING BUTTONS WITH VELCRO FOR ITEMS INTENDED TO BE WORN UNDER BODY ARMOUR, WHILE OTHERS ARE AN ATTEMPT TO BENEFIT FROM THE IMPROVEMENTS IN MATERIALS AND DESIGN THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE LAST 20-ODD YEARS.” thing if, like me, you were deliberately looking to avoid that. It has a fairly lightweight nylon outer with a fleece lining. The collar has a shock cord drawstring to keep out wind and rain and there is a very, very basic single layer hood folded into the collar too. It would probably by very welcome in extremis but I can honestly say I haven’t used it, nor do I intend to. There is a good-sized chest pocket and a larger pocket which runs right across the front of the smock, accessed by two angled zips. All the zips are of a waterproof design including the neck zip and the two long underarm zips designed for ventilation and to aid donning and removing the smock. The hem is tightened via two velcro tabs and the whole garment can be folded into the chest pocket for carrying or stowage. It’s not pretty but that is true of many functional garments. So - the good. It’s cheap; I got mine from eBay at £29 delivered and it was in near perfect condition. It is definitely windproof, efficiently so. The ventilation is excellent - the zips are a little stiff, that is the case with “sealed” zips but they work well enough. It is definitely showerproof and that is all that is claimed for this piece of kit. It washes well and dries out very quickly, as expected. It is sufficiently warm to use on its own on cool evenings and makes a brilliant mid layer under a softie. I have seen suggestions that it functions more efficiently if worn next to the skin rather than over a t-shirt and I can understand why that might be the case - more on that shortly. Now the not-so-good. It’s that fleece lining. I’ve seen

squaddies complaining about it online and they’re right. It works really well as a lightweight insulator but it grabs anything worn underneath like velcro. My poor neighbours now have to put up with the sight of my manly body (I wish) every time I take it off as it pulls my t-shirt over my head. I have just pulled it on over my skin first thing in the morning when taking the dog out and it’s wonderfully comfortable, so although not intended, it does work well as a base layer. The only other thing I would have preferred would be a drawstring to close the hem rather than the tabs. The tabs work but they are crude compared to being able to snug it nice and tight. Have I found my nirvana? Nearly! The smock is cheap and widely available. It does pretty much everything that the MML does and the colour is suitably not-very-military, designed as it is to work with the paler palette of MTP. It is certainly wind and showerproof and can be packed down to pretty much nothing, meaning that it will easily sit in the side pocket of a day pack or rucksack where it is available should you need a bit more warmth. Snugpak and Buffalo produce more sophisticated alternatives but those come at a price and that was a price I wasn’t ready to pay at present. The thermal smock may not be the most stylish offering out there (none of them are really) but it is eminently practical and wallet-friendly. It’s perfect for airsoft and equally suitable for pretty much any outdoors activity where a trustworthy layer to keep off rain and keep out the wind is required.

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N I W A Pair of

competition HAIX BLACK EAGLE TACTICAL 2.0 GTX BOOTS

Haix Black Eagle Tactical 2.0 GTX Boots Nearly h t r o W ! 0 0 . 0 £17

In his “Customer Review” on patrolstore.com, serving Police Officer, Peter Thompson, said of these boots: “I found them to be spacious and comfortable. They had a light feeling on my feet, however felt extremely secure and rugged once I had tied up the laces and had my first walk in them. I found the Haix Black Eagle to offer significant foot, ankle and achilles protection. There was never any danger of going over on an ankle whilst jumping over a wall or running in this model of boot. Further to this, my feet felt cool and breathable at all times, even in saturated, rainy conditions.” He ended his review by saying: “In summary, the Haix Black Eagle ticks all the boxes for me. They are waterproof, take a good polish, look stylish but also maintain a rugged durability that my fellow police officers will be looking for. I cannot recommend the Haix Black Eagle boots enough.” Patrol Store are giving one lucky Airsoft Action reader the chance to win a pair of these superb boots, by answering three simple questions – and you can find the answers on www.patrolstore.com. Not only that, the lucky winner will also be able to choose whether they prefer them in Brown or Mid-Sage. The brown boots are made of breathable leather, while the Sage are a combination of leather and textile and both feature a GORE-TEX inner lining to ensure they are waterproof and highly breathable. If you want a chance to win, head over to www.patrolstore.com and find the answers to these three questions: 1) What Country are Haix from? 2) What waterproof membrane is used in the Haix Eagle series of boots? 3) What does the internal heel cup do? To be in with a chance of winning, send your answers in before the closing date using the form, or by email, or via the Airsoft Action website and if yours is the first correct entry drawn out of the Ed’s hat, you’ll win a pair of Haix Black Eagle Tactical 2.0 GTX high leg boots in your choice of either colour, courtesy of Patrol Store.

THE ANSWERS ARE:

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

Post your entries to: Airsoft Action Haix Boots Competition, Airsoft Action, Calibre Publishing, Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6PL, or email to: competition@airsoft-action.co.uk with “Airsoft Action Haix Boots Competition” in the subject line. You can also enter online, via the Airsoft Action website (www.airsoft-action.online). Entries received after midnight on 25th July 2018 will not be valid. One entry per person. The winner will be the first randomly drawn from all the correct entries. GDPR: By entering this competition you are giving explicit consent for Calibre Publishing Ltd. to retain personally identifiable information for the purposes of contacting the winner of this competition. All entries will be destroyed after the closing date.

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feature ACCURACY 102

DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE THE ACCURACY OF YOUR GUN AND GAIN THE ABILITY TO MAKE MORE HITS? THIS MONTH TOM HIBBERD AND MATT FLOOD TAKE A LOOK AT A SIMPLE ASPECT THAT CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE, THE BB ITSELF!

ACCURACY 102: BBS WE’VE PREVIOUSLY LOOKED AT WHAT a shooter could do to improve their chances of hitting the target and found in the majority of cases that simply zeroing your RIFs made the biggest difference. Ammunition choice also makes a difference but just how much? Open up any airsoft retailer’s website and there is a bewildering variety of types on offer. It can be a difficult choice and we’ve found that many players just stay with whatever is available at their local site. As there is such a huge variety available we decided to focus on what is touted as the two principle factors, weight and quality. To further simplify our testing we chose to use just one manufacturer. Our range was once again set up at a local site to make sure we didn’t alarm our neighbours and we used a distance of 10m. The guns were secured on a rest so that marksmanship didn’t play a part and to make sure that our groups were repeatable. We fired 10 groups of 10 shots for each type of BB and then averaged the results. Our test RIFs were an LCT AK104 and an ASG Scorpion EVO 3. We chose to use two brands of BBs from ASG. Their standard grade Blaster BBs are familiar to most UK players and are widely sold at many game sites. Three weights were used, 0.2g, 0.25g and 0.3g. For the high quality brand we stepped up to ASGs “Diamond Grade” Devil Blaster BBs. These have even more quality control steps to ensure dimensional accuracy to 0.01mm and a consistent weight. For the Devil Blasters we used 0.2g, 0.25g and 0.28g BBs. Many players are reluctant to use heavy BBs in their guns as they feel that the lighter BBs go faster and therefore have more range. However, although light BBs do indeed shoot faster they also slow down faster and generally travel about the same distance. We’ve also found over the years that heavier BBs are better able to punch through leaves and twigs than lighter ones but we suggest you don’t go much higher than 0.3g in a full auto AEG.

ON THE RANGE

We could quickly see that the heavier BBs were increasingly more accurate, especially out of the LCT which seemed to really

august 2018

like heavy ammo (more on that later). We were, however, quite surprised at the margin of the difference between the heaviest and the lightest which was around 40%! When we fired the premium brand Devil Blasters there was quite lot of anticipation and we were pleased to see a significant additional accuracy enhancement. Overall the group from the heaviest, high quality BBs was less than half the size of the standard grade 0.2g ammo. Bear in mind this will be consistent with any other accuracy modifiers such as unsteady aim or a rushed shot so will make a large difference to your ability to make a hit.

CONCLUSIONS

It’s important to remember that though the results we obtained were clearly in favour of heavy premium BBs this is for our particular AEGs. We highly recommend that you do your own testing to discover what ammunition your gun likes the most. For example the LCT AK we tested is especially accurate with heavy ammunition as it’s fitted with a flat hop modification and can lift those BBs to the maximum obtainable range. Slower shooting guns with stock hop ups might struggle to do the same. In general though, like most things in life you will get what you pay for! if you are interested in extracting the maximum accuracy from your RIF our recommendation would be to invest in some quality BBs in the heaviest weight your gun can lift whilst retaining range.

THE RESULTS LCT AK-104 (Modified) Brand ASG Blaster

ASG Devil Blaster

Weight

Group Size (Inches)

0.2g

3.8

0.25g

3.2

0.30g

0.20g

2.5

0.25g

0.28g

1.7

ASG SCORPION EVO 3 Brand ASG Blaster

ASG Devil Blaster

Weight

Group Size (Inches)

0.2g

3.8

0.25g

3.1

0.30g

2.5

0.20g

2.5

0.25g

0.28g

1.7

World War Two THE INVASION OF CRETE

Main image: JU 52 and paratroops

CODENAME: UNTERNEHMEN MERKUR THE GERMAN AIRBORNE ASSAULT ON CRETE FOLLOWING BILL AND KELLY’S REPORT FROM “WARZONE 2018” ON CRETE IN THE LAST ISSUE, WE INVITED MILITARY HISTORIAN, WILL FOWLER, TO TELL US ABOUT ONE OF THE TURNING POINTS OF WORLD WAR TWO THAT HAPPENED ON THE SAME ISLAND.

Below: German Paratrooper

August 2018

THE GERMAN ATTACK ON CRETE between May 20 -23, 1941, codenamed Unternehmen Merkur (Undertaking Mercury), was a unique battle. The island was defended by 35,000 British and Commonwealth forces, however, many had been evacuated from the Greek mainland and had limited weapons, ammunition, transport and communications equipment. Although the Allied forces were very poorly equipped they had a unique asset, “ULTRA” decrypts of encoded German radio traffic had given the garrison commander, Major General Bernard Freyberg VC, providing a complete breakdown of the German plans and he knew where the proposed drop zones were located in Crete. However, Freyberg was under orders not to compromise his ULTRA intelligence by exactly second-guessing the German moves and, as a cover, also positioned troops on the coast. He was aware that seaborne reinforcements were part of the German plan but though concerned to reinforce the Maleme area, he was over ruled. With few radios the headquarters had to rely on runners, dispatch riders and field telephones - all vulnerable to air attack. There a were few tanks but these were battered veterans of the fighting in North Africa. Artillery consisted (in part) of captured Italian guns for which sights had been improvised with match sticks and chewing gum! The soldiers even lacked digging tools and were obliged to use their helmets to construct positions. For the capture of the island of Crete the Germans committed 13,000 paratroops of the 7th Air Division, under Generalleutnant Kurt Student and 9,000 men of the 5th Gebirgsjäger Division under Generalmajor Julius Ringel, with Generaloberst Alexander Lohr in overall command. They were supported by 500 fighters and

bombers, 500 transports and 80 gliders. The first air attacks on the island began on May 15. The daily attacks, known to the soldiers as the “Morning Hate”, reached a crescendo just before 06.00 on May 20 when they concentrated on AA guns and any identified infantry positions. At Maleme all but one of the AA guns was silenced. ”This went on firing for some time” recalled a survivor ”till a host of Stukas and Me 109s fastened on it and shot and blasted it out of existence”. Merkur divided the island into four drop zones, from west to east: Maleme, Canea, Rethimno (where Warzone 2018: Operation “Final Assault” took place 77 years later. Ed.) and Heraklion. It would be attacked in two waves in the morning and the afternoon of May 20. Some 500 tough, reliable Ju 52 transport aircraft were available in the XI Air Corps, commanded by Generalmajor Conrad. The Corps consisted of Geschwader 1, 2 and 3 making up ten transport groups. They would fly from airfields at Tanagra, Topolis, Dadion, Megara, Corinth, Phaleron and Elevsis. The first wave, Group West under Generalmajor Eugen Meindl, would land in Maleme/Canea zone. They would be spearheaded by the 1st Assault Regiment in DFS230 gliders who would land to the west of Maleme airfield and around Suda Bay to neutralise any AA guns that had survived the air attacks. This would prepare the way for the paratroops. In the afternoon, Group Centre under Generalmajor Süssmann would land at Rethimno and Canea/Suda and Group East, under Generalleutnant Julius Ringel and spearheaded by paratroops of FJR 1 and a battalion of FJR 2 who would seize the airfield at Heraklion. This would allow the bulk of the 5th Gebirgsjäger Division to be flown in by Ju 52s but bad luck dogged the Germans from the outset. The glider carrying Generalleutnant Wilhelm Süssmann

World War Two THE INVASION OF CRETE

Suda Bay with bombed British ships

crashed on an island off the Greek mainland and Generalmajor Meindl was critically wounded shortly after landing. The Germans had also underestimated the physical difficulties of fighting in Crete and the size and determination of the garrison. The olive groves provided excellent camouflage for the defenders and the terraced hillsides reduced much of the effect of bombing. The German airborne attack philosophy was to jump directly onto the objective - even though this ran the risk of incurring heavy casualties. When they jumped the men were lightly armed and had to collect heavier weapons from containers and in the short time that they were in the air they were easy targets for riflemen below. British and Anzac troops established that the most effective technique was to aim at the paratrooper’s feet as he descended. One defender described it as being ”Like the opening of the duck shooting season in New Zealand.” The gliders came in so low and slow that the defenders could fire right into them killing all the occupants before they had even hit the ground. Even those that landed with the soldiers alive hit rocky, terraced terrain and broke up killing or injuring the occupants. In the afternoon the Second Wave flew into disaster. In just one hour a force of 1,500 Fallschirmjäger was reduced to 1,000 men in small scattered groups being hunted and trapped. At Rethimno Group Centre in the second wave were trapped in an olive factory under siege by the British and Australian forces. Dust now shrouded the airfields in Greece and in the chaos the Luftwaffe released aircraft that arrived at Heraklion in relays and so were easy targets for the well-camouflaged defenders. On the morning of May 21, Piper Macpherson of the Black Watch climbed out of his slit trench at Heraklion and sounded reveille - the British and Anzac troops with their Cretan allies were confident, almost cocky. By the end of the day 40 per cent of Student’s assault force was either dead, wounded or a prisoner. ”Today has been a hard one”, Freyberg cabled Wavell in Egypt, ”we have been hard pressed. So far, I believe, we hold aerodromes at Heraklion and Maleme… Margin by which we hold them is a bare one, and it would be wrong of me to paint an optimistic picture. Fighting has been heavy and we have killed large numbers of Germans. Communications are most difficult.”

Only at the western end of Maleme airfield did the paratroops manage to find cover and set up a viable base in the dried up riverbed of the Tavronitis. The key feature that dominated the airfield was the hill known as “Point 107”, that was held by the New Zealand 22nd Battalion commanded by Lt Colonel Les Andrew. Under heavy air attack he sent runners to his commanding officer, Brigadier James Hargest, requesting assistance. Hargest promised a counter attack against the men in the Tavronitis but his men were pinned down by air attacks. Andrew attempted an attack with a tiny force of 40 men and two Matilda tanks - it failed and only three men returned unwounded. A brave and experienced soldier, Andrew, who had won the VC in World War I, was under intense pressure and without reliable communications. His battalion appeared to be in danger of being cut off so Andrew pulled back A Company on Point 107 and this gave the Germans their opening. With an airfield in their possession, albeit under spasmodic artillery fire, they poured in reinforcements. On the first day aircraft landed 650 mountain troops and 550 more paratroops were landed and the Germans now prepared to “roll up” the island, pushing eastwards from their secure base at Maleme. In Athens, Student took the tough but tactically sound decision to abandon the operations at Rethimno and Heraklion. On May 20, 1,500 and 2,000 men had been committed to these locations, a day later only 120 men landed at Heraklion, while at the Maleme, Galatas, Suda Bay area 1,880 were parachuted in. On May 22 this figure jumped to 1,950 and on 23rd the Luftwaffe landed 3,650 men. On May 25 Student landed at Maleme, the airfield was littered with smashed Ju52s and to those who knew him said the General looked tired and aged. He had witnessed the destruction of his creation, the 7th Air Division. On May 22 Freyberg decided that he would have to pull his forces back on Suda to secure the naval base. In five days of hard fighting the paratroops had reached the outskirts of Canea and Freyberg realised that the battle of Crete was

German Paratrooper’s gravity blade knife in museum in Crete

Generaloberst Student

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German paratroops shown flushing out British troops

lost. He signalled Wavell ”From a military point of view our position is hopeless” and on May 27 London gave permission to withdraw. He organised an evacuation initially from the better appointed port of Heraklion on the north coast, but was eventually forced to use the tiny south coast port of Sphakia. To cover these operations two Commandos, commanded by Brigadier Robert Laycock and designated “Layforce”, were landed at Suda Bay on the nights of May 23-24 and 26-27. “The Navy has never let the Army down!” signalled Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, ”No enemy forces must reach Crete by sea.” On the night of May 21-22, a Royal Navy force commanded by Rear Admiral Irvine Glennie and acting on ULTRA intelligence, had intercepted a convoy of 25 commandeered caiques Greek fishing boats, escorted by the Italian destroyer Lupo. The Royal Navy sank several caiques and others turned back. They were carrying elements of the 5th Gebirgsjäger Division with their vehicles, Flak and support weapons, as well as engineer and anti-tank units. A larger group of 35 vessels intended to support Group East on the second day returned to Milos but some boats did make landfall on the island. These attacks came at a cost. At dawn on May 21 the Royal Navy suffered its first casualties when German aircraft sank the destroyer HMS Juno and damaged the cruiser HMS Ajax. A day later the cruisers HMS Gloucester and Fiji and the destroyer HMS Greyhound were sunk. On May 23 the destroyers HMS Kelly and Kashmir were lost. On May 29 the destroyers HMS

Crete battle honour cuff band

World War Two THE INVASION OF CRETE

Imperial and Hereward were sunk off the north coast. The Royal Navy evacuation had been costly but when it ended on June 1, 16,500 men had been saved. Cunningham was an inspirational leader for his crews ”It takes the Navy three years to build a ship. It would take 300 years to rebuild a tradition.” However, so severe were the losses at Crete that the Germans never attempted a major airborne operation again. Hitler declared to Student that ”The day of the paratrooper is over. The parachute arm is a surprise weapon and without the element of surprise there can be no future for airborne forces!” – and with these words he condemned this superb force to a ground role. Paratroops were, however, used in some smallscale operations in the latter years of the war, including the Aegean and the Ardennes offensive in 1944-45. The Balkan campaign forced on the Germans by Italian adventurism in Greece in 1941, delayed the attack on the USSR by a critical two months. If, as planned, it had been launched on May 15 the Germans would have had eight week’s extra good going before the Russian winter set in and would probably have captured Moscow. The outcome of the war might have been very different.

Wounded British POW with German paratrooper in Crete

Main image: German Cemetery at Maleme - airfield in background

Second Lieutenant Charles Upham, VC and Bar A modest 33 year-old New Zealand sheep farmer, “Charlie” Upham was awarded the Victoria Cross for his courage and leadership on Crete. On the night of May 21–22 he helped silence a German machine gun position. Between May 22–30, though wounded by two mortar bombs and a bullet through his foot and suffering from dysentery, he continued to lead his platoon. In 1942 promoted to Captain and now fighting in North Africa at El Ruweisat Ridge near El Alamein, he led his men in an attack that destroyed a German tank and several machine gun positions. For this action he received the rare distinction of a bar to his VC. He was later captured and remained a PoW until 1945.

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last post THE LAST POST | COMMUNICATIONS

RADIO

GAGA

FRENCHIE GETS HOT UNDER THE ANTENNA AS HE RETURNS TO THE SUBJECT OF RADIOS IN AIRSOFT AND THE RULES AND REGS SURROUNDING THEIR (AB)USE.

MY AIM WITH LAST POST was always to be a little lighter of tone, maybe a little more opinionated than one might find in other Airsoft Action articles. I’ll endeavour to do that this month but there is more of an intention to inform. I’m going to reprise a piece I wrote very early on in my time at AA about radios, specifically about the Baofeng UV 5R and the difference between it and PMR (Private Mobile Radio) systems. Both are appropriate for airsoft use but the Baofeng comes with additional obligations because of what it is. I’ll start with an explanation of PMR culled from my earlier piece… “The history of PMR446 in Europe began in 1997 with the decision of the European Radio Communications Committee to designate the 446 MHz frequency band as the option for license-free radio communication, followed by further decisions that permitted the free use of equipment that conformed to the European standard. Ireland led the way, introducing the service in 1998, with the UK following suit in 1999. “Service” is a misnomer, PMR – Private Mobile Radio – is a set of specifications which if conformed to permit the free use of unlicensed radio communication equipment by anyone. Along with the frequency restriction, the other key feature of the Private Mobile Radio specification is

august 2018

power output – a PMR radio cannot transmit at more than 500 mW – or half a watt. As a comparison, licensed business radios may transmit up to 5 watts of power, a substantial difference. The device must also have a fixed antenna, since choice of antenna can significantly affect power output”. That’s a slightly long-winded way of saying that if a radio conforms to this specification it can be freely used throughout Europe. No license is required as the specification is formulated to ensure that PMR devices do not interfere with other radio devices in any significant manner. The Baofeng UV-5R, on the other hand, is, effectively, a fullblown radio transceiver (that is a device capable of transmitting and receiving). There are a number of significant differences and the Baofeng does not meet the specification for a PMR device. I’ll explain why shortly but the key piece of information you need to take away from this, is that if you wish to use Baofeng you must obtain a simple business license from OfCom (Office of Communication) before you do so. OK so far but why is that the case and what happens of you don’t? It is true the UV-5R can be programmed to the PMR frequencies and some sellers use that as an excuse to state that they are “UK-legal” and they are UK-legal, just not as unlicensed PMR radios. They are too powerful for a start. Although smarter people than me have divined that the UV5R doesn’t quite hit the claimed 5 watts of output, it’s low powered setting is still 1 watt - or twice the permitted power of PMR devices. The UV-5R has a removable antenna, meaning that a replacement, possibly capable of boosting performance, can be substituted - that isn’t allowed on PMR devices. The Baofeng is not - and can never be - a PMR device. Anyone who

last post THE LAST POST | COMMUNICATIONS

THE BAOFENG IS NOT - AND CAN NEVER BE - A PMR DEVICE. ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU IT IS, BE THEY FRIEND OR VENDOR, IS EITHER MISINFORMED OR LYING.” tells you it is, be they friend or vendor, is either misinformed or lying. Let me be quite clear - the Baofeng isn’t illegal in the UK but using one without an appropriate license is. It’s analogous to a car; perfectly legal but driving one, on your own, on a public highway without having first passed the driving test is illegal. There are some people who get really hot under the collar about this sort of thing, as if their inability to do exactly what they want, when they want to, is a personal affront. It isn’t, it’s just another of the rules and laws that we all live by. My advice to these people? Suck it up. Get a license or use PMR, simple. If you can find my earlier article on radios in AA (it was called “Comms, you’d think it was easy”) you would see another important bit of information about PMR vs Baofeng receiver quality. I think a lot of people buy Baofengs because they are cheap and also because that 5 watts looks much better than 0.5 watts. Tim Jacobs explained to me, however, that the real issue is receiver quality rather than transmitter power, that’s why the demonstrably less powerful PMR radio can actually pick up signals better than the more powerful licensed radio. All that said, the Simple Light UK License costs £75 and lasts for 5 years. Buy it in the name of your team, make sure everyone has a copy and you’re all covered. You’ll probably get slightly better privacy than you will with PMR as the one thing PMR absolutely isn’t, is private and that may be one good reason for you not to want to use it. Moreover, if you use your UV-5Rs in accordance with your license, frequencies will be specified and you will be much less likely to interfere with other radio users. That is the point of licensing, to ensure that there is minimal interference right across the radio spectrum and it is a worthy aim. Personally I have no problem with users who have their license, adhere to their allotted frequency and cause no one any problems. I do have a massive issue with people who buy Baofengs (or similar), programme them to the PMR frequencies, set the power to high and proceed to b***er up every other player’s communications, not to mention the comms of the site marshals! In my universe there is a special corner of hell reserved for these people. They don’t care about fellow players, they don’t care about the sites they play at, they don’t care about the fact that their ignorance and arrogance might

prevent vital communications in the event of an accident - and I personally cannot forgive them for that. Leave aside the fact that illegally using radio equipment is a criminal offence, and punishable as such, it’s the sheer lack of respect for other users that makes this a hill that I’ve been nearly willing to die on in the past. There are excellent PMR radios out there, which are more than adequate for airsoft use but if you decide to use Baofengs or their like, do your fellow players a big favour and make sure you do it properly and do it legally, that way no one suffers as a result of your decisions.

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308 Sniper 66 High Street Chatham Kent, ME4 4DS 01634 921278 www.308sniper.co.uk

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

Eagle6 Airsoft Sutterton Enterprise Park Sutterton, PE20 2JA 01205 460385 07944 904604 www.eagle6.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

Facebook: /TazballAirsoft

www.leicestershireairsoft.co.uk

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

SYMBOL KEY

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

SHOP ONSITE

WOODLAND

PYROS ALLOWED

URBAN

BATTERY CHARGING

DESERT

REPAIR SERVICE

INDOOR

DISABLED FRIENDLY

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

ABER AIRSOFT – THE BUNKER Allt-lywd Wood Farm, outside Llanrhystud, nr. Aberystwyth, Wales. Tel: 07511554740 www.aberairsoft.co.uk

ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT

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

ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES

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

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

AIRSOFT KGB

AMAZON EVENTS

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

AIRSOFT PLANTATION

AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM

BATTLETEC AIRSOFT

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH

AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON

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

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

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

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

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

AIRSOFT ASYLUM

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

August 2018

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

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

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

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

BETTER BATTLES

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

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

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

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

BLUESTREAK AIRSOFT ALL ARMS AIRSOFT

ACE COMBAT

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

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

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

AWA HERTS

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

BORDERLINE AIRSOFT

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

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

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

ALPHA ELITE GAMING

BADLANDS AIRSOFT

BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT

ALPHA 55

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

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

BRISTOL AIRSOFT

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

BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT

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

CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

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

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

BUNKER 51

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

BUSH VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

COMBAT ACTION GAMES

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

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

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

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT (DESERT)

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

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

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

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE WORKS (URBAN)

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

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

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT

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

DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT

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

ELITE BATTLEZONE

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

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

FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS

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

FIFE WARGAMES COMBAT AIRSOFT

C3 TACTICAL

COTSWOLD AIRSOFT

DARKWATER AIRSOFT LTD.

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

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

COMBAT READY OUTDOOR

DELTA TEAM 3

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

COMBAT READY CQB

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

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

DOGS OF WAR COMBAT SOUTH URBAN

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

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

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

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

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

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

FIRST & ONLY: ANZIO CAMP

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

FIRST & ONLY: DOG TAG AIRSOFT

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

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

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

COOL UNDER FIRE

DRAGON’S LAIR

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

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT

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

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

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT

D.T.W AIRSOFT

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

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

STEALTH WOODS – OTLEY

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

FIRST & ONLY:

THE MILL CQB – WIGAN

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

FIRST & ONLY:

THE OUTPOST – KIDDERMINSTER

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

www.airsoft-action.online

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

FIRST & ONLY: SHELL SHOCK WOODS – BRIDGNORTH

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

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

INVICTA BATTLEFIELD

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

GRANGE LIVE GAMING FIRST & ONLY:

STEALTH WOODS – OTLEY

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

FIRST & ONLY:

THE JUNGLE – HARBURY

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

FIRST & ONLY:

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

FIRST & ONLY:

THE BASE CQC – YATESBURY

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

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

FREE FIRE ZONE

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

FRV AIRSOFT

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

FULL METAL AIRSOFT

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

GASS AIRSOFT – PENN

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

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

GUN HO AIRSOFT

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – TUDDENHAM

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

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS

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

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

HILTON PARK AIRSOFT

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

HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT

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

GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON

HUMBER AIRSOFT

August 2018

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

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

LAC SITE 1

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

LAC SITE 2

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

LAC SITE 3

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

LAC SITE 5

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

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

MIDWALES AIRSOFT

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

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

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

MILSIM UK

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

NCIS AIRSOFT

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

NOMAD AIRSOFT

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

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT

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

LAGAN AIRSOFT CLUB GUNMAN AIRSOFT – EVERSLEY

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

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

ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT

MIA

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

17G Stationview, Dunmurry, Belfast BT170AE Tel: 07733128484

LEEDS AIRSOFT: THE FOUNDRY CQB

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

NORTHFLEET CQB

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

NPF AIRSOFT, NPF BASSETTS POLE

LINDSEY AIRSOFT

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

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

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES

NSC AIRSOFT

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

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

MAW

NTAC

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

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

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

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

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

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

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

PHOENIX AIRSOFT

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

RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3

SUSSEX AIRSOFT

TORRENT WARFARE

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM)

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

TROJAN AIRSOFT

TA EVENTS

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB

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

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

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

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

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

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

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

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

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY

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

SKIRMISH EXETER PLATOON 1HQ

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

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

PLAYERS OF WAR

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

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

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

RAVEN’S NEST

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

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

RED1AIRSOFT

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

RED1AIRSOFT CQB

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

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

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

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

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

UCAP AIRSOFT

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

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

UCAP GREEN OPS

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

TAZ AIRSOFT

Farr, Inverness IV2 6XB Tel: 07848 448408

TECH BRIGADE SOUTH COAST CQB

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

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

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

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

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

URBAN ASSAULT SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH

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

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

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

THE BUNKER

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

THE DEPOT

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

VIKING AIRSOFT

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

THE EX SITE

WARMINSTER AIRSOFT

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

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

THE WARGAMES CENTRE

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT

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

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

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

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

THUNDER PARK AIRSOFT

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

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

www.airsoft-action.online

SITE DIRECTORY

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

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT

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

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

XSITE AIRSOFT OUTPOST

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

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

August 2018

PRACTICAL PISTOL DIRECTORY AIPSC

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

EBSC

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

HALO MILL

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

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

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB

XSITE PRACTICAL SHOOTING

COBRA ONE ZERO AIRSOFT

WatfordPPC@gmail.com

DOUBLE TAP PSC

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

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

SOUTH WEST PRACTICAL SHOOTERS (SWPS)

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

WETHERSFIELD AIRSOFT TARGET SHOOTING CLUB (WAT SIC)

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