Issue 43 - Xmas 2014 by Airsoft Action

THE Airsoft Magazine

PUTTING THE ACTION INTO AIRSOFT SINCE 2011!

WEAPONNIVESRSARY MOD0 G&G 30TH AN TEC PLR16 L E K R A E G M O C O S TIPPMANN M4

N O I T I T E P M O C A A WORTH £260! WIN A MUVI K2

E D I U G T F I G S A XM I WANT LL SIX PAGES OF “A FOR XMAS…”

SITES

TOWERS OFT, F&O - THE S IR A S D N A L D A B FT IRONSIGHT AIRSO , FT O S IR A E IN L ADRENA

INTERN-ASPTAIINONAL

INTERVIEW

BRITISH INFANTRY KENYA 1950S

BOB PODESTA XMAS Q&A

LEWIS STEINER TRUNK MONKEY

WW1: XMAS IN THE TRENCHES l DEBATE: CHAIRSOFTERS l LOADED OR UNLOADED?

XMAS 2014 - £4.50

A SQUADRON

9 772047 348032

COLD WAR WARRIOR

IRON MAN V CUADOR BLACK ACES - E

12 - G&G 30TH ANNIVERSARY

THE Airsoft Magazine

PUTTING THE ACTION INTO AIRSOFT SINCE 2011!

WEAPONIVERSSARY MOD0 G&G 30TH ANN EC PLR16 SOCOMGEAR KELT TIPPMANN M4

ON AA COMPWORETTH ITI £260! WIN A MUVI K2

T GUIDE XMAS GIF “ALL I WANT SIX PAGES OF FOR XMAS…”

SITES

MOD-0

RS FT, F&O - THE TOWE BADLANDS AIRSO FT FT, IRONSIGHT AIRSO ADRENALINE AIRSO

TIONAL INTERNA - SPAIN

INTERVIEW

BOB PODESTA XMAS Q&A

LEWIS STEINER TRUNK MONKEY

A SQUADRON

BRITISH INFANTRY KENYA 1950S

WW1: XMAS IN THE TRENCHES l DEBATE: CHAIRSOFTERS l LOADED OR UNLOADED?

9 772047 348032

COLD WAR WARRIOR

Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant editor: Gareth “Gadge” Harvey Graphic design: Havoc Design Ad design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter

XMAS 2014 - £4.50

IRON MAN V DOR BLACK ACES - ECUA

Ironsight

Cover Photograph: Spectre Airsoft Media

UK 12 - issue subscription rate: £43 UK 6 - issue subscription rate: £24 For overseas prices visit: www.airsoft-action.co.uk

Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL Tel: 01684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.co.uk ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2014 Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800 Copyright © Calibre Publishing Limited 2014. 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.

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Letter, idea or question? Got something to say? A question for our experts? An article or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the editor (nige@airsoft-action.co.uk), write to us at the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.

december 2014

By the time you read this, Remembrance Sunday 2014 will have been and gone and for many, the poppies they wore for just a short time will have already been consigned to the rubbish bin - until next year when their conscience will prick them again and they drop another few coins in the Charity box, so they don’t feel too guilty as they pin the red symbol of remembrance to their coat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking anyone and, so far as I am concerned, it doesn’t matter why they give, that they do so is what counts. However I believe that there has been a very subtle shift in 2014 although, to be fair, it is a shift that started a few years back. This year there seems to be a far greater depth and appreciation of just what Remembrance Sunday is and moreover, what the poppy signiﬁes. Displays such as the 888,246 ceramic poppies at The Tower of London (which will also have gone by the time you read this) have truly brought it home to people just how big a sacriﬁce was made and (apart from a very small minority) the vast majority of the British public, no matter what colour, race, creed or religion, have come together to do just one thing… Remember and respect those that have fallen in the service of their country. Maybe it is a reaction to the hundreds of service personnel who lost their lives in Afghanistan, seeing on the News week after week the tears, sorrow and yes, even pride, as a returning soldier’s cortege passes ranks of lowered standards and grieving relatives. Maybe it is how a nation reacts to such abhorrent acts as the cowardly murder of Gunner Lee Rigby. Maybe it is all these things. In the USA anyone who serves in the military is considered to be a hero and someone who deserves respect - both in life as well as in death. It has often felt to me that here in the UK we have been almost “embarrassed” to value our military personnel and that by doing so we are condoning something not quite right, that somehow it’s “not the done thing”. Hopefully that is now changing. As airsofters, every time we gear up and get ready to play we are, in our own small way, paying our respects to those who serve and, as airsofters we should never forget that. As the poem says: “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.” Nige.

CONTENTS MARCH XMAS 2014

CONTENTS

AIRSOFT ACTION – XMAS 2014 6 AIRSOFT NEWS The latest developments in the world of airsoft. 7 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos taken by Airsoft Action readers. 12 ARMOURY: G&G 30TH ANNIVERSARY MOD0 Scott Allan checks out G&G’s 30th Anniversary Mod0 and its many Magpul-inspired features. 16 ARMOURY: SOCOM GEAR KEL-TEC PLR 16 Ratty gets his hands on the first PLR 16 to arrive at RedWolf UK - and finds out what he wants for Crimbo! 20 ARMOURY: TIPPMANN M4 CARBINE Having recently had his hands on a prototype Tippmann M4, when a pre-production unit arrived we asked Iggy Roberts to try it out in anger. 24 KIT AND KABOODLE FireBaseAlpha takes a quick look at some of the gear that’s caught his eye over the last few months. 26 SITE: BADLANDS AIRSOFT Les Lee heads off to Havant in Hampshire to check out this purpose-built airsoft site. 32 SITE: FIRST & ONLY AIRSOFT - THE TOWERS Gadge questions his sanity as he find himself on yet another Psyc Ward, all in the name of Airsoft Journalism, of course… 36 COLD WAR WARRIORS: BRITISH ARMY INFANTRYMAN – KENYA 1950S Gareth “Gadge” Harvey looks at a 1950s British Infantryman as he fights the Mau Mau in Kenya. 40 FEATURE: INJURED PLAYER Scott Allan has had his fair share of injuries and passes on some words of wisdom about how best to get yourself back to fighting fitness. 44 INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT: IRON MAN V SPAIN The Fifth edition of this epic Spanish event , organised by Marine Recon Asturias which year after year, attracts many of the best teams in the country. 48 A SQUADRON: ASK BOB - A CHRISTMAS Q&A WITH BOB PODESTA In a previous article Faith suggested that you send in any questions you’d like to ask Bob and your response was as expected… 53 LOADED OR UNLOADED: GREEN & MEAN Site operators and scenario gurus spend a lot of time putting games together, so the least we can do is make an effort to get our loadouts right! Jerry Noone shows how you can achieve this on a budget – or not! 59 KIT: MUVI ACTION CAMERA Iggy Roberts swaps his work camera for something slightly smaller, as he tries out a new action camera from VEHO. 63 INTERNATIONAL TEAM PROFILE: BLACK ACES - ECUADOR Meet a team from Ecuador who take their airsoft very seriously - but still know how to have fun!

64 SITE: ADRENALINE AIRSOFT As more and more paintball operators are making the switch, Kris Roberts visits a site in Devon that is dipping its toe into airsoft. 68 AIRSOFT ACTION INTERVIEW: LEWIS STEINER Many airsofters enjoy the “freedom” that taking on the role of a PMC brings to the game but what’s it like for real? Jay Slater took the opportunity to interview a man who really has “been there, done that.” 72 AIRSOFT ACTION DEBATE: CHAIRSOFTING We all know the type and in this issue’s debate, Gadge wanted to find out what turns players into “chairsofters”. 76 WORLD WAR ONE: 1914 CHRISTMAS TRUCE Dan Mills looks back at an extraordinary event that occurred in the midst of the horror that was Xmas 1914. 79 AIRSOFT ACTION COMPETITION: WIN A MUVI ACTION CAMERA! On page 59 Iggy Roberts reviews this fabulous action camera from MUVI - and now you have the chance to win one, curtesy of Patrol Store. 80 SKILLS: COMBAT RELOAD Following on from last issue’s article, Andy Nightingale from Pro-Tact Shooting goes through the drills needed to master this tricky skill. 82 BILLY BASICS: THE NEW THREAT In this first part of a two-part article, Billy Basics ponders on what could happen if current threats to our way of life are allowed to spread unchecked. 86 AIRSOFT ACTION’S VERY OWN XMAS GIFT GUIDE Six pages of mouth-watering goodies that you’d like the big fat fella to drop down your chimney! 92 SITE: IRONSIGHT AIRSOFT Oscar P’s interest is piqued when asked if he’d ever heard of this site in Hampshire and decides to go take a look-see . 95 SURVIVAL: NAVIGATION Survival specialist, Paul Yelland, gives us some pointers to find out where we are and how to get where we want to be. 101 BOOK REVIEW: THE PEGASUS DIARIES Kris Roberts writes about a book that anyone with even the slightest interest in the Normandy Landings should read. 102 SITE DIRECTORY If you’re looking for somewhere to play, you’re sure to find it here. 106 DEALER LISTING: AIRSOFT ACTION’S ADVERTISER INDEX Find who you are looking for in our listing of all the adverts that appear in this issue.

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AIRSOFT NEWS Back with a bang! DYNATEX was the originator of the Blank Firing Grenade (BFG), which was used for Police practice for twelve years. They have now designed a completely new grenade for Police and Military use and diverted production of the well-known Dynatex Delay Grenade into the Airsoft and Paintball markets. Most of the units supplied in the last 20 years are still working. A modern factory unit has been set up for production and the current model has an easier cocking action and the cartridge chamber has been reduced to take the acceptable .38 blank cartridge with a chamber available for 209 primers.

New Tactical Clothing Retailer at Skirmish Billericay SMS Surplus Clothing, an Essex-based military surplus and tactical clothing retailer, are delighted to announce that they will now be trading at Skirmish Airsoft in Billericay, Essex. SMS are rapidly gaining a reputation with local airsofters for their varied range of quality clothing and accessories at an affordable price. Mike & Sarah of SMS says “Airsoft is important to us, as keen airsofters ourselves, we are able to test our products on the skirmish ﬁeld to ensure they are ﬁt for the job. This enables us to have a better understanding of what our customers require from their load outs, whilst ensuring we have something for every taste and budget. The fantastic opportunity that Skirmish Billericay has given us combined with the recent launch of our new website will enable us as a company to grow and to ensure we continue to provide an excellent service for our customers.” SMS will be complimenting the on-site weapons and hardware retailer Airsoft Quartermaster. SMS will be attending all Skirmish Airsoft Billericay Boot Camp days, so please contact us via our website www.smssurplusclothing.co.uk for dates and feel free to check out our ever-expanding airsoft load out section. Mike & Sarah Smith – SMS Surplus Clothing.

xmas 2014

Priced at around £70, supplies are being made available to your local Airsoft shop but if they do not have them in stock, e-mail Dynatex with their details and they will contact them for you. If you are a retailer who would like to stock The Original BFG, put your phone number on an e-mail and Dynatex will get back to you - and there is a special incentive for stocking before Christmas. dynatex.grenades@btinternet.com

SPEED Airsoft releases Contour Rail Mount for KeyMod and Picatinny SPEED Airsoft releases more airsoft accessories to support the KeyMod handguard rails for an exact fit and compatibility. The new SPEED Contour KeyMod Rail Mount and SPEED Contour Picatinny Rail Mount will both direct-mount with no adapters to the popular Contour line of camcorders. Both SPEED Contour KeyMod and Picatinny Rail Mount kits use uniquely the bottom threaded tripod mount, which makes it more robust over other commonly used side slot mount. Further, both SPEED Rail Mount Kits also cradle the Contour camcorder for extra security. Each SPEED Contour KeyMod Rail Mount Kit includes SPEED Dual Spec KeyMod nuts that are fully CNC machined to ensure the highest quality and precision fitting onto any KeyMod handguard. All SPEED KeyMod based airsoft products come with the Dual Spec KeyMod nuts system, that will support and enable users to fully utilize SPEED KeyMod products on both KeyMod Mil Spec nut specification as well as KeyMod Airsoft nut specification. The following new SPEED Contour Rail Mount Kits are now available. Part# SA3730 SPEED Contour KeyMod Rail Mount Kit (with Dual Spec KeyMod nuts). Part# SA3731 SPEED Contour Picatinny Rail Mount Kit SPEED Airsoft products are all in-house CNC precision machined from USA grade billet aluminum by SPEED Airsoft in Canada. All SPEED Airsoft products are available through your favorite airsoft dealers worldwide. For more info, visit their website at www.SpeedAirsoft.com or contact them at SpeedAirsoft@ymail.com

AA GALLERY READERS PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY The REAPERS at

Fireball

Jez Armstrong - Pro Airsoft

Sturmtruppen Airsoft @

A pretty awesome pic of

Warminster - Doug Staffor

Fancy seeing yourself in Airsoft Action? Send in your photos via email (nige@airsoft-action.co.uk) or share on our Facebook page (/AirsoftAction), plus a few words describing what’s going on in the image.

xmas 2014

y - Photo by Karl Badkin

Team Patrol Base at Otle

INFORMATION

Supplies

AA GALLERY READERS PHOTOS

ROGUE’S GALLERY Fireball WW2 -

s by Toby Lownde

26-10-14 DOGTAG Airsoft

Fireball WW2 - by Toby Low

ndes

r Airsoft - Smokin!

Gaz Ward taken at Frontie

xmas 2014

game day. Photo by Jason

Frisby

Team RED FOX - Bluestrea

k Airsoft

Gaz Ward

taken at

Frontier

Team RED FOX

Airsoft - S

- Bluestreak Ai

mokin!

rsoft

Sturmtruppen Airsoft @

Warminster - Doug Staffor

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G&G - 30 YEARS YOUNG WITH A DESIGN THAT DEFINITELY FELL OUT OF A MAGPUL DYNAMICS TREE, A PROVEN GEARBOX AT ITS HEART AND A CHOICE OF COLOURS, IT’S HARD FOR SCOTT ALLAN TO THINK OF A REASON NOT TO LOVE THE NEW G&G 30TH ANNIVERSARY RANGE G&G HAVE TWO PRODUCT LINES TO ALLOW for all users to own, love and play with. Think of it a little like an Audi; you can have a 1.6 engine basic model or the 4.2 litre with all the trimmings. Are both perfectly good cars? Of course they are. It is all about choice and G&G provide this – often too much choice that confuses the customer and reviewers like myself equally.

THE REAL STEEL The M4/AR15 platform is, without any doubt, the largest market in the world. There are literally hundreds of manufacturers around the world and in the US who make their living from the M4 market. Both civilians and military/law enforcement use the 5.56mm platform, which can be altered in any way your imagination can think of. Companies like Double Diamond in the US make lower receivers that take Glock magazines; there are sniper variants, CQB silenced variants and of course, classic variants. That said, the G&G here does lend itself to the Magpul MOE M4 look more than anything - which is a great look in my eyes. Top Tech and Combat Machine? What’s the difference? In a nut shell, Top Tech is the high-end range for G&G. Realistic construction, normally with blowback and higher quality internals, this range is around 50-100% the price of the entry level range depending on the actual model. The inner barrel and the quality of the parts is (in general) higher quality and 12

Xmas 2014

therefore should perform better and for longer. These are often referred to as Gen 2 or 3 rifles. Both are the same except a Gen 3 has a MOSFET pre-fitted, which will either float your boat or make you ask what a MOSFET is.

“I have always been happy to help out anyone and point them in the riﬂe direction of achieving eternal Airsoft happiness – or as close as you can get realistically and the Mod 0 is a great starting point for this journey.”

Combat Machine is the entry level and this is where the GC16 Mod 0 resides. The 30th Anniversary is a collectable with a unique metal body and limited to just 1,000 units worldwide - which means you have bragging rights. Now a Combat Machine may not be quite the performance of a Top Tech but it is still not to be looked down upon. They still produce around the same power as a Top Tech and the barrels, while they are not a tight bore, do provide good accuracy and the hop gives you decent range. Rates of fire, weight and finish are all nearly the same too, so you are not always gaining that much extra for paying extra, especially if you are just starting out. Starting on the externals, the 30th Anniversary pretty much gives you a free metal body upgrade and unique serial number and logo for each rifle. The G&G self-styled stock looks very much like a Magpul CTR stock, but of course it isn’t. The hand guard is also a G&G own design and looks like the near cousin of the (you’ve guessed it) Magpul MOE hand guard. It truly is an odd coincidence and I am sure is purely accidental. It even comes with a triple rail pack so you can fit torches, vertical grips and lasers, giving you full flexibility for your personal choices. The pistol grip is very comfortable and is a Tango Down style; it’s one of my favourites of all the pistol grip designs. As you would expect the top rail is a 20mm RIS so you can fit any standard red dot or scope. It is a lightweight rifle at just under 3 kilos, is available in either Black or Desert with a compact, 12” barrel and comes with a colourmatching, 300-round, high-capacity magazine. Part of the appeal of the Mod 0 is all the little touches that G&G have crammed into this design to make it look expensive, when it is at a wallet friendly price. A good deal of thought has clearly gone into the rifle to give you a bit of a head turner for way less than the price of equivalent G&P - and without compromising on the lifespan of the parts. You could quite easily fit a few very nice extras to this for around another £100-£150, which would set it nicely with all the other expensive rifles on your game site. An 800 round a minute rifle used to be the average for a rifle back in the day but these days, I would say it’s at the slow and steady side of things in our modern LiPo driven age. It’s not that bad by any means but a G&P will easily put out another 2-300 rounds per minute as standard (but it would also cost you a little more). The balance of the rifle and size means it would be equally wellsuited to both indoor and outdoor gaming. The hand guard means you won’t have any crazy size battery issues and it’ll take either a 9.6v or 8.4v mini NiMH or the 11.1v or 7.4v LiPo batteries. While the likes of the 11.1v will give you an increase in rate of fire, you may wish to

THE ARMOURY G&G 30TH ANNIVERSARY MOD 0

couple that with a new motor to get real benefit. The G&P M120 is a very reasonably priced option in this case. I have used just about every Airsoft system available, from a Systema PTW to a VFC 8mm Barrett (for those of you old enough to remember that rare and extremely expensive pile of crap) and the Mod 0 is by a country mile not the worst - nor is it the best. That may seem like a pop at the rifle but it isn’t, it is a very nice entry level rifle and that is all it is.

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There is no pneumatic blowback like their Top Tech range but then you don’t pay for that either. I would never rain on someone’s parade by doing a “my gun’s better that yours”, especially with new players. I have always been happy to help out anyone and point them in the rifle direction of achieving eternal Airsoft happiness – or as close as you can get realistically and the Mod 0 is a great starting point for this journey. I’d be happy to run it on a game day and I doubt I would feel outgunned terribly against many other rifles on the site. Now of course there is “that guy” on every site who can’t help but rip the guts out of every rifle and turns up each game day to tell you the obscene number of modifications he has made to his and this brings me to one of my final plus points. I like to think that these Combat Machines are ideal for upgrades. Why spend another £100-200 on a rifle only to rip out all the expensive internal parts? You have got a great looking rifle, if you are going to change wiring, motors, gears and pistons without ever pulling the trigger then these are brilliant candidates for such work.

IN CONCLUSION The Mod 0 is available in two colours to suit your personal tastes, black or tan each have an equally nice finish and it looks brilliant. Okay it is not an exact replica of a real steel rifle but that is not always important to players these days. For the people who it really, really bothers… well I wouldn’t worry about them anyway. It is compact, lightweight and tough which is what you need when you are charging around. It’s one of the best looking G&Gs in its price bracket and there is scope for many upgrades and customisation without throwing away expensive internals. So you really can’t go wrong with this rifle. Now all you have to decide on, is a colour!

features M4 FLASH HIDER POLYMER HAND GUARD, STYLED SIMILAR TO THE MAGPUL MOE HAND GUARD METAL BODY, WITH A 30TH ANNIVERSARY LOGO UNIQUE SERIAL NUMBER POLYMER PISTOL GRIP, STYLED SIMILAR TO A TANGO DOWN GRIP POLYMER STOCK & METAL BUFFER TUBE, AGAIN IN A MAGPUL CTR STYLE. ALSO THE STOCK CAN HOLD SPARE CR123 BATTERIES REMOVABLE FRONT SIGHT THAT HAS 20MM RAIL UNDERNEATH FLIP UP METAL REAR SIGHT THAT IS REMOVABLE A METAL HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINE RRP£165

Xmas 2014

KEL-TEC PLR 16 AR PISTOL RATTY GETS HIS HANDS ON THE FIRST PLR 16 TO ARRIVE AT REDWOLF UK AND FINDS OUT WHAT HE WANTS FOR CRIMBO! A LITTLE WHILE AGO WHILST SITTING IN THE OFFICE with a cuppa tea on the go, the phone rang. It was Nige from the mag asking me if I would like to review a new offering from Socom Gear. “Of course” was my reply, “what is it?” I asked. “It’s a new pistol” he responded and with that, arrangements were made to get it shipped up to me. Sometime later a box arrived at the office and that was when the fun began… At first I wondered if I had been sent an order in error, then the penny dropped. “Wow!!” Surely not?? That can’t be right! This is some pistol…. A little wry smile spread across my face. “I’m looking forward to reviewing this.” I proclaimed to everyone in the office at the time, “This has the potential of being a lot of fun!” So, is it as much fun as it looks?? Read on to find out...

REAL STEEL Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc. were founded in 1991 and are based in Cocoa, Florida. It is unusual in that it is a privately owned Florida corporation, owned by George Kellgren (who is also the Chief Engineer). Originally from Sweden he became a ﬁrearms designer who designed many earlier Husqvarna, Swedish Interdynamics AB, Intratec and Grendel brand ﬁrearms. So it was only natural that he set up his own company. Kel16

Xmas 2014

Tec started manufacturing firearms in 1995, making semiautomatic pistols and later expanding into rifles and shotguns. According to the ATF, Kel-tec is now the 3rd largest handgun manufacturer in the United States. Not bad for a relatively “New Kid on the Block!” The PLR 16 is unusual as it is classed in the family known as “AR Pistols”, where weapons made to a pistol configuration are chambered for rifle rounds. The PLR (Pistol, Long Range) was originally designed for recreational target shooting as well as for hunting small game, varmints and small predators. First introduced in 2006, it is chambered to accept the standard NATO 5.56mm cartridge, the PLR will take the normal STANAG magazine but due to the 9 1/4” (23cm) barrel, the velocity is slightly reduced (2,600fps) compared to that of a 20” barrelled Armalite. The whole thing is only 18 ½” (47cm) long! Apart from the barrel, bolt, sights and mechanism, the PLR-16 is made entirely of high-impact glass fibre reinforced polymer, which helps keeps the weight right down, with the whole thing weighing in at just 1.55kg (3.42lb). The PLR-16 uses a conventional long stroke gas piston operation and the proven and reliable Stoner breech locking mechanism. It has an adjustable rear sight, the front sight being adjustable as well and similar to other AR-15 style rifles.

THE ARMOURY SOCOM GEAR KEL-TEC PLR 16

“Clever thing is that it is WE M4 GBB magazine compatible as well as being able to operate on not just green gas but also on CO2.” It features an integrated military standard Picatinny rail for mounting optics. The muzzle is threaded so it can accept a multitude of ﬂash hiders or muzzle brakes and to the rear there is single point sling mount. There are a few accessories available for the PLR-16, including a Picatinny fore-end, a speciﬁc muzzle brake designed for the short barrel and an AR-style stock which allows you to turn this pistol into something a little more sinister. The PLR-16 on its own retails for somewhere around $900. As our American friends would say… “All this makes it ideal for a home defence weapon!”

SOCOM GEAR KEL-TEC PLR-16 GBB As you would expect from Socom Gear the PLR-16 is well presented; the box itself actually gives you quite a bit of info before even opening. On the side it shows the 3 main configurations you can set the PLR up on, before adding on your own accessories. It also points out that the stock is an option and available to buy separately (those clever marketing folks!!). So you can set it up as the basic “stripped back” pistol or as the version with the front hand guard and lower rail assembly for allowing fitment of grips, torches and whatnots. The box also states that it has their new HKB (High Kick Bolt) to give maximum and realistic recoil. Clever thing is that it is WE M4 GBB magazine compatible as well as being able to operate on not just green gas but also on CO2. I must admit that I am now rather intrigued! Opening the box reveals the PLR 16 and after snipping the cable ties to get it out, the first time you pick it up it does feel remarkably solid whilst remaining light and (hopefully) agile. As always, there will be those of you who love the way it looks and those of who don’t. It

is certainly different, that is for sure. As standard it comes with the front hand guard assembly already fitted and the whole weapon looks rather futuristic in many ways. Also included in the box is a 20rd M16 VN style gas blow back magazine by WE and a dinky WE speed loader. Examining the PLR, the upper and lower receivers are made of an ABS/polymer composite, whilst the outer barrel and bolt carrier are made of metal, pretty much replicating the real steel version. The pistol grip is ergonomic and feels comfortable in hand. At the very back of the receiver is the single point sling mount, whilst immediately in front of that is the assembly/ strip down pin. This pushes through in much same fashion as a normal AR from left to right. The safety/fire selector, located in the receiver just above the trigger itself, is also a push through type, with 3 positions. To operate this is really simple and just requires the use of your thumb and forefinger, whether you are right handed or a cack handed leftie. With the button flush against the side of the receiver on the left hand side, the weapon is safe and will not fire. With a slight push using your forefinger, the 1st click out is semi-auto, with a further push so the button is flush on the right hand side means you will have selected full auto. Just slightly further forward on the right hand side of the receiver, at the rear of the magwell is the magazine release catch. This is not ambidextrous and is therefore not replicated on the other side of the receiver. The hop unit and adjustor is found inside when the bolt is back and is adjusted with a small allen key. On both sides

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of the magwell itself you will find the Kel-Tec logos as well as a discreet mention of Socom Gear. On top of the receiver at the rear, is the Picatinny rail to allow fitment of any sighting system, should you so choose. As standard, it comes with a very basic rear iron sight. The cocking lever/charging handle is of stoner style and is on the right hand side, it is light and simple to operate. The bolt does not stay back unless there is a mag fitted and even then, being WE, that must be set so as it won’t dry fire. Moving forward the outer barrel is shrouded by the front hand guard which has a Picatinny rail on the lower section. There is again a very basic front iron sight fitted. Forward of the hand guard is a large retaining lug which holds on the front hand guard assembly in place and on the protruding outer barrel is a screw cap which covers up a 14mm AC screw thread to allow fitment of flash hiders, muzzle brakes or suppressors. All in, it’s a nice, easy to operate weapon… Taking the front hand guard off to get to the stripped back basic pistol look is simple to do. Unscrew the 14mm AAC cover on the outer barrel, then the big retaining lug (which is a normal way round thread), which will then allow the lower section of the hand guard to come away when pulling that forward out of its locating slot on the barrel lug. To get the top cover off from there, you have to part dissemble the gun but this only takes a few seconds to do. Then there you have it. Just reverse the process when you wish to refit the handguards back on. Stripping the gun is simple too; once the disassembly pin is out the whole pistol grip and trigger group swivels out of the way. Then pulling the gas piston rod towards the muzzle and rotating it through 90 degrees will allow the whole bolt carrier group to come back to its furthest point. Simply pop out the charging handle itself and the whole internal group slides easily out.

ON TEST After a familiarisation with the PLR, I lubed up all the necessaries and it was time to put this little beast to the test. For this, I was using Blaster 0.20g to get chrono readings and NuProl 2.0 premium green gas for my power source. Luckily, as I own a WE M4 GBBR. I had a few of the WE 30rd mags as well to help speed up the testing process. After filling them all with both gas and ammo, off I toddled to the range. First off I thought I’d run through 6 mags or so just to bed everything in. I put in the 1st mag and cocked the weapon. The movement was, as you would expect, smooth with that reassuring clang as the working parts slide forward. I pushed the fire selector to safe and squeezed off the initial round. “Oh wow!!” I thought to myself as the white bb raced down the range. Then after a few more shots on semi, I pushed the selector to its fullest extent… full auto! With a short pull on the trigger a whole host of little balls headed towards their intended target. Although not the quickest cyclic rate, it certainly fires fast enough to get your point across! Then another burst, followed rapidly by another, then “click”…. mag change!!!! A few mags later, it was apparently quite noticeable how much I was enjoying this due to the large Cheshire cat grin. Ok time to chrono. With a fresh mag fitted, semi selected it was time to see what we were getting. First shot… 350fps, then 350 again, followed by a 348…

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By the time I had emptied the mag it was still showing a 342 fps reading. Bearing in mind that this is capable of running on CO2 magazines as well, that could well add another 30 or 40fps to those readings but that is just speculation as I didn’t have any CO2 mags available to test this particular day. I adjusted the hop so it was near enough pretty much set and bombed up the mags I had already used. In my little CQB arena I had set up some targets at various distances through a series of rooms. Starting at one end and working my way through. The PLR is light enough to use in its primary role as a pistol but a good single point sling would be a massive aid to take the weight off after a longer period of time. This thing was hitting a torso sized target at well over 100ft and at close range was pretty damn accurate too. I was still using 0.20g bbs as well, although if the PLR-16 was my own, I would be running 0.25g at least, most likely 0.28g (or even 0.30g) which would up the accuracy hugely, with only a minor sacriﬁce to range.

SUMMARY As I said earlier, the PLR-16 is a weapon that you will either like the looks of or not. I was undecided at the beginning but I can certainly see the potential with it as a base platform. For me, personally, I would ﬁt the optional stock and turn the PLR-16 into more of a carbine but you can use a single point sling to brace the weapon properly as well. As an alternative to something like a PDW/MP5K the PLR-16 holds its own against these rivals. Being gas it will probably spend the majority of its life on semi-auto and it does have a good trigger response. If you already have a GBBR that runs on WE M4 mags then apart from the gun itself and other personal mods, you will have everything else covered, saving you a few bob too. Anyway, just off to write a letter. Dear Santa… •FIBRE REINFORCED POLYMER RECEIVER AND HANDGUARD •FULL METAL BARREL AND PISTON ASSEMBLY •FULLY LICENSED KEL-TEC TRADEMARKS •INCREDIBLY COMPACT DESIGN •OPTIONAL POLYMER HANDGUARD INCLUDED •HIGH KICK BOLT (HKB) PROVIDES A REALISTIC SHOOTING EXPERIENCE •COMPATIBLE WITH WE-TECH M4 / M16 GREEN GAS MAGAZINES •SINGLE POINT STEEL SLING LOOP •ADJUSTABLE AR STYLE FRONT SIGHT •TOP RAIL FOR OPTICS •ERGONOMIC PISTOL GRIP LENGTH: 470MM / WEIGHT: 3.55LBS INNER BARREL: ~230MM MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 20RD STANDARD-CAPACITY. WORKS WITH OTHER WE-TECH M4 / SCAR SERIES GBB MAGAZINES! THIS RIFLE IS CAPABLE OF CO2 MAGAZINE BUT THE INTERNAL WEAR AND TEAR WILL INCREASE. MUZZLE VELOCITY: 340 – 350FPS (CO2 MAGS POTENTIALLY 390FPS) THREAD DIRECTION: 14MM NEGATIVE FIRE MODES: SEMI/FULL-AUTO, SAFETY HOP UP: YES, ADJUSTABLE PACKAGE INCLUDES: GUN, MAGAZINE, HANDGUARD MANUFACTURER: SOCOM GEAR (LICENSED BY KELTEC). OEM : WE PRICE: £230

TIPPMANN M4 CARBINE HAVING RECENTLY HAD HIS HANDS ON A PROTOTYPE TIPPMANN M4, WHEN A PREPRODUCTION UNIT ARRIVED WE ASKED IGGY ROBERTS TO TRY IT OUT IN ANGER. TO RE-CAP (just in case you didn’t catch my last article)… US Company, Tippmann, has been a premier manufacturer of high performance paintball markers and accessories since 1986 and have built up a good reputation for great service and top quality equipment. However, for some time they have wanted to reach out into the airsoft market. They wanted to step into the airsoft world with a product that would make them stand out and, after extensive research and design they arrived at the Tippmann M4 Carbine. The workings of this Low energy airgun (LEAG) originate from one of their proven paintball marker designs, a design that has been used as a base in their world class paintball markers since the 1990’s. This meant that the design is something they were used to and which gave them the conﬁdence to step into the airsoft sector. They also wanted to enter the market with a blowback airsoft gun and chose the M4 Carbine design because it is an iconic weapon, not to mention good looking and for which accessories are easily accessible across a variety of markets, not just airsoft.

THE REAL STEEL M4 Originated in 1994, the M4 carbine is a firearm that was derived from earlier carbine versions of the M16 rifle, which was in turn derived from the original AR-15 rifle that Eugene Stoner designed and ArmaLite manufactured. 20

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THE ARMOURY S&T BIZON TIPPMANN M4 CARBINE

The M4 is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle. It is a gas-operated, magazine-fed, selective fire, shoulder-fired weapon with a retractable stock and 14.5 inch (370 mm) barrel to ease close quarters combat. Like the rest of the M16 family, it fires the 5.56 mm NATO round. The M4 has selective fire options including semi-automatic and three-round burst (like the M16A2 and M16A4). Only the M4A1 has the capability to fire fully automatic instead of three-round burst. The carbine is also capable of mounting an M203 grenade launcher, a reduced barrel length version is made but almost all of the M203s are still the standard length. The distinctive step in the M4 barrel is for mounting the M203 with the standard hardware. The M4A1 is used extensively in the US armed forces alongside its older brother the M16 A4 and is the base of many airsofters Realistic Imitation Firearm (RIF) choice.

TIPPMANN M4 Externally the Tippmann M4 Carbine looks just as you would expect an airsoft M4 to look. It is well ﬁnished with a metal body, barrel and tubing while the crane stock and fore grip are made of Bakelite. The barrel and stock can be changed as the user desires although the internals within the body are unique to Tippmann. Like the real steel M4 the rear bolt uses the stock tube to re-cock the weapon and can be broken in the same way as the real thing; by removing the rear pin and pivoting the barrel forward on the forward pin. The Tippmann M4 Carbine is powered by CO2 or High pressure (HPA) air and there are three options when powering this LEAG:

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1 - By using a 12g CO2 cartridge in the supplied magazine; 2 - By connecting a remote airline using the connector supplied in the pistol grip (this option requires an airline and an 800 PSI regulated cylinder of HPA) 3 - By purchasing an air supply adapter (ASA) kit from Tippmann and replace it with the remote air line connector at the base of the pistol grip. This allows you to connect a cylinder of HPA (regulated at 800 PSI or lower) or CO2 directly to the Tippmann M4 Carbine. Using the remote air line or the ASA allows you to use any aftermarket airsoft, replica, NATO/Draft Standardization Agreement (STANAG) M16, M4 fit magazine. However these two options require a HPA or CO2 cylinder, which means the cylinder or a remote air line will be visible. Call me a bit of a snobbish airsofter but I like the realistic look and feel of RIFs - certainly when you have gone to all the trouble of sorting UKARA membership so you can be sold a realistic weapon. For me, I prefer the first option of the 12g CO2 cartridge in the magazine. The only issue is; as it stands, only Tippmann sell the magazines to power the M4 in this way. Firing the Tippmann M4 Carbine is, in short, a blast! Its hard kick design really does what it says on the tin, or in this case brochure. The kick really is pleasing and yet not too harsh to disrupt accuracy. While I preferred the 12g CO2 cartridge option, with the remote airline method I found it very easy to use and didn’t need to worry about running out of HPA. The Tippmann magazines hold 80 bbs. This number was chosen because 80 shots is a definite number that most 12g CO2 cartridges available on the market can power, before

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running out. However the cartridge is vented every time you remove the magazine, so this method is probably more expensive but, due to the magazine count, potentially great for Mil-Sim or the airsofter looking for greater realism. In order to change between using the CO2 cartridge and ASA (or remote airline) you have to change the Puncture valve assembly within the Tippmann M4 Carbine. This is done using the parts and tools that are provided, by replacing the puncture valve, puncture valve gas line and locking tab with the fitting plug and fitting plug locking tab. Last, you need to replace the plug in the pistol grip with the remote line connector. The Tippmann M4 Carbine has a velocity adjustment screw plus a rate of fire adjustment screw and the hop up is fully adjustable (as you would expect in any decent airsoft gun). While it’s down to the player to adjust the velocity to the required legal fps of the site they are skirmishing on, the velocity can be set at the required FPS then locked using a “Tournament Lock” (which can be purchased from Tippmann). The rate of fire can be adjusted between 8 – 15 rounds per second.

features

MULTIPLE GAS INPUT – CO2 CARTRIDGES OR REMOTE LINE ADAPTER GAS BLOW BACK - REALISTIC RECOIL/KICK FULL METAL (ALUMINUM) RECEIVER, BARREL ASSEMBLY AND STOCK TUBE – BREAKS DOWN LIKE REAL M4 ADJUSTABLE RATE OF FIRE – 8-15RPS ADJUSTABLE VELOCITY – 300-400 FPS (0.20 G BB) ADJUSTABLE HOP-UP NO BATTERIES FIRING MODES: SAFE/SEMI/FULLAUTO CONCLUSION ADJUSTABLE FRONT AND REAR FLIP The Tippmann M4 Carbine is a unique airsoft UP SIGHTS gun and Tippmann have a lot set on it. Sadly their FRONT AND REAR SLING MOUNTS release date for availability in the UK has been ANTI-JAM TECHNOLOGY delayed due to logistical issues. They have informed me that they hope LOW MAINTENANCE – NO GEAR to make it available for us in the New Year. BOX Personally I can see the Tippmann M4 Carbine EASY DISASSEMBLY potentially being a big hit in the airsoft world, TOOL-LESS MAG DISASSEMBLY with airsofters adapting them to their own requirements. FULL LENGTH TOP PIC RAIL A worthy opponent against our trusted Airsoft MODULAR FOREGRIP – 8 SIDED electric guns. PICATINNY CAPABLE WITH ADDITIONAL RAILS INCLUDED GLASS FILLED NYLON GRIP OPTICS READY WITH FLIP UP SIGHTS ADJUSTABLE 5 POSITION STOCK ACCEPTS MANY REAL AR STOCKS AND HANDGUARDS WORKS WITH MANY AEG MAGS WHEN REMOTE LINE SYSTEM IS USED REMOTE LINE ADAPTER INCLUDED ACCEPTS INDUSTRY STANDARD AEG INNER BARREL THREADED FLASH SUPPRESSOR (M14X1.0 CCW)

Gear Overview KIT AND KABOODLE

KIT AND KABOODLE FIREBASEALPHA TAKES HIS REGULAR LOOK AT THINGS THAT HAVE CAUGHT HIS EYE OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS. Hyde Definition – “Snowdrift” Pattern As winter approaches the subject of snow camouflage starts to make its rounds and, as always, there is a huge swing in opinions as to what works well. I for one am more than happy to invest into “snow patterns” and there are a plethora of choices for the user out there this however, has to be my preferred pattern for winter. Pencott “Snowdrift” by UK company Hyde Definition is available in NyCo ripstop, 500D and 100% Polyester and you can find several manufacturers both in Europe and the USA working in this pattern. It is much sought-after and with limited build runs (due to the seasonal requirement) it is one of the patterns I always suggest that you start looking for in summer. In this picture you have prototypes of the “MAV body 2 piece” by Tactical Tailor, Pouches by Grey Ghost Gear and an OWCS (OverWhite Concealment System) uniform by Applied Orange. http://hydedefinition.com

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Project Gecko – “Salamndra” Plate Carrier Now you may not have heard of either Project Gecko or Gecko Superior but I can assure you that will all be changing in the near future with both the training and products they have and will be bringing to market. This is their core offering, the “SALAMANDRA” plate carrier, based around the user’s experience with the Israeli systems, modiﬁed and then manufactured in Israel by OSO Gear. The PC comes in Ranger Green, Pencott Greenzone and Coyote and although is a ﬁxed pouch system, has a huge carry capacity as well as user versatility. The load can be increased greatly with the detachable backpack and with a few key improvements in the areas of comfort and freedom of movement, this has already been adopted by a large number of users. http://www.geckosuperior.com

Velocity Systems – RECCE Over-White Top

Tactical Tailor – Rudder RAC H-Harness

To the best of my knowledge Velocity Systems are still the only company that is offering an overwhite uniform in Kryptek Outdoor Group “YETI” pattern. Now I am not going to bore you with the details but sufﬁce to say that this pattern is rare - rocking horse rare - in build terms. Velocity Systems offers two different tops (Assaulter and RECCE), Trousers and Gaiters all built out of 100% polyester in the YETI pattern with top end hardware, shock cord and zippers where applicable. Each piece of clothing has various features and all have been thoroughly tested by guys in the know, in conditions that many of you will never experience. Please remember that the overwhites mentioned in this section are not cold weather garments, they are both just outer layer camouﬂage systems. The top pictured is the Velocity Systems “RECCE” version. http://www.velsyst.com/

The Rudder RAC (Ranger Assault Carrier) is named after the commander of the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Pointe Du Hoc in WWII, James Earl Rudder and is a low profile, split front, fight light system constructed out of 500D. Although this system is available in Multicam (original), Pencott Greenzone and Coyote Brown I have opted with the Badlands version. Why? Well it’s simple… HALO was certainly a game that I can recall having hours of fun with mates and with HALO: Nightfall mini-series being made I am sure you can figure out the rest. The ability to secure LBE in the Badlands pattern combined with Tactical Tailor, one of the most recognised high end manufactures of tactical nylon globally, was a huge bonus. You will be seeing more (a lot more) on the Tactical Tailor Rudder RAC, MAV 2-piece, Removable Operator Pack and pouches in the Pencott Badlands pattern featured here in Airsoft Action in the near future. http://www.tacticaltailor.com

BADLANDS AIRSOFT LES LEE HEADS OFF TO HAVANT IN HAMPSHIRE TO CHECK OUT A PURPOSE-BUILT AIRSOFT SITE BY DEFINITION, THE WORD “BADLANDS” CONJURES up images of a deeply eroded barren land, desolate landscapes and a whole bunch of nothingness but be assured this is not what you will find when you arrive in this naturally cultured forest of bracken, branches and bears - okay I lied about the bears but I hope you get the picture. In February 2013, Nelson “Nelly” Quintais created Badlands from the ground up. Up until then, his team SPS (SOUL Protection Services) used other sites in the South for training purposes but he realised that it was time to take things to the next level and develop their own site. This would accomplish two things, the first being an unrestricted training regime and facility for SPS and the second, a new Airsoft site to cater for the increasing demand for new and innovative game sites in the South. Badlands is easy find a few miles East of Rowlands Castle near Havant, Hampshire. When you turn in through the signposted gate, a highly visible Marshall will meet and greet you and guide you to the car park/safe zone (which is approx 50 yards inside the gate). I like it when parking is next to the safe zone, as all those little bolt-ons and molle attachments add up and we can find ourselves feeling like we’ve just yomped across the Falklands - even before play starts. Once in the safe zone, that is when the show begins. If you like stand-up comedy then you will just lurve Nelly’s briefing, I kid you not. Having (discretely) yawned my way through the many safety and game briefs, I wasn’t expecting the half hour of hilarity that was forthcoming. Nelly is, without doubt, the funniest briefing delivery system I had ever seen or heard. Front and centre, this guy has an audience of Airsofters and not just a huddle of trigger happy humans eagerly waiting for those favoured words “so eye pro on guys and follow the Marshalls”. Oh no, Nelly causes quite a stir with his sustained balance of humour and instruction - but he never skips a beat when it comes to the all-important health and safety orders of the day. Site hire guns are a nice mix of M4s, AKs, G36s which are highly popular and a likely first purchase, therefore this gives any new players choice and a decent opportunity to try before they make that all important first buy.

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site Review BADLANDS

Some nice touches are the more subtle elements of Badlands’ high standards, such as a high 8:1 Player:Marshal ratio and all Marshalls wore a smart set of black and hi-vis orange uniforms and were professional and courteous in character (no elitists here). Only bio BBs are permitted with a strong emphasis on keeping this beautiful natural environment as nature intended. Tactical structures (such as fox holes and ditches, etc.) are carefully assembled taking into account the surrounding landscape so, in effect, the defences are there but blend in with the woodland. Yes, Badlands is as woodland as woodland should be, proving that man-made fabric forts, vehicles, tyres and similar cover isn’t always the way forward. Personally speaking, that idea sits favourably with me as being an ever-so-slightly more mature player, I kinda like the natural forest and fern look but hey, maybe that’s just me being old! Badlands clearly cares for its environment. I’m not saying that other woodland sites don’t (as every site is different) but if it works without man-made fabrics being introduced into what is an area of natural beauty then why not? What I will say, is that because the defences and structures (which rest assured there are many) are created from the forest floor, you are unlikely to see a muzzle pointed in your direction and even less chance of finding a centre mass of an enemy warrior in your crosshairs. Other nice things that await you are lunch, albeit after games over (this allows for more playing time as the nights draw in), an onsite shop operated by Socom Tactical (selling the usual range of things we like to fondle and drool over with their selection of money absorbing goodies), a gun repair service, etc. etc. So just about everything you might need and probably some things that you don’t - but you buy them anyway! And as for toilets? Well we all know what bears do right? Well that was the case but as we go to press I have been notified that this has now been upgraded to actual on-site toilet facilities, so you don’t have to join the bears after all and besides, they’re probably still squatting round at Goldilocks. The first game of the day is a simple half hour warm up which blows away the cobwebs, then a return to the safe zone reveals the dynamics of the day. Badlands executes a pre-planned operation for the duration but within the mission are many twists and turns to keep our Mercenaries on their tippy toes and this is where complacency has nowhere to hide. A lot of planning and strategy is enrolled by the management and this keeps every game mission-specific, which also means the regulars that turn up have the same Intel as a first timer and restricts their advantage to environment familiarity only, which in turn gives a much fairer balance to everyone on the day. www.airsoft-action.co.uk

Around 100 acres of multi terrain battlefield awaits you and like many sites, Nelly and his team of dedicated and devoted Marshall’s and regulars spend a great deal of their social time designing and building mission-specific zones such as “Silo”, “Fort Knox”, “Putang”, “Minion Manor”, “Compound”, “The Marshes”, “Long Drag”, “Drop Off” and “LZ”. It is a continual work in progress but when you think that this is all done in an Eco-friendly style of construction, these guys are to be admired for putting Mother Nature first and foremost. Throughout the day, some of the best and most honourable firefighting took place. I didn’t hear or see anyone moan or fail to take a hit and what was a very inspiring sight, was a large group of new players who were immediately made to feel at home with nurturing and support from the old dogs of war. Yes, everyone at Badlands has a great time and that was crystal clear right from the start. The Marshalls were some of the finest, courteous and friendly I have ever had the pleasure to meet and their ethos of being “nice guys” was just another positive aspect of Badlands. Not only were they the smartest Marshalls I have ever seen, they ensured that first and foremost, everyone stayed safe and then enthused some of the most challenging and satisfying objectives game by

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Game Review BADLANDS

game. No two games are the same, which adds variety and that much sought-after “feel-good buzz” when the cry of “Mission accomplished!” is within spitting distance for your team, or alternatively, comments of the blasphemous kind come tumbling out in frustration and disappointment, as you ask yourself “Why didn’t I...?” or say “I should have.....” Self-criticism is a good thing if you can turn it around; use the passion and get fired up for the next game as you now not only have more reason to do better but with every shot fired and every step taken, you are improving, learning, gaining more skills and increasing your standard of fitness. Yes, every experience is just that; an experience that makes you a better player and although probably a lesser realised benefit, a better person in general. Airsoft is based on honour, which is a seemingly dying commodity in some fields of life but with honour comes discipline, integrity and diligence - which you won’t gain by being a couch potato or an ASBO recipient. Anyway, I digress! Back to Badlands and a very important point that I must mention is that Nelly’s background in Martial Arts has enthused his passion to cater for Young Guns. Age eleven upwards to be more precise and ideally under the wing of a responsible adult, however the Marshalls are more than happy to safeguard the younger players, as they are all aware that today’s Young Guns are tomorrow’s team leaders. One thing is clear at Badlands, everyone is equal and age is not a factor providing responsibilities are taken. Within the ranks are the aforementioned “SPS”, Badland’s home team. Sporting the PMC load out, their focus is one of game and not gear. The (typically) five man team are always on hand, mixed amongst the players to ensure that dynamics are sustained throughout the day and their discipline is borne out of Martial Arts (the great founder of self-awareness and control). Personally, I like to see Airsoft sites have an in-house team as, for our sport/ hobby/pastime to continue to thrive, there needs to be motivation and maybe it will lean more towards being classed as a sport. Who knows? With a little bit of inspiration it wouldn’t take too much

to develop some type of Airsoft league, which has the added ingredient of competition and I feel that it would add a new and very formidable dimension for those that would like to compete on a higher plane - but that’s just my personal view. Before I left for home, I grabbed Nelly for a brief interview and asked him a rather bold question “What makes Badlands better than the rest”? He replied “We simply continue to develop and move forward, giving the players what they want. We’re not in it for the money, we just love Airsoft and we believe that we do it better than some of the others because we listen to our customers and do our very best to give them what they want, to the highest standards. “ A simple but smart concept. So that is my ‘in-a-nutshell’ insight into Badlands Airsoft. This review doesn’t really do the site justice as there is so much more on offer but I’m running out of pages. I can only suggest that you go along and ﬁnd out for yourself, or at the very least, check out YouTube Badlands for some great action videos. Les OUT!

Contact Details: Woodberry Lane Rowlands Castle Hampshire PO9 6DP (nearest Post Code) M: 07534465589 / E: badlandsairsoft@outlook.com Rowlands Castle train station is only 0.8 miles away at the bottom of Woodberry Lane. If you let them know in advance, they can arrange someone to collect you from the station.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

I’M GOING SLIGHTLY MAD! GADGE QUESTIONS HIS SANITY AS HE FIND HIMSELF ON YET ANOTHER PSYC WARD, ALL IN THE NAME OF AIRSOFT JOURNALISM, OF COURSE… YOU HAVE TO FEEL WHEN THE EDITOR sends you off to a psychiatric institution twice in a year that he’s trying to tell you something… The fact he’d also scheduled me in for a visit to a prison this year was beginning to make me just a little paranoid but things were not as bleak as they sound. In fact Nige had asked me to go and take a look at the latest offering from the boys (and girls) at First & Only airsoft. F&O (as we tend to call them) seem to have a knack of bagging quite unique sites that you’d normally not get chance to go near; from shopping centres to military bases, tunnel complexes and in this case, a former hospital for those with illnesses of the more psychiatric nature. If you told most people you were off to the midlands to go to the “The Towers” for the weekend, they’d probably think you meant Alton Towers… But no I was off to a former Victorian Mental Hospital! Finding the site was a doddle, it was just outside Leicester City centre and an easy drive from my home in Nottingham. I say it was a doddle, we did accidentally rock up in the car park of the Golf Club opposite (I bet they loved that) but that was more my mate Matt getting his left and right confused, than any fault on the part of Garry “Felix” Sharp and his team. Like F&O’s other Midlands site “The Asylum”, “The Towers” was formerly a psychiatric institution and while some bits have clearly been modernised over the years, the remnants of its sinister past as a Victorian asylum show through in some of the older areas, in fact just entering the vast hall used as a safe area is impressive enough. Rumours abound that the complex is haunted and “Ghost Hunter” parties take over parts of the site after dark - so if you see a shadowy ﬁgure who doesn’t appear to be taking their hits, don’t investigate too closely if you’re on your own! Kitted up in the safe area and checking out AEGS we listened to the safety brief. As usual F&O put forwards a no-nonsense, nowafﬂe and no excuses safety brief, covering all aspects of the site’s rules and explaining their zero tolerance approach to cheats.

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SITE REVIEW FIRST & ONLY AIRSOFT - THE TOWERS

“IT’S A REAL WARREN; LONG CORRIDORS BRANCH OFF INTO DIFFERENT WARDS, INNOCENT LOOKING DOORS LEAD YOU EITHER INTO A LABYRINTH OF TUNNELS AND STAIRCASES OR (IN MY CASE) THE SAME BROOM CUPBOARD AS I TRIED TO GET BACK THE REGEN!”

Like many exclusively indoors (bar one or two enclosed courtyards) sites, The Towers works on a “single shot” policy, has a 350fps limit on weapons and seriously recommends full face protection (which is provided with hire guns). As with a few sites we’ve tested, Airsoft Action brought along a purposely “hot gun” and were delighted to find out that no exceptions were made as to who could use it… It failed the chrono and that was that! But I’d packed the trusty cheapo Chinese shotgun (a fearsome 270fps, oh yay… fear me!) and my beloved Skorpion machine pistol. All that and a rubber training knife and I was ready to ninja the best of them! As we were getting split into “green” and “black” teams I took time to look around the site. Battery charging facilities were on hand as was a well-stocked shop for BBs, pyros and snacks. Both reloadable BFG grenades and “fizzy” pyro were allowed but only MK4 flash bangs, as some of the rooms in the complex really are quite small and solid pyro had to be rolled underarm – all pretty sensible standard stuff so far. The first game of the day showed a perfect mix of fast, open day action with a bit more “thinking man’s airsoft” bolted on. A laptop connected to a prop “bomb” was hidden on site and needed to be defused by the teams. Four codes were needed to defuse the device but to make matters worse, the site had many codes littered about it from previous adventures so it was important not to just report in any code but check that it had the right event date upon it… Something often overlooked by a jubilant squad happy to have fought their way to a code and back to base. Eventually our team managed to get the codes and defuse the bomb but it was close thing. At this point it’s worth describing the site. For a start, it’s a real warren; long corridors branch off into different wards, innocent looking doors lead you either into a labyrinth of tunnels and staircases or (in my case) the same broom cupboard as I tried to get back the regen! The network of tunnels and rooms surround small overgrown courtyards and quadrangles, so if you’re the woodland sneaky type you still have a chance to hide in the scrub and brush and pick off the unwary. The Towers has been running for only a few months (since April 2014) and it’s a BIG site. To this end some of the rooms can seem a bit “Spartan” but the F&O team assured me that they are constantly building new barricades, blockades and scenery to add to the play value of the site. Most importantly, many of the ward and corridor doors have glass windows and Felix’s team are slowly spraying these with black paint to avoid those annoying “I know www.airsoft-action.co.uk

SITE REVIEW FIRST & ONLY AIRSOFT - THE TOWERS

you’re behind the door but I can’t hit you” moments, so common many in urban sites. Luckily I came up against this only once and it was no biggie… Well nothing a suicide charge with a hand grenade couldn’t rectify! Back in the safe zone we were briefed for the second game of the day. “Treebeard”, one of the site’s friendly marshal team, was marked as a High Value Target (HVT) and had to be extracted by the green team as quickly as possible up to a limit of 25 minutes but, just like the players, he was vulnerable to bangs and BBs so every room had to be cleared with caution to avoid a stray round or blast prematurely ending the game. Moving with skill and speed the green team recaptured Treebeard just in time... Well, just in time for lunch that is! I’ve been to a number of F&O sites lately and one thing that a few of them have started to do is the “ﬁsh and chip” (or sausage and chips in this case) lunch. And you know what? It makes a really nice change to tuck into beautiful chips and a tasty sausage from the chippy washed down with a soft drink of your choice (veggie alternatives can be arranged if the guys are told in advance). While food at airsoft sites is always improving - you should see some of the “lunches” put on by some sites in the “good old days” - there is just something pretty cool about a chippy lunch to replace all that salt sweated out and fat burnt off during the morning exercise! After a gossip about the game with the other side while lunch went down, it wasn’t long before it was time to go back into the labyrinthine corridors of The Towers. Our ﬁrst game after lunch was a replay of the HVT scenario, with the black team this time tasked with extracting the marshal. When I say these games were close, it’s not hyperbole. The green team conducted their rescue in 21 minutes 30 seconds but were pipped to the post by the black team, who completed their objectives in 21 minutes and 19 seconds! At this point the F&O team upped the ante. The next game was a sort of mad treasure hunt, with both teams searching for a selection of military props (handily marked “prop” to stop someone wandering off with someone’s daysack) and trying to accrue the most. To complicate matters further, three players per team were themselves HVTs and marked out by wearing a High Street necktie in various garish hues. If you shot out a HVT you could take their tie off them (if you noticed they were wearing it) and then become one yourself; wearing multiple ties if you so wished but at the same time making yourself an Ultra HVT!

This game was a real hoot with both teams trying to gather as much kit as possible while keeping their haul safe from the enemy. The game itself was a close run thing but a win for the black team, mainly because the green team had picked up some random parts that were clearly not props (or marked as such) and encumbered themselves with penalty points. As End-Ex was called on the day the Airsoft Action team were tired and happy. I’m always happy to be asked to cover an F&O event as Felix’s boys have exceptionally high standards and once again I wasn’t disappointed. At times I worry I might come across as an “F&O Fanboy” but it’s simply the case that they have consistently come up with the goods every time we’ve paid them a visit. “The Towers” is a relatively new site and, as such, still needs a little tweaking but the team know this and structure their games around the most playable parts of the arena and have done a great job of breaking up long corridors or large rooms with simple barricades and props until more established “bunkers” and walls can be made. Likewise, the scenarios were nicely balanced between having a little to think about while you blasted away, with proper objectives and the chance to have a good old firefight – one thing you didn’t get was a complex briefing that would have put a NATO officer candidate into a tiz. Game days at The Towers fill up fast as the site is not in use every week and, to keep player satisfaction high, a cap on numbers is strictly enforced. This is something I’d like to see more sites (especially urban ones) think about, as too many players on some sites can create frustrating bottle-necks which can damage the overall enjoyment of your day’s play. So with this player limit in mind and the spacing of game days, I’d seriously recommend you book your day well in advance. Just make sure you get to try out The Towers, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

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Xmas 2014

5 colours

sm s mok m ke e gre re ena na ade es e s

DOC: EG smoke grenades DOC: TYPE: TYPE: product range REF: REF: SEPT 2014