25 minute read
RED CELL: FAVOURITE “LONGS” OF ‘22!
RED CELL
FAVOURITE “LONGS” OF ‘22!
WE’RE DISTINCTLY PRIVILEGED AT AIRSOFT ACTION TO HAVE NOT ONLY GREAT DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS SO THAT WE SEE THE VERY LATEST AEG AND GBB MODELS AS SOON AS THEY COME INTO EXISTENCE, BUT ALSO TO HAVE AN EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE CREW TO LOOK AT THEM WHEN THEY ARRIVE! BILL GOT WITH THE MEMBERS OF RED CELL AND THE AA LEGION OVER THE BREAK TO CHECK OUT WHICH MODELS HAVE PROVED POPULAR WITHIN THE TEAM DURING THE LAST YEAR.
Wow! What a year 2022 was! It seems so long ago now that our entire world was governed by the C-VIRUS lockdown status of the moment, and as we plan to head to SHOT and IWA 2023 it seems an absolute age ago that we had travel restrictions to contend with! For those of us that attended the shows as usual last year it was very strange indeed to find show-halls and lobbies almost deserted, and many of our friends not in attendance.
Games were still affected too at the start of 2022, and how long ago it feels since we had to keep an eye on game-day status too; I’m certain that you, much like all of us, had the occasional site closure or game cancellation at the last minute due to changing restrictions and infection levels!
However, airsoft survived, and certainly as we entered the mid-part of last year the manufacturers were in full swing again… even if delivery/transit times were affected negatively. Again like us I’m certain that many of you saw a new model released and thought “that’s a bit of me right there…” but then had to wait months for said new model to finally be stocked… and believe you me, this had a pretty negative effect on us being able to review and evaluate too, as new models disappeared into lost containers or got held up in clearance when they did finally get into the UK.
Much as many would argue this, BREXIT has not been kind to those wishing to make personal imports into the UK, and as many manufacturers use UPS to deliver their shipments in the UK we have all been faced with unreasonable and lengthy delays to inbound shipments… even when our goods have actually reached the UK… my personal “record” is for the VFC LAR that was sent to me by my great friend Ray which took EIGHT WEEKS to get to my door, although it had only taken THREE DAYS to travel from Taiwan to the UK!
And these days, Airsoft Action is not just a “UK Magazine” but a truly international one, carrying reports from all over the airsoft world and directly working with manufacturers around the globe too! Delays have meant in some instances that we’ve had to push back reviews, and indeed I have passed over some of my workload to Stewbacca so that we can generate reports and reviews at source, and report on new developments more promptly... at one point I even thought of moving abroad again myself!
But ultimately, we adapted and overcame, and here we all are again, looking back on a year that saw us freed to get out and play airsoft again, and I thought it would be cool to get together with Red Cell and our AA Legionnaires to see what everyone has been using, and how these models have performed; my question to the whole AA Crew was “WHAT WAS YOUR MOST USED AIRSOFT PLATFORM FOR 2022?” and this is what I was told…
Stewbacca: Hands down, gotta be the VFC FAL. It was so worth the wait, The aesthetic, build quality, range and consistency /performance, recoil experience, and the fact that it’s so close to real spec you can use genuine furniture if you like all make it an exceptionally well-rounded offering to my mind, and it’s been another “emotional journey” moment in acquiring it. Still not sure how they can top it, but they evidently haven’t stopped to catch their breath given what I saw at MOA.
Having spent a few weekends navigating Taiwan’s heat and humidity with my own right arm of the free world, and thoroughly enjoying every minute of fielding it I can fully attest that a large proportion of the fixtures and fittings are made of steel, again finished with a realistic looking parkerized-tone paint finish, while the remaining aluminium components are anodised to resemble parkerized steel as per VFC’s Mk48 LMG and M733 offerings. The lower receiver and top dust cover are both stamped sheet steel, while the main receiver is cast aluminium alloy which is then CNC finished on its mechanical surfaces; the deluxe DX variant will make use of steel for this key component, which represents most of the material and machining value of both variants, but it will be released in far more limited numbers and cost 50% more than the standard version, so if you really have to have a steel receiver for the weight and realism, dig a little deeper into those pockets, I’m sure it will be worth it for the discerning types.
At the POLK2 MilSim I didn’t have to make any adjustments because (as I touched on in my full review of this beauty!) the VFC FAL is a straight shooter and heavy hitter; it was pounding BBs out to the middle of my ACOG crosshairs with a distinctive, if not too easily-detected report, usually followed by my own gleeful or aggressive noises. Top job VFC!
Ben: My favourite and most used platform has to be the TM GBB MP7 GBBR! It has an outstanding performance for such a compact weapon, and the recoil is just a joy as it really helps you immerse with the feel of the SMG. It’s light weight makes it easy to handle whether on the battlefield or transporting it about, and it has that rarity about it that turns heads and gets people talking which makes friends and keeps the love of airsoft alive! It looks bomber with any combination of attachments, and in the right hands it’s feared by its enemies and respected by its master! It’s title “MP7” to me doesn’t just stand for “machine pistol” but “master piece” and 7 is heaven’s number, so when you hear it on the field your either smiling with delight or heading back to respawn! Miguel: Well, my range of choices is not that wide, being a brand ambassador and all that. But my choice would be the Specna Arms Mk18 EDGE 2.0. Firstly, I’ve always been a fan of the Mk18, since it’s a great and simple AR platform, but besides that, I think that Specna Arms did some great work after reviewing some problems that were pointed out at the first batch of EDGE 2.0 series. Not only that, but the constant firmware updates from GATE helped with some issues with the Aster as well. It’s really hard to find all that the EDGE 2.0 series have to offer at
this price range. In the field, the Mk18 is a blast; get some good weight BBs (0.28g or 0.30g) and you will see them fly and reach awesome ranges. Mine saw a lot of action during 2022 (I got it in January) and it has never let me down.
Dan: It’s hard to pick any one thing, to be honest! But one of the builds I’ve recently completed for a customer that really caught my eye was this VFC SIG MCX turned Rattler. We had a vision for a “50 shades of FDE” type of build, and with some additions of HK416 parts Cerakoted in RAL8000 and sporting real SIG accessories, I think it turned out beautiful inside and out. If optioning a production rifle, then I would say the KWA KO:EVE series was a nice opener for 2022. While technically it was supposed to be a 2021 release, the pandemic related state of the industry delayed release until 2022. I feel these are one of the best new entry-level AEGs to hit the market, and certainly they have raised the bar for what to expect out of a budget priced rifle. From players to field owners revamping their rental fleets, there has been unanimous praise for this platform for its outof-the-box performance and durability. These have also unexpectedly been very popular with female Airsofters, who seem to like the original design and lightweight handling characteristics of the gun. I’m looking forward to seeing the expansion of KWA’s polymer series into the upcoming SMG formats, which should be another solid hit!
L’il Stu: For me it has to be the VFC M733; the urge to get one is mahoosive! It ticks all the right boxes for me; it’s an M733 (BHD, HEAT, et al) so it’s relatively light weight, compact, pointable, and REALLY doesn’t need anything “speshul tacticul” adding onto it. It has just a fixed carry-handle body, and proper skinny grips, so what’s not to like ? And as an indoor CQB platform for the discerning user I think it’s damned near perfect!
Jase: As a MilSim player one of the most surprising AEGs that has come through my hands has been the Knights Armament G&G SR30! My first thoughts were “impressive”; the immediate quality of this AEG was good, and it felt solid, really solid! Apart from the stock giving off a wee rattle, the whole platform does not make a noise; I wasn’t expecting this. In the years I have been a player, I have fettled with my fair share of AEGs from expensive to cheap, so I know what a good RIF feels like. The SR30 really is great to use, I have zero issues or gripes. It comes fitted with a programmable Mosfet as standard which is now being found as a standard item in a lot of premium line of RIF’s and it’s great to see G&G following suit; their “take” on this gearbox/Mosfet combo offers really handy features like a Quick Change Spring (once the gearbox
is removed from the receivers), Audible Alarm Warnings, Basic Troubleshooting and the Empty Magazine Cutoff System which we’ve also seen in the TR16 variants that we’ve tested. I have had a little play with this feature and set it up with 3 and 5 round burst without issue, the instructions are easy to follow. After spending time with this fine AEG would I recommend the G&G SR30? Yes. If you are looking to step up your playing style to a more MilSim level then this might well be a RIF worth looking at.
Boycie: I have to say I’m still very impressed with the MPX which I reviewed for the magazine. Since I got it at the tail end of 2021 (the first known unit in Europe), I’ve fitted a Warhead motor and a hop rubber change and the thing is firing like a laser. Unfortunately with my day job I’ve had little chance to get out and field it much but when I do, I really like the compact nature and small mags which I can wear on a belt rig, allied to a slick carrier and partnered with either the M17 or my trusty VFC G17 it makes an awesome combo for me. 2023 will see me getting back out as much as I can but only when the house move and Shot Show are complete! I’m hoping we can also hear Bill put out the call for “Legion and Red Cell Assemble!” for a game where most or all of us can get together and play.
VFC LAR (FAL) GBBR
Price: iro UK£650.00 Age: New Weight: 3950 g Length: 1095 mm Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs Cold Chrono: 1.20 Joule/360fps Hot Chrono: 1.71 Joule/430fps Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com
VFC M110 K1 GBBR
Price: iro UK£500.00 Age: New Weight: 3090g Length: 900/980mm Magazine Capacity: 20BBs Cold Chrono: 1.73 Joule/433fps Hot Chrono: 1.86 Joule/449fps Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com
ICS DANIEL DEFENSE MK18 AEG
Price: iro UK£600.00 Age: New Weight: 2877g Length: 726-821mm Magazine Capacity: 120 will accept all STANAG/AR Cold Chrono: 1.03 Joule/334fps Hot Chrono: 1.03 Joule/334fps Supplied By: www.icsbb.com
SA DANIEL DEFENSE MK18 AEG
Price: iro UK£240.00 Age: Two/Three Years Weight: 2675g Length: 700-785mm Magazine Capacity: 2 x 125 will accept all STANAG/AR Cold Chrono: 1.12 Joule/348fps Hot Chrono: 1.12 Joule/348fps Supplied By: www.gunfire.com
EVOLUTION GHOST L EMR AEG
Price: iro UK£295.00 Age: One Year Weight: 2520g Length: 740mm/830mm Magazine Capacity: 120, will accept all STANAG/AR Cold Chrono: 0.95 Joule/320fps Hot Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps Supplied By: www.evolution-airsoft.com
G&G KNIGHTS ARMAMENT SR30 AEG
Price: iro UK£370.00 Age: Two Years Weight: 2760g Length: 700/770mm Magazine Capacity: 90 (G2) will accept all STANAG/AR Cold Chrono: 0.99 Joule/328fps Hot Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps Supplied By: www.guay2.com
SIG AIR MPX AEG
Price: iro UK£540.00 Age: One Year Weight: 2540g Length: 425/635mm Magazine Capacity: 100 BBs Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/336fps Hot Chrono: 1.04 Joule/336fps Supplied By: www.sigsauer.com/airsoft
VFC M733 GBBR
Price: iro UK£460.00 Age: New Weight: 2270g Length: 685/770mm Magazine Capacity: 30 BBs Cold Chrono: 1.64 Joule/421fps Hot Chrono: 1.80 Joule/440fps Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com
G&G MXC-9 AEG
Price: iro UK£350.00 Age: One Year Weight: 2190g Length: 422/655mm Magazine Capacity: 130BBs, drum available! Cold Chrono: 0.99 Joule/328fps Hot Chrono: 0.99 Joule/328fps Supplied By: www.guay2.com
TOKYO MARUI MP7 GBBR
Price: iro UK£300.00 Age: Two Years Weight: 2200g Length: 381/586mm Magazine Capacity: 40BBs Cold Chrono: 0.75 Joule/284fps Hot Chrono: 0.83 Joule/299fps Supplied By: www.alphadeltaairsoft.com
Bjorn: The GHOST M EMR A from Evolution is the AEG that I have used the most. The GHOST was a ground-breaking project for Evolution as the AEG has been entirely designed in Italy, to develop a ground breaking line of guns that is unique when it comes to overall design and the technological and technical content. The AEG is externally created from a space-age carbon-reinforced techno-polymer (Carbontech) designed to be lightweight and strong under heavy duty use; this is a cutting-edge techno-polymer that provides improved strength, extra durability, a great feel in the hand, and that extends the life of the parts in their entirety. Of course there is still high-grade alloy used for the rail, outer barrel and buffer tube to give the GHOST some substance. Internally, the Evolution GHOST is right up there with the best as it incorporates an ETU (Electronic Trigger Unit) with electromagnetic sensors. I have used the GHOST with a Titan 7.4v/ 2600mah stick battery to power it, and this works like a charm! The aluminium targets I have made make that nice “ploink” sound to give you receipt of a hit. And when the aim is dialled in its just that sound you hear moving around the range, the sound of satisfaction! With the range of different styles in the GHOST lineup you can choose your favourite setup and length, whether you’re up for some super-tight CQB or skirmishing the woods.
Jimmy: I think it would be easier for me to tell you which wasn’t my favourite! It would most definitely include all of the ICS range as I cannot find fault in any of their more recent rifles, but also without hesitation the G&G MXC9. ICS for me has become a very familiar and much loved brand, and as it stands today they are producing some of the finest airsoft RIFs ootb money can buy. The level of quality and the attention to detail is unmatched. The addition of the Master Mod components in their RIFs is something no other manufacturer is providing and all other manufacturers have some large footsteps to follow. Bold claim I know, but it’s the truth. High quality both externally and internally with performance to boot they will appeal to many and quite rightly so; ICS have been around for many years and they keep raising the bar. They should change their motto to ‘Be a game changer through innovation’!
The MXC9 is probably the best G&G platform I have seen thus far; it is everything the PCC45 should have been, and technically it is a PCC45 only better a more perfected version. The MXC9 has seen a completely revised handguard, battery placement and a much better mag design eliminating all of the problems the PCC45 suffered. It is difficult for me to admit the flaws in the PCC as I had very high hopes for it and I hated to agree with others that it had these flaws. The MXC9 though amazed me out on the field with an unrivalled level of performance and for a rifle with a sub 200mm inner barrel it would outmatch most; this is mainly down to the update of their rotary hop unit and new blue hop rubbers and I wouldn’t be surprised if the new blue hop rubber replaces the green rubber as a popular choice of upgrade for many airsofters. Both ICS and G&G are making all the right noises and the airsoft world is hearing them!
Elvis: The Specna Arms Mk18, that’s been my #1 replica almost three years, like Miguel! Actually with the MK18 I had the first one ever as that was one project for SA and they accepted it. As you may know the MK18 and the “HK” were my idea, so I’m feeling like those are my kids, no matter which one I will use or review. Basically, I’m kinda “trademark” for the Mk18 as you have noticed with my setups, and this is definitely the one AEG I’ve used the most. I’ve also used my H20Edge with the Aster unit, but the Mk18 so far is the most used, abused (not intentionally), and I’m still running the first set of gears in it! a
Bill: Much like Jimmy it’s a case of, “Oh my, where do I start???” I carry out the bulk of tests and evaluations of new airsoft platforms for Airsoft Action (although I hope that Stewbacca will be getting more involved in this for 2023) and as such I literally see hundreds of AEGs and GBBs each and every year. I see new concepts at shows and when I visit manufacturers in person, and indeed I’ve been privileged a few times to be directly involved in development processes, even from a design stage.
When I’m not in the office doing the “boring admin stuff” that goes with running a monthly magazine I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on the range shooting new AEGs and GBBs; this is, after all, one of the (I hope!) many reasons that thousands of you continue to read Airsoft Action each month, you want to know how new platforms perform, and indeed how they continue to perform after extended and somewhat less-than-gentle use!
So why do I tell you this? It’s simple really, to impress me these days a new airsoft platform has to be not just good, but GREAT! It needs not have all the latest shiny whizz-bang gizmo technology, but it HAS TO WORK, work properly and consistently. And it has to keep on working with little or no maintenance as I know that many of you naughty ‘softers out there use your favourite AEG or GBB week in, week out with not so much as a dust-down!
I still try to look at a new model with the eyes that I had nearly thirty years ago when I started messing around with this wonderful game of ours; I want the “WOW!” factor, but these days I also want to see solid and assured build-quality along with consistent performance as new, and I want to see that performance if anything get better over time as things bed in.
So what has tickled my personal airsoft pickle this year, and what continues to impress me? Like our two Specna Arms Ambassadors I have to agree that my relationship with the SA Mk18 continues to be a loving one… when I have managed to get out and play this has been a bit of a “go to” as it shoots REALLY well and looks a million bucks still. It sings to the Milsim part of me, but it’s also a righteous skirmish-day tool, and it is 100% rock solid!
One that came somewhat out of left-field for me in 2020 was the Golden Eagle “AMD-65”; you’ll find Golden Eagle under their own brand name across most of Europe, but if you’re in the USA then no doubt they’ll be offered under the “MATRIX” banner, but at the end of the day their models are well priced and they are often of quite decent quality externally, and the AMD-65 AEG comes with a solid and durable metal body and barrel and benefits from black plastic grips fore and aft, the tubular side folding stock, and the distinctive muzzle brake; for a rifle that first saw service in the 1960s the placement of the foregrip, which is essentially just a reversed pistol grip, gives the “65” a surprisingly modern “feel”. Everything is put together very well indeed and there are absolutely no
creaks, groans or wobbles apparent anywhere.
Internally things are solid enough for the money; there’s a tried and tested (and easily upgraded!) V3 gearbox all driven along by an “okay” short-type motor. Nothing inside really sets the pulse racing but it’s all serviceable to start with, and the fact that everything is compatible with all TM-spec AEG upgrade components means that with the absolutely rock-solid externals you could end up with a very respectable, uniquely-charactered OPFOR shooter. I’ve had some time with the “65” now and it’s settled in well, an it’s a great AK for use in both CQB and woodland games.
As Stewbacca said, the VFC FAL is a proper asskicker of a GBBR and I love mine (now that it’s here!) with every ounce of my soul! It is very much a rifle of my youth and for that alone I adore it, but when you add that it’s built like a tank and shoots like a laser then… SOLD! I’ve not got any meaningful time in with it yet on the range, and I definitely need some more magazines to get in-game with, but I’ll return to it again later in the year when it’s been a little more “used and abused”.
Again I find my thoughts in concert with Jimmy when it comes to ICS, and sticking with the Mk18 theme, their “take” on this in AEG from is absolutely sublime! Now it is beyond doubt that ICS make some of the finest, high-performance AEGs out there, and their split gearbox has now become part of “airsoft lore”. They also go their own way when it comes to design, and as much as I love to see this (I mean, their ARK is a beauty!) as it’s a healthy direction for any airsoft manufacturer, it does mean that it is not always to my own personal taste, but I love it when they create something under licence. Every ICS AEG though is built with masses of QC and a lot of love, and they shoot brilliantly, it’s just that I do like my own platforms to be “real” these days… and their new certainly EMG-MK18 -collaboration ticks all my boxes, and more!
The ICS DD MK18 has been created under the EMG Daniel Defense Licence and as such is 100% fully-branded, and I do mean FULLY, even down to the correct font in the trademarks! It’s genuinely, drop-dead gorgeously RIGHT, and I’m basing this on those real rifles and carbines I saw at SHOT, and oh my lawd, with those Master Mods parts as standard it shoots like a dream too. This is most definitely an AEG that I intend to field as I get back properly onto games in the coming year…
However, IF you were to push me then there is one GBBR rifle that sits perfectly with me in every respect, and that’s the VFC M110K1! When I look at this new GBBR (and I do look at it a lot!) I am staggered once again at just what an elegant rifle it is! It looks like everything is where it should be, and there’s nothing that doesn’t need to be there! It’s slimline and of a good length (900/980mm with the CRANE-style stock) and weight (3,090g) so it feels that although you have an “Enhanced Combat Carbine” it’s one that feels like it is tailor-made to be thrown round in-game!
The build-quality is HIGH above the average airsoft AR, and to start off with the VFC M110K1 is built under licence from Knight’s Armament Company so it has FULL pattern markings and trades to give it a real high-quality “feel” from the get go. As with the earlier VFC SR-25 ECC the M110K1 is a righteously faithful replication of the real thing and features all the correct markings; anywhere you see a trademark or a marking it will have been replicated from the real deal.
At the end of my review (in Issue 145) I said: “With the looks and performance available in one GBB platform I’m kind of wondering where VFC will go next, as they seem to have everything pretty darn nailed right now in my opinion. The M110K1 is, again my opinion based on my experience with many GBBR platforms, as good as it gets when it comes to an outof-the-box gas DMR and I shall be hanging it proudly next to my VFC Mk18 CQBR when I redo my office gun wall.”
As both a DMR and a gas rifle it’s not going to appeal to everyone, and indeed will not suit a more “Direct Action” play-style, but for me the M110K1 is about as good as an airsoft replica gets if you want as “close to real” as possible, and for this reason alone it takes my coveted top-slot for 2022.
It says an awful lot to me that there are a number of gas models in our “year review” for 2022, and this shows to me that gas platforms are just getting better and better, and for many game styles are now a thoroughly valid choice. We’ll be following this through 2023 to see just where things go next! AA
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