Airsoft Action - April 2024

CONTENTS

Editorial Director: Bill Thomas

Deputy Editor (Asia): Stu Mortimer

Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing

Ad Design: Deadshot Design

Publisher: Calibre Publishing

Web: www.airsoftaction.net

©Calibre Publishing Limited 2023

All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the publisher in writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to publication.

8 ARMOURY: DELTA ARMORY R15 FREYA

We’re pleased to have built up a great working relationship with the guys at DELTA ARMORY, and indeed we’ve had one of their MK18 AEGs in testing now for over a year with great results so far! Bill was invited to visit their stand at IWA to take a first look at something new in their range, and the R15 FREYA line turned out to be just as exciting as expected!

16 ARMOURY: NEW ICS HI CAPAS

Anyone who reads AIRSOFT ACTION on a regular basis will know that we have a very long-standing, close, and enduring relationship with ICS, and it’s one that will stand up to the test of time… just like their AEGs and GBBs! Bill now looks at three new Hi Capa GBB models from the Taiwanese manufacturer as he kicks off our evaluation of the LEGACY, ACME, and CARNOTAURUS!

24 ARMOURY: EVOLUTION REAPER XS EMR PDW

2024 is most certainly going to be bringing us some interesting and innovative new AEGs and GBBs and we’re really glad to see that our old friends at EVOLUTION AIRSOFT in Italy are fully back on form, and they’ve finally joined the ranks of companies offering “PCC” models with their new REAPER SERIES! Bill takes a look at the smallest of the bunch to see how things have moved on…

FIND US ON… LETTER , IDEA OR QUESTION?

Got something to say? A question for our experts? An article or article idea?

Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the Editorial Director: bill@airsoft-action.co.uk, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

78 AA LEGION EVENT REPORT: IWA 2024

As we start to round out our Show Season for this year, once again it was time for the AA Crew to head to Nuremberg for IWA, and in its 50th year the show promised to be a very special one! With airsoft now having its own dedicated space, a show within a show, Bill and Jase set forth to find out just what was new and exciting, and to set up the year ahead for Airsoft Action!

32 KIT & GEAR: ZERO ALPHA DESIGNS

As airsoft sniper rifle platforms get better and better even from the box, and after-market accessory parts and upgrades continue to become more and more widely available we thought we’d look at another area of crucial importance and that’s a key “sniper tool”, the GHILLIE SUIT. Thankfully Bill was able to call on the expertise of ZERO ALPHA DESIGNS here in the UK who work with professional users and the airsoft community in order to dig deeper!

38 KIT & GEAR: TEESAR

When time (and use) have taken it’s toll on his kit and something needs replacing, bill doesn’t just buy the first thing that he sees - or happens to be in fashion. He researches the market place to find what he needs to “buy wisely, buy once” and sometimes comes up with something quite unexpected.

48 RED CELL: TACTICAL AK UPDATE

Although Stewbacca has done a brilliant job in this issue concentrating on basically how you can transform any pretty much any AK variant into a totally “tactical beast” using all the new external upgrade parts from LCT, the fact is that there are some really good AK models that “ootb” will get you straight into a whole new world of AEG Kalashnikov, and as usual Bill kicks things off!

62 TECH: LCT Z SERIES MODULAR AK PARTS

Having exhausted the currently available source of H&K-themed AEGs in our good friends at LCT Airsoft’s product lines with his final report on their overall modular system back in Issue 158’s “Build your own Wehr” feature, what, pray tell, would they throw in Stewbacca’s direction next to get his teeth into… Building off one of the stalwarts in their AK range of AEGs and throwing a kitchen sink load of the shiniest option-parts to thoroughly test, personalise and customise their LCK74MN base rifle is what!

44 THE CAGE: PMC

Whilst not strictly a “camo solution” the “PMC” loadout is certainly an ingame classic, one that is enduring, and just about every airsofter we know as had a crack at this look, the members of the AA LEGION included! It’s a great loadout that’s suitable for both BLUFOR and OPFOR roles dependant on the game scenario, so this month we thought to take a look at what “our guys” have worn, and wear to nail this down…

72 TECH: CHASING FPS

We’re delighted to be joined by a new contributor this month, and potential recruit to the ever-expanding AA LEGION, one with a wealth of both technical and gameplay experience in the shape of Rich P who Bill met on the FAST TACTICAL training weekend we reported on last year! Without further ado it’s over to Rich to talk about “chasing FPS”…

92 RELOADED: VFC WALTHER PPQ NPA

Stewbacca is a famously fanboi-ish appreciator of all things German when it comes to small arms, and while this typically takes the guise of his #EverybodyLovesTheKoch mantra, he is also partial to the manufacturer from Ulm who make a variety of historic and modern police service sidearms, Walther, who as it happens sit under the same Umarex umbrella in airsoft anyway. What of the service sidearm he sees on a daily basis in his present home of Taiwan?

‧ Aluminum Alloy Hollowed Design Slide

‧ MASTER MODS R-Hop System

‧ REVO.II High Performance Valve System

‧ Adjustable Trigger

‧ Incl. Steel CCW 14mm Barrel Adapter

‧ Reverse Plug Retention Clip

‧ 3-dot Luminous Sights

‧ TDC Hop-Up Chamber (Compatible with TM spec)

‧ Steel Made Fire Control System Components (Compatible with TM spec)

‧ SUS301 Stainless Steel Sear Spring (Compatible with TM spec)

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WORSHIPPING A NEW GODDESS!

OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR WE’RE PLEASED TO HAVE BUILT UP A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GUYS AT DELTA ARMORY, AND INDEED WE’VE HAD ONE OF THEIR MK18 AEGS IN TESTING NOW FOR OVER A YEAR WITH GREAT RESULTS SO FAR! BILL WAS INVITED TO VISIT THEIR STAND AT IWA TO TAKE A FIRST LOOK AT SOMETHING NEW IN THEIR RANGE, AND THE R15 FREYA LINE TURNED OUT TO BE JUST AS EXCITING AS EXPECTED, SO NOW WE’LL TAKE A FIRST LOOK AT EXACTLY WHAT YOU GET WITH THESE STUNNING NEW AR AEGS AND WHERE THEY COME FROM!

At AA we pride ourselves on our great relationships with many airsoft manufacturers, relationships that allow us to get ahead of the curve when it comes to reporting exciting new developments in the world of airsoft. Last year I had the opportunity to start working with Peter, the founder of DELTA ARMORY and in Issue 150 I thoroughly enjoyed writing any introduction to this friendly company for you. With a growing reputation for creating solid AEGs at sensible prices, and with their great experience of working with Czech brands such as CZ and PROARMS, DELTA have carved themselves out a well-earned space in our beloved airsoft world.

To recap quickly on that introduction for newer readers (you can read the full introduction in the Back Issues section of the AA website, Issue 150), founded in 2019, DELTA ARMORY have been quietly but assuredly creating their AEGs for the mainland Euro player community, and reports from numerous friends have given me confidence that the brand is well-liked, respected by users, and here to stay! With production that like many started in Hong Kong, DA AEGs are now made in China and Taiwan, and as some of the very best AEGs are currently coming out of “airsoft central” this is a huge positive in my mind.

I’ll put this straight out there… DELTA ARMORY, like virtually every airsoft manufacturer, also make ARs! But they also do a bit more than that, and as I said earlier they already have massive experience of working with licencing partners from the real firearm world effectively and professionally in order to create airsoft replicas of some very unique platforms, models with which we fill our personal armouries just because we like something different and special.

And Peter and the DELTA ARMORY team have created something special yet again with the introduction of a whole new line of AEGs based on

the R15/FREYA carbines and rifles offered by Grand Power, and having now had hands in them at IWA I can tell you that they are definitely unique, and they are most definitely VERY special!

THE GRAND POWER CONNECTION

But wait, what, who I hear you cry! Who are Grand Power, and why would I want a replica of one of their AR carbines when there are already so many choices for AE/M4-style replicas out there with licencing agreements from some pretty famous names? The answer is simple… when I do get out to play (sadly less than it used to be if I’m honest, for obvious reasons) or when I’m in my local airsoft store I normally end up speaking to newer or starter airsoft players, and quite often I hear the phrase “AR stands for American Rifle”, honestly I do…

Okay, sure enough the AR platform started its life as the brainchild of one Eugene Morrison Stoner, an engineer whose gas operated bolt and carrier system design was filed in 1956 and subsequently patented by ArmaLite for use in the AR-10… and the original AR-10 action was later developed into the ARrmaLite AR-15, M16 rifle and M4 carbine! So, undoubtedly this is, in fact an “American Rifle”, and pretty much all direct impingement systems have been based on Stoner’s original design… what a genius the man was!

However, time and tide waits for no man as they say, not even Eugene, and the “Stoner AR” system has now been utilised by many fine firearms manufacturers all over the globe, including a super not-so-little-any-more company called Grand Power based in Slovenská Lupca, in the Banská Bystrica District of central Slovakia (Google it, it looks beautiful!)… you can already see where this is heading given that DELTA ARMORY come from the same place, right?

Okay, we all know the big US names, but what do

“WITH A GROWING REPUTATION FOR CREATING SOLID AEGS AT SENSIBLE PRICES, AND WITH THEIR GREAT EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH CZECH BRANDS DELTA HAVE CARVED THEMSELVES OUT A WELL-EARNED SPACE IN OUR BELOVED AIRSOFT WORLD”

DELTA ARMORY R15 FREYA

and owner, Jaroslav (known as Jaro) Kuracina, got the passion for weapons from his grandfather who was a partisan during the WWII. His grandpa was also a hunter; he had a lot of firearms and he used to take his grandson to a shooting range!

So, firearms became Jaro´s passion, and he created his first design in his teens, and he continued drawing and designing while studying at Military School. As the Grand Power website tells me..

“One day, he told his superior people would use his guns. Instead of encouragement, he only heard sarcastic comment: “Hell will freeze over first before they do so”. However, the young soldier was not put off by this. His first serious sketches date back to 1994. Just three years later his first functional prototype, marked Q200 with the serial number E001, was made in Kinex Grand, a subsidiary of Kinex Grand (engineers) in Bytca”.

Private investment allowed his fledgling company to grow, and in the 2000’s his K1 pistol design changed into the K100 (it actually got its name after its inventor and constructer, “K” as the first letter in Jaro’s surname and “100” as his actual weight!), and the story really started rolling! Again the company website tells me:

“Gradually, the company developed, new people came… new ideas… A new production hall was obtained. The K100 Pistol acquired it reputation also among the shooting community. Also, reviews in professional journals did positive advertising for the K100. The company started approaching foreign distributors. Initially, they were very careful,

production facility every month, and Grand Power produces a huge range of pistols including the X-Calibur, K100, K100 Target, K100 X-Trim, K100 Dynamic, P1, P1 Ultra,P1 DAO, P11, P380, CP380, LP380, P40, P45, P40L, P1S, K22, K22 X-Trim, P9M, T910, T10. T12, T11, G9, K105, K102, K100 Whisper a P380 Whisper! The company exports almost 95% of its production, with the remaining 5% being sold domestically in Slovakia.

Pretty cool, right?

GOING LONG

But of course what we’re talking about here is DELTA ARMORY’s AEG replication of the Grand Power “AR” R15 design, and that’s the FREYA! Whilst also making the STRIBOG SMG and ARAQ rifle models (will these come in AEG form? Who knows…), the R15 is a modern semi-automatic, AR-15 type rifle chambered in .223 Wylde and will handle both .223 Remington and 5.56×45 NATO. The free-float barrel is nitrided for exceptional accuracy, durability, and corrosion resistance. The rifle is offered in five different barrel length options of 11”, 14.5”, 16.5”, with 18” and 20” being available on demand). The rifles come with M4 feed ramps for more reliable feeding. The muzzle of the rifles feature a standard 1/2×28 thread pitch and the rifles come equipped with a muzzle brake. The bolt is made out of 9310 steel while the bolt carrier is 8620 steel. The bolt carrier has a properly staked gas key to stop it from coming loose.

Interestingly, for a “gun bunny” at least, the rifles are currently available in both a Direct Impingement

“WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS DELTA ARMORY’S AEG REPLICATION OF THE GRAND POWER “AR” R15 DESIGN, AND THAT’S THE FREYA! WHILST ALSO MAKING THE STRIBOG SMG AND ARAQ RIFLE MODELS (WILL THESE COME IN AEG FORM? WHO KNOWS…), THE R15 IS A MODERN SEMI-AUTOMATIC, AR-15 TYPE RIFLE”

(GP R15) as well as a short-stroke piston version (GP R15 M). On the GP R15 the 11” barrel length uses a carbine-length gas system while the 14.5” and 16.5” barrels are both equipped with mid-length, and the 18” and 20” feature rifle length gas systems. This has the benefit of not only reducing the felt recoil, muzzle rise and sight disruption during firing, but the optimized gas pressure also results in less internal parts wear making for a longer lasting rifle.

With the FREYA the R15 moves up a notch or three as it becomes a competition-oriented version with a milled billet upper and lower receivers with extensive lightening cuts making for an extremely handy and manoeuvrable rifle. The FREYA brings additional features over the standard R15, namely an integral oversized trigger guard, and an improved, fully adjustable, cassette-style trigger unit, making it competition ready out of the box. Its magazine well is bevelled to speed up magazine changes and also includes lightening cuts on the magwell. The FREYA is only available in a Direct Impingement configuration to maximize weight savings, in keeping with the overall theme of a lightweight competition rifle.

So, that’s the “real” and knowing all of this I

was 100% interested to see what Peter and his team had created in AEG form, and the answer is something beautiful! Building on their existing internal technology and moving things ever-forward (more on this later) DELTA ARMORY have created a stunning line of six models, a “MK18” FREYA, the SILENT OPS DMR FREYA and then four models that replicate the R15 FREYA giving a choice of KeyMod or M-LOK rails.

Looking closely at the four models that most closely (almost identically) replicate Grand Power’s FREYA first up you get the SKELETON 13” M-LOK model that is a dead-ringer for the outright competition rifle. Then there are three dedicated FREYA variants with 7, 10, and 13” barrels that replicate the features of the real thing. All models are full metal, with CNC-machined alloy handguards, and they feel absolutely awesome, with not a creak or groan, and most certainly not a wobble anywhere! The motor grip is a completely new design with a brushless motor and fills the hand comfortably and assuredly, whilst the new DELTA V2 stock melds some classic design elements together in one neat package, with a hinged buttplate allowing massively easy battery changes to factory pre-fitted DEANS… nicely done Peter and crew!

“LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE FOUR MODELS THAT MOST CLOSELY (ALMOST IDENTICALLY) REPLICATE GRAND POWER’S FREYA FIRST UP YOU GET THE SKELETON 13” M-LOK MODEL THAT IS A DEAD-RINGER FOR THE OUTRIGHT COMPETITION RIFLE. THEN THERE ARE THREE DEDICATED FREYA VARIANTS WITH 7, 10, AND 13” BARRELS THAT REPLICATE THE FEATURES OF THE REAL THING”

DELTA ARMORY R15 FREYA

Externally the FREYA models are superb and 100% modern; black is Matte black and looks plain mean, whilst the tan variants are “proper tan”, not the shiny finish that we often see on some models; it’s a proper “flat tan” and looks great and this will undoubtedly be a top seller! However, the one I personally fell in love with is the green version… to me, it just looks “right”.

I’ll go into the full internal setup when our production test sample arrives; I always ask for a sample from the middle of the production run to ensure we test what you will buy! However, what I will comment on here is that in addition to the brushless motor the FREYA rifles will also come with DELTA ARMORY’s latest EAGLE ETU which uses a magnetic trigger and optical light gear detection so that you can customise the function setup; this will include burst modes, binary mode, adjustable trigger sensitivity, pre-cocking and all the other things that we’ve come to love as they not only provide an individual platform, but also protect our AEG and extend its “service life”!

FINAL (INITIAL) THOUGHTS

Now you know it’s unlike me to feature a new AEG without first testing it, and trust me, that will come when the models first leave the factory, but you will also know my thoughts on correct licencing from the real firearm creator. Some AEGs are unique designs that work extremely well, but designs that still resemble a “real firearm” (and rightly so in my opinion!), but that are made from drawing board onwards to in-house specifications.

Then there are those that are clones of “real”, and indeed these days there are even “clones of clones” that take one airsoft manufacturers technology and incorporate it in something cheaper and less original. And at the other end of this spectrum we have the “fully licenced” products like the FREYA that are true 1:1 replicas of the real deal.

These “licenced” replicas may sometimes cost a little more than the unbranded “clone” models (in some cases considerably more!), and to date we have in honesty seen sub-par items made under licence, not all of them for sure, but some. Again, it’s my opinion, but if we are paying for something that is

more expensive surely we should be able to have an expectation too of at least solid performance!

My belief is that DELTA ARMORY have really put massive effort into not only having a new rifle series that looks supremely like the “real deal”, but that they have ensured that what’s inside also lives up to our performance expectations… and those perhaps of Jaro himself! They’ve used premium parts, and indeed have developed new technologies of their own to ensure that the FREYA promises to be a first-rate AEG… and the good news is that it won’t break the bank either… although I await a finalised price Peter has assured me that it will be “keenly priced”.

So many people say to me “how do you write about yet another AR” and in this instance I will say with great joy and excitement! The FREYA line will offer something quite unique, with a massively interesting story behind it, and the new AEG is awaited eagerly here at AAHQ as I am, as we Brits say “gagging” to get one out on the range and give it a “proper beasting”.

To me it is apparent that Peter and his DELTA ARMORY crew have put their very heart and soul into delivering these new AEGs, and their passion shines through. Peter told me;

“Grand Power is real firearms factory from Slovakia and we are working with them very closely; we have a long term contract signed with them to make licensed airsoft replicas of their products; Delta Armory HQ is in the same city as Grand Power! For FREYA the key for us is the design of it, the design of the licensed body, our new designed stock with combination of new handguards, and our new internal technology; it looks very good.”

“Very good” is 100% understatement, and I believe that Jaroslav Kuracina must be certain now that he has made the absolutely the correct decision to work with DELTA ARMORY as they have replicated his rifle design brilliantly in airsoft form and I can’t wait to get one sending some BBs downrange… as always, watch this space!

Thanks to Peter and Zan at www.delta-armory. com for all their help with information and images for this article; please do check out the website and their social media channels for more info on FREYA! AA

“I’LL GO INTO THE FULL INTERNAL SETUP WHEN OUR PRODUCTION TEST SAMPLE ARRIVES; I ALWAYS ASK FOR A SAMPLE FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE PRODUCTION RUN TO ENSURE WE TEST WHAT YOU WILL BUY! HOWEVER, WHAT I WILL COMMENT ON HERE IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THE BRUSHLESS MOTOR THE FREYA RIFLES WILL ALSO COME WITH DELTA ARMORY’S LATEST EAGLE ETU”

“SO MANY PEOPLE SAY TO ME “HOW DO YOU WRITE ABOUT YET ANOTHER AR” AND IN THIS INSTANCE I WILL SAY WITH GREAT JOY AND EXCITEMENT! THE FREYA LINE WILL OFFER SOMETHING QUITE UNIQUE, WITH A MASSIVELY INTERESTING STORY BEHIND IT, AND THE NEW AEG IS AWAITED EAGERLY HERE AT AAHQ”

TAIWANESE TRIARCHY!

ANYONE WHO READS AIRSOFT ACTION ON A REGULAR BASIS WILL KNOW THAT WE HAVE A VERY LONG-STANDING, CLOSE, AND ENDURING RELATIONSHIP WITH ICS, AND IT’S ONE THAT WILL STAND UP TO THE TEST OF TIME… JUST LIKE THEIR AEGS AND GBBS! BILL NOW LOOKS AT THREE NEW HI CAPA GBB MODELS FROM THE TAIWANESE MANUFACTURER AS HE KICKS OFF OUR EVALUATION OF THE LEGACY, ACME, AND CARNOTAURUS!

Our journey with the new GBB pistol series from ICS pretty much all started when Stewbacca and I visited them “at home” last year in Taiwan and had the privileged opportunity to look both at their historical airsoft models (of which there are many and varied!) and the projects that they were working on for 2024.

As a long-time user of ICS pistols, SMGs, and carbines/rifles being able to see the entire range that they have produced since they started out was a rare and beautiful thing, and some of the models on the display walls brought back some insanely happy airsoft memories for me; so it was too with Stewbacca as he and I bored the “stuff” out of poor Rita, our ICS “handler”, with our tales of airsoft adventures around the globe!

Now this goes to prove just how deeply ICS have touched the stony airsoft hearts of players from different generations, and enabled 6mm shenanigans for all and sundry… and with what we now know will be coming they appear set to continue this trend in the year ahead of us! The list of global airsoft patents they hold for innovative technologies is as extensive as their back catalogue of airsoft platforms, and seeing inside their factory showed me that they have the capability to produce high-quality airsoft items both old and new for the foreseeable future!

As much as ICS are rightly respected for their work with AEGs, in recent years their attention has also turned to other projects like the TOMAHAWK spring rifle and some absolutely, outrageously unique gas pistols; sure, they’ve worked with licences on things like the Makarov and the KORTH, but to me they are at their very best when they’re working 100% with their own designs, and using their own technologies to drive these designs along reliably and respectably!

It’s also no secret that in-house we are big fans of the CHALLENGER Hi Capa, and as Jimmy said when he looked at that some time ago (you’ll find his full review in our Back Issues section on the AA website);

“I really do feel ICS have hit the proverbial nail right on the sweet spot with this pistol…. all in all they have produced something that I believe is going to bode well with many an airsofter and I predict they will sell out very fast, faster than hot cakes! If

you are looking for a high-level contender which offers superb performance, I recommend you take a look at the new ICS Challenger pistol – if you buy one, you WILL be the envy of many!”

As the CHALLENGER continues to perform well in our long-term test program (the next update will be in Issue 161) it’s a pistol that we can 100% recommend to you… BUT…

The CHALLENGER, to be blunt is being “challenged” by three new pistol models that we genuinely fell in love with at concept stage, and have been eagerly awaiting to test since we first saw the prototypes in our factory visit last November… so please say big hello to our newest little friends, the ICS LEGACY, ACME, and CARNOTAURUS!

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

So, three new pistol models, all Hi Capa-style GBBs, but all three with a very distinct character; what are the differences? Let me break them down by model for you…

The LEGACY looks to me to be an out and out “fighting iron”, but in a modern and aesthetically pleasing form which nods to current “best practice” in 1911-style design. It’s an all-black, all-cleanlines design that looks business-like with very little fancy-schmancy stuff going on, or should I say that is obvious; that, however, is not to say that it’s not chock-full of superb features such as:

• High-Grade Alloy slide

• TDC Hop-Up Chamber ( Compatible with TM spec)

• MASTER MODS R-Hop System

• REVO.II High Performance Valve System

• Steel fire control system components (Compatible with TM spec)

• SUS301 Stainless Steel Sear Spring (Compatible with TM spec)

• Adjustable Trigger

• 3-dot Luminous Sights

• Steel CCW 14mm Muzzle Adapter

All the elements that we like to see are present in a very functional and to-the-point handgun that looks fabulous. The LEGACY will be available with gas and CO2 dual-system options, and the gas

“THIS GOES TO PROVE JUST HOW DEEPLY ICS HAVE TOUCHED THE STONY AIRSOFT HEARTS OF PLAYERS FROM DIFFERENT GENERATIONS, AND ENABLED 6MM SHENANIGANS FOR ALL AND SUNDRY… AND WITH WHAT WE NOW KNOW WILL BE COMING THEY APPEAR SET TO CONTINUE THIS TREND IN THE YEAR AHEAD OF US!”

version comes with with the Revo high-performance gas valve to improve gas conversion efficiency that we know already can increase gas efficiency by up to 20%; the CO2 version uses a Japanese-made CO2 gas valve from Kobayashi for more stable airflow output and safe operation. With an overall length of 205mm and weighing in at 886g, you get a great, easily-pointable pistol kicking out 0.91 Joule/313fps (tested with a .20g BB) from a 30 BB mag, and that offers compatibility with Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa parts, providing a wider range of variety of maintenance, repair, and upgrade options…. what’s not to like?

As much as I like the LEGACY, and I do as it’s a skirmishers pistol through and through, the ACME notches things up towards a “comp-style” shooter with some very tasty-looking red accents for the cutout trigger and outer barrel. Still benefitting from that thoroughly modern “look” the accents to me scream “RANGETIME!”, and I can imagine the ACME being right at home clanging steels and popping poppers!

Again the features are very cool, and fall internally in line with those of the LEGACY, but the ACME directly continues the CHALLENGER inspiration (and what inspiration it is!) by adopting the most common “5.1” mid-length frame. Once again the entire pistol has a high degree of compatibility with Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa parts, providing the same wide range of maintenance, repair, and upgrade options.

The aluminium-alloy, hollow-design slide with cutouts reduces the overall weight of the slide which of course leads to increased gas efficiency, and married up to the ICS Revo technology and those uberefficient MASTER MODS parts this is quite striking in performance terms, delivering 30 BBs from a platform 220mm long and weighing 997g at a mean of 0.95 Joule/315fps all wrapped up as one very attractive package.

“THE ACME NOTCHES THINGS UP TOWARDS A “COMP-STYLE” SHOOTER WITH SOME VERY TASTY-LOOKING RED ACCENTS FOR THE CUT-OUT TRIGGER AND OUTER BARREL. STILL BENEFITTING FROM THAT THOROUGHLY MODERN “LOOK” THE ACCENTS TO ME SCREAM “RANGETIME!””

looking (if I can use that term with these super-modern designs) LEGACY and ACME… then moves all of that up a notch by increasing efficiency all over again, as I’ve said before about other splitslide designs that I’ve come to love and cherish. On first inspection this new Hi-Capa has everything that’s in the other models, but this time with a flared, oversized magwell which aids immeasurably doing fast reloads, and both an upper and lower frame that features rails to comfortably accommodate both a taclite and an RDS!

But it’s the slide and the fixed inner barrel that makes all the difference on this new pistol; that Split Slide design means only the rear half of the slide actually moves, dovetailing beautifully with the fixed front half so there is much less weight moving, making your gas usage massively more efficient, and the cycle time meaningfully less when it comes to taking follow-up shots! The fixed barrel also reduces vibration and negative “harmonics” while the slide travels, allowing you to get, in principle at least, better shot-to-shot accuracy. Delivering a mean of again 0.95 Joule/315fps the pistol does indeed do so for longer, offering better gas efficiency overall than its siblings…

At first when I laid hands on the CARNOTAURUS I thought it to be a most aggressively-styled yet eyecatching design, especially with the red accents on the outer barrel that’s visible through cut-outs again, the adjustable short-stroke trigger and the reinforced magazine baseplate. At 962g/220mm it certainly feels solid and weighty, a pistol made to “get work done”. The lower frame is also threaded for other style, highstyle optic mounts (as are the others), and ICS have these as accessories if you prefer that style over directmounting to the fixed upper… personally I’ll stick with direct-mounting for a solid retention of zero should I choose to trial with an RDS.

DOWNRANGE

I’ve already given the mean power levels over a 10 BB string in the individual descriptions above, and that’s

three pistols benefit from both a TDC Hop-Up Chamber and MASTER MODS R-Hop System, and this is super cool, and much-loved by Tech Jimmy! The hop chamber design comes with a TDC (Top-Dead-Centre) mount that helps to ensure the best even and spread-out vertical bucking pressure, and this in turn stabilises BB trajectory and increases accuracy and range overall, and the pressure ring itself is created in powder-steel which increases preciseness even further! Going even further it’s an upgraded TDC HOP paired with the MASTER MODS R-Hop bucking, so that in principle again the pistols can be used with BB-weights up to and including .48g to improve trajectory stability and accuracy, resulting in better shooting performance, and a huge amount of consistency… and yes, you read that right… this ALL comes as standard!

With that out of the way I’ll get back to shooting the three pistols as new from the box… well, almost as I blasted though five magazines on each before testing proper… and it was super-fun! For the LEGACY and ACME the result downrange were

“IMPRESSED AS I WAS BY ALL THREE HI CAPA PROTOTYPES THAT ICS SHOWED US, IT WAS THE CARNOTAURUS (YUP, ME NEITHER BUT IT SOUNDS MEATY, DINOSAUR-Y, AND COOL!) THAT REALLY MADE ME SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE AS THIS IS AN ALLNEW SPLIT-SLIDE MODEL THAT SHOWS FURTHER INNOVATION IN THE ICS PISTOL PROGRAM”

exactly as I expected; my steels were ringing’ nicely using .30g BBs at 10 metres for quite some time! Although there is some cool down (as you would expect), the pistols keep on shooting, and feel distinctly “punchy”. I have tried a few of walk-downs on the woodland range, firing on the move and both pistols kept things on target nicely, especially given the as-standard fibre-optic sights. Mag changes are also a breeze as the extended floorplate on the mags and the flared magwell really helps to push things along efficiently and smoothly. Design-wise both pistols are highly user-friendly, the adjustable flat-face triggers have a pleasing and solid reset, the oversized controls come intuitively to hand, and the nicely textured grips fill the hand and give a very positive sensation during target transitions. All in all they are both supremely tidy platforms.

As new the CARNOTAURUS Split Slide has performed very well at 10 metres on steels too, using the same .30g BBs, even on cooler days. However, it does appear to be super-efficient on VORSK V8 FUEL, cycling the rear of the slide quickly and efficiently, and having no problem whatsoever emptying the entire 30 BB magazine at a solid, consistent power level. As with other designs of this style it also rocks when you fit it with a suppressor (all three models are delivered with a muzzle adaptor), and given that the front of the slide remains fixed in place it seems purpose-designed for this! Overall, with a taclite and the suppressor fitted it looks very cool indeed, and with the fast cycling you can certainly “double tap” to your heart’s content! As I’ve said before with other similar designs, this is another fine example of how elegant yet aggressive and thoroughly unique design can be married to the total understanding of how a GBB pistol works to create a platform that if anything shoots even better than it looks!

So, to wraps things up, which is my favourite?

I think it’s pretty obvious, but yes, it’s the CARNOTAURUS as it melds performance and design in the best possible way as far as I’m concerned! However, ICS have been kind enough (and confident enough in their workmanship!) to provide several models for us to place in the long-term test pool for extended evaluation; as always “from the box” is one thing, but a hammering in the hands of Jimmy, Ben,

Stewbacca, and I is a totally different thing!

As this “Triarchy from Taiwan” are all fine GBB pistols that will let you rule the field with some absolutely brilliant features as standard I believe they will be a total pleasure to own and shoot. As a team we will return to them at a later date once we’ve been able to get them on the range more, and out into game… and of course, Stewbacca will be putting one through its full competition-paces too!

For now though I do believe that one of the “meaty, dinosaur-y, and cool” CARNOTAURUS pistols will be on my to buy list, and I intend to make that purchase very soon indeed!

My sincere thanks as always go to our friends at ICS AIRSOFT for providing the test samples for us, and to learn more please do pay them a visit at www.icsbb. com AA

“IT’S AN UPGRADED TDC HOP PAIRED WITH THE MASTER MODS R-HOP BUCKING, SO THAT IN PRINCIPLE AGAIN THE PISTOLS CAN BE USED WITH BB-WEIGHTS UP TO AND INCLUDING .48G TO IMPROVE TRAJECTORY STABILITY AND ACCURACY, RESULTING IN BETTER SHOOTING PERFORMANCE, AND A HUGE AMOUNT OF CONSISTENCY… AND YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT… THIS ALL COMES AS STANDARD!”

REAPING BENEFITS

2024 IS MOST CERTAINLY GOING TO BE BRINGING US SOME INTERESTING AND INNOVATIVE NEW AEGS AND GBBS AND WE’RE REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT OUR OLD FRIENDS AT EVOLUTION AIRSOFT IN ITALY ARE FULLY BACK ON FORM, AND THEY’VE FINALLY JOINED THE RANKS OF COMPANIES OFFERING “PCC” MODELS WITH THEIR NEW REAPER SERIES! BILL TAKES A LOOK AT THE SMALLEST OF THE BUNCH TO SEE HOW THINGS HAVE MOVED ON…

Ireally do like EVOLUTION AIRSOFT both in terms of their AEGs, and also because they’re genuinely nice people who put great thought and super levels of care into what they create; I also love the fact that they’re Italian and bring all the passion and flair to the “airsoft party” that you might expect!

It’s been a little while since I personally had my hands on one of their very latest AEGs, as along with many companies out there they’ve been re-assessing and reconfiguring what they do and just how they do it following those dastardly Covid years. Also like many companies in the airsoft industry (Airsoft Action included!) the enforced pause has allowed them to come back stronger, and as you’ll see in our IWA report, things are coming back even more strongly than ever.

I worked out when I spoke to them in Germany that the first time I worked with the EVOLUTION AIRSOFT brand is probably a little over fifteen years ago, and I’ve seen them innovate and grow over the years to where they are now, and to me that’s rightfully among the leading airsofttechnology innovators, as unlike many airsoft companies out there a lot of the “tech” that goes into an EVOLUTION AEG is their own, conceptualised and realised by them most often in-house, and I truly love them for it!

So, of course I know the history behind EVOLUTION and where they’ve come from and I have in honesty written about this before. However, as we constantly have new players coming into our airsoft community around the world it’s a pretty cool story that shows just how passionate they are about airsoft! Sergio Castelluccia back in the day created the first Italian online Airsoft blog, airsoftnews.net, which become very popular with us early adopters online! After graduating university, Sergio decided to convert his passion into a full-time job by involving the co-founder of Evolution in his fledgling business, Giovanni Castelluccia, his father. Their first intention was to make the Far Eastern brands available to the European market, and in a short time, Sergio gained the exclusive distribution of very important brands such as Classic Army, Systema and ICS, and Evolution International’s activity continued as sole distributor for

several many years.

Sergio’s ambition, however, was to create his own products, so he decided to gradually abandon distribution to devote himself to innovation and production, focusing on those aspects that in his opinion were neglected by other manufacturers. The first product launched on the market, dating back FIFTEEN YEARS (around the time I first met him from memory as I remember the launch of these!), was the XTREME PRECISION BI-ODEGRADABLE BB’s. At the time, biodegradable BB’s timidly appeared on the market causing many problems to users due to their unstable production materials. Sergio’s solution was by way of using PLA (polyactic acid, typically made from the sugars in corn starch, cassava or sugarcane; it’s biodegradable, carbon-neutral and edible!) as a basic material, creating biodegradable BB’s with the same characteristics as normal ones. The XTREME PRECI-SION BBs have been an incredible success and cemented the path Evolution chose to follow: innovation, technological superiority and out of the box thinking! In the years following this philosophy was adopted for all Evolution products.

Sergio’s obsession was perfection; to him, airsoft replicas had to reflect faithfully real weapons so the next step was obtaining licenses to produce faithful replicas of real firearms such as Tangodown, Z-M Weapons, Lone Star Tactical, ADC Armi Dallera Custom, and DSR Precision. For several years Evolution International S.r.l. has been focused on production of licensed replicas but for Sergio it still wasn’t enough, so he decided not to limit himself only to the production of replicas but to design his own original models! He hired a well-known Italian firearm designer based on Valtrompia (the “Firearms Valley” of renown!) and working side by side with him for six months he developed from the ground up the GHOST series, an original family of rifles with a very distinctive look designed in house from scratch.

But Sergio’s obsession as an airsoft player was not just about the exterior of an AEG but also the interior! Thanks to technological development that made miniaturized electronic components available, it was possible for Evolution International to start developing its unique electronic boards. They gradually evolved up to the ETS CONFIGURATION, which are built-in as

“I WORKED OUT WHEN I SPOKE TO THEM IN GERMANY THAT THE FIRST TIME I WORKED WITH THE EVOLUTION AIRSOFT BRAND IS PROBABLY A LITTLE OVER FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, AND I’VE SEEN THEM INNOVATE AND GROW OVER THE YEARS TO WHERE THEY ARE NOW, AND TO ME THAT’S RIGHTFULLY AMONG THE LEADING AIRSOFTTECHNOLOGY INNOVATORS”

Reaper XS EMR PDW Carbontech ETS II!

FORM AND FUNCTION

The XS EMR PDW is one of a family that now forms the REAPER line-up, and it’s by far the smallest and most compact sibling. As I’ve often said openly before I’m not usually a fan of super-compact “PDW” style AEGs as I’m a big old lad, but to me if you can cram all the technical goodness into the tiniest of packages and it still performs then the rest of the range is going to be just as good if not better in terms of performance! All the new Reaper models with the ETS ll electronic triggers, and indeed all EVOLUTION rifles within the Evolution Carbontech ETU series, are manufactured to a high standard that’s sensibly priced and gives excellent “bang for your airsoft- buck”!

With the Reaper series, EVOLUTION expand their Carbontech AEGs into the PCC arena with some really unique design features, and the foundation of this is that they believe that their PCC models should have the performance of a normal full-size carbine rifle paired with a “pistol calibre”, which in our world means that they use a dedicated lower for “9mm or .45” magazines rather than a STANAG or similar one, and with the Reaper series, EVOLUTION have yet again relied on their own in-house development to create the new design, a process that we already know works extremely well!

a cutting-edge techno-polymer that as an amalgam offers improved strength, extra durability, a great feel in the hand, and extends the life of the parts in their entirety. Of course there is still high-grade alloy used for the rail, outer barrel and PDW stock parts to give the little Reaper some substance, and the net result of this carefully-considered alliance is excellent; the Reaper looks GREAT!

It always strikes me as strange that so many airsofters look at AEGs and insist it’s got to be “full metal or nothing” when there are so many excellent AEG models out there benefitting from super-strong and extremely durable high-standard polymer bodies! As I’ve mentioned many times before there’s an entire heap of evidence from the world of real firearms to support the efficient and efficacious use of polymers in overall weapon design and construction, so why on earth should this be any different in the airsoft world?

The fact is that if the correct polymer is used it can actually provide real benefits, not just in strength and durability, but also in relation to weight saving! The bottom line is that if you’re carrying less weight you can be faster on your feet and keep fatigue at bay longer… if this wasn’t the case then why would we have the “light is right” mantra on the lips of the “hi speed, lo drag” fraternity? If you follow my logic a lighter rifle or carbine reduces your overall load even further, meaning that you can go harder and

“I’VE OFTEN SAID OPENLY BEFORE I’M NOT USUALLY A FAN OF SUPER-COMPACT “PDW” STYLE AEGS AS I’M A BIG OLD LAD, BUT TO ME IF YOU CAN CRAM ALL THE TECHNICAL GOODNESS INTO THE TINIEST OF PACKAGES AND IT STILL PERFORMS THEN THE REST OF THE RANGE IS GOING TO BE JUST AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE!”

faster, for longer, and the EC64AR is just 490mm long (580mm extended) and weighs in at a feather-weight 2100g!

EVOLUTION INSIDE!

Internally there’s a lot of EVOLUTION-cool going on too! A reinforced V2 metal gearbox ensures reliability, and the sturdy 8mm design will ensure long-term durability too; the “Torque Up” steel gears run on 8mm bearings. A metal spring guide and the polymer piston with full-tooth steel teeth and piston head with ventilation holes ensures a good seal (read more about this in our tech feature this month!), and the Tappet Plate is a reliable, reinforced polycarbonate version. The standard high-torque, long-type motor also ensures reliability and a quick firing sequence.

And it gets better even! Installed as standard is the fully programmable EVOLUTION ETS II Mosfet switching unit, and this unit is a 100% in-house

development precision manufactured in Italy. As EVOLUTION say themselves;

“Thanks to the most advanced design and engineering technologies, the board is equipped with a variety of programmable functions. This allows the shooter to adapt the rifle perfectly to his likingquickly and easily, without any external programming devices or connection cables. All functions can be adjusted directly on the playing field using the trigger and fire selector lever.”

The microprocessor-controlled ETS II firing system brings the Reaper series bang on-spec with the very latest airsoft platforms on the market. The Electric Trigger System version II is equipped with an ETU control unit and a ‘Fet that results in a microprocessorcontrolled firing system transmitting the battery voltage directly to the motor efficiently, and provides a reliable shot-to-shot firing sequence, and keeps current running in a controlled fashion to the motor.

“THE STANDARD HIGH-TORQUE, LONG-TYPE MOTOR ALSO ENSURES RELIABILITY AND A QUICK FIRING SEQUENCE. AND IT GETS BETTER EVEN! INSTALLED AS STANDARD IS THE FULLY PROGRAMMABLE EVOLUTION ETS II MOSFET SWITCHING UNIT”

“TESTING WITH .20G BBS RESULTED IN A RESPECTABLE AND IMMEDIATELY USABLE AVERAGE OF 0.88 JOULE/309FPS THROUGH THE CHRONO WHICH MEANS THIS AEG IS USABLE STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX FOR MOST SITES, AND IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE MORE “CQB ENGAGEMENT FRIENDLY” THAN SOME!”

Of course it also means that you can select from many programming options to make YOUR Reaper YOURS, and to do this you get fully programmable features such as;

• Semi-automatic firing function (Semi Auto)

• Binary trigger (Binary Trigger)

• 3 Burst Semi

• 3 Burst Auto

• 5 Burst Auto

• Full Auto Ramping Full Auto

• Active Brake

• Sniper Delay (pause after one shot)

• Factory Setting Reset

You also get automatic Low Voltage Protection (shutdown), Voltage Detection, Cycle Control, and Motor Diagnostics, and all the programmable settings can be switched on or off, while the automatic modes are always switched on to protect your components; the automatic battery and voltage features means that 7.4V or 11.1V LiPo and LiFe are therefore fine to use.

DOWNRANGE

So, a fine set of internal components inside a unique, light-weight yet sturdy body means that the littlest Reaper should be quite the handful… and it certainly is! Setting the EC64AR is a breeze as the battery compartment is opened by a screw cap, which means the battery can be changed quickly and without tools. Again EVOLUTION specifically indicate that...

“7.4V / 11.1V LiPo stock tube type batteries with a length of up to approx. 112 mm and a diameter of 25 mm can be inserted into the battery compartment. The battery connection cable is a T-Plug/Deans version - please keep this in mind when purchasing the battery!”

The SMG-style “9mm” magazine is again a sturdy polymer, so lightweight and easy to carry multiples of and it loads and feeds well. The Reaper series come as standard with a 6.01mm precision inner barrel and a rotary hop-up (a durable composite-plastic in a one-piece design) which I’ve found to be easily and precisely adjusted. The combination of light weight and minimalist size make the Reaper easy to manipulate even in the closest of close-encounters; EVOLUTION do provide a “TD” style foregrip in the

box, but I chose in this instance not to fit it for testing as it makes my “workspace” feel cramped. You may feel differently, and it’s creditable that this is included as it gives you those all-important personalisation options.

Testing with .20g BBs resulted in a respectable and immediately usable average of 0.88 Joule/309fps through the chrono which means this AEG is usable straight out of the box for most sites, and is going to be a little more “CQB engagement friendly” than some! Once the hop is set though, the littlest Reaper was ranging accurately out to the 30m extent of the woodland range and punching sandbags just using the “irons” that are provided with it. In my opinion it will be great for CQB where engagement distances are more intimate, though eminently usable in a woodland game too.

My time so far with the REAPER XS EMR PDW thus far then has been a very positive experience; I’ve tried many a “PCC/PDW” now that have been quite upgraded and the EC64AR gives them a run for their money as a stock gun, so I can’t really say anything negative at all about this super little AEG. Although they’ve been a little quiet of late it’s obvious that this has been “rime well spent” and yet again I will say a big GOOD JOB to EVOLUTION AIRSOFT for moving things forward yet again!

To conclude, once again the guys at EVOLUTION have allowed me to enter the REAPER XS EMR PDW into that category for further and prolonged Red Cell testing, so watch this space as this litte AEG takes a proper hammering, so will it stand up to our abuse?

Based on my experience with EVOLUTION AEGs overall, and what we’ve found from other models in the test pool I’m expecting nothing less than continued stellar performance from this beautiful little example of fine Italian engineering, and I believe that we’ll be reaping the benefits from it for some considerable time!

As always my thanks go to Sergio and Veronica at EVOLUTION AIRSOFT for providing the test sample, and to the UK distribution team at www.rangeright.co.uk for expediting delivery to me. For more information on this model - and others in the Reaper range - please visit www.store.evolutioninternational.it or (in the UK) head to Range Right! AA

“BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE WITH EVOLUTION AEGS OVERALL, AND WHAT WE’VE FOUND FROM OTHER MODELS IN THE TEST POOL I’M EXPECTING NOTHING LESS THAN CONTINUED STELLAR PERFORMANCE FROM THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE EXAMPLE OF FINE ITALIAN ENGINEERING, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE’LL BE REAPING THE BENEFITS FROM IT FOR SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME!”

BESPOKE GHILLIE SUITS

AS AIRSOFT SNIPER RIFLE PLATFORMS GET BETTER AND BETTER EVEN FROM THE BOX, AND AFTERMARKET ACCESSORY PARTS AND UPGRADES CONTINUE TO BECOME MORE AND MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE WE THOUGHT WE’D LOOK AT ANOTHER AREA OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE AND THAT’S A KEY “SNIPER TOOL”, THE GHILLIE SUIT. THANKFULLY BILL WAS ABLE TO CALL ON THE EXPERTISE OF ZERO ALPHA DESIGNS HERE IN THE UK WHO WORK WITH PROFESSIONAL USERS AND THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO DIG DEEPER!

“IN AN AIRSOFT GAME, A TALENTED SNIPER WITH A HIGHER-POWERED BOLT-ACTION RIFLE CAN ACT AS A REAL ‘FORCE MULTIPLIER’, REACHING OUT BEYOND NORMAL AIRSOFT ENGAGEMENT DISTANCES TO REMOVE THE THREAT OF A SUPPORT GUNNER, OR TAKE OUT A ‘HIGH VALUE TARGET’”

Given that we have a couple of active airsoft snipers in RED CELL/AA LEGION we endeavour to give space to “long guns” as much as we can, be that spring, gas or HPA-driven creations that are things of precision, superb engineering and beauty! It’s a specialist area of airsoft that ultimately requires equally specialist skills and knowledge, and if you get into it in-depth it’s utterly absorbing and fascinating too!

But an airsofter needs to understand their limitations, and during my many years involved with airsoft I’ve toyed many, many times the idea of adding another bolt-action sniper rifle to the armoury. I’ve tried many, many models from different manufacturers from super cheap to mega expensive and enjoyed shooting them all, but I’ve usually found myself thinking “I wish I could get just a bit more…”, which of course means investing more time and money into a platform that I’m not personally in all honesty going to use very often. It’s not just the rifle itself that I’m talking about either as of course to get a good setup you’re going to need the accessories to go with it; an optic, decent rings or a mount, a bipod, and possibly even a suppressor all add to the overall cost of the build, and of course when it comes to optics the sky is the limit.

I’ve often fancied trying the sniper role in airsoft games but to be perfectly honest, just as in the real world, it takes a very particular mind-set to perform this even adequately. In an airsoft game, a talented sniper with a higher-powered bolt-action rifle can act as a real ‘force multiplier’ (as I’ve found out time and again when I’ve come up against a very talented individual in the woods during numerous games!), reaching out beyond normal airsoft engagement distances to remove the threat of a support gunner, or take out a ‘high value target’.

Time and again though I come back to the fact that even as I get older I’m still more of a ‘in your face, take ground’ type of player and I’ll be the first to admit I just don’t have the patience or inclination to crawl around or hide away in a bush in a Ghillie Suit, waiting for that one perfect shot. I have to admit that also I don’t really have the “sniper mind-set” which is really a must to be effective on the field; yes, I’ll happily hit a game with a semi-auto only DMR, but the thought of laying patiently in wait or sneaking

through the woods in a Ghillie suit hunting for my quarry is not really my style!

A good sniper though is worth their weight in gold, and I do truly admire those that embrace the role fully, and over the years there are many times that I’ve taken a hit seemingly from nowhere and called out “Bloody good shot mate!” The silent art of the airsoft sniper takes huge patience, practice, great fieldcraft knowledge, and a real commitment to getting your kit right… and apart from a good rifle the one thing that you’re going to need is that “Ghillie Suit”. We have looked at this before, and Jimmy created his “Poundshop Ghillie” a little while back, but what separates the gifted amateur from the “professionals”? Thankfully after speaking to Josh from ZERO ALPHA DESIGNS about their bespoke Ghillie Suits I now have a better understanding of this arcane art-form to share with you!

“THE SILENT ART OF THE AIRSOFT SNIPER TAKES HUGE PATIENCE, PRACTICE, GREAT FIELDCRAFT KNOWLEDGE, AND A REAL COMMITMENT TO GETTING YOUR KIT RIGHT… AND APART FROM A GOOD RIFLE THE ONE THING THAT YOU’RE GOING TO NEED IS THAT “GHILLIE SUIT””

ZERO ALPHA DESIGNS

ZERO TO HERO

AA: ZERO ALPHA DESIGNS, please introduce yourselves and tell us all about you!

ZAD: Thanks Bill. So, my name is Josh Kelly, and I create bespoke Ghillie systems for both Military Snipers from various countries around the world, police marksmen or “TRO’s” for the UK readers and I make them of course for hobbyists such as airsofters, photographers, hunters and the like. I’ve been doing it now for around 5 years and all started from a humble

interest in camouflage and “The Art of Sniping”.

AA: What led your into such a specialist area?

ZAD: Like mentioned, it was my own passion for the Sniper role whilst growing up. I learnt all I could about the role, the math for long range rifle shooting, and more importantly, camouflage.

AA: How did you get started making Ghillie Suits?

ZAD: It all started from my first game of airsoft. Straight from the get go, I wanted to have an airsoft sniper rifle and a Ghillie suit too. I built my first Ghillie which, looking back at it now it was awful. But I slowly developed my skills and just kept building on one suit, playing a game, working out what did and didn’t work, went home and adjusted it, repeat…

After a while I had people come up to me and asked me to show them how I made the Ghillie suit; I thought it would be a good opportunity to offer my work to build one for them.

This appealed to me mainly as I could carry on my love for camouflage and continue to improve my skills whilst helping people who had little time (or patience as you said earlier!) to make their own. Everything has developed from there over the years and formed into myself making them for serving military snipers, which was always my end goal.

AA: Without giving too many secrets away, what goes into making a bespoke Ghillie Suit?

ZAD: It’s quite simple really. You need A LOT of spare time and of course buckets of patience to make one. A good Ghillie should constantly change as per the season, whether that’s with dyed materials, or natural vegetation. Imagine a Ghillie as a living thing that you need to manually change as the seasons develop, so it blends with all the natural plants and environments that change automatically thanks to Mother Nature.

“AFTER A WHILE I HAD PEOPLE COME UP TO ME AND ASKED ME TO SHOW THEM HOW I MADE THE GHILLIE SUIT; I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER MY WORK TO BUILD ONE FOR THEM. THIS APPEALED TO ME MAINLY AS I COULD CARRY ON MY LOVE FOR CAMOUFLAGE AND CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY SKILLS”

ZERO ALPHA DESIGNS

AA: We know that you work not only with some cool airsofters, but also with real-world professional users; what can you tell our readers about that?

ZAD: Absolutely, we started offering Ghillie suits for military snipers as an option for them to have a new Ghillie compared to their old systems, but we also offered dyed materials for colours all around the world, which massively benefits them as it aids their concealment when operating in the field. Many snipers have little time to make their own, or they just can’t get the dye colours right for their area, which brings them to us.

We’ve done Ghillie systems for many different snipers but some include

• Royal Marine Snipers

• Pathfinder Snipers

• MET Police TRO (Police Sniper)

• US Scout Snipers

• SOF Sniper groups

AA: Where do you see ZAD heading in the future?

ZAD: I’m now stating to push out more physical product systems that will directly benefit real-world snipers. These are things that go on weapon systems, or now bits of wearable equipment that will benefit the sniper.

For example we have one product that is on its way to be trialled at the Sniper Branch in the ISTC (International Specialist Training Centre) where they will use the systems during their operations. This product I hope will also replace existing issued systems for the British Army Sniper Rifle, as well as other NATO countries issued equipment. So watch this space!

AA: If people are interested in seeing more of what you do, or speaking to you about a Ghillie Suit for themselves, what’s their next step?

ZAD: Any reader that needs a ghillie system can quote “Airsoft Action 338” to me via any of the below:

Email: ZeroAlphaDesigns@gmail.com

Text: +44 (0)7421458901

Instagram: Sniperzeroalpha

Thanks again!

AA: Our thanks to you Josh, for sharing with us both about yourself and what you create! We hope that as you move forward we’ll be able to speak again and hear about all your latest sniper-oriented developments!

PLEASE NOTE: No eyepro is shown in the images used as these have come direct from Josh, and are safely staged to show his products in all their sniper-friendly glory! AA

“IMAGINE A GHILLIE AS A LIVING THING THAT YOU NEED TO MANUALLY CHANGE AS THE SEASONS DEVELOP, SO IT BLENDS WITH ALL THE NATURAL PLANTS AND ENVIRONMENTS THAT CHANGE AUTOMATICALLY THANKS TO MOTHER NATURE”

ZERO ALPHA DESIGNS

“WE STARTED OFFERING GHILLIE SUITS FOR MILITARY SNIPERS AS AN OPTION FOR THEM TO HAVE A NEW GHILLIE COMPARED TO THEIR OLD SYSTEMS, BUT WE ALSO OFFERED DYED MATERIALS FOR COLOURS ALL AROUND THE WORLD, WHICH MASSIVELY BENEFITS THEM AS IT AIDS THEIR CONCEALMENT WHEN OPERATING IN THE FIELD. ”

TACTICALLY TEESAR

WHEN TIME (AND USE) HAVE TAKEN IT’S TOLL ON HIS KIT AND SOMETHING NEEDS REPLACING, BILL DOESN’T JUST BUY THE FIRST THING THAT HE SEES - OR HAPPENS TO BE IN FASHION. HE RESEARCHES THE MARKET PLACE TO FIND WHAT HE NEEDS TO “BUY WISELY, BUY ONCE” AND SOMETIMES COMES UP WITH SOMETHING QUITE UNEXPECTED.

One of the things that I truly love about writing in Airsoft Action is that it forces me to delve far deeper into the kit brands that we know and use, and sometimes what I discover is truly fascinating! As we’re now coming out of the winter here in the UK my thoughts have of course turned towards gear that needs replacing for the coming summer season of airsoft, and sadly for me it is time for a new pair of lightweight boots… Yeah, I know, more money to invest in my airsoft gear, but thankfully these days it is genuinely replacing stuff that has worn out rather than having to create entire loadouts!

So, this led me to trawling around for something that took my fancy, and I eventually plumped for some great looking boots from Teesar (no, I hadn’t heard of them before either), their SQUAD BOOTS MULTICAM which looked like some cool, aggressive looking midcuts… but more on those later! Of course coming across a tactical gear brand that I didn’t know much about set my “research head” to finding out more, because as I always say “buy wisely and buy once” which of course means knowing who you’re buying from.

The first thing that set my mind at ease somewhat is the fact that I found the Teesar boots at www. military1st.co.uk, and having bought from them many times, and indeed having worked with them as retail

partners to AA and subsequently as friends, I know that they stock good stuff, and of there’s any problem their after-sales service is first rate… So far so good, but who the hell were “Teesar”?

After some judicious online searcheroo-action I finally tracked them down, and what I found out was actually very interesting.

Teesar appear to be a sub-brand of Mil-Tec, the company that provides loads of little bits and bobs of gear that we all have dotted around in our collection… I’m betting that if you look hard there’s probably something from Mil-Tec in your own “gear locker” even if it’s just a shirt, pouch, or washbag!

“COMING ACROSS A TACTICAL GEAR BRAND THAT I DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT SET MY “RESEARCH HEAD” TO FINDING OUT MORE, BECAUSE AS I ALWAYS SAY “BUY WISELY AND BUY ONCE” WHICH OF COURSE MEANS KNOWING WHO YOU’RE BUYING FROM.”

relatively cheap to buy.

But what do we actually know of Teesar-parent MilTec? What I found out was equally surprising!

A SOUND OPERATION

Once I tracked Teesar back to Mil-Tec I was able to access their company information, and their website tells me

“For over 40 years we have been inspiring our customers with our products in tried and test, highquality design. The personal contact to our customers as well as their support over the past years have successfully contributed towards the development of new ideas. Even after 40 years we have succeeded in discovering something new.”

The philosophy of Mil-Tec and their sub-brands is a simple one, “He who wishes to master the future should reflect upon the past. For that is the only way to learn how to introduce something new and better onto the market.”

Looking to their history they’re also not as “new” a brand as some might think, as Sturm Handels GmbH was founded in 1971 in Rottenburg am Neckar and dealt initially, like many, with ex-army surplus stock before getting into manufacturing and the distribution of clothing and equipment for the outdoor adventure sector.

Based in Cartersville USA and since 1990 in Tangermünde, Saxony-Anhalt, the company headquarters is still in Rottenburg am Neckar, and

employs around 150 full-time staff servicing over 3,000 national and international specialist dealers worldwide! With around 10,000 products over around 75,000 sq/ m of warehouse space they have succeeded in developing a constantly growing range of practical and functional outdoor clothing that is characterised by a high quality standard at a good price-performance ratio. Add to this that they have great logistics and infrastructure to ensure quick delivery periods to their retail partners and it’s actually quite the operation, far more so than I had first envisioned!

SILVER SCREEN ACTION!

Another interesting fact about the company is their links to movies and TV; since 1985 they have been providing historical and also current uniforms “faithful to the original” as well as military props to film and television productions… just check out the movie credit section on their website, it’s VERY cool!

Notable German and also internationally known films and documentaries on the first and second World War, as well as over the post-war period, are already being equipped with their costumes and props, and they specialise in equipping crowded scenes but also authentic single productions for main actors are made available from their large collection.

And what a collection it is! Again their website tells me...

“Our costume collection comprises approx. 30,000

“THE PHILOSOPHY OF MIL-TEC AND THEIR SUB-BRANDS IS A SIMPLE ONE, “HE WHO WISHES TO MASTER THE FUTURE SHOULD REFLECT UPON THE PAST. FOR THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN HOW TO INTRODUCE SOMETHING NEW AND BETTER ONTO THE MARKET.””

uniforms from various countries and epochs of the 20th Century.

• 1st World War Germany

• 2nd World War Germany

• 2nd World War Soviet Union

• 2nd World War USA

• Postwar GDR and Soviet Union

• Vietnam War USA

• Berlin Wall USA

• Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces)

As early as 1990 a subsidiary was opened in the new federal states. Today our branch located in Tangermünde / Saxony-Anhalt is the largest and most important location in our company in terms of logistics. Hiring out historical military costumes and props is likewise located in Tangermünde.”

This to me is super-cool and shows a real depth and understanding of gear.

Coming back to that philosophy I mentioned earlier, an understanding of military clothing from the past will inform new designs, and allow any company to move forward from a position of knowledge, and as I move to look at the Teesar sub-range you can really see that lessons of the past have been well-learned and now help to develop new and interesting items!

TACTICALLY TEESAR

So, before I get into the detail about the SQUAD BOOTS MULTICAM that I’ve been starting to test, first let me tell you about what else Miliitary1st have on offer in the range! It’s actually pretty tight and focused although Teesar do offer a wider range, but sensibly the guys at Military1st concentrate on some key pieces of clothing and gear.

Starting with clothing there’s some really sensiblypriced BDU sets of shirt and pant in a range of classic camo patterns including classic US Woodland and Desert Tri, along with some plain block colours too. These are the “classic cut” of BDU made from 100% ripstop cotton that we all know and love, nothing fancy, just good, sold items of clothing that have seen many of us through many airsoft adventures for year… If it ain’t broken and all that…

Next up is one of my favourite “older skool” clothing styles, the “ACU” or US Army Combat Uniform cut.

I wore this style of BDU for many years both at home and overseas and loved it, and I still have a couple of sets in my own locker. Once again, there’s a great choice of classic and more modern camo patterns in the Teesar range, along with block colours too, and these again are 100% cotton ripstop but benefitting from additional features like the Mandarin collar along with slanted chest and arm pockets on the shirts.

You’ll also find a selection of boonie hats, belts, and kneepads to match the clothing in the range, but what really initially took my eye was the boots, and now I have a pair I’m very happy that I found them! Although the clothing on offer is more “classic” (and did I mention VERY well-priced!) the

“STARTING WITH CLOTHING THERE’S SOME REALLY SENSIBLY-PRICED BDU SETS OF SHIRT AND PANT IN A RANGE OF CLASSIC CAMO PATTERNS INCLUDING CLASSIC US WOODLAND AND DESERT TRI, ALONG WITH SOME PLAIN BLOCK COLOURS TOO.”

boots are a different matter entirely as their design is 100% modern!

Available in black, grey, tan, tan/multicam and a good range of sizes the Teesar SQUAD BOOTS are durable and lightweight mid-cut boots

also get a comfortable inner micromesh fabric and some padding, absorbing rubber outsole, and a protective toe cap. The only thing I am slightly wary of is the top two externals eyelets that are external metal fixtures as “past use” of such features has shown me that potential these look and wellmulticam finished very pared-back but obvious. These are undoubtedly highperformance-oriented, and weighing in at just 536g per boot (UK size 9/US 10/Euro 43) they’re certainly

not going to lead to foot-fatigue! However, light weight aside they are sturdily and aggressively styled, and offer excellent support and superb protection to the foot and ankle. The fit is snug at the heel with a medium width around the mid-foot leading forward to that generous, protected toe-box; the height over the toes is good too, as it should be in a warmerweather boot model, and this will allow the toes to spread a little in hotter climates and under load.

I’ve yet to try the SQUAD BOOTS in earnest as where I am is mostly waterlogged and deep mud right now, so I’m still in my winter boots! However, I am heading off at the end of next month for my annual “gear test” and these will be coming with me to literally put them through their paces in drier climes. Thus far, through wearing them around the office and the indoor range, every indication is that they will bed well to my foot shape given the removable insole, a bonus if you wear any kind of arch support like Superfeet as switching them out won’t change the internal volume too significantly!

So, based and what I now know about Teesar, and what more I’ve found out about both them and parent-company Mil-Tec in my research I’m pretty happy; time will tell on the boots themselves but what I’ve learned about a company whose products I once wrote off as simply “cheap and cheerful” has shown me that snobbiness about your gear can stop you looking for the very thing that may serve you very well ultimately!

By all means do your research and “due diligence” before you buy as this is something I will always advocate as few of us are “airsoft millionaires” and can afford to waste money, but don’t be put off by the fact that something is not “Gucci enough” in name. Buy what fits, buy what works for you, and then let it do its work and fade serviceably into the background while you get out to play airsoft - and don’t forget to take a look at the huge range of products over at military1st.com! AA

“I’M PRETTY HAPPY; TIME WILL TELL ON THE BOOTS THEMSELVES BUT WHAT I’VE LEARNED ABOUT A COMPANY WHOSE PRODUCTS I ONCE WROTE OFF AS SIMPLY “CHEAP AND CHEERFUL” HAS SHOWN ME THAT SNOBBINESS ABOUT YOUR GEAR CAN STOP YOU LOOKING FOR THE VERY THING THAT MAY SERVE YOU VERY WELL ULTIMATELY!”

THE CAGE: TAKING THE CONTRACT!

WHILST NOT STRICTLY A “CAMO SOLUTION” THE “PMC” LOADOUT IS CERTAINLY AN IN-GAME CLASSIC, ONE THAT IS ENDURING, AND JUST ABOUT EVERY AIRSOFTER WE KNOW AS HAD A CRACK AT THIS LOOK, THE MEMBERS OF THE AA LEGION INCLUDED! IT’S A GREAT LOADOUT THAT’S SUITABLE FOR BOTH BLUFOR AND OPFOR ROLES DEPENDANT ON THE GAME SCENARIO, SO THIS MONTH WE THOUGHT TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT “OUR GUYS” HAVE WORN, AND WEAR TO NAIL THIS DOWN…

Once again I’ll kick things off but hands things straight over to the members of the AA LEGION as I’ve talked about my personal “PMC Gear” way too many times before, although I have recently upgraded things with Ranger Green and MAPA for an “up-to-the-moment” look!

Suffice to say this is one of the most useful loadouts in any airsofters “CAGE”, and whether you’re just starting to play or a seasoned (mostly broke!) airsoft veteran it’s one that will prove useful again and again. For those just coming into airsoft this loadout is a great place to start as you can use “civvy” clothing that you already own, and add gear to it gradually… at its fundamental level all the gear you need is your AEG/GBB (one of the Tactical AKs featured this month in Red Cell is a perfect choice!), a handful of mags, chest rig or plate carrier, and your eyepro… good to go!

But to give an idea if how this works differently for different players I’ll hand off to the AA Crew to tell

you more!

Dan: My old standby is a GWOT inspired PMC kit I did around 2010. I remember it being based around a Paraclete SOHPC with HSGI universal mag pouches (in “sewer green” as they were informally referred to) that worked great for AK mags. It also had a couple Blackhawk flash bang carriers, a Blue Force Gear Trauma Kit Now pouch, Tactical Tailor radio pouch, and probably a few other bits I’m forgetting now. Shirt was just a basic soccer team shirt paired with generic Propper OD pants and the boots were my usual Lowa Desert Elites. The hat was just one of those LAPoliceGear specials they gave away like candy with orders back in the day. The rifle was a LCT AKMS underfolder, modernized with an Ultimak rail, Trijicon Reflex, Surefire M952 and a Madbull PWS FSC47 brake. I think I was also running one of the Samson MFG cheek rests on the stock arm too and slung it with one of the long discontinued Blue Force Gear modular vest straps.

“FOR THOSE JUST COMING INTO AIRSOFT THIS LOADOUT IS A GREAT PLACE TO START AS YOU CAN USE “CIVVY” CLOTHING THAT YOU ALREADY OWN, AND ADD GEAR TO IT GRADUALLY… AT ITS FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL ALL THE GEAR YOU NEED IS YOUR AEG/ GBB, A HANDFUL OF MAGS, CHEST RIG OR PLATE CARRIER, AND YOUR EYEPRO… GOOD TO GO!”

Jase: So, for me, when I know I have an event coming up I try to get into the mindset of what the ‘character’ would be doing in his day to day. With one MilSim event, we played a QRF team that needed to move fast and blend into the general public’s (NPC’s) areas, in and out of a hotel, vehicles and onto a location to take out the bad guys. So, with that in mind I picked Jeans and a green plaid shirt. Jeans because they are hard wearing and the green plaid shirt because if I had to run into a wooded area, I would like to think I would blend in as best as I could, lines of the plaid material breaking up my bodylines. My JPC 2.0 is my go to plate carrier with my One Tigris two piece belt and my lid. For my footwear I wore a pair of Vans Ultrarange GTX boots, amazing boots with decent soles and support.

At another MilSim more recently, we played within an old science block building with debris all over the place, so my plaid shirt & jeans were not going to cut it. Same JPC set up and belt but I wore my super comfortable Ragnor Ragnarok Combat Pants and a t-shirt. These pants are flexible with knee pads which come in really handy when having to take a knee and a short sleeve t-shirt to keep me cool.

Miguel: I mostly use PMC loadouts in specific games, for example when we are part of a faction with loadout rules or even role-play situations. I’m not a fan of using jeans, I like to use either camo or OD cargo pants, followed by a shirt or a jacket (depending on the weather) and of course a good old cap. The rig can change with hot and colder days, in a hot

day I’ll choose my good old Viper Tactical Utility Rig, together with a shirt it’s a really comfortable (and fresh) loadout, but when the cold is pressing on, nothing like my VX Gen2 Plate Carrier, paired up with my Frontier jacket it gets really snug and warm.

My replica choices are normally within the M4 family, specially my Specna Arms mk18 EDGE 2.0, for reasons we all know! One important aspect for me, is to have cut-out gloves, since I know that in PMC game plays I’ll be handling a lot of objects or my smartphone, normally during negotiations/trading.

Stewbacca: There is some overlap between my general PMC/Irregular/OPFOR loadouts in terms of the equipment, largely as I started out using South African Assault Vests and loved them for their lightweight, comfort and rear spinal storage pack for hydration, comms and supplies. However the front pouch setup was fixed and I wanted an equivalent with MOLLE/ PALS modularity.

I eventually moved towards building my own

“I TRY TO GET INTO THE MINDSET OF WHAT THE ‘CHARACTER’ WOULD BE DOING IN HIS DAY TO DAY. WITH ONE MILSIM EVENT, WE PLAYED A QRF TEAM THAT NEEDED TO MOVE FAST AND BLEND INTO THE GENERAL PUBLIC’S (NPC’S) AREAS, IN AND OUT OF A HOTEL, VEHICLES AND ONTO A LOCATION TO TAKE OUT THE BAD GUYS”

equivalent off a Khaki FLYYE EDC Hydration backpack along with multiple PLB belt kits which could be clipped on the waist (sidearm + magazines, dump pouch etc) as well as later wearing separate ones worn back front across the chest to carry primary platform magazines which were rapidly unclipped and swapped out between encounters or whenever I wanted or needed to change my primary. This was a very practical and comfortable setup which became my standard for many game types for years, only eventually being supplanted when plate carriers became more of a thing in my last few years in the UK when my team switched to matching olive drab TMC 6094 clones with matching backpack units.

Base clothing usually comprised of black shirts/OD trousers, black/khaki shirts and trousers, or irregular/ older camouflage such as US Desert Tri-colour, M81, or Chinese Digicam depending on the theme of the game or our forces. Since coming to Taiwan we tend to have team themed camo such as AOR2/ Multicam along with matching TMC JPC or similar plate carriers, again for MilSims I have the backpack add on for longer term sustainment. All of this experience has helped shape my personal load bearing equipment to what it is now and it seems to be the most comfortable and practical setup, something my teammates have taken note of.

Boycie: Way back around 2008 some friends and

I formed “The PMC Group”. It was just informal and meant to be done on a budget, so when you know what the title meant it makes more sense. We were “The Primani Military Contractor Group” so called because we had decided that to keep costs down we’d only buy the clothing from Primark and then add our existing rigs, holsters and kit. We also limited the cost of clothing to UK£30! Over the years on some game days I couldn’t be bothered to plan what to wear or just wanted to go lightweight the “PMC” look suited me. Just go in the jeans and top, plus jacket that I was wearing then throw on the rig, holster and go play. There have been many PMC days...

Ben: Some say that I am a man of short stature, commonly known as a hobbit, and that I once carried a heavy burden all the way to Mordor to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom... all I know is....I’m a badass airsofter haha! The only thing unique and special about my PMC loadout is my trigger finger lol…

A simple set up is all I do when running PMC, tough-wearing denim jeans or my tigers, a T-shirt or hoodie, sometimes a cap too… Eyepro these days is BLOC TACTICAL, and UK Tactical Recon Boots. Gear is simply a PTT throat mic, 8 FIELDS buckle-up plate carrier with the panel from their chest rig, Kydex Customs battle belt with the usual attachments, dump pouch, pistol mag plus grenade holders and utility pouch plus a quick release mid-dropleg pistol holster and as always my game face! Platform-wise I normally either run my TM MP7, the WE Mk18 or if I fancy that OP “Don’t f**k with me!” look the Classic army M132 mini gun on HPA! For pistol I’m still running the Vorsk VX14 as it’s still not been through as much testing as my other pistols...right now I’m finding myself drawn to the character look of “Soap” from the Call of Duty franchise, which I’ll be run this year at NAF 2024 to which I’m again looking forward.. such madness there, you have to see it to believe it lol!

Jimmy: I have gone through many different guises during my years of airsoft and I do love to mix it up. I can safely say that most if not all started off with the normal surplus clobber and over time I built up a collection of kit each with different designs and needs for a particular role. I have very recently moved away from the very common MTP and the ghilie suit and

“I MOSTLY USE PMC LOADOUTS IN SPECIFIC GAMES, FOR EXAMPLE WHEN WE ARE PART OF A FACTION WITH LOADOUT RULES OR EVEN ROLE-PLAY SITUATIONS. I’M NOT A FAN OF USING JEANS, I LIKE TO USE EITHER CAMO OR OD CARGO PANTS, FOLLOWED BY A SHIRT OR A JACKET (DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER) AND OF COURSE A GOOD OLD CAP”

gone for someone a bit more green.

Multicam tropic and Ranger Green are becoming the new black if you ask me, and for a “modern contractor” look this is perfect. New to me is the Novritsch ASPC in MC tropic, a very unique piece of kit which was made specifically for airsofters but was designed entirely by ex-military who know exactly what is needed. Made of tough-yet-light 1000D fabric with rugged nylon thread for the stitching, I find it weird wearing a plate carrier as light as this coming in at under 2kg! It is not what I am used to but nevertheless it is very comfortable and very close fit without being restrictive. Due to the design of the dummy plates it is very breathable meaning you are not going to get too hot too quickly as air can easily pass through thanks to cleverly positioned mesh vent holes.

Another great feature which I am a fan of is the quick release MOLLEe panel, a system I first saw from Viper on their very popular VX rig. This allows for you to have multiple pouches catering for the many different styles of magazines. Putting the carrier on could not be easier, in fact it is the easiest quickest system I have seen to date. Both front and back panels are held together by four quick release clips which are all magnetic so all you need to do is get the clips close enough for the magnets to attract and they fasten themselves together and once fastened are not coming undone until you release them. A very convenient design I must say. I am currently awaiting a few extra bits to finish off my load bearing equipment such as a score pouch, hydration back panel, open pistol mag pouches and radio pouch all from Novritsch and a TMC modular rigger belt 2.0, but for now I only have 5x AR/M4 mag pouches and a dump pouch. The mag pouches are a two piece design laser-cut MOLLE outer with elastic retention cord and a strong plastic insert for extra retention. There are extra plastic inserts so you can adjust the height of your magazine allowing for different size mags.

Clothing-wise I have been using Helikon’s fantastic MBDU in ranger green, a great set of clobber which will easily stand up to the rigours of airsoft. Very lightweight material fits superbly, and the one gripe I have is the fact the trousers have no place to fit integrated knee pads although they have a double-

layered that area so it’s going to last; it just means buy extra knee pads if needed. The top is much like a shirt and not an UBAC which I am more familiar with but the cleverly placed elastic seams allow for easy moving so it doesn’t feel too stiff or restrictive. The green can lend itself to many different colours schemes so won’t look out of place if I fancy a change.

Boots-wise I am constantly rotating my boots but the most commonly worn are a budget pair of Grafters purchased from my very good friend Smooth Jase; they are a black security boot which goes with any load out. Other boots are Meindl GTX and the First Tactical Operator Boot, but they are very much fair weather boots. My helmet is an FMA Team Wendy EXFIL bump helmet; originally it was a horrible KRYPTEK pattern but that soon got fixed with a bit of green paint from Nuprol! Having seen much use this thing is in need of a new suspension array; I can still use it but it is showing signs of wear and the ratchet adjustment is a bit tight to adjust… AA

“I HAVE VERY RECENTLY MOVED AWAY FROM THE VERY COMMON MTP AND THE GHILIE SUIT AND GONE FOR SOMEONE A BIT MORE GREEN. MULTICAM TROPIC AND RANGER GREEN ARE BECOMING THE NEW BLACK IF YOU ASK ME, AND FOR A “MODERN CONTRACTOR” LOOK THIS IS PERFECT”

RED CELL OPFOR TACTICAL!

ALTHOUGH STEWBACCA HAS DONE A BRILLIANT JOB IN THIS ISSUE CONCENTRATING ON BASICALLY HOW YOU CAN TRANSFORM ANY PRETTY MUCH ANY AK VARIANT INTO A TOTALLY “TACTICAL BEAST” USING ALL THE NEW EXTERNAL UPGRADE PARTS FROM LCT, THE FACT IS THAT THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD AK MODELS THAT “OOTB” WILL GET YOU STRAIGHT INTO A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF AEG KALASHNIKOV, AND AS USUAL BILL KICKS THINGS OFF!

Okay, “Tactical AKs”! These days if you’re “running OPFOR” then thankfully you’re no longer the poor-relation to BLUFOR when it comes to accessorizing your primary platform; much as I do love a totally classic AK design made of gorgeous, lustrous wood and industrial-level steel the world has moved on, and more and more we see AK variants from all over the world that have embraced their very own tactical lifestyle!

When I first started building “Tac-Klackers” it was really, really hard to find the correct parts, and what was on offer often needed some serious fitting work to get right. For a while back in the day a bunch of us simply ran Ultimak gas-tubes that allowed us to simply attach an optic (usually just a simple red dot), and if we wanted a taclite we simply taped it on, or if we were feeling particularly adventurous we drilled holes to attach a section of rail to the handguard… and that was it…

Thankfully this is no longer the case, as Stewbacca has shown in his round-up and evaluation of LCT after-market parts, and LCT are by no means alone in producing parts that can bring your old AK up to modern day “OPR8R” standards! Now you can pick from a multitude of parts including more modern side-mounts, railed dust covers, rails to fit the rear-sight block, full rail systems for the front end, muzzle devices, railed handguards of different styles and length, pistolgrips and foregrips, and even stocks! Basically if you own any AK variant there are easily found parts for pretty much all of them.

However, when we started off with Red Cell we split the AKs in the “armoury” down into classic and tactical models, and right now you can simply buy a decent “Tac AK” straight off the wall of your favourite local store… and get good performance from it from the get-go. Brands like LCT, E&L, Nuprol, TM, BOLT, Arcturus, ICS, CYMA, G&G, and now even Double Bell (I could go on with this list!) make some superb, thoroughly modern designs up to an including the AK-12!

So, it’s to the “Tactical AK” that we now turn our attention again, and there are some recent additions to the long-term test pool that are now playing catch-up on BB-count to the old

campaigners! Once again these are all AEGs that are either held in our main armoury at AAHQ, or are owned by members of The Cell; and talking of “longterm ownership” Stewbacca takes things forward as we start another deep-dive into specific models still in-test and being used regularly…

Stewbacca: The TM AK102 Recoil was basically the last AEG I had during my time in the UK before uprooting and largely shifting to a gas blowback aficionado in Taiwan. The Marui AK102 EBB was one of the earlier in the Next Generation Recoil Shock (NGRS) systems if memory serves, with myself and my old teammate Lewis ordering one each as well as an M4A1 NGRS for him directly from Echigoya in Japan and having them arrive just in time for a Copehill weekender.

“IT’S TO THE “TACTICAL AK” THAT WE NOW TURN OUR ATTENTION AGAIN, AND THERE ARE SOME RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LONG-TERM TEST POOL THAT ARE NOW PLAYING CATCH-UP ON BB-COUNT TO THE OLD CAMPAIGNERS! ONCE AGAIN THESE ARE ALL AEGS THAT ARE EITHER HELD IN OUR MAIN ARMOURY AT AAHQ, OR ARE OWNED BY MEMBERS OF THE CELL”

Eventually I ended up with eight of the “75 BB” midcap mags taped together in “wmag/jungle mag” pairs, one of which would go into the kangaroo shingle pouch on my 6094 style plate carrier, allowing me to carry six mags in pairs on the rig with one pair in the AEG, which was a reasonable amount of ammunition fairly rapidly cycled through on hand, although longer MilSim games would require me to return to FOBs to replen!

Nonetheless, the performance was fairly flawless, as you’d expect for Marui. Once the Hop bedded in, and with an ACOG replica mounted on a side-shoe scope rail I was soon picking off people at 40-50m with relative ease as well as posting rounds through A4-paper-sized holes in cover or barricades reliably at such distances when playing at places like The Gaol.

The slightly shorter overall profile made it fairly handy and the lightweight construction meant it was never too much of an encumbrance to run around with all day, unlike the Real Sword SVD I’d sometimes also rock for the OPFOR look at weekenders or outdoor games. The stub rails on the hanguard allowed basic accessorisation and I tended to run a pistol light on the left side as it would secure to the stub rail and allow me to operate its flapper switches with my support hand thumb for either

momentary flashes into darkened rooms, or more persistent illumination when moving through rough underground terrain or rooms.

The responsiveness was sometimes a little lacklustre as this was back when MOSFETs were only just becoming a more mainstream idea, plus with me having the triangular folding stock variant it meant the battery compartment was a very small space in the front gas block which limited me to 850mAh 7.4V LiPo block batteries like I also used in the restrictive space of the pistol grip of my QBZ97. Battery capacity aside, it was a relatively easy affair to change over between rounds during a day and I had four of the batteries in total which were easily carried in my rig in a suitably protective box.

Eventually the charging handle did shake loose and it’s no doubt still somewhere among the rubble of Copehill or another site; the EBB was reasonably strong for an early adopter version of it, and certainly added to the experience, but of course can’t compete with a GBBR. Mine now languishes in a kit bag I left with my old teammate Rocco as I didn’t sell it off like most of my stuff before I left. Maybe I’ll get him to dig it out and send it to AAHQ where it will be loved and cherished!

“NONETHELESS, THE PERFORMANCE WAS FAIRLY FLAWLESS, AS YOU’D EXPECT FOR MARUI. ONCE THE HOP BEDDED IN, AND WITH AN ACOG REPLICA MOUNTED ON A SIDE-SHOE SCOPE RAIL I WAS SOON PICKING OFF PEOPLE AT 40-50M WITH RELATIVE EASE AS WELL AS POSTING ROUNDS THROUGH A4-PAPER-SIZED HOLES IN COVER OR BARRICADES”

CYMA CM.076A

Price: iro UK£135.00

Age: Four Years

Weight: 3000g

Length: 530/740mm

Magazine Capacity: 450, will accept most AK-style

Cold Chrono: 1.0 Joule/328.9fps

Hot Chrono: 1.02 Joule/332.9fps

Taclite Compatibility: KeyMod

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.taiwangun.com

E&L ELAKS74UN-A MOD A PLATINUM

Price: iro UK£440.00

Age: Four Years

Weight: 3140g

Length: 495/735mm

Magazine Capacity: 120, will accept most AK-style

Cold Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315.1fps

Hot Chrono: 0.94 Joule/318.2fps

Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

ARCTURUS AT-AK01

Price: iro UK£185.00

Age: Four Years

Weight: 3300 g

Length: 800/880 mm

Magazine Capacity: 120,will accept most AK-style

Cold Chrono: 1.03 Joule/334fps (After Spring Change)

Hot Chrono: 1.01 Joule/331.8fps (After Spring Change)

Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.taiwangun.com

NUPROL ROMEO NOMAD BRAVO

Price: iro UK£299.00

Age: Five Years

Weight: 3500g

Length: 805/875 mm

Magazine Capacity: 500, will accept most AK-style

Cold Chrono: 1.02 Joule/332.9fps

Hot Chrono: 1.03 Joule/333.5.9fps

Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

ICS CXP-ARK

Price: iro UK£365.00

Age: Two Years

Weight: 3365g

Length: 638/884mm

Magazine Capacity: 520, will accept most AK-style

Cold Chrono: 0.87 Joule/307.4.1fps

Hot Chrono: 0.88 Joule/307.8fps

Taclite Compatibility: Railed Polymer Foregrip

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.icsbb.com

Bill: Getting things bang-up-to-date I’ve been running a number of AK-12 models from different manufacturers for a while now, and as Dan will bring things up to speed in relation to Arcturus shortly I’ll concentrate on the others, although as the Double Bell version has only recently landed with me I still have testing to do on this.

That said, I’ve been running the G&G version now for a little under two years, and it’s still banging away nicely! When it comes to the GK-12 it certainly has all the right “party clothes” to please anyone that wants to own an AK-12 replica, and I’m pleased to report that like other AK-12 models I’ve tested and used to date, G&G have been faithful to the “real” in their replication on this latest electric rifle. The GK-12 is built like a tank, and weighs in at a hefty 3565g, so just a little lighter than some of the others; if like me you’re used to a “classic AK” then this weight feels “right”, and this is a bruiser of a rifle with steel and alloy construction throughout. Like the “real deal” the receiver cover is another unique feature of the design as it has a permanently affixed top rail where the rear sight assembly mounts directly to the cover; this of

course means that the rifle is all ready for an optic should you desire to fit one, and this is mated firmly to the dust cover.

This also means that the traditional rear “poplatch” has gone, and the dust cover is released instead by rotating the retained front locking arm above the cocking handle and sliding the entire cover back and up to access the battery compartment. With most of the other AK-12 replicas I’ve tested and used to date this locking arm has proved to be a little “sticky” to start with, but G&G seem to have got this nailed, and their locking arm has proved to be the easiest to use by far; they’ve really got this right, and it means that “in the field” battery changes are slicker than those of the competition. It’s a small thing, but oh-so-crucial in the midst of a skirmish!

There’s an ergonomic pistol grip modelled on that of the real rifle, more rails on the handguard, and a solid side-folding, multi-position stock. The excellent muzzle brake has been 100% replicated from the real thing, although in the case of the GK-12 it’s highgrade alloy rather than steel, which helps to shave a few grams off what is a pretty heavy rifle; thankfully

“WHEN IT COMES TO THE GK-12 IT CERTAINLY HAS ALL THE RIGHT “PARTY CLOTHES” TO PLEASE ANYONE THAT WANTS TO OWN AN AK-12 REPLICA, AND I’M PLEASED TO REPORT THAT LIKE OTHER AK-12 MODELS I’VE TESTED AND USED TO DATE, G&G HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL TO THE “REAL” IN THEIR REPLICATION”

G&G RK74E ETU

Price: iro UK£299.00

Age: Four Years

Weight: 2980g

Length: 690/810mm

Magazine Capacity: 115, Proprietary Magazine

Cold Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps

Hot Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps

Taclite Compatibility: KeyMod

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

SPECNA ARMS SA-J10 EDGE

Price: iro UK£140.00

Age: Two Years

Weight: 3370g

Length: 800 - 885mm

Magazine Capacity: 130 (2), will accept most AK style

Cold Chrono: 1.08 Joule/342.3fps

Hot Chrono: 1.09 Joule/343.9fps

Taclite Compatibility: None (AK105-Length Rail Will Fit)

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.gunfire.com

DYTAC SLR AK105

Price: iro UK£320.00

Age: Two Years

Weight: 3200g

Length: 625/800mm

Magazine Capacity: 500, will accept most AK-style

Cold Chrono: 1.06 Joule/338.1fps (After Spring Change)

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340.2fps (After Spring Change)

Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail and M-LOK

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk

TOKYO MARUI AK102 RECOIL

Price: iro UK£450.00

Age: Eight Years!

Weight: 2960g

Length: 602 - 848mm

Magazine Capacity: 90, 480 Hi-Cap Available

Cold Chrono: 0.95Joule/320fps

Hot Chrono: 0.97Joule/324fps

Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail Sections

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk

BOLT AKS74U-TACTICAL

Price: iro UK£390.00

Age: One Year

Weight: 3600g

Length: 710/800mm

Magazine Capacity: 200, will accept most AK-style

Cold Chrono: 0.89 Joule/310fps

Hot Chrono: 0.93 Joule/317.4fps

Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail Sections

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.bolt.tw

the GK-12 outer barrel is threaded 14mm CCW rather than being fitted with a “QD System” (or not so “QD” in some replicas!) so it’s easy to fit a suppressor or tracer unit should you wish to, and once again thankfully the seating pin for the brake is retained so you won’t lose it if you’re changing out front-end options in-game.

Externally everything is cool as far as I can see, and internally you get the improved G&G ETU, programmable FET, a pretty solid gearbox setup with 8mm bearings, all driven along by an Ifrit 25K Short Axis orange (25000rpm) motor and there’s a proper quick-change spring function should you need to use it; all you need to do is swing the stock open, remove the dust cover, and then… here comes the clever bit… depress the spring loaded gas tube plug at the sharp end and rotate it counter-clock to remove it! This becomes an 8mm allen key (the back of the gas tube plug!) you can then use depress the spring guide, rotate 45˚, and carefully remove the guide and spring… no need for an extra tool, you have all you need, and to install the new spring, simply reverse the steps… genius!

Whatever your thoughts and feelings may be at the moment in relation to the AK-12 as a real-world firearm, the G&G “take” ticks all the right boxes! As an AEG it shoots fast, well, and accurately; it’s solid as a rock, and it’s a great length for both CQB and woodland use. Now that I’ve answered my own question about magazine compatibility (others do work in it, thank you G&G!) you’ve got enough capacity available to you to get in a game straight away, and ultimately that’s what counts with any good AEG isn’t it?

Now what I can’t quite believe is that my LCT AK-12 is now nigh-on FIVE years old, and oh my lord it’s still a proper beast! I have to admit that I’ve been following LCT Airsoft ever since their tremendous “Eastern Bloc” AEGs started to arrive in the UK, and since that time I’ve added a number of their excellent AK replicas to my OPFOR armoury, as well as having tested pretty much all of their range! From the diminutive, movie-inspired “AK Baby” right up to their awesome RPD, I have had most of the models on the range in years past, and to date I have never been disappointed by anything they make; in my

own personal “stash” I am very pleased to own half a dozen LCTs and all have done me excellent service since I bought them, none of them missing a beat… ever!

As usual the team at LCT have done a cracking job by bringing us not only the AK-12, but also the “larger calibre” AK-15, which of course in our world will fire the exact-same 6mm BB… I’m not knocking this as it’s great to have choice, and perhaps some folk will look to the “762” as a base for some kind of DMR, but for me at least the AK-12 is the allimportant one here! LCT, as usual, looked at the major design details that make the AK-12 different to its forebears, and again as usual, did a pretty fabulous job! Although I am certain that some out there will find fault (like the laughable “trunnion” debate that comes up again and again…yawn…) but the fact is that LCT delivered their take on the latest Russian military rifle, and a bloody good take it was, and is, too.

Like the “real deal” the LCT “12” is built like an absolute tank, and weighs in at a hefty 4000g (give or take…)! With all the right external features one thing I will mention here is that the muzzle brake has been 100% designed from the real thing; the muzzles of these rifles are not threaded, instead they feature a quick attachment mechanism for mounting and removing muzzle brakes and suppressors. The muzzle devices are attached by sliding them over the muzzle, rotating to catch the QD lug and fixing in place via the spring-loaded plunger. This means that regular airsoft brakes/suppressors cannot be fitted but now of course LCT have addressed this with their new accessory range.

Internally LCT products are very workmanlike and tidy, and on the AK-12 this includes 9mm bearings, steel gears, a piston with full metal teeth, an aluminium bearing piston head, an aluminium cylinder head and a spring guide with bearing. The new magazines feature a slant angle on the bottom rear portion to provide a more rigid and stable contact with the ground when the rifle is rested on the magazine. On the “real deal” these new magazines also feature side windows showing the remaining/ loaded amount of ammunition (from 10 to 30 rounds, in 5-round increments), and when the magazine

“NOW WHAT I CAN’T QUITE BELIEVE IS THAT MY LCT AK-12 IS NOW NIGH-ON FIVE YEARS OLD, AND OH MY LORD IT’S STILL A PROPER BEAST! I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I’VE BEEN FOLLOWING LCT AIRSOFT EVER SINCE THEIR TREMENDOUS “EASTERN BLOC” AEGS STARTED TO ARRIVE IN THE UK”

ARCTURUS AK-12 (GEN 1)

Price: iro UK£220.00

Age: Three Years

Weight: 3480 g

Length: 700/880/950 mm

Magazine Capacity: 30/130, will accept most AK-style

Cold Chrono: 1.13 Joule/336.3fps

Hot Chrono: 1.1 Joule/337.9fps

Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail Sections

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.taiwangun.com

LCT LCK-12 EBB

Price: iro UK£480.00

Age: Five Years (nearly!)

Weight: 4215 g

Length: 865 - 955 mm

Magazine Capacity: 130, will accept most AK-style

Cold Chrono: 1.08 Joule/336.7.9fps

Hot Chrono: 1.08 Joule/338.1fps

Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail Sections

Suppressor Compatibility: Dedicated Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

G&G GK12

Price: iro UK£540.00

Age: Two Years

Weight: 3565g

Length: 880-985mm

Magazine Capacity: 120, will accept most AK-style (no cutoff)

Cold Chrono: 1.06 Joule/339fps (after spring change)

Hot Chrono: 1.36Joule/384fps (original spring)

Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail Sections

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW Supplied By: www.guay2.com

DOUBLE BELL AK-12 (MODEL 026)

Price: iro UK£249.00

Age: New

Weight: 2300g

Length: 885-995mm

Magazine Capacity: 450, will accept most AK-style (No Cutoff)

Cold Chrono: 0.96 Joule/322fps (After Spring Change)

Hot Chrono: 0.99 Joule/327fps

Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail Sections

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.gunfire.com

LCT ZKS-74UN

Price: iro UK£460.00

Age: One Year

Weight: 3500g

Length: 467mm (Folded), 667/770mm

Magazine Capacity: 130, will accept most AK-style

Cold Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps

Hot Chrono: 0.94 Joule/319fps

Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail Sections

Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW

Supplied By: www.lctairsoft.com

is fully loaded, a pin protrudes on the baseplate providing a visual and tactile identification of the loaded magazine in the pouch; the excellent LCT 130BB magazine replicates this well in look if not in total function.

After many an afternoon on the range, and some cool in-game use the only criticism I can make is that I wish that LCT had added the two-round burst setting of the real thing; yup, that’s it, my one and only criticism! So, if you are a regular OPFOR player then the LCT AK-12 will be the right RIF for you; it has all the benefits of existing AKs with the added utility of a thoroughly up-to-the-minute design, along with all the benefits of a top-quality AEG.

Dan: The AK-12 was my first real experience with Arcturus products (then a relatively unknown brand here in the USA), so this would have been the original “Gen. 1” version, which if I’m being honest, I was less than impressed with. This particular one arrived on my bench needing a lot of gremlins to be given due notice to leave the premises. The “removable” muzzle brake required a lot of additional machining to make it actually removable. The selector switch broke the detent right out of the gate and spares were simply not available at the time. This necessitated having to come up with a modification to get a new detent installed so the switch would index into the selector notches. The selector could also be rotated past the semi-auto notch, which meant that the internal gears would fall off the selector plate and you’d lose the function of your selector switch. This required complete disassembly to fix. Later, I fixed that problem by adding a limiter block to the selector plate so it could only travel so far. These also used the hybrid V3-style gearbox, which used a SAW style microswitch in lieu of a traditional trigger switch. Suffice to say, it made installing a proper ETU problematic. With a lot of effort, I was able to get it sorted and it continues to purr to this day.

Now, all that being said the newest generation Arcturus’ rifles have done a complete 180 and are vastly improved products. Arcturus took all the feedback on the originals (painful as it was!) and improved on every single aspect! The current version now features a true quick-change spring guide that can be accessed through the rear of the receiver, an

updated gearbox designed around the Perun V3 ETU, all-new CNC gears with a Neodymium motor, and an excellent set of compression parts and in my humble opinion. Again I believe they have the absolute best rotary style AK hopup chamber made, featuring a true top-down-centre nub design. It was honestly a bit shocking to see the “facelift” compared to the Gen1 I had hammered on before.

Usually we do not often see airsoft companies take feedback to heart and implement such a wealth of changes, and pretty much every one I have taken fresh from the box has shot very consistently. The shimming is quite good for a stock gun, and the accuracy and range are both excellent too. For something you can skirmish with straight away and not feel outgunned by tuners with high-end bespoke builds, the Arcturus AK-12 is a great choice. I will even go so far as to say these are amongst the premier AK platforms one can buy now.

Jimmy: Tactical looking AK’s appeal to me in many ways and are far more aesthetically pleasing than “classic” AK’s from the past, which is one of the main reasons I ended up owning one, the one in particular being the Nuprol Romeo Recon Bravo which shares commonality of internals with their range of AK models.

This is not lightweight and it is probably the heaviest AEG I own; constructed from steel and aluminium it comes in at a hefty 3500g and that’s “dry” weight, so once you have dressed it up with all the Gucci attachments and steel drum mag (which might I add makes it look amazing!) it comes in at close to 5000g so yes, I need a sling for it! The only polymer parts are the Axe head stock and the standard style pistol grip; it would have been nice to see a more tactile looking grip in my opinion, but what you get is what you get and this is easily upgraded these days.

Having had this for a little over two years now it has undergone a lot of changes mostly internally, but looking back at how it started out there wasn’t much I could find fault with. Sporting a V3 reinforced gearbox with QD spring guide for those easy power alterations it encased some fairly standard internal parts which I might add were fit for purpose and presented zero issues. The micro

“THE AK-12 WAS MY FIRST REAL EXPERIENCE WITH ARCTURUS PRODUCTS (THEN A RELATIVELY UNKNOWN BRAND HERE IN THE USA), SO THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL “GEN. 1” VERSION, WHICH IF I’M BEING HONEST, I WAS LESS THAN IMPRESSED WITH… ARCTURUS TOOK ALL THE FEEDBACK ON THE ORIGINALS (PAINFUL AS IT WAS!) AND IMPROVED ON EVERY SINGLE ASPECT!”

switch trigger is a much better idea than a mechanical trigger which as we all know, especially those among us that and have experienced the dreaded trigger lock. The micro switch trigger allows for sustained heavy semiauto fire and for the time I was using it never once locked up which is a bonus.

It came with standard 18:1 gears, not my choice of ratio and they could have been shimmed a tad better but nonetheless they worked just fine although I wouldn’t have been confident running a heavy spring. A quick reshim altered the sound massively and allowed me to also set the motor pinion to the bevel more precisely. A pretty standard brushed motor coupled to an 11.1v battery gave a surprisingly good response;however Nuprol does state the use of 7.4v so do bear that in mind.

It was pleasing to see a full metal tooth piston which meshed incredibly well with the sector gear but I did correct the angle of engagement to ensure longevity; even after firing thousands of BBs there is no visible sign of wear on the piston teeth or the sector gear. I would have liked to have seen an O ring nozzle to give a better air seal although even with the nozzle that was fitted it performed very well and gave a respectable velocity around 335-340 fps. The metal AK hop unit gave me a bit of trouble where it would constantly adjust itself, but this was easily remedied by using a small O ring to lock that adjuster in place. Capable

“TACTICAL LOOKING AK’S APPEAL TO ME IN MANY WAYS AND ARE FAR MORE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING THAN “CLASSIC” AK’S FROM THE PAST, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I ENDED UP OWNING ONE, THE ONE IN PARTICULAR BEING THE NUPROL ROMEO RECON BRAVO WHICH SHARES COMMONALITY OF INTERNALS WITH THEIR RANGE OF AK MODELS”

of lifting a 0.30g it slings a BB out to an effective 60 metres; the accuracy altered largely between semiauto and full-auto and I would get quite a large spread on full which didn’t worry me much as it was mainly used on semi. I managed to bring that spread of BBs in much tighter after a good clean of the barrel and a quick polish using some very fine wire wool attached to a cleaning rod and a drill.

Moving on to the externals of this beast, it was largely the reason I initially wanted a Romeo; sometime before purchasing mine I saw Bill’s Nomad hanging up in our local shop (he helps the shop sometimes with display AEGs and GBBs, and this camo-painted AK even became an ad for Nuprol!) which is an almost identical rifle, just a tad longer and features an M-LOK handguard whereas the Recon sports a KeyMod version. I just had to have one and they really are a solid, heavy-duty rifle with no wobbles or rattle giving a really realistic feel.

Affixed on the mock bolt cover the 20mm picatinny rail has enough room for many different scopes or optics should you want to run them, but alternatively they have made this removable so you can fit a side mount of your choice making it look even more tactical. It uses a AR/M4 style buffer tube giving you six positions of adjustment, so great for airsofters big and small, and it gives the option to swap it for a stock of your choice although the axe head stock does work well with the design.

Nuprol have done a fantastic job designing and producing these “tacticool AKs”and for any airsofter looking to get on the OPFOR-wagon, and with a minimum of fettling you’ll end up with a great-looking and great performing AEG; I seriously suggest putting one of the Romeo range on your want list if this is your “thing” too!

Bill: I’m going to draw things to a close again this month by looking at another recent “shorty” addition to my personal OPFOR armoury. For the last four years I’ve been running an E&L Tactical AKSU and it’s an absolutely righteous wee beastie of an AK. It’s beautifully made with some primo internals as standard and has served me through many an OPFORencounter; it has remained solid and functional, with great range, accuracy and a completely consistent power output… so much so that some chronomarshals have started to doubt what their chrono is telling them!

However, I’m going to dip back to LCT here as the most recent SU to take residence in my personal “Cage” is one that if you want a thoroughly modern SU, then look no further than the ZKS-74UN!

Weighing in at 3500g and at 770mm (667mm stock

folded) this neat little model comes pre-fitted with all the base goodies that you could possibly want, like the distinctive side-folding ZPT-1 stock (I’ve always wanted one of these, and I bloody love it!), ZTK-2 muzzle brake, and the ZB rail system; it’s basically a “Modern Tac SU” in a box and just needs an optic and taclite added to be good to go!

The little LCT is a really serviceable, bomber-tough AEG that’s quite unique in its look and feel for an “SU”; it’s short, easy to move around, and with the DTK-2-style brake it looks nice and aggressive. The only addition I would like to have seen here is the inclusion of the ZRK motor grip, but that’s easily remedied. The bonus of course with this little AEG is that I can use all the AK mags I already own which helps to keep costs down, and a side rail for an AK mount means I can run any optic I choose as the cheek riser on the ZPT-1 stock is fully adjustable; you need to account for cheek-weld and height over bore on any AK given their design…

In my experience airsoft SUs have amazingly, given their relatively short 250-ish-mm (255mm on the LCT) inner barrel, been really accurate, and it’s one of the reasons why I love them so much. With the 130BB mid-cap magazine topped off you can set the hop on the ZKS-74UN-AEG and have at it! Like all AKs the “SU” has the lever fire selector with up being safe, mid-point being full auto, and fully down being semi; with semi engaged the little AK goes off with a right “crack”, sending BBs straight downrange to target at 40-50m now it’s settled in, and cranking up to full auto just ups the giggle quotient!

Given that the internals are the latest iteration of those tried, tested, and refined by LCT out-of-the-box performance is right up there, and I am yet to be disappointed! Using .20g RZR BBs the ZKS delivers a massively consistent chrono reading of 0.92 Joule/315fps which is absolutely perfect for use on most sites anywhere in our big wide world of airsoft! AA

Red Cell is supported by:

ARP9 2.0

EGC-ARP-9V2-BNB-NCM

7” M-LOK Handguard.

Combat Machine Airsoft Gun.

New GOS-V9 Retractable Stock.

ARP9 2.0

EGC-ARP-9V2-SST-NCM

MODERNIZIRIVANNY LCT! LCT!

MODERNIZIRIVANNY

HAVING EXHAUSTED THE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE SOURCE OF H&K-THEMED AEGS IN OUR GOOD FRIENDS AT LCT AIRSOFT’S PRODUCT LINES WITH HIS FINAL REPORT ON THEIR OVERALL MODULAR SYSTEM BACK IN ISSUE 158’S “BUILD YOUR OWN WEHR” FEATURE, WHAT, PRAY TELL, WOULD THEY THROW IN STEWBACCA’S DIRECTION NEXT TO GET HIS TEETH INTO… AN EVEN MORE INVOLVED PROJECT IT WOULD SEEM, BUILDING OFF ONE OF THE STALWARTS IN THEIR AK RANGE OF AEGS AND THROWING A KITCHEN SINK LOAD OF THE SHINIEST OPTION-PARTS TO THOROUGHLY TEST, PERSONALISE AND CUSTOMISE THEIR LCK74MN BASE RIFLE IS WHAT! NOW HE’S HAD HIS HANDS ON EVERYTHING FOR A MONTH OR SO HE BRINGS THE FIRST OF A NUMBER OF PLANNED REPORTS ON THE INITIAL PHASE OF TESTING AND ADAPTATION.

While I’m obviously a die-hard fan of all “zee German gnus”, I nonetheless can find my own appreciation showing through in a wide range of different platforms, if the engineering and stories behind them are of the right calibre. Likewise for the airsoft replicas we all love to field and build our loadouts around. Luckily for me we have very generous industry partners that we strive to maintain excellent relations with, so, while myself and Bill paid a less formal and more friendly visit to LCT Airsoft to show him around their facilities while he was in country, we brainstormed further ideas for

longer-term cooperation.

Building off the deep-dive into their line of HK themed AEG products that tied together a range of Armoury and Reloaded articles both Bill and myself have been involved in, we thought starting off by giving a small segment of their vast AK-related range the same treatment might be a good jumping off point; so it was Bella at LCT suggested they put their LCK74MN AEG in my hands along with a box-load of their latest ‘Z-Series’ Zenitco replica upgrade and option components… and they were certainly not holding out on me!

“LUCKILY FOR ME WE HAVE VERY GENEROUS INDUSTRY PARTNERS THAT WE STRIVE TO MAINTAIN EXCELLENT RELATIONS WITH, SO, WHILE MYSELF AND BILL PAID A LESS FORMAL AND MORE FRIENDLY VISIT TO LCT AIRSOFT TO SHOW HIM AROUND THEIR FACILITIES WHILE HE WAS IN COUNTRY, WE BRAINSTORMED FURTHER IDEAS FOR LONGER-TERM COOPERATION”

Having seen the full range on display at the LCT booth during MOA2023, I was well aware of the sheer array of components that filled a whole display case at one end of their imposing stand; I initially had to narrow down my selections somewhat to keep things practical, and even then they sent me a substantial amount of components in more general modernised AK option parts as well as their specific ‘Z-Series’ items that offer the Spetsnaz or other top tier operator appearance for all you OPFOR impressionists.

So, at the beginning of February it was once again time to play the game of suspicious foreigner with

a long-girthy package on public transport (plus the additional box of goodies I had to hang off me to boot!) as I eagerly took the latest offerings over to the new Stu-dio to unwrap and take stock. Four different variations of upper and lower front handguards, four different side folding stocks, some with highly adjustable or telescopic additional features, the side shoe mounted scope rail, railed top cover, rear sight replacement stub rail, numerous pistol and vertical grips and small widgets to thoroughly vary the handling and operation of an otherwise basic out of the box AK74MN replica. Kid in a candy store…

LOOKING FORWARD

Having not had much time behind an AK since I left my other AK102 AEG back in the UK and not having touched one since I escaped, I decided to get a bit of a baseline of the ‘vanilla’ rifle for its first outing, leaving everything stock and just installing the B13 scope mount side rail (Part No. ZB_13), which allowed me to slap an optic on top to help my old-man eyes out a bit.

I was immediately impressed by the out of the box performance, using a basic stick LiPo which was relatively easily installed under the top cover (albeit limiting the motion of the faux bolt somewhat as a result) I was soon throwing my standard .30g BLS BBs out to surprising ranges and with great consistency assuming it’s a brand new example and not been run in before; to be fair I’ve had the same experience with all my LCT offerings aside from the SVDS which had a few issues which were quickly resolved anyway.

“I WAS WELL AWARE OF THE SHEER ARRAY OF COMPONENTS THAT FILLED A WHOLE DISPLAY CASE AT ONE END OF THEIR IMPOSING STAND; I INITIALLY HAD TO NARROW DOWN MY SELECTIONS SOMEWHAT TO KEEP THINGS PRACTICAL, AND EVEN THEN THEY SENT ME A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF COMPONENTS!”

The HOP adjustment is relatively simple to operate, being a coaxial slider that moves forwards or rearwards to adjust the pressure on the rubber and nub; I did find this a bit too easy to shift for my own preference on the first day out, so immediately tightened down its retention screw to make it a little harder to move but thereby less likely to shift inadvertently. This was at our Yangmei site which is a bunch of abandoned student dormitories with knowndistance walls and outside targets to make use of for sighting in, and once I had the HOP sorted to a point I was happy with I also zeroed in the replica 4x ACOG sight atop the B13 scope rail.

This retains its zero very solidly with a combination of lever actuated threaded ‘pinch’ shoe as well as a transverse grub screw that uses a 3mm socket head grub screw to really fix it in place; however you do have to remove the whole thing every time you need access to the battery compartment, but that was a once-a-day thing for me personally at the beginning

and end for prep and packing away afterwards, so no big drama. However if you’re more trigger happy you might want to consider external battery boxes or PEQs if you prefer not to disturb your scope setup (and allow easier movement of the faux bolt and hence access to the HOP adjustment) your use case may vary.

In that first day I managed to score three singleshot eliminations in the first two rounds of play, with satisfyingly audible thwacking on the intended targets from precisely placed shots; I know I’m usually all about the gas guns, but this was nonetheless impressing me and making marksmanship feats seem easy… very impressed.

One thing I found myself suffering from however was the awkwardness of the plain front handguards and my handling or placement of the whole platform when taking cover on corners, over short walls, or in prolonged positions covering off lanes of attack, as wrist strain is always an annoyance for me.

RIGHT FOR ME

Thus for its second outing the following weekend to our Xindian site in the hills south of Taipei I decided to up the ante a bit, installing the B10M ‘classic’ lower handguard (159mm long, 185g - Part No. ZB_10M) and B19M ‘classic’ upper handguard (96mm long, 70g - Part No. ZB_19) to encase the front gas block area in CNC machined aluminium herringbone and picatinny railed goodness.

The two halves of the rails bolt rigidly together;

“I WAS IMMEDIATELY IMPRESSED BY THE OUT OF THE BOX PERFORMANCE, USING A BASIC STICK LIPO WHICH WAS RELATIVELY EASILY INSTALLED UNDER THE TOP COVER... I WAS SOON THROWING MY STANDARD .30G BLS BBS OUT TO SURPRISING RANGES AND WITH GREAT CONSISTENCY”

once you get them installed they really aren’t going anywhere! Do be aware, of course, that this is far more involved a process than the convenience of the push-pin HK range, unfortunately. You’ll need some basic tools; a rubberised mallet ideally to protect the surface finish and some pin punches or similar long implements as well as allen wrenches.

To get the handguards in place you need to remove the existing furniture by first removing the upper stock handguard after loosening off the lever on the right side of the receiver and drifting out the faux gas tube, which in itself might take some effort and leverage to overcome its retaining flat springs. Then you can rotate the small lever in the lower handguard to release the front retention cap and slide it forwards on the outer barrel to release the lower handguard. Now

you need to beat the railed handguard of your choice into the socket at the front of the receiver before reinstalling the front cap and rotating the retainer lever back again, reinsert the faux gas tube, then install the upper railed handguard with the provided bolts that very rigidly affix it to the lower handguard.

I also threw on the RP-1 charging handle knob extension; try saying that with a straight face, fellow shooters, (33g - Part No. ZRP_1) as well as the menacing looking hexagonal heavily ported muzzle brake (128g - Part No. PK242) just for aesthetic appeal and to give it that extra flair! All told that added a noticeable amount of weight, nearly half a kilo, over the base setup all of which is at or in front of your support hand, so it does make it immediately heftier a platform, but nonetheless it was much more

“I ALSO THREW ON THE RP-1 CHARGING HANDLE KNOB EXTENSION; TRY SAYING THAT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE, FELLOW SHOOTERS, (33G - PART NO. ZRP_1) AS WELL AS THE MENACING LOOKING HEXAGONAL HEAVILY PORTED MUZZLE BRAKE (128G - PART NO. PK242) JUST FOR AESTHETIC APPEAL AND TO GIVE IT THAT EXTRA FLAIR!”

comfortable to handle for me despite the added weight.

With all this done (requiring considerable effort), the LCK74MN is ready to be accessorised further to your taste; these are the shorter variants of the rails available, but gave me enough real estate to comfortably mount the RK6 angle cropped stub vertical foregrip (115g, Part No. ZRK_6) which clamps over Picatinny rail and is secured with some decent countersunk hex head bolts, thus giving me somewhere to comfortably grasp the business end with my support hand, pulling it into my shoulder and generally improving the handling well. As with the HK-railed handguards, I found my support thumb naturally nestling itself in the upper spaces between the side rail and top rail, so I ended up affixing a newly bought weapon light to the right rail, then running its remote pressure pad cable through the picatinny rail sections and affixing the velcro loop panel into this natural thumb rest to give me comfortable and intuitive illumination capability.

into some serious firefights and although I managed to get some cracking long shots on our own Team Taiji guys playing as opponents, I also found myself burying my head and staying low under incoming fire while trying to reload my emptied mags with a speed loader; AEGs inherently seem to make me expend more ammunition with the much shorter cycle time or authority in their action I guess!

FURTHER EDUCATION

Once again at the Xindian outdoor site in the hills which has an 85m-long flat field at the Safezone perfect for long range work and sighting in I was reliably slapping BBs into the large lone tree out at around 50m before getting stuck in to the day’s gaming. Throughout the day I managed to get some excellent single shot or double tap eliminations with it at reasonable ranges, lobbing rounds from the ridgelines or undergrowth as we moved about during our gameplay and between game rounds. With the replica 4x ACOG affixed to the rail mount and zeroed fairly well I was having a whale of a time picking people off with relative ease. I had also picked up an additional orange “Bakelite” 5.45mm- style midcap magazine to give me an additional 140 BBs over the black variant included with the base gun, so I had quite a lot of firepower! During the day we got

Up next was a further outing to our exciting new ‘Pewniveristy’ vast CQB site as featured in Issue 159, and for this I decided to ‘go the whole hog’ so to speak, and swap out the longest railed handguards; while I did find the short variants sufficient for the vertical grip, I did find having the weapon light mounted so far rearward caused a large shadow puppet effect casting the instantly recognisable AK barrel and sight post profile on whatever wall I shone it upon, so with that in mind I figured I needed to push that further forwards seeing as there are a lot of darkened abandoned classrooms and corridors at the new site… on to the tools again…

I swapped out the shorter railed variants for the longest ones Bella had been good enough to send me, the ‘classic’ lower handguard B30 (253mm long, 268g - Part No. ZB_30) along with the ‘classic’

“UP NEXT WAS A FURTHER OUTING TO OUR EXCITING NEW ‘PEWNIVERISTY’ VAST CQB SITE AS FEATURED IN ISSUE 159, AND FOR THIS I DECIDED TO ‘GO THE WHOLE HOG’ SO TO SPEAK, AND SWAP OUT THE LONGEST RAILED HANDGUARDS”

upper handguard B31C (195mm long, 110g - Part No. ZB_31C) through the same process as before; however it was slightly more awkward this time due to the bottom rail extending beyond the retention cap as there is a specific cutout in the rails to allow the unit to seat over it, but you will need to be careful applying force to get the cap itself back in place, although to be fair you’re more likely to get damaged in the process than any of the LCT parts as they’re typically industrial in their construction!

With that in place I reinstalled the weapon light out on the far right end of the bottom handguard and re-routed its pressure switch and cable to the natural thumb rest area above the RK6 stub grip I’d also ported over to avoid casting such a shadow with the light as before. I also found this was the perfect place to affix the A-1 sling mount loop (19g - Part No. ZA_1) to the top rail of the upper handguard as it prevented any slings mounted from interfering with my grip as well as giving my thumb a further index point to intuitively find the weapon light button by touch alone.

I also decided to try a different sighting arrangement, electing to ditch the rigid, but mildly inconvenient side rail in favour of the replacement top cover with integrated Picatinny rail (236g, Part No. PK213); this took some swearing and cajoling to install, as you need to remove the rear sight leaf and then juggle the front end block of the cover rail into position and positively batter the retention pin in sideways while fighting the pressure of the sight leaf spring… so using a pin punch to line things up and keep everything in place helps. I installed this block onto the front of the top cover itself with the included countersunk bolts before installing the whole thing at once… it helped keep things in alignment that way.

While this is very rigid laterally and capable of retaining zero in theory, there is a slight vertical wobble in it as it seats upwards against the rear retention/ disassembly button that pokes out through the back; you could perhaps pack it down if you intend to use it as a permanent fixture, but for me changing things constantly out I elected to leave it floating, just be aware that it may also nose your optic down somewhat if you don’t ensure its seated and fixed in its lowest position consistently. I found my

BBs drifting above my crosshairs even with the ACOG adjusted to its upper limit, but it does at least make access to the battery compartment a far easier affair than removing the scope side-rail every time, although despite the inconvenience of that it is probably the more consistent option. I would certainly favour it for rear wired fixed stock variants, or again if you externally wire up a battery bag or PEQ box of sorts.

One final touch for this third iteration was the installation of a replacement QD trigger guard (42g - Part No. PK218) which has extended wings on the enlarged magazine release, making it much easier to release mags with your trigger finger. I have a habit of tac-reloading by drawing a fresh mag and shuffling the spent or partial one out and rocking the new one in in a single action to minimise downtime on the gun given how fast paced some of our CQB games can become!

The magazine reloads, however, are still somewhat cumbersome for me and the AK platform with me being so out of practise; I also found myself accidentally over-inserting the front end of the magazine and catching the larger lower lip of the magazine head itself instead of the smaller retaining lip above, meaning I then had to remove and reinsert it properly on numerous occasions reloading in cover and in a hurry… something to be aware of or get used to I suppose, but hopefully some further upgrade components I haven’t touched yet may also help with that.

MORE TO COME!

That about rounds up my first three iterations and experiences of the LCT Airsoft AK series and Z-Series Zenitco accessories replicas, predominantly focusing on the front handguard options along with some of the other gadgets LCT were good enough to provide me with. However, I haven’t even touched on the buttstocks or some of the other muzzle devices and smaller additions as yet, so keep your eyes peeled for further upcoming articles on this same theme.

As always, many thanks to Bella and the wider LCT Airsoft team for so aptly and efficiently enabling my habit out here and supporting us to bring you news of their products and my own experiences of them… until next time! AA

“THAT ABOUT ROUNDS UP MY FIRST THREE ITERATIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF THE LCT AIRSOFT AK SERIES AND Z-SERIES ZENITCO ACCESSORIES REPLICAS, PREDOMINANTLY FOCUSING ON THE FRONT HANDGUARD OPTIONS ALONG WITH SOME OF THE OTHER GADGETS LCT WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO PROVIDE ME WITH…”

POWER UP!

WE’RE DELIGHTED TO BE JOINED BY A NEW CONTRIBUTOR THIS MONTH, AND POTENTIAL RECRUIT TO THE EVER-EXPANDING AA LEGION, ONE WITH A WEALTH OF BOTH TECHNICAL AND GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE IN THE SHAPE OF RICH P, WHO BILL MET ON THE FAST TACTICAL TRAINING WEEKEND WE REPORTED ON LAST YEAR! SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, IT’S OVER TO RICH TO TALK ABOUT “CHASING FPS”…

Okay, hands up how many of you have seen a post on various social media pages along the lines of “I’ve just bought a RIF, what do I need to buy to upgrade it and make it shoot better?” I can guarantee most of the comments will be along the lines of “you need this piston/ hop unit/ barrel/ motor/ gearset” etc. etc. etc… However, let me put forwards a possibly controversial view.

You don’t need to chase FPS!

There, I’ve said it. While you may find the occasional turkey of a RIF that’s trouble from day one, for the most part they will be extremely usable. Manufacturers spend a lot of time and money researching and developing their products so that they are good out of the box. At the end of the day it’s what pays their wages and they don’t want to gain a bad reputation!

Personally, I’d say to use your RIF for a while first and then decide if it needs anything. My own RIFs may be externally different to standard but internally they are pretty much standard up to the point something breaks, then I’ll delve in to the guts of it and fix it with maybe a mod or two if I think it needs it. On my own RIFs the only mod I did before using it was an AR/M4 magwell adapter; I’m a big fan of the Ares VZ58’s and its widely known that the AK-style mags have springs made of chocolate but you can get the adapter, so I went down that route and run AR/M4 midcaps.

However, I digress. Going back to the question of modding a RIF before you even chuck a BB in anger, there is only one ‘mod’ and one possible purchase that goes against what I’ve said so far…. and to be

fair, it’s not really a mod, it’s more of a refinement. And the purchase is only a few quid. So here we go.

AIRSEALS

Let me recount the tale of a friend of mine; he bought an AR, I can’t recall the make as he’s swapped RIFs more times than I’ve changed socks, but as soon as he got it he bought a load of upgrade parts and asked me if I’d fit them for him, and as I do most of the tech work for the team it was no hassle. However, I said that first I’d just tune it up and service it. I always chrono before I do any work so I can check for improvements. It was putting out 310FPS on 0.2’s (this was before the push to test on weights used.)

I dismantled the RIF and checked what needed checking, grease, shims and most importantly airseals. In this case the seals were sadly lacking. I sorted them out, reassembled the RIF and chrono’d…. it had jumped 100FPS! A few cuts and reshape of the mainspring brought it down to legal levels, and by time I’d finished it was a very quiet and under-stressed RIF and he wound up saving the parts for another M4.

TAKING IT DOWN, BUILDING IT UP

Those who are not as tech savvy are now probably wondering what I did to the airseals, so let me pass on the knowledge.

You have several airseals in an AEG, the piston head to the cylinder, the cylinder head to the cylinder, the cylinder nozzle to the tappet nozzle and the tappet nozzle to the hop rubber. My first port of call is to

“PERSONALLY, I’D SAY TO USE YOUR RIF FOR A WHILE FIRST AND THEN DECIDE IF IT NEEDS ANYTHING. MY OWN RIFS MAY BE EXTERNALLY DIFFERENT TO STANDARD BUT INTERNALLY THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH STANDARD UP TO THE POINT SOMETHING BREAKS”

remove the cylinder, piston and tappet nozzle from the gearbox and with everything as it would be in the RIF put your finger over the nozzle and push the piston in to the cylinder. If it goes in freely with no resistance then you have an air leak.

Next step is to remove the tappet nozzle from the equation and try again. If you still have the same result then the next step is to remove the O-ring from the piston head; you don’t need to buy a different O- ring as that can be a minefield in its own right. Just stretch the original O-ring over the outside of the

cylinder, then warm the O-ring gently with a lighter while constantly moving the cylinder. It only takes a few seconds, as soon as you feel a little bit of heat in the cylinder then it’s done.

If you can’t touch the cylinder then you’ve gone too warm. The heat allows the O-ring to relax and expand a bit creating a better seal to the cylinder. Let the O-ring cool down then refit it to the cylinder and try the test again. Nine times out of ten this will fix the issue. The cylinder head to cylinder seal is usually pretty good but you could put a small bit of

“IF YOU CAN’T TOUCH THE CYLINDER THEN YOU’VE GONE TOO WARM. THE HEAT ALLOWS THE O-RING TO RELAX AND EXPAND A BIT CREATING A BETTER SEAL TO THE CYLINDER. LET THE O-RING COOL DOWN THEN REFIT IT TO THE CYLINDER AND TRY THE TEST AGAIN. NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN THIS WILL FIX THE ISSUE”

mastic sealant on your finger and smear it around the cylinder head O-ring just to be sure. If you’ve got mastic oozing out of places then you’ve used too much.

CYLINDER/TAPPET

Next comes the second most common seal issue, the cylinder head nozzle to tappet nozzle. This is one place I’d say to possibly buy an upgrade.

Look inside the tappet plate nozzle, and if there is no O-ring inside a smear of grease on the cylinder head nozzle won’t seal it then I’d say buy a new nozzle with an O-ring… though make sure it’s the same length as the original! Then reassemble and test the RIF on a chrono and modify the spring as needed, whether that’s cutting and reshaping or a different spring is up to you.

So there you have it; it’s just one view out of many. Everyone who works on RIFs will have their own ways of doing something, their own hints and tricks that work for them. This is just my own personal view gained by experience on working on both my own and others RIFS and if it makes a few people think that maybe they don’t need to modify for the sake of modifying, then my work here is done. AA

INSPIRATION

AS WE START TO ROUND OUT OUR SHOW SEASON FOR THIS YEAR, ONCE AGAIN IT WAS TIME FOR THE AA CREW TO HEAD TO NUREMBERG FOR IWA, AND IN ITS 50TH YEAR THE SHOW PROMISED TO BE A VERY SPECIAL ONE! WITH AIRSOFT NOW HAVING ITS OWN DEDICATED SPACE, A SHOW WITHIN A SHOW, BILL AND JASE SET FORTH TO FIND OUT JUST WHAT WAS NEW AND EXCITING, AND TO SET UP THE YEAR AHEAD FOR AIRSOFT ACTION!

IWA OutdoorClassics (or simply IWA) in Nuremberg is undoubtedly my favourite show of the year, and its appearance on our schedule always gives me a little tingle of excitement; I’ve been attending the show in Germany for many years now, and have seen it, most certainly for airsoft, develop and evolve into something pretty wonderful as manufacturers, distributors, trade customers and the airsoft media descend en masse to see the very latest that’s on offer… and will be in offer for this year, and indeed coming years!

As the one of the world’s leading events for the shooting sports industry, IWA OutdoorClassics has been facilitating robust networking between manufacturers and specialist retailers for more than 50 years. For its anniversary edition, IWA OutdoorClassics once again offered visitors a multifaceted trade fair experience; with “IWA Vision”, Europe’s leading exhibition focused on new products, innovations and trends in the industry, and brought visitors closer to future-relevant topics as a trend driver, and strong partnerships transformed this year’s 50th ANNIVERSARY event into a real highlight.

To mark its Golden Anniversary, the show offered visitors and exhibitors a broad program and created an extraordinary atmosphere. The premiere of the future format “IWA Vision” was also very well received. With the anniversary edition, IWA OutdoorClassics has reached a milestone; over the course of 50 years, around 1,000,000 trade visitors have attended the world’s leading trade fair in Nuremberg, but IWA OutdoorClassics is far more than just a product presentation by the exhibiting companies. For 2024 it was a platform that focused on dialogue between industry and trade as well as on sharing knowledge and product testing.

International business and communication between partners thrived at IWA OutdoorClassics this year, and once again the show was the number

one contact point for international business contacts; around 40,000 visitors from 120 countries ensured that the halls were full, and 1,072 exhibitors were happy to talk business and show their products in the very best way! IWA OutdoorClassics certainly confirmed its international relevance across the board, and continues to be the driving force for the shooting sports industry!

And it’s not just me that feels this way! Jase has been my trusted “wingman” now for three years, and while I now have to concentrate largely on the business-side of running AA, he gets down to the nitty-gritty with the manufacturers to dig out more detail on new and future airsoft developments. Throughout this year’s report I’ll be adding in his comments to give some flavour to my dry presentation, and I believe you’ll get a real feel from him of just how much fun, as well as hard work, a major show can be!

KICKING IT ALL OFF – DAY ZERO!

Jase: “Beep Beep Beep, goes the alarm; it’s 0300! Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I hit the kill button on my phone and head off to find an espresso. Even my cat is looking at me as to why I’m up at this ungodly hour…

With my case, keys and passport in hand I head for the front door, and as I open it the thickest fog rolls towards me, it’s like I’m on the game show “Stars in their Eyes”!!

Heated seats on, Radio X flowing into the cabin, I turn on my headlights and they cut through the fog like two laser beams from the starship Enterprise! I gingerly make my way out onto the road and head off into the dense darkness to pick up our esteemed leader, Bill! As I pulled up to his house, there he is waiting… I’m not sure I have ever seen a human with a beaming smile like his at 0-dark o’colock, the man is ready for action… Airsoft Action!

“WITH THE ANNIVERSARY EDITION, IWA OUTDOORCLASSICS HAS REACHED A MILESTONE; OVER THE COURSE OF 50 YEARS, AROUND 1,000,000 TRADE VISITORS HAVE ATTENDED THE WORLD’S LEADING TRADE FAIR IN NUREMBERG, BUT IWA OUTDOORCLASSICS IS FAR MORE THAN JUST A PRODUCT PRESENTATION BY THE EXHIBITING COMPANIES”

The journey up to the airport is relaxed and uneventful as we waffle on about our action plan for the next four days. This will be my third trip to IWA with Airsoft Action, an honour to not only be writing for them but to be representing a premier, awardwinning airsoft magazine! As this won’t be my first rodeo, and there is not an ounce of anticipation in me, just pure excitement; excitement to see new things airsoft and many, many friends from within the industry all in one place at the same time!

Like the trip to the airport, the flight was straightforward and we arrived safely in Germany. Once our bags were dropped off we headed up to the Messe, where the IWA show takes place; six huge halls crammed with everything shootingrelated, ammo, guns, optics, clothing and a dedicated hall for airsoft, Hall 2. We are both going to get our steps in this week!”

With us safely at the show on Thursday afternoon it was time to have a quick look around the “tacticool hall”… things have changed somewhat here as many of the gear companies now attend ENFORCETAC for the professional side in the week leading up to IWA and do not cross over into the main show; next year I believe our plans may need to be amended in this respect! We did get to see our friends at Helikon-Tex, Pentagon, Snugpak, Karrimor SF, and Highlander Tactical and will be following up on this, and Jase spent some time with the guys from Emerson who had some new things to show!

Jase: “This year I spent some time speaking with the guys at Emerson gear, a brand that almost all airsofters will know; not a small player in this market, I was very interested to see what they had to offer for 2024. The first garment that got my attention was the Arctic Fox coat in Multicam. This snug winter- warmer has a 3M lining that I am told is good for temperatures as low as -30c… that’s cold! The outer fabric will come with a Teflon coating giving good water repellency. They were also showing their Reef Heron jacket that was waterproof up to 20k mm which I found very interesting. To round off their offerings were a set of Walker boots. These stylish boots came with a waterproof membrane from HydroGuard and had a decent sticky sole; fingers crossed we can make inroads to

“THIS YEAR I SPENT SOME TIME SPEAKING WITH THE GUYS AT EMERSON GEAR, A BRAND THAT ALMOST ALL AIRSOFTERS WILL KNOW; NOT A SMALL PLAYER IN THIS MARKET, I WAS VERY INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT THEY HAD TO OFFER FOR 2024. THE FIRST GARMENT THAT GOT MY ATTENTION WAS THE ARCTIC FOX COAT IN MULTICAM. ”

cover a pair in the future!”

And then it was straight on to our first meeting proper, the first of 26 MEETINGS both large and small to come, and we kicked things off in a very, very positive way by visiting our very good friends at VORSK! We wanted to spend some “quality-time” with the VORSK crew before anyone as of course there was BIG news given the launch of something we knew was coming (unlike many!) and that was the VMP-2!

truly reinforces their position not only as an airsoft brand, not just as a creator of a stunning range of GBB pistols but as a “gun-maker” in the truest sense of the word! The VMP-2 variants really take their modular platform into the next iteration, and I’m keenly interested to see where they go with it next… the VMP-2 production models are still a little way off, but from the industry reception I am certain that they will be yet another winner for VORSK, and of course we’ll be reporting on these every step of the way.

Jase: “With a jam packed schedule for the next four days we head off to the lovely chaps at VORSK who were releasing their new modular platform the VMP-2! Over the course of the last year I had seen the odd CAD drawings and was delighted to be able to see the new VMP-2 in all its glory; the rifle will come in three variants, a carbine, rifle and one DMR/sniper version locked to semi and with power around the 450fps mark! These gas-platforms using the same magazine as the already massively popular VMP-1 SMG feel great in the hand and when shouldering the rifle, it sits very comfortably. As a package the VMP-2 looks marvellous and I cannot wait to get my hands on one!”

I can only agree wholeheartedly with Jase that once again VORSK have delivered something that

MILES TO GO… DAY 1!

So, after a thoroughly entertaining time catching up with numerous old friends such as Kelly “Femme Fatale”, Rob from airsofter.world, Lisa “Skinny Bitch”, Igor from Shooters Global, and Tomy from BOLT AIRSOFT (who had been “kidnapped” by some of his customers allegedly!) as well as many other mates from the industry DAY 1 dawned fresh and sunny! Hitting the metro early we arrived at the Messe for our first of many meetings and dived straight into things!

After greeting our old mates from iWholesales and seeing all the new models that will be coming into stock for the UK and euro market imminently, I spent some “Happy Time” talking pistols and upgrade

“OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR I HAD SEEN THE ODD CAD DRAWINGS AND WAS DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE NEW VMP-2 IN ALL ITS GLORY; THE RIFLE WILL COME IN THREE VARIANTS, A CARBINE, RIFLE AND ONE DMR/SNIPER VERSION LOCKED TO SEMI AND WITH POWER AROUND THE 450FPS MARK!”

parts (including a reinforced bolt and trigger group!) for WE AR variants with Clara and Melvyn from WE AIRSOFT whilst Jase made his way to meet with the guys from ARES ALPHA; we’ve been keeping a close eye on these guys for a while now thanks to Miguel, and we felt it was time to get to know then better!

Jase: “Ares Alpha is a company that produces a Mobile App that connects players within a game using electronic props to further enhance the game experience. This was a new company to me but was founded in 2019. I had a fantastic walk through the product line with Gabriel and Alex who showed me what they could offer the customer. On a typical game day the Game Master uses a central PC to set up a scenario with a map area and objectives. The Game Master can track players, send live updates and change the game scenario on the fly, you can even replay key elements of the day after the game has finished.

Their system incorporates their ATB, ATS and Minibox but that will depend on games played, games like Domination , Target Destruction, VIP Transport and Bomb Disarmament to name a few. I was surprised at how many users can interface with the application on a game day, over 3000 players at one event in Sweden I was told, just mind blowing! The quality of the props produced by the guys is excellent, and I was very impressed with the Advance Tactical Box (ATB). Here in the UK there are two sites that use the Area Alpha system and I can’t wait to get along to a game using this system and try it out in the field. Why not check them out at www.ares-alpha.com... This is some “next gen” shizzle that really has the potential to take our game to a whole new level!”

We then took a look at the the Airsoft Shooting Range as this returned to IWA 2024 with the same centralised format, a great feature where manufacturers and retailers could focus on the product experience associated with all aspects of the participating brands, and a new partner was acquired for the anniversary year; a new airsoft “Shooting Parcours” provided an additional point of contact for specialist retailers and interested parties who wanted to get closer to airsoft. Run by Airsoft Helden, Germany’s largest organizer of airsoft events, the course and meeting area offered an opportunity to gain initial experience with both the platforms and airsoft in general.

Onwards to ASG! Now ASG given their presence in both the 6mm airsoft and 4.5mm airgun were actually not in the “airsoft hall” but we felt we needed to spend some time with them given the new models just released, and those still to come! Meeting with Clarke from the UK team I was introduced to the Anthony and Aaron from ROGUEWORX who make some spectacular custom rifle parts (more to come on ROGUEWORX in more detail soon!) whilst Jase got run through all things ASG-airsoft (and more!) by Clarke…

Jase: “On the ASG stand we met up with Clarke, who walked me through the new Series-H line that incorporates the HLA stock, these are shipped direct from HLA to the ASG facility. For all the fans of the EVO , ASG has released a 10 year anniversary special of the gun which will not only keep the fans happy but it will be competitively priced; the A.C.E is ASG’s way of celebrating 10 years of in-house production of the original EVO, bringing with it a selection of

“ON A TYPICAL GAME DAY THE GAME MASTER USES A CENTRAL PC TO SET UP A SCENARIO WITH A MAP AREA AND OBJECTIVES. THE GAME MASTER CAN TRACK PLAYERS, SEND LIVE UPDATES AND CHANGE THE GAME SCENARIO ON THE FLY, YOU CAN EVEN REPLAY KEY ELEMENTS OF THE DAY AFTER THE GAME HAS FINISHED.”

noteable upgrades and features you won’t find on any other version of the EVO! I then was able to get hands on with their P-10C, a pistol that was on my list of things to see; Boycie reviewed this last issue but to get hands on at last made me happy. In the hand it had a good ergonomic feel and had good balance. The one aspect of the pistol I think is a cracking idea is the hop adjustment. You can do this from locking the slide back and using the wheel on the left side of the unit to get the perfect adjustment, no more taking the slide off and on to get your pistol dialled in.

Big news was the H-22 STC! This rifle is the latest addition to ASG’s flagship Hybrid Series of products. It takes the well-loved and respected Special Teams Carbine platform and elevates things to the next tier with a range of extras exclusive to the new platfrom. One of the key features of the H-22 STC is the stock, which has been custom made in partnership with HERA Arms. The internals of the H-22 STC are also 100% compatible with RIGUEWORX after-market upgrades and parts, allowing players to make some truly unique builds!

Also on the stand ASG were showing a the FLCN 5.56 AEG, the latest fully-licenced CZ Shadow TS 2 and STI Pit Viper, some new Venture Gear Gloves, and a beautiful octagonal-barrelled lever-action 1866’s rifle; unfortunately this was only in 4.5mm which for me was a great shame as we could not field this in one of our airsoft fields, but could we see a 6mm in the future?”

Cranking on it was the mighty G&G ARMAMENT next on our hit-list, and a chance for me to catch up with the lovely team that I’d spent time with in Taiwan… and there was a LOT to check out that had come into the mix since then! I was once again

completely taken with the ESG B-10 bullpup shotgun that I first saw at the G&G World Cup, and then while I got into “talking shop” with Rick, Jase carried things forward into more new models…

Jase: “The ever-friendly Apple took me around the stand to show me what was new, as unlike Bill it’s been a little while since I saw where G&G is heading. First off the bat was the new TR16 GMS series with its truly quick change spring and a Gate Aster as standard out of the box. This AR platform from G&G will come with some very cool iron sights that have fibre optics already packaged into them. These will retail for around US$350 I am told. The next new product that was shown to us was the CM16 range, budget-friendly at a starting point of US$200 or so, and which in the near future will replace the older ‘Combat Master series’. It’s a full-polymer platform that was sturdy in the hand but light also. This new series will come with a quick change spring and steel bushings, so expect to see this series in the shops come the summer!

Next new offerings were the STP45 pistols; these pistols are based on the high-capa style and have a 30 BB magazine that was pretty light in the hand, and a TDC-style hop unit that has a nifty hidden allen key hidden at the front of the slide; once taken out, it is used to adjust the hop via a lug hidden in the trigger guard, then in the same area is another lug which can be used to adjust the reach of the trigger, both very cool adjustment tools. I was told that these will be TM compatible. These will retail at about US$177. There will be a pro model that has a metal slide and an extra mag and that will retail for US$245.

“G&G ARMAMENT NEXT ON OUR HIT-LIST, AND A CHANCE FOR ME TO CATCH UP WITH THE LOVELY TEAM THAT I’D SPENT TIME WITH IN TAIWAN… AND THERE WAS A LOT TO CHECK OUT THAT HAD COME INTO THE MIX SINCE THEN! I WAS ONCE AGAIN COMPLETELY TAKEN WITH THE ESG B-10 BULLPUP SHOTGUN”

But for me the cherry on the cake from G&G was the LevAR. This crazy looking beast combines the best of a lever action gun and an AR platform! It is a gas gun that utilises its own reservoir within the gun body and uses an AR-style magazine to feed things… at the moment it is a pre-production model with no manufacture date as yet, so let’s keep those fingers crossed that G&G brings this bad boy to market!”

We then punched on to meet with Rita from old friends ICS, and of course their big news is the family of Hi Capa pistols that are featured in “ARMOURY” this month along with an extension of the MASTER MODS program, before a final meeting with my mate Ray from VFC; now VFC have some cool new models that have recently dropped such at the FNC, M16A1, and T91 that Stewbacca will be covering soon, but it was the new 8.5” BCM MCMR models that really took our eye! As Chris at Airsoft & Milsim News has

been following this particular program, both AEG and GBBR, as closely as I have I’m looking forward to collaborating with him soon on some cool new content in the is respect. We also got hands on their new GBBR AK74 and PPSH which should delight OPFOR-ists everywhere!

Rounding the show day out with a cold beer

courtesy of SPECNA ARMS at their booth party (more on them to come in DAY 2!) we then made our way home for a shower before heading out with the VORSK crew and some of the UK contingent for a rather wonderful curry before collapsing into our pits…

ROLLING ON – DAY 2!

After catching up with some of the guys from the UK retail community such as Matt from AMMO DROP and Steve from AIRSOFT WORLD we started DAY 2 off in the big “Hall of Optics”; we’ve been having a conversation on and off for a while new with the guys at SELLMARK in Bulgaria who look after the Firefield, Sightmark, Inforce and KJI brands in Europe (and further afield!) and it was a real pleasure to finally meet Gergana and Vladimir. Sellmark it would seem are interested to learn more about airsoft, and we’re equally interested to see how we can bring their brands more into the airsoft sphere… watch this space!

High on my list of “to meets” was Tim from E-SHOOTER; again I’ve been speaking to Tim for a while now, and E-SHOOTER are one of those “quiet ones” whose technology has been devoted to research, ,development and production of “smart airsoft” accessories. They focus on exploring player’s new needs and ensure every solution they offer such as the KESTREL ETU, SENTRY target systems

and FLARE tracer units are built to enhance player experience. We had a great meeting and look forward to working with Tim and his team in the future!

Sharing the stand with E-SHOOTER were a grouping of airsoft companies such as Golden Eagle who had new AEGs and some awesome shell-ejecting

“HIGH ON MY LIST OF “TO MEETS” WAS TIM FROM E-SHOOTER; AGAIN I’VE BEEN SPEAKING TO TIM FOR A WHILE NOW, AND E-SHOOTER ARE ONE OF THOSE “QUIET ONES” WHOSE TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN DEVOTED TO RESEARCH, ,DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION OF “SMART AIRSOFT” ACCESSORIES”

shotguns and a new GBBR AR from ALPHA TACTICAL PRODUCTIONS that were kindly shown to us by Ben, and WELLPRO who delighted airsoft visitors with the new range of mini-guns and micro-guns… there’s one pint-sized member of the AA crew (Ben!) that we bet will be gagging to get hands-on with these…

Sticking with tech Jase and I then met with ACETECH and it was my pleasure to introduce him to Jonathan whom I’d not seen since my time in Taiwan last year. Jonathan kindly showed us some new items that are due for release soon which included a rather nifty AK-74-style muzzle brake tracer unit, as well as older items in their back-catalogue that have been givcen some serious re-jigging to make them smaller, lighter, and most-importantly for we players… keener priced! Jase was every bit as taken by the ACEHIVE system as I was!

Whilst Tech Jimmy was not with us in Germany this time he had prepared a list of questions for our next meeting as it was with Dalton from WOLVERINE, those masters of HPA! As well as having some awesome new replicas that have been created in collaboration with EMG such as a fully-traded TTI “Wick” Dracarys

GEN-12, a Mk18 with proper DD accessories, and a cool MTW 308 dedicated DMR platform to show us, as a non-HPA player I was actually very interested to see their WRAITH X CO2/HPA buffer tube setup, and we’ll look at this in more detail soon!

Big meeting next, REAL big as it was time to get groovy with the guys from SPECNA ARMS! This was a year of promise for SA, and just like others they

surely delivered! Although some of the old faces were present including Bartosz who looks after us so well on a day to day basis it was great to see Patryk returning, and new faces in the form of Charlie in the USA and Trent for UK B2B… and what a lot they all had to show us!

2024 looks like it’s going to be another BIG year for SPENA ARMS for sure; first up was a new “L96” style bolt action that they tell me will be compatible with all TM upgrade parts, although solid from the box with a power output of up to 3 or even 4J dependant on country laws! Then there’s the PPK-12 AEG that’s all-polymer and will come with an ETU, and an HPA concept although I understand that this is not a priority right now.

We then got a look at their ground-breaking SA Dark Matter™ Brushless motors (including a 27k version) AETHER™ gearbox, and some new precision hop chambers! Then there were new electronic components from GATE and E-SHOOTER (yup, Tim

that we mentioned earlier!), followed by some new licenced parts that will update both rails and bodies for the future. With a huge range of new BBs, optics, “WE THEN GOT A LOOK AT THEIR GROUND-BREAKING SA DARK MATTER™ BRUSHLESS MOTORS (INCLUDING A 27K VERSION) AETHER™ GEARBOX, AND SOME NEW PRECISION HOP CHAMBERS! THEN THERE WERE NEW ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS FROM GATE AND E-SHOOTER (YUP, TIM THAT WE MENTIONED EARLIER!), FOLLOWED BY SOME NEW LICENCED PARTS THAT WILL UPDATE BOTH RAILS AND BODIES FOR THE FUTURE”

taclites and accessory parts things are looking VERY complete…

But to top things off SPECNA ARMS have something very new and very exciting AEG-wise in their development poperline, and that’s their PROME project that should be arriving imminently! The PRIME platforms will take their AR-AEG offering forward yet further and new models for instance will include as standard a reinforced ESA2, the DARK MATTER motors, GATE ASTER BLUETOOTH control system, TDC MAGNUS hop chambers, steel barrels, and much, much more! We look forward to seeing these soon, and of course to checking them out in more detail!

DAY 2 rounded out with us visiting REDWOLF for their booth party, but before the masses gathered we got together with Max and Danny to check out

the very latest BAD SBR AEG model and the RWA AGENCY ARMS EXA and RONIN pistols which both look very cool indeed. Ronald from TITAN POWER also had space on the RWA stand so we also managed to hook up with him and we’ll be talking about their new power systems soon…

After the show we managed a super-fast cleanup before heading to a wonderful dinner with G&G, followed by a dip into MEALSIM IWA 2024 to once again catch up with more friends in the community… and then to bed…

WRAPPING IT UP – DAY 3!

Weary yet undaunted I kicked of DAY 3 with a very interesting meeting, with Georg from the IWA Press Office! I wanted to get a real lowdown on how the IWA guys themselves view airsoft, and it turned out that they see it as a growing and now integral part of the show! I had the opportunity to put forward a few

ideas for the future, and agreed with Georg that we would keep in touch in the coming months… airsoft FTW!

We’ve been keeping well up to date with our old friends at LCT AIRSOFT, and as Stewbacca begins his detailed coverage of their new AK accessory parts in this issue we won’t dwell too much on them here, although as always their stand was amazing and it was a pleasure as always to meet with them… their “M60 in either hand challenge” certainly keep their stand a focus for many, and it was a slice of pure airsoft fun that put a smile on all our faces though! Suffice to say that there will be more to come from LCT in 2024 and we’ll be right on things as they happen!

Then it was onto ROSSI to catch up with the latest

there, especially in relation to the NEPTUNE SAS that we’ve had such great results within 2023! The good news is that the “SAS” for 2024 is getting updated with a new stock, motor grip, magazine and iron sights externally, whilst internally there’ll be an optical trigger with magnet that will allow a decent adjustment for trigger feel… I cannot wait to get my hand on one of these, and they told me the price would remain in line with the Gen 1 model too!

DELTA ARMORY of course gets our headline spot this issue with the all-new FREYA, but there were

“DELTA ARMORY OF COURSE GETS OUR HEADLINE SPOT THIS ISSUE WITH THE ALL-NEW FREYA, BUT THERE WERE MORE AEGS BOTH OLD AND NEW, AND SOME CRACKING NEW PISTOLS TO CHECK OUT, WHILST VENNIE AT KING ARMS SHOWED THEIR LATEST POLYMERBODIED VERSION OF THE TWS9 GBBR WHICH USES S G-SERIES MAGAZINE”

more AEGs both old and new, and some cracking new pistols to check out, whilst Vennie at KING ARMS showed their latest polymer-bodied version of the TWS9 GBBR which uses s G-SERIES magazine… this

should be more keenly-priced than the full metal version, and as it’s already a great little platform this should start to please more and more players that want to give gas a go without breaking the bank. She also showed me some great AEGs with STRIKE INDUSTRIES parts which I loved! While I was catching up with these fine people Jase was off checking out what CYBERGUN had to offer…

Jase: “Last but not least for me was Cybergun and these chaps had a few new offerings that I was gagging to see. First off was the Canik TP9; this pistol really is a thing of beauty, such as the sexy trigger on it and I wish I had one hanging on my wall. This pistol was super-solid in the hand and just had a

great feeling overall. Quality! Next up was one of my all-time favourite arms brands, FN with the FN509 Tactical, with its polymer frame and metal side, threaded inner barrel, this baby rivalled the Canik. I just adore the way FN style their firearms, this is no exception. It was just so solid in the hand, perfection! Cybergun were also showing off a pre-production GBBR FAMAS; ven though this was not quite ready for market, this quirky number was a really good replication of the real thing and FAMAS fans will not be disappointed when this is finally released, which I was told could be later this year.”

Jase and I then re-convened for our final “formal” meeting of the show, which in fact turned out to be

particularly, very pleasantly informal! As I said in my look at the EVOLUTION AIRSOFT REAPER AEG at the front-end of this issue the guys from Italy are supernice and I will be honest that I made this the last meeting for us as I was promised a glass of prosecco and some fine cheese by Veronica! Joined by Sergio we took a look at their new, personalisable hicap and midcap AR magazines which do look great before the conversation turned from business to life, families and… pizza dough! Suffice to say there is more to come from EVOLUTION and I’ll report back as soon as I have confirmed news!

And that was it; there and bit days of hard work, 26 meetings both formal and informal, and a whole host of new stories, reviews, and new content lined up! I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks for all of those that took time to meet with us, and rest assured 2024 is going to be a GREAT year for airsoft in general, and for AIRSOFT ACTION! Pretty much as we started I’ll hand back to Jase for the closing comments on IWA 2024, but I look forward to seeing everyone again in Germany for IWA next year, 27th February to 2nd March 2025!

Jase: “So that’s a wrap for IWA 2024; as the show started to become deserted from the busy masses that had been scurrying around feasting their eyes on the new product adorning the many, many stands of the show, I started to reflect on my time at the Messe Convention Centre. After nearly four hard days spent dashing between halls and dodging people left and right it was my time to take five and breathe!

This year for me had a few items that trumped last year and that was down to the Vorsk VMP-2 and the G&G LevAR, two RIFs that made an impression on me, and both brought something new to the show! Like last year, I was again humbled by the amount of people who had such kind things to say about Airsoft Action and the hard work that everyone puts in. A big thank you to my airsoft friends who make these trips so memorable and fun; until the next time, Cheers!” AA

WALTHER WORX!

STEWBACCA IS A FAMOUSLY FANBOI-ISH APPRECIATOR OF ALL THINGS GERMAN WHEN IT COMES TO SMALL ARMS, AND WHILE THIS TYPICALLY TAKES THE GUISE OF HIS #EVERYBODYLOVESTHEKOCH MANTRA REGARDING THE LONG AND STORIED OFFERINGS OF HECKLER & KOCH, HE IS ALSO PARTIAL TO THE MANUFACTURER FROM ULM WHO MAKE A VARIETY OF HISTORIC AND MODERN POLICE SERVICE SIDEARMS, WALTHER, WHO AS IT HAPPENS SIT UNDER THE SAME UMAREX UMBRELLA IN AIRSOFT ANYWAY. WHAT OF THE SERVICE SIDEARM HE SEES ON A DAILY BASIS IN HIS PRESENT HOME OF TAIWAN?

While I am of course champing at the bit to get my oversized bear mitts on the relatively small Walther PPKS favourite of James Bond and all 007 fanbois that’s been a long wait coming since VFC announced their Umarex licensed replica over a year back at the previous MOA show in 2022, I have at least been getting my fix on licensed Walther pistols since 2021 in the guise of the PPQ NPA, the Police Pistol Quick-defence in the Taiwanese National Police Authority format manufactured by our good friends at VFC, having treated myself to one in the time honoured tradition of buying myself a new gas blowback pistol every birthday since arriving here in ‘Airsoft Central’ and the tropical climes that suit such things.

Way back in my earlier university days I had already acquired the Maruzen P99 GBB pistol to scratch the latter era James Bond gun itch given that replica PPK

GBBs were few and far between, although my old teammate Handsome Dave managing to get his hands on one, much to my jealous reaction. The Walther P99 was a familiar sight for me having lived in Nottingham where the local officers who did carry firearms used it as their standard sidearm in its double action only P990 format to patrol the worst regions of the city which was somewhat (un?)affectionately nicknamed ‘Shottingham’, alongside the H&K favourites that adorn my wall now such as the MP5, G36C and HK53 which I’ve seen in action on occasion dealing with the worst types that the “ARMED POLICE!” have to contend with back in blighty.

When I made landfall in Taiwan things were already in motion to modernise the local police force as well; back in late 2017 on my first weekend after training our group of fresh-off-the-plane foreigners were in the midst of being ‘rumbled’ by the local fuzz at an

“THE WALTHER P99 WAS A FAMILIAR SIGHT FOR ME HAVING LIVED IN NOTTINGHAM WHERE THE LOCAL OFFICERS WHO DID CARRY FIREARMS USED IT AS THEIR STANDARD SIDEARM IN ITS DOUBLE ACTION ONLY P990 FORMAT TO PATROL THE WORST REGIONS OF THE CITY WHICH WAS SOMEWHAT (UN?)AFFECTIONATELY NICKNAMED ‘SHOTTINGHAM’”

expat bar that apparently gets raided by police on the lookout for undesirables or illegal workers! As it happens I made conversation with them as I was one of the few present with any command of Mandarin, and I enquired as to what they were carrying… “Smith & Wesson” came the reply.

Soon enough I wouldn’t see any more of those apart from the occasional transport police units who were the last vestige of its bearers… time had marched on… along with the rebranding of the Taiwanese National Police Authority with new darker blue uniforms in keeping with a lot of US or European style forces, ditching off the lighter blue shirts (you might think look more like RAF or Hong Kong Police force garb) meant the sidearms were also being replaced en masse.

Progressive rolling out of the Walther PPQ pistols was underway; in a specific NPA format which makes

use of extended ambidextrous ‘flapper’ magazine releases (likely to lessen the chance of inadvertently releasing and losing a magazine while holstered at the expense of speed reloading) the amount of officers who are required to draw let alone fire their sidearms is fairly small by comparison to other less safe countries. Granted there is an element of gangsterism or other organised crime and some continued issues with reactivation of ‘prop gun firearms’ in Taiwan which often gets wrongly conflated with our airsoftrelated activities and replica firearms, but thankfully most of the time you’ll see these secured on the hips of every police officer on patrol and that’s where they tend to stay.

WALTHER EVOLUTION

The PPQ is in fact very closely related to the aforementioned P99 and you can definitely see the

“PROGRESSIVE ROLLING OUT OF THE WALTHER PPQ PISTOLS WAS UNDERWAY; IN A SPECIFIC NPA FORMAT WHICH MAKES USE OF EXTENDED AMBIDEXTROUS ‘FLAPPER’ MAGAZINE RELEASES (LIKELY TO LESSEN THE CHANCE OF INADVERTENTLY RELEASING AND LOSING A MAGAZINE WHILE HOLSTERED AT THE EXPENSE OF

Image

lineage and shared features; even the later version second generation P99 magazines are apparently cross-compatible in the real steel world, the main difference being the change in internal mechanism as well as improved external ergonomics, no doubt a major consideration given the number of lovely lady police officers roaming the streets and my Instagram feed here whose hand-sizing had to be catered for with the interchangeable back straps of various sizes. I’ve also seen more than one officer here carrying left-handed holster setups, so ambidexterity is naturally another advantage over the more typical push button magazine release ‘M2’ variant.

In real steel terms the PPQ is a faster-acting sidearm using a fully pre-cocked striker to give a lighter and faster trigger pull (hence the ‘quick defence’ - Q - aspect of its moniker) differentiating it from many Glock or other style half-cock striker

fired guns, and was originally intended for special forces and military employment rather than as a police sidearm. Nonetheless the NPA obviously found favour with it, equipping the better part of the 80,000-odd officers in active duty who would require an everyday carry gun.

Given my penchant for police or security service firearms and a desire to become familiar with local police and military service weapons in terms of handling especially as various Civil Defence and related preparedness activities here continue to grow, I’ve basically made it my standard sidearm in skirmishes for the most part since acquiring it, carrying it in a genuine Safariland 579 holster and making good use of it on numerous occasions when I or opponents closed the gap between us to within ten metres as per our team’s game rules. You’ll no doubt see it holstered on my hip in numerous photos

“THE PPQ IS IN FACT VERY CLOSELY RELATED TO THE AFOREMENTIONED P99 AND YOU CAN DEFINITELY SEE THE LINEAGE AND SHARED FEATURES; EVEN THE LATER VERSION SECOND GENERATION P99 MAGAZINES ARE APPARENTLY CROSSCOMPATIBLE IN THE REAL STEEL WORLD, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BEING THE CHANGE IN INTERNAL MECHANISM AS WELL AS IMPROVED EXTERNAL ERGONOMICS”

Image from Public Domain source

where I’m brandishing other guns for review in the annals of Airsoft Action, and it has definitely served me well thus far.

I also decided to run it on stages sometimes for IPSC training when my Shadow 2 was unserviceable, as well as back in 2021 when I dabbled in IDPA stages at the nationals to cover it for Issue 134; it’s been a very dependable go-to sidearm in general which is exceptionally comfortable in the hand being eminently pointable like its P99 forebear and also a favourite of a few of my other Team Taiji teammates as well.

The trigger is around 6lbs and just under half an inch overall pull with a really nice and crisp and repeatable break, and a clean reset that makes it easy to ‘ride the trigger’ effectively during double taps or longer strings and pull through again straight from the reset position repeatedly. I’ve run it exceptionally fast at times doing drill stages at our new IPSC training ground and the flapper release magazine, while not as convenient as a side button, didn’t seem to inhibit my speed reloading as much as I might have thought, while also meaning I’ve never had a magazine fall out of the gun even when dragging it and the holster through all manner of foliage leopard-crawling in woodland or jungle sites out here.

A STEADFAST PARTNER

The Umarex Walther VFC PPQ NPA has been a steadfast ally which has almost never let me down, with the one exception when wear and tear finally took its toll and a part of the sear system snapped off inside the trigger mechanism; that basically took it out of action as the internal hammer would no longer lock back, which also made it an absolute pain to disassemble as a result and some creative stabbing of thin plastic sheet into the gap between the frame and slide later I managed to hold the hammer down manually while stripping the top slide off before taking it to the fine folks at VFC’s Pentagon Service Centre who had it repaired in no time for me and that’s thus far the only failure after three years of regular beating aside from any time I’ve been reviewing

an alternative sidearm option.

The later variants with the second generation internal system are, like many VFC pistols and gas guns in general, noticeable improvements over their earlier offerings I encountered when I first arrived in Taiwan; my colleague and teammate purchased a first generation PPQ which had a noticeable weaker recoil impulse and seemed less reliable at times as well as still incorporating the hidden full-auto switch feature under the rear of the top slide. This has since been deleted and the PPQ NPA and generation 2 M2 and M3 variants are much more decisive in their recoil, handling experience and general noise! The latest Glock and SIG replica models are also noticeable

“THE TRIGGER IS AROUND 6LBS AND JUST UNDER HALF AN INCH OVERALL PULL WITH A REALLY NICE AND CRISP AND REPEATABLE BREAK, AND A CLEAN RESET THAT MAKES IT EASY TO ‘RIDE THE TRIGGER’ EFFECTIVELY DURING DOUBLE TAPS OR LONGER STRINGS AND PULL THROUGH AGAIN STRAIGHT FROM THE RESET POSITION REPEATEDLY”

punchier and loud in my experience, so clearly VFC are hiding more oomph under the top slides on their more recent offerings.

The magazines are fairly chunky and hard wearing 22 BB double stack single feed affairs which are easy to load along the whole length of the wider opening in the front of the feed column, another common feature in recent VFC pistols in general which makes them more user friendly , and I think I’ve only had one instance of one of them breaking its feed lips in all the time I’ve been throwing magazines around in game or dropping them on competition stages… even on concrete floors during IDPA stages at the 2021 nationals held at Taiwan CQB Club Linkou! Furthermore I don’t ever remember having any of the four magazines I have for mine apart for servicing at all in all this past three year’s timespan; one of them had a bit of a sticky inlet valve central pitot

which might jam open and vent the magazine during filling, but for the most part ‘pulsing’ the filling by repeatedly pressing the gas can nozzle in for short bursts prevents the valve jamming and they’ve all otherwise been excellent at maintaining their gas seals and being so maintenance free I can effectively forget about them and just depend on them to work everytime… a rare occurrence compared to a lot of my other gas pistols and their finicky sealing arrangements, for sure!

SURE AND CERTAIN HANDLING

One thing I’ve noticed in all my time using Walthers, from the Maruzen P99 GBB that I had TWELVE magazines on a dedicated pistol-only-CQB-rig for, to the more recent bargain WE P99 GBB and of course the VFC PPQ NPA is the sheer excellent handling even for my bear mitts, but also for an array of my

“I HAVEN’T REALLY HAD TO DO ANYTHING MAINTENANCE OR UPGRADE WISE TO THE VFC WALTHER PPQ NPA AT ALL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHOOSING TO PUT A NEW HARDER 70 DEGREE BLUE HOP RUBBER IN WHICH THE GUYS FROM ARCHWICK GAVE ME A FEW SAMPLES OF TO TRY OUT. IT’S REMAINED STOCK…”

teammates and ladies handling them at our civil defence pistol courses. While the real steel P99 and PPQ have recently been discontinued in favour of their new PDP successor (which is even better in the hand having handled the Umarex T4E rubber bullet training variant at the TADTE defence expo, hopefully a GBB replica of that will be coming soon too!) the continued utility of them for real steel shooters and persistent availability of replicas means they can serve on and fit perfectly into the palms of myriad users with ease.

The only drawback I’ve found sometimes is that the ambidextrous long slide stop/release levers occasionally lead to unintended lock opens and stoppages with BBs remaining in the magazine; I had that happen during one of the stages I ran during the IDPA competition which added some time to my results as I had to pause briefly and diagnose the issue mid-course-of-fire… thankfully this isn’t a common occurrence and as with many pistol-related issues can be resolved by making sure your firing grip doesn’t interfere with the controls. I personally found indexing my support thumb pad on the left takedown slider helps avoid inadvertent control issues as well as giving me a repeatable tactile reference point thanks to the textured serrations on the tabs for pulling them down to disassemble the pistol.

I haven’t really had to do anything maintenance or upgrade wise to the VFC Walther PPQ NPA at all, with the exception of choosing to put a new harder 70 degree blue HOP rubber in which the guys from Archwick gave me a few samples of to try out. It’s remained stock and only had the replacement sear component put in when it broke and jammed shut, it just goes bang every time I unholster it and pull the trigger, and I’ve even been tempted to affix a rear sight replacement red dot mount that one of my teammates ‘Tex’ has on his own particular PPQ… it certainly makes for a comfortable-to-use sidearm in competitive or skirmish environments alike and something I eagerly recommend to anyone as my go to.

One other minor issue I encountered to be aware of however is the magazine release compatibility. Due to the dualrelease systems of flapper and push button between the NPA and M2/M3 models, I have experienced some problems releasing magazines when using the M2 instead; occasionally the magazine will drop off the push button retention cutouts then hang up due to the additional flapper

cutouts engaging the magazine button if you don’t keep it depressed until they clear, so tapping the button rather than holding it in until the magazine is fully clear can cause such issues in the M2/M3 button versions. You can see the two separate systems on the front edges of both sides of the magazine ,with the small semi-circular divots lower down being for the push button action, while the larger cutouts above are for the flapper release system instead. At least the magazines are compatible with both variants I guess, just be deliberate with you release if you’re reloading under stress with a push-button model.

Accuracy-wise, I’ve never had many issues with it consistently landing shots in a fist-sized group at typical engagement ranges, and I’ve run it at full tilt on steel IPSC C-zone and A-zone targets or poppers with ease, which are much smaller than human-sized targets at useful ranges. Once you manage to tweak the adjustable rear sight by loosening the retaining socket head bolt under the rear of the slide to suit your inner barrel and HOP’s behaviour it tends to just merrily throw BBs out and I’ve put it to good use eliminating opponents who thought they had the drop on me when running primary review guns with limited magazines dry in game before.

Of course the surface finish has begun wearing off mine and its magazines from such extensive use, but if you manage to wear yours in as much as me and it really bothers you, then it seems the PPQ is suitable for Cerakote paint jobs judging by what I’ve seen online. So, ultimately if you’re in the market for something that just works and looks nice in a holster and are a bit bored of the blocky Glocks, I can definitely recommend the VFC Walther PPQ series given my experiences of my own NPA and other’s M2 models. AA