RED CELL INCOUNTRY ARMOURY!

CONTINUING OUR NAMSOFT THEME WE THOUGHT WE’D HAVE A GOOD SOLID LOOK AT SOME OF THE MOST COMMON AEG AND GBB PLATFORMS AVAILABLE FOR THE “NAM ERA”, AND THERE’S ACTUALLY A LOT TO LOOK AT, AND SOME GREAT CHOICES FOR EITHER THE MULTIPLE-TOURVETERAN OR THE “FNG” ON A BUDGET! AS USUAL, BILL KICKS OFF… in both faux-wood and real wood versions (as well as EBR and SOC-16 style) and utilize the same V7 design as TM, therefore also sharing magazine and parts compatibility as well. The notable difference is CYMA has fixed TM’s slanted air nozzle design and it uses a standard V2 cylinder amongst a couple of other smaller changes.

“Never Say Never” is a phrase that I have used time and again in both Living History and NamSoft groups, as “pictures or it never happened” doesn’t in any way cut it for the sheer diversity of weapons used in Vietnam! Let’s remember that there are still many, many veterans of this war who are thankfully still alive and with us to this day, and I’ve had the great pleasure and honour of meeting some of the US “Vets” in person, and corresponding over the years with many more; in fact one of my most prized possessions is a copy of “Whisky Tango Foxtrot” by Lynne M Black (of MACVSOG Recon Teams Alabama/Idaho) that he signed on the inside cover “To Bill, best regards, Blackjack”. What this has illustrated to me is the fact that there are still old pictures and even undeveloped camera films still hidden away and as yet undiscovered in the personal collections of the veterans themselves that have yet to come to light, and these images will perhaps in the future give us even further insight into the “American War”.

I hope that our “Intel” article has given you both information and insight into where you can find it, but the fact is that I believe there is more yet to come.

And nowhere is this truer than when it comes to equipment used, and weapons of that war! As I see it, if it existed between 1955 and 1975 it was “probably in-country” at one point or another!

So, although we’ve concentrated on the main weapons that are most commonly seen for US and allied forces, along with some suggestions for OPFOR, if you have an AEG or GBB from earlier, and certainly of WW2 vintage such as the Thompson, Grease Gun, M1 or M2 Carbine, Garand, Springfield, BAR, L1A1 (for ANZAC use), or even the Lee Enfield then these are valid for “allied”.

On the same token the Lee Enfield, Mosin Nagant, K98, Arisaka, ZB26/30, PPSh 41/43, STEN, MP40, StG44, and C96 all work for OPFOR ...and that’s before I get further into the more unusual and esoteric stuff!

One omission so far appears to be the SKS, and although Viva Arms teased us with one a while back, and I know there are some wonderful custom creations out there, I’m amazed that there isn’t a true production version… same could be said of the “Swedish K” SMG though, and I can only hope!

So, my point here is that your potential armoury for NamSoft is HUGE, and just because there isn’t a picture doesn’t mean that someone, somewhere during the Vietnam War didn’t use the exact historical platform you own, and that they didn’t “pick one up” during the heat of battle! For now though we hope that you’ll enjoy our personal selection of “NamSoft Weapons”, models that we’ve either owned in the past or own (in my case certainly!) to this very day; please note that supporting images in this article were sourced in the public domain… and I sincerely hope that many more will come to light in the years ahead… but let’s get to it!

Generally these shoot pretty well out of the box, capturing the usual intrinsic accuracy the M14 design is known for, with most clocking in at the nominal US field velocity of 1.5J / 400 FPS. These are not quite as nicely finished out as TM or G&G’s versions, which is unsurprising given the price. Similar to the TM VSR vs. JG VSR argument, these are often selected for DMR use on the basis of if you’re going to be changing out the majority of components anyway, you may as well save money going with the cheaper gun. I had one of these many years ago which I had converted with a G&P outer barrel set, to make a short-barrelled variant and fitted with a real wood stock. This was inspired by written accounts of M14’s that were sometimes modified by end users to have shorter barrels to make them handier in the dense jungle environment. Sadly, I never actually got to use it, as it languished in build purgatory for several years, then having lost interest over time, I finally sold it someone offered me a good price for it.

FREEDOM BIRDS!

Dan: The CYMA CM.032 M14 AEG is a “99%” clone of Tokyo Marui’s venerable M14 model, and CYMA is the budgeteer’s choice for getting into an M14 without a heavy hit on the wallet. These are available

As it is in 2024, these are not quite as easy to configure for DMR purposes as newer platforms, such as the ubiquitous SR25 is. V7 parts in particular have seriously dried up over the years, and it sometimes feels as if the aftermarket has given up on supporting the platform. Thus, it’s often quite the hunt gathering up the parts from various vendors when one is looking to make a spicy build with these! Stewbacca: I traded in my original first AEG (Marui G36C) to pick up a TM M14 along with some of my teammates at the time as we were making inroads into the NamSoft arena and all of the financially crippling expenditure of repro M56 and BDUs of the era. I went for the OD stock version because the false wood of the alternative was apparently a bit meh. I of course decided to go down the early M21 route with the big cantilever scope mount and an M3 scope, which made for a very capable sighting system!

The gun itself worked reasonably well, although a lot of people around the time on the same semi-onlysniper journey had issues with the semi-auto system failing in relatively short order and them going full auto only as a result, although I didn’t reach the round count for that in the end myself.

The M14 was long and quite front heavy, and a bit exhausting to lug up hill and down dale at the original First And Only Matlock site where we did the NamSoft events, and I honestly felt like quitting the hobby for a while back then; all the gear, garb and guns were costing a fortune and I was barely getting to the fight laden down with everything and being exhausted by the time I did! A lot of my teammates had the much lighter and handier M16A1s and were just more nimble players in general anyway.

I also found the midcap mags somewhat troublesome with requiring stripping down and reworking to get them all feeding reliably, plus the constant need to reload them with 160 BBs, and then reload the speedloader before reloading the next mag; in the end I got a bandolier and unpicked the partitions and sewed up the top edge to create a long sock with a speedloader integrated at the bottom! No more rattling or reloading the loader... Just 10,000 BBs of ammo on tap over my chest.

Eventually we moved on from F&O after the original sites closure and moved back into FBI or other modern-themed team get ups. The M14 was also very front heavy and clumsy; I remember being the last man standing in the CP underground part and having to high port it repeatedly to get it around obstructions to cover two or more entrances with fire as the enemy advanced and I was hammering the clackers “Major” had left for the last man to set off his landmines and malteser box Mk5 claymores littered around the CP. Fun times, but not the most wieldy weapons system for tight spaces!

Dan: The M14 has enjoyed a lengthy service life with

US forces, from the early days of Vietnam as the standard issue service rifle, to seeing limited use in the GWOT era where it fulfilled a small role as a DMR platform until significantly more modern platforms succeeded it. If you’re after a wood stocked M14 pattern AEG, or even one of the lighter faux-wood variants, then the G&G GR14 series will certainly fill that niche.

There are many aspects about the GR14 that I like better than the TM version, starting with the gearbox itself. This does not clone the classic V7 design, such as that which TM and CYMA use. G&G’s gearbox benefits from being a newer design, with a heavily reinforced shell and massively simplified disassembly process; gone are the myriad little springs, levers, and fiddly bits that made the V7 the bane of every tech’s existence! These also smartly use more commonly available V2 gears, piston and cylinder, plus an ETU assembly, the sum of which makes the GR14 better suited for building out as a DMR platform, which is

We M14 Gbbr

Price: iro UK£375.00

Weight: 4950 g

Length: 1131mm

Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.95 Joule/320fps

Hot Chrono: 0.99 Joule/328fps

Available From: www.iwholesales.biz

CYMA CM.032 M14 AEG

Price: iro UK£190.00

Weight: 3300g

Length: 1130mm

Magazine Capacity: 440 BBs (Mids/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps

Available From: www.iwholesales.biz

Tm M14 Aeg

Model: TM M14 AEG

Price: iro UK£370.00

Weight: 3850g

Length: 1127mm

Magazine Capacity: 70 BBs (His avaialable)

Cold Chrono: 0.75 Joule/285fps

Hot Chrono: 0.78 Joule/291fps

Available From: www.firesupport.uk

A&K M1A AEG (REAL WOOD)

Price: iro UK£340.00

Weight: 3480g

Length: 1130mm

Magazine Capacity: 320 BBs (Mids/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/336fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps

Available From: www.davescustomairsoft.co.uk

G&G GR14 IWS ETU AEG (WOOD GRAIN)

Price: iro UK£300.00

Weight: 3390g

Length: 1120mm

Magazine Capacity: 470 BBs (Mids/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.28 Joule/372fps

Hot Chrono: 1.33 Joule/380fps

Available From: www.nuprol.com what most elect to do with their M14’s eventually. Overall, the castings and finish work on the GR14 seems to be a step above the TM, but the perception is no doubt influenced heavily by the lovely genuine walnut hardwood stock which just feels “right” compared to the plastic faux-wood stock that TM uses on their M14. While this does make the GR14 feel notably heavier in the hands and ultimately more taxing on the endurance of the player themselves, there is something distinctly charming about real wood that simply can’t be captured by imitations.

Bill: Where do I possibly start with M16 and XM

AEGs? Dan and Stewbacca have done an awesome job with their experience of the M14, but quite honestly if you‘re going to “go grunt” then only an M16 will do, and if you’re heading down the more “SF route” then it has to be an XM, it just has to be!

Over the years the XM has become by far my gamechoice, but I now have owned a whole heap of M16

AEGs, from my original TM which I adored but in truth was creaky as hell and somewhat “problematical” for a TM (it really didn’t like other-brand magazines at all!), right up to the latest versions from JG and CYMA, with the likes of Classic Army and G&P in between!

There’s a LOT of history behind the M16, and for any airsofter having an early model in the collection really does encompass many eras and conflicts. The U.S. Army began to issue the XM16E1, as it was first designated, in 1965 with most of them going to the newly-raised and experimental Airmobile Divisions, the 1st Air Cavalry Division in particular. After many trials and tribulations the Army finally standardised an upgrade of the XM16E1 as the M16A1 in 1967 and the Model 603/M16A1 remained the primary infantry rifle of U.S. forces in Vietnam until the end of direct U.S. ground involvement. It also became the standard service rifle for all U.S. military ground forces after it fully replaced the M14 service rifle in 1970. The little known Eugene Stoner soon became as famous in the firearms world as his Soviet counterpart Mikhail Kalashnikov, and the M16 and AK47 are still meeting on the battlefield to this day!

So, with a long “service life” my first pick is the old G&P Colt Model 602 Recoil; I’ve always been a fan of the historical airsoft replicas made by G&P! Their attention to detail was second to none when it comes to Vietnam-War-era American rifles and carbines and I own two XM177s, A Colt Model 607, a Remington 870 shotgun and even a Stoner LMG from their range so you could say I’m a bit of a fanboi when it comes to their products!

The Colt Model 602 had some pretty unique features which were only changed at a later date when the rifle finally became the M16/A1. Firstly the lower receiver of the 602 was what is known as “slabside” in that it carried no protective “fence” around the magazine release. The upper receiver had yet to have the forward assist feature added. The flash hider was still of the three-prong style, not yet upgraded to the “birdcage”, and the slip ring was flat rather than the conical shape we see today. The butt pad was a simple rubber affair although the distinctive triangular handguard was already in place. The G&P follows this entire feature set down to the

Vfc M16a1 Gbbr

Price: iro UK£600.00

Weight: 2520g

Length: 990mm

Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs Short (30 BB available)

Cold Chrono: 1.03 Joule/339fps

Hot Chrono: 1.21 Joule/362fps

Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com

Classic Army M16 Vn Aeg

Price: iro UK£250.00

Weight: 2810g

Length: 1010mm

Magazine Capacity: 190 BB Short (Mids/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/336fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps

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

G&P M16A1 RECOIL AEG

Price: iro UK£325.00

Weight: 2950g

Length: 987mm

Magazine Capacity: 110 BBs Short (His/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.00 Joule/329fps

Hot Chrono: 1.03 Joule/334fps

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

CYMA CM.009C (M16) AEG

Price: iro UK £260.00

Weight: 2640g

Length: 998mm

Magazine Capacity:

Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/336fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps

Available From: www.iwholesales.biz

JG M-16A AEG

Price: iro UK£160.00

Weight: 2885g

Length: 1001mm

Magazine Capacity: 300 BBs Short (Mids/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/336fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps

Supplied By: www.taiwangun.com smallest detail; it truly is a work of art and no little research went into getting everything completely right. The replica 602 is fully made of high-grade alloy, with the pistol grip, butt, and handguard being made of a very high-quality matt black plastic, and the trademarks are utterly correct, even down to the Model 02 nomenclature(licenced, probably not which is a shame…).

Internally things are no less impressive; the hop-up adjustment is exactly where you would expect it to be, behind the fake bolt/cover which is accessed by pulling back the charging handle. This is an excellent unit that once set stays steadfastly in place. The motor is G&Ps M140 high torque model and the gearbox is their 8mm bearing “Free float Recoil System” design. This gearbox was specifically designed to take the extra stresses generated by having to move the counterweights for the recoil system back and forth in the buffer tube.

In a nutshell this is a re-enactor-level replica in terms of look, feel and finish, and it works perfectly. You get everything that G&P have always been great at with the added bonus of a perfectly functioning, rear-wired recoil system. The G&P “M16” Model 602 had a retail price of UK£325.00 which for what you were getting was massively good value for money; if you can still find one, then go for it!

Moving onto the newer models out there, the CYMA CM.009C rather pleasingly follows an originalish feature set too; it truly is very cool and no little research has gone into getting things right, and at a great price too! The CM.009C is fully made of good quality alloy, with only the pistol grip, butt, and handguard being made of matt black plastic. The metal parts, rather than just being a shoddily painted black are a deep black and grey mix. There are absolutely no trademarks so it’s a blank canvas for the re-enactor.

Internally things are solid, with a good hop-up unit, accessed as usual but now benefitting from the nowcommon “hold back” function that means the cover stays to the rear until you hit the bolt release which can be fun in game! The hop itself is a solid metal unit, and once set stays in place well. The rifle also benefits from CYMA’s new E-EDITION configuration that can handle higher-strength springs, and also ensures a super-snappy trigger response; this has been achieved thanks to the new, more durable gearbox parts such as a V2 gearbox with quick spring change system, a steel gear set with 8mm steel bushings and bearing spring guide, married up neatly to a high torque neodymium motor and processor unit with built-in MOSFET system. This really is an impressive rifle, not just for the money as it’s a steal in my opinion and even on a 7.4V though it really does crack away, and the trigger is crisp and responsive. The metal 160 BB magazine is the short type first issued and feeds well.

Many moons ago my mates in the USA and I started searching for a viable alternative to the Classic Army M16 (which was truly excellent but expensive at the time) and came across the first run of the JG Works M16A1 that my friends at Airsoft GI had in stock, and we ordered twenty of them for the team! Whilst it had many glaring historical errors, it did at least resemble an “A1” right down to the old-style 3-prong “duckbill” flash hider. Although far from 100% historically accurate the JG “A1s” looked “good enough”, came with a short hi-cap magazine, and were actually insanely accurate from the box! “Mr Colts Best Girl” soon became for most in the gang their favourite choice of replica!

Having done some collaboration in the past with the guys at Taiwangun over in Poland I’d been impressed with some of their more budget-oriented AEGs; I was trawling through their website one day when I came across not one but two JG “Naminspired” models, an “M16A” updated version of the “A1” that I’d owned in Florida, and also quite a tidy looking “XM”, somewhat bizarrely classed as the “M4A”. What I received from Taiwangun really piqued my interest as both the M16A1 rifle and the XM177E2 carbine were of full metal construction, and whilst they were not truly accurate “replicas” they both looked bloody good, and they were both priced at under UK£150 at the time! For anyone looking to get into NamSoft airsoft they looked just the ticket.

Both the JG M16 and the XM basically follow the “Nam Feature Set” in enough ways that even a purist like me can live the things that aren’t quite correct; apart from receiver anomalies which may be easily overlooked, the butt and the slip/delta ring on the

“THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS ABOUT THE GR14 THAT I LIKE BETTER THAN THE TM VERSION, STARTING WITH THE GEARBOX ITSELF. THIS DOES NOT CLONE THE CLASSIC V7 DESIGN, SUCH AS THAT WHICH TM AND CYMA USE. G&G’S GEARBOX BENEFITS FROM BEING A NEWER DESIGN, WITH A HEAVILY REINFORCED SHELL AND MASSIVELY SIMPLIFIED DISASSEMBLY PROCESS”

Vfc Xm177e2 Gbbr

Price: iro UK£540.00

Weight: 2770g

Length: 760mm/830mm

Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs Short (30 BB available)

Cold Chrono: 1.09 Joule/344fps

Hot Chrono: 1.12 Joule/348fps

Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com

Classic Army Xm177e2 Aeg

Price: iro UK£275.00

Weight: 2420g

Length: 765mm/840mm

Magazine Capacity: 160 BBs (Mids/Real available)

Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/336fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps

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

CYMA CM.009F XM177E2 AEG

Price: iro UK£230.00

Weight: 2367g

Length: 760mm/850mm

Magazine Capacity: 300 BBs Long (Mids/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.00 Joule/329fps

Hot Chrono: 1.01 Joule/331fps

Available From: www.davescustomairsoft.co.uk

M629 (XM177E2) DOUBLE BELL AEG

Price: iro UK£170.00

Weight: 2366g

Length: 750mm/840mm

Magazine Capacity: 150 BBs Short

Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/330fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/335fps

Available From: www.iwholesales.biz

JG M4-A AEG

Price: iro UK£220.00

Weight: 2420g

Length: 760mm/850mm

Magazine Capacity: 150 BBs Short (Mids/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/336fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps

Supplied By: www.taiwangun.com

M16 are not period-correct, and the singlepoint sling point and oversized oval handguards on the XM glare out, and it’s a shame that just a couple of simple fixes could have made both models spot-on, at least from a distance; Sadly I hear myself saying this on many occasions...

Both replicas though are sturdily made of alloy, with only the pistol grip, butt/stock, and handguards being made of matt black plastic. The metal parts, rather than just being a shoddily painted black are a rich matt black, and although there are absolutely no trades, finishing touches like the “duckbill” on the M16 and the distinctive moderator on the XM are nice to have; I do wish though that manufacturers would stop just chucking on a “duckbill” and calling it a “VN”, as the final Model 603/ M16A1 that was issued featured a simple “birdcage”...

Internally things are bombproof, as with both models you get a reinforced gearbox shell with steel ball bearings 8mm, reinforced spring guide with bearings, • steel gears, reinforced piston with reinforced directional piston head and a reinforced brass cylinder head, along with a tried and tested long type motor. There’s nothing here that’s going to excite you greatly, but all of the components are solid and work efficiently together.

Truthfully neither of these AEGs are “Living History standard” replicas, but in terms of look, feel and finish, they will both work perfectly for “Namsoft” unless you’re a real stickler, and most certainly they will look a million times better than a railed M4 wrapped in hessian! With that retail price of under UK£150 what you’re getting is extremely good value for money, and I’d be happy to see either of these at any NamSoft game!

I’ve covered off the JG M16 and XM in one fellswoop there, and I could do the same for the CYMA XM as internally things are much of a muchness, and the latest Double Bell models that are featured earlier also fit into this same mould. My “go-to XM” though is STILL my original Classic Army, and this has to be one of the oldest AEGs in my personal armoury! Whilst somewhat dated now when it comes to “internals”, the externals were excellent to start with, and these have help up superbly well; after a couple of professional services it is still rockin’ and rollin’ with the very best of them, At the time it was an expensive purchase; originally configured as an E2, the outer and inner barrels got chopped down to E1 length, and oh my, it has paid for itself a thousand times over with all the joy and scalpings it’s brought me in-game!

Stewbacca: Moving things on to support guns, and not so much during our NamSoft era, during Copehill games Handsome Dave’s brother Damian would join our team on MilSim and drag along his M60VN monster for us to use as a squad weapon, and we had many a good time sharing it around the team during events as something a bit different. It definitely turned heads on our team, and kept the opponents’ down, but of course it was a bit of a beast to lug around manually hence the turn taking between everyone’s AK or AR alternatives!

When I got on the BritTac dune buggy with it during one of the events it really came into its own being used to hose allied occupied buildings as I did “God mode” runs with Charlie driving and both of us getting utterly hosed by everyone and sundry; I ended up covered in welts aside from where my plate carrier was covering, but loved every minute of it!

The only downside was the reliability of the electromechanical feed for the huge multi-thousand round box mag and the spring-wrapped feed-hose which tended to crap out every so often and result in a lot of loud dry fire. It certainly looked the part, and felt it when you were lugging “the pig” around to everyone else’s delight, at least…

Double Bell M607 Aeg

Price: iro UK£200.00

Weight: 2600g

Length: 695mm/755mm

Magazine Capacity: 150 BBs Short (Mids/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.0 Joule/329fps

Hot Chrono: 1.03 Joule/334fps

Available From: www.iwholesales.biz

G&P M607 AEG

Price: iro UK£360.00

Weight: 2640g

Length: 685mm/745mm

Magazine Capacity: 110 BBs (His/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.00 Joule/329fps

Hot Chrono: 1.03 Joule/334fps

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

G&P MK23 STONER AEG

Price: iro UK£650.00

Weight: 4620g

Length: 930mm

Magazine Capacity: 1200 BBs Box

Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/336fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps

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

A&K M60 VN AEG

Price: iro UK£625.00

Weight: 7500g

Length: 1080mm

Magazine Capacity: 3500 BBs Box

Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/339fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/346fps

Available From: www.davescustomairsoft.co.uk

King Arms M79

Price: iro UK£375.00

Weight: 2000g

Length: 720mm

Magazine Capacity: N/A MOSCART/TAG

Cold Chrono: Shell Dependant

Hot Chrono: Shell Dependant

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

Dan: Much like the early M16, the Stoner 63 was another design beset by a myriad of teething problems in its initial stages. Nevertheless, it found some favour with SEAL teams deployed to Vietnam, and saw limited action there. It was valued for its high ammunition capacity and lightweight design… especially compared to “The Pig”, AKA the M60.

G&P’s Stoner 63 rendition is rated quite highly, being amongst one of G&P’s best AEG designs ever executed. It’s beautifully made from stamped steel constructions with a polymer stock, grip and forearm. Owing to their popularity, prices on these have risen quite a bit over the year, driven especially by the relatively limited numbers being produced. As LMG platforms go, these are quite lightweight, with much the same handling characteristics of a carbine, but boasting a robust 1200 round capacity magazine. The fixed stock can house a substantial battery and has a similar length-of-pull to an AKM, which makes it quick to shoulder. While bipods do exist for the 63, these were generally eschewed for keeping the gun light and manouverable; this is truly an “assaulters LMG” concept more than something designed for stationary emplacement use.

Internally we have a traditional V2 gearbox, which uniquely allows for both full auto and semi-auto firing modes. While not as “bomb proof” as the shells featured in the M249 / M60 / PKM series, the G&P shells are certainly up to the task of handling the higher velocity limits allowed LMG’s at most fields.

These also use a pretty nice rotary hop up chamber design that’s configured for direct-feeding from the box magazine. Properly configured, these do not take much to be set up as a full-auto-laser-beam. Owing to the many favourable attributes the Stoner 63 enjoys, these have become a cult-favourite amongst enterprising LMG-modders who do a lot to shave even more weight and length off the gun. Ironically, these same advantages have also been a point of contention amongst many of the premier MilSim event companies too, some of whom have gone as far as to axe the Stoner 63 from the LMG role entirely…

And talking of things unique, you can’t talk about Vietnam-war-themed kit without at least making mention of the M79, a 40mm grenade-launching icon, AKA “The Thumper” or “Blooper”’! The M79 was a launcher design that preceded the Colt XM148 (VFC now make a nice one of these!) and M203 as a standalone single-shot launcher system designed to be fired off the shoulder. During the Vietnam War, the US military developed a whole suite of specialized rounds, load carriage gear and more around this system. To this day, you can still find plenty of surplus grenadier vests and bandoliers on the second-hand market.

The King Arms replica is fairly lightweight and portable, being made from a mixture of CNC aluminium, castings and soft-wood. These work much like a break-action shotgun, where pressing a lever hinges open the tube. Simply insert a fresh 40mm cartridge, aim and pull. There is a ladder-style sighting system intended to be flipped up and adjusted for the range at which you will be firing at, but much like many GI’s did in the fields of Vietnam, a lot of airsofters do not use this or remove it entirely, and just “git gud” at learning their Kentucky windage. Once you’ve spent some time behind it you pick it up quick! Overall, I would say the construction of King Arms M79 is decent. The ladder sight is a little fragile as are some of the smaller cast parts. The wood itself is pretty soft, but has a finer grain than pine, so I’m not sure what type of wood it is exactly. But suffice it to say it will accrue its share of battle scars quickly. The only other functional M79 I’ve seen up close is the Craft Apple Works version, and sadly they

M16

MODERATOR ON THE XM ARE NICE TO HAVE; I DO WISH THOUGH THAT MANUFACTURERS WOULD STOP JUST CHUCKING ON A “DUCKBILL” AND CALLING IT A “VN”, AS THE FINAL MODEL 603/ M16A1 THAT WAS ISSUED FEATURED A SIMPLE “BIRDCAGE”...”

TM 1911A1 GBB

Price: iro UK£145.00

Weight: 798g

Length: 217 mm

Magazine Capacity: 26 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.53 Joule/239fps

Hot Chrono: 0.55 Joule/244fps

Available From: www.iwholesales.biz

WE 1911A1 GBB

Price: iro UK£110.00

Weight: 1200g

Length: 200mm

Magazine Capacity: 15 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.71 Joule/277fps

Hot Chrono: 0.74 Joule/283fps

Available From: www.iwholesales.biz

Cybergun Colt 1911 100th Anniversary Gbb

Price: iro £110.00

Weight: 962g

Length: 220mm

Magazine Capacity: 24 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/328fps

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/3333fps

Available From: www. evike-europe.com

WE (TOKAREV) TT33 GBB

Price: iro UK£140.00

Weight: 684g

Length: 194mm

Magazine Capacity: 15 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.83 Joule/299fps

Hot Chrono: 0.84 Joule/302fps

Available From: www.iwholesales.biz

ICS BLE PM2 (MAKAROV) GNBB (WITH SILENCER)

Price: iro UK£120.00

Weight: 720g

Length: 160mm

Magazine Capacity: 13 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps (w/o silencer)

Hot Chrono: 1.08 Joule/342fps (w silencer)

Supplied By: www.icsbb.com seem to be long defunct. It otherwise seemed to be on the same build level as King Arms.

Generally most are using these with TAGinn 40mm rounds as those are more practical and in line with the role of grenade launchers intended use. While you can use the old “BB shower” shells, they are not especially effective unless you had something like a massed group of OPFOR twiddling their fingers at 10 yards, or you use the cut-down version in an ambush or “break contact”. With the TAGinn rounds, I have seen a number of incredible long-range shots taken with these from well-practiced hands.

Locally we also allow the M79 to be used as antitank and bunker buster weapons for most MilSim events, and sometimes these will be distributed by the field owner between the respective teams to give them some extra firepower for tougher encounters. Few things get your pulse racing like trying to work an angle on a technical with an LMG hammering at you! Overall, I rate the the M79 pretty high on the fun factor, and it’s certainly one of those replica’s that also turns a lot of heads with its unique appearance.

BELT GRABBERS!

Bill: www.historynet.com will tell you all about “grabbing the enemy by the belt”; staying close to or “hugging” American units in battle was a tactic the Viet Minh employed in the First Indochina War, and was a very effective tactic to mitigate the firepower the allied forces had at their command, and the weapon choices of the NLF guerrilla fighters especially reflected this… none more so than the AK or “Type 56” copy!

Although there are (and have been!) some really fabulous “AK47s” like the drop-dead gorgeous Real Sword Type 56 (more on this separately!) and these days the TM NEXT-GEN RECOIL AK47 (TYPE 3), I actually use an AKM or AKMS for my NLF (“VC”) or PAVN (“NVA”) loadouts with the muzzle device changed out; yes, I know this is “incorrect” and the “stitchies” will tear me a new one for saying this, but there’s such a choice of truly oustanding AKM replicas now…

Whilst the TM AK47 is a real peach, and functions just like any TM should, at over UK£400 it’s an investment, and that’s before you come to adding a “ChiCom’s-worth” of AK-47 Gen 3 magazines! That said it does feature the TM bolt-stop function where you have to manually work the bolt in order to get the AK to cycle again, and this does add a nice touch of extra realism. The externals are also very solid up on this model in comparison to TM AK AEGs that we’ve seen before, and everything is rock-solid internally and externally; if you’re a TM fanboi then this will undoubtedly be the AEG for you… unless you want to go the GBBR route, then only the TM AKM will do!

Okay, it’s an AKM and not a “Type 56”, but from the get go externally the GBBR looks great! It’s full metal and there’s no wobble anywhere; the stock and handguards are all plastic but you wouldn’t know it at first, as TM have really done a great job at colouring the “woodwork” to look like real wood, and in fact it’s beautiful!

When you come to stripping the AKM it’s simple and just like the real thing; all that you need to do is hold the gun, press the rear catch that’s on the back of the dust cover and lift that back and off; this gives you access to the recoil spring assembly and the bolt assembly, so you just push the recoil assembly forward and off the lower receiver (it’s a captive spring and very similar to the real thing) and then all you have to do is pull the bolt to the rear and out, then you can flip the gas tube catch up and remove the gas tube… that’s it, it really is like the real thing!

The bolt itself is beautifully crafted, metal again with the gas piston being a separate piece fixed in place and made from a shiny piece of aluminium. The whole thing is very well made and houses the blowback unit that is the heart of the Marui gas

Tm Akm Gbbr

Price: iro UK£500.00

Weight: 3550g

Length: 890mm

Magazine Capacity: 35 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.12 Joule/348fps

Hot Chrono: 1.12 Joule/348fps

Supplied By: www.allagesairsoft.com

TM NEXT-GEN RECOIL AK47 (TYPE 3) AEG

Price: iro UK£400.00

Weight: 2800g

Length: 875mm

Magazine Capacity: 90 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.82 Joule/298fps

Hot Chrono: 0.84 Joule/301fps

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

E&L AKM AEG PLATINUM AEG

Price: iro UK£375.00

Weight: 3485g

Length: 916mm

Magazine Capacity: 120 BBs (His/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.00 Joule/329fps

Hot Chrono: 1.00 Joule/329fps

Available From: www.nuprol.com

LCT LCKMS (AKMS) AEG

Price: iro UK£415.00

Weight: 3520g

Length: 670mm/920mm

Magazine Capacity: 130 BBs (Hi/Reals available)

Cold Chrono: 1.01 Joule/331.8fps

Hot Chrono: 1.03 Joule/334fps

Available From: www.nuprol.com

Lct Rpd Aeg

Price: iro UK£1200.00

Weight: 4520g

Length: 1060mm

Magazine Capacity: 2800 BBs Drum

Cold Chrono: 0.99 Joule/328fps

Hot Chrono: 1.02 Joule/333fps

Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk blowback system. The lower receiver houses the trigger, hammer, safety, and fire control components as well as the hop unit which is neatly housed in the left hand side, a small wheel adjuster type that can be easily reached when the magazine is removed.

And the AKM handles really, really well too! The grip feels good in the hand, and the recoil impulse is good and strong. It’s a joy to shoot and the price makes it very competitive in the GBBR-stakes as it retails at around the UK£500 mark and the extra magazines are around UK£50; do make sure you buy some extra mags at the same time as the gun though, as these have proved hard to get, although no doubt this will change in time… or possibly not knowing TM! This is most definitely a GBBR to love and cherish, with all the looks, quality and performance we take for granted from Tokyo Marui these days.

Dan: E&L was a hot newcomer to the AK market in the mid-00’s, making quite the splash with their line-up of stamped steel and wood AK pattern AEG’s. E&L’s full name is EMEI & Landarms, with EMEI being a real steel manufacturer who subcontracts for Norinco and Landarms being the Airsoft/Airgun side. Unlike Real Sword, E&L does not actually use real steel components modified for airsoft use, but rather has parts manufactured explicitly for Airsoft by EMEI & Landarms. EMEI does not actually produce Russianpatterned AK platforms (which is what E&L’s are styled after), so the parts used for E&L’s are not the same as the real steel versions, nor in many cases are they actually 1:1 either.

I purchased a Gen2 E&L AKM as soon as they came to the states and was eagerly looking forward to seeing how it stacked up against Real Sword and LCT’s offerings both of which I also owned several examples of. Unfortunately, my particular E&L AKM turned out to be rather disappointing, being completely unusable from the box. The inner barrel was heavily scored, with a massive chunk of brass protruding into the interior, therefore rendering completely unable to pass BB’s. That it had apparently “passed” two independent quality control checks (with purported FPS readings to boot!) at E&L and JAG Precision seemed like a bad joke. After replacing the barrel, I found a myriad of other problems inside the gearbox awaiting me and it required quite a bit of sorting to get into an operable state. That being said, the construction of the body itself was quite good, with a solid stamped steel body and real laminated wood stock, so if anything, I counselled myself that it made a good base to work with.

Fast forward many years and E&L have subsequently released several updates and revisions to their lineup, with the Essential series filling in the less-expensive entry side, and the Platinum series being the higher end versions fitted with Gate ASTER’s and better internal components. From having worked on many of both since, I will say E&L have done a good about-face and improved their quality control tremendously. These are a solid contender for a harduse AK platform that you can feel confident in taking whatever abuse you throw it. In addition to the Gate ASTER ETU, the current Platinum versions feature 13:1 CNC’d gearsets paired to a 21 TPA Neodymium motor, quick-change spring guides and upgraded compression parts set. These have snappier semi-auto performance and a higher full auto ROF compared to many competitor brands which are still rocking “old school” internals. All of which showcases that E&L continues to evolve and is keenly interested in equipping players with more modern standards. Bill: I do like an “under-folder”, and LCT offer products that are not only cost effective but also reliable in performance and solid in build quality; in fact the under-folding stock of my LCKMS (AKMS) is pretty industrial in operation, and “solid” is somewhat of an understatement! Overall the LCKMS features the same high-quality external build expected of LCT products which will give good, reliable long-term performance.

The features are excellent with a full steel receiver and barrel assembly, beautifully achieved wooden fore-end, correctly coloured pistol grip and a rocksolid folding stock. Enhanced by high quality externals, scrupulously achieved internals and extreme attention to detail, the LCKMS is a strong, reliable rifle for those that love the AK platform and want a viable alternative to gas for the depth of winter.

The LCKMS chrono’s really consistently so if you like your classic gear, are a regular OPFOR player, or just want something different then the LCKMS could be the right AEG for you. It has all the benefits of a

“YOU CAN’T TALK ABOUT VIETNAM-WAR-THEMED KIT WITHOUT AT LEAST MAKING MENTION OF THE M79, A 40MM GRENADE-LAUNCHING ICON, AKA “THE THUMPER” OR “BLOOPER”! THE M79 WAS A LAUNCHER DESIGN THAT PRECEDED THE M203 AND IS A STANDALONE SINGLE-SHOT LAUNCHER SYSTEM DESIGNED TO BE FIRED OFF THE SHOULDER” full-stocked variant with the added versatility of the under-folding stock, and is a top-quality AEG, so you really can’t go wrong with this one!

Sticking with LCT, one model that I was lucky enough to test a while back, but sadly could not pluck up to courage to actually buy (although I really, REALLY wanted to!) was the RPD! As a player who very much enjoys OPFOR, Eastern Bloc replicas have become a bit of a passion, so you can imagine my excitement when LCT first started showing “prototype” images of a new RPD support gun! I’ve had RPKs (and these also work well in a NamSoft setting if there’s a little leeway) in the past, but there’s just something about the RPD with that big drum magazine that screams out to me as “The One”.

LCT have made a true 1:1 replica of the RPD with stamped steel and wood, the same way the original guns were made during the day! The RPD just absolutely oozes quality with absolutely impeccable steel (NOT alloy or “monkey metal”) metalwork and superb, highly burnished woodwork. The attention to detail is utterly staggering wherever you look; muzzle? Absolutely spot on! Folding steel bipod? Yup! Three position gas regulator? Yup again! Nowhere and nothing on the RPD looks as if it has been rushed or bodged and I’d go as far as saying that it’s probably better made than the real thing ever was.

Internally things are equally impressive as the RPD benefits from an all-new 9mm bearing Gearbox, a High-Strength Polycarbonate Piston, CNC Aluminium Hop-Up chamber, Steel Gear set, Quick Change Spring and a MOSFET wire assembly design for lower resistance, saving power for the 23,000 rpm motor! Overall at 1043mm/41 inches long and weighing in at 7040g/15.5lbs this is no lightweight to be casually hooned around your local skirmish site! The LCT RPD has been painstakingly designed as I see it with a very specific user in mind, and that user will undoubtedly understand the role that it has been created for, that of laying down suppressive fire when they want to , where they want to, with laser-like precision and a lightning-quick trigger response.

If like me you like your “NamSoft” or OPFOR airsoft then I have to truly say that you WILL want an LCT RPD. Yes, it’s big, it’s heavy, and it is indeed expensive, but oh my goodness, this thing just looks fabulous and it performs like a beast; LCT really created something quite beautiful here… and I STILL want one!

Stewbacca: The TM M1911, as with the M14, was a natural acquisition to suit my NamSoft theme, complete with the leather shoulder-holster and an M56 double mag pouch for three mags on me at all times.

As with basically all single-stack 1911s, gas capacity and finishing a full mag always seemed to be a bit of a problem, but the finish and feel of the Marui was nonetheless nice in the hand and the holster, although I damn near lost magazines on more than one occasion (thankfully stumbling on them on the way out of games or them dropping on my feet) because the soft leather holster would allow the mag release to be actuated inadvertently all too easily, loosing your loaded mag on whatever lay in front of you.

It was overall a great looking piece and not too shabby on the cycling and consistency fronts once you broke it in, but again it went out with the rest of the NamSoft gear once we moved on, and I swapped it with a friend for a Glock 18C when we went more Police / Modern mil in our loadouts. I haven’t had a 1911 of any sort since in all honesty, and while I guess everyone ought to have one I just haven’t made it a priority for the last decade and a half.

Bill: I’ve spoken at length about my WE 1911A1, but suffice to say it’s a brilliant GBB pistol that still delights anyone that shoots it… there it is, nuff said! But I’ll stick with WE for a moment, again for the OPFOR side with the TT33, and although this is a little underpowered it’s still a fun pistol to own, and likewise is the WE “PM”.

“ALTHOUGH THERE ARE (AND HAVE BEEN!) SOME REALLY FABULOUS “AK47S” LIKE THE DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS REAL SWORD TYPE 56 (MORE ON THIS SEPARATELY!) AND THESE DAYS THE TM NEXT-GEN RECOIL AK47 (TYPE 3), I ACTUALLY USE AN AKM OR AKMS FOR MY NLF (“VC”) OR PAVN (“NVA”) LOADOUTS WITH THE MUZZLE DEVICE CHANGED OUT”

Whilst not in the main list, the WE Makarov features a really strong gas blowback action, and is constructed almost entirely from high quality alloy, with a full metal frame and slide with neat black polymer pistol grips. It features a slide lock safety as well as a lanyard point for securing it to you securely, and a bottom clip-held magazine release with a double stack 16 round magazine. In its basic form the Makarov will chuck a BB downrange at a friendly 270fps using .20g BBs which makes it great for close range encounters. The pistol though features an impressive barrel extension mechanism, where to increase the length of the inner barrel and increase the power you can simply screw in the supplied barrel extension using the threading in situ. Over this screws on the fake suppressor which hides the barrel extension entirely! Without the barrel extension fitted the Makarov is only 160mm long, and this rises to 265mm with the suppressor in place, adding an impressive 115mm to the inner barrel; the weight though is not an issue as without the extension the Makarov comes in at 633g and with at 736g. With the extension you’ll get another 20+fps from the pistol, but the accuracy, whilst good in the basic form, becomes pretty exceptional once you’ve got the hop dialled in!

The reason this is not featured in the list is a) we really only have so much space, and b), I actually think that the ICS BLE PM-2 is actually the better “Makarov” when it comes to games. When it comes to handgun models for US and allied forces of course virtually every airsoft pistol manufacturer has a classic M1911 in their range, and the sheer variety of accessories, everything from real wood handgrips to leather holsters are easily accessed from numerous online retailers and at shows. Up until now though the choice for those who choose to play the part of VC, PAVN, Cold War Soviets, or indeed any generic modern OPFOR role has been a lot more limited… Okay, for NamSoft OPFOR you could go with just about any WW2-vintage revolver out there or a “salvaged” 1911, but when you can have an ICS PM-2, why would you? I know that there are already Makarovs out there, and I own a number of the existing models in my OPFOR collection; they are all lovely in their own way (even the humble springer version that I bought for a tenner!) but ICS, who seemingly out of the blue, released a production PM2, have indeed literally “changed the game” here.

Oh boy, did ICS really pull out a flanker with this model or what? Whilst said “other” replicas are very nice the choice of not one but TWO proper “PB” looking suppressors that are available as accessories really nails the deal for me, and the ICS take as a non-blowback CO2 model made almost entirely from high quality alloy features a full metal “frame and slide” with neat black “Soviet Star” polymer pistol grips, and the pistol is correctly sized to fit in almost any era model-specific holster. It features a base CO2 magazine release with a single stack “column” 13 BB magazine, and in its basic form the Makarov will chuck a BB downrange at a friendly 300-305fps using .20g BBs.

Whether you are interested in the historical side of things, want something for OPFOR “business” that’s going to do the job, or you just want a pistol model that is a little different than most you’ll find at your local skirmish site, then this super model from ICS is thoroughly worth a look. If like me you fancy owning something to turn the tide on those pesky GI’s then the PM-2 is essentially a “must-have”!

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our NamSoft “picks”, and once again this list of far from exhaustive being just the models that we have directly used, or had experience with in the workshop, or testing and evaluation. That said, all of them are fully field-able AEGs and GBBRs from the box, and the majority most definitely come under the heading of “tried, tested, and downright abused”!

If you’re thinking of heading “in country” to try a bit of NamSoft, then any of the models listed will serve you well, and the only thing I can add to conclude is…. GET SUM! AA