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FOREWORD WORD AIRSOFT INTERNATIONAL VOLUME VOLUME910ISSUE ISSUE1 12
CALL IT QUITS?
Hello all and sundry and welcome to none other than Volume 9 of Wow, International! well here it is, 10 Issue of our Airsoft Airsoft Yes,Volume that’s right, we are12into ninth year of International! It true, doesn’t 10 minutes ago grow! Things publication and it’s fromseem tiny acorns mighty oaks sincechanged we were that weover hadthe made into have andjubilant progressed a lot yearsitand we like to Volume our yearinto in something publication, but think Ai as10 anand entity has10th evolved much more than we are now onout thewith verge of moving 11th what we started and we certainlyinto won’tour be stopping any time At this notable juncture andsoon! we are bigger than ever! I’d like to once again thank you readers your overwhelming support, and passion Timefor though, it just seems to go enthusiasm quicker and every step ofDefinitely the way, it asimply couldn’tyou’ll have happened without you! quicker… statement hear So then,from why do people decide to call it quits? I’m30 notattalking coming the lips of a man that turned about magazines of here, butmonth airsoftbut in general. Once in aI’m while you’d the beginning this it’s also true. see posterifup the local skirmish “Quitting Airsoft Sale, All nota sure it’satsomething to dosite with the regular Kit Must Go” and now you see the same a digital medium. On routine of making magazines and inthe impetuous forums andofFacebook. What a person looming deadlines butmakes it seems likejust welose are interest and stop airsofting? Family situations I guess are a valid reason, kids, chomping through months at a real rate of knots, finances and real life can get in the way and make it difficult to play scarily so. that much, but surely just once in a while even if it’s only once a With passing changes year, it’s time good to get out comes in the fresh air andthough, blow outand the cobwebs? recently a lovely bloke who consideration I know has been Health is also going to be a valid but even then we a reader ofthat Ai for some timetoasked “I’ve know of guys simply refuse quit and havebeen actually played outinofa airsoft for that’s a while andinspirational! want to get back CQB wheelchair, pretty into it, what have I missed is my kit still I guess the main reason is thatand people become bored and the usable?”. his name is, revealed he has passion diesMark, but it’sas possible to prevent things from becoming stale a Classic Army B&Talong. MP5 Back AEG when and was in by progressing things I firstworried started playing, my particular, we would ALL moved to biggest worrythat was being able tohave afford to keep my over gun running and moreover, pay forand fixes.his I dreaded out of action for a couple LiPo batteries Tamiyabeing connectors would of and having spend theLet’s money otherwise bemonths redundant and to outdated. beI’dhonest, forspend on BBs and walk-on on labour My solution somebody thatfees hasn’t paidcharges. much attention towas to learn to fix things and it was liberating. Since then if my gun airsoft kit myself for a while, it’struly a fair concern… hasEvery gone down it isn’t a bighas thing, £10 on aaspare otherfixing aspect of life changed lot part and a couple of hours of my time and I’m back in. over the last few years and technology has crept Things always going to get stale youa only go to the same into ourare lives unrelentingly. It’s if not crazy sites week to in, think week out too, so make sure you keepsame things fresh, thought that airsoft might be the visit new places and try new things. Even if you don’t really like and that it might be a case of “adapt or die” what you find at another site, at least you’ll be thankful for what but it’s not really is it? Sure, many things have you have at the “local”. New challenges are essential too; the been tweaked, the general quality and power of very nature of airsoft makes for an awkward translation into airsoft guns is higher, butyou Mark’s acommon competitive pastime so the one person shouldCA really be MP5 is stillis just as valid choice asplaying it has aever challenging yourself. If youaare used to game with 5 high beentry and indeed, a your brand new skills. If caps, cutting downone to 5you mid get capsout and of test shooting boxtry today will beanlargely identical to time one you you and achieve objective, try it next but try not to get gotatout of a box 5 years ago. soon Nowfind try yourself that with a hit all. Push yourself and you’ll uninterested phone of orothers computer! inmobile the trivialities taking hits or complaining about games being you’ll be improving YOUR game.nothing ever Theunfair, coolest thing about this is that Ultimately, whatthere’s keeps things interesting really goesprogression out of dateisand no need to feeland it’s the thatrelics has given Ai its gone longevity. We’ve progressed as likevery ourthing prized of days by are ever out time has gone on and we’ve new challenges of date, which is just asovercome well since I’m feeling aand made new without resting on our Try doing that bit achievements sore about becoming 30 and mylaurels. back hurts! yourself because it’s what makes airsoft such an engaging and absorbing Happy hobby! airsofting people! See onin thethe field! Seeyou you safezone!
BEN WEBB EDITOR
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A fresh face at the wheel, ready to steer Ai on to the next level.
BEN DICKIE ART DIRECTOR
designteam@ai-mag.com
The Rambo of shapes & colours.
JONATHAN WADE JAMES KENTON CONSULTANT STAFF WRITER
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A veteran of upgrading the Canadian Finding and theArmed perfectForces lends AEG ishis hisconsiderable holy grail. knowledge.
JAMES KENTON CONNOR JAMES STAFF WRITER
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Finding and upgrading the perfect With a wealth of knowledge under his AEG is hisa holy grail.addition. belt he’s welcome
FRENCHIE JACK BAXTER STAFF WRITER
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Our Frankiefor Boyle. Hethings knowsapart, what’s Has own a penchant taking what and isn’t scared todon’t speakhave his mind! he’ll break stuff, so you to.
CONNOR JAMES BILL PRYCE THOMAS STAFF WRITER
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With a wealth of his knowledge his Bill joins us with technicalunder experience belt a welcome addition. and ahe’s ‘wild’ passion for ‘Namsoft!
CRAIG ATKIN ILLUSTRATION
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With a pen in one hand and a 1911 in the other, this talented guy has us covered!
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A MIXED GRILL OF MOUTH WATERING CHOICE CUTS IN GEAR ZONE THIS MONTH TEAM WORK IN OUR NEW SECTION ‘SOLDIER SKILLS’ WE FOCUS ON FORMATION 416D RECOIL HOW DOES MARUI’S NEW REPLICA HOLD UP IN OUR FIELD TEST?
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JUNE 2013 VOL-9 ISS-1 £4.25
The publishers of Airsoft International (Ai) magazine do not condone the possession of firearms, airsoft models or replica weaponry for illegal purposes. The hobby sport of airsoft skirmishing is conducted at specialist skirmish sites or clubs throughout the world, in controlled conditions where strict safety policies are implemented. Airsoft International magazine does not publish articles on real firearms or blank firing weapons. Airsoft replicas should not be confused with real firearms, air rifles or BB Guns. In accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Home Office in the UK (overseas readers may be subject to different laws), airsoft replicas are not to be used or brandished by any individual in a threatening manner in public or in any way to cause a person to fear personal injury. Airsoft replicas are recommended for use at professionally run skirmish sites. Individuals ignoring this advice will be breaking the law and can expect severe penalties imposed upon them from their local constabularies.
V O L U M E
Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of articles in this magazine, but the publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors contained in material from independent sources or authors. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustration in any form without permission from the publisher/editor is strictly prohibited. We welcome articles, photographs or artwork. Airsoft International cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to unsolicited material. Please enclose a SAE if you wish your material to be returned. Competitions will be judged on the dates specified. No correspondence will be entered into and the judge’s decision is final. In the event of the published prize not being available due to circumstances beyond the control of the magazine, a suitable alternative of similar value will be provided.
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T PAGES nphoenix CHECK OU om/games/falle g.c HOW TO www.ai-ma TEST INFO AND LA OKED E BO TH R AM FO TE AND YOUR THOUGH AS GET YOU QUICKLY E IN! MOVE SIDES AR TH BO PLACES ON ATCHED UP BEING SN ! VERY FAST
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CONTENTS INCOMING!
10/12 GALLERY
A great spread of action shots from around the world - Send us your best shots to editorial@ai-mag.com and get in the spotlight!
15 FRIENDLY FIRE
AIRSOFT INTERNATIONAL
VOLUME 10 ISSUE 12
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ALL NEW!
The place your custom shooter could win you £500 to spend at Fire Support.
16-19 AI500 AFTER ACTION REPORT More war than peace!
20-21 LASER LINE
Viper’s new laser-cut line-up... a cut above the rest!
24-25 READY ROOM
Another new team under the spotlight this month.
28-29 LOCAL LOAD OUTS
Your kit, your rules on these pages. Get involved us and tell us how you play.
32-35 CREEP SHOW
Find out what Joule Creep is and how it might affect you.
SIT-REP
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38-39 FIRING POINT
Frenchie sticks his head above the parapet with this month’s rant.
FEATURED
42-50 RIG ROUND-UP!
7 essential plate carriers and chest rigs you need to see.
WAR AC
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54-60 GEAR ZONE
An extended special with heaps to tactical gear and parts on show.
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ARMOURY
63 STAFF SHOOTERS
WE Sig 226 comes out of hibernation after a cold winter.
66-69 SPECTER M4
It might be called an M4 but not as we know it!
72-77 STARK ARMS S19 PRO TACTICAL A Glock 19 replica with a host of features to get excited about.
80-85 ICS ICAR
A classic AEG assault rifle that’s a little different from the norm.
GEAR LOCKER
88-91 TRIED & TESTED
Top gear given a working out by the Ai team. We try before you buy!
SKILLS
94-95 PROJECT: REVIVAL A reader project from start to finish!
97-99 THE WORKSHOP
Jay gets a new project underway, Project: Charlie!
100-107 SPRING CLEANING!
3 top spring cleaning techniques to get your gun running smooth for summer!
INDUSTRY INSIDER 109 FRENCH LETTER
Another deep thought from our man Frenchie to round out another issue.
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AI READERS GALLERY YOUR SHOTS IN PRINT! - YOUR SHOTS IN PRINT! - YOUR SHOTS IN PRINT!
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IT ’S BACK! WIN £50 0
OUR MOST POPULAR COMPETITION, FRIENDLY FIRE IS LAUNCHING AGAIN! YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £500 TO SPEND AT FIRE SUPPORT IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE COME UP WITH THIS TIME ROUND.
WHAT’S THIS ALL ABOUT THEN?
We’re always showing you guns, AEGs, GBBRs and pistols, but we asked what you wanted and you told us. You wanted a chance to show off your personal armoury and we heard you loud and clear, here you have it, Friendly Fire, your chance to show off your arsenal. Not only do you get to see your shooter in print, but you’ll also get shortlisted to win a fantastic prize, £500 to spend at Fire Support! Simply send us your pictures following the guidelines below, and we’ll showcase them for the world to see.
ASSAULT RIFLE
This category is for the M4s, the AKs and the G36s and everything else of a similar shape and size. We want to see custom though. Not just bolt-ons, this is about reworking that gun and making it turn some heads.
SUB-MACHINE GUN
Have you made a wild MP5 variant or gone to town on a gas blaster to make it something special? This is the place for you! Anything that fits between a pistol and a rifle should go in here!
SNIPER RIFLE/DMR
Made a long gun? Scopes? Silencers? Bipods? Sounds about right for this category. If you have a penchant for precision and have built a monster, enter it here!
SUPPORT GUNS
Sometimes you need to break out the big guns! If you prefer box mags and blasting a wall of BBs, make sure you enter your custom gun in this section!
PISTOLS
They might be small, they might be easily hidden but that’s no reason you can’t make them something to show off when the time is right. If you love handguns, show off your creation in this category!
SHOTGUNS AND LAUNCHERS
Finally, shotguns and launchers is the category to show off anything with a big bore! 40mm or 12g replicas and anything in between, wheel out your cannons here!
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Obviously, we all know what an M4 looks like, so anything custom, crazy or plain adventurous will stand a better chance of making it, so show us what you got!
THE CATEGORIES
This time around Friendly Fire will be made up of several categories and you’ll have to select the one that fits your gun most. Each month we’ll pick a shortlist from each of those categories and after 6 months, those shortlisted entries will be sent forward to a public vote. This vote will then decide the overall winner of Friendly Fire!
JUDGING
Because the last round goes down to a public vote, the final decision is in the reader’s hands. To make it easier to decide, the Ai team will hand pick the shortlist. Performance is not a factor but each gun must be a functioning airsoft gun that fires either 6mm or 8mm BBs via any method of propulsion. We’ll be looking for painstaking effort, attention to detail and uniqueness. We’ve all seen scopes clamped to RIS rails before so do yourself a favour and go one step further. It’s all about turning heads, catching eyes and making people’s jaws drop.
HOW TO ENTER
Entering your gun is simple. Email your entry through to friendlyfire@ai-mag.com. To ensure your entry is valid, include at least one HIGH QUALITY image of the entire gun and perhaps a few close-ups if necessary. Include your full name and a valid contact phone number and email address along with approximately 200 words on what your creation is, how it started life and how long it took you to build. The more details you can include, the better, because the story behind a gun is often as important as the end result!
IT’S THAT SIMPLE!
Entries will close on the 13th June 2015 but may be accepted at any time prior to them. Shortlisted entries will be published in the soonest available copy of Airsoft International and all entrants will be notified of the start of the public vote, allowing you to garner as much attention for your gun as possible!
F R I E N D LY F I R E @ A I - M A G . C O M
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F R I E N D LY F I R E @ A I - M A G . C O M
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WAR AND PEACE: ANZIO 2015
MARCH 2015 SAW US RETURN TO ANZIO CAMP FOR THE THIRD AND FINAL INSTALMENT OF THE AI500 “NORSEMAN” TRILOGY. THE PREVIOUS GAMES HAD GONE ONE TO THE TAN GOVERNMENT FORCES AND ONE TO THE GREEN NORSE FORCES. WE MET FOR THE DECIDER. PHOTOS BY BENNO AND AMANDA
To complicate matters a third team had been introduced, comprising elements from both the main teams, a team whose role was to try and achieve a peaceful outcome between the two aggressors. This peace team was only 12 strong – their prospects at the start of the weekend were not good, not helped by the very late retiring of “King” Sean Waller and his replacement by Jomarre Andrew Tomlinson of the Manx Airsoft Club. Matters were further unbalanced by the near 2:1 advantage in numbers enjoyed by the Green team. For some reason we simply hadn’t attracted nearly as many tan players as we would have liked. As game day approached I was increasingly concerned that we would have to intervene and move players to even the numbers. No – Andy Sawyers, the Tan commander and the rest of his team would have none of it. They would face the might of the tans with what they had. Admiring their spirit, we made a couple of small changes to the rules to assist with the disparity and stood back to see what happened. The stage was set, our players were in place and we were set for the final and deciding meeting of these foes. Game On! Saturday dawned bright and got brighter. Given the fact that this was early March we could not have been luckier with the weather. Briefings done, the teams departed for their start points and shortly after 10:00 we unleashed them. There had been a far amount of what can politely be called baiting by each team prior to the event
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but if Scott Connal’s Green team thought they were going to get it all their own way they were sadly disillusioned. Andy’s Tans exploded onto the site, running fast and light and taking the fight to the enemy at every opportunity. Only when faced with objectives which depended on available numbers were faced did the Tans lack of manpower show and even here there was no lack of work rate or commitment. Both teams were tightly directed, Scott with greater numbers to control had the harder task here and those of us marshalling and observing did notice a number of Green players who seemed to be determined to go their own way. While this may have been frustrating for Scott, it effectively brought the numbers a little closer to parity, although the Greens never lost their superiority. The main battle ebbed and flowed across the site, but what of the peace Team? Largely unseen the Peace Team was quietly causing havoc for both sides and amassing a serious points total in the process. Having been tasked with capturing various high value targets during the day, the Peace team first captured the Green team’s Commissar, subsequent photographs of the event showed him to be rather downcast by this turn of events. To add to their total, the peace Team later captured Andy Sawyers, an event that would prove to have greater significance than any of us realised at the time. At our insistence the players broke for lunch – tired airsofters are not happy airsofters – and battle commenced 45 minutes later. Once
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again, from the restart until EndEx at 17:00 no quarter was sought or given. There is one building at Anzio, D5, which seems to have a special attraction for Ai players. One of Andy’s various fire-teams The Autobots, holed up inside the building and for the better part of two and a half hours denied all attempts by the Green team to take the place. Given that there were only 8 of them, this achievement should not be underrated. Unknown to us (and in fairness to them) some of the Autobots were to play a pivotal role the following day. After the lunch break we introduced a timed bomb to the Green team. Set to detonate after 30 minutes they were told to take it and place it in a designated building. So far, so simple. Unfortunately for the Green team, the Tans weren’t terribly keen to give up the target building and
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repulsed the Green assault three times. Regrouping the Greens took a long route round the site to bring them within striking distance of their target. At this point their Commissar suggested that it might be an idea to check how long was left on the bomb. Opening the cover they discovered that they had 4 seconds until detonation. Cue one building cleared in approximately 3 seconds! The day had been hard fought and the weather exceptional and it was obvious that by 17:00 many of the players were beginning to flag. There was nothing to gain from prolonging play and we called EndEx a little early. We had had an exemplary day of play with maximum effort across the board from all teams. After drawing the raffle which saw many players depart with excellent prizes inducing one lucky chap
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AI500 AFTER ACTION REPORT WAR AND PEACE: ANZIO who won the RWA Nighthawk GRP full-steel pistol recently reviewed in Airsoft International everyone drifted off for a well-earned rest and much needed food. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, plots and alliances were afoot... Sunday dawned grey and wet. A fine thin rain covered the site and this was to continue and to worsen throughout the day. Fair enough, Anzio in March without some bad weather wouldn’t be Anzio! In the weeks before the game, some of the Green team had accused the Tans of being less than fond of wet weather, I hope they got their comeuppance. Far from being put off by the inclement weather the Tan team appeared to have grafted Gremlin genes into their players, who hit the new day like a tornado. Andy’s boys went
straight into a holding pattern, seizing one of their objectives and holding it. This left Scotty’s Norsemen battering fruitlessly against the Peace Team’s start point in an attempt to take it from them. What was needed was sheer force of numbers but with fierce fighting elsewhere those numbers never materialised. What did materialise however as soon as the Tans had held their first objective for the pre-set time was the fact that Andy and Jomarre had clearly agreed an Non-Aggression pact, with Tans and Peace Team at the very least leaving each other alone. What actually happened, as far as those of us watching the game could see, was that very quickly the two teams started acting in concert, bringing their combined power against the Norsemen.
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The Norsemen still held a large advantage in numbers but you cannot always use numbers as you might wish, especially in enclosed surroundings. This change of circumstance wasn’t decisive, but it increased Scott’s problems no end. As the weather deteriorated the game play just carried on – the fire fights around D5 and the Bunker were, once again, full-on and almost non-stop. At approximately 12:00 the marshals and management team got the call none of us wanted – Man Down. Within minutes we had trained first aiders on scene and suspended play. They were joined quickly by two paramedics who are regulars at the Ai games, and thereafter by a Doctor who was playing on the top floor of the building where the incident happened. What did the Boy Scouts teach you? Be prepared. We were advised that an ambulance would be required as we had a back injury and local paramedics arrived very quickly, shortly followed by an ambulance. By this point we had discontinued play and sent the players off for an early lunch. With the casualty safely off-site we were able to assess the prospect for continuing play. They weren’t good as the rain hadn’t abated and now represented a serious slip hazard. After taking soundings
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ZIO CAMP 2015 - WAR AND PEACE: ANZIO CAMP 2015
from all teams and from the management and marshal teams we decided that we should end the game. While this was not how any of us wanted to finish this weekend, it was the correct decision. Our casualty had slipped and fallen trying to avoid a grenade. Fortunately his injuries were all soft tissue with no bone damage. This news was welcomed by all. All the players we managed to speak to were happy with our decision and understood why we had taken it, and we called everyone together to announce the final points. In truth had we played through until Monday it probably wouldn’t have changed the outcome – the Peace Team were even further ahead and were declared victors. They fully earned their victory having achieved every objective thrown at them. Thus the Norse
Saga ended in peace, a perfectly acceptable outcome. Despite the unfortunate nature of the end on Sunday, the weekend itself had been almost without problems. Yes, there were occasional moments of player silliness but these were dealt with quickly by the marshals, led and organised by Rich Mitchell. The teams and players gave their all – bought into the story and carried it to its conclusion. Andrew, Scott, Jomarre and Jason all rose to their responsibilities and fulfilled the leadership role magnificently. In fact, the only problem the game left us with was – how are we going to top that in September?! Watch this space...
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EW ! ALL N
VIPER EVOLVED: L ASER-CUT KIT UNDER OUR SPOTLIGHT
EACH MOTH WE’VE BEEN TAKING YOU ON A JOURNEY THROUGH THE NEXT STAGE OF THE EVOLUTION OF VIPER TACTICAL, A BRAND WE ALL KNOW. FORGING ONWARDS IN A NEW DIRECTION OF AFFORDABLE YET HIGH PERFORMANCE, VIPER TACTICAL HAVE INTRODUCED THEIR LASER CUT MOLLE SYSTEM TO CREATE SLICKER, LIGHTER AND STRONGER THAT FORM THE BASIS OF A FIGHTING LOAD-BEARING SYSTEM. FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT THE VIPER OF OLD, THIS IS VIPER TACTICAL: EVOLVED!
THE L ASER LINE
The new Viper Laser Cut Molle System is a lightweight and innovative platform that allows the user to customise and alter to their operational needs. Using the most advanced manufacturing techniques, the Laser Cut System is based on our strongest 600D Cordura that is cut out on the latest laser flatbed machines. It is then reinforced with tough, yet lightweight, webbing sewn onto the reverse side, adding strength and durability, making for a compact, lightweight and hard-wearing platform. Taking any Laser Cut System product as a platform, a totally unique operational tailored setup can easily be achieved by simply adding or reducing compatible pouches and equipment. The Viper Laser Cut System is compatible with other MOLLE/Modular systems and the design is registered to Viper Tactical in the UK. Viper tactical have secured exclusive licensing for the UK granted patent on this type of system. This innovative and new modular load carriage concept was originated back in 2010 by military equipment designer SOLO International, based in Hereford, with a view to supplying this new system to the UK Military, Special Forces and other Military users worldwide. The patent was granted late in 2014 and covers the concept of modular equipment being woven “inside” the base material.
020
L ASER CARRIER
The Lightweight Laser Carrier is designed with a minimal size to optimise mobility and reduce load weight for operator as per most modern armour solutions. This allows for both overt and covert types of usage and also make the carrier suitable for use in all weather conditions.
✹ Laser MOLLE Webbing Panels ✹ Velcro ID Panels ✹ Quick Release Buckles ✹ Adjustable Padded Shoulder Straps ✹ Padded Ventex Internals ✹ Front & Rear Armour Compartments ✹ Velcro outlet retainer ✹ Material: 600D Cordura ✹ Size: One Size fits most ✹ Colours: VCAM, Coyote, Green and Black
£45.00
L ASER DAYPACK
The Laser Daypack is a compact cargo pack suitable for use as a standalone daysack for light loads or can be attached to an armour carrier or chest rig as an enhanced cargo/hydration solution. Compression straps keep the pack steady and it is ideal for personal sustainment over single day durations.
£32.95
✹ Hydration/comms outlets ✹ Multiple compression straps ✹ Internal mesh pocket to accommodate hydration bladder ✹ Shoulder straps with QR buckles ✹ Laser MOLLE webbing attachments on exterior ✹ Compatible with Plate Carrier ✹ 1x Large Velcro ID panels ✹ 2x V-Lock ✹ 1x D-Lock ✹ Capacity: 13.5 litres ✹ Material: 600D Cordura ✹ Dimensions: 19x20x43cm ✹ Available colours: VCAM, Coyote, Green and Black
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VIPER EVOLVED: NEW L ASER-CUT KIT UNDER OUR SPOTLIGHT
L ASER DROP LEG PL ATFORM
L ASER GARRISON PACK
The Laser Dropleg platform can be used on either leg and customised as to the user’s preference. As a fully modular panel, pouches can be added to accommodate mags, torches and knives etc. to create and accessible and flexible load bearing system.
£18.95
For larger loads and bulky kit the Garrison Pack is ideal; Moving into locations or hauling kit between sites is its forte. If you need sleeping kit, changes of clothing or other accessible gear stored in one place, the Garrison Pack has you squared away.
✹ Laser MOLLE front panel ✹ Left or right fitting ✹ Elasticated webbing straps ✹ Quick release buckle fastening ✹ Material: 600D Cordura ✹ Size: 22 x 25 x 1cm ✹ VCAM, Coyote, Green & Black
✹ Laser MOLLE Panels on front/sides ✹ Fully mesh vented back ✹ Internal Nylon hood closure ✹ 2x Main compression straps ✹ Elasticated rim on lid £27.50 ✹ Padded shoulder straps ✹ Sternum strap with QR buckle ✹ Capacity: 35 litres ✹ Material: 600D Cordura ✹ Dimensions: 44 x 31 x 26cm ✹ Available colours: VCAM, Coyote, Green and Black
L ASER PL ATFORM
L ASER RECON PACK
The Laser Platform from Viper Tactical is a full-coverage armour carrier offering extensive load carrying capacity and customization options. This carrier offers removable side panels and fully adjustable shoulder straps, which are all made with 15mm foam lining for comfort.
The Viper Tactical Laser Recon pack is the ideal pack for everyday usage or tactical applications where numerous types of personal equipment and electronics need to be organised and kept safe. It’s as comfortable in the school or office as it is in a dynamic tactical situation.
£75.95
✹ Laser MOLLE Webbing Panels ✹ Velcro ID Panels ✹ Quick Release Buckles ✹ Adjustable Padded Shoulder Straps ✹ Ventex Internals ✹ Front & Rear Armour Compartments ✹ Internal Side Utility Pouches ✹ Removable Side Panels ✹ Rear Cord-Lock Fastener ✹ 2x MOLLE Bungee Retainer ✹ Material: 600D Cordura ✹ Size: One Size fits most ✹ Available colours: VCAM, Coyote, Green and Black
✹ Internal hydration sleeve ✹ Multiple compression straps ✹ Padded Ventex system back panel and shoulder straps
✹ Waist strap ✹ Grab carry handle ✹ Laser MOLLE webbing attachments located on exterior ✹ Velcro ID panel ✹ 2x V-Lock ✹ 1x D-Lock ✹ Capacity: 35 Litre (approx.) ✹ Material: 600D Cordura ✹ Dimensions: 45 x 25 x 33cm ✹ Available colours: VCAM, Coyote, Green and Black
L ASER WAIST BELT
L ASER SPECIAL OPS PACK
This fully modular belt acts as a platform for the user to build and customize with MOLLE pouches to create an extended fighting platform or to use as a light patrol solution supporting a sidearm or secondary weapon system. Made using the padded Ventex system to enhance comfort for user.
The Viper Special Ops Pack is an ideal high-capacity assault pack or perfect for longer periods of personal sustainment where more equipment is required over a standard cargo pack, such as extended patrols of recce taskings. The pack combines fast access to vital equipment with a large capacity in multiple sections.
✹ 3x zipped compartments ✹ Hydration system pocket, with
£45.00
£59.95
concealed hole at the top of feeder
✹ Laser MOLLE front & side compatible with the Viper Modular System ✹ Multiple compression straps ✹ Quick-release belt strap ✹ Velcro ID panel ✹ 2x V-Lock ✹ 1x D-Lock ✹ Capacity: 45 Litres (approx.) ✹ Material: 600D Cordura ✹ Dimensions: 51 x 40 x 24cm ✹ Available colours: VCAM, Coyote, Green and Black
✹ Full laser MOLLE exterior ✹ Padded Ventex system ✹ Interior webbing bel included ✹ 4x D-Ring attachment points ✹ Material: 600D Cordura ✹ Size: Fits up to 52’’ waist ✹ Available colours: VCAM, Coyote, Green and Black
£22.50
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TEAM SCENE GOLIATH TASK FORCE FROM THE UK - GOLIATH TA
GOLIATH TASK FORCE FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM
WORLD. WHETHER YOU’RE EACH MONTH IN AI WE’LL BE FEATURING TEAMS FROM ALL AROUND THE A LOOSE BAND OF FRIENDS IN A BAND OF MODERN WARFIGHTERS OR RETRO ‘NAM GRUNTS OR EVEN THE SECTION TO LET THE THAT GET TOGETHER TO COMPETE ON A SKIRMISH FIELD, THEN THIS IS WORLD KNOW WHAT YOUR ALL ABOUT.
KEY MEMBERS:
GT-02 - RHYS HARRISON (Founder of the team) GT-03 - RHYS BRYNE (2nd in command) Known to the team as “Weasel Sloth” due to his slow and sneaky lone recon missons. GT-04 - SCOTT HARVEY (Point man/Overwatch) Always first to ready up to any decision made and always observing from a far and above!
FUTURE GAMES:
FAVOURITE SITES:
FURTHER LINKS:
in one place.
Here you will find news on our games, kits, and links to our recent videos to keep you all entertained.
UCAP: SANDPIT. Amazingly wide open scale area and seriously dark intense CQB inside the kill houses, straight out of a movie scene style surroundings, gives us the best of everything
GT-05 - GUY WILSON (Support/Supression) He may be deaf but does not struggle to stand high-risk areas of fire to suppress any oncoming forces.
LONGMORE: FCS. We love the urban/FIBUA style of the MOD training site, giving us tons of houses, stairwells windows and even a bit of woodland to play in, with the amount of houses to breach and clear, gives us a lot of angles to cover.
GT-08 - MATT WELLER (Support/Force Multiplier) The newbie of the group that doesn’t have a problem with any last minute task.
RYPE VILLAGE: One of the biggest MOD sites we have played at to date, gives us 3 main sections of scenery, changing up the types of houses and layout of the roads in a turn of a corner.
TEAM KIT:
We have 2 styles of kit we like to run which is environment dependent. First up is our heavily used Devgru/AOR1 kit. We use this for the more urban/FIBUA sites, due to its low profile setting giving us an advantage within doorways, corridors and stairwells. Second is our MARSOC/M81 US Woodland/ Multicam kit, which tends to be our bigger load carrying kit, allowing us to carry a lot more ammo and essential things we will need in bigger scaled, woodland based, recon objectives.
TEAM BACKGROUND:
We have recently been founded under the Goliath Task Force name, but there is no lack of experience within the team. Previously formed from a team which is now decommissioned due to team complications/refurbishment of the team image. Most of the team have around 4-5 years of playing experience each, we have always been a team from when we all
024
first started out. None of us really knew each other until we played airsoft together, now we have all become really good friends outside of airsoft. That doesnt stop us always talking and sorting out our gear during our down time between games.
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For our future games we will be looking into a lot of team training inside of dedicated buildings to keep our teams maneuvers and communications between us like clockwork, “Train Hard, Fight Easy” Facebook Page: Facebook.com/GoliathTaskForce
YouTube Channel: YouTube.com/GoliathTaskForce Here you will find the channel where all our videos will be, either gameplay videos, Reviews and Player Profile/Loadout Videos to come.
ASK FORCE FROM THE UK - GOLIATH TASK FORCE FROM THE UK
PUT SOME EFFORT INTO A LOAD OUT, OR D TEAM JUST DOMINAT O YOU GUYS WHERE EVER YO E THE FIELD IT UNDER WRAPU GO? DON’T KEEP WITH EDITORIA S, GET IN TOUCH L@ AND GET YOU AN AI-MAG.COM D IN PRINT IN TH YOUR TEAM E AI READY ROOM!
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TEAM SCENE! IF YOU HAVE A TEAM THAT’S BEEN KICKING ASS AND TAKING NAMES, YOU DESERVE SOME AIRTIME! WHETHER YOU ARE A LOOSE GROUP OF LIKEMINDED GUYS THAT GET TOGETHER ONCE A MONTH FOR A GOOD OLD SHOOT-UP OR IF YOU ARE A TIGHT-KNIT, WELL DRILLED SQUAD OF ULTIMATE BADASSES THAT SPENDS THEIR TIME TRAINING METICULOUSLY, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
It’s simple to get involved and become a part of Ai whether you want to get yours faces known, are recruiting for new members or simply want a memento to treasure. Step 1 is to fill out our short survey and tell us a few details about what you do, where you do it and how longs it’s been happening. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been together forever or have formed up recently, you are still valid!
■ TEAM NAME
■ FURTHER LINKS
What name you guys go by…
If you have websites, Facebook pages or social networks we can follow, hit us up with the links here! As many as you like, don’t be shy!
■ THE KEY MEMBERS Who’s who in your team organisation. What members are there, where do they come from and what roles do they play? Are some members of your team natural assaulters? Do you have snipers or marksmen or are you a full-on posse of total loonies? Also, what happens off the field? Who does the tech work? Who’s the guy that always has a spare battery and who keeps the rest organised. Go into a little detail here.
■ TEAM KIT Are you a team that uses a matching load out? If so, what gear do you know, trust and use? Do you do impressions of real world units or are you all simply in it for yourselves taking what you need, when you need it. If you use more than one style of kit, that’s great! Tell us all about it because we want to know!
■ TEAM BACKGROUND
■ PICTURES We all want to see you in action so please accompany your entry with as many good quality images as you can, ok, no need for hundreds but between 10 and 12 works. The bigger, brighter and bolder the better. Also, if you have a team logo, share it with us because it’ll look great in print!
We want to know what angle you are coming from. It doesn’t matter if you are a gang of ex-military guys looking for a blow-out at the weekends or if you are a group of computer-gamers that likes to get out and get some fresh air, it’s all cool! Tell us where you come from and what bought you together.
■ FAVOURITE SITES Give the places you love a shout-out here. Where’s the best place you’ve visited? Do you like to travel or are you happy at your local site making the most of the games there?
■ FUTURE GAMES What are your upcoming plans and ambitions? Do you have places to go and people to battle? Do you dream of going overseas to play? Tell us what is next on your team’s agenda.
■ SENDING IT TO US! It’s dead simple to send your package over to us, simply bung an email together and point it towards Editorial@Ai-mag.com - Couldn’t be easier… Once we receive it, we’ll be in touch to let you know what is going on!
IT’S REALLY AS EASY AS THAT! SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET CREATIVE AND SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD!
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N - GE T IN V OLV ED A ND GE T SEEN - GE T IN V OLV ED A ND GE T SEE N - GE T IN V OLV E D
SEND YOUR LOAD OUTS TO: EDITORIAL@AI-MAG.COM
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ROL L C A L L ! GE T IN V OLV ED A ND GE T SEEN
AI NEEDS YOU! YOU’VE SEEN OUR “LOCAL LOADOUT” PAGES BEFORE, IT’S YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE A WHOLE SPREAD DEVOTED TO YOU, YOUR KIT AND YOUR AIRSOFT, AND TO TAKE PART, WE ONLY NEED A COUPLE OF THINGS… A FULL-LENGTH PICTURE OF YOU, BOTH FRONT AND BACK, AND A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE KIT YOU USE.
■ THE PITURES We’re not expecting masterpieces when it comes to images, unless of course you are a consummate camera man, all we need is a clear, full length shot (with your feet and head in frame) of you, from the front and the back, just like the example pictured here. Don’t worry about any fancy photoshopping, our trained monkey does that! He will take time to ‘cut’ you out of your background, like the example pictured here. Your image size needs to be as large as possible, so use a dedicated camera if possible. DSLR or Compact camera or mobile, it doesn’t really matter as long as you send us the FULL SIZE image, which may be around 5mb in size. Don’t worry, our email inbox can take the strain. Please don’t send screen grabs from your phone or tiny images because we just can’t use them based on the way digital images are printed.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO USE A PROFES SIONAL CAMERA TO TAKE USABLE IM AGES, ALL YOU NEED IS SOME DE CENT LIGHT (HEA D OUTSIDE DURING THE DAY FOR BEST RESULT CLEAN BACKGROU S) AND A ND. TRY TO STAN D ON A FIRM, FL AT SURFACE, IDEALL Y CONCRETE OR SL ABS NOT GRAS OR SHRUBBERY S AND STAND SQUA RE ON TO THE CAMERA WITH TH E CAMERA LENS AT CHEST HEIGHT MAKE SURE YOU . DON’T CROP YOUR HEAD, FEET OR ARMS OUT OF THE FRAME AND WATCH OUT FOR BLUR AS THAT WILL REALLY RUIN THE PART Y!
■ THE WORDS We don’t need a huge essay from you when it comes to words, it’s just a matter of filling in the blanks really, either copy the text from the bottom of the page, or download the document here - http://wp.me/p4Uh1B-7U
■ SENDING IN
HELMET/HEADWEAR:
When you have gathered your text and images, the next bit is simple, just attach it to an email and wing it over to us at: editorial@ai-mag.com - Easy!
Make/Model/Price/Why you use it…
✓ Your name ✓ Your age ✓ Where you’re from ✓ Your airsoft Team ✓ Your home Site ✓ About Me The ‘about me’ section should be around 150 words about how you got into airsoft, where you play, your favourite game and who you play with.
UNIFORM/CAMO TOP: Make/Model/Price/Why you use it…
EYE PRO: Make/Model/Price/Why you use it…
PLATE CARRIER/CHEST RIG: Make/Model/Price/Why you use it…
BELT RIG/HOLSTER: Make/Model/Price/Why you use it…
BOOTS: Make/Model/Price/Why you use it…
ANY EXTRA ACCESSORIES: Gloves, pads, comms equipment, backpacks, hydration etc… Make/ Model/Price/Why you use it…
UNIFORM/CAMO BOTTOM:
WEAPON:
Make/Model/Price/Why you use it…
Make/Model/Price/Why you use it…
IT’S REALLY AS EASY AS THAT! SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET CREATIVE AND SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD!
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NE W! AL L
A L L TA L K W E DI S C U S S : “J OUL E C R E E P ” A ND HO W I T O C C U
THE HORROR OF JOULE CREEP A PHRASE HAS BEEN FLOATING AROUND THE MURKY DEPTHS OF THE INTERNET, STRIKING FEAR INTO THE HEARTS OF ALL THOSE THAT HEAR IT UTTERED. THAT PHRASE IS “JOULE CREEP”. I KNOW, IT SOUNDS TERRIFYING, RIGHT? AS EVER. THIS MONTH’S TASK IS TO FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT JOULE CREEP IS, IF IT IS A BAD THING, HOW IT OCCURS AND HOW BEST TO AVOID IT. ALL ABOARD THE GHOST TRAIN AS WE GO FOR A WHISTLE-STOP TOUR OF THE CREEP SHOW! All creepy puns aside, the best way to start explaining the phenomena of “Joule Creep” is at the very start, so let’s go over the groundwork, if you know all about energy, BB weights and the associated information, please feels free to skip ahead but for the benefit of the uninitiated, we’re going to have a to spend a little time discussing it here.
JOULES
Joules, as well as being an equestrian and countryside fashion label for women’s clothing which will dominate the Google search results if you punch in the word, are a measure of energy. The more energy something has, the higher the number of joules it will rack up. This is all possible thanks to a dude called “James Prescott Joules” who squared away the standardised unit of measurement back in the black and white days.
Joules are relevant to airsoft because we need to measure the energy that our guns fire at. You might never have encountered the concept of joules before and that’s because we usually measure in “FPS” or “Feet Per Second”… Don’t worry if you are now sitting there with a bit of dribble coming out the corner of your mouth exclaiming “whuuuuuuut?”, all will become clear in a moment.
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O C C UR S - W E DI S C U S S : “J OUL E C R E E P ” A ND HO W I T O C C UR S WE COMMONLY USE FPS OR EVEN MPS “METERS PER SECOND” TO MONITOR THE POWER OF OUR GUNS BECAUSE ON THE RELATIVELY RUDIMENTARY PRE-SKIRMISH CHRONO AREA, THERE ISN’T THE ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY IN ORDER TO CALCULATE HOW MANY JOULES WE USE. IT’S FAR EASIER TO MEASURE THE SPEED OF A BB AND THIS IS RELEVANT IF WE KNOW THE WEIGHT OF THE BB. THANKS TO A LITTLE CALCULATION THE WEIGHT AND SPEED CAN BE USED TO CALCULATE THE ENERGY. THAT CALCULATION IS:
KE (IN JOULES) = 0.5 (A HALF) X THE MASS OF THE SOMETHING (IN KG) X THE SPEED SQUARED (IN METERS/SECOND)
OR
KE = 0.5 . M . V^2 FEET/SEC
METERS/SEC
.20 GM
.23 GM
.25 GM
.28 GM
.33 GM
.38 GM
.43 GM
.45 GM
200
60.96
0.37
0.43
0.46
0.52
0.61
0.71
0.8
0.84
225
68.58
0.47
0.54
0.59
0.66
0.78
0.89
1.01
1.06
250
76.2
0.58
0.67
0.73
0.81
0.96
1.1
1.25
1.31
275
83.82
0.7
0.81
0.88
0.98
1.16
1.33
1.51
1.58
300
91.44
0.84
0.96
1.05
1.17
1.38
1.59
1.8
1.88
310
94.49
0.89
1.03
1.12
1.25
1.47
1.7
1.92
2.01
320
97.54
0.95
1.09
1.19
1.33
1.57
1.81
2.05
2.14
330
100.58
1.01
1.16
1.26
1.42
1.67
1.92
2.18
2.28
340
103.63
1.07
1.24
1.34
1.5
1.77
2.04
2.31
2.42
350
106.68
1.14
1.31
1.42
1.59
1.88
2.16
2.45
2.56
355
108.2
1.17
1.35
1.46
1.64
1.93
2.22
2.52
2.63
360
109.73
1.2
1.38
1.51
1.69
1.99
2.29
2.59
2.71
365
111.25
1.24
1.42
1.55
1.73
2.04
2.35
2.66
2.78
370
112.78
1.27
1.46
1.59
1.78
2.1
2.42
2.73
2.86
375
114.3
1.31
1.5
1.63
1.83
2.16
2.48
2.81
2.94
380
115.82
1.34
1.54
1.68
1.88
2.21
2.55
2.88
3.02
385
117.35
1.38
2.58
1.72
1.93
2.27
2.62
2.96
3.1
390
118.87
1.41
1.63
1.77
1.98
2.33
2.68
3.04
3.18
395
120.4
1.45
1.67
1.81
2.03
2.39
2.75
3.12
3.26
400
121.92
1.49
1.71
1.86
2.08
2.45
2.82
3.2
3.34
405
123.44
1.52
1.75
1.9
2.13
2.51
2.9
3.28
3.43
410
124.97
1.56
1.8
1.95
2.19
2.58
2.97
3.36
3.51
415
126.49
1.6
1.84
2
2.24
2.64
3.04
3.44
3.6
420
128.02
1.64
1.88
2.05
2.29
2.7
3.11
3.52
3.69
425
129.54
1.68
1.93
2.1
2.35
2.77
3.19
3.61
3.78
430
131.06
1.72
1.98
2.15
2.4
2.83
3.26
3.69
3.86
435
132.59
1.76
2.01
2.2
2.46
2.9
3.34
3.78
3.96
440
134.11
1.8
2.07
2.25
2.52
2.97
3.42
3.87
4.05
445
135.64
1.84
2.12
2.3
2.58
3.04
3.5
3.96
4.14
450
137.16
1.88
2.16
2.35
2.63
3.1
3.57
4.04
4.23
460
140.21
1.97
2.26
2.46
2.75
3.24
3.74
4.23
4.42
470
143.26
2.05
2.36
2.57
2.87
3.39
3.9
4.41
4.62
480
146.3
2.14
2.46
2.68
3
3.53
4.07
4.6
4.82
490
149.35
2.23
2.57
2.79
3.12
3.68
4.24
4.8
5.02
500
152.4
2.32
2.67
2.9
3.25
3.83
4.41
4.99
5.23
WE JUST TURNED UP TO SHOOT PEOPLE, NOT A LESSON IN MATHEMATICS. SINCE MOST PEOPLE FEEL THIS WAY WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING GEARED UP READY FOR A SKIRMISH EARLY ON A SATURDAY OR SUNDAY MORNING, MANY KIND SOULS HAVE SPARED OUR GRUMPY LITTLE HEADS AND COME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING “CONVERSION CHARTS”… AS YOU CAN SEE, THE CHART USES THE SPEED OF THE BB DOWN THE LEFT, AND THE WEIGHT OF THE BB ALONG THE TOP. SO WHAT NUMBER OF JOULES SHOULD WE REALLY BE LOOKING FOR? WELL, NOW WE HAVE TO GET INTO THE MURKY DEPTHS W W W.AI-MAG.COM
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A L L TA L K W E DI S C U S S : “J OUL E C R E E P ” A ND HO W I T O C C U
ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THE VELOCITY ALL YOUR WEAPONS FIRE AT AND IF IN YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT, CHECK WHAT THE SITE LIMITS ARE. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK YOUR WEAPONS, NOT TO GET CAUGHT OUT.
LIMITS
Right now, it’s a good time to mention that we really should, as a collective, be a little more commonly acquainted with the concept of Joules. FPS measurements and limits leave a lot open to interpretation, after all, how many times have we all seen noobs asking “So I just put heavier BBs in my gun to get the FPS to come down under the limit, right?” After that statement, I expect the readership of this piece divided into two stark halves, one side recoiling in horror and the other saying to themselves “so, what’s the issue, that sounds sensible?” This is because that statement is TRUE. You CAN just put a heavier BB into your gun to get the FPS down, but remember; we’re not really interested in FPS are we? We’re interested in JOULES. Back in the days of yore, maybe before many of you were even born, it was established that guns with a power level of 1 Joule were good to go. Incidentally, 1 Joule is the limit at which a projectile will irreparably damage the eye if an impact occurs, this was tested using a variety of pig’s eyes, of course removed from the hapless pig prior to experimentation. In the name of airsoft science, let us all hope these porky trotters went on to become tasty, tasty bacon. Without veering off into a bacony tangent, which believe me is tough, 1 Joule happens to work out at 328fps at the muzzle on a .20g BB. These numbers starting to sound vaguely familiar?
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Good… They should do! For some time the limit of 328FPS for a gun capable of fully automatic was the norm, in fact up until about 5 years ago it was largely widespread. Some sites allowed the use of higher velocity projectiles provided they were expelled one by one from some sort of single action or semi-automatic gun. With the advent of “Chinese Clones” (nothing to do with Star Wars and more to do with cheaper, more readily available versions of the guns built primarily in Japan for a higher price) the general limits began to creep up. This is because the Chinese manufacturers found putting bigger numbers on the boxes of the guns made them sell more… “Such biggered! Much Power! Many FPS!” and such. This meant more and more guns putting out a higher limit were in circulation and people were tending to have a go at downgrading them themselves. In order to avoid widespread disappointment, and due to the inherent instability in airsoft gun output, most sites then introduced a “variance” buffer. This was generally about 5% and meant that the upper threshold of a gun firing a .20g BB could be about 345FPS, which then after time because about 350FPS. In subsequent time some sites have even allowed users to notch their guns all the way up to 370FPS but what it is easy to forget is that we are dealing with the upper limit including a buffer for any variance. Most sites you encounter with a 350FPS limit
will actually have it down in the smallprint that although “up to 350FPS is allowed” the actual limit is still back at 328FPS, or 1 Joule. So, with that little history level over, and with a little reference to our chart, the limit most sites operate at is 1.14 Joules… That’s 350FPS on a .20g BB. Remember though, this is the upper limit of the buffer zone, there should be no opportunity to creep beyond that.
WEIGHT OF NUMBERS
Complexity arises when player wish to use different weights of BB to skirmish. There are benefits and gains to be made from using a heavier BB. Although it SHOULD (and this bit is critical) fly slower it’s less likely to be buffeted off course. Also, due to it’s greater mass and comparatively less air resistance, you’ll often find it will travel further, so it’s generally agreed that up until sensibility leaves us, the heavier the BB, the better. Of course if the BB is too heavy, the hop will fail to “lift” and the velocity may well be too slow for practicality. It’s been long studied and experimented and most agree that somewhere around the .29g level is optimal for a 1 joule gun. These BBs do cost more than lighter ones and require a well-tuned set-up to make it worthwhile. When we say a heavier BB SHOULD fly slower is where we start to get into the realms of Joule Creep.
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O C C UR S - W E DI S C U S S : “J OUL E C R E E P ” A ND HO W I T O C C UR S IF IN DOUBT, GIVE YOUR GUN A CHRONO TEST WITH THE HOP SET UP FOR THE BBS LOADED IN ALL YOUR MAGAZINES...
JOULE CREEP
Avoiding Joule Creep when you are aware of it is easy. All the information to do so has already been included on these few pages, unfortunately though, there is a level of ignorance towards the principle that causes issues and as ever, this can be abused. The critical point to understand is that the power of an airsoft gun should really be measured and understood in terms of joules and not velocity, or FPS. It’s often the slightly misguided fact that many site operators or those wishing to work out the power of their gun do so using a .20g BB and look for the magic 350FPS limit. If the gun comes in under that, that’s fine but in certain set-ups, Joule Creep can now work its magic. We may well have seen sites that require the players to chrono on a set magazine filled with what they can guarantee are .20g BBs. In some set-ups though, a .20g BB will register at 1.14 Joules or below and a heavier BB will actually carry more energy than this. This is NOT how heavier BBs are intended to gain an advantage and should actually constitute a hot gun. This is because if we look at the reading in joules and not the arbitrary FPS reading we are used to, we get a truer picture.
CAUSES OF CREEP
What is it then that causes Joule Creep? Well, it’s all to do with energy transfer. To simplify it as much as possible, a heavier BB requires more energy to make it move, which allows it to receive more transferred energy in the barrel of a gun. A heavier BB will sit there receiving more transferred energy than a light one, which would have started moving and been blasted out the end of the barrel long ago, well, fractionally before.
To achieve maximum joule creep, you need “over-volume” meaning that the volume of your cylinder will be far greater than the volume of air inside the barrel. Gas powered guns and HPA type guns are particularly suited to this, as the volume of gas used has the potential to be far greater than that of the volume in a fixed cylinder AEG or spring gun, but that’s not to say that the principle cannot be found at work in any platform. Joule Creep manifests itself by simply making the gun fire with more energy than you might expect when using heavier BBs so is something to be terrified of? In short, if you are sensible with your approach to site limits, there’s no reason to be worried, in fact it’s part of the reason why sites originally set a limit and allowed a variance buffer around this. Joule Creep MIGHT start to cause you an issue if you insist on getting right up to upper limit of an FPS threshold using a .20g BB and then using a heavier BB in game bit if you are mindful of the phenomena, it can be factored in.
DON’T GET BURNED
Being aware of Joule Creep is the issue. Nobody wants to be caught out unwittingly using a hot gun but if you know it can happen, it’s quite straightforward to check how your gun responds and it’s just a matter of chrono’ing using the ammo weight you intend to make use of. Only in the most extreme circumstances can Joule Creep present a real hazard to safety, based on BBs travelling with far more energy than they should, but that’s not really the point. There are limits on our games and they should be adhered to, otherwise where should the line be drawn? 5 or 10 FPS here or there starts to become cumulative and before you know it, guns will be 20 or 30FPS over the limit. Simply watch out for Joule Creep when you are tuning your guns and especially when fitting GBBRs and Gas Pistols with longer barrels or heavier BBs and it’s not really anything to be too worried about. Remember, when it comes to site limits, it’s YOUR responsibility as an airsoft player to get your gun checked, not the responsibility of the site operator to catch you out, so now, ignorance is not an excuse!
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TRADEMARK ARMAGEDDON
WRITTEN BY FRENCHIE - ILLUSTRATED BY CRAIG
SO, AFTER MANY FALSE STARTS IT SEEMS TO HAVE FINALLY HAPPENED. (IN THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT) I WAS CHATTING WITH A RETAILER TODAY WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED A VERY NICE LETTER FROM SOME LAWYERS ACTING ON BEHALF OF A MAJOR INDUSTRY DISTRIBUTOR WHO HOLDS THE RIGHTS TO SEVERAL VERY WELL KNOWN BRANDS... IT WAS, I STRESS, A NICE LETTER. The gist of it was this, “Dear Nice person, you are currently offering for sale several products, especially those made by Tokyo Marui whose design and trademarks are not officially licensed by us, the trademark owner. We would be awfully grateful if you would please stop selling these products and would refrain from doing so again in the future. Yours, with lots of love and kisses, Big Lawyers” Ok, it wasn’t quite that nice, but it was I am assured, pretty friendly as these things go. The retailer in question would like to remain on good terms with the company being represented and will therefore comply with this request. Also, failure to do so could have fairly painful consequences, since the law does protect those with legitimate claim to trade marks providing they are willing to spend the money to enforce their rights. This instance only affects a couple of real-steel brands but since the trademark owners license production of airsoft replicas to companies other than Marui, they are understandably keen to protect their investment. I have seen numerous instances of this in the past, quite often they have been ham-fisted attempts with far too much big stick and far too little common sense. I was intrigued that in this case the retailer intended to comply. Marui has always produced primarily for domestic consumption and the Japanese seem to have a different view of trademarks. Getting TM stuff from Japan has always been possible but unlike the Taiwanese manufacturers, or the Chinese (when they’re not dodging their own government) you
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couldn’t ever deal directly with them, you have to go through wholesalers based in Japan. It’s possible, but it’s a hassle and that is one of the reasons that we have seen far less from TM in recent years. If everyone decides that discretion is the better part of valour, we may see less still, and it’s not just Marui – anyone using these particular trademarks without permission can reasonably expect the owner to ask them nicely to stop doing so. We are fortunate that in this case, the manufacturer licensed to produce official replicas is doing a reasonably good job, this isn’t always the case. I still cringe whenever I see a Chinese AK with “Kalashnikov” screen printed on the receiver. What has that to do with any kind of reality. I used to get a bit humpy about this kind of activity, but these days, not so much. Maybe I just don’t care, maybe licensed replicas are getting better or maybe... It might just be that I see things more from a business point of view. If you have spent substantial sums of money acquiring the rights to a brand then it is understandable that you might want to actually make some money from that investment. In the case in point it seems to rest upon the actual use of the the brand. Two pistols, one carrying the makers name and logo and the other, identical in every way but for the name and logo. Brand owner is concerned about the former but not the latter. That’s nothing new because it is much harder to protect the appearance of an item, and if it’s harder it’s much more expensive to do and much more expensive to enforce. Not that I would expect UK airsoft retailers to resort to law to defend their right to sell Marui versions of Brand X. Litigation
is and always has been a rich man’s game and I actually don’t think there is either the will nor the cash to counter a determined assault by a well-paid legal team. It could also be construed as a criminal action as well (although unlikely I suspect) – this from the UK Government website dealing with intellectual property; “Criminal IP offences are also known as “IP crime” or “counterfeiting” and “piracy”. Counterfeiting can be defined as the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of products which falsely carry the trade mark of a genuine brand without permission and for gain or loss to another. “ Ouch! We may play with what are tantamount to toy guns but there is some serious, grown up law surrounding it, and I’m not talking about the VCRA for once. We shouldn’t therefore be surprised if occasionally those with vested interests decide to enforce those interests. As I said, I used to think this was inherently “a bad thing”, now I am somewhat more laissez faire about the whole subject. The issue here is the use of protected trademarks, not the production of an airsoft gun that looks an awful lot like weapon-X as manufactured by the brand holder. Some companies have made a virtue out of never calling their airsoft guns anything – I’m thinking of WE here. As a company that make some very good replicas of well known guns. They give them odd names, their rifles especially. If you look at it, you would recognise it immediately but they have been very careful not to infringe anyone’s copyrights or trademarks. In fairness G&G and ICS are quite good at this as well producing airsoft guns which
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are almost exactly not quite like the original and staying a country mile away from any names that could land them in hot water. This is in part due to the different laws in force in Taiwan but also I suspect because all of these companies want to sell a lot of their goods into the USA, and they are seriously tight about trademarks. As I understand it, airsoft guns can carry trademarks but only if they are officially licensed and sanctioned. If they aren’t, expect to have your good seized if you try to get them into the country. In such circumstances manufacturing a gun that looks a lot like an HK 416 but is also very precisely not a 416 is a huge commercial advantage. Does it really matter to us? I’m going to say no, not really. If you want full trades, seek out the licensed version, if you just want something that looks like your favourite gun, buy something else. I was pleased to see a review of the ICS G33 in last months issue. That’s a classic case in point. We all know it’s meant to be a G36, but for legal reasons it can’t be. Now I am absolutely no fan of ICS but I admit a weakness for that gun, the one that isn’t a G36. For me it handles better than the real thing, the pistol grip and front end fit my hands better and the stock is far better than the original. So by being deliberately different ICS have, in my humble and possibly misguided opinion, actually produced a better airsoft gun than a straightforward copy. None of us are surprised when we hear on the news that some dodgy dealer has been arrested for selling knock-off Gucci handbags, especially if said dealer is claiming that they are real. Why should we feel any differently about airsoft guns. The principles and the law are the same, owners of brands and trademarks are entitled to protect
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themselves, their brands and their investments, something that all established retailers would do if they felt their image threatened by some usurper. We in airsoft do sometimes act as if none of this is actually anything to do with us and some people get really quite irate about it. We shouldn’t. We still have choices, we can go with the not-quite-accurate unlicensed copy or pay extra for the “real thing”. It’s our choice. We have no more right to insist on trademarks on unlicensed goods that I would to insist that my Fiat should be badged as an Aston Martin, and sold as such – but at Fiat prices. That would be ridiculous. I know of at least one manufacturer who makes two almost identical version of their products – one without any trades whatsoever and the other with them. The trademarked version is only for sale in Japan – to sell it anywhere else would invite a bevy of lawyers and a world of hurt no doubt. Why this should be I confess I have been unable to get to the bottom of. Try searching for ‘Japanese trademark law’ and you’ll sympathise. I’ll accept that very occasionally Marui have been creative - “Dezert Eagle” anyone - but generally they just seem to go for it. If I have completely misunderstood what’s happening there I apologise. Whether we will see more of this remains to be seen. Although the UK market is relatively small, all the manufacturers and brand-owners are global companies and there is money to be made from selling goods with their name on them. This isn’t a seismic event and it won’t affect that many players in truth but it is an indication of how airsoft does connect with the real world, even if it does so only occasionally.
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RIG
LOAD BEARING RIG ROUND-UP IN ASSOCIATION WITH TACTICAL
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WELCOME TO OUR BIGGEST EVER LOAD-BEARING ROUND-UP! OVER THE NEXT FEW PAGES WE’LL BE GIVING YOU AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FINEST TACTICAL LOADBEARING KIT AVAILABLE TO THE MODERN SHOOTER, RANGING FROM CHEST RIGS TO PLATE CARRIERS WE ARE CHECKING OUT THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE INDUSTRY TO SHOW OFF THE FINEST KIT AVAILABLE. FROM LOW-PROFILE SLICK SYSTEMS TO COMPLETE RIGS OUTFITTED WITH UNIVERSAL POUCHES YOU CAN FIND THE BASIS FOR YOUR NEXT HIGH-SPEED LOAD OUT HERE!
in weight significantly. It’s not uncommon to see multiple layers of armour in a single vest, either in the form of soft, impact absorbing armour worn under hard plates or alternatively “backers” that cause the hard plate to stand off from the body. Advanced modern ballistic armour plates now weight less than 3lbs per piece in some cases and can withstand multiple hits from small arms fire.
For many a chest rig or plate carrier is the mainstay of your tactical equipment, forming the mainstay of your functional load out. Times have changed though and in recent years load bearing solutions have become sleeker, lighter, stronger and more flexible, both physically and also in their potential for customisation and modularity. New materials have been readily incorporated into the design of these pieces of kit and manufacturing techniques have been honed in order to unlock the future of body armour and personal equipment carriage.
Up until relatively recently, the components of load carriage and body armour were entirely separate, the armour fulfilling its role and a harness system, belt or even over-vest providing the storage space for the equipment required. Recent designs and in the introduction of the modular MOLLE system have resulted in combined load and armour carrying systems. These newer plate carriers and assault vests are now widely used by numerous military forces. As many companies strive to innovate and approach the design challenges of combined armour and fighting loads, it has been found that there is still a healthy requirement for separation of the two and the use of armour is not always needed or wanted. The humble chest rig or harness system still has it’s place and standalone armour systems are still sometimes preferable to the bulk of a full kit. At this point in time, the key to a successful system is one that is universal, capable and rapidly reconfigurable depending on the requirements of the user. This month we have taken a look at some of the more cutting edge systems from commercial companies keen to supply the best in their field to their customers.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF BODY ARMOUR
The prospect of armouring ones self against the weapons of an enemy is almost as old as the idea of having enemies in the first place. When weapons were simple, blades, clubs and spears, the armour’s role was to provide a tough layer to prevent the soft human body from being hurt and even though weaponry has changed, the principle remains largely the same in terms of conventional warfare; form an effective barrier to dissipate the impact energy of blows. With the advent of the use of firearms in conflicts the use of armour was temporarily
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rendered obsolete based on the practical protection it could offer measured against its weight and bulk. For some time the best way to protect a soldier from enemy fire was to teach him to prevent as little of a target towards the enemy as possible. After World War II and onward towards the Vietnam War, the use of “flak jacket” armour because more prevalent. Although this was not great at ballistic protection from direct rifle fire at close ranges, it did offer protection against shrapnel and explosion debris. Its weight and bulk was often found to be more of a hindrance and many eschewed its use. As the century wore on, the use of ballistic steel and Kevlar plates because more widespread and soldiers donned vests featuring small plates that covered the heart from the front and rear. These plates offered some protection but only if the bullet hit them, coverage was not great. Modern body armour features much larger plates, commonly 10x12” but also slightly smaller or larger. The armour is carried in a dedicated vest that allows for optimal positioning and most plates have been reduced
LOAD CARRIAGE AND ARMOUR
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£99.99
BLUE FORCE GE AR R ACK MINUS
Blue Force Gear, hailing from Georgia, USA have long been at the forefront of creating lighter, slicker kit by rethinking the traditional way in that pouches and load bearing kit is made and the materials used to build them. BFG have a conceptual range that uses Hyperlon material to form the structure and platform for pouches to fix onto. In a stroke of genius, instead of adding more webbing as traditional equipment does, BFG lazer-cut material away, they call it “Helium Whisper”. The RackMINUS is all about what’s not there, as opposed to what is. The RackMINUS is constructed from a single sheet of laminate, lazer cut with holes to allow MOLLE straps to be threaded through. These holes are cut intricately with rounded corners to relieve any potential for tearing under load. Strapping is taken care of with a removable H-harness and lumber height band. The shoulders are constructed from the same laminate material as the body of the vest but with a minimally padded cushioned mesh backing. The key here is that the straps are totally flexible and even under load; there is no chaffing or hot spots. 1” cutouts on the straps provide cable and hose routing options but also maintain MOLLE compatibility. Threading pouches onto the RackMINUS is a joy, again thanks to the inherent flexibility of the material and although it seems like you might end up with an ugly bunched up heap of material as you go, once you are finished it all comes good and looks very presentable. To get the most from the RackMINUS, we’d recommend teaming it with as many Helium Whisper backed pouches as possible.
THE RACKMINUS DOESN’T HAVE ANY NATIVE LOAD-BEARING CAPABILITY BUT THANKS TO IT’S LIGHTWEIGHT, LOW PROFILE DESIGN, IT MAKES A FANTASTIC BASIS TO BUILD UP YOUR OWN RIG THAT FITS YOUR REQUIREMENTS PERFECTLY. IT’S SO FLEXIBLE AND MINIMAL, YET STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE THE HARDEST HITS, IT CAN BE USED FOR ANY EVENTUALITY.
OUR BLUE FORCE GEAR RACKMINUS IS FITTED WITH: ■ BLUE FORCE GEAR SHOULDER PADS ■ BLUE FORCE GEAR 10-SPEED HELIUM WHISPER TRIPLE M4 POUCH ■ 3X TACTICAL TAILOR 5.56/.223 SINGLE MAG POUCHES ■ 2X TACTICAL TAILOR E&E POUCHES
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LOAD BEARING RIG ROUND-UP IN ASSOCIATION WITH TACTICAL £244.99
BLUE FORCE GE AR LMAC
The Blue Force Gear LMAC (Lightweight Modular Armour Carrier) which applies the company mantra of lightening the load on warfighters to the plate carrier concept. Made from lightweight but durable 500 Denier Cordura the LMAC is the lightest fully featured armour carrier in its class, with a modular design that accommodates a scalable approach to load carrying. As standard the plate carrier has simple, low profile shoulder straps, close cut plate pockets and a minimalist elastic cummerbund band to secure it in place. Optionally the wearer can choose to fit 6X6 side panels on the cummerbund to increase hard armour protection or simply provide more MOLLE space. If hard armour is not required, 10-Speed Side Closures are available separately that increase the capacity of the vest but incorporating pouches similar to the rest of the Ten-Speed line in a wider elasticated cummerbund. If an even lower profile is required, simple Low Profile Closures are also available, consisting of simple 1” webbing straps that join both front and rear plates on either side. Speaking of lower profiles, the LMAC also features a completely removable MOLLE front panel that peels off to reveal a vast Velcro field that is compatible with the rest of BFG’s “Dapper” range of elasticated retention pouches. Even with it’s minimalist design, the LMAC isn’t as spartan as it may sound, there’s still space for a couple of creature comforts. Under heavy loads the shoulder straps can be beefed up with an optional pad kit and as standard the carrier is backed with a moisture wicking mesh and a PlatePillow at the top of the front panel helps provide protection from injuries to the face and neck caused by the plate riding up in use.
THE LMAC IS BLUE FORCE GEAR’S TAKE ON THE MORE TRADITIONAL PLATE CARRIER, THE LMAC GIVES YOU A HUGE SCOPE FOR CUSTOMISATION, ADAPTATION AND MODULARITY WITH IT’S REMOVABLE PANELS, OPTIONAL CUMMERBUNDS AND MULTIPLE CONFIGURATIONS. THE LMAC IS JUST AS COMFORTABLE FULLY LOADED UP AS IT IS STRIPPED RIGHT BACK.
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BLUE FORCE GEAR LMAC FEATURES: ■ OUTER MADE OF STEADFAST 500D CORDURA® BALLISTIC NYLON ■ FULLY ADJUSTABLE WAIST AND SHOULDER STRAPS TO FIT ALMOST ALL BODY SIZES ■ 5 ROWS OF MOLLE ON FRONT, 6 ROWS ON BACK ■ MULTIPLE ROUTING LOOPS FOR HYDRATION AND COMMUNICATION LINES ■ COMPATIBLE WITH ISSUE MOLLE AND HELIUM WHISPER POUCHES ■ MESH BACKING IS FLASH/FLAME RESISTANT, BREATHABLE AND WICKS MOISTURE
T A C T I C A L- K I T . C O . U K
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RIDGE £400 LL BOT N1 9D6 1OA NC H B EST RIG
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LBT’s 1961 Chest Rig has remained popular despite being nearly 20 years old and has several variants in production. The reasons for this are that it’s a very well thought out piece of kit that keeps what you need, where you need it and securely. It’s comfortable with or without armour and it’s pretty much unbreakable. The 1961A rig is a fixed configuration and sewn into place and it’s clear that it has been developed by people that know exactly what they are doing. Expect nothing less from LBT. Primarily the capacity is for 8x 5.56mm magazines and 2x secondary pistol magazines. These are stored in 4 flap-topped pouches and 2 individual pouches respectively. The primary pouches feature a velcro closure and for additional security, a small clip on an adjustable webbing strap. The top flaps have two portions of velcro sewn onto them and so are also intended for use with single 7.62mm magazines, such as those for the SR25 or the SCAR-H. On both extremities, the rig features large radio pouches, for use with PRC-148 or PRC-152 type radios. Dual radios can be carried but either pouch can also double up as a sidearm. On top of these pouches utility/ammo pouches are fixed. Sized for 100 rounds of linked ammunition, these pouches are also great for storing general utilities and have poppered, elastic lids and also velcro/clipped closures too. Inward of these pouches, 2 specific frag grenade pouches are also included.
WHEN IT COMES TO A RECCE-TYPE RIG THERE’S VERY FEW THAT CAN BEAT THE 1961 IN TERMS OF BALANCING THE LOAD, PLACING ITEMS WHERE YOU NEED THEM AND KEEPING THEM SECURE. IT MIGHT NOT BE THE MOST HIGHSPEED PIECE OF KIT, BUT WHEN YOU’RE CRAWLING THROUGH THE UNDERGROWTH, YOU’LL BE GLAD OF THE ADDED SECURITY IT GIVES.
GENERAL FEATURES ■ 4 M16/M4 MAGAZINE POCKETS WITH HOOK AND LOOP CLOSURE ■ 2 RADIO POCKETS WITH 3/4 WEBBING AND SIDE RELEASE ADJUSTABLE CLOSURE ■ 2 POCKETS FOR NIGHT VISION GOGGLES/BATTERIES LOCATED IN FRONT OF RADIO POCKETS ■ 2 ADDITIONAL UTILITY/FRAGMENTATION GRENADE POCKETS ON THE OUTSIDE OF NIGHT VISION GOGGLES/BATTERY POCKETS (WEBBING WITH SIDE RELEASE ADJUSTABLE CLOSURE) ■ INTERIOR POCKET WITH ELASTIC LOOPS AND HOOK AND LOOP CLOSURE FOR STORAGE OF MAPS OR SPARE MAGAZINES INCLUDES REMOVABLE HOLSTER ■ PADDED, ADJUSTABLE SHOULDER STRAPS WITH SIDE RELEASE FOR ATTACHMENT OF BACKPACK (NOT INCLUDED) ■ REAR HORIZONTAL SHOULDER STRAP WITH ADJUSTABLE HOOK AND LOOP ■ ELASTIC AND HOOK AND LOOP CLOSURE ON SHOULDER STRAPS GUIDE ANTENNA WIRE/HYDRATION BLADDER HOSE ■ ADJUSTABLE WAIST STRAP WITH WEBBING AND SIDE RELEASE AT EACH SIDE
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£89.99
PATROL INCIDENT GE AR PIG BRIGANDINE
PIG or Patrol Incident Gear are another US brand that are lookingto push the envelope of performance. Boasting lightweight, modular equipment, PIG’s kit features some of the lowest-profile specifications on the market. Their SYSTEMA kit (nothing to do with the PTW at all) is a modular set of components designed to be assembled as you need them to be. A Brigandine was a medieval armour system of protective plates attached to a textile shirt or smock and this is PIG’s 21st century take on the idea. In is most basic configuration the Brigandine is a slick armour carrier cut to a shoehorn-tight fit for your chosen type of plate, of which the most popular will likely be SAPI. PIG claim this gives the lowest nylon to plate ratio of any carrier on the market, so despite the name, the PIG carrier isn’t about excess. The front of the carrier is covered in edge-to-edge velcro loop, which we joked about here in the office as giving the wearer a “hairy chested” look. This is certainly unique and gives you freedom to attack a lot of different items. The only details you’ll notice are 3 slotted “button-holes” either side of the carrier and these are used as secure mounting points for the “Brig CR”, which you can find out more about in our GEAR ZONE feature starting on page 58. Using low-profile, fully adjustable velcro shoulder straps, the front plate pocket connects to the rear where you have a choice of either “slick” as in, without MOLLE at all, or a full MOLLE back panel for attaching packs and hydration carriers. Around the middle to close the carrier, an elastic cummerbund wraps round and can be worn directly onto the carrier for a low profile set-up, or you can wrap the end over the top of a pouch like we have shown here.
THE PIG BRIG PLATE CARRIER IS A UNIQUE AND INTERESTING DESIGN IN ITSELF AND IS BEST VIEWED AS ONE COMPONENT OF A MODULAR KIT. WHEN TEAMED WITH THE BRIG CR POUCH, IT STARTS TO COME TO LIFE AS A LOAD CARRYING SYSTEM. IN FACT THE BRIG CR HAS THAT EFFECT ON A LOT OF RIGS! FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS POUCH ON PAGE 58!
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PIG BRIG PLATE CARRIER FEATURES: ■ UNLIKE SOME OF OTHER LOW PROFILE PLATE CARRIERS, THE PIG BRIG IS DESIGNED WITH THE STRAPS ATTACHING AT A LOWER POINT THAN THE TOP OF THE PLATE (LIKE THE PIG PC), ALLOWING FOR A HIGHER PLATE PLACEMENT THAN ITS COMPETITORS. ■ THE INTEGRAL ELASTIC STRAPS ALLOW FOR MAXIMUM COMFORT AND EXPANSION DURING HEAVY ACTIVITY, AND ALLOWS FOR THE USE OF PIG ELASTIC CUMMERBUND SLEEVES FOR ADDITIONAL MOLLE LOAD CARRIAGE OR SIDE PLATE OPTIONS. ■ THE FRONT AND BACK PLATE ASSEMBLIES ON THE PIG BRIG ARE ORDERED SEPARATELY, ALLOWING YOU TO MIX AND MATCH DIFFERENT SIZE FRONT AND BACK PLATES.
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£99.99
PATROL INCIDENT GE AR UNIVERSAL CHES T RIG
Although not part of the PIG SYSTEMA line as such the UCR is no less deserving of a little attention. Much like the other “universal” chest rigs on show here, the UCR features a permanently sewn in pouch selection meaning you can benefit from the experience of somebody that really knows what they are doing, in this circumstance it is acclaimed tactical trainer Paul Howe. The UCR has capacity for up to eight 5.56mm mags in it’s 4 pouches, which can alternatively hold a single AK or 7.62mm magazine each. On top of this, 4x double stack pistol magazines can be stored in secure flap-top pouches to load your secondary weapon. To compliment this fixed configuration, 2x4 molle sections are sewn onto the rig at either side for you to affix radio or utility pouches according to your own needs.
NOT IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS IS THE MESH STASH POCKET ON THE INSIDE OF THE RIG THAT ALLOWS YOU TO QUICKLY STUFF VITAL ITEMS WHEN YOU ARE IN A HURRY. IT’S IDEAL FOR SOMETHING YOU HAVE DROPPED OR QUICKLY NEED TO RETAIN BUT DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO PROPERLY STOW IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT.
THE UNIVERSAL CHEST RIG IS BUILT TO TAKE ALL KINDS OF MAGAZINES TO BUILD UP YOUR FIGHTING LOAD. IT MIGHT NOT BE THE NEATEST LOOKING CHEST RIG WE’VE EVER SEEN BUT IT’S BUILT SOLIDLY AND COMES IN AT GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY. IF YOU HAVE SEVERAL WEAPONS TO SUPPORT AND A TIGHT BUDGET, IT’S WORTH TAKING A CLOSE LOOK AT!
PIG UCR FEATURES: ■ 500D CONSTRUCTION FOR LESS WEIGHT. ■ ADJUSTABLE RETENTION STRAPS THAT ADJUST WITH VELCRO. ■ PIG CR-UTV-MS UPGRADE STRAPS, STANDARD. ■ INTERNAL DRAINAGE GROMMETS. ■ COMPATIBLE WITH PIG CR H-HARNESS KIT. ■ COMPATIBLE WITH PIG MOLLEVELLA (UCR BIB).
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ALE Y S TR ATEGIC £169 H THE DC3R HE AV Y
PARTNERS
A recent introduction to the marketplace, Haley Strategic Partners is the brainchild of none other than Travis Haley, a former US Force Recon Marine and esteemed tactical trainer in his own right, Haley approaches the challenges of the battlefield from the perspective of the thinking man and devotes his time to figuring out how to improve where ever possible. His own line of equipment is an extension of his mindset. The original D3CR shook up the chest rig market quite a bit with it’s fixed but intelligently laid out design for use with or without armour systems. Designed to be equally capable and an overt or covert system, the new Heavy variant slightly redesigns the system in order to support .308 or 7.62mm weapons like the SR-25 or SCAR-H. Built from 500d Cordura the D3CR Heavy accepts 4 magazines across the width of it in bungee-topped, individually divided pouches. On to of this, two utility pouches are fitted, and instead of flap-tops, these are zippered fold-out pouches, a little like an admin set-up. Right in the middle are two multi-mission smaller pouches designed to hold pistol magazines or a multi tool and flashlight. The soft H-harness on the rig is made to be comfortable, compliant and low-profile and it’s also long enough to allow you to wear the rig quite low on the abdomen. We‘ve found in the past it’s not great for wearing high on the chest unless you entirely detach the rig and fit it to a compatible carrier using swift-clips. One interesting aspect of the D3CR is that it’s made to purposely NOT have any communications or medical pouches. The reasoning behind this is that both D3CR designs are intended to be modular and scalable, but the ethos behind Hayley’s thinking is that vitals like comms and medical equipment should ALWAYS be on your person.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE LONG-ANTICIPATED HEAVY VARIANT OF THE D3CR, A GREAT RIG FOR AIRSOFT USE THANKS TO ITS FULLY USEABLE CAPACITY AND CONFIGURATION. IT MAKES A GREAT ACCOMPANIMENT FOR MODERN GUNS LIKE THE SCAR-H BUT WILL ALSO SUPPORT THE CLASSICS LIKE THE FAL OR SA-58. WE LIKE THIS A LOT.
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D3CR HEAVY FEATURES: ■ 4 .308 MAGAZINE POUCHES WITH HYPERLON MAGAZINE RETENTION TABS. POUCHES SUPPORT SR25, SCAR, FAL, AR10, M14, LANCER SYSTEMS, PMAG LR AND MORE. ■ 2 MULTI-MISSION POUCHES WITH HYPERLON MAGAZINE RETENTION TABS. FITS STANDARD DOUBLE AND SINGLE STACK PISTOL MAGAZINES AS WELL AS OTHER EQUIPMENT INCLUDING FLASHLIGHTS AND MULTI-TOOLS. ■ ZIPPER GP POUCH, MEDICAL, COMPASS, GPS, PHONE, BATTERIES AND OTHER VARIOUS SMALL ELECTRONICS. ■ ZIPPER TOOL POUCH INCLUDES ELASTIC KEEPERS FOR KESTREL WIND METERS, BALLISTIC CALCULATORS, DOPE CARDS, BATTERIES, TOOLS AND VARIOUS ELECTRONICS.
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FERRO CONCEP TS THE SLICKS TER
Based in Canada, Ferro started out small, making alterations and modifying the designs of equipment from the likes of LBT and Crye. After a little time though, Ferro took up the opportunity to break out and put their own designs on the market using what they learned from the biggest players in the game. The Ferro Concepts Slickster is a plate carrier designed along the same principles and the LBT Slick variants and a host of new designs that use a “less is more” approach to armour and load carrying. Full MOLLE systems are great but the additional weight and bulk they carry can make them unsuitable for less overt use, so the Slickster does away with this and is intended to be concealable in it’s lower profile guise. Using two contoured plate pockets and the front and rear, there’s no MOLLE attachment points on the Slickster, just a few reasonable sized areas of velcro loop to affix ID or morale patches. This simplicity is complimented by low profile webbing shoulder pads that measure two inches in width. Adjustability is provided via velcro. The only native storage space built into the Slickster is the elastic cummerbund, which houses slots to store magazines along the flanks. Thanks to the flexible nature of these pouches, they can be viewed as rather versatile in what they can be used to hold. Additional storage space IS available and it’s up to you which you use thanks to the vertical webbing attachment points on the chest. First pioneered by Mayflower R&C and Velocity Systems, these attachments points are rapidly becoming standardised and if your rig has 1” male QD buckles approximately 9” apart, you’ll be able to fit it to the front of the Slickster.
FERRO CONCEPT’S LOW-PROFILE RIG NOT ONLY LOOKS GREAT BUT IS ALSO COMFORTABLE AS THE BASIS FOR A GREAT MODERN LOAD OUT. WITH MORE AND MORE REAL-WORLD USERS SHOWING UP IN PHOTOS USING FERRO GEAR, YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT THEY WILL GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.
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FERRO CONCEPTS SLICSTER FEATURES: ■ 500 DENIER, LOW PROFILE, LIGHT WEIGHT CONSTRUCTION ■ SNAG-FREE, BODY HUGGING DESIGN ■ LARGE VELCRO PANELS FOR ADAPTABILITY ■ EASY ADJUST, LOW PROFILE CLOSURE SYSTEM ■ ELASTICATED CUMMERBUND WITH EFFECTIVE UNIVERSAL STORAGE CAPABILITY ■ COMPATIBLE WITH FCPC PRODUCT LINE
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I T!
TOPKIT
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THE BEST OF VOLUME 10 - AIRSOFT INTERNATIONAL
the best of volume 10
WITH THIS ISSUE BEING THE LAST OF VOLUME 10 AND CONCLUDING A FULL 10 YEARS IN PUBLICATION, WE’VE DECIDED NOW IS AS GOOD A TIME AS ANY TO TAKE A LOOK BACK OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS OF SWEET, SWEET GEAR WE HAVE CHECKED OUT HERE IN GEAR ZONE. FROM THE HSP/INFORCE WML LIGHT TO THE CONDOR ROLL OUT WORK MAT, WE’VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET OUR MITS ON SOME AWESOME ACCESSORIES THIS YEAR AND WITH PARTS LIKE THE ASCU V3+, THE TECH INSIDE OUR GUNS JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER. TAKE A BROWSE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING PAGES TO MAKE SURE YOU DIDN’T MISS OUT ON ANY OF OUR TOP PICKS!
O CONCEPTS £2.99 PF TET RR R E TAINER A small, neat piece of elasticated wizardry that holds your PTT, cabling or hydration tubing in place that you simply will not be able to live without. OK, you could use an elastic band but that’s not very Gucci is it? It works just great with a U-94 or similar PTT button and even comes in a range of colours and patterns (Tan, MultiCam, Digital Desert, UCP and AOR2), not that you can see them in use!
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL AND INNOVATIVE ITEMS YOU’RE EVER LIKELY TO BUY! AND ONLY £2.99 FROM: WWW.TACTICAL-KIT.CO.UK IT’S A NO-BRAINER
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£40 MV IINPI EM RO D UTLAA RC PTAICCK A L The Mini Modular Pack, as its name suggests is a small cargo pack, useable as a traditional pack with shoulder straps or can be laced onto a plate carrier with integrated MOLLE straps. Main pouches help you haul cargo and the expandable mesh helmet pouch can adapt to headgear or even just be used as a “stuff” sack. ■ Mesh helmet hammock located on front with compression straps ■ Internal hydration sleeve ■ 2x External side pouches ■ Hydration/coms outlet ■ Padded shoulder straps and sternum strap with QR buckles ■ Multiple compression straps ■ Compatible with Plate Carrier ■ 1x Large Velcro ID panel ■ 2x V-Lock, 1 x D-Lock ■ Capacity: 19.5 litres (approx) ■ Material: 600D Cordura ■ Dimensions: 42 x 23 x 34 cm ■ Available in: V-Cam, Coyote, Green, Black
ESSTAC
K Y WI M4 DOUBLE MAG POUCH
£29.99
The Esstac Double Magazine Pouch uses a formed kydex plastic insert inside a textile sleeve to retain M4 magazines tightly but also to allow for fast, unhindered access under stress. The Double Magazine Pouch stacks two magazines on top of each other and once the front magazine has been removed, the rearward magazine “leans” forward to allow for easier access. The kydex insert is perforated at the bottom to allow dirt, debris and water to drain straight through without filling the pouch. The pouch can be mated to any MOLLE compatible platform via the pair of long MALICE clips, supplied with the pouch. Available in: Coyote Brown, Multicam. Get yours in the UK today from www.tactical-kit.co.uk
£109 HHSAP LI NEF YO R SC ETLRI GAH TT E G I C The Inforce WML has earned a solid reputation as a streamlined, hardy and proficient weaponlight with an integrated RIS clamp. Under high-stress though Haley found the one-button, multiple-press interface more confusing than it was worth, so feeding back to Inforce themselves, he asked them to come up with a new, simpler version. The WML-HSP comes in much the same package as the standard light. The RIS clamp is the same, there’s also a unique physical block to prevent accidental light discharge and the whole thing is powered by just one CR123 battery, but you get an upgraded 200 lumen LED light into the bargain. Additionally, the interface is switched out for a “momentary on” design. There’s no “rapid double press for strobe, hold for low power” shenanigans, you just press the button and the light comes on, you release the button and the light goes off. Simple, effective, refined. ■ 200 Lumen Output ■ 90 Minute Run Time ■ Momentary On Only Activation Switch ■ Waterproof to 66 feet ■ Coyote or Jet Black Polymer Body ■ MIL-STD-810G certified ■ Powered by 1 x 123A Lithium ■ Weight with Batteries 3oz ■ Size : 4.1” L. x 1” Bezel D. ■ Available in: Black, Coyote
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ADBULL AIRSOF T £100 M NOVESKE: NSR R AIL Partnering with the prestigious Noveske brand from the USA, Madbull bring us the licensed NSR Rail. One of the lightest and lowest profiled AR-fore-ends on the market, the NSR makes extensive use of the newly emerging KeyMod system of attaching accessories to give a slick, comfortable and universal rail in a number of lengths. Guaranteed to give you a fresh look and a great feeling gun with its solid attachment system and quality build. ■ Noveske NSR rail (7”, 9”, 11”. 13.5”) ■ 6x barrel nut screws and barrel nut ■ Keymod system for variety of accessories ■ Ultra light weight rail system ■ Ergonomically slim and sleek ■ Component placement at eight different angles ■ Available in: Smooth textured matte black finish
£80 AA SSC UG G E N . 3 + Distributed by ASG, the Airsoft Systems ASCU is a computerised, drop-in replacement for the trigger switch of your AEG. In addition to giving you a micro-switch controlled trigger you also get upgraded features like programmable fire modes including burst and full auto and additionally you can enjoy full cycle monitoring and error detection to help prolong the life of your gearbox. The benefits of cycle monitoring are that no matter how long you hold the trigger down, the ASCU will ensure your gearbox completes a full revolution and “parks” the piston in the correct position. This improves the feel of your gun and also ensures that all the parts inside last as long as possible. Available For: V2 and V3 Gearboxes
£49.99
FLY YE
HYDRATION PACK
You may have seen small pack in this style before because they are hugely practical and very popular. Flyye bring us their take on the small cargo pack and they have given it both MOLLE compatibility so it can be fitted to a plate carrier but they have also incorporated storable shoulder straps to allow the pack to be used standalone.
FEATURING TWO MAIN COMPARTMENTS, ONE WITH A DIVIDER FOR A HYDRATION BLADDER. THE EXTERNALS FEATURE COMPRESSION STRAPS AND VELCRO FIELD. 056
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CONDOR
R O L L- UP M A T
Condor’s Roll-Up cleaning mat is simply ingenious and we don’t understand why more manufacturers don’t have something similar in their range. In the field isn’t the best place to be carrying out repairs that’s for certain, but sometimes you need to work on your equipment to get it up and running in an emergency and Condor’s mat gives you an ideal mobile workstation. Somewhere where you can keep components clean and dry and stop them from getting lost on the ground. Not only this but it gives you a neat and easily organised space to store your travel toolkit, all bundled up in a neat and easily stored roll. Unrolled you get a 50cm x 60cm rugged Cordura sheet upon which to work which is waterproofed and finished at the edges with a durable trim. This keeps any parts you place on it clean and dry, ideal for GBBR or magazine maintenance in the field. To the side of this panel you have a zip-up admin/tool pouch that folds out to reveal velcro looped retainers which are great for screwdrivers or longer tools. Underneath this you have two smaller pouches great for lubricants or cleaning sprays and there’s also a larger, longer pouch with velcro closures great for keeping loose tools and allen keys together. Beneath this pouch, a velcro loop field houses 4 removable straps for you to retain small or light parts as you work, or store other tools safely. When rolled up the pouch measures about 20cm long and roughly 10cm wide depending on how many tools you have inside. The whole bundle is secured with a pair of bungee loops that keep it securely bound together. Even if you don’t plan on working away from the comfort of your workshop, the mat provides a great protective covering for any surface, so nobody will moan about you leaving greasy marks on the table cloth! Outdoors the uses need not be limited to maintenance work, you could use the roll-up matt for cooking, admin or even personal cleaning, although probably not all at the same time!
£20 AU LST IGM A T E
■ Portable work station and tool carry kit ■ Velcro panel with four Velcro straps ■ Admin pouch with multiple sleeve pockets and elastic loops ■ Dimensions (folded): 9”x4”x2” (22.9x10.2x5.1cm) ■ Dimensions (unfolded): 23.6”x19.7” (60x50cm) ■ Admin pouch dimensions: 8.3”x3.1”x2” (21x8x5) ■ Accessories not included ■ Weight: 210g ■ Available in: Coyote, Black, Olive Drab
PISTONS
M170
POLYCAR BONATE P ISTON
THE DIMENSIONS OF THE PISTON HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO PERFECTLY COMPLIMENT THE ULTIMATE GEARBOX SHELL TO PROVIDE SMOOTH AND LONG-LASTING PERFORMANCE.
TH
The Ultimate extreme performance piston are made of a tough polycarbonate resin, with a partial rack of steel teeth specifically designed for high-speed and high power set ups using up to M190 springs.
Ultimate pistons have been designed with polycarbonate teeth for the first section, to allow it to absorb impact far better than steel. As the piston travels further back, the pressure on the teeth increases dramatically, this is where steel teeth with a reinforced longitudinal bar gives maximum strength against breakage. The pistons are available in full teeth variants and half teeth variants for use in high torque gear applications (to allow space for the enlarged gearing in the sector gear). Available For: Most standard AEG gearboxes
POLYCARB ONATE PIST ON M190 H ALF TEE
£17.99
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NEW IN! AS WELL AS A QUICK LOOK OVER SOME OF THE BEST KIT FROM THE LAST YEAR, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD THIS ISSUE. WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH UP WITH OUR FRIENDS AT TACTICAL KIT WHO RECENTLY TOOK DELIVERY OF A PLETHORA OF NEW KIT THAT ANY OF YOU WANNABE-OPERATORS OUT THERE ARE GOING TO WANT TO CHECK OUT!
£39.95
PIG
FDT ALPHA TOUCH GLOVES
The awesome PIG FDT Alpha Touch gloves are now available in Carbon Grey and they are just as good as the original Coyote Tan ones. Not designed as a burly over-built glove the FDT Alpha prioritise a tactile, easy to wear, unobtrusive design without excessive layers or crazy rubber spikes. They just do what they need to do without getting in your way. Additionally the “Touch” models feature sensitized thread in the thumb and forefinger allowing you to operate touch screen devices without removing them. Perfect for all-day, warm weather use. Just be aware the sizing is a little snug, so go one larger than usual.
£539.99
EOTECH
518 WEAPON SIGHT
Rich relative just died and left you a wedge? Need to shift some money before the misses spends it on curtains or something? For the man that has everything, there’s always more and the new Eotech 518 is definitely more than most. At over £500 the sight is a Mil-Spec piece of serious kit with largely the same features as the EXPS, top-of-the-range sight from Eotech. The important difference here is that the 518 runs on commonly found, relatively universal AA batteries instead of CR123 cells. We can’t promise it’ll help you shoot any better though! ■ Length/Width/Height: 5.5” x 2.2” x 2.8” (140 x 56 x 71 mm). ■ Weight: 13.3oz (377 g). ■ Water Resistant: Submersible to 10 ft. (3 m) depth. ■ Mount: 1” Weaver or MIL-STD-1913 rail. ■ Brightness: 20 daylight settings. ■ Power Source: Two 1.5 V AA batteries Supports lithium, alkaline, or rechargeable.
BAT TERY LIFE
■ Lithium: 1,000 continuous hours at nominal setting 12. ■ AA alkaline: 600 continuous hours at nominal setting 12.
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£39.99
FERRO CONCEPTS
“ THE DANGLER”
It’s a simple idea and something that serving Mil. Personnel have been improvising for some time. Just bodge a “bum bag” or “fanny pack” beneath your armour carrier to add a utility pouch to carry miscellaneous items yet remain a reasonable level of access to them at all times. The possibilities are endless and you don’t have to bodge anything together any longer because Ferro Concepts have a ready-made, high quality solution ready to fit to 99% of the plate carriers out there!
ESSTAC
3 +3 P OUC H
£24.99
EssTac’s largest pouch has arrived with a capacity of 3x primary magazines and 3x pistol magazines and it’s ready to form the mainstay of your chest rig or plate carrier’s load bearing system. Using the same proven kydex retention wedges wrapped into a textile pouch, we know these will work and this is the neatest way to base your entire system around them. Also available in 2+2 and 1+1 configuration.
£24.99
LIMITLESS GE AR
OPFOR MC-R MAGA ZINE POUCH
We previewed this last month in our news section but the Limitless Gear OPFOR MC-R Mag pouch has arrived and is another challenger for the title of King of the Hard Pouches. This one has particular strengths when it comes to rapidly attaching and removing the pouch and features a twist-out retention system that prevents unwarranted magazine loss.
AFTER A BRIEF ASSESSMENT WE LIKE WHAT WE SEE HERE. THE POUCHES ARE LIGHT, STACKABLE AND INDEED FAST TO USE AND RECONFIGURE, WE’RE JUST NOT SO SURE HOW THE POLYMER WILL HOLD UP OVER TIME, UNDER HEAVY IMPACT OR IN COLD TEMPERATURES, AS IT DOES SEEM A LITTLE BRITTLE. BEING FAIR THAT’S NO DIFFERENT A SET OF CONCERNS COMPARED TO KYDEX SYSTEMS THOUGH.
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£44.99
PIG
BRIG CR 3-MAG-SYSTEMA
This confusingly named pouch is far simpler than it’s nomenclature would have you believe, in fact after a little while it’s clear that it’s pretty much a stroke of genius when it comes to balancing magazine security, fast access and bulk. Essentially it’s a miniature chest rig system, available in either 3 wide, or 4 wide configuration depending on how much real-estate you have on your front-facing. What you get is 3 or 4 permanently fixed EssTac Kywi M4 magazine pouches on a platform. If you are using PIG’s proprietary Systema components, that’s as far as the modular system goes, but thanks to the G-Hooked hangers and side tabs, it’s perfectly possible to fit the BRIG CR to the front of your selected plate carrier and of course, the Velcro look frontage of the pouches allows you to over-wrap your cummerbund easily. This is genuinely one of those pieces of kit that will get the more imaginative kit-monsters out there very excited about the possibilities this pouch will unlock.
FERRO CONCEPTS
“ TURNOVER” POUCH
£24.99
Another stark moment of clarity from Canadian Ferro Concepts. The “Turnover” is a lightweight, minimal magazine pouch that velcros into place much like more traditional inserts. What separates this one from the crowd is the level of external velcro coverage making it suitable for wrapping under cummerbunds or even under the flanks of your plate carrier giving secure mag space without bulk or a tangle of bungee cords.
£66.99
FERRO CONCEPTS
2L AQUA POCKET
Ferro drop their “Aqua Pocket” on us and it’s their take on the humble hydration reservoir pouch. They have decided that the lowest profile possible is a priority so using a specially designed, hyperlon S3 MOLLE system keeps the mounting as close to your back as possible.
THE LIGHTWEIGHT AND COMPLIANT MATERIAL CAN BE DRAWN TIGHT TO THE INTERNAL BLADDER WITH BUNGEE CORDS AND THE EXTERNAL SURFACE FEATURES A VELCRO LOOP PANELS AND LASER CUT MOLLE COMPATIBLE PANEL FOR EXPANSION. AVAILABLE WITH OR WITHOUT INTERNAL HYDRATION BLADDER (EITHER SOURCE OR CAMELBAK BRANDED). THIS IS A GREAT, LOW-PROFILE DESIGN AND YET ANOTHER WIN FOR FERRO. 060
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OUTDOORS - ADRENALIN - TACTICAL - ESSENTIALS - FITNESS - EXPLORE
EXCLUSIVE! MORE TACTICAL OFFERINGS FROM THE TEAM BEHIND VIPER TACTICAL
SPARTAN BLADES ON OUR RADAR! WE MEET THE GUYS WHO PROUDLY
CRAFT SOME OF THE BEST MODERN KNIVES TO COME OUT OF THE USA!
GUNS FOR HIRE?! ALL TALK: THIS ISSUE WE DISCUSS PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACTORS
HEADCAMS TRIED & TESTED! MOUNTABLE ACTION CAMERAS UNDER OUR TECH SPOTLIGHT... CAPTURE ALL YOUR MOMENTS!
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READ RAIDER ON-THE-GO ON YOUR SMART DEVICES
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VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1
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STAFF SHOOTERS INSIDE THE AI ARMOURY
Ai STAFF RS E T O O SWH E P226R PISTOL
LAST MONTH IN STAFF SHOOTERS WE CAUGHT UP WITH AI DESIGNER, BENNO’S TM GLOCK 17 SIDEARM, SO FOLLOWING SUIT WE THOUGHT WE’D CHECK OUT THE EDITOR’S WE P226R WHICH HAS HAD MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE OF PAGE SPACE IN THE PAST. The poor gun, despite having been treated to a nice new Safariland holster just a few months back, has been relegated to the store cupboard for a while. Why? Well, it’s been winter and unfortunately with no amount of lube, maintenance or high-powered gas, it’s just not been a practical choice to run an all-metal pistol so the TM HK45 and also the new M&P9 in their all-plastic bodies have taken the honours lately. They are lighter, faster cycling and less prone to venting out and based on that comparison, the poor WE gun just seems a little unreliable for winter use. In summer, it’s great most of the time. It barks out BBs with a solid snap and rapid cycle but when you draw your sidearm, it actually functioning is something you don’t want to be taking a gamble on. It’s a choice most pistol owners have to make. Decide between having the great realism and feel of an “all metal” gun, or simply run an ABS one that shoots better all year round but doesn’t feel as good. You can get reasonable performance from a metal-kitted GBB pistol but it’s a labour of love, and even then, you’ll be compromising. It’s part of the reason why people will often be drawn into the time-honoured “TM vs WE” debate about which pistol is a better buy. Sure
the TM will often cycle faster but it’s lighter. The WE comes metal-kitted out of the box but the case in point here is that it doesn’t work so well in winter. You are stuck with a choice, pay a little less for a metal pistol that works well half the time, or pay more for an ABS pistol that will work 95% of the time. Of course, we are airsofters so the option of “both” is always present and then even more nonsensically, you can buy the more expensive TM gun and team it up with a metal kit that costs the same amount again! When you consider it like that, it really is a little bizarre what we are all guilty of in the name of “realism”! Either way, with the changing seasons we’ll be getting back into the meaty part of the GBB season, so even the most fickle guns will be able to have their annual outing on the skirmish field. It’s hard to imagine how you guys in places like Finland and Canada cope!
USER: BEN WEBB GUN: WE P226R PRICE: APPROX £120 OWNERSHIP: OVER 2 YEARS USAGE: GENERAL SIDEARM
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GUN RE V IE W S T HIS IS HO W W E DO I T !
WHAT WE DO YOU ARE USED TO SEEING GUN REVIEWS IN AIRSOFT INTERNATIONAL, FOR MANY OF YOU THAT’S THE WHOLE REASON YOU PICK UP THE MAGAZINE EVERY MONTH. THE REASON OUR GUN REVIEWS ARE LOVED AND TRUSTED IS SIMPLE, WE KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO CREATE A GOOD GUN, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN WE ALSO KNOW WHAT MAKES YOU GUYS TICK AND THAT’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
It’s not fair to review a WW2 submachine gun from the perspective of a tacticool Navy SEAL wannabe. You can’t rate something like that down for now being covered in RIS rails and lasers so when assessing guns, we take into account who is going to be interested in it and review it on that criteria. Before we put pen to paper though, there’s plenty of testing that has to be done first. And this is how we do it…
■ RESEARCH
■ TESTING
Most airsoft guns are based on a real firearm, that’s part of their charm. If a gun is made to specifically replicate a certain gun, we look into the real-steel counterpart in depth. When was it made? Who used it? What does it look like and how does it shoot? This doesn’t have any bearing on the airsoft gun as such, but it’s great to know a bit about what you have in replica form! Where it does come in handy is where airsoft manufacturers go to the lengths of putting trademarks and markings on their replicas. It allows us to see how well they have done their homework and in the end, how realistic the replica is at all.
We do two types of testing here at Ai… Firstly it’s range testing. That includes putting rounds down out 70m test range and also chrono testing with .20g BBs to work out how consistently the gun shoots. If the weapon passes these tests with a reasonable level of performance, the next step is to take it out on the field for some practical shooting. Sometimes a gun will score highly on the range and chrono but might be an absolute nightmare to haul around the field, or visa versa. Some guns don’t shoot all that impressively but on the field they are simply a riot. These are things we look out for!
■ BUILD QUALITY We give the gun a once over straight out of the box to see how well it is made. We check if it is well packaged and if it comes free of scratches, blemishes, dents and kinks. If the thing has suffered inside a box, it doesn’t bode well for how it will fare on the field, does it? We also take into account the manufacturing techniques used. Is the plastic molded well? Has the metal been machined crisply and are any threads and details cut precisely and properly cleaned up? These things are important because it generally reflects on how well the gun is assembled and how long it will last. Even with the best will in the world, you need to take something apart once in a while and if bolts and threads are stripping left and right, well, you’re not going to be a happy bunny are you?
■ INTERNALS We take a look inside the gun to see what it is made from, the quality of the components and how well they are assembled. If they are covered in horrible grease, badly shimmed or even bone dry, that’s something to take into account. If you are handy with your tools picking up a bargain gun that needs a little love and attention is no hardship, but if you want something to let rip right out of the box, well that changes everything.
■ STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY We pride ourselves in bringing you crisp, clear and high-quality images of the guns we review. An Ai review is the next best thing to holding a gun in your own hands so take your time, soak up the details and appreciate the eye-candy we give you!
■ WHAT’S A CHRONO? We use a chronograph to test our guns here at Ai. A chrono simply measures the speed of the BB coming out of the end of the gun. If each shot is at a similar power level, you can generally assume the gun is working efficiently. By measuring the speed, we can also make a calculation to work out the power level the gun fires at to let you know if it will fit into your local site limits.
LETS FIND OUT WHAT DESERVES A SPACE IN YOUR ARMOURY! 064
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AEG SMG REVIEW THE NEW AY SPECTER M4 FROM AIRSOFT W
AY SPECTER M4 -ALL NEW AEG SMG REVIEW-
AS IS OFTEN THE CASE WITH GUNS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE CONVENTIONS OF THE USUAL AK/M4 GENE POOL, THIS MONTH WE HAVE ONE THAT’S CERTAINLY GOING TO BE DIVISIVE. YOU’LL EITHER BE ON THE SIDE OF THE FENCE WITH A BUNCH OF “LOVE IT!” GUYS, OR BUSY TRYING NOT TO BE SICK AT THE SIGHT OF THIS THING ON THE “HATE IT!” SIDE. THAT’S RIGHT, THIS MONTH WE HAVE THE AY SPECTER M4 FROM AIRSOFT WORLD ON TEST!
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FT WORLD - THE NEW AY SPECTER M4 FROM AIRSOFT WORLD
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AEG SMG REVIEW
As a reviewer, I love it when a new gun that’s not based on an AK or M4 comes along, even if I’m not particularly fond of the gun itself. It’s mostly because it gives you something to analyse and rate which, compared to run-of-the-mill AK and M4 variants, is a blessing. Truth be told, most manufacturers can know put out a decent Mk18 or AK47u in their sleep and rightly so. The Specter M4 is TOTALLY different externally and it’s always and interesting adventure to find out what is stashed away on the inside of the gun. In this instance, it’s actually pretty expertly done.
THE SPECTER M4
You might recall the Specter M4 Submachine gun from its appearances in recent computer games and if that’s your acquaintance with it, you might be interested to know the Italian-made shooter was the first to use a quad-stacked magazine. Many weapons use a double-stack design but the real Specter uses and interesting system where rounds stack 4 abreast inside the magazine, which is essentially two regular SMG magazines made into one. Other quirks of the real weapon that make it an interesting piece, beyond it’s striking aesthetic, are the fact that it fires from a closed bolt and that it uses a striker fire mechanism in conjunction with a double-action trigger. This allows the user to safely carry the weapon with a round in the chamber and immediately fire
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THE NEW AY SPECTER M4 FROM AIRSOFT W
when required without going through a cocking procedure. It’s almost like an Italian version of the Uzi, but… Dare I say it, BETTER on paper at least. In terms of an airsoft variant, the Specter also competes for the space in which the venerable Uzi resides, along with classics like the MP5K. Of course with our airsoft replicas all using largely the same firing mechanisms, there’s not a lot of ground to be made there, but I terms of design and practicality, the Specter is certainly an interesting addition to the market and we’ll find out why now…
EXTERNALS
Straight away we are going to level with you. The AY Specter M4 is comprised almost entirely of nylon fibre plastic. Touching the outside of the gun, the only metal pieces you can make real contact with are some allen headed screws, the rear sling loop, magazine catch cocking handle and the trigger. Everything else is black plastic. The real gun uses a polymer lower but it is mated with a steel upper. That’s not the case here. You can’t complain too greatly here though, as the AY Specter comes in at a very reasonable £130 from Airsoft World
so we’d rather the compromise be made on this than having the thing filled with a god-awful gearbox. The plastic used is tough and robust with a smooth, matt finish and neat mold lines. Yes, if you kick the thing down a flight of stairs you’ll probably do it some damage but then again if you do that to most guns made of “airsoft metal” you’ll probably have the same issue. The important thing is that from a casual observation distance, this thing looks convincing and is solid. The layout of the Specter is different to anything else out there but makes good sense. It’s not brimming in RIS rails or sight mounts although a short rail has been fixed to the right hand side of the barrel shroud and is removable if desired. The sights are a simply notch and post arrangement with the front being adjustable but the rear being some odd mock-hinge system that allows a rear cap to be removed. The cocking handle runs along the top surface of the receiver much in the same manner as an Uzi and allows you access to the hop adjuster via a small ejection port. As per usual the cover slides back as you move the cocking handle. The pistol grip is a comfortable but rather smoothed off design but it’s plenty cunky enough to get a good grasp on. The trigger guard extends forward and the magazine release, a latch-type mechanism, is actually housed in the forward portion of the guard, making magazine releases easy.
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OFT WORLD - THE NEW AY SPECTER M4 FROM AIRSOFT WORLD
VITAL STATS
■ PRICE: £129.95 ■ LENGTH: 350mm ■ CAPACITY: 50rds
■ WEIGHT: 1,500g ■ HOP: Adjustable ■ FPS: 300fps
THE GOOD STUFF
Good solid build inside and out, good value.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD STUFF
Dummy switches, sluggish motor, very hard-to-find magazines.
The left hand flank of the receiver houses a lever just above the pistol grip. This allows the gun to switch between full and semi auto. This lever is mirrored on the right hand of the gun but only by a false part of the molding that can’t be moved. Staying on the right of the gun, the Fire/Safety switch sits above the trigger itself and again, is mirrored on the opposite side by a dummy switch. Ahead of this a circular button is molded in, but it’s a purely aesthetic detail and is non functional. We assume this would be a bolt release switch. Usually the presence of false buttons and molded in details is a turn-off, but in this instance we were quite happy to see them used once we ventured into the insides of the gun, but we’ll cover that later. Ahead of the magazine well, which is to all intents and purposes very similar to that of the MP5, the gun has a vertical foregrip designed along similar conventions as the pistol grip. AY have seen fit to enlarge its proportions slightly in order to function as a battery storage position but if you have alternative ideas the whole thing is removable. The void inside the grip is accessed via a hinged base-plate. This all adds up to make a pretty comfortable gun. There’s no stock which is usually a turn-off for me, but for once I’m actually quite taken by the feel and handling of the thing. Chart this up as a successful venture into competitively priced plastic guns!
INTERNALS
As hinted at previously, often a sticking point when it comes to these more unique weapons is the hodge-podge of unique parts that all interact to allow a gearbox to function inside a differently shaped shell of a gun. Perhaps worse still is a completely unique selection of parts and components, rendering the gun a nightmare to fix when something goes wrong. One of the MAJOR plus points of this small shooter is the fact that inside the gun, there’s simply a Version 3 gearbox. Nope, it’s not got any crazy attachments or massive, it’s just
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a simple Version 3 gearbox like you’d find in a regular AK variant. OK, there’s one slight addition and that’s a lever that links the fire selector to the corresponding part on the side of the ‘box and that entails a locating screw fixture to be added to the gearbox shell. It’s not spring loaded, it’s not a complex assembly, it’s just a metal lever that drops into place and it’s highly unlikely the gearbox shell will fail in use, since it’s a V3 design. The gearbox is coated in black paint and internally, steel gears run on 7mm bearings. The motor that powers the whole thing is an unbranded, grey cased product. We don’t know a great deal about AY but the gearbox itself look to be on par with what you’d find in a modern Jing Gong gun and it works pretty smoothly. For the sum of £130, we’re not expecting a monstrous performer, but it plods along without complaint. Mated to the front of the gearbox is a clear polycarbonate V2 hop unit which is again nothing spectacular however perfectly suited to upgrade should you wish to pursue greater levels of performance.
We are going to spend a little time and effort of tweaking up the AY Specter M4 to make the most of its compact size and in the next issue you can follow us, step-by-step as we unlock the potential of this quirky shooter!
PERFORMANCE
We plugged a 7.4v 20C battery into the AY Specter M4 to give it a test and found that it comfortably lobbed a BB out at 300fps over to roughly 50m. 300fps from a gun with a barrel as short as a pistol’s isn’t bad at all and the range is respectable. The rate of fire was a relatively paltry 11-12 rounds per second, so not exactly obliteratingly fast by any stretch of the imagination, but again considering the gun is retailing at £130, we are not going to complain. Other things to note are that the dummy switches can fox you when working in a hurry and that the magazines are slightly awkward to store compared to some of the more popular guns out there. At 50rnds capacity we also hope that Airsoft World get some more in stock soon.
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REAL STEEL
STARK ARMS S19 PRO TACTICAL (LIMITED EDITIO
REAL STEEL
STARK ARMS
S19 PRO TACTICAL -LIMITED EDITION-
WE’VE BEEN TREATED TO A PLETHORA OF GORGEOUS PISTOLS LATELY AND COMING HOT ON THE HEELS OF THE RWA NIGHTHAWK GRP CUSTOM STEEL EDITION, THIS STARK ARMS S19 PRO TACTICAL REAL STEEL LIMITED EDITION BRINGS A SIMILAR ETHOS TO A SLIGHTLY MORE COMPACT WEAPON. THE S19 IS A STEEL SLIDE, STEEL OUTER BARREL, UPRATED CO2 POWERED POCKET ROCKET THAT IS DELIVERED AS A FULL PACKAGE. LET’S SEE WHAT THE FUSS IS ALL ABOUT…
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DITION) - STARK ARMS S19 PRO TACTICAL (LIMITED EDITION)
MSL IS R K A TICA ED T R STA TAC LIMIT E THA E TH PRO TIC K AG ETE L S19 EALIS PAC OMP RRY E R TION S C CA AR LE E P B EDI COM ITH A ND S VAIL A IA W SE A E, A LY V .COM CA A ZIN SIVE TURE G U C MA E XCLNUFA MA O B
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REAL STEEL
STARK ARMS S19 PRO TACTICAL (LIMITED EDITIO
LIMITED EDITION
STARK ARMS
S19 PRO TACTICAL REAL STEEL, CO2 POWERED AND BUILT TO TAKE ABUSE OF HIGH-INTENSITY ACTION, THIS IS THE FULL TICKET Straight off the bat the S19 is a Glock replica in all but name. Unfortunately, a pig-headed outlook from the real-steel Glock business prevents any properly licensed replicas, and every once in a while they send out their lawyers to put the frighteners on anyone that has dared to make, sell or even advertise unofficial Glock replicas. On the whole it amounts to nothing as soon as they realise that we’re not actually making Glock-a-like firearms and their attentions are turned to things that actually fire bullets and infringe on their patents. In the past even Smith and Wesson have fallen foul of this and went to court against Glock in a case surrounding the S&W Sigma handgun. Despite them being something of a litigious bully-boy, we love Glocks. They are everywhere. We’ve said several times in the past, the list of movies that Glocks have been in would put even the most prolific actor to shame and the amount of actor’s hands they have been in makes Sharon Stone’s record look paltry. That’s just in popular culture in terms of actual ownership and military/law enforcement service, Glocks are up there with the most popular choice.
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This popularity is down to reliability, simplicity and plain, straightforward ergonomics. With their composite construction, Glocks broke the mold when it came to designing handguns. The legacy is a long one with the venerable Glock 17 sitting at the top of the pile and having four “generations” of design tweaks under it’s belt. The Stark Arms S19 is a close approximation of the Glock 19. The 19 being a mid-compact 9mm weapon mostly the same as the 17 but with a shortened barrel, slide and frame and also a shorter grip. It’s designed for discreet carry and covert use without the sacrifices made for a true “compact” handgun like the diminutive Glock 26.
THE S19
Stark Arms have already got themselves a pretty good reputation for putting out some solid gas pistols. When compared side by side with VFC’s offerings, it’s pretty clear they are coming from a very similar place. VFC brazenly slapping replicated Glock markings on their guns and Stark being a little more considered about the ramifications of importing such things into Europe, officially at least. This is
the reasoning behind the lack of any real Glock markings or nomenclature on the Stark range, instead they are known as S-series guns. Where Glocks are resplendent in numerous G logos on both the frame and slide, the Stark Arms offering bears their stylized logo instead. You’ll find these permanently embossed into the lower in several locations and also etched into the slide. The lower of the S19 is a simple, black Gen. 3 design rendered in glass-reinforced polymer as we have come to expect from Stark. This makes it on par with the Guarder aftermarket lowers in terms of quality (although not authenticity with
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the trademarkings taken into account) and a cut above the Tokyo Marui selection. Stark take a little lead here other the competition by more accurately modeling in the secondary trigger pin that sits above the trigger and also the small steel serial number tab that sits under the barrel is far more authentic than others. Close to top marks here for build quality, all things considered. The slide and outer barrel are purportedly produced from “real steel” and the fine metallic black finish on both components, along with a hefty weight certainly back up those claims. Where the two components interface, there’s a pleasing wearing of the coating that reveals the steel beneath, giving the gun even more charm and realism as you use it. The slide does feature the distinctive perpendicular cut-outs at the rear and there’s a convincing mock extractor claw modeled in to the back edge of the breach opening but other than that, there’s not a great deal of detail rendered. The markings are simply etched although that does mean if you were a real stickler for replicas, you could have them engraved with more realistic ones without too much trouble. Glocks do, of course have a very sleek but slab-sided aesthetic to
them. Disappointingly the gun is fitted with feeble plastic sights that are a prime candidate for getting knocked off or chipped. Still they are easily replaced or upgraded. In terms of features the S19 comes with everything you have come to expect from a Glock replica. Due to it being a Gen. 3 design, there’s an accessory rail on the frame, you also have a simple, low profile slide release and the standard magazine release on the left hand side of the frame, optimally positioned for righties. There’s also the familiar takedown catch to strip off the slide and the gun is devoid of any sort of safety apart from the trigger-bar that ensures you have a solid grip of the gun before pulling. The handling is as you would expect, very similar to that of a Glock 17, although the shortened grip is the most obvious difference. There’s still just enough room to wrap all your fingers around but it does leave the edge of your palm particularly prone to being pinched when inserting a new magazine with a firm grip on the gun. This problem is exasperated by the grip extension bumpers fitted to one of the supplied magazines; believe us when we say once you have done this once, you’ll forever be wary.
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REAL STEEL
STARK ARMS S19 PRO TACTICAL (LIMITED EDITIO
Overall, the S19 Pro Tactical is wholly a solid gun in terms of externals and the smaller components that make up the pistol are solid but it has to be said, they lack a little flair. The slide release is simply a regular pattern item, the magazine catch is still a plastic item and the trigger blade is also just a basic plastic component. For the price point, we’d like to see at least an extended slide release catch and a steel mag catch, if not a precision trigger too.
INTERNALS
Delving inside the S19, things get a little more interesting. The Glock 17 length magazines are supplied with the gun ready to take
CLICK-CLACK!
THE S19 PRO TACTICAL FEATURES A STEEL SLIDE AND A STEEL OUTER BARREL FOR PLENTY OF METAL-ON-METAL CONTACT
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12g CO2 bulbs (that’s why they are a longer version and not the lower capacity, shorter ones made for the 19). To handle the force of the CO2 power supply the internals have been beefed up a little. Compared to the TM designs, the Stark Arms S19 uses more steel components, particularly to retain and guide the slide, than it does cast material. This should result in a tougher, longer lasting gun. You’ll also find hardened and chromed rockers, cams and sears inside the gun which uses the design of the TM G18C as its inspiration and basis. Inside the upper you will initially discover a dual recoil spring running on a smooth metal
guide. The dual spring system provides a return spring for the slide but also, thanks to a heavier spring at one end, also a buffer for the impact of the cycle without slowing everything down to the point at which it won’t function well. Beneath the recoil spring, the steel outer barrel resides and encased within is the polished, high precision 6.02mm barrel. At a paltry 90mm long it’s quite short but well polished with what appears to be a smooth, consistent bore and a tidy crowned end. Fitted to the barrel within the TM-style hop unit is apparently an “A+” hop rubber. Unfortunately in the test gun we received is appeared that only one side of it protruded into the barrel. Before further testing we disassembled the hop unit to remedy the issue and get a better handle on how it would perform when properly installed. Check the accompanying step-by-step guide for more information on how to rectify this small issue. We discovered the cause of the problem is down to the assembly of the gun at factory level and also due to the fact that the combinations of third-party components do not marry quite perfectly together. The A+ hop rubber does not include the all important stabilizing block found on the original Marui type rubbers and their clones and also the two halves of the hop unit do not include the barrel locking lugs that interface with the slots machined into the barrel. This allows the barrel and hop rubber to rotate reasonably freely inside the hop unit, something that will be devastating to accuracy. Despite this the A+ rubber has a longer contact patch than standard rubbers allowing for a more consistent lift of the BB without dropping the velocity by “choking” in the barrel. This principle is similar to the principle of the R-Hop although it must be said, it doesn’t
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DITION) - STARK ARMS S19 PRO TACTICAL (LIMITED EDITION) CENTRALISING THE HOP RUBBER
When testing the S19 Pro Tectical we discovered the hop rubber and barrel had become twisted inside the hop unit resulting in ineffective and uneven hop pressure. Disassembling the hop unit is easy and the problem is simple to fix.
THE SLIDE 1 REMOVE Take the slide off of the lower just as you would for any hop adjustment or field stripping procedure.
RECOIL SPRING 2 REMOVE Lift the recoil spring out by slightly compressing it and lifting it out of place.
BEFORE
HOP UNIT WELL OFF-CENTRE ACHIEVING POOR RANGE AND WAVERING ACCURACY
work perfectly in conjunction with the Marui style hop arm, which all too easily can apply off-center pressure. Beyond the hop unit, the high-performance red polycarbonate blowback unit and nozzle that is harder and tougher than most plastic types impressed us. This should give better performance when used with the intended CO2 propellant. Overall, the components inside the S19 Pro Tactical are all present and correct, although the assembly left a little to be desired, especially considering the price of this gun. We have several ideas on hop maximum performance potential could be harvested from this pistol though and we’ll be experimenting with those in a future issue.
PERFORMANCE
Being a CO2 powered gun, we expected the S19 Pro Tactical to have a crisp and fast blowback cycle and we were not disappointed. Even with the weight of the steel slide and barrel moving the cycle was rapid and snappy. The gun did come out of the box a little dry, so we applied a little Abbey Gun Solutions Gun Grease to the relevant areas to ensure smooth operation. The velocity on .20g BBs came up at between
AFTER
ADJUSTED HOP UNIT WITH NUB PROPERLY ALIGNED GIVE BETTER RANGE AND ACCURACY
315-330fps throughout the meat of the CO2 bulb and both magazines loaded and fed flawlessly, as you would expect. Accuracy was good, hitting a man-sized target at between 30-40m with shots reaching out beyond this. We couldn’t help but feel with some further tweaks to the hop unit, as mentioned previously; this could be greatly improved though.
THE BARREL 3 REMOVE Lift both the inner and outer barrel out of place. An slide the inner and hop unit out of the outer.
SUMMARY
In terms of a realistic feeling Glock 19 replica, the S19 Pro Tactical from Stark Arms fulfills that brief. In contrast to something like the recently reviewed Nighthawk GRP from RWA, it doesn’t quite have the polish, but will a Glock ever be able to compare to the venerable might of the 1911. You also have to take into account that the S19 is only a third of the cost. Talking of cost, 499€ might sound like a lot, but factoring in the cost of assembling such a gun from various sources, bearing in mind this is not just a metal slide, it’s actual STEEL, you are still making a saving over the competition. In that sense, it’s a great shooter, we are just a little unsatisfied with the hop and provided our plans work out, a simple modification will unlock the value in this piece.
■ PRICE: €499 ■ LENGTH: 170mm ■ CAPACITY: 23 +1
■ WEIGHT: 1,020g ■ HOP: Adjustable ■ FPS: 330fps (CO2)
THE HOP 4 DISASSEMBLE Unscrew the two retaining screws to access the insides of the hop unit.
HOP ARM 5 ADJUST Gently bend the hop arm to apply more even pressure to the hop rubber. Also ensure the hop rubber is centrally seated on the barrel. Finally, reassemble.
THE GOOD STUFF
Two magazine’s and case supplied, steel quality, snappy blowback.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD STUFF
Expensive, poorly assembled hop unit.
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ICSICAR AEG ASSAULT RIFLE REVIEW
THIS MONTH WE’VE MANAGED TO AVOID REVIEWING ANYTHING ARMALITE SHAPED SO FAR ALTHOUGH WE HAVE CHECKED OUT THE SPECTER M4 WHICH ONLY REALLY SHARES A NAME IN COMMON. TO KEEP THINGS THAT LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WE’VE DECIDED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ICS ICAR ASSAULT RIFLE. TAKING MOST OF ITS INFLUENCE FROM THE GALIL, IT’S NOT AN M4 NOR IS IT QUITE THE SAME AS AN AK…
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AEG REVIEW ICS ICAR ASSAULT RIFLE - ICS ICAR ASSAULT RIF
AEG REVIEW
ICAR ASSAULT RIFLE As Frenchie discusses in this month’s Firing Point on pages 38 and 39, ICS are a company that are pretty good at circumventing the pitfalls of copyrights and legal infringement and it’s not by being overly devious. They are happy to make what I like to call “Airsoft Player’s Guns”. By that I mean guns that are full of practical features that appeal mostly to people that actually want something that’s good at shooting their opponents with. This is the opposite from what I would call an “Airsoft Collector’s Gun” which would appeal to somebody that values accurate trademarks, realistic functions and all that jazz. As the saying goes, “you don’t look at the mantelpiece when you are stoking the fire” and in our experience, many players don’t seek ultimate realism from their replicas and instead want something to enjoy playing the game with, which is all fair enough, this town IS big enough for the both.
ICS’s ICAR Assault Rifle is a good example of the company putting out a gun based on a real weapon, but sprucing it up with some additional goodies. Who cares if they are not stuck on the real weapons used in the hands of some military force around the world? The rifle used as a starting point here is the Galil.
THE GALIL
The real world Galil is used by the Israeli Defense Force and made by Israeli Weapon Industries. It comes in several variants including a standard rifle, a carbine known as the SAR, a compact MAR and an ARM light machine gun variant. During the 1950s the Israeli Defense Force began using the FN FAL but found the limitations of it’s design in the dust and sand of the environment they were in. During the Six Day War, the Israelis reportedly
captured a significant quantity of AK47s and found them, as many forces have, to be highly suited to operating in the region. This inspired the command to begin the process of finding a replacement for the FN FAL. Of all the designs put forward, the Galil was offered up. The rifle, then based on the Finnish RK62, a weapon in turn based on many aspects of the Polish-licensed AK rifles was originally chambered in the Russian standard 7.62mm round. For political reasons and allegiance with the USA and NATO, the chambering was reduced in caliber to the standard 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, as used by the partner nations. The widespread issue of the Galil was delayed due to cost implications during a time of conflict, despite its official adoption. It saw use with mechanized and armoured units primarily, but the US provided many surplus M16A1s to Israel in the wake of the Vietnam War as part of a Military Aid Program.
BO SELECTA!
LIKE THE AK THE SELECTOR ON THE RIGHT HAS THREE SETTINGS, SAFE, SEMI AND FULL AUTO, MARKED IN HEBREW NO LESS, BUT UNLIKE THE AK, THERE’S ALSO A SELECTOR ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE GUN.
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THE ICS ICAR
ICS’s ICAR, Based on the Galil Rifle, is also based a lot on their AK line of replicas and it shares a lot of common internal components and the assembly and design will be familiar to anyone used to working on an AK AEG. The “heart” of the gun is a metal tub-shaped receiver. It’s a cast alloy but thanks to smooth black finishing and a plethora of crisp details, it does a great job of standing in for the machined component you will find on the real thing. Adorning this receiver is an AK-style fire selector with marking to denote the fire positions in Hebrew. In addition to this, a left-hand selector is also fitted, which is tucked neatly against the chunky polymer pistol grip. As you would expect, the AK-style selector moves smoothly between the safe, semi and full auto positions just like you’d expect to find on an AK of good
quality. The selector on the other side is slightly less positive in its action no doubt due to being connected to the internal linkage and having a much shorter mechanical lever to move. The magazine well and catch are based on the exact same principle as the AK, with the “toe” of tha magazine hooking up forst and the rear of the magazine pivoting into place and becoming retained by the catch. The Galil features a slightly enhanced and enlarged magazine catch, which is easier to operate in practice. The other feature of the receiver is the breach opening and mock bolt. As is standard for the Galil, the bolt features a large upturned handle that is used to cock the gun. Here that can be used to move the bolt cover all the way to back and access the all-important hop unit. To the rear of the stock a large metal hinge allows you to latch and fold the tubular metal stock amount to the right hand side of the gun.
CHEEKY!
THE GUN IS OPERABLE WITH THE STOCK FOLDED. THE STOCK ITSELF IS COMFORTABLE WITH A CONTOURED METAL BUTTPLATE BUT IT DOES HAVE A LONG LENGTH OF PULL. ICS HAVE ENHANCED THIS DESIGN AND COMPLIMENTED THEIR ADDITION AT THE FRONT END WITH A CHEEK RISER This clamps onto the stock and offers a comfortable weld-point with height and fore/aft adjustment points. It’s not an ambidextrous design but can easily be switched to the preferred side depending on you dominant shooting stance. Beware though, it may interfere with the stock folding if swapped to the right hand side, depending where it is mounted.
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AEG REVIEW ICS ICAR ASSAULT RIFLE - ICS ICAR ASSAULT RIF
At the front of the weapon you can look forward to checking out the rifle length barrel which, at 18” long is a one-piece unit. In a similar manner to that of the AK, the gas block, gas tube and sight are all connected by a large block of cast metal which also incorporates a bayonet lug. The barrel terminates in a slotted flash hider not massively dissimilar to the one found on the M16. The 14mm CW thread it fits onto makes it easy to swap for a different device or alternatively a silencer, if you want to make a long gun even longer! Finally, as part of the external features, the ICAR is fitted with a polymer RIS/RAS unit to clamp accessories. This is all black and slotted in a modern design and incorporates a rail that extends along the length of the top of the receiver. On the test model we have, the RIS unit had a slight amount of movement front to back, although it was a little short for the space between the receiver and the handguard cap. This could only really be remedied by shimming it out to take up the slack. The upper rail features a flip-up rear peep-hole sight to compliment the fully hooded post built into the gas block. Realistically these are nothing more
than set dressing as all that rail is crying out to be fitted with a sight or scope!
INTERNALS
Inside the ICS ICAR is a solid Version 3 type gearbox, the shell coated in black. This is drilled for 7mm bearings and inside you will find ICS’s MIM gears, which in marketing speak simply means metal gears. We’ve always found these to be smooth running and reliable. A full brass cylinder is fitted and the rest of the air seal components and extras are ICS’s own high quality polymer selection. In standard guise, these parts rarely fail and should anything go wrong, perhaps the greatest thing about ICS as a supplier is their itemised and extensive ranges of parts for all of their guns. If it breaks, you can simply get a new part. No hassle, no fuss. They are even very well priced. Should you wish to upgrade any part of the gearbox, the majority of V3 compatible spares out there will fit. They are not a proprietary design like some of ICS’s other guns. The hop unit is a black polymer design which experience tells us is generally a better unit that
a poorly cast metal offering. There’s really no need to fuss about “all metal” here. The unit is mated to a full length, gold anodized aluminium inner barrel which measures in at 6.10mm bore. This should give you smooth enough feeding but for more velocity, we’d probably look to upgrade this before long.
PERFORMANCE AND SUMMARY
ICS rarely disappoint when it comes to solid performance. The ICAR turns over a solid 14-15 round per second on a 7.4v 20C battery and puts out in the region of 330fps, which is an ideal and perfectly useable velocity and rate of fire. The trigger response is reasonably snappy and on this battery at least, there was no hint of overspin. Being critical, the ICS motors never seem to be the smoothest sounding but the whine is certainly coming from the motor as opposed to a poorly shimmed gearbox. Every aspect of the ICAR functions smoothly and is well assembled. ICS also know how to put together a presentable package with the gun coming in a smart box along with not one, but two hi-cap magazines, a full illustrated instruction manual, enough BBs to get you going, a cleaning rod and a catalogue DVD. The downsides are that the gun is quite long and rather heavy and with the magazine in, it certainly feels BIG in nearly every proportion. If you are a smaller guy, you might start to find it gets cumbersome quickly but for bigger lads out there, it’s a solid choice if you want something a little alternative to the norm!
■ PRICE: £299 ■ WEIGHT: 3500g ■ LENGTH: 710-980 ■ HOP: Adjustable ■ CAPACITY: 400rnd ■ FPS: 330fps
THE GOOD STUFF
Good build quality, smooth runner, reliable shooter. Includes 2x magazines.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD STUFF
Quite bulky and heavy, wobbly RIS.
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RIFLE - ICS ICAR ASSAULT RIFLE - ICS ICAR ASSAULT RIFLE
HUGE ICS SALE AT WWW.FIRE-SUPPORT.CO.UK PICK UP THIS ICS ICAR ALONG WITH A SELECTION OF OTHER GREAT ICS GUNS FOR A REDUCED PRICE AT FIRE SUPPORT NOW!
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ICAR £299 TRANSFORM4 (TAN) £259 M4A1 TAN £246 TRANSFORM4 (BLACK) £245 G33 ASSAULT RIFLE £168 CXP-15 KEYMOD RAIL £125
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ANOTHER MONTH AND EVEN MORE GREAT GEAR UNDER OUR BELTS! THIS MONTH SEES THE RETURN OF WARRIOR ASSAULT SYSTEMS WITH SOME INTERESTING NEW PRODUCTS ADDED TO THE LINE-UP. NUPROL ONCE AGAIN HAVE A NEW RANGE BOLSTERING THEIR GROWING CATALOGUE IN THE FORM OF SOME WEAPON LIGHTS AND THE GUYS AT FIRE SUPPORT SENT US OVER AN INTERESTING LITTLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE TO TRY OUT. CHECK OUT WHAT WE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL OF THE ABOVE OVER THE NEXT FEW PAGES!
£59.99
NUPROL
NLLM LIGHT
Nuprol’s latest release of torches and weapon lights included the NLLM, a replica of the Oerlikon LLM-01 or “Laser Light Module”. An alternative to the commonly replicated designs of commercially available pieces from the likes of Surefire, the NLLM’s design is distinctly more “European” and it’s based on a piece of technology designed to compliment the equipment used by German and indeed British forces. If you are unfamiliar with it, it’s best described as roughly equivalent to the AN/PEQ-15 in that it offers illumination and targeting technology in both the IR and the visible spectrum. As with most military hardware like this, availability to civilians is restricted and the price is high so a more realistically available replica with more applicable features is a welcome addition to the shelves of your favourite retailer.
With a primarily polymer body casing adorned with metal RIS clamp and light housing the NLLM isn’t overly weighty but it does have a considerable bulk projecting away from the rail by almost 2.5” which makes it difficult to mount comfortably when compared to the more slim-line PEQ systems.
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PRICE: £59.99 FROM: NUPROL STOCKISTS Within the battery compartment that is sealed with a flathead screw, you can insert a pair of CR123 batteries to provide power for the multiple functions. Using a combination of the mode selector switch on the side of the NLLM you can select between visible illumination or simply a light on high/low power modes, a laser pointer and a short range IR illuminator/ laser for use with night vision. To activate lights there is a pressure pad on a short length of wire and numerous rubber buttons and both lazer functions are independently adjusted for zero using grub screws,
In testing the NLLM performs well with a bright light and a clear laser function and its build quality is good enough to inspire confidence. Based on the bulky form factor of the item and the relatively complex interface system though, there’s nothing that would cause me to choose this item over a far simpler PEQ type light/laser combo unless I was building a specifically Euro-inspired replica weapon. At £59.99 the NLLM does offer good value for money thanks to its premium quality and the presence of IR illumination, which is not as abundant in replica items.
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W E T RNEW Y B EAND F O RWHERE E Y O UTO BGET U YIT -- WHAT’S W E T RNEW Y BAND E F OWHERE R E Y OTO U GET B U ITY --WHAT’S W E T NEW R Y BAND E F OWHERE R E Y OTOU GET B UITY WHAT’S
P T S S Y N D I C A T E £TBC THIS MONTH WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF TOOLS AND GOODIES ON SHOW IN GEAR ZONE, SAPI TR AINING PL ATES
MOSTLY SUPPLIEDMore VIAandSOCOM TACTICAL BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TREATS IN THE people are using plate carriers and sure, with the plate fitted the chance of MIX FROM THE LIKES OFmore FERRO CONCEPTS. AS WELL AS COOL-GUY GEAR WITH ALSO as part of their load outs these days and most actually feeling the hit through the carrier is FOCUSSED ON SOME PRACTICAL TOOLS UTILITY ITEMS STUFF and modern designs work best when AND filled with the slim. TheLIKE soundCHRONOS, however is unmistakable THAT’S OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY WILL SO MUCH EASIER. 10x12 armour plates they areMAKE designedYOUR to hold.LIFE because the PTS plates cause the material of
Without them in place, the carrier turns into a the carrier to pull taught, you get a hollow shapeless mess and can be uncomfortable and “pop” that is pretty pronounced. If you are difficult to use as intended. going to run a plate carrier in game, you have Most ballistic armour plates are heavy to accept the fact you might need to give the though, heavier than most players will want benefit of the doubt in any occasion and keep to worry about carrying around strapped to on your toes when it comes to listening for them and they are also expensive and difficult hits from all angles. The benefits are having a to get hold of because of restrictions on such more realistic looking and feeling plate carrier, things. Even training plates made by real-steel without the weight penalty of a hard plate. Tracer areexpensive a great way trackwant your to rounds in the darkness of aDummy night game firms areBBs more thantoyou’d “The PTS SAPI Plates is an ideal theirout glow charging by a dedicated unit that IR light.and harder standard bebut paying forneeds something like up a plate, so PTS tracer alternative to emits your heavier These units be fitted gun or often aredummy fitted in the form of a tracer Syndicate havecan stepped up inside and putthe a training plate. Designed solely for Airsoft and unit silencer that the LEDs required insideMil-Sim the tube, batteriesthe plate has been carefully plate/fi ller plate oncontains the market. purposes, and all. These two Army Force options cater for quick Instead of being made from a hard material, constructed to ensure flexibility and lightness detach and also more traditional these aresystems textile based withthe a covering of - enabling you to perform any actions or thread on solution. With either black material made to look like aone genuine manoeuvres with ease and fleet of foot. fitted,plate you’ll be able The to thickness is around kevlar covering. Perfect for use in Airsoft and Mil-Sim track your rounds directan to inch the target. This also and the plate itself cushioned and where mobility will play an important role. works both ways and the target will be able to flexible to make it comfortable in use. It will Intentionally curved in shape, the plate will track the rounds directly back to you but when it help prevent injuries from the contents of the wrap around the body providing comfort for looks as cool as it does, nobody really cares! pouches on your carrier, like magazines, in the user. The materials have been tested to be abrasion resistant and will not lose any colour PRICE: FROM £49.99 the event of a fall. from washing or drying. There is also elasticity From: SOCOM TACTICAL The PTS plates are light, almost un-noticeably so when fitted inside a carrier and the set we in these materials, allowing it to return to its tested in medium fit our medium sized plate original form from any force applied.” carriers perfectly. They do add a fair amount of insulation to your carrier so you might notice Specifications: yourself getting a little warm underneath, but ■ Colour: Black that’s nothing new. The big question really is ■ Dimensions: 305 x 240 x 20mm about feeling BB hits. Plate carriers, by their ■ Weight: 69g Certain jobs when assembling, your airsoft guns can be a real pain very design, are made to protect disassembling from impacts or maintaining ■ Size: Medium in the butt if you don’t have the specific tools for the job. You’ll find they take FAR longer and you drastically increase the risk of damaging parts or injuring yourself if you attempt to bodge something together. If you find yourself frequently working on your guns, why not ditch the hackjob methods and start working like a pro? A simple armourer’s wrench will allow you to keep the critical locking rings and barrel nuts on most M4s nipped up good and tight and thinks like motor pinion presses will allow you to fully strip, salvage and repair AEG motors. Good tools are worth investing in because before long, you will find them paying for themselves.
WHEN DARKNESS FALLS
ARMY FORCE TRACER/SILENCERS
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
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From: SOCOM TACTICAL
PACK-A-PUNCH
ARMY FORCE CO2 CHARGER
Need your gun to pack an extra punch? Don’t let the colder winter months sap your enjoyment of gas blowback with this 12g CO2 bulb adaptor. It’s made from reinforced metal with a bleeder valve for safety and can withstand high pressures over a massive temperature range. Simply screw the CO2 bulb into the charger and then fill your gas magazines directly with it, it’s been engineered specifically NOT to leak for long periods and is much more compact and easy to carry than a larger green gas can at just over 16cm long. You’ll have to make sure your weapon can withstand the higher pressures exerted and it goes without saying you should check the peak FPS on a chrono before skirmishing.
PRICE: £23.99
From: SOCOM TACTICAL
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WEAPON MAINTENANCE TOOLS
PRICE: £TBC FROM: GOOD PTS STOCKISTS www.ai-mag.com AI 039 W W W . A I - M A G . C O M 089 11/09/2013 15:09 07/04/2015 08:52
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£116.16
RE TRO ARMS
CNC V3 GE ARBOX SHELL
Retro ARMS have burst onto the 3rd party parts scene recently and one of the exceedingly high-end, precision-machined component parts they make are gearbox shells for common types of AEG. Hailing from the Czech Republic, Retro ARMS produce V2 and V3 gearbox cases for use in a number of different types of gun, they also produce a P90 casing that is used in a few models, a Classic Army/A&K-type M249 gearbox casing as used in numerous support weapons and also the SR-25 specific enlarged V2 gearbox as used in A&K and other brands SR25/AR10 replicas. “Retro ARMS gearboxes are machined out of block of EN AW 7075 T651 aluminum on multi-axis milling machine with very high precision. They are NOT cast. Retro ARMS gearboxes were designed for maximum durability, robustness and strength. All gearboxes are 100% compatible with other Retro ARMS parts to ensure maximum performance. We guarantee that all Retro ARMS parts are ALWAYS compatible with all parts that we manufacture, without need for additional fitting, grinding, edging or settling. All our gearboxes have quick spring change mechanism, which allows change of spring in the matter of minutes without complete gearbox disassembly. Retro ARMS Gearboxes are guaranteed for life against breakage in use. Gearbox version III is completely milled at CNC machining center. Compared to other aluminum
gearboxes, ours is made out of solid block of aluminum AW EN7075 T651. It is not cast like other brands! Our gearboxes are tested with M160 springs without any signs of wear or breaking over long term use. Both halves fit together with absolute precision including bearing holes, which are 100% co-axial. Further small features: ■ Accurate hole for Anti-Reversal Latch - it doesn’t fall out. ■ Accurate hole for trigger - it doesn’t jump out even with strong spring. ■ Micro grooves on pins, which hold trigger trolley spring a tappet plate spring - springs don’t jump out. ■ Package includes 1 x gearbox version III, 1 x screw M2.5 x 3, stainless steel screws, CNC spring guide and Retro ARMS sticker.
IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO GET ALL THAT EXCITED ABOUT A GEARBOX CASING, BUT IF YOU ARE BUILDING A NO-COMPROMISE, ALL-OUT AEG AND DEMAND THE BEST, THERE’S NOT REALLY ANYTHING OUT THERE THAT’S GOING TO FORM THE HEART OF YOUR BUILD BETTER THAN THE RETRO ARMS CNC LINE-UP. TEAMED WITH THEIR CNC INTERNAL COMPONENTS, YOU’LL BE ONTO A WINNER. CONSIDERING THE LEVEL OF CRAFTSMANSHIP HERE, THE PRICING IS ALL VERY REASONABLE TOO, AND SHIPPING IS FAST AND WELL PRICED.
We can’t guarantee 100% compatibility with all AK type bodies, but gearbox will fit into standard and common brand’s bodies without larger modifications. We try to adjust our gearboxes as much as possible to allow use of the widest variety of parts possible. However we still can’t guarantee fitment of all third party parts. We recommend to use Retro ARMS spare parts, because they are the most compatible.” We have picked up this fine example of a V3 gearbox for evaluation and you can see why it commands a price tag of around £80, which is more than double what you’ll expect to pay for a standard cast GB shell, immediately. It’s simply a cut above the rest and if you appreciate the finer points of machining it’s basically an ornament in itself. It’s almost a shame that it will get hidden away within a gun. The crisp edges and sharp angles of the casing are all annodised in flat black with the details and branding engraved in a no-nonsense manner. The shell is precisely drilled for 8mm bearings and there are lugs to assist in aligning the halves together. It’s supplied with a high quality screw set to fix the halves once the gearbox is built and there’s also a purpose made bearing spring guide included that uses Retro ARMS QSC system, or “Quick Spring Change” that allows you to rapidly adjust the velocity of the gun or simply relieve spring tension when working on the gearbox.
PRICE: FROM £116.16 FROM: RETROARMS.COM
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£VARIES
P T S S Y NDIC ATE
ENHANCED PIS TOL SHOCKPL ATE BASES
Rapid reloads and accidents can cause you to drop pistol magazines and in the case of many GBB mags, these carry a fair bit of weight. A drop onto a hard surface can cause damage to the reservoir or the valve and baseplate, writing off about £25 worth of kit. PTS Syndicate has added two new pistol baseplate designs to their range for both 1911 pistol types and also Glock type replicas. These baseplates take the place of the original plate and can be retrofitted to all TM design magazines for these guns. Made from a tough, black, rubberised material these baseplates absorb impacts and also make it easier to “grip and rip” your magazines from within the magazine well of your gun, essential if you are using a flared or extended magwell design which are popular on competition and modern combat pistols. These little extras won’t proof your magazines from damage, especially around the fragile feed lips, but they do an edge to your set-up and they might just give you all the extra speed and security you need to land a critical hit first.
PRICE: £TBC FROM: VARIES
THE GLOCK VARIATION OF THE BASEPLATES FITS PRETTY MUCH TOOL-LESSLY AND THE 1911 VARIANT REQUIRES ONLY THE REMOVAL OF A COUPLE OF PUSH-PINS TO FIT.
£TBC
P T S S Y NDIC ATE BAT TLECOMP 51.0
Terminate your barrel in style with a PTS Syndicate BattleComp 51.0! Available in CW or CCW 14mm threadings, these compensators will fit most airsoft guns on the market. They are officially licensed replicas of the real steel part, which is designed by BattleComp to mitigate muzzle climb and enhance control. The Battlecomp is made to be a comparable replacement for the A2-style flash hider that’s prevalent on LEO and Military weapons and whilst offering a similar size solution, also retains a level of muzzle flash reduction on par with this hider.
IN TERMS OF AIRSOFT USAGE, THE BATTLECOMP IS LARGELY DECORATIVE AND WITH OFFICIALLT LICENSED TRADEMARKS, THIS OFFERING FROM PTS IS THE FINEST, HIGHEST QUALITY RENDERING OF THIS POPULAR PRODUCT SO FAR. SHARING A SIMILAR THREADED SYSTEM TO THE AAC 51T MUZZLE DEVICE, THE BATTLECOMP 51.0 ALLOWS YOU TO MOUNT THE AAC M4-2000 SUPPRESSOR, ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH PTS SYNDICATE, QUICKLY AND CONVENIENTLY TO THE END OF YOUR BARREL. Specifications: ■ Colour: Matte Black (black oxide finish) ■ Material: Steel ■ Dimension: Ø 29 X 63mm (approx.) ■ Weight: 80g (approx.) ■ Compatibility: 14mm CW & CCW
PRICE: £TBC FROM: VARIES
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ÂŁVARIES
P T S S Y NDIC ATE
CMR R AIL ACCESSORY PACK
To compliment the PTS Syndicate Centurion Arms CMR Rail Systems as reviewed in Volume 10 Issue 10 of Airsoft International, PTS have put their take on the rail accessory pack on the market. Consisting of several components including a Handstop, Rail Covers and Rail Sections themselves, the CMR accessory pack allows you to customize the CMR rail system to your requirements without bolting on unnecessary rail section and adding further bulk. Made from reinforced polymer and supplied with high-grade steel fixings, the accessories are available separately in both black and a light coyote tan colour. Rail sections are available in both long and short lengths. Although purpose designed for use with the CMR Rail System, the component pieces can be adapted for use in other situations with a little creative thinking.
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R AIL S
Both long and short lengths available, snag-free contoured design.
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COVERS
Textured, high-grip tactile surface, scored rear to facilitate custom cutting to length.
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HANDS TOP
Textured, high-grip tactile surface, design facilitates repeatable hand position and positive muzzle control.
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RE ADER PRO JEC T MAT T CONS TABLE BRE ATHES LIFE BACK INT O A MARUI RECOI
reader’s project!
ALTHOUGH I HAVE ALL THE MIGHT OF THE AIHQ ARMOURY AND WORKSHOP BEHIND ME, SOMETIMES YOU JUST GET TOO FRUSTRATED WITH A GUN TAKING UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME GETTING IT FIXED UP. RECENTLY THIS HAPPENED TO MYSELF AND FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, I DECIDED TO SCRAP A “PROJECT” TOKYO MARUI RECOIL M4 I WAS WORKING ON. NEW PROJECTS WERE ON THE HORIZON AND I DIDN’T FEEL I HAD THE TIME OR INCLINATION TO DO THIS POOR HEAP OF PARTS JUSTICE. BEING AN AVID MEMBER OF THE “TOKYO MARUI NEXT GENERATION RECOIL SALES & APPRECIATION GROUP” ON FACEBOOK, I KNEW JUST WHERE TO GO IN ORDER TO PASS THIS HALF-STARTED IDEA ONTO A NEW OWNER. MATT CONSTABLE STEPPED UP TO THE CHALLENGE AND PICKED UP THE REIGNS WHERE I LEFT OFF. IN ONLY A FEW SHORT DAYS HE TURNED THE ENTIRE PROJECT AROUND AND IT’S NOW A FULLY FUNCTIONAL BB SPITTER. IT’S WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I CAN HAND YOU OVER TO MATT TO TELL HIS HALF OF THE STORY! When I first saw Ben Webb’s post regarding a tired M4 Recoil that he no longer had the patience for and was willing to let go for a reasonable price, I instantly became excited. Despite owning a few of my own already, I knew that now was my chance to restore one to its former glory and I immediately did the deal. After a couple of days the box of bits arrived, as I slowly unravelled each bundle of bubble wrap, neatly containing the individual constituent parts I had already formed the
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picture in my mind of the end result, a down and dirty painted workhorse. After all of the unwrapping, all of the original parts were there with the exception of the tappet plate & bolt recoil mechanism. The previous owner (before Ben) had seen to it to remove the extended arm on the gearbox shell that the recoil mechanism attaches to for some unknown reason. I was already aware of all of the missing parts, which had dutifully been ordered, including a replacement gearbox shell.
The first step was to ‘dry-assemble’ all of the external parts and send them to be painted at Red 1 airsoft in Hertfordshire, Jason always does a fantastic job with paintwork and won’t stop until he has achieved the exact result you are looking for. On this occasion he hit the nail on the head first try. Whilst the gun was away having its cosmetics renewed I concentrated on the gearbox rebuild. It is worth mentioning that my plan was to totally rebuild the gearbox back to its original state with completely stock parts but with the arrival of the BTC Spectres and a chance delivery of a Lonex parts order. I was instantly sold on an “upgrade build”. The first step in the build was to fit and fix some brand new bushings into the gearbox shell. I usually choose Lonex but having heard good things about Magicbox I decided to give some a try. The next step was to shim the gears, my chosen method is ‘bevel to pinion’ so whilst my pistol grip was away being painted, I borrowed one from my other TM M4 to complete the job. If I am installing a Spectre MOSFET I usually shim the gear set entirely first, then add the Spectre lower board and check the spacing of the screw head that holds it in place with the sector gear and adjust if necessary. I find with Lonex gears that this way almost never results in adjustment being necessary and on this occasion it wasn’t. At this point I decided that I was also going
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to re-wire the MOSFET using Prometheus silver plated wire as I find, not only does it look really clean and tidy, but it also is more resilient to snagging and can take slightly more abuse than its mPPE counterpart. Gears shimmed, MOSFET wired and routed, time to fix the new Prometheus piston head to the stock piston and check on the angle of engagement. The AoE was little out, however, a sorbo pad and protective cover attached to the new Lonex piston head resolved this with precision. The only thing to do left in the gearbox was to re-grease everything, fit the tappet plate and upgraded o-ring air-nozzle and trigger and close everything up. I had already seen some pictures of the finished paint job but they seriously did not do it justice. Upon collection of the m4, I was overwhelmed by the realisation of an idea that existed only in my head, to say I was happy was an understatement. An old rail from another M4 and a TM VLTOR stock that was donated to me set the look off perfectly and I couldn’t wait to finish the build. The next steps were very straightforward; I started by re-installing the gearbox into the lower with the bolt release and mag release, I also fitted the pistol grip and new Lonex-A2 high torque motor at the same time. When re-wiring the BTC, I had made sure to give myself enough wire to poke through in to the body of the stock as a simple LiPo conversion.
I use the term loosely as you can still use a NiMH as it is only the connector that actually changes. So after threading the wires through the ambi-sling mount and locking nut I gently screwed the buffer tube in to the receiver. Ben had already warned me that some of the threads were damaged so the key was to go slowly but surely. Fitting the covers for the wiring and the stock and soldering a connector on to the wires meant that all that was left was the fabled Tokyo Marui hop unit and barrel. With this particular build I elected to go with the Prometheus BC 6.05mm bright barrel and Firefly hop rubber & nub combo as this has served me very well on previous occasions. A few people will criticise the BC barrels as they are brass, however, I find that with good regular maintenance and checks they perform very well and are considerably cheaper than some alternatives.
THE UPGRADE PARTS ■ BLACK TALON CONCEPTS SPECTRE MOSFET ■ RE-WIRED WITH PROMETHEUS NEO SILVER PLATED WIRE ■ LONEX GEAR SET ■ LONEX ANTI-REVERSAL LATCH ■ LONEX A2 HIGH TORQUE MOTOR ■ LONEX CYLINDER & CYLINDER HEAD ■ LONEX PISTON HEAD ■ LONEX AIR NOZZLE
THE VERDICT This gun not only looks fantastic but performs flawlessly as well. The combination of the high-torque motor and BTC Spectre give supreme trigger response and with the addition of Lonex compression parts the airflow is consistent with every shot. Bring the precision barrel and high quality hop setup in to the mix and you have what is an all-round fantastic weapon! Thank you Ben for bringing this gun in to my collection!
THE FINISHED ARTICLE, COMPLETE WITH AN SF-STYLE WEATHERED PAINTJOB TO TIE THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER.
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NEW PROJECT! THE CARL GUSTAV RECOILLESS RIFLE
IT’S TIME TO KICK OFF ANOTHER PROJECT, AND WE’RE GOING TO UP THE ANTE AGAIN. WE’VE BUILT SNIPER RIFLES, CARBINES, HELL, WE EVEN BUILT A DSHK – WHAT WE HAVEN’T DONE (YET), IS BUILD ANYTHING SHOULDER LAUNCHED...
NEW PROJECT!
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NEW PROJECT! THE CARL GUSTAV RECOILLESS RIFLE - THE CARL GU
LAST ISSUE WE LEFT YOU WITH A FEW CLUES AS TO WHAT THE NEXT PROJECT WOULD BE. THE ANSWER, OF COURSE, IS THE CARL GUSTAV RECOILLESS RIFLE. THIS INCREDIBLY VERSATILE WEAPON FIRST ENTERED SERVICE WITH THE SWEDISH ARMY IN 1948 (YES, IT’S THAT OLD!) AND THOUGH IT’S EVOLVED SOMEWHAT OVER THE YEARS, IT’S STILL THE SAME BASIC DESIGN: A RECOILLESS RIFLE THAT THROWS A VARIETY OF 84MM ROUNDS DOWN IT’S RIFLED BARREL TOWARDS THE ENEMY WITH GREAT EFFECT. It’s seen service with the armed forces of over forty countries and has proven to be a reliable weapon. With almost constant updates to it’s ammunition over the years it’s everything from a tank killer to a building clearance device. Yes, at the heart of the system is some old tech, but it’s a damn good bit of kit. So good, in fact, that combat performance of the M3 variant with USSOCOM units (United States Special Operations Command, for those who prefer plain words to acronyms) has led to it’s adoption amongst the wider US Army, starting with Light Infantry units. That’s the history lesson out of the way, so let’s start to talk about what on earth we’re going to do. It’s fairly obvious that we’re not going to fire artillery rounds out of it, so we have to look at some way of making it more than simply a prop. The answer is to use a 40mm grenade – but we’re not going down the route that DeepFire went down with their M72 LAW, or SHI with the AT4, or Apple Airsoft with their RPG-7. That would be overly simple, not very effective, and quite frankly, a bit boring. Nope, we’ve got other ideas – and for that we’re going to have to take you on another history lesson. The difference is that this time it’s an Airsoft history lesson. Back in the day (the Middle Ages, in terms of Airsoft), Craft Apple Works – CAW - produced an M79 and a selection of grenades to go with it. Of particular interest to us is the variant that works with an optional inner barrel set.
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The spring loaded inner barrel set (6 barrels in total) was fixed in to the M79’s barrel and when the grenade was loaded into the open breach it would slot into place, self aligning with the six barrels. The end result? A large increase in range. By now, you’ve probably figured out what we’re going to do – and you’d be right. Yes, we’re going to fit our Charlie G (that’s just one of it’s nicknames) with a set of inner barrels. Is that all though? Nope! We’re going to fit Hop-up to those barrels as well. That leaves one last decision and that’s the 40mm grenade we’re going to use, and here there’s a few decisions to be made. The first one is what means gas to use, the second is calibre, and the final one is the number of BBs which it contains. Calibre is easy: 6mm, as some sites are a bit iffy about using 8mm ammo. Gas wise, as long as it can handle Green Gas then it’s good to go. Finally, the capacity of the grenade itself, and ideally we’d like to throw at least 50BBs down range with every shot. That said, we are restricted slightly as we’re going to be building an inner barrel set to work with it, so due to this we can only use grenades that stack the BBs in 6 columns. Working through all the options leaves us with a short-list of three, namely: Madbull M583A1 – 96 rounds capacity King Arms M433 – 60 rounds capacity King Arms XM1060 – 96 rounds capacity
Of the three, the 96 round grenades are the more appealing, and there seems to be little difference in practical usage between the two, so we’ll go for the first of the two that we come across.
DESIGN The design of the Carl Gustav is pretty simple, it’s just a tube with a breech that swings upwards in order to load the ammunition (Charlie G crews comprise of two people. The person who gets to fire it, and the loader who gets to feed the beast), so we’re going to replicate that. That said, it’s not quite as simple as it appears as we have to ensure that the 40mm round will line up with the six inner barrels. That will be achieved in two ways. To align it correctly, a very shallow groove will be machined in the body of the grenade that will then engage with a stud to guide the grenade into position. It will then engage with the inner barrels by way of counterboring the first couple of millimetres of the top of the grenade so the six inner barrels slot into place, in the same way that CAW 40mm grenades do with the M79 inner barrel set. In order to make sure that the grenade is properly engaged with the inner barrels we’ll use springs to push the barrels against the front of the grenade. Yes, it’s an added complication, but if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it right. Then
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RL GUSTAV RECOILLESS RIFLE - THE CARL GUSTAV RECOILLESS RIFLE
CHARLIE G ON THE GROUND! Jonathan Wade, former member of the Canadian Infantry and Ai contributor is something of a veteran when it comes to the Carl Gustav, having fired in excess of 80 rounds from one during just one deployment to Afghanistan during the War On Terror! He’s picture on the right here with a whole heap of rounds in those green cases.
we come to the most involved part of the build, the Hop-up system, as without it the Charlie G won’t be of much use out in the open – it needs some serious range! To do this we’re going to modify conventional Hop-up rubbers and then mill slots in the relevant places on the inner barrels so the nub protrudes and into the barrel. As to adjusting it, we’ll have to manufacture a plate that will press down on all six Hop-up rubbers at the same time. OK, it means we can’t individually adjust the Hop-up applied to each barrel, but it’s a compromise – after all, we don’t want to spend hours adjust six individual Hop-up units, we want to be out there using the thing... As to the furniture and “set dressing” (parts that are functional on the real Carl Gustav, but aren’t on our Airsoft Charlie G) , we’ll attempt to replicate them as accurately as we can for the M3 version. We’ll also try and find a scope that fits the bill as well. There’s a few options out there, but we’d like to find one that’s not going to break the bank. Perhaps eBay will turn up something suitable.... That just leaves one question: How are we going to set this thing off? The answer to that is simple, it’s going to be cable operated. Pull
the trigger and the cable, via a couple of levers and other trickery will push the button on the back of the grenade. We could have gone down the route of using lots of rods and linkages but it would be rather complicated given that we have to allow for the breech to swing open to load the round. Cables are just easier!
MATERIALS Given the cost of the previous project – in terms or machining time as well as materials – we’re going to try and offset that somewhat by making the majority of the parts for this this project in a material that’s more easily machined, namely ABS. ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is a plastic that most Airsofters will have come across at one time or another. Marui, for example, use huge amounts of the stuff. It’s abrasion resistant, handles impact fairly well, it can be moulded to shape by heat, it can be machined, welded, drilled, tapped – the whole nine yards. How solid is it? Well, they make Lego bricks from it, and we can all remember how indestructible they tend to be! That doesn’t mean that all parts of Project Charlie will be manufactured from ABS though.
The inner barrels will be metal, as will the brackets that hold them in place, plus a few reinforcement plates here and there. Overall though the metal content of Project Charlie will be fairly low – as will the cost... Finally, of course, we have to talk about what we’re going to paint it with. Recently, we’ve tried a variety of paints in a trial, and we’re happiest with Krylon Fusion, so we’ll probably go down that road unless some new super-duper truly awesome paint gets release.
SUMMARY There you have it: Our plan for building a Charlie G. It’s not going to be the most involved (or impractical!) project we’ve done, but it’s something different. That said, by now you’re probably thinking “why?”, so let’s explain the logic behind this build. In short, Airsofters have a habit of flocking together when skirmishing. Spacing? Nope, most of them seem to just wander along in groups – and that’s why we’re building what is effectively a giant shotgun. Think of it. There you are, hunkered down in a boggy ditch in the middle of a woodland site. You hear the opposition wandering around making as much noise as a herd of elephants. You peek out of the ditch and see half a dozen of them forty or so metres away. You flip the safety off and slowly rise up. You pull the trigger and take six of the enemy players out in one go... kind of a satisfying thought really!
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THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL SPRING CLEANING YOUR AEG
O T K BAC S IC BAS G E A R U O Y N A E L C G N SPR I
THE WEATHER IS GETTING BETTER AND THE DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER! WE’LL SOON BE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF “AIRSOFT SEASON” FOR THE FAIR-WEATHER PLAYERS OUT THERE BUT IF YOU STUCK AT IT FOR THE DURATION OF WINTER, THERE’S A FAIR CHANCE YOUR TRUSTY SHOOTER MIGHT BE FEELING (AND RUNNING) A LITTLE WORSE FOR WEAR BY NOW. Whilst the birds sing the songs of the changing seasons and the bunnies are hopping joyfully through the daffodils, what better way to spend your time than giving your AEG a spring clean? Ok, there might be more interesting things to do than maintain your gun but trust us, when you hit the field for the first time with the sun on your back, you are going to want to spend as much time enjoying the thick of the action, not wondering why your gun isn’t working so well. A little time spend now will ensure you have a great summer’s gaming instead of a frustrating sit in the car-park! Surely that’s gotta be worth half an hour of your time?
BACK TO BASICS
Our basic AEG maintenance guide is split into three parts, each dealing with a critical aspect of your gun, namely the barrel, the motor and the magazines. Share your attention amongst these vital parts and you’ll be able to rest assured your gun will work at its peak at your next game!
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barrel clean Cleaning out the barrel of your airsoft guns is something that should be done regularly and the first thing you should check if you start to encounter problems or lacking performance. Even if your gun is new or recently serviced it’s possible that excess lubricant from the cylinder has been blown into the barrel and has begun to obstruct the BBs passing through and if you have played in the rain you should definitely give the inner barrel a clean through before you play again. We are not talking about great big clumps of filth here either, BBs are relatively lightweight and all it takes is the smallest speck of grime or grit to upset their flight path and the critical rotation imparted by the hop unit.
A WORD OF WARNING...
When cleaning or inspecting your gun’s inner barrel it’s unbelievably tempting to peer down the barrel in the vain hope you will see some offending objects in there. Put simply, DON’T! Always treat your airsoft gun as if it is loaded until the hop unit has been cleared and the battery has been disconnected. Better still, never put your eyes near the muzzle of your gun unless you are wearing suitable eye protection.
THINGS YOU’LL NEED... ■ A CLEAN, CLEAR WORKSPACE ■ A CLEAN LINT-FREE CLOTH (LENS CLOTH) ■ SILICONE OIL ■ BARREL CLEANING ROD
KEEP YOUR REL INNER BAR CLEAN TO KEEP YOUR SHOTS ON TARGET!
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1
REMOVE THE BARREL
2
SPOT CHECK
It’s possible to clean the barrel of your gun by simply turning the hop unit fully off and simply poking the cleaning rod inside the gun but it can be difficult to assess your results and verify that the barrel is as spotless as it needs to be. To do that you really need to remove the barrel from the gun. Most modern AEGs allow you to do this rather easily so follow your procedure to remove the inner barrel and hop unit from the rest of the gun. When you have it separated, it’s time to remove the hop unit from the end of the barrel too.
With the barrel separated you can now give it a good once over to see where your problem lies. If you have been encountering jams, poor groupings or varying FPS readings you could have dirt inside the barrel. Hold it up to the light and look through the inside. Any dirt should be quite easy to see and you might also notice some concentric rings inside the barrel, unless these are pronounced they are likely to be a side effect of the manufacturing process but if you can see any particularly pronounced marks or imperfections you barrel might be defective or the lining worn. Other places to check are the ends of the barrel where the BBs enter and leave. Make sure they are smooth, round and free from burrs. If your inner barrel is slightly bent you will encounter problems so roll it along a flat surface to ensure it’s perfectly straight.
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CLEAN OUT
4
RUBBER REFIT
If your barrel is free from any defects previously mentioned you should clean any dirt from the inside. Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut a 10mm x 30mm strip of your lint free cloth and thread it through the eye of the cleaning rod. Twist the rod to wrap the strip around and form a large Q-tip like device. Spray a little Silicone Spray down the barrel and quickly run the cloth through with the rod. Repeat this process two or three times until the inner of the barrel is completely clean. Finally, cut another piece of cloth and run it through the barrel completely dry to remove any excess silicone oil.
Once your barrel is cleaned, you will need to begin the process of re-assembly and the first stage is to fit the hop rubber sleeve to the end of the barrel. Before doing so give it a once over and check for wear, nicks or tears in it. There will all drastically reduce the performance of your gun. Also check inside the rubber for any grit or dirt, if necessary clean with a tiny amount of silicone spray on a patch of cloth and always remove the excess with a clean dry piece. Before inserting the barrel back into the hop unit, apply a drop of regular silicone oil to the outside of the hop sleeve. This will make it easier to insert into the hop unit without creasing or stretching. Take care not to get any inside the barrel though.
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mo tor health Although there are alternatives around, the AEG is and probably will be the most popular platform of airsoft gun used on the skirmish field for some time. At the heart of every AEG is an electrical motor that drives an array of gears to pull back a piston and fire the BB. It’s a simple machine but we ask a hell of a lot from our AEG’s motor. We expect it to start up in an instant and when we release the trigger we expect it to stop on a dime, all done without making a sound and staying out of sight, tucked neatly within our gun. To get the most from your motor, it’s essential to adjust the “motor height” periodically to ensure that its single pinion gear is meshed with the first gear in the gearbox properly, this is something that is often forgotten…
THE RIGHT HEIGHT
If your AEGs motor is set to the correct height and the teeth of its pinion gear are correctly engaging the first gear inside the gearbox your gun will run more smoothly, more quietly and will last longer. You’ll likely gain a little in trigger response and rate of fire too, and simply ensuring the motor is fitted correctly is just a 5-minute job. If the motor height is set wrongly and it is too low, you’ll get accelerated wear on the gears in your gearbox, the gun will be noisy and screechy, and you’ll find the trigger response is slow and the rate of fire is lacking.
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KEEP YOUR MOTOR IN TOP CONDITION FOR GREAT PERFORMANCE!
A WORD OF WARNING...
When setting your motors height, you have to rely on “feel” and sound. It’s usually pretty obvious when the motor is meshing smoothly but some guns and motors do make a little more noise than others. If your gun is making unusual noises, like a grinding or screeching, or the performance is unusually bad and the battery becomes warm, stop firing it, remove the battery and take it to a technician if you are uncomfortable with any further work.
A NOISY GEARBOX COULD MEAN A GEAR IS WORN OR SHIMMING WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE AND TO MINIMISE ANY FURTHER DAMAGE, THE WHOLE THING WILL NEED OPENING UP FOR INVESTIGATION... THINGS YOU’LL NEED... ■ A CLEAN, CLEAR WORKSPACE ■ A FRESHLY CHARGED BATTERY ■ ALLEN KEYS
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1
REMOVE CAP
2
SPOT CHECK
We are working on the most common gun, the M4 AEG. In the M4 with a V2 gearbox, the motor is housed in the grip. Other gearboxes require the motor to be fitted elsewhere, but the majority of guns use the same system as found here. First, disconnect your gun’s battery and remove the base cap of the gun. In this instance it is held on via 2 Allen headed set screws. Set these aside carefully as they are essential. Once the cap is removed, you can slide off the motor connector wires from their terminals and gently tug the motor out of the gun.
With the motor separate from the gun, you can check that it is in good shape. Inspect the pinion gear on the end of the motor shaft and ensure that its teeth are free from damage or excessive wear and the gear itself is firmly fixed to the shaft. Some motors use a tiny grub screw to hold the gear in place. If this is the case, make sure it is tightened. Hold the body of the motor and attempt to rotate and wobble the shaft. It should spin freely without any side-to-side movement. The more powerful the motor, the harder it will to turn by hand and it may feel “stepped” when you twist it. This is normal and because of the powerful magnets inside. Finally, check for any excessive carbon deposits, if you use an Active Braking MOSFET carbon build-up may become more problematic.
3
REFIT THE MOTOR
4
CAP IT OFF
Assuming your motor is in good health, you can now prepare to refit it. Firstly you will need to ensure the wires are traced through the grip properly. In most instances, the best way for the wires to run through the grip is to route them along the inside of the back of it. Generally the black wire will run straight up, but the red positive wire will need to be poked around the opening for the motor shaft inside the grip and traced along side the black wire. When the wires are seated correctly, slot the motor carefully back into place with the red terminal closest to the barrel of the gun. The motor SHOULD drop in smoothly and with very little resistance until the spring around the shaft meets the inside of the pistol grip. You should now be able to connect the wires back onto their appropriate terminals and the motor should “spring” up and down smoothly. If it does not, ensure your wires are traced properly.
With the motor comfortably seated, you need to refit the bottom cap. First, back off the larger grub screw in the middle of the base as far as you can before it falls out, then offer up the cap before reinstalling the two smaller screws to hold the cap on. When these are good and tight, begin to move the motor height up by tightening the larger central screw. As you tighten, you will likely feel it meet the motor itself and begin to move it up against the tension of the spring. At this point, reconnect a freshly charged battery to your gun and set it to semi-auto, ensure the gun is clear and alternately fire a single shot and tighten the motor height screw by a half turn each time. As you tighten the screw you will notice the sound of the motor changes. Keep adjusting and firing a single shot until the motor is at the correct height. If it becomes too high, it will start to make a louder, grinding noise, back the screw off slightly and retest until you are happy it is set correctly.
That’s it, once you have set your motor height properly, you can enjoy your AEG working at it’s most efficient. Once in a while it’s a good idea to check nothing has come loose, and whenever you remove the pistol grip, always ensure the motor height is correct upon reassembly!
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smooth mags!
CLEAN OUT YOUR MAGS TO MAKE SURE THEY FEED WHEN IT COUNTS!
If you’ve ever dropped your AEG’s mag in a puddle, accidentally stuffed it into the dirt or grit, you might find it doesn’t feed so well anymore or makes your ammo dirty because you’ve filled the BB channel with muck. There’s not a lot to most midcap magazines and most are designed using the same principles, but they start to go wrong when grit, dust or sand finds its way into the channel the BBs are stored in. These foreign particles can cause jams, slow feeding and in worst cases allow dirt to get into the hop unit and barrel of your guns. This will play havoc with your accuracy so keeping your magazines clean is a must.
A WORD OF WARNING...
Maintaining your magazines is an easy job once you know how but you can bet your bottom dollar that the first time you attempt it you’ll end up with springs shooting here and there. If you lose any, you’ll have a tough time getting the mag back up and running. Make sure you have a clear, clean workspace so when you do inevitably drop something you’ll have an easier time finding it on the floor.
THINGS YOU’LL NEED... ■ A CLEAN, CLEAR WORKSPACE ■ A QUALITY SET OF SCREWDRIVERS ■ ALLEN KEYS ■ SOME SILICON SPRAY ■ A CLEAN CLOTH
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1
CLEAR OUT
3
REMOVE SPRING
4
CLEAR THE WAY
Empty all the BBs out of the mag by pulling back the catch near the feedhole. If they are jammed, don’t be afraid to give the magazine a sharp tap on something solid to encourage them to free up, the dome-shaped follower should be visible through the feedhole unless you have some serious mag constipation. With this magazine we had to remove the retaining screw, but that’s not always the case. Either way, remove the screw at the bottom entirely and set it aside.
2
DISASSEMBLE
5
REBUILD
Depending on the design of your magazine, the inner may simply slip out of the outer sleeve, but some have pins pushed through at the top to further secure them, if that’s the case, simply push them out. Sometimes they come out by hand, but others might need a little persuasion with a punch and a small tack hammer. Once the pin is out, set it aside. This should free up the inner magazine and allow you to pull it out of the top of the sleeve.
If you had to trap the long main spring in between the two halves of the inner magazine, it’d be nigh on impossible to reassemble them because of the tension required. Thankfully, the job is made easier by a spring access point. You’ll be able to identify this in most magazines by the cover you need to unscrew and lever out of place. Take care when doing this though, because once it’s moved, the main spring will shoot out, try and catch it when it does. With the long spring and attached follower removed by simply pulling it through, unscrew the two halves of the inner shell. Once all the screws are undone, the two halves will come free and often the BB retaining latch will be released. This consists of a small coil spring and a wedge-shaped latch. Take note of them and set them aside carefully.
Take your lint fee cloth and spray a small amount of silicone oil onto it, use this to wipe out the BB channel in the magazine shell halves. Make sure it’s spotless in there. Do the same to the main spring whilst it is out, and give it a very light spray of silicone to help it move freely through the magazine. Too much silicone oil though, and you’ll end up with it on your hop unit, ruining it’s effect, so go sparingly.
Carefully replace the catches and other small pieces into one half of the magazine inner then replace the top cover and screw it back together. Feed the main spring in through the access point before refitting the cover. Next slide the inner back into the sleeve and replace any screw or pins that you removed. Fill and empty the magazine a couple of times through to make sure they are working and to work any excess silicone oil through before you but them in your AEG. These simple steps should bring even the most stubborn of mid-caps back to life. Please bear in mind though, that springs do eventually give up their tension, magazines don’t always get on with certain BBs and sometimes your might need to fit a sector delay clip into your gearbox of you have persistent feed problems.
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too many retailers? It’s not a silly question. The airsoft market in the UK is not large and it is by and large constant, new entrants being roughly matched with those who decide to do something else with their Sundays. Given this, do we need as many retailers as we have? The most obvious response to this is to make the argument for competition – more retailers, more choice, better prices, better for everyone. Well, maybe. If you start digging, things are not quite that simple. Let us set aside the bedroom retailers and the fly-by-nights, I’ll no doubt come back to them later. Good honest bricks and mortar retailers are what we’re interested in here. For me the biggest issue isn’t really about the number of retailers (well it is) but what they have to offer. Do we have choice? Yes we do, but that choice isn’t as wide ranging as you might think. There simply aren’t that many manufacturers out there. Once you allow G&P, G&G, Marui, ICS, there aren’t any significant players left. Yes there are still a number of Chinese manufacturers getting their products out to market, but they no longer have the position they had a few years ago. Increasingly retailers get very excited about relatively small matters – Krytac for instance. Interesting? Yes, maybe. Innovative? That’s a matter of opinion, MOSfet technology isn’t new. Mass market winner? Hardly likely, just another fairly normal AEG to choose from. The same is true of accessories, to an
extent. Many retailers, in fact most of them will follow the path of least resistance and buy from Viper, Nuprol and the like. Nothing wrong with that but if you are entering an already crowded market just how does that differentiate you from everyone else? The truth is that it doesn’t, it becomes about price and personal preference. Most retailers have a small core of customers who are loyal to the for some reason or other. Maybe the shop grew out of their local site, maybe they are friends of the owners, whatever. The vast majority of customers will cruise the internet looking for the best price and for who has stock of whatever they are after at the time. If you sit back and try to be objective, most retailer’s websites look the same. You’ll find the same products, from the same companies at roughly the same prices. Even where the prices vary, I would be surprised if most shops won’t offer to price match, so that becomes almost irrelevant. It’s all much of a muchness really. Why should that be the case, and does it really matter? To me it does matter, but my viewpoint is admittedly skewed. I not only work within this industry but I regularly look at it in order to do exactly what I’m doing
now – writing about it. What I see seldom inspires me, but that is not the fault of the retailers, it’s the nature of the beast. What I do notice is that every new entrant is basically a copy of what has gone before, the only difference is the degree to which they copy others. Websites look the same, descriptions are often the same (they are describing the same goods after all) prices are interchangeable only the name and the contact details differ. To me that speaks of stagnation in the market. We don’t see dramatic changes, only differences of scale. When Pro Airsoft Supplies launched, what was notable wasn’t their stock although their prices were noteworthy. What I noticed was the scale – PAS went big right from the start and you would have to be blind to have missed them. With the greatest of respect however, that was the main difference. Brands? Lots of G&G to start with, other brands being added. They’re a nice bunch of guys and girls, but the majority of their customers won’t get to meet them. I’m not picking on PAS, they are the only example of a new retailer making a mark that I can think of, too often it’s just more of the same. I’m not sure if this is a problem or not. It might well be that, like the political reporters who struggle to see life beyond Westminster, those of us in the industry fail to see the woods for the trees. You may all be more than happy with the number and standard of retailers out there and I am talking through a hole in my head. I would just like to see more variety, more points of difference between the various outlets. In part I think this is difficult because of the limited number of offerings to sell. There are a few big names and they command a large slice of the market, whether we like it or not. Getting into the market is a scary and costly undertaking – look how long it took ASG to introduce their new Scorpion. I would also like to see different approaches from different retailers, I’d like to see obvious approaches and attitudes which made them different from each other. There are such differences but in a small market with constant competition, to stray too far from the norm is to risk alienating that market, with obvious and unwelcome results. For now I fear I shall just have to grumble darkly into my coffee and let those who do, do what they will.
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