RELOADED: VORSK HI CAPA

CHANGING IT OUT WITH VORSK!

LAST SUMMER BOTH BILL AND JIMMY ADDED A VORSK HI CAPA TO THEIR PERSONAL ARMOURIES FOR A VERY GOOD REASON, AS QUITE APART FROM ASSURED PERFORMANCE THE PISTOLS MATCHED UP WITH THEIR NEW ICS MK18S… YES, WE REALLY CAN BE THAT VAIN, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADD A MATCHED CARBINE AND PISTOL COMBO TO YOUR LOADOUT, THEN WHY NOT? SIX MONTHS IN THEY NOW GIVE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THEIR HANDGUN CHOICE, AND BILL KICKS THINGS OFF!

As regular readers of AA will know I’ve been following the magnificent VORSK story right from the very beginning, and indeed from the very first of their pistol models that landed in the UK! After some initial question-marks the player community in both the UK and now in Europe has REALLY embraced the VORSK brand, not only for the performance they give from the get-go, but also because of their unique and thoroughly modern styling!

More and more we’re seeing

GBB pistols with numerous enhancements as standard, such as extended magwells, “bumpers” on magazines, serrated and lightened slides, hi-vis sights, and many are RDS compatible out of the box if they don’t already come with a dot sight fitted! And guess what, VORSK have been doing this right from the very first models, and whilst prescient to coming change they’ve just got more unique whilst maintaining that crucial shooting performance.

I’ve been continuing to shoot all the VORSK models in the AA long-term test pool on a regular basis, and although some of them have now undergone some basic maintenance (just a tidy up and an application of MAGLUBE where required to be honest…) and seals on the magazines have been replaced, the original models are still rocking… I’ll update the “VORSK Diary” in the coming months to give the FULL lowdown on this. That said, I already know that the performance of the VORSK pistol range is exemplary; I have spoken at length on the existing pistols, I have yet to find a model in the line that is truly “wanting”.

However, one of the models that I hadn’t spent meaningful time with was the VORSK HI CAPA 5.1, so when the ICS Mk18s arrived and I looked around for a complementary pistol in a deep “SF Bronze”, that model really jumped out at me! The addition of a slightly longer pistol to my armoury (I usually run with an 4.3) means that I can have a specific

“THE PLAYER COMMUNITY IN BOTH THE UK AND NOW IN EUROPE HAS REALLY EMBRACED THE VORSK BRAND, NOT ONLY FOR THE PERFORMANCE THEY GIVE FROM THE GET-GO, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THEIR UNIQUE AND THOROUGHLY MODERN STYLING!”

sidearm for general field use, one that is easily capable of delivering BBs beyond my usual “10m rule” if necessary, but that is in operation one that I have “muscle memory” for. It also meant I could use my existing VORSK HI CAPA magazines (WIN! No new mags needed!), my existing Kydex Customs Holster, and have a secondary that matched up beautifully to my new shiny primary… yeah, that’s me being a true airsofter right there!

So what do you get from the VORSK Hi Capa’s as standard, and what sang to Jimmy and I?

Let’s break down the features, which are applicable to all models in the line from the 5.1 down to the 3.8 PRO; • Reduced Weight Slide – Slide Cut-Outs and Etch Styling • Moulded, Stipple Textured VORSK Grip • Flared Magwell and Extended Magazine Baseplate • 12mm (CW) to 14mm (CCW) Barrel Thread Adaptor • 6.03 mm Inner Barrel • Fluted Outer Barrel • Fibreoptic Sights (BDS Option Available) • Hi-Capa – Large Gas Reservoir – Excellent Gas Efficiency

VORSK Hi Capas have always had excellent shot performance and provided great gas efficiency. This high gas efficiency, the result of a large gas reservoir combined with their distinctive weight-reduced slides continues to be very apparent in the 5.1. With the slide reduced in weight you get a faster cycle rate, snappy trigger action and a really solid felt Blow-Back.

The forward Picatinny Accessory Rail is there for mounting taclites and LAMs, making the 5.1 perfect for close-quarter, indoor environments, but it’s also perfectly at home at longer engagement distances; as I’ve always said, my “secondary” is exactly that, and if I need to go over 10m there’s something badly wrong, but having a little extra reach is a good thing on some occasions! VORSK Hi-Capas come fitted with a 12mm (CW) / 14mm (CCW) thread adaptor hidden under a muzzle cover so you can easily attach a tracer or suppressor, and even the 6.03mm inner barrel is threaded, making it ready for the barrel extending VORSK AGENCY suppressor!

And when it comes to performance the 5.1 Hi Capa is impressive! It chrono’s just shy of 0.83 Joule/300FPS using VORSK V6 gas and.20g VORSK Precision BBs and on the 10m range it’s 100% dead-on! I’ve not had the chance to use it in-game yet, a situation I intend to rectify this coming year, and of course I’ll report back further when this has happened.

I’m currently running the 5.1 absolutely stock… well, almost! I have made a change in that the stock bronze model comes with a very cool FDE wrap-round grip and trigger guard assembly, but all the accents on my Mk18 are black! A quiet word with the lovely VORSK crew though saw a black assembly on its way to me, and this was easily and quickly fitted by Jimmy! My 5.1 now marries up to the Mk18 perfectly… and I love it!

THE TECH TAKE

Jimmy: When it comes to pistols I am definitely a sucker for a Hi Capa. I love everything about a 1911-style, be it a 3.8, 4.3 or a 5.1; they all have earned adoration from me. What’s better than M1911? Not much in my eyes but it certainly has been trumped by a Hi Capa, a modern twist on John Browning’s 1911 with a redesigned frame and a higher capacity magazine formulated in the real world by the founders of STI (Strayer and Tripp, now Stacato) and fast adopted by competition shooters for their efficiency, speed and accuracy. It wasn’t all STI though as another famous shooter, Chip McCormick, played a large part in the development of the, then new, frame system.

To date I have owned, used and

handled many an airsoft Hi Capa and while all performed well I have become quite a fanboi of the TM pistols and it takes quite a lot for me veer from my path and find another

“WHEN IT COMES TO PISTOLS I AM DEFINITELY A SUCKER FOR A HI CAPA. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT A 1911-STYLE, BE IT A 3.8, 4.3 OR A 5.1; THEY ALL HAVE EARNED ADORATION FROM ME. WHAT’S BETTER THAN M1911? NOT MUCH IN MY EYES BUT IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN TRUMPED BY A HI CAPA”

I like. ICS fast grabbed my attention with their new Challenger which in my eyes was set to rival TM, offering up a competition-ready platform that you could just take out of the box and run a stage with, and it was going to take a lot for me to alter that opinion, but we are talking competition shooting.

Like Bill though I got my hands on one of the newer VORSK range of Hi Capas when my “battleship grey” Mk18 arrived direct from the lovely people at ICS; he’s been on at me to make a jump over to VORSK for ages, and as they had a model that “keyed” in colour with my new carbine I thought “Okay, let’s give it a go…” Everybody knows the name now, and while at first I didn’t really have any opinion on the VORSK pistols I largely, like many an old airsofter set in their ways, ignored the brand… however, after time served with the VORSK 4.3 RDS I have to say it has grown on me, and I definitely now have an opinion, and it’s surprisingly positive!

Is this a competition ready pistol or more for your average skirmish airsofter? Well, this is what we are going to find out. The VORSK Hi Capa range is really very vast and will appeal to many players offering up several different models, lengths and colours, sporting many different slide designs, attachments for an RDS or RDS-fitted…they really have thought about it and obviously appreciate that not all airsofters want the same thing. The ability to have that choice to stand out and be different is what makes VORSK very different, and better for it.

Having had the 4.3 for some time now it was inevitable that I would take this thing apart a see what it consists of and for the record I can confirm it is of “TM spec” and yes, I have swapped parts on to my older TM 4.3, and with no mods or alterations they work flawlessly so for anyone out there looking to alter their TM pistols, feel free. You can buy a lot of the Hi Capa parts individually from VORSK as replacements or as cost-effective upgrade items, as lets be fair some aftermarket “upgrades” can be hideously expensive. Certain parts such as slides, frames, outer barrels, and grips would lend themselves well as a base for a custom builds; I believe the quality of the components to be than adequate for a custom pistol build.

For an out of the box pistol the 4.3 is solid and has a very respectable price which is not to be sneered at; it can definitely hold its own on the field be it CQB or skirmish, and can easily stand up to the rigours of competition shooting, and with a few choice tweaks could prove to be a great contender in the right hands.

When I was very first introduced to VORSK I did kind of turn my nose up at them and instantly dubbed them cheap and not very cheerful pistols. However, the brand pressed on with constant R&D and kept producing different iterations, and over the last year they have really grabbed my attention and earned my respect. They have become a very popular platform among the player-base and I know this to be true as Alpha Delta Airsoft (the retail outfit I work with directly) can’t get enough of them, VORSK being a top seller! Many thanks to Ross and the team for letting me get hands on with the 4.3 Hi Capa, it’s been a thoroughly enjoyable experience so far with the pistol, and I am definitely looking forward to our Red Cell VORSK range day later this year… Keep up the good work chaps, the VORSK future is bright! AA

PHOTO COURTESY KRIOS PHOTOGRAPHY