THE CAGE: 2021 WISHLIST

AS WE HEAD ON TOWARDS THE SEASON OF FESTIVE CHEER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ARE

GOING UP AT AA HQ, AND WE’LL BE HANGING OUR STOCKINGS HOPING FOR SOME AIRSOFT GOODNESS TO ARRIVE FROM “TACTICAL SANTA”! THIS MONTH IN THE CAGE WE THOUGHT WE’D HAVE A LITTLE FUN, SO BILL GOT TOGETHER WITH THE LEGION AS USUAL TO ASK THEM WHAT WAS ON THEIR LETTER TO THE NORTH POLE!

2021 has been another strange old year right enough, hasn’t it? Although games are most well and truly back as a fixture on all our calendars, the fact is that for many of us the sense and reality of isolation has been a fact in our daily lives, and for some, like me, more than others. After several years of facing up to “The Big C” (and thankfully coming out the other side!), I find that recent events have been somewhat lesser for me, as I’ve already had to spend a lot of “downtime” on my own.

After major surgeries my 2017 and 2018 basically disappeared during my recovery, followed pretty swiftly by a worldwide pandemic lockdown, but there was one thing that kept me going at full speed, and that was the love and support given unconditionally by my family, friends, the Airsoft Action Legion, and you guys in the global airsoft community! Don’t even get me started on the “black humour” though, or the “Kidney Cake” that arrived after my “Big Op”, that’s a story for another day!

Sadly being in and out of hospital more than I have to this point admitted meant that before and during the pandemic I missed my airsoft fix very badly, and I had to spend time on my own… a lot of time. As I’ve said many times before though I am lucky in that I have some private woodland where I test new AEGs and GBBs each and every month, and it’s there that I can sling BBs to my heart’s content.

This has also kept me at least a little sane, and having now been able to get back out to a couple of games I’m beginning to see light on my personal airsoft horizon again, and with a whole new year beckoning I’m beginning again to pick ticks against games and events, and smiling as I do so!

Everyone has been massively supportive, and I hope that the work we’ve done in 2021 has proved that Airsoft Action is raring to head into 2022! There are new RIFs to be evaluated, old ones to reflect back on, gear to be tested, events to attend, and games to be played, and we’re very much looking forward to reporting on all of it. There are also plans in house to further extend our regular online coverage, but again, that’s a story for another day…

But let’s get to it, shall we? What do the members of the AA Legion really, really want for Christmas? I know there’s a couple of bits I would love to see wrapped under the tree, but after many moons playing and building my armoury my needs are modest! For me the best pressie has already arrived in the shape of a new RAVEN PRO 3.8 Hi Capa which I already adore, but it would be to have a nice wood kit to really finish off my A&K PKM, a DB K55A grenade launcher for my Specna AK-74, some more VFC gas V-MAGs for my SR16 and MCMR, mags again in the form of some Ares 120BB short midcaps for

my PAMG AR AEG, and some more

VORSK gas… lots of gas, and especially the V12!

Okay, perhaps not so “modest” after all!

FESTIVE TEAM TALK!

Of course, that’s just me, so as usual I got together with the members of the AA Legion and asked them “What would you like to find Santa has left you for airsoft underneath your Christmas Tree??? Is it a new AEG or GBB, some gucci tacticool gear, or simply and bag of BBs? Or are we all just wishing for World Peace like Gracie?” and this is what they told me!

Chris: “I’ve got a scout scope on my wish list, and a spare USP mag. I would love Santa to bring me some Gucci camo though, like Phantomleaf!”

Miguel: “I would love to see a full VIPER Tactical M81 Uniform (combat and ACU cut) and a M16A3 EDGE 2.0 from Specna Arms.”

Jimmy: “All I want for Christmas is you! Seasonal lovin’ aside, I would love a complete authentic CTSFO loadout, the full works, the complete G&G 2021 catalogue, a Marui 416 Delta, I would love a Clarence Lai fully custom oneoff competition pistol, some GPNVG18, a lifetime supply of quality BBs, bring back the Chuckle Brothers, a big jar of pickled eggs and a partridge in a gun tree… See, not so much!”

Boycie: “In all honesty I

would love to see an end to snobbery within airsoft. One part of the sport (yes I call it a sport) thinking they are better than another part. How many times do we see an uber l337 operator shot by a new player/ rental with a knackered old AEG? That said I would love a SIG AIR MPX and and Umarex Glock just for me, and I’d really like some M17 mags.”

Stewbacca: “Aside from the VFC FAL/SLR/LAR GBBR, the P90 GBBR, CZ USWA1 and perhaps some things the AW boys are cooking up... I think I have everything. The PSG-1 was a righteous find that rounds off my massive #BagOfKochs nicely!”

Bill W-R: “Oh where do I start! Bariatric surgery. New teeth. Some new knees. To go back to when I was 16 knowing what I know now! Realistically though, a Chiappa Rhino, Custom Clarence Lai 416, a good, reliable Breacher, some NVG, a decentlysized Chest Rig… and a van to carry all my gear in…. possibly a Challenger 2 MBT…”

Robbie: “Tickets to the UK to visit my mates and game there.”

Stu: “A WA 1911 single stacker - either PGC or SD kit!”

Dan: “In no particular order... For LCT to make me an MP5K with the Navy style grip and Choate folder, a proper steel FAL AEG, a SIG AIR MPX, and a consistent supply of inventory would be nice too so I can get on with all those tech jobs in the New Year...”

Steve T: “How greedy can I be? I’ll take a GHK G17 without a second thought, thanks! And then a VFC BCM because I still haven’t found an M4/AR platform I can really love. But that said, I do fancy an ICS Hera CQR. But at the end of the day, I’ll ask for a Silverback MDR-X please and thank you, whether that’s this Xmas, 2022, or beyond!”

Jon: “There really isn’t anything that I “need” at all but if I were granted a free ride, I’d ask for a Direct Action Spitfire MK11 Plate Carrier with Plates, Direct Action Spitfire MK11 Utility Back Panel, Direct Action Spitfire MK11 Under Pouch, Direct Action Spitfire MK11 Rapid Access Cummerbund, Direct Action Spitfire MK11 Slick Carbine Mag Flap & Skeletonized Triple Flap, Direct Action Warhawk Modular Belt, Direct Action Med, Dump, Pistol and 55.6 Pouches… all in Adaptive Green! A Kydex Customs G17 Holster in Green wrap, a full UF-Pro All Season BDU System in GZ, MTP, Adaptive and Grey, that’s the full 7 Tier system. Oh, and some boots, everyone loves new boots. That’s about it airsoftwise, no biggie!”

Jonathan: “A Rhodesian painted GBBR FN FAL please!!! I’ve a set of Rhodie furniture to put on to it when I get one…”

So, that’s a wrap-up for the 2021 wish-lists, and as the big days approaches we’ll be shutting down AAHQ for a few days between Christmas and New Year (that turkey don’t eat itself you know!), but rest assured we’ll be back and firing on all cylinders for Issue 134 in January! It’s an exciting time for many, many reasons, and from all of us at Airsoft Action we wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the very best for 2022… I look forward to seeing you out there! AA