32 minute read
RED CELL: D-DAY SPECIAL
RED CELL
NORMANDY 1944!
AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION THE MEMBERS OF RED CELL THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT TIME TO UNDERTAKE ONE OF THEIR “SPECIAL REPORTS” AGAIN AND AS WE FIND OURSELVES NOW IN JUNE IT SEEMED APT TO LOOK BACK TO THE SAME MONTH IN 1944 AND TO THE WEAPONS, AND AIRSOFT REPLICAS THEREOF, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN USED BY BOTH SIDES FACING ONE ANOTHER OVER THE BEACHES AND COUNTRYSIDE OF NORMANDY ON D-DAY!
On the morning of 6th June 1944, the peace of a new dawn on the beaches of Normandy was rudely broken by an enormous naval bombardment, and soldiers from around the world were drawn into a bloody conflict that was fought out in Normandy. “Operation Overlord” began with a massive overnight aerial bombardment which served to distract the Germans and upset communications, and was supported by the actions of the French Resistance and allied clandestine special units. Landings of paratroopers and glider-borne infantry shortly after midnight sought to secure key objectives, and these operations were targeted mainly at the canal crossings and the artillery installations; their strategic purpose was “to secure river crossings for the beach break-out and to reduce enemy defences.”
Shortly after, in the early light of the day special units like the Rangers made for their objectives, often scaling cliffs like those at Pointe du Hoc to get to their targets. The precision naval bombardment against the coastal batteries shifted from the beaches mere minutes before the main landings commenced; H-Hour was 0630 over five beaches, Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. British, American, Canadian, Polish, Australian, New Zealand, French, Belgian, Norwegian, Dutch, and other Allies who fought alongside them and against the German defenders hit those five key beaches and the battle for the liberation of Europe began in earnest!
I still have a very personal connection with D-Day as my father was amongst those thousands of men that crossed the deadly beaches and made their way inland and back in 2019 I made somewhat of a pilgrimage to retrace his steps on 6th June 1944, along with members of my Dutch extended family. Although D-Day is very clear in my mind, and will indeed never be forgotten, some of the younger members of my family knew very little about “Overlord”, so I tried to make history a little more personal for them by telling the story of my father on that fateful day, as he told it to me before he passed away, and after some further research.
Among all the units that landed on that first day there was only one specific Welsh regiment that had been detailed to take part in the invasion, the redoubtable South Wales Borderers, the regiment to which my father belonged. Taking information direct from archives and unit records I discovered that, in 1944 the Borderers were part of the 50th Infantry Division who landed on Gold Beach; the Borderers’ task on D-Day was to wait until the first waves had gone ashore and then land near Arromanches and push inland from the beachhead to high ground north of Bayeaux. On their way inland the Borderers were expected to capture a radar station as well as the guns and bridge at Vaux-sur-Aure, and finally, they were to link up with American troops and consolidate their position.
A little before midday came the order to land. Sadly two men were drowned in the landing, and the same fate nearly befell the CO, so eager was he to get ashore! Glad to be out of the dreaded landing craft, the Borderers met little resistance at the beachhead and pushed quickly forward. D Company drove the defending Germans out of the radar station and by nightfall on that first day the bridge at Vaux-sur-Aure was in their hands.
To put this into perspective you can drive from Arromanches to Vaux-sur-Aure in under 15 minutes these days, but it took the Borderers several hours. It’s actually such a small bridge, but having now stood on it myself with the chateaux the Borderers liberated from the German forces behind me, you can clearly see the spires of Bayeux in the distance! It’s told that a small number of men actually made their way into Bayeux that very night to “recce”, and what a bold move that must have been! To stand where my father stood, and look forward to Bayeux as he must have done was a moving moment for me, and certainly one that I, or indeed my younger relatives who accompanied me, will ever forget.
When I visited the then-new Overlord Museum close to Omaha Beach, later I discovered an account from one of the other soldiers of the Borderers which recounted the exact same tale of the advance to Vauxsur-Aure my father had told me before he passed away, and I’m honoured to know that this small action will be remembered there for ever more.
ALLIED ARMS
I hope that you’ll pardon me for telling this tale, but I hope it does go some way to explaining why I personally can’t get into the whole “WWII in Europe” thing, it’s just too personal. Have I played in WWII games, yes I have, as an “SOE Agent” in one memorable game where I dressed I civilian clothing
and carried out “sabotage” tasks… I have to say that even that made me feel a little uneasy, as seeing lots of British “squaddies” dressed as my father would have been made me strangely sad.
So, apart from a little dabble with mates in “US Airborne” gear for a photoshoot many years ago, that’s my limit of WWII airsoft… but I have, like many of the members of Red Cell owned a number of AEGs and GBBs from that era as they are a true part of firearms history, and to new tactics that were developed due to the change in the way even a humble infantry soldier could operate!
One of the many aspects of airsoft that I truly enjoy is the fact that, whatever your interest in firearms, you are more likely than not going to be able to find a replica that fits into any era. From WWI to current day there are replicas out there that cross over from pure airsoft skirmishing to living history display with ease. Being a re-enactor with group membership and valid insurance gives you a defence in law to legally own an airsoft replica in the UK, and there are many re-enactors I know that will go down the airsoft route rather than buy a de-activated firearm. Not only will they end up with something that with a little effort is perfectly suitable for display, but they will also end up with a properly serviceable skirmish gun should they decide to follow this route too!
Now I have to admit that I actually sit in both camps. I do like to get out to an airsoft game with my friends, but I also enjoy the historical aspect immensely too. Many Site Operators take this as read from their player base, offering specifically themed days, and WWII airsoft has proved particularly of interest to many.
Luckily for the allied forces there are some perfect replicas out there and I’ll kick this off with a replica that is a real “WWII Icon” and a must-have for many of us, the Cybergun-licenced CYMA M1A1 Thompson sub machine gun! This is a super replica and one that is truly not going to break the bank! The M1A1 was the militarised version of the 1928 model that was made famous by the gangsters and police officers during the Prohibition years in the USA. With its distinctive drum mag and angled gangster foregrip, the Tommy Gun ruled the streets. The CYMA Thompson ticks a lot of historical boxes; it’s a full 1:1 scale replica constructed entirely out of metal. Out of the box the M1A1 feels good and hefty in the hands, the only slight drawback for me being the ‘plastic’ woodwork. Luckily there are numerous manufacturers out there who provide real wood aftermarket kits for the Thompson, so a quick search online and a few extra quid spent will soon rectify this. If you do invest in the real wood kit then the metal furniture is simply transferred from the original plastic parts to the aftermarket ones; the metal sling swivels are very sturdy and the addition of a period sling really finishes the gun off nicely.
The battery for the Thompson is stored in the butt, and is easily accessed; I now run mine on a 7.4 mini LiPo battery that gives great performance sending a .20g BB downrange at a healthy 335fps. Spring quality though has varied in the M1 models, so do check to make sure yours complies with site limits. There are steel gears and a metal gearbox, both of which are easy to work on. The hop up adjustment is situated openly where the ejection port would normally be, directly above the magazine. It’s a wheel type which is easily adjusted and stays firmly set once adjusted. The magazine itself as standard is a 380 round HiCap, but both 20 and
30 round MidCap magazines can be purchased as accessories; much as some of you might wish for the drum mag, this too was something mothballed with the demise of the M1928A1 model, although you can find them if you search hard enough! Whether, like me, you collect certain replicas because of their historical significance or are a player that just wants something different, I would certainly give the CYMA Thompson your consideration.
Of course “historic airsoft” is one area where GBBRs can work very well, and handing over to Stewbacca for a moment he told me:
“I first got hands on a WETech M1A1 Thompson as soon as I arrived in Taiwan and saw the large WE booth at the inaugural MOA 2017 show - they had the Tommy Gun on offer at their range and I couldn’t say no to dumping a magazine in semi and bursts of full auto. I was immediately impressed.
“Fast forward a few years and my teammate Kev here in Taipei acquired one and turned up to one of our shoots sporting it; he has a habit of fielding oddball guns just to see if they can be skirmished. He played with it on a few occasions and it ran flawlessly until the main recoil spring got tangled up somewhat, but thankfully parts availability is high over here at source so he was able to repair it easily enough. He recently went to Canada with his wife from there so left some of his guns among our team to look after and evaluate in his absence, and I jumped at the chance to dibs the M1A1.
“I recently fielded it for the whole of a morning session in Taoyuan and had a whale of a time playing with it, even managing to get a confirmed elimination with it on my second round! The hop unit is easy to adjust with the dial drum ring being permanently exposed, and I soon dialled it in to make use of my somewhat standard 0.30g BLS ammunition. The range and consistency were surprisingly good even for a GBB, especially an open bolt operating one, and a few of the guys tried it out while I had it on site and commented on the fun factor and the somewhat counterintuitive recoil impulse of the bolt flying forwards on fire then returning rearward and being held back on the sear.
“Really the only major drawbacks are the archaic controls which are a bit cumbersome, given the two separate somewhat industrial looking twist dials with long stalks that require breaking the firing grip to take it off safe or switch between semi and full auto. The magazine release as well is somewhat unwieldy, although my hands are large enough for my thumb to reach back and press up the rearmost portion of the long swinging arm while I ‘beer can’ the magazine and remove it. Fitting a new one is also a bit of a pain in the rear as there basically isn’t a magazine well as such, but a rear dovetail rail that the corresponding spine on the magazines fit into.
“If you can see past the handling issues, which are as such a reflection on the original real gun and WE’s faithful replication of it, and if you’re looking specifically for a WW2 primary gun, you really could do worse than pick up one of these; it’s excellently built, sturdy, and heaps of fun to use, I was carrying 4 magazines, which easily carry 50rnds each and I found was plenty for the games we were playing.”
Sticking with “gassers” I’ll move on to one of my own favourite WWII models, and that’s the King Arms M1 Carbine. I’ve owned a Marushin M1 for some
“HE PLAYED WITH IT ON A FEW OCCASIONS AND IT RAN FLAWLESSLY UNTIL THE MAIN RECOIL SPRING GOT TANGLED UP SOMEWHAT, BUT THANKFULLY PARTS AVAILABILITY IS HIGH OVER HERE AT SOURCE SO HE WAS ABLE TO REPAIR IT EASILY ENOUGH. HE RECENTLY WENT TO CANADA SO LEFT SOME OF HIS GUNS AMONG OUR TEAM TO LOOK AFTER ...AND I JUMPED AT THE CHANCE TO DIBS THE M1A1.”
AGM MP40 AEG
Price: iro UK£150.00 Weight: 2850g Length: 635m/833mm Magazine Capacity: 55 BBs (Hi Cap available) Cold Chrono: 0.95 Joule/320fps Hot Chrono: 0.95 Joule/320fps Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
AGM STEN AEG
Price: iro UK£185.00 Weight: 2650g Length: 770mm Magazine Capacity: 55 BBs (Hi Cap available) Cold Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps Hot Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
CYMA THOMPSON (033) AEG
Price: iro UK£105.00 Weight: 3010g Length: 813mm Magazine Capacity: 300 BBs (Mid Cap available) Cold Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps Available From: www.taiwangun.com
KING ARMS M1 CARBINE (STANDARD VERSION) C02
Price: iro UK£390.00 Weight: 2450g Length: 920mm Magazine Capacity: 15 BBs Cold Chrono: 1.63 Joule/420fps Hot Chrono: 1.59 Joule/415fps Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
G&G KAR98 (C02)
Price: iro UK£420.00 Weight: 3600g Length: 1100mm Magazine Capacity: 9 BBs! Cold Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps Hot Chrono: 0.99 Joule/328fps Supplied By: www.nuprol.com
REDWOLF LEE ENFIELD SPRING
Price: iro £UK 550.00 Weight: 3150g Length: 1100mm Magazine Capacity: 30 BBs Cold Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290fps Hot Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290fps Supplied By: www.redwolfairsoft.com
ICS GARAND AEG
Price: iro UK£430.00 Weight: 3600g Length: 1102mm Magazine Capacity: 42 BBs (2 x Supplied) Cold Chrono: 1.33 Joule/380fps Hot Chrono: 1.33 Joule/380fps Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
G&G SPRINGFIELD A3 CO2
Price: iro £UK 450.00 Weight: 3500g Length: 1115mm Magazine Capacity: 9 BBs! Cold Chrono: 1.33 Joule/380fps Hot Chrono: 1.27 Joule/370fps Supplied By: www.guay2.com
ICS M3 “GREASE GUN” AEG
Price: iro UK£220.00 Weight: 2300g Length: 570mm/780mm Magazine Capacity: 430 BB Cold Chrono: 0.89 Joule/311fps Hot Chrono: 0.89 Joule/310fps Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
AGM MP44 AEG
Price: iro £UK290.00 Weight: 4300g Length: 940mm Magazine Capacity: Cold Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps Hot Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
considerable time, but being the MAXI version it’s 8mm and not easily used as a skirmish, or indeed even Battlesim rifle! The M1 was approved on October 22, 1941 as the “United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1”, and entered service with a standard straight 15-round box magazine. The introduction of the select-fire M2 carbine in October 1944 also brought into service the curved 30-round magazine or “Banana Clip”.
A total of over 6.1 million M1 carbines of various models were manufactured, making it the most produced small arm for the American military during World War II (compared with about 5.4 million M1 rifles and about 1.3 million Thompson submachine guns). Despite being designed by Winchester, the great majority of these were made by other companies, even the Rock-Ola Jukebox Company! The M1 carbine was, and indeed still is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that was a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, and way beyond!
Is this model from King Arms finally a skirmishable replica? In general terms I’d still very sadly have to say no, as the realistic 15BB CO2 magazines and semiauto only action will put you at great disadvantage in your usual “Sunday Skirmish” where your opponents are probably running full auto RIFs with HiCap magazines! Let’s stop there for a moment though, and pause for thought. Other than a regular skirmish many sites are now proposing limited ammo, semi auto only, and “gas and spring” days; along with these, themed historical games usually have strict limited ammo requirements, and you’ll still see players with bolt-action Lee Enfields, Springfields and Kar98s; in this type of environment the M1 can come into its element!
The King Arms M1 really is a lovely bit of kit, with full metal and sumptuous wood construction throughout. It has semi-auto fire mode only, but the gas blowback system driven by a C02 bulb in the 15BB magazine is a thing of pure beauty, clacking back and forth with each and every shot fired. The version I have is the M1A1 “Para” version with the skeleton metal folding stock, and in either open or closed position this is solid as a rock; detailing is superb, even down to the “leather” padded cheek piece, front and rear metal sling points, and fully adjustable iron sights. When it comes to range and accuracy the M1 is really up there with other gassers that I own, easily sending a .30g BB out to the extent of my 30m testing range, hitting a sandbag target time and again whilst in the prone position!
And there’s more on the gas front, as G&G Armament have the iconic M1903 Springfield!
Now I’m one of those individuals who never enter competitions; simple reason why? I NEVER win anything. At IWA 2013 G&G Armament gave us the first look at their new, gas-driven M1903 Springfield bolt action rifles and everyone present had a good drool over what looked to be a stunningly attractive replica. Two models were on display, a version with chromed parts as used by the Rifle Display “Spinning” Teams in the USA, and a more mundane yet still beautifully achieved “field version”. Although only shown then in “sample form” G&Gput on a “giveaway” of numerous of their new models. At the last moment I was persuaded by my old mate and former ASG-er Ben to place my card in the draw, and beggar me if I didn’t a Springfield on the last draw of the day!
The finish is absolutely superlative. All metal parts (and just about everything apart from the stock is metal!) are finished in a nice dull grey, and the real wood stock is finished probably more perfectly than the real thing ever was! After a few trials and tribulations, overall I have been extremely impressed with my Springfield; for the dedicated WWII airsoft player this is most definitely a rifle that will find a space in any collection, and in a themed skirmish it’s going to work very well indeed. I can see that this replica may also be of great interest to anyone who is a WWII USMC re-enactor, as it really does look that good. At your local airsoft “Sunday Skirmish” you’re probably only going to use this is “sniper mode” due to the low magazine capacity, but it’s certainly a model that would work well in that role. Suffice to say it’s a bolt action model I have grown to love for all year round use!
ELECTRIC DREAMS!
Back to electrics now, and onto another “icon”, the Garand, and my personal choice here is the ICS version although of course there are others out there now like to G&G and the A&K! Mass production of the M1 Garand began at Springfield Armory in 1937, and the first rifles were delivered to the Army in 1938, and in 1940, a second line was opened by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company who were contracted to manufacture the rifle; now fully on a “war footing” Both Springfield and Winchester operated around the clock, producing more than 4,000,000 M1 rifles by the end of the war in 1945! The United States was the only country to equip its troops with an autoloading rifle as the standard infantry weapon of WWII, and it gave American troops a tremendous advantage in firepower, leading General George Patton to call the M1 Garand, “the greatest battle implement ever devised”.
Now while you don’t get the “ping” with the ICS airsoft replica of the M1 Garand, I’m going to tell you that this is one of the few things that isn’t there, as this is a truly stunning replica! I’m lucky that I get to shoot over a hundred or so airsoft replicas on the range each and every year, and that’s before I count the models I get to try at demo days and shows, and to my mind the ICS Garand is a standout model, as it’s truly a visual work of art. The linseed-finished woodwork is absolutely lovely, feeling almost “sticky” as new; this rifle looks just like it’s come direct from the Springfield Armory!
Overall the ICS M1 Garand is a truly lovely replica, and I can really see it acting as your main AEG if you want something for a living history impression that will double-date at your local Sunday Skirmish! For the quality of materials, construction and performance I do not view this as an expensive replica that comes with a pair of unique 42BB mags included, and you are getting a slice of firearms history and a great deal for your money!
To round out the “Allied Armoury” of course I have to mention the “Grease Gun”, and again I’m going to plump for ICS! The M3 was intended as a cheap,
easily mass-produced replacement for the Thompson (much like the STEN, more of that later!), and began to enter front line service in 1944. Disparagingly referred to as the “Grease Gun” or simply “the Greaser,” owing to its visual similarity to the workshop tool, it was actually a solid design and worked well, which led to its continued service.
The M3 was designed by ICS from scratch with careful attention to detail and quality, although it’s full auto only (as is the real thing), so it’s the ideal tool for sweeping and clearing, although where sites enforce a “no full auto” in buildings you may need to resort to your trusty 1911 when things get close! The ICS M3 offers great range, and despite the short it’s more than a match for most guns in the woods and definitely good for CQB where full-auto is allowed. Although for me the wood and metal mix of the Thompson still touches a place in my heart when it comes to WWII vintage airsoft replicas The Grease Gun may not be the prettiest AEG on the field but as Major Reisman says in “The Dirty Dozen”, “I never went in for embroidery, just results”!
Now I’m not going to spend a lot of time here on the Kar98 or the SMLE as I’ve already done that in my main look at the two latest models from ARES in this issue, but I will say that there has never been a better time to look at these venerable bolt action models than now! For sure the new ARES springers are thing of beauty, but in terms of the Lee Enfield you now actually have a choice between Redwolf and S&T, and G&G are STILL teasing us with their entry to this particular market!
Likewise with the Kar98; the ARES is undoubtedly lovely, and as a spinger is simplicity itself to work on, but there’s other choices out there already! I personally love the G&G C02 model as it operates much like their Springfield, but if you fancy something a bit different The D Boys/Double Bell shell ejector may be the thing! Once again though I’d have to direct you to S&T for this rifle, as with a bit of fettling you can have a super K98 for under the UK£300 mark!
CROSSING OVER
Why did I call this sub-section “crossing over”? Well, it’s because of two of the most user-and-budgetfriendly WWII AEGs that share a commonality in magazines, and both of them are AGMs; of course what I’m talking about here is the MP40 and the STEN!
Prior to 1941 the British War Department were purchasing all the Thompson submachine guns they could from the United States, but both cost and the entry of the USA themselves to the War meant an alternative had to be found! The Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, was commissioned to produce an alternative. The STEN name came from of names of the designers, R. V. Shepard and H. J. Turpin, and from the factory where they worked (Enfield Arsenal), and although the design was crude, ugly and simple (it was often described disparagingly as the “Plumbers Gun”!), it proved to be one of the single most effective submachine guns of WWII. However, if there’s one single WWII airsoft replica that you’re going to own I’m betting, like me, that it will be the German
Maschinenpistole 40, or MP40! Commonly known to us all as “The Scehmeisser” it’s an iconic SMG that has graced the silver screen in many war movies, and filled the pages of our childhood comic books, probably with accompanying speech bubbles with unpolticatlly correct terms such as “Achtung!” and “Eat lead Tommy schweinhund!”
I’ve been lucky enough to have had both the AGM STEN and MP40 in the armoury, and they are two airsoft replicas that I dearly regret selling; I also regret that to date I haven’t bought myself a North East STEN, but that’s another story entirely! I bought both the AGMs though as they were totally iconic WWII (and beyond!) firearms, and having played as “resistance” in my time they were sensible purchases and neither were too expensive, and they actually did share the very same magazines in airsoft guise!
The AGM full metal STEN was a bit of a character and that’s no lie, and with no safety and full-auto only it had to be handled well wherever you were! Inside though, it was pretty interesting though, as it featured a modified M14-style gearbox with a modified motor cover-case, and a custom metal gearbox that had fully upgradeable, TM-compatible gears. The STEN chucked out BBs accurately to 30+m although I did tend to use .28s with it as lighter BBs had a tendency to “fly” no matter how you set the hop!
The AGM MP40 was a totally different beastie, and I have to admit I still fancy another one! As I said earlier, the MP40 used the self-same 50 BB magazines as the STEN and mine performed flawlessly all the time I owned it. The AGM was basically a reinforced and redesigned version of the original Top MP40 from Japan, but with a price that was affordable, and performance that was more than acceptable! With full metal externals and reinforced high performance internals and metal gearbox, the AGM was a real fire-breather, especially if you popped in an 11.1 LiPo (NOT recommended at all if you wanted your MP40 to last, but huge fun!). It was both a collector’s item and a skirmish ready AEG with endless upgrade possibilities; bog-standard though it was no slouch, kicking out .30g BBs again to 30+ metres. It was solid as a rock, even with the collapsible stock open, and I have to admit that is was genuinely one of those AEGs that I would just take out of the armoury and admire again and again!
To round “usable AEGs” out I Have to mention a model that I will admit that I’ve never owned, but have tested thoroughly, and I’m sticking here with AGM in the form of their MP44, or StG44
(Sturmgewehr 44)! This in the “real world” was a German select-fire rifle developed in the mid/late years of WWII, and there’s quite a story about how it came into being in the first place! The MP44 was actually “the first successful and widely produced design to use a new shorter cartridge, which permitted controllable automatic fire from a weapon more compact than a battle rifle, coupled with the recognition that most aimed rifle fire in combat situations did not exceed a few hundred metres”.
Of course, if rumour is true then it also helped form the template for a later design, that of Comrade Kalashnikov! The StG44 was certainly ahead of its time and allegedly users loved it! It certainly filled its role effectively, offering a greatly increased volume of fire compared to standard infantry rifles, and the same can be said for the AEG version! With a V2 gearbox and many reinforced parts, the AGM is a surprisingly well made metal replica; the metal used for production is mainly alloy and steel, and the butt, just like the real StG44, is made of wood and also acts as the battery compartment. On the range the ‘44 gave me very respectable performance, with pretty solid range and accuracy too. On 0.28g BBs and using just the iron sights, which are also easily adjustable, I was able to clang the Red Cell “steels” and group on paper reasonably at the limit of the 30m range!
So, I’m nearly at the end of our look at “The Guns of D-Day”, and I’ll overlook one omission that SOMEONE NEEDS TO ADDRESS, and that’s an a 6mm “Fallschirmjagergewehr 42”; this was once on the VIVA ARMS “coming soon” list, but sadly never came, let alone “soon”. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t at least give a nod to support guns… sadly these come under my personal heading of “hard to skirmish” with for a couple of reasons. Firstly, by and large they are EXPENSIVE; an S&T M1918 BAR will set you back UK£400-500 depending on where you buy it, but this pales into comparison when you look at the G&G MG42! Of course there are other makes out there like AGM, but their MG42 is somewhat “middling” and still nearly UK£500, and VIVA ARMS (if you can still find them!), with their M1919 .30 cal that’s almost £UK1,000 too!
The other thing is their sheer bulk and weight!
Having lugged various support AEGs around in my time, the thought these days of hauling 5-10kg of gun around, and indeed a gun that will not give me any major benefits over a regular AEG with a Hi Cap, is not one I relish! However, if you ARE immersing yourself in the period then of course one of these models, either AXIS or ALLIED, must be high on your wish-list, and in a game where most players will be using bolt-actions or AEGs with limited ammo loads a support gun will prove its weight in gold, although Jimmy has had some less-than-ideal experience with the AGM MG42 which I fely pertinent to include before I finish up; Jimmy told me:
“I got my hands on the AGM due to it needing some much required maintenance as it was misfeeding… sorry, not feeding at all! Velocity was very poor and in general just sounded horrible. One thing though that was quickly apparent with it was its colossal presence; it’s a beast of a machine and when fully loaded with magazine and its large capacity of BBs it REALLY is heavy! Anyone running around with this all day deserves credit. Aesthetically stunning, it is a well-built platform from its large muzzle device right down to the fin shaped stock.
“Designed with one thing in mind, ‘suppression’, the airsoft variant takes quite a beating and sadly AGM don’t use the best quality internal parts and they also adopted certain standards which don’t follow suit of other manufacturer’s parts which makes part sourcing a bit of a nightmare. When it works it is fun to use and due to its internal barrel being in excess of 700mm it is amazing the range you can get; most airsoft platforms similar to this have much shorter barrels and can’t find the same range. I’ll be looking at solving a number of issues in this particular AEG and will bring you my full report on it next month… suffice to say that it’s a shame that a platform with the price tag it carries has so many issues, issues quite frankly that should never of been there in the first place!”
I, and the members of Red Cell, hope that you’ve enjoyed our look at some of our favourite AEGs and GBBs for “Normandy” games, and we hope that for those of you just coming into airsoft that this will give you a real “heads up” for what’s available if you fancy trying something just a bit different in 6mm form!
Please remember that WWII AEGs and GBBs recreate a very specific era of warfare, and if you do decide that this is for you, then please play this type of scenario with the greatest of respect for the memory of all those soldiers like my father who fought so we could actually have the freedoms to play the games we do!
Please note: All archive images featured found in the public domain. AA
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