Chairsoft Magazine Issue 2 by RJ Escusa

YOUR U.S.A. AIRSOFT INFORMATION RESOURCE ONLINE!

ECHO1USA’s PLATINUM EDITION M4

GEAR UP FOR NATIONAL EVENTS OP: Pine Plains 4 Interview with Major John “Blacksheep6” Bucciarelli and Tom “Crossfire” O’Rourke

equipment Reviews KWA P226 ptp gBB Pistol socom gear novak next 1911 gbb pistol utg/leapers m4 aeg CYMA M18 airsoft claymore

gear blackhawk Level 3 serpa tactical blackhawk xiphos nt weapon light kp industires knee pads Pantac-USa WSH spec-ops brand 1st line revision eyewear Wolf Spider goggles

AFTER ACTION REPORTS

OP: Lionclaws Interview with John Lu

FILFORCE: OP: White Star 3 Godfather Airsoft CQB Arena GodFather AIRSOFT: Girls Airsoft League

www.chairsoftmagazine.com MAY 2010 Volume 1 Issue 2

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What Is chairsofting? RJ Escusa Publishing Director Josh Vining Website Admin Bryan Giammateo Staff Writer Shaun O’Neill Staff Writer Jonathan Valle Photographer

Since the first issue, a lot of the questions about the magazine were about the name, so as to clarify, I’d like to address this issue. Chairsoft or Chairsofters are more commonly known as those who sit behind their chair and airsoft, hence the “chair-soft” definition. In our view, we all chairsoft, we all sit at our chair in front of the computer and chairsoft weather it be researching new gear, checking up on our local community boards and posting advice *(good or bad). Therefore, in our view, all of us chairsoft in one form or another. For those who are only on the forums and don’t play actively, I like to deem them forumsofters. Because that’s what they truly are. People who don’t play but like to troll on the forums trying to spout knowledge and tell other people how to play. Again if you really think about what chairsofting really is, it’s about community, research, and being on line helping others and helping our sport of airsoft grow. That is why we chose the name Chairsoft Magazine. I’m proud to be a Chairsofter, are you?

RJ Escusa

On the cover: Robert “Subman” Kosciuk Owner and operator of www.northjerseyairsoft.com

WHATS INSIDE 8

6 8 13 14

32 36

17 18 22 25 26 30 32 36 40 44 46 48 50 52 54

www.chairsoftmagazine.com

- INTRODUCTION TO NATIONAL EVENTS - OPERATION: PINE PLAINS IV - INTERVIEWS WITH: MAJ. JOHN “BLACKSHEEP6” BUCCIARELLI & TOM “CROSSFIRE” O’Rourke - REVISION EYEWEAR “WOLFSPIDER” GOGGLE SYSTEM - BLACKHAWK PRODUCTS GROUP LEVEL 3 SERPA HOLSTER AND DROPLEG AND XIPHOS TACTICAL LIGHT - KP INDUSTRIES KNEE PRO ULTRA FLEX III - COMBAT EXTRAS - KWA M226 REVIEW - CYMA M18A1 AIRSOFT CLAYMORE - SPEC-OPS BRAND FIRST LINE REVIEW - SOCOM GEAR’S NOVAK NEXT 1911 - ECHO1USA’S PLATINUM EDITION M4 - O.L.C.M.S.S. - INTERVIEW WITH JOHN LU - CLASSIC ARMY’S LWRC M6A2 - PANTAC-USA’S WSH CHEST RIG - UTG FULL METAL MODEL 4 TACTICAL - AFTER ACTION REPORT - FILFORCE’S OP: WHITE STAR 3 - GODFATHER AIRSOFT CQB ARENA - AFTER ACTION REPORT - GODFATHER AIRSOFT GIRLS AIRSOFT LEAGUE - RETAILER HIGHLIGHT: MONTGOMERYVILLE ARMY NAVY

What classifies an event to be nationally recognized? Basically put, if a promoter has the ability to promote throughout the nation and to actually get people to come from all over the nation, that is a summary of what a national event is. Realistically, players want and expect something different from their ordinary local run events. Weather it be a different theme, props, enhanced role playing, or the challenge of meeting new teams from different locations, but most of all they want a different and challenging area of operations. Most if not all national events take place in what I believe players crave the most now, URBAN TERRAIN. Long gone are the woodland fields and force on force missions. Now the words of “MilSim” *(Military Simulations) in various degrees or recreations of past events set the stage for these national events. Games played on military base MOUT *(Military Operations in Urban Terrain) facilities are the most sought after, where players are willing to spend not only travel expenses, but a price of 200.00 or more dollars just to step onto the site. What makes these games so special is only limited to what the facility can offer. Weather it be sound tracks, vehicles, or even pyrotechnics, producers have a larger array of assets at their disposal. From a producers point of view, these attempts at planning are no easy task. Daunting to say the least, they begin a long process of communicating with base commanders IF they have a way of

communicating with base commanders. Producers with this type of access are few and valuable as no ordinary citizen can just ask to throw an event on a military base. Producers must prove their hefty insurance plans to cover both accidental injury, but also damages to buildings and military vehicles, if applicable. Just the insurance cost alone would discourage 90% of regular producers. But, it is the 10% that do have that vision and bravado to step up to the plate and apply for these facilities. After all said and done with all the paperwork in place, all the meetings and phone calls finished, all the financing of the incurred costs, they........ wait. They wait for the military’s approval, and also wait for a date. Players tend to forget that these games on these types of facilities are on the military’s calendar. Even approved dates can be cancelled last minute due to the priority of training our service men and women. Ahh but once the date is set, off to the races the producer goes to promote, promote, promote. But usually, the site itself is 80% of the draw, and players will eagerly waive cash, paypal balances, and credit cards as soon as a confirmed date is set. This is where the player must understand what is the responsibility of said player. There is a lot of hype associated with first time national event players as they build up the scenarios in their head prior to the actual event. Most see themselves in a *(INSERT FAVORITE WAR MOVIE) scene, fighting

off the enemy, being the most bad ass airsoft player on the field. Such is not the case most times, and veterans of such events will tell others how after the adrenaline rush is over, the realism of the game sets in. Don’t get me wrong, the event itself is most likely to be enjoyable, but players won’t be making spectacular moves in slow motion eliminating every opposing player in their path. First every attendee must read the rules of engagement, and understand the type of event that they would like to attend. Some events are 24 hour non stop, 12 hour with breaks, or even 8 hour non-stop increments. Be realistic with how physically in shape you are. No one wants to see any injuries to any one especially self inflicted. Assess your mind set on completing the scenario. We know you “want” to do these things, but “can” you? Most of all do these things, PLAN, PLAN, PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. *(get the picture?) Planning is the most important thing you can do for yourself or for your team, and for the event. Personal financing must be taken into account as assuredly, there will be items to purchase. Players must think not only on the initial cost of entry, but traveling expenses, food, camping gear *(if necessary), and airsoft equipment. Traveling expenses, food and lodging alone can be upwards of $300.00 or more if you don’t have anything to start with. Most players see this as an initial investment as they will not need to spend as much later on. If you are going with a team, expect more headaches and

for more numbers. We suggest contacting family members who may have camping equipment handy that you can borrow to alleviate costs. After all the location logistics are done, the player must now assess the gear required for such an event. First and foremost before any airsoft equipment is thought of is nutrition. Hydration and food must be top priority for to be effective on the field. We suggest researching and tasting nutritional bars, MRE’s *(Meals Ready to Eat), and our favorite, beef jerky. Once your nutrition is sorted out next should be your kit. Your kit should be organized in what you need to carry for the duration of the event. All of that should be carried in your 1st through 3rd lines. Resupplies should be carried in a ruck that you can leave either at the staging, respawn, or even carried and left in your immediate area. One big mistake that players make is over packing. Mobility and “high speed, low drag” should be the theme of your loadout. Since most of the national events have adopted a midcap magazine policy, standard riflemen should carry at least 9 magazines, 1 in the AEG, 8 on their kit. 2 to 3 450 round m4 type bb click loaders, and 2 bags of bb’s. Special weapons such as grenades and sound distraction devices can be factored in also. We have noticed that players have started to leave the CIRAS type platforms for faster chest rig, plate carrier types of vests. M249 SAW gunners should also adopt the high speed low drag mentality by concentrating on bb

bags instead of physical nutsacks. We find them really bulky and adding too much weight on the SAW gunners rig will cause fatigue much earlier than you want. Sniper/DMR roles are pretty much using communication and placements. Full ghillie suits should be left at home since in a MOUT environment they will be rendered useless. Extra equipment such as radios, headsets, secondary pistols, secondary magazines, extra AEG batteries, green gas bottles, and night vision *(if you can afford a good platform) all need to be planned out ahead of time. We suggest going to skirmishes ahead of time to practice with these rigs as you do not want to be field stripping gear at the event. Training such as reloading, transitions from primary to secondary, accurate target acquirement and stamina/cardio is highly recommended. If you are going as a team, establish a SOP, *(Standard Operating Procedure) and practice it, highlighting pro-words and fast communication phrases. Room clearing and team reaction training *(ambush, taking fire) is always beneficial. Players should also consider having additional AEG’s, midcap magazines, and other equipment prone to breaking handy as not to prolong downtime as your team/ squad, platoon are counting on you to be combat effective. When arriving on the area of operations, have your team leader or yourself familiarize yourself with the chain of command,

communicating with your platoon on mission objectives and responsibilities. Excellent communication, and execution of commands will win the day and make the event more enjoyable. Having the appropriate, realistic mindset and giving it your all will leave you satisfied and tired when all is said and done. We all hope that this was informative as you consider attending such events. In the next pages of the magazine we will help with reviews of gear and guns giving you options on what you may want to bring in your destinations.

OPERATION: PINE PLAINS IV Written by: Shaun “Jester” O’Neill

Operation Pine Plains is a large scale milsim airsoft event that takes place on Watertown New York’s Fort Drum. It is a 20+ hour event that pushes the mental and physical limits of even the most high speed milsim machines. The moments before the opening horn bring a quiet anxiousness as players gaze at the site, preparing themselves for the task at hand. The never ending explosions of propane cannons, burning vehicles, and the sometimes disturbing soundtrack set the scene for the unrelenting combat that rages through sunset and well after the sun rises again. Majority of the game takes place on one of the country’s premier MOUT (Military Operations on Urban Terrain) facilities, with squads being sent off to other sites on base for special Frago (Fragmentary Order) missions throughout the night. Starting on Saturday afternoon, players are forced to take everything they’re going to need for the next 20+ hours onto the field with them. Players must not only be prepared for combat, but to eat, drink, and sleep while the battle rages on around them. A large aspect of the game is essentially a land grab on the MOUT facility. Clearing, occupying, and marking buildings is the basic way to acquire points for your company. The Frago’s give most of the squads a chance to head off site to various specialized missions, pitting them against either a squad from the other company or designated indigenous OPFOR. Small village areas, aircraft graveyards, and

a mock “mosque” are just a few of the locales available. One of the strongest aspects of Operation Pine Plains is its unparalleled organization and communication on all levels. The chain of command is solid from fire team and squad level all the way up to CO, with the officer positions filled by military and former military personnel who take pride and honor in leading their team. Company meetings start Friday evening, and information is given to the players right up until moments before game time. Communication in game is outstanding, with objectives, enemy actions, and squad movements constantly being updated for the entire company. For 24 hours airsoft players get a taste of what the men and women fighting for our country go through on an everyday basis, and leave with a new appreciation for what deal with, as well as a new found understanding of what the player themselves are capable of. Many first time players, and even some veterans, show up on Friday prepared to kick in doors, dump rounds, and rock the MOUT site, only to find themselves walking back to camp in the middle of the night because they’re too tired and sore to drag on.

The players that do make it through the entire event are left exhausted, frazzled, and inexplicably craving more. And it is exactly that experience that brings players back to the gem of Northeast airsoft time and time again. It has been said for several years that the Northeast plays airsoft a bit harder, takes it a bit more seriously, than some other parts of the country. Operation Pine Plains has grown from that environment and exploded onto the national scene as one of the most grueling, yet rewarding, airsoft experiences in the country, and an event that no true milsim airsofter should miss. scene as one of the most grueling, yet rewarding, airsoft experiences in the country, and an event that no true milsim airsofter should miss.

OPERATION: OPERATION: PINE PINE PLAINS PLAINS IV IV -- OPERATION: OPERATION: PIN PIN While there are many people who put hard work in to make sure that each OP: Pine Plains runs smoothly, there are two men at the heart of this event. Major John “Blacksheep6” Bucciarelli and Tom “Crossfire” O’Rourke have put countless hours into making this event one of the most successful in all of American airsoft. Luckily for us, they were able to take some time out of their busy schedule to answer a few questions for us about past, current, and future events.

that compares to a playing in a MOUT CTF.

BLACKSHEEP6: It took a couple of years for me to be comfortable with the level of tactical proficiency of the players and their ability to handle a game of this magnitude. As their tactical proficiency increased so did their desire for MILSIM. OPP answered the call – it’s as close to real combat as we can make it. Those players that attended OPPI took the leap of faith in what we were trying to achieve and performed beyond our expectations – they earned the title of Pathfinder. Without them this series would have never happened. When you see a Pathfinder, thank them.

We were blessed in many ways. November at Fort Drum can be miserable – OPPI had unseasonably warm weather, it snowed six inches on the Monday after the event. I will forever be in awe of the Pathfinders who made the trip to Fort Drum on such short notice.

QUESTION: OPP II was a huge success, with tons of players coming from all over the US and Canada. What were your thoughts and feelings seeing such a huge number of players lined up in formations for your game? CROSSFIRE: It was great to see the positive response from the airsoft community.

QUESTION: OPP I became official at a date when you had about 6 weeks to register players and organize things. Were you ever worried that the event would never truly get off the ground?

CROSSFIRE: At first the US Army gave QUESTION: What was your motivation behind putting together a game the magnitude of OP: Pine Plains (OPP)?

CROSSFIRE: I enjoy putting on an event that moves the sport of airsoft closer to MilSim but at the same time is enjoyable, challenging and helps build the camaraderie. One of the best parts of going to Tolcom was meeting people with a common interest. I have developed some great friends over the years. I went to several national level events and had a good time. I had bothered Blacksheep6 for a couple of years to try and use his experience being in the military to try and get us onto a base to use the MOUT site. He finally made progress and we got into Fort Drum. I think a lot of players love the experience of playing at a MOUT facility and since we had the chance we wanted to offer it up and get players up to the next level. Everyone knows that there isn’t a woods game or warehouse or anything else

us 2 weeks notice and then we asked what was the latest date we could have and that pushed us back to the 6 weeks. We were never worried about pulling off the event from the organization side. The only concern we had was getting players to come. We knew we had to give players enough time to get money and time off. We took a substantial loss in order to put on OPP I. I financed OPP I on my credit cards. I knew if the US Army could see what we could do they would allow us to come back. I put a lot of faith in the players that came and that is why we call them “Pathfinders”. If they screwed up and did not show MilSim Airsoft in a positive light to the US Army I was going to be in trouble with my wife.

BLACKSHEEP6: Fort Drum thoroughly

We went from 90 players who showed up for OPP I to 330 players at OPP II. I have run large events before like Battle for Tolland (BFT) series and at BFT II we had over 350 players. The best thing was to see how organized and more into MilSim the players have become over the years.

BLACKSHEEP6: It sends chills up my spine. The most rewarding part of this game is to hear players state that they can understand and appreciate what real soldiers do every day of their deployment in a real combat zone.

staffed our request to hold an event on their installation – it took six months to get approval. We pulled off OPPI with six weeks advance notice – it was the first MILSIM/ Airsoft miracle – akin to a virgin birth.

OPERATION: PINE PLAINS IV - OPERAT accomplishment in a combat situation. At the end of the game you get to go to a hotel, have a hot meal and a beer. Real soldiers get a hot, dusty cot, an MRE and chlorine tainted Kool-Aid – and most importantly have to do all over again the next day. Prepare, train and stay the course of the game – it’s the biggest team effort you will ever participate in. To the player’s credit – OPPIII had almost 90% finish the game. If you want to test your mettle against the best players in this game – I challenge you to come to OPP.

QUESTION: What goes through your mind standing there Sunday afternoon, seeing how few players actually make it through the full length of your game?

CROSSFIRE: I was a little surprised but not shocked. I actually predicted a large loss during the event, I even mentioned something about it in the interview I did with Jeff Lower on his OPP II DVD before the OPP II started. We tried to let people know what this event was about but not everyone listened to our advice. Some people need to learn on their own for it to sink in. As we have stated we will not dumb down the OPP series. Each time we make it a little harder, and we expect people to rise to that level. For the people returning they have something to look forward to. For new players we tell them to take advice from people who have been there and get prepared ahead of time. You don’t walk into OPP without doing some type of training and prep. This a top level event and just like any other top level sport you don’t walk on the field the day of the game and expect to be able to keep up with players who have trained.

BLACKSHEEP6: It’s more than disappointing – it’s disheartening. You asked for MILSIM and we give it to you in buckets. OPP is 21 hours of continuous combat simulation – no breaks. Squads must plan for feeding, hydration, rest, resupply, back-up weapons, batteries, ammunition, communication, urination, defecation and mission

QUESTION: Each event has evolved from the last, added aspects to the game such as mortar teams, frago missions, etc. What new additions do we have to look forward to in OPP IV? Anything you’ve removed from the game?

We are using Platoon Leaders who are former or current military. This will provide more command and control and we are going to have PLs in the field pushing and leading their troops. One thing we heard from the OC’s was too often the airsoft players would not push on an objective. These SGT’s are going to be out there to “motivate” their troops.

BLACKSHEEP6: I believe the most significant change to the game is how we start. OPPI and OPPII started each company outside the MOUT CTF and it was footrace to gain control of buildings. At OPPIII Company Commanders drew buildings out of a hat as their starting positions. Each company drew 10 building numbers, from these they chose where to positions their squads for the start of the game. Observer/Controllers placed each squad in their starting position. This eliminated the footrace and made it a thinking man’s tactical game – chess with squads as pieces.

QUESTION: You’ve made the switch to Semi-Auto only for standard rifleman on the MOUT site. What was the reason for this?

CROSSFIRE: Multiple reasons for this

CROSSFIRE: All players and squads will go out on at least 1 FRAGO mission during OPP IV. Some will go out on multiple missions. They are going to be more difficult than in the past. Players will test themselves and work as a team to accomplish these missions. This is a thinking man’s event and the FRAGO missions will require that in order to accomplish them. I do not think many players understand the significant change in going to semi-only inside the MOUT. This is going to change the tactics required and it will push more attacks on buildings and inside the buildings.

1. Get rid of the excuse of “I forgot to switch to semi when I entered the building” Everyone is already on semi and SAW gunners need a back up pistol or something else to be able to use inside buildings. 2. Requires Squads to work together more. Need multiple players to provide covering fire instead of one guy with an M4 on full auto. Need to use the SAW as it is designed, as a Squad support weapon. Requires people to think and not just “run and gun” or “spray and pray” 3.Players come to a MOUT site to do CQB and fight inside buildings. Having semi-only will allow people to attack buildings and fighting will move inside. It will be harder to stop an entire squad rushing across a street if the defenders are on semi, unless they position the SAW correctly.

TION: PINE PLAINS IV - OPERATION: PINE PLAIN But that is part of the thinking man’s game and probing to find out where the defenders do have their SAW placed. Once you determine that, make a plan not to run right at it. Or have your SAW give cover fire at their SAW.

BLACKSHEEP6: Crossfire covered this in detail. The only thing I have to offer is that this game is about tactical proficiency; semiauto forces the tactical play.

QUESTION: Any ideas on things you may begin implementing more in future events after OPP IV?

CROSSFIRE: I like to see how the changes go over after each event. We do an AAR ourselves and we also read the feedback and AAR the players provide. Our goal right now is to get people ready for OPP IV and we do not want to look to far ahead or give away to much info for future events.

BLACKSHEEP6: We take all sources of feedback seriously and implement changes to make the game more realistic and more enjoyable within our safety and operational constraints. To share a secret, it’s the players that make the game – we just create a battlefield environment for you to fight in. The more tactically proficient the players become, the better the game will be for all who choose to participate.

QUESTION: It had been hinted at that there was only going to be one OPP this year. Is there truth to this? Perhaps another event taking up in its place in the fall?

CROSSFIRE: That is not a hint; there will be only 1 OPP this year. We feel that we should only use Fort Drum once a year for one of our events.

BLACKSHEEP6: Successful events

one event or another. Regardless of how good an event may be, players think “I’ve played there once therefore I want to go somewhere else.”

QUESTION: There has also been word that you’ve talked about trying to set up events at other facilities on the east coast. Can you tell us anything about that?

CROSSFIRE: We are in discussions with other bases about doing events at another location but we have not finalized anything yet.

BLACKSHEEP6: Stand by! QUESTION: Has the OPP series reached the hopes and expectations that you started out with?

CROSSFIRE: Certain aspects of the event are better than we originally thought and planned. Other aspects we are still trying to get to. We have learned from each event and try to make the next one better. We realized after OPP II that it is not the number of players who come but the quality. I would rather have a smaller number of dedicated players looking to experience a military simulation event than a large number looking to just go out and shoot each other.

BLACKSHEEP6: OPP has exceeded my expectations in many ways. The only thing that I want to see is all squads do the necessary training and preparation to make it through the entire game.

QUESTION: Finally, at this point hundreds

CROSSFIRE: I think OPP II provided a lot of information for us as event organizers and players who came. Many people thought they could handle a Top Level event because they are good at their local field. MSATO is about “Training & Ops”, if you do not train and prepare for an event like this you will not do well and you will not have a good time. The OPP series is a thinking person’s Op. Some advice I think serves people well is this is a long event and more than the 21 hours of battle. Many people only look at that aspect of this. This event starts at 2100 on Friday night for Squad Leaders and above. Everyone else should be checking their gear and getting it ready. Many think this is an endurance of who can stay up the longest. This is something that people need to get past. Secure a building and rotate sleep/work with another squad. This is about working together to accomplish your mission. Squads need to support each other better. Have 2 squads provide covering fire while 1 squad attacks the building across the street. Then move forward. Work on squad communication Saturday morning when we give the entire Company time to work together.

BLACKSHEEP6: Listen to the advice of Pathfinders and Veterans of OPP!

Editors Note: At the time of publication of this article, registration for OP: Pine Plains is underway and/or full. For more information please see: www.oppineplains.com

of players have taken part in an OPP, and they all have their own bits of advice for players about to attend for the first time. What advice can you give to players that are preparing to make their first OPP appearance this May?

require player support. With competing events, players make decisions to attend

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CHAIRSOFT MAGAZINE EDITORS PICK

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

In Conclusion

Revision Eyewear is one of the leading eye protection manufacturers in the world. We had received the deluxe version and right out of the box you can see where the wolfspider shows it’s attention to detail. The package included a large neoprene carry case, wolfspider goggle with tinted lens and dust cover/cleaning cloth, 1 clear lens, 1 amber yellow lens, 1 micro fiber cleaning cloth, a sample of their new anti fog wipe, and a manual on how to replace the lenses.

Overall the REVISION EYEWEAR WOLFSPIDER goggle system is top notch. But what do you expect from a high quality manufacturer? The ballistics strength is a tad bit overboard for airsoft usage, and both the deluxe or essential kit is a bit pricey; but the fit, and options are what every airsofter should consider. I would rather have high quality for my eye protection since I only have two eyes. I am currently waiting to know if they will make an RX carrier for this system but it is really, really low profile and I can’t see how much more room you can space out inside the frame. Many thanks to REVISION EYEWEAR - www.revisioneyewear.com, and Laura Burgess Marketing - www.lauraburgessmarketing.com for sending us this pair to test and review!

Manufacturing The WolfSpider lenses are made out of a polymer that exceeds military ballistic requirements MIL-DTL-43511D, 100% UV A-B-C protection and also exceeds ANSI Z87.1-2003+ ratings. It is coated with Revisions OcuMax process that protects against fogging, scratching, and chemicals. The goggle frame is made out of an impact resistant ABS polymer with a flexible rubber material with foam on the top to protect from dust / debris, and the bottom part is vented for air circulation. The flexible material ensures a full seal around the eyes. Along with the frame is the 1 inch elastic woven two slider adjustable strap which bears the Revision Eyewear logo. The strap is molded into the frame for more durability but is easily removed through the side clips. The wolfspider is designed to be worn over or under ballistic helmets and is specifically made low profile so it is not compatible with Revision’s current RX carrier system.

Field Testing So away I go on a skirmish event with these in tow and immediately after adjusting the straps I feel a difference from any other goggle system I’ve tested and used. The low profile design doesn’t interfere with the wide field of view. They sit high enough to use your cheek weld and iron sights / optics with out forcing the goggle to re-adjust itself on your face. Also, ability to look down at your gear easier is really useful for those speedy reloads in an engagement. And as always we did our own impact testing with .30g metal bb’s at 500 fps at 10 feet. Each shot made no dent, scratch or marking on the lens. What was left was a weird residue, not sure if it was the quality of the bb we were using, but it was easily wiped off by our fingers.

WOLFSPIDER GOGGLES DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

REVISION EYEWEAR

DELUX KIT - 179.99 USD

1 - WOLFSPIDER GOGGLES 1 - Clear Lens 1 - Amber Lens 1 - Carry Case 1 - Cleaning Cloth

M.S.R.P:

Included in Box:

Fogging was nonexistent even with my hat on. Although I have yet to use them in colder weather with my shemagh. If in the case of fogging, the re-usable anti fog wipe is there to take care of that issue. (That product is listed on our accessories portion of the magazine so check that out also!)

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Manufacturing: Value: Field Testing: Average Rating: 4 Gears (out of 5)

- BLACKHAWK LEVEL 3 SERPA with XIPHOS The SERPA series holser from BLACKHAWK® Products Group has quickly become one of the most used holsters not only in the airsoft world but the real steel world as well. Combining both high quality materials with a practical design, BLACKHAWK could only improve the SERPA with it’s new LEVEL 3 offering.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

We were quite excited to see this at Shot Show 2010 in the BLACKHAWK area and quickly asked if we could review it for our readership. For those not familiar with the SERPA line of tactical holsters, the SERPA is made out of a high quality carbon fiber/ polymer material molded over for a nice fit of the most popular pistols on the market. The previous versions of the SERPA used a trigger based retention system to keep the holstered gun from slipping or falling out of the holster. The new level 3 serpa now adds a push button thumb break system to add more stability and safety Stock image shown here with Glock™series weapon. making a top notch holster even better. For our review we had requested a P226 version SERPA with the XIPHOS NT Weapon Light. The XIPHOS NT light is made from the same high quality carbon fiber/polymer material and is waterproof up to 10 meters. It has an easy no-tool battery installation with just a push and twist lock system. Mounting it on a pistol is also just a flip up, attach and lock into place mechanism. The fully enclosed anti-reflective coated glass lense ensures maximum light output.

FIELD TESTING Since we were offering the latest holster for this review we wanted one of the best airsoft manufacturers on the market for our field testing. We felt it necessary to see how well the “fit” was with different manufacturers We had used 3 types of P226’s for this field test. A KWA m226 PTP, Tokyo Marui P226, and a SIG SAUER Airsoft P226. BLACKHAWK has a variety of platforms such as the drop leg, paddle, belt, and the ambidextrous molle platform. All fit quite nicely with the level 3 mounted on it. PISTOL FIT: We had no issues with the TM or KWA 226’s but with the Sig Sauer, the slide was a bit tight which caused it to push the slide backward, hindering the locking of the thumb break. A small amount of push on the slide was needed to place it into the holster. Once the trigger and thumb retention snapped into place there was hardly any wobble left to right or top to bottom. Removing the pistol was a breeze as it uses the natural hand placements of the pistol when drawing it out. Using both the push button thumb break and the pointer finger each of the 226’s slid out quickly. Reholstering is just a quick slide in and manually resetting the thumb break to lock it. Throughout a day of skirmishing there were no issues of the pistol falling out or the thumb break being accidentally pushed by my gear or banging up against my thigh.

NT WEAPON MOUNTED LIGHT REVIEW -

I wasn’t really a big fan of leg rigs until I used this one. Most single point belt attachment leg rigs tend to sway and move around while running, but with the double point attachement of this drop leg, it kept it in place at all times. At our indoor testing for the XIPHOS light, it’s operation couldn’t be easier. An extended push switch on the trigger finger side of the light allowed me to utilize all three functions; momentary, constant on, and strobe. This light is quite bright in low light situations and has a good narrow beam focus. It gave me opportunities to flash my opponents giving me those few seconds to pull the trigger as they reacted to the light.

IN CONCLUSION All in all, there isn’t much more that you can do to an already solid platform such as the BLACKHAWK LEVEL 3 SERPA, unless they can come up with an auto thumb break reset. Other than that, there is no reason why anyone shouldn’t protect their airsoft investment by getting this product if they do not have a holster already. More than once I’ve been at an event where at the end of the day I hear that someone dropped or even lost their pistol from their holster. Regarding the XIPHOS NT, the price may be a bit high for just airsoft events, but it also allows cross platform for real steel usage also. This light is ideal for MOUT CQB events as it is a perfect partner for the SERPA platform. The only complaint I find is that it doesn’t have an adaptor for a pressure switch, and hopefully that will come at a later date. Many thanks to Laura Burgess Marketing and Blackhawk for the SERPA and XIPHOS light. Also, North Jersey Airsoft for the KWA m226. WWW.NORTHJERSEYAIRSOFT.COM.

XIPHOS NT DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

TECHNICAL DATA

Field Testing: Average Rating: 4 Gears (out of 5)

Dimensions: 3.1”L x 1.1”W x 1.4”H

M.S.R.P:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Manufacturing: Value: Field Testing:

152.00 USD

1 - Level 3 SERPA 1 - SERPA DROPLEG PLATFORM

Included in Box:

1 -XIPHOS LIGHT 1 - 3v CR123A Battery

Value:

Weight: 2.6oz w/ battery

BLACKHAWK

GEAR RATING

Effective range: 25 to 30m

Manufacturer:

159.00 USD

(From 1 to 5 gears) Manufacturing:

2+ hours battery life

DATA SHEET

Included in Box:

Power: 1 - 3v CR123A Lithium Battery

LEVEL 3 SERPA Light BEAring TACTICAL DROP LEG HOLSTER

BLACKHAWK

M.S.R.P:

Output : 90 Lumens

Life:

Average Rating: 4 Gears (out of 5)

PROTECT & SERVE

We understand your job demands precision, control and confidence. That is why we created the BLACKHAWK! 速 Spec Ops stock utilizing our patented Knoxx technology. This performance upgrade will reduce felt recoil by 85%, provide faster target re-acquisition times and minimizing muzzle rise. Precision. Confidence. Control. BLACKHAWK! To see the Spec Ops stock in action check your local retailer or visit us on line at www.blackhawk.com

AXIOM RIFLE STOCK 速

800.694.5263 | BLACKHAWK.com

KNEE PRO ULTRA FLEX III TACTICAL REVIEW

AT Shot Show 2010 we had met the president of KP INDUSTRIES Chuck Knox demonstrating their new product for knee protection. Coming from a proven design in the building/carpentry field, KP Industries redesigned their popular knee protection to develop the KNEE PRO ULTRA FLEX III TACTICAL.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS The first thing you notice when you open up the mesh bag for these knee pads is how large they really are. They are designed to cover the whole knee along with the lower quad, and upper portion of the shin. There really isn’t much else to the mesh bag packaging although KP Industries includes a spare locking buckle so don’t throw that away! The shell made up of a two piece chemical resistant ABS rubberized material which also withstands extreme cold and heat. They are attached together by two metal hinges one on each side to move like your knee. On the top and bottom corners of the knee pad are soft elastic woven straps with an insert “speed clip” buckle system which slides into place on the opposing open holes. This design allowes for easy adjustment of the straps and faster on / off placements. The most noticable accessory of the outer knee pad is the non-marking grip strip which helps with the impact resistance. This grip strip has embossed on the front “KNEEPRO III” and a star for logo placement.Inside the knee pad is the 1/2 inch closed inner foam pad.

It won’t absorb moisture and covers the lower part of the system completely giving maximum coverage on all sides of the knee.

FIELD TESTING At first when placing the kneepads on the knee it seems a bit bulky, but after I got adjusted to the way the knee pads operate I can see where there are full benefits of this system. Also, initially there was a lot of pinching on the upper part of the knee pad on my quad but that was easily rectified by forming the ABS a bit outward to have more space. Setting the straps and slideing them into the lock is really easy and voila! I was ready to go into the field to do some stress testing. No matter how I ran or jumped the straps of the KNEEPRO III kept the system in place. Furthermore the foam inside made it very comfortable to wear. The impact foam absorbed all pain from kneeling on rocks, trees, and curb corners. So I’m inclined to give this kneepad system high marks on the field testing, although I admit it does take some adjustment to the size of the system. After the testing we wanted to see if the color match was appropriate with the current camo designs of today. The KNEEPRO III comes in three colors, black *(the ones we used for testing purposes), Green, and Tan. The black is basic so we won’t be talking about that, but the green and tan were matched up with different camo’s to see how well they matched.

The kneepad green is a light green, to compare, it looks like a well faded Olive Drab, but since it was so light it didn’t match up with the darker woodland, MARPAT, OD, and Tiger Stripe that we had on hand, we also matched it on multi-cam just for kicks which was also too light for that pattern also. All color matching was done in direct sunlight to use the true colors of both the camo and the knee pads. The Tan is a light sand tan which compares to the lightest tan color on tri-color and chocolate chip. The tan worked best with the DIGI Desert and the tri-color camos we used in direct sunlight. It looked too light on the multi-cam pattern.

IN CONCLUSION If you are tired of your knee pad system always slipping to your ankles then the ULTRA FLEX III is for you. The only real problem that I can see is just the color matching, but for me it’s all about function over form. I would reccomend this product to anyone. Many thanks to KP Industries for sending these to us for review!

KNEE PRO ULTRA FLEX III DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

KP INDUSTRIES

25.00 USD

1 - KP TACTICAL KNEE PADS

M.S.R.P:

Included in Box:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Manufacturing: Value: Field Testing: Average Rating: 3 1/2 Gears (out of 5)

COMBAT EXTRAS - COMBAT EXTRAS - COMBA BLACKHAWK SERPA QUICK DISCONNECT KIT Cost: 41.99 *(2 female 1 male adaptors) Purchased at: www.blackhawk.com This set is essential for those of us who have multiple platforms for our serpa holsters. We included this piece of kit for itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s versatility for not only switching through multiple serpa platforms but the ability to use the holster at different angles with a slide lock application.

Revision Eyewear Anti-Fog Cloth Cost: 12.99 for a set of 3 Purchased at: www.revisioneyewear.com These cloths were chosen instead of sprays due to the ease of using a cloth instead of a spray bottle which may break in active movement. Each cloth can be reused up to 25 applications and is essential to those who do not have a fan system for their full seal goggles.

GREEN GAS CANISTER Cost: 7.95 - 10.00 per bottle Purchased at: Any online airsoft retailer We included green gas just for the simple fact that you should carry some during long operations. The choice over green gas vs propane is up to the individual user but we picked the smaller sized green gas bottle as a space saver in your kit. Not only is the can smaller, but there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an additional adaptor to carry around either.

AT EXTRAS - COMBAT EXTRAS - COMBAT EXTR CLIF ENERGY NUTRITION BARS Cost: 1.99 Purchased at: any local food store Food and water is essential for a full day of airsoft. We reccomend Clif energy nutrition bars because of it’s good taste and organic ingredients. They come in a variety of flavors which is a big bonus. Don’t forget your hydration also!

M4 STYLE 450 ROUND BB LOADER Cost: 15.00 - 17.00 Purchased at: Any airsoft retailer We suggest leaving the 90 round click loaders and pick up a few of these due to the increased capacity and the ability to store in standard m4 pouches.

G&G Goggle Fan Cost: 25.00 - 30.00 Purchased at: Any online airsoft retailer Should you not have your own fan goggle system we highly reccomend the G&G goggle fan attachment for your full seal goggles. If you are handy with modifying things this is the full “attach and go” system with fan, battery housing, and batteries. Installation is pretty straight forward once you figure out where they will fit.

Airsoft Innovations Tornado Grenade Cost: 99.99 Purchased at: any online airsoft retailer We reccomend the Airsoft Innovations Tornado grenade even at the seemingly high price tag, the reusability factor evens out the price tag. Now with the introduction of the spoon kit, sound distraction kit and the impact grenade we suggest this as a viable alternative weapon for room clearing.

G&G Biodegradable BB’s Cost: 20.00 - 25.00 weight depdendant Purchased at: Any airsoft retailer We’ve found for price and amount per bag, G&G biodegradable bb’s are a top choice for many players.

Mechanix Gloves Cost: 19.00 - 40.00 Purchased at: www.mechanixwear.com Hand protection is essential playing in a urban facility, close quarter hits will happen and extra protection on your hands when handeling windows, cement blocks and furniture is reccomended.

WA’s m226 REVIEW - KWA’s m226 REVIEW - KW

Although this isn’t a new offering from KWA, I am a big 226 fan so I asked our friends at www.northjerseyairsoft.com to see if we could review one for the magazine. According to KWA the m226 PTP *(Professional Training Pistol)isn’t apart of the end user public line of airsoft pistols because it’s designated only for law enforcement and military training weaponry, not really how strict that rule is though. For those of us who can order one from a retailer consider yourself lucky since this may be a limited run for this pistol.

Externals The first thing you notice when opening the box and picking up the m226 is the weight. With a full metal slide, and metal lower receiver, the m226 weighs about 2 lbs with magazine inserted. KWA prides itself on the real weight and 1:1 ratio in their professional training pistols and this is no different. The abs polymer grip is textured for maximum grip. Trades include the KWA logo and m226 PTP on one side of the slide with Professional Training Pistol on the opposite side.

On the frame is the serial number and the designation of US. The finish is a matte black and I did not find any flaws in the processing of the finish. The outer barrel is made out of abs polymer that allows the slide to move back and forth with less friction. To round out the rest of the externals the standard tactical rail is mil spec for all light and laser accessories.

INTERNALS The m226 has the patented NS2 system. “The NS2 internal gas delivery system is a KWA patented design that utilizes an advanced lightweight composite gas piston with a two-stage internal expansion chamber that delivers the gas more efficiently than that of its predecessors. The NS2 design also increases the weapon cycle rate and provides for a crisp, realistic blow back action. Other parts of the pistol has also been improved and updated along with a new magazine that is milled from a solid alloy billet. This new construction strengthens the magazine’s structural rigidity and increases pressure carrying capacity.” (Taken from www.kwausa.com)

KWA not only redesigned the valve system but also use their key turn hop-up system which is accessed by puling back the slide without the mag inserted. Utilizing this system provides an ease of adjusting the hop up without the traditional removal of the slide to access the hop up dial. Provided that you don’t lose the key for the hop up. The magazine holds 25 rounds double stacked and has a bb follower with a high flow valve.

FIELD TESTING Performance: Here’s where KWA absolutely excels with their guns. KWA pistols are not intended to be collectors’ items, they are for someone who is going to put their pistol through a beating and still expect it to keep performing. Chrono: The first performance test I did was chronographing. For even results I filled the mag to maximum capacity and then put it in my pocket for 30 minutes to get the temperature equalized. The ammo used was .25g and I waited 5 seconds between shots. The m226 NS2 averaged a notably 327 fps with the .25g. Accuracy: Next I took the gun down to the basement for some accuracy

WA’s m226 REVIEW - KWA’s m226 REVIEW

testing using the 25ft range I have set up. The target was an 8½x11 page with a target carefully drawn on it using a ruler. Shooting the full 25 rounds into the target created a 3 1/2 inch grouping at the farthest bb shots. Recoil and Speed: For a stock pistol, the m226 NS2 produces pretty decent recoil. Also the m226 NS2 has a quite snappy slide action. The NS2 gas system is much more efficient than the old gas system and therefore can produce higher velocity and still manage much more piston force during blow back. Cool-Down/Gas Efficiency: When firing one round every 2 seconds the m226 NS2 manages one full 25 round mag with slide lock afterward. It will then fire another 20 rounds at full power and then it drops off suddenly and can’t even cycle the 25th round into the chamber. Basically the gun is only practical for one mag of shooting per gas fill.

IN Conclusion Hands down this is one of the nicest 226 airsoft pistols I’ve held and shot with. Not only paired with high manufacturing externals but the NS2 system makes this a sure gear replacement in my aresenal. Again, for those of you who can luckily buy one it is well worth the higher price. Many thanks to WWW. NORTHJERSEYAIRSOFT.COM for donating this item for our review!

KWA m226 PTP DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

M.S.R.P:

KWA

170.00 USD

1 - m226 1 - 25 RD Mag 1 - Hop Up Key 1 - Oil / Test bb’s

Included in Box:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Externals: Internals: Field Testing: Value:

KWA m226 FEATURES:

KWA TRADEMARKS NS2 Gas Blowback System Metal Slide and Frame Thumb hammer drop lever

Rear Sight

Average Rating: 4 Gears (out of 5)

FRONT SIGHT

TACTICAL RAIL

SLIDE RELEASE SLIDE PIN

MAGAZINE RELEASE

Textured Grip

ALTER

RNATIVE WEAPONRY - ALTERNATIVE WEAPONRY :- ALTER CYMA M18A1 Airsoft CLAYMORE Review by: Chairsoft Staff Editor - Pictures by Johnathan Valle

Nothing is more fulfilling than watching a full squad patrol into a booby trap eliminating one or if not all of them sending them back to re-spawn to grumble and complain about how they all got dooped. In the airsoft world not many manufacturers make alternative weapons such as grenades and claymores so we were happy to receive the CYMA m18a1 claymore to try it out.

radius, most if not all just launch forward. Maximum range for the remote was at 200 ft with direct line of sight.

IN Conclusion Without a doubt the CYMA m18a1 claymore does what it says. Is it practical for field use? It could be, when taking the care to set up and place correctly. At the price it seems only a few will take full advantage of this alternative weapon. If you are the airsofter that is into this type of kit then this is the right one for you. There are a few manufacturing improvements that we would have liked to see such as reinforced joints on the folding posts, and more of a larger spray radius but again overall we were satisified with it’s performance. Many thanks to our media partner Airsplat.com for letting us review the CYMA m18a1 claymore. For more info please go to WWW.AIRSPLAT. COM.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS When we first got this we were surprized at the simplicity in design of the CYMA m18a1 claymore. The outer shell is made of a polymer plastic with the metal steel posts on the bottom. On the top is the steel removable activating plate and the trip wire clasp. On the front is the “FRONT TOWARD ENEMY” embossment and the fill hole for the bb’s. Internally the mechanism is based on a red cloth attached to two spring activated posts that tightens up the cloth propelling the bb’s forward and out of the claymore. The springs are high tension and although it was difficult to reset the claymore, we took it as a good sign for maximum range expulsion. The remote is your basic car looking remote with a slide cover for dust and to prohibit accidental pushing of the four buttons marked A, B, C, D. These buttons allow the user to connect and “detonate” up to 3 other claymores. The remote also has a two inch retractible antennae for maximum range.

FIELD TESTING Operating the claymore is pretty straight forward. Inside the claymore is a switch to use the remote control You can load it with bbs or a combination of bb’s and baby/talc powder. I would not reccomend anyone trying to load the cloth then compress the springs due to the high possibility of it activating and spraying yourself in the process. So, with that said, we used the fill hole and it held 122 bb’s exactly. For our range testing we had set up range poles measured out in 10 foot increments up to 100 feet. We unfolded the steel adjustable posts, removed the safety pin and stood back. Much to our surprise, when detonated, the claymore had surpassed our guestimated range of 60 feet and a good 15 bb’s launched far enough to graze the 100 foot target. What we did notice though is that the bb’s do not spray in a 180 degree

CYMA M18A1 Claymore DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

CYMA

99.99 USD

1 - m18a1 CLAYMORE 1 - Remote

M.S.R.P:

Included in Box:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Manufacturing: Value: Field Testing: Average Rating: 3 Gears (out of 5)

RST LINECOMBAT GEAR - FIRST LINE GEAR - FIRST LI SUSPENDERS Lots of players will go out and spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on their gear, weapons, and BB’s. All of which become useless when you’re busy holding your gear up or face planting because you can’t keep your pants from falling down. Enter the world of suspenders. For our first line, we decided to go with the SPEC-OPS Combat Suspenders.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Let me start by saying that these are suspenders, and suspenders have been around for hundreds of years. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here. While there are dozens of different

styles and brands out there, the name of the game is finding a comfortable way to hold up your first line or your trousers. One of the reasons we went with the SPEC-OPS Combat Suspenders is that they’re designed to work with either your gear or your pants, and anytime you can get one piece of equipment that can do two jobs is always a nice bonus. Initial observation, and something that seems to hold true through all of SPECOPS equipment, is the quality of materials they use. For these suspenders, they’ve created what they call Dura-lastic, which is what you get when Cordura and rubber have a love child. It feels extremely strong and durable, but has enough

elasticity to allow mobility and a little bit of leeway. The buckles lock together nicely and seem to be made out of solid plastic, but we somehow managed to crack one during some less than hard core testing. Luckily, all is not lost thanks to SPECOPS outstanding “Unique Lifetime Guarantee.” SPEC-OPS does an excellent job of standing behind their product. As taken directly from their site: “Simply put, if it’s our fault (materials and/ or workmanship), we’ll repair or replace it - anytime, anywhere. If it’s your fault (you survived and your gear didn’t), we’ll fix it ASAP and depending on how good your story is, we’ll most likely do it for free.

Enough said. Spec.-Ops. ® Great Gear Made in a Great Country - the U.S.A.!” As standard with SPEC-OPS gear, they make a point of creating fully adjustable gear for all shapes and sizes.

FIELD TESTING A few minutes of adjustments, and possibly getting tied up in it once or twice, everything was properly sized and comfortable. The low profile design is perfect for going underneath most chest rigs without bunching or causing discomfort. The around the shoulders and across the back design took a bit of getting used to, but after a little while it is barely noticeable.

Reviews by Shaun O’Neil - Outd

clipping to the front and back of your belt like traditional suspenders, having them attach on the sides allows for much more comfortable mobility. Between the strong elasticity of the material and this design, the slack created by bending forwards or leaning back that causes your gear to slide around is nearly nonexistent. While the broken buckle was a bit disheartening, the nature of the break leaves me willing to believe it may have just been a fluke of a bad buckle, as SPEC-OPS prides themselves on quality control. It took a little bit and some confusion to get them properly adjusted, but once correct and worn in a bit the suspenders were quite comfortable while

doing an excellent job of keeping everything snug and secure.

IN CONCLUSION Overall the SPEC-OPS Combat Suspenders were definitely a nice pick up, and while suspenders will never be the most glamorous piece of your load out, they can be a very helpful piece of equipment to have.

INE GEAR - FIRST LINE GEAR - FIRST LINE GE battle belt

door Pictures by: Jonathan Valle

While building your load out for any big game, one of the key components is the first line. A belt system that can take on some of the load of your necessary equipment, while being comfortable and allow for mobility can make you a more efficient player on the field and put less stress on the player’s body. For our first line belt, we decided to go with SPEC-OPS Padded Modular Utility Belt.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Upon initial inspection, the first thing you notice is the build quality. All of the materials are solid. The belt itself is a beast, triple stitched for strength as well as stitched and singed at the ends to prevent any type of fray. The SPEC-OPS COP-LOK release buckle has a center catch to allow quick on and off, but averts any potential accidental unlocking. The plastic buckles are one of the components that are often weak on gear, but this is absolutely not the case on this belt. Pressuring the buckle every which way short of taking a hammer to it, it barely even flexes much less show any sign of breaking. The padding is done in two large pieces that float on the belt, but have enough friction to keep them in place while it is

This was done to make the belt adjustable, and unlike other gear that claims to be “one size fits all” this will truly work for most anyone. SPEC-OPS claims it is adjustable from 26”-46” and they deliver nicely.

FIELD TESTING

We had people of various shapes and sizes try it on, and everyone was able to adjust it to their size with ease. The design makes the belt much less rigid than most and allows the belt to move fluidly with the body and is a large part of what makes this belt so comfortable. Personally I am a large proponent of suspenders. In my experience they alleviate most of the discomfort and mobility issues that can be caused by

a first line. That being said, I would gladly run this belt without suspenders because of the way it fits snug to the hips while the padding does an excellent job of cushioning the weight. The outside of the pads are stitched with SPEC-OPS GRID-LOK loops, which are MOLLE compatible. And by compatible, I mean they’re basically MOLLE. It does seem like their loops are slightly wider than normal, which I didn’t think much of until I started weaving pouches on. The little bit of extra space makes properly weaving pouches a breeze, without sacrificing much, if any, stability of the pouch. The stitching is well done, yanking and twisting the pouches with some force had no impact.

IN CONCLUSION All in all it is a very impressive belt, SPECOPS has done an excellent job of combining quality materials with a very comfortable design. As someone who has burned through a few of these kinds of belts in the past, I’m excited to see how it holds up to the rigors of months and hopefully years of play.

RST LINE GEAR - FIRST LINE GEAR - FIRST LIN VAPOR HOLSTER

Every airsoft player has had it happen. You’re out in the field, you’ve been working towards the objective for hours and it’s led you to a vicious fire fight. You’ve got the enemy in your sights. You squeeze the trigger and…nothing. The gun has malfunctioned, the battery has gone dead, you are completely out of ammo. Insert random weapon failure here. In that moment you can stand their slack jawed while the enemy notices you and puts some rounds into you, or you can pull your side arm, waste the guy, and move on. But the latter is only an option if you have an easily accessible, reliable side arm on your load out. This is where your choice in holster comes into play. It may seem simple, as long as your side arm fits in the holster you’re good to go, right? Wrong, finding the holster to fit your weapon is just the beginning. You need to make sure that it is not only safe and secure so that you do not lose the pistol in the field, but that at the same time it is easy to remove. If you’re pulling your side arm, chances are you need it right now, not after you’ve wasted precious seconds fumbling with buttons and snaps and Velcro. You also need to find a holster that is comfortable to wear for hours on end, but sits in a position that is easy and fluid to pull from. Something tells me that $10 belt holster from

FIRST IMPRESSIONS The holster is primarily made of Cordura, with a kydex plastic insert shaped to the pistol attached inside. Like all of

SPEC-OPS gear, the straps are beefy and well stitched. The major stress spots are at least double stitched and in some cases even quadruple stitched. The buckles are solid and the snaps are well riveted. The band that buckles in around the leg is made of their Dura-Lastic material, a mix of

Cordura and rubber, and holds snug around the leg without pulling too tight to be uncomfortable. While that may seem trivial, continuing blood flow to your lower leg tends to help the running process. The straps to mount the holster to your belt are fully Velcro’d to make the height very adjustable. Regardless of the player’s height, finding a comfortable placement that is easy to pull from should not be an issue. The straps would easily work with a pistol belt, but they seem to measure just slightly wider than the loops of standard MOLLE, which was disappointing. It does seem to work with other SPEC-OPS gear, as they use their GRID-LOK loop system, which is compatible with MOLLE pouches, where the loops run a little bit wider than standard MOLLE. The straps also have a snap system to keep it locked into place which is nice, but also prevents one of the suspension from being MOLLE or even GRID-LOK compatible. We used it with the SPEC-OPS Padded Modular Utility Belt (as reviewed in this issue) with one strap weaved through and the other looped over the top of the belt, and it held secure. The front side of the holster is covered in their GRID-LOK loops for attachment of MOLLE compatible pouches. A nice bonus, though I would not suggest attaching

NE GEAR - FIRST LINE GEAR - FIRST LINE GE much to it because you’d be impairing one of the holster’s most attractive features.

FIELD TESTING Though it looks huge, the VAPOR is actually very stream lined and once broken in keeps a very low profile. Whereas many drop legs have a tendency to get caught on things like brush, tall grass, the edge of a smaller than comfortable path in a building, the VAPOR does an excellent job of avoiding such things. The GRID-LOK is useful however, for the locking mechanisms that keep the pistol in the holster. It comes with two types mounted, an elastic band with a snap as well as an adjustable band with a buckle. Since they are attached through the GRID-LOK just like a pouch would be, you can move them, adjust them higher or lower, or even remove one if you prefer just the one. Flipping it over, you notice another one of SPEC-OPS innovations, the molded back panel that sits against the leg. In place of a flat plastic or purely material backing, they have developed a molded plastic panel with channels for heat and moisture to escape. It sacrifices a little bit of flexibility (that I believe you would regain after some extended breaking in), but it helps remedy the discomfort from the buildup of heat and sweat caused by most drop leg holsters in the spring and summer months.

It sacrifices a little bit of flexibility (that I believe you would regain after some extended breaking in), but it helps remedy the discomfort from the buildup of heat and sweat caused by most drop leg holsters in the spring and summer months. Overall it is an impressive piece of equipment. The minor inconveniences of the mounting straps and the rigidity out of the box are more than made up for with its sleek design and molded back panel. I’m excited to see how it breaks in and holds up to extended play. While SPEC-OPS may not be as well known as other companies in the holster market, their VAPOR holster is definitely in the upper class of build and design, and is worth checking out if you’re in the market. Many thanks goes out to SPECOPS brand at WWW.SPECOPSBRAND. COM for sending out the whole 1st line for us to review!

DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

SPEC-OPS Brand

159.00 USD

1 -COMBAT SUSPENDERS

M.S.R.P:

Included in Box:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Manufacturing: Value: Field Testing: Average Rating: 3 1/2 Gears (out of 5)

BATTLE BELT DATA SHEET

VAPOR HOLSTER DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

M.S.R.P:

SPEC-OPS Brand

159.00 USD

1 -BATTLE BELT

Included in Box:

In Conclusion Overall it is an impressive piece of equipment. The minor inconveniences of the mounting straps and the rigidity out of the box are more than made up for with its sleek design and molded back panel. I’m excited to see how it breaks in and holds up to extended play. While SPEC-OPS may not be as well known as other companies in the holster market, their VAPOR holster is definitely in the upper class of build and design, and is worth checking out if you’re in the market. have developed a molded plastic panel with channels for heat and moisture to escape.

COMBAT SUSPENDERS

GEAR RATING

SPEC-OPS Brand

159.00 USD

1 -VAPOR HOLSTER

Included in Box:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Manufacturing:

Value:

Field Testing:

Average Rating: 4 1/2 Gears (out of 5)

Average Rating: 4 Gears (out of 5)

SOCOM GEARS NOVAK NE T 1911

Review by: RJ Escusa

First Impressions There are so many 1911 variants on the market these days that it’s hard to distinguish one from the other, but SOCOM GEARS NOVAK NEXT 1911 replica is one that any airsofter should consider if looking for a 1911. What stood out in my mind when first opening up the package was how solidt it felt in my hands. Not knowing too much about Novak and the specialty real steel pistol, I was pleasantly surprized to see so much detail in this 1911. Modeled after the m1911, NOVAK updated the older style 1911 with alot of current parts, and that translates quite nicely in the airsoft market. Not only diid the package come with a single stack metal magazine, but a pistol lanyard from HSS. Having a pistol lanyard is an added bonus to keep tabs on your pistol. Sometimes when in a firefight your pistol can fall out of it’s holster. the ground, but at least you won’t lose it.

EXTERNALS When handling the gun immediately you notice the nice matte black color finish on the pistol. It has a metal slide and full metal body. The slide has rear and forward cocking serrations, fully licensed trademarks from NOVAK both laser engraved largely on the left side of the slide, a smaller company logo near the front right hand side. Along with company trades, “NOVAK NEXT CAL.45 ACP, PARKERSBURG, WY USA”, and “MADE IN TAIWAN SOCOMGEAR. COM” finish out the trademarking. The outer barrel comes with an orange painted 14mm counter clockwise threaded adaptor extention for adding a suppressor for a special ops look. The Novak Next weighs in at approximately 2 pounds and 8 ounces. The rear sight is fully adjustable, and the grip safety is fully functional.

The contoured rubber grip has a NOVAK logo on both sides. The ribbing helps keeping a firm grip on the 1911 when fireing. Also on the grip is a thumb groove right behind the magwell release, making it not only comfortable in your hand but slightly assisting thumb placement for those fast reloads. The hammer is “skeletonized” with one hole and the trigger is solid like real steel m1911’s.

FIELD TESTING

Taking the NOVAK NEXT out into the field we noticed the slide wobble off of the reciever, which doesn’t instill the greatest of confidence but we quickly moved on from that to fill the magazine up with .20g bb’s and green gas. Chrono: The first performance test I did was chronographing. For even results I filled the mag to maximum capacity and then put it in my pocket for 20-25 minutes to get the temperature equalized. The ammo used was .20g and I waited 5 seconds between shots. The Novak NEXT averaged a notably 317 fps with the .20g. Accuracy: Next I took the gun down for some accuracy testing using the 25ft range I have set up. The target was an 8½x11 page with a two circular targets printed on, the inner is a 4 inch diameter cicle, the outer an 8 inch diameter circle. Shooting the full 15 rounds into the target created a 4 1/2 inch grouping at the farthest bb shots. Recoil and Speed: The Novak Next produces pretty decent recoil. It’s not as snappy as other 1911’s that I’ve

reviewed but it still was a decent speed. Cool-Down/Gas Efficiency: When firing one round every few seconds the Novak Next uses one full 15 round mag with slide lock afterward. It will then fire another 10 rounds at full power and then it drops off suddenly and can’t even cycle.

IN CONCLUSION The fully licensing of NOVAK trades makes the SOCOM GEAR’s NOVAK NEXT 1911 one of the nicer furnitured gas blowback pistols in the market. It comes with alot of features and I look forward to buying double stacked mags to increase the longevity of the output in a firefight. Many thanks to WWW.GODFATHERAIRSOFT.COM for sending the NOVAK NEXT for us to review!

NOVAK NEXT 1911 DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

SOCOM GEAR

140.00 USD

1 - NOVAK NEXT 1 - HSS PISTOL LANYARD 1 - 15 ROUND MAGAZINE

M.S.R.P:

Included in Box:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Manufacturing: Value: Field Testing:

NOVAK NEXT Features

Front & Rear Sight

NOVAK NEXT TRADES Metal Body THREADED OUTER BARREL TEXTURED GRIPS

Average Rating: 3 1/2 Gears (out of 5)

SAFETY LATCH

GRIP SAFETY SLIDE RELEASE

MAGAZINE RELEASE

Textured Grip

PLATINUM ED First Impressions When I had received the ECHO1 USA Platinum Edition M4 I was fully impressed by this collaboration between ECHO1 USA and Vega Force Company. The look and feel of the rifle is a 180 degree difference from the stock line of ECHO1 USA. The abs carry case is decent, a nice touch for the gun, but it does lack some contour shaping for the gun to keep it in place as it tends to move inside when in transport. The package includes the gun, case, replacement birdcage flash hider, one 110 round mid-cap magazine, and one 300 round hi-cap magazine. I’m not quite sure on the logic on giving one type of magazine each, but it does ad value to the whole package. What I’m surprised that it doesn’t knclude is a crane style battery. Echo!USA has always been really good about setting up the player with an “out of the box” shooter, but alas, I had to purchase an Intellect 9.6 club foot battery for this AEG.

EXTERNALS The ECHO1 Platinum Edition comes with a full metal body made out of aluminum alloy. The bolt catch is fully functional when pulled back shows the polycarbonate hopup for adjustments. The other metal parts include the outer barrel, BUIS rear sight, front sight,steel sling adaptor, and stock tube. The grip, crane

stock and front grips are made out of a high quality abs material, and much thicker than the standard ECHO1 USA parts. There was no wobble whatsoever on this rifle which certainly shows the quality control improvements. Trademarks include the laser etched triangle PLATINUM EDITION logo with “CAL. 5.56x6MM” along with the serial number. Also with those trademarks is the “ECHO1USA PLATINUM EDITION SEMCA/TAIWAN” and 614 selector switch markings. The grip is your standard m-series textured grip and the crane stock is “Sub-C” sized cells. Taking off the externals wasn’t that difficult aside from the delta ring for the handguard, it took some effort to push the ring down to release the two handguard halves.

INTERNALS Although the externals are top notch, the internals is where you see the most collaboration between Echo1USA and VFC. Dissasembly of the two receivers is quite easy since the (continued on page 34)

DITION M4

ECHO1USA PLATINUM EDITION M4

SPECIFICATIONS: Special Features: Metal body, working bolt catch, sling adaptor, crane stock, VFC gearbox, polycarbonate hop-up and hi torque motor. Inner Barrel length: 363mm FPS: 385 FPS with .20g bbâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s average (10 shot average) Includes: Hard Carry Case, 1x 300 round hi-cap magazine, 1x 110 round mid cap magazine, and extra bird cage flash hider.

body pins are both safety locked through the body. Full dissasembly videos are provided by ECHO1USA so I won’t go into too much detail into that. First off I’d like to point out the polycarb hop-up chamber. There are a few mixed reviews on the VFC polycarb hop-up concerning flaws in the molding quality but with this one, it was pretty much spot on. The only problem I had with the hop-up was that it was obsenely tight on the adjusting dial screw, but easily rectified by loosening it. The red motor is high torque and with a pressed pinion gear for good alignment and fit. The gearbox is an 8mm steel bushing reinforced gearbox, with a steel selector plate. Inside the gearbox is the chrome cylinder which supposidly reduces friction on the o-ring, clear polycarb piston with the second tooth removed for higher rate of fire and relieves stress on the first larger tooth. The piston head is aluminum ported and the cylindar head has a thicker impact pad. The tappet plate is clear polycarbonate and the air seal nozzle is reinfoced abs polymer with an inner o-ring. The spring is a shorter m110 spirng and the spring guide is full metal with a ball bearings. The gearset is all steel, with VFC’s “auto-shim” design. The auto-shim design uses high tention steel springs to keep the gears at proper level and placement. (*PROTIP - You should see if the shimming is correct since all gearboxes and auto shim springs are not they same, checking and reshimming if necessary is reccommended for all new gearboxes.) Aside from the auto-shim design the sector gear has a sector clip to assist the

tappet plate and nozzel feeding the bb’s into the hop-up chamber. Overall the gearset is rated 19:1 for high rates of fire and durability with any battery voltage. Lastly is the low resistance wireing to the rear with a small tamiya connector and twist cap removable 20 amp fuse. This allows a sharp trigger response with 9.6 and lipo batteries.

FIELD TESTING With .20g G&G bb’s we chronoed the ECHO1USA PLATINUM EDITION at a whopping 405 fps average! Impressive to say the least but what was really nice was the sound signature of the gearbox when shooting it. It definitely was quieter than any ECHO1USA gearbox we’ve previously reviewed. With a 9.6v crane battery we clocked it at 21 bps. So after dialing in the hop-up we set up our normal bench range testing at 50ft - 100ft - 125ft distances with targets of two concentric circles the inner circle at 4 inches diameter the outer at an 8 inch diameter. At 50ft with 20 shots 11 hit the 4 inch circle, and 9 hit the 8 inch circle. At 100ft with 20 shots, 8 hit the 4 inch circle, 9 hit the 8 inch circle and 3 misses. At 125ft with 20 shots, 6 hit the 4 inch circle, 10 hit the 8 inch circle, and 4 misses. The rifle was fun to run around with as it was well balanced and lighter than other rifles we have reviewed here.

In Conclusion Compared to other ECHO1USA’s other line of weaponry the PLATINUM EDITION M4 AEG rises high above the rest due to the “Out of the Box” shooter value. The price at an average of $310.00 it may seem a bit high for an ECHO1USA weapon but when you consider all the VFC extras the quality of the manufacturing, and the carry case, it actually is a nice price for the weapon. I gave it high manufacturing marks on the externals and internals but the

overall value was rated lower due to the lack of form fitting case. BUT, I highly reccomend this AEG to anyone looking for a high performance, lipo ready system for either as their main weapon or backup. Hopefully if this run is a retail success, they will start releasing more of the same quality year after year. Many thanks to JAG PRECISION and ECHO1USA for this weapon for our review!

PLATINUM EDITION M4 DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

ECHO1USA

310.00 USD

1 - Platinum Edition M4 1 - 300 RD High Cap Mag 1 - 110 RD Mid Cap Mag 1 - Replacement flash hider

M.S.R.P:

Included in Box:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Externals: Internals: Field Testing: Value: Average Rating: 4 Gears (out of 5)

EW WITH O.L.C.M.S.S. - JOHN LU - INTERVIEW W it wasn’t Andrew of AEX at that time but we rented a few Tokyo Marui m4 for $85.00 because at the time, airsoft was still considered an “underground” sport as there were not that many retailers at the time. The TM didn’t shoot straight since the person I rented it from didn’t know about hop-ups so it was discouraging for the first time. And I thought to myself how goofy this sport is if you can’t shoot straight? At least my paintball gun shoots straight, and that was my very first experience with airsoft.

Chairsoftmagazine: When did you start promoting events?

John Lu: It actually started as a surprise. Over the past 5 years not one person is more recognizable than John Lu, owner and operator of Best of USA Marketing. More commonly known as the facilitator and event runner of O.L.C.M.S.S. - Operation Lion Claws Military Simulation Series. O.L.C.M.S.S. events include OP: Irene, OP: Lightning Strike, Operation Hac Bao and OP: Bulldog just to name a few. Although not the first airsoft producer to hold an event in a MOUT or military training facility, John Lu is a conisistant force in the U.S.A. national airsoft community. Bringing such people as US Army Ranger Col. Danny McKnight (ret) of Black Hawk Down fame, US Army LRRP Sgt. Kenn Miller of Vietnam War, decorated US Army Ranger combat veteran and the best RI from Fort Benning, MSG “Mad Max” Mullen (ret), and legendary Green Beret Col. Paul Longgrear (ret) to lead his events. John graciously took time out of his busy schedule to talk to CHAIRSOFTMAGAZINE.COM in order to answer some of our questions and to be a part of this issue.

Chairsoftmagazine: How did you first hear about airsoft?

John Lu: Mike Messida in early 2001 introduced me to airsoft with a few friends; he was also involved with snowboarding when it was still in its infancy. I started off as a player with Andrew from AEX well,

Tragically, 9-11-2001 happened and then the subsequent war in Afghanistan and Iraq happened, and my day job in the international tourism market and promotion handling international business and corporate groups, was hurting due to the current political and national worldviews. So eventually in that time I lost all of my business, and actually there was no income for one entire year so it wasn’t pretty. But James Kai at airsoft elite and Walter chang who was working for him but since has become the CEO of airsoft gi, were having lunch and we were talking and joking about it and james suggested that since I knew so many military VIPs’ I should try to get Col. Danny McKnight to come out to an airsoft event. And my answer to him, are you crazy? I’m not going to try to ask a national hero to come and play soldier. But as we were talking James said look what do you have to lose? Right now you basically have nothing. And I couldn’t argue with that. So I decided to be fair and give it a shot. So when I finally got into contact with Col. McKnight he was very positive about it I was very fortunate to earn his support and that’s how the whole production started.

Chairsoftmagazine: Speaking of Col. McKnight, how did you meet him?

John Lu: I met him indirectly at first. Actually it was out of desperation, it was at the end of 2001 and since I was into production and management of an event called

“Weekend Of Heroes Convention” and back then we held the event at universal studios Hollywood. Weekend Of Heroes is about product branding and product marketing, and what had happened is that a lot of companies decided to cancel or pull out of the event due to being frightened if there was going to be another attack on the U.S. We as the producers decided to stick to our guns and hold the event to show that life will go on and we would come through this tragedy together. And at the time “Black Hawk Down” the movie was just released in January of 2002 and one of my assistance suggested to contact Bruckheimer Productions to get some props for the convention. I called the studio and the studio politely in not so many words said to “f” myself, but they were very professional about it and I said that was fine. So, I decided since I could not get props from the movie I would get a few U.S. Army Rangers to attend the event. But that was easier said than done. My friend Sgt. Kenn Miller (Ret) put me into contact with a few rangers who were in Somalia at that time and I proceeded to contact them. And again unfortunately, they weren’t doing so well due to post traumatic stress disorder, so we struck out there again. So I had nothing else to lose so I thought maybe I should call Ft. Benning and speak to Col. McKnight directly. It was one of those ideas like when friends get together and start joking around making suggestions saying “Yeah, Rrrright…” The response from Ft. Benning was who the hell were you and what the

WITH O.L.C.M.S.S. - JOHN LU -INTERVIEW WITH that some promoters would “over promise” or exaggerate claims and under deliver. Back then, players were paying upwards of 250.00 to attend these “large events” with all these promises of grandeur. So we decided just to promote the event at 120.00 just to cover all our expenses. And I’m thankful for those players who put faith in use to attend and the V.I.P’s that everything went well. We actually taped that in video and a lot of players forget that it wasn’t DVD. It was a vhs camera crew taping this thing.

Some attendees at Operation Red Storm 2010

hell do you want from Col. McKnight? After a while and after a lot of call backs, I was able to talk may way up to the command Sgt. Major and he was a fair man, and said “Look, I’m going to put you into contact with Col. McKnight’s assistant and that’s the best I can do for you.” Col. Mcknight’s assistant was very polite saying we understand what you are trying to do and we admire that, so why don’t you give us your contact information and I’ll present it to Col. McKnight and if he’s interested he’ll call you back. After that conversation, I figured I pushed up so far and I thought since the movie just came out he was a very busy man, and I couldn’t go any further without coming off disrespectful so I just left it at that. Fortunately for me, not 10 minutes went by and Col. McKnight’s assistant called me back and said, here is Col. McKnight’s home phone number, and I said excuse me? She said, Col. McKnight is interested in what you have to say and he would like to speak to you. Because I had presented to the assistant is that we would like to make an action figure of Col. McKnight and for him to come out as a celebrity to promote the figurine and the event. Also to talk to the people on not wavering under enemy pressure and to bolster patriotism. I had discussed with Col. Mcknight that we wanted to have a national hero to come and be our speaker at the event and he responded, “already we conceptually disagree” and I thought to myself oh great, we’re not two minutes into the conversation and I already pissed him off. He said to me “John, let me make one thing clear, I am not a hero. The men in Somalia who gave it all.. they are the true heroes. I’m

just an old soldier just doing his job.” After that conversation we became very good friends and made a solid bond with one another.

Chairsoftmagazine: So when you proposed to Col. McKnight to do actual airsoft events, was he immediately on board?

John Lu: Well when I did suggest the airsoft events, it was already after Weekend of Heroes and I proved to him that we weren’t whack jobs and where our views about fully supporting the military. So he was immediately on board with the vision of drawing a positive light on the military through airsoft events, so the first Lion Claws event was Col. Danny McKnight vs. Sgt Ken Miller. It was an Old School Ranger *(Sgt. Miller) vs. a New School Ranger at that time *(Col. McKnight.) But the initial challenge was getting people to believe that we actually had these special V.I.P’s at the events. Because honestly I’m a nobody, and who was going to believe that I had these people at a new event? So we started to go to paintball parks where airsofters were and a lot of them either made fun of us or dismissed the idea. And who could blame them? Who was I at that time? So the first Lion Claws game was at a paintball park in Bakersfield CA, and we had 80 attendees. After that, once we proved to them that we could pull off an airsoft event such as this it just took off from there. You have to understand something about California airsoft, there are a lot of wonderful producers out there promoting large scale events who were there before me and what I had learned from players is

Chairsoftmagazine: Have you since made the transfer of the VHS tape to DVD?

John Lu: Fortunately for me the person who filmed Lion Claws 1 did give me the only DVD copy of the event which I still have to this day. We are considering releasing that to the public so people could see what it was like at 2002.

Chairsoftmagazine: So when did you get the idea for doing Irene?

John Lu: We had got the idea in 2003, doing something in the east coast. Back then Master Sgt. McMullen was in Georgia, we talked about and said what the hell? Why not? Let’s do it! And again, we ran into the “Who are you?”, “Will you really have Col. McKnight there? YEAH SURE…” So the first Irene was held at another paintball park in Georgia. And only 78 people attended.

INTERVIEW WITH O.L.C.M.S.S. - JOHN LU - INTE Chairsoftmagazine: So when did your productions jump from paintball parks to MOUT sites?

John Lu: It was around 2004 when we started looking, because at Lion Claws 2 we saw that there was such a need for a city like environment because player feedback was so positive on inner city type firefights. So the first official MOUT type environment was in Joleton Tenn. at a former youth correctional facility. So Irene 2 was held there with 160 players. We had a helicopter fly in to recreate the Black Hawk Down scenario with some smoke and pyrotechnics. It was really fun. Chairsoftmagazine: So what is your projected capacity at this next Irene?

John Lu: Well, last year at Zussman, we

events, but I have the view of “there is a consumer for every product”. Every event is different because it targets different clientele.

Chairsoftmagazine: What do you expect from the players who attend your events?

John Lu: First off, they need to be respectful of the military service men and women. We ask them to be respectful to our V.I.P’s, and our staff. If they are not respectful, then why attend the event? Secondly We would really like them to follow their leader and use a lot of teamwork, understand why you are there, and know the rules. We really like to stress the teamwork aspect of our games. Thirdly, immerse yourselves in the scenario and role-play a little. Lastly but probably most importantly, have fun. Airsoft is a sport meant to be enjoyed.

had 480 participants. And that sold out in approx 90 seconds.

Chairsoftmagazine: Why do you have

Chairsoftmagazine: That must have felt

John Lu: There is only one game we

real good right?

John Lu: I’m grateful to all of our loyal players who come out year after year supporting our efforts. Not only the players but the Army and the whole Zussman staff. But all in all with the staff and role-players, it was approximately 530 participants. So when the Brigadier General came out to visit and looked at the amount of people he said to me “Holy Moly *( not in those words).. that’s a lot of people! I’m glad to see that you are organized!” Chairsoftmagazine: So where do you draw your ideas for these events?

John Lu: I get my ideas from the military books that I read. I’m a big military history buff; I really enjoy WW2 and Vietnam history.

Chairsoftmagazine: So what makes your games stand out from other events?

John Lu: Since my schedule is so busy, I really don’t get to attend other peoples

breaks in your games?

produce that is non-stop and that is Lion Claws, we wanted to produce a game of endurance and that is non-stop. But we set breaks in our MOUT environment games because from our past experiences, players tend to get aggravated and angry real fast due to being shot at close ranges, and miscommunications. Some people aren’t used to the facilities and the stresses of the MOUT environment. So if when we offer breaks, it’s on purpose to have that little bit of time to mentally gather yourself to fight on. Also when the temperature is over 90 and humid, we really need to keep in mind the player’s safety. No one wants anyone to get seriously hurt at an event and we want to facilitate a safe environment. We don’t do trainings for just this reason, Lion Claw’s purpose is to entertain to inspire. We’re not qualified to do trainings, and we won’t do that. We want to facilitate entertainment and inspire for those who want to serve our country.

Chairsoftmagazine: Why do you have a 3rd party faction in your games?

John Lu: They are used as an equalizer, just in case. What we’re trying to is to balance the fun with the scenario. The experience we have with our productions if side is winning for the whole event it’s demoralizing to the opposing team and all they want to do is give up and leave. So that leaves the aggressor team no one to shoot at and what does that accomplish? Pretty much nothing, it becomes boring for both sides. I can’t tell how people will play just by looking at their names on a roster, and sometimes teams and players have bad days where they don’t perform as well as they normally do. Plus the 3rd party serves as an interaction force enhancing the game.

Chairsoftmagazine: So what dates do you have for us and places for the east coast MOUT sites?

John Lu: Unfortunately there aren’t any solid dates due to the scheduling from the Army. We are on their time schedule and they just tell me dates that we can possibly have it. We spend a lot of money for research on sites sending out people to see if it’s feasible for us to produce our events there. Getting on the military sites is tough and every time it is a luxury. Chairsoftmagazine.com would like to thank John Lu for taking time out to talk to us and giving us some insight into OLCMSS productions! For more information please go to www.oplionclaws.com for event announcements, dates and locations.

ERVIEW WITH O.L.C.M.S.S. - JOHN LU -INTERVIE

Spec Ops Gear

classic army’s lwrc m6a2 electro

Article by: RJ Escusa - Pictures by: Jonathan valle We were very eager to receive the Classic Army LWRC M6A2 from Spartan Imports wondering what the hype was all about. Seeing the LWRC real steel on television, plus hearing that Classic Army acquired full licensing to make a replica really got the blood flowing when opening the box. In the box was the black LWRC M6A2 AEG Electronic blow back with 1 300 round hi-capacity magazine and manual. There was no battery which was a slight disappointment especially for the price tag given to this model.

EXTERNALS The lack of battery was easily overlooked and forgotten as soon as I lifted the LWRC from the styrofoam casing. The sheer detail of this AEG is impressive with which what seems to be the selling point. I will start from back to front starting with the enhanced carbine modstock that takes “Sub-C” crane batteries. From the rear of the crane stock there is a push button bearing release system for easy insertion of crane batteries. Along with the ease of removal of batteries, the modstock has a small compartment for holding single small tools such as allen keys, sight adjuster, or batteries. The 6 point adjustment helps collapse the stock for close quarters.

The metal body has a nice matte finish has a working bolt catch and release. Trades include laser engraved “LWRC International”, M6, serial number, 6.8mm SPC. Other markings include a UID Matrix on both the upper and lower receiver. Close to the selector switch markings, engraved is “Cambridge MA”, and on the opposite side is “Classic Army” On the upper receiver, the “LWRC International logo, M6A2 6.8mm Made in the U.S.A.”, matching serial number to the lower, and has rail measurement markings. Underneath the front site is an engraved American Flag. The pistol grip is a high quality ABS polymer textured for maximum grip of the fingers and palm. The front is a CNC’d two piece rail system that shows the manufacturing quality of this rifle. It is easily removed

by unscrewing the two front post screws revealing the fake LWRC gas piston system to which the real steel LWRC is known for, just adding an additional realistic touch to this AEG. Rounding out the rest of the externals is the two metal flip up replica battle sights, a one piece 10 inch outer barrel, and a steel flash hider.

onic blow back rifle review

FIELD TESTING

internals The LWRC comes with a super torque up classic army motor, and a fully redesigned version 2 one piece metal hopup that places the hopup adjustment dial on the rear, akin to G36 hopups. The reinforced 8mm bearing gearbox reveals the electronic blowback mechanism and a stamped “Classic Army” logo. Before I get into the mechanics of the blowback, inside the gearbox is a ribbed chrome cylinder, super torque up gears, metal spring guide with bearings, an advanced power spring, polycarbonate piston with an aluminum piston head with bearing. The air nozzle is blue, probably just for aesthetics. The tappet plate is polycarbonate and the trigger uses low resistant wires for fast response.

Now the electronic blowback is basically a weighted system which is the where the fake bolt and a forward spring assist. The reinforced gearbox is slotted on the top, to allow the bolt system to catch on the piston. So the piston pulls the weight backward then when the piston releases the weight gets released pulling forward making the recoil effect. The amount of recoil is dependent on the weight of the top plus the impact of the piston on the cylinder head. It is said on the classic army website that if you drop in a more powerful gearbox spring you will also make the recoil effect stronger. It is a relatively simple system that uses the system parts instead of a pneumatic assist mechanism. This is to minimize the stress on the motor, gears and battery. It is also lipo ready for a higher rate of fire. Disassembly is quite easy if you go slow and methodical. Please use caution and a controlled environment as I do not suggest field stripping.

Using a 9.6v clubfoot battery and .25g bb’s I chronographed the LWRC at an average of 360 fps with 10 shots and 15 bb’s per second. Dialing in the hopup with the new hopup design makes it much easier to use. With the hopup dialed in I proceeded with my bench accuracy testing, so I took the LWRC out to the 50 ft. 100 ft. - 125 ft. range. Using our standard circular targets of 4 inch inner and 8 inch outer I proceeded to fire off 20 bb’s per measurement. At 50 ft., 12 hit inside the 4 inch circle, 8 hit the 8 inch circle with no misses. Groupings were 3 1/2 inches apart. At 100 ft., there was a slight drop off in accuracy with 7 hitting the 4 inch circle, 6 hit the 8 inch circle and 7 misses; groupings were at 4 inches apart. Finally at 125 ft. 5 hit the 4 inch circle, 9 hit the 8 inch circle, and 6 misses with 4 inch groupings. At a local skirmish, the recoil system wasn’t noticeable but I probably subconsciously wanted gas blow back strength. Although, compared to

LWRCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was much greater. I believe the electronic blowback system can be improved to where the recoil is much more noticeable, maybe by dropping in a stronger spring as Classic Army has suggested. The only other complaint in field testing is the lack of a rear sling adaptor but overall the LWRC is a solid performer on the field and for the length of the innerbarrel it is satisfactory accurate.

In Conclusion With a retail price of 425.00 MSRP, the Classic Army LWRC M6A2 is a faithful 1:1 replica of its real steel counterparts. It is the attention to detail with all the high quality parts that make this an AEG for any airsofter to consider. The Classic Army LWRC comes in both matte black and a bronze/black hybrid colors. Since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m more of a traditionalist, I stuck with the black since it looks better to me. Although the electronic blow back system seemed a bit weak I believe it can be improved over time and modification. Overall it is a solid choice and a great AEG to field. Many thanks to Spartan Imports www.spartanimports.com for sending a CLASSIC ARMY LWRC M6A2 for us to review!

CLASSIC ARMY LWRC m6a2 DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

Classic Army

425.00 USD

1 - LWRC M6A2 AEG 1 - 300 RD High Cap Mag

M.S.R.P:

Included in Box:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Externals: Internals: Field Testing: Value: Average Rating: 4 Gears (out of 5)

ECOND LINE GEAR SECOND LINE GEAR SEC PANTAC-USA WSH Chest rig REVIEW BY: BRYAN GIAMmATTEO / PICTURES BY JONATHAN VALLE FIRST IMPRESSIONS Upon receiving the WEESATCH from PANTAC USA the first thing I noticed was the durability of the material. Unlike cheaper Chinese gear manufactures Pantac uses real Cordura. On this particular chest rig they use what looks and feels like 1000D cordura. I compared the material to another plate carrier which uses 1000D cordura and a Chinese rig that uses 600D. The Weesatch felt very similar to the 1000D rig.

MANUFACTURING The next thing I did before adjusting it to try it on was check on all the buckles, snaps, velcro and stitching. The buckles were tan and made from a very sturdy plastic. I squeezed them several times to see if I could get them to crack or even show signs of distress, which they did not. I also clipped them together and then tried to pull them apart through quick snaps and long evenly applied pressure. Again the buckles held up to the test. (Let me say that I have had a gun break in half about 10min before a national OP because a buckle on a sling came undone and the gun hit the ground barrel first and broke the body in half. So to say that I am a little obsessed with quality buckles is not that far of a stretch.) What few snaps there were solid and took a decent amount of force to both open and close them. They look like they will hold up to weather and not rust out, but only time will tell there. Now here is where I really think that PANTAC shines, the stitching. It was evenly stitched across the whole rig. The Molle stitching looks great! I doubt very much that you will see the molle stitching fray to the point of breakage before you get rid of this rig. I also went through each Molle row and column to see if there was a single unit that was going to be tight or just plain not fit. The only spots were it was tight was on the back where the straps used for the shoulders were sewn onto the rear molle plate.

Even they were not too tight as to fit a molle strap through, all other units were perfect! It would also be an oversight not to talk about the velcro. While not prominent on this particular piece of gear it is important. Each one of the integrated magazine carriers has two adjustable tabs to hold your mags in. The tabs can be adjusted to fit just one magazine or up to three and the velcro that holds them in looks to be of a good standard. Now on to the main features of the Weesatch. Integrated magazine capacity; This rig can hold up to 3 mags in the magazine pouches and 2 in each of the general purpose pouches, making a grand total of 16 mags before you go crazy and add onto the Molle on the front. (I personally am fine running 8 mags on my 2nd line but I know some people that can never seem to have enough mags on them to last. I don’t know what these guys think? Well maybe they don’t and are just possessed by the spirit of overwhelming firepower…. But I digress.) As I noted earlier there are two what I would call general purpose pouches on either side of the mag pouches. They are nice because you can use them for a radio pouch or even a pistol pouch. Now personally I don’t think I would use It to carry my pistol only because a MK 23 is a rather large secondary weapon and was a little bit big to fit as comfortably as I wanted. However a Sig 226 fit rather nicely and if I were ever to switch back to using my 226 as my main pistol I would most likely end up keeping on my rig. Another nice addition to this rig is that you can use the rear panel as a hydration bladder carrier. I found that my 3 liter camelback bladder fits nicely where you are supposed to put a SAPI plate. Speaking of which, I prefer to actually use a replica SAPI plate in the front of any rig I run that can carry it, which the Weesatch can.

COND LINE GEAR SECOND LINE GEAR SECO PANTAC-USA WSH Chest rig The reason being is that I find it stiffens the front molle platform making it easier to access what I need to. With out them I feel like the rig is just too floppy. Not only does the Weesatch have all of these practical integrated features but it also has more molle to boot! There is a nice section on the chest that I used to mount my admin pouch, and all along the lower section in front of the mag pouches. Where you can place pistol mag pouches, a general purpose pouch, or even more primary mag pouches. The possibilities are almost limitless, which is the beauty of the modular Molle system.

FIELD TESTING The best and worst part of the process of getting a new piece of gear but especially a plate carrier or rig is the adjustment of it. It’s great because I get excited, it’s new, shiny (not literally), and exotic. But I am a big fellow at 6ft tall and 220 pounds so I am a bit worried when it comes time to try on anything from Asia because it would seem that what they think is large is usually like wearing a child size to me. And what I consider large is so completely crazy that I must be a Giant from legend. But not only did it fit, it fit great! The shoulder straps adjusted great, and the sides tightened right now leaving almost not lateral or horizontal movement. I did the step test and it passed with flying colors, all straps stayed adjusted and did not loosed up at all. (The step test is running up and down a flight of steps several times.) Good stuff!

IN CONCLUSION The price for PANTAC gear usually runs a little high at around $100 after shipping depending on retailer, but in my honest opinion it is well worth it. I was never a Weesatch fan because I thought they looked odd but seeing this one in person and having the ability to try it on and actually experience it. I have changed my mind; I am a firm believer in the Weesatch’s ability to not only function as a stand alone rig but to also act as a platform in which to build upon. In the end I have found this product to exceed my personal expectations due to

the sturdy materials they used, the excellent stitching, and the actual functionality of the unit. While I personally would not use this as a permanent replacement for my plate carrier (Eagle plate carrier), I would definitely use it in the field at major events! Many thanks to PANTAC-USA for sending us the WSH Rig for our review!

PANTAC-USA WSH DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

Pantac-USA

159.00 USD

1 - Pantac WSH Chest Rig

M.S.R.P:

Included in Box:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Manufacturing: Value: Field Testing: Average Rating: 4 Gears (out of 5)

UTG UTG FULL FULL METAL METAL MODEL MODEL 44 TACTICAL TACTICAL -UTG -UTG FULL FULL META META

UTG -*(Under The Gun) has been manufacturing airsoft rifles for the past few years so although this model isn’t so “new” we still decided to ask LEAPERS, INC. to send us one for review to assist us in building our review database. So when the SPORT m4 TACTICAL series rifle arrived at my doorstep, I did not know what to expect.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS The first thing that you notice is the MADE IN USA sticker which is a big plus when 99% of all airsoft items are made overseas.When I first opened the box I was surpised not only to see the AEG rifle, but the amout of extras that UTG gives you. In the box came the SPORT m4 Tactical with RIS but rail covers, front grip, 300 round high capacity magazine, 8.4 1800 mah NiMH battery, and charger. Lifting the AEG out of the box you instantly feel the weight of the 7.5 pounds. UTG tells me that they are trying to expand into the airsoft training market, so they are trying to make their airsoft line real weight and real spec. So with all the metal extras , the weight was really close to the real thing.

EXTERNALS We’ll start from front to back as the convertable outer barrel is a full metal as the attachment point is covered by the barrel mounted tri-rail RIS gas block with

front sight. The RIS system is covered by UTG rubber rail covers adding protection for people who do not use any rail accessories. Underneath the covers, the RIS has laser engraved position numbers. One of the great things about the UTG accessories is the ability to transfer them to real steel AR’s so, if you have both platforms, they are easily transferrable making the value of this airsoft rifle much higher. The upper and lower receivers are also metal and seems to be a higher quality of manufacturing in the casting of the recievers. Both receivers are matte black with the lower having laser engraved trademarks which are the UTG Logo, “UTG SPORT MODEL 4, COMBAT TACTICAL, LIVONIA MI” and the serial number. Other markings include the selector switch SAFE, SEMI, AUTO. One thing to note about the receivers is the retaining pins, they are flat head retaining bolts, which are much better than the allen head bolts. Pulling back the charging handle opens the dust cover to reveal the hopup inside.

The pistol grip is a bit oversized, textured with a ribbing at the palm and a thumb groove. The full stock is made of two piece ABS plastic, and the butt plate is metal. Even though the stock is two piece, there is no wobble or creaking when shouldering. The full stock adds extra balance to the rifle making it easy to wield. Lastly the front grip is also made of ABS plastic with the ability to place pressure switches on either side if you should decided to attach a flashlight or laser.

INTERNALS Internally I was surprised to see some really nice features in the black painted gearbox. 6mm metal bushings, metal spring guide, standard torque metal gears, poly piston, poly piston head and a chrome cyllinder. The motor is high torque giving this AEG a great start in field performance. Stock shimming wasn’t horrible, but there was a lot of grease. A one piece metal hopup with an inner barrel that is 6.08mm which rounds out the internals.

AL AL MODEL MODEL 44 TACTICAL TACTICAL -UTG -UTG FULL FULL METAL METAL MODEL MODEL 44 TACT TACT

For accuracy testing I set up the normal range tests at 50 ft, 100ft, and 125ft. Using

FIELD TESTING After cleaning the excess grease out of the gearbox, I put it all back together and proceded with the field testing. I had chronographed the UTG model 4 at an average of 345fps with .20g G&G bbâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, which is a decent fps right out of the box. I had clocked the RPM at 770 and 13 bps with the stock 8.4v battery. The gearbox sounded a bit whiny but I believe with propper shimming it will decrease some of the sound signature. Did I mention that this rifle was heavy? I hightly reccomend a sling when fielding this rifle when patrolling for longer events. Running around with at a skirmish event really made me use my three point sling very heavily.

the same targets of a 4 inch inner circle and 8 inch outer circle I proceded to bench test with 20 shots. AT 50 ft 12 shots hit inside the 4 inch circle and 8 shots hit the 8 inch with a 4 inch grouping. At 100 ft 7 shots hit the 4 inch circle, 10 shots in the 8 inch circle and 3 misses. Grouping at the 100ft target was 5 inches. At 125 ft 5 shots hit the 4 inch circle, 9 shots in the 8 inch circle, and 6 misses. Groupings were at 5.5 inches. Given the larger diameter inner barrel I figure it would help in consistancy by replacing it with a tightbore.

IN CONCLUSION There have been some improvements from UTG over the years and speaking with others who have previously owned a UTG airsoft rifle, alot has gone into the quality of the gearbox. With that being said, UTG gets the surprise AEG

award for manufacturing a solid performer with a lot of out of the box extras. Some may point out the high price for such an unknown manufacturer but they back all their product by a 120 day warantee for any manufacturers defects, which is a bonus over traditional 30 day warantees. Plus Leapers, INC is located here in the U.S.A. Many thanks goes out to LEAPERS, INC. who sent us the FULL METAL MODEL m4 for the review!

Full Metal MODEL 4 DATA SHEET

Manufacturer:

UTG - LEAPERS, INC.

275.00 USD

1 - Full Metal Model 4 1 - 300 RD High Cap Mag 1 - 8.4 1800 mah battery 1 - Front Grip

M.S.R.P:

Included in Box:

GEAR RATING

(From 1 to 5 gears) Externals: Internals: Field Testing: Value: Average Rating: 3.5 Gears (out of 5)

AFTER ACTION REPORT: FILFORCE - OPERATION: WHITE ST WORDS BY: BRYAN GIAMMATTEO

OP:White Star III AK vs M16 • 20 Feb 2010 • New York FILFORCE LOGO BOX CONFIG COLORS: BLACK AND PMS 137

CLIENT: FILFORCE DATE: FEB 2008 DESIGN BY: CALIFORNIUM.COM