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LCT G3 CLASSIC ARMY CARBINE KRYTAC LMG ENHANCED
INTERNATIONAL GREECE: WARZONE! FRANCE: OP MATANIKAU NORWAY: RED VAN MAN
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LCT G3 CLASSIC ARMY CARBINE KRYTAC LMG ENHANCED
INTERNATIONAL GREECE: WARZONE! FRANCE: OP MATANIKAU NORWAY: RED VAN MAN
SPECIAL
DEC 2017
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WARRIORS
AIRSOFT TECH GATE TITAN
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REAL STEEL
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1ST TACTICAL UPDATE
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HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH VICTORIA CROSS HEROES II
ARMOURY: KRYTAC LMG
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Editor: Nigel Streeter Assistant Editor: Gareth “Gadge” Harvey Graphic Design: Havoc Design Ad Design: Havoc Design Publisher: Nigel Streeter
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Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Upper Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6PL Tel: 01684 878 003 Web: www.airsoft-action.online ©Calibre Publishing Limited 2017 Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800 Copyright © Calibre Publishing Limited 2017. 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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EVENT: WAR & PEACE REVIVAL 2017
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EVENT: ALPHA 55 SUMMER SOCIAL
REAL STEEL: G36
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P L AY E R S ’
ARMOURY: LCT G3
Contents DECEMBER 2017
CONTENTS DECEMBER 2017 6
NEWS
10 ROGUE’S GALLERY Cool photos of Airsoft Action readers. 12 ARMOURY: KRYTAC LMG Since their introduction to the UK, KRYTAC products seem to sell out quickly when they come into stock (especially the elusive LMG model) but Jerry Noone finally gets his hands on the mythical beast. 16 ARMOURY: LCT G3 The H&K G3 has been seen the world over and now it is appearing on airsoft fields, courtesy of LCT. Scott Allan picks up the story – and the rifle! 20 ARMOURY: CLASSIC ARMY NEMESIS Jerry Noone takes a look at one of the very latest incarnations of the venerable “AR/M4” from Classic Army and finds that the Hong Kong manufacturer has re-upped their game …significantly! 24 EVENT: WAR & PEACE REVIVAL 2017 Every summer there’s one major event that Bill Thomas looks forward to without fail and that’s the mighty War & Peace Revival that takes place in Kent. 28 SPECIAL FEATURE: VICTORIA CROSS HEROES II Lord Ashcroft owns and protects the largest collection of Victoria Cross medals in the world. Here he tells us how this collection came about and the background to his new book, Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II. 32 FEATURE: LONGBOW BBS What’s the opposite of short and fires arrows? LONGBOW! Georaga takes aim and fires off a couple of questions at the new heavyweight BB specialist on the block. 36 TEAM PROFILE: RO8 Ioan “Iggy” Roberts recently spent some time aboard the Royal Navy’s latest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, where he met a team of like-minded airsofters
40 INSIDE AIRSOFT: SOCOM TACTICAL Les Lee doesn’t have to go too far to visit one of the South’s premium airsoft retailers that has become a bit of a specialist in hard-to-find airsoft products. 44 INTERNATIONAL: FRANCE – OP MATANIKAU Airsoft Action’s French Correspondent, Diane Montagnier, reports from the frantic battle to take Guadalcanal. It’s October 1942… 46 INTERNATIONAL: RED VAN MAN IN NORWAY Unable to make the trip himself, Bill Thomas met up with NUPROL’s “Red Van Man”, Trent Halligan, to find out how it went. 50 EVENT: 1ST NORTHERN AIRSOFT SHOW Kelly “Femme Fatale” Hardwick reports from Camp Sparta, where manufacturers, retailers and players gathered for the first Northern Airsoft Show. 52 WARRIORS: MOSCOW COUP 1991 In this issue of “Warriors”, Gareth “Gadge” Harvey focusses on a period of history that irrevocably changed future of the Soviet Union.
66 FEATURE: AIRSOFT MONKEY Having bumped into him at a recent event, Lez Lee talks to Phil Woods about why he is known as “Airsoft Monkey”. 70 GITAG: MAJOR LEAGUE AIRSOFT When Jerry Noone bumped into someone who intends to set up a national competition, he had to find out more. 72 SURVIVAL: PREPARING FOR DISASTER AA’s resident survival specialist, Paul Yelland, gives us some tips on what we can do in order to be prepared, should disaster strike. 76 INTERNATIONAL: GREECE As Airsoft Action continues to spread internationally, we hear about an event in Greece that sounds (and looks) superb. If you like your airsoft hot and hard, then you need to get to WarZone! 78 SKILLS: HIP DRAW We all know how to draw a pistol, don’t we? Here, Calibre Shooting’s Andy Nightingale gives us the lowdown on how to do it properly. 81 COMPETITION: VICTORIA CROSS HEROES II Win a signed copy of Victoria Cross Heroes II By Lord Ashcroft.
56 LOADED OR UNLOADED: 1ST TACTICAL UPDATE Jerry Noone and the Airsoft Action team have been working with US Brand First Tactical since they launched in the UK last year and Jerry is pleased to bring you the very latest updates on what’s new and cool.
82 REAL STEEL: G36 Continuing to dip into the world of real steel firearms that have made it to the airsoft field, Gadge turns his attention to the instantly recognisable H&K G36.
60 AIRSOFT TECH: GATE TITAN Frenchie knows a thing or two about the inner workings of an AEG, so when he finds something that can really make a difference he is bound to tell us about it.
84 AIRSOFT ACTION STOCKISTS Where to buy your copy of The Players’ Choice Best Airsoft Magazine before it goes on sale in newsagents.
64 EVENT: ALPHA 55 SUMMER SOCIAL For many ‘softers the social aspect of the game is almost as important as the game itself, as Ashley Kitchen discovered at an event in North Wales earlier this year.
86 SITE DIRECTORY & PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUBS Looking for a skirmish site, or your local Airsoft Practical Pistol Club? Then we may have the answer, with pages of sites and clubs throughout the UK.
s w e N t f o s Air
IWA OUTDOORCLASSICS 2018: READY FOR MORE!
• More information from the “newsroom” • More display area thanks to new hall • More products for security experts
The IWA OutdoorClassics 2018 will once again welcome more than 1,500 exhibitors and around 50,000 trade visitors from all over the world to Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 9–12 March 2018, and preparations are already in full swing. And on the occasion of its 45th anniversary, the world’s leading trade fair for hunting and shooting sports, outdoor equipment and security needs has also introduced some new features. On the IWA Outdoor Classics website, the “Newsroom” now provides a new information resource for the wider professional community. The content platform is directed at exhibitors, interested companies, trade visitors and media representatives alike. In the newsroom, users will find up-to-date information presented in an appealing and wellorganised format, offering a multi-media blend of text, photos and videos in a userfriendly layout. As well as brief information on issues like registration deadlines or service offers for trade fair visitors, there will be photo and video impressions of the last event, and an overview of the latest press releases. The newsroom can be accessed directly via the following link: www.iwa.info/news
Extra hall for exhibition segment From 2018, NürnbergMesse will be adding an extra hall to cater for the constantly increasing demand from exhibitors with products in the security segment. Alongside Hall 9, which for many years has been the gathering place for vendors and buyers in this segment, exhibiting companies will from 2018 also have access to the adjacent Hall 8 as a venue for their trade show presentations.
Security trade fairs in Nuremberg On 7 and 8 March 2018, the two days leading up to the IWA OutdoorClassics, two other trade fairs on the theme of security will be taking place at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg. Enforce Tac is a dedicated trade fair for security experts from official agencies, while U.T.SEC is a trade fair and conference all about security by and defence against drones. These two events now also have a newsroom incorporated into their websites. NürnbergMesse has proven expertise in the security field. As the host of events such as Enforce Tac – trade fair for law enforcement, it-sa, it-sa Brasil and it-sa India – trade fairs for IT
AIRSOFT SURGEON IF YOU ARE INVOLVED in any way with Action Air (the airsoft version of IPSC shooting), then you will almost definitely know the name Clarence Lai, more often known as “Airsoft Surgeon”. Clarence is one of the (if not “the”) most prominent figures in Action Air, particularly in the Far East where his work as an airsoft gunsmith has won him wide recognition for producing some of the most amazing custom pistols and rifles. In the UK, Clarence is also the name behind the annual “Airsoft Surgeon Championship” which this year attracted 200 shooters from all over the world to take part in a weekend of superb competitive shooting. Airsoft Surgeon has launched a new website, www.airsoftsurgeon.com, where you can find more information and if you want to drool over some of Clarences’ awesome creations, head over to www. instagram.com/airsoft_surgeon - just make sure you hold your chin up ...so it doesn’t hit the floor!
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Security, FeuerTRUTZ – trade fair for preventive fire protection, Perimeter Protection – trade fair for perimeter protection, FIRE & SECURITY INDIA EXPO and U.T.SEC – Unmanned Technologies & Security, it brings together a total of around 1,200 exhibitors and some 30,000 visitors from all over the world. For more information please go to: www.nuernbergmesse.de/security. Contact for press and media Guido Welk, Ariana Brandl T +49 911 86 06-82 85 F +49 911 86 06-12 82 85 ariana.brandl@nuernbergmesse.de For all press releases, further information and photos please go to: www.iwa.info/news
Airsoft News
KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT COMPANY
™
PDW M2 AIRSOFT RIFLE AW Custom™ is the official distributor of Knight’s Armament Company™ PDW M2 Airsoft Rifles in Europe! These rifles are all fully licensed under Knight’s Armament Company™. The idea of the Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) was to bridge the gap between sub-machine guns and rifles. This short barreled weapon offers rifle performance in a lightweight and compact system. The PDW M2 Airsoft Rifle is built to accept as much aftermarket upgrade parts as possible. The reason behind is to ensure years of reliable service as well as easy repairing and daily maintenance on our products. Knights Armament Airsoft and Evike Manufacturing Group (EMG) proudly presents the most accurate high quality training system that mirrors the form and function of the Knights PDW. This non-lethal training system is designed with safety in mind. Accurately mimicking the controls, size, weight, feel, and manipulation of a Knights PDW, this allows users to familiarize themselves with the weapons platform without the risks associated with use of live ammunition. Each training weapon is produced to extreme standards with every unit going through inspection and evaluation.
Fully Licensed
The PDW M2 Airsoft Rifle is licensed under Knight’s Armament Company™ directly. These rifles are constructed under the inspection of Knight’s Armament Airsoft and EMG to ensure they perform as best as they could be.
One And Only Design
Based loosely on the layout of the M16 service rifle, the Knights PDW offers similar controls making familiarization with the weapon system a non-issue. With ambidextrous features, the
Knights PDW platform gives shooters the maximum amount of options with weapons manipulation and deployment. The short barrel and folding stock make for a very compact profile, ideal for close quarters combat and for arming vehicle crews.
Diversified Compatibility
The Knight’s Armament Company™ PDW M2 Airsoft Rifle can be upgraded from wide range of parts and components for easy repair and maintenance. Knight’s Armament Airsoft and EMG wants to ensure years of reliable service on the PDW M2 Rifle and that’s why it is built to accept as much upgrade parts and components as possible.
SPECIFICATIONS: Length: 710mm/480mm (Standard) & 660mm/430mm (Compact) Weight: 2500.0g Muzzle Velocity: 400 FPS Inner Barrel Length: 220mm Material: Aluminium Alloy Package Includes: 1 x Rifle 1 x Gas Magazine For more information, visit the AW Custom website: www.armorerworks.com
WORLD MARKET LEADERS JOIN FORCES UMAREX RECEIVES GLOCK LICENCE UMAREX GmbH & Co. KG (UMAREX) headquartered in Germany receives the first worldwide licence from the well-known Austrian weapons manufacturer, GLOCK, for the reproduction of its internationally recognized pistols. UMAREX is thus writing a new chapter in its success story as the world market leader in licensed replica handguns. Eyck Pflaumer, Managing Partner of UMAREX, summarizes the results of the intensive negotiations, “For years now, the trust between our two companies has been growing and we are looking forward to further developing this relationship with GLOCK. From November 2017 onwards, gun fans will find the first replicas of these famous pistols in outdoor retail locations almost everywhere in the world.” Founded in 1963, GLOCK has been setting the global standard for handguns with polymer frames for decades. UMAREX and GLOCK are two world market leaders meeting on equal terms, the best prerequisites for a successful partnership. UMAREX will in the future build the famous GLOCK pistols in the categories “Airguns” (4.5 mm / .177) and “Airsoft” (6 mm). GLOCK replicas will be distributed worldwide through sporting goods dealers, except in France and French territories. The worldwide distribution is expected to begin in November 2017. Particularly attractive for collectors, the license allows the replicas to carry the original markings and be marketed in authentic packaging. 8
December 2017
AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS
ROGUE’S GALLERY
This page: Operation Matanikau
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december 2017
AA GALLERY READERS’ PHOTOS
Information Fancy seeing yourself in Airsoft Action? Send in your photos via email (nige@airsoft-action.co.uk) or share on our Facebook page (/AirsoftAction), plus a few words describing what’s going on in the image.
CARTOON
This page: Warzone, Greece www.airsoft-action.online
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ARMOURY KRYTAC TRIDENT LMG ENHANCED
KRYTAC TRIDENT LMG…
D E C N A ENH
SINCE THEIR INTRODUCTION TO THE UK, KRYTAC PRODUCTS SEEM TO SELL OUT QUICKLY WHEN THEY COME INTO STOCK (ESPECIALLY THE ELUSIVE LMG MODEL) BUT JERRY NOONE FINALLY GETS HIS HANDS ON THE MYTHICAL BEAST. OVER THE YEARS, I’VE OWNED a number of airsoft “support guns”, ranging from M249 “SAWs”, to RPKs and even a Stoner LMG. A good support gunner that understands their role can really make a huge difference to any attack or defence and I’ve been aching to get my mitts on the KRYTAC Trident for some considerable time. Back in 2014 it became apparent that Swiss firearms manufacturer KRISS was thinking about getting into the airsoft market in their own right. Initially having partnered up with another airsoft manufacturer, KRISS made it quite clear at SHOT
Show that year that they would be forging their own path and they have done so successfully since then with their KRYTAC range of carbines, rifles and LMGs. KRYTAC, established in Southern California in 2013, came out with a pretty bold, nononsense statement: “The shooting community is expanding every day, with new shooters and new shooting sports rapidly developing. KRYTAC’s focus is to cultivate that community with innovative products that lay the foundation for safety, for building shooting skills and for these to evolve with the shooter. “The KRISS Group’s worldwide perspective stimulates innovation in KRYTAC designs to achieve new levels of efficiency, power, ergonomics and aesthetics in every product. Every process of development is aimed at offering the best possible ownership experience, from beginning to end, KRYTAC strives for excellence. “The KRYTAC team is comprised of highly experienced professionals who have come together with one common goal, to elevate your expectation of performance, value and service.” Of course KRYTAC had the might of the KRISS Group behind them; KRISS are no strangers to out of the box thinking and mechanical innovation, in that they are the people behind the cutting edge, “real steel” KRISS Vector. What they achieved with the Vector was something that not only hadn’t been done before but that hadn’t even been thought about, so it seems perfectly logical to me that they might apply that same approach to their airsoft range. When it came to KRYTAC replicas that’s exactly what we saw from the outset and they’ve continued to innovate and be up with the latest firearm trends since then.
TRIED AND TESTED NOW
KRYTAC initially brought originality to their product offering; although with their initial models we only saw four “M4” style variants, KRYTAC really put their own character into things with clever little touches like distinctive battery stocks and Keymod 12
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ARMOURY KRYTAC TRIDENT LMG ENHANCED
“WHAT [KRISS] ACHIEVED WITH THE VECTOR WAS SOMETHING THAT NOT ONLY HADN’T BEEN DONE BEFORE BUT THAT HADN’T EVEN BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT, SO IT SEEMS PERFECTLY LOGICAL TO ME THAT THEY MIGHT APPLY THAT SAME APPROACH TO THEIR AIRSOFT RANGE. rails as standard. One thing is for certain; that the finish of these airsoft guns has been consistently superlative and they ooze quality and with solid internals that have now been subject to nearly three years “wear and tear”, they’ve carved themselves a well-earned niche in the market. Internally, on all the models, you get a reinforced 8mm bearing gearbox with an integrated MOSFET to regulate electronic signals and to protect the trigger contacts. The corners of the gearbox that surround the cylinder feature a smooth radius, as opposed to a 90° angle, to prevent fracture; neatly the gearbox shell features a small “window” on the left side where lubrication can be applied directly to the gears or piston. This “window” is also convenient for inspecting the angle of engagement with the gearbox without disassembly. Additional gearbox features include a modular spring guide system that will allow the spring to be changed without completely disassembling the gearbox, although you do still need to remove the gearbox from the receiver to make the change. KRYTAC pistons are made of a durable, lightweight polymer and feature 4 metal teeth, with the 2nd to last tooth absent. The cylinder head is padded with an enlarged sorbothane buffer to optimise the angle of engagement and to absorb energy from the impact of the piston assembly, extending longevity. The material for the gears has been specially formulated to be very strong, with test figures on the KRYTAC gears being much higher than that offered by many other manufacturers. Turning all of the drive train components is the KRYTAC high torque motor, capable of 30,000 revolutions per minute unloaded! There’s commonality of internals across the range of KRYTAC models and they also share some other features. The aluminium lower receiver features a stamped KRYTAC logo and accepts AR/M4 style magazines. Additional features include an ambidextrous fire selector and, on the carbine and rifle models, a locking “bolt” that provides easy access to the KRYTAC rotary hop-up system. This has 15 adjustment settings and a
numbered adjustment wheel for a quick reference point to determine how much hop is needed. This “locking bolt” feature is absent from the Trident Light Machine Gun (LMG) as the upper receiver is distinctly different to the other models in the range. Instead of an “M4” style upper, the LMG has a bespoke top section which features an opening top cover and feed tray, although a top rail section is still in evidence to mount optics. The cocking handle is also of the folding, LMG type which adds to the individuality of the LMG; the specialised upper gives it a really unique design. The Trident LMG Enhanced actually combines the firepower of a full-sized machine gun with the portability and the controls the traditional “M4”platform. With a Keymod handguard and shortened barrel the LMG is even more usable than before; the size and weight mean that even the smallest player can comfortably carry and LMG for extended periods of time and with its large 3000 BB box magazine, the Trident LMG is ideal for laying down copious suppressive fire!
ROUNDS DOWN!
To summarise… On paper the KRYTAC models certainly tick all the boxes and in the form of a lightweight support gun, the Trident LMG fulfils its role very well indeed. KRYTACs are very well put together and even the finish of the plastic parts is free from blemishes and mould lines. The six-position, sliding battery stock locks solidly into place on every setting with nary a wobble. www.airsoft-action.online
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ARMOURY KRYTAC TRIDENT LMG ENHANCED
the top of the box where you can place “false link” to really give the LMG “the look”. When it comes to KRYTAC all you need to do is buy your chosen AEG, add a decent battery and BBs and you’re in the game! All European models will be CE Certified and bear all the legally required markings, which will guarantee conformity to all European directives and safety standards. In addition, KRYTAC AEGs will be offered in models/power ranges to meet country specific regulations, which of course now with the PCA in effect means that you can be assured of staying “legal”. For a skirmishable LMG the Trident Enhanced really does tick all the boxes for me and with a retail price IRO £450 it’s one hell of a beast. If you fancy yourself as a support gunner then the KRYTAC could well be the very thing you’ve been searching for! For more information and for full stockist details please visit or contact the UK distributor for KRYTAC, Shield Firearms & Sights Limited, at www.shieldpsd.com or for UK trade enquiries call them on 01297 678233.
“KRYTAC HAVE LOOKED CAREFULLY TO LEGAL POWER LEVELS IN ALL THE COUNTRIES THEY SELL TO WORLDWIDE, SO I WAS NOT AT ALL SURPRISED WHEN THE LMG REGISTERED A CONSISTENT AND UK SITE (AND NOW LEGAL!) LIMIT-FRIENDLY 0.95 JOULE/320FPS.” All the models come with a singlepoint sling plate fitted as standard but, unlike the rifle and carbine variants, the LMG does not come with iron sights. My review sample that came from the great team at SHIELD Sights was provided with one of their “real deal” CQS Red-Dot sights, which set off the LMG perfectly and performed excellently. All the KRYTAC AEGs work surprisingly well on a 7.4V NUPROL LiPo, giving a trigger response that is far crisper than you would expect; when you crank things up to an 11.1V though the trigger response is as good as anything I’ve tried. Chrono testing was carried out using .20g NUPROL RZR BBs. The hop-up is easily set thanks to the precise rotary design and once set, stays where it should. KRYTAC have looked carefully to legal power levels in all the countries they sell to worldwide, so I was not at all surprised when the LMG registered a consistent and UK site (and now legal!) limit-friendly 0.95 Joule/320fps. KRYTAC promised that models coming to our shores would be legally compliant and they’ve obviously lived up to their word! Also, as I suspected, the accuracy is right up there, with the LMG sending the BBs out a good 50m plus with impressively tight groupings, especially when I went prone and used an ASG bipod with it. Of course the feature which sets the LMG apart from the other Trident models is the 3000 BB, self-winding box mag! With an “AR” style magazine fitting that fits into the magwell of the lower (this means you can always use standard “M4” magazines at a push), the box is of sturdy olive green plastic construction. Clearly marked with “5.56mm NATO” on the endcap, the box feels like it will stand up well to abuse. This endcap pops off to reveal the loading tray and a compartment for a 9 volt battery that powers the winding mechanism. On the base of the box is a very obvious red button that controls the winding, effortlessly loading BBs into the gun itself. Another bit of clever thinking places a small compartment in 14
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Tech Specs Colour: Black Main Material: Metal and Polymer Min. Length: 750 mm Max. Length: 835 mm Inner Barrel Length: 280 mm Weight: 3.53 kg Gearbox: 8mm Ball Bearing Nautilus Mechbox Battery: 7.4V LiPo battery (not supplied) Power (.20g BB): 0.95 Joule/320fps
TACTICAL
get the tactical advantage PATROL GLOVE
RECON GLOVE
VENOM GLOVE
n Polyester/spandex n Micro fibre palm n Webbing finger pull
n Polyester/spandex n Padded micro fibre palm n One piece rubber knuckle guard n Rubber/Velcro wrist fastening n Thumb/finger grip
n Polyester/spandex n Micro fibre palm with reinforcing n Rubber finger impact protection n Hardshell knuckle protection n Rubber/Velcro wrist fastening n Glove puller
Colours: V-Cam, Titanium, Coyote, Black, Green Sizes: S-XXL SRP
Colours: V-Cam, Titanium, Coyote, Black, Green Sizes: S-XXL
£12.95 SRP
£22.50
Colours: V-Cam, Coyote, Black, Green Sizes: S-XXL SRP
£29.95
WEBBING FINGER PULL
UPDATES / STOCKISTS / CATALOGUE
www.vipertactical.co.uk
ARMOURY LCT G3
THE H&K G3 HAS BEEN SEEN THE WORLD OVER AND NOW IT IS APPEARING ON AIRSOFT FIELDS, COURTESY OF LCT. SCOTT ALLAN PICKS UP THE STORY – AND THE RIFLE!
OLD SCHOOL BATTLE RIFLE WHEN LCT SAID THEY WERE going to make a G3 replica the whole world got excited, myself included. Why? Because LCT are pretty much top of the tree with a few others who make true AEG replicas. Just a shame they called it the “LC3”. It is old school, proper old school, harking back to the days when 7.62mm NATO was seen as the absolute minimum you needed to take a target down. It’s long, really long. From a time when men were men and had kick-ass facial hair. Oh those were the days, long gone by!
SO WHO ARE LCT?
LCT have been around since the early 80s. They originally focussed on metal working and mould working in the car, sports and medical industries. In 2004 they were fed up with
“non-rational competition” and did some OEM work for Airsoft manufacturers. Realising how big the Airsoft market was (and undoubtedly the money they could make), they founded LCT as we know it in 2007. LCT still make external parts for companies such as the G&G AK range even today. Mainly known themselves for their AK range they also make a less well known M4 range, possibly because every man and his dog make M4s and the market is past saturation for them. In short LCT, Inokatsu and Real Sword are the top dog manufacturers in build material quality. Classic Army also make a full metal G3 and it is really nice. Dealing with Classic Army on the other hand is less than easy, as their production is very sporadic and that makes supplies a pain. I have experienced first-hand trying to get delivery dates for goods. “Magic 8 ball” replies seemed to be the main types of response I got. Regardless, LCT decided to make a proper, full steel replica of the G3 that they would faithfully reproduce exactly like the real version. It floats around the A3 version with the drum real sight but with the round plastic vented hand guard. The older types had an amazing wooden grip and the newer G3s, such as the SG1, had the plain plastic “triangle” hand guard. On the G3 scale, it’s original old school! The job they have done really is second to none in the Airsoft market.
BIG HEAVY
Weighing in at 4.5 kilos and over 1 metre long it was big in every respect, longer than a standard M16 and a kilo heavier. The 7.62mm NATO round is the very same used today in the SCAR H, GPMG and L119 rifle by LMT. It’s a big sharpshooter round these days but back in the 1950s this was standard. After being sent packing trying to get the Belgian FN FAL (no idea why Belgium would have a beef with Germany) they turned to Spain. Spain had the CETME and Germany bought the manufacturing license and got H&K on board. From there the rest is history, the rifle is in 50 odd countries around the world and is still heavily used alongside the likes of the SLR in lovely places such as Africa. It’s a bit of an icon for a cold war era alongside the SLR, both shared similar styling and they were
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ARMOURY LCT G3
“I FIRED A SG1 A FEW YEARS BACK IN THE US, IT REALLY DID DRIVE BACK HARD INTO THE SHOULDER. I ALSO TRIED IT ON FULL AUTO AND THAT WAS AN EXPERIENCE AND A HALF. SAFE TO SAY THREE ROUNDS ON TARGET WAS THE BEST I COULD DO!” both equally loved and feared. I fired a SG1 a few years back in the US, it really did drive back hard into the shoulder. I also tried it on full auto and that was an experience and a half. Safe to say three rounds on target was the best I could do!
THE LCT VERSION
Back to the Airsoft version and there is nothing of note when you open the box except how jaw-droppingly nice the LC3 looks on its own sitting there. It does actually look very real, except it’s not had years of weathering on it but that will come with time and maybe a little effort at home. When you remove it from the box you notice how bloody heavy it is, just like the real version. The steel is oiled and smells all gun-like, it makes you tingle in that way only something of a high quality can do. The bodywork is dense and well balanced front to back and that gives the illusion that it is not so heavy after all. There wasn’t anything startling on the spec sheet from LCT, no recoil system, no stop on empty feature, MOSFETs or anything fun. Okay it has 9mm bearings which is 1mm bigger than usual and 18AWG wiring that’s good. The only other notable thing I saw on the specification was the 6.03mm tightbore barrel as standard. The piston is polymer with metal teeth which is nice and everything else looked very standard. You could say old school…. The gearbox case was odd, a version 2 but it looks very much like a BOLT blow back gearbox case, yet there isn’t a blowback system installed in the LC3. Could be an OEM case from somewhere else I suspect. It’s all very standard-looking, much like the Classic Army version or maybe even the Tokyo Marui. The only key difference I’ve seen so far is the stunning build quality that I’m a little disappointed at on some levels. Weirdly the magazine is not quite the same as a TM G3 magazine, you can make them fit but they require a
tiny modification by bending the feed lips further in so that it seats correctly. That’s a little bit of an annoyance if I’m honest but not a total killer as I’m used to similar with AK magazines. There are nice touches like faux spot welds in the same places as the real versions and it’s this attention to detail that sets an LCT apart from the likes of Classic Army. The proof is in the pudding. You can have all the best looks in the world but if you can’t deliver the goods there is no point in even starting. The LC3 did not disappoint me in that regard, the tightbore and hop up combination seem to marry up very well and my shots were happily zinging out the barrel to the end of the 50 metre range. The barrel threading means silencers are always going to be an option but that will increase the length even more. One thing of note,
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ARMOURY LCT G3
possibly why it shot really well was LCT fit a small inner barrel collar. This helps reduce vibration down the inner barrel created from the gearbox and this increases accuracy considerably. In the game field you probably aren’t going to take any G3 indoors. They’re just a bit on the long side, I’m not saying it can’t be done but you won’t be doing yourself any favours trying to get around corners without poking someone’s eye out. I’ve done Catterick Garrison with Stirling Airsoft and a M14 many years ago, it was an amusing challenge but it wasn’t a fast-paced skirmish game so it worked quite well. 7.62mm magazine pouches are readily available as all the SR25s, M14 and similar have a closely sized magazine so there is a plentiful selection.
“WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE BOX YOU NOTICE HOW BLOODY HEAVY IT IS, JUST LIKE THE REAL VERSION. THE STEEL IS OILED AND SMELLS ALL GUN-LIKE, IT MAKES YOU TINGLE IN THAT WAY ONLY SOMETHING OF A HIGH QUALITY CAN DO.”
CONCLUSION
The LCT LC3 is a pricey beast at £440, that’s around £200 more than the Classic Army version was a while back. The CA version is full metal but it isn’t steel. The LCT is far better looking, heavier and more robust but £200 is a whole other rifle nearly. If you are hell-bent on the best looking replica then you can’t have anything less than the LCT version. If you just want a G3 to have a brief play with it might be on the steep side for you with that price tag. I love it, I really do and if I needed a G3 it is the one I’d go for, I just wished they had beefed up the package value with a MOSFET.
features Built Material: Steel / Nylon Fiber as per the real version Gear Box: 9mm bearing Motor: High-Torque Motor 25000rpm
Image: © Zinzinzibidi - own work, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Magazine: 140 Round G3 Style (not quite the same as a Marui) Length: 1026mm Barrel Length: 515mm ( Brass 6.03±0.01mm ) Weight: 4500g Muzzle Velocity: expected 350FPS/1.13J with 0.2g BBs 14mm CCQ thread RRP £440
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ARMOURY CLASSIC ARMY NEMESIS M LOK
CLASSIC ARMY NEMESIS JERRY NOONE TAKES A LOOK AT ONE OF THE VERY LATEST INCARNATIONS OF THE VENERABLE “AR/M4” FROM CLASSIC ARMY AND FINDS THAT THE HONG KONG MANUFACTURER HAS RE-UPPED THEIR GAME …SIGNIFICANTLY! SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE MY time playing airsoft has been far longer than it is and it’s amazing to me just how fast the pace of change goes in relation to our beloved RIFs. Not so long ago Tokyo Marui ruled the roost in terms of electric airsoft guns and although we loved our “TMs” (oh, how we loved them!), there was always the fact that they were essentially plastic toy guns, albeit with some mechanical wizardry going on inside! Then one memorable day in 2001 (if memory serves correct), one of the guys turned up onsite with a new M4 … and it was FULL METAL! Now I know that’s not so much of a thing these days, as you pretty much expect any airsoft replica that should be made of metal to be so but “back in the day” this was a revelation …although one that came at a price. Even
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though the very first Classic Army models sold at a premium, they were rock solid, had internals that were “TM Compatible”, were easy to work on and performed pretty darn well on the skirmish field. Suffice to say, that in short time the majority of players were running at least one “CA” and I think at one point I actually owned four, a couple for skirmishing and a couple that I’d be working on to upgrade further. The “CA” range grew and grew and soon pretty much any decent rifle or carbine model had a replica in their range. As my tastes for airsoft play changed over the years, Classic Army always had something for me; for “USSF” I had a MK16 (SCAR L) in a super flat tan colour, for ‘Nam games it was a pretty good, era-correct M16, closely followed by an XM177E2 and for CQB it was a CA-51 that, thanks to Fire Support, soon became a rather wonderful “MC-51 SBS” using the front end of a CA SD6. To give you some idea of the quality of the Classic Army range at that time, both the XM and the MC-51 are with me to this day and both still run like a dream! As ever though, a truly innovative and highly competitive market never stands still and as airsoft grew in popularity more and more brands from the Far East piled into the airsoft shops and appeared online. New manufacturers entered the market, not only with full metal AEGs but also with a vast array of barrel lengths and styles that would please any player. Still Classic Army was, as an established and trusted brand, at the forefront of things but, inexorably, their lead was whittled away. It was not a great time for the brand as for a number of years, apart from the odd design change here or there, what they offered was pretty much what it had always been. While other established manufacturers were heading in new directions with electronic blowback and then recoil mechanisms, CA produced solid, workmanlike AEGs but they were still deemed “pricey” as more keenly priced offerings bit even further into their market share. It actually got to a point for me that, although I loved the brand I wouldn’t bother going to see them at shows as I didn’t want to be disappointed. That changed at IWA 2016 when a number of retailers whose opinions I trust said to me “Have you seen Classic Army this year? You really should!”
ARMOURY CLASSIC ARMY NEMESIS M LOK
What I discovered was that finally CA were taking the initiative again and although very little was on display that year, they had “ideas” and by the time the 2017 show rolled around, in my opinion Classic Army were back with some fabulous new models and new technologies to boot!
DRIVEN TO EXCEL!
If you venture onto the main American Classic Army website you’ll find their company background and what is stated sums their new-found enthusiasm up for me. To quote: “Since 1999 Classic Army is a leading manufacturer of Airsoft products, setting standards for the entire industry. Classic Army produced the first full metal production M4 and MP5 AEGs. Classic Army built the first glass-filled nylon fibre AEG in their G36. Classic Army was the first to introduce a high-end SCAR AEG. Since inception, Classic Army has been an innovator in design and production of Airsoft guns for the collector and wargamer market, offering a wide selection of products to suit their customers’ tastes and needs. Through their years of experience and knowledge, Classic Army has developed their creed of Total Performance. “Total Performance product means delivering high quality product and optimal performance, at a superlative value. Total Performance support means fast and responsive service and one of the industry’s best warranties. Out of the box, Classic Army aims to deliver an exceptional experience to their customers.” It amazes me that for nearly my entire airsoft “career” Classic Army have been there, so at IWA 2017 I was duty bound to visit their stand and what I discovered absolutely delighted me! Yes, all their “classic” models were still very much in evidence but they were also showing their SCARABs and all-new NEMESIS lines and what I saw in the NEMESIS really
ticked an awful of boxes for me. The Classic Army Nemesis series of AEGs was designed from the ground up to give players an absolutely first rate AEG. Classic Army took the best parts of the SCARAB line and turned it into a carbine that’s ideal for either CQB or woodland play. The Nemesis I received for review is one of a number of designs but given that I seem to have gravitated from short-barrelled AEGs, to more “recon length” models, I specifically asked for the 14” M LOK version. Externally, the upper and lower receiver are made from CNC aluminium which gives you a super aggressive and right up to the minute “billet” look and this also helps to make sure
“THE CLASSIC ARMY NEMESIS SERIES OF AEGS WAS DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP TO GIVE PLAYERS AN ABSOLUTELY FIRST RATE AEG. CLASSIC ARMY TOOK THE BEST PARTS OF THE SCARAB LINE AND TURNED IT INTO A CARBINE THAT’S IDEAL FOR EITHER CQB OR WOODLAND PLAY.” www.airsoft-action.online
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that both receivers match up perfectly. The handguard was custom designed in-house by members of Classic Army USA and at the back end you’ll find a slick, sturdy three position PDW style stock. Internally, the Nemesis has a 9mm bearing gearbox, a brand new Electronic Control System (ECS), a 6.03mm tightbore barrel and a quick change spring system. The ECS not only protects your trigger contacts but also has a trigger programmable for a three or five round burst fire function; in total you can actually have FIVE different shooting settings, which are succinctly explained in the (English) instruction manual that come with each AEG. The ECS will also detect low battery voltage and turn off power to the mech which can ultimately mean a non-damaged AEG; this is a massive step forward to Classic Army and I have to say hats off for this!
“GIVEN THE LONG TIGHTBORE INNER BARREL, THE NEMESIS OFFERS PHENOMENAL RANGE AND ACCURACY AND THE SETUP OF STOCK, ERGONOMIC PISTOL GRIP AND THE LOVELY SMOOTH RAIL MAKES IT EASY TO SHOULDER AND SHOOT.”
ON TARGET!
Through the chrono the Nemesis was absolutely spot-on for the UK (registering a really friendly 0.89 Joule/310fps using 0.20g BBs) and spits out 900-1000rpm using a 11.1V LiPo battery. Classic Army recommend that you should use a 20C LiPo irrelevant of voltage, as anything higher than 25C will cause damage to the electronic components. The Nemesis does have a true quick change spring system that you can access without having to take out the gearbox, so that you can quickly and easily upgrade or downgrade your spring to change the power level, although personally I would happily leave it as stock. The Nemesis has a nice long M LOK handguard featuring a lightweight skeleton design. This means that you can save some weight so that as you accessorise you don’t weigh yourself down too much (back to the “recon rifle” concept…). Sadly there are no rail sections as part of the package but these are easily sourced these days. This AEG screams for a long range magnified optic but it does come with flip-up metal “irons” front at rear, so even from the box you are good to go. The sliding PDW stock is pretty comfortable and the battery compartment is easily accessed by simply unscrewing the cover that sits beneath the stock. Both the pistol grip and 300BB Hi-Cap magazine are “in house” designs but they are both attractive and effective. Given the long tightbore inner barrel, the Nemesis offers phenomenal range and accuracy and the setup of stock, ergonomic pistol grip and the lovely smooth rail makes it easy to shoulder and shoot. At the extent of my 30m test range it was easy to hit dinner-plate steels each and every time with the iron sights and I believe that adding a well-zeroed optic would enhance this further. In conclusion this is a REALLY nice AEG; I don’t often use this phrase but I would go as far as saying it’s a very, very elegant rifle and one that performs superbly straight out of the box. The attention to detail, right down to unique serial numbers and a great “.223/5.56 Stars and Stripes” emblem on the dust cover is stunning and the build quality is solid as a rock. With the Nemesis I honestly feel that Classic Army have got everything right and with an asking price of £335.00 I think it’s great value for what is on offer. Classic Army… welcome back old friends! For more information on the 14” M LOK Nemesis, along with other models and the entire Classic Army range, please do pay a visit to www.fire-support.co.uk
Tech Specs Colour: Black Main Material: Metal and Polymer Min. Length: 790mm Max. Length: 890mm Inner Barrel Length: 415 mm Weight: 3.2kg Gearbox: 9mm bearing gearbox Battery: 7.4V/11.1V LiPo battery Max 20C (not supplied) Power (.20g BB): 0.89 Joule/310fps
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event WAR AND PEACE REVIVAL 2017
WAR & PEACE R EVERY SUMMER THERE’S ONE MAJOR EVENT THAT BILL THOMAS LOOKS FORWARD TO WITHOUT FAIL AND THAT’S THE MIGHTY WAR & PEACE REVIVAL THAT TAKES PLACE IN KENT. THE WAR & PEACE REVIVAL, or simply “W&P” as most of us refer to it, for me is a massively social event and given its standing as probably the biggest event of its kind in Europe, it’s a show that brings friends from all corners of the UK and further afield to my little corner of the world. It’s a chance for me to reconnect with the many friends I have in the reenactment community, many of whom are avid airsofters too and to get together for a good old chin-wag with players I know from around the country who make the trip down each year to enjoy everything the show has on offer. For the past couple of years the show was relegated to Folkestone but this year saw the return of hundreds of military vehicles to the “cultural home” of the show, at The Hop Farm in Paddock Wood. There were tanks, artillery, armoured and amphibious vehicles, cars, Jeeps, bicycles and motorbikes, emergency and commercial vehicles to view, all of them fully decked out. The owners put massive effort into their vehicles, equipment and uniforms to ensure that as much as humanly possible is 100% period correct, so if you’re in need of inspiration, or need reference pictures for a certain loadout this is most definitely the show to visit! For those that are unfamiliar with the War & Peace Revival, it’s a five-day military and vintage festival at The Hop Farm that is packed full of education and entertainment. Visitors to W&P will be able to catch up with friends while watching the incredible
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action-packed battle re-enactments; these are not just groups of people running around playing soldiers but full-scale choreographed battles that give you a taste of the action with blank firers and heaps of pyro helping to recreate “The Fog of War”! The Living History encampments are superbly impressive too and provide a unique picture of life in conflict, with depictions from WW1 to the present day. You can see the British “squaddies” living in trenches and “bashas”, GIs in Vietnam with their “tracks” and helicopters (“Get to the Choppa”!), Russians relaxing with an accordion after a hard day in Afghanistan, or WWII Germans plotting their next moves. At all times though, the re-enactors abide by a strict moral code in their displays. Trade stalls give collectors and shoppers the opportunity to browse through marquees packed full of treasures including militaria, antiquities, vehicle parts, books, memorabilia, clothing and uniforms and all manner of essential finds for the discerning enthusiast - quite literally everything from a shirt button to a tank! This year, with the change of venue the airsoft scene was a little quieter than 2016 but it was great
event WAR AND PEACE REVIVAL 2017
to see the likes of Dave from TAG Airsoft, along with Airsoft World who are regular attendees. From the gaming side there were numerous sites with displays this year and it was great fun to catch up with Josh from Gunman; the show is one of the few days of the year I can actually pin him down for a chat! It was great this year to see the guys from ZED Adventures locally and the team from the NAE, who were busy drumming up trade and educating people about both the event and airsoft in general. I had a chance to get together with other members of my airsoft OPFOR group “Guerillas in the Mist” and no War & Peace would be complete without our annual pilgrimage to visit the stand of Cold War Collectables for AK parts and whose show stopper this year was a missile pod from a HIND helicopter! For those who want a little more glamour in their lives, there was plenty of style in the Vintage Village, a dedicated area for all things vintage and an exciting focus to the “Peace” element of the show’s title. There was the Victory Marquee with all its elegance bringing the 1940s to life with the best in entertainment from the mid-20th Century and the Market
Place with its host of world class dealers in historical fashion, homewares and civilian memorabilia. A high point for me in this area is always the Spitfire on display and for those who do prefer the real thing, full-sized real aircraft take to the air to give impressive displays and flypasts evocative of the Battle of Britain. Once heard, the sound of those Merlin engines will never be forgotten!
RE-ENACTMENT AND BARGAIN HUNTING!
I’m a bit of an “old-timer” to the show these days so I thought it only fitting to get the perspective of other friends to give you a real “feel” for things. First up is my great mate Tom Legg, who attendees to Vietnam and Cold war themed games will know well as a fine and honourable airsofter. Tom summed things up for me by saying after the show: “Back in July, my wife, Joe and our friends Andy and Steph and their 9 month old William, made our annual pilgrimage to show. However this year was something of a first for me as I attended not only as an airsofter, general bargain hunter and vehicle exhibitor but also as a re-enactor. “In the past I’ve taken my own military land rovers to W&P but last year I sold my trusty old Defender leaving us without a vehicle to exhibit. Thankfully Andy was able to secure the use of a 1973 Series 3 Land Rover Ambulance which had been formerly used at Dunsfold Aerodrome and is now owned by
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2017
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event WAR AND PEACE REVIVAL 2017
Brooklands Museum. With all of us being staff or volunteers at the Museum it was great fun to be able take the Landy to the show and “stretch its legs”, particularly when Joe took it around the arena during the emergency services display!” Aside from visiting the various excellent re-enactment groups like the guys and girls of “Three Sixty History” and their award winning Black Hawk Down display and seeing military vehicles of all shapes and sizes (and at W&P you will see pretty much everything from folding bicycles made for paratroopers to the largest of Main Battle Tanks, from mine resistant trucks to amphibious jeeps and everything in between), one of the highlights for me about the show is the traders area. There may not have been quite as many stalls this year compared to previous and many of the traders from across the channel really seem to be charging top dollar for their wares but I still think W&P is the best place to pick up a myriad of bargains. And boy, do I like to find a bargain! This year I set myself a limit of £150 to spend in the stalls. I didn’t really have big ticket items on my shopping list year but I did want to get a whole host of things to finish off various airsoft impression and loadouts. So armed with fistful of money and an empty pack I wandered around picking through every “pound pile” and every jammed-packed clothing rail and rummaging through heaps of “junk” to find the goodies I was after…a British DPM artic windproof smock for £15? Check! A dummy pineapple grenade for my WWII USMC gear? Check (and only £10)! A pair of US woodland BDU trousers, ALICE ammo pouch and silent sling for £6? Check! A copy of “Chickenhawk”, an excellent book about helicopter pilots in Vietnam for £1? Check! And so on and so on. A good friend of mine, Neil, has always said that you could turn up to W&P butt naked but with a wallet full of cash and by the time you’ve walked through the traders area you could be totally kitted out with uniforms, boots, helmets, webbing, weapons (both airsoft and deact) and even a military vehicle - and still have money left over for fish and chips! And while I wasn’t butt naked, thankfully this year’s shopping trips didn’t disappoint at all! So, all in all W&P 2017 was a fantastic show. Yes, it rained at some point pretty much every day and yes, the toilets where a bit iffy at times but with everything there is to see and do (the music marquees and the author pavilions are also must visits in my opinion), the show seems to get better each year. Long may it continue! 26
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AIRSOFT AND EVEN MORE BARGAINS!
The War & Peace revival is actually very “pro-airsoft” and as I mentioned earlier it was super to see local sites really “flying the BB flag”. My good friend Jez Armstrong, owner and chief magic maker at Strongarm Airsoft was there helping the team from ZED Adventures and had this to tell me of his 2017 experience. “For me W&P 2017 was another brilliant show not only as a buyer but as a trader too. This time I went along and set up shop with Tony from ZED Adventures Battle Lakes to help promote the site and what better way to do it than to get all dressed up in our gear and hand out flyers! We had a pitch set up with the Battle Lakes truck inside it, which was a brilliant centre piece and attracted many people who took photos of it and admired all the kit we had laid out, along with props and maps and an artillery gun right at the front with twin mortar tubes beside it. “There were many traders this year and I was also happy to see the War & Peace Show back at the Hop Farm; obviously as a massive lover of airsoft I was in and out of stalls and tents like a tramp on chips searching for bargains and I am never disappointed as this year I came home with many goodies including a pair of MP5 (one of them a REAL find!) and some superb Hawaiian shirts! “We set up camp behind the stall and invited our ladies Katie and Sam to stay with us and got them all dressed up in their gear to help hand out flyers too. The night life was brilliant; you are never too far away from a music tent and beer and a bunch of guys dressed as WWII Storm Troopers willing to do the Macarena (the mind boggles!) and obviously we were all dressed up in our new Hawaiian shirts and the girls were in their vintage dresses looking very sharp! “The re-enactment area was amazing as always, so many cool vehicles including tanks, cars and bikes and self-dug trenches; people were laying in these and drinking tea and having an all-round giggle and every hour or so the tanks would roll into the arena and start blasting off rounds as they took part in some great and very noisy battles! “All in all it’s definitely worth a visit for having a good shop around for kit you might need or might not need! There are plenty of airsoft stalls such as Airsoft World, TAG Airsoft and Gunman Airsoft all selling rifles and parts and bits that made me go ‘Ooooh!’” With all things considered and as a visitor I have to say that The Hop Farm is a bit more of a “faff” than Folkestone to get to, the 2017 show was obviously a huge success and sets the foundation for years to come I hope. Everyone I spoke to was glad to be “home”. Next year’s War & Peace Revival is already scheduled for Tuesday 24th to Saturday 28th July 2018 at The Hop Farm Family Park, Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood, Kent and I hope to see even more airsofters there than ever before!
Special Feature VICTORIA CROSS HEROES: VOLUME II
THE BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE LORD ASHCROFT OWNS AND PROTECTS THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF VICTORIA CROSS MEDALS IN THE WORLD. HERE HE TELLS US HOW THIS COLLECTION CAME ABOUT AND THE BACKGROUND TO HIS NEW BOOK, VICTORIA CROSS HEROES: VOLUME II. MY INTEREST IN BRAVERY dates back more than 60 years to when I was a small boy. My late father, Eric, was a modest man but, when I was about ten, he finally agreed to tell me about his own role in the Second World War. After war broke out in September 1939, he was one of the first young men to enlist, joining the South Lancashire Regiment. However, he did not see action until the summer of 1944, when he arrived on Sword Beach as part of the D-Day landings. My father described how, as a young lieutenant and in the build-up to the D-Day landings, he and other officers had been briefed to expect 75 per cent casualties – dead and wounded – as they landed in Normandy.
“I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT INSPIRATIONAL DEEDS OF VALOUR AND SELF-SACRIFICE SHOULD BE CHAMPIONED AND NEVER FORGOTTEN.” 28
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At dawn on 6 June 1944, my father found himself in a small, vulnerable landing craft crashing through the waves in the English Channel. He portrayed a vivid picture of how the landing craft were filled with the real smell of vomit and the metaphorical smell of fear. As the British forces arrived on the beach, they raced forwards confronted by heavy machine-gun fire. Among the early casualties was the commanding officer, a colonel, who was shot dead at my father’s side. My father was hit by shrapnel, receiving serious injuries to his back and one of his arms. However, he fought on until, wounded and weary, he was ordered from the battlefield to receive medical treatment. As a schoolboy, I felt enormous pride that my father had been so courageous in the heat of battle. Some time later, I first heard of something called the “Victoria Cross”. I knew that it was a bravery award but little else, however, my long fascination with the VC and the heroics of its recipients was born. The Victoria Cross (VC) was instituted by a Royal Warrant
Special Feature VICTORIA CROSS HEROES: VOLUME II
from Queen Victoria, announced on January 29th 1856 that laid down 15 “rules and ordinances”. It thereby became the first British decoration that could be awarded to any serviceman irrespective of rank. Ever since then, the “VC”, as it quickly became known, has become established as Britain and the Commonwealth’s premier award for gallantry in the face of the enemy. Over the past 161 years, the VC has been awarded on 1,358 Captain Noel Chavasse VC and Bar, MC. occasions, including to the American “Unknown Warrior”. Among this total is the award of three “Bars” (a second VC to the same individual). The more I read about the VC, the more interested I became in it. Even when I was frantically busy pursuing a career as an entrepreneur, I found time to read the occasional book on the VC. Gradually, my general passion for bravery transformed into one for gallantry medals in particular. Such medals are the tangible record of an individual’s service and courage. When I was in my early 20s, I decided that one day I, if my financial position allowed it, would purchase a VC that was offered for sale at auction and in July 1986, shortly after my 40th birthday and by then a self-made businessman, I was the successful bidder for a VC that had been awarded to Leading Seaman James Magennis for bravery at the end of the Second World War. This successful purchase was initially intended as a oneoff but I soon resolved to start a VC collection. Today, I have amassed a collection of more than 200 VCs, which is, by some margin, the largest in the world. As the collection grew, I wanted to bring the decorations to a wider audience. As a result of a great deal of behind-thescenes discussion, I was able to announce in the summer of 2008 that I had given a substantial donation to enable the collection to go on display at a new gallery. “The Lord Ashcroft Gallery” (LAG) at the Imperial War Museum (IWM) was opened by HRH The Princess Royal in November 2010 to house my VC and George Cross (GC) collection, along with VCs and GCs in the care of the IWM. Through my medal collection, the LAG, lecturing and my books on gallantry, I now do all I can to champion acts of great bravery. My first book on bravery, Victoria Cross Heroes, was published in 2006 to mark the 150th anniversary of the VC. Since then I have written a further five books on gallantry: my most recent offering, Victoria Cross Heroes Volume II, will be published in paperback on November 9, two days before Armistice Day. After giving some basic information on the VC and how I built up my collection, the book tells the stories behind nearly 60 VC recipients – the medal groups that I purchased in the decade after Victoria Cross Heroes was published. I firmly believe that inspirational deeds of valour and self-sacrifice should be championed and never forgotten. My latest books contain many accounts of extraordinary bravery by soldiers, sailors and airmen spanning nearly a century – from the Crimean War of 1854-56 to the Second World War of 1939-45 and just after. Perhaps the most astonishing story in the book is that of Captain Noel Chavasse VC and Bar, MC. Chavasse, a doctor serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), was the
only man to be awarded two VCs during the Great War. His first VC was announced on October 26th 1916 for his bravery at the Battle of the Somme. It was estimated that by searching for and treating wounded soldiers close to the frontline, Chavasse saved the lives of more than 20 men, before being wounded himself. Chavsse’s second VC was announced on September 14th 1917 for his gallantry during the Battle of Passchendaele, also known as “the Third Battle of Ypres”. During heavy fighting in Belgium, Chavasse once again saved many lives treating the wounded just yards from the frontline. However, his second award was, sadly, a posthumous one: for Chavasse was fatally wounded on August 2nd, having already received several serious injuries during three days of fighting from July 31st. Chavasse, the son of the Bishop of Liverpool, died on August 4th 1917, aged 32, but only after dictating a final letter to his fiancée and cousin, Gladys Chavasse, in which he said that “duty called and called me to obey”. There were countless tributes to Chavasse’s immense courage. Sir Henry Willink, who knew both Noel Chavasse and his twin brother Christopher, wrote home to his mother, saying: “He [Noel Chavasse] is said to have earned the V.C. four times that day. His family may feel that in him England has lost one of the most saintly and one of the most devotedly gallant of her sons. He was a most wonderful chap.” My new book is crammed full of similar stories of immense bravery by men whose courage still sends a shiver down my spine. I am donating every penny of author’s royalties to military charities so anyone buying the book will be supporting good causes, while at the same time learning about nearly 60 men who deserve to be described as “the bravest of the brave”. Editor’s note: It can’t be too often that an airsoft magazine is approached with reference to publishing an article written by a peer of the realm and I am honoured and delighted that Airsoft Action was chosen. On a personal note, in an age where “celebrities” sitting on a stagemanaged set in a “jungle”, or staying in a house full of pretentious “wannabes” is considered “brave”, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of what true bravery actually is. So please, when Lord Ashcroft’s book is published, go buy a copy and help him to continue to support those that deserve our utmost thanks and profound respect.
Win a signed copy of Victoria Cross Heroes Volume II Lord Ashcroft has graciously agreed to provide a signed copy of Victoria Cross Heroes Volume II as prize to be won by one lucky Airsoft Action reader. For more information how to enter, turn to page 81.
Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is a businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. Victoria Cross Heroes Volume II is published in paperback on November 9. For more information, visit www.victoriacrossheroes2.com For details about Lord Ashcroft’s VC collection, visit www.lordashcroftmedals.com. For more information on Lord Ashcroft’s work, visit www.lordashcroft.com. Follow him on Twitter: @LordAshcroft
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feature LONGBOW BBS
WHAT’S THE OPPOSITE OF SHORT AND FIRES ARROWS? LONGBOW! GEORAGA TAKES AIM AND FIRES OFF A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AT THE NEW HEAVYWEIGHT BB SPECIALIST ON THE BLOCK.
S B B
HEAVY WEIGHT
SNIPING… NO, NOT THE LAST second, out-bidding, auction stealing CHEATERS from eBay (can you feel the burning resentment?)... no, sniping in airsoft! In the last two years, thanks in part to the mainstream popularity of YouTube snipers like Novritsch, sniping has not only come back into fashion but it’s soaring interest has led to the emergence of several specialist companies, dedicated to heavy weight BBs and sniper-specific essentials. As some of you know, I was brought on board the Airsoft Action bandwagon to cover events and companies in and around Essex and the east of England. One such company is a relatively new kid on the block who’s been making a name for themselves… specifically… Longbow BBs. I went and met up with Jason who founded the company earlier this year and had a chat in his back garden over a few cups of tea and some... well... melty biscuits... before I took home a sample of the heavyweight bbs to test. I’ve actually played alongside Jason at local sites for several years, he’s an experienced airsoft sniper and has played for about 10 years but his venture into the retail sector still caught me by surprise. This being the case, I’m always interested in finding out why people set up airsoft companies; it’s a notoriously difficult industry to crack and an arena where many factors can affect the success of your business. One of the things that came up in our chat is that they seem to have spawned not from a lack of quality on the market but a lack of quantity – and I find
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that quite refreshing. In a world where fierce competition is engrained into the very fabric of society, I like the idea that a company is set up for the little guy, not just to succeed in industry but to put the needs of the airsofter first. Of course Longbow wouldn’t be the first company to do this, but the more the merrier in my mind. “The market needed another heavyweight BB that’s available [..] I mean I’ve played for 10 years and used to buy a competitor’s BBs and they’re good but it became tiresome trying to get in there first to get your BBs before they ran out of stock. Without BBs, you’ve got nothing to shoot. So after that I saw an entry into the market and I thought let’s do it. “It’s not about lining the pockets as much as you can, obviously yes, every business needs to make money in order to continue to progress but it’s about making sure that the customer is getting the most out of their purchase. This whole thing with free postage for example, it’s because we’ve bartered hard to get a good deal and now, because we can do that for the player, we will do that and we’re probably going to make it a permanent thing.” Jason is referring to a promotion for free UK shipping and 50% international shipping that they’re running until the end of 2017 (although he did say they might make it permanent... and he said it ON THE RECORD... THE FOOL!) With 4 weights of BBs currently in stock (0.4, 0.43, 0.45 and 0.5 gram, all the bottle caps of which are colour coded),
Feature LONGBOW BBS
another 2 weights on the horizon, plus the BIO alternatives for each weight and now an official Silverback stockist focusing on SRS upgrades; I’m surprised to see how far Longbow have already come since their inception back in April earlier this year. Stocked in around 12 retailers both in the UK and internationally, they seem to have quickly built a name for themselves. Now if you’re like me, you try and be a bit optimistic but with a hint of skepticism. That way we give new companies a chance to prove their worth but also an opportunity for feedback should there need to be improvements. This being the case I wondered, after such a rapid expansion, how did Longbow choose their products and how do they continue to ensure that me and you, the customers, are getting high quality ammo? He took me through their process… “Well you get samples from as many companies as you can, that was the longest part of the process and then you test each of them. You cut them open, check for air pockets, you put them in a bag in your car boot so you know it’s going to get hot with the sun beaming down; you know, you really put them through their stresses and then you test them again; you measure them, you weigh them and see if they’ve taken on a load of water in case they go from being a 0.45g BB to a 0.6g and then once you’re happy with a certain BB you run it through different rifles because we all know that the same BB could be brilliant in your rifle, but crap in mine. So we ran them through an SRS, a VSR, an MSR and we found that one sample we got were just consistent and absolutely brilliant.” Testing BBs like Jason did is something that many, more serious airsoft snipers do themselves. If you use heavyweight ammo, I’d say 0.36g and above, you’re likely to spend a decent amount of time tuning your rifle, zeroing your scope and testing consistently to find the right weight to match your weapon and setup preferences and then again, readjusting before each game you play. Just as you care about the rifle you shoot, you also care about the BB you shoot; considering this, you’ll probably have done some similar comparisons between brands to make sure you’re getting the right bang for that usually higher buck! There’s nothing more annoying than forking out those extra pounds on ammo that is supposed to give you a more consistent shot but you instead, line an enemy up in your sights with zero wind, pull the trigger and watch your BB fly way off to the side and alert your target to the fact that they’re under fire. We all know that not every BB is going to be a pin-point
perfect shot, there are just too many variables to take into account but what we do want from the ammo we use is the most consistency possible. You’ll be glad to know that I also did some of these tests, the week-long exposure to air and water separately didn’t see an increase in diameter and after cutting several BBs in half, I didn’t find any air pockets. Each was nicely polished and firing down range at a target 30 metres away gave us a 2.5inch spread with 2 BBs extending to the 4-5inch marks (10 shots on a windy day). I used my stock King Arms Blaser R93 that shoots at 425fps with Longbow’s 0.40g BBs. In layman’s terms, we’re looking for a BB that reduces the variables affecting our shots as much as possible, which means that each BB loaded into our hop-up chamber should be the same as the last and react in a similar fashion. If you’re using an entry level sniper rifle like the WELL MB-04 or the JG (AGM) Type96 and it’s completely stock, you’re PROBABLY not going to be too fussed about using heavier weights and if you do, you’re less likely to go to the
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Feature LONGBOW BBS
lengths needed to get the best out of these BBs. I call them the “I-want-to-try-out-sniping-snipers”. I don’t want to make too many assumptions but I know that back in my early days when I used those entry level rifles and I was that new slick kid sniping genius, in reality it was more about the experience of sniping rather than the efficiency of the shot; and throughout the testing of these BBs, that theory may have been reinforced... but that’s for another discussion. In order to test them properly, over a few game days I’ve also given them out to other players and run them through different rifles for a more rounded view so that I’m not the sole word on how they perform. I found that those that knew how to use them properly, used them well. Those that didn’t get good results, tended not to make many adjustments to their set-up and therefore lacked getting any decent performance from them. One of the folks I did run into at Dragon’s Lair one game day was James Bailey. KickingMustang on social media, James is a prominent airsoft sniper in the UK, who hosts live Instagram Q&A’s focused entirely around sniping and runs his own Sniper Ops days; I know he’s a player I can trust to not only use them but know how to use them well. I asked him about his experience with Longbows after the games because I found out that he has actively compared them to others on the market. He has high regards for several other brands and his answer didn’t surprise me as I tend to agree (bit of a spoiler there). “We need ammo we can rely on. All the top sniper ops guys
I know use Longbows and I think that says it all really. We need a top-grade BB and Longbows are up there with the best of them”. What’s interesting is that he’s essentially backing up the idea that the heavyweight market has always had retailers producing a superb quality and I don’t think it’s a bad thing for the player that a new source of high quality ammo has emerged. “Obviously as a start-up, you send out samples and you say ‘this is what I’ve got, I’m sending you these for you to use; if you’d like to review them great it’d be fantastic but you don’t have to […] and you don’t have to do an online or official review, if you think they’re crap, tell me they’re crap and we can try and sort out what the problem is. “I’m not going to ever say “our BBs are always perfect” because they can’t be, so if there is a problem, I look at the batch number and get in touch with our manufacturer and they do an internal investigation to see what changed to cause imperfections. Then I send a replacement to the customer and make sure they’re happy.” At this point in the conversation I look down to see that there’s no more tea and no more biscuits. Clearly that means the conversation is over. We all know without a cuppa and a bicky, the world around us could soon crumble like a soggy digestive in the bottom of a deep deep mug... so... before that happens... it’s time to get the hell out of jammy dodger! If you’re interested in trying out Longbow BBs you can find a couple of URL addresses to their pages in the “Who? Where?” box and if you do by any chance test them out we’d definitely like to hear what YOU think over Longbow BBs on our facebook page (facebook.com/ www.longbowbb.co.uk AirsoftAction). We are after all, all about the players and Facebook.com/longbowbb that... unless it isn’t... is you!
Who? Where?
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Team Profile RO8
AIRSOFTERS ARE PEOPLE FROM all walks of life; many of them have interesting jobs in the outside world. I managed to catch up with a team made up from members of the crew from HMS Queen Elizabeth, the new aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. She isn’t in service yet but has just completed the first of her contractor sea trials before officially being handed over to the Royal Navy. The crew on board are a mixture of civilian contractors, Royal Navy sailors and Officers taking the ship through its paces and the required tests that any ship, military or not, has to go through. Later she will get commissioned into the Royal Navy as a war ship and fly the ensign as the flag ship of the Royal Navy. As the ship was being built the crew were gathered and started training and working together in Rosyth, Scotland. During this time a couple of crew members who are airsofters looked around the local area for the nearest airsoft site. After a couple of skirmishes the guys started to spark the interest of
other fellow crew members that were airsofters too. Soon they had a team of six from a few different trades in the Royal Navy. Able Seaman (AB) Stephen Rogers (SR), AB David Evans (DE), AB Edward Jones (EJ), AB Tom McGuire, AB Thomas Hood and Engineering Technician Kristie Perkins (KP). They started to skirmish together and soon discovered that their training and job helped them work well as a team and aided their tactics and game play in the field. I had a chance to talk to four of them; here is what they had to say… IGGY: Tell us a little about yourself, name, job title and job description? DE: “I am Able Seaman (Warfare Specialist) David “Crash” Evans, I’m a Warfare Specialist being streamed down the tactical route (which means working with RADARs). It’s my job in peacetime to keep an eye on the RADAR returns and inform the officers on the bridge of what’s around us to aid in ship safety and collision avoidance. In the event of hostilities, it’s my
NOT YOUR AVERA G IOAN “IGGY” ROBERTS RECENTLY SPENT SOME TIME ABOARD THE ROYAL NAVY’S LATEST AIRCRAFT CARRIER, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, WHERE HE MET A TEAM OF LIKE-MINDED AIRSOFTERS.
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Team Profile RO8
A GE 9–5
job to identify and classify those returns to build up a complete picture of what’s around the ship and hopefully spot the bad guys before they spot us and then keep tabs on them.” KP: “My name is Kristy Perkins, I’m an Engineering Technician (Weapons Engineer). My job is to fix and maintain all weapons, sonar, radar and communication systems onboard. Basically it involves maintaining any system that makes a ship a fighting ship and not a civilian ship. If it’s a radar, we fix it! If it’s a weapon system, we fix it! If it’s toilet, we don’t! The marine engineers fix them!” EJ: “I am an Able Seaman, Seaman Specialist (Sea Spec) Edward “Indie” Jones; my job consists of working with ropes to bring the ship alongside, steering the ship while at sea, tactical communications on the bridge including Morse code and flags, acting as the ship’s response force, working in the sea boat as a Cox’n and Bowman and also a member of the boarding party on some ships.” SR: “My name is Stephen “Taff” Rogers, I too am a Sea Spec the same as Indie.” IGGY - What’s it like living on board? DE: “Living on board is both a blessing and a curse. On the upside, we get extra pay for being at sea, and the bonds you make with your fellow shipmates become much stronger, with everyone working together and supporting each other. On the downside, it’s very easy to forget what colours are, everything becomes various shades of grey but then you go up to the flight deck and suddenly everything seems so bright.” KP: “It’s different. You are limited with what you can do when it comes to accessing the internet, when you can and can’t sleep, when you can go out for a drink. That said, there’s nothing like being able to work through the day in one place, go to bed overnight and wake up in a completely different place the next morning. Plus, you get to see sights you never would in any other job. It’s hard and tiring at times but there is a decent pay off in the end.” IGGY- How long have you been in the Royal Navy? DE: “I’ve been in for just over 2 years.” KP: “About 4 and a half years.” EJ: “I have been in the Navy for 3 years.” SR: “I have been in roughly 10 years.” IGGY - How long have you been involved in Airsoft? DE: “I’ve been playing airsoft for just over a year. I played my
first game in Portsmouth in the UCAP Bunker and it’s there that I realised how much I needed ear defenders. (I got into a corner and the only way the opposing team could get me out was by the judicious application of grenades. Confined concrete spaces, plus four loud bangs, do not make for a happy set of ears!).” EJ: “I started playing airsoft on and off since I was 14-15 years old. I had to stop when I initially joined the Navy but I started playing again about a year ago when I found a local site and some likeminded people in my ship and convinced them to start playing.” IGGY - What kit do you have? Loadout? KP: “Various, in varying amounts. I do CQB, as well as woodland and outdoor games and so my kit can vary from game to game quite a bit. As for guns, currently I have around 40 but at the moment I tend to be running a Warrior assault systems recon plate carrier and battle belt, an old LCT AS VAL as my primary, a TM Desert Eagle as my secondary for outdoor games. For CQB I’m using a Viper battle belt, with a pair of Hwasan double barrel sawn-off shotguns as my primaries, with my secondary being a Cybergun FN FNX 45.” SR: “At the moment I am running with a Tokyo Marui (TM) 4.3 Hi-capa, G&G keymod M4 and a TM MP7. During most games, I wear the standard MTP clothing but I’m trying to broaden my loadout options.” IGGY - Where have you skirmished? KP: “When on ship in Portsmouth, I go to UCAP’s “The Bunker”, and their “Greenops” site. When at home, I use R.I.F.T. airsoft’s “Com site 3”. More recently though, I’ve been using “The Fortress”, all the way up in Kirkcaldy. All these sites are so friendly and have a really good atmosphere to play at.”
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Team Profile RO8
EJ: “When the ship was based in Rosyth, Scotland, I played at the Fortress run by Airsoft World. Back home I skirmish at Ground Zero and the various sites run by Combat South.” IGGY - Do you skirmish as a team? DE: “We try to skirmish as much as possible as a team but it’s hard to get everyone together at once. When we do all find the time, our experience at the sites is much better. We also go alone when we are at home or if no one else is available and it may be a site that is new to us.” SR: “I wouldn’t say we play as a team, however, we have played together for a few games now. Our intention is to set up an official “HMS Queen Elizabeth” team; although there are a few more hoops to jump through before we become fully official.” IGGY - Where do you keep your kit? SR: “At the moment I keep my kit at home but we’re talking to various people on board to get permission to store our gear in the ship’s armoury. That’s going to be great for when we sail over to the US next year!” EJ: “At the moment I keep all my kit at home, scattered around my room. Once we get to Portsmouth, I intend on building a gun rack and shelves on my wall. Storing everything on the ship will be great; that way we can play wherever we sail to.” IGGY- Has being in the military helped with airsoft gameplay? KP: “On a couple of occasions, yes. There has been a couple of instances where working as team, with someone who also has knowledge of the proper way to check and clear rooms of armed combatants, definitely helps. The biggest help though, in my personal opinion, is just knowing a bit more about situational awareness. So many times I’ve been part of a team that has just walked past an open door in the dark that they never noticed was there, normally with someone waiting for them inside. Also, the amount of times a small group of us will be trying to quietly outflank the enemy but there’s always that one guy that decides to have a loud conversation with everyone and then complains that they knew where we were. My favourite is the guy that in CQB, insists upon walking up behind you with their torch on, even in well lit rooms, silhouetting your shadow against the wall, so the enemy know how many of you are in there …and exactly where you are!”
DE: “It’s certainly given me an eye-opener as to which tactics work and which don’t. You can really tell when someone has been through military training. You all start to think in the same way and some things are done without the need of instruction. It was great to see Indie, Taff and myself all doing fire and manoeuvre drills without any of us being conscious we were doing it!” IGGY - Looking towards the future, do you intend on remaining as a team? Any big game plans? DE: “The long term plan for all of us I think is to roll out the team to the wider Navy and maybe then have a team per ship. I’m personally very happy to stay as a team with the guys. We work well together and we have a good laugh. Things are taken seriously, but not without forgetting that we are playing BB WARZ!” IGGY - Who organises the visits to various airsoft sites etc? DE: “I organised for four of us to go to the NAE this year. Other than that, we don’t really have a set person to organise outings. It’s more a case of, “Hey, I’m going to airsoft this weekend who’s in?”” EJ: “I for one have always been up for going but it is often dependant on who has a car. Now we are back in Portsmouth I will have my car so I will be going most weekends and will be able to take the team if they are available.” HMS Queen Elizabeth is alongside in Portsmouth until later this year when she sails for her next set of sea trails. Next year she will be sailing to the United States to trial and train using the F35-B, LightningII jets. Until then you may see the lads from the team in sites along the south coast of England and later, who knows where the team will end up.
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Inside Airsoft SOCOM TACTICAL
LES LEE DOESN’T HAVE TO GO TOO FAR TO VISIT ONE OF THE SOUTH’S PREMIUM AIRSOFT RETAILERS, THAT HAS BECOME A BIT OF A SPECIALIST IN HARD-TO-FIND AIRSOFT PRODUCTS.
SOCOM TACTICAL A FEW YEARS AGO, in a woodland not too far away in deepest Hampshire, I was merrily snapping away with my camera and absorbing the action at a great site called Badlands, when I started chatting to some pretty cool guys who clearly know their stuff. It wasn’t until the lunch break that I found out why these fellas knew their onions because they were also running the site shop, called SOCOM Tactical. Of course, being an avid airsoft guns and gear predator, I thoroughly checked out the toys on offer and found that for an on-site shop, there was a pretty damn good selection of essentials, non-essentials and consumables on display and with fair prices to match. This did capture my interest but I was there to review the site and thus the site shop faded from memory, until I started seeing their adverts and postings on social media, which had me wondering “should I have investigated SOCOM Tactical a little further?” When Nige asked me if I could travel to Fleet and report for an “Inside Airsoft” feature, that sealed the deal because up until then, I didn’t realise that they had a well-established retail shop and in all honesty, this was my bad because I thought that I knew all of the shops all over the South/South East but clearly this one had slipped through the net! Even though my instinct was telling me to probe a little more, I didn’t and I am very pleased that I got that phone call from Nige. Laurence Kay, creator and owner of
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SOCOM Tactical started in 2007 as what he describes as a “small time trader”, with minimal stock and proportionate effort. However, he decided to step things up a gear or three two years later and, as the enterprise was beginning to expand, so did the need for an increase in merchandise and of course, somewhere to stock and sell from. Hence, in 2012 the doors of SOCOM Tactical were opened and after recently passing their 5th anniversary, there has been no looking back in his ever-growing passion during the fifteen years from his first ever game. Let’s start with the cogs of the SOCOM machine, affectionately known as the staff that keep the wheels turning. Laurence is the man behind the wheel, having turned into something of a self-confessed desk jockey but very active in the driving seat. His Manager, Lewis, keeps front of house functioning on a day to day basis with the valued staff team of Felix, Scott and Richard who, I’m told, enjoys the occasional bucket or 12 of KFC whilst ‘teching our prized RIFs. Don’t worry though, you won’t find a single greasy fingerprint on your prized primary - Laurence has him house trained! What did impress me – a lot – was the amount of “different” stock these guys carried. If I’m honest, I hadn’t even heard of some of the gear, particularly parts and accessories but Laurence explained that SOCOM Tactical has always been known for its rare and hard to find airsoft products and that is one of the reasons that he has customers from Lands End to John O Groats on his (electronic) books. I asked Laurence to explain… ”At the moment we have 202 manufactures on our system. We tend to try to stay away from some more generic brands. If you look around, most airsoft retailers like to stock
Inside Airsoft SOCOM TACTICAL
the same items whereas we like to be a bit different in many ways, by carrying some of the more hard to find parts which some customers travel a great distance to get. My favourite (and biggest) spend every month is normally on gadgets and tactical kit, usually 5.11 or Tasmanian Tiger. In addition, one piece of kit which is in a league of its own is the DTD MK23 holster. We can never get enough stock. DTD produce some great 3D printed products designed from the floor up! They are currently shipping around the world and last (but definitely not least) is ZCI. Some great solid upgrade parts normally under other people’s brands but never seem to fail, especially their comprehensive range of motors and barrels which are always 10/10.” Laurence added that they don’t aspire to be anything other than an airsoft shop. They like to stick to what they know best and that definitely doesn’t include Warhammer and fishing gear! Just pure airsoft through and through. A free two-tone and repair service is all part of the aftersales that SOCOM Tactical provide for their customers and when it comes to offering advice, you only have to ask because Laurence and his crew want the customer to be fully informed on whatever they are buying or doing. It was obvious to me that they knew their onions and were hell-bent on making sure that a customer was sold the right gun for them, irrespective of what a customer may have initially walked into the shop to buy. Putting punter before profit… a nice touch indeed. Another point I need to emphasise, is that on three days of the week they are open until 21.30 hours to allow customers to go shopping after work. When I say “go shopping”, this is probably 5% shopping and 95% social gathering as Laurence and the gang always make their customers and friends so very welcome. I can only imagine just how popular these “shopping” nights are because I know for a fact that airsoft in and around Fleet is off the scale when it comes to popularity and participation. With Aldershot (home of many military barracks and residing personnel) right next door, when our British Army troops return from deployment their first stop needs to be a local airsoft shop to stock up on gas and BBs for when the real fighting begins on their home turf, with ever-soslightly differing rules of engagement.
One question that I always like to ask retailers is “what is trending at the moment?” because as our longer serving airsoft veterans will undoubtedly know, there is an ever-changing tide of guns ‘n’ gear, camo and combat equipment and many of us like to stay in vogue (okay okay, guilty as charged m’lud). When answered I usually hear of a few different types of hardware and styles, so when Laurence replied “Kendal Mint Cake and Bar-10 sniper rifles” I was, for once, a little bemused... I mean, really...mint cake! Hampshire isn’t exactly synonymous with mountains and wilderness but hey, who am I to comment. What this does prove is that Laurence is true to his word when he says that he is more interested in supplying customers with equipment that is right for them, as opposed to stocking the top selling, high profile “in fashion” goods with a probable higher profit margin. “SOCOM Tactical the site shop” can be found at Badlands
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吀栀 攀 眀漀爀 氀 搀猀 昀 椀 爀 猀 琀 ᠠ 氀 椀 渀 攀 漀昀 猀 椀 最栀 琀 ᤠ 愀挀 琀 椀 漀渀 挀 愀洀攀爀 愀
挀爀 漀 匀 栀漀瀀猀 漀渀 匀 漀挀 漀洀吀 愀挀 琀 椀 挀 愀氀 䴀椀 最愀洀攀 搀愀礀猀 愀琀 㨀 㜀 刀攀愀搀椀 渀 最 刀漀愀搀 匀 漀甀 琀 栀 䘀 氀 攀攀琀 䠀愀洀瀀猀 栀椀 爀 攀 䜀唀㔀㈀ 㜀匀 䐀
⼀ 猀 漀挀 漀洀琀 愀挀 琀 椀 挀 愀氀 愀椀 爀 猀 漀昀 琀 䀀猀 漀挀 漀洀琀 愀挀 琀 椀 挀 愀氀 愀椀 爀 猀 漀昀 琀 䀀猀 漀挀 漀洀琀 愀挀 琀 椀 挀 愀氀 ⼀ 甀 猀 攀爀 ⼀ 猀 漀挀 漀洀琀 愀挀 琀 椀 挀 愀氀
䰀 愀琀 攀 渀 椀 最栀琀 漀瀀攀渀 椀 渀 最猀 Ⰰ 琀 栀爀 攀攀 渀 椀 最栀琀 猀 愀 眀攀攀欀℀ 嘀椀 猀 椀 琀 琀 栀攀 眀攀戀猀 椀 琀 攀 昀 漀爀 昀 甀 氀 氀 漀瀀攀渀 椀 渀 最 琀 椀 洀攀猀
吀 攀氀 㨀 ㈀㔀㈀ 㘀 㘀 㠀㘀㠀 ⴀ 䔀 洀愀椀 氀 㨀 漀渀 氀 椀 渀 攀䀀猀 漀挀 漀洀琀 愀挀 琀 椀 挀 愀氀 ⸀ 渀 攀琀 眀眀眀⸀ 猀 漀挀 漀洀琀 愀挀 琀 椀 挀 愀氀 ⸀ 渀 攀琀
Inside Airsoft SOCOM TACTICAL
Airsoft in Havant, EAG in Dorking and Ambush Adventures “The Billet” in Aldershot and, as I saw for myself on my first encounter with them, they have a damn fine shop at these sites with all the usual and, as I previously stated, the unusual too. In addition, SOCOM are proactive in charity work having just finished fund raising for Prodogs and Cancer Research UK. Nice one guys! One worthy point to note is the loyalty scheme on offer with this (by now) very intriguing airsoft retailer, is that there is an online offer for web customers and in the shop; if you buy 10 bags of Proball BBs you get one free - so why not get some buddies to share an order and get your freebie (we all like freebies). Just launched is “The Consumable Club” where, for a single payment of £20 a year, you can get 10% discount off ammo, gas and pyros (and WOW, do these guys stock some pyros!) Definitely one of the biggest range of pyrotechnics that I have ever seen, including the rare and sought after Enola Gaye black smoke - so no more need to set fire to old tyres at the site to get your black smoke! Laurence did explain that due to the rise and rise of airsoft, they have literally outgrown their existing shop and are looking for new retail premises as this feature goes to press. Two years ago, demand began to outstrip supply and thus the decision was made to expand the business so that they could offer a better range of in-stock products and meet all the needs of customers. So keep an eye on our news section for any updates on this relocation subject. Before I conclude this “Inside Airsoft” article, I asked Laurence for a few final comments in his own words. ”We carry a wide variety of brands, products and little bits you didn’t think existed! We pride ourselves in giving the best experience possible with regards to advice, service and resolving any issues our customers have. We offer an excellent warranty on all of our products and most of all, we look after our customers how we would want to be looked after. We give a professional service in a very informal way given to you by a staff team who are all regular airsofters with over 40 years of experience between us”. SOCOM Tactical is one very unique airsoft shop. It’s not the biggest, it’s not the typical airsoft retailer by any means and it is relatively subdued in comparison to some others but I will say that you would be foolish to not check-in with these guys if you are looking for a rare or unusual piece of equipment - and
even more daft if you were to travel within ten miles without calling in (but check the opening hours first). I came across things that I had never seen before and brands that I never knew existed and I confess, I had to ask one of the staff the question “what’s this for?” on more than one occasion simply because of the range of rare and unusual pieces. I was very impressed how SOCOM Tactical seem to be in a league of their own and were pure and unadulterated airsoft only retailers with more than plenty to offer. On behalf of Airsoft Action, we would like to wish Laurence and his team every success in their relocation and expansion plans and we will, of course, keep you up to date with any news on this. In the meantime, my thanks go out to SOCOM Tactical for one seriously interesting journey around this excitingly unusual and intriguing retail world of airsoft loveliness. Lez OUT!
INFORMATION: Socom Tactical 70 Reading Road South Fleet Hants GU52 7SD
SHOP OPENING TIMES
01252 616868
Thursday: 18:30 – 21:30
www.socomtactical.net
Friday: 9:30am – 17:30
Monday: 18:30 – 21:30 Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 16:30 – 21:30
Saturday: 9:30 – 18:00
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International Event FRANCE: OP MATANIKAU
OPERATION MATANIKAU AIRSOFT ACTION ’S FRENCH CORRESPONDENT, DIANE MONTAGNIER, REPORTS FROM THE FRANTIC BATTLE TO TAKE GUADALCANAL. IT’S OCTOBER 1942…
ON THE LAST 1st and 2nd of July, I lived one of the most impressive Ops I’ve ever seen! The Matanikau River Operations retraced the Battle of Guadalcanal between US Marines and Japanese Marine troops that took place in September and October 1942. Raven is very passionate by the airsoft. He has organized all alone the Matanikau OP at AMA France’s field and was also the Marine Sergeant leadership. Here is his story…
RAVEN’S STORY
Hooyah Marines! What a beautiful campaign that was our little getaway on Guadalcanal! The USS Monssen Destroyer supported us with its heavy artillery fire. It was decisive during the landing. It countered Japanese contingent’s attacks. As a first step, we were stopped on the beach and the damned monsoon rains disorganized our poor Marines - even the communications were defective - but the US Army hit all of this critical situation and we finally destroyed the right flank, filled with enraged Japanese and we broke through enemy lines in order to vanquish the left flank. It was Hell… They were everywhere… On the left, on the right… US Marines ran, screaming… Bullets were whistling all around us… Men fell, there were no way to let our injured men down in the Japs hands. In a shell hole I saw a prostrated soldier. I grabbed his webbing and started to yell at him “Move on! If you stay you’re gonna die!” We paid a terrible price in the middle of the most horrible swampy area, where these damned Japs were ambushed in order to defend their
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village. Fortunately, our amazing artillery piece cleaned a big area. We collected a lot of precious documents in Japs corpses’ pockets. The mud was everywhere. After a rest period, we turned north, where our progress was again contained by a Japs company. It was completely destroyed by the proud and valiant Marines and, finally, Kokumbona village fell into our hands. I had to kick a little the ass of my greenhorns (with a sadistic pleasure) but they did a f*** good job! The Rabaul radio relay located in the village was quickly destroyed by PFC Malarkey, who crawled over dead bodies. Sadly, PFC Malarkey couldn’t come back because of enemy fire and died. We celebrated his heroic action during the meal, that we shared with 26 prisoners of war. Rice was infested by worms. US Marines discovered some Japanese tuna rations and pineapple cans. Damn… Some Marines died because of dysentery! As I am Sergeant, I took things into my own hands. These damned Japs and this damned Jungle has given us no respite! Thirty hours after landing, combats were still extremely violent. All the soldiers were trying to stay grouped but I had to yell against military supplies (food and ammunition) which were scattered. Step by step, scenario after scenario, Japanese were defeated but we had heavy losses because of the Banzai charges. They charged and charged and charged, all the time, everywhere. They had ferns on their heads to be invisible in the jungle. They had long swords, knives, sticks and they had an amazing rage… We had no machine gun, only two Bar… We progressed, facing the fire! I was on the front line of this fight to support my soldiers, to lead them, always moving forward… “Go Marines, go!” “Semper Fi!” My faithful Von Renarth led admirably US Army whereas Bollus, Malarkey, Aubrey and Zam tried to support me. “Help me guys, come on!” because we had very hard radio transmission problem. We also had a pilot in Japanese hands and we had to get him out of it. “Company fix bayonets!” It’s our last assault. We crossed the Matanikau River …and the Japs were waiting for us.
International Event FRANCE: OP MATANIKAU
“IT WAS HELL… THEY WERE EVERYWHERE… ON THE LEFT, ON THE RIGHT… US MARINES RAN, SCREAMING… BULLETS WERE WHISTLING ALL AROUND US… IN A SHELL HOLE I SAW A PROSTRATED SOLDIER. I GRABBED HIS WEBBING AND STARTED TO YELL AT HIM “MOVE ON! IF YOU STAY YOU’RE GONNA DIE!” They charged, sword in hand… “Banzaiiiiiiiii! For Emperor! Kutabare!”. In the middle of smoke, ferns, dead soldiers, agony rales, Japanese finally withdraw from their position. Matanikau was ours. Despite very heavy losses, most of the objectives were completely fulfilled. Matanikau was over… It was crazy! To conclude my story, I would add that it was one of the most intense moment that I ever lived during an airsoft Op!
DIANE’S CONCLUSION
“Crazy!” It’s the perfect word to describe this Op. Crazy and amazing! The OP began with a very impressive landing. You just have to imagine 30 Marines in a 1:1 size landing craft. Imagine the sounds of artillery, then silence, then the landing craft’s door fell and all the soldiers rushed out, under heavy rain. I was only a reporter, but my heart beat very strong! You also have to imagine infernal Banzai charges all the time. Suddenly, you hear a trumpet. Immediately, 30 Japs crossed the forest, howling and running. The Americans were terrified, and not only for fake! I was afraid many time of being trampled! There were real dehydrated worms in rice ration to add realism and the heavy rain gave a very dramatic ambience of monsoon through the ferns. Each soldier has a character card with various options: coward guy, dysentery, second chance, etc. To conclude, it’s the most epic OP I have ever seen. You may see a beautiful video on YouTube, realized by Insight Airsoft, which highlight perfectly the terrifying ambience! I understand that a second opus is prepared for next summer and I will be there! Many thanks to Raven, the French WW2 community (http://ww2airsoft.fr/), AMA France’s field and Insight Airsoft!
www.airsoft-action.online
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International NORWAY
RED VAN MAN IN NORWAY
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”
UNABLE TO MAKE THE TRIP HIMSELF, BILL THOMAS MET UP WITH NUPROL’S “RED VAN MAN”, TRENT HALLIGAN, TO FIND OUT HOW IT WENT.
EARLIER THIS YEAR IT WAS my great pleasure to interview Espen Dahl from www.airsoftboden.no about airsoft in his native Norway but stories have a way of continuing to run, taking on a life of their very own! Espen, Trent “The Man in the Red Van” Halligan from NUPROL and I hatched a cunning plan after IWA in Germany for Trent and I to pay a visit to Norway to see how airsoft there was in person. Sadly for me, sudden and major surgery meant that my “BB Plans” for Summer 2017 were in total disarray and with a heavy heart I had to bow out of this particular adventure. Trent, however, was “good to go” and plans for the trip continued apace leading up to him boarding a plane and heading off to “Operation Green Mist” in mid-August. I’d promised both Trent and Espen that I would continue to follow the story though and recently I got Trent into the office to tell me all about his “International Roadtrip!” This is the story of one British airsofters journey into the unknown and I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it up! “Following discussions at IWA 2017 I was invited to visit 46
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Espen at Airsoftboden in Norway. Espen is a major stockist of NUPROL products but direct support from the business world aside, he and I have become friends on a personal level, so the invite was for me to go and experience airsoft “Norwegian style” by accompanying him to “Operation Green Mist”, where he was running his shop onsite. Travelling to Norway was fantastic. After being dropped at the airport everything was really smooth and quick; I flew with Norwegian airlines who were extremely efficient and once I arrived in Oslo I was out of the airport in 15-20 minutes. I’m known for my adventures in “The Red Van” but Espen was there to collect me in his “White Van”! We were soon on the road and our first stop was for supplies and, once packed up, he took me to the Eidsvoll Building where the Norwegian Constitution was signed, which gave me a real feel of the historic nature of the country. It’s always great to get a feel for where you are and this really set the scene for what was to be a very special trip. After that we went alongside Mjosa, the biggest lake in Norway before stopping in Elverum for shopping and some food. Firstly, in Norway everything comes with salad …and I do mean everything! The beef roast and salad (did I mention the salad?) was a great meal though, that was well-needed by this time. Secondly, the food throughout was pretty much as we’d have in the UK, so burgers and meat but with yet more salad! We arrived on the game site in Valer I Soler before dark on the Thursday night and Espen took me to have a look around before the majority of players arrived. A former military training area at two square kilometres it was a fair old site, made up of lots of ferns and dense woodland, some natural and some laid out like we would see on a Forestry Commission site. Dotted around were numerous burnt out trucks and a fair few building and structures; it certainly looked like it was going to be an interesting one to play! By 20:00hrs we retreated to the hotel and did the obvious thing that we all do, had showers and crashed out ready for the next day. By 09:00 Friday we were back on site and set up the tent that was to house Espen’s onsite shop; I set up all the NUPROL products whilst he got stuck into the G&G and VIPER gear, so that we would be ready to greet the players as soon as they arrived. In relation to the game, this was set up by the Nord Odal Airsoft Club, who had a dedicated “Green Mist” team that were behind the game scenario and control. These are great folk that run a super event. The scenario for the game was quite complex.
together with his assistant, Longinus had to take a phone call; the assistant thought he should help but in a stressful situation he made a fatal mistake. What would become a new resource for good became a chemical weapon in the form of the gas Longinus, later called “The Green Mist” (T.G.M). Longinus continued research on the new chemical weapon and rumours were quickly picked up, which made neighbouring Berzerkistan and Kyrat interested, both great powers with even bigger visions...” With factions decided on and the scene well and truly set, players began to arrive on the Friday afternoon as well and the shop was soon busy with last minute purchases being made; for me this was really interesting as it gave me a chance to speak directly to the Norwegian players that could speak English (suffice to say their English was better than my Norwegian!). From a manufacturer’s point of view, they were extremely glad to see someone from a major brand actually onsite and I couldn’t have been made to feel more welcome. This was equally true of the organisers who did everything they could to make me feel completely at home. The players themselves were a great bunch; there were also players from Poland and Sweden which gave the event a really “international” feel and the banter was obviously as good as you’d hear on your home site, with lots of smiles and laughs wherever I looked. With 300+ players onsite this meant a LOT
GAME ON!
“Set in the small country of Bangistan, famous Professor Longinus is one of the residents who enjoys the idyllic location. He is a world-famous chemist and his work and research help bring some light to the country. He is known for his work in chemical research. During research on chemical resources
www.airsoft-action.online
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International NORWAY
of laughter and as the banter in different languages, it really was something special! The tone was set by a thoroughly solid briefing on the Saturday morning, which was pretty much what you’d expect anywhere in the world these days. As a MilSim event everyone was on MidCaps or RealCaps, so over-firing wasn’t an issue but one point worthy of note was that due to strict regulation, red lasers are not easy to get hold of in Norway and therefore really not used. After the briefing players set off to their start points and the game kicked off with everyone in place; as I was helping Espen with the shop I didn’t see a lot of the actual gameplay but when players returned they reported back that everything was flowing smoothly and that the scenario was progressing well. Play continued until night fell and although there was no night game, with players camping onsite things turned much more social with the BBQs being lit and a few hard-earned “cold ones” being passed around. In this respect it’s easy to feel “at
home”, as I think you’d see this at any game anywhere around the world! After sleeping onsite ourselves and a night of heavy rain, Sunday morning dawned a bit more overcast than the previous day but still perfect for airsoft. After another quick briefing session, the players were soon back into it and by 10:30 play recommenced. Again reports back from the players were overwhelmingly positive and everyone made full use of the site and the scenario to carry on through until ENDEX around 16:00hrs. After packing up the tent and gear, Espen and I returned to the main Airsoftboden shop in Notodden to unload and tidy up a bit. Then it was back to Espen’s place for a wonderful home-made pizza prepared his Mum and then, thank heavens, a properly comfy bed! The next morning we set off on a road-trip, which was to allow me to see a great deal more of the mountains, forest and wide open spaces of Norway …but that is another story! During my time in Norway I was made to feel welcome everywhere and my thanks go to Nord Odal Airsoft Club, all the players in attendance at “Green Mist” and, of course, to my great friend Espen and his family. It would be an understatement to say that I look forward to returning to Norway and hopefully will get back there for another event next year; also hopefully Bill, this time you’ll be able to make it too!” Thanks so much to Trent for sitting with me and letting me tell his story and suffice to say that if another trip to Norway is in the offing for 2018 then I shall most definitely be getting my “globetrotting” head on! www.airsoft-action.online
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Event NORTHERN AIRSOFT SHOW
KELLY “FEMME FATALE” HARDWICK REPORTS FROM CAMP SPARTA, WHERE MANUFACTURERS, RETAILERS AND PLAYERS GATHERED FOR THE FIRST NORTHERN AIRSOFT SHOW.
THE FIRST NORTHERN
AIRSOFT SHOW ON THE WEEKEND OF THE 2nd September, ASPUK and Camp Sparta in Kirton Lindsey hosted the very first Northern Airsoft Show, where retailers and ‘booters came together to put on a show dedicated to all things airsoft – and I am a big fan of airsoft boot shows! Camp Sparta (formerly known as RAF Kirton) is a 31 acre FIBUA airsoft site that has 500 playable rooms, along with in-game vehicles and loads of other features. The site itself is pretty epic, from the courtyard that houses large shipping containers to fight in and around, to the onsite vehicles that
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are scattered around the site, to the buildings that tower over the internal roads of the site. It looks like something out of a zombie apocalypse movie …after the virus has spread! It made a great backdrop for the show. The day started at 7.30 for retailers, 9.30 for car booters and 10am for the public – as Kirton Lindsey is a 2 hour drive from where I’m based in the East Midlands, I left my house just after 8am. When I arrived on site I was warmly greeted by the marshals directing the cars in and I was told where to park. It is worth noting that the post code on Google Maps doesn’t take you to the site itself but rather a little village a 5 minute drive away so I did spend a good 10-15 minutes driving around trying to find the site. I feel like the organisers could eliminate this by sign posting the event on the roads leading up to the site. There was, however, ample car parking space for all the cars on site that day and many more. The “on the door” ticket price was £7, which is a little more expensive compared to the other airsoft shows that the community has seen but I feel for a day out (I was there from 10 to 4pm), it’s still pretty good value for money! Food isn’t included in the price but the onsite caterers were reasonably priced and had some good meal deal offers ranging from jacket potatoes to hot dogs. As you walked from the car park to
event NORTHERN AIRSOFT SHOW
the show itself you were met with the sounds of airsoft guns being fired in the ranges, stalls everywhere and show goers buzzing around the stands waiting to get their hands on new shiny airsoft goodies! The show was set up around the safe zone/signing in building and the immediate ground around it which gave It a massive area to fill. The rooms inside the safe zone were packed with the tables of retailers showcasing their goods and there was a buzz of customers throughout the day. Retailers on the day included: Fubar Bundy Airsoft, Nuprol’s “Red Van Man” Trent, AimCam (showcasing their shooting glasses with a built in 4k camera), Valken Tactical, ASPUK and Sniper One exhibiting their “Made in Britain” Sniper One tuning kits! The Grange Live Gaming, Ammo Drop, DZC Tactical showing their custom made tactical kit and chest rigs, the Camp Sparta onsite shop, High Pressure Airsoft, QM Supplies and others so there really was something for everyone on the day, from sniping to practical pistol, the show had it covered. Luckily enough the weather was absolutely glorious, which meant that the outdoor area was buzzing with activity as well. The outdoor area held the two-gun challenge that was run by The Mill Huddersfield Practical Shooting Club. Competitors went head to head with each other to hit the targets in place and the winner was named as champion of the day. It was a fun task for punters to take part in and test their skills. There was also the chance to try out the new Sniper One tuning kit for the TM VSR, endorsed by none other than Sgt. Dan Mills – “Sniper One” himself – which was another cool activity for airsofters to give a go on the day! The outdoor area also held the car booters which had tables lined up with anything from
print we were still waiting the total amount raised on the day. One thing I love about these events is that the airsoft community can come together to raise money for such worthy causes. When all’s said and done, I had a really good time at the Northern Airsoft Show – it was great to catch up with everyone, check out the stands and what they had to offer and, of course, to meet so many of the airsoft community. My only criticism is that in hindsight, it was a little “over-hyped” and there were retailers that were announced that did not attend, which meant the show was smaller than anticipated. The day overall I felt was a success and the team did well to organise such an event, I’m definitely looking forward to the next Northern Airsoft Show and can’t wait to see it bigger and better than ever!
RIFs to mags, sights and even rails of surplus kit. The great thing about airsoft boot fairs is that there’s always someone looking for what you’re selling, meaning these events are a great opportunity for airsofters to shift some kit and raise money for their next purchase! The day was in support of the Pilgrim Bandits charity (who are also Airsoft Action’s charity of choice) who are an amazing bunch of guys that raise money for injured veterans and help them live life to the fullest once again – from sponsored sky dives to walks up Snowdon, the Pilgrim Bandits give our injured service personnel opportunities to look forward to. On the day there was a huge raffle in aid of The Pilgrim Bandits and the prizes included a Tasmanian Tiger Modular Pack worth £200, Tasmanian Tiger Roll Up Bag worth £48, 2 x Nuprol Day Packs worth £55, a pair of AimCam glasses worth over £200, a RIF by Valken worth over £120 and many more goodies including BBs, gas etc. up for grabs – and for £3 per strip it was affordable! There was also a collection on the day and promotional goods being sold for the charity. At the time this write up went to
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Warriors MOSCOW COUP 1991
END OF AN
IN THIS ISSUE OF “WARRIORS”, GARETH “GADGE” HARVEY FOCUSSES ON A PERIOD OF HISTORY THAT IRREVOCABLY CHANGED FUTURE OF THE SOVIET UNION. Photos by Tom Hibberd
EMPIRE
SOVIET INTERNAL SECURITY TROOPS, MOSCOW 1991 52
DECember 2017
Warriors MOSCOW COUP 1991
AT THE END OF THE 1980s the Iron Curtain across Europe, a dividing line between the free world and the communist nations, was crashing down. The Berlin Wall had been broken and Moscow realised it had to act fast. Since his appointment to office in 1985, Soviet General Secretary of the Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev, knew he could no longer try and outspend the west on defence and with the Warsaw Pact crumbling around him and the “satellite states” breaking away, had begun to expand his policies of “glasnost” (openness) and perestroika (economic restructuring) to try and end the cold war and return stability to the Soviet Union. Communist hardliners in the party, however, feared that his policies would end in disaster and in the summer of 1991 enlisted the aid of the army to launch a military coup to try and oust Gorbachev from power. The hardliners were mainly afraid of Gorbachev’s proposals to hand over authority and control in many issues to the Soviet republics and diminish the power of the Russian communist party. Furthermore, Gorbachev’s policies were not working quickly enough and Russia was in a period of economic crisis with massive shortages of even basic goods. Worried that an upcoming ratification of the Soviet Union’s treaty with its republics would actually end up dissolving the union, a group of senior KGB and Party officials gave Gorbachev an ultimatum to either declare a “state of emergency”, which would give them greater power, or to resign and name Gennady Yanayev (a member of the hardliner group) as his successor.
THE “GANG OF EIGHT” STRIKE!
Gorbachev refused. The conspirators moved fast and began to order arrests of those not sympathetic to their cause. Gorbachev was put under house arrest by the coup members and a state of emergency was declared. Yanayev signed the decree naming himself as acting USSR president on the pretext of Gorbachev’s inability to perform his duties due to “illness”. The main eight coup members collectively became known as the Gang of Eight. The Gang of Eight banned all newspapers in Moscow, except for nine Party-controlled newspapers. The hardliners also issued a populist declaration which stated that “the honour and dignity of a Soviet man must be restored”. Soviet paratroopers and armoured formations took to the streets but the Gang of Eight had made one fatal mistake. They had failed to arrest Boris Yeltsin, the President. Yeltsin immediately went to the Russian White House and declared the coup unlawful. Members of the MVD interior army’s elite divisions were ordered to arrest him but refused and mass civil demonstrations began to obstruct the army and airborne units loyal to the hardliners. As the mainly unarmed civilians held off the troops, the Gang of Eight planned a bloody assault on the White House and attempted to take it by force but, loyal to the president and unwilling to take part in “bloodshed”, the Alpha and Vympel Special Forces groups and the Dzerzhinsky Division stood down. The
Dzerzhinsky Division at 18,000 men strong and fully equipped with armour and support services was a potent element of the coup’s forces and their reluctance to attack the White House scuppered any hopes of success for the hardliners. While only lasting two days, the coup came to an unsuccessful end for the Gang of Eight as civilian resistance to their movement was far too strong and the legitimacy of Gorbachev and Yeltsin was demonstrated by the people clearly showing their support. Ironically though, the upheavals caused by the coup would be instrumental in causing the break-up of the Soviet Union some months later... The conspirators, by their actions had brought about the very events they sought to stop.
POLITICALLY AND MILITARILY ELITE
This, perhaps, should have come as no surprise to the coup instigators though. The Dzerzhinsky Division (its full name is the rather unwieldy: The Independent Special-Purpose Motorized Rifle Division F. E. Dzerzhinsky, or OMSDON) had been formed as an ultrareliable counter measure to any attempts by the army or the KGB to overthrow the party. Raised in the 1920s and named after the famed revolutionary “Iron” Felix Dzerzhinsky who created Stalin’s very first interior army. By the 80’s the division was part of the Soviet interior forces known as the Ministry of Internal Affairs or in Russian, Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del (MVD). The MVD is responsible for internal law enforcement, riot suppressions and anti-terrorist operations and the Dzerzhinsky division were among the best-trained and best-equipped of all the MVD divisions and this was reflected in the divisional motto “Any time, any place – any task!” (This to older readers will sound more like a Martini advert than a military motto!). Not only were the division among the best prepared for internal conflicts, they were also considered more politically reliable than regular army units. Comprised of three full rifle regiments and artillery support units, the unit differed only from a “war strength” Soviet motor rifles division in having no integral tank or fixed wing and helicopter air support. Perhaps the greatest indicator of the division’s elite military and political status was the fact that it was barracked within the same Kremlin walls as the KGB’s 9th Guards Administration and enjoyed many of the same privileges and rewards that the troops of the state security forces were privy to. As the main goal of the “Dzerzhinski” (as members were known) was suppression of crowd unrest and civil disorder by their fellow Russians, it is not surprising they were considered to be dependable. Part of this “political dependency” is believed to be due to (at the very least) an alleged infiltration of the division by the KGB and (at worst) outright control by the KGB’s “Department V”. Regardless of the extent of the influence of the KGB, it is clear that the state security forces clearly tried to recruit “Dzerzhinski” into their ranks. Our “warrior” this month wears the two-piece Spetsodezhda camouflage uniform, in the style commonly worn by Soviet border guards but also by some MVD units. The Spetsodezhda is essentially
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TACTICAL
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Warriors MOSCOW COUP 1991
an overprinted variant of the popular “Afghanka” M88 uniform developed for the war in Afghanistan and was perhaps the first truly practical Soviet combat uniform with sensibly placed pockets (and enough of them!), reinforcement patches on easily wearing areas and the ability to blouse the trousers if wearing low boots, or to use cloth stirrups to keep them low on the leg if wearing jackboots. Attached to the left sleeve of the Spetsodezhda uniform is the arm of service badge of the MVD, while the camouflage pattern itself is the olive and mustard variant of the “stairstep” or “sunrays” camouflage design found on several soviet over garments, such as the KZS and KLMK oversuits. In this instance the trousers have been bloused to enable them to be worn practicably and smartly with lace up leather combat boots.
HAZARDOUS DUTIES
Most of our soldier’s combat equipment is carried on, or supported by, his 6b3 armour vest. This cloth variant of the 6b3 was first introduced in the early 90s and replaced in some units the nylon covered 6b3 vests seen in the Afghan war. The vest itself weighed a considerable amount and consisted of interlocking titanium plates (front and back) sandwiched between layers of Kevlar. While principally for protection, the 6b3 differs from earlier soviet vests (and from NATO models of the time) by being fully capable of carrying the soldier’s basic ammo load. The front of the vest features four Velcro closed pouches for AK-sized magazines while the rear has four smaller pouches for hand grenades. Both front and back of the vest have a larger pockets for personal items needed more “at hand” and could fit everything from a small canteen, to a respirator, to a well-folded and tightly packed ground sheet in the rear pocket. Despite all the integral pouches, combat experience in Afghanistan showed that many troops appreciated attaching extra equipment to the standard army combat belt that was supposed to be worn with the vest (thought often omitted in Afghanistan). In this instance our trooper carries an additional AK74 magazine pouch on his right hip and a large late pattern Soviet army canteen on his right. While these larger canteens were mainly seen in archive footage of the Russian paras in Afghanistan (leading many to believe they are an “airborne” pattern), many other collectors believe they are just a later model intended to replace the archaic WWII pattern metal canteen and had the Soviet Union not collapsed would have been issued universally. A further element to his personal protection kit is his respirator bag slung over his shoulder and carrying his ShM-66MU pattern gas mask, in case
tear gas is deployed during civil unrest. Additional protection for hazardous riot duties is provided by his cumbersome (but effective) “Sfera” titanium assault helmet. Used mainly by the MVD and the KGB, this helmet was developed in the early 80s and consists of three interlocking titanium plates held in place by the nylon and webbing cover. While incredibly effective and allegedly able to defeat even rifle rounds at relatively close quarters, the weight of the “STsh-81 Sfera” helmet (Russian:Сфера -Sphere) , clocking in at just under 2.5KG, means that wearing it for extended periods of time is both exhausting and potentially damaging to the neck. Personal weaponry for MVD ODON troops differs little from the standard Soviet small arms of the MVD. In many cases, when on riot duties the men would simply carry batons and steel riot shields but preparing for combat during the Moscow Coup, our man has armed himself extensively and carries a folding stock AKs74n (the “n” suffix denotes a side rail enabling a night vision scope to be attached) with a GP25 “kostyor” (Russian: “bonfire”) 40mm grenade launcher firing high explosive VOG25 rounds. To further beef up his firepower, our warrior has acquired a 40-round extended magazine from an RPK light machine gun. While most of our Soviet and Russian Federation “warriors” impressions are easy to source and cheap to finance, this one is something of an exception and a real “project” for anyone attempting it. The base uniform itself is one of the rarer ones to acquire and not cheap (if you can find one), while the “sfera” helmet is in itself something of a collector’s item. While we at Airsoft Action were lucky to acquire both armoured vest and helmet for under £200, you could easily expect to pay this amount for just the helmet alone. But, don’t let that dissuade you if you fancy giving this loadout a go, you will, however, need a neck as strong as titanium if you plan on wearing it all day!
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Loaded or Unloaded UPDATE FIRST TACTICAL
FIRST TACTICAL UPDATE JERRY NOONE AND THE AIRSOFT ACTION TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US BRAND FIRST TACTICAL SINCE THEY LAUNCHED IN THE UK LAST YEAR AND JERRY IS PLEASED TO BRING YOU THE VERY LATEST UPDATES ON WHAT’S NEW AND COOL. IT’S REALLY EDIFYING WHEN YOU support a brand that just enters the market and within a year you see them gaining great plaudits from reviewers and users alike. I’ve been very fortunate to have met the First Tactical Team in person a couple of times now and they are super people that are intent on delivering the very best tactical kit and clothing that they possibly can. Solid as their initial “launch range” was, it’s become very apparent to me that they are not a company to sit on their laurels though and 2017 has seen some cracking new designs launched, designs that are already hitting the stores - and continue to do so! Let me take just a moment to recap on who First tactical are… Essentially, they are an American brand with “real world roots” who are focused on providing the end user with a product that is specific to their requirements and guided by innovation and reliability. Their design process combines advanced technical materials with state-of-the-art components. First Tactical products are built to offer fully functional gear precisely created for professionals in the military, emergency and police services and, of course, it makes their gear perfect for airsoft too. Working with real users from the tactical world, First Tactical strives to fully understand customer demand through a circular development process: Listen, Engineer, Field Test and Deploy. First Tactical listens to its customers through regular product development sessions with real users in the field. They also ensure they engineer cutting-edge products to transform common gear into incomparable tools for professionals. Through the use of Field Testing, First Tactical’s products are put under scrutiny in the most demanding conditions to ensure they withstand a variety of environments.
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A year since I received it (and after some pretty extensive “use and abuse”) my original Tactix 1 Day Plus Pack still looks and performs like new. I’m not at all kind to my kit as (obviously) I need to give you all the “heads up” on where best to spend your coin when you’re not exactly “loaded” and I’ve got to say that First Tactical is worth every penny. Based on my experience of their nylon gear, I recently got myself one of their Canyon Digital Compass Watches which offers the best of both worlds, durable enough to stand up to the
Loaded or Unloaded UPDATE FIRST TACTICAL
toughest jobs and environments yet sophisticated enough to wear every day. Featuring an oversized display with a digital second hand, compass function and an innovative utility strap, it’s a solid piece of kit that feels “right” as soon as you put it on. The Canyon Digital Compass features an innovative digital second hand allowing users to visualise seconds counting down based on their needs, as they would with a traditional analogue watch and coupled with an enlarged time readout the digital second hand enables you to complete any job with precision and ease. Featuring a ruler (cm/in) and Morse Code guide on the back of the band, you will be equipped for any situation and “STEALTH MODE” switches the tactical watch to mute as you enter silent tactical situations. This, however, is not what I’d call “subtle”, as at 2.4in/60mm long, 2.1in/55.5mm wide and 0.6in/15.5mm thick, this is a timepiece and tool that looks like it really means business, although the broad band width of 0.9in/24mm makes it very comfortable to wear, even for extended periods. Functions include World Time and three alarms, in addition to the compass feature and the watch is waterproof to 10 metres. So far it’s proved to be a first rate watch but of course I’ll report back later with a long-term test report.
NEW AND IMPROVED
As a few of us at Airsoft Action have been running First Tactical gear for a while and have been extremely pleased with design, performance and durability we know that they are a brand we can trust and, in turn, recommend to you and the good news is that new models currently being introduced have really moved their game forward. Earlier this year at IWA their head designer, Cory, introduced me to the new “Defender” shirt and pant and I have to say that this is, to date, the most overtly tactical clothing that they’ve put together! First Tactical’s Defender Series Shirts are the best of both worlds again; performance built to handle any mission while maintaining the sharp look needed when worn by the professional user. In the performance department, specialised pockets boast ample space for oversized gear, a specialised yoke eliminates unwanted bulk and oversized sleeve pockets accept patches or embroidery. Creating the perfect warm weather shirt was at the forefront of their design as articulated elbows, running gussets and vented mesh locations
provide advanced movement and breathability. The Defender Series Pants offer a total of 28 (yup, you read that right, 28!!!) specialised pockets, which give ample space for oversized gear, magazines and all other equipment. Articulation is at the forefront of design as articulated knees, running gussets throughout and vented mesh pockets provide superb freedom of movement and breathability. Ventilation in multiple key areas make these the ideal warm weather pants. The Defender Fabric features a breathable cotton and Cordura Nylon blend. The 2-way mechanical stretch Nyco, is one of the first to the market and has double ripstop fabric that is moisture wicking and perfect for warm weather. Continuing down the clothing route, if you fancy something that will be equally at home on the airsoft field, as well as being perfect for everyday use, then the new Velocity Series Tactical Pants are most certainly worth a look. With the Velocity Series Tactical Pants, First Tactical took the fit and function of their existing Specialist Pants and found innovative ways to provide them at a lighter weight. The Velocity Series Tactical Pants boast a double micro ripstop polyester/ cotton blend fabric, Teflon Shield+ stain repellent finish and a mechanical two-way stretch - perfect for when you need flexibility and performance. Running gusset construction gives you full motion ability, while triple needle stitching at critical seams makes them bomber tough and durable. The lightweight fabric and minimal layers make these the ideal tactical pants for most of the year - other than full winter. And there’s also some new accessories to round things out even further! First Tactical’s Slash Patrol Glove combines extreme tactility with long-term durability. Featuring a Kevlar-lined palm, these great gloves will give peace of mind when dealing with sharp objects either in the woods or especially in an urban setting. Notching things up a level, the Slash & Flash Hard Knuckle Glove boasts a Kevlar lined palm that is Level II certified and a flame resistant Nomex jersey so you can be ready for any situation at hand. Finished with a hard, TPR knuckle protection and TouchTac fingertip, this design comes together to give a really complete and functional tactical glove. In terms of headgear new models include a new, fully adjustable ballcap and a superb lightweight beanie for when things chill down.
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Loaded or Unloaded UPDATE FIRST TACTICAL
to high-level use and abuse. Lightweight and breathable, while maintaining an unmatched level of durability needed for extended use, the Operator Boots benefit from a Torsion Flex fiberglass reinforced composite shank that is 75% lighter than steel. The Operator takes inspiration from athletic shoes, providing the flexibility and comfort you expect from a running shoe but with the durability of your favourite tactical boot. From Ortholite foam to enhanced airflow pockets this boot is well ventilated and will provide comfort in the warmest of environments. Overall the latest additions to the First Tactical range of clothing and footwear look absolutely spot-on and test samples of both the Defender Shirt and Pant and the Operator Boot have been booked for further review. Be certain that I’ll report back in more depth on these in the future. First Tactical are most definitely a brand to keep an eye on as they seem to be getting everything right so far. Their range, although there are both male and female styles, is still tight with strict adherence to the very best principles of both design and quality control. Speaking to the guys at Military 1st, they’re expecting the Defender gear to be landing with them imminently, with the Operator Boots not far behind, so I’d bookmark www. military1st.co.uk and keep up to date with their Facebook page for updates! To find out more information about the brand please do pay a visit to either www. firsttactical.com or www.firsttactical.co.uk. For new products please make sure to visit www.military1st.co.uk
STEPPING IT UP!
One of the most regular debates I see online, in both skirmish and MilSim groups, is that of boot choice. Obviously for the UK a fully waterproof boot is going to be a firm favourite and recently I’ve seen some absolute tosh written about the efficacy of lined or unlined footwear. Whilst a boot with a waterproof lining will give you immediate protection from the elements, it’s a huge misnomer that this type of model requires no maintenance! Absolute “black arts and wizardry” that is… All boots require maintenance (I’ll go into the whys and wherefores another time…) but just because a boot is unlined with an internal membrane or the like doesn’t mean it won’t protect you IF you look after it properly. But sometimes you just need a boot that suits your foot shape and your style of play and if you’re going to be more in a CQB setting rather than the dark, dank woodlands of the UK, then the latest model from First Tactical is going to definitely be worth a look! Built for speed and comfort the First Tactical Operator Boot features a lightweight yet tough synthetic upper, providing agility while welded construction ensures the boots can stand up
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technical GATE TITAN
TITAN AT THE GATE FRENCHIE KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT THE INNER WORKINGS OF AN AEG, SO WHEN HE FINDS SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE HE IS BOUND TO TELL US ABOUT IT. THERE IS A REASONABLE BREADTH of choice when it comes to replacement trigger units for AEGs these days and I have mentioned and reviewed some of them in the pages of AA in the past. This month I’m going to look at what might be the new gold standard for replacement trigger units, the Gate Titan and try to both describe it and explain why it has so impressed. Replacement trigger units are intended to bring more options to the user and mostly they do but there are associated issues that all previous offerings tend to suffer from. The Titan may be the first unit to address these issues. Why replace the trigger in your AEG? The main reason is to improve performance whether that’s trigger pull, response, programmable options or electronic protection. The current offerings - the ASCU, Jefftron and BTC Spectre et al all do this to a greater or lesser degree but all of them have an underlying weakness - switches. In order to register a trigger pull, all of the others rely on a microswitch, to count each cycle of the gearbox they use electro-mechanical means - again microswitches. On the face of it there is nothing wrong with this but when you add airsofters to the mix things become more complicated. I’ll describe what’s going on so that we can understand where we are currently and then look at how Gate has chosen to address these same issues. First a quick recap… All of these units contain MosFeTs - Metal Oxide Silicate Field Effect Transistors. MosFeTs are not some miracle panacea, 60
DECember 2017
they are a programmable tool that can offer beneficial effects to the AEG user. Unfortunately the internet tends to suggest that they are the answer to everything, that’s a bit like saying that a hammer is the solution to all household tasks. It is the answer to some tasks and it depends on how it’s used. Same for MosFeTs - they have their place but they are a tool. In order to register each trigger pull most replacement units have a microswitch which is directly impinged upon by the trigger. As the name suggests, “microswitches” are small and are nowhere near as robust as traditional AEG switches. I have lost count of how many ASCU (Airsoft System Control Unit) switches I have reattached or replaced. No matter what I do to strengthen the mounting onto the circuit board, there is always a player who can break it off again. It’s the nature of the beast and only in their current offering have Airsoft Systems fitted what looks like an adequately heavy switch, the downside being that it is now much harder to repair. Jefftron do a pass-by system where the trigger doesn’t directly press the switch but depresses it as it moves over it. In theory this should be far harder to break but the switch is tiny and even harder to repair or replace and it can be caught by the trigger, causing damage. Detecting gearbox cycling is critical to these units and by and large they all use an electromechanical method, either using the existing cut-off lever or a replacement lever which acts upon another switch on the board. The BTC units use a
technical GATE TITAN
switch that is directly driven by the cam on the underside of the sector gear. They all work to a greater or lesser extent but can be quite particular about setup. If that’s not correct you will encounter issues with semi auto and full auto settings which can be a real pain to resolve. Finally, programming… You can set all sorts of options - burst, rate of fire, sniper mode with delay etc. and this is most commonly done via a series of trigger pulls when the unit is in “program mode”. The best I can say is that it works… mostly. Only BTC currently offer a Bluetooth option that allows you to interrogate and program the unit. Enter the Gate Titan drop-in unit…
Gate have been around for years and their MosFet products have always been nicely made and well presented. I’m not a dyed-in-the-wool fan as I have had problems with their products in the past but that isn’t unusual with any electronic device. Gate have taken a couple of steps with the Titan that raises it well above the alternatives - they have replaced all the switches with optical sensors and they have made it possible to program the unit via a standalone unit or your PC.
SENSORS FIRST
By using sensors instead of switches, Gate have removed “user-breakable” items from the design. The trigger simply swings through its arc against the pressure of the spring and
“USING CONTROL STATION YOU CAN CHECK AND CLEAR ERRORS, TEST THE CORRECT FUNCTIONING OF THE SENSORS, VIEW STATISTICS OF THE GUN’S USE - TEMPERATURE, CURRENT DRAW, RATE OF FIRE, ROUNDS FIRED (BASED ON CYCLES I PRESUME) SO IF A CUSTOMER WITH ONE OF THESE SAYS “I’VE ONLY PUT A MAG THROUGH IT!” AND THE SHOT COUNTER IS SHOWING 4,234,002, THEY ARE EITHER LYING OR THEY HAVE A MAGAZINE THE SIZE OF A HOUSE!” www.airsoft-action.online
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CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK
Helikon-Tex @Range Linr#AIRSOFT ACTION 9-2017
WWW.HELIKON-TEX.COM
technical GATE TITAN
breaks the sensor beam as it does so. Likewise another sensor “reads” the revolutions of the sector gear and translates that into cycle counts. This makes the unit easy to install, as it is not necessary to fine-tune the position of the boards. One major consideration is the amount of grease in your gearbox. It follows that anything that might obscure the sensors is not good and, indeed, this can come up as an error code, so while grease is important in a gearbox, too much grease is bad.
In the image above you can see the position of the sensors. Those of you familiar with ASCUs will recognise the basic layout but note the lack of switches and trigger wires. I’ll assume that you have bought the full Titan kit although all the individual parts are available separately. Once the Titan is installed your gearbox will look as before but with a prefitted Deans connector. At this point you can take the Tactical Programming Card (TPC) and begin to set up the unit as you want it. All the available options are there, split into two banks - A & B - to cover the full range of options.
You connect the card to your gun and attach a battery to the TPC - this provides the necessary power. I used a 7.4v LiPo which worked perfectly. You cycle through the options selecting them as you go. The A & B banks are simply there to fit all the options onto a small card, you’ll notice that there are parameters in white and others in black - trigger sensitivity is set in mode A, while Burst mode is set with the TPC in mode B. It’s all pretty simple and easy to change if you don’t like the result. Trigger sensitivity is set using the array of five sensors - the shorter the pull you select (the higher the sensitivity) the earlier in the array the unit responds - so high sensitivity - first sensor, lower sensitivity will use a later sensor. The only issue I have
with this system is that the trigger feels the same throughout its pull and if you have set the sensitivity high, although the gun will fire at the first sensor the trigger will still pull well beyond that. Its fine but I have seen one installation where the trigger travel was restricted to keep the physical pull short combined with high sensitivity. Using the TPC this can be done at home, in the field or in the bath (bad idea but possible). It’s easy, intuitive and well thought out. However if that’s not enough - and for techs it’s never enough - you can download the Gate Control Station onto your Mac or PC. You will need the USB cable and the USB adapter to do this. This allows a connection between the gun and your PC via a USB cable and at this point things get really, really fun.
WELCOME TO CONTROL STATION
It’s important to note that what you see here is the settings page - this mirrors what the TPC does. The real fun starts with the Status, Sensors and Statistics pages. You can check for error codes, you can apply firmware updates to the unit inside your gun. Alan did this to a gun we had in Landwarrior which was working but throwing occasional errors. The software was one revision behind (1.9 vs 2.0) and we were invited to update. Answering yes saw the firmware downloaded and applied. That done, the errors disappeared never to return. Using Control Station you can check and clear errors, test the correct functioning of the sensors, view statistics of the gun’s use temperature, current draw, rate of fire, rounds fired (based on cycles I presume) so if a customer with one of these says “I’ve only put a mag through it!” and the shot counter is showing 4,234,002, they are either lying or they have a magazine the size of a house! For the diagnostic functions alone I would fit one of these to every AEG out there if I could. As a tech you are more often than not presented with “I was just using it and then it stopped” which means you have to glean as much info as you can from the owner and then work through the possible failures. With the Titan I could just ask the gun. While I wouldn’t expect perfect answers every time, I would expect to get useful information with a minimum of fuss - oh happy days! Oh brave new world! There is even an option to send the error code output to Gate for further diagnosis. I love it!! This is genuinely revolutionary, it is the fullest flowering so far of combining advanced electronics with airsoft guns. Sadly at present it is only available for Version 2 gearboxes and, given the very different way Version 3 triggers work, I can understand that it will require some major development to get the Titan ready for that gearbox. I can only hope that Gate manage it as the alternatives available at present are all notably more problematic than their Version 2 counterparts. The full Titan kit is available for around £110 and I would recommend just going the whole hog first time round. After that you can buy only the trigger units you need for other guns. The Control Station can be downloaded for free from Gate.
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event ALPHA 55 SUMMER SOCIAL
ALPHA 55 SUMMER SOCIAL
FOR MANY ‘SOFTERS THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF THE GAME IS ALMOST AS IMPORTANT AS THE GAME ITSELF, AS ASHLEY KITCHEN DISCOVERED AT AN EVENT IN NORTH WALES EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE ALPHA 55 SUMMER SOCIAL was one the highlights of 2016 for me, it was probably the first big airsoft event I’d attended since getting into the game back in 2015. Also in attendance was pretty much everyone I knew in the airsoft world, it was truly great weekend. Until the 2016 social I’d tended to be quite territorial (local) with my game play, as I think a lot of players tend to do. So for me, “The Social” pulled me out of my silo and opened up some new horizons. Fast forward 12 months to 29th July 2017. After much waiting, the 2017 Summer Social was here and, in all honesty,
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I was way more excited than a 40 year old bloke should be. All of my gear - and I do mean all - was packed and sorted ahead of time ready for the off. Myself and the rest of the Airsoft Addicts UK admin crew all descended on Alpha55 and pitched tents on the Friday. To be honest, it wasn’t the best of starts. We were pretty much stuck in the tents for the next 5 hours while the rain bounced off it at a steady 32fps. However, airsofters are a hardy bunch, after everyone finished setting up we fired up the BBQ, broke out the tea and biscuits (NATO standard) and cracked on. Twice that evening Gaz Holmes and some his team popped round to check everyone was getting on OK in the less than perfect conditions. Having been on the “tea and biscuits”, the laughs and banter started to flow, real world stresses were forgotten and we all started to relax into the weekend. On the Saturday morning the weather had finally broken and the sun was rising in Halkyn. More people had arrived at the campsite overnight and there was a growing buzz about the place. After the obligatory 5 coffees and a couple of bacon butties, everyone geared up. The site at Alpha55 was filling fast, so on request from Gaz we all geared up at the camp site and left the cars where they were. Grabbed the bags we would need for the day and made the short walk from the campsite up to the Alpha55 safe zone area. We arrived at around 9am and place was well and truly buzzing. Some marshals directing the arriving traffic, others reminding players to chrono and generally keeping an eye on proceedings. One of the big things that struck me at the social in 2016 was just how good the marshalling team were here. I don’t mean in the sense of dealing with any arising issues, although that is very much within their skill set but just how well drilled they are how closely they work together as a team. Once we’d all arrived and found a corner to call home, we finished gearing up, paid up, chrono’d and had a wander
event ALPHA 55 SUMMER SOCIAL
about the place to see what was around this year. Stands for DZC Tactical, Mercia Airsoft and Draft Club BBs were all setting up to tempt the attendees with new shiny merchandise, not that we needed much tempting! There was, of course, the obligatory raffle that runs every year as well as a charity raffle in aid of cancer research, all boasting to some very nice prizes. Shortly after 10:30, after a very thorough and sometimes funny safety brief from Gaz, we were finally off. Due to the number of players, 150 in total, the players were split into 3 teams of 50. The marshals did what they could to get friends on the same teams if possible, which is always a welcome touch. My band of misfits and I all managed to get on yellow and we were marched off to be introduced to the first objective of the weekend. As we walked through we noticed that a lot of work had been done on the site since we’d last played there. New areas, structures and defensive positions had been erected. Improvements to existing installations had also been completed and it all looked great. Being the weekend warrior that I am, I took the opportunity to spot some nice sniping positions that my VSR and I could crawl into later, just in case. The team at Alpha had created new games or amended existing ones specifically for the weekend. I’m guessing this was due in part to sheer volume of players they needed to cater for and to switch things up a bit for the regulars that were no doubt in attendance. Apart from a few delays to get teams organised and a couple of rolling cease fires due people on the public footpaths, both days ran smoothly. The prepared game modes gave teams a single objective to attack or defend, or multiple staged objectives (my personal favourite). These included progressive domination type stages, capture and dominate a point and advance or fall back, depending on your perspective. These provided some of the most immersive gameplay for me during the weekend. Some great individual efforts also on display from many players. Some of the game modes already mentioned involved the transportation of missile racks, missiles and other props to give some added realism to the games and encourage us to work as a team, rather than individuals. Also included in the game offerings were experimental zombie themed games as well as the infamous TTT (Trouble in Terrorist Town). Another good twist to proceedings was how the 3rd team was used. Sometimes they were used to bolster the attacking or defending forces but occasionally deployed as an unknown force. No one knew what the objective of the 3rd force was, usually until it was too late. This added a clever twist to the games and forced teams to watch their rear. It also provided that added immersion that airsofters love. At the end of play, the much anticipated presentations of player and marshal voted awards took place. Also up for grabs was the 5 daily MVP awards decided by the marshalling crew. These lucky people were awarded free site memberships. Bonus!
It’s not just the immersive gameplay, game modes and great site that make the social what is though, that’s only part of reason I attend the summer social. For me, the social aspect of airsoft is also a big part of being an airsoft player. Breaks and lunches are times for swapping battle stories, sometimes funny, sometimes painful (or both) but always entertaining. Hanging out, talking about gear, tactics and having a laugh with good people and players, who don’t care what your age is, your level of experience or quality of your kit is always good fun. The evening at the social is when things kick into a more chilled out gear and give you the opportunity to test your skills in competitions, or just kick back after a hard day “operating”. The evening entertainment consisted of several competitions, the first of which was the three gun challenge (in true John Wick style). Also running were two pistol competitions (target shooting and heat based free for all) as well as a shotgun challenge. Trouble in Terrorist Town should also get an honourable mention here. There were vloggers in attendance interviewing the players for their respective sites, free kebabs from the butty van, big old camp fires to get around and, of course, we broke out the “tea and biscuits” once again. If you’ve never been to the Alpha55 Summer social, it’s a must on the annual airsoft calendar. It has everything you could want from both a player perspective and social one. Their mantra is “safe and fun”, they provide players with the fun and immersive experience they crave but ensure the standard of play is safe enough so that players of any age or experience can join in. If you fancy checking it out, the Alpha55 Winter Social is booking now.
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inside Airsoft AIRSOFT MONKEY
AIRSOFT MONKEY HAVING BUMPED INTO HIM AT A RECENT EVENT, LEZ LEE TALKS TO PHIL WOODS ABOUT WHY HE IS KNOWN AS “AIRSOFT MONKEY”. IN LAST MONTH’S ISSUE, YOU may recall my “Inside Airsoft” article featuring Combat-UK in Stevenage had a reference to one very special member of the team. His name is Phil Woods, aka The Airsoft Monkey. I first met Phil at R.I.F.T. Airsoft’s 5th Anniversary/ASG No Photos tour held at their awesome Coms Site 3 in Banbury, where I was not only made very welcome, I had met a collection of people that were a credit to the game of airsoft. Their passion was of a type that I had never seen before and consequently a chain reaction occurred and as one thing lead me into another, there was only one way to go with this and here it is, an insight into the world of the Airsoft Monkey. After jumping in the Jeep and heading north up the M1 once again, I made my way to Combat-UK in the town centre and found Phil behind the counter in his dual role of gun tech and shop manager. As always, I was made super-welcome, a coffee was waiting with smiles and handshakes all round. As my last “Inside Airsoft” article reported, ‘softers really should check these guys out because Combat-UK is one seriously well stocked and well run retail shop and pretty damn big to boot! Anyway, I managed to nail Phil to the spot long enough to interrogate him about his alter ego Airsoft Monkey. There was no need for sleep deprivation and water boarding with Phil, (sorry...I mean Airsoft Monkey) when I started asking how it all began… Monkey: “Approximately 10 years ago a friend of mine introduced me to airsoft and persuaded me to try it out because of my love of playing combat games on games consoles. I booked in for my first ever event at Billericay. I had to borrow a gun from my friend to use, an M4 Stubby. I had an awesome time, became hooked and immediately wanted to buy my own gun.”
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Lez: How did you start? Was it slowly with rentals (what was the first gun you used) or did you jump in and buy tons of kit? Monkey: “The first gun I bought was a green two-tone M4 Stubby Killer. I played airsoft with this gun for quite a few games and events at sites including Billericay and Finmere. I gradually bought my kit and other guns over time. I didn’t jump in too quickly.” Lez: How did you know that it was for you? Was it the competitive nature, the social aspect, the “shooting” opportunity or simply everything? Monkey: “I realised quickly that this was a hobby that I wanted to continue and build on. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the people, the thrill of the game and it was the next best thing to playing a games console.” Lez: From day one, how has your journey been from the beginning to where you are today? Monkey: “My journey from being a “newbie” to airsoft and borrowing my first gun, to becoming Airsoft Monkey and running my own business has been a fun rollercoaster ride! “I remember when my first gun stopped firing and my natural instinct was to take it apart and figure out myself what was wrong with it. This is something I’ve always done growing up with things that broke or went wrong and having an electrical and mechanical background, it didn’t take me long to figure out what was wrong with the gun and how I could repair it. I felt a great satisfaction from being able to repair my own gun. My friend soon after had an issue with his own gun and then a friend of his too. Before I knew it, word was around that I was able to repair guns. The more variety of guns that I looked at, the more my knowledge grew. “My hobby started to become a business and I needed to find space at home to carry out repair work and store some parts. Much to my wife’s horror at the time, I took over our barn space and turned it into a workshop. During the winter
inside Airsoft AIRSOFT MONKEY
months when it was cold in the barn, I used our dining room table. I was still working a full-time job with a local employer as well as doing airsoft repairs in my spare time. It was during this time that I became introduced through a friend to a lovely couple, Chrissi and Midge who ran a nearby business in outdoor pursuits and hobbies – including clay pigeon shooting and archery etc… It was then that we spoke about airsoft and how we could work together to create an airsoft site for events. I spent two years with Chrissi and Midge at Maddog, helping to build and plan a great site for players and I looked after the hire equipment side of things as well as taking on all the gun repair
work which came in – adopting the name “Airsoft Monkey”. This site became and still is a great success, with over 100 players attending every fortnight. During my time there I learned and developed my skills and knowledge of the airsoft world, which has helped me get to where I am today.” Lez: When and how did you find Combat-UK and RIFT and how and why did you become part of the team? Monkey: “While searching online for local suppliers of airsoft stock I came across the Combat-UK shop and after visiting several times and chatting to the owners, Ed and Ida, I offered
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inside Airsoft AIRSOFT MONKEY
my services as a technician. Over the next few weeks they used my tech service several times for their customers and must have been impressed with the quality of my work and quick turnaround, as they continued to use my service thereafter. “Our relationship grew over the following six months and as I was now doing airsoft repairs for both Maddog and Combat UK, I realised that trying to continue a full-time employed job at the same time was just too much. I could see that there was a great opportunity for me to progress further in the airsoft industry. Discussions were had between Ed and myself over expansion and bigger premises to include Airsoft Monkey within the Combat-UK business, so I decided to quit my fulltime job and concentrate on this new venture. “Meanwhile, Ed had been in contact with ASG (ActionSportGames) about us attending an ASG technician course over in Denmark. We went on to complete this course and whilst in Denmark we were made aware that one of the premises we had shown an interest in for expansion of the business had become vacant. We immediately accepted the lease on the shop premises in Stevenage town centre and celebrated whilst completing our course in Denmark. Plans for the future were beginning to take shape. “Moving into the new premises and emptying out my barn at home was both an exciting and nervous time for me. Barely making ends meet financially it was also a difficult time for me and my wife so of course I was naturally anxious. But over the coming months with lots of hard work and making new contacts with customers and airsoft events companies, business was starting to look good and this was also when I became closer friends with Tony and Hazel from RIFT Airsoft. “I had already been introduced to them before but not in a working sense. Tony was looking for new sites to expand his airsoft events business and he needed a shop and technician to support his new events and sites. This is where Combat-UK and Airsoft Monkey connected with RIFT Airsoft. It felt like a “dream team” had been made – we all work and gelled so well together. We all wanted the same thing ….great service, great support, great days out and of course, great events of airsoft.”
ASG technician.” Lez: What do you like to pay particular attention to and what tugs on your bogies about airsoft? Monkey: “I am known to be a bit of a perfectionist, so all of my work is always done to a very high standard. Anyone who works with me will tell you how particular I am! I still get amazed by some of the poor quality work out there, this is one thing that upsets me.” Lez: What would you like to see for Airsoft Monkey and indeed airsoft itself for the future? Monkey: “The future for airsoft is looking awesome. With further growth of new developments, new sites, new connections and new players – things can only get bigger and better. I’m looking forward to continuing my learning and seeing new products come to market.” Lez: And finally Phil, the last question I promise (then I’ll turn off the spotlight, promise) is there anything that, in your own words, you would like to close with? Monkey: “I love telling new people I meet about airsoft and introducing them to the world of airsoft. It’s good to see young people getting off their games consoles and outside playing, interacting with others and enjoying the buzz of airsoft.
Lez: Where did the name Airsoft Monkey come from? Is there a story behind that? Monkey: “When thinking of a name for my business, it came quite easily. I knew I wanted to include the word Airsoft in the title and then me being quite a fun and mischievous character, added to my background of tampering with mechanical and electrical engineering, the word “monkey” seemed to just fit! I’ve always liked “monkeying around” with anything.” Lez: So Phil, what is going on in Airsoft Monkey’s world these days? Monkey: “The world of Airsoft Monkey at the moment is a very busy one! I am currently running the shop and tech repair side of things at 5 event sites, with another one in the pipeline. In addition to managing the Combat-UK shop in Stevenage as well as my own tech workshop within of course! A usual day for me starts around 8am and often I’m not home before 8pm. “Big trends at the moment are modifications to the external looks of a gun. Everyone wants to make their gun look the best and often individual. Rail systems are popular and of course I’m always busy with microswitch triggers and Mosfets. Also conversions to DMR and sniper upgrades are common. I’m busy with general repairs day-to-day.” Lez: Tell us about your trip to ASG and any other qualifications. Monkey: “When attending Denmark for the ASG course, Ed and I were made very welcome. The place was a lot bigger than I expected and everything about the visit was very professional and exactly how Ed and I like to run our businesses. The content of the course was great because it really tested my knowledge and re-affirmed that I was doing things in the correct way. The fun part was getting to know the technicians there and seeing some of the new guns which are in the pipeline. Exciting stuff! So now in addition to my other electrical and mechanical qualifications, I am now a qualified
“Huge thanks to all the people who have helped me on my journey so far. Chrissi and Midge at Maddog, Tony and Hazel at RIFT Airsoft, Ed and Ida at Combat-UK and of course my wife Rachel, for putting up with me taking over half the house and all of the late nights.” I hope you enjoyed some insight into the busy world of Phil Woods/Airsoft Monkey and having met this guy and seen his standard of work, rest assured that your prized RIF is in the safest of safe hands. Lez OUT!
Contact Details: Airsoft Monkey Tel: Mobile 07412 615650 / Shop 01438 362922 Email: phil@airsoftmonkey.co.uk Website: www.airsoftmonkey.co.uk www.onlyairsoft.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/airsoftrepairs
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gitag MAJOR LEAGUE AIRSOFT
COMPETITIVE AIRSOFT IT HAS OFTEN BEEN SAID THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PLAY “COMPETITIVE” AIRSOFT – BUT THEY ALSO SAID THAT MAN WOULD NEVER FLY – SO WHEN JERRY NOONE BUMPED INTO SOMEONE WHO INTENDS TO SET UP A NATIONAL COMPETITION, HE HAD TO FIND OUT MORE. WHEN YOU’RE ON A SITE covering a game it’s amazing the people you end up talking to, isn’t it? Recently, whilst stopping for lunch at a game, I got talking to a chap with another rather unique approach to airsoft, Simon from Major League Airsoft. Being part of a team means different things to different people; some of us join a team for a shared love of a particular loadout, time period, or theme, whilst others form a group to be more effective in a game. A while back now Gadge did an excellent series of articles about having an assigned role in a team and what that meant and it’s true that if you have specialists like snipers or support gunners that really understand their role, they can quite literally be “a game changer”. But what if that team structure meant taking things in a different direction? What if establishing a team meant that you could become involved in a more competitive style of airsoft? There’s been much debate as to whether “competition airsoft” is a good or bad thing but the fact of the matter is that we all play the kind of airsoft that we want to and whilst a “competition” element is not something that I personally would want to play, I can totally understand why others might like to. But how to make this a reality? Many have tried over the years and there are certainly a whole heap of challenges to overcome; if you’re running a small woodland skirmish all you need is a suitable site and some players but once you start talking about competition not only at a site level but ultimately
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to a national league, it’s a whole ‘nother BB level. Simon from Major League Airsoft is trying to create a format where this type of competition will become a reality and he’s making a lot of friends along the way. I took time to speak to him further following our meeting at the game and this is what he had to tell me about his vision. AA: So Simon, in your own words please tell me what led you to set up Major League Airsoft? Simon: “I started MLA because of the fact I love to play airsoft in a small squad rather than on my own. There are many teams that have been established in the UK over the last couple of years, these players have invested in their gear and each other to become a team yet when you play at many sites you get to be on blue team or red. We want to offer an opportunity for these teams to compete as a unit and get recognition for their efforts as a team.” AA: Can you tell me more about your concept and how you see it working? Simon: “The concept to date is constantly changing and evolving the more we interact with both players and sites but the core concept that will be the focus is a 3 tier league: site level, regional level and a national league. Aside from that there are lots of game modes we are developing for MLA events, one of which (“Squad Wars – Bad Intel”) we trialled at the Invicta Battlefield Big Weekender and had great feedback from the players.” AA: Who do you see as your target players for Major League Airsoft? Simon: “Our target market is established teams, casual teams or anyone who wants to start a team we will try to support and guide them.” AA: Do you work with specific teams or groups, or is anyone welcome?
gitag MAJOR LEAGUE AIRSOFT
Simon: Any airsoft team is welcome and we will even have events where we will incorporate rebel forces, which will be players that aren’t in a team but want to come and shoot people for the day.” AA: Are you working with different sites around the country at the moment? Simon: “At the moment we’ve mainly been working with and talking to sites in the south and southeast (Like Invicta Battlefields, Apocalypse, Darkwater, Plantation and South Coast CQB) as we’re based in Kent but we have had a few sites contact us from the midlands and Scotland asking how to get involved.” AA: Obviously different sites run in different ways; what are the challenges for you here? Simon: “The challenge is trying to work out and establish a universal cost for players as we’ve received quotes for using sites that differ quite a bit. We would like to keep the costs as reasonable as possible for the teams but obviously we want to allow for top notch prizes!” AA: Without going into specifics who do you work with? Simon: “Since the start of our MLA journey we have received support and worked with various people in the airsoft community like Zac from Weaponcrates, Graham from Airsoft Nation and Andy from Invicta Battlefields, who have all been very supportive in setting this up. “On my team I have Paul (Deadpaul of Wild Pack X) and Chris, who helps with events and is an admin on the Facebook page.” AA: Where do you see Major League Airsoft evolving in the future? Simon: “I see MLA evolving into a national (perhaps even
international) team sport and a brand that unites players and sites for the common goal... to have fun!” AA: If someone reading this article likes the sound of what you offer, what should be their next step? Simon: “They should like our Facebook and Instagram pages. We do have a website that is currently under construction which will hold further information. I can also be contacted via email on simon.johnson@majorleagueairsoftuk for sites and teams that want to get involved.” My thanks to Simon for talking to me and once again it’s obvious that it takes just “One Geek with Vision” to move airsoft forward in yet another interesting direction. I’m extremely interested to see where Simon’s journey leads him and to see how “League Airsoft” develops and rest assured, I’ll report back on this again as things develop!
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Survival PREPARING FOR DISASTER
PREPARATION IS THE KEY AA’S RESIDENT SURVIVAL SPECIALIST, PAUL YELLAND, GIVES US SOME TIPS ON WHAT WE CAN DO IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED, SHOULD DISASTER STRIKE.
I AM WRITING THIS ARTICLE in the wake of Hurricane Irma and with another Hurricane – Maria, just about to strike Puerto Rico. News has also just broken about a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that has hit Mexico claiming over two hundred lives, whilst Typhoon Talim recently battered Japan, so as you can see, disaster can happen anywhere and at any time. Airsoft is a global activity and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that players could find themselves caught up in such events, whether they are visiting or living in other countries more susceptible to such devastation. One of the most devastating storms to hit the UK in recent times occurred back in October 1987. During this storm, winds reached hurricane strength which caused damage to buildings and felled millions of trees. Severe disruption was caused to power and transportation networks and tragically, eighteen people lost their lives. The Met Office describes this severity of storm as a “one in two hundred year event” but there have been many less severe extreme weather events to affect the UK since then – including flooding and heavy snowfall that have caused major problems and even further loss of life. So, what can be done to prepare for such events and what equipment would you need should a natural disaster strike? I am going to go through some items that you might carry as part of your airsoft kit that could be use in a “S**t hits the fan” situation.
‘FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED’
Hurricane Katrina 72
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Nowadays, in the UK most severe weather events are well forecasted allowing people enough time to prepare, so keeping up to date with the weather report is a good starting point for not being caught out. Once a weather warning has been issued by the Met
Heavy snowfall can bring everything to a standstill
Office, you can follow developments by using the app from the BBC Weather Service or the Met Office. These will give a prediction on the areas to be affected, the type of weather to be experienced and the time window for the expected bad weather. Follow any advice that has been issued by the local authorities and check the Environment Agency website for information about local flood warnings.
IF THE WORST SHOULD HAPPEN
Should you become caught up in a situation such as a severe weather event, it will make things easier to deal with if you have some kind of plan to follow. This could just be as simple as battening down the hatches to ride out a storm whilst remaining inside your home. But what if the power supply is cut off and communications fail, or rising flood water breaches the building leaving you and the other occupants stranded on the first floor or roof tops? This very situation was witnessed in the Cornish village of Boscastle back in 2004 when a flash flood devastated the village – destroying buildings and washing cars out to sea. Thankfully, nobody was killed but many people had to be winched from their first floor windows and building rooftops by Royal Navy and RAF Search & Rescue Sea King helicopters.
Survival PREPARING FOR DISASTER
Flooding in York
This situation at Boscastle, just like many others, turned into a fight for survival with the initial priority being to get away from the source of danger – take shelter or find higher ground, with the stranded people then signalling their distress at the earliest opportunity to the rescue services. Any rescue or forced evacuation from a disaster area can happen reasonably quickly, but that also means you probably wouldn’t have had any time to collect personal belongings and you could find yourself fleeing with nothing apart from the clothes that you stand up in. This is where your airsoft kit can be used. By keeping your loadout in a kit bag or ruck sack you will effectively have a prepping style “bug out bag” that you can grab in an emergency. The size and weight of your kit bag is important – keep things small and light. There isn’t going to be enough room for you, complete equipment marching Your airsoft loadout can have a use off the skirmish field
A candle could be your only source of light
order (CEMO) plus other people in a rescue boat if your street is being evacuated because of flooding. However, if you are sitting things out at home, even if needing to move up to the higher floors of your house to escape rising flood water, your entire load out will still be at your disposal.
HOW YOUR AIRSOFT KIT CAN BE USED Power Cut In the case of a power cut, the following could be used from your kit: • Headlamp • Weapon Tac-light • Cyalume • Candle from survival kit
Emergency Signalling for Rescue Just like the flooding at Boscastle or the tragic fire in the Grenfell Tower in London, people need to signal to the rescue teams to let them know where to look. Here are a few ideas on what to use for attracting attention. • Whistle from survival kit • Torch • Strobe light • Heliograph/Mirror (in sunlight)
Smoke grenades can be used for signalling
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Survival PREPARING FOR DISASTER
• Survival bag (because it is bright orange in colour) • Site marshal Hi-vis tabard • Smoke grenade (if in daylight and as a last resort). Use outdoors because of fire risk.
Field rations will keep you going whilst waiting for normal life to resume
Shelter and Warmth • Basha/tarp – but you will probably already be under cover inside a building. The basha could be used to cover broken windows to keep the wind and rain out • Warm and dry clothing including hat and gloves • Sleeping bag and foam roll mat • Waterproof jacket and trousers • Survival bag/space blanket
Medical and Personal Admin Health and personal hygiene will still need to be maintained to reduce the risk of disease and infection. Water contaminated with sewage can cause diarrhoea and vomiting. • First aid kit – include any prescribed medications just in case you are evacuated to a rest centre • Small wash kit • Wet wipes (cam cream removal wipes) • Hand sanitiser
Water It is possible that the water supply could be disrupted. Having a safe supply of drinking water is vital to avoid becoming dehydrated. • Fill up the water bottles that you carry in your webbing before the mains water supply is cut off or contaminated • Use large clean containers to store extra water for extended periods (boil this water before use) • Keep a supply of bottled water available with your kit and spare rations • Water filter/purification tablets – but do not drink flood water as it will be heavily contaminated with chemicals and sewage
Food and Cooking
Fill up large containers with clean water before the water supply is lost
Panic buying could break out in the local supermarkets causing a depletion of stock, so keeping some rations stock piled with your kit should see you through the first few days. If the transportation network is disrupted because of the event, resupply of food to the supermarkets will take longer than usual – so allow for this when stocking up on field rations. Useful items that you may have in your load out could include; • Ration packs • Mess tin and mug • Gas stove – Only use in well ventilated areas. Be aware of the fire risk and don’t use camping stoves in confined spaces due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning • Fire lighting items from a survival kit – for making a fire in houses that have a usable open fire place A portable stove is a must, but don’t use inside confined spaces
GENERAL ADVICE
Keep a small portable radio handy that is tuned in to the local BBC radio station for your area. Important information will be broadcast in times of severe weather or disaster to keep the public updated. Keep all important documents such as home insurance, passports and birth certificates in a waterproof container and upstairs away from the risk of flooding. Turn off the gas, electric and water supplies before your home becomes flooded and do not touch electrical objects if you are standing in flood water. Avoid walking through flood water due to hidden dangers and health risks as the water will contain sewage. Because of this don’t risk eating any food that has come into contact with it. There is also a risk of injury and drowning as you will not be able to see hazards that are underneath the water. Structures such as road bridges can be weakened by flood water which could result in the bridge becoming unsafe and in risk of collapse, so be warned. Stay away from windows during storms and make sure any outside objects such as garden furniture are packed away before high winds arrive. Shelter inside a room that offers the most protection and have plans for a secondary place of safety should yours become structurally damaged and unsafe. It can be dangerous to venture outside in high winds so stay indoors until the storm has completely passed. When safe to go outside, be aware of any live power lines that have been brought down by the storm as there is a risk of Keep a small FM radio to hand pre-tuned in to a electrocution. With any severe local radio station weather event, life in general can be disrupted – often for several days, so be prepared for this. As winter looms here in the UK, there is always a chance of experiencing some form of severe weather – be it floods, gales or snow. But whatever the scenario your airsoft kit can be put to good use as an emergency grab bag with all of the essentials for getting you through it. www.airsoft-action.online
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! E N O Z R WA internaional GREECE
AS AIRSOFT ACTION CONTINUES TO SPREAD INTERNATIONALLY, WE HEAR ABOUT AN EVENT IN GREECE THAT SOUNDS (AND LOOKS) SUPERB. IF YOU LIKE YOUR AIRSOFT HOT AND HARD, THEN YOU NEED TO GET TO WARZONE! GREECE OR, MORE SPECIFICALLY, Crete is probably not the first country that springs to mind when you think of hard-core MilSim events and yet one of the best takes place there every year and 2018 sees the sixth in the series. Set on the edge of the Mediterranean, Rethymno is an ancient city on the northern side of Crete and is also home to “R.A. Action” the official Airsoft Club of Rethymno. Airsoft Action spoke to Stelios Mathioudakis, of R.A. Action to find out more… “WarZone is a 3Day airsoft event, it is an annual airsoft large scale event and for 2017, WarZone 5 was organized to take place at the island of Crete. One of the best airsoft sites someone could play at, is available and the organizers worked
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hard to prepare special staff for the participants! “The field combines urban, CQB and of course woodland engagements but the most important is that the topography is such so the enemy contacts are kept in relatively close distance of no more than 100 meters. This allows us to simulate battles at which airsoft is really strong, the close combat battles! “The WarZone 5 game scenario is named “The Green Zone” and was about a country where a civil war is undergoing. There are two main large factions fighting to secure the area (villages). But this is not just that! At all this mess that war creates, the scenario includes another three quite smaller factions. First come the United Nations Forces, small but heavily equipped with strong mechanized units, is deployed to secure that citizens will feel again safe by keeping clear from engagements, “The Green Zone”. “Secondly USA and Russian Special Forces have been deployed. Rangers and Spetsnaz units, small but specialized units (hardcore MilSim airsofters) aiming to affect the battle outcome serving their country’s interest. “Everyone understands that with five factions in the field, WarZone is far from what we call a “linear game scenario”. Usually no one can predict the final outcome. Each side is going to behave, to the rest of the faction’s, according to the policy that the player’s adopt and this is subject to change in every next moment! Participant’s real characters and random in game incidents affect the cooperations - and betrayals - that happen every year at WarZone! “Of course, all these happen while heavy engagements are taking place. The main factions have under their command various units like heavy infantry, mechanized units, Special
!
internaional GREECE
Forces, parachutists and artillery. With these army abilities the commanding officers, having established a strong chain of command, apply real battle tactics! “This scenario and the faction abilities that organizers have designed, bring participants to a real situation and so unique, realistic emotions are created to each of them! This is the aim of playing airsoft, “to create new, unique emotions to people”. “The R.A. Action organizing team is a very skillful team with quite large experience having organized a lot of airsoft scenarios and of course by participating to all the large European events like Berget, Overload and Borderwar. The WarZone thought, is based on a quite different philosophy comparing to other events. As it is a 100% non profit event is supported by experienced airsoft players who volunteer to help. Due to that fact the organizers have adopted very strict behavior control policy. Airsoft players must have what we call “the right airsoft attitude” in order to perform the right way and the organizers are here to do their best to assure that. Participant’s numbers are of no importance. The concept is that “is better to have a game with 400 quality players than a game with 1,000 players randomly selected”! The WarZone organizers make this effort focused on producing quality airsoft events and only that and so heavy filtering is applied to all participants! People who don’t behave with respect to their opponents or their teammates, people who don’t play fair, don’t follow game rules or spread stupid rumors and so destroy the game, are noted down. Not only by the game masters but also all the participants are encouraged to note down players with wrong behavior. After the game complaints are gathered together, participant’s statistics are formed and players who are found presenting unacceptable behavior are banned from future events! High quality events are able to happen only if the participants have the right attitude. That’s the reason this event has very strong filtering for the participants, continuously aiming at an event of high quality. This needs effort and time but WarZone is not at all quite far from that! The motto of the organizers is: “I am honest, competitive as much as needed and I respect the efforts of others without being shellfish. Nobody wants a non-competitive opponent, or a dishonest opponent!! I am a
“positive and active player”, I do my best so I take control of my actions and so I help also for the success of the meeting!!”
WARZONE 6
WarZone 6 is scheduled to take place from the 4th – 6th May 2018 and Airsoft Action has been offered a number of free entry places, for our readers. We will be running a competition in a future issue to give these places away but bear in mind, that to take part in a WarZone event, ALL participants must have the following: • Ability to operate within a basic, simple hierarchy and obey commands. • Able to comply with the regulations set by the organizers with honesty. • Clothing, equipment and playing style according to their role. • Positive and willing attitude without excessive and extreme behaviors. Airsoft Action will also be covering the event, so make sure your passports are up to speed and watch out for the competition. For more information and to stay up to date, head over to WarZone’s website (www.warzone.gr) or their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/warzone.rethimno).
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Skills DRAWING FROM A HIP HOLSTER
QUICK FROM THE HIP WE ALL KNOW HOW TO DRAW A PISTOL, DON’T WE? HERE, CALIBRE SHOOTING’S ANDY NIGHTINGALE GIVES US THE LOW-DOWN ON HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY. IT’S NOT VERY OFTEN THAT you can walk onto a range with a firearm and practice drawing from a holster. In the UK it’s impossible to do so, as handguns have been banned for many years now. So it’s only the airsoft community (and Airgun also) that has that privilege here in Blighty. Even if you do have access and permission to use airsoft guns on a shooting range, it will be highly unlikely that you will be allowed to don a holster and practice your drawing skills. Fortunately, with airsoft having such a low muzzle energy, we can practice drawing from a holster almost anywhere. As we will be only practicing the draw we can do this as a dry fire exercise anytime at home. There are many different types of holster but for this article we are going to look at those most popular, the hip holster. Before we go into the process of practice the technique we are going to look at is compatible with belt mounted, drop leg and inside the waistband holsters. It is not compatible with cross draw or holsters that are concealed. To begin with, the holster must be secured to the belt without any movement during the carry or draw. This is done by ensuring that the belt is wide enough and stiff enough to support the weight and size of the handgun. Once fitted properly, which is achieved by the belt passing through at least three belt loops, the handgun can be drawn from the holster safely and with ease. The draw can be broken down into 4 separate moves.
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POSITION ONE:
The first move is to gain a correct grip on the gun whilst it is still in the holster. This is done by taking hold of the handgun’s grip with the strong hand and ensuring that the trigger finger is placed straight alongside of the outside of the holster, with the remaining fingers coiled around the grip. The thumb should be placed on the opposite side of the grip with the web (the bit of skin between the thumb and index finger) high up into the tang of the grip. At the same time the weak, or support hand, should come up and in line with the centre of the pectoral muscle ready to receive the handgun in a two-handed firing position. This will ensure that the weak hand is clear of the handgun’s muzzle when the gun is drawn from the holster.
POSITION TWO:
This position requires the handgun to be drawn up and out of the holster. Before the handgun can be drawn, any safety devices that are built into the holster must be disengaged. As the handgun leaves the holster your grip must maintain security and the trigger finger should be along the side of the frame and above and away from the trigger when the handgun is drawn. When the handgun is clear of the holster bring the handgun up to the pectoral muscle and rotate the muzzle towards your intended target. When the handgun is in this final position, the gun should be slightly canted away from the body.
Skills DRAWING FROM A HIP HOLSTER
This will ensure that, if the handgun is fired, its operation will not be hindered by catching on any part of your upper body or any garments. The weak hand should remain up and out of the way by staying in contact with the pectoral muscle.
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POSITION THREE:
This is the position where the weak hand comes into contact with the handgun to provide a two-handed grip. As the handgun is pushed forwards, out towards the target, the weak hand moves forwards but behind the gun as it moves. It is important that the gun leads and the weak hand plays catch up here. It’s all too easy for the weak hand to lead and be swept with the muzzle of the gun. As you can appreciate, this is not a good thing to happen. If you are not familiar with handguns or not used to using a holster, this drill should be practiced slowly so as to get this right.
POSITION FOUR:
Position four is the final position of the draw. This is where the gun should have a correct and secure grip and orientated to the target. Sight alignment should be achieved at this point and, if it required, the trigger should be prepped. The shooter should also have a good solid shooting stance to provide a stable platform to shoot from. Drawing the handgun from the holster should be fast to the gun (position one) and smooth to the targets (positions two to four). Rushing the draw can (and does) slow the process down, as mistakes are made. If you have to draw from the holster during combat and defense, or whilst in a competition, then speed is of the essence. However things will go wrong without practicing this simple drill if you don’t start off slowly and build up to speed. Speed is only achieved when the drill is smooth. To place the handgun back into the holster you should simply reverse the process. Here, however, there is no need for any speed. Once you have reversed back to position two it is good practice to look down to the holster as you reinsert the
handgun (position one) to help guide the handgun safely into the holster. As the handgun is replaced, the trigger finger should be “flagged” and well out of the way of the trigger guard. This is one of the most important safety concerns as it is possible to discharge a round as the gun is reinserted into the holster. As the trigger finger is caught between the trigger and the holster the trigger is depressed and the gun fires. You won’t believe how often this happens with live firearms. When the handgun is safely back in the holster, unless it’s done automatically, reengage any retention devices. Shooting from the holster is a simple skill but it is also a precision skill. Take it slowly to begin with and let the smoothness of practice build the speed. It’s also, like all shooting skills and drills, a perishable skill that needs to be practiced regularly. Have fun with this and next time you need to beat the bad guy to the gun you will have the skills to survive and win.
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N I W VICTORIA
Competition VICTORIA CROSS HEROES II
A SIGNED COPY OF
CROSS HEROES II BY LORD ASHCROFT ON PAGES 28 AND 29 of this issue, we have an article written by Lord Ashcroft, in which he tells us why he has created the World’s largest collection of Victoria Cross medals and why he believes “that inspirational deeds of valour and self-sacrifice should be championed and never forgotten” – a sentiment that the entire team at Airsoft Action recognise and applaud. Lord Ashcroft is also an accomplished author and his new book, Victoria Cross Heroes II is a collection of 60 stories of outstanding “gallantry in the face of the enemy” that lead to those involved being awarded the Victoria Cross. Amongst those whose stories are recounted is Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, one of only three people who have won the Victoria Cross twice and the only soldier to have been awarded the VC and Bar during the Great War. Lord Ashcroft has kindly agreed to provide a signed copy of the book to give away to one lucky Airsoft Action reader in this competition. To enter the competition, you will need to answer the following three questions: 1) How many people have been awarded the Victoria Cross and Bar? 2) In the past 161 years, how many times has the Victoria Cross been awarded? 3) What two words are inscribed on the face of the Victoria Cross? For your chance to win, simply complete the entry form and return it before the closing date. You can also enter via email or the Airsoft Action website. Good luck! Post your entries to: Airsoft Action Victoria Cross Competition, Airsoft Action, Calibre Publishing, Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6PL, or email to: competition@airsoft-action.co.uk with “Airsoft Action Victoria Cross Competition” in the subject line. You can also enter online, via the Airsoft Action website (www. airsoft-action.online). Entries received after midnight on 15th November will not be valid. One entry per person. The winner will be the first randomly drawn from all the correct entries.
ANSWERS:
1 2 3 Name:................................................................................................................. Telephone:.......................................................................................................... Email:................................................................................................................. Calibre Publishing would like to keep you informed of other offers and publications. Please tick here if you would NOT like to be contacted by post or email.
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Real Steel G36 SERIES
CONTINUING TO DIP INTO THE WORLD OF REAL STEEL FIREARMS THAT HAVE MADE IT TO THE AIRSOFT FIELD, GADGE TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO THE INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE H&K G36.
HECKLER AND KOCH G36 THE G36 CAUSED A BIT of a stir when it came out, in airsoft circles it was a popular AEG and in fact my first ever airsoft gun was a TM G36C but in the real world, it was the weapon the Bundeswehr had wanted for years. During the Cold War the West Germans had opted for the G3 early in the inception of the Bundeswehr. The G3 itself was a development of the Spanish “CETME” rifle but given Heckler and Koch’s magic touch, it turned out to be an excellent battle rifle for the West Germans. By the 80s though it was showing its age somewhat and Germany looked for a “next level” replacement. The original idea had been to replace the aging G3 with the revolutionary G11 assault rifle. The G11 promised to be everything the army wanted and had been in development
since the late 60s. It was an odd-looking boxy affair to be sure but, “on paper” its qualities were considerable. It was, in essence, a selective-fire assault rifle intended to replace both the G3 battle rifle and Mp2 (Uzi) SMG at the same time and utilised several unique features. The G11 was chambered to fire 4.73mm ammo - and caseless ammo at that. Large magazines stored in the gun and a rotating feed would allow the trooper to carry large amounts of this lightweight ammo, a built in optical sight aided accuracy and for close quarters a retractable bayonet was housed in the body. “Too good to be true” you might think - and you’d be right! H&K could never get the G11 to work correctly, its main problem was overheating which would cause the caseless ammunition (the propellant was a solid block around the round which burned up on firing) to “cook off” …with disastrous results! It was time for H&K to go back to the drawing board and go back to looking at 5.56 NATO calibre solutions.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
In 1995 the Bundeswehr invited several manufacturers to enter trials to select their next assault rifle. Heckler and Koch’s entry into this competition was initially known as the H&K50 and after winning the trials and being accepted, was given the nomenclature G36 by the german MOD. The G36 is actually a truly modular weapons system in which several variants share the same 5.56mm calibre basic receiver. Initially the weapons system was designed to be a range that included the G36 basic model, a shorter carbine “K” version, a compact “Commando” (“C”) version, an export “E” model and a light machine gun “MG36” version. Extensive combat trials, however, found the MG36 to be unsuitable and H&K no longer supply this, leaving the range to consist of just four models. Constructed of fibre reinforced polymers, the G36 receiver is sturdy, lightweight and easy to maintain and the high commonality of parts across the range allow an armourer 82
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Real Steel G36 SERIES
Without doubt, the G36 is a firm favourite with real world law enforcement and military operators and while not as popular as it was perhaps a decade ago, it is still a firm favourite with airsofters around the world. Part of this is no doubt down to the modular nature and versatility of the weapons system. The ability to mix and match elements of the G36 programme to fully customise your own personal weapon and, in the case of the G36C, the addition of rail mounts, make it an ideal weapon of choice for any starting airsofter.
VARIANTS G36 The standard assault rifle. The basic G36 model features a carry handle/sighting unit with integral emergency battle sights, a magnified optic and a red dot sight. Length: 758-998mm (stock folded and extended) Weight: 3.43kg Max Range: 1000m Effective Range: 400m to create a rifle, compact or carbine version using the same receiver. All variants feature a side folding polymer stock although the exact length of the stock varies by model. The G36 is extremely insensitive to fouling and is able to fire over 15,000 rounds without cleaning and the polymer elements of the weapon can be easily cleaned with water-based cleaning products or even simply water in emergencies. Chambered for NATO 5.56 ammo, the G36 variants all utilise a (at the time relatively uncommon) novel translucent magazine, enabling the user to clearly see how many rounds are left at any given time and as a further bonus, the magazines have lugs and sockets on the side to allow two or more to be clipped together for rapid magazine changes without a mag clamp, or taping the magazines together. Chambering a round in the G36 is almost very quiet compared to comparable NATO weapons and the ambidextrous cocking handle/charging lever doubles as a “forwards assist to silently chamber a round.
G36C The G36C is a compact special operations variant lacking integral optics but featuring 20mm rails to allow custom accessories to be fitted as per user requirements. Length: 500-720mm(stock folded and extended) Weight: 2.8kg Max Range: 400m Effective Range:100m G36K The G36K is the short carbine or ‘Kurz’ (German: Short) variant. Essentially it is largely the same weapon as the G36 but with a
shorter stock and a reduced barrel length and is intended for vehicle crews and law enforcement Length: 615-858mm (stock folded and extended) Weight: 3.13kg Max Range: 400m Effective Range:100m G36E The G36E is the export model for foreign sales (now known as the G36V, V for Variant) The G36E/V has all of the characteristics of the standard rifle with the exception of the sight setup. It is fitted with a x1.5 or x3 sight and lacks the integrated red dot sight Length: 758-998mm (stock folded and extended) Weight: 3.43kg Max Range: 1000m Effective Range: 400m It is worth also noting that the components of the now no longer available MG36 are compatible with most of the G36 range and so LMG drum mags and a bipod are also available for some variants.
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Support your local airsoft company! Airsoft Zone Unit 2, Detection House Brooklands Approach Romford, Essex. 01708 733275 www.airsoftzone.co.uk
Land Warrior Airsoft 44/1 Hardengreen Bus. Prk Hardengreen Lane Dalkeith, EH22 3NX 0131 654 2452 www.landwarriorairsoft.com
Airsoft Sniper Parts UK Unit 2, Old Station Drive Sheffield S7 2PY www.airsofsniperparts.com
Xsite Airsoft Fryers Farm Lane High Wycombe Bucks, HP14 3NP 01494 881430 www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk
Bomb Up Airsoft 22-23 Arkwright Court Arkwright Road Runcorn, WA7 1NX 0800 131 3012 www.bombupairsoft.co.uk
DTW Airsoft B23 Moorside Business Prk Colchester Essex, CO1 2ZF 01206 790046 www.dtwairsoft.co.uk
Surplus Store Unit 2, Access House Stephenson Way Three Bridges, RH10 1TN 01293 525880 www.surplusstore.co.uk
The Gaol Events Oakham Enterprise Park Ashwell Road, Oakham Leics, LE15 7TU 07976 457602 www.thegaolevents.co.uk
JD Airsoft Unit 5, Virage Park Green Lane, Cannock WS11 0NH 0845 600 5144 www.jdairsoft.net
Invicta Battlefield Airsoft Pook Hill Wood Farm Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst, TN12 0HP 07876 263290 www.invictabattlefield.co.uk
Johnsons of Leeds 2, Vulcan Foundry Haigh Park Road Leeds, LS10 1RT 0113 277 5237 www.johnsonsofleeds.co.uk
TacTree Unit 3, Stag Business Park Donnington Wood Telford, TF2 7NA 01952 565670 www.tactree.co.uk
Sell Airsoft Action in your shop or on your site and get a FREE ADVERT on these pages! Contact Nige on 01684 878003 or by email: nige@airsoft-action.co.uk for details.
Buy Airsoft Action from any of these shops or sites - and get your copy before it goes on sale on the High Street! Combat-UK 13-15 Market Place Stevenage Herts, SG1 1DH 01438 362922 www.onlyairsoft.com
Phoenix Airsoft Gleadthorpe Breck Plnt. Budby Road Cuckney, NG20 9JX 07956 587213 www.phoenix-airsoft.co.uk
Stormforce Airsoft Longbarn Farm Bardy Lane Rugeley, WS15 4LD 07515 937633
Leicestershire Airsoft Unit 3 Melton Road Industrial Est. Queniborough, LE7 3FP 07526 372108
308 Sniper 66 High Street Chatham Kent, ME4 4DS 01634 921278 www.308sniper.co.uk
Socom Tactical 70 Reading Road South Fleet Hampshire, GU52 7SD 01252 616 868 www.socomtactical.net
Gunman Airsoft Tuddenham, IP28 6DF Eversley, RG27 0PX 07711 774461 07711 774401 www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk
Airsoft Plantation Goatsmoor Lane Stock, Billericay Essex, CM4 9RS 07771 556395 www.airsoftplantation.co.uk
Badlands Airsoft Woodberry Lane Rowlands Castle Hants, PO9 6DP 07534 465589 www.badlandsairsoft.co.uk
Sell Airsoft Action in your shop or on your site and this space could be yours ...completely FREE! For more info, email nige@airsoft-action.co.uk
www.stormforceairsoft.co.uk
www.leicestershireairsoft.co.uk
Looking for somewhere to buy Airsoft Action? Your local Newsagent sold out? Then why not visit any of the fine airsoft companies listed here? They all keep Airsoft Action in stock and while you are there, don’t forget to have a good browse round to see what else they can tempt you with...
SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
SYMBOL KEY
IS IT WOODLAND OR URBAN? CHECK THE KEY! UKARA MEMBER
SHOP ONSITE
WOODLAND
PYROS ALLOWED
URBAN
BATTERY CHARGING
DESERT
REPAIR SERVICE
Email nige@airsoft-action.co.uk to add or change a site listing
ABER AIRSOFT – THE BUNKER
Allt-lywd Wood Farm, outside Llanrhystud, nr. Aberystwyth, Wales. Tel: 07511554740 www.aberairsoft.co.uk
AIRSOFT ASYLUM
ALPHA 55
AIRSOFT COMMANDOS
ALPHA ELITE GAMING
North Lanarksire, ML7 5 www.airsoftasylum.webs.com
Sutton, near Ferrybridge andyace@ntlworld.com
ABSOLUTE AIRSOFT
Maidenhead, SL6 3SS Tel: 07871 314951 www.absolute-airsoft.co.uk
ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES
Holbrook Coppice, Buidwas Bank (A4169), Buildwas, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 Tel: 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk
ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMES
Tong Wood, Newport Road Wolverhampton TF11 8PN Tel: 07786 192832 www.aceairsoft.co.uk
AIRSOFT KGB
Porkellis Moor near Helston, Cornwall, TR13 0 Chef1322@hotmail.com www.kgbairsoft.com
AIRSOFT PLANTATION
Goatsmoor Lane, Billericay, CM4 9RS Tel: 07534 636289 / 07771 556395 www.airsoftplantation.co.uk Email: apairsoftplantation@gmail.com
AIRSOFT SKIRMISH
Stoulton, WR7 4QW Tel: 07764 587410 www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk
ACE COMBAT
AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQB
Kent, TN12 7DG Tel: 01303 814803 www.acecombat.co.uk
Studley, B80 7LY Tel: 07764 587410 www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk
AIRBORNE 101 AIRSOFT CLUB
ALL ARMS AIRSOFT
Downpatrick, Co. Down, BT30 Tel: 07718 032541 robinsonm24@btinternet.com
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Near Trawden, BB8 8SN Tel: 07909 683464 www.allarmsairsoft.co.uk
Halkyn Wood, North Wales CH8 8DF www.alpha55.co.uk
Le Mont de Rozel, Jersey, JE3 5 Tel: 01534 733697 www.aegairsoft.je
AMAZON EVENTS
Hellingly, East Sussex, BN27 4HL Tel: 0844 2570433 www.amazonoutdoorevents.co.uk
AWA HERTS
Sawbridgeworth, Herts, CM23 4BJ Tel: 07732 184957 www.awaherts.com
BADLANDS AIRSOFT
Rowlands Castle, Hamps PO9 6DP Tel: 07534 465589 www.badlandsairsoft.co.uk
BARNSLEY AIRSOFT
Shafton, Barnsley, S72 8RE Tel: 07779 236166 www.barnsleypaintball.co.uk
AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAM
BATTLETEC AIRSOFT
AMBUSH ADVENTURES SOUTHAMPTON
BETTER BATTLES
Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8SL Tel: 01252 315225 www.ambushadventures.co.uk
New Forest National Park, SP5 2DW Tel: 01252 315225 www.ambushadventures.co.uk
APOCALYPSE AIRSOFT Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7QP Tel: 07872 348 576 www.apocalypseairsoft.com
ARENA AIRSOFT
Grimsby, DN31 3JD Tel: 07752 404060 www.arenaairsoft.com
La Couture, Guernsey, GY1 2 Tel: 07781 104068 www.battletec.co.uk
Ravenshead, Notts, NG15 9DH Tel: 07967 940043 www.better-battles.com
BLACKDAGGER AIRSOFT
Grasscroft Wood, Barlow Lees Lane, Dronfield, S18 7UR www.blackdagger-airsoft.co.uk
BLUESTREAK AIRSOFT
Westcott Venture Park, Westcott, Aylesbury, HP18 0XB Tel: 01296 658600 www.bluestreak-airsoft.co.uk
SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
BORDERLINE AIRSOFT
51 Green Road, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim Northern Ireland, BT39 9PH Tel: 028 9303 7030 or 07729219341 www.borderlinecombat.com
BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT Leisure Lakes, Mere Brow, Southport. PR46JX Tel: 07790 715059 www.bravo22airsoft.com
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – RIVOCK EDGE
COMBAT SOUTH WOODLAND
Keighley, BD20 0LS Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
Fareham, PO17 5ND Tel: 02392 655636 www.combatsouth.co.uk
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – SHEFFIELD WOODLAND
CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOL
Sheffield, S6 6JE Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 5 Tel: 01438 368177 www.thefightschool.demon.co.uk
COOL UNDER FIRE BRISTOL AIRSOFT Bristol, BS1 2HQ Tel: 07776 288826 www.bristolairsoft.com
CERBERUS AIRSOFT – THE WORKS (URBAN)
Off Badger Lane, Hipperholme, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX3 8PL Tel: 07891 469492 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
BRIT-TAC AIRSOFT Sheffield, S2 5TR Tel: 07795 631331 www.brittacairsoft.com
CHESTERFIELD IMPERIAL AIRSOFT
Brimington, Chesterfield, S43 1DQ www.cia-airsoft.co.uk
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
CLOSE ACTION AIRSOFT
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 www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
COMBAT AIRSOFT
Just off the A11 outside Thetford Norfolk follow signs for Combat Paintball Tel: 07703 045849 www.combatairsoftgames.co.uk
COMBAT READY CQB
38 Full Street, Derby DE1 3AF Tel: 01332 493258 Email: info@combatreadyairsoft.co.uk www.combatreadyairsoft.co.uk
Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0LA Tel: 07703 530189 www.dragonslairairsoft.co.uk
DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFT
CORNWALLS ELITE AIRSOFT
ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHING
Truro, Cornwall, TR2. Tel: 07863 240153 www.cornwallseliteairsoft.co.uk
COTSWOLD AIRSOFT
Bourton Woods, On the B4479, Blockley Near Bourton-on-the-hill www.cotswoldairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07724629140
Dumfries, DG12 cumbria.airsoft@virgin.net www.cumbria-airsoft.com
DANGER CLOSE AIRSOFT C3 TACTICAL
DRAGON’S LAIR
Caerwent Training Area, South Wales, NP26 5XL Tel: 07921 336360 www.dragonvalley.co.uk
CUMBRIA AIRSOFT Combat Street, Felthorpe, Norwich, Norfolk, NR10 4DR. Tel: 07748 023832 www.facebook.com/combatactiongames
Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4SE TEL 01293 852 314 www.holmbushpaintball.co.uk/airsoft
Doddington, Kent, ME9 0JS Tel: 07960 532613 www.coolunderfire.co.uk
Corby, NN17 3BB Tel: 07740 165787 www.close-action.co.uk
COMBAT ACTION GAMES
DOG TAG AIRSOFT
Ellough Lark Raceway, Benacre Road, Ellough, Norfolk . Tel: 07455 906132
Worthing, BN13 Tel: 01784 433023 www.eliteactiongames.com
ELITE BATTLEZONE
Bexley, Greater London, DA5 1NX Tel: 07968 448475 www.elitebattlezone.co.uk
EXPERIENCE AIRSOFT Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 0AN Tel: 01380 728982 www.experienceairsoft.co.uk
FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONS Lewisham, SE13 5SU Tel: 07973 240177 www.firefight.co.uk
DARKWATER AIRSOFT LTD.
Mobile: 07947 558433 www.darkwaterairsoft.co.uk Email: darwaterairsofthythe@gmail.com DARKWATER AFTER DARK C.Q.B, (Battlezone Building), Britannia Lane, Kingsnorth, Ashford, TN23 3NA facebook.com/afterdarkcqb DARKWATER SITE, Dering Wood, Church Lane, Shadoxhurst, Ashford. TN26 1LZ facebook.com/darkwaterairsoftdarkwater
FIFE WARGAMES
DELTA TEAM 3
FIREBALL SQUADRON
Skelmersdale, Lancs WN8 8UT Tel: 07986 053076 www.deltateam3.co.uk
Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA Tel: 07582 684533 www.fireballsquadron.com
DOGS OF WAR
FIRST & ONLY: ANZIO CAMP
St Andrews, KY10 3XL info@fifewargames.co.uk www.fifewargames.com
FINMERE AIRSOFT Buckingham, MK18 4JT Tel: 07976 184897 www.finmereairsoft.com
COMBAT READY OUTDOOR
Middle Wildpark Farm, Wildpark Lane, Brailsford, Ashbourne DE6 3BN Tel: 01332 493258 Email: info@combatreadyairsoft.co.uk www.combatreadyairsoft.co.uk
COMBAT SOUTH URBAN Portsmouth, PO6 3LS Tel: 02392 655636 www.combatsouth.co.uk
Houston, Renfrewshire, PA6 7BP Tel: 07853 195290 www.dow-airsoft.co.uk
Leek, ST13 8 Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
www.airsoft-action.online
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SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
FIRST & ONLY: BUNKER WOOD Kidderminster, Worcs, DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST & ONLY: KHE SANH
WOODS
Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 2NA Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST & ONLY: MANCHESTER
WOODLAND
Bolton, BL7 9TS Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.firstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST & ONLY: THE HIVE
Middleton, Manchester, M24 1AZ Tel: 0161 727 8863
FULL METAL AIRSOFT
Cilyrychen Quarry, Llandybie, Ammanford, Camarthenshire, SA18 3JG Tel: 01269 850404 www.fullmetalairsoft.co.uk
HILTON PARK AIRSOFT Wolverhampton, WV10 7HU Tel: 08000 354490 www.paintballuk.com
HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFT GASS AIRSOFT – PENN Penn Bottom, Bucks, HP10 Tel: 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk
GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTON Piddington, Oxfordshire, OX25 1 Tel: 07907 788970 www.gassairsoft.co.uk
GRANGE FARM AIRSOFT Leicester, LE9 9FP www.gingerliberationfront.com
Spanby, Lincs, NG34 0AT Tel: 07971 560249 facebook.com/HomelandTacticalAirsoft
HUMBER AIRSOFT North Lincolnshire, DN21 www.humberairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07792 680297
Wrexham, Denbighshire, LL13 9RG Tel: 0161 727 8863
FIRST & ONLY: THE ACADEMY
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 6QF Tel: 0161 727 8863
Bravo One Birmingham, 93–99 Holloway Head, B1 1QP Tel: 0121 643 2477 info@grangelivegaming.com www.grangelivegaming.com
INVICTA BATTLEFIELD Wilden Park Road, Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0HP Tel: 01622 831788 / 07876 263290 www.invictabattlefield.co.uk
FIRST & ONLY: THE ASYLUM Kidderminster, DY10 3PT Tel: 0161 727 8863
FIRST & ONLY: THE OUTPOST Kidderminster, DY11 5SA Tel: 0161 727 8863
FIRST & ONLY: SLEEPY HOLLOW Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 5LS Tel: 0161 727 8863
GROUND ZERO WOODLAND Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 2DF www.groundzerowoodland.com
FREE FIRE ZONE
Farcet, Peterborough, PE7 3DH Tel: 01733 247171 www.freefirezone.co.uk
FRV AIRSOFT
Annacloy, Downpatrick, BT30 8JJ Tel: 07730 586926 www.frvairsoft.com
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ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBAT Near Shorwell, Isle of Wight, PO30 Tel: 07964 751047 www.islandrecon.co.uk
GREENZONE COMBAT Co. Armagh, BT60 1NE Tel: 07772 919974 www.greenzonecombat.com
Gorebridge, Midlothian, EH23 4LG Tel: 0131 654 2452 www.airsoftedinburgh.co.uk
GUNMAN AIRSOFT – MIDLANDS The Grange, Frogmore Grange, Balsall Common, Coventry CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532 384 info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk www.giairsoft.co.uk/Skirmish-days
Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH Tel: 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
LAC SITE 2 Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH Tel: 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
MIA
Cornwall, EX23 9JL Tel: 01288 331748 www.airsoftsouthwest.co.uk
Abbey Cwm-hir, Midwales, LD1 6PG Tel: 07497 480243 www.facebook.com/Midwales-airsoft
MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Wrightington, WN6 9PL Tel: 01942 514724 www.militaryoutdooradventure.co.uk
MILSIM UK
Checkley, Staffordshire, ST10 4NS Tel: 07523 916607 www.milsimuk.co.uk
NCIS AIRSOFT
Edinburgh, EH14 4 nick@ncis-airsoft.co.uk www.ncis-airsoft.co.uk
NOMAD AIRSOFT
Fenwick, Ayrshire, KA3 6AY Tel: 07904 998250 www.nomadairsoft.com
NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFT
Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 3LQ Tel: 01845 565465 www.northernallianceairsoft.co.uk
LAC SITE 3 Saxillby, LN1 2JW Tel: 07775 877057 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
NORTHFLEET CQB
Northfleet, Kent, DA11 9AA Tel: 07968 448475 www.elitebattlezone.co.uk
LAC SITE 5 Kirton Rd, North Lincs, DN16 www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.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/
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 Tel: 07793 404346 1midaw@gmail.com
LAC SITE 1
GUNMAN AIRSOFT – TUDDENHAM
Cavenham Road, Tuddenham, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6DF Tel: 07711 774461 (Doug) or 07711 774401 (Josh) www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk/gunmanairsoft-tuddenham/
MAW
LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFT
GUN HO AIRSOFT
Guisborough, TS7 0PG Tel: 07525 435696 www.gunhoairsoft.co.uk
Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5FW Tel: 07974 507166 www.matlockcombatgames.com
MIDWALES AIRSOFT
GRANGE LIVE GAMING FIRST & ONLY: THE ARMOURY
MATLOCK COMBAT GAMES
LINDSEY AIRSOFT Manby, Lincolnshire, LN11 8HE Tel: 07955 487983 www.lindsey-airsoft.co.uk
NPF AIRSOFT, NPF BASSETTS POLE
Trickley Coppice, London Road, Bassetts Pole, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5SA Tel: 0121 323 1000 info@npfairsoft.com www.facebook.com/npfairsoft
SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
NSC AIRSOFT
RED1AIRSOFT
NTAC
RED1AIRSOFT CQB
Hetton, Sunderland, DH5 0 Tel: 07983 333521 www.nscairsoft.co.uk
Durham, DL4 2ER Tel: 01642 281220 www.ntac.co.uk
Chislehurst, Bromley BR7 6SD Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk
Red1 CQB. Kings Langley, WD4 8RN Tel: 07956 522691/01727846069 www.red1airsoft.co.uk
OBAN AIRSOFT – ILL ARGYLL Argyll and Bute, PA37 1 Tel: 07967 710185 www.argyllsurplus.com
RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3 Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ Tel: 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com
STIRLING AIRSOFT
Coventry, CV3 6NX Tel: 07831 429407 www.stirlingairsoft.com
STORMFORCE AIRSOFT
Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4LD Tel: 07515 937633 www.stormforcepaintball.co.uk
RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM) Cambridge, CB24 8RL Tel: 07751 586781 www.riftairsoft.com
OVER THE TOP AIRSOFT CLUB Anglesey, LL71 www.ottairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07731 744471
PATHFINDER GROUP AIRSOFT MILITARY SIMULATION Former RAF Camp Sopley/Merryfield Park, Hants, BH23 Tel: 02380 899369
PHOENIX AIRSOFT
Welbeck Airsoft, Academy, Budby Road, Notts NG20 9JX Tel: 07956 587213/01623 812483 www.phoenix-airsoft.co.uk
PLATOON 1HQ
Rochester, Kent, ME1 1 HQ Tel: 01634 829063 www.ptt-1hq.co.uk
PLAYERS OF WAR
High Bonnybridge, FK1 3AD Tel: 07767 203979 www.playersofwar.co.uk
PREDATOR COMBAT GAMES Ballynahinch, BT24 8NF Tel: 02897565651 / 07825169631 www.predatorcombat.com
SECTION 8 AIRSOFT
Shotts, North Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB Tel: 07974 026517 www.s8airsoft.com
SG1 COMBAT GAMES Co. Londonderry, BT45 8NA Tel: 07713 273102 www.sg1combatgames.co.uk
SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAY
Billericay, Essex, CM11 2TX Tel: 01277 657777 www.airsoft-billericay.co.uk
SKIRMISH EXETER Exeter, Devon, EX4 5 Tel: 01548 580025 www.airsoftexeter.co.uk
SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFT
Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0LR Tel: 07766 770830 www.southdownairsoft.com
Slinfold, RH12 Tel: 020 8150 9284 www.sussexairsoft.co.uk
Boathouse lane, South Wirral, Cheshire, CH64 3TB www.swatairsoft.eu Tel: 07703 177756
Mold, CH7 4 Tel:07840 001975 www.theexsitewales.co.uk
THE WARGAMES CENTRE Lundholm Road, Stevenston, Ayrshire, KA20 3LN www.thewargamescentre.com wargamescentre@gmail.com
THUNDER PARK AIRSOFT
Luxulyan, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL305FA Tel: 07751808055 www.thunderparkpaintball.co.uk Food & drinks available on site.
TA EVENTS
Hemel Hemstead, Herts, HP2 7QB Tel: 07894 059794 www.ta-events.co.uk
TORRENT WARFARE
Co Tyrone, BT71 4DY Tel: 07922 377131 Facebook: search ‘Torrent Warfare’
TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFT Reynoldston, Swansea SA3 1AS Tel: 01792 473336 www.tacticalwales.co.uk
TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFT Warlingham, Surrey, CR6 9PL Tel: 020 8665 1299 www.tacticalwarfare.co.uk
TECH BRIGADE
Newgate Street, Hertfordshire. SG13 8NH Tel: 07841 713356 www.techbrigade.org
TROJAN AIRSOFT
Macclesfield, SK10 4SZ Tel: 07428 024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com
TROJAN AIRSOFT – OLYMPUS CQB
Weir Mill, Viaduct Street, Chestergate, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7JP Tel: 07428 024874 www.trojan-airsoft.com
UCAP AIRSOFT TASK FORCE SKIRMISH Cowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF71 Tel: 02920 593900 www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk
Portsmouth, Hants, PO17 6AR Tel: 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk
UCAP GREEN OPS THE BUNKER
RAVEN’S NEST
Suffolk, IP8 4 Tel: 01473 831563 www.ravensairsoft.co.uk
Wareham, Dorset, BH20 7EU Tel: 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk
Aberystwyth www.aberairsoft.co.uk Tel: 07841 462806
RAW WAR AIRSOFT CUMBRIA
SPEC OPS AIRSOFT– THE ROCK
THE DEPOT
Portland, Dorset, DT5 2EG Tel: 07984 656947 www.specopsairsoft.co.uk
THE EX SITE
S.W.A.T. AIRSOFT
SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTH
Wigton, Cumbria CA7 3SZ Tel: 01900 85645 www.airsoftcumbria.co.uk
Redford, DD11 Tel: 07751 878175 www.thedeserters.co.uk
SUSSEX AIRSOFT
OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPS Tean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT Tel: 07964 990831 www.op-tac.co.uk
THE DESERTERS AIRSOFT
Glasgow, G45 9SB Tel: 0161 727 8863 www.thedepotglasgow.com
Linch, West Sussex, GU30 7 Tel: 07590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk
ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAM Fawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY Tel: 01268 796130 www.ultimatewargames.co.uk
www.airsoft-action.online
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SITE DIRECTORY
Email nige@airsoft-action.co.uk to add or change a site listing
FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE THIS WEEKEND…
ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELD Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0RH www.ultimatewargames.co.uk
URBAN ASSAULT
Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, PE26 1 Tel: 01733 247171 www.urbanassault.org.uk
VIKING AIRSOFT
Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0UN www.vikingairsoft.co.uk
WARMINSTER AIRSOFT Warminster, BA12 7RZ www.warminsterairsoft.co.uk
PRACTICAL PISTOL DIRECTORY AIPSC
The Grange, Frog Lane, Balsall Common, West Midlands, CV7 7FP Tel: 01676 532384 www.aipsc.co.uk Facebook: A.I.P.S.C info@suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk. Every Monday night 7pm– 9pm (except bank holidays). £5 or £10 with pistol and shooting rig hire. UKPSA-qualified coaches. UKPSA-qualified Range Officers.
COBRA ONE ZERO AIRSOFT Unit 9 Imperial Buisness Centre Mortimer Road, Hereford, HR4 9SP www.cobraonezero.co.uk Facebook: cobra one zero Airsoft
WATFORD PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB
XSITE AIRSOFT OUTPOST
WatfordPPC@gmail.com
XSITE AIRSOFT – LANE END
StrikeForce CQB, Morelands Trading Estate, Bristol Road, Gloucester GL1 5RZ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Double-Tap-Practical-Shooting-Club979585958732937/?ref=hl doubletappsc@gmail.com
Dunstable, LU6 2EE Tel: 01494 881430 www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk
High Wycombe, HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430
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December 2017
DOUBLE TAP PSC
EBSC
MOD-approved gun club PP, IDPA, IPAS, IPSC, 3GUN UKPSA Coaches UKPSA-qualified Range Officers Equipment hire available www.ebsc.co.uk ebpracticalpistol@gmail.com 07752 713 970
HALO MILL
The Penthouse, Colne Valley Business Park, Manchester Road, Linthwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5QG Tel: 01484 840554 www.halomill.com
NORTHERN PRACTICAL PISTOL CLUB (NPPC)
Tanner Street, Burnley, Lancashire BB11 1NA Tel: 07816 992417 www.northernpracticalpistol.co.uk 4 indoor ranges
XSITE PRACTICAL SHOOTING
Fryers Farm Lane, High Wycombe, Bucks HP14 3NP Tel: 01494 881430
SOUTH WEST PRACTICAL SHOOTERS (SWPS)
Action Air IPSC Club Based at The Tunnel Target Sports Centre near Charmouth The Tunnel, Axminster Road, Charmouth, Dorset DT6 6BY Contact: SWPSClub@Outlook.com
WETHERSFIELD AIRSOFT TARGET SHOOTING CLUB (WAT SIC)
Wethersfield Village Hall, Braintree Rd (B1053), Wethersfield, Braintree CM7 4EB. https://www.facebook.com/WATSiC/ Open Thursday & Friday evenings. Set-up from 6:30pm. Club shooting commences by 7:30pm. Pack-up starts at 9:30pm if you can stay to help. Contact via FB or 07939557029. Indoors. Club offers Action Air plus 2 & 3 Gun training and events.