Airsoft Action - January 2020 by Airsoft Action

AIRSOFT ACTION - ISSUE 109

JANUARY 2020 - Â£4.50

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JANUARY 2020

PISTOLS FROM NUPROL KRYTAC KRISS VECTOR THE GUNS OF CODMW FEMME FATALE IN THE USA ITAS TRAINING WISPORT TACTICAL GEAR SLICING THE PIE

ORSK

AIRSOFT ACTION - ISSUE 109

EXCLUSIVE: VORSK PISTOLS

ORSK

> 01

PROUDLY SUPPORTING PILGRIM BANDITS

JANUARY 2020 - £4.50

9 772047 348032

JANUARY 2020

PISTOLS FROM NUPROL KRYTAC KRISS VECTOR THE GUNS OF CODMW FEMME FATALE IN THE USA ITAS TRAINING WISPORT TACTICAL GEAR SLICING THE PIE

ARMOURY: KRISS VECTOR

INTERNATIONAL: FFA IN THE USA

KIT & GEAR: TITAN BATTERIES

Editor: Nigel Streeter Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing Ad Design: Deadshot Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter Cover Photo: Emma Powell - 1 Legion Fiercefox. 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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Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL 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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FEATURE: ITAS TRAINING DAY

KIT & GEAR: WISPORT TACTICAL

LIFE WITH A...: HPA

VERSUS: L85A2 V L119A1

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.

CONTENTS

Contents JANUARY 2020

JANUARY 2020

8 NEWS News from around the world of Airsoft.

Crete and focus on WISPORT, a Polish brand that really should be better known and appreciated!

10 GALLERY: ZERO ONE SPECIAL Photos from inside Zero One Airsoft’s awesome new retail shop and opening day.

50 BOOK REVIEW: THE BRITISH SNIPER: A CENTURY OF EVOLUTION Matt Limb OBE delves into the pages of a superb book that chronicles the evolution of, as the cover is entitled, The British Sniper and discovers a wealth of information to read.

12 EXCLUSIVE: VORSK PISTOLS Something new and fresh is coming to the GBB pistol market and for months now Bill has been sworn to secrecy about the project. Now Airsoft Action can bring you this exclusive news about VORSK and the exciting new models you can expect to see in a store near you soon! 16 ARMOURY: KRYTAC KRISS VECTOR Always one for an oddball RIF, Steve T tries out Krytac’s AEG version of the Vector to find out if it makes him KRISS kross or KRISS happy. 22 ASOS SPECIAL: THE GUNS OF CODMW A new Call of Duty is a big thing for airsofters that love videogames. Veteran gamer Steve T swaps his RIF for a mouse to see if the recently released Modern Warfare can measure up to the original. 26 INTERNATIONAL: FFA IN THE USA Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick heads back to sample more airsoft action across the pond and once again hooks up with Unicorn Leah as she visits a number of different events.

52 THE CAGE: EYEPRO Eye protection is one of the most important aspects of safety no matter what you shoot and we’re always in search of new models that offer the highest levels of performance and protection. To this end, Bill spoke to the AA crew to find out what they use and why. 56 LIFE WITH A…: HPA In the latest instalment looking at gameplay with different kinds of RIF, Steve T turns his attention to HPA to find out if it’s the ultimate extension of a GBBR, or just a dirty paintball legacy. 60 ARMOURY: CYMA 097B Where do you possibly start with a replica from the elusive Chinese airsoft manufacturer CYMA given that they’ve been in the market for so long? Bill gets to grips with a model from their latest AR series and looks at just how far the brand has come!

32 KIT & GEAR: TITAN BATTERIES We often take them for granted but Airsoft would not be the game it is without batteries. Phil Bucknall takes a look at some of the latest releases from Titan, from the USA.

64 SKILLS: SLICING THE PIE It may seem simple but one of the most difficult CQB movements can be getting round a blind corner. Calibre Shooting’s Andy Nightingale outlines the technique he used when it wasn’t BBs he was facing, it was something far more deadly.

36 FEATURE: TIME TO TARGET It is a question many of us have probably thought about as we watch a BB taking ages to reach its target… Which BBs get to the target faster, heavy or light? Well it depends! Read on to find out what Tom Hibberd discovered.

66 FEATURE: THIS IS MY M4 – PART 2 After years of making minor modifications to RIFs with varying degrees of success, Steve T goes all-in on his MWS to find out just what an inept home tech can achieve. This month: going green with grips, stock and sights.

40 FEATURE: ITAS TRAINING DAY As a regular skirmisher, Phil Bucknall was intrigued when he saw a couple of friends on social media offering training days, so headed down to Gloucester to see what the course was like.

72 VERSUS: L85A2 V L119A1 Keeping things very close to home this month, Bill takes a look at two weapons that are the “meat and veg” of UK Forces, the L85A2 and the L119A1 and why he feels more UK airsofters should be looking at these two excellent models.

42 OPINION: VCRA – DID WE NEED IT? For some, the mere mention of the “VCRA” makes them break out in a cold sweat but for others it is simply something we have to work with but Frenchie poses the question “did we really need it”?

76 LAST POST: ARE AEGS FIT FOR PURPOSE? Following Frenchie’s ever-so-slightly controversial column in the last issue and in response to some comments made by others in the AA Team, in this issue he turns his sights on GBBR’s closest cousins… AEGs.

46 KIT & GEAR: WISPORT The tactical equipment market seems to be more and more flooded with choice than ever before and sometimes it’s easy to overlook a brand because their gear somehow doesn’t fit into the “Gucci Category”. Bill takes a pause and a step back to his participation in the WarZone game in

78 SITE DIRECTORY & ACTION AIR CLUBS 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.

Photo by Victor Karlund. https://www.instagram.com/victorkarlund

ADVANCED LITHIUM ION BATTERY

Standard lipo balance chargers are recommended Discharge Rating: 10C at 2600 mAh (equiv. 20C at 1300 mAh, a common airsoft lipo) Fits standard airsoft battery storage areas Can store on average 2-5 times the energy of other Airsoft batteries keeping you in the game longer

Distributed by RWA Group ( United Kingdom and Europe )

s w e N t f o s Air

Zero One are proud to announce their totally new, state-ofthe-art showroom is now open, boasting multiple gun walls, dripping with kit and a whole host of consumables on display! Now situated at their headquarters, absolutely anything in stock can be viewed or collected right there and then, even if not out on display. They also have an interactive shooting range where any gun can be test fired prior to purchase, a chill out area with free coffee & hot chocolate and tablets to browse the website on (or for your other half to wait for you in!), changing room, a WW2 bunker with guns inside, Vietnam era Hut, and multiple, massive video walls to complete the awesome retail experience... and an experience it truly is!! The showroom is open Monday to Saturday, 09:30-17:00. For more information, visit z1bb.com/showroom

JANUARY 2020

URBAN GREY

MATTE BLACK

ICS-420 ICS-420S3

IMG-420-1 IMG-420S3-1

Available with two systems (MOSET/ SSS Gen.2 E-Trigger) two colors to choose from (Matte Black/ Urban Grey) Lightweight Komodo M-LOK 6.5” Handguard Shadow Extension Tube (Extension Inner Barrel Version) ICS Unique Split Gearbox Design 330rds Hi-Cap Pistol Caliber Magazine Competition Short Stroke Flat Trigger New Designed Enlarged Tri-way Mag Release New Designed Ambi Fire Selector Large Capacity PDW Retractable Stock 20° Vertical Pistol Grip

AA GALLERY ZERO ONE SPECIAL

We were so impressed with the photos of Zero One’s new shop, we thought we’d show you some more - along with a few from their opening day. Watch out for a full review of this superb new airsoft retail outlet very soon - and well done to all at Zero One for such an amazing place to try, buy, chill and chat about airsoft! JANUARY 2020

AA GALLERY ZERO ONE SPECIAL

www.airsoft-action.online

aA EXCLUSIVE VORSK GBB PISTOLS

AIR ACTSOFT EXC ION LUS IVE !

VORSK:

AN OVERVIEW SOMETHING NEW AND FRESH IS COMING TO THE GBB PISTOL MARKET AND FOR MONTHS NOW BILL HAS BEEN SWORN TO SECRECY ABOUT THE PROJECT. THIS MONTH THOUGH, AIRSOFT ACTION ARE ONCE AGAIN EXCITED TO BRING YOU THIS EXCLUSIVE NEWS ABOUT VORSK AND THE EXCITING NEW MODELS YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE IN A STORE NEAR YOU SOON!

ow do I even begin an article to was going into creating something that something to attract everybody no matter describe pistol models that I haven’t didn’t even exist as an idea a few short what their style of play? And what goes yet seen in finished form, haven’t months ago! into bringing that all to market? Let me handled and haven’t even shot as yet? I’ve been privy to the process of explain… As I sat down to put this introduction creation of a totally new range of pistols to the new VORSK range of gas blowback from the seed of an idea, and to me they INNOVATIVE AND MODERN pistols together, I have to admit that I already exist, have taken on a “physical” Following IWA 2019, my good friend Ross was genuinely scratching my at NUPROL contacted me to head somewhat. Yes, I have discuss a new range of airsoft been lucky and privileged gas blowback pistols that were enough to have been aware being discussed following the of the “project” since its highly successful introduction “EVERY TINY CHANGE HAS BEEN very inception. Yes, I’ve seen of the RAVEN range (which BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, NOT FOR sketches become 3D renders by the way, is set to continue and witnessed those renders growing!). In his mind - and ANY KIND OF APPROVAL BUT JUST become design drawings. In indeed the mind of in-house SO THAT I “KNEW” JUST HOW MUCH turn, I’ve seen those design technical boffin Mark - was drawing wing their way off ATTENTION THERE WAS TO EVEN THE the seed of an idea, and that to the manufacturing plants idea was to create a totally TINIEST DETAIL - AND JUST HOW MUCH in the Far East and seen the new range of handguns development pictures as parts “LOVE” WAS GOING INTO CREATING inspired by the finest and most came free of the all-new innovative modern combat and SOMETHING THAT DIDN’T EVEN EXIST AS moulds. competition designs. I’ve been lucky enough to AN IDEA A FEW SHORT MONTHS AGO!” Of course, we all know the hear the passionate back-andRAVEN pistols these days and forths over the importance of they are solid, workmanlike a trigger design or hammer, designs that have become of how weight can be saved popular amongst the users whilst maintaining durable structural presence in my mind and they’re a bit like that know, understand and love them, but integrity in a slide and how the angle of a “ghost limb” in that I can already feel they are by no means at the “concept” a cut will have a profound effect on an them in my hand! end of the spectrum when it comes to overall design. Every tiny change has been So, where does an idea for a design, their “look”. They are workhorses, designs brought to my attention, not for any kind one that will eventually go on to be a that go neatly into your holster come rain of approval but just so that I “knew” just finished product that you and I can buy or shine, but they are “combat pistols”, how much attention there was to even the and enjoy, come from? How does the idea utilitarian and put together for doing a tiniest detail - and just how much “love” for one model grow to be a range that has

JANUARY 2020

aA EXCLUSIVE VORSK GBB PISTOLS

simple job where looks don’t really count for much. But time and taste moves on and more and more we are shown handguns, not only in the movies and in games but in real life too, that are being produced not only to work perfectly but to look darn good whilst they do so! Virtually every manufacturer, both real and airsoft, wants to stamp their own identity onto their creations and know that shooters “get it”. Of course, many of the design tweaks and fettles are driven by performance at the end of the day, so this is definitely a case of form meeting function. Ross explained to me that the idea of the new range of pistols, to be known collectively under the brand name of “VORSK”, was to bring some unique and exciting concepts to life in the form of a totally new range of GBB pistols perfect for whatever the user’s airsoft adventure might be, from skirmish to training, from target to competition. Input was gleaned from airsoft pistol shooters around the world and several “fundamental principles” were added to the concept brief.

PURPOSE BUILT

The VORSK models needed to come from a completely blank design-page to incorporate all the “design form” feedback received from shooters, with premium materials and parts married up to fresh looks which, of course, meant completely new, purpose-built moulds. Fit and finish had to be better than anything he and his team had ever created and the “look” needed to be instantly and utterly recognisable as VORSK, as well as being recognisable as the models from the real shooting world that we know and love. From this point onwards those designs I talked about earlier began to take life and shape, and those renders and design drawings started to become “proof of concept” pre-production samples. During the summer months of this year I started to see those “in the flesh” and in my mind I knew that VORSK was going to be a winner. Every part has been meticulously chosen and tested to ensure fitness for purpose, every item from the new moulds

scrutinised and re-checked for durability and longevity; what does happen when you start to add venting to a slide? Will that have an effect on the strength of the slide itself? Where can you mill out material, what effect does that have and where do you need to add material to mitigate that? Trust me when I say that has all been part of the process to take that initial kernel of inspiration and make it reality! As I write this the new models - and there are over a hundred permutations of model, design, colour and accessory level - are due to be hitting UK shores in just a few days and I for one am massively

come in all-new EU and 1911 styles that will make you stop and stare - as you will no doubt do when you view the images accompanying this article.

VORSK DIARIES

Of course, as soon as they arrive the AA Team will be getting these bad boys

excited to finally get my hands on a finished model and get it to the range! To be honest, the look of the new VORSK pistols has already sold them to me as they are indeed thoroughly modern, with some fabulous colour combos, cutaway slides, fluted barrels, and magwell flares (just to mention a couple of the features now) and they’ll

www.airsoft-action.online

aA EXCLUSIVE VORSK GBB PISTOLS

“specials” which we’ll be offering as prizes soon. For me this has been an emotional journey and I do indeed feel extremely privileged to have seen this project all the way through, with the ups and downs the process creates both physically and mentally; I can only begin to imagine what this journey must have been like for Ross, Mark, and the production team behind VORSK! straight to the range and putting them through their paces, and I am absolutely 100% certain that now you’ve seen them you’ll be keen to do so too. We will be working with the new VORSK brand to REALLY see how their pistols perform over time in a new “VORSK Diary” and we’ll report back on this regularly. There will also be the chance for some lucky readers to join us in this journey as Ross has already committed to making Airsoft Action some

pistols that are equally at home on the skirmish field as on the range. With the range just about to go on sale I’ll leave the final words to those found on the new VORSK webpages and I can’t help but wholeheartedly agree… VORSK: Effective, Elegant, Mission Ready AA

For now I will finish up by saying that I really am keen for this project to reach fruition, and to see those new models arriving on store shelves. The culmination of months of concept work, design, and development, each Vorsk pistol combines direct input from airsoft shooters around the globe along with the experience of the best factories in the business, to create a family of

JANUARY 2020

ULTIMA JACKET BLACK / DARK COYOTE / GREEN / SRP: Â£89.95

armoury KRYTAC KRISS VECTOR

VECTOR IN ON KRISS

ALWAYS ONE FOR AN ODDBALL RIF, STEVE T TRIES OUT KRYTAC’S AEG VERSION OF THE VECTOR TO FIND OUT IF IT MAKES HIM KRISS KROSS OR KRISS HAPPY.

don’t know about you, but I’ve only ever seen two KRISS Vectors in the field. The first was on my team and got fecked off every time I greeted him with, “KRISS! Hello!” - and

who could blame him in retrospect - while the second had a complete systems malfunction from brand new. I love oddball options and thanks to our friends at Fire Support, now I can find out more about Krytac’s flagship model and share my thoughts with you. There are precious few airsoft RIFs that are manufactured by their real steel counterpart but the KRISS Vector is one of them. Krytac is a subsidiary of California’s KRISS USA - formerly Transformational Defense Industries (TDI) - and the resultant RIF is every bit as accurate as you’d hope. Established in 2013, the firm describes itself as, “A cutting-edge product development team of the firearms manufacturer”. And on this evidence, who are we to argue? Americans might love to buy into a homegrown success story but the KRISS Group actually started life in the neutral country of Switzerland, albeit that the Vector for which the company has become known was developed by KRISS USA. In airsoft terms, Krytac has enjoyed massive success in its domestic market thanks to a reputation for out of the box performance, solid build and reliability that puts most marques to shame. The result is a reputation for rewarding customers willing to make a slightly bigger initial investment with no need for follow-up 16

JANUARY 2020

funding just to be everyday functional. But while the Kytac brand has become almost ubiquitous on the other side of the pond, it’s still a relatively rare sight in the UK. That’s hard to understand based on the strength of the Vector on test here. Having been impressed with both their workhorse Trident M4s and this SMG, it’s a name that we think deserves more love this side of the Atlantic.

THE REAL DEAL

KRISS first announced the Vector in 2007, with a more compact version to follow in 2011 featuring a lower receiver that made it easier to change calibres between 9x19mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. The Vector redirects blowback energy down and away from the shooter, reducing felt recoil and muzzle climb through counter-balancing mass. This is created by the gun’s bolt and slider mechanism that, rather than moving rearward into a buffer tube, rides in a channel in the slider, pushing rearward then downward in an arc and driving the recoil down toward the ground. The Gen II - upon which this AEG Krytac is based - came in 2015, featuring a

redesigned pistol grip, trigger and safety lever. Factory Cerakote coatings included Olive Drab, FDE and Combat Grey, as well as Alpine White - recently released as a limited

armoury KRYTAC KRISS VECTOR

edition RIF by Krytac. While the SMG is only available to military and law enforcement - as adopted by both the Royal Thai army and police - American citizens can purchase semiautomatic versions that utilise magazines from the Glock 22 or 31, with Italy getting compatibility with the ever popular G17.

ALL THE SMALL THINGS

I’m the first to enjoy an unconventional weapon and the KRISS Vector definitely fits that bill. I’ve been told it looks like a nail gun, which I found easy to rise above. But I found it harder to ignore when a good friend pointed out that it basically resembles a pistol carbine kit. You got me there. Put the Vector alongside a Glock carbine and… yeah. They’re kissing cousins.

The Vector is about the same size as many other SMGs, but it manages to feel smaller than most. That’s either a pro or con, depending on what you want to get out of it. For instance, it excels in close quarters and could even make a brilliant sniper sidearm, but it feels tiny not just small - compared to most assault rifles. And while it might be just a couple of centimetres shorter than other SMGs, it feels much smaller in real terms. Where rivals might offer a broader range of easy adjustments to the stock, the Vector demands that you reposition four hex bolts for a total of less than 3cm gain. It makes next to no difference whilst also being a pain to carry out, but at least it’s one-and-done.

Even though it shoots straight and true in operation, I felt like I had to hunch over the stock, with the cramped posture reducing my natural line of sight down the barrel. But while the Vector’s diminutive stature disappoints 6-foot tall me, if you’re a player of smaller stature, then the KRISS should be right at the top of your shortlist (groan!) If your budget will stretch to it, the Vector really is a phenomenal piece of kit.

THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

Once you get beyond the form factor and diminutive frame, how does the KRISS Vector feel in the hand? Absolutely beautiful! These are the production values for which Krytac has deservedly become renowned in the airsoft market - and we’d suggest even more so on this flagship model. Every interface feels wonderfully

KRISSp - pun completely intended. From the safety at the top of the rail to the forward fire select and mag release, everything just feels so precise. Admittedly, there’s no getting around the fact that you’ll have to retrain your mechanical processes to operate the Vector on instinct, but my goodness the controls feel so good when you do! I’ve never finger-blasted the real thing, but I can’t imagine it would feel any better than this. The Vector makes a lot of AEGs feel like toys by comparison. The Vector’s interface is unlike anything that’s come before, but that’s kinda the point - KRISS’ revolutionary approach to an SMG was borne out of a desire to take everything back to first principles to create a platform that it believes is demonstrably better than anything that came before.

CONVENIENT, NOT CONVENTIONAL

The mag release to the left of the well divides opinion, but it falls perfectly under my supporting thumb so that my hand can easily pull the polymer mag out. Its location has drawn criticism from many users though - and I’d guess that’s because smaller hands may struggle to span the space between the release button and the

mag itself. It might seem ironic for such a diminutive weapon, but Krytac is merely producing an accurate replica of the parent company’s original. On this airsoft version, we’re enamoured with the rotary hop adjustment through the mock ejection port to the right of the rail. You can access it using the forward charging handle - that otherwise does nothing - or just move the flap up out of the way. Krytac also offers a similarly user-friendly system on its Trident range of M4s and hop adjustment is such a convenient affair on either Krytac that it makes many more conventional manufacturers look just plain dumb. But the Vector’s obstinate demands for battery sizes isn’t nearly as accommodating. Fitting the battery is in itself a simple procedure whereby you remove the base of the grip, insert the battery and replace - it couldn’t be much easier. The problem is that only holds true if your battery fits in the claustrophobic space provided. Sadly, neither standard 7.4 or 11.1 LiPo stick batteries will fit, so you’re most likely looking

at purchasing a specific pack - and a back-up - just for this application.

SLINGS AND RAILS

While the shorter, lighter shape is easier to carry one-handed as you adjust your kit or reach for equipment, that honking long mag can get in the way if you go prone in a hurry. And for a modern system, the Vector is strangely devoid of QD sling mounts, with a single conventional sling point under the stock. Centrally mounted, it works for both left and right carry, but it means that the sling needs to pass to one

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armoury KRYTAC KRISS VECTOR

“I FOUND IT HARDER TO IGNORE WHEN A GOOD FRIEND POINTED OUT THAT IT BASICALLY RESEMBLES A PISTOL CARBINE KIT. YOU GOT ME THERE. PUT THE VECTOR ALONGSIDE A GLOCK CARBINE AND… YEAH. THEY’RE KISSING COUSINS.” side or the other either way. That adds an amount of friction to using a sling, while your hook or clasp is certain to mark the stock’s finish. The full length top rail means there’s ample space for optics, with a three-inch counterpart under the body for miniature launchers or a foregrip, but the front of the magwell is so well contoured with linear textures to match the grip that we wouldn’t bother. It’s not exactly front-heavy either. There’s also provision for optional rail sections to either side of the barrel for you

Single fire is fine and it undeniably rips along in full auto, but the two-round burst mode is the star of the show for me. Not only does it sound brisk and efficient giving the opposition the impression that I actually know what I’m doing - but it feeds two BBs every time without fail. Not one, not three or more, but it does exactly what it’s supposed to do. That’s certainly more than some rivals can claim.

to add a torch, laser or a front sling mount if you wanted to run a two-point set-up.

form factor is that room clearance or navigating obstacles in woodland is much easier, because it’s more manoeuvreable, but you might expect that an SMG will easily be outranged by rifles on open ground. From the evidence of our game time with the Vector, Krytac’s king can stand tall. Although the 6.05 inner barrel may be a mere 155mm long - that’s almost pistol territory - the Vector holds its own surprisingly well at medium to long distances. I’m not going to claim anything crazy like it’s the equal of a sniper, but it will happily exchange fire with more affordable M4 AEGs, despite their longer

STOP LOOKING AND START SHOOTING

On the chrono, the Vector averaged 334 FPS with a low of 328 and a high of 340 using .20 BBs. In other words, it’s spot on for most UK site limits with a bit of leeway for good measure. And the hop is happy to chuck .30s at the bad guys all day long, too. Once you stop looking at the Vector and start using it in anger, you’ll be treated to a RIF that shoots as well as the construction would lead you to believe.

STANDING TALL

Of course, a massive benefit of the smaller

barrels. The compromise is not as costly as you might imagine.

CONCLUSION

As the world of firearms continues to march forwards into the 21st Century, you can either get onboard with progress or not - and that extends to airsoft replicas too. Some of the AA team are died-in-thewool aficionados of either AK or M4, but I buy into the new ideal. Is that Krytac’s KRISS Vector? If you like the way it looks, want a smaller, more

wieldable weapon coupled with top tier manufacture, then on this evidence, I’d have to say yes, it is. AA Krytac KRISS Vector Price: £450 Available from: Firesupport.co.uk Weight: 2.135kg inc mag (Tested) Length: 69cm max (Tested) FPS: 334 avge (Tested) Construction: Metal (mostly) and polymer Full auto: Yes Recoil: No Power source: Battery, inc 11.1 LiPo Magazine type: Proprietary, polymer Capacity: 95 rounds

“KRISS’ REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO AN SMG WAS BORNE OUT OF A DESIRE TO TAKE EVERYTHING BACK TO FIRST PRINCIPLES TO CREATE A PLATFORM THAT IT BELIEVES IS DEMONSTRABLY BETTER THAN ANYTHING THAT CAME BEFORE.” 18

JANUARY 2020

AS SEEN ON SCREEN THE GUNS OF CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE

THE GUNS OF

AN “AS SEEN ON SCREEN” SPECIAL

f the pre-release hype is to be believed, then Call of Duty Modern Warfare (CoD: MW) is a triumphant return to form. The truth is that while it’s good - very good, even - it’s far from the ‘most accurate, authentic version of a war game out there,’ as the marketing would have you believe. I mean - have they heard of ARMA? As you’d expect from such a juggernaut of a franchise, while developers Infinity Ward have definitely moved the series on, the DNA remains largely the same to avoid alienating a loyal fanbase. As a result, CoD is… CoD. We’re not going to do a full-on review of the game here - there are plenty of games magazines and websites that cater to that need - but we’ll offer our opinion from the perspective of airsofters that take more than the average interest in the weaponry on offer.

GUN PORN

Switching up the normal order of things in a games article, we’ll focus on the guns of CoD, how credible they are and how you can build your own loadout. Rest assured, we’ll offer an opinion on both the campaign and multiplayer modes too. It has to be said that the weapons in the new MW are among the best we’ve ever experienced in a flatscreen game - only Virtual Reality has more to offer in terms of putting digital versions of weapons in your hands. From the high fidelity graphics to 22

JANUARY 2020

the sensation of weight and recoil, each of quality over quantity. the weapons takes on its own character. You can really see every individual nut, bolt and pin that holds each weapon together, as well as THE CAMPAIGN the difference in construction “War has always been incredibly complex,” said Taylor materials. While the gun Kurosaki, Infinity Ward’s Narrative Director. “There are no models might be just a touch clear-cut good guys and clear-cut bad guys. We have to rely too shiny in the 360-degree on our own conscience to take us through and navigate these preview mode, they look great complex scenarios.” And true to his words, MW’s story is a in-game. suitably complex affair. Each weapon feels As you’d expect from CoD, the campaign is predictably short, fantastic and has obviously coming in at under eight hours. But not only are we glad benefitted from many hours there actually is a single-player mode - not a given these days in development, which might - but we’re also happy to report that it kicks ass. By the time explain why MW is not overly the characters, plot and gameplay ramped up to a crescendo, generous with its selection. we were fully invested. The game features fewer Gone are the over the top blockbuster movie scenarios than 40 individual weapons and bombastic cutscenes, replaced by a more considered across eight categories - from approach. Yes, you still have to do daft things like pilot pistols to launchers - with exploding radio controlled planes and man the gun turret an average of five weapons in an attack helicopter. But there are also far smaller scale per class. As you’d expect, missions like clearing a house using Night Vision Goggles the most popular categories (NVG), which are a joy to play as you integrate with with players - such as SMGs squadmates that form up and advance in a thoroughly and assault rifles - fare better credible way. than most. Both have twice as We wouldn’t disagree with Single Player Design Director Jacob many models compared with Minkoff when he said that, “Not only does it feel much more other classes, featuring classics realistic… but it’s also much more claustrophobic; it feels such as the MP5 and M4. more dangerous with its blind corners. And you then start to If you’re anything like understand why the SEALs and the SAS have developed these us, you’ll find some glaring particular ways of clearing buildings to deal with all of these omissions and personal different angles that can be very dangerous to approach in a favourites that are missing, real house. but this is definitely a case of

AS SEEN ON SCREEN THE GUNS OF CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE

A NEW CALL OF DUTY IS A BIG THING FOR AIRSOFTERS THAT LOVE VIDEOGAMES. VETERAN GAMER STEVE T SWAPS HIS RIF FOR A MOUSE TO SEE IF THE RECENTLY RELEASED MODERN WARFARE CAN MEASURE UP TO THE ORIGINAL. DEVELOPING SITUATIONS

Infinity Ward said that getting the look and feel of the weapons ‘just right’ was most important to them. As well as a sense of different weights between “Back in 2007,” Minkoff explained, “Captain Price would say, a .50 cal round or a always say, ‘Check your corners. Check those corners.’ But smaller caliber, the reload you didn’t have to, right? The game was tuned as such that animations are different you really didn’t have to follow Price’s instructions. Now, whether you’re replacing when Price tells you ‘Check your corners,’ you will die if an empty mag or a tactical you don’t. Adding this more tactical type of experience to reload with remaining rounds. Modern Warfare has been driven by our goal for you to really It’s a small distinction, but understand how modern war is fought.” that attention to detail helps to make the weapons feel more authentic. CHARACTER - NOT ACTOR - FIRST To further that The campaign features no tentpole celebrities such as Kevin authenticity, the developers Spacey or Kit Harrington - and the game is all the better for it. enlisted former Navy SEALs A series this revered has no need of star draws that only break Steve Sanders and Mitch Hall immersion, no matter how talented they may be. as consultants, not only to You’ll play three characters during the campaign with a offer advice on procedures genuinely international flavour, from Alex, the American CIA and scenarios, but also to operative, to Farah, the young female leader of the Urzikstan provide the motion-capture Liberation Force (ULF), and familiar SAS mutton chops, performances that you see in Captain John Price. the game. While the scenarios experienced as Farah are remarkable at The development team times - and full credit to Infinity Ward for exploring another also hit the firing ranges to side to modern conflicts - I particularly enjoyed the motion shoot these weapons so they capture performance of returning central character, Captain could actually get the feeling Price. Albeit still gruff and stoic, his 2019 return is nuanced and the power of them. like we’ve never seen in CoD before. Design Director Geoff Smith While the storyline reaches a suitable climax, the epilogue said that it helped, “Capture could not scream ‘Sequel!’ if it tried any harder. At least a that visceral experience and further postscript then signposts the way to more narrative find ways to get it in the content in the co-op Spec Ops mode. game.” With weapons that now bob and sway with In the lead-up to the game’s release,

believable heft and physics, the new Modern Warfare is able to, “Get away from that ‘locked gun’ that feels like we’ve seen on screen for every FPS game.” This level of attention to detail isn’t restricted to the graphics though. Stephen Miller, Audio Director said that, “Each weapon must have its own unique voice,” right down to whether it’s a gas piston, direct impingement, or bolt action weapon. The team recorded live fire using about 90 different microphones to capture each shot, both from the player’s perspective and elsewhere on the field. The audio is calculated as travelling at the speed of sound, and as close to how you’d hear it occur in reality.

GUNSMITH

One exciting addition to Modern Warfare is the Gunsmith mode that enables players to customise their weapons before diving into multiplayer matches. Each weapon has anywhere from 30 to 60 main variations, and as Smith puts it, “It really boils down to the gun as your main character.” As you progress through the ranks, you’ll unlock attachment sets across up to nine different categories, each with loads of options and configurations that include stocks, lasers, optics, rear grips, magazines, barrels, under barrel options, muzzles and ‘perks’. Dedicated players will be able to create www.airsoft-action.online

AS SEEN ON SCREEN THE GUNS OF CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE

Frankenweapons that put sniper parts on time. Team Deathmatch is back, natch, as shotguns, but for mere mortals like us, is Ground War - a 64-player skirmish that Gunsmith amounts to little more than can be every bit as chaotic as it sounds. I’ve gaining the smallest of advantages to avoid enjoyed Free-For-All, where it’s every man getting slaughtered by veterans. or woman - for themself, while there’s also You can also add camo and decals a Realism mode that removes on screen - what is this, Forza? - to your weapons. It’s just a shame you can’t WEAPONS take your personalised weapons into • FAL the campaign mode. FEATURED • FN Scar 17S IN MODERN • FR 5.56 MULTIPLAYER • Kilo 141 WARFARE As ever, CoD’s long term appeal As the CoDfather (sorry!) • M13 lies in the multiplayer mode that of First Person Shooters, • M4A1 keeps on going years after the MW is surprisingly short • Oden campaign is just a memory. And Light Machine Guns on licensed weapons. also as ever, victory still falls to those • MG34 Of course you get the with the fastest reactions - and • M91 1911, AK and M4, but broadband - as well as the lowest • PKM there are some familiar ping rate. Despite the marketing • SA87 weapons lurking under puff, authentic military tactics have Marksman Rifles unfamiliar names. little bearing here - this is CoD doing • EBR-14 business as usual. • Kar98k Pistols When you first start multiplayer, • MK2 Carbine • M19 it’ll take you right back to your Sniper Rifles • X16 first airsoft game using a hire gun. • AX-50 • 1911 Not only does everyone else know • Dragunov • .357 the maps, but their upgraded • HDR • .50 GS weapons will make yours look like a Shotguns Submachine Guns peashooter powered by an asthmatic • Model 680 • AUG pensioner. It’s an unwelcoming entry • Origin 12 Shotgun • MP5 to online multiplayer and why Infinity • R9-0 Shotgun • MP7 Ward can’t group noobs together by • 725 • P90 rank is beyond me. Launchers • PP19 Bizon But that said, it’s a slick experience • JOKR • Uzi that twitch gamers will adore. • PILA Assault Rifles And thanks to Crossplay, it plays • RPG-7 • AK-47 seamlessly whether you’re on PC, • Strela-P PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, although some Xboners have reported their info and ramps up the damage. hardware shutting down. The multiplayer highlight for me has to be Spec Ops and its four-player co-operative A LA MODE missions that expand upon the campaign’s Multiplayer is stuffed with modes that epilogue. It’s the perfect opportunity for should keep you entertained for a long small airsoft squads to sync up for online

JANUARY 2020

training between Sunday skirmishes to practise teamwork such as covering fire and communication. It nicely blurs the line between campaign and multiplayer.

CONCLUSION

Praise the deity of your choice after a trilogy of increasingly Sci-Fi trappings, CoD has finally come back to credible scenarios, weaponry and tactics. Those futuristic games were certainly fun, but this 2019 reimaging brings the series back to MW’s heydey of 2007. It’s not perfect by any means - and it’s not the war sim they want you to believe it is - but for a supercharged slice of real-world weapons in the heightened reality of videogames, we can’t think of a better option right now. AA

Developer: Infinity Ward Publisher: Activision Platform: PC (tested), PS4, Xbox One Price: £49.99 (-ish!)

INTERNATIONAL FEMME FATALE STATESIDE

AMERICA DIARIES:

FEMME FATALE STATESIDE

KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK HEADS BACK TO SAMPLE MORE AIRSOFT ACTION ACROSS THE POND AND ONCE AGAIN HOOKS UP WITH UNICORN LEAH AS SHE VISITS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT EVENTS.

n September I was lucky enough to fly back to the United States of America for six weeks of airsoft and wine with one of my best friends, Unicorn Leah (@thetacticalunicorn on IG), after her trip to the UK for the National Airsoft Festival 2019. Whilst I was in the States, I got to visit a couple of airsoft sites and attend some of the biggest events in the International Airsoft Calendar. Here’s what I got up to on my travels:

WILDLANDS AIRSOFT PARK, CALIFORNIA

On my first week in the States, myself, Jet and Leah visited Wildlands Airsoft Park in Lake Elsinore, California. I’ve played this site a few times since my very first visit in 2017 but I’ve not yet done a review on this outdoor CQB arena, so here are my thoughts… The Wildlands Airsoft Park is located on the Jungle Island Paintball Park which is in Lake Elsinore, California. The site is

contained behind a huge set of gates with a long dirt/sand track that leads to both Jungle Island and, of course, Wildlands. As you drive through the gates you can see the fields of Jungle Island on either side of the track. About 50-60m into the track there are set-up tables for the paintball players and the sign in cabin. The tables outside the sign in cabin are there so players can fill in their insurance waivers before getting to the sign-in which saves tonnes of time. The sign in cabin also doubles up as a small shop that sells various paintball/airsoft goods and snacks. A walk-on game fee for the day is $25 (around £23) which is super affordable! It is worth noting that this doesn’t include lunch, although it is available for an extra fee.

THE SAFE ZONE

Once you’ve signed in, you can drive to the bottom of the track where the Airsoft car park and set-up area is. Unfortunately, the safe zone facilities at Wildlands leave a lot to be desired. The safe zone is basically a sand/dirt car

park that has a few tables underneath a giant gazebo. On low numbers days this is plenty of space for all the players but on busy days, it can be a tight fit. If you have a pickup or SUV it’s advisable to bring your own gazebo and set-up off your tailgate if you know it’s going to be a busy day. There are portaloos on site but as they’re left out in the Californian sun, they aren’t the most pleasant you will come across (but this can’t be helped and is no fault of the site). There are both male and female portaloos which is appreciated but I would love to see these kept a bit fresher and water/ soap, or even hand sanitiser provided so players can keep their hands clean.

ARENAS OF PLAY

The arenas are where I think Wildlands excels. I have personally played on 4 of the arenas at Wildlands and although I prefer some more than others, they all play really well. I’m unsure of all of the official names but there is an arena that has a large hill with bunkers/buildings for cover, which is a really hard slog if you’re attacking from the bottom of the hill (Firebase Rancho),

“UNFORTUNATELY, THE SAFE ZONE FACILITIES AT WILDLANDS LEAVE A LOT TO BE DESIRED. THE SAFE ZONE IS BASICALLY A SAND/DIRT CAR PARK THAT HAS A FEW TABLES UNDERNEATH A GIANT GAZEBO. ON LOW NUMBERS DAYS THIS IS PLENTY OF SPACE FOR ALL THE PLAYERS BUT ON BUSY DAYS, IT CAN BE A TIGHT FIT.”

JANUARY 2020

INTERNATIONAL FEMME FATALE STATESIDE

an arena that is made entirely from tyres, a smallish arena that is mostly made up of buildings (one of my favourites!) and the big arena which houses the hospital, Babylon, the junction and the double story building. Each arena has its own theme, which makes them immersive and the games played on each arena work well. The staff at Wildlands have obviously put in a lot of time and effort into the arenas and it definitely shows. It’s also awesome that they have so many vehicles and buildings to fight around, the school bus is also

pretty cool. It is worth mentioning that the site is entirely outdoors, so it’s an outdoors CQB kinda vibe which I really like! The same as with all UK sites, players are given a comprehensive safety brief in the morning that explains the rules and regulations of the site before they enter the arena, to ensure safe gameplay. This brief is pretty standard and covers everything from Chrono limits, what do to when you get hit, emergencies, pyrotechnics and MEDs. Wildlands operates at 400 FPS for AEGs and does operate a MED and a bang rule. The games played at Wildlands include

a variety of deathmatches and objectivebased games, that are usually specific to the arena you are playing on - if you’re in the arena with the hospital and Babylon, you’ll more than likely be playing an objective-based game. One of my favourite objective-based games that Wildlands play, is with a device that one team needs to get into the second story building to detonate the device and the other team must defend the building - it always results in some intense firefights. The Marshalls run games smoothly and explain the rules to players well but I have found, on a couple of occasions, certain marshalls have told players to be quiet then proceeded to talk really loudly with other players whilst the other marshalls are giving the game brief and this results in players getting confused by the rules, or simply not hearing them. Whilst they do a really good job on the field, this could do with nipping in the bud.

SUMMARY

Wildlands Airsoft is a really fun and varied site to play. The arenas are well built, have cool themes and are really playable. The games played are varied, enjoyable and keep players entertained and on their toes. There are a couple of improvements that I would love to see - the toilet facilities improved (addition of soap/water or hand sanitiser) and more professional conduct from some of the marshalls during game briefs but otherwise I think Wildlands is fun and affordable.

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INTERNATIONAL FEMME FATALE STATESIDE

AIRSOFT EXPO

Next up on my USA trip was an event that was completely new to me! On the 28th September 2019, my friends over at Modern Airsoft and Lancer Tactical invited myself and a few content creators to their Airsoft Expo 2019 event. This event is a collaboration between retailers and brands to help grow the US airsoft community. The event took place at the Airsoft Megastore location in Santa Fe and we saw retailers/brands set-up booths to showcase their products. There was a main stage playing music and this was also the base for giveaways and the influencer panel. Here’s a little background info on the organisers: First we have Airsoft Megastore, which is one of the fastest-growing Airsoft retailers in North America and is headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, Southern California. Their HQ is a huge, fully-stocked warehouse with adjacent office complex, strategically located less than half a mile from a central UPS package distribution/ processing hub for Southern California, meaning their shipping service is one speedy service. Lancer Tactical, which is also based in the Airsoft Megastore Santa Fe location, is an Airsoft brand that has been around since 2012 and offers affordable, budgetfriendly products for airsofters. Their product line consists of AEG Airsoft guns and tactical gear. Modern Airsoft is another fast-growing airsoft retailer in North America. The company was born in 2016 with the opening of its Oceanside retail store. Their corporate office and distribution centre is located in sunny San Diego County, California. Since opening in 2016 they’ve been a leading store in the USA, expanding to new physical stores, their large online store and even airsoft fields. They currently have two Airsoft sites - Modern Airsoft Park at Camp Pendleton and Modern Airsoft Alpine.

VARIETY

At the Expo we saw a great variety of brands and retailers including: Insidious Armory who were showing off some of their custom Hi-Capa builds, Hollywood Sports Park (an airsoft field near Los Angeles), Project N1 (an indoor CQB site near Los Angeles), Airsoft Master

(airsoft retailer), Airsoft Extreme (airsoft retailer), Classic Army (manufacturer behind the Micro Gun), Airsoft GI (retailer), Extreme Tronics (airsoft retailer), Tokyo Marui (manufacturer), G&G (manufacturer behind the ARP9), Elite Force (the American equivalent of Umarex), Modern Airsoft (airsoft retailer) and Emerson Gear showcasing some of their new gear. Brain Exploder Creations was onsite with his 3D printed Go Pro mounts and answering any questions airsofters had regarding starting to record their gameplay, plus LCT Airsoft (manufacturer), Lancer Tactical (manufacturer) and KWA Airsoft (manufacturer). Tac City Airsoft were also in attendance and were running the Nerf battles and archery tag! We all gave the Nerf and archery tag a try and it was SUCH a laugh! I’ve never played archery tag before and only learned how to use a bow and arrow this year so it was interesting!

INFLUENCER PANEL

The Influencer panel was one of the highlights of the event for me - the panel included Dayton from House Gamers, Mark from Brain Exploder, Scott from US Airsoft, myself and Demoee from SYG. The panel gave the attendees chance to ask content creators and YouTubers questions. It was a great opportunity for us to interact with the community! Over the course of the day the team at Airsoft Megastore gave away over 160 airsoft guns and other prizes, including game days and yearly passes to the airsoft fields in attendance and considering the event was free to attend, this was awesome! Overall, it was a great event for the US Airsoft community! It was great to see both retailers and manufacturers come together to help grow the community. I personally love events where the community get to interact with brands and stores because it gives airsofters a chance to ask questions, see new products and get the low down on what they can expect from their favourite brands and retailers in the coming year. It was fun to meet so many of the community and try out the activities and also AWESOME to see so many win prizes in the raffle. I’m really looking forward to the next Airsoft Expo! In Part Two I’ll wrap up my travels with visits to Evike Outpost @High Ground Airsoft, in Houston, before heading back to California and Airsoftcon 2019. FF

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KIT & GEAR TITAN LI-ION BATTERIES

LI-ION BATTERIES WE OFTEN TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED BUT AIRSOFT WOULD NOT BE THE GAME IT IS WITHOUT BATTERIES. PHIL BUCKNALL TAKES A LOOK AT SOME OF THE LATEST RELEASES FROM USA-BASED TITAN.

atteries, for most of us, are the lifeblood of our guns. Without them anyone who uses an AEG simply isn’t playing if they haven’t got a charged battery, however, before I get deeper into that, first of all a quick potted history of batteries in airsoft. When I started in the 90’s there were NiCad batteries and erm… errr… ummm… actually that was it! Apart from HPA systems - yes, HPA is not new! NiCad batteries came in 7.2v, 8.4v and 9.6v flavours but the most common by far was the yellow Sanyo 8.4v 600mah packs. Yep, just 600mah! Imagine that eh? You were changing batteries almost as much as you were mags as midcaps weren’t really popular, so it was hicaps all the way. If you were lucky, you’d get maybe four 300rnd hicaps out of a battery. Charging was calculated carefully but could often take quite a while to achieve and the packs came in very limited sizes, so where they went shaped what AEGs were practical to make and I am absolutely convinced the FAMAS was made at least partly because of the size of the hand guard. The de facto standard in Airsoft today is the Li-po battery and it has effectively replaced all others. We all know that there are other choices in Airsoft batteries but I’m not going to go into too much

detail about them in this piece. If you are interested in Airsoft battery technology though, there are plenty or articles that cover the topic, from bare bones basics to in-depth near enough degree level science. We will, however, be referring to Li-Pos throughout the article where relevant. But are Titan, who are relatively new kids on the block, good enough to steal the crown and dethrone Li-Po packs?

as a better option and give a stronger physical connection between gun and battery with lower resistance. The plan being that you won’t ever have to stop play due to a flat battery and no-one has a compatible one you can borrow. No small feat but they are getting more and more manufacturers behind the campaign, including VFC and Kriss.

TITAN BATTERIES

Many of you may not even have heard of Titan; so who the heck are they eh? Well, they are a US-based company formed in 2015 with the goal of delivering high capacity, made in the USA, long-lasting Li-Ion batteries to airsoft players (amongst other markets) at a price that isn’t going to break the bank. Although quite new to the scene, they have made a big old splash in that time and caused more than a few ripples and some rather interesting and heated exchanges over social media but none of that really interested me. Titan are also partnering with NLAIRSOFT in their #playwithtplugs campaign, where the aim is to move both players and, more importantly, industry away from Tamiya connectors to Deans style “T-Plugs”, as they are widely accepted

AIRSOFT T-PLUG

What I wanted to know was, can I really swap the 7-8 Li-Pos I own of differing capacities and sizes, for one or two of the Titan Li-Ion packs and if so, should I? I ordered one each of the stick and split pack 7.4v 10C batteries. The stick one was 2600mah and the split pack was a whopping 7000mah.

WHY LI-ION?

So why Li-ion technology?

“THEY’VE BEEN USED IN A VARIETY OF GUNS, FROM NORMAL AEGS TO MY RECOIL ERGS ON FULL AUTO AND AN AWFUL LOT OF SINGLE SHOT (WHICH CAN BE TOUGH ON BATTERIES) AND THEY HAVE, SIMPLY PUT, JUST DELIVERED EACH AND EVERY TIME.”

JANUARY 2020

KIT & GEAR TITAN LI-ION BATTERIES

Li-ion batteries are not new, in fact the 18650 cells that Titan use in their Airsoft packs are the same type Tesla use in their electric cars and Li-ion as a technology goes everywhere with us already on a daily basis in our phones, laptops, tablets and other electronic devices. So we are familiar with them and their durability if run down completely, the long run time they provide and their capacity. They also have a pretty good safety record but any battery if mistreated can bite you if you’re not paying attention. Even with their durability it is not an invitation to treat them badly. Like other battery technologies the cell structure drives the design of the packs but the packs Titan have brought to market have worked in a variety of guns that I own and the stick pack is perfect for buffer tubes; the split pack fitted fine into several different crane stocks (even if some were on the snug side). The final pack I have of theirs (but wasn’t part of the testing) is the brick 2600mah 7.4v 10C one and this is perfect for using with guns with collapsible tanker or PDW style stocks, as the buffer tube is often flatter wider and stubbier than a normal tube. As always with any battery, check the dimensions of the space you have before you order so you don’t end up with the wrong one.

BATTERY POWER

As I said, I had one of each - 7.4v 7000mah 10C and 7.4v 2600mah 10C and a Titan charger - delivered back in August. Using their charger, which only uses the balance lead to charge, I went about juicing the batteries up (which took a while for the 7000mah one but it wasn’t onerous). If you don’t use their charger then you can use a normal LiPo charger and I have done so with my Turnigy Accucell 6 for the little brick pack and it works fine. Once both were charged I checked them with my cell checker (as it has a Li-Ion option) and both were running at 99%. After that I just started using them. My basic parameters were that any time I used an AEG I would use one or the other Titan packs and I wouldn’t charge them between games. Some days they got a bit of use; other days were full on 6+ hours of constant use. They’ve been used in a variety of guns, from normal AEGs to

my recoil ERGs on full auto and an awful lot of single shot (which can be tough on batteries) and they have simply put just delivered each and every time. I know there’s a lot of good and bad publicity around concerning the Titan batteries, as I alluded to earlier but I didn’t want to concern myself with that. I was simply interested in real world, actual use results. As I write this (in November) I still haven’t charged them up and they STILL have 90%+ of charge in each pack. I’ll say that again just in case you missed it...90%! That’s just ridiculous!! I’ve been using LiPos for years and whilst they were factors of ten better than NiMH, they could never deliver that sort of performance. In fact, with the smaller packs I’d often change the battery at lunchtime just to be safe. I haven’t done that once with the Titan batteries. I still haven’t charged them but I have, on the back of my experiences thus far, ordered another one of each purely so I can have multiple guns good to go without swapping batteries around and so my son can use them too. I’m keeping the new ones and the original ones separate so I can keep monitoring the performance for a bit longer, out of curiosity more than anything else as I’m convinced by them already. The sheer capacity is a huge tick in the plus column but so is their resistance to damage from being over discharged. No more wondering if you’re battery is knackered when the gun stops firing is quite a liberating feeling as you know it’ll be fine. There’s no doubt that I’m going to have to charge them at some point in the near(?) future but I genuinely don’t think it’ll be in 2019! I also have a feeling we’ll see a few

more Li-Ion batteries hitting the market in the coming months and that’s a definite good thing in my mind. It may even bring the prices down but even if that doesn’t happen, just think on this… A Titan 7000mah pack is about £55 but it’s the equivalent to 2-3 smaller capacity Li-Pos and they cost about £22 each. I let you do the maths but as a hint - it’s looking good for Li-ion. To answer the question I posed at the beginning of the article: Do I feel the Li-Ion batteries could replace Li-Pos for me? Well, I haven’t used a Li-po since these arrived and I don’t plan on using them again anytime soon, so I’d say it’s a resounding “YES”, they actually have replaced them in my armoury! All that really leaves for me to say is... if anyone wants some cheap, well looked after and hardly used (since August anyway!) batteries, then let me know!! AA

“THE SHEER CAPACITY IS A HUGE TICK IN THE PLUS COLUMN BUT SO IS THEIR RESISTANCE TO DAMAGE FROM BEING OVER DISCHARGED. NO MORE WONDERING IF YOU’RE BATTERY IS KNACKERED WHEN THE GUN STOPS FIRING IS QUITE A LIBERATING FEELING AS YOU KNOW IT’LL BE FINE.”

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If you have any old kit or gear tucked away in a cupboard, garage or shed that you have thought about sticking on eBay, or a forum to get rid of it, then why not donate it to the Pilgrim Bandits instead and Tez will make sure any money raised from its sale will go towards helping even more people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and you can be sure of the undying gratitude and thanks of those who it helps to live again. Please contact Tez on either his mobile: 07748 800 981 or email: terry.arnett@pilgrimbandits.org

FEATURE TIME TO TARGET

(AIRSOFT) TIME TO TARGET “The number of minutes and seconds to elapse before aircraft ordnance impacts on target.” - US DoD

IT IS A QUESTION MANY OF US HAVE PROBABLY THOUGHT ABOUT AS WE WATCH A BB TAKING AGES TO REACH ITS TARGET… WHICH BBS GET TO THE TARGET FASTER, HEAVY OR LIGHT? WELL IT DEPENDS! READ ON TO FIND OUT WHAT TOM HIBBERD DISCOVERED.

e’ve all been part of the discussion in the Safe Zone: “Which weight BBs should I use?” and there has been a trend over recent years to start using heavier BBs for more accuracy at range. One of the most common arguments against using heavier ammo is that light BBs go faster and so will get to the target faster, even if they are less accurate overall. Anecdotally though, over many years of playing Airsoft I’ve noticed the opposite, that heavier BBs strike faster! We decided to sort out fact from fiction and discover the truth.

THE THEORY

With a given muzzle energy a lighter projectile will start off at a higher velocity than a heavier one with the same energy. That is governed by the equation E = MV2 where E is Energy, M is Mass and V is Velocity. If M is increased, then to have the same value of E, V needs to be reduced accordingly. This is the difference between Joules and FPS. Joules is a measure of the total energy (E) whilst FPS (feet per second) is a measure of Velocity(V). If we just measure FPS we are only looking at the speed of the projectile and not taking into account the mass(M). This can lead to a lot of confusion online and at the Chrono on game day! Our laws regarding airsoft in the UK are written in terms of Joules so

we have chosen to use that as a measure when testing. We also know that for two objects of the same dimensions but different weights, released at the same energy the heavier one will fly further. This is easy to see for yourself. If you throw a golf ball and a ping pong ball as hard as you can, the heavier object will go further than the lighter one. This is a bit of a gross exaggeration but (in general) heavier objects hold onto their energy for longer when encountering air resistance. For example, many years ago they had to reduce the weight of the javelin used in athletics as competitors were starting to throw it dangerously far! What all this boils down to, is that lighter objects start faster but also slow down faster - but does this matter at Airsoft distances? You could employ some complex mathematics or computer modelling to see how this effects flight times, or you can do what we did and test it instead!

THE TESTING

Thurlaston Airgun and Archery Centre were kind enough to let us use their Airsoft Practical range for the testing. For the test we used 0.20g, 0.25g, 0.28g, 0.32g and 0.36g BBs. The gun used is an upgraded Tokyo Marui Mk18 MOD.1, shooting with a muzzle energy around 1.1

Joules and with the hop properly applied for each BB weight.

All the BBs were around 1.1 Joules on the chrono.

We tried to make as little adjustment as possible to the hop settings during the test applying only enough each time to make the BBs fly as straight and flat as we could. The power level throughout was around 1.1 Joules. Although the extra hop applied would normally reduce muzzle energy there was probably a small degree of “Joule Creep” which kept the power levels up. Joule creep is when the total power actually increases when you use heavier ammo, rather than drop as is normal. In order to test which weight BB was faster at different ranges, we set up three AttackSense electronic targets, one at 10 metres, one at 30 metres and one at 50 metres. These were put into “flash when hit” mode so we could see when they

“WITH A GIVEN MUZZLE ENERGY A LIGHTER PROJECTILE WILL START OFF AT A HIGHER VELOCITY THAN A HEAVIER ONE WITH THE SAME ENERGY. THAT IS GOVERNED BY THE EQUATION E = MV2 WHERE E IS ENERGY, M IS MASS AND V IS VELOCITY. IF M IS INCREASED, THEN TO HAVE THE SAME VALUE OF E, V NEEDS TO BE REDUCED ACCORDINGLY.” 36

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FEATURE TIME TO TARGET

The Practical Range at Thurlaston Airgun and Archery Centre.

had been struck by the BB. We attached a PhoneSkope Camera Adaptor to our Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6x, so we could film the BBs flying directly through the scope and record the sounds of the gun firing. The camera software shoots 30 frames a second. This means that each frame is 0.033 seconds. The margin for error in recording results is therefore +/- 0.033 seconds in each test. When we put the footage into video editing software, we could then count the frames between when the shot was fired and it striking the target and making it flash. Multiply the number of frames by 0.033 and we get the flight time for each shot. Due to the difficulties of getting hits at 50 metres with the lighter ammo, we took data from five shots at each of the three targets with all of the BB weights. This took well over 100 shots at 50 metres with the 0.20g BBs and just 10 shots with the 0.36g! There was a degree of shifting crosswinds so we can’t really put accuracy data together but there was a definite trend to increased hit probability as the weights went up! In some cases we used a spotter down at the 50 metre target in order to help us get the

trajectory dialled in quickly. As we didn’t want to spend the time and BBs needed to zero the gun at each distance and each BB, we had to establish appropriate Hold Overs to make hits. This was easy at 10m and 30m but could be problematic at 50m!

THE RESULTS

As was expected there wasn’t a single clear winner across all three distances. We did, however, get a good set of results that showed some clear trends. You can see those in the graph shown below. 50 Metres The winner out to 50 metres was the heaviest BB which weighed a substantial 0.36g. This got to the target on average in 1.01 seconds compared to the 0.20g which took 1.16 seconds. In this case the heavier the BB the faster the time.

30 Metres At our middle distance the fastest BB was the 0.28g at 0.46 seconds, both the 0.20g and 0.36g were slower at 0.48 and 0.50 seconds respectively. We did get an erroneous result with the 0.25g BBs which may have been due to using too much hop at 30 metres and losing some power. 10 Metres Finally, at our shortest distance the fastest BB was the 0.20g, which took 0.1 seconds. Due to the testing methods we couldn’t differentiate between these and the 0.25g and 0.28g BBs, which also recorded a time of 0.1 seconds. Our two heaviest BBs had results of 0.12 seconds.

CONCLUSIONS

There are a few lessons we can learn from our day on the range. What is most apparent is that lighter BBs aren’t always

“DUE TO THE DIFFICULTIES OF GETTING HITS AT 50 METRES WITH THE LIGHTER AMMO, WE TOOK DATA FROM FIVE SHOTS AT EACH OF THE THREE TARGETS WITH ALL OF THE BB WEIGHTS. THIS TOOK WELL OVER 100 SHOTS AT 50 METRES WITH THE 0.20G BBS AND JUST 10 SHOTS WITH THE 0.36G!”

www.airsoft-action.online

FEATURE TIME TO TARGET

Setting up the PhoneSkope adaptor on the TM Mk18.

In CQB games where you are normally shooting at distances under 20 metres it may be worth dropping to a weight lighter than you would use in woodland. The difference in flight time might only be a few hundredths of a second but that could be all you need. You will lose some accuracy with a lighter BB but this will matter less at shorter CQB distances. I’m often told that lighter BBs hurt less as well, even at shorter distances. As we discussed above, the heavy BBs will carry more energy for further so will certainly hit harder at the extremes of their range. This is something we want to test! This probably means being shot at a lot in just a shirt so we will probably wait for warmer weather than British winter… Something I want to stress is that these are the results we obtained with our Airsoft gun on a given day. Your results may well vary from ours significantly, especially if your power level varies from ours. The gun we used has a very good, efficient hop unit which makes a big difference when lifting the heavier BBs in the test. Most UK stock AEGs we have tested start to struggle with 0.28g BBs and above. As always, we suggest getting together with some friends and heading to a range like Thurlaston Airgun and Archery Centre, where you can all test different BB weights and see what works best for you. Drop us a line and let us know how you get on! AA Improving The Results There are a few things we could do to improve the results.

Gathering lots of data takes lots of kit.

faster. At UK power levels heavier BBs can be faster even before 30 metres, with the cross over point probably around 20 metres. In woodland games with engagement distances over 30 metres I would recommend that you use the heaviest ammo that your Airsoft gun can

lift efficiently. That is without losing a lot of power hopping the BB. You can check this with a Chronograph that measures in joules, or by using an online calculator for kinetic energy. You’ll quickly see when you start losing energy by going a BB weight too far!

1) Use more targets at different distances, this would allow us to plot more clearly where the cross over points between BB weights and flight times are. 2) Use a higher frame rate for the footage. This would reduce the margin of error and allow for more accurate results. 3) Take more shots on each target. This would reduce the likelihood of an outlying time skewing the data set. Overall we are pretty confident in what we have done and feel the results gathered are a fair representation of what happened on the day.

“SOMETHING I WANT TO STRESS IS THAT THESE ARE THE RESULTS WE OBTAINED WITH OUR AIRSOFT GUN ON A GIVEN DAY. YOUR RESULTS MAY WELL VARY FROM OURS SIGNIFICANTLY, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR POWER LEVEL VARIES FROM OURS. THE GUN WE USED HAS A VERY GOOD, EFFICIENT HOP UNIT WHICH MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN LIFTING THE HEAVIER BBS IN THE TEST. ” www.airsoft-action.online

FEATURE TRAINING WITH ITAS

INCREMENT TRAINING AND SIMULATION

AS A REGULAR SKIRMISHER, PHIL BUCKNALL WAS INTRIGUED WHEN HE SAW A COUPLE OF FRIENDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA OFFERING TRAINING DAYS, SO HEADED DOWN TO GLOUCESTER TO SEE WHAT THE COURSE WAS LIKE.

ne sunny Saturday in mid-October I found myself driving down the M5 to Gloucestershire, for a CQB Level One training day being run by Increment Training and Simulation (“ITAS” for the rest of this article!). How did this come about? I’m just a skirmisher; I don’t do MilSim weekenders, or anything more than a Battle Sim really but I had seen a couple of Instagram videos of one of the sessions and, knowing a couple of the guys involved, I asked if I could come down to have a look and see what it was all about. Luckily the guys were more than happy to let me tag along and observe the day to see what they are all about and the benefits the attendees could unlock with some good quality instruction from people who have been there and done it for real.

ITAS

ITAS was established a little over 3 years ago by Tim and Gaz, who go back 10 years as friends. Primarily with the aim of offering the UKSF impression community an airsoft event that would push the boundaries beyond what was experienced in a usual MilSim scenario but, at the same time developing skills and knowledge that could be applied to any event, regardless of who the organiser is. They wanted to do something new in airsoft, so after some lengthy conversations

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back and forth with Ryan from Back Country Workshop (BCW), who they’d known for a while and also has a military background, they decided to offer, as a three person team but with help from support staff, a series of training days covering the following: • •

•

Level 1 - Basic weapon handling and teamwork, etc. Level 2 - More in-depth building on the basics and introducing problem solving to the mix, with some OPFOR elements added to spice things up. Level 3 - An exercise to put these skills to the test.

At this point it is worth noting that the training days are totally ego-free, with the emphasis on team work and development and most definitely NOT on showing off, or being the “big I am”. Turn up like that and you won’t get very far. All level of players will get something from what ITAS have

to teach. It’s a chance to meet and make new friends and learn new skills. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be able to enjoy their airsoft days more, or feel they now have the confidence to take on more immersive days or weekends? As I was standing in the Safe Zone it was evident that attendees were indeed drawn from all four corners of the Airsoft spectrum and all were treated exactly the same by all the members of the training staff. That being politely and professionally, with just the right amount of banter to keep it light-hearted. It was also very clear

FEATURE TRAINING WITH ITAS

“…IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THE TRAINING DAYS ARE TOTALLY EGO-FREE, WITH THE EMPHASIS ON TEAM WORK AND DEVELOPMENT AND MOST DEFINITELY NOT ON SHOWING OFF, OR BEING THE “BIG I AM”. TURN UP LIKE THAT AND YOU WON’T GET VERY FAR.”

that everyone was there to learn and had absolutely the right mindset to achieve that goal. Once the introductions were done the trainees were split into two groups and received the “house keeping” briefing and then it began. I went off with Gaz’s group to the area we were going to use and tried to meld with the background so I wasn’t in the way. Watching from the sidelines I felt that the level of “lecturing v practical doing” was just right and the techniques were explained clearly whilst Gaz either demonstrated himself or, more often than not, used a willing volunteer and everyone got a chance to be said willing volunteer, so no one was left out. Once the principles had been laid down and the scenarios were run, there was time for discussion about what was done well, what needed work and what was wrong. Even critical feedback was delivered in such a fashion it never sounded like an admonishment, rather a chance to reevaluate and more often than not, the trainees knew what had gone wrong before it was even flagged and it was great to see just how quickly the lessons were learned with the trainees getting slicker in their movements and tactics - a testament to the guys delivering the training. When I switched groups to Ryan and one of the support staff, it was reassuring to see that there was a definite continuity in the delivery so both groups got exactly the same. It really didn’t matter which

group you were assigned to in the morning. Areas like room entry (including explosive but more on that in a bit); clearing stairways; shooting whilst moving; transitioning from targets and even covering corners were all covered during the day and with each new skill came the terminology to execute the task efficiently with minimal fuss or expenditure of energy, even in communications. One thing I’ve never seen in any airsoft event/training session was the introduction of a “fur missile”. In this instance a very energetic, very well trained and VERY big Malinois but seeing as I’m not a dog person I stayed even further back for that part! It certainly added a whole different and fresh dynamic to the set pieces though!

BREACH, BREACH, BREACH!

I think for me, one of the highlights was the explosive room breach training! For that the guys at ITAS work with JTAC Custom, under the Virtus Training banner, to provide the equipment and bangs to do simulated explosive door breaching which is, quite frankly, bloody ice cold, it is that cool and really elevates the training. I was most definitely glad I had packed my noise reduction headset for the day and the slo-mo video I managed to get is really quite mesmerising to watch …again …and again. All of the training culminates with the Kill House, where the techniques can be put to use and the trainees can see just how far they’ve come skills-wise in

only one day. If you’ve ever played “CoD Modern Warfare”, or watched “Seal Team” then you know what a kill house scenario is like and what ITAS deliver. It’s great to be able to see how all of the different lessons come together and to see the trainees moving with confidence and a fluidity that wasn’t there mere hours earlier. I am sure that the guys will see many new customers as word spreads, as well as repeat customers looking to build on previous courses and I have no doubt that the course content will evolve as it is a constantly growing, changing and dynamic thing. Overall, I was mightily impressed with the guys, the set up and the sheer volume of work that had been put in from the training cadre to build a truly unique experience. I could go on for pages and pages in minute detail but I hope this has given you a taste of what you could expect if you decide to sign up for one of the courses ITAS run. Rather than more from me I’m going to leave the final word to Ryan: “The aim of training Is to bring everyone to a standard where you all get the enjoyment out of working as a team and against each other - also to enjoy and learn something new either a tactical skill or on a personal level. “Team work - work smooth with team mates a then still have the ability to integrate with other teams and still have that flow where you don’t have to trip over each other. It’s about being around same minded people who wanna learn and just have fun.” Well said that man!! Well said. AA

www.airsoft-action.online

OPINION DID WE NEED THE VCRA?

DID WE NEED THE VCRA? FOR SOME, THE MERE MENTION OF THE “VCRA” MAKES THEM BREAK OUT IN A COLD SWEAT BUT FOR OTHERS IT IS SIMPLY SOMETHING WE HAVE TO WORK WITH BUT FRENCHIE POSES THE QUESTION “DID WE REALLY NEED IT”?

t is over a decade since the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 became law, being the biggest challenge that airsoft in the UK had faced - up to that point. There will be generations of airsofters since who know about UKARA (but probably don’t know that it stands for “United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association”) but frankly have no idea of how we got here and probably don’t care! I’m not proposing to revisit the history of the VCRA, other than briefly as background for those that may not know it but my question really is: did the UK need it?

FACTS IGNORED

Let’s step back a little; the genesis of Section 36 of the VCRA, the part that affects airsoft, seems to have come from the police, who clearly felt that there was a problem with realistic imitation firearms, or “RIFs” to you and me. The evidence for this concern is murky to say the least. During the discussions between airsoft and the government, we went to great lengths to try and find the evidence, any evidence, that would support this view.

This wasn’t easy as crime involving replicas wasn’t recorded separately and, indeed, in the figures that were available was indistinguishable from crime involving airguns, toy guns, and (very possibly) viciously wielded cucumbers. There was, in short, no well-documented evidence that replicas, including airsoft guns, were so significant as to be recorded in a quantifiable manner. While I accept that a couple of incidents within a police force region may colour the minds of those dealing with them, no statistical evidence of a serious problem could be found. This also had to be looked at within the context of armed crime or firearms offences in the UK as a whole, which constituted a very small proportion of the total crime figures, despite disproportionate press interest in them. So, the best we could say was that crime involving replicas was a tiny proportion of an already small percentage of the overall recorded crime figures at the time. Not that this mattered; the Bill had been drafted and was moving ahead regardless. It didn’t matter that airguns which resembled firearms, the Colt 1911

for instance, weren’t covered – an anomaly that had many heads scratched. In short, airguns are firearms in law (whether licensed or not) therefore, although it looked like a real handgun, it was already a firearm and couldn’t therefore be a replica. Even though it was. Follow that? No? I don’t blame you! It was the VCRA that introduced “twotone” guns, a minimum age for purchase and, in an allied Statutory Instrument, the right of “airsofters” to legitimately be sold realistic looking guns. Like much legislation it’s a dog’s dinner in parts – I have personally sold a Viking an AK because, as the customer was a re-enactor I was entitled by law to do so, no matter how irrelevant it was to his chosen historical period. Hoops were jumped through and life continued like before …sort of.

THE QUESTION IS…

Enough history. My question still stands – did we need the Act? As airsofters the response has to be a solid “No!” Even back them (nearly) all retailers enforced an over-18 years old only

“THIS WASN’T EASY AS CRIME INVOLVING REPLICAS WASN’T RECORDED SEPARATELY AND, INDEED, IN THE FIGURES THAT WERE AVAILABLE WAS INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM CRIME INVOLVING AIRGUNS, TOY GUNS, AND (VERY POSSIBLY) VICIOUSLY WIELDED CUCUMBERS.”

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OPINION DID WE NEED THE VCRA?

“POSSESSING AN IMITATION FIREARM IN PUBLIC WITHOUT GOOD REASON IS AN OFFENCE UNDER THE FIREARMS ACT 1968 AS AMENDED. FORGIVE ME STATING THE BLINDINGLY OBVIOUS BUT THE 1968 ACT PRE-DATES THE VCRA BY SEVERAL DECADES!” policy. Ironically, this would be introduced for airguns in the same Act, along with a face-to-face sales requirement through firearms dealers but there were many within the airsoft industry who felt this was what they would have to accept, at least as far as age limits were concerned. How wrong we were! We arrive back in the present. The Act has been law for airsoft since 2007 and there have been many successful prosecutions under the law, correct? Well, it would appear not. In the Memorandum to the Home Affairs Committee Post-Legislative Assessment of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 the following is said about the effect of the act on misuse of imitation firearms: “Impact Offences involving the use of an imitation firearm fell from 2,516 in 2006/07 to 1,610 in 2010/11. The Government will continue to monitor the incidence of misuse.” This was published in 2012 and that’s a fall of 906 offences over five years – 181.2 offences per year. In all matters involving the law words are critical and the key word here is “offences” …not crimes, not prosecutions or convictions, “offences”. Earlier in the report it is noted that offences involving imitations are often more easily dealt with under existing legislation: Possessing an imitation firearm in public without good reason is an offence under the Firearms Act 1968 as amended. Forgive me stating the blindingly obvious but the 1968 Act pre-dates the VCRA by several decades! Suffice to say, that if you enter the following into Google: “prosecutions in England and Wales under Section 36 of the

Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006” you’ll get nothing immediately useful back. Lots of statistical and government publications but nothing pointing a finger going “Look! There!”

THE TRUTH

The truth, as was suspected and pointed out at the time to anyone who would listen, was that the Firearms Act and the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, both on the statute at the time, had more than sufficient provision to cover the misuse of imitation firearms. The relevant sections of the VCRA added nothing of real value

to the police toolbox and they continue to use offences under the Firearms Act far more often than those of the VCRA. If my memory serves me right there may (and I emphasise “may”) have been a prosecution of a shop for selling imitation guns outwith the restrictions of the Act but I can’t find any reference to it. In terms of improving public safety where airsoft guns are concerned, the VCRA did nothing other than make that 18-year old limit law. None of the other provisions appear to have had a significant effect, other than to push up use of airsoft

sites and membership. Prosecutors do not appear to think the offence is worth pursuing when you can still be guilty of an offence under the Firearms Act by waving a two-tone around in public. It is the perception of an ordinary citizen that counts, so if Granny thinks that could be a real gun, tough. You can technically be guilty of a firearms offence if you tell someone the banana in your pocket is a handgun and they believe you and react accordingly. The VCRA 2006 covered far more than airsoft, airsoft is actually a very small part of it and is not actually mentioned by name anywhere, although it does come under the definition in the Statutory Instrument of a “permitted activity”, namely “the acting out of military or law enforcement scenarios for the purposes of recreation”. This article doesn’t represent an exhaustive piece of research and I would never claim that it does but, like the evidence that supposedly supported the inclusion of restrictions on imitation firearms in the first place, there is nothing I have heard, read, seen or found in the past 12 years that suggests that these changes did anything whatsoever to make this country safer. Did the Act fail in that regard? In my opinion, yes it did. It addressed an unproven problem in a manner that seems to have been utterly ignored by prosecutors, police and courts since. The vast majority of airsofters, contrary to what you might think, are reasonably sensible, law-abiding sorts and a legal minimum age would have achieved just as much. As for the rest? A waste of time, money and effort. AA

“IT IS THE PERCEPTION OF AN ORDINARY CITIZEN THAT COUNTS, SO IF GRANNY THINKS THAT COULD BE A REAL GUN, TOUGH. YOU CAN TECHNICALLY BE GUILTY OF A FIREARMS OFFENCE IF YOU TELL SOMEONE THE BANANA IN YOUR POCKET IS A HANDGUN AND THEY BELIEVE YOU AND REACT ACCORDINGLY.” www.airsoft-action.online

KIT & GEAR WISPORT MILITARY AND TACTICAL GEAR

THE TACTICAL EQUIPMENT MARKET SEEMS TO BE MORE AND MORE FLOODED WITH CHOICE THAN EVER BEFORE AND SOMETIMES IT’S EASY TO OVERLOOK A BRAND BECAUSE THEIR GEAR SOMEHOW DOESN’T FIT INTO THE “GUCCI CATEGORY”. BILL TAKES A PAUSE AND A STEP BACK TO HIS PARTICIPATION IN THE WARZONE GAME IN CRETE AND FOCUS ON WISPORT, A POLISH BRAND THAT REALLY SHOULD BE BETTER KNOWN AND APPRECIATED!

t has to be said that an awful lot of gear that we use for airsoft is driven by the big American brands and what is seen on the backs of “operators”, both in real life and in the movies or on TV. Of course, there’s also the influence of the gaming industry that want their virtual characters to look “tacticool”, so much so that we’re now seeing tie-ins between game producers and manufacturers of gear not just as a nod, but as direct business relationships. Now I’m not saying that this is a bad thing, as increased sales for company X driven by the virtual marketplace and showcases generated online by company Y, leads to more money in the pot for future development of new gear and this is actually a pretty healthy place to be for any producer of tactical kit. All companies love a government contract which may lead to the production of thousands of pieces of one particular type of gear and assure sales for years to come but, as always, contracts of this type are undoubtedly pared back to the bone when it comes to what the company actually earns - and ergo, what they have to spend developing new ideas. What sometimes amazes me though, is that there are some absolutely corking manufacturers out there that not only provide kit for the top “operators” of their own countries, but innovate like mad using the best possible technologies and components and somehow are completely

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passed by because their gear hasn’t been shown off in “Call of Modern Duty 27”, or appeared in the latest “Dark O’clock” blockbuster movie! I’ve mentioned before, in relation to clothing, that there is some absolutely cutting-edge stuff coming out of Eastern Europe at the moment and let’s not forget the operational experience of Special Forces units like Grupa Reagowania

“…THERE ARE SOME ABSOLUTELY CORKING MANUFACTURERS OUT THERE THAT… …INNOVATE LIKE MAD USING THE BEST POSSIBLE TECHNOLOGIES AND COMPONENTS AND SOMEHOW ARE COMPLETELY PASSED BY BECAUSE THEIR GEAR HASN’T BEEN SHOWN OFF IN “CALL OF MODERN DUTY 27”, OR APPEARED IN THE LATEST “DARK O’CLOCK” BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE!”

Operacyjno-Manewrowego (GROM) from Poland, who have been right in the thick of things with 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force), SEAL Team Six (DEVGRU) and the SAS, that are feeding their hard-won knowledge back into companies producing absolutely first rate gear. One of the manufacturers, who are based in Wrocław, Poland as it happens, that we seem to pass by is

WISPORT and I can’t for the life of me work out why! WISPORT have actually been making packs (as well as other items for the outdoor and hunting markets) since 1984 and certainly know their business! In addition to a thoroughly extensive collection of backpacks, the company also offers fleece, ski pants, thermoactive underwear, organic cotton T-shirts, hiking boots, trekking and ski socks, and a wide range of accessories (first aid kits, transport bags, rain capes, crampons, etc) to over 100 stores in Poland and throughout Europe. Whilst they may not be so wellknown in the UK, I think I can safely say that they have a “track record” for making good gear, one that the AA teams can personally attest to!

TRIED AND TESTED IN CRETE

Back in 2018 when Kelly and I attended “WarZone 2018” thanks to our friends in Crete, we had the opportunity to try and a whole bunch of gear and, as we reported back after the event, our gear caused us no worries at all! One of the items that we took with us was the little 16L “Sparrow” Patrol Packs from WISPORT in our chosen camo pattern (GreenZone) and this proved to be a proper workhorse! The smallest of the Sparrow backpacks family, the 16 is the latest generation of compact backpacks made of extremely durable 500D Cordura Nylon and

KIT & GEAR WISPORT MILITARY AND TACTICAL GEAR

Wisport Shotpack 65

developed in skirmishing and serves well as a MilSim collaboration patrol pack when you need to dump your with Polish bergan! Military forces. ZIPPERFOX The main Moving up a notch to what I refer to as advantages “Three Day” packs, WISPORT have a whole of the heap of models in this important 30-50L Sparrow 16 capacity area and my personal favourite of backpack are the bunch is the ZipperFox 40L. One of the removable, more recent additions to WISPORT’s line ergonomically of military packs, the ZipperFox 40L was shaped and created as a modified, slightly larger and lightly padded more versatile, version of their Silverfox shoulder 30L model. Designed for medium duration straps, a trips or patrols, this new generation of spacious single compartment tactical packs benefits hydrationfrom extremely lightweight and durable compatible construction, high degrees of functionality main and innovative technology. compartment The main feature of this unique pack and multiple is an inverted “U” shaped clamshell zip MOLLE opening, which allows for quick and easy attachment access to the main compartment from points. the top and both sides at the same time. The main Additionally, the ZipperFox comes with a compartment re-designed Semi Adjustable System (SAS) of Sparrow 16 comes with an Plus carrying system which now includes internal hydration sleeve on the profiled straps, a removable buckled backside inner, a zippered pocket waist belt, rigid back construction and and multiple elastic loops for easy highly breathable padding. Thanks to organisation. Additionally, above the ergonomically profiled straps sewn in the sleeve pocket are a hook for permanently, the pack provides excellent the attachment of hydration system stability when carrying uneven or dynamic and a passage for the hydration loads, which makes it an ideal choice hose or an antenna. The pack for more challenging environments and features a front compartment with activities. zip closure and multiple quick The ZipperFox is fully hydration system release buckles allow the backpack compatible, with an easily accessible to be quickly dropped when zippered hydration compartment and required. The side compression is fully MOLLE compatible thanks to straps allow the pack to be adapted numerous webbing straps placed around to the size of carried kit and prevent it from shifting inside which may cause unnecessary noise, discomfort and disturbance to balance. On the front of the pack and side panels are multiple MOLLE strap attachments points, which allows for mounting various MOLLE accessories. Durable and lightweight, the Sparrow 16 pack is perfect for carrying all you Wisport Sparrow 16 need to a full day’s www.airsoft-action.online

DIGITAL EDITIONS

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KIT & GEAR WISPORT MILITARY AND TACTICAL GEAR

“DESIGNED FOR MEDIUM DURATION TRIPS OR PATROLS, THIS NEW GENERATION OF SINGLE COMPARTMENT TACTICAL PACKS BENEFITS FROM EXTREMELY LIGHTWEIGHT AND DURABLE CONSTRUCTION, HIGH DEGREES OF FUNCTIONALITY AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY.” the pack. This highly practical pack also comes with waterproof rain cover hidden inside the bottom compartment, side ski attachment straps (probably with other uses in the UK!) and multiple inner sleeves/ zipped pockets for easy organization. It represents a perfect storage/carry solution for anyone that needs to manage a larger load when the going gets tough!

GEAR HAULERS

Depending on whether you are heading to your local site for a good day’s play, or hauling your kit into the middle of nowhere for a multi-day MilSim, WISPORT really do have you covered in all respects! From not-so-simple duffles like the 50L Stork, up to full on mountaineering packs, WISPORT offer the lot! Made of Cordura Nylon material for superior durability, the Stork Bag features a spacious main compartment equipped with a two-way zipper opening, loop patch for hookbacked IDs, tags or morale patches and multiple pockets. The bag offers plenty of storage space and comes with removable and adjustable shoulder strap, along with numerous PALS webbing straps for additional MOLLE attachments (such as pouches or lanyards). The Stork Bag is big enough to fit in everything you need without having to dig through a

massive main compartment, performs exceptionally well in virtually all conditions and represents a perfect storage solution for the Safe Zone! If you need to be carrying your home on your back though, there is a lot of choice in the WISPORT Racoon Series of packs, but my personal choice here is the ShotPack. Designed with the serious shooter in mind (and with a price-tag to match!), this fully customisble and adaptable L-pack allows for secure and comfortable transport of a long (i.e. sniper) rifle, along with personal belongings and other necessary equipment for multi-day deployment, in one solid package. Developed again in collaboration with Polish Military forces, the ShotPack features a fully adjustable and highly comfortable FAS Plus Military back system, two large detachable side pouches, top, bottom and front access to the main compartment, and a fully removable stiffened back section with internal frame and MOLLE for multiple storage options. Additionally, this highly adaptable tactical pack comes with a dedicated three section standalone rifle case with heavy internal padding, MOLLE webbing and multiple carry options. There’s also a hydration sleeve, concealed waterproof

Wisport Stroke

rain cover, helmet mesh mount and numerous compression straps - and these are only a few of the many interesting design solutions featured in this this superb tactical pack. The military grade ShotPack offers a huge amount of carrying space and is perfect for military personnel as well as hard-core MilSim players. I’ve really only touched the tip of the iceberg here when it comes to what WISPORT offer, as their range is absolutely enormous and if you can’t find what you need amongst their range, then it probably doesn’t exist in the wild! From simple, well-thought-out packing solutions to full spectrum load-carrying hardware, they have the lot and you can check everything out by simply visiting www.military1st. co.uk. AA

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BOOK REVIEW THE BRITISH SNIPER - A CENTURY OF EVOLUTION

THE BRITISH SNIPER:

A CENTURY OF EVOLUTION BY STEVE HOUGHTON

MATT LIMB OBE DELVES INTO THE PAGES OF A SUPERB BOOK THAT CHRONICLES THE EVOLUTION OF, AS THE COVER IS ENTITLED, THE BRITISH SNIPER AND DISCOVERS A WEALTH OF INFORMATION TO READ. “One Round, One Kill, One Thousand Yards … One Sniper”

almost two and a half kilometres - that is over one and half miles in old money.

“… there still lingered in the British Army a Victorian attitude to sniping, which was regarded as unseemly, somewhat cowardly and rather ungentlemanly”

can still clearly hear that phrase echoing in my ears despite it being over forty years ago during one of my many tactics courses in the army, along with the instructor also asking, “What is the most effective and efficient weapon to stop an enemy advance?” Again, the sniper. “The sniper moves close to the enemy, kills quickly and cheaply and is rarely supported by other arms”

Today, the use of highly trained and disciplined snipers is commonplace on the battlefield but it is hard to believe they have only been around for just over a century, finding their place in the order of battle during the First World War. Many think they appeared over a century earlier, during The Peninsular War, with the advent

I am pleased to see that “The British Sniper: A Century of Evolution” by Steve Houghton addresses the start of the sniper during The Great War, when letters were sent home asking for the family hunting rifle to be sent to the trenches on the Western Front for sniping duties. Nowhere was this more obvious than in the Highlands of Scotland as The Lovat Scouts, formed in the Boer War just over a decade earlier, begged for their highly accurate hunting rifles, each one being an outstanding shot as they were recruited from the ghillies who stalked the red deer high on the Scottish mountains.

with Army Higher Command the need for sniper training after witnessing the many loses in the trenches to the well trained German snipers. Soon the first sniper school was established by the British Second Army and within months similar training establishments were adopted across the five British Armies. With details about observation and spotting equipment, plus camouflage training and skills, along with first-hand accounts, this book soon unfolds from the Great War to the interwar years. “I never did find out the rank or possible identity of that senior officer I targeted, nor did I ever want to know. It doesn’t do any good to know such personal details for any operational-sniper …” Here the detail and accuracy continue in this book, looking at more rifles used by snipers, including the Alexander Martin

“TODAY, THE USE OF HIGHLY TRAINED AND DISCIPLINED SNIPERS IS COMMONPLACE ON THE BATTLEFIELD BUT IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THEY HAVE ONLY BEEN AROUND FOR JUST OVER A CENTURY, FINDING THEIR PLACE IN THE ORDER OF BATTLE DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR” of the Baker Rifle and while the rifle was soon adopted for the infantry, it was a further century before the sniper, as we know him today, would be seen. Come forward another one hundred years to Afghanistan in 2009 and we see a British sniper credited with two deadly shots at

JANUARY 2020

The opening chapter, so well named “Baptism of Sniper Fire”, covers in the finest details the equipment used and technical detail of the rifles as the author also covers a key moment in the development of sniping from Major Hesketh-Prichard DSO MC, who argued

conversation and the Holland & Holland conversation. But this is not just a book about the weapons of the sniper, it includes detail of the 1940 publication “Notes on The Training of Snipers” which, at the time, was the only written guidance for sniper instructors. Plus during the

BOOK REVIEW THE BRITISH SNIPER A CENTURY OF EVOLUTION

evolution of sniping the ever changing CES, that is their Complete Equipment Schedules, which is the list of equipment a sniper will need when on operations, which varies from a case for a spotting telescope, to the world famous General Service Timepiece, a pocket watch with its black face and clearly defined numbers. What I found of particular interest, is the advancement of over 100 years of the sniper’s garments, which includes the famous Denison smock, originally developed for the airborne but soon issued to snipers. “My first introduction to sniping was after a few months at Perth Barracks where I shot five bulls eyes on target with .22 ammo, which at the time was good shooting … much later with .303 ammo on the range I scored a two inch group on the bull from two hundred yards. The officer in charge pulled me back to three hundred yards and you may not believe it, but I got four shots on the bull …” Bill McMillan, The Black Watch – July 1940. “On D-Day I only fired my rifle three times, the first shot into the sand as I came ashore to see if the seawater had affected it, and during the day two more shots, each time dropping NCOs who were both moving targets … I know my eyes were wet with water when I “fired in anger” for the first time. I was always unsure if it had been sweat pouring down my face, or seawater still dripping from inside my helmet …” Harry Furness, York & Lancaster Regiment The well-illustrated technical glossary that forms the main backbone of this book is well balanced by several personal accounts of operational snipers, which includes an account from Harold Baldwin, who served as a sniper in the Italy campaign; “We were ordered to go to this farmhouse … once inside we went upstairs and knocked two bricks from the corners … anyway we had a good morning and scored quite a few hits and the enemy stopped being as brave as they had.” There is a further extended personal account from Sergeant Tom Newall MM, written in 1990 of his experiences during the Korean War, including a copy of the citation for his Military Medal. As the book travels forward through the century it is inevitable that technology takes its part in the snipers CES, with night vision and later thermal imaging devices and image intensifiers. The modern rifle looks a world of difference from

the humble beginnings during World War One, as does the equipment required by the sniper but today the key skills are the same; concealment to see and not been seen and to engage your target without giving away your location, plus making every shot count. So, is this a book on how to be a sniper in ten easy lessons for the wannabe soldier? No, it is anything but. Steve Houghton, who served in the Royal Green Jackets and holds a lifelong interest in military sniping has produced an encyclopaedia, painstakingly researched and full of knowledge about a British Sniper’s equipment over the past century,

well presented in the finest detail, all in one book. The meticulous information is supported by colour images which are too numerous to count, extracts from individuals and publications, sketch maps and diagrams from operational snipers all delivered in a format that is and easy read but highly informative. This book is a “must-have” for anyone with an interest in military sniping history, as well as weapons enthusiasts and anyone interested in specialist weapons. “The British Sniper: A Century of Evolution” is only available through Swift and Bold Publishing and is highly recommended. AA Book Details Title: The British Sniper: A Century of Evolution Author: Steve Houghton Published By: Swift and Bold Publishing ISBN: 978-1-5272-2383-7 Email: swiftandboldpublishing@ gmail.com Web: swiftandboldpublishing. co.uk.

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THE CAGE EYE PROTECTION

THE CAGE:

EYE PRO

EYE PROTECTION IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF SAFETY NO MATTER WHAT YOU SHOOT AND WE’RE ALWAYS IN SEARCH OF NEW MODELS THAT OFFER THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE AND PROTECTION. TO THIS END, BILL SPOKE TO THE AA CREW TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY USE AND WHY.

heap eye protection is a false economy in virtually every respect I can think of. Luckily, these days we have a wealth of manufacturers to choose from when it comes to protecting those all-important “Eyes and Ears” and testing for such products is amongst the most stringent out there. As my father had served during WWII and then gone on to serve out his military days as an Infantry Instructor. He’d learnt many lessons and even back in the 1970’s would ensure that, when he took me shooting we would always have ear plugs and shooting glasses, albeit rudimentary models back in those days. He’d seen too many of his friends suffer damage to their eyesight and suffered himself from impaired hearing. He was 100% insistent that I would not suffer the same. Over the years this has continued to be something that’s massively important to me - and it should be to you as well. Each and every manufacturer makes the claim that “their eyepro” is the best on the market, offering huge levels of protection, won’t fog and will be comfortable to wear all day long but, in reality, anyone that has worn eyepro will know that it’s a bit of a

crapshoot! We all have different shaped heads and faces and different metabolisms and what fits well and performs flawlessly for one person, doesn’t work at all for another! One thing we can investigate closely though, is the ratings that govern safety levels for our eyepro and I recently got into this in some detail with Jon Mills, who I’m pleased to report is joining us as a new contributor. Many of you will know Jon from his days successfully running Darkwater Airsoft down here in the South east of the UK and as good mates I am involved in a number of airsoft projects with him. We often “get into it” over topics that interest us and I’m going to play back pretty much verbatim (with Jon’s permission) our recent conversation on eyepro, from which he created an overview for the local community where we live - but is equally pertinent here.

RATINGS

“It’s a minefield when you look at ratings. For instance, no safety glasses in the UK are rated above EN166. This basically means that the lens is tested with a 0.86g, 6mm steel BB at 45 metres per second. Sounds good doesn’t it? Steel BB at 0.86g, that’s gotta be good? Metal is harder than plastic, right? “The problem is the above projectile only has a Joule rating of 0.87075J and in our terms that’s a 0.2g BB at 305feet per second. Wait, 305 fps is quite low. Snipers

“EACH AND EVERY MANUFACTURER MAKES THE CLAIM THAT “THEIR EYEPRO” IS THE BEST ON THE MARKET, OFFERING HUGE LEVELS OF PROTECTION, WON’T FOG AND WILL BE COMFORTABLE TO WEAR ALL DAY LONG BUT, IN REALITY, ANYONE THAT HAS WORN EYEPRO WILL KNOW THAT IT’S A BIT OF A CRAPSHOOT!”

JANUARY 2020

THE CAGE EYE PROTECTION

are up to 500 fps. So what do we do? “We could look to our colonial cousins in the USA, their ANSI rating system, which is similar to our EN ratings system, but has a few extra tests. First up they drop a 1” diameter steel ball from 50” onto the Eyepro. To pass this test the lenses AND frames must stay in one piece. If so, it gets an ANSI Z87 rating. “To qualify for the better ANSI Z87+ rating the testing continues. Test 2 is the High Mass Test. They drop a 500g POINTED weight from 50” onto a mounted head form. To pass this lensretention test, no pieces from the frames or lenses may break free or fracture. The high-mass test is a good indicator of a product’s strength and is meant to simulate an impact like a slipping tool that falls onto a worker’s face or a lens collision with a stationary object. Ok, sounds good, what’s the last test? “Test 3 is the high velocity test. Same as the EN test a 1/4” steel ball is fired at 20 locations on the Eye Pro at 103mph.... Speedy huh? Not really, it is 46 m/s or 151 fps, same as the EN ones! The pass/ fail criteria for the high velocity test is the same as the high mass test with the added criterion that the “eye” on the head form can’t encounter the lens in any way when it’s struck. This test is meant to simulate particles that workers could be exposed to when performing job functions such as grinding, chipping or machining.”

So we’re screwed then? “Not at all! These are lab conditions not the variable-riddled skirmish site we all play in. No BB carries its speed/energy over its flight path, it loses it. It’s exactly why we have high fps for snipers but a Minimum Engagement Distance. Energy is lost in that MED so risk of injury is reduced. In the case of Eyepro, they’re not taking a full force impact unless the lens is at the end of the RIFs barrel.” So as an utter minimum we should be looking for EN166 and should be happy and confident if they’re ANSI Z87+? “Yeah, that’s about the size of it. There is the more costly option of Milspec lenses. MIL-PRF-31013 (clause 3.5.1.1 for those who wish to geek out) are as good as you’ll get in glasses form. They’ll stop Chuck Norris and make him apologise!”

manufacturers and indeed models proved to be uniformly popular! Jon: “I’m still using my Bolle Rush + These have never failed me and are actually cheap enough to throw away if they take a sustainable wallop. Yup, basically Bolle Rush + or my Wiley X Vapours.” Taz: “Bolle HD Cobras; £7 a pair, awesome!” Scott: “Wiley X, really can’t see past them!” (Oh, very good Scott!) Les: “It’s Bolle Rush+ for me too. Cheap enough to have a few pairs, strong enough to do the job and the least amount of fogging out of all that I have used over 9 years. I stumbled across them when I reviewed the whole Platinum Rush + range. I travelled to a woodland site on a hot summer day, I put a pair on in the car ...played all day and took them off at end of day and what impressed me the

WHAT THE AA TEAM SAID

Taking all of the above into account I spoke to the AA Crew to see what they had to say on this all-important matter, and a number of

“THERE IS THE MORE COSTLY OPTION OF MILSPEC LENSES. MIL-PRF-31013 (CLAUSE 3.5.1.1 FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO GEEK OUT) ARE AS GOOD AS YOU’LL GET IN GLASSES FORM. THEY’LL STOP CHUCK NORRIS AND MAKE HIM APOLOGISE!”

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COVERT BOOT

BLACK / BROWN / TITANIUM / SRP: Â£49.95

THE CAGE EYE PROTECTION

most (amongst the other tests) was the fogging... Like “where’s the fogging”? They proved themselves so well so I’ve stuck with them. The UK rep told me that if they had hit the leisure market before their intended industrial usage, they would be retailing for around £40-60 quid!” Phil B: “Bolle for the range and the Revision Sawflys for skirmishes if it’s dark, and Oakley Fuel Cells for a sunny day.” Chris JW: “Revision Sawflys, all I have ever used.” Kelly: “Wiley X SABERs. At first it was simply because they were the only shooting glasses I could find with pink lenses! That was 4 years ago when Scott Allan introduced me to them. I don’t wear anything else now; no issues fogging, rated to ANSI standards, aesthetically pleasing!” (In fairness, Scott did reply to Kelly’s answer and I feel I MUST share his reply with you… “I seem to remember me asking “what the #### are those on your face?” And then handing you a pair of Wiley’s!”) Callum: “For glasses wearers it’s probably worth mentioning the Bolle 500. I wear contacts now but they’re still my recommendation for anyone who wears their glasses in game as they’re actually designed for the task.” Craig: “TMC C2’s for me! Changeable lenses, small gap at the top to prevent fogging and cheap enough to replace if needed; they come with 3 lenses as well. I’ve been using them ever since one of the chaps at RedWolf put me on to them years ago.”

Steve T: “Despite every marketing claim ever, the only eye pro that has yet to fog for me is the Bolle X800i Platinum Clear Military Safety Goggle. Admittedly, being a fat, beardy, sweaty bastard, I’m every eye pro manufacturer’s worst nightmare, which is why even the legendary, and totally uncool, Dye i4 fogged up for me. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the single most important thing that has made the biggest difference to my skirmishes is being able to see my targets clearly all day long. And there’s only one solution that has delivered that for me so far; Bolle’s X800i. If I broke them tomorrow, I’d buy them again without hesitation!” Now I take a slightly different slant on things as, Like Scott, I spend a goodly amount of time dealing with real firearms as well as airsoft replicas, although eyepro for 6mm is just as important to me as it is when I’m slinging 9mm! Eyepro is an

investment in my continued wellbeing so I probably do spend a little more than most! I use Blueye Jagers. I’d previously worn the wrap-round multi-lens RAID from 5:11 for years, and actually went through three pairs of those; the design and profile of the Jagers is similar, but also a bit more up to date and certainly for me the fit is very, very good. They are also extremely light at just 30g but in no way feel flimsy. In terms of testing, the Jagers are certified ANSI Z87.1-2010 ballistic impact and optical requirements, certified EN166, certified AS/NZS 1337.1 and exceed U.S. military ballistic impact requirements for spectacles (MIL-PRF-31013, clause 3.5.1.1). The Jagers though, are extremely comfortable to wear, even over extended periods of time and I’m pleased to report that I suffered from almost zero fogging and that’s straight out of the box! Vents within the top of the lenses allow air circulation to actively minimise any buildup of moisture. With the High Definition lens the Jagers retail for UK£150, however, the safety specifications of the Jagers do exceed that of my old ones so they are superb value for money. In a nutshell, when it comes to Eyepro price should not be a consideration if the model you choose fits well and offers high protection levels; after all, what price can you put on your eyesight? In a nutshell I’ll go back to my conversation with Jon to conclude: “Look for eye protection that at an absolute minimum has EN166/ANSI Z87, Price Range £-££, but even better is ANSI Z87+, Price Range ££-£££. For the best levels of protection look for MILPRF-31013, but expect Price Range to be £££-£££££!”. AA

“DESPITE EVERY MARKETING CLAIM EVER, THE ONLY EYE PRO THAT HAS YET TO FOG FOR ME IS THE BOLLE X800I PLATINUM CLEAR MILITARY SAFETY GOGGLE. ADMITTEDLY, BEING A FAT, BEARDY, SWEATY BASTARD, I’M EVERY EYE PRO MANUFACTURER’S WORST NIGHTMARE, WHICH IS WHY EVEN THE LEGENDARY, AND TOTALLY UNCOOL, DYE I4 FOGGED UP FOR ME.”

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LIFE WITH A... HPA

LIFE WITH A...

HPA

IN THE LATEST INSTALMENT LOOKING AT GAMEPLAY WITH DIFFERENT KINDS OF RIF, STEVE T TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO HPA TO FIND OUT IF IT’S THE ULTIMATE EXTENSION OF A GBBR, OR JUST A DIRTY PAINTBALL LEGACY

ave three little letters ever caused such controversy in airsoft as H-P-A? Other than FPS, maybe - but that’s usually more to do with the accompanying numbers... To some, High Pressure Air (HPA) is the logical conclusion to the search for the ultimate gas-based RIF. To others, it’s nothing more than a hangover from those dirty paintballers and even worse, a blank license to cheat output after chrono.

BEST IS A RELATIVE VALUE

Unlike just about any other power source in airsoft, it’s really hard to let you know what to expect from HPA, because there’s no standard. That’s not a bad thing and it just means there are variants to consider but the bewildering array of options means that HPA is probably best left to players with plenty of skirmishes under their belts,

combined with a willingness to research before purchase - and tweak afterwards. I see a lot of inexperienced players ask online what the best HPA gun is but in reality, there’s no such thing. The usual route to HPA in airsoft is to modify an existing AEG with parts from the likes of Polarstar and Wolverine. But that means spending a couple of hundred quid - to as much as you like - on a donor AEG for the externals before you take it apart to add HPA bits (costing another £400 or more). And then you still need to take the time to make it work or find the additional budget for someone else to do it for you. One alternative is to purchase a readymade HPA RIF based on an existing AEG, such as the Daytona Gun from the USA but either way, it’s not uncommon for an HPA build to cost four-figures. And that rules out a lot of players on price alone. So, what do you get for that not-

insignificant investment? Well, for starters, you no longer totally rely on battery power and can reasonably expect greater range, as well as improved accuracy and consistency. But you might not entirely escape electricity, as most add-on systems still require at least a modest battery to power the “computer” and turn the motor over. The only RIF designed from the ground up for HPA that completely does away with the need for any batteries that I’ve experienced, is the Tippmann M4 - see last month’s review - and it’s an absolute steal at under £500 compared to £1,000+ for hybrid systems. Valken also offers its AR-1 at about the same price point but I’ve not had chance to try it. Yet.

ULTIMATE CHAMPION?

Is HPA the ultimate RIF? Well, the most

“HPA CAN EITHER BE LOUDER OR QUIETER THAN A RUN-OF-THE-MILL AEG. MOST AFTERMARKET HPA ADD-ONS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY QUIETER THAN AEG BUT TIPPMANN’S M4, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS AN ADDICTIVE WICKED-VICIOUS BARK.” 56

JANUARY 2020

LIFE WITH A... HPA

popular power source in airsoft remains the electric battery but AEGs are ten-apenny and lack feel - even with recoil systems. The obvious alternative is a GBBR - of which I’m a huge fan - but they’re renowned for being fussy when it comes to choosing gas to come in under site limits, with huge variables based on weather and particularly, temperature - which is a big problem for much of the year in the UK. HPA does away with those concerns, being less affected by climatic conditions. GBBRs also require very specific magazines to carry both ammo and gas. They’re not inexpensive at around £40 each, they’re heavy - and you need a lot of them due to the lower ammo count. By way of contrast, because the power usually (again - lots of variants) comes in through a line in the grip on the gun, not the magazine, HPA guns can run any AEG magazine, all the way from MilSim low caps to wind-on high caps. That enables the end user to choose how they want to play, rather than have their ammo capacity dictated by the power source. Unlike HPA’s nearest relative in GBBR, you’re free to choose between taking selective shots as a specialist to spray-and-pray like a Sunday soldier. And depending on your set-up, HPA can either be louder or quieter than a run-of-the-mill AEG. Most aftermarket HPA add-ons are significantly quieter than AEG but Tippmann’s M4, for example, has an addictive wicked-vicious bark.

A CHEATER’S PARADISE?

Is HPA a shortcut to cheating the chrono? Yeah, but no, but... It’s no different to any RIF with springs that are easy to adjust or swap in the Safe Zone. The onus still falls on the person behind the trigger and there’s no problem as long as the user is honourable and observes field limits.

It is, however, very easy to adjust FPS using HPA. To counter that, you can get tournament locks to restrict the power output - which is a good thing - but most sites don’t seem to apply them, even if they know how to. Of course, our readers are responsible players but that doesn’t change the fact that it can be just a little too convenient to increase output post-chrono on HPA RIFs beyond field limits. I’ve personally experienced opponents trying this tactic and let’s just say that I was not sympathetic in our conversation between games.

A MAJOR CHORD

A lot of airsofters discount HPA as a power source because of one very obvious physical limitation - there’s no getting away from the ugliness that is the umbilical cord attaching the gun to a tank of compressed air. And I don’t blame them! It doesn’t exactly look “operator”. But when you really stop to think about it, other than that external giveaway, a physical pneumatic gas system gets closer to the real deal than any battery-powered toy ever could. HPA might feel like a legacy from paintball - and even though it preceded airsoft, who likes to admit that? But if it worked then, it works now and once you make that mental leap, then I’d argue that despite its need for that visually intrusive cable, a mechanical HPA-powered RIF is more authentic than the standard electric self-contained unit that most of us use every weekend. Go figure.

A CHOICE OF FILLINGS

But even if you can get on board with the need to dangle a hose from the bottom of your grip to a backpack or belt, there’s one inconvenience to HPA that there’s no getting away from - and that’s filling up with air.

You’d think air would be the one resource in abundant supply but it’s the “high pressure” bit that’s the problem. If your regular site can fill HPA - usually shared sites running paintball markers too - then you’re golden: get one without a second thought. Otherwise, before you invest in HPA, you need to consider where you can fill up between games. The difference is that while you can order a battery to run an AEG or get CO2 bulbs and green gas delivered to your doorstep, retailers simply can’t send prefilled HPA cylinders to you. Depending on your location, there may be many places you can fill up with air but I had a few false starts when I first tried HPA. Firstly, the shooting supplies store that you might think would fill PCP air rifles? No go. Then the nearest dive centre that advertises air cylinder fills as a service? Nope. Airsoft connectors are too dangerous for the staff, apparently. And then a mainstream “safety solutions” company that would be willing to fill the cylinder for £8 a go didn’t have the required adaptor, despite listing airsoft/ paintball fills as one of their services. Finally, I found a local shooting ground that was happy to fill “paintball” tanks for £1 and I never looked back. As a result of the difficulty in filling cylinders - which varies with your address - many HPA players purchase a scuba tank to fill periodically, then use an adaptor to decant the air at home for game day. That could cost at least another £100 for the tank, plus £20 for the adaptor. At more than the price of a beginner AEG just to power the beast, that kind of financial investment takes some commitment to the cause. I wouldn’t normally spend so long talking about pre-game prep but it’s one area where HPA differs massively from either AEG or GBBR that prospective

“THE BIGGEST SNAG WITH HPA - PUN INTENDED - IS THAT THE EXTERNAL AIR LINE IS A PAIN IN THE PROVERBIAL. EVEN IF YOU CAN FORGIVE ITS NON-AUTHENTIC APPEARANCE, IT CAN STILL BITE YOU IN THE BEHIND.” www.airsoft-action.online

LIFE WITH A... HPA

owners should be aware of. For all its benefits on game day, HPA may well prove to be more trouble than it’s worth depending on where you live and what

suppliers are nearby. It’s something that any potential HPA player should seriously think about in advance and factor into their decision to purchase.

GAME FOR A LAUGH

So how does an HPA gun affect gameplay? As we’ve mentioned previously, that depends on your specific set-up. The most popular aftermarket mods like PolarStar or Wolverine mean that you can confidently engage from further back than a typical AEG as the game unfolds and still make a contribution to your team’s progress, without resorting to a DMR or sniper rifle. That said, with a price typically approaching £1,000, you could also build a heavily modified AEG that would perform

similarly for the same cost - as long as you’re happy charging batteries on a Saturday night. But if your style of play is on the sneaky side, then a super-quiet HPA could be exactly what you’re looking for. On the other hand, if you look at something like Tippmann’s more affordable HPA M4, then you’ll sacrifice stealth for sensation. Depending on the site and your play style, you might even scare the opposition into submission on sound alone. And unlike GBBRs, the RoF and FPS won’t drop with HPA until you run out of ammo, so you can lean on the trigger as hard as you like. That’s fun times - even for anyone that normally uses single action or semi-auto. The biggest snag with HPA - pun intended - is that the external air line is a

pain in the proverbial. Even if you can forgive its non-authentic appearance, it can still bite you in the behind. While you can mitigate against getting caught on obstacles with smart routing - and it’s a non-issue for urban sites - if you play in woodland with nettles, bushes and low-hanging branches, be prepared to have your progress halted as you get snagged, back up and free yourself.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS?

If you want the reliability and consistent performance of a GBBR, combined with the ammo capacity of an AEG, then you might want to consider an HPA set-up. Sure, there’s a learning curve with HPA that shouldn’t be taken lightly - from filling ahead of game day to dialling in performance - but when all the stars align, it’s a heavenly experience. Just go in with your eyes open. Between the immersion-breaking cable and that external tank to potential problems filling the cylinder, HPA may not be for everyone. But if it meets your requirements, then HPA might just exceed your expectations. AA

“IT’S NO DIFFERENT TO ANY RIF WITH SPRINGS THAT ARE EASY TO ADJUST OR SWAP IN THE SAFE ZONE. THE ONUS STILL FALLS ON THE PERSON BEHIND THE TRIGGER AND THERE’S NO PROBLEM AS LONG AS THE USER IS HONOURABLE AND OBSERVES FIELD LIMITS.”

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armoury CYMA CM.097B

CYMA: NOT JUST A POSH WATCH

WHERE DO YOU POSSIBLY START WITH A REPLICA FROM THE ELUSIVE CHINESE AIRSOFT MANUFACTURER CYMA GIVEN THAT THEY’VE BEEN IN THE MARKET FOR SO LONG? BILL GETS TO GRIPS WITH A MODEL FROM THEIR LATEST AR SERIES AND LOOKS AT JUST HOW FAR THE BRAND HAS COME!

e all know CYMA, right? Really? Do we? Of all the airsoft brands out there - and in this statement I include Tokyo Marui - they are probably one of the hardest to find any information on… and I do mean ANY! CYMA have been producing AEGs for as long as I can remember and could be rightly classed as one of the industry “veterans” but scour the interwebz and other than the fact that their products are available from most airsoft retailers, I

bet that you’ll find very little about the brand, not even a website! It’s almost like they don’t exist as a company! However, if you look on the webpages

of any of their distributors you’ll find comments like: “Known to both new airsoft users as well as enthusiasts, CYMA is a leader when it comes to airsoft rifles and accessories” “CYMA are one of the biggest manufacturers of airsoft products in the world. Based in China, there are two CYMA factories, one making cheaper replicas and one that makes more “pro” stuff. They make a massive range of airsoft guns”

“CYMA is amongst the oldest, most experienced and the largest airsoft manufacturing facilities in the world. Known for their unmatched quality control and professionalism, CYMA is selected to be the OEM of a vast amount of airsoft products”

NO CONTACT

Okay, so why in this day and age when information is so freely available and some folk believe they have the “right to know”,

is it that CYMA don’t engage directly with their customer base? My answer… why the hell should they! CYMA have been around it seems to me... forever! If I go back to earlier (more simple) days, a CYMA was probably the most common “rental” AEG that you’d find, certainly throughout the UK and even farther afield, especially their plastic AK

“OKAY, THE ORIGINALS WERE UNASHAMED CLONES, THEY DID HAVE A HABIT OF SNAPPING REGULARLY WHERE THE BUTT MEETS THE BODY, THEY HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE QUALITY CONTROL AND SOME MODELS ARRIVED AS NEW IN SIMPLY LAUGHABLE PACKAGING!” 60

JANUARY 2020

armoury CYMA CM.097B

models. Okay, the originals were unashamed clones, they did have a habit of snapping regularly where the butt meets the body, they had some problems with the quality control and some models arrived as new in simply laughable packaging! Although the quality of the old CYMA AEGs could not be compared to more expensive brands, the fact of the matter was that they ran like trains (even without the butt!), were easy to work on and upgrade, and above all they were cheap - and I mean DIRT CHEAP! So, with this in mind my question still stands; why do we need to know who they are and where they live? Why do we need to talk to them on social media? We know that they are located in China, as are many brands these days (gone to a degree are the failings of the “ACM” cachet!) but you can find their airsoft replicas and accessories all over the world. You can buy them from most airsoft stores and I’ll bet that you will find at least one CYMA AEG on every airsoft field that you play! Bottom line, they don’t need to talk to us directly and who cares if they don’t when what they are producing today has really wow’d a bunch of us.

CHANGE OF VIEW

Over the past few years my personal view on CYMA has changed quite dramatically and I’ve been hugely impressed with their AK AEGs since they released the 040 series. Yes, they still make the original 028 series of AKs and they are still cheap as chips (under 80 quid for an AEG!) but for me the 040 series really put them in a very different place. I’ve been using on and off an externally upgraded 077 “Antonov” AK for a while now and it’s a super little AEG that often gives rise to comment as it performs beautifully. On the strength of this I got myself an 077A AK (the Magpully one), then a 040I Tactical model to use as a project base, and these too have been wonderful. When the guys at Taiwangun

(TWG) contacted me to say that they were working directly with CYMA on the 0.98 AR model and asked me if I would be interested in trying one, I thought to myself “why the hell not” as, although I hadn’t bothered putting my hands on a CYMA “AR” in years, the AKs had really opened my mind to what the brand was producing now and not in years past. The 0.98 AR is just hitting the stores at the moment and one has been promised for review as soon as it is available but I thought that I’d better get a “benchmark” on the current CYMA “American” models and therefore asked Kamil at TWG if he could send me one over. When I received the CM.097B boy, am I glad that I had!

NEW AND VERY MUCH IMPROVED!

I asked the guys in Poland about the collaboration between TWG and CYMA, as in my mind nobody seems to talk to them directly and I was told: “The new 097 series of AEGs has been created as the result of a long cooperation and mutual trust between companies which have significant experience in this domain, CYMA and TAIWANGUN. COM. These carbines have produced to a different

specification; the lower receiver, the upper receiver, the stock tube, the external barrel, the fire selector, the magazine release button, the trigger, the charging handle, and the front and rear sight are made in aluminium, which has made the replica more realistic. Each model even has on the lower receiver a unique serial number.”

VARIATION ON A THEME

There are three variants of the 097; the stock model with a 16 inch barrel; the “A” with a 14.5 inch and the model I received for testing, the “B” which is the most compact of the family with a 10.5 inch barrel. All three models otherwise share a commonality of parts which include a precision 6.03mm inner barrel, an aluminium MLOCK handguard, aluminium A3 flat top upper receiver and an aluminium lower receiver. You get as standard a 6-position “magpulesque” stock for large capacity batteries, ergonomic pistol grip, folding sight set, and a really nice 160BB midcap magazine, all in high-standard polymer. There’s also a unique flash hider with a 14mm thread CCW fitting and an ambidextrous sling mount plate. Quite the tidy package! The 097s in the new “E-EDITION & HIGH-SPEED” configuration have a velocity of around 360 fps as standard (although TWG will downgrade this prior to shipping to the UK if you ask them to!) and claim that in combination with a LiPo battery you’ll be getting a ROF around 25rps and a faster trigger response. After testing I have to agree with this claim and this seems to be largely down to new gearbox parts with increased durability, such as a reinforced V2 gearbox frame with quick spring change system, a polycarbonate piston with steel teeth,

“IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE I WASN’T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT STRAIGHT FROM THE BOX, BUT I WAS GENUINELY SURPRISED WHEN I GOT ONTO THE RANGE. THE MODEL I RECEIVED HAD BEEN OBVIOUSLY SET TO 1.07 JOULE/340FPS AS THIS REMAINED PRETTY CONSTANT THROUGH THE CHRONO.” www.airsoft-action.online

armoury CYMA CM.097B

a CNC machined steel gear set (ratio: 13:1), 8mm bearings, a CNC machined aluminium silent cylinder and piston head set (ball bearing piston head, double o-ring cylinder head), and a high-speed motor. There’s even a processor unit with built-in MOSFET system! In terms of performance I wasn’t sure what to expect straight from the box, but I was genuinely surprised when I got onto the range. The model I received had been obviously set to 1.07 Joule/340fps as this remained pretty constant through the chrono. As I’m a midcap player I was delighted with the polymer 160BB model as standard and this fed flawlessly throughout testing. I also tested the CYMA on all my usual AR mags, both STANAG and other and I’m also pleased to tell you that these all fed perfectly too. In terms of groupings at 30m prone things were great, and I’m certain this will improve further once the 097 has had time to bed in properly. As I prefer to shoot on semi-auto the ROF, although exactly where claimed, was of little interest to me but the trigger response is indeed crisp… VERY crisp.

NEVER JUDGE A BOOK…

To round things off, after I’d finished on the range I took the 097 down to my local shop to hand it around and see what the guys thought without telling them what brand it was. Probably, just like you, these are keen airsofters that play nearly every weekend somewhere or other and they are constantly tweaking their own RIFs to get better range, more consistency and more performance from them. These, I find,

are the harshest critics of any new AEG I show them and after much nodding and approving “oohs and ahs”, as to the build quality and overall fit, finish, and “feel” of the 097, there were quite a few jaws

hitting the floor hard when I told them it was a CYMA! It just goes to prove that we really do need to put the past behind us and look at what is in the here and now. Many retailers are getting directly involved in producing AEGs in collaboration with an established OEM and from what I’m seeing, this is a very good thing as the player is getting exactly what they are asking the frontline retailers for. At the end of the day, this is a carbine that you can currently buy for well under £200 that looks utterly superb, feels so solid that you could use it to hammer nails and is more (way more!) than adequate in terms of performance. If you’re in need of a cheeky new AR then the CYMA 097 models are most definitely worth a look. My concluding comment? Stop trawling the interwebz trying to find out who CYMA are and how you can troll them for no good reason! Buy an 097 and get out and play airsoft with it... you’ll be glad that you did! Now, bring on that 098! My thanks go to www.taiwangun.com for providing the test sample, and please do go and check out what they have available …which is A LOT! AA

“THESE, I FIND, ARE THE HARSHEST CRITICS OF ANY NEW AEG I SHOW THEM AND AFTER MUCH NODDING AND APPROVING “OOHS AND AHS”, AS TO THE BUILD QUALITY AND OVERALL FIT, FINISH, AND “FEEL” OF THE 097, THERE WERE QUITE A FEW JAWS HITTING THE FLOOR HARD WHEN I TOLD THEM IT WAS A CYMA!” www.airsoft-action.online

SKILLS & DRILLS SLICING THE PIE

SLICING THE PIE IT MAY SEEM SIMPLE BUT ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT CQB MOVEMENTS CAN BE GETTING ROUND A BLIND CORNER. CALIBRE SHOOTING’S ANDY NIGHTINGALE OUTLINES THE TECHNIQUE HE USED WHEN IT WASN’T BBS HE WAS FACING, IT WAS SOMETHING FAR MORE DEADLY.

Although it’s sometimes necessary to act egotiating stairs and hallways persons) around a blind corner before we actually turn the corner ourselves. This quickly, slicing the pie needs to be done or clearing and searching rooms is all SOP (Standard Operating technique not only works for bog standard methodically and with stealth. It shouldn’t Procedure) when it comes to CQB corners but also for doorways and vehicles be rushed, then again it shouldn’t take but one of the more overlooked (and forever either. A nice steady flow is all it too. Although slicing the pie will enable misunderstood) techniques for Close you to see someone as you progress takes to carry out this maneuver. Next up around the corner, it won’t positively Quarters Battle, or Close Quarters is attention to detail. Pay attention to what you are Defence, is tackling corners. It may sound easy - and it is - but being actually seeing. Look for telltale signs able to negotiate a corner without of occupation around the corner, getting shot up in the process can things like shadows, reflections, lead to disaster if not done right. listen for noise and notice any telling “PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU I’ve seen many airsofters “slice odours that may indicate someone is ARE ACTUALLY SEEING. LOOK FOR the pie” during game play but, there. Historical observation is always forgotten. Historical observation is unfortunately, they often seem TELLTALE SIGNS OF OCCUPATION to lack the understanding of the noticing things that have changed AROUND THE CORNER, THINGS LIKE mechanics behind the technique. since you were last in the vicinity, SHADOWS, REFLECTIONS, LISTEN They understand why they do it and things like a previously closed door FOR NOISE AND NOTICE ANY TELLING is now open or a light that was on how to do it but on many occasions they simply didn’t know how to do which is now turned off. These little ODOURS THAT MAY INDICATE it properly. things will help you to gather vital SOMEONE IS THERE.” As with all tactical techniques information as you prepare to turn there is a right way and wrong way the corner. It sounds like a lot to take to go about it and in this article in, after all you are only turning a corner but it’s not, it’s just tuning into I’m going to share with you the trade secrets of how to “Slice the your surroundings. Just remember, Pie”, properly without compromising your identify any adversaries. It will, however, what telltale signs gives your adversaries position and intentions. away will also give you away too. Now alert you to the presence of one or more let’s take a look at the technique itself. individuals who might be in your way.

WHY WE DO IT

First off, we need to know why we “slice the pie”. The idea behind this technique is to safely negotiate a corner in a hostile environment without being seen, yet being able to identify any person (or

JANUARY 2020

MISTAKES A-PLENTY

Let’s look at some of the most common mistakes made whilst slicing the pie and first up is rushing. Rushing into any potentially dangerous situation is a disaster waiting to happen.

THE TECHNIQUE

As you approach the corner, do so with your weapon in a contact ready position. Do not hug the apex as this will severely limit your freedom of movement and may cause you to have to fight for

SKILLS & DRILLS SLICING THE PIE

your weapon should someone turn the corner and bump into you. There is also a greater chance of giving your position away should the muzzle of your weapon protrude past the apex of the corner.

Try to keep about 6 feet away from the corner. This will put you in what is known as a Narrow angle, around 10 degrees, which will give you maximum concealment, especially when clearing doorways. Your leading leg is the one closest to the apex of the wall and it’s this leg that gives most people away as it’s all too easy to expose the leading leg if you don’t perform this technique properly. The key here is to point the leading foot towards the apex of the wall as you begin to move around the corner. Slightly lean over the leading leg and lead with the eyes and muzzle of the gun. As you start to move in increments, scan from top to bottom with your muzzle looking for telltale signs of any occupation. Move slowly and methodically taking one step at a time. Be careful not to cross your legs as you move, you will only trip yourself up. Step out slightly with the leading foot then catch up with the other. As you progress around the corner more and more information will come into view. If someone is standing around the corner you may or may not be able to identify them as hostile. You won’t

notice them straight away but you will notice parts of them, such as the shoulder or maybe a foot or weapon. The trick here is to be able to identify a person around the corner without them seeing you. It is more than likely that you will only see a part of them. This is all you need. Once you know someone is on the other side you can make your advance and surprise them. Before you take the corner, look ahead and pick a spot on the floor that you want to go to. This will ensure that the route you take is safe and clear of any obstructions. Turn your body and face the spot and walk directly to it training your weapon on the person around the corner as you do so. A word of caution here is to walk forwards and do not cross your feet as you travel, you escalate the risk of tripping and falling if you do. Point your feet in the direction you want to go then move. Once you have broken the apex of the corner you will have, hopefully, surprised whoever may be around the corner. It is at this point that you can assess your situation and decide if you need to shoot or not. Slicing the Pie is one of the most basic, yet crucial, parts of CQB skillsets. It’s been around for decades and has seen success not only in military roles but also law enforcement and civilian situations that require carful movement around buildings and structures in hostile environments. Done right, Slicing the Pie will serve you well and help you to win the fight. Stay safe.. AA

“TURN YOUR BODY AND FACE THE SPOT AND WALK DIRECTLY TO IT TRAINING YOUR WEAPON ON THE PERSON AROUND THE CORNER AS YOU DO SO. A WORD OF CAUTION HERE IS TO WALK FORWARDS AND DO NOT CROSS YOUR FEET AS YOU TRAVEL, YOU ESCALATE THE RISK OF TRIPPING AND FALLING IF YOU DO.”

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FEATURE MY FIRST (PROPER!) AEG

THIS IS MY M4: PART 2 GRIPS, STOCKS & SIGHTS

AFTER YEARS OF MAKING MINOR MODIFICATIONS TO RIFS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF SUCCESS, STEVE T GOES ALL-IN ON HIS MWS TO FIND OUT JUST WHAT AN INEPT HOME TECH CAN ACHIEVE. THIS MONTH: GOING GREEN WITH GRIPS, STOCK AND SIGHTS.

had planned to start with the internals by boosting the MWS’ FPS from its standard 293 average FPS/0.8J using .20 BBs, to something approaching the usual 350 site limits but we all know that “no plan survives first contact with the enemy” - to paraphrase Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke. Adjustable nozzle and other goodies ordered weeks ago, it seems the parts are - quite literally - on a slow boat from China. For now, I need the MWS otherwise stock for a forthcoming comparison article, so externals have leapfrogged to the head of the queue. First up, that slightly wobbly LE stock has to go, closely followed by adding a vertical foregrip and a more ergonomic pistol grip too.

FROM STOCK TO STOCK

As I said last month, I’m not aiming for an issued or historically correct rifle, so I was free to choose from both military and civilian options. MOE or CTR stocks are both solid choices, but just a little too predictable for me. I like L-shaped stocks, but they can snag on kit. Also, as someone in love with chunky bullpups like the F2000, M4 builds can look a little

spindly. What I wanted was something 100% functional, slick and excitingly chunky. I found that with FAB Defense’s GLCore stock and CP cheek riser. I’d been impressed with the quality of the Israeli real steel manufacturer’s bipod for the Tavor and expected nothing less from their AR15/M4 stock. I was not disappointed. Not only does it look like something that Halo’s Master Chief would feel at home with, but it eliminates any free play around the buffer tube. The Core also comes complete with adaptors for both civilian and military buffers, so you can be sure that it will work for your build. The stock readily moves through six positions, with a satisfyingly solid click to each. The range of adjustment is about 8cm in total and while that might not sound like a lot, you can really feel the difference when you shoulder it. You’ll also feel the benefit from the rugged rubberised pad that stays where you want it, making target selection a smoother process without worrying about stock movement. There are integral QD sling points, while the optional CP cheek riser is adjustable for height and slant front-to-rear. I’ve left it flat at its lowest

position because I normally use face pro and just want it to get out of the way. Fitting it is a breeze; just slide off the stock stock and slide on its replacement. It takes mere seconds. Adding the Core not only made the MWS look more badass, but it also genuinely improves usability, which is my number one priority throughout. More than one person has let me know they don’t like it, but you know what? I don’t care! This is MY M4, after all...

GENERAL COLOUR

There’s no reason an effective RIF can’t have the “Phwoar!” factor too. For me, that means chunky, matt and preferably textured or rubberised surfaces. And that extends to colour selection, too. I love a solid black assault rifle as much as the next guy or gal but that also screams “standard!” The point of this build is to explore options for making a one-of-akind RIF that is truly mine. Anyone that knows me also knows that I have a bit of a thing for Olive Drab - or just army green in its loosest sense - so I didn’t have to think too hard about what colour I wanted for the MWS’ furniture. That decision greatly restricts the

“WHAT I WANTED WAS SOMETHING 100% FUNCTIONAL, SLICK AND EXCITINGLY CHUNKY. I FOUND THAT WITH FAB DEFENSE’S GL-CORE STOCK AND CP CHEEK RISER. I’D BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE ISRAELI REAL STEEL MANUFACTURER’S BIPOD FOR THE TAVOR AND EXPECTED NOTHING LESS FROM THEIR AR15/M4 STOCK. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED.” 66

XMAS 2019

FEATURE THIS IS MY M4

potential manufacturers to choose from. Everyone makes black accessories and most everyone offers a wide range of Flat Dark Earth, Tan or Coyote Brown options. That’s understandably borne out of recent conflicts in the Middle East but I skirmish in British woodland, so a dark flat green makes way more sense to me. I’d guesstimate that colour choice ruled out maybe two-thirds to three-quarters of brands. And of those that were left with green options, many were at the cheaper end of the spectrum. There’s nothing wrong with that if you’re working on a tight budget - especially on a budget gun but I’m not about to add own-brand alloys to my Ferrari. As it turns out, not only is FAB’s stock available in a delicious dark green, but it seems most of their accessories are. I should mention there’s totally no commercial kickback here - I just like what I like.

FORE!

Next on my hitlist after the stock was a vertical foregrip. Hera’s CQR has been my go-to choice, but I fancied something a little special this time, so I opted for the Tactical Side Folding Foregrip. There are three locking positions to either side of vertical using a release button that falls naturally under your forefinger, but let’s be honest; I’m never going to use it at any

angle other than perpendicular to the rail. It looks a bit like a slim grenade, though. Sold! As you’d expect, it fits to the under-rail as easily as any attachment, but you can nip up the fit by adjusting the nut to the right before clamping the quick release fastening down. Once in place, it’s a little longer than a CQR, but still shorter than a full-length grip. But the main improvement is the way your hand naturally curves around its swell; it feels so natural that your supporting hand will fall into place instantly after removing it to realign your sling, push for comms or adjust your webbing.

AFTERSHOW PARTY

I had no real objection to the MWS’ A2style grip, but neither did it feel particularly welcoming. While you’d normally need to be more careful with a replacement grip for an AEG that houses the motor, you have more leeway with a GBBR. And whaddya know? FAB’s real steel AGR-43 bolts straight in like a champ. I had intended to go for an ergonomic grip with individual finger moulds but then I remembered various pistols with similarly sculpted grips that just didn’t work for my sausage fingers. Because they force your fingers into prescribed positions, they never quite feel entirely natural. The AGR-43 is, in a word, beautiful. I’ve

been told the angle is uncomfortable, but it feels so good to me. At the front, there’s a curve above a pronounced lip in which to seat your second finger - the first will be on the trigger or magwell, remember - but beneath that, you can position your third and pinky fingers as close together or far apart as you like. To enhance your grip and weapon control, there are chequers to the front, with light stippling to the sides and pimples to the rear. Between those textures and the rubberised finish, you’re not going to lose grip anytime soon. The ergo grip also curves above the rear to encompass the lower receiver and coddle your dominant hand. It actually makes it easier to wield the weapon without a supporting hand as you transition between states. I ended up choosing this grip almost by accident, as I followed the breadcrumb trail from FAB’s stock, but it’s possibly the most comfortable and effective grip I’ve ever used on an M4-style RIF.

GRIP FIT

None of the modifications featured here are hard to fit, but if one needs guidance, it’s the grip. Look up inside the MWS’ open grip and you’ll see the allen bolt that you need to loosen to release it. Part of the process of this series is to see how much a talentless tech can do with the bare

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STRETCH PANTS BLACK / DARK COYOTE / GREEN / SRP: Â£69.95

FEATURE THIS IS MY M4

minimum of tools, but this is one example where you might need to spend a couple of quid. You won’t need an engineer to swap out grips, but you will need to buy an Allen key with a long shaft just so you can reach the bolt. You might be able to source individual keys cheaper, but we just bought a set from Argos for under £20, figuring that you can never have too many quality Allen keys. If you have access to a mechanic’s toolkit, then you might not even need to do that. Once you can reach the bolt, just loosen it counter-clockwise until you can remove the grip. That bolt fastens into a nut that sits in a recess in the grip. Don’t worry if you drop it on the way out - as long as you can find it again! Having removed the existing grip, it’s as simple as seating the nut back in place, offering up the new grip to the lower receiver and using the same long shaft key to fasten it in place. A dab or two of locktite wouldn’t go amiss here. Depending on the grip you choose, you might need a longer bolt, but the principle remains the same. As a result of this relatively easy job, you’ll instantly have a RIF that looks and feels different to anyone else’s.

functional but far from Gucci, so I chose real steel from Israel again. And again, they feel a level above the usual airsoft playing field. Adjustable every-which-way, it almost seems a waste to put them into service here, but y’know...

FROM THE OUTSIDE IN

Like I said in the beginning, I really wanted to start the modifications with internal performance parts, but I’m almost glad I’ve had to shake things up as I’m genuinely surprised how much external accessories have improved the experience of using the MWS. From the new stock to the foregrip and pistol grip, every part has helped speed up target acquisition and improve my hit rate across the board. What’s more, they’re all really easy additions to make, so this two-left-handed numpty has already proven that just about anybody can make a real difference to their RIF without needing expensive tech support... AA

PRIVATE SIGHTS

I often run my RIFs without any iron sights at all, figuring that even if my Red Dot Scope runs out of battery power, the window is still informative enough for airsoft. But this is a passion project, so I want to pump everything into it. I hate to sound like a broken record, but FAB came up trumps with iron sights too (I really wish they were paying me commission)! The standard MWS sights are certainly

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VERSUS

L85A2 1911 V VHI-POWER L85A2 L119A1

L119A1

KEEPING THINGS VERY CLOSE TO HOME THIS MONTH, BILL TAKES A LOOK AT TWO WEAPONS THAT ARE THE “MEAT AND VEG” OF UK FORCES, THE L85A2 AND THE L119A1 AND WHY HE FEELS MORE UK AIRSOFTERS SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THESE TWO EXCELLENT MODELS.

t always troubles me a little that so many UK airsofters ignore the mainstream of UK Forces when it comes their loadouts. Whilst there are numerous excellent “UKSF” impressions that are particularly noteworthy for their almost living history standard, the poor old British Infantryman is sadly neglected in the main, even though there are several manufacturers that now make halfway decent L85 replicas. I’ve always been proud to “fly the flag” with my personal loadouts and although I’ve probably covered many units and many nationalities in the past there has always been a basic set of DPM, DDPM, and now of course MTP in my gear locker and the L85 has been present since my first year living and playing in the USA, when the first STAR model was released. Surrounded by guys in their Woodland loadouts and with “M4s” every which way I turned, there was something almost perversely enjoyable about being “the guy with the bullpup”! I discovered that DPM actually worked superbly amongst

the palmettos and mangroves and that DDPM was totally at home in the drier inland areas of Florida - and every time I rolled out in my “Brit Gear” my L85 came with me. I’ve owned a number of L85 AEGs over the years, from that original slightly finicky STAR, through the original (and downright dreadful when it first came out!), ARMY R85 EBB, to the first and subsequent generations of the ICS model which overall is a pretty neat AEG (more of that later). I’ve never owned a WE GBB version, but if I do decide to build an “A3” then I believe that will be my base. Of course, if you do want to take the “UKSF high ground” then frankly nothing but a “Diemaco” will do! Once the territory of uber-expensive body kits and custom-made add-ons there’s now a thriving market for both “L119” A1 and A2 parts and with a decent donor RIF you can have yourself a tidy one pretty darn easily, right down to the heavy barrel of the original and the new rail of the very latest iteration!

TROUBLED

By now just about everyone in the UK knows about (what can only be described as) the “troubled past” of the SA80/L85, so I won’t dwell on that again. Suffice to say that for nigh on 30 years, the L85 has been the standard issue rifle of the British Armed Forces; the first prototypes were created in 1976, with production of the A1 variant starting in 1985. Originally designed and produced by the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, North London, in 1988 production of the rifle was transferred to the Nottingham Small Arms Facility owned by Royal Ordnance (later British Aerospace, Royal Ordnance (now BAE Systems Land & Armaments). After many problems, in 2000 Heckler & Koch (at that time owned by the British defence conglomerate BAE Systems!) was contracted to upgrade the SA80 family of weapons; 200,000 SA80s were re-manufactured at a cost of £400 each, producing the A2 variant. Originally intended for introduction in 2002, the first A2-style SA80s were rushed into action in Afghanistan in December

“I DISCOVERED THAT DPM ACTUALLY WORKED SUPERBLY AMONGST THE PALMETTOS AND MANGROVES AND THAT DDPM WAS TOTALLY AT HOME IN THE DRIER INLAND AREAS OF FLORIDA - AND EVERY TIME I ROLLED OUT IN MY “BRIT GEAR” MY L85 CAME WITH ME.” 62

JANUARY 2020

VERSUS L85A2 V L119A1

“WHEN IT COMES TO UKSF THOUGH, THE L119 IS THE TOOL OF CHOICE! UKSF USE THE CANADIAN MADE C8 SFW (L119A1/A2) AS ITS PRIMARY BECAUSE IT MEETS ALL OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND IS INCREDIBLY WELL LIKED BY EVERYONE WHO USES IT.” 2001, and all 200,000 were converted by February 2006, with three to four thousand weapons being converted per month! A further upgrade included the provision of ACOGs, a Daniel Defensedesigned RIS handguard with an optional GripPod, and a new Surefire “Vortex” style flash eliminator and this was introduced as an Urgent Operational Requirement. Initially this was for “selected units” in 2007, but the upgrade package was subsequently rolled out on a more general basis from 2009 onwards giving us what we now recognise as the “Afghan A2”. When it comes to UKSF though, the L119 is the tool of choice! UKSF use the Canadian made C8 SFW (L119A1/A2) as its primary because it meets all operational requirements and is incredibly well liked by everyone who uses it. What we all still refer to as “The Deimaco” (now manufactured by Colt Canada, formerly Diemaco prior to 2005) is designated the “L119A1 Special Forces Individual Weapon (SFIW)” within the UK military. UKSF started to use the L119 in the late 1990s and since then it’s been rolled out to other units such as the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), Pathfinder Platoon, 43 Commando Royal Marines and the Royal Military Police Close Protection Unit. Two versions are known to have been in service; the L119 SFIW which features a heavy, high accuracy, 16.1-inch-long cold

hammer forged barrel that is designed for operation in arctic conditions and set up to mate with the HK AG-C grenade launcher, and the L119A1 CQB Carbine which is a shortened version with a 10 inch barrel and associated upper, known commercially as the “C8 CQB”. The CQB’s shorter length makes it suitable for close protection work and room clearing and it is often seen fitted with a Surefire can in the wild.

REAL TO AIRSOFT

So, if you’re looking to do a passable “MOD” loadout then you have a couple of choices to make; if it’s the “SF” route then it’s all about the L119 and the “Multicam Gucci” kit! If, however, you are happy to be the backbone of the British Army and play as a humble infantryman in “bog standard MTP”, then the L85 is where it’s at. After trying many models of L85 in AEG form, my current A2 is based on an ICS donor, upgraded with an ACOG replica featuring a backup MRDS in a “Wing Mount” from Warlord Airsoft, and fixed to the rifle using a Hornbill “Z Mount”. The green plastic front handguard has been replaced with a licenced replica rail system from Madbull that replicates the Daniel Defense model, and has both a GripPod and an Element LLM Module fitted. All of these parts were easily found when I bought them, and were pretty straightforward to fit to the ICS L85, although I’m still kicking myself that I gave away the “Vortex” flash hider that was once fitted as I’ve never been able to replace it! The L119A1 CQB I put together specifically for MilSim events and it’s based on a G&P “M4 CQB”, again with a number of external mods. It’s one of a number of custom carbines in my collection that are

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VERSUS L85A2 V L119A1

based on the G&P, all of which have given years of service, being overhauled every so often by Fire Support to keep them at their best levels of performance. This is an impressive carbine and even on a 7.4V though it really does crack away; bear in mind that most MilSim games will have strict ammo limits and you’re going to want to stick on semi-auto anyway! The only big job for the “119” build was to have the original outer barrel cut back and re-threaded to get the correct 10” length, which was done by a mate of mine, but other than that it’s all really rather boring and cosmetic! Finding and fitting an older style ribbed CAR15 stock, a rubber butt pad, a Storm or Hogue pistol grip (I actually ended up with an MOE because I like them!), KAC style RIS with

full-length RIS covers, an ACOG sight with Wing Mount to accommodate a micro red-dot on top of the ACOG, foregrip, suitable flash-hider, and a “Surefire” style suppressor was all very straightforward. After that it was simply a case of giving it a good paintjob and letting that wear over time! Both the L85 and the L119A1 CQB chrono at a perfectly acceptable mean of 1.0 Joule/330fps and with targets out at 30 metres I’m able to get reasonable groupings on semi-auto - and have fun when I switch the selectors up to full. The thing for me that REALLY gives the G&P base AEG the edge on the “119” 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. The L85, whilst rather more workmanlike, is also a great shooter and I particularly like the “spring release” function on the selector at the end of the day. I’ve used both of these AEGs extensively over the course of their “service life” to date and in fact it’s high time the ICS had a new tappet plate. Other than that, care and regular maintenance keep both AEGs chugging along nicely and I’m still happy to roll out with either and continue to “fly the flag”. When it comes to the “Versus” this month it’s about the mindset and loadout and for once, not the AEG! AA

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last post ARE AEGS FIT FOR PURPOSE?

ARE AEGS FIT FOR PURPOSE? FOLLOWING FRENCHIE’S EVER-SO-SLIGHTLY CONTROVERSIAL COLUMN IN THE LAST ISSUE AND IN RESPONSE TO SOME COMMENTS MADE BY OTHERS IN THE AA TEAM, IN THIS ISSUE HE TURNS HIS SIGHTS ON GBBR’S CLOSEST COUSINS… AEGS.

ast month I took a reasonably swingeing look at Gas BlowBack Rifles (GBBR) and suggested, well, declared, that they really weren’t fit for purpose as sold. This view met with the approval of some of the AA regular contributors, but one of them suggested that this was true of AEGs (automatic electric guns) as well. Does he have a point? Let’s consider the evidence. At the risk of being repetitive, the fundamental design of AEGs hasn’t changed since Marui unleashed the Famas F1 to the world. The basics were all there; electric gearbox, replaceable battery, adjustable hop up. Since then, there haven’t been any truly innovative

bit of rubber into the chamber to retard the top of the BB and cause backspin. Details vary, but the basics do not. So are AEGs not fit for a consumer market? In the UK, thanks to various bits of legislation, airsoft is a niche market and airsoft guns are really only sold to that niche market. You might argue that they aren’t true consumer products, capable of sale to anyone with a reasonable expectation that the buyer will be able to get them to work. I would disagree. Large parts of the world are not subject to our restrictions and sale of airsoft guns is more liberal. Further I would argue that even going back to the early days of Marui and their copyists, the guns were basically

in the documentation – even though it was written in Japanese, the diagrams were clear enough. So I disagree, I don’t think the AEG ever faced the same issues as GBBRs in terms of out-of-the-box issues. If you accept my assertion regarding the basic features of AEGs, I am more than willing to agree that we have seen many improvements in detail. Metal receivers are now commonplace where once they were an expensive luxury. The overall quality of components has, in general, improved although Marui gearboxes are still a pleasure to work on. Hop units are much more effective than those found in early guns, but the basics are the same. Even flat-hop conversions simply increase

“YOU CAN REASONABLY GO TO ANY DECENT RETAILER ON A SATURDAY, BUY AN AEG AND ACCESSORIES, CHARGE YOUR BATTERIES OVERNIGHT, VISIT A SITE THE NEXT DAY AND SET YOUR HOP AND EXPECT TO BE COMPETITIVE AND BE CONFIDENT THAT YOUR GUN WILL STILL BE WORKING AS WELL AT THE END OF THE DAY AS IT WAS AT THE START.” improvements. That doesn’t mean things haven’t improved, they have, considerably, but the basics are still the basics. If a Famas struggles to compete with more modern AEGs these days, that’s an issue with age and the design of the gearbox and hop and while it’s a poor example, both of these issues can be addressed. The electrical circuits and wiring are still much as they were, and frankly some modern examples are not as good as the work Marui did back in the day. Trigger switching hasn’t changed much as the design pioneered by Marui has the advantages of being effective and cheap. It is by no means the best possible system, but it works well enough. Barrels? They are still metal tubes, brass, aluminium or steel. Hop units? The basics still apply – force a 76

JANUARY 2020

sound and straightforward to use. The fact that there a number of considerations to be taken account of in order to get the best out of an AEG does not, in my opinion, change the overwhelmingly acceptable nature of the product itself. Marui always told its customers to use high quality ammunition, ideally theirs. Information about getting the best from batteries; NiCd, NiMh and LiPo is, and was, widely available and is equally applicable to any pastime that relied on reusable batteries – the remote control car scene for instance – from whence much of the underlying technology for the AEG came. I’m going to leave safety and legal use to one side as I don’t consider that a core feature of the gun itself. The proper use of hop up was explained

the area used to slow the top of the BB, thereby increasing backspin. The biggest change since Marui ruled the roost is cost – your hard-earned cash goes much, much further today. The emergence of companies such as G&G, Krytac and Dytac (to pick three at random) has shown that you can buy a perfectly game-capable gun for under £150 and in the case of Krytac, your £300-£400 will buy you and absolute beast of a gun. Remember, Marui guns used to cost that for a plastic gun with a low capacity magazine and nothing else. We are finally seeing the emergence of decent electronic fire control systems, although few manufacturers include them as standard. Motors are better, or more accurately, better motors are available at decent prices; the same being true of

LAST POST ARE AEGS FIT FOR PURPOSE?

upgraded components. Their existence however is an addendum: the guns are uniformly good value, well-built and reliable. They are, in short, fit for purpose. You can reasonably go to any decent retailer on a Saturday, buy an AEG and accessories, charge your batteries overnight, visit a site the next day and set your hop and expect to be competitive and be confident that your gun will still be working as well at the end of the day as it was at the start. One of my other distractions from life is playing bass, guitar, anything with strings frankly. Although

no one would reasonably argue that a Fender Stratocaster is anything other than a consumer product, like an airsoft gun I would still expect to do a bit of setup to get it how I like it. That doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with it or that it isn’t fit for purpose. The problems that afflict GBBRs simply don’t apply to AEGs. I’m not claiming they’re perfect – I wouldn’t have spent so many years fixing them if they were – but unlike gas rifles they don’t contain the seeds of their own destruction in the same way. Yes, components may fail or

wear out, AEGs are electro-mechanical devices and this should be expected, but they tend not to batter themselves to bits or wear out crucial components in anything like the timescale that GBBRs do. Moreover, and more importantly, they are by and large, good to go out of the box and it was the failure of GBBRs to meet this simple criteria that was my beef with them last month. Yes, you can upgrade AEGs if you wish, but these days you don’t have to in order to get them to perform well. The fact that this decision is a choice, rather than an imposed necessity is for me the biggest difference between the two systems. It is why one is far more popular than the other and why that is likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future. Are AEGs fit for purpose? Yes, there are both now and back when the Famas was first released. AA

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SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

SYMBOL KEY

IS IT WOODLAND OR URBAN? CHECK THE KEY! UKARA MEMBER

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WOODLAND

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URBAN

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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 ALTON

BARNSLEY AIRSOFT

Hill Farm Road, East Tisted, Nr. Alton,

Tel: 07779 236166

Hampshire.

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.absolute-airsoft.co.uk

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES Tong Wood, Newport Road Wolverhampton TF11 8PN

Stoulton, WR7 4QW Tel: 07764 587410 www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk

Tel: 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk

ACE COMBAT Kent, TN12 7DG Tel: 01303 814803 www.acecombat.co.uk

AIRBORNE 101 AIRSOFT CLUB

AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQB Studley, B80 7LY Tel: 07764 587410

robinsonm24@btinternet.com

AIRSOFT ASYLUM North Lanarksire, ML7 5 www.airsoftasylum.webs.com

JANUARY 2020

Tel: 07592 564614 Email: ambushadventures@yahoo.com Web: www.ambushadventures.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/6179156767

APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7QP Tel: 07872 348 576 www.apocalypseairsoft.com

BATTLETEC AIRSOFT La Couture, Guernsey, GY1 2 Tel: 07781 104068 www.battletec.co.uk

BLACKDAGGER AIRSOFT Grasscroft Wood, Barlow Lees Lane, Dronfield, S18 7UR www.blackdagger-airsoft.co.uk

www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk

ARENA AIRSOFT ALL ARMS AIRSOFT

Grimsby, DN31 3JD

Near Trawden, BB8 8SN Tel: 07909 683464

www.arenaairsoft.com

Tel: 07752 404060

www.allarmsairsoft.co.uk

Downpatrick, Co. Down, BT30 Tel: 07718 032541

Shafton, Barnsley, S72 8RE

ALPHA 55

Northern Ireland, BT39 9PH Tel: 028 9303 7030 or 07729219341 www.borderlinecombat.com

Sawbridgeworth, Herts, CM23 4BJ Tel: 07732 184957

www.alpha55.co.uk

www.awaherts.com

Le Mont de Rozel, Jersey, JE3 5 Tel: 01534 733697 www.aegairsoft.je

51 Green Road, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim

AWA HERTS

Halkyn Wood, North Wales CH8 8DF

ALPHA ELITE GAMING

BORDERLINE AIRSOFT

BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT Leisure Lakes, Mere Brow, Southport PR46JX Tel: 07790 715059 www.bravo22airsoft.com

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BRISTOL AIRSOFT Bristol, BS1 2HQ Tel: 07776 288826 www.bristolairsoft.com

BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT Sheffield, S2 5TR Tel: 07795 631331

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE WORKS (URBAN)

COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND

DRAGON’S LAIR

Fareham, PO17 5ND

Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0LA

Off Badger Lane, Hipperholme, Halifax,

Tel: 02392 655636

Tel: 07703 530189

West Yorkshire HX3 8PL

www.combatsouth.co.uk

www.dragonslairairsoft.co.uk

CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL

DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT

Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 5

Caerwent Training Area,

Tel: 01438 368177

South Wales, NP26 5XL

www.thefightschool.demon.co.uk

Tel: 07921 336360

Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

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

CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT

www.dragonvalley.co.uk

Brimington, Chesterfield S43 1DQ www.cia-airsoft.co.uk

COOL UNDER FIRE Doddington, Kent, ME9 0JS

D.T.W AIRSOFT

CLOSE ACTION AIRSOFT

Tel: 07960 532613

Colchester, Essex CO1 2ZF

Corby, NN17 3BB

www.coolunderfire.co.uk

Tel: 01206 790046

Tel: 07740 165787 www.close-action.co.uk

www.dtwairsoft.co.uk

CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT Truro, Cornwall, TR2 4HF.

C3 TACTICAL Longhope, Gloucestershire, GL17 0PH Tel: 07597 938011 www.c3tactical.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE COMPLEX Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4RP Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE OUTPOST (WOODLAND) HPC, York Road, Flaxby, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG5 0XJ Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE SANDPIT (DESERT) Bolton Wood Quarry, Bolton Hall Road Bradford, West Yorkshire BD2 1BQ Tel: 07891 469492

COMBAT ACTION GAMES Combat Street, Felthorpe, Norwich,

Tel: 0773 153 1113 www.cornwallseliteairsoft.com

Norfolk, NR10 4DR. Tel: 07748 023832 www.facebook.com/combatactiongames

Just off the A11 outside Thetford Norfolk

www.combatairsoftgames.co.uk

Bourton Woods, On the B4479, Blockley www.cotswoldairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07724629140

CUMBRIA AIRSOFT Dumfries, DG12 cumbria.airsoft@virgin.net

CONTACT FRONT

www.cumbria-airsoft.com

Wattons Lane, Matchams, Bournemouth BH24, 2dg Tel: 0845 116 2830 info@contactfront.co.uk

DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT

Tel: 01332 493258 Email: info@combatreadyairsoft.co.uk www.combatreadyairsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS AIRSOFT – RIVOCK EDGE Keighley, BD20 0LS Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

CERBERUS SHEFFIELD Sheffield, S6 6JE Tel: 07891 469492

Middle Wildpark Farm, Wildpark Lane, Brailsford, Ashbourne DE6 3BN Tel: 01332 493258 Email: info@combatreadyairsoft.co.uk

www.combatsouth.co.uk

www.elitebattlezone.co.uk

EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 0AN Tel: 01380 728982 www.experienceairsoft.co.uk

Lewisham, SE13 5SU Tel: 07973 240177 www.firefight.co.uk

DELTA TEAM 3 Skelmersdale, Lancs WN8 8UT Tel: 07986 053076 www.deltateam3.co.uk

DOGS OF WAR Houston, Renfrewshire PA6 7BP Tel: 07853 195290 www.dow-airsoft.co.uk

DOG TAG AIRSOFT Portsmouth PO6 3LS Tel: 02392 655636

Tel: 07968 448475

Tel: 07455 906132

www.combatreadyairsoft.co.uk

COMBAT SOUTH URBAN

Bexley, Greater London, DA5 1NX

FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS

www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

COMBAT READY OUTDOOR

ELITE BATTLEZONE

Ellough, Norfolk

Ellough Lark Raceway, Benacre Road,

COMBAT READY CQB 38 Full Street, Derby DE1 3AF

Tel: 01455 285605

COTSWOLD AIRSOFT

follow signs for Combat Paintball Tel: 07703 045849

Unit 8, Winston Ave, Croft, Leic. LE9 3GQ www.thedepartmentcqb.co.uk

Near Bourton-on-the-hill

COMBAT AIRSOFT

DEPARTMENT CQB AIRSOFT

FIFE WARGAMES St Andrews, KY10 3XL info@fifewargames.co.uk www.fifewargames.com

FINMERE AIRSOFT Buckingham, MK18 4JT Tel: 07976 184897 www.finmereairsoft.com

Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4SE

FIREBALL SQUADRON

TEL 01293 852 314

Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA

www.holmbushpaintball.co.uk/airsoft

Tel: 07582 684533 www.fireballsquadron.com

www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk

www.airsoft-action.online

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

FIRST & ONLY:

ANZIO CAMP

THE ARMOURY – WREXHAM

Blackshaw Moor, Nr Leek,

Oak Road, Wrexham, Denbighshire LL13 9RG Tel: 0161 727 8863

Staffordshire ST13 8TL Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY: FIRST & ONLY: CROSSFIRE WOODS – PRESTON Moss Lane East, Preston PR4 3SP 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY:

THE BASE CQC – YATESBURY 1 Jugglers Ln, Yatesbury, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 8YA Tel: 0161 727 8863

GROUND ZERO WOODLAND Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 2DF www.groundzerowoodland.com

STEALTH WOODS – OTLEY Stealth Woods, Dob Park, Norwood Bottom Road, Otley LS21 2NA Tel: 0161 727 8863

FREE FIRE ZONE Farcet, Peterborough, PE7 3DH Tel: 01733 247171 www.freefirezone.co.uk

THE MILL CQB – WIGAN

FRV AIRSOFT

Unit S2 Mill 1, Swan Meadow Industrial Tel: 0161 727 8863

Annacloy, Downpatrick, BT30 8JJ Tel: 07730 586926 www.frvairsoft.com

FIRST & ONLY:

FULL METAL AIRSOFT

THE OUTPOST – KIDDERMINSTER Drakelow Tunnels, Kingsford Country Park, Near Kinver, Kidderminster DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY: SHELL SHOCK WOODS – BRIDGNORTH Uplands Coppice, Off B4363, Bridgnorth,

Cilyrychen Quarry, Llandybie, Ammanford, Camarthenshire, SA18 3JG Tel: 01269 850404 www.fullmetalairsoft.co.uk

GASS AIRSOFT – PENN Penn Bottom, Bucks, HP10 Tel: 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk

Shropshire WV16 5LS Tel: 0161 727 8863

FIRST & ONLY:

Gorebridge, Midlothian, EH23 4LG

Tel: 07772 919974

Tel: 0131 654 2452

www.greenzonecombat.com

www.airsoftedinburgh.co.uk

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – TUDDENHAM

LAC AT COMBAT ZONE

Cavenham Road, Tuddenham, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6DF Tel: 07711 774461 (Doug) or 07711 774401 (Josh) www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk/gunmanairsoft-tuddenham/

www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk

GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS The Grange, Frogmore Grange, Balsall Common, Coventry CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532 384

GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON Piddington, Oxfordshire, OX25 1 Tel: 07907 788970/ www.gassairsoft.co.uk

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/

HILTON PARK AIRSOFT Wolverhampton, WV10 7HU Tel: 08000 354490/ www.paintballuk.com

HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT

Bull Ring Farm Rd, Leamington Spa CV33 9HJ Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com

GRANGE LIVE GAMING Bravo One Birmingham, 93–99 Holloway Head, B1 1QP

HUMBER AIRSOFT

Tel: 07792 680297

INVICTA BATTLEFIELD Kent TN12 0HP www.invictabattlefield.co.uk

ISLAND RECON Near Shorwell, Isle of Wight, PO30 Tel: 07964 751047 www.islandrecon.co.uk

JANUARY 2020

Haigh Park Road, Stourton, Leeds LS10 1RX Tel: 0113 277 7707 / 07968 258952

LINDSEY AIRSOFT Tel: 07955 487983 www.lindsey-airsoft.co.uk

MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5FW Tel: 07974 507166 www.matlockcombatgames.com

MAYHEM AIRSOFT Upper Harbledown, Nr. Canterbury, Kent CT2 9AX Email: mayhemairsoft@hotmail.com www.mayhemsoutheast.com

Abbey Cwm-hir, Midwales, LD1 6PG Tel: 01686 627594 www.facebook.com/Midwales-airsoft

MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES Wrightington, WN6 9PL Tel: 01942 514724 www.militaryoutdooradventure.co.uk

Tel: 01622 831788 / 07876 263290

Tel: 0121 643 2477 info@grangelivegaming.com

LEEDS AIRSOFT: THE FOUNDRY CQB

MIDWALES AIRSOFT

Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst,

THE JUNGLE – HARBURY

Belfast BT170AE / Tel: 07733128484

facebook.com/HomelandTacticalAirsoft

www.humberairsoft.co.uk

www.gingerliberationfront.com

17G Stationview, Dunmurry,

Tel: 07802 837440/07949 486510

Leicester, LE9 9FP

FIRST & ONLY:

LAGAN AIRSOFT CLUB

Manby, Lincolnshire, LN11 8HE

North Lincolnshire, DN21

GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT

Saxillby, LN1 2JW Tel: 07775 877057

info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk

Spanby, Lincs, NG34 0AT/ Tel: 07971 560249

STEALTH WOODS – OTLEY Stealth Woods, Dob Park, Norwood Bottom Road, Otley LS21 2NA Tel: 0161 727 8863

LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT

Co. Armagh, BT60 1NE

www.giairsoft.co.uk/Skirmish-days

FIRST & ONLY:

Estate, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan

GREENZONE COMBAT

MILSIM UK Checkley, Staffordshire, ST10 4NS Tel: 07523 916607 www.milsimuk.co.uk

SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

NCIS AIRSOFT Edinburgh, EH14 4 nick@ncis-airsoft.co.uk www.ncis-airsoft.co.uk

PATHFINDER GROUP AIRSOFT MILITARY SIMULATION

www.specopsairsoft.co.uk

Former RAF Camp Sopley/Merryfield Park,

RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM)

Hants, BH23/ Tel: 02380 899369

Cambridge, CB24 8RL Tel: 07751 586781 / www.riftairsoft.com

NOMAD AIRSOFT Fenwick, Ayrshire, KA3 6AY Tel: 07904 998250 www.nomadairsoft.com

PHOENIX AIRSOFT Welbeck Airsoft, Academy, Budby Road, Notts NG20 9JX Tel: 07956 587213 / 01623 812483

Unit 4, King Street, Gatehead, NE8 2YP info@nolimitspaintballandlaser.co.uk Tel: 07464 482410/ 0191 441 4574

Shotts, North Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB Tel: 07974 026517

www.s8airsoft.com

SENTINEL AIRSOFT Dunstable, LU6 2EE

PLATOON 1HQ Rochester, Kent, ME1 1 HQ Tel: 01634 829063/ www.ptt-1hq.co.uk

NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 3LQ Tel: 01845 565465 www.northernallianceairsoft.co.uk

PLAYERS OF WAR High Bonnybridge, FK1 3AD Tel: 07767 203979/ www.playersofwar.co.uk

NORTHFLEET CQB

PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES

Northfleet, Kent, DA11 9AA Tel: 07968 448475 www.elitebattlezone.co.uk

Ballynahinch, BT24 8NF Tel: 02897565651 / 07825169631

NPF AIRSOFT, NPF BASSETTS POLE

RAVENSHEAD AIRSOFT

Trickley Coppice, London Road, Bassetts Pole, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA Tel: 0121 323 1000 info@npfairsoft.com www.facebook.com/npfairsoft

www.predatorcombat.com

Tel: 07967 940043 www.facebook.com/Ravenshead-Airsoft

SUSSEX AIRSOFT Slinfold, RH12 Tel: 020 8150 9284 www.sussexairsoft.co.uk

SG1 COMBAT GAMES Co. Londonderry, BT45 8NA Tel: 07713 273102 www.sg1combatgames.co.uk

SHROPSHIRE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES Holbrook Coppice, Buidwas Bank (A4169),

SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY

SKIRMISH EXETER

RAW WAR AIRSOFT CUMBRIA Tel: 01900 85645

Durham, DL4 2ER

TA EVENTS Hemel Hemstead, Herts, HP2 7QB Tel: 07894 059794 /www.ta-events.co.uk

TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT 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

Exeter, Devon, EX4 5/ Tel: 01548 580025 www.airsoftexeter.co.uk

www.airsoftcumbria.co.uk

Tel: 01642 281220 www.ntac.co.uk

OBAN AIRSOFT – ILL ARGYLL

RED1AIRSOFT

Argyll and Bute, PA37 1

Chislehurst, Bromley BR7 6SD

Tel: 07967 710185

Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069

www.argyllsurplus.com

www.red1airsoft.co.uk

TAZ AIRSOFT Farr, Inverness IV2 6XB Tel: 07848 448408

Wigton, Cumbria CA7 3SZ

NTAC

Boathouse lane, South Wirral, Cheshire, CH64 3TB www.swatairsoft.eu Tel: 07703 177756

Billericay, Essex, CM11 2TX www.airsoft-billericay.co.uk

www.ravensairsoft.co.uk

Hetton, Sunderland, DH5 0 Tel: 07983 333521 / www.nscairsoft.co.uk

S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT

Buildwas, Telford, Shropshire, TF8

Suffolk, IP8 4 / Tel: 01473 831563

NSC AIRSOFT

Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4LD Tel: 07515 937633 www.stormforcepaintball.co.uk

www.sentinalairsoft.co.uk

Tel: 01277 657777

RAVEN’S NEST

STORMFORCE AIRSOFT

Tel: 07535 896683

Tel: 07786 192832 / www.aceairsoft.co.uk Ravenshead, Notts, NG15 9DH

Coventry, CV3 6NX Tel: 07831 429407 www.stirlingairsoft.com

SECTION 8 AIRSOFT

www.phoenix-airsoft.co.uk

NO LIMITS AIRSOFT

STIRLING AIRSOFT

SOUTH COAST CQB Browndown Road, Lee-On-Solent

TECH BRIGADE

PO13 9UG Tel: 07533 434203

Newgate Street, Hertfordshire. SG13 8NH Tel: 07841 713356 www.techbrigade.org

SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0LR Tel: 07766 770830 www.southdownairsoft.com

TASK FORCE SKIRMISH Cowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF71

OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT Tel: 07964 990831

www.op-tac.co.uk

Red1 CQB. Kings Langley, WD4 8RN Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk

OVER THE TOP AIRSOFT CLUB Anglesey, LL71 8VW www.ottairsoft. github.io / Tel: 07895 478634

Tel: 02920 593900

RED1AIRSOFT CQB

RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3 Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ Tel: 07751 586781

www.riftairsoft.com

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH Wareham, Dorset, BH20 7EU Tel: 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk

www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk

THE BUNKER Aberystwyth www.aberairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07841 462806

SPEC OPS AIRSOFT– THE ROCK Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EG Tel: 07984 656947

www.airsoft-action.online

SITE DIRECTORY

Email nige@airsoft-action.co.uk to add or change a site listing

FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…

THE DEPOT

www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

Glasgow, G45 9SB Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.thedepotglasgow.com

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD

THE EX SITE

Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH

Mold, CH7 4 Tel: 07840 001975

www.ultimatewargames.co.uk

www.ebsc.co.uk

YORKSHIRE TACTICAL AIRSOFT - THE PIT Engine Lane, Shafton, Barnsley S72 8RE

HALO MILL

01226 414004 To Book

The Penthouse,

www.theexsitewales.co.uk

Colne Valley Business Park,

URBAN ASSAULT THE WARGAMES CENTRE Lundholm Road, Stevenston, Ayrshire, KA20 3LN

Tel: 01733 247171 www.urbanassault.org.uk

Bawtry Forest Great North Road

VIKING AIRSOFT Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0UN

THUNDER PARK AIRSOFT

www.thunderpark.co.uk Food & drinks available on site

TORRENT WARFARE Co Tyrone, BT71 4DY Tel: 07922 377131 Facebook: search ‘Torrent Warfare’

WARMINSTER AIRSOFT Warminster, BA12 7RZ www.warminsterairsoft.co.uk

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT F O B (Woodland), Hollington Road, Upper Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT On site parking, HPA Top ups, covered safe zone, male & female toilets, hot lunch

TROJAN AIRSOFT

included, free tea and coffee available all

Macclesfield, SK10 4SZ

day. Site memberships.

Tel: 07428 024874

Tel: Paul – 07861427553

www.trojan-airsoft.com

Bawtry, Doncaster, DN10 6DG 01226 414004 To Book

www.vikingairsoft.co.uk

Luxulyan, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL305FA Tel: 01726 858613 or 07590 030887

Manchester Road, Linthwaite,

YORKSHIRE TACTICAL AIRSOFT - THE PINES

Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, PE26 1

www.thewargamescentre.com wargamescentre@gmail.com

Email: paul@wmairsoft.co.uk

Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP Tel: 07428 024874

WEST MIDLANDS AIRSOFT High Command (CQB), Doulton Trading Estate, Doulton Road, Rowley Regis B65 8JQ

www.trojan-airsoft.com

Tel: Paul – 07861427553 Email: paul@wmairsoft.co.uk www.wmairsoft.co.uk

UCAP AIRSOFT Portsmouth, Hants, PO17 6AR Tel: 07590 818881

www.ucap.co.uk

WORTHING AIRSOFT Arundel Road, Worthing

UCAP GREEN OPS Linch, West Sussex, GU30 7

Tel: 07877 210898 www.worthingairsoft.co.uk

Tel: 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk

ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY Tel: 01268 796130

JANUARY 2020

YORKSHIRE TACTICAL AIRSOFT - THE MANOR Church Lane Sheffield S75 3DQ 01226 414004 To Book

Huddersfield HD7 5QG Tel: 01484 840554 www.halomill.com

XSITE PRACTICAL SHOOTING Fryers Farm Lane,

PRACTICAL SHOOTING DIRECTORY

High Wycombe, Bucks HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430

GRANGE PS

SOUTH WEST PRACTICAL SHOOTERS (SWPS)

Bravo One, 93-99 Holloway Head,

Action Air IPSC Club

Birmingham, B1 1QP Tel: 0121 643 2477 http://www.grangelivegaming.com

Based at The Tunnel Target Sports Centre near Charmouth

Facebook: GPS

The Tunnel,

info@grangelivegaming.co.uk. Range

Axminster Road,

open for booking Wed-Sun. Club nights

Charmouth,

every Thursday, 6.30-10.30.

Dorset DT6 6BY

www.wmairsoft.co.uk

TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB

ebpracticalpistol@gmail.com

Contact: SWPSClub@Outlook.com

WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB WatfordPPC@gmail.com

TYPHOON SHOOTING ACADEMY

DOUBLE TAP PSC

Mondays in Braintree, Essex.

StrikeForce CQB, Morelands Trading Estate, Bristol Road, Gloucester GL1 5RZ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Double-Tap-Practical-Shooting-Club979585958732937

Details on our Facebook page:

FPS ACTION AIR IPSC 24 Scarrots lane Newport Isle of Wight PO30 2JD 07964 751047 Open five nights a week 7pm-10pm Info@islandrecon.co.uk www.4dsportsclubs.co.uk Facebook:@fpsiow

https://www.facebook.com/ groups/290646868310496

TYPHOON AIRSOFT TARGET SHOOTING CLUB Fridays in Sible Hedingham, Essex. Details on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TyphonCQB Both clubs offer Action Air, 2 & 3 Gun, IPAS and Dynamic Action Sport. Contact via FB or 07939 557029.

EAST BARNET SC MOD-approved gun club PP, IDPA, IPAS, IPSC, 3GUN UKPSA Coaches UKPSA-qualified Range Officers Equipment hire available

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