IWA GEAR REPORT

GOOD GEAR TO GO AT IWA 2022

LAST MONTH THE CREW LOOKED AT ALL THE AIRSOFT GOODNESS THAT THEY SAW AT IWA 2022, AND THIS TIME OUR IN-HOUSE “GEARFREEK” BILL TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO THE CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND EQUIPMENT SIDE OF THE SHOW, LOOKING AT INNOVATIONS THAT HE FOUND PARTICULARLY NOTEWORTHY!

IWA is most definitely my very favourite show of the year when it comes to airsoft and new gear; all too often airsoft is an “also ran” alongside the mass of the shooting sports industry as a whole, and all too often we airsofters are relegated to our own little area, thankfully an area that grows years on year in normal circumstances! But when it comes to the “tacticool” side of things we are made very welcome by most companies, and this also continues to grow for numerous reasons that will become apparent throughout my report, but largely down to the fact that they view the airsoft community as knowledgeable and professional these days.

Each and every year IWA gets bigger and better, of that there is no doubt even if 2022 was a little more muted than usual, and both airsoft and tactical have grown with it. It’s a huge show; the Nuremberg MESSE covers 12 floors in total, some of them as big as a football stadium, and the show now covers many of them, even in a “slow year”. To put that in perspective, when I first attended IWA only six of the halls were in use, but the show just keeps on growing!

I know that many of you have a good laugh at us when the topic of any show comes up, but let me assure you… it’s actually bloody hard work! Yes, we do get first look at all the new “shiny things”, but the schedule is brutal! 0300 get-ups to catch planes and trains for some, and many hundreds of miles under the car tyres for others to and from the show are the norm. Seventeen-plus hour days are standard from start to finish, as just as much work gets done after the show as in it.

One of the guys this year actually tracked their footfall in the show and it came in at over nine miles a day, and that’s just inside the show itself! When you see a picture of your favourite journo, blogger or vlogger cracking a cold brewski and tucking into a MealSim meatfest at the end of the day, believe me, they have bloody earned that, and so has everyone that’s been on stands all day long! Sadly this year due to the continued Covid Restrictions in Germany the social side was severely restricted, and actually meant that Smooth Jase and I had to endure cooking in our apartment and watching a Batman movie in German… we did however manage to find what must rank as one of the biggest steaks (with a little bit of sad salad on the side!) I’ve ever seen though, so it wasn’t all bad!

Suffice to say that we pack in as much as possible to the days we are at the show, because this is our chance to be face to face (or mask to mask this year!) with all the manufacturers and distributors of tactical goodness in person, and the opportunity must be

“SADLY THIS YEAR, DUE TO THE CONTINUED COVID RESTRICTIONS IN GERMANY THE SOCIAL SIDE WAS SEVERELY RESTRICTED, AND ACTUALLY MEANT THAT SMOOTH JASE AND I HAD TO ENDURE COOKING IN OUR APARTMENT AND WATCHING A BATMAN MOVIE IN GERMAN…”

embraced in full so we can continue to bring you the stories you want to read all year round.

RECOGNISING THE GOOD GEAR

I’m lucky that after working for so many years in the outdoor performance market with some of the big names in climbing, mountaineering, and general outdoor pursuits I have a bit of a “head start” when it comes to looking at the ideas and technologies that are continuing to finally filter through to the tactical gear market, and 2022 saw this continuation accelarate!

Over the past few years I’ve witnessed some really HUGE steps forward by the tactical clothing, footwear and gear companies, and some of them have really embraced the latest and greatest developments in performance fabrics, technologies and materials. Not only are some of them really using the best materials that are available, but they’re also thinking “way outside the box” in terms of design for functionality.

Whilst for many a “10 £/$/ €” of surplus combat trousers will suffice for a skirmish day every couple of months (and there’s nothing wrong with that at all!) more and more of us are searching for that ideal pair of trousers, that super comfortable pack, or that properly waterproof pair of lightweight boots. Many will call this “elitist” in some way, but when it comes down to being well-protected and above all comfortable I’m certainly prepared to dump a couple of quid to get a solid set of kit!

My personal mantra is “any fool can be uncomfortable”, and whilst I understand that pennies are always tight when you’re an airsofter, scrimping on the very kit that can help keep you in the game is false economy in my eyes. The “outdoor community” went through this process years ago, and frankly I see fellow dog walkers with better kit than many airsofters; once upon a time I used to joke about “dog walkers” but now I’m one myself I know that I will be out in all weathers, and it can be horrible or a joy depending on your kit choice... playing airsoft is no different.

Most of the companies I visit at IWA are staffed by folk that I have the deepest respect for, so I do tend to concentrate on them. That’s not to say that I don’t keep an eye out for things that are completely new (some smaller companies may make just a single piece of outstanding kit after all!), but if report on something that you’ll never be able to buy then that sadly is a waste of valuable page space, isn’t it?

DESIGN TWEAKS AND TECH

I do however expect to see innovation from those companies I believe to be good, not just once, but as part of a continuous process, and IWA 2022 certainly didn’t disappoint, even though virtually every manufacturer told us that they were extremely low on stock having sent some meaningful “care packages” out to Ukraine; 2022 was not the year for “swag” for an exceptionally good reason as rightfully everything had gone to those that needed it most, and it was fabulous to see so many companies giving so freely to a just cause!

There was still a LOT to see though; UF PRO are a company who really do “get it” in my opinion, but in the past have been humble enough to not shout about it. This is thankfully changing as both their range of products and their confidence in what they produce grows; their design guru, Armin, totally understands every stitch and every piece of

technology they use to achieve their outstanding clothing. UF PRO keep adding new technologies and tweaking their designs! This year the company unveiled its 2022 line up of advanced-technology tactical garments, along with some teasers for other gear coming later! I particularly liked the updated designs, material and features for the Striker X Series as well the new waist flex system on their ULT Pants; more updates will be available on the soon-to- bereleased Gen3 Striker XT Uniform!

Although there wasn’t a lot of information yet on the new Gen 3 Striker XT gear, the new combat shirt looked awesome, both in terms of fit and the combination of cutting-edge fabrics used. The ULT pants though have been designed from the ground up to be remarkably light in weight and to deliver outstanding performance. These combat pants will excel in both hot and temperate climates, and I spotted right away the enhanced fit at the waist, thanks to the new Waist/Flex system that includes Schoeller side stretch-inserts that adapt to the width of your hips for a perfect fit when you move. The guys at UF PRO told me that this new design “connects the pants to your waist and comfortably keeps them there as if they were a part of your body”, so no drooping or annoying folds even when fully loaded with gear. Along with maximising comfort through both fabrics used and mechanical venting options, these new pants should help minimise the potential for skin chafing or blistering if you have to stay in your gear for extended periods.

Staying firmly in Eastern Europe Helikon-Tex are always on my “must see” list at IWA, and in the last couple of years they have really been making some headway, not only in an ongoing “re-branding” in terms of their product categories, but in the uniqueness of their designs; they’ve also shown a massive step up in their quality control which in my mind is placing them high in the “tactical rankings”. Their continued focus on sharing knowledge and “how to” articles and videos also impresses me, and we’ll be sharing more of this later in the year.

This IWA saw them adding a host of new products for the general outdoor and shooting communities, focusing a number of their products in more “civilian” colours and designs, and adding to their “bushcraft kit” range which will be very useful for any of you that love a weekender; they clearly aim to expand their customer base, and by the look of some of their new “tacticool” shirt and gear designs, both male and female fit, they are well on track. The tactical sector are not forgotten though, and the Covert Tactical Pants (CTP) look great for every-day use as well as airsoft! They are more discreet, yet functional, and all the features are smartly hidden. There are four inner pockets (two front and two sides) for magazines and side arm, along with six external pockets; the pockets are placed in a brand new pattern, to allow you to carry all your ingame necessities comfortably. Wide belt loops will support a belt even with mounted holster, and the combination of design with stretch fabric gives you huge freedom of movement. The pants are made of

lighter version of Helikon’s own VersaStretch fabric to provide even more breathability in hot days, and the CTP would look equally great with a tactical jacket or a classic hoodie for range work! Helikon also showed some more incredibly neat tactical gloves, as well as advanced tactical and outdoor backpacks, shoulder bags and chest packs, tactical belts and gun carriers, all part of their growing line of nylon gear, and we’ll take a detailed look at all of this in the future.

Once again Pentagon were continuing to press on with their “Tactical Athlete” concept, and they are a brand that as an outdoorsman I’ve come to appreciate more and more! Whilst their designs are not quite as “overt” as some, they do make a superb finished product; their easily compressible vests and jackets, made with super-soft nylon fabrics and filled with 550 duck down were really nice! The company also presented more advanced tactical jackets, with Primaloft Eco filling encased in durable and waterrepellent Nylon Taslan. Also on display were more tactical backpacks and combat uniforms, and a whole spectrum of combat trousers which certainly took my

eye. Speaking to them at length they have some great plans for 2022/23 and I’ll be updating on these as soon as is feasible. It must be said that Jase actually fell in love with the Pentagon gear not having seen it close up before, so no doubt he’ll be looking at this brand in some detail!

No trip to a show would be complete without seeing old campaigners 5:11, and although I’ve not been “wowed” with any of their designs for a little while it is good to see them firing all cylinders again. Not only had they upgraded their clothing and footwear line, but they look to have tightened up their overall design-ethos with some pared back clothing items for “the range warrior”; I really liked the look of the new Defender Flex Range Pant, along with their “Trail” gear and the Mesos Tech fleece jacket. Their 8’ A/T boots look VERY cool, and the A/T Mid looks perfect for the fast movers! The AMP and AMPC packs really look very good indeed, and as with all 5:11 packs they’re available in a big range of sizes, so there’s something for everyone here. All the new gear looks very interesting indeed and I look forward to finding out more!

I thankfully got the chance to spend some “quality time” with my old mate Chris from the Airsoft & MilSim News blog, and I’m pleased to say that we’ll be collaborating on a number of “gear projects” in the coming year, and I’ll welcome his expertise and unique take on things when we do! Sticking with “Euro” gear folk I always drop in to see Tasmanian Tiger, and as Chris works with them directly he kindly took some time to point out this year’s highlights to me. The company introduced a new line of load-hauling gear this year along with some new designs; showing new packs like the MIL OPS PACK 30 and 80+24 (which the MilSim crowd are sure to love) along with the lodrag SENTINEL, they also had some interesting tweaks and upgrades to some of their existing pouches and equipment. The new lightweight tactical mission backpack, the MODULAR GUNNERS PACK really got my attention though as it offers many options in one net package! Made in lightweight T-Square Rip FD to save weight and make life easier when on a mission,

the Multicam version and a version with IRR treatment is made of Cordura 500, and has a whole host of unique features; I’ll be looking at this model in more depth in due course!

Chris also gave me the heads up on some superb new gear from industry-veterans Carinthia, that he in turn had been given the nod on by the guys from Soldier Systems… I won’t go into detail as the guys have already covered it on their own blogs, but you can check out pictures and more links to the new Carinthia kit by visiting https://airsoft-milsim-news. com! I do love how we all sometimes work together to search out the best new gear, it 100% adds to the feeling that we are all working together to dig out “good gear for the good guys!”

WRAPPING IT!

In terms of footwear there was again not a huge amount to report; seasoned campaigners MAGNUM still seem to be having a real push, and who couldn’t love their “show special” (sorry, even we are sworn to secrecy on this one!)! Salomon and Lowa are still forging forwards, taking their excellent “mountain heritage” and incorporating it into their tactical ranges, but for them it was mostly colour updates rather than new models, although I have to say the Salomon “low cuts” look great and the addition of extra-wide fitting options in some models is a positive move. The upgrade to the INNOX boot (one of my favourite LOWA boots!) along with the roll-out of the new Lowa colours means they are going to work perfectly with your “urban grey” and Multicam/MTP gear, so… WIN!

As always I will make my “honourable mentions” before I conclude, but this year it’s really a mention of those that I would usually see that for one reason or another were absent for the 2022 show; I missed meeting with my old mates from Clawgear, VIPER, and Direct Action especially as they always have something cool to show me, but rest assured that I speak to them regularly and they’ve all promised to keep me updated on their developments. I also have to comment here, as I do for every IWA, that “Camo of the Year” was undoubtedly Polish MAPA this year, as it was everywhere; kind of lucky that we have Part II of our look at gear in that pattern right here in this very issue! Each year I head to IWA hoping to be impressed, and I have to say that 2022, although strange year still, proved to be a great show in relation to some of the brands we work closely with! Rest assured that we’ll be covering many of this year’s releases as they come to market, and you can also rest assured that in the hands of the AA team they’ll all be thoroughly “used and abused” by the time we report back on them! And to end my report there’s one shout out that I simply have to give… MealSimmers, you were missed, and I for one look forward to reconvening for MEALSIM 2023! AA

THE CAGE: I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW!

A NICE SHINY OPTIC LOOKS JUST THE THING ATOP AN AEG OR GBBR, AND THESE DAYS EVEN ON A GBB PISTOL! ULTIMATELY THOUGH ARE WE JUST PUTTING THEM THERE FOR SHOW, TO MAKE OUR “GATS LOOK GUCCI”, OR ARE THEY THERE FOR A SOLID REASON? BILL CHECKS IN WITH THE AA LEGIONNAIRES TO FIND OUT MORE…

Do optics add to your performance when you’re playing airsoft, or are they just Gucci accessories to make your RIF look cool and you feel even cooler? The real answer to this question in my mind is “a bit of both”… personally I do like a “real steel” optic as they come with an assured level of performance, my personal faves being EoTECH holosights, and as I’ve followed the “Vortex Story” pretty much from the beginning I do have a bit of a leaning towards this brand, and tend to recommend them to my friends in the category of “money well spent”.

The THETA OPTICS QD Holosight and Magnifier set I got from the guys at GUNFIRE some years back is still one of my favourite combos and holds zero well on the heaviest of GBBR recoils, and I do run a number of clone RDS on AEGs, but they’re from brands that I’ve learned to trust over the years. When it comes to magnified optics these days I really run just one model, the NP OPTICS - 1.25-5X26 IR which is a great bit of glass for the money… this sits atop my DMRs and works very well in this role.

Many moons ago I learned my initial (prone) shooting skills largely on iron sights, and to be honest in most situations and with airsoft engagement distances being what they really are I still tend to use just the sights that are built into the rifle/carbine or flip-ups mounted on the rail. To give an example of this I have a pretty poor replica PSO-1 that I bought to dress up my gas SVD, and I find that this actually reduces the effective range of the rifle… with it I’m lucky if I can hit a target at 70m, but using the rudimentary “irons” on the SVD I’ve taken a running target at 100…witnessed too..YAY!

This leads to an interesting question though about optics in general though, one that I know most marshals reading this will nod sagely at. You have your favourite AEG, and you’ve tested it out to XXX metres

so you know it has legs. Then you fit a real-deal short-dot scope that you know has effective range WAY beyond XXX metres, and this must surely be a marriage made in heaven, right? Proudly you hit your local skirmish the next weekend, get eyes, and optics, on target and let rip… and the beggar doesn’t call their hit!!! Annoyed as hell you rightly call in the marshal to check your hit and well, how embarrassing, the marshal confirms that you’re dead on-line but your BBs are falling WAY short of the target… red-faced mumbling ensues…

The fact of the matter is that it’s all well and good dressing up your rifle, carbine, or pistol with an optic, but PLEASE do practice and train with your setup to ensure that it really does have the range and accuracy that you think it does! Also, if you buy an optic for a few bucks online don’t expect that to give you the performance you might think it should, as often they are out of kilter before you even start, especially once you factor in the reciprocation of a thumping gas system!

Do buy an optic, either real or a good quality replica, and learn to work with it; train with it, learn about how optics work, and work out just what range you can tweak from your chosen package. Do by all means buy that 20 buck replica but realise it ain’t gonna qualify you as a “Team 6 Shooter” any time soon, although it might look kinda cute on your Insta feed!

TEAM TALK

So, once again I got together with the AA Legion and asked them “What optics do you use on your AEGs and GBBs (both primary and secondary)? Why do you like these optics, and how do they enhance your shooting/gameplay?”

Miguel: For me, a good red dot is a must. I don’t like to shoot and see where my BBs are going before correcting it to the target. Of course, one needs to calibrate the red dot according to the replica and even our shooting position, but I like to know that if I place my dot on a target the BBs will go there. Sometimes I also like to use an ACOG style scope (4x32), especially for games where we are playing recon or running scouting missions. It’s important to be able to see a bit further for mission purposes.

Jimmy: I have tried and tested a plethora of optics and dots to date. They have all played a part and done the job in hand and I have discovered that you don’t need to spend a huge amount. Yes, it’s nice to be able to say I have the latest Vortex but for airsoft it

isn’t a prerequisite. Okay, so if you’re using a recoil AEG or a heavy recoil GBB then yes, the need to spend out on something may help but for a regular AEG it really isn’t necessary to be honest. I started off using an Aimpoint M2 clone in CQB and it was fine; the aperture was perfect for the scenario and it never needed to be adjusted! It was a solid build from G&P but after a while I felt it looked a little dated compared to something like the 552 holo which I was starting to see more and more, so inevitably I made the decision to change to the 552. With its fairly bulky body and large field of vision it was brilliant for both CQB and outdoors and I built up quite a collection, but one thing that fast became apparent was it sat just a little low for me. I hated the look of it sat up on two risers, it just didn’t look right. They work just fine but I found I needed to tip my head in order to find the reticle so something needed to be changed.

That’s when I discovered the T1 style red dot; the T1 offers so much more and is far more easy to use. They tend to sit far higher allowing you to bring the rifle up into the shoulder and find your line of sight without having to move your head. This is something I have learnt, bring the sight to your eye, not your eye to the sight. The T1’s generally have a large dial to turn the device on and select settings which is great if you wear gloves, and

most airsofters do. I have been using Feyachi T1 now for some time and they are actually very good for the money. Great quality, easy to use, very clear view and due to the slimness of the body it doesn’t block what is in front of you as a result of its slim build makes for fast target acquisition. As I am now a fan of the T1 style red dot I decided to spend out a little extra and get something a little more Gucci; I purchased a Vector Optics Maverick 1x22 and a repro Unity mount; not only does it look the part it works incredibly well and I think I have finally found the perfect red dot setup for me. I like the Unity mount as it is made of solid

aluminium and the finish is exceptional for a repro. I like the fact it has integral adjustable iron sights built in so should your dot got down you have a backup that doesn’t take up any rail space. The Vector Optics Maverick is the Gen 3 version which is covered in a rubber protective coating, comes with a screw on killflash and the dot is a dot and not a blurred red light. Pricewise it’s perfect at around UK£45 it even comes with a 5 year manufacturer’s defect warranty!

Robbie: I run a T1 on my AKM (Ultimak rail scout style) as it allows me to run both eyes open at very high speed (CQB style) and matched my real firearm setup too. On the 700 style sniper I had, I had a 3-9x40 front parallex adjustable air rifle scope; this let me “po man” estimate distances 0-100 yards pretty accuratly which seriously helped get on target first shot. I also run an RMR clone on my training Glock that matches my real G26; worth every single bit of pain top install and setup!

Stewbacca: Optics-wise I use EOtech 552/558 replicas for my AR/Carbines like the G36C, HK416, T91, ELCAN for the L85, and T1/T2 reddots for the MP5A5, MP5k PDW, PP2K and USWA1, and an ACRO for the USW Glock, Docter for my HK45 and RMR for my M17. They definitely increase reaction time and accurate shooting in my experience as I have worn all my hop units in well for consistency, use heavier ammunition and have everything zeroed well. I definitely think a well-adjusted optical sight of some form is a must have, especially for CQB. I’m only just getting back into the habit of using 4x or more scopes for the L85 and PSG-1; those do reduce your situational awareness somewhat with not being able to keep both eyes open and looking much further away at a narrower field of view. I definitely think the EOtech looks best on a G36C, but maybe that’s just having grown up around them in use with the UK Midlands police; I’m not a fan of them on MP5s, MP7s or the PP2K but have tried them on those, I just think it looks a bit over the top for such small guns. Boycie: Recently I have used the SIG SAUER Romeo 5 and, when needed, the Juliet 3 magnifier. Most of the time I had cheap dots on rifles but never had a battery in them as the range was so close it hardly seemed worth it. The Romeo 5 however will turn on when I pick up the rifle and when I put it down for more than two minutes it will turn itself off. I also have Vortex Sparc AR II and Eotech 552 (genuine) which seems to “fit” on some builds but not on others. Dan: I’m a big fan of red dots myself. It’s the difference in speed between making that first round hit in an engagement or walking your fire over the top of the rifle like they’re tracer rounds; you simply cannot argue the first option is faster. For what I personally use, I tend to favour and use real optics and mounts myself as they’re simply more reliable. I have a variety of Aimpoint’s: T2, M2 and Pro’s. There’s still a lone EOTech that doesn’t see much use (outside of photos) as I don’t really care for the large reticle for airsoft use. I also have a few Holosun HS403R’s which are great little inexpensive T2 clones that are nicer quality than most, and feature a rather crisp and bright reticle too; I don’t feel bad about beating them up either. My Real Sword SVD runs a genuine 4x24 POSP and is the only magnified optic I presently use. The Glocks are running RMRs. AA