CONTENTS

8 ARMOURY: G&G TGM R5 ETU

The trend for ultra-modern “SMG-style” AEGs coming onto the market continues without pause and G&G have jumped on this yet again in the best possible way with an update to the “daddy” of them all, the ever-popular MP5, in the form of their latest TGM R5 ETU, and Bill has been giving one his usual work-over to find out if the sweet spot has been hit!

20 ARMOURY: EMG/DOUBLE EAGLE NOVESKE N4 GBBR

With so many superb GBB ARs on the market now it’s sometimes hard to decide between them, so when a model appears that screams “unique” for any reason it’s definitely going to be worth a look; this month Bill gets down to the range with what could well be the final piece of the puzzle with Noveske-licenced N4 models courtesy of Double Eagle and EMG!

Editorial Director: Bill Thomas

Deputy Editor (Asia): Stu Mortimer

Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing

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Publisher: Calibre Publishing

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©Calibre Publishing Limited 2023

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

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LETTER , IDEA OR QUESTION?

Got something to say? A question for our experts? An article or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the Editorial Director: bill@airsoft-action.co.uk, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

28 ARMOURY: DOUBLE BELL GEN-12 DRACARYS

Let’s face it, we’ve seen a LOT of airsoft replicas coming out of the “John Wick” franchise, especially those with the TTI name on them, and in general they’ve been very cool… but in Bill’s opinion there not as cool as the latest movie-inspired platform, the firebreathing GEN-12 DRACARYS semi-auto shotgun from Double Bell!

36

TRAINING: LONG GUNS AND LIGHTS

Andy N from CALIBRE RANGE re-joins us this month with another article focused on the accessories that we all use on our “long guns”, and this time he turns his seasoned attention to a regular addition, that of platform-mounted “white light” taclites and how we can set them up and use them most effectively!

42 THE CAGE: COSPLAY

Airsoft war never changes! You must have been AWOL if you’ve missed the excellent Amazon take on the FALLOUT universe, and with this in mind the members of the AA LEGION thought they’d turn their attention to an area of airsoft that’s loathed by a few, but absolutely loved by many, and that’s game-inspired, themed airsoft events where cosplay meets full-on 6mm action!

48 RED CELL: G-SERIES UPDATE

Once again Red Cell comes full-circle as we return to our G-SERIES pool of test pistols, and of course since we started there have been some updates in the world of airsoft “Glocks and Nots” with the introduction of the 17 GEN5, so we’ve updated the list to start bringing those models into play as is right and proper; thankfully these are in the hands of two of our most active pistol shooters, Stewbacca and Boycie so BBs will be going downrange in numbers as they get to grips with the latest iteration.

62 TECH: LCT Z SERIES MODULAR AK PARTS

Looking back to the not too distant past To ISSUE 160 Stewbacca brought in PHASE 1 and his initial thoughts and experiences using the LCT Airsoft ‘Z Series’ Zenitco-themed accessories for their LCK platforms, specifically their excellent LCK74MN modernised AK in the 5.45mm flavour in terms of real-steel footprint. Given the sheer variety of components they sent to him we knew this would be a longer term project throughout the year, and now he lands the second phase of his testing and thoughts.

72 INSIDE AIRSOFT: GETTING PERSONAL

Stewbacca met with Clarence Lai way back in 2021 shortly after he first arrived in Taiwan having left his native Hong Kong, and you can read about his new ‘Clarence Lai Project Design’ (CLPD) exploits and plans back in issue 130. But how did he come to be on Taiwan, where did it all begin, and what was his journey like to becoming an obviously influential figure in gunsmithing and customising skirmish, competition and even real guns, as well as the competitive circuit and its events and organisations?

82 INSIDE AIRSOFT: VORSK

Late last month Bill had an invitation to visit to VORSK crew at their “skunkworx” to check out the very latest developments and updates on what we can expect to see from them in the very near, and more distant, future! Taking up this privileged opportunity, he now opens the lid on exactly what shape this will take!

96 RELOADED: RAVEN R9

The M9-style GBB handgun appears to have fallen a little out of favour these days, but nonetheless it’s a solid sidearm that covers an awful lot of airsoft bases from themed games through to MilSim, and everything in between! It’s one of our favourite “movie guns” for sure, and Bill believes that the latest models from RAVEN give it a whole new lease of life!

88 AA LEGION: PORTUGAL

It’s time to head back to Portugal with Miguel to check out the latest iteration of the “KIA” game that he and his fellow “GHOSTS” attend each year, mixing it up with players and other teams from all over the country! This is what the AA LEGION is all about, bringing stories from communities around the globe to enlighten, entertain, and excite, and Miguel always brings us a little of each aspect in his own unique fashion!

M4 Magazine Adapter

MX-060

Hi-capa HPA Adapter

Compatibility:

MX-059 Glock HPA Adapter

Tokyo Marui, ICS, WE, AW Custom, KJW and Other Compatible Hi-CAPA

5.1 Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistols.

Magazine Compatibility:

TM M4 Airsoft AEG magazines

Compatibility: Tokyo Marui, ICS, WE, AW Custom, AAP-01, KJW

Magazine Compatibility: TM M4 Airsoft AEG magazines

MX-061

Master Mods HPA Hose

HPA hose warning: This hose is dedicated to HPA, with a Maximum working pressure of 20 kg, and must be used in a HPA bottle. After passing through the pressure regulator is < 200 psi (14kg)

THE TREND FOR ULTRA-MODERN “SMG-STYLE” AEGS COMING ONTO THE MARKET CONTINUES WITHOUT PAUSE AND G&G HAVE JUMPED ON THIS YET AGAIN IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY WITH AN UPDATE TO THE “DADDY” OF THEM ALL, THE EVER-POPULAR MP5, IN THE FORM OF THEIR LATEST TGM R5 ETU, AND BILL HAS BEEN GIVING ONE HIS USUAL WORK-OVER TO FIND OUT IF THE SWEET SPOT HAS BEEN HIT!

G&G HAVE A VERY LONG ATTENTION SPAN AND HAVE, IN MY MIND AT LEAST, UPDATED THE PLATFORM AS THE TGM R5 ETU IN A MEANINGFUL WAY WITH SOME NEW PARTY CLOTHES, ALONG WITH A BIG CHUNK OF THEIR LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND GIVEN IT A WHOLE NEW LEASE OF LIFE!” adjustable front sight is a shrouded post, again with a little bit of a G&G design-tweak, and these provide a very clear sight picture. To finish things off at the sharp end is a classic tri-lug muzzle device which comes with a knurled cover to protect the 14mm CCW thread for fitting a suppressor or tracer unit; this is perhaps the only thing that still shouts “old skool” to me, and I would have liked to see a more funky flash-hider or muzzle brake… but that’s just being overly picky.

And now for something I truly love, and that’s the G&G side-folding stock with “Conducting Hinge”, or C-HS! Yup, we’re seeing this on other G&G AEGs, but on the R5 it REALLY works!

One of the things I’ve always found with the classic MP5 slider is that the positions are too short for me if I’m honest, but the 230mm side-folder is perfect. Mounting to the rear of the receivers with an H&K-style mounting block, the closure is simple yet effective by way of a latch on the LHS, and once the stock is deployed it is solid; equally when folded to the side in ain’t going anywhere. Inset to the lower of the mounting block is a QD stud point, and you get a QD stud in the box…

Battery space is in the “foot” of the stock at the rear, and there’s more than sufficient space for a small LiPo stick, and this is again where things get interesting; yes, there’s some visible wiring with a Tamiya connector in the battery compartment along with a securely retained fuse, but when it comes to wiring on show, that’s the lot, even with the stock in the folding position thanks to that patented “Conductive Hinge”! Quizzing G&G Ryan at IWA he told me that the hinge itself conducts electricity, with wires leading to it, but not a thing on show… so nothing to get caught up!

Ryan said that he’d tried the “Conductive Hinge” stock on the ARP open and closed, opening and closing, and that it still fired every single BB whatever the position of the stock; this is something that I tried in testing with the R5 and yup, it works… and it works very well indeed. I did some digging, heading to the Taiwan Patent Search System and it told me that the patent filed by G&G says;

“An electric toy gun and its rotating shaft energizing device include a conductor unit installed between a first gun body and a second gun body, and a rotating unit. The conductor unit includes two conductors spaced apart and capable of conducting electricity. Each conductor is electrically connected to an electronic control unit installed on the first gun body.

The swivel unit includes two conductive swivels. Each of the swivels is sleeved on a respective conductor and electrically connected to a battery unit installed on the second gun body, and rotates together with the second gun body. Thereby, by rotating together with the second gun body and being sleeved on the conductors, the rotors maintain an electrically conductive state, which not only hides the conductor unit and the rotors and reduces exposed components, but also it can improve the smoothness when the first gun body and the second gun body are combined.”

“THE COCKING HANDLE TUBE FEATURES SOME NICE CUT-OUTS WHICH ARE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING, AND BELOW THIS IS A VERY MODERN M-LOK RAIL WHICH GIVES YOU ACCESSORY-MOUNTING SLOTS AT 2, 3, 6, 9 AND 11 O’CLOCK, ALONG WITH QD STUD POINTS BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT… LOTS OF OPTIONS HERE!”

You’ll have to pardon the translation, but if I can understand it I am certain that the more tech-savvy will get it fully; I just know that it works, so well done G&G on securing this patent, you’ve earned it!

SHINY INSIDE!

On the outside the R5 really is a very cool take on the classic MP5, but the goodness does not stop there!

On terms of “OS” you have some very tidy electronic components, a reinforced gearbox frame, 8mm bearings, full steel piston, Ifrit 25K motor… yadda, yadda… but there’s an awful lot more too!

The name of the AEG gives it away to a degree in that it’s the “TGM R5 ETU”, as in Electronic Trigger Unit, and there’s also a MOSFET fitted too, and this gives the R5 some cool programmable features that are easy to set via the trigger; MOSFET features include:

• Built-in 3-round burst selector switch

• Programmable [Pre-cocking] mode

• Memory function; setting will not change after battery changed

• Warning light/sound:

1. Low battery power: one warning sound and flash per 1.5 seconds.

2. Malfunction (motor or gear jammed, low battery power, piston jammed): Continue warning sound and flash for 3 seconds when trigger pulled.

3. Sector gear misposition: Warning sound and flash twice when trigger pulled.

In operation even I found the setup easy to work out! G&G tell us that before programming the MOSFET, the magazine must be loaded with BBs and installed into the AEG, then after entering the program mode, setting must be completed within 5 seconds, or the system will exit the program and entering a wrong command will exit the program too. If not in use and pre-cocking is on, G&G advise to reset the MOSFET back to default setting to release the main spring.

So, to set things up you need to switch to semiauto, hold the trigger down for FIVE seconds (this will fire a BB, so make sure you’re pointing the R5 downrange safely!) and you’ll hear a “BEEP” three times, then release the trigger to enter the program mode.

After you’ve successfully entered program mode:

• Default Setting - Hold trigger down for 3 seconds; continue “BEEP” until the trigger is released to complete the program.

• Pre-cocking - Pull the trigger twice and hold the trigger on the second pull for THREE seconds, continue “BEEP” until the trigger is released to complete the program.

• 3-Round Burst - Pull trigger THREE times and hold the trigger on the third pull for THREE seconds, continue “BEEP” until trigger released to complete program. Now full-auto has been programmed to 3-BB burst mode

• 5-Round Burst - Pull trigger FIVE times and hold the trigger on the fifth pull for THREE seconds, continue “BEEP” until the trigger is released to complete the program. Now full-auto has been programmed to 5-BB burst mode!

Yup, you read that right, you can set FIVE BB BURST as well as three, so there really are lots of personalisation options here too.

Downrange

By cocking the charging handle (H&K slap-me-up!) you can adjust the sliding hop easily, but if you’ve ever owned an MP5 AEG then everything on the R5 is going to seem simple and intuitive as all the controls are exactly as you’ll find them on any of the airsoft (or indeed real) variants.

Coming direct from the lovely folk at G&G in Taiwan I had to get the R5 onto the woodland range to check things out. Using .20g BBs it gave a mean chronograph reading of 1.1 Joule/345fps which was very consistent and obviously perfectly site friendly in most places.

Setting the fire selector to semi-auto and easing the sensitive trigger sends BBs downrange in a most satisfying manner, and for something with a relatively short inner barrel the R5 is quite astonishingly accurate, hitting sandbag targets easily at 30m.

Switching things to three BB burst and full-auto gave exactly the same shooting results, but with multiple BBs impacting the sandbags rather than just

“COMING DIRECT FROM THE LOVELY FOLK AT G&G IN TAIWAN I HAD TO GET THE R5 ONTO THE WOODLAND RANGE TO CHECK THINGS OUT; USING .20G BBS IT GAVE A MEAN CHRONOGRAPH READING OF 1.1 JOULE/345FPS WHICH WAS VERY CONSISTENT AND OBVIOUSLY PERFECTLY SITE FRIENDLY IN MOST PLACES”

“THE R5 ADDS TO THE G&G STABLE IN A MEANINGFUL WAY; IT LOOKS SUPERB, IS BRILLIANTLY FINISHED AND PUT TOGETHER, BENEFITS FROM MASSIVE UPDATES INSIDE AND OUT, AND FUNCTIONS FLAWLESSLY FROM THE BOX” singles, with no discernible loss of accuracy, and the fancylooking 130BB Mid-Cap magazine feeds exceptionally well.

The magazine itself also deserves comment as again it’s a new G&G design, the Four Channel Converging Magazine, or FCCM for short; this super design is silent when loaded, supports heavy-weight BBs (G&G claim up to .40g!), supports a high ROF, and also gives a clear “window tracker” so that you can visibly see roughly how many BBs you still have; the spring is also visible which gives a nice sense of “real” which is super-cool! I did try the R5 with other MP5 mags I have and it worked just fine, although with the flared-magwell in place you do need to “nose” standard mags in.

At IWA Ryan also commented that you’ll need to remove this magwell should you wish to run their drum mag, but this is just a case of removing a retaining pin.

Overall the G&G TGM R5 ETU is a stunning little AEG, and I can really see it becoming a favourite for many players getting started or players wanting a “Modern 5” AEG. They’re not an inexpensive platform, but you do most certainly get what you pay for, and extra MP5 mags are relatively cheap and easy to get hold of too these days; I believe that you are getting an absolute gem if the “maschinenpistole” is as much your “thing” as it is mine!

With some great SMG/MP models that we love already in play with the MXC9 and PCC45, the R5 adds to the G&G stable in a meaningful way; it looks superb, is brilliantly finished and put together, benefits from massive updates inside and out, and functions flawlessly from the box; the programming is easy even for an old duffer like me, so that’s a bonus too! G&G are no newcomer, and their AEGs have been tweaked and refined, and their latest take on bringing a classic completely up to date provides superb value for money…the FIVE is ALIVE all over again, and all the better for it!

My thanks go again to our friends over at G&G, and especially to Apple for supplying the evaluation sample; please do check out www.guay2.com, or your nearest G&G stockist for any, and all of your “5” needs and much, much more! AA