RED CELL BREACHING OUT!!

Things have indeed changed when it comes to airsoft shotguns, and as you’ll see from my look at the new G&G ESG earlier in this issue (I won’t go into it further here) this area continues to evolve and improve both in terms of electric and gas-driven models.

I am VERY pleased to be able to note that the choice of humble springers, electric and gas powered shotguns is now absolutely staggering (but not good for my wallet!), so you may well ask if the humble “springer” still has a place in our armoury other than as a bolt-action sniper platform, and in the case of the airsoft shotgun for me the answer would be an unequivocal “of course!”

SINCE WE TOOK OUR INITIAL LOOK AT AIRSOFT SHOTGUNS THREE YEARS AGO, THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN THIS CATEGORY… QUITE DRAMATICALLY IN FACT! SO WE NEED TO REFLECT THIS WITH NEW ADDITIONS WHILST AT THE SAME TIME UPDATING OLDER PLATFORMS. ONCE AGAIN AS A TRUE LOVER OF PUMPS, BREACHERS, AND SEMI-AUTOS BILL TAKES THIS TASK ON HIMSELF TO BRING THINGS FULLY UP TO SPEED!

In recent years there have been a whole host of releases when it comes to both gas and electricpowered shotgun models, in some cases like the TM AA-12, SAIGA, and the CYMA take on the SGR12 making use of higher capacity magazines, and even the sideways step in to improved-performance shell-ejectors like the latest family of the APS CAM; whilst these are most definitely airsoft works of art in their operation, as with all things electric they can suffer from “issues” as Tama pointed out last month in his look at the SAIGA SBS… and don’t even get me started on gas shotguns, especially the shellejecters! But the fact is that the choice is undoubtedly now a wide choice for all kinds of players, and both performance and durability continues to improve.

This is music to my ears (but again, not my wallet!) as I do love an airsoft shotgun, especially pumpaction spring versions, and my personal collection of “Model 870s” continues to grow when I see one at a reasonable price! I still have my original G&P “classics”, S&T have some cracking clones of the G&P and some unique models of their own, Secutor who produce both gas and spring VELITE shotties, NUPROL and CYMA provide an extensive range, and if you’re really pushed for cash there’s always good old Double Eagle which although cheap as chips actually perform astoundingly well.

And then you get to the “newer guys”, the AEG AA-12, SGR, The “Wick” Dracarys, and SAIGAs that take airsoft shotguns into a whole new paradigm! Gas is most certainly an option too these days as gasses themselves are further refined and optimised, so models like the TM 870, now joined by the ESG and some awesome models by continually-emergent brands like Double Bell and Golden Eagle mean that our choice here too is better and better! Although it is still a very “niche” model I have to say that the APS CAM MKIII is quickly reaching it’s pinnacle, and after many moons of faltering over dropping the hammer on one of these… well, you can see where I’m heading!

But with all this choice the not-now-so-humble “springers” to me, fixed or adjustable hop, single or tri-barrel and all, are the epitome of the airsoft shotgun world and are easy to live with and eminently upgradeable externally. They generally all shoot like lasers with excellent range, and with full metal construction now some are built like tanks, even though the “magazines” and shot-shells can still be somewhat fiddly at times (looking at you S&T!).

Most players I know love the idea of an airsoft shotgun, and many will own at least one, more often these days one of the “new breed” AEG or gas versions. However, I took some of my old spring models down to NAF so I could test continued performance and shoot them at the longer ranges available there, and the sheer number of players who cooed over those old wood and metal “870’s” shows there is very much still an interest in them; I could have sold all of them there and then, probably for good money… but they are, and always will be “my babies”…

As well as for “Three or Multi Gun Action Air Competition”, and for the sheer joy of owning one, an airsoft shotgun fits in almost every loadout genre! The humble civilian pump-action shotgun has found a home in not just the military, but also amongst police forces worldwide too. Form that WWI “Trench Broom”, the US Forces continued to use the shotgun through WWII, Korea, into Vietnam, and even right up to this day as it proved the perfect weapon first for jungle environments, and then of course as a breaching tool. The SAS used the shotgun in both the jungle and then as a “breacher”, and of course these days the sight of a Benelli M4 Super 90 in the hands of UK Forces has become a common one. From WWII US loadouts through the modern day and even extending to “Post-Apoc” loadouts the shotgun is a model that just “fits”!

Updating The Test Pool

So, now it’s on to individual models, and my initial notes of three years ago have been included and updated. What I can tell you is that ALL the original models are still kicking out BBs like new…. with the springers of course there’s almost nothing to go wrong with them, so as long as you keep the metal parts rust-free you’re always going to be in business with one of these bad bois!

Although it is truly knocking on a bit now, my first “serious” spring shotgun was from the “Wingmaster 870” series, by now-defunct G&P. The “Wingmaster” model was developed as a sporting gun so it’s quite unusual for the G&P series of replicas to bear this nomenclature; in fact if you search on the Remington website for “tactical” shotguns it’s actually the Model 870 “Express” which is used for the basis of them rather than the “Wingmaster” but this can honestly be forgiven as the quality of the replicas is simply stunning… If you can find one to buy, then buy it! These classics in my personal opinion really set the tone for what we see in the market today, and I’ve owned my long “Wingmaster 870” Overfolder for many years now, and it’s always been a bit of a favourite as it’s the model that you’ll see in numerous movies and TV shows; mine is the model with the extended tube and metal overfolding butt carried by Linda Hamilton playing “Sarah Connor” in “Terminator II: Judgement Day”, but you’ll also see it in old home grown TV shows like “Ultimate Force” as the Remington 870 was indeed used by the SAS as a breaching weapon and was known by the UK Forces as the L74A1. I particularly like models that give a nod to history, and there’s even an “SAS private purchase” model in the Imperial War Museum!

The basic G&P 870 looks identical to the “Express Tactical” model. It’s full metal throughout apart from the parts that in real life are polymer; these are smooth finished in a very good quality matt black plastic which show minimal moulding lines. The metal parts are all satin finished to a very dull black and the whole thing feels solid and dependable in your hands. There is a manual “push through” safety on the rear of the trigger guard, coloured red when the gun is in fire mode. The short model magazine holds 22 BBs (spare magazines are available at minimal cost), although longer, higher capacity magazines can be purchased as aftermarket parts; to me though this spoils the attractiveness of the 870 as when inserted the short magazine just looks like the plate of the loading port.

In action the G&P 870 is still an absolute beast sending .20g BBs downrange at an impressive 382 fps and you can send them just as fast as you can pump the silky smooth action. I did some unsupported accuracy testing at 15 meters, probably the MED given the power level encounters, and all 22 BBs ended up in tight circle no larger than a UK£2 coin! Taking the range out I was easily able to hit a sandbag at a good 50 meters; this thing is absolutely no slouch, and upping to a .30g BB gives a super-flat trajectory with minimal loss of range. Impressive, especially considering the G&P has a fixed hop!

The entire G&P “Wingmaster” range uses the same core “guts” but then takes things in numerous directions, both classic and thoroughly up to date. The “Original” model is just that, a basic Model 870 with no frills. This was originally available with a short, medium, or long length barrel, and either a fixed butt or simple pistol grip. A pistol grip medium barrel

APS CAM 870 MKIII-M (REAL WOOD)

Price: iro UK£400.00

Age: New!

Weight: 2700g

Length: 1000mm

Magazine Capacity: 7+1 Smart Shells

Cold Chrono: 1.15 Joule/353fps

Hot Chrono: 1.20 Joule/361fps

Taclite Compatibility: Dedicated Pump Handle

Supplied By: www.iwholesales.biz

TOKYO MARUI 870 (GAS)

Price: iro UK£300.00

Age: Eight Years

Weight: 2750g

Length: 960mm

Magazine Capacity: 30 BBs in 1 x TM Shot Shell

Cold Chrono: 0.81 Joule/296fps

Hot Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps

Taclite Compatibility: Dedicated Pump Handle

Supplied By: www.firesupport.uk

G&P M870 FULL LENGTH

Price: iro UK£225.00

Age: Many years!

Weight: 3500g

Length: 1040mm

Magazine Capacity: 22 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.31 Joule/377fps

Hot Chrono: 1.35 Joule/382fps

Taclite Compatibility: Dedicated Pump Handle

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

S&T 870 FULL LENGTH (WOOD)

Price: iro UK£150.00

Age: Five Years

Weight: 2630g

Length: 1040mm

Magazine Capacity: 22 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps

Hot Chrono: 1.05 Joule/337fps

Taclite Compatibility: Nope!

Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

Double Eagle M58a

Price: iro UK£30.00 (max!)

Age: Eight Years +

Weight: 1705 g

Length: 915mm

Magazine Capacity: 10 BBs!

Cold Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290fps

Hot Chrono: 0.77 Joule/288fps

Taclite Compatibility: Um… no  variant was also produced with an integrated tactical light. The long barrelled version with the overfolding butt and extended tube gave that real “movie look”, and for all the pistol grip models you could change that out for a full butt using a dedicated “butt-stock kit” if you so desired, and there is even a super-short “Mad Dog” version if you hunt hard enough!

Supplied By: Frenchie!

I’ve owned my full metal G&P models for a long time and they’ve always been, just like the real thing, extremely rugged, reliable, and accurate. Yes, they only fire a single BB with every pump, but the accuracy means that this BB usually hits the target it was intended for! Although the G&P 870 is a lovely replica the fact of the matter is that the “classic” models a) feed from a rather fiddly magazine insert that makes it difficult to “show clear” and b) now go for some serious money even if you can get your hands on them!

I’m going to be blunt and say that the S&T 870’s are almost direct copies of the G&Ps, but they are absolutely stunning replicas so I knew from first time I saw one that I needed to get my hands on one! I have now added the “Police” and “Extended” versions to my original “Breacher” and they’ve all turned out to be awesome fun! Basically though the S&T is undoubtedly a direct “clone” of the G&P, but S&T have taken that original design and improved on it! The shotgun is still single-barrel magazine-fed, and that mag looks almost identical to that of the G&P, although now due to a couple of subtle design changes you can actually remove it more easily, but it’s still a fiddle. Well-finished external metal parts are used throughout (the quality every bit as good as the G&P!) and extend to include the inner barrel, inner slide, shell ejection port, sling swivels, barrel clasp, and chamber cover. The cut-down stock of the “Breacher” (read pistol grip) and pump handle are real wood, and of decent quality to boot.

Overall the S&Ts ooze quality, and feel absolutely great! Controls are simple with a push through safety and magazine release button; these are located right next to the trigger, which makes their operation very simple and intuitive. What I really love though about the S&T is the price as the “Breacher” will only set you back around UK£130. Most retailers shipping costs are very reasonable these days so you could have your very own “870” delivered to your door for less than 140 quids! The “Breacher” looks almost identical to the shotgun used by Denzel Washington in “The Book of Eli”, but it would look equally as good in a Nam “point man” setting, or even as a modern day “breacher” attached to your Multicam pack!

For about UK£150 you can lay your hands on the longer “Police” and “Extended” S&T “870s”, and if you want one that’s really quite stunning the S&T LIMITED EDITION STAINLESS versions really ticks all the boxes, and they look awesome alongside the VORSK REQUIEM series pistols… just sayin’! Again, these models are made from high quality metal and wood parts. If you want to add a polymer butt or other furniture then the good news is that the S&Ts are completely compatible with old G&P parts; I tried a polymer slide and butt, a standalone pistol grip, on with the steel “overfolder” stock from G&P and they all mated up perfectly, meaning that you can still change “your 870” to suit your own individual style!

With the S&T models it’s never been easier to add a great quality shotgun to your armoury and believe me when I tell you that when you do you won’t be sorry as they’re great fun to own and skirmish with, and in my opinion you just can’t beat the S&T for the price. Popping BBs out accurately at 330fps on a .20g there’s no battery to contend with, no gas to vent on cold days, just a big old spring that’s cocked by the pump action.... quite literally “rack and run”!

For many though the “competition element” will never be a an area of interest, and those of you that fall into that category ultimately look at a shotgun more as a straightforward game day tool, and there’s nothing wrong with that! Even at the highest levels of MilSim where kit quite literally verges on the “living history” scale of accuracy in terms of loadouts, then the shotgun, especially the “breacher”, is a very necessary bit of kit to have in your armoury.

And this, my fellow airsofters, is where the guys at NUPROL have been very, very clever in their choice of shotgun as to front up their SIERRA STORM line of RIFs, the model they have chosen to replicate is none other than the Benelli M4, or to us Brits the L128A1! Okay, the airsoft version of this shotgun is pump-action rather than semi-auto like the real deal, but here we have a proper, full-on, “military style”

CYMA CM363LM (“BENELLI”, METAL)

Price: iro UK£75.00

Age: Three years

Weight: 2700g

Length: 925-1040mm

Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.58 Joule/250fps

Hot Chrono: 0.64 Joule/264fps

Taclite Compatibility: Hmmmm, possibly…

Supplied By: www.gunfire.com

NUPROL SIERRA STORM BRAVO (“BENELLI”, POLYMER)

Price: iro UK£55.00

Age: Six Years

Weight: 2000g

Length: 970-1090mm

Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.85 Joule/303fps

Hot Chrono: 0.85 Joule/303fps

Taclite Compatibility: Possibly, railed available!

Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

A&K SXR 002 TACTICAL

Price: iro UK£125.00

Age: Seven Years

Weight: 3055g

Length: 840-910 mm

Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.77 Joule/288fps

Hot Chrono: 0.84 Joule/301fps

Taclite Compatibility: Yes, railed pump handle

Supplied By: www.nuprol.com

Secutor Velites Sv

Price: iro UK120.00

Age: Three Years

Weight: 1670 g

Length: 820-900mm

Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.67 Joule/270fps

Hot Chrono: 0.68 Joule/272fps

Taclite Compatibility: Oh YES! Supplied By: www.iwholes.biz

CM355LM (“MAGPUL”) FULL LENGTH

Price: iro UK£100.00

Age: New

Weight: 2400g

Length: 1040 mm

Magazine Capacity: 30 (10 x 3) BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.88 Joule/309fps

Hot Chrono: 0.90 Joule/312fps

Taclite Compatibility: Nada! Supplied By: www.iwholesales.biz shotgun model that will fit perfectly as part of any modern loadout, whether that be British, American, Australian, and many, many more! NUPROL really have pulled a blinder here as the SIERRA STORM series comprises of twelve models; in reality it’s six models to be fair as you have the choice, dependant on your budget, of either full metal-bodied or polymer-bodied, railed or non-railed versions, but that’s just

I’ve now tried all the metal and polymer versions and own a metal one, and I have to say I’m impressed by them all; performance-wise the NUPROL versions are as good as any out there, and I will go as far as saying that the finish of the metal SIERRA is very nearly as good as that of my rather more expensive 870s! Although I tested different variants I have to say that my personal favourite is the fully-railed, sliding stock metal version (yup, the “issue” one), but for competitive shooting I’d probably plump for the full stock, plain-pump version. All models are Tri-Shot and use standard 30BB shells (NUPROL produce their very own of course!) and are loaded via the trap underneath the main body which is opened using a latch next to the trigger guard; the push-through safety is also located to the upper rear of the trigger guard. Loading up a shot-shell is of course simplicity itself, and at the chrono using .20g you get a mean reading of 296fps which is spot-on for the intended

Now I will come right out and say this, Chineseairsoft shotguns are CHEAP, and the cheapest version from the manufacturer that’s out there means you can have yourself a Double Eagle M309 single shot pump action from around UK£20! Yes, that’s right you can have an airsoft shotgun of your very own for about the same price as a bag of BBs and a can of gas!

I will say that, personally, once upon a time (and not so long ago) I wouldn’t touch anything with an electric motor from the brand if you actually paid me, but how things move on and change, as I now have a couple in the armoury!

I’ve had an original Double Eagle single-shot M58 (which neatly resembles the “1897 Trench Gun”) for some considerable time and it’s proved to be a thoroughly sound little gun in every way. I bought it on a whim as it only set me back about US$25, but boy, for that money did it perform! Putting out somewhere in the region of 330fps when new, the rudimentary sliding hop-up meant that is was actually deadly accurate, and it impressed friends from the word go. I’ve now had several of this model and they’ve been chopped, cut down, sawn-off, and painted as “faux-wood” to suit a number of loadouts.

Looking at the number of Double Eagle shotgun models that are available today I have to say that there genuinely is something for everyone in the line. The build quality has improved since I bought my original, and although they are in majority of the “cheap-end” models are still made of plastic I would once again direct your memory to the fact that once upon a time all RIFs were made of plastic! The feel of the up-todate versions though is very solid indeed, especially the models with fixed stock and butts, and the Double Eagle “metals” for the money are as good as anything out there stock.

If you’re in the market for your very first airsoft shotgun, or, like me you want yet another variant for the collection, then the Double Eagles are most certainly worth a look and are superb value for money! Don’t expect a “full metal, weigh-yourloadout-down, might-use it occasionally” wall-hanger for the money, but do expect an airsoft shotgun that you will come to love and use on a regular basis as that “clack-clack” rack becomes absolutely addictive once you have one!

Which of course leads me nicely onto the newer kids on the block; the electric and gas models! We’ve covered off the G&G ESG this issue, the TM SAIGA SBS last issue, and the TM 870, CYMA SGR and

TOKYO MARUI AA-12 AES (ELECTRIC)

Price: iro UK£485.00

Age: Eight Years

Weight: 4200g

Length: 839mm

Magazine Capacity: 93 BBs (Drum available!!!)

Cold Chrono: 0.62Joule/258fps

Hot Chrono: 0.64 Joule/263fps

Taclite Compatibility: No as standard

Supplied By: www.firesupport.uk

TOKYO MARUI SAIGA-12 SBS (GAS)

Price: iro UK£460.00

Age: New (Tama)

Weight: 3480g

Length: 755mm

Magazine Capacity: 90 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.63 Joule/262 fps

Hot Chrono: 0.95 Joule/320fps

Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK

Available From: www.firesupport.uk

CYMA CM.102 SGR-12 (ELECTRIC)

Price: iro UK£380.00

Age: Six Months

Weight: 4400 g

Length: 730mm

Magazine Capacity: 100 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.94 Joule/319fps

Hot Chrono: 0.99 Joule/327fps

Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK/Picatinny

Available From: www.taiwangun.com

DOUBLE BELL/EMG DRACARYS (ELECTRIC)

Price: iro UK£300.00

Age: New!

Weight: 2616g

Length: 745mm/825mm

Magazine Capacity: 900 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.06 Joule/339fps

Hot Chrono: 1.09 Joule/343fps

Taclite Compatibility: KeyMod

Supplied By: www.iwholesales.biz

G&G ARMAMENT ESG B-10

Price: iro UK£360.00

Age: New!

Weight: 3140g

Length: 561mm

Magazine Capacity: 105 BBs

Cold Chrono: 0.89 Joule/310fps

Hot Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps

Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK/Picatinny

Supplied By: www.guay2.com worldwide.

Whilst the USA expect things to be launched at SHOT, and we in Europe look forward to seeing new products at IWA, Tokyo Marui stunned the community by launching their AA-12 at the 54th Shizuoka Hobby Show in May 2015, in Japan!

Now I’ve not had my AA-12 THAT long, but it’s been with me for two years now, and this was the first Airsoft Automatic Electric Shotgun (AES) in the world; it comes with 3 inner barrels, and each inner barrel can be individually adjusted by sliding open the ejection port cover. Three hop-up wheels control the spread of how the BBs come out, and inside the replica a three cylinder mechbox drives 30 BBs out a second in full-auto mode!

This replica, although it looks quite “plastic” is, in truth, no lightweight as it weighs in at nearly 4kg. Up close though the polymer finish on it is beautiful, with some super chequering around the pistol grip and forestock. The shiny metal parts also look great and make it feel authentic to the real thing. Everything inside was newly designed, including the motor.

Tokyo Marui recommend using an 8.4V battery as anything lower than 8.4V will not drive the gun, and with an 11.1V the gun will automatically stop before any damage occurs thanks to a built in FET system (an electronic switch system with three cylinder adoption).

The AA-12 replica comes as standard with a 93 BB box magazine with the title “SLEDGEHAMMER” on it, but you need to be careful with this in use as spitting three BBs at a time will empty it in three seconds flat; the magazine will feed each and every BB though as it comes with a follower to drive them up into the gun.

Thankfully, since the initial release of the shotgun Marui also created a 3000 BB Electric Drum Magazine, which using 4 AAA batteries allows simple pushbutton electric winding.

This isn’t cheap but oh my, this is definitely what all AA-12 need; this, when filled with BBs and with batteries installed will add over a kilo to the weight of what is already a pretty heavy replica, but what a difference it makes!

I am not normally known for my love of drummags, but on the AA-12 it simply makes sense Rodney!

Spreading The Love

Airsoft shotguns are not for everyone, I get that, but I’d still suggest to anyone that they can be a reasonably-priced purchase that will serve you just as well on a skirmish day as in a Milsim, and the move towards more “user-friendly” competitive airsoft shooting gives just another reason to

An increasing number of truly good sites have always run “spring and gas only” days which are tremendous fun, and normally that means you’re going to run with a gas pistol and a spring shotgun. A good “springer” (and bear in mind again that a lot of airsoft sniper rifles are spring powered) can be superbly accurate, especially with a longer barrel…. and that’s all before you get to the joys of AEG and GBB shotgun variants which simply amp up the instalment of “Red Cell” article is once again a personal one, and that’s because all of the models featured have come from my personal collection that has been built up over many years, and it’s a joy to share them with you. All of my shotguns have been constantly available for “The Cell” to try though, but I’ll wrap things up this time by including some comments from Iggy about “airsoft shotguns in

: “Shotguns ...as in guns that fire shot!”, to quote an old film (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels)! I first experienced them in the early days of AEGs; my friend bought one and put it up against us all running around with AEG’s. It was a TM SPAS 12 with the fold-over stock (like the one in Jurassic park). It had the 3 barrels and uses the shell that held 30 bbs (10 shots). He had learnt to reload extremely quickly, to my surprise….. I had been shooting it out against him and heard the change in sound of a shot when he was empty. I broke cover with my MP5 took aim only to realise that in the short time I took to do that he had me dead in his sights with a fresh shell in the chamber……. HIT!!! I was out!

Since then I bought a TM Benelli M3 Super 90; I used it as CQB but also anti sniper due to its incredible range. I have also owned a TM SPAS 12 that I replaced with a cheaper Remington that looks similar with the fold over stock. I always take a springer “shotty” to game-days as a back-up that is old reliable spring! I also often use them as a primary in a CQB field such as the old prison in Portsmouth; but beware, as even the most simple springer can have teeth!

In that setting I was engaging an enemy player in a prison cell further down one of the wings from the corner I was at, but another sneaky enemy popped out right in front of my shotgun barrel and under my sights as I aimed. Unbeknown to me he was then greeted with three BB’s to the face as I fired at my intended target much further away… all I saw was claret as he swore in shock and pain being hit point blank… suffice to say profuse apologies were made and hands shaken! I’ve also been on the sharp-end, being shot in the temple with a green gas underlever (8mm) shotgun; I was fighting my friend in a trench environment and I tried to go OTT to get the drop on him but he got me first… it felt like a punch to the head as I fell back into the trench I came from!

I have used a few IPS CO2 V2 Remington pump action shotguns; they look and sound great and are effective in CQB, even the sawn-off double-barrel as an emergency bunker protective last stand option, but for me, you can’t beat the old springer tri-shot ones. Their simplicity, reliability, effective range is great and their basic fun–factor is high, even good for those lazy can’t be bothered to charge batteries or do regular fills on gas days! AA

“FOR ME, YOU CAN’T BEAT THE OLD SPRINGER TRI SHOT ONES. THEIR SIMPLICITY, RELIABILITY, AND EFFECTIVE RANGE IS GREAT AND THEIR BASIC FUN–FACTOR IS HIGH, EVEN GOOD FOR THOSE LAZY CAN’T BE BOTHERED TO CHARGE BATTERIES OR DO REGULAR FILLS ON GAS DAYS!”