CONTENTS
Editorial Director: Bill Thomas
Deputy Editor (Asia): Stu Mortimer
Deputy Editor (USA): Dan Whedon
Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing
Ad Design: Deadshot Design
Publisher: Calibre Publishing
Web: www.airsoftaction.net
©Calibre Publishing Limited 2024
All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the publisher in writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to publication.
8 ARMOURY: LAMBDA DEFENSE GHM-9 GBB (B&T LICENSED)
Some GBB platforms that haven’t appeared in the mainstream before, take a little longer to take root and grow on you! When the B&T-licenced Lambda Defence GEN I GHM-9 landed with us some time ago we had our doubts, but with the constant development progress of this initial model and the release of the GEN II it appears we’ve found another “classic” in the making!
18 ARMOURY: SPECNA ARMS SA-A33 ONE
Specna Arms seem to be on an absolute roll again at the moment, and it seems that each month they are releasing more new models of AEG and tech, and heading in new directions at the same time! Bill has spent some time with many of their models, and once again he’s joined by Miguel to talk about the very latest SA-A33 ONE!
26 ARMOURY: ARCTURUS K9 CUSTOM
Not so very long ago if you wanted a “tacticool” AK for OPFOR use then you’d have to create it yourself, but these days the humble airsoft Kalashnikov is no longer a basic thing of wood and steel, but in many updated forms a platform that’s just as “operator ready” as any AR! Bill gets hands on one of the latest modern AK variants from ARCTURUS and likes what he sees!
34 ARMOURY: DOUBLE BELL SAIGA-12K
Over the past couple of issues we’ve not only dedicated a RED CELL slot to our own, but also had a good close look at the latest offerings from a couple of the main manufacturers… but once again DOUBLE BELL have thrown their hat into the ring with their take on the venerable SAIGA-12K Semi-Auto shotgun… but does it deliver? Bill gets stuck in to find out…
42
TECH: GATE TACTICKER
AEGs continue to move forward, and as much as some might say that more electronics just gives more room for failure, it is beyond doubt that many manufacturers are striving to give us even more “real feel” in our batterydriven rifles, carbines, and SMGs! Dan takes a look at the TACTICKER realistic trigger system for airsoft replicas and finds it very much to his liking!
66
AA LEGION TAIWAN: SURVIVAL STREET EVENT
It’s always nice to take some time out from the rough and tumble (and colourful language!) of the skirmish field to do a little public relations and try and shine a positive light on airsoft. So at the invitation of everyone’s favourite Taiwanese lady airsofter (our own ‘Military’ Anny Wu) Stewbacca decided to go and press the flesh, instead of triggers, for a weekend of outreach to the Taiwanese public
48 RED CELL: GAS AR UPDATE
It’s absolutely true that airsoft is still dominated by the AEG, and it’s commonly known that gas rifles and carbines are expensive, tricky to maintain and coax the best performance from, and offer limited ammo capacity, so why on earth would you want to run one as your primary? The RED CELL crew have TWENTY good reasons, GBBRs that have been tried, tested, and found worthy, and this month they share their thoughts on them!
62
INSIDE AIRSOFT: HIG OPERATOR
Looking for new gear? Searching for the cool “Gucci Gear”? Then you are going to want to find your way to a reputable store that has a superb range of products and services; this month Bill speaks to a new “airsoft mate” who offers all this and more!
74 AA LEGION USA: OP PEGASUS XV
It’s been a busy old summer for the AA Crew, but a fine one, with virtually every member attending at least one big game or event! This month Dan, our US Deputy Ed and one of our resident tech-gurus, brings home the story of a special annual game local to him, as he shares his experience of the annual OP PEGASUS, a memorable game for many reasons!
84
AA LEGION PORTUGAL: NITE OPS V
Just like last year, the Night Ops event in Portugal was already on Miguel’s calendar, and, like the name giveaway, it’s a game focused on night gameplay, with some components designed for those who have some expensive toys! But, don’t be fooled, even if you have just a flashlight you can have a blast, since the game is meant for all kind of players. Miguel tells more…
92 AA LEGION TAIWAN: POLK IV
It’s been a good while since Stewbacca found his way to the outlying PengHu island archipelago in the Taiwan Strait, one that sits about a third of the way off the main island he resides on, and represents one of the many frontline islands facing off against “them’ns” on the other side, steeped in military history and personnel to this day. The perfect setting then for a “strait up” airsoft fight as he know reports on his return to THE ISLAND!
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)
PLAYING THE LONG GAME
SOME GBB PLATFORMS ARE DESTINED FOR ICONIC STATUS AS SOON AS THEY APPEAR ON THE MARKET, WHILE OTHERS, ESPECIALLY NEW DESIGNS THAT HAVEN’T APPEARED IN THE MAINSTREAM BEFORE, TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO TAKE ROOT AND GROW ON YOU! WHEN THE B&T-LICENCED LAMBDA DEFENCE GEN I GHM-9 LANDED WITH US SOME TIME AGO, AND WE HAD OUR DOUBTS, BUT WITH THE CONSTANT DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS OF THIS INITIAL MODEL AND THE RELEASE OF THE GEN II IT APPEARS WE’VE FOUND ANOTHER “CLASSIC” IN THE MAKING! BILL AND DAN DELVE DEEPER…
Every so often we see a platform that just doesn’t cut it, and our approach to this is to speak with the manufacturer or distributor that provided it for test and evaluation with our comments as to why we believe it is not “fit for purpose”; it’s then down to them to rectify these issues and come up with functional solutions that make the platform work as it should before we revisit it in order to create a review.
It’s not the “AIRSOFT ACTION WAY” to simply slag something off before it even has a chance to shine, as over the years we’ve seen too many “first runs” that were lacking, but that with a little finessing have gone on to become true airsoft classics. If there is a failing in the design and the manufacturer is unwilling to admit this and make a fix then we’ll tell you, but everyone should have the benefit of the doubt, and the focus shouldn’t be on the player/buyer to fix what the manufacturer should have done in the first place!
Over a year ago we were kindly “gifted” a Lambda Defence GEN I GHM-9 GBB and it quickly became apparent that there were “issues”; Dan in the USA also received one to work on that suffered the very same issues…
However, as always, we delved deeper and we discovered that a number of the first batch, including
the one we had, had been “greyed-in”, that is they were pulled into stock early and from outside the approved distribution channel from who knows where without any of the quality-control checks that should have taken place.
These “grey” GEN I models were deficient, and I can be no plainer than that, but then without going through the correct procedures the retailers that ended up with them for sale really had no idea what they were getting, and indeed speaking to one particular retailer he told me that he would be withdrawing the models he had for sale, and taking the loss on the chin rather than disappoint players… and trust me, they WOULD have been disappointed.
This just goes to show how, as Stewbacca would say “the East is the new Wild West”, and apparently some folk are okay with a bit of “grey dealership”; but stock arriving outside the usual distribution chain can come from anywhere, and end up being junk. This is why I, and we, work directly with manufacturers and reputable, professional distributors as that way we can be certain that all the correct “checks and balances” are in place.
When we recommend something to you it’s because we, and they, have done “due diligence” to
“IT’S NOT THE “AIRSOFT ACTION WAY” TO SIMPLY SLAG SOMETHING OFF BEFORE IT EVEN HAS A CHANCE TO SHINE, AS OVER THE YEARS WE’VE SEEN TOO MANY “FIRST RUNS” THAT WERE LACKING, BUT THAT WITH A LITTLE FINESSING HAVE GONE ON TO BECOME TRUE AIRSOFT CLASSICS”
to the smaller G-Series magazines of the GEN I, benefitting from a new lower receiver and gas chamber. They also told us (as we reported in the daily web news) that;
“The GEN II will be hitting the AIRSOFT WORLD store later this month! Improvements from the GEN I include the angle of the magazine (MP9 or Glk), with improved performance and gas efficiency in the GEN II due to the new nozzle and improved MP9 mag, which also has yet to freeze up in use, even down to 5C ambient temp!”
Thankfully we’ve had chance to spend some quality time with the GEN II now, and it already has fans among the AA Crew other than me! Ben said after our photoshoot “I want one… with all the accessories… just let me know how much!”… and that’s quite an endorsement right there!
Parris Island; suffice it to say, he wouldn’t exactly be in a hurry to receive it back! Nevertheless, I took advantage of the window of time that was afforded to get an early start on the work so it would be ready well before his return. As it happens, however, the “grasshopper mouse” proved to have more than a few curveballs ready to throw my way.
Upon receiving the unremarkable brown box that housed the GHM-G 9, I set about immediately gassing up the factory magazine and loading it with 35 .30g BB’s. The tech in me was curious about the stock performance; both from being able to gauge what could potentially be improved upon, and also so I had a benchmark to measure against.
It was a pretty warm day out, with the high sitting in the upper 80’s. After racking the charging handle and letting it fly home (well almost… it actually
“AS STEWBACCA WOULD SAY “THE EAST IS THE NEW WILD WEST”, AND APPARENTLY SOME FOLK ARE OKAY
WITH
A
BIT OF
“GREY
DEALERSHIP”; STOCK ARRIVING OUTSIDE THE USUAL DISTRIBUTION CHAIN CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE, AND END UP BEING JUNK. THIS IS WHY I, AND WE, WORK DIRECTLY WITH MANUFACTURERS AND REPUTABLE, PROFESSIONAL DISTRIBUTORS”
guns, which are sporting lightweight tuned triggers that flutter their wings if you breathe on them. This felt like a heavy milspec trigger with an indefinable break. My .30g sailed about 20’ before taking a nosedive. At maximum adjustment of the hop up wheel, I was able to get it to lift the .30g’s relatively well, but they petered out after about 50’ and the groups were frankly terrible. Full auto was all but useless, turning in even worse range and groupings. Rather frequently, the bolt carrier was getting stuck about ¾ of the way back and would require assistance to close.
Initially I blamed the accuracy on the heavy trigger causing me to pull my shots, and I also suspected (like many GBBs), it was probably heavily overlubricated. I took it into my shop and disassembled it for inspection. As it turns out, the gun was bone
stacked up against even a bone stock AEG. No matter.
the joke, this is a tongue-in-cheek jab at CZ’s marketdominating Scorpion SMG.
The Lambda receiver comes effectively bare, but includes new Torx screws for affixing the innards from the old receiver. In this case, the only thing you’re really transferring over aside from the bolt carrier group is the barrel mount.
One of the things I quickly discovered is the threads on the barrel mount were not cut cleanly and I had to chase them out with a metric tap to clean them up. This also included the threads for the two grub screws that hold the outer barrel in place. Both of those were actually bodged and the topmost screw required an extractor to remove it. Fortunately I keep a stock of metric hardware on hand, including grub screws, so it wasn’t a loss. After the barrel block was fixed, I installed the outer barrel for the SD kit into it.
“AMONG THE UPGRADES WAS A 229MM MAPLE LEAF CRAZY JET BARREL, WHICH WAS INTENDED TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SD KIT. I ELECTED THEN TO ASSEMBLE THE SD KIT INTO THE NEW METAL UPPER RECEIVER TO START WITH”
This is kind of a cool looking assembly, albeit pretty short, which has some neat porting replicating the real steel version. That the outer barrel is just held in place with grub screws is a little odd to me though. It would later turn out that these became a problem as the recoil vibrated them loose and the outer barrel began to wobble around. Adding some thread locker to the grub screws and ensuring they were sufficiently tight solved this issue.
There is no indication of which end is “up” for the outer barrel, so I simply arranged it in the manner which best allowed me to time the mock suppressor so the trades were displayed nice and level. The mock suppressor itself is hollow and benefits from having a thin O-ring added to the cap to prevent that from vibrating loose. From here, you can actually attach the SD rail to the receiver. This is large enough to slide over the mock suppressor and conceals the base of it for a little bit of a recessed appearance. Aesthetically speaking, this rail setup also looks the most attractive to my eye.
Next, I turned my attention to the hop up assembly. The GHM-G uses a fairly basic chamber design, which consists of two clamshells that clamp around the inner barrel and a rotary wheel on top for the adjustment. The hop up arm itself is very much reminiscent of an AEG design, and it even uses cylindrical nubs like an AEG. After assembling the Crazy Jet and a Maple Leaf bucking, I noticed that the entire assembly was able to shift around inside the hop up chamber. As it would turn out, the chamber itself sits on the loose side, and no combination of bucking or barrel actually sat tightly within it. I ended up sanding the right half of the chamber down so I could get it to sandwich tighter around the bucking and barrel and prevent these from shifting back and forth. This at least did the trick, but as I was to discover, my accuracy woes were far from over.
With the newly assembled and upgraded SD assembly completed, I loaded up a fresh magazine and set about for some test fire. The action was admittedly the definition of what one would find in Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language under “gritty”, and I dare say that was putting it lightly!
I ran about a dozen BBs through it before I realized
I was wasting my time and had to remedy the roughness of the componentry before I could proceed further. At this point, the gun was a borderline boltaction by way of operation.
A friend across the pond and GHM-9 owner himself, Keith Fox, pointed out that these are plagued with “sticky bolts” and the culprit is the bolt release catch tends to stick up a little high and drag on the bolt. This was definitely the case with my example. After giving it a little trim with a file and a polish to smooth it all up, this did help improve the action. Still, it was rough. After more investigation, I would subsequently find that the post at the end of the charging handle was digging into the top of the receiver. That was solved by turning down the outer diameter until it adequately cleared. Then, the underside of the bolt carrier was rough as sandpaper as it rode over the top of the hammer. A nice polish smoothed that up. Further gains could likely be had by polishing the guide rails for the bolt carrier and the grooves in the bolt carrier itself. But I was at a stage now where the physical operation of the bolt was dramatically smoother than it was in pure stock form.
Keith had also recommended some 3D printed “pre-load spacers” for the guide rods. These basically slide over the guide rods and create more spring tension so the bolt operates less sluggishly. True enough, the stock springs are rather weak. In fact, I was observing a disconcerting amount of bolt bounce because of the weak springs. I suspect this would also be part of the reason why the velocity was so erratic.
I sent the Cults 3D STL link to my buddy Bob Kay who printed me off a small pile of spacers to play with. The spacers did help with the return stroke of the bolt, and the bouncing issue itself was fully rectified by their use. This proved a double-edged sword, however, as now I was suffering other issues arising from their use.
The Crazy Jet and (now current intern) Maple Leaf MR Hop bucking proved to be a pretty decent combination in semi-auto. The range was extended greatly and the accuracy much improved. The real issues started when you flip the gun to “fun mode” and try to run it in full auto. Here, you’d have better results just throwing the BBs as they simply roll out
“THE MOCK SUPPRESSOR ITSELF IS HOLLOW AND BENEFITS
FROM
HAVING
A THIN O-RING ADDED TO THE CAP TO PREVENT THAT FROM VIBRATING LOOSE. FROM HERE, YOU CAN ACTUALLY ATTACH THE SD RAIL TO THE RECEIVER. THIS IS LARGE ENOUGH TO SLIDE OVER THE MOCK SUPPRESSOR AND CONCEALS THE BASE OF IT FOR A LITTLE BIT OF A RECESSED APPEARANCE”
the end, nosedive 10’ from the bore, or just shoot for the moon. Regardless of any myriad of barrel and bucking combinations I tried, I was unable to fix this issue. Suspecting the preload spacers might be affecting full auto mode, I removed those and checked the results. Interestingly enough, a lot of the issues I was experiencing in full auto went away. The groups were still terrible, of course, but at least now I was hopping BBs out there. But the bolt bounce had returned, and with the return of the bolt bounce so too did the wildly erratic velocity. Since I had a bunch of the spacers available to me, I experimented around with cutting them to differing lengths, trying to find the right combination to combat both the bolt bounce issue, velocity and accuracy issues plaguing it. Alas, No dice…
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” ...a quote popularly misattributed to Albert Einstein, but still very apropos here. I would not let this become my new white whale, though. I just needed distance. And with distance comes fresh perspective and new ways to solve old problems. In the meanwhile, purgatory awaited my recalcitrant Swiss friend; I set down the Lambda, picked up all the parts and pieces and put them into a plastic bin. Setting a lid atop the morass of parts and the detritus of failure, I mused to myself that this story wasn’t quite over yet… “Until we meet again.”
THE GOOD
Bill: Thankfully “my grey” wasn’t as bad as the one that Dan had, and after speaking to AIRSOFT WORLD I simply had all the original O-rings swapped out, the bolt release filed down, and some jiggery done on the nozzle.
Whilst, as Dan said, the velocity is still somewhat erratic the GHM-9 GEN I is now perfectly usable, and I’m getting a mean of 0.75 Joule/285fps on .20g using VORSK V6 Fuel with it. Semi and full both work just fine now, although not all G-series mags appear compatible, so you’ll need to check with what you already own.
Accuracy for such a short barrel is as expected, that is solid to 10m then dropping off over distance. The
“A FRIEND ACROSS THE POND AND GHM-9 OWNER HIMSELF, KEITH FOX, POINTED OUT THAT THESE ARE PLAGUED WITH “STICKY BOLTS” AND THE CULPRIT IS THE BOLT
RELEASE
CATCH TENDS TO STICK UP A LITTLE HIGH AND DRAG ON THE BOLT”
adaptability of this licensed replica is great though, exactly the same as the real deal too, so you can interchange pistol grips, hand-guards, outer barrels, flash-hiders, suppressors, stocks and a myriad of gucci, so basically it’s as versatile as an AR/M4 style platform in the way of accessories!
Dan did mention that on his GEN I he had some issues with the picatinny rail; again my own didn’t appear to have that problem and a LayLax/First factory folding stock works perfectly. I also fitted a muzzle device from a LEVAR to the stock short polymer outer barrel… wrong I know, but it looks cool and “suppressor ready” to me!
Of course both Dan and I are working with “flawed grey goods”, and now that the two variants have arrived in their properly finished form from the actual manufacturer and NOT a dubious intermediary, if the GEN II is anything to go by the GEN I is also undoubtedly rockin’ n rollin’ from the box too!
And the GEN II is a peach as far as I can see; AIRSOFT WORLD kindly sent me down the GBB itself along with a big old box of parts, and again I have to say that Lambda Defence have made everything up to the standard that B&T as the licencee would expect of a replica with their name on it.
Everything is made out of premium-grade aluminium, steel and nylon to make it absolutely bomber-tough, and the woes that Dan experienced with bad tapping and the like are nowhere in evidence as all the accessory parts fit together brilliantly, and if anything add further strength and rigidity to an already stable little platform. And I love the fact that is truly is a “mix and match as YOU like” setup; when the GHM-9 arrives it is absolutely just a bare-bones solid, base platform on which to build!
For our test model I installed a new metal outer barrel which is swiftly and simply installed by just removing the rail system to access two further hex screws deeper in the body; it’s then a simple matter of unscrew, release the original polymer outer barrel, replace with the new metal one that carries threading for the suppressor (the new chunky fellow, not the skinny-ass one that Dan had! Please note that the grey-railed version shown in our main images is a
“AIRSOFT
prototype, and that the finished production version will be black), replace the old rail with a much longer one, and then attach the suppressor “barrel”.
Same deal with the excellent sliding stock; simply remove the back of the receiver which incorporates the form-the-box picatinny rail by punching through two push-pins (G3/MP5 style), replace with the part for the stock, and slide that on… done… and once together it all feels solid as a rock and looks superb!
B&T are rightly protective of their reputation, and therefore it comes as a bit of a surprise to
WORLD KINDLY SENT ME DOWN THE GBB ITSELF ALONG WITH A BIG OLD BOX OF PARTS, AND AGAIN I HAVE TO SAY THAT LAMBDA DEFENCE HAVE MADE EVERYTHING UP TO THE STANDARD THAT B&T AS THE LICENCEE WOULD EXPECT OF A REPLICA WITH THEIR NAME ON IT”
handful, and beautifully balanced; the alloy/steel parts and the 48 BB metal magazine account for most of this weight as the body, just like the real thing, is of a reinforced, lightweight polymer, although you can also now add a metal upper as an accessory if you so desire.
The whole construction of the GHM-9 is very realistic and it feels extremely durable; it can indeed be field stripped just like the real thing. The cocking handle is functional with a realistic metal bolt, and even the stock cocking handle can be replaced with
ultimately it’s shorter engagement distances that the “real deal” was created for. Cranking up to full-auto sends BBs downrange with some gusto and a nice recoil impulse, and it was easy to achieve short bursts thanks to a balanced trigger, albeit one that is a little heavy, but no heavier than some other GBBRs in my gas armoury… the GEN II is actually a delight, and a whole heap of fun, to shoot.
Overall I have to say that both variants of the Lambda Defence GHM-9 have certainly found a place in my heart, and I really will be disappointed to hand the GEN II sample back. Although Dan obviously will return to “his grey GHM-9” in due course to complete the project (and we’ll detail that when it happens), the performance of even “my grey GEN I” is now up to scratch for CQB encounters at least, although I will definitely be adding the new “chunky boi” suppressed front end to mine… I may even have to buy a new GEN II lower as well, as in addition to the 48 BB MP9style mags I found in testing that my VMP-1 mags fit and function too, although they are a little tight! That’s the joy of the GHM-9 as a GBB platform in my mind, it is VERY modular, and VERY versatile, and therefore can be thoroughly individual too!
If you’re looking for a cracking, compact CQB tool, or an absolutely excellent back-up for a sniper rifle then I have to recommend the GHM-9 to you now. With both variants currently under UK£200 it’s a solid price for a gas machine-pistol, although as with all GBBs buying extra magazines will send this price up ...unless you already own G-series or MP9-compatible mags, then you’re quids in! It’s a really solid performer and it appears that Lambda Defence have now made the absolute most of their licence, and apparently with them set in for the long game it seems that good things really do come to
My sincere thanks go to AIRSOFT WORLD for the loan of the GEN II review sample, along with all their patient help and advice to get my own GEN I up and running. Head over to www.airsoftworld.net to check out both models, along with a whole raft of cool
“I WILL DEFINITELY BE ADDING THE NEW “CHUNKY BOI” SUPPRESSED FRONT END TO MINE… I MAY EVEN HAVE TO BUY A NEW GEN II LOWER AS WELL, AS IN ADDITION TO THE 48 BB MP9-STYLE MAGS I FOUND IN TESTING THAT MY VMP-1 MAGS FIT AND FUNCTION TOO, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE A LITTLE TIGHT!”
ONE AND ONLY
SPECNA ARMS ARE ON AN ABSOLUTE ROLL AT THE MOMENT! IT SEEMS THAT EACH MONTH THEY ARE RELEASING MORE NEW MODELS OF AEG AND TECH - AND HEADING IN NEW DIRECTIONS AT THE SAME TIME! BILL HAS SPENT SOME TIME WITH MANY OF THEIR MODELS AND ONCE AGAIN HE’S JOINED BY MIGUEL TO TALK ABOUT THE VERY LATEST SA-A33 ONE!
looking quite hard at what the airsoft world is creating
JUST HAVE GOT YOU STARTED IN THE GAME!”
well ask how all of that relates to the SA-A33 ONE model that we’re talking about here, and for this I’ll hand things on over to Miguel.
THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE
Specna Arms has been releasing some novel items for airsofters left and right this year, from new lines, new models, updates to older lines, BBs, partnerships, an arena, and their biggest release dropped just a couple of weeks ago. Of course, I’m talking about the PRIME series, the brand’s new top of the line. But, at the time of writing this article, I’m still waiting on my replica to use, test and then, only then, write an article. So look forward to it!
So, this article will focus on one of the most recent AEGs that Specna Arms launched, an update to their ONE series, which is probably their oldest series, but most in particular, the A33.
Now, the ONE replicas were, and are, your standard full metal replica, no fancy electronics, with the old Enter & Convert spring change system, where you had to remove the gearbox to access the spring. But they were also reliable workhorses, able to take a push and available in several models.
The Specna Arms ONE series was, and is, also competitively priced, often positioning itself as a great option for players who want a solid AEG without emptying their wallet. They’re slightly cheaper than higher-end airsoft replicas, but they still provide reliable performance for both casual and more regular players both.
So what did the brand add to some models of the ONE series?
First you have the Kestrel™ Basic V2 ETU, which, as the name gives away, is an electronic trigger that offers the players some configuration/protection options Gunfire say on their website that this will give you:
• Pre-cocking programmable in 5 stages with piston position learning function (requires several single shots after battery connection for calibration).
• Active Break. The replica performs a full cycle with each shot, so that no unnecessary overload is created in the GB due to performing part of
the cycle.
• Locked Rotor Protection, The feature protects the inside of the replica in case of damage to the motor.
• Battery Drain Protection. Battery Drain Protection. The motor vibrates, the blue LED illuminates five times to indicate battery discharge.
• Low/ High Voltage Protection. The module detects the number of battery cells and adjusts operation to different numbers of cells and voltages from 6V to 17V.
All the configuration options can be achieved via the trigger, but I recommend watching a video explaining how to do it. At the beginning it might look a bit complicated, but after some experience it becomes quite easy. Even so, in my opinion, adding the Kestrel™ ETU isn’t the main update, for me, the best part is the new Dark Matter motor.
When I first got to try the replica out in a practice, I was really surprised, the trigger response, the sound, it just felt great! I had many heads turn when I was trying it out, some even asked if I was using a GBBR!
Now, I’m sure that most of you have heard of the Dark Matter motors that Specna Arms been announcing, and that you’ve seen the banner for this on the AA website; just click on that and you can find out more! But it’s imperative that I highlight this fully, because it really is a major upgrade to this replica, or even any replica with one. Brushless motors have higher performance in every way. More torque, higher speeds, less heat generated, less noise, longer lifespan, and less power consumption all at the same time.
Looking at the Specna Arms’ website they tell us; “Brushless motors are a generational leap in terms of reliability, smooth operation, and efficiency compared to classic electric motors.
They stop making compromises. At the same voltage and speed, they provide unattainable power and torque compared to regular motors. This allows them to run with strong main springs without sacrificing fire rate and immediate response.”
Of course, I do need to mention that the motor included in the A33 is “only” the 29k motor, because Specna Arms has models up to 55k, which I can’t
“THE SPECNA ARMS ONE SERIES WAS, AND IS, ALSO COMPETITIVELY PRICED, OFTEN POSITIONING ITSELF AS A GREAT OPTION FOR PLAYERS WHO WANT A SOLID AEG WITHOUT EMPTYING THEIR WALLET. THEY’RE SLIGHTLY CHEAPER THAN HIGHER-END AIRSOFT REPLICAS, BUT THEY STILL PROVIDE RELIABLE PERFORMANCE FOR BOTH CASUAL AND MORE REGULAR PLAYERS BOTH”
imagine, they must be insane! And there is even a Gen2 motor, fully programmable, were you can adjust the parameters to go from 10 to 46k with a torque of 10 to 100%.
And all this with a well-built metal body and a modern M-LOK hanguard in Chaos Bronze give the A33 a great performance, reliability, snap response and configurable trigger along with a really strong look. And I must say, I’m in love with the SA-A33 ONE ; I’ve been using the replica since I got my hands on it, and it has been spreading complete and pure chaos… perhaps that’s where the colour name
comes from!
Now, with all this available in the SA-A33 ONE I can’t wait to see what the PRIME series has to offer, because it’s going to have ALL of this, and much, muxch more!
Many thanks indeed to Gunfire who kindly provided the AEG sample for this initial evaluation; you can check out more details on the SA-A33 ONE and the rest of the extensive range of Specna Arms models by simply visiting https://gunfire.com or head to https://specnaarms.com to keep up with all their latest innovations! AA
“AND I MUST SAY, I’M IN LOVE WITH THE SA-A33 ONE ; I’VE BEEN USING THE REPLICA SINCE I GOT MY HANDS ON IT, AND IT HAS BEEN SPREADING COMPLETE AND PURE CHAOS… PERHAPS THAT’S WHERE THE COLOUR NAME COMES FROM!”
OPFOR TACTICOOL
NOT SO VERY LONG AGO IF YOU WANTED A “TACTICOOL” AK FOR OPFOR USE THEN YOU’D HAVE TO CREATE IT YOURSELF, BUT THESE DAYS THE HUMBLE AIRSOFT KALASHNIKOV IS NO LONGER A BASIC THING OF WOOD AND STEEL, BUT IN MANY UPDATED FORMS A PLATFORM THAT’S JUST AS “OPERATOR READY” AS ANY AR! BILL GETS HANDS ON ONE OF THE LATEST MODERN AK VARIANTS FROM ARCTURUS AND LIKES WHAT HE SEES!
It’s been a little while since I put on my beloved OPFOR MAPA hat on and got some serious rangetime with a new AK, as obviously these days Stewbacca tends to be the one testing these at source in Taiwan. Thankfully, on a recent visit to iWholesales here in the UK, I managed to lay hands on one of the models I’ve been keen to see since it first launched, and that’s the ARCTURUS K9 CUSTOM.
In years gone by if you wanted to own a really good “tactical AK” then it was a case of buying a
decent donor and then buying all the parts that you wanted to fit onto, and into, it. For a long time these would have been “real steel” parts that in the main required a fair amount of not just fettling but out and out re-machining to get things nice and tidy. Of course these days you can pick up airsoft-specific parts that in the main will fit your “6mm BB” AK straight from the box or packet, and that’s brilliant! Probably like you I am constantly scouring the interwebz for new and interesting models, and ARCTURUS is another brand that in recent years
ARCTURUS K9 CUSTOM
has been quietly but steadily gaining ground with some very cool releases, and some very clever collaborations, most strikingly with our friends over at PERUN in Poland. I first saw the “AT” model appearing online some years ago ago, but then they started appearing with retailers based in the UK, and it wasn’t long before I had one of these in the
extensive range some very tidy upgrade parts and you could say that ARCTURUS most definitely continues to have my, and our, attention!
SOLID FOUNDATION
The drive for the “modern AK” has been with us for a while now, and I’m certain that poor old Mikhail must be spinning in his grave
That’s high praise indeed, and rightfully so, as ARCTURUS have really forged on with their range of AEGs, and our collective experience with them to date has been overwhelmingly positive. Add to their now-
of “the old and bold”, and the rise of teams following
bunch of us that have played together and hang out at the shop socially that use “Tacticool AKs”; in recent times the shop has seen a rise in the sales of AK models, and I would have to draw the conclusion
“IN YEARS GONE BY IF YOU WANTED TO OWN A REALLY GOOD “TACTICAL AK” THEN IT WAS A CASE OF BUYING A DECENT DONOR AND THEN BUYING ALL THE PARTS THAT YOU WANTED TO FIT ONTO, AND INTO, IT. FOR A LONG TIME THESE WOULD HAVE BEEN “REAL STEEL” PARTS THAT IN THE MAIN REQUIRED A FAIR AMOUNT OF NOT JUST FETTLING”
“THROUGHOUT THE ARCTURUS RANGE THEY USE SOLID MATERIALS LIKE FULL STEEL OR CNC ANODIZED PARTS; SOME ARE STEEL STAMPED AND QPQ PROCESSED, AND THIS IS FAST BECOMING A STANDARD IN THE AIRSOFT INDUSTRY. WITH 8MM BEARINGS, HIGH SPEED MOTORS, MICRO SWITCHES, AND SPRING TENSION RELEASE SYSTEMS MOS AND ARCTURUS ENSURE QUALITY INSIDE AS WELL AS OUTSIDE”
that these two things are connected.
Originally ARCTURUS AEGs started their life with MOS Manufacture in China who are best known for their E&L Airsoft and Meister Arms brands, and now they have reached out to European partner brands like PERUN to enrich their already solid offering. MOS specialise in airsoft, and have been providing a high-quality products for years, delivering the most exclusive AEGs, parts and accessories. They also manage the shipping and warehousing for their partners, and years’ experience have allowed them to build up an efficient logistics network to ensure their products reach the retailer, and ultimately the end user in a timely fashion.
Speaking of quality, throughout the MOS/ ARCTURUS range they use solid materials like full steel or CNC Anodized parts; some are steel stamped and QPQ processed, and this is fast becoming a standard in the airsoft industry. With 8mm bearings, High Speed motors, Micro Switches, and Spring Tension Release systems MOS and ARCTURUS ensure quality inside as well as outside… more on this later!
Like my old AT- AK04, the newer ARCTURUS K9 CUSTOM carbine is an absolutely classic example of this, as it provides a modern, clean look with precision performance. If you look at this particular AEG from end to end the only giveaway that it’s an AK is the central section combining the lower receiver with the top cover. In this area you’ll find the traditional AK selector, but even this is upgraded with a “tacticool” thumb rest. Going to the rear of the K9 you’ll find a rock-solid buffer tube with singlepoint sling plate, along with a super “MOE SL” style sliding stock with a rubberised “Rapid Mounting” buttplate, and in addition to the up-to-date stock there’s a modern, ergonomic motor grip, the angle of which I find very comfortable indeed.
Go forward from the receiver group and you’ll see a lovely slimline rail made from high-quality alloy that looks great a feels just right in the support hand; you have 2.5 M-LOK style slots on the base of the rail, a 9-slot picatinny on the top, and two 3-slot picatinny rails at 3 and 6 o’clock so there lots of space for mounting accessories. One thing I REALLY love is the JMAC CUSTOMS LAF (LOUD AND FLASHY) style muzzle brake, but this is on a standard 14mm CCW
thread if you wish to replace it with something more traditional or a suppressor/tracer… I cannot see for the life of me why you’d want to though!
Externally the K9 is absolutely flawless, with not a creak or wobble apparent anywhere, and the 3200g weight makes it feel solid in the hand and gives some real reassurance that it’s going to stand up perfectly well to any in-game abuse you can throw at it!
One thing that personally I would like to have seen included is a railed top cover for optics mounting, but you can add one as an accessory if you wish so that’s a pretty simple fix. As it is you have a side-rail on the lower for mounting COMBLOC style scope mounts, and a pretty standard rear leaf/front post AK-style iron sight arrangement which is perfectly usable… of course you could also just use a drop-in rail to the rear leaf sight box, add something like a T1 and call it done… lots of options here…
Internally the K9 is DEANS/T-Plug wired to battery storage as “AK-usual” underneath the AKM-style topcover, and oh my, everything is super, super neat once you remove that cover. There’s also a DEANS to Tamiya connector included in a little goodie bag, along with an ARCTURUS wristband, some other swag and even a sticker set!
Although there’s nothing uber-fancy like PERUN parts inside the K9, what you do get is the ARCTURUS RS™ PERFORMANCE KIT fitted as standard… Remember that range of “upgrade parts” I mentioned earlier? Well, they’re pretty much all already inside the K9 when you lift it from the box, and this includes;
• PCP Grade Precision Inner Barrel
• CNC POM Nozzle w/O-ring
• CNC Steel Cylinder Nozzle
• Amass DEANS T Plug
• 15AWG Wiring
• V3 Zinc Die-Cast Gearbox
• Steel Powder Gear Set
• 8mm bearings
DOWNRANGE
Huge thought and attention to detail has obviously gone into the K9, and this shows on the range! In testing the K9 came in at 1.01 Joule/330fps on my usual .20g “chrono” BBs. Once I was happy with the
“ALTHOUGH THERE’S NOTHING UBER-FANCY LIKE PERUN PARTS INSIDE THE K9, WHAT YOU DO GET IS THE ARCTURUS RS™ PERFORMANCE KIT FITTED AS STANDARD… REMEMBER THAT RANGE OF “UPGRADE PARTS” I MENTIONED EARLIER?”
power level I upped to .28g and the shot distance was great, sending the BBs right to the extent of the 30m range with a dead-flat trajectory; after running a couple of full mags through the K9 I was able to achieve a nice tight group, and switching to full-auto delivered a line of BBs straight to target.
The K9 comes with two magazines as standard, a 320 BB hi-cap, and a 130/30 variable model; this variable model can be easily changed by removing the magazine “cassette” and simply flipping a clearly marked switch! Both magazines feed perfectly, and are black “74” style; between the two you get a lot of game options, so bloody well done ARCTURUS! I also found that my other AK mags (Steels, “Bakelites”, and waffles, reals, mid’s and hi’s) all worked perfectly in the K9 so, if you have a collection like me, then
you’re set and good to go!
Overall the ARCTURUS K9 CUSTOM is one hell of a package. It’s beautifully put together and finished, it’s internally super-tidy, the parts are completely bombproof, and it shoots really, REALLY well. And the best bit? It costs around 300 quid in the UK! Yup, you heard that right, a top-of-the-line “tacticool” AK with everything you need to get in the game for a real “mid-range” price… If you’re not an “AK Guy” already, then this AEG could well change your mind!
My sincere thanks go to the guys at www. iwholesales.biz for providing the test sample, and please do be sure to visit their website to check out the other models from ARCTURUS along with much, much more! AA
“OVERALL THE ARCTURUS K9 CUSTOM IS ONE HELL OF A PACKAGE. IT’S BEAUTIFULLY PUT TOGETHER AND FINISHED, IT’S INTERNALLY SUPER-TIDY, THE PARTS ARE COMPLETELY BOMBPROOF, AND IT SHOOTS REALLY, REALLY WELL. AND THE BEST BIT? IT COSTS AROUND 300 QUID IN THE UK!”
LONG BOI BLUES
WE DO LOVE A GOOD AIRSOFT SHOTGUN AT AA, AND OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF ISSUES WE’VE NOT ONLY DEDICATED A RED CELL SLOT TO OUR OWN, BUT ALSO HAD A GOOD CLOSE LOOK AT THE LATEST OFFERINGS FROM A COUPLE OF THE MAIN MANUFACTURERS… BUT ONCE AGAIN DOUBLE BELL HAVE THROWN THEIR HAT INTO THE RING WITH THEIR TAKE ON THE VENERABLE SAIGA-12K SEMI-AUTO SHOTGUN… BUT DOES IT DELIVER? BILL GETS STUCK IN TO FIND OUT…
As most of you that follow AA will know I have a grave failing when it comes to airsoft shotguns… I love ‘em! I have a collection of different models that encompasses models from most of the “big airsoft names” and a few smaller outfits too, but in fairness most of them are of the spring/gas pump-variety, and most of them based around the classic “870”.
Although I couldn’t resist the AA-12 as the real deal is a piece of firearms history as well as a bigfuntimes airsoft platform (especially with the drum mag!) although I’ve tested many electric shotgun models I’ve largely shied away from adding more to the armoury. One model however did catch my attention, and again I’m following the OPFOR path here, was TM’s SAIGA, and undoubtedly the SBS “shorty” variant, but having spoken to Tama I know that there are unfortunately “issues” with the latter model, and at over UK£500 I’m not going to spend money to act as a BETA tester, even for TM!
However, the SAIGA does call out to me… Manufactured by Kalashnikov Concern (Izhmash), the SAIGA-12 is a shotgun patterned on my beloved AK platform.
Developed in the 1990s, these shotguns were initially designed for hunting (hunting WHAT exactly… you decide!) and “self-defence”. Manufactured in 12, 20, and 410 gauge, the SAIGA was largely based on the tried-and-brutally-tested Kalashnikov system… so dirty, dry, and abused, it would still rock along!
It’s said that the SAIGA became popular with certain LE units in America, but after the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014 the USA, along with the United Nations, claimed that the new government was illegal and illegitimate. The USA imposed economic sanctions on Kalashnikov Concern and numerous other Russian companies, these import sanctions intended to punish the Russia for its aggression and military intervention in both Ukraine and Crimea. With these sanctions in place, they effectively banned new SAIGA-12 and other Kalashnikov Concern products from import to American consumers.
Of course the “gun industry” responded to this open goal, and the import ban on AKs and SAIGAs let American manufacturers grab the “AK market” held for years by the Kalashnikov Concern.
Kalashnikov USA (in no way part or allied to Kalashnikov Concern in Russia) produced several AK-style rifles including the KS-12, a direct clone of the SAIGA… but of course the SAGA-12 had been sold in the USA pre-sanction so they are undoubtedly still in the inventory of both police departments and individuals.
From an airsoft OPFOR perspective, it’s the use of the SAIGA by certain military units that most interest me though, and although models like the pumpaction KS-23 have been around for years (and used by both military and police units), semi-autos have been seen in the wild more recently, especially the Molot Vepr 12 Gauge with the Russians, and allegedly the HATSAN BTS12 with the forces of Ukraine.
There’s a very interesting article on Forbes.com about how these are being deployed as “anti-drone platforms”; if you’re interested you can check out the full article here https://www.forbes.com/sites/ davidhambling/2024/05/09/shotguns-are-russias-lastdefense-against-drones !
Of course, given that the Russians are having to scurry around to keep their war-machine rolling, it’s
“THE
more than likely that SAIGA-12s have been pulled in to carry out this role too, and as we do know that the SAIGA has been documented in the hands of Spetsnaz, and indeed shorter variants like the Taktika Mod 040 and 18.5 KS-K are well known to law enforcement units, it’s very likely that they’ve seen action in other “roles” recently too. This to me makes the SAIGA-12 the ideal airsoft OPFOR semi-auto shotgun of choice!
SPREAD THIN
So, with all this in mind, how does the SAIGA-12K from DOUBLE BELL stack up, and my answer to this question is both VERY well and not so well… As an airsoft AEG and a replica of the real it’s a fabulous piece of work, but as an airsoft shotgun perhaps not so much…
Why do I say this? It’s simple really, as the DOUBLE BELL SAIGA-12 is essentially an AEG in a shotgun costume. Whilst the TM gas SAIGA offers tri-shot functionality from three barrels that, in turn, offers a decent “shot spread”, the DOUBLE BELL is a singlebarrel AEG version that doesn’t, so what makes it a “shotgun” and not just another V3-driven “rifle”?
Again the simple answer is “nothing”, it’s a regular AEG that looks like a SAIGA-12, indeed VERY MUCH looks like a SAIGA-12, but ultimately is just a cool battery-driven rifle. So, I must hate it, right? Wrong! I actually love it, especially given its UK sub-£300 pricetag!
It’s actually a very well put together AEG, and it certainly appeals to me in its overall simplicity. Internally it’s got a reinforced V3 gearbox with a quick spring change system, and this means you could easily pop in a MOSFET if you so desired. There are reinforced steel gears with an 18:1 ratio, mounted on 8mm bearings, which means it’s smooth in operation. The piston is equipped with metal teeth and works with a Type 1 piston head, and this gives solid compression via a reinforced polymer hop-up chamber, with an old-skool slider adjustment. Nothing world-changing here, just robust, workman-like parts and components that will ensure continued skirmish operation for a good while, and all of it’s pretty darn easy to work on.
SAIGA DOES CALL OUT TO ME… MANUFACTURED BY KALASHNIKOV CONCERN (IZHMASH) THE SAIGA-12 IS A SHOTGUN PATTERNED ON MY BELOVED AK PLATFORM; DEVELOPED IN THE 1990S, THESE SHOTGUNS WERE INITIALLY DESIGNED FOR HUNTING (HUNTING WHAT EXACTLY… YOU DECIDE!) AND “SELF-DEFENCE””
“THE USA IMPOSED ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON KALASHNIKOV CONCERN AND NUMEROUS OTHER RUSSIAN COMPANIES, THESE IMPORT SANCTIONS INTENDED TO PUNISH THE RUSSIA FOR ITS AGGRESSION AND MILITARY INTERVENTION IN BOTH UKRAINE AND CRIMEA”
Inside then everything is pretty tidy if not overly exciting, but to me it’s the external replication that makes the DOUBLE BELL SAIGA an interesting beast, and thoroughly worthy of consideration! Put together using a mix of steel, alloy and high-grade polymer, it’s an AEG I can see standing up to all manner of abuse in-game. The chunky outer barrel that conceals a sizeable 475mm supported inner certainly looks the part, and as you move back the high-grade polymer handguard looks equally cool, with an inset diamond check pattern replicating the look and feel of “the hunter” well.
Up top things are simple again, with a straightforward “bead and notch” sighting arrangement, with the front bead being of a brass finish, and this can be adjusted for elevation. For those used to any form of AK-platform, the receivers and operating interface will be all too familiar, and this again is another reason why I like the SAIGA; in reality the only thing that’s different from any other AK AEG out there is a frankly huge 300 BB hi-cap that comes as part of the deal that simulates the real 12 gauge version, but here DOUBLE BELL have been quite clever in that the magwell itself is sized to accommodate a regular AK mag, and in the box with the SAIGA was a steel AK/AKM midcap to go with the larger version! The fire selector with a thumb-rest is pure AK, with up being safe, midway full-auto, and all the way down semi, so again your “manual of arms” will be just the same as with your standard rifle or carbine.
Moving to the rear though is where things get interesting again, as the SAIGA has a neat side-folding stock, which again is high-grade polymer. Like you’d find for instance on an AK-105 it is of fixed length but can be folded to the left by depressing the usual button found on the left side of the receiver above the standard AK pistol grip. Once folded the stock is very securely held in place and to re-deploy it you need to press the button found on the butt plate; this unlocks the stock from the receiver and lets you swing it back into place. The stock also has a sling swivel that means you can run a two-pointer from this to the corresponding swivel on the handguard.
DOWNRANGE
With that big old 300 BB magazine filled to the brim
“HOW
DOES THE SAIGA-12K FROM DOUBLE BELL STACK UP, AND MY ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS BOTH VERY WELL AND NOT SO WELL… AS AN AIRSOFT AEG AND A REPLICA OF THE REAL IT’S A FABULOUS PIECE OF WORK, BUT AS AN AIRSOFT SHOTGUN PERHAPS NOT SO MUCH…”
“IT’S
Then of course it was time to set the tore it to shreds in quick time, especially
believe that it WILL suit most. It’s a replication of something that I love in “the real”, and one which most definitely has its place in firearms lore… for that reason alone I would buy one, and have a great deal of fun using it!
For more information on the SAIGA-12K, the rest of the extensive DOUBLE BELL range please do pay a visit to www.iwholesales.biz and my thanks as always go to them for supplying the test sample. AA
OPFOR-themed “shotgun” to your genuinely built like a tank! Although get, a proper “shotgun spread” from
could see and out “MIL” platform for their airsoft adventures, and
well, I actually
ACTUALLY A VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER AEG, AND IT CERTAINLY APPEALS TO ME IN ITS OVERALL SIMPLICITY. INTERNALLY IT’S GOT A REINFORCED V3 GEARBOX WITH A QUICK SPRING CHANGE SYSTEM, AND THIS MEANS YOU COULD EASILY POP IN A MOSFET IF YOU SO DESIRED. ”
REALISM REALISED
AEGS CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, AND AS MUCH AS SOME MIGHT SAY THAT MORE ELECTRONICS JUST GIVES MORE ROOM FOR FAILURE, IT IS BEYOND DOUBT THAT MANY MANUFACTURERS ARE STRIVING TO GIVE US EVEN MORE “REAL FEEL” IN OUR BATTERY-DRIVEN RIFLES, CARBINES, AND SMGS! DAN TAKES A LOOK AT THE TACTICKER REALISTIC TRIGGER SYSTEM FOR AIRSOFT REPLICAS AND FINDS IT VERY MUCH TO HIS LIKING!
From time immemorial, airsofter’s have always been on the quest to wring more realism from their replicas.
Whether it’s via recoil systems, real-capacity magazines, or fully functional controls, there have been a myriad of different ways to accomplish this task. Gate’s revolutionary TITAN Electronic Trigger Unit (arguably one of the most prolific ETU’s on the market) was a smashing success, but one aspect in particular left many players wanting, well… a little more.
Anyone who’s had time behind a TITAN will have no doubt noticed that there is a distinctive lack of tactile feel when working the trigger. The TITAN allows you to adjust the trigger sensitivity to set the firing point to suit your preference, but you are basically encountering “dead air” throughout the entire distance of trigger travel, with the only hard stop being when the trigger bottoms out against the gearbox shell.
For a lot of users, this was a forgivable
tradeoff for the performance the TITAN brought to the table, but for many others, it left them wishing for a more realistic trigger.
Some earlier systems, such as the Black Talon Concepts Spectre accomplished a tactile feel by using a microswitch in lieu of the TITAN’s optical sensors. This was more akin to a “mouse click” or what one experiences with HPA systems than a true real steel feel. However, another notable Polish company, Perun, was the first to market to try and take a hard swing at replicating a real trigger feel with their innovative Clicker. This was a drop-in device made with a 3D printed housing and featured adjustable trigger break.
Jefftron, who hail from the Czech Republic and manufacture well-regarded ETU’s, developed their RFTS, or Real Feel Trigger System, while over on the HPA side, Polarstar released the Kythera mechanical HPA engine, which offered a realistic style trigger mechanism. By now, it was clear that manufacturers were keenly aware of customer’s wishes for realistic trigger systems and were uniquely developing products to meet that demand. Gate was the sole remaining holdout, and it wasn’t until mid-2024 when they finally released their answer in the form of the TACTICKER.
THE SIMPLE THINGS
The TACTICKER is a remarkably simple little device that is designed to fit atop the hole for the manual safety lever on your gearbox shell. This is constructed from a CNC’d 7075 aluminum housing, with a C45 hardened steel rod acting as the plunger for the trigger break. This rod has a groove cut into it that interacts with a set of spring-loaded bearings; when the trigger depresses the rod, it rides past the bearings, creating that distinctive “break” in the trigger press. You can fine-tune the weight
“THE TITAN ALLOWS YOU TO ADJUST THE TRIGGER SENSITIVITY TO SET THE FIRING POINT TO SUIT YOUR PREFERENCE, BUT YOU ARE BASICALLY ENCOUNTERING “DEAD AIR” THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DISTANCE OF TRIGGER TRAVEL, WITH THE ONLY HARD STOP BEING WHEN THE TRIGGER BOTTOMS OUT AGAINST THE GEARBOX SHELL”
of the break via a small set screw on top. Out of the package, I’d put the break right around 3.5 – 4 lbs. approximately, and this can be increased or decreased to suit your preference. It bears mentioning that much like the Perun Clicker, the lighter you set the break on the TACTICKER the less “crisp” the break feels, to the point where it can be rather muddled. At extremely light adjustment, you also lose the felt reset point too. Therefore, the optimal setting is pretty much right where Gate has set it themselves.
There is a lack of assembly instructions, but the installation is intuitive at least. Gate includes a set of three O-rings, which presumably are there to allow you to shift the Tackticker left or right to better align the rod with the front face of the trigger. A single screw is affixed from the exterior left-side gearbox shell to pin the TACTICKER in place. I would recommend using a dab of Loctite on both this screw and the set screw once you’ve got it setup to your liking. This will ensure these do not wander free under the vibration. I elected to put a small drop of ALG Go Juice down the pipe too. This may or may not be necessary in truth, but in my experience, ALG does a stellar job of slicking up moving parts.
From my testing, the TACTICKER is compatible with a wide range of triggers, including those types that are adjustable for cant angle and over travel, such as the MAXX and SPEED brand triggers, and includes Gate’s Nova and Quantum triggers. Depending on the trigger, and other setup criteria,
you can get the TACTICKER to feel very much like a two-stage trigger, where you have a little bit of takeup before you hit the “wall”, followed by the break. This is a great setup for staging up on a trigger, which is not easily possible in a conventional ETU setup. Personally, this is where I found the TACTICKER to be most ideal, and with a little adjustment of the trigger spring I was able to nearly replicate the feel of my Geissele SSA 2-stage triggers. Technically speaking, if for whatever reason one wanted to create more takeup distance, all you would need to do is remove
“FROM MY TESTING, THE TACTICKER IS COMPATIBLE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF TRIGGERS, INCLUDING THOSE TYPES THAT ARE ADJUSTABLE FOR CANT ANGLE AND OVER TRAVEL, SUCH AS THE MAXX AND SPEED BRAND TRIGGERS, AND INCLUDES GATE’S NOVA AND QUANTUM TRIGGERS”
material from the front of the trigger.
Speedy boys will also be happy to know you can also set it up with a tunable trigger and remove all of the takeup too, in effect, replicating a single-stage trigger. In this configuration, your actual trigger pull can be reduced down to around 5mm, approximately. It’s not quite possible to achieve a hair trigger with the TACTICKER, but it is possible to get extremely short trigger throw.
EXPLICIT DESIGN
The TACTICKER is explicitly designed to be used with Gate’s TITAN II Bluetooth or ASTER V2 and ASTER II ETU’s and currently only fits Version 2 gearbox designs.
I have confirmed it will also drop straight in and work on KWA’s ETU compatible gearboxes, the AEG 2.5+ and 3.0+ respectively. It is not compatible with other ETU systems, nor is it compatible with traditional mechanical trigger switches. It unfortunately is also not compatible with the older TITAN either. So those who have the legacy TITAN will need to consider upgrading to the TITAN II or the ASTER in order to enjoy the TACTICKER. You will want to be sure to finetune the trigger sensitivity setting in the Gate Control Station app when you’ve got everything assembled. This will allow you to set the firing point precisely at the same junction as the break on the TACTICKER.
Having tried all of the various trigger systems out there, including experimenting extensively with various passive microswitches and such in the past, I would confidently say the TACTICKER is, without a doubt, the best feeling simulation of a real trigger to date for AEG’s. If you don’t adjust it outside of the ideal range, the break it produces is very crisp (audibly so!) and it has a positive reset to boot. In conjunction with the Gate ETU, a nice gearbox build and pre-cocking, you can build yourself a marvelously snappy and responsive setup.
If you’re looking to make the jump into an ETU and want a real-trigger feel, the TACTICKER definitely warrants a being on your radar!
Gate Enterprise did not provide their products for review, nor provided any compensation or endorsements. You can check out Gate Enterprise and their products at: https://gatee.eu AA
“YOU CAN GET THE TACTICKER TO FEEL VERY MUCH LIKE A TWO-STAGE TRIGGER, WHERE YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TAKEUP BEFORE YOU HIT THE “WALL”, FOLLOWED BY THE BREAK. THIS IS A GREAT SETUP FOR STAGING UP ON A TRIGGER, WHICH IS NOT EASILY POSSIBLE IN A CONVENTIONAL ETU SETUP”
RED CELL GAS GODS
IT’S ABSOLUTELY TRUE THAT AIRSOFT IS STILL DOMINATED BY THE AEG, AND IT’S COMMONLY KNOWN THAT GAS RIFLES AND CARBINES ARE EXPENSIVE, TRICKY TO MAINTAIN AND COAX THE BEST PERFORMANCE FROM, AND OFFER LIMITED AMMO CAPACITY, SO WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU WANT TO RUN ONE AS YOUR PRIMARY? THE RED CELL CREW HAVE TWENTY GOOD REASONS, GBBRS THAT HAVE BEEN TRIED, TESTED, AND FOUND WORTHY, AND THIS MONTH THEY SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THEM!
to get any real performance from, and that they don’t perform when the temperatures plummet, and that now “HPA is king”.
Once upon a time I may have agreed with them, and even I have to admit that there are huge benefits from the latest HPA systems; the old systems that were first available certainly had their “moments”!
Let’s not forget that once upon a time “gas guns” and springers were IT though… until in the 1990s along came Tokyo Marui with their commercial electric gearbox, and the rest, as they say, is history.
GBBRs strode off into the wilderness for a LONG time, but thankfully like the prodigal son they returned to our world (in truth they never REALLY went away), and, as I’ve written many times before, they are now a viable airsoft tool. Not only have the platforms and their magazines evolved and improved, but the very essence of the GBBR, the gas that drives them, has also got better and better, and the understanding of different gaseous properties and how this affects performance is more thoroughly understood than ever before.
But as I’ve also said before, players have also gained understanding that running a GBBR is mostly not an individual, lone-wolf choice (although many “gas snipers” will do so, but that’s another story entirely!), but truly as a team one, and you REALLY need to pay attention to cover and concealment, along with your fieldcraft, skills and drills, accuracy, and above all teamwork! Yes, you CAN run a GBBR on your own given their range and consistency once dialled in, but it’s going to be a whole lot more fun if you do it as a team that has trained hard together and is truly cohesive and effective in game!
shut up now and give them their voice!
Boycie: When I got one of the first LM4D’s into
But for many that’s what airsoft is all about, right, and who doesn’t love that moment in a game when ammo runs low and you need to pull something amazing? Just remember to make sure that your team magazines are compatible, just sayin’…
TEAM TALK
So, let’s get into the meat of things, and as always RED CELL have picked models that they have been using regularly and know intimately to update on… I’ll
LM4D, for me, was the best GBBR at the time and I quickly started playing with different accessories to include tactical illuminators, lasers (not my favourite thing) and also things like rail covers, flash hiders and sight units. I got out to use the LM4D a few times and then unfortunately work and family life meant that I ultimately had to “mothball” the rifle. Not long after starting work at a local range, one of my colleagues expressed interest in it and so the rifle found its way into a new owners hands... but I still see it regularly and it’s still strong going after approaching four years.
Ben: The WE M4A1; so I think the perfect way to start this off is by saying WE is very much like Marmite
“I ALL TOO OFTEN HEAR THE WORDS “I WANT MORE REALISM, MORE IMMERSION IN MY GAME”, BUT STILL THEY REFUSE TO LOOK AT GAS PLATFORMS AS THE WAY FORWARD, CITING ALL THE OLD TROPES THAT GBBRS ARE EXPENSIVE, THAT THEY’RE HARD TO GET ANY REAL PERFORMANCE FROM, AND THAT THEY DON’T PERFORM WHEN THE TEMPERATURES PLUMMET”
to the airsoft community, you either love it or you hate it! Me, I like WE overall but it really comes down
box, and in with the new. The other common fault is the wear on the bolt and bolt release catch; now
issues which in my opinion is exactly why I see the WE M4A1 as that middle class level; the hop grubscrew is in the most annoying place above the mouth of the barrel which just makes it awkward to get to especially if you’re having to do some in-thefield-hop adjustments. However, if you spend some time setting your hop sensibly then this is less of a problem, you just have to take into account the day with uncontrollable conditions like the weather and its effects on your platforms performance, Trigger box parts with WE M4A1 are also known to wear out fairy quickly, but this is an easy fix as it’s as simple as out with two screws, pull out the trigger
regimen after each game. The only changes I’ve made to mine have been to change the pistol grip (one bolt) to a STORM model, and to install a full-length rail, and I run it simply with an EoTECH up top.
WE’s gas system really came into its own with the M4A1 in my opinion, especially when they released their open bolt technology; this particular model came with the open bolt system pre-installed. The M4A1 is a full metal and polymer carbine, and it feels very solid and robust. The build needs to be utterly solids as unlike AEGs the receivers are built to contain the real mechanical forces of a fully functional bolt and are not just there to hold a gearbox. The finish of all
“ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY LIKED WAS THE “DRY FIRE” FEATURE OF THE MAGAZINE. YOU COULD LOCK DOWN THE FOLLOWER SO THAT YOU COULD STILL INSERT THE MAGAZINE AND FIRE THE RIFLE WITH THE BOLT MOVING BACK AND FORTH GIVING THE RECOIL FEEL WITH NO BB EXITING THE BARREL. THE LM4D, FOR ME, WAS THE BEST GBBR AT THE TIME”
VFC BCM MCMR
Price: iro UK£600.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 2142 g
Length: 710/790 mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.28 Joule/372fps
Hot Chrono: 1.2 Joule/368fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: uk.redwolfairsoft.com
GHK URGI
Price: iro UK£700.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 2750g
Length: 690/770mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.34 Joule/381fps
Hot Chrono: 1.31 Joule/377fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
VFC SR16
Price: iro UK£360.00
Age: Five Years
Weight: 2740g
Length: 758/870 mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.24 Joule/367fps
Hot Chrono: 1.18 Joule/358fps
Taclite Compatibility: Picatinny
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: uk.redwolfairsoft.com
WE M4A1
Price: iro UK£350.00
Age: Nine Years
Weight: 3050g
Length: 768/850mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.16 Joule/354fps
Hot Chrono: 1.13 Joule/349fps
Taclite Compatibility: Picatinny
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.nuprol.com
KWA LM4
Price: iro UK£450.00
Age: Four Years
Weight: 3260g
Length: 730/815mm
Magazine Capacity: 40
Cold Chrono: 1.17 Joule/356fps
Hot Chrono: 1.04 Joule/336fps
Taclite Compatibility: Picatinny
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: store.kwausa.com
parts throughout is very nice indeed; with a mixture of matte black and grey metal and well finished black plastic in the pistol grip and “LE” style sliding stock the carbine really stands out from the crowd.
At 10m this thing drills holes in a target like you’re hitting it with a laser as 10mm groups are achievable from a supported position. This widens out slightly when firing unsupported but is more than adequate. At 30m it’s possible to hit a sandbag unerringly and I know now that the M4A1 can reach out even further… on semi-auto the trigger is still nice and crisp on mine, and switching up to full chat sends BBs downrange with a satisfying little thump in the shoulder.
Stewbacca: The VFC Cybergun-licensed Colt M733 GBBR was my first introduction to their AR platform aside from briefly dabbling with teammate’s HK416s at game days. Unusually, I didn’t buy the review copy at the time two years ago when I covered it in ISSUE 139 as I couldn’t really justify it to myself at the time due to my gun wall space and financial situation. Fast forward two years, however, and I decided to revisit it and buy myself an M733 from VPSC after I got the M16A1 and already had the FNC and T91 SOC on hand, especially once Ning joined our team as she likes the AR platform and the M16A1, but is a much more petite player than me, so I found it as an excuse to purchase the M733 I always wished I had. As with the M16A2, the more recent batches seem to have solved the sear geometry binding issues of the example I reviewed, as well as softening the handguard retainer spring, nonetheless the performance and HOP unit adjustment and consistency out of the box is just as good as it was when I first encountered the M733 for the first time.
I still maintain it is one of the most fun rifles I’ve ever run, because it is so easy to wield, lightweight and short with the front end, receiver and buttstock basically being equally proportioned and the performance matches the longer variants despite the slightly shorter 275mm inner barrel - it still throws rounds out and hits the wall 70m away at our Sanzhi abandoned tile factory site, and similarly it was taking names at our Yangmei CQB site as well. With the carry handle mounted picatinny rail and an Aimpoint M2 or M3 replica on top it’s just the epitome of the
“DO I RECOMMEND THE WE M4A1....YES! FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO GET INTO GBBRS AND HAVE THAT TINKERING EXPERIENCE WITH A LITTLE PROBLEM-SOLVING AND UPGRADING LEARNING CURVE THROWN IN THEN THIS IS THE PLATFORM FOR YOU”
VFC VR16 CQB II (MK18)
Price: iro UK£365.00
Age: Four Years
Weight: 2500g
Length: 696/777mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps
Hot Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps
Taclite Compatibility: 14mm CCW
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: uk.redwolfairsoft.com
GOLDEN EAGLE MC6595M
Price: iro UK£170.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 2700g
Length: 720/800 mm
Magazine Capacity: 50
Cold Chrono: 0.48 Joule/228fps
Hot Chrono: 0.43 Joule/216fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.allagesairsoft.com
S&T M4 KEYMOD 13”
Price: iro UK£185.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 2600g
Length: 770/850 mm
Magazine Capacity:50
Cold Chrono: 0.62 Joule/259fps
Hot Chrono: 0.57 Joule/248fps
Taclite Compatibility: KeyMod
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.nuprol.com
TOKYO MARUI M4A1 MWS
Price: iro UK£420.00
Age: Nine Years
Weight: 3470g
Length: 777/854 mm
Magazine Capacity: 35
Cold Chrono: 0.89 Joule/310 fps
Hot Chrono: 1.06 Joule/339 fps
Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail System
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
VFC VR16 URG-I 14.5”
Price: iro UK£420.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 3050g
Length: 823/903 mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.29 Joule/374fps
Hot Chrono: 1.20 Joule/361fps
Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com
rear end, but I’m happy enough with the standard telescopic butt stock myself, although as always I haven’t made much use of the three round burst or full auto… it’s nice to have to surprise people with or get people interested in GBBRs more!
The optics setup I have on mine now is a plain T2 style clone red dot on a unity riser with the unity fold to centre arm and a clone Eotech G33 magnifier; in theory this is an ideal setup, and I have used it effectively at Yangmei CQB on typical game days. However, if you read my article regarding the PengHu islands MilSim I went on, the stacking of so many lenses and protectors coupled with the dire wet and humid weather at that event made it very combat ineffective with fogging of the replica G33, which was a bit disappointing; I have another one lying around so I might switch out magnifiers and see if it’s just a QC issue on that one example. Nonetheless the rifle itself has been flawless thus far, enduring our tactical shooting training day at Pewniversity, as well as numerous outings on regular game days. I usually carry it or the M733 as a backup gun now with the shared VFC AR mag ecosystem meaning I can have a backup gun without a whole separate support system in terms of different magazines.
The RATech Noveske N4 10.5” hasn’t seen anywhere near as much use as I would like, given the sheer number of awesome products I’ve had to review and add to my gun walls this last year or two. However I know I can still always rely on it when I need something that will just run like a sewing machine and have the absolute best performance when called upon! I’ve used it a few times at Pewniversity since my last check in about it, and it never disappointed in terms of loud heavy recoil funtimes and reaching out and slapping people at 50m or so with .48g BBs with ease. Similarly I gave it to our resident Irishman Colin when he joined us at Pewniversity for the tactical shooting training day; he hadn’t had any real experience of GBBRs and was toying with the idea of getting his own, and suffice to say he had lots of swear words for me afterwards, not only on how well the N4 had performed for him and how much he enjoyed it, but also how much he now hated me for being the typical enabler and deacon of the gas blowback life…
“AT
10M THIS THING DRILLS HOLES IN A TARGET LIKE YOU’RE HITTING IT WITH A LASER AS 10MM GROUPS ARE ACHIEVABLE FROM A SUPPORTED POSITION. THIS WIDENS OUT SLIGHTLY WHEN FIRING UNSUPPORTED BUT IS MORE THAN ADEQUATE. AT 30M IT’S POSSIBLE TO HIT A SANDBAG UNERRINGLY”
TOKYO MARUI MK18 MOD1 MWS
Price: iro UK£540.00
Age: One Year
Weight: 3210 g
Length: 715/790mm
Magazine Capacity: 35
Cold Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps
Hot Chrono: 0.87 Joule/306fps
Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail System
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.allagesairsoft.com
G&G MGCR 10”
Price: iro UK£460.00
Age: New Weight: 3135g
Length: 730/773mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.24 Joule/367fps
Hot Chrono: 1.27 Joule/371fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.guay2.com
RATECH NOVESKE N4 10.5”
Price: iro UK£750.00
Age: One Year
Weight: 2500g
Length: 725/810mm
Magazine Capacity: 40
Cold Chrono: 1.5 Joule/403fps
Hot Chrono: 1.5 Joule/403fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: http://en.ratech.com.tw
WE M4 PCC
Price: iro UK£3380.00
Age: One Year
Weight: 4000g
Length: 768/850mm
Magazine Capacity: 45
Cold Chrono: 0.88 Joule/309 fps
Hot Chrono: 1.01 Joule/331fps
Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail System
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.iwholesales.biz
KING ARMS TWS9
Price: iro UK£550.00
Age: One Year
Weight: 2111g
Length: 690mm/772mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.01 Joule/331fps
Hot Chrono: 1.06 Joule/ 338fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.airsoftworld.net
majority of the competition; it’s definitely worth it to buy once and cry once in this aspect, and I can’t say enough good things about it.
Bill: Likewise for me “the one small god” in this batch has to be my VFC BCM MCMR! I just downright love this thing, both for its performance and its “Black
(albeit from gas and BBs in each magazine rather than bullets and propellant) like a real carbine for the same price I would love to hear about it!
The steel components include a full-travel CNC Bolt Carrier Assembly with a stronger steel bolt cam pin to mimic the “bolt carrier group (BCG)” of the real BCM,
and licencing agreement with Bravo Company USA, Inc (BCM), and after thorough and extensive rangetesting this magnificent carbine has proved to be everything I’d hoped it would be… and more!
I absolutely adore a GBBR knowing that it’s gone through all the checks and balances pre-production, thorough torture-testing, design and re-design, and a carefully controlled manufacturing process before I part with any cash. I also like a properly licenced replica as I know then what I’m getting is going to be as close to the “real deal” as possible, and VFC are past masters at conforming to all of the aforementioned processes.
Overall the fit and finish of the GBB MCMR is superbly, gorgeously first rate, right down to the sharp and crisp trademarks, and I’d go so far as saying that it somehow just feels great, to me at least. Everything about this replica is utterly righteous, and just having it in your hands makes you feel that you’re holding something pretty darn special! So what, to me, makes the VFC replica of the MCMR “real”, and the answer is simple! If you can find a 6mm replica of a specific “AR” that is 100% exactly like its real world counterpart, that feels, can be adjusted, and operates
something more akin to a real firearm in your hands rather than a 6mm version! There are many gas rifles and carbines out there now that “simulate” the real thing, and many of them are very, very expensive beasts; having now shot the MCMR on a sustained basis I can tell you that it will perform as well as the best.
Now of course there are many models that we haven’t commented on here, as obviously we only have so much space within the monthly magazine! However, by going to our BACK ISSUES section via the search function on the AA website you’ll be able to find each and every one in the list reviewed, and in some cases re-reviewed after time and use.
As we head towards the fundamental end-goal of the RED CELL PROGRAM I can say that thanks to certain manufacturers in recent years (VFC and VORSK, looking at you!) the GBBR agenda is stronger than it has ever been, and the models available to us will continue to grow in terms of both out and out “replicas” and new, innovative designs.
In my mind the future of GBBRs is set on a path of true excellence, and the time to own one is NOW! AA
“LIKEWISE FOR ME “THE ONE SMALL GOD” IN THIS BATCH HAS TO BE MY VFC BCM MCMR! I JUST DOWNRIGHT LOVE THIS THING, BOTH FOR ITS PERFORMANCE AND ITS “BLACK POWDER RED EARTH” VIBE! I SET IT UP SIMPLY WITH AN EOTECH CLONE AND MAGNIFIER, A PEQ15 AND SCOUT LIGHT… AND IT ROCKS!”
UMAREX HK416 GEN III
Price: iro UK£600.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 3100g
Length: 810mm/899 mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.01 Joule/331fps
Hot Chrono: 1.06 Joule/ 338fps
Taclite Compatibility: Picatinny
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.iwholesales.biz
DOUBLE EAGLE NOVESKE R4 10.5”
Price: iro UK£350.00
Age: Six Months
Weight: 2260g
Length: 705mm/790mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 0.96 Joule/323fps
Hot Chrono: 1.02 Joule/ 332fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.iwholesales.biz
APFG MCX RATTLER
Price: iro UK£650.00
Age: One Year
Weight: 2800g
Length: 400mm (minus suppressor)/740 mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 0.87 Joule/306fps (no suppressor)
Hot Chrono: 1.05 Joule/337fps (suppressor fitted)
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.iwholesales.biz
VFC M733
Price: iro UK£460.00
Age: Two Years
Weight: 2270g
Length: 685mm/770 mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/335fps
Hot Chrono: 1.06 Joule/ 338fps
Taclite Compatibility: No, standard handguard
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com
VFC T91 SOC
Price: iro UK£540.00
Age: Six Months
Weight: 2640g
Length: 800mm/880mm
Magazine Capacity: 30
Cold Chrono: 1.20 Joule/360fps
Hot Chrono: 1.21 Joule/ 362fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility:14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com
“THERE ARE MANY MODELS THAT WE HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON HERE… HOWEVER, BY GOING TO OUR BACK ISSUES SECTION VIA THE SEARCH FUNCTION ON THE AA WEBSITE YOU’LL BE ABLE TO FIND EACH AND EVERY ONE IN THE LIST REVIEWED, AND IN SOME CASES RE-REVIEWED AFTER TIME AND USE”
Red Cell is supported by:
GOING GUCCI
LOOKING FOR NEW GEAR? SEARCHING FOR THE COOL “GUCCI GEAR”? THEN YOU ARE GOING TO WANT TO FIND YOUR WAY TO A REPUTABLE STORE THAT HAS A SUPERB RANGE OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. THIS MONTH BILL SPEAKS TO A NEW “AIRSOFT MATE” WHO OFFERS ALL THIS ...AND MORE!
Regulars that keep up with our daily news on the website may have seen that over the past few months we’ve had a banner running on www.airsoftaction.net for HIG OPERATOR (https:// higoperator.co.uk/), and we’re very pleased to have been able to work with them in order to highlight what they offer… and that’s a lot!
If you’re looking for those hard-to-find bits of gear, those “Gucci” little accessories that make any loadout sing, or just something downright cool then certainly for players in the UK, HIG OPERATOR should be high on your list of “places to go”! From helmet covers and headsets, through shooter belts and plate carriers, to NVGs and mounts then this is a one-stop-shop that has it all.
HIG OPERATOR Ltd (High Intensity Gear Operator) is a veteran owned business that’s been around since 2017 and offers specialised military equipment and unparalleled customer service. Their specialist knowledge guarantees top-of-the-line products and a money-back guarantee. They say “our customers are our top priority, we believe commitment to good customer service leads to good business”, and thus far in our own dealings with them we’ve found this to be true.
Of course we wanted to find out more about HIG OPERATOR to share with you all, as all of us like to know who we are dealing with, especially when it comes to parting with our cash for “bigger ticket items”, so I took the opportunity to speak with Mark, the man behind the store, to find out a little more, and this is what he had to tell me…
AA: Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and your airsoft experiences!
HO: I spent 30+ years in the Parachute Regiment
and elements of UKSF, and my experience of airsoft has been in the capacity of safety/marshalling. Whilst still serving I was asked by a fellow military colleague to help out at a site, I was very impressed by the dedication and attention to detail by many of the players who definitely looked the part, to the point where I commented they actually looked ally-er than us! (slang for very good)
AA: Do you have connections with a particular
“HIG OPERATOR LTD (HIGH INTENSITY GEAR OPERATOR) IS A VETERAN OWNED BUSINESS THAT’S BEEN AROUND SINCE 2017 AND OFFERS SPECIALISED MILITARY EQUIPMENT AND UNPARALLELED CUSTOMER SERVICE”
airsoft site? What events do you attend that you enjoy?
HO: No (no time unfortunately) However I do shoot mini rifle competitions at my local gun range, mini rifle comps are shot with a .22 Semi auto rifle normally an AR Platform, each course of fire is a test of speed & accuracy and is great fun.
AA: What motivated you to set up a tactical gear shop?
HO: What motivated me? It started a long time ago whilst in the military working in equipment trials and development; when the new Gentex Helmets were first issued, a lot of my time was taken up in making the helmet specific to the operating environment. This consisted of a Krylon application, netting held into place via a section of old innertube around the rim of the helmet, and before I knew it a lot of the blokes were asking if I could do the same with their helmets. I dare say I learnt my trade making helmets look good in my military service.
After seeing the players at the site I saw a niche in the market and decided to purchase a number of FMA Maritime
helmets in order to work my magic on with a view of selling them on to the airsoft players; turns out my helmets were pretty popular and we`ve sold well over a 1000 in the last 7 years!
Customers started asking me if I could get hold of other bits of kit like holsters, flashlights, etc and that’s how the business grew to the point now where we supply to TV & Film Media companies like Warner Brothers and Pinewood studios in London mostly with helmets and Night Optical Device`s (NODS)
AA: What are your key brands of gear? What makes them special to you?
HO: FMA helmets, especially the SF super high cut fast helmets are the best replica helmets I have worked with, to the point where putting a real SF super-fast helmet next to the FMA helmet you cannot visually distinguish the difference between the two (Real Steel)! It’s only when you pick them up you notice the difference. Sotac make some exceptional gear, especially their PEQ Lasers and Red dot optics such as the Aimpoint T2 or Comp 5, and also I find WADSN gear has a lot more detail in their products making them look more authentic than some other manufacturers.
AA: Which are your best-selling bits of kit, and why do you think this is?
HO: Helmets and Shooter belts; our Helmets because we custom build each helmet cover from scratch with the best fabric/materials out there. Our Omega cut heavy duty Multicam Mesh/Ripstop fabric
“WHILST STILL SERVING I WAS ASKED BY A FELLOW MILITARY COLLEAGUE TO HELP OUT AT A SITE, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE DEDICATION AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL BY MANY OF THE PLAYERS WHO DEFINITELY LOOKED THE PART, TO THE POINT WHERE I COMMENTED THEY ACTUALLY LOOKED ALLY-ER THAN US!”
is imported from a company in Germany, this incurs customs fee`s which is pricey but the quality is second to none. Each helmet is completely stripped down to
its bare shell and the helmet pattern is hand cut, sewn together and custom fitted to the helmets entire shell, then the ARC rails, NVG shrouds and helmet harness are refitted to the helmet giving it that immaculate look that’s not going to come off anytime soon, in fact in 7 years we`ve not had a single complaint about any of our helmets quality or reliability. There is a YouTuber (Names Nicco) who has done plenty of reviews of our Custom Exfil Helmet.
Shooter belts; we take the time to put the belt rigs together for the player rather than putting all the individual items in a box for them to assemble at home. We have prebuilt, good to go Shooter belts straight out of the box, or we can Custom build and refine on request any configuration the player requires.
AA: As well as some quality gear you offer a range of electronics and accessories; what do people come to you for especially?
HO: Most of the helmets we sell (and we have a lot) are a result of a players getting in touch and requesting a custom configuration normally involving a functional headset and battery pack retention system. Once that specific setup is built we add it to our collection of helmets.
The current trend is Multicam, but as the Winter months close in with dark days and nights players adjust their setups for the conditions, hence in the winter months we get request for black helmets & Multicam black, but we do occasionally get asked for one off setups like Russian Camo to which we are happy to provide.
AA: Where do you see airsoft heading in the future (especially given the social media clamp-downs)?
HO: I don`t see airsoft disappearing anytime soon; back in the 80`s and 90`s paintball thrived and still does to this day, and those were the days well before social media existed. If anything the activity will grow and grow with airsoft venues becoming more accessible with specialist airsoft magazines, journals, forums and exhibitions, along with online sales providers.
AA: How do you think that changes in social media guidelines and “standards” will affect you?
HO: We`ve had to stop listing anything on our Facebook page (High Intesity Gear) with any images
“WE CUSTOM BUILD EACH HELMET COVER FROM SCRATCH WITH THE BEST FABRIC/ MATERIALS OUT THERE. OUR OMEGA CUT HEAVY DUTY MULTICAM MESH/RIPSTOP FABRIC IS IMPORTED FROM A COMPANY IN GERMANY, THIS INCURS CUSTOMS FEE`S WHICH IS PRICEY BUT THE QUALITY IS SECOND TO NONE”
of a RIF showing any accessories we sell fitted to them, so these days many of our products we were advertising a year ago can no longer be displayed on Facebook which is frustrating and unnecessary; try to challenge it you are only dealt with via an algorithm and not a human!
AA: Are there new brands or new bits of kit that you will be adding to your store? What would you like to see being added?
HO: We are always looking/monitoring to see what kit been trialled or brought into service, and having an in-depth knowledge we are in a unique position to be ahead of the game.
We are always looking to expand our product list in all areas, more recently with Suppressor’s with the Flash Unit and helmet cams. We also take requests from players who are struggling to find a specific item; we will always go out of our way to find and supply them with the item.
My sincere thanks to Mark for talking to me, and
it’s great to see small businesses flourishing within our industry, even when it’s harder for them than ever to show the great products they have on offer to those that want to buy them!
I for one will be keeping an eye on https:// higoperator.co.uk/ as I’m always looking for those little (and not so little!) bits of kit that we all want to add to our loadouts to really make them sing… in fact there’s a very nice Ranger Green Helmet Cover on the HIG OPERATOR website that looks exactly like the thing I’ve been after for a long-ass time! There may well be something there for you too, so do yourself a favour and check out what they have to offer! AA
“WE TAKE THE TIME TO PUT THE BELT RIGS TOGETHER FOR THE PLAYER RATHER THAN PUTTING ALL THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS IN A BOX FOR THEM TO ASSEMBLE AT HOME. WE HAVE PREBUILT, GOOD TO GO SHOOTER BELTS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX, OR WE CAN CUSTOM BUILD AND REFINE ON REQUEST ANY CONFIGURATION”
FAR EASTERN BLOCK PARTY!
IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO TAKE SOME TIME OUT FROM THE ROUGH AND TUMBLE (AND COLOURFUL LANGUAGE!) OF THE SKIRMISH FIELD TO DO A LITTLE PUBLIC RELATIONS AND TRY AND SHINE A POSITIVE LIGHT ON AIRSOFT, ESPECIALLY IN AN ERA WHEN LOTS OF GOVERNMENTS AND MAINSTREAM MEDIA SOURCES OR SOCIAL MEDIA IN PARTICULAR SEEM HELL BENT ON CONTINUING TO PAINT US ALL AS THE DEVIL INCARNATE WITH ‘DANGEROUS (REALISTIC IMITATION) FIREARMS’ IN HAND, BEING A BUNCH OF NE’ER DO WELLS AND WHATNOT. SO AT THE INVITATION OF EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE TAIWANESE LADY AIRSOFTER (OUR OWN ‘MILITARY’ ANNY WU) STEWBACCA DECIDED TO GO AND PRESS THE FLESH, INSTEAD OF TRIGGERS, FOR A WEEKEND OF OUTREACH TO THE TAIWANESE PUBLIC.
The magic never ends here “in country” for me really, fellow shooters! If I’m not stuck at the day job (or ‘work work’) trying to share the nuance of (British) English linguistics with the Taiwanese ‘yoof’ of today, I’m probably buying, trying, testing, breaking or otherwise enjoying new airsoft guns and writing about them, or attending events and likewise sharing my thoughts and experiences to try and shed light on the landscape over here for other folks from the Anglophone sphere.
But every so often an opportunity arises to either see the internal machinations of life and how the country operates here, or to be able to hopefully cast a more positive light on our otherwise besmirched and maligned weekend warrior shooty-funtimes activities.
Towards the tail end of August, Taipei City government’s commerce department partnered with the Bade Information Business
outlets from top-tier turnkey providers down to ‘mom n pop’ component, peripheral or consumables sellers; there’s everything under one roof for the hardcore nerds who need streaming, gaming or camera gear alike.
Closing off the whole of Bade the local government created a bit of a weekend pedestrian haven from the usual manic Taipei traffic, and invited an array of exhibitors and vendors along to create a street party vibe aimed towards ‘survival games’, which in Taiwanese parlance typically implies airsoft skirmishing, but in this case also encompassed online gaming and particularly with an intent to promote women in gaming, with an ‘e-Sports Goddess Cup’ being held on the Saturday focusing on female players as well as professional e-sports team ‘Deep Cross Gaming’ DCG making an appearance for the fans alongside cosplayer dance routines among other attractions.
Development Association and Sanli group to bring a bit of a ‘(far Eastern) block party’ theme to the area around one of the main tech outlet malls in central Taipei, right near where I used to live when I first moved up from my first posting, as it happens, and near our old headquarters.
Bade Street sits out front of Guanghua plaza, a large twin multi-story building complex that is home to an array of computer and communications tech
TAKING AIRSOFT TO THE PEOPLE
Obviously Anny’s somewhat of a touchstone for all things ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Guns’ in the local shooting scene and media; if you haven’t read our similarly titled inaugural article in the ‘Getting Personal’ column back in ISSUE 148 it’s worth getting some background into her long term exploits here for better context.
She’s been at this mischief almost as long as I have, but has undoubtedly weathered it a hell of a lot better! She was good enough to invite me along to help out on the airsoft-focused stall she would be running supported by VegaForceCompany and showcasing an array of their latest products as well as allowing the general public to get ‘hands on’ with them in a non-functional/‘dry’ environment and pose for photos… with the option of getting kitted up in plate carriers, shemaghs and eyepro to complete the look if people preferred!
It certainly gave me an opportunity for a more relaxed weekend, not having to get up early or work all Saturday as I usually would for starters! Getting a nice lie in each day and working later into the evenings I arrived on scene just after lunchtime each
“EVERY SO OFTEN AN OPPORTUNITY ARISES TO EITHER SEE THE INTERNAL MACHINATIONS OF LIFE AND HOW THE COUNTRY OPERATES HERE, OR TO BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY CAST A MORE POSITIVE LIGHT ON OUR OTHERWISE BESMIRCHED AND MALIGNED WEEKEND WARRIOR SHOOTY-FUNTIMES ACTIVITIES”
to find most of the hard part already done, with a four sided column gun rack and relevant hardware in place showcasing an array of VFC’s display guns; the T91 SOC Taiwanese AR based service rifle, Walther PPQ Taiwanese police service pistol, M40A3 bolt action USMC sniper rifle, HK416 and a customised B&T clad MP5, as well as the awesome Carl Gustaf M3 MAAWS recoilless rifle system and M249 LMG adorning our front table and taking centre stage in terms of allowing the public to interact with them and hold them to pose for photos or just get a general idea of the heft of what they may be carrying in game.
Anny and I are both staunch supporters of the idea that anyone can get involved in shooting and there seems to have been a real drive towards that ideal in the local community recently with the veritable explosion of women and kids getting into IDPA that I’ve mentioned in my coverage of their national level events in past years. Personally I’ve taken our latest team addition Ning under my wing over the past few months since she’s joined us and begun training her up; she’s a very diligent student and has enthusiastically joined the team, bought her own AOR2 BDUs, signed up for our next MilSim and gotten involved in skirmishes as often as she can, as well as training regularly with me at IPSC to get better skills with pistols and carbines alike… very encouraging levels of enthusiasm to be sure!
With that in mind we set about chatting to passers-by and ‘civilians’ all weekend extolling the virtues of airsoft and the great enjoyment and camaraderie afforded by a life behind a replica firearm here in Taiwan, with many people from all walks of life taking an interest, and particularly a lot of kids wanting to take a look at the guns and gear and get their cool photographs taken all geared up behind the stall.
As is customary, the event was also opened on the Saturday afternoon with the typical level of fanfare and media coverage you come to expect here in ‘Airsoft central’; Anny and I were even called upon to provide ‘private security’ for the visiting luminaries of local government and the organisers on stage, as well as government secretary general Li TaiXing among others getting geared up and posing with Anny and I in front of our stall as they did their ‘walk around’ with local media of the event after the initial opening ceremony.
“CLOSING OFF THE WHOLE OF BADE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CREATED A BIT OF A WEEKEND PEDESTRIAN HAVEN FROM THE USUAL MANIC TAIPEI TRAFFIC, AND INVITED AN ARRAY OF EXHIBITORS AND VENDORS ALONG TO CREATE A STREET PARTY VIBE AIMED TOWARDS ‘SURVIVAL GAMES’, WHICH IN TAIWANESE PARLANCE TYPICALLY IMPLIES AIRSOFT SKIRMISHING”
HEARTS AND MINDS
It’s certainly encouraging to see local government and people in places that matter taking an interest in what we do, especially given the general feel for the airsoft community writ large worldwide as of late and the adversity we continue to face.
The legislative processes I covered back in ISSUE 163 in the ‘Halls of Power’ feature are still ongoing and we may not be out of the woods just yet from rumours I hear on the wind here in my usual fashion, so any excuse for positive publicity and interaction with the populous or politicians that aren’t already players among our ranks is a welcome opportunity to my mind.
With the strides IDPA has taken here, the more varied and normalised we make the participants of our shooting hobbies, and the less likely we are to be so readily marginalised when everyone knows somebody who responsibly enjoys some form of replica firearms related activity. Certainly the IPSC and IDPA communities are a good entry environment for many who want to enjoy shooting hobbies without the worry of the pain of getting shot at themselves, and funnily enough Ning’s mum just happened to be running the stall next to ours; once she realised we were indeed the people she recognised from photos of game days, she came over to investigate and similarly left our company well reassured that her daughter was in good hands and could enjoy the hobby in safety despite the obviously militarised appearance of it all… hearts and minds, fellow shooters.
course took Anny’s heart, and @berney_on_shoulder the backpack-mounted fur missile dog who delights in standing on the shoulders of giants; I always have a lot of time for animals, and numerous dogs frequented our stand as well, some in tactical gear of their own, as well as some service dogs in training whose humans were taking an interest in what we were up to.
Throughout the weekend countless people from all facets of life came to take an interest and get their pictures taken with the equipment and us; with both of us being unusually tall it certainly grabs people’s attention and draws them in so we can drive more interest from them. We were also staying well fed as Anny’s friends who run @wood_n_iron_workshop were on the other side of our stall, churning out their excellent hot dogs and steak sandwiches all weekend, and keeping us fed and watered in the process; an army marches on its stomach, and whatnot!
“ALL
All in all it was a pleasant way to spend a long weekend in a different environment and hopefully bring a better understanding of what we all do out in the woods, jungles or abandoned buildings the world over, and experience a more direct touch-point to people and encourage them to act on their initial intrigue or interest in shooting sports and the related equipment and environments, because, after all, it would be good if they could also become fellow shooters…
Many thanks to Anny for inviting me along to help out, as well as VegaForce Company for supporting our efforts with products to display and demonstrate, and of course Taipei City government’s commerce department, the Bade Information Business District Development Association and Sanli group for organising the event and giving us a platform to bring in new interest. AA
IN ALL IT WAS A PLEASANT WAY TO SPEND A LONG WEEKEND IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT AND HOPEFULLY BRING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE ALL DO OUT IN THE WOODS, JUNGLES OR ABANDONED BUILDINGS THE WORLD OVER, AND EXPERIENCE A MORE DIRECT TOUCH-POINT TO PEOPLE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO ACT ON THEIR INITIAL INTRIGUE OR INTEREST IN SHOOTING SPORTS”
OP PEGASUS XV
IT’S BEEN A BUSY OLD SUMMER FOR THE AA CREW, BUT A FINE ONE, WITH VIRTUALLY EVERY MEMBER ATTENDING AT LEAST ONE BIG GAME OR EVENT! THIS MONTH DAN, OUR US DEPUTY ED AND ONE OF OUR RESIDENT TECH-GURUS, BRINGS HOME THE STORY OF A SPECIAL ANNUAL GAME LOCAL TO HIM, AS HE SHARES HIS EXPERIENCE OF THE ANNUAL OP PEGASUS, A MEMORABLE GAME FOR MANY REASONS!
There are many characteristics that define an airsoft field, from the field itself to the design of the control points and terrain features, to the facilities, staff and the quality of the events, but in some cases, there are events that are transcendental, able to stand on their own merits and entirely separate from the field they might be presently tied to. It is in this category that I feel Operation Pegasus stands among the latter.
Now in its 15th consecutive year, OP: Pegasus has navigated across several different fields in its home state of Washington. From its start at Dragon Warz Paintball field in Colville, to Nitehawk Airsoft and Paintball north of Reardan, to its current residency at “The Field” on the outskirts of Spokane.
OP: Pegasus was originally conceived as a multiday “MilSim-Lite” scenario event designed around a fictional African country embroiled in war. Throughout the years, Pegasus events featured several notable factions that were the primary conduit for its unique character. The Zamundan Defense Force (or ZDF) was a consistent and staple element, being comprised mostly of irregular forces dressed in OD green fatigues or civilian garb. Worldwide Security International (WSI) was originally fielded as the opposing force. This was a mercenary faction intent on pursuing their own militaristic agenda in the failing nation-state of Zamunda. WSI’s reign was short lived, however, and they would eventually evolve into the 1st Mugambi Scouts, who
“OP: PEGASUS WAS ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED AS A MULTI-DAY “MILSIM-LITE” SCENARIO EVENT DESIGNED AROUND A FICTIONAL AFRICAN COUNTRY EMBROILED IN WAR. THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, PEGASUS EVENTS FEATURED SEVERAL NOTABLE FACTIONS THAT WERE THE PRIMARY CONDUIT FOR ITS UNIQUE CHARACTER”
were a more professional paramilitary force and one that established a long-standing brand identity with players. Even the CIA made a notable (f not rather infamous!) appearance as a third faction at one point.
Many might argue that those were the halcyon days of Pegasus, when the event was primarily hosted at Dragon Warz field. Dragon Warz was notable for its
Mugambi Scouts go, the transition to a new setting went smoothly, proving that Op: Pegasus was able to successfully navigate the winds of change.
TOUCHDOWN AT PEGASUS XV
Up until Pegaus XV, I had usually sided with the Guardia Nacional, but this year I elected to roll with San Felice cartel for a change of pace.
unique environment, being located north of Colville, Washington with a large creek running through the center of the property. The proximity to water created a natural oasis for lush growth, dense groves of hawthorn bushes, and chest-high grass fields, about as perfect a simulacrum of a jungle environment as was possible to get in the Inland Northwest.
After ten years of adventure in Zamunda, the ZDF and Mugambi forces settled their scores and sailed into the sunset. OP: Pegasus shifted theme and gears to an entirely different continent, South America.
Now located in our fictional country of Escalante, the new setting was more reminiscent of Tom Clancy’s “Clear and Present Danger” than “Blood Diamond”. Government forces in the form of Guardia Nacional would square off against the San Felice Cartel, which were strictly in the business of illegal cash crops. While many of us who’ve been attending Pegasus events year after year were sad to see the rivalry between the ZDF and
Pegasus has always had a bit of a friendly rivalry between the two major factions, and this spirit of competitiveness also translates to a lot of jockeying behind the scenes to figure out who was playing on which side. Within minutes of arriving at the field, I was already being hit up for last minute repairs or various screws, springs and parts. I took a little time out to set up my tent while there was still daylight. By late Friday evening, I had torn down a Real Sword SVD to fix a trigger reset issue, and by the following morning, rebuilt an M249 SAW’s gearbox. Throughout, I was also busy delivering repaired and upgraded guns completed from months and weeks previous to their respective owners; tis’ the life of an Airsoft tech!
My first night was a little rough, with sleep broken by the incessant cawing of a demonic rooster breaking into song at 04:00!
At about 06:00, and with the rooster still doing its thing, I crawled out of my tent and set about
“WITHIN
MINUTES OF ARRIVING AT THE FIELD, I WAS ALREADY BEING HIT UP FOR LAST MINUTE REPAIRS OR VARIOUS SCREWS, SPRINGS AND PARTS. I TOOK A LITTLE TIME OUT TO SET UP MY TENT WHILE THERE WAS STILL DAYLIGHT”
to getting ready for the day. It was projected to be an unseasonably warm weekend for September, with the expectation that the temperature would break the all-time high record that day which previously stood at 95° F (35° C).
San Felice cartel’s ‘uniforms’ were primarily comprised of civilian clothing, so I ran with that and opted for a basic ensemble. My t-shirt consisted of some Under Armor HeatGear, and for the first time in my nearly 2 decades of playing airsoft… shorts! I also opted to run the NB-Tactical V3 balaclava. This is the newest version that has been re-cut and has even more ventilation than the older version. I primarily use it though to hold my mesh mouth guard insert, which is a little piece I modified to fit my face better than factory offerings. The night previous I had cut up a shemagh into several long strips and left them to soak in ice water overnight. These I tied around my neck and wrists, areas where you have large veins moving blood through the body. As water is 23.5 times more effective at transferring heat than air, this basically works off the principal of evaporative cooling; effective in dry heat, but for those cursed with high humidity, it is less so. In our case, our brand of heat is almost always the former, so this massively
helped dull the edge and made the day bearable.
HAMBURGER HILL
After the safety briefing, a brief orientation, organizing into squads and being provided our mission sets, we set out to seize the day.
I had volunteered to run as our squad’s sole LMG gunner, a decision I later contemplated with some minor regret as it felt like the heat amplified every bit of extra weight I was carrying. Nevertheless, I made work with my customized PKM in tow.
“THE
Our first mission was a simple cash-grab for prime real estate, take Hamburger Hill and set up a CCP nearby from which we could conduct attacks into the tiny town of Farinaville below. Hamburger Hill sits dead center of the field and is notoriously difficult to assault if you have an occupying force embedded on top. As Obi-Wan might have said: “It’s over, Anakin. I have the high ground.”
We set out from our initial starting point at the Airfield and doubletimed it to Hamburger hill, arriving on site without resistance. The Guardia Nacional forces themselves had elected to seize Farinaville below and set up a hasty defensive line with a few
GUARDIA NACIONAL FORCES THEMSELVES HAD ELECTED TO SEIZE FARINAVILLE BELOW AND SET UP A HASTY DEFENSIVE LINE WITH A FEW ELEMENTS ATTEMPTING TO PROBE SOME EASTERN ANGLES. FROM THE ELEVATED POSITION OF THE BUNKERS ON TOP OF HAMBURGER HILL, WE WERE ABLE TO USE OUR SNIPERS AND LMG’S TO SUPPRESS TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY”
elements attempting to probe some eastern angles. From the elevated position of the bunkers on top of Hamburger Hill, we were able to use our snipers and LMG’s to suppress targets of opportunity and individuals attempting to attack the hill. There seemed to be no coordinated attack forthcoming from the direction of the town, however.
After a few minutes of relative calm, we were given a general order to attack Farinaville and seize it. I moved off the top and hugged the trees between the town and us. There was some return fire, but overall the response was weaker than expected, particularly on the right flank. Sensing this weakness, I used the moment to push out in a wide northern arc around the town.
My first set put me in view of the main avenue through town, and from this vantage point, this appeared to be clear of enemy; presumably they were hiding within the structures and would therefore be more difficult to remove. I yelled out to my squad mates to push up. After the rest of the squad arrived on scene, I picked up and angled out again so I could observe the rear of the structures and approaches from there. This turned into a rather fortuitous decision, with many bodies stacked behind the buildings and seemingly unaware that I had moved into firing range. An image of Matthew McConaughey taking a wild-eyed drag on a cigarette flashed in my mind as I raked the entire back of the town with my PKM. The bulk of their defense forces now shattered, we still had to properly clear the structures and secure the town. Most of the buildings
actually proved to be empty, save for the ‘killhouse’, which lived up to its name. Art Bigelow of Nomad Airsoft did handy work in there, making several of our squad members’ pay for every inch of it.
After we secured the town, we received word that Guardia forces were attempting to push up Heartbreak ridge, likely with the aim of attempting to take Sage Town. If they were successful, this would put a sizable element in our rear and within shot of our FOB at the Airfield, which was relatively unguarded due to all of our forces being forward deployed. As our current position was secure and Guardia forces had withdrawn to Party Rock or the neighboring birch forest, we split up the force and sent a large group of us to attack Heartbreak Ridge.
My squad had gotten into a bit of disarray by then, with some remaining in Farinaville, and some going on the attack. There was a small force of Guardia sitting atop Party Rock, which is the highest point on the field. This is a literal rock outcropping that has a good vantage point over a lot of the field with a lot of clear firing lanes. From there, they had pretty good range to at least harass us and force our team to keep its distance. Much like Hamburger Hill, this is an extremely difficult position to assault, if not possibly one of the hardest of all on the field. Thus, for most of the day, we gave it a wide berth. They could keep their vantage point, as long as they didn’t do anything else with it.
As I approached Heartbreak, I could hear the backand-forth of an active firefight between our forces. There was decent tree cover on the approach, so I was able to sneak up unopposed and observe that a force of Guardia was indeed assaulting the base of Heartbreak. An LMG gunner and a couple of riflemen from another squad had joined me by that point, and together as an ad hoc team we set about hosing the base of the ridge.
“HAVING NOW ASSUMED APPROXIMATELY THREE-FOURTHS CONTROL OF THE FIELD, OUR COMMAND NET RELAYED THAT THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE WAS TO HIT THE GUARDIA FORWARD OPERATING BASE ON TOP OF THE PLATEAU. THIS WAS THEIR LAST REMAINING STRONGHOLD. IF WE TOOK THAT, WE WOULD HAVE EFFECTIVELY ROLLED UP THE ENTIRE FIELD BEFORE NOON.”
With their main assaulting force demolished, the remaining Guardia forces withdrew into the neighboring birch wood forest. Having now assumed approximately three-fourths control of the field, our command net relayed that the primary objective was to hit the Guardia Forward Operating Base on top of the plateau. This was their last remaining stronghold. If we took that, we would have effectively rolled up the entire field before noon.
THE PLATEAU
I didn’t want to push through the birch forest. It was a dense thicket of brush and tightly packed trees and ill-suited for the minimum engagement distance my LMG was restricted to. I could have tried clearing through with my sidearm, but I knew there were likely Guardia forces dug in like ticks in there and it would be rough going. I opted to rejoin my squad back at Farinaville and try for a hard right flank push on the FOB, where the forest wasn’t as thick. Unfortunately I did not find my squad mates when I arrived at Farinaville. I was the only one running with a radio, and mainly used that to listen for orders from our force commander, so we didn’t have internal squad communications available, which really meant we didn’t have a means of rallying up when we were dispersed. Nevertheless, we formed up a new group and set out to work through the northern forest and up to the plateau.
maybe a squad-sized element embedded in the forest. I achieved a nice pistol kill and surprised a couple of Guardia who were distracted by the main group.
After the forest had been cleared, we mounted the plateau, scrambling up rocks and into the hummocks. Guardia, of course, had spotted us from the vantage of their FOB. The plateau is largely a wide-open space, with nearly 100m to traverse until you reach the FOB. The best way to attack it is to hoof it hard over the top and dive into the gully on the backside of the plateau. There, you have nice concealment all the way up to the backside of the FOB. If you can coordinate one group to attack from the rear, and another from the front, it’s technically possible to take it. But it requires the aforementioned coordination and the constant application of pressure to make it happen.
We made it up to about halfway on the plateau, trading some long-range fire to keep heads down, before finding ourselves shot from behind. Apparently, a lone Guardia had remained behind in the forest we had just “cleared” and snuck up behind us while we were making our push. Amusingly, he had also left his squad mates to perish at our hands from our sweep through the forest, but I suppose loyalty to one’s mates can be fleeting in our fictional wars. It was about this point in time where something gave out in my PKM too. We were too far ahead of the main group to get a medic revive, so we had to wait the required 5 minutes to “bleed out”. After consulting the clock, we also realized we were also coming up against lunchtime and the game was called for break shortly thereafter.
We pushed through on a rough line, with a rifleman and I forming the base of an L-shaped sweep, essentially working a line with a flanking group of two to hit from the side. Resistance was fairly light, with
“THE PLATEAU IS LARGELY A WIDE-OPEN
YOU
Back at camp, we dumped gear, rehydrated and ate leisurely meal. By now, the heat was nearing its peak and the effects were starting to be felt. My shemagh wraps were nearly dry from having the water baked out of them. I threw these back into my rapidly
SPACE, WITH
NEARLY
100M TO TRAVERSE UNTIL
REACH THE FOB. THE BEST WAY TO ATTACK IT IS TO HOOF IT HARD OVER THE TOP AND DIVE INTO THE GULLY ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE PLATEAU. THERE, YOU HAVE NICE CONCEALMENT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE BACKSIDE OF THE FOB”
melting ice cooler to soak.
During the assault on the plateau, something had given out on my PKM and it had elicited the characteristic death squeal of something gone awry. My motivation and morbid curiosity wrestled with one another over cracking it open and seeing if I could do a quick field repair. Motivation looked at the 100° F (37° C) on the thermometer and firmly said “No thanks!” So instead I switched out to my trusty Arcturus PP-19-01 Vityaz, which was showcased in Airsoft Action ISSUE 156. I also switched out to my SMG vest, which consists of a Tactical Tailor MAV with a Fight Light X-Harness and a mix of HSGI TACO’s, Esstac KYWI’s and banger pouches. After manhandling the heavy PKM most of the day, the Vityaz felt impossibly light in the hands.
RETURN TO HEARTBREAK
As we had more or less pushed Guardia forces into the back of the field, the field owner, Rob Kauder, elected to ‘reset’ the map and have us flip starting positions. We would now stage from the former FOB of Guardia, while Guardia forces would stage from the Airfield; this was done in the spirit of preventing the game from bogging down into a slugging match over a small piece of ground.
Sage Town, but first we needed to secure Farinaville and Heartbreak Ridge to prevent any flanking actions. We rolled into Farinaville with no resistance, but Guardia had already captured Hamburger Hill. Now we were in the position they faced earlier, with suppressive fire being lobbed at us from the hilltop. We attempted to probe around the base of Hamburger Hill, using the thicker trees as cover, but there were just too many guns pointed our way and we faced a quite literal uphill battle for control.
Since most of our force was on the Farinaville approach, a few of us opted to shift right and try to feel out the status of Heartbreak Ridge. I bumped into a friendly squad who fortuitously had a sniper in tow to help us with the long shots and our intrepid medic, Russell Fisher, who was putting in the work keeping us alive.
A good field owner knows when to switch things up to keep the pace moving and more importantly, when to put the train back on the tracks when it falls off the rails. We hadn’t fallen off the rails, but we also didn’t need the event to descend into a torturous stalemate either. Over the years, this fluid approach to managing the field has worked out pretty well and Rob has proven himself to be a capable event manager.
With the sun beating at our backs, we marched off from the FOB. Our general plan was to try and capture
We ended up largely fighting along the property border as Guardia forces were firmly embedded atop Heartbreak Ridge. But along the border, we had enough concealment and distance to allow us to at least maneuver forward. There were a few Guardia dug into the trees ahead of us, but as mid-day sun was at our backs, they struggled with the glare and were swiftly tagged out. After some aggressive pushes, I glumly realized I had ended up being the sole guy way out there at the very tip of our proverbial spearhead; cue Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself!” Well… there was no turning back now.
The vegetation was getting quite thick as I progressed further forward. There was a large (now mostly dry) pond just past Heartbreak Ridge, but this area was dense with grass, and brush… especially of the pokey variety! I may have elicited a curse or two as I shredded my legs on some unexpected
“I SWITCHED OUT TO MY TRUSTY ARCTURUS PP-19-01 VITYAZ, WHICH WAS SHOWCASED IN AIRSOFT ACTION ISSUE 156. I ALSO SWITCHED OUT TO MY SMG VEST, WHICH CONSISTS OF A TACTICAL TAILOR MAV WITH A FIGHT LIGHT X-HARNESS AND A MIX OF HSGI TACO’S, ESSTAC KYWI’S AND BANGER POUCHES”
thorns. Unappetizing as my location was, however, I had a good view on the side and top of Heartbreak Ridge and was able to pick off targets from relative concealment. From here, the edge of Sage Town was within view too, and I could practically smell an “in”… if only I could get more bodies to move up with me!
As I painfully scabbed my way through the thorns and bush (shorts, remember?), I managed to clear off the top of the ridge and was down to one last visible target. It was a hard slog of back and forth dueling as I attempted to get an angle on him. He was in a good spot, well concealed, with a lot of hard cover making a clear shot difficult. Using the sun to my advantage, I finally managed to snake a lucky .30g through the thicket and land a solid shot. My moment had arrived! I tore out of the brush and up the ridge. Meanwhile, Forest Hagel with his RPK-16 and a couple of squad mates, were bussing their way up the northern side. We were a literal hair away from having control of Heartbreak Ridge, when two squads of Guardia unexpectedly materialized and sent us into the soil. Once again, Heartbreak Ridge lived up to its name…
ENDEX
We returned to camp, a little beat and all of us ready to pillage our respective ice chests for some cold beverages.
I was low on ammo and water at that point, and the hard push to the top coupled with the brutal heat had mostly done me in. Taking the requisite five minutes to bleed out, I grabbed my gear and settled into some shade down by Sage Town and the admin tent. By that point in the day, people were beginning to drop like flies and tempers were starting to flare a bit from the heat. It was administratively decided to stop while we were ahead and call the game a little early to avoid further issues from spiraling into needless drama.
It was a good call, in my opinion.
Despite some of the frustrations elicited while on the field, once we were back in the relative comfort of camp civilization, the mood was good and everyone was having a laugh with their tales and exploits. The evening consisted of the annual raffle of event prizes, handing out patches to us old timers who’ve been around since the beginning days of Pegasus, and setting up for the “Suq” which is basically a swap meet to buy, sell and trade all things airsoft. As ever, it was amusing to see which guns had traded hands (again), many now tracing an eversordid path through innumerable hands in the community. As the night settled in on another OP: Pegasus, some stayed up to party late, while others settled in with friends and swapped stories. I made it to 11 before I crawled into my tent and soon passed out. I even slept through the demonic incantations of our rooster this time!
For myself, Op: Pegasus is more than the sum of its battles and the nature of the field. Nor is it defined by the usual foibles and frustrations that may occur at any event. Those are transient things, after all. Rather, it stands apart from similar events as an annual reunion of friends, both old and new, and the sense of shared passion we have for airsoft. The fields may change and even the faces we started with come and go over the years, but the memories we made will always be eternal. Pictures were used with permission and graciously provided by photographer Brian Neale. You can check out more of Pegasus MilSim at https:// pegasusairsoftgrou.wixsite.com/pegasusairsoft AA
“(OP: PEGASUS) STANDS APART FROM SIMILAR EVENTS AS AN ANNUAL REUNION OF FRIENDS, BOTH OLD AND NEW, AND THE SENSE OF SHARED PASSION WE HAVE FOR AIRSOFT. THE FIELDS MAY CHANGE AND EVEN THE FACES WE STARTED WITH COME AND GO OVER THE YEARS, BUT THE MEMORIES WE MADE WILL ALWAYS BE ETERNAL”
OWNING THE NIGHT
JUST LIKE LAST YEAR, THE NIGHT OPS EVENT IN PORTUGAL WAS ALREADY ON MIGUEL’S CALENDAR, AND, LIKE THE NAME GIVEAWAY, IT’S A GAME FOCUSED ON NIGHT GAMEPLAY, WITH SOME COMPONENTS DESIGNED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SOME EXPENSIVE TOYS! BUT, DON’T BE FOOLED, EVEN IF YOU HAVE JUST A FLASHLIGHT YOU CAN HAVE A BLAST, SINCE THE GAME IS MEANT FOR ALL KIND OF PLAYERS. MIGUEL TELLS MORE…
As always, we were looking forward to being part of another Night Ops event. Last year’s event was great (you can check out ISSUE 154 for my report on that game), and we are used to seeing the staff behind these events improving year after year, with better missions, better add-ons, and better engagement. But, plans for the GHOST’s and I didn’t go as we wanted, instead we got contacted
by ANA (the association behind Night Ops) to be the host of this year’s event. What does this mean? That the game would take place in one of our fields, and that we would part of the organization. We knew that it was a big burden, we know the tribulations of organizing and managing an event, but we also know the people behind ANA, and they deserve our help, so our answer was easy.
“PLANS FOR THE GHOST’S AND I DIDN’T GO AS WE WANTED, INSTEAD WE GOT CONTACTED BY ANA (THE ASSOCIATION BEHIND NIGHT OPS) TO BE THE HOST OF THIS YEAR’S EVENT. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? THAT THE GAME WOULD TAKE PLACE IN ONE OF OUR FIELDS, AND THAT WE WOULD PART OF THE ORGANIZATION”
our plans got turned upside down, the weekly game preparation (gear, replicas, etc.) became meetings and game planning, designing missions and building everything that a nationwide game needs. Even while Night Ops is not the biggest event that ANA organizes, the undertaking is still quite big, and of course we wanted everything to go well.
Let’s fast-forward to the game day, no point in bothering the readers with pre-game meeting and such. Saturday, game day, we hit the field after lunch as planned and started working. Although the game itself is not that complex, at least comparing to other ANA games, there was still plenty to do, and everything had to be completed in time. We had to set up the village, a safe zone with food, drinks, red lights, flags, the checking areas, chrono stands, the three
mission briefing zones, the different mission sectors, the Conquest area, and even touch up the parking area since the number of players was bigger than what was initially planned, due to a lapse with the online registrations. Everything went well; the ANA staff is more than used to this kind of work, and fortunately I also had eight members of my team present, who are no strangers to organizing events. So both groups
“WE HAD TO SET UP THE VILLAGE, A SAFE ZONE WITH FOOD, DRINKS, RED LIGHTS, FLAGS, THE CHECKING AREAS, CHRONO STANDS, THE THREE MISSION BRIEFING ZONES, THE DIFFERENT MISSION SECTORS, THE CONQUEST AREA, AND EVEN TOUCH UP THE PARKING AREA SINCE THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS WAS BIGGER THAN WHAT WAS INITIALLY PLANNED”
went to work.
With everything ready, it was time to open the gates, there were plenty of cars already outside and at 1800h, as scheduled, we started letting them in. As always, it was great to see so many known faces from all over Portugal, and even some that never visited our field. I had the chance to interact with many teams, welcome them to the event and have some laughs. Everything was going smoothly; we had people in the parking area hurrying those who were ready toward the check in, to avoid pileups. The check in and chrono were “processing” players with ease, and we reached the briefing time with only a five minute delay, which is great for these types of events. The briefing was kept simple, since it’s already costume for ANA to have an online briefing with all the important detail.
Conquest).
As a player/team, you would be part of a faction which was composed of several sections, all with almost the same number of players. Each section would go through every specific mission (the three sectors), once on the defending side, and once on the attacking side, at specific hours. Each mission would restart after ~50 minutes, and two other sections would take to the field. The section that won the sector mission, would contribute with points that were controlled via Ares Alpha.
GAMETIME
But now let’s focus on the game itself; unfortunately, since I was part of the staff, this article won’t focus on my team’s gameplay, but instead on the game mode and some specific details.
As was mentioned at the start, the Night Ops event is a night only game, with some in-game aspects for those who run NVGs or thermals. Like last year, the field was broken in four parts, three for specific missions (called Sectors) and one for a domination game (called
“NIGHT
The Conquest area was a non-stop gaming area, where the players who were on waiting time for their next mission could go out and fight for the control of thre Ares Alpha ATB. Each minute an ATB was under a faction’s control, it would contribute to the overall score. And you could check all that live on Ares Alpha, so if your faction was behind and your section had free time, you could see what ATB was under enemy control, and try your luck.
Now let’s break down the sector missions, since each one was completely different from the other, to give the players different experiences.
Sector One was a standard attack; one section
OPS EVENT IS A NIGHT ONLY GAME, WITH SOME IN-GAME ASPECTS FOR THOSE WHO RUN NVGS OR THERMALS. LIKE LAST YEAR, THE FIELD WAS BROKEN IN FOUR PARTS, THREE FOR SPECIFIC MISSIONS (CALLED SECTORS) AND ONE FOR A DOMINATION GAME (CALLED CONQUEST)”
had to defend a “transmission device”, while the other had to attack and disable it. Of course, there was more to it, the attacking team first had to get in contact with two “infiltrated members” and collect two electronic keys that would be needed to deactivate the device! At the moment of contact, they would also get new intel regarding a power generator that could be turned off, in order to take out the lights around the objective. So, if you had a thermal sight, it would make things easier, since you would be able to find the power generator easier. On the other side, the defending section would first be transported in a vehicle and dropped off close to the objective. Then they would need to coordinate defensive positions to defend the transmission device until the clock ran out.
Sector Two was a V.I.P. escort mission, where the defending section would need to rendezvous with a politician and his driver and then escort his vehicle to the area of the village (the safezone). In this mission I really need to point out the amazing work of my teammate Maximus, who decided to role-play as
many players wanted to have a selfie with him!
The attacking section had orders to first meet with a special contact, who would help them immobilize the vehicle. For this, they would need to select two players and move fast while following said contact, in order to reach the vehicle before the defending section. If successful, they could place a “remote charge” in the vehicle, in order to immobilize it at a time of their choosing and force the crew to leave the jeep.
Sector Three was a bit different, since there was only one attacking section, but they didn’t know this. The mission was to find and eliminate a famous terrorist; unfortunately there was a lot more to the mission that the players were made aware of. Finding the target and taking him out was the easy part, since there was no defending section and he was only armed with a pistol. Only after that did things get turned upside down, as after securing the area they would find a hostage handcuffed to a bomb that had a countdown, now they had to find the code to deactivate it. To find the code they had to use their brains, search the paper and another device close by, but, if they had NVGs they could find more clues that were written in UV ink. The code was spread around in devices similar to the one found in the terrorist’s shack, but the clock was ticking... so they had to move fast!
Meanwhile, the village wasn’t only a safezone, it was the meeting point for all players in between missions, where everyone could get something to eat or drink in the
“IN THIS MISSION I REALLY NEED TO POINT OUT THE AMAZING WORK OF MY TEAMMATE MAXIMUS, WHO DECIDED TO ROLE-PLAY AS “TRUMP”, EVEN WITH THE EAR BAND-AID; SO MANY PLAYERS WANTED TO HAVE A SELFIE WITH HIM!”
BifAnas trailer, rest a bit or just socialize. They could also try their luck in the new “Estou na Gana”, a small shooting range (for pistols only) and the two best scores won two tickets for ANA’s upcoming event, Dystopia 2!
To finish with surprise, all the sections who had completed all the missions would get to do “Mission Z”, a special mission where they would come face to face with Techmerc, the main antagonist from the Dystopia series, and be forced to carry an urgent task, reach a device before the clock ran out. But to complicate things, they couldn’t carry replicas, and the area had zombies around. This was all a planned teaser for the Dystopia game, one that we won’t miss for anything!
DEBRIEF
The event went well, the player’s feedback after it was great, at the start we had some “fires” to put out, but when things got on track, it was smooth sailing. It was a great experience to be able to work together with ANA’s staff, who have tons of experience organizing games of this dimension.
Now, to finish the article, here AS USUAL are some words from ANA.
“Every summer, ANA hosts its Night Ops. Driven based missions, night match. Seems complicated? Let’s break it down:
a) ‘driven’ because the rhythm is intense! Players are required to be at the mission control center at specific times. And missions are timed at 40’ max. Beat it or lose points to the other team... ;
b) ‘based Mission’ because the game dynamic is Quick, Rapid fire Missions! One after another. Tailored with high-tech props and role players, the missions
are developed in order to fully optimize the night environment;
c) and it’s’night match’, because... Well. No explanation needed.
This year’s Night Ops was played at Carentan, a mythic field in Portugal, host of the Ghost Ops. All kudos for this team and members for the effort they’ve put in, in this joint venture with ANA! From the very first approach they’ve been tireless working to make sure all details were spot on. From the maintenance of the field, to the role-play, to the supervision of all, Ghost Ops are truly an example of an Airsoft Team. Hands down. Thank you for the opportunity to create in Carentan!
This Night Ops ended with amazing giveaways from our sponsor partners: Combate Virtual, Hangar 18, RyotAirsoft and Wiley X. We are grateful for the support. It was well noticed and celebrated by the players. The Night Ops Formula works. Everyone loves it, it’s fresh, and it’s building its own legacy. We have some ideas to make it bigger and improve it, but we will keep those in secret to next summer.
If you want to check how this game was, check our socials or YouTube channel and check our cool three minute recap video produced by Drone Crew!
Love, from Portugal!” AA
“THE EVENT WENT WELL, THE PLAYER’S FEEDBACK AFTER IT WAS GREAT, AT THE START WE HAD SOME “FIRES” TO PUT OUT, BUT WHEN THINGS GOT ON TRACK, IT WAS SMOOTH SAILING. IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER WITH ANA’S STAFF, WHO HAVE TONS OF EXPERIENCE ORGANIZING GAMES OF THIS DIMENSION”
STRAIT UP FIGHT
IT’S BEEN A GOOD WHILE SINCE STEWBACCA FOUND HIS WAY TO THE OUTLYING PENGHU ISLAND ARCHIPELAGO IN THE TAIWAN STRAIT, ONE THAT SITS ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY OFF THE MAIN ISLAND HE RESIDES ON, AND REPRESENTS ONE OF THE MANY FRONTLINE ISLANDS FACING OFF AGAINST “THEM’NS” ON THE OTHER SIDE, STEEPED IN MILITARY HISTORY AND PERSONNEL TO THIS DAY. THE PERFECT SETTING THEN FOR A “STRAIT UP” AIRSOFT FIGHT AS HE KNOW REPORTS ON HIS RETURN TO THE ISLAND!
With COVID eventually kicking off in Taiwan just as I was last going out to PengHu to do an IPSC competition which was then cancelled, as well as visit my friends at Penghu Armament Factory (see ISSUE 127!) and with missing out on the last few IPSC games since due to my inability to get time off work, it definitely felt like it was time for me to return.
It’s the latter half of the year, which usually means all hell is breaking loose in most corners of the world, always seems that summer ushers in the start of events as such, despite summer her being a thermonuclear inferno that as we found out last year at POLK 3 is best not to venture out in the height of! Nonetheless, folks have to try and fit their events in somewhere to avoid folks missing out in favour of other MilSims or shows, so it was that a smaller contingent from within team Taiji got a bit of a low key personal invite among some other friends to return to another event location that hasn’t been used in around a decade apparently.
Myself as well as some of the ‘headshed’ of Taiji - Jon, our team leader, Barrie our 2IC, Nick our comms expert, Sky our quiet and cool guy, and Colin our resident Irishman who disappears into the shrubbery and aether with his sniper rifle, were all invited alongside our good friends at the “Keelung Airsoft Gun Sport Of Safety Association” who were fielding a handful of their own regulars in the form of ‘Blue Cat’, our fearless leader and top kid of Red Team overall, ‘CC’, ‘Bear’ and ‘Nurse’ who would be spending the long weekend running through the jungle with us to form a ten man unit within the larger 60-a-side melee who would be descending in force over the first weekend of September.
This would be my third outing to the PengHu islands in the strait of Taiwan, first heading there back in 2019 to cover another initial foray into MilSims on the island organised by Well of aforementioned PAF Airsoft, while I was reporting for Combat King Monthly on proceedings. This time, however, we elected to take the ferry (as did the majority of the players) from BuDai port way down on Taiwan’s mainland midland west coastline, however preparations had to begin a good few weeks in advance of that.
Due to the last few year’s tightening of restrictions on airsoft and/or all things gun shaped, it’s now no longer possible to put guns in secure storage on flights or ferries, and everything had to be shipped over en masse with the help of a local logistics outfit that in the end managed to get our crated up guns and magazines to and from the hotels we were staying at in short order ...albeit with a delicate ballet of “Please don’t deliver them early as we won’t be there and the hotel might wonder why the hell they’re drowning in guns” being effected by Blue Cat and the wider organising team! Top marks for their general coordination and efforts everything travelled both ways intact and un-accosted... Refreshing!
TRAVELLING IN STYLE
With the stage very much set, longer lead-time briefings in place, satellite pics and composite maps just for our unit’s use in place we awoke at around 03:00 on the Friday morning of September 5th, and Colin was good enough to drive the four of us foreigners all the way down south to allow us all to get a good catch up with each other (or on sleep in some cases) as the nature of his work means he can only usually make it along for the big events so we very much miss out on ‘the craic’ as it
Arriving at the port in excellent time, we scouted some local breakfast and began congregating with the massed gaggle of other ‘clearly airsofters’
“THIS WOULD BE MY THIRD OUTING TO THE PENGHU ISLANDS IN THE STRAIT OF TAIWAN, FIRST HEADING THERE BACK IN 2019 TO COVER ANOTHER INITIAL FORAY INTO MILSIMS ON THE ISLAND ORGANISED BY WELL OF AFOREMENTIONED PAF AIRSOFT, WHILE I WAS REPORTING FOR COMBAT KING MONTHLY ON PROCEEDINGS”
dragging MOLLE clad bag-loads of their personal gear with them on trolleys and syphoning tentatively through the x-ray and customs stations to the ferry ready for our 10:00 departure.
We’d basically booked out the entire upper deck and it was a great experience for the most part just having a laugh and catching up with an array of familiar faces from various other teams far and wide that I know through social media and past games in Taiwan. Although the voyage was a bit choppy and some fell victim to seasickness for the 90 minute scoot out to Magong harbour, thankfully I was spared that fate both ways, but we arrived largely in high spirits nonetheless to be greeted by the organising team and local airsoft influencer Sally Chou, who I’d actually met for the first time way back on first trip to PengHu as she was MC-ing the opening evening event in Harley Quinn cosplay, and would likewise be providing her services for
variety of local delicacies before hopping back on the coaches to visit the local shopping centre. A big part of Taiwanese culture is to bring back local specialities or gifts for friends and family if you do any manner of travelling, so one can’t begrudge them the detour; we had to wait for our hotels to be ready for check in anyway, and Jon, Colin and myself naturally gravitated to the Whisky outlet to take a look at what local
On to one of the four coaches organised for us we stowed our bags below decks and got ourselves seated for the trip across the main city of Magong to our lunch en masse at a local restaurant, taking over their upstairs area and engulfing a
Another stop off at a local confectionery manufacturer and we were finally at the hotels, with all our guns piled high in the tourist information lobby and being doled out to us before we scurried away to our rooms to begin preparations. Us four foreign legion were sharing a twin double room so it was a case of earplugs and potential spooning funtimes! Things were unpacked and it soon looked like an arms bazaar in everyone’s rooms as we’d basically taken over the entirety of two of the largest hotels on island and were milling about the floors checking in with each other after doing our usual inventory and preparing for the opening feast that night.
Dinner was another coach ride away and we all sat down to an excellent feeding in our tables of teams, with a raffle ensuring a lot of the participants took something away, from new tactical watches to a few Kizuna Works and VFC gas blowback replicas
“PREPARATIONS HAD TO BEGIN A GOOD FEW WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF THAT; DUE TO THE LAST FEW YEAR’S TIGHTENING OF RESTRICTIONS ON AIRSOFT AND/OR ALL THINGS GUN SHAPED, IT’S NOW NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO PUT GUNS IN SECURE STORAGE ON FLIGHTS OR FERRIES, AND EVERYTHING HAD TO BE SHIPPED OVER EN MASSE WITH THE HELP OF A LOCAL LOGISTICS OUTFIT”
tactical gear and other goodies from many of the event’s gracious sponsors, and of course I did the rounds sharing a drink with the familiar faces in the industry and player base after the formalities were done.
Before we had time to get too merry it was back to the hotels and final prep, with our whole unit descending on our room and poring over the prepared maps and talking strategy based upon the initial briefings from command. We would be fighting Blue Team for possession of the large XiYu fort on the very West island of the archipelago which is like interconnected like the Florida keys with a series of
as we cheerfully got to know our new compatriots in our various levels of ability in each other’s languages, and our plan was set and ready for the morning… and so, to bed…
Morning broke, and we started shuffling around donning our BDUs and gear (our group would all be wearing Multicam for the duration of proceedings); we congregated downstairs ready to board the coaches to the opposite end of the island chain. All decked out with guns slung I might add (it really is the wild west, out east here, fellow shooters) while I’d
happen on my first outing where guys were clad head to toe in gear and rifles slung outside our hotel and passers-by were pulling up to take photos of how cool they looked rather than informing the authorities! In Taiwan news travels fast and people and authorities are usually informed of what’s going on anyway, although Colin did catch the gaze of some surprised passing RoC military guys in a jeep as he was hanging around the rear of the coach… “Laissez faire” doesn’t really do the Taiwanese folks justice; if you aren’t a problem they won’t make you one…
The coach ride was around 40 minutes and we arrived and debussed and collected our
“WE CONGREGATED DOWNSTAIRS READY TO BOARD THE COACHES TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE ISLAND CHAIN. ALL DECKED OUT WITH GUNS SLUNG I MIGHT ADD… WHILE I’D NORMALLY BE THE FIRST TO CONSTERNATE OVER SUCH PUBLIC DISPLAYS I’D SEEN THE SAME HAPPEN ON MY FIRST OUTING WHERE GUYS WERE CLAD HEAD TO TOE IN GEAR AND RIFLES SLUNG OUTSIDE OUR HOTEL AND PASSERS-BY WERE PULLING UP TO TAKE PHOTOS”
gear for the yomp down the hill to the main staging area and safe zone at one end of the facility, with awnings prepared for all the teams
route’ option of just leopard crawling through the dense undergrowth for maximum stealth available to our moving elements.
and nicely labelled with name plates for our convenience. We unfolded our chairs and settled in, buying locally sourced bio BBs and gas as we couldn’t carry any on the way, and loading up and tuning in our radio gear and other accoutrements ready for game on.
I was also collared for public relations as usual; many of our team have family or professional concerns that preclude them from appearing on camera or in print at times, but I guess I’m past that so I’m always nominated “imposing foreign dude” for photos and TV interviews! Hey mum, I’m on TV… again… To be fair, she’d probably kill me if she knew what mischief I’ve been up to over here all these years!
With everything dialled in and supplies stowed, especially water in our camelbaks and tac gear (you wouldn’t believe the heat and humidity out here even this late in the year compared to last year!), we marched up the hill from camp and to our start point at the west end of the facility, with Blue Team beginning over in the East.
Two major paved tracks at the north and south extremities connected us, also interspersed with ladder like paved cross-tracks as well as the ‘scenic
ACTIONS ON!
The first action kicked off at 10:00 and we all began dispersing along the main road and branching off into the rows of pine trees and filtering through the nooks and crannies to best disperse ourselves in cover out of the open and best away from incoming fire as the first elements of the OpFor broke the treelines on the peak ahead and fire erupted.
Our element stayed back as the rear guard as basically everyone else had pulled a ‘leeroy Jenkins’ and gone full tilt up front, so we then worked our way south through the connecting tracks and arrived at the southern main road and began moving eastward to intercept reinforcing and flanking elements of the Blue Force. As with previous POLK Milsims our radio comms seemed to be somewhat seamless and we were getting updated and re-directed all over the
and were hanging back in the undergrowth and relaying orders between our unit and the numerous others that comprised Red Force. The one time I got taken out and fell back to their position for regen
“I’M ALWAYS NOMINATED “IMPOSING FOREIGN DUDE” FOR PHOTOS AND TV INTERVIEWS! HEY MUM, I’M ON TV… AGAIN… TO BE FAIR SHE’D PROBABLY KILL ME IF SHE KNEW WHAT MISCHIEF I’VE BEEN UP TO OVER HERE ALL THESE YEARS!”
during the second action I never saw them stop the radio chatter, keeping everyone up to date and directing our elements into the fray with surprising adeptness.
experiences Taiji/Keelung ended up being the sharp end of the stick and working well as a small independent QRF unit that seemed to be tabbing and crawling all over the place to plug the gaps amid the larger teams who took more entrenched positions and walked as walls of fire to clear out the enemy.
We were in our element, but certainly sweating it out… I got through my three litre Camlebak in short order and had to refill it!
As lunchtime drew close it seemed that our force had taken and held the objective areas despite fierce firefights and counterattacks from BluFor. Endex was called and we slung our rifles and ambled back to the prep area for the typical ‘bian dan’ Taiwanese lunch boxes and to reload all our gear.
Colin had immediately gone forward at game on with his Ghillie suit and sniper rifle and hunkered down in place and began relaying intelligence back to our main unit, but we soon lost contact with him as we later moved out of radio range, he nonetheless had a grand old time on his own by all accounts, messing up the BluFor and eventually engaging in a triple kill pistol battle!
Unfortunately, during the various crawling through the denser foliage I’d managed to tear up the hypalon style shoulder strap of my JPC clone and it was hanging off me held together with just the improvised integrated sling system I put on all my plate carriers. Luckily, Barrie had brought the everuseful roll of duct tape into the field with him, so I ditched all my gear and taped the daylights out of it to hold it together for the rest of the actions in the afternoon… Not an ideal start, but we survived without losses from our unit as far as I’m aware despite getting stuck in everywhere.
Lunchtime stretched on for two hours to give everyone chance to rest up properly and at least attempt to dry their gear out to some extent. As 14:00 approached we began gearing up again and posed for team photos and whole group photos for the event photographers in front of the large event & sponsor backdrop and then we tabbed off to the opposite end of the site to start the second action, switching ends, as it
ONCE MORE INTO THE BREACH!
We deployed to the far south-east corner and waited for game on at the base of a hill in a hidden bunker complex built into the walls of the fortification that were covered with foliage and not easily identifiable on the aerial photos.
With everything set we charged up the road to
“WITH EVERYTHING SET WE CHARGED UP THE ROAD TO THE WEST PASSING THE MAIN ARTILLERY EMPLACEMENTS AND BEGAN ENGAGING BLUFOR THROUGH THE TREE LINES; THEY HAD ALSO STARTED NOT FAR FROM OUR FORWARD BASE AND WE HAD TO PUSH THEM BACK IN A ROLLING REGEN MANNER TO BREAKOUT FROM OUR INITIAL LINE”
the west, passing the main artillery emplacements (a quartet of gun basins in the top of a large fortification again buried into the walls) and began engaging BluFor through the tree lines. They had also started not far from our forward base and we had to push them back in a rolling regen manner to breakout from our initial lines.
Eventually we managed to force them back and began clearing ground and ‘opening up the map’ for us, as it were. After forcing our way past a low lying building that we took cover in and effected a bit of a pincer attack from, Jon, Barrie and me heading up the ridgeline to effect overwatch while the others forced forwards below. We once again came to a fork in the road and turned north towards the other main road in the distance, moving up the connecting track the opposite direction from the morning’s efforts, and emerging where we had begun the initial action.
As it happens, the only time during the whole operation I took a hit myself was towards the middle of the second action.
Unfortunately the rain had set in just as game on was called (typical!) and as a result my eyepro, and the stack of various lens protectors and lenses of my red dot and flip to centre G33 magnifier clone on my VFC T91 had decided to fog up making things a bit of a nightmare for me aiming at distance. I flipped the magnifier clear and decided to move up the ranks with the red dot only to engage the defending Blue Force at the intersection and, of course, being a large target managed to take a BB to my right arm. Out I ambled, back to the command element marking our regen towards the rear lines.
I sidled back into game after a bit of a breather, taking on much needed fluids, taking off my additional sustainment backpack, reloading and regassing my mags, and grabbing a snack.
Back to the lines I made my way and emerged into a large firefight already in progress! Piling into roadside cover provided by netting and fences, Red Force were pepper-potting gradually towards the enemy spawn point and holding the forces still there off, despite some sniper shots effecting casualties. Eventually we pulled out and returned along the same road to reinforce another action happening back on the southern road as our compatriots were
encountering a lot of resistance when trying to move their larger units along it.
Quietly “leopard crawling” through the dense undergrowth in a column (seriously, we were joking the other night while planning the next MilSim about how we should all bring knives or hatchets to make sure we can get through this stuff more easily) I managed to get my gear stuck on a really tight root and vine patch we were crawling through and thankfully Barrie was right behind me and managed to retrieve one of my gas AR mags that got pulled out in the tangle… An expensive mistake dodged.
We emerged from the worst of it into a slightly clearer area and managed to flank the small BluFor unit that had been holding up the advance of the main element of our larger team, eliminating them after a few minutes of firefight and eventually realising it was in fact our new friends we’d met the day before during the tour of the town and gotten talking too.
With the road cleared we broke cover and beckoned the rest of our elements forward to take on the next challenge. We were on the coastline area at the south and could hear the waves crashing beneath and decided to chill for a short while and recover, reloading everything and preparing for the next push.
It was getting towards 17:00 when we had been told the second action would cease, and the only objective remaining was to find a pair of ammo crates which had apparently been left in the nearby brushland. The majority of Red Team were engaged in the search and we provided rear guard from any further attempts to flank by BluFor, but to be honest having dragged ourselves through the worst of it all for the last three hours under continuous fire and movement we were somewhat bedraggled and beaten. The heat and humidity are really oppressive when trying to spend longer exerting yourself in full battle rattle!
As endex was finally called we picked ourselves and the remnants of our gear up and ambled back to the staging area in relatively good spirits given our general state of exhaustion. In the end BluFor managed to find the ammo crates which were packed with free samples of Unicorn Airsoft’s Marui MWS reinforced GBBR nozzles… Happy faces all round!
“I SIDLED BACK INTO GAME AFTER A BIT OF A BREATHER, TAKING ON MUCH NEEDED FLUIDS, TAKING OFF MY ADDITIONAL SUSTAINMENT BACKPACK, RELOADING AND RE-GASSING MY MAGS, AND GRABBING A SNACK; BACK TO THE LINES I MADE MY WAY AND EMERGED INTO A LARGE FIREFIGHT ALREADY IN PROGRESS!”
We sat down and demobilised and debriefed while dinner was handed out to us again in the form of traditional lunch boxes. I didn’t eat much to be fair, and I was borderline zoned out and unresponsive to conversation to some extent. Dehydration will send your brain into ‘buffering mode’ and it’s important to keep an eye on each other within your team too. I tend to get very angry or belligerent when I’m exhausted and a little disoriented, but eventually I managed to get out of my gear, rehydrate, set all my things straight and settle in for the next wait.
The evening also had a short night vision oriented action, which would be a quick hour or so of gameplay but we didn’t get involved ourselves. A few of our wider team have NVG and/or thermal weapon sights or headsets, but weren’t present as such, and we were all toasted from the previous actions and just wanted to get back to the hotel and shower. My feet had been wet all day and trench-foot levels of dank were setting in alongside the heady aroma of ‘Flat Dank Earth’ which is my plate carrier and BDUs after any such action… Pickled, for sure!
THE FREEDOM PLANE/FERRY HOME
We eventually got a coach back a little earlier than originally expected as the organisers split the rides by whether or not people participated in the NVG game, so at least we had some time to chill out, clean ourselves up and gather for snacks and the follow up after action report and drinking in our room with the rest of the team.
Lots of the usual “adult beverage” induced multilingual levity and war stories ensued and it was a great reminder of how the people around you really make the events what they are.
The Sunday morning consisted of us re-boxing and wrapping our transport crates for shipping home and leaving everything stacked once again in the hotel lobby’s side room for the organisers to either ship home for us, or bring to the meeting point near the ferry later. With the morning to ourselves Colin, Jon and I went off on the scooters they rented for the weekend to explore the island a little more and chill out in the pleasant scenery, before rallying with all the others and the organisers to say our goodbyes and get on the boat back, once again taking over the whole of one deck and being surrounded by tactical bags and camo clad ‘tourists’ like ourselves.
Back on the main island we said our final goodbyes and packed back into Colin’s car for the long drive home through a pretty epic storm that had swept in as we were getting off the boat. Getting home at nearly 2300, and collapsing straight into bed, it had certainly been a ‘strait up fight’! Many thanks as always to the organisers for their extensive hard work putting on a great event, and to my teammates and all the participants for the excellent sportsmanship and camaraderie I observed throughout; there are no enemies in airsoft, merely opposing forces!
Until next time, fellow shooters… AA
“MANY THANKS AS ALWAYS TO THE ORGANISERS FOR THEIR EXTENSIVE HARD WORK PUTTING ON A GREAT EVENT, AND TO MY TEAMMATES AND ALL THE PARTICIPANTS FOR THE EXCELLENT SPORTSMANSHIP AND CAMARADERIE I OBSERVED THROUGHOUT; THERE ARE NO ENEMIES IN AIRSOFT, MERELY OPPOSING FORCES!”
