Airsoft Action - May 2024

8 ARMOURY: VFC T91 SOC GBBR

Bill, Anny and Stu got the early scoop on at a visit to VPSC prior to their more official and public announcement at MOA2023, the T91 SOC GBBR is an Armalite derivative of a specific Taiwanese local flavour, that’s the result of leaving an AR15 and an AR18 in a darkened room!

18 ARMOURY: APS STRIKER 12-MK3 “STREET SWEEPER”

One thing that’s often forgotten when it comes to airsoft games is that they should be FUN, and we’re all guilty of taking our scenarios just a little too seriously sometimes! But then something comes along that reminds us of the fun-side, like the APS STRIKER 12-MK3 “STREET SWEEPER” and the giggle factor leaps into action all over again! Bill delves deeper…

26 ARMOURY: DOUBLE BELL 041 L119A2

If you’re aiming for a proper, full-on “UKSF” impression then only one primary platform is really going to do the trick right now, and that’s an L119A2! Thankfully this storied carbine is finally appearing as a reasonable AEG replica at sensible prices, so Bill takes a look at the latest model from DOUBLE BELL… but wonders if the days of the A2 are numbered…

36 KIT & GEAR HOLOGRAPHIC SIGHTS

We’re extremely pleased to be joined again this month by Andy N, one of the AA “originals” who has been with the magazine almost since Day 1! Andy brings a wealth of knowledge and shooting experience given his time spent in the military and now as a civilian shooting instructor, and this month he dives into the benefits of using a “holo sight” for airsoft.

42 THE CAGE: US TRI COLOR

It’s a pattern that appears to have gone a little out of “airsoft fashion” these days, but one that immediately screams “scenario!” to us. The US DCU or “Tri Colour” pattern was and effective one though, and set a tone for airsoft games in the past that still resonates with us to this day! As usual, Bill leads off…

74 AA LEGION UK: BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW

The AA Crew DO love a good show and we take pride in the fact that we travel a long way to search out the very best airsoft stories! Sometimes things are thankfully a little closer to home, and although it’s not a show known for airsoft (yet!) the annual British Shooting Show still has goodies aplenty as Boycie now reports…

48 RED CELL: 1911 UPDATE

It’s April again, so it must be time for RED CELL to circle back around to look at the “1911” models that they first took to the range in 2020! These same models have been shot on a regular and continuous basis over that period, and with a few additions THE CELL now report back on FIFTEEN long-term test pistols that are still raring to get in the fight!

82 AA LEGION UK: NOVRITSCH AT PATROLBASE

We’re always delighted when we get an invite to attend something a little bit special, and it was a real pleasure to have members of the AA LEGION attend the Novritsch Launch Event hosted at Patrol Base’s new store in the UK; the dynamic duo of Boycie and Li’l Stu took up the challenge to find out what it was all about… and now Boycie tells all!

62 KIT & GEAR: SIGHTMARK OPTICS

In the airsoft world we sometimes seem to be all the way “at the back of the bus” when it comes to quality accessories and although our distributors and retailers do their very best to keep us up to date with the very latest developments it can take a while for things to reach us. Bill takes a look at Sightmark optics again after a very positive meeting at IWA!

86 AA LEGION TAIWAN: CIVIL PREPAREDNESS

With an increasing focus on strengthening not only national defence on a military or official level, but with numerous grass roots or ‘self-help’ groups springing up islandwide to provide stronger community connections and achieve goals on a local level as well as improve people’s abilities to deal with natural disasters and everyday incidents as a result he now brings things up to date.

66 INSIDE AIRSOFT: KWA

“Show season 2024” may now be behind us, but the rest of the year of looking mighty fine when it comes to airsoft stories and tales of the industry to tell! Attending shows is a vital part of what we do in order to get to know those within the industry even better as Dan now tells us as he recounts a meeting with Debbie at KWA, someone with some true historical “airsoft family” connections and a definite positive eye to the future of our beloved game!

96 RELOADED: DELTA ARMORY MK18 ALPHA AEG

Back in June last year we received a cool little AEG from DELTA ARMORY (DA) to include in our long-term test program, but given that the guys at DA have a whole new family of licenced replicas on the way we thought we’d focus back on their Mk18 and see how it’s been doing since it arrived with us… over to our resident “Mk18-aholic” Bill…

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THE REPUBLIC’S RIFLE

ANOTHER IN A LONG LINE UP OF VEGAFORCE COMPANY’S EXCITING NEW RELEASES THAT BILL, ANNY AND STU GOT THE EARLY SCOOP ON AT A VISIT TO VPSC PRIOR TO THEIR MORE OFFICIAL AND PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT AT MOA2023, THE T91 SOC GBBR IS AN ARMALITE DERIVATIVE OF A SPECIFIC TAIWANESE LOCAL FLAVOUR, ONE WHICH BRINGS VFC’S LATEST UPDATED ALL-STEEL SIMPLIFIED FIRE CONTROL GROUP ADVANCEMENTS TO THE TROPICAL SERVICE PLATFORM THAT’S THE RESULT OF LEAVING AN AR15 AND AN AR18 IN A DARKENED ROOM!

The T91 (Type 91, the year of the Republic of China/Taiwan calendar which started in 1911 with the abdication of the last emperor and the birth of the Republic, so 2002 by our money) was adopted back when I was still an opinionated university student just getting into the world of airsoft.

It replaced the older Type 65 (1976 issued) rifles which are much more M16A2 like in appearance aside from the similarly absent carry handles and stub rear sight posts in their stead, providing a more modernised and optimised 5.56mm NATO/STANAGcompatible platform for the local armed forces of Taiwan, being locally produced and even exported to civilian shooters in the US as upper receivers and as complete turnkey select-fire rifles for military use in the likes of several the middle eastern, eastern European and other nations between here and there.

The original T65 was a domestically developed derivative of the earlier M16 series, and like almost every modern service rifle that isn’t an AR15 or AK derivative, adopted the gas system of the AR18 (a short stroke piston above the bore that kicks the bolt carrier rearward to cycle the action) no doubt a decision based upon Taiwan’s defence industry looking at the early performance of the AR15 direct impingement/internal bolt carrier piston system’s performance and reliability issues in Vietnam,a similarly sweltering tropical hell for firearms survivability which to be honest looks very reminiscent of much of the less urbanised terrain in Taiwan I’ve seen during my travels; palm trees and sideways breeze, welcome to the rice fields etc…

With the standard older version sporting a very distinctive heavily ribbed and vented trapezoidal cross section two-piece horizontally split plastic handguard like an early M16A1 on steroids, the T91 has become a familiar sight at all local military affairs and around a quarter of a million of them arm the local forces on top of all the export sales. However more recently VFC have released their own further updated take on the platform, releasing their ‘SOC’ Special Operations Carbine which makes use of their own Solid Slim Rail A/B ‘SSRA/SSRB’ CNC aluminium authorised MLOK front handguards to bring the platform into the latest era, with the A being a direct replacement of the

“THE ORIGINAL T65 WAS A DOMESTICALLY DEVELOPED DERIVATIVE OF THE EARLIER M16 SERIES, AND LIKE ALMOST EVERY MODERN SERVICE RIFLE THAT ISN’T AN AR15 OR AK DERIVATIVE, ADOPTED THE GAS SYSTEM OF THE AR18 (A SHORT STROKE PISTON ABOVE THE BORE THAT KICKS THE BOLT CARRIER

REARWARD TO CYCLE THE ACTION)”

older plastic handguard, and the B model offering even further extension forwards along with the main barrel to give even more mounting real estate for accessories.

I went to pick up my own SSRA enabled variant from VFC’s Pentagon Service Centre down the MRT line from me in Xinzhuang, and once again tried it out on their range, drilling the small 1” square hanging target quite happily with the first magazine, having tried out the prototype with Bill and Anny back in November when it was still ‘in the black’ as we say in engineering (freshly machined and devoid of final surface treatments). The first thing you’re likely to notice is the increased recoil impulse over the likes of the M733 and perhaps even arguably their M16A1 early Vietnam era variant which I also picked up around the same time and will also feature in a following issue shortly. The T91 really kicks pretty heavily and will give any competitor platform a run for its money in that department.

NEW LOOK, NEW FEEL

With the SSRA MLOK rail system installed I find it extremely comfortable compared to its chunkier trapezoidal counterpart I’ve used on early competitor variants in my collection, and I can easily get a comfortable clamping grip and make use of the MLOK slots to index my thumb into, or use the front sight and gas block protrusion as an index point once the stub picatinny rail section on its underside is fitted with the vertical foregrips I typically favour for all my AR platforms to improve my own personal dexterity with them.

While it is obviously feels a little heftier and more front heavy than its aforementioned M16A1 predecessor, it is not actually that much heavier on paper, just shorter and denser in terms of its material distribution. Nonetheless it’s an ideal length for easy wielding, even in more restricted spaces or from behind cover with an overall length of 880mm with its somewhat unique telescopic stock fully extended, or 800mm with it fully collapsed, with multiple stock locking settings in between to suit your own frame or kit preferences.

The fairly lazy, almost FAL style reclining angle of

“THE T91 HAS BECOME A FAMILIAR SIGHT AT ALL LOCAL MILITARY AFFAIRS AND AROUND A QUARTER OF A MILLION OF THEM ARM THE LOCAL FORCES ON TOP OF ALL THE EXPORT SALES. HOWEVER MORE RECENTLY VFC HAVE RELEASED THEIR OWN FURTHER UPDATED TAKE ON THE PLATFORM, RELEASING THEIR ‘SOC’ SPECIAL OPERATIONS CARBINE”

the pistol grip is certainly a point of contention for many; I know my friend Tobie already bought his shorter-barrelled carbine variant and immediately switched it out on his to a more vertical and comfortable ergonomic shaped pistol grip, and I saw a whole host of my local compatriots rushing to purchase their own as soon as they were released, similarly swapping out their grips for a myriad array of other AR compatible options… the joys of modularity!

I find the standard setup quite comfortable regardless and enjoyed throwing a few magazines downrange before merrily signing off for it in their log book and taking it on the MRT home. Of course they’d somewhat sprung this one on me as I’d only gone to get my teammate’s pistol repaired but they’d prepared the T91 (along with other stuff I didn’t have the ability to carry home as well!) so I had to take it home in its box rather than my typically more nondescript black gun bag. Getting on public transport with a suspicious long olive drab box emblazoned with the RoC flag and ‘T91 SOC VR SERIES GAS BLOWBACK RIFLE’ in bigass letters on all faces and a schematic outline of the gun on the rear makes it somewhat hard to be incognito and some of the local girls behind me were commenting on it as I ambled home at rush hour. Luckily, in Taiwan, people are fairly chill as long as it stays in the box/bag and isn’t waved at them deliberately!

Home with me it went and immediately supplanted its predecessor from another brand which I’ve already reviewed in an earlier issue on my gun walls at the new Stu-dio, right after I’d finished switching over the replica EOTech 558 and adding a stub Mapgul style vertical foregrip to the picatinny rail stub section of the gas block. I eagerly awaited its first outing, and it didn’t disappoint. I decided to field it on our St Patrick’s day training session down at the Miaoli ‘Pewniversity’ site which will feature elsewhere in this issue and it performed brilliantly out of the box, with a few minor tweaks over lunchtime. We spent the morning in the classroom with many of Team Taiji learning the theory of safe handling of firearms, while some of us older members with past live fire or military experience used it as a refresher course, then headed out to the range outside to do drills in columns against steel targets.

“IT’S AN IDEAL LENGTH FOR EASY WIELDING, EVEN IN MORE RESTRICTED SPACES OR FROM BEHIND COVER WITH AN OVERALL LENGTH OF 880MM WITH ITS SOMEWHAT UNIQUE TELESCOPIC STOCK FULLY EXTENDED, OR 800MM WITH IT FULLY COLLAPSED, WITH MULTIPLE STOCK LOCKING SETTINGS IN BETWEEN TO SUIT YOUR OWN FRAME OR KIT PREFERENCES”

DIALLING IT IN

The SSRA rail system has a slot cutout on its central rearmost underside section that gives easy access to the HOP unit adjustment wheel, a knurled affair familiar to those of you with the M733 or other V3 VFC AR platforms. However, this one doesn’t require swear-inducing handguard removal efforts, and can easily be actuated with a suitable pokey tool; I used the flat screwdriver of my Swiss Champ army knife to lever the wheel around against the walls of the slot, it’s very firm and prevents unwanted movement, but is nonetheless easy to operate and within a few shots I’d managed to set it dead flat with my now somewhat long-gun-standard BLS 0.48g BBs; they shoot very flat and carry the energy to the target at the slight expense of overall speed for the improvement of consistency and accuracy, although I soon had to remove the EOTech after re-zeroing it as it seems the recoil finished it off after the earlier HK53’s beating of it… I may need to find more durable optics!

I dialled my rear sight in to match the trajectory and was soon enough drilling the living daylights out of the steel target panels set up for us, whether off hand, kneeling or prone, it became almost like cheating in terms of the ease of planting rounds on target at 10m… besides when I was the problem! The VFC T91 SOC performed flawlessly all day as the day heated up and we all started sweating in our gear under the sun, it just kept on throwing out BBs and locking open on empty reliably; I think I had one venting mishap with the shorter 20 BB Vietnamera magazine I’d borrowed out of the M16A1 to supplement the two 30 BB mags I had, but besides that it just chewed through everything I threw at it and looked and handled awesomely throughout.

The following week we returned to our Yangmei outdoor CQB site which has a good 70m open space next to the prep/safe zone area and I was even more pleasantly surprised when I started throwing BBs out to the very end of the range there. With a more serviceable EOTech 558 clone installed and zeroed I was accomplishing surprisingly tight groupings and reliably hitting a plastic tub at 60m confirmed with my shiny new laser rangefinder toy, even when I switched to the three round mechanical burst mode and let

“THE SSRA RAIL SYSTEM HAS A SLOT CUTOUT ON ITS CENTRAL REARMOST UNDERSIDE SECTION THAT GIVES EASY ACCESS TO THE HOP UNIT ADJUSTMENT WHEEL, A KNURLED AFFAIR FAMILIAR TO THOSE OF YOU WITH THE M733 OR OTHER V3 VFC AR PLATFORMS. HOWEVER, THIS ONE DOESN’T REQUIRE SWEAR-INDUCING HANDGUARD REMOVAL EFFORTS…”

loose to clear out the magazines before reloading and preparing for our actual game rounds. This feature is the typical AR burst mode ratchet drum system with a ‘memory’, so do be aware if you fire less than three BBs before releasing the trigger it will complete the remainder of the three shots on the next trigger pull, unlike the MP5 or M93R burst mechanisms with linear ratchets that reset on release; personally I likely won’t use it much given our teams semi only gameplay rules. Regardless it’s immensely fun to use the three BB burst and the grouping remained surprisingly controlled throughout the successive bursts, with all three BBs smacking into the target and giving a satisfying triple ‘thwack’ staccato after each trigger pull.

GAME TIME

We finished our pre-game preparations and I loaded up ready to stretch the legs of the T91 SOC in a more force on force setting, and it continued to impress me (and the guys around me!) throughout the day; I only had 80 BBs in total on me at any one time without having to reload the magazines manually mid game, but the T91 really made them count; in no time at all I was posting single BBs or double taps reliably out to 40-50m known distance buildings, through multiple window frames or doorways across the entire site to suppress the OpFor team or even eliminate them, apparently much to their own surprise as much as mine! I was having all of the fun running this thing and it’s honestly a very impressive gun out of the box, rivalling some of the even more upmarket examples I’ve come to use as yardsticks for performance.

Granted the trigger isn’t quite as nice as the particular high-end AR example in my collection I’m alluding to, but at half the cost you can’t really complain; the majority of the rest of the experience is the same, with the excellent consistency, recoil impulse and reliability, the trigger is just somewhat heavier at an average of 5.75 lbs/2.67 kg, fairly typical for a heavier service trigger rather than a tuned competition version, at least, and nonetheless very repeatable, comfortable and controllable.

Like most standard ARs the fire control group is set up so that the hammer must be cocked for the selector to be set on safe, not ideal from my point

“I DIALLED MY REAR SIGHT IN TO MATCH THE TRAJECTORY AND WAS SOON ENOUGH DRILLING THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF THE STEEL TARGET PANELS SET UP FOR US, WHETHER OFF HAND, KNEELING OR PRONE, (THE T91) BECAME ALMOST LIKE CHEATING IN TERMS OF THE EASE OF PLANTING ROUNDS ON TARGET AT 10M… BESIDES WHEN I WAS THE PROBLEM!”

of view, but par for the course, and throughout our previous training session we were clearing our guns and then charging them on an empty chamber and putting them on safe to ensure the instructors could check the status of our guns at a glance, but truth be told personally I’m with the HK guys on that front… I prefer it if safeties should be applicable regardless of state of the internals, VFC are just being true to the real steel counterpart at least.

As usual there was a line of interested teammates wanting to get hands on with and let off a few BBs, and the usual hearty approving nods and noises. Likewise when I took it to team SPPT’s usual Tuesday IPSC session and ran it very effectively on stages there against steel targets and against the clock. Using the VTAC barricade I made for the club I was replicating the kneeling/standing left/right handed firing from cover cross over drill we’d practised at the training day and rarely missed regardless of which hand I was using; I also let Mars and the guys blat with it for a bit getting his usual ‘GOOD’ response, which is high praise from our usually stoic and reserved team leader!

In terms of performance, the T91 SOC GBBR comes out of the box throwing out around 110m/s (360 FPS) on a 0.2g BB, with around 95-100m/s (330 FPS) on a 0.3g and 75-80m/s (260 FPS) using 0.48g BBs, all of which translates to around 1.2-1.3J muzzle energy which is fine for our local regulations but at peak is getting towards some site limits around the globe. The 275mm internal barrel matches that of the M733 in length and similarly in performance, and there seems to be a deliberate move on VFC’s part as of late to put shorter inner barrels in their GBBR platforms to lower the out of the box power to keep things sensible for many regions of the world they may be shipped to, Taiwanese local players own modifications and velocity chasing penchants notwithstanding. The V3 fire control group is all steel and gives a very positive ‘thunk’ on firing which ensures ample delivery and consistency of gas.

With a local price point of 13,000NT (iro GB£325/ US$450) it’s hard to find fault given the impressive performance; some may argue that the alloy bolt carrier group is not as premium as VFC’s Mk18 offerings, but then neither is the price point, and if people really want to trick things out there are aftermarket options for such endeavours, bringing the majority of players (especially the local Taiwanese who have lower spending potential) a solid, highperformance replica of their service rifle that many of them have used for real. It is undoubtedly money in the bank for VFC regardless of any shortcomings

the most discerning collectors or end users overseas might levy against it, and I lost count of how many of my Facebook friends in country were gleefully rushing out to buy their own and post their own thoughts and pictures of them.

I’m of the very strong sneaking suspicion I’ll be joining their ranks and this is yet another test gun that the guys at VPSC aren’t going to be getting back as I continue to vote with my own wallet and turf out older more troublesome examples and replace them with VFC’s more recent offerings; follow me for more field notes in future, fellow shooters…

Many thanks again to ‘Jerry’ Cheng-Yi Wu (IG @ Jerrywugaga) for his excellent supporting photos of me training with the VFC T91 SOC GBBR. AA

ONE THING THAT’S OFTEN FORGOTTEN WHEN IT COMES TO AIRSOFT GAMES IS THAT THEY SHOULD BE FUN, AND WE’RE ALL GUILTY OF TAKING OUR SCENARIOS JUST A LITTLE TOO SERIOUSLY SOMETIMES! BUT THEN SOMETHING COMES ALONG THAT REMINDS US OF THE FUN-SIDE, LIKE THE APS STRIKER 12-MK3 “STREET SWEEPER” AND THE GIGGLE FACTOR LEAPS INTO ACTION ALL OVER AGAIN! BILL DELVES DEEPER…

It’s true isn’t it, that we all come at airsoft in very different ways?

Some of you reading this may immediately switch off as we’ve used “FUN” in the introduction to this review, and if that’s the case then the APS STRIKER 12MK3 “STREET SWEEPER” is most certainly not the RIF for you! However, if a cheeky zombieslaying game gets you going, if the idea of a post-ap melee-fest makes you sit up and take notice, or if a good old down n’ dirty cartel scenario is your thing then read on, as I most definitely AM going to have fun with this and enjoy every minute of writing about the “STREET SWEEPER”.

Now it must be said that these days I do look at airsoft a little differently than when I did when I first started playing; I have a horribly competitive streak in me and I like to win, and once upon a time it was all about the winning, about taking ground and objectives and tallying my “kill streaks” at the end of the day. Over the years though I’ve embraced and tried so many different types of airsoft and although I still like to win, the victory is not the only reason why I enjoy a game.

These days I’m more interested in the “story” and the people that I meet along the trail in my ongoing adventure of airsoft, and the things that I can learn. I spend more time on the range now that I do in-game, and that’s my enjoyment of airsoft I guess… just the joy of shooting regularly makes me happy, and if I’m shooting with good friends then so much the better! And I don’t care what I shoot; someone once said of me “you’re as happy shooting a spud gun as a cannon” and I have indeed learnt that to be true…

although I get to play with some uber-cool toys these days it’s still the shooting itself that makes me smile most.

But there’s definitely one airsoft platform that I have an unashamed passion for, and that’s a platform that makes my smile even broader and giggle even harder every time I find a new one… airsoft shotguns! I have to admit that I now own quite a selection of “shotties” from a somewhat ancient and very cranky gas Tanaka “Trench Gun” through some very tasty 870 springers, a TM gas “Breacher”, a gas 8mm pump-action of unknown provenance which I inherited from Robbie, and culminating in the Magpulfurnitured tri-shot that I field when I’m shooting spinners, knock-downs and such with my mates in friendly competition… I love ‘em all and wouldn’t part with one!

So far though I’ve evaded the lure of the APS CAM870 though… I keep coming back to it as the action is “as real as you can get”, but the thought of having to account for every single (expensive!) C02 shell every time I use it has, to date, put me off. Let’s face it too, an airsoft shotgun doesn’t have the “shock and awe” of the real deal, and some of the monobarrel models out there are no more than a themed rifle as it’s one BB a trigger pull… although the airsoft shotguns with a hop can be downright devastating in the right setting.

But to the APS CAM I keep returning, and once again at IWA I was looking at them long and hard and trying to find an illogical reason why I shouldn’t buy one… until that is I visited the iWholesales stand to catch up with them and Tim showed me the APS STRIKER 12-MK3 “STREET SWEEPER” and then all bets were off!

“IF A CHEEKY ZOMBIE-SLAYING GAME GETS YOU GOING, IF THE IDEA OF A POST-AP MELEE-FEST MAKES YOU SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE, OR IF A GOOD OLD DOWN N’ DIRTY CARTEL SCENARIO IS YOUR THING THEN READ ON, AS I MOST DEFINITELY AM GOING TO HAVE FUN WITH THIS AND ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF WRITING ABOUT THE “STREET SWEEPER””

WAIT? WHAT?

The APS STRIKER-12 is a really cool airsoft model and I think that APS have really hit on something that will delight airsofters that either have an interest in historical platforms, or just want something on their armoury that is pure and simple airsoft fun… there, I’m back to that word again!

up most recently in Strike Back seasons 2 and 3, and Kick Ass, and the game Battlefield 2042… and it’s been a “regular” in one of my favourite franchises, Resident Evil, too!

The APS replica mimics this “real deal” pretty darn faithfully from what I can see, with a cool gas system meaning that it is 100% compatible with APS CAM870 Co2 MKI & MKIII Smart Cartridge shells, and I’m told by a reliable source also shells from the likes

The APS STRIKER-12 is based on the The Armsel 1994 the Striker and Street Sweeper were classified as “Destructive Devices” under the US National Firearms Act, so their transfer and ownership became regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives!

versions which are “through and throughs”) with CO2 being stored internally in the alloy shell base rather than held in a reservoir onboard the gun itself.

Both before and after the classification Striker variants were, and are a popular “prop” for the TV, movie, anime, and even the video game industry, appearing, often in the hands of the “bad guys”, in the likes of Robocop, Escape from LA, Point Break and even The World is Not Enough! The Striker cropped

The APS shot shells allow you to fill gas directly through a valve, much like that of any GBB or GBBR magazine into an alloy reservoir in the shell itself; with the use of either 88g cylinder adapter or paintball cylinder adapter, gas (or liquid C02) filling is superfast… but their downfall to my eyes is that of the “wadding” that goes into the shell “sleeve” (where

“THE APS STRIKER-12 IS A REALLY COOL AIRSOFT MODEL AND I THINK THAT APS HAVE REALLY HIT ON SOMETHING THAT WILL DELIGHT AIRSOFTERS THAT EITHER HAVE AN INTEREST IN HISTORICAL PLATFORMS, OR JUST WANT SOMETHING ON THEIR ARMOURY THAT IS PURE AND SIMPLE AIRSOFT FUN”

the BBs also live) as this is hard plastic and a bit of a bee-atch to be honest.

However, as always with things airsoft far cleverer minds than mine have addressed this problem, and as I’ve researched to 870-style CAM models over time I’ve come across Explosive Enterprises; now I don’t watch a lot of stuff on YouTube, but I will make time for things that interest and ultimately benefit me, and the @Explosive Enterprises channel is definitely one

are polymer, and I have to say that it does appear somewhat “agricultural”; the design is very much function over form, and loathe as I am to say it about any firearm or replica thereof, it is one ugly mutha… but in its own way is beautiful in the eye of the believer and beholder, as it’s obviously meant for business.

suggest that you check this out, it’s REALLY useful! Okay, enough of the darn shells, although they are an integral part of getting the best from the new Striker! Weighing in at 2514g the Striker is by no means a heavyweight, and it’s also not huge like some shotties either, so ideal for close-in stuff where an airsoft shotgun should excel; it’s only 740mm with the overfolder skeleton stock extended, and just 490mm when it’s stowed!

The whole thing is made of steel apart from the grooved foregrip and pistol-grip-group which

And it’s also simple, something that I love about it of controls you have just a Enterprises video there’s a really detailed section on exactly this at the back end of things which should help you decide what is right for your local site; I don’t believe you’ll ever be breaking any legal limits with the STRIKER-12, but you will need to watch out for Joulecreep if you’re upping the weight of BBs.

The STRIKER-12 does not come with any shells included in the package, and you’re going to need twelve of the little blighters at least to keep the beast fed; standard APS Smart Shells can be found online

“I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT DOES APPEAR SOMEWHAT “AGRICULTURAL”; THE DESIGN IS VERY MUCH FUNCTION OVER FORM, AND LOATHE AS I AM TO SAY IT ABOUT ANY FIREARM OR REPLICA THEREOF, IT IS ONE UGLY MUTHA… BUT IN ITS OWN WAY IS BEAUTIFUL IN THE EYE OF THE BELIEVER AND BEHOLDER, AS IT’S OBVIOUSLY MEANT FOR BUSINESS”

if you search for about UK£25 for a four pack, whilst the XPower shells are a little more at around UK£28 for four… sadly this is where the APS STRIKER-12 price starts to creep up, but if you already have a MkI or MkIII CAM870 then the shells will work for both.

Once you do have the shells it’s simply a case of drawing down the lever on the back of the fixed steel drum to access the loading port at the rear, then pop in a loaded shell, use the winder on the front face of the drum to rotate the inner, and load the

and N! It’s ultimately an expensive toy once you add in the extra cost of the shells, especially if you go for the XPower versions which I’d recommend as they do just seem more efficient overall; you’re also going to need to invest in the correct fill adaptortoo, along preferably with a decent CO2 bottle, but forget the wads as guess what...?

CAN load TWELVE shells to create some mayhem with… when you’re done you just use that “nota-cocking-handle” to eject the spent shells and repeat the loading process to get on with your airsoft carnage/rampage!

With all the chambers filled with loaded shells you can indeed get up to some close-quarter mischief, and working on the 10m range I was able to really get the plates going “CLANG!” each time I squeezed the trigger; this is a little heavy as it also operates the mech to revolve the internal cylinder, but I’ll be honest and say I’ve had way worse in my time, and the result is most certainly worth the effort! Each squeeze will let off a load of BBs dependant again on the type of shell you’re using in a big old shower, and given that the STRIKER-12 has no inner barrel whatsoever you do get a spread… and a significant one once you go beyond 10m!

Frankly the post front-sight is largely just a “hood ornament” as the STRIKER-12 really is a “point and shoot in the general direction of enemy” kind of deal, but oh my lawd, it really is fun with a capital F, U,

much-loved geekery!

To conclude then, APS STRIKER 12-MK3 “STREET SWEEPER” is indeed a barrel of shooty-funtimes, but with a serious side too. With a little effort and some persistence you can get to understand the right way to fill those shells, and with this done the range can become downright respectable too! It’s a steel-sturdy, well-made beast of a shottie that could cause real havoc if deployed correctly in-game, and just simply as a piece of firearms history I would add one to the armoury in… well, a shot!

I will keep looking at the APS CAM870, and undoubtedly one will end up in my ever-growing airsoft shotgun collection at some point, just “because”. When that does come to pass I may well also have to add a “STREET SWEEPER” too as it would be rude not to, wouldn’t it?

It’s time to dig out my “cartel tropical shirt”, pick up a grab-bag full of shot-shells and head out onto those means streets again… they need sweepin’! AA

“FRANKLY THE POST FRONT-SIGHT IS LARGELY JUST A “HOOD ORNAMENT” AS THE STRIKER-12 REALLY IS A “POINT AND SHOOT IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF ENEMY” KIND OF DEAL, BUT OH MY LAWD, IT REALLY IS FUN WITH A CAPITAL F, U, AND N!”

APS STRIKER 12-MK3 “STREET SWEEPER”

COUNTING THE DAYS

IF YOU’RE AIMING FOR A PROPER, FULL-ON “UKSF” IMPRESSION THEN ONLY ONE PRIMARY PLATFORM IS REALLY GOING TO DO THE TRICK RIGHT NOW, AND THAT’S AN L119A2! THANKFULLY THIS STORIED CARBINE IS FINALLY APPEARING AS A REASONABLE AEG REPLICA AT SENSIBLE PRICES, SO BILL TAKES A LOOK AT THE LATEST MODEL FROM DOUBLE BELL… BUT WONDERS IF THE DAYS OF THE A2 ARE NUMBERED…

Ihave an abiding love for CQB-length carbines as regulars here will know, and as much as I adore my Mk18s when it comes to “being a Brit” and flying the flag then I really like to have a primary platform that reflects this. During my time living and playing in the USA I often had a run out with my STAR and then ICS L85s with full DPM or DDPM kit to match, and I was pretty proud about that I can tell you!

However, time and tide moves on and those L85s were soon replaced with a couple of L119A1 builds, both CQB and full length, and these were the days

that I started to embrace the “mixy-matchy camo” thing that I’ll talk more about in CAGE this month; if you were going to do “UKSF” right, then you need an A1! I’ve kept things up to date in this respect in my personal “airsoft armoury”, and whilst these days I also favour GBBRs I couldn’t quite justify the stretch to add one of the awesome ARCHWICK A2 gas variants; don’t get me wrong, the ARCHWICK A2’s are fabulous and benefit from possibly to only correct A2 monolithic upper out there right now that’s not a custom job.

This is actually an important thing! In the real world of ARs “monolithic” refers to an upper receiver group where the front handguard or rail system and the actual upper receiver itself are manufactured as one complete piece. There’s still massive debate in the real firearms world over this, but some argue that a monolithic upper means all rail attachments and optics retain zero more effectively, especially when it comes to using rail-mounted laser aiming modules that need to marry-up perfectly with the optic of choice, and it’s one thing about the A2 IUR (Integrated Upper Receiver) that fascinates me as a thoroughly modern military firearm!

Important for airsoft then? Not so much these days really as the old ”front-end wobble” that we used to find on AEGs is thankfully now a thing of the past, and the interface between upper receiver and the rail system is usually solid as a rock on most AEGs that we lift from their box. Why then do I mention this? Simple really, and as I begin to get into the AEG in question here, the DOUBLE BELL 041 (L119A2) then you’ll see to a degree where money has been shaved off in the production to make these, like the ROSSI A2 that I do now have in the armoury, come in at a sensible price.

I’ll get this straight out of the way; like the ROSSI A2 (which is a super AEG and has only needed a replacement spring since new!) the 041 is a two-piece upper configuration where a pretty standard and generic AR receiver set has been bolted together with an albeit very nice take on the front-end rail system to mimic the IUR setup, and it’s far cheaper as an overall package then laying out for the HAO or Angry Gun standalone rails.

However, that in turn means that there are other features of the A2 that are absent from the 041; if you’re going to be a “stitch bitch” then immediately the charging handle is incorrect as it’s “standard AR” and the Colt Canada version is different, and the Colt Canada ambi selector group is absent completely. In fact there is no ambi control group at all, with the selector being on the LHS only. The muzzle device fitted to the 041 is a standard birdcage rather than a facsimile of the Surefire FH556, but I believe that some A2 models have been seen with the standard device, so it’s not all bad.

“DOUBLE BELL HAVE EARNED A GOOD REPUTATION AMONGST THE AA CREW OF LATE THROUGH A COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION AND MAKING SOME DARN SERVICEABLE AEGS, AND IN FAIRNESS THE “L119A2”REFLECTS THIS DEDICATION”

MORE POSITIVITY, MORE!

Okay, there are some other minor things that I could gripe about, but let’s be real and realise that we’re talking here about an AEG that sits almost in the “budget end” of the cost spectrum; I feel I’m being overly harsh about the 041, but there are actually some pretty cool redeeming features about it!

DOUBLE BELL have earned a good reputation amongst the AA Crew of late through a commitment to innovation and making some darn serviceable AEGs, and in fairness the “L119A2”reflects this dedication.

First up is the motor grip, and DOUBLE BELL have done a nice job here of recognising a detail which the Gen 1 ROSSI missed, and that the fact is that the grip is a pretty decent take on the heavily stippled ERGO grip that’s correct for the A2… this is important as to get “the look” right I had to search for ages and spend another UK£30 to get the right thing for the ROSSI… another little nod goes in the direction of the lower rail as the 041 actually has the grenadelauncher lug in place; much like that of the Angry Gun A2 aftermarket rail the lug fitted to the 041 is removable rather than being an integral part like that of the “real”, but all the same it shows good attention to detail.

Also the 041 comes fitted as standard with a nice replica of the CTR stock which again is a standard part on the real A2; it also happens that I REALLY like MOE and CTR stocks and fit them to most of my carbines as they are a compact, lightweight, collapsible stock designed for platforms where the user requires a high degree of manoeuvrability. In the case of the all-black 041 both these accessories are also black, and it would have been cool to see them in the tan of the real, but hey, it’s a great nod to accuracy again!

At 680/760mm long and weighing in at 2520g “bare bones” the 041 is an AEG that most of us could run with all day long, and its compact form means that it’s easy to manipulate even in tight CQBspaces. The finish is actually very good indeed for the price-point, although like the ROSSI this little AEG is just screaming out for a little rattlecan action! The constituent external parts are all metal where they should be, and are fitted together well; in fairness, externally the 041 is built like a tank! The sharp end

“FIRST

UP IS THE MOTOR GRIP, AND DOUBLE BELL HAVE DONE A NICE JOB HERE OF RECOGNISING A DETAIL WHICH THE GEN 1 ROSSI MISSED, AND THAT THE FACT IS THAT THE GRIP IS A PRETTY DECENT TAKE ON THE HEAVILY STIPPLED ERGO GRIP THAT’S CORRECT FOR THE A2… THIS IS IMPORTANT AS TO GET “THE LOOK” RIGHT”

features a standard 14mm CCW thread, allowing easy fitting of muzzle devices such as suppressors and tracer units…. and you WILL want a “SF-style” unit on this platform for sure!

Internally, things are pretty darn solid, but somewhat unremarkable, but again, remember the pricepoint! The 041 features a pretty standard motor, V2 gearbox, 8mm bearings, CNC aluminium air seal components, and a full steel-rack piston, giving reliability and consistency; these are coupled with a rotary hop-up unit (accessed in the usual way and with a working bolt release) and “6.02±0.01” brass inner barrel (so, 6.03 then!), so everything is tidy and should be durable and offer good accuracy.

DOWNRANGE

Now to the all-important bit as always… rangetime! The carbine chrono’d as new at a perfectly acceptable mean of 1.2 Joule/333fps on a .20g BB and has stayed there during testing so far. Pushing up to .28g and resetting the hop, with targets out at 30 metres just using the excellent “irons” that come fitted as standard I’ve been able to get very precise hits on semi-auto, and had great fun ringin’ the plates at the same range when I’ve switched the selector up to full. The AEG comes with a pair of mags, and HiCap and a Middy, and both fit and feed well; I’ve tried the 041 with all my AR mags and to date I’ve not found one it’s not happy with.

Thus far I’m satisfied with the performance given the price of the 041, and a few little tweaks (hop rubber and possibly the inner barrel) I feel could let you create a very accurate AEG indeed. There’s nothing wrong with the standard hop rubber per se as far as I can tell, as in honesty it needs a good bunch more BBs down the barrel to get things properly settled, but I just think I could get more from the 041 so I’ll probably hand it over to one of the “techies” to get another opinion here. Like the ROSSI though, the thing that REALLY gets this AEG a bit of a “well done” from me is the quality, fit and finish of parts, and the immediate performance as stock given that it costs iro UK£260! The 041 “looks like an A2”, is really nicely finished and put together, and has functioned perfectly during testing.

However, as a closing comment I would now question if those that are set on creating an up-todate “UKSF” loadout will want an L119A2 anymore? Obviously recent events have once again moved the clock forward, and I’m thinking that soon it will be all about the KS-1! And yes, there are already airsoft custom versions of the KS-1 “in the wild” (I’m looking at you Dave’s Custom Airsoft!) so I don’t think it will be long before we start seeing someone in “The East” producing a simpler, and more affordable, production version. Just as I was excited to see more sensiblypriced A2 AEGs entering (and continuing to enter, like the 041) the market, the 13.7” KS-1 variant was adopted as the L403A1-AIW by the British Armed Forces last year (to much excitement in the airsoft world) to replace the L85A2-A3 and L119A1-A2 platforms, so I don’t think it will be long before we see a 6mm replica!

As much as the days of the L119A2 may be numbered in the real world, I do foresee a long and happy “service life” for the AEG versions in the hands of airsofters who “like a bit of Brit”, all over the world, for some considerable time to come. I also believe that like me many will want an “A2” in their personal armoury to hang on the wall alongside their “A1’s”! And what you do get with a DOUBLE BELL 041 is another basic-yet-solid “119 inspired” AEG that has some pretty cool features as standard, and with some fine-tuning could be a real performer rather than just a “wall-hanger” too!

My sincere thanks go to www.iwholesales.biz for supplying the DOUBLE BELL 041 test sample; do be sure to check them out for more from DOUBLE BELL and all the other superb airsoft brands that they work with. AA

“PUSHING UP TO .28G AND RESETTING THE HOP, WITH TARGETS OUT AT 30 METRES JUST USING THE EXCELLENT “IRONS” THAT COME FITTED AS STANDARD I’VE BEEN ABLE TO GET VERY PRECISE HITS ON SEMI-AUTO, AND HAD GREAT FUN RINGIN’ THE PLATES AT THE SAME RANGE”

“AS A CLOSING COMMENT I WOULD NOW QUESTION IF THOSE THAT ARE SET ON CREATING AN UP-TO-DATE “UKSF” LOADOUT WILL WANT AN L119A2 ANYMORE?

OBVIOUSLY RECENT EVENTS HAVE ONCE AGAIN MOVED THE CLOCK FORWARD, AND I’M THINKING THAT SOON IT WILL BE ALL ABOUT THE KS-1!”

‧ 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)

Facebook (Global): ICSBBAirsoft

Twitter (Global): icsbbairsoft

Youtube: ICS AIRSOFT

Instagram: icsbbairsoft

EYES ON

WE’RE EXTREMELY PLEASED TO BE JOINED AGAIN THIS MONTH BY ANDY N, ONE OF THE AA “ORIGINALS” WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE MAGAZINE ALMOST SINCE DAY 1! ANDY BRINGS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND SHOOTING EXPERIENCE, GIVEN HIS TIME SPENT IN THE MILITARY AND NOW AS A CIVILIAN SHOOTING INSTRUCTOR. THIS MONTH HE DIVES INTO THE BENEFITS OF USING A “HOLO SIGHT” FOR AIRSOFT.

One of the most commonly used optics on carbines and rifles today is the holographic sight. It is also one of the least understood and its function and versatility is seldom used to its full potential.

The sight itself consists of a battery compartment and a red dot or symbol reflected on a screen; unlike a laser, the red dot is projected onto the screen and not onto the target itself. The use of the holographic sight far outweighs the use of the traditional tube or telescopic scope in an airsoft setting and it is also probably one of the cheapest sight options to purchase.

Because the holographic sight design is nonmagnifying, the shooter is relieved from any eye relief (that is the distance measured from the site to the operator’s eye) and for this reason, it can be placed anywhere on the top rail of the carbine or rifle. Holographic sight’s come in all shapes and sizes and prices to match, however, they all do the same thing and that is, once zeroed they put your BBs exactly where you want them.

Unlike conventional rifle sights, the holographic sight does not require the shooter to be directly behind the bore line. This makes it ideal for shooting in an unorthodox position, such as shooting around corners and also for cross-dominant eye shooting. The only downside to the holographic sight is the fact that they are battery-powered and they can get damaged just like any other sight. A damaged holographic sight can be backed up with pop-up emergency battle sights (or BUIS, Back Up Iron Sights, but they can be plastic too of course!) attached to the rifle but

you should make sure that the sights are zeroed to the same distance as the holographic sight.

Make sure when you are using emergency battle sights that you are able to see the front sight and rear sight clearly through the holographic sight without having to take the sight off the rifle; this is known as “co-witnessing”, and it’s something that is near impossible to do with a traditional tube scope. Likewise if the battery power fails on the holographic sight the emergency battle sights can be used immediately without having to remove the holographic sight.

BOTH EYES OPEN

The more traditional tube scope or telescopic scope tends to force the shooter to close one eye during operation, whilst the design of the holographic sight allows the shooter to keep both eyes open at all times and gives the shooter access to their peripheral vision and this is a massive bonus when shooting in a combative and defensive scenario.

In a contact where multiple targets are involved, peripheral vision afforded by the holographic sight will enable you to assess your immediate surrounding area for possible threats with ease. Faced with a standoff involving multiple threats, it is possible to train the holographic sight on one target and assess a second (and possibly third), while still keeping your point of aim on the first target using your peripheral vision. So long as you can see the red dot in the window of the holographic sight, when it is placed on your target it is possible to release the shot without bringing the rifle back in line with the correct stance and cheek weld. This is known as “adverted shooting”. This is often used when there is a potential threat that needs to be covered and marked and not an immediate threat that warrants shots to be fired.

“UNLIKE CONVENTIONAL RIFLE SIGHTS, THE HOLOGRAPHIC SIGHT DOES NOT REQUIRE THE SHOOTER TO BE DIRECTLY BEHIND THE BORE LINE. THIS MAKES IT IDEAL FOR SHOOTING IN AN UNORTHODOX POSITION”

The use of “adverted shooting” also comes into play when having to engage targets from around a corner; as the shooter peers around the corner (slicing the pie), unshoulder the rifle and place the butt into the bicep muscle. So long as the red dot in the window of the holographic sight is superimposed on your intended target you can guarantee a clear shot. It is not necessary for the red dot to be in the centre of the screen, the red dot can be placed anywhere in the window to be on aim with the target.

allow you to greatly reduce exposing more of your own personal target area to the enemy. Adverted shooting is not easy and it is something that needs to be practised as it feels alien when performed like all of the types of shooting skills, this needs to be practised on a regular basis to keep you in top form!

DOMINANCE?

The holographic sight is also an ideal choice for those that are “cross-eye dominant”. Just like we have a dominant hand, we also have a dominant eye. Cross-eye dominance means that the shooter has a dominant right hand and a dominant left eye or vice versa. In this instance it causes the right-handed shooter to crane their head over the top of the rifle stock and use their left eye to see through the sight and vice versa. This causes an unsteady shooting platform, poor aim, and bad recoil management.

To overcome this problem it is possible to place the holographic sight closer to the muzzle end of the rifle. The use of a full length accessory rail will greatly help in this respect. With the sight in this position the angle of the sight in relation to the bore alignment is greatly reduced, giving a better sight picture to the cross-eye dominant shooter. Experimentation with the correct placing of the holographic sight and practice is needed to get the correct distance and alignment for cross-eye dominant shooters perfect. With the holographic sight set correctly on the rifle and zeroed, it is just a matter of getting used to the position of the sight on the rifle and acquiring the correct sight picture.

Once set up correctly, for the shooter, the holographic sight is one of the best sighting systems available for the combative and defensive rifle. At close quarters during CQB scenarios, the holographic sight’s speed in target acquisition is simply going to be far superior than any other site. I have always used a holographic sight on my personal defence carbine and even have one on my handgun; this allows me to transition from one firearm to the other without having to look for a different site picture. The holographic sight is not to be ignored if you want to get up close and personal with speed! AA

“IN A CONTACT WHERE MULTIPLE TARGETS ARE INVOLVED, PERIPHERAL VISION AFFORDED BY THE HOLOGRAPHIC SIGHT WILL ENABLE YOU TO ASSESS YOUR IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING AREA FOR POSSIBLE THREATS WITH EASE”

THE L119A2 IS JUST ONE POPULAR EXAMPLE OF OUR CURRENT RECOIL MODELS, BASED ON TOKYO MARUI’S FANTASTIC SYSTEM - FITTED WITH THE ANGRY GUN RAIL SYSTEM AND REAL STEEL MAGPUL FURNITURE

THE CAGE: TAKIN’ IT OLD SKOOL DCU!

IT’S A PATTERN THAT APPEARS TO HAVE GONE A LITTLE OUT OF “AIRSOFT FASHION” THESE DAYS, BUT ONE THAT IMMEDIATELY SCREAMS “SCENARIO!” TO US. THE US DCU OR “TRI COLOUR” PATTERN WAS AN EFFECTIVE ONE THOUGH, AND SET A TONE FOR AIRSOFT GAMES IN THE PAST THAT STILL RESONATES WITH US TO THIS DAY! AS USUAL, BILL LEADS OFF…

Icannot for the life of me picture the US Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU), or “Tri Colour” as we often refer to it, without immediately thinking

“Black Hawk Down”, and I also can’t quite bring myself to admit that the real events took place in 1993 and even the movie version that we all love was released on 2001!

“Black Hawk Down”, especially the movie, for

many of us changed the way that airsoft was played in that it (in my mind at least) really kicked off what we now know as “FilmSim”, that being an airsoft scenario that is based largely on the scenario shown in a movie. Now I’ve played many, many games based loosely, or in some cases wholly, on a movie story, but “BHD-themed” games really stand out for me for a number of reasons.

““BLACK HAWK DOWN”, ESPECIALLY THE MOVIE FOR MANY OF US CHANGED THE WAY THAT AIRSOFT WAS PLAYED IN THAT IT (IN MY MIND AT LEAST) REALLY KICKED OFF WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS “FILMSIM”, THAT BEING AN AIRSOFT SCENARIO THAT IS BASED LARGELY ON THE SCENARIO SHOWN IN A MOVIE”

Airsoft is sometimes a little like pantomime in that we need to acknowledge a whole bunch of “suspension of disbelief” to really get into the feel of the game that we’re involved in, and one of the key facets here is that of “immersion”. It was those early “BHD” games that really made you think hard about being in the “right kit”, with the right AEG or GBB to really to get into character, whether that be Ranger, DELTA, or even “Somalian OPFOR”.

For many it was a reason to buy that “M4” (although of course the carbines used were in reality were more likely the Colt Model 653, 723,, and 733s…), an M16A2 (ish), and a set of that threecolour DCU… as always many of us ran out and bought up not only the DCU but also black vests and “Protec” style skate helmets from our local toy store to get into the DELTA vibe, and a select few also picked up M14s with an ACOG on top… this was also the very first time I’d also thought about spraying a camo pattern onto my carbine, something that has continued through my “airsoft life”!

“BHD” quite literally changed our game overnight! Gone was our surplus-store DPM, replaced by the US desert pattern. Gone also was the “just throw some kit on” for a game in favour of, in some cases, living history standard loadouts! Gone also for some of us was the simple “attack/defend or capture the flag” game, this replaced by scenarios that drove the game along in a very cinematic way… although not the first time it was ever played, (in my mind again) “BHD” was my personal initiation into a fullon “scenario-style” game… I loved it then, and I still do now!

THE CAMO THOUGH?

Although I can pin my personal usage of DCU to those wonderful early “FilmSim” games, of course by the time we all jumped on the DCU for airsoft it was already heading towards its finale as a service uniform for US troops. Developed in the late 1980s and first issued in very limited quantity in 1990 in “experimental form”, the Desert Camouflage Uniform was an

arid-environment pattern that was used by the United States Armed Forces from the mid-1990s to around 2010 when it was phased out in favour of the UCP (Universal Camouflage Pattern) used on the DCU’s replacement, the Army Combat Uniform (ACU).

In terms of cut, the original DCU was pretty much exactly the same as the woodland BDU uniform, but was created with a three-colour pattern of dark brown, pale olive green, and beige, replacing the previous Desert Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU) which featured the six-colour “choc chip” pattern, interestingly the pattern worn as helmet covers by the Rangers in “BHD”… or is that just the “camo nerd” in me coming out?

The DCU was worn across all US-service arms including USMC, but it was the pattern where many of us first started recognising “alterations” in the standard uniform pieces, especially shirts, and you could say that it was with the BDU and DCU especially that we first saw things like “RAID Mods” where base pockets were moved up onto the upper sleeve of the shirt, so that they could be accessed more easily, and the shirt tucked in, while wearing body armour and load vests… although uniform modifications had been made by WWII paratroopers, and most certainly by members of MACV-SOG in Vietnam the reason for the “RAID Mods” came from adapting to new technologies in the battlespace, and it could be “MANY

argued that these early shirts were the direct forerunner of what we now know as UBACS or combat shirts!

“Tri Colour” at a later date also became the unintended progenitor of more relaxed uniform usage by “special units”, again USSF and DELTA in Afghansitan, where we saw a more “relaxed” attitude towards in-theatre dress… I can remember seeing the images of guys with big beards, DCUs and cut-down T-shirts, shemaghs, ballcaps and tricked out SOPMOD ARs hitting the news to this day! Take this forward to the “TASK FORCE BLACK” days of the Joint Special Operations Command Task Force in Iraq and what we saw was what I now refer to as “mixy-matchy” with DCU being mixed with DPM and block colours to cloud the fact that these “Hunter Teams” were made up with the very best operators from numerous countries of the coalition.

Suffice to say that the DCU was an effective pattern in its intended environment, but to me it is also one that “set the tone” for what was to come in the future, and it’s a pattern that I still have in my personal CAGE not for themed games so much these days, but more for the fact that it’s an old and very trusted friend that’s seen me through many scenarios both historical and thoroughly up-to-the-moment. Although it’s fallen out of favour a bit right now, in my mind it still works very well in the right setting, and in a sea of Multicam these days it’s both a nod to the past and something quite unique, and some of the AA crew it would seem tend to agree with me…

TEAM TALK

Dan: While being in service with the US forces for nearly two decades, this pattern didn’t ever seem to take off in popularity with airsofters like M81 or Multicam did. I think the last time I saw it used was during a Blackhawk Down event many years ago, where one of our local teams did a bang-up job at replicating the loadouts used in the film. Unlike the tactical couch covers (ACU), which are a functionally dead product at many surplus stores, I rarely see TriColor on the rack, which makes me sort of wonder where all the surplus uniforms went. Used and new stuff still seems to be priced pretty cheap on the internet-side though.

As patterns go, I’ve always felt it was a little subtle and understated compared to some of the more overt uniforms out there. It’d be a little too light and tan for even our driest fields up here, but I could see using it in the deserts of the southwest. For the airsofter on a budget, this would be a good choice in lieu of selling a kidney for Multicam Arid. I would of course pair it with my favorite load-bearing gear colour, Ranger Green, which pairs well with everything!

Boycie: I remember using Tri Colour a couple of times waaay back when and this was only really used for the Blackhawk Down games which were all the rage back then. These days I am much a fan of less is more but I would certainly entertain using Tri Colour trousers for something different from the mass of Multicam and MTP which is about on sites now.

Ben: It’s not a pattern I have in my collection, however I wouldn’t say no... if I was to add this in

“IN TERMS OF CUT, THE ORIGINAL DCU WAS PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE WOODLAND BDU UNIFORM, BUT WAS CREATED WITH A THREE-COLOUR PATTERN OF DARK BROWN, PALE OLIVE GREEN, AND BEIGE, REPLACING THE PREVIOUS DESERT BATTLE DRESS UNIFORM (DBDU)”

then I’d be very tempted to do the most common go to look “Black Hawk Down Delta team”,.. but I would also do the mix and match camos UKSF look just to add another loadout look in there!

Stewbacca: Back in the mid-2010s my team Honey Badgers back in the UK were getting into US Desert Tri Colour as a standard team uniform as the BDUs are quite comfortable and hard wearing, as well as being something a bit different to the sea of DPM, Multicam or UCP of the era that other teams seemed to favour.

I got a full set in chonker size from Flecktarn.co.uk for around 50 quid back then and we ran them as our standard trousers along with either the tricolour smock, or lighter weight OD/tan/khaki t-shirts for hotter weather, giving us a range of options, and they paired well with OD or Khaki load bearing equipment we favoured around that time. I always found them to be a really comfortable option even in hotter weather and particularly good for heavy undergrowth and brambles.

Bill: This month as you’ll see we

have a mix of images from the movie and from real units which were all sourced in the public domain. You may also see some airsoft images that I was kindly allowed to use from the ongoing OP IRENE series of games run by my good friend and airsoft mentor John Lu and his outstanding team at Operation Lion Claws Military Simulations in the United States. Combining exciting venues, both military urban combat training facilities and “real world” facilities, with the leadership of VIPs such as US Army Ranger Col Danny McKnight (yes, THAT Col McKnight!), they produce the most amazing airsoft games while paying tribute to those who have served in the real military.

If this interests you and you’d like to know more then please check out www.oplionclaws.com... and if you don’t know why it’s called “OP IRENE” then shame on you, go look it up NOW! AA

“FOR THE AIRSOFTER ON A BUDGET, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD CHOICE IN LIEU OF SELLING A KIDNEY FOR MULTICAM ARID. I WOULD OF COURSE PAIR IT WITH MY FAVORITE LOAD-BEARING GEAR COLOUR, RANGER GREEN, WHICH PAIRS WELL WITH EVERYTHING!”

Eagle Optical ETU inside!

RED CELL FIGHTIN’ IRONS

IT’S APRIL AGAIN, SO IT MUST BE TIME FOR RED CELL TO CIRCLE BACK AROUND TO LOOK AT THE “1911” MODELS THAT THEY FIRST TOOK TO THE RANGE IN 2020! THESE SAME MODELS HAVE BEEN SHOT ON A REGULAR AND CONTINUOUS BASIS OVER THAT PERIOD, AND WITH A FEW ADDITIONS THE CELL NOW REPORT BACK ON FIFTEEN LONG-TERM TEST PISTOLS THAT ARE STILL RARING TO GET IN THE FIGHT!

Back in Issue 119 (that’s nearly three and a bit years ago!) we kicked off a testing program in Airsoft Action the like of which had not, to the best of our knowledge, been seen before! As we said at the time, “we decided as a team that we were fed up with seeing reports and reviews of airsoft platforms “from the box”, all gleaming and new, that then disappeared as newer, shinier things appeared”, and we’ve continued to test and evaluate some key airsoft models to make sure that what you’re buying I truly fit for purpose!

As I’ve said before, just as in the real world there is now an industry within an industry when it comes to airsoft “1911s”, with a plethora of aftermarket parts available for upgrades, from an upgraded trigger spring right through to full steel body kits! You can go completely classic with a super M1911A1, or come literally “bang up to the minute” with some of the newer designs that are currently available. You can stick to classic “single stack” models or head on into Hi Capa territory for that extra magazine capacity, but one thing that is shared amongst all the models is that wonderful geometry that makes the 1911 style so popular; it just sits perfectly in the hand whether it’s designed for competition or combat!

Since we started off with RED CELL certain manufacturers (Vorsk and ICS particularly, stand up and take a bow!) have continued to create new models, and there are some stunning variants that have entered the test program! That said we find ourselves with SO MANY 1911 and Hi Capa models now in the program that we’ve had to split them down into two categories to really do them justice, and the first that you’ll see here is all about classic “fightin’ irons”, those 1911 models that are really meant for the field.

Now of course any airsoft pistol can be used in a skirmish setting, but it seems more sensible to us to talk about those variants that are more specifically designed for range use as well as in the field as a separate category, so we hope you’ll bear with us on that as we cover them off later… and yes, there are enough to create a full second report!

In the initial Red Cell Shoot we decided to throw all the 1911 models into one big, massively impressive (and ever-growing!) pile, no matter what their

magazine capacity, although of course this could be a decider for you when you come to buy; now though we need to split them up. As always all the pistol models that we test are owned by members of the group or are held in the Test Pool, and they are all models that have been, or will be, used in game. Some have been owned for a considerable time, and this will always be noted in the data so you can work out how consistent they have remained over their “service life”.

We want you to be able to pick a GBB or AEG for yourself that is both worth the money, and worth placing your trust in. Ultimately we want you to have the information to be able to buy something with confidence, to obtain a model that you can own and cherish for years to come, and that will keep on working with minimal fuss and equally minimal maintenance as long as you own it.

OVER TO THE CELL!

Although everyone in RED CELL adds information on test models where they can, of course we have some real “champions” when it comes to certain models, and this month when it comes to “fightin’ 1911s” we admit it’s a bit of a “Bill and Jimmy show” as between them they’ve had a massive amount of experience with 1911 variants in-game, on the range, and on the workbench, so Bill kicks things into gear!

Bill: All the pistols in the pool have now had several thousand VORSK PRECISION BBs through them (chrono’d on .20g) using VORSK V6 FUEL in the main (apart from those that are noted as C02 driven), and maintenance has been undertaken where necessary as you’d expect from a bunch of GBBs that have seen hard use but are still rolling along and performing well. Where we’ve needed to we’ve changed out seals and o-rings, and made sure that each pistol is stripped and mag-lubed regularly, although we tend to treat the test models “mean”; sadly we know that some out there aren’t great at keeping on top of their maintenance regime, so we’ve genuinely let some of ours slide a bit to simulate more “real world” use.

Essentially though other than a regular barrel clean, what you’re seeing here is in the main bog-standard GBBs with zero upgrades. Notes have been taken as

“SINCE WE STARTED OFF WITH RED CELL CERTAIN MANUFACTURERS (VORSK AND ICS PARTICULARLY, STAND UP AND TAKE A BOW!) HAVE CONTINUED TO CREATE NEW MODELS, AND THERE ARE SOME STUNNING VARIANTS THAT HAVE ENTERED THE TEST PROGRAM!”

we’ve used them in-game or given them another pasting on the range, and we’re now pushing on through our initial 5 YEAR PLAN, a period we believe will be a meaningful, and where we initially aimed to have at least 20 MODELS with a minimum of 5000 BBs through them, it looks very much like we’re going to end up with 30+ pistols to eventually tell you about, and that’s just 1911s and Hi Capas!

However you look at it things are shaping up well to create something very special by the time we get finished with the RED CELL program, with literally hundreds of AEGs and GBBs tested; in one way I’m looking forward to bringing you the final results… but as I’ll be the one pulling the whole thing together it’s starting to look like a pretty mammoth task.

“BY THE TIME WE GET FINISHED WITH THE RED CELL PROGRAM, WITH LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF AEGS AND GBBS TESTED; IN ONE WAY I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING YOU THE FINAL RESULTS… BUT AS I’LL BE THE ONE PULLING THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER IT’S STARTING TO LOOK LIKE A PRETTY MAMMOTH TASK.”

TOKYO MARUI 1911 MEU

Price: iro £150.00

Age: 3 Years

Weight: 840g

Length: 223mm

Magazine Capacity: 28

Cold Chrono: 0.70 Joule/275fps

Hot Chrono: 0.33 Joule/190fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: No

Suppressor Compatibilty: No

Available From: www.iwholesales.co.uk

RAVEN 1911 MEU RAILED

Price: iro £80.00

Age: 5 Years

Weight: 1300g

Length: 215mm

Magazine Capacity: 15+1

Cold Chrono: 0.73 Joule/282fps

Hot Chrono: 0.65 Joule/265fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: Good

Suppressor Compatibilty: Good

Available From: www.rvnairsoft.com

WE AIRSOFT 1911A1

Price: iro £90.00

Age: 10+ years!

Weight: 1200g

Length: 218mm

Magazine Capacity: 15+1

Cold Chrono: 0.78 Joule/291fps

Hot Chrono: 0.71 Joule/278fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: No

Suppressor Compatibility: No

Available From: www.weairsoft.com

TOKYO MARUI GOLD MATCH

Price: iro £160.00

Age: 3 Years

Weight: 850g

Length: 222mm

Magazine Capacity: 31 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.74 Joule/283fps

Hot Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290ps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: Yes

Suppressor Compatibilty: No

Available From: www.fire-support.co.uk

VFC TACTICAL CUSTOM

Price: iro £130.00

Age: 2 Years 7 Months

Weight: 840g

Length: 224mm

Magazine Capacity: 20

Cold Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps

Hot Chrono: 0.89 Joule/310fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: Dedicated

Suppressor Compatibilty: No

Available From: www.vegaforce.com

So, all of our test pistols are still alive and still performing well even after use; sorry, but the bottom line is that we’ve actually still had no major failures in the 1911 group! From our initial pool we’ve continued to add new models as friends on the manufacturing side have asked us to include their new creations in our extended test; the first of these was the VFC Tactical Custom, and this is still a pistol that is one for the users out there!

As I said when I first got the pistol in my hands the VFC 1911 Tactical Custom is a striking-looking pistol! It aimed to break a few moulds in both looks and performance, and it has proved to do both very well indeed. The pistol is beautifully finished in every respect, living up to the “Kimber” feel. I haven’t gone to the extent of having trades put onto this replica, and in fairness I probably won’t given my personal feelings on hokey markings, but that’s not to say that the pistol is missing anything in overall finish because of this.

VFC have done a top job in replicating the mattblack oxide finish (Kimber use their own finishing known as KimPro on many of their specialist pistols) of the real thing, and all the components like the trigger, hammer, and outer barrel are finished silver. The pistol features both the checkered front strap, along with those all-important front and rear slide serrations, and clearly white-spot-marked front and rear sights that are easy to use. To date this finish has stood up to the rigors of multiple draws and reholsters, and even with a Kydex, there is little to no evidence of wear anywhere!

With the new hop up design that allows you use the guide rod for adjustments, the GuideHop, you can incrementally and exactly adjust the hop on the go if necessary, allowing a full range of adjustment without removing the complete slide; all you need to do is hold the slide to the rear and turn the guide rod itself to increase or decrease the hop with series of “clicks” that you can both feel and hear, then release the slide forward to keep shooting! The 20BB magazine is extremely gas efficient, and I’ve found that many single-stack 1911 magazines (almost all!) in my collection work in the pistol as well as the VFC original.

The power output on green gas as quoted by VFC

is iro 0.83 Joule/300fps for the 1911, and they’ve got this pretty right; I tested and re-tested (as well as giving the 1911 regular run-outs on the range) using NP 2.0 gas and .20g RZRs and have continued to get between 299 and 302fps which is pretty tight! Accuracy on the 10m Short Range has improved as the 1911 has bedded in, and I’m now hitting that “headspace” more times than not, so regular centremass shot-placement really shouldn’t be an issue at normal pistol ranges!

Closely following on the heels of the Tactical Custom is the VFC Ultra Carry; as a lover of compact “concealed carry” style 1911 pistols the Ultra Carry really ticks all my boxes! For certain scenarios, especially when you’re acting as a player character in a storyline scenario, having a neat little handgun tucked away somewhere under your shirt or jacket can really give those on the other team a nasty shock!

Weighing in at 711g, it’s not exactly a heavyweight, and what weight there is comes pretty much from the magazine and solid metal construction, However, with that reduced slide and frame it’s physically smaller and 129g lighter than the full-size tactical version, which of course means it’s the ideal “.45” for smaller players or those with smaller hands although it’s still eminently usable by bigger fellows like me.

As with the “big brother 1911” the frame and slide are reproduced in a high grade alloy, and as usual with VFC the finish is absolutely impeccable, even though there are (correctly in licence terms again) no markings at all on the slide, and the overall finish is a consistent and very attractive satin black, and although I use this pistol in an “old skool” Bianchi 105 leather belt holster the finish has again stood up well to use and abuse.

On .20g BBs I still get an average through the chrono of 0.68 Joule/271fps which is perfect for a “compact” and slightly more powerful than some of the others out there like the TM and ARMY “Detonics Combatmaster” replicas. The Ultra Carry really is deceptive though as this little beauty goes off with a real crack and the recoil impulse is really cool. The trigger is light and responsive and as there’s little weight to the reduced-length alloy slide it cycles really well; you can get shots away as quick as you can pull the trigger and VFC’s GUIDE HOP, front-end adjustable

“AS I SAID WHEN I FIRST GOT THE PISTOL IN MY HANDS THE VFC 1911 TACTICAL CUSTOM IS A STRIKING-LOOKING PISTOL! IT AIMED TO BREAK A FEW MOULDS IN BOTH LOOKS AND PERFORMANCE, AND IT HAS PROVED TO DO BOTH VERY WELL INDEED”

RAVEN HI CAPA 4.3

Price: iro £90.00

Age: 4 Years

Weight: 880g

Length: 220mm

Magazine Capacity: 25

Cold Chrono: 0.96 Joule/323fps

Hot Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: Good

Suppressor Compatibilty: Good

Available From: www.rvnairsoft.com

WE DESERT WARRIOR 4.3

Price: iro £110.00

Age: 7 Years

Weight: 995g

Length: 202mm

Magazine Capacity: 15

Cold Chrono: 1.11 Joule/285fps

Hot Chrono: 1.02 Joule/300fps

Holster Compatibility: Okay

Taclite Compatibility: Good

Suppressor Compatibilty: Good

Available From: www.alphadeltaairsoft.com

ARMY ARMAMENT R501

Price: iro £80.00

Age: 3 Years

Weight: 1020g

Length: 218mm

Magazine Capacity: 28

Cold Chrono: 0.80 Joule/295fps

Hot Chrono: 0.70 Joule/276fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: Good

Suppressor Compatibilty: Good

Available From: www.taiwangun.com

ARMY ARMAMENT R604

Price: iro £95.00

Age: 3 Years

Weight: 1030g

Length: 225mm

Magazine Capacity: 28

Cold Chrono: 0.86 Joule/305fps

Hot Chrono: 0.67 Joule/270fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: Good

Suppressor Compatibilty: Good

Available From: www.taiwangun.com

ARMY ARMAMENT R45A1

Price: iro £45.00

Age: 4 Years

Weight: 700g

Length: 170mm

Magazine Capacity: 18

Cold Chrono: 0.55 Joule/245fps

Hot Chrono: 0.41 Joule/210fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: No

Suppressor Compatibility: No

Available From: www.taiwangun.com

system means that it’s simplicity itself to make fine adjustments. Even though the barrel is obviously short (the whole pistol is only 176mm long after all, with a 65mm inner barrel!) it sends BBs out nice and flat; at ten metres on my usual “in game” .28g this is as accurate as I could wish for, and then some!

Sticking with “shorties”, Tokyo Marui as we all know are one of the originators, if not the originator, when it comes to airsoft “replicas”, and the compact Detonics produced by TM now has to be one of the “orginals” in my own personal collection!

In the Combat Master we have a compact pistol that is unique, and TM do a great job in nailing it! Weighing in at 634g/1.4 lbs, it’s not exactly a heavyweight either, and the weight here comes pretty much from the metal blocks attached to the inner side of the faux wood grips as the whole pistol is otherwise”plastic-fantastic” when it comes to the frame build. As with many Marui pistols the frame and slide are reproduced in a tough ABS but that said, the finish is superb, even down to the “DETONICS .45” legend on the left-hand side of the slide. It feels very, very solid in the hand and there are some lovely finishing touches like the silvered outer barrel, hammer, and trigger; the 18 BB magazine of the replica is also silvered so the protruding floor plate mirrors what’s above it.

If you’re used to a regular 1911, the controls of the Detonics are pretty much identical. The rear safety catch is placed on the left-hand side of the frame, and the hammer can be dropped to ‘Condition1’ with this applied. Continued testing after some minor maintenance show the stock power level being retained at 0.58 Joule/250fps on a .20g, and a string of 10 shots still gives an average through the chrono of 0.59 Joule/253fps. It really is deceptive though as this little beauty goes off with a real crack and lives up to the claim of “Hi Kick” that TM make on the box!

Given my love for the Detonics as an historical and classic sub-compact 1911, when ARMY did their take on it I had to have one! After I shot the R45A1 on the range I was convinced that this was the way forward and soon ordered one in, and I dug out the second pair of wood grips and stained them to match the pair on the original TM!

The little R5A1 is a corker, weighing in at just 700g,

the small slide means that it cycles like a champ and chucks out .20g BBs at about 0.49 Joule/230fps, although mine seems happiest on .23g. It’s nicely made and finished and once I’d changed out the plastic grips for the wood ones, it feels brilliant in the hand. This tiny pistol is huge value for money and as it uses TM mags as happily as its own, which are slightly cheaper and work in the TM too!

Talking of things “old skool”, the next pistol for me is one from the original RAVEN line, and that’s the “1911 MEU”! The pistol is solidly made and feels spot-on in the hand, with the MEU tipping the sale at 713g. In terms of operation it still performs extremely well even after me giving it a battering! Using .20g BBs the MEU chrono’s at 0.82 Joule/298fps, and in terms of accuracy the MEU happily hits centre mass of a “Figure 11” at 10 metres time and again which to me is perfectly acceptable; if you’re having to engage a target with a handgun over 10m then all I can say is that you must be having a REALLY bad day!

In terms of manufacturers you can really take your pick when it comes to the 1911A1, as just like in the “real world” the design is a total favourite amongst airsofters. However, if you’re after a REALLY good “1911A1” then the choice ultimately comes down to the Tokyo Marui version (lovely!) or the WE, and my personal choice is the WE largely due to its metal construction. I bought mine when I was living in the USA and got seriously into Nam games, and this little gasser has been through the mill, functioning perfectly with only simple cleaning over its LONG “service life” with me! It’s put up with insanely high temperatures and humidity amongst the palms and mangroves of Florida, along with braving frosty mornings in the UK, and it’s only very recently that I’ve even replaced the original magazine! Fitted with real wood grips to give the WE A1 full metal build a “just right” feel, it kicks out a .20g BB at 283fps, and has done since new… I cannot commend this pistol to you any more highly!

Finishing my part out I have to mention the RAVEN Hi Capa, as it’s the 1911-variant that first swayed me away for classic single-stack models! I make absolutely no secret whatsoever that I believe that the RAVEN GBB pistol range is one of the best-value lines of airsoft handguns out there when it comes not only to value for money, but also when it comes to outright

“TALKING OF THINGS “OLD SKOOL” THE NEXT PISTOL FOR ME IS ONE FROM THE ORIGINAL RAVEN LINE, AND THAT’S THE 1911 MEU! THE PISTOL IS SOLIDLY MADE AND FEELS SPOT-ON IN THE HAND, WITH THE MEU TIPPING THE SALE AT 713G. IN TERMS OF OPERATION IT STILL PERFORMS EXTREMELY WELL…”

TM DETONICS COMBATMASTER

Price: iro £105.00

Age: 10+ years!

Weight: 634g

Length: 178mm

Magazine Capacity: 18

Cold Chrono: 0.53 Joule/240fps

Hot Chrono: 0.39 Joule/205fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: No

Suppressor Compatibility: No

Available From: www.fire-support.co.uk

VFC ULTRA CARRY

Price: iro £150.00

Age: 2 Years 3 Months

Weight: 711g

Length: 176mm

Magazine Capacity: 18 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.68 Joule/271fps

Hot Chrono: 0.72 Joule/280fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: No

Suppressor Compatibility: No

Available From: www.vegaforce.com

VORSK VX-9

Price: iro £140.00 (with extended inner barrel and suppressor)

Age: 3 Years

Weight: 873g

Length: 220mm

Magazine Capacity: 15+1

Cold Chrono: 0.70 Joule/275fps (no extension)

Hot Chrono: 0.62 Joule/258fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: No

Suppressor Compatibility: YES!!!

Available From: www.vorskairsoft.com

RWA NIGHTHAWK CUSTOM RECON (CO2)

Price: iro £140.00

Age: 3 Years

Weight: 908g

Length: 220mm

Magazine Capacity: 17+1

Cold Chrono: 1.20 Joule/360fps

Hot Chrono: 0.84 Joule/301fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: Yes

Suppressor Compatibility: No

Available From: https://uk.redwolfairsoft.com

ICS CHALLENGER

Price: iro £190.00

Age: 1 Year 8 Months

Weight: 970g

Length: 220mm

Magazine Capacity: 30 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.95 Joule/320fps

Hot Chrono: 0.96 Joule/323fps

Holster Compatibility: Good

Taclite Compatibility: Yes

Suppressor Compatibility: Yes

Available From: www.icsbb.com

down n’ dirty skirmish-day gunfightin’ performance.

The Hi Capa is the “pistol of choice” for so many of you out there, and for those that only own one pistol and feel the need for no other, then the Hi Capa is still, rightfully to a large degree, king. The RAVEN take on this venerable platform is a righteous one, and the net result of the RAVEN program was the new iteration of RAVENs, the Hi Capas 4.3 and 5.1, later joined by the super-fun 3.8. All these models moved on from the originals, with that modern, strong, almost “blocky” look that is right on the button for “combat pistol” design. Although I like each and every model in the test pool the RAVEN 4.3 still sings to me as a “fightin’ gun” and it’s a joy to shoot

In terms of the 4.3 which is the model I find myself using the most, it chrono’s in around 0.78 Joule/290FPS on a .20g BB with a really punchy recoil impulse, even more so when you use the included CO2 conversion parts to run them on a CO2 bulb, although you will need to buy the CO2 magazine separately as an accessory. The familiar sight-setup lets you get BBs on target superbly at 10m; this is an accurate pistol, and absolutely ideal for that moment when you REALLY need it. Whichever way we like to enjoy our airsoft, RAVEN obviously continue to “have our six”, and I downright love ‘em for it!

We obviously also added the ICS Challenger to the mix as our relationship with ICS is excellent, and they genuinely wish to know how one of their flagship models is going to perform over time. Jimmy has this model so without further ado I’ll hand things over to him for his observations…

Jimmy: The ICS challenger… ahhh! This was their first attempt at making a “2011”, an attempt they succeeded in; it was most definitely a first for me seeing a pistol dripping with this much goodness. Aimed I believe at competition shooters and Marui fans alike, being of Marui spec meant parts would easily cross over however a pistol that performed this good ootb didn’t need anything changing. ICS are known for being different

and different is exactly what they have done here. No other pistol manufacturer is giving features quite like what ICS gave; TDC hop unit, 6.04mm master mod steel barrel for precision, R hop with brass H tensioner capable of lifting upward of .30g BB which is a statement from ICS when you open the box the sticker clearly states use 0.30g… however it is capable of lifting much heavier.

There’s a threaded fixed outer barrel allowing the use of attachments without forfeiting accuracy. Adjustable trigger allowing you to customise the feel and overall travel. One thing I do like is the adjustable gas release valve; it has a degree of adjustability to work in different conditions for example summer and winter. Optic ready, factory fitted plate allowing you to fit your own red dots great for competition use. Because of the barrel and the hop set up this pistol can easily out range many AEG rifles. A flared magwell for speedy reloads and the magazines have nice chunky baseplates to ensure when reloading if and when the mag hits the deck it is less prone to get broken.

Externally it is a stunning looking pistol my one gripe is the gripe; I feel it is very unimaginative and would have been better stippled but it meets requirements and it functions. Fairly efficient on gas, I am yet to see it fail to empty a mag and has only once

“THE ICS CHALLENGER… AHHH! THIS WAS THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT AT MAKING A “2011”, AN ATTEMPT THEY SUCCEEDED IN; IT WAS MOST DEFINITELY A FIRST FOR ME SEEING A PISTOL DRIPPING WITH THIS MUCH GOODNESS”

dumped gas but that was after the last BB had left the barrel. A very respectable contender and I am currently in testing with one of their newest Hi Capas and… so far so good!

Moving on now with a pistol that has been a part of my arsenal for quite some time, the WEM1911 Desert Warrior; this has been a very reliable pistol over the years and is still very much in stock form. I have had to make a few adjustments but it still remains a true ootb contender. It was probably the first proper airsoft pistol I purchased; many have grown up with cheap BB guns of some description but this was one that actually got me into the sport of airsoft and as a result deserves a little attention. On the outside it is not your common looking 1911 it has a much more tactical look about it and actually closely resembles a “2011”.

The chunky 20mm under-rail gives it a much chunkier look and is removable should you prefer the sleeker look. The full tan finish is a nice choice and has worn incredibly well, showing very little sign of wear and tear. Not really a fan of the plastic grips though; yes I know they are true to design but they look and feel cheap… I would have liked to see some real wood! The metal outer barrel is threaded with 11mm CW thread perfect for fitting a small tracer unit or some form of lightweight muzzle device; I wouldn’t run a suppressor on it as it puts too much pressure on the outer barrel and you can feel it binding. It’s short by design and classed as a 4.3 which makes it perfect for the quick draw and those very tight game styles of CQB. It’s not a fan of the cold but then most GBB platforms aren’t, let’s be honest.

Being a full metal pistol with a heavy slide the gas does diminish pretty quickly, but it’s a single stack magazine and only holds 15BBs so if it can empty all 15 I’m happy. Able to hop a .28g bb with ease is in my eyes all you really need with a pistol as anything more is just a waste of money to be honest and let’s look at it for what it is. If I’m drawing my pistol it is mainly due to the fact I am at close proximity

with an opponent. Over the years it has been wellmaintained with frequent service intervals; I had to tweak the sear spring once due to random little bursts of full auto and I gave the brass barrel a polish. It has a medium weight trigger and a travel of around 3mm allowing for pretty rapid follow-up shots but that kind of shooting creates a lot of cold and as mentioned it doesn’t like the cold. I have seen newer more expensive pistols fail over this little workhorse and it will forever remain in my collection.

My favourite pistol and again a long term resident in my collection is the amazing Tokyo Marui 2011 Gold Match. Currently this is now heavily modified but for a vast majority of its time with me it remained a stock pistol and I have to say it performed flawlessly. I knew I could rely on it every time I needed it and it actually helped me gain 1st place in my 1st ever shooting competition. In true Marui form it isn’t high-powered but it definitely is accurate. A lot of people shy away from plastic slides, but if treated with the respect its due a Marui pistol can serve its purpose well for many years. Low

“MY FAVOURITE PISTOL AND AGAIN A LONG TERM RESIDENT IN MY COLLECTION IS THE AMAZING TOKYO MARUI 2011 GOLD MATCH. CURRENTLY THIS IS NOW HEAVILY MODIFIED BUT FOR A VAST MAJORITY OF ITS TIME WITH ME IT REMAINED A STOCK PISTOL AND I HAVE TO SAY IT PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY”

It is my opinion that the Gold Match was one of the best pistols created by the artisans at TM; other opinions may differ, but I say change my mind. It is incredibly efficient as the gas doesn’t need to work that hard and one gas fill can see multiple reloads; however, who is reloading mags in game? Not me I just run with three mags. I cannot find fault with this pistol it just works and it looks fantastic, also sporting all the gold accents, outer barrel, hammer, safety switches, jigsaw trigger and the grip screws. It all ties in nicely with the black.

The accuracy and range of the Gold Match is largely down to the hop and barrel setup; there is minimal movement due to it being braced by a rubber bumper between the outer barrel and hop unit, and this combined with the legendary pixie dust (as it’s known technically) makes for a very true trajectory and you can be sure that what you aim at you hit range dependent obviously. The ability to hop a .30g BB does help with consistent accuracy, but due to TM being inherently low-powered time to target does increase but I can live with that as I’m not trying to reach out to 50-60 metres if anything it will be up to around 20 metres at the maximum. It’s got a very light but crisp trigger, it comes in under 8oz on the trigger pull and has a short travel so follow up shots are lightning fast. In the market for a new pistol? I highly suggest you give the Gold Match a look… that is if they aren’t all out of stock, I know they sell like hot cakes.

I remember a time post-covid when Army Armament made some fairly good pistols… as far as budget pistols go anyway. I owned a few and never had any issues with them. There came a time when they started changing things, for instance the R32 Night Storm, a pretty solid pistol that worked and it was less than UK£100. They did away with the Nighthawk, Darkstorm and Sandstorm and just named them R32; that was the turning point and things started to decline, both in quality and performance. Shortly after they began releasing more and more 2011 style pistols and while on the outside they looked pretty neat that was about as good as it got. Both the R604 and R501 had very modern tactical styling featuring, stippled grips, flared magwells, compensators but they lacked performance and quality of components and the finish on parts was massively flawed.

Although ours are still running fine (with care and maintenance) I have worked on a lot of these particular models and all suffer with either faulty/ broken hammers and or faulty safety switches. I have seen broken hammers, broken loading nozzles,

magazine feed lips broken and a whole plethora of problems. Performance was just a word and rarely would you see one empty a full mag before dumping its remaining gas out. As mentioned they were a good budget starter pistol but they went downhill fast…

Moving on… The RWA Nighthawk! Well this thing impressed me massively, so much so I ended up buying it! Redwolf kindly lent us one for initial testing but they were not getting it back... Largely impressed by it in every way it gave me a sense of realism; the weight of it was the first thing that got my attention and because of the weight it felt very solid and to date has stood up to all rigours. It has the classic 1911 feel about it, no fancy fibre optics or cut outs on the slide, no over elaborateness about it, just a tidy looking 1911. Being a CO2 powered pistol with dual recoil springs makes for a very heavy recoil effect, which is very satisfying I must say and as a result the CO2 maintains a very respectable velocity throughout the entire magazine. A fairly hefty trigger weight with a fair amount of travel though, neither of which matter to me!

Maintenance needs to be more regular than a green gas pistol due to there being no lubricant in the propellant. After purchasing this platform I read into other users’ experiences and there were some bad opinions on this model stating that certain components couldn’t stand up to the power of CO2, but touch wood I have had zero issues with it.

I periodically check all the main components and I can’t see any adverse signs of wear on any of them apart from the hop rubber which is starting to show but that’s expected due to the physics behind how a hop rubber works. I can’t really say how many BBs have passed that hop rubber but know that it is in the thousands; think of it like the sole of a shoe, eventually the rubber does wear out and inevitably you need new shoes. It will still lift a .30g BB but it is starting to send more and more flyers, so I will eventually get round to fitting a new rubber… AA

Red

Cell is supported by:

ZERO’D IN

IN THE AIRSOFT WORLD WE SOMETIMES SEEM TO BE ALL THE WAY “AT THE BACK OF THE BUS”

WHEN IT COMES TO QUALITY ACCESSORIES AND ALTHOUGH OUR DISTRIBUTORS AND RETAILERS DO THEIR VERY BEST TO KEEP US UP TO DATE WITH THE VERY LATEST DEVELOPMENTS, IT CAN TAKE A WHILE FOR THINGS TO REACH US. BILL TAKES A LOOK AT SIGHTMARK OPTICS AGAIN AFTER A VERY POSITIVE MEETING AT IWA!

t was back at SHOT 2009 (if memory serves) that I first encountered the Sightmark brand of optics, and from that day forward I’ve been hoping that someone would give us proper access to a superb range of extremely well-priced optics here in the UK!

I was so impressed with what I saw those years ago that I invested in an original Sightmark Ultra Shot Reflex Sight straight away; the Sightmark series of reflex sights even back then were designed to create a lightweight, yet extremely accurate sight. Not only that but they were very well priced too, under US$100 in the USA. The Ultra Shot was Sightmark’s biggest and baddest sight in the reflex line, and was incredibly lightweight for its size. The Ultra Shot came with a built-in, integrated rail mount, which fitted all standard bases, and was able to withstand even heavy recoil from larger calibres; no problems with airsoft then… this, with the ability to choose between four different reticle patterns, made the original Ultra Shot an unusually versatile sight. With a wider field of view than most other reflex sights on the market, and a Limited Lifetime Warranty, the Sightmark Ultra Shot was literally in a class by itself!

But time moves on inevitably, and although there were some half-hearted efforts to bring the brand to the UK it was never made particularly available; luckily for us Sightmark optics are now more readily accessible everywhere!

BOTTOM LINE

“Long hours, harsh weather, dangerous pursuits: it’s all in a day’s work. You’re devoted to protecting others, so your equipment needs to work as hard as you do. Whether you’re in the line of duty, defending your home or serving as a protector of peace, you can rest assured that accuracy and quality comes standard in every Sightmark product, giving you the ability to Make Your Mark®.”

This is just one statement made on their website from a while back, but at Sightmark the goal is to deliver confidence by creating optics and accessories that every shooter, including airsofters, can rely on. They understand what it takes to prepare and they know that the hours spent hunched over a shooting bench at the range are meaningless unless products do their job. From riflescopes and binoculars to

night vision technology and red dots, Sightmark is committed in their pursuit of building durable, accurate optics you can trust.

Founded to meet the changing needs of its customers, Sightmark was introduced at SHOT Show 2007 in response to the growing popularity of the “modern” shooting market. The goal was to provide state-of-the-art optics and accessories to make the modern sporting rifle, shotgun and pistol as accurate as possible. In addition, each product was designed for the core market, enabling shooters to purchase more high quality items to accessorise their firearm for total performance, whatever their discipline!

In 2011, a new 33,000 square-foot headquarters was completed in Mansfield, Texas, combining the company’s corporate offices and a large warehouse to handle the increase in sensitive material and technology being produced. The new facility provided more space for research and development, production, and distribution of defence-related products.

A CLEAR VISION

Time and technology continue to move on unabated, and luckily enough for us in the airsoft world, faster communication means even faster dissemination of information. Some time ago I was sent a “combo platter” of the then-latest Wolverine FSR 1x28 reddot sight along with a rather nifty, flip to the side 3x magnifier, which made an incredibly versatile package, one that I’ve enjoyed shooting with for a number of years now! Designed for short-range engagements, the Sightmark Wolverine FSR was specifically built for the AR platform. A digital switch controls the brightness of the 2 MOA red dot reticle with a 28mm objective lens that is specifically engineered for rapid target acquisition.

The durable FSR model weighs only 349g and is built for a lifetime of use. Fog proof and nitrogen purged, the Wolverine family of sights is designed to provide you with the ability to take aim in a variety of conditions and temperatures ranging from -22 to 122 F. The Wolverine FSR also has an IP67 waterproof rating and is submersible to three feet.

The 3x Tactical Magnifier Pro offered, and still offers, versatility by increasing the magnification of

“TIME MOVES ON INEVITABLY, AND ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SOME HALF-HEARTED EFFORTS TO BRING THE BRAND TO THE UK IT WAS NEVER MADE PARTICULARLY AVAILABLE; LUCKILY FOR US SIGHTMARK OPTICS ARE NOW MORE READILY ACCESSIBLE EVERYWHERE!”

both red dot and reflex sights to give greater range. In one swift motion, the flip-mount design makes it fast and easy for shooters to increase their magnification for accompanying sights creating a greater engagement range in any situation. This durable magnifier was redesigned to provide increased eye relief, along with an upgraded rubber armour housing to give increased durability, providing 3.5 inches of relief overall. The Sightmark 3x Tactical Magnifier Pro is also EOTech and Aimpoint compatible.

Overall the standard of finish and fit is superb, and the glass itself is absolutely crystal clear on both optics. The feel of both models is one of durability, and once rail-mounted they are locked 100% in place. Now personally I like to run a magnifier as close to the sighting optic as possible to avoid light ingress and potential “flare”, and the Sightmark version allows you to run it really close, a big plus. I also like to have my magnifier flip to the left so that it’s protected against my body, and once again this is easily achievable; the flip also means that you can still run and access “irons” should you need to.

UPDATES FROM IWA

Now some time has indeed passed since I got my hands on the Wolverine FSR and the 3x Tactical Magnifier Pro and I have to tell you that they are both still working as perfectly as the day they arrived with me. However, time moves on apace and as we hadn’t spoken to the guys at Sightmark for a while Jase and I searched them out at IWA to check in on what they had to show us for 2024.

A few things caught our beady eyes, amongst them some cracking optics for both pistol and carbine/rifle platforms. However, we’ve talked a lot more recently about the rise in use of thermal imaging optics in airsoft, so we’ll kick things off there…

Wraith Mini Thermal Riflescope - The Wraith Mini Thermal offers the same excellent quality of Sightmark’s Wraith Mini digital night vision models on a digital thermal riflescope. The new Wraith Mini Thermal comes equipped with a powerful 384x288 sensor resolution which enhances imaging algorithms to create a crisp picture, a 1024x768 OLED display, and a built-in video recorder with sound to capture the best moments of your game. With a battery life

of 3.5 hours on video mode and 4.4 hours on preview mode, the Wraith Mini Thermal looks to be a durable thermal scope with enhanced imaging capabilities and a long battery life.

Moving on to things that all of us might benefit from on our primary…

Ultra Shot M-Spec MDS – The Ultra Shot is another optic that I’ve had experience withb as I said earlier, and in the latest iteration of this is a solid, well-constructed bit of kit. Designed for lightning fast target acquisition, the Ultra Shot M-Spec MDS offers the accuracy and speed expected in a high end reflex sight while boasting the mil-spec reliability. The Ultra Shot M-Spec MDS offers a diversity of reticle options with its multi-dot sight and ease of attachment with its locking quick-detach system which makes attaching and detaching from picatinny rails smooth and effortless.

The Ultra Shot M-Spec’s premium wide-angle lens system with scratch-resistant and anti-reflective red coating, patented integrated sunshade, illuminated red 65-MOA circle-dot reticle with 10 brightness settings, night vision brightness modes, parallax correction (beyond 10 yards) and unlimited eye relief deliver a crisp field of view even in low light and when perfect sight alignment isn’t an option.

The Ultra Shot M-Spec Reflex Sight is shockproof, dustproof, IP68 waterproof, recoil-rated up to .50 BMG (so no problem even with the heftiest-kicking GBBR!) and put together with a rugged, lightweight magnesium alloy body and aluminium protective shield. 1 MOA windage and elevation adjustments with up to 120 MOA of travel get you on target quickly while the Interlock internal locking adjustment system and a single CR123A battery with an improved 65,000-hour life keeps you there. The Ultra Shot M-Spec Pro Reflex Sight also features locking fixed Picatinny mount, low-battery indicator, motion sensing auto on/off activation, digital switch controls, 12-hour auto shut-off and Sightmark’s lifetime warranty.

Needing to see more?

T-3 Magnifier with LQD Flip to Side MountDesigned to mount directly behind a reflex sight or red dot, the versatile T-3 Magnifier allows a quick and easy way to magnify your sight picture by 3x and provides an absolute co-witness. A straight tube magnifier a full .8” shorter than the model it replaces,

“THE NEW WRAITH MINI THERMAL COMES EQUIPPED WITH A POWERFUL 384X288 SENSOR RESOLUTION WHICH ENHANCES IMAGING ALGORITHMS TO CREATE A CRISP PICTURE, A 1024X768 OLED DISPLAY, AND A BUILT-IN VIDEO RECORDER WITH SOUND TO CAPTURE THE BEST MOMENTS OF YOUR GAME”

the T-3 features a streamlined, low-drag design, preventing the magnifier from snagging on equipment in important situations. Ideal for engagements up to 100m, if a close-range shooting scenario calls for no magnification, simply use the T-3’s flip-to-side mount to rapidly transition between the optic systems. This durable magnifier is put together in aluminium and provides improved brightness and resolution from fully multi-coated optics. External windage and elevation adjustments align the reticle to the center of the T-3’s point of view. EOTech and Aimpoint compatible, the locking quick detach mount found on the T-3 lets the magnifier be quickly removed.

And for your pistol?

Mini Shot M-Spec FMS Reflex Sight - Built for law enforcement and professional users, the compact Mini Shot M-Spec Reflex Sight is the perfect optic for all shooting applications on pistols, shotguns and even carbines/SBRs. The kit includes a low profile mount for shotguns and pistols along with a riser mount for railed rifles. This rugged optic is 100% waterproof and features a durable aluminium housing with a steel protective shield. Doubling the battery life of the competition, the Mini Shot M-Spec’s extremely low power consumption provides 300-30,000 hours of battery life on one CR1632 battery, while its 12 hour auto-shutoff prevents the unit from running out of battery power while you’re not using it. Easy windage and elevation click adjustments make zeroing the 3 MOA red dot reticle a breeze, even without any special tools. 10 brightness levels give you perfect reticle options from low light situations to the brightest days. An ambidextrous digital switch allows the M-Spec to be easily turned on and off by both left and right handed shooters.

So there it is in a nutshell, although of course the Sightmark range of optics and accessories is obviously far more comprehensive than the models we’ve focused on here! The key to everything for me though is that Sightmark have shown, and continue to show, a great willingness to be involved in the airsoft community, and thanks to them we can now all access the entire range of their products, wherever we may be in the world. In addition to some (for “real steel”) keen prices there’s a whole new brand to explore for those that have yet to discover it.

Sightmark have proved globally that they are here to stay and with an upgraded Lifetime Warranty that’s designed to “keep you in the field with products that are built to perform; in the event of a defect in materials or workmanship, Sightmark will repair or replace your product immediately” choosing one of their optics is a total no brainer! AA

Wraith Mini Thermal Riflescope

Ultra Shot M-Spec MDS

T-3 Magnifier with LQD Flip to Side Mount

Mini Shot M-Spec FMS Reflex Sight

KWA... PAST, PRESENT... AND FUTURE!

“SHOW SEASON 2024” MAY NOW BE BEHIND US, BUT THE REST OF THE YEAR OF LOOKING MIGHTY FINE WHEN IT COMES TO AIRSOFT STORIES AND TALES OF THE INDUSTRY TO TELL! ATTENDING SHOWS IS A VITAL PART OF WHAT WE DO IN ORDER TO GET TO KNOW THOSE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY EVEN BETTER AS DAN NOW TELLS US AS HE RECOUNTS A MEETING WITH DEBBIE AT KWA, SOMEONE WITH SOME TRUE HISTORICAL “AIRSOFT FAMILY” CONNECTIONS AND A DEFINITE POSITIVE EYE TO THE FUTURE OF OUR BELOVED GAME!

During SHOT 24’ I had the good fortune to finally meet with Debbie Hu, General Manager of KWA USA in person. After KWA’s sales director, Tony Lin made the first round of introductions, I was honestly a bit surprised to learn she had heard of me and my ventures with building custom KWA’s!

Unexpected as this meeting was, the Airsoft Action crew sensed a good opportunity to do an interview to expand on our SHOT coverage and deeper general understanding of our industry and we made arrangements for me return to the KWA booth the following day.

After priming myself with a fresh cup of coffee and with our cameraman Lil’ Stu in tow, we arrived at 11:00 sharp at Booth #72953 the next morning to discuss the past, present and future of KWA, and learn more about Debbie and her role at one of airsoft’s major manufacturers. I am always interested in everyone’s airsoft origin story, so after we found a space to stand next to the new ATP chassis kits soon to be released, I asked Debbie how she got started in the industry. As she related:

Debbie: I started to learn about the US Airsoft Industry starting around 2015, after I graduated from my graduate school here. Then I also studied in Japan and elsewhere, trying to make sure I gained all the skill sets I needed before I came back here to take over the business. I just wanted to prepare myself better before I got all the way in. If we had to count from when I was in school in 2015… I have been living in the US for 8 – 9 years.

Dan: What would you say drew or attracted you to the Airsoft industry?

Debbie: So, I am actually born into the industry. My parents are the founders of KWA. As you guys know, KWA in Asia manufactures for so many other different brands. So I was kind of born in the industry. I studied business and I really wanted to help our family make it bigger. Before I started with the company, we hired people to help it expand, but it’s never going to be the same unless you learn things, see things, and do things yourself.

Dan: I take it KWA has pretty much always been a family run operation then?

Debbie: Always, actually!

Dan: Here’s a question that many have speculated about over the years; what is KWA’s relation to KSC Japan?

Debbie: Yes, so KSC has a very long history there. As you guys know, airsoft started in Japan. KWA is one of the companies that KSC worked with in the very beginning. We also worked with WA (there is a WA Japan company too) so that gradually we started to have a closer relationship with KSC to sell our guns in Japan. There was a lot of R&D and collaboration together. People call them our sister company, but it is actually two separate companies that have a close relationship with one another.

Dan: What would you say is KWA’s biggest market? Is it the overseas side in Asia, Europe, or the US?

Debbie: I think they are equally important to us. As we know, the US can own real guns, but they also like to play airsoft. It’s growing. Not just us, but also everyone is doing so many things to grow the industry here in the United States. In Asia, we cannot own real guns, not easily, at least, so people have reliance on airsoft. But it’s growing there and it is equally important.

Dan: Would you say there is a market divide, or one that has the ‘biggest buyers’ of certain products?

Debbie: I would say it depends on the model. Like GBB -- Gas Blowback is bigger and more popular in Asia. Here in the US it’s M4’s and AEG’s.

Dan: Are there any new and exciting plans KWA has coming up on the horizon?

Debbie: Actually we do! I don’t know if everyone knows, but KWA likes to do things that are ‘different’. With AEG’s everyone has a Tokyo Marui style AEG with a Version 2 but in 2017 KWA came out with the AEG 2.5, which we call the “AEG variable” now. Even before that, in 2013 - 2014 we had the recoil AEG’s too. So we always wanted to do things that were different. Coming up we have something very exciting coming out; an all-new system very different from what you see here… perhaps a GBB/AEG mix. Hopefully this will be out at SHOT 2025.

Dan: By all accounts your KWA KO (KWA Originals) line has been quite successful. Do you

“SO, I AM ACTUALLY BORN INTO THE INDUSTRY. MY PARENTS ARE THE FOUNDERS OF KWA. AS YOU GUYS KNOW, KWA IN ASIA MANUFACTURES FOR SO MANY OTHER DIFFERENT BRANDS. SO I WAS KIND OF BORN IN THE INDUSTRY”

foresee expanding on that product line in the future?

Debbie: Yes. So at KWA we are always looking at ways to make things better. What can we do better? We don’t just look at what other people have and go “let’s make the same thing.” Our KO line was originally from the idea that people say: ‘oh, I have a 13 year old son and this rifle is just too heavy.’ So we came out with the KO series that is lighter. We made the grip smaller so young kids can handle it and it’s easier for them to use. But then we started learning more from the indoor side, the competition guys, and we came up with a cool new plan to try and make the KO line even more competition-friendly and support those guys.

Dan: I can see how some might perceive KWA sort of has two emphases; you have the strong force-onforce component on one side, then the competition side on the other. Do you think there’s any kind of ‘meet in the middle’ so to speak?

Debbie: Yes, I can see how people read it as our GBB side is only for Force-on-Force training. That is always one of our focuses. We have converted a lot of police and military units into using airsoft. It’s cost effective, it’s non-lethal, and it improves training. I can also see why people associate the KO line with indoor competition too. This year we have come out with the M10 and Q10, which are full metal and have either AEG variable or recoil with the 9.5” outer barrel. These also have the last-round-cutoff function. Those are something we call “MilSpeed” as we wanted it to be something in between. Not speedsoft and not strictly for training, but something in between. We also listen to our partners in the UK and US and they give us a lot of feedback about what they need too.

Dan: As a tech who primarily works on KWA’s (and I think I already know the answer here) what would you say is one of the biggest misconceptions about KWA?

Debbie: (laughs) Wow! Let me see where I can start…

Dan: Ah, so there is a list!

Debbie: (laughs) There is a lot! So I don’t know why, I don’t even need to pretend I don’t even know, but people say we’re proprietary in so many things, right? Sometimes I go talk to my developer and my engineer and I go “Why? Did you make

something that’s different than the other brands?” and they go “Listen Debbie, it’s just because we’re different.” I have heard about the hop up, I’ve heard about springs, I have heard so many things. So that’s something we take feedback on all of the time. We have also been working with our partner on making videos to say it’s not true. Yes, there are some parts that are true, but not all of them.

Dan: (laughs) I feel your pain. It’s been at least a 13 – 14 year uphill battle that I’ve been fighting, trying to educate people on. I’m not sure where it’s stemming from exactly? Do you have any ideas?

Debbie: I don’t know either, actually. Some things get written so long ago… but things change, we change, and people tend to forget that things are always changing. So what is written out there doesn’t always get updated. But we as KWA need to do better and help people understand this.

Dan: I’ve always thought KWA USA had a really good marketing presence here in the US. Compared to some of the other companies out there who don’t really reach what I would call the ‘psyche’ of the US. But arguably, it might work well for them in the Asian markets. KWA seems to have a different strategy in that regard.

Debbie: Right, and I think that’s why we have our own branch here in the US. Compared to other companies, we don’t just have a distributor here. We are actually here in the US ourselves. I want our marketing to make sure they do their job and to communicate that. That’s a big part of our presence in the US.

Dan: Would you be able to give our readers some idea of how KWA USA operates with respect to KWA Taiwan? Are the two entities closely tied to each other or is there some autonomy? Are new products co-developed by the US and Taiwan branch, or is this handled independently?

Debbie: KWA USA mainly focuses on the market in the US, Canada and Latin America, and we are completely independent from KWA Taiwan. New products are definitely co-developed. We have meetings all the time on the products, systems and direction. All of the product engineering and manufacturing parts are reliant on KWA Taiwan. KWA USA is doing more of the marketing and selling part.

Dan: As General Manager of KWA USA, what would you say are some of the biggest challenges you face?

Debbie: I am concerned about the quality of the overall airsoft experience that our industry provides. I want the first-time airsoft user, or any police officer that trains with airsoft for the first time to all have a good experience. This way, the chances of them staying as a customer will be higher, and hence we can grow as an industry.

Dan: What is the most enjoyable aspect of being General Manager of KWA USA?

Debbie: I guess I would say that it is I get to create a product from scratch! It is A LOT of work, but once we see the products in the market, and loved by so many players, all the work is worth it!

Amidst the increasing clatter of GBB’s being testfired amongst a swelling afternoon crowd, and with consideration towards other meetings to attend, I decided to close out the interview with a final question: “Out of everything KWA has produced - do you have a favorite model?”

Debbie visibly beams as her eyes wander the racks adorned with KWA’s and a lengthy pause fills the air. “You know… all of these are my babies. There’s old babies and new babies. There’s babies that were here before I joined the company, but they’re still classic. Yeah… it’s really hard to pick a new favorite though! It’s so hard, I wish I could!”

Many thanks go out to Debbie Hu for her generous time, and you can check out KWA’s complete product lineup over on their website here: https://store. kwausa.com AA

“I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE OVERALL AIRSOFT EXPERIENCE THAT OUR INDUSTRY PROVIDES. I WANT THE FIRST-TIME AIRSOFT USER, OR ANY POLICE OFFICER THAT TRAINS WITH AIRSOFT FOR THE FIRST TIME TO ALL HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE”

SHOW AND TELL!

THE AA CREW DO LOVE A GOOD SHOW AND WE TAKE PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT WE TRAVEL A LONG WAY TO SEARCH OUT THE VERY BEST AIRSOFT STORIES! SOMETIMES THINGS ARE THANKFULLY A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME, AND ALTHOUGH IT’S NOT A SHOW KNOWN FOR AIRSOFT (YET!) THE ANNUAL BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW STILL HAS GOODIES APLENTY AS BOYCIE NOW REPORTS…

As you know we cover most of the major shooting shows and after myself, L’il Stu, Steve and Dan covered Shot Show 24 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Bill and Jase went and covered the European “Shot Show” known as IWA over in Nuremburg, Germany. The UK string of shows kicked off with The British Shooting Show, held in the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

As the show website tells me, “The British Shooting Show provides a conducive platform for individuals to delve into the shooting sport within a safe and relaxed environment. Attendees have the opportunity to engage with professionals, gaining valuable insights into the sport and safety practices before making wellinformed decisions about their (firearm) purchases.

The show caters to everyone, from beginners who have never encountered a firearm to seasoned professionals looking to stay updated on the latest safety measures and information.”

And the show continues to thrive, especially after the pandemic, continually improving and evolving. So, if you’re seeking the latest innovations or searching

for new contacts to expand your network, the British Shooting Show provides everything essential for supporting the growth the shooting industry, both domestically and internationally.

Following on from the behemoth which is Shot Show, Las Vegas, this time I decided to take a trip with my colleague from work, Gary. The NEC, as you can imagine, is substantially smaller than Shot Show where the scale is simply mind-boggling. To give an idea of the scale, I estimate that the hall which held the whole of the British Shooting Show would fit into one hall in the Venetian Center, approximately 4-5 times. There are two halls that size in one building in Vegas, then all the side halls, plus the Ceasars Center (*US spelling).

Saying that, it still took the best part of the day to walk round, meet up with Industry contacts and play hunt the airsoft stands. Also unlike Shot Show where purchasing from stands is strictly verboten, but you can place orders, at the British Shooting Show you can buy things direct from the manufacturers and distributors stands!

“THE BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW PROVIDES A CONDUCIVE PLATFORM FOR INDIVIDUALS TO DELVE INTO THE SHOOTING SPORT WITHIN A SAFE AND RELAXED ENVIRONMENT. ATTENDEES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH PROFESSIONALS, GAINING VALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO THE SPORT AND SAFETY PRACTICES”

AIRSOFT RELATED

In my day job at the range I talk with a lot of the people who had stands at the BSS, so that kept me really quite busy for most of the day. As I was also attending for Airsoft Action, I was looking forward to seeing some of the bigger airsoft retailers on site…. sadly, the airsoft representation was almost non-existent, except for Scott Allan and his Land Warrior team who were on the Umarex stand.

Scott and I tend to meet up at the BSS and we had our usual post Shot Show catch up and discussion of a lot of Umarex products, and also on Scott and Anna’s recent trip to Patagonia where despite rolling his ankle at the beginning of the run, Scott persevered and completed the challenge!

We’ve also discussed some plans for the future regarding some things with Airsoft Action, one being the really exciting <<REDACTED>>. Yep there it is again, so for those you’ll all have to wait and see.

The only stand which could be considered truly airsoft (although they are now involved on the training sphere too) was Trent and his “Flash, Bang, Smoke” or FBS stand. I’ve known Trent for a number of years and before he started Flash, Bang, Smoke, he was fondly know in the trade as “The Man in the Red Van” and visited many stores and sites around the country plying his airsoft trade. Since FBS started Trent has certainly been busy as the product portfolio has grown a

“UNLIKE SHOT SHOW WHERE PURCHASING FROM STANDS IS STRICTLY VERBOTEN, BUT YOU CAN PLACE ORDERS, AT THE BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW YOU CAN BUY THINGS DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURERS AND DISTRIBUTORS STANDS!”

lot since the early days!

From the usual Mk5’s we see on the sites, to Pyrotechnic Mortar simulators, through to multi-bang grenade simulators and smoke grenades, during our chat, Trent told me that there is a lot more to come from FBS in the future as well. One big piece of news that Trent told me was his new role with B2B for Specna Arms in addition to his work with FBS.

There is a lot more to come from Trent and his team, so I’m eagerly awaiting news on some upcoming projects. It was great to catch up with Trent and before I departed his stand, I bought some patches that my Swanson Media Group family had admired on my grab bag that I used whilst at Shot Show. These will be winging their way to the US shortly, along with my usual “care package” contents

of UK biscuits and sweets.

KEEPING IT “REAL”

There were a good number of the major distributors of firearms, airguns, ammunition and accessories present, from Viking Arms, Edgar Brothers, Highland Outdoors, Sportsman Gun Centre, Umarex, Air Arms and Hawke. For some airsofters there will be some good news coming about availability of certain “real steel” products that they will want to replicate the real rifle set ups that are seen around the world.

I stopped by the Viking Arms stand to see Emily, Andy and Tom. Viking Arms import, amongst a large portfolio of brands, the Ruger 10-22; this of course is the real steel model that the ASG Special Teams

“VIKING ARMS IMPORT, AMONGST A LARGE PORTFOLIO OF BRANDS, THE RUGER 10-22; THIS OF COURSE IS THE REAL STEEL MODEL THAT THE ASG SPECIAL TEAMS CARBINE IS BASED ON, AND THERE’LL BE A LOT MORE TO TALK ABOUT WITH THAT WHEN THE NEW HERA ARMSCHASSIED HYBRID SERIES H-22 STC MODEL ARRIVES!”

Carbine is based on, and there’ll be a lot more to talk about with that when the new HERA ARMS-chassied Hybrid Series H-22 STC model arrives! Also I discussed a number of sights and cleaning products that could well be used in the airsoft world. I’m not going to mention them as I’ll gradually be covering them in Airsoft Action over the coming months.

Moving on to Edgar Brothers, I met up with Sam, Will and Dustin (from Schmeisser) and got an insight into a number of products that are coming up, which are <<REDACTED>> as I am under NDA. Edgars import the Magpul, Aimpoint and Firefield products and I’ve seen a number of these out on the airsoft sites. Edgar Brothers don’t sell to the public, only trade/military/police so if you want specific products

then as soon as I get my hands on them I’ll be able to tell you where you can lighten your wallet when you purchase them. I must say I am really liking the Aimpoint ACRO which I am currently putting through its paces in real steel competitions.

As the day drew to a close, Gary and I started revisiting stands where we had made purchases to collect our goods. I have to admit there were a number of purchases of “adult beverages” which were on Show special offers. We also collected some gun slips, grips, sights and competition accessories that had been bought. Then, laden down like the proverbial pack horse, that really was about it and we headed back to the car purchases some six hours after we had arrived.

“MOVING ON TO EDGAR BROTHERS, I MET UP WITH SAM, WILL AND DUSTIN (FROM SCHMEISSER) AND GOT AN INSIGHT INTO A NUMBER OF PRODUCTS THAT ARE COMING UP, WHICH ARE <<REDACTED>> AS I AM UNDER NDA.”

To round up, it was great to meet up with friends in both the airsoft and real steel industries, but it would be really good if some of the major retailers in airsoft could be in attendance to spread the good word about airsoft and its use in training. The show is solid again now after the “plague years”, and its future looks bright indeed, and as airsoft is now finally accepted via the training and practical shooting/action air communities as a fully-fledged part of shooting

“THE

sports I have high hopes that we’ll see more of it at the show in the future!

Many thanks to Viking Arms for kindly allowing me to use some of their images in this report. For more information please do check out https://shootingshow. co.uk/ and The British Shooting Show will be held again 14-16 February 2025 in Halls 6-9 of the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Birmingham. AA

SHOW IS SOLID AGAIN NOW AFTER THE “PLAGUE YEARS”, AND ITS FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT INDEED, AND AS AIRSOFT IS NOW FINALLY ACCEPTED VIA THE TRAINING AND PRACTICAL SHOOTING/ACTION AIR COMMUNITIES AS A FULLY-FLEDGED PART OF SHOOTING SPORTS I HAVE HIGH HOPES THAT WE’LL SEE MORE OF IT AT THE SHOW IN THE FUTURE!”

WE’RE ALWAYS DELIGHTED WHEN WE GET AN INVITE TO ATTEND SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT SPECIAL, AND IT WAS A REAL PLEASURE TO HAVE MEMBERS OF THE AA LEGION ATTEND THE NOVRITSCH LAUNCH EVENT

HOSTED AT PATROL BASE’S NEW STORE IN THE UK; THE DYNAMIC DUO OF BOYCIE AND LI’L STU TOOK UP

THE CHALLENGE TO FIND OUT WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT… AND NOW BOYCIE TELLS ALL!

Players all over the world will know the name “Novritsch” and whether you’re a fan or not you can’t help but admire what this guy has achieved in our community over the realistically short time that he’s been entertaining us with his online antics, and then created products that have delighted many players worldwide; all these products are of course now available from eu.novritsch.com, and if you’re lucky enough to visit, from his flagship store in Vienna!

But if you’re not lucky enough to head on out to Austria to do your weekly airsoft shop, then also of course if you’re a player in the UK (and indeed further afield these days!) then you’ll not be a stranger to Patrol Base (www.patrolbase.co.uk) who in the space of a few short years have really established themselves firmly within the premium airsoft retail space. Established in its current form in 2009 (but they’ve been around much longer!) Patrol Base has grown and expanded into all areas of airsoft, with a huge range of quality products and services, to cater for all airsofters, and they have their Retail and Online Store Patrol Base, as well as two regular airsoft sites, Halo Mill, and Halo Mill: Proving Grounds.

They say that... “Our aim is no different online today, as it was 30 years ago when our original store first opened, we want to engage with like-minded customers who enjoy the kit we sell just as much as we do! Providing you, the customer with the best possible price for quality brands; with a more than box-shifting ethos, our staff are product-trained where possible and are recruited based on personability and enthusiasm for our brands and product range. In short, we want to be as reliable as the kit we supply.”

With many new and well-established brands and products on offer, Patrol Base have taken the step to work directly with Novritsch and his team to bring ALL those lovely airsoft goodies to the UK player

community! Earlier this month L’il Stu and I headed over to Huddersfield to attend the Novritsch Launch Event being hosted at Patrol Base’s new store; Bill had spent some “quality time with Patrol Base marketing man Pete over in Taiwan at the G&G event, and it appears that they’ve become quite chummy as a personal invite was extended to AA to come along and see what the crack was!

Bill sadly was unable to attend due to prior commitments so we took up the invite on AA’s behalf, arriving half an hour before the advertised opening time of 0930 and there was already a sizeable queue forming. With the weather conditions on the day we both decided to remain in the car and head over to the queue just before the official opening time.

Once we were through the door, we were greeted by a chap who made me feel small (I’m 6’ 4”!!) who handed us a Novritsch patch and ticket to the free draw for a rifle, which would be drawn at 1300. On the back wall of the entrance were a number of rifles painted up by Chris Hobbs; he really does some fantastic work and well worth commissioning to paint your RIF if you want something truly unique.

FULL RECCE

Moving up the stairs to the main room, you walk into a large room with high ceiling with RIFs on the wall and on stands down the centre of the room. Also around the room were display cabinets with products from our good friend “Uncle” Clarence Lai, Vortex, Vorsk, Nuprol, Abbey, along with stands featuring holsters, gloves and magazines/speedloaders. Above the floor level there are two raised areas. One, at the end of the room houses the test range, and the other at the opposite end of the room is the Novritsch area which houses a large number of products from the Novritsch portfolio. It took almost an hour before the queue going upstairs was at a point where L’il Stu and

“WITH MANY NEW AND WELL-ESTABLISHED BRANDS AND PRODUCTS ON OFFER, PATROL BASE HAVE TAKEN THE STEP TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH NOVRITSCH AND HIS TEAM TO BRING ALL THOSE LOVELY AIRSOFT GOODIES TO THE UK PLAYER COMMUNITY!”

I could get up to grab a word with Chris (Novritsch) himself!

There are a number of RIFs in the Novritsch range from the “sniper” rifles, AEG and pistol categories. The RIFs all feel good and both L’il Stu and I were pleasantly surprised that they all come pre “upgraded” and especially with the price point; this makes them serious contenders for both the new players and experienced players. I really liked the

SSP5 4.3 which is Chris’ take on the Hi Capa type of “Double Stack” 1911 type pistol. There is also a split slide SSP5 which also caught our eye. Whilst

personally not my thing, there is the SSR9 DSG which runs ARP9 type mags and boasts an impressive ROF of 36 rounds per second!

Further round the floor there were mannequins in the camo “ghillie” suits that look a lot more practical than the burlap self-made suits, although the burlap suits are “more real world”. In addition there were a number of plate carriers and pouches which all look to work well to provide the player with an all-round Novritsch set up.

NEVADA DREAMING

L’il Stu then spotted the Glock wall and this set us both off reminiscing of our time at Shot Show when we got to handle and fire the real steel ones.

“AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE ROOM IS THE NOVRITSCH AREA WHICH HOUSES A LARGE NUMBER OF PRODUCTS FROM THE NOVRITSCH PORTFOLIO. IT TOOK ALMOST AN HOUR BEFORE THE QUEUE GOING UPSTAIRS WAS AT A POINT WHERE L’IL STU AND I COULD GET UP TO GRAB A WORD WITH CHRIS (NOVRITSCH) HIMSELF!”

Above the Glocks was the Cybergun P90 and Stu went straight for it and had a “daft grin” on his face. I knew immediately that he was thinking of the time on range with the 5.7mm live version. We had hoped to get a chat with Chris but due to him being pulled all over to sign products, some of which were not even from his range, we got a couple of minutes and a photo… however, he did say that he’d be more than willing to do a fuller interview for AA and I’ll most certainly be following up on that at a later date for feature in a future issue!

It was a good to see the new Patrol Base unit; it reminded me a bit of the Evike Outpost that L’il Stu, Dan and I saw last year in Las Vegas, whilst we were at Shot Show. All in all it was a thoroughly good day that had a huge amount of people visit the Patrol Base store and I expect we were not the only ones to enjoy it! The only thing I would have suggested that may have helped is due to the numbers of people there and the weather, somewhere to get refreshments,

like a van or something would have just made it even better.

Due to our own commitments sadly we weren’t able to stick around for the “field Day” on site at Halo Mill, but from what we heard it proved to be thoroughly enjoyable for all.

Both Li’l Stu and I are 100% certain that the Novritsch range of “guns n’ gear” will help cement Patrol Base as a place where you’ll find the best of everything airsoft, and we look forward to returning again to their new store as it is obviously a great place to be for any airsofter, although perhaps on a quieter day! I’m also looking forward to speaking directly with Chris a little more about his personal “odyssey in airsoft”, and of course I’ll report back on this as promised.

Thanks to both Chris (Novritsch) and to the team at Patrol Base for a REALLY enjoyable day, and we WILL be back! AA

“BOTH LI’L STU AND I ARE 100% CERTAIN THAT THE NOVRITSCH RANGE OF “GUNS N’ GEAR” WILL HELP CEMENT PATROL BASE AS A PLACE WHERE YOU’LL FIND THE BEST OF EVERYTHING AIRSOFT, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO RETURNING AGAIN TO THEIR NEW STORE AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY A GREAT PLACE TO BE FOR ANY AIRSOFTER”

REPUBLIC OF RESISTANCE!

ONCE AGAIN WE FIND OURSELVES STRAYING SOMEWHAT INTO THE POLITICISED REALM AS IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO AVOID GIVEN THE STATE OF THE WORLD AT TIMES AS OF LATE, ESPECIALLY FOR STEWBACCA WHO’S BRINGING US FURTHER NEWS FROM THE HIVE OF ACTIVITY THAT IS TAIWAN IN RECENT MONTHS. WITH AN INCREASING FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING NOT ONLY NATIONAL DEFENCE ON A MILITARY OR OFFICIAL LEVEL, BUT WITH NUMEROUS GRASS ROOTS OR ‘SELF-HELP’ GROUPS SPRINGING UP ISLAND-WIDE TO PROVIDE STRONGER COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AND ACHIEVE GOALS ON A LOCAL LEVEL AS WELL AS IMPROVE PEOPLE’S ABILITIES TO DEAL WITH NATURAL DISASTERS AND EVERYDAY INCIDENTS. AS A RESULT HE NOW BRINGS THINGS UP TO DATE.

It’s been a while (nearly a year at this point) since I last delved into the local movements regarding Taiwanese people’s desires to stand up and fight if the day comes, with our Team’s activities at CAMP66 covered back in ‘Airsoft Central Gets Real’ in Issue 149, although ‘Military’ Anny Wu was also good enough to cover a whole weekend of such activities in her ‘SUT - Small Units, Big Ideas’ article more recently in Issue 155.

Suffice to say, nobody is resting on their laurels here on island, particularly the younger generations, but with the recent election results maintaining the democratic progressive party’s control of the presidency, and Tsai Ying Wen’s departure after two terms set for May when her successor Lai Ching Te coming into office with a similar, if not stronger mindset towards Taiwan’s individual identity and desire to defend its democracy, it seems everyone is coming to the realisation that resilience is a virtue we can all develop.

From the more overtly firearms training related activities I cover back in ‘Behind Every Blade Of Grass’ way back in Issue 143 in 2022, to more generalised training that looks to prepare people for disaster relief and self-rescue after likely injuries sustained from events whether they be man-made or general results of living on the pacific rim of fire; earthquakes are still something I have to get used to that were never a thing back in Blighty! Many people from all facets of life are actively seeking out training and paying with their own time and money to better themselves and become more of an asset if things arise.

In previous years I’ve taken more of an observer’s role in terms of reporting what others have been

organising and participating with however, having gained permanent residency this time last year and seen not only the continuing Ukraine situation and its impact on people here and “them’ns” across the strait no doubt learning lessons from the repercussions against Russia and modifying their calculus ongoing, and now the situation in Israel/Gaza as well as numerous other places, it has become somewhat of an unavoidable fact of life we must all face… the world doesn’t half seem to be going to S@#* a bit as of late!

With that in mind not only my usual skirmish teammates, many of whom have made long-term lives for themselves here, have families to consider, or in a few cases have even straight up changed nationality to integrate, we all feel this is just as much our concern; “Taiwan may not be our home country, but it is our home, and it is a country”, as I like to put it. Among other groups locally, we have begun broadening our activities and I have been moving between various circles or groups to help enable such efforts and bring ideas and people together.

A GROUP LIKE NO OTHER

Some time back I happened to meet a likeminded fellow foreigner here who has been here considerably longer than me, but who has more experiences related to active military service, as well as in live fire competitive shooting, and who has also spent a great deal of time as a photographer and videographer not only in some hairy situations overseas, but integrating with local aboriginal tribes and telling their stories, usually themselves being at odds somewhat with the mainstream government

and ‘Chinese’ Taiwanese who came over and settled after the civil war of early and mid-previous century.

Eventually within our growing mutual friend and acquaintance group we realised there were a decent number of foreigners or English speaking Taiwanese who wanted to undertake basic skill at arms training but had no prior experience and didn’t want to pay hand over fist for somewhat expensive specialised training for enthusiasts the likes of which I have reported on before, as well as not being comfortable in those kind of training environments.

Thus from the middle of last year we’ve been holding ‘pistol training’ classes, usually with some additional SMG/Carbine work thrown in for fun wrap up experiences at the end of each lesson, to help demystify safe weapons handling for many who are total beginners, and obviously have extremely limited or no opportunity to get hands on with guns in Taiwan unless they have prior experience or service locally or overseas.

Nonetheless it’s been very rewarding ‘giving back’ and potentially helping to grow the community and diversity of people who are now more comfortable and confident in themselves and their own abilities; we’ve taken some who have never had any experience of guns whatsoever and had them confidently and consistently printing fairly tight groups on paper IPSC targets at 10m by then end of the first lesson, with my friend providing the lead instruction and range control, while I coach some of the total beginners and provide the tools with my own ever growing collection of GBB pistols and support gear such as magazines, pouches and holsters, with many of our students deciding to buy their own equipment to train with in class and their own time to maintain their skills.

Of course we are not seeking to train people in paramilitary skills and have to make clear that while there are a number of outfits of local ex or serving military personnel doing so it would be a very grey area for foreigners to start doing so outside of the now overt services personnel from other forces who are doing so legitimately. We’re very much not training soldiers, just giving people who want it a useful skill set and basic familiarity with the safe handling and operation of small arms should the day come they find one as a ‘battlefield pick up’ or

“FROM THE MORE OVERTLY FIREARMS TRAINING RELATED ACTIVITIES I COVER BACK IN ‘BEHIND EVERY BLADE OF GRASS’ WAY BACK IN ISSUE 143 IN 2022, TO MORE GENERALISED TRAINING THAT LOOKS TO PREPARE PEOPLE FOR DISASTER RELIEF AND SELF-RESCUE AFTER LIKELY INJURIES SUSTAINED FROM EVENTS WHETHER THEY BE MAN-MADE OR GENERAL RESULTS OF LIVING ON THE PACIFIC RIM OF FIRE”

otherwise and are forced to defend themselves or others with it if things do go kinetic here.

As a result of these classes we were both, along with some other foreign friends in different disciplines, drawn in to cooperation with Academia Formosana, one of the larger local (and predominantly aboriginal and religiously pertinent self-help organisations) focused on preparing their own community to help itself in the face of any disasters, with improved medical and trauma training, along with more specialist communications, intelligence, information warfare and other such fields which are finding wide interest island-wide from those who want to better prepare themselves for a shifting global and local situation.

DRILLS AND SKILLS

In October we had the privilege of being invited along to their first drill on the coast of Taiwan, with a variety of active and former services personnel and very experienced airsofters essentially acting as BluFor and invading OpFor to provide ‘atmosphere personnel’ for a myriad of self-help organisations from every region of the island to test their capabilities and work together in a patchwork of medic units, planners and

liaisons for active service forces that would operate in such areas during an enemy action.

Again the focus is not so much on fighting the battle itself in this case, but for civilian assistance units surviving it and making informed decisions under stress; over the course of a weekend as observers we saw a genuine and marked improvement in the situational awareness and planning capabilities of the self-help groups as a result of the mock battle unfolding around them and previous decisions made and their outcomes, with all parties regrouping and debriefing after each phase of the action to talk about lessons learned and how to implement them.

Further to this, in mid-January we were all invited as guest speakers to discuss our own aspects and observations of the weekend and what we saw in terms of improvements and accomplishments, and where the next action could lead. Suffice to say the participants were all refreshingly frank with their own self-assessments, acknowledging where things went wrong, which can be a culturally enforced rarity at times here. It certainly feels rewarding and encouraging; as I told the participants on stage that such a diverse and widespread group of people islandwide are all moving with like-minded purpose and

“EVENTUALLY WITHIN OUR GROWING MUTUAL FRIEND AND ACQUAINTANCE GROUP WE REALISED THERE WERE A DECENT NUMBER OF FOREIGNERS OR ENGLISH SPEAKING TAIWANESE WHO WANTED TO UNDERTAKE BASIC SKILL AT ARMS TRAINING BUT HAD NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE”

converging on the same ideas, actions and outcomes. As a result I made a lot of new friends in the local community with experiences in medical training and defence training as a result.

One of the guys present is an experienced EMT who has also been overseas to help with care in conflict zones, and more recently to Poland for extensive tactical training with some of his friends, and there are still a significant number of Taiwanese who have gone to Ukraine to help out with trauma care or direct frontline efforts (something that along with the helpful initiatives during COVID have no doubt bolstered Taiwan’s international image and capital on a wider basis) the continuing argument here being that ‘if we are not prepared to fight for ourselves and others, why would anyone else come to our aid?’

Of course the Ministry of Defence has increased

mandatory national service terms back up to a full year, and as of writing numerous stories are circulating on local mainstream and social media of the first year long service cadre’s final assessment and the improvements in training and national defence reform that many see as long overdue; progress, even if slow, is progress, long may it continue here.

As a result of meeting him I managed to organise his first English language delivered ‘stop the bleed’ course making use of his extensive abilities and great personable nature and teaching capabilities to take the core foreign element of our team for basic trauma training.

I’ve done multiple courses throughout my life as a result of university sports group administration and in professional settings due to the hazardous nature of some of my past employment, but it’s nonetheless

“IT’S BEEN VERY REWARDING ‘GIVING BACK’ AND POTENTIALLY HELPING TO GROW THE COMMUNITY AND DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW MORE COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR OWN ABILITIES; WE’VE TAKEN SOME WHO HAVE NEVER HAD ANY

EXPERIENCE OF GUNS WHATSOEVER AND HAD THEM CONFIDENTLY AND CONSISTENTLY PRINTING FAIRLY TIGHT GROUPS ON PAPER IPSC TARGETS AT 10M”

an ever-changing landscape with medical and first response training being a constantly updated syllabus.

We all came away with a much greater understanding, especially thanks to his use of excellent ‘bleed simulator’ props that really challenge you to make effective use of the theoretical skills learned and discussed. All too often first aid training is a verbal class or basic demonstration of how to react to situations, but when there really is red fluid pouring from a mock injury and you have to put an end to it under pressure, it is a much more valuable learning experience!

CONTINUATION TRAINING

Further to these efforts we had a decent turnout of around a third of the team joining an inaugural training session for our group making use of contacts and resources within the serving or ex forces community locally who provided further basic skill at arms training to try and bring up the skill and safety awareness level of all of those who attended.

While some of us have received training from military personnel in the past, but not necessarily seen active service for various reasons, it nonetheless helps to go over the fundamentals en masse and have more qualified people relay ideas or updated doctrines to us all. Again, a full morning spent in the classroom environment and afternoon out on the range at the ‘Pewniversity’ site I mentioned back in Issue 159.

We all came away enthused and wanting to develop our skills and improve our abilities, even if just for the airsoft aspect and being able to work around each other with a better awareness of safe handling in groups in future, and we also have more plans that the ‘head shed’ have been discussing for incorporating lessons learned into more advanced MilSim games or other events. Personally I like the idea of the live fire ‘InRange’ style brutality matches you can find on Youtube where people are doing competitive shooting but in full gear and having to deal with battlefield-themed challenges and encumbrances rather than just shooting as quickly and effectively as they can against the clock - there are plenty of ideas floating around the team and a core group of us that are pushing for more from ourselves and each other to make us more useful and resilient on the field but also if hazardous situations do end up finding us out here.

Similarly, the organisers of Academia Formosana are also interested in cooperating with us as further OpFor to challenge and cut the teeth of their own people and further share and develop skills, which is an exciting prospect to be involved with.

Beyond our own activities there are also an increasing corps of people in every major city (and even elsewhere) who are taking to local parks in the evenings to disseminate disaster relief, trauma, triage, casevac, TCCC/TECC, telecomms, and basic tactical training to their related groups, building everyone’s

“ONE OF THE GUYS PRESENT IS AN EXPERIENCED EMT WHO HAS ALSO BEEN OVERSEAS TO HELP WITH CARE IN CONFLICT ZONES, AND MORE RECENTLY TO POLAND FOR EXTENSIVE TACTICAL TRAINING WITH SOME OF HIS FRIENDS, AND THERE ARE STILL A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF TAIWANESE WHO HAVE GONE TO UKRAINE TO HELP OUT WITH TRAUMA CARE OR DIRECT FRONTLINE EFFORTS”

skills and cross-training each other to improve the overall level of preparedness for anything that might arise in our lives here. Ranging from the likes of school or university groups, community centres, or just likeminded adults who find each other by word of mouth or through social media pages that help to coalesce those seeking ‘self-help’ groups with some going as far as being ‘preppers’ with loadouts or go bags prepared of basic survival and medical supplies.

Some of these are even becoming popular items on local online selling outlets for people to purchase essentials in a convenient pack that can be kept at home or in their offices or vehicles - or all three - to ensure nobody is caught short, especially important considering the population density of Taiwan and the fact that everyone has to drink bottled/stored and

purified water due to the nature of the plumbing and tropical environment, if infrastructure fails here, people could find themselves in trouble fairly rapidly - there’s been an noticeable uptick in attendees to ‘Kuma Academy’ - one of the largest domestic training organisations, as well as CAMP66 where we were filmed previously, and numerous other similar groups or NGOs.

Our group have been working towards preparedness on this level and I’m in the process of sourcing legitimate imported Combat Application Tourniquets (CATs) one thing stressed in our ‘stop the bleed’ training was to beware of imitations or ‘training’ versions as these can cause more problems or complications if used in real situations! Make sure you have appropriate equipment and not the

unashamed knock offs, most apparently coming from some of the unscrupulous types across the water, fellow shooters!

So, that’s somewhat of the landscape as it stands recently, the incursions of the PLAAF and now even encroachment of civilian airliners and recently harassment of civilian vessels operating within Taiwanese waters close to the mainland have all been a cause for concern, along with the somewhat alarming ‘missile launch’ alerts we received as a result of a mistranslation some weeks ago as a Chinese satellite launch tracked high over our airspace; evidently the warning systems work, at least… just a little too well at times!

In the usual fashion these mishaps were taken with a somewhat gallows humour mentality I’ve come to

expect from people here; the constant threats seem to bother the outside world and get sensationalised by foreign media a lot more than people here seem to care about. Hopefully nothing will come of it all, but, if the worst occurs, we should at least all be a little more confident and prepared to hold out on our ‘porcupine island’.

As I relayed not too long ago when asked about my stance on such things… Tell them if they come for me, I’m right where I’m supposed to be…

Many thanks again to ‘Jerry’ Cheng-Yi Wu (IG @ Jerrywugaga) for his excellent supporting photos of our training session at ‘Pewniversity’. AA

KEEPIN’ IT EASY!

BACK IN JUNE LAST YEAR WE RECEIVED A COOL LITTLE AEG FROM DELTA ARMORY (DA) TO INCLUDE IN OUR LONG-TERM TEST PROGRAM, BUT GIVEN THAT THE GUYS AT DA HAVE A WHOLE NEW FAMILY OF LICENCED REPLICAS ON THE WAY WE THOUGHT WE’D FOCUS BACK ON THEIR MK18 AND SEE HOW IT’S BEEN DOING SINCE IT ARRIVED WITH US… OVER TO OUR RESIDENT “MK18-AHOLIC” BILL…

Last month I had the great privilege of introducing everyone to the very latest AEG series from DELTA ARMORY (DA) in the unmistakeable and unique form of the FREYA, and I have to admit that I’m quietly excited to welcome an example of these stunning new ARs into the “AA ARMOURY” as one has been promised from mid-production run for me, and us, to check out fully.

You may wonder, with all the AEGs and GBBs that I get to see, just why I’m excited for the FREYA, and my desire to see this in the flesh is largely based on its uniqueness and the performance that I’ve seen over the last ten months from the DA Mk18 which has proved to be a really workmanlike little AEG based on one of my favourite platforms.

If you fancy an “off the shelf” Mk18, then you’ve got GREAT choices for both AEG and GBBR bases, some of which you’ll have seen in our RED CELL updates; we’ve been putting these super little ARs

through their paces for some time now, and the Mk18 ALPHA from DA has really earned its place among the many models that we’ve tested, sometimes to neardestruction… whatever I’ve thrown at the ALPHA it just keeps on rockin’ and appears to want more of the same!

To return to my initial review... “if AEG is your preferred choice of “OS”, then the Mk18 models that are being offered to us by DELTA ARMORY are great models to look at! The Mk18 sits among the DA ALPHA and BRAVO ranges that we detailed in our introduction to the brand way back in Issue 150.” Running stock from the box the ALPHA has proved to be a really budget-friendly way of getting into the whole “NSW/SOPMOD/Mk18-thing” if, like me, that interests you, and even if it doesn’t because of the history, the ALPHA is a solidly made, short AR AEG that’s immediately ready to BB-up and get out onto the field with!

“THE MK18 ALPHA FROM DA HAS REALLY EARNED ITS PLACE AMONG THE MANY MODELS THAT WE’VE TESTED, SOMETIMES TO NEAR-DESTRUCTION… WHATEVER I’VE THROWN AT THE ALPHA IT JUST KEEPS ON ROCKIN’ AND APPEARS TO WANT MORE OF THE SAME!”

appears to have been chosen to work together well, and all parts fit neatly and snugly together, with not a creak or wobble anywhere even after extended use. The ALPHA differs in a good way from my other, more “traditional” Mk18s in that it has a modern, almost “billet” styling to the receiver set, and as I said before this may cause some raised eyebrows among the “stitchbitch” fraternity but I actually like the approach that DA have taken with their receiver sets; you’re definitely not going to mistake this for anything other than a DA AEG as there are deeply engraved magwell fence and also inset to the forward

There’s also some handassist grooves machined into the front of the magwell, an aesthetically pleasing touch will also please that favour a “magwell grip” (not I, perish the thought!). Controls are 100% AR-norm so no issues there, and there’s a singlepoint sling-plate fitted as standard. The Mk18 has flip-up front and rear sights that come as a part of the standard package, and they work well, and the standard pistol grip suits me just fine as it’s a great, modern

ergonomic design.

The stock fitted as standard is excellent, pretty darn solid on the buffer tube and resembling a mashup of the best features of the BCM Mod 1 and the Magpul MOE SL with the DA logo thrown in! It’s not a copy of either, but has a similar cheekweld profile and an easy-to-adjust pinch release and a soft rubber “squeeze-to-release” buttpad that makes changing out batteries in-game an absolute breeze!

Internally the Mk18 is also very, very solid with a 6.03mm precision inner barrel and a metal modernstyle CNC A-type, flat-face trigger as standard; inside there are solid high-quality internal parts with an SHS piston featuring full metal teeth, SHS delayer, 8mm bearings, rotary hop chamber, and a reinforced gearbox, and I have no issues to report on any of these.

BACK TO THE RANGE

As I said at the outset when the Mk18 ALPHA arrived with us, I wanted to see how it fared for both CQB and woodland settings as it should be able to handle both well; this is one of the appeals of the Mk18 for me, the fact that it can work equally well in either setting should you wish to purchase a single AEG for both. I’ve now had multiple sessions on the 10m steels and the 30m woodland range.

At 30m things have really bedded in well even on the as-standard hop chamber and rubber, and I’m happily able to shut a .30g to the extent of the range with a nice flat trajectory. On semi the trigger response is VERY crisp, especially important when clanging the shorter-range steels, and as IRL the Mk18 is predominantly a CQB-oriented design, and that’s where it should always excel… and it certainly does!

The ALPHA model I’ve been testing was factory-set to 1.07 Joule/340fps and this has remained constant through the chrono over time, indicating that the spring fitted as standard is of good quality, and that the stock seals are not too shabby either. As a midcap player I was delighted with the polymer 120 BB model as standard, and this has continued to feed flawlessly throughout testing; I have now fully tested the ALPHA on all my usual AR mags, both STANAG and other, and I’m pleased to tell you that these all continue to feed perfectly too.

“EVERY PART OF THE ALPHA EXTERNALLY APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO WORK TOGETHER WELL, AND ALL PARTS FIT NEATLY AND SNUGLY TOGETHER, WITH NOT A CREAK OR WOBBLE ANYWHERE EVEN AFTER EXTENDED USE”

In terms of accessories I have finally settled on a combo that I like, although I feel there may be one final change needed… up on top I’m running a NPTECH 886 HOLO SIGHT for the reasons that Andy mentions in his article this month, and it’s a perfect optic for a CQB-oriented platform. I have a BIG DRAGON STUBBY FOREGRIP fitted (a fave of mine, cheap and with good battery storage!) along with some MP-style soft “ladder” rail covers; this helps me manage the front end effectively during fast targetto-target transitions - even in the wet.

Also on the front end I have an NP NX600L WEAPON LIGHT running on a “rat’s tail” and this is the one thing I still intend to change; of late I’ve been running a WADSN AN SL Single Port Button on my Mk18 GBBR and I love it, so I feel that for 15 quid or so this may have to be replicated on the Mk18 AEGs as it is super effective and efficient. Rounding things off “just for the look” I fitted a NP “MAWL” LASER BATTERY BOX and I think it looks great, and certainly “right now”! At the back end I did make one final change in that I fitted a PTS SYNDICATE MOE STOCK… again this is purely a personal thing but I find “CRANE-style”, good as they are, a bit to chunky when I’m using a helmet.

After the best part of a year the DELTA ARMORY MK18 ALPHA AEG is still rockin’ along just as it was as new, and in terms of accuracy it’s even better! I don’t feel that there has been any downgrade in the compression parts as the power level is still solid, but now that everything has settled in it does seems quieter, a good thing. This is a carbine that you can buy for a sensible price that looks utterly superb, feels solid still, and continues to impress me in terms of performance.

Given all of the above I am genuinely looking forward to the FREYA arriving as I’m told by DELTA ARMORY that the performance of the new rifle is even better! However, I will continue to enjoy the MK18 ALPHA as it is… a Mk18!

Have I mentioned I love a Mk18? The DA ALPHA is a good one!

My thanks go again to DELTA ARMORY for providing the test sample, and please do go and check out what www.delta-armory.com have coming soon! AA

“ON THE FRONT END I HAVE AN NP NX600L WEAPON LIGHT RUNNING ON A “RAT’S TAIL” AND THIS IS THE ONE THING I STILL INTEND TO CHANGE; OF LATE I’VE BEEN RUNNING A WADSN AN SL SINGLE PORT BUTTON ON MY MK18 GBBR AND I LOVE IT, SO I FEEL THAT FOR 15 QUID OR SO THIS MAY HAVE TO BE REPLICATED ON THE MK18 AEGS”