Airsoft Action - November 2021 by Airsoft Action

PROUD TO SUPPORT PILGRIM BANDITS CHARITY

ISSUE 131 - NOVEMBER 2021 ISSN 2634-9515

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CONTENTS 8 ARMOURY: TM H&K MP5 NGRS Bill and Marcus take a look at the latest “Next Generation Recoil Shock” replica of one of their favourite airsoft replicas, the Heckler & Koch MP5 from Tokyo Marui that’s hitting stores right now.

PROUD TO SUPPORT PILGRIM BANDITS CHARITY

ISSUE 131 - NOVEMBER 2021 ISSN 2634-9515

16 ARMOURY: VFC BCM GBBR In Issue 128 Bill looked at the new BCM MCMR AEG from VegaForce Company. This time he turns his attention to the same carbine - as an absolutely fantastic GBBR! Editorial Director: Bill Thomas Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing Ad Design: Deadshot Design Publisher: Calibre Publishing

Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL, UK.

22 ARMOURY: ARES M45 X-CLASS The “Pistol Calibre Carbine” continues to be a focus for many airsoft manufacturers at the moment and it’s a trend that, if we’re honest, we’re actually quite enjoying. Bill thought he’d take a step back to look at a little “PCC” from Ares, the X-CLASS M(4)45!

Tel: +44 (0) 1684 878 003 Web: www.airsoftaction.net ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2021 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 publication.

FIND US ON…

30 ARMOURY: PERFORMANCE PERFECTED! Some of the AA team have followed G&G from their very humble beginnings to the behemoth of the airsoft industry that they have become, and Bill got together with them again recently (and virtually!) to look at their most recent innovations!

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 Editorial Director: bill@airsoft-action.co.uk, write to us at the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

72 ARMOURY: AUTO-ORDNANCE “SQUADRON” 1911 Bill takes a look at a “legacy model” of one of the most famous handguns ever, the venerable Colt 1911, this time in an unusual guise courtesy of a collaboration between Cybergun and Armorer Works - the Auto Ordnance “Squadron” 1911!.

Contents NOVEMBER 2021

34 KIT & GEAR: GUNFIRE GEAR When it comes to finding good airsoft clothing and gear at sensible prices that are achievable for all airsofters, our man Jon is 100% “on a mission”! This time he looks at some well-priced clothing offered by our friends at GUNFIRE, made specifically for airsofters.

68 KIT & GEAR: EYEPRO Eye protection is one of the most important aspects of safety, no matter what you shoot and Bill has used a brand from Australia for some time, a company that provides models that offer the highest levels of performance and protection!

38 FEATURE: ON YOUR T.O.D. In the previous instalment of TOD Jon spoke about how being prepared for an airsoft game is the key to success and how failure to prepare can lead to you having a bad, bad day …and now he moves things along a little further!

70 KIT & GEAR: ESS EYEPRO Following on from the CAGE feature about what eyepro the Legion uses and why, Stewbacca tells us why he favors a particular model from ESS.

42 THE CAGE: FACEPRO Once again it’s time for the Legion to look at what they use and why - and this time they get round to the thorny issue of “Facepro”. Love it or hate it, Facepro has become a part of regular gameday gear for many players and Bill kicks off the discussion as usual…

74 FEATURE: STAGE ETS Being able to practice your skills is every serious airsofter’s ideal scenario, especially if it also provides both challenges and instant feedback. Stewbacca reports from Taiwan, where a particular system attracted more than just his passing attention…

46 RED CELL: SHOTGUNS You could call this month’s report “Bill’s Ode to the Spring Shotgun” as he’s pulled together his extensive knowledge of these RIFs into one place to create a bit of a “special report”, one that we hope you’ll find eye-opening and informativete.

80 RELOADED: G&G RAIDER 2.0 Bill looks back on a model that’s just more than a little different from the herd, in the form of the Raider 2.0 from G&G, a carbine that has everything going for it and has stood up well to the test of time and hard use!

56 TECH: SETTING THE SCENE James’ Missile Launch system is now 100% ready for continued deployment. So, what comes next? A whole new “immersion” project that James will be documenting step by step and this month he lets us all into his process of conceptualisation!

84 KIT & GEAR: 5.11 RUSH MOAB Frenchie hadn’t intended to do any more bag reviews, but this one has it all; a boy, a girl, a mountain in southern Spain, frustration, an angrily-wielded knife, disillusion and finally redemption. Given all of that, how could he ignore this loadcarrying saga!

60 TECH: AIRTECH STUDIOS Jimmy’s knowledge of the minutiae of enhancing his favourite platforms sometimes drives even us to distraction, although the results he achieves are undeniably impressive! This time he turns his attention to some cracking little products in the MAXX range from Airtech Studios!

86 SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP Another month has raced on by and with it airsoft and tactical manufacturers have shown they are back to “full speed ahead”, as new RIF releases and new gear just keep on coming hard and fast!

64 KIT & GEAR: PARRA CASES With safe transport and storage of RIFs ever more important and security always paramount, Bill takes a look at the new range of hard gun cases from PARRA, recently released to market by NUPROL and finds the new range very much to his liking!

90 LAST POST NVG… NOD… NVD… they are known by many acronyms and TLAs (Three Letter Abbreviations) and often seen sported atop helmets and the like at MilSim events (whether it is dark or not!) and when Frenchie first got into airsoft, were an absolute rarity. Times have changed…

ULTIMA JACKET BLACK / DARK COYOTE / GREEN / SRP: £89.95

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armoury TM H&K MP5 NGRS

SHOCK AND

NOVEMBER 2021

armoury TM H&K MP5 NGRS

AWE-SOME!

BILL AND MARCUS TAKE A LOOK AT THE LATEST “NEXT GENERATION RECOIL SHOCK” REPLICA OF ONE OF THEIR FAVOURITE AIRSOFT REPLICAS, THE HECKLER & KOCH MP5 FROM TOKYO MARUI THAT’S HITTING STORES RIGHT NOW!

www.airsoftaction.net

armoury TM H&K MP5 NGRS

t is often stated that the most iconic and easily recognised firearm in the world today is the venerable AK47 and, much as this might be true, in my mind it is very closely followed by the diminutive “Maschinenpistole 5” first designed by Heckler & Koch GmBH in 1964. Pretty much every airsofter I know either owns or has owned an MP5 replica during their airsofting “career” and said ownership is somewhat a rite of passage. I have owned early plastic versions, sold them, moved up to full metal versions and there is still one lurking at the back of the gun room. It rarely comes out to play these days but the electric MP5 has been with us for an awfully long time now and has, for many of us, been involved in some epic skirmishes - both at home and abroad! So, what makes this little SMG such a “must have” for any airsofter? The simple reason is that it has been used by military and police forces worldwide, has appeared in the hands of most screen “action heroes” and, of course, was the firearm carried by the SAS on that fateful day on May 5th 1980 when they stormed the Iranian Embassy. It’s been used by the SAS, by the USN SEAL Teams, GSG-9 and virtually every special operations unit in the western world and even today we see the MP5 in the hands of our firearms trained police officers. Whatever your style of airsoft loadout, the MP5 fits it.

NEARLY 60 YEARS ON!

During the early to mid-1960s it became apparent to security forces worldwide that the rise in terrorist atrocities was a trend that they had to counter and for this reason many police and military units started the hunt for a lightweight, accurate, pistol calibre sub-machinegun (SMG). The Germans had a bit of a history with SMGs and “machine pistols” and two companies, Carl Walther Waffenfabrik in Ulman-Donau and Heckler and Koch (H&K) GmBH in Obendorf-am-Necker were at the forefront of the development process. Initially, the Walther MPL and MPK (basically a long and short version of the same firearm) seemed to have the edge as the design was already finalised in 1963. In 1964 though, the first designs of the MP5 from H&K started filtering through - and the rest, as they say, is history.

H&K looked at the successful G3 rifle designs and then adapted things so make use of the 9×19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. The MP5 was created within this group of firearms and was initially known as the HK54. First created in 1964, the H&K MP5 was developed as a pistol-calibre, blowback operated, roller-locked member of the H&K weapons system and in 1966 it was officially adopted by the German Federal Police, border guard and army special forces. The model replicated in airsoft form by VFC under the Umarex brand is the basic 9x19mm NATO (Luger, Parabellum) MP5A3, the workhorse in the extensive family of MP5 submachine guns. Like all H&K firearms the MP5 is a modular design that allows the assembly groups, to include butt stock, trigger group and forearm to be exchanged on a common receiver by the user in the field to reconfigure it for varying mission requirements, mostly without resorting to tools. The real MP5A3 has an 8.85 inch barrel, is 21.00 inches in length with the retractable stock closed and weighs only 2.55kg unloaded. It can be fired in some of the variants in semi-automatic, 2 or 3-round burst or fully automatic mode, depending on the trigger group mounted and at a cyclic rate of fire of 800 rounds per minute. The “Navy” variants of the MP5A3 can be fitted with optional suppressors which reduce the sound signature by more than 38 dB and allows it to be fired immediately upon emergence from the water. In repeated and exhaustive testing, the MP5 has proven capable of firing more than 30,000 rounds without a single stoppage or parts failure and it is not uncommon to find MP5s still serving with in excess of 500,000 rounds through the original barrel and receiver! Still being regarded of as one of the most reliable and effective submachine guns in the world after nearly fifty years, has seen the MP5 become the choice of the world’s most famous elite anti-terrorist, special operations and special law enforcement organisations. While more modern submachine guns have been designed since the introduction of the MP5 it is still the user’s choice when lives are at stake. Now that’s some BIG shoes to replicate - so how does the new Toyo Marui take stand up to scrutiny? I’ll hand off to Marcus to provide the lowdown…

“IN REPEATED AND EXHAUSTIVE TESTING, THE MP5 HAS PROVEN CAPABLE OF FIRING MORE THAN 30,000 ROUNDS WITHOUT A SINGLE STOPPAGE OR PARTS FAILURE AND IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO FIND MP5S STILL SERVING WITH IN EXCESS OF 500,000 ROUNDS THROUGH THE ORIGINAL BARREL AND RECEIVER!” 10

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armoury TM H&K MP5 NGRS

GOOD TO GO

As Bill stated earlier, the MP5 is probably one of the most popular airsoft replicas out there and pretty much every manufacturer offers at least one variant - some have been fabulous whilst others have most definitely been pretty sour lemons! Developed by Tokyo Marui as part of their ongoing “Next Generation Recoil Shock or NGRS” program, I am going to come straight out and say that their take on the classic MP5 is probably the best I’ve ever seen! To start with the box, it’s a normal TM-style box with H&K MP5 on the front of it, and inside there is the AEG, and a small box that says “9mm Parabellum” that has the usual small bag of 0.20g BBs, a muzzle cap and a sight adjustment tool. There are two cut-outs for magazines but there is only one included with the AEG, and there is a box with a suppressor adapter and two plastic shims for it. Inside the lid are the instructions for it, and these would be great if they were in English because for the operating system it would be really useful to know how to use it… fully good old TM! The look and feel is great with typical TM attention to detail, and we’ll start at the collapsible stock which is well-made and strong; the butt pad is well made and looks just like the real thing, this being the MP5A5 variant, but as it has just two positions on the stock it’s a bit limited if you’re used to an AR-style, but there again this was intended for CQB and super-swift deployment! At the back of the receiver cap there is the stock release catch which you simply rotate to the right to change the position of the stock, again well-made and it looks and feels pretty strong. Then we get to the grip and safety catch; again this is the later type with no finger grooves and is more of a

basic grip assembly which has four positions for the selector: Safe/Semi/3 Round Burst/Full Auto (more about the 3 round burst later). The selector catch is well made and moves positively. Forward of the grip is the magazine well and this is part of the receiver. This is the only part I can find fault with (it’s probably just me being a bit picky), as this is metal but of moulded construction and I was hoping that TM would have used a steel stamping, just like the real thing. Other than that, it’s not bad and they have put into the moulding all the welds and pins that it should have in it. The magazine catch is of the usual MP5/G3 type (i.e. it’s a dual system) and there is a push button on the right hand side like the AR platform type magazine catches; it also has at the bottom of the lower immediately behind the magazine itself a leverstyle catch that must be pushed forward to release the magazine. The magazine must be inserted and pushed up to engage fully, again just like the real thing. Above this on the right hand side is the ejection port; this opens to allow access to the hop unit and is of a different colour which looks great. To access this you have to pull back and up the charging handle and lock it open, again just like the real thing and, unlike most other MP5s on the market, you can do the “HK Slap” without breaking the charging handle as it seems to be very strong. The front grip (which is also the battery compartment) is well made and held in buy a standard H&K cotter pin. This compartment is big enough for a 7.4v 1450mah LiPo to fit in nicely and this is the

“DEVELOPED BY TOKYO MARUI AS PART OF THEIR ONGOING “NEXT GENERATION RECOIL SHOCK OR NGRS” PROGRAM, I AM GOING TO COME STRAIGHT OUT AND SAY THAT THEIR TAKE ON THE CLASSIC MP5 IS PROBABLY THE BEST I’VE EVER SEEN!”

www.airsoftaction.net

armoury TM H&K MP5 NGRS

first TM that is set up to take LiPo batteries as standard! The muzzle is nicely crafted and is the standard tri-lock type that H&K pioneered and works with the suppressor adapter in the box. All you need to do is push the adapter on, pull back on it and twist and it locks on, just like it should. To remove it, you simply pull back on the adapter and twist the opposite way and off it comes! The thread

on the adapter is a standard M14 CCW, so any standard tracer or suppressor should fit.

The magazine is sturdy and holds 72 BBs in it and (the same as all the other TM recoils) has an empty-mag-cut-out built into it, so when you’re out of ammo you have to pull back and lock the charging handle, swap out mags and then slap down the charging handle to start shooting again. It’s a very nice system. Now it’s time for me to rant a little… The new “M-SYSTEM” has a microcomputer (MCU = microcontroller 12

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unit) which monitors and controls the Mosfet, FC (Fire Control), battery and the motor. It not only monitors information from seven sensors and various voltages to switch shooting mode and control the rotation of the motor, but also has safety features which detect damage or abnormality to stop operation. It’s a great system - as long as you don’t do anything stupid like change the battery connections and inadvertently reverse the polarity which, at time of writing, is exactly what has happened to one gun I’ve already been sent to repair! It’s blown the Mosfet and that’s it, the gun won’t work at all! I hear you ask “Why can’t you just replace the Mosfet?” but there lies a problem… TM will not send replacement technology out of Japan, instead asking that you send the whole gun back to them to be repaired… Good luck with that one in the present climate! This might seem that I’m having a go at TM but I’m really not! If you were to go to, say, a major car manufacturer and said to them I want to see your newest suspension system, they would probably tell you where to go - and quite rightly so! TM is just protecting their innovative technology and their business which allows them to create more unique models. All I’m saying is if you do want to change things like the battery connection (to say, Deans), make sure that you check the battery polarity before you connect the battery because if you blow it, then you’re screwed! I would say in the future someone like GATE or Jefftron will probably make an uprated Mosfet for it, but just not at the moment. After all is said and done the TM MP5 is a great looking and performing EG. It is weighty and handles well and any standard sight mounts and accessories will fit although the open sights look and work great . The three round burst is a useful addition to have on a SMG and saves on BBs, especially as the only mags available at the moment are the 72 count ones; undoubtedly there will be a Hi-cap mag at some point but it’s not out yet. I love the feel of this AEG! The recoil is just like the other TM NGRS but because it is a lot shorter, the recoil on full auto makes it more difficult to keep the gun on target - just like it should be! The three round burst is nice and snappy and gives you a better option than full auto, especially as the mag capacity is restricted. On the whole I believe the TM MP5 is great and, as far as I’m concerned, I would not do anything to it other than may be changing the battery terminals to Deans but, as I’ve said, be careful if you do this! Other than that, its great, just what we have come to expect from the one of the best airsoft companies in

armoury TM H&K MP5 NGRS

the business! Now I’ll hand back to Bill for the range test…

DOWNRANGE!

As always, when you have a superb-looking replica, you can’t help but mentally wince in case the performance doesn’t live up to the good looks. In the past I’ve seen some truly stunning-looking replicas that ultimately spat BBs with all the venom of a lazy worm - and the accuracy of a ballista! However, with this MP5 the performance is every bit as good as its rakish good looks! A 72 BB magazine is included in the package and with the hop set it’s simply a case of pop in the battery, engage safety, insert the magazine and you are ready to rock n’ roll - and this is where the fun REALLY starts! I would always advise anyone with an MP5 electric replica NEVER to engage in the “H&K slap” used to release the working parts in the real thing, due to the fragility of the cocking handle and, to be on the safe side, I’d say the same thing here although the TM does feel pretty darn sturdy. Using .20g BBs the MP5 gave a mean chronograph reading of 0.83 Joule/299fps, which was very (Marui) consistent and obviously perfectly site friendly, especially for CQB encounters. Setting the fire

selector to semi-auto and easing the trigger sends BBs downrange well, and for something with a relatively short inner barrel the MP5 is quite astonishingly (Marui again!) accurate, hitting sandbag targets easily at 30m. Switching things to three round is great as an effective, controlled option but hit full-auto and… Oh my goodness me! This thing is a little BB-spitting monster! Believe me, the first time you use this mode you WILL be shocked by both the rate of fire and the “recoil thump” you get in the shoulder. Overall, I’d agree with Marcus, that the TM MP5 NGRS is one heck of a replica and I can really see it coming into its own in a MilSim or even training situation. It’s not the cheapest replica out there, as you can expect to pay iro £500 for one (with spare mags being relatively expensive too) but you are getting an absolutely huge amount for your money. The MP5 looks great, is superbly finished and put together and functions flawlessly. It’s honestly as close to the real thing as you’ll find in an electric replica and this, I believe, will make it attractive not only to airsoft players but also to historical re-enactors, as a good De-Ac is going to cost a whole lot more. Whichever camp you sit in, as a replica the TM MP5A5 NGRS is nigh on as perfect as you’ll get without going down the gas route! AA

“THE MP5 LOOKS GREAT, IS SUPERBLY FINISHED AND PUT TOGETHER AND FUNCTIONS FLAWLESSLY. IT’S HONESTLY AS CLOSE TO THE REAL THING AS YOU’LL FIND IN AN ELECTRIC REPLICA AND THIS, I BELIEVE, WILL MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE NOT ONLY TO AIRSOFT PLAYERS BUT ALSO TO HISTORICAL RE-ENACTORS…”

IMAGE CREDIT: H&K USA

www.airsoftaction.net

armoury VFC BCM GBBR

THE GUNFIGHTER GOES GAS! 16

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armoury VFC BCM GBBR

IN ISSUE 128 BILL TOOK A REALLY GOOD LOOK AT THE NEW BCM MCMR AEG FROM VEGAFORCE COMPANY (VFC) AND FELL (BACK) IN LOVE WITH ELECTRIC AR PLATFORMS BECAUSE OF IT! OF COURSE, THE AEG IS ONLY ONE PART OF THE VFC “BCMAIR” PROGRAM SO THIS TIME HE TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO THE SAME CARBINE, ONLY THIS TIME AS AN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC GBBR!

’mon, anyone who knows me, or that reads Airsoft Action regularly knows that I am just a HUGE VFC fanboy! VFC are a company that I’ve got to know very well indeed, and I’ve used their high-quality, innovative airsoft creations pretty much from the day they started! I’ve got to know Ray at VFC very well too and speak to him these days not just as a trusted contact in the global airsoft industry, but also as a personal friend - of some years standing! That means that when Ray tells me, with his “work hat” on, that something amazing is coming, I trust his opinion 100%. Of course, when it comes to VFC AEGs

and GBBRs I also have the experience of many years use of their models, both in game and on the range and those models have all had literally thousands of BBs through them, so I know just a little about how VFC platforms perform not only as new, but also as they age. Bottom line is that VFC is a brand that I 100% trust (although like any brand they’ve had their ups and downs) and the fact that I have a really good friend inside the company means that I get to know about things in advance and get all excited …but have to say “Sorry, my lips are sealed!” It’s been pretty obvious that a new AEG model

www.airsoftaction.net

armoury VFC BCM GBBR

that I have been massively excited about is the MCMR (M-LOK Compatible Modular Rail) created by VFC under their new partnership and licencing agreement with Bravo Company USA, Inc (BCM), and after thorough and extensive range-testing this magnificent AEG has proved to be everything I’d been led to believe it would be …and more! As I’ve said many times before - and in my initial review of the MCMR AEG - I absolutely adore an AEG or GBB that’s gone through all the checks and balances pre-production, thorough torture-testing, design and re-design and a carefully controlled manufacturing process …before I part with any cash! I also like a properly licenced replica as I know then what I’m getting is going to be as close to the “real deal” as possible, and VFC are past masters at conforming to all of the aforementioned processes. I had massively high hopes that the gas version of the MCMR would be every bit as good as the AEG that came before! I already own a couple of VFC gassers and love them as both training and game day carbines, and in fact the VFC SR16 GBBR is one of my absolute favourite RIFs and has already given me a couple of years of sterling service and much enjoyment. In fact, if pushed, I would have to admit that until very recently this has been my favourite carbine amongst MANY that I own, both electric and gas powered! But then just a few months ago came the BCM MCMR AEG and the poor old gasser got relegated to second position and I thought that the new AEG from

VFC would take a long time before it was knocked off pole position. It actually swung me back in favour of Jimmy’s assertion that the AEG is still king! However, that was before my dear friend Ray messaged me to say that he was sending me over the gas version of the very same carbine… and then ALL bets were off!

BCM MCMR REVISITED!

To recap on the background as to why BCM is, at least to me, such an important brand to finally see in licenced airsoft form, I have to return to the history. Okay, I said all of this before when I looked at the AEG but you REALLY need to understand where I’m coming from to fully appreciate what is on offer from VFC, so I’ll quote direct as there’s no pint reinventing the wheel now, is there? BCM started in the garage of a USMC veteran in Wisconsin, shortly after Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. As their website proudly tells one and all, BCM was founded to support the needs of Private Security Professionals working in theatres where durable

“I THOUGHT THAT THE NEW AEG FROM VFC WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME BEFORE IT WAS KNOCKED OFF POLE POSITION. IT ACTUALLY SWUNG ME BACK IN FAVOUR OF JIMMY’S ASSERTION THAT THE AEG IS STILL KING! HOWEVER, THAT WAS BEFORE MY DEAR FRIEND RAY MESSAGED ME TO SAY THAT HE WAS SENDING ME OVER THE GAS VERSION OF THE VERY SAME CARBINE… AND THEN ALL BETS WERE OFF!” 18

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armoury VFC BCM GBBR

mil-spec components for their weapon systems were not readily available. BCM (Bravo Company MFG, Inc.) builds professional grade weaponry manufactured, reinforced and tested to meet the unforgiving needs of professional Soldiers, Law Enforcement and responsible citizens in some of the most high threat environments in the world, products that are: “Engineered and built as lifesaving equipment with industry-leading mechanical quality control, BCM lifesaving tools serve US Military Special Operations Units, Department of Homeland Security, responsible American citizens and other government agencies at home and around the world.” Bravo Company are one of the “good guys”, their motto is the classic “Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum” (If You Wish for Peace; Prepare for War) and everything they create is with this mindset in place. No shortcuts, no substitutions, no half measures and they say go on to say that… “BCM was founded to provide military-standard weapons systems to the American Warrior. BCM builds them to be as unbreakable as the people who use them”. Built using the highest-quality materials and tested to meet the needs of the most demanding users, BCM equipment increases survivability in dangerous situations. Again, as I said before, you may have noticed in all the reviews I carry out on replica firearm models that I regularly make use of the words “Fully Licenced” and it’s something that is very important to me. There are many “replicas” out there that may, on first glance, look like the original that they are designed to resemble but, in many cases it is just that, a “resemblance” rather than a true reproduction. Whilst this may seem unimportant, in fact it’s a vital part of how the industry works. Development of any firearm

takes years and costs many thousands of buckeroos and both aftermarket parts and accessories form yet another part of the process. Trademark infringement is a serious matter and failing to work with real world firearms manufacturers could see them withdrawing their products altogether from the replica market. Just like with the AEG, VFC have worked in total harmony with BCM under their “BCMAIR” program, even down to using the original design specifications of the “real deal” to provide a replica with a completely authentic look and feel. Each MCMR, both AEG and GBB, comes with authentic BCM markings throughout, on the unique “MOD 1 SOPMOD” stock, the ergonomic and nicely stippled “MOD 3” pistol grip, both upper and lower receivers, on the rail itself, and even on the “MOD 0 - 5.56” compensator at the sharp end, all of which means that this is a tried, tested and fully licenced replica! The MCMR, as both a superlative AEG and now a high-performance GBBR, just looks fabulous and is, quite literally now, as real as it gets in airsoft form!

IT’S ALL ABOUT GUTS

So far so much the same, right? However, it’s all about what’s inside the GBBR that makes the difference and really gives it some high-quality, high-performance “guts”! Overall, the fit and finish of the GBB MCMR is superbly, gorgeously first rate, right down to the sharp and crisp trademarks and I’d go so far as saying that it somehow just feels “better” somehow than the AEG, to me at least. Everything about this RIF is utterly righteous and just having it in your hands makes you feel that you’re holding something pretty darn special! So, what, to me, makes the VFC replica of the MCMR “real”? The answer is simple! If you can find an airsoft replica of a specific “AR”

“EACH MCMR, BOTH AEG AND GBB, COMES WITH AUTHENTIC BCM MARKINGS THROUGHOUT, ON THE UNIQUE “MOD 1 SOPMOD” STOCK, THE ERGONOMIC AND NICELY STIPPLED “MOD 3” PISTOL GRIP, BOTH UPPER AND LOWER RECEIVERS, ON THE RAIL ITSELF, AND EVEN ON THE “MOD 0 - 5.56” COMPENSATOR AT THE SHARP END, ALL OF WHICH MEANS THAT THIS IS A TRIED, TESTED AND FULLY LICENCED REPLICA!” www.airsoftaction.net

armoury VFC BCM GBBR

that is 100% exactly like its real world counterpart, that feels, can be adjusted, and operates (albeit from gas and BBs in each magazine rather than bullets and propellant) like a real carbine for the same price I would love to hear about it! Overall, the VFC MCMR is as close to the real deal as you’ll find in 6mm form and everything is nailed down to look and feel exactly as it would on the real thing, including the operating system. There are many steel parts apparent on the MCMR, including the Bolt Catch, Magazine Release, Selector, Dummy Forward Assist, and Dust Cover. Also in steel is the Trigger Set which has Firing Pin parts of a totally new design and a “Non-Cut Lever” steel Hammer Set. VFC tell me: “The new firing pin parts have a deeper installation position to effectively strengthen (and add) stability, and the improved lower receiver (a redesign of the internal AR series GBBR lower receiver) is equipped with positioning holes, so it’s not easy to cause installation deviation or skew things during operation.” The steel components continue into a full-travel CNC Bolt Carrier Assembly with a stronger steel bolt cam pin to mimic the “bolt carrier group (BCG)” of the real BCM, and this has some real muscle, especially when it’s married up to the High-Speed (weight increased) Buffer Unit. VFC have even fitted a steel Buffer Stop to make sure this added dynamic doesn’t cause damage during continued use! As with VFCs previous gas ARs, this replicates exactly the operation of the real carbine so your drills need to be 100% the same. For instance, the VFC gas magazines (and the MCMR is fully compatible with VFC’s excellent gas V-Mags) only hold 30 BBs, so your reloads need to be slick and lo-drag. In addition to luxurious build quality and superb components, the MCMR also offers realistic take-down; by splitting the receivers you can remove the BCG for cleaning and maintenance, again, just like the real thing.

DOWNRANGE

I took the MCMR GBBR to my usual 30m woodland range to chrono and test and, in terms of power, I got a consistent 1.33 Joule/379fps on a .20g RZR BB using VORSK V8 gas, and upping to .30g RZR BBs, the accuracy was amazing at that range. The MCMR benefits from VFCs “Guide Hop” technology where you can easily adjust the hop by using a hex wrench to fine tune via a mechanism in the fake gas block… Gone are the days when you needed to split the receiver to adjust the hop, or to create a “fettling tool” to do it! Measuring out 70m in the woods I

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secured one of our Red Cell “Steels” and had at it prone… Suffice to say that the “gong was a’ringin’” with every carefully placed .30g BB! I honestly have fallen in love with the MCMR as a platform, as everything just seems “right” to me! I love the BCM licenced furniture from the stock through the ergonomic pistol grip and onto the distinctive M-LOK rail. Once again I added a foregrip and a holosight so it feels comfortable for me and the overall length (stock fully extended) of 790mm and weight (with mag) of 1958g is absolutely perfect in my mind for a “fightin’ gun”! I’ve managed to get in some serious range time with it (not a chore if I’m honest!) and the added sense of realism that the gas operation adds to a platform I’ve already fallen in love with just adds to the feeling that you’ve got something more akin to a real firearm in your hands rather than an airsoft version! There are many gas rifles and carbines out there now that “simulate” the real thing and many of them are very, very expensive beasts; having now shot the MCMR on a sustained basis I can tell you that it will perform as well as the best. I have said this of other VFC GBBR models but the MCMR is far from being your average “airsoft gun” and for this reason I don’t believe you’ll be seeing it regularly at “Sunday Skirmishes” but, to be perfectly honest, the MCMR hasn’t been designed and made for the mass market, it’s been created for “those that know”, people and players that want an airsoft carbine that not only looks fabulous, but one which operates exactly like the “real deal”! It’s been designed for players right enough, and the AEG will see you through the hardest-fought skirmishes with some style! For the MilSim player, and for those that want to test themselves to the limit in any game, or on the range, then the GBBR is just sublime and I believe that both VFC and BCM must be very, VERY pleased with what they’ve created… I KNOW that I am - and am excited to see what my old friends at VegaForceCompany do with the “BCMAIR” program next! My sincere thanks go to my good mate Ray at www.vegaforce.com for helping me to understand “The Way of the MCMR” just a little more than I did before and for sending over the GBBR and the AEG for evaluation. Next month Red Cell will be looking at gas carbines and rifles, so tune in to Issue 132 to see what they think - and Stewbacca will also be looking at what happens when the MCMR gets the “Clarence Lai Treatment” too! AA

armoury VFC BCM GBBR

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armoury ARES M45 X-CLASS

IN AN X-CLASS OF ITS OWN! THE “PISTOL CALIBRE CARBINE” CONTINUES TO BE A FOCUS FOR MANY AIRSOFT MANUFACTURERS AT THE MOMENT AND IT’S A TREND THAT, IF WE’RE HONEST, WE’RE ACTUALLY QUITE ENJOYING, AS THE INDIVIDUAL DESIGNS AND “TAKE” ON THIS HAVE BEEN PRETTY UNIQUE! WITH BOTH AEG AND GBB MODELS ALREADY ON THE MARKET, BILL THOUGHT HE’D TAKE A STEP BACK TO LOOK AT A LITTLE “PCC” FROM ARES, THE X-CLASS M(4)45!

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armoury ARES M45 X-CLASS

hat exactly is a “Pistol calibre Carbine” (PCC), and what does it mean to me? Essentially, it’s what it says on the can… a carbine-length platform (so, no longer than a 14.5 inch outer barrel in my mind) married up with a pistol-style magazine, either “9mm” for anything G-series-based, or .45 for a 1911-style. …and that’s it! As we’ve seen some fabulous designs coming from virtually all the main manufacturers worth their salt, it’s a marketplace that is fast becoming a little saturated and from recent social media blasts, we’ve all seen that are more yet to come! We’ve seen AEG and GBB “PCCs” and they’re all pretty cool, being based largely on existing technology but with some new outer party clothes to dress up in, plus some revised mechanics to take into account the “pistol” magazine. Most perform flawlessly, and in many ways are the ideal airsoft CQB tool but there are a couple of things that cloud the issue for me. Number one is a bit of a biggy in my mind, as a true “PCC” will work as a primary using THE SAME style of magazine as your secondary and in real life this is a joyous meld that means you only need to carry one style of magazine. Effectively, your pistol belt becomes your entire loadcarrying gear and you can carry a good load of mags without a chest rig or plate carrier! If you’re a player that likes running a “hi-speed, lo-drag” loadout, then the PCC should be tailor-made for you. However, apart from one of my favourite gassers, the G&G SMC-9, there are actually very few models that conform to this in airsoft form. The SMC-9 can use GTP-9 pistol magazines as well as extended versions and, as we note in “Shop Drop” this month, there’s even a big old drum on the way, hopefully before the year is out. “But wait!” I hear you say, surely we class the SMC-9 as an SMG and not a PCC…? So, secondly, there is the misty/clouded area of where does a PCC end and an SMG or PDW start? If you take an SMG, for instance, then this also uses a pistol-calibre magazine but does so with a high rate of fire in mind. If you pigeon-hole a PDW as something that has that distinctive, minimalist sliding stock but uses a regular carbine-calibre magazine then all is good, but what we’ve seen in airsoft guise sometimes meets all those criteria… and then promptly throws them ALL in the bin! What we’ve seen to date are PCCs but with PDW stocks, and then PCCs that look more like an SMG… Let’s face it, the MP5, possibly the most famous SMG of recent times uses what is (effectively) a simplified “PDW-style” sliding stock… You see what I’m saying here? Basically, it’s as clear as mud! With all of that in mind, I’ll turn my attention to the actual AEG that I’m Background created by kjpargeter - www.freepik.com

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armoury ARES M45 X-CLASS

focussing on here, not a new model for sure as it first took my attention a couple of years back - and that’s the M4 45 PISTOL X CLASS (M45) from good old Ares that really ticks all those PCC boxes!

NEW TECH INSIDE AND OUT

First up, let’s have a look at what the M45 really offers us as players... Essentially, what Ares offered us was a super-looking, supershort AR “PCC” but with some unique twists. At just 358mm long (with the stock collapsed to the side) this was one sweet package that appeared perfect as a sniper/DMR secondary. With the stock deployed and very solidly locked in place, that length extended out to 522mm with a PROPER sliding stock that housed a decent battery; Plus Point #1… no tiny specialist battery or PEQ box needed! However, this stock made use of some new tech in the form of a “contact point” battery connection (two connection points each on the buffer tube and upper receiver interface) which meant you had to have the stock extended for the M45 to fire! This may seem like a negative to some (in that you can’t fire the M45 while the stock is folded to the left) but in many ways it favours properly aimed shots (Plus Point #2), plus when you carry it into a safe zone you cannot only remove your magazine and make clear, but you can also physically isolate the battery function very quickly

“WHAT WE’VE SEEN TO DATE ARE PCCS BUT WITH PDW STOCKS, AND THEN PCCS THAT LOOK MORE LIKE AN SMG… LET’S FACE IT, THE MP5, POSSIBLY THE MOST FAMOUS SMG OF RECENT TIMES USES WHAT IS (EFFECTIVELY) A SIMPLIFIED “PDWSTYLE” SLIDING STOCK… YOU SEE WHAT I’M SAYING HERE? BASICALLY, IT’S AS CLEAR AS MUD!” 24

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and easily to put the AEG into a totally safe mode (Plus Point #3). Both of these points are a positive for me… anything that encourages safety and proper shooting style are a bonus to me and the fact that you get that “proper” stock on a very short AEG works too. Then comes the other clever trick with the M45; the front-end modularity, which is Plus Point #4! If you buy a PCC or PDW you generally get a really Background created by kjpargeter - www.freepik.com

short AEG, but that means you’re stuck with the original length and only through a lot of work can you change this. Not so with the M45, as it has one of the best modular front-ends that I believe I’ve ever seen (until the MUTANT which I’ll return to later) and that is SO easy to use that it’s almost a no-brainer! With the M45 you get from the box (and a very small box it is!) an uber-stubby 100mm quad rail system which incorporates the inner and oversized “.45” outer barrel, along with the hop unit. By simply pulling down on the pull-tab beneath the ring that mates the entire frontend assembly to the upper, you can release the entire unit and replace it with a different one. Ares have made a whole range of accessory front-end units, flash hiders and parts to help you with this. I did mention that the M45 outer barrel is physically larger than that you’d find on a regular carbine (20mm at the largest dropping to a 15mm thread covered by a knurled cover), so this will cause some challenges if you want to fit a suppressor or tracer unit but that’s nothing an adapter won’t easily solve and, quite frankly, the chunky barrel adds to the overall look. So, a couple of unique things that really make the M45 different already but as usual, both the internals and externals are quality too! Inside you get the EFCS that I’ve already talked about a lot recently, so that means you can set up the X45 as you like it. There’s also a new slimline motor fitted into a slim pistol grip with an entirely new rake angle that works well and makes this a great choice for players with www.airsoftaction.net

armoury ARES M45 X-CLASS

smaller hands but equally makes it instinctive to use (Plus Point #5). Externally, the build is lovely and of tank-like metal construction; it really feels like you could give the M45 some serious “hammer-time” and it would come back at you laughing! The fit and finish of everything is first rate and neat additions like a functional bolt release for the “.45-sized” ejection port, full ambidextrous controls, and a clean flat-bladed trigger make the M45 something a little special!

SMALL PLATFORM, BIG PERFORMANCE!

Now, I have to say that as a big guy, REALLY small ARs are something I don’t usually get on with, especially those with “PDW” stocks but the proper sliding stock of the M45 makes all the difference! This is a really easy AEG to work with due to its ultra-compact size and, as the battery is housed inside the buffer tube, the compartment is easily accessed by simply popping off the easy-to-remove stock. I fitted an 11.1V LiPo (which is actually easy to do with the M45) and once in, the battery totally disappears from sight. The M45 comes with two magazines; a short pistol-style 55 and a longer SMG-style125 (and yes, there is a drum mag), plus all magazine variants are designed for smooth and uninterrupted feeding of BBs, even with a high ROF. So, all set up it was off to the targets for some range time and the M45 performed just as I expected; like a little fire-cracker! It’s a super little carbine to work with, with great ergonomics and a very positive cheek weld thanks to the full stock and the newangle pistol grip. This is pretty much the same rake as a 1911 (cool move Ares!) so if you use a 1911 or Hi-Capa then it will feel very natural! Adding a short foregrip as always makes it very easy to drive the muzzle from target to target and the overall length of the rifle (the full 552mm for me) makes it easy to work with, even in tight spaces. Once the rotary hop was set, an easy control to adjust, the M45 was shooting a straight shot out to the end of the 30m range at a site friendly 0.89 Joule/311fps average on a .20g BB. The flip-up sights that come as standard are a

smaller version of the excellent ones fitted to most of their carbines these days, and their neater size fits the aesthetic of the M45 well …they work just as effectively as their larger siblings. The bladed trigger is light yet crisp, with very little lag so it’s easy to get consistently accurate shots away time after time, just spot-on for an AEG that potentially will be used on semi-only for CQB, although full-auto on an 11.1 rocks along nicely too! I would say that if you are looking for a “PCC-Style AR”, then the M45 is certainly most worthy of your consideration. In terms of my own use, it sits perfectly alongside my Hi Capa and .308 DMR to dominate the mid-ground between the MED of the .308 before I need to transition to a sidearm proper if things really go to R-S! It’s a great looking replica, performs just as well as it should out of the box, is solid as a rock, and with for-the-future-modularity built in it’s an awful lot of tiny gun for the money! Like them or loathe them - and Ares appear to attract just as many detractors as fans - I believe that Ares are actually amongst the true innovators of airsoft right now and that’s come from over ten years of really getting into the market to find out what works and what doesn’t, both in terms on design, operating systems and new technology. Back in Issue 126 I had a good look at the latest MUTANT design and was really impressed with their modularity and it struck me that this is something that I personally originally saw from Ares in the M45, so it’s great to see a system continue to evolve. However, as good as and as innovative as the M45 was (and is), I do hope that a manufacturer will soon come up with a TRUE PCC that uses the SAME magazines as our favourite handgun models… This is going to be a big ask, especially if it’s in AEG form but I believe that whoever does this first will have a market-dominating system on their hands. So, Ares, if you’re listening, it’s time you created a kick-ass AEP to go alongside the M45 X-CLASS! Go on, I double dare you… Many thanks indeed to www.iwholesales.co.uk who kindly provided me with the AEG sample for this review. You can check out more details on the M45 and the rest of the extensive range of Ares models by simply visiting their website. AA

“SO, ALL SET UP IT WAS OFF TO THE TARGETS FOR SOME RANGE TIME AND THE M45 PERFORMED JUST AS I EXPECTED; LIKE A LITTLE FIRE-CRACKER! IT’S A SUPER LITTLE CARBINE TO WORK WITH, WITH GREAT ERGONOMICS AND A VERY POSITIVE CHEEK WELD THANKS TO THE FULL STOCK AND THE NEW-ANGLE PISTOL GRIP.”

Background created by kjpargeter - www.freepik.com

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STRETCH PANTS BLACK / DARK COYOTE / GREEN / SRP: £69.95

armoury G&G ARMAMENT

P E PERFORMANCE R F E C T E D IT’S PRETTY CLEAR TO ANYONE THAT READS AA ON A REGULAR BASIS OR FOLLOWS OUR WEBSITE NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP WITH G&G ARMAMENT AND IT’S ONE THAT WE ARE VERY PROUD TO HAVE! SOME OF THE AA TEAM HAVE FOLLOWED G&G FROM THEIR VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO THE BEHEMOTH OF THE AIRSOFT INDUSTRY THAT THEY HAVE BECOME, AND BILL GOT TOGETHER WITH THEM AGAIN RECENTLY (AND VIRTUALLY!) TO LOOK AT THEIR MOST RECENT INNOVATIONS! 30

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ometimes it’s not all about a new AEG or GBB but about what goes on inside it and it’s a pretty common piece of news that Brand X or Y have delivered a new system of operation - but inside an existing model or platform that externally looks just the same as what came before! However, G&G Armament have not only shown us innovation externally but have also wowed us with their internal designs recently and to me this is completely worthy of comment! You only have to look at their “Piranha” pistol models, the SMC-9 or the TR16 SBR 308s, to see that they are really pushing forward with how our beloved AEGs and GBBs “look and feel”, but also giving a unique slant to overall design to keep things fresh and interesting. This is really nothing new as G&G have always made a huge effort to ensure that their AEGs have a point of difference, with numerous design elements that make even their “ARs” just a little different from the herd! Add to that some pretty unusual models like the GK5 DS and the TYPE 64 BR (which also includes a programmable Mosfet with remote control where you can externally program the Mosfet for 3 and 5 round burst and optional AUG select-fire mode with a half/full trigger!) and there’s a pattern that begins to emerge that shows that they really do things their own way. Even now they are working with “real steel” partners to extend their Cobalt Kinetics range (the BAMF is a firm favourite with a number of the Red Cell Crew) and venturing into licenced replications of Seekins Precision models to move things forward, and they keep teasing us with their MGCR gas platform too! All in all we are keen to see what comes next from G&G, and although the 2022 Show Season is not looking great for Taiwanese manufacturers in general to showcase their new products, we are lucky to have our very own “Man in Taiwan” - in the form of AA Legionnaire Stewbacca - who is keeping an eye on things and regular contact with G&G means that we’ll still be able to talk about their new releases as they happen!

because it’s the most important one to them. They believe that bringing new and exciting products to the market will not only make customers happy but will also challenge other competitors to bring similar technology to the industry, thus enhancing the overall community for all of us to enjoy. Their flagship line, Top Tech, is respected by seasoned players who want something more in their automatic electric gun (AEG) in terms of performance from the get-go. Top Tech AEGs have metal receivers and better internals than their well-priced Combat Machine line for elevated performance. It was only a matter of time before players required more out of their AEG though, and what was once sought in an AEG later became obsolete as new technology emerged to make AEGs more finely tuned and more intuitive. As players we demanded more and oh boy, have G&G delivered …and continue to deliver! G&G constantly study the global airsoft market and try to understand the needs of both experienced and entry-level players alike. They wanted to create something seasoned player would use in a military simulation game but that would also give a new player an easy-to-use high-performance AEG out of the box. After their research and development team took all the feedback from customers and dealers across the world, they went to work re-designing the traditional “Version 2” gearbox. The G&G G2 Gearbox was first introduced in 2017, when they took the existing Version 2 gearbox and strengthened its structural design by adding extra material at the front of the shell. They also increased the front of the gearbox’s height by 70% and the front width by 74% (thickness) to prevent any frontend cracking due to hard use. Other improvements were a

PERFORMANCE PERFECTED

But what have G&G been up to recently? We’re pleased to report… A LOT! The biggest part of G&G Armament’s core values is their “Top Five” mantra… The Top Five stands for Future innovation, Finest quality, Fast Service, Free Items and Fair Price. Future innovation is the first value www.airsoftaction.net

armoury G&G ARMAMENT

50% size reduction to the current metal–oxide– semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) found in their Combat Machine SR Series with a net 100% increase to performance. Also, a built-in speaker in the electronic trigger unit (E.T.U.) was added to let you know audibly when the programming was properly synced. The ETU could be programmed to a 3-round or 5-round burst and, additionally, a warning sound

indicated when your battery was low to avoid any damage to your AEG. The warning sound could also indicate the motor being jammed or that the spring could not be compressed due to a low battery. G&G upgraded the air nozzle with a double O-ring and cylinder head for an improved air seal and better compression, a quick spring change that allowed you to easily transit from outdoor and indoor feet per second (FPS) rules quickly, and a redesigned bevel gear for better

engagement and performance. New technology was also added with a firearm simulation system, which prevented the player from dry firing with an empty magazine inserted or a removed magazine; the only way you could fire was by inserting a fully loaded magazine and I have to admit that this new feature, unexplained when we first saw it, caused some consternation as it worked so well! The new G2 proprietary magazine design actually 32

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engaged the power cut-off when the magazine was empty which, once we’d stopped scratching our heads, proved to be a “fan favourite” with us all. We did notice, however, that problems might be experienced specifically with the G2 308 Mid-Cap, as the extruding disconnector catch was about a millimetre prouder than that of the Real-or-Hi-Cap model, which caused it to move the disconnector itself (a small yet crucial internal component in the magwell) causing the AEG to stop firing (as it should with no/empty mag!). This problem was easily remedied thankfully and feedback given to G&G was duly noted and action taken, with the follower installed in each G2 magazine ensuring seamless feeding and preventing any wasted BBs from following out when the magazine was removed. The system also featured a functional bolt lock for easier access to the rotary hop-up unit.

Following the development of the G2 gearbox, it was only fitting that G&G installed them in their new G2 flagship line of AEGs. You can find them installed in their licensed rifles from Knight’s Armament, namely the SR30 (reviewed by Jase in Issue 125), SR25 E2 APC, and SR15 E3 MOD2, Seekins Precision models and the BAMF Team. There are two variants of the G2 gearbox; one is the standard Version 2 gearbox designed for M4/M16 magazines to be inserted, whilst the other is a modified Version 2 gearbox which is slightly longer and designed for a 308-style magazine to be used. Both are identical in performance but designed differently to take different magazines. Some models with the G2/G2H gearboxes installed are TR16 SBR 308 MKII, TR16 SBR 308 MK1, TR16 MBR 308 M-LOK, TR16 MBR 556WH, TR16 MBR 308SR. I looked at the TR16 SBR 308 MK II way back in Issue 118, and said at the time: “…essentially you have a super-cool and modern looking “.308” that’s light, and sized to cover ground with uber-fast. Whilst it’s 100% legal for every site I play at, it also somehow has a “reach”

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that is potentially putting it into the “big magazine DMR” territory, but still has a more than respectable ROF. It has some unique features that will not only protect the internals but ensure its longevity as a serviceable AEG, along with enough operating choices to keep any player happy!” I stick by my initial assessment as I’ve used the TR16 SBR 308 MK II quite a bit since then (you can read my full review in the Back Issues section of the AA website if you’d like to see it in full…) and it’s still an absolute beast of a rifle! I’ve added a bunch of Mid-Caps to the armoury and having adjusted that disconnector catch they now function and feed flawlessly. It has range, pushing 75m easily, and accuracy but is still short enough to use indoors due to the sensible power level of 339fps on a .20g; it’s basically an ass-kicker with a dirty great magazine, and I love it more each time I use it.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR G&G?

G&G Armament has - and continues to set - a hugely high standard for future innovation in the airsoft industry and although there are questions about just how much techno-wizardry you can, and indeed should cram into an AEG, the features and, more importantly, durability and performance that they’re getting from their latest releases show that they are moving forward with the very best of intentions. G&G rightly and justifiably pride themselves in bringing players and users across the world new and exciting products each year. They continue to expand their research and development team in order to meet the demands of an ever more hungry and more

discerning market, and their continued expansion into the GBB arena excites me greatly! They’ve shown with their pistols and the SMC-9 that they can do 100% total justice to efficient, reliable and user-friendly gas platforms and I for one am VERY excited to see what the MGCR AR brings to the table when they do finally release it. We’ll be speaking to them at source and through Stewbacca keeping a very close eye on new directions and developments. Sadly, next year it appears that a number of manufacturers will be missing Shot Show 2022 in Las Vegas and the IWA Outdoor Classic Show held in Nuremberg, so having an ongoing relationship with such solid foundations means that we’ll be able to bring you the very latest as soon as they let us and, as “friends of G&G”, we’ll be very happy to do so! AA

“THE BIGGEST PART OF G&G ARMAMENT’S CORE VALUES IS THEIR “TOP FIVE” MANTRA… THE TOP FIVE STANDS FOR FUTURE INNOVATION, FINEST QUALITY, FAST SERVICE, FREE ITEMS AND FAIR PRICE. FUTURE INNOVATION IS THE FIRST VALUE BECAUSE IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE TO THEM.”

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KIT & GEAR GUNFIRE GEAR

GUNFIRE... MORE THAN JUST GUNS! WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING GOOD AIRSOFT CLOTHING AND GEAR AT SENSIBLE PRICES THAT ARE ACHIEVABLE FOR ALL AIRSOFTERS, OUR MAN JON IS 100% “ON A MISSION”! THIS TIME HE LOOKS AT SOME WELL-PRICED CLOTHING OFFERED BY OUR FRIENDS AT GUNFIRE, MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR AIRSOFTERS.

’ve said it before - and I’ll say it again - I’m a bit of a “gear whore”! Not for any bragging rights or anything like that, I just find that items designed to be taken into harsh and hostile environments fit, feel and work better. Stands to reason really, but the only issue with that is they’re not wallet friendly. They’re a depreciating investment (at least in monetary value). Recently I looked over a Viper Tactical VX Buckle Up Carrier and I was super impressed with how far the airsoft-specific market has come versus real world gear. I compared it to my £500 Warrior Assault Systems rig and, at around £170 all in, the VX carrier is an absolute steal and I will definitely be running it out on the field. With this in my head, I’ve been looking at airsoftspecific clothing too; my preferred manufacturer of BDU is UF PRO. In my opinion they’re hands down

number one for fit, finish, durability, comfort, utility, material quality and technology; whilst not the least expensive suppliers, they’re also not the most expensive. My BDUs, of which I have three sets, average out at £250 a set, Crye Precision would be double that easily and that’s WAY too much for many airsofters. So, what else is there?

PRIMAL GEAR

PRIMAL GEAR G4 UNIFORM SET Continuing my quest of “Has Airsoft specific gear caught up with the operational kit?” I decided it was time to tear down the Primal Gear G4 BDU, priced at UK£73.98. That’s not bad money for trousers and a top. Primal Gear is a brand held by well-known airsoft retailer Gunfire, and I was pleased to receive their

“I’VE SAID IT BEFORE - AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN - I’M A BIT OF A “GEAR WHORE”! NOT FOR ANY BRAGGING RIGHTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, I JUST FIND THAT ITEMS DESIGNED TO BE TAKEN INTO HARSH AND HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS FIT, FEEL AND WORK BETTER.”

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KIT & GEAR GUNFIRE GEAR

G4 Uniform consisting of Combat Shirt and Trousers. On opening the package I was pleasantly surprised with the look and feel of the items. I threw them on for a quick fitment check. The trousers were too large around the waist (despite checking my measurements against the chart) and the shirt felt tight around the torso (I guess Lockdown has had more impact than I’d like to admit!) and baggy around the arms. Never mind I thought, and swiftly packed them away and put them on the “to review” pile. The Primal Gear G4 comes, as previously mentioned, as a set. It arrived in a large “ziplock” style bag; with the Primal Gear logo printed on one side and a clear side the other. It’s quite neat packaging. The set comes with knee and elbow pads. The knee pads are a clone of the Crye Precision Airflex but with an embossed hexagonal pattern hard shell. The elbow pads are in the same style but without the hard shell. Starting with the shirt, I ordered “Large” using the sizing chart provided in the Gunfire.pl website. It’s a 65/35% Polycotton RipStop blend, so it should be fairly durable. It has an 8” low profile YKK Zipper at the neck, so easy on and off. In my previous experiences, other “entry level” kits have used inferior zippers that break; this shouldn’t be the case for the YKK. It also has a nice, deep collar that tapers down at the front which is perfect for comfort and fit. Again, historically I’ve observed that other brands don’t do this, so that’s another “tick” for Primal Gear. The sleeves are made of the durable Polycotton Rip-Stop material, which is what you want when you’re breaching doors or crawling through the undergrowth. They have a large utility pocket on each arm. I do mean large, I can get my manly hands in them and spread my fingers. Perfect for storing maps and such, again they’re fitted with a low profile YKK zipper and there is a 4” x 5” hook and loop panel for displaying ID/morale patches. Moving down the sleeves to the cuffs, there is a 5 ½” x 1” hook and loop strip that allows you to tighten the cuffs as you see fit within that range. I have teeny, tiny wrists so I have them as tight as they can be with my gloves. Internally, there is a soft, open mouthed

pouch that you would insert the elbow pads into; strangely though, they were sewn closed, thus rendering them useless. Personally, I don’t like elbow pads. I tend to roll up my sleeves anyway and stitch them closed as I find it less restrictive when transitioning between primary and side arm, but that’s entirely a personal choice. The torso is a soft cotton material that has some stretch thankfully (see previous comment about lockdown belly!) and will help to wick away sweat, keeping you cool. The shirt is good looking and comfortable to wear. I’ve been wandering around in it for a few days now and it is comfy. Onto the trousers… A nice heavy duty YKK Zipper at the flies and instead of a button, the

“A NICE HEAVY DUTY YKK ZIPPER AT THE FLIES AND INSTEAD OF A BUTTON, THE TROUSERS ARE FITTED WITH A LARGE 3” X 2” HOOK AND LOOP FASTENER THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ADJUST QUITE A BIT; HANDY, BECAUSE FOR SOME OBSCURE REASON, MY 33” WAIST IS TOO SMALL (HOORAY! I FINALLY GET TO SAY IT!) FOR THE LARGER SIZE. ”

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KIT & GEAR GUNFIRE GEAR

trousers are fitted with a large 3” x 2” hook and loop fastener that allows you to adjust quite a bit; handy, because for some obscure reason, my 33” waist is too small (Hooray! I finally get to say it!) for the larger size. The inner waistband has a soft fleece/microfiber material that is 2 ½” deep, which is a great feature as it stops the rubbing that you get from other brands. Top work! The left leg has five pockets. One full size hip pocket which is RipStop backed and mesh fronted. One YKK zipped thigh pocket (wallet size) which is made up entirely of mesh. One hook and loop large cargo pocket, again mesh. Inside there are three elasticated loops for securing items. Above this pocket are two 2 ½” x ½” loops for hanging things from. Protruding from this pocket is the toggle to adjust the knee pad height. One YKK zipped calf pocket which is entirely RipStop. One hook and loop closure, buttock pocket which is RipStop backed and mesh fronted. It’s the same on the right but with the addition of a ¼ size pocket to store your pocket watch. (Yes, really, that’s what they’re for). At the knee are the holes for the knee pads, and it took a good ten minutes of wrestling to get both pads in, although Bill told me that his CRYE pads fitted a lot more easily in the set he had to test. I’ve fitted dozens of knee pads to trousers, dozens, and these proved one of the hardest to fit! Once they’re in though, they aren’t coming out easily which is good for “in the field”, but I can see them going through the washing machine in a lot of cases and eventually breaking down. I found that because of the unforgiving fit of the pads, the EVA backing rubbed against the area around the knees which was uncomfortable after a while. Like the sleeves, the trouser cuff has a 5 ½” x 1” hook and loop system for resizing around your boots or ankle. The cut of them is comfortable (without the knee pads) and the pockets seem to be in the right places for ease of access with gloved hands. As I’ve mentioned, they’re 65/35% Polycotton RipStop, so they should be durable enough for us weekend warriors. For UK£75 they’re an okay set; they’ll do you a turn, and you’ll look good... for a while. The real bone of contention for me is the build quality - on the trousers specifically. On the outside, things look okay-ish and exactly what I’d expect at this price point

but inside there are those loose thread-ends apparent, the overlocked seam finish overshoots the seamlines leaving bunches hanging, not a deal-breaker, but “could be better” for sure. I might sound fussy here, but this is important. These stitches and threads hold your clothing together. It may just be that I have a poor finish “Friday Afternoon” set that slipped through QC at the factory - but I doubt it. It’s a shame really, I wanted to love them, I really did. When I opened up the package I was impressed by the design and overall “look” but now I’ve actually gone over everything in detail, there’s a few lose ends (literally) that will need tidying up. We’ve fed this back to the team at Gunfire who have assured us that this will be investigated and rectified. Don’t get me wrong, the fabric is very good but the G4 trousers are let down by that stitching. Hopefully Primal Gear will get onto this and will rectify the issues (they’ve told us now since we reported our findings that they’re on the case!) as ultimately with a just a bit more attention to detail this uniform set could be a REAL bargain!

BLACK MOUNTAIN

BLACK MOUNTAIN TACTICAL CEDAR PANTS As I’ve had some slightly negative comments about the G4 trousers, I feel it’s only fair to give full praise for a brand where I believe Gunfire have got it completely right! As I’ve continued to search for wallet friendly kit, I’ve stumbled upon an option that will make it into my “EDC” wardrobe, rather than just my “review sample” and gameday box. Whilst not a new product, the Black Mountain Tactical Cedar Pants from our friends at Gunfire are definitely worth talking about with you! Available in Olive Green, Coyote, Grey and Black, the Cedar Pants are a fairly impressive bit of kit. Made of a RipStop material, these trousers offer an awful lot at a low price point. Starting at the front there is a large hook and loop fastener on the front waistband which is supported by a YKK zipper fly. (Bonus points for YKK zippers, they’re arguably the best available). Large loops along the waistband allow for 2” shooters or rigger belts to fit snugly in place. At either side is an elasticated section for some manoeuvrability and a comfortable fit. Either side there are two large front pockets, with

“I FEEL IT’S ONLY FAIR TO GIVE FULL PRAISE FOR A BRAND WHERE I BELIEVE GUNFIRE HAVE GOT IT COMPLETELY RIGHT! AS I’VE CONTINUED TO SEARCH FOR WALLET FRIENDLY KIT, I’VE STUMBLED UPON AN OPTION THAT WILL MAKE IT INTO MY “EDC” WARDROBE, RATHER THAN JUST MY “REVIEW SAMPLE” AND GAMEDAY BOX.”

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KIT & GEAR GUNFIRE GEAR

reinforced faces that won’t wear through quickly should you clip multitools, torches or a knife to them. This is a nice touch. Above the left-hand pocket is a YKK zipper pocket that’s big enough (with some room to spare) for my Huawei P30 Pro Mobile Phone. Moving down the legs are two large Cargo Pockets. They are fastened with a “Canadian Button” instead of a zip or hook and loop which is hidden under a large, angled flap. I like this solution as it’s quiet and easily openable with gloved hands. Within these pockets is a separate magazine pocket which is easily large enough for an AK magazine. The pockets themselves will hold two STANAG Magazines with ease. At the knee there is an inverted hook and loop pocket for soft insert knee pads. I like this inverted style as it allows any water ingress to leave easily. Moving down the leg to the bottom is an elasticated cuff. Rather handy for keeping a snug fit but the bit that really impressed me was the addition of a toggle that’s designed to clip to your boot laces to stop the leg rising. I really like it. On the rear middle belt loop is a subtle Black Mountain logo that doesn’t stand out. There are two large buttock pockets with YKK zippers that run down and out. I like this because it gives them quick access. Additional bonus points are awarded to Black Mountain for the use of cordage on all the zippers so that gloved hands can use them easily. Overall, I really like these trousers. The build quality is good, although I’d advise that you go for one size up than you usually would. The stitching and materials used are of good quality and have a lightweight but solid feel about them, and I will be using the trousers when I’m out and about enjoying my countryside adventures, as well as on the airsoft field! For more information on both Primal Gear and Black Mountain Tactical clothing, head over to www.gunfire.com

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OUTDOOR TACTICAL OUTDOOR DEVELOPMENT

PROPER PREPARATION PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE IN THE PREVIOUS INSTALMENT OF TOD JON SPOKE ABOUT HOW BEING PREPARED FOR AN AIRSOFT GAME IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS AND HOW FAILURE TO PREPARE CAN LEAD TO YOU HAVING A BAD, BAD DAY …AND NOW HE MOVES THINGS ALONG A LITTLE FURTHER!

o, you’ve booked into your favourite site or with your bestest gameday organiser, you’ve sorted out how you are getting there, who you are going with and you have a realistic expectation and understanding of the on-site facilities available. The site has shared their ongoing Covid Safety Guidelines and you are raring to go. Why wouldn’t you be? Airsoft is awesome fun! Let’s look at the essentials needed for a game day based on two scenarios; the first will be a fictional Skirmish Day and the second a fictional 24-hour Milsim event. Both fictional players will be wearing some form of BDU, body armour, boots, etc…. A skirmish day usually doesn’t require the specific kit that is often associated with a Milsim event and, as such, doesn’t require you to take as much with you. That said, we all love to run a few guns on our days out, so you may well be one of those players that requires a truck to carry your gear! So, let’s start with the most obvious of the kit, our prized possessions, the primary and secondary RIF.

RIF READY?

Firstly, are your RIFs “battle ready”?

If you’re running a new RIF this probably won’t apply but it is good practice and if it’s a battlehardened bit of kit that has seen tens of thousands of BBs, is it still “battle ready”? Have you performed maintenance on it, especially if it’s a gas system? Is the bucking OK, or could it do with being replaced? Has it been serviced recently - or at all? Are all the connections OK? Does it shoot within the site-specific limits? Taking into account all of these considerations now could save you from a big disappointment on the day. Are your batteries charged and ready to go? Do you have enough of them? Same question with magazines. Have you stripped, cleaned and serviced them recently? There’s nothing more frustrating (or annoying) than a mag failing you right when you need it most (this I know from experience)! If you run an optic, have you zeroed it to your RIF? Do you have a guard or protector for it and if so, is it fitted? Do you have ammo? We’ve all done it… turned up on site, gone to bomb up and … DOH! Don’t be that guy, don’t be me! Be prepared. You see where I’m going with this? If you set up a checklist of things for each and every time you’re off

“A SKIRMISH DAY USUALLY DOESN’T REQUIRE THE SPECIFIC KIT THAT IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH A MILSIM EVENT AND, AS SUCH, DOESN’T REQUIRE YOU TO TAKE AS MUCH WITH YOU. THAT SAID, WE ALL LOVE TO RUN A FEW GUNS ON OUR DAYS OUT, SO YOU MAY WELL BE ONE OF THOSE PLAYERS THAT REQUIRES A TRUCK TO CARRY YOUR GEAR!”

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OUTDOOR TACTICAL OUTDOOR DEVELOPMENT

out to play, you’re unlikely to have a bad time. Getting the basics squared away the week before will improve your day without you realising. Secondly, how do you transport your RIF? I flit between the box it came in, soft rifle sleeves and hard, water resistant, secure cases. Each of these have their own pros and cons. Those that live in their box are usually RIFs that aren’t my preferred weapon system, or they’re ones that are getting their first run out. Given that manufacturers spend big money on packaging, there’s always one common element: they’re as small as they can be. This is an advantage in so much that the boot of your car can fit more prized “pews” in it. Oh, they’re also “free”, as the RIF came in it. The downside is that they aren’t exactly built for longevity and are prone to breaking and the risk of damage to your weapons increases significantly over a short period of time. The soft, or “traditional” rifle cases are great carry options. They allow for maximum storage space as they are small and lightweight, they can be locked with a travel padlock if the zippers allow it, they offer a degree of protection from light knocks and scuffs and they are super cost effective. The downside is that they usually only carry one RIF at a time. However, NUPROL has the MP PMC Deluxe Soft Rifle Case which carries two RIFs, has a padded divider to keep them from rubbing against each other and has multiple pockets up front for any associated kit. In my experience, all rifle slips/bags/cases have had at least one carry handle and a shoulder strap. The NUPROL offering has two padded shoulder straps. Excellent… two rifles, one bag!

The downside to this type of traditional slip/bag are that, while they offer more protection long term than the box the RIF came in, they are at risk of getting wet, they have no rigid protection against impacts and, apart from the previously mentioned padlock option, they aren’t super secure. Don’t get me wrong, rifle slips/bags are brilliant and they serve a fantastic purpose depending on their use case. Then you have the hard case. These have actually come a long way (within airsoft circles) in the last few years. When I started out I had an aluminium “flight case” or keyboard case. It was great, superstrong, super-padded and it had its own combination locks so it was super-secure. The problem was it was cumbersome; it was absolutely ginormous and weighed as much as several blue whales. Thankfully, I no longer look like a roadie with Iron Maiden due to the advance in modern materials, designs and prices of airsoft developed hard cases. Don’t let the airsoft part fool you, they are just as rugged as their very expensive counterparts from manufacturers like Pelican. A Pelican 1720 Rifle Case, which fits a rifle and a few odds and sods, will set you back around £400. A NUPROL Large Rifle Wheeled Case, on the other hand, will cost you around £70. While there are some minor differences, they’re essentially the same thing for less than one quarter of the price! The advantages of a hard case over any of the other types are numerous but the most obvious are the ruggedness of them, I threw a NUPROL case from my first floor window onto my patio WITH a RIF inside and, other than a few scuffs to the case, there was absolutely no damage

“I THREW A NUPROL CASE FROM MY FIRST FLOOR WINDOW ONTO MY PATIO WITH A RIF INSIDE AND, OTHER THAN A FEW SCUFFS TO THE CASE, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO DAMAGE TO THE RIF OR THE OPTICS INSIDE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LAYER OF THICK FOAM PADDING ENCLOSING THEM.”

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OUTDOOR TACTICAL OUTDOOR DEVELOPMENT

to the RIF or the optics inside because they have a layer of thick foam padding enclosing them. Speaking about these foam inserts, another advantage with these is that you can often cut (or pluck) out parts of the foam, so that your RIF and all of its accessories sit snugly within the foam. They are water resistant (in this case that means they can be fully submerged in the water) and there will be no ingress up to a certain depth. They also come with two or, in some cases, four holes along the joining faces where you can put large padlocks to secure the contents. Exactly the same applies to Pistols, there are soft cases and hard cases and they have the same pros and cons. Ultimately, it’s up to you and your budget to decide what carrying solution you chose and it should be what suits your needs best. Thirdly, what else???

KIT & KABOODLE

Now that your RIFs are battle ready and are safely secured in their case, where is everything else going? We mentioned BBs, batteries and magazines right at the start but what about “everything else”? Spare, clean and dry clothing, spare socks (Oh, so very important!) and a comfy pair of shoes to wear on the way home are a bonus, but how are you storing them? It’s not like you’ll be leaving them to fly around the boot of your car and you’re not likely to be juggling them, so what are your options? Well, the mags and batteries might just fit in your case of choice, if so happy days, that’s those taken care of. The rest has to go somewhere. I’ve seen many ways folks transport kit to sites: hold-alls, rucksacks, bin-bags, crates are some and again, like the cases they have pros and cons. If you are an organised person, you may already have a day sack or patrol bag made up with everything ready to go but for the rest of us it can be chaos. I was a “multi bag” guy, which in all honesty was a chaos of rummaging and not finding, or dropping items out that I then couldn’t find later, until I saw a fella turn up with two tough crates from B&Q. In one he had spare clothing, civilian stuff (including spare underwear) and clean dry BDU just in case he needed it. The other had a bottle of gas, his plate carrier, belt setup, helmet, eye pro and a bag of BBs. It’s a simple set up that allowed him (and now me) to keep essentials separated, in their rightful place and easy to access. In my honest opinion, the guy was a genius and I thank you sir! For those who are stepping out into the Milsim scenario, you have a lot more to consider because you have a greater amount of items that you may need to 40

NOVEMBER 2021

take on the field, which means more storage solutions are going to be required. In an ideal world you would pre-pack a bergen or daysack at home before you go. And finally, the big bit… So that’s storage and transportation sorted but what about you, what kit are you taking and what will you be using? It’s all a fashion show and we have to look our best, am I right?! We all love to look the part and fit in with our team mates, so we find ourselves in various different loadouts and sporting different brands. There’s just so much to choose from. In a future edition of “On Your TOD” we will look into the clothing and how to correctly use it based on different situations but, for now, we will be making broad strokes and generalisations. As a rule, we will be wearing comfy underwear, a pair of trousers, a matching UBAC or shirt, a pair of boots, some form of plate carrier or chest rig and some eye protection. Comfy undies are fairly self-explanatory, something that will quickly wick sweat away from the skin is advisable here and Under Armour do a great range for male and females, as do Helikon-Tex and for the guys, both Snugpak and VIPER are worth a look too. Your trousers and top of whatever type you choose should be rugged enough to deal with scrapes, knocks and bangs. These items provide you with protection when out in the field and it’s important to inspect these to make sure that areas of stress, such as the seams, are secure and not likely to rip apart. A couple of years back I had a major malfunction and had to jury-rig my trousers into something resembling a tactical sarong. It wasn’t ideal and as I had failed to prepare (I didn’t have a spare pair) I ended the day with multiple bites, scratches and cuts to my lower half. Had I spotted the failure or issue prior to the day, I could have repaired or replaced the trousers and had a better experience - and saved some embarrassment. Sure, it makes for a comical anecdote now but at the time I was gutted. The same applies to your eyepro and, if anything, it’s more important here than anywhere else. You only get two eyes; you damage them, you are screwed! You really do need to inspect your eyepro THOROUGHLY before each game day for any defects, cracks, heavy scratches and the like, as these can weaken and cause failure of your only line of defence for your eyes. If you do take a direct hit, especially at close range, our advice would be to replace them immediately. Ensure that your eye pro meets the minimum safety standard EN166 or ANSI 87. Better

OUTDOOR TACTICAL OUTDOOR DEVELOPMENT

still look for ANSI 87+ specification or, if you really are pushing the boat out, MIL-PRF 31013. NUPROL, Bolle, Oakley and WileyX offer budget friendly options as well as their deep pocket counterparts. Your footwear is incredibly important. Ill-fitting, abused footwear can actually cause you some serious problems going forward. Ask a serving or veteran member of the armed forces how their feet, knees and backs are and I’m sure you’ll get a colourful response. Ideally, you want your boots clean so that you can check for damage, cracks and areas where water may be able to seep in and saturate your boot. (Wet feet suck inside boots, that’s a fact). If they are leather, consider waxing them to add another layer of protection, some material types can benefit from waterproofing sprays but be aware that this may affect breathability. Also check your laces and carry a spare pair. I, like most, really wrench at my laces when I’m tightening them and they often snap. If you can spot this before, happy days and if not and you have a spare set, you’re only mildly inconvenienced. Comfortable inserts to cushion the impact on the soles of your feet make a huge difference here. One common thing I regularly see (and historically am guilty of) is an excessive amount of pouches or attachments to my carrier and belt. Are you really going to carry twelve mags? What about those eight 40mm grenade pouches? Six pistol mags… really? Is 10Kg of armour plates really a necessity for airsoft? In my opinion, whilst it may look cool, you’re only likely to tire yourself out, confuse yourself as to where stuff is and make yourself ineffective. Most Milsims have ammo caps, so four or five mags (depending on capacity) are all you really need at a time, maybe cut those ‘nades down to two and only use them when you need to! Sure, your side arm needs ammo but in reality it’s there as a last resort and your heavy plates can be swapped out for EVA, lightweight foam inserts. Of course, it’s your rig, run it however you see fit but making it lighter and simpler will help to make you more effective in the field. If you are in a Milsim setting you’ll want a daysack of some kind, or at least some way of carrying food, water and shelter with you. You may be lucky enough to be based out of a FOB, so you can set up there and operate without need but if you are constantly on the move, you will need to prepare items you’re going to

need to be able to survive and be effective. Military 1st sells a plethora of carry systems, in a range of sizes and price points that will allow you to cart around all

the items you may need (in a future issue we will look at what you should be carrying in them). IFAK or Individual First Aid Kits are essential but do you carry one or, more importantly, know how to use them in an emergency situation? You may be the first responder to an incident while you wait for site staff and/or professional help and your IFAK may save someone’s life. Only use them if you have some First Aid training though, as you could cause more harm. What I would like you to take from this is not, “Go buy new kit” or “You’re kitted up wrong”, rather it’s: think about what type of scenario you are playing, plan for it when you are sitting at home on your sofa booking the event tickets. Prepare for it in the weeks leading up to the event, try different combinations of gear and see what works best for you. When the day comes, you’ll be ready to go, confident that you - and your gear - are battle ready. Remember that old school teacher… “Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail!” AA

“A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK I HAD A MAJOR MALFUNCTION AND HAD TO JURY-RIG MY TROUSERS INTO SOMETHING RESEMBLING A TACTICAL SARONG. IT WASN’T IDEAL AND AS I HAD FAILED TO PREPARE (I DIDN’T HAVE A SPARE PAIR) I ENDED THE DAY WITH MULTIPLE BITES, SCRATCHES AND CUTS TO MY LOWER HALF.”

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THE CAGE FACEPRO

THE CAGE:

FACEPRO

ONCE AGAIN, IT’S TIME FOR THE LEGION TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY USE AND WHY - AND THIS TIME THEY GET ROUND TO THE THORNY ISSUE OF “FACEPRO”. LOVE IT OR HATE IT, FACEPRO HAS BECOME A PART OF REGULAR GAMEDAY GEAR FOR MANY PLAYERS AND BILL KICKS OFF THE DISCUSSION AS USUAL…

t’s a tricky old question, isn’t it? Whether to use facepro or not is a discussion that seems to come up time and again in airsoft chat groups, and it’s one that I look at with interest every time I see it. I’ll admit that I am extremely “old skool” when it comes to this subject as, to me, airsoft is all about freedom and keeping it as real as possible and the thought of wearing (what is essentially) a paintball mask is anathema to me! However, I’m not some “man of steel” and I bleed and feel pain as much as any of you! I’ve taken some horrendous hits over the years, including some from hideously overpowered AEGs whilst playing overseas… I was once nailed at 20m with a Systema at 600fps on .25g which has led to lasting scarring on my arm because the guy had chrono’d and then changed his cylinder. This was in the USA and led to the local LE being called, who asked me if I wanted to make an “assault charge”, which I declined… I went hunting instead! I’m not playing “the big man” here but the fact is that my injuries resulted from a player who “changed the game” and, in my opinion, lost all honour and integrity by doing so. In a game where everyone plays fairly and with honour this should never happen, but the fact is that we are playing airsoft, shooting little

BBs at one another that CAN cause damage and I totally understand that you may wish to mitigate the risk of injury or lasting cosmetic damage. I’m old, I lost a bunch of teeth in a car accident years ago, so to me getting a “face shot” ain’t a big deal. Have I used “facepro” during my years of playing airsoft? Of course I have, especially overseas where field/site insurance on older paintball sites now used for airsoft mandates it due to their existing insurance… but I bloody hate it! I’ve used very expensive full-face masks and I’ve never come across one that allowed me the freedom I wish for when I’m playing, so for me it’s a “No!” to them - unless it’s a “skull mask” when I’m playing a “character” in a scenario game. I’ve tried various halfmasks and some, like the ONETIGRIS T’Farge (in MCBLK!), I’ve actually liked but I’ve never found one to my taste. Although I don’t spend the amount that some do on my loadouts, “looking good” (as much as a player in their mid-fifities can!) is a factor if I’m

“I WAS ONCE NAILED AT 20M WITH A SYSTEMA AT 600FPS ON .25G WHICH HAS LED TO LASTING SCARRING ON MY ARM BECAUSE THE GUY HAD CHRONO’D AND THEN CHANGED HIS CYLINDER. THIS WAS IN THE USA AND LED TO THE LOCAL LE BEING CALLED, WHO ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO MAKE AN “ASSAULT CHARGE”, WHICH I DECLINED… I WENT HUNTING INSTEAD!”

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THE CAGE FACEPRO

totally honest, and the “pure freedom aspect” is still very important to me. A couple of years back I discovered the FAST Mandible Guard from FMA which appeals to me in it’s aesthetic, as it resembles the real Mandible (and I managed to find one in GreenZone!) and, more recently, I added a hard Multicam Big Foot Multidimensional Split Mask (just the lower) to my existing Blueye Ballistic Glasses/FAST Helmet setup as, again, it looks eerily close to the real deal. Both of these additions to my helmet setup still allow a decent cheekweld on my rifle and carbine stocks which, in turn, allows me to use my sights and optics effectively but wearing them is still a rare occurrence for me. If I have my Blueyes and a shemagh, that’s usually enough for me!

TEAM TALK

As usual, I asked the Legion about this, specifically “Do you use some form of FacePro, full-face mask, half-face mask with glasses/goggles, or mandiblestyle? Do you use different protection for different styles of game? Which ones do you use, what can you recommend and why?” Stewbacca: “I’ve been using ESS ICE 2.4 or Crossbow ballistic glasses since 2008. I’m on my second pair/set as such, as they tend to last well but can get scratched at times. For most of that time I’ve also had a soft lower facemask with a mesh mouth insert or similar to provide protection, adding to that a helmet for CQB since coming to Taiwan and getting crowned a few times by hotter guns here. Never. Skimp. On. Eyepro.” Dan: “Another ESS ICE user here. I’ve been running those since about 2010, which replaced my old Bolle T-800’s after I could no longer find replacement lenses for them. They’re an awesome set of eyepro and practically never fog on me. I love how easy it is to swap lenses and changing from darker smoke lenses to clear is a matter of seconds!

“I picked up a ONETIGRIS balaclava mesh mask last year. Figured I’ve gone this many years without a major accident... my number has to be coming up at some point lol! It is lower profile than many of the other mesh masks I’ve dabbled with in the past and the material is pretty stretchy and it breathes well in the hot summers. The mesh does not interfere with cheekweld either, which was my main consideration. The only thing I wish it did better was that the material came over the top of the forehead more. It’s cut really high and ends up riding up over the hairline which is a bit nagging. I would have preferred that it terminated just above the brow line ideally. “I’m also experimenting with an Oakley MSK3 and adding a small insert behind it. I think this would turn into an almost ideal setup, especially as the MSK3 has a rubber gasket that prevents your exhalations from seeping under your glasses.” Bill W-R: “My normal day-to-day skirmish setup is Nuprol glasses with a shemagh or a half-mesh face guard. For CQB I turn to the PUSH UNITE face mask, an amazing piece of kit that has transferred from paintball and provides me as a glasses wearer full face protection along with a great anti-fog system.” Miguel: “In games with a heavy CQB component I normally use my helmet and a half mesh mask. In woodland games I just use my ESS eye pro and my beard. Haha! “MK1 Face Pro... The Operator Beard” LoL!” Jon: “Well... *Inhales deeply* “I spent a fair amount of time and effort researching this back when I ran games at Darkwater. As we ran outdoor and indoor venues we (the staff team) required different PPE for different days. In the CQB setting each member was given/provided their own stiff/heavy duty mesh lower, the one that covers your nose, mouth and jaw. They were also provided

“WE TRIALLED THE “FENCING STYLE” MASKS/COVERS AND THEY WERE JUST HIDEOUSLY UNCOMFORTABLE. WE ALL ENDED UP LOOKING LIKE LAURENCE OF ARABIA - WITH SHEMAGHS WRAPPED AROUND OUR HEADS AND FACES WITH A PAIR OF GOGGLES UNDERNEATH.”

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THE CAGE FACEPRO

with sealed mesh goggles. The issue with those were the fit. Mesh lowers are designed in a “one-sizefits-all” style but they certainly don’t fit all at all. BBs would rattle in from behind and masks would slip exposing the bridge of the nose. On top of that, they don’t sit well with goggles or eye protection. We trialled the “fencing style” masks/covers and they were just hideously uncomfortable. We all ended up looking like Laurence of Arabia - with shemaghs wrapped around our heads and faces with a pair of goggles underneath. I tried the helmet and mandible approach but they’re bulky, cumbersome and ultimately have the same issues as mesh lowers. “For the outdoor games we used Bolle Rush+ glasses as they were cheap enough to buy in bulk and throw away once they’d had a hit, and again the trusty shemagh provided lower protection if the need arose. Now though, I’m a staunch advocate for WileyX products. My go-to are WileyX Nash which are wayyyyy over spec for airsoft. They’re wrap-around and simply the most comfortable eyepro I’ve ever had. As they’re heavily smoked (they’re actually proper UV protection), if the situation dictates I swap over to my WileyX Saber in either clear or “happy glasses” (yellow tint). Ultimately, you want to be look for eye protection that at an absolute minimum has EN166/ ANSI Z87 : Price Range £-££ Even better is ANSI Z87+ : Price Range ££-£££ Best MIL-PRF-31013 : Price Range £££-£££££. “Teeth can be repaired and with a dental plan, it’s not too scary. Eyes however, you only get one pair. Lose them and you’re in trouble!” Jimmy: “Hmmm… my face? I like my face mainly for my boyish good looks and great bone structure and the last thing I want is it ruined so over time I’ve tested a few methods. While they all do the job of protecting my beauty, I’ve discovered some are just not right and some are perfect for the role of an airsofter. It’s not pleasant getting shot in the face; the fear of imminent death is zero but no one likes getting shot in the face, let’s be honest. “My first encounter of airsoft was in a CQB environment and I learnt fast the requirements to protect myself, so I purchased a full mesh half-mask. It was cheap, cheerful but intolerably uncomfortable. The mesh rubbed my chin, the plastic clips rubbed my ears and it restricted my cheekweld over my stock, so I soon sacked it off in search for something more comfortable and shooter-friendly. I tried cotton snoods and neoprene masks but they were lacking the protection I was looking for, especially for use in CQB where we found ourselves engaging inside 6ft in places! 44

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“I found a half mask which had mesh for the nose, mouth and ears but incorporated soft padded cheek sections, brilliant! I now have good protection as well as the ability to get down on my stock and easily see my red dot which made target acquisition so much easier and meant I no longer had to tilt my rifle. I play both indoor and outdoor and for a while I ran no facepro when playing outdoor where the engagement distance becomes further and the BB tends to lose some of its sting but (yes there, is a “but”) getting shot in the teeth isn’t pleasant. I remembered seeing a guy at a game one day wearing a gum shield. My next port of call was the local sports shop where I managed to pick up two gum shields for UK£15, an absolute bargain compared to the price of new teeth! Lo and behold my first game using the gum shield the inevitable happened and I get shot in the teeth - or should I say gum shield - but I laughed it off and carried on regardless. So, my facepro now comes in two forms; outdoors my trusted Revision Sawfly and the now reputable gum shield and, for indoors, it is my comfortable half mask and my highly rated Heroshark Hexmesh glasses. May my face stay forever pretty!” Steve T: “I’ve shared this within AA before - and I’ll happily share it again every single day! Bollé X800i goggles… If I broke mine today, I would buy another pair straight away. As a big, fat, heavy-breathing, bearded twat, I have yet to find another solution that doesn’t mist up - including supposedly “fog-free” solutions such as the DYE i4. You can play as ballsout as you like, but it’ll count for nought if you can’t see what you’re aiming at. The Bollé have always helped me keep my target in view, even when prone in scrub and breathing heavily. They’re all I need for a woodland game but I’ll pair the X800is with a mesh lower mask and a FAST helmet for CQB games, because even little plastic BBs hurt when you get up close and personal!” So, to conclude, it does appear that I am somewhat of an “airsoft dinosaur” for not embracing “facepro” and the guys are largely of the opinion that it’s a good thing - and who am I to disagree with the consensus of players whose opinions are trusted? Fact is that YOU play airsoft the way YOU want to play airsoft and that’s the joy of it really, isn’t it? Whatever YOU decide is your style is 100% fine with me - and us - and as long as you keep it real and play hard, along with that all-important honour and integrity, what you wear is YOUR choice but we hope that you’ll find our comments useful as always! AA

THE CAGE FACEPRO

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RED CELL SHOTTIES

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TRENCH BROOMS, BREACHERS, AND COMPETITORS YOU COULD CALL THIS MONTH’S REPORT “BILL’S ODE TO THE SPRING SHOTGUN” AS HE’S PULLED TOGETHER HIS EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THESE RIFS INTO ONE PLACE TO CREATE A BIT OF A “SPECIAL REPORT”, ONE THAT WE HOPE YOU’LL FIND EYE-OPENING AND INFORMATIVE - AND WILL SHED SOME LIGHT ON AN OFTEN-FORGOTTEN AREA OF AIRSOFT FUN!

he spring-driven “airsoft shotgun” holds a very special place in my heart and, in my opinion, it’s one of the most underrated RIFs that any airsofter can have in their armoury! When I first started out in what was to become a long, almost lifetime journey in the world of things that spit BBs, electric guns were still in their infancy in the UK and everyone I knew owned a fair number of springers, especially pistols, as they were cheap and, even back then, reasonably easy to get hold of. When you’d got used to running around a friend’s deserted farm buildings, or some damp private woodlands shooting at your mates with a pistol that needed cocking for each and every shot, the thought of having something “longer” with greater range and accuracy was a joy to ponder. Back then you could even buy airsoft spring “models” which you actually needed to put together like a gigantic plastic model kit; I recall having an especially nice XM177E2 that I bought from my local model shop! Today though, where the sheer range and choice of both electric and gas powered guns is jaw-droppingly staggering, you may well ask if the humble “springer” still has a place in our armoury (other than as a boltaction sniper platform) and in the case of the airsoft shotgun, for me the answer would be an unequivocal “OH YES!” In recent years we’ve seen a move to both gas and electric-powered shotgun models, in some cases 46

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like the TM AA-12 making use of Hi-Cap magazines and even made a backwards step (in a way) to shellejectors like the APS CAM. Whilst these are most definitely airsoft works of art in their operation, as with all things electric they can suffer from “issues” and don’t even get me started on gas shotguns, especially the shell-ejectors! I am still the somewhat less-than-overjoyed owner of an original Tanaka “M1897 Trench Gun” which, although being a thing of absolute beauty, has never really worked since the day I got it… Then there’s the 8mm beast that is the ACM clone of the Marushin “M500” that hangs on my office wall… Okay, I LOVE airsoft shotguns, especially pumpaction versions and my collection of G&P “Model 870 Wingmasters” continues to grow when I see one at a reasonable price! S&T have entered the market with some cracking clones of the G&P (and some unique models of their own!), NUPROL and CYMA provide an extensive range and if you’re really pushed for cash there’s always good old Double Eagle which, although cheap as chips, actually perform astoundingly well. Of course there’s also Secutor, who produce both gas and spring VELITE shotties and some of these are just stunning in their design! These not-now-so-humble “springers” to me, fixed or adjustable hop, single or tri-barrel and all, are the epitome of the airsoft shotgun world and are easy to live with and eminently upgradeable externally.

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Generally, they all shoot like lasers with excellent range and now with full metal construction, some are built like tanks even though the “magazines” and shot-shells can be somewhat fiddly at times. Most players I know love the idea of an airsoft shotgun and at the moment a number of us are pursuing the current trend of “Practical Airsoft MultiGun”, or “P-AMG” shooting, not so much the regulated competition version, but more the “airsoft tacticool” approach so notably highlighted by the Taran Tactical Innovations video of Keanu Reeves when he was training for “Wick”. Even if your passion is out and out skirmishing or dedicated MilSim, the lure of shooting against your mates whilst also improving your shooting skills is a strong one and of course, for P-AMG you’re going to need a shotgun. Let’s dwell on this for a moment more… As well as for “Three/Multi Gun Competition”, a pump-action shotgun fits in almost every airsoft loadout genre! The humble civilian pump-action shotgun has found a home in not just the military, but also amongst police forces worldwide too. From that WWI “Trench Broom”, the US Forces continued to use the shotgun through WWII, Korea, into Vietnam and right up to this day, as it proved the perfect weapon first for jungle environments and then as a breaching tool. The SAS used the shotgun in both the jungle and then as a “breacher” and these days the sight of a Benelli M4 Super 90 in the hands of UK Forces has become a common one. From WWII US loadouts through the modern day and even extending to “Post-Apoc” loadouts the shotgun is a model that just “fits”!

G&P WINGMASTER 870

My first “serious” spring shotgun was the “Wingmaster” 870 series from G&P. The

“Wingmaster” model was developed as a sporting gun, so it’s quite unusual for the G&P series of replicas to bear this nomenclature. In fact if you search on the Remington website for “tactical” shotguns, it’s actually the Model 870 “Express” which is used for the basis of them rather than the “Wingmaster” but this can honestly be forgiven as the quality of the replica is simply stunning! In my personal opinion these classics really set the tone for what we see in the market today, and I’ve owned my long “Wingmaster 870” Overfolder for a while now and it’s always been a bit of a favourite as it’s the model that you’ll see in numerous movies and TV shows. Mine is the model with the extended tube and metal overfolding butt carried by Linda Hamilton playing “Sarah Connor” in “Terminator II: Judgement Day”, but you’ll also see it in old home grown TV shows like “Ultimate Force”, as the Remington 870 was indeed used by the SAS as a breaching weapon and was known by the UK Forces as the L74A1. I particularly like models that give a nod to history and there’s even an “SAS private purchase” model in the Imperial War Museum! The basic G&P 870 looks identical to the “Express Tactical” model. It’s full metal throughout apart from the parts that in real life are polymer; these are smooth finished in a very good quality matt black plastic which show minimal moulding lines. The metal parts are all satin finished to a very dull black and the whole thing feels solid and dependable in your hands. There is a manual “push through” safety on the rear of the trigger guard, coloured red when the gun is in fire mode. The short model magazine holds 22 BBs (spare magazines are available at minimal cost) and longer, higher capacity magazines can be purchased as aftermarket parts; to me though this spoils the attractiveness of the 870 as, when inserted, the short magazine just looks like the plate of the loading port. In action the G&P 870 is an absolute beast, sending .20g BBs downrange at an impressive 382fps/1.36J and you can send them just as fast as you can pump the silkysmooth action. I did some unsupported accuracy testing at 15 meters - probably the maximum for most CQB encounters - and all 22 BBs ended up in tight circle no larger than a UK£2 coin! Taking the range out, I was

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G&P M870 FULL LENGTH Price: iro UK£225.00 Age: Many years! Weight: 3500g Length: 1040mm Magazine Capacity: 22 Cold Chrono: 0.89 Joule/310fps Hot Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps Taclite Compatibility: Dedicated Pump Handle Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk

S&T 870 FULL LENGTH (WOOD) Price: iro UK£150.00 Age: Two Years Weight: 2630g Length: 1040mm Magazine Capacity: 22 Cold Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps Hot Chrono: 1.05 Joule/337fps Taclite Compatibility: Nope! Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

CYMA CM350LM “870” FULL LENGTH Price: iro UK£70.00 Age: New Weight: 2205g Length: 1050 mm Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) Cold Chrono: 0.67 Joule/270fps Hot Chrono: 0.66 Joule/261fps Taclite Compatibility: No Supplied By: www.taiwangun.com

CYMA CM355LM FULL LENGTH Price: iro UK£110 Age: New Weight: 2400g Length: 1040 mm Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) Cold Chrono: 0.90 Joule/312fps Hot Chrono: 0.88 Joule/309fps Taclite Compatibility: Nada! Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk

S&T STAINLESS 870 “POLICE” Price: iro UK£170.00 Age: Two Years Weight: 2300g Length: 930mm Magazine Capacity: 22 Cold Chrono: 0.83 Joule/299fps Hot Chrono: 0.83 Joule/299fps Taclite Compatibility: Mmmm… nope! Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

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DOUBLE EAGLE M58A Price: iro UK£30.00 Age: Five Years + Weight: 1705 g Length: 915mm Magazine Capacity: 10! Cold Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290fps Hot Chrono: 0.77 Joule/288fps Taclite Compatibility: Umm… No. Supplied By: Frenchie!

NUPROL SIERRA STORM BRAVO (“BENELLI”, POLYMER) Price: iro UK£55.00 Age: Three Years Weight: 2000g Length: 970-1090mm Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) Cold Chrono: 0.85 Joule/303fps Hot Chrono: 0.85 Joule/303fps Taclite Compatibility: Not much. Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

CYMA CM363LM (“BENELLI”, METAL) Price: iro UK£75.00 Age: New Weight: 2700g Length: 925-1040mm Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) Cold Chrono: 0.64 Joule/264fps Hot Chrono: 0.58 Joule/250fps Taclite Compatibility: Hmmmm, possibly… Supplied By: www.gunfire.com

A&K SXR 002 TACTICAL Price: iro UK£125.00 Age: Four Years Weight: 3055g Length: 840-910 mm Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) Cold Chrono: 0.84 Joule/301fps Hot Chrono: 0.77 Joule/288fps Taclite Compatibility: Yes, railed pump handle Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

SECUTOR VELITES SV Price: iro UK120.00 Age: New Weight: 1670 g Length: 820-900mm Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) Cold Chrono: 0.68 Joule/272fps Hot Chrono: 0.67 Joule/270fps Taclite Compatibility: Oh YES! Supplied By: www.landwarriorairsoft.com

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easily able to hit a sandbag at a good 50 meters; this thing is absolutely no slouch and upping to a .30g BB gives a super-flat trajectory with minimal loss of range. Impressive, especially considering the G&P has a fixed hop! The entire G&P “Wingmaster” range uses the same core “guts” but then takes things in numerous directions, both classic and thoroughly up to date. The “Original” model is just that, a basic Model 870 with no frills. This was originally available with a short, medium, or long length barrel and either a fixed butt or simple pistol grip. A pistol grip medium barrel variant was also produced with an integrated tactical light. The long-barrelled version with the overfolding butt and extended tube gave that real “movie look”, and for all the pistol grip models you could change that out for a full butt using a dedicated “butt-stock kit” if you so desired - there is even a super-short “Mad Dog” version if you hunt hard enough! If you go to the G&P website you’ll still see lots of superb shotgun parts, which, although hard to get hold of now do come up occasionally on evilBay, that will allow you to transform your own shotgun in numerous ways to make it 100% unique. There’s even a body kit which can transform one of the original short barrel models into a thoroughly accurate “Masterkey”, which personally I’d love to have under one of my ARs!

S&T “870” SERIES

I’ve owned my full metal G&P models for a long time and they’ve always been, just like the real thing, extremely rugged, reliable, and accurate. Yes, they only fire a single BB with every pump, but the accuracy means that this BB usually hits the target it was intended for! Although the G&P 870 is a lovely

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replica, the fact of the matter is that the “classic” models a) feed from a rather fiddly magazine insert that makes it difficult to “show clear” and b) now go for some serious money …if you can get your hands on them! I’m going to be blunt and say that the S&T 870s are almost direct copies of the G&Ps but they are absolutely stunning replicas and I knew from first time I saw one that I needed to get my hands on one! Much as I would have liked to have the “Police” or “Extended” version, the initial delivery of the S&Ts sold out super-fast and all I could get at the time was the “Sawn Off” - which turned out to be an absolute corker! I fell in love with the airsoft shotgun all over again, especially when I fitted a G&P “overfolder” stock to it! Basically, the S&T is undoubtedly a direct “clone” of the G&P but S&T have taken that original design and improved on it even further! The shotgun is still single-barrel magazine-fed, and that mag looks almost identical to that of the G&P, although now due to a couple of subtle design changes you can actually remove it easily and “show safe” immediately. Wellfinished external metal parts are used throughout (the quality every bit as good as the G&P!) and extend to include the inner barrel, inner slide, shell ejection port, sling swivels, barrel clasp, and chamber cover. The cutdown stock of the “Sawn Off” (read pistol grip) and pump handle are real wood, and of decent quality to boot. Overall, the S&Ts ooze quality and feel absolutely great! Controls are simple, with a push through safety and magazine release button; these are located right next to the trigger, which makes their operation very simple and intuitive. What I really love though about the S&T is the price, as the “Sawn Off” will only set you back around UK£130. Most retailers shipping costs are very reasonable these days so you could have your very own “870” delivered to your door for less than 140 GB quids! The “Sawn Off” looks almost identical to the shotgun used by Denzel Washington in “The Book of Eli” but it would look equally as good in a Nam “point man” setting, or even as a modern day “breacher” attached to your Multicam pack! For about UK£150 you can lay your hands on the longer “Police” and “Extended” S&T “870s” (Yes, I eventually bought one of each!) and if you want one that’s really quite

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stunning, the LIMITED EDITION STAINLESS versions really ticks all the boxes. Again, these models are made from high quality metal and wood parts. If you want to add a polymer butt or other furniture then the good news is that the S&Ts are completely compatible with old G&P parts. I tried a polymer slide and butt, a standalone pistol grip, on with the steel “overfolder” stock from G&P and they all mated up perfectly, meaning that you can still change “your 870” to suit your own individual style! With the S&T models it’s never been easier to add a great quality shotgun to your armoury and believe me when I tell you that when you do, you won’t be sorry as they’re great fun to own and skirmish with and in my opinion, you just can’t beat the S&T for the price. Popping BBs out accurately at 330fps/1.01J on a .20g, there’s no battery to contend with, no gas to vent on cold days, just a big old spring that’s cocked by the pump action... quite literally “rack and run”!

CYMA CM352 “870”

CYMA have always been good value for money and I’ve met many players over the years who swear by the brand. I have to admit that in recent years I’ve become one of them, loving their AK series and the newer ARs and I’m running a CYMA “.308” as a precision semi-auto as part of one of my “P-AMG” setups. CYMA spring shotguns continue to improve as well, and the CM352 is exactly like the more expensive “870s” but is polymer-bodied, as opposed to full metal. That said, the polymer of the body, pump, pistol grip and outer barrel is very solid indeed with not a creak or flex. It is very solidly put together. There are numerous ZnAL metal parts used though, including the inner barrel, grip slide, shell ejection port, tactical sling swivels, barrel clasp, and chamber cover. The overfolding collapsible stock is made of steel, just like the real thing. Controls are simple with a push through safety and bullet chamber lock button; these are located right next to the trigger, which makes their operation very simple and intuitive. The steel stock folds over onto the top of the body, which allows for fast reduction of the size of the shotgun, making it great for CQB or transport. What I REALLY like about the CYMA “870” though, is the operation - as it has 3 inner barrels. As you’d expect, accuracy is not up there with G&P or S&T but it is by no means a slouch in that respect. The tri-barrel arrangement allows you to fire three BBs at once, which directly results in a greater chance of a hit. BBs are loaded into a now-standard “shell” of thirty BB capacity, which is in turn placed in the

chamber of the shotgun… rack the action, pull the trigger and BAM! Three .20g BBs fly downrange at a mean velocity of 300fps/0.84J. Repeat nine more times, change out to another shell and off you go all over again! For competition purposes this is ideal, as to “show clear” you simply drop the shell out, pull the trigger to ensure all BBs are expended and then present to the RO. What’s also great about the CYMA CM352 is the price, as it will only set you back around UK£65. The CM 352 is also compatible with thirty shot BB shells from other manufacturers, such as NUPROL. You can pick up a pack of four spare NUPROL shells for just UK£7.99, add a nice sling and a gun sleeve and be fully set up and ready to go for not much moolah! If you want to add a fixed butt or wood furniture rather than the steel overfolder and the polymer pump, there are accessories out there to let you do this. However, CYMA also offer the CM355LM tri-barrel, which is naughtily “Magpul” and is the choice that Jon and I have both made for our P-AMG “shotty of choice”!

NUPROL SIERRA STORM SERIES

For many though, the “competition element” will never be an area of interest and those of you that fall into that category ultimately look at a shotgun more as a straightforward game day tool - and there’s nothing wrong with that! Even at the highest levels of MilSim, where kit quite literally verges on the “living history” scale of accuracy in terms of loadouts, then the shotgun, especially the “breacher”, is a very necessary bit of kit to have in your armoury. And this, my fellow airsofters, is where the guys at NUPROL have been very, very clever in their choice of shotgun as, to front up their SIERRA STORM line of RIFs, the model they have chosen to replicate is none other than the Benelli M4, or to us Brits the L128A1! The http://www.eliteukforces.info website tells us that: “The L128A1 Combat Shotgun is a semi-automatic 12-guage shotgun in use with British forces. Combat Shotguns are typically carried by the point element of a section and is particularly useful when engaged in close quarter battle such as clearing compounds in Afghanistan or operating in dense vegetation. The Combat Shotgun is a Benelli M4 fitted with a Eotech 552 sight. It features a rail for mounting accessories such as foregrips. The weapon also features a 3-position extendable buttstock, which many users find either too long when extended or too short when retracted, or both.” Okay, the airsoft version of this shotgun is pumpaction rather than semi-auto like the real deal, but here we have a proper, full-on, “military style” www.airsoftaction.net

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shotgun model that will fit perfectly as part of any modern loadout, whether that be British, American, Australian and many, many more! NUPROL really have pulled a blinder here, as the SIERRA STORM series comprises of twelve models; in reality it’s six models to be fair as you have the choice, dependant on your budget, of either full metal-bodied or polymer-bodied, railed or non-railed versions, but that’s just being picky! I’ve now tried all the metal and polymer versions and own a metal one and I have to say I’m impressed by them all. Performance-wise, the NUPROL versions are as good as any out there and I will go as far as saying that the finish of the metal SIERRA is very nearly as good as that of my rather more expensive 870s! Although I tested different variants, I have to say that my personal favourite is the fully-railed, sliding stock metal version (yup, the “issue” one), but for competitive shooting I’d probably plump for the full stock, plain-pump version. All models are Tri-Shot and use standard 30BB shells (NUPROL produce their own of course) and are loaded via the trap underneath the main body which is opened using a latch next to the trigger guard. The push-through safety is also located to the upper rear of the trigger guard. Loading up a shot-shell is simplicity itself and at the chrono using .20g you get a mean reading of 296fps/0.81J, which is spot-on for the intended use. NUPROL seem able to make us what we really need and that’s solid RIFs at a good price and the accessories to go with them! Add to this that the SIERRA STORM series replicates the shotgun used by UK Armed Forces and, to me, it just doesn’t get much better!

DOUBLE EAGLE M58A

OK, I will come right out and say this… Chinese-made Double Eagle airsoft shotguns are CHEAP! As Frenchie (another spring shotgun fan) long ago pointed out, you can have yourself a perfectly workmanlike “SPAS 12” with (just!) change from UK£50 - and that’s by no means the cheapest version from the manufacturer that’s out there either, as you can have yourself a Double Eagle M309 single shot pump action from around £15! Yes, that’s right you can have an airsoft shotgun of your very own for about the same price as a decent bag of BBs and a can of gas! 52

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I will say that, personally, once upon a time and not so long ago I wouldn’t touch anything with an electric motor from the brand if you actually paid me (how things move on and change!), but when it comes to their spring guns it’s always been a different matter! I’ve had an original Double Eagle single-shot M58 (which neatly resembles the “1897 Trench Gun”) for some considerable time and it’s proved to be a thoroughly sound little gun in every way. I bought it on a whim, as it only set me back about US$25 but boy, for that money did it perform! Putting out somewhere in the region of 330fps when new, the rudimentary sliding hop-up meant that was actually deadly accurate, and it impressed friends from the word go. I’ve now had several of this model (one actually purchased from Frenchie!) and they’ve been chopped, cut down, sawn-off and painted as “faux-wood” to suit a number of loadouts. Looking at the number of Double Eagle shotgun models that are available today I have to say that there genuinely is something for everyone in the line. The build quality has improved since I bought my original, and although they are in majority made of plastic I would once again direct your memory to the fact that once upon a time all RIFs were made of plastic! The feel of the up-to-date versions though is very solid indeed, especially the models with fixed stock and butts. You can still have a simple, single shot springer if you so desire but the fact of the matter is that many of the newer Double Eagle models are tri-barrels firing, not from a “magazine”, but from a 30 BB loaded shot shell that fits into the bottom trap just like the real thing - and like more expensive airsoft models. Some models are still fixed hop but others in the range now have quite reasonable parts and adjustment, and the accuracy I so loved from my original is still very apparent. The M58 models, of which there are two, still have to be my real favourites from the range though! Resembling that old Winchester 1897/Model 12 due to the heat shield over the outer barrel, this could fit anywhere from WWI to the “wastelands of the apocalypse”. Both with full-length barrels the M58A (butt) and M58B (no butt) offer great performance for

RED CELL SHOTTIES

a great price; the M58A retails at just under UK£30, with the “B” variant very slightly cheaper. If you’re in the market for your very first airsoft shotgun, or, like me you want yet another variant for the collection, then the Double Eagles are most certainly worth a look and are superb value for money! Don’t expect a “full metal, weigh-yourloadout-down, might-use it occasionally” wall-hanger for the money, but do expect an airsoft shotgun that you will come to love and use on a regular basis as that “clack-clack” rack becomes absolutely addictive once you have one!

SHOT OUT!

Airsoft spring shotguns are not for everyone, I get that, but I’d still suggest to anyone that they can be a reasonably-priced purchase that will serve you just as well on a skirmish day as in a Milsim, and the move towards more “user-friendly” competitive airsoft shooting gives just another reason to own one! An increasing number of truly good sites have always run “spring and gas only” days which are tremendous fun, and normally that means you’re going to run with a gas pistol and a spring shotgun. A good “springer” (and bear in mind again that a lot of airsoft sniper rifles are spring powered) can be superbly accurate, especially with a longer barrel. You may notice that this instalment of “Red Cell” article is a very personal one and that’s because all of the models featured here have come from my personal collection that has been built up over an number of years - and it’s been a joy to share them with you! I’ve not gone deep into a couple of the featured models as they obviously have commonality with models that ARE detailed, and the VELITES is a new addition to my collection that I’m super-pleased with but will look at in more depth when I’ve had chance to run it in game properly. All of my shotguns have been constantly available for “The Cell” to try though, and I’ll wrap things up this time by including some of the comments the team have made… Stewbacca: “I have used spring shotguns on a few occasions in the past, I had the KTW Ithaca M37 tube mag-style pump-action as a spare/up close gun as well as a similar cheap mag fed one that I was in the process of sticking to my F2000 AEG as a Splintercell masterkey style thing. I did also buy and M870 CYMA thing on a whim in Taiwan but quickly exchanged it with a teammate. They’re definitely “hard mode” if you’re up against rifle or SMG armed opponents and can be a bit disheartening to use in that scenario. But, for pistol and shotty only games they can be riotous good fun and perhaps give you a first shot spread and

range advantage over some pistol wielding foes. Not my first choice, but not the worst either!” Bill W-R: “I would love to have a few different ones. My cheapo single shot “lockdown purchase” was a right giggle!” Jon: “The CYMA “Magpul” is an absolute blast. A true, spring powered Tri Shot. It’s not difficult to cock, once it’s been worked a few times it’s easy to load, pretty much takes any shells, shoots well out to about 10-15m with a fairly consistent spread and it looks pretty cool (especially if you Cerakote them). Cheap as chips and works well. Mine chronos in around 340fps/1.07J on 0.2g.” Chris: “When I first started playing airsoft seriously I bought a Marui Benelli M3 from Wolf Armouries (2000) …loved it …got surgical with it …and didn’t bother with an AEG of my own till 2003! I miss using them, they are great fun and can certainly hold their own against AEGs in any field, I’m living proof that can happen if you get used to the style of play - and I do want another one!” Now that everyone can finally buy petrol to travel again (Oh boy, the curve balls just keep on coming!) “Red Cell” will be back in full next month with a look at Gas Rifles and Carbines and we’ll see then whether Bill can persuade Jimmy that he really needs to make the leap from AEGs to “gassers” at last… Watch this space…! AA

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FEATURE SETTING THE SCENE

SETTING THE SCENE: GOING UNDERGROUND! JAMES HAS BEEN BUSY FINALISING HIS MISSILE LAUNCH SYSTEM THAT WE’VE DOCUMENTED OVER THE PAST FEW ISSUES AND THIS IS NOW 100% READY FOR CONTINUED DEPLOYMENT WITHIN THE LOCAL AIRSOFT AND MILSIM COMMUNITY! SO, WHAT COMES NEXT? A WHOLE NEW “IMMERSION” PROJECT THAT JAMES WILL BE DOCUMENTING STEP BY STEP AND THIS MONTH HE LETS US ALL INTO HIS PROCESS OF CONCEPTUALISATION!

his month sees a bit of change, as projects in the workshop have been put on hold due to an injury I sustained whist undertaking a restoration project. Following surgery to my right hand resulting in it being bandaged and in a sling, building will be out of the question for the next few weeks but, that said, planning and designing can carry on as normal and it gives me the chance to put on paper some ideas floating around in the old noggin! One of these has been the humble “Kill House”. Many airsoft sites have one, usually an open-topped wooden structure. Timed runs against targets, 1v1 or small team engagements around a maze of rooms or compartments make them perfect for CQB training or friendly competitions, so I asked myself: “What can be added to this unique training structure to make the experience more interesting?” On the back of that I decided to have a go at designing one and adding as many unusual features as I could. The first idea, rather have just the “normal” rooms and corridors, was to add a “theme” to the

kill house and for this design I chose the “London Underground”, which is perfect for small, enclosed spaces and I can even add a mock underground carriage inside! It’s also a theme that can easily be reproduced, with plenty of pictures available online and simple designs to follow for props like station signs, advert hoardings and the like that are instantly recognisable by most people. To add effects into the space, this design would be enclosed by a roof covering, plus the addition of a small effect control room added to the side. The play area is dimly lit with directional lights and underground station sounds, of trains running and station announcements, can be pre-recorded and piped through speakers to add to the atmosphere. Lights can be shut down to allow runs with night vision to make things more interesting. A few fog machines added in strategic locations also add to the chaos during and team V team firefight, dramatically altering visibility. The final idea (marked in red on the layout plan) is

“THE FIRST IDEA, RATHER HAVE JUST THE “NORMAL” ROOMS AND CORRIDORS, WAS TO ADD A “THEME” TO THE KILL HOUSE AND FOR THIS DESIGN I CHOSE THE “LONDON UNDERGROUND”, WHICH IS PERFECT FOR SMALL, ENCLOSED SPACES AND I CAN EVEN ADD A MOCK UNDERGROUND CARRIAGE INSIDE!” 56

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FEATURE SETTING THE SCENE

to make the environment “dynamic”, as parts of the layout can change in between - or even during – runs, with movable wall sections controlled by either electric motors or on manual chain pulleys from outside, meaning corridors can suddenly become blocked, doorways can open up and rooms can change shape, all adding to the confusion of the tight spaces. For timed runs, the use of the Attack Sense system of targets would be ideal and can be moved around regularly to keep players guessing. Team training can run a number of scenarios, from bomb defusing, room clearance, “counter terrorism”, urban CQB and many

more and the killhouse itself can even be used in larger scenarios, utilising the site as a whole! So, with the concept in place, the initial design drawings complete and the idea firmly in my head, it’s time to move things forward and next month I’ll start looking at specific props that I’ll use to really bring the feel of the “underground” to life! Of course, I’m always delighted to hear from you guys about what YOU would like to see in the design, so do drop me your comments on the AA Facebook page when you see the dedicated chat go live! AA

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TECHNICAL

TAKE IT TO THE MAXX! AIRTECH STUDIOS

IN EVERY AIRSOFT GROUP, OR TEAM, THERE’S UNDOUBTEDLY ONE PERSON THAT IS CONSTANTLY SEARCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE FROM THEIR AEGS AND GBBS AND, IN THE CASE OF THE AA CREW, THAT HAS TO BE JIMMY. HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE MINUTIAE OF ENHANCING HIS FAVOURITE PLATFORMS SOMETIMES DRIVES EVEN US TO DISTRACTION, ALTHOUGH THE RESULTS HE ACHIEVES ARE UNDENIABLY IMPRESSIVE! THIS TIME HE TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO SOME CRACKING LITTLE PRODUCTS IN THE MAXX RANGE FROM AIRTECH STUDIOS!

eing the lover of tech that I am, I have a great interest in higher performance and I’m always in search for that “something extra”. I want to shoot faster, further, straighter than others on the field, quite frankly I strive to find an added advantage and sometimes greater performance can be that advantage. That doesn’t mean throwing hundreds of pounds at a weapon will instantly make you the better player but a few choice power ups can make a good player even better. If I can engage a target from a greater distance I will, which gives me an advantage over many. By now I’m sure that many of you will be conversant with Airtech Studios and the marvellous products they create to enhance the performance of your humble, from the box BB-blaster, but for those that haven’t yet come across them… Airtech Studios was founded back in 2015 and is led by a team of enthusiastic airsofters who have spent many years playing and modifying airsoft platforms for improvements and efficiency. Airtech Studios brings together a passionate, dynamic team of experts who are constantly on the look-out for really useful upgrade options. Headquartered in Hong Kong, they have brought together a team of product designers from the USA and the United Kingdom to bring more exciting upgrade parts to the game, and 60

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their stated mission is: “strive to develop unique innovations to push the boundaries of airsoft performance to its limits and beyond!” Probably best known for their MAXX CNC Hop-up chambers, Airtech Studios provide aftermarket parts for a number of top manufacturers like VFC, Ares, KRYTAC, KWA, ICS, ASG and G&G, all of whom we work closely with. After some conversation with them, Airtech Studios were kind enough (and confident enough in their products!) to send over a few genius little items for us to have a look at, goodies which complement their MAXX products quite nicely I feel. I have purchased Airtech Studios parts in the past for my own rifles (Ares) and boy did they make a noticeable difference! Over the past few weeks I have undergone a series of tests with different setups using a Specna Arms SA-E12 PDW (yes, the parts work with Specna too!) to see which worked the best and I have had varied results. When I first saw the MAXX hop units I was a little sceptical about them actually being good and now having the opportunity to spend some time using one I am a little less sceptical but after my initial testing I’m sure with the time to find the right combination that scepticism will fade away. The MAXX unit itself is a tad on the pricey side but

TECHNICAL AIRTECH STUDIOS

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TECHNICAL AIRTECH STUDIOS

NOVEMBER 2021

TECHNICAL AIRTECH STUDIOS

if you as an airsofter does not care what something costs then maybe this is an item for you. In this issue the focus will be the Airtech studios parts which fit the Maxx unit, so what is it we have been sent? • MAXX Chamber True-Centre unit • Maxx Hop Chamber & Inner Barrel O-ring • Maxx TDC Trolley 6mm for ER-Hop & M Nub • Maxx TDC Trolley 4mm for Flat Hop Nub • Maxx TDC Trolley 4mm for R-Hop Nub • Inner Barrel Stabilizing O-rings. • A selection of adhesive patches with differing degrees of hardness All of these parts have been made with the highest quality and are incredibly precise making for easy installation there’s no need to mod anything they just fit. Fitment onto the MAXX unit is absolutely perfect I couldn’t find fault anywhere. If you look at the furniture that MAXX makes it does work well that is undeniable and initial testing yielded some great results using a zci 6.02mm tightbore barrel and a Maple Leaf Macaron 60 degree rubber, but what Airtech have created is the ability to give the user the tools to be even more precise easily, allowing for different options of hop setup. Ultimately the application of hop against a BB is merely the effects of pressure but it’s how that pressure is applied that gives performance gains. I really like the idea of the chamber true-centre unit this eliminates any movement, preventing tilting of the unit which can cause a BB to fly either left or right. It works by tightly holding the hop unit perfectly aligning it in the outer barrel which in turn aids accuracy.

TESTED AND TRUE

I Started my testing over stock parts with an existing barrel and R-Hop setup from Master Mods which I had been using for a while (with great results might I add!). After a short period I discovered that sadly the Master Mods flat rubber was causing double feeds as the feed lips didn’t sit far enough in the hop unit and I had a great loss in velocity, so I opted to try another flat rubber (Modify) which instantly solved the double feed and brought the velocity back up. Using the 4mm TDC (Top Down Centre) Trolley with the hard patch I was amazed just how far I was sending a BB out to and honestly it was a snipers nightmare! During a game session I found myself hanging back and pestering this one sniper who couldn’t believe I was ranging him using a 0.28g BB at around 340fps (chrono’d on a .20g obviously!); the results were just amazing so I spent the entire game

railing him with BBs and enjoying every minute! Now I’ve stated in other articles I’m not a big fan of R-Hop but the combination of the Master Mods R-Hop along with MAXX unit and Airtech furniture has left a salty taste as now I find myself being a bit of a closet fan to be honest! I next turned my attention to a completely different set up; I removed the R-Hop and went about fitting a Maple Leaf (my favourite go to hop rubber). For this I fitted the 4mm TDC Trolley designed for flat hop which allows the use of things like Prometheus, Namuzu, Maple Leaf or even a standard nub should you choose to. Due to the TDC adjustment it gives a far better contact patch. This setup was used for some indoor CQB shenanigans and the results were very good. The site in places was very tight and offered some very small apertures through which to shoot and I was able to plant shots exactly where I needed to with great precision and with consistency, every shot following the first which in turn gave me a great advantage meaning I didn’t have to present myself in order to acquire a target. I haven’t quite finished testing other setups yet but rest assured I shall be testing a variety of combinations in order to find which best suits. I am really very impressed and Airtech Studios never fail to impress. On top of the MAXX parts we were also sent some other parts which I shall be featuring in future articles, so stay tuned and keep an eye out for those. These are G&G and SRS related parts and I can imagine my opinions will be very similar to those previously tested. If you aren’t familiar with Airtech Studios by now I question what rock you have been hiding under, so go and check out what it is they make, you certainly won’t regret doing so, and although their products are priced at the spicier end of the spectrum you get, as the old saying goes, what you pay for! Big thanks to the guys at Airtech Studios for providing us with the parts to test, and as I said there’ll be more to come! For now though, if you like the sound of what you’ve already heard then just head over to www.airtechstudios.com to find out more, and check their list of global retail partners too!

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KIT & GEAR PARRA CASES

ON THE (PARRA) CASE!

WITH SAFE TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF RIFS EVER MORE IMPORTANT AND SECURITY ALWAYS PARAMOUNT, BILL TAKES A LOOK AT THE NEW RANGE OF HARD GUN CASES FROM PARRA, RECENTLY RELEASED TO MARKET BY NUPROL AND FINDS THE NEW RANGE VERY MUCH TO HIS LIKING!

s Jon rightly highlights in his “T.O.D.” column this month, picking the right gun case is very much a matter of personal choice, but one that is more and more important when it comes to safely transporting, safeguarding and securing your beloved RIFs and gear. If you are lucky enough to travel to a game or event in your own vehicle then you can “get away with” a certain amount, as your vehicle, in effect, becomes your personal mobile gun safe - as long as all your prized goodies are stored out of sight! However, there are still some sites that require you to move through publicly viewable areas, and indeed some hardcore city-livin’ ‘softers still travel by public transport to their game, so having the right carriage options can become VERY important - as none of want a quick visit and “uncomfortable” inspection from an Armed Response Team, now do we? Whether you play airsoft or shoot real firearms,

or both, there are several things that cross over and at the top of the list for me (after safe handling and eyepro) comes transit safety and security. When you’re at an airsoft site or at a range then your pistol, rifle, shotgun or carbine can be out in the open, but when you’re in transit it needs to be out of sight, and preferably under lock and key. Many of us in the past have simply made use of padded sleeves which are great value for money, but in many cases are hard to secure properly. Add to this that they are usually not rigid there’s a still a real possibility of damaging or breaking whatever is inside. When I was still travelling with airsoft replicas from the USA to the UK and back I bought myself a couple of rigid hard cases that could be secured using pad or combination locks; whilst they conformed to the requirements of both the American TSA and the airlines they were not fancy top of the line models as I didn’t want to break the

“…SOME HARDCORE CITY-LIVIN’ ‘SOFTERS STILL TRAVEL BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO THEIR GAME, SO HAVING THE RIGHT CARRIAGE OPTIONS CAN BECOME VERY IMPORTANT - AS NONE OF WANT A QUICK VISIT AND “UNCOMFORTABLE” INSPECTION FROM AN ARMED RESPONSE TEAM, NOW DO WE?”

NOVEMBER 2021

KIT & GEAR PARA CASES

bank. Over time and many, many air and road miles, they became decidedly shabby and I replaced them as soon as NUPROL released their own range of hard cases (and as soon as my pocket money allowed) and the new cases have been excellent! Thankfully though, the team at NUPROL just keep on adding to their portfolio of quality brands and they told me recently that they are now very pleased to be supplying a broad range of Hard Case Solutions from PARRA Case. This of course made me step back a pace; why on earth would a company who, quite frankly, have provided some of the best, value-for-airsoft-buck hard gun cases of their own want to offer another brand? The answer to this is that NUPROL always want to offer us options, and for those of that travel a lot and shoot real as well as replica there are certain models that simply don’t exist in their airsoft line, and the PARRA range adds to, and enhances, what they already offer, because PARRA have a great reputation for offering high-spec cases to the entire shooting community, of which airsoft is just a part! Add to this that PARRA cases have certifications from third-party quality assurance company Intertek, and you can be sure that you’re getting something first rate. For those who haven’t heard of them before, Intertek is an industry leader with more than 43,800 employees in 1,000 locations in over 100 countries. They deliver Total Quality Assurance to ensure that products meet quality, health, environmental, safety, and social accountability standards for virtually any market around the world and they hold extensive global accreditations, recognitions, and agreements… talk about covering all the bases!

suit. Ideal for storage, transit or even everyday use, their cases come equipped with secure locking mechanisms, carry handles and in some cases, foam internals to keep your items protected… C’mon, they even do coolers to keep your post-game adult beverage of choice nicely chilled to go with that “Victory Ceegar”! Breaking these down onto further categories shows just how diverse the range is: WATERPROOF HARD CASES The PARRA range of Waterproof Hard Cases are all Injection Moulded, manufactured from Polypropylene and toughened with the addition of Glass Fibre. The range includes 40 cases from 1 litre through to 200 litres in

WHAT’S ON OFFER?

Simply put, when you look at it in detail, PARRA Case’s range of products is vast, with Injection Moulded Waterproof Hard Cases, Rota-Moulded Military Cases, PARRA Lite Leisure Cases, Ammo Boxes, Coolers and a range of Dry/Tool Boxes. Whether you’re looking for a small case for electronics or valuables, or need something a bit bigger for gear and RIFs, PARRA have options to

capacity! Filled with Pick & Pluck foam, these cases can be customised to accept almost any item deemed valuable enough to require this top-level protection. IP67 Ingress Protection, Shockproof, Crushproof and Chemical Resistant, the Waterproof Hard Cases will give you first rate protection for years to come!

“…THEIR CASES COME EQUIPPED WITH SECURE LOCKING MECHANISMS, CARRY HANDLES AND IN SOME CASES, FOAM INTERNALS TO KEEP YOUR ITEMS PROTECTED… C’MON, THEY EVEN DO COOLERS TO KEEP YOUR POST-GAME ADULT BEVERAGE OF CHOICE NICELY CHILLED TO GO WITH THAT “VICTORY CEEGAR”!”

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KIT & GEAR PARRA CASES

ROTA-MOULDED CASES Rota-Moulded cases are manufactured via Rotational-Injection Moulding. This manufacturing method ensures that the Polyethylene mix is evenly distributed throughout the mould and results in a stronger case than typical

injection moulding. Due to this increased strength, savings can be made on the amount of material used with Rota-Moulded cases outer walls generally thinner, but just as strong as Injection Moulded cases. PARRA LITE These colourful little Polycarbonate cases are ideal for keeping your personal items safe when the environment gets tough. These cases feature a 2-stage compression latch, keeping contents secure and protected. A non-slip, coloured base acts as a gasket to provide IP65 protection when closed. Due to this seal, a small PRV valve is fitted for when these cases go on flights overseas. AMMO BOXES Not really something that we need for airsoft as our “ammo” comes neatly protected in either its own dedicated bag or bottle, but PARRA do offer a selection of 50 round and 100 round ammo boxes for a range of calibres. I’ve kept this category in as a way of illustrating that PARRA make their boxes and cases for the “real deal”, so we, as airsofters, can be certain we’re getting the very best levels of protection, safety and security. 66

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DRY/TOOL BOXES A selection of affordable Dry Boxes, perfect for items that require a carry case, but not the more expensive level of protection afforded by options such as the WHC and Rota-Moulded cases. These are absolutely ideal for keeping things safe, like a more comprehensive FAK, or… well… tools… COOLERS And last but by no means least… PARRA Coolers are designed with premium insulation technology to ensure the contents remain ice cold for days at a time! This may not seem a big thing if you live in a “temperate” climate like the UK but trust me, if you ever go and play airsoft in a really hot/humid environment like I did when I played in Florida, then a good cooler is a godsend, especially at weekenders! Pushing this out further, if you’re reliant on meds that need to be kept cool or need to carry them “just in case” (think snakebite kit!), then a top-rate cooler is a necessity rather than a luxury!

AIRSOFT ACTION PICKS

With such a vast range of options to choose from, you might well think “but which do I choose” and of course this returns to being a very personal thing as only you know exactly which combination of RIFs and kit you’ll need to transport, and exactly what your requirements are for your case or cases. To pick a couple that I really like the look of (as I already have and use the excellent NUPROL gun cases), I’ll start with the LITE 1.37. This smart little case is perfect for cameras, passports, smartphones and the like and it offers an IP65 watertight design as well as crush and dustproof performance. It’s rated to withstand temperatures between -10°C and 200°C, allowing you to take your most delicate valuables to not just your local site, but literally to the ends of the earth if that’s where your journey leads you! • Exterior - 24.8 x 14.0 x 6.5 cm • Interior - 20.8 x 11.0 x 6.0 cm • Lid | Base - 2.4 cm | 3.6 cm • Weight (empty) - 380 g • Capacity - 1.37 L The PARRA 1258 moves things up a bit and will protect the contents stored inside with real effectiveness. It is independently tested, assured and certified by Intertek to be waterproof, safe from impacts and crushing, as well as offering protection from extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to 90°C. With several layers of eggbox, protective and Pick n’ Pluck foam inside, you can depend on this case to protect any sensitive or delicate equipment inside,

KIT & GEAR PARA CASES

such as NVGs. • Exterior - 35.7 x 29.3 x 19.3 cm • Interior - 33.0 x 23.1 x 16.5 cm • Lid | Base - 4.3 cm | 12.2 cm • Weight (empty) - 2.35 k g • Capacity - 12.58 PARRA also offer wheeled cases that are perfect for the “airsoft commuter” and the PARRA 3286 is an ideal example of this, as its where hard case meets travel case! With an IP67 waterproof rating, protection from extreme temperatures, pressure changes and impacts, as well as easily modifiable Pick and Pluck Foam, a set of integrated wheels and a fold-out travel handle, this is the ultimate accessory for those who frequently travel with expensive or delicate items… And let’s face it we all have a few of those in our collections of airsoft goodies, don’t we? • Exterior - 54.5 x 32.4 x 21.5 cm • Interior - 53.0 x 31.0 x 20.0 cm • Lid | Base - 4.0 cm | 16.0 cm • Weight (empty) - 5.15 kg • Capacity - 32.86 l Now these examples are what I personally would find useful to add to my load-lugger collection (along

with a cooler, natch!) but as I said earlier, the PARRA Case collection is VAST and there’s literally something for everyone in the range, from the smallest watertight case for your phone, through rifle and transit cases, to big old “team gear” haulers, all of which come with the highest possible levels of quality assurance given only after stringent testing. All in all, I believe that PARRA is a superb addition to the NUPROL family and once again they’ve shown that they can find what we as airsofters need… before we even know we need it! PARA Cases are in store now, but please do check out www.nuprol.com for more information on the entire range! AA

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KIT & GEAR EYEPRO

EYE PROTECTION IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF SAFETY, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SHOOT AND BILL HAS USED A BRAND FROM AUSTRALIA FOR SOME TIME, A COMPANY THAT PROVIDES MODELS THAT OFFER THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE AND PROTECTION!

heap eye protection is a false economy in virtually every respect I can think of! Luckily, these days we have a wealth of manufactuerers to choose from when it comes to protecting those all important “Eyes and Ears” and testing for such products is amongst the most stringent out there. I’ve been using “eyepro” from Austrlian brand Blueye and am often asked why I use their “Jager” model when there’s so many other big names out there. Blueye Eyewear was formed in December 1995, when Dean Bennell (Director and Founder) came up with a new eyewear concept for jockeys in Horse Racing. Whilst working as a horse trainer in Sydney, Australia, Dean realised that the goggles jockeys were wearing had not changed in design or materials since the 1950’s (sounds a bit like my old man’s shooting glasses)! Dean began designing goggles and the design process took eight months, during which time he approached his brother Marc, to see if he would be interested in becoming a partner in “Blueye Eyewear”. The partnership was then formed and in December 1996, twelve months after conception, Blueye entered the marketplace. Initially, Blueye concentrated on marketing its product throughout the horse racing industry, but soon realised that the goggles also had potential

in other sports. An extensive sunglass range was gradually created, building on the success of the goggles technology and along the way Blueye picked up awards such as “Australian Design of the Year” and Australia’s “Powerhouse Museum Award for Science and Design”. Blueye Tactical Eyewear is a division of Blueye Eyewear Pty Ltd, they design, develop and manufacture specific purpose eyewear, with the emphasis on supplying elite performance eyewear products. In 2013, after four years of development, Blueye released their first ever specific purpose ballistic eyewear range for the international military and tactical markets. At Blueye Tactical Eyewear they strongly believe that for personnel to perform specific operational tasks, they need to be wearing the correct eye protection. Whether it is Water Ops, Land, Air or Special Ops tasks, Blueye Tactical has developed an elite performance eyewear product for their needs and all Blueye Goggles and Sunglasses have gone through rigorous testing to meet, or exceed US Mil-Spec requirements.

JAGER UP!

The Jagers are super-light stealth Ballistic Sunglasses for tactical users. As well as the basic (if you can possibly call it that) model, the Jagers are also

“WHETHER IT IS WATER OPS, LAND, AIR OR SPECIAL OPS TASKS, BLUEYE TACTICAL HAS DEVELOPED AN ELITE PERFORMANCE EYEWEAR PRODUCT FOR THEIR NEEDS AND ALL BLUEYE GOGGLES AND SUNGLASSES HAVE GONE THROUGH RIGOROUS TESTING TO MEET, OR EXCEED US MIL-SPEC REQUIREMENTS.”

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KIT & GEAR EYEPRO

available in a Low Profile design and with High definition lenses. These are the specs: • Exceeds U.S. military ballistic impact requirements for spectacles (MIL-PRF-31013, clause 3.5.1.1) • High Impact grilamide Frame material • Interchangeable lens system • 2.1mm Carl Zeiss precision optics lenses 100% UVA & UVB • Frame colour matt black • Included lens colours: (clear and smoke) • Adjustable nose pad for comfort • Low profile temples for ear muff compatibility • Retainer strap included • Hard Carry Case with included lenses • RX adaptor available • Certified ANSI Z87.1-2010 ballistic impact and optical requirements, Certified EN166, Certified AS/NZS 1337.1 Back in 2017 I was very kindly approached to “use and abuse” the Jagers. I’d worn wrap-round styles from another manufacturer for years and had actually been through three pairs of those. The design and profile of the Jagers was similar but also a bit more up to date and, certainly for me, the fit was very, very good. They are also extremely light at just 30g but in no way feel flimsy. The glasses I received came in a very nice stiffened hard-case with a zip closure, and a good deal of foam padding internally to keep everything in place. They also arrived with three lenses, clear and smoke, plus High Definition Orange (you can have them without the High Def is you so desire); the lenses are easily and swiftly interchanged by simply removing the cushioned nosepiece, popping a small retaining catch over the bridge, and simply sliding one lens out to replace with another. Also included in the package is a retaining strap and soft lens cloth.

They have proved extremely comfortable to wear, even over extended periods of time and I’m pleased to report that I’ve suffered from almost zero fogging - and that’s with continual use since I’ve had them! Vents within the top of the lenses allow air circulation to actively minimise any build-up of moisture. Even with the High Definition lens set the Jagers retail for UK£110 (the basic model with Smoke or Clear lenses is UK£64.95), which is slightly less than the glasses I’d worn historically. However, the safety specifications of the Jagers also exceed that of my old ones, so they are superb value for money. After-sales service has also been exceptional! I somehow managed to lose the nosepiece on a photoshoot but after speaking to Blueye UK, a replacement was with me within days… direct from Australia! Although the range of tactical goggles and sunglasses offered by Blueye is a very tight one, I truly believe that they have some great looking designs that also offer immense amounts of protection. Whilst they are not the cheapest eyepro on the market, in my opinion they sit exactly where they should price-wise; indeed, you can’t put a price on your eyesight, can you? My sincere thanks go to Blueye UK who originally provided the test model, and please be sure to check out www.tacticalgoggles.co.uk for more information on both the models themselves and stockist details.

www.airsoftaction.net

KIT & GEAR EYEPRO

ESS ICE & CROSSBOW EYEPRO FOLLOWING ON FROM THE CAGE FEATURE ABOUT WHAT EYEPRO THE LEGION USES AND WHY, STEWBACCA TELLS US WHY HE FAVORS A PARTICULAR MODEL FROM ESS.

nytime a new player - particularly one I might have indoctrinated to our addiction - asks me what to start buying and where to source it, my first port of call for them is always suitable eye protection! Having heard a few horror stories, seen a few close shaves and even had some myself, I can never stress enough to people how critical this simple addition to the base running gear for any shooter is. Whether you’re skirmishing, doing Action Air, or even real steel shooting, good eye protection from a reputable supplier and manufacturer, while meeting relevant international standards, is a must-have for everyone. Whether you go full face pro like the growing SpeedQB movement and their anti-fog, wide vision capable DYE or EMPIRE paintball style masks, or prefer (like me) to go for separate goggles/glasses and a lower face mesh for greater ease of use, keeping your eyes free from pellet strikes is obviously of paramount importance. When I first started out all those years ago, I began experimenting with a variety of solutions, beginning with simple (yet effective) “science class” glasses which I wore over my existing corrective lenses, as well as mesh alternatives with removable lower face protection. I would only ever advise mesh eyepro if you have corrective glasses on underneath to deflect any potential fragments and, even then, I would rather recommend people use solid polycarbonate lenses instead. Mesh can deform

over repeated hits, rust due to impacts wearing away surface treatments, or just be susceptible to penetration by the very nature of its structure. From there I moved on to ESS “Advancer” goggles, which were kind of bug-eyed in appearance! The replaceable separate lens units offered the usual clear/cadmium, yellow/smoke pigmented lenses as clip-in units, which could also be extended out slightly to open vents for improved ventilation, plus also had “Rx” corrective lens inserts, which I got my prescription made up for. These were a little bulky and still fogged up a lot for my liking and I was still not satisfied. I also dabbled in Guarder C4 modular glasses with snap in lenses but couldn’t use them with corrective lenses, so sold them to a teammate who then had a rather alarming incident where one of the separate lenses popped out forwards from the frame during a game!! Thankfully without injury but this was nonetheless very disconcerting to us both and he quickly replaced them with something more suitable.

ESS ICE COOL!

Eventually, around 2008 and after a few years of playing and figuring myself and my equipment out, I settled upon ESS ICE 2.4 wraparound, single piece 2.4mm thick polycarbonate ballistic protective lenses. At the time these were also widely adopted by UK & US forces, as being a well-received and respected

“THE ESS ICE 2.4 OFFER A GREAT ALL-ROUND VISIBILITY WITHOUT ANY NOTICEABLE OBSTRUCTIONS AND THEIR SINGLE PIECE LENS DESIGN (WHICH THE NOSE BRIDGE AND LEGS CLIP ONTO) MAKES EVERYTHING VERY EASY TO SET UP. WITH ADDITIONAL NOSE PIECES AND LEGS IN SETS ALLOWING YOU TO RUN DIFFERENT PIGMENTS INTERCHANGEABLY EASILY ESPECIALLY IF LIKE ME YOU NEED THE CORRECTIVE LENS INSERTS...” 70

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KIT & GEAR EYEPRO

solution for armed forces deployed in sandy places, who had to worry about fragmentation as much as incoming fire. The ESS ICE 2.4 offer a great all-round visibility without any noticeable obstructions and their single piece lens design (which the nose bridge and legs clip onto) makes everything very easy to set up. With additional nose pieces and legs in sets allowing you to run different pigments interchangeably easily - especially if like me you need the corrective lens inserts - they can be clipped into the nose piece and then this is easily transferred between lens and leg setups to switch from smoke lenses for outdoor use in sunny conditions, or cadmium yellows for improved visibility and clarity, or plain clear lenses for indoor or lower lighting conditions. As of writing, I have been using basically the same eyepro solution for well over a decade - the vast majority of my time shooting in various disciplines. Clearly, once I find something I like I settle on it and stick with it and I am all too happy to recommend them to other shooters in search of solutions, albeit with a few caveats or cautions… They will still tend to fog on occasion in overly humid conditions - something that’s been very much a problem in certain seasons for me both in the UK and especially since coming to Taiwan where it’s forever summer and dank at the best of times, and it’s especially noticeable once again with corrective lenses added into the mix. There are still gaps, the brow and below is pretty much protected but the edges or underside can be a concern, especially if you wear a lower face mesh mask. I have heard of an instance where someone’s lower face mask deflected a round into their eye from below and I’ve personally seen a site operator and marshal take a deflected round to the eye which came in through the side gap and got lodged in his

tear duct - which obviously was a brown trouser moment for all of us! So do be aware of those risks, which any ballistic glasses are likely to entail over wrap-around full seal goggles. Consider the environments and game situations you’re working in; CQB in my experience tends to be fine as I rarely get flanked or take shots up close from the sides in that manner in Taiwanese fields, but outdoors might be a different story or your mileage may vary. That being said I have also had some squeaky rear moments when rounds have strayed up my cheek or between the top edge of the ESS and my headwear, causing some pretty severe flesh hits but no direct eye damage. Again, consider the balance between looking badass, not fogging as badly, and leaving the edges - and your eyes - potentially open to incoming fire. The lenses can become scratched due to the use of optics close to them or very far rear mounted on top of your gun if they rub against them. My original smoke and clear lenses I brought with me from the UK ended up scored on the right of the nose piece to the point where I could no longer see through that portion clearly and had to tilt my head off to get a clear sight picture through optics - not ideal given the aforementioned gaps around the bottom and sides. These minor drawbacks or considerations aside, I’ve had very positive experiences with ESS ICE 2.4 and also invested in the ESS Crossbow variants, along with a teammate, which address some of the gap concerns by providing a slightly deeper lens with side wings that have extensions to the lower edges to try and reduce the gaps. Other than this, they are compatible with the original nose piece so I can easily transfer my corrective inserts between the two, depending on whether I’m playing indoors or outside in harsh sunlight. AA www.airsoftaction.net

armoury AUTO-ORDNANCE “SQUADRON” 1911

IT’S GOT TEETH!

TAKING A STEP BACK IN HISTORY, BILL TAKES A LOOK AT A “LEGACY MODEL” OF ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS HANDGUNS EVER, THE VENERABLE COLT 1911, THIS TIME IN AN UNUSUAL GUISE COURTESY OF A COLLABORATION BETWEEN CYBERGUN AND ARMORER WORKS - THE AUTO ORDNANCE “SQUADRON” 1911!

t’s been quite a while since I had a look at a pistol model from Cybergun, even if this one is partly Armorer Works in origin! Cybergun, it has to be said, are huge proponents in the world of airsoft licencing (indeed, their approach has got them into some difficult situations in past years) and guard the licences they have jealously… It’s therefore nice to see them working increasingly with other brands to really make the most of what they have! I’ve chosen the Auto Ordnance “Squadron” 1911 to talk about here because it sings to me in many ways. Firstly, it’s an absolutely classic 1911 singlestack classic, which I love and, secondly because the licence in point is from Auto-Ordnance, replicators of fabulous WWII firearms like the Thompson SMG, and a part of the mighty Kahr Firearms Group! But why is the standard “1911” so important to me? Here I’ll take one of my meanderings down memory lane… The turn of the 19th into the 20th century was an upheaval of change - societal, industrial and certainly in terms of “modern warfare”. It was a time when bolt action rifles were being adopted by armies 72

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around the globe and the birth of the “Maxim Gun” was revolutionising how battles were fought. Suddenly the individual infantry soldier was capable of levels of firepower that would have amazed their forebears of only a few years before! During the Philippine–American War of 18991902, US Soldiers and Marines fighting the Moro guerrillas were still using the then-standard Colt M1892 revolver but quickly found it unsuitable for the rigors of jungle warfare, particularly in terms of stopping power. Even back then, the Moros often used drugs to inhibit the sensation of pain and they just kept coming, even when shot! The US Army briefly reverted to using the M1873 single-action revolver in .45 Colt calibre, which had been standard during the late 19th century, as the heavier bullet was found to be more effective against charging, drug-crazed tribesmen. The problems prompted the Chief of Ordnance, General William Crozier, to authorise testing for a new service pistol. Enter one of the most amazing gunsmiths to have lived… John Moses Browning! Browning was an American firearms designer who developed many

armoury AUTO-ORDNANCE “SQUADRON” 1911

varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges and mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world to this day (the M1911 pistol, the water-cooled M1917, the air-cooled M1919, and M2 machine gun, the Browning Automatic Rifle, and the Browning Auto-5 to name just a selection of the best known). Online research tells me that he made his first firearm at age 13 in his father’s gun shop and was awarded the first of his 128 firearm patents on October 7, 1879, at the age of just 24. He is rightly regarded as one of the most successful firearm designers of the 19th and 20th centuries and pioneered the development of modern automatic and semi-automatic firearms. From 1907 to 1911 a series of tests were held to decide on a new service pistol for the US Forces and the competition soon whittled down to designs from Savage and Colt, the new model from Colt being designed by Browning. Both designs were improved between each series of tests, leading up to the final test before adoption. Among the areas of success for the Colt was a test at the end of 1910, where six thousand rounds were fired from a single pistol over the course of two days. It is reported that when the Colt began to grow hot it was simply immersed in water to cool it down. The Colt gun passed with no reported malfunctions, while the Savage design had 37! After these tests the legendary Colt M1911was duly adopted and went on to serve as the standardissue sidearm for the United States Armed Forces from 1911 to 1986. It was widely used in World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The pistol’s formal designation as of 1940 was “Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45”, M1911 for the original model of 1911 or “Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911A1” for the M1911A1, adopted in 1924. The designation changed to “Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic, M1911A1” during the Vietnam War era. Some 2.7 million M1911 and M1911A1 pistols were manufactured for military contracts during its service life and the pistol was widely copied. The operating system rose to become one of the most successful of the 20th century and it has become widely used by civilian shooters in competitive events such as USPSA, IDPA and the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC). Compact variants are popular civilian concealed carry weapons in the U.S. because of the design’s relatively slim width and the awesome stopping power of the .45 ACP cartridge.

LEGACY!

Ordnance’s WWII commemorative series, and the “Squadron” model was released in limited numbers to firearms collectors in August 2018. This pistol featured custom graphics reminiscent of those painted on fighter aircraft of WWII, and the muzzle displayed the “shark mouth” nose-art often seen on American fighter planes like the Curtis P-40 Warhawk. The Army Air Corps insignia was also shown on both sides, and a rivet pattern was engraved over the pistol. The finish was a highly durable, worn, black and grey Cerakote and the overall appearance made for a pistol that looked like a WWII fighter plane (ish, IMO…). The “Squadron” 1911 was chambered in classic .45 ACP and also featured chequered wood grips with the U.S. logo. It arrived to buyers with a seven round, single-stack magazine and had a retail price of US$1,106! AutoOrdnance offered this custom 1911 in honour of the pilots who flew during WWII and said at the time; “May their bravery and sacrifice always be remembered!” Thanks to Cybergun and Armorer Works we, as airsofters, can own this piece of history but in 6mm form and at a far smaller cost than that of the real thing and the replica of the original pistol is absolutely nailed, even down to the faded real wood of the pistol grips, the raised “rivet” design, the “weathering”, and even the “shark’s mouth” and Army Air Corps insignia! However, underneath this super exterior is a fully functional 1911 GBB! It’s worth remembering that the original single stack “daddy” is still a great option for serious pistol shooters and the “Squadron” GBB lives up to that! Power output on green gas (as tested from the box) was a healthy 0.83 Joule/300fps on .20g and through the chrono it ended up with a variance between 299 and 302fps, which is pretty tight! Accuracy on the 10m Short Range was excellent, punching steels consistently with no “flyers” and even delivering hits to the 60x50mm “headspace” on the steels at 5m. This is a lovely, lovely pistol that perhaps is one that I would not buy for actual shooting, but to hang instead on my office wall. Even though it’s a great shooter and already looks worn enough from new not to worry about the odd scratch, it’s the thought of that “1911 Legacy” that shines and for that reason alone it’s worth adding to anyone’s collection! My thanks go to Tim at www.iwholesales.co.uk for bringing this lovely pistol to my attention; he knows I’m a sucker for history and classic 1911s… thank you Tim! AA

This particular custom 1911 was a part of Autowww.airsoftaction.net

FEATURE TMC STAGE ELECTRONIC TRAINING SYSTEM

TMC STAGE ELECTRONIC TRAINING SYSTEM

WHILE NOT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO AN RANGE, BEING ABLE TO PRACTICE YOUR SKILLS IS EVERY SERIOUS AIRSOFTER’S IDEAL SCENARIO, ESPECIALLY IF IT ALSO PROVIDES BOTH CHALLENGES AND INSTANT FEEDBACK. STEWBACCA REPORTS FROM TAIWAN, WHERE A PARTICULAR SYSTEM ATTRACTED MORE THAN JUST HIS PASSING ATTENTION…

hen I arrived in Taiwan back in summer 2017, I began searching out local airsoft shops and gaming sites almost immediately, as well as attending the 22nd Hooha Show within a few weeks of arriving and the first MOA show just before my first Christmas here. Happening upon my local KUI Airsoft store in Zhubei (where my first teaching posting was), north of Hsinchu, one of the larger stores in their chain which has shops in every major city on the island, I was very interested to see that they had an in-store firing range positioned as soon as you entered through the main doors, created in the space between the two rows of display cabinets. At the end was a local Taiwanese-produced XCortech electronic target system, consisting of a control box at the firing point, with ethernet cables running to the target end connected to an array of circular target plates mounted on motorised boxes. These would lift on command and register when they

were shot down, as well as providing green or red LED uplighting for shoot/no-shoot target modes. KUI would become a regular haunt of mine after hours, with me spending many Wednesday evenings there after getting off work, or whichever weekend day I happened to not be actively gaming. I’d hang out there and chat with the store operator Ben, while he helped sell me or service my ever-growing collection of GBB pistols, SMGs and carbines, as well as indoctrinating my colleagues into airsoft and testing out their new guns too. I would naturally gravitate towards running all of my various guns against the clock on their XCortech range, to the point where I wore out some of them and apparently the targets too! I did at least set a speed record for 2.8 seconds on 5 targets with my WE G36C, which I believe still stands and apparently my photo still adorns their range - fame and glory clearly await me! Fast forward two years and I was moving to Taipei

“I WOULD NATURALLY GRAVITATE TOWARDS RUNNING ALL OF MY VARIOUS GUNS AGAINST THE CLOCK ON THEIR XCORTECH RANGE, TO THE POINT WHERE I WORE OUT SOME OF THEM AND APPARENTLY THE TARGETS TOO! I DID AT LEAST SET A SPEED RECORD FOR 2.8 SECONDS ON 5 TARGETS WITH MY WE G36C, WHICH I BELIEVE STILL STANDS AND APPARENTLY MY PHOTO STILL ADORNS THEIR RANGE...” 74

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FEATURE TMC STAGE ELECTRONIC TRAINING SYSTEM

vogue “thing”. I’d also seen TMC’s adverts featuring their TRN tactical girls running guns against their own upcoming offering in a similar vein, so I waited with bated breath for the release of that system as it offered a different aspect to some of the others: minimal infrastructure and modularity. Eventually, back in October 2020 I got my hands on the released units after visiting Shawn and Eric at TMC Taipei, initially buying three units… one “master” and two “slave” setups. The master communicates through WiFi with both your phone or tablet device to relay timing information to the “STAGE” training APP on your device, as well as control and relay commands from the slave units associated to it. Additional units can be purchased later to increase your collection and capabilities. Shawn has ten of his own for his pistol and rifle drills and I have thus far added a further two units to bring my total to five, enough to use in conjunction with paper or other static targets to create Action Air stages, or training drill scenarios to test my speed, accuracy and improvement over time. and began missing out on the social and race gun aspect of KUI Zhubei - the local Taipei store being much less readily accessible and also a smaller affair without the same firing range facilities - so my record breaking attempts fell by the wayside and I was reliant on live skirmishing to uphold my handling and marksmanship.

EN VOGUE

Around the same time I began seeing an increase in interest and market solutions for consumer target and tracking systems. I had contemplated the XCortech system KUI had but it seemed a bit prohibitive at around NTD$10,000-12,000 (about GBP £250) for a setup, as well as it being somewhat static and requiring all of the physical wiring and available space and supporting structures to make use of it. Back in the UK the likes of AttackSense targets seemed to be gaining popularity and at MOA 2019 my colleague and teammate, Kiran, had tried out a new European-based target system that ran off a phone or tablet app in a similar manner. Acetech also had similar static and even moving target systems and Rare Arms were making use of a projector system and laser training unit attached to their new shell-ejecting AR hybrid platform to allow users to try out both their gun and a virtual firing range system. Running and gunning against the clock and, potentially, your friends or peers with cloud enabled ranking capabilities within some of the apps was the new en

CHANNEL YOUR TRAINING

Each “master” unit has the capability to run up to 32 individual targets on each one of its 8 programmable channels, which are controlled by three slider switches on the rear of the unit. Once you acquire a set, simply switch all of the units to the same combination of the three switches as the master unit to slave them to that channel. When you use the APP on your phone you can scan for the WiFi ID of your master unit, connect to it and then scan for additional slaved target units and establish them to that channel. You can then check their battery life status and even remotely lift or drop them to test their function and help you identify which target is which based upon the APP’s assigned numbers. These will stay the same every time after the initial setup (in my experience) and I have written the corresponding numbers on mine to make it easier to form various layouts or drill stages. With 8 separate channels you can, in theory, run up to 256 separate targets in the same area, using 8 different master units and control devices with the APP, although I don’t think they can be made to work in tandem as it stands. Certainly, for larger events or the likes of Action Air usage, you could set up very involved stages of up to 32 single targets and operate them on separate channels to allow multiple bays to operate simultaneously without interfering with each other. In terms of the APP itself, I haven’t seen much in the way of updates thus far since I got it a year www.airsoftaction.net

FEATURE TMC STAGE ELECTRONIC TRAINING SYSTEM

ago, with the “community” option still greyed out. I imagine they are thinking of making it cloud compatible in the longer term to allow competition and comparison, however, it already has a few useful modes to control the targets in various manners.

OPERATING MODES

“STANDARD” mode allows you to just run the stage system and raise the targets on an audio beep cue, then shoot them down once each in any order you choose. I tend to use this one for Action Air drill stages as normally the target sequence isn’t important or interconnected for the most part, it’s just about planning and getting the fastest time. I tend to set up a single bay with multiple paper targets and the STAGE target boxes along the floor like popper targets, and maybe use one as a standard ending plate, usually raised up on a tripod in a similar manner to the ending plates used to time all our Action Air competition stages. I then vary the drills I do and order of shooting the targets to see which movements or methods get me the fastest results and the APP allows me to track progress or individual run times with a display of target number, cumulative hit time and split times between hits. At present I just screenshot these on my phone, there doesn’t appear to be any internal logging system as yet. “RANDOM” mode allows you to run the target system through a number of salvos of the targets in a random order; they will pop up and beep individually until all targets have been cycled through once, or however many salvos you choose, up to a maximum of ten. If you have all 32 target slots filled, that could be a serious amount of shooting in one presentation! I have found this one is good for practical shooting scenarios the likes of which I set up in Action Bunker when I was still helping out there and had more open access to their facilities. Placing targets on the firing range I helped put together in their basement and moving from firing point to firing point while scanning for targets appearing in different places and reloading on the move until all were eliminated. Again, everything is presented on the app’s screen although not logged as such, so you have to take as many screenshots as necessary to cover the whole list

of target engagement times. If you run lots of salvos you might be there a while as it stands! “CUSTOM” mode is where things start to get more interesting! I only have five target units, so it’s a little limited until I get more but basically the screen displays a bank of the 32 possible targets and allows you to select from them to create “primer” targets of whichever number you choose and then assign “reaction” targets to those initial ones. I haven’t had

“I HAVE THUS FAR ADDED A FURTHER TWO UNITS TO BRING MY TOTAL TO FIVE, ENOUGH TO USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH PAPER OR OTHER STATIC TARGETS TO CREATE ACTION AIR STAGES, OR TRAINING DRILL SCENARIOS TO TEST MY SPEED, ACCURACY AND IMPROVEMENT OVER TIME.”

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FEATURE TMC STAGE ELECTRONIC TRAINING SYSTEM

another or create salvos of reacting targets triggered by an activator, which would suit the likes of Action Air stage design. There’s nothing stopping you from tying in the electronic activator target with a reaction target that’s released along a track or swinger, or similar setup as you would use for paper targets and a smaller moving target like this would really put your moving marksmanship to the test. In terms of operation, the individual target units each work from either a duo of 18600 batteries (making them compatible with many weapon lights and associated batteries and chargers many shooters might already have), or if you do decide to set up a more permanent range situation, you can run standard USB micro cables to their power sockets at the rear. These same sockets allow for recharging of the batteries when the units are switched off and a small LED at the back shows steady red during charging and turns steady green upon being fully charged. However, it should be noted that you should not use external mains power and internal battery power simultaneously; if you’re setting them up for permanent external power then remove the batteries altogether. The base of each unit also has a standard tripod mounting thread insert to allow you to mount them in various manners. I haven’t yet managed to find a training space large enough to exceed the maximum WiFi range but I imagine this will be typical for such devices, in the region of 40-50m with an unobstructed line of sight between target unit and control device. In terms of battery life, mine have usually lasted at least half a day with continuous usage, although I assume quality of batteries and external conditions such as ambient temperature might have adverse effects on such things. much chance to push this functionality yet because of the limited number of targets but it seems you can assign any target as a “reaction” target to one of the “primer” targets of your choosing. Upon activation the “primer targets will raise up and beep to present themselves then, when you shoot them down, the “reaction” targets assigned to them will then pop up and beep for presentation. So, in a kind of “boss fight” scenario you could have multiple henchmen targets set up to react to the elimination of one

POSITIVE RESULTS

During use I immediately started seeing positive results from using the TMC STAGE training system. Initially I looked into creating custom IPSC mini popper sized target units from corrugated polyurethane sheet and experimented a bit with them but found that the motors are insufficient for lifting full length examples of such things and adding extra weight beyond that of the supplied target plates might overload the

“SO, IN A KIND OF “BOSS FIGHT” SCENARIO YOU COULD HAVE MULTIPLE HENCHMEN TARGETS SET UP TO REACT TO THE ELIMINATION OF ONE ANOTHER OR CREATE SALVOS OF REACTING TARGETS TRIGGERED BY AN ACTIVATOR, WHICH WOULD SUIT THE LIKES OF ACTION AIR STAGE DESIGN.”

www.airsoftaction.net

FEATURE TMC STAGE ELECTRONIC TRAINING SYSTEM

motors and cause some issues. In spite of this I ploughed ahead with the smaller original lightweight target plates and figured it’s actually a better situation to make use of them anyway. They’re somewhat smaller than a popper’s “head” plate, so if I can get used to hitting them consistently, the larger targets of actual stages should be easier - and that seems to have been the longerterm result. Making use of the STAGE targets in mock IPSC bays, mixing paper targets at different heights

and transitioning between the electronic poppers and “dumb” paper, then ending on one of the stage targets allows me to time the whole run and the split times of the poppers at least. Using my headstrap mounted GoPro in tandem has allowed me to measure my results very well and see where my slow or inaccurate transitions between targets have been - it really is invaluable to see yourself either from first or third person view doing things retrospectively to understand where you’re going wrong and how you can improve. As a result of all these “gadgetry-based” shenanigans I’ve definitely seen improvements in the speed and accuracy of my pistol powered handiwork on the clock. Alongside the more typical training and practice acquired at SPPT during group drill stage training that usually follows the initial hour or so of individual practice, I’ve halved my stage times compared to my snail paced beginnings and now I’m usually only a matter of seconds behind my peers. Bearing in mind I’m running iron sighted standard barreled production pistols with full stroke slides and reduced capacity magazines, all of which meaning I have to plan more reloads and don’t have the opportunity to use red dot sights. I am seriously

tempted to run in both Production and Open with an appropriate variant of CZ Shadow 2 for both, just for comparison. Durability wise, the TMC STAGE training targets have been surprisingly good. They’re pretty sturdily built in terms of the lower motorised unit and the target plates themselves are made from PCB board to keep them as light but strong as possible. After the level of abuse I’ve imparted upon them, one or two of them are fraying a little and one is quite severely shot through at this point, but having talked to Shawn these should be a consumable or replaceable part in practice and are easily unscrewed from the motor’s lifting arm and replaced. I’ve used some very heavy hitting platforms, such as my WE T91 running 12kg gas and 0.3g tracer and plain rounds against them, as well as just the sheer round count from pistols, so as usual, I wouldn’t take my typically destructive testing to paint them in a bad light, the lower units have minimal superficial damage despite also being peppered by stray rounds. I’m certainly looking forward to progressively growing my collection of them on a piece-meal basis to increase the useful training I can derive from them. In skirmishes it seems I am getting somewhat known for my double-tap and single-shot eliminations, or just the pistol skills I’ve derived from all my experiences over the years. This has no doubt been aided by the IPSC/Action Air drilling and in no small part to all the beating upon the STAGE training targets and measurable decreasing times on targets I’ve noticed in each drilling session with each novel layout I come up with! AA

www.airsoftaction.net

RELOADED G&G CM16 RAIDER 2.0

G&G CM16 RAIDER 2.0

WHEN YOU WANT TO SHOW NON-AIRSOFT FRIENDS A FUN TIME, OR HAVE A RELIABLE BACK-UP FOR FRIENDS HAVING A BAD DAY, THEN YOU WANT A SENSIBLY PRICED BUT COOL LOOKING AR (… OR TWO) DON’T YOU? BILL LOOKS BACK ON A MODEL THAT’S JUST MORE THAN A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM THE HERD, IN THE FORM OF THE RAIDER 2.0 FROM G&G, A CARBINE THAT HAS EVERYTHING GOING FOR IT AND HAS STOOD UP WELL TO THE TEST OF TIME AND HARD USE!

s somebody that has been reviewing airsoft replicas for a considerable time, I have to admit that I do sometimes give a little shudder when I hear from one of the manufacturers that they have a new model they would like me to take a look at, especially when asked they use a phrase something akin to “…well, it’s basically an M4 but…”. If you have even the most perfunctory of glances at airsoft models online, or indeed even in your local shop, you’re going to see a lot - and I do mean A LOT - of “AR/M4” carbine replicas. In one way you can view this as a positive, as it means that there is a plethora of accessory upgrade parts, both internal and external, for the AR as it is such a popular choice for players but bolting aftermarket parts into and onto your AEG or GBB means that you can soon run into spending more than the gun cost in the first place. Once upon a time this was the way you would have to go if you wanted something even vaguely unique, but as time moves inexorably onwards manufacturers are adding more and more parts to “out of the box” airsoft replicas than ever before. A couple or so years back I decided to buy a couple of reasonably priced ARs to put into my armoury as friends who had not played airsoft kept asking me all about it and wanted to have a go. As much as I have quite a collection (which is STILL growing!) of ARbased rifles and carbines (and don’t get me started on AKs!), I thought it easiest just to buy in a couple as “loaners”, carbines that I knew would perform well 80

NOVEMBER 2021

that would give “non-‘softers” a taste on the range before I introduced them to the game as a whole. These could also act as “loaners” for friends having a crisis of one kind or another on “game day” and these “soon-to-be-very-abused” carbines were the G&G CM16 Raider 2.0! I chose this model because I’d had good experience with G&G in the past (apart from the odd, easy-torectify glitch in their very earliest models and some Mosfet hi-jinks which I’ve come to expect from time to time with any manufacturer in fairness) and the Raiders were robust but not overly heavy (2,200g), were sturdily made of polymer but with an alloy outer barrel, charging handle, buffer tube and had both a singlepoint sling plate and flip-up sights fitted as standard. They also had pretty robust internals based on a good V2 box, meaning that they were easy to work on and fix should things go awry - and also there was a big (HUGE!) range of aftermarket upgrades and replacement parts that would be available if I wanted to do anything with them at a later date. I also actually liked the fact that they still had a simple inline fuse to protect things, and a minimum of “fancy parts” to go wrong. The fact that the battery compartment was in the stock/buffer tube (so, easy and fast to change) and that they worked with just about any and every “AR” magazine I owned was a bonus too!

RELOADED G&G CM16 RAIDER 2.0

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LOOKS … RIGHT?

One of the major things that “sold” the Raider too me though was the look… Yup, why not have a greatlooking AEG for friends to shoot and the fact that the Raider came as standard with an M-LOK handguard (an up-tothe-minute accessory then) a full-length top rail, and a cool-looking muzzle brake, really made it a standout at the time. The Raider also had some ambidextrous controls (sadly not the fire selector) which made it ideal for use as a “loaner” as it suited both left and right-handed shooters when it came to mag changes, so it was pretty much perfect for the use I had lined up for it. You have to understand that many of my non-airsoft friends are still actually shooters and that having something to “wow” them with, that was in airsoft form actually way cooler than their basic rimfire ARs, made me smile …quite a lot! I also loved the fact that I could tell them as “real steel” shooters (and a number of them former military or police) that, alongside the World Cup events, G&G actively engaged with national military, law enforcement, government and educational establishments to spread a positive message about the benefits of responsible shooting cultures and even produced aesthetically accurate and real-weight replicas of the Republic of China Armed Forces’ standard T91 weapons platform to aid in training of service personnel in Force on Force situations or general range work and weapons handling prior to progressing to live fire weapons. I’ve since had many discussions about the role of “6mm Training” using airsoft platforms, both at home and abroad, as this is something I am passionate about and I’m still in discussion about this locally, although some of the existing .22 AR users do see it as a “safe introduction” benefit, especially now that I’ve introduced them to gas platforms too! Most of them though, got the initial idea having used the Raider and I’m pleased I had an AEG to offer them that looked the mutts bits, was absolutely solid as a rock (although still relatively lightweight), had reliable internals and controls that would suit

everyone and (as it turned out) where the performance fully lived up to the rakish good looks! I’m pleased to tell you that as well as making use of great-quality components and looking modern and kinda’ cool straight out of the box, the Raiders also shot (and still shoot) like a l’il laser! I chrono’d initially with .20g using an 11.1V LiPo and as a “straight out of the factory” AEG I got a reading of 0.99 Joule/328fps. This dropped slightly as the hop bedded-in and they were used more but given that the 2017 Policing and Crime Act had recently come into effect, I needed to be squeaky-clean in the eyes of friends who actually knew what “Section 5” was especially as one of them was a serving police officer! With the 11.1V battery the Raiders were, and are, snappy as hell with superb trigger response and a great ROF. Accuracy-wise, with the workmanlike inner barrel, the Raiders proved to be no slouches either, easily reaching out 50m+ and on target each and every time, which has impressed everyone that’s used them, and transformed their thinking that “this is not just a plastic toy”! Given that a number of them own and shoot the S&W M&P15 .22, which is “plastic”, this has not been such a mental leap thankfully! So, have I been pleased with the two Raiders that I bought? Yes I have! They’ve seen a lot of range use with shooting friends but they’ve also been loaned out at games where even seasoned players have needed a quick “back-up” when they’ve had problems with their own primary, and they’ve given great service in both respects. They’ve been professionally serviced a couple of times now and continue to run well on my usual N-MAG 30/125 magazines, and even though they’ve had a lot of abuse and many thousands of BBs through them, they’re still active and ready for duty when called upon! Not too shabby for a sub-UK£150 Polymer AEG … not too shabby at all! Thanks to Tom at www.nuprol.com for the loan of a shiny new Raider for the pictures (mine are now partly “training blue” or camo painted) Do check out what else NUPROL have to offer from G&G by simply visiting their website! AA

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KIT & GEAR 5.11 RUSH MOAB

5.11 RUSH MOAB REVISITED FRENCHIE HADN’T INTENDED TO DO ANY MORE BAG REVIEWS, BUT THIS ONE HAS IT ALL; A BOY, A GIRL, A MOUNTAIN IN SOUTHERN SPAIN, FRUSTRATION, AN ANGRILY-WIELDED KNIFE, DISILLUSION AND FINALLY REDEMPTION. GIVEN ALL OF THAT, HOW COULD HE IGNORE THIS LOAD-CARRYING SAGA!

n the beginning was a bag, specifically a 5.11 Rush MOAB 6, which I bought to take on a three week holiday in the south of Spain. That, at least, was my excuse and in fairness, the MOAB ticked a lot of boxes for me: it was well organised, big enough to dump things like cameras and water bottles in, had secure pockets and importantly it was a sling pack, which I favour for daily carry. The MOAB is a well-specced bag with lots to like, especially when combined with 5.11’s build quality and design. It is, in short, a really good bag. I’m not sure I would run it in-game, it’s not a natural ammo carrier and while it has the inevitable concealed handgun pouch, that is no substitute for a decent holster. But as an EDC it was fantastic - or it should have been…

TO THE MOUNTAINS!

The elephant in the room, where the MOAB was concerned, came to a head at around 2,500 metres up the Sierra Nevadas on a day trip. The shoulder strap is ambidextrous, easily swapped at the bottom of the bag to suit the way you want to wear it. The

top of the strap, however, is fixed and moreover, 5.11 have made this part of it wide, heavily padded and added an additional pouch to boot. And that, in my experience, is a problem! It’s a problem because the top of the strap, where it runs over your shoulder, is very stiff and not very compliant - you have to accommodate the bag, because the bag will not accommodate you. Alternatively, you have to let the pack ride lower down your back than you might be comfortable with. As my wife and I stood overlooking the grandeur of the mountains in the late afternoon Spanish sunshine, watching the sun and clouds perform an awe-inspiring lightshow, I’d had enough. Out came the penknife and in about five minutes flat I had hacked off the shoulder strap, opened up the MOLLE loop on the side of the bag and fashioned a simpler, over-the-shoulder strap for it. It was, as you might expect, less than optimal - the strap was a bit shorter than I like - and when we got back from Spain, the bag was punted into a dark corner not to be touched for several years. It’s starring now because, firstly I found it while

“AS MY WIFE AND I STOOD OVERLOOKING THE GRANDEUR OF THE MOUNTAINS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON SPANISH SUNSHINE, WATCHING THE SUN AND CLOUDS PERFORM AN AWEINSPIRING LIGHTSHOW, I’D HAD ENOUGH. OUT CAME THE PENKNIFE…”

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KIT & GEAR 5.11 RUSH MOAB

These generally retail at around £70 GBP / $75.00 USD and I cannot fault them at that price. It’s a bag that should serve you long and well, regardless of how much grief it gets thrown at it. If 5.11 were to ask me how to improve it (I wish!) I would suggest they put two D-rings top and bottom and supply it with a clip-on strap. That way the user can choose how to sling the bag or whether to run it as a shoulder pack. My gut feeling is that it would make it a little cheaper but I honestly think it would be so much more functional, not to mention comfortable. Given the features of the pack, the loss of that questionable pouch currently on the shoulder strap really wouldn’t matter to many prospective buyers. For me, it’s been a journey, but an ultimately rewarding one. It’s taken a while for my brain to think of ways to realise the vision I had of what the MOAB should be, for me, but now that I have it simply remains to finesse some of the work done to date. Consequently, this is right back in my daily rotation and seeing lots of use. Some of the stuff you see in the pictures is there for dog walking, because that’s what I spend a reasonable amount of time doing each day. The great thing is that the Rush MOAB 6 will go from that to an impromptu shopping trip and then off to a cafe without breaking sweat. It is a good bag which I think should be a great bag and I love it! AA

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looking for something else and secondly, I have the time and importantly, bits, to try and sort out what I see as a major problem with an otherwise great bag. I’ll apologise right now for my crap sewing - my mother made a point of teaching me the basics and it is very functional …but jeez! It ain’t pretty. My first desire was to sort out a proper shoulder strap. I now had the chance to raid some older bits of kit for D-rings and buckles and was able to do what I simply couldn’t while I was on holiday. The two D-rings were stitched on just above the uppermost MOLLE loop and I made an adjustable strap with two heavy duty plastic clips at either end. And just like that, the biggest problem I have with this bag was fixed. I have sufficient length on the shoulder strap to wear it cross-body and I have easy access to all the pockets it has to offer. Result! Further experimentation revealed that with just a little imagination I could also use the same strap and existing fixing points on the bag to use it as a sling pack as well. Double result! Sort of… I wasn’t happy about the upper anchor for the sling strap so I liberated a D-ring from another bag and stitched it into the grab handle, which was both more aesthetically pleasing and secure. The lower anchor is simply a double loop of 5mm paracord through the edge of the MOLLE loops. I might put a shackle in there one of these days but for now it’s perfectly adequate. All of this might seem like a lot of faffing about, especially when, as you have probably worked out, I have quite a few bags kicking about the place. The reason why it’s worth the effort is that the Rush 6 MOAB is actually a cracking bag, especially for everyday use. It’s solid, waterproof and is exceptionally well appointed internally. This makes finding a place, not just space, for everything, very easy. That, in turn, makes finding what you need at any point much easier. It’s basic stuff but it really is the difference between good kit and bad kit, and despite my dislike of the original strap, this is really good kit. Sometimes it’s the little touches like the rubberised pads on the back which help stop the pack from sliding about too much. The decent sized main compartment. The incredibly useful Velcro’d pocket which sits between the front and main compartments and which stays completely out of the way until you need that extra space. I generally cannot be bothered with compression straps, but for some reason they work for me here. Everything is good quality; the zippers, the material, the stitching and (most of) the design.

KIT & GEAR SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP

SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP!!

ANOTHER MONTH HAS RACED ON BY AND WITH IT AIRSOFT AND TACTICAL MANUFACTURERS HAVE SHOWN THEY ARE BACK TO “FULL SPEED AHEAD”, AS NEW RIF RELEASES AND NEW GEAR JUST KEEP ON COMING HARD AND FAST! AS USUAL, THE AA CREW HAVE BEEN KEEPING THEIR EYES WIDE OPEN AND HERE ARE A FEW OF THE ITEMS THAT HAVE GRABBED OUR ATTENTION!

irst up, let’s look at Tokyo Marui! They’ve REALLY been cranking out the goodies recently, and although we will have some comments to make on a couple of the models in due course it’s great to see them dropping so much goodness into the market again! The AKM GBBR is now in store, as is the MP5 NGRS that we’ve headlined with this month but there have also been pistol releases and one of the AA team has been quick to grab the LIMITED EDITION VORPAL BUNNY (mentioning no names… Jimmy!)! Fully compatible with other TM “Detonics 45” (a little firecracker of a pistol that we LOVE!) parts, the “VORPAL BUNNY” takes things forward in a startling way. A fully licensed 1:1 replica of LLENN’s custom “Vorpal Bunny” pistol from the hit anime “SAO Alternative Gun Gale Online”, which is a Japanese novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa and illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi. The pistol (we’re told) maintains the original performance of the TM “Detonics .45 Combat Master” and adds a number

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of new parts, such as the characteristic hand guard (frame) that sandwiches the slide, muzzle guard, ambidextrous safety, rear sight, grip panel, and magazine bumper. Internally the new pistol employs a D-type piston cup so you can really enjoy a new feel for recoil! Specifications are: • Length: 180mm • Magazine: 18+1 rounds; compatible with Tokyo Marui and other compatible DT. 45 magazines • Gas Type: HFC134a, Green Gas • Firing Mode: Semi-Automatic, Safe • System: Gas Blowback • Hop-up: Yes, Adjustable Not only does the “VORPAL BUNNY” look great but given that it’s based on the “Detonics”, we know that the performance will also be outstanding. Add to this that each pistol comes with a short magazine written by Keiichi Shirasawa, and even the packaging uses the cover illustration of the original novel as a sleeve! Thanks to our mates at Land Warrior Airsoft (LWA) for bringing this to our attention! They told us: “We’ve just unloaded a massive shipment in from the Gold Class in Airsoft, Tokyo Marui. It features many new releases, including the AKM Gas Blow Back Rifle, AM.45 and LCP Pistols as well as the V10 Compact in Black too. Also, we have their new CQX Micro Light Pistol Torches in both Black and

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Flat Dark Earth variants. Along with a top up of the very popular, magazines, batteries and accessories, it’s taken a while to unload and check, but it was worth it! Check out all this and more of everything airsoft on our website and social media!” Sticking with pistols, we’ve had some very good results from the recent pistol models from ARMY ARMAMENT and the guys at TAIWANGUN.COM have been in touch to let us know all about the very newest “double-stack 1911” models to arrive, in the shape of the R607 and R504! They let us know: “The long-awaited ARMY ARMAMENT doublestack 1911 pistols have now arrived with us and are

now on sale! The aim of ARMY was to launch a product for customers who are looking for a pistol with reliable combat characteristics, long-range, that shoots straight and hits hard, but that also has a beautiful appearance with a precision finish and durability of construction.” The new pistols look great, with some nods to existing models like the R501 and R604 that we featured in our “Red Cell” Test back in Issue 120, but updated with a great new look and some unique features, such as: • Full Metal Construction – shortened slide with weight reduction cuts, reinforced frame and new barrel lengths • Realistic Blowback System – offers the most realistic action from GGB replicas available on the market • Double Stack Magazine – 28 rounds capacity magazine with a base pad for fast, smooth, positive reload • Ambi Thumb Safety – allows locking the slide without changes your grip on the pistol • Tactical Magwell – for fast reloads • Polymer Pistol Grip with Stippling – for better handling and control of the weapon while shooting in all conditions • Integral Frame Rail – to mount a flashlight in low light situations

• Mounting plate to allow the use of a pistol Red Dot sights • Thread Adapter – to mount a silencer or tracer with a 14mm CCW thread • Laser-Engraved Individual Serial Number • Adjustable Hop-Up Unit – to adjust the bbs flight path for better range and accuracy • Wear and Cold-Resistant Sealed Hop-Up Rubber – it is made of a silicone compound, which ensures tightness even at low temperatures • Reinforced Cold-Resistant Polymer Nozzle – a new design nozzle provides a better seal which translates into a stable shot force and increased mechanical resistance to damage • Sealed New Generation Magazine Valves – significantly improved magazine loading comfort, reduce gas consumption and ensure tightness and smooth operation of the entire replica These are looking mighty fine in our opinion and, given how much we liked their predecessors, we’re very much looking forward to checking out the 607 and 504 and we’ll report back when we do! Moving onto accessories (or those that really feel the need to have more BBs at their disposal), then once again G&G have listened and have now announced that a 300BB Drum will soon be available for their ground-breaking SMC-9! As we’ve put together a look at what G&G have achieved with their G2 Program this issue, they dropped us a line to let us know about this latest addition to the SMC-9 “familia”… “The long-awaited drum magazine for the SMC-9 is almost here! The SMC-9 Drum Magazine is green gas-powered and is compatible with any GTP 9 GBB Series Pistol too. The large 300 round capacity keeps you longer in the fight without the need for constant reloading, and the gas reservoir is designed to fire to the last shot.” Now this REALLY puts the SMC-9 firmly into skirmish territory and shows that a decent gas platform can be a great choice for your primary, whatever style of player you may be! G&G have updated us that the new magazine should be starting to ship this December, so have a chat with your local retailer if you fancy one of these, as we’re certain that the initial stock will sell out FAST! Optics news from the guys at NUPROL is that they’ve added some new models to their “NP Optics” line and these should be available almost immediately! NUPROL have a solid range of different optics but the www.airsoftaction.net

KIT & GEAR SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP

concentration for most buyers has been the “tactical” style. We do like their holo and red dot sights (especially the micro RDS!) and you might argue that, given the realistic shooting range of an airsoft carbine, this is really all that’s needed, so it’s great to see some new models that reflect this. The new models comprise the NP TECH HD1 FITTED LASER RED and NP TECH HD30D (AP style), NP TECH HD30R FITTED LASER (RED), NP TECH HD22 MINI DOT, NP TECH M1K2 WITH RISER and rather nice flip-tothe-side NP TECH 801 3X MAGNIFIER. If you do fancy something with a bit more magnification, then there’s also the NP TECH 4X32 WITH RED FIBER and NP TECH 4X32 TACTICAL in the mix. There will be more on these after we’ve carried out our testing but if they’re as good as the optics that are already in the range, then they will undoubtedly be well-priced and good to go from their respective boxes! NUPROL also let us know that they’ve received some more gear in for their “NP PMC” gear line, one that’s been a bit quiet of late and just shows again how “airsoft supply lines” at least are starting to move again! Bill first looked at this line of gear WAY back in 2015 where his comment was: “There is an enormous difference to having knowledge of how the kit works and how you go about putting it together… …as is their (NUPROL’s) usual style they didn’t just present me with a plate carrier and a few pouches but an entire range with virtually every bit of kit you could feasibly use in it! Utterly stunning!” This kit has been selling steadily in stores and has a good following amongst players now, so it’s really nice to see both Plate Carriers in the form of the NP PMC TACTICAL MILITARY VEST and the NP PMC PLATE VEST, along with the NP PMC TACTICAL BACKPACK! These are all available in multiple colours and there’s even a pretty nifty little mag carrier, called the NP PMC BLOCK SYSTEM VEST, that we really like the look of! Once again these should all be in stores by the time you read this.

Wrapping things up this month, we see that Tactree have a couple of new pack models too, from 5.11 Tactical - the FAST-TAC 12 and 24! We do like a 5.11 pack (most of the team have a RUSH tucked away somewhere!) and the new models look very cool indeed and are sized ideally for single-day games where you need to carry some additional gear out with you into game. The “12” (26-litre total capacity) is perfect if you’re looking for an everyday bag that works just as well for airsoft as it does for outdoor activities and EDC, as it has plenty space for all your important gear while keeping the storage areas simplified and easy to access. The copiously padded shoulder straps, back pads and side compression straps will keep your belongings from flopping around. It’s truly a featureloaded pack for professionals and recreational users on the go! The big brother is the “24” (37-litre total capacity) and this literally has a place for everything! This pack subtly combines unrestricted storage with the kind of segmentation professionals appreciate when they’re looking to access their critical gear on the fly. Each

compartment has been built with specific items in mind so you can organise your belongings without forgetting where everything needs to go. This pack is built for those whose life depends on their equipment, so it certainly won’t be letting you down “in game!” So, another month draws down and as the colder, wetter months are hard upon us in the UK, next month we’ll be looking more at the new crop of waterproof and insulated gear that’s starting to hit the stores! For now though, keep safe …and KEEP PLAYING AIRSOFT! AA www.airsoftaction.net

last post A GROPE IN THE DARK

A GROPE IN THE DARK...

NVG… NOD… NVD… THEY ARE KNOWN BY MANY ACRONYMS AND TLAS (THREE LETTER ABBREVIATIONS) AND OFTEN SEEN SPORTED ATOP HELMETS AND THE LIKE AT MILSIM EVENTS (WHETHER IT IS DARK OR NOT!) AND WHEN FRENCHIE FIRST GOT INTO AIRSOFT, WERE AN ABSOLUTE RARITY. TIMES HAVE CHANGED…

have mentioned the fact often enough to establish that I am, in airsofting terms, a veritable geriatric. This means that my experience of playing the game predates such niceties as night vision goggles (NVGs) or indeed anything of that nature. They were either not available or so expensive that no one I knew would stump up the cash for something that would be used, at best, very occasionally. Night games were a rare treat and the first one I recall taking part in was at The Hill, near Dundee. If my memory serves, it was loosely themed on the film “Dog Soldiers”, it started with one werewolf, others being added if they were grabbed by another. Simples. Thanks to Warren Reynold’s full-throated acting as the principal werewolf it was a fun, if occasionally pant-filling evening. I recall a whole bunch of airsofters screaming like schoolgirls when the “werewolf” attacked their Land Rover and I also recall a lack of illumination. I think someone was using a tracer adapter, which looked soooo cool but taught everyone else that tracer creates a direct line back to the shooter. Not so clever when things are up close and personal! I don’t recall many torches being used at all - probably for the same reason. If a “tree” might just savage you, staying invisible is a fine strategy. My abiding memory was of how close you could be to another human being, or vice versa, without being seen or being aware of their presence. I can’t

remember when in the year this game took place but it was not during the long, light nights of a Scottish summer - it was inky black. At the time the only integrated light unit I can remember was the LAM (Laser aiming Module) that came with the Marui SOCOM pistol, and it was crap. Most of us would tape a torch onto the grip or barrel of our guns if we needed light - fortunately that would change over the years. Also, I am harking back to a time when LED lights were, if not unheard of, damned uncommon and correspondingly expensive, so you often needed a big torch to deliver decent, focussed light. If you’ve seen images of the SAS with Maglites clamped to the top of their MP5s during the Iraninan Embassy rescue mission (Operation NImrod), you’ll know what I mean. Who needs sights at 5 feet when you have a bloody great light!

“…SOMEONE WAS USING A TRACER ADAPTER, WHICH LOOKED SOOOO COOL BUT TAUGHT EVERYONE ELSE THAT TRACER CREATES A DIRECT LINE BACK TO THE SHOOTER. NOT SO CLEVER WHEN THINGS ARE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL! I DON’T RECALL MANY TORCHES BEING USED AT ALL - PROBABLY FOR THE SAME REASON. IF A “TREE” MIGHT JUST SAVAGE YOU, STAYING INVISIBLE IS A FINE STRATEGY.”

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Fast forward a few years to a game I was running at The Fort. The night section was part of a Vietnam themed weekend game and once again it was pitch dark. Apart from a personal light mounted to my vest, I don’t think I even bothered with a weapon light. Once again I found myself literally inches from an opposing player without them being aware of me. I think I may have left them alone realising that to shoot them in the foot was going to bring down the wrath of God on my head. I’m fairly sure someone (no doubt Bitchtits, our resident sneaky b******* sniper) returned the favour later with a pistol and an invitation to take my hit. I did! One important lesson regarding the dark and illumination came from the late John McAleese, who led Blue Team through the front of the Iranian Embassy building. John spent a weekend with us doing stuff like room clearance, abseiling and the likes. While practicing room clearance John made the point that silence and light discipline was invaluable right up to the first bang - be that a grenade or shooting. At that point it’s lights on and go like the clappers because the opposition knows you’re coming. Secrecy at that point is as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Since then, it is more common to see players using NVGs - at least a subset of players using them. They are no longer expensive and they can be obtained much more easily and the ability to see in the dark without necessarily being seen, trumps torchlight every time. A quick search revealed that I could buy a set off Amazon for about £150. Yes, those won’t be military grade or design and may not attach to your FAST helmet, but if the ability to see for 80 metres in the dark is what you need, the price of an airsoft pistol isn’t much to ask. There has also been an increase in the availability of indoor gaming sites since the period I refer to above, these can be far darker than even a dim forest, so weapon lights have

become much more prevalent than once they were. Indeed, PEQ boxes and pistol lights have become an almost required accessory for many players, regardless of whether they actually use the lights or not. And the technology has improved leaps and bounds since then, as incandescent bulbs have been replaced by far more powerful LED light sources which can be mounted in increasingly smaller units. At this point the light itself becomes part of the weapon, used not only to locate the opposition but to blind and distract them while you hopefully get the first shot off. In addition, the ability of LED light sources to be programmed (or programmable) makes them ideal low light navigation lights - bright enough (just) for you to avoid trees and ditches but dim enough not to instantly pinpoint you to your quarry. Fighting in the dark remains an occasional delight for many airsofters and for them even the massively reduced cost of NVGs and other night vision devices may not be justified, but the huge advances in illumination technology coupled with reductions in cost make it supremely easy for all of us to equip ourselves and our gear with the tools to ensure safe navigation and operation in no, or low light situations. All that said, if you find yourselves in a situation where you can play with the minimum of lights or NVGs and do so safely, I would highly recommend doing so. Like one-on-one sniper games using basic guns and ghillie suits, it’s a real learning experience and will improve your game overall. There’s nothing quite like spending half an hour in a state of nervous tension, straining to hear or see, whilst simultaneously trying to make as little noise as humanly possible, only to have your ankle ask you to “take your hit” to counteract the effects of too much Co-codamol!

“…THE HUGE ADVANCES IN ILLUMINATION TECHNOLOGY COUPLED WITH REDUCTIONS IN COST MAKE IT SUPREMELY EASY FOR ALL OF US TO EQUIP OURSELVES AND OUR GEAR WITH THE TOOLS TO ENSURE SAFE NAVIGATION AND OPERATION IN NO, OR LOW LIGHT SITUATIONS”

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(Image: LandWarriorAirsoft.com)

(Image: Amazon.co.uk)

A GROP IN THE DARK

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Airsoft Action - November 2021

Articles inside

FEATURE: STAGE ETS

LAST POST

SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP

RELOADED: G&G RAIDER 2.0

KIT & GEAR: 5.11 RUSH MOAB

KIT & GEAR: EYEPRO

KIT & GEAR: PARRA CASES

ARMOURY: AUTO-ORDNANCE “SQUADRON” 1911

KIT & GEAR: ESS EYEPRO

TECH: AIRTECH STUDIOS

TECH: SETTING THE SCENE

RED CELL: SHOTGUNS

THE CAGE: FACEPRO

ARMOURY: VFC BCM GBBR

ARMOURY: ARES M45 X-CLASS

FEATURE: ON YOUR T.O.D

ARMOURY: PERFORMANCE PERFECTED

KIT & GEAR: GUNFIRE GEAR

0 from G&G, a carbine that has everything going for it and has stood up well to the test of time and hard use!

ARMOURY: TM H&K MP5 NGRS