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G&P XM177E1 DYTAC SLR M4 MOA SHOW REPORT WINTER ESSENTIALS CONCAMO CAMOUFLAGE HOW TO SHOOT STRAIGHT FBI QUALIFICATION SHOOT
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AIRSOFT ACTION
12 ARMOURY: DYTAC SLR
IN THIS ISSUE...
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PROUDLY SUPPORTING PILGRIM BANDITS
MARCH 2019 - £4.50
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MARCH 2019
G&P XM177E1 DYTAC SLR M4 MOA SHOW REPORT WINTER ESSENTIALS CONCAMO CAMOUFLAGE HOW TO SHOOT STRAIGHT FBI QUALIFICATION SHOOT
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Editor: Nigel Streeter Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing Ad Design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter Cover Photo: Bjorn@klockarairsoft UK 13-issue subscription rate: £46.50 UK 6-issue subscription rate: £24.00 For overseas prices email: subs@airsoft-action.co.uk
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Tel: +44 (0) 1684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.online ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2019 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 print. Distributed by Intermedia Brand Marketing Ltd.
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LETTER , IDEA OR QUESTION? Got something to say? A question for our experts? An article or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the Editor: nige@airsoft-action.co.uk, write to us at the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.
FEATURE: GHILLIE SUITS
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KIT & GEAR: WINTER ESSENTIALS
SKILLS: FBI QUALIFICATION SHOOT
Contents MARCH 2019
CONTENTS MARCH 2019 6
NEWS
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REEL STEEL: LETHAL WEAPON
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ROGUE’S GALLERY
12
ARMOURY: DYTAC SLR
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FEATURE: BARRELS
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FEATURE: GHILLIE SUITS
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ARMOURY: SHOTGUNS
To get the lowdown on the very latest items to hit the airsoft market, Airsoft Action has contributors reporting back from both SHOT in the USA and IWA in Germany. This time we’re delighted to bring you a first-hand report from the Military/Outdoor/Airsoft and Airgun Show in Taiwan.
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INSIDE AIRSOFT: SIXMIL.COM
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A while back we ran a Team Profile on the North-West based team, The Wolfpack. Now team member, Tommy Weedon, brings us up to date with how The Wolfpack is developing.
TEAM PROFILE: WOLFPACK
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KIT & GEAR: WINTER ESSENTIALS Pt2
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KIT & GEAR: SNR RADIO
Airsoft Action readers doing what they do best! When Scott Allan heard that Dytac were making an SLR, he nearly came over all “unnecessary”. However, even though it wasn’t what he expected, he was still impressed!
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ARMOURY: G&P XM177E1
They do say that things do tend to “come around again” and the “Namsoft Scene” most definitely seems to be having a resurgence. Long involved with all things “Nam” Bill takes a look at a classic carbine from G&P that set the tone for US military personal weapons years to come!
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ARMOURY: COLT WE CT25 “MOUSE”
Les Lee knows how to hold a pistol but when he first picked this one up, “palming” took on a whole new meaning!
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INTERNATIONAL: TAIWAN
KIT & GEAR: CONCAMO
It seems like new Camouflage patterns are everywhere these days and no longer do you have to choose a scheme that’s actually used by serving military or law enforcement. Tom “Anvil” Hibberd takes a look at a pattern designed to confuse the viewer …but does it work?
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FEATURE: HOW TO SHOOT STRAIGHT
Many of us invest hundreds of pounds into our RIFs in order to gain an advantage over our opponents on the Airsoft battlefields. There are however much cheaper ways to eliminate your enemies! Tom Hibberd goes into 5 ways to make your shots count.
When it comes to playing airsoft many of us live by the mantra that “it’s all about the guy next to you” and of course this is ingrained military doctrine too, as you rely on your “buddy” at all times. This month Bill takes a look at one of the best known “buddy movies”, one that set the bar high in many ways: “Lethal Weapon”. We all know what they are – they are the bit that sticks out the front of our guns that the BB comes out of – but how do they really work and is a tightbore barrel really worth the cost? Frenchie investigates… We all know that camouflage is important, especially for those that take on the role of a sniper. Paul Yelland gives us some tips on how to create and test a ghillie suit. Bill takes a close look at his favourite shotgun model, the “Remington 870”, in both spring and gas guises. As the company continues to grow, Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick gives us an update on the new loadouts they have launched for rental players.
Bill brings us a breakdown of how everything works together and how you can use it effectively to keep you at full speed and “in the game”. Phil B finds a way to stop antennae and cables getting in the way and prodding you in the middle of a firefight!
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KIT & GEAR: SPIRITUS SYTEMS
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SKILS: FBI QUALIFICATION SHOOT
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HEAD TO HEAD: FN2000
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LAST POST: BIG BROTHER
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INTERNATIONAL: AUSTRALIA
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SITE & PRACTICAL PISTOL DIRECTORY
Phil Bucknall is well into his plate carriers but when he wanted something a little more practical, he got his inspiration from a certain TV series. FN Herstal’s F2000 bullpup hadn’t been available new in airsoft form for a few years. Today’s buyers have the option to buy JG in the UK or G&G in the USA. But at very different price points, which one is the better buy? Steve Takle finds out. How would you like to live in a country where real firearms are legal and yet you can be arrested for possessing an AEG? Sounds daft? Too right it is! Nige explains…
Looking for a new challenge, Andy Nightingale from Calibre Shooting turned to tactical qualification shoots. Here he presents the second in his series. Although a creation in the mind of George Orwell’s book 1984, “Big Brother” seems to be everywhere in 2019 – but it is not necessarily Governments doing the watching, as Frenchie explains. Looking for a skirmish site, or your local Action Air Club? Then we may have the answer, with pages of sites and clubs throughout the UK.
s w e N t f o s Air UCAP AIRSOFT OPENS THREE NEW SITES! Never a company to sit on past successes, UCAP Airsoft have recently announced the acquisition of three awesome new sites: UCAP VENDETTA, UCAP VENGEANCE AND UCAP VANQUISH.
UCAP VENGEANCE is a partly-buried building located on the former Police Training Centre, at Bramshill in Hampshire.
In typic al UCAP-style, each venue is unique and will offer airsofters challenges they won’t find in woodland environments.
UCAP VENDETTA is the former HMP Gloucester, originally opened in 1792 and used until its fairly recent closure in 2013. The prison was the site of many executions and it is widely rumoured that there are still a number of bodies buried beneath it!
The building was once the home of the Serious Crime Analysis Centre, one of the most secretive sections in the police service and contains four floors of offices, briefing rooms and technical spaces – it even has a cinema! The first games are scheduled to start at the end of the month. UCAP VANQUISH will give airsofters the chance to battle their way through a former Sealink cross channel ferry, with all the trails and challenges it will bring. If you have ever been on a cross channel ferry, with all the passageways, rooms, car decks and staff areas, it is not difficult to see just how good it would be to play airsoft on one.
Speaking with UCAP’s main man, Andy Stevens, when we met recently at UCAP VENDETTA, he said he was truly excited about the prospect of bringing these three new sites on-line and particularly pleased that he is able to offer them to airsofters on an exclusive basis. The first game at UCAP VENDETTA is scheduled for 10th February and with bookings filling up fast, it looks like this awesome venue is set to be another UCAP success – and Airsoft Action will be there to cover it. For more information and to book at any UCAP site, head over to their website: www. ucap.co.uk
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MARCH 2019
VFC PRODUCTS NOW AVAILABLE AT RETAIL STORES BELOW
DISTRIBUTED BY RWA
s w e N t f o s Air RAVEN TAKING FLIGHT
we had for test works superbly. With SHOT and IWA just around the corner we’re excited to see what comes next in the RAVEN range, and you can keep an eye on it too by following their social media pages or by visiting www.rvnairsoft.com
Over the past few months the RAVEN range of GBB pistols has really been growing again and as we head into 2019 this looks to be set to continue with new models and accessories! Once again Airsoft Action has been “on the inside” to take a look at developments and we’re pleased to report that the next addition to the line looks to be a rather stunning railed “1911”, along with a dependable C02 magazine to power it! The pre-production model we’ve had our hands on looks absolutely great and is compatible with all good pistol light/ laser accessories. The C02 magazine really drives the slide, and of course will make this a great “cold weather” pistol choice. Don’t fret though if you’re an EU17/18 user though as there’s also something new and awesome coming for you in the shape of an extended gas magazine! This will no doubt please EU18 owners, especially those who like to rattle off BBs in “full-auto” mode. Again, the pre-production model
AIRFEST - THE ULTIMATE AIRSOFT WEEKENDER! 3 DAYS OF AIRSOFT & PARTY HEAVEN - FESTIVAL STYLE!
*2019 Party theme – New Orleans “Mardi Gras”
HOSTED BY NPF AIRSOFT, BASSETTS POLE, BIRMINGHAM.
• *Full onsite weekend camping including deluxe camping in classic bell tents
FRIDAY 26TH THRU SUNDAY 28TH JULY 2019
• *Onsite shower unit
This three day Airsoft weekender features gameplay & skirmishes across some of the most immersive, ultra-realistic games areas in the UK. NPF - known as one of THE best combat venues worldwide hosts the 3rd official Airfest festival weekend in 2019! A combination of awesome airsofting and true festival vibes Airfest is the must-attend event of the summer!
• *One of Europe’s largest combat event industry trade shows
As featured in Airsoft Action magazine!! AIRFEST FEATURES... • *Some of the best playing areas in Europe • *Airsoft games to suit everyone’s style of play
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• *The famous Airfest players party with live DJ’s dancers, competitions and free refreshments!
• *Headline sponsorship from worldwide brand leaders • *Full onsite event catering • *Full onsite medical event services • *Airfest open air movie night • *Special guests, airsoft challenges plus loads more… *Tickets from £75 per person – check out the website www.airfest.net for info & to book
• *Big game airsoft every day
• Check out our official Facebook page for regular news & updates on Airfest 2019
• *Main Feature game scenario - Diamond Wars
• www.facebook.com/airfestuk
MARCH 2019
AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS
ROGUE’S GALLERY
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MARCH 2019
AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS
All these photos are courtesy of Bjorn Klockar (bjorn@klockerairso�) and his “boyz”, Ma�as Halvarsson, Daniel Selin and Erik Larsveden as they get in some winter prac�ce.
Information Fancy seeing yourself in Airsoft Action? Send in your photos via email (nige@airsoft-action.co.uk) or share on our Facebook page (/AirsoftAction) along with a few words describing what’s going on in the image.
www.airsoft-action.online
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armoury DYTAC SLR
DAYTAC SLR
WHEN SCOTT ALLAN HEARD THAT DYTAC WERE MAKING AN SLR, HE NEARLY CAME OVER ALL “UNNECESSARY”. HOWEVER, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN’T WHAT HE EXPECTED, HE WAS STILL IMPRESSED! WHEN I FIRST HEARD THAT DYTAC were making an SLR I almost wet myself with excitement, of course it turned out to be an AR15 platform based on the SLR Rifleworks ranges, not an actual SLR! Dammit! The civilian practical, tactical and in-your-face-tical trend doesn’t seem to ever end and I guess why not? Things are good for guns in the US at the moment (unless you live in California) and more and more firearms companies are pumping out more and more designs. The lifestyle aspect of the AR now seems to be a “thing” too, Vortex, Magpul, Wiley X, 5.11 and all the other manufacturers seem to have developed this “Hey, I’m a regular guy wearing these
subliminal shooters clothes… nudge nudge, wink wink” attitude. Anyway, I digress, but the SLR as a civilian shooter’s gun is where I’m going.
SO WHO ARE DYTAC?
Dytac, or Dynamic Tactical, have been around for many years as a part manufacturer in Hong Kong, much like G&P were in days gone by. In recent years they have risen and fallen in terms of presence in the marketplace. The Hex magazines they released and were quite exciting and they are still popular today but nothing major seems to have surfaced since then. Over the last twelve months Dytac have once again dipped their toe into the complete AEG markets and, as always, I was keen to see what they’re bringing to the table. Looking at two of the newest and (personally I think) the best looking rifles Dytac have ever produced, the PDW (Personal Defence Weapon) and the SBR (Short Barrelled Rifle). The rifles are near identical except for the obvious length difference, as you would expect from most Airsoft rifles these days. It is always important to remember that barrel length does not equal range or accuracy, it is one of the most common misconceptions on the Airsoft field. The first impressions from the SLR Works is the attention to detail and the level of finishing. If you had shown me this rifle out of the box, I would never have guessed Dytac had produced it - talk about upping your game! It reminds me much more of G&P-type level of quality and detail and I hope this is the new standard for all their rifles because if it is, they will be worth looking at in the future.
THE REAL STEEL
Based off the 5.56 standard AR15/M4 platform design, SLR works have sought to improve on the original designs and working out of central Florida they have performed solidly so far. It’s a greatlooking design too, keeping the original lines of the AR15 they done as so many have done already and added in a few nice touches, features and extra design lines to make it look just that 12
march 2019
armoury DYTAC SLR
little bit sharper across the board. Also known for their great AK parts (reviewed in a previous issue) the SLR Works range really is one of the top eye-catching brands to watch. Both the Dytac SBR and the PDW are a great size although both had a tiny bit of play in the stock I couldn’t seem to tighten up. Fully extended the SBR was the better of the two for me and although I’m not a huge fan of really short guns, the PDW is really nice too. The SBR has a slightly nicer flash hider too, the PDW’s just looks a bit too “plastic” for my liking. The rails are both smooth and comfortable to grip with no rough edges, or points that get in the way unnecessarily and being an MLOK design, you’ll be able to quickly attach any and all
torches and aim devices without having to fuss around too much. Included with each rifle is a BCM style front grip that’s a nice little extra but weirdly no sights are included, I think they have missed a trick there. The licensed Hex magazine is a highly regarded good all-round magazine and has been available separately for a few years now. The main receiver has so many little lines and features it’s hard to single them all out but the bodywork is great-looking all round and whilst I hadn’t paid any attention to the SLR range in the past, this has definitely caught my eye. The pistol grip is again a BCM style (who Dytac used to make direct replicas off but I’m guessing now can’t to get the US licenses), the grip is comfortable and positive. The stock is funky, this MP5 style collapsible seems to have become popular again for some reason, probably the Honey Badger video from FPS Russia all those years ago. I’ve never felt a particular need for a stock like this but it’s fairly decent yet it has that little bit of play I couldn’t nail down.
“TOO COMMON IS THE MULTIPLE BLAND BORING M4S IN TWO LENGTHS OEM’D BY A DISTRIBUTOR WITH A “MEGA SEAL TEAM ALPHA SAS” LOGO SLAPPED ON THE SIDE OF IT AND A £300 PRICE TAG, SO A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO DYTAC FOR STEPPING OUT OF THAT BOX.”
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armoury DYTAC SLR
“IF YOU HAD SHOWN ME THIS RIFLE OUT OF THE BOX, I WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED DYTAC HAD PRODUCED IT - TALK ABOUT UPPING YOUR GAME!” The gearbox is pretty decent too, remove the stock and you can easily reach the spring, that’s handy if you switch sites occasionally from indoor to outdoor. Also, the internal workings of the ambidextrous fire selector are unique and is actually pretty tough-looking. The selector plate is bespoke due to the internal designs, not a major issue but always handy to know. The spring guide is a bearing style that gives a more consistent FPS and the 8mm bearings will keep it all running smoothly on the gear side of things. The piston head is vented, again this is better than standard, only the piston slightly surprised me with only the last two teeth being metal but that’s not a giant issue for me. The only main thing that irks me with manufacturers is when they use some horrid grease inside and this rifle wasn’t much different from many others. It looks like dried up washing up liquid, in this case sticky blue stuff! The hop chamber is worth noting too - it’s the rotary style with a captive nub, some players love swapping out a hop unit but I found this one to be very good out of the box. A few companies have developed their own electronic triggers and they’re great but they don’t last as well as their standard triggers did. So they add a selling point and increase the price but they require more work for the retailer (and for the player) and no one wants that - most of all you the player. So simple is often the best way forward in my opinion, then later on you can opt to add something in yourself like a Gate Titan – by far the best new electronic trigger I’ve seen. It’s a very fair price for a licensed rifle, which, given the level of detail and the quality of the finish Dytac have produced, makes it all the better. There really is a lot of replica for your money rather than off the shelf basic parts and for £350 that’s what you expect. Too common is the multiple bland boring M4s in two lengths OEM’d by a distributor with a “Mega SEAL Team Alpha SAS” logo slapped on the side of it and a £300 price tag, so a round of applause to Dytac for stepping out of that box. Internally the SLR range is looking solid and robust, the standard brass barrel would probably be the first place I’d look to fire in an upgrade, most likely a Prometheus 6.03 which is still the industry best after all these years. I would consider swapping out the hop up rubber maybe but not before I’d changed the barrel. Then I would almost certainly get a Titan trigger system in there. Having seen over 100 fitted now I saw my first failure the other week, out of the box it didn’t work. Contacted Gate and it was replaced in 3 days - I just wish Airsoft Systems could’ve been that good when some of mine were catching fire in the rifle! The top RIS rail is just asking for a T1 style red dot! My favourite at the moment is the Vortex SPARC, great value, holds a zero (unlike so many of the cheap versions out there) and the Vortex no-quibble warranty means if it gets shot out during a game they’ll replace it totally free. The lack of iron sights is still really bizarre I find! I mean, throw $10 onto the cost to put a cheap set on at least.
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march 2019
features SBR SLR Airsoftworks Synergy Mini Compensator SLR Airsoftworks 9.7″ Helix Ultra Lite M-Lok rail SLR Airsoftworks Billet Style B15 Metal Receiver with Quick Spring Change Function SLR Airsoftworks Renegade Ambidextrous AEG Charging Handle Dytac Ver2 Quick Spring Change 8mm Bearing Gearbox Dytac Advanced Gears M4 Motor Grip Dytac 8.5″ Outer Barrel Dytac PDW Stock Hexmag Airsoft 120rds Magazine Muzzle velocity : 360 fps with .20g BB
PDW SLR Airsoftworks Linear Compensator SLR Airsoftworks 6.7″ Helix Ultra Lite M-Lok rail SLR Airsoftworks Billet Style B15 Metal Receiver with Quick Spring Change SLR Airsoftworks Renegade Ambidextrous AEG Charging Handle Dytac Ver2 Quick Spring Change 8mm Bearing Gearbox Dytac Advanced Gears M4 Motor Grip Dytac 4.5″ Outer Barrel Dytac PDW Stock Hexmag Airsoft 120rds Magazine Muzzle velocity : 360 fps with 0.20 BBs RRP £350
CONCLUSION
The SLR range from Dytac continues to expand but they’ve almost filled it up. I can only hope that they continue to pick up some new licenses for other great US brands, especially ones that do something a little bit different like AKs and ARs together. This offers players a little bit of choice even though they will go for an AR platform 99% of the time – a sad truth of Airsoft! AA
armoury G&P XM177E1
AMERICAN WAR CLASSIC
THEY DO SAY THAT THINGS DO TEND TO “COME AROUND AGAIN” AND THE “NAMSOFT SCENE” MOST DEFINITELY SEEMS TO BE HAVING A RESURGENCE. LONG INVOLVED WITH ALL THINGS “NAM” BILL TAKES A LOOK AT A CLASSIC CARBINE FROM G&P THAT SET THE TONE FOR US MILITARY PERSONAL WEAPONS YEARS TO COME! I’VE BEEN REALLY BLESSED TO HAVE spent time living in the USA and the four years that I spent there were absolutely fantastic when it came to playing airsoft, running games, plus being involved in a thoroughly vibrant and energetic community. It also allowed me to delve deeper into one of the most fascinating of “modern wars” - the “American War” fought in the jungles, paddy fields and streets of Vietnam. Having access to real “Vets” allowed me to hear stories first-hand from those that actually served and participated and I was privileged to meet a number of spot-on guys that were willing to tell me about their experiences “in country”. Of course, being in the USA also meant that I had free reign to pillage local “Army Navy” and surplus stores for all that “old green canvas crap” (M56 LBE) and the occasional period gem! At the time I was part of a Living History Group and my regular trips back and forth to the UK usually resulted in me paying “excess baggage” fees for all the “old green canvas crap” that I’d haul back for them. I had great fun attending War & Peace and Military Odyssey with the group but what I really enjoyed was the “Namsoft Community”, playing in themed games around the country with the likes of my good friends “Tigerstripe” Paul, Tom and Neil, Gaz and the lads from Nottingham, and Nicholas and the Wiltshire crew. The UK Vietnam Airsoft Forum was a busy one back in the day and was a source of great knowledge, but it was the wit and banter of the members that made it truly memorable. Sadly, as with all things, folk got on with their “real lives”, time and airsoft moved on and “Namsofters” (apart from the truly dedicated few) quietly packed up their M16s and Type 56s and caught the “Freedom Bird” elsewhere... I’m absolutely thrilled to see that “Namsoft” is on the ascendancy again and that a number of my fellow
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FEBRUARY 2019
Airsoft Action contributors have well and truly “caught the bug”. I’ve had great fun talking to some of them already, and I sincerely hope that I’ll be able to speak more on page about era-correct kit and weapons if this trend continues. For now though, I’m going to look at a cracking little AEG that’s perfect for “Namsoft” but one that was quite literally the “grandpappy” of all those short, carbine-length ARs that are out there today and that’s the G&P XM177E1, or the “CAR15” as most veterans remember it!
LOVE YOU LONG TIME!
G&P started making airsoft replicas in 1995, so this makes them one of the most established militarysimulation and training airsoft manufacturers in the world. They started out making tactical lights for law enforcement and military agencies and then branched into airsoft manufacturing with the same core principle - to never sacrifice quality for a lower price. You can see this belief in every G&P product; each G&P replica is hand assembled and individually fine-tuned by top technicians to give unparalleled quality. G&P utilise CNC precision machining and real-steel finish/coating processes on many of their products, so you really get your moneys’ worth when you buy one of their replicas. And they’re not content to just keep churning out the same old thing year in and year out. Whilst many airsoft manufacturers are happy to sit on a base model and simply jig about with fancy externals, G&P (quite literally) go back to the drawing board and start from scratch, ensuring that every part of their replicas are nigh on 100% accurate. Many Vietnam re-enactors that I know own G&Ps because they are just “right” and you’ll see many of them at shows like War & Peace or Military Odyssey. Most of my personal living history
armoury G&P XM177E1
“REPORTS OF THREE-FOOT DIAMETER BALLS OF FLAME MADE IT “INTERESTING” TO USE, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT WHEN NOTHING SAYS “HERE WE ARE” MORE OBVIOUSLY THAN TONGUE-OF-DRAGON MUZZLE FLARE!” impressions are centred though on MACV-SOG, MIKE Forces and the SEALs so the full length M16 has never really been in my preferred armoury as most of those units carried the XM177E1 or E2 Carbine. The “CAR-15” was much-loved by the majority of its users and although there were actually several different “carbine” variants, most remember the original, Vietnam-era model as the “CAR15”; initially the name was an attempt to re-associate the AR-15 name with Colt, since the AR initially stood for ArmaLite Rifle. Colt later abandoned the CAR-15 concept but continued to make carbine variants, using the “M16” brand for select-fire models and the “Colt (C)AR-15” brand for semi-automatic models. The Colt Model 607 was the first attempt to produce a “true carbine” which had both a reduced barrel length and collapsing buttstock. The model 607 used modified AR15/M16 furniture to include a modified buttstock which allowed it to be extended or collapsed, as well as a shortened pistol grip and shortened triangular handguards. The Model 607 had very limited production numbers and saw minimal use in the field by US Military Forces during Vietnam. What the 607 (G&P also make an excellent “607” by the way) did though, was to pave the way for the “concept” of a 5.56mm carbine-length weapon; The Colt Model 609 was the first Colt carbine to see wide scale production and use by US Military Forces. Entering US Military Service with the US Army and was given the designation of “XM177E1” and it went into full production in late 1966. The 10-inch barrel on the Model 609 would prove to be an undesirable length due to reliability and accuracy issues and it would later be replaced with the Colt Model 629 (“XM177E2”) which was basically the same carbine with an 11.5-inch barrel. With its original 10-inch barrel in the original configuration, the “CAR-15/E1” was a handful, not
in terms of recoil as most believe but rather in the size of the fireball expelled from the muzzle! Reports of three-foot diameter balls of flame made it “interesting” to use, especially at night when nothing says “here we are” more obviously than tongue-of-dragon muzzle flare! To mitigate that problem Colt added a unique moderator to try and tame the muzzle signature, which gave both the E1 and the E2 a very distinctive look.
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL
There’s a LOT of history behind the CAR-15 and for any airsofter having one in the collection really does encompass many eras and conflicts. Yes, of course it can be used for Vietnam themed games but it also would be pretty correct for Cold War and Falkland War Scenarios, as the M16 was used heavily by the US military and even (allegedly) by UK Special Forces during those “on/off” conflicts. There’s even a picture out there of the DELTA bodyguards to “Stormin’ Norman” during the Gulf war carrying CAR-15s! It’s really the attention to detail, even the tiniest of things, that really makes the G&P stand out from the crowd. I’ve seen many manufacturers have a crack at an “XM” only to be let down by silly things like using the wrong pistol grip or handguard slip ring; although such things will only be noticed by a true “stitch bitch” but once you know, you just can’t un-know! Early M16s (Model 601 onwards if you must know…) and CAR15s had some pretty unique features which were only changed at a later date. Initially the lower receivers were what is known as “slabside” in that they carried no protective “fence” around the magazine release. The upper receiver had yet to have the forward assist feature added. The G&P “XM177E1” though follows the later war feature set though, with a “full
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armoury G&P XM177E1
fence” around the magazine release and a forward assist; if you want early war “slabside” then you’ll need to find the model 607 I mentioned earlier. The “E1” truly is a work of art and no little research has gone into getting everything completely right.
overheating. G&P recommend though that you run nothing more than a 7.4V LiPo in the “E1” so as not to overstress the system. This really is an impressive carbine and even on a 7.4V though it really does crack away; bear in mind that most Vietnam themed airsoft games will have strict ammo limits and you’re going to want to stick on semi-auto anyway. The trigger is crisp and responsive. The long metal 130 BB magazine is solid and feeds well but the short type first issued with the real “E1” is the bomb. I’ve taken my pictures with a short 110 BB magazine and that to me screams “NAM!” Luckily these are still easy to get hold of.
ON THE RANGE
The replica is fully made of metal, with only the pistol grip, butt, and handguard being made of a very nice matt black plastic. The metal parts, rather than just being a shoddily painted black are a rich black/
I loaded the magazine up with a full complement of my usual RZR 2.0g test BBs and got to work. 10 rounds through the chrono gave me a perfectly acceptable mean of 1.0 Joule/329fps. Setting targets out to 30 metres I was able to get reasonable groupings on semi-auto, with things opening out marginally when I switched the selector up to full. My thought is that with a bit of fettling you could really have a very, very accurate carbine on your hands here although it’s no slouch straight out of the box.
“THE THING THAT REALLY GIVES THE G&P THE EDGE OVER OTHER “VN” REPLICAS THOUGH IS THE SHEER QUALITY. SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER AND YOU GET A BB AWAY IN A FLASH! SQUEEZE AGAIN, CRACK. THEN SWITCH THE SELECTOR UP TO FULL AUTO AND GIVE IT SOME BEANS AND I DEFY YOU NOT TO HAVE A CHEESY GRIN ON YOUR FACE IN SHORT TIME!” grey. Strangely, on the sample I received the “Colt” trademarks were absent but if you want those I have seen models that come with them, or you could have them engraved. Internally things are no less solid. The hop-up adjustment is exactly where you would expect
The thing that REALLY gives the G&P the edge over other “VN” replicas though is the sheer quality. Squeeze the trigger and you get a BB away in a flash! Squeeze again, crack. Then switch the selector up to full auto and give it some beans and I defy you not to have a cheesy grin on your face in short time! I have to admit that I did give it a try using an 11.1V LiPo and all I can say is “Wow!” I can completely see why G&P recommend just a 7.4V as on the higher power the “E1” does tend to misfeed.
SUMMARY
it to be, behind the fake bolt which is accessed by pulling back the charging handle. This is an excellent unit that once set stays steadfastly in place. The motor is G&Ps latest M120 high speed model and the gearbox is the tried and tested 7mm bearing reinforced design. There’s also a reinforced polycarbonate piston and a G&P Enhanced Pistol Grip with Heat Sink to reduce
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In a nutshell, this is a Living History standard replica in terms of look, feel and finish and it works perfectly. You get everything that G&P have always been great at in a short, sweet package. The G&P “XM177E1” has a retail price of £299.00 which for what you’re getting is extremely good value for money. I have to admit that I’m delighted that “Namsoft” seems to be coming back in vogue, and personally I think that 2019 might well be seeing me heading back “in country” and if it does it’ll certainly be a G&P in my hands… AA For more information on G&P products please visit www.fire-support.co.uk.
0.20g
0.25g
3000pcs per bottle | 6mm | Precision Airsoft BB | www.hornettactical.com www.patrolstore.com/hornettactical
armoury COLT WE CT25 “MOUSE” GBB PISTOL
TAKE THE MICKEY AT YOUR PERIL!
LES LEE KNOWS HOW TO HOLD A PISTOL BUT WHEN HE FIRST PICKED THIS ONE UP, “PALMING” TOOK ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING! ONE OF THE EXCITING FEATURES of airsoft is that you never really know what’s coming next and I do love surprises, so when the WE CT25 Colt Junior .25 ACP “Mighty Mouse “ GBB pistol appeared I was keen to capture and dissect this little rodent - but I was not expecting THIS small. Thanks to our good and supportive friends at iWholesales, I was able to obtain a silver model (it also comes in black) and I was half expecting the box to be a little on the small side but I wasn’t prepared for what I saw when I lifted the lid on this nicely presented package. It’s small, it’s very small, in fact it’s smaller than a very small thing! I thought that perhaps they had sent me a little toy to hang on my key chain but when I delicately lifted it from the box, I didn’t know whether to rack it or stroke it! Until now, I was clear in my mind that the iconic Derringer pistol was about as minuscule as one could acquire but this little baby fitted in the palm of my medium sized hands with skin to spare. I actually had doubts if this was a genuine replica or simply a “special” made just for airsoft but it turns out that it is not only a 1:1 size authentic replica but with some reputable history behind it.
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COLT - THE STORY SO FAR
In 1836, Samuel Colt was issued the US Patent for the first Colt firearm and built his first factory in Paterson, New Jersey, USA and has been providing quality firearms for the US military, Law Enforcement and various other Federal Agencies throughout history and continues to do so today. A little over three decades later in 1873, the iconic Single Action Army revolver was introduced and swiftly secured a US Government contract which is undoubtedly the most famous handgun in firearm history. Today the tradition continues, as the Single Action Army is made the same way in the hands of Colt’s accomplished technicians and machinists, however, before I conclude this bite-size piece of firearm history, it would be disrespectful on a global scale if I didn’t mention The Colt Model 1911. As a “goto” handgun, where variations of this illustrious lead slinger are as favoured as a Mac 10 would be in an 18th century “code duello” fighting for honour.
armoury COLT WE CT25 “MOUSE” GBB PISTOL
COLT CT25 ACP “MOUSE GUN”
The real-deal single action miniature, one of John Browning’s pocket self-defence weapons, originally made in Spain under license from 1957 to 1974, was deliberately and primarily made for optimum concealment as the “last resort”. It was recognised as that because the 7+1 round of .25 ACP centre fire was quite literally a shoot ‘n’ run gun as the accuracy was pants and the range wasn’t much better. Hence the recommendation to only use where and when you know that you can escape quickly and safely, in other words, it’s better to have this tiny almost recoil-free micro compact in your leg holster, pocket or purse, than your trusty 9mm pistol nestling comfortably at home on the night stand! The US-made “juniors” (nicknamed after production came home to the States) have become more of a collectable piece than a weapon since the .380 became the more favoured, compact option with little increase in size and weight and would of course, pack a bigger punch.
WE Tech
Since the early 1980’s, WE Tech has been the premier developer and manufacturer for steel moulds for many major airsoft companies. With the ever-growing market in airsoft, WE Tech have gone from strength to strength and are always striving to be at the top of their game and I would be very surprised if any airsofter had never fired a airsoft gun which was not borne in a WE factory (even if licensed under a different name). In 2008, WE Tech launched their Advanced Weaponry Simulator System (A.W.S.S.) having set their sights on re-defining the use of realistic, gas blowback platforms as viable training options for professionals, namely military and law enforcement personnel which has been met with great demand and even greater results due to the realism of their merchandise. Yes, WE Tech has an extensive and far reaching history typically unseen by the end user, so I will prematurely close this section with a meticulously researched and arbitrary conclusion.... THEY ARE BLOODY GOOD GUNS!
are irrelevant because it really is a close-quarters back up at best. One set of serrations at the rear allow the rail to be racked adequately which just leaves the ejector port which serves no purpose other than to replicate. I have studied videos of this little mouse and the addition of licensing detail, serial numbers, calibre markings, etc. would have been a nice little plus, but alas, it is what it is and licensing costs big bucks.
PERFORMANCE
So, what is like to shoot? Well as I said earlier it is a (stated) seven round magazine that comfortably holds “eight” BBs so it won’t come as a surprise to find that the gas reservoir is proportionate and it’s not going to last long. In fact I don’t think it will come as a total surprise when I say that, quite literally, everything is scaled down, power, range, accuracy, recoil, everything! What will increase though will be your popularity in the safe zone because it will draw a lot of attention due to the “fun factor” and probably create much eagerness to try it out on the range just for the novelty value. You really do need to put this mouse gun into perspective though, and if you’re serious about your skirmishing then this won’t even make it onto the field. However, it might be of some value in a CQB environment when it can be pulled from a pocket when you are cornered and everything else has run out but, as with the real version, it is a shoot “n” run gun and it might just get you out of a spot as a last resort.
A BIRD MOUSE IN THE HAND…
As expected of a WE product, the overall build quality is top notch. Weighing just 350g and measuring 115mm X 90mm, it could be secreted on a person quite easily. The finish on this particular CT25 is of a subtle satin silver alloy with standard dark tan plastic pistol grips (the original has either rubber or wood), embossed both sides with the WE logo just above a bright screw either side just to keep these in place. If I wanted to be picky, I could say that the logo badge and comparatively large screw could have been combined (on the real steel version and subsequent replicas) which would enhance the simplicity of the design because it looks like it has been an afterthought on the final build but it’s hardly going to ruin your day. The singlesided button mag release can be easily found at the base of the left grip panel and discharges the seven round magazine. I “just” managed to get 2 full clips (14 rounds) out of one fill of green gas indoors so expect less in the field this time of year. Even though it is about the size of a mobile phone, the beaver tail allows it to sit comfortably in the soft fleshy area between thumb and forefinger and the trigger guard would allow a sausage finger access to the solid trigger but I think only the finest fabric gloves could be used for a controlled discharge. At the rear is the hammer which makes contact with the upper slide which plays host to the smallest fixed sights I have ever seen but in all honesty, on a handgun of this size I think sights
Using .2s and at the usual 10 metres, I emptied the first magazine on a number of test fires (and really upset some empty tin cans in the process) and even though everything is scaled down, I was unable to accurately establish an average FPS on the .2s due to what I believe to be a technical issue with this test model, as it was jumping from 370 to 225 to 180 to 318 to 349. I would bet a bag of plastic bullets that this is a one-off as I have never experienced a mechanical issue with any of my many WE handguns due to their excellent build quality and reliability, however, after further research it appears that you can expect somewhere in the region of 260 to 290 FPS.
“IT WON’T COME AS A SURPRISE TO FIND THAT THE GAS RESERVOIR IS PROPORTIONATE AND IT’S NOT GOING TO LAST LONG. IN FACT I DON’T THINK IT WILL COME AS A TOTAL SURPRISE WHEN I SAY THAT, QUITE LITERALLY, EVERYTHING IS SCALED DOWN, POWER, RANGE, ACCURACY, RECOIL, EVERYTHING!” www.airsoft-action.online
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armoury COLT WE CT25 “MOUSE” GBB PISTOL
“THIS LITTLE BABY SURPRISED ME, NOT ONLY WITH ITS SNAPPY TRIGGER RESPONSE BUT IT WAS THROWING THE PLASTIC STRAIGHT AND TRUE AT THE TEN AND EVEN AT THE 30 IT WAS OFFERING A VERY RESPECTABLE GROUPING, MAKING IT AN ELIGIBLE CONTENDER FOR CQB-AND SOME!” As for accuracy, what I expected is not what transpired. This little baby surprised me, not only with its snappy trigger response but it was throwing the plastic straight and true at the ten and even at the 30 it was offering a very respectable grouping, making it an eligible contender for CQB-and some! When you put the whole performance issue into context, this little cheese chomper has the potential to take the enemy out of the game because, in certain situations, size clearly doesn’t matter.
CONCLUSION
I know that I haven’t painted a picture of desire that makes you want to rush out and buy one BUT look at it like this… It is unique, well made and solidly built from a highly respected manufacturer. It’s different, it is not a lot of money, it most certainly is a head turner, it is worth dropping in a pocket “just in case”, especially for CQB and, ultimately, IT IS JUST A HANDFUL OF FUN! It also has that concealment factor, which is a rather nice surprise if the enemy think they have caught you with your pants down! I will definitely be taking it with me for CQB (and chances are the cold weather won’t have time to affect it after nesting in my pocket) but other than that, it will be centred in amongst my collection where it will be made most welcome. Vermin or victor? You decide but I would recommend a trybefore-you-buy if possible because this is unlike any other GBB and it won’t be for everyone. In my opinion and to conclude, if you are an avid handgun fanatic like me then it’s a must-have, simply because it’s the smallest airsoft pistol in the world as it’s purely in a league of its own. It delivers the goods and you will either love it or hate it but I would urge you to check it out because some of life’s finest surprises come in small packages. *Special thanks go out to iWholesales for supplying this unique Colt GBB for this review. AA 22
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international MOA 2018: TAIWAN
MOA 2018: TAIWAN
TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE LOWDOWN ON THE VERY LATEST ITEMS TO HIT THE AIRSOFT MARKET, EVERY YEAR AIRSOFT ACTION HAS CONTRIBUTORS REPORTING BACK FROM BOTH SHOT IN THE USA AND IWA IN GERMANY. THIS TIME THOUGH, WE’RE DELIGHTED TO BRING YOU A FIRST-HAND REPORT FROM THE MILITARY/OUTDOOR/AIRSOFT AND AIRGUN SHOW IN TAIWAN. MOA IS, IN RELATION TO BOTH SHOT and IWA, a relatively new show but one that’s becoming more important in the airsoft world. With some of the BIG names in AEG and GBB manufacture located there, Taiwan is fast becoming the “home” of all things airsoft. So where better to get an idea of what’s “new and improved” than quite literally “on their doorstep!” Luckily Airsoft Action is blessed with many friends in Taiwan, so Bill got his head together with fellow player and airsoft writer, Stu Mortimer, to get the lowdown on this year’s show from someone who lives there and has become part of the local community. AA: Hey Stu, welcome to Airsoft Action! Could you give us an idea of what the show means to the community in Taiwan, to both players and manufacturers? Stu: “MOA represents a great way for local manufacturers to directly interface with their wider community, presenting new or upcoming releases or ideas and allowing people to get hands on and try things out, which to be fair a lot of retailers in Taiwan won’t allow. You have to buy things before you try them and a lot of shops forbid any cycling of the working parts or testing out of anything mechanical, so people can only really get an idea of the weight or handling of guns without being able to feel their function or performance as such. “It’s also an obvious boon for raising more international awareness, while allowing foreign manufacturers to come and showcase their goods and get more direct feedback from a large and very active shooting community here in Taiwan, with lots of Hong Kong, Japan or mainland China based companies as well as ones further afield joining the show.” AA: How big is the show? Stu: “MOA only started in December 2017 with their inaugural show in XinZhuang, Western Taipei (organised by the leaders of QRF Magazine) and it is a more industry and manufacturer focused expo, drawing names from Asia and further afield into an already impressive and rapidly growing event with international attention and the eyes of the airsoft world present. “The 2018 show built on that initial success and impact,
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moving from being held in a gymnasium last year to a full on prime time Taipei 101 International Exhibition Centre Event, with the whole floor of the main hall filled with exhibitors and a great deal of space for showcasing products and even trying them out with test ranges for a few of the manufacturers.”
AA: In your opinion who are the key companies that you saw in attendance? Stu: “On the Taiwanese front, the major players here are ICS Airsoft, LCT Airsoft and King Arms, all based in Taichung central Taiwan, as well as VFC, HFC and Bolt Airsoft based up in the West end of Taipei. Along with WE, those are really the “magnificent seven” in terms of domestic manufacture here and their imposing stands really emphasised that. There are also many independent manufacturers of parts, as well as the likes of Modify Airsoft who used to focus on option parts
international MOA 2018: TAIWAN
but are releasing an ever-growing range of bolt action and electric guns, having ventured into full design and construction of their own products in more recent years. “Other companies such as A&K, RST, and SRC are also widely recognised but tend to offer more niche or specialised products, rather than focusing on the mass market or mainstream equipment. G&G were
conspicuous in their absence to most shows this year, however, they have been running their own exclusive international events which perhaps explains their elusiveness. “From further afield, Fight Club Custom and DyTac, both from Hong Kong, have all been gaining international interest for their higher-end products, making use of real steel materials and finishes or replicating the most cutting edge specialist weaponry from the US and elsewhere. Double Bell of China are offering a growing range of more obscure gas pistols and SMGs, as well as bolt action rifles, aiming at the niche or oddities collectors while also focusing on replicating movie guns like those of John Wick or the Blade trilogy.” AA: Looking at your pictures and those of others, for me personally the big news of the show was a proper “L9 Browning” from WE? What were your personal high points in relation to Pistols? Stu: “Aside from the Browning in question which has always been a favourite of mine as well, WE are pushing an ever-expanding range of modern and classic pistols.
ICS are focusing on bringing their own designs to market in terms of their XFG range, which blends the best features of the likes of S&W, SIG, H&K, Glock and FN into single hybrid handguns which handle really nicely, as well as their new CO2 range starting with their
PM2 NBB Makarov, plus pushing the limits of efficiency with their new BM9 Beretta replicas( which can apparently manage four full magazine loads of rounds per single gas charging). I was talking with them at length about their new products and I’m excited to see the performance of their gas blowbacks in future. I’m not a 1911 fan by any measure as such but their Korth licensed pistol is so buttery smooth in its slide operation it would be a crime to not mention it as well. “VFC’s Umarex collaboration has already borne them a lot of fruit but aside from their awesome HK416 and HK417 GBBs I’ve managed to have a go with, their H&K P8/USP Military model is a very nice piece which should join the ranks of their VP9 nicely. Furthermore, their Glock replicas are no doubt going to make some impact in both the airsoft and real-world training environments.” AA: Same question, but for “long guns”; what caught your eye, and why? Stu: “Again, ICS are well worth looking at with their constant innovation in terms of on-board electronics as standard with their SSS range of ECUs and continuing R&D efforts to bring reliable and high-performance gearboxes, as well as using pre-cocked pistons in their newer lines for fast first shots. On the externals side,
I’m a huge fan of their HERA arms CQR M4 which is a rare direct collaboration with a real steel manufacturer, seeing as most of their product lines are all in house designs not directly replicating any real guns with their past few years of products. “LCT are really forging ahead as well, focusing on “OpFor” or ComBloc weapons as well as classic cold war battle rifles. I had a go on their PKM, LC3 and LK AK platforms and the build quality, aesthetics and general feel and function of the stuff they’re turning out is top notch. They are bringing a new ERG system to the market which really knocks your fillings loose and their recent or upcoming LC3/G3 releases are just awesome to handle and fire, especially the prototype of the recoil system one they let me have a go with. “Bolt Airsoft are also bringing an ever-growing range of heavy-recoiling AEG/ERGs to market, again with astounding build quality and attention to detail. They were the first manufacturer I got on site with to interview and do a “TacticalTwo” feature piece with in early 2018. This allowed me a great deal of access to their AK74SU ERG line they were in the midst of developing at that point. This has just recently been
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brought to market after a great deal of R&D and them making sure they got it right. They were very transparent with me in terms of the issues and materials problems they were having and I can tell you it was a real labour of love. You can see the work that went into it when you handle and fire one, the recoil is insane for such a small AEG and with their AKSU platform and basic structure perfected, they can now easily expand their range to longer Kalashnikov variants. “Modify still only have a limited range of guns having only more recently moved into producing full AEGs and bolt action rifles compared to the more established players. I visited their new purpose-built and highly modern Taoyuan-based factory the day after I was at Bolt Airsoft’s plant in early 2018. Their history in precision waterproof watch-making is something both myself and Jonathan of Airsoftolgy were trying
to get them to rave about more, as their level of experience and the quality of their components should be something their marketing is shouting from the rooftops. Obviously their collaboration with Novritsch on the SSG24 has brought them continued work and prosperity and I’m pleased to see them putting a lot of effort into developing their AEGs, as well as mention of a shotgun project which is a more long term goal, along with a mentioned desire to bring WWII era or other more collectible or obscure guns to the market in the longer term. “A&K are also doing a lot of impressive R&D work with 3D printed components and revisions of their heavy weapons AEGs, with the Polish variant PKM, the UKM2013 being a particularly prominent offering they have been showcasing which I had to write about recently as well. “SRU of Taichung are another smaller but innovative manufacturer providing exclusively 3D printed components in the form of body kits that convert an ever growing array of GBB and AEG rifles, SMGs and even pistols into bullpup variants with highly stylised exteriors and finishes. I got my hands on their KC02 bullpup at a shoot in Taichung and it is an excellent stand in for the Halo battle rifle and really nicely put together. My teammate also has their bullpup kit for his GHK G5 GBB which is immense fun to use. “While we’re mentioning GHK anyway, it would be rude not to throw some light on their products in general. Their recent SIG SG553 is an excellent addition to an established line of quality GBB guns and alongside my aforementioned teammate’s G5 and those of others, I’ve seen more than a few of their GBB AKs being brandished on sites over here and the recoil and fun factor of their kit shouldn’t be understated.”
AA: In relation to clothing and gear, who was leading the way? Stu: “Emerson gear had a large presence at the show and are expanding on an existing wide range of equipment for both outdoors and airsoft alike, with more streetwear or casual stylisations of MilSpec gear joining their more obvious BDU or in game oriented product lines from before. “I’ve been working with TMC a lot as well since I arrived, being on first name terms with their guys Shawn & Eric in their Taipei branch where I’ve bought a lot of their kit for both personal use and evaluation through writing for TacticalTwo; their gun bags, tactical gear, clothing and BDUs are all things I’ve been investing in and while I bought my Earmor M32 earpro through them I’m also now more interested in their own new in house designed RSC helmet integrated earpro and eyepro they were allowing me to try out at the show, I imagine I’ll be investing in a set myself soon enough as I really need a FAST helmet given the intensity of some of the CQB action here and my Earmors are wearing out after the abuse I’ve put them through.” AA: MOA seemed to be well represented in terms of international airsoft media; who did you bump into? Stu: “It’s certainly gaining traction fast. I first met Jonathan of Airsoftology at the inaugural 2017 show, hanging around the VFC booth and again we spent some time chatting and networking while at the 2018 show, as well as having him playing alongside our team when he finds the time to escape from behind his camera doing his YouTube content. “Jonathan was also good enough to introduce me to some of the other guys from further afield; Vic of Popular Airsoft is originally from the Philippines and was stopping over for MOA on his way there from his London-based efforts, while the guys from both airsoft. nu of Sweden and WMSAG of Poland were making their first ventures into the Taiwanese airsoft scene, so it had a really nice international feel to it all. I would have loved to have joined them for dinner after the show as they invited me along to their gathering but as it was, I had to leave MOA earlier than I wanted to get to the opposite end of the country in time for seeing friends I knew from the UK who were back in Taiwan. There just
aren’t enough hours in the day for me out here!” My sincere thanks to Stu for being our “man on the ground” in relation to this show report and I’ll be speaking to him next month about playing airsoft in Taiwan. Also look out for him speaking to Tom on the AATV video channel where he’ll be speaking more about MOA, The HooHa Show and his experiences in general. AA
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KIT & gear CONCAMO: CONFUSION CAMO
CONFUSED? YOU MIGHT BE! IT SEEMS LIKE NEW CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS ARE EVERYWHERE THESE DAYS AND NO LONGER DO YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE A SCHEME THAT’S ACTUALLY USED BY SERVING MILITARY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT. TOM “ANVIL” HIBBERD TAKES A LOOK AT A PATTERN DESIGNED TO CONFUSE THE VIEWER …BUT DOES IT WORK? WE FIRST CAME ACROSS CONCAMO at IWA 2018 when it was presented at the trade booth of Leo Köhler and was drawing some attention from the passing attendees. We were also intrigued and stopped by to find out some more information.
BACKGROUND
The developer of CONCAMO, Matthias Bürgin has been designing camouflage from the age of 10. The core idea for CONCAMO came about when he was 17 and came up with his first layered pattern. He subsequently joined the military and during his service learned more about different camouflages, their effects and properties. When his active service finished he took up camo design as a hobby and continued to design patterns for a wide variety of environments, all the way from the city to the mountains. The idea for CONCAMO is that is confuses the viewer’s subconscious with a special arrangement of three different sized camouflage elements. Each of these are patterns that have been used previously for camouflage garments and have been proved effective. Rather than the background being one colour, it looks as though both green and tan are used. This is designed to make CONCAMO effective in more than one environment. In a brown “earthy” environment the eye will be more drawn to the earth tones, while in a green background the plant-based colours become more prominent. The major impression when it’s laid out in plain sight is of branches in a wood, broken up with different sized, seemingly random elements. As someone who is used to military patterns, the impression given is more of a hunting camouflage pattern. I’m told that the camo is highly effective in field tests within European woodland, jungle, fern cover and mixed environments.
ALL DRESSED UP
Popular UK online retailer, Flecktarn, were kind enough to
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send Airsoft Action a jacket and pant set from the German manufacturer Leo Köhler. They may not be immediately known to some readers but are regarded for creating high quality garments and have been looking after the German Military with upgrades over their issue clothing for many years. The CONCAMO fabric is made to German Army specifications and is also fully IRR treated, for those that like to participate in Night Ops. The material used is a heavy Twill with 65% cotton and 35% polyester. The cut that Leo Köhler have chosen is similar to the current issue German kit but with a few upgrades to improve its fit and comfort when worn under body armour. The shirt is in the “LK Operator” style. It features a low pressure point, 3 panel hook and loop front, underarm mesh ventilation and the now ubiquitous upper arm pockets. The shirt has a traditional collar rather than the more modern “mandarin” style, plus velcro shoulder tabs and cuffs. The arm pockets have a return flap to prevent the contents from being lost and a big tab for easier opening with gloves. The front of the arm pocket is fitted with velcro for the attachment of your favourite morale and team patches. There is also a name tab velcro patch over the left chest pocket for name tapes. The construction is good with no obvious issues or mistakes being present. The stitch count is consistent throughout and is generally straight. I found the fabric a bit heavy for summer use (especially under armour), though it might be better suited to colder months of the year. Bear in mind though, that I’m not a slim build and tend to easily overheat when playing so you may find it suits you better
KIT & gear CONCAMO: CONFUSION CAMO
The trousers were also from the “LK Operator” family and the style matches the shirt. They are of a fairly conventional BDU construction with a few added features. They have eight belt loops for a wide belt, two hip pockets, one seat pocket, two cargo pockets, one internal knife or magazine pocket within the right cargo pocket. There are D-rings for attachment of kit and equipment. The trousers also feature shoulder brace points, seat and knee reinforcement patches. Of note is a lower leg baffle, which helps to keep the leg around your boots and stops dirt and debris making its way into the top of your boots. They have a tightening strap around the thigh and cargo pocket similar to that used in WW2 US Airborne Trousers. The trousers fasten with a button waist and a zip fly. The knee reinforcement closes with Velcro and a foam pad can be inserted for comfort. They do come with a thin pad, which is great as many similar garments just leave the pocket empty. The cut of the trousers seems quite traditional to my eyes, without any of the stretch panels and gussets that I’ve got used to having recently. These allow for a more fitted “athletic” cut than the LK Operators, which rely on being a bit baggier for comfort and mobility. The construction echoes that of the shirt and is solid and trustworthy.
FIELD TRIALS
Not being content with just looking at the pattern in the office, we decided to put them to the test. We’re lucky enough to be near several areas of wood and parkland so were able to trial the CONCAMO garment ourselves, alongside some of the other camouflage we have in our collections. As we don’t have head wear in all the colours we kept this consistent and used my favourite green boonie hat for all the trials. As I didn’t fancy using camo paint in a public place, we took all the photos with me looking away from the camera so all you’ll see in each case is my back and head. We choose two areas for our tests; the first was an area of scrub and grassland at the edge of the local woods, this featured green brambles and beige dry grass. This area would suit the lighter patterns and was more exposed in direct sunlight. The second area was much further inside the wood with some evergreen trees, shrubs and shadows. This would suit the patterns optimised for hiding in woods!
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SCRUB CAMO In the woods it was a different story. Here DPM came into its own and virtually disappeared! This isn’t too surprising given that it is optimised for hiding in woods and shooting at Soviets! Again, we’ll let you make your own decisions from our photos. The lighter patterns did surprising well in the shadows and reflected the colours coming off the foliage on the trees.
“THE MAJOR IMPRESSION WHEN IT’S LAID OUT IN PLAIN SIGHT IS OF BRANCHES IN A WOOD, BROKEN UP WITH DIFFERENT SIZED, SEEMINGLY
The patterns chosen for our trials were
RANDOM ELEMENTS. AS SOMEONE
1) Russian 6SH122 Suit (Reversible) 2) Crye Multicam 3) Soviet VSR-93 4) British DPM 5) CONCAMO 6) Flecktarn
WHO IS USED TO MILITARY PATTERNS,
These would give a wide variety of camouflage, some optimised for dark woodland, some universal patterns and some brighter ones for open areas!
THE IMPRESSION GIVEN IS MORE OF A HUNTING CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN.” PIC: OSCAR PLUMMER
In the scrub the lighter side of the 6SH122 was too light and DPM was too dark, both stood out to the onlookers. The other patterns all did relatively well depending on the distance that you were viewing from. Camo can be very subjective depending on the observer, so we’ll leave it up to you to decide which one was the best.
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KIT & gear CONCAMO: CONFUSION CAMO
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WOOD CAMO Personally, I was impressed with the ability of both CONCAMO and Multicam to blend in with the surrounding environments. The more specialist camo patterns can beat both when in their optimal positions but in most sites there is varied terrain and a multiple environment pattern can prove to be more useful. The new Russian pattern was interesting and is significantly lighter than Digi-Flora when it first came out. We’re looking forward to using this in a game soon.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Choosing a camouflage for your skirmishing can be a nightmare, there is so much out there! It’s relatively easy if you are part of an existing team or heading to a game with uniform rules. However, If you want to stand out from the crowd of MTP and Multicam (In the safe zone at least) but want to use a multi-environment pattern, then CONCAMO could be a good option for you. I would personally like to see the fabric in a lighter weight for summer use and look forward to manufacturers picking it up for more modern style uniforms. If you want a good, solid cut with minimal frills then have a look at the LK Operator shirt and pants available at Flecktarn. www.flecktarn.co.uk AA
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feature STRAIGHT SHOOTING
STRAIGHT SHOOTING:
5 REASONS YOU MISS! MANY OF US INVEST HUNDREDS OF POUNDS INTO OUR RIFS IN ORDER TO GAIN AN ADVANTAGE OVER OUR OPPONENTS ON THE AIRSOFT BATTLEFIELDS. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, MUCH CHEAPER WAYS TO ELIMINATE YOUR ENEMIES! TOM HIBBERD EXPLAINS 5 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR SHOTS COUNT. WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE… You’ve spotted your opponent but they haven’t seen you. You’ve got them dead centre in your sights. You can’t miss. You pull the trigger, expecting them to throw their hand up and call “Hit!” but watch in dismay as your BB flys right past them! How could you have missed….? The following is not an exhaustive list of reasons why they are not now trudging back to the Safe Zone but you might find that one or two sound familiar.
NUMBER 1 - BB CHOICE
One of the simplest ways to improve your accuracy is to experiment with your choice of BBs. This is both changing the weight and looking at which brand and quality that you use. Let’s look at weight first. We found in our tests that (on average) going from a 0.20g BB to a 0.28g BB reduces your group size by up to 50%. Most UK legal AEGS are capable of lifting a 0.25g-0.28g BB quite happily without losing too much energy in doing so. You may also find you gain a small amount of range due to the added backspin that you can add to the heavier BB. This won’t normally be more than a few metres, however. We also found that changing the quality of the BB
come with a higher price point, we find that we have to shoot a lot less of them! This means that we end up paying about the same, if not a little less, for our ammunition. One thing to point out, which is important to mention, is that you should carry out your own testing. Airsoft guns are highly variable. Some RIFs really like one type of BB whilst another might like something completely different. If you are in a team or often play with a group, it may be worth getting together and all buying a different type of BB. Then the next time you play you can all swap around and see what you think is the best brand for you!
NUMBER 2 - ZEROING YOUR Sights
One of the most common things to see whilst playing is people using their BBs as a “tracer” in order to land a hit, i.e. they start firing and “walk” their shots in! This is both wasteful in ammunition and alerts the other
“WE FOUND IN OUR TESTS THAT (ON AVERAGE) GOING FROM A 0.20G BB TO A 0.28G BB REDUCES YOUR GROUP SIZE BY UP TO 50%. MOST UK LEGAL AEGS ARE CAPABLE OF LIFTING A 0.25G-0.28G BB QUITE HAPPILY WITHOUT LOSING TOO MUCH ENERGY IN DOING SO.” can make a significant difference. When we tested ASG’s higher quality “Devil Blaster” range of BBs against their standard “Blaster” range, we again found an increase in accuracy. Although higher quality BBs also 34
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player that they are being shot at, however, the majority of players we have spoken to at games haven’t been through the process of zeroing their sights. “Zeroing” means adjusting your sights to make sure
feature STRAIGHT SHOOTING
that the point of aim coincides with the point of impact at a particular range. BBs fly in a slight arc - NOT like a laser beam - so you will need to choose the distance that is most useful for you. I tend to zero at 30m and either hold low at shorter distances, or hold high at longer ranges.
Each gun and sight have different ways of changing the zero so I won’t go into the exact procedure here. Normally you can change both the vertical point of aim (elevation) and the left-right (windage). In my opinion setting the windage on the sights is more important than setting the elevation. Due to atmospherics, BB choice, hop settings and range your elevation can change between games but your windage setting will roughly stay the same. You can also set sight windage on a short range but for your elevation you really need 30 metres or more. You can zero both your built in iron sights and any optic (red dot and zoom) you may also have fitted to your RIF.
be significantly longer than actual metres. Ask any experienced marshal and they give you numerous examples! This leads to players massively over-estimating where their BBs are landing. The average (stock) UK legal AEG will launch BBs out to 50-55m and this is significantly less than most people think it is. What’s more, unless the RIF is using quality ammo, it’s very hard to land any shots at this range. Towards the end of their flight BBs get quite unstable and can drift off in all sorts of weird directions. This reduces the range that you can reliably make a hit down significantly. We’ve found that 35-40m is about the furthest that a stock RIF is able to eliminate a target without filling the air full of BBs. Some upgraded full-auto RIFs we’ve tested can reach out to 65-70m but this can come at the expense of reliability. My LCT AKS-74 has recently suffered a jam and unfortunately ripped the hop-up patch! It’s well worth spending some time finding out how far your Airsoft gun can shoot and also what your targets look like at that range.
NUMBER 5 - SHOOTING POSITION
You are much more accurate shooting from a resting or prone position and, just like using a quality BB, we’ve found that this helps you make shots much more efficiently than shooting “off hand”. Airsoft BBs are about 10 times less accurate than real bullets and this means that any shooting error is also magnified by the same amount. Luckily Airsoft ranges are also about 10 times less than real steel, so it all works out about right! As we breath and our heart beats this moves our
NUMBER 3 - LEADING YOUR TARGET
BBs fly relatively slowly compared to real bullets - up to about 10 times slower! This means that when we are shooting at a moving (and especially running) target, that we need to shoot ahead of it in order to score a hit. This is, of course, helped if you have zeroed your sights so you roughly know where your BBs are going! I use the rough principle of a body width per 10m away and tend to lay down a curtain of fire for the target to run into, rather than trying to be incredibly accurate - unless I’ve been using that RIF a lot and am very confident with it. I choose a point ahead of the target that they were running towards and fire in that one specific direction, rather than sweeping and following the runner. Be aware that if your target is moving fast it may take them a few seconds to realise that they have been hit, so try not to overshoot them if they don’t immediately take the hit. Personally, I’ve found that there have been more than a few occasions where I have made a run to cover and then thought “Why are my thighs hurting?!”
muscles and therefore our point of aim. Where possible it is advantageous to rest your gun on a solid object to make your shots, although this is obviously much easier in a defensive scenario! When attacking it is useful for some of your side to be suppressing the enemy with accurate shots whilst others advance. If you can’t find a convenient rest then it is also possible to gain accuracy whilst lying on the ground. This has the added advantage of making you a smaller target.
NUMBER 4 - YOU ARE OUT OF RANGE!
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER!
This has to be the most common reason that I see whilst out and about on the Airsoft field! I’ve spent many years marshalling, photographing and playing and if I’m honest, most players do not have a good idea of how far their guns shoot and what their effective range is! There is also seems to be an “actual metre” and an “Airsoft metre” and Airsoft metres appear to
We’ve found in our testing that if you spend some time with your RIF, choose you ammo wisely, set your sights and take care with firing your shots, you can be very accurate - even with an entry level stock gun. With some practice you can easily make your shots count, even out to 50-55m. We hope you’ve found this useful, let us know how you get on! AA
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TACTCIAL ADVANTAGE
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TACTICAL
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kit & gear SPIRITUS SYSTEMS
MICROFIGHT CHEST RIG PHIL BUCKNALL IS WELL INTO HIS PLATE CARRIERS BUT WHEN HE WANTED SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE PRACTICAL, HE GOT HIS INSPIRATION FROM A WELL-KNOWN TV SERIES. I LOVE MY PLATE CARRIERS but sometimes (and especially if it’s roasting hot outside) I want to just run a few mags for my primary and a couple of back up pistol mags for the sidearm I carry in a decent Kydex rig I got from an extremely good company in the US. When those days happen, I tend to opt for a chest rig with a belt, on which I only carry the sidearm. Up until recently I have used a number of different ones, from very cheap clones that got consigned to the bin after maybe one or two uses, to the very Gucci one which I only sold a short while ago. That was a
Mayflower to help fund this, I wanted to be damn sure before I dropped the hammer on the purchase.
SPIRITUS SYSTEMS
Firstly, a little about Spiritus Systems; they are a USbased, Veteran owned business who’ve had real life combat experience. This is taken from their own website: “Spiritus Systems started as an idea on the side of a mountain in the Hindu Kush: an idea that we could do this better, that we could care about it more,
“I CONFESS TO BEING AN AVID FAN OF SEAL TEAM AND DROOLING OVER THE KIT THEY USE (QUITE A LOT) AND NOT JUST THE GUNS. IN A COUPLE OF EPISODES I SAW THEM RUNNING REALLY LIGHT AND REALLY LITTLE CHEST RIGS, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE SPIRITUS SYSTEMS “MICROFIGHT” CHEST RIGS.” Mayflower UW Mk IV Chest Rig in Multicam. It was a breath of fresh air at the time as it was light and it actually held more than I really needed. I’d thought long and hard before buying it as it was nearly £200 and it wasn’t modular, so whatever pouches were on it were all you had. In fairness though, it was one of the best chest rigs I’ve ever used but I still wanted something smaller. Literally just enough to carry five mags including the one in the gun, a couple of spare pistol mags and some grenades. That was the brief, so I started looking. I hadn’t got any hard and fast ideas in my head and I’d liked the Haley D3CRM micro chest rig. I confess to being an avid fan of SEAL Team and drooling over the kit they use (quite a lot) and not just the guns. In a couple of episodes I saw them running really light and really little chest rigs, which turned out to be Spiritus Systems “Microfight” chest rigs. They looked pretty cool and definitely up to the job. I started doing some research and as I would be selling my 38
march 2019
and that we could do it with integrity. This idea was cultivated in B Huts after missions and scribbled down into notebooks under headlamps across multiple combat deployments. We strive everyday to design and manufacture equipment that exceeds the users’ expectations and pushes past the industry status quo. All of our equipment is designed with an end state in mind. We spend time with users in various walks of life to form an educated and accurate picture of their needs. Our design philosophy calls on our own military service, user feedback and experience, as well as our advanced United States based manufacturing techniques to bring quality equipment to the marketplace.” Looking at what they have to offer it’s very clear that because it’s a modular system based around a chassis, it has an almost endless number of combinations, from up to six M4 mags to a much more limited ammo capacity but a considerably more covert footprint, making it
kit & gear SPIRITUS SYSTEMS
suitable for a wide range of combat or, indeed, Airsoft situations. By starting with a chassis and being able to configure everything using Velcro panels or inserts for different magazines for ammo storage, or the extender wings for perhaps radio pouches or more ammo, it enables the end user to get exactly what they want and nothing they don’t. You don’t have to compromise at all. You can even pick the thickness of the shoulder straps and the colours of each piece individually if you want to mix and match. Or, don’t order any straps and it’ll fit onto any plate carrier with swift clip mounts much like the Mayflower one could too.
to round it out. Overall I think it was just over £210. So was it worth it? Yes, it was is the short answer. There’s a couple of extra inserts and add ons I intend to get when I can afford it but they aren’t cheap so will have to wait. When I have them though I will have one rig that can do all I’ll ever need it too. Everything arrived in short order and I got to work putting it all together - a few minutes work at most and adjusted everything to get it right for me. I ran it with the triple rifle mag insert in the rear chassis pocket, a double pistol mag pouch in the front pocket over to the left and put the half flap covering the rest of the front pocket in which I put my dead rag for easy access. I used the dangler for ball grenades and didn’t run a dump pouch.
IN GAME
First game came and it was quite refreshing to have the extra mobility and flexibility in movement, even if I was sacrificing about half the number of mags I’d usually carry. Some adjustment to my play style is still required to better utilise the limited ammo but that’s a fault with me rather than the Microfight rig! The heart of the system is of course the chassis and I found it was rigid enough in use to make drawing of magazines a cinch and even putting them back in - a pleasant surprise as I was expecting that to be an absolute nightmare but it wasn’t.
The Velcro panel (this is covered when used as a standalone rig) on the back of the chassis will also stick to the plate carrier for added retention, or you can use it (as I did) to attach a dangler pouch for grenades and thunderflashes. Spiritus offer a dangler called “The S.A.C.K” but it was quite expensive compared to the Warrior equivalent, of which I had some experience so I opted to use one of those over the SACK.
For my order I chose to go to their UK Distributor, Tactical Kit, and was rewarded with great service from them in both timely delivery but also getting the newer Mk4 chassis over the advertised Mk3 one. They also do a bundle to get you started which comes with a chassis, back strap, fat shoulder straps, a full flap to cover the front pocket and a three M4 magazine insert for a smidge under £185, which is quite a saving over buying the items independently. It does mean you have to order all the same colour but that’s a small sacrifice. I also ordered a half flap and a double pistol magazine insert
The 500D cordura material used in its construction prevents it folding or closing up in combination with the inserts so the whole thing keeps its shape even when empty. There’s ample Velcro on even the half flap for your patches, which is a small thing but good to see it has been addressed and its colour matched to the rig too, so it doesn’t stand out. The straps were very comfy and are in an “H-style” configuration for the shoulders and a very simple adjustable thinner strap across the small of the back.
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kit & gear SPIRITUS SYSTEMS
STILL FROM SEAL TEAM: CONTAINMENT COURTESY CBS TELEVISION STUDIOS Loaded up the whole thing felt balanced and right. None of the straps slipped or twisted and the quality of the workmanship, buckles, stitching and materials was as you’d expect from a company supplying real world operators. On the fat straps there are loops for feeding through camelback tubes or radio antenna to keep them neatly out of the way without limiting access to them. If you don’t go for the bundle, I would definitely recommend the fat straps over the thin ones as both are very low profile but the extra material in the fat straps is a definite plus after a few minutes running around.
I am really really impressed with this little rig and can see it remaining in my collection for quite a while. Yes it’s small but that’s the idea behind it. You can’t compare it to a big plate carrier when it comes to capacity and it’ll always lose if you do. If you’re into big and sustained firefights then it might not be the best option for you, even though the ability to change it around for different games is great. But if you’re looking for a summer load out then now’s the time as there’s a plethora of choice out there at the moment but you should certainly consider the Spiritus Systems Microfight Chest Rig. AA
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HEAD TO HEAD FN 2000 F2000
WICKED
(TACTICAL)
TUNA
FN HERSTAL’S F2000 BULLPUP HADN’T BEEN AVAILABLE NEW IN AIRSOFT FORM FOR A FEW YEARS. TODAY’S BUYERS HAVE THE OPTION TO BUY JG IN THE UK OR G&G IN THE USA. BUT AT VERY DIFFERENT PRICE POINTS, WHICH ONE IS THE BETTER BUY? STEVE TAKLE FINDS OUT. OK, LET’S GET ONE THING OUT of the way - yes, it looks like a big fish. That’s why the F2000 has earned the “affectionate” nickname of the Tactical Tuna. Or maybe even the Whale Tail. No, its visual appeal could not exactly be described as “universal”. However effective this “boat gun” may be, for every person that admires the futuristic styling, there are probably another 10 that think it just looks weird. And that’s fine by me - wouldn’t it be a boring world if we all liked the same thing? I’m a fan of the sci-fi lines straight out of a video game but the unique “love-it-or-loathe-it” profile is one reason that you rarely see them on game day. Another reason is that you simply haven’t been able to buy them new for about five years. Taiwan’s G&G first released its
“FOR EVERY PERSON THAT ADMIRES THE FUTURISTIC STYLING, THERE ARE PROBABLY ANOTHER 10 THAT THINK IT JUST LOOKS WEIRD.” F2000 replica as the G2010 in 2010 and made minor improvements to the internals before discontinuing it just three years later, due to licensing issues. And that was all she wrote for airsoft F2000s… or so I thought! Fast forward four years and French firm Cybergun - who holds the license for the trademarks - released a new version towards the end of 2017, manufactured by Jing Gong from Hong Kong and available from www.airsoftworld.net who kindly supplied our review sample.
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HEAD TO HEAD FN F2000
The discovery that the F2K was once again an airsoft option led me on a Google hunt that turned up a surprising result. You can buy the F2000 by G&G... but only from America as an Evike.com exclusive. Sounds like it’s time for a duel… While both versions are almost identical on the outside, one area where they differ massively is price. The G2010 was originally available in 2010 in the UK for around £400. Importing it from the States costs almost exactly the same in 2018 by the time you include import duties. The recently released JG/Cybergun version is less than half the price - but is it half the gun?
GONE FISHING
From the moment you unpack either one in the safe zone, you’ll find players asking what it is and where you got it - as well as whether you really like the way it looks.
“THE REDUCTION IN REACTION TIME COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CLEAN SWEEP OF THE OBJECTIVE AND ANOTHER TRIP TO THE RESPAWN POINT.” Being a bullpup design, both provide a long barrel in a short package. Both require reprogramming of muscle memory for reloads with the mag behind the trigger and both feel just a bit cumbersome to begin with. Take one into a game and all that mass just disappears behind a muzzle that’s easy to wield and fast to move. Of course there are other bullpups - from the AUG to the FAMAS to the diminutive P90 - but the F2000 is truly a 21st Century weapon. Spend a bit of time getting used to its quirks and the platform starts to make sense. While it’s slightly trickier to insert a magazine under your armpit than with a conventional design, removing one is much more fluid. When you reach up to grab the mag, your forefinger naturally falls on the release button, which works just as well on either make. And being an ambidextrous design, the F2000 not only suits southpaws, but it also makes the transition to an off-hand stance a viable option in more situations. In comparison with a conventional AEG with a similar barrel length, either F2000 is easier to manoeuvre, whether advancing through woodland or clearing buildings. You have one weapon that can consistently reach distances of 50m or more, while also being effective at short range. Where you might have to
transition to a sidearm from an M4 or AK platform up close, you can carry on using your primary in CQB - and that reduction in reaction time could be the difference between a clean sweep of the objective and another trip to the respawn point.
BROTHERS FROM ANOTHER MOTHER
At first glance, you’d be hard pressed to tell the G&G and the JG versions of the F2000 apart. Both replicas have a lot in common. Based on the real steel by Belgian firearms firm, FN Herstal, they share the same dimensions and overall appearance - complete with trademarks with only minor variances across makes with the JG picking up an extra screw to either side at the top of the stock. This is a bulky gun that disguises its weight by carrying it close to the chest. The rear-mounted gearbox right next to your ear is similarly noisy across both, which some players may find off-putting but it’s a nonissue for me. The ergonomics are excellent, sharing the fire selector from the P90 in a full-sized frame and incredibly comfortable grips, both front and rear. The ambidextrous and oversized magazine release is located behind the two-stage trigger; pull it halfway on full auto for a single shot, or all the way to unleash a hail of BBs. It’s just a shame that the trigger on both the G&G and the JG lacks feel.
“YOU’D BE HARD PRESSED TO TELL THE G&G AND THE JG VERSIONS OF THE F2000 APART. ” They both also share iron sights with a folding rear and removable front at the far end of a 10 inch upper rail. There’s an ejector port cover to the front right that you can open - to no effect - as well as an adjustable hop up accessed through a hatch to the rear of the top rail. Both replicas also break down like the real thing, separating the upper and lower receiver with a single slide. Although there are sling mounts to either side of the
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HEAD TO HEAD FN F2000
barrel, both RIFs suffer from a lack of rear sling mounts, but that’s a fault of the real steel. It’s just a shame that on such a slick 21st Century weapon, attaching a sling seems to be an afterthought that requires a lash-up strap around the stock, butt and through the thumb hole. While both use STANAG style hi cap winding magazines with a capacity around 450 BBs, it seems that not all magazines are created equal in the airsoft world. Where the standard is intended to ensure compatibility IRW, airsoft is a fussier affair with the F2000. It’s known that many mid caps need filing down to work in the G&G, but weirdly, the G&G mag fouls in the JG and needs “persuasion” to eject. The magazine will not drop free on either one.
VIVA LA DIFFERENCE
While both airsoft incarnations share the same shape and proportions - from the deep belly of the stock to the comfortable curve of the foregrip - differences are obvious upon closer inspection. Where the G&G’s Nylon body has a light-absorbing matte texture, the Cybergun’s ABS finish is shinier. The G&G feels solid, but the Cybergun stock - ie the whole body - creaks as you handle it, including when shouldered.
have to settle for three-quarters - but the handle also wobbles when you move.
The fire selector is a rotary dial within the trigger guard, which becomes second nature with practise. But where the G&G needs more force to move - especially to the left - the JG is a lighter operation, albeit easier to overshoot your desired setting. The Cybergun comes with an orange barrel cap for shipping that slips off to reveal a suitably subdued grey birdcage flash hider. But being an American import, the G&G is stuck - literally - with a bright orange flash hider. It can be replaced with any 14mm CCW aftermarket part, but they don’t make the original easy to remove. The new release by Cybergun isn’t just a slavish retread of an eight-year-old design. One of the original criticisms of the G&G was that its slip-on butt pad was easy to lose, especially when crawling through brush. Cybergun has addressed that by securing the lower portion with a hex bolt. Which is brilliant - until you realise that you need to carry a tiny and easy to lose allen key into any game if you want to change batteries between trips to the safe zone - and even if you do, could you find a 1cm bolt if you drop it in the field? No, neither could we. Well, not for ages… We started game day with the G&G and scored a promisingly solid hit at range within half a dozen shots, but the euphoria was short lived when it just shut down completely after the first mag change. It was dead plastic and metal not even half an hour into the game. Internet research suggests the model suffers from blown fuses, but the culprit was actually a loose connection behind the blanking plate in the stock. In contrast, the JG kept on trucking throughout a particularly cold and wet shoot in woodland.
INSIDE THE BELLY OF THE WHALE
The charging handle is a moving but non-functional part on both, but where it slides smoothly on the G&G, it’s more agricultural on the new Cybergun. Not only does it refuse to lock in the full open position - you’ll
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Where the G&G features a lightly modified take on the Version 6 gearbox with an M4 style hop-up, the JG features a Version 3 box, plus an AUG hop-up from its previous models. Being based on previous hardware the JG should have plentiful spares and upgrades, whereas the long discontinued G&G may struggle. While it’s easy to adjust the hop-up on both models via the top hatch, you’ll need a flathead screwdriver for the G&G, while the JG is easy to move by hand. But where the G&G unit makes a visible difference, we whacked the JG up to the max on .25s and still wanted
HEAD TO HEAD FN F2000
more. As for known issues, the old G&G was notorious for fire selector issues on semi-auto. We’ve not encountered that on our new version yet and it’s possible they may have improved it, but many users of the original added a Mosfet to cure the problem. The JG AUG platform upon which its F2000 is based is reported to suffer feeding issues, but again, they didn’t surface during our tests. We did notice that the magazine needs an extra bump into place to make sure that it’s settled front to rear every time though. While some magazines become stuck upon insertion with the JG and require a screwdriver to free, others refuse to even seat in the G&G. It’s fair to say that you need to be careful which mag you use for either gun.
our tests is that when the more expensive RIF failed, the JG kept on going. We enjoyed using both and the choice between them should be made on what you want. If you’d like to add an F2000 to your arsenal without the trouble and expense of importing a RIF from America, we’d recommend the Cybergun without hesitation. At under £200, it’s readily available in the UK and captures much of what makes the real thing so special. But if you intend to use it as your primary and would make use of the adjustable power output, then it has to be worth spending the extra and importing the $380 G&G from America. If you can find them in stock, that is... AA G&G F2000 SPECIFICATION
POWER POSES A PROBLEM
We tested both F2000s as stock to see how they stack up. The G&G design features an easily adjustable spring to change the power output by as much as 72 FPS on our example. You could have a RIF that covers a range of different site limits and never need to swap out a spring again. The variable power output of the G&G is so simple yet effective that it makes you wonder why more manufacturers don’t adopt a similar system. We used the stock spring at its lowest setting coming in under our local site’s 350 FPS limit. At its minimum output, the G&G averages 343FPS with a variance of 6 FPS across 10 shots and only one reading outside of acceptable. And yes, that means that at the other extreme, it’s not so much shooting hot as burning up at over 400 FPS. After the test, we replaced it with a weaker spring to ensure it meets UK regulations at all times and suggest you do the same.
“THE VARIABLE POWER OUTPUT OF THE G&G IS SO SIMPLE YET EFFECTIVE THAT IT MAKES YOU WONDER WHY MORE MANUFACTURERS DON’T ADOPT A SIMILAR SYSTEM. ” Out of the box, the Cybergun averages 366 FPS with a variance of 7 FPS, but every reading makes it too hot for our local field limit of 350 FPS. There’s nothing on the packaging or manual to suggest variable output, but Google tells us adjustment should be possible with an allen key; it made no difference for us. Your only option is to replace the spring to reduce the power output. We’ll call this one a draw.
CONCLUSION
These two RIFs offer different takes on the same gun at very different price points. Do you only get half the gun for half the price with the JG? Not at all - in fact, far from it! Their performance out of the box is actually far more closely matched than the price tag would suggest. We haven’t used either enough to speak to their longevity and reliability over time, but it looks to us like the higher cost of the G&G is reflected in the quality of the internals, as well as the overall fit and finish. We’d expect the G&G to last longer, but the simple truth from
SRP: $380 From: www.evike.com Power: 336 - 408 FPS (av. 0.2 BBs) Overall length: 710mm Inner barrel length: 430mm Thread Type: 14mm CCW Weight: 3,360g Body: Nylon Rails: 10” top, 20mm, metal Sights: Metal, folding adjustable rear, removable front Hop-up: Adjustable, M4 style Gearbox: Version 6, metal Motor: Short type Battery connector: Mini Tamiya Magazine: STANAG, metal hi cap, 450 rounds, scroll wheel Fire selector: Ambidextrous, semi/full auto (2-stage) Included: Magazine, manual JG/CYBERGUN F2000 SPECIFICATION
SRP: £189.95 From: www.airsoftworld.net Power: 366 FPS (av. 0.2 BBs) Overall length: 710mm Inner barrel length: 430mm Thread Type: 14mm CCW Weight: 3,200g Body: ABS Rails: 10” top, 20mm, metal Sights: Metal, folding adjustable rear, removable front Hop-up: Adjustable, AUG style Gearbox: Version 3 Motor: High torque Battery connector: Mini Tamiya Magazine: STANAG, metal hi cap, 450 rounds, scroll wheel Fire selector: Ambidextrous, semi/full auto (2-stage) Included: Magazine, 9.6v NiMH 1100mAh battery, charger, cleaning rod, BBs, paper targets, barrel cap, manual www.airsoft-action.online
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Parliamentary Friends of Shooting
international
The Senator is a keen pistol shooter and regularly attends our Parliamentary Friends of Shooting events.
AUSTRALIA
Pictured having a shoot-off with our Sports Minister!
LIB DEMS FIGHT FOR:
AIRSOFT!
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE REAL FIREARMS ARE LEGAL AND YET YOU CAN BE ARRESTED FOR POSSESSING AN AEG? SOUNDS DAFT? TOO RIGHT IT IS! NIGE GIVES US THE BACKGROUND… OK! FIRST THINGS FIRST… Let me just make it absolutely clear that we are unlikely to see Sir Vince Cable standing up in Parliament any time soon, extoling the virtues of a damn good weekend’s MilSim! No, the Liberal Democrat party in question isn’t even in the UK, completely the opposite (quite literally) because, believe it believe it not, Australia has pretty much banned airsoft across the board. There are exceptions, Northern Territory for example but some states, such as South Australia, go as far as to say that if they imitate a real weapon, they then belong to the same class of firearm. In effect, a Marushin M1 would be considered the same as the real weapon and made a “Class D” firearm! This came about primarily as a result of two rare mass shootings in 1996 and 2002, after which legislation was crafted to outlaw certain types of firearm, including fully automatic rifles. Unfortunately no distinction was made as to what constituted a firearm and, although airsoft weapons are officially referred to as “toy models”, because they look like a
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real weapon they are considered to be a real weapon and were swept up by the same laws. This means that “guns capable of fully automatic fire” and those that “outwardly resemble a sub-machine gun or machine pistol” are banned. No “ifs”, no “buts”, no “it’s just a toy”, just banned! Period!! You would think that might be the end of the matter but you would be wrong. Thankfully, there are those that feel these measures are draconian and, as in so many other areas, does nothing to deter the criminal element, which doesn’t give a toss anyway. It only punishes those who abide by the law – just like the hand gun ban did in the UK… “Oi! Rozza! I’ve got this ‘ere bag of pistols wot you want me to ‘and over, so I’m doin’ me bit to keep ev’ryfink safe. Sum of ‘em are a bit scratched like ‘an you can’t see the number no more but days all perfec’ly legal, ‘onest! Cross me art guv’nor ‘an ‘ope to die!” Yeah… right! Anyway, as I was saying, there are those in positions of authority in Australia that are making their voices heard in defence of airsoft. Two of the loudest are New South Wales Senator David Leyonhjelm (pronounced “lion-helm”… nice name!) and Member of the Legislative Council in Western Australia, Aaron Stonehouse – who happens to be a pretty solid airsofter and intends to bring forward legislation to legalise airsoft in WA. Both of these gentlemen are Liberal Democratic Party members and firmly believe in personal choice (and responsibility), along with supporting free markets and drug reform. Their message has resonated with many Australians, leading the party to seize two more seats in the recent Victorian state election. In 2018 Aaron Stonehouse was also successful in forming a Select Committee to look into “nanny state laws”, following a federal inquiry chaired by Senator Leyonhjelm in 2016… something we could well do with here! Recently, Airsoft Action contributor and all-round nice guy, Ioan “Iggy” Roberts, emigrated to Australia, his wife’s homeland, along with his children and discovered that his passion for flinging plastic could only be satisfied by travelling
across to New Zealand to play (see last issue for Iggy’s write ups about the big game he attended and those behind the event). However, not being among those content to sit back and let the world pass by, we decided to contact David and Aaron and ask them for their views – and this is what they told us: First of all, thank you gentlemen for taking the time out of your hectic schedules to talk to us and answer our questions. AA: Would you please give us some background into why airsoft was banned in Australia? David: “Australia adopted an extremely punitive approach to firearms following the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. Law-abiding firearm owners were effectively punished for the actions of a lunatic. This approach has also seen toys, Paintball and Airsoft firearms treated as actual firearms; indeed, anything that resembles a firearm is likely to be heavily restricted or banned, particularly if it resembles a military firearm. “I tried to discover why Airsoft was banned during Senate hearings in October last year. Unfortunately, all I found out was that none of the Australian Border Force public servants who attended the hearing had any idea what Airsoft is. “In my state of New South Wales, the equipment required to play Airsoft is classified as actual firearms, and the rubber or non-metallic pellets are classed as actual ammunition.” Aaron: “Airsoft isn’t necessarily banned in Australia. It just isn’t legal, and thus it isn’t regulated. One of the reasons why that’s the case is because Australia has quite a strict firearms regime, and that attitude permeates all the way down: from police to the media. That’s why I’m working hard on raising awareness about airsoft and changing attitudes towards skirmish sports, in general.” AA: From both a political and personal point of view, why do you feel it is important to reverse the ban? Aaron: “On a very basic level, I believe that individuals should have a right to do what they want, providing they aren’t harming anyone else. Airsoft is fun, safe and enjoyable. It should be legal.” David: “Airsoft is a safe, fun and all-inclusive sport. Participants pose no threat or danger to the community. It is not legitimate to ban a sport that is played without issues in every first world country including across the ditch in New Zealand. It is important to fight all such infringements on freedom, irrespective of our personal interest in the sport. “As a libertarian I advocate more freedom and less
government. The ban on Airsoft is completely unnecessary and an example of why voices like mine are important, especially in Australia’s anti-gun political climate.” AA: We understand that (currently) if Australians want to play airsoft they have to travel to a foreign country. How do you feel about this? David: “It is completely unacceptable. Australia is the only first-world country to ban Airsoft, yet a comparable activity like Paintball is legal. “Australia has already missed out on hosting many international shooting competitions because the sporting equipment required to compete (such as higher calibre handguns or semi-automatic firearms) are not allowed into the country, nor can Australian competitors own them. “We are now being excluded from an emerging, exciting and quite harmless sport, all because the equipment looks like real guns. It is ludicrous.” Aaron: “It’s no good. Australians should be able to play airsoft in Australia. Scores of Australians spend hundreds of dollars travelling abroad to play airsoft when that money could be spent here, supporting local business.” AA: Airsoft was also banned in The Netherlands until the NABV (Nederlandse Airsoft Belangen Vereniging (Translation: Dutch Airsoft Interests Association)) became a recognised body acting on behalf of airsoft sports. Following discussions with the Dutch government, airsoft is now legal in Holland. Dutch citizens who wish to play airsoft (in The Netherlands) must register with the NABV, pay an annual fee and abide by their code of conduct etc. This also provides appropriate funding to the NABV so they can operate independently. Do you think this model might be a way forwards in Australia? Aaron: “There are a number of different models, or a combination therefor, that could work well for Australia. I can’t talk about my bill in too much detail as I’m still writing it. But, suffice to say: I am looking at places like Europe and New Zealand in terms of best practise for regulating the sport.” David: “This is similar to how it currently works for the sports shooting bodies in Australia, and it could be used as a model for Airsoft in Australia. However, the less red tape requirements, the better.” AA: Alternatively, the model we now have in the UK seems to work well, in that the “sale, importation and manufacture” www.airsoft-action.online
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of Realistic Imitation Firearms is banned under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. However, dispensation was given under the “RIF Regulations 2007”, which provides a defence under certain circumstances, including (and I paraphrase) the re-enactment of police or military scenarios for entertainment purposes… i.e. airsoft – although the word “airsoft” does not appear in either the VCR Act, nor the RIF Regs. Further, the recent Policing and Crime Act (2017) became the first Act of Parliament to specifically include a definition of an airsoft weapon and that if they met certain criteria they were not firearms. In essence, the criteria are: That they are designed to fire a spherical plastic projectile no greater than 8mm in diameter and that they have a muzzle energy no greater than 1.3 joules if they are “full-auto” capable, or 2.5 joules if they are only capable of firing in single shot or semiauto modes. While this might be a long process to achieve, do you think this could be, either in conjunction with something like the “NABV model” or independently, a more acceptable proposition to those worried about realistic-looking toy guns becoming widely available? David: “My preference would be to completely exclude all air and spring powered “firearms” from legislation relating to other types of firearms. If they warrant regulation (which is debateable), this should be via separate measures. “We are currently negotiating with the WA state government to legalise airsoft and this is expected to occur sometime in 2019. Details cannot be released but an exemption approach is being taken.” Aaron: “I think the UK model is great. It’s a perfect combination of regulation and clubs working with the Government to help ensure that the sport is viable. The whole idea of individuals being able to access more realistic markers, as they progress in competency, is quite good as well. The New Zealand model is good too. I’ve been to New Zealand a few times, and on one occasion, I spoke to their police about Airsoft. They’re completely fine with it. They recognise that while airsoft markers do look like ‘real guns’, they don’t pose any more a threat to public safety than, let’s say, a wooden gun, which bad guys can use to do bad things.” AA: There are a number of airsoft associations in Australia, such as the Australian Airsoft Council and Western Australia Airsoft Club. How many of these groups are working with you and what more/else can/should they could do to assist? Aaron: “The Western Australia Airsoft Club are a great bunch. They’ve been helping me out a lot in terms of answering questions, and providing advice (and technical info). If or when airsoft gets off the ground, these clubs will have a tremendous role to play in terms of education, self-regulation and putting together events.” David: “We have been either working with or keeping informed all the known airsoft groups. Most recently the focus has been on WA, where we expect to achieve our first success. “Establishment of the sport in WA will increase interest in other states and hopefully lead to national approval.” AA: Practical Shooting is a World-wide sport, governed internationally by the IPSC (International Practical Shooting Confederation). A recognised discipline within IPSC is “Action Air” (practical shooting with identical rules and procedures but using airsoft guns). Action Air is strictly target shooting only and “non-military” in appearance, although identical rules concerning safety procedures and weapon handling etc. apply – just as though you were using a real firearm. Failing all other avenues, might Action Air, with all the rules, regulations and restrictions that come with it (and the fact that
recently nearly 600 shooters took part in the World Action Air Championship in Hong Kong which, I believe, included shooters from Australia), be a more readily accepted form of airsoft initially? David: “Practical Shooting using rifles, handguns and shotguns is allowed in Australia, with great participation rates. The inclusion of Action Air as a recognised shooting competition under this banner would contribute to even more popularity.” AA: What, for you, would be the ideal outcome and do you think there is a realistic chance of achieving it? David: “As a federal Senator I have pushed for changes to import laws that will allow Airsoft equipment in to the country. I have made it clear that playing Airsoft is no more dangerous than playing paintball, yet federal and state governments continue to impose unnecessary restrictions on people who just want to get outside, have some fun and keep fit. “The ideal outcome, and the only outcome I will accept, is for the current bans on Airsoft equipment imports to be lifted, and state and territory governments to recognise Airsoft as a legitimate sport.” Aaron: “A safe, commercially viable and legal airsoft industry.” AA: Do you play airsoft yourself and if so, would you please tell us how you became involved, what type or style of play you prefer and what kit/gear you use? Aaron: “I attended my first game in New Zealand in 2017, which I heard about through a group of friends who’d made the trip a previous year. In my first game I got my hands on an AK-74 with a folding stock, but I can’t recall the make/model. I went again in 2018 and borrowed a ICS Full Metal M4A1 Carbine AEG. I’d love to try an FN FAL if I can find one.” David: “I am a seasoned shooter, passionate pistol shooter, keen hunter and gun collector. I have no doubt that I would thoroughly enjoy Airsoft. I look forward to participating as soon as I have successfully made it legal in Australia.” AA: Finally, although we are half a world away we have a huge network of airsoft contacts and friends around the globe (including Australia). Is there anything that we can do, in any small way, to help? David: “Making noise always helps, regardless of where you live. Social media has connected us globally and is a great way to let politicians know how you feel about issues. A small donation to the Liberal Democrats to help our campaigning would also go a long way; we are a small party that relies on donations and members to fund our activities. Head to www. ldp.org.au/legaliseairsoft if you would like to help in this way.” Aaron: “Keep up the good work! Educating the public that Airsoft is a legitimate and safe sport is our biggest challenge.” Not really a question but is there anything you would like to add about airsoft in general, or any message you would like to pass to Australian airsofters, wherever they may be? “Keep the faith! The Liberal Democrats have and always will defend and fight for your freedoms.”
UPDATE FROM SENATOR LEYONHJELM “The news may have reached your shores that I intend to resign from Australia’s federal parliament to run as the lead candidate for the Liberal Democrats in my home state of New South Wales at the state election. “Part of my decision is motivated by the fact that the majority of issues about which I am passionate, including the ridiculous ban on Airsoft, are the responsibility of state governments. If elected to the NSW upper house on March 23, I will be in a better position to promote the legalisation of Airsoft.” AA
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REEL STEEL LETHAL WEAPON
REEL STEEL: LETHAL WEAPON
WHEN IT COMES TO PLAYING AIRSOFT MANY OF US LIVE BY THE MANTRA THAT “IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GUY NEXT TO YOU” AND OF COURSE THIS IS INGRAINED MILITARY DOCTRINE TOO, AS YOU RELY ON YOUR “BUDDY” AT ALL TIMES. THIS MONTH BILL TAKES A LOOK AT ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN “BUDDY MOVIES”, ONE THAT SET THE BAR HIGH IN MANY WAYS: “LETHAL WEAPON”. ALTHOUGH MANY HOLLYWOOD action blockbusters relied on the “Lone Wolf” as the main protagonist, the 1980’s saw a real change in this with the advent of the “buddy movie”. You could argue that this was really nothing new, as from the 1930s to the 1960s male comedy duos often appeared in “buddy films”. Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello were popular in the
of song and dance routines. Lethal Weapon was one of the first movies to embrace the modern “buddy cop” genre. Mel Gibson starred as LAPD Detective Martin Riggs, a cop and former Special Forces sniper who lives on the ragged edge and who could be suicidal, much to the chagrin of his new partner, LAPD Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), who is celebrating his 50th
“EVERY SINGLE DAY I WAKE UP AND THINK OF A REASON NOT TO DO IT. EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND YOU KNOW WHY I DON’T DO IT? THIS IS GOING TO MAKE YOU LAUGH. YOU KNOW WHY I DON’T DO IT? THE JOB. DOING THE JOB. NOW THAT’S THE REASON.” MARTIN RIGGS 1930s and 1940s. Bing Crosby and Bob Hope starred together in the 1940 Paramount Pictures film “Road to Singapore”, which led to other 1940s buddy films that were described as “escapist wartime fantasies” and were probably much needed by the viewing public at the time. The 1980s though was a popular decade for big action movie “blockbusters” and a new style that “blended masculinity, heroism, and patriotism” into one piece of cinematography. Importantly it also shined a light on the improvement in Civil Rights Movement, with black actors rightly appearing on an equal footing to their white counterparts. The 1982 film 48 Hours, starring Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte and the 1987 film Lethal Weapon, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover really cemented this as not only did the black actors appear on par but actually in a more positive way than their “damaged” counterparts. In the 1980s too the “buddy cop film” took the place of the “buddy road movie” that had come before, bringing slap-bang action to the silver screen in place 52
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birthday and an impending retirement. Together they uncover a drug smuggling ring that involves a criminal gang comprised of mercenaries and former members of a CIA/special forces “Black Ops” unit with ties to the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War connection formed a solid link to the “Riggs” character and the storyline as a whole. Alluding to the “Phoenix Program” and “White Star” in connection to both Riggs and the “bad guys” masterminded by retired General Peter McAllister and his right-hand chief enforcer, Mr. Joshua. Murtaugh, Riggs’ partner, provides the connection via Michael Hunsaker, a Vietnam War buddy and banker to “Shadow Company,” a heroin-smuggling operation run by former Special Forces operators from the Vietnam War; the connection to Vietnam could not be more profound. In popular culture the stereotype of the broken, homeless Vietnam vet began to take hold thanks to films like The Deer Hunter (1978), Coming Home (1978) and First Blood (1982), but in Lethal Weapon it showed
REEL STEEL LETHAL WEAPON
a slightly different story. If Murtaugh was 50 in 1987 then it follows that he could have served with Hunsaker any time from his mid-twenties onward, whilst the younger Riggs would have tied in to “later war” when the “Phoenix Project” was in full swing. In Murtaugh’s words “The file says you were involved in the Phoenix Project. The file also says you’re into Tai Chi, Kung Fu and all that other killer shit. I suppose we have to register you as a lethal weapon.” It also follows that the image of the “broken vet” was changing in US society, as both Riggs and Murtaugh were solidly employed law enforcement officers, positions of trust and authority. The film was released on March 6, 1987. Upon its release, Lethal Weapon grossed over $120 million (against a production budget of $15 million) and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing. It spawned a franchise that includes three sequels and a television series that is still running and although the characters have been updated, it’s still a story that is patently about that strong bond between you and “the guy next to you”.
BANG ON!
Firearms in the movie (and therefore the airsoft replicas) were actually very carefully chosen to tie into the characters that were using them and rather cleverly showed another cultural trend in the change from the wheelguns of old to more modern semi-automatic
handguns. Riggs’ choice of the Beretta 92F over the revolvers used by most of the cops, including Murtaugh, shows a new approach to reliability and “superiority through firepower”, or as Murtaugh states “Nine millimetre Beretta, takes fifteen in the mag, one up the pipe, wide ejection port, no feed jams.” Riggs is also highly proficient with the Beretta, able to “draw” a smiley face on a silhouette target at several dozen yards with it, much to the bewilderment of Murtaugh in one memorable scene.
PISTOLS
I won’t go into the Beretta as interestingly it was the act same movie gun that was also used by Bruce Willis in Die Hard! The live-firing handgun that was used in both films has since been retired to a glass museum case and is now part of movie lore. Interestingly, the move to semiautomatics continues as we see Murtaugh with a Smith & Wesson 459 in addition to his trusted Smith & Wesson Model 19 later in the movie. A couple of interesting pistol models do appear in the form of the Beretta 950 “Jetfire” used by Mr Joshua and what appears to be a Heckler & Koch P7 is seen among the weapons in a bag taken by General McAllister. Whilst I’m not aware of the Jetfire ever appearing in airsoft guise, the P7 certainly has, made by WGC back in the day and now by Tokyo Marui as the HK P7 M13. Of course, no American movie
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would be complete without at least one appearance of a 1911 and during the escape from Shadow Company’s nightclub hideout several Shadow Company members can be seen armed with M1911A1 pistols. Riggs forces “Mr. Larch” to shoot one of his comrades with his before briefly commandeering it until he recovers his Beretta.
SMG & SHOTGUNS
In terms of SMGs and shotguns, once again we see the some of the “favourites” of the movie armourer of the 1980’s in the shape of the “MP5A3” which, in reality, is the same chopped and converted Heckler & Koch HK94s that frequently appear in films made in the 1980’s and 1990’s, plus the good old IMI Uzi. As I’ve said before, the classic Uzi is still the territory of Tokyo Marui and, as airsofters, we’re probably better set for MP5 replicas that the movie industry! For shotguns it’s again Remington and Ithaca in the frame. G&P, S&T,
Tokyo Marui, APS… well, take your pick! Researching and writing this particular instalment may also have subliminally stuck in my head, as the other “military” weapon (the M16A1 and M14 feature but only in “flashes”) that appears regularly in Lethal Weapon is the CAR-15/XM177 that you’ll see reviewed in this issue! Several members of Shadow Company can be seen carrying Colt XM177 carbines, using them to shoot Murtaugh’s station wagon to pieces. Mr Joshua
is also seen using one fitted with a scope atop the carry handle. In reality, these were actually civilian AR-15 Sporter 1 carbines which were visually modified to look like XM177s, with fake flash hiders and shorter barrels and, of course, these would have been the ideal choice for former “Vietnam SF”. As much as the G&P model I’ve reviewed stands out as a corking AEG, you can also find great “XMs” in the form of the Classic Army “E2” and the WE GBBR.
THE LONG
Probably the most unusual firearm to feature in the movie though, is the PSG-1 rifle used by Riggs in the “dessert standoff” scene. Riggs provides cover for Murtaugh using a Heckler & Koch PSG-1 sniper rifle with a Harris bipod, successfully taking out several Shadow Company members before being captured by General McAllister. This is actually a great choice for a former “Phoenix Program” operator as it’s a non-US weapon
that could be given “deniable status”. Luckily for we airsofters, there’s an absolute peach for us in the form of the Tokyo Marui replica; this has been on the market for yonks, and as such there are many, many upgrades available, although it’s not a bad AEG from the box! Ultimately the ‘80s produced an amazing array of buddy cop films and Lethal Weapon stood out as one of the best. Now I think I need to go and dig out my box set of the movies... …although in closing, I am starting to feel an increasing affinity with Murtaugh, when he says “I’m too old for this shit!” AA
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feature BARRELS: THE SCIENC E BIT
BARRELS: THE SCIENCE BIT
WE ALL KNOW WHAT THEY ARE – THE BIT THAT STICKS OUT THE FRONT THAT THE BB COMES OUT OF – BUT HOW DO THEY REALLY WORK AND IS A TIGHTBORE BARREL REALLY WORTH THE COST? FRENCHIE INVESTIGATES… I HAVE LONG WONDERED ABOUT what is really happening inside the barrel of an airsoft gun. I know that in AEGs especially, barrel length is almost entirely irrelevant – I have built short barrelled guns that were just as accurate as their longer-barrelled siblings. Likewise, were tightbore barrels worth the cost and what about barrels with “indentations”, do they work? What I knew was that I didn’t have the engineering knowledge to properly break down what was going on, fortunately others do. I am completely indebted to LetsBuildOne (https:// letsbuildone.wordpress.com/mythbusting-airsoft-hopupand-barrel-dynamics/) for the science here but in order to meet the constraints of Airsoft Action in terms of
down the barrel. Acceleration starts high and reduces as the volume behind the BB increases. There is a fixed volume of compressed air behind the BB. Hop up: Hop up is used to correct the projectile’s parabolic trajectory to something flatter, this increases the range of the Airsoft gun. The Magnus Effect: The Magnus Effect occurs when a spinning sphere has air moving over it perpendicular to the axis of rotation. One side opposes the flow of air, slows the air via skin drag, and causes a higher-pressure region. The other side is rotating in the same direction of the air,
“BERNOULLI PRINCIPLE STATES THAT RESTRICTIONS CAUSE THE WORKING FLUID TO MOVE FASTER, FASTER FLUIDS HAVE LOWER PRESSURE. DIVERSIONS SPREAD THE FLUID OUT, SLOWING IT DOWN, CAUSING LOW PRESSURE. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS OF AIR PASSING AROUND THE BB WITHIN THE BARREL.” word count, I have waded through the original with a very big axe indeed! I included the basic science as it applies to a BB in a tube – I have omitted the sections on Long Range Barrels (LRBs) partly to meet space constraints and partly because they are not in widespread use. I have included the information on wide bore barrels as it makes an interesting counterpoint to tight bores. Information from the original has been italicised. If you want to know more, I highly recommend that you read the original. I have always suspected that, thanks to hop up, a BB travels down the top of the barrel trying, like Freddie Mercury, to break free. I have been badly mistaken...
FIRST - A FEW BASICS
Projectile pneumatic acceleration: Atmospheric pressure on the open end of the barrel, compressed air on the other end of the barrel. The pressure difference across the BB which is on the border of the high-pressure end of the barrel accelerates the BB
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and either has no effect, or speeds it up, lowering the air pressure. This creates a pressure difference across the sphere which in turn imparts a vertical force upon it. Bernoulli Principle: Bernoulli Principle states that restrictions cause the working fluid to move faster, faster fluids have lower pressure. Diversions spread the fluid out, slowing it down, causing low pressure. This is important to understand the effects of air passing around the BB within the Barrel. Coanda Effect: The Coanda Effect is the tendency for a fluid to be attracted to nearby surfaces, and by extension; to follow a curved surface. This is important because the BB is curved. The Coanda effect is prevalent in this application.
ON WITH THE SCIENCE
That out of the way, why doesn’t the BB rattle along the top of the barrel? Firstly, if the BB is scraping down the top of the
feature BARRELS: THE SCIENCE BIT
barrel, there is no air going over the top, so there is no Magnus effect, so there is no vertical force to hold it against the top of the barrel. At best, the BB would be bouncing off the top of the barrel. Secondly, there is (unlike free flight) almost no air passing around the BB. The pressure in front is roughly atmospheric, the pressure behind is significantly higher, so the BB is accelerated quickly. The amount of blow by is very small. With such little airflow over the BB, it experiences little vertical force due to the Magnus Effect.
Force (Y) [N] 0.074027023 Force (Z) [N] 0.07616237 This shows that there is minimal lateral movement, and that in this case; the drag on the BB is roughly equal to the Magnus lift.
6.01MM TIGHT BORE RESULTS
In this case, the BB is stationary, the pressure at the opposite end of the barrel is atmospheric and the pressure at the closed end is 827371Pa.
“IT HAS ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AIR IN FRONT OF IT, HIGHER PRESSURE AIR BEHIND IT, THE AIR FORCES IT’S WAY PAST THE STATIONARY BB. RELATIVE TO THE AIRSTREAM NOW MOVING OVER IT, THE BB NOW HAS “FORWARD SPIN”, THEREFORE ANY MAGNUS EFFECT WITHIN THE BARREL, WOULD BE DOWN RATHER THAN UP.” Thirdly, Bernoulli Principle states that restrictions cause the working fluid to move faster, faster fluids have lower pressure. Diversions spread the fluid out, slowing it down, causing low pressure. If the BB becomes off centre, then Bernoulli will re-centre it. This also means any blow by lowers the pressure just in front of the BB. Fourthly, and maybe most importantly, let’s imagine for a moment that the BB is unrealistically heavy, or for some reason is fixed in place within the barrel, still with massive backspin. It has atmospheric pressure air in front of it, higher pressure air behind it, the air forces it’s way past the stationary BB. Relative to the airstream now moving over it, the BB now has “forward spin”, therefore any Magnus effect within the barrel, would be down rather than up.
AM I RIGHT?
There are two ways to check if I’m right: Build a test rig with a high frame rate camera and a glass barrel to video the BB travelling down the barrel and observe the reality of the situation. Do a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study to model it. Option one would involve significant time and cost. Observing the boundary of the barrel and air could prove difficult. This could be solved with using smoke, or other coloured gas to propel the BB. Unfortunately, all coloured gasses I know of are toxic, and smoke, steam and water vapour aren’t air. Their dynamics will be different due to differences in density, viscosity, and a plethora of other issues. This leaves CFD. This is a method of using a computer to calculate the physical model mathematically using base principles.
THE CFD RESULTS: FREE FLOW
I’ve assumed and applied a surface roughness of 0.4um for the polished plastic BB and Barrel ID (internal diameter) Y is Vertical, Z is the axis of the barrel, X is lateral. Firstly, I tested that the program models Magnus effect properly by modelling a BB in free flow of air. The BB has backspin about the X axis of 115,000 rpm, the air is moving over it at 106.68m/s. Force (X) [N] -0.000143715
Force (X) [N] -0.000197728 Force (Y) [N] -0.007692067 Force (Z) [N] 20.24816055 You can see that the lateral force is roughly the same, there is a large accelerating force as expected, and that the vertical component is an order of magnitude lower, and negative. This means that the Magnus effect is reversed, and 1/10th as strong as in free flow. This is as expected. It is important to note that this computer program cannot model induced movement. As such, this is a model of steady state. This is to say, the amount of air passing over the BB is much higher because it is artificially fixed in the computer model the Magnus and Lateral Force would be far less. For interest, the mass flow rate out of the barrel muzzle at atmospheric pressure was 0.001219999 kg/s. i.e. naff all. Since the BB in this model isn’t moving, all this air is coming out of the muzzle after blowing around the BB. This shows that the Magnus effect does move the BB off centre in the barrel, but up rather than down. Any variation from the exact centre of the barrel is countered with the Bernoulli Principle and the Coanda effect. To test this, I modelled the BB off centre and down as if the magnus effect had moved it down. These are the results: Force (X) [N] 0.00212832 Force (Y) N] 0.142694822 Force (Z) [N] 20.27990608 The lateral force is 20x larger, I suspect this is due to flow detachment on the other side of the BB causing turbulence which in turn creates off centre pressure centre. The vertical force is now up and much larger, even larger than the Magnus effect in free flow. The BB would self-centre and self-correct. What about wide bores? Good question. No point in guessing: Centred: Force (X) [N] 0.001410775192 Force (Y) [N] -0.01125947496 Force (Z) [N] 20.16382565 Off centre down, by the same amount (0.025mm) as the 6.01 barrel model: Force (X) [N] -0.004697257464 Force (Y) [N] 0.06429097636 Force (Z) [N] 20.158691
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feature BARRELS: THE SCIENCE BIT
WHAT THIS MEANS:
The first thing to note is that the Z axis force is less than the 6.01mm barrel in both cases. This is expected and ties up well with the experimental results of a drop in FPS that a wide bore barrel is known to give. The magnitude of the reduction in force doesn’t explain the magnitude of FPS drop because this is a steady state model. The force would diminish to almost zero as the BB accelerates down the barrel since with a wide bore, the pressure drops off faster than a tight bore due to the increased blow by. Calculations show that in a wide bore there is 4.5 times more air passing around the BB. The Y force is the focus of this investigation. 6.01mm
centred resulted in a reverse Magnus force of -0.0077N. For 6.23mm Centred, the Y force is -0.01126N. This is a ~30% increase in reverse Magnus force. This makes sense because it has more air moving over the BB in the reverse direction. Off centre down, the 6.01mm got 0.143N pulling it back to centre. For 6.23mm it got 0.0643N. This is a ~45% drop in force. This means that the force attempting to return the BB to centre in a wide bore barrel is less than that of a tight bore barrel, for the same pressure, and displacement. This makes sense, because Bernoulli works on relative aperture difference: In a 6.01mm Barrel, the BB, when centralised, is 0.03mm off the barrel all around. When you move it down by 0.025mm, it is 0.005mm from the bottom surface, and 0.055mm from the top. That’s an 11:1 ratio.
proportionately: 20.158691N to 23.4898044N. This is not a directly proportional relationship. The wide bore experiences more blow by, so the pressure drops off faster as the BB progresses down the length of the barrel. The interesting thing is the vertical component: It decreased significantly, most likely because the Magnus effect is increasing more than the Bernoulli proportionally to the pressure difference. So, increasing the pressure doesn’t necessarily move the BB more central. What about proportional displacement? Ok, so moving a BB 0.025mm down in a 6.01mm bore barrel, makes a bigger relative difference to the air gap than moving it the same distance down in a 6.23mm barrel. Bernoulli states that the forces shouldn’t be equivalent. 0.025mm down in a 6.01mm barrel gives an air gap on top of 0.055mm, and one below of 0.005mm. This is a ratio of 11:1. Applying the same ratio to a 6.23mm barrel makes the move 0.116666666666667mm down. Remodel and back to standard pressure. Here are the results: Force(X) [N] 0.00075039 Force (Y) [N] 0.346269096 Force (Z) [N] 20.23075439 Now that’s much more like it! The Z component is roughly the same, X is still very small. Y is now of an important magnitude.
CONCLUSIONS
The author offered several conclusions: The BB will still centralise in a wide bore. Increasing fps/pressure in a wide bore is likely to move the BB slightly down in the bore rather than up. For the same displacement from the barrel axis, the tight bore has a larger force holding it central. For the same pressure, and proportional displacement from the barrel axis, to the barrel wall, the wide bore
“OFF CENTRE DOWN, THE 6.01MM GOT 0.143N PULLING IT BACK TO CENTRE. FOR 6.23MM IT GOT 0.0643N. THIS IS A ~45% DROP IN FORCE. THIS MEANS THAT THE FORCE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN THE BB TO CENTRE IN A WIDE BORE BARREL IS LESS THAN THAT OF A TIGHT BORE BARREL, FOR THE SAME PRESSURE, AND DISPLACEMENT.” For a 6.23mm Barrel, it has 0.14mm gap to the Barrel when centralised. When moved the same 0.025mm down, it has 0.115mm below, and 0.165mm above. Giving a ratio of 1.44:1. Significantly lower. The Bernoulli principle and Coanda effect are decreased proportionately. For the same pressure, the BB is held more central by a 6.01mm barrel than a 6.23mm barrel. For the same FPS, a higher pressure would be required, which would increase the force swing. This may change things. Increasing the pressure? In the real world, you would run your gun up to the applicable FPS limits, so let’s increase the pressure by 15% and re-run it. The results are: Force (X) [N] -0.006858518 Force (Y) [N] 0.013336395 Force (Z) [N] 23.4898044 The pressure is increasing the fps roughly
will have a larger force, centering the BB. BBs in tight bores follow a more stable path than wide bores. The difference is microns and likely irrelevant. To round all this up: there are several forces at play as the BB is accelerated down the barrel – not just the lift from the backspin. Both the Bernoulli principle and the Coanda effect work against the lift from the Magnus effect to keep the BB centred – no rattling or bouncing down the bore. In a tightbore barrel, these effects are magnified, and the result is more consistent – in short, there are fluid dynamic advantages to using tight bore barrels although the measurable difference is small. Therefore, I have been utterly wrong about a couple of assumptions; how the BB travelled in the barrel and that tight bore barrels weren’t worth the money. You literally live and learn! AA
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KIT & GEAR GHILLIE SUITS
GHILLIE SUITS
“A TYPE OF CAMOUFLAGE CLOTHING DESIGNED TO RESEMBLE THE BACKGROUND ENVIRONMENT SUCH AS FOLIAGE, SNOW OR SAND.” WE ALL KNOW THAT CAMOUFLAGE IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE THAT TAKE ON THE ROLE OF A SNIPER. PAUL YELLAND GIVES US SOME TIPS ON HOW TO CREATE AND TEST A GHILLIE SUIT. OVER MANY YEARS OF HAVING an interest in the military, one of the subjects that I find fascinating is concealment – particularly the ghillie suit. This suit is famously used by snipers and surveillance teams but the origins of the ghillie suit can be tracked to game keepers in Scotland. The suit is basic in construction, and if made properly can provide the wearer with the ultimate weapon – invisibility. A ghillie suit helps to break up the shape of the body and allows a person to blend into the natural surroundings. I have attempted to make a few ghillie suits over the years with some varying levels of success, so in this article I am going to look at how to put a ghillie suit together and test the effectiveness of it.
an effective ghillie suit. The wrong choice of colour or material could make it stand out from the background.
Attach a camouflage net to the mesh first
GETTING STARTED
To start things off, you are going to need some form of base garment on which all the camouflage is going to be attached. This could be an old combat smock that has had elastic loops sewn onto it or a commercially available olive green mesh ghillie suit. I have opted for the latter because it already has loops for foliage on it and is relatively easy to fasten other material to. The other reason for this choice is because the suit comes with a hood. This is important as both the head and shoulders need to be camouflaged because those are the two main parts of the body that will be pointing towards whoever it is that you will be watching. If you do not have a hood, a basic bush/tropical hat can be adapted by adding elastic foliage loops and strips of material to break up the distinctive shape.
The mesh base of a ghillie suit with added twine
Detail is very important when it comes to making
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The problem that I have found with the mesh on the ghillie suit is that it looks shiny and “flat”. So, to help it blend into the irregular surroundings, I have fastened a section of camouflage net to the entire surface area of the suit using small black cable ties and green jute twine. This gives me a more naturally uneven looking texture and extra places to tie material to.
NEXT STEPS
The next task is to decide what material you are going to use for attaching to the net. This can be any camouflage material such as strips of old DPM from combat trousers or cut up lengths of scrim and hessian sand bags. The first ghillie suit that I made had lengths of Disruptive Pattern Material stuck to it using a glue gun. Doing this did break up the outline of my body, however, I found that the strips of material just didn’t blend into anything natural around it because the strips were too wide and stood out against the thin blades of grass and stems. The other problem was that the dried spots of glue were shiny and could be seen on certain areas of the vest – especially if the sunlight caught it. After lots of trial and error, I found that the best material to use was the individual threads from a hessian sandbag. These threads look just like thin blades of grass and are natural in colour. I unpicked the sandbags and tied small bundles of the hessian to the loops of the camouflage net. I kept the length of the threads to approximately ten inches and overlapped the layers as I worked across the suit. It was important to get a
KIT & GEAR GHILLIE SUITS
good coverage of hessian to all parts of the head, shoulders, arms and back which proved extremely time consuming (I am talking many many hours), but once attached the hessian really did start to make the ghillie suit look how it was supposed to.
Strips of material compared to hessian threads
Once I had finished adding the hessian, I took the suit up onto some moorland to test its effectiveness. I found a location in amongst some short grass, gorse and dead bracken that provided reasonable cover from view and laid out the ghillie suit. I moved down about thirty metres to a footpath that ran across the front of the hide and then looked back up to the position. The ghillie suit was extremely visible and stood out like a pair of bulldog’s bits. The actual texture and size of the hessian threads were fine and really did mimic grass. However, the colour of the hessian was just too light and looked wrong and out of place. The only option was to paint or dye the hessian a dark shade of green.
TIME TO GET PAINTING
When I returned home, I decided that the quickest way to change the colour was to use Krylon spray paint. Although designed for spraying the metal and plastic on weapons, the colour match of the woodland and olive green paints were pretty much spot on. I just needed to dull the colour of the hessian but had to be careful not to overdo the paint job. I held the spray can about a foot away from the ghillie suit and applied the spray paint in quick light bursts of olive green.
The re-sprayed ghillie suit
I was extremely surprised to see how much of a difference just a small amount of paint made. The suit was now a dull dead / green grass colour that also had a dirty and weathered appearance. I went back to the hide that I had originally found on the moorland with the re-sprayed ghillie suit. Now when placed in amongst the bracken and gorse, the suit blended in very well and did not catch the eye. The final job was to add local foliage to the suit – in this case dead bracken. I fed the foliage though the elastic loops on the mesh suit and through the holes on the camouflage net. Adding the foliage was the icing on the cake in terms of the construction so I ventured back down to the footpath. This time, when I looked back, nothing was visible. Even when I looked right at the ghillie suit in the hide location it did not stand out – and I knew what to look for, so there was no way anybody else would notice it. Wearing a ghillie suit certainly does have advantages, but these can come at a price. I often find that the netting and material can get caught up on branches and general movement can be slow and clumsy. If not careful, vision can be obscured when too much camouflage is added to the hood or hat and the suit can be rather bulky to carry when not being used. It can get very warm whilst wearing a ghillie suit – even when moving short distances. The suit can become heavy, especially when wet. New suits can look too fresh and shiny with possibly a smell, so will need to be weather. This can be done by leaving it outside for several days and treating it roughly by rubbing it into puddles, mud and grass. A ghillie suit is not suitable for every scenario, especially the fast paced ones that require lots of running around. Remember, a ghillie suit is all about stealth and this is achieved by moving slowly or laying still. Although there are pre-made ghillie suits that can be purchased, they are just not the same as making your own because some of the commercial suits that I have seen don’t look rustic enough. Although an eye for detail is important when making your own suit, it is the imperfections and roughness that make the ghillie suit more effective. AA
The finished ghillie suit in action ...but where?
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armoury REMINGTON 870 SHOTGUNS
REMINGTON 870 SHOTGUNS: GAS & SPRING IF YOU’RE IN THE MARKET FOR AN AIRSOFT SHOTGUN THEN THERE ARE MANY EXCELLENT MODELS TO CHOOSE FROM THAT WILL SUIT YOUR OWN STYLE OF PLAY, FROM OUT AND OUT SKIRMISHING TO POST-APOCALYPTIC ROLEPLAY! BILL TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT HIS FAVOURITE MODEL, THE “REMINGTON 870”, IN BOTH SPRING AND GAS GUISES. WHEN IT COMES TO BOTH NEW and existing airsoft replicas, I have to admit to being an absolute glutton for both “AK” variants and for, in my opinion, the most elegant shotgun model on the market, the “Remington 870”. A good pump-action shotgun should be a “must have” in anybody’s airsoft armoury as far as I’m concerned, as they fulfil so many different roles and while we are never going to use a shotgun with Hatton Rounds to take the hinges off doors, the “clack-clack” of a pump-action being racked is still one of the sounds you least want to hear if you’re creeping down a darkened hallway! That’s as true in airsoft form as it is in real life, as the Remington still ranks right up there in terms of “home defence” weapons and with the heritage it has, I believe you can truly call it “tried and tested”.
MODEL 870 HISTORY
The Model 870 pump-action shotgun was introduced in 1951 (some say it may have even been as early as
“WHILE WE ARE NEVER GOING TO USE A SHOTGUN WITH HATTON ROUNDS TO TAKE THE HINGES OFF DOORS, THE “CLACK-CLACK” OF A PUMP-ACTION BEING RACKED IS STILL ONE OF THE SOUNDS YOU LEAST WANT TO HEAR IF YOU’RE CREEPING DOWN A DARKENED HALLWAY!” January 1950) to fit into a space in the manufacturer’s range. Remington needed something at the time that was modern, streamlined, rugged, reliable, and relatively inexpensive and the model 870 neatly fitted the bill. The concept of pump shotguns certainly wasn’t a new thing,
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armoury REMINGTON 870 SHOTGUNS
“BOTH SHOTGUNS CHRONO ABOUT THE SAME (IRO 320FPS ON A .20G) AND BOTH ARE SUPERBLY ACCURATE. BOTH ARE FULL METAL AND BUILT LIKE TANKS AND IF THE S&T LASTS AS LONG AS THE G&P, I’LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY WITH MY INVESTMENT!” as the 870 “Wingmaster” was designed to replace the rugged Remington Model 31. The primary features that made the Remington 870 distinctive go all the way back to the very first 1950’s models; double action bars provided not only strength and longevity but allowed trouble-free operation of the pump action, preventing failure from less than perfect linear operation of the mechanism by the hamfisted user. The locking bolt and barrel extension have also been a notable contributor to the longevity and popularity of the 870 since day one. Available in 12, 16, 20, 28, or .410 bore, the 870 family is also extremely versatile and the number of aftermarket parts available for them is an industry in itself! Remington 870s have been (and still are) used by numerous military units worldwide and are also extremely popular in Law Enforcement circles. The 870 was used by the SAS as a breaching weapon and was known by the UK Forces as the L74A1 - there’s even an “SAS private purchase” model in the Imperial War Museum! Sales of the 870 have been staggering. By 1973 2 million had been sold; 7 million by 1996 and the 10 millionth model was sold on 13th April 2009! It’s estimated there are now over 11 million of these wonderful shotguns in circulation although, with the number of variations of the Remington 870 over the years, it’s probable that the total number sold is uncountable.
PUMPING IRON!
My personal “love affair” with the humble “pumpgun” continues unabated and this is in “real form” as well as airsoft. Over the Christmas period I had chance to shoot a little “practical shotgun” and got my hands on not only a cracking Mossberg 930 JM Pro, but also on a rather lovely 870 with an extended tube… and
even though I wore my trusty Peltors, our endeavours on the day still have my ears ringing! In issue 94 of Airsoft Action I had a gander at the latest “870” offerings from S&T, testing the little sawn-off version on the range and I have to say that I absolutely loved it! From that point onwards I made it my mission to hunt down one of the full-length, “practical” style S&Ts and thanks to Chris at 308 Sniper in Chatham (www.308-sniper.co.uk) I was able to secure one of my very own!
SPRINGERS
For many moons my “go to” airsoft shotgun of choice has been a classic G&P spring 870. Over time I’ve managed to find both the extended shell tube for it, along with a full synthetic butt. These are becoming more and more unicorn-like to find but in my mind it rounds out the “Remmy” so that it resembles a proper “competition” twelve bore. The reason I HAD to have the S&T version is that it’s basically the old G&P updated with a better, more manageable magazine release, extended tube, and full woodwork as standard. The S&T also comes in iro £150 as opposed to “the sky’s the limit” G&P. Conservatively, I think that my G&P ended up costing me £300+ over time to get it exactly how I wanted it and the S&T does it all for half the price! Both shotguns chrono about the same (iro 320fps on a .20g) and both are superbly accurate. Both are full metal and built like tanks and if the S&T lasts as long as the G&P, I’ll be more than happy with my investment! But there’s always been a niggling doubt in the back of my mind since Tokyo Marui released their gaspowered 870 - and it’s a doubt that I very much had to put to rest. I’ve followed a lot of chat online in various groups about just how good the TM gasser is and I know that it has a LOT of fans out there. Although there are some cracking gassers like the APS CAM 870, the
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armoury REMINGTON 870 SHOTGUNS
lure of the TM for me was the fact that it was not only tri-barrelled but also non-shell ejecting. Much as I love the idea of a shell ejector, I’ve had one before and I was constantly losing shells which is both annoying and expensive.
straightforward, especially as Fire Support provided the “tactical” model with a ghost ring and blade foresight to test.
TM GASSER
In many ways, the TM 870 ticks nigh-on all my “want” boxes: It’s metal, you have a choice of synthetic or (faux) wood furniture, tactical or sporting “look” and great performance as standard. The TM sells for about £280 and comes ready to roll with the gas tank (which fits easily and unobtrusively into the butt) and a single 30BB “shot shell” and I have to admit that with everything in place it certainly felt very nice indeed! As with many things “TM” there’s also a plethora of spare parts, internal and external upgrades are easily available now (that’s why I tend to wait for most new models rather than rushing in straight away) from reputable third-party manufacturers like CAW, Angry Gun, DYTAC, Laylax and even G&P, so you can set up your own “Remmy” just the way you like it. Spare shells (it will happily use most 30BB shot shells if you already own some) and gas tanks are actually quite reasonably priced too, so keeping it running won’t cost you an arm or leg or kidney… The TM chronos iro 300fps/0.84J on a .20g but and it’s a BIG “but” - you get 3 BBs to each trigger pull (this can actually be upped to 6 BBs by simply flipping a small switch if you really want!), as opposed to the single BB from either the G&P or S&T. Whilst you do get used to the accuracy of the springers and work to this as a plus, the TM gives you some useful “wiggle room” especially when it comes to smaller “practical” type targets. I had great fun on the range trying all three models on the same set of targets at 10m and 20m and although I could hit each and every one with the G&P and the S&T, the tri-barrels on the TM did make things more
If you’re using the gasser for any kind of competition, the downside of this is that you need to change the shell after 10 shots (or less!), as opposed to the 22 of the springers and thanks to the little design tweaks on the magazine of the S&T, changing them is far easier than the fiddly G&P ones – which was always a problem unless you had tiny, tiny fingers.
DECISION TIME
Ultimately though, did the TM 870 win me over? Well, yes and no really. I love the fact that the TM has a proper shell that needs changing and that the pumpaction is so smooth compared to the “haul-back” of the springers. I also love the tri-barrel performance and the nice “crack” it gives off when fired. However, as with all things gas, there’s far more to potentially go wrong on the TM than there is on either the G&P or S&T, although in fairness, it did work fine on chilly winter days (possibly due to the gas tank not being exposed to the elements). Knowing TM though, they will undoubtedly continue to improve on their initial design even though their first model seems, as usual, to be generally rock-solid and performs splendidly. However, the simplicity of a good quality spring shotgun still sings to me and I have to say that the S&T ticks many boxes for me personally straight from the box. Ultimately, all three shotgun models work brilliantly, and your choice is really down to “Do I want gas or spring?” However, when all is said and done, I do love my springers but I MAY just have to invest in a Tokyo Marui 870 “wood effect” model with an extended tube... just to be sure... AA Thanks to www.fire-support.co.uk for supplying the test TM 870; if you fancy a gasser then do check out their website by simply entering “870” in the search box and you’ll be glad that you did… although your wallet may not be so happy after you see all the goodies listed there!
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INSIDE AIRSOFT SIXMIL.COM
SIXMIL.COM LOADOUTS UPDATED! AS THE COMPANY CONTINUES TO GROW, KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK GIVES US AN UPDATE ON THE NEW LOADOUTS THEY HAVE LAUNCHED FOR RENTAL PLAYERS. IN 2017 I CAME ACROSS AN AIRSOFT rental company that was the first of its kind - SIXMIL.com. SIXMIL had a mission - to kit out new players to the same standard as walk on players to give them a better experience of the game and to keep them in the game after their period as a rental player. Just over a year later the company has gone from strength to strength and now has more load outs and rental packages than ever before. At the end of 2018, Joe launched a collection of 9 new loadouts for players to choose from and we’re going to look at the new packages that players can rent from the SIXMIL armouries at West Midlands Airsoft: The FOB in Upper Tean and Stormforce Airsoft in Rugeley.
UK RECON
First up is the UK Recon package, this package utilises recent issue MTP camouflage and para-style modern MTP webbing to make a lightweight, British package. The loadout includes: British issue MTP weatherproof
military smock and combat trousers, Bulldog para-style MTP webbing chest rig, MTP Jungle/bush boogie hat or OD green woollen bob hat, coyote tan gloves, OD green knee pads and an OD green scrim scarf. Also included in the package is either a standard M4A1 rifle or a standard L85 weapon. This particular load out is available in sizes waist 28” - 44” and top sizes S - XXL. This package is £45 for a full day hire.
PMC BLACK
The PMC Black loadout from SIXMIL.com is a medium weight loadout based on a modern private military contractor style. This loadout package includes: A Helikon grey lightweight hexi-fleece and OD green BDU combat trousers, Condor Operator black plate carrier, Helikon black baseball cap or black woollen bob hat, black gloves, black knee pads and OD green shemagh. Also included in the package is an upgraded weapon players can choose from an M4A1 weapon, upgraded G36C, upgraded AK47 or an upgraded UMP45. This load out is available in waist size 30” - 40” and top sizes S-XL.
PMC TAN
The PMC Tan loadout is the tan counterpart of the PMC Black load out and is also based on a modern private military contractor style. This load out package includes: Helikon grey lightweight Hexi-fleece and coyote tan BDU combat trousers, Condor operator tan plate carrier, Helikon coyote tan baseball cap or black woollen bob hat, coyote tan gloves, black knee pads and OD green shemagh. This loadout includes the same upgraded weapon choice as the black and also comes in the same sizes. Both PMC loadouts are £50 for a full days hire.
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INSIDE AIRSOFT SIXMIL.COM
UK CLASSIC
The UK classic loadout is an old-school styled lightweight package that uses classic British DPM camo. This loadout package includes: British issue DPM weatherproof military smock and combat trousers, genuine British issue DPM webbing chest rig, DPM jungle/bush boonie hat or OD green woollen bob hat, black gloves and OD scrim scarf. Also included in the package is a standard M4A1 weapon, standard L85 or a standard MP5. This load out is available in waist 28” - 42” and top sizes S-XXL. This loadout is £40 for a full days hire.
US MARINE
The US Marine loadout is a medium lightweight package based on the modern US Marine look incorporating a mix of MARPAT digital woodland and coyote tan camouflages. This loadout package includes: Helikon MARPAT USMC combat shirt and BDU combat trousers, Condor EXO2 coyote tan plate carrier, Nuprol adjustable Mich2000 style helmet or MARPAT Helikon USMC cap, coyote tan gloves and kneepads. Also included in the package is either the upgraded M4A1 or a standard M4A1 ( which takes £5 off the package price) This load out is available in waist 30” - 44” and top sizes S - XXL. The US Marine loadout is £50 for a full days hire.
black gloves and black knee pads. Also included is an upgraded M4A1 weapon, UMP45 or an upgraded MP5. This load out is available in waist sizes 30” - 40” and top sizes S - XXL. The US SWAT loadout is £50 for a full days hire.
UK SAS
The UK SAS load out is an all black medium weight package styled around the classic SAS look. This load out package includes: A Helikon black UBACS combat shirt and BDU combat trousers, Condor Operator plate carrier, Nuprol adjustable fast helmet, black cap or black woollen bob hat, black gloves and knee pads. Also included in the package is an upgraded HK416, upgraded M4A1 or an upgraded MP5 weapon. This load out is available in waist sizes 30” - 40” and top sizes S-XXL. The UK SAS loadout is £50 for a full days hire.
US SEAL
UK INFANTRY
The UK infantry loadout is a medium weight package based on a modern British infantry style using MTP kit to give players an authentic British soldier look. This loadout package includes: British issue MTP UBAC combat shirt and combat trousers, British issue MTP Osprey plate carrier, MK7 combat helmet with MTP cover and camo scrim or short brim boonie hat, coyote tan gloves, OD green knee pads and OD green scrim scarf. Also included in the package is an upgraded L85 or M4A1 weapon. This package is available in waist size 28” - 42” and top sizes S - XXL. This loadout is £50 for a full days hire.
US SWAT
The US SWAT package is a medium weight load out based around a modern FBI/urban SWAT style in OD green. This package includes: Helikon OD green UBACs combat shirt and BDU combat trousers, Condor Exo2 OD green plate carrier, Nuprol OD green adjustable fast helmet with OD green helmet cover or OD green cap,
This load out is based on the iconic US Navy Seals, it is a lightweight modern load out in multicam and coyote tan with a modern operator feel. This load out package includes: Emerson Gen2 UBACS combat shirt and combat trousers, Emerson JPC, Emerson battle belt, Nuprol adjustable fast helmet with MC cover or CT cap, CT gloves and a CT shemagh. Also included in this load out is an upgraded HK416, upgraded M4A1 or an upgraded MP5. This load out is available in waist sizes 28” - 36” and top sizes S - L. The US SEAL package is £50 for a full days hire. The new loadouts look fantastic, and it’s clear from the effort, money and time that has gone into creating each loadout, down to the details including patches and correct headgear that Joe takes pride in kitting out his rental players. He has utilised well known brands to give new players a feel for the kit and game and it’s awesome that the new loadouts all have themes so new players can pick looks they’ve seen in films and in games. Having such high quality rental kit is a great way of levelling the playing field between new players and more experienced players - no more track suits, trainers and busted old G36C’s when SIXMIL is around! AA For more information, head over to www.sixmil.com, email them at enquiries@sixmil.com or give them a bell on 07875 557253
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TEAM PROFILE THE WOLFPACK UPDATE
TEAM PROFILE UPDATE
THE WOLFPACK
A FEW ISSUES AGO WE RAN A TEAM PROFILE ON A NORTH-WEST BASED TEAM, THE WOLFPACK. TEAM MEMBER, TOMMY WEEDON, BRINGS US UP TO DATE WITH HOW THE WOLFPACK IS DEVELOPING. ABOUT THE TEAM
The Wolfpack is a tightknit eighteen-man Airsoft team based in the North-west of England. The team is an excellent mix of individuals from all different walks of life and our day jobs are just as varied - from construction to financial advisors, from mechanical engineers to mixed-media designers. We all knew one another long before the days of The Wolfpack, so when we decided to officially form the team we already had deep-rooted friendships that are continually strengthened on a daily basis. The Wolfpack’s primary objective is to enjoy the sport that we are all so passionate about. We purposely keep our team numbers low to ensure we can maintain a smooth-flowing democracy, the comradery experienced in a compact fighting force, both on and off the field. Our small family understands the fundamentals of operating as an effective squad but also what it takes to
THE FIRETEAMS
OPERATING WITH TWO FIRETEAMS – Hunter Actual and Viking Actual – allows us to evenly structure the team, enabling each member to embrace their strengths and preferred styles of play, whilst at the same time maintaining small, manageable crack teams in battle. Hunter Actual typically focuses on over-watch, recon tasks and other supporting tactics and manoeuvres, with Viking Actual deploying a more direct and aggressive approach, utilising every window of opportunity to advance on the opposing side.
EVENTS AND TRAINING
We have participated in numerous Military Simulation events (Milsim’s) hosted by our good friends at Sterling Airsoft, providing us with the opportunity to use a selection of M.O.D training areas including Copehill down FIBUA and Catterick Training Base. Thanks to the
“OPERATING WITH TWO FIRETEAMS – HUNTER ACTUAL AND VIKING ACTUAL – ALLOWS US TO EVENLY STRUCTURE THE TEAM, ENABLING EACH MEMBER TO EMBRACE THEIR STRENGTHS AND PREFERRED STYLES OF PLAY, WHILST AT THE SAME TIME MAINTAINING SMALL, MANAGEABLE CRACK TEAMS IN BATTLE.” care for and support each other, whatever the situation may be. What makes the Wolfpack formidable is our ability to harness eighteen different personalities and a range of skills and experiences into a single unit that intuitively knows what each player is thinking in battle. We instinctively move as one, we always have each other’s back and have a combined determination to win.
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staff of Sterling and some close friends of the team, we have had the good fortune to benefit from invaluable training provided by ex-military and Special Forces. -We have enjoyed the experience of fighting at numerous Airsoft venues up and down the country, with our regular sites including FAO Anzio, Swat KYLN, Invasion Armouries, Hoots Lair, Shock and Awe and finally Bravo 22. With some members of the team preferring outdoor/woodland gameplay, and others
TEAM PROFILE THE WOLFPACK UPDATE
favouring Close Quarter Battles, these sites give us the perfect balance of gameplay styles and allow us to expand and improve our skillsets.
TEAM KIT
As a team, we respect and encourage our members’ individuality and preferences when it comes to the type of kit we run with. We do have a set uniform of grey uppers including grey softshell jackets and custom grey wolfpack hoodies, but we also allow each other to develop their own style as we feel restrictions and requirements can take out the fun of expressing and
operations. Ben is (and always will be) a valuable friend of ours and is a highly thought of member with in the airsoft community. Ben has continued his support to the team by Sponsoring the team publicly and offering us brilliant opportunities to grow the team and provide us the best training elements possible. Additionally, we would like to mention the fantastic site holders with whom we have great relationships with, such as Paul Kanggs of Swat Airsoft Limited. Paul has continuously provided us with brilliant support over the past year with game events. He has helped us grow our social media engagements and opportunity’s over the years and had helped us become a solid unit in the airsoft community. Paul has even continued his support towards The Wolfpack by sponsoring the team and helping us with our future endeavours. The same applies to the Sterling Airsoft team, who have hosted phenomenal events at official M.O.D bases throughout the country. They have all given so much support and respect at the events we have attended and offered us the opportunity to partake in additional training in game with ex-military members to better our skills on the field.
AIRSOFT SUPPLIERS
building your own personality in the sport. Mulitcam or MTP are unsurprising favourites amongst the team but some members often opt for alternative camouflages, such as US military AOR1 and standard Swedish military camouflage. PMC loadouts are also frequently used by the team and we even have a few members with excellent ghillie suits, perfect for our trips to woodland sites. As with uniform, our weapons are our own. We have a collection of M4-based rifles along with several AK platforms and a handful of support weapons and sniper rifles. We are lucky enough to have some technical minds on the team, meaning many of the weapons we use have been endlessly upgraded and customised, we even have a couple of talented painters to cover the cosmetic aspect of our rifles.
THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY
The majority of members within The Wolfpack have been undertaking the sport since 2012, we have always had a solid interest in the sport and community, in which we have made fantastic friends and connection along the way. We have covered numerous airsoft sites over the years, across the entire country where we have formed extremely strong relationships with the site owners and their fantastic marshalling staff. We would like to give a few honourable mentions to these airsoft organisations for the brilliant support they have handed us throughout our time in the sport. Our first statement goes to Ben franklin of Invasion Airsoft/Armouries, for giving his time and knowledge of the sport to guide us in the correct direction, when most us began our airsoft journeys. He has also provided us with brilliant training facilities both Close Quarter Battle and woodland locations, where we have trained limitless hours, honing our tactics and skills ready for upcoming
Through our time in the airsoft world we have hooked up with several airsoft suppliers and stores across the entire country but none have been as supportive as Patrol Base. The Patrol Base team really make sure we have the right advice to select the right equipment necessary to get the job done, and they are always willing to go the extra mile for their customers. As testament to the strength of the relationship with Patrol Base we highly respect their advice both on and off the field and we have the greatest appreciation for their support for the relationships we hold with them. The Wolfpack airsoft team would like to extend our gratitude to Airsoft Action magazine for the opportunity to share our story. I would also like to extend my personal appreciation to all the different airsoft companies and suppliers within the industry that make this amazing hobby possible and even take the time to support us with sponsorships and amazing opportunities for the future. I am also very grateful for the airsoft community, where I have built such strong friendships that have prospered into a group of friends, I am happy to call my family and so proud to call The Wolfpack. Please feel free to check out our social media streams on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for our team updates and upcoming events. I hope you found it an interesting read and thank you for your time. Tommy.
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kit & gear WINTER ESSENTIALS - PART 2
WINTER GEAR ESSENTIALS PT 2 “USE THEM RIGHT” IN ISSUE 96 BILL TOOK A LOOK AT KIT WHICH IS SUITABLE FOR A LONGER DURATION GAME IN WINTER CONDITIONS, SO WE SET HIM THE TASK OF COMING UP WITH AN OVERVIEW OF HOW THIS CAN ALL BE PUT TOGETHER AND USED. THIS TIME HE BRINGS US A BREAKDOWN OF HOW EVERYTHING WORKS TOGETHER AND HOW YOU CAN USE IT EFFECTIVELY TO KEEP YOU AT FULL SPEED AND “IN THE GAME”. IN MY EARLIER LIFE as an outdoor living skills instructor and program leader and as a keen “bushcrafter” and interested traveller, I’ve been lucky enough to experience the “big outdoors” in many of its myriad forms. To this day, nothing gives me greater pleasure than simply “being out there” with a pack on my back and a big open horizon in front of me. I’ve been lucky enough to work in the backwoods and mountains, to run leadership courses in rain forests and to spend an entire month in British Columbia, Canada, just doing my own thing and all of these experiences (and more!) have instilled the personal mantra of “any fool can be uncomfortable”. Without going into the specifics of bushcrafting skills as they’re not applicable to this particular article, I will return to
blisteringly hot days and pretty chilly nights; we were in the mountains after all! I had, however, researched the climatic conditions before we started and, luckily, we were well-prepared. And this, in a nutshell, is what being able to fully and effectively participate in a longer duration airsoft game is all about and it’s an absolute joy to me that all those skills amassed in a “previous life” can now come to the fore as part of my “airsoft toolbox”. I actually relish the thought of being out for longer and the combination of outdoor living skills, thorough preparedness and the thrill of dodging BBs all comes together in one big, happy package for me! I believe that we’ve all heard the phrase “all the gear, no idea” and this is really, really true when it comes to
“YOU CAN LOOK AT THE LIST OF “EQUIPMENT INGREDIENTS” THAT ARE OFTEN PROVIDED IN ARTICLES SUCH AS MINE - BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO KNOW HOW TO USE EVERYTHING AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHEN.” that mantra again and again as being “comfortable”, a relative term I grant you, is all-important when it comes to enjoying an airsoft event or game of a longer duration. Last year I had the great privilege of travelling to Crete with my fellow contributor and friend Kelly, and for three days we were out in the mountains, forests and valleys enjoying both the game itself and the surroundings. In this particular scenario life was relatively simple as we were taken into the AO by vehicle and worked out of a fixed position; this had large tents, cots, and basic amenities, so essentially all we had to do was throw down our sleeping bags and we were good to go. What we did have to contend with though, was 72
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“overnighters” when playing airsoft. Yes, you can look at the list of “equipment ingredients” that are often provided in articles such as mine in Issue 96 - but you also need to know how to use everything and, most importantly, when. In many cases for longer (and here I mean multi-day) games you’ll be part of a larger unit, with unit command and (hopefully) unit cohesiveness. You’ll have at the very least a Squad or Team Leader (TL), who in turn will have a higher echelon to report to and take orders from and a good TL will take much of the stress out of the situation, letting you get on with “business”.
kit & gear WINTER ESSENTIALS - PART 2
SCENARIO TIME!
The easiest way for me to explain kit usage is to put it into a scenario… Let’s imagine you are part of a NATO team that’s been inserted into an AO during the winter with the task of fixing and engaging with an enemy force, effectively a “Search, Fix, and Destroy” mission. The scenario calls for you to be in the field for two full days with one “operational” night in the field. You are part of a light infantry unit that’s tailor made to cover ground fast and take the fight to the enemy. First up you’re going to need that “gear hauler”, a pack that’s big enough to carry everything you need for the entire game, which, for me, is the Tasmanian Tiger RAID pack. You’ve established with “higher higher” that you will get a water replen during the course of the
Some of the kit, like a multi-tool and map/compass, may well be carried on your person or in your fighting order but the fact is it all needs to be neatly stowed and logically accessible when you need it. With all of this on board we’ll get back to our scenario…
PATROL & LUP
You’ve successfully infil’d to your AO and now you have the long patrol to your overnight position, or “Laying Up Position” (LUP). This patrol will be tactical so you can’t be hauling carrier bags full of Pot Noodles and Mars Bars, or bin liners containing your fleece-lined, two-person sleeping bag! Everything needs to be in your pack or bergen, keeping your hands free for the allimportant task of actually carrying your rifle or carbine. If you come into contact whilst patrolling in you’ll need to swiftly respond and return fire before you think of ditching any gear! Once you’ve made it most of the way to your overnight LUP it’s likely that your TL will get you into some form of all-round defence whilst they go to recce the site itself. Done well, your TL will then lead you tactically into that position indicating your defensive points and arcs of fire to be covered, all of this in total silence. Once the entire patrol is inside the LUP area a good TL will have you take up a defensive perimeter for a while before you start to get your shelters up and food on the go.
SETTING UP game but other than that you’re on your own, so your pack needs to accommodate: • Tent/Bivvy • Kip Mat • Sleeping Bag • Stove (…and don’t forget the gas/fuel!) • Utensils/Mug/Mess Tins • Water bottle • Food • More food! • Map and Compass • Sunscreen (this is still important in the winter!) • Multi-tool/Penknife • Head Torch • First-Aid kit • Main Compartment and Accessories Dry Bag • Fleece/Midlayer Shirt or Jacket • Waterproof Jacket and Trousers • Insulated Jacket • Gloves, Watch Cap/Beanie, and Thermal Gloves • Spare Combat Trousers • Spare Baselayers and Socks • Wash Kit
You’re effectively behind enemy lines! Night will be falling in a couple of hours and, of course, everyone needs to be “stood to” for dusk, a favourite attack
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time for any enemy forces as the light starts to fade and “grey out”. Everything is quiet though, so it’s time to get set up for the night ahead. This is a prime example of where the “buddy system” comes into play - whilst your “buddy” is providing cover you can get to work! First up is getting a brew on both for you and your mate; you know how each other’s pack so you know where to find his mug. Get that brew on to provide a hot drink for the both of you. Whilst that water is boiling you can start to get your
the water should be boiling, so take your mucker a brew. Relieve them from the defensive perimeter role and take over while they go and sort out their own clothing/gear. They can then lay out kip mats and sleeping bags and get some hot food on the go while you keep watch. Basically, from this point on you’re good to go for the night and once again your TL should be advising you as to the perimeter defence rotation throughout the hours of darkness until, at dawn, everyone stands to again. Breaking down your LUP is simply the reverse of the night before, with everything back in your packs neatly in readiness to move out at the time your TL indicates and after a good hot breakfast!
A COUPLE OF TIPS
• Always keep your rifle/carbine with easy reach; never be more than an arms-length from it • If you ditch your fighting order whilst putting up your tent the same applies • Only ever unpack what you need at that moment and once used return it to its rightful place • Always keep your pack/bergen ready to go in case you get “bumped” and have to retreat from your LUP; you can always return to get any kit later when the area is secure! basha/tent up; half the basha/tent kit will be amongst your mate’s gear, so it really is vitally important that you pack your gear together. If you decide on a tent, look for a model like the Snugpak Scorpion 3 I mentioned in my previous article that you can pitch single-handed. Once the tent is up, quickly get into your warmer, insulated gear and of course, if you have wet garments or socks, change those for dry ones! Once the tent is up and you’ve sorted yourself out
This is by no means a “bible” to follow blindly, just a few suggestions that should make you more effective in the field and allow you to fully enjoy the game or event! It’s a system that’s worked for me all over the world and one that I’ve transferred to airsoft. At the end of the day though, practising this outside an airsoft game can be huge fun, a chance to be with your mates in perhaps a stunning environment but please, leave your RIF at home! AA
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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KIT & GEAR SNR RELOCATION CABLES & ANTENNAE
RELOCATION... RELOCATION... RELOCATION... PHIL B FINDS A WAY TO KEEP ANTENNAE AND CABLES OUT THE WAY AND STOP THEM PRODDING YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIREFIGHT!
ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT AIRSOFT for me is the kit and, increasingly, the speed at which items seen in the real world end up being replicated in a format that’s both affordable and useable in game. I’m very much a fan of modern gear, whether it be the M4 platform, to plate carriers and comms kit as well. I love it all and I have boxes of PEQ illuminators, torches, pressure switches, lasers and possibly more optics than I would ever need. However, a real game changer - and one that doesn’t need to cost the earth but will most definitely enhance your play - is the humble radio. Now there are two camps when it comes to radios for airsoft use, the PMR licenced free ones and then the UHF band radios, like the ever-popular Baofeng UV-5R, which require a license from OFCOM to use. That is a whole topic in its own right, so I’m going to park that for now and focus on the hardware. The radio is just a small part of the whole though and to use them effectively you really need a headset that connects to a push to talk button (PTT) and that, in turn, plugs into the radio. On one of my plate carriers the radio is on the rear panel and the antenna sticks up quite a way over my shoulder and the other is on my left-hand side, so the antenna occasionally prods me under the arm. To remedy that, I tried securing them with elastic bands and mini-carabiners. It wasn’t a resounding success so I started looking for alternatives as I’d seen posts mentioning “relocation cables” on Facebook and Instagram. This is an area that was completely new to me, so I turned to Google and Facebook to see what was out there and I found that there are quite a few options. I opted to go for a company called “SNR”, which stands for “Signal to Noise Ratio” and began discussing
what I needed with John Danter, who’s the owner and maker of the cables as well as a range of flexible antenna. By his own admission this is more of a hobby to help fund airsoft, rather than a career but he has made cables and antennas for teams, other comms companies and even serving personnel to use in action. With his background being in electronics and robotics, it’s obvious that he knows his onions and he backs his products 100%. John uses Milspec cable and fittings along with thicker braiding; decent rubber boots giving a cable that’s tough, waterproof, flame retardant and electrically shielded but flexible enough to manipulate as needed. When you see them they ooze quality and a high level of care and attention goes into each one to deliver the best product possible at a price point that’s not unreasonable - roughly £30 a cable.
RELOCATION CABLES
What exactly is a relocation cable then? Well, simply put, a relocation cable screws into the antenna connection on the radio and the antenna screws into the other end giving you flexibility to place it on the opposite side of your plate carrier, or horizontally under the plate pocket. Depending on the length you opt for, the possibilities are almost endless and if combined with a flexible bodyworn antenna, it can all be hidden away in the MOLLE loops on your rig, putting it completely out of the way. I wanted ones that would go from the radio to the other side of the plate bag, so the antenna had the whole height of the rig to run up. John suggested I got QD connectors and a right-angled one for the radio connection to minimise the height even more. I opted for 40cm and a 50cm cable, so each DCS could have one permanently attached, meaning I would only need
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KIT & GEAR SNR RELOCATION CABLES & ANTENNAE
to undo the QD attachment on the radio to remove it for charging. The cables arrived about a week after ordering and they were a doddle to install - literally taking seconds to fit and then you are good to go.
it isn’t big enough but I never missed any comms and only had to ask “Say again.” a couple of times, which I think was down to background noise, rather than a problem with the comms set up. Overall, I am more than happy with the cables and antenna and would say that if you are looking for similar, then reach out to John via his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SNR-Signal-to-Noise-Ratiorelocation-cables-150412212280929/ AA
I used the cables with a Baofeng antenna and one of John’s body-worn antenna and noticed that there was no difference in performance from my previous set up, so to me that’s a win! I don’t have any testing equipment so it really is subjective and based entirely on my own experience but sound clarity for both sending and receiving was superb. I cannot say whether range was increased as I was in a woodland setting where range is compromised anyway and I don’t think I would’ve reached the max range of the radio on site, as
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SKILLS QUALIFICATION SHOOTING: SHOOTING FBI
LOOKING FOR A NEW CHALLENGE, ANDY NIGHTINGALE FROM CALIBRE SHOOTING TURNED TO TACTICAL QUALIFICATION SHOOTS. HERE HE PRESENTS THE SECOND IN HIS SERIES - FBI QUALIFICATION SHOOTING. IN LAST MONTH’S AIRSOFT ACTION we looked at what it takes to pass the LAPD SWAT A Course qualification shoot. Now we’re going to ramp it up a bit and qualify for the F.B.I. Well maybe not exactly “qualify” for the F.B.I. but shoot the qualification course of fire that is a minimum requirement for all recruits and Special Agents to pass. As with all shooting activities, we must remember to put safety first, so please remember to apply the four universal rules of safe gun handling throughout your session.
HISTORY
The F.B.I, like all US law enforcement agencies, has a minimum requirement for all on the pay roll to pass a
a secondary weapon. Special Agents can also pass the qualification with their own privately purchased Glock 21 in .45 ACP. In 2016 the F.B.I awarded Glock with a new contract order of handguns chambered in 9mm parabellum instead of the .45 ACP. The order is for full size Glock 17M and 19M (the M stands for modified as per government standard requirements). Although you may pass this qualification shoot you still need to be a US citizen, obtain a Bachelor’s Degree, gain work experience, complete the FBI Application Process and complete the FBI Academy Training. As you can all appreciate, airsoft doesn’t have the same ballistic effects and accuracy as a real firearm. With this in mind I have reduced the distance from the
“ALTHOUGH YOU MAY PASS THIS QUALIFICATION SHOOT YOU STILL NEED TO BE A US CITIZEN, OBTAIN A BACHELOR’S DEGREE, GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE, COMPLETE THE FBI APPLICATION PROCESS AND COMPLETE THE FBI ACADEMY TRAINING.”
firearms test. To qualify, an F.B.I. agent is issued with a either a compact Glock 23, or the full-size framed Glock 22, both chambered in .40 S&W. In 1997, the F.B.I. officially adopted the .40 S&W and to date the issue sidearm for field agents is the Glock 23, either 3rd of 4th gen platforms. The qualification shoot is conducted at the F.B.I Academy in Quantico, Virginia and all new agents have to qualify with this weapon, however, the F.B.I. authorises agents to use the Glock 26 (9mm) and Glock 23 and 27 (.45 ACP) as 78
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firing point to the target, as some of the stages run out to over 25 yards and the size of the score zone has also been reduced. This will enable you to bring the target closer to the firing point. This reduction in target size will simulate the target being at a further distance yet allow you to make your shots count with your RIF. Let’s face it, we will never be able to hit a 8 x 4 inch target accurately at 25 yards with an airsoft pistol when being timed! I’ve also had to make slight changes to the target design as well, while keeping as close to the original
TRAINEES PRACTICE SHOOTING AT THE FBI TRAINING ACADEMY AT QUANTICO, VA. H. DARR BEISER, USA TODAY
QUALIFICATION SHOOTING: FBI
SKILLS QUALIFICATION SHOOTING: FBI
target as possible. All the targets are easy to print on an A4 size piece of card, that way you won’t have to spend a fortune on the more expensive original targets.
KIT AND EQUIPMENT TRAINEES PRACTICE SHOOTING AT THE FBI TRAINING ACADEMY AT QUANTICO, VA. H. DARR BEISER, USA TODAY
Most of the qualification shoots that will feature in AA will require you to have the same equipment each time, however, there are some shoots that require you to have other items to hand and I will add these to the kit requirements list in each issue. You will also be able to download the targets for free from the Airsoft Action website and print them onto A4 size card. All the qualification shoots are timed, so you will need access to a shot timer. I am using the CED 7000 Shot timer from Double Alpha Academy but you can easily download a shot timer app on your smartphone that will suffice. The PAR times (the total time in which you have to make your shots) have to be met in order for you to qualify. If you fail to finish a stage within the specified time, you will have failed the shoot. Although I have made subtle changes to the targets and distance, the times remain the same as the original qualification shoot. The method of instruction for each shoot can be somewhat confusing to understand, so I have reworded the brief to make it as simple as possible yet keeping to the same run. Equipment needed: • Suitable range to shoot on • Handgun and belt holster • 2 x magazines and pouch • Eye protection • Gas and BBs • CSQT01 Targets • Shot timer Method: You will need to set out your target ranges from the firing point at 3m, 4m,5m, and 10m and the targets should be at level height with you. The shooter will stand on the firing point with the handgun loaded and made ready. On cue from the shot timer, the shooter will engage the targets. Once finished the shooter will show clear and return to holster. Please note that the IPSC rules of loading and showing clear are a good idea here.
You will need 12 rounds to complete this stage. Stage 4 Distance from target to firing point is 5m. Draw and fire 4 rounds to the body within 4 seconds. Do this twice. You will need 8 rounds to complete this stage. Stage 5 Distance from target to firing point is 5m. Draw and fire 4 rounds at the body of the target, perform an emergency reload and fire 4 more rounds within 8 seconds. You will need 8 rounds to complete this stage. Stage 6 Distance from target to firing point is 10m. Draw and fire 3 rounds to the body within 6 seconds. Do this twice. You will need 6 rounds to complete this stage. Stage 7 Distance from target to firing point is 10m. Draw and fire 4 rounds at the body of the target within 6 seconds. You will need 4 rounds to complete this stage. Stage 8 Distance from target to firing point is 10m. Draw and fire 2 rounds at the body of the target standing, transition to a kneeling position and fire 3 rounds at the body of the target within 10 seconds. Do this twice. You will need 10 rounds to complete this stage Total shots needed for this qualification shoot is 60. You must score 56 points (hits) or more to pass the qualifying standard. Count all hits inside the score zone as one point. A broken line counts as a point. All hits outside the score zone are a miss. If you fail to fire all your rounds within a PAR time then you have failed the qualification shoot and must start again from the beginning. In the next issue of Airsoft Action we will have a look at the requirements for the ATF (Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms) qualification shoot. To download the targets, head over to: www.airsoft-action.online/qualificationshoot-targets. Good luck! AA
Stage 1 Distance from target to firing point is 3m. Draw and fire 3 rounds to the body with your strong hand only within 3 seconds. Do this twice. You will need 6 rounds to complete this stage. Stage 2 Distance from target to firing point is 3m. Draw and fire 3 rounds with your strong hand only then transition to your weak hand and fire another 3 rounds at the body. Complete this stage within 8 seconds. You will need 6 rounds to complete this stage. Stage 3 Distance from target to firing point is 4m. Draw and fire 3 rounds to the body within 3 seconds. Do this 4 times. www.airsoft-action.online
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last post BIG BROTHER
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU! ALTHOUGH A CREATION FROM THE MIND OF GEORGE ORWELL IN HIS BOOK, 1984, “BIG BROTHER” SEEMS TO BE EVERYWHERE IN 2019 – BUT IT IS NOT ALWAYS GOVERNMENTS DOING THE WATCHING. WITH RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE ON FACEBOOK, FRENCHIE ASKS IF IT IS TIME TO MOVE ON ...OR BACK? WHEN WE THINK OF RESTRICTIONS to our freedom of speech or minds, we tend to fall back on ideas such as Orwell’s “1984” or, if you are of a certain age, draw lessons from the now-defunct Soviet Union. We think of the State stepping in to tell us what we can or cannot say but the world has changed – a lot! There are an increasing number of airsoft groups discovering that the biggest impediment to conducting themselves online is not the Stasi, or the KGB but Facebook, Twitter and other platform providers who
have decided that discussion of war games or, horror of horrors, images of guns, are in contravention of their “community guidelines”. The irony of this, coming from companies who appear to have been compromised many, many times over and who have been proven to have been complicit in the unauthorised use of their user’s data, is not missed.
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When did private companies start ruling our ability to speak and what can the airsoft community do about it? A quote, often expressed, from 1984 is: “One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.” and this can be applied to the “social media revolution”, as easily as to any other. Although I have scaled back my online involvement with airsoft groups over the years, I still have enough connections to notice a surge in the number of posts complaining that Facebook have closed their group. The reason given, when indeed a reason is given, generally seems to be that images of weapons are contrary to their community guidelines – or if you prefer – these are our rules, you will abide by them and there is nothing you can do about it. It’s that last bit that is the real problem: while in theory you can challenge these decisions, the truth is that assuming the platform deigns to engage with you at all, they almost always fall back on their default position of “our ball, our rules”. That leaves you with the option of deleting your account and storming off in a huff, something that many people have done, albeit because they are concerned about issues surrounding privacy, or lack thereof; or sucking it up and running your page or group without images of one of the key components of airsoft. Since airsoft guns are rather central to airsoft, not being able to show them off, discuss them using illustrations to make a point or pose like the mad wannabe you are, is something of a problem. As businesses, social media platforms are not bound by the same rules that would apply to governments.
LAST POST BIG BROTHER
Imagine, if you can in this Brexit-obsessed Britain, that the government found time to ban the public posting of images of weapons. There would be a level of outrage, not just from airsofters but from the shooting sports bodies, business and others. Importantly there are mechanisms such as Judicial Review that are independent of the government and which can, if they agree with you, force them to change the law. That’s a broad-brush overview. Facebook? Err, not a hope; I
“IT’S THAT LAST BIT THAT IS THE REAL PROBLEM: WHILE IN THEORY YOU CAN CHALLENGE THESE DECISIONS, THE TRUTH IS THAT ASSUMING THE PLATFORM DEIGNS TO ENGAGE WITH YOU AT ALL, THEY ALMOST ALWAYS FALL BACK ON THEIR DEFAULT POSITION OF “OUR BALL, OUR RULES”.” mean these companies seem to decide where and how much tax they pay, making them abide by someone else’s rules isn’t going to happen any time soon. The other thing is the inconsistent way these rules are applied. Search for “guns” on Facebook. You’ll find loads of images for firearms, real ones. Aren’t they contrary to community guidelines? It would appear not. Now, I wouldn’t be so crass as to suggest that as a US-based company Facebook might be more sensitive to the demands of a large US industrial sector with lots of money to pay for lawyers and lobbyists, but basically that. Money always talks and principals have a tendency to be flexible in the face of mamon. So, what to do? I have seen several suggestions that it is time to return to good old forums and I reckon that may well be the best solution, both in the short term and looking further ahead.
seen this in the past, plus if an individual or a small cadre of users pay for (and control) the forum, you are once again dependent upon their continuing goodwill. It was problems such as these, plus the reach of the emerging social media giants that drove airsofters onto these new platforms all those years ago. All that said, we would have a far better chance of discussing our sport on dedicated forums than we appear to have on FB et al. Imagine being able to advertise airsoft guns and gear for sale without finding yourself banned for 24 hours! Since we cannot remove the human element from moderation, there will always be decisions made that some disagree with but at least we would be starting from a point where most users agree on their view of airsoft. Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen but it’s difficult to see any major change on behalf of the social media platforms when all the movement has been against airsoft, not for it. That’s the joy of being a minority sport in a country that has at best an ambivalent attitude to all things gun-shaped. The fact there they also exhibit rampant hypocrisy is sadly neither here nor there – their ball, their rules - remember? We are in a time where airsoft is arguably on a firmer legal footing than at any time I can remember (coincidentally I was wading through the Policing & Crime Act just before writing this) and it is sad that the arbitrary actions of a bunch of companies can have a negative impact on our sport. It’s not the end of the world, this is not an existential threat in the way that the Violent Crime Reduction Act could have been but, as we have discussed in previous pieces, airsoft and the internet have a long and intimate relationship. Whether anyone grasps the nettle and tries to launch a dedicated forum remains to be seen, but if there is a silver lining to all of this, at least airsofters don’t run the risk of being arrested and dragged before Parliament, unlike Mark Zuckerberg should he choose to visit the UK! AA
“IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, THIS IS NOT AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT IN THE WAY THAT THE VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION ACT COULD HAVE BEEN BUT, AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN PREVIOUS PIECES, AIRSOFT AND THE INTERNET HAVE A LONG AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP.” The advantages are clear: complete control of the platform, potentially from hardware to screen; complete editorial control; no interference from third parties. The downsides are equally clear – cost, both in terms of hard cash and time. Someone has to pay for the hardware; either outright or in terms of a service agreement. The forum must be built, maintained and moderated, that needs skill and time both of which may have to be paid for. Those costs could be assuaged through advertising or direct subscription but they will have to be met. There is also the possibility that users may run up against the whims of the forum owner and airsoft has
www.airsoft-action.online
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DIGITAL EDITIONS
Got a digital device? Then you can take your favourite airsoft magazine with you! Airsoft Action is available to read on just about every type of digital device, including iOS, Android, Windows 8/10 and PC, with apps that can be downloaded FREE from any app store. Airsoft Action is available on PocketMags, Readly, Magzter and Issuu and is supported by apps for all major devices.
Proud to support UK Airsoft Companies! Airsoft Zone Unit 2, Detection House Brooklands Approach Romford, Essex. 01708 733275 www.airsoftzone.co.uk
Land Warrior Airsoft 44/1 Hardengreen Bus. Prk Hardengreen Lane Dalkeith, EH22 3NX 0131 654 2452 www.landwarriorairsoft.com
JD Airsoft Unit 5, Virage Park Green Lane, Cannock WS11 0NH 0845 600 5144 www.jdairsoft.net
Eton Guns 103 High Street Eton, Nr. Windsor SL4 6AF 01753 800009 www.etonguns.co.uk
No Limits Airsoft Unit 4, King Street Gateshead NE8 2YP 0191 441 4574
www.nolimitspaintballandlaser.co.uk
DTW Airsoft A3 Moorside Business Prk Colchester Essex, CO1 2ZF 01206 790046 www.dtwairsoft.co.uk
Surplus Store Unit 2, Access House Stephenson Way Three Bridges, RH10 1TN 01293 525880 www.surplusstore.co.uk
TacTree Unit 3, Stag Business Park Donnington Wood Telford, TF2 7NA 01952 565670 www.tactree.co.uk
Johnsons of Leeds 2, Vulcan Foundry Haigh Park Road Leeds, LS10 1RT 0113 277 5237 www.johnsonsofleeds.co.uk
Invicta Battlefield Airsoft Pook Hill Wood Farm Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst, TN12 0HP 07876 263290 www.invictabattlefield.co.uk
Looking for somewhere to buy Airsoft Action? Your local Newsagent sold out? Then why not visit any of the fine airsoft companies listed here? They all keep Airsoft Action in stock and while you are there, don’t forget to have a good browse round to see what else they can tempt you with...
Buy Airsoft Action from any of these shops or sites - and get your copy before it goes on sale on the High Street! Combat-UK 13-15 Market Place Stevenage Herts, SG1 1DH 01438 362922 www.onlyairsoft.com
Unit 8, Winston Avenue Croft Leicestershire LE9 3GQ 01455 285605
308 Sniper 66 High Street Chatham Kent, ME4 4DS 01634 921278 www.308sniper.co.uk
Socom Tactical 70 Reading Road South Fleet Hampshire, GU52 7SD 01252 616 868 www.socomtactical.net
Eagle6 Airsoft Sutterton Enterprise Park Sutterton, PE20 2JA 01205 460385 07944 904604 www.eagle6.co.uk
Airsoft Plantation Goatsmoor Lane Stock, Billericay Essex, CM4 9RS 07771 556395 www.airsoftplantation.co.uk
MidWales Airsoft Unit 3, Severnside Shopping Centre Newtown, SY16 1AA 01686 627594 www.midwalesairsoft.co.uk
The Vault Airsoft Store Brook Garden Centre Whittington Way Old Whittington Chesterfield, S41 9AG 01246 260860
Allsorts Airsoft 9 Arundel Road Littlehampton BN17 7BY 01903 714688 www.allsortsairsoft.co.uk
Red Alert Airsoft Hartshill Copse Burdens Heath Bucklebury, RG7 6SX 07941 087070 www.redalertpaintball.co.uk
www.thedepartmentcqb.co.uk
Sell Airsoft Action in your shop or on your site and get a FREE ADVERT on these pages PLUS a PREMIUM listing on theairsoftdirectory.com! Contact Nige on 01684 878003 or by email: nige@airsoft-action.co.uk for details.
SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
SYMBOL KEY
IS IT WOODLAND OR URBAN? CHECK THE KEY! UKARA MEMBER
SHOP ONSITE
WOODLAND
PYROS ALLOWED
URBAN
BATTERY CHARGING
DESERT
REPAIR SERVICE
INDOOR
DISABLED FRIENDLY
Email nige@airsoft-action.co.uk to add or change a site listing
ABER AIRSOFT – THE BUNKER
AIRSOFT KGB
AMAZON EVENTS
BADLANDS AIRSOFT
Allt-lywd Wood Farm,
Porkellis Moor near Helston, Cornwall, TR13 0 Chef1322@hotmail.com
Hellingly, East Sussex, BN27 4HL
Rowlands Castle, Hamps PO9 6DP
Tel: 0844 2570433
Tel: 07534 465589
www.amazonoutdoorevents.co.uk
www.badlandsairsoft.co.uk
AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM
BARNSLEY AIRSOFT
Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8SL
Tel: 07779 236166
Tel: 01252 315225
www.barnsleypaintball.co.uk
outside Llanrhystud, nr. Aberystwyth, Wales. Tel: 07511554740
www.kgbairsoft.com
www.aberairsoft.co.uk
AIRSOFT PLANTATION ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT Maidenhead, SL6 3SS Tel: 07871 314951
Goatsmoor Lane, Billericay, CM4 9RS Tel: 07534 636289 / 07771 556395 www.airsoftplantation.co.uk Email: apairsoftplantation@gmail.com
www.ambushadventures.co.uk
www.absolute-airsoft.co.uk
BATTLETEC AIRSOFT AIRSOFT SKIRMISH
ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES Tong Wood, Newport Road Wolverhampton TF11 8PN
Stoulton, WR7 4QW Tel: 07764 587410 www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk
ACE COMBAT Kent, TN12 7DG Tel: 01303 814803 www.acecombat.co.uk
AIRBORNE 101 AIRSOFT CLUB
robinsonm24@btinternet.com
Studley, B80 7LY Tel: 07764 587410 www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk
North Lanarksire, ML7 5 www.airsoftasylum.webs.com
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March 2019
New Forest National Park, SP5 2DW
www.battletec.co.uk
Tel: 07781 104068
Tel: 01252 315225
BETTER BATTLES Ravenshead, Notts, NG15 9DH
APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT
Tel: 07967 940043
Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7QP
www.better-battles.com
Tel: 07872 348 576 www.apocalypseairsoft.com
ALL ARMS AIRSOFT
BLACKDAGGER AIRSOFT Grasscroft Wood, Barlow Lees Lane,
Near Trawden, BB8 8SN Tel: 07909 683464
ARENA AIRSOFT
www.allarmsairsoft.co.uk
Grimsby, DN31 3JD
Dronfield, S18 7UR www.blackdagger-airsoft.co.uk
Tel: 07752 404060
ALPHA 55
www.arenaairsoft.com
AWA HERTS Sawbridgeworth, Herts, CM23 4BJ
ALPHA ELITE GAMING Le Mont de Rozel, Jersey, JE3 5 Tel: 01534 733697 www.aegairsoft.je
BORDERLINE AIRSOFT 51 Green Road, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim
Halkyn Wood, North Wales CH8 8DF www.alpha55.co.uk
AIRSOFT ASYLUM
La Couture, Guernsey, GY1 2
AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQB
Downpatrick, Co. Down, BT30 Tel: 07718 032541
AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON
www.ambushadventures.co.uk
Tel: 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk
Shafton, Barnsley, S72 8RE
Tel: 07732 184957 www.awaherts.com
Northern Ireland, BT39 9PH Tel: 028 9303 7030 or 07729219341 www.borderlinecombat.com
SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – SHEFFIELD WOODLAND
COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND
DOGS OF WAR
Fareham, PO17 5ND
Houston, Renfrewshire PA6 7BP
PR46JX Tel: 07790 715059
Sheffield, S6 6JE
Tel: 02392 655636
Tel: 07853 195290
www.bravo22airsoft.com
Tel: 07891 469492
www.combatsouth.co.uk
www.dow-airsoft.co.uk
BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT Leisure Lakes, Mere Brow, Southport
www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL
DOG TAG AIRSOFT
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE WORKS (URBAN)
Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 5
Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4SE
Tel: 01438 368177
TEL 01293 852 314
Off Badger Lane, Hipperholme, Halifax,
www.thefightschool.demon.co.uk
www.holmbushpaintball.co.uk/airsoft
COOL UNDER FIRE
DRAGON’S LAIR
Doddington, Kent, ME9 0JS
Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0LA
Tel: 07960 532613
Tel: 07703 530189
www.coolunderfire.co.uk
www.dragonslairairsoft.co.uk
CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT
DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT
Truro, Cornwall, TR2 4HF.
Caerwent Training Area,
Tel: 0773 153 1113
South Wales, NP26 5XL
www.cornwallseliteairsoft.com
Tel: 07921 336360
BRISTOL AIRSOFT Bristol, BS1 2HQ Tel: 07776 288826 www.bristolairsoft.com
BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT Sheffield, S2 5TR Tel: 07795 631331 www.brittacairsoft.com
BUNKER 51 Charlton, SE7 8NJ Tel: 0870 7549653 www.wolfarmouries.co.uk
BUSH VALLEY AIRSOFT Runham Woods, Lenham ME17 1NQ Tel: 07786 448608 Email: bushvalairsoft@gmail.com
C3 TACTICAL Longhope, Gloucestershire, GL17 0PH Tel: 07597 938011 www.c3tactical.co.uk
West Yorkshire HX3 8PL Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT Brimington, Chesterfield S43 1DQ www.cia-airsoft.co.uk
CLOSE ACTION AIRSOFT Tel: 07740 165787 www.close-action.co.uk
Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4RP Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
D.T.W AIRSOFT
Near Bourton-on-the-hill
Colchester, Essex CO1 2ZF
COMBAT ACTION GAMES
www.cotswoldairsoft.co.uk
Tel: 01206 790046
Combat Street, Felthorpe, Norwich,
Tel: 07724629140
www.dtwairsoft.co.uk
Norfolk, NR10 4DR. Tel: 07748 023832
COMBAT AIRSOFT
HPC, York Road, Flaxby, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG5 0XJ Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT (DESERT)
CUMBRIA AIRSOFT
DEPARTMENT CQB AIRSOFT
Dumfries, DG12
Unit 8, Winston Ave, Croft, Leic. LE9 3GQ
cumbria.airsoft@virgin.net
Tel: 01455 285605
www.cumbria-airsoft.com
www.thedepartmentcqb.co.uk
DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT
ELITE BATTLEZONE
Just off the A11 outside Thetford Norfolk follow signs for Combat Paintball Tel: 07703 045849 www.combatairsoftgames.co.uk
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE OUTPOST (WOODLAND)
COTSWOLD AIRSOFT Bourton Woods, On the B4479, Blockley
www.facebook.com/combatactiongames
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE COMPLEX
www.dragonvalley.co.uk
Corby, NN17 3BB
Ellough Lark Raceway, Benacre Road, Ellough, Norfolk Tel: 07455 906132
COMBAT READY CQB 38 Full Street, Derby DE1 3AF
Tel: 07968 448475 www.elitebattlezone.co.uk
Tel: 01332 493258
DARKWATER AIRSOFT LTD.
EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT
Email: info@combatreadyairsoft.co.uk
Mobile: 07947 558433
Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 0AN
www.combatreadyairsoft.co.uk
www.darkwaterairsoft.co.uk
Tel: 01380 728982
Email: darwaterairsofthythe@gmail.com
www.experienceairsoft.co.uk
COMBAT READY OUTDOOR
DARKWATER AFTER DARK C.Q.B, (Battlezone Building), Britannia Lane,
Bolton Wood Quarry, Bolton Hall Road
Middle Wildpark Farm, Wildpark Lane,
Kingsnorth, Ashford, TN23 3NA
Bradford, West Yorkshire BD2 1BQ
Brailsford, Ashbourne DE6 3BN
facebook.com/afterdarkcqb
Tel: 07891 469492
Tel: 01332 493258
DARKWATER SITE
www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
Email: info@combatreadyairsoft.co.uk
Dering Wood, Church Lane, Shadoxhurst,
www.combatreadyairsoft.co.uk
Ashford TN26 1LZ facebook.com/darkwaterairsoftdarkwater
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – RIVOCK EDGE
COMBAT SOUTH URBAN
Keighley, BD20 0LS
Portsmouth PO6 3LS Tel: 02392 655636
Tel: 07891 469492
www.combatsouth.co.uk
www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
Bexley, Greater London, DA5 1NX
FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS Lewisham, SE13 5SU Tel: 07973 240177 www.firefight.co.uk
FIFE WARGAMES St Andrews, KY10 3XL
DELTA TEAM 3 Skelmersdale, Lancs WN8 8UT
info@fifewargames.co.uk www.fifewargames.com
Tel: 07986 053076 www.deltateam3.co.uk www.airsoft-action.online
87
SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
FINMERE AIRSOFT
FIRST & ONLY:
GRANGE LIVE GAMING
INVICTA BATTLEFIELD
Buckingham, MK18 4JT
THE JUNGLE – HARBURY
Bravo One Birmingham,
Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst,
Tel: 07976 184897
Bull Ring Farm Rd, Leamington Spa
93–99 Holloway Head, B1 1QP
Kent TN12 0HP
www.finmereairsoft.com
CV33 9HJ
Tel: 0121 643 2477
Tel: 01622 831788 / 07876 263290
Tel: 0161 727 8863
info@grangelivegaming.com
www.invictabattlefield.co.uk
GREENZONE COMBAT Co. Armagh, BT60 1NE
ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT
FIREBALL SQUADRON
www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA Tel: 07582 684533
FIRST & ONLY:
www.fireballsquadron.com
THE ARMOURY – WREXHAM
Tel: 07772 919974
Near Shorwell, Isle of Wight, PO30
Oak Road, Wrexham, Denbighshire
www.greenzonecombat.com
Tel: 07964 751047
FIRST & ONLY: ANZIO CAMP
www.islandrecon.co.uk
LL13 9RG Tel: 0161 727 8863
GUN HO AIRSOFT Guisborough, TS7 0PG
LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT
Staffordshire ST13 8TL
FIRST & ONLY:
Tel: 07525 435696
Gorebridge, Midlothian, EH23 4LG
Tel: 0161 727 8863
THE BASE CQC – YATESBURY
www.gunhoairsoft.co.uk
Tel: 0131 654 2452
www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
1 Jugglers Ln, Yatesbury, Calne, Wiltshire
Blackshaw Moor, Nr Leek,
SN11 8YA
FIRST & ONLY:
Tel: 0161 727 8863
CROSSFIRE WOODS – PRESTON Moss Lane East, Preston PR4 3SP
GROUND ZERO WOODLAND
0161 727 8863
Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 2DF
www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
www.groundzerowoodland.com
www.airsoftedinburgh.co.uk
GUNMAN AIRSOFT – TUDDENHAM Cavenham Road, Tuddenham, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6DF Tel: 07711 774461 (Doug) or 07711 774401 (Josh) www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk/gunmanairsoft-tuddenham/
FREE FIRE ZONE
STEALTH WOODS – OTLEY
Farcet, Peterborough, PE7 3DH
Stealth Woods, Dob Park, Norwood
Tel: 01733 247171
GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS
Bottom Road, Otley LS21 2NA
www.freefirezone.co.uk
The Grange, Frogmore Grange, Balsall Common, Coventry CV7 7FP
FRV AIRSOFT FIRST & ONLY:
Annacloy, Downpatrick, BT30 8JJ
THE MILL CQB – WIGAN
Tel: 07730 586926
Unit S2 Mill 1, Swan Meadow Industrial
www.frvairsoft.com
Estate, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan Tel: 0161 727 8863
FULL METAL AIRSOFT Cilyrychen Quarry, Llandybie, Ammanford,
FIRST & ONLY:
Camarthenshire, SA18 3JG
THE OUTPOST – KIDDERMINSTER
Tel: 01269 850404
Drakelow Tunnels, Kingsford Country Park,
www.fullmetalairsoft.co.uk
Near Kinver, Kidderminster DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863
Saxillby, LN1 2JW Tel: 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
LAGAN AIRSOFT CLUB 17G Stationview, Dunmurry, Belfast BT170AE / Tel: 07733128484
FIRST & ONLY:
Tel: 0161 727 8863
LAC AT COMBAT ZONE
Tel: 01676 532 384 info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk
LEEDS AIRSOFT: THE FOUNDRY CQB Haigh Park Road, Stourton, Leeds LS10 1RX Tel: 0113 277 7707 / 07968 258952
www.giairsoft.co.uk/Skirmish-days
LINDSEY AIRSOFT GUNMAN AIRSOFT – EVERSLEY The Welsh Drive, Fleet Road (A327), Eversley, Hants RG27 0PY Tel: 07711 774461 (Doug) or 07711 774401 (Josh) www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk/gunmanairsoft-eversley/
Manby, Lincolnshire, LN11 8HE Tel: 07955 487983 www.lindsey-airsoft.co.uk
MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5FW Tel: 07974 507166 www.matlockcombatgames.com
GASS AIRSOFT – PENN Penn Bottom, Bucks, HP10
FIRST & ONLY: SHELL SHOCK
Tel: 07907 788970
WOODS – BRIDGNORTH
www.gassairsoft.co.uk
HILTON PARK AIRSOFT Wolverhampton, WV10 7HU
MAW
Tel: 08000 354490/ www.paintballuk.com
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 Tel: 07793 404346 1midaw@gmail.com
Uplands Coppice, Off B4363, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 5LS Tel: 0161 727 8863
GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON Piddington, Oxfordshire, OX25 1 Tel: 07907 788970/ www.gassairsoft.co.uk
HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT Spanby, Lincs, NG34 0AT/ Tel: 07971 560249
MIA
facebook.com/HomelandTacticalAirsoft
Cornwall, EX23 9JL : Tel: 01288 331748
FIRST & ONLY: STEALTH WOODS – OTLEY Stealth Woods, Dob Park, Norwood Bottom Road, Otley LS21 2NA Tel: 0161 727 8863
GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com
HUMBER AIRSOFT North Lincolnshire, DN21 www.humberairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07792 680297
www.airsoftsouthwest.co.uk
MIDWALES AIRSOFT Abbey Cwm-hir, Midwales, LD1 6PG 01686 627594 www.facebook.com/Midwales-airsoft
88
March 2019
SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
OBAN AIRSOFT – ILL ARGYLL
RED1AIRSOFT CQB
SPEC OPS AIRSOFT– THE ROCK
Argyll and Bute, PA37 1
Red1 CQB. Kings Langley, WD4 8RN
Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EG
Wrightington, WN6 9PL
Tel: 07967 710185
Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069
Tel: 07984 656947
Tel: 01942 514724
www.argyllsurplus.com
www.red1airsoft.co.uk
www.specopsairsoft.co.uk
OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS
RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3
STIRLING AIRSOFT
Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT
Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ
Coventry, CV3 6NX
Tel: 07964 990831
Tel: 07751 586781
Tel: 07831 429407
www.militaryoutdooradventure.co.uk
MILSIM UK Checkley, Staffordshire, ST10 4NS
www.op-tac.co.uk
www.riftairsoft.com
Tel: 07523 916607 www.milsimuk.co.uk
NCIS AIRSOFT
www.stirlingairsoft.com
OVER THE TOP AIRSOFT CLUB
RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM)
Anglesey, LL71 8VW www.ottairsoft.
Cambridge, CB24 8RL
STORMFORCE AIRSOFT
github.io / Tel: 07895 478634
Tel: 07751 586781 / www.riftairsoft.com
Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4LD
Edinburgh, EH14 4 nick@ncis-airsoft.co.uk www.ncis-airsoft.co.uk
NOMAD AIRSOFT Fenwick, Ayrshire, KA3 6AY
Tel: 07515 937633
PATHFINDER GROUP AIRSOFT MILITARY SIMULATION
SECTION 8 AIRSOFT
Former RAF Camp Sopley/Merryfield Park,
Tel: 07974 026517
www.nomadairsoft.com
NO LIMITS AIRSOFT Unit 4, King Street, Gatehead, NE8 2YP info@nolimitspaintballandlaser.co.uk
Shotts, North Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB www.s8airsoft.com
SUSSEX AIRSOFT Slinfold, RH12 Tel: 020 8150 9284
Hants, BH23/ Tel: 02380 899369
SG1 COMBAT GAMES
Tel: 07904 998250
www.stormforcepaintball.co.uk
www.sussexairsoft.co.uk
PHOENIX AIRSOFT
Co. Londonderry, BT45 8NA
Welbeck Airsoft, Academy, Budby Road,
Tel: 07713 273102
S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT
Notts NG20 9JX
www.sg1combatgames.co.uk
Boathouse lane, South Wirral, Cheshire,
Tel: 07956 587213 / 01623 812483
CH64 3TB
www.phoenix-airsoft.co.uk
SHROPSHIRE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES
Tel: 07703 177756
PLATOON 1HQ
Holbrook Coppice, Buidwas Bank (A4169),
TA EVENTS
Tel: 07464 482410/ 0191 441 4574
www.swatairsoft.eu
Rochester, Kent, ME1 1 HQ
Buildwas, Telford, Shropshire, TF8
Tel: 01634 829063/ www.ptt-1hq.co.uk
Tel: 07786 192832 / www.aceairsoft.co.uk
Tel: 07894 059794 /www.ta-events.co.uk
Tel: 01845 565465
PLAYERS OF WAR
TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT
www.northernallianceairsoft.co.uk
High Bonnybridge, FK1 3AD
SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY
NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 3LQ
Tel: 07767 203979/ www.playersofwar.co.uk
NORTHFLEET CQB PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES
Tel: 07968 448475
Ballynahinch, BT24 8NF
www.elitebattlezone.co.uk
Tel: 02897565651 / 07825169631 www.predatorcombat.com
Trickley Coppice, London Road, Bassetts Pole, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA Tel: 0121 323 1000 info@npfairsoft.com www.facebook.com/npfairsoft
RAVEN’S NEST Suffolk, IP8 4 / Tel: 01473 831563 www.ravensairsoft.co.uk
RAW WAR AIRSOFT CUMBRIA Wigton, Cumbria CA7 3SZ
NSC AIRSOFT
Tel: 01900 85645
Hetton, Sunderland, DH5 0
www.airsoftcumbria.co.uk
Tel: 07983 333521 / www.nscairsoft.co.uk
RED1AIRSOFT NTAC Durham, DL4 2ER Tel: 01642 281220 www.ntac.co.uk
Tel: 01277 657777 www.airsoft-billericay.co.uk
Northfleet, Kent, DA11 9AA
NPF AIRSOFT, NPF BASSETTS POLE
Billericay, Essex, CM11 2TX
Chislehurst, Bromley BR7 6SD Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk
SKIRMISH EXETER Exeter, Devon, EX4 5/ Tel: 01548 580025 www.airsoftexeter.co.uk
SOUTH COAST CQB Browndown Road, Lee-On-Solent PO13 9UG Tel: 07533 434203
SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0LR Tel: 07766 770830 www.southdownairsoft.com
SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH Wareham, Dorset, BH20 7EU Tel: 07984 656947
Hemel Hemstead, Herts, HP2 7QB
Reynoldston, Swansea SA3 1AS Tel: 01792 473336 www.tacticalwales.co.uk
TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9PL Tel: 0203 490 8008/07983 657093 www.tacticalwarfare.co.uk
TAZ AIRSOFT Farr, Inverness IV2 6XB Tel: 07848 448408
TECH BRIGADE Newgate Street, Hertfordshire. SG13 8NH Tel: 07841 713356 www.techbrigade.org
TASK FORCE SKIRMISH Cowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF71 Tel: 02920 593900 www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk
www.specopsairsoft.co.uk www.airsoft-action.online
89
SITE DIRECTORY
Email nige@airsoft-action.co.uk to add or change a site listing
FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
THE BUNKER
ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM
XSITE AIRSOFT OUTPOST
FPS ACTION AIR IPSC
Aberystwyth www.aberairsoft.co.uk
Dunstable, LU6 2EE Tel: 01494 881430
24 Scarrots lane
Tel: 07841 462806
Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY
www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk
Newport Isle of Wight PO30 2JD
Tel: 01268 796130 www.ultimatewargames.co.uk
THE DEPOT
THE EX SITE Mold, CH7 4 Tel: 07840 001975
ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD
Tel: 01494 881430
www.4dsportsclubs.co.uk
Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH
YORKSHIRE TACTICAL AIRSOFT - THE MANOR
EBSC
Church Lane
PP, IDPA, IPAS, IPSC, 3GUN
Sheffield
UKPSA Coaches
www.ultimatewargames.co.uk
URBAN ASSAULT Lundholm Road, Stevenston, Ayrshire, KA20 3LN
Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, PE26 1 Tel: 01733 247171
VIKING AIRSOFT Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0UN
THUNDER PARK AIRSOFT Luxulyan, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL305FA
Facebook:@fpsiow
S75 3DQ 01226 414004 To Book
www.urbanassault.org.uk
www.thewargamescentre.com wargamescentre@gmail.com
www.vikingairsoft.co.uk
Tel: 01726 858613 or 07590 030887
WARMINSTER AIRSOFT
www.thunderpark.co.uk
Warminster, BA12 7RZ
Food & drinks available on site
www.warminsterairsoft.co.uk
TORRENT WARFARE
WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT
Co Tyrone, BT71 4DY Tel: 07922 377131
F O B (Woodland), Hollington Road, Upper
Facebook: search ‘Torrent Warfare’
Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT
included, free tea and coffee available all
Macclesfield, SK10 4SZ
day. Site memberships.
Tel: 07428 024874
Tel: Paul – 07861427553
www.trojan-airsoft.com
Email: paul@wmairsoft.co.uk
S72 8RE 01226 414004 To Book
YORKSHIRE TACTICAL AIRSOFT - THE PINES Great North Road Bawtry, Doncaster, DN10 6DG 01226 414004 To Book
PRACTICAL SHOOTING DIRECTORY
Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate,
AIPSC WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT High Command (CQB),
Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP
Doulton Trading Estate, Doulton Road,
Tel: 07428 024874
Rowley Regis B65 8JQ
www.trojan-airsoft.com
On site parking, HPA top-ups, secure safe
UCAP AIRSOFT Portsmouth, Hants, PO17 6AR Tel: 07590 818881
www.ucap.co.uk
Tel: 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk
March 2019
Tel: 01676 532384 www.aipsc.co.uk Facebook: A.I.P.S.C info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk. Every Monday night 7pm– 9pm (except bank
included, free tea and coffee available all
shooting rig hire. UKPSA-qualified
day. Site memberships.
coaches. UKPSA-qualified Range Officers.
Tel: Paul – 07861427553 Email: paul@wmairsoft.co.uk
WORTHING AIRSOFT Arundel Road, Worthing Tel: 07877 210898 www.worthingairsoft.co.uk
90
West Midlands, CV7 7FP
holidays). £5 or £10 with pistol and
www.wmairsoft.co.uk Linch, West Sussex, GU30 7
The Grange, Frog Lane, Balsall Common,
zone, male & female toilets, hot lunch
UCAP GREEN OPS
Equipment hire available ebpracticalpistol@gmail.com
HALO MILL The Penthouse, Colne Valley Business Park,
www.wmairsoft.co.uk
TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB
UKPSA-qualified Range Officers
Engine Lane, Shafton, Barnsley
On site parking, HPA Top ups, covered safe zone, male & female toilets, hot lunch
MOD-approved gun club
www.ebsc.co.uk
YORKSHIRE TACTICAL AIRSOFT - THE PIT
Bawtry Forest
TROJAN AIRSOFT
Open five nights a week 7pm-10pm Info@islandrecon.co.uk
www.theexsitewales.co.uk
THE WARGAMES CENTRE
XSITE AIRSOFT – LANE END High Wycombe, HP14 3NP
Glasgow, G45 9SB Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.thedepotglasgow.com
07964 751047
WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB WatfordPPC@gmail.com
DOUBLE TAP PSC StrikeForce CQB, Morelands Trading Estate, Bristol Road, Gloucester GL1 5RZ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Double-Tap-Practical-Shooting-Club979585958732937/?ref=hl doubletappsc@gmail.com
Manchester Road, Linthwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5QG Tel: 01484 840554 www.halomill.com
XSITE PRACTICAL SHOOTING Fryers Farm Lane, High Wycombe, Bucks HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430
SOUTH WEST PRACTICAL SHOOTERS (SWPS) Action Air IPSC Club Based at The Tunnel Target Sports Centre near Charmouth The Tunnel, Axminster Road, Charmouth, Dorset DT6 6BY Contact: SWPSClub@Outlook.com
WETHERSFIELD AIRSOFT TARGET SHOOTING CLUB (WAT SIC) Wethersfield Village Hall, Braintree Rd (B1053), Wethersfield, Braintree CM7 4EB. https://www.facebook.com/WATSiC/ Open Thursday & Friday evenings. Set-up from 6:30pm. Club shooting commences by 7:30pm. Pack-up starts at 9:30pm if you can stay to help. Contact via FB or 07939557029. Indoors. Club offers Action Air plus 2 & 3 Gun training and events.