34 minute read
RED CELL: FALKLANDS 40
RED CELL
FALKLANDS 40
TO END 2022 BILL BRINGS IN A VERY SPECIAL EDITION OF RED CELL AS HE LOOKS BACK TO THE FALKLANDS WAR OF 1982, A YEAR THAT IS FIXED IN HIS MEMORY AND WILL BE FOREVER MORE, AND SUGGESTS A SELECTION OF FABULOUS AEGS AND GBBS THAT WOULD BE PERFECT FOR BOTH RE-ENACTMENT, “FALKLANDS INSPIRED” STYLE GAMES, OR INDEED ANY GAMES WITH A 1980’S THEME!
SOME IMAGES USED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE TAKEN FROM VARIOUS PUBLIC DOMAIN SOURCES
Ithought it would be remiss of Airsoft Action not to bring in a “special” as 2022 is the 40th Anniversary of the Falklands War, a conflict that pitched thoroughly modern forces against one another in a barren and windswept AO far from home for both! The operations during this short but bitter war have of course become legend; the skirmish at Top Malo House, South Georgia, the Pebble Island Raid, the tragedies of Bluff Cove and Goose Green, and of course the battles for Wireless Ridge, Longdon and Tumbledown.
As always I will avoid the politics of the conflict, but let us remember that the war itself involved young men not much older than many of you reading this, and it most certainly crystallised public opinion in both countries! The pictures of the Agrupación de Comandos Anfibios (Argentinian commandos) with their blackened faces, FAL PARAs, suppressed Sterlings (and possibly even the odd Uzi!) organising the surrender of Naval Party 8901 at Government House caused abject horror and disgust in the UK as the Argentinian flag was hoisted in place of the Union Jack.
That image has stuck with me to this day, as of course the Sterling SMG was a British Army weapon and the FAL was basically the SLR, models that I knew intimately from cadet range days, and it somehow added insult to injury that the Argentinian forces were using the self-same things to herd British sailors and Marines into captivity. As I found out in later years the Sterling was just one of the weapon systems that the opposing forces shared, and much has been written about a war where opponents faced each other with exactly the same platforms, albeit the full-auto FAL for the Argentinians and the semi-auto SLR for the Brits.
Of course time moves on, and even though there is still bitterness amongst some of the former soldiers who fought in 1982 which I totally understand, a good few years back in 2007 a good friend of mine arranged a private “Falklands Game” for select invited players to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the fighting (where have the years gone?). Amongst those invited were a number of Falklands veterans who were all too keen to get stuck in again with their fairly new STAR L1A1 SLRs, but somehow it devolved to me to provide the OPFOR (strange that…) and I started collecting airsoft versions of all the weapons used in the conflict from both sides!
BATTLE RIFLES
The L1A1 SLR was a British variant of the Belgian FN FAL battle rifle, produced under licence. The L1A1 can trace its lineage back to the Allied Rifle Committee of the 1950s, whose intention was to introduce a single rifle and cartridge that would serve as standard issue for all NATO countries. The UK thought that if they adopted the Belgian FAL and the American 7.62 NATO cartridge that the United States would do the same, and adopted the L1A1 as a standard issue rifle in 1954. Of course, we know that the Americans went their own sweet way with the M14… The L1A1 SLR incorporated modifications developed by the Allied Rifle Committee, and the weapons were manufactured by the Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield, Birmingham Small Arms, Royal Ordnance Factory and ROF Fazakerley; after the production run ceased, replacement components were made by Parker Hale Limited. The SLR was designed using Imperial measurements and included several changes from the standard FN FAL. A significant change from the original FAL was that the L1A1 operated in
semi-automatic mode only, the MOD stating that every British rifleman was a trained marksman and would only take single, well aimed shots, and that support weapons such as the L4A1 LMG and L7A1 GPMG would provide significant fully automatic fire as needed.
The first run of the rifles were fitted with walnut furniture, consisting of the pistol grip, forward handguard, carrying handle and butt. The wood was treated with oil to protect it from moisture, but not varnished or polished. Later production weapons were produced with synthetic Maranyl furniture, a nylon and fiberglass composite. The Maranyl parts were “stippled” with an anti-slip texture. In addition to four lengths of butt, sized to suit individual users, there was also a special short butt designed for use with Arctic clothing or flak jackets such as those regularly seen in Northern Ireland. After the introduction of the Maranyl furniture, as extra supplies became available it was retrofitted to older rifles as they underwent armourers maintenance, and this resulted in a mixture of wooden and Maranyl furniture within units and often on the same rifle. Wooden furniture was still in use in some reserve units until 1989.
My current airsoft L1A1 is an ARES, and these thankfully are commonly available, but this is not the first time that a replica of the SLR has been seen in airsoft form as some years ago both King Arms and the STAR Airsoft company issued a classic, semi-auto only version of it with synthetic furniture; in fact if you visit the STAR website you’ll still find a picture of the original model there! I was lucky enough to buy one of the originals and even then it felt as if I were returning to a younger life; my original is still with me to this day, although currently inoperable. A word of warning; the airsoft SLR does not open as the real thing does around the central pin behind the magazine well, and if you try to do this you’ll shatter the nozzle and damage the hop-up unit! Note to self; do not let non-airsoft savvy squaddie mates get their hands on your SLR as parts are still hard to come by!
STAR however, fragmented, and the SLR models became increasingly rare; many were tucked away in private collections not to see any airsoft action whatsoever. However in 2010 ARES Airsoft came into being (the AR in ARES is actually the same as in STAR just so you know…) and in December 2016 I finally got my hands on one of their “new” SLRs, and oh boy, it was an early Xmas for me! Some comment has
been made that the ARES SLR is slightly under-length; the real rifle came in at 1143mm/45inches and the replica is 1140mm/44.5inches so you’re going to have to be a total “stitch-bitch” to hold this against the ARES!
Other than this the replica SLR is EXACTLY as I remember it from my youth. A real SLR weighs in at 4.33kg/9.56lbs empty and the ARES at 3.790g/8.35lbs unloaded, so that again is not far off either. Externally the SLR is stunningly finished, and everything that should be metal is; the top cover is steel whilst the remainder is a high-quality zinc alloy. The “Maranyl” furniture is faithfully reproduced and feels great in the hand, and given the fact that the SLR is unconcerned with rail systems or add-ons it’s beautifully minimalist and slimline. Internally you have a reinforced metal gearbox, full steel gear set and a high torque flat motor so nothing there is going to let you down either!
In terms of performance I the 120 BB midcap magazine that comes with the rifle is perfect for its intended use, and the battery compartment in the butt holds even the largest of power packs, and is easily and swiftly accessed. Running on .20g RZR BBs I get a healthy average of 1.24Joule/366fps, a little lower than I’d hoped for, but respectable nonetheless. The rotary hop-up adjuster underneath the faux-bolt is extremely easy to set, and happily stays that way; I am very, very pleased to report that the accuracy and performance is absolutely first rate; this thing shoots like a laser! Although I own a number of RIFs that are completely correct for the 1980’s the FAL has never been a rifle in airsoft form that I’ve liked to date. King Arms did a wonderful job of recreating the classic battle rifle as an AEG in terms of appearance (in fact they made a family of different FAL variants, and thankfully do so again), but I always found them to be fragile things. Of course I own one of them, a PARA model, but thanks to my good friend Ray at VFC I’m now the proud owner of their wonderful GBBR version so ably reviewed by Stewbacca and that is as solid as an airsoft rifle can be! If you want the lowdown on the VFC FAL then I will direct you to Issue 143 which is available in our Back Issues section on the website.
In terms of the real rifle though, online sources tell me:
“The FN FAL (Fusil Automatique Léger), is a battle rifle designed by Dieudonné Saive and Ernest Vervier and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale d’Herstal (FN Herstal). During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries, with the notable exception of the United States. It is one of the most widely used rifles in history, having been used by more than 90 countries.”
My initial search for an airsoft variant coincided with the sadly now-defunct Southern Airsoft Boot Fair where I laid my hands on an old King Arms FAL with a battery and four Mid-Cap magazines for £100 ...bargain! The FAL, though perfectly functional, had
obviously seen a long and hard “service life”; a “Para Carbine” version with the side-folding metal stock, it had definitely seen a few airsoft battles! Thankfully the internals proved to be in fine form; although the FAL looked a bit rough externally what the gearbox told me was that it hadn’t actually been used that much; my chance purchase actually began to look like even more of a bargain. After a complete strip-down and rebuild where I tightened everything up both internally and strengthened a few parts externally, thanks to some “horse trading” and a little forward thinking this entire project has cost me no more than UK£250 including some additional mid-cap magazines (I’m still searching for the elusive hi-cap!), and I’ve ended up with a very solid, and in my mind, highly attractive, Falklands-era correct carbine that performs very nicely.
As far as Argentine rifles go, the different models of the FAL are basically it, but from a “Brit” perspective you have a little more choice as the M16 was used extensively by The Royal Marines and more specialised units. There really is a LOT of history behind the M16 which I won’t go into here again, but for any airsofter having an early model in the collection really does encompass many eras and conflicts. Yes, of course it can be used for Vietnam themed games, but it also would be pretty correct for Cold War and Falkland War scenarios too.
I’ve seen many manufacturers have a crack at an early “M16” only to be let down by silly things like using the wrong pistol grip or handguard slip ring; although such things will only be noticed by a true “stitch bitch” once you see, you just can’t un-see! The CYMA CM.009C rather pleasingly follows an original-ish feature set down to the smallest detail; it truly is a work of art and no little research has gone into getting things right, and at a great price too! The CM.009C is fully made of good quality alloy, with only the pistol grip, butt, and handguard being made of a very nice matt black plastic. The metal parts, rather than just being a shoddily painted black are a deep black and grey mix. There are absolutely no trademarks so it’s a blank canvas for the reenactor.
Internally things are no less impressive. The hopup adjustment is exactly where you would expect it to be, behind the fake bolt which is accessed by pulling back the charging handle; this benefits from the now-common “hold back” function that means the cover stays to the rear until you hit the bolt release which can be fun in game! The hop is a solid metal unit, and once set stays steadfastly in place. The rifle also benefits from CYMA’s new E-EDITION configuration that can handle higher-strength springs, and also ensures a super-snappy trigger response; this has been achieved thanks to the new, more durable gearbox parts such as a V2 gearbox with quick spring change system, a steel gear set with 8mm steel bushings and bearing spring guide, married up neatly to a high torque neodymium motor and processor unit with built-in MOSFET system. This really is an impressive rifle, not just for the money as it’s a steal in my opinion and even on a 7.4V though it really does crack away; bear in mind that most periodthemed airsoft games will have strict ammo limits and you’re going to want to stick on semi-auto anyway.
ARES L1A1 SLR
Price: iro UK£470.00 (£560.00 Wood Version) Age: Three Years Weight: 3900g Length: 1160mm Magazine Capacity: 120, Hi-cap available Cold Chrono: 1.24Joule/366fps Hot Chrono: 1.31Joule/377fps Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW (but a bayonet is better!) Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
ARES L42A1
Price: iro UK£650.00 (with No32 Optic Replica) Age: New Weight: 4385g Length: 1140mm Magazine Capacity: 35 Cold Chrono: 1.65 Joule/422fps Hot Chrono: 1.65 Joule/422fps Suppressor Compatibility: No Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
CYMA CM.009C MOSFET EDITION (M16)
Price: iro UK£280.00 Age: One Year Weight: 2640g Length: 998mm Magazine Capacity: 160, will accept all STANAG/AR Cold Chrono: 109 Joule/344fps Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW Supplied By: www.taiwangun.com
CYMA CM.009D MOSFET EDITION
Price: iro UK£190.00 Age: One Year Weight: 2520g Length: 770mm Magazine Capacity: 320, will accept all STANAG/AR Cold Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW Supplied By: www.taiwangun.com
S&T STERLING L2
Price: iro UK£320.00 Age: Four Years Weight: 2850g Length: 490 - 680mm Magazine Capacity: 110 and that’s your lot! Cold Chrono: 1.06Joule/339fps Hot Chrono: 1.06Joule/339fps Suppressor Compatibility: Nil! Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
S&T STERLING L34
Price: iro UK£400.00 Age: Four Years Weight: 3280g Length: 675mm/875mm Magazine Capacity: 110, still 110! Cold Chrono: 1.06Joule/339fps Hot Chrono: 1.06Joule/339fps Taclite Compatibility: Nope! Suppressor Compatibility: Integrated Suppressor Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
VFC LAR GBBR (FAL)
Price: iro UK£650.00 Age: New Weight: 3950g Length: 1095mm Magazine Capacity: 20 Cold Chrono: 1.49 Joule/401fps (semi only) Hot Chrono: 1.64 Joule/421fps (semi only) Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com
KING ARMS FN FAL
Price: iro UK£300.00 Age: Old! Weight: 3300g Length: 970mm (“Para” variant) Magazine Capacity: 90, Hi-cap available Cold Chrono: 1.0 Joule/328fps Hot Chrono: 1.02 Joule/332fps Taclite Compatibility: Nope. Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
TOKYO MARUI UZI
Price: iro UK£200.00 (original price!) Age: VERY OLD! Weight: 1800g Length: 470/655 mm Magazine Capacity: 40 (220 Hi-caps were available) Cold Chrono: 0.63 Joule/262fps Hot Chrono: 0.64 Joule/264fps Taclite Compatibility: Hmmmm, possibly not. Suppressor Compatibility: VERY dedicated!!! Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
ICS M3 (P.A.M.)
Price: iro UK£320.00 Age: Four Years Weight: 2370g Length: 587-763mm Magazine Capacity: 430 Cold Chrono: 0.89 Joule/311fps Hot Chrono: 0.89 Joule/311fps Suppressor Compatibility: Nada! Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
WE AIRSOFT BROWNING HI POWER
Price: iro £140.00 Age: New Weight: 580g Length: 200mm Magazine Capacity: 20+1 Cold Chrono: 0.73 Joule/281fps Hot Chrono: 0.74 Joule/283fps Holster Compatibility: Good (1958 Pattern Style) Suppressor Compatibility: No Available From: www.nuprol.com
WE AIRSOFT 1911A1
Price: iro £90.00 Age: 10 years! Weight: 1200g Length: 218mm Magazine Capacity: 15+1 Cold Chrono: 0.71 Joule/278fps Hot Chrono: 0.71 Joule/278fps Holster Compatibility: Good (US Style) Suppressor Compatibility: No Available From: www.nuprol.com
The trigger is crisp and responsive. The metal 160 BB magazine is the short type first issued and feeds well.
There’s a very famous artists impression of a “Pebble Island Raid” SAS Trooper using an XM177E2, but to me at least it is still unclear if that particular weapon was in fact ever really used in the Falklands; one thing that I have learned from the Living History community though, is “never say never”, so if you already have an XM then go for it! But thankfully there IS a model, again in the CYMA “period range” that I find REALLY interesting, and that’s the CM.009D. This is an unusual carbine in that it looks nothing more than an XM with a longer barrel, but if you’re a gun bunny like me then it’s going to jump out as the Model 653/4! This was the final “all A1 Component” model in the Colt 600 Series, and the second carbine model created with the now almoststandard 14.5 inch barrel. This model was almost exclusively used by USSF, the Rangers and USN SEALs although there are couple of instances where it can be seen in use by UK Forces too!
Shown in various uniform reference books for the Falklands War, there’s a picture of a splendid chap called Hugh McManners, author of the book “Falklands Commando” and who was among the first of the British Special Forces to land on the Falkland Islands… and he’s carrying what is usually referred to as a “Colt Commando” but is to the best of my knowledge a Model 653/4. The British Forces, such as the Royal Marines liked the “M16” series (in reality more likely to be Colt export models such as the 711 and 715), as did the SAS from their time in the jungles of Borneo, so it would make sense that McManners as a member of 148 (Meiktila) Commando Forward Observation Battery and who I believe was predominantly a forward controller for both the SAS and SBS in the Falklands, would have carried a ligther carbine version from the same family… so, well done CYMA!
SMG
Going back to earlier “Falkland-inspired” games, whilst it was relatively easy for the “Brits” to throw on some DPM, a set of ’58, and grab their SLR things were a bit different for the “OPFOR”, but we settled in the main for plain green trousers, black hi-leg boots, Israeli parkas, and M1 helmets with a mishmash of largely US webbing thrown in, as even then the TEMPEX gear was hard to find! The obvious rifle choice for us was the King Arms FAL PARA, but as I also wanted to bring in some “commandos” and the Sterling was not easy to get hold of at the time, I looked around for another SMG that had been used and in found many references to the “P.A.M. 2”. To cut a long story short, the “P.A.M. 2” basically started life in 1954 as a variant of the U.S. M3A1 submachine gun. It was “redesigned” at the Argentine FMAP (Fábrica Militar de Armas Portátiles) factory and put into production the following year as the P.A.M. 1 (Pistola Ametrelladora Modelo 1).
Made of thinner-gauge steel than the “Grease Gun”, the P.A.M. 1 was rather bizarrely a 7/8 scale replica (see, it’s not just airsoft companies that do this!) of the U.S. weapon in 9mm Parabellum calibre but of course was lighter and had a higher rate of fire. In service, the P.A.M. 1’s thinner sheet steel receiver tended to overheat with extended firing, while the gun itself proved more difficult to control in automatic fire despite the smaller calibre. Problems with accidental discharges and accuracy with the P.A.M. 1 led to an improved selective-fire version with a grip safety on the magazine housing known as the P.A.M. 2, first introduced in 1963. Known by the troops as “La Engrasadora” or “the Greaser”, 47,688 P.A.M. 1 and P.A.M. 2 submachine guns were produced
between 1955 and 1972. A number of P.A.M. 1 and P.A.M. 2 submachine guns were used by the Argentine Army during the Falkland Islands War, and captured examples were tested by British forces; some of these now reside as part of the permanent display in the Imperial War Museum in London.
For many reasons, as well as remembering that the “P.A.M. 2” had been used by the Argentinian Forces in 1982, when ICS released their “Grease Gun” it was immediately on my “must have” list. The ICS M3 submachine gun is a great addition to their WW2 family of airsoft guns, and of course stands in brilliantly for an Argentinian P.A.M. 2! The M3 was designed by ICS from scratch with careful attention to detail and quality, and their M3 features a steel strip adjustable stock that has two settings and the magazine catch and simple sights are manufactured from metal stamping. The finish on the majority of the alloy-bodied replica is a matt black paint, which is totally in keeping with the ‘cheapness’ of the real thing!
The build quality is actually excellent, and everything is metal that would be on the original, barring the ‘bolt cover’. The body is aluminium rather than steel which is actually a plus for weight and rusting issues as mine is mostly held “on display”. Compared to what we’re used to with modern models, the controls are minimalist; there’s the magazine release which is very positive, and the cocking lever on the right side of the action functions to open the fake bolt and allow access to the M4 style HOP, decompress the spring and act as the safety. It’s full auto only (unlike the P.A.M. 2 ), so it’s the ideal tool for sweeping and clearing. However, sites that operate a single shot only rule in very close contact will mean you need to swap out to a sidearm in that type of situation. It chrono’s at 0.89 Joule/311fps on a .20g BB and offers great range, and despite the short barrel it’s more than a match for most guns in the woods and definitely good for CQB where full-auto is allowed. One model of SMG I have never managed to find in airsoft form is the PA-3 DM, but to give another period-correct airsoft option with a albeit a somewhat tenuous link I picked up a an S&T Beretta M12; this was somewhat shunned by the Italian military, but it did however find favour amongst buyers across Latin America who lined up to get their hands on the sleek Italian SMG! S&T did a REALLY bang-on job in replicating this iconic little SMG, and although they’re now quite hard to find once you have one in your hands you can immediately feel just why it was so sought after! The design, with the forward pistol grip feels most distinctly “modern”, and if you’re used to using a CQB-length AR it will
feel very, very natural. The fire-selector on the right of the receiver and directly above the trigger is also familiar in this respect, although the angles for “Safe, semi, and Auto” are slightly different.
All parts that should be metal are metal apart from the pistol grip group and this gives the S&T M12 a real “heft”, weighing in as it does at 2.2670kg; to give an indication the real M12 weighs 3.0kg so this is pretty good in replica terms. The airsoft version comes in at 411mm (stock folded)/660mm (stock open) as opposed to 418mm/645mm so once again it’s a pretty good representation. S&T use their own “M12S gearbox” which I’m told can be a little tricky to work on (just like their Sterling!) but a simple short axle motor. The hop-up is of the rotary type and located under the cover of the ejection port which is accessed by pulling back the cocking handle as normal. The M12 is designed for use with a 7.4V LiPo which is tucked away neatly in the forward pistol grip and accessed by sliding a catch on the base forward.
When all is said and done the S&T M12 is a right little lovely, fits in with my “OPFOR theme”, and I have to say that I was really pleased to finally got my hands on one. A big bonus is that it shares magazines, a 50 BB model as standard, with both the MP40 and STEN so if you already have either of those you can share mags between models; that also means of course that there’s a 300 BB model available for just over a tenner if you search round!
I mentioned it in passing earlier, and the Uzi for me is one of the “must have” airsoft replicas out there as it genuinely is such an iconic firearm; the very first Uzi submachine gun was designed by Major Uziel Gal in the late 1940s, and the prototype was finished in 1950. First introduced to IDF Special Forces in 1954, the weapon was placed into general issue two years later. Now there are some very hazy images of what appears to be the Uzi in the hands of the specialist Argentinian Buzo Tactico (literal translation “Tactical Divers”) in the Falklands, but of course that could have been the PA-3 DM… but hey, it’s airsoft, and I love the TM Uzi!
Introduced at the back end of 1998, the TM Uzi was a long-awaited replica that proved an immediate hit with airsofters around the globe. With an EG1000R motor, and a completely unique V5 gearbox and piston design, the Uzi also offered a small amount of recoil/blowback vibration for added realism which TM christened “the recoil shock system. Metal parts include the upper receiver, muzzle, trigger, magazine release, cocking lever, and folding stock; the stock itself is an absolute work of art, functioning exactly like the real thing, and is surprisingly solid if not exactly comfortable once it’s deployed. The plastic parts are made up of what back in 1998 was the revolutionary “PCV Engineer Plastic” which is highly durable; in fact if I look at my Uzi today the plastic parts have actually aged better than the metal! So, is the old TM Uzi still any good as a skirmisher I hear you ask? Well, as a CQB tool it’s absolutely ideal as just like the real thing it comes with semi and full auto functionality; it also has a working grip safety which means even if you have it off safe it still won’t fire until you depress this. It’s relatively lowpowered at just 0.55 Joule/245fps on a .20g BB, so again just perfect for CQB as it’s also super-accurate. With a relatively low power output
and a short 244mm inner barrel you’d probably be thinking that when it comes to outdoor games things would go a little south, but I can absolutely assure you that this is by no means the case! Admitted, you’re not ever going to get the range of even a half-way decent modern M4 but I’ve taken scalps out to 30 meters plus with it, so it’s no lightweight; in the close confines of the fern-beds we often encountered in- game it was absolutely, 100% the right tool for the job.
The Sterling of course is rather better known to most of us! Based on the Patchett machine carbine first produced in the 1940s, the Sterling L2A1/C1 first entered service with the British and Canadian forces in 1953, and was produced in the UK by the Dagenham based Sterling Armament Company. The Royal Ordnance Factories also manufactured the Sterling purely for the British Forces, and over 400,000 were produced. Going through minor modifications the L2A2, and finally L2A3 had a long and distinguished service career until it was finally phased out in 1994 when the L85A1 was fully introduced. There was also a suppressed version of the Sterling, the L34A1, which was used to some effect by the ASASR and NZSAS during the Vietnam War, and in this context, by the Argentinians!
The S&T Sterlings (both standard and suppressed) are very true to the original and this has been cleverly achieved. S&T Airsoft make use of many high quality parts in putting the Sterling together, and internally the cylinder looks very familiar although discreet changes have obviously been made. The battery is housed in the rear of the Sterling and the compartment is easily accessed by simply popping off the rear end-cap with the stock folded; it’s a small space and I can see why this will have been a problem before LiPo batteries; the battery compartment accommodates up to an 80mm long and 30mm wide battery so something like the NP Power 1200mah 7.4v 30c LiPo PEQ15 Micro Type is a perfect match.
Once everything is set up correctly the standard L2 Sterling is a great to shoot, sending BBs out with a nice, flat trajectory, which I hadn’t expected from such a short inner barrel, and the suppressed L34 is even better! The accuracy of both overall is excellent, with nice tight groupings achieved out to 25 and 30m on the open sights. The Sterling’s both chrono at 1.06Joule/339fps now that they’ve settled in which is perfectly respectable and pretty much site-friendly everywhere. The standard L2 Sterling is absolutely perfect as a CQB tool given its short length and the fact that unlike the older Action Airsoft model it does have safe and semi settings as well as full auto!
PISTOLS
Enter one of the most amazing gunsmiths to have lived, John Moses Browning! Browning was an American firearms designer who developed many 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). 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.
After testing that started as far back as 1907, the legendary Colt M1911 was adopted and went on to serve as the standard-issue 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, and as the Ballester–Molina it was carried by the Argentine forces in the Falklands! Designed and built by the Argentine company Hispano Argentina Fábrica de Automóviles SA (HAFDASA), the Ballester–Molina was basically a cheaper alternative to the “Sistema Colt Modelo 1927”, itself a licensed copy of the Colt M1911A1, built under the supervision of Colt engineers!
Of course when it comes to period-1911 GBB pistols then you can take your pick, but mine will always be the WE “A1”… this fine airsoft pistol has been with me well over 10 years now and with some very basic maintenance and a couple of new magazines shoots just as well (if not better!) than it did as new. Okay, the slide is a little “loose” and rattley now, but it shoots well, and has NEVER let me down. It is not an expensive replica, and mine still chrono’s at 0.71 Joule/278fps on a .20g, and at up to 10m it’s accurate as hell… what more could you want?
And to conclude we come back to John Browning for UK forces, as following the success of the M1911 Fabrique Nationale commissioned him to design a new military handgun model. As he had previously sold the rights to his M1911 design to Colt’s Patent Firearms, he was forced to create another entirely unique pistol! Browning built two different prototypes for the project and filed the patent for this pistol in the United States on 28 June 1923, granted on 22 February 1927, although sadly he never lived to see this as he passed away in 1926. By 1934 after some further tinkering by designer Dieudonné Saive, the Hi-Power was complete and ready to be produced in 9mm with the famous 13 round magazine.
The pistol is often referred to as an HP (for “HiPower” or “High-Power”), GP (for the French term, “Grande Puissance”), BAP (Browning Automatic Pistol), or BHP (Browning High-Power). The terms P-35 and HP-35 are also used, based on the introduction of the pistol in 1935; most often though it is simply known as the “Hi-Power”. It was adopted post-WWII as the standard service pistol by over 50 armies in 93 countries, and at one time most NATO nations used it, and it was standard issue to forces throughout the British Commonwealth, including the British forces during the Falklands War as the L9.
As I said, In terms of manufacturers you can really take your pick when it comes to the 1911, as just like in the “real world” the design is a total favourite amongst airsofters. Sadly the Hi-Power is
a different story. For one of the most widely issued and long-serving pistols ever it’s a tough one to get hold of in airsoft form! I do own a pair of old Tanaka “Heavyweight” Hi-Powers, but sadly these plastic models, although lovely, have been gifted to Jimmy for “project work”. WE again produce a functional Browning but this is of the “Inglis” Canadian style with the raised adjustable rear sight; don’t get me wrong, this is a passable airsoft pistol but unfortunately for we Brits it’s not an “L9”.
WE had been teasing us with a model that was more akin to the “GP-35/ L9” but although this has now become a reality, it is still not a valid airsoft skirmish pistol due to ongoing internal issues (mine is currently languishing with Jimmy awaiting a rebuild…). I do find this strange given just how good their classic 1911 is, and I hope in time that we can rectify the fundamental failings of their GBB Browning although I’m not holding my breath. Luckily some time back I was able to have my original WE “Inglis” reworked by Matt at Skunk Airsoft Works, and this was also retrofitted with some MOD grips so it works for my 80’s loadouts, and has proved to be a workmanlike GBB!
I do hope that someone out there will make a properly good Browning L9 Hi Power, and it’s high time that a manufacturer created another cracking little Uzi AEG, although props to North East Airsoft for their GBB version! The FN MAG/GPMG is doable for the “support gun lovers” amongst you, but I have to say I would truly love to see a good L4A1 LMG as I carried one myself all through my cadet years! Of course there is now another fabulous “Falklands Correct” rifle choice for the snipers out there with the introduction by ARES of their L42A1 that I swooned over in Issue 142 (again available in Back Issues on the website), and one of these will most definitely go into my collection in due course!
Bottom line is that 40 years on there are now far more AEGs and GBBs suitable for a “Falklands inspired” loadout than ever before… and as VFC have just dropped their M3 “Charlie G” it looks like there are thankfully more yet to come! AA
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